William Penn adds women’s wrestling program
OSKALOOSA — William Penn Athletics Director Nik Rule is excited to announce the addition of women’s wrestling to the list of intercollegiate sports the University offers.
The sport will begin competition in the 2020-2021 school year. It is the sixth sport to be added recently, joining men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s volleyball, and men’s and women’s shotgun sports. Men’s and women’s shotgun sports, which were announced last week, will also begin competition next year.
The NAIA, which has the largest number of women’s wrestling teams of any intercollegiate association, had 25 schools participate in the fast-growing sport a year ago. Menlo (Calif.) claimed the inaugural NAIA National Invitational title this past March. The sport will be eligible for Championship status in the NAIA after it spends two years as an invitational sport and if it grows to 40 institutions.
“Women’s wrestling is on the rise across the country with more and more high school girls competing each year,” Rest of the story at http://www.statesmenathletics.com/article/8271.php
Historic USA performance in Estonia captured the attention of the Greco world
TALLINN, ESTONIA — There were plenty of jubilant moments for the success-starved United States Greco-Roman program during the past three days at the Junior World Championships. But one of the most rewarding occasions occurred outside the competition. The American coaches were on their way to a workout when a coach from Sweden stopped to offer a compliment. A coach from Kyrgyzstan offered some kind words to USA Wrestling manager of Greco-Roman programs Gary Mayabb.
Their message? You guys are changing.
“If you get your peers talking to you, that’s as good as it gets,” Mayabb said. “Those are the things that put a smile on your face. Now it’s a matter of going back and working again and some of the things we’ve been working on showed up. It reflects back on the coaches who made this trip and the athletes who really, really made a difference.” This was a watershed weekend for USA Greco. Rest of the story at
https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1566217246029&twSessionId=eldlcvjnot&postId=1678680132
Abbott Blog: I would come back to Estonia again with my family (in the summer)
TDR ; As always good writing and insights by Gary Abbott.
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BY GARY ABBOTT, USA WRESTLING | August 18 – Many of us who have made a career in international sport have travelled to all kinds of places on the globe for competitions. Although I don’t travel nearly as much as many of our coaches, I have been blessed to have been to every continent except Africa and Antartica. Some of the places we have been are amazing; others, not so much. One of my problems is that when I go to all these countries, I often spend most of my time in gymnasiums and hotels. Wrestling tournaments take a long time, plus we try to do as much coverage as possible of the athletes and teams, and that also takes a lot of time. I don’t get to do much sightseeing, because, honestly, we are here on business.
I had a chance to steal a few moments during the Junior Worlds to check out some of Tallinn. Most people may not consider Estonia as a tourist destination, but from my small sampling, this is a place I would consider spending a little time on vacation with my family. Thursday morning before weigh-ins at the Hestia Europa Hotel, I went a little early and walked along the docks in the harbor. It wasn’t a long walk, but was very good for the soul. I shot some pictures of the various boats in the marina, and walked down far enough to get a good photo of a massive cruise ship docked nearby. I got a neat shot of an old man fishing off the pier. Those are the kind of scenes you can find in cities on an ocean or a major sea.
Because the two-day tournament format, the last day is much shorter. There is only repechage and medal matches in the final five weight classes in Greco-Roman on Sunday. The hosts were smart enough to put those sessions in the late afternoon and in the evening, giving everybody the morning off. Some people may have chosen to sleep in. Instead I got up around the normal time, had some breakfast, and set off on a short adventure. Judi Tekautz, the team trainer who hails from Minnesota, agreed to bring me around Tallinn Old Town, which she had visited a few times already. Rest of the story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2019/August/11/Abbott-Blog-Junior-Worlds?mc_cid=c5b71cd582&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
The Women Of USA Wrestling Show Up Strong, Earn Three Medals In Lima
Women’s wrestling was introduced to the Pan American Games in 2003. Since then, competitors have been battling not only for medals but for respect for their sport. Thursday at Miguel Grau Coliseum at the Pan American Games Lima 2019, three more United States wrestlers added to that push for equal respect. Sarah Hildebrandt dominated in the women’s 53 kg. final to secure the gold, and Whitney Conder outlasted her opponent to win gold in the women’s 50 kg. final. In the women’s freestyle 57 kg. final, Jenna Burkert lost a close match and claimed silver.
Hildebrandt squared off against Betzabeth Arguello of Venezuela. It didn’t take long for Hildebrandt to take control. She started with a simple takedown to score the first two points of the match. That takedown turned into a nightmare for Arguello, however, as Hildebrandt began to roll. And roll. And roll. Four consecutive gator rolls from Hildebrandt improved her score to 10-0, a win by technical superiority. The match hardly lasted a minute. In her three matches on Thursday, no one scored a point on Hildebrandt throughout her dominant path toward gold. “This is the stuff you dream of,” Hildebrandt said. “Running with the flag behind my back as I took a lap took years and years of dreaming. Getting to experience this only makes me hungrier and more motivated. Rest of the story at
https://www.teamusa.org/News/2019/August/08/The-Women-Of-USA-Wrestling-Show-Up-Strong-Earn-Three-Medals-In-Lima?mc_cid=12b6854c02&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Where did the stigma of “pro wrestling” go?
TDR Edit.’s Note ; This is something that baffles me as it is clear that in Amateur Wrestling (including folkstyle, freestyle, greco-roman, etc styles) the final result of a match is not known or guaranteed ahead of time. Thus it is a contest or sport. One side or wrestler may be greatly favored and there could be confident coaches and wrestlers but the result is not pre-determined. Professional wrestling is an athletic exhibition with a coordinated series of moves and events in which the result is known or guaranteed by those not directly on the mat. It is similar to a movie or play in which the end may seem to be in doubt or come as a surprise yet it is pre-determined because it is in the Script!
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Episode 525 is a little different as we take to Twitter and Facebook to ask fans about the stigma of “pro wrestling” and why “our” side of the sport seems to be less annoyed with the pro wrestling/sports entertainment side of it. In the 80s and 90s, there was an anger, a vitriol about it compared to “amateur wrestling,” that does still hold some feelings within the sport, but in large, it seems to have gone away. So there’s the question of the week! Where did the stigma of “pro wrestling” go?
Next week’s question: What’s your favorite All-Star Classic match of all-time? Read the rest of the story and listen in at
http://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/short-time/where-did-the-stigma-of-pro-wrestling-go/?mc_cid=12b6854c02&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Oliver joins the Tar Heel Wrestling Club as a resident athlete
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.– Two-time NCAA champion and multiple-time national team member Jordan Oliver will join the Tar Heel Wrestling Club as a resident athlete, the club announced on Friday. Oliver, a former standout at Oklahoma State, joins the THWC after training with the NYRTC. He has been competing on the national level since wrapping up his career in Stillwater in 2013. “I’m very excited to be here. Rest of the story at
https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2019/August/16/Oliver-joins-the-Tar-Heel-Wrestling-Club-as-a-resident-athlete?mc_cid=4abd571a93&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Japanese Women Close Out Junior Worlds with Eight Golds
TALLINN, Estonia (August 16) — Japan jabbed the competition on Thursday night by winning three junior world titles, then threw the knock out punch on Friday night — closing out the women’s wrestling portion of the Junior World Championships with five additional gold medals. In total, Japan went eight-for-eight in gold-medal bouts and stockpiled medals in all ten weights. Haruna OKUNO (JPN) kicked off the day for the Japanese women by winning her fifth overall world gold medal. Okuno said she keeps all of her world title belts at her parent’s house. Well, their house gained an additional world championship belt after their daughter claimed her fifth world gold in as many tries. The reigning two-time senior-level world champion added her first junior world title to her long list of accomplishments after expelling Anudari NANDINTSETSEG (MGL), 7-2 in the 53kg gold-medal bout.
By watching Okuno’s four matches, where she outscored her opponents 35-2, you would’ve never guessed that she was dealing with extreme neck pain on her right side throughout the entire competition. After her finals match, she talked about having to work through her counter-offensive attacks because of her pain, saying “Now I feel neck pain, so I didn’t try to attack. In this tournament, the counterattack was very nice for me.” Rest of the story at https://unitedworldwrestling.org/article/japanese-women-close-out-junior-worlds-eight-golds?mc_cid=4abd571a93&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Oklahoma to crown state champions in girls’ wrestling
TDR EDitor’s Note ; Another step closer to 20 states sponsoring girl’s wrestling championships in 2020. Quite a rapid increase of opportunities for more students to become involved in wrestling!
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For the first time in state history, the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association will award individual state championships in girls wrestling. OSSAA assistant director Todd Goolsby said Wednesday there will be champions crowned in February for girl wrestlers. There will not be team state titles for girls until more programs join the fold, which is happening rapidly. For this season, only state champions at each weight will be crowned. The wrestling community, as a whole, is quite excited about this opportunity,” Goolsby said. The long-term goal is an OSSAA-sanctioned girls wrestling division with standalone championships. For now, Goolsby plans to ask wrestling coaches during the October meetings about whether to have 10, 12 or 14 weight classes at the girls division.
During the state wrestling championship in February, girls sessions will come before or after the boys sessions. In the championship finals, the OSSAA will add a fifth mat for girls to wrestle on while Class 6A-3A will remain on a mat per class. More schools are exploring girls wrestling programs, with Broken Arrow starting the state’s first in the spring. If numbers are too big this season, Goolsby said they may move the girls championships to its own date. Rest of the story at
https://oklahoman.com/article/5638654/ossaa-to-crown-state-champions-in-girls-wrestling?fbclid=IwAR2YnQWVVnhgbpTRUFn5fHn4fHR4kI2udEWU8_VatMd6j-cGRKmwal0Mpgs&mc_cid=cea6ad412f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Former OSU wrestling coach Joe Seay remembered at Wrestling Hall of Fame
Oklahoma State University’s wrestling tradition has permeated through Stillwater for decades, and has created generations of wrestling enthusiasts in Stillwater. The Cowboys are the winningest program in the country thanks to the coaches who have dedicated their careers to the program. One of OSU’s most revered wrestling coaches, Joe Seay, was remembered Wednesday night at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame – in the shadow of Gallagher-Iba Arena – by those who wrestled for him, his wife Cheryl and others who shared their favorite memories of Seay throughout his highly successful coaching career. Seay died in July at the age of 80.
Seay coached at OSU from 1985-92, leading the Pokes to back-to-back national championships in 1989-90. He was named a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1998, and was remembered by current OSU head coach John Smith – who wrestled for Seay – as a coach who brought a wrestling style to the program that hadn’t been seen in Oklahoma before, and one that helped wrestlers thrive under his tutelage. “He gave me an opportunity to be the best in the world, and it was through his coaching,” Smith said. “More so than any attitude … I think I had a pretty good attitude with an older brother who was pretty mean to me my whole life. But I think if you think about Joe and what he did for Oklahoma State, he brought a style that hasn’t changed … it’s gotten better. Rest of the story at
https://www.stwnewspress.com/news/former-osu-wrestling-coach-joe-seay-remembered-at-wrestling-hall/article_d70883ea-a9d4-5558-9339-12de78e7d0ba.html?mc_cid=cea6ad412f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Iowa State wrestler David Carr wins Junior freestyle world championship
David Carr joined the Iowa State wrestling program with the hopes that he would help bring the program back into the national spotlight. On Wednesday, the redshirt freshman began that journey by doing something no other Cyclone wrestler has ever done. Carr won a gold medal at the 2019 Junior men’s freestyle world championships on Wednesday in Tallinn, Estonia. He defeated Japan’s Jintaro Motoyama, 5-4, in the finals at 74 kilograms (163 pounds). “I’ve been telling myself I could do it all summer,” Carr said afterward. “I’ve dreamed about it. I wrote my goals down every day.” In doing so, the Ohio native became Iowa State’s first-ever Junior freestyle world champ, and second-ever Junior world medalist, joining Zach Thompson, a two-time All-American and NCAA finalist who won a world silver medal in 1998. It is also Carr’s second age-level world medal, adding to his Cadet world bronze from 2016. Rest of the story at https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/college/iowa-state/wrestling/2019/08/14/uww-junior-mens-freestyle-world-championships-iowa-state-wrestler-david-carr-74-kilograms-isu/2007484001/?mc_cid=cea6ad412f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
TDR blog
After 20 seasons of publicizing wrestling The TakeDown Report’s (TDR) focus has changed to the collecting of college coaching records from North America since 1903. We will continue to recognize and reward successful wrestlers in eastern North Carolina (east of Raleigh & Fayetteville), assist with schools in starting or re-starting a team and this blog. Join us on our FaceBook Page – “The TakeDown Report” for photos and news. Please send results, stories, links and news to pass along. E-mail us at takedownreport@gmail.com
Martin Fleming, Editor
Takedown Report
