Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

College Schedules – 2021 – # 1

TDR Editor’s Notes ; A switch to spotlighting 12 articles and not just 10. It can help us catch up on the backload of wrestling news stories. 12 also sems more fitting with the TDR as the TDR Top 12 team of the best scholastic wrestlers in eastern N.C. has been naming for just over 20 years. Thus this collection of college team schedules is just a start but can provide some ideas and options for ones to attend and follow.
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1 } – Ohio Athletic Conference announces winter sports schedules for 2021
By Tim Glon  2021 Wrestling Schedule 
ADA — The Ohio Athletic Conference has announced its league schedules for basketball, swimming and diving, indoor track and field and wrestling for the 2021 seasons. Competition across all seven sports will begin the weekend of Jan. 22-23 and will be limited to conference-only opponents. Conference championships for indoor track and field will be held at Otterbein with the women competing on March 5 with the men following on March 6. The basketball tournaments will feature all 10 teams and will run from March 1-6 on campus sites. The swimming and diving OAC Championships meet will be March 25-27 at Akron. Wrestling will determine its OAC champion with a round-robin schedule of meets held on Jan. 23 at Mount Union and Feb. 6 at Ohio Northern. … rest of story at https://ohionorthern.prestosports.com/general/2020-21/releases/20201130kuawtu?mc_cid=2514c7e76e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – University of Indianapolis announces 2021 schedule
INDIANAPOLIS- The 2020-21 edition of UIndy Wrestling will take to the mat after ringing in 2021, with the COVID-19 abbreviated schedule opening Jan. 10. The slate will feature 10 duals over five weekends, followed by the NCAA Super Region 3 tournament and the 2021 NCAA Division II National Championships. “We are grateful for the chance to even put our guys out there this year, we have a group that is very eager to compete again,” Greyhound Head Coach Jason Warthan said. “We have a great deal of depth in our lineup this season, which will provide us with the opportunity to rotate some guys in and out.” 
The base of the schedule features duals versus the six Great Lakes Valley Conference wrestling institutions. UIndy will open its season versus Ouachita Baptist and Drury in GLVC action at Ouachita Baptist Jan. 10, and will continue GLVC competition Jan. 24 at Davenport versus the host Panthers and McKendree.. The GLVC duals conclude Feb. 6 versus Maryville and Lindenwood in St. Louis. … rest of story at https://athletics.uindy.edu/news/2020/12/2/wrestling-announces-2021-schedule.aspx?mc_cid=29548697b5&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – Life University Men’s Wrestling Announces 2020-21 Matchups
MARIETTA, Ga. —- Life University men’s wrestling head coach Omi Acosta announced the completed 2020-21 schedule Tuesday morning. The team Running Eagles will look to continue the program’s success through a series of opens and duals, as they will also host the first Life U Open on November 14. Due to department policies, fans will not be able to attend this event, but further information on how the event can be viewed will be released at a lated date. The Mid-South Conference Championships are currently slated to take place on February 12-13 in Bowling Green, Ky. Acosta mentioned, “With all this uncertainty, we are happy to step on the mat and compete this year. As a coaching staff, we are excited to see wht this group can do this season.” … rest of story at https://liferunningeagles.com/news/2020/10/27/mens-wrestling-announces-2020-21-matchups.aspx?mc_cid=2e944b01db&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – UTAH VALLEY WRESTLING RELEASES 2020-21 SCHEDULE
OREM, Utah – Utah Valley University wrestling head coach Greg Williams has released his team’s 2020-21 schedule. The COVID-shortened season will feature home duals against Arizona State, Wyoming and California Baptist.   
“First and foremost, we are excited to have a season,” Williams said. “Kudos to the NCAA, Big 12, NWCA, our head athletic trainer here at UVU, Andrew Nelson, and our administration. They have all been proactive working tirelessly to make this season a possibility. We are very grateful for all of their efforts.” 
 This year’s schedule will be different than in years past, as it will include a dual-only slate during the regular-season. The season has also been shortened from the traditional five-month term down to three months and will span from January to March of 2021. … rest of story at https://gouvu.com/news/2020/12/14/utah-valley-wrestling-releases-2020-21-schedule.aspx?mc_cid=2646a1a5c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – Minot State Releases 2020-21 Wrestling Schedule
MINOT, N.D. –Minot State Athletics today released an updated 2021 wrestling schedule. The Beavers open the season on Jan. 7 against Minnesota State at the MSU Dome.  Minot State will host three meets during a season that sees the wrestling team compete on Thursdays beginning on Jan. 7. The Beavers host Minnesota State Mankato to open the season on Thursday, January 7 at 7 p.m. inside the MSU Dome.
MSU wrestling travels to St. Cloud on Jan. 14 for a matchup against the Huskies at Halenbeck Hall. The Beavers face the NSIC preseason coaches’ poll No. 1 and defending NSIC Champions in what is sure to be a pressure-packed second dual of the season. … rest of story at https://msubeavers.com/news/2020/12/15/general-minot-state-announces-2021-wrestling-schedule.aspx?mc_cid=065f8820b6&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – Lehigh announces 2021 wrestling schedule
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The Lehigh wrestling team has been waiting for a long time to return to the mats and the three-time defending EIWA champion Mountain Hawks now have a schedule that provides the framework for the brown and white to resume competition in 2021.
The 2021 slate features eight confirmed dual meets, including six inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Six of the eight confirmed duals will be against EIWA opponents. There is the possibility of a ninth dual against an EIWA opponent if the schools can find a mutually agreeable date. Lehigh will make its return to action on Saturday, Jan. 2 when the Mountain Hawks host Hofstra. … rest of story at https://lehighsports.com/news/2020/12/17/lehigh-announces-2021-wrestling-schedule.aspx?mc_cid=daf3892c58&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – California Baptist Releases 2021 Schedule Packed with Pac-12, Big-12 Competition
By: Andrew Shortall, Director of Athletics Communications
FULL SCHEDULE
RIVERSIDE – California Baptist University has released its 2021 wrestling schedule, with nine duals and eight matchups against opponents from the Pac-12 and Big 12 on the docket for the new year. Five first-time opponents and matchups with four Pac-12 and four more Big 12 teams make up the Lancers’ all-dual schedule. Several clashes against ranked opponents from last year make for an exciting, albeit shortened 2021 season. Due to all the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, CBU’s schedule and opponents this year are subject to change. 
CBU will travel to face a Stanford team that ended last season No. 24 overall. The Lancers will also face North Dakota State and Fresno State squads that were ranked No. 11 and 20 in the final NCAA Division I Mid-Major Rankings of 2020. … rest of story at https://cbulancers.com/news/2020/12/16/wrestling-releases-2021-schedule-packed-with-pac-12-big-12-competition.aspx?mc_cid=daf3892c58&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – Bears release condensed 2021 wrestling schedule
Northern Colorado looks to return to the mat with the release of their 2021 condensed schedule.
GREELEY, Colo. – Over nine months since Northern Colorado wrestling’s season ended early with the cancellation of the 2020 NCAA Championships, the No. 25 ranked Bears released their 2021 wrestling season schedule. The team will solely wrestle in dual or tri-dual format competitions during the regular season, hosting a pair at home. “We are excited to have our schedule finalized for the 2020-2021 season,” Head Coach Troy Nickerson said. “With the delayed start, things are finally becoming more real and the guys are excited to get back on the mats after a nine-month layoff.”
 Northern Colorado comes into the season with the highest national ranking in program history, being ranked 25th. The Bears are returning to the mat after qualifying a program high five wrestlers for the NCAA Championships last season. The Bears roster features seven NCAA qualifiers, with all five NCAA qualifiers returning to the lineup this season, along with 2019 NCAA Qualifier Chris Sandoval and transfer Jackson Hemauer, also a 2019 NCAA Qualifier. … rest of story at https://uncbears.com/news/2020/12/17/bears-release-condensed-2021-wrestling-schedule.aspx?mc_cid=daf3892c58&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – MSU-N Wrestling Preview: New season, same goals for talented Lights
Getting started hasn’t been easy. Nothing during the COVID-19 pandemic is. But the Montana State University-Northern Lights wrestling team are trying their best to make a go of a 2020-21 season. And if and when the Lights do hit the mat, they’re expected to once again be one of the top teams not only in the Cascade Conference, but also in all of the NAIA. Northern, of longtime head coach Tyson Thivierge, comes into the new season ranked No. 12 in the NAIA Coaches Poll, while the Lights have a pair of top-ranked individuals, and five ranked overall. And given Northern’s rankings, their returners, and their experienced talent, expectations and hopes are certainly high
… rest of story at https://www.havredailynews.com/story/2020/12/16/sports/msu-n-wrestling-preview-new-season-same-goals-for-talented-lights/531941.html?mc_cid=daf3892c58&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – Army Wrestling Releases 2021 Campaign
WEST POINT, N.Y. – After much anticipation this winter, the Army West Point wrestling team released their schedule for the 2021 season on Monday afternoon. Due to the uncertainties of the new year, the schedule will act as a tentative guideline with the possibility of changes. All match times are to be determined and will be released in the coming weeks.
The Black Knights will kick off the year with a double-header against LIU and Clarion University on Saturday, Jan. 9. Army is expected to host seven home contests including hosting service academy rival Navy on Feb. 12 in the annual Star Match.
“I am just really thankful for the support of our administration and grateful for the opportunities provided for our guys to compete,” Head Coach Kevin Ward said. “I’m so proud of the way they have remained focused on their goals throughout a really difficult fall, and we are all looking forward to stepping into the arena and competing again in just a few weeks.” … rest of story at https://goarmywestpoint.com/news/2020/12/21/wrestling-releases-2021-campaign.aspx?mc_cid=e96ed12e50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

11 } – Lake Erie Storm take on a loaded 2021 Schedule
On Friday (Dec. 18), the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) released its NCAA Division II Coaches Rankings and it featured four conference schools in a loaded Great Midwest (G-MAC). No. 8 Tiffin and No. 9 Ashland both ranked in the top ten nationally, followed by No. 17 Findlay, and No. 26 Lake Erie. The Storm will take on five currently ranked opponents in their 2021 season schedule.
In a year with not a lot of competition opportunities, the Storm will open the season in the G-MAC tournament on Jan. 23. The G-MAC featured four out of six schools ranked in Super Region 3.  Following the season opener, No. 11 Indianapolis and Davenport travel to Painesville, Ohio on Jan. 30 … rest of story at https://lakeerie.prestosports.com/sports/wrest/2020-21/releases/20201221jsmbcl?mc_cid=e96ed12e50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

12 } – Ohio Athletic Conference shifts Wrestling regular season schedule to Sundays
By Tim Glon
2021 Wrestling Schedule |
ADA — The Ohio Athletic Conference has announced a shift for its regular season wrestling schedule, moving all contests from Saturdays to Sundays for the 2021 season. Wrestling will determine its OAC champion with a round-robin schedule of meets held on Jan. 24 at Mount Union and Feb. 7 at Ohio Northern. All eight schools will also compete at Baldwin Wallace on Jan. 31 in a schedule yet to be determined. The NCAA Central Regional Championships on Feb. 26-27 at Alma, Mich., and the NCAA III Championships at LaCrosse, Wis., on March 12-13 remain unchanged. … rest of story at https://ohionorthern.prestosports.com/sports/wrest/2020-21/releases/20201221hgesj9?mc_cid=e96ed12e50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

January 3, 2021 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

College Results – 2021 – #1

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Looking at the early season results from mostly NAIA schools at a time when we usually would be viewing mid-season reports. Notice the last article which recognizes the achievement of the latest coach to lead his team to a 100th win during his tenure as the coach.
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1 } – College Wrestling 2021: RTCs could help programs in shortened season
By Mike Finn
Editor’s Note: The following story appeared in the late-November issue of WIN Magazine. Click here or call 888-305-0606 to subscribe to WIN Magazine.
Many college wrestling historians look at 1928 — the year of the first NCAA Championships — as the beginning of this great college sport that has averaged over 105,000 fans every tournament over the past decade and was scheduled to be held in Minneapolis’ NFL football stadium last March before the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the annual three-day event.
But college wrestling had already earned plenty of respect before Iowa State hosted the first national tournament … primarily because of what Ivy League schools had done since at least 1905. That was the first year that college wrestling’s oldest postseason event — the “Easterns” which are now known as the Eastern Intercollegiate Wresting Association tournament — was held in Philadelphia. During those early days, Ivy League schools won the first 13 titles, including seven by Cornell University, which has tallied 25 all-time EIWA championships over the past 115 years.
Unfortunately, none of the six current Ivy League schools  — Cornell, Princeton, Brown, Columbia, Penn and Harvard — that wrestle will be part of the 2020-21 NCAA equation after the Ivy League announced on Nov. 12 that the league was canceling all winter sports seasons because of the pandemic. … rest of story at https://www.win-magazine.com/2020/12/01/college-wrestling-2021-rtcs-could-help-coaches-in-short-season/?mc_cid=2514c7e76e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b#utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=college-wrestling-2021-rtcs-could-help-coaches-in-short-season

2 } – Dakota Wesleyan drops pair of duals at York
YORK, Neb. – The Dakota Wesleyan University wrestling squad fell in a pair of duals at the York Quad losing to York College, 39-9 and to Ottawa University, 48-3 on Friday night in York, Neb.  In the opening match of the dual against York, Darien Malone (Rapid City, S.D.) defeated Harley Williamson, the 10th ranked wrestler in the 133-pound weight class by way of a 12-6 decision. A few matches later, Hunter Planansky (Hayden, Colo.) took care of business in the opening period as he won by fall in 1:50.  In the second dual of the night, Planansky recorded the lone victory after a 4-1 decision. In the final match of the night, Kyle Mullaney (Worthington, Minn.) fought a tight round until ultimately losing, 3-1. … rest of story at https://dwu.prestosports.com/sports/wrest/2020-21/releases/20201211uqn37c?mc_cid=afaeddd782&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – No. 10 Cumberland Wrestling wins big in Duals
LEBANON, Tenn.–The Phoenix recorded a 54-0 win against Central Baptist College and tallied a 44-11 victory over Mid-South Conference foe Midway University.  Central Baptist brought just four wrestlers to compete giving Cumberland six forfeits out of the gate, but the Phoenix didn’t let up there. Cumberland didn’t allow Central Baptist to pick up any victories sweeping the match 54-0. The 10th-ranked Phoenix kept it going from there claiming five pinfall wins in the win over Midway.  Toribio Mendez picked up the pinfall of the day over Tyrese Hicks in the second period. 6th-ranked 149 wrestler Anthony Maia picked up two wins on the day, the first a decision over Alejandro Mas from Central Baptist and then claimed a pinfall victory over Brent Hudgins from Midway.  At 133, Blaine Fussel and Brent Ruedeman had a tough back and forth match before Fussel was able to pin Ruedeman with just 24 seconds left in the match. … rest of story at https://www.gocumberlandathletics.com/wrestling/news/2020-21/8355/no-10-cumberland-wrestling-wins-big-in-duals/?mc_cid=1d3b41c6e1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – No. 2 Men’s Wrestling Sweeps Road Trip in Dominant Fashion
LAURINBURG, N.C. —- The No. 2 nationally ranked Life University men’s wrestling program improved to 4-0 on the year with a pair of shutout victories Saturday afternoon. The Running Eagles defeated Keiser University 60-0 and St. Andrews 55-0. The men’s wrestling team has yet to drop an individual match in a dual as the team totaled 12 wins via pin fall out of the 20 on the day. Life U defeated Keiser in the opener with a handful of forfeits. Brandon Orum, Quin McGlamery, Gavin Christ, Yarhoski Aldiva and Mason McDaniel each picked up the win via forfeit at their weight class. The remaining five Running Eagles all won via pin fall to secure the perfect match. Denver Stonecheck, Asher Eichert, Ashton Habeil, Baker Hadwan and Bret Winters each scored the fall for the 60-0 scoreline in match one. This also marked the first Mid-South Conference victory for Life U. In the second match of the day against host St. Andrews, … rest of story at https://liferunningeagles.com/news/2020/12/12/no-2-mens-wrestling-sweeps-road-trip-in-dominant-fashion.aspx?mc_cid=1d3b41c6e1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – Doane College Wins
Tiger Wrestling opened conference action on Saturday as they hosted Midland in Crete. The Tigers led from the start and posted a 37-11 win to improve to 4-1 in duals this season. Doane opened with a pair of forfeit wins at 125 and 133 with wins going to Luke Davis (FR/St. Johns, Fla.) and Daniel Vargas (JR/San Diego, Calif.). At 141, Baagii Boldmaa (JR/Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia) rolled through Conner Dalton by tech fall, 27-7. Boldmaa recorded nine takedowns and two four-point near falls. Tristan Zamilpa (SO/Madera, Calif.) posted 10 takedowns at 149 as he coasted to a 27-9 tech fall win over Steven Aranda. Ryan Aranda picked up Midland’s first win, an 8-2 decision at 157. An intermission break was held as Doane recognized Boldmaa with the presentation of his national championship ring. Boldmaa, the top ranked wrestler at 141, won the title a year ago with a pin in the championship match. … rest of story at http://www.doaneathletics.com/article/5113.php?mc_cid=1d3b41c6e1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – LWC WRESTLING REMAINS PERFECT WITH THREE VICTORIES; DEFEAT TWO NAIA TOP-5 PROGRAMS
WALESKA, Ga. – The No. 4-ranked Lindsey Wilson wrestling team continued their winning ways this afternoon, taking down No. 3 Reinhardt (Ga.), No. 5 Southeastern (Fla.) and (RV) Truett-McConnell (Ga.). The Blue Raiders fell behind early in all three of their matches on the day but slowly chipped away at their deficits to ultimately come out victorious three times. Lindsey Wilson defeated Southeastern 24-22, Truett-McConnell 43-9 and Reinhardt 25-22. With the wins, the Blue Raiders move to an impressive 9-0 on the season with eight wins over opponents in or receiving votes in the NAIA Coaches Top-25 poll. Lindsey Wilson has defeated four opponents inside of the top-10.
(No. 4) Lindsey Wilson 24 | (No. 5) Southeastern 22
The Blue Raiders dropped their opening two matches via fall’s to spot the Fire an early 12-0 lead. Tanner DeMien scored LWC’s first points of the match when he won on a 16-0 technical fall over Jaquan English (No. 18 at 141). Trent Johnson (No. 3 at 149) and Derrick Smallwood (No. 2 at 157) managed back-to-back decision victories to pull the Blue Raiders within one point at 12-11. Johnson defeated Andreus Bond (No. 14 at 149) 3-1 before Smallwood downed Kyle Kirkham (No. 11 at 157) 7-3. Joe Koontz (No. 7 at 165) won on a forfeiture to give the Blue Raiders their first lead of the contest. It was short-lived as Southeastern quickly regained the lead after winning on a major decision and a fall at 174 and 184-pounds. Trailing 22-17 with two matches to go, Trevor Lawson (No. 2 at 184) picked up a 9-1 major decision over Trillyon Fils-Aime before Brandon Reed closed out the match with a 5-1 decision over Sanford Meeks (No. 4 at HW). The results pushed the Blue Raiders to a close 24-22 victory … rest of story at http://www.lindseyathletics.com/article/12910.php?skipSplash=1&mc_cid=1d3b41c6e1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b&skipSplash=1&skipSplash=1&skipSplash=1

7 } – VMI Wrestling Holds Intrasquad Scrimmage Friday
LEXINGTON, Va. – The VMI wrestling team hosted an intrasquad scrimmage Friday evening in Cormack Hall, with Team Yellow defeating Team Black 26-21. Luke Fegley (133), Jon Hoover and Tyler Mousaw (197) won by pin for Team Yellow and Job Chishko (149) scored a technical fall victory. Robbie Adelstein won 6-2 at 285.
Cliff Conway (125) and Zach Brown (184) won by falls for Team Black. Noah Roulo (141), Seth Fillers (157) and Joel Diaz (174) each had wins for Team Black. The Keydets are slated to open the season Sunday, January 3 in a round robin competition at Bucknell University. … rest of story at https://vmikeydets.com/news/2020/12/12/vmi-wrestling-holds-intrasquad-scrimmage-friday.aspx?mc_cid=1d3b41c6e1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – No. 10 Wrestling goes 2-2 at Missouri Valley Winter Clash Duals
MARSHALL, Mo.–The Phoenix wrestled well at the Missouri Valley Winter Duals on Tuesday, going 2-2 against some of the toughest competition at the NAIA level. Included in the wins, No. 10 Cumberland defeated two teams receiving votes in the NAIA Preseason Top 20 Coaches’ Poll, Texas Wesleyan and Missouri Baptist.  
Cumberland defeated Missouri Baptist 58-0 early in the morning to open action, and topped Texas Wesleyan 27-15 in the third match of the day. The Phoenix battled tough, but ultimately fell to the No. 1 team in the NAIA Grand View, 31-15, and lost by a slim margin to the host and No. 11 team Missouri Valley, 19-18.
Cole Smith, sophomore Old Dominion transfer and currently unranked, continues to have a hot start at the beginning of his Cumberland career after having a perfect 4-0 day. Smith picked up wins over No. 9 William Seibert, No. 8 Dracius McKee, and No. 20 Trace Timmons. Smith picked 51 match point winning by a decision, two tech falls, and a pin over Timmons. Carter Cox really stood out for the Phoenix with each of his three wins coming against opponents ranked in the 125-pound class. The 12th-ranked senior out of Iowa defeated No. 19 Brayden Bradley, unranked Isaac Stalcup, and No. 3 Justin Portillo from Grand View. Cox defeated his two ranked opponents by a decision and tallied a major decision against Stalcup, racking up 20 match points between the rounds. … rest of story at https://www.gocumberlandathletics.com/wrestling/news/2020-21/8358/no-10-wrestling-goes-2-2-at-missouri-valley-winter-clash-duals/?mc_cid=065f8820b6&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – NO. 1 VIKINGS BEAT ALL-TIME DUAL RECORD & GO 3-0 AT WINTER CLASH DUALS
Marshall, MO – No. 1 Grand View men’s wrestling beats the college all-time dual win streak and set a new record at 93 consecutive duals won. Grand View defeated Marian University 36-6 at the Missouri Valley Winter Clash Duals to garner another record. The last time the Vikings have lost was November 7, 2013, where Grand View lost to Division I Iowa State University in Hilton Coliseum. The Vikings have yet to lose another dual since that night in Ames. Just recently, Grand View tied the all-time record with a 55-0 victory over Benedictine College. The previous record-holder was New York Delhi who also won 92 in a row from 1979-1983. Another record that Grand View tied last year was Dan Gable’s longest national championship streak by any college at any level. With nine straight NAIA national team championships, Grand View has a chance of breaking that this year. The Vikings increased that record even more throughout the day to 95 after posting victories over No. 10 Cumberland 31-15 and Texas Wesleyan 49-0. In the dual versus Cumberland at 285, … rest of story at http://www.gvvikings.com/article/6848?mc_cid=065f8820b6&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – Montana State-Northern wrestling coach Tyson Thivierge records 100th career victory
HAVRE — Montana State-Northern wrestling coach Tyson Thivierge is now a member of the century club. The 13th-year head coach earned his 100th career victory on Saturday when the Lights downed Oklahoma Wesleyan University, 47-6, in Seward, Nebraska.  Under the leadership of Thivierge, 44 Lights have achieved NAIA All-American status, including five individual national champions and 16 national finalists according to an article on the MSUN website. His teams have placed in the Top 10 at the NAIA National Championships a total of 10 times. The Lights have also won the NAIA Sportsmanship Award a total of five times with Thivierge at the reins. Thivierge, a member of the MSUN Athletic Hall of Fame and a graduate of Northern, was a four-time NAIA All-American (3rd, 2nd, 3rd, 1st) for the Lights, capping his career in 2002 with the 184-pound NAIA national title. He was a member of Lights national championship teams in 1999 and 2000. … rest of story at https://helenair.com/sports/college/frontier-conference/msu-northern/montana-state-northern-wrestling-coach-tyson-thivierge-records-100th-career-victory/article_94237682-cded-5663-a7e3-a7d587b12274.html?mc_cid=e96ed12e50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

January 3, 2021 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

National Wrestling News 2021 – # 1

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Some insights upon how others are adjusting to the pandemic as it has an impact on our sport are featured in articles (#1, 2, 7, 9 & 10). The new wrestling movie is discussed in articles #3, 5 & 6. A look at the background and development of the great USA wrestler from University of Nebraska, Jordan Burroughs is included (#4) and the final results of the new Regional Training Camp Duals. (#8).
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1 } – Wrestling with COVID-19: Coaches focused on keeping wrestlers safe during pandemic
Programs deal with various effects from coronavirus

Monday was supposed to be the first date for competition for high school wrestling programs across Iowa. For some teams, it will still mark the start that will be far from normal. For others, it will remain another idle in a year where no opportunity will be taken for granted. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact all walks of life, wrestling programs face a season filled with new procedures, fluctuating schedules and safety concerns on a daily basis. Most coaches have altered their regular routines and habits in an attempt to juggle the seriousness of the disease and limit risk to athletes. “People say it’s going to be different,” West Delaware Coach Jeff Voss said. “Wrestling is a sport where you have to adjust and adapt all the time. From that standpoint, it’s not different. We’re just responding to different events than in the past.”
The coronavirus canceled spring sports in Iowa and delayed the start of baseball and softball as Iowa eventually became the first state to return to high school athletics competition. Play continued into the fall with volleyball being the first indoor sport. The Iowa High School Athletic Association … rest of story at https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/wrestling-with-covid-19-coaches-focused-on-keeping-wrestlers-safe-during-pandemic-20201129?mc_cid=ac95ae6b76&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – Lehigh Valley wrestlers willing to do whatever it takes to have a season amid COVID-19 pandemic
Jon Trenge’s college wrestling career nearly ended because of a detached retina. Wearing goggles while he competed allowed him to finish as Lehigh’s career wins leader with 133. The goggles also created apprehension and concern for his safety. “The goggles were like a windshield with Vaseline rubbed all over them because of all the sweat,” said Trenge, who is in his second season as head coach at Parkland, his alma mater. “You could see up close, but when you got your head tilted down and you tried to look up toward the legs, it was hard to see.”
Trenge’s goggles were part of a five-point harness associated with his headgear, which often got pulled on by opponents. The three-time All-American at Lehigh said masks serve as a similar distraction for wrestlers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Masks are required in all social settings, though the state’s mandate does allow for athletes to remove them to avoid creating a medical problem or further damaging an existing one. Parkland wrestlers are wearing masks at all times during practices, which began Nov. 20, the first allowable winter sports practice date according to the PIAA — the state’s governing body for high school athletics. … rest of story at https://www.mcall.com/sports/varsity/wrestling/mc-spt-lehigh-valley-wrestling-masks-on-20201201-5gkou3q6tfe6tnc7xojyphrvmq-story.html?mc_cid=2514c7e76e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – Former Mepham High School wrestler films aspiring athletes for YouTube series
A former Wellington C. Mepham High School wrestler has returned to the mat — this time with different equipment. In September, Alexander Pekoff, of Bellmore, launched “THE GRIND!” on YouTube, a reality television series documenting the journeys of young wrestlers who train at Dynamic Wrestling Academy in Hauppauge. Jason Layton, who coached Pekoff when he was starting out in the sport, owns the facility. “I met Alex when he was in seventh grade as his private coach for wrestling,” Layton said. “He was an amazing athlete to coach and among the hardest workers I’ve known.” Pekoff, 23, is now translating that work ethic into filmmaking, which he took up as a hobby last summer, he said. “THE GRIND!” follows a handful of Layton’s athletes — ages five to 12 — as they train, compete and evolve in the wrestling world. “We’re hoping it shows what philosophies worked, what didn’t, who ends up becoming the champion and who ends up burning out in 10th grade,” he said. “I wrestled for about six years and loved it, but it taught me a lot of discipline.” Pekoff’s long-term goal for the project is to eventually document the wrestlers’ rise … rest of story at https://www.liherald.com/stories/former-mepham-high-school-wrestler-films-aspiring-athletes-for-youtube-series,129039?mc_cid=2514c7e76e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – Five things to know about Olympic wrestling champion Jordan Burroughs
The USA star has won four world championships, but did you know that he had a tough start at the University of Nebraska? More on that, and why he is so popular in Iran!
Jordan Burroughs is the golden boy of freestyle wrestling, in every sense of the word.
The New Jersey-born grappler first gained notoriety at college as a two-time NCAA champion, before securing a US record 69-consecutive matches to start his Senior career. That streak included 74kg Olympic gold for Team USA at London 2012, while he also won four-consecutive world championships titles from 2011-2017.
Burroughs’ social media profiles can all be found under the handle @alliseeisgold, a statement which has often become a manifestation. However, a rare road bump at the Rio 2016 Olympics saw him finish outside of the medals. Despite having already won everything the sport has to offer, he returned to the mat hungrier than ever for success, which speaks volumes of his inner drive. Now 32-years-old, his only goal is to win gold again at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. But how well do you know the American wrestler? … rest of story at https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/stories/features/detail/five-facts-usa-wrestling-jordan-burroughs/?mc_cid=2514c7e76e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – ‘The Last Champion’ was family affair for Hallie Todd
(KGET) — It was easy for the three screenwriters for the feature film “The Last Champion” – available through digital platforms starting Dec. 8 – to deal with the family elements of the story. The three writers are all related. Along with director Glenn Withrow, the tale of a disgraced athlete returning to his hometown was co-written by Hallie Todd (his wife) and Ivy Withrow (their daughter). “It’s been a wall-to-wall experience for however long we have been working on this,” Todd says. “It is our baby. We would go to bed talking about it and wake up in the morning talking about it.” The elements Todd, her husband and daughter would discuss started with the family elements. That was mixed with sports action (sparked by the director’s own high school wrestling days) and a love story. The result is the journey of John Wright (Cole Hauser), a hometown hero who found fame through high school wrestling. One bad decision ends is athletic dreams. A tragedy brings him home 20 years later and to the one place where he might find redemption. … rest of story at https://www.kget.com/community/ricks-reviews/the-last-champion-was-family-affair-for-hallie-todd/?mc_cid=29548697b5&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – ‘Very serendipitous’: Feel-good movie filmed in Eastern Wash. is set for release
A feel-good movie filmed in Eastern Washington is about to be released. “The Last Champion” is about a small-town Olympic wrestler who seeks redemption. It was filmed before COVID, but the pandemic is having an impact on the actors and on a local wrestler on track to make it to the Tokyo Olympics. The movie stars Cole Hauser as an Olympic wrestler who had his medal taken away. He returns to his small Eastern Washington town years later and ends up coaching the high school team. One of the actors is Michael John Madden, who wrestled for White River High School in Buckley 11 years ago. “It was really cool for it to be in Washington,” said Madden, “It was very serendipitous. It was 2016 when we filmed it.” … rest of story at https://komonews.com/news/local/very-serendipitous-feel-good-movie-filmed-in-eastern-wash-is-set-for-release?mc_cid=29548697b5&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – Wrestling Officials are Keeping Up with Today’s Action & Rules
By John Johnson
Over the past five years, we have seen a huge change in many of the wrestling rules to help keep the action flowing; with the out-of-bounds rule having the biggest impact on keeping action flowing on the mat. But there have been other rule changes that many feel have hindered the flow of wrestling matches and the fan experience, such as the video review and other new rules that require match stoppage.
Let’s drill down even deeper and look at wrestling rule changes at the collegiate level and how the changes have impacted the world of an official. When you stop and think of a wrestling match and terms from 10 years ago, you would not have heard terms such as the drop-down rule and count, video challenge, control of mat, clasping, hands-to-the-face, neutral danger zone, one-supporting-point takedowns, hand-touch takedown, neutral stalling, takedown rule changes (hand touch, reaction time, out of bounds), overtime procedures, video challenges, third-party independent reviewer, four-point near-fall, concussion protocol and much more! One of the nation’s top collegiate wrestling officials is Dr. Mike McCormick, who graduated from The Medical College of Virginia School of Dentistry in 1997, and has been practicing general dentistry in Hampton, Va., since then. McCormick has officiated every Pac 12 tournament since 1996 and every Big Ten tournament since 1997. He was also selected to officiate at every NCAA Division I tournament since 1995 and the cancelled NCAAs in Minneapolis last March would have been No. 26. He was selected as the liaison by the NCAA to the NCAA Rules Committee in 2007 and 2008 and is an active member of the National Wrestling Officials Association, and has been the president of the NWOA since 2014. Mike, along with his father, Dr. Pat McCormick, are members of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for lifetime achievement in officiating. Mike and his dad are the first father-son combo to be in the NWHOF. In addition to his impressive career as a referee, McCormick has numerous other accomplishments. He has been the college director of the prestigious Virginia Duals tournament since 1993. … rest of story at https://www.win-magazine.com/2020/12/03/wrestling-officials-are-keeping-up-with-todays-action/?mc_cid=29548697b5&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b#utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wrestling-officials-are-keeping-up-with-todays-action

8 } – Wolverines Fuel Cliff Keen WC Victory at Inaugural RTC Cup
CINCINNATI, Ohio — The University of Michigan wrestling team, including fifth-year senior Logan Massa, graduate student Myles Amine and junior Mason Parris, provided the primary firepower for the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club’s team championship at the inaugural RTC Cup team title on Saturday evening (Dec. 5) at the Duke Energy Convention Center. The Cliff Keen Wrestling Club (CKWC) is Michigan’s RTC, or Regional Training Center, a USA Wrestling-sanctioned training site for Olympic hopefuls that operates parallel and in conjunction with a college wrestling program. This weekend’s RTC Cup featured RTC squads from Cornell, Minnesota, NC State, Ohio State, Princeton and Virginia Tech. The CKWC posted a perfect 4-0 weekend record and defeated the combined squad of Southeast RTC and New Jersey RTC, four matches to two, in the championship final. Parris clinched the dual win in the final bout, rolling to a 12-1 technical superiority over Lehigh All-American Jordan Wood at 125kg/275 pounds. Parris, a 2018 junior freestyle world champion, scored the bulk of his points over a 12-second sequence in the first period, using a single leg for a takedown then taking Wood feet-to-back with it for four points and adding two more off a subsequent fireman’s dump. Parris tacked on two more scores in the second period, off a crotch lift and a match-ending reattack single at the 4:42 mark. Parris had only needed to avoid a pin or shutout tech in the final match after the CKWC reeled off three straight wins — from former Wolverine Alec Pantaleo, Massa and Amine — to all but assure the dual victory. Pantaleo went a perfect 4-0 on the weekend at 65kg/143 pounds and defeated Princeton All-American Matt Kolodzik, 8-6, … rest of story at https://mgoblue.com/news/2020/12/6/wrestling-wolverines-fuel-cliff-keen-wc-victory-at-inaugural-rtc-cup.aspx?mc_cid=224601c412&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – How do wrestling tournaments survive in a global pandemic?
Frank Popolizio typically doesn’t cry. It’s not that he is against crying, necessarily. It’s just not something to which Popolizio is accustomed. He’s a man who prides himself on getting things done regardless of circumstance or situation.  Popolizio’s zero-excuses philosophy and relentless pursuit of customer satisfaction have earned him high praise within the wrestling space. He makes his living with the four Cs: clubs, camps, clinics and competitions.  But amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Popolizio was unable to execute on any of his Cs for 13 months.  On November 22, the toil of perceived failure finally took its toll on the owner of Journeymen Wrestling.   “I got one hour outside of the arena on Sunday night and I just started to cry. I cried. I literally cried,” Popolizo said. “I don’t even know why I cried. I don’t know. The pressure was so unbelievable. Just to provide for your family. This is what I do to provide for my family and I do 10 (tournaments) a year. I felt an unbelievable amount of obstacles.”
Obstacles have been omnipresent for tournament directors in 2020. USA Wrestling’s Pete Isais, NUWAY’s Dave Dean and Tyrant Wrestling’s Cory Frederick are among those who have felt the pandemic’s pinch while trying to organize events across the country.  Frederick, the founder and owner of Tyrant Wrestling, had several events scheduled in Pennsylvania, but constantly changing executive orders forced him to explore new locations and different venues.  Since March, all Tyrant-scheduled tournaments have operated with the exception of the Columbus Day Duals, which were slated for October. The tournament has been postponed but, … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1607141306955&twSessionId=vcighfpsyn&postId=884875135&mc_cid=876213e0a7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – Steveson Defeats Gwiazdowski, 4-1, in Potential Olympic Trial Preview
In a potential preview of April’s U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Minnesota junior Gable Steveson defeated Nick Gwiazdowski, 4-1, at the 2020 RTC Cup in Cincinnati, Ohio. A two-time World bronze medalist, Gwiazdowski clinched the No. 1 seed at the trials prior to Steveson’s victory on Friday night. The RTC Cup is a dual-team tournament featuring six of the nation’s top regional training centers. Steveson, along with sophomore Brayton Lee, have joined several Minnesota alums as part of the Gopher Wrestling Club (GWC). … rest of story at https://gophersports.com/news/2020/12/4/wrestling-steveson-defeats-gwiazdowski-4-1-in-potential-olympic-trial-preview.aspx?mc_cid=876213e0a7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

January 3, 2021 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

International Wrestling News (2021) – # 1

TDR Editor’s Notes ; In a broader look at wrestling around the globe. We hope that wrestling can return to a full and normal schedule of matches and practices. Yet we all want that and we hope that this coming year is much better and healthier than 2020.
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1 } – WHEN AN “ORDINARY MONGOLIAN HERDSMAN” DEFIED A TORN ACL TO FIGHT FOR OLYMPIC GLORY
The people of Mongolia had been waiting a long time for a gold medal-winning hero and, in judoka Tuvshinbayar Naidan, they found a man worthy of every accolade. Four years after “healing his nation” by securing a first-ever Olympic crown, Naidan simply refused to be beaten by serious injury. Nothing and nobody were going to stop judoka Tuvshinbayar Naidan from taking to the tatami at London 2012 for his second successive half-heavyweight men’s Olympic final. Four men had tried and failed to stand in his way. And then, driven by desperate concern for his long-term well-being, those nearest and dearest to him pleaded with the Mongolian to take the silver in the -100kg event and forfeit the gold-medal match. … rest of story at https://www.olympic.org/news/when-an-ordinary-mongolian-herdsman-defied-a-torn-acl-to-fight-for-olympic-glory?mc_cid=c33f4da146&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – Tokyo Olympics faces problems over achieving a fair qualification system for athletes, says IOC
The coronavirus pandemic has made achieving fair athlete qualification for the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games extremely difficult, International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) president Thomas Bach says.
Key points:
The IOC says there is hardly a place on the planet where all athletes can access qualification events for next year’s Tokyo Olympics.
President Thomas Bach has denied he will discuss cancellation of the Games during an upcoming meeting with Japanese PM, Yoshihide Suga
The IOC is increasing its Olympic Solidarity Fund to $811m to help athletes and National Olympic Committees deal with COVID-caused financial problems. At a news conference following the IOC’s monthly executive board meeting, Bach said 57 per cent of places have already been allocated, but that there were still many athletes around the world hoping to qualify for the remaining 43 per cent. “For the remaining 43 per cent we still have to ensure a fair qualification system,” he said. This is becoming more difficult for many sports, with the COVID-19 pandemic out of control in numerous countries and severe travel restrictions in many others. Overnight, the World Wrestling Championships scheduled to take place in Serbia next month was cancelled. … rest of story at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-12/athlete-qualification-major-challenge-tokyo-2020-says-iocs-bach/12874916?mc_cid=ebacab18d4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – Wrestling world championships substituted after not meeting participation criteria
The world wrestling championships did not meet a participation benchmark to be held in December, so the event will be modified into an individual World Cup. “We want to see our athletes compete again on the mat. It’s important to our organization and we are committed to providing them an opportunity,” United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic said in a press release. “There are real challenges to overcome, but we are working together to find a safe and acceptable format where our top athletes can compete in a world class event.” Worlds, which were added to the schedule after the Olympics were postponed to 2021, were due to be held in Belgrade only if at least eight of the top 10 nations from the 2019 Worlds and 70 percent of total athletes planned to participate. “With many nations reinstating travel restrictions in response to COVID-19 the participation hurdles were not met,” according to United World Wrestling. The U.S. and Japan, two world powers, announced last month they would not send teams to worlds. … rest of story at https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2020/11/10/wrestling-world-championships/?mc_cid=ebacab18d4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – FloSports & United World Wrestling Announce 4-Year Partnership
AUSTIN, Texas (November 16, 2020) – Live sports streaming innovator, FloSports, and United World Wrestling (UWW), the international governing body for the sport of wrestling, today announced a major media rights partnership to broadcast elite global wrestling events to fans in the United States on FloSports’ industry-leading FloWrestling platform.  Starting in 2021, the exclusive 4-year partnership will feature over 95 international wrestling competition events throughout the partnership and will include UWW’s World Championships, Continental Championships, World Ranking Series, Olympic Qualifiers, Beach Wrestling World Series, and more. The partnership with UWW reaffirms FloWrestling’s leadership in the sport of wrestling as the innovative digital platform will now broadcast over 300 events a year while continuing to produce compelling, insightful content and 24/7 wrestling news coverage, making FloWrestling the #1 digital destination for wrestling fans both in the United States and around the world. FloWrestling continues to innovate in the sport of wrestling … rest of story at https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/6821609-flosports-united-world-wrestling-announce-4-year-partnership

5 } – Bökh wrestling, and the cultural genocide in Inner Mongolia
Bökh wrestlers open up to Bloody Elbow, saying the People’s Republic of China is trying to erase their culture and violate their rights.
FromFrom the 1970s up to today, the People’s Republic of China has had a meteoric resurgence back to global prominence, establishing itself to be firmly part of what many believe to be this new era of world superpowers. The country is breaking free from their Century of Humiliation and back to a historical norm of the Middle Kingdom’s global economic dominance. Although China’s return to prominence has not been without setbacks. As the eyes of the world become more fixated on the People’s Republic, China has met increasing and continuing justified criticisms for human rights violations, regional aggression, cybercrimes, and general practices that do not fit with modern morality. Currently, as the global community increases pressure on China for its treatment of the Muslim minority Uyghurs in their Northwest region and the PRC’s clampdown on democratically fueled protests in Hong Kong, China has continued to expand its reach despite rising scrutiny. The most recent addition to this growing list concerns the PRC’s seeming campaign to violate cultural rights, legal treaties, and history itself within their autonomous region of Inner Mongolia. … rest of story at https://www.bloodyelbow.com/2020/11/17/21571053/bokh-wrestling-and-the-cultural-genocide-in-inner-mongolia?mc_cid=97ab69a0c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – Iran to send four wrestlers to Individual World Cup
IRIWF president Alireza Dabir has said two freestyle and two Greco-Roman wrestlers will participate in the competition. Hassan Yazdani, who was chosen as the world’s most popular freestyle wrestler according to a poll by United World Wrestling (UWW) on Thursday, will represent Iran at the 86kg weight category.   Kamran Ghasempour will also take part in the competition at the 92kg category. Greco-Roman wrestlers Hossein Nouri (87kg) and Mohammadhadi Saravi (97kg) are to represent Iran in the event. … rest of story at https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/454862/Iran-to-send-four-wrestlers-to-Individual-World-Cup

7 } – UN condemns Iran’s extrajudicial killing of champion wrestler
According to the final tally, 79 countries voted for the resolution to condemn Iran’s regime while 32 voted against the resolution. A total of 64 nations abstained.
The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday cited the Iranian regime’s hanging of the champion Greco-Roman wrestler Navid Afkari in a resolution that condemned the regime for its widespread human rights violations.The sponsors of the resolution called on the “Islamic Republic of Iran to launch a comprehensive accountability process in response to all cases of serious human rights violations, including allegations of excessive use of force, arbitrary arrest and detention, and torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment against peaceful protesters and political prisoners, failure to respect fair trial guarantees, and the use of torture to extract confessions, such as in the case of Navid Afkari and others.”The resolution added … rest of story at https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/un-condemns-irans-extrajudicial-killing-of-champion-wrestler-649677?mc_cid=46ecd7f19c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – United World Wrestling Offers Condolences on Passing of Khadem
He passed away at the age of 85 on Monday. Khadem served as Iran’s national team coach for several years and was a 1962 world silver medalist as a competitor. He was the father of Iranian champions Rasul and Amir Reza. He helped his sons achieve Olympic and world medals in freestyle wrestling. Mohammad Khadem coached his son Rasul in the final match of the 1996 Olympics against legendry Makharbek Khadartsev (Russia). Rasul was an Olympic champion in 1996 and claimed a bronze medal at the 1992 Olympics. He also won two gold medals and one silver medal at the world championships. Amir Reza was a two-time Olympic medalist, winning bronze medals in 1992 and 1996. He was also a 1991 world champion and 1990 world bronze medalist. … rest of story at https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2020/11/26/2397669/united-world-wrestling-offers-condolences-on-passing-of-khadem?mc_cid=de5a36abdc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – WRESTLING PROGRAM AT 2024 PARIS OLYMPICS IS THE SAME AS TOKYO 2020: 18 SETS OF MEDALS, 288 TOTAL ATHLETES
The International Olympic Committee has announced the final sports program for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. In regards to the sport of wrestling, the program for Paris will match the same exact details as the upcoming Summer Olympic in Tokyo, Japan in 2021. Basically, wrestling at the Paris Games will have the same number of medals, the same number of athletes and the same specific weight classes as will be in effect in Tokyo. There will once again be six medals in each of the three Olympic disciplines, men’s freestyle, women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman. In fact, the weight classes will be exactly the same as for Tokyo. The number of athletes are exactly the same, with 96 entries in men’s freestyle, 96 entries in women’s freestyle and 96 entries in Greco-Roman for a total of 288 athletes. That works out to 16 athletes in each of the 18 weight classes. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/December/07/Wrestling-program-for-Paris-2024-the-same-as-Tokyo-2020?mc_cid=c2c44a5110&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – How Lenny Merkin Is Engineering A Run Towards The Top
Lenny Merkin (67 kg, NYAC/NJRTC, 5PM #13) studies engineering at Princeton University. It is a field that has long held his interest, satisfying various curiosities with regard to building structures, home efficiency, industrial mechanics… Whatever. It isn’t always easy for those of us on the exterior of such a pursuit to really grasp all that “engineering” entails because it is a fairly broad scope. The only thing we do know is that it’s broken down into one timeless concept — the need to figure things out. Merkin isn’t new to Greco-Roman by any means, but he is new to the level in which he is now competing. At first, which is to say a few years ago, there were various age-group performances responsible for his arrival into the consciousness, including a Junior Pan-Am gold. Everything became a little more serious entering the 2018-19 season. Merkin’s activity on the National circuit increased, and with it, so too did his competitive trajectory. After placing fourth at the ’19 US Open, Merkin prevailed at the U23 World Team Trials a little over a month later. The U23 World Championships in Budapest offered a fitful learning experience, so he didn’t even take a breather upon returning home. He couldn’t. The Bill Farrell Memorial — the first qualifying event for the eventually-postponed Olympic Trials — was a can’t-miss. When that was over, … rest of story at http://www.fivepointmove.com/usa-greco/lenny-merkin-figuring-it-out/?mc_cid=46ecd7f19c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

January 2, 2021 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

College Coaching News – 2021 – 1

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Some new coaches are named for head and assistant positions for this season and one even for a new program to start in the fall for next season in the first article. Of particular interest is the announcement by Wheeling University (#8) of a coach with connections as a wrestler and coach in North Carolina. Our congratulations to Daniel Ownbey.
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1 } – Bo Bettinson named head wrestling coach
St. Ambrose University Director of Athletics Mike Holmes announced today that Bo Bettinson has been hired as the University’s head wrestling coach. He will begin his duties Nov. 1. St. Ambrose recently announced the decision to add wrestling as a varsity sport beginning in 2021-2022. Bettinson has served as an assistant wrestling coach at Montana State University Northern since 2017. In his time with the Lights, the program has registered 18 NAIA national qualifiers, 10 All-Americans and six national finalists, including one National Champion (Nick Kunz at 125 pounds in 2020). Montana State Northern finished fourth at the 2018 NAIA Championships, 10th in 2019 and 12th in 2020.
“I want to thank Mike Holmes and the search committee for giving me this opportunity,” Bettinson said. “Starting a program is a unique challenge, and I am excited to get to work to build a program that the St. Ambrose community can be proud of. Go Bees!” His teams have also found success in the classroom, ranking in the top three among all NAIA schools on the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar All-American Team list in each of the last three seasons.
Bettinson has ties to Iowa, having wrestled and coached for Waldorf University in Forest City. At 125 pounds for Waldorf, he was a four-year team captain and four-time NAIA national qualifier. He finished second at the Northern Plains Last Chance World Team Trials in 2013. Bettinson won 105 matches in his career with the Warriors. … rest of story at http://www.saubees.com/article/4655.php?mc_cid=5358e83a0f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – Wrestling Adds Campbell, Clark to Staff
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.  –  SIUE wrestling is proud to announce the additions of Te’Shan Campbell and Shakia “Kia” Clark to the staff. Campbell spent last season as the Volunteer Assistant at fellow Mid-American Conference member Kent State, and comes to SIUE to fill the role of second Assistant for the Cougars. “We are very excited to add Te’Shan to our staff” said SIUE Head Coach Jeremy Spates. “He comes from great wrestling areas and programs. He has won at a very high level both as an individual and on the team level. He is also the type of person that we want leading our wrestlers. He has done a great job getting to know the team and working with them in his time here thus far.” Campbell brings a decorated wrestling resume to SIUE, starting both at Pittsburgh and Ohio State. Campbell was a four-time national qualifier, twice making the Round of 16 and capping off his collegiate career with a top-12 finish at the NCAA Tournament in 2019. Campbell took down three top-30 wrestlers during his 2019 campaign.  He finished his career with an 82-37 overall collegiate record and a number 10 national ranking. Campbell’s time at Pittsburgh was highlighted by a 22-4 season in 2017 … rest of story at https://siue.prestosports.com/sports/m-wrestl/2020-21/releases/20201210?mc_cid=d179f0f753&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – Castleton University wrestling coach receives award
Ever since growing up with Castleton University Wrestling Coach Scott Legacy, Castleton Assistant Wrestling Coach Jeff Whitesell knew he was bound for greatness. Legacy and Whitesell went to the same grade schools and wrestled together all the way through high school. Upon graduation, Legacy and Whitesell left for separate colleges, but that wasn’t the end of their story. Whitesell eventually moved back to Bennington and his 4-year-old son was interested in learning how to wrestle. Whitesell decided he wanted his son to be coached by the best, so he reconnected with Legacy and helped him coach. Legacy moved back to Bennington after college and started as the head coach for the wrestling program at Mount Anthony Union High School, basically starting a dying program. After four years, Mount Anthony won their first of 28 consecutive state championships. Due to this achievement, MaxPreps recently awarded Legacy the title “Greatest High School Coach of All Time from Vermont.” … rest of story at http://www.castletonspartan.com/2020/12/09/cu-wrestling-coach-receives-award/?mc_cid=d179f0f753&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – My Wrestling Journey – Dave Kemmy
My wrestling journey began in the eighth grade at the age of 13 when a friend asked me to join the junior high wrestling team with him. Well, 45 years later, here I am working for the NWCA, and my friend lasted about a week! I was a very active youngster who was looking for direction. My dad had passed away when I was ten, and I needed to release some energy and aggression. Little did I know how my life would become so entwined with the sport of wrestling. It was one of the best decisions in my lifetime. My high school career was very up and down, probably more highlights than lowlights, though. During my freshman year, I wrestled in the 177- pound weight class and won the freshman state title. Then I went up to the 189- pound class and my last two years at heavyweight, which back then was unlimited. The heaviest guy I wrestled in high school weighed 335 pounds! I beat him, but that was a challenge. I lived in Rhode Island, and there was very little wrestling outside of the high school season. During my entire four years of high school, I wrestled in two tournaments outside of the season. I earned All-League honors my junior year that helped propel me to a 21-1 record my senior season, and I was named to the All-State Second Team. My only loss that year was to the state champ. At the time, my coach was very friendly with a guy named Neil Turner, … rest of story at http://www.nwcaonline.com/my-wrestling-journey-dave-kemmy/?mc_cid=a2feb99899&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – Michigan head coach Sean Bormet – OTM622
Michigan head wrestling coach Sean Bormet goes On The Mat
Sean Bormet, the head wrestling coach at the University of Michigan, is the latest guest On The Mat. Bormet will talk about his ascension to the head coaching ranks, the success of the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club and more on this episode. On The Mat is presented by Cliff Keen Athletic. Join Kyle Klingman and Andy Hamilton as they talk about the world of wrestling on the flagship podcast of Trackwrestling.com.
Show Segments
0:50 – Andy’s nickname is overblown.
1:00 – Kyle is still obsessed with Sacred Heart. … rest of story at https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/trackwrestling/on-the-mat/michigan-head-coach-sean-bormet-otm622/?mc_cid=2646a1a5c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – Greater Johnstown’s Harris to join Tiffin wrestling team as grad assistant, chase Olympic dream
Johnstown native Mariah Harris established herself as a wrestler on the national level nearly eight hours from home as a four-time All-American at Campbellsville University in central Kentucky. She’ll be chasing her Olympic dream –and exploring coaching the sport – a lot closer to home. Harris, a 2016 Greater Johnstown graduate, has accepted a graduate assistant position at Tiffin University in northwest Ohio, about 4 1/2 hours away. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in business administration, building on the criminal justice degree she earned at Campbellsville, Harris said – “to be able to run my own law firm one day.” Nick Goebel, women’s wrestling coach at Tiffin University, said Harris will receive a stipend for expenses in addition to having her tuition paid for while earning a master’s degree. She will officially join his program on Jan. 9. “Mariah is very enthusiastic and outgoing, very positive,” … rest of story at https://www.tribdem.com/sports/greater-johnstowns-harris-to-join-tiffin-wrestling-team-as-grad-assistant-chase-olympic-dream/article_9456e10e-3db9-11eb-93d0-33fab530cece.html?mc_cid=2646a1a5c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – Bluefield State Hires Five New Head Coaches
BLUEFIELD – On Sunday, August 16 Bluefield State College announced the addition of 12 new sports. In a matter of four months the Interim Director of Athletics, Derrick Price, and his administrative team have managed to hire five out of the seven new head coaches. To achieve this task in a short period of time, the athletic department enlisted assistance from the campus community. Each hiring committee formulated its process to identify the unique characteristics of the coach that was needed for each individual sport. To kick off the new hires, Bluefield State was excited to announce Tony Coaxum as the Head Football Coach. Coaxum comes to BSC from the University of Northern Colorado where he was the special team’s coordinator and defensive backs coach. Coaxum also coached for the Denver Broncos from 2015-2017 as an assistant special team’s coordinator, during which time the Broncos won the 2016 Super Bowl. … rest of story at https://go-bstate.com/general/2020-21/releases/20201211hlxmge?mc_cid=ed5fd11129&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – Wheeling tabs two-time National Champion Daniel Ownbey as head coach
WHEELING, W.Va. (Dec. 21) – Wheeling University has selected four-time All-American and two-time National Champion Daniel Ownbey to lead the wrestling program announced President Ginny R. Favede Monday morning. Ownbey arrives in the northern panhandle after spending this past season as an assistant coach at Division II Newberry College in South Carolina. Prior to that, he had coaching stints at Greensboro College, UNC Pembroke and Ferrum College. During his coaching experience, Ownbey has helped tutor a combined 17 regional placers and seven national qualifiers. 
“I am excited for the wrestling program and the potential it has to offer under Daniel’s guidance,” Favede said. “His success as a student-athlete along with his previous coaching experience has prepared him for this opportunity. I know he will provide our student-athletes with the same commitment and dedication that he has given to the sport of wrestling for so many years.” … rest of story at https://wucardinals.com/news/2020/12/21/wrestling-wheeling-tabs-two-time-national-champion-ownbey-as-head-coach.aspx?mc_cid=e96ed12e50&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – Tyson Thivierge is so much more than just a great wrestling coach, and Northern is lucky to have him
Tyson Thivierge couldn’t have asked for much more out of his college wrestling career. It was as dominant as dominant gets, including an individual NAIA national championship in 2002. No doubt, Thivierge had an amazing Lights’ career, one that worked out well for him, and for Montana State University-Northern. Now, that partnership is working out spectacularly well again. And on Saturday, in Concordia, Nebraska, Thivierge reached a milestone that shows just how good things are.
The now veteran head coach achieved his 100th-career dual win Saturday in Nebraska as the Lights defeated Oklahoma Wesleyen. The 100-win milestone is the latest chapter in an impressive coaching career at Northern. In 12 years at the helm for the Lights Thivierge, has produced … rest of story at https://www.havredailynews.com/story/2020/12/22/sports/tyson-thivierge-is-so-much-more-than-just-a-great-wrestling-coach-and-northern-is-lucky-to-have-him/532026.html?mc_cid=f9e49e1788&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – Bakersfield College wrestling coach Brett Clark steps down
Being away from wrestling this fall has proven to be easier than Brett Clark expected. With his team’s season delayed by COVID-19, Clark, who’s been coaching wrestling at Bakersfield College since 2003, found a productive way to fill his time, spending nearly every minute with his wife and four children. Those days spent at home led to a reshuffling of his priorities.  “You can’t get time back with your kids,” Clark said. “I kind of don’t want to miss their soccer games, their wrestling matches or their dance recitals.” Now, he won’t have to. After seven years as the head coach of the Renegades, Clark announced on Tuesday that he was stepping down to take a teaching position at Discovery High School in Lawrenceville, Ga. Clark, who was also the girls varsity wrestling coach at Frontier High School, isn’t giving up the sport, as he expects to be named Discovery’s head wrestling coach. What made the job appealing to Clark is that in one year, he’ll have the chance to coach his son Jason, who is currently an eighth grader. … rest of story at https://www.bakersfield.com/sports/bvarsity/bc-wrestling-coach-brett-clark-steps-down/article_1d5e2fcc-3f48-11eb-9087-63b0887f9c61.html?mc_cid=065f8820b6&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

January 1, 2021 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Campbell Wrestling season opener at No. 12 UNC postponed

BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Campbell’s 2020-21 wrestling season opener at No. 12 North Carolina has been postponed due to COVID-19 related protocols.
The programs will work to reschedule the match at a later date.
The Camels will move on to No. 9 Virginia Tech tomorrow, January 2. The match is set for a 3:00 p.m. start in Blacksburg, Va. … story and team details at https://gocamels.com/news/2021/1/1/wrestling-season-opener-at-no-12-unc-postponed.aspx
UNC’S SEASON-OPENING MATCH POSTPONED VERSUS CAMPBELL
CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina’s season-opening wrestling match against Campbell on January 1 has been postponed because of COVID-related protocols within Carolina’s team. The teams will work to reschedule at a later date. … story and team details at https://goheels.com/news/2021/1/1/wrestling-uncs-season-opening-match-postponed-versus-campbell.aspx

January 1, 2021 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Women’s Wrestling News – # 56

TDR Editor’s Notes ; A last look at stories of the growing women’s wrestling movement in colleges and high school for the year 2020. Looking forward to even more success and growth in 2021.
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1 } – COLLECTIVE COACHING KNOWLEDGE PROVIDES RESOURCE FOR THOSE NEW TO COACHING FEMALE WRESTLERS
Wrestle Like A Girl, USA Wrestling, and the National Wrestling Coaches Association team-up to create Coaching Girl Wrestlers: Best Practices releasing today, Dec. 1, 2020.
Best Practices Quick Guide
It is well-recognized that girls’ wrestling is one of the fastest-growing high school sports in the nation, increasing by 27% two years in a row with 6000 plus new high school girls joining wrestling in 2020 alone. Coaching Girl Wrestlers: Best Practices compiles “knowledge from a dozen seasoned female wrestling coaches from across the country,” addressing topics such as:

  • Female Health
  • Motivation and Confidence
  • Female Specific Technique

The goal of this strategically created resource is to: “develop a comprehensive set of best practices for secondary school coaches who find themselves coaching female wrestlers for the first time. We aim to provide evidence-informed information and collaborate with national wrestling organizations in unified support of the girls wrestling movement.” The resource includes a simplified document, Coaching Girl Wrester’s Quick Guide, with links to additional resources, videos, and an expanded version housed on the Wrestle Like A Girl website. … rest of story at http://www.nwcaonline.com/collective-coaching-knowledge-provides-resource-for-those-new-to-coaching-female-wrestlers/?mc_cid=2514c7e76e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – 2020-21 NAIA Women’s Wrestling Coaches’ Poll – No. 1
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – In the first poll of 2020 season, Wayland Baptist (Texas) claimed the No. 1 spot to begin the season in first poll released Friday. Campbellsville (Ky.), Grand View (Iowa), Menlo (Calif.) and Life (Ga.) rounded out the top five.
Poll Methodology

  • The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the eight conferences.
  • Two days prior to the national poll, each qualifying group rater submits the top six individuals from each weight class in his conference into the system. Only wrestlers listed on a conference ballot are considered for the national ballot.
  • The top 20 individuals in each weight class is based on how each voter ranks the best individuals. An individual receives 20 points for each first place vote, 19 for second place and so on through the list. This same point system is used to determine the team ranking. … rest of story at https://www.naia.org/sports/wwrest/2020-21/Releases/WWrest-Poll1?mc_cid=638194e439&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – Dalrymple Named NAIA Women’s Wrestler of the Week
KANSAS CITY, Mo. —- For the first time in program history, the Life University women’s wrestling team earned NAIA Women’s Wrestler of the Week honors with freshman Riley Dalrymple taking the honor. Wrestlers of the week are evaluated on their performance during the week prior to the announcement of the honor. Each student-athlete is selected out of a pool of weekly award winners from NAIA conferences and NAIA Association of Independent Institutions. Dalrymple began her freshman season in dominating fashion, recording three falls and two tech falls in her five outings at the Patriot Duals. The freshman grappler from Copenhagen, New York also captured two pins over NAIA ranked opponents. Dalrymple’s performance was one of many to boost the Running Eagles to a 2-0 record to begin the season. … rest of story at https://liferunningeagles.com/news/2020/11/25/womens-wrestling-dalrymple-named-naia-womens-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=de5a36abdc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – Leading the Way to the Mat: Audrey Pang ’05
At a university as rich in tradition as Princeton, inside an Athletics Department with icons worthy of their own chapter in the history of their sport, there are a fortunate few who carry the unique distinction of being ‘first’ to do something. Audrey Pang ’05 is one of those Tigers. As Princeton celebrates 50 years of women’s athletics in 2020-21, one of the many compelling stories in that half-century comes from outside a women’s program via the wrestling program, a story compelling enough to draw contemporary interest from the New York Times, among other media outlets. The first woman to letter with the Princeton wrestling program, Pang remains the only one to compete in dual meets for the team, even 15 years after she completed her degree in economics and set off into the world of finance. Pang, though, was just ahead of her time, including in some ways that may have served her well in creating the path that she did. “This was the era really before social media took off, so a lot of those negative voices were more muted, more distant,” Pang said of those who scoffed at a woman suiting up … rest of story at https://goprincetontigers.com/news/2020/11/24/general-leading-the-way-to-the-mat-audrey-pang-05.aspx?mc_cid=de5a36abdc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – Abby McIntyre commits to Grand View
The second-ranked girls’ wrestler in the state of Iowa per the IAwrestle girls Fab50 has decided to stay in-state for college. Abby McIntyre of Glenwood has made her commitment to wrestle for coach Angelo Crinzi at Grand View University after high school. McIntyre was a 2020 IWCOA High School Girls State Champion and a Fargo All American. She is also a multiple-time girls AAU state champion and is currently ranked 18th in the country at 132 pounds. McIntyre told IAwrestle “I chose Grand View because it feels like home to me, I know a ton of the girls and I also know the coaches. They’re close to home and very welcoming and have a career field that I’m looking to go into.” … rest of story at https://iawrestle.com/2020/11/29/abby-mcintyre-commits-to-grand-view/?mc_cid=ac95ae6b76&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – For Yelm Grad Phoenix Dubose, Positivity Remains Key in College Wrestling Success
It’s positivity, hustle and camaraderie over everything for Phoenix Dubose right now.  As she hopefully enters her second season wrestling with the King University Tornados, the COVID-19 pandemic has put a new spin on training for the nationally-ranked grappler.  “We’ve been training full time until we left campus full time in March, and I feel like we’ve had a really great regiment” since we got back, said Dubose, a 2019 Yelm High School graduate, via a recent phone call from Bristol, Tennessee.  King University is a private university located near the Tennessee-Virginia border. Dubose was awarded a full-ride scholarship. Hard at work, her program has been busy training in small pods since returning to the mat just last month. Training has looked fairly normal, though the King athletics department has implemented training restrictions and social distancing requirements, of course. … rest of story at http://www.yelmonline.com/sports/article_f03d0d00-2dfa-11eb-b988-3b93eca3f964.html?mc_cid=638194e439&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – Participation numbers higher than expected for initial girls wrestling season
BILLINGS — If the first day of its two-year trial period is any indication, girls wrestling is here to stay in Montana. “I didn’t know wrestling was this fun until I started doing it,” said Kendal Tucker, who decided just last month to go out for Billings Senior’s wrestling team. “I was never really interested in it. Then I decided to try it and I really like it.” “They just came out in droves,” said Billings Senior head coach Josh Beeman. “We have just over 20 girls who have signed up.” “Given the fact that girls wrestling is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, we felt we could promote it and get kids out,” added School District 2 activities director Mark Wahl. But even Wahl didn’t expect it so soon. With about 10 more at Billings Skyview, it’s shaping up to be a busy first season. Thus, SD2 has announced a district-wide coach position — one person to oversee all three girls programs. … rest of story at https://www.montanasports.com/high-school-sports/wrestling/participation-numbers-higher-than-expected-for-initial-girls-wrestling-season?mc_cid=6c7e360412&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – BEAVER DAM RTC ANNOUNCES ADDITION OF WORLD MEDALIST ALYSSA LAMPE
CORVALLIS, Oregon – Oregon State head coach and Beaver Dam RTC president Chris Pendleton announced on Thursday the addition of two-time World bronze medalist Alyssa Lampe to its athlete roster.  “The Pacific Northwest has produced some of the true pioneers for women’s wrestling, and with that said we are proud to announce the addition of two-time World bronze medalist Alyssa Lampe to our RTC,” Pendleton said. “When we had the idea of starting the Beaver Dam Regional Training Center, we had a vision of creating a RTC that’s was one of the most Inclusive in the world. That’s the beauty of wrestling, it’s a sport for everyone.” Lampe recently made a comeback to the sport after taking a break following the 2016 Olympic Team Trials. In December, she entered the 2019 Senior Nationals at 50 kg, where she dominated her way to the title. Just two months ago, she was third at the 2020 Senior Nationals. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/December/03/Beaver-Dam-RTC-announces-addition-of-World-medalist-Alyssa-Lampe?mc_cid=29548697b5&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – The HWC brought women’s matches back to Iowa City
The atmosphere in the Xtream Arena for the Hawkeye Wrestling Club Showdown Open was distinctly, Iowa. The presence of fans made the in-person experience spectacular. And maybe even more than normal with the underwhelming number of opportunities to compete in 2020.  Of the 10 main card matches, 2 featured women. Life University, an NAIA member institution located outside of Atlanta, was represented in both senior-level matches—Head Coach Ashley Sword worked hand-in-hand with Coach Tom Brands to make it happen. “To be asked by Coach Brands to take part in this event would be an honor for any athlete or school,” she said. “For the women to be on the main card, highlighted in equal proportion to the men, it speaks volumes, especially now, as we’ve seen our female athletes fighting for a seat at the table.”  Coach Brands said they’re serious about women’s wrestling. “Number one, women’s wrestling is exciting, and number two, even if you don’t like it, it’s here to stay,” he said. “Division I women’s wrestling, emerging sport status, that is exciting for me, that’s exciting. Good job Wrestle Like A Girl, good job Sally Roberts.” Presbyterian College and Sacred Heart University are the pioneering Division I institutions with varsity women’s wrestling programs.  … rest of story at https://www.transitionwrestling.com/the-hwc-brought-womens-matches-back-to-iowa-city/?mc_cid=1abb33fe3e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – All women’s wrestling tournament makes history
History was made in East Brewton last Friday as the first all women’s wrestling event was held at W.S. Neal High School in the Murder Creek Melee tournament. Under the direction of Coast J.T. Gosnell at W.S. Neal High School, the tournament featured four school teams as part of the history-making event. “I’ve been working with the girls wrestling task force and had this event scheduled in Mobile,” Gosnell said. “But the event was cancelled due to several circumstances. After speaking with the three other schools with the largest group of wrestlers, we were able to get the event rescheduled to take place at W.S. Neal.” Gosnell said school teams from Birmingham, Daphne and Dothan participated in the event with the team from W.S. Neal. “This tournament was fun to watch,” Gosnell said. “Most of the wrestlers had not had an opportunity to wrestle against other teams. It was a smooth tournament and we were excited to be able to host this event.” Gosnell said the W.S. Neal women’s team consists of nine wrestlers, however, only two of the team members were able to participate. “Due to some sickness, we only had two girls ready to wrestle,” Gosnell said. “They did a good job and had some good matches.” … rest of story at https://www.brewtonstandard.com/2020/12/08/all-womens-wrestling-tournament-makes-history/?mc_cid=6c7e360412&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

December 31, 2020 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Wrestling History – # 25

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Historic matches, historic wrestlers and teams are encouraging historic memories. These pleasant memories are shared along with news of the passing of veteran contributors to our sport and others too soon while they are still youthful. Good to recognize and honor those that have made contributions and good memories for our sport.
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1 } – That One Match w/ Jake Herbert
Welcome to episode two of TOM’s latest podcast “That One Match”. This will be a deep dive into all things related to Jake Herbert’s 2006 Big Ten Final against Mark Perry. That is the premise of the show. Just focusing on all of the important details of one singular match. With Herbert being a two-time NCAA champion, Hodge Trophy winner, World silver medalist, and an Olympian, why is this match so significant? Well, it was his 21st birthday. In Jake’s words, “What better way to celebrate your 21st birthday than to pin a legendary Iowa Hawkeye for your first Big Ten title”. Jake talks about getting into scrambles with Perry who was known for his proficiency in those areas, along with his mentality before that match and all bouts. For that and much more, give it a listen! … rest of story at https://news.theopenmat.com/podcasts/that-one-match/that-one-match-w-jake-herbert-episode-2/79153?mc_cid=6032bfb245&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – U.C.O. Friday Feature: A Repeat Title
EDMOND – The return of five All-Americans from a national championship team put a target on Central Oklahoma’s back heading into the 1992-93 wrestling season, but the Bronchos were up to the task. And then some. UCO entered that campaign loaded in the first seven weights, but didn’t appear as deep as in previous years. Two champions were back in 118-pounder Randy Zellner and 158-pounder Keith Cunningham, while All-Americans Travis Moman (126), Ryan Martin (134) and Todd Drake (142) also returned, though Martin ended up missing the season with a knee injury suffered the year before. “We’re coming off a national championship year and that’s good and everything, but that’s in the past and it’s time to forget in and move on,” 11th-year head coach David James said in the pre-season preview. “It’s time to reload, get to work and start a new year.” The returners did their job, with the influx of several newcomers proving critical as the Bronchos went on to capture their second straight NCAA Division II national championship – and the program’s 10th in 15 years. … rest of story at https://bronchosports.com/news/2020/10/23/wrestling-friday-feature-a-repeat-title.aspx?mc_cid=cc6d7a1ffb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – Outtakes on the history of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club
On the day of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club Showdown Open, we published a piece on the formation and history of the HWC. But there were plenty of anecdotes and accounts that didn’t make the cut for that story.  Here’s a sampling of what else we learned while putting that piece together. 
ON COMPETING AGAINST 1984 OLYMPIC CHAMPION RANDY LEWIS IN THE PRACTICE ROOM
1991 WORLD SILVER MEDALIST BRAD PENRITH: “When I came out of collegiate style, I was not very solid on down position. I was getting gut wrenched and ankle laced. Lewis was turning me like a top.” 
THREE-TIME WORLD/OLYMPIC MEDALIST BARRY DAVIS: “I never got the best of Randy Lewis. I might get to his leg 50 times because things were pretty wide open. Maybe I’d finish five or six, he may finish 25 and 20 no scores. Randy made me better and I made him better. Randy got me ready for guys like Kevin Darkus, Joe McFarland, and those type of guys. If I could finish on Randy, I could finish on anyone else in my weight class, which was a weight class lower. He was good because I might get to his leg but he would fight me off when he was tired. We had some great workouts. We made each other better. 
“Did I like those workouts? No. I’m using Randy to get ready for Darkus and McFarland. Randy is using Barry Davis to get ready for Mike Land, Lee Roy Smith, and Ricky Delagatta. It was a trade-off. A lot of guys don’t want that. Why would I want to wrestle if I get beat all the time? … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1605065777048&twSessionId=hfulnkuybh&postId=875174135&mc_cid=c33f4da146&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – Wayne Baughman: The wrestler who became a statue
You’ve undoubtedly heard of Wayne Baughman. The former University of Oklahoma wrestler owns the distinction of having won 16 national titles during his career in four different styles of wrestling (collegiate, freestyle, Greco-Roman, and sambo). He was also a member of the 1964, 1968, and 1972 U.S. Greco-Roman Olympic teams. Beyond his career as a wrestler, Baughman coached the 1976 freestyle Olympic team to six medals … and served as head wrestling coach at the U.S. Air Force Academy for 27 years, retiring in 2007. All that said, Baughman also has a lasting legacy that can’t be matched, having served as the model for the U.S. Air Force Monument which has been on display in downtown Oklahoma City for nearly 55 years.
Standing tall in OKC
Located in downtown Oklahoma City, the U.S. Air Force Monument is in Kerr Park on Broadway — a major north-south street — about halfway between two well-known landmarks in Oklahoma’s capital city: Chesapeake Energy Arena (site of past NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships) … and the Oklahoma City National Memorial which honors the victims of the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building which killed 168 people and injured hundreds more. At the heart of the monument is a bronze statue features a 12-foot-tall nearly-naked male figure … which is modeled after Wayne Baughman. In his right arm,  … rest of story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/22120?mc_cid=ebacab18d4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – Northwestern wrestling legend Ken Kraft dies, leaves behind a legacy
Ken Kraft was there for all of wrestling’s biggest moments throughout the end of the last century.
In 1966, he founded the Midlands Championships, which have since turned into the most prestigious amateur collegiate wrestling event in the country. USA Wrestling’s Man of the Year in 1976, Kraft covered the Olympic Games in 1972, 1976 and 1980. And he revolutionized sports at Northwestern, twice serving as acting athletic director, coaching for 22 years. Ken Kraft never left Northwestern, never stopped calling it his home. He died last week, leaving behind a wife and daughter — and a University in which he’s built a legacy. NU’s wrestling facilities are named in honor of the late coach. “It is with a heavy-heart that we say goodbye to Coach Kraft,” coach Matt Storniolo said in a statement to Northwestern Athletics. “Ken was — and will forever be — a legend in both the wrestling and Northwestern communities. He was so much more than a coach. He was an innovator, ambassador, and a role-model that impacted the lives of so many.” … rest of story at https://dailynorthwestern.com/2020/11/11/sports/wrestling/northwestern-wrestling-legend-ken-kraft-dies-leaves-behind-a-legacy/?mc_cid=b4122c2e60&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – Matt Lindland: What I learned from G’Angelo Hancock and Chael Sonnen
Matt Lindland, a 2000 Olympic and 2001 World silver medalist, currently serves as the head national Greco-Roman coach for USA Wrestling following a successful Mixed Martial Arts career. He current coaches three-time Senior-level World Team member G’Angelo Hancock and he has coached Chael Sonnen in Mixed Martial Arts. Below are Lindland’s thoughts on what he has learned from Hancock and Sonnen. 
KEEP CALM
I’ve learned a lot from all my athletes. I learn about them as individuals and how to work with their personalities. I learned later on how effective Chael’s marketing was and getting paid more — and that’s in the sport of MMA.  I learned how to coach him best. I could pick that up from every athlete that I had those deep relationships with. Sometimes it’s these certain moments. I remember right after G’Angelo Hancock lost a match at the Junior Worlds one year and I was like, ‘Okay, we’ve got to go. We have to pick up the pace.’ I had this sense of urgency in my voice.  Hancock was like, ‘You had this panic in your voice.’ I didn’t think it was panic. I was letting him know we were in the last 30 seconds and we had to make an attack now. He felt like it was panic. I’ve learned when I coach Hancock it’s all about keeping a calmness and keeping him calm. He doesn’t compete well when he’s in that panic mode. … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1601085880003&twSessionId=acmypzhsvn&postId=867688135&mc_cid=29285b55e6&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – Tim Gill: Eyes Always on the Prize
It only takes one moment for someone to find their true passion. For former Cleveland State wrestler and now Cleveland Police Sergeant Tim Gill, it all started with a trophy.  “Wrestling has always been a part of my life, but how I found it was an oddity,” Gill said. Growing up in West Park, Cleveland, a young Gill came home from school to find his brothers had received a trophy as an award. Though Gill’s older brother played football, that moment inspired Gill as he wanted his own trophy to flaunt. Motivated by his brother’s new flashy trophy, Gill told his friends about the award, and his friends then introduced him to a sport that would then shape the rest of his life.  “I was interested in wrestling basically because I wanted to win a trophy,” Gill laughed.  Gill started to wrestle at a Catholic youth organization starting in the fifth grade.  “I soaked it up like a sponge! I just loved doing it and I couldn’t get enough of it.”  As he continued to grow and develop as a man and as a wrestler, Gill moved to Fairview Park High School … rest of story at https://csuvikings.prestosports.com/sports/m-wrestl/2020-21/releases/20201119fiz66x?mc_cid=59de35edde&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – Kevin Jackson: My Greatest Loss
Kevin Jackson was a four-time college All-American: placing third, third and seventh at the NCAA Championships for Louisana State (1983-85) and second in 1987 for Iowa State. Jackson went on to win World titles in 1991 and 1995 and an Olympic gold medal in 1992.  Jackson breaks down his 10-4 loss to Royce Alger in the 1987 NCAA Championship finals after dropping two matches to Alger during the season. 
WINNING AN NCAA TITLE WAS THE ULTIMATE GOAL
“When I got to college my goal was to be an NCAA champion. I was third as a true freshman and I was Freshman of the Year, so I think my projection was to be an NCAA champ. I came to Iowa State after being a three-time All-American for Louisiana State (after it dropped the program). I had a devastating loss at Louisiana State. I lost in the first round (of the 1985 NCAA championships) when I was seeded No. 1, to a Division III wrestler, John Monaco, who was undefeated in Division III and got thrown into the bracket since he was a Division III wrestler (Monaco eventually placed fourth).  “I didn’t win at the moment, but at the same time, it didn’t take away from my ultimate dream of being an NCAA champion. That didn’t happen until I got to Iowa State and I lost to Royce (Alger of Iowa) in the NCAA finals. We had wrestled three times and I lost all three matches. I was ahead in two of the three and I might have been ahead in the NCAA finals. … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1605844443871&twSessionId=mzvwgfyhho&postId=877663135&mc_cid=59de35edde&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – Pitt-Johnstown Mourns the Passing of Former Wrestler Tyler Chesney
Pitt-Johnstown mourns the loss of former Mountain Cat wrestler Tyler Chesney, who passed away peacefully at his residence in Ocean City, MD, earlier this week.  Chesney was 29.  Chesney, a former PIAA AA State place-winner at Northern Bedford High School, came to Pitt-Johnstown in 2009, where he red-shirted as a true freshman.  Chesney was a three-year letterman and a member of four NCAA Super Region I Runner-up teams as a Mountain Cat. Born in Altoona in 1991, Chesney graduated from Pitt-Johnstown with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication and a Minor in Writing. Chesney was a four-time District Champion and placed fourth at the PIAA AA State Wrestling Tournament at Northern Bedford High School. Prior to his death, Chesney worked as a bartender at the Purple Moose and Riptide Pool Bar in Ocean City. Chesney is survived by his parents Richard and Chris Chesney and three sisters. … rest of story at https://pittjohnstownathletics.com/news/2020/11/20/wrestling-pitt-johnstown-mourns-the-passing-of-former-wrestler-tyler-chesney.aspx?mc_cid=46ecd7f19c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – Ceremony to rename bridge for Carlton Lee Haselrig set
Hickory Street Bridge will be renamed Carlton Lee Haselrig Bridge during a ceremony at 1 p.m. Saturday. The public is invited to attend and gather at the nearby Sandyvale Memorial Gardens and Conservancy. The event will include speeches and music. Johnstown City Council approved renaming the bridge during its October meeting. “It should be a great time,” said City Councilman Ricky Britt, who, along with Haselrig’s uncle, Bruce Haselrig, and Jim White, a former municipal official, led the effort to get the bridge renamed. Haselrig – a Greater Johnstown High School graduate, six-time individual national wrestling champion at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and Pro Bowl offensive lineman with the Pittsburgh Steelers – died earlier this year at age 54. “So many of us, including myself, took things for granted when he lived with how great of an athlete this guy was,” Britt said. “In my personal opinion, he’s probably the best that ever came out of Johnstown – all-around athlete.” … rest of story at https://www.tribdem.com/news/ceremony-to-rename-bridge-for-carlton-lee-haselrig-set/article_168ec16c-2d40-11eb-96c1-b741a23f43aa.html?mc_cid=638194e439&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

December 31, 2020 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

College Wrestling News – # 116

TDR Editor’s Notes ; A look back to some stories from this fall which are still of interest to wrestling fans interested in promoting our sport. Teams from all divisions are featured or at least the articles are applicable to other programs. We welcome response and input to us at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – Iowa wrestling coach Tom Brands explains how the HWC Showdown Open came together
The idea for Sunday’s Hawkeye Wrestling Club Showdown Open was first hatched more than three months ago. Iowa coach Tom Brands sought a competitive opportunity for his wrestlers, despite them being few and far between. By the time Sunday arrives, it will have been almost eight months since the Hawkeyes last competed — at the Big Ten Championships in March. So Brands and his staff thought of doing it themselves, not unlike how Flowrestling, Rokfin and others have put on similar events during the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic. “We’ve been kicking this around since late July,” Brands said Tuesday during a video conference. “This event took a lot of work with our compliance and our administration. A lot of work with a lot of people.”
The result looks like this: An eight-match undercard featuring plenty of Hawkeye wrestlers, young and old, will be the appetizer to Sunday night’s 9-bout main card, which will showcase many of Iowa’s best against some of the best wrestlers on the planet. It will be held at the new Xtream Arena in Coralville and will be streamed live on Trackwrestling. This isn’t the first time Iowa has planned an outside-the-box wrestling event. … rest of story at https://www.press-citizen.com/story/sports/college/iowa/wrestling/2020/10/27/iowa-wrestling-coach-tom-brands-explains-how-hwc-showdown-open-came-together-xtream-arena-coralville/3756667001/?mc_cid=2e944b01db&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – Dutch wrestling team thrives with diversity
PELLA—The Central College wrestling team is using its status as one of the most diverse programs on campus as a way to unify towards a common goal.         
Central’s 52 wrestlers come from far and wide to wrestle in the state many consider the mecca of wrestling. The Dutch roster includes 33 from out of state. and has a heavy West- Coast lean, featuring features nine student-athletes from California, eight from Arizona, four from Washington and one from Hawaii.
 “We take a tremendous amount of pride in our geographical and racial diversity,” coach Eric Van Kley said. “Our goals are far greater than just making great wrestlers, we want to make great young men that when they leave here are able to interact and work with a variety of different people. We think embracing that on a team for four years is a wonderful opportunity.”
    Other states represented on the roster include Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas. With geographical diversity comes racial diversity as well. About one-third of the roster identifies as something other than just white/European-American. … rest of story at https://athletics.central.edu/news/2020/10/29/dutch-wrestling-team-thrives-with-diversity.aspx?mc_cid=69b31ff737&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – KCAC ADDS HASTINGS COLLEGE AS ASSOCIATE MEMBER IN WOMEN’S WRESTLING
WICHITA, Kan. — The KCAC is proud to announce that Hastings College (Neb). will be added as an associate member in women’s wrestling in the 2020-21 school year, the conference office announced Tuesday. The Broncos join Ottawa University, the University of Saint Mary, York College, the University of Jamestown, and Midland University as institutions competing in women’s wrestling in the conference.  “The KCAC warmly welcomes Hastings College, Head Coach Cara Romeike, and her team into the KCAC Women’s Wrestling fold for the 2020-21 season.  In a COVID-19 focused athletic environment, it is refreshing to see sport growth and to see the outstanding work by Coach Romeike since she and I first spoke earlier this year,” stated Dr. Scott Crawford, KCAC Commissioner.  “For me, it’s a lot of fun to see her growth from student-athlete to head coach with her first collegiate program in just a few short years.”
“Hastings College is greatly appreciative of the KCAC for accepting our associate membership application,” B.J. Pumroy, athletic director at Hastings College, said.”Our Women’s Wrestling Coach Cara Romeike has done great work in assembling a team in a short amount of time and we are thankful our team is afforded a chance to compete for championships. Her experience as a competitor in the KCAC allows a unique experience of coaching in the championships she competed in.” … rest of story at http://www.hastingsbroncos.com/article/3548.php?mc_cid=1abb33fe3e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b#.X7SMMMhKhPY

4 } – How Accountability in Wrestling has Helped Lombard Excel Off Mat
Continuing the series that began in 2016-17, each Wednesday MGoBlue.com will highlight a Michigan student-athlete and their academic pursuits. These are our Scholar-Athlete Stories, presented by Absopure.
By Jonah Wolf
There’s more to sports than the competition. Wrestling since the age of 6, Nick Lombard has always welcomed both the team environment and individuality of the sport. Not only has Lombard shined on his way to competing at the University of Michigan, but the sport has led him to greatness off the mat as well. A native of Monroe Township, N.J., Lombard moved from one block M to another. Lombard learned about U-M from alum Sal Profaci (2015-19), who also was from Monroe Township. After Profaci committed and it was Lombard’s time to decide, Michigan was already one of his top choices. “I have been wearing the block M ever since I started high school and when it was my time to make the decision, the academic resources and athletics across campus made things easy for me,” he said. “I get to be surrounded by student-athletes who want to be great on and off the field.” Lombard soon will graduate with a degree in business administration, … rest of story at https://mgoblue.com/news/2020/11/4/scholar-stories-how-accountability-in-wrestling-has-helped-lombard-excel-off-mat.aspx?mc_cid=68c338ad78&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – Bryce Meredith: What I learned from Mark Branch
Mark Branch, the current head wrestling coach at the University of Wyoming, was a two-time NCAA champion (1994 and 1997) and a four-time finalist for Oklahoma State (1994-97). Bryce Meredith was a three-time All-American (2016-18) and two-time NCAA championship finalist (2016 and 2018) for Wyoming. 
Branch coached Meredith at Wyoming for three seasons. The following are Meredith’s thoughts on what he learned from Branch. 
ARE YOU A POTATO OR AN EGG?
“Mark Branch is a very tough guy. He’s one of those dudes where if you’re not winning or where if things aren’t going right, then you go harder. You become tougher. It could become easy to become bitter toward coaches like that. “If you look at who he was as a wrestler, the dude had torn ACLs at nationals and was winning them. You can’t say to him, ‘Well you do it,” because he did it. He did the things that we did.  We had this crazy workout. We had this horrible week and he called it a potato egg workout.  “There’s this weird quote: The same boiling water that makes a potato soft makes an egg hard. It’s not your circumstances, it’s what you’re made of.  “He went nuts on it this one day. We ran so many sprints. We ran sprints for two hours and all this kind of stuff. He went to a place where he was trying to break us. It was one of those moments where I really had to call the warrior inside. I had to dig deep. It was me and one other kid who really didn’t break. We were hitting the time every single time. I felt like it was one of those unbreakable moments where I was like, ‘Yes!’ I dug deep and became a different human because of what he put me through. … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1604895636023&twSessionId=akrfvypagb&postId=874534135&mc_cid=5c187c6cfd&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – IAwrestle’s Tony Hager and the podcast tech within wrestling
Tony Hager, one of the guys behind IAWrestle, joins Short Time as part of International Podcast Day to talk about what he’s been doing with IAwrestle, Night of Conflict and his Rokfin-based Hager’s Happy Hour, which is a wrestling-centric show about pretty much anything. Well, beer and wrestling and everything else. Hager and Bryant talk about the genesis of the show idea, turn things around to talk about the importance of podcasting on the wrestling medium, as well as thing we all do to help one another promote the sport and developing the brands and content behind it.
LEADING OFF
Life University, ranked second in the NAIA to open the season welcomed first-year Montreat to the world of wrestling with a 49-(-1) dual win on Wednesday night. Yes, in case you haven’t been listening to the intro, we DO have college wrestling going on in places. Briar Cliff beat Northwestern – the one in Iowa 34-7. This is the time of year where I tell you that Northwestern College is in Orange City, Iowa but for some reason, they’re the Red Raiders. … rest of story at https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/short-time/iawrestles-tony-hager-and-the-podcast-tech-within-wrestling/?mc_cid=d63f9879b6&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – Getting To Know The Warhawks – Cadin Koeppel, Wrestling
Cadin Koeppel (Cary, Ill./Cary-Grove) of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater wrestling team is featured in the latest edition of Getting To Know The Warhawks Presented by UW Credit Union. In 2019-20, Koeppel posted a 22-11 record competing at 285 pounds. He competed at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championship, posting one victory, and placed third at the Harper Open. Koeppel recorded a 2-1 decision to help the Warhawks to a dual win over UW-Eau Claire, and tallied a 2-1 mark competing at the National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals.
As a freshman in 2018-19, Koeppel finished with a 12-11 record, including a 1-2 mark competing at the WIAC Championship. He claimed the consolation title at 285 pounds at UW-Eau Claire’s Don Parker Open, and totaled three victories, including two pins, at the CUW Open. … rest of story at https://uwwsports.com/news/2020/11/19/getting-to-know-the-warhawks-cadin-koeppel-wrestling.aspx?mc_cid=59de35edde&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – Five D3 hammers you need to know
Division III wrestling was shaping up for a fascinating finish last year after a captivating regular season. Four teams occupied the No. 1 spot in the national rankings at various points. Wartburg posted two wins against Augsburg, which defeated Loras, which ended Wartburg’s 220-meet conference dual win streak. 
There were plenty of stars and storylines to track on the individual front, as well, and many of the top performers are back. 
Here’s a look at five Division III hammers you need to know about:
Ryan Anderson (Centenary) — Finished his senior season in high school as the nation’s top-ranked 145-pounder after winning the Ironman and Beast of the East. Went 30-3 with 15 falls last year as a freshman at 149 and went unbeaten against D3 competition. 
Cornell Beachem (Mount St. Joseph) — A dominant two-sport athlete who scored 18 touchdowns as a running back and went 21-0 on the mat at 174 with 17 bonus-point victories. Earned Fargo Greco-Roman All-America honors in 2016. 
Jordin James (Mount Union) — Followed up a national championship year in 2019 at 133 by going 26-2 with 16 bonus-point wins last season at 141. Owns a 64-3 career record at the D3 level. … rest of story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1606102194007&twSessionId=xwqwqkqerj&postId=878651135&mc_cid=d6bdb93622&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – How Millikin wrestling coach Ryan Birt took the program from nonexistent to CCIW champions in five seasons
DECATUR — The Millikin wrestling room near downtown Decatur is currently quiet as the defending CCIW championship team is gone for Thanksgiving break. It’s an unusual silence for the room that has been the home for nearly 50 wrestlers each of the past five years since the program returned to Millikin in 2015 after being halted in 2008. Head coach Ryan Birt has been the guiding hand for the program through five seasons and through the hard work of his early teams. He saw the wrestling room transform from an empty auto parts store to one of the premiere facilities in Division III wrestling. “Celebrating five years means a lot of hard work from a lot of people,” Birt said. At the low point of the program in 2008, just three wrestlers finished the season uninjured. But when Millikin athletic director Craig White considered expanding the university’s sport offerings in 2015, one program stood out. “I have always admired the sport of wrestling,” White said. “There is a level of discipline and toughness that must be learned in order to be successful in the sport. … rest of story at https://herald-review.com/sports/college/millikin/watch-now-how-millikin-wrestling-coach-ryan-birt-took-the-program-from-nonexistent-to-cciw/article_34c2f177-c57a-57f3-a25f-cf8915a69781.html?mc_cid=0d9bace552&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – What I’m Thankful For: Brock Hudkins
As Thanksgiving approaches, we are all reminded to be thankful for what we have in our lives today. Thanksgiving is more than a great big meal to fill up on with family or an excuse for everyone to cheat their diet “just one time”. It’s a time to escape the questions of the future and truly reflect on the path we have taken to get where we are in life. As individuals growing up, we tend to take the little things for granted and forget to be thankful. Have you ever wondered why grandparents hug you the longest and tightest or why parents sacrifice so much for us? Whether it be a special moment in our lives that we may reminisce over years later or simply a good home cooked meal made by our mom. The older I become the more thankful I am for those little things I took for granted such as being surrounded by loved ones laughing and joking, not having to worry about financial issues, or even getting to play video games for hours with my brother.
Thinking about my path and those around me, will always be a blessing with a significant part of who I am and the man I will become. The impact that they have on my life has taught me more about myself than I could ever imagine. I couldn’t be more thankful for the way my parents raised my brothers and I to not only respect ourselves, but to always give back and appreciate those that have sacrificed so much. As cliché as it may sound, I’m thankful for my big brother who has always had my back and been a huge role model to me despite beating me up a few times back in the day! Even my Nana that would quietly slip me money for ice cream so my parents wouldn’t know. … rest of story at https://iuhoosiers.com/news/2020/11/26/wrestling-what-i-m-thankful-for-brock-hudkins.aspx?mc_cid=de5a36abdc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b\

December 30, 2020 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

National Wrestling News – Dec. # 3

TDR Editor’s Notes ; A new wrestling movie which looks promising which is just one of opportunities to promote and support wrestling across the country before the end of 2020. Glad to see that year in the rear view mirror.
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1 } – Exclusive: ‘The Last Champion’ Trailer Sees Cole Hauser as a Former Wrestling Star Seeking Redemption
Cole Hauser stars in the new inspirational sports drama The Last Champion and Collider is home to the exclusive premiere of the movie’s stirring trailer. Hauser currently stars on Yellowstone alongside Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, and Wes Bentley. But the actor, whose previous credits include Good Will Hunting and Olympus Has Fallen, is taking a break from his hit show to star in the Redburn Street Pictures sports drama about a former wrestling champ who is seeking redemption following a scandal which cost him his Olympic medal.
The trailer for The Last Champion opens to see John Wright (Hauser) return to his small hometown as a former wrestling star living in the shadow of his past. Once on the fast track to Olympic glory and pride of his home town, an incident in John’s past now joins his list of burdens as he tries to save his mother’s home from foreclosure. Encouraged by friends, Wright decides to return to the wrestling mat where he discovers one young man on the team (Sean H. Scully) could have what it takes to go all the way if he could, in fact, get out of his own way. … rest of story at https://collider.com/the-last-champion-trailer-cole-hauser/?mc_cid=97ab69a0c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 } – ‘Yellowstone’ Star Cole Hauser Shares Trailer for New Film, ‘The Last Champion’
Cole Hauser has you covered if you can’t wait for more Rip Wheeler, as the trailer for his new film, ‘The Last Champion” is out now! Don’t worry, Rip fans, he keeps the beard for most of the film, too. Cole Hauser is hotter than ever right now thanks to the wild success of television’s #1 drama, “Yellowstone.” As Rip Wheeler, Hauser has become a household name thanks to his faultless performance as the toughest ranch hand on this side of the Rio Grande. Now, Hauser is taking his talents back to film with another new film, “The Last Champion.” Today, he’s debuting the official trailer on his Instagram account for fans and followers. In “The Last Champion” sees Cole Hauser step into the shoes of former Olympian John Wright. A fallen champion, Wright returns to his small hometown that still lives in the shadow of his past – much as he does. Once the pride of his hometown, Wright’s own mistakes have him barreling down hard into a life he loathes.
… rest of story at https://outsider.com/news/entertainment/watch-yellowstone-star-cole-hauser-shares-trailer-new-film-the-last-champion/?mc_cid=59de35edde&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 } – WIN MAGAZINE NOVEMBER ISSUE IS NOW AVAILABLE; A PRINT OR DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION IS A GREAT HOLIDAY GIFT
WIN Magazine has published its November Start-of-the-Season Publication. As high school wrestling kicks off in about half the country in the next few weeks, WIN starts its 27th year with a magazine covering all levels of the sport. With rankings from high school through college, and features from every level including news coverage from the recent RTC exhibitions and USA Wrestling’s Brian Keck Preseason Nationals, the magazine will get fans excited for the green flag to drop on another wrestling season.
Click the link to subscribe and put “November” in Notes at Check-out to start your 12-issue Print or Digital Subscription with WIN’s newest publication. USA Wrestling members get a discount on print for $27 for 12 issues, $13 for digital.
https://subscribe.win-magazine.com/
Some of the featured articles in WIN’s 44-page issue are:
P6 – DAN GABLE Q&A
The former two-time NCAA champ and Olympic champ says it’s imperative wrestler keep working to get better during the pandemic and says do your homework when choosing a club. … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/November/27/WIN-November-issue-available?mc_cid=0d9bace552&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 } – New wrestling movie ‘The Last Champion’ features Montana connections
GREAT FALLS — On the surface, the new movie The Last Champion feels like it could be set in Great Falls. An Olympic wrestler from a small town? Check. A disgraced former athlete seeking redemption? Check. “It’s a story mainly about redemption and hope and inspiration,” said co-writer and producer Ivy Withrow. “It’s a story about a man who was an Olympic champion and he had a moment in his life where he really fell from grace. And the movie is about his journey to kind of pull himself out of that really dark place that he was.” The main character, John Wright, might as well be an amalgamation of some of the most well-known athletes in Electric City history. But the connections to Great Falls go much deeper than just familiar plot lines.
Start with the cast. Great Falls High School alumnus Olivia Longin makes her screen debut in a speaking role. “I was just a student at the University of Idaho studying theater, film and television, and, through the department, I was hired to be a stand-in … rest of story at https://www.montanasports.com/high-school-sports/wrestling/new-wrestling-movie-the-lash-champion-features-montana-connections?mc_cid=de5a36abdc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 } – Five things you did not know about USA wrestling star David Taylor
Find out how the 2018 world champ got the nickname ‘Magic Man’, and how he overcame his biggest weakness on the mat.
David Taylor is one of the most exciting names in freestyle wrestling right now. After almost a year out of the sport in 2019 with a serious knee injury, the 2018 world champion at 86kg appears to be back to his best. In March, he qualified USA’s place at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics after a comfortable gold medal-winning performance at the Pan-American Olympic Qualifiers in Canada. Following the COVID 19-enforced lockdown, the two-time NCAA champion’s aggressive style was back on full display in July, when he crushed Myles Martin 11-0 in an exhibition match. Due to the ongoing pandemic, there will be no American athletes at the 2020 Wrestling World Championships in December. But wrestling fans wanting to see Taylor tested against the best may still be in luck. In recent weeks, the Nevada-born grappler has been embroiled … rest of story at https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/stories/features/detail/five-interesting-facts-wrestling-david-taylor/?mc_cid=97ab69a0c8&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 } – Here’s how Nick & Joe Lee, David Taylor did in their Nittany Lion Wrestling Club event debuts
Tuesday marked the third freestyle wrestling event that the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club has put on during this unusual year for sports. It also was the debuts for Nick Lee, Joe Lee and David Taylor on a card that featured 11 matches — 10 men’s and one women’s. The Lee brothers and Taylor all collected victories. Former Nittany Lion great and World Champ Taylor was part of the main event, where he took on former NCAA champ from Cornell Gabe Dean at 86 kilograms. Taylor led 4-0 after one period thanks to a takedown, push-out point and a shot clock point. … rest of story at https://www.centredaily.com/sports/college/penn-state-university/psu-wrestling/article247410870.html?mc_cid=1348aad4fc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – Wrestling podcaster Ryan Warner has one simple question for you
How did wrestling change your life? That’s exactly the question Ryan Warner wants to know and that’s exactly the theme of his podcast, Wrestling Changed My Life. Warner, an Illinois native, started up the podcast a couple years ago and has been prolific with his interviews and his conversational style of podcast. Digging into greats, documentary series on his own and with the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Wrestling Changed My Life has been a fan favorite and it’s only getting better.
Check it out at wrestlinghcangedmylife.com.
LEADING OFF
There is wrestling. This is more than likely a test of how much of a wrestling fan you’re going to make yourself. There is limited action around the country, but the men and women in the NAIA are competing. 
… rest of story at https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/short-time/wrestling-podcaster-ryan-warner-has-one-simple-question-for-you/?mc_cid=1348aad4fc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 } – Cole Hauser talks about his role as a former wrestler and coach in The Last Champion
John Wright is a disgraced American wrestler who finds himself back in his hometown with a chance at redemption. Cole Hauser plays Wright as he returns to his hometown and finds himself back near a wrestling mat after years away.   On this episode of the Short Time Wrestling Podcast, Jason Bryant talks with Hauser about the role, the release and production of the film and how he approached taking on a role of a wrestler and wrestling coach for the film.  The film gets released digitally on Apple iTunes, Google Play and Amazon Prime on December 8.
Find out more about the film at http://www.thelastchampion.com/
Pre-order: iTunes | Will be available on Google Play and Amazon Prime
SHORT TIME SHOTS (the scores and such)
Typically Monday is a wasteland for college wrestling results, it’s one reason why when I coordinate the NWCA Division I Coaches Poll, the results go through the previous week’s results … rest of story at https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/short-time/cole-hauser-talks-about-his-role-as-a-former-wrestler-and-coach-in-the-last-champion/?mc_cid=ac95ae6b76&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9} – ‘It’s crippling’: COVID-19 pandemic has financially thrashed college athletic departments
The enduring images of college athletics are often ones of triumph and exuberance. Over the past seven months, however, that reliably rosy picture has become more grim. The far-reaching impact of the COVID-19 pandemic financially has ransacked college athletic departments across the country, including those in Western Pennsylvania. With many teams sidelined, seasons postponed or shortened and fans largely prohibited from attending games, schools have been deprived of precious resources — ticket sales, money from guarantee games, a percentage of donations — that allowed them to thrive or, at the very least, function. Previously unforeseen costs, primarily related to virus testing, have emerged. Painful cuts have had to be made. Through it all, universities have been forced to confront short-term concerns and grapple with long-term, existential questions about what kind of wreckage and rebuilding awaits when this is all over, whenever that might be. “I think everything is going to be re-examined,” … rest of story at https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/Pitt/2020/11/29/pitt-panthers-penn-state-nittany-lions-covid19-pandemic-ncaa-duquesne-dukes-robert-morris-colonials/stories/202011080031?mc_cid=9fce5d3dda&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 } – COMPLETE LIST OF USA WRESTLING SANCTIONED EVENTS FOR THE NEXT THREE MONTHS, AS OF NOVEMBER 30
USA Wrestling is regularly publishing a list of sanctioned events as our nation and our sport comes back from the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article, there are 99 tournaments/clinics listed from 17 different states over the next three months. Since our posting on November 23, there are nine additional events which have been added to the list. The new additions are marked in bold. The list provides an easy reference for athletes, coaches and families, in order to make plans for competitions moving forward. Not only is USA Wrestling providing events on its national schedule, but many state associations and local clubs are also developing events for athletes of all ages to participate in. Our list will include events by date, as well as events by state.
Of note are two new events in both Kansas and Texas. Other states that had one additional event added to the list are Louisiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Virginia. This information is also available through USA Wrestling’s membership system, TheMat.com website and on usawevents.com by using the system’s sort capability, but this posting will be an easy-to-use format for you to use in your planning. Athletes should consider attending events in nearby states, especially if conditions do not allow for competitions in their own state at this time. Contact event directors for more information on the event details and eligibility requirements. Please forward this story to others seeking competitive opportunities. For more information on USA Wrestling events, visit https://usawrestlingevents.com/
SANCTIONED EVENTS BY DATE
December 2- Thunder Classic 2020, Westlake High School, 99 N Thunder Blvd, Saratoga Springs Utah 84045, Event Director: Jeffrey Newby Jeffreynewby@hotmail.com
December 4-5 – Western States Crush COVID, Legacy Events Center, 151 South 1100 West, Farmington, Utah 84025, Event Director: Jeffrey Newby Jeffreynewby@hotmail.com … rest of story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/November/30/USA-Wrestling-sanctioned-events-for-the-next-three-months-as-of-Nov-30?mc_cid=ac95ae6b76&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

December 30, 2020 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment