Lambert joins the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Wrestling staff in Michigan
Tim Lambert, a former University of Nebraska 125 lbs. starter, has joined the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Wrestling staff in Michigan. After finishing up 5 years at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as a 4-time NCAA Qualifier, he served as the Volunteer Assistant coach and trained under the NWTC Regional Training center for 1 year. He earned silver medals at both the Dave Schultz Memorial and Bill Farrell Tournaments in 2018, and completed the year with a 3rd place finish at the World Team Trials Challenge Tournament in Rochester, Minnesota in 2018.
“Our vision for FCA Wrestling is to see the world transformed by Jesus Christ through the influence of wrestling coaches and wrestlers. In 2010, I raised support as a newly saved Christian to join FCA Wrestling overseas for two weeks to represent the United States and compete in the Ukraine. I wanted to learn what doing sports with God actually meant. Fast-forward 10 years, and now I am inviting ministry partners to join me in the opportunity to engage, equip, and empower wrestling coaches and wrestlers to know and grow in relationship with Jesus”. FCA Wrestling in Michigan is hosting a public launch event in Grand Rapids, Michigan on August 22nd to promote the FCA Wrestling presence in Michigan and invite ministry partners to join Tim’s ministry. Rest of the story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2019/August/15/Lambert-to-join-the-Fellowship-of-Christian-Athletes-Wrestling-staff-in-Michigan?mc_cid=cea6ad412f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Why Good Coaches Matter
TDR Editor’s Note ; While this may seem obvious that coaches matter. It can be discussed how great coaching matters and can bring successful wrestling accomplishments. As this author emphasizes it is more important that the coach helps the wrestler to become a better person. That matter most when my coaches helped me in that manner and I hope that I helped wrestlers I coached to become better athletes and better in all that they do.
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By Jon Solomon, editorial director of the Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program
There’s a boy I coached a couple seasons ago in U-9 rec soccer. He’s a good kid at heart who shows such beautiful joy in sports. He’s also prone to distraction and occasional disruption because of ADHD. Early in our soccer season, he looked like a defeated kid. He was so used to getting disciplined by teachers at school that when I sat him once for being disruptive at practice, he replied, “I know the drill,” and took a seat without complaining.
Because his parents thoughtfully told me of their son’s challenges, I intentionally focused on how I coached him considering his learning style or needs. There was some discipline at times, but I worked to build him up. By the end of the season, he had demonstrated improvement so much so that I named him a team captain, so he could feel ownership in our team’s success and failure.
I saw the boy’s dad recently at a rec basketball game. The dad was frustrated about his son’s basketball experience. Rest of the story at
https://www.thepredicament.com/2019/08/why-good-coaches-matter/?mc_cid=cea6ad412f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
UNK wrestlers experience European culture, food, training techniques
KEARNEY — It’s one thing to travel overseas. It’s an entirely different experience when the trip includes a couple dozen collegiate wrestlers. “People travel all the time, but how often do you get to travel with 30 of your best friends?” said Andrew Sorenson, an assistant coach for the University of Nebraska at Kearney wrestling team. Thirty-three members of the UNK wrestling program, including four coaches and a few alumni, got that opportunity this summer when they spent 10 days in Paris, Athens and Heraklion, Crete.
“It’s something they’ll never forget,” Sorenson said. “It’s a unique experience, and I’m glad Marc Bauer started it here and we’re able to continue it.” Bauer, the former head wrestling coach at UNK and current athletic director, organized the first international trip in 2003, when the Lopers visited France and Bulgaria. Since then the UNK wrestling team has traveled abroad every four years with stops in Germany, Iceland, Turkey and China. The wrestlers use fundraisers and personal contributions to pay for the expenses without tapping athletic department funds. Rest of the story at https://www.kearneyhub.com/unk-today/unk-wrestlers-experience-european-culture-food-training-techniques/article_e0a23ec8-bad4-11e9-b3a0-fbf4d316663d.html?mc_cid=a2823021b7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Michigan girl overcomes diabetes, stereotypes to earn national wrestling honor
SPARTA, MI – When Rayana Sahagun was 5 years old, she received a flyer at school that introduced the young students to a pair of extra-curricular activities. On one side was information about cheerleading, and on the other was information about wrestling. The sport might not have been the most popular with her girl classmates, but it immediately captured Sahagun’s interest. “I thought wrestling sounded cool,” she said.
That 8-by-11-inch sheet of paper opened the door to a career that has pushed her athletic limits, motivated her to challenge gender stereotypes and brought her to the highest levels of junior wrestling. In late July, Sahagun earned All-American honors by placing second at USA Wrestling’s Junior Women’s Nationals in Fargo, N.D., battling her way through the 64-person field before falling to three-time national champion Sage Mortimer, of Utah. Her run to the finals included an upset win over the nation’s sixth-ranked wrestler in the semifinals, but that match was only the latest obstacle she has overcome in her 12-year grappling career. Rest of the story at https://www.mlive.com/highschoolsports/2019/08/michigan-girl-overcomes-diabetes-stereotypes-to-earn-national-wrestling-honor.html?mc_cid=a2823021b7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Kendall Cross Inducted Into Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame
NORMAN, Okla. – Former Oklahoma State wrestling standout Kendall Cross claimed his spot in the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame at the organization’s induction of the Class of 2019 on Monday evening in Norman. The Mustang, Okla., native was inducted alongside OSU baseball alumnus Mickey Tettleton in addition to Will Shields, Mike Moore, Lou Henson, Patty Gasso and Bob Stoops.
Cross wrestled at Mustang High School where he won a 1985 state title before committing to the Cowboys. He was a three-time All-American and finished first at the 1989 NCAA Championship. The former Cowboy was a three-time U.S. National Champion and was named outsanding freestyle wrestler at the U.S. Nationals in 1992 and 1995. In 1986, Cross took bronze at the Junior World Championships. He qualified for th 1992 Olympics alongside Cowboys John Smith and Kenny Monday finishing at sixth on the podium at 57 kilograms. At the 1996 Olympics, Cross became the 11th Poke in history to win Olympic gold. Cross went on to win the 1997 World Cup Championship before serving as an assistant coach at the University of North Carolina. He coached for the Dave Schultz and Sunkist Kids Wrestling Clubs and served as an assistant coach at Harvard. Rest of the story at
https://okstate.com/news/2019/8/12/wrestling-kendall-cross-inducted-into-oklahoma-sports-hall-of-fame.aspx?mc_cid=be3a5e675d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
9 freshmen to know before the 2019-2020 wrestling season
With every new wrestling season comes new faces and new expectations. Last year, Minnesota true freshman Gable Steveson broke onto the scene at heavyweight, posted an undefeated regular season record and finished third at the NCAA championships. In 2018, Iowa and Cornell freshmen Spencer Lee and Yianni Diakomihalis won their respective weight classes at the national tournament. True freshmen have been winning titles and making waves on the collegiate scene for years, and 2020 will likely follow this trend.
WRESTLERS TO WATCH: These are the 25 college wrestlers you need to know heading into the 2019-2020 season
Ohio State landed what has been regarded as the best recruiting class in the country this year, and the Buckeyes will aim to use their new crop of talent to help take on the reigning national champions Penn State as well as hold off other powerhouse programs including Oklahoma State and Iowa. Ranking the nation’s best incoming freshman is a subjective and difficult task, but these are the nine student-athletes to watch as they start their college careers this fall. These athletes are in no particular order, and they represent nine different teams. All nine should be among the fun names to follow as they compete over the course of their college careers. Rest of the story and video at
https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/article/2019-08-05/9-freshmen-know-2019-2020-wrestling-season?mc_cid=b9eb082e8f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Smith Named U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame Class of 2019 Finalist
STILLWATER– Oklahoma State wrestling coach John Smith was named a finalist for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame class of 2019, USA Wrestling announced on Monday. The two-time Olympic champion and four-time World gold medalist competed at 62 kilograms at the 1988 Seoul Games and the 1992 Games in Barcelona in addition to wrestling at the World Championships from 1987 to 1991. Smith owns more World-level gold medals than any other American wrestler and is one of only three U.S. wrestlers to win two Olympic golds. To this day, he holds the record for consecutive World/Olympic titles with six. The Cowboy head coach was a two time Pan American and Goodwill Games champion as well. In 1990 coach Smith became first wrestler in history to win the James E. Sullivan Award. The honor is presented annually to the country’s most outstanding amateur athlete. In the same year, Smith was named the USOC Sportsman of the Year.
The Del City, Okla., native served as a coach on multiple World Championship staffs, most recently in 2017 as a women’s freestyle World Team coach. He was named USA Wrestling Women’s Co-Coach of the Year for his role with that team. The Del City, Okla., native served as a coach on multiple World Championship staffs, most recently in 2017 as a women’s freestyle World Team coach. He was named USA Wrestling Women’s Co-Coach of the Year for his role with that team. Team USA fans can cast their vote at TeamUSA.org/Vote from today through Sept. 3, to help determine the class of 2019. This year’s class will mark the first inducted into the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame since 2012. The fan vote counts for 10 percent in the weighted total, and 60 percent is made up of Olympians and Paralympians. The remaining 20 percent comes from members of the USOPC family and media. The finalists include 15 Olympians, nine Paralympians and three teamsSTILLWATER– Oklahoma State wrestling coach John Smith was named a finalist for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame class of 2019, USA Wrestling announced on Monday. The two-time Olympic champion and four-time World gold medalist competed at 62 kilograms at the 1988 Seoul Games and the 1992 Games in Barcelona in addition to wrestling at the World Championships from 1987 to 1991.
Rest of the story at
NCAA’s Power 5 schools see steep raise in pay for non-revenue coaches
TDR Edit.’s Notes ; Glad for the coaches that can receive greater compensation for their efforts yet we hope it does not lead to cutting programs in order to save money for big time athletic teams.
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When Debbie Yow took the job as North Carolina State’s athletics director in 2010, the challenges weren’t limited to football and men’s basketball, both of which had been languishing at the bottom of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Though any athletics director is judged primarily on the health of those two marquee, money-generating sports, Yow made the case that better performance across the board, even in sports most fans didn’t pay attention to, would establish a culture of competitive excellence throughout the department.
At that time, Yow was looking for excellence anywhere she could find it. In the points-based, all-sports ranking known as the Directors’ Cup, N.C. State had just finished 89th, directly behind California-Santa Barbara, UNLV and Akron. “It’s pretty bad if you’re 89 when there’s only 65 Power Five schools,” Yow said. In the intervening years, N.C. State changed football and basketball coaches with varying degrees of success. But as new television revenue rolled in from the ACC, she also entered N.C. State into a different kind of arms race happening among Power Five athletics departments by spending significantly more money on coaches in so-called non-revenue sports. Across 11 sports that aren’t revenue drivers for N.C. State — men’s and women’s swimming (which have one head coach), men’s and women’s golf, wrestling, women’s gymnastics, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis and women’s volleyball — Yow hired new coaches during her tenure and increased their combined compensation by nearly 56% between 2013 and 2018. Rest of the story at https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2019/08/12/ncaa-power-5-schools-steeply-raising-pay-non-revenue-sport-coaches/1946843001/?mc_cid=be3a5e675d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
All-Marine wrestling team hosts Lejeune Open, scouts talent
The All-Marine Wrestling team hosted its second free tournament of the year at Goettge Memorial Field House, Aug. 3. The Lejeune Open, a tournament for active duty Marines and Sailors, served as a way to scout potential future All-Marine wrestlers and to give former wrestlers an opportunity to get back into the sport. Pvt. Kalik Battle took first in the 149 lbs. weight class by knocking off Lance Cpl. Johnathan Dulin in the final as Cpl. Jeremy Jarvis won the 159 lbs. weight class by taking down Cpl. Luke Irons in the championship match. In the 169 lbs. division, Lance Cpl. Nicholas Jongereel defeated Cpl. Cam Stadler in the final.
In the 179 lbs. class, Cpl. Samuel Johnson was the champion as Pfc. Joshua Jernagin got second. Lance Cpl. Salem Harsh defeated Sgt. Brandon Francik to take the 189 lbs. weight class as 2nd Lt. Courtney Freeman defeated Cpl. Arthur Walthour in the 250 lbs. division final. Jason Loukides, All-Marine Wrestling Team head coach, was sitting mat side along with All-Marine wrestlers who helped organize, officiate and score the double-elimination tournament. One Marine wrestler who was discovered by the team as a competitor in last year’s Lejeune Open was Sgt. Josh Medina.
“It’s been life-changing,” Medina said of becoming an All-Marine wrestler. “It’s really great to be around Coach Loukides and some of the great athletes that are in the room. It’s truly inspiring to be with them every day and to workout with them.” Medina drove 13 hours from Pennsylvania to participate in the tournament last year. He ended up winning his weight class, which began his relationship with Coach Loukides and the All-Marine program. Medina believes the tournament serves as a similar opportunity for other Marines interested in showcasing their talent in front of the All-Marine team. Rest of the story at
https://www.camplejeuneglobe.com/sports/all-marine-wrestling-team-hosts-lejeune-open-scouts-talent/article_3c478c12-b87b-11e9-9eb2-632dda5484ec.html?mc_cid=c98ec4a62d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
PSU wrestling book published
UNIVERSITY PARK — In his 10 years at the helm of the Penn State wrestling team, coach Cael Sanderson has led the Nittany Lions to a run of success rarely seen in NCAA wrestling or any other collegiate sport. A new book written and published by the Penn State Wrestling Club, “Dawn of a New Era,” details the first decade of the second century of Penn State wrestling, including the first nine years of Sanderson’s tenure. “Dawn of a New Era” supplements the book that chronicled the first 100 years of Penn State wrestling, “A Century of Penn State Wrestling,” which also was written by Penn State Wrestling Club members and published in 2008.
It contains facts, stories and photos from Penn State’s first season of collegiate wrestling in 1909 through the 2007-08 season. The Penn State Wrestling Club, which was founded in 1981, is the official booster club of the wrestling team. The group organizes trips and pre-match socials, sells team-related clothing and supports the student-run Wrestling Affiliate Club.
“When we wrote the Century book, it was meant to commemorate the historic milestone of 100 years as a Penn State sport,” said Connie Christiansen, the chair of the PSWC’s Historian Committee. “As the Sanderson era started to unfold, we thought it would be appropriate to write a supplement to the original. Rest of the story at http://www.lewistownsentinel.com/sports/penn-state/2019/08/psu%e2%80%88wrestling-book-published/?mc_cid=c98ec4a62d&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
