Takedown Report

NCAA Division I News (2021) – # 13

TDR Editor’s Notes ; The “Big Show” – The NCAA Division I National Championships in St. Louis start today! Here are some of the background and human interest stories in Division I wrestlers and teams to keep in mind during the tournament. The end of the season tournament has been eagerly looked forward to even more than usual this year as it has been 2 years since the last championships. So starting 11:00 a.m. Eastern it starts and can be seen on the ESPN channels. Let’s get Ready to Wrestle! (or Rumble if you prefer). Keep Wrestling On!
Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – 2021 NCAA Division I Qualifiers with Home States and Hometowns
With the release of the at-large berths today, we know know the full field of 330 competitors that will be competing for 10 national titles. Here are all 330 wrestlers sorted by weight class, along with their home states, hometowns, and conference finish.

Seeding and brackets for this year’s event will be revealed tomorrow, March 10, during the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships Selection Show on NCAA.com at 6 p.m. ET. … rest of story and details at _{^{https://news.theopenmat.com/college-wrestling-news/2021-ncaa-division-i-qualifiers-with-home-states-and-hometowns/80190?mc_cid=2cfe70fede&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

2 } – NCAA announces at-large selections for Division I Wrestling Championships
INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA announced the 64 at-large selections for the 2021 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. The at-large selections, listed in alphabetical order by weight class, join the 266 student-athletes that qualified through their conference tournament finishes over the last two weekends. The at-large selections were made by the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee using the following selection criteria: head-to-head competition, quality wins (defined as wins against wrestlers already in the field), coaches ranking, results against common opponents, conference tournament placement and winning percentage. The committee was also able to use subjective criteria such as, but not limited to, historical performance. MORE: Follow the 2021 NCAA wrestling championships | Complete brackets
Seeding and brackets for this year’s event will be revealed tomorrow, March 10, during the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships Selection Show on NCAA.com at 6 p.m. ET.
Click or tap here for more information about this year’s championship. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/article/2021-03-09/ncaa-announces-large-selections-division-i-wrestling-championships?mc_cid=2cfe70fede&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

3 } – THOMAS NAMED BIG 12 WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
NORMAN — Oklahoma redshirt senior Justin Thomas was named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week, it was announced by the league office on Tuesday afternoon. Thomas, ranked No. 10 in the country entering his match with Oklahoma State’s No. 15 Wyatt Sheets on Sunday afternoon, took control of the match early and then used a late third-period takedown to earn a major decision for the Sooners, winning 13-5. The win over Sheets comes two weeks after the 157-pounder defeated Sheets, then ranked eighth in the season’s first edition of Bedlam.  It’s the 51st wrestler of the week honor for an Oklahoma wrestler, the third-most in the conference. It’s Thomas’ second weekly honor of the season as he bookends the 2021 regular season with the accolade. He joins Dom Demas (2019), Kendric Maple (2013), Teyon Ware (2003) and Michael Lightner (2001) as the only Sooners to win the league’s wrestler of the week twice in a season. … rest of story at _{^{https://soonersports.com/news/2021/2/23/wrestling-thomas-named-big-12-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=9c47fa024a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
AND Mizzou head coach Brian Smith – OTM629
Missouri head coach Brian Smith goes On The Mat
Brian Smith and his Missouri Tigers are fresh off their 10th straight conference championship and ninth Mid-American Conference title. Coach Smith joins the show to talk about Missouri qualifying all 10 wrestlers to the Division I Championships the third weekend in March as well as setting a new MAC record and losing just six matches as a team the entire tournament. Join Kyle Klingman and Andy Hamilton as they talk about the world of wrestling on the flagship podcast of Trackwrestling.com. … restof story at _{^{https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/trackwrestling/on-the-mat/mizzou-head-coach-brian-smith-otm629/?mc_cid=e764d9125d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

4 } – Freshman heavyweight makes surprising, impressive debut for Penn State wrestling team
UNIVERSITY PARK — Monday night may have been Penn State wrestling’s last dual meet of the season, but there was still plenty of time left for surprises. Redshirt freshman Greg Kerkvliet got the call at heavyweight in the Nittany Lions’ regular season finale at Rec Hall, after coach Cael Sanderson had previously indicated the former No. 1 recruit wouldn’t be available to wrestle this season. Kerkvliet started the dual out at 258 pounds with a pin as the Nittany Lions routed Maryland 44-0 for their first shutout since Dec. 2, 2018. One pin wasn’t enough for the four-time Minnesota state champ, as he got another in extra matches. Despite that performance, Sanderson still wasn’t ready Monday to publicly commit to a heavyweight between Kerkvliet and Seth Nevills for the postseason.
“It is something we’ll have to figure out between now and next weekend,” Sanderson said. “He was cleared to compete, so he competed.” Kerkvliet didn’t waste any time in his debut. He secured a takedown 15 seconds into the bout and proceeded to recorded two others. Kerkvliet locked up a cradle on his third takedown and stuck Maryland’s Garrett Kappes in 1:12. … rest of story at https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/sports/college/psu/2021/02/23/freshman-heavyweight-makes-impressive-debut-penn-state/4559534001/?mc_cid=9c47fa024a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – Navy wrestler Tanner Skidgel finds an edge as he seeks third straight EIWA championship
Every wrestler is looking for an edge, a little something to get him going. Tanner Skidgel can seize upon an apparent slight going into the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association championship tournament. Skidgel is the two-time defending champion at 165 pounds after beating Bucknell’s Zach Hartman in the last year’s finals. Despite that proven track record, Skidgel is seeded second behind Hartman going into the 2021 EIWA Championships, being held Friday at Spooky Nook Sports Complex in Manheim, Pennsylvania. “It definitely motivates me, although I don’t think anyone out there is purposefully trying to disrespect me,” Skidgel said. “That seed by my name is not going to change my approach. I know and everyone else knows that is my weight class, and come this Friday I’m going to do what needs to be done out on the mat.” To be fair, seeding for the EIWA Tournament was extremely difficult this season because of limited competition caused by coronavirus. Head-to-head matches or others used for comparison purposes did not happen often, forcing coaches to rely on results from the 2019-20 season in some cases. … rest of story at https://www.capitalgazette.com/sports/navy/ac-cs-tanner-skidgel-feature-20210224-5yjw7zixy5hexli7pvpjdr6qz4-story.html?mc_cid=7c3cd1ad34&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – Life as a Mountaineer – Peyton Hall
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Peyton Hall said his love of wrestling was nurtured at a young age growing up in Chester, West Virginia, at the top of the state’s Northern Panhandle. That is if you consider four to be young.  “I kind of loved it from the beginning,” he says. “I don’t think there was ever a time when I didn’t like it. Whenever I started getting older and competing at national tournaments and becoming more competitive, I really fell in love with it then.”  Hall said his No. 1 goal competing at Oak Glen High was to earn a college scholarship.  “I always knew I wanted to wrestle in college since I was little watching the NCAA Tournament on TV and just being around people that were in college wrestling,” he says. “I put way more time into (wrestling) than any other sport, and I knew I wanted to go to college to wrestle.”  West Virginia coach Tim Flynn believes Hall is the type of high-quality individual around which good programs can build. He’s already got one of those in junior Noah Adams, the nation’s No. 7 ranked 197-pounder. Presently, Hall is ranked 22^nd as a 165-pounder.  “He’s a guy you can build a program around,” Flynn explains. “We’ve already got Noah here, who is doing all the right things, and now you get someone like Peyton to come in a few classes behind, and I think what it does is it gives us some peace of mind that we have leadership in our program for a number of years to come.” … rest of story at _{^{https://wvusports.com/news/2021/2/25/wrestling-life-as-amountaineer-peyton-hall.aspx?mc_cid=327be7a669&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

7 } – #214 Rob Koll – Cornell Head Coach, Dynasty Builder
Rob Koll is the head coach at Cornell University. Since taking over at Cornell in the early 1990’s, Coach Koll has created a dynasty: crowning 16 individual NCAA Champions, placing at least three wrestlers on the All American stand for 17 straight years, and Cornell is one of only two schools (Iowa being the other) to finish in the top 10 every year since 2008. Before coaching at Cornell, Rob Koll was a NCAA champion for UNC and qualified for the 1990 US World Team. Coach Koll is a real master and I hope you enjoy this podcast!
PRESENTED BY SPARTAN COMBAT
This episode is brought to you by the Spartan Combat Nationals, taking place this May 21-23 in Jacksonville Florida. Register now at SpartanCombat.com … rest of story at _{^{https://wrestlingchangedmylife.com/214-rob-koll-cornell-head-coach-dynasty-builder/?mc_cid=327be7a669&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

8 } – NCAA releases second coaches ranking for 2021 Division I Wrestling Championships
The NCAA has announced the second coaches ranking for the 2021 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. The coaches rankings are determined by a vote of 14 coaches in each weight class with two head coaches from each conference. For ranking purposes, coaches may only consider a wrestler that has been designated as a starter at a respective weight class. For the second ranking, wrestlers must have three Division I matches in the weight class to be considered with at least one within the last 30 days.  For the final coaches ranking that will be utilized during the at-large selection and seeding process, wrestlers will need a minimum of four Division I matches in the weight class. Eight different schools are represented by the 10 wrestlers ranked at the top of the weight classes.  Debuting at the top position this week are Daton Fix of Oklahoma State at 133 pounds and Ryan Deakin of Northwestern at 157 after not having enough matches to qualify for the first ranking.  Shane Griffith of Stanford is the new top-ranked wrestler at 165 pounds moving up from his ranking of No. 3 in the first release two weeks ago.
DON’T MISS: 2021 college wrestling championship: Selection show time, key dates
Remaining at the top spot for the second release of rankings are the Iowa trio of Spencer Lee at 125 pounds, Jaydin Eierman at 141 and Michael Kemerer at 174 as the only school with multiple top-ranked wrestlers.  Joining them are Sammy Sasso of Ohio State (149), Hunter Bolen of Virginia Tech (184), Eric Shultz of Nebraska (197) and Gable Steveson of Minnesota (heavyweight). … rest of story at _{^{https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/article/2021-02-25/ncaa-releases-second-coaches-ranking-2021-division-i-wrestling-championships?mc_cid=327be7a669&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

9} – MAC PREVIEW: SEVEN WRESTLERS WILL ATTEMPT TO REPEAT AS CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS WITH NCAA BERTHS ON THE LINE
The Mid-American Conference (MAC) Wrestling Championships kick off tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. EST at the Cure Insurance Arena in Trenton, N.J. While there will be no fans in attendance this year due to COVID-19, the tournament will be streamed live. Below, let’s take a look at each weight class and the contenders.
125 pounds
2020 champion – Drew Hildebrandt (Central Michigan) NCAA Berths Available: 4
Wrestlers ranked in the D1 coaches rankings: No. 2 Drew Hildebrandt (Central Michigan), No. 19 Connor Brown (Missouri), No. 23 Jake Ferri (Kent State) No. 2 ranked Drew Hildebrandt of Central Michigan will look to repeat as the MAC champion at 125 pounds. Hildebrandt was also a 2019 MAC finalist. He is undefeated on the season, sporting a 7-0 record. Missouri’s Connor Brown, the No. 2 seed, had a tight 7-5 sudden victory match with Brown earlier this year and will be looking to exact revenge. Nationally ranked Jake Ferri of Kent State and 2020 NCAA qualifier Luke Werner of Lock Haven, who has not wrestled a match yet this year, will also be in the hunt.
133 pounds
2020 champion – Tim Rooney (Kent State) … rest of story at _{^{https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/February/25/MAC-Preview-Seven-wrestlers-will-attempt-to-repeat-as-conference-champions-this-weekend?mc_cid=327be7a669&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

10 } – Stanford’s Nathan Traxler named 2021 Pac-12 Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year
SAN FRANCISCO – STANFORD redshirt senior Nathan Traxler has been named the 2021 Pac-12 Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the Conference office announced today. The award, which is presented in each of the 24 sports the Pac-12 sponsors, was established to honor collegiate student-athletes that are standouts both academically and in their sports discipline. Traxler, a graduate student from St. Charles, Ill., graduated from Stanford in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a cumulative 3.54 grade-point average. The seventh Stanford wrestler to be named the Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Traxler is currently pursuing his master’s degree in computer science and will graduate this spring.  A three-time team captain for Stanford, Traxler has compiled a 74-25 career record as a member of the Cardinal. A three-time NCAA qualifier, he was named a National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Second Team All-American in 2020. In 2019, he was an individual Pac-12 champion at 197 lbs., leading Stanford to its first Pac-12 team championship in program history. He’s also earned Pac-12 Wrestler of the Week on three separate occasions. … rest of story at _{^{https://pac-12.com/article/2021/02/25/stanfords-nathan-traxler-named-2021-pac-12-wrestling-scholar-athlete-year?mc_cid=02f3563d01&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
And Brains and Brawn
Traxler named Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year
STANFORD, Calif. – Fifth-year senior Nathan Traxler has been selected the Pac-12 Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the conference office announced today. The award, which is presented in each of the 24 sports the Pac-12 sponsors, was established to honor collegiate student-athletes that are standouts both academically and in their sports discipline. A native of St. Charles, Illinois, Traxler graduated in 2020 with 3.54 cumulative GPA in computer science. He will complete his master’s degree in the same field this spring. He is a three-time NWCA Scholar All-American and a three-time Pac-12 All-Academic honoree. A 2019 Pac-12 champion at 197 pounds, Traxler helped guide the Cardinal to its first-ever Pac-12 team title that same season. A three-time NCAA qualifier, he boasts a 74-25 career record and was tabbed an NWCA Second Team All-American in 2020. Traxler has held two internships as a software engineer at Apple (summer of 2019 and summer of 2020). In 2019, he worked on a team of integral engineers building and improving tools that are used to efficiently operate Apple data centers across the world. As a full stack engineer, he worked on frontend and backend of those tools. In 2020, worked on the Apple.com search bar incorporating AppleTV+ content into the search results. … rest of story at _{^{https://gostanford.com/news/2021/2/26/wrestling-brains-and-brawn.aspx}}

11 } – From Garage Gym To B1G Championships
Spartan wrestling used unique summer training to prepare for season.
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Last summer, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, a standard college student-shared home on Stoddard Avenue in East Lansing underwent an unexpected transformation. It became the new unofficial training facility for the Michigan State wrestling team, as the athletes tried to safely keep their training going.  Two large audio speakers, countless free weights, and up to eight wrestlers filled the garage, driveway and front lawn at any given time. The wrestlers worked hard, using the bench, dumbbells or even doing lunges across the length of the front yard with sandbags strapped on their shoulders. Their goal was simple: stay in shape for the upcoming wrestling season.  Roger Chandler, MSU wrestling head coach, heard about the home gym and had to see it for himself. He soon learned the house and gym will not be featured on HGTV for a sophisticated renovation reveal. “I’m sure we could use our best imagination to visualize what a typical college house looks like off campus. When I walked in, I told myself, ‘I will never set foot in this house ever again,'” Chandler said with a laugh. “When I went outside, I checked out their garage gym, I think I would have felt safer sleeping in the garage than their house.” The garage gym was at the home of redshirt-senior Jake Tucker. It was created to be the new training center for the wrestling team but out of necessity: Tucker wanted to keep training during the shutdowns due to COVID and keep up his preparations for the upcoming season as best as he could. MSU shut down its facilities, along with the state of Michigan closing gyms to prevent the pandemic from spreading. … rest of story at _{^{https://msuspartans.com/news/2021/3/2/wrestling-from-garage-gym-to-b1g-championships.aspx?mc_cid=bd28fec561&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
And Always Aggressive Podcast: Season 2, Episode 19
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Boilermakers welcomed a special guest to the Always Aggressive Podcast as they prep for this weekend’s Big Ten Championships. Willie Saylor of MatScouts joined to talk all things Purdue wrestling and conference tournament as Purdue sets sail for Penn State and the Bryce Jordan Center. A former employee of The Open Mat and FloWrestling, Saylor currently runs his own site through Rokfin.com, and offers content that varies from high school wrestling to NCAA predictions to his own podcast show, “The First Word.” … rest of story at _{^{https://purduesports.com/news/2021/3/3/wrestling-always-aggressive-podcast-season-2-episode-19.aspx?mc_cid=e764d9125d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

12 } -‘It’s right in my sights’: Gopher wrestling star seeks perfect season
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Since his time at Apple Valley High School, Gable Steveson has been a man among boys in the world of wrestling.  But as a Gopher the last two years, he’s been a machine on the mat. Steveson has not lost a college match in more than 700 days.  The junior heavyweight star is undefeated heading into the Big Ten Championships this weekend, seeking a second straight heavyweight conference title in 2021. “I’m locked and I’m ready to take care of my business,” Steveson told FOX 9. “Whoever stands in front of me, I just have to take them out one man at a time.” This run is similar to Steveson’s last year. In 2020, he owned a perfect record while and pursing a national title in his home state. The NCAA Champions were set to be at U.S. Bank Stadium last year, but were cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Missing out on that opportunity a year ago continues to fuel this mission in 2021. “I wish my time would’ve come last year, but it didn’t,” Steveson said. “This year I came in with that mentality.” His mentality is also more mature too, growing on and off the mat since his first college season.  “Freshman year, I was just a little kid that wanted to create a highlight for everyone, and just be cocky,” Steveson said. “Now it’s all about just business and winning.” Steveson has the wins this season. He’s 9-0, including two pins in 34 seconds or less, but admits it’s been hard to win over some in the wrestling world. “The showmanship that I bring always comes out,” Steveson said. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.fox9.com/sports/its-right-in-my-sights-gopher-wrestling-star-seeks-perfect-season?mc_cid=e764d9125d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
AND Hildebrandt Named MAC Scholar Athlete Of The Week
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Central Michigan wrestler Drew Hildebrandt has been named the Mid-American Conference Male Scholar Athlete of the week. Hildebrandt, a senior from Granger, Ind., successfully defended his MAC championship at 125 pounds with three victories, including a major decision at the league tournament. His is a finance major who carries a 3.64 grade point average. The No. 1 seed in the tournament who is ranked fifth nationally by flowrestling.com, Hildebrandt has qualified for the NCAA Championships for the third-consecutive year and will vie to become a two-time All-American March 18-20 at the national tournament in St. Louis. … rest of story at _{^{https://cmuchippewas.com/news/2021/3/3/wrestling-hildebrandt-names-mac-scholar-athlete-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=e764d9125d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

March 18, 2021 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

High School News (2021) – # 10

TDR Editor’s Notes ; This collection of articles is from a variety os states across the country. The first one is from Idaho and we have included more of it that we usually do before going to the link for the rest of the story. It is especially encouraging to read. Each of the aricles below are just part of or a start of the article and we encourage interested readers to link to the full articleas this will countas traffic and thus interest in wrestling.
Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – (Idaho) After being talked into wrestling a few weeks ago, 98-pound Century senior Josh Stout earns a bid to state
POCATELLO – Standing in the middle of Century’s post-match team picture, the most-unlikely member of its roster was front and center, hoisting the first-place trophy just below his chin. On Wednesday, Josh Stout stood at the top of the podium and was told he was headed to state. It was the culmination of a goal about six weeks in the making, when Stout’s wrestling career began. The origin of the 98-pound senior’s journey on the mat is one brought about by divine intervention.
Stout is a runner. It’s perhaps the best sport for his body type. One-hundred-pound kids standing at about five-and-a-half feet don’t often find their calling on the basketball court, so Stout runs — both cross country and distance track. He was in offseason training about two months ago when Mark Mansfield first spoke to the small senior. Mansfield is often running late to practice, trying to book it from work to the wrestling room. He always saw the cross country or track kids warming up, sometimes noticing a small kid with glass stretching against the wall. One day, the pair crossed paths. “Hey you,” Mansfield shouted, using phrasing that isn’t the best to give off the impression of friendliness. “Hey buddy, I want to talk with you.”
“How much do you weigh?” Mansfield asked.
“I weigh 105 pounds,” Stout replied.
“What year are you?” “A senior.”
“Dang, I wish you were a 98-pound freshman,” Mansfield told Stout before asking the important question. “Well, anyway, I want to tell you about a sport that is just for you. Have you ever wrestled?”
Mansfield knew the answer to that one. Yet, he persisted. He told Stout how he was a small kid in high school, how he once wrestled in the 98-pound division, how wrestling has taught him skills and tools he applies to life. Then he started to get real with Stout, to not give him the runaround of what a newcomer will face in wrestling. “It’s going to be hard but you can do it,” Mansfield told him. “You will have a lot of bumps and bruises and we will push you to your limits. You’re going to lose a lot of matches and sometimes when you get pinned, it feels like some part of your soul just got beaten. However, if you even win one that’s not what we’re after. We just want to teach you the sport. Are you still willing?” “Yes,” Stout replied.
That Tuesday, the small senior entered a wrestling room for the first time in his life. The season was already a month in progress. Not exactly the ideal time to join a team. But Stout knew a few kids from cross country, which helped the transition phase. Yet, Mansfield’s description turned out to hold true. “I got my butt whooped on that first day,” Stout said with a chuckle. “Everybody was just pinning me at practice. I’m getting flipped around. But I was learning, so it was good. I didn’t mind it.” Century’s coaches didn’t care. They were just ecstatic they found a 98-pounder. See, wrestling has 15 weight classes ranging from 98 to 285 pounds. Numerous high schools have trouble filling the smaller weight classes, namely the 98-pound division, because, well, there aren’t many 98-pound high schoolers. Especially 98-pounders who want to wrestle or whose parents will let them wrestle.
“It’s been awesome because they needed me,” Stout said. “We didn’t have a 98-pounder until me. It’s just great when you’re a use. I’m a use around here. A 98-pound senior isn’t really useful on the football team. It’s different here, small kids are useful.” Mansfield wasn’t the only one giving his pitch for a small kid to join the wrestling team. A number of local wrestling coaches have done the same thing. Problem is, they rarely find a kid who’s willing to give it a shot, who’s humble enough to know it’ll be a learning experience, who works hard enough to persevere through all the pins and takedowns and butt-whoopings. It’s why Wednesday was so cool for the Century. After Preston’s 98-pounder failed to make weight by less than a pound, the Diamondbacks’ coaching staff knew Stout was going to state. But Preston’s 106-pound wrestler, A.J. Starks, also didn’t have a match, so he and Stout competed in an exhibition. In the third round, the 98-pounder who has wrestled for less than two months got his first pin. The referee held his arm up to a raucous celebration. “That was the best moment of this weekend,” Century head coach Mike Millward said. “To see him work and do all the things, it’s awesome for him.” … rest of story at _{^{https://www.idahostatejournal.com/preps/after-being-talked-into-wrestling-a-few-weeks-ago-98-pound-century-senior-josh-stout/article_e01612e0-18fd-5386-9020-e9ba199ab415.html?mc_cid=279b9a2f50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

2 } – (Indiana) – Work ethic sets West Lafayette junior wrestling duo apart
WEST LAFAYETTE — Their wrestling experience is drastically different, what West Lafayette teammates Mariere Omonode and Connor Barket have that is eerily similar is their work ethic and desire to be great. Rick Roseman has coached the Red Devils for more than two decades and when he starts ranking the hardest workers he’s had, those two juniors are at the top of the list. “That is one of the great clichés of wrestling,” Barket said. “Whoever works harder is going to be better. “In football, sometimes one guy will outwork another, but that guy is lazier and 6-foot-5. In wrestling that is hard to do. If you don’t work hard, you aren’t going to perform very well. Usually the harder worker is going to win after six minutes.”
MORE:Lafayette Jeff’s Jacob Raub finds ‘true passion’ on wrestling mat
MORE:West Lafayette’s Mariere Omonode wins semistate title
Barket can speak from years of experience. Omonode can not.
But both can tell you that tireless effort is why they’re not only competing in this weekend’s IHSAA state wrestling meet, but why they’re expected to place highly in their respective weight classes. That is where the wrestling commonalities stop. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.jconline.com/story/sports/2021/02/18/work-ethic-sets-west-lafayette-wrestling-duo-apart/6790180002/?mc_cid=279b9a2f50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
AND Six years ago, Lutheran didn’t have a wrestling team. This week, it has a state finalist
Greg Hughes is standing next to a table at Lutheran High School trying to get the attention of prospective wrestlers. A sign on the table reads, “Are you tough enough?” Pictures of wrestlers accompany the sign. Some students stop by and inquire. Others scurry past before Hughes can approach them. Hughes has a passion for wrestling. He was captain at powerhouse Naperville North in the Chicago suburbs but decided not to wrestle in college. Now, roughly two decades later, he’s eager to share his knowledge and love for the sport with students at the small southside Indianapolis school. “What I learned from wrestling about hard work, motivation, mental toughness all that stuff, it served me really well in my life,” Hughes said.
Wrestling state finals:Keep an eye on these title contenders
More:See which Indy-area wrestlers punched their ticket to state finals
“God blessed me with three sons. When we were looking for high school options, my wife and I felt there was no finer school than Lutheran. But there was one problem — they didn’t have wrestling.” Lutheran had no wrestling culture. The school did not offer the sport for several years before Hughes expressed interest in coaching it.

Six years later, Lutheran senior Hayden Filipovich is aiming to make a name for the Saints wrestling program at the two-day IHSAA state finals at Bankers Life Fieldhouse starting Friday. … rest of story at https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/high-school/2021/02/18/ihsaa-wrestling-state-finals-hayden-filipovich-leads-resurrected-lutheran-indiana/6775734002/?mc_cid=279b9a2f50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – (Wisconsin) – Kaukauna defeats rival Stoughton for state team wrestling title
KAUKAUNA — The Galloping Ghosts’ wrestling team entered the WIAA Division 1 state team wrestling tournament as the No. 1 seed, and they ended the day as state champions.
Read more: https://tinyurl.com/1ekklt74
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KAUKAUNA — It should be no surprise that the Kaukauna and Stoughton wrestling teams enter the Division 1 WIAA state team wrestling tournaments seeded No. 1 and No. 2. It’s been that way many times in past years. And this year will be no exception. The seeding means that if the two teams are to meet, it will happen in the finals with a state title on the line. Kaukauna High School hosts the Division 1 tournament Saturday, Feb. 20, while the Division 2 tournament is scheduled at Adams-Friendship High School and Division 3 at Wausau West High School on the same day. The Galloping Ghosts qualify for the 12th time in the last 14 seasons and for the 19th time overall. They had a string of five straight appearances from 1999-2003 and have now surpassed that streak with their current run of nine consecutive appearances. They have won a total of four State championships, all coming in a row from 2014-17. The Galloping Ghosts have also finished runner-up four times, including 2000, 2003, 2008 and 2013. … rest of story at _{^{https://kaukaunacommunitynews.com/2021/02/18/kaukauna-and-stoughton-showdown-looms-between-states-top-two-wrestling-teams/?mc_cid=279b9a2f50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
AND Bird family of Burlington healing with help of wrestling community
KAUKAUNA — The only thing that’s small about Kevin Bird is his height. The man is a warrior with a heart of gold and the physical wrestling skills of an Olympic champion. Yet this powerful, overpowering man showed true, understandable vulnerability last week Saturday, Feb. 13, at the WIAA Division-1 State Individual Wrestling Tournament in Kaukauna. As Bird and his brother, Steve, walked slowly down the bleacher steps — they were about 10 rows up, perched with a view of the middle of three mats — nobody wanted them to leave. It seemed anybody who’s anybody in the Wisconsin wrestling community gave Kevin Bird a bear hug, not only bidding farewell and safe trip home, but also thanking him for giving so much back to them. Bird has touched so many lives in Wisconsin wrestling, thanks in part to coaching at the Higher Level club in Burlington. But his spiritual and emotional impact will live far longer than his physical abilities. The Wilmot alumnus is a former high school state wrestling champion. So was his son, Josh, a two-time WIAA Division-1 state champ, in 2013 at 120 pounds and in 2015 at 132. That’s why last Saturday brought tears to Kevin Bird’s cheekbones as he departed the gymnasium. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.kenoshanews.com/sports/bird-family-of-burlington-healing-with-help-of-wrestling-community/article_5bd05b2e-5484-5af2-821c-f53b64719834.html?mc_cid=4fc5b594c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

4 } – (Iowa) – Hogans sharing one last championship run
DES MOINES – Charlie Hogan has shared a lot of special moments with his dad, Tom. He’s got to hug his dad after helping Don Bosco of Gilbertville win a state championship in football in 2019, and another embrace after his key hit helped the Dons win this past summer’s Class 1A state baseball championship.
Prep wrestling: Don Bosco’s Hogan stepping down
After winning three traditional and two state dual championships in 10 seasons, Don Bosco head wrestling coach Tom Hogan has announced he will retire at the end of the 2020-21 season.  Wednesday’s high-five after Charlie won a 195-pound match during Don Bosco’s 1A first-round state dual championship match against MFL Mar-Mac had a different feeling. For Charlie it was the last match of his high school career. It was also one of the last times Charlie would see his father sitting in the coaches’ corner as Tom announced his retirement from coaching in late January after serving as the Dons head coach the past 11 seasons leading the program to a combined six state titles (dual and traditional) and more than 225 dual wins. The night was made extra special when Don Bosco beat Lisbon, 34-25, to win the program’s 11th state dual title Wednesday and third in four years with Charlie contributing in each tournament championship. “This is very special,” Charlie said. “If not for wrestling we wouldn’t have had as much time together. To get to slap his hand after winning a match…that is pretty cool.” Tom, who has had two older children Jake, a two-time state medal winner for the Dons, and Lexie, a former wrestling manager, go through the program says the wrestling grind with Charlie has been a different experience. … rest of story at _{^{https://wcfcourier.com/sports/high-school/wrestling/hogans-sharing-one-last-championship-run/article_34448fa5-865e-5300-8c3d-97fb0f953f22.html?mc_cid=279b9a2f50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

5 } – A dozen of the top developments from Thursday’s state tournament action
High school wrestling’s busiest weekend of state championship action ramped up Thursday. 
Here are a dozen of the top developments: 
1. Nebraska power Millard South cruised to the team title in the state’s largest classification, piling up 220.5 points with nine medalists who placed third or better, including champs Caleb Coyle (120), Conor Knopick (126), Joel Adams (138) and Antrell Taylor (160).  Taylor dominated his bracket with an 18-5 major decision in the finals after scoring falls in each of the first three rounds, including this dazzling toss in the semis. 
2. One of the most compelling Nebraska state finals pitted an Iowa state champ (Nick Hamilton of Papillion LaVista) against a Utah state champ (Scott Robertson of Millard South). Hamilton scored a late takedown to seal a 5-1 win in a battle of unbeatens. 
3. Virginia recruit Garrett Grice put on a show during his run to a third Nebraska state title. The junior scored three falls on his way to the finals before capping his title run with a 10-takedown outing in a 26-9 technical fall win in the finals against Millard South’s Aiden Robertson. 
4. The wildest finish of the day might have occurred in Utah’s 132-pound Class 5A title bout. A third-period takedown put Viewmont’s Karson Rees ahead 4-3. But Payson’s Deegan Palmer reversed Rees with 10 seconds left to go ahead. Just before time expired, Rees scored a reversal of his own to claim a 6-5 win. 
5. The Utah finals also featured an improbable comeback. Box Elder’s Caleb Marx trailed 9-3 with 65 seconds remaining when he rallied back with an escape, a takedown and a three-point near-fall to tie the bout with 22 seconds left. Alta’s Gabe Barraza regained the lead on an escape with 15 seconds left, but Marx scored the winning takedown five ticks later to claim an 11-10 victory. 
6. Cory Land, ranked fourth nationally at 126 pounds, extended his winning streak to 148 with a pair of falls at the Alabama state championships. The junior is 197-2 in his career and in pursuit of his fourth state title. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1613795062756&twSessionId=rnzlyudjpq&postId=1074783135&mc_cid=a32eea18bb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

6 } – (Virginia) – VHSL STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT: Legacy of the late Red Robertson looms large as Grundy tries to add more gold to collection
As the co-founder, benefactor, CEO and COO of the Grundy Wrestling Club, F.D. “Red” Robertson became a fixture at the VHSL state wrestling tournament for years and relished watching the Grundy High School Golden Wave collect those multiple first-place medals and trophies.
“ Each year one of his favorite events was the high school state tournament,” said Tass Robertson, Red’s son. “From the speculation of how many champs to being the first spectator at the event, this weekend was one of dad’s favorites. He would joke that the team’s goal was to go to the state tournament every year and for all the other teams to know before the first match, they were wrestling for second. Thankfully, we have had many of those tournaments to enjoy.”
Robertson died on Jan. 17 at the age of 86 and Grundy has dedicated its season in memory of the man who helped put the Golden Wave’s renowned wrestling program on the map. Twelve Grundy wrestlers have qualified for the Class 1 state tournament, which will be held today at the Salem Civic Center, as the Wave are the favorites to win their 24th team title. Among the headliners for the bunch from Buchanan County is 220-pound senior Peyton McComas, who is going for his third state individual championship and is nationally ranked. “ When I met Mr. Robertson the first time at the gym, I was in middle school,” McComas said. “I remember thanking him for letting me wrestle and for everything and he thanked me for wrestling for Grundy. … rest of story at _{^{https://heraldcourier.com/sports/vhsl-state-wrestling-tournament-legacy-of-the-late-red-robertson-looms-large-as-grundy-tries/article_139b403a-7317-11eb-8e1b-53c25627b23b.html?mc_cid=a32eea18bb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

7 } – No change for high school wrestling in Connecticut
Time is running out for high school wrestlers in Connecticut to have some sort of season. The Connecticut Department of Health (DPH) has informed the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) that they have not changed their initial recommendation about wrestling. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to minimize the spread of the disease, DPH remains firm that there be no contact practices or competition of any kind in wrestling this winter. The CIAC had hoped to fit in a brief season for wrestling before the spring season begins on March 27 with practices for baseball, tennis, golf and track and field. While other states are planning to allow wrestling competition in the spring, the CIAC’s Board of Control also remains firm that wrestling will not be added to the spring sports schedule. The CIAC doesn’t want to impact spring sports since those programs lost their entire season last year due to the pandemic that began sweeping across the country last March. Following recently revised guidance from the National Federation of State High School Association (NFHS) that changed the risk factors for sports, the CIAC met with representatives from DPH and Gov. Ned Lamont’s office to discuss additional options to safely allow athletes to play. The CIAC asked DPH to reconsider their previous guidance regarding wrestling, boys lacrosse, jumping events in indoor track and field, competitive cheerleading and competitive dance. … rest of story at _{^{https://ctwrestling.com/2021/02/no-change-for-high-school-wrestling-in-connecticut/3926/?mc_cid=a32eea18bb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

8 } – (Maryland) Francis Scott Key grad looks back on becoming Carroll’s first wrestling state champion 50 years ago
Harry Owings qualified for the inaugural state wrestling tournament in 1970 and placed second in his weight class. That meant a little more across the wrestling landscape back then, when far fewer postseason spots were up for grabs and all classifications competed against each other. Owings finished his junior season at Francis Scott Key High School with a flourish, and with one more year to go expectations were likely high for the Eagles’ top grappler. Owings did himself one better the following year when he won a state championship at 132 pounds. In doing so, the farm boy from New Windsor became the first Carroll County wrestler to be crowned a state champ. The county has produced 98 state titles since the tournament’s inception, with several wrestlers winning multiple times. But Owings was the first, and 50 years later he holds fond, if not faded, memories of his varsity career at FSK. “It was good knowing that I did it for the school,” Owings said while enjoying a recent lunch in Westminster with his wife Nancy, who brought high school yearbooks and photographs dating back a half-century. The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association held its state tournament in 1971 for the second time. Owings and teammate Dick Harbaugh competed for the Eagles, who placed sixth out of 77 teams according to a March 11, 1971 Times article. This much is certain ― Owings defeated Tim Stewart of Churchill in the 132-pound final. Other details are fuzzy and conflicting when looking through record books and publications.
The MPSSAA’s site shows Owings winning the match 6-0 at what was then called Towson State College. Another site, mdhighschoolwrestling.com, has the final score listed as 6-3. The Times article went with a 7-0 decision. Owings doesn’t waste much time on specifics. The 68-year-old is more proud of how he got there. “If it wasn’t for the team, I would have never made it because we wrestled each other,” Owings said. “For the state tournament, me and Dick were the only two in it but everybody stayed for practice … We wrestled in practice, a lot of times you were wondering whether you were going to make it home or not after practice.” The grueling workouts were more than enough to get Owings and Harbaugh prepared for whatever was coming at the state tournament level. FSK coach Peter McDowell ran a tough practice, Owings said, but there was a reason for it. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll/sports/high-school/cc-sp-harry-owings-state-champ-20210221-7tsq7e2rp5fsdeabhjbdwmeyhi-story.html?mc_cid=4fc5b594c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

9} – State wrestling: West Delaware’s Wyatt Voelker establishes himself as one of the state’s best talents in title run
Wyatt Voelker ran back underneath Wells Fargo Arena on Saturday night with beads of sweat dripping down his face. He had just spent six minutes playing catch-and-release with New Hampton’s Jacob Reicks, and looked like he could go another six. “That didn’t even feel like six minutes,” he said to his coach. Voelker steamrolled his way to a Class 2A state title this week, winning at 195 pounds. He beat Reicks, 15-7, a seven-takedown performance that mirrored the dominance he showed all week. The junior outscored his four opponents this week 63-23. After finishing fourth as a freshman and third last year, Voelker finally reached the top of the state podium, and did so in a way that secured his spot among the state’s current crop of top competitors. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/high-school/2021/02/21/iowa-high-school-wrestling-wyatt-voelker-proves-himself-one-states-best-talents-2-a-romp/6777758002/?mc_cid=4fc5b594c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

10 } – (Nebraska) Deaf wrestler blames referee miscommunication for state title loss
Renca Dunn, Daily Moth Reporter:
Paul Ruff (18) is a high school senior deaf wrestler from Gering, Nebraska, who lost at the state wrestling championship on Saturday, February 20th by one point because of what he claims was miscommunication with the referee. Paul uses a cochlear implant and takes it out when he wrestles. He says he mainly lip reads and does not know sign language. He said the issue was not being deaf, but it was the referee who refused to lower his mask. Paul was in the Class B 126 pound final match. He went up against Paul Garcia from Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Garcia is a 3-time state champion. After that final match when Paul lost, Garcia is now a 4-time state champion. Garcia is the 34th wrestler to win four state titles in Nebraska. In several articles, Garcia mentioned that he did not expect to win his 4th in this way.
That match between Paul and Garcia was a hot game. It went into double overtime. Yesterday, the Nebraska Association of the Deaf (NeAD) posted a Zoom video of 4 deaf people having a dialogue about this. With their permission, I will show you a short clip of one man named Brent Welsch who explained what happened in that match.
Brent Welsch, NeAD Representative: It was a hot match and it was running close, then there was a double overtime. During the overtime, there was what’s called a restart. That’s what happens when the wrestlers get out of bounds from the mat. The wrestlers return to the middle and start again. During that period, Paul chose to be the bottom, meaning he has to be on his hands and knees – all fours. Apparently his knee touched the line which it shouldn’t have, and the referee decided to give him a caution. In wrestling rules, one caution is simply a caution. A second caution means one point is given to the opponent. During that caution, Paul was trying to communicate with the referee to make sure he was doing it correctly and the referee did not pull his mask down. With no mask down, it was difficult for Paul to understand him. Later, after another restart… Again, Paul seemed to be touching the line which caused another caution. That automatically gave a point to the opponent. The other boy started celebrating, and Paul was puzzled, not realizing there had been two cautions. He had no idea and was lost because of miscommunication. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.dailymoth.com/blog/deaf-wrestler-blames-referee-miscommunication-for-state-title-loss}}

11 } – (New Jersey) Brick Memorial Special Needs Athlete Inspiring Others and Changing Lives
Four years ago, David Richards experienced a seminal moment in his life thanks to the sport of wrestling. Fast forward to today and it is Richards’ steadfast presence as a member of Brick Memorial’s wrestling program that continues to serve as an inspiration and set a positive example. In January of 2017, Richards, who has Down Syndrome and was then a student-athlete competing on Brick Memorial’s junior varsity team, wrestled in his first and only varsity match, which was set up by the coaches of Brick Memorial and Middletown North. In an additional bout following the match between the Mustangs and the Lions, Richards went out to face Richie Wall, who was a Middletown North freshman at the time. Richards scored a quick takedown, then another after Wall got to his feet. Soon after, Richards worked an underhook into a cement job to flatten Wall and secure the pin in the first period. He rose to his feet and let out a thunderous roar. It was his state-championship moment. Read More: David Richard Brick Memorial Wrestling | _{^{https://shoresportsnetwork.com/david-richard-brick-memorial-wrestling/?mc_cid=9c47fa024a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b&utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral}}
AND (Colorado) — New History and English teacher at Meeker High School
MEEKER | Meeker High School English and history teacher Stryker Lane teaches only freshman for six periods a day. After those long days he continues to help students but this time through wrestling. Mr. Lane, as the students call him, only moved to Meeker this summer, but has effectively worked his way into the Meeker circle. Luckily, small town living is not anything new to Stryker Lane, coming from a small community called Redvale, which neighbors Nucla, Colorado. With his father a Nucla wrestling coach, wrestling was Lane’s go-to sport. The sport ended up giving him great opportunities later on in life. Lane was an accomplished wrestler all through high school, earning the Dave Schultz Award and being a three-time Colorado State champion. He also earned the title of Colorado High School Wrestler of the Year and the title of not having a point scored against him during his senior year. Those accomplishments ultimately led him to get recruited by Cornell University for wrestling. “I thought I was pretty good coming out of high school, then I started wrestling D1 and realized I wasn’t as good as I thought I was,” Lane said. After hard work, he got to the point where he was winning about 80% of his matches and was a one-time National College Athletics Association qualifier. While at Cornell he majored in developmental sociology with a minor in history, with no thought of becoming a teacher. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.theheraldtimes.com/new-history-and-english-teacher-at-meeker-high-school/meeker/?mc_cid=329018bca1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

12 } – (California) Colleagues stunned by death of De La Salle’s ‘unforgettable’ wrestling coach
Terry Eidson had a simple plan when he pondered a new coach for the De La Salle-Concord wrestling team in 1999. The school’s then-athletic director would hire Mark Halvorson and take the program “up a notch.” “Boy did he ever,” Eidson said. Halvorson, who suffered a fatal heart attack Monday at age 57, not only elevated the Spartans to unprecedented heights — 11 North Coast Section championships in the past 12 years — but he was also regarded as one of the nation’s most influential leaders within USA Wrestling’s national Greco-Roman program. As head coach for the Community Youth Center (CYC) of Concord, he produced hundreds of state, regional and national Greco-Roman champions. His teams traveled to France, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Sweden, Norway, Hungary and the Netherlands. Halvorson coached for Team USA Wrestling in Singapore, Mexico and Brazil, and in 2016 he was selected as a Greco-Roman volunteer coach on Team USA for the 2016 Summer Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro. Halvorson, a 1981 Antioch High School graduate, called that experience “icing on the cake.” … rest of story at _{^{https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/Colleagues-stunned-by-death-of-De-La-Salle-s-15961878.php?mc_cid=a32eea18bb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

March 17, 2021 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

ST. LOUIS TO HOST NCAA DI WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS THIS WEEK AT ENTERPRISE CENTER FOR NINTH TIME SINCE 2000

March 17, 2021 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

New College Teams – Part Four (2020-2023)

TDR Editor’s Notes ; This is the 4th part in this series, which started in October, of colleges and universities that have added or announced they would add a wrestling program at their school in recent years. Some of the schools are re-starting a program while most are establishing wrestling for the first time. Many of those schools are adding two teams as the number of Women’s programs are exploding.
Starting in the 2022-2023 season ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Alvernia University (III) will add a Women’s team.
California Baptist will join Big 12 as an Affiliate member
Carl Albert State (Juco) will add a Women’s team
Emory & Henry will join South Atlantic Conference as it moves from D-III to D-II
Starting in the 2021-2022 season ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Men’s Wrestling Teams
Div. I — Augustana University (S.D.) to move up to Division I
Div. II – Bluefield State College, Lincoln Memorial Univ. (Tn.)
Div. III – Albion College (restarting), Aurora Univ. (re), Roanoke College, William Jewell College(re)
NAIA – Avila University, Cornerstone University, Friends Univ. (Ks.), St. Ambrose (Ia.),
Women’s Wrestling Teams
    Albion College, Augustana College (Ill.), Aurora University, Friends Univ. (Ks.), Hiram College, Sacred Heart Univ. (Ct.), Siena Heights University, William Jewell College
Starting in the 2020-2021 season ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Men’s Wrestling Teams
Div. II – Glenville State College (W.V.), Wheeling Univ.,
Div. III – Carthage College (Wisc.), Elmira College (N.Y.), Emory & Henry College (Va.), Hiram College (Oh.), Iowa Wesleyan Univ., Shenandoah Univ. (Va.), Siena Heights Univ. (Mi.)
NAIA – Montreat College (N.C.), Univ. of Rio Grande (Oh.), St. Thomas (Fl.), JUCO – Eastern Gateway Comm. Coll. (Oh.), Indian Hills Comm. Coll. (Ia.), Patrick Henry Comm. Coll. (Va.), Sussex County Comm. Coll. (N.Y.),
NCWA – New Jersey City Univ.,
Women’s Wrestling – Carthage College (Wisc.), Concordia Univ. (Wisc.), Corban Univ. (Or.), Davenport Univ., Delaware Valley Univ., Elmira College (N.Y.), Emory & Henry College, Greensboro College (N.C.), Hastings College (Neb.), Indiana Tech., Iowa Wesleyan, Lackawanna College, Lincoln College (Ill.), Lourdes Univ. (Oh.), New Jersey City Univ., Northern Michigan Univ., St. Andrews Univ., Trine Univ. (Ind.), Univ. of the Ozarks (Ark.), William Penn (Iowa),
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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

Women’s Wrestling News (2021) – # 8

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Focused mostly on women wrestlers and teams on the college level from last month.
Contact us with news at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – NINE DIFFERENT TEAMS HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION AT COMPETITIVE GRAND VIEW OPEN FOR WOMEN
DES MOINES, Iowa – Nine different teams had individual champions at the Grand View Open, hosted Saturday by NAIA No. 4 Grand View University. It was one of the largest and most competitive tournaments so far this women’s college season. The only team with two individual champions was NAIA No. 3 Wayland Baptist. The 101-pound finals featured the top two ranked athletes in the NAIA. No. 1 Nina Pham of Wayland Baptist beat No. 2 ranked Elizabeth Dosado of the University of the Cumberlands, in a 10-0 technical fall. Freshman Jordan Suarez of Wayland Baptist, ranked No. 12 in the NAIA won the 136-pound title with a 10-1 over No. 19 Andrea Schlabach of host Grand View. Two of the individual champions were unranked freshmen who are quickly establishing themselves on the national college scene. Waipuilani Estrella-Beauchamp of Midland, an unranked freshman from Hawaii, stopped the No. 1 ranked NAIA athlete in this weight class, Sydney Freund of Oklahoma City, 6-2 in the finals at 143 pounds. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/February/06/Nine-teams-have-a-champion-at-Grand-View-Open-for-women?mc_cid=18c25877f2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

2 } – 11 Bearcats Go Undefeated in Bearcat Scramble
(LEBANON, Ill. – Feb.7) – The No.1 McKendree University women’s wrestling team hosted the Bearcat Scramble Sunday afternoon, featuring No.3 Emmanuel College, No.4 Colorado Mesa, No.5 North Central College, and No.7 Augsburg. Of the 24 Bearcats that competed, 11 went undefeated in the round-robin tournament. The Bearcat Scramble was held as a round robin tournament, where each wrestler had a chance to compete against every wrestler that met weight in that class. Each wrestler competed in at most six matches, not including competing against their own teammate. For the full results, follow this link. Below are the results for the Bearcats: … rest of story at _{^{https://mckbearcats.com/news/2021/2/7/womens-wrestling-11-bearcats-go-undefeated-in-bearcat-scramble.aspx?mc_cid=a4f7af871f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

3 } – Wrestling Mailbag: Women’s wrestling, 
No Iowa-Penn State this Friday. Cue the sad trombone. The top-ranked Hawkeyes are on pause for the time being, which means Friday’s highly-anticipated dual against the third-ranked Nittany Lions won’t happen. That’s a shame — for both fan bases but also for general wrestling fans at large, too. But fear not, there are plenty of other options this weekend. If ACC wrestling is your thing — and it should be after last Friday’s tremendous dual between Virginia Tech and North Carolina State — this weekend’s slate features Virginia Tech-Pitt and Duke-NC State on Friday, plus Virginia-North Carolina on Saturday. If Big Ten wrestling is your thing (and it always should be), a fun weekend awaits: Ohio State-Michigan and Wisconsin-Minnesota on Friday, plus Wisconsin-Northwestern on Sunday. If you’d rather stay in-state, the 13th-ranked Cyclones are hosting a Valentine’s Day quadrangular with No. 8 Arizona State, Northern Colorado and Northern Iowa — and yes, we’ll finally get the long-awaited Iowa State-Northern Iowa dual at 4 p.m. that day. There’s also regional duals this week — Class 2A and 1A go tonight, Class 3A tomorrow — and the high school district tournaments taking place this Saturday, if you’re more interested in the prep side of things (and we all should be, to an extent). But I’d like to draw your attention to another event taking place here in Iowa this week. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/college/iowa/wrestling/2021/02/09/wrestling-mailbag-womens-freestyle-iowa-penn-state-tony-cassioppi-doug-schwab-jacket-cyclones-uni/4445833001/}}

4 } – THIS WEEK’S WOMEN’S COLLEGE SCHEDULE, LISTED BY DAY, WITH NATIONAL RANKINGS NOTED
It seems like a light schedule for college women this week, as a number of schools are already focusing on preparation for either NAIA conference meets or NCWWC regionals (for NCAA schools) which begin next weekend. There will be a big tournament hosted on Saturday at NAIA No. 12 Midland, the Lady Warrior Open, which will feature numerous ranked teams and individuals. A number of NCAA ranked teams will see action. No. 2 King goes to No. 14 Limestone on Saturday. No. 9 Gannon hosts No. 10 Adrian and Ferrum, also on Saturday. A ranked dual meet in the NAIA this week is No. 10 Baker at No. 11 Missouri Valley on Thursday. There have been a few more dual meets added in for schools seeking tune-ups prior to the postseason.
This week’s schedule, broken out by day
Monday, Feb. 8 –NCAA No. 3 Emmanuel 33, NCAA No. 8 Presbyterian 13
Wednesday, Feb. 10 – Central Methodist at CC No. 3 Indian Hills CC
Thursday, Feb. 11 – NAIA No. 8 Indiana Tech at Lourdes
Thursday, Feb. 11 – Trine at Lourdes
Thursday, Feb. 11 – NAIA No. 10 Baker at NAIA No. 11 Missouri Valley (Heart Duals)
Thursday, Feb. 11 – Westminster at Fontebonne … rest of story at _{^{https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/February/10/Womens-college-schedule-for-week?mc_cid=5e3b2f2de3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

5 } – RAYANA SAHAGUN NAMED NAIA WOMEN’S WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
KANSAS CITY, Mo.– Rayana Sahagun (FR/Rockford, Mich.) of the University of Jamestown has been named the NAIA Women’s Wrestler of the Week, the national office announced Wednesday. Wrestlers of the week are evaluated on their performance during the week prior to the announcement. Each wrestler is selected out of a pool of conference and Association of Independent Institution’s award winners.Rayana Sahagun – #9 University of Jamestown109 lbs. |FR  | Rockford, Mich. Sahagun went a perfect 4-0 to win the 109-pound division of the Grand View (Iowa) Open … rest of story at _{^{https://www.jimmiepride.com/article/5813?mc_cid=5e3b2f2de3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

6 } – Classification Points and Scoring Freestyle Duals
With the Captains’ Cup this weekend and college women’s wrestling flooded with duals, this is the classification points and scoring for team competitions. The greatest difference between the Captains’ Cup and college duals is the head- to-head criteria. For the Captains’ Cup, if a team wins more head to heads (4 and 2; 5 and 1) then that team wins the dual. For college duals, head to heads are the first tie-breaking criteria if the team classification points are tied at the conclusion of the final match. 
Determining the Winner: Individual Matches
In a single match, the winner is the wrestler with the highest value of points, a win by fall, technical superiority, etc. If the match is tied the following criteria determine the winner.
1. Highest value scoring actions
2. Least number of cautions
3. Last point scored
Determining the Winner: Captains’ Cup
The winner of the dual will be the team with the highest number of individual wins … rest of story at _{^{https://www.transitionwrestling.com/classification-points-and-scoring-freestyle-duals/?mc_cid=5e3b2f2de3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

7 } – ‘Trailblazer’: Greater Johnstown grad, acclaimed wrestler aims to become civil rights lawyer
Mariah Harris is making a name for herself as a champion wrestler with her sights on the U.S. Olympic team. But the Johnstown native sees her long-term future as a champion for people who don’t have a voice in society or in the legal system. Her dream since she was young has been to become a civil rights attorney. “I want to help people who can’t help themselves and people who face problems,” Harris said. “I want to help kids who are facing hard times and families that are facing hard times, and adults that don’t know. I want to be the voice for them to really change.” After winning numerous tournaments as a high school wrestler at Greater Johnstown, Harris competed at Campbellsville University in Kentucky, capturing a national title last February. A month later, Breonna Taylor was killed by police who broke into her Louisville, Kentucky, apartment during a drug investigation. Harris was finalizing her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at the time. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.tribdem.com/pennsylvania/watch-video-trailblazer-greater-johnstown-grad-acclaimed-wrestler-aims-to-become-civil-rights-lawyer-copy/article_f73474f8-6b27-11eb-8fde-3fc0453dc740.html?mc_cid=b6bf9ab19d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

8 } – WOMEN’S WRESTLING TITANS NAMED AS HONORARY COACHES FOR CAPTAINS’ CUP
The Captains’ Cup is set for Feb. 13-14 live on FloWrestling, and while some of the biggest current stars in women’s freestyle are competing, they’ll be led some of the most impactful pioneers the sport has seen. Each coach was picked by the team captains as part of the Captains’ Cup draft last month. Check out who will be in the corners this weekend! Emma Randall – Team Hildebrandt
• Beat the Streets New York Developmental Director
• Former USA Wrestling Women’s Freestyle National Assistant Coach
• First female coach to receive gold certification from USA Wrestling’s National Coaches Education Program
Sara McMann – Team Winchester
• 2004 Olympic silver medalist
• Two-time World bronze medalist (2005, 2007)
• Seven-time World Team member
• UFC women’s bantamweight fighter … rest of story at _{^{https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/February/12/Honorary-Coaches-set-for-Captains-Cup?mc_cid=ffcd6840e0&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

9} – UC EARNS COMEBACK WIN OVER BREWTON-PARKER
Williamsburg, KY – Coming from behind The UC women’s wrestling remained unbeaten against (RV) Brewton-Parker, defeating the Barons 26-22. The dual win gives Cumberlands their fourth of the season, and third Mid-South Conference win. With the score at 22-11 in favor of Brewton-Parker, Ashley Ikner headed to the mats for the 155-weight class match. Ranked #6, she had to face off against #9 India Page for the only top-ten matchup of the night. Page got out to a 6-0 lead on Ikner and had the senior close to a fall, however Ikner was able to escape and keep UC’s chances of winning the dual alive. At the next reset, Ikner saw her opportunity, getting a two-point takedown where she flipped Page on her back on the outskirts of the mat. Ikner used her upper body to pin Page to the mat and earn the five-point win at 2:14 and put UC within striking distance down just 22-16.
In the 143 bout Hailey Budney wasted little time in securing her win. The sophomore earned a two-point takedown and then rolled her opponent onto her back in a cradle. The move gave Budney the fall win at 27 seconds, her eighth fall this year, second fastest of the season. … rest of story at _{^{https://cumberlandspatriots.com/news/2021/2/12/womens-wrestling-uc-earns-comeback-win-over-brewton-parker.aspx?mc_cid=ffcd6840e0&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

10 } – 2020-21 NAIA Women’s Wrestling Coaches’ Poll – No. 2
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – In the second poll of 2020-21 season, Life (Ga.) claimed the No. 1 spot in the latest edition of the 2020-21 Women’s Wrestling Coaches Top 20 Poll. Campbellsville (Ky.), Wayland Baptist, Grand View (Iowa) and Southern Oregon rounded out the top five.
Poll Methodology

• The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the eight conferences.
• Two days prior to the national poll, each qualifying group rater submits the top six individuals from each weight class in his conference into the system. Only wrestlers listed on a conference ballot are considered for the national ballot.
• The top 20 individuals in each weight class is based on how each voter ranks the best individuals. An individual receives 20 points for each first place vote, 19 for second place and so on through the list. This same point system is used to determine the team ranking.
• The postseason poll is determined using the individual and team results from the national championship
• For the complete Top 20 calendar, click here. … rest of story at _{^{https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/2020-21-NAIA-Women-s-Wrestling-Coaches-1-2-2021}}

11 } – Tornado win big over Limestone
GAFNEY, Sc. – The King University women’s wrestling team had an incredible showing at their final dual of the season against Limestone University this afternoon. The Tornado rolled through Gafney with a commanding 44-3 victory. This year the Tornado boast a complete lineup of nationally ranked wrestlers and have an eye on the post season set to begin next weekend. Could this be the year King wrestling returns to it’s former glory?
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: King 44, Limestone 3
LOCATION: Timken Center; Gafney, Sc.
RECORDS: King 6-1; Limestone 1-3 … rest of story at _{^{http://kingtornado.com/news/2021/2/13/womens-wrestling-tornado-win-big-over-limestone.aspx?mc_cid=a6cfb4b322&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

12 } – IKNER’S PIN AWARDS HER ANOTHER MSC WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
Bowling Green, KY – For the second time this season, Ashley Ikner is named the MSC Wrestler of the Week, announced by conference officials on Monday. Ikner wrestled in the last deciding match of #6 Cumberlands’ dual vs (RV) Brewton Parker this past Friday. UC was down 22-11 heading into Ikner’s 155-weight class match. The Barons did not have a 170 or 191 wrestler so UC was guaranteed 10 points, but if Ikner lost the Patriots would lose the dual. Ranked #6, Ikner had to face off against #9 India Page who came out of the gates strong picking up six straight points against Ikner. Page almost got a fall win over Ikner, but the senior was able to flip herself back over on her front and avoid the loss. At the next reset, Ikner regrouped and was able to earn a two-point takedown. Taking advantage of her position over Page, the Farmington Hills, MI native flipped Page on her back on the outer edges of the mat. Ikner forced her opponent on her back to earn the fall victory at 2:14. The win gave UC the points they needed to defeat Brewton-Parker 26-22. … rest of story at _{^{https://cumberlandspatriots.com/news/2021/2/15/womens-wrestling-ikners-pin-awards-her-another-msc-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=9e45a80a12&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

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

Carl Albert State College to begin men’s wrestling next year, women in 2022-23

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Always glad to pass along news that announces increased opportunities for wrestlers. Carl Albert State is a two year public college in eastern Oklahoma. They will be adding two new teams in the next two years. We will pass along news of other schools doing that add teams in the near future. Keep on wrestling!
E-mail us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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Courtesy of Carl Albert Athletics – Link
By: David Seeley,PDN Editor
March 9, 2021, indeed will go down as one of the most historic moments in the athletic history of Carl Albert State College.
At Tuesday afternoon’s CASC Board of Regents Meeting inside the J.T. and Mary Jo Stites Multipurpose Room in the Mayo Building on the CASC-Sallisaw campus, the board unanimously approved a men’s wrestling program to begin next school year and a women’s program the following school year for the 2022-23 season.
“It’s huge for Carl Albert State College,” CASC Athletic Director Randy Graves said. “We’re appreciative of our Board of Regents for approving the wrestling program. It was a great decision made here by Carl Albert State College. Carl Albert will now join NEO as the second community college to offer collegiate men’s wrestling and be the first — or possibly join NEO — community college to offer a women’s college wrestling program. We wanted to do this because it would be a Title IX compliance for both men’s and women’s programs. It will be a historic day on the timeline on the Carl Albert State College athletic website.”
However, CASC’s Chief Financial Officer Brian Roberts had his doubts but totally did a 180-degree change of heart after attending January’s meeting.
“When I was asked to come to the meeting in January with ‘our new friends,’ I was skeptic — as I told them at the meeting,” Roberts said. “I showed up to the meeting skeptical, but I wasn’t skeptical when I left the meeting because of the fact they showed me their Facebook page that had 600 members. Their enthusiasm was overwhelming. On top of that, they mentioned high schools that we could potentially get students from which were schools which we currently get any students from — Van Buren (Ark.), Bentonville (Ark.), Rogers (Ark.), etc … These kids are going somewhere else, a long ways away in most cases, to go wrestle. They are paying close to three times as much as they would at Carl Albert even without a scholarship — which was something else that excited me. They’re going to be excited to find a place to go wrestle (closer to home).”
“The folks that have worked on this have been outstanding,” CASC President Jay Falkner said. “One thing that I’m so proud of is the possibility of how this could be an economic driver for our community with things like tournaments for other NJCAA teams and participants. We’re talking about hosting youth league kind of events as fundraisers for our program. To provide a program like this, this is going to be great for students and campus life. It’s also going to be a economic driver for the entire community for people like …. rest of story at _{^{https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/Carl-Albert-State-College-to-begin-12-3-2021}}

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

NCAA Division II News (2021) – # 5

TDR Editor’s Notes ; The NCAA Division II Championships start TODAY! after almost a 2 year wait since the 2019 Championships. As we all know last year’s event was cancelled as the Pandemic crashed down in the USA. Thus the following articles have links, updates, previews and all that sort of stuff for the championships. The last three articles are from a sad disheartening championships ten years ago. It felt like a punch in the gut or a kick received even lower when the *&%$# Athletic Director of the University of Nebraska-Omaha (henceforth known as UNZero) cancelled wrestling moments after they won a third consecutive championship. It was the same spring in which UNC Greensboro cancelled their Division I program. It was a dark and depressing event. Shall not write more at this time as I want to enjoy watching the matches. Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – DIV. II PREVIEW: WITH 10 QUALIFIERS, NEBRASKA-KEARNEY IS NO. 1 GOING INTO NCAA DIV. II NATIONALS IN ST. LOUIS, MARCH 12-13
This year’s NCAA Championships are slated for March 12-13 at the America’s Center Convention Complex in St. Louis, Mo. The Lopers of Nebraska-Kearney have 92 points in the latest D-2 polls, 14 points ahead of Lindenwood, Mo. with 78 points. Defending national champion and former No. 1 St. Cloud State comes in with 73, Gannon, Pa. has 65, and McKendree, Ill. has 64, to round out the top 5.
For the Lopers, senior Matt Malcom from Iowa moved up a spot to number one at 165 lbs. with fellow Iowa native Josh Portillo, now second at 125 lbs. Next, senior Wesley Dawkins from Nebraska (3rd/133 lbs.), redshirt freshman Nick James of Nebraska (11th/141 lbs.), and senior Sam Turner from Colorado (5th/149 lbs.) maintained their ranking. Finally, senior Jacob Wasser from Pennsylvania (5th/157 lbs.), junior Terrell Garraway of Kansas (6th/174 lbs.), redshirt junior Austin Eldredge of Kansas (10th/184 lbs.), and Sredshirt freshman Joseph Reimers of Nebraska (6th/197 lbs.) each moved up a spot or two in their respective class.
UNK showed why they are to top team in D-2 as the Lopers advanced its entire starting lineup into the finals at the 2021 NCAA Super Region VI Championships Sunday night in Grand Junction, Colo. Nebraska-Kearney scored 121.50 points to win this meet for a third straight year. This also marks UNK’s 17th region title since 2000.
To reach that Kearney went a combined 24-5 on the day, winning its first 15 matches. UNK went 5-5 in the finals and capped the long day with a win in a “true” second place match. Atop the regional awards stand this year is Dawkins (133 lbs.), Wasser (157 lbs.), Garraway (174 lbs.), Lee Herrington of Nebraska (285 lbs.), and James (141 lbs.). Dawkins and Wasser repeated as regional champs. Coming in second in their respective class were Malcom (165 lbs.), Portillo (125 lbs.), Turner (149 lbs.), Eldredge (184 lbs.) and Reimers (184 lbs.). … rest of story at _{^{https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/10/NCAA-Div-II-preview?mc_cid=2a2fd7a25b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

2 } – Live coverage of the 2021 DII wrestling championship selections
2021 DII wrestling championship at a glanceKeep up with the latest news and results from the DII wrestling championship right here. The selections were announced on Monday, March 1. The championship is March 12-13 at America’s Convention Center in St. Louis, Mo.
Championship schedule and live streamBoth days of the championship will stream live here on NCAA.com. Live coverage starts at 1 p.m. on Friday, March 12, and TBD on Saturday, March 13. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.ncaa.com/live-updates/wrestling/d2/2021-ncaa-dii-wrestling-championship-selection-release-schedule?mc_cid=92195b958e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

3 } – Curreri Poised to Compete at NCAA Championship
ST. LOUIS, M.O. – Noah Curreri, of the Queens men’s wrestling team, is locked in and poised to compete at the NCAA DII Men’s Wrestling Championships on Friday and Saturday, March 12-13, at the America’s Center Convention Complex. Curreri, a senior, clinched his second career trip to the NCAA Championships after finishing second at NCAA Regionals last weekend. He will compete in the 174-pound weight class and will take on top-seeded Abner Romero, of Lindenwood University in Round One on Friday. Curreri enters with a 12-3 record this season. “I know Noah is happy to be back and get a chance to prove what he is capable of,” stated Queens head men’s wrestling coach Rob Tate. “We’re all happy to be able to represent Queens University of Charlotte at another national tournament and looking forward to bringing back some hardware.” … rest of story at _{^{https://queensathletics.com/news/2021/3/11/mens-wrestling-curreri-poised-to-compete-at-ncaa-championship.aspx}}

4 } – Colby Teague Selected To NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championship
MOUNT OLIVE, North Carolina — The NCAA announced the selections for the 2021 NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championships and Mount Olive’s Colby Teague earned a spot in the field. The NCAA Division II Men’s Wrestling Championship is scheduled for March 12-13 at America’s Convention Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Both of the days of the Championship will stream live on NCAA.com. Teague in the 157-pound weight class recovered after a loss in the round of eight. He went onto defeat Matthew Sloan (Belmont Abbey), Dallas Boone (King) before making it to the third-place match. Teague made quick work of Alex Miller of Coker University getting a fall in 1:19 to put him in the 3rd place match.He then defeated Juaquin Olivas from Lander securing his third place finish and selection into the national championship. “Colby showed tremendous heart and toughness, which resulted in a great tournament. He was unseeded going in, but wrestled like I knew he was capable of wrestling. After losing in the first round, he won four consecutive matches to place third. This is not only an honor for Colby and his family, but also for the UMO program,” said Head Coach Dan Willis. … rest of story at _{^{https://umotrojans.com/news/2021/3/1/colby-teague-selected-to-ncaa-division-ii-wrestling-national-championship.aspx}}

5 } – Belmont-Abbey’s Dean Region Champion
FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. – Mitch Dean captured first place in the 165 lbs. weight class at the Super Region II Championships. The Crusaders finished fourth as a team at the tournament held at Emmanuel College.
BAC Top Finishers
125         Brandon Crowder            Fourth Place
133         Benjamin Fielding           Second Place
165         Mitch Dean                         First Place
174         Logan Branham                 Fourth Place
… rest of story at _{^{https://abbeyathletics.com/news/2021/2/28/wrestling-dean-region-champion.aspx}}

6 } – Newberry Wrestling Dominates SACC All-Conference Awards
Cy Wainwright named SACC Coach of the Year, six Wolves named All-Conference
GREENVILLE, S.C. — The Newberry Wrestling team was dominant this season, recording their first-ever undefeated season and winning their third straight South Atlantic Conference Carolinas championship. They continued their domination on Friday with the announcement of the SACC All-Conference awards. The Wolves had a total of six athletes named to the All-Conference team, while head coach Cy Wainwright was named the conference Coach of the Year for the second time since Newberry joined the conference. Nominations and voting were conducted by the league coaches. 
125 pounds – Zach Shupp (First Team)
Shupp burst onto the scene this season for the Wolves, compiling a 9-2 record, with a perfect 7-0 mark in conference action. He ran a streak of five straight wins via fall through the conference season and ended up with a second-place finish at the Super Region II Tournament, punching his ticket to the national tournament in St. Louis, Mo. next weekend. This is the first all-conference award for the redshirt sophomore from Fairfield, Ohio and will be his first D2 national tournament appearance.
133 pounds – Austin Neal (First Team)
Neal is 10-1 on the season, and is on a nine-match win streak heading into the D2 national tournament. He has five wins via major decision and one win via fall, which came in the semifinals of the Super Region II Tournament. He ended up winning the super region championship at 133 pounds, securing his second career appearance in the national tournament. The senior from Rutherfordton, N.C. is making his third appearance on the All-SACC awards list. … rest of story at _{^{https://newberrywolves.com/news/2021/3/5/newberry-wrestling-dominates-sacc-all-conference-awards.aspx}}

7 } – Van Alst Ready to Represent Coker at the NCAA Division II National Championships
HARTSVILLE, S.C. – Zachary Van Alst is ready to represent Coker University at the NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championships! Check out the preview below! 
… rest of story at _{^{https://www.cokercobras.com/sports/wrest/2020-21/releases/20210311xvmohq}}

8 } – New Mexico Highlands Head Wrestling Coach Announces Retirement
Las Vegas, NM — After 15 seasons of blood, sweat, and tears on the wrestling mats at New Mexico Highlands University, head wrestling coach Doug Moses has decided to retire at the end of the Spring 2021 semester.
“Coach Mo has been an influential member of the wrestling community for a long time” Athletics Director Andrew Ehling commented. “The impact that he has made on NMHU’s wresting program is unmeasurable. I wish him nothing but the best in his retirement.”
The Doug Moses era began as the programs head coach during the 2006-2007 season and, without a doubt, has made an impact on every student-athlete that has ever hit the mat for the Cowboys. His leadership and intelligence within the wrestling community has earned him the honors of being inducted into five different Hall of Fames, which include:

• NCAA II Coaches Association Hall of Fame
• Adams State College Hall of Fame (2007 Team & 2009 Individual)
• University of Southern Colorado Hall of Fame
• Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Hall of Fame (National Championship Team)

Doug’s coaching career started in 1973 after graduating from Adams State with a degree in Physical Education. Moses served as a student-assistant coach for the 1973 National Championship team while also competing internationally as a member of two World Cup Freestyle teams in 1973 and 1975. … rest of story at _{^{https://nmhuathletics.com/news/2021/3/9/new-mexico-highlands-head-wrestling-coach-announces-retirement.aspx?mc_cid=2cfe70fede&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

9} – Turriff Earns NSIC Elite 18 Award
Mankato, Minn. — Minnesota State’s Trevor Turriff was named the 2020-21 NSIC Elite 18 Award winner for wrestling. Turriff joins Carah Drees (2021- WBB), Alex Goettl (2019 – FB), Amber Kral (2019 – SB), Maggie Knier (S&D 2017-18, 2018-19 & 2019-20) and Erica Ellstrom (S&D 2016-17) as NSIC Elite 18 Award winners from Minnesota State.
As part of the NSIC 25th Anniversary celebration, the NSIC Elite 18 Award was instituted to recognize the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the NSIC Championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The NSIC Elite 18 award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point from the regular season championship team or an All-NSIC performer. Turriff is a junior majoring in finance and holds a 3.72 grade point average. … rest of story at _{^{https://theguillotine.com/2021/03/turriff-earns-nsic-elite-18-award/?mc_cid=92195b958e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

10 } – Destruction of a Dynasty: The Bombshell That Rocked Nebraska-Omaha Wrestling
 Destruction of a Dynasty: The Bombshell That Rocked Nebraska-Omaha Wrestling
By every surface indicator, Nebraska-Omaha’s wrestling program was on rock-solid footing 10 years ago.  The Mavericks were arguably college wrestling’s top dynasty at the time. On the mat, they’d won six Division II national titles in eight years. Off it, they were involved and embedded in the Omaha community. Their roster had a heavy local flavor, and they were helping support themselves with their fundraising efforts. 
Longtime coach Mike Denney led the Mavericks to their first national title in 1991 and they were perennial contenders before another championship breakthrough in 2004. That’s when UNO really got it rolling, and there seemed to be no end in sight for the Mavericks’ mastery of Division II wrestling.  Until a bombshell decision landed on Denney’s voicemail on March 12, 2011, roughly an hour after the Division II NCAA Championships in Kearney, Nebraska.  Denney was delivering a speech at UNO’s post-tournament party when he felt the phone in his pocket vibrate. The call was from the school’s 40-year-old athletic director Trev Alberts, a former Nebraska football star whose once-promising NFL career was cut short by injuries after three seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. Alberts grew up in the heart of wrestling country, a Cedar Falls, Iowa, native who attended Northern University High, one of the few schools in the area that did not offer wrestling. He attended high school across the street from the UNI-Dome, where Nebraska-Omaha won the National Duals each year Alberts headed up its athletic department.  Minutes after Denney delivered his speech at UNO’s 2011 post-tournament celebration in Kearney, he reached into his pocket to check his messages. The voicemail from Alberts — and phone conversation that followed — rocked Denney, his wrestlers and sent shockwaves throughout the wrestling community.  Nebraska-Omaha was dropping wrestling. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1615247260479&twSessionId=cfpyxrcouu&postId=1113516135&mc_cid=b1fa7a1c33&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

11 } – Destruction of a Dynasty: A title locked up and a team locked out
 Destruction of a Dynasty: A title locked up and a team locked out
The shockwaves were still rippling through the wrestling world on the second Sunday morning in March of 2011 as news of Nebraska-Omaha’s stunning decision to drop its most successful athletic program spread across the country.  Fresh off their sixth Division II national title in eight seasons, the Mavericks were an hour into their championship celebration when athletic director Trev Alberts broke up the party with a bombshell phone call to longtime coach Mike Denney. 
Alberts informed Denney of the school’s decision to cut wrestling — an almost inconceivable fate for the sport’s top college empire at the time. 
To this day, wrestling is the only men’s sport to win an NCAA title at Nebraska-Omaha. The Mavericks won their first national championship under Denney in 1991. It took them 13 years to get back to the D2 pinnacle, but once they got there, they purchased property at the top, reeling off three straight titles on two occasions. 
Denney and company thought they were set up for long-term dominance when the Mavericks pulled away in the 2011 championship round to capture their seventh title. UNO’s post-tournament festivities came to an abrupt end after Alberts informed Denney of the decision.  This is the second of a three-part oral history series by Andy Hamilton and Kyle Klingman chronicling the stunning elimination of a powerhouse program at the peak of its dynasty and the aftermath as told by Denney, his former wrestlers and others connected to the decision. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1615524133965&twSessionId=imovdvwczw&postId=1115939135}}

12 } – Destruction of a Dynasty: The aftermath in Omaha and an opportunity for an upstart
 Destruction of a Dynasty: The aftermath in Omaha and an opportunity for an upstart

It became clear in the days after Division II powerhouse Nebraska-Omaha won its third straight national championship that the Mavericks were facing a battle they had no chance to win.  An hour into the team’s celebration of the 2011 D2 title, the Mavericks learned their school was eliminating wrestling and football. Almost immediately, they shifted their thoughts to program preservation. But the more they learned about the situation, the more apparent it became there was no wrestling out of this position. 
The day after the tournament they arrived back on campus to find the locks on Sapp Fieldhouse — which housed the UNO wrestling room — had been changed out of fear wrestlers and football players would turn destructive in the wake of the decision.  The same day, UNO athletic director Trev Alberts announced the school was transitioning to the Division I Summit League. What’s more, he also revealed UNO was adding men’s soccer and men’s golf.  The Maverick wrestlers still had hope then that the state Board of Regents would block UNO’s decision to drop the two sports. Instead, they supported it with a 6-0 vote. 
A decade later, it remains unclear exactly why UNO would drop the most successful athletic program in the school’s 113-year existence.  Was it a dollars-driven decision as school officials have suggested? Was it a move to balance the Mavericks out on the gender equity scale? Was a fractured relationship between Alberts and longtime wrestling coach Mike Denney to blame? Or was UNO’s move to the Summit League and the absence of a strong wrestling presence in the conference the primary factor? … rest of story at _{^{https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1615522185015&twSessionId=cfpyxrcouu&postId=1118886135}}

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

NCAA Division III News (2021) – # 5

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Large number of articles and material included ALL on Division III schools. While there is no official NCAA National Championship Tournament for the 2nd consecutive year there will be an end of the season tournament for wrestlers at Division III schools this weekend. It will be hosted by the National Wrestling Coaches Association in the suburbs of Iowa City, Iowa. Much of the material included here is from the web site dedicated to these schools who have no scholarship support for their athletes. The web site is at https://www.d3wrestle.com/. This web site and the N.W.C.A. are two organizations dedicated to the support and growth of wrestling. They are worthy of our support. Keep on Wrestling! Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – NWCA Division III Releases Final Regular Season Poll
Manheim, PA – On Friday the National Wrestling Coaches Association released their final Division III individual rankings prior to next week’s NWCA Division III National Wrestling Championships. These rankings do not include a team tournament poll as there will be no team scoring kept at the national tournament.
INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
Only athletes entered into the Division III tournament are eligible for ranking in the top 12 which will serve as the tournament’s preseeds.  Brackets are now available on FloWrestling
The NCAA Division III Coaches Rankings are voted on and compiled by two coaches from each of the six Regions.
2020-21 NWCA Committee Representatives: Northeast – Mike Sugermeyer (WNE) & Corey Luce (NYU), Mideast – Justin Signorelli (Alfred State) & Jason Mclean (Muhlenberg), Southeast – Jon Laudenslager (Wilkes) & Anthony Bonaventura (Stevens), Central – Bill Schindel (Adrian) & Josh Malave (Mount Union), Lower Midwest – Jon McGovern (Dubuque) & Brandon Bradley (Nebraska Wesleyan), Upper Midwest – Tony Valek (Augsburg) & Dave Malecek (UW-La Crosse)

NWCA DIVISION III COACHES ASSOCIATION  NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Date: March 12-13
Starting Times: Friday – 12 pm | Saturday – 10 am
Location: Coralville, IA
Venue: Xtream Arena
Tickets: $41 All Sessions | $24 Single Day – Link
How to Watch: FloWrestling – Watch  |  Brackets
Presenting Sponsors:  ARMS Software, FloWrestling, and Reese’s
Event Sponsors: AAU Wrestling, Abbott, Defense Soap, InBody, NWHOF, Resilite, Sterilaser, Think Iowa City,  University of Iowa Sports Medicine, USA Wrestling, USMC, and WIBN … rest of story at _{^{https://www.nwcaonline.com/nwca-division-iii-releases-final-regular-season-poll/?mc_cid=92195b958e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

2 } – 2021 NWCA DIII BRACKETS ARE LIVE

2021 NWCA Division III Coaches Association National Championships Brackets
All brackets as a single PDF
The top 12 were seeded with the rest of the bracket drawn in randomly. There will be no team scores, and the top eight finishers will be named NWCA All-Americans. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.d3wrestle.com/2021-nwca-diii-brackets-are-live/?mc_cid=92195b958e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

3 } – King’s Announces Wrestling Room Initiative; Will Name Room After Legendary Coach Ned McGinley
WILKES-BARRE, PA (March 8, 2021) — King’s College Athletics and the wrestling program are thrilled to announce the beginning of renovations to the exisitng Wrestling Room, with the plans to expand and remodel the space while also naming the space for former head coach and legend Ned McGinley.  It is an exciting time for the King’s wrestling program and although the wrestling team was not able to compete this winter season because of COVID-19 restrictions, our student-athletes still joined together as a team with all safety measures in place and started to build toward the future. Our team is building upon its storied foundation by focusing on key priorities for the future, which include:
• Build a roster that challenges for a championship in every weight class
• Regain our athletic competitiveness on the national stage and continue to strengthen our academic performance
• Build alumni support and grow fundraising outcomes
• Increase community involvement by supporting youth wrestling in our area
• Implement a mentor program for Freshmen and Upperclassmen leadership development
• Implement and grow PSA database and High School Coaches database to help with recruiting efforts and growing the overall King’s wrestling brand … rest of story at _{^{https://kingscollegeathletics.com/news/2021/3/8/kings-announces-wrestling-room-initiative-will-name-room-after-legendary-coach-ned-mcginley.aspx?mc_cid=2cfe70fede&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

4 } – 2021 NWCA DIII 125 LBS. PREVIEW
The info below is based on the list of initial entries and could change as teams adjust their lineups.
Returning NCAA Qualifiers
Sam Braswell, Averett – 2020 SE Region Champion
Brady Kyner, Wartburg – 2019 NCAA Qualifier
Cole Kubesh, Concordia Moorhead – 2020 UM Region Runner-Up
Other Notable Entries
Alex Friddle, Coe – 4th 2020 LM Region
Chase Beecher, Alma – 5th 2020 C Region
Justin Stauffacher, Augsburg – 6th 2020 UM Region
Cameron Mahlich, Olivet – 7th 2020 C Region
JD McMillin, Ferrum – 7th 2020 SE Region
Bradley Rosen, North Central
Christian Chavez, Luther
Braswell is the only seeded wrestler from 2020 in this bracket and, along with Kubesh, is one of two returning 2020 qualifiers. He has gone undefeated so far. Kubesh qualified last year as the runner-up in the Upper Midwest region, finishing second to the eventual top seed at the 2020 championships. Kyner qualified at 125 in 2019 but fell to 8th in the region last season. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.d3wrestle.com/2021-nwca-diii-125-lbs-preview/?mc_cid=92195b958e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
AND 2021 NWCA DIII 133 LBS. PREVIEW
The info below is based on the list of initial entries and could change as teams adjust their lineups.
Returning NCAA Qualifiers
Levi Englman, Ferrum – 2020 SE Region 3rd, 2019 All-American
Josiah Gehr, Messiah – 2019 NCAA Qualifier (125)
Eron Haynes, Nebraska Wesleyan – 2019 All-American (125)
Brock Henderson, Coe – 2020 LM Region 3rd
Robbie Precin, North Central – 2020 LM Region Champion (125)
Other Notable Entries
Shandon Akeo, Central – 4th 2020 LM Region
Reese Wallis, Olivet – 4th 2020 LM Region
Nathaniel McClanahan, Mount St. Joseph – 6th 2020 C Region (141)
Joseph Jones, Averett – 7th 2020 SE Region
Justin Hames, Elmhurst – 8th 2020 UM Region
Cody Castelline, Fontbonne – 8th 2020 LM Region
Joshua Wilson, Greensboro
Joe Pins, Wartburg
Zach Thompson, Loras
A pair of 2019 All-Americans enter this weight in Englman (7th at 133) and Haynes (8th at 125). Also here is Precin, the #2 seed at 125 a year ago. Henderson qualified at 133 in 2020 and has gone undefeated so far this season. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.d3wrestle.com/2021-nwca-diii-133-lbs-preview/?mc_cid=92195b958e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

5 } – 2021 NWCA DIII 141 LBS. PREVIEW
The info below is based on the list of initial entries and could change as teams adjust their lineups.
Brackets on FloArena
Returning NCAA Qualifiers
Jimmy McAuliffe, Elmhurst – 2020 UM Region Runner-Up (149), 2018 All-American
Kristian Rumph, Wartburg – 2020 LM Region Champion (133)
Kyle Slendorn, Stevens – 2020 SE Region Champion (133)
Mario Vasquez, Ferrum – 2019 All-American
Brandon Woody, Averett – 2019 NCAA Qualifier
Riley Wright, Coe – 2020 LM Region Champion
Other Notable Entries
Cade Lundeen, Concordia Moorhead – 5th 2020 UM Region
Jalen Schropp, Loras
Brady Gross, Augsburg
With six entries with NCAA experience, 141 is a weight with talent at the top. Rumph was the top seed at 133 last year, while McAuliffe is a 3x qualifier who got on the podium in 2018. Slendorn was a regional champ in his first year at Stevens, while Wright won a tough weight at the Lower Midwest last season. Regional foes Vasquez and Woody both last qualified in 2019 with Vasquez placing 8th. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.d3wrestle.com/2021-nwca-diii-141-lbs-preview/?mc_cid=b1fa7a1c33&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
AND 2021 NWCA DIII 184 LBS. PREVIEW
The info below is based on the list of initial entries and could change as teams adjust their lineups.
Brackets on FloArena
Returning NCAA Qualifiers
Paul Detwiler, Coast Guard – 2020 NE Region Champion, 2019 qualifier
Shane Liegel, Loras – 3rd 2020 LM Region
David Stevens, Messiah – 2020 SE Region Runner-Up
Other Notable Entries
Griffin McBride, Central – 4th 2020 LM Region (174)
Ira Kuehn, Luther – 5th 2020 LM Region
Brock Montford, North Central – 6th 2020 LM Region (174)
Helton Vandenbush, MSOE – 6th 2020 UM Region
Nevin Brittain, Elmhurst – 7th 2020 UM Region (174)
Merrick O’Donnell, Concordia Wisconsin – 8th 2020 UM Region
Nick Rogge, Augsburg
Ryan Schott, Coe
Cael Krueger, Wartburg
184 is a deep weight with nine returning regional placewinners as well as some excellent newcomers. Detwiler was an undefeated #2 seed last year and a 2019 NCAA qualifier. Liegel is 9-1 with his only loss coming to start the year at Iowa State. Stevens was the Southeast runner-up and has only lost to Clarion so far. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.d3wrestle.com/2021-nwca-diii-184-lbs-preview/?mc_cid=2a2fd7a25b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

6 } – 2021 NWCA DIII 149 LBS. PREVIEW
The info below is based on the list of initial entries and could change as teams adjust their lineups.
Brackets on FloArena
Returning NCAA Qualifiers
Brett Kaliner, Stevens – 2020 SE Region Champion, 2x All-American
Robert Areyano, Central – 3rd 2020 LM Region
Noah Caskey, Coast Guard – 3rd 2020 NE Region (141)
Garret Cornell, Messiah – 3rd 2020 SE Region (141)
Brady Fritz, Wartburg – 2019 All-American (141)
Hai Siu, Greensboro – 2020 SE Region Runner-Up (141)
Other Notable Entries
Josh Gerke, Coe – 4th 2020 LM Region
Danny Terronez, Augustana – 5th 2020 LM Region (157)
Noah Nieman, Alma – 7th 2020 C Region
Zeke Smith, Loras
Charlie Stuhl, Augsburg
Hunter Murphy, Olivet
Peter McCusker, Millikin
Kaliner is the headliner here. He was 2nd as a freshman, 3rd as a sophomore, and the #2 seed as a junior last year. Fritz is the only other All-American here. He was 6th at 141 in 2019 and also was 6th in the region last season. Siu, Cornell, and Caskey are all up from 141 where they qualified last year. Siu beat Cornell in the 2020 regional semis … rest of story at _{^{https://www.d3wrestle.com/2021-nwca-diii-149-lbs-preview/?mc_cid=b1fa7a1c33&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
AND 2021 NWCA DIII 197 LBS. PREVIEW
The info below is based on the list of initial entries and could change as teams adjust their lineups.
Brackets on FloArena
Returning NCAA Qualifiers
Cody Baldridge, North Central – 2020 LM Region Champion (184), 2019 qualifier
Michael Dooley, Stevens – 2020 SE Region Champion, 2019 qualifier
Logan Hagerbaumer, Millikin – 3rd 2020 LM Region
Braden Homsey, Ferrum – 3rd 2020 SE Region
Jonathan Wagner, Coast Guard – 2020 NE Region Champion, 2019 qualifier
Gabriel Zierden, Concordia Moorhead – 3rd 2020 UM Region
Other Notable Entries
Kobe Woods, Wartburg – 4th 2020 LM Region
Donovan Corn, Luther – 6th 2020 LM Region
Don Phillips, Buena Vista – 7th 2020 LM Region
Chris Nielsen, Dubuque – 8th 2020 LM Region (184)
Brady Vogel, Loras
Kole Kreinbring, Coe
Three regional champs from last year headline 197. Baldridge is up from 184 where he was the #3 seed last year. Dooley is a 2x qualifier who won the Southeast and was seeded 7th. Wagner won the Northeast region and was seeded 6th. Hagerbaumer, Homsey, and Zierden all finished third in their respective regions at this weight. …. rest of story at _{^{https://www.d3wrestle.com/2021-nwca-diii-197-lbs-preview/}}

7 } – 2021 NWCA DIII 157 LBS. PREVIEW
The info below is based on the list of initial entries and could change as teams adjust their lineups.
Brackets on FloArena
Returning NCAA Qualifiers
Daniel Ruiz, Loras – 2020 LM Region Runner-Up (149)
Sean Sax, Westminster – 2019 NCAA qualifier (149)
Other Notable Entries
Tristan Birt, Millikin – 6th 2020 LM Region
David Hollingsworth, Wartburg
Brady Henderson, Coe
Tyler Shilson, Augsburg
Nick Boggiano, Stevens
Nick Barnhart, Messiah
Ruiz is the only 2020 qualifier in this weight after a runner-up finish in the Lower Midwest last season at 149. Sax qualified in 2019 at 149 and was 5th in the Lower Midwest last season. Sax has gone undefeated, mostly at 165, while Ruiz has had close losses to a couple of ARC opponents. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.d3wrestle.com/2021-nwca-diii-157-lbs-preview/?mc_cid=2cfe70fede&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
AND 2021 NWCA DIII 285 LBS. PREVIEW
Brackets on FloArena
Returning NCAA Qualifiers
Jordon Brandon, Wartburg – 3rd 2020 LM Region
Isaiah Espinoza, Adrian – 3rd 2020 C Region
Nico Ramirez, Southern Virginia – 3rd 2020 SE Region, 2018 qualifier
Wyatt Wriedt, Loras – 2020 LM Region Runner-Up
Other Notable Entries
Dominick Wilson, Olivet – 5th 2020 C Region
Tyler Kim, Augsburg – 5th 2020 UM Region
Kaleb Reeves, Coe – 5th 2020 LM Region
Carter Urich, Messiah – 8th 2020 SE Region
Ben Bergen, North Central
Trent Ragland, Averett
Sam Zook, Central
Four NCAA qualifiers return at this weight. Brandon beat Wriedt in a dual for the second year in a row, though the two did not meet in the 2020 region. Ramirez is the only qualifier in SVU history and was set for his second trip to the championships last year. Espinoza qualified last year and beat Wilson twice, though Wilson turned the tables on him this year at the MIAA. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.d3wrestle.com/2021-nwca-diii-285-lbs-preview/}}

8 } – 2021 NWCA DIII 165 LBS. PREVIEW
The info below is based on the list of initial entries and could change as teams adjust their lineups.
Brackets on FloArena
Returning NCAA Qualifiers
Bradan Birt, Millikin – 2020 LM Region Champion, 2x All-American
Philip Rogers, Coast Guard – 2020 NE Region Champion
Other Notable Entries
Zarik Anderson, Dubuque – 4th 2020 LM Region
Rafael Roman, North Central – 4th 2020 LM Region (157)
Matt Pangle, Messiah – 5th 2020 SE Region
Casey Allen, Cornell – 7th 2020 LM Region (157)
Morgan Peterson, Southern Virginia – 7th 2020 SE Region
Zane Mulder, Wartburg
Alex Turley, Averett
Ryker Kurimski, Coe
Birt is one of the more decorated wrestlers in the tournament with 2018 and 2019 All-American awards. He was the #2 seed last season at this weight and is certainly one of the favorites to win in Iowa. Rogers won consecutive 1-0 matches in the quarters and semis at last year’s region before getting a fall in the finals. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.d3wrestle.com/2021-nwca-diii-165-lbs-preview/?mc_cid=2cfe70fede&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}
AND 2021 NWCA DIII 174 LBS. PREVIEW
The info below is based on the list of initial entries and could change as teams adjust their lineups.
Brackets on FloArena
Returning NCAA Qualifiers
Kyle Briggs, Wartburg – 2020 LM Region Champion, 2019 All-American
Jacob Krakow, Loras – 2020 LM Region Runner-Up, 2019 All-American
George Moseley, Averett – 3rd 2020 SE Region (184)
Solomon Nielsen, Augsburg – 2020 UM Region Champion, 2019 qualifier
Brian Shermeyer, Messiah – 3rd 2020 SE Region, 2019 qualifier
Other Notable Entries
Alexander Skaare, Concordia Moorhead – 7th 2020 UM Region (165)
Tristin Westphal, Coe – 5th 2020 LM Region
Drew Matticks, MSOE
John Marsh, Cornell

Briggs got the year off to a great start with a win over Iowa state and then proceeded to get bonus points in every match since, including an 8-0 victory over Krakow, the other 2019 All-American in this bracket. Moseley qualified at 184 last year and dropped to 174 for 2021. He met up with 2x qualifier Shermeyer in a recent dual, and Shermeyer came away with a win by fall. Nielsen is also a 2x qualifier who was the #3 seed at the 2020 championships. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.d3wrestle.com/2021-nwca-diii-174-lbs-preview/}}

9} – College wrestling: Brendon Lunsford is the cornerstone of the Iowa Wesleyan program
MOUNT PLEASANT — When Shawn Contos was first hired as the head coach of the Iowa Wesleyan University men’s wrestling team nearly 12 months ago, he was looking for a cornerstone, a wrestler with some experience and leadership qualities to be the anchor of the team. Contos found exactly what he was looking for in Brendon Lunsford. Lunsford, a sophomore heavyweight from Stockport, hadn’t wrestled in two years and was looking for a place to transfer to after spending two injury-plagued seasons at Hannibal-LaGrange University. In a season abbreviated by the COVID-19 pandemic, Lunsford has won two of his three matches and leads the Tigers into the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III National Wrestling Championships Friday and Saturday at Xtreme Arena in Coralville. It is a big step for the Tigers and a giant step for Lunsford, who is looking forward to testing his skills against the best Division III wrestlers in the country. … rest of story at _{^{https://www.thehawkeye.com/story/sports/2021/03/10/college-wrestling-nwca-division-iii-national-championships-brendon-lunsford-iowa-wesleyan/6935637002/?mc_cid=2a2fd7a25b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

10 } – Murphy named MIAA Most Valuable Wrestler
FREELAND, Mich. – Olivet College junior Hunter Murphy has been named the 2021 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Most Valuable Wrestler. Wrestling at 149 pounds, Murphy posted a 7-0 record against MIAA opponents to help the Comets win the 2021 MIAA Championships. At the MIAA Individual Championships January 30, he posted a 4-0 record and followed that with a 3-0 record at the MIAA Dual Meet Championships February 13. Each of his seven wins were bonus point victories. At the individual championships, Murphy had three wins – 17-1 technical fall over Jacob Colbart from Adrian, 36-second pin over Zach Jandereski from Alma and 17-4 major decision over Isaac Hawkins from Trine – in pool play. In the championship bout, he pinned Noah Nieman from Adrian in one minute and 23 seconds. At the dual meet championships, Murphy won a 17-1 over Mason Priest from Alma, and then pinned Colbart in 2:16 and Isaac Hawkins from Trine in 57 seconds. The Comets posted dominant team wins in the three dual matches – 35-9 over Alma, 33-9 over Adrian and 37-9 over Trine. Olivet won 23 of the 30 bouts, with bonus point victories in 17. “Hunter is a guy who represents all we look for in a student-athlete: academic excellence, dedication to his wrestling craft and a championship lifestyle,” said Olivet head wrestling coach Brandon Brissette. “He put in the time and effort the last two years developing himself and taking advantage of every opportunity to grow presented to him. Now Hunter is shining on the mat, especially against MIAA competition. He leads our team in bonus wins by being absolutely tenacious with opportunities for back points off of his offense. We are excited about Hunter’s chance to place out in Iowa at the NWCA Division III Championships as well as his continued growth in the next two seasons!” … rest of story at _{^{https://olivet.prestosports.com/sports/wrest/2020-21/releases/20210308mmfv3i?mc_cid=b1fa7a1c33&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

11 } – No. 3 Bears Post 41-12 Win at Southern Maine
GORHAM, Maine — Coast Guard, ranked third nationally, won five matches by pin beating Southern Maine 41-12 in the final dual meet of the season. The top-ranked wrestler at 174 pounds and returning All-American Paul Detwiler earned a win by fall over Husky rookie Colton DeLeo and top-ranked at 197-pounds nationally and returning All-American Jon Wagner picked up a win by fall over USM freshman Nick Beebe  to highlight the Bears.  Detweiler put DeLeo to the mat in 1:13, while Wagner pinned Beebe in 1:24.  AJ Pagliarulo pinned his opponent in 2:06 at 141 pounds, Noah Caskey won by fall in 3:23 at 149 pounds and David McCullough earned a pin in 6:20 at 184 pounds for the Bears. … rest of story at _{^{https://uscga.prestosports.com/sports/wrest/2020-21/releases/20210306neh1pi?mc_cid=98fec82373&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

12 } – Kasper Signs Developmental Contract with WWE
WESTERVILLE, Ohio – Former Otterbein University star Drew Kasper has signed a three-year contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), officially announced by the organization Wednesday afternoon. Kasper, a recent 2020 graduate, agreed to the developmental deal after moving down to Florida this past fall and embarking through a three-day tryout. He will now begin training with the company full-time at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando.
“I remember growing up with my brothers, recording pro wrestling and watching it back together,” Kasper said recently from his new home in Longwood. “We played action figures down in the basement, would go outside on the trampoline to imitate our own matches, create home videos and gather around the computer to watch highlights on YouTube. I am very thankful for an opportunity like this and will make the most of it. I don’t want to get caught up in just saying I’m part of it. I want to excel and make an impact.”
Kasper delivered a standout four-year career for the Cardinals while majoring in exercise science. He compiled a record of 108-13, including a 62-2 mark at heavyweight, and finished as a 2x All-American. The Lexington native stood a perfect 30-0 toward the end of his senior season, and ranked No. 1 in the country, before the NCAA Championships were canceled due to the pandemic. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get over the disappointment of that, but I can always use it to better the next thing,” Kasper mentioned. “It will always drive me and I will hold onto it. I carried those feelings with me into the tryout and treated it as my national tournament. I gave it everything.” … rest of story at _{^{https://otterbeincardinals.com/news/2021/2/23/wrestling-kasper-signs-developmental-contract-with-wwe.aspx?mc_cid=e764d9125d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

March 11, 2021 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NAIA WOMEN’S NATIONAL INVITATIONAL, SET FOR JAMESTOWN, MARCH 12-13

QUALIFIERS ANNOUNCED FOR NAIA WOMEN’S NATIONAL INVITATIONAL, SET FOR JAMESTOWN, MARCH 12-13

Qualifiers by Weight Class

Qualifiers by School

Qualifiers by conference

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has officially announced the entries for the 2021 NAIA Women’s Wrestling National Invitational on Wednesday. The Invitational hosted by University of Jamestown, N.D. will take place March 12-13th, 2021.

This is the third year of invitational status for NAIA Women’s Wrestling and the second invitational due to the cancellation of the event in 2020 due to Covid-19.

For additional information on the 2021 NAIA Women’s Wrestling National Invitational, click HERE.

Editor’s Note: This is a qualifying event for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling set for Apri 2-3 in Fort Worth, Texas. … rest of story & link at ^{_{https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/09/NAIA-Womens-National-Qualifiers?mc_cid=2cfe70fede&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}}

How to Watch: 2021 NAIA Women’s Wrestling Tournament

View All 2021 NAIA Women’s Wrestling Tournament

Here’s how to watch the 2021 NAIA Women’s Wrestling Tournament on FloWrestling.

The 2021 NAIA Women’s Wrestling Tournament starts on Mar 12, 2021 and runs until Mar 13, 2021.

How to Watch:

STREAMING: Watch the 2021 NAIA Women’s Wrestling Tournament on FloWrestling. SIGN UP HERE.

On Your TV: Now Available on Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast & Apple TV.

Cast: Cast to your smart TV including Vizio, Samsung and LG TVs.

On The Go: Download the FloSports app on iOS or Android.

Archived Footage

Video footage from the event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloWrestling subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscription. … rest of the story at _{^{https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/6921851-how-to-watch-2021-naia-womens-wrestling-tournament}}

March 11, 2021 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Busy Tournament Weekend

What To Watch: Ohio State Tournament, NCAA DII Championships, USAW Recruiting Showcase Qualifiers

Linked at  What To Watch: Ohio State Tournament, NCAA DII Championships, USAW Recruiting Showcase Qualifiers

Events available to watch either live or on-demand on Trackwrestling this week include:

NCAA Division II Championships
Date: March 12-13
Video: Archived matches
Watch options: Pay-per-view ($19.99) or NCAA Postseason Pass ($44.95)
View brackets and results >

Ohio High School State Championships
Date: March 12-14
Video: Live stream and archived matches
Watch options: Pay-per-view ($19.95) or GOLD+ (129.99/year)
View brackets and results >

Oklahoma High School Team State Championships
Date: March 12-13
Video: Live stream and archived matches
Watch options: Pay-per-view ($19.95) or GOLD+ (129.99/year)
View brackets and results >

Missouri Girls High School State Championships
Date: March 9
Video: Archived matches
Watch options: Pay-per-view ($14.95)
View brackets and results >

Missouri High School State Championships
Date: March 10-13 … rest of story and 7 more tournaments linked at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1615356711512&twSessionId=imovdvwczw&postId=1116315135&mc_cid=2cfe70fede&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

March 11, 2021 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment