NCAA wrestling qualifiers, brackets announced for 2019 DII championship
The NCAA has announced the Division II wrestling qualifiers list for the 2019 championship.
Bracket can also be found here, though they won’t be considered final until the replacement/entry deadline of Tuesday, March 5 at 12 p.m. ET.
The full lists of qualifiers are below: List and story at https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/2019-02-25/ncaa-wrestling-qualifiers-brackets-announced-2019-dii-championship?mc_cid=a0421ecea9&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
The 13 college wrestling head coaches who had the best NCAA wrestling careers
We previously identified the best active college football head coaches based on their FBS playing careers and the best active college basketball coaches based on their playing careers, and now we’re doing the same for college wrestling coaches. Here is how we did it. Each of the 75 active college wrestling coaches were ranked by their collegiate, folkstyle wrestling accomplishments. NCAA Championship were weighted heaviest, with All-American honors serving as the next criteria of success. The 13 top active coaches with the most successful collegiate careers earned either two or more individual NCAA titles or at least one title and four All-American honors during their time as college athletes.
1. Cael Sanderson
Current school: Penn State
Alma mater: Iowa State
Years: 1998-2002
Record: 159-0
Honors: In college, Cael Sanderson never lost. Never. Rest of the story and list at the following https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/2019-03-01/13-college-wrestling-head-coaches-who-had-best-ncaa-wrestling-careers?mc_cid=a0421ecea9&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Black History Month: How great black wrestlers impacted Jordan Burroughs’ life
By Jordan Burroughs | Feb. 20, 2019,
When I began wrestling as a kid, I knew very little about the sport, or its heroes. Growing up in a predominantly black neighborhood, very few of my buddies were wrestlers. As I peeked around the wrestling landscape as a young man, I noticed there weren’t many black kids from other neighborhoods wrestling either. I remember traveling to team tournaments years ago only to come to the sad realization that very few individuals looked like me. It was uncomfortable, and for a period of time I was convinced that this wasn’t the sport for me. This was before social media and widespread internet access. Unless you subscribed to a major wrestling publication, you were out of touch when it came to the best wrestlers in the world. In short, I had no idea who the heroes in the sport were, and I was definitely unaware of any of them who looked like me.
There was a time when I tried to quit the wrestling team so that I could play basketball instead. I’d had enough of “being different.” But instead of quitting, I finally did my research, and dived into the history of this sport. I found out who the greatest wrestlers were and was surprised to see that many of them were brown like me. This discovery changed my life forever. At the time, there were two legends named Kenny Monday and Kevin Jackson — the only two black men to ever win a Olympic Gold medals in wrestling. Kenny earned one in 1988, and Kevin in 1992. These men paved the way for me to be great. I believed that if they could do it, I could do it because they had done it first. In 2012, I joined the greats. I became only the third African American to be crowned an Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling. It was an iconic moment for me, particularly because I got to join two of my heroes. Rest of the story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2019/February/20/Black-History-Month-Burroughs-Column?mc_cid=0574fb79af&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Pittsburgh Referee Helps Save College Wrestler Who Went Into Cardiac Arrest
A referee from Pittsburgh took quick action to save the life of a college wrestler who went into cardiac arrest during a match; KDKA’s Meghan Schiller reports. Story at https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/video/4039072-pittsburgh-referee-helps-save-college-wrestler-who-went-into-cardiac-arrest/?mc_cid=a0421ecea9&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
These kickass high school girls are making wrestling history
Jessi Johnson started wrestling in the seventh grade, competing against the boys in her New Jersey schools. “I just like the aggression,” the scrappy blonde tells The Post. “It’s an individual sport, and it’s up to me how I do.”
Now the 16-year-old Manalapan H.S. sophomore is about to make history: After finishing fourth last summer at a national girls’ tournament in Fargo, ND, Johnson and 59 other girls are headed to Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall on Friday to compete in the inaugural girls state tournament. Story at https://nypost.com/2019/02/27/these-kickass-high-school-girls-are-making-wrestling-history/?utm_source=twitter_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site%20buttons&utm_campaign=site%20buttons&mc_cid=0ea239a796&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
History In The Making At New Jersey State Girls Wrestling Tournament High school wrestling has long been mostly a boys sport, but 60 female wrestlers will be making history at the first girls state wrestling tournament in New Jersey. CBS2’s Cindy Hsu headed to Teaneck to meet one of them.
Story and video at https://newyork.cbslocal.com/video/4038267-history-in-the-making-at-new-jersey-wrestling-tournament/?mc_cid=0ea239a796&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
NAIA Tournament Preview: Defending champion Grand View seeks rare “Elite Eight” status
By Johnnie Johnson, Special to TheMat.com | Feb. 28, 2019,
NAIA CHAMPIONSHIP WEB SITE
BRACKETS
BRACKETS ON TRACK WRESTLING
Grand View is No. 1 in the NAIA poll for the 50th-consecutive time and the 53rd time in program history, which is the most for any program dating back to the start of the 2000-01 season. The last time Coach Nick Mitchell’s Vikings were not ranked No. 1 was on Oct. 17, 2012. Since October 2012, GV has extended its streak to 50-straight No. 1 rankings in NAIA. And, how about going wire-to-wire as the top ranked team in NAIA?? Well, only three teams have accomplished that feat! Since 2001, only Grand View (2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, and 2017-18), former members Notre Dame (Ohio) (2010-11) and Lindenwood (Mo.) (2006-07) have gone the entire season ranked No. 1. If the current season and past history are any indication of what can be expected at the NAIA Nationals on March 1st and 2nd, you should not miss out on the championship. The NAIA National Wrestling Championships will be in Grand View’s back yard at the Jacobsen Center on the Iowa State Fairgrounds on March 1st and 2nd. The event is being broadcast live on Trackwrestling. As you may recall, in the 2017-2018 season, Grand View (Iowa) rewrote the record book by winning its seventh-straight team title and set a new scoring record of 234.5 during the 2018 NAIA Championships, blowing away their previous season’s marks of 210.0 (2016) and 234.5 (2017) points. GV has either tied or set a new scoring record in four out of the last five years. The Vikings are the first team in NAIA Wrestling history to win seven-consecutive national titles. Rest of the story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2019/February/28/NAIA-Nationals-Preview?mc_cid=0ea239a796&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Fueled by tragedy
Pueblo County’s Fasano hopes to capture state wrestling gold
By Marcus Hill The Pueblo Chieftain
Christopher Fasano learned a valuable lesson earlier this season— he’s not unbeatable. Although his 38-0 record suggests otherwise, the Pueblo County High School senior nearly cost himself a match at the Top of the Rockies on Jan. 19. “The kid I wrestled was a backup to who I was supposed to wrestle,” Fasano said. “I went out there and overlooked him and it ended up being a close match. I have to make sure I don’t allow myself to do that again. It was an important lesson. I don’t want to ruin the perfect record.” Through his prep career, Fasano is 130-16, that’s with him attending events such as the Reno Tournament of Champions (Nev.), Doc Buchanan (Calif.), Top of the Rockies and several other notable competitions. Fasano has accumulated 53 pins, 16 major decisions, 13 technical falls and nearly 200 takedowns.
Hornets coach Eddie Soto has watched Fasano blossom into the determined wrestler he is in his senior campaign. Not that Fasano wasn’t gritty in years past, but Soto noticed the 160-pounder kick it into high gear this season. “I think he realizes this is his last year and he knows this is what he has to do,” Soto said. “He knows he can’t miss workouts and that he can’t miss practices. Whatever a coach preaches to a kid, he’s come to realize this is his last year and he has to make the most of it.” While Fasano is unbeaten heading to the Pepsi Center, he does have one devastating loss. It didn’t take place on the mat. Rest of the story and details at http://pueblochieftain.co.newsmemory.com/publink.php?shareid=07857fcde&mc_cid=6ba4a3db8d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Winning state titles has become a family tradition for Montana’s Webers
Approximately 100 miles east of Billings, Montana, is a small ranching community of roughly 1,700 people. Forsyth, Montana, is home to six of the toughest wrestlers ever produced by the state. The length of the best-ever list in Montana isn’t super lengthy, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t decorated. There is the state’s first NCAA champion, Missoula’s Gene Davis, who won the 137-pound crown in 1966 for Oklahoma State, before winning Olympic bronze in Montreal in 1976. The list also includes the Zadick brothers. Bill and Mike grew up in Great Falls before going on to greatness at Iowa and then winning World medals together in 2006 when Bill won gold and Mike claimed silver.But back in Forsyth it’s undisputed that the first family of Montana wrestling has the last name of Weber. Two Saturdays ago in Billings, Michael Weber — ranked 16th nationally at 145 pounds — became the third four-time state champion in his family.
The Webers have hammered hundreds of opponents through the years while racking up 18 state titles. They’ve also beat up on each other quite a bit, too. “It has been hectic,” Michael said. “A lot of tough love.” So what’s it been like being the youngest of five wrestling brothers? “You have no idea,” Michael laughed. “A lot of fights. With all of us being wrestlers, we all thought we were Alphas. The smallest, inconsequential thing could spark the next fight. Rest of the story at https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1550785081105&twSessionId=wgkyhtjknd&postId=1327567132&mc_cid=6ba4a3db8d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
No. 2 Ohio State handles No. 7 Cornell, 25-9; Yianni D. beats McKenna in final bout
TDR Notes; – This would have been an exciting one to see. Exciting match-ups and two great teams with great coaches.
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Ithaca, N.Y. – No. 2 Ohio State ends its 2018-19 regular season with a win against No.7 Cornell. The Buckeyes defeated the Big Red 25-9, improving their overall record to 12-2. The team won seven of the 10 bouts, with victories from Micah Jordan (22-1), Ke-Shawn Hayes (18-7), Ethan Smith (15-8), Myles Martin (17-0), Kollin Moore (16-1) and Chase Singletary (18-5).
Jordan won by a tech fall, giving the Buckeyes a 5-0 lead to start off the match. Hayes and Moore each earned four points for the Buckeyes with major decision advantages. Martin remains undefeated heading to the Big Ten Championships. Rest of the story and details at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2019/February/22/Ohio-State-beats-Cornell?mc_cid=a552c87db1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
What’s next on Andrew Alirez’s agenda? A fourth state wrestling title to make history in Weld County
Andrew Alirez walked into the wrestling room at Greeley Central High School on Tuesday afternoon as the main attraction. In all actuality, with his numbers and accolades, he’s been the main attraction since practice started in November. With three Class 4A state wrestling titles in his back pocket — a potential fourth dangling from his side — the recent addition of a Junior Pan American gold medal to his pile of bling, too many to count dual-match and tournament titles to fathom — the 18-year-old Greeley Central 152-pounder was taking care of business. Rest of the story and details at https://www.greeleytribune.com/sports/whats-next-on-andrew-alirezs-agenda-a-fourth-state-wrestling-title-to-make-history-in-weld-county/?mc_cid=00da07afd4&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
