Cal Poly Wrestling to Host 75th Anniversary Celebration on Nov. 3-4
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — The Cal Poly wrestling program will hold a special 75th Anniversary Celebration during its 2023-24 season-opening weekend on Nov. 3-4, featuring a golf tournament, a pair of duals against Rutgers and Duke at Mott Athletics Center, a parade of All-Americans and a scheduled keynote speech from alum Victor Glover, the first Black astronaut to complete a long-term stay on the International Space Station.
The jam-packed weekend celebrating 75 years of Cal Poly wrestling kicks off at 9 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 3, with the program’s 20th annual golf tournament at the Avila Beach Golf Resort. A 75th Anniversary ceremony will take place on Saturday, Nov. 4, with Glover, a former Cal Poly wrestler, giving the keynote speech (subject to change by NASA). Glover served as pilot and second-in-command on the SpaceX Crew Dragon, named Resilience, which launched in November 2020, and was recently named the pilot for the crew that will travel around the moon on Artemis II, the first crewed mission on NASA’s journey to establishing a long-term lunar presence for science and exploration.
Action on the mat gets underway on the evening of Friday, Nov. 3, as the Mustangs host a pair of duals at the Mott Athletics Center to open their 2023-24 season. First at 6 p.m., Cal Poly takes on Duke. Then the team caps the night at 7:30 p.m. by hosting Rutgers, ranked No. 14 in InterMat’s preseason national rankings.
Prior to facing the Scarlet Knights, the Mustangs will hold a parade of All-Americans to honor the 116 Division I and Division II All-Americans during the program’s history.
On Saturday, the program will hold an open practice in the Rec Center wrestling room starting at 9 a.m. Then Cal Poly’s 75th Anniversary Celebration will take place in the Multi-Activity Center on campus, with a cocktail hour and silent action beginning at 2:30 p.m. Dinner will be served at 3:30 p.m. with the program for the event to follow soon after. … rest of story at … GOpoly.com/news/2023/9/30/cal-poly-wrestling-to-open-2023-24-season-with-75th-anniversary-celebration
Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight: Andrew Alirez
As Hispanic Heritage Month continues, USA Wrestling aims to spotlight athletes in the Hispanic community that have had an impact on the sport both on and off the mat. Andrew Alirez, hailing from Greeley, Colorado, is a strong example of an athlete that represents his heritage while striving to make a difference in the sport of wrestling.
Alirez announced recently that he is taking an Olympic Redshirt to focus on qualifying to represent the United States at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. Alirez, the 2023 NCAA National Champion at 141 pounds, has had a special career at the University of Northern Colorado, becoming the program’s first national champion since 1962. Alirez is a 2018 Pan American Champion at the U20 age group level and most recently won the Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial at the Senior level in July. In 2020, Alirez was the Senior Nationals champion at 65 kg.
Alirez found his passion for wrestling early on, and decided to continue his wrestling career just a few minutes from home at the University of Northern Colorado. Alirez’s story is not just about personal triumph and dedication to wrestling, it’s also about the influence of his Hispanic heritage and the responsibility he feels to represent his community.
“Being Hispanic is a very important part of my identity, in many ways it shapes who I am. Hispanic fighters are known for their toughness and unstoppable determination, and I try to embody those values within my wrestling and life. Never waiver, don’t complain, and stay solid through tough times,” Alirez shares.
However, his journey in wrestling was not without challenges. … rest of story at … Themat.com/news/2023/september/29/hispanic-heritage-month-spotlight-andrew-alirez
North Carolina University Wrestling ANNOUNCES 2023-24 SCHEDULE
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Entering year one under the direction of head coach Rob Koll, the North Carolina wrestling program announced its schedule Tuesday morning, prior to the 2023-24 campaign.
The slate features seven preseason top-25 matchups, including four ranked matchups inside Carmichael Arena.
The Tar Heels open the season hosting the Carolina Duals on Nov. 2, matching up against Oregon State, Queens, and Greensboro College.
To close the month of November, Carolina will face Buffalo and Arizona State at WrangleMania (Nov. 11), and travel to Illinois for matchups with Central Michigan and the Fighting Illini (Nov. 18).
The first tournament of the season will beginning the final month of the calendar year, with the Tar Heels traveling to the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 1-2). After two weeks off, Carolina returns to Chapel Hill to square off with Morgan State (Dec. 16), followed by traveling to in-state foe Appalachian State (Dec. 17) the following day.
After capping off 2023 at Soldier Salute in Iowa City (Dec. 29-30), fans will have back-to-back opportunities to see the Tar Heels against Ivy League programs Penn (Jan. 12) and Harvard (Jan. 13).
To finish the regular season, Carolina will compete at home against Navy (Jan. 28), Pitt (Feb. 9), and Duke (Feb. 23), with road duals against Virginia Tech (Jan. 26), NC State (Feb 2), and Virginia (Feb. 16). … rest of the story … GOheels.com/news/2023/9/26/wrestling-announces-2023-24-schedule
Duke Wrestling Unveils 2023-24 Schedule
DURHAM – Duke wrestling head coach Glen Lanham announced the team’s schedule for the upcoming 2023-24 season on Wednesday. The Blue Devils will compete across five months and six states against several nationally-ranked opponents from last season.
The season gets underway on Nov. 3, as the Blue Devils travel to the West Coast to go head-to-head with Rutgers and Cal Poly at 4 p.m. (ET) and 6 p.m. (ET), respectively. Duke continues the California road trip the following day (Nov. 4), traveling north to Stanford for a dual match against the Cardinal.
Continuing the road swing, Duke heads to Morgantown, W.Va., for the West Virginia Duals on Nov. 12. The Blue Devils open the day at 1 p.m., against the host Mountaineers, before taking on Kent State at 3 p.m., and ending the day with Cleveland State at 5 p.m. The month concludes with the 27th annual Keystone Classic in Philadelphia, Pa., on Nov. 19.
December brings three more road duals in their home state as the Blue Devils head to Davidson, N.C., to face the Wildcats on Dec. 8, before closing the month in Charlotte, N.C., on Dec. 19 against Queens University and The Citadel.
Ringing in the New Year in Chattanooga, Tenn., Duke makes its 20th appearance at the Southern Scuffle on Jan. 1-2, before returning home the following week (Jan. 8) for the home-opener against Appalachian State at 5 p.m.
The Blue Devils hit the road once again, traveling to Boiling Springs, N.C., to compete against Gardner-Webb Jan. 16 in a 6 p.m. matchup.
Duke then returns home to welcome Chattanooga (Jan. 19) and open its challenging conference schedule against Virginia (Jan. 26) and Pittsburgh (Feb. 2). Following their three-match homestand, the Blue Devils head to Blacksburg, Va., to face ACC runner-up Virginia Tech on Feb. 9.
The Blue Devils host 2023 ACC Champions NC State in the final home dual of the season, before making the quick trip down Tobacco Road for the regular season finale at North Carolina, Feb. 23. … rest of the story at … GOduke.com/news/2023/9/27/wrestling-unveils-2023-24-schedule
Appalachian State Wrestling Announces 2023-24 Schedule, Season Ticket Info
BOONE, N.C. — App State Wrestling head coach JohnMark Bentley on Tuesday announced a 2023-24 schedule that features a difficult SoCon slate and nonconference dual matches against three opponents with top-10 national rankings, including two that are among the four ACC programs facing the Mountaineers this season.
NC State, North Carolina and Cornell are all coming to Boone, starting with the Friday night season opener against the Wolfpack on Nov. 3 in Varsity Gym and continuing with UNC’s visit on Dec. 17. And like NC State (No. 3 national ranking to end 2022-23) and Cornell (No. 8), road opponent Virginia Tech finished last season in the top 10 of the NWCA Coaches Poll.
The Mountaineers return starters from seven of 10 weight classes following a 12-2 season in which they earned a No. 20 final national dual team ranking, secured a SoCon regular-season title with an 8-0 league record, posted a SoCon sweep by winning the conference tournament and had six wrestlers qualify to compete at the NCAA Championships.
To purchase season tickets, buy directly online at AppStateSports.com, contact the ticket office at 828-262-7733 or visit the App State Athletics ticket office located at the Holmes Center.
Season tickets for the 10 regular-season competitions (with two doubleheaders and two tournaments) on App State Wrestling’s home schedule are available for $60 (adults). Single-event tickets will be available at a later time.
Families are encouraged to sign up their children to become members of the Junior Mountaineer Kids Club, an exclusive club for children in eighth grade or below. The cost is just $35 a year, and members receive free admission with their JMKC credential to all home wrestling duals as well as an App State merchandise pack that includes a T-shirt, clear bag, magnets and more. Families with multiple children receive a discounted membership fee after the first child.
In addition to annual tournaments like the Mountaineer Invitational (on Nov. 11) and the Appalachian Open (on Jan. 27), App State will welcome four SoCon league foes to Boone: The Citadel, VMI, Bellarmine and Gardner-Webb (regular-season finale in Varsity Gym on Feb. 25). There will be SoCon road trips to Presbyterian, Campbell (Feb. 2 against the 2022-23 runner-up), Chattanooga (Feb. 11 against the third-place finisher from 2022-23) and Davidson.
App State, Campbell and Chattanooga have claimed, in some order, the top three spots in the SoCon standings for eight straight years. … rest of the story at … APPstatesports.com/news/2023/9/26/-20-wrestling-wrestling-announces-2023-24-schedule-ticket-info
UNC Pembroke Wrestling Announces 2023-24 Schedule
PEMBROKE – Four home dates, as well as road trips to Pennsylvania, Florida and Indianapolis, highlight the 2023-24 UNC Pembroke wrestling schedule that was released on Wednesday by head coach Othello “O.T.” Johnson.
Fans can get an early look at the team on October 25 at 7 p.m. when the Braves suit up for their annual Black & Gold intra-squad event. Admission to that event, as well as all home dual meets, is free.
The Braves will kick off their newest campaign on November 5 when they host the 42nd Annual Pembroke Classic. Admission to the Pembroke Classic is $10 for the day. Students with a valid student ID are free.
The Black & Gold will be in action for their first home dual meet on November 16 against Lander for Pep Rally & School’s Night. The meet will begin at 7 p.m. at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.
UNCP will load the busses in mid-December to head to Indianapolis, Ind., for the 44th Annual Midwest Classic. The two-day event will take place at Nicoson Hall. The Braves will then trek south to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for the Citrus Invitational on December 29.
The Braves will be back at home for Alumni Weekend and Military Appreciation Day on January 13 for a tri-meet with Coker, Allen, and Davis & Elkins. A start time will be announced at a later date.
UNCP will close out their regular season on February 9 for Senior Night and Heart Night with Belmont Abbey. The meet is slated to begin at 7 p.m. at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court. … rest of story at … UNCPbraves.com/news/2023/9/27/wrestling-announces-2023-24-schedule
Kenny Monday ready to lead HBCU Wrestling renaissance
Kenny Monday and Morgan State are looking to be the leaders of an HBCU wrestling renaissance when the Bears make their return to the mat for the first time since the 1996-1997 season.
“We were looking for a way to help the community and see what we could do to advance the sport. We all knew that there’s no programs at HBCUs, so we wanted to give the kids an opportunity to come to HBCUs and wrestle. Then doing the search and that whole thing, they came to me and asked me to take over the position. When I thought about it, at first I was a little apprehensive about it just because I’m kind of at the end of my career and was kind of ready to sit back and relax and just be a fan. Once I looked into it and did a deep dive into the opportunity, I thought it would probably be more of an impact if someone like myself would take over the position and then lead the program. Once I really looked at it and thought about it, it’s bigger than me. I wanted to make sure that I got this program off to a good start,”
Monday could not have been a more perfect candidate for this position. He has a legendary wrestling career that started back in his youth in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He would grow to become successful at the sport and win several awards to cement his name among one of the best to ever touch the mat. “Undefeated in high school, 140-0, and won four-time state champ at Booker T. Washington, and then from there, I went to Oklahoma State and then of course, three-time All-American, NCAA champion in 1984. Then from that point, I went to the Olympics in ‘88 (gold), ‘92 (silver) and ‘96,” … rest of story at … Tri-cityherald.com/sports/college/articlesource=Wrestling+News
Davidson Unveils Renovated Charles W. Parker Wrestling Room
DAVIDSON, N.C. – The Davidson wrestling program recently unveiled renovations to the Charles W. Parker Wrestling Room which now boasts added practice space, new mats, new wall padding, office space, and exercise equipment.
Siblings of Charlie Parker, who the room was named after, assisted with the ribbon cutting ceremony on September 16 to officially open the new wrestling room. Buzz Parker Jr ’66, Bonnie Parker, Bruce Parker, and Laura Beth Whittemore Parker were all in attendance.
“The ceremony to unveil our new wrestling room was made more special with the attendance of four of the five Parker siblings,” said head coach Nate Carr Jr. “Coach Parker had a great impact on this program, and it was an honor having his family in attendance today.”
The refreshed space, which features over 5,000 square-feet of practice and office space sports brand new practice mats that cover the wrestling room from wall-to-wall, brand-new wall padding that surrounds the entire perimeter of the wrestling area, as well as two treadmills, eight stationary bikes, free weights, bleacher seating, a large flat screen television, and updated wall decals.
Also, a new office space has been added directly within the wrestling room to give scholar-athletes direct access to a meeting space with staff members. This space can accommodate up to six people and has viewing access of the wrestling room.
“We are extremely excited about the renovations to our wrestling room,” said Carr. “The upgrades have given our athletes a state-of-the-art resource to train at a high level, and it also given us more space to utilize during practices. This renovation will go a long way in benefiting both our program and our scholar-athletes.” … rest of story at … Davidsonwildcats.com/news/2023/wrestling-unveils-renovated-charles-w-parker-wrestling-room
What Would EIWA Conference Realignment Look Like?
With the large NCAA conferences being in the news cycle as of late, it feels right to discuss the potential of a realignment with the EIWA. Conference realignment “is so hot right now” in the words of Zoolander – so it has me asking, what would it look like? When would it occur? What other questions do we need answers to? The EIWA is the only wrestling-specific DI conference in the nation. This is part of what makes it unique. In a pessimist opinion, this also makes it susceptible to fading away forever. I say this because every school in the EIWA has a parent conference the school is part of where other sports are played. A perfect example of this is the Ivy League schools. There is no Ivy League wrestling conference tournament, so they are included with the EIWA schools at the end of the year.
This makes the perfect transition to how this article came to fruition. By the looks of it, the Ivy League teams will eventually withdraw from the EIWA to start hosting their own conference championships. I use the term “eventually” because it’s been discussed over the past few seasons with no real timeframe. It does appear to be picking up steam lately and will become a reality. Let’s assume the Ivy League schools leave. The conference would become an 11-team conference once Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Harvard, Penn, and Princeton withdraw.
Of the remaining teams, there is a hodge-podge of parent conferences represented. Actually, six to be exact. This is not a normal conference. It’s not uncommon for a wrestling conference to absorb a team from another sports conference because the school’s main conference does not have wrestling. A prime example of this is Missouri. Every sport in the athletic department competes with the SEC. We know the SEC does not have a wrestling conference, so the Missouri wrestling squad is a Big 12 Conference affiliate. There are a few examples of this elsewhere.
The Patriot League is home to American, Army, Navy, Lehigh, and Bucknell. The American East conference is home for Binghamton. The CAA is the sports conference for Drexel and Hofstra. Long Island and Sacred Heart each call the Northeast Conference home in their athletic department. The lone division 3 school, Franklin & Marshall, belongs to the Centennial Conference. … rest of story at … Intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/eiwa/what-would-eiwa-conference-realignment-look-like
USA wins 2023 Senior Worlds overall medal count for second straight year with 14, Japan second with 12
In 2022, the United States won the overall medal count for all disciplines at the Senior World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia for the first time in history, capturing 15 medals.
In 2023, with the Senior World Championships back in Belgrade, Team USA did it again, winning the overall medal count back-to-back with 14 total medals.
The United States medal haul included seven in men’s freestyle and seven in women’s freestyle. Overall, the USA had four individual champions: men’s freestyle gold medalists Vito Arujau (61 kg), Zain Retherford (70 kg) and David Taylor (86 kg), plus women’s freestyler Amit Elor (72 kg). Taylor won his third career World title, and Elor won her second straight gold medal, while Arujau and Retherford won their first Senior World title.
Silver medals went to women’s freestylers Jacarra Winchester (55 kg) and Macey Kilty (65 kg) plus men’s freestyler Kyle Dake (74 kg). Bronze medalists were women’s freestylers Jennifer Page (59 kg), Sarah Hildebrandt (50 kg), Helen Maroulis (57 kg) and Adeline Gray (76 kg) and men’s freestylers Kyle Snyder (97 kg), Zahid Valencia (92 kg) and Mason Parris (125 kg).
Gray won her ninth career Senior World medal, six golds and three bronzes, and along with her 2020 Olympic silver medal, she is now up to 10 overall medals. Maroulis is now a seven-time World medalist, with three gold medals, two silver medals and two bronze medals, and with her two Olympic medals, now has nine overall medals. Snyder continued his streak of winning a medal for the United States to nine straight years, starting with his World gold medal in 2015. His Senior World medal haul is seven medals, three gold, two silver and two bronze, and with his two Olympic medals, is now up to nine total medals.
The USA had the most medals in men’s freestyle and the second-most in wonen’s freestyle behind only Japan.
Japan placed second in the overall medal count with 12 medals, including eight in women’s freestyle, two in men’s freestyle and two in Greco-Roman. Included were six golds, three silvers and three bronzes. Japan won the medal count in women’s freestyle.
Iran was third on the medal table with 10 medals, … rest of story at … Themat.com/news/2023/september/27/usa-wins-2023-senior-worlds-overall-medal-count-for-second-straight-year-with-14
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
