Two months after Boise State University announced it was eliminating its NCAA Division I wrestling program effective immediately, at least two groups are actively working to reverse that decision. This week, two Idaho politicians reported on their meeting with Boise State president Bob Kustra … while the organization Save Boise State Wrestling updated its members on its efforts on behalf of sport at the school.
Politicians go to the mat with BSU’s president
Two Idaho state senators — Chuck Winder and Marv Hagedorn — have issued a letter concerning their meeting last week with Kustra on his decision in April to eliminate the school’s NCAA Division I wrestling program effective immediately. “While we had open and frank discussions with Dr. Kustra, we were unfortunately unable to change his mind and get him to reverse his decision,” the two state senators wrote. Rest of the story at ….http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/18374?mc_cid=3e04b54511&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Boise State Wrestling
TDR Editor’s Notes ; We can hope for the best and keep working hard to increase wrestling opportunities.
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New efforts to save Boise State wrestling
by Mark Palmer
World Medalist: Gwiazdowski Wins Bronze at 2017 World Championships
TDR Notes ; Making an effort to catch on past news. Have been ‘off the mat’ for awhile taking care of family matters. As always we welcome wrestling news from wrestling fans in and out of North Carolina. Please send it along to martinkfleming@gamail.com
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PARIS, FRANCE – The list of firsts that Nick Gwiazdowski has accomplished for NC State wrestling continues to grow, as the former two-time Wolfpack national champion became the first current or former NC State grappler to become a world medalist. Competing at his first World Championships on Friday in Paris, Gwiazdowski captured the bronze medal with a third place finish at 125 kg going 4-1 on the day outscoring his foes 30-16. His only loss was to the time-time defending world champion (2016 Olympics and last two World Championships – before falling in the finals) in the semifinals. After finishing his NC State wrestling career in 2016, the three-time NCAA finalist Gwiazdowski has continued to live in Raleigh and train at the Wolfpack’s RTC, in addition to being a member of the prestigious Titan Mercury WC. Gwiazdowski entered the 2017 World Championships ranked No. 16 in the world rankings. In his final match of the tournament, Gwiazdowski defeated 2014 Asian silver medalist Zolboo Natsagsuren of Mongolia in the bronze-medal match 5-1. After getting a shot clock point to start, Gwiazdowski scored a first period takedown and was up 3-0 at the break. Natsagsuren was then awarded a shot clock point to close the gap to 3-1, but a second Gwiazdowski sealed the 5-1 win. Gwiazdowski won his first three matches of the tournament to advance to the semifinals in the first session.
Rest of the Story at http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/8/25/wrestling-world-medalist-gwiazdowski-wins-bronze-at-2017-world-championships.aspx
The OHSAA should consider girls wrestling as a separate division
TDR Notes : Another state strong in wrestling, Ohio, is considering opening up more opportunities for female wrestlers.
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By Fuad Shalhout, The Morning Journal
Have you ever wondered why the OHSAA doesn’t have girls wrestling? If your mind is boggled by the idea that one of the great wrestling states in the country doesn’t have a girls division, then join the club. Wrestling in Ohio is like NASCAR to North Carolina, basketball to New York and hockey to Minnesota.
The OHSAA state wrestling tournament in Columbus every March is a three-day whirlwind. The tension in the air is so thick your heart pounds as if you were the one out on the mat. What makes it puzzling that Ohio hasn’t developed a separate girls high school sport is the that several states have already done so, where wrestling is arguably less popular in a few of those. According to a tweet in May from Mike Moyer, executive director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association, seven states sponsor high school girls wrestling: California, Alaska, Texas, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii and Tennessee. There are nine more states pursuing it: Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado. At the Lorain County Wrestling Coaches Officials Association meeting in March, president Rick Davis ran the idea past me of finding a way to evolve the sport to tap into an underrepresented market: Girls. At the Lorain All-Star meet at Elyria in March, two girls went head-to-head. There has to be a way to expand interest in wrestling with females to the point were it could thrive as its own entity, similar to swimming, cross country and track and field. Rest of the story at http://www.morningjournal.com/sports/20170618/fuad-shalhout-the-ohsaa-should-consider-girls-wrestling-as-a-separate-division?mc_cid=50e33e82e4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award
TDR Editor’s Notes ; Great to see an eastern N.C. wrestler gain even wider recognition.
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Blaine Mainz is North Carolina’s winner of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award given by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, OK. It was presented in memory of and honor to Bob Mauldin who was a founding board member of the North Carolina Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. According to the NCHSAA State Tournament programs his high school career record is 159 wins and 10 losses. He is a two time state champion and has placed all four years (4-1-2-1) with a 4th place and 2nd place finishes. He has also received a T.D.R. Top 12 Plaque for each year.
Academically Mainz was in the top 25 of his class, with over a 4.5 GPA due to his AP and IB classes. Blaine stated “I am well aware of Mr. Schultz and his accomplishments, so I was extremely humbled to have won the award.” He will continue his studies at Virginia Tech and will be a Naval Cadet (Marine option) in the Corps of Cadets. He will be studying Business Finance and Economics.
Nebraska Wesleyan Breaks Ground on Wrestling Practice Facility
TDR Editor’s Notes ; After a bumpy first season Wesleyan’s future looks brighter with a new practice facility being built.
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LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska Wesleyan University broke ground for their new wrestling practice facility on Tuesday morning (June 13) in a ceremony on the site of the new building. The 5,400 square-foot facility, located just north of Abel Stadium, will feature space for two practice mats, an exercise area, athletic training room, student-athlete locker room and a coaches’ office. The building’s design will incorporate architectural elements that integrate into the campus. DLR group designed the new wrestling practice facility and Kingery Construction will be building the facility.
Construction of the new building begins today and will be completed by early October in time for preseason training for the 2017-18 season. Rest of the story at .. http://nwusports.com/news/2017/6/13/nebraska-wesleyan-breaks-ground-on-wrestling-practice-facility.aspx?mc_cid=6bd4c5e09d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b
College Coaching News
TDR Editor’s Notes ; We have been tardy in sharing some college coaching News.
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King’s wrestling coach McGinley to retire after 48 years
WILKES-BARRE — Last month it was revealed by the National Wrestling Media Association that King’s College head wrestling coach Ned McGinley was the longest-tenured active head wrestling coach at all levels of NCAA wrestling. Now, after 48 years at the helm of the Monarchs, McGinley has decided the 2016-17 season will be his last. Rest of the story at http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/17540
Roger Reina Returns as Wrestling Head Coach at Penn
The University of Pennsylvania’s Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation, Dr. M. Grace Calhoun, has announced that Roger Reina C’84 WEV’05 will return to his Hall of Fame roots as head coach of the Penn wrestling program.
Reina originally led the Quakers from 1986-2005 and amassed a program-record 205 wins and a .649 winning percentage during his first tenure coaching at his alma mater, which began at the age of 24 as the youngest head coach in program history. Rest of the story at https://news.upenn.edu/news/roger-reina-returns-wrestling-head-coach-penn
Luxembourg Wrestling Federation Restarting Wrestling
TDR Editor’s Notes ; Yes Luxembourg is a bit east of North Carolina yet this caught our eye as we are glad to see the expansion of wrestling opportunities.
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Luxembourg Wrestling Federation is restarting wrestling with the support of Secretary General Gaston Parage and Technical Director Joseph Etogo. Etogo, a native of Cameroun, came to Luxembourg several years ago and realized wrestling was dormant in Luxembourg and worked with the federation to start the sport. There are two wrestling clubs in Luxembourg with approximately 40 wrestlers. The majority of the club members are youth, which shows the interest and popularity of wrestling among the new generation, according to Etogo. Rest of the story at …. https://unitedworldwrestling.org/article/luxembourg-wrestling-federation-restarting-wrestling
GWIAZDOWSKI CLAIMS TITLE AT WORLD TEAM TRIALS
TDR Editor’s Notes ; Great to see North Carolina represented on the USA World team.
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RALEIGH, N.C. – Former NC State wrestling national champion Nick Gwiazdowski claimed victory at the 2017 U.S. World Team Trials this weekend in Lincoln, Nebraska, and now will be part of the U.S. national team at the 2017 World Wrestling Championships to be held in Paris, August 21-26. Gwiazdowski received a bye into the best-of-three finals at 125 kg at the World Team Trials held on Saturday. Gwiazdowski won two straight bouts to clinch the series, and in the process clinched his first-ever spot on the World Team for the U.S. Rest of the story at ….http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/6/11/wrestling-gwiazdowski-claims-title-at-world-team-trials.aspx
Burroughs, Cox come from behind to earn spots on World Team
TDR Editor’s Notes ; Must have been exciting action in Lincoln this weekend.
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LINCOLN, Neb. — Two Olympic medalists — one a gold medalist and one a bronze medalist — found themselves on the brink of defeat at the Freestyle World Team Trials on Saturday night. Both wrestlers, Jordan Burroughs and J’den Cox, dug deep and found a way to win. The 28-year-old Burroughs, wrestling in front of his home crowd in Lincoln, Nebraska, came from behind to beat Kyle Dake in the finals at 74 kilograms and punch his ticket to September’s World Championships in Paris, France.
Rest of the story at ….http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/18306
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
