Cancellation !! – # 2
‘Crushed:’ Graduating wrestler loses chance at NCAA title
Troy Keller’s collegiate career likely over due to coronavirus-related cancellations
Troy Keller was preparing to make a presentation in his field ecology class last week when he discovered some shocking news: the NCAA canceled its Division-I college wrestling championships. Keller, a back-to-back 165 lb. Mid-American Conference champion, was looking forward to competing for the school’s first All-American honor since 2004. But instead, he was told that his career would be ending, but “not on his own terms.” “I broke down in class, just realizing that my wrestling career just ended while I was sitting in class,” Keller said. “I didn’t really know how to take it. I got pretty upset until I had to leave. So that was probably the worst situation possible for me.” Last Thursday, the NCAA announced that due to the evolving threat of COVID-19, all winter and spring championships were canceled. While this was gutting for the athletes involved, perhaps no group took it harder than the graduating seniors, who lost their last chance to compete for a national title. And for Keller, this week was supposed to be filled with nervous excitement about the upcoming NCAA championships in Minneapolis. If all had gone well, there was even the possibility of him competing in the Olympic trials. …. https://www.ubspectrum.com/article/2020/03/crushed-graduating-wrestler-loses-chance-at-ncaa-title?mc_cid=9e69424014&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Wrestling analysis: How the NCAA’s decision on winter sports could affect wrestling
A day after the NCAA canceled all remaining winter and spring sports championships, the governing body’s Council Coordination Committee announced that eligibility relief would be appropriate for athletes in spring sports — meaning those athletes will re-gain a year of eligibility after their seasons ended due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The NCAA faces similar decisions with athletes in winter sports, which were either beginning or in the middle of their respective postseasons. Those discussions began shortly after the cancellation announcement last week. No timetable has been given for potential resolutions. In the case of wrestling, which affects numerous schools here in Iowa, there are many variables worth considering as the NCAA continues to deliberate, including some that could impact many programs in both the long- and short-term. Here is an attempt to break down those variables, after discussions with various coaches and athletes. …. https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/college/iowa/wrestling/2020/03/16/wrestling-analysis-how-ncaa-decision-winter-sports-could-affect-wrestling-iowa-hawkeyes-isu-uni/5059076002/?mc_cid=9e69424014&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Open Letter from Coach Steve Costanzo to SCSU wrestling fans
Here is an open letter to all St. Cloud State wrestling fans from head coach Steve Costanzo from March 17, 2020.
Dear Huskies Wrestling Parents, Fans and Supporters:
I would like to take this time to say thank-you. Thank you for your continued support and encouragement for our student-athletes. Thank you for all of your passion and interest throughout the year. Thank you for holding Huskies wrestling to a higher standard. Finally, thank you for making Huskies wrestling one of the premier programs in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and NCAA DII. When it all matters and we are competing, we all know that you have our backs when we take it to the mats. In a time of uncertainties, we can truly understand all of your frustrations and concerns. This is a scary time, …. https://scsuhuskies.com/news/2020/3/17/open-letter-from-coach-steve-costanzo-to-scsu-wrestling-fans.aspx?mc_cid=9e69424014&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Wrestling Mailbag: Navigating the new reality, plus an early look ahead to next season
I was supposed to write this mailbag in Minneapolis. I planned on driving up early to see friends and work on a few things in the days before the NCAA Division I Championships. I was also excited, of course. You were, too. This week was going to be special. Now, I’m writing this in my apartment while practicing social distancing. The vibe outside my window feels apocalyptic, even though the sun is shining and there are no clouds. There are no live sports to look forward to, including what was supposed to be the biggest celebration of wrestling ever, and there may not be for a while. This is the new normal for now in the hopes that it’ll pay dividends down the road. It’s remarkable that, in a way, sports helped everybody realize the seriousness of this thing. I’d venture to guess that if not for Rudy Gobert’s positive test for COVID-19, all live sports would’ve continued with limited fans or no fans last weekend. Gobert hit the warp speed button on all of this. The NBA suspended its season within minutes. Every major sports league has followed in some capacity. The NCAA canceled all remaining winter and sports championships, shattering hearts everywhere. It was the right thing to do. I’ll admit to not taking this very seriously at first. This was maybe back in late February, after the state wrestling tournament. It never crossed my mind that we’d even get to this point, not even after the Big Ten Championships two weeks ago. …. https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/college/2020/03/17/wrestling-mailbag-navigating-new-reality-plus-early-lookahead-next-season-iowa-hawkeyes-isu-uni-ncaa/5066790002/?mc_cid=9e69424014&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Iowa wrestling is back, even without an NCAA title
Last Thursday, Iowa wrestlers were in the middle of practice when they heard footsteps. Star 165-pounder Alex Marinelli looked up briefly and saw the last person he wanted to walk into the wrestling room that day: his wife, Moriah. Moriah, Iowa’s director of wrestling operations, had a piece of paper in her hands. He couldn’t even make eye contact with her — Marinelli knew what it must say. “We’re not wrestling,” he said under his breath. EDITOR’S PICKS
‘It was like a movie’: What led the NCAA to shut down competition
The Riveting Rise of Sabrina Ionescu
Coronavirus cancellations and reactions in sports
Hawkeyes wrestlers had come to practice that day knowing that the NBA had just suspended its season indefinitely, so there was an air of inevitability in the room as they tried to push one another in one of the last practices before NCAA championships. The paper in Moriah’s hands was an email from school officials saying NCAAs were off for the foreseeable future because of the coronavirus pandemic. Iowa’s chance at running the table — unbeaten dual season, Big Ten champs and NCAA champs for the first time since 2010 — was gone. “They were going to win NCAAs and it was realistic they’d have had all 10 guys be All-Americans,” said Christian Pyles, managing editor of the sport’s preeminent source, FloWrestling.org. “It was the kind of team and season we rarely see. Iowa wrestling was back and as good as ever.” Coach Tom Brands read the note to the team and gave everybody the option of finishing practice or leaving. He encouraged everybody to take some time to mourn the loss, but also emphasized that once the wrestlers got their heads around the decision, it was time to move on. “Don’t give self-pity any credibility,” he said. “This is the right thing for society — it’s bigger than sporting events. You were robbed of history, but let’s be forward-looking and stay in the here and now.” …. https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/28918379/iowa-wrestling-back-even-ncaa-title
Ex-Shaler wrestler Heinl’s college career comes to sudden end
Michael Heinl thought there might be a chance everything would be normal. The 149-pound Washington & Jefferson senior wrestler already had made the trip with teammate Hunter Neely to the NCAA Division III national championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. But Heinl found out less than 24 hours before the tournament was supposed to start March 12 that it would be canceled because of the coronavirus. His career wrestling with the Presidents wrapped up with Heinl being one victory short of the school record. “We just got back to the hotel room after a workout,” said Heinl, a Shaler Area graduate. “We knew our coach had a meeting before the workout ended. They were handing out six wristbands to the coaches for our family members who could go. Then the NCAA came out with their statement and we all found out together.” …. story at https://triblive.com/sports/ex-shaler-wrestler-heinls-college-career-comes-to-sudden-end/?mc_cid=7b60b45611&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
What Could Have Been: Manning, Huskers Lament Early Ending
Mark Manning would have left for Minneapolis on Tuesday, along with his fourth-ranked Nebraska wrestling team, for the 2020 NCAA Championships.
Instead, the Nebraska wresting coach sat alone inside a coffee chop, working on next year’s schedule. “I get stir crazy,” Manning said Tuesday morning. “I don’t like to be idle very much. I like to be on the go. This time off is really hard.” The cancellation of the wrestling postseason – a result of the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus disease pandemic— is especially painful for Manning and the Huskers because of what could have been. One of the most complete, competitive teams in school history, Nebraska was coming off a second-place finish at the Big Ten championships, and Manning felt his Huskers had a legitimate chance of winning a national title. “To say the least,” Manning said, “we were pretty excited about this weekend.” That was on Wednesday, when the NCAA released its bracket.
“We got seeds,” Manning said, “so we knew what the matchups were, and we felt really, really good.” On Thursday, coaches held a day of individual workouts throughout the day in the wrestling room at the Hendricks Training Complex. A handful of wrestlers were in the room when word began spreading of various sporting event cancellations, including most conference basketball tournaments. “We were kind of slowly hearing, ‘Oh, they’re shutting things down.’ And then it finally came out.”
No more wrestling.
Manning called a 4 p.m. team meeting. In the meantime, he phoned a couple of recruits who would’ve soon been en route to Lincoln, telling them to stay put, because all campus recruiting visits had been, and still are, suspended. He also made calls to athletic department administers to find answers to a question he knew seniors would ask – are their careers over?
“Is there any hope for them? Is there any light at the end of the tunnel?” said Manning, who wasn’t, and still hasn’t been able to provide those and other answers to related questions. “Then I sat in front of the guys and told them, ‘Hey, it (the tournament) isn’t going to happen.’ But they all knew. Young kids these days, they know before we know, from the social media standpoint. “It was a blur to be honest with you. It’s kind of like in coaching, you’re juggling so many things. I didn’t really have time to compartmentalize it myself. It was just a surreal moment, a surreal time. You spent so much time with these guys since last fall. Every day I see my team, I see my guys. I saw them that day, and now I haven’t seen them since. It’s an ending that’s hard to explain, I guess. It’s like, ‘Bam!”
Manning, never a self-proclaimed bragger, had been telling different people last fall this would be a good season. This team has the right pieces, including courageous competitors. “And I knew their skill level,” Manning said. “We could match up with anyone. I knew these guys, they were different.” Nebraska won six of nine conference duals, with losses to No. 1 Iowa and No. 2 Penn State, and victories over No. 3 Ohio State and three other Top 25 teams. …. story at https://huskers.com/news/2020/3/17/wrestling-what-could-have-been-manning-huskers-lament-early-ending.aspx?mc_cid=9e69424014&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Ohio State’s Ryan copes with a Thursday without NCAAs
For the past 33 years, Tom Ryan knew exactly where he would be on Thursday morning in the third week of March. On the mat at the NCAA Wrestling Championships. But Thursday, March 19, 2020, was different. For the first time since 1988, Ryan wasn’t on the floor wrestling or coaching at the national tournament. Instead of waking up in Minneapolis on Thursday morning for the start of the 2020 NCAA tournament, Ryan was back home in Columbus, Ohio. A week has passed since the NCAAs were canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic. It was just after noon on Thursday when the Ohio State head coach sat down in his living room to conduct a phone interview with a reporter. “The first session would have just been starting,” Ryan said. “It’s hard to believe I am sitting on my couch right now instead of being in an arena packed with people and watching guys chase their dreams. It’s very surreal. It’s still hard to believe.” Ryan woke up at 5:45 a.m. Thursday, grabbed his two dogs and headed out on a brisk 45-minute walk on a trail near his home. During that walk, Ryan’s mind was racing. “I was thinking about my seniors, and thinking about the eight guys we had qualified for NCAAs,” he said. “And I was thinking about the 330 athletes who earned the right to compete at the national tournament. I really feel bad for all of those people. “At the same time, I am thinking about people in the hospitals who are battling for their lives. There is a much bigger picture. You keep it all in perspective. That’s the reality and we have to remember that. We don’t want to put anyone’s health at risk.” Ryan also thought about the record crowds expected for the tournament at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. “We would’ve been on the floor competing in front of 40,000 people,” he said. “It was the single greatest opportunity in history to showcase the sport and add new fans. Anthony Holman and the NCAA wrestling committee did a fantastic job with the vision of holding it in a football stadium. It was a huge year for our sport. Viewership is way up on the Big Ten Network. The sport was really booming. We were in the midst of this culminating event at the end of an amazing season and then it doesn’t happen.” …. https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/23433?mc_cid=7b60b45611&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
WolfPack Mentality Pop-Ins Podcast: Ep. 64 – Reaction to the Cancellation of the NCAAs
RALEIGH, N.C. – There is no NCAA preview and head wrestling coach Pat Popolizio gives his reaction to the cancellation of the wrestling postseason and his feelings about the situation. Host Brian Reinhardt talks with Coach Popolizio on how it all went down in Raleigh two weeks after the Pack won another ACC Championship. …. story and podcast at https://gopack.com/news/2020/3/19/wrestling-packmentality-pop-ins-podcast-ep-64-reaction-to-the-cancellation-of-the-ncaas.aspx?mc_cid=7b60b45611&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Women’s Wrestling News # 31
Cody Griswold Tabbed Elmira College’s First Women’s Wrestling Coach
ELMIRA, N.Y. — Elmira College Associate Vice President of Athletics Renee Carlineo is pleased to introduce Cody Griswold as the first head coach of the new EC women’s wrestling team. Griswold will be tasked with building the women’s wrestling program from the ground up, as the Soaring Eagles prepare for their inaugural season in 2020-21. “I am thrilled to add Cody Griswold to our staff as the inaugural head women’s wrestling coach at Elmira College,” Carlineo said. “Cody has hit the ground running by recruiting the first women’s wrestling student-athletes in EC history. Cody’s work ethic, style, and personality will be a fantastic fit for our team.” A former Division III student-athlete and Connecticut high school state champion, Griswold will join the Soaring Eagles after spending five seasons as the head wrestling coach at Williamstown High School in Williamstown, Vermont. During his tenure, Griswold transformed Williamstown from a small club into a formidable varsity program sanctioned under the auspices of the Vermont Principals’ Association. “It’s an incredible honor to be named the first women’s head coach in Elmira College history,” Griswold exclaimed …. https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/Cody-Griswold-Tabbed-Elmira-College-s-24-3-2020
Trine University to Sponsor Women’s Wrestling
ANGOLA, Ind. – Today, Friday, Jan. 17, as girls from across the state travel to the Indiana High School Girls Wrestling (IHSGW) 2020 Finals, Trine University has announced it will start a women’s wrestling program of its own. The program will begin competition in the 2020-21 season. “We are excited to announce another opportunity for women athletes to compete at the collegiate level at Trine University,” said Assistant Vice President for Athletics Matt Land. “Women’s wrestling is a growing sport and we are proud that women across the region will have a new opportunity to compete here at Trine.” …. https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/Trine-University-to-Sponsor-Women-s-17-1-2020
NWCA ANNOUNCES NCAA WOMEN’S NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR WINNER
Manheim, PA – The National Wrestling Coaches Association has announced the 2020 NCAA Women’s Wrestling Coach of the Year Award winner. The award was given following the conclusion of the inaugural Cliff Keen WCWC National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships hosted by Arian College. The award, which is presented to a coach that has demonstrated outstanding effort throughout the season in developing and elevating their program on campus and in the community, is presented by Defense Soap, the official Hygiene partner of the NWCA. … The recipient of this year’s NCAA Women’s National Coach of the Year is Sam Schmitz of McKendree University. Coach Schmitz has served as the head coach since the announcement of the program in 2013. The 2020 campaign was a banner year for the Bearcats as they captured both the NWCA National Duals Championship (NCAA Women) as well as the WCWC National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championship title with five athletes winning individual titles. ….. https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/NWCA-ANNOUNCES-NAIA-WOMEN-S-NATIONAL-2-4-2020
WOMEN’S WRESTLING WILL BECOME AUGUSTANA’S 26TH SPORT IN 2021-22
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana will add women’s wrestling to its varsity athletic lineup beginning with the 2021-22 school year, it was announced today by director of athletics Mike Zapolski. The addition of women is wrestling pushes to 26 the number of intercollegiate varsity sports offered by Augustana. This will give the Vikings 13 women’s sports and 13 men’s sports. “Wrestling is becoming an increasingly popular sport for girls nationwide, and our goal is that Augustana will become the small college destination for young women who want to excel at a high level academically and continue to compete,” said Zapolski. “We are perfectly situated geographically to attract quality women’s wrestlers from Illinois, neighboring Midwest states plus other locations such as California and Texas.” This will be the seventh varsity sport added since Zapolski became the director of athletics in June of 2008. Women’s lacrosse and men’s lacrosse were announced in 2010 and added in 2012 while men’s volleyball and women’s bowling started competition in 2018 after the decision was made in 2016 to add them. In February of 2019, Augustana unveiled plans to add women’s water polo and then men’s water polo, both of which will begin play in 2021-22. Tony Willaert, who recently completed his third season as the head coach of the men’s program, has been tabbed to start the women’s program. …. https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/WOMEN-S-WRESTLING-WILL-BECOME-2-4-2020
A wall comes down: Plan to launch Pennsylvania’s first girls’ wrestling team is approved at JP McCaskey
By Dustin Hockensmith | dhockensmith@pennlive.com
Girls’ wrestling in Pennsylvania took its first big step toward toward its hopeful future on Tuesday night as the Lancaster School District approved a proposal to sponsor the state’s first team at JP McCaskey High School. McCaskey athletic director Jon Mitchell proposed a girls’ team at a school board meeting last week, and Tuesday’s vote paved the way for Mitchell to begin that process. Mitchell said his proposal was cost-neutral to the school district in that the cost of travel, hiring a coach, equipment and other expenses would be offset by funding from Beat the Streets Lancaster, a transportation co-op with the Lancaster Police Athletic League, and plans to run a girls’ tournament at the school. Mitchell outlined his timeline for moving forward earlier this month, saying it would line up with the start of a new budget year in June. That is when he expected the head coach position to be posted and for him to start lining up the other pieces to launch the team for the 2020-’21 academic year. …. https://www.pennlive.com/highschoolsports/wrestling/2020/03/a-wall-comes-down-plan-to-launch-pennsylvanias-first-girls-wrestling-team-is-approved-at-jp-mccaskey.html?mc_cid=9e69424014&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
William Penn Lands National Champion Rachel Watters
William Penn University just landed a big home state name. Rachel Watters, a Ballard-Huxley graduate, has accepted a graduate assistant position. “Rachel is exactly what we are looking for in a coach; she has tons of wrestling knowledge and experience, but most importantly she aligns with our values. She understands what it means to develop girls on and off the mat and I’m thrilled to get to coach beside her next year.” William Penn Head Coach Tucker Black on the hire. Watters has been competing on the national level for years. During her high school career, she was a three-time Fargo National Champion and a three-time Junior World Team Member. After graduating, Rachel has been competing for Oklahoma City University where she made two U23 World Teams and wrestled at Final X for a spot on the Senior World Team finishing runner-up. Watters leaves OCU as a four-time WCWA Women’s College All-American with a 2020 WCWA National Championship. The plan was to finish wrestling and become a CPA or go into the marketing field. But, her wrestling passion bled into multiple class projects and she had a light bulb moment with one of her professors. “Wrestling is what I am passionate about. I started to research college coaching jobs and I realized that I could use my business degree and my passion for wrestling in the same job. …. story at https://iawrestle.com/2020/03/19/william-penn-lands-national-champion-rachel-watters/?mc_cid=7b60b45611&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Jasmine Montes overcomes two leg amputations to wrestle at Lathrop
LATHROP — Jasmine Montes felt comfortable wearing her prosthetic legs. So much so, she showed up to her first wrestling practice hoping to wear them during drills. But within minutes of entering the Lathrop mat room, Montes’ coach forced her to remove them. The reason was Montes, a 17-year-old senior, needed to learn how to balance and be in more control of her body on the mat. Montes had only removed them in the confines of her home, in front of familiar faces. She said she barely knew the other kids on the team, some not even their names. Now, she had to reveal that she didn’t have legs. For the last decade Montes searched for an identity. She said she thought wrestling could be the solution. But before she could even start, Montes had to conquer the fear over removing her prosthetics. …. story at https://www.recordnet.com/news/20200320/jasmine-montes-overcomes-two-leg-amputations-to-wrestle-at-lathrop?mc_cid=db245e6947&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
South Dakota to consider adding girls wrestling as a sanctioned sport
RAPID CITY, S.D. – Most people probably don’t realize it, but girls wrestling is one of the fastest growing high school sports in the United States. As a matter of fact, schools across the state are experiencing an uptick in female wrestlers. So much, that South Dakota is one of many states seriously considering sanctioning girls high school wrestling in the near future. Alisha Van Scoy began wrestling when she was five years old. “Well my brother wrestled a lot when I younger so I was already going to the practices,” Rapid City Stevens wrestler Alisha Van Scoy said. “My dad was involved. My uncle and my cousins were involved. So I just decided to show up one day.” Now a senior, Van Scoy was one of six girls on the Rapid City Stevens wrestling team this past season. “It was really neat this year because we were able to provide them some opportunity for some girl versus girl wrestling matches,” Rapid City Stevens wrestling coach Travis King said. “They were super excited about that. Just to have that opportunity. You know wrestling, I love it because it gives them the same opportunities that the boys have. How to grow themselves in all different aspects. We’re super proud. Our boys really respect those girls. One of them is a nationally ranked girl. You don’t hear that.” Since 1994, the number of girls in high school wrestling has soared across the United States from 804 to 21,124 this past season according to the National Wrestling Coaches Association. Plus, there are currently 21 states that sanction girls wrestling as a high school sport. “We did see our numbers going down slowly you know across the nation,” Rapid City Central wrestling coach Lance Pearson said. “So to bring girls wrestling into it and seeing that take off like it is in our neighboring states, it’s only a matter of time before we’re probably sanctioning girls wrestling here in South Dakota.” …. story at https://www.newscenter1.tv/south-dakota-to-consider-adding-girls-wrestling-as-a-sanctioned-sport/?mc_cid=db245e6947&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
College Wrestlers’ Awards
Lee named InterMat Wrestler of the Year
Spencer Lee — University of Iowa junior who was crowned 2020 Big Ten champion at 125 pounds (and named 2020 Big Ten Wrestler of the Year at the conference championships) — has been named the 2020 InterMat Wrestler of the Year, the amateur wrestling website announced Monday. Presented each year since 2006 to the best collegiate wrestler in all divisions, the award is based exclusively on the balloting of writers at InterMat. Each writer is asked to select five wrestlers and rank them from first to fifth. Point values are assigned to each placement, ranging from one point to a wrestler listed fifth on a voter’s ballot, up to nine points for a first-place vote. Spencer Lee received all ten first-place votes from InterMat writers, to garner a total of 90 points to run away with 2020 InterMat Wrestler of the Year honors. Lee just completed his third season wrestling for the Iowa Hawkeyes, where he tallied a perfect 18-0 record. As impressive as that statistic is, it doesn’t reveal all its dimensions behind it. Lee outscored his 18 opponents by a mind-blowing 234-18, putting an NCAA best 5.0 average team points in each match. He earned bonus points in all but two of his matches, racking up four pins (all in the first period) … nine technical falls (four of those in the first period)… and a team-high 58 dual points for the season. For all these accomplishments, Spencer Lee found himself ranked as the No. 1 wrestler in the 125-pound weight class the entire season. In his first two seasons at Iowa, Spencer Lee managed to make his presence felt in collegiate wrestling. He won back-to-back 125-pound titles at the 2018 and 2019 NCAAs ….. story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/23471?fbclid=IwAR0KIIUolY1jnxOact5NrHtUrkJo4uqGiW6LwuBT896fC7LsOXPhjRd5HDg
Hodge Trophy Fan Vote
While the wrestling community remains disappointed that the NCAA was forced to cancel the Championships on all three divisional levels, fans will still get a chance to be part of the voting process in determining the 2020 WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy winner. Between March 23-27, fans will be invited to go to WIN-Magazine to vote for, among several finalists yet to be determined, this year’s award that has been presented annually to the nation’s most dominant collegiate wrestler. The winner of the fan vote will earn two first-place votes among the total ballots from a group of formal voters, which includes each former Hodge Trophy winner, national media, representatives of national wrestling organizations and retired former college coaches from different regions. …. story at https://www.win-magazine.com/2020/03/hodge-trophy-fan-vote-march-23-27/?mc_cid=143786004c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
NWCA 2019-2020 NJCAA Scholar All-American Awards
Manheim, PA – On Thursday, the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced the full slate of 2019-2020 Scholar All-American honorees for the NJCAA with awards going to 94 individuals representing 28 institutions. LINK: Individual Scholar All-Americans
“On behalf of the NWCA and our Board of Directors, I am excited to honor the amazing academic achievement demonstrated by this year’s Scholar All-Americans,” said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. “We are proud to work with our NJCAA member coaches to honor outstanding student-athletes from across the country.” The West Central District paced the field, with 27 individuals receiving honors …. story at https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/NWCA-2019-2020-NJCAA-Scholar-26-3-2020
Gliva named NCAA Elite 90 honoree for third year in a row
MINNEAPOLIS – For the third straight year, Augsburg University men’s wrestler Victor Gliva (SR, Farmington, Minn./Farmington HS) was named as the recipient of the NCAA Elite 90 Award as the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average scheduled to compete at the NCAA Division III National Championships, it was announced recently. The award was scheduled to be presented prior to the final round of the championships on Saturday, but the tournament was canceled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Since the competitors were already on-site in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Thursday prior to the championships, the award could be given out, according to the NCAA.
According to the NCAA: “The Elite 90, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 90 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s championships. …. story at https://athletics.augsburg.edu/news/2020/3/16/mwr031620.aspx?mc_cid=f6e5f3ba8d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
College wrestling standings update: Most falls and tech falls heading into national championships
INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA has released updated standings for the 2020 NCAA Wrestling Awards that will be awarded in March at the respective Division I, II and III Wrestling Championships. The inaugural NCAA Wrestling Awards were presented at the 2012 wrestling championships. The three awards, given in each division, honor the Most Dominant Wrestler as well as the student-athletes that have accumulated the most falls and the most technical falls throughout the course of the regular and postseasons. Division I did not compete last week in preparations for this weekend’s conference tournaments, but regional competition took place in Divisions II and III as wrestlers competed to qualify for the national championships.
POLL: Check out the latest NWCA rankings
Greg Hilliard of Belmont Abbey earned the fall in all three of his matches to win the 165-pound championship at NCAA Division II Super Regional II and take the lead in the race for most dominant with 4.74 team points per match. Heavyweight Jared Campbell of Notre Dame (Ohio) won his own regional championship and moved to second with 4.70 points, while regional champion Chris Eddins, Jr., of Pittsburgh-Johnstown is third with 4.64. …. story at https://www.ncaa.com/news/article/2020-03-04/college-wrestling-standings-update-most-falls-and-tech-falls-heading?mc_cid=178e8cf0d6&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Kelvington Wins Elite 90 Award for NCAA Division II Wrestling
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Ben Kelvington, a senior at Augustana, is the recipient of the Elite 90 award for the 2020 NCAA Division II Championship. Kelvington, majoring in biochemistry, currently carries a 3.99 GPA. Kelvington qualified for the Division II Championships with a consolation championship in Super Region 5 and was to enter the championship bouts ranked No. 9 in the nation at 174 pounds. The Jordan, Minnesota, native tallied a 15-5 record in the 2019-20 season. …. story at https://theguillotine.com/2020/03/kelvington-wins-elite-90-award-for-ncaa-division-ii-wrestling/?mc_cid=dd3ca5e7e5&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
2019-2020 NWCA Division III Scholar All-American Awards
Manheim, PA – On Friday, the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced the full slate of 2019-2020 Scholar All-American Team and Individual honorees for NCAA Division III with awards going to 283 individuals representing 80 institutions.
LINK: Top 25 Scholar All-American Teams
LINK: Individual Scholar All-Americans
“On behalf of the NWCA and our Board of Directors, I am excited to honor the amazing academic achievement demonstrated by this year’s Scholar All-American teams and individuals,” said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. “Once again, NCAA Division III institutions have demonstrated their commitment to academic excellence with such a high number of individual honorees and schools being represented. In the team race, Case Western Reserve University finished atop of the field with a 3.817 GPA …. story at http://www.nwcaonline.com/2019-2020-nwca-division-iii-scholar-all-america-awards/?mc_cid=dd3ca5e7e5&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
CANCELLATION!!!
Fresno State players, coaches react to NCAA cancellations
The NCAA came to a screeching halt on Thursday, impacting Fresno State’s athletics department and all the teams actively participating. Fresno State student-athletes and coaches immediately took to social media to express their disappointment, discontent, concerns or to reflect on all their hard work to this point. Five Fresno State wrestlers destined for the NCAA Championships this weekend – including football player Josh Hokit – were stopped just one week shy of their attempts to claim a national title. …..
Few student-athletes have dedicated as much time to their Fresno State careers as dual-sport athlete Josh Hokit. Hokit has been a key football player for the past four years and a standout wrestler for the past three years since the Bulldogs brought back the wrestling team. Hokit and four other Bulldogs were set to compete in the NCAA Championships next week in Minnesota. The seedings were just announced on Wednesday with Hokit as the top-seeded Bulldog at No. 12 in the heavyweight division. Hokit tweeted, “I’ve been wrestling since I was 4 and the NCAA tournament was going to be my last time ever competing in the sport and now this is how it all ends. (heart-break emoji)” Hokit went as far as to tweet, “Does the NCAA qualifiers at the heavyweight division want to meet up somewhere and have our own tournament? It’s gonna be hard for me to sleep at night if I don’t know who the top 8 are..” One wrestler responded, “I’m in.” ,,,, rest of the story at https://247sports.com/college/fresno-state/LongFormArticle/Fresno-State-football-coronavirus-players-coaches-react-to-NCAA-cancellations-145002504/#145002504_7
SENIORS AT THE D-III NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
According to team rosters, there were 68 seniors set to wrestle in this weekend’s NCAA Championships. Ideally, the tournament would begin this afternoon, and those athletes would have the chance to put an exclamation mark on their careers. Sadly, they will not have that opportunity. For some of them, this was their one and one chance to compete in an NCAA Championship. For others, it was their last chance to get on the podium and forever be an All-American. Some were looking for a first NCAA title, and all were looking forward to one last competition in team colors. Here are the names of those 68 athletes listed by school. Please let me know if anyone is missing or on this list in error. They can be recognized here, even if they will not have that chance in Cedar Rapids.
Brendan Ladd, Alma, 141
Ryan Epps, Augsburg, 157
David Flynn, Augsburg, 141
Victor Gliva, Augsburg, 133
Lucas Jeske, Augsburg, 165
Tanner Vassar, Augsburg, 184
Aaron Wilson, Augsburg, 149
Zeckary Lehman, Baldwin Wallace, 197
Charlie Nash, Baldwin Wallace, 133
Nathan Fritz, Central, 184 …. rest of list and story at https://www.d3wrestle.com/seniors-at-the-ncaa-championships/?mc_cid=dd3ca5e7e5&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Wartburg wrestles with tough NCAA decision
AVERLY – Joe Breitbach joined the Wartburg College wrestling program as a freshman in 1967. And he’s been affiliated with the program ever since as a wrestler, coach, announcer and booster. He has seen just about everything in his 53 years supporting the orange and black. But then came Thursday afternoon’s stunning news. The NCAA was cancelling all of its winter championships, including the Division III wrestling tournament. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” Breitbach said while shaking his head Friday. “It’s been a crazy 24 hours. It’s just surreal.” Crazy and surreal are an understatement. The widespread coronavirus has essentially shut down professional and collegiate sports around the country and beyond. …. story at https://wcfcourier.com/sports/college/wartburg-wrestles-with-tough-ncaa-decision/article_307cbb59-ddb7-5a4d-b26c-37fbdc73a921.html?mc_cid=dd3ca5e7e5&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
What Else Can I Say?
Everybody is hurting today.
In one way or another, very many people were effected by today’s news that the NCAA was cancelling it’s winter sports championships. What can I say that hasn’t already been said? As the leaks came through today that the NCAA tournament was cancelled, I didn’t really know what to do. I got the article ready for when then official word came down, and I waited. I was on Twitter, as was, seemingly, every other person in America, work be damned. …. story at https://iawrestle.com/2020/03/12/what-else-can-i-say/?mc_cid=dd3ca5e7e5&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
OSU Wrestling: Five Thoughts on the Cancellation of the NCAA Tournament
How do we think about the 2019-20 wrestling season?
It’s been one of the weirdest weeks in all of sports media history as the COVID-19 pandemic has struck American sports and canceled nearly every major athletic event, including the NCAA wrestling tournament. After taking a day to digest everything here are my five thoughts on it.
1. It sucks
I don’t know any other way to really put it. It’s gut-wrenching to think about some of these seniors being set to wrestle in their final NCAA tournament, then suddenly told it’s not going to happen. Even looking at some of the younger guys like Anthony Montalvo and Travis Wittlake, who both had very real shots to be four-time All-Americans and may not have that opportunity. All the way around, it’s really tough to imagine what some of these kids are going through. Naturally, life goes on and they’ll all come out of it fine when you look at the bigger picture, but you really have to feel for them.
2. Will seniors get an extra year?
Probably the biggest discussion point that’s come from all of this is how will they handle the senior eligibility? …. story at https://pistolsfiringblog.com/osu-wrestling-five-thoughts-on-the-cancellation-of-the-ncaa-tournament/?mc_cid=dd3ca5e7e5&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Chuck Yagla reflects on the disappointment of the 1980 Olympic boycott
Chuck Yagla reflects on the disappointment of the 1980 Olympic boycott Two-time NCAA champion and 1980 Olympic Team member Chuck Yagla looks back on the American boycott of the Olympics in Moscow. … podcast program at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPlayer.jsp?TIM=1584420002432&twSessionId=taxyssaina&videoId=778468135&mc_cid=f6e5f3ba8d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Gannon, Mercyhurst wrestlers stunned by cancellation
Golden Knights, Lakers were already in South Dakota for NCAA tourney when they learned it was canceled Mercyhurst University wrestler Logan Grass was a redshirt junior when he competed in the 2019 NCAA Division II tournament. Grass qualified for that meet, held at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center, in the 165-pound division. The 2014 West Virginia state champion felt primed to win another title at the college level. Then, in the midst of a workout the day before the meet, Grass felt immediate and undeniable pain. It was from a meniscus tear. The cartilage in one of his knees endured one twist too many. At that point, the only options for Grass were to wrestle and delay surgery until after the tournament or withdraw before his first match. The first option was a no-brainer for Grass. However, an inability to put full weight on the knee led to a 1-2 tournament record. Fast forward to Thursday, the eve of the 2020 Division II meet in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Grass once again qualified in the 165 weight class. Even better, he did so as the top seed out of Mercyhurst’s region. There was little chance that Grass could experience a wrestling fate worse than the year before.
He did.
Once again, there was pain. Only this time, it was emotional and not physical. Grass was among the wrestlers who learned the NCAA had canceled the meet because of the coronavirus pandemic while at Sioux Falls Arena or the hotels adjacent to it. Of those wrestlers, 14 represented Mercyhurst or Gannon University. Only one, though, was a senior: Grass.
Lakers coach Mike Wehler …. story at https://www.goerie.com/sports/20200316/gannon-mercyhurst-wrestlers-stunned-by-cancellation?mc_cid=f6e5f3ba8d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Wrestlers provide unfiltered voice in tough times
Heath Grimm was ready to go last Thursday.
“We’re wrestlers,” the Upper Iowa coach said. “We’re pretty good at scrambling.” Grimm had just come out of a coaches meeting is Sioux Falls, S.D., on the eve of the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships. At the time, the national championship was a go and Grimm was excited. “If we get this started … let’s just keep going,” he said. That attitude, that philosophy is what sets wrestlers apart from other athletes. It’s why I enjoyed covering the sport for more than 20 years and still keep a close eye on it. The announcement last week that the NCAA was shutting down all winter and spring championships — including the D-I, D-II and D-III wrestling tournaments — was a blow. It, of course, was the right decision. It is better to be proactive than reactive when dealing with something as sinister as the coronavirus pandemic. All athletes took it hard. Championship season is what every athlete dreams about and the possibilities during this “second season” are what makes sports so special. It’s why everybody loves the Cinderella of the NCAA basketball tournament. It’s why a wrestler with a .500 record can get hot and earn All-America stature. One of the first things I read after the NCAA announcement came from Tom Ryan, a former Iowa wrestler who has turned Ohio State into a perennial contender.
“Today was one of my toughest days as a coach,” he wrote on Facebook. “Our staff had to tell some amazing men that their season was over just 6 days before the NCAA Tournament. A few were seniors. A few were up and coming underclassmen. One was a frosh trying to make history and become our 4th freshman champ. Their hearts were torn out. Two seniors ranked #1 had poured their life into becoming an NCAA Champion. This end was unimaginable.
“The Coronavirus came fast and hard. I have learned in life that the things that are most impactful are the things that touch us personally. This one touched us. No one knows what it feels like to have a title shot taken away except someone who had a shot. I watched these men battle day in and day out. They gave so much. They sacrificed the painless things for the painful things. They did this every time.
“Sometimes life just sucks. In the same context no one knows what it’s like to watch a loved one suffer from a virus except one who is. In the end, we have to simply trust those who are making these decisions. I am proud of this team and these men. They are gladiators, but more importantly they are good men. God is always good.”
This is from a man who has been part of NCAA championship teams, who has directed a team to a national title. This is man whose son died in 2004 at the age of 5. Losing a championship season “sucks,” but this is man who can put things in perspective. …. story at https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/wrestlers-provide-unfiltered-voice-in-tough-times-20200316?mc_cid=f6e5f3ba8d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Rowley’s Boyle unable to defend national title due to coronavirus cancellations
John Boyle had already made the trip out to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Rowley resident and his teammates with the Western New England University wrestling team were gearing up for the weekend’s NCAA Division 3 Championships, and the next morning he was set to begin defending his national title. The wrestlers had been following the coronavirus story, but as far as they knew everything had been worked out and they were good to go. That was until Thursday afternoon, when the wrestlers were walking through the hotel lobby on their way to a training session and realized something was up. “I heard people start saying it’s over, it’s done,” said Boyle, a former state champion at Triton. “I was so confused, because this was after they gave us a compromise where we were allowed to let six people in. We had six tickets for immediate family so I thought since they did that, that was enough. But when this hit, I didn’t really know how to feel at first, it didn’t seem real. “I put in all the work in the season, everybody put in all the work to put it on display at the end. This is why you do it, and you get that opportunity ripped away,” he continued. “It’s one thing to lose, but to have the opportunity taken away is just devastating.” …. story at https://www.newburyportnews.com/sports/local_sports/rowley-s-boyle-unable-to-defend-national-title-due-to/article_69ccb244-84c5-57c6-8cde-80c5cd7bec98.html?mc_cid=f6e5f3ba8d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Unsatisfying ending: Millikin wrestler Bradan Birt reflects on losing his national championship chance
DECATUR — Millikin wrestler Bradan Birt felt this year’s trip to the NCAA Division III Championships was going to be special. Birt, the No. 2-ranked Division III wrestler at 165 pounds according to intermatwrestle.com, was at the top of the game and driving to improve upon his seventh-place finish as a freshman and sixth-place as a sophomore. “I was feeling better than ever. I was feeling quicker and more on top of it than I have in a long time,” he said. As the championship approached its Friday start, it was clear that the event was going to be unlike any the wrestlers had participated in before, with the coronavirus pandemic suddenly cancelling sporting events around the country. The NCAA let the wrestling coaches know that if the tournament went forward, there would be no general admission fans in the stadium. At a 2 p.m. meeting on Thursday between the coaches and NCAA officials, teams were given six admission tickets for each athlete and one for each coach. “After we got our tickets, we thought we were in the clear, but it got pulled out from under us after that,” Millikin coach Ryan Birt said. Later that afternoon, Bradan Birt was at the championship location — U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa — completing a pre-tournament workout while his three other national-qualifying teammates, Zac Blasioli (125), Taylor McGiffen (174) and Logan Hagerbaumer (197), returned to the team’s hotel. Then an announcement came over the intercom system that touched every wrestler and coach there. …. story at https://herald-review.com/sports/college/millikin/unsatisfying-ending-millikin-wrestler-bradan-birt-reflects-on-losing-his/article_07874e59-5ba6-542c-8f86-1d4d7ef33fc0.html?mc_cid=f6e5f3ba8d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
A LETTER TO COLLEGE WRESTLING
By Anthony Bonaventura
The month of March doesn’t have much meaning to the average person, but March signifies so much to the wrestling world. It is the peak of the college wrestling season, the culmination of a college wrestler’s work, and the opportunity to achieve the ultimate goal on the biggest stage. As a current college wrestling coach and fan, there is nothing I look forward to more than when the calendar flips from February to March. In my opinion the best month of the year! The month starts with the DII and DIII regional events concluding, setting the field for their NCAA Championships followed by the DI conference championships. Back to back weekends where each wrestler vies for their spot in their respective NCAA championships and tries to get one step closer to reaching the pinnacle of college wrestling, an individual national championship. The first week of March 2020 seemed like every other March, high-level wrestling, incredible storylines, and the DI, DII, DIII Championship fields were finalized. 690 NCAA wrestlers qualified for their respective championships across the three divisions and all seemed right in the world. Seven student-athletes qualified from the school I coach at, Stevens Institute of Technology, and I couldn’t wait to get out to Cedar Rapids, Iowa with the opportunity to compete for a team title and watch these wrestlers achieve lifelong dreams. They’re so many emotions that run through one’s mind when March arrives; optimism, excitement, restlessness, nervousness, and much more. However, everything would change on March 12, 2020. On March 11, the DII and DIII wrestling programs were on their way to their respective championship sites. Championship week was here for DII and DIII while DI coaches and wrestlers were just seeing their championship brackets for the first time. …. story at https://spark.adobe.com/page/jUPeosgDJo3FE/?mc_cid=f6e5f3ba8d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Noah Adams’s Dream Season is Cut Short Just Before His Shot at History
West Virginia wrestler Noah Adams had already made history in 2019-20. En route to his undefeated 32-0 season, Adams laid waste to the 197-pound weight class. He won three tournaments throughout the season, the Southeast Open, Mountaineer Invitational and Southern Scuffle. He shot up to No. 2 in the coaches’ panel rankings in his class, going a perfect 13-0 against the 11 other ranked wrestlers he faced. The 32 wins were the most ever by a WVU sophomore and it was the first time a Mountaineer has gone undefeated in the regular season since the great Greg Jones did it back-to-back in 2004 and 2005. On March 8 Adams also became just the second Mountaineer to ever win a Big 12 Championship, defeating South Dakota’s Tanner Sloan in the championship. With an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships, Adams was ranked as the No. 2 seed, behind only Big 10 champion Kollin Morre from Ohio State. This upcoming weekend Adams would have had the opportunity to put a cherry on his dream season by winning a national championship for WVU, which would be the first, again, since Greg Jones did it 15 years ago. Adams will not get that chance, however. Due to the outbreak and spread of coronavirus, the NCAA canceled all Winter and Spring championships …. story at https://wvsportsnow.com/noah-adamss-dream-season-is-cut-short-just-before-his-shot-at-history/?mc_cid=f6e5f3ba8d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
OSU wrestling: Nick Piccininni, John Smith reflect on NCAA championship cancellation
STILLWATER — Oklahoma State coach John Smith was overseeing a workout for his nine wrestlers who were less than a week away from competing in the NCAA national championships in Minnesota when an OSU representative walked into the room. “He just showed me his phone,” Smith said. That phone held the message that the NCAA championships had been cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. Smith called his wrestlers together and informed them of the news that would soon ripple through the sports world like an earthquake.
For seven of the wrestlers, Smith was telling them their seasons were over. For two — seniors Joe Smith and Nick Piccininni — the coach was telling them they’d wrestled their last match at OSU, and hopes of adding to their already impressive lists of accomplishments had been snuffed out by something beyond their control. “It was just shock,” said Piccininni, who was seeded No. 3 with a 26-2 record heading into the NCAA championships. “When you hear something like that, at first, you don’t know how to comprehend what’s going on. It’s crazy news. It was a sad moment for me and the seniors. “But life goes on, and there’s more to it than having the tournament and, God forbid, something bad happening.” …. story at https://oklahoman.com/article/5657775/osu-wrestling-nick-piccininni-john-smith-reflect-on-ncaa-championship-cancellation?mc_cid=f6e5f3ba8d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
International Wrestling
Pan-Am Championships entries announced
OTTAWA – The Pan-American Championships are set to take place March 6 to 9 at the Shaw Centre in downtown Ottawa. The Canadian team will feature 2019 Canadian Wrestling Trials winners Amar Dhesi and Jasmit Phulka, as well 2018 World Champion Justina Di Stasio, 2018 U23 World Champion Alexandria Town, and 2019 U23 bronze medallist Hannah Taylor. Internationally, Olympic champion Ismael Borrero Molina of Cuba leads a list of eight returning Greco-Roman champions into Ottawa. America’s pair of reigning world champions Tamyra Mensah and Adeline Gray are two of the five 2019 gold medalists that highlight the women’s wrestling part of the competition. In freestyle, Americans Anthony Ashnault, Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Snyder return to the Pan-American championships looking to retain the titles they claimed a year ago. …. rest of the story at https://wrestling.ca/pan-am-championships-entries-announced/?mc_cid=b2c97277d1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Wrestlers Gray, Lee, Diakomihalis named semifinalists for Sullivan Award; Fans vote online
BY USA WRESTLING | MARCH 09, 2020,
Three wrestlers have been nominated and named semifinalists for the 90th AAU James E. Sullivan Award, given annually to the nation’s top amateur athlete. Five-time World champion and seven-time World medalist Adeline Gray, plus two-time NCAA champions Spencer Lee and Yianni Diakomihals, are on the ballot for this year’s award, which can be voted upon by fans. Voting opens for the semifinalists on Monday, March 9 at 10:30 AM EST and will stay open through Friday, March 13
Fans can vote once per day now through March 13 to help choose the nation’s top amateur athlete! Please note, when you go to the online ballot, not all of the candidates initially appear. Please click the show more button on the bottom of the page to see the entire list of candidates. The finalists will be announced live at the AAU Gussie Crawford Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony on March 23 in Detroit. The AAU Sullivan Award has been presented annually since 1930 to the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States. ….. story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/March/09/Gray-Lee-Diakomihalis-named-Sullivan-Award-semifinalists?mc_cid=178e8cf0d6&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling postponed, discussions to reschedule at Bryce Jordan Center
By USA Wrestling, Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics, the Bryce Jordan Center and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee | March 13,
Due to the ever-changing impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19), and out of concern for the health and wellbeing of athletes, fans, staff and the community, USA Wrestling, Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics, the Bryce Jordan Center and U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee have collectively decided to postpone the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling, scheduled for April 4 – 5 at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pa.
…. rest of the story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/March/13/US-Olympic-Team-Trials-postponed?mc_cid=dd3ca5e7e5&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
EVERYONE MEDALS: US Team Leaves Ottawa On A High Note
After qualifying their weight categories for the 2020 Olympics earlier in the day, four US athletes still had gold medal matches ahead of them, and two more were called upon to fight for bronze. In the end, only one of those aforementioned taskmasters won a gold medal (via forfeit no less), but three silvers and two bronze is always an indicator of success at any international tournament. The medal round of the 2020 Pan-Am Olympic Qualifier began at 5:00pm (EST) and aired live in the US on Trackwrestling. …. story at http://www.fivepointmove.com/usa-greco/pan-am-qualifier-final-results/?mc_cid=dd3ca5e7e5&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
USA Wrestling COVID-19 Updates Special Section
BY USA WRESTLING | MARCH 14, 2020,
USA Wrestling Statements
March 31 – USA Wrestling suspends sanctioned events and national events through May 10
March 23 video – Moments off the Mat interview with Executive Director Rich Bender
March 21 video: USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender addresses wrestling community on COVID-19March 16 – USA Wrestling to revoke all sanctions through April 6, and postpone all national events through April 20
March 12 – USA Wrestling statement on COVID-19 and its activities moving forward
USA Wrestling National and Regional Events Updates
Current USA Wrestling National Events Schedule
March 31 – USA Wrestling suspends sanctioned events and national events through May 10March 31 – U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling postponed until 2021: information and directions for ticket holders updated
March 18 – POSTPONED – The USMC U.S. Open in Las Vegas will be postponed, with plans to reschedule
March 16 – USA Wrestling to revoke all sanctions through April 6, and postpone all national events through April 20
March 13 – U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling postponed, discussions to reschedule at Bryce Jordan Center
March 13 – POSTPONED – Last Chance Olympic Trials Qualifier will be moved to new date and site to be determined
March 13 – POSTPONED – Girls Folkstyle Nationals will be postponed, with plans to reschedule
CANCELLATION: Northwest 16U and Junior Regionals in Centralia, Wash., March 28-29 is canceled
CANCELLATION: Dominate in the Dells in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., March 13-15 is canceled
Online and Video Resources (updated regularly)
USA Wrestling’s new TheMat.tv, with weekday live video at 5 pm ET and thousands of free videos
USA Wrestling makes online National Coaches Education Program courses free to members through April 5 …. rest of story and list at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/March/14/COVID-19-Special-Section?mc_cid=143786004c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
‘MAGIC MAN’ RETURNS: DAVID TAYLOR QUALIFIES USA FOR TOKYO 2020 AFTER NEARLY A YEAR OUT
He hasn’t fought since May 2019 but David Taylor brought the magic back to the mat at the 2020 Pan-Am Olympic Qualifiers
David Taylor hadn’t wrestled since 5 May 2019 when he stepped on the mat to face Venezuela’s Pedro Ceballos on Sunday 15 March 2020. It was all eyes on Taylor, the 2018 world champ, back from a potentially career-ending torn ligament (ACL) as he walked out at the Shaw Center in Ottowa, Canada, for his 86kg men’s freestyle contest. Was he fit? Had the injury taken its toll? Was the magic gone? A pin and a 10-0 victory over the Venezuelan – Lima 2019 Pan Am silver medallist and 5th at Rio 2016 – was the perfect response. …. rest of story at https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/stories/news/detail/wrestling-david-taylor–usa-tokyo-2020-qualification/?mc_cid=f6e5f3ba8d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
GRECO NEWS
Monday Roundup: Ottawa Wrapped; Updated Int’l Medal Count; Style Guide Change
The United States Greco-Roman Seniors who competed in Ottawa were responsible for one of the program’s most memorable weeks in quite some time. It started with the Pan-American Championships, which saw the US run up 200 team points behind five golds, three silvers, and one bronze. Six days after the Pan Am Championships, four American athletes made the finals of the accompanying Olympic Qualifier, thereby securing their respective weight classes on behalf of the US in advance of the 2020 Olympics. And, the US capped that particular tournament with all six wrestlers earning medals, further adding to a freight train march of success that brought with it reason for celebration, as well as reason to exhale. …. story at http://www.fivepointmove.com/greco-wrestling-news/ottawa-wrapped-qualifier/?mc_cid=f6e5f3ba8d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
USA Wrestling to revoke all sanctions through April 6, and postpone all national events through April 20
BY USA WRESTLING | MARCH 16,
With that in mind, USA Wrestling has made the decision to immediately enact the following:
• Discontinue all sanctioned events (local, state, regional or national) through April 6, 2020. Any event scheduled through April 6, 2020 will be notified. If any event was previously sanctioned with USA Wrestling, that sanction is now revoked.
• Postpone all regional and national events through April 20, 2020. This is to include the following events:
o Girls Folkstyle Nationals – Colorado Springs, CO – March 26-29, 2020
o Last Chance Olympic Trials Qualifier – Millersville, PA – March 27-28, 2020
o Northwest Regionals – Centralia, WA – March 28-29, 2020
o Olympic Trials Silver Coaches College – State College, PA – April 1-3, 2020
o Folkstyle Nationals – Cedar Falls, IA – April 3-5, 2020
o 2020 Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling – State College, PA – April 4-5, 2020 …. story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/March/16/USA-Wrestling-statement-on-sanctioned-and-national-events?mc_cid=f6e5f3ba8d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Women’s Wrestling News & Results — # 30
NAIA cancels all winter championships (From Mar. 12th)
Kansas City, Mo. – The NAIA announced today that effective immediately, it will be cancelling all remaining winter championship events, including those that are currently underway. …. story at https://www.transitionwrestling.com/naia-cancels-all-winter-championships/?mc_cid=dd3ca5e7e5&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Not the way Wiebe pictured it, but Olympic wrestling champ qualifies for second Games in Ottawa
By Dan Plouffe
Rio 2016 Olympic wrestling champion Erica Wiebe booked her return trip to the Olympic Games with her fourth victory of the day at the Pan-American Olympic Qualification Tournament on Mar. 14 inside an almost eerily quiet Shaw Centre, closed to spectators due to the COVID-19 outbreak. “It’s the first step,” Wiebe said after surviving her women’s 76 kg semi-final contest with Ecuador’s Genesis Reasco Valdez to win an Olympic berth for Canada. “I am a competitor and I’m not happy with the way I wrestled. I have so much more to give. “But I’m really excited to put the training in over the next couple months and be ready to go for whatever happens in Tokyo.” When the final buzzer went, it was far from the storybook moment where the hometown hero raised her arms in victory in front of throngs of cheering fans. Instead, there were a couple quick claps and a smile from the 30-year-old to family members among the assembly of not even 200 people (mostly officials) who witnessed the major moment. “I don’t think anything in life really turns out exactly the way you picture it,” ….. story at https://sportsottawa.com/2020/03/14/not-the-way-wiebe-pictured-it-but-olympic-wrestling-champ-qualifies-for-second-games-in-ottawa/?mc_cid=143786004c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
USA Wrestling V COVID-19
CURRENT UPDATE
Wreaper Wrestlers, the past few days and the fall out of sports events across the board due to the COVID-19 A.K.A Coronavirus has taken a toll. The toll at this point is more emotional than anything. Confusion, fear, apathy, staying hopeful or positive…it’s a mixed bag and it’s a lot to bear. With that said, Team Wreaper is committed to keeping up with COVID-19 related current events and passing along factual and necessary information as it relates to wrestling and only wrestling. We do not want to contribute to the spread of misinformation or contribute to the already highly emotional mood. USA Wrestling (USAW) is THE wrestling institution here in the US and all official news & decisions will come from USAW. Our job is to keep up with the information that is put out and circulate what it relevant to our Wreaper Wrestler community. At this point, what people want to know mostly are event postponements & cancellations. Understandable. …. rest of the story at https://www.wreaperwrestling.com/usaw-v-covid-19/?mc_cid=143786004c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
POSTPONED – Girls Folkstyle Nationals will be postponed, with plans to reschedule
BY GARY ABBOTT, USA WRESTLING | MARCH 13th
Today, Colorado Governor Jared Polis announced a guidance that requires cancelation of large public gatherings of over 250 people unless they limit contact between people to six feet. As such, USA Wrestling has postponed the USA Wrestling Girls Folkstyle Nationals, which was scheduled for the Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colo., March 26-29. …. story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/March/13/Girls-Folkstyle-Nationals-postponed
Girls wrestling notebook: A year after being carried off on a stretcher, Anna McDougal is a state champion
By René Ferrán | For The Oregonian/OregonLive
A year after being carried off the Memorial Coliseum floor on a stretcher with a head injury in her state final, Elmira sophomore Anna McDougal completed her comeback with a 3-2 decision over North Salem’s Gabrielle Tata Rodrigues in the girls 155-pound championship match to finish a 35-1 season. “I’m so grateful to have won after my setback last year,” McDougal said. “I had to learn to overcome that and come back even stronger.”
Girls 115: Baker/Powder Valley junior Sydney Keller kept up a family tradition by winning a state title with a 14-2 major decision over West Albany’s Emily Alvis. Keller is the younger sister of two-time state champion Clay Keller.
Girls 135: Mountain View senior Taylor Ohlson bookended her career with a second state title, winning a 3-1 decision over Thurston’s Lindsay Burrell on the same night that her brother, Beau, became a four-time state champion. “That means everything to me,” she said. “I’m so grateful. All the hard work, the pain, the suffering, paid off.” …. rest of the story at https://www.oregonlive.com/sports/j66j-2020/03/cdce393dbb3738/girls-wrestling-notebook-a-year-after-being-carried-off-on-a-stretcher-anna-mcdougal-is-a-state-champion.html?mc_cid=f6e5f3ba8d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Erica Wiebe overcomes strangest of circumstances to pin Olympic wrestling spot
Stittsville, Ont., native punches ticket without spectators amid coronavirus pandemic
Long before knowing about the coronavirus pandemic, Olympic wrestling champion Erica Wiebe organized a small celebratory gathering for Saturday night in Ottawa. The game plan – in victory or defeat – was to thank her close family, friends and supporters for being in her corner for so many years.
Watch the 2020 Pan-American Wrestling Olympic Qualifier
Canadian wrestlers Erica Wiebe, Danielle Lappage secure Tokyo Olympic berths
“I’ve never heard of someone doing that before,” retired Canadian wrestler Jasmine Mian said earlier this week. “I think it shows how much she’s come to appreciate the journey of an Olympic pursuit and not just the result. “When you have your mind in the space of enjoying the journey, the results always come.” ….. story at https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/erica-wiebe-tokyo-bound-wrestling-qualifies-1.5498261?mc_cid=f6e5f3ba8d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
College Coaching changes
Cary Kolat Named Navy Head Wrestling Coach
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Former national champion and Olympic team member Cary Kolat has been named head wrestling coach at Navy it was announced Friday by Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk. Kolat has established himself as one of the premier coaches in the sport after building a Campbell program into a Southern Conference power and a national name. The Camels have seen unprecedented success over the last four seasons, winning three SoCon Tournament titles (2017, 2019, 2020) and two regular-season SoCon Championships (2019, 2020). Under his tutelage, he has had 19 NCAA Championship qualifiers, 12 individual SoCon Champions and 28 medalists at the SoCon Tournament.
“The Navy community is very pleased to welcome one of the most accomplished competitors and finest coaches in the sport of wrestling to Annapolis,” said Gladchuk. “The influence with which Coach Kolat’s resume has had on so many speaks volumes to his commitment to success at every level of competition. …. story at https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/Cary-Kolat-Named-Navy-Head-Wrestling-20-3-2020
Hiram College names Andy Vogel Director of Wrestling Operations, Head Men’s Wrestling Coach
HIRAM, Ohio – March 23, 2020 – Hiram College Athletic Director Todd W. Hibbs announced on Monday the appointment of Andy Vogel as the Director of Wrestling Operations and head coach for the reinstatement of the Hiram Terriers men’s wrestling program. Vogel joins the Terriers from Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pa., where he served as the head wrestling coach and assistant director of athletics for the past 13 years.
“We had a strong candidate pool for this position,” Hibbs said. “Still, our search committee was in agreement that his Northeast Ohio ties – combined with his NCAA Division III experience and reputation as a passionate leader in the national wrestling community – made Andy Vogel a clear choice.”
Over 13 years at Gettysburg, Vogel coached three NCAA All-Americans, ten NCAA qualifiers, eight Centennial Conference champions, 44 conference place winners, 18 regional place winners and 19 National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar All-Americans. Vogel also coached the Centennial Conference Wrestler of the Year in 2009 and 2012, and the Rookie of the Year in 2016. Under Vogel’s leadership, the Bullets finished in the NCAA Top 20 in 2013, as well as Top 25 in the NCAA in Team GPA in 2010, 2013 and 2018. “I am thrilled to begin this journey with Hiram College Athletics,” Vogel said …. story at https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/Hiram-College-names-Andy-Vogel-Director-24-3-2020
Sentes named Campbell head wrestling coach
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – After helping Campbell’s wrestling program to unprecedented heights, Scotti Sentes has been named head coach, announced today by director of athletics Omar Banks. Since arriving at Campbell, Sentes has helped the Camels to three Southern Conference tournament championships, as well as back to back dual titles over the last four seasons, the program’s first NCAA Division I championships. “I am thankful to Omar Banks, Wanda Watkins, and Hannah Bazemore and the entire CU athletic department for affording me this incredible opportunity,” said Sentes. “I would also like to thank Cary Kolat and the CU alumni who encouraged and recommended me for this position. Campbell is a special place and I will do everything I can to continue making this program proud.” “The Campbell community is very pleased to have Coach Sentes as our next head wrestling coach,” Banks said. “As interest began to escalate, we knew we wanted someone who could fit the culture that was developed within the program and continue the upward trajectory that has been established. Having served under one of the best coaches in the sport of wrestling for the last four years, he presented and articulated a vision for the future of the program, which let us know that we had our coach. We are very excited for the future of Campbell wrestling under Coach Sentes’ leadership.” Sentes replaces former head coach Cary Kolat, who took the same position at Navy after six seasons at Campbell. The Ft. Myers, Fla. native has coached 19 total NCAA qualifiers, …. story https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/Sentes-named-Campbell-head-wrestling-26-3-2020
Roanoke Tabs Nate Yetzer to Lead Wrestling Program
Salem, Va. – Roanoke College Director of Athletics Scott Allison has announced the hiring of Nate Yetzer to serve as the College’s first Head Wrestling Coach. Allison announced in January the addition of wrestling as the College’s 22nd NCAA Division III sponsored athletic program. The Maroons will begin competition in the Fall of 2021.
“We’re fortunate to have Nate Yetzer lead our wrestling program,” said Allison. “His ability to build a program is proven. The energy he brings to the table is off the charts. We know he’ll fit in well with his colleagues on our hallway!” Yetzer joined the Ferrum coaching staff in July 2012 as Head Wrestling Coach. In the last eight years at the helm of the new Panther mat program, Yetzer has sent 13 individuals to the NCAA Div. III Wrestling National Championships. Four wrestlers have earned All-America honors under Yetzer, Logan Meister in 2016 and Zach Beckner in 2017, with Beckner being the College’s first-ever NCAA finalist in any sport. Levi Englman and Mario Vasquez became the third and fourth All-Americans in 2019. Yetzer’s 2017 team won the NCAA East Regional and he was named NCAA East Region Coach of the Year.
Yetzer came to Ferrum from Blacksburg, Virginia, where he served six years as an assistant coach for the Virginia Tech wrestling program. Yetzer worked under Head Coach Kevin Dresser, helping to coordinate daily training sessions and assisting with office administration. He helped the Hokies to a #11 finish at the 2012 NCAA Division I Tournament. The Hokies had two All-Americans, six NCAA qualifiers and three ACC champions in 2012. Yetzer also assisted with recruitment and visitations of potential Virginia Tech student-athletes, fundraising activities, travel coordination and monitoring academic progress of student-athletes.
“I’m very excited about the opportunity to start another program here at Roanoke College,” said Yetzer. “It is easy to see why RC is consistently among the top teams in the ODAC across all sports. It is great to see Roanoke is going to be invested in this program with expectations to be successful in the classroom and on the mat. …. story at https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/Roanoke-Tabs-Nate-Yetzer-to-Lead-26-3-2020
Dan Willis Named New Mount Olive Head Wrestling Coach
MOUNT OLIVE, North Carolina — Dan Willis has been named the new Head Coach of the University of Mount Olive Wrestling team, it was announced by Vice President for Athletics Jeff Eisen. “Dan brings a wealth of coaching experience and is a fixture in North Carolina wrestling, which combined with his energy and passion will help move our program forward,” said Eisen. Willis joins Mount Olive after spending the last 17 years as the founder and head coach of the Port City Pirates Wrestling Organization as well as the last 11 years as the owner and operator of Port City Sports Performance LLC, both located in Wilmington, N.C. While at PCPW Willis helped coached the Pirates to two North Carolina Youth State Championships and one third-place finish. On the individual side, Willis saw over 20 athletes become high-school state champions and over 50 become state-placers. Prior to his time at Port City Willis spent time as the head coach at E.A. Laney High School (2006-09/2014-17) and John T. Hoggard High School (1995-2004). At E.A Laney Willis claimed five Mid-Eastern Conference Championships along with being the NCHSAA 4A State runner-up. Willis coached John T. Hoggard to six Mid-Eastern Conference Championships, a 4A Region championship, and three regional runner-ups. Academically, Willis’ teams have earned Scholar-Athlete Team awards four times throughout his high school coaching career. Willis wrestled collegiately at UNC Pembroke and was a two-time team captain for the Braves. He was an NCAA Division II All-American for the Braves posting a 102-31 career record at the 142 weight class. …. story at https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/Dan-Willis-Named-New-Mount-Olive-Head-26-3-2020
Oregon State’s plan for a new wrestling coach — and for a return to national prominence
Kerry Eggers on Sports: Elite committee has about eight candidates, shoots for mid-April hire
Oregon State officials are working behind the scenes to hire a new wrestling coach — one who can bring them back to national prominence. Last week, OSU fired Jim Zalesky, who had been head coach for 14 years. Zalesky’s OSU teams won almost two-thirds of their dual meets (177-75-2), along with seven championships in what passes for Pac-12 wrestling these days. The last title, though, came in 2016. The Beavers placed fourth in the six-team conference this season, behind Arizona State, Stanford and Cal State Bakersfield and ahead of Cal Poly and Arkansas Little Rock, the latter in its inaugural season of college wrestling. Oregon State’s highest finish at the NCAA meet under Zalesky’s watch was eighth in 2013. OSU has placed no better than 20th since then. Zalesky coached 10 All-Americans but no national champions during his time at OSU. The best finish was third by heavyweight Amar Dhesi in 2018. “With the right coach, there’s no reason why they can’t be back in the top 10, with All-Americans and national champions,” said Greg Strobel, a member of the coach selection committee and one of Oregon State’s greatest wrestlers. …. story at https://pamplinmedia.com/pt/12-sports/456633-372117-oregon-states-plan-for-a-new-wrestling-coach-and-for-a-return-to-national-prominence?mc_cid=f6e5f3ba8d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
National Coaching Honors
NWCA Announces NAIA Men’s National Coach of the Year Winner
Wichita, KS – On Thursday evening the NAIA hosted their National Championship Coaches Social hosted by the Hyatt Regency. At the conclusion of the event, the National Wrestling Coaches Association honored the nine finalists for the NAIA Men’s National Coach of the Year and announced the winner as selected by his peers. This award is presented to the coach that has demonstrated outstanding effort throughout the season in developing and elevating their program on campus and in the community. The awards are presented by Defense Soap, the official Hygiene partner of the NWCA. “In continuing our mission, Defense Soap is proud to partner with the NWCA, to keep wrestlers on the mat with our products and education in hygiene.” Guy Sako, Founder and CEO of Defense Soap. The recipient of this year’s NAIA Men’s National Coach of the Year is Jeff Bedard of Reinhardt University. Coach Bedard is in his fourth year as head coach and his achievements include a 17-2 dual meet record with six wins being against ranked NAIA schools and two others against Division II foes. Bedard coached twelve academic all-conference wrestlers and ten conference champions this year alone. All twelve of his starters are ranked in the top twenty in the nation and his team has an overall GPA of 3.1. …. story at http://www.nwcaonline.com/nwca-announces-naia-mens-national-coach-of-the-year-winner/?mc_cid=1a400a2613&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
NWCA Announces NJCAA National Coach of the Year Winners
Council Bluffs, IA – On the eve of the NJCAA Championships, the National Wrestling Coaches Association honored two outstanding wrestling coaches with the NJCAA Scholarship & Non-Scholarship Men’s National Coach of the Year Awards as selected by their peers. This award is presented to coaches that have demonstrated outstanding effort throughout the regular season in developing and elevating their program on campus and in the community. The awards are presented by Defense Soap, the official Hygiene partner of the NWCA. “In continuing our mission, Defense Soap is proud to partner with the NWCA, to keep wrestlers on the mat with our products and education in hygiene.” Guy Sako, Founder and CEO of Defense Soap. …. story at http://www.nwcaonline.com/nwca-announces-njcaa-national-coach-of-the-year-winners/?mc_cid=1a400a2613&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
NWCA Bob Bubb Coaching Excellence Award Finalists
Sioux Falls, SD – The National Wrestling Coaches Association has announced the 2020 finalists for the Bob Bubb Coaching Excellence Award.
The Bob Bubb Coaching Excellence Award, named after Hall of Fame Clarion Coach Bob Bubb, is presented annually to an outstanding coach who epitomizes the qualities and characteristics of a role model and mentor for developing young student-athletes. This year’s award winner will be honored during the NWCA Division II 2020 JimKoch Hall of Fame banquet presented by Sanford Health. This year’s finalists were nominated by coaches from each of the six Super Regions.
2020 BOB BUBB COACHING EXCELLENCE AWARD FINALISTS
- Super Region 1 – Don Henry (Gannon University) – Bio
- Super Region 2 – Othello Johnson (University of North Carolina – Pembroke) – Bio …. rest of the nominees at http://www.nwcaonline.com/nwca-bob-bubb-coaching-excellence-award-finalists/?mc_cid=665dd2a84f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
NWCA Announces NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year
Cedar Rapids, IA – On Thursday, prior to the NCAA Division III Championships, the National Wrestling Coaches Association honored the six finalists for the NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year and announced the winner as selected by his peers. This award is presented to the coach that has demonstrated outstanding effort throughout the season in developing and elevating their program on campus and in the community. The awards are presented by Defense Soap, the official Hygiene partner of the NWCA. “In continuing our mission, Defense Soap is proud to partner with the NWCA, to keep wrestlers on the mat with our products and education in hygiene.” Guy Sako, Founder and CEO of Defense Soap. The recipient of this year’s NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year is TJ Miller of Loras College. Coach Miller is in his fourth year as head coach his team is coming off the school’s best season in history having captured the NCAA Division III National-Runner up Trophy in 2019. This year saw the Duhawks knock off perennial power Wartburg and end their 27-year streak of conference titles and in doing so secured Loras’ first conference title in school history. …. story at http://www.nwcaonline.com/nwca-announces-ncaa-division-iii-national-coach-of-the-year/?mc_cid=dd3ca5e7e5&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
NWCA 2020 Division III Wrestling Hall of Fame presented by Defense Soap
Manheim, PA – The National Wrestling Coaches Association is proud to announce the Division III Hall of Fame Class of 2020 presented by Defense Soap. Coach Tim Clouse (Rhode Island Collge) along with wrestlers, Pete Gonzalez (Montclair State University), Daniel Laurent (University of Wisconsin – La Crosse), Perry Miller (University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point), and Aaron Wernimont (Wartburg College) have been selected for enshrinement during this years Division III Hall of Fame Banquet.
2020 DIVISION II HALL OF FAME RELEASE
Tim Clouse – Coach, Rhode Island College
Coach Clouse was a fixture at Rhode Island College for nearly 20 years, first serving as assistant coach from 1981-1993 and then as head coach from 1994-1999. As Head Coach, Coach Clouse earned New England Rookie Coach of the Year and produced Rhode Island’s first NCAA Champion in Bill Cotter in 1994 as his teams won 5 straight New England Conference Championships. Coach Clouse coached 9 All-American wrestlers and 3 Academic All-Americans and earned National Assistant Coach of the Year in 1998. He is a member of the Rhode Island College Athletic Hall of Fame (1992) and the Rhode Island Coaches Association Hall of Fame (1995).
Pete Gonzalez – Athlete, Montclair State University
An NCAA Div. III Champion in both 1988 and 1989 at 126lbs, …. story at https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/NWCA-2020-Division-III-Wrestling-Hall-1-18-3-2020
College News & Notes — #87
With the sports world shutting down for coronavirus, here’s why one college wrestling tournament decided to keep going
The National Collegiate Wrestling Association proceeded, with the top team’s coach calling the pandemic ‘overhyped’ and ‘political.’
ALLEN — The Allen Event Center was host to the only show in town. And not just this town, but town after town, possibly the ZIP code, the county and the state. Heck, maybe even the country. Sporting events are canceled because of efforts to contain the coronavirus. Churches are closing, casinos are being shuttered, TV shows have banished studio audiences, and states have enacted prohibitions on large gatherings.
That didn’t stop the National Collegiate Wrestling Association National Championships from occurring, with hundreds of athletes scheduled to participate under one roof and in close contact. Athletes who will soon travel back to home states as far as Washington and New York. “I think a lot of this is driven by fear,” the NCWA executive director, Jim Giunta, said Friday on why he didn’t cancel the event. “We’re going to do everything in our power to create an environment that’s more than safe for our athletes. But after we do everything we can do, we’re going to operate on faith rather than fear.”
The event featured 84 colleges from around the country and 600-plus athletes. Schools as large as UCLA and Ohio State, and as small as Richland Community College. It’s the preeminent event for collegiate wrestling that is outside the jurisdiction of the NCAA, which has canceled all postseason competition through the 2020 spring and winter seasons. Eleven schools never made it to the tournament because of coronavirus concerns, and around nine more schools pulled out before the competition began but had still made the trip to Allen. But for the NCWA, the show still went on. Even as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and health experts around the world strongly suggested against large gatherings like the one held in Allen from Thursday through Saturday evening. “I think when we start to cancel these events, the actual athlete and the hard work kind of fades away from them,” said UT- Arlington coach Collin Stroner, who noted that his concern about the coronavirus was “on the back burner.” …. rest of the story at https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/college-sports/2020/03/14/faith-over-fear-while-the-ncaa-closed-shop-for-coronavirus-these-collegiate-wrestlers-were-grappling-in-allen/?mc_cid=143786004c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Replay the winter sports season? The NCAA is wrestling with that question and others
By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Should the NCAA allow seniors on basketball teams, wrestling teams and other winter sports to return next season for another year of eligibility? That’s one of the questions the NCAA will consider when it holds a vote on Monday. The NCAA also will consider extending an extra year of eligibility to those playing spring sports, since those were wiped out by the virus. Cleveland State athletic director Scott Garrett believes the measure to let seniors who planned to play spring sports this year return for another season “make sense” and is likely to pass. Not every player will want to return. Some elite baseball players were expecting to enter the Major League Baseball draft in June. That also assumes MLB has its draft on schedule. That probably will happen, but who knows in this climate of uncertainty. The other element is cost. Spring sports are much cheaper than Division I basketball. As Duquesne coach Keith Dambrot said, “We played 30 games, but we didn’t have our conference tournament. We didn’t finish our season, but we had a long season. It’s a hard one to figure out.” Dambrot said some teams such as his were preparing for their conference tournaments. Others had already secured an NCAA berth. Yet for others, the season was over. …. rest of story at https://www.cleveland.com/sports/college/2020/03/replay-the-winter-sports-season-the-ncaa-is-wrestling-with-that-question-and-others.html?mc_cid=5dfdb1c828&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Jakobsen stuck on sidelines
By Zach Sturniolo
Jake Jakobsen was already gearing up for the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships that were slated for March 19. After a fifth-place finish at the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championships at 194 pounds on March 7, everything was in place for Jakobsen’s second consecutive appearance on the national stage. All the stepping stones were complete – all the youth wrestling that led to high school, becoming a PIAA Class 3A title winner at 195 pounds during his senior year at Stroudsburg to become Monroe County’s first state champion, and another trip to nationals. That excitement and anticipation was wiped away from the Lehigh University senior wrestler in an instant on Thursday when the NCAA announced its decision to cancel all remaining winter and spring sports championships in light of recent developments regarding COVID-19. “It’s disappointing,” Jakobsen said Friday in a phone interview. “I was talking to my girlfriend about this – I’ve wrestled since I was 4 years old, so the whole time since you’re 4 years old, your ultimate goal is to win a national college title and be on an Olympic team and win an Olympic title.”
“That’s what all the little kids strive for. So all the stepping stones of (competing to be) a youth state champion, a high school state champion, just stepping stones. And for this year to have that opportunity taken way, it does suck and it’s a disappointment.” …. story at https://www.poconorecord.com/sports/20200314/jakobsen-stuck-on-sidelines?mc_cid=143786004c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Now, for What Might Have Been ….
2020 NCAA Div. 1 Wrestling Tournament brackets released
BY USA WRESTLING | MARCH 11, 2020,
The 2020 Division 1 NCAA wrestling brackets have been released following the NCAA selection show. All ten brackets can be viewed here.
No. 1 Seeds
125 – Spencer Lee (Iowa)
133 – Sebastian Rivera (Northwestern)
141 – Luke Pletcher (Ohio State)
149 – Pat Lugo (Iowa)
157 – Ryan Deakin (Northwestern)
165 – Alex Marinelli (Iowa)
174 – Mark Hall (Penn State)
184 – Taylor Lujan (Northern Iowa)
197 – Kollin Moore (Ohio State)
285 – Gable Steveson (Minnesota) …. story and listing here https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/March/11/2020-NCAA-Tournament-brackets-released?mc_cid=665dd2a84f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
NCAA DI wrestling championships qualifiers, brackets announced for 2020
INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA announced the 48 at-large selections for the 2020 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Minneapolis.
2020 WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP: See the brackets | Watch the selection show
The wrestlers, listed in alphabetical order by weight class, join the 282 student-athletes that qualified automatically through their conference tournament finishes last weekend. The at-large selections were made by the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee using the following selection criteria: head-to-head competition, quality wins, results against common opponents, winning percentage, rating percentage index, coaches ranking and conference tournament finish.
RANKINGS: RPI | Coaches
Seeding and brackets for this year’s event were revealed March 11, during the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships Selection Show on NCAA.com.
MORE: Understand the mat layout for the 2020 wrestling championship …. rest of the list and details at https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/article/2020-03-10/ncaa-di-wrestling-championships-qualifiers-brackets-announced?mc_cid=11ed9cb2ed&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
NCAA Wrestling Championships: 5 Iowa story lines affected by unexpected cancellation
The college wrestling season came to an abrupt end this week when the NCAA decided to cancel its winter sports championships. Here are some notable storylines affected by the turn of events:
1. Spencer Lee declined Olympic redshirt, denied third title
Spencer Lee had options to start this season. The two-time NCAA and three-time World freestyle champion could have taken an Olympic redshirt to train for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team and a chance to represent USA Wrestling in the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Instead, Lee decided to balance that pursuit with his return to the Iowa lineup, looking to lead the Hawkeyes to their first NCAA team title since 2010.
The selfless and team-first decision seemed to work perfectly. The top-ranked 125-pounder dominated college competition, posting an 18-0 mark with 17 bonus-point victories and outscoring opponents 234-18. The Hodge Trophy candidate won his first Big Ten Conference title, helping Iowa to the team crown. He also managed to secure an Olympic Trials berth, winning the U.S. Senior Nationals title during a break in the December schedule. But, the cancellation prevented Lee from an opportunity to match Hawkeye greats, like current head coach Tom Brands, Ed Banach, Barry Davis, Jim Zalesky, Lincoln McIlravy and Joe Williams as three-time titlists.
The cancellation cost him a chance to become Iowa’s first four-timer, joining Oklahoma State’s Pat Smith, Iowa State’s Cael Sanderson, Cornell University’s Kyle Dake and Ohio State’s Logan Stieber as the only wrestlers to achieve the feat. Unless the NCAA grants this year’s qualifiers with another season of eligibility (discussions have begun), Lee was derailed by something out of his control and not by an opponent.
2. Iowa was poised for first national title since 2010
Top-ranked Iowa was expected to celebrate its return to the top of college wrestling’s heap. The Hawkeyes rolled through every competition this season and the NCAA tournament seemed to be the likely exclamation mark on a special season. …. story at https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/ncaa-wrestling-championships-5-storylines-affection-by-unexpected-cancellation-20200315?mc_cid=143786004c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Penn State Wrestling: Byers Recalls the Season That Ended in Heartbreak
He’s the Iron Man of Penn State wrestling who just happens to be known as “Ironhead.” Jeff Byers has now completed his 31st year of providing radio coverage of the Nittany Lions. And to me, he’s not just a legend for his longevity. He’s also a local treasure for the way he trumpets the greatness of the Nittany Lions while still showing respect for opposing teams. In what has become an annual tradition, I sat down with Byers on Wednesday to review the Big Ten tournament and look ahead to the NCAA tournament. What we did not know then was that the NCAA event would soon become another cancellation victim of the coronavirus pandemic. Thus, we resumed our conversation two days later to discuss the disappointment that was felt by so many collegiate wrestlers. Immediately below are edited portions of our initial discussion; keep reading to see our more recent thoughts from a later conversation on Friday.
If you had to describe Penn State’s season in a nutshell, what would you say?
Byers: It was challenging for sure. It’s just not possible to have the number of injuries they had and not see an impact. But I also think it was exciting and I think it was fun to see some different guys get an opportunity to grow and get better. So they had Seth Nevills fill in for a returning national champ, Anthony Cassar. And they were able to bring in Aaron Brooks off a redshirt and move up Shakur Rasheed to 197 pounds. All of that speaks to the depth of the program. …. story at https://www.statecollege.com/news/columns/penn-state-wrestling-byers-recalls-the-season-that-ended-in-heartbreak,1482736/?mc_cid=aa0e6118fc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
NCAA announces fan restrictions and 2020 brackets
While the NCAA is unsure how many fans will watch the 2020 Division I Nationals — after the organization announced that all winter championships, including wrestling, would go on without fans because of the Coronavirus — the wrestling committee did know what the action might look like and released brackets for all ten weights.
NCAA_D1_2020 Brackets
The following are the top four seeds per weight class that will be held in U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, March 19-21:
125 – 1. Spencer Lee (Iowa), 2. Pat Glory (Princeton), 3. Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State), 4. Jack Mueller (Virginia)
133 – 1. Sebastian Rivera (Northwestern), 2. Seth Gross (Wisconsin), 3. Chas Tucker (Cornell), 4. Micky Phillippi (Pitt) …. story at https://www.win-magazine.com/2020/03/ncaa-announces-fan-restrictions-and-2020-brackets/?mc_cid=665dd2a84f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
NCAA Announces No Fans For Winter Championships
While the NCAA wrestling championships will be held this spring amidst the ongoing battle against COVID-19 (Coronavirus), it will be without the usual sellout crowds. After consultation with its advisory panel, the NCAA made the decision to hold all winter championships, including Men’s basketball, in front of only “essential staff and limited family attendance”. With Minneapolis as this year’s NCAA wrestling host, fans from across the state of North Dakota planned on attending the event; many for the first time. Details have not yet emerged as to what that means, but NDwrestle will update with pertinent information as it is made available. The following is the full statement from NCAA President Mark Emmert:The NCAA continues to assess the impact of COVID-19 in consultation …. story at https://ndwrestle.com/2020/03/11/ncaa-announces-no-fans-for-winter-championships/?mc_cid=665dd2a84f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Coaching and Program Changes
TDR Editor’s notes ; It can be sobering, baffling at times, and sad whenever a wrestling program ends at a college. It is more understandable when the entire school closes. The most recent school to announce they are closing is MacMurray in a town in Illinois that we visited in 2016. We stopped in Jacksonville to see the home and markers for General Benjamin Grierson who led Union troops in the Civil War. His most famous action was his raid through Mississippi (only state w/o sanctioned high school wrestling) during the siege of Vicksburg. John Wayne played him in the movie ‘Horse Soldiers’. Grierson’s interesting history also includes post war service leading the ‘buffalo soldiers’ of the 10th U.S. Cavalry. We visited their memorial at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas on our 2015 summer trip as we went southward to Stillwater, Oklahoma to see the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, of course!
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MacMurray College, wrestling programs to close
The Board of Trustees of MacMurray College in Illinois has announced the small private college will be closing down after 174 years … along with its men’s and women’s intercollegiate wrestling programs, which were added to their sports roster less than four years ago.
As InterMat reported in January of 2016, the school had announced it was bringing back its men’s wrestling program which had been eliminated decades earlier, and was introducing a new women’s intercollegiate program. Both took to the mats in fall 2017.
The men’s roster listed ten team members, about evenly split between wrestlers from Illinois and Missouri, and the rest from as far away as Maryland and Texas. By contrast, the 14-member women’s wrestling roster had only one Illinois native; Texas and California each can claim five women wrestlers. MacMurray wrestling has three coaches: head coach Graham Karwath, and assistant coaches Jeff Haley and Conner Linehan. MacMurray College sports programs competed in NCAA Division III.
3More on the MacMurray College closing
Here’s how the State Journal News of nearby Springfield opened its news story on the closure: “After years of financial struggles, MacMurray College will close its doors at the end of the spring semester, the college announced Friday.” The newspaper went on to say that MacMurray had battled financial challenges for a number of years. ….. story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/23470?fbclid=IwAR3zXCgVsgC34IgnVci1CC0PKU2mdWQx4_rF4zLFW_PwTa4IiBXXloMlx-Q
Oregon State Program to Have Leadership Change
Corvallis — Oregon State University Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Barnes announced Monday that there will be a change of leadership of the wrestling program at the conclusion of the season.
“I want to thank Coach Jim Zalesky for his dedication to Oregon State University and his commitment to the young men in our wrestling program,” Beaver Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Barnes said. “We wish him and his family the best in their future endeavors.”
Zalesky started his head coaching career at OSU in 2006 after eight years leading the University of Iowa program.
Two Beaver wrestlers, Devan Turner (133) and Grant Willits (141), are guaranteed to represent OSU at the NCAA Championships at the March 19-21 tournament in Minneapolis. Turner won the Pac-12 title last week and Willits was runner up at his weight. … story at https://osubeavers.com/news/2020/3/9/wrestling-program-to-have-leadership-change.aspx?mc_cid=178e8cf0d6&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Ritchey to retire after 25 seasons as SOU men’s wrestling head coach
ASHLAND – Mike Ritchey, who shaped the culture of Southern Oregon University athletics over the course of four decades in the department, announced his retirement Tuesday after 25 seasons as the Raiders’ head men’s wrestling coach. A nine-time regional coach of the year and the two-time NAIA Coach of the Year, Ritchey’s role in sustaining SOU’s status as a national powerhouse began with his run as the team’s first four-time NAIA All-American from 1984-88. After winning one NAIA team championship, one NWCA dual championship and overseeing 22 of the Raiders’ 35 NAIA individual titles, he’ll leave matched with his predecessor, Bob Riehm, as the longest-tenured head coach in the history of SOU athletics. “I would like to thank God for the opportunity to be a part of the SOU community for 36 years and feel he has a plan for my future in retirement,” Ritchey said. “All things come to an end and this is my ending as a head coach. I feel the time is right in my life and in the program’s trajectory that we find a fresh set of eyes and new philosophies to bring the program back to prominence. I am so grateful to have coached so many great young men; there are too many to mention. I feel our current wrestlers are ready to make some ‘Natty’ noise next year and I’m so very sorry that I can’t continue in this role for many different reasons. However, I will be involved as long as possible.” Ritchey, starting with his first season in 1995-96, guided the Raiders to 23 consecutive winning dual records and finished with an overall mark of 235-107. …. story at https://souraiders.com/news/2020/3/10/ritchey-to-retire-after-25-seasons-as-sou-mens-wrestling-head-coach.aspx?mc_cid=11ed9cb2ed&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Slippery Rock administration commits to wrestling, contingent upon funding
News coming out of PA regarding men’s and women’s wrestling.
…. article at https://rokfin.com/article/947?affiliate_id=1826&mc_cid=11ed9cb2ed&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Navy Announces Wrestling Coaching Change
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk announced Friday that Joel Sharratt will not return as head coach of the Navy wrestling program. A national search will begin immediately for the program’s next head coach. “My gratitude to Joel for his efforts and the many contributions he has made to the Naval Academy over his tenure,” said Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk. “We have realized some very successful moments that will be remembered for many years to come. On behalf of those within the NAAA and wrestling community, our sincerest appreciation and very best wishes as he moves forward with new opportunities.” Sharratt, who guided the Midshipmen to an 8-6 mark in 2020, closed out his Navy career with a 43-24 record. Under his leadership, Navy sent five or more wrestlers to the NCAA Championship in four of his six seasons, including two four-time NCAA qualifiers and one All-American. Four wrestlers completed their careers ranked on Navy’s all-time top 20 individual wins list, while student-athletes won four EIWA individual titles under his tutelage. …. story at https://navysports.com/news/2020/3/13/navy-announces-wrestling-coaching-change.aspx?mc_cid=dd3ca5e7e5&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Riggs named head men’s wrestling coach at Ferrum College
FERRUM, Va. — Director of Athletics John Sutyak has announced the hiring of Ryan Riggs as head men’s wrestling coach at Ferrum College. Riggs has been with the Panther wrestling program the past four seasons and recently completed his second year as associate head coach. “We are extremely pleased that Ryan Riggs has agreed to be the next head men’s wrestling coach at Ferrum College,” said Sutyak. “Ryan has been instrumental in helping to build Ferrum into a national program and regional power within the NCAA. Having an accomplished coach already on staff allows us to continue the upward trajectory of Ferrum men’s wrestling on the national level. In having the opportunity to work with him and observe him as a coach the last few months, I have full confidence in Ryan and how we will work together to keep Ferrum men’s wrestling strong.” Riggs was promoted to associate head coach at Ferrum in July 2018. In doing so, he took on more day-to-day operations of the program, including recruiting, fundraising, practice development and coordinating Ferrum men’s wrestling social media presence. He was instrumental in helping Ferrum host the 2019 NCAA Division III Wrestling National Championships at the Berglund Center in Roanoke, Virginia. Riggs also helped the Panthers host the NCAA Southeast Regional tournaments in 2017 and 2018. He has served as tournament director for the Star City Classic, Southeast Duals and Panther Open, all tournaments hosted by Ferrum. …. story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/23482?fbclid=IwAR3m4q4pAJ8SI6c3BqLIGkcFodk6DHiPpGKwuvZ-8gh1YDjzj0FMhgMt4Bg
TDR blog
After 20 seasons of publicizing wrestling The TakeDown Report’s (TDR) focus has changed to the collecting of college coaching records from North America since 1903. We will continue to recognize and reward successful wrestlers in eastern North Carolina (east of Raleigh & Fayetteville), assist with schools in starting or re-starting a team and this blog. Join us on our FaceBook Page – “The TakeDown Report” for photos and news. Please send results, stories, links and news to pass along. E-mail us at takedownreport@gmail.com
Martin Fleming, Editor
Takedown Report
