Takedown Report

Olympic Team Trials Results 2021

TDR Editor’s Notes ; There was extensive coverage of the Olympic Team Trials earlier this month not only on the internet but also on TV. The coverage this year was expanded which was encouraging to see. Keep on Wrestling!
Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com with updates and information.
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1 } – Looking back and some Olympic Team Trials Memories
This coming week, we’ll finally have the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for what will be the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Originally scheduled for Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center, Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas is now the host city. Texas last hosted the Trials in 2000 to then-record crowds. The pandemic will limit attendance, but we’ll still have three styles of wrestling looking to crown champions who will earn the right to represent the United States. 

On this episode of the Short Time Wrestling Podcast, I’ll look back at the previous six Olympic Trials I’ve worked – four in the U.S. and two in Canada – and talk about some of the memorable moments from them. It starts in 2004 in Indianapolis, then on to Las Vegas in 2008, then Iowa City in 2012 and 2016 and then north of the border in suburban Edmonton in 2015 and Niagara Falls in 2019. Those dates don’t line up? I’ll explain some on-the-mat and off-the-mat schedules that make things unique in the U.S. and in Canada. … rest of story at https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/short-time/looking-back-and-some-olympic-team-trials-memories/?mc_cid=44df579129&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – Steveson Advances to U.S. Olympic Team Trials Final
FORT WORTH, TEXAS – NCAA Champion and Hodge Trophy winner Gable Steveson is one step away from qualifying for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics after reaching the finals of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Steveson will face top seed Nick Gwiazdowski in a best-of-three championship series on Saturday night.
 
Steveson rolled into the finals with back-to-back technical falls. In the quarterfinals, he needed just 1:59 to dispatch No. 7 seed Tanner Hall, 11-0. Steveson recorded an identical 11-0 technical fall against Daniel Kerkvliet of Penn State in a rematch of their NCAA quarterfinal meeting in March. This will be the fourth meeting between Steveson and Gwiazdowski, a two-time World Championship bronze medalist and two-time NCAA Champion at N.C. State (2014-15). … rest of story at https://gophersports.com/news/2021/4/2/wrestling-steveson-advances-to-us-olympic-team-trials-final.aspx?mc_cid=b369974b64&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – Schultz Enters Final Round of Team USA Olympic Trials
FORT WORTH, TX — 2021 Pac-12 heavyweight champion Cohlton Schultz defeated both of his opponents on Friday positioning himself to wrestle in the best-of-three final for the 2021 US Olympic Team Trials Greco-Roman 130 kg weight class. The 18 championship matches of the US Olympic Team Trials will begin at 4:30 pm MST on Saturday, April 3 on NBCSN. 

The redshirt freshman from Colorado will face three-time All-American and two-time NCAA finalist, Adam Coon, tomorrow in the best-of-three. The winner of the duals will go to an international qualifying tournament to qualify the US at heavyweight for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. “Cohlton did a fantastic job today,”  said Arizona State head coach Zeke Jones. … rest of story at https://thesundevils.com/news/2021/4/2/wrestling-schultz-enters-final-round-of-team-usa-olympic-trials.aspx?mc_cid=b369974b64&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – SANCHO, HANCOCK, HAFIZOV, STEFANOWICZ QUALIFY FOR TOKYO OLYMPICS IN GRECO-ROMAN; PORTER AND COON HEAD TO FINAL QUALIFIER
FORT WORTH, Texas — Four U.S. Greco-Roman stars have punched their ticket for the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan with victories at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling on Saturday night. Alejandro Sancho (U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program) will represent the United States at 67 kg in Tokyo after winning his Championship Series. The Miami native gutted out two tight wins, 2-0 and 3-1, over teammate Ellis Coleman (Army WCAP) in the best-of-three series.

Coleman, who was once known for his Flying Squirrel move, took off his shoes and left them in the center of the mat following the match, signalling his retirement from the sport. Ironically, Sancho had replaced an injured Coleman at the 2020 Pan American Olympic Qualifier, where Sancho qualified the weight class. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/April/04/Greco-Roman-wrap-for-US-Olympic-Team-Trials?mc_cid=7136a52740&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And Monday Roundup: Top 10 Greco Olympic Trials Stories
The 2020 US Olympic Team Trials was too large, too important of a tournament to receive a “wrapped” designation as is typically the case for a Monday Roundup. Therefore, in an effort to not overwhelm one space with post-event material, various notes, statistics, and the critical “Undercover Stars” section will all be disseminated separately throughout the week in a more consumable format along with athlete insights that are already in the harvesting process. The first part in our series of follow-ups are Top 10 stories that stood out over the weekend in Fort Worth. If you’re looking for full finals recaps, or perspectives on the three stars who left their shoes on the mat, this piece is not it. Rather, what you have here is a compilation of individual moments and/or canvassed performances that differ in what they meant or had to offer.
10. STANGHILL SAID HELLO
Every single wrestler in the arena was affected by the pandemic athletically, personally, or both. For Barrett Stanghill (87 kg, Minnesota Storm), it meant a complete lifestyle change. He had left Northern Michigan and returned home to his native Montana where he began working long, long hours for his dad, whose roster of employees had considerably shrunk. In doing so, Stanghill disappeared off the radar. Eventually, he moved to Georgia — not exactly a Greco hotbed — and got engaged. Hardly anyone had a clue what was going with the guy. Was he done? How would he even train for the Trials if he’s not?
It turned out after all that Stanghill indeed was not done. By the looks of things, he has a whole lot left. ’20 Olympian John Stefanowicz (Marines) decisioned Stanghill in the quarterfinal; but as everyone now knows, “STEF” was not going to be stopped by anyone in Fort Worth. … restof story at http://www.fivepointmove.com/usa-greco/top-10-greco-moments-trials/?mc_cid=c3ca94c3de&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – THE NEW CREW: Team USA Welcomes Six First-Time Greco Olympic Team Members
FORT WORTH, TX — Sometimes, hearts get filled. Other times, they break. It happens to everyone. Often. Unavoidable. Just an aspect of the human condition. For a special lot, this carousel of glory and pain does not reveal itself only in the shadowy confines of their thoughts. Instead, they put it all on display in front of the eyes of strangers. Interested yet mostly anonymous faces who are pleased and eager enough to bear witness to their high’s and low’s.
The final round of the 2020 US Olympic Team Trials for Greco-Roman began at 6:30pm live from the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, TX and aired around the country on NBC Sports Universal.

On Saturday night, six Greco-Roman athletes became first-time United States Olympic Team members before a socially-distanced-but-enthusiastic crowd who whooped, cheered, and booed during every match. Alas, you cannot call each of the evening’s tournament champs “Olympians, for the victors at 77 and 130 kilograms have one more step to take until they can boast that distinction. … rest of story at http://www.fivepointmove.com/usa-greco/olympic-trials-finals-results/?mc_cid=7136a52740&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And York County wrestler adds to his Hollywood story: How John Stefanowicz became an Olympian
It’s only fitting that Kennard-Dale grad John Stefanowicz ran the toughest road to become an Olympian. He was, after all, the 5-foot-3 high school wrestler who never even qualified for a state tournament. The one who picked the U.S. Marines because college programs didn’t want him.

The one whose brother owned the Olympic path as the one of the premier high school wrestlers in the nation. Even when Stefanowicz stunningly became a late-life wrestling force, COVID shut down his sport and, quite possibly, his dreams. All of that led to this past weekend at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Fort Worth, Texas. Though just the No. 4 seed, Stefanowicz took down each favored opponent, often in dramatic, comeback fashion. … rest of story at https://www.ydr.com/story/sports/2021/04/05/john-stefanowicz-earns-spot-u-s-wrestling-team-tokyo-olympics/7087840002/?mc_cid=a167ed32cf&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – DAKE BEATS BURROUGHS, SNYDER OFF TO SECOND GAMES, TAYLOR, GILMAN AND STEVESON ALSO QUALIFY FOR TOKYO GAMES IN FREESTYLE, OLIVER HEADING TO QUALIFIER
By ANDY ELDER, Special to TheMat.com
FORT WORTH, Texas — For nearly a decade, 2012 Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs has been one of the faces of U.S. freestyle wrestling.
Saturday night in the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials – Wrestling in Dickies Arena, Kyle Dake (Titan Mercury Wrestling Club/Spartan Combat Regional Training Center) made a case for replacing Burroughs (Nebraska Regional Training Center/Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club), or at least being included in the picture.

Dake, who swept the 74 kg best-of-three series with Burroughs, 3-0 and 3-2, punched his ticket to the Tokyo Olympic Games. A two-time World Champion, the Lansing, New York, native will try to win an Olympic title to his resume. “I feel good. Jordan [Burroughs] is one of the best we’ve ever had. He’s a great ambassador for the sport and he’s really pushed me and motivated me. I’m happy with all of the work I put in to get here… I want to get the Olympic Gold, that’s the goal,” said Dake. A World champion at 79 kg in 2018 and 2019, Dake is ready to take on the international competition at 74 kg. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/April/04/Mens-Freestyle-OTT-finals-wrap?mc_cid=7136a52740&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – KYLE SNYDER QUALIFIES FOR OLYMPIC GAMES IN TOKYO
FORT WORTH, Texas – Ohio State graduate Kyle Snyder defeated fellow Buckeye Kollin Moore in the best-of-three Final X Championship series at the US Olympic Team Trials on Saturday night at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

Snyder won the opening round bout 10-0 and then took control from the beginning of the second bout and held on for a 5-1 victory. “Kollin is a great wrestler,” Snyder said immediately following the match. “We went to the same college (Ohio State) and I know a lot about how he wrestles. I was just thankful for the opportunity to compete. Tokyo is a few months away and I’m going to have to continue to work hard.”
This is Snyder’s second Olympic Games. He became the youngest American gold medalist when he won the title in Rio in 2016. Snyder seems to be in top form heading into the summer. He has a 38-2 international freestyle record over the last two years.
Moore had a great run at the trials. He won his three matches in the challenger bracket by a combined score of 26-2. … rest of story at https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/kyle-snyder-qualifies-for-olympic-games-in-tokyo/?mc_cid=7136a52740&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – Kyle Dake ’13 Defeats Burroughs, Becomes Cornell Wrestling’s Fifth Olympian
FORT WORTH, Texas – Kyle Dake ’13 defeated Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs in a best-of-three series on Saturday night at the 2021 Olympic Team Trials to become the United States’ representative at 74kg for the Tokyo Olympics. Dake defeated Burroughs in consecutive matches, 3-0, 3-2, to become the fifth Cornell wrestler to compete at the Olympics and the first since Dave Auble ’60 in 1964.

Wrestling at both 79 and 74kg, Dake hasn’t dropped a freestyle match since January of 2018 with a 13-0 record against world and Olympic medalists. In total, Dake is 43-0 in that time frame and has outscored his opponents 331-41. “I put in the time, work and discipline to become an Olympian and dethrone Jordan,” Dake said following the match. “I went out, competed, and put it all out there. It feels like it’s been a long time coming for me, I’ve always been right there.” Dake was the only wrestler on the scoreboard in match one against Burroughs, marking the first time the five-time world champion was held scoreless in a freestyle bout in 206 senior level matches. In the first period, Dake got out to a 1-0 lead after forcing a step out from Burroughs. … rest of story at https://cornellbigred.com/news/2021/4/4/kyle-dake-13-becomes-cornell-wrestlings-fifth-olympian.aspx?mc_cid=7136a52740&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – WRESTLING: Local wrestling coaches excited about Dake’s Olympic berth
Local wrestling coaches were excited to watch New York-bred Kyle Dake earn a spot at the Tokyo Olympics following his victory over former gold medalist Jordan Burroughs in the 74kg (163 pounds) freestyle division during last Saturday’s 2021 Olympic Qualifier in Fort Worth, TX. Dake, a two-time NYS champion from Section IV’s Lansing High School, located about five miles north of Ithaca, went on to become the first-ever NCAA wrestler to win four national titles in four separate weight classes while wrestling at Cornell University from 2010 to 2013. Dake defeated Burroughs 3-0 and 3-2 over the weekend in the best of three series. The 2021 Olympics will take place in Tokyo July 23-August 8.
Wrestling will take place August 1-7 at the Makuhari Messe Event Hall. Dake entered the qualifiers as a two-time US National champion, ‘18 World Cup champion and ‘18 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix Silver medalist. He has won two back-to-back World Championships at 79 kilograms by defeating the 2016 Olympic medalist Jabrayil Hasanov in the finals, in 2018 and 2019. During his first World Championship tournament, Dake outscored his opposition 37 points to zero, not surrendering a single point. … rest of story at https://www.thedailynewsonline.com/sports/wrestling-local-wrestling-coaches-excited-about-dake-s-olympic-berth/article_c7c4b3dd-78ba-5b7c-b027-9869dbecb7fd.html?mc_cid=69381deb62&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – ‘The Official Review’ #1: Casey Goessl
Welcome to the premier of The Official Review, which kicks off with Casey Goessl, one of the most accomplished and respected referees on the entire planet.
Goessl, from Wisconsin, has been donning a whistle during matches for two decades and is as recognizable as it gets when it comes to American refs. He can be seen patrolling mat space at every major event, domestically or overseas. There is not one wrestling situation, no matter how obscure, with which he is unfamiliar. At this stage of his sparkling career, Goessl has experienced the gamut of confusing scoring sequences and intricate rule interpretations that the average observer may fail to adequately grasp. Which, of course, is the catalyst behind The Official Review, to provide a more personalized brand of education courtesy of top-level referees whose scope of responsibilities include translating difficult, on-the-spot decisions. Decisions that, plainly, far too many take for granted. Part of it also centers around achieving common ground. … rest of story at http://www.fivepointmove.com/usa-greco/official-review-1-casey-goessl/?mc_cid=3fad4ffad8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And Thirty-Six Olympic Berths Secured by 10 Different Nations at African and Oceania Olympic Qualifier
HAMMAMET, Tunisia (April 5) — Thirty-six Olympic berths were secured by 10 different nations this past weekend at the African and Oceania Olympic Qualifier in Hammamet, Tunisia. Wrestlers who finished in the top two in their respective weight categories qualified their nations for the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Host nation Tunisia secured the most Olympic berths with 10 across the three styles. Algeria qualified eight weight categories, while Egypt qualified seven. Below is a brief recap from each of the three styles. … rest of story at https://uww.org/article/thirty-six-olympic-berths-secured-10-different-nations-african-and-oceania-olympic?mc_cid=a167ed32cf&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

11 } – Four NLWC Athletes Qualify for Tokyo Olympics as David Taylor Becomes Penn State’s Newest Olympian
Penn State and the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club excel in Fort Worth
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.  – Four resident athletes with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics later this summer and former all-time great David Taylor became the newest member of Penn State wrestling’s Olympian club.  Penn State and/or the NLWC had 15 athletes competing at the United State Olympic Wrestling Team Trials in Fort Worth, Texas, this weekend.   
The NLWC had five wrestlers competing for titles in the OTT finals, all of whom had already clinched spots on the U.S. National Team.  Four of the NLWCs finalists became 2020 Olympians with wins while the fifth lost to an NLWC teammate in the finals.  
Additionally, two more Penn State/NLWC wrestlers finished in the top three in their respective weight and classifications, earning spots on the U.S. National Team.  In all, seven NLWC resident athletes/current Nittany Lions earned spots on the U.S. National Team after their performances this weekend. The NLWC partnered with Titan Mercury Wrestling Club (TMWC) for this weekend’s tournament.  
Taylor became the newest member of Penn State Wrestling’s Olympic club. … rest of story at https://gopsusports.com/news/2021/4/3/wrestling-four-nlwc-athletes-qualify-for-tokyo-olympics-as-david-taylor-becomes-penn-states-newest-olympian.aspx?mc_cid=7136a52740&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

12 } – Former OSU Wrestler Jordan Oliver Claims Olympic Team Trial Championship
FORT WORTH, Texas – Former Oklahoma State wrestler Jordan Oliver claimed the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team Trials championship at 65kg in the men’s freestyle division Saturday night. He defeated No. 5 seed Joey McKenna in two matches of the best-of-three series to determine the 65 kg champion. He forced a step out and got a takedown while on the 30 second shot clock to claim a 3-0 decision in the first bout. Oliver followed with a 5-2 decision in the second match to capture the title.  
While many winners punched their ticket to Tokyo’s Olympic Games on Saturday, Oliver just took a step closer to his ultimate goal. The 65kg men’s freestyle weight has not qualified for the Olympics yet, which means Oliver will have to place in the top two at the World Qualifier in Sofia, Bulgaria, May 6-9 in order to compete in Tokyo.  
“It starts right now,” Oliver said. “Going home and jumping right back on the horse. There’s not too much time to celebrate. This is something that needs to be done and something that we’ve been focusing on. We understand the process of being an Olympian and achieving a gold medal.  … rest of story at https://okstate.com/news/2021/4/3/wrestling-former-osu-wrestler-jordan-oliver-claims-olympic-team-trial-championship.aspx?mc_cid=7136a52740&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And Coon Claims 130kg Greco Title at U.S. Olympic Trials, Parris Takes Third
FORT WORTH, Texas — Former University of Michigan wrestling standout Adam Coon swept the best-of-three championship series to capture the 130kg/286-pound Greco-Roman title at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials on Saturday night (April 3) at Dickies Arena.
Coon, who claimed the 130kg Greco spot for the third straight year and was a 2018 world silver medalist, still needs to qualify the weight class for the United States. The final Olympic Games Qualifier is scheduled for May 6-9 in Sofia, Bulgaria, where the top-two finishers at each weight will qualify their country for the Tokyo Games.
He defeated Arizona State’s Cohlton Schultz, 10-1 and 3-3, in the championship series — his second straight trials win over the Sun Devils wrestler. Coon cruised in the first bout, earning a big first-period lead off a Schultz passivity and two gut wrenches. He was also hit for passivity himself in the second but gave up no points when put down and followed with a bodylock for a takedown and subsequent caution. …. rest of story at https://mgoblue.com/news/2021/4/3/wrestling-coon-claims-130kg-greco-title-at-us-olympic-trials-parris-takes-third.aspx?mc_cid=7136a52740&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

April 15, 2021 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NORTHWEST TECH LAUNCHES WOMEN’S WRESTLING PROGRAM

TDR Editor’s Notes : Another new wrestling program is announced. While Northwest Tech is out of the usual coverage area and not likely to compete with colleges in the Carolinas it is encouraging to see growth in wrestling opportunities. Northwest Tech is a junior college in western Kansas. Keep wrestling growing on!
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Courtesy of Northwest Tech Athletics – Link
Northwest Tech is pleased to announce the launch of collegiate Women’s Wrestling at the college, with competition beginning in the Fall of 2021. The move comes following a decision at the March board meeting as the college works to strengthen enrollment and increase female student-athletes on campus.

“We have discussed adding the program for a few years, but with the recent decision by the NJCAA to recognize women’s wrestling as an emerging sport the timing was right to make the move,” said Athletic Director Rory Kling.

Northwest Tech is no stranger to women’s wrestling, as it was a club sport during the 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 academic years. “We are excited to bring the program back and provide an additional opportunity for student-athletes to earn a degree in a high-demand and high-wage field of study,” said Kling.

Women’s wrestling is on the rise all across the country. According to the National Wrestling Coaches Association website, the number of women wrestling at the high school level has grown from 804 athletes in 1994 to well over 21,124 by 2019 – and that was as of two years ago.

Even while participation has increased, opportunities for female wrestlers in Kansas to compete at the collegiate level in-state are few and far between. According to the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association website, there are only five private NAIA colleges and universities in Kansas with women’s wrestling. “High school programs have grown rapidly in Kansas and all around the Midwest,” said Northwest Tech President Ben Schears. “This is an opportunity for us to be among the first in the state to meet the growing demand and provide an equal opportunity to compete.”

The creation of the women’s program will be a great addition to a highly successful NJCAA Men’s Wrestling program at Northwest Tech. The men’s program is currently ranked 9th in the nation and has already produced three national champions, eleven All-Americans, and has several nationally-ranked wrestlers heading to the national competition in late April. “We want to see the same success, talent, and skill with our women’s program as we have with our men’s program,” said Wrestling Head Coach Chris Guillot. “Our goal is to develop high-quality student-athletes in the classroom and on the mat.” … rest of story at https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/NORTHWEST-TECH-LAUNCHES-WOMEN-S-15-4-2021

April 15, 2021 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

High School News (2021) – # 13

TDR Editor’s Notes ; North Carolina High School Wrestling is back! Well after most states have completed their seasons and championships by last month North Carolina and a few other states are just starting to hold official team practices. Competition in officail meets will start two weeks later. No tournaments this year until Regionals in June. It has been a long 14 months since we last had interscholastic competition in North Carolina. Until those results come in there are many stories to catch up on from other states. Keep Wrestling On! Contact us by e-mail at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – {Florida} A way of life: Wrestling in the Mills’ home keeps everyone sharp
Siblings Tyson, Jordan and Mariah cheer each other on
Some families call it roughhousing. Some call it training for college.
Tyson Mills, a junior at Matanzas High School, finished second in the region recently, in the 152-pound weight class. So did his younger brother Jordan, a freshman at Matanzas, in the 160-pound weight class. (Both also play for the high school football team.)
At home, Tyson said, “We’re constantly running into each other in the hallway and starting to wrestle. I’ll grab his wrist and try to do moves on him. If he’s doing homework, I’ll try sneak up from behind and twist his arm and get him in a headlock.” Does it work?
Jordan, who is the first Matanzas freshman ever to qualify for states, is younger, … rest of story at https://www.palmcoastobserver.com/article/a-way-of-life-wrestling-in-the-mills-home-keeps-everyone-sharp?mc_cid=b1fa7a1c33&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – {Colorado} Weld Central Asher Morelock – A Vision Impaired / blind wrestler take big steps in his high school career
When you are a rookie wrestler you are expected to take your lumps and losses. But when you come out for high school wrestling as a freshman and with no sports experience, can it be any harder. Asher Morelock is a freshman at Weld Central HS and is wrestling at 145 pounds on the varsity squad this season. This young wrestler is vision impaired / blind since birth with a genetic disorder (LCA). His younger brother Bryce is also vision impaired and is looking to start up wrestling in middle school this season. Asher came home in the fall and talked to his parents about going out for wrestling for the first time. “He has aways been interested in sports, just not as a participant.” His dad Michael Morelock stated. So, this is all new ground to us.  Around the middle of the high school wrestling season Asher would find himself with 4 forfeit wins and 14 loses (all being pinned in the first period). During this time Asher has made much progress with his wrestling skills and knowledge of the sport. As he has never seen a mat or a wrestling match. In practice every move / technique is broken down into steps and have to be felt by his hands and body. The coaches – head Coach Elliot Copeland and assistant coach Cody Munna at Weld Central have both learned new ways of teaching wrestling to this student / athlete.  A blind wrestler in this sport is not new as the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind in Colorado Springs has had a wrestling team in the past years. While in 2006 Marcus Hernandez wrestling for Pueblo South … rest of story at http://www.insidecoloradowrestling.com/index.php/16-high-school/1892-weld-central-asher-morelock-a-vision-impaired-blind-wrestler-take-big-steps-in-his-high-school-career?mc_cid=b1fa7a1c33&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – ALL STATE CHAMPIONS INVITED TO HIGH SCHOOL NATIONAL RECRUITING SHOWCASE ON MARCH 26-28, OTHERS CAN QUALIFY AT EIGHT QUALIFIERS DURING MARCH 12-21 PERIOD
Due to the numerous postponements, changes and cancellations to the traditional high school season caused by the pandemic, USA Wrestling has developed a new series of competitions to give high school boys and girls from across the nation a chance to showcase their talents on a national level. The pinnacle of the series is the new USA Wrestling High School National Recruiting Showcase, which will be held the weekend of March 26-28. This event will be absolutely loaded with talent. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/January/13/High-School-National-Showcase-series-announcement?mc_cid=6b4820f7a2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
163 STATE OR PREP NATIONAL BOYS AND GIRLS CHAMPIONS FROM 38 STATES NOW ENTERED
Sign-ups continue to be strong among high school state champions or National Prep champions for the USA Wrestling High School National Recruiting Showcase, set for the Xtream Arena & GreenState Family Fieldhouse in Coralville, Iowa, March 25-27. Current and past state champions and National Prep champions (any year) in grades 9-12 automatically qualify for the High School National Recruiting Showcase. Last week, the deadline for state champions to register was extended, and numerous new state champions from across the nation registered online. So far, 163 state champions from 38 different states registered since online registration became available. That includes 84 girls and 79 boys. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/10/State-champions-so-far-for-HS-National-Recruiting-Showcase?mc_cid=2a2fd7a25b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic 2021 Announces Maryland All-Star Team … story and list at https://www.nwcaonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Pittsburgh-Wrestling-Classic-2021-MD-All-Star-Team-v3-03-29-2021.jpg
Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic Releases USA All-Star Team … story and list at https://www.nwcaonline.com/pittsburgh-wrestling-classic-releases-usa-all-star-team/?mc_cid=1bb3332bd3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – {Oklahoma} – Two Broken Arrow Standouts Announce Their College Decisions
Within just a day of each other, two standout Broken Arrow Wrestlers announced their college destinations.
118 pounder Allison Hynes signed with Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri. The Oklahoma state champ went on News 6 with Scott Pfeil to discuss the signing.
… rest of story at https://owrestle.com/two-broken-arrow-standouts-announce-their-college-decisions/

6 } – Ayala Named Bob Steenlage Iowa High School Wrestler of the Year
WATERLOO, Iowa – The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum announced on Wednesday that Drake Ayala of Fort Dodge High School has been chosen as the 2021 recipient of the Bob Steenlage Iowa High School Wrestler of the Year award.
Ayala will be presented his award during the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa inductions on June 25 at the Prairie Links Golf & Event Center in Waverly, Iowa. For more information on the induction ceremony, please contact the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum at (319) 233-0745 or dgmstaff@nwhof.org.
Named in honor of the first four-time Iowa high school state champion, the award is presented annually to the top high school senior wrestler in Iowa. Ayala was a three-time Iowa state high school champion and a four-time finalist with a career record of 171-3. … rest of story at https://nwhof.org/blog/ayala-named-bob-steenlage-iowa-high-school-wrestler-of-the-year/?mc_cid=2a2fd7a25b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – {New Jersey} COVID precautions derail what could’ve been special Warren Hills wrestling season
What was a very promising wrestling season at Warren Hills now looks like a train wreck. A combination of COVID-19 protocols, bad timing, and the NJSIAA’s unusual individual postseason have combined to essentially wipe out the Blue Streaks’ girls season and severely impact the boys season.
On Monday night, the superintendent of the Warren Hills Regional School District, Earl C. Clymer III, sent an email to the community noting the high school and all activities would be shut down through April 7. … rest of story at https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/highschoolsports/2021/03/covid-precautions-derail-what-could-have-been-special-warren-hills-wrestling-season-commentary.html?mc_cid=1bb3332bd3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – Blair Academy hires alumnus with New Jersey ties as new head wrestling coach
Blair Academy set the stage for Ross Gitomer’s decorated wrestling and coaching career, and now he’ll be returning to lead the next generation of wrestlers through the iconic school. The school announced Wednesday that the Flemington native, a national prep champion for Blair back in 2005, will take the reins of the program starting in July. “I think at Blair, at least for me when I was there, we had a really strong culture of brotherhood, and now sisterhood as well as brotherhood because there’s girls on the team, but that was sort of the main goal,” Gitomer said in a phone interview on Wednesday. “Indirectly, you’re going to help everyone individually if you’re super-focused on your team, helping each other and working really, really hard. “A lot of coaches and a lot of teachers say teaching kids to work hard, but teaching that takes time and it start with developing confidence in young people and making kids feel special and worthwhile. That’s a good starting point, and Blair has had that for many years.” … rest of story at https://www.njherald.com/story/sports/high-school/wrestling/2021/03/24/blair-wrestling-hires-alumnus-nj-native-new-coach-ross-gitomer/6981459002/?mc_cid=3727c6a762&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – {Minnesota} – New Shakopee coach Marcus LeVesseur has top-ranked Sabers seeking three-peat
The highly accomplished wrestler took over for a coaching legend during a season altered by COVID-19. Plus a look at matchups to watch in the three-day state meet starting Thursday.
With everything Marcus LeVesseur has accomplished in his wrestling life — four Minnesota high school state championships, four NCAA Division III championships, an undefeated (155-0) college career, four-time Team USA selection, more than 30 victories as an MMA fighter — he admits to battling butterflies last fall before his first day as Shakopee wrestling coach. That’s how he knew he was ready for the job. LeVesseur was taking over for former coach Jim Jackson, the most successful wrestling coach in state history. Jackson stepped down last spring after shepherding the Sabers to back-to-back Class 3A state team championships, their first ever. Replacing a prep coaching legend such as Jackson at the preeminent large-school program in the state? … rest of story at https://www.mnwrestlinghub.com/news_article/show/1154321?mc_cid=3727c6a762&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
And Shakopee wins state wrestling team tournament in a 3-peat
St. Michael-Albertville’s line-up was stacked down below. Shakopee’s line-up beefed up in the upper weights. In the end, like a regular season match-up between two of the top teams in the state of Minnesota, the Sabers clinched a third consecutive state wrestling championship with bonus points, a 30-24 score in the Minnesota State High School League Class 3A State team tournament March 25 at St. Michael-Albertville High School. “It was a surreal feeling. We knew we had it in us. We knew we had to come together. Every person needed to fight for points. It took all 14 guys to win this title,” Shakopee senior Sam Treml said. … rest of story at https://www.swnewsmedia.com/shakopee_valley_news/news/sports/shakopee-wins-state-wrestling-team-tournament-in-a-3-peat/article_8c321694-49aa-53da-a94a-ffa6efaaf4de.html?mc_cid=e6e4e842ef&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Also 2021 MWCA Awards
Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association Award Winners for 2021
Complete Coaching, Scholarships, Academic Teams and award lists at https://theguillotine.com/2021/03/2021-mwca-awards/?mc_cid=3727c6a762&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b&doing_wp_cron=1617139179.0466210842132568359375

10 } – {Louisiana} – Jonathon Orillion named Jesuit wrestling head coach
Jesuit is proud to announce that Jonathon Orillion ’01, who recently returned to Jesuit as a faculty member and assistant wrestling coach for the 2020-21 academic year, has been named the head coach of the school’s storied and acclaimed wrestling program. “I am honored and humbled to be offered the chance to lead this historic program,” said Orillion. “It is important to me to be in a place that promotes and fosters the relentless pursuit of perfection. One of the biggest things I’ve taken away from my experience as a student and a coach in the wrestling program is the importance of its family atmosphere, and I hope to cultivate and grow that culture.”
With championships dating back 1951, the history of Jesuit wrestling is deeply interwoven with the larger history of the school itself.  … rest of story at https://crescentcitysports.com/jonathon-orillion-named-jesuit-wrestling-head-coach/?mc_cid=3727c6a762&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And {California} – De La Salle High School Names Jonathan Clark Head Wrestling Coach
Concord, Calif. (March 24, 2021) – De La Salle High School Vice President for Athletics, Leo Lopoz ’94, announced on Wednesday that Jonathan Clark ’04 has been named the school’s new Head Varsity Wrestling Coach. “Coach Clark brings tremendous passion and love for the sport of wrestling but more importantly he is a De La Salle alumni that is committed to the Lasallian mission,” said Lopoz.
Previously, Clark had been the head junior varsity coach and a varsity assistant at De La Salle, beginning in 2016. Clark also serves on the faculty at De La Salle in the Science Department. Prior to coming to De La Salle, he served on the wrestling staff at both Deer Valley High School in Antioch and Redwood High School in Larkspur.  “I am honored and eager to carry on De La Salle’s tradition of excellence as head coach,” said Clark. … rest of story at https://dlsspartans.org/news/de-la-salle-high-school-names-jonathan-clark-head-wrestling-coach?mc_cid=3727c6a762&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

11 } – {Pennsylvania} – Central Dauphin, Boiling Springs advance to PIAA team wrestling semifinals
Both quarterfinal matches coming down to the final wrestler.
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Just when you thought the high school wrestling season was over, think again. Wednesday night, two schools Central Dauphin and Boiling Springs wrestled in the PIAA team quarterfinals. We stop at the home of the Rams first as they host Bethlehem Catholic out of District 11 for the AAA PIAA team quarterfinals.
Rams need their big guns to come through with bonus points in this match. At 138 pounds, Josh Miller does just that. He gets the pin and that fired up the bench. The Rams lose the next 4 bouts and are down 23-17. That’s when Timmy Smith stepped in. He goes for bonus at 189.  Another fall for six team points and the match is tied. At heavy weight, Rams are down by three. … rest of story at https://www.fox43.com/article/sports/central-dauphin-boiling-springs-piaa-team-wrestling-semifinals/521-f4c367bc-82d2-4f91-ab1e-ae4a6852f0a1?mc_cid=e6e4e842ef&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

12 } – {Florida}- Gulf Coast Grappling brings in “droves” of wrestlers from all over the Panhandle
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) -The high school wrestling season has winded down, but that doesn’t mean grapplers all across the Panhandle aren’t still looking to compete. In downtown Panama City, wrestlers have found their home at Gulf Coast Grappling Academy. The sport of wrestling is on the incline.
The owner, Wesley Lumpkin, was a two time state champion wrestler in Georgia during his high school years, after his run in high school, he turned to coaching wrestling before getting more into Jiu Jitsu, which is where he found himself for the past ten years. It wasn’t until he started training North Bay Haven freshman, David Mercado, that he started to get back into coaching wresting. Mercado qualified for state in his first year competing in the sport, and Lumpkin figured he may have found his calling. “I’m a local subcontractor. I still have to work for a living other than here, but definitely, this is where I belong, on the mats, coaching and teaching all day long is where I belong,” said Lumpkin. The academy wasn’t always full. It wasn’t until, it was announced that they would be taking a few wrestlers to tournaments that students from all over piled onto the mats. “I didn’t realize that there was such a hunger for it in the area,” said Lumpkin. … rest of story at https://www.wjhg.com/2021/03/27/gulf-coast-grappling-brings-in-droves-of-wrestlers-from-all-over-the-panhandle/?mc_cid=6c27c8fabf&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

April 12, 2021 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

TDR Top 12 for 2021 – PreSeason

TDR Editor’s Notes : The TDR Top 12 Rankings continues after 23 years. The following list is incomplete but it includes all wrestlers who were in the 9th, 10th, & 11th grade last year and were ranked or a wild card in the Top 12 last year. Also included are someof the wrestlers from last season that were included in consideration then. We welcome and seek information on changes in weight class, schools and names. Sent it in to us at martinkfleming@gmail.com.
We will post updates as we receive the information. Official practices start Monday the 12th
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April 9, 2021 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

River Carroll of West Carteret presented the ‘Roy Heverly Award’

Mark Samuel of Wilmington Laney & River Carroll of Swansboro named ‘Roy Heverly Award’ winners as top Underclassmen in Eastern North Carolina.

Samuel and Carroll will be presented the 19^th & 20^th Roy Heverly Award as the top underclassman scholastic wrestlers in eastern North Carolina this year.  Sophomore Mark Samuel went undefeated in 51 matches as 4-A State Champion at 106 lbs. for Laney H.S,  As a junior River Carroll of Swansboro also went undefeated in over 50 matches against North Carolina wrestlers and was 3-A State Champion at 160 lbs..  His only loss was a decision to a Virginia wrestler who went on to be an undefeated state champion in his state finals. 

Previous ‘Roy Heverly Award’ winners    

2019   Christian Decatur of Rosewood

2018   Alec Sampson of Hoggard

2017    Beau Studebaker of East Carteret

2016    Harrison Campbell of West Brunswick

2015    Blaine Mainz of Jacksonville

2014    Joe Sculthorpe of Topsail

2013    Matteson Correll of Topsail

2012    Nick Quillen of Rosewood and Tyler Ross of Jacksonville

2011    Jake Smith of Havelock         

2010    Marquin Hill of Washington

2009    Ryan Blackwell of Croatan

2008    Charlie Millea of Havelock

2007    Frank Hickman of Wilmington Laney

2006    Sean O’Laker of Croatan

2005    Eddie Sawyer of Currituck Co.

2004    Brian Lashomb of Currituck Co.

2003    Raymond Jordan of New Bern,

The award is named in honor of former state champion Roy Heverly, a 4 time state medalist at West Carteret and three time All-American at The University of North Carolina-Pembroke.  The TakeDown Report, an on-line publication promotes amateur wrestling in eastern North Carolina, sponsors these Awards.  “These awards recognize the most successful wrestlers in the area each year.” Fleming noted, “It encourages the young men from the teams in the eastern part of the state with another opportunity for others to realize the hard work, determination and discipline it takes to be a top wrestler,” he added.  The TDR also ranks wrestlers in a TDR Top 12 List that is displayed on the TDR Blog page. The TDR has been involved in the publicity of amateur wrestling in North Carolina for over 20 years.  Contact the TDR at martinkfleming@gmail.com, (252) 883-3311 & https://takedownreport.wordpress.com/

West Carteret Coach Kevin Smith, wrestler River Carroll, TDR Editor M.K. Fleming and dad and coach Sean Carroll.

April 8, 2021 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Olympic Team Trials 2021

TDR Editor’s Notes ; The Olympic Team Trials were held this past weekend and the teams were determined. The following articles are all from the time before. They show the path the wrestlers have taken to compete for the honor of being on the team and to represent the USA at the Olympics this summer in Japan. These articles also show the depth of the wrestling team as there are numerous quality athletes trying to qualify. Keep Wrestling On.
E-mail us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – What Olympic Trials Bracket Will Look Like
USA Wrestling has released the official 2021 Olympic Trials Seeds. I was off on a couple of weights and got some correctly. Now, let’s plug those seeds in and take a look at how brackets will look. Barring a last-second pull-out, weight miss, or a change in the bracketing system this is how they will be. 
Watch the 2021 USA Wrestling Olympic Team Trials Watch Party
LIVE on FloWrestling | Friday & Saturday, April 2-3
Also, if you have questions about 74 and 97, they follow the official USA Wrestling trials procedures, which can be found HERE. … rest of story and brackets at https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/6943448-what-olympic-trials-bracket-will-look-like

And Full Olympic Trials Schedule And How To Stream
The 2021 Olympic Team Trials are almost here. NBC has exclusive video rights, but you can follow along with the action all weekend long via the FloWrestling Watch Party.
Watch the 2021 USA Wrestling Olympic Trials Watch Party
LIVE on FloWrestling | All day April 2-3
Now, let’s take a look at the schedule as well as where and how you can watch the actual wrestling. We recommend having both wrestling and the Watch Party on simultaneously!  … rest of story and schedule at https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/6937322-full-olympic-trials-schedule-and-how-to-stream

And USA WRESTLING ANNOUNCES OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS COMPETITION SCHEDULE
USA Wrestling has released its expected schedule for the Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling, which is set for April 2-3, 2021, in Fort Worth, Texas, at Dickies Arena. Competition begins Friday at 10 a.m. CT with challenge tournament preliminary rounds and quarterfinals for all weights in all three Olympic styles. The semifinals and finals for the challenge brackets are set for Friday night beginning at 6:30 p.m. CT.
Saturday afternoon’s action will start at noon CT with consolation competition, concluding with third-place matches. Finally, starting at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, the best-of-three finals series for each weight class will be contested. Tickets are still available HERE! USA Wrestling will update with the NBC broadcasting schedule when more information becomes available.
OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS – WRESTLING
April 2-3, 2021 | Dickies Arena (Fort Worth, Texas) … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/11/USA-Wrestling-announces-Olympic-Trials-competition-schedule?mc_cid=1a80b5744e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – MEN’S FREESTYLE SEEDS RELEASED FOR OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS
The seeds for the men’s freestyle division of the 2021 Olympic Team Trials have been released. The Trials will take place April 2-3 at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
Receiving No. 1 seeds are Thomas Gilman (57 kg), Zain Retherford (65 kg), Jason Nolf** (74 kg), David Taylor (86 kg), Kollin Moore (97 kg) and Nick Gwiazdowski (125 kg).
There are four athletes—Jordan Burroughs (74 kg), Kyle Dake (74 kg), Kyle Snyder (97 kg), J’den Cox (97 kg)—, who did not receive seeds as they are sitting until either the semifinals or the best-of-three finals based on their 2019 World Championships medal performances. Learn more about the sit-out procedures in the Team Selection Criteria.

The Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle seeds will be released later today upon the conclusion of their respective seeding meetings. Brackets for all three styles will be released Friday after weigh-ins.
Fans can watch all of this weekend’s action on NBC and its platforms.
**New update: As of Monday, March 29, Isaiah Martinez has pulled out the tournament. He was originally the No. 1 seed at 74 kg. He has been taken out of the seeding and everyone has moved up accordingly. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/29/MFS-seeds-for-OTT?mc_cid=a2abe03ca2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And GRECO-ROMAN SEEDS RELEASED FOR OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS
The seeds for the Greco-Roman division of the 2021 Olympic Team Trials have been released. The Trials will take place April 2-3 at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. Receiving No. 1 seeds are Leslie Fuenffinger (60 kg), Ellis Coleman (67 kg), Jake Fisher (77 kg), Alan Vera (87 kg), Daniel Miller (97 kg) and Adam Coon (130 kg).
There are four athletes—Ildar Hafizov (60 kg), Alejandro Sancho (67 kg) Joe Rau (87 kg), G’Angelo Hancock (97 kg)—, who did not receive seeds as they are sitting until the best-of-three finals based on their performances at the 2020 Pan-American Olympic Qualifier. Learn more about the sit-out procedures in the Team Selection Criteria.
The women’s freestyle seeds will be released later today upon the conclusion of their seeding meeting. Brackets for all three styles will be released Friday after weigh-ins. Fans can watch all of this weekend’s action on NBC and its platforms. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/29/Greco-Roman-seeds-released-for-Olympic-Team-Trials?mc_cid=a2abe03ca2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And WOMEN’S FREESTYLE SEEDS RELEASED FOR U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS
The seeds for the women’s freestyle division of the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling have been released. The Trials will take place April 2-3 at the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. Receiving No. 1 seeds are Whitney Conder (50 kg), Dominique Parrish (53 kg), Jenna Burkert (57 kg), Maya Nelson (62 kg), Forrest Molinari (68 kg) and Dymond Guilford (76 kg)
There are six athletes who did not receive seeds as they are sitting until the best-of-three finals. They are Sarah Hildebrandt (50 kg), Jacarra Winchester (53 kg), Helen Maroulis (57 kg), Kayla Miracle (62 kg), Tamyra Mensah-Stock (68 kg), Adeline Gray (76 kg). Mensah-Stock and Gray are sitting out due to winning 2019 World medals. Hildebrandt, Winchester, Maroulis and Miracle are sitting out after qualifying their weights for the Olympics at the 2020 Pan American Olympic Qualifier. Learn more about the sit-out procedures in the Team Selection Criteria. Brackets for all three styles will be released Friday after weigh-ins. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/29/Womens-seeds-for-US-Olympic-Team-Trials?mc_cid=a2abe03ca2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – SEVERAL YOUNG TALENTS AMONG THOSE THAT QUALIFY FOR OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS IN GRECO-ROMAN AND WOMEN’S FREESTYLE
FORT WORTH, Texas – After putting together top-two finishes at today’s Last Chance Qualifier, there are 24 new athletes that have earned bids to the 2021 Olympic Team Trials on April 2-3 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE FOR OLYMPIC TRIALS
Today’s champions across the 12 weight classes are Travis Rice (GR 60 kg), Lenny Merkin (GR 67 kg), Austin Morrow (GR 77 kg), Alan Vera (GR 87 kg), Braxton Amos (GR 97 kg), Tanner Farmer (GR 130 kg), Sage Mortimer (WFS 50 kg), Melanie Mendoza (WFS 53 kg), Xochitl Mota-Pettis (WFS 57 kg), Michaela Beck (WFS 62 kg), Kennedy Blades (WFS 68 kg) and Jackie Cataline (WFS 76 kg).
There were six true-second matches contested with Randon Miranda (GR 60 kg), Jesse Porter (GR 77 kg), Thomas Helton (GR 130 kg), Charlotte Fowler (WFS 50 kg), Lauren Louive (WFS 57 kg) and Ana Luciano (WFS 62 kg) emerging victorious to qualify for the Trials. Below are the finals and true-second match results. Visit FloWrestling for the complete brackets. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/26/LCQ-GR-WFS-session-2?mc_cid=977ea0b267&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – USA WRESTLING ANNOUNCES OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS COMPETITION SCHEDULE
USA Wrestling has released its expected schedule for the Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling, which is set for April 2-3, 2021, in Fort Worth, Texas, at Dickies Arena. Competition begins Friday at 10 a.m. CT with challenge tournament preliminary rounds and quarterfinals for all weights in all three Olympic styles. The semifinals and finals for the challenge brackets are set for Friday night beginning at 6:30 p.m. CT. Saturday afternoon’s action will start at noon CT with consolation competition, concluding with third-place matches. Finally, starting at 6:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, the best-of-three finals series for each weight class will be contested.
Tickets are still available HERE! USA Wrestling will update with the NBC broadcasting schedule when more information becomes available. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/11/USA-Wrestling-announces-Olympic-Trials-competition-schedule?mc_cid=1a80b5744e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – UPDATED AND FINAL LIST OF QUALIFIERS FOR 2020 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS AS OF MARCH 28, 2021
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The final 36 athletes have qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling, which will be held at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, April 2-3, 2021. Two athletes in each of the 18 Olympic weight classes (six in each of the three Olympic disciplines) punched their ticket to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials at the Last Chance Olympic Trials Qualifier in Fort Worth this weekend.
Champions and runners-up from the Last Chance Qualifier qualifier advanced. However, in weights where the second-place finisher and third-place finisher had not met, a true second place match was held to determine the qualifier. There were 10 True Second matches held during the weekend. In total, there are now 221 athletes qualified for the Olympic Trials, 65 in men’s freestyle, 85 in women’s freestyle and 71 in Greco-Roman.
Of note from the Last Chance Olympic Trials Qualifier was Braxton Amos of the Wisconsin RTC, who entered the event in both styles and qualified for Fort Worth in both styles. In women’s freestyle, a pair of high school student-athletes qualified for the Olympic Trials, Sage Mortimer (50 kg) and Kennedy Blades (68 kg). … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/28/Final-List-of-Olympic-Trials-Qualifiers?mc_cid=6c27c8fabf&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – 12 MEN’S FREESTYLE ATHLETES EARN BIDS TO OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS
FORT WORTH, Texas – The final 12 spots have been secured for the 2021 Olympic Team Trials after an exciting day at the Last Chance Qualifier in Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday. The top-two athletes in each weight punched their tickets to the Trials April 2-3 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE FOR OLYMPIC TRIALS
Today’s men’s freestyle champions were Sean Russell (#6 at 57 kg), Evan Henderson (#2 at 65 kg), Chance Marsteller (#3 at 74 kg), Gabe Dean (#1 at 86 kg), Ben Honis (#1 at 97 kg) and Tanner Hall (#1 at 125 kg).
There were four true-second matches with Zane Richards (#1 at 57 kg), Mitch McKee (#3 at 65 kg), Nate Jackson (#2 at 86 kg) and Braxton Amos (#4 at 97 kg).
Amos went 7-1 this weekend and earned bids to next week’s Olympic Team Trials in both Greco-Roman and men’s freestyle as he also notched a gold-medal performance in yesterday’s Greco tournament. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/27/LCQ-MFS-session-2?mc_cid=6c27c8fabf&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – Three from Wolfpack Wrestling Club to Compete at Olympic Team Trials
Winner of each weight class will represent the U.S. at 2021 Summer Olympics
ALEIGH, N.C. – Three former All-Americans from the NC State wrestling team will be in action this weekend vying for a chance to represent the United States at the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Nick Gwiazdowski, Michael Macchavello, and Tommy Gantt will all take part in the Olympic Team Trials in Fort Worth, Texas. All three from the Wolfpack Wrestling Club will compete in freestyle. All six weight classes start with an 8-man Championship Tournament, and the U.S. Olympic team representative will be determined by a best 2-of-3 matches Championship Series.  
Some weights (74 kg & 97 kg for NC State fans) do have former World Medalists receiving a bye into the semifinals and those two weights also have a former World Champion awaiting in the Championship Series. Action starts with the Challenge Tournament, which all three from Wolfpack Wrestling Club will start in, Friday at 11 a.m. (ET) and streamed on Peakcock. The Challenge Tournament finals will then be at 7:30 p.m., and the Championship Series finals at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. Both will be televised on NBCSN and streamed on Peacock. … rest of story at https://gopack.com/news/2021/4/1/three-from-wolfpack-wrestling-club-to-compete-at-olympic-team-trials.aspx

8 } – Iowa wrestler Spencer Lee won’t compete at the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team Trials due to ACL injuries
Spencer Lee is going to have to wait to chase his Olympic dreams … again.
Lee, the Iowa wrestling program’s star lightweight, announced Friday that he won’t compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials, set for April 2-3 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. “With careful consideration, I have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the United States Olympic Trials,” Lee said in a statement released on his Twitter account. “It is not an easy decision, but after consulting with my coaches, family, brothers and medical staff, I know it is the right decision.” … rest of story at https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/college/iowa/wrestling/2021/03/26/iowa-wrestler-spencer-lee-2021-olympics-college-wrestling-torn-acl-hawkeye-wrestling/7014676002/?mc_cid=977ea0b267&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And USA WRESTLING RELEASES SEEDS FOR THIS WEEKEND’S LAST CHANCE QUALIFIER
FORT WORTH, Texas – The seeds are finalized for this weekend’s Olympic Team Trials Last Chance Qualifier, which is set for March 26-27 in Fort Worth, Texas. According to USA Wrestling’s Team Selection Criteria, the top-two athletes in each weight class will secure a bid to the 2021 Olympic Team Trials next weekend, April 2-3, also in Fort Worth. Action begins Friday with the Greco-Roman and women’s freestyle divisions wrestling to completion. Men’s freestyle will take place on Saturday. Fans can watch all the action live on FloWrestling.org. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/24/LCQ-seeds?mc_cid=3727c6a762&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – 4 Augsburg wrestlers to compete at US Olympic Trials
LAST CHANCE QUALIFIER BRACKETS
COMPLETE LIST OF U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS QUALIFIERS
FORT WORTH, Texas — Augsburg University women’s wrestler Marlynne Deede (SO, Springville, Utah/Springville HS) will join teammate Emily Shilson (SO, Maple Grove, Minn./Mounds View HS) and two Auggie men’s wrestling alumni with a chance to compete for a spot on the United States team for this summer’s Tokyo Olympics, after qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials with a second-place finish in the 76 kilogram (167 pounds) weight class at the Last Chance Qualifier meet over the weekend at Texas Wesleyan University.

Competing for the Twin Cities Regional Training Center, Deede went 3-1 in a five-wrestler round-robin bracket to finish second in the 76 kg class, clinching one of 15 spots in the weight class at the U.S. Olympic Trials, which will be held next Friday and Saturday (4/2-3) at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. She opened with a 4:00, injury default win over Menlo (Calif.) alumnae Marilyn Garcia, then scored a 5-2 win over Colorado Mesa wrestler Tristan Kelly. Her lone loss came in a 10-0, 4:21 technical fall to eventual winner Jackie Cataline, a Team USA member. She closed the tournament with her own technical fall win, a 10-0, 2:03 triumph over Greys Harbor Community College (Wash.) wrestler Kamilla Montenegro.
Deede finished her sophomore season at Augsburg with a 10-2 record, with five technical falls and four pins. She won the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships (NCWWC) Northwest Regional title in February at 155 pounds, then placed third at 155 at the NCWWC National Championships in Adrian, Mich. earlier this month, going 4-1 with three pins and a technical fall. A two-time NCWWC All-American (she finished sixth at 155 pounds in 2020), Deede is 21-13 in her collegiate career, with 10 technical falls and eight pins. … rest of story at https://athletics.augsburg.edu/news/2021/3/28/wwr032821.aspx?mc_cid=6c27c8fabf&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And Former MU wrestler J’Den Cox sets sights on Tokyo Olympics after bout with COVID-19
In an Olympic lead-up like no other, wrestler J’Den Cox has had a training regimen like no other. “Just grinding any way that I can. At one point in time, I was wrestling in the park. Just literally in the grass. Old school, throwing it back back,” Cox said. The 2016 bronze medalist in Rio was training in Columbus, Ohio, last year with the Olympic Trials just weeks away. But then the pandemic shut everything down. Cox moved back full-time to the Colorado Springs site of the Olympic Training Center, trying to stay in shape in any way possible. That is, until November when he tested positive for COVID-19. … rest of story at https://fox4kc.com/sports/former-mu-wrestler-jden-cox-sets-sights-on-tokyo-olympics-after-bout-with-covid-19/?mc_cid=e6e4e842ef&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – Former NU Lineman Farmer Wins Last Chance Olympic Qualifier
Former O-lineman Tanner Farmer wins Greco title, Berger and others fall short at Last Chance Qualifier
Nebraska was well-represented this weekend at USA Wrestling’s Last Chance Qualifier event in Fort Worth, Texas. The Husker contingent was led by an unlikely alum in Tanner Farmer. The former offensive lineman for Nebraska who played from 2014-18 also dabbled on the mat. Farmer, a native of Highland, Ill., was a two-time state champion in high school where he went undefeated as a junior and senior.

While on the football team, Farmer often worked out and practiced with the Husker wrestling team. In fact, he competed as a freshman in 2015 at heavyweight, going 5-1 in open tournaments. As he became a bigger part of the football team’s success, Farmer didn’t compete after that season, mainly because of the weight cut to 285 pounds when Farmer was playing football well north of 300 pounds. After graduating, Farmer went on to get some looks from some NFL teams like the Indianapolis Colts and the Houston Texans before moving on to the CFL with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
After that brief stint with professional football, Farmer found himself taking graduate classes at Concordia while being a volunteer assistant for the football team. After finding out that he had a semester of eligibility in another sport, Farmer joined the Concordia wrestling team and had to cut 25 pounds to make the 285-pound weight limit, but he went 26-1 and finished as the runner-up at the NAIA National Championships in 2020. … rest of story at https://www.cornnation.com/2021/3/28/22354783/former-nu-lineman-farmer-wins-last-chance-olympic-qualifier?mc_cid=6c27c8fabf&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

11 } – Marsteller dominates “Last Chance” tournament, qualifies for US Olympic Trials
Chance Marsteller (’19) went 5-0 and dominated the 74-kg field at the U.S. Last Chance Olympic Trials qualifying tournament over the weekend. The first-place finish pushes Marsteller into the upcoming United States Olympic Team Trials.
Chance Marsteller (’19) went 5-0 and dominated the 74-kg field at the U.S. Last Chance Olympic Trials qualifying tournament over the weekend. The first-place finish pushes Marsteller into the upcoming United States Olympic Team Trials. … rest of story at https://www.golhu.com/news/2021/3/29/wrestling-marsteller-dominates-last-chance-tournament-qualifies-for-us-olympic-trials.aspx?mc_cid=a2abe03ca2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And Kennard-Dale grad Chance Marsteller dominant in qualifying for U.S. Olympic Team Trials
Chance Marsteller is one step closer to representing Team USA in Tokyo. The Kennard-Dale High School graduate ran through the field at the 2021 Olympic Team Trials Last Chance Qualifier and claimed a spot at the U.S. Team Trials. To earn a ticket to the event in Texas next weekend, Marsteller just needed to finish in the top two in his bracket. Instead, he left no doubt about who deserved the chance to fight for an Olympic roster spot. Marsteller dominated the men’s freestyle 74 kilogram (163-pound) field and didn’t surrender a single point in his five victories. In the final match, Marsteller defeated former Penn State wrestler, and two-time NCAA champion, Vincenzo Joseph, 5-0.

To reach the match with Joseph, the third-seeded Marsteller took out No. 2 seed Alec Pantaleo, 7-0. In the quarterfinals, Marsteller knocked out former Missouri wrestler Joey Lavallee, 7-0. Before that Marsteller defeated Christian Monserrat, 10-0, and Cael McCormick, 9-0. Marsteller outscored his five foes, 38-0. Marsteller, a four-time PIAA champion for K-D and a two-time NCAA Division I All-American at Lock Haven University, will return to Fort Worth, Texas, next weekend for U.S. Olympic Team Trials and see a familiar face. … rest of story at https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/sports/olympics/2021/03/28/chance-marsteller-qualifies-usa-wrestling-olympic-team-trials/7036397002/?mc_cid=6c27c8fabf&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

12 } – Gabe Dean ’17, Ben Honis ’19 Qualify for 2021 U.S. Wrestling Olympic Team Trials
ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell wrestling alumni Gabe Dean ’17 and Ben Honis ’19 each qualified for the 2021 U.S. Wrestling Olympic Team Trials over the weekend in Fort Worth, Texas, competing at the last chance Olympic qualifier. Each wrestler won their weight class in freestyle wrestling on Saturday to secure a spot at the team trials.  
Dean and Honis join Kyle Dake ’13 (74kg), Yianni Diakomihalis (65kg), Vito Arujau (57kg) and Nahshon Garrett ’16 (65kg) as Cornelians qualified for the team trials, which will take place April 2-3 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
 
At 86kg, Dean powered his way through a bracket full of former national champions and All-Americans. Dean allowed just four points throughout the tournament, defeating Jake Hendricks (10-0), No. 8-seeded CJ Brucki (12-2), No. 4-seeded Drew Foster (8-0) and No. 2-seeded Nate Jackson (7-2). Jackson and Dean have gotten familiar with one another over the last year having wrestled three times. Honis was the champion at 97kg, shutting out all but one of his opponents from scoring. Following back-to-back 10-0 wins over DaiJon Bibbs and Keegan Mueller, Honis narrowly defeated No. 4-seeded Braxton Amos by criteria, 6-6. In the finals, Honis got the best of No. 3-seeded Scottie Boykin, 10-0. … rest of story at https://cornellbigred.com/news/2021/3/29/gabe-dean-17-ben-honis-19-qualify-for-2021-us-wrestling-olympic-team-trials.aspx?mc_cid=a2abe03ca2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And Wrestling Sends 10 to Last Chance Olympic Qualifier
ITHACA, N.Y. – Cornell wrestling is set to send 10 competitors to the U.S. Wrestling Last Chance Olympic Trials Qualifier, taking place in Forth Worth, Texas, March 26-27. The top two finishers at each weight class in both men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman will qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, held in Fort Worth, April 2-3.
Coverage from the last chance qualifier will be broadcast by FloWrestling, starting with Session I of the senior women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman competition at 11:00 a.m. EDT on Friday, March 26. Freestyle competition gets underway at 11:00 a.m. EDT on Saturday, March 27.
Competing in freestyle for the Big Red will be Joshua Saunders (65kg), Hunter Richard (74kg), Julian Ramirez (74kg), Jonathan Loew (86kg), Chris Foca (86kg), Max Dean (86kg) and Gabe Dean (86kg). Wrestlers featured in the Greco-Roman bracket will be Phillip Moomey (60kg), Jonathon Fagen (87kg) and Andrew Berreyesa (86kg). Former Cornelians Frank Perrelli (57kg) and Ben Honis (97kg) are also competing in freestyle.
Seedings for the qualifier were released on Wednesday night. Seeded Big Red wrestlers include Perrelli (#3 – 57kg), Ramirez (#8 – 74kg), Gabe Dean (#1 – 86kg), Max Dean (#7 – 86kg) and Honis (#1 – 97kg). … rest of story at https://cornellbigred.com/news/2021/3/24/wrestling-sends-10-to-last-chance-olympic-qualifier.aspx?mc_cid=3727c6a762&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And Contenders And Sleepers: The 2021 Last Chance Qualifier Preview
View All 2021 Last Chance US Olympic Trials Qualifier
The last step before the 2021 Olympic Trials: the 2021 Last Chance US Olympic Trials Qualifier! The top two wrestlers at each weight will qualify for the Olympic Trials on April 2-3. Before you dismiss any of these guys take a look at the registration list and remember that in 2017 Thomas Gilman went from last chance qualifier to World silver. Nothing is impossible!
Watch the Last Chance Olympic Trials Qualifier LIVE on FloWrestling
Friday & Saturday, March 26-27 | 11:00 AM EST
Below is a breakdown of all six weights with some of their top contenders and wrestlers to watch. … rest of story at https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/6937142-contenders-and-sleepers-the-2021-last-chance-qualifier-preview

April 4, 2021 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NCAA Division I News (2021) – # 15

TDR Editor’s Notes ; The first few articles review some of the results and news from the recent Championships. The rest of the articles are from before the championships as we catch up on presenting all of the news that is good to share. Keep Wrestling On! E-mail us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – 5 takeaways from the 2021 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Iowa’s depth; Iowa State does more with less; UNI’s potential in 2022; wrestling rallies around Stanford champ Shane Griffith
The NCAA Championships have concluded. Iowa ended a title drought and has plenty of the pieces for No. 25 in 2022. Iowa State overcame a lackluster first round to tie for 13th. Northern Iowa’s young lineup is one to watch next season, while next season is in limbo for Outstanding Wrestler Shane Griffith, who won a title for Stanford, which seems determined to cut the program.
Here are five takeaways from last week’s tournament in St. Louis.
1. Iowa’s depth too much
Iowa’s depth and balance was just too much for the rest of the NCAA wrestling field. The Hawkeyes had seven All-Americans and two more were a win shy of the podium. Each Hawkeye won at least one match. Five finished third or better with another fourth.
Iowa tallied 129 points, despite two No. 1 seeds losing in sudden victory in the finals. Top-ranked 165-pounder Alex Marinelli’s unfortunate medical forfeit from the tournament limited him to just four team points. The Hawkeyes still wrapped it up before the finals.
Four amassed 19.5 points, including Spencer Lee’s team-high 24.5. Two added 12.5 or more. Those six were enough to win it without the rest. It is no surprise tight-knit group reveled in the team achievement and rallied around each other. With everyone likely back and some others like Abe Assad, Patrick Kennedy and Jesse Ybarra, who could contribute, the Hawkeyes could be even stronger and better in 2022. … rest of story at https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/college-wrestling-five-take-aways-from-the-ncaa-division-i-championships-20210323?clearUserState=true

2 } – Penn State’s Nick Lee is first national wrestling champion from Mater Dei
Nick Lee held his right hand aloft, index finger extended. The Penn State University senior became the first Mater Dei High School wrestler to win a NCAA individual title with a 4-2 overtime victory over Iowa’s Jaydin Eierman in the 141-pound division last Saturday in the 2021 NCAA Championships at St. Louis.
Lee, a four-time all-American, felt fatigued entering the extra session. “I wanted to stay in good position and continue to stick with my game plan,” he told GoPSUsports.com. “So, I continued with my game plan and it paid off.” Lee ascended to the top of the podium in his fourth trip to the NCAAs. He placed fifth as a true freshman in 2018 and second as a sophomore in ’19. Lee was to be the No. 2 seed at the 2020 NCAA Championships before the tourney was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic; he was named a first-team all-American. … rest of story at https://www.courierpress.com/story/sports/2021/03/23/nick-lee-gains-revenge-seizes-first-ncaa-wrestling-championship/6969923002/?mc_cid=1bb3332bd3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – Meet the 2021 NCAA college wrestling All-Americans
In 2019, 80 men stood on the podium and celebrated that they were among the most elite of the elite in college athletics. They were All-Americans. Now, after a year of adversity and the challenge of competing in a national pandemic, champion wrestling is back. The top-eight men in each of the ten weight classes this year have earned a special honor, and they will march out together as a group tonight during the parade of All-Americans savoring and remembering the moments that made up this wild, unprecedented year.

Here’s what you need to know about the individuals that will take home All-American trophies.  At 125 pounds, No. 1 Iowa’s Spencer Lee leads the pack as a two-time champ and now four-time All-American, and he’ll wrestle 2020 NWCA second-team All-American Brandon Courtney of Arizona State in the finals.

Central Michigan’s Drew Hildebrandt, a 2020 first-team All-American, and Utah Valley’s Taylor LaMont locked up their 2021 All-American honors with their wins in the quarterfinals, and, for LaMont, the top-eight honor was the first of his career. The remaining four All-Americans at the lightweight — Pat McKee, Eric Barnett, Sam Latona and Killian Cardinale — all earned their spots on the podium with Blood Round wins. McKee picked up a big win against Northern Iowa’s Brody Teske for his All-American honor, while Barnett stopped Devin Schroder of Purdue to finish in the top eight for the first time. Minnesota sophomore McKee went on to take third, topping Hildebrandt while the CMU star finished fourth. Cardinale of West Virginia overtook Jakob Camacho in the Blood Round to put West Virginia on the podium, … rest of story at https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/article/2021-03-19/meet-2021-ncaa-college-wrestling-all-americans?utm_campaign=article-carousel

4 } – Stanford’s silence doesn’t surprise wrestling champ: ‘Probably more mad at me’
What did Shane Griffith do for an encore after winning a national championship and turning a bright spotlight on embattled Stanford wrestling? He went home to Westwood, N.J., to finish a 12-page paper on pandemic resiliency. If I may have a word with his bio engineering professor, Griffith should write this paper in the first-person. He is a picture of pandemic resiliency. “I believe we’ve had the worst circumstances of anyone in collegiate sports,” Griffith said Tuesday. Griffith, a junior academically, overcame, in order: the brutal elimination of his program, a crushing academic load that should allow him to graduate this summer, the pursuit of a place to wrestle in the future, difficult training conditions and indifference from his own athletic department. “The whole process has been pretty devastating,” he said. “It all adds a little more fuel to the tank.”

Against that backdrop, his better-seeded opponent in Saturday’s final probably didn’t stand a chance. Griffith has lost only once in his collegiate wrestling career — in the conference finals earlier this month — and became the second national champion in Stanford’s 104-year wrestling history. After he won, wearing a black singlet stripped of the university logo, chants of “Keep Stanford wrestling” filled the arena in St. Louis. Griffith’s victory was not only a personal triumph but a communal protest. “I believe we’ve had the worst circumstances of anyone in collegiate sports,” Griffith said Tuesday.

Griffith, a junior academically, overcame, in order: the brutal elimination of his program, a crushing academic load that should allow him to graduate this summer, the pursuit of a place to wrestle in the future, difficult training conditions and indifference from his own athletic department. “The whole process has been pretty devastating,” he said. “It all adds a little more fuel to the tank.” Against that backdrop, his better-seeded opponent in Saturday’s final probably didn’t stand a chance. Griffith has lost only once in his collegiate wrestling career — in the conference finals earlier this month — and became the second national champion in Stanford’s 104-year wrestling history. After he won, wearing a black singlet stripped of the university logo, chants of “Keep Stanford wrestling” filled the arena in St. Louis. Griffith’s victory was not only a personal triumph but a communal protest. … rest of story at https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/annkillion/article/Stanford-s-silence-doesn-t-surprise-wrestling-16047816.php?mc_cid=1bb3332bd3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – Luke Weber ‘carrying the momentum’ into NCAA Wrestling Championships
FARGO, N.D. — Luke Weber has grown accustomed to the big stage. From winning the first of his 212 high school wrestling matches at Forsyth to winning a Big 12 Conference championship at North Dakota State earlier this month, Weber has always viewed his next moment as the biggest moment. “You’d never convince Luke Weber that Forsyth’s a small town in Montana. From everything I hear, Forsyth is the center of Montana,” said North Dakota State wrestling coach Roger Kish, “and that’s that Luke Weber personality.”

Weber has never lacked confidence, but he’s riding an all-time high now. After graduating from Forsyth in 2016, Weber started his wrestling career at Nebraska. After one season with the Cornhuskers, he transferred to North Dakota State, where he’s found a home. The pieces are fitting into place in this pandemic-altered wrestling season. Weber, through all the challenges, has had his best college wrestling season, and he’s peaking at the right time. At the Big 12 Championships he opened the 165-pound bracket with a 16-2 major decision over Troy Mantanona of Oklahoma. … rest of story at https://www.montanasports.com/college-sports/ncaa/luke-weber-carrying-the-momentum-into-ncaa-wrestling-championships?mc_cid=1e4a49e3cd&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – How the bond of Penn State wrestlers Nick and Joe Lee makes each better
In brothers Nick and Joe Lee, Cael Sanderson has an interesting dichotomy. The Hoosier State natives are just the latest pair of brothers to don Nittany Lion singlets, something that is simultaneously a rarity in the college athletics landscape but a relative norm for Penn State’s program over the decades. The odds of becoming a Division I wrestler hover right around 1%. The odds of becoming a Division I wrestler at Penn State are even slimmer — this most recent roster features just 35 wrestlers.

Obviously, not all 35 of those wrestlers will start with only 10 collegiate weights in play, and so for two of those spots to be occupied by brothers only increases the scarcity of what Nick and Joe Lee have been able to do lately. And yet, they’re far from the first siblings to crack Penn State’s lineup at the same time and likely won’t be the last members of a list that includes Big Ten champions, All-Americans, NCAA champions and current college coaches. … rest of story at https://www.collegian.psu.edu/sports/wrestling/how-the-bond-of-penn-state-wrestlers-nick-and-joe-lee-makes-each-better/article_e4199f5a-8527-11eb-8e1f-a3a49a779f75.html?mc_cid=1e4a49e3cd&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – Healthy and mentally sound, CSUB’s Ducharme looks to make a splash at wrestling nationals
Dominic Ducharme has always been a fighter. His love of aggressive activity was forged at age 5, when he began practicing Jiu Jitsu. Ducharme, currently a college senior, is hoping to turn his passion for fighting into a career, as he plans to pursue mixed martial arts at the professional level. But even if he finds success in this pursuit, Ducharme admits it might not be enough to fill a void he may begin to feel as early as this weekend. Though he was already well into his Jiu Jitsu training at the time, Ducharme says wrestling instantly became his first love when he first took to the sport at age 10, and his passion quickly led to success. A two-time state qualifier at Windsor High School, he’s gone on to have great success at Cal State Bakersfield. The highlight of his time as a Roadrunner came on Feb. 28, when he edged Ryan Reyes of Oregon State 3-2 to capture a 184-pound conference title at the Pac-12 Championships.

Ducharme now sets his sights on an even more significant championship this week. He is one of three CSUB wrestlers to qualify for the NCAA Division-I Wrestling Championships, which will take place this Thursday through Saturday in St. Louis. Entering at 5-0 and the No. 21 seed, Ducharme opens competition against Dylan Ammerman of Lehigh on Thursday morning. … rest of story at https://www.bakersfield.com/sports/college/healthy-and-mentally-sound-csubs-ducharme-looks-to-make-a-splash-at-wrestling-nationals/article_d8d970c0-85c7-11eb-9aca-67c00975638b.html?mc_cid=1e4a49e3cd&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – Sebastian Rivera might be the next, perfect, Rutgers wrestling champion
Sebastian Rivera isn’t worried. He’s not worried about his loss at the Big Ten tournament, he’s not worried about who he’ll face in the NCAA tournament, and he’s not even too worried about what will come after he finishes this crazy, unprecedented season. He’s just not a guy who worries. And why would he be?  “I train so hard it would be crazy for me not to have so much swagger and confidence,” Rivera said in an interview with NCAA.com. “I don’t think there’s anyone in the country who can compete with me, and that’s just the mentality you have to have when you train as hard as I do. There’s no reason not to be confident in what I’m doing.” 

BIG TEN RECAP: Sebastian Rivera finishes third at the Big Ten tournament
Rivera enters this year’s NCAA tournament as a No. 3 seed at 141 pounds after dropping the Big Ten semifinals match to Penn State’s Nick Lee, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, in one of the wildest matches of the conference tournament. He and Lee both have one loss this season. Iowa’s Jaydin Eierman, the No. 1 seed, holds an 8-0 record with 60+ percent bonus.  Rivera’s path to the NCAA finals will put him on a collision course with Lee again, if both athletes wrestle to seed. Rivera looks forward to the opportunity. He’s fully aware that he’s part of one of the toughest brackets in the national tournament. He’s been in this position before, taking sixth in 2018 in a loaded 125-pound … rest of story at https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/article/2021-03-15/sebastian-rivera-might-be-next-perfect-rutgers-wrestling-champion?mc_cid=1e4a49e3cd&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – Alex Marinelli, Jaydin Eierman announce return to Iowa wrestling for 2021-22
The Iowa Hawkeyes finished with a team national title in 2021 but came away just one for three in individual national championships on Saturday night. However, they received some more good news on Sunday. Four time All-American and 141 pound runner up Jaydin Eierman and three time All-American and 165 pounder Alex Marinelli both announced their intentions to return to the team next season. Under normal circumstances, both wrestlers entered 2020-21 as their final seasons, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, athletes across all sports were granted a free year. With one year left for both, the Hawkeyes get a major boost to their lineup for next season. … rest of story at https://247sports.com/Article/Alex-Marinelli-Jaydin-Eierman-announce-return-Iowa-Hawkeyes-wrestling-2021-22-lineup-national-championship-NCAA-Tournament-162832361/?mc_cid=7490ba8a46&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – Bulldog Insider feature: Abas, Olivas reflect on their time as Fresno State wrestlers
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE) – This weekend in St. Louis, the Fresno State wrestling team added one more name to its list of all-Americans. Kyle Parco became the 23rd wrestler in program history to reach all-American status, the first since Josh Hokit in 2019. After this weekend, the Fresno State wrestling program will be eliminated for the second time since 2006. “I actually could not believe it. It was hard enough to know that they dropped it that first time,” said former Bulldog wrestler Stephen Abas. “It’s horrible news.”

Abas is one of the best athletes to ever come out of Fresno State. A four-time all-American and a three-time national champion, Abas also brought home a silver medal from the 2004 Olympics in Athens. He helped put Fresno State wrestling on the map. “I enjoyed my time there, and I know that there’s opportunities for other kids to have the same success, if we could just keep the team around,” said Abas. The first year that Fresno State returned to the wrestling mat was in 2017, and the roster was stacked with valley athletes: Buchanan, Clovis, Clovis North, Selma, Dinuba, Lemoore and Madera Ranchos were all represented.

One of those wrestlers was Khristian Olivas, a Clovis Cougar, who grew up watching the Bulldogs. “I actually remember when they wrestled OK State and Iowa,” Olivas said. “So just seeing it as a kid, I was all about it and super excited to one day be there.” Out of high school, Fresno State didn’t have a wrestling program at the time so Olivas went to Utah Valley. Once the heard the program was coming back, he dropped everything to return home. … rest of story at https://www.yourcentralvalley.com/sports/bulldog-insider-feature-abas-olivas-reflect-on-their-time-as-fresno-state-wrestlers/?mc_cid=7490ba8a46&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

11 } – Mason Kauffman Wins NCAA’s Elite 90 Award
NIU wrestler becomes first Huskie to win prestigious honor
ST. LOUIS – Northern Illinois University’s Mason Kauffman was rewarded for his work on the mat and in the classroom as the NCAA qualifier at 174 was named the recipient of the Elite 90 award for the 2021 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship on Saturday.  

“It’s a statement on him personifying the kind of student-athlete we want and we preach about being here at NIU,” NIU head coach Ryan Ludwig said. “These guys work their tails off to be great wrestlers, but in order to become a great wrestler, you need to be a great student, a great person first. “We couldn’t be prouder of him representing us and bringing home an Elite 90 award to NIU. It’s just a tremendous honor for the University.”
 
Kauffman, who carries a 4.0 grade point average while pursuing his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, was presented with the award prior to the start of the final round of the 2021 NCAA Wrestling Championship at Enterprise Center. He is the first Huskie in any sport to receive this prestigious award from the NCAA, which is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA Championships. … rest of story at https://niuhuskies.com/news/2021/3/20/wrestling-mason-kauffman-wins-ncaas-elite-90-award.aspx?mc_cid=7490ba8a46&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

12 } – Could the Bills invite NCAA heavyweight wrestling champ Gable Steveson for a tryout?
Coach Sean McDermott loves wrestlers, particularly the skillsets accomplished heavyweights could bring to the defensive line. Watching Minnesota junior Gable Steveson run roughshod over the heavyweight field at the NCAA Wrestling Championships this weekend has to have the wheels turning inside the head of Bills coach Sean McDermott.

Could he one day be a Bills’ defensive lineman? There is almost no chance that McDermott hasn’t thought about it already. Just like there’s no chance the coach hasn’t already watched and dissected Steveson’s 8-4 decision over Michigan’s Mason Parris for the title on Saturday night in St. Louis. McDermott loves wrestling almost as much as football, which is not hard to understand since he was always a better wrestler than a football player. At La Salle High School, he won two straight National Prep titles while going undefeated his final two seasons and giving up just takedown along the way.

Since coming to Buffalo, he has had Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs speak to the team and in 2019 spent some time with coach Cael Sanderson and the Penn State wrestling program just before they traveled to nationals and won
… rest of story at https://www.si.com/nfl/bills/news/could-the-bills-invite-ncaa-heavyweight-wrestling-champ-gable-steveson-for-a-tryout?mc_cid=7490ba8a46&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

April 3, 2021 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Women’s Wrestling News (2021) – # 11 {College}

TDR Editor’s Notes ; A preview of the teams and tournaments as Collegiate Women’s wrestling enters the championship season. The results will be in our next collection of news articles and announcements related to women’s teams. Keep Wrestling On!
E-mail us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – OCU’s Foster becomes SAC wrestler of week
OKLAHOMA CITY – Cierra Foster from Oklahoma City University landed Sooner Athletic Conference women’s wrestler of the week. Foster, a senior from Post Falls, Idaho, took her first open tournament title of her college career in the Grand View Open on Saturday in Des Moines, Iowa.
Foster collected the 155-pound crown with a 13-10 win over Morgan Mayginnes of Baker (Kan.). Foster owns the No. 3 spot in the 143-pound NAIA rankings, while Mayginnes is ranked fifth at 155. In the semifinals, Foster nabbed a 10-0 win over Tiyahna Askew from Missouri Baptist. Foster pinned Alexis Lopez in 29 seconds … rest of story at https://www.ocusports.com/news/2021/2/8/womens-wrestling-ocus-foster-becomes-sac-wrestler-of-week.aspx?mc_cid=82bfd879a8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – LORRING NAMED CCC PLAYER OF THE WEEK AFTER FIRST COLLEGIATE COMPETITION
CORVALLIS, Ore. –Emily Lorring of the University of Providence women’s wrestling team was named the Embrace Health-Santiam Hospital Cascade Collegiate Conference Wrestler of the Week this week. In her first collegiate tournament, Lorring participated in three duals, finishing 2-1. She started out with a pin on Andrea Jones of Grays Harbor College, then defeated Veronica Rodrigues of Simpson University via technical fall. She got pinned her last match to Erin Redford of Eastern Oregon.

“There was a lot of really good things that we saw this weekend,” head coach Matt Atwood said. “There’s a lot of things that we need to work on. Overall she wrestled really well. She was moving forward, she was confident, she wasn’t scared. It was really fun to watch her.” … rest of story at https://upargos.com/news/2021/2/8/womens-wrestling-lorring-named-ccc-player-of-the-week-after-first-collegiate-competition.aspx?mc_cid=82bfd879a8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – Cardinals take 1st, 13 Wrestlers Advance to Nationals
NCC Results
STEVENS POINT, Wis. (Feb. 21, 2021) – Competing in the Cliff Keen National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships (NCWWC) Northwest Regional Tournament, 13 members of the North Central College women’s wrestling team punched their ticket to the National Tournament. The Cardinals took first-place as a team while Asia Nguyen-Smith and Yelena Makoyed each earned first-place finishes for their respective weight classes as well. Wrestlers who finished in the top-four of their weight class earn a trip to Nationals

No. 1 ranked Makoyed left no doubt as to why she is the best in the country as she pinned both of her opponents to lock down first-place at 170-pounds. Sophomore Nguyen-Smith (123) also tallied two wins, both by tech fall to earn herself a trip to the National Tournament. Kate Cacho (101) and Sarah Martinez (116) each secured second-place in their specific weight classes. … rest of story at https://northcentralcardinals.com/news/2021/2/21/womens-wrestling-cardinals-take-1st-13-wrestlers-advance-to-nationals.aspx?mc_cid=4fc5b594c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – Wrestlers dominate SAC Championships
OKLAHOMA CITY – Four Wayland Baptist wrestlers claimed individual titles, three Pioneers earned special awards, and third-ranked WBU ran away with the team title at the 2^nd annual Sooner Athletic Conference Women’s Wrestling Championships here Sunday.
Nina Pham (101), Asia Ray (109), Desiree Zavala (136) and Olivia Ricci (170) all placed first in their respective weight classes, with Pham and Zavala successfully defending their titles from a year ago. Pham was named Wrestler of the Year, freshman Emily Alderman earned Newcomer of the Year, and Kiiler Stephens was named Coach of the Year. “I thought the girls wrestled phenomenally,” Stephens said. “I was proud of them.”
The Pioneers accrued 144½ points, well in front of runner-up and 10^th-ranked host Oklahoma City University at 116½. No. 11 Lyon, Ark., the defending champion, was third with 97½ points and No. 15 Texas Wesleyan fourth with 70. … rest of story at https://wbuathletics.com/news/2021/2/21/-3-womens-wrestling-wrestlers-dominate-sac-championships.aspx?mc_cid=4fc5b594c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – Wrestlers Qualified for the NCWWC by Region
NCAA programs competed in regional qualifiers this weekend for the first time ever. Up to four wrestlers at each weight advanced from four regions, setting up 16-person brackets for the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships (NCWWC) on March 6th in Tiffin, Ohio. This is the first time in women’s wrestling that a qualifier will determine the brackets for a postseason championship. … rest of story at https://www.transitionwrestling.com/wrestlers-qualified-for-the-ncwwc-by-region/?mc_cid=4fc5b594c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – NCWWC PREVIEW: MCKENDREE WOMEN HEAVILY FAVORED TO REPEAT AS CHAMPION AMONG NCAA SCHOOLS AT TIFFIN, MARCH 6
You might ask what team is going to win the 2021 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships, the annual national tournament for NCAA women’s college teams on March 6 at Tiffin University in Tiffin, Ohio.
Just do the math. There were 22 teams which earned at least one qualifier. For the first time, there were four regional qualifiers to set the 16-athlete field in each of the 10 women’s college weight classes. You could get a good sense of the team race, based just upon the size of their national championship roster. McKendree is the only team that qualified all 15 from their team at their regional. Tiffin and King punched in 14 qualifiers, North Central and Augsburg had 13 qualifiers, Colorado Mesa and Adrian had 12 had 12 qualifiers each. Part of the review includes the quality of those qualifiers. McKendree swept the Southwest Regional, winning all 10 of the regional titles. King had seven regional champions, Augsburg had six regional champions and Tiffin brought home five regional champions. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/04/NCWWC-Nationals-preview-McKendree-heavily-favored?mc_cid=463361f6e9&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships
Women’s wrestling in college has been on the rise for the past few years with 17 new programs being added this year alone. The National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships will feature NCAA women’s teams. The National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships will be taking place March 6, 2021 and will be held at Tiffin University where 2 Indiana athletes will be competing. 
Jaryn Strong who is a freshman at Adrian College took 4th place at Northeast Regional to qualify for the tournament. In high school Strong wrestled for Terre Haute South where she was a 4-time Girls State placer and a finalist her senior year. She will be in the 123-pound bracket where she will face off against Trinity Berry of Tiffin University first round. Jasime Hale of Pike is another freshman qualifier for Adrian. She won the regional and comes into nationals with a 5-6 record. She will have Madison Horn of Augsburg in the first round at 170lbs. … rest of story at https://indianamat.com/index.php?/articles.html/college-news/national-collegiate-women%E2%80%99s-wrestling-championships-r1062/&mc_cid=92195b958e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships Preview
It’s going down in Tiffin, Ohio this weekend.
The NCAA women’s wrestling season was jammed into the first two months of 2021. The season was highlighted by a few key dual meets and dual tournaments as well as individual performances at the Captain’s Cup and wrestling cards throughout the country at various RTC’s. The post season began this season with four regional qualifiers that determined the brackets at the NCWWC. We enter the championships with a lot of questions about the competitiveness of teams and individuals, however, many of those questions will be answered after this weekend.

The top trending storyline is that No. 1 McKendree has positioned themselves for a repeat as tournament champions.  The Bearcats swept through the Southwest regional and have four No. 1 ranked wrestlers followed by four ranked No. 2. The closest dual … rest of story at https://www.transitionwrestling.com/national-collegiate-womens-wrestling-championships-preview/?mc_cid=92195b958e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And College notebook: Dosado wrestling siblings enjoy a weekend to remember
It was a successful weekend for the wrestling Dosado siblings of Caroline County. One day after her brother James won the Class 4 state high school title at 152 pounds, University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) freshman Elizabeth Dosado claimed the Mid-South Conference women’s title at 101 pounds Sunday in Bowling Green, Ky.

Dosado defeated Indiana Tech’s Whitley Blake by a 10–0 technical fall in her opener, then pinned Life (Ga.) University’s Devin Gomez in 55 seconds before earning a 4–0 decision over Life’s Unity Cordova in the final. Ranked second in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, Dosado will compete in the NAIA championships March 12–13 in Fargo, N.D. … rest of story at https://fredericksburg.com/sports/college/college-notebook-dosado-wrestling-siblings-enjoy-a-weekend-to-remember/article_2c7b72f3-a23a-511e-a82d-468debaadc52.html?mc_cid=329018bca1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – NWCA Releases NCAA Women’s Final Poll of the Season; NCWWC Preseeds
Manheim, PA – On Friday, The NWCA released their final NCAA Women’s rankings which will serve as preseeds for the NCWWC tournament set for March 5-6 at Tiffin University.  McKendree remains in the top spot closely followed by second-place King.  Each school is coming off NCWWC Regional tournament titles, McKendree in the Southwest Regional and King in the Southeast Regional. Entering the team rankings this week is New Jersey City University at #15 while Lakeland University drops out of the top 15…. rest of story at https://www.nwcaonline.com/ncaa-womens-regular-season-poll-2/?mc_cid=02f3563d01&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – NAIA NO. 6 JAMESTOWN WOMEN WIN THIRD STRAIGHT KCAC CONFERENCE TITLE, LED BY SEVEN CHAMPIONS
AMESTOWN, N.D. – NAIA No. 6 Jamestown women’s wrestling team was dominant in winning its third straight KCAC conference championship on its home mats on Saturday. The Jimmies were led by seven individual champions: Rayana Sahagun (109), Josie Bartishofski (116), Arianna Marrufo (123), Alexandra Baudhuin (130), Luisita Jara (136), Sierra Talmadge (170) and Kelly Lacost (191). Winning their championship match by technical fall were Sahagun, Baudhuin, Talmage and Lacost.

Jamestown head coach Shauna Kemp and Midland head coach Daviare Dickerson were named Coaches of the Year. It was the third straight year Kemp received this honor. Jamestown scored 208.5 points, with Midland second at 173 points and York College third with 114.5 points. Rounding out the team race was Ottawa in fourth with 100 points and Hastings in fifth with 28 points. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/February/27/Jamestown-wins-third-straight-KCAC-womens-title?mc_cid=02f3563d01&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – No.1 Women’s Wrestling Looks to Defend NCWWC Title
The No.1 McKendree University women’s wrestling team will begin its postseason in Tiffin, OH, at the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championship (NCWWC) on Saturday, Mar. 6. No.1 McKendree was the host of the NCWWC Southwest Regional Qualifier Tournament back in late February, where the Bearcats took first overall, won each weight class, and had 15 wrestlers qualify for this weekend’s championship.

In the inaugural 2020 Cliff Keen NCWWC Championship, Sam Schmitz and his team took the championship title with the addition of five individual champions. Those returners from last season’s championship team include No.2 Pauline Granados (Rialto, CA/Carter), No.6 Natalie Reyna (Hesperia, CA/Whittier), No.7 Carly Valleroy (St. Louis, MO/Mehlville), No.1 Felicity Taylor (Spillville, IA/South Winneshiek), No.4 Payton Stroud (Buckley, WA/White River), No.1 Emma Bruntil (Acme, WA/Mount Baker Senior), No.2 Alara Boyd (Muncie, IN/Yorktown), No.2 Joye Levendusky (Avon, NY/Avon), and No.1 Sydnee Kimber (Sitka, AK/Mt. Edgecumbe ).
Granados, Bruntil and Kimber are three of the five returning National Champions. Taylor and Boyd finished second; Levendusky finished fourth; Reyna finished seventh; and Stroud finished eighth. … rest of story at https://mckbearcats.com/news/2021/3/4/no-1-womens-wrestling-looks-to-defend-ncwwc-title.aspx?mc_cid=463361f6e9&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

11 } – South Winn’s Felicity Taylor wins collegiate national wrestling title, Grand View’s NAIA streak ends
The third time was the charm for Felicity Taylor. Taylor, a South Winneshiek graduate who now wrestles at McKendree in Illinois, won the National College Women’s Wrestling Championships on Saturday in Ohio. She went 4-0 to win gold at 116 pounds, rallying to beat Tiffin’s Sugey Ceja, 16-6, in the finals. It marks Taylor’s first collegiate national title. She had reached the finals each of the last two seasons — at last year’s NCWWC tournament, and at the Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association’s 2019 national tournament. Both times, she took second.
More:Wrestling: Iowa State in a heated team race after Day One of the Big 12 Championships
On Saturday, the junior finally brought home gold, and did so with flair. After storming to the finals, Taylor fell behind to Ceja, 6-2, midway through the match. But with 68 seconds remaining, she scored a takedown to come within 6-4, then locked up a leg lace and scored six straight exposures (women’s college … rest of story at https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/college/iowa/wrestling/2021/03/06/south-winns-felicity-taylor-wins-national-title-grand-view-naia-championship-streak-ends-life-u/6862308002/?mc_cid=98fec82373&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

12 } – NWCA Announces 2021 NCAA Women’s National Coach of the Year
Tiffin, OH – On Saturday following the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships, the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced the winner of the NCAA Women’s Defense Soap National Coach of the Year. NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer presented Sam Schmitz of McKendree University with the award after he was selected by his peers for a second consecutive year. The award is presented to the coach that has demonstrated outstanding effort throughout the season in developing and elevating their program on campus and in the community. The NWCA National Coach of the Year awards program is presented by Defense Soap, the official Hygiene partner of the NWCA. “In continuing our mission, Defense Soap is proud to partner with the NWCA, to keep wrestlers on the mat with our products and education in hygiene.” Guy Sako, Founder and CEO of Defense Soap.

McKendree took home the team title for the second year in a row with 209 pts over second-place King University 171.5 pts.  The Bearcats of McKendree also brought home 14 individual All-Americans with eight national finalists and six national champions.  The NCWWC currently serves as the national championships for NCAA-affiliated women’s programs until the sport receives championship status. … rest of story at https://www.nwcaonline.com/nwca-announces-2021-ncaa-womens-national-coach-of-the-year/?mc_cid=b1fa7a1c33&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

March 31, 2021 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Women’s Wrestling News (2021) – # 10 {High School}

TDR Editor’s Notes ; These articles are from many different states with news of girls’ wrestling on the high school level. Some are still wrestling on the boys teams but a growing number of states have started their competition for girls wrestling teams. These teams have met in innaugural state championship tournaments. Over half of the states now have sanctioned high school wrestling as a separate sports. Keep on growing the opportunities for wrestling!
E-mail us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – {oklahoma} Broken Arrow leads the way at girls wrestling East Regional
BROKEN ARROW — It was a historic day for high school wrestling in Oklahoma on Monday. For the first time, girls from across the state competed in a west regional in Edmond and an east regional in Broken Arrow to determine who will compete at the first officially sanctioned OSSAA state girls meet in Oklahoma City on Feb. 25. Broken Arrow dominated the regional, winning four weight classes to top the team standings, amassing 163 points. Jay was second with 121.

Broken Arrow coach Cassidy Jasperson was happy with how the Tigers performed. “This is opportunity for the girls,” Jasperson said. “They work hard every day, and getting to showcase that for people is something they deserve. It has been a long time coming, and I am so proud to be a part of it. I know each and every girl in the state is glad to be a part of it.” … rest of story at https://tulsaworld.com/ba-leads-the-way-at-girls-wrestling-east-regional/article_fd6e8364-6a77-11eb-9624-ef21414e39dc.html?mc_cid=82bfd879a8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – {Ohio} Miami East High School student becomes first girl to place at boys state wrestling tournament
MIAMI COUNTY, Ohio (WDTN) – A Miami East High School senior became the first girl to place at a boys state wrestling tournament. Miami Valley Today reported that Olivia Shore made history at the boys state wrestling tournament with her second win of the tournament Saturday. Shore finished in the top six and will begin her college career at Tiffin University next year. … rest of story at https://www.wdtn.com/news/local-news/miami-east-high-school-student-becomes-first-girl-to-place-at-boys-state-wrestling-tournament/?mc_cid=1e4a49e3cd&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – {tennessee} Tindall is Carter’s first state wrestling champion!
Jailynn Tindall’s move from Georgia to Strawberry Plains last summer has proved to be just peachy for Carter High School. Tindall, a junior, notched a TSSAA state wrestling championship in the girls’ 140-pound weight class Thursday at the Chattanooga Convention Center. “As far as I know, she is Carter’s first state champion in wrestling,” said Coach Tim Free. According to TSSAA’s state championship history, Carter has had 21 appearances in state wrestling events, but never a champion … until now!

Tindall pinned Cane Ridge junior Bryce White in 2 minutes and 56 seconds for the title. “When she came off the mat, she said she couldn’t believe it,” recalled Coach Free. “She was very, very happy. She was in tears and I was too.” Jailynn then gave her coach a big hug. “I think she did a great job,” said Free. “She listened very well and executed. “She did great. I’m very, very proud of her.” … rest of story at https://knoxfocus.com/archives/this-weeks-focus/tindall-is-carters-first-state-wrestling-champion/?mc_cid=d34d798fb2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – {oklahoma} Wagoner wrestling pioneer Alexis Miller focusing on first girls OSSAA state tournament
Wagoner senior Alexis Miller said she isn’t always as mad as she seems before an important wrestling match. “People tell me they didn’t even think I could smile because I’m always ‘mean-muggin’,” she said. “But honestly, I’m almost always happy.” Rated the nation’s No. 9 high school female in her weight by USA Wrestling, Miller simply wants to focus on the business at hand. “I can laugh and smile afterwards,” she said.

She was grinning from ear to ear in Broken Arrow last week after winning the first girls-only wrestling regional sanctioned by the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association. Miller pinned all four tourney foes, including Vian’s Avery Richey in the championship match at 107 pounds. She’s now headed back to Oklahoma City on Feb. 25 to compete in the first OSSAA-sanctioned state tournament.

“It’s something I’ve worked at for a long time,” she said. “I’ve tried to promote women’s wrestling any way possible, and to have an official state tournament means a lot. I didn’t know it was going to happen before I got out of school, and I’m just grateful to get to wrestle in one.” … rest of story at https://tulsaworld.com/community/wagoner/wagoner-wrestling-pioneer-alexis-miller-focusing-on-first-girls-ossaa-state-tournament/article_6c661808-6e4d-11eb-88e1-53736622ee3b.html?mc_cid=83f6447486&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And Schedule And Brackets For The First Ever Girls OSSAA State Championship
On Thursday the first ever OSSAA sanctioned girls wrestling state championships will take place. The schedule of events and brackets are listed below.
The State Wrestling Tournaments will be held in Oklahoma City at the State Fairgrounds Arena.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS … rest of story at https://owrestle.com/schedule-and-brackets-for-the-first-ever-girls-ossaa-state-championship/

5 } – {montana} Great Falls High’s Kaylin Taylor chasing girls wrestling history
CASCADE — According to Montana High School Association figures released earlier this month, there are 169 girls competing in the first year that girls wrestling was sanctioned as an official high school sport. But in Great Falls, there is only one. That would be Great Falls High freshman Kaylin Taylor.

The first thing you’ll notice about Taylor is her signature sense of style, exemplified by the bright, colorful and loud socks she wears every time she steps on the mat. “I’ve been wearing rainbow socks at a lot of my tournaments since at least seventh grade,” she said. “But I have a lot of other crazy socks that I like to wear.”

She’s not kidding. In middle school tournaments, Taylor would frequently rock dyed pink hair and a Wonder Woman singlet. To this day, she continues to draw compliments from opponents and fans alike. “Just a little bit ago in my last match, she was telling me how she liked my socks,” Taylor said. … rest of story at https://www.montanasports.com/high-school-sports/wrestling/great-falls-highs-kaylin-taylor-chasing-girls-wrestling-history?mc_cid=5e3b2f2de3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And Prep Notebook: The ultimate dream for girls’ wrestling comes true Friday in Billings
When Kaylin Taylor takes center stage this Friday, it will mark her beginning. When Rebecca Stroh toes the line, she’ll will be nearing the end. And when Lily Grismer steps into the circle, she’ll be somewhere in the middle. This is the story of three girls from three different schools and in three different stages of high school who will be part of history Friday morning when the very first All-Class Girls’ State Wrestling Tournament gets underway at the Lockwood High School gymnasium. The 103-pound Taylor is a freshman at Great Falls High. … rest of story at https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/sports/2021/02/18/prep-notebook-montana-girls-wrestling-kaylin-taylor-rebecca-stroh-lily-grismer/4496598001/?mc_cid=279b9a2f50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – {colorado} McKenna Reynolds a product of Vista Ridge girls wrestling’s pack mentality culture
Culture is often pointed out as a crucial factor in the success of athletic programs. A culture provides a roadmap for how a program runs and what it takes to sustain success both in competition and in life outside the sport. Like every girls wrestling team in the state, Vista Ridge is competing in its first season as a CHSAA sanctioned sport. But the Wolves have spent the better part of five years building a culture that will promote success for this year and for years down the road.

McKenna Reynolds is a product of that. She’s off to a dominant 10-0 start to the season and has been relishing the chance for her, and all girls wrestlers across the state, to showcase the skills needed to be successful. “I wanted people to understand that just because you’re a female, you can’t do really cool stuff,” she said. “That was a problem for a while. I just wanted to make sure people knew you could still do cool stuff.”

In each match, Reynolds has had her hand raised after pinning her opponents. It’s a reward for the way that the Wolves force themselves to work and get better. Rather than designating team captains, the team operates on a pack leadership mentality and it’s something that has been noticed by USA Wrestling. … rest of story at https://chsaanow.com/2021-02-12/mckenna-reynolds-a-product-of-vista-ridge-girls-wrestlings-pack-mentality-culture/?mc_cid=a6cfb4b322&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And Boundary to Boundary Colorado HS Girls – Legacy Head Coach Jeremy Cortez
Episode #82 of Boundary to Boundary – Colorado HS with Jeremy Cortez Legacy HS Girls head coach. This 4X state qualifier is taking on the duties of head coach of the district girls team with Legacy as the host school. The five school – Thornton, Horizon, Legacy, Mountain Range and Northglenn all are sending wrestlers to Legacy to combine as one unified team. … rest of story and video link at http://insidecoloradowrestling.com/index.php/11-uncategorized/1877-boundary-to-boundary-colorado-hs-girls-legacy-head-coach-jeremy-cortez?mc_cid=76aa098ad3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – {utah} For first time in UHSAA history, girls wrestling will be a championship sport this week
SARATOGA SPRINGS — American Leadership Academy sophomore Olivia Carrillo has wrestled boys. She has wrestled girls. She’s not afraid to measure herself against any gender of competition. But the 158-pound grappler with a 21-2 record and 18 pins admits there are plenty of advantages to separating a sport that has long been coed into their respective gender classifications. With girls wrestling being in its first year as a sanctioned sport by the Utah High School Activities Association, the comparisons between boys and girls wrestlers won’t stop. But for the first time in Carrillo’s life, the playing field is a little more level.

“You feel like you have to measure up to the boys, kind of, with girls wrestling being so new,” said Carrillo, who was one of 119 all-state wrestlers honored in 2021. “We all have to prove ourselves out there, which is kind of nerve-wracking.” While wrestlers will go for the gold in the state’s top classifications this week at Corner Canyon and Wasatch high schools, for the first time in state history, the girls won’t join them. … rest of story at https://www.ksl.com/article/50107599/for-first-time-in-uhsaa-history-girls-wrestling-will-be-a-championship-sport-this-week?mc_cid=9e45a80a12&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – {colorado} Wrestling for her dad: Piper Jo Jones competes for first time in Soroco
OAK CREEK — Chad Jones never wanted his daughter to wrestle guys. “He didn’t want me to wrestle boys because as a coach he couldn’t handle watching me get beat. He as a dad couldn’t handle watching me get hurt,” said Hayden junior Piper Jo Jones. “So he never let me wrestle against boys, but I kind of found a loophole in wrestling against girls.”

Chad Jones was a wrestling coach in Hayden for years and is part of the reason the wrestling program there is so successful. In September 2018, he died unexpectedly. Piper Jo has stayed connected to the sport and her father by managing the high school wrestling team. With a growing girls wrestling program in Oak Creek, she decided this was the year to put on a singlet.

“I’m just excited because she’s excited,” said Hayden head coach Matt Linsacum. “I think she’s wanted to do this and she uses her dad as a motivational factor. It’s fun to see her be excited about something her family has been so passionate about. It was pretty fun to watch her.” .. rest of story at https://www.steamboatpilot.com/sports/wrestling-for-her-dad-piper-jo-jones-competes-for-first-time-in-soroco/?mc_cid=a32eea18bb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – {pennsylvania} WYOMING SEMINARY GIRLS BEAT PENNSYLVANIA USA WRESTLING IN ALL-STAR FREESTYLE DUAL MEET
Carpenter Athletic Center on the snowy campus of Wyoming Seminary played host to Freestyle for Females: Wyoming Seminary vs. Team Pennsylvania today. The young Wyoming Seminary girls wresting team was led by freshmen Faith Bartoszek, Carina Giangeruso, Rianne Murphy, Tai Mallqui, Tiffany Stoshak, and Cloe Charlesworth, all who won their matches to lead the Blue Knights to a 62-43 win. Murphy and Charlesworth both picked up falls in their bouts.

Cadet World team member Lilly Freitas picked up two technical falls. Other SEM wrestlers also won via technical fall, including Virginia Foard, Abby Duke, Piper Staniford, and Kendall Bostelman. Team Pa started out with back-to-back wins from Juliette Trout and Julia Horger in the youth matches. Also earning victories on the day were Pennsylvania were Joelle Scott, Sierra Chiesa, Jael Mille, Alexa Ortiz, Jordyn Fouse, and Haylie Jaffe. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/February/21/SEM-vs-PA-girls-all-star-dual-meet?mc_cid=4fc5b594c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4bhttps://www.steamboatpilot.com/sports/girls-outnumber-guys-on-soroco-wrestling-team/?mc_cid=83f6447486&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – {Colorado) Inaugural CHSAA girls wrestling season brings more than 400 athletes across Colorado to mat: “Watching them grow from not knowing anything to getting their first pin, it’s amazing”
LITTLETON — Journey Ruiz began competitive wrestling when she was 9 years old after watching her brother’s team and volunteering to help during practice. The sport got her hooked. Today, as a sophomore wrestler at Chatfield High School, a self-confidence that wrestling inspired has provided Ruiz with a newfound mentality toward the pursuit of success, on and off the mat.

“For my first-ever time wrestling, my first pin and everything, I just felt so awesome,” Ruiz said. “I didn’t really grow up to be winning things. It was just awkward at first. But it felt so nice to win something, and be proud of it, too.” On Thursday afternoon, beneath a low-hanging spotlight in Chatfield’s home gym, Ruiz displayed just how much she’s learned as one of the top 111-pound wrestlers in the state, pinning her Pomona opponent in 28 seconds as a sparse crowd of masked parents witnessed Colorado high school sports history in the making.

CHSAA’s inaugural season of girls wrestling, after a two-year pilot program, is well underway with at least 425 girls registered to wrestle among 54 schools across the state, according to CHSAA assistant commissioner Adam Bright. Chatfield entered its last home dual as the undefeated top-ranked team in Colorado, per cowrestling.com, and is the two-time defending pilot-program state champion. … rest of story at https://www.denverpost.com/2021/02/19/inaugural-chsaa-girls-wrestling-season/

11 } – {New Jersey} Sunday’s Chick Wrestler Classic invitational for high school-age girls full of highlights
There were surprises, dominating performances and marquee matchups, including two rematches of state finals from last season. Sunday’s Chick Wrestler Classic invitational tournament featured some of New Jersey’s best wrestlers on display about a week before the start of high school practice. Of the 11 weight classes, nine were decided by either a pin or technical fall at St. Joseph High School in Metuchen with several state champions and placewinners involved.

Since the tournament was not sanctioned by the NJSIAA, high school coaches were prohibited from being in the corners of their respective wrestlers and the athletes couldn’t wear their school-issued uniforms. Sunday’s event was sure to fire up the fans and competitors for the shortened NJSIAA high school season. Practices start March 1 with the dual meet season beginning March 16. It’s uncertain how many opportunities girls will have to compete and if there will be a postseason individual tournament.

Sunday’s tournament showcased nearly 90 high school-age girls from across New Jersey with several memorable performances. … rest of story at https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/sports/high-school/wrestling/2021/02/21/sundays-chick-wrestler-classic-high-school-age-girls-full-highlights/4505156001/?mc_cid=4fc5b594c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

12 } – {North Dakota} Mandan Girl wins first in statewide wrestling tournament after breaking leg
Some local athletes have taken the saying, “break a leg,” to a whole new level. A Mandan wrestler kept going after unknowingly breaking her leg. Summer Fike, part of the unsanctioned girls wrestling team, ended up having to sit on the sidelines after fracturing her leg during practice. “I was like wow because it didn’t even seem like broken because I could walk on it. I look at it as more of an achievement to push myself. Trying something new. I’m actually not afraid of getting hurt too much,” said Fike.

“All of a sudden one day she came with some x-rays and a knee brace and some crutches and said her leg was broken. I said that’s pretty dang tough if you made it through a few weeks of practice,” said Tyler Steinwand, Head Wrestling Coach, Mandan. After waiting weeks to get back in the game, Fike was able to join her team and didn’t miss a beat.
Her teammates tell us her perseverance is inspiring.

“I was feeling really bad for her because I know how much she loves the sport, and I wanted her to keep wrestling. When I saw her come back from her injury and not have any practice, I was really shocked,” said fellow wrestler, Diane Aranda. … rest of story at https://www.kxnet.com/news/mandan-girl-wins-first-in-statewide-wrestling-tournament-after-breaking-leg/?mc_cid=bd28fec561&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And North Dakota Girls’ State Showcased in the FargoDome
Girl wrestlers in North Dakota showcased their talents at the Girls Wrestling High School State Championships over the weekend. While North Dakota’s efforts to officially sanction high school girls’ wrestling are ongoing, the fifth unofficial state championships were extra special this season. Wrestling was held in the FargoDome—a venue that’s no stranger to young wrestlers with big dreams. This is a feat that had been sought after for years. At the conclusion of the Boys’ State Duals Tournament, the girls were given the opportunity to showcase their talents.

Fifty-one North Dakota girls between seventh and twelfth grade were able to display their hard work in pursuit of a state title. The girls were divided into eleven weight-based brackets and wrestled in a round-robin format. Regardless of numbers, each athlete was able to come away with a handful of matches. Hands were raised, tears were shed, but most importantly, experience and exposure had been gained. The eleven individual champions hailed from eight different programs including … rest of story at https://www.transitionwrestling.com/north-dakota-girls-state-showcased-in-the-fargodome/?mc_cid=329018bca1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

March 29, 2021 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Wrestling History (2021) – # 4

TDR Editor’s Notes ; We urge wrestlers, coaches and fans to also look back periodically to our long and proud history of the sport of wrestling. Lessons can be learned and encouragements found is reading the history told. Keep on Wrestling! Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – Twenty years of coverage for Connecticut Wrestling Online
Twenty years ago this week, Derby High was the defending Southern Connecticut Conference champions and the Raiders won for the 29th time in 30 matches with a 63-10 win over Branford. Newington secured the 200th win in the history of their program and Ledyard handed Bacon Academy a 43-27 defeat in the Bobcats’ first-ever ECC match.

It was also 20 years ago today that Connecticut Wrestling Online made its first appearance on January 5, 2001. On the next day, Connecticut Wrestling Online covered their first event as Cranston East, R.I. won the 20th annual Bristol Central Tournament with a comfortable 67½ point margin over the host Rams.
… rest of story at https://ctwrestling.com/2021/01/twenty-years-of-coverage-for-connecticut-wrestling-online/3679/?mc_cid=4295bf0eb8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – Season 4, Column 1: No to far away but Yes locally; An FTD wish for a Northern neighbor; Cancel Culture, New England Style; and ‘Cue the local angle
Theres no way to sugarcoat it: the United States decision to not send teams to this year’s World Wrestling Championships creates an oral vacuum of immense magnitude. Athletes have voiced a variety of opinions on the matter, coaches have (mostly) quietly supported the USA Wrestling decision, but fans are pissed. Frankly, throw all of it into the lap of UWW (United World Wrestling). They went through more format changes with this event than Bruce Jenner post Olympics. And just as messy. Once it was announced that the competition facility was being converted into an emergency Covid-19 center, well, that put a cork in it for the USA. We weren’t the first team to say “no thanks”, and we weren’t the last. The U.W.W. had a mess on its hands, and after it became apparent they couldn’t make it work, they made it into something else. Some kind of something called an “Individual World Cup” will be held instead. Whom from what countries will risk much for who knows what is very much up in the air. Stateside, though, there are a bunch of high level matches popping up all over the place. Ohio St. 4xAA and 2016 National champ Myles Martin just stepped up to and through a LOADED field of former National champs, AAs, and international medalists in a winner take twenty thousand dollar title tournament at 195 lbs. Kudos again to FloWrestling and their slick work at making the 1 day mini tournament for pay fun and, slowly, part of the sports future. Also in the Flowage: a showdown match between the current G.O.A.T. of American Freestyle wrestling, Jordan Burroughs, and former 3xAA, 2X NCAA champ for … rest of story at https://morewrestlingplease.wordpress.com/2020/11/12/season-4-column-1-no-to-far-away-but-yes-locally-an-ftd-wish-for-a-northern-neighbor-cancel-culture-new-england-style-and-cue-the-local-angle/?mc_cid=b4122c2e60&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – Seven to be inducted in CT Chapter of National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2022
Seven outstanding individuals who have helped young men and women grow thanks to the sport of wrestling will be honored and inducted into the Connecticut Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in April 2022. Three are current coaches, two are former coaches, one individual is a long-time tournament organizer and one inductee will be the first woman to be inducted into the chapter’s Hall of Fame. The seven inductees are:

• Enfield’s Ben Aleks, former high school coach in Connecticut and western Massachusetts and wrestling benefactor
• Drew Black, head coach at Wesleyan University
• Mike Cunningham, head coach at Xavier High in Middletown
• New Milford’s Dr. Erich Doubek, long-time tournament organizer, historian and supporter of the New Milford Wrestling Association … rest of story at https://ctwrestling.com/2021/01/seven-to-be-inducted-in-ct-chapter-of-national-wrestling-hall-of-fame-in-2022/3725/?mc_cid=01186bea70&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – Wrestling Changed Their Lives: John Smith audio documentary to be released
Ryan Warner grew up idolizing John Smith. Warner, perhaps the biggest wrestling fan on Earth, is the host and producer of the Wrestling Changed My Life podcast. He’s made over 180 episodes, interviewing the biggest names in wrestling, but Smith always eluded him. So when the National Wrestling Hall of Fame approached Warner to make an audio documentary about one of its members, he asked for Smith and his brothers — Lee Roy and Pat.

“Next thing I know, we had interviews lined up,” Warner said. “I started research for the documentary in April and it’s been going on near every day since.” The seven-part audio documentary is set to be released in January and covers the 17 years that span across the three brothers’ college careers. … rest of story at https://www.ocolly.com/sports/wrestling-changed-their-lives-john-smith-audio-documentary-to-be-released-in-january/article_ae7623b0-4b42-11eb-8d89-0b2d2f6bc392.html?mc_cid=4295bf0eb8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And ThaHustle: The Smiths Documentary Thoughts
by Jason Bryant 
Subscribe to this show via: Apple Podcasts | RSS
I spend some time talking about my big take aways from the 7 part audio documentary about the Smith Family that dives deep into the lives of Pat, Lee Roy and 6X world and Olympic Champ John Smith. I approached it mainly from a coaching perspective and how his rare view of elite competition resonated with me. … rest of story at https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/thahustle/thahustle-the-smiths-documentary-thoughts/?mc_cid=83f6447486&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – #THROWBACKTHURSDAY USA WRESTLING HISTORY LESSON: TOWNSEND SAUNDERS
Welcome to TheMat.com’s weekly series called USA Wrestling History Lesson. Each week, we will highlight one athlete that has wrapped up his or her wrestling career, sharing the impact that they’ve had on the sport. This week, we take a look at Townsend Saunders, a 1996 Olympic silver medalist, two-time Olympian and 2004 Olympic coach.
Check out the other USA Wrestling History Lessons HERE.
Saunders became prominent in high school when he placed second in the California state championships for Torrance High School. Known then as “Junior Saunders,” he went on to Cal-State Bakersfield, where he won the Div. II national title. He transferred to Arizona State, winning two NCAA Div. I All-American honors under the Hall of Fame coach Bobby Douglas, placing second at 142 pounds in 1989 and third at 150 at 1990. His career really took off after college, when he focused full-time on freestyle wrestling … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/January/07/History-lesson-Townsend-Saunders?mc_cid=4a4f0e7778&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – Five things you need to know about the 134-pound bracket at the 1981 NCAA Championships
The 134-pound weight class at the NCAA Championships had all kinds of twists and turns. Here are five things you need to know about the bracket. 

Jim Gibbons “Ames” High
Jim Gibbons — the eventual winner of the bracket — owns a unique piece of history. He is the only wrestler to win an individual state title, an individual NCAA title, and he’s the only person to coach an NCAA team championship for schools located in the same town.
Gibbons won state titles for Ames High School from 1975-77 before winning an NCAA championship at Iowa State (located in Ames) in 1981. He led Iowa State to an NCAA team championship in 1987 — the most recent NCAA team wrestling championship for the Cyclones. Gibbons was born in Waterloo, Iowa, but he claims Ames as his hometown. Can you blame him with a record like that? 
He was also the second wrestler to defeat two returning NCAA champions on his way to the title. The former Iowa State star currently serves as an on-air commentator for the Big Ten Network. … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1610338206698&twSessionId=odefydkksn&postId=949605135&mc_cid=ee9459dd97&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – Tragos/Thesz Hall of Fame Class of 2021 Announced
WATERLOO, Iowa – The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum announced that it has finalized the Class of 2021 for the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame induction weekend, scheduled for July 15-17.
The Class of 2021 is Adnan Al-Kassie (Living Inductee), Don Kernodle (Living Inductee), Earl Wampler (Posthumous Inductee), Trish Stratus (Lou Thesz World Heavyweight Championship Award), Mark Henry (Frank Gotch Award), and Ken Shamrock (George Tragos Award).
It was also announced that legendary wrestling announcer Gordon Solie will be the inaugural recipient of the Gordon Solie Award, which will be presented annually for outstanding achievement in professional wrestling broadcasting. Gordon’s son, Jonard, will accept the award on behalf of Gordon, who passed away in 2000. … rest of story at https://nwhof.org/blog/tragos-thesz-hall-of-fame-class-of-2021-announced/?mc_cid=01186bea70&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

And Des Moines Register wrestling writer Cody Goodwin on the changing face of sports media
by Jason Bryant 
There’s been a long time between the time I spoke with Cody Goodwin of The Des Moines Register for International Podcast Day. We’d just finished up with the Night of Conflict out in Sioux City, Iowa and were conversing about the state of wrestling coverage. Part of that wrestling coverage discussion is here on Episode 644 of Short Time where the 2019 NWMA National Wrestling Journalist of the Year talks about his foray into podcasting with In The Room, how he talked his bosses at the paper into starting one and how he’s used the medium to cover angles that don’t often get the space in the paper. … rest of story at https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/short-time/des-moines-register-wrestling-writer-cody-goodwin-on-the-changing-face-of-sports-media/?mc_cid=7d0bae3ce9&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – Alumni Spotlight: Kevin Hazard ‘69
Kevin Hazard Hall of Fame Bio
In the Alumni Spotlight series, former Keystone student-athletes share their experiences as a Giant. This interview was with Kevin Hazard ’69, who was on the wrestling team.
1. Since your time at Keystone, what have you done for a career?
“I’ve had a number of careers.  I was first a teacher and coach for four years after finishing college. I decided that there was just not enough money and went into the construction field.  In this field, I’ve held every job from laborer to president/owner and I still love it. I was also able to continue coaching, which I did for 40 years. I also had a Washington DC local television show that ran for six years and did stringer work for other sports outlets including ESPN – that was fun.”
2. What advice do you have for current students at Keystone in terms of networking and career-building?
“You have to remember that I entered the workforce during the early 1970s and it was a much different networking environment. Today the networking possibilities seem endless, so much so, that I think that you have to prioritize and focus on those types of activities. … rest of story at https://www.gokcgiants.com/news/2021/1/12/wrestling-alumni-spotlight-kevin-hazard-69.aspx?mc_cid=7d0bae3ce9&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – Kenny Monday: What I learned from Dave Schultz
Kenny Monday was a 1988 Olympic gold medalist, a 1989 World champion, and an NCAA champion for Oklahoma State in 1984. His fiercest rival was Dave Schultz, a 1984 Olympic gold medalist, a 1983 World champion, and a seven-time World/Olympic medalist. 
Monday defeated Schultz to make the 1988 Olympic team at 74 kilograms. Schultz was murdered by John du Pont on January 26, 1996. The following are Monday’s words on what he learned from Schultz. 

SELFLESS WARRIOR
“Dave was selfless. He did some things that I probably didn’t have. After I beat him to make the Olympic team he was at training camp in 1988. He wasn’t my coach but he was selfless. He would say, ‘Kenny, what do you need today?’ If I needed some water he would run and get water. If I needed another workout he would stay. If needed some situation wrestling he would stay. He was selfless in that regard. 
“He asked to sit in my corner in the (Olympic) finals (in 1988). That really wasn’t planned. People ask me all the time what happened there. He went to Coach (Bobby) Douglas since Douglas was my coach. He asked Douglas if he could sit in my corner. Douglas said he would ask me so Douglas came up and said it was totally my choice. I thought about it at first and then I decided it was fine because at that point I was so prepared mentally and physically. You could have sat in my corner and I’d have had the same result. I was really ready. 
“I don’t think I would have been able to do that if the roles were reversed, to be in the corner and cheer for the guy who beat me off the team. That takes a special person to be able to do that.” … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1611720117165&twSessionId=drhyxqbtir&postId=1003621135&mc_cid=348fe62197&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – York College Wrestling All-Decade Team
The York College Wrestling All-Decade Team is a comprehensive group of high level student-athletes that represented the Green and White on the national landscape both athletically and academically throughout the 2010s.
The Spartans had a stellar run through the early part of the decade as the lineup boasted All-Decade honorees Chris Albright, Matt Heisey, Alex Martocello and George Saliba. This quartet of Spartans helped set the program’s single-season wins record (25) in 2011-12 after tying the program record with 21 dual wins the year before. All four Spartans qualified for the NCAA National Championships in 2012, which marked the highest number of national qualifiers since 2006 (4), and they led the Green White to a 12th-place finish out of 54 teams at the national competition with three All-American performances. Throughout the middle of the decade, the wrestling program experienced several individual highlights and established new milestones along the way. … rest of story at https://ycp.prestosports.com/sports/wrest/2020-21/releases/20201028logfye?mc_cid=aa8061392c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

11 } – Mat Chat With Ryan Epps Two-Time NCAA DIII Champion
Minnesota Storm Team Member / Augsburg University Graduate / Cannon Falls HS
By Chad Otterness
Ryan Epps is a Cannon Falls High School and Augsburg University graduate. Ryan has been busy competing and training as he pursues his Olympic goals. Ryan was a three-time All-American at Augsburg University and two-time National Champion. Ryan Epps just competed against the Wisconsin RTC wrestling club and picked up a 6-2 victory over three-time NCAA Division I qualifier Rickey Robertson of the Wisconsin RTC.
Ryan previously wrestled in his first USA Senior level Greco-Roman and Freestyle Nationals tournament in Coralville, Iowa. Ryan came away with a fifth place finish in the Greco portion of the tournament going 4-2 at 77 KG (169.4 LBS). Ryan also wrestled up a weight class and went 1-2 in freestyle at 86 KG (189.2 LBS). … rest of story at https://theguillotine.com/2021/01/mat-chat-with-ryan-epps-two-time-ncaa-diii-champion/?mc_cid=4ec9be6c16&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

12 } – My Wrestling Journey – Paul White
THE START….. 1950s
My first memories began in the late 1950s. I grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, a hotbed for southern wrestling. The Chattanooga newspapers did a great job of covering both high school and college wrestling. Pictures of matches were featured each week. The University of Tennessee of Chattanooga (UTC) had a strong team. The top two teams in the state were both in Chattanooga. McCallie and Baylor were both all-male military schools that year in and year out were the best teams in the state and got a lot of local press coverage. The elementary school I attended, Lookout Mountain Elementary, had P.E. programs that included units in wrestling. Former high school wrestlers from McCallie and Baylor came in and helped Coach Buck Stamps teach the basics of wrestling. So at the age of ten, I was introduced to the sport of wrestling.  I was the shortest and lightest in my class, so wrestling was a good fit. 

JUNIOR HIGH… 1963-1966-McCallie

After elementary school, I went to McCallie, one of the best wrestling schools in the state and south. The coaching staff was exceptional. Dave Spencer, Jim Morgan, and Paul Tessman were all future Hall of Fame coaches. I played three sports including football, wrestling, and track, but my best sport was wrestling. At Christmas of my eighth-grade year, my dad had a heart attack and died at the age of 37. I had a younger brother and sister, and it became tough on my mother to afford private school. After my ninth-grade year, I transferred to a public school (Chattanooga “City” High School). … rest of story at https://www.nwcaonline.com/my-wrestling-journey-paul-white/?mc_cid=ad9f03475a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

March 29, 2021 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment