Two-time SoCon champion Askey headed to Minnesota
Tommy Askey, a two-time Southern Conference champion and round of 12 finisher at 157 pounds, announced on social media that he will be transferring from Appalachian State to Minnesota.
Askey compiled a 25-7 record this past season. After winning his second straight conference title, Askey went 3-2 at the NCAAs, with notable victories over Iowa State’s Cody Chittum and Indiana’s Brayton Lee. He fell one win short of earning All-American honors, losing in the round of 12 to Nebraska’s Peyton Robb. The New York native will replace the graduating Michael Blockhus, a 2023 All-American, in the Gopher lineup. … more at … Theopenmat.com/Wrestling+News
WIBN Announces New Pilot Program – YOUR NEXT MATCH
Wrestlers in Business Network (WIBN) has announced a new pilot program to help connect high school and college wrestlers with early career opportunities. The program, titled “Your Next Match”, will help connect current and recent high school and college wrestlers with companies looking to employ wrestlers. Your Next Match represents a deliberate approach by WIBN to help connect wrestlers with career opportunities as a way to help further the growth of wrestling.
In 2023, WIBN began hosting college career fairs to connect current college wrestlers with career and internship opportunities. Over the past year, WIBN has attracted over 80 companies to the sport looking to hire college wrestlers. The three initial career fairs hosted by WIBN attracted over 3000 men and women college wrestlers.
The high school initiative is designed to help those wrestlers who elect not to matriculate to colleges and universities. WIBN has recognized the increased decline in the number of high school students furthering their education at four-year institutions and this program will address and assist those wrestlers with finding early career opportunities. Initially, WIBN will partner with approximately a dozen regional and national companies who are looking to employ wrestlers because of the intangible qualities these have developed through the sport. “We believe that the ultimate outcome for our sport is preparing wrestlers to be successful in whatever path they pursue,” said Mike Moyer, Executive Director of WIBN. “Your Next Match represents a deliberate strategy by WIBN to create a cradle-to-grave relationship with wrestlers by first instilling in them the great qualities they learn through the sport and then connecting them with careers where they can demonstrate those qualities they learned while wrestling.”
An operating division of the National Wrestling Coaches Association, WIBN is uniquely positioned to administer Your Next Match due to its’ close connection with high school and college wrestling coaches. … more at … Wrestlersinbusiness.org/WIBN-announces-new-pilot-program-your-next-match
College Choices for NHSCA JR/SR National All-Americans
While the eyes of the international wrestling community were focused on Fairfax, Virginia for the Olympic Team Trials Last Chance Qualifier, about 200 miles southeast, in Virginia Beach was one of the bigger high school events of the spring – NHSCA Nationals.
Before the proliferation of national tournaments every weekend or two, NHSCA Senior Nationals and Fargo were held as the gold standards of high school wrestling. With more opportunities to compete against quality competition, NHSCA’s and Fargo have taken their share of hits – in terms of the top, top recruits entering their events.
With that being said, there were still plenty of future collegiate wrestlers on the mat in Virginia Beach. Below are wrestlers who have committed to wrestle at the next level and finished on the podium at NHSCA Junior and Senior Nationals – sorted by school.
For more recruiting information, check InterMat’s College Commitment page. … more at … Intermatwrestle.com/College-choices-for-nhsca-jrsr-national-all-americans
STAR WRESTLER SHOWS HOW ATHLETICS PRODUCES LEADERS
By Randy Roughton
U.S. Air Force Academy Strategic Communications
U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo. – Cadet 1st Class Sam Wolf’s wrestling teammates often tell each other to work hard in all aspects of life, and each endeavor will “meet at the top.” Wolf’s excellence as a cadet and on the mat for the U.S. Air Force Academy wrestling team demonstrate his devotion to his team’s athletic-academic adage.
The 184-pound wrestling team co-captain is also a two-time NCAA Division I Men’s Scholar All-American. Wolf, a Systems Engineering major planning to attend pilot training after graduation, attributes his success to three dominant character traits. These align with the Academy’s core values, mission and vision. “My work ethic, leadership and passion encompass what I have been doing both in and out of the wrestling room since I arrived as a freshman,” Wolf said. “All three traits are part of my vision of who I want to be as a cadet and future U.S. Air Force officer, as well as a leader and a man.”
How athletics develop leadership
The Academy’s mission to educate, train and inspire men and women to become officers of character is integrated across all mission elements. The Athletic Department offers intercollegiate cadets this development through competition and teamwork. Student-athletes experience leadership opportunities in challenging environments while they develop warrior ethos and a heightened will to win.
Head Academy wrestling coach Sam Barber said he has seen Wolf’s leadership skills, passion for competition and work skills in action since his first practice in 2020. Barber said Wolf’s work ethic is “at the top of a distinguished list of hard-working student-athletes” during his 30-year coaching career. “I most appreciated the attributes he demonstrated daily on and off the mat,” Barber said. “He approached his goals with focus and determination but with a lightheartedness that allowed him to enjoy the process and spread positivity throughout the program. I valued his high-level communication skills, honesty and infectious personality. He is a tireless worker and a ferocious competitor.” … more at … USAFa.edu/star-wrestler-shows-how-athletics-produces-leaders
NBC Universal to present record-setting U.S. Olympic Trials coverage; Check out Wrestling Trials schedule here
Editor’s Note: This week, NBC released its U.S. Olympic Team Trials coverage for a number of sports. We will post the wrestling information first, and provide the additional information on the NBC coverage of other sports for those who wish to enjoy the programs.
WRESTLING
NBCU will present live primetime coverage of the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team Trials from the Bryce Jordan Center at Penn State University in State College, Pa., from Friday, April 19 to Saturday, April 20, with over 60 hours of live coverage across USA Network and Peacock.
Multiple Tokyo Olympic medalists are expected to vie for Olympic spots, including reigning Olympic gold medalist and world men’s 86 kg champion David Taylor; two-time Olympic men’s freestyle 97 kg medalist Kyle Snyder, who in 2016 became the youngest wrestler ever to win an NCAA, world, and Olympic title in the same year; and Helen Maroulis, a two-time Olympic medalist, who became the first U.S. woman to win a gold medal in wrestling when she won the 53 kg event in Rio. … listing at … Themat.com/NBC-universal-to-present-record-setting-u-s-olympic-trials-coverage-check-out-wrestling-trials-schedule
2024 Women’s Nationals Collegiate Recap
Just over a month after the conclusion of the Women’s Collegiate Wrestling season, many athletes showed out to claim a World Team spot at Nationals this past weekend. In addition to current collegiate athletes, many commits also competed and gave fans a glimpse at the talent they will be bringing to college lineups in seasons to come. For this overview, I will be focusing on U20 and U23 results.
U20 Women’s Nationals
In the finals at 50kg, future Life Running Eagle, Anaya Falcon, got two dominant wins over Iowa’s Nyla Valencia in their best-of-three series. Valencia was a runner-up at U20s last season wrestling unattached. Falcon is continually ranked in the top 25 pound-for-pound for her class and is a 3x California state champ. She will certainly be an exciting addition to Life’s roster.
Iowa’s first champ of the day was Brianna Gonzalez at 53kg. Gonzalez was the runner-up at NCWWCs this season after losing the finals match to Felicity Taylor. Gonzalez secured her top spot here with several dominant wins including two tech falls over King commit Clare Booe. Booe will be an immediate impact athlete for the King team with two Fargo titles, a Super 32 championship finish, and a first-place finish at last season’s East Stroudsburg Open as a high school senior.
This season’s NAIA National Champ Cristelle Rodriguez of Doane put on another dominant performance at Nationals, winning her final series with two pins in under three minutes total. Lexi Janiak of Aurora claimed the top spot at 59 kg over 2023 Fargo Champion Aubre Krazer with an 11-0 first match, and a closer 8-4 decision win in their second bout. Janiak finished third at NCWWCs this past season and is a 2023 U20 Bronze Medalist. 62kg had one of the tightest matchups, with future Iowa Hawkeye Cadence Diduch dropping … more at … Intermatwrestle.com/Womens-nationals-collegiate-recap
And …
‘They’re as tough as anybody’: As women’s wrestling is on the rise nationwide, Spokane hosts this year’s national championships
By Roberta Simonson and Alexandra Duggan The Spokesman-Review
As 15-year-old Raenah Smith looked around at the thousands of women and girls filling the Podium in Spokane, all there to wrestle in the U.S. Marine Corps Women’s National Championships, she marveled at how the sport has given her trailblazing female role models in a male-dominated sport. “I look up to a lot of the college women wrestling right now,” Raenah said at the tournament on Friday. “And I want to be like them.”
Raenah is home-schooled, but wrestles for Mead High School. She’s competing this week in the championship but has wrestled girls and boys since age 9. In the last six years, she’s seen the sport grow significantly, she said at the tournament on Friday. No longer are girls wrestling only boys; they’re able to have a tournament to themselves. “I try my best against boys. They’re stronger. It’s hard. But it gives me a sense of confidence because you’re beating someone bigger,” she said.
Women’s wrestling is the fastest-growing high school sport in the United States, according to data from the National Federation of State High School Associations. The number of high school girls who competed in wrestling more than quintupled from 2013 to 2023, growing from 6,545 to over 50,000. The championships hosted in Spokane span eight divisions, ranging from age 7 to 23.
Champions in the four age divisions this weekend are eligible to earn a spot on Team USA for the Pan-Am and World championships later this summer. “This tournament has been going on for so long. But every single year it grows, and so does women’s wrestling,” 21-year-old Yele Aycock said, just as she stepped off the mat after winning her first round. Women and girls fly in from around the country just to be part of the championship. Some were sporting shirts from Iowa, California, Montana, Idaho and more.
Aycock is competing in Spokane from North Central College in Illinois, but she’s from a small town in New Mexico – a town that never had girls and women’s wrestling tournaments. “Coming from there where there’s no girls tournaments, to here, where it’s all women’s wrestling and we’re taking up 18 mats – I think it’s super cool,” she said. “It’s amazing to see.”
Aycock and Smith both grew up watching their brothers wrestle. And they both knew they could do it, too. “I think it’s a really big confidence booster where, maybe you lose a match to a guy just because he’s a lot bigger. But when you win a match, it’s because you’re just better at wrestling,” Aycock said. “Now that women are wrestling women, it’s really a show of skill and how good you are at the sport.”
With more than 70 schools intending to sponsor the sport in 2023-24, the National Collegiate Athletic Association announced plans in February for its first women’s wrestling championship in 2026.
This is the second time the city has hosted this event. In 2022, Spokane was selected as the host city for the championships for three consecutive years starting in 2023. “Last year we had 1,473 athletes, and this year we already have 1,520 athletes registered. … more at … Spokesman.com/Theyre-as-tough-as-anybody-as-womens-wrestling
And …
NCAA Women’s Wrestling Faces Dilemma Prior To Sanctioned Status
NCAA women’s coaches are divided on a proposal that could significantly alter the course of the 2024-25 season.
It doesn’t get closer than a tie.
A survey was sent to all NCAA women’s college coaches asking if more than 10 wrestlers should be allowed to participate at regionals next season.
The results?
YES: 36
NO: 36
Note: Several coaches didn’t vote.
The next question on the survey was not split. If you answered yes, what should the number of qualifiers be? The results were 63.9 percent for 12 or less and 36.1 (10) percent for 15 (26 votes).
A maximum of 15 wrestlers from each team can participate at regionals, which means a maximum of 15 can compete at the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships.
Women’s wrestling is projected to be an NCAA-sanctioned sport by 2026. The assumption is that each team will qualify a maximum of one wrestler per weight for the national championships (10 total).
The argument for switching to 10 is that powerhouse programs like Iowa, King, McKendree, and North Central can stockpile their line-ups. Quality wrestlers might go elsewhere if multiple wrestlers from the same team couldn’t qualify.
Other teams lose out on high-caliber wrestlers and qualification spots as they fight an uphill battle against top programs.
A Change Of Heart
North Central coach Joe Norton used to think that was the way to go, and he understands the arguments for moving to 10, but he’s swung completely the other way. His team won the 2023 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships with 15 All-Americans and finished second this year with 14. “The recruiting part of sending 15 is over because we’d go to 10 in 2026,” Norton said. “This is the last year I can recruit by saying in 2025 we can bring 15. Once we’re NCAA-sanctioned next year, I can’t recruit under that model anymore because 2026 will presumably be 10.
“When you throw the recruiting argument out of it, which is the biggest argument for going to 10, it’s a no-brainer to bring 15 because we’re trying to draw eyes to women’s wrestling. We’re trying to make people women’s wrestling fans. We’re trying to make men’s wrestling fans into women’s wrestling fans.” … more at … Flowrestling.org/NCAA-womens-wrestling-faces-dilemma-prior-to-sanctioned-status
And …
Increasing popularity in girls wrestling leads school board to hire more coaches
The increasing interest and popularity of girls wrestling led the Marshalltown Community School Districr board members to hire two extra coaches during the regular Monday meeting.
Director of Athletics and Activities Ryan Isgrig asked the board to hire a head coach for the Marshalltown High School team and another for Miller Middle School. The move would help enhance the relatively new program, he said. “When we first came here two years ago, we sat in front of you for esports and girls wrestling,” Isgrig said. “We continued to evaluate those programs and I think they have trended in the right direction.”
Some highlights of the program are the increased number of athletes. Isgrig said they had no idea of the turnout they could expect when the program was introduced. Initially, about 25 girls signed up to wrestle. The main question was how many of them would complete the season, much less the first week since many had never wrestled before. “We were really excited with the number of girls interested,” he said. … more at … Timesrepublican.com/Increasing-popularity-in-girls-wrestling-leads-school-board-to-hire-more-coaches
Accomplished wrestling coach Denney to give Dakota Wesleyan commencement address
The Daily Republic, Mitchell, S.D.
Mon, Apr 15, 2024, 7:49 PM EDT·2 min read
Apr. 15—MITCHELL — Micheal “Duke” Denney, a 1969 graduate of Dakota Wesleyan University, will be the keynote speaker at the DWU commencement at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 5, at the Corn Palace. The title of Denney’s speech is “This is Holy Ground.”
The Clearwater, Nebraska, native came to DWU on an athletic scholarship to play football and to wrestle. After graduating in 1969, he and his wife, Mitchell native Bonnie Gaetze, moved to Omaha, where Denney spent 10 years teaching math and coaching high school wrestling before moving to the University of Nebraska-Omaha, where he coached until 2011. He then moved to Maryville University in suburban St. Louis and started the wrestling program. Denney retired in 2023.
His record and résumé are filled with records, including multiple national NCAA Division II team championships; many NCAA Division II individual champions; hundreds of Division II All-Americans and scholar All-Americans; and academic national team championships. Denney was named 2011 InterMat Coach of the Year which recognized him as the top college wrestling coach across all NCAA divisions; was named the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coach of the Year three times and is a member of the NCAA Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame. He is a member of the DWU Athletics Hall of Fame, was named a Distinguished Alumnus in 2021 and was the DWU Alumni Coach of the Year in 1997. … more at … Sports.yahoo.com/accomplished-wrestling-coach-denney-dakota
Penn State Wrestling Gets a Home Game at the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials
Sixteen current, former or future Nittany Lions will compete at the Bryce Jordan Center for a trip to the Olympics.
Penn State wrestling gets a home game at the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials, where 16 current, former and future Nittany Lions are scheduled to compete for a trip to the 2024 Summer Olympics. The group includes an astonishing six wrestlers from Penn State’s 2024 roster that recently set a scoring record to win its third consecutive team title at the NCAA Wrestling Championships.
Here’s a look at the wrestlers from Penn State’s past, present and future who will compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials:
Nittany Lions legacies
Three-time world champ, and returning Olympic champion, David Taylor leads the way, as he seeks to defend his 86 kg freestyle title in Paris. Taylor has a bye into the best-of-three championship series finals Saturday night at the Bryce Jordan Center. The loaded 86 kg field features five other current, former or future Penn State wrestlers, including NCAA champs Mark Hall (2017) and Max Dean (2022).
Three-time NCAA champ Zain Retherford is among the favorites at 65 kg and has a bye into the challenge tournament semifinals. … more at … SI.com/Penn-state-wrestling-2024-usa-wrestling-olympic-trialy-bryce-jordan-center
And …
How to watch live U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling live on Peacock and USA Network
Wrestling Olympic Trials from Penn State University in State College, Pa., Begin This Friday at 10 a.m. ET on Peacock
Commentators: Jason Knapp, Jim Scherr, and Zora Stephenson
Wrestling Coverage Continues NBC Sports’ Record Coverage of U.S. Olympic Team Trials Ahead of Paris Olympics
All Events Stream Live on Peacock
STAMFORD, Conn. – April 17, 2024 – NBC Sports presents live coverage of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling with over 60 hours of live coverage across Peacock and USA Network over two days from the Bryce Jordan Center at Penn State University in State College, Pa., beginning on Peacock this Friday, April 19, with all four mats from Session 1 at 10 a.m. ET. Live coverage of the Wrestling Trials concludes on Saturday, April 20, with the finals at 6:30 p.m. ET on USA Network and Peacock.
Throughout Friday and Saturday, Peacock will individually stream all four mats for both morning sessions, as well as a quad box option for each. Additionally, the Challenge Tournament will be presented on USA Network and Peacock on Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET, with the Finals on Saturday also on USA Network and Peacock on 6:30 p.m. ET. All Olympic Trials coverage this weekend will also stream via NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app. … more at … Themat.com/How-to-watch-live-u-s-olympic-team-trials-wrestling-live-on-peacock-and-usa-network
And …
SIX HUSKERS TO COMPETE AT U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS
Six Nebraska wrestlers will compete in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials this weekend at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pa. The two-day event on Friday, April 19 and Saturday April 20, will determine the United States’ representatives at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
Six former Huskers have qualified for the event, as Liam Cronin (57 kg), James Green (65 kg), Jordan Burroughs (74 kg), Tyler Berger (74 kg), Eric Schultz (97) and Christian Lance (125 kg) will all compete.
This group is led by the most decorated champion in U.S. wrestling history and top-seeded Burroughs who will wrestle the winner of Levi Haines and Alex Facundo first. No. 3 seed Green also received a bye in the opening round and will face the winner of Jesse Mendez and Joey McKenna in the quarterfinals. Lance was awarded the sixth seed and will wrestle Greg Kerkvliet in the finals, while Cronin and Schultz both received a seventh seed with Cronin wrestling Jax Forrest and Schultz facing Isaac Trumble. Rounding out the group is Berger who is a 10th seed and will meet Alex Marinelli in the opening round. The event begins on Friday with sessions at 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. (CT). … more at … Huskers.com/Six-huskers-to-compete-at-us-olympic-team-trials
TDR Top 12 Team includes 4 Tarboro wrestlers – TDR # 31 – 85
Pictured above are (L-R) the old TDR Editor Fleming, Tarboro High catcher Stephen Rubistello, N.E.C.P. wrestlers Holton Quincy, Ryan Mann and Colton Lewis.
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On Tuesday April 16th, before the Tarboro baseball game with North East Carolina Prep, The TakeDown Report presented the TDR Top 12 team plaques to four outstanding wrestlers in the town of Tarboro. TDR Editor Martin Fleming presented the award plaques to State Champion Ryan Mann, State Champion Holton Quincy, State Placer Colton Lewis and State Placer Stephen Rubistello (who is also a pretty good baseball player).
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Iowa State’s David Carr claims Amateur Wrestling News’ 9th annual Hammer Award
Iowa State’s David Carr claims Amateur Wrestling News’ 9th annual Hammer Award for winning most competitive weight at NCAAs
Amateur Wrestling News will present The Hammer, its annual award, to Iowa State’s David Carr.
The award is presented to the wrestler who wins the national title at what the writers at AWN determine to be the most competitive weight class during the NCAA Tournament.
Carr won the 165-pound title in Kansas City, defeating Penn State’s Mitchell Mesenbrink in the finals and two-time NCAA champ Keegan O’Toole in the semifinals. Carr won his first NCAA title in 2022, but at 157 pounds. There were eight returning All Americans at 165 pounds. Carr finished the season 17-2.
Past Hammer recipients include Logan Stieber, Alex Dieringer, Spencer Lee, Zahid Valencia, Bo Nickal, Nick Lee, Keegan O’Toole, and Vito Arujau. … more at … Themat.com/Iowa-state-s-david-carr-claims-amateur-wrestling-news-9th-annual-hammer-award
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
Takedown Report 