NCAA Division I Tournament Brackets
2021 NCAA wrestling championship brackets
The NCAA released brackets for the 2021 NCAA wrestling championship, which begins March 18 in St. Louis. You can find the official brackets here.
You can also find the complete list to the final coaches rankings of 2021 here.
5 takeaways from the 2021 NCAA wrestling bracket
Predictions are a fool’s game at this point, but here are a few key takeaways from the seeds, matchups and brackets for the 2021 tournament as well as how some of these bouts could play out if everything goes to seed.
Lucky Latona: Virginia Tech’s Sam Latona earned the coveted No. 2 spot at 125 pounds, opposite Spencer Lee, though his path to the finals won’t be easy. If the bracket goes chalk, he’ll have Pat McKee of Minnesota in the second round, and McKee has beaten Big Ten finalist Devin Schroder this year. Latona is also on the same side as N.C. State’s Jakob Camacho, who Latona has beaten twice but who always puts up a fight. Michigan’s Dylan Ragusin could be a landmine in this bracket too, though he’ll have to go through Camacho first if everyone wrestles to seed. … rest of story and updates at https://www.ncaa.com/live-updates/wrestling/d1/2021-college-wrestling-championship-brackets-schedule-analysis
NCAA Division I News (2021) – # 12
TDR Editor’s Notes ; Awards and recognitions for wrestlers from last month may be a bit behind in passing them along yet the news is worth reading as one awaits the brackets. They are to be released tomorrow for the Division I tournament. The Division II and III National tournaments will be wrestled this weekend. The D-II matches can be viewed at https://www.ncaa.com/live-updates/wrestling/d2/2021-ncaa-dii-wrestling-championship-selection-release-schedule?mc_cid=92195b958e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b Keep on wrestling! Contsct us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – Will a college wrestling legend emerge from a global pandemic?
Until his final breath, Dick Hutton insisted that he defeated Verne Gagne in the heavyweight finals of the 1949 NCAA Championships. And he’s not wrong for thinking that way, either. The Oklahoma State junior (known as Oklahoma A&M at the time) lost by split referees’ decision to Gagne — a senior from Minnesota who won the 191-pound title the year before. The fate of the match was left in the hands of someone else, and the outcome truly wasn’t settled on the mat. This seminal moment in college wrestling history was multiplied when both pursued professional wrestling careers. It didn’t matter where they were or the circumstances of the gathering: Hutton said he was the rightful winner of the match. Gagne said the same thing. It always led to playful banter whenever they were in a room together. … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1613968879360&twSessionId=zydvzxtigz&postId=1079962135&mc_cid=4fc5b594c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
2 } – Hall of Fame Talk with Willie Williams
For one Illinois State Hall of Famer, an opportunity was the only thing he needed to change his life forever. At the age of six, Willie Williams and his family moved from Mississippi to Chicago Heights, Illinois. It wouldn’t be until much later and the influence of a high school coach that he would be introduced to the sport of wrestling. Prior to his senior year at Bloom High School (1963), Williams had never wrestled. After continual pressure from the high school coach, he eventually gave it a try. “The wrestling coach talked me into coming out for the wrestling team and I made the team,” Williams said. “I thank the wrestling team; that pretty much prompted me to go to college.” After making the team, continual practice, and study of the sport, Williams excelled on the mat in his first season. Willie earned both the South Suburban Conference and IHSA District Championships his senior year. “I began to learn more and more about wrestling and of course there were a lot of people who knew a lot of wrestling,” Williams said. “I pretty much mingled with them and got educated by them and it got to be interesting and exciting and I caught on and stuck with it.” … rest of story at https://news.illinoisstate.edu/2021/02/hall-of-fame-talk-with-willie-williams/?mc_cid=9c47fa024a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
3 } – Peyton Omania Named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week
Spartan redshirt-freshman registers emotional upset win
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State wrestler Peyton Omania was named the Big Ten Conference Wrestler of the Week, announced by the conference office Wednesday. Omania is Michigan State’s first Big Ten Wrestler of the Week award recipient since Drew Hughes earned the accolade on Dec. 11, 2018. A native of Concord, Calif., Omania is a redshirt-freshman 149-pounder. In Friday night’s dual vs. No. 4 Michigan, as a special tribute to his De La Salle High School and Greco-Roman coach, Mark Halvorson, who unexpectedly passed away last week, Omania upset No. 5 Kanen Storr of Michigan, 15-8. After the win, Omania collapsed on the mat in emotion, then celebrated, pointing up at his dad who traveled from California.
The Spartan used a frenzied start complete with two headlocks to open a 12-1 lead in the first period, as Omania scored a pair of takedowns and ensuing four-point nearfalls. Omania’s 15 points was a new season-high for him and he now has double-digit points in all three wins. The 15 points were nearly twice as many as Storr’s previous high for points allowed against him, after an 8-1 loss on Feb. 12. Omania, unranked in four of the five rankings and No. 32 in TheOpenMat rankings, upset the two-time All-American Storr, who was ranked in the top eight in all five rankings, including No. 5 in InterMat and TheOpenMat. The emotional win was recognized by both NCAA Wrestling and USA Wrestling. … rest of story at https://msuspartans.com/news/2021/2/24/wrestling-peyton-omania-named-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=7c3cd1ad34&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
4 } – What the 200-win milestone means to Cael Sanderson and why there’s much more to his ultimate goal
Eleven years ago, Cael Sanderson issued then-senior Dan Vallimont a challenge. He wanted Vallimont, who by his own admission wasn’t known for his prolific offensive output, to score six takedowns in one minute and 15 seconds. It was Jan. 3, 2010, and Sanderson, Vallimont and the rest of the Penn State squad made the roughly 40-mile trip to take on in-state foe Lock Haven for a dual meet. The blue and white was up 19-3 in the match by the time Vallimont took the mat, and then as it progressed, there was one moment where Vallimont and his opponent went out of bounds. It was at that point when Sanderson issued his challenge.
“I was wrestling my match and I was winning by a good amount, … rest of story at https://www.collegian.psu.edu/sports/wrestling/what-the-200-win-milestone-means-to-cael-sanderson-and-why-theres-much-more-to/article_8561b7e4-7187-11eb-a0bf-0b6b590453c1.html?mc_cid=279b9a2f50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND Cael: Penn State’s Wrestling Coach Has Enjoyed Singular Success, but Caring and Gratitude Define Him More Than NCAA and Olympic Titles
There are a number of athletes and entertainers who are known by one name and one name only – Tiger, Shaq, Pele, Beyoncé, Bono, and Sting come to mind – but coaches … not so much. Around the world of college wrestling, the list of coaches who are that well-known has a solo entry: Cael.
Officially, he is Cael Norman Sanderson, 41. But drop that first name into a conversation about the sport in which he excelled as an athlete and is currently guiding Penn State to dynastic levels as a coach, and, yes, everybody knows his name. He became Penn State’s head wrestling coach in April 2009, after three seasons as head coach at Iowa State. To quickly summarize his success, Sanderson – let’s call him Cael – won four high school titles for Wasatch High School in Heber City, Utah (1994-97); four NCAA titles for Iowa State (1999-2002) while winning 159 straight matches; and earned the sport’s highest honor by winning an Olympic gold medal in 2004. As a coach, he has earned multiple Big Ten and national coach of the year awards while guiding Penn State to eight NCAA championship crowns. … rest of story at https://www.statecollege.com/cael-penn-states-wrestling-coach-has-enjoyed-singular-success-but-caring-and-gratitude-define-him-more-than-ncaa-and-olympic-titles/?mc_cid=7c3cd1ad34&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
5 } – Wrestling Mailbag! Off Mat Empire’s Center Circle picks their favorite freshman, plus rankings updates
Q: Who is your favorite freshman in the Big Ten this year?
HWAHSQB: Penn State freshmen were supposed to be the story this year, but they really haven’t been. Robbie Howard and Kerkvielet haven’t wrestled. Beau Bartlett has only wrestled extra matches as he declined to bump up to 149, but can’t displace Lee at 141. Finally, at 174, PSU’s next superstar, Carter Starocci lost his first match to my favorite freshman this year, Donnell Washington. Donnell or DJ depending on who you ask, puts up a lot of points and can occasionally give up a lot of points, but he’s going to get his money’s worth when he steps on the mat and what more could you ask for.
Atinat: Okay I loved DJ first but whatever, it’s cool. For real, Ohio State freshman Anthony Echemendia has an amazing story. He’s a Cuban defector, undefeated Arizona state champ in high school, amazingly decorated freestyle wrestler, and the starting 141-pounder for Ohio State. He won his first four matches before getting caught in an otherwise close match with #1 Jaydin Eierman. I’m definitely rooting for him personally and professionally, except when he’s wrestling Iowa. … rest of story at https://www.offtackleempire.com/2021/2/17/22286894/wrestling-mailbag-favorite-freshman-seeds-and-ducking?mc_cid=76aa098ad3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
6 } – Wrestling’s Ryan Hluschak ‘08: A Journey from Drexel to All-American and Beyond
Halfway through his freshman year of college at Lehigh University in the fall of 2003, Ryan Hluschak felt like he was missing something. He was on a football scholarship and had just finished his first season.
Excelling in both football and wrestling in high school, Hluschak was recruited by many schools. Some like Lehigh offering him football scholarships, and others like Drexel offering him wrestling scholarships. Hluschak had to make a difficult decision. He ended up choosing Lehigh and football. But after football season ended in the fall, Hluschak still felt like he could wrestle. Sitting in his dorm in Bethlehem, Pa., he emailed the head assistant wrestling coach at Lehigh. … rest of story at https://drexeldragons.com/news/2021/2/15/wrestlings-ryan-hluschak-08-a-journey-from-drexel-to-all-american-and-beyond.aspx?mc_cid=9e45a80a12&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
7 } – Jason Borrelli: My Greatest Loss
Stanford coach Jason Borrelli wrestled at Central Michigan for his father, Tom, from 2002-06. Competing in the 133-pound weight class, Borrelli wrestled at the 2005 and 2006 NCAA Championships where he reached the round of 12 as a senior. Borrelli reflects on his performance at the 2006 NCAA tournament as a senior where he won his first two matches then lost back-to-back 8-4 matches on Friday of the national championships.
‘I WAS THE GUY WHO JUST MISSED AT EVERY LEVEL’
“I’ve had more losses that have stuck with me by far than wins. It’s hard to say why that is. You don’t train to lose. You always train to win. You expect to win so even when you have big wins oftentimes they’re not as memorable or celebratory because you train every day to win. The expectation is to win so when you lose you remember those. They stay with you and they motivate and drive you.
“I’ve had a lot at all different levels. “I was the guy during my career — at every level — who just missed. I just missed being an All-American or winning a big tournament. With the exception of the high school state tournament — especially in college — whether it was at FILA Juniors or the University Nationals or the NCAA tournament or at the US Open. All those tournaments I would get to that big match and lose. Maybe because I thought it was a big match and I put a lot of pressure on myself. I just never took that next step and that always weighed on me.” … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1614143203583&twSessionId=vqqnbxgrqs&postId=1085009135&mc_cid=9c47fa024a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
8 } – How a recruiting ploy became a durable bond between Sun Devil wrestlers
Arizona State heavyweight wrestler Cohlton Schultz was just named Pac-12 Wrestler of the Week after going 10-0 this season. Schultz earned this award after a weekend of defeating two top-10 wrestlers. As Schultz and the rest of the Sun Devils look forward to competing in the Pac-12 Championships in Oregon on Sunday, ASU can thank a friendship that started before he was a Sun Devil for getting the four-time Colorado state champion to wear the maroon and gold. When Schultz was in high school, he was rated the No. 1 pound-for-pound recruit in the nation. He earned the prestigious Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award, which “recognizes and celebrates the nation’s most outstanding high school senior male wrestlers for their excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, citizenship and community service.” Although Schultz is a one-of-a-kind wrestler, his best quality is his character, his head coach says. “I can tell you, I’ve been around the best wrestlers in the world – world champions, Olympic champions,” Zeke Jones said before the season began in December. “Cohlton has three World medals and a World title under his belt already before he even went to college. … rest of story at https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2021/02/23/recruiting-bond-asu-wrestlers/?mc_cid=9c47fa024a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND TOM’s College Wrestler of the Week
This week’s College Wrestler of the Week, Cohlton Schultz of Arizona State, went unbeaten in three contests for the Sun Devils. The redshirt freshman started the week with a forfeit from Pac-12 rival Cal Poly on Thursday. From there, the competition got much stiffer for Schultz. His schedule on Sunday included two of the top-six wrestlers in the nation, #5 Gannon Gremmel (Iowa State) and #6 Carter Isley (Northern Iowa). Cohlton’s first bout of the day pitted him against Gremmel with their dual hanging in the balance. The Sun Devils clung to a 17-15 lead, making the clash a “winner-take-all” affair. A hands-to-the-face call accounted for the first point of the match in Schultz’s favor. He added a second point with an escape, but only after Gremmel amassed more than a minute of riding time. That riding time coupled with an escape point for the Cyclone in the third stanza sent the bout to sudden victory. After no points were scored in that minute, Schultz managed to get an escape before riding out Gremmel for his portion of the 30-second top/bottom exchange, which gave him a 3-2 win.
There was less suspense from an individual and team standpoint during the Sun Devils’ second match of the afternoon against Northern Iowa. With a victory for ASU already locked up, Schultz used a takedown in the opening period to cruise to a 4-0 win over Isley. The two wins helped Arizona State finish the regular season with a 6-0 dual record, … rest of story at https://news.theopenmat.com/college-wrestling-news/toms-college-wrestler-of-the-week-february-15th-2021/80026?mc_cid=9e45a80a12&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
9} – Limiting Mistakes and Making Improvements are the Keys for WVU Wrestling’s Postseason Preparation
There have been ups and downs during this 2021 West Virginia wrestling season, but as the postseason rapidly approaches, third-year head coach Tim Flynn plans to focus on “limiting mistakes” and making the “little improvements” as his young Mountaineers squad prepares for the 2021 Big 12 Championships and ultimately the 2021 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships next month. “I think there was good and bad, you know, we had some good matches, and some not so good,” Flynn said of WVU’s performance at the Cowboy Challenge on Sunday. “Maybe [we] gotta be a little more consistent. But it was nice to get a tournament in as opposed to a dual, just a little something different heading into Big 12s.”
While adjustments will be made between now and the postseason for this crop of inexperienced WVU grapplers, the key is to not “reinvent the wheel,” but rather just focus on fine-tuning smaller facets of their preexisting individual skillsets. For redshirt junior, Noah Adams, he will likely just make little tweaks, while also relying largely on his years of college wrestling experience, to help prepare him for the postseason. … rest of story at https://wvsportsnow.com/limiting-mistakes-and-making-improvements-are-the-keys-for-wvu-wrestlings-postseason-preparation/?mc_cid=279b9a2f50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
10 } – Serrano Named Colorado Sports Hall of Fame High School Athlete of the Year
Dominick Serrano has been named Colorado’s 2020 High School Athlete of the Year, the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Selection Committee announced earlier this month. Serrano, a freshman for the Nebraska wrestling program, won his fourth consecutive state wrestling title last February at 132 pounds for Windsor High School. He became just the second wrestler in state history to finish his prep career undefeated while being a four-time state champion. Serrano finished his high school career 168-0, with 122 victories coming by fall. This season for Nebraska, Serrano made his Husker debut in an extra match against Michigan State on Feb. 6. He took the Spartans’ Andrew Chambal to overtime, ultimately falling 6-4 in the first sudden victory period. … rest of story at https://huskers.com/news/2021/2/22/wrestling-serrano-named-colorado-sports-hall-of-fame-athlete-of-the-year.aspx?mc_cid=9c47fa024a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
11 } – Big Ten co-champs Iowa, Penn State close out year atop NWCA Coaches Poll
Manheim, Pennsylvania – A shortened 2020-21 Division I wrestling season came to a close with Iowa going wire-to-wire as the top dual meet team in the nation as the final NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll was released on Tuesday. Match cancellations and no non-conference schedule left the top-ranked Hawkeyes with only five duals on the season – same as second-ranked Penn State. ACC regular season champions Virginia Tech finished the regular season third, followed by one-loss Michigan at No. 4 and unbeaten Missouri at No. 5. Oklahoma State, like Missouri, also finished 10-0 and ended at No. 6. The Big Ten closed out with nine teams in the Top 25, followed by the Big 12 with six teams and the ACC with five. … rest of story at https://www.nwcaonline.com/big-ten-co-champs-iowa-penn-state-close-out-year-atop-nwca-coaches-poll/?mc_cid=9c47fa024a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
12 } – Portage grad Donnell Washington thrives for Indiana wrestling
Donnell Washington was Angel Escobedo’s lab experiment. All he needed to do was get Washington into the Indiana University wrestling room. “DJ was a state runner-up (at Portage) — he wasn’t a big-time recruit,” said Escobedo, IU’s head wrestling coach. “We were so excited to get him, and the year he’s having, it only shows you how our program can make you better.”
Washington, a 174-pounder, wasn’t ranked to start the season. He wasn’t ranked in the second or third national poll, either. But Escobedo, a four-time state champion at Griffith, knew what he had in Washington. He’s not surprised at all by the redshirt sophomore’s success. Last season as a redshirt freshman, Washington led the Hoosiers — varsity or unattached — in victories with 22. He was sixth at the Midlands, won an open meet, and was second in four others wrestling unattached. He’s currently ranked sixth in the nation at 174 pounds on FloWrestling and was recently named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week. “DJ’s made a tremendous jump from last year — just an unbelievable leap,” said Escobedo, a national champion for IU in 2008 and a former member of Team USA. “To be honest, I talk to him all the time about how I was around world-level guys, world and Olympic champs, and he has the tools to be one of the best in the world — he can be a world champion.” … rest of story at https://www.nwitimes.com/sports/portage-grad-donnell-washington-thrives-for-indiana-wrestling/article_7ed5430d-4316-54c7-b7fb-4256f79c8cf2.html?mc_cid=329018bca1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Carolinas’ Colleges’ News (2021) – # 5
TDR Editor’s Notes ; The following articles are just some of the news of teams in North and South Carolina as all have completed their conference tournaments to qualify for nationals in St. Louis. The Division I schools gathered in the ACC tournament at N.C. State and the Southern Conference at Appalachian State. The Division II schools competed in the Super Regional at Emmanuel College. Read on and Keep Wrestling.
Contact us with your input at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – Runnin’ Bulldogs Earn Six Third-Place Finishes at 2021 SoCon Championship
BOONE, N.C. – Gardner-Webb had six men earn third-place finishes as the Runnin’ Bulldogs took part in the 2021 Southern Conference Wrestling Championship Sunday at the Holmes Convocation Center in Boone, N.C.
Todd Carter, Trevon Majette, Taylor Parks, Evan Schenk, Jha’Quan Anderson, and Anthony Perrine each brought home third-place finishes in their weight classes, while RJ Mosley earned a fourth-place result. At 133 pounds, Carter won his first match of the day against Chattanooga’s Colton Landers before falling in the semifinals to Appalachian State’s Sean Carter. In the consolation rounds, Carter defeated Presbyterian’s Dominic Chavez and again defeated Landers in the third-place match. Majette blanked The Citadel’s Tyler Seeley by major decision in the opening bout at 141 pounds before falling in a tiebreaker to App State’s Anthony Brito in the semifinals. Majette then claimed both matchups in the consolation rounds to place third. At 157 pounds, Taylor Parks fell in the opening round to VMI’s Blake Showers, but went through the consolation rounds to pin Chattanooga’s Weston Wichman in the third-place bout. … rest of story at https://gwusports.com/news/2021/2/28/wrestling-runnin-bulldogs-earn-six-third-place-finishes-at-2021-socon-championship.aspx
2 } – Three-Peat: @PackWrestle Claims ACC Gold for Third Straight Year
Wolfpack Claims Five of the 10 Individual Titles
RALEIGH, N.C. – Powered behind five individual ACC Champions, the NC State wrestling team claimed its third straight ACC Championship Sunday night in Reynolds Coliseum. NC State claimed top team honors with 89.5 team points. Virginia Tech was second with 65.5 and North Carolina third with 63. Virginia (55), Pitt (45) and Duke (7) rounded out the team scoring. In the process, the Pack qualified eight of its 10 starters for the NCAA Championships, and the remaining two will wait to earn if they earned an at-large selection.
ACC Championship Finals
The ACC Finals started at 133 pounds.
141 ACC Finals | #8 Tariq Wilson vs. #9 Zach Sherman, UNC
Wilson reached the ACC Finals for the third straight year, and became an ACC champion for the first time in his career. … rest of story at https://gopack.com/news/2021/2/28/wrestling-three-peat-packwrestle-claims-acc-gold-for-third-straight-year.aspx?mc_cid=6c7ef6b094&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
3 } – 3-peat! Camels clinch 3rd straight SoCon title
BOONE, N.C. – Campbell held off a late Appalachian State surge to claim its third consecutive Southern Conference Wrestling Championship on Sunday at the Holmes Convocation Center. With eight Camels making finals appearances, Campbell held an 83-70 advantage heading into the consolation finals before the Mountaineers took an 87-86 lead, winning five individual titles at 125, 133, 141, 149 and 157. Four of those included head to head matchups between the Camels and Mountaineers (125, 141, 149 and 157). Austin Murphy gave Campbell the go-ahead title clinching points at 174 pounds, earning first period back points and hanging on for a 9-3 decision over App State’s Thomas Flitz. Chris Kober added to CU’s lead at 197 pounds, defeating Chattanooga’s Logan Andrew 3-1, securing a third individual Campbell champion. Campbell finished with 92 team points, staving off Appalachian State’s 87. Chattanooga took third with 64 points, followed by Gardner-Webb (50), The Citadel (43.5), VMI (18) and Presbyterian (6.5). … rest of story at https://gocamels.com/news/2021/2/28/wrestling-3-peat-camels-clinch-3rd-straight-socon-title.aspx?mc_cid=6c7ef6b094&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
4 } – ACC PREVIEW: FIVE RANKED TEAMS AND NUMEROUS TALENTED INDIVIDUALS BATTLE FOR 33 NCAA BERTHS
The ACC is set for the 2021 ACC Wrestling Championship with five of its six teams finishing the dual meet season ranked in the NWCA’s top 20. A conference championship full of talent, the event is set to feature stars up and down the brackets, potentially resulting in a very tight team race. Nine of last year’s 10 ACC champions return this year, looking to win back-to-back conference titles. The tournament will start strong at 125 pounds, with returning champion Jakob Camacho of NC State ranked as the second seed behind Virginia Tech’s top-seeded Sam Latona. The two faced each other in a dual meet on February 5, with Latona scoring in dramatic fashion late to win and secure the team victory for Virginia Tech. Colton Camacho of Pittsburgh, Patrick McCormick of Virginia, Wil Guida of North Carolina and Logan Agin of Duke will also compete at a weight that has three automatic qualifier spots up for grabs. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/February/25/ACC-Conference-preview?mc_cid=327be7a669&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
5 } – Southern Conference announces seeding for 2021 Wrestling Championship
Seven teams set to compete for the championship crown on Sunday
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference has released the seeds for the 2021 SoCon Wrestling Championship, the league office announced Wednesday afternoon. The No. 1 seed in each weight class will receive a bye for the first match. The championship is set to take place Sunday, Feb. 28, at the Holmes Convocation Center in Boone, North Carolina. Seven squads will compete for the 2021 SoCon title with 13 NCAA allocations available for the NCAA Championships. Campbell seeks to defend its last two tournament titles under first-year head coach Scotti Sentes. The Camels won their third straight regular-season title, going undefeated in SoCon action this season. App State, the 2021 preseason favorite, finished second in the conference standings with its only loss to Campbell as the Mountaineers look to uphold the preseason prediction at home. … rest of story at https://soconsports.com/news/2021/2/24/southern-conference-announces-seeding-for-2021-wrestling-championship.aspx?mc_cid=7c3cd1ad34&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
6 } – After 8-0 SoCon slate, Russell leads App State wrestling into postseason
Codi Russell, a senior on App State’s wrestling team, said he’s been involved with the sport since he was about three and half years old – far earlier than most dream of joining a college team. Russell’s dad, George, wrestled at Gardner-Webb University, so naturally, he passed the sport down to his sons; first Sean, and then Codi. “When I came along, as soon as I could walk, my dad just went ahead and started making me and Sean wrestle each other,” Russell said. Both brothers played baseball, football and wrestled, and Codi said they were super competitive in everything from an early age. He said they ended up focusing on wrestling because it was the sport they enjoyed the most success in. “I think for me and Sean, we liked the one-on-one aspect,” Russell said. … rest of story at https://theappalachianonline.com/after-8-0-socon-slate-russell-leads-app-state-wrestling-into-postseason/?mc_cid=9e45a80a12&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
7 } – Formato Named SoCon Wrestler of Year as Four Mountaineers Honored
BOONE, N.C. — App State’s Will Formato has been named the SoCon Wrestler of the Year, and he is one of three Mountaineers representing his weight class on the 10-man All-SoCon team. Formato (165 pounds) is joined on the All-SoCon team by Codi Russell (125) and Jonathan Millner (149). All three wrestlers went 8-0 in SoCon duals this season and are top seeds for Sunday’s SoCon Championships at the Holmes Center in Boone. Additionally, App State’s Tristan Pugh (149) made the All-Freshman team. The league’s awards were voted on by the nine head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their student-athletes.
Formato is tied for the national lead in victories, as he’ll take a 13-1 record into this weekend’s conference championships. He outscored his opponents 120-9 and didn’t allow a takedown in his 13 victories during the regular season. … rest of story at https://appstatesports.com/news/2021/2/25/wrestling-formato-named-socon-wrestler-of-the-year-as-four-mountaineers-honored.aspx?mc_cid=327be7a669&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
8 } – O’CONNOR WINS ACC TITLE AT 149 POUNDS, TAR HEELS FINISH 3RD
RALEIGH — For the second year in a row, Austin O’Connor won the ACC tournament title at 149 pounds, leading North Carolina to a third-place finish at the 2021 ACC Wrestling Championship. Both Zach Sherman (141) and Clay Lautt (174) posted runner-up finishes for the Tar Heels at Reynolds Coliseum on Sunday. Devin Kane took third at 184 pounds, while Max Shaw also earned the third podium spot at 197 pounds. In total, seven Tar Heels earned NCAA automatic qualifier spots from Sunday’s competition. Josh McClure (157) and Andrew Gunning (285) both took fourth place at their respective weight classes, good to qualify for NCAAs, which will take place March 18-20 in St. Louis. O’Connor cruised to a win over Duke’s Josh Finesilver in the semifinals early in the day to set up a 2020 ACC finals rematch against Virginia Tech’s Bryce Andonian. In that finals match, Andonian scored on a dramatic early flurry, a takedown and four near fall points to open up an early 6-0 lead over O’Connor. However, the Tar Heel junior chipped his way back into the match and ultimately wrapped up a 10-8 decision to win his second ACC title for Carolina. … rest of story at https://goheels.com/news/2021/2/28/wrestling-o-connor-wins-acc-title-at-149-pounds-tar-heels-finish-3rd.aspx
9} – No. 24 Wrestling Grabs Runner-Up Honors At Super Regional Tournament
FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. – Junior Nick Daggett and seniors Luke McDonough and Ryan Monk each registered unblemished runs through their respective weight classes to lead the way for the 24th-ranked UNC Pembroke wrestling team’s run to a second-place finish at the NCAA Super Regional II Tournament on Saturday inside Emmanuel College’s Shaw Athletic Center. Sophomore Logan Seliga and redshirt senior Bryce Walker both shook off tough quarterfinal losses to post a pair of wins in the consolation portion of their respective tournaments to finish in third place. Walker thwarted Hunter Tobiasson of Queens in the “True 2nd Place” matchup at 197 pounds to lock up a berth into next month’s NCAA Division II Championships, while Seliga dropped a tough 3-2 decision with Belmont Abbey’s Ben Fielding in his True 2nd Place bout. Seliga, however, was announced as a wild card entry into the national tournament in a post-event meeting by the NCAA Super Region II head coaches. … rest of story at https://uncpbraves.com/news/2021/2/27/no-24-wrestling-runner-up-ncaa-super-regional.aspx
10 } – Finesilver Earns NCAA Bid; Duke Competes at ACC Championships
RALEIGH, N.C. – Redshirt junior Josh Finesilver earned himself an automatic bid to the 2021 NCAA Championships after placing third at the ACC Wrestling Championships at Reynolds Coliseum on Sunday.
Finesilver was Duke’s top finisher at the event and qualified for his third career NCAA Championship after also achieving the mark in 2018 and 2019. With his accomplishment, Duke has now sent a wrestler to the national event in 13-straight seasons. It also continues a long Finesilver family tradition of participating in the postseason tournament as the Blue Devils have sent at least one of four Finesilver brothers to every event since 2015. Older brothers Mitch and Zach were both four- and three-time qualifiers, respectively, while twin brother Matt, who was sidelined this year due to injury, has participated in two. … rest of story at https://goduke.com/news/2021/2/28/wrestling-finesilver-earns-ncaa-bid-duke-competes-at-acc-championships.aspx
11 } – Three Greensboro Wrestlers Ranked or Mentioned in D3Wrestle.com’s Rankings
GREENSBORO, N.C.—Greensboro College Men’s Wrestling boasts two ranked wrestlers one other wrestler getting mentioned in this week’s D3Wrestle.com individual rankings, marking the first time in program history that the Pride have boasted three wrestlers either ranked or mentioned in the rankings. Hai Siu remains ranked in the 149-pound weight class, moving up three spots in his previous ranking to sixth place in the current individual rankings. Siu boasts three pins on the 2020-2201 season with his only loss coming at Southern Virginia, wrestling two weight classes up in the 165-pound class. In 2019-2020, Siu collected two wins at the NCAA Southeast Regional in February to climb the Division III ladder. Siu collected a fall victory over Waynesberg’s Matt Lascola in 2:17 while earning a 5-1 decision over Garret Cornell of Messiah in the quarterfinal. Siu faced Averett rival Brandon Woody in the semifinals in an overtime two-point takedown to advance to the finals. Siu placed second in the weight class at the Division III Southeast Regional as he finished the tournament facing top-ranked Troy Stanich of Stevens. … rest of story at https://greensborocollegesports.com/news/2021/2/16/mens-wrestling-three-greensboro-wrestlers-ranked-or-mentioned-in-d3wrestle-coms-rankings.aspx
12 } – Sanderlin Earns SoCon All-Rookie Recognition
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Wrestling newcomer Bryce Sanderlin was named to the Southern Conference All-Freshman Team, announced by the league Thursday. Sanderlin finished the condensed, SoCon-only schedule at 4-2 at 157 pounds, and ended his rookie campaign on a three-bout win streak. “Bryce had an excellent start to his college career,” said head wrestling coach Andy Lausier. “Although the season was short, I am confident that he gained invaluable experience, setting the tone for great career ahead of him. Bryce’s success this season comes as no surprise – he is incredibly talented, disciplined, and motivated. We are all hopeful and excited to see him return to for a full season next year.” Davidson’s rise over the last few years should not come at as a shock – Sanderlin made it three consecutive seasons a Wildcat rookie has landed on the All-Freshman Team. Junior’s Kyle Gorant and Mitchell Trigg earned the recognition in 2019, with sophomore Cian Fischer joining them in 2020. … rest of story at https://davidsonwildcats.com/news/2021/2/25/wrestling-sanderlin-earns-socon-all-rookie-recognition.aspx
College Tournament Results (2021) – #7
TDR Editor’s Notes ; It was a busy weekend with many season-ending tournaments for most wrestlers. The NAIA National Championships (#7 & 10) ended the season for all of those wrestlers. The last Division I qualifying tournaments in the Big 12 (#8) and Big 10 (#1 & 2) decided the last automatic qualifiers. Also included here are some of the Division II Super Regionals (#3 & 9) results, a look ahead to the Division III Nationals (#5) and the NCAA schools Women’s Nationals (#6) results and more to review and guide readers in seeking wrestling news. Keep on Wrestling reading.
Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – 2021 Big Ten Wrestling Championships
MARCH 6-7, 2021
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. (BRYCE JORDAN CENTER)
BIG TEN WRESTLING | BRACKETS | BRACKETS (PDF) | STANDINGS | RECORD BOOK |
CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE | SCHOOL INFORMATION | BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS DIGITAL PROGRAM |
BRYCE JORDAN CENTER | VIRTUAL PRESS BOX
The 107th Big Ten Wrestling Championships will be held March 6-7, 2021, at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pa., with Penn State University playing host to the event for the third time and the first since 2009. All 14 conference schools will participate in the championships, which begins Saturday, March 6, with the first-round, quarterfinal, semifinal and wrestleback matches taking place during Sessions I and II. Action continues Sunday, March 7, with consolation semifinals and seventh-place matches getting underway during Session III and the first-, third- and fifth-place matches highlighting Session IV. … rest of story at https://bigten.org/sports/2021/2/28/2021WRESChampionships.aspx?mc_cid=92195b958e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND Iowa Claims Big Ten Wrestling Title
Hawkeyes capture their 37th conference crown and second in as many years
2021 FINAL RESULTS
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Iowa won the 2021 Big Ten Wrestling Championships title on Sunday with a team score of 159.5. The Hawkeyes earned their 37th Big Ten Championships title and second in as many years. Iowa claimed four individual titles from Spencer Lee (125), Jaydin Eierman (141), Alex Marinelli (165) and Michael Kemerer (174). Penn State finished in second place with 124.0 points, followed by third-place Nebraska with 105.5 points. Michigan claimed fourth place with 92.0 points and Minnesota rounded out the top five with 77.5 points.
Iowa’s Spencer Lee was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, while Hawkeye head coach Tom Brands was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for the fifth time. Minnesota’s Gable Steveson earned Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships honors and Penn State’s Carter Starocci received the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award. Lee successfully defended his 125-pound title after defeating Purdue’s Devin Schroder 21-3. At 133 pounds, the Nittany Lions’ Roman Bravo-Young posted a 5-2 decision over Austin DeSanto of Iowa to win his first individual conference title. Iowa’s Eierman picked up his first Big Ten title after defeating Penn State’s Nick Lee with a 6-5 decision to claim the 141-pound crown. The 149-pound title went to Ohio State’s Sammy Sasso, who earned a 5-2 decision over Nebraska’s Ridge Lovett. At 157 pounds, top-ranked Ryan Deakin of Northwestern successfully defended his title with a 6-0 decision against Iowa’s Kaleb Young. Iowa’s Marinelli successfully defended his championship at 165 pounds following a 3-2 decision against Ethan Smith of Ohio State. Marinelli became the first Hawkeye since T.J. Williams (1999-2001) to win three conference titles. The Hawkeyes’ Kemerer took home the 174-pound championship with an 7-2 decision over Big Ten Freshman of the Year Starocci of Penn State. At 184 pounds, Penn State’s Aaron Brooks was crowned following a 10-5 decision against Nebraska’s Taylor Venz. … rest of story at https://bigten.org/news/2021/3/7/iowa-claims-big-ten-wrestling-title.aspx#:~:text=Iowa’s%20Eierman%20picked%20up%20his,decision%20over%20Nebraska’s%20Ridge%20Lovett.
2 } – HAWKEYES SEND 6 TO B1G FINALS
UNIVERISTY PARK, Pa. — The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team advanced six Hawkeyes to the finals and sits in first place at the 2021 Big Ten Championships following Saturday night semifinal action at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Defending champions Spencer Lee and Alex Marinelli are returning to the finals. Lee is defending the 125-pound title and Marinelli is aiming for his third straight conference title at 165. Lee and Marinelli are joined in the finals by Austin DeSanto (133), Jaydin Eierman (141), Kaleb Young (157) and Michael Kemerer (174). Kemerer is a two-time runner up making his third finals appearance. DeSanto, Eierman and Young are all first-time Big Ten conference finalists. Lee won by fall in 23 seconds, tying the school record for fastest pin at a Big Ten Championships. The record was matched earlier in the day by Tony Cassioppi, and first set in 1992 by Bart Chelesvig. Lee defends his 125-pound title against seventh-seeded Devin Schroder of Purdue. It is a rematch of the 2020 conference finals when Lee defeated Schroder by 16-2 major decision. … rest of story at https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2021/03/06/hawkeyes-send-6-to-b1g-finals/?mc_cid=98fec82373&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND HAWKEYES WIN BIG TEN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team won the 2021 Big Ten Championships on Sunday, scoring 159.5 team points and crowning four individual champions. Alex Marinelli won his third straight 165-pound conference title, and Spencer Lee defended his 125-pound championship. Jaydin Eierman and Michael Kemerer became first-time Big Ten champions, leading Iowa to its second straight and 37th Big Ten Conference title. The team title is Iowa’s second in as many years and the 37th in program history. The Hawkeyes 35.5 point margin of victory is the largest by a conference champion since the 2010 Hawkeyes won by 37 points. “We’re going to St. Louis in less than two weeks. That’s really where their heads are. That’s where my head is,” said Iowa head coach Tom Brands. “You talk about performance, let’s do it again. (Someone) mentioned finishing at your seed or performing above your expectations, and that’s what competitors do. Let’s do it in St. Louis.” … rest of story at https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2021/03/07/hawkeyes-win-big-ten-wrestling-championships/?mc_cid=3fad4ffad8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
3 } – Division II Nationals
Live coverage of the 2021 DII wrestling championship selections
Brackets at https://www.ncaa.com/_flysystem/public-s3/files/DII_FInal_Brackets_2.pdf
CHECK OUT ALL THE RESULTS FROM THE SIX NCAA DIV. II SUPER REGIONALS
There were six NCAA Div. II Super Regionals held this weekend. This will set the stage for the NCAA Div. II Nationals, set for two weeks from now in St. Louis, Mo.
Teams that won Super Regional titles (with their national ranking)
• NCAA Div II Super Regional I at Erie, Pa. – No. 4 Gannon
• NCAA DII Super Regional II at Franklin Springs, Ga. – No. 20 Newberry
• NCAA DII Super Regional III at Tiffin, Ohio – No. 8 West Liberty
• NCAA DII Super Regional IV at Edmond, Okla. – No. 6 Central Oklahoma
• NCAA DII Super Regional V at Aberdeen, S.D. – No. 3 St. Cloud State
• NCAA DII Super Regional VI at Grand Junction, Colo. – No. 1 Nebraska-Kearney … rest of story and results at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/01/NCAA-Div-II-Super-Regional-results
4 } – ASU wrestlers break Pac-12 competition and championship trophy
Zeke Jones figured it was safe to entrust the Pac-12 wrestling championship trophy to senior Kordell Norfleet for a few hours Sunday night. “He’s one of the most responsible guys on the team, and it was a short night anyway,” from 10 p.m. after Arizona State won its fourth Pac-12 title in five years and 20th overall until a 3:45 a.m. departure from Corvallis, Oregon. But boys will be boys, and the trophy did not make it back to Tempe in one piece. “Let’s just say maybe the trophy needs to go to the hardware doctor,” said Norfleet, one of ASU’s five Pac-12 champions. “I don’t know why or how.” … rest of story at https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/college/asu/2021/03/03/asu-wrestlers-break-pac-12-competition-and-championship-trophy/6904812002/?mc_cid=e764d9125d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND OSU Wrestling: Cowboys Come Back to Win Share of Big 12 Title
AJ Ferrari’s performance in the finals ties OSU with its Bedlam rivals.
Oklahoma State came into the finals of the Big 12 tournament eight points behind the Oklahoma Sooners. The Cowboys had three finalists with Daton Fix, Boo Lewallen,and AJ Ferrari. There were a number of scenarios discussed here that could have played out and resulted in various team champions, but the night ended with both state schools sharing the Big 12 trophy. At 133, Daton Fix knocked off Anthony Madrigal to win the conference title. Daton won fairly comfortably, but he was unable to secure any bonus points. The next match at 141 had the only OU wrestler not competing with another Oklahoma State opponent. Dom Demas beat Iowa State’s Ian Parker. This put OU back up by eight heading to 149: Boo Lewallen vs. OU’s Mitch Moore. Boo won by decision over Moore and brought Oklahoma State back within four points of OU. The loss by ISU at 141 and an eventual loss for Wyoming eliminated both of those teams from the title race. … rest of story at https://pistolsfiringblog.com/osu-wrestling-cowboys-come-back-to-win-share-of-big-12-title/?mc_cid=3fad4ffad8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
5 } – FINAL TEAM LIST FOR NWCA DIII CHAMPIONSHIPS
The entry deadline for seeds was yesterday for the NWCA Division III Coaches Association National Wrestling Championships. Individual entries may change, but this is the list of the 34 teams expected to compete next weekend in Iowa. … full list of teams at https://www.d3wrestle.com/final-team-list-for-nwca-diii-championships/?mc_cid=bd28fec561&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND How to Watch: 2021 NWCA Division III Championship
View All 2021 NWCA Division III Championship
Here’s how to watch the 2021 NWCA Division III Championship on FloWrestling. The 2021 NWCA Division III Championship starts on Mar 12, 2021 and runs until Mar 13, 2021.
How to Watch:
STREAMING: Watch the 2021 NWCA Division III Championship on FloWrestling. SIGN UP HERE.
On Your TV: Now Available on Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast & Apple TV. … rest of story and options at https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/6910111-how-to-watch-2021-nwca-division-iii-championship
6 } – National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships Recap
Tiffin, Ohio – The National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships were contested yesterday on the campus of Tiffin University. There were 22 NCAA programs and 147 wrestlers. McKendree won the team title for a second consecutive season, racking up 209 points and a 37.5-point gap. King was second with 171.5 points, and Emmanuel was third with 133.5 (full results). Six of McKendree’s eight finalists won individual titles, and the Bearcats finished with 14 All-Americans. For Felicity Taylor, the third time was the charm. The junior from Iowa placed second at the WCWA National Championships in 2019 and NCWWCs in 2020. This year she faced Tiffin’s Sugey Ceja, now a three-time national finalist, and had to give everything to win it. Down 6-2, Taylor secured a takedown and rolled through a string of laces turned tech-fall with less than a minute on the clock. … rest of story at https://www.transitionwrestling.com/national-collegiate-womens-wrestling-championships-recap/?mc_cid=3fad4ffad8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND NCWWC Final Results
Final Team Standings (top 10)
1. Mckendree 209
2. King 171.5
3. Emmanuel 133.5
4. Colorado Mesa 97
5. Augsburg 88.5
6. North Central 80.5
7. Tiffin 65.5
8. Presbyterian 52.5
9. Adrian 43
10. Gannon 34 … rest of results at https://www.transitionwrestling.com/ncwwc-final-results/
7 } – NAIA
UPDATE: GRAND VIEW RALLIES IN CONSOLATIONS FOR SLIM 2.5-POINT LEAD OVER LIFE AFTER DAY ONE OF NAIA NATIONALS
After the Friday night quarterfinals of the NAIA National Wrestling Championships in Wichita, Kansas, the team standings was clearly a bit of a shocker. No. 3 ranked Life University was in the lead with 83 points, while nine-time consecutive NAIA national champions and No. 1 Grand View was in second with 75 points. However, the NAIA ran the tournament all the way through the blood rounds this year, going through the consolations until it determined all the All-Americans for the year. After a rally in the consolations, Grand View reclaimed a slim 2.5 point lead over Life, 98 points to 95.5 points. Grand View is attempting to become the first college team ever to win 10 straight national titles, regardless of level. They are currently tied at nine-straight with NCAA Div. I power Iowa, coached at the time by the legendary Dan Gable. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/05/Update-Grand-View-has-slim-lead-at-NAIA-Nationals-after-day-one?mc_cid=92195b958e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND REED NAIA NATIONAL CHAMPION FOR THE THIRD STRAIGHT SEASON; WRESTLING FINISHES THIRD
PARK CITY, Kan. – Brandon Reed claimed his third straight NAIA National Championship in the heavyweight class as the Lindsey Wilson wrestling team finished in third place. The Blue Raiders totaled 89 points throughout the two-day championship. After the event, Reed was named the NAIA Wrestler of the Year as well as the Tournaments Most Outstanding Wrestler. Reed is the first Blue Raider in program history to win three individual national titles. Reed (No. 1 at HW) took a 2-1 lead into the second period of his championship match against Greg Hagan (No. 2 at HW) of Grand View after scoring an early takedown. Hagan tied the match after starting the second period down with an escape. Reed scored another takedown in the period followed by a Hagan escape that pushed the score to a 4-3 lead for Reed into the final stanza. Reed scored a late takedown to secure his national title with a 6-3 decision. … rest of story at http://www.lindseyathletics.com/article.php?articleID=13198&checkSplashCookie=1
AND Larger than Life: Acosta, Eagles deny Grand View record-breaking 10th straight NAIA title
Before Grand View began its quest for college wrestling history, before the Vikings had even won their first national championship, Omi Acosta sat in Nick Mitchell’s office, listening to a recruiting pitch and a vision. Mitchell talked about taking over NAIA wrestling, and Acosta played a pivotal role in helping the Vikings get to the top of the heap. He won an individual championship the night Grand View hoisted a team title trophy for the first time.
That was just the start. Once the Vikings got ahead of the NAIA pack, they started pulling away. They won national titles in each of Acosta’s three seasons working under Mitchell as an assistant coach, and Grand View pushed its title streak to nine last March, matching college wrestling’s all-time record. While the Vikings kept stuffing their championship trophies into their case, Acosta took over an upstart program of his own — Life University — and began the chase of getting to Grand View’s level by hearkening back on the lessons he learned almost a decade ago while wrestling for Mitchell. … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1615113557966&twSessionId=hqmldenbei&postId=1112124135&mc_cid=98fec82373&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
8 } – BIG 12 Championships
SOONERS LEAD BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER DAY ONE
TULSA – The Oklahoma wrestling team used seven bonus-point wins to erupt for 62 points in Saturday’s second session and now take a 10-point lead into the final day of the Big 12 Wrestling Championship. A conference-best nine Sooner wrestlers remain in the bracket or wrestlebacks, including a trio of finalists who punched their tickets to the NCAA Championship with their performances on Saturday. Oklahoma (107 points) closed its night with three pins back-to-back-to-back and a tech fall to jump Wyoming and Oklahoma State in the standings and move into first place.
“We obviously wrestled really well tonight, but there is still a lot of wrestling left,” head coach Lou Rosselli said. “I’m proud of how our guys competed today with their backs against the wall, and we know what we need to do to accomplish our goals tomorrow.” … rest of story at https://soonersports.com/news/2021/3/6/wrestling-sooners-lead-big-12-championship-after-day-one.aspx?mc_cid=98fec82373&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND SOONERS WIN BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP
TULSA – For the first time since 2002, the Oklahoma Sooners are champions of the Big 12 Conference. The Sooners, powered by three finalists and six NCAA qualifiers, were tied by Oklahoma State with 124 team points after Sunday night’s final session at the BOK Center in Tulsa, as the teams were named co-champions. It is Oklahoma’s 24th conference championship, and third in the Big 12, but first in 19 years. Oklahoma held a 10-point lead approaching the finals and were powered across the finish line by 141-pound champion Dom Demas.
Following the championship, Oklahoma head coach Lou Rosselli was named Big 12 Coach of the Year. “Obviously a really exciting night for our program,” Rosselli said. “We knew that our guys had this type of fight in them and so for them to show it all weekend was really special for us and our university.” Dom Demas became a two-time Big 12 champion on Sunday night by defeating Iowa State’s Ian Parker after two tiebreaker periods when Parker was called for locked hands, but the Sooner All-American would’ve won on riding time criteria had the locked hands not been whistled. For Demas, he avenges his 2020 finals’ loss to Parker and becomes Rosselli’s first two-time champion at Oklahoma. Demas is the Sooners’ 186th conference champion. … rest of story at https://soonersports.com/news/2021/3/7/wrestling-sooners-win-conference-title.aspx?mc_cid=3fad4ffad8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND Cowboy Wrestling Claims Ninth-Straight Big 12 Tournament Title
Updated Brackets (PDF) Photos
TULSA, Okla. – The Oklahoma State wrestling team claimed a school-record ninth consecutive conference tournament title Sunday night as the Cowboys went 3-0 in the finals and finished with 124 team points to earn a co-championship with Oklahoma at the 2021 Big 12 Championships. The run of nine-straight conference tournament titles marks the longest streak in Big 12 wrestling history and breaks OSU’s former school record of eight consecutive championships that was set from 1921-1928. “We definitely didn’t want the co-championship,” coach John Smith said. “I think each team would’ve preferred to have won it, but congratulations to Oklahoma on a good effort and the things they did to put themselves in a position to win. It is what it is, but it reminds each guy in tight races like this to think about what they could have done to score one more point.” The Cowboys entered the final session with an eight-point deficit in the team standings ,,, rest of story at https://okstate.com/news/2021/3/7/cowboy-wrestling-claims-ninth-straight-big-12-tournament-title.aspx?mc_cid=3fad4ffad8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
9} – CHECK OUT ALL THE RESULTS FROM THE SIX NCAA DIV. II SUPER REGIONALS
No. 1 ranked Nebraska-Kearney qualified all 10 wrestlers to the national tournament on Sunday. Below are the full results of all six Super Regionals. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/March/01/NCAA-Div-II-Super-Regional-results
AND Super Regional Disaster
The saga to crown a Super Regional IV team champion had drug on for 36 hours before resolving today. For the University of Central Oklahoma, that finally meant being able to officially hoist themselves the 2021 championship trophy. This is the first regional championship for UCO since 2012 and their 20th overall. It’s the icing on the cake of a successful tournament that saw the Bronchos crown three champions and qualify seven athletes for the national tournament. Coach Steidley has put the rest of Division II on notice that his program is ready to compete for a team championship in St Louis. However, their one-point margin of victory over Lindenwood University has sparked controversy and called into question the scoring of all the Super Regionals. The controversy hinges on such a simple word, “possible.” The rule about scoring “true second” matches can be found in Section VII, Article 6.
NCAA Rules, Sec. 8, Art. 6. True Placement Matches. When true placement matches are wrestled in an individual team advancement tournament, the team score shall be adjusted only if true placement matches are held at all possible weight classes.
But what does “possible” mean? Does that mean only if all 10 weights are contested at true second? Or does it mean if all the possible true second matches are contested. The latter is what has happened in this case, but there is still more to this story. … rest of story at https://news.theopenmat.com/college-wrestling-news/super-regional-disaster/80143?mc_cid=bd28fec561&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND Comments From Super Region 4 Trackwrestling Operator On Controversy Surrounding The Scoring And Tournament Finish
There have been a lot of questions, conversation, and other information shared surrounding the controversial finish at Division 2 Super Regional 4 in Edmond this past weekend. I received an email from Joe Dauphin, who ran the tournament on Trackwrestling this past weekend, attempting to clarify some of the details on how things went. I thought I would share it.
Email from Joe Dauphin: I ran the Super Regional at UCO on Trackwrestling, and I have been following many stories and tweets about it. I wanted to clear some things up that have been inaccurate. Lindenwood was never announced as the winner. After the tournament on Sunday night, the Trackwrestling score had UCO as the winner by 1 point. … rest of story at https://owrestle.com/comments-from-super-region-4-trackwrestling-operator-on-controversy-surrounding-the-scoring-and-tournament-finish/
10 } – Men’s Wrestling Makes History, Claiming NAIA National Championship
WICHITA, Kan. —- 10 of 12 Life U wrestlers made it to the podium as All-Americans, and Brandon Orum clinched the 125-pound title as the Life University Men’s Wrestling team turned the NAIA wrestling world on its head last night, making history with the program’s first ever national championship. Life U accumulated 158 team points to reject the favorite’s, Grand View, shot at making collegiate wrestling history with its 10th-straight championship, winning by a five-point margin over the second-place Vikings’ 153 points in what was a two-team race after the first day. The rest of the top five teams at the end of the tournament were Lindsey Wilson at third with 89 points, Indiana Tech at fourth with 75.5 points, and Cumberland (Tenn.) at fifth with 74 points. The Mid-South Conference represented itself well in the tournament, six teams placing in the top 10. Three Running Eagles—Orum, Denver Stonecheck, and Asher Eichert—took to the stage on championship night, vying for the highest honor in their respective weight classes with Orum being the team’s lone victor. … rest of story at https://liferunningeagles.com/news/2021/3/7/mens-wrestling-makes-history-claiming-naia-national-championship.aspx?mc_cid=3fad4ffad8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
11 } – 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. … rest of story at https://theguillotine.com/2021/03/turriff-earns-nsic-elite-18-award/?mc_cid=92195b958e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
12 } – 2021 COLLEGE POST-SEASON SPECIAL SECTION
NCAA Div. I men’s coverage
Conference coverage
Long-time rivals Oklahoma and Oklahoma State finish tied and become co-champions of the Big 12
Iowa repeats as Big Ten champions, claiming four individual titles
Third and fifth place matches set after third session of Big Ten Championships
Iowa puts six in the Big Ten Championship finals, Penn State close behind with four finalists
Oklahoma leads Big 12 after day one, with Oklahoma State and Wyoming tied 10 points behind the Sooners
Lovett upsets Murin, but Iowa holds the lead in the team race after the first session of the 2021 Big Ten Championships
Arizona State repeats as Pac-12 champions, with five individual champions
Three Peat: NC State claims ACC gold for third straight year
Campbell wins third straight SoCon title with three champs and five NCAA qualifiers; App State gets five champions
Mizzou wins tenth staight conference title, with four MAC champions
Lehigh wins EIWA title with four champions and 10 qualifiers, Navy takes second
Missouri leads MAC Championships after day one … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/February/26/College-Post-Season-Special-Section?mc_cid=02f3563d01&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
International Wrestling News (2021) – # 4
TDR Editor’s Notes ; A look at wrestling events around the world and with USA Wrestlersinvolves in international matches. Keep wrestling on. Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – Iran’s regime punishes innocent murdered wrestler’s coach and club
“The regime just took the wrestling club of Navid’s coach and cut his insurance and salary. They gave his wrestling club to Omid Norouzi, the head of Sepahe Fajr Basij.” Islamic Republic of Iran authorities in January launched a new crackdown against athletic friends of the wrestling champion Navid Afkari who was hanged in September because he protested against the growing political and economic corruption of Iran’s clerical regime.Sardar Pashaei, the renowned Greco-Roman Iranian wrestler world champion, confirmed on Saturday to The Jerusalem Post that “the regime just took the wrestling club of Navid’s coach and cut his insurance and salary. They gave his wrestling club to Omid Norouzi, the head of Sepahe Fajr Basij. They also changed the wrestling club’s name from Jahan Pahlevan Takhti to Omid Norouzi Academy.” … rest of story at https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/irans-regime-punishes-innocent-murdered-wrestlers-coach-and-club-656475?mc_cid=ff92a43b17&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND Iranian Wrestling Federation vice-president calls for execution of Hosseini to be prevented
According to The Jerusalem Post, Iranian wrestler Hosseini is due to be executed after being found guilty of murder. He had reportedly been arrested in 2015 and charged with murder during a group brawl. The execution is expected to be imminent as the victim’s family has not agreed to pardon Hosseini for the alleged crime. Sourian, a London 2012 Olympic gold medallist in the Greco-Roman 55 kilogram division, has pleaded with the family to prevent Hosseini’s execution from taking place. “I beg Doctor Gholami Gheibi, who is one of the prominent doctors in Dezful, as the father of the victim, to please God,” he reportedly said. “I hope that the honourable family of Gheibi will forgive this young man by doing this good deed.” … rest of story at https://www.insidethegames.biz/index.php/articles/1102914/calls-to-stop-execution-of-hosseini?mc_cid=7d0bae3ce9&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
2 } – #197 Matt Gentry – 2x Olympian & NCAA Champion
ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Matt Gentry is a 2x Olympian and NCAA Champion. He wrestled collegiately for Stanford and then went on to represent Team Canada at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. Please enjoy! … rest of story at https://wrestlingchangedmylife.com/197-matt-gentry-2x-olympian-ncaa-champion/?mc_cid=63515b3c44&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND Gruenwald: ‘Trust, Love, & Hope’
During his remarkable career as a Greco-Roman athlete, Jim Gruenwald managed to become a two-time Olympian and one of the unquestioned leaders of the US National program. He was an elite international competitor who was uncompromising and vicious on the mat; yet filled with a love for Christ and a willingness to passionately share his faith off of it. Today, he is the head coach at Wheaton College in Illinois, as well as a highly-influential voice pertaining to all matters of encouragement, devotion, and Christian servitude. Trust, love, and hope. On the surface, not the first three words you would normally associate with the image of a wrestler, let alone one straining to become an Olympic Champion. Yet there are very few words as important. … rest of the story at http://www.fivepointmove.com/christian-faith/gruenwald-trust-love-hope/?mc_cid=e1d5a94c45&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
3 } – Patrick Smith Checks In From Croatia: “Super-Grateful” For Latest Opportunity
The Minnesota Twins on Thursday signed veteran lefthander JA Happ to a one-year deal worth $8 million, pending a physical. Haap, 38, had spent the previous three years with the New York Yankees, amassing a 21-10 record in 50 starts after coming over from the Toronto Blue Jays midway through the 2018 season. It was a solid run in the Bronx, though one that ended without a pennant. Haap’s brief tenure in pinstripes concludes with an ERA of 4.13 in 51 regular season appearances (50 starts) — but his 1.196 WHIP across 274 innings-pitched during that span ranked as the lowest in his career. So anyway, yeah, Patrick Smith (77 kg, Minnesota Storm, 5PM #1) cares about this. The two-time World Team member — who is currently in Porec, Croatia for camp alongside fellow Team USA rep Joe Rau (87 kg, TMWC/IRTC, world #7, 5PM #2) — is a passionate, knowledgeable baseball fan and pays rapt attention to meaningful offseason roster moves that might prove positive for his beloved Twins. Like most of his ilk, Smith cannot help but embrace the hope that arises each January just before spring training … rest of story at http://www.fivepointmove.com/usa-greco/patrick-smith-croatia-camp/?mc_cid=ff92a43b17&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4bhttps://wrestling.ca/wcl-announces-departure-of-high-performance-director/?mc_cid=4ec9be6c16&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
4 } – Monday Roundup: Russian Nat’l Results; HUN With Interesting Plans
Last week came and went the Russian Nationals. If you are squinting your eyes and scratching your head because it seems like that event had already recently transpired, you needn’t feel vexed. This past October offered the “Russian Cup”, which despite a very slight tweak in the format basically served as a fall edition of their flagship domestic event. A month later welcomed in the “Moscow Grand Prix”, which brought forth competition only in the six Olympic weight categories. Held in Rostov, the 2021 Russian Nationals for Greco-Roman did not see participation from multi-time World/Olympic star Roman Vlasov, who is hoping to qualify 77 kilograms (for Tokyo) in March. Reigning two-time World champ Musa Evloev (97 kg, world #1) was also missing in action. Both Vlasov and and Evloev triumphed at the inaugural Individual World Cup last month after appearing in October’s “Russian Cup”. … rest of story at http://www.fivepointmove.com/greco-wrestling-news/russia-nationals-tata-camp/?mc_cid=4ec9be6c16&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
5 } – Latrobe’s Luke Pletcher Continues Olympic Prep with Strong Showing at PWC2
Luke Pletcher, a Latrobe, Pennsylvania native, and member of the Pittsburgh Wrestling Club, and Dymond Guilford of the Titan Mercury WC were among the top senior-level performers on the PWC2 card, presented by PWC on Tuesday night.
In the final match of the card, Pletcher jumped ahead with a strong first period, then controlled the action on the way to a 7-1 decision over Dean Heil of the Navy-Marine Corps RTC at 67 kg. Pletcher was happy with the win, but knows he was far from perfect. … rest of story at https://pittsburghsportsnow.com/2021/01/27/latrobes-luke-pletcher-continues-olympic-prep-with-strong-showing-at-pwc2/?mc_cid=bf1f14c6db&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
6 } – Iran executes wrestler Mehdi Ali Hosseini
Despite pressure from the international community, and one of Iran’s top wrestlers, Iran carried out the execution of Mehdi Ali Hosseini.
On Monday Iran carried out the execution, via hanging, of national-level wrestler Mehdi Ali Hosseini. The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) reported that Hosseini, who was from Andimeshk, was executed in Dezful prison. He was 30 years old. Authorities charged Hosseini with murder in 2015, saying he killed someone during a mass brawl. Hosseini’s death sentence was upheld because the victim’s family declined the opportunity to grant him clemency. Iranian wrestling hero Hamid Sourian, an Olympic, World and Asian Championship gold medallist, had petitioned the family to show mercy to Hosseini.
Hosseini’s death comes a few months after Iran executed Navid Afkari, a wrestler who represented Iran’s national team. Afkari had been charged with murdering a security officer. Iran said that Afkari’s charges and conviction stemmed from a confession Afkari made while in detention. … rest of story at https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2021/1/28/22254046/iran-executes-wrestler-mehdi-ali-hosseini-navid-afkari-human-rights-wrestling-news?mc_cid=8a92ee7e2c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
7 } – Scarborough wrestler facing a battle off the mat in his fight to compete for Canada at the Olympics
It’s Jevon Balfour’s dream to represent Canada at the Olympic Games. But that dream has turned into more of a nightmare for the Brock University wrestler. Balfour barely missed out on competing at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and is determined to compete for Canada at this summer’s Tokyo Olympics. Sadly, there’s a major obstacle in his way that has nothing to do with his ability as a wrestler, which is considerable. In September, 2019, Balfour underwent eye surgery to repair a detached retina. Because of that, he was unable to compete at the Canadian Olympic trials in December 2019. … rest of story at https://calgarysun.com/sports/scarborough-wrestler-facing-a-battle-off-the-mat-in-his-fight-to-compete-for-canada-at-the-olympics?mc_cid=8a92ee7e2c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND Statement on Balfour appeal
On March 30, 2020, SDRCC Arbitrator The Honourable Yves Fortier, Q.C. made a determination in respect of Jevon Balfour’s participation with Wrestling Canada Lutte’s national team. That decision is available at the following link: http://www.crdsc-sdrcc.ca/resource_centre/pdf/English/948_SDRCC%2020-0446.pdf. While WCL is currently abiding by the decision, WCL confirms it has a received a request for appeal from Mr. Balfour. …rest of story at https://wrestling.ca/statement-on-balfour-appeal/?mc_cid=e1d5a94c45&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
8 } – UWW offers financial support for smaller nations to attend Olympic qualifiers
United World Wrestling has announced financial support for smaller nations and developing countries to help their athletes attend upcoming qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The technical assistance was announced by UWW’s development department. The governing body said financial support will help cover the costs of the international travel and accommodation for athletes to participate in the qualifiers. A maximum of two athletes and one coach nation will be accepted. The UWW says applications must be lodged by member federations to the development department via its official UWW email address. Nations will have until February 19 to apply for assistance to compete at the European Olympic qualifier, which will take place in Hungarian capital Budapest from March 18 to 21. … rest of story at https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1103668/uww-wrestling-support-olympic-qualifiers?mc_cid=8755157a86&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
9} – Monday Roundup: TWO Rule Updates; Army Finally Mobilized
In last week’s Roundup, the major item outside of the Russian National results was the appearance of a presumptive change to passivity governance that incorporates a third par terre option. Seven days later, and this rule update is no longer in the testing phase. Rather, it has been approved for immediate use in all upcoming competitions. Effective today under Article 47 of United World Wrestling’s International Wrestling rulebook, the potential for a third par terre opportunity is included. Below is the language employed to describe the new procedure as written. … rest of story at http://www.fivepointmove.com/greco-wrestling-news/rule-update-army-boise/?mc_cid=3d847489c9&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
10 } – What to Know: Ranking Series Points, Olympic Seeding, Prize Money and the 2021 Season
CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY, Switzerland (February 1) — The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the competition schedules of the sporting world, including wrestling. The changes to competitions and myriad travel restrictions have meant that United World Wrestling has been asked to adapt with changes to the 2021 schedule and competition arrangement. The 2021 season will be unlike any in recent memory. While athletes gear up for the Olympic Games by competing in qualification events and tournaments that will impact their seeding, they will also be wrestling in tournaments which help determine the 2021 Ranking Series champion. Those two trajectories will mean two sets of points for athletes, fans, and coaches to track in 2021. The Tokyo 202One seeding is almost complete, … rest of story at https://unitedworldwrestling.org/article/what-know-ranking-series-points-olympic-seeding-prize-money-and-2021-season?mc_cid=3d847489c9&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
11 } – AMERICA’S CUP MEN’S FREESTYLE DUAL MEET EVENT, FEATURING TOP U.S. OLYMPIC HOPEFULS, TO AIR ON FLOWRESTLING, FEB. 10-11
USA Wrestling and FloWrestling are pleased to announce the creation of a new men’s freestyle dual meet event, the America’s Cup, which will be held in Concord, N.C., Feb. 10-11 and broadcast live by FloWrestling. The event will feature between four to six men’s freestyle teams, featuring elite athletes, competing for $60,000 in prize money. Each team will have six athletes, covering the six men’s freestyle weight classes (with a 2 kg allowance per day), plus 2-3 alternates. U.S. athletes eligible for America’s Cup will include athletes who will attend a USA Wrestling Freestyle Training Camp in Concord, including numerous National Team athletes and Olympic Trials qualifiers. Teams will be selected once the potential participants are finalized, in a manner which will provide each team with a competitive lineup. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/February/02/Americas-Cup-set-for-February-10-and-11?mc_cid=e1d5a94c45&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
12 } – IOC PUBLISHES FIRST PLAYBOOK OUTLINING MEASURES TO DELIVER SAFE AND SUCCESSFUL OLYMPICS IN TOKYO
The International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee (Tokyo 2020) today published the first Playbook, a resource which outlines the personal responsibilities key stakeholders must take to play their role in ensuring safe and successful Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer.
The series of Playbooks provide a framework of basic principles that each key stakeholder group will follow before they travel to Japan, when entering Japan, during their time at the Games and when leaving the Games. They will provide direction and set parameters that will enable people and organisations to advance their planning at this stage. A preview of the Playbook for athletes was already given in a call with the Global Network of Athletes’ Commissions on Monday. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/February/03/IOC-publishes-Olympic-playbooks?mc_cid=653cd27934&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
NCAA Division I News (2021) – # 11
TDR Editor’s Notes ; This weekend most wrestling fans are probably fixated in locating options on how to view the Big Ten and Big 12 Conference Championships on their TVs and/or computer screens. These are the last two Division I national qualifier tournaments. The brackets for the National Championships in two weeks will be released on March 10th. The NAIA National Championships are this weekend with the tightest title race in many years. While looking for these matches you can scan over the following collection of articles about Division I teams and wrestlers. Keep on Wrestling!
E-mail us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – Ethan Laird Earns MAC Co-Wrestler of the Week
Senior heavyweight defeated No. 5 Jordan Wood in Broncs’ win at Lehigh
LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Rider University senior heavyweight wrestler Ethan Laird (Waterford, PA/General McLane) has been named Mid-American Conference Co-Wrestler of the Week, the league office today announced. Laird scored arguably the biggest win of his collegiate career with an 8-5 decision over #5 Jordan Wood of Lehigh on Sunday, clinching the Broncs’ 17-15 dual victory. The Broncs’ senior heavyweight jumped out to a 5-2 lead, before Wood evened the score at 5-5 in the third period. Following an escape with 30 seconds remaining to retake a 6-5 lead, Laird put the match out of reach with a takedown with 16 seconds remaining and rode out the victory. He’s now a perfect 5-0 on the year. … rest of story at https://gobroncs.com/news/2021/2/10/wrestling-ethan-laird-earns-mac-co-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=5e3b2f2de3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND Mizzou’s Mauller Named MAC Wrestler of the Week
MAC Announces Wrestler of the Week
Brock Mauller, Missouri, Junior, 149 lbs.
Columbia, Mo (Father Tolton HS)
No. 3 Brock Mauller went 3-0 at the Cowboy Challenge to improve to 13-0 on the season. He defeated nationally ranked No. 4 Boo Lewallen from Oklahoma State by 7-5 decision in TB-1 to win the 149 pounds weight class. He also picked up a 16-4 major decision over Oklahoma State’s Jarod Kadel. … rest of story at https://getsomemaction.com/news/2021/2/17/wrestling-mizzous-mauller-named-mac-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=76aa098ad3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
2 } – Virginia Tech notes: Wrestling team hopes to keep rolling
The Virginia Tech wrestling team is coming off its biggest win of the season, but there is still plenty on the line in its next match. The Hokies, who rose from No. 8 to No. 4 in Tuesday’s national coaches poll, clinched at least a share of the ACC regular-season title by knocking off then-No. 3 North Carolina State last Friday night. If the Hokies (8-0, 4-0) beat 16th-ranked Pittsburgh (3-3, 1-3) in their regular-season finale at 6 p.m. Friday at Cassell Coliseum, they will clinch that crown outright. “We can’t let that [win over State] affect us,” Tech coach Tony Robie said Wednesday in a phone interview. “It was an emotional evening. It was fun. But we’ve got to make sure we stay focused. “Our guys understand what’s at stake, … but it’s always hard. … Sometimes you have a lull after a match like that.” … rest of story at https://roanoke.com/sports/college/va_tech/virginia-tech-notes-wrestling-team-hopes-to-keep-rolling/article_090dd5c4-6c87-11eb-8c4d-fbe239627cff.html?mc_cid=b6bf9ab19d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
3 } – Bulls Bounce Back with Dominant Win over Bloomsburg
BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo wrestling team rebounding from a tough weekend to defeat Bloomsburg, 28-10, on Thursday afternoon at Alumni Arena. With the win, the Bulls closed out the dual season with a record of 4-3. The Bulls won three of the first matches to set the tone. Tristan Daugherty led things off a with an 11-4 decision at 125. Daugherty had two takedowns and a two-point nearfall in the first period and never looked back. Matt Ryan jumped out to a 6-0 lead over Josh Mason in the 141 match with a takedown and a four-point nearfall in the first period. However, after suffering a couple stall calls and a third-period takedown, Ryan was able to hold on for the 7-5 victory. … rest of story at https://ubbulls.com/news/2021/2/11/wrestling-bulls-bounce-back-with-dominant-win-over-bloomsburg.aspx?mc_cid=b6bf9ab19d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
4 } – Penn State Heavyweight Greg Kerkvliet Not Expected to Wrestle This Season
Penn State wrestling head coach Cael Sanderson doesn’t expect redshirt freshman heavyweight Greg Kerkvliet to compete this season. “If Greg were available, he’d be wrestling,” Sanders told the media Wednesday. “We’re not expecting to get him back this year, unfortunately, so it’s [Seth] Nevills’ opportunity to step up and get things done.” Coming into the year ranked as the nation’s No. 5 heavyweight, Kerkvliet did not see the mat in Penn State’s first three dual meets. The four-time Minnesota state high school champion went 8-0 wrestling unattached during his redshirt season in 2019-20. … rest of story at https://www.statecollege.com/penn-state-heavyweight-greg-kerkvliet-not-expected-to-wrestle-this-season/?mc_cid=b6bf9ab19d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND Carter Starocci Named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week
Freshman downs second-ranked Wolverine to earn his first weekly laurel
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State Nittany Lion wrestler Carter Starocci (Erie, Pa.), ranked No. 5 in this week’s InterMat individual rankings, has been named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week for the week ending Feb. 14, 2021. It is the first such honor for the Penn State freshman. Starocci earned the laurel by defeating sixth-year senior Logan Massa of Michigan in a key bout in the Nittany Lions’ 18-13 victory in Ann Arbor. Massa entered the day ranked No. 2 by InterMat while Starocci was ranked No. 8 at the time. The Erie Cathedral Prep graduate battled Massa evenly through regulation, heading to sudden victory tied 1-1 … rest of story at https://gopsusports.com/news/2021/2/16/wrestling-carter-starocci-named-big-ten-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=83f6447486&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
5 } – ‘This Is for the Next Generation’: Inside the Fight, at Stanford and Beyond, to Save Olympic Sports
At Stanford and other schools, athletes of discontinued NCAA sports teams are pushing back—and raising money to try to self-fund their programs in the process. The Home of Champions at Stanford is not your normal Hall of Fame. This 18,000-square-foot space on the university’s sprawling campus is a shrine to the country’s most successful college athletic program. The exhibit, opened in 2017, features more than 40 displays chronicling, in a state-of-the-art manner, the 130-year history of Stanford athletics. That includes a nation-leading 152 national championship teams, 270 Olympic medals won by Stanford athletes and the 25 consecutive Learfield IMG College Directors’ Cups, awarded annually to the country’s best athletic program. Visitors can use an interactive interface to watch videos of 21 Stanford greats, see Jim Plunkett’s Heisman Trophy and, in one corner of this giant hall, view some of the most recent sports artifacts on display here, from Olympic fencer Alexander Massialas. Encased in glass before a life-sized photo of a fist-pumping Massialas are the fencing mask and foil he used to claim the silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. … rest of story at https://www.si.com/college/2021/02/12/stanford-save-cut-sports-movement-ncaa?mc_cid=ffcd6840e0&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND #KEEPSTANFORDWRESTLING: WHAT’S THE REAL REASON STANFORD ELIMINATED 11 SPORTS?
This is the question we ultimately asked Provost Persis Drell that she would not answer.
In addition to the Provost, Patrick Dunkley, Deputy Athletic Director, joined us on the February 9th Zoom meeting. From our side, we had: • KSW co-chairs, Patricia Miranda ’01 and Robert Hatta ’97
• 36 Sports Strong co-chair, Kathy Levinson ’77
• Ohio State University President, Dr. Kristina Johnson BS ’79, MSEE, PhD ’83
To guide our conversation, we used the presentation found here. Through it, we made the ask that the 11 sports be reinstated and allowed to self-endow. We laid out both publicly available and AD-provided budget data that show the cuts made a minimal impact on the overall deficits, which will not only remain but grow even after COVID and the elimination of 1/3 of Stanford’s student athletes. We showed that wrestling’s ability to raise over $12 million over such a short period of time proves that sports can individually endow themselves. We closed with impassioned personal testimonies supporting the diversity of opportunities and excellence that come with a broad-based sports offering (see notes on the very last slide to see our closing statement to Provost Drell). … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/February/19/Keep-Stanford-wrestling-Why-did-Stanford-drop-11-sports?mc_cid=a32eea18bb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
6 } – Wrestling’s Schultz Named Pac-12 Wrestler of the Week
SAN FRANCISCO – As announced by the Pac-12 Conference on Wednesday, redshirt freshman Cohlton Schultz has been named Pac-12 Wrestler of the Week for the first time in his Sun Devil career after his performances over the weekend against No. 13 Iowa State and Northern Iowa. Schultz, ranked No. 5 by WIN Magazine, wrestled arguably his most complete weekend of the season as he went 2-0, knocking off two top-10 opponents to end the regular season undefeated with 10 victories. … rest of story at https://thesundevils.com/news/2021/2/17/wrestlings-schultz-named-pac-12-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=76aa098ad3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
7 } – CBU Wrestling Accepts Conditional Membership Status from Big 12 Conference
RIVERSIDE – California Baptist University wrestling has received a letter of intent from the Big 12 Conference regarding affiliate membership starting in 2022-23. The Big 12 is currently home to Air Force, Fresno State, Iowa State, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, South Dakota State, Utah Valley, West Virginia and Wyoming. The Lancers would give the conference 12 teams in 2022-23, as Fresno State is set to discontinue its program at the end of this season. … rest of story at https://cbulancers.com/news/2021/2/16/cbu-wrestling-accepts-conditional-membership-status-from-big-12-conference.aspx?mc_cid=83f6447486&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND 2021 Big 12 Wrestling Championship TV Coverage Announced
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. –Television coverage for the 2021 Big 12 Wrestling Championship, set for March 6-7, at the BOK Center, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has been announced. The first three sessions of the championship will be distributed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, the conference’s digital platform, while the championship matches will be televised live on ESPN2 at 6 p.m. ET. All matches from the championship also will be available on the ESPN App. Fans can subscribe to ESPN+ for just $5.99 a month (or $59.99 per year) at ESPNplus.com, ESPN.com or on the ESPN App (mobile and connected devices). It also is available as part of The Disney Bundle offer that gives subscribers access to Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu (ad-supported) — all for just $12.99/month. … rest of story at https://wvusports.com/news/2021/2/19/2021-big-12-wrestling-championship-tv-coverage-announced.aspx?mc_cid=a32eea18bb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
8 } – Hastings Earns Big 12 Wrestler Of The Week Honors
IRVING, Texas. (Feb. 16, 2021) – For the second week in a row, and second time this season, a Wyoming Cowboy has been named the Big 12 Wrestler of the Week. Hayden Hastings takes the honor after a first-place finish at the Cowboy Challenge Tournament that was held in Stillwater, Okla. The 174 lb redshirt junior went 3-0 in the tournament and sealed first place with a win over No. 7 Dustin Plott (OSU) in the finals. This is the first time in his Cowboy career that Hastings has been named Wrestler of the Week. At the Cowboy Challenge Tournament Hastings posted back-to-back decision victories to reach the finals outscoring his opponents 11-5 in his first two matches, before he faced off against Plott in the finals. Plott struck first in the match scoring the first two takedowns and took an early 4-2 lead over Hastings after the first period. … rest of story at https://gowyo.com/news/2021/2/16/wrestling-hastings-earns-big-12-wrestler-of-the-week-honors.aspx?mc_cid=83f6447486&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
9} – UNC’s Heilmann, Virginia’s Keating Named ACC Wrestlers of the Week
GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – North Carolina sophomore Joe Heilmann and Virginia junior Jake Keating have been named the final 2021 Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestlers of the Week following their wins over ranked opponents in last Saturday night’s regular-season finale. UNC’s Heilmann, an unranked 133-pounder, posted a 2-0 win over Virginia’s Louie Hayes, helping the No. 14 Tar Heels to a 25-9 team win over the No. 21 Cavaliers in a matchup of ranked ACC teams. Hayes earned the No. 7 spot in the 133-pound weight class in last week’s first NCAA coaches panel rankings and was ranked No. 10 by Intermat. Heilmann, who hails from South Plainfield, New Jersey, posted his first win career win over the a top-10 opponent. … rest of story at https://theacc.com/news/2021/2/16/wrestling-uncs-heilmann-virginias-keating-named-acc-wrestlers-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=83f6447486&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
10 } – UNI, Navy sit atop first Mid-Major Top 20 for 2021
Northern Iowa checks in at No. 1 in NWCA Mid-Major Division I Poll
Manheim, Pennsylvania – The National Wrestling Coaches Association released its first Mid-Major Top 20 of the season on Wednesday. Formulated in 2017, the Mid-Major Top 20 concentrates on the programs that fall outside of the traditional “Power 5” conferences. COVID-19 played a significant role in this year’s college sports season, with wrestling being impacted without the participation of seven schools that would qualify for inclusion in the Mid-Major Top 20. The six wrestling Ivy League schools – Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, Penn and Princeton along with the lone Division III school sponsoring Division I wrestling, Franklin & Marshall, did not compete this season. Northern Iowa, one of the nation’s top non-Power 5 wrestling programs historically, comes in atop of the poll, followed by the U.S. Naval Academy and first-year head coach Cary Kolat. Traditional Mid-American Conference power Central Michigan is third, followed by Campbell at four and Rider fifth. … rest of story at http://www.nwcaonline.com/uni-navy-sit-atop-first-mid-major-top-20-for-2021/?mc_cid=76aa098ad3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
11 } – College wrestling season has been one test after another, Penn State’s Cael Sanderson says
As the college wrestling season that basically just started already begins to wind down, Penn State coach Cael Sanderson is certain of one thing and one thing only: every team is in the same proverbial boat. Some may even be in a lifeboat but rest assured that no one is on a pleasure cruise heading toward the NCAA’s postseason championship events. “I’m excited about the challenges this season because everybody is going through the same thing,” Sanderson said on Tuesday. “You talk to the coaches of the other programs and everybody’s tired, everybody’s exhausted. … rest of story at https://www.pennlive.com/pennstatefootball/2021/02/college-wrestling-season-has-been-one-test-after-another-penn-states-cael-sanderson-says.html?mc_cid=83f6447486&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND Will a college wrestling legend emerge from a global pandemic?
Until his final breath, Dick Hutton insisted that he defeated Verne Gagne in the heavyweight finals of the 1949 NCAA Championships. And he’s not wrong for thinking that way, either. The Oklahoma State junior (known as Oklahoma A&M at the time) lost by split referees’ decision to Gagne — a senior from Minnesota who won the 191-pound title the year before. The fate of the match was left in the hands of someone else, and the outcome truly wasn’t settled on the mat. This seminal moment in college wrestling history was multiplied when both pursued professional wrestling careers. It didn’t matter where they were or the circumstances of the gathering: Hutton said he was the rightful winner of the match. Gagne said the same thing. It always led to playful banter whenever they were in a room together. For his part, Gagne — one of the biggest names in professional wrestling history — spoiled the final chance for a college wrestler to win four NCAA championships. At least that’s what everyone assumed. … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1613968879360&twSessionId=zydvzxtigz&postId=1079962135&mc_cid=4fc5b594c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
12 } – Fresno State Duals vs. Oklahoma & Oregon State canceled
Due to COVID-19 contact tracing within the Fresno State wrestling program, the Bulldogs home matches against No. 18 Oklahoma and Oregon State scheduled for Sunday at the Save Mart Center have been canceled. Additionally, the scheduled match between Oklahoma and Oregon State will not be hosted in the Save Mart Center. … rest of story at https://gobulldogs.com/news/2021/2/10/wrestling-dogs-dual-with-oklahoma-oregon-state-canceled.aspx?mc_cid=5e3b2f2de3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND IOWA RETURNS TO LIMITED IN-PERSON ACTIVITIES; DUAL AGAINST NORTHWESTERN ON FEB. 19 POSTPONED
STATEMENT FROM THE IOWA WRESTLING PROGRAM
At the direction of the University of Iowa medical team, the Iowa Athletics Department announced Monday that the Iowa Wrestling program has returned to limited in-person activities, ending a seven-day pause in response to positive COVID-19 test results within the program. Iowa will continue to follow Big Ten Conference medical protocols and the direction of the UI medical team regarding a full-team return to in-person activities. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/February/15/Iowa-returns-to-in-person-activities-but-Northwestern-dual-postponed?mc_cid=9e45a80a12&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
NCAA Division III News (2021) – # 4
TDR Editor’s Notes ; Division III team and individual rankings (#1), Wrestler of the Week Awards (#6, 7, 8 & 9) and a new Hall of Fame Coach (#11) are included in this gathering of Division III wrestling news. While the regular annual NCAA National Championships have been cancelled for the 2nd consecutive year the NWCA will host a national level tournament for division III wrestlers (#2) on the same dates but in a new location in Iowa. All this and more included below. Keep on reading on wrestling!
Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – D3WRESTLE.COM 2020-2021 RANKINGS #1
At long last, here are the first d3wrestle.com Rankings for the 2020-2021 season. This is a tough season to rank without large tournaments and much in the way of inter-conference competition. Some notes on the process: Wrestlers appearing in the rankings will only be ranked at a weight where they have wrestled. Adjustments will be made for guys who have not wrestled when teams start their schedules. Only wrestlers who appear as certified on Trackwrestling are ranked. Eventually, certified wrestlers will drop out if they do not compete with their teams. Since 30+ teams are not competing, the rankings have 18 wrestlers per weight class. As always, the top ten are in order, and the tiers after that are grouped but not numbered. If there are misspellings of names or mixed up schools, leave a comment so it can be fixed. … rest of story at https://www.d3wrestle.com/d3wrestle-com-2020-2021-rankings-1/?mc_cid=e1d5a94c45&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND NWCA Division III Releases Regular Season Poll #2
Manheim, PA – Significant shuffling took place in the latest NWCA Division III Coaches Rankings released on Friday as only teams and athletes that had taken to the mat this season were included. Coming in atop the new team rankings is perennial DIII power Wartburg with eight ranked individuals. Wisconsin-La Crosse, the US Coast Guard Academy, Mount Union, Baldwin Wallace, and John Carroll round out the rest of the top-five.
INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
Many of the teams and athletes included in this set of rankings will find themselves finishing this season not at the NCAA Championships, as they were canceled earlier this month, but instead at the NWCA Division III Coaches Association National Championships presented by ARMS Software, FloWrestling, and Reese’s. While there will be no team scoring or awards, each athlete entered will be competing for NWCA All-American status with a top-eight finish. A full listing of competing teams will be available at a later date. … rest of story at http://www.nwcaonline.com/nwca-division-iii-releases-regular-season-poll-2/?mc_cid=02f3563d01&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
2 } -NWCA Division III Coaches Association set to host National Championships in Coralville, Iowa, March 12-13
MANHEIM, Pa. — On Thursday, the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced the creation of the NWCA Division III Coaches Association National Wrestling Championships presented by ARMS Software, FloWrestling, and Reese’s. The Xtream Arena (Coralville, IA) will play host on March 12-13 and will be allowing spectators. Tickets will go on-sale this Friday, February 26th at 10:00am through the Xtream Arena Box Office. Tickets may be purchased by visiting xtreamarena.com. All-session and single-day tickets will be available for $41 and $24, respectively. Fans not able to attend will be able to watch each match live on FloWrestling. On February 3, the NCAA announced the cancellation of the Division III winter championships for wrestling as well as basketball, indoor track and field, swimming and diving, and ice hockey. Following the NCAA’s announcement, the NWCA Division III Leadership Group, led by Chairman Lonnie Morris, Head Coach at Johnson & Wales, began working to provide a championship experience for athletes who had just had their championship tournament canceled for the second year in a row. Morris shared, “It is an honor to be part of the leadership group that helped create this opportunity for our student-athletes.” USA Wrestling, the national governing body for wrestling in the United States, announced on February 5 that it would host a tournament for Div. III wrestlers. With the assurance from the NWCA that this event will be held, USA Wrestling will help publicize the NWCA Division III Coaches Association National Wrestling Championships. The most important thing for the wrestling community is that these Div. III student-athletes have one season-ending event. … rest of story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/24340?mc_cid=327be7a669&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
3 } – TERRY SHOCKLEY AND AUGUSTANA VIKING’S WRESTLING HISTORY: WRESTLER FOR LIFE STORY OF THE WEEK
USA Wrestling’s “Wrestler for Life” program is accepting submissions for “The Story of the Week”. It can be about anything wrestling related, whether it’s a particular wrestling match you’ll never forget, or a life lesson that the sport taught you. If your story is chosen, it will be featured on TheMat.com, and winners will receive a USA Wrestling t-shirt.
Send your submissions to: Wrestlerforlife@usawrestling.org
This week’s submission is by John Malvik.
Augustana College Men’s Wresting has a long and storied history. Prior to the 1950’s the NCAA sponsored the only National Championship in wrestling, beginning with the first national tournament in 1928. Except for the World War II years of 1943-45 the NCAA Championships in wrestling have been contested annually until the 2020 season, when the global pandemic interrupted the tournament again. In 1958, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) started its own national … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/February/04/Terry-Shockley-W4L?mc_cid=fca48e06b8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
4 } – Podcast Episode 20: Jason McLean ’01
All of February, the Muhlenberg Mules Podcast joins the Office of Multicultural Life in celebrating the rich history and contributions of Black people to the world, the United States of America and to Muhlenberg College. Episode 20 features Jason McLean ’01. McLean was the first Muhlenberg wrestler ever to earn All-America honors when he placed eighth at 141 pounds as a senior. He returned to his alma mater as head wrestling coach in 2017 and compiled an outstanding record of 43-20 in his first three seasons. McLean was named Centennial Conference coach of the year in 2020 after leading the Mules to the CC dual-meet title and a second-place finish at the championship tournament. … rest of story at https://muhlenbergsports.com/news/2021/2/11/wrestling-podcast-episode-20-jason-mclean-01.aspx?mc_cid=b6bf9ab19d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND Hawk Talk Episode 21: Jon Egan ’05 (Wrestling)
This week’s guest on Hawk Talk was Jon Egan ’05, the head coach of the Roger Williams University wrestling team. He joined Bryce Johnson and they discussed what attracted him to Bristol first as a player and later as a coach, his coaching philosophy and the Downtown Showdown. … rest of story at https://rwuhawks.com/news/2021/2/4/general-hawk-talk-episode-21-jon-egan-05-wrestling.aspx
5 } – Division III athletes press on, though frustrated by COVID restrictions
“They’re taking something away from us,” says Augsburg wrestler Solomon Nielsen.”
Augsburg wrestler Solomon Nielsen competed at the NCAA Division III Upper Midwest Regional at Augsburg’s Si Melby Hall on Feb. 28-29, 2020. On March 12, 2020, Solomon Nielsen was in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, preparing with his Augsburg teammates for the NCAA Division III wrestling championships that would start the next morning. He carried a 23-2 record and had his sights set on winning a national title. Then came the news: The NCAA announced all remaining winter sports and all spring sports were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Fast forward 11 months to Feb. 3, 2021, and disappointment rained down again for Nielsen and other Division III athletes when the NCAA canceled all winter sports championships. … rest of story at https://www.startribune.com/division-iii-athletes-press-on-though-frustrated-by-covid-restrictions/600022556/?mc_cid=ffcd6840e0&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b&refresh=true
AND How D3 Wrestling Is Navigating Another NCAA Championships Season Lost
Division III wrestlers and coaches had been bracing for the news that became reality the evening of Feb. 3. To some, it felt like a family member with a terminal illness. They hoped for the best and feared for the worst. They wanted to believe the D3 season could get to the finish line this time around but knew what likely loomed ahead. To others, it felt like a foregone conclusion months ago that this season would end much like last year’s — without a crowning championship event. The news D3 wrestling fans feared became official on the first Wednesday night of February. The NCAA was cancelling Division III winter sports championships. “We knew this would be the case,” Stevens coach Joe Favia said. “We entered the season with the mindset that we were preparing to practice and hopefully get some dual meets in. … rest of story at https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/6891066-how-d3-wrestling-is-navigating-another-ncaa-championships-season-lost
6 } – Murphy named MIAA Athlete of the Week for wrestling
FREELAND, Mich. – Olivet College junior Hunter Murphy has been named the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Athlete of the Week for wrestling. Murphy posted a 3-0 record to help the wrestling team win three matches and capture the 2021 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championship. He started his day with a 17-1 technical fall over Mason Priest from Alma College. Murphy then recorded a pair of first-period pins – 2:16 over Jacob Colbart from Adrian College and 57 seconds over Isaac Hawkins from Trine (Ind.) University. … rest of story at https://olivet.prestosports.com/sports/wrest/2020-21/releases/20210215k7kdfa?mc_cid=9e45a80a12&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
7 } – Dooley Named MAC Wrestler of the Week
Dooley posts a pair of victories to earn conference’s weekly award
ANNVILLE, Pa. (February 15, 2021) – Junior Michael Dooley of No. 11 Stevens Institute of Technology wrestling was named Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Wrestler of the Week Monday, the league office announced. The recognition is the first career weekly award for the Hillsborough, New Jersey native and the fourth for the program since Stevens returned to the MAC in 2019. Dooley’s honor is also the first weekly award for Stevens Athletics since March 16 when five student-athletes (Melissa Alfonso (Softball), Kyra Bednarski (Women’s Lacrosse), Meredith Conlin (Women’s Lacrosse), David Lehman (Men’s Volleyball) and Brendan Monteleone (Men’s Lacrosse)) were honored by the conference in what would ultimately be the final weekly awards recognition of the 2019-20 academic year. … rest of story at https://stevensducks.com/news/2021/2/15/wrestling-dooley-named-mac-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=9e45a80a12&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND MAC Names David Stevens Wrestler of the Week
ANNVILLE, Pa. – On Monday morning, the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) announced their first Conference Weekly Award Winner in nearly a year, naming David Stevens their Wrestler of the Week for the week ending on Feb. 7. Stevens went 1-0 in his first action since qualifying for the 2020 NCAA DIII National Championships back in February.
Wrestler of the Week – David Stevens
Stevens was dominate in his only match of the week defeating Shenandoah’s Derek Liddle at 184 lbs. by way of a technical fall … rest of story at https://gomessiah.com/news/2021/2/8/wrestling-mac-names-david-stevens-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=82bfd879a8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
8 } – Briggs and Wright Earn A-R-C Weekly Honors
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced its weekly honors for the week ending Sunday, Feb. 14, with Wartburg wrestler Kyle Briggs (Sr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa) named the Male Athlete and Wrestler of the Week, and Wartburg men’s track sprinter Dallas Wright (Sr., Carlisle, Iowa) awarded the Male Runner of the Week. The No. 1/2-ranked Wartburg wrestling team rounded out its 2021 American Rivers Conference schedule with a 47-3 win over Nebraska Wesleyan University along with a 28-5 victory over Loras College to finish 8-0 during conference action to clinch the A-R-C title on Saturday, Feb. 13 inside Levick Arena. Kyle Briggs, a fifth-year senior, completed the conference schedule with an undefeated 7-0 record. At 174 lbs. on Saturday, he won by fall over NWU’s Talan McGill in 36 seconds and followed with a 8-0 major decision over Loras’ No. 7-ranked Jacob Krakow. The conference wrestler of the week award is the fourth of Briggs’ career. … rest of story at https://go-knights.net/news/2021/2/15/general-briggs-and-wright-earn-a-r-c-weekly-honors.aspx?mc_cid=9e45a80a12&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
9} – Birt Named CCIW Wrestler of the Week
NAPERVILLE, Ill. — Millikin senior Bradan Birt was named the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Wrestler of the Week on Tuesday. A native of Epworth, Iowa and Western Dubuque High School, Birt was named the CCIW’s Most Outstanding Wrestler after winning his second-straight 165-pound title at the conference championship on Saturday. It was Birt’s fourth individual conference title following wins at 149 pounds in 2018 and 157 pounds in 2019. He was 3-0 on the day, beginning with a Fall at 0:55 against Elmhurst’s Joe Carinfella, followed by another Fall at 0:16 over Carthage’s Quinn Hoopman. Birt won the title by Technical Fall (16-0) over North Central’s Rafael Roman in the championship match. The Big Blue won their second-straight team title with a score of 153.5. … rest of story at https://athletics.millikin.edu/news/2021/2/16/wrestling-birt-named-cciw-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=83f6447486&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
10 } – LaMontagne Legacy Fund Launched
Fund to Support Blue Jay Wrestling Announced in Honor of Bradlee LaMontagne
ALTIMORE, MD – Johns Hopkins University wrestling coach Keith Norris has announced the launching of a campaign to support the Bradlee Hillier LaMontagne Legacy Fund. Created in honor of Bradlee LaMontagne, a member of the Blue Jay wrestling program who died in a tragic boating accident in December 2020, the initiative was created to ensure his legacy and impact on the program continue into the future.
LaMontagne, who had been elected a captain for what would have been his junior season in 2020-21, chose to attend Johns Hopkins so that he could make a difference in the world. After arriving on campus as a freshman in the fall of 2017, he quickly established himself as a hard-working, exceptional teammate within the wrestling program. More importantly, he became an active leader on campus and demonstrated four characteristics with everything he did: Drive, Discovery, Balance and Passion. … rest of story at https://hopkinssports.com/news/2021/2/18/wrestling-lamontagne-legacy-fund-launched.aspx?mc_cid=279b9a2f50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
11 } – BVU ALUM EARNS WRESTLING HALL OF FAME HONOR
1980 GRADUATE HELPED BEAVERS EARN COACH BAXTER’S FIRST LEAGUE TITLE
STORM LAKE, Iowa (February 18, 2021) -Ron Peterson ’80 will have many thoughts during his induction into the Iowa High School Athletic Association Wrestling Hall of Fame at 5:45 p.m. Saturday, minutes before the Grand March that opens the Iowa High School State Wrestling Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. He may have visions of the 12 siblings he wrestled against while growing up in Webster City. There could be his high school Lynx teammates, his Triton teammates at Iowa Central Community College. Peterson will reflect on three team state titles he and his Clarksville High School wrestlers earned, or the two he was fortunate to guide while coaching at Cedar Rapids Prairie. He might also have memories of the student-athletes he coached at Simpson College, then later at Knoxville High School. … rest of story at https://bvuathletics.com/news/2021/2/18/bvu-alum-earns-wrestling-hall-of-fame-honor.aspx?mc_cid=279b9a2f50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
12 } – The Noke Wrestling News Podcast – Episode 7 (The New York Recruits)
On this episode of Noke Wrestling News we talk to Coach Nate Yetzer along with two recruits from New York, Sawyer Dereszynski and Ethan Palanca. Sawyer and Ethan talk about their unorthodox senior season and their journey through wrestling. Later, we find out the results of the Fall Fund Drive and touch on the Polar Plunge. Earl and Coach Yetzer wrap up the show discussing the cancelation of the 2021 DIII National Tournament. … rest of story at https://news.theopenmat.com/podcasts/noke-wrestling-news/the-noke-wrestling-news-podcast-episode-7-the-new-york-recruits/80061?mc_cid=a32eea18bb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND Abraham Named MIAA Wrestler of the Week
FREELAND, MICH. — Trine University men’s wrestler, Matthew Abraham (Seven Hills, Ohio/Padua Franciscan), has earned Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association “Player of the Week” honors for his efforts this past weekend. Trine competed against Manchester University in an unscored multiple-round style event at Hershey Hall this past Saturday (Feb. 6) that saw the Thunder win 13 out of 23 total matches against the Spartans. Abraham won his two matchups in the 197-pound weight class, both by pinfall, that included one pin in under a minute (55 seconds) against Alex Searfoss. His second pin was against Alex Gronkiewicz in a time of 1:23. … rest of story at https://www.trinethunder.com/sports/wrest/2020-21/releases/20210208msia0u
AND Hollingsworth Named A-R-C Wrestler of the Week
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced its weekly honors for the week ending Sunday, Feb. 7, with Wartburg College wrestler David Hollingsworth (Jr., Owings Mills, Md.) named the Wrestler of the Week. The No. 1/2-ranked Wartburg wrestling team compiled a 3-0 record last week, defeating Luther, Buena Vista, and Central by a combined score of 102-13. Hollingsworth, a transfer student-athlete from Baltimore, Md., is off to a 3-0 start in Orange & Black during A-R-C competition at 157 lbs. On Saturday versus Central College, Hollingsworth took down the No. 7-ranked and returning NWCA All-American Rob Areyano, with an 11-6 decision victory. … test of story at https://go-knights.net/news/2021/2/8/wrestling-hollingsworth-named-a-r-c-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=82bfd879a8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
NCAA Division I Results (2021) – #8
TDR Editor’s Notes ; The Big 10, and Big 12 conference tournaments this weekend will conclude the qualifying tournaments for the Division I Nationals in two weeks in St. Louis. The following articles include final dual meets for Penn State (#1 & #8), Nebraska (#2), Wyoming (#3), Iowa State (#5), Michigan (#7) and Oklahoma State (#3, #6 & #7). Some of the results from conference tournaments last week with the A.C.C. (#4), E.I.W.A. (#9), M.A.C. (#10), and the P.A.C.(#11). Cancellations of matches are listed (#12). Keep Wrestling on! Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – Nittany Lion Wrestlers Roll Over No. 11 Ohio State
Penn State wins seven of ten as Carter Starocci beats Kaleb Romero at 174
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. –The Penn State Nittany Lions (5-0, 5-0 B1G), ranked No. 3 in the latest InterMat Tournament Power Index, won seven of ten bouts to win handily at No. 11 Ohio State (5-4, 5-4 B1G), the team’s fifth-straight conference dual away from home. Head coach Cael Sanderson‘s squad broke the dual meet open in the second half to roll to a 28-12 victory in Columbus. All team and individual rankings listed are InterMat (2/16/21).
Penn State picked up ranked victories at 174, 184 and 285 to take down the Buckeyes. The young Nittany Lions featured a line-up that included five freshmen (two true) and two sophomores, a total of seven underclassmen. The dual began at 125 where true freshman Robert Howard (Cranford, N.J.) took on No. 10 Malik Heinselman. … rest of story at https://gopsusports.com/news/2021/2/19/wrestling-nittany-lion-wrestlers-roll-over-no-11-ohio-state.aspx?mc_cid=a32eea18bb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
2 } – Huskers Close 2021 Regular Season With Win Over Illinois
Winning seven individual matches on the day, the Nebraska wrestling team closed the 2021 regular season with a 25-9 win over Illinois on Sunday in Champaign, Ill. The Huskers finish the conference-only slate 7-1, going undefeated in the last six duals of the regular season. The Huskers earned bonus points in three matches, picking up major decisions at 174 and 184 pounds and a technical fall in the 149-pound bout. Mikey Labriola and Eric Schultz finish the regular season undefeated in eight matches on the year while Liam Cronin and Chad Red Jr. went 6-1 on the year with their only losses coming against Iowa in the second dual of the season. … rest of story at https://huskers.com/news/2021/2/21/wrestling-huskers-close-2021-regular-season-with-win-over-illinois.aspx?mc_cid=4fc5b594c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
3 } – Wyoming Wrestling Crowns Four Champions at Cowboy Challenge
STILLWATER, Okla. (Feb. 14, 2021) – The Cowboys crowned four champions, the most of any competing team, Sunday afternoon in Stillwater with all four winning wrestlers upsetting top ten opponents in the finals. Jacob Wright (157), Hayden Hastings (174), Tate Samuelson (184) and Stephen Buchanan (197) were all champions for the Cowboys.
“I’m really proud of our entire team and the way we wrestled today. We had some gutsy performances at 141 and 149 and some comeback performances in the finals.” Head Coach Mark Branch “I think today Really helped set the tone for the rest of the season. That’s something we haven’t really done in Gallagher-Iba before. To wrestle like that and those matches was great. I was really proud of our guys wrestled and we really took a big jump. I’m excited to see that they are starting believe themselves and it showed today.” … rest of story at https://gowyo.com/news/2021/2/14/wyoming-wrestling-crowns-four-champions-at-cowboy-challenge.aspx?mc_cid=c18c111026&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
4 } – Tony Robie and the Hokies sweep the ACC to win regular season crown – VT102
Tony Robie returns to Inside Virginia Tech Wrestling for Episode 102 as the Hokies are coming off an unbeaten season, finishing 9-0 and winning the ACC regular season championship. Coach Robie breaks down the big performances that pushed the Hokies through the five ACC wins as well as touches on the best things that came from this season with the free year and the extra countable matches. We’ll also get an update on some injuries sustained and what the postseason is going to look like for the squad. … rest of story at https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/inside-vt-wrestling/tony-robie-and-the-hokies-sweep-the-acc-to-win-regular-season-crown-vt102/?mc_cid=9e45a80a12&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
5 } – Cyclones Down UNI, Fall To Arizona State In Dual Action
AMES, Iowa – No. 13 Iowa State (9-3, 4-1 Big 12) split a pair of duals on Sunday, falling to No. 11 Arizona State (5-0), 20-15, and defeating No. 15 UNI (4-4, 3-2 Big 12), 23-17.
Both duals went down to the final match.
Iowa State-Arizona State Match Highlights
Ian Parker won ISU’s first match at 141 pounds with an 8-3 decision over Peter Lipari. Parker had a takedown in each period and gained a point for riding time by staying on top of Lipari throughout the majority of the third period.
Jarrett Degen blanked Cory Crooks, 5-0, at 149 pounds. Degen got a takedown on the edge in the closing seconds of the second period and tacked on another in the third in his first match in Hilton Coliseum this season. … rest of story at https://cyclones.com/news/2021/2/14/wrestling-cyclones-down-uni-fall-to-arizona-state-in-dual-action.aspx?mc_cid=c18c111026&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
6 } – Cowboys Close Out Undefeated Regular Season on Senior Night
STILLWATER – The Oklahoma State wrestling team secured its 47th undefeated regular season in program history with a 24-16 victory over No. 19 Oklahoma in Gallagher-Iba Arena on Sunday night.
“It takes teamwork to win dual meets,” head coach John Smith said. “We take pride in it and it’s important to us. An undefeated dual season is an accomplishment, but let’s use it as motivation heading into the Big 12 Championships.”
The sixth-ranked Cowboys jumped out to an early 9-0 lead on senior night courtesy of a Trevor Mastrogiovanni decision and a fall from Daton Fix. A takedown late in the third period led Mastrogiovanni to his 10th win of the season and second over Mason Naifeh of Oklahoma. … rest of story at https://okstate.com/news/2021/2/21/wrestling-cowboys-close-out-undefeated-regular-season-on-senior-night.aspx?mc_cid=4fc5b594c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND Three Thoughts On The Cowboy Challenge Tournament
What’s the ceiling and floor for this squad?
Oklahoma State hosted the Cowboy Challenge Tournament this weekend, and there were a number of storylines surrounding it. I thought I’d share a few thoughts on it.
1. Daton Fix was a house on fire
Daton Fix made his highly anticipated return to the mat here and wrestled like a man on a mission. The guys he met in this tournament weren’t quite on his level, but he absolutely dominated his way through this tournament. From the outside looking in, you worry how he would handle the outside noise surrounding his return and suspension? So far, so good. … rest of story at https://pistolsfiringblog.com/three-thoughts-on-the-cowboy-challenge-tournament/?mc_cid=83f6447486&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
7 } – Dylan Ragusin (Sam Janicki)U-M Wraps Dual Slate with Decisive Win at No. 23 Michigan State
What You Need to Know
» No. 4 Michigan earned a decisive rivalry win in his dual-meet finale, claiming seven of 10 bouts to defeat No. 23 Michigan State, 28-9, at the Spartans’ Jenison Field House.
» Myles Amine claimed the dual’s marquee match, scoring four takedowns in an 11-6 decision against eighth-ranked Cam Caffey at 197 pounds.
» Dylan Ragusin and Mason Parris earned first-period pins at 133 pounds and heavyweight; Parris is 6-0 with six bonus wins, including a team-best three falls. … rest of story at https://mgoblue.com/news/2021/2/19/wrestling-u-m-wraps-dual-slate-with-decisive-win-at-no-23-michigan-state.aspx?mc_cid=a32eea18bb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
8 } – Penn State wrestling finishes season undefeated after shutting out Maryland
Penn State’s first and only home dual meet of the season got off to a fast and interesting start. First, the Nittany Lions celebrated senior night, which notably featured 149-pounder and former NCAA qualifier Jarod Verkleeren. Then once the actual action got underway, Cael Sanderson opted to go with Greg Kerkvliet at heavyweight to start the night after previously saying he didn’t expect him to compete this season. Other than that, it was a fairly standard dual for the Nittany Lions, who downed Maryland 44-0 to move to 6-0 on the season and run their winning streak to 11 straight matches dating back to last season. The win gave Sanderson his fifth undefeated season as Penn State’s coach … rest of story at https://www.collegian.psu.edu/sports/wrestling/penn-state-wrestling-finishes-season-undefeated-after-shutting-out-maryland/article_293adc2a-756f-11eb-86eb-db15ca8820b4.html?mc_cid=329018bca1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
9} – Four Peat! Total Team Effort Propels Mountain Hawks To Fourth Straight EIWA Title
MANHEIM, Pa. – Lehigh crowned four individual champions, but it was a total team effort that carried the Mountain Hawks to their fourth consecutive EIWA team title Friday at Spooky Nook Sports Complex. All 10 Lehigh entrants placed in the top five of their respective weight classes and all 10 qualified for the NCAA Championships as the Mountain Hawks scored 158.5 points to pull away from Navy and Army West Point. The four individual champions for Lehigh were junior Jaret Lane (125), freshman Malyke Hines (133), senior Jake Jakobsen (197) and senior Jordan Wood (285). Wood becomes just the fifth four-time EIWA Champion in Lehigh history and the first EIWA heavyweight to win four titles. … rest of story at https://lehighsports.com/news/2021/2/26/wrestling-four-peat-total-team-effort-propels-mountain-hawks-to-fourth-straight-eiwa-title.aspx?mc_cid=02f3563d01&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND Lou DePrez wins second-consecutive 184-pound title at EIWA Championships
Doyle, Nolan qualify for NCAA tournament
Since joining the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) in 2013, members of the Binghamton wrestling team have won three individual titles. Redshirt junior Lou DePrez now owns two of those trophies. For the second consecutive year, the wrestler is ranked third in the country at 184 pounds and won a conference championship. “[DePrez] did a really good job he kinda dominated his way through the bracket,” said Binghamton head coach Kyle Borshoff. “He had a good guy in the finals, I think the guy he wrestled in the finals is nationally ranked in the top 15. [DePrez] had a good controlling win there, and he put himself in a really good situation moving forward for NCAA seeding. I expect he’ll be a top-four seed.” … rest of story at https://www.bupipedream.com/sports/120023/auto-draft-800/?mc_cid=d34d798fb2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
10 } – Mizzou Wrestling Wins Tenth Straight Conference Title
All 10 wrestlers qualify for NCAA Championships
TRENTON, N.J. – Mizzou Wrestling secured its tenth straight conference championship and ninth straight MAC championship on Saturday. The Tigers set a new MAC Score record with 188.5 points, 59.5 points ahead of second-place Central Michigan. 133-pounder Matt Schmitt, 149-pounder Brock Mauller, 165-pounder Keegan O’Toole and 197-pounder Rocky Elam all secured individual MAC Champion titles.
125-pounder Noah Surtin, 157-pounder Jarrett Jacques, 174-pounder Peyton Mocco and 184-pounder Jeremiah Kent all finished in second place of their respective weight classes. 141-pounder Allan Hart and heavyweight Zach Elam both took third place. All 10 Tigers secured bids to the NCAA Championships. … rest of story at https://mutigers.com/news/2021/2/27/mizzou-wrestling-wins-tenth-straight-conference-title.aspx?mc_cid=02f3563d01&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND Stencel Joins Exclusive Club With 4th MAC Title
Hildebrandt, Simon repeat as league champions; Chippewas finish second
TRENTON, N.J. – An historic accomplishment for Matt Stencel, three individual champions, and a team runner-up finish for the Central Michigan wrestling team. Yes, it could have been better – it can almost always be better – but all in all, a good showing once again by the Chippewas at the Mid-American Conference Championships. Stencel, a CMU senior, became the ninth wrestler in Mid-American Conference history to win four individual league titles when he defeated Rider’s Ethan Laird, 7-2, in the final at 285 pounds on Saturday at Cure Insurance Arena. Stencel, who is ranked fourth nationally by flowrestling.com and is a two-time All-American, joins Wynn Michalak (2005-08) and Ben Bennett (2010-13) as the Chippewa wrestlers to have won four league titles. “It was extremely hard this year (for Stencel), I thought,” CMU coach Tom Borrelli said. “That was the toughest weight class in the conference, I thought, by far. You had two top-10 guys – plus him – and I think eight of the guys in that weight class are ranked in the top 33 (nationally). … rest of story at https://cmuchippewas.com/news/2021/2/27/wrestling-stencel-joins-exclusive-club-with-4th-mac-title.aspx?mc_cid=02f3563d01&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
11 } – Arizona State defends Pac-12 Wrestling Title, wins fourth championship in last five years
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The ARIZONA STATE Sun Devils defended their Pac-12 Wrestling title, claiming their fourth championship in five years and their 20th overall as a program with a victory Sunday at Oregon State’s Gill Coliseum. The Sun Devils compiled five individual titles from Brandon Courtney (125), Jacori Teemer (157), Anthony Valencia (165), Kordell Norfleet (197) and Cohlton Schultz (HWT), ultimately earning 138 points on the evening. Schultz’s win was the first conference title of his career, while the others were repeat champions.
OREGON STATE, the host team, finished in second with 123 points. The Beavers saw Devan Turner (133) and Grant Willits (141) become the seventh and eighth wrestlers in program history to win multiple Pac-12 titles after Turner won his class last year and Willits captured his class in 2019. The Beavers were followed closely by STANFORD, which finished with 115.5 points … rest of story at https://pac-12.com/article/2021/02/28/arizona-state-defends-pac-12-wrestling-title-wins-fourth-championship-last-five?mc_cid=6c7ef6b094&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
12 } – Iowa State’s Dual With West Virginia Canceled
AMES, Iowa – The No. 13 Iowa State wrestling team’s dual at West Virginia Friday night has been canceled. It will not be re-scheduled. … rest of story at https://cyclones.com/news/2021/2/18/wrestling-iowa-states-dual-with-west-virginia-canceled.aspx?mc_cid=279b9a2f50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND Wisconsin wrestling match vs. Iowa canceled
MADISON, Wis. — Out of an abundance of caution, the Big Ten wrestling dual meet between Wisconsin and Iowa originally scheduled for this Sunday, Feb. 21 has been canceled. … story at https://uwbadgers.com/news/2021/2/19/wisconsin-wrestling-match-vs-iowa-canceled.aspx?mc_cid=a32eea18bb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND Rutgers wrestling vs. Maryland canceled due to positive COVID test
The Rutgers University wrestling team has hit another stoppage in a season of stoppages. What was supposed to be the Scarlet Knights’ final dual-meet Friday night at Maryland, was canceled due to a positive COVID 19 test result within the Scarlet Knights’ program, the Rutgers athletic department announced on Twitter just before the 6 p.m. scheduled start time of the meet. “The decision to postpone was made out of an abundance of caution,” the school said. … rest of story at https://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/college/rutgers/2021/02/17/rutgers-wrestling-vs-maryland-updates/6762576002/?mc_cid=76aa098ad3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
NAIA Division News & Results (2021) – # 3
TDR Editor’s Notes ; The 64th consecutive NAIA Men’s National Wrestling Championships start tomorrow in Wichita, Kansas. A start on more information on that event is ay https://www.naia.org/sports/mwrest/2017-18/releases/20180620s9kjl and a list of qualifiers is at NAIA CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS Grand View University is favored to win a record 10th Consecutive Championships. Yet there are many other contenders seeking to block that and to win the title for their team. The following collection of articles looks at some of the last matches, some wrestler of the week honors and some conference results that determine the qualifiers. The National Championships for the women wrestlers and teams will be next weekend in North Dakota. Keep on Wrestling! Contact us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – Antesberger Named GPAC Wrestler of the Week
Bradley Antesberger, Doane University – 197lb Weight Class
Doane wrestler Bradley Antesberger is this week’s GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Wrestler-of-the-Week. Antesberger, a sophomore from North Pole, Alaska, went 4-0 for Doane at the GPAC duals as the Tigers were unbeaten on the day. He allowed only one point in his matches on the day and defeated NAIA No. 9 Caleb Shanks of Briar Cliff. His win over Shanks clinched the team victory … rest of story at http://www.doaneathletics.com/article/5155.php?mc_cid=653cd27934&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b&skipSplash=1
2 } – 2020-2021 NAIA Wrestling Coaches’ Top 20 Poll – No. 5
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Grand View University (Iowa) claimed the No. 1 spot in the fifth edition of the 2020-21 NAIA Wrestling Coaches’ Top 20 . Joining the Lindsey Wilson (Ky.), Life (Ga.), Reinhardt (Ga.) and Missouri Valley.
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. … rest of story at https://www.naia.org/sports/mwrest/2020-21/Releases/NationalPoll-MWrest?mc_cid=82bfd879a8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
3 } – REED NAMED NAIA WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
COLUMBIA, Ky. – Brandon Reed has been named the NAIA Men’s Wrestler of the Week, the national office announced on Wednesday. The national honor comes on the heels of being named the Mid-South Conference Wrestler of the Week on Monday. Reed (No. 1 at 285) went 2-0 for the Blue Raiders helping Lindsey Wilson defeat No. 11 Cumberlands and No. 20 Campbellsville. The senior picked up a 7-3 decision over Cumberlands’ (Ky.) Aaron Johnson (No. 4 at 285) and then pinned Campbellsville’s Alex Coleman in 40 seconds to secure the Mid-South Conference North Division Regular Season Crown. … rest of story at http://www.lindseyathletics.com/article/13065.php?skipSplash=1&mc_cid=5e3b2f2de3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b&skipSplash=1&skipSplash=1
AND SOU’s Barrera, Coon cleared to compete at NAIA Championships
NAIA CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIERS
ASHLAND – The Oregon Health Authority’s approval of the Cascade Conference’s return-to-play plan for high-contact sports was timely news for two Southern Oregon University men’s wrestlers. Despite having not yet competed this season, 125-pound senior Pancho Barrera and 133-pound junior Justin Coon will travel to Wichita, Kan., to compete at the NAIA Championships on March 5-6. Barrera and Coon were among 32 individuals selected to represent the Cascade Conference by the CCC’s head coaches in lieu of traditional qualification through the conference tournament, which was canceled due to COVID-19. … rest of story at https://souraiders.com/news/2021/2/23/mens-wrestling-sous-barrera-coon-cleared-to-compete-at-naia-championships.aspx?mc_cid=9c47fa024a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
4 } – Grand View’s Caldwell Named NAIA Wrestler Of The Week
Kansas City, MO – Men’s Wrestler, Kyle Caldwell (SR/Willard, MO) garners NAIA National Wrestler of the Week honors after winning the Heart of America Conference Championships at the 165-weight class. The senior went 3-0 at the Heart of America Conference Championship this past weekend while taking down the No. 2 and No. 1 ranked wrestlers in his respective weight classes including teammate Dalton Jensen (SO/Downs, IL) and Elias Vaoifi of Missouri Valley. Caldwell is currently 17-3 overall on the 2020-21 season headed into the National Championship taking place on March 5-6 in Wichita, Kansas where Grand View will be competing for their 10th straight national championship. … rest of story at http://www.victorysportsnetwork.com/Clip/news/grand-views-caldwell-named-naia-wrestler-of-the-week.htm?mc_cid=76aa098ad3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND Sienna Heights University wrestling makes anticipated return
ADRIAN — After a long wait, Siena Heights’ men’s wrestling program made its return to the mats this past weekend and the stakes couldn’t have been much bigger, at the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Championships. Even so, the return meant a lot to the wrestlers and their coaches, head coach Adam Greene and assistant coach Andrew Morse. “It was really satisfying,” Greene said. “As cliched as it sounds, it was a dream come true. To sit down in the corner of the mat and see two guys go out to the middle and shake hands, and one of them is wearing Siena Heights gear, it’s a real thing now. It’s a program that is here to stay, and hopefully is going to be competitive for years to come.” … rest of story at https://www.lenconnect.com/story/sports/college/2021/02/18/siena-heights-wrestling-makes-return/6785238002/?mc_cid=279b9a2f50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
5 } – Glise named GPAC Wrestler of the Week
Briar Cliff wrestling’s Jeremiah Glise has been named the GPAC Wrestler of the Week. Glise, a junior from Maryville, Missouri, won the 197-pound class at the Hastings College Open and was a perfect 4-0 on the week. Glise pinned Central Methodist’s Alexander Drmac in 4:28 in the first-place match. He opened the day with a 3-2 decision over Trevor Bodine of Central Methodist before recording an 8-0 major decision over Jesse Cagle of Arizona Christian. Glise then beat Andrew Hamilton (Grand View) 3-2 before his win in the championship match. … rest of story at https://bcuchargers.com/news/2021/1/13/wrestling-glise-named-gpac-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=6b4820f7a2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
6 } – FAIRCHILD NAMED AMC WRESTLER OF THE WEEK
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Robert Fairchild has been named the American Midwest Conference (AMC) Wrestler of the Week, the conference office announced Monday. Fairchild was selected based on his performances from Feb. 8-14.
AMC Wrestler of the Week
Robert Fairchild, Williams Baptist (Ark.)
125-pound | Jr. | Metarie, La.
- Won the 125-pound weight class at the AMC Wrestling Championships
- All three bout wins came by fall.
- Named Most Outstanding Wrestling of the Championships.
- Helped the Eagles to the AMC Wrestling Team Championship. … rest of story at http://www.wbueagles.com/article/1753.php?mc_cid=9e45a80a12&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
7 } – Mid-South Conference announces Academic All-Conference and Champions of Character Teams as Story and Sallah are recognized
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – With the postseason approaching for men’s wrestling, the Mid-South Conference announced both the Academic All-Conference Team and Champions of Character Team for the 2020-21 season. Campbellsville University’s Luke Story earned a spot on the Academic Team as Mahlic Sallah is the CU representative on the conference’s Champions of Character Team. In order to be nominated by an institution, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.25 on a 4.0 scale and must have achieved at least sophomore academic status. The student-athletes that are honored on the Champions of Character Team were nominated by their coaches based on their leadership on campus and in the community while demonstrating the five core character values of the NAIA. Both Story and Sallah have spent significant time on the mat for the Tigers … rest of story at https://campbellsvilletigers.com/news/2021/2/18/mens-wrestling-mid-south-conference-announces-academic-all-conference-and-champions-of-character-teams-as-story-and-sallah-are-recognized.aspx?mc_cid=279b9a2f50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
8 } – Indiana Tech Men’s Wrestling Defeats Thomas More with Late Pin
CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. – Indiana Tech men’s wrestling battled with Thomas More earlier today only to have a late comeback and win 26-22. The match started at the 125-pound weight class where Brendon Mark faced off against Shay Horton. Horton started with a quick takedown before going out of bounds and being reset to the middle of the mat. Mark escaped to make the score 2-1 before the end of the first period. Mark strategically chose down for the start of the second period but was unable to get away from Horton while Horton worked for the pin. Mark lost to Horton via fall in 3:44. Next up for Tech was Malachi Greene at 133 to face James Mulenga. Greene was the aggressor earlier with the first takedown and two points before Mulenga escaped. Greene went right back at him and earned another takedown before getting Mulenga to his back and pinning him in just 1:32 to tie the match 6-6. At 141, Kyle Kantola faced off against Ryan Moore. Kantola scored the first two points of the match before Moore earned the reversal to tie it 2-2. Moore earned two more points before the period was out to lead 4-2. Kantola deferred the decision for the second period to Moore who chose down. Moore worked for a reversal on Kantola and took a 6-2 lead to ride out the second period. In the third period the wrestlers started in neutral before Moore recorded another takedown to lead 8-2. A stalling call on Kantola and a point for riding time earned Moore the 10-2 major decision victory and a 10-6 lead for Thomas More. … rest of story at https://indianatechwarriors.com/news/2021/1/16/mens-wrestling-defeats-thomas-more-with-late-pin.aspx?mc_cid=80454f9eb5&mc_eid=%5B2ef7cbca4b%5D
9} – Life University Men’s Wrestling Dominates on Path to MSC South Tournament Title
LAKELAND, Fla. —- The No. 3 nationally ranked Life University men’s wrestling team dominated its way to the Mid-South Conference South Division Tournament title with seven conference champions, earning a clean sweep of the postseason awards with all 12 grapplers qualifying for the NAIA National Tournament. Tyree Johnson (141 lbs.), Denver Stonecheck (149 lbs.), Jack Bass (157 lbs.), Sid Ohl (165 lbs.), Asher Eichert (174 lbs.), Myles Starke (184 lbs.) and Zane Lanham (197 lbs.) each stood atop the podium in their weight class for the tournament. In the South Division postseason awards, Stonecheck was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament, Brandon Orum (125 lbs.) was named the Freshman of the Year, Ohl earned Wrestler of the Year honors and head coach Omi Acosta received Coach of the Year accolades. … rest of story at https://liferunningeagles.com/news/2021/2/20/mens-wrestling-dominates-on-path-to-msc-south-tournament-title.aspx?mc_cid=4fc5b594c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
10 } – GPAC GLORY – EGLI, VASQUEZ INDIVIDUAL TITLES PROPEL MORNINGSIDE TO TOURNEY CHAMPIONSHIP
FREMONT, NEB. – Five National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ national qualifiers — two Great Plains Athletic Conference individual champions — a second team league tourney triumph in the last three years. Morningside College head coach Jake Stevenson had a tremendous sense of pride for his still youthful Mustangs following an impressive two-day performance at Midland University’s Wikert Events Center on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 19-20. “It’s a little bittersweet, as we had wanted as many guys as possible to advance to the national meet,” he reflected. “However, every one of our wrestlers put themselves in a spot to make a run at it this weekend.” Sophomore 133-pounder Taylor Vasquez (SO/Fountain, Colo.) (Fountain, Colo.) and senior 174-pounder Jonah Egli (SR/Fort Dodge, Iowa) (Fort Dodge, Iowa) picked up Mside’s two individual championships. Vasquez ranked No. 14 on the latest national poll, didn’t allow much doubt as to whether his NAIA championships ticket should be punched. He turned in a medical forfeit win and then registered back-to-back pins, including over Dakota Wesleyan’s Darlen Malone in the finals. Egli, entering the weekend with a 13-match win streak and No. 8 ranking, was dominant, too. He compiled two pins and then knocked off Doane University’s Michael Scarponi 6-4 in a match the senior controlled between two top 12 listed grapplers. … rest of story at https://www.msidemustangs.com/article/mens-wrestling/gpac-glory-egli-vasquez-individual-titles-propel-morningside-to-tourney-championship?mc_cid=4fc5b594c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
11 } – No. 14 Tigers can’t hold on in heavyweight match; No. 11 Cumberlands wins 18-16
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. — A wrestling dual coming down to the final weight class creates excitement but 11th-ranked University of the Cumberlands took that spark tonight by from behind to beat the 14th-ranked Campbellsville Tigers. The Patriots rallied to win, 18-16, to give Campbellsville its lone loss of the shortened regular season so far. The two are now tied inside the conference standings at 2-1. The night started with a big win by Brandon Miller at 125 pounds but then it was three straight decisions for the Patriots giving them a 9-3 lead. The Tigers then answered right back. At 157 pounds, Tristan Sellmer won 9-4 before Gavin Smith picked up a major decision at 165 pounds giving the Tigers a 10-9 lead. Moving to the most anticipated match of the night, No. 3 Mahlic Sallah and No. 10 Jarod Swank didn’t disappoint at 174 pounds. Swank rallied late in the third period to tie the match at 7-all but it was Sallah earning a two-point take down in sudden victory to push CU’s lead to four points, 13-9. … rest of story at https://campbellsvilletigers.com/news/2021/2/5/mens-wrestling-no-14-tigers-can-t-hold-on-in-heavyweight-match-no-11-cumberlands-wins-18-16.aspx?mc_cid=7fbcdf9574&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
12 } – Dustyn Azure Named CCC Men’s Wrestling Coach of the Year
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Eastern Oregon University’s Dustyn Azure was named the 2020-21 Cascade Collegiate Conference Men’s Wrestling Coach of the Year, announced Tuesday. He was voted on by the conference’s head men’s wrestling coaches to earn the award, his first Coach of the Year honor. “Congratulations to Dustyn on his selection as the CCC Men’s Wrestling Coach of the Year,” stated CCC Commissioner Robert Cashell. “This has indeed been a challenging season for all of our teams and Dustyn has done a wonderful job with his team, as well as serving as our conference and national rater.” This is Azure’s fifth year at the helm for EOU and five Mountaineers qualified for the NAIA National Championship, scheduled for March 5-6 in Park City, Kan. – the second-most in the CCC. Under Azure, EOU boasts a 34-34 dual record, including an impressive 15-5 mark last season. … rest of story at https://eousports.com/news/2021/2/23/dustyn-azure-named-ccc-mens-wrestling-coach-of-the-year.aspx?mc_cid=9c47fa024a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND Cornerstone announces Chris Williamson as inaugural Wrestling Coach
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Director of Athletics Aaron Sagraves and Cornerstone University are excited to announce the hiring of Chris Williamson as the inaugural men’s wrestling coach. Cornerstone announced that men’s wrestling will be the 20th varsity sport offered on campus in early January, and are now excited to have Williamson begin the recruiting process as the program will begin action in 2021-22. … rest of story at https://cugoldeneagles.com/news/2021/2/23/mens-wrestling-cornerstone-announces-chris-williamson-as-inaugural-wrestling-coach.aspx?mc_cid=9c47fa024a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Women’s Wrestling News (2021) – # 7
TDR Editor’s Notes ; The following articles are a part of the great increase in women’s wrestling news. The growth has been so much so that it will be necessary to post separate college and scholastic women’s wrestling articles. Until then catch up on the progress and news so far that is listed below. Keep on encouraging wrestling!
E-mail us at the Editor’s office at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – (Iowa) Coss: Numbers continue to soar for girls wrestling, but should it be sanctioned?
When the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association conducted its first girls’ state wrestling tournament two years ago, there were 87 participants spread over 10 weight classes. With only four wrestlers in the 195- and 285-pound weight classes and just seven in the 113-pound division, it didn’t have a state tournament feel. Weather impacted participation, but you still wondered if the event had staying power. Then last season, the number of competitors ballooned to 350 and officials knew they had to find a bigger location than Waverly-Shell Rock High School’s gymnasium to house the tournament. Even in what has been the most unusual year of our lifetime because of a global pandemic, the IWCOA state tournament moved to the newly built Xtream Arena in Coralville and had 457 girls from more than 120 schools take the mat for the two-day tournament this past weekend. … rest of story at https://qctimes.com/sports/high-school/wrestling/coss-numbers-continue-to-soar-for-girls-wrestling-but-should-it-be-sanctioned/article_a7bd128f-ccc4-5928-8a21-dd82703cb78d.html?mc_cid=348fe62197&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
2 } – (Indiana) Kokomo sophomore wrestler lays blueprint for girls in the sport
Aulani Davis wins back-to-back state championships
Kokomo sophomore Aulani Davis is blazing a trail as a female wrestler after she became the first girl in the school’s history to win a wresting state championship last year, and then she went back to do it again this year. On Jan. 15, the sophomore got to work in her second Kokomo state championship and took care of her opponent in a dominant fashion to become a back-to-back champion. To be the first girl to win it all last year, Davis said she was relieved, overwhelmed, and exhausted after the match came down to the wire. To do it again, it’s what she expects from herself now. “The first year I was really, really nervous. But this time around, I just went out and wrestled like it was just another match, and I wasn’t nervous like before. Obviously I was nervous, but it just wasn’t bad to where I was scared,” Davis said. Most high school athletes never even sniff a state championship, much less win two in a row. But Davis said she wasn’t satisfied and will be upset if she doesn’t win another one. She has two years left at Kokomo, and she wants the career sweep. … rest of story at http://kokomoperspective.com/sports/kokomo-sophomore-wrestler-lays-blueprint-for-girls-in-the-sport/article_63d4fd72-5f2e-11eb-8824-770b189e90b8.html?mc_cid=348fe62197&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND Sarah Huse IndianaMat’s first Miss Gorilla award winner
Sarah Huse didn’t know it, but she needed wrestling. Once she found it, her life has changed for the better. “Everyone has their own sob story, I guess,” Huse, a senior at Lebanon High School, said. “But it’s what you do to overcome that story that matters.”
In 8th grade Huse struggled with her weight, and her confidence. She was 245 pounds, and according to her, still trying to figure out who she wanted to be. So, she started trying to get in better shape. She took up dance, which helped with her flexibility and balance. Then, as a sophomore, a friend talked her into going out for wrestling. That’s where Huse started to make her mark. In just three years she has went from a beginner, to a two-time state champion with multiple college offers. She is also this year’s Indianamat Miss Gorilla award winner, which recognizes the best senior female wrestler in the state.
Huse has pinned every single opponent through the IHSGW tournament for two consecutive years. This year she defeated Northview’s Mercedes Tellechea in the championship, pinning her in just 1:09 to win the 170-pound class. Huse also took home the Katie Downing Mental Attitude Award. “When I started winning in wrestling is when I started feeling my best, mentally,” Huse said. “I was finally able to look myself in the mirror and be proud of who I am.” When Huse first started wrestling, she was nervous to tell her family. Her dad, J, wrestled collegiately, but she wasn’t sure how he would react. … rest of story at https://indianamat.com/index.php?/articles.html/mr-gorilla-award/sarah-huse-indianamats-first-miss-gorilla-award-winner-r1037/&mc_cid=653cd27934&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
3 } – (Iowa) Former high school wrestler goes from girls’ trailblazer to tournament coach
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – No one appreciates the girls’ state wrestling tournament more than Cassy Jakoubek. Hardcore wrestling fans may remember her as Cassy Herkelman. 10 years ago, she was chasing a dream as a freshman on the Cedar Falls wrestling team. “It got me excited,” Jakoubek said, at the time. “I am going to be a girl who goes to state. I am going to do it.” And, she did. Jakubek was the first girl to qualify for the boys’ state wrestling tournament. She won her first match by forfeit and lost her two others. But she had broken the barrier and drew much media attention. “I looked forward to do it. I didn’t take it as anything special,” Jakoubek said, now, reflecting back on that time. “I signed up for the sport. That was my goal. I went out and did it.” What goes around comes around: Jakoubek is in her first year as the head coach of the Cedar Falls girls’ wrestling program. “I am glad I can give back to the sport that gave me a lot,” Jakoubek said. “Some of them [know about my career]. They know I wrestled but I don’t know that they realize the things I have accomplished in my wrestling career.” … rest of story at https://www.kcrg.com/2021/01/23/former-high-school-wrestler-goes-from-girls-trailblazer-to-tournament-coach/?fbclid=IwAR0TPsmY5kyqtENd18luSoNKZOFc6OOV4ylXDjcqZ8kj8__l8l9WLiP4rxs
4 } – Osage’s Emma Grimm commits to North Central College
Emma Grimm is not done yet. On Wednesday, the Osage senior wrestler announced that her career on the mat will continue at the next level, with a commitment to North Central College. Grimm announced her decision in a Twitter post, saying “Three wrestling seasons just didn’t quite feel like enough. Here’s to four more years of doing what I love most at North Central College! Thank you everyone!” Over the past three years, Grimm emerged as one of the state’s top female wrestlers, with three top-six finishes at the state tournament, and two state medals.
Her junior year, Grimm finished second overall at state at 126 pounds, and finished third this past season after losing to Avery Meier of Waverly-Shell Rock in the state semifinals. North Central College is an NCAA Division III school located in Naperville, Illinois. The Cardinals finished sixth at the 2020 National Championships, and had five All-Americans. They are led by coaches Joe Norton and Zach Cook. … rest of story at https://globegazette.com/sports/high-school/wrestling/osages-emma-grimm-commits-to-north-central-college/article_cf2cbf36-cee5-5898-a4e9-3343ec462b8b.html?mc_cid=7c3cd1ad34&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
5 } – Girls’ state wrestling: Not only are Iowa’s numbers growing, the depth and talent are, too
CORALVILLE, Ia. — Every year, the girls’ wrestling conversation in Iowa centers on overall participation. The numbers have popped, from 67 five years ago, per the National Federation of State High School Associations, to 683 this year. That’s important. Growth is good, and Iowa’s growth has been very good. But it’s time for the conversation to include the state’s growing talent and depth — because that’s just as important, if not more so. And if you’ll allow me a minute here, we can discuss how Iowa has made incredible progress in overall on-the-mat development. That talent was on display here at Xtream Arena this weekend at the 2021 girls’ state wrestling championships, hosted for the third time by the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association. There were 457 girls from more than 100 different schools that competed this weekend. Only 87 came in 2019, then 350 competed last year. Again, the numbers are growing, and that’s good.
But consider this, too: The 24 wrestlers that reached Saturday afternoon’s finals were from 17 different schools. … rest of story at https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/high-school/2021/01/23/iwcoa-girls-state-wrestling-championships-2021-not-only-numbers-growing-depth-talent-are-too/6686428002/
6 } – 2021 Colorado Girls High School Preseason Ranking
The wrestling season is just beginning with a later start date then normal and also a shorten high school season, with duals only for both the girls and boys in Colorado. This the first year of being a CHSAA sanctioned high school sport for girls has been a long time coming. The road has been a long one that started four years ago with the coaches hosting girls only tournament events and the state championship until CHSAA approved to a two year probation and finally sanction of the sport. The growth of the girls teams and individual wrestlers has just about double each year since the start of the high school coaches pushing for the girls only division. Last year number had over 90 high school represented at the district tournaments and the number of girls was around 325. At a quick glance this year the team numbers are down to around 55 high school teams and the individuals numbers could also be done , mostly because of covid19. with this the girls competing shall still get the recognization that they desire. InsideCoWrestling is proud to host the ranking for the girls individual and girls teams ranking for 2021 – 2022 season.
… rest of story at http://insidecowrestling.com/index.php/16-high-school/1864-2021-2022-colorado-girls-high-school-preseason-ranking?mc_cid=8a92ee7e2c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
7 } – Bridgette Schoultz is excited to compete at upstart Delaware Valley
World medalist Leigh Jaynes is leading a new women’s program at Delaware Valley. Bridgette Schoultz has emerged as a leader on the team. … story and podcast at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPlayer.jsp?TIM=1611895063381&twSessionId=bjcjpwztut&videoId=1008180135&mc_cid=8a92ee7e2c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND Fowler Named Women’s Assistant Wrestling Coach
Charlotte Fowler has been named the new Women’s Assistant Wrestling Coach at University of the Ozarks. Fowler was a team captain and three-time Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association (WCWA) All-American at Campbellsville University in Kentucky. She helped Campbellsville to WCWA national championships in 2018 and 2020. A native of Texas, Fowler will help lead the new women’s wrestling program that will compete for the first time this spring, according to U of O Head Wrestling Coach LeRoy Gardner. “I am excited about Charlotte, and the opportunity for her to add and share her championship experience with our student-athletes,” Gardner said. “She’s a fierce competitor, excellent citizen, and just a great person and role model for our student-athletes. I am just really excited for our student-athletes and her to be around one another day in and day out to learn. … rest of story at https://www.uofoathletics.com/sports/wwrest/2020-21/releases/20210206qphn98?mc_cid=18c25877f2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
8 } – Rock Hill-area programs continue to lead girls’ wrestling movement in SC high schools
Girls’ wrestling is continuing to gain popularity across the state as it battles to expand and break barriers despite restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A couple of area coaches in particular are working extremely hard to get the sport recognized and sanctioned by the South Carolina High School League: Cain Beard of Rock Hill and Mike Fitzgerald of Clover. The battle that all of the coaches are waging is taking hold — even if the growth of the sport grew only a little from last year in terms of numbers. “We are picking up some numbers, but it is hard to gauge because of the virus,” Beard told The Herald earlier this week. “When we get through all of this virus, we will know a lot more about what we have.” Despite the minimal growth in numbers, the multi-time state champion coach sees a lot of progress from last year on the mat. … rest of story at https://www.heraldonline.com/sports/high-school/article248858074.html?mc_cid=ad9f03475a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
9} – Saucon Valley wrestling scorekeeper Cathy Leibensperger’s life-long dedication to the program
First in a series: Getting to know the stories behind the familiar faces of Lehigh Valley wrestling programs
Cathy Leibensperger shook off the snow from her coat and hair as she walked into Catasauqua’s old high school gym in 1980. She was among a dozen people who showed up for Saucon Valley’s wrestling match. The snowstorm kept away the cheerleaders. A Saucon Valley coach and a few wrestlers also were missing. So was the Panthers’ scorekeeper. Head coach Charles Bartolet asked Leibensperger if she could keep the book for the match. “I said, ‘Sure, why not?’” she recalled. “And I never moved away since. Leibensperger is in her 41st season as Saucon Valley’s scorekeeper and the team’s biggest fan. She’s never had a child wrestle in the program but has been a part of the lives of hundreds who have come through the program. The 63-year-old has traveled to out-of-state tournaments and postseason events for decades to continue her support of a program that has been in her blood for generations. “Wherever Saucon Valley wrestling goes,” athletic director Bob Frey said, “Cathy goes. She loves the wrestlers in the program as if they were her own.” … rest of story at https://www.mcall.com/sports/varsity/wrestling/mc-spt-saucon-valley-wrestling-cathy-leibensperger-20210129-pbaxvya32va3jcvegykdikwsje-story.html?mc_cid=ad9f03475a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
10 } – Class of 2021’s #1 Mia Palumbo to Iowa Wesleyan
This morning, on FloWrestling’s “Bader Show”, the top-ranked girls high school wrestler in the Class of 2021, Mia Palumbo (Richards, IL), announced her college intentions. Mia will wrestle for Iowa Wesleyan, a DIII school that is providing women’s wrestling for the first time in the 2020-21 season. Iowa Wesleyan is located in Mount Pleasant, Iowa and is coached by Shawn Contos. Palumbo is currently ranked second in the nation at 112 lbs by USA Wrestling and was a double national champion in Fargo during the summer of 2018. Earlier that year, Mia made Illinois state history by becoming the first girl to win a match at the boys high school state tournament. She was also just the third girl to qualify. Mia stole the show on a pair of standalone cards this year with her physicality and explosiveness. She was a part of the “Rumble on the Rooftop” in her native Illinois and rolled to a 10-0 tech over Shea Reisel. In October, … rest of story at https://news.theopenmat.com/womens-wrestling/class-of-2021s-1-mia-palumbo-to-iowa-wesleyan/79812?mc_cid=6b4820f7a2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND ‘It’s the norm’: Colfax-Mingo part of Iowa wrestling evolution
“To think of where we started and where we are now, it’s kind of hard to believe we got so big so fast,” junior Kylie Doty said.
Wrestling practice at Colfax-Mingo High School looks like many others. The wrestlers file in, tape some ankles, warm up and practice. Except, there is one difference. “Here at Colfax-Mingo, it’s the norm to have girls involved in wrestling,” Head Coach Erin Hume told Local 5. To be fair though, it is slowly becoming the norm across the state. Back in January, 476 girls competed at the IWCOA Girls High School State Championship. “To think of where we started and where we are now, it’s kind of hard to believe we got so big so fast,” junior Kylie Doty said. That weekend showed more than just how far girls wrestling has come. … rest of story at https://www.weareiowa.com/article/sports/local-sports/colfax-mingo-wrestling-girls-iowa-wrestling-evolution/524-7396f93f-34d8-4b80-9d80-eb75abeb1750?mc_cid=653cd27934&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
11 } – THIS WEEK’S WOMEN’S COLLEGE SCHEDULE, LISTED BY DAY, WITH NATIONAL RANKINGS NOTED
With the announcement of the post-season schedule for the NCAA women’s wrestling programs today, we enter the back stretch of the women’s college season during February. The NCAA colleges will compete at four Regional competitions on the weekend of Feb. 20-21, with their national event, the NCWWC set for March 6 at Tiffin. The NAIA colleges will have conference competitions over two weekends, either on Feb. 20 or Feb. 27, with the NAIA Women’s National Invitational at Jamestown, March 12-13. With that in mind, numerous women’s programs are getting in dual meets or tournaments in preparation for their postseason. Sunday is a big day for NCAA colleges, with No. 1 McKendree hosting two ranked teams for dual meets, while No. 6 Tiffin has three other ranked teams in town for dual meets, including No. 2 King.
A big-time tournament is set on Saturday, Feb. 6, with the Grand View Open held at NAIA No. 4 Grand View. There will be many ranked teams and individuals at that competition, with both NAIA and NCAA teams expected. Another women’s college event on Saturday is the Nampa Collegiate Invite in Idaho. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2021/February/03/NCAA-womens-college-schedule-this-week?mc_cid=653cd27934&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND TRANSITION WRESTLING Women’s Wrestling News
January 2021
Card-style events, college duals, the Captains Cup, Henri Deglane, high school state championships, athlete relocations, rankings: January was an active month for women’s wrestling.
Senior Level | Card-Style Events
Card-style events have provided match time for wrestlers and fan engagement at a new level this season. January started with a senior level women’s match at the Battle on the Banks between World Champion Jacarra Winchester and U23 finalist Koral Sugiyama in New Jersey. Winchester won by technical superiority. … rest of story at https://www.transitionwrestling.com/january-2021/?mc_cid=e1d5a94c45&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
12 } – Wreaper Wrestling
THE LEGACY SERIES: KRISTIE DAVIS
“I love the growth of the sport. I love being around them. I get to be a nurse at nights and then I get to go in and be with my women’s program”EMMANUEL COLLEGE HEAD WOMEN’S COACH, KRISTIE DAVIS … story at https://www.wreaperwrestling.com/the-legacy-series-kristie-davis/?mc_cid=e1d5a94c45&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND CAPTAINS’ CUP POOLS
All The Possibilities
Now that Captains’ Cup pools have DROPPED, we can dig into all the match-ups and tournament possibilities! Outside of the Draft and the actual event, this is our favorite part. Per the schedule BELOW, teams from Pool A will compete against each other first on Day one, followed by Pool B competition. Day 2 will wrap up with placement matches (5th/6th, 3rd/4th) and the GOLD medal dual. The #CaptainsCups2021 Day 1 will start February 13 at 2 P.M. CST and Day 2 will begin 4 P.M. CST. This event will be streaming live VIA | FloWrestling.
Brush up on all six team rosters HERE.
More info about Captains’ Cup Team Captains HERE. … rest of story at https://www.wreaperwrestling.com/captains-cup-pools/?mc_cid=e1d5a94c45&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
AND RTC MOVES
Regional Training Center Trends
2020 was a season of major shake-ups and big moves. 2021 is giving us some of that same energy.
Most recently, 2016 Olympian, 5X Senior World Champion, and 2021 Olympic hopeful Adeline Gray has officially made the move to train at the Beaver Dam RTC in Corvallis, Oregon. Gray has been and will also continue to train at the Olympic Training Center (OTC) in Colorado Springs, Colorado to prepare for the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games. … rest of story at https://www.wreaperwrestling.com/rtc-moves/?mc_cid=7fbcdf9574&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
TDR blog
After 20 seasons of publicizing wrestling The TakeDown Report’s (TDR) focus has changed to the collecting of college coaching records from North America since 1903. We will continue to recognize and reward successful wrestlers in eastern North Carolina (east of Raleigh & Fayetteville), assist with schools in starting or re-starting a team and this blog. Join us on our FaceBook Page – “The TakeDown Report” for photos and news. Please send results, stories, links and news to pass along. E-mail us at takedownreport@gmail.com
Martin Fleming, Editor
Takedown Report
