2023-24 SoCon Preview (Part One)
It’s that time of year again – the air gets colder, the leaves change color, and wrestling mats are rolled out. We’re about to dive into four of the schools in the Southern Conference. Last season, Appalachian State clinched another conference title, followed by Campbell then Chattanooga.
Appalachian State
Appalachian State returns starters at seven out of ten weights this year, following an undefeated conference season. The Mountaineers were 12-2 overall, recording losses to ACC foes NC State and Virginia Tech. Returning starters include national qualifier Ethan Oakley (133), reigning conference champion Tommy Askey (157), and runner-up Will Miller (174). Who can we hope to see step back out on the mat this season? None other than Sean Carter (133) who was faced with a season-ending injury during the Virginia Tech dual. Sophomore Carson Floyd (197) is another familiar face to look out for. As a freshman, he held a 24-9 record (7-1 in conference), was the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year, and a conference finalist.
Varsity Gym will be home to four conference duals (The Citadel, VMI, Bellarmine*, Gardner-Webb), and will yet again host the Southern Conference Championship in Holmes Convocation Center on March 9.
Another matchup you won’t want to miss? The first-ever showdown between App State and Cornell will take place in Boonetown on February 18 after the Bellarmine dual. Newly-minted assistant coach Hunter Richard, a Cornell alumnus, joins JohnMark Bentley’s coaching staff alongside returning assistants Jarrod Patterson and Randall Diabe.
Preseason rankings:
133 – Sean Carter (12)
149 – Cody Bond (26)
157 – Tommy Askey (19)
197 – Carson Floyd (31)
Davidson
The Davidson Wildcats return this season with a new look and a new room, following rebranding and renovations to the wrestling facility unveiled in September. Nate Carr, Jr. will start his second year at the helm, alongside assistants Ty Eustice and Marcus Coleman. The ‘Cats finished their ’22-’23 campaign with a 1-7 conference record and 2-11 overall, recording wins over Presbyterian College (SoCon) and Queens University of Charlotte. Tanner Peake (157) returns to the mat this season, following a 15-4 record between 157 and 165-lb weight classes. Peake broke the mold when he became Davidson’s first conference finalist since 2019 – four years may not seem like long, but it’s a milestone nonetheless. Incoming freshmen to watch out for? At 141 lbs, we’ve got 5A Georgia state champ Tyler McKnight, 149 lbs, 3A North Carolina state champion Brock Carey, and at heavyweight, 2A North Carolina state champ DJ Spring II. Carr and company head home to Ames, Iowa where they’ll wrestle Iowa State on November 12. Notable duals for Davidson include: a home opener against Duke on December 8, and rematches against Bellarmine* (Feb 2) and The Citadel (Feb 11), … rest of story at … Intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/socon/2023-24-socon-preview-part-one
Emerging Sports for Women update: Women’s wrestling on track for championship consideration
Women’s wrestling is on track to become the NCAA’s 91st NCAA championship, based on the latest sports sponsorship data released this month.
Other sports in the Emerging Sports for Women program also showed significant growth in the latest data (see breakdown below).
Women’s wrestling highlighted the six sports in the Emerging Sports for Women program, meeting the requirements to be considered for an NCAA championship. Specifically, more than 40 schools sponsored women’s wrestling at the varsity level and met the sport’s minimum competition and participant requirements in the 2022-23 academic year. The sport’s growth puts it on track to become the sixth sport to earn NCAA championship status through the Emerging Sports for Women program, joining rowing (1996), ice hockey (2000), water polo (2000), bowling (2003) and beach volleyball (2015).
The Committee on Women’s Athletics — an Association-wide committee that oversees the Emerging Sports for Women program, which was established in 1994 based on a recommendation from the NCAA Gender Equity Task Force — anticipates making a recommendation at its February meeting to Divisions I, II and III to sponsor legislation to add a national collegiate women’s wrestling championship. If this recommendation is made, the projected timeline to add a women’s wrestling championship is for each division to sponsor a proposal for the 2024-25 legislative cycle and vote on the proposals before or during the 2025 NCAA Convention. If adopted, the first women’s wrestling championship would be held in winter 2026. This timeline is consistent with past sports added as National Collegiate Championships through the Emerging Sports for Women program.
All three divisions received updates from the Committee on Women’s Athletics in their October meetings. The Committee on Women’s Athletics will continue to use the governance periods before its February meeting to discuss the women’s wrestling championship in detail. This process will provide opportunities for membership and stakeholder feedback on relevant details, such as sport committee composition, championship format, bracket size and dates, which would be included in a recommendation from the Committee on Women’s Athletics. Before a women’s wrestling championship can be established, funding must be considered by the appropriate financial oversight committees.
“What women’s wrestling has accomplished in a short period of time is exceptional. …
Women’s wrestling
2022-23: 51 teams reported sponsoring women’s wrestling, a 12-school uptick from 2021-22. Division III accounted for 30 schools in the 2022-23 sponsorship data, followed by 19 in Division II and two in Division I.
Average roster size: 15. … rest of story at … Ncaa.org/news/2023/10/17/media-center-emerging-sports-for-women-update-womens-wrestling-on-track-for-championship-consideration
Rhode Island adding girls wrestling weight classes for 2023-24 winter sports season
WARWICK, R.I. (October 4, 2023) – The Rhode Island Interscholastic League will be providing additional participation opportunities for girls during the 2023-24 winter sports season beginning on Monday, November 27, 2023.
Girls Wrestling weight classes will be offered for the first time in league history as female wrestling will be integrated into the existing Dual Meet Schedule as well as In-State Tournaments offered by member schools during the regular season. The RIIL State Meet will add the opportunity to compete in 12 weight classes exclusive to females with a chance to earn entrance into the 59th New England Championship beginning on Friday, March 1st at the Providence Career & Technical Academy in Rhode Island. This will mark the first time girls weight classes are offered at the RIIL State and New England Championships.
As of January 2023, 37 states sanctioned girls wrestling as an official high school sport. As a result of these new opportunities being offered, girls’ participation in wrestling has climbed steadily throughout the United States in the last two decades. According to the National Federation of State High Schools’ Athletics Participation Survey, national participation rose from 4,975 female participants in 2005 to 7,351 in 2010. The number of female wrestlers then almost tripled to 21,124 by 2018-19 and has since jumped to 49,127 participants in 2022-23 – a 233% increase over that four-year time period.
Within the RIIL, the number of female wrestlers competing with their respective schools’ coed teams has grown significantly over the last decade, jumping from 8 participants in 2014 to 68 last winter (2022-23). According to the National Girls High School Wrestling Summary compiled by the USA Wrestling Girls High School Development Committee, like Rhode Island, the five other high school state associations in New England have experienced a similar upward climb in participation numbers since 2014. … rest of story at … RIsports.tumblr.com/riil-adding-girls-wrestling-weight-classes
Queens 2023-24 Wrestling Schedule Released
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte wrestling team released their schedule for the 2023-24 season this afternoon which features 13 events between November and February, including six home matches at the Levine Center, before the National Collegiate Open.
The season begins on Thursday, November 2 when the Royals travel to Greensboro for a four-team event that also features Greensboro College, North Carolina, and Oregon State. Queens last faced UNC in 2021 in Chapel Hill when the Tar Heels defeated the Royals 48-0. However, this will be the first ever meeting with Greensboro College and Oregon State in Queens’ history.
Less than two weeks later, the Royals will travel to Danville, Virginia for the Averett University hosted Cougar Open on November 12. The Royals competed in the same event in November 2021, finishing in second place with four Queens wrestlers taking first in their weight class. The Royals will compete in their first home match of the season against St. Andrews the following weekend on a date that is yet to be determined.
The Royals stay home to begin December with a meet against Bellarmine on December 2. Queens competed against the Knights three times last season and four times in program history with a loss each time. However, this will be the first time that Queens hosts Bellarmine at the Levine Center.
On Friday, December 15, the Royals travel to Chattanooga, Tennessee for a three-team meet hosted by UT Chattanooga. Little Rock will be the third team competing at the meet and it will be the first time the Royals compete against either team. Early the following week, the Royals return home for another three-team meet with Duke and The Citadel on December 19. It will be the third time Queens and The Citadel will match up in program history and the first time Queens and Duke will compete against one another. … rest of story at … Queensathletics.com/news/2023/10/20/mens-wrestling-queens-2023-24-wrestling-schedule
Oklahoma State’s Dual with Iowa to Be Nationally Televised
OSU-Iowa is known for historic matchups.
A matchup between two of the greatest wrestling programs in the country will get an audience of its caliber.
Oklahoma State announced Wednesday that the Cowboys’ dual with Iowa will be televised on FS1. The dual is scheduled for 2 p.m. Feb. 25 (a Sunday) at Gallagher-Iba Arena and will conclude the Cowboys’ regular season.
This is a meeting known for historic and unique bouts. In 2022, the two met at Globe Life Field in Arlington for the Bout at the Ballpark. In 2015, Iowa hosted The Grapple on the Gridiron at Kinnick Stadium in front a record-breaking crowd of 42,287 fans that watched the Cowboys and Hawkeyes compete.
OSU leads the all-time series 29-25-2 but hasn’t won since 2019. Both programs have combined for 58 national team titles. … rest of story … Pistolsfiringblog.com/oklahoma-states-dual-with-iowa-to-be-nationally-televised
NORTH CAROLINA NAMES 2023-24 CAPTAINS
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The North Carolina wrestling program has named four captains for the 2023-24 season. Gavin Kane, Lachlan McNeil, Jayden Scott, and Max Shaw have been named to the leadership panel prior to the campaign.
Kane, a junior from Milton, Ga., collected his first All-America honor last season with an eighth-place finish at the 2023 NCAA Championships. The Tar Heel 184-pounder enters the campaign ranked sixth in the preseason rankings, following a 25-win effort a season ago.
McNeil, from Toronto, Ontario, also earned his first ever All-America finish a season ago, with a fourth-place finish at 141-pounds at the NCAA Championships. The redshirt-sophomore collected 27 wins last season and enters the campaign as the fourth-ranked wrestler in his respective weight class.
A redshirt-freshman, Scott competed at 149-pounds during his first season in Chapel Hill. The Henrietta, N.Y. product collected 14 victories as a true freshman, including a perfect 4-0 mark on his way to winning the Appalachian State Open.
Entering his redshirt-junior season, Shaw returns for the Tar Heels after qualifying for the NCAA Championships for the second time in his career. The Pittsburgh, Pa. native earned 16 wins a season ago, including an opening round win at the national tournament in Tulsa. … rest of story at … GOheels.com/news/2023/10/19/wrestling-names-2023-24-captains
2023-24 Duke Preview
Duke fielded a young team last season and experienced a lot of growing pains along the way. Hopefully, that experience will help the squad this year, with most starters seeing at least their second year in the lineup. It is well documented the challenges that Coach Lanham faces with building the program at Duke. It is an academically challenging institution and he has no scholarships to offer, which makes the success they have had throughout his tenure that much more impressive. It appeared as though Jonah Niesenbaum could be the next Blue Devil to make it onto the podium with the gains he had made in the past two years; however, Niesenbaum has chosen to forgo his final year of eligibility to pursue an opportunity outside of collegiate wrestling. The Blue Devils will look to a new crop of talent in Durham looking to make their mark in the ACC.
TOP RETURNER
Jarred Papscy will step into the role of veteran leader … rest of story at … Intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/acc/2023-24-duke-preview
Women’s Wrestling Approved as Club Sport Program at Oklahoma State
It’s not quite the massive announcement of an official program directly associated with the school athletic department, but some positive news on the women’s wrestling front at Oklahoma State was announced this week.
The women’s wrestling club at Oklahoma State was accepted as an official Club Sport Program.
Announced via their Instagram on Tuesday, the club that was started in 2022 by Cadence Dare has officially been approved by the university.
Adam Engel chronicled the beginnings of the program in a story with the O’Colly last December. At the time they were still needing additional team members to get approved.
The online roster now lists seventeen athletes ranging from freshmen to juniors. OCU, Carl Albert, and Northern Oklahoma College all have official teams, but this is the only known girls’ college club team in the state.
From the school website.
“Club Sports are responsible for their own administration, expenses and management. Club Sports are required to have a faculty/staff advisor, and may or may not have a coach. Club Sports travel to other college and universities to compete, and schedule their own practices, games and tournaments.” … rest of story at … Owrestle.com/womens-wrestling-approved-as-club-sport-program-at-oklahoma-state
LAUTT, SANTIAGO TO COMPETE IN U23 CHAMPIONSHIPS
TAMPERE, FINLAND – The North Carolina wrestling duo of Cade Lautt and Sonny Santiago will represent the United States and Puerto Rico, respectively, at the 2023 U23 World Championships, set to begin Monday morning.
Lautt, competing in the 97 KG Greco Roman division, will begin his tournament Friday, October 27, in the qualification rounds. The tournament will continue later that day with the semifinal rounds, and the medal matches will take place on Saturday, October 28.
The Olathe, Kan. native continues a busy stretch of international competition this offseason, after finishing runner-up at the 2023 Senior World Team Trials in May and a seventh-place showing at the US Open in April.
For Santiago, the Downey, Calif. product will begin his tournament in the 74 KG freestyle bracket Monday morning, … rest of story at … GOheels.com/news/2023/10/20/wrestling-lautt-santiago-to-compete-in-u23-championships
GRAPPLING WITH HISTORY: GREG HATCHER AND THE RISE OF ARKANSAS WRESTLING
Wrestling may be considered the oldest sport in the world, but it is relatively new to Arkansas.
Given its growth, however, it seems like wrestling has been in the state a lot longer than it has.
In 15 years, Arkansas has become the first state to sanction wrestling from high school to the collegiate NAIA and NCAA Division I, Division II and Division III levels and is among the first states to sanction the sport for girls. Beginning with 44 in 2008, there are now more than 100 boys and girls wrestling programs combined at the high school level.
“I come from Oklahoma, which Oklahoma has had wrestling for maybe 120 years, and we have more colleges wrestling in our state than Oklahoma does,” said Pat Smith, the collegiate legend at Oklahoma State who heads the Arkansas Wrestling Academy. “That is mind-boggling.”
Pushed by businessman Greg Hatcher and a coalition of allies, Arkansas has embraced a sport that can be traced at least to ancient Greece, if not further. The timeline for Arkansas is not quite as long, and according to some, is remarkably short.
“If it wasn’t for Greg Hatcher, we would never have been moving at this pace,” Smith said.
Hatcher
Arkansas and Mississippi were the only states that did not have scholastic wrestling when Hatcher began his efforts to grow the sport in 2005. “If you look across the country, only the SEC does not have wrestling,” Hatcher said. “Football and basketball dominated, and they didn’t have it. Plus, we were a small state.”
Hatcher was a nine-time varsity letterman at Michigan’s Alma College, where he graduated in 1983. As a senior, he was named All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association in wrestling and was a member of three hall-of-fame wrestling teams, two hall-of-fame baseball teams and, thanks to his multiple sports, six MIAA championship teams.
In 1984, he joined his family in Arkansas, where his father, Joe, had moved to become president of Hendrix College in 1981. Greg Hatcher worked for a computer company and enjoyed the South, but he missed sports and returned north. After a stint as baseball graduate assistant at Notre Dame and as a summer coach, he quickly returned to Arkansas to work for Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield. “I realized there wasn’t anything wrong with Arkansas,” Hatcher said. “I just missed the sports.”
A public relations major in college, Hatcher knew he had a flair for salesmanship, and in 1990, he founded the Hatcher Agency in Little Rock, now the state’s largest health insurance provider. Hatcher also established the Mighty Bluebirds in Little Rock to create athletic opportunities for kids. The organization now has soccer fields, baseball fields and a gym.
By 2005, the Mighty Bluebird wrestling team was already beginning to build a reputation through competition. “When the Mighty Bluebirds rolled up at tournaments out of state, people knew who we were,” said Hunter Jones, a four-time state champion at Little Rock Christian who wrestled collegiately at Ouachita Baptist in Arkadelphia.
Then Hatcher got a call from northwest Arkansas businessman Don Schuler (not to be confused with National Wrestling Hall Of Famer Don Shuler), who ran a wrestling club. “He called me one day and said, ‘I heard you were a college wrestler. We sure need high school wrestling in this state,’” Hatcher said. “‘Somebody said I ought to call you.’” … rest of story at … Armoneyandpolitics.com/greg-hatcher-arkansas-wrestling
TDR blog
After 20 seasons of publicizing wrestling The TakeDown Report’s (TDR) focus has changed to the collecting of college coaching records from North America since 1903. We will continue to recognize and reward successful wrestlers in eastern North Carolina (east of Raleigh & Fayetteville), assist with schools in starting or re-starting a team and this blog. Join us on our FaceBook Page – “The TakeDown Report” for photos and news. Please send results, stories, links and news to pass along. E-mail us at takedownreport@gmail.com
Martin Fleming, Editor
Takedown Report
