TDR Big Award Finalists
TDR Editor’s Notes; The following wrestlers are the tops in eastern North Carolina based on their performances this year. They are the finalists for the TDR Big 4 Awards. Over 60 trophies have been presented since 2001. The James Johnson Award will be given to the top Senior in the TDR coverage area of eastern North Carolina. Awards will also be given in honor of past top level wrestlers such as Roy Heaverly, Michael Stokes and Lee Carroll. Details about each will be explained later.
Clarification – The following are finalists for the first two awards. The finalists for the Stokes and Carroll Awards will be announced. There may be some overlap.
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Senior Finalists; Jeremiah Derby (126) of First Flight, Darnel Brooks (170) of North Brunswick, Beau Studebaker (182) of East Carteret, Darrien Stutz (195) of Pasquotank and Thomas Hudson (285) of Dixon.
Underclassmen Finalists; Timothy Decatur (120) and Christian Decatur (106) of Rosewood, Javon Armstrong (285) of Pamlico County, Alec Sampson (160) of Wilmington Hoggard and Jordan Todd (138) of Rosewood.
We welcome input from fans, coaches and representatives of the media. Send input by e-mail to martinkfleming@gmail.com
This for Coach Hixon
TDR Note; Life surpasses wrestling yet wrestling can add meaning and direction in life as we are confronted with pain, irrationality, and baffling evil. Our compliments and admiration for Coach Hixon and his wrestlers. Thus we pass this along in memory of his positive impact on fellow human beings.
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CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. — “Stoneman Douglas is close.” That announcement came from Coral Springs High School athletic director Dan Jacob as wrestlers, coaches and spectators waited for the District 12 AAA sectionals to start Wednesday afternoon. “Coaches, make sure your teams are ready.” Jacob was more than willing to accommodate the Eagles wrestlers from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. They were on their way from Nativity Catholic Church in Hollywood, some 30 miles away, where they had been attending the funeral mass for Christopher Hixon, their coach and athletic director at Stoneman Douglas. He was one of 17 people killed in the Ash Wednesday massacre at the Florida school just a week before. A Navy veteran of the Gulf War, he had died after racing in a golf cart toward the sound of gunfire, trying to protect the people he considered family. Rest of the story at http://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/22532373/marjory-stoneman-douglas-wrestlers-remember-chris-hixon-competing-memory
Brian Brakeman wins 2017 Dellinger Award
TDR Notes; Yes this is way overdue yet we wanted to extend our recognition to Mr. Brakeman and thanks to him for all of his work in supporting wrestling over the years. The National Wrestling Media Awards have not been announced for 2018 (or at least we have missed seeing them) and we look forward to passing them along when they come to our attention.
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Cleveland’s Brian Brakeman, producer of the annual “Brakeman Report” which covered Ohio amateur wrestling for more than four decades, has been named recipient of the 2017 Bob Dellinger Award for amateur wrestling writing, the award’s sponsor, Amateur Wrestling News, announced in the magazine’s Oct. 15, 2017 issue. Here’s how the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame, which recently inducted Brakeman, described this year’s Dellinger Award winner and his contribution to wrestling in the state of Ohio. “Brian Brakeman’s influence on Ohio high school wrestling is legendary. A statistical wizard with the papers to prove it, Brakeman has compiled a dazzlingly accurate state tournament forecast that for 45 years has been an invaluable guide for wrestlers, coaches and college recruiters. He calls it the “Brakeman Report.” Others call it the wrestling “bible.” It is the premier state wrestling forecast in the country.
“Since 1972, Brakeman has ranked the top 25 or so wrestlers in each weight class in every division, highlighted by projected state champions and order of team finish. In all these years his accuracy rate is 70%. One recent year he picked 13 of 14 state champs in Division I …” Amateur Wrestling News described Brakeman as “the face of high school wrestling in Ohio.” Beginning in the early 1970s, Brakeman, along with Mike Massa, anchored WVIZ-TV telecasts of the sectional, district and state wrestling tournaments in Ohio. The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) adopted many of his recommendations for enhancing the state tournament. …. note: Among the past recipients of the Dellinger Award: Mike Finn, Jason Bryant, Andy Hamilton, Tom Elling, AWN writers Don Sayenga, Jim Kalin and Ron Good, author Jamie Moffatt, late historian and “The History of Collegiate Wrestling” book author Jay Hammond, and Mark Palmer, InterMat senior writer.
Rest of the story at
http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/18730?mc_cid=543c156430&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Head College Coaching Changes
Wisconsin wrestling coach Barry Davis resigns after 25 years at U.W.
Wisconsin wrestling coach Barry Davis resigned on Monday, ending his 25-year tenure as the Badgers’ head coach. Davis will coach the Badgers through the NCAA Championships on March 15-17. “I want to thank Barry for all he’s done for Wisconsin wrestling throughout his time here,” Wisconsin Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez said. “I’ve known Barry for a long time, back to my days as an assistant coach at Iowa and he is one of the most genuine people I’ve ever met. He has left an indelible mark on Wisconsin wrestling.” Rest of the story at http://admin.uwbadgers.com/news/2018/3/5/wisconsin-wrestling-coach-barry-davis-resigns.aspx?mc_cid=79d8f6fb17&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Chris Bono named Wisconsin wrestling head coach
Chris Bono, the 2017 Big 12 Coach of the Year, has been named the 16th head coach in Wisconsin wrestling history, Director of Athletics Barry Alvarez announced Saturday.
Bono spent the last six seasons as the head coach at South Dakota State, establishing the Jackrabbits as a national contender and a powerhouse in the Big 12, coaching three conference champions in the program’s three years in the league.
Rest of the story at http://admin.uwbadgers.com/news/2018/3/23/wrestling-chris-bono-named-wisconsin-wrestling-head-coach.aspx
McFarland Announces Retirement After 19 Seasons Leading U-M Wrestling
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Head coach Joe McFarland announced that he is retiring after 19 seasons at the helm of the University of Michigan wrestling program. McFarland made his announcement Saturday night (March 17) following the conclusion of Michigan’s involvement at the 2018 NCAA Championships in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. “My wife and I had been thinking about the right time for me to step away, and what better place to end my career than in the city where I grew up,” said McFarland. “It has been such a wonderful opportunity for me to be a student-athlete at Michigan and then return to coach at my alma mater. It’s been a great journey, and I look forward to the next chapter as a Wolverine fan and supporter. Rest of the story at http://mgoblue.com/news/2018/3/18/mcfarland-announces-retirement-after-19-seasons-leading-u-m-wrestling.aspx
Michigan promotes Sean Bormet to head coaching position
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — University of Michigan Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics Warde Manuel announced Tuesday the appointment of Sean Bormet as head coach of the wrestling program. Bormet, himself a former Michigan All-American, spent seven years as the Wolverines’ top assistant, including the last four as associate head coach. Bormet becomes the 10th head coach in Michigan program history, dating back to 1922, and the fourth U-M alumnus at the helm, joining Rick Bay (1971-74), Bill Johannesen (1975-78) and Joe McFarland (2000-18). “I’m honored to become the 10th head wrestling coach at the University of Michigan and am thrilled for the opportunity to lead a program with such a rich tradition of excellence on and off the mat,” said Bormet. “I want to thank our athletic director, Warde Manuel, and our athletic administration for their continued confidence in me. Rest of the story at http://www.trackwrestling.com/tw/PortalPost.jsp?TIM=1522282302842&twSessionId=kswicrbuxaiaylh&postId=643852132
LITTLE ROCK ANNOUNCES ADDITION OF WRESTLING PROGRAM
TDR Notes; Greatly admire Greg Hatcher’s leadership and generosity in increasing the opportunities to wrestle in Arkansas. More schools should be adding wrestling as a sport for the good of their student athletes.
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LITTLE ROCK – The University of Arkansas at Little Rock today unveiled a plan to add a major sport to its intercollegiate athletics program, a strategic decision that is expected to increase student enrollment. The final decision is conditional on approval from the University of Arkansas System Board of Trustees. Chancellor Andrew Rogerson said UA Little Rock plans to add wrestling as its 15th sport, becoming the only NCAA Division I wrestling program in the state. The news was announced at the 2018 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Cleveland, Ohio, on Saturday, March 17. Pending board approval, Little Rock wrestling will begin competition in fall 2019. “This is exciting news for the university as we continue to elevate and grow our athletics program and find opportunities for enrollment growth,” said Rogerson. “Our student-athletes as a group have the highest Division I graduation success rate in the state, so we’re confident this program will bring in additional students with high GPAs and success in the classroom.” The addition of wrestling is a major milestone for both the athletics department and the sport. Arkansas has seen tremendous growth with about 200 high schools across the state supporting a wrestling program.
Rest of the story at https://lrtrojans.com/news/2018/3/17/athletics-little-rock-announces-addition-of-wrestling-program.aspx
and at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2018/March/17/UA-Little-Rock-to-add-varsity-mens-Div-I-wrestling
and at https://www.elevenwarriors.com/college-sports/2018/03/91899/university-of-arkansas-at-little-rock-to-add-ncaa-division-i-wrestling-program-in-2019
Cody looking to build elite wrestling program at Presbyterian College
TDR Notes; Coach Cody is a tremendous coach and a good man with class. Glad to see him coming to the Carolinas. Best of success to him as he leads the new program at Presbyterian and increases interest and opportunities in wrestling in the southeast.
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Mark Cody may have come from a university that’s almost four times bigger than the town of Clinton, S.C. itself, but he feels right at home. Cody moved to Clinton to become director of Presbyterian College’s new men’s and women’s wrestling programs. He had made quite a name for himself in the world of college wrestling before deciding to leave coaching a couple of years ago. The opportunity at PC was the right one for him to make his return to college wrestling. “If I were going to get back into coaching, I wanted to be affiliated with a college that has the kinds of values that Presbyterian College has,” Cody said. “You only have five years to mentor these young men and women, so I want to be able to maximize their potential. Having a supportive administration backing the program and the process is a big plus. “My goals are still the same here as anywhere I’ve been. I want to build an elite program from top to bottom.”
A proven track record
Build elite programs is what Cody does.
Rest of the story at http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/19857?mc_cid=2155d44f4e&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Honoring Coach McGinley & Possible Changes in wrestling
Honoring a coach, moving college wrestling to one semester and a Big Victory to clinch a conference title are worth noting here.
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King’s Retiring Wrestling Coach McGinley Honored by Pennsylvania House of Representatives at http://www.kingscollegeathletics.com/news/2017/4/17/WRES_04_17_17_mcginley_house_of_representatives.aspx?mc_cid=ba68df58b6&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Could there be Big Changes in College Wrestling? http://www.trackwrestling.com/tw/PortalPost.jsp?postId=600555009&mc_cid=4baf50df78&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Snyder OT victory caps Ohio State Big Ten title; Tomasello, Martinez earn No. 4 Rest of the story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2018/March/04/Big-Ten-Finals-Recap?mc_cid=01a42ba38a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Doug Denson retires, NWCA Assemblies, New Women’s Programs
Seems amazing at times when I see a coaching colleague from many years ago gray and age (of course more than I) to be recognized for his accomplishments and even retiring (already!?). It has been a long time since wandering the plains of Nebraska yet our congratulations and tip of the headgear to Coach Denson.
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Doug Denson steps away, but not before taking Millard South on another run of state titles
Regrets about retiring?
Doug Denson has none.
Stepping away from the Millard South wrestling team, which has won the past three Class A state titles, comes ideally for the World-Herald Nebraska boys coach of the year.
“I always had in my mind I wanted to be sure the program was back on top and in place before I left,” Denson said. “To have it play out like this, I couldn’t ask for anything more.” Millard South has been dominant in Class A for the past 16 years. The Patriots strung together titles from 2005 to 2008 before their current streak. Seven titles in 13 years is the best era in the state’s largest class in 50 years — since Omaha South won nine of 12 titles ending in 1967. Rest of the story at http://www.omaha.com/neprepzone/wrestling/doug-denson-steps-away-but-not-before-taking-millard-south/article_d6187172-0eb0-5d6a-b84e-fce9fc04394a.html?mc_cid=036c28e841&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
NWCA assembles Blue Ribbon Task Force to tackle high school wrestling’s participation slide
Mike Moyer begins to rattle off statistics and some of the numbers are startling.
The executive director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association says the average size of a high school wrestling roster has been whittled from 37 to 23 in the last six years. Moyer said 29 percent of high school dual meet matches now result in forfeits and high school boys participation — which ranks seventh among high school sports — has dropped six straight years. Rest of the story at http://www.trackwrestling.com/tw/PortalPost.jsp?postId=581982009&mc_cid=bc6e280293&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Yet new women’s programs lead the growth in college wrestling at http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/19191?mc_cid=25f6a42bdc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Stories to consider
Well, here are some stories of wrestling that are interesting and they represent important trends. There are many quality websites and sources of information on the latest wrestling news. The TDR can not and does not want to compete with that for the latest news. We will continue to focus on sharing news of the growth of our sport and desire to help in that in whatever way we can.
Focus on improving, not cutting weight – What a concept!
Weight cutting has been a major part of the sport of wrestling for many years. Wrestlers will cut weight in an attempt to gain a size or strength advantage over their opponents. But is weight cutting necessary in wrestling? Many of the nation’s top wrestlers don’t believe so. In addition, there are countless examples of NCAA wrestlers finding more success after moving up a weight class, or even multiple weight classes.
Rest of the story at http://matbossapp.hs-sites.com/blog/weightcutting?mc_cid=a9dacb78f7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Coach Troy Humphrey makes wrestling fun, keying Jefferson High’s resurgence
HELENA — Four years ago, the Jefferson High wrestling team consisted of just six members and consistently had to forfeit over half their bouts during a dual match.
Earlier this month, with 30 grapplers on the roster, Jefferson placed third at the annual Cascade Badger Classic Invitational Wrestling Tournament, collecting the Panthers’ first trophy at the tourney since 2002. Rest of the story at http://mtstandard.com/sports/high-school/wrestling/coach-troy-humphrey-makes-wrestling-fun-keying-jefferson-high-s/article_c50d37cf-5896-54b0-a014-68f470087dc4.html?mc_cid=342730657a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Icenhower to Join TCNJ Athletics Hall of Fame – Great to see a great coach get recognition.
Ewing, NJ… The College of New Jersey Hall of Fame committee is pleased to announce that legendary coach David “Ice” Icenhower will be inducted into the TCNJ Athletics Hall of Fame on April, 27 2018. Icenhower came to TCNJ following a successful career at Lehigh University, where he was the captain of a team that finished seventh at nationals. Icenhower was the Lions wrestling coach for 35 seasons, leading the squad to a 535-80-4 record and five national championships, including the first team championship won by any squad in TCNJ Athletics history. Rest of the story at http://www.tcnjathletics.com/news/2018/2/13/wrestling-icenhower-to-join-tcnj-athletics-hall-of-fame.aspx?mc_cid=f61cc2440f&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Girls wrestling is an ’emerging sport’ in Illinois high schools – More opportunities & growth.
Lizeth Torres went behind her parents’ backs to join the eighth-grade wrestling team. She worried her parents would stop her because they didn’t like the idea of girls wrestling boys. For two weeks, Torres went to wrestling practice after school. She wanted to tell her parents, but the timing never seemed right. Rest of the story at https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-politics/girls-wrestling-is-emerging-sport-in-illinois-high-schools/?mc_cid=b1dc4236db&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Chris Hixon, wrestling coach – athletic director, among those killed at Parkland H. S. shooting
TDR Editor’s Notes; With all due respect and remembrance of this wrestling and educational leader, Good rest to you Coach Hixon.
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Numerous media reports have confirmed that Chris Hixon, 49, the athletic director at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida and a wrestling coach, were among the victims killed at the mass shooting at the school. Hixon was the Broward County Athletic Association’s Athletic Director of the Year last year. Originally from Easton, Pa. area, Hixon competed in wrestling and has coached the sport in Florida for many years. He served in the U.S. military, deployed to Iraq as a U.S. Naval Reservist. According to local media, Hixon is survived by a wife, Debra, and a son with special needs. A Go Fund Me site has been set up for the family of Chris Hixon. Rest of the story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2018/February/16/Wrestling-Coach-Chris-Hixon-killed-in-Florida-school-shooting?mc_cid=de47f1993b&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
