25th College News, Notes and Results
App State’s Carter Named SoCon Wrestler of the Week
BOONE, N.C. — App State true freshman Sean Carter has been named the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week following a victory at No. 18 North Carolina in his first career dual meet. Wrestling at 125 pounds, Carter won a 9-3 decision on the road against Joey Melendez, who went 20-5 last season and is ranked No. 26 in his weight class by WrestleStat.
App State trailed 15-7 before Carter’s win, which kept the Mountaineers’ comeback hopes alive. UNC won the final match of the day to claim a 19-13 victory. Carter established an early lead with a takedown, led 4-1 after two periods and added two more takedowns in the third period.
A native of North Babylon, N.Y., Carter posted 150 career wins and was a two-time all-state wrestler in high school.
Rest of the story at https://appstatesports.com/news/2019/12/4/wrestling-app-states-carter-named-socon-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=2dd9bef4fd&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Rudy Tabbed South Atlantic Conference Carolinas Wrestler of the Week
GREENVILLE, S.C. — After staying steady at No. 5 in the national rankings at 197 lbs, Limestone College men’s wrestling senior Matt Rudy (Summerville, S.C.) was named the South Atlantic Conference Carolinas wrestler of the week as announced by the league on Wednesday, December 4. Rudy controlled the entire match at 197 pounds in then No. 17 Limestone’s narrow 20-19 loss to No. 21 UNC Pembroke in Pembroke, N.C. on Tuesday, Nov. 26. He earned the most points for the Saints on the night, picking up the 11-3 major decision over Marcus Montgomery. The Saints recently rose to a tie for 14th in the national rankings with UNC Pembroke in the latest polls. Rest of the story at https://golimestonesaints.com/news/2019/12/4/mens-wrestling-rudy-tabbed-south-atlantic-conference-carolinas-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=2dd9bef4fd&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Adrian College Bulldogs Pin 30-17 Loss on Nationally-Ranked Lourdes on Historic Night
ADRIAN, Mich.–Adrian College spotted visiting Lourdes University a 17-6 lead before taking the last five bouts–three via pin–to come from behind for a 30-17 victory in non-conference men’s wrestling action at the Merillat Sport and Fitness Center on Thursday evening. The host Bulldogs, who have won six duals in a row to improve to 8-2 on the season, defeat the Gray Wolves (5-2) who are nationally-ranked No. 12 in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics coaches’ poll. Junior Devon Pingel, sophomore Derick Duvall and freshman Kyle Emery led the way for the Bulldogs with pins at 197, 165 and 184 pounds, respectively. “Our guys took care of business tonight,” fourth-year head coach Bill Schindel said about the performance of his Bulldogs. “They did a phenomenal job fighting for all 7 minutes looking to score points the entire match. We capitalized on our opportunities and it was a great team effort. We were both physically and mentally prepared and it showed!” The Gray Wolves struck first with a 20-5 technical fall win in 6 minutes, 34 seconds by Ray Porter at 125, taking a 5-0 lead. Sophomore Elijah Sanchez put Adrian on the scoreboard with a 9-4 decision over Jimmy Balazy at 133 making the score 5-3. Lourdes took two of the next three bouts by pin by Nick Henneman (141) and Garret Anderson (157) to jump ahead 17-6. Junior Noah Nieman (149) edged Garrett Carter, 7-4, to help keep pace for Adrian. Rest of the story at https://adrianbulldogs.com/sports/m-wrestl/2019-20/releases/20191205vcmihj?mc_cid=09e81867d2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
No. 2 Men’s Wrestling Tops Emmanuel 38-14 In Home Opener
(LEBANON, Ill., Dec. 5) – The No. 2 McKendree University men’s wrestling team defeated the Lions of Emmanuel College by way of a staggering 38-14 victory this past Thursday night. The Bearcats improve to 1-1 overall on the year and are 1-0 against NCAA Division II opponents.
The Bearcat victory over Emmanuel included individual wins from Charles McNeal (Florissant, MO/Christian Brothers Catholic) who won the 133-lb weight class with a 5-3 tech fall, Nate Smalling (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West) who won the 157-lb class by way of a 18-5 major decision, Nick Foster (Belleville, IL/Belleville West) who won the 174-lb class by pin-fall (3:33), Ryan Vasbinder (Grand Rapids, MI/Grandville) who won the 197-lb class with an 18-3 major decision, and Caleb Gossett (St. Charles, MO/Francis Howell Central) who won the 285-lb class by way of pin-fall (1:59). Rest of the story at https://mckbearcats.com/news/2019/12/5/no-2-mens-wrestling-tops-emmanuel-38-14-in-home-opener.aspx?mc_cid=09e81867d2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
University of Central Oklahoma Mangles Stars
OKLAHOMA CITY (Dec. 5) –Noah McQuigg and Heath Gray outscored their two opponents by a combined 36 points in earning technical falls as Central Oklahoma plastered Oklahoma City 32-6 Thursday night at Abe Lemons Arena. McQuigg rolled to a 19-1 rout at 133 pounds and Gray posted a 21-3 romp at 184, while 165 Dayton Garrett and 174 Gage McBride also had bonus-point wins for the Bronchos. UCO, ranked 16th in NCAA Division II, improved to 2-0 while dropping the NAIA No. 6-rated Stars to 5-1. “I thought we did a good job on our feet and wrestled pretty well overall,” said head coach Todd Steidley, whose team held a 22-7 takedown advantage in the dual. “Our guys have really been working hard, so it was good to see them get rewarded tonight.” The Bronchos won eight of the 10 matches, with four of those coming over ranked opponents. Tanner Cole got UCO off to a quick start at 125, downing sixth-rated Montana Moon 7-1. Cole struck for a takedown in the first 30 seconds of the match, added another takedown in the second and piled up nearly four minutes riding time in the methodical win. McQuigg dominated from the outset in notching his 19-1 technical fall, scoring three takedowns and three near-falls to end the match with 10 seconds left in the second period. Rest of the story at https://bronchosports.com/news/2019/12/5/wrestling-uco-cruises-past-stars.aspx?mc_cid=09e81867d2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
North Central Cardinals Take Down Thunder, 39-6
WHEATON, Ill. (Dec. 5, 2019) – Continuing to roll through its College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) competition, the No. 10-ranked North Central College men’s wrestling team enjoyed a 39-6 victory over Wheaton College inside King Arena on Thursday. Enzo Silva got things started for North Central at 125-pounds, defeating Wheaton’s Anthony Zamora by decision (3-2) to improve to give the Cardinals three points and a lead they would hold for rest of the night. At 133-lbs, Ian Mullen made quick work of his Thunder foe, recording a pin in one minute and 29 seconds, while Marc Fleenor took the 141-lbs match by decision (7-5) to push North Central’s lead to 12-0. Anthony Rink (149-lbs) took down Ben Black 17-0 for his second technical fall of the season and Rafael Roman followed suit by winning with a 16-4 major decision to notch his first win of the year. Jacob Boumans delivered a pin (1:29) at 165-lbs to improve to 9-1 on the season. Wheaton found its only points of the night in the form of a medical forfeit at 174-lbs, allowing Hunter Harrison credit for the victory over Cameron Hayes. But that 19-point deficit was the closest the Thunder would come to tying the match as the Cardinals closed the day by sweeping the final three matches. Rest of the story at https://northcentralcardinals.com/news/2019/12/5/mens-wrestling-cardinals-take-down-thunder-39-6.aspx?mc_cid=09e81867d2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Quant Wrestling: By the Numbers on the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational from 0 to 100
Quant Wrestling combines the discipline of big data and analytics with the sport of wrestling. They track and time every activity in a wrestling match and produce more than 400 statistics. They’ve selected the stats with the highest correlation to match results and created three metrics: Offensive Activity Rating (OAR), Defensive Activity Rating (DAR) and Total Activity Rating (TAR). Here are some of the numbers they’ve unearthed during studies of the wrestlers expected to be competing at this weekend’s Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.
0 — Number of scores Northern Iowa 174-pounder Bryce Steiert allowed in the final 20 seconds of a period in 16 analyzed bouts.
2.2 — Number of snaps Wyoming 133-pounder Montorie Bridges averaged per minute in the two matches analyzed.
4.2 — Attacks Arizona State 184-pounder Zahid Valencia averaged per minute in 16 matches analyzed.
5 — Number of stall calls North Carolina State 184-pounder Trent Hidlay generated against opponents in two matches analyzed.
6 — Percentage of match time Northwestern’s Ryan Deakin has spent on the bottom in 19 bouts analyzed.
Rest of the story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1575606611795&twSessionId=bhbcgwvrag&postId=1802300132&mc_cid=09e81867d2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Nittany Lions Take Down Penn 33-7 as Mark Hall Wins His 100th
Meredith’s big win at 125 sparks Lions, Hall with a TF for the century mark
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; December 8, 2019 – The Penn State Nittany Lions (3-1, 0-0 B1G) won all but two bouts to rout the Penn Quakers (0-1) in sold out Rec Hall on Sunday. The Nittany Lions rode an early win at 125 and a career milestone in the second half to a 33-7 victory over the visiting Quakers. Senior Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) picked up his 100th career victory in the dual while freshman Brandon Meredith (Limerick, Pa.) opened the action with a big win at 125. The dual was witnessed by 6,437 fans in the 50th straight sellout in Rec Hall. Penn State has sold out 55 of its last 57 home events, including 50 straight in Rec Hall and five of seven in the 16,000-seat Bryce Jordan Center.
Meredith made his Rec Hall dual debut, stepping in for classmate Brody Teske (Duncombe, Iowa). Meredith energized the Rec Hall crowd with a furious close to the match. Meredith trailed 5-1 in the second and came back in the second and third periods to roll to an 8-5 win over No. 10 Michael Colaiocco. Sophomore Roman Bravo-Young (Tucson, Ariz.), ranked No. 4 at 133, then continued the fast start, posting a dominant 21-9 major decision over Penn’s Carmen Ferrante to give Penn State a 7-0 lead. Rest of the story at https://gopsusports.com/news/2019/12/8/wrestling-nittany-lions-take-down-penn-33-7-as-mark-hall-wins-his-100th.aspx?mc_cid=69462118ec&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Chippewa Wrestlers Knock Off Another Ranked Opponent
Pins by Stencel, Hildebrandt turn dual in CMU’s favor
Redshirt freshman Corbyn Munson is one of six Chippewa wrestlers to go 2-0 on the weekend as CMU knocked off two ranked opponents in MAC duals.
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. – Central Michigan got back-to-back pins from Matt Stencel and Drew Hildebrandt to take control on Sunday as the Chippewas posted a 28-10 Mid-American Conference wrestling dual-meet victory over 20th-ranked Rider. The victory was CMU’s second of the weekend as it improved to 2-1, 2-0 MAC. Rider is 3-1, 2-1. On Friday, the Chippewas topped No. 25 Lock Haven, 24-12. Just as they did on Friday against Lock Haven, the Chippewas scored bonus points in three of their seven wins against Rider. “We worked really hard the last couple of weeks and our guys really responded,” CMU coach Tom Borrelli said. “It paid off in both meets this weekend, and it really paid off more so today. We told our guys before these two matches that the way they trained over the past couple of weeks that no one would wrestle with them the full seven minutes. It was really tough for those teams to match our conditioning.” Rest of the story at https://cmuchippewas.com/news/2019/12/8/wrestling-chippewa-wrestler-knock-off-another-ranked-opponents.aspx?mc_cid=69462118ec&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Weekend Rundown: Hawkeyes, Nittany Lions roll
SUNDAY EVENING UPDATE
IOWA 30, PRINCETON 9
Top-ranked Iowa picked up a last-second win by Jacob Warner in a Top 5 showdown at 197 pounds, an overtime win from Pat Lugo at 149 and five bonus-point victories on its way to a 30-9 dual win at Princeton. The Spencer Lee-less Hawkeyes picked up a pin from Alex Marinelli at 165, technical falls from Austin DeSanto (133) and Michael Kemerer (174) and major decisions from Max Murin (141) and Tony Cassioppi (285). Fourth-ranked Warner used a takedown in the closing seconds to pull out a 5-4 win against No. 2 Patrick Brucki. “As the match went on I felt stronger and stronger,” Warner said. “I got that takedown and I was a dog on a bone. I got to that leg, and I need to get there more, but when I got to that leg I wasn’t letting go.” Rest of the story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1575867667178&twSessionId=lntyjmsjro&postId=1822929132&mc_cid=69462118ec&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
TDR Top 12 Alumni Ryan Blackwell among those wounded at Pensacola Naval Air Station
TDR Notes ; Blackwell was honored on the TDR Top 12 list for four years. Only about six wrestlers a year are named to a 4th consecutive Top 12 list of the best wrestlers across all divisions in eastern North Carolina. Blackwell placed in the top 7 each year and was a three time state medalist and two time state champion with Croatan High School. He was awarded the ‘Roy Heverly Award’ as the top underclassman scholastic wrestler in eastern North Carolina when he won his first state championship in 2009 as a junior. He repeated as state champion his senior season and was a finalist for the James Johnson Award as the top senior in eastern NC. He went on to compete at UNC-Pembroke, where Heverly was a three time All-American.
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Wrestling coach among those wounded at Pensacola NAS
By Mark Palmer, Intermat
A high school wrestling coach was among those wounded in the mass shooting at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida on Friday. Ryan Blackwell is a staff member at Gulf Breeze High School, located near the Pensacola NAS in Florida’s western Panhandle, as well as coach of the Gulf Breeze Wrestling Club. In addition, the 27-year-old Blackwell is an active duty member of the U.S. Navy.
Here is the message the City of Gulf Breeze posted on its Facebook page Friday: “Gulf Breeze City Hall sends prayers and support for the recovery of Gulf Breeze High School assistant wrestling coach Ryan Blackwell. Coach Ryan is active duty Navy and was shot three times this morning in the senseless act of violence which killed three military people, injuring eleven in the Aviation Building. Coach Ryan’s thoughts were with his team before going into surgery, as Coach Ryan called head wrestling coach Dave Daily of Gulf Breeze Wrestling Club to tell him he won’t make this weekend’s wrestling tournament. Coach Ryan is in stable condition…” Blackwell was taken to Baptist Hospital, along with seven others who were also wounded in the shooting. According to WITN-TV, the NBC affiliate in Greenville, N.C., Ryan Blackwell is an Eastern North Carolina native who attended Croatan High School in Carteret County. Blackwell made history as a senior by becoming just the second wrestler in county history to win two North Carolina state championships. He later wrestled for the NCAA Division II program at the University of North Carolina Pembroke at 141 pounds. Rest of the story at http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/22679?fbclid=IwAR0jQ3QExwSWXBF7mL0nsCj46oNP87TvD4x2scfiwuGaEWLY23c1obK3rPM
High School Results
DH Conley Wrestling
Grappling Vikes finish a long hard day at the Green Hope Grapple in Cary with a very respectable finish!
Ethan Lenyszyn, 113….1st
Gabe Anderson, 195….3rd
Hunter Bryant, 106…4th
Kirian Davila, Hwt…4th
Walker Kassnove, 160…5th
Carson Hathaway, 152…5th
Troy Weaver, 170….5th
Rashid Oneal, 220…5th
1 Senior
3 Juniors
3 Sophomores
1 Freshman
Conely finishes 5th overall out of 24 teams!!!! This was a tuff bracketed Tournament and the young Vikes showed well!!!!! Great job Coaches and wrestlers! Grappling Vikes in action next on Thursday night against Pamlico and Rocky Mount at Home! Come see the “Grappling Vikes under the Lights”!!!! Wrestling starts at 5:30!
West Henderson female wrestling team makes history
by Caitlyn Penter
HENDERSON COUNTY, N.C. — West Henderson High School’s female wrestling team hosted its first dual meet Tuesday night. It was the first dual match of its kind held in the state of North Carolina. The high school is one of four in the state with a female wrestling team. The rules on the mat haven’t changed, just who can play. The girls at West Henderson are flipping the way wrestling has always been done.
“They’re doing everything the guys do, and they don’t back down from that,” coach Michael Connelly said. Some on this year’s team like Marissa Connelly, the coach’s daughter, wrestled with the boys last year. “Or we’re live wrestling, and they’re like, ‘Oh, I am sorry.’ They’d apologize like 50 million times, and it got to the point where I was like if you apologize again you’ll get punched in the face,” Connelly said. Others are just starting out. Rest of the story at https://wlos.com/news/local/west-henderson-female-wrestling-team-makes-history?mc_cid=2dd9bef4fd&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
This season’s first set of Trackwrestling High School Rankings has arrived.
Perennial power Blair Academy (N.J.) leads the pack with 11 ranked wrestlers, followed by Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) with nine, St. John Bosco (Calif.) with five and Buchanan (Calif.), Detroit Central Catholic (Mich.) and Elyria (Ohio) with four each. Marc-Anthony McGowan (106), Richard Figueroa (113), Greg Diakomihalis (120), Robert Howard (126), Shayne Van Ness (132), Beau Bartlett (138), Victor Voinovich (145), Sonny Santiago (152), Keegan O’Toole (160), Patrick Kennedy (170), Dustin Plott (182), Rocky Elam (195), A.J. Ferrari (220) and Hunter Catka (285) begin the season as the top-ranked wrestlers at their respective weight classes. Rest of the story and full national rankings at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1575477597623&twSessionId=shexorimtx&postId=1798459132&mc_cid=2dd9bef4fd&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Bancroft, Bullock win titles at Pierce-Davis Memorial
BETHEL — Fike High senior wrestler Aaron Bancroft claimed a weight-class championship for the fourth straight year at the 28th Pierce-Davis Memorial Tournament on Saturday at North Pitt High. Bancroft was joined by junior teammate Jayleen Bullock as individual champions in the tournament, which attracted 23 teams, to help the Golden Demons to a runner-up finish behind Oscar Smith High, a Virginia Interscholastic Athletic Association 6-A powerhouse program from Chesapeake, Virginia. Bancroft, won the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3-A championship at 160 pounds last year, won all three of his matches by fall to improve to 12-0 on the season. He was selected the tourney’s Most Outstanding Wrestler for the third time.
Fike head coach Brad Watson said he told Bancroft before the tournament to just enjoy the moment in a career that will be over in a little more than two months. The only negative for Bancroft was that he didn’t get a rematch against Oscar Smith’s Jaden Bullock, the VIAA 6-A 160-pound champion last year who handed Bancroft his only loss in 53 matches last season. Bullock was reportedly taking his college entrance exam Saturday and didn’t make the trip to Wilson. Fike’s Bullock raised his record to 11-0 as he won three matches to capture the 195-pound crown. Bullock pinned August Basco of Peninsula Catholic, another Virginia school, in 1:33 in the final. Rest of the story at http://www.wilsontimes.com/stories/area-roundup-bancroft-bullock-win-titles-at-pierce-davis-memorial,196618?
24th College News, Notes and Results
St. Cloud State University Closing In on Own Record
ST. CLOUD — The St. Cloud State University wrestling team is close to breaking their own national record. The Huskies are currently riding a 52 match dual meet winning streak. The last time they lost a dual meet was nearly three years ago in January of 2017. The current national record for consecutive dual meets wins in Division II is held by St. Cloud State when they won 54 matches in a row from about 2011 through about 2015. Associate Head Coach Brady Wilson says the success of the program starts with the kids. “I think at St. Cloud State our coaching staff have just been blessed to coach great student athletes. They’ve been very consistent in the classroom and on the wrestling mat.”
Augsburg holds the Division III consecutive wins record with 65 from 1988 through 1992, and Oklahoma State has the Division I record winning 76 in a row from 1937 through 1951. SCSU won the national championship in 2015 and 2016, they were the national runners-up in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2017. The Huskies are ranked #1 in the nation right now. Read More: SCSU Wrestlers Closing In On Own National Record | Rest of the story at https://wjon.com/scsu-wrestlers-closing-in-on-own-national-record/?mc_cid=2dd9bef4fd&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
No. 1 Iowa looks to wrestle ‘free and loose’ in search of bonus points
By Mike Finn
The majority of Iowa’s top-ranked wrestling team returns from last season, including all six All-Americans from a team that finished fourth in the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. But there is something different and more aggressive about the 2019-20 Hawkeyes, who have outscored its first three dual foes — including highly-ranked Iowa State (29-6) and Wisconsin (32-3) — by a 100-6 margin and have scored bonus points in 40 percent of the 30 matches in those three duals. The scoring leader of these Hawkeyes is junior and two-time NCAA champion Spencer Lee, who has recorded two technical falls and a major decision at 125 pounds. Meanwhile, senior Michael Kemerer, a two-time All-American at 157 pounds, who sat out last year because of injury, has tallied a pin, technical fall and major decision in his first three matches at his new weight of 174 pounds.
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The season-opening scoring surge by the Hawkeyes has also seen several Hawkeyes defeat higher-ranked wrestlers: Pat Lugo’s 4-2 victory over Iowa State’s Jarrett Degen at 149 and Nelson Brands’ upset of ISU’s Samuel Colbray at 184; and a trio of big victories against Wisconsin by 133-pound All-American Austin DeSanto over top-ranked Seth Gross, 165-pound All-American Alex Marinelli over UW’s Evan Wick, and redshirt freshman Tony Cassioppi’s win over Trent Hillger at heavyweight. Brands, who is looking to capture the school’s first NCAA title since 2010 this March, knows that bonus points are especially important at the national tournament. Last year, Penn State out-scored No. 2 Ohio State by a 137.5-96.5 margin in claiming a fourth-straight team title and out-scored the Buckeyes by a 27-16.5 margin in bonus points. Rest of the story at https://www.win-magazine.com/2019/12/no-1-iowa-looks-to-wrestle-free-and-loose-in-search-of-bonus-points/?mc_cid=2dd9bef4fd&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Berlin, Lipke Record Falls in League Dual at Platteville
PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – Junior Matt Berlin (Oak Creek, Wis./Oak Creek) remained perfect on the season, but the UW-Stevens Point men’s wrestling team dropped a 25-15 dual at league foe UW-Platteville on Wednesday.
Results
Berlin won by fall at 133, his sixth pin of the season to improve to 13-0. His second period fall tied the dual score at 6-6.
Zack Moon (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley) was the next Pointer to record a win, earning a 9-3 decision victory at 174.
Jerry Lipke (Milton, Wis./Milton) recorded his seventh fall of the season with a pin at 197 in a time of 5:05. His pin got UWSP within 21-15 headed to the last match, but the Pointers couldn’t close the gap. Rest of the story at https://athletics.uwsp.edu/news/2019/12/4/wrestling-berlin-lipke-record-falls-in-league-dual-at-platteville.aspx?mc_cid=2dd9bef4fd&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Michigan recruit plans rare feat with double dose of football and wrestling for Wolverines
By Ryan Zuke
Gaige Garcia knows his freshman year at Michigan won’t be easy. The senior from Southern Columbia High (Pennsylvania) signed his wrestling National Letter of Intent last month and will also sign his NLI to play football at Michigan on Dec. 18. Being a two-sport athlete in college isn’t that uncommon, but playing football and wrestling at a Division I program is extremely rare. But when Garcia inked his NLI on Nov. 13, Michigan wrestling coach Sean Bormet knew he was getting an athlete who can pull it off. Rest of the story at https://www.mlive.com/wolverines/2019/12/michigan-recruit-plans-rare-feat-with-double-dose-of-football-and-wrestling-for-wolverines.html?mc_cid=2dd9bef4fd&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Multi-Divisional Insider: Bedard has built a winner from scratch at Reinhardt
Tongue planted in cheek, Jeff Bedard remembers one of his first recruiting pitches when he took over the brand-new Reinhardt University wrestling program in March of 2016. At that time Bedard had just finished his second year as the top assistant at Chattanooga, and he knew he was jumping into the recruiting game late in the process. “It kind of went down like this,” Bedard related in an interview with Trackwrestling, “I’d come up to a kid and ask, ‘You wrestle? Do you want to wrestle in college?’ If he said yes, I said, ‘Let’s go.’ That is how it went that first year.” That was 2016 when NAIA Reinhardt became just the fifth college or university in the state of Georgia to offer wrestling, joining fellow NAIA programs Brewton-Parker, Life University and Shorter College and Division II Emmanuel College. It is no longer a tough sell to get top-notch wrestlers to Reinhardt, located 40 miles from Atlanta. In three seasons, Bedard has turned the Eagles into one of the top programs in NAIA. At last year’s NAIA National Championships in Des Moines, Iowa, Reinhardt had the second-most national qualifiers with 11 and put five wrestlers on the podium in a fifth-place finish, which earned Bedard NAIA National Coach of the Year honors. With all five All-Americans back — Michael Carew, Justin George, Koby Milner, Antonio Stewart and Cole Tenety — and nine total qualifiers returning, the Eagles are considered one of the teams that will be in the hunt for a team trophy in March at the NAIA Championships in Wichita, Kan. “That first year was very, very difficult,” Bedard said. “Nobody had heard of us, obviously, had a lot of kids that weren’t sure of taking a chance on a program starting from scratch. They didn’t know financially if the school would back the program the right way to build toward success. There was apprehensiveness to be part of one of the first classes to start something. We got great kids … but it was a hard sell.” Rest of the story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1575606379291&twSessionId=xqxbwcuthq&postId=1801036132&mc_cid=09e81867d2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Ferrum Women’s Wrestling Splits Tri-Meet
FERRUM, Virginia — Ferrum College’s women’s wrestling team hosted a tri-meet tonight at Swartz Gym and split a pair of matches. The Panthers beat East Stroudsburg University before falling to King University.
RECORDS
King (6-0)
Ferrum (2-6)
East Stroudsburg (0-2)
DUAL SCORES
King def. East Stroudsburg 38-5
Ferrum def. East Stroudsburg 25-23
King def. Ferrum 43-5
THE BASICS
Against East Stroudsburg, Destiny Benjamin (130 lbs) and Bailey Gilmore (143) each picked up a pin, while Tayler Kleemoff (155) won by technical fall 12-0. And in the loss to King, Ferrum’s five points came from Alisha Elizalde (101) by virtue of a forfeit. Rest of the story at https://www.ferrumpanthers.com/sports/wwrest/2019-20/releases/20191205uuriqk?mc_cid=09e81867d2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Central wrestlers earn third shutout victory
INDIANOLA — For the third time this season, the Central College wrestling team won all 10 matches in a 49-0 rout over Augustana College (Ill.) Thursday night. The Dutch (9-2) have won six consecutive duals against the Vikings (0-2) dating back to 2014. Central won four matches by fall, three by technical fall and one by major decision. The pins were recorded by Rob Areyano (sophomore, 149 pounds, Selma, Calif.), Nathan Fritz (senior, 184 pounds, Sigourney), Gavin Babcock (senior, Altoona, Southeast Polk HS) and Duncan Lee (senior, Newton). “It was a very solid effort overall,” coach Eric Van Kley said. “Our guys were very coachable and listened to some of the things we talked about this week. They really got their offense going.” It was the other two victories that had Van Kley excited after the match. Chase Poston (sophomore, Olympia, Wash.) started the night against Ellex Williams at 125 pounds. Poston was defeated by Williams 13-2 on November 9 at the Millikin Open. Poston flipped the script with a 4-3 win in the dual. “He wrestled a really hard, tough match and got us off to a great start,” Van Kley said. Rest of the story at https://athletics.central.edu/news/2019/12/5/wrestling-central-wrestlers-earn-third-shutout-victory.aspx?mc_cid=09e81867d2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
#10 PITT DOMINATES MOUNTAINEERS, 29-6
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The 10th-ranked University of Pittsburgh wrestling team recorded eight wins en route to a 29-6 win over rival West Virginia Thursday night at WVU Coliseum.
With the win, the Panthers improve to 3-1 on the year, while the Mountaineers drop to 0-3. The win was the 38th over West Virginia in program history as Pitt moves to 38-25-2 all-time. “We wrestled well,” said head coach Keith Gavin. “The goal is continual improvement and our guys are buying into that mindset. We are on the right track.” Bonus points played a major factor in the dominant win with three Panthers recording major decisions and one with a technical fall.
Redshirt freshman Louis Newell got things started for the Panthers, recording an 11-1 major decision over WVU’s Joey Thomas at 125 pounds. Newell jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the first after scoring a takedown and four nearfall. He collected his remaining points via penalty point, an escape, takedown and added his final point with riding time. The major decision gave Pitt a 4-0 lead in the dual.
Moving to 133 pounds, fifth-ranked redshirt sophomore Micky Phillippi improved to 8-0 on the year after recording his third career technical fall. Phillippi downed Lucas Seibert, 20-5, in 4:31. He scored five takedowns, back-to-back four nearfalls and two escapes to give the Panthers a 9-0 lead after two bouts. Redshirt freshman Cole Matthews continued Pitt’s winning ways at 141 pounds, recording a 4-0 decision over Caleb Rea. The 19th-ranked Panther used a takedown, escape and riding time to secure his fifth win of the year. Rest of the story at https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2019/12/5/wrestling-10-pitt-dominates-mountaineers-29-6.aspx?mc_cid=09e81867d2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Bucknell Wrestling Tops Bloomsburg, 24-13, in Home Opener
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell wrestling team topped Bloomsburg, 24-13, on Thursday night in its home opener at Davis Gym. The Bison (1-2, 0-0 EIWA) used a first-period pin by Matthew Kolonia (149) and decisions by six other wrestlers to power past the Huskies (0-1, 0-0 MAC). Senior Garrett Hoffman (285) put an exclamation mark on the victory, scoring a 9-2 decision in his return from an injury suffered in January of his sophomore year.
‼️ FIRST PERIOD 📌 ‼️
Matthew Kolonia brings the Davis Gym crowd to its feet! #HerdUp | #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/e9X84foDlH— Bucknell Wrestling (@Bucknell_WRST) December 6, 2019
Brandon Seidman (125) staked Bucknell an early advantage, using a third-period escape to top Christian Gannone, 3-2. After a loss by major decision at 133 pounds put Bloomsburg up by a point, Noah Levett (141) rallied to score a 10-5 decision over Aaron Coleman; Levett took the lead by picking up a takedown and two back points in quick succession and never looked back. Kolonia made quick work of Gavin Hale, bringing the Davis Gym crowd to its feet. After a loss by major decision at 157 pounds, the Hartman brothers won back-to-back bouts to extend the Bison’s lead to 18-8. Zach Hartman, who is ranked as high as 15th nationally at 165 pounds, used two takedowns and a 4:06 riding time advantage to down Alex Carida, 5-1. Mitch Hartman, making his first dual appearance since 2017, edged Anthony Vetrano, 3-0, in a physical 174-pound bout. Bolstered by No. 14 Trevor Allard’s technical fall at 184 pounds, Bloomsburg cut Bucknell’s lead down to 18-13. Drew Phipps ultimately clinched the Bison’s victory with a 4-0 decision over Kyle Murphy; Phipps rode out Murphy for the majority of the second period before picking up three points in the final frame. Rest of the story at https://bucknellbison.com/news/2019/12/5/wrestling-tops-bloomsburg-24-13-in-home-opener.aspx?mc_cid=09e81867d2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Franklin Features: Rider Strong; Wrestling Off to Hot Start in 2019-20
Wrestling Off to a Hot Start in 2019-2020 by Paul Franklin
The next three matches for the Rider wrestling team will be telling. But regardless of the results, what they’ll be telling for years is what happened three weeks ago. That’s when the Broncs traveled to the University of Minnesota and stunned the Big Ten powerhouse 21-17. The Gophers were ranked No. 6 in the country at the time. It’s a nice way to honor the program’s 50th anniversary. Rider goes into Friday’s match at Bloomsburg ranked No. 20. On Sunday, 1 p.m., Central Michigan comes here for a match in Alumni Gym. On the 19th, Rider travels to Princeton for a huge match at Dillon Gym, 7 p.m. Princeton is ranked 12th in the National Wrestling Coaches Association poll. Rider is ranked ahead of Big 10 members Michigan, Purdue, Illinois and Rutgers, as well as the likes of Virginia and Lock Haven.NWCA Coaches Poll
“If we win the next three we might be ranked in the top 10 or top 15,’’ Head Coach John Hangey said the other day, sitting behind his desk before workouts at the Canastra Health and Sports Center. Even if they don’t, the foundation that has been in place for several years is not about to collapse. “The school fits what the program is all about,’’ said Hangey, a long-time assistant now in his third year in charge. “We’re not an Ivy League school, we’re not a state school. It’s a private school where kids have to work hard. That just sells that you can come to a small school and that you can wrestle a Penn State, an Iowa, beat a Minnesota, beat an Ohio State and beat a Wisconsin. And that’s a selling point. Rest of the story at https://gobroncs.com/news/2019/12/5/franklin-features-rider-strong-wrestling-off-to-hot-start-in-2019-20.aspx?mc_cid=09e81867d2&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Bears take team title at Swiss Bear Classic
The Swiss Bear Classic may be just an early season wrestling tournament but every year, the host Bears sure set out to win it. New Bern did that Saturday by taking first place with a cumulative score of 169 points, just edging out Croatan’s 161.5. Topsail was third with 140.5 points, Dixon took fourth with 126.5 and Wake Forest came in fifth at 110. Sam Barnett was the Bears’ lone champion of the event at 113 pounds as he won the title match via pinfall. Pamlico County heavyweight Javon Armstrong, a former state champ, also won his weight class with a 10-3 victory in the finale. In addition to Barnett, Paul Denoia, Grant Gupton and Jackson Bird all finished second in their respective weight classes. Eh Neysoe Jaw, Riley Dean, Wyatt Stevens, Jaidon Bennett and Marcus Grist all also finished in the top four for the Bears. West Craven and Havelock were also competing at the event as Jon Ward and Jeremiah Cannon both took third place for the Eagles and Xavier McCullough was second for the Rams.
“At this point in the season, we try to focus on just getting a little better every time we get a chance to compete, to get ready for February,” New Bern head coach Bo Lansche said. “With it being our tournament, of course the guys always want to bring this one home.” Lansche was excited two years ago about many of the kids starting for him now when they were freshmen about the potential the team could have. Now that most of the team are juniors and seniors, wins are piling up. Ward had a landmark win early in the tournament as he won his 100th career match for West Craven. Havelock’s Brooke Hermel, Cody Rutherford and Isaiah Verspoor were all top-four finishers for the Rams. “I think the highlight of the day for us was Xavier (McCullough) getting a win over Jon (Ward) but then when we get a good win like that, we can’t turn around not wrestle well after it,” Havelock head coach Chase Holleman said.
Rest of the story with top four individual placers at each weight class at https://www.newbernsj.com/sports/20191207/bears-take-team-title-at-swiss-bear-classic
Women’s Wrestling Notes
WOMEN’S WRESTLING REGAINS TOP SPOT IN NAIA COACHES’ POLL
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – In the first regular season NAIA Coaches’ Poll, defending National Champion Menlo College Women’s Wrestling has regained its spot atop the national rankings. The Oaks, who were second in the NAIA preseason poll behind just Life (Ga.), moved up to the top spot thanks to a hot start to the 2019-20 campaign and five individual wrestlers topping their respective weight class.
The No. 1 Oaks had five wrestlers in No. 1 spots within their respective weight classes. Including: Alleida Martinez (109), Gracie Figueroa (116), Tiana Jackson (123), Marilyn Garcia (143) and Precious Bell (170). Rest of the story at http://www.menloathletics.com/article/8064?mc_cid=3496aa8f13&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Amit Elor: College Park’s Pin-Seeking Phenom
Just A Sophomore, Defending CIF State Champion Amit Elor Has Rocketed To Superstar Status On The Mat •
The next big thing in U.S. women’s wrestling is a remarkable 15-year-old College Park-Pleasant Hill sophomore with dazzling abilities and uncanny poise. She goes by the name Amit Elor. She’s the reigning 150-pound CIF girls state wrestling champion with realistic expectations to win a U.S. Olympic gold in freestyle wrestling — a feat that’s only been achieved once before (Helen Maroulis in 2016). The wide-smiling half-Russian daughter of Eastern European immigrants, and youngest of six children, Elor hasn’t lost a match to a U.S. wrestler in nearly four years. She’s known for her quickness, both on the mat and on the clock. Elor won a section title in just 15 seconds and pinned five straight opponents in last year’s CIF tournament in a combined time of 2 minutes, 19 seconds, averaging under 28 seconds per pin against the best 150-pound wrestlers in the state. Rest of the story at https://sportstarsmag.com/amit-elor-pin-seeking-phenom/?mc_cid=3496aa8f13&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
What’s next? As women’s wrestling grows, the landscape of opportunities changes
TEMPE – Trailblazing must be in Marlee Smith’s DNA. One day, while cheering on her dad’s football team, the squad found itself a player short and an unexpected opportunity arose for the 8-year-old. “He looked at me and he said, ‘I’m taking Marlee,’” her mom, Christie Smith, recalled. “He took her off the sideline, threw pads on her and put her on the football field.”
Marlee Smith blazes her own path on ASU wrestling team
It didn’t end there. She followed her male teammates to wrestling, a popular activity in her hometown of Wantage, New Jersey. She continued to thrive in the sport, which led to a difficult decision many female wrestlers face after high school: choose a school where she could continue to wrestle other women or try to join a men’s roster at a school that offered the major she wanted. Rest of the story at https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2019/12/03/womens-wrestling-growth/?mc_cid=3496aa8f13&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Women’s wrestling to follow in December
Here’s a list of women’s wrestling events to close out 2019.
Live-stream links, event reminders & updates will be posted via social media throughout the month!
Twitter: @transition_wres Facebook: Transition Wrestling Instagram: @transitionwrestling
December 4th
U. of Saint Mary vs Missouri Valley College
Marshall, MO 7PM CT
Livestream: via MoVal
Fontbonne University vs Westminster College
Fulton, MO 6PM CT
(exhibition matches only)
December 5th
Tri-Dual: King, Ferrum & East Stroudsburg
Ferrum, VA 7PM ET
December 6th
Tiffin University vs Gannon University
Erie, PA 6PM ET
U. of the Cumberlands vs Campbellsville University
Campbellsville, KY 7PM ETBattle of the Rockies [Canceled]
Hosted by U. of Providence in Great Falls, MT
Teams: Providence, Jamestown, Colorado Mesa, Big Bend CC, U. of Alberta
December 7th
North Central Invitational
Hosted by North Central College in Naperville, IL
9AM CT
Teams: Adrian, Augsburg, Emmanuel, Fontbonne, Grand View, Lakeland, Lindenwood, MacMurray, McKendree, Missouri Baptist, North Central, Westminster, UW-Stevens Point
Wayland Invitational
Hosted by Wayland Baptist University in Plainview, TX
8:30AM CT
Teams: Wayland, Lyon, Oklahoma City, Texas Wesleyan, Midland, York
Presbyterian Tri-Dual
Life, Limestone & Presbyterian
Clinton, SC 1PM ET
Roseburg Quad
Hosted by Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, OR
Teams: Umpqua, Southwestern Oregon CC, Southern Oregon University, Grays Harbor College
Rest of the story and list at https://www.transitionwrestling.com/what-to-follow-in-december/?mc_cid=d4857a47f3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Washburn Rural High School makes history with all girl wrestling team
In April, 2019 the Kansas State High School Athletic Association, KSHSAA, approved an amendment to rule 44 of the KSHSAA Handbook. The change to Rule 44, allowed a structure for girls wrestling in high schools including a State Championship. On Monday evening, Washburn Rural High School made history when they held their first all girls wrestling match at the High School with JC Harmon, Kansas City, Ks.
Rest of the story and pictures at https://www.ksnt.com/news/top-stories/washburn-rural-high-school-makes-history-with-all-girls-wrestling-team/?mc_cid=d4857a47f3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
23rd College News, Notes and Results
2019 NAIA Women’s Wrestling Coaches’ Poll – No. 1
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – In the first edition of the 2019 NAIA Women’s Wrestling Coaches’ Poll, Menlo (Calif.) took home the top spot with 206 points.
Top 25 Highlights
- The No. 1 Oaks had five wrestlers in No. 1 spots within their respective weight classes. Including: Alleida Martinez (109), Gracie Figueroa (116), Tiana Jackson (123), Marilyn Garcia (143) and Precious Bell (170).
- Rounding out the top five were Jamestown (N.D.), Campbellsville (Ky.), Life (Ga.) and Southern Oregon
- Wayland Baptist (Texas) also had multiple wrestlers in No. 1 spots including: Kaylynn Albrecht (155), Desiree Zavala (136) and Nina Pham (101).
- This is the second year for women’s wrestling as an NAIA invitational sport. Twenty-eight NAIA institutions sponsor women’s wrestling teams during the 2019-2020 season. Women’s wrestling will be eligible for championship status once 40 institutions sponsor a varsity women’s wrestling program.
Rest of the story and rankings at https://www.naia.org/sports/wwrest/2019-20/releases/WWrest__Poll1?mc_cid=d4857a47f3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Rumble in the Jungle: NCAA Division I wrestling coming back to York County
For the second straight year, an NCAA Division I wrestling match will take place at Red Lion Area High School. Lock Haven will face Navy at Red Lion’s Fitzkee Athletic Center at 7 p.m. on Dec. 13, in what is being billed as “Rumble in the Jungle 2.” Last year, Red Lion hosted a marquee matchup between Lock Haven and Arizona State at the end of January in the first installment of what is hoped to be an annual event. There’s no denying that this year’s event doesn’t have the same hype as last year’s match, which featured two teams ranked in the sport’s top 25, plus the obvious draw of York County legend Chance Marsteller being in Lock Haven’s lineup. The Bald Eagles featured six District 3 wrestlers that night and Arizona State had now two-time national champion Zahid Valencia. Rest of the story at https://www.ydr.com/story/sports/high-school/wrestling/2019/12/02/ncaa-wrestling-lock-haven-and-navy-compete-red-lion-high-school/2590288001/?mc_cid=d4857a47f3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
DeVaney Pins Down Wrestler of the Week Honors
ASHEVILLE, North Carolina — Vincent DeVaney of WVU Tech is Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Wrestler of the Week, the league announced Monday. This is the fifth edition of the weekly honors for the 2019-20 season. The next set of awards will be announced on December 9. Rest of the details and story at https://goldenbearathletics.com/news/2019/12/2/wrestling-devaney-pins-down-wrestler-of-the-week-honors.aspx?mc_cid=d4857a47f3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Presbyterian College Director of Wrestling Mark Cody – OTM592
TDR Notes; Two great wrestling
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Mark Cody, the Director of Wrestling and the head men’s wrestling coach at the new program at Presbyterian College comes on the show to talk about his new position and post in South Carolina. Join Andy Hamilton and Kyle Klingman as they talk to our guest and topics related to the recent happenings in and around wrestling.
Rest of the story and audio at http://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/trackwrestling/on-the-mat/presbyterian-college-director-of-wrestling-mark-cody-otm592/?mc_cid=3496aa8f13&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
NJCAA Wrestling Coaches Association Poll
The NJCAA Wrestling Coaches Association Poll for December 3, 2019, has been released.
Rest of the team and individual rankings at https://theguillotine.com/2019/12/njcaa-wrestling-coaches-association-poll-2/?mc_cid=3496aa8f13&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Kentucky Wesleyan Program First
MIDWAY, KY. – The Kentucky Wesleyan College wresting team produced the program’s first dual win on Tuesday evening. The Panthers defeated Midway University in dramatic fashion 26-19 as Kairus Washington sealed the victory win a pin in the final match of the night. “Our guys hand fought extremely well tonight,” said Head Coach Rob McCabe. “It showed in the second and third periods where we were able to blow open the matches. Winning six of the eight contested matches shows that our guys are willing to fight and go the distance.” Wesleyan fell behind early as Adam Bender lost a tight match at 125 pounds, 4-1. However, LaMont Wilson gave the Panthers the lead with a 16-7 major decision over Brent Newcomer at 133 pounds. Wilson was dominate in his match over Newcomer, utilizing his speed to take down one of the top wrestlers in NAIA. Rest of the story at https://kwcpanthers.com/news/2019/12/3/wrestling-a-program-first.aspx?mc_cid=3496aa8f13&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
#6 Mount Union Stings #7 Baldwin Wallace in Berea
BEREA, Ohio — No. 6 ranked Mount Union defeated No. 7 ranked Baldwin Wallace, 31-9 in an Ohio Athletic Conference dual Tuesday in Ursprung Gymnasium in Berea. The Purple Raiders (2-0, 1-0 OAC) extend their OAC dual match win streak to eight matches while Baldwin Wallace falls to 1-1 overall and 1-1 in the OAC. Mount Union won seven of the 10 weight classes, but the match turned on a pair of Raider pins in the middle of the match. Mount Union held a 10-3 lead when No. 1 nationally ranked Antwon Pugh (Copley) got a pin at 157 then at 165 Michael McIntire (Wadsworth / Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary) pinned Stanley Bleich, who was nationally ranked seventh at 157 but the Jackets bumped up a weight class. Baldwin Wallace got off to a 3-0 start with a 6-4 overtime win from Jack Stanley over Errik Gerback (Alliance / Marlington) at 125 pounds. Mount Union came right back with a major decision win from No. 9 ranked David Massey (Cuyahoga Falls / Woodridge) at 133 pounds to give the Raiders the team score lead at 4-3. The 141-pound match featured a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers and Mount Union’s Jordin James (Bedford), ranked No. 1, grabbed a 11-5 win over No. 9 ranked Charlie Nash and the Raiders extended their lead to 7-3. Rest of the story at http://athletics.mountunion.edu/sports/wrest/2019-20/releases/20191203uqsg06?mc_cid=3496aa8f13&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Wrestling Mailbag: Introducing the No. 1-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes
We’re a little over one month into the college wrestling season, and the Iowa Hawkeyes are the unanimous No. 1-ranked team in Division I.
Yes, you can read that again.
Tom Brands’ guys hold the top spot in virtually every major wrestling poll. That’s (inhales) Trackwrestling, Flowrestling, The Open Mat, Intermat, Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine and the National Wrestling Coaches Association.
I might be missing one, but you get the point. We always knew that this group of Hawkeyes could be the team that ends the program’s championship drought. Through the first three weeks of the season, they carry the look of a squad on a mission to do just that. Iowa opened with a 39-0 win over UT-Chattanooga and followed with back-to-back victories over top-10 opponents — a 29-6 shellacking of Iowa State and, more recently, an even more impressive 32-3 win over a tough, up-and-coming Wisconsin team. Rest of the story at https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/college/2019/12/03/iowa-wrestling-mailbag-introducing-no-1-ranked-hawkeyes-trackwrestling-nelson-brands-isu-cyclones/2596306001/?mc_cid=3496aa8f13&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
3rd Season, Column 14: The Month of living surprisingly; Westbound & Up with CKLV thoughts; Small Notes on the Big Boys; All Over-looked and Under-rated Team, 149; SoCon News, and the Princeton that was Promised
YO. It’s a former RailRoad, Lee Corsos 5th favorite adjective, and the ONLY description for this past months worth of stunning upsets, startling results, sad departures and simmering hopes. Really now, who foresaw 6 of the Countries Top 10 teams losing in a 3 week span, 4 of them at home? That the 4X defending National Champions would have their 60 match win streak broken? That THOSE results would share equal headline time with skin check protocol, overseas recruiting trips, (ALLEGEDLY) and vaunted coaches resignations? That there would be the birth of multiple new Mens Division 1 programs AND the first ever Womens D1 team? That nearly a dozen Collegiate All Americans who collectively own multiple National Championships and years of college eligibility would forego this season to pursue Olympic glory? That “6th year Senior Eligible” would change from No way, No how to why not? SUCH a month. Better bring it, December. You’ve got a LOT to live up to.
IN WRESTLING, WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS CHANGES EVERYTHING
The single most powerful operative phrase in collegiate wrestling comes from this tournament, whose results echo throughout the entire season. That phrase will be thought, written and uttered from the beginning of each college wrestling campaign through to the seeding meetings for the National Championships. “In Vegas “. “At Vegas.” The preposition is variable and irrelevant. Its effect, combined with the name, is constant and staggering. Simply put, the results of this event, both individual and team, carry near mythic significance well beyond its acknowledged level of competition. Rest of the story at https://morewrestlingplease.wordpress.com/2019/12/02/3rd-season-column-14-the-month-of-living-surprisingly-westbound-up-with-cklv-thoughts-small-notes-on-the-big-boys-all-over-looked-and-under-rated-team-149-socon-news-and-the-princeton-th/?mc_cid=d4857a47f3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
HEADLEE WINS SECOND ACC WRESTLER OF THE WEEK AWARD
GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – North Carolina senior A.C. Headlee has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestler of the Week for the second time this season after helping the No. 18 Tar Heels turn back visiting Appalachian State 19-13 on Sunday. After the Mountaineers won at 149 pounds with a major decision to begin the afternoon, Headlee helped turn the momentum at 157 with a 3-2 upset of No. 13 Matt Zovistoski – the first of five straight Tar Heel weight-class wins. Headlee used a first-period takedown and strong defense throughout the seven minutes to pick up the decision, the Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, native’s second over a top-15 opponent this season. Rest of the story at https://goheels.com/news/2019/12/3/wrestling-headlee-wins-second-acc-wrestler-of-the-week-award.aspx?mc_cid=3496aa8f13&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
22nd College News, Notes and Results
Ex-Inexperienced Beret, Military vet survived struggle to affix Arizona State wrestling
Roman Rozell was able to die. He survived numerous roadside bombings and gun battles serving within the Military in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was in a Humvee that flipped. He noticed associates get killed. He obtained to the purpose that he simply didn’t care anymore. “I needed one thing would occur,” he stated. “That I’d get killed or wounded or despatched dwelling. Simply to interrupt up the monotony.” He can’t clarify what made him drag himself out of his bunk every morning, tug on his boots, eat slop, strap into 100 kilos of substances and drive off into the desert a half a world away from dwelling. However he did it. He stored going. He made it by. Right now, he’s good. A husband. A father of six. A navy fight veteran. An honor pupil. And, most improbably, a 35-year-old wrestler for one of the best college programs in the nation.
He shares his story with anybody prepared to pay attention. Perhaps it’ll preserve a child from dropping out? Or put down a meth pipe? Or get a therapist to assist calm the voices that scream inside?
Perhaps.
We are able to say for sure that Roman has lots to be grateful for, however his journey makes one marvel, simply how a lot can a person take? Simply what number of instances might he face down loss of life and reside to inform the story? And what about all of the unrecognized heroes who make all of it attainable? What about his spouse, Alicia?
The solutions — all of them — begin in Apache Junction.
Rest of the story at https://theunionjournal.com/ex-inexperienced-beret-military-vet-survived-struggle-to-affix-arizona-state-wrestling/?mc_cid=147f9403c9&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
WALDORF UNIVERSITY CLINIC SHEDS LIGHT ON GIRLS WRESTLING
In Iowa, a wrestling state in the middle of wrestling country, a growing demographic of potential participants are still in the margins — females. High school athletic associations in Iowa and 31 other states in the country have yet to officially sanction a scholastic state championship for girls wrestling, despite a surge in the sport’s popularity. In the last five years alone, the national number of girls who wrestle doubled from 10,694 to 21,264, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. In that same period, participation nearly quadrupled for Iowa girls, jumping from 52 to over 200. Last season, 204 girls were on high school wrestling rosters in the state, while 6,523 boys participated. “Funny thing about it is, when it gets sanctioned, it will explode even further,” said Tyreece Gilder, head coach for the women’s wrestling team at Waldorf University. ……
“Wrestling gives you tools that you can utilize for the rest of your life,” he said. “The confidence, mental toughness, the work ethic that it takes to do the sport. There is no reason it should be exclusive to males.” Both Gilder and Randolph pleaded in a letter, written in October to Jean Berger, executive director of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Association, that Iowa become the next state to sanction the sport. Rest of the story at https://globegazette.com/sports/waldorf-university-clinic-sheds-light-on-girls-wrestling/article_4ab3977e-2dba-5e87-8584-9d2a87bcee57.html?mc_cid=0ada15c614&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
SOLD-OUT CROWD ON TAP FOR SUNDAY DUAL VS. CORNELL
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State University wrestling team hosts Cornell in front of a packed house on Sunday, Dec. 1, at 2 p.m. ET. It represents a third straight tpo-15 foe faced for the Buckeyes. The NWCA Coaches Poll, which is dual-based, pits No. 8 Ohio State (2-1) vs. the 17th-ranked Big Red (0-1). Both squads are slotted higher in FloWrestling’s tournament-based rankings, coming in at No. 5 and No. 16.
HISTORY WITH THE BIG RED
The Buckeyes have clashed with Cornell 15 times over the past 90 years and have split the series right down the middle, 7-7-1. Ohio State traveled to Ithaca, N.Y., last season and brought home a 25-9 victory.
STRONG RETURN FOR SINGLETARY
Chase Singletary made his 2019-20 colllegiate debut on Nov. 15 at Pittsburgh, picking up an impressive 8-3 win over then-No. 9 Demetrius Thomas. The top-10 triumph included a Singletary ride out for the entire second period. He then came back two days later and grinded out a tough 4-2 win vs. Virginia Tech’s John Borst.
PLETCHER PUSHING THE PACE
Luke Pletcher has notched bonus points in six of his first eight matches with four major decisions and two pins. He’s faced top-20 opponents in five consecutive bouts, outscoring the higher tiered competition by a combined tally of 56-21. Rest of the story and line-ups at https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sold-out-crowd-on-tap-for-sunday-dual-vs-cornell/?mc_cid=0ada15c614&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
BUCKEYES RECORD 23-9 VICTORY OVER CORNELL
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The No. 8/5 Ohio State University wrestling team (3-1) supplied a packed house assembled at the Covelli Center with cheering opportunities aplenty, taking seven of 10 bouts to top Cornell (0-2), 23-9, Sunday afternoon. The latest triumph pushes Ohio State ahead in the all-time series, improving to 8-7-1 all-time when facing the Big Red.
DUAL SCORE SHEET
POST-MATCH PRESSERS
Tom Ryan | Kaleb Romero | Gary Traub
The day started at 141 pounds and Luke Pletcher pushed Ohio State ahead for good with a hard-fought 8-6 win. He tallied three takedowns and maintained an unblemished season mark of 9-0. Sammy Sasso tacked up on three more team points in the subsequent bout, holding on for a 12-9 decision. He carried a 7-3 edge into the third period and fended off a late flurry to come away victorious. Sasso came out on the right end of a wild scramble in the first period… Rest of the story at https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/buckeyes-record-23-9-victory-over-cornell/?mc_cid=e765be94da&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Weekend Rundown: DeSanto takes down Gross, Hawkeyes belt Badgers
SUNDAY NIGHT
Iowa swept all three of the marquee matches and blew out Wisconsin 32-3 Sunday night in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Austin DeSanto handed top-ranked Seth Gross his first loss at 133 pounds since the 2017 NCAA finals, Alex Marinelli topped Evan Wick and freshman Tony Cassioppi knocked off Trent Hillger to finish the rout for the Hawkeyes. Iowa picked up a fall from Michael Kemerer at 174 and a quick tech from Spencer Lee at 125, but the story of the dual was what occurred in the three showcase bouts. In a battle of the top two 133-pounders in the national rankings, No. 2 DeSanto neutralized Gross’ scrambling ability, scoring a takedown in the first period and two more in the second on his way to a 6-2 victory. Marinelli scored a takedown with 26 seconds left and held Wick down the rest of the way to claim a 4-2 victory at 165. Rest of the story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1575265605844&twSessionId=ftqwztjzrr&postId=1792306132&mc_cid=e765be94da&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
D1 Insider: Penn State unfazed by first loss since 2015
Cody Sanderson certainly wasn’t celebrating Penn State’s first dual meet loss this past weekend in Arizona. But Penn State’s associate head coach can’t help but appreciate the parity that’s emerged across the board this season. The Nittany Lions’ 19-18 loss to Arizona State capped an early portion of the season that’s been full of upsets. Through a month, the college wrestling world has seen Lehigh whack Oklahoma State, Rider upend Minnesota and Virginia Tech hand Ohio State and Missouri losses. “It’s important that we have that,” Sanderson said on the Penn State Radio Network after the dual. “That doesn’t mean that I advocate for a loss for Penn State, but it’s important that we have schools challenging the top teams.” Rest of the story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1575265578339&twSessionId=gwujstcqvx&postId=1786931132&mc_cid=e765be94da&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Mocs Score 19-15 Win Over Ohio
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team won a tight 19-15 dual over Ohio in Maclellan Gym this afternoon. The Mocs took six of the 10 matches to improve to 3-4 overall. “It is a good win,” stated UTC head coach Kyle Ruschell. “We beat two of their top guys at 133 and 149, so those were two good quality wins that our guys needed. “That is what this year has been about, giving our guys lots of opportunities. Today, a couple guys capitalized on that.” Rest of the story at https://gomocs.com/news/2019/12/1/wrestling-mocs-score-19-15-win-over-ohio.aspx?mc_cid=e765be94da&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Bonus Points Carry NDSU Past Augustana 32-9
FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota State won eight bouts including a pair of tech falls and four major decisions to defeat Augustana University 32-9 in a non-conference dual on Sunday, Dec. 1, in Scheels Center. It was the first meeting between the two former North Central Conference combatants since Feb. 1, 2004. North Dakota State (3-2, 0-0 Big12) is scheduled to send wrestlers to compete in the Cliff Keen Collegiate Invitational on Dec. 6-7 in Las Vegas. Augustana (0-2, 0-0 NSIC) jumped to an early 9-0 lead thanks to a forfeit at 125 pounds and Brandon Carroll’s 10-6 over freshman Tyler Jones at 133.
NDSU then reeled off eight straight wins. Dylan Droegemueller led 3-2 in the third period, but used a pair of 4-point near falls to put together a 14-2 major decision. Droegemueller notched his first collegiate dual win and improved to 5-2 overall. Rest of the story at https://gobison.com/news/2019/12/1/wrestling-bonus-points-carry-ndsu-past-augustana-32-9.aspx?mc_cid=e765be94da&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Trio of Lions Win Titles at Lock Haven’s Mat-Town Open
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; December 1, 2019 – Seven members of the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team took part in the Mat-Town Open at Lock Haven University on Sunday, Dec. 1, in Lock Haven, Pa. All seven wrestled unattached and three true freshmen won individual titles at their respective weight classes.
True freshman Aaron Brooks (Hagerstown, Pa.) went 3-0 at 184 to win Penn State’s first title of the day. Brooks had one pin along the way to the 184-pound crown. True freshman Michael Beard (Pottsville, Pa.) went 3-0 at 197 to win his title. Beard had two tech falls and a major decision. True freshman Seth Nevills (Clovis, Calif.) went 3-0 at 285 to win the heavyweight crown. Nevills had two pins in his three victories.
True freshman Baylor Shunk (Centre Hall, Pa.) went 2-3 at 125, netting a fall during his tournament run. Sophomore Scott Obendorfer (Germantown, Md.) picked up a victory at 149, with the win coming by fall. True freshman Joe Kurtz (Easton, Pa.) also had a win at 197, getting a major decision. True freshman Eddie Smith (Scotch Plains, N.J.) also competed at 197 for Penn State. Rest of the story at https://gopsusports.com/news/2019/12/1/wrestling-trio-of-lions-win-titles-at-lock-havens-mat-town-open.aspx?mc_cid=e765be94da&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Hawkeyes Top Badgers, 32-3, in Big Ten Opener
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Three University of Iowa wrestlers defeated top-three opponents to lead the No. 1 Hawkeyes past No. 6 Wisconsin, 32-3, on Sunday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Austin DeSanto upset No. 1 Seth Gross at 133. Tony Cassioppi topped No. 2 Trent Hillger at 285, and Alex Marinelli defeated No. 3 Evan Wick at 165.
In a battle of one versus two, DeSanto prevailed, 6-2, behind the strength of three takedowns; one in the first period and two more in the second. Marinelli is ranked No. 2 and won his fourth straight against Wick, this time by 4-2 decision. Cassioppi, ranked No. 12 at 285, used a first-period takedown to win the dual’s final match, 3-2.
Rest of the story at https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2019/12/1/wrestling-hawkeyes-top-badgers-32-3-in-big-ten-opener.aspx?mc_cid=e765be94da&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
28th Annual Pierce-Davis Memorial Tournament
This weekend at North Pitt High School.
History of Pierce and Davis
This is an annual tournament held in eastern North Carolina. Southwest Edgecombe High School started hosting this event. Tarboro High also hosted this event for two years and currently it is held at North Pitt High School.
Terry Pierce and Maurice Davis were two very special young men who wrestled for SouthWest Edgecombe’s during the first year of the team. Terry, a junior, wrestled at 152 lbs. and Maurice, a sophomore, wrestled at 160 lbs. They were co-captains of their team along with Hassan El Faysal. Terry recorded the first official pin for the record book at SouthWest Edgecombe. Terry was 8-1 and Maurice was 9-0 at the time of their deaths on December 10, 1993. The young men were on their way to meet their teammates at the coach’s home where they were spending the night when they were killed in a tragic car accident. The team had wanted to get an early start for the South Granville Tournament where both Terry and Maurice were seeded at the top of their weight classes. Both had taken first place in SWE’s Tar River Invitational Tournament just prior to their death. The tournament was renamed the Pierce-Davis Memorial Tournament in honor of their great contributions to the SouthWest Edgecombe athletic program. Terry and Maurice also played varsity football.
Rest of the details, history, records and results at https://piercedavis.weebly.com/
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
