Takedown Report

College (11th) Results & News

Pittsburgh-Johnstown is all in with WPIAL wrestlers taking program to the top
The legendary Pat Pecora referenced the 1980 hit, “The Gambler,” when asked about his Pitt-Johnstown wrestling program, which is favored, by many, to win the NCAA Division II national championship in March. The team recently gave him his 600th career dual-meet victory, second most in the history of the sport (all NCAA divisions), and it put Pecora in a Kenny Rogers kind of mood. “You never count your money when you’re sittin’ at the table,” said Pecora, who is 15 wins shy of the NCAA career mark. “There’ll be time enough for countin’, when the dealin’s done.”
Fair enough. Rest of the story at https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/highschool/2019/11/13/Pitt-Johnstown-UPJ-wrestling-WPIAL-Chris-Eddins-Brendan-Howard-Pat-Pecora/stories/201911130026?mc_cid=c2d2591d06&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
and
Multi-Divisional Insider: UPJ’s Pecora closes in on all-time dual wins record
Story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/tw/PortalPost.jsp?postId=1747453132&mc_cid=c2d2591d06&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Week 2 Stock Watch
At some point in the next few weeks, current-season resumes will carry more weight, wrestlers will begin to anchor into tiers and the college rankings will stabilize.  For now, though, it’s a turbulent ride for some of the nationally ranked competitors.  Here’s a look at those who made the biggest moves — in both directions — in the latest edition of the Trackwrestling Division I Rankings presented by Resilite. 
UP 
Sammy Alvarez (Rutgers) +23 
The true freshman jumped from 33rd to 11th at 133 pounds after going 3-1 at the Journeymen Classic, where he downed three ranked opponents … Rest of the story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1573660242354&twSessionId=apzstsnmbl&postId=1747055132&mc_cid=c2d2591d06&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Short Time Shots: 11-13-19
By Jason Bryant
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow – somewhere else. You know what, I made my bed, so I’ll lie in it. I moved here. Like the point, counterpoint in the movie Airplane! said, they bought their tickets, they knew what they were getting into. I say, let’em crash. Well, let me shiver. This isn’t the weather report for New Brighton, Minnesota – but it’s close – welcome to Short Time Shots, your mostly daily look at the wrestling scores and more from around the world.
Minnesota Beer of the Night: In preparation for the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, when I’m having a beer while putting this show together in the evening, I will enlighten you with that particular information. Tonight, it’s from probably my favorite or second-favorite Minnesota brewery, Fair State Brewing Cooperative. This one’s called Spirit Foul, a super rare collaboration with Modern Times Brewing out of San Diego, which is Spanish for a whale … you know. It’s a hazy IPA, which I’m starting to come around to. I’m not going to tell you about the flavor profile or something snooty like that. I like to try various beers, and I like to drink various beers. This is one I’ve gotten my hands on each of the last three years. It’s hard to find and sells out quickly. I will NOT be featuring Bud heavy, ever, on this show. Sorry Willie. Oh, if you’re on Untappd, find me there at jasonbryant12.
Dual Meets: 

• In the Chancellor’s Cup Dual, UW-Eau Claire won the first seven matches and cruised past UW-Oshkosh 25-9 in Eau Claire. The Blugolds were solid, picking up four major decisions en route to the win. We’re not sure where UW-Eau Claire’s Chancellor is going to put said cup, but my recommendation is to fill it up with Spotted Cow and drink from it as a chalice.
• In the Keystone State, Division II Shippensburg topped Division III Elizabethtown 25-13 
• Rest of the story at http://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/shots/short-time-shots-11-13-19/?mc_cid=c2d2591d06&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

D3.com WRESTLER OF THE WEEK: BEN SARASIN
The d3wrestle.com Wrestler of the Week is Ben Sarasin of the University of Chicago. Sarasin opened his season with a win at the Super 8 Invitational at Platteville for the second year in a row. He had a pair of major decisions and a pair of decisions on his way to the title. In the semifinals, he defeated NCAA qualifier and then #7 ranked Cody Baldridge of North Central before topping Shane Liegel of Loras in the finals at 184 lbs. Sarasin, a sophomore from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, finished 7th at last season’s NCAA Championships at 174 lbs. and is 4-0 on the season.
Rest of the story at https://www.d3wrestle.com/wrestler-of-the-week-ben-sarasin/?mc_cid=c2d2591d06&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Donathan named GMAC Wrestler of the Week
Christopher Donathan has been named GMAC Wrestler of the Week. Donathan reeled off five consecutive victories, including three pins in a row, to capture his weight class at the Ohio Intercollegiate Open. The newcomer scored a first-round victory over No. 5 Justin Crawford of Notre Dame (OH) with an 8-4 decision. He advanced to the next round in the white division to earn a pin in 3:58 vs. Davenport’s Derrick Nicks.
He then pinned his next two opponents to move forward in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. Rest of the story at https://www.gotiffindragons.com/sports/wrest/2019-20/releases/20191113q36kzx?mc_cid=c2d2591d06&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2019 National Signing Day Hub
on FloWrestling at https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/6598216-2019-national-signing-day-hub?mc_cid=c2d2591d06&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Bearcats sign five wrestlers to NLIs
GREENWOOD – Lander wrestling reeled in five National Letters of Intent on Wednesday, highlighted by a pair of All-Americans. The early signing period group includes in alphabetical order: Gavin Brady, Drew Eller, Joey Felix, Cody Fleming, and Toby Foster.
GAVIN BRADY
Elberton County High School (Elberton, Ga.)
Projected weight: 165/174 lbs
Accolades: Two-time state runner-up, three-time state placer
Coach LaHaye on Brady: “Gavin is one of the strongest high school athletes I have ever recruited. In addition to his wrestling accolades, he is an absolute beast in the weight room and has a huge upside. The step up in competition will bring out the best in Gavin.” Rest of the story at https://landerbearcats.com/sports/wrest/2019-20/releases/20191112ofbh3g?mc_cid=c2d2591d06&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Women’s Wednesday: Missouri Valley Open is a huge test in women’s college wrestling
BY GARY ABBOTT, USA WRESTLING | NOV. 13, 2019
As women’s college wrestling continues its rapid growth and change, there are some things which remain constant. For instance, the Missouri Valley Open has been and remains one of the toughest competitions each year in women’s college wrestling.
This year’s event is set for this Sunday, November 17, and will feature as many as 35 teams, from all over the nation, including many top powers from both the NAIA and the NCAA. It will be a very good indicator for what teams and individual athletes will do damage in the season ahead. “It will be a big event. We will have a lot of NCAA and NAIA teams this year. We have teams from the West Coast, the East Coast and the middle of the country,” said Carl Murphree, head coach at Missouri Valley College. Some individual stars from these college teams may skip the Missouri Valley Open to enter the Bill Farrell Memorial International, which is an Olympic Team Trials qualifying event. But even with some college athletes in New York City, the field at Missouri Valley will be absolutely loaded. The No. 1 team in the nation last year, Menlo College, will travel from California to compete in Missouri. Last season, Menlo won the team titles at both the WCWA Nationals and the first NAIA National Invitational. NCAA school McKendree may have one of its best teams ever this season and will be competing. Campbellsville, a NAIA school which won a WCWA title in 2018, is among the teams competing. King, an NCAA school which has won four WCWA team titles, and Oklahoma City, a NAIA institution which has won four WCWA national titles, are in the field. Rest of the story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2019/November/13/WomensWednesday-Missouri-Valley-Open?mc_cid=c2d2591d06&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

November 20, 2019 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

No. 21 Campbell Camels down Ohio for first dual win 24-16

ATHENS, OHIO – Camels took seven bouts and No. 21 Campbell picked up its first dual win of the 2019-20 season 24-16 at Ohio Sunday. Campbell (1-1) earned bonus point wins at 141 pounds, 165, 184 and heavyweight to pick up the road win over Ohio (0-1). No. 13 Josh Heil earned an early pin over Trevor Giallombardo at 141, and No. 15 Quentin Perez followed with a 16-1 first round tech fall at 165 to give Campbell its largest lead of the day at 16-7. Two matchups later, Andrew Morgan tallied a 12-2 major decision, while No. 7 Jere Heino closed out the day with a 10-2 major decision. Korbin Meink started the day off with a 6-2 decision over Giovanni Disabato before No. 19 Mario Guillen evened the score for the Bobcats with a 3-1 decision over No. 12 Noah Gonser in a battle of ranked opponents. Rest of the story at https://gocamels.com/news/2019/11/10/wrestling-no-21-camels-down-ohio-for-first-dual-win-24-16.aspx

November 19, 2019 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Corey’s Stories: ‘The sport of wrestling itself is such a metaphor for life’

Norm Pulver knew from a young age that he’d have to figure out his financial path to college — and wrestling provided him with a vehicle to get there. He wrestled in the mid-1980s at Linden High School in Michigan and he savored the uncompromising nature of the sport. He appreciated its challenges.  “The sport of wrestling itself is such a metaphor for life,” he said. “I grew up in an area that was socioeconomically depressed. I can count on one hand how many college graduates there are in my family.”
Pulver wanted to attend college and the Army’s G.I. Bill provided him with the ability to do that. Wrestling gave him the ability to withstand basic training, service in the Gulf War, the frigid nights and scorching days in Saudi Arabia and the spartan lifestyle of a soldier. “Grit, determination and (my) twisted sense of humor probably started on a wrestling mat,” said Pulver, who now is a charge nurse in a Level 4 trauma center in El Paso, Texas. He sees and treats people in dire, immediate need.  “I gravitate towards doing most things myself,” he said. “But I still appreciate working as a team. (That’s why) wrestling suited my personality even before I understood myself. “At work I’m in charge of everyone except the surgeon and anesthesiologist. You’d be surprised how many people (surgery) takes. I like the organization and making it work. One case at a time.”  The wrestling analogy with his work today is clear: One case at a time. Overlook nobody.  Rest of the story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1573683951323&twSessionId=qudexlwije&postId=1744653132&mc_cid=c2d2591d06&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

November 19, 2019 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Morgan tabbed SoCon Wrestler of the Week

BUIES CREEK, N.C. – After a 2-0 weekend that included an upset win, Campbell’s Andrew Morgan has been named the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week. Morgan remained perfect on the season while picking up Campbell’s biggest individual win of the weekend, topping Pitt’s Nino Bonaccorsi 11-8 on Saturday. Bonaccorsi was ranked No. 6 in the country at 184 pounds heading into the dual. Morgan then posted a convincing 12-2 major decision victory over Mason Kroening at Ohio, moving to 6-0 on the season. A redshirt senior from Fountain Valley, Calif., Morgan was also the 184 pound Open Division Champion at the Southeast Open in his 2019-20 debut. Rest of the story at https://gocamels.com/news/2019/11/13/wrestling-morgan-tabbed-socon-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=c2d2591d06&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

November 19, 2019 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

College (10th) Results & News

Wrestling Bucks blog

Coach Ryan and the Wrestling Bucks Chop Down the Trees
The Buckeyes opened their inaugural season in the Covelli Center to a packed house on Sunday, November 10th. They celebrated their first home duel by giving all fans in attendance a free shirt with a picture of the Covelli Center on the front. The @wrestlingbucks came out victorious for their first duel win of the season against Stanford 29-6. Please read below for match to match details. The match started out at 133 pounds with Ohio State’s Quinn Kinner, a redshirt freshman who is currently the 20th ranked 133 pound wrestler in the country. Kinner came into the match with a season record of 3-2. Kinner’s opponent, Brandon Kier, is a senior that has a 5-1 record this season. Kinner scored first with a fireman carry switch to a double then transitioned to a go behind for a takedown making it 2-0. Kinner went into a power half with the boots in for 2 near fall points making it 4-0. At the start of the second period, Kier went neutral meaning he started on his feet. Kinner added another takedown in the second period to increase his lead to 6-0. Kinner chose down to start the third period but was unable to escape with Kier on top. Despite Kier riding Kinner the entire period, Kinner was able to maintain his riding time point making it a 7-0 decision. Kinner’s 7-0 decision made the team score 3-0 Ohio State. At 141 pounds; Ohio State’s Luke Pletcher, a senior who is currently the #1 ranked 141 pounder came into the match with a 5-0 record. Rest of the story at https://www.ohiostatewrestlingnews.com/post/wrestlingbuckschopdowntreesinopener

Short Time Shots: 11-12-19
By Jason Bryant
Holy crap it’s cold. Like I know I live in Minnesota, but it’s November 12 and the daytime high wasn’t the issue, it was the five degrees this morning while getting the kids ready for school. I chatted with ODU wrestling coach Steve Martin this morning. The first thing he asked me was how the weather was. After an expletive-laced retort, I finally answered with the current state of the atmospheric conditions. You can get that update every day on my personal Twitter account at 9:30 a.m. Central Time. I moved to Minnesota for a job. I left Minnesota for a job. I came back to Minnesota due to the proximity of my wife’s family and the abundance of good wrestling in the midwest. It’s easier to do what I do from here than say, my hometown. This is Short Time Shots, a mostly daily look at the scores and more from the world of wrestling. I’m Jason Bryant.

Dual Meets: 

• Falls were the difference as Graceland earned the big six from Trey Heckadon, Brennan Swafford and Drew Sams to lift the Yellowjackets to a 24-18 win over Division III Simpson College on Tuesday.
• Missouri Baptist opened up the season with a 30-18 win over American Midwest rival Hannibal-LaGrange. Jordan Sanders and Quentin Lawrence with falls there for the Spartans. They’ve got spirit.
• Montana State-Northern got its first dual win of the season as longtime rival and current Cascade Conference foe Southern Oregon came to town and went home unhappy. Rest of the story and audio at http://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/shots/short-time-shots-11-12-19/?mc_cid=a07fe7f16e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Ramirez named MEC wrestler of the week
BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. – The Mountain East Conference Wrestler of the Week honor has been given to Notre Dame College’s Sandro Ramirez for his work at the Ohio Intercollegiate Open, last Sunday. This conference award has only been announced twice, as this is the first season that the MEC is sponsoring wrestling. Ramirez was the winner at 149 lbs. this past weekend at Case Western Reserve University. The open was split into the Gold Division and White Division with weight brackets in both. The Falcons’ redshirt-freshman wrestled in the White Division. Rest of the story at https://notredamefalcons.com/news/2019/11/12/wrestling-ramirez-named-mec-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=a07fe7f16e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Lydy Earns B1G Wrestler of the Week Honors
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – After going three seasons without a weekly honor from the conference, the Purdue wrestling team has now seen an individual recognized in back-to-back weeks to open 2019-20 as senior Dylan Lydy was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week on Tuesday. Lydy posted a 3-0 mark at the Journeymen Duals on Saturday, including wins over a pair of top-15 ranked wrestlers to guide Purdue to a 2-1 dual record for the weekend. Lydy opened his trip to New York with his third bonus-point victory of the season, a 12-3 major decision over Buffalo’s Jake Lanning. The Boilermaker senior followed with two wins in dramatic fashion, going to overtime for a 4-2 victory over No. 12 Kimball Bastian of Utah Valley and gutting out a 3-1 decision over No. 10 Anthony Valencia of Arizona State.
After trading escapes in regulation, and going scoreless through a minute of sudden victory, Lydy and Bastian went to a pair of 30-second tiebreaker rounds. Both wrestlers escaped quickly in their opportunities off bottom, but Lydy finished the second period with a takedown to account for the final difference. Rest of the story at https://purduesports.com/news/2019/11/12/wrestling-lydy-earns-b1g-wrestler-of-the-week-honors.aspx?mc_cid=a07fe7f16e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

State Champion Chloe Clemons headed to Indian Hills
Coach Cole Spree and the new Indian Hills Community College women’s wrestling program has started out there program with a bang. IWCOA girls state champion Chloe Clemons of Pleasant Valley has become the first signee in program history. Clemons chose Indian Hills over Grand View and Baker University. She also said “I also looked hard at going to Loras and if they had a women’s wrestling program now they would have been right at the top too.” Rest of the story at https://iawrestle.com/2019/11/12/state-champion-chloe-clemons-headed-to-indian-hills/?mc_cid=a07fe7f16e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

November 19, 2019 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Championship Wrestling Coaches – All Divisions

Championship Wrestling Coaches – NCAA Divisions I, II, III, NAIA & NJCAA
In previous articles we have looked at a listing of the coaches who have led their college teams to national championships.  They were ranked by most championships within a division.  This list looks at the coaches ranked with all of their championships combined.  With teams tying for championships and those with two coaches as co-head coaches the total number of championships tops 320 titles.
Dan Gable won 15 titles while leading the University of Iowa in just 21 seasons.  Gable won championships in over 70 per cent of his seasons as head coach.  This was after a stellar career as a wrestler and assistant coach for their in-state rival, Iowa State.   David James won all 12 of his titles at Central Oklahoma State.  The first five were in the NAIA and the rest in the NCAA Division II after the school transitioned its’ affiliation.  James won these titles in a 34 year career with championships in over 1/3 of his seasons. 
E.C. Gallagher is third with 11 championship titles with Oklahoma State in just 23 seasons, which is a 47.8 per cent of his seasons.  Oklahoma State has more than 1/3 of all Division I titles and the most team championships with 34.    Iowa has the second most with 23.  Jeff Swenson of Augsburg University is 4^th with 10 titles on his own as the head coach.  One could have Jim Miller of Wartburg College tied for 4^th as he also won ten yet three of those were as a co-head coach so we’ll place him at 5^th.  Joe Seay places 6^th with nine titles and he is the first coach that won his championships with two different teams in different divisions.
Art Griffith is the 2^nd Oklahoma State coach in these rankings as he is tied for 7^th with eight championships, from the 1940s and 1950s, with four other coaches.  Vaughn Hitchcock won his eight titles in Division II at California Polytechnic in the late 1960s & early 1970s.  John Owen won eight championships in the NJCAA over a wider span of years with North Idaho College.  Two coaches have won eight titles in the most recent decade.  They are Cael Sanderson in Division I with Penn State and Nick Mitchell in NAIA with Grand View University.  As defending championship coaches both are strong favorites to continue their success.  Mitchell won his 8 in 11 seasons and this 72% rate tops Gable and all other coaches.  Sanderson and Griffith are tied 4^th in percentage with 8 titles in 11 seasons as a head coach.  Sanderson coached three seasons at Iowa State.
Tied for 12^th with seven championships are three coaches with Mike Denney of Nebraska-Omaha in Division II, Myron Roderick of Oklahoma State (their 3^rd coach here) in Division I in the 1950s & 1960s and Eric Keller of Wartburg College in Division III.  Keller is the 2^nd Wartburg coach on this list and three of his titles was when he was a co-head coach with Miller so we will rank him a fraction behind Roderick and Denney.  Keller has a 70% rate as he won seven titles in ten seasons as a head coach. Denney is still an active coach so he could move up.  He is now coaching at Maryville where he started the program  after the A.D. abruptly and unreasonably dropped wrestling at Nebraska-Omaha. Harold Nichols of Iowa State leads three coaches tied for 15th with six titles in the 1960s & 1970s in Division I.  He is tied with two active coaches with championships in the NJCAA.  Luke Moffitt of Iowa Central Community College won most recently in 2017 and Joe Renfro led Northeastern Oklahoma A&M to a championship title in 2018.  Renfro won three titles each at the two schools he coached with Labette Community College in Kansas being his first before moving on to Oklahoma.
Five coaches are tied for 18^th place with five titles each.  Dave Icenhower of The College of New Jersey and Donald Murray of SUNY Brockport won their championships in  Division III.  Joe Parsi won his titles with Lindenwood University in the NAIA.  Two active successful coaches are John Smith at Oklahoma State in Division I and coach Steve Costanza leading the defending Division II championship team at St. Cloud State.
Six coaches are tied for 23^rd with four titles each.   Earl Lynn won four junior college titles in the early 1960s yet records are incomplete on how long he coached there.  Pat Whitcomb at North Idaho College and Rex Branum also won four junior college titles.  Branum split his with two at Lincoln College and two at Lassen College.  Bucky Maughan won four at North Dakota State in Division II before the school moved to Division I.  David Ray won his four titles in the NAIA at Montana Northern while Frank Romano won two in NAIA and two in Division II while at the same school, Notre Dame College as they moved from one division to another
15 Coaches are tied for 29^th with three national championship titles.   The only active coaches are in Division I.   Jim Zalesky and Tom Brands coached Iowa University to three championships each.  Zalesky moved on to coach at Oregon State while Brands leads the Iowa team.  J. Robinson won his at Minnesota University and Port Robertson at Oklahoma University.  Four coaches won their trio of titles in Division II. They are Richard Ulrich at Adams State, Eddie Griffin at Central Oklahoma State, Marc Bauer with Nebraska-Kearney and Larry Kristoff at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.  John Murray of Ithaca is the only coach to win his with a Division III school.  Three coaches won their titles at a Junior College program.  They are Mark Leen at Garden City, Kansas, when they had a team, Bill Lanham at Northeastern Jr. College in Colorado and Art Kraft at Triton Junior College in Illinois.  NAIA schools have three coaches with championships in Russ Houck at Bloomsburg State, Mike Machholz at Missouri Valley College and Robert “Rummy” Macias at Mankato State with two in the NAIA and the last in Division II.  65 other coaches have one or two championship titles.  Some championship teams from the NCWA, Women’s Teams, California Jr. College and others will be researched and considered to determine if they would be applicable for inclusion in these listings.

II/NAIA Mankato State (Minn.)                   Robert “Rummy” Macias       3           1958           1965
19 coaches are tied for 43^rd with two championship titles.

46 coaches are tied at 62^nd with one championship.

(cl) = the school has closed
(t) = teams tied for the title
 ** = school no longer has a team
(cc) = won title as a co-head coach
  # = active head coach

Championships by school

1^st – Oklahoma State … (34),    2^nd – Iowa Univ. … (23),    3^rd – Central St. Okla. … (15)
4^th –(tie) Wartburg Coll., & North Idaho Coll. … (14),              6^th – Augsburg Univ. … (13), 
7^th – Penn State … (9),        8^th –(tie) Adams St. Coll, Cal. St. POLY SLO, Cal. St. Bakersfield, Grand View Univ., Iowa Central C.C., Iowa State, & Nebr.-Omaha** … (8),
15^th – Oklahoma University  … (7),                      16^th – Montana State-Northern … (6),  
17^th-(tie) Lamar Jr. Coll. (Col.)**, Lindenwood Univ.,  SUNY-Brockport, & T.C.N.J. … (5)
21^st-(tie) Lassen College, Lock Haven University, North Dakota State, Notre Dame College, Southern Oregon State, & St. Cloud State … (4)
27^th -(tie) Bloomsburg, Clackamas Comm. Coll., Garden City Comm. Coll.**, Ithaca College, Minnesota, Minnesota State-Mankato, Missouri Valley Coll., Nebraska-Kearney, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Northern Iowa Univ., Portland State**, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, Triton Junior College … (3)
Eight schools with two championship titles each.
24 schools with one championship title.We welcome input about college wrestling history.  We are compiling a historical record of each year a college has had a wrestling team, their dual meet win-loss record and the name of the head coaches.   

November 18, 2019 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NORTH CAROLINA BEGINS SEASON

TAR HEELS INK FOUR TO 2020 RECRUITING CLASS
November 18, 2019CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina wrestling has signed four student-athletes to National Letters of Intent for its 2020 signing class, head coach Coleman Scott announced Monday. The four prep wrestlers listed below are set to enroll at UNC next fall and begin their competition in Chapel Hill during the 2020-21 season.
Wil Guida, Rockaway, N.J. (St. Paul’s)
Gavin Kane, Alpharetta, Ga. (Cambridge)
Cade Lautt, Olathe, Kan. (St. James Academy)
Julian Tagg, Brecksville, Ohio (Olympic EAP)
“This group we have is special for two reasons,” Scott said. “First, their talent is going to make us better. That’s obvious when you watch them wrestle. But second, we have three brothers of student-athletes currently on our roster. That’s special to me because this class continues our family atmosphere. When you come to Carolina, you join a family. And that’s what I love about this group.” Rest of the story at https://goheels.com/news/2019/11/18/wrestling-tar-heels-ink-four-to-2020-signing-class.aspx

NO. 17 NORTH CAROLINA FALLS TO STANFORD, 21-11

November 16, 2019
STANFORD, Calif. — No. 17 North Carolina dropped its first dual of the season to Stanford on Saturday, a 21-11 loss. Jaime Hernandez and Clay Lautt both picked up major decision wins for the Tar Heels on the afternoon. The two teams traded wins at 125 and 133 pounds, with Jaime Hernandez winning with a major decision over Brandon Kier, 15-5, to give Carolina its first lead of the dual. At 141 pounds, Zach Sherman took No. 13 Real Woods down to the wire and looked as though he would force overtime with a late takedown in the third period. However, as time expired, Woods turned away on bottom and secured an escape, good for a 3-2 win that provided Stanford with momentum at Burnham Pavilion. After Woods’ win, Michael Goldfeder captured a special moment in his dual-meet debut for Carolina, a 9-4 decision over Steven Abbate. The California native notched the win in front of his family, tilting the team score in Carolina’s favor, 7-6. Rest of the story and match results at https://goheels.com/news/2019/11/16/wrestling-no-17-north-carolina-falls-to-stanford-21-11.aspx

HEADLEE EARNS ACC WRESTLER OF THE WEEK HONORS
November 12, 2019
GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – North Carolina senior A.C. Headlee has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestler of the Week after his pivotal match win over a top-10 opponent helped the No. 17 Tar Heels slip past No. 19 Michigan in a battle of ranked teams.  
Wrestling in his first dual meet at 157-pounds – up two weight classes from where he competed prior to this season – Headlee turned back the Wolverines’ 10th-ranked Will Lewan by a 5-2 score. The Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, native’s win by decision loomed big as UNC went on to post a 19-17 team victory on the road. Rest of the story at https://goheels.com/news/2019/11/12/wrestling-headlee-earns-acc-wrestler-of-the-week-honors.aspx

TAR HEELS PICK UP ROAD WIN OVER MICHIGAN, 19-17
November 8, 2019
ANN ARBOR, Mich. —Clay Lautt’s first-period pin and A.C. Headlee’s win over No. 10 Will Lewan helped lead No. 17 North Carolina to a 19-17 win over No. 19 Michigan Friday night at Cliff Keen Arena. After Michigan scored bonus points at 125 pounds, Jaime Hernandez stormed out of the gate to collect a 20-7 major decision over Austin Assad. Zach Sherman followed up Hernandez’s standout performance with a 9-3 with over Ben Freeman, giving the Tar Heels their first lead of the night, 7-4 in the team score. Michigan picked up a win at 149 pounds, but A.C. Headlee’s upset win over Lewan proved to be one of the major turning points of the night. Leading 3-2 late, Headlee used strong defense and late-match effort to fight Lewan’s pressing offense, ultimately scoring a takedown late for a 5-2 decision. Rest of the story at https://goheels.com/news/2019/11/8/wrestling-no-19-unc-picks-up-road-win-over-no-17-michigan-19-17.aspx

GUNNING’S TITLE LEADS NO. 17 NORTH CAROLINA AT SOUTHEAST OPEN
November 3, 2019
ROANOKE, VA. — Andrew Gunning won the Southeast Open at 285 pounds while Zach Sherman (141) and Kennedy Monday (165) earned runner-up finishes in No. 17 North Carolina’s first competition of the regular season.
Other placers included third-place finishers Jaime Hernandez (133) and A.C. Headlee (157), while three more Tar Heels finished sixth in the tournament: Clay Lautt (174), Brandon Whitman (197) and Mark Chaid (285). Rest of the story at https://goheels.com/news/2019/11/3/wrestling-gunnings-title-leads-no-17-north-carolina-at-southeast-open.aspx

November 18, 2019 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Tavakolians excel in corporate world, lead charge with charitable work

By Craig Sesker, InterMat Senior Writer
They are corporate executives by day. And superheroes by night.
For Hooman and Lorelei Tavakolian, that is the life they lead. They start their days before sunrise in suburban New York City, work 12-hour days in midtown Manhattan and then commute home together to raise their three young children. They leave and return home when it’s dark. Their schedule is wild, crazy and hectic, but they wouldn’t have it any other way.
The Tavakolians, both 43 years old, are C level employees for New York City-based hedge funds in one of the world’s financial meccas in Manhattan. “We are very dedicated to our careers and we make a significant time commitment to what we do,” Lorelei said. “We work long hours keeping our firms in line with compliance requirements. It can be stressful and hectic times, but we are partners in everything we do and it works well for us.” The Tavakolians come from vastly different backgrounds. Hooman Tavakolian grew up in Iran, a country with a rich and storied history in the sport of wrestling. He and his wife have become known globally for their immense contributions to the sport. Hooman and Lorelei manage and operate Hoomanities, the nonprofit they founded to provide assistance to underprivileged youths around the world through wrestling. “There is a lot of poverty and neglect around the world,” Lorelei said. “It’s sad to see families who are struggling to make it and that’s why it’s so important for us to help people who are less fortunate. I am totally supportive of Hooman’s vision and what we’re doing to help young people. It’s so gratifying to see a smile on a kid’s face after we are able to help them — it makes it all worth it. It’s amazing to be able to give back.”
Hooman Tavakolian came to the U.S. at age 9 after his family left Iran in 1986. He went through some hardships as he and his family adjusted to a new culture when first coming to America. “We lived in poverty when I was growing up,” he said. “I never lived in an air-conditioned room until I was 22. I grew up poor and that’s definitely one of the reasons why I am so committed to helping the people who are less fortunate. I can relate to what they are going through. Rest of the story at http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/22559?fbclid=IwAR3fzmVGQ40-ZYx55ZNbR3a7PO90peteN6kXVHnblF3Ot1P_3lh0XYE6haM

November 18, 2019 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Hand Raised with News and views on the Worlds greatest sport

3rd Season, Column 11: Darn fine duals done and yet to come, Tourney talk, Oh my, VMI, you’ve grown, and small notes on the big boys
SO COOL, SO HOT, SOCON… VMI PREVIEW
The year was 1839. William Otis received his long awaited patent…for the steam shovel. (cousin Elisha was the elevator guy). Former prez. John Quincy Adams beat up (legally, not physically) then-current prez. Martin Van Buren, convincing the Supreme Court to free 53 African Americans in the Amistad case. Some guy named Doubleday invented a way to make drinking beer, eating bad food, and yelling for 3 hours an American pastime. And, in the Great Commonwealth of VA, The Virginia Military Institute was established. Cadets of all branches but Cadets ONLY, please, Army, Navy, or Air Force ROTC is a requirement. The current VMI team has a 99 years running, 27 page wrestling record book to add to this season. For perspective, THE Ohio St. University and Michigan are tracking at 100 and 98 years this campaign. The team numbers for VMI…33 strong and only 4 seniors, and theres NO doubt who’s the Big ‘Roo in this troop/mob/court(1). That’s RS Senior Neal Richards, 174LBs of homegrown Virginia nasty. He’s been profiled before in this column, along with his team (SECOND SEASON, COLUMN 18, 1/23/19) and he enters his senior season 74-25, with 22 bonus point wins out of 28 W’s last year. Combined career won-loss records for the rest of VMIs seniors: 60-122. The class make-up for the Keydets is definitely skewed to youth. 2 Juniors, 3 Sophomores, and 24 Freshmen. The Great Commonwealth leads the way with 19 Virginians on the roster. 8 states in total are represented, but other than VA, only Pennsylvania has more than 2 competitors on the team. That empty pouch in the middle of the wrestling roster is probably due in no small part to the March 2018 arrival of Head Coach Jim Gibson. An ’07 Edinboro grad with years of PA coaching toughness at Clarion and Bucknell, Gibson brought big expectations to the small military college. VMI picked up 3 conference wins last year. With such a young squad numerical improvement will be hard to come by. So far this seasons been highlighted by the aforementioned Richards 5th place win at the Southeast Open. Rest of the story at https://morewrestlingplease.wordpress.com/2019/11/11/3rd-season-column-11-darn-fine-duals-done-and-yet-to-come-tourney-talk-oh-my-vmi-youve-grown-and-small-notes-on-the-big-boys/?mc_cid=8eac02cb54&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

November 18, 2019 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

TOM’s Campus Visit – Maryville

What do you do when you are trying to bring more Division II wrestling coverage to the fans and you have a weekend off from work? I was faced with that conundrum last week and I had myself an idea, what if I traveled four hours south to St Louis. I even had a built-in babysitter in my oldest sister and her family. I have a four-year-old and she has two kids right around the same age. I could drop her off with my sister and give my wife a weekend with just her and our eight-week-old while I took the chance to visit three Division II wrestling powerhouses all within 45 minutes of each other. How could I miss up an opportunity like this? Three emails later and I had visits set up with #4 McKendree University, #5 Lindenwood University, and #9 Maryville University. The trifecta! Rest of the story and video at https://news.theopenmat.com/college-wrestling-news/toms-campus-visit-maryville/75325?mc_cid=8eac02cb54&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

November 18, 2019 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment