A Look Back At Penn State Wrestling’s Cael Sanderson’s 10 National Championships
Since taking the wrestling world by storm and making the move to Happy Valley in 2009, Penn State wrestling head coach Cael Sanderson hasn’t looked back.
Sanderson secured his 10th national championship during session five of the 2023 NCAA Tournament in Tulsa, Oklahoma, solidifying his dominance in the sport once again.
En route to the title, the Nittany Lions’ team score in the national competition tallied 137.5. Meanwhile, second-place Iowa came in more than 50 points behind at 82.5.
Over the past 12 seasons, Sanderson curated a 191-16-2 record, holds a 104-11-1 conference record, and earned his 100th career Big Ten win against Iowa in January.
In his 14 years, Sanderson shaped 83 All-Americans, 34 NCAA Champions, and five Hodge Trophy winners.
The head coach also is known for his calm demeanor and relentless work ethic, but it is this mindset that produces champion after champion. … rest of story at Onwardstate.com/2023/A-look-back-at-penn-state-wrestlings-cael-sandersons-10-national-championships
Growing number of schools ready for official NCAA sanctioning of women’s wrestling
By Mike Finn
Joe Norton, the head coach of the North Central women’s wrestling team in Naperville, Ill., actually wanted to be a sports journalist before the former college wrestler became a coach.
With that in mind, Norton had a headline in his mind after the Cardinals claimed the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships team title, March 4, at the Alliant Energy Power House in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
“North Central Dominated,” was the coach’s opinion … and the Cardinal women certainly backed up their coach’s beliefs when 15 wrestlers from this NCAA Division III school earned All-American honors. That included three champions: Madison Avila (101 pounds), Jaslynn Gallegos (116) and Yelena Makoyed (170), who became the first wrestler from the school to win three national titles.
The NCWWC tournament was created three years ago, shortly after the NCAA announced women’s wrestling had earned “emerging-sports” status … leading the NCAA member schools like King and McKendree — which finished second and third to North Central — to compete in this event.
But there were two things that made this year’s event historic. One, it was held at a neutral site for the first time and the finals drew over 2,000 fans. Two, it took place a couple days after an annoucement that there were now enough programs for the NCAA to eventually award varsity status to the sport in the next few years.
Julia Salata, who represents the Wrestle Like a Girl organization, was in Cedar Rapids to help announce the move to an officially sanctioned sport.
“Logistically speaking for this to work, the sports sponsorship data will be submitted by all the institutions in July,” Salata said. “In September, the recommendation will be made to the committee on women’s athletics to make women’s wrestling a championship sport. It’s not a matter of if, but when.”
Salata pointed out the NCAA will vote on the proposal next January and that the process usually takes about 14 months to put a championship together. That means there is a chance that the first NCAA women’s championships could take place in March of 2025, but most likely 2026.
Most of the schools competing in this event were smaller schools. But there were a few Division I schools like Sacred Heart and Lock Haven, which finished seventh and 11th in the 2023 NCWWC team standings. … rest of story at WIN-magazine.com/Growing-number-of-schools-ready-for-official-ncaa-sanctioning-of-womens-wrestling
Wrestling Coach Mike Denney Announces Retirement
Legendary Maryville University wrestling head coach Mike Denney announced his retirement from coaching today. His experience spans over 50 years and dedicated over a decade to the success of the Maryville team. Coach Denney rose the ranks as one of Division II’s greatest wrestling coaches, a multiple national champion and one of the most prominent figures in the history of the sport.
“Coach Denney transformed the athletics culture at Maryville University. His championship pedigree, commitment to student-athlete education and his belief in character created a culture of excellence in our wrestling program and throughout the University,” says Mark Lombardi, president of Maryville University. “It has been an honor and privilege to work with him over the past 14 years. He will be leaving an enduring legacy for Maryville wrestling.”
Coach Denney began his remarkable collegiate coaching tenure in the 1979-80 season and complied a 386-164-5 dual record. He coached seven NCAA Championship teams and was a three-time NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year.
“Coach Denney has been incredible as our first-ever wrestling coach,” says Lonnie Folks, director of athletics at Maryville. “He and our program have been shining examples for not only our athletics department but across campus. I look forward to leaning on his knowledge during the process as we look for the next coach of our program.”
Denney’s wrestling team won three consecutive NCAA Division II National Championships and six of the last eight at the University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO). However, UNO eliminated the wrestling program after 63 years of competition. Denney directed the wrestling team for the last 32 years before Maryville University named him the inaugural head wrestling coach June 1, 2011. … rest of story at Maryvillesaints.com/2023/4/12/wrestling-coach-mike-denney-announces-retirement
SESKER: Denney made incredible impact
There is no finer man on planet Earth than Mike Denney.
He’s one of the best college wrestling coaches in NCAA history.
His Nebraska-Omaha teams won seven national championships.
And his wrestlers earned a large number of All-American and Academic All-American honors.
Denney retired from coaching earlier this week after more than 50 years in the profession.
And what an incredible impact he made. Nobody did it better, on and off the mat.
I learned that first-hand when I covered his UNO teams from 2000-06 during my time as a sportswriter at the Omaha World-Herald. First and foremost, Coach Denney is a class act all the way. He is a gentleman who is kind, compassionate and generous. He cared about every kid on his roster, and he made everyone on his teams feel special.
Denney is known for his enthusiasm. He greets everyone with a huge smile and a firm handshake. He is as genuine as they come. His positive attitude is infectious. You always feel better after spending time with him. Denney developed UNO into one of the most highly respected programs in the country.
Many of his wrestlers became highly successful coaches, including Nebraska’s Mark Manning, Nebraska-Kearney’s Marc Bauer and Omaha Skutt Catholic’s Brad Hildebrandt. Denney was a tireless worker who would start his days long before the sun came up. He is a selfless person who always wanted his athletes to receive all the credit and recognition when his teams were successful. Denney also had to cope with one of the worst decisions I have ever seen in 35 years as a sportswriter.
Just hours after he coached his seventh UNO team to a national title in 2011, he received a late night phone call from athletic director Trev Alberts. Denney was informed that UNO would be dropping wrestling. The timing couldn’t have been much worse and the decision to cut the school’s best athletic program was even worse. It was an awful and miserable night. I know because I was there at the UNO team hotel in Kearney. It was just a terrible decision.
Just a few days later, Coach Denney received an opportunity to start a new program at Maryville University in St. Louis. He jumped at the opportunity, and a number of his UNO wrestlers and recruits followed him to Maryville. Just four years later, Denney led his team to a national championship. Maryville captured the title at the 2015 National Duals. … rest of story at Mississippivalleypublishing.com/the_hawk_eye/sesker-denney-made-incredible-impact
Girls wrestling in Georgia explodes, but will colleges follow?
Participation in the sport has increased rapidly after sanctioning, but colleges still lack wrestling programs for women
In ninth grade Jordan Epstein made an agreement with her dad to try out wrestling after playing softball for three years. She felt wrestling offered her a new chance to develop herself. “When I came into it, it was very welcoming and everyone just treated me like family,” Epstein said. Epstein immediately felt the warmth from the team at Greenbrier High School near Augusta, and now after completing her junior season, she says she has loved every second.
The Georgia High School Association sanctioned girls wrestling in 2018. Across the state, roster numbers increased by over 200% from 2018-22. Fourteen 14 different weight classes and team duals wrestling championships were added during the 2022-23 school year to encompass the rapid growth. Many high school girls in Georgia, like Epstein, are falling in love with wrestling and want to continue in college. But many struggle to find a college with their desired academic field. Although girls wrestling is growing fast at the high school level, few Division I programs have added the sport.
The growth at Georgia high schools comes thanks to many factors. Both coach Donnell Bradley of Greenbrier High School and coach Allen Newton of Carrollton High School said their current team members recruit their friends. Also, Newton said he has been successful in recruiting girls from sports like lacrosse, soccer and competitive cheering.
Carrollton placed first at the inaugural girls’ team duals wrestling state championship in March. Greenbrier, which placed third, competed with crossover athletes at the 2023 wrestling championships. Epstein, Kaylynn Hottenrott and Ryan Lewis qualified for state by placing top five at sectionals – and all had spent most of their early years playing other sports. Epstein and Hottenrott came from softball careers while Lewis was a swimmer. Epstein said the transition from softball to wrestling was smooth. “The team was very accommodating,” said Epstein. “So you learn all the new stuff in the beginning weeks, and then you slowly get faster and do harder stuff. Even though it’s two different sports, I feel like it’s easier to pick up on and especially for girls wrestling, where you have a lot of new girls coming in, in high school. They (coaches) know that so they can accommodate to that.” Epstein, Hottenrott, and Lewis are all interested in wrestling in college. … rest of story at AJC.com/High-school-sports/hs-sports-girls-wrestling-in-georgia-explodes-but-will-colleges-follow
Oregon girls high school wrestling becomes sanctioned sport
BY STEELE HAUGEN | CENTRAL OREGON DAILY NEWS |
For decades in the state of Oregon, it’s been the boys who have ruled the mats of high school wrestling. But now it’s more and more girls putting their foot on the line and getting their hand raised.
Girls wrestling just became a sanctioned high school sport in Oregon.
“Wrestling coaches are behind this, this movement,’ said head Redmond High School wrestling coach Kris Davis. “This is what’s keeping wrestling alive and in the forefront, I think, is girls wrestling right now, especially in the college ranks. And so I think everybody is really pushing for this type of, of movement of growing girls wrestling.”
MORE OREGON WRESTLING NEWS: Redmond High School wrestling team attributes success to academic coach
MORE OREGON WRESTLING NEWS: MaKenna Duran becomes first girls wrestling champion at Crook County High
It is the first sport the Oregon School Activities Association has added since softball in 1979.
“It’s nice to add another sport,” said OSAA Executive Director Peter Webber. “Something would probably be long overdue, and we’re excited to get that going and work out the details as we go through.”
According to the OSAA, girls wrestling participation in the U.S. increased 46% to 53,000.
In Oregon, it went from 850 to more than 1,100 just last year. “It’s grown a lot,” said first-ever girls state champion wrestler at Redmond High Mackenzi Sharon. “It used to be pretty small, not very many girls, but there’s a ton of tough girls here, and I think wrestling each other growing up has definitely pushed towards that.”
Central Oregon girls’ wrestling had one of its best years in 2023, from bringing home girl’s team titles to the first-ever girl’s state champions at Crook County and Redmond High. “I’m pretty excited to see where it takes our program to have us separate and have like our own fundraising and we can just kind of take it in the direction we need to go to improve the best for the girls,” said Sharon. … rest of story at Centraloregondaily.com/oregon-high-school-girls-wrestling-sanctioned
By any measure, girls wrestling is off to a gold medal start in Wyoming
The dream became a reality shortly after 10 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23.
Eight girls competing on four mats at the Ford Wyoming Center checked in at the scorer’s table, wrapped either a red or green strap on their ankle and walked to the center of their respective mat. They shook their referee’s hand, exchanged a short handshake with each other and waited for the ref to blow his whistle.
After years of having to compete against boys at the state wrestling tournament, the girls finally took center stage at their own state tournament. “I thought it was so cool,” Wind River senior AnnaBeth Bornhoft said. “I was like, ‘Finally.’ I think they should have done this a while ago, but I’m really glad it did get to happen when I was in high school.”
By all accounts, the inaugural Wyoming State High School Girls Wrestling Championships were a success.
More than 200 girls competed in 14 weight classes over the two-day event. There were 361 total matches, culminating with the championship matches on night two.
According to incoming Wyoming High School Activities Association Commissioner Trevor Wilson – he’ll take over for Ron Laird when Laird retires on June 30 – this year’s state tournament was just the tip of the iceberg. “No. 1, I thought it was a huge success,” Wilson said. “It was a great addition to our tournament, and those that were there I think would all agree. “All the administrators and coaches I’ve talked to since state have had nothing but positive things to say about it.”
By the numbers
Girls had been competing against boys at the state tournament since 1998, when Kelly Walsh’s Sarah Tobin broke the gender barrier. Over the years, more girls joined the ranks and some even placed at the state tournament, but their overall numbers remained small.
Those numbers increased dramatically when the WHSAA announced on April 28 that girls’ wrestling would be a state-sanctioned event. … rest of story at Trib.com/wrestling/by-any-measure-girls-wrestling-is-off-to-a-gold-medal-start-in-wyoming
USMC BEACH WRESTLING NATIONALS RETURN TO CAROLINA BEACH, N.C., MAY 19-20 FEATURING 10 AGE DIVISIONS
The U.S. Marine Corps Beach Wrestling National Championships will return to Carolina Beach, N.C., on May 19-20. This will be the ninth time that Carolina Beach has hosted the U.S. Beach Nationals, the most of any city.
This is the annual national championships for Beach Wrestling, which is an associated style within USA Wrestling and United World Wrestling. The tournament will be once again be held on the popular public beach in Carolina Beach, right next to the boardwalk.
The 10 age divisions for the U.S. Beach Nationals are: 8U, 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, U17, Junior, U20, Senior and Masters. There is competition for both men and women, Weight classes will be determined using the blocked weight system for all divisions except for U17 Men and Women, U20 Men and Women and Senior Men and Women. … rest of story at Teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/April/11/USMC-Beach-Wrestling-Nationals-in-Carolina-Beach-NC
SEVEN COOL NEW THINGS AT THE USMC BEACH NATIONALS IN CAROLINA BEACH, N.C., MAY 20
We are a week away from the 2023 U.S. Marine Corps Beach Wrestling National Championships are held at the popular public beach right next to the boardwalk in Carolina Beach, N.C. on May 20.
Athletes will compete for national titles and All-American honors in 10 age divisions, with berths on U.S. international teams up for grabs at the Senior, U20 and U17 levels.
Anybody who has ever attended a USMC Beach Nationals understands that this a very competitive event held in a fun environment. Who would not enjoy a great day at the beach, while participating in a great wrestling tournament?
There will be some new cool things going on that we want people to know about before heading to Carolina Beach next weekend.
1. U.S. Marine Corps Coaches Social on May 19 – USA Wrestling is blessed to have a new sponsor for the U.S. Beach Nationals, the United States Marine Corps. As part of its support for the competition, there will be a USMC Coaches Social on Friday, May 19 at the Lazy Pirate Sports Bar and Grill from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. There will be U.S. Marines present at the social to interact with coaches and other USA Wrestling members, with some branded product give-aways. The social is being held as part of the optional weigh-ins at the Lazy Pirate, which is traditionally a great kick off to the weekend.
2. Ultimate X International Duals at the Lazy Pirate on May 19 – In addition to the optional weigh-in and the USMC Coaches Social at the Lazy Pirate on Friday May 19, a group of international beach wrestlers from Barbados and Jamaica are coming to Carolina Beach this year. The Ultimate X International Duals, held on the beach volleyball courts at the Lazy Pirate, will feature matches between the international guests and U.S. athletes. It will include bouts for men and women, and could be at a variety of age levels. There will be 2-of-3 series, thus the X reference. Wrestlers, coaches, families and fans can see some great beach wrestling bouts, while enjoy the food and beverages that makes the Lazy Pirate such a fun place for wrestling folks to hang out.
3. Second Chance Challenge Tournament featuring international athletes – While international athletes are welcome at the U.S. Beach Nationals, they will not be able to compete at the Senior, U20 and U17 levels, because those are World Team Trials events and are for U.S. citizens only. However, a special Second Chance Challenge Tournament will be offered for Senior athletes to get additional matches with our foreign guests. The U20 and U17 athletes may also be able to join in the Second Chance competition.
4. U17 and U20 divisions added as World Team qualifiers – The United States has sent teams to the U17 and U20 Beach World Championships the last two years. The results from the U.S. Beach Nationals were helpful in putting together teams, but the age divisions at the event (Junior, 16U, Senior) … rest of story at Teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/May/12/Seven-cool-new-things-at-USMC-Beach-Nationals
Newberry College to Add Women’s Wrestling in 2024
NEWBERRY, S.C. — Newberry College will add women’s wrestling as an intercollegiate sport beginning in the 2024-25 academic year. The addition was approved unanimously by the college’s Board of Trustees.
“Women’s wrestling is a rapidly growing sport, both regionally and nationally. Adding this program is a major step forward, part of Newberry College’s commitment to growing opportunities for female student-athletes,” said Newberry College Director of Athletics Sean Johnson.
The college will hire a head coach this summer to recruit a roster for competition.
There are currently 55 NCAA schools that sponsor women’s wrestling, 20 of them in Division II, including Emmanuel, Emory & Henry, King, Lincoln Memorial, and the University of Mount Olive. Other participating institutions in the region include Presbyterian (D-I), Campbellsville (NAIA), Cumberlands (NAIA), Ferrum (D-III), Greensboro (D-III), Life (NAIA), Montreat (NAIA), and St. Andrews (NAIA).
High school girls’ wrestling has grown exponentially, with participation growing from 35,653 participants in 2022 to 52,406 in 2023: an increase of 16,753 wrestlers in one year. In South Carolina, 190 wrestlers represented 40 schools at the state high school tournament.
“We are so very grateful for the Newberry College administration’s recognition of the educational value and diversity that women’s wrestling will bring to their campus,” said Mike Moyer, executive director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association. “Newberry College proved when it added men’s wrestling in 2004 that they could be nationally relevant and competitive in a very short period of time. This is just another example of Newberry College being a trailblazer in intercollegiate athletics. This announcement represents the 158th intercollegiate women’s team, and the 90th NCAA-affiliated program, that will be competing across America.”
“We’re thrilled about Newberry College’s decision to add women’s wrestling as an intercollegiate sport, as it will create more opportunities for women to attend college and compete in athletics,” said Sally Roberts, founder and CEO of Wrestle Like A Girl. “With nearly 40% of female wrestlers competing at the NCAA level identifying as first-generation college students, and another 45% identifying as non-white, Newberry’s decision will help drive a united goal to provide more opportunities for girls and women.” … rest of story at Newberrywolves.com/news/2023/5/15/newberry-college-to-add-womens-wrestling-in-2024
SNYDER VERSUS COX HIGHLIGHTS 13 FINAL X MATCHUPS SET FOR NEWARK, N.J.
Thirteen of the 30 matchups have been set for Final X, presented by Tezos, on Saturday, June 10 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Seven men’s freestyle and six women’s freestyle matchups have been determined for the best-of-three Final X showdowns, with 2022 World medalists facing off against the recently crowned U.S. Open champion at their weight class.
Final X will determine the 2023 U.S. Senior World Team in all three Olympic disciplines: men’s and women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman. There will be 30 weight classes contested, 10 in each Olympic discipline. The top two U.S. athletes in each weight class will compete in a best-of-three series at Final X to determine who will wrestle at the 2023 Senior World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.
The men’s freestyle pairing of 2016 Olympic champion and three-time World champion Kyle Snyder against 2016 Olympic bronze medalist and two-time World champion J’den Cox at 97 kg highlights the bunch. Cox declined his initial Final X berth at 92 kg, a non-Olympic weight, after earning a silver medal at last year’s Worlds to move up to the Olympic weight of 97 kg and challenge Snyder ahead of the Paris Games.
Two matchups are a repeat of last year’s Final X New York. At 74 kg, 2020 Olympic bronze medalist and four-time World champion Kyle Dake will face off against U.S. Open champion Jason Nolf. Dake defeated Nolf in two straight matches in 2022. Both Dake and Nolf train at Nittany Lion Wrestling Club in State College, Pa.
At 79 kg, 2012 Olympic champion and six-time World champion Jordan Burroughs will meet U.S. Open champion Chance Marsteller for a second-straight year. Burroughs defeated Marsteller in a tightly contested three-match series in 2022 at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.
At 86 kg, 2020 Olympic champion and two-time World champion David Taylor will face U.S. Open champion Aaron Brooks, a three-time NCAA champion for Penn State, … rest of story at Teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2023/May/08/Snyder-versus-Cox-highlights-13-Final-X-matchup
NCAA Wrestling: Fall vs. Tech Fall
Fall or Tech Fall: Both are equally difficult but should the point system be swapped? Would the outcome of the NCAA Wrestling Championships be changed? Take a look!
Now entering full offseason mode and an opportunity to veer away from the weekly previews and reviews, it’s time to branch out and look around for new ways to expand the knowledge of those interested in the wrestling world, both collegiately and into the lower levels of the high school ranks.
I recently argued with myself on team points and how they could be changed or ways to score victories differently. In what may be an unpopular opinion, I have concluded that a win by technical fall could be swapped with a win by fall, points-wise. I have also concluded that I don’t think anything should be changed. So basically, I’m still on the fence about what to believe.
Initially, a win by fall would conclude in a team receiving six points for a dual or two points if you are in tournament action. As to a tech fall where you receive five team points in a dual and one and a half points in a tournament. But what if these two were swapped? How would it change the outcomes or affect scoring?
I went back over the past ten years for a decent sample size … rest of story at Rockmnation.com/2023/5/4/23678657/ncaa-division-one-wrestling-pin-vs-tech-fall
AWN’s Hoke, FloSports’ Hamilton announced as 2023 recipients of NWMA’s Jay Hammond Award
New Brighton, Minnesota — Two of wrestling’s most impactful individuals have been named the recipients of the National Wrestling Media Association’s Jay Hammond Memorial Recognition Award.
John Hoke, Publisher of Amateur Wrestling News since 1981, and Andy Hamilton, a Managing Editor at FloSports in its popular FloWrestling vertical, are this year’s winners of the highest honor presented by the National Wrestling Media Association.
The NWMA, founded in 1989, is a professional organization for journalists who cover the sport of wrestling through any and all levels. This includes reporters, editors, publishers, webmasters, photographers, broadcasters, sports information directors, and other media professionals who share an interest and involvement with the sport.
“When you look at wrestling through the eras, there are two things that seem to be constant. One of those things is Amateur Wrestling News, and the other is something written or produced by Andy Hamilton,” said Jason Bryant, current NWMA president. “For more than half a century, Amateur Wrestling News has been one of the only sources the sport had for not only covering wrestling, but documenting it as well.”
The Hammond Award is named in honor of the late Jay Hammond, a former president of the NWMA and one of the key figures in helping document the sport’s history through technology. The Hammond Award is awarded for outstanding work in the effort to educate and enhance the sport of wrestling through media.
Hoke’s foray into wrestling came early as his father, Jess Hoke, founded AWN … rest of story at Nationalwrestlingmedia.com/2023/05/awns-hoke-flosports-hamilton-announced-as-2023-recipients-of-nwmas-jay-hammond-award
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
