Lander wrestling announces the 2023-24 recruiting class
GREENWOOD – After finishing as the Div. II National Runner-Up, the Lander wrestling team and head coach R.C. LaHaye are proud to announce the addition of 16 new wrestlers set to join the ranks this coming season.
Along with returning nine of its 10 starters from last season, the Bearcats will welcome wrestlers from South Carolina, Florida, Missouri, Georgia and Alabama. The Bearcats will also see transfers come in from Oregon State, Seton Hill and Northern Colorado.
“We are extremely excited about this crop of wrestlers coming to Greenwood,” said LaHaye. “We have added a few instant impact guys along with some very good young guys that can develop and be ready to step up when our upperclassmen graduate.”
125- Ethan Smith -Cook TL Hannah HS (SC)- 2x Region Champion, State Placer
133- Kaden Kuenzi – (Oregon State University) 2x State Champion, 4x State Finalist / 13-6 Record at OR State in 22-23 Season
141- Reid “RJ” Noble – George Steinbrenner HS (FL) – 2x FL State Placer
141- Will Hendricks – Carolina Forest HS (SC) – South Carolina State Champion
149- Lucas Crosby – High Pointe Academy (SC) 4x South Carolina State Champion
157- Noah Bourke – Whitfield HS (MO) Missouri State Champion … rest of story at … Landerbearcats.com/news/wrestling-lander-wrestling-announces-the-2023-23-recruiting-class
NATION’S TOP YOUNG ATHLETES EXPECTED FOR THE WORLD’S LARGEST TOURNAMENT, THE USMC JUNIOR & 16U NATIONALS IN FARGO, N.D., JULY 15-22
By Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling | July 07, 2023
FARGO, N.D. – Every year, the nation’s best young wrestlers come together for the world’s largest wrestling competition, the 2023 U.S Marine Corps Junior and 16U Nationals at the Fargodome on the campus of North Dakota State in Fargo, N.D.
In 2022, the Junior/16U Nationals set a new participation record, with a combined 6,646 participants in the six national tournaments. Five of the six tournaments in 2022 saw growth over the previous year. Based upon preliminary registration from USA Wrestling’s state associations, organizers expect another new record this year, with the possibility of going over the 7,000 entries mark for the first time. There will be 30 mats used for this year’s competition.
It all started with the Junior Nationals in men’s freestyle, held in Iowa City, Iowa in 1971, which added Greco-Roman in 1972, and later was merged with the 16U Nationals (formerly the Cadet Nationals) in 1996. The Junior Nationals enters its 52nd year, held anunally except in 2020 when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2023 tournament is scheduled for July 15-22 and the field is as strong as ever. USA Wrestling has official state association team standings in all the divisions held in Fargo, adding to the tradition of state wrestling pride exhibited at this event.
The USMC Junior Nationals features high school wrestlers in grades 9-12. Every year, the Junior division features talented athletes who are proven winners, as well as many emerging stars. The 16U division features athletes who turned 15 or 16 years old in 2023 and is a tournament where athletes can begin to make a name for themselves on the national level
The combined USMC Junior and 16U Nationals has become a traditional highlight of the wrestling season. This year’s event will feel quite a bit different, due to a big change in the schedule and event presentation.
Instead of starting each of the six national tournaments on different days and holding a one-mat finals on six consecutive days, this year the tournament is broken up by discipline. Both the Junior and 16U Nationals finals in each discipline will be held side-by-side on two raised mats. It starts with women’s freestyle (July 15-16), followed by men’s freestyle (July 17-19) and Greco-Roman (July 21-22). There is a off-day on Thursday, July 20. … rest of story at … Teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2023/July/07/2023-Fargo-advance
10 Famous Transfers Before The Transfer Portal
The transfer portal made changing colleges easy, but it wasn’t always that way. Here are some big-time moves that altered the course of wrestling history.
College athletics changed when the NCAA developed the transfer portal in 2018. This became a streamlined tool for athletes to seamlessly transfer from one institution to another without losing eligibility.
This led to a steady stream of wrestlers starting their careers at one school but finishing at another. Transfer news can happen daily during the off-season.
It wasn’t always that way, though. Transferring could come at a cost if a school didn’t release an athlete. That often led to lost eligibility if a wrestler didn’t have a redshirt year to use.
Below are 10 significant transfers prior to the transfer portal.
Dale Anderson
Transferred from Iowa State
Transferred to Michigan State
Anderson’s style did not mesh well with Iowa State coach Harold Nichols. That’s why he left the Cyclones to wrestle for Grady Peninger at Michigan State. The result was the greatest era in Spartan wrestling history, which yielded NCAA titles for Anderson in 1967 and 1968 and an NCAA team championship for Michigan State in 1967. It was also the first time a Big Ten school won the NCAA tournament.
The Spartans placed first and the Cyclones placed third in 1967. Anderson won the NCAA tournament at 137 pounds and Iowa State didn’t have a wrestler win a match at that weight class. Anderson’s transfer made the ultimate difference and it gave Michigan State its only NCAA team title in program history.
Dave Schultz
Transferred from Oklahoma State
Transferred to Oklahoma
Shultz began his collegiate career at Oklahoma State by placing third at the 1978 NCAA Championships at 150 pounds. Stan Dzeidzic, a current United World Wrestling vice president and 1977 World champion, was supposed to be an assistant but, at the last minute, didn’t move to Stillwater. The departure affected Schultz’s reason for attending OSU.
Jichiro Date, a 1976 Olympic champion for Japan at 74 kg (163 pounds), was hired as an assistant during Schultz’s freshman year. This provided the Palo Alto, California, native a training environment that focused on international wrestling, which is what Schultz loved.
Date left Oklahoma State after one year and so did Schultz. He eventually re-emerged at Oklahoma when Jim Humphrey — another coach with World and Olympic ambitions — was hired as an assistant. Shultz finished second at the 1981 NCAA championships at 158 pounds then won the 167-pound title the following year prior to a freestyle career that included seven World and Olympic medals (two gold, three silver, and two bronze).
Kevin Jackson
Transferred from Louisiana State
Transferred to Iowa State
Jackson attended Louisana State for one reason: it was warm in Baton Rouge. The Lansing, Michigan, native got things cooking during his first three seasons with the Tigers by placing third, third, and seventh at the NCAA Championships from 1983-85. … rest of story at … Flowrestling.org/articles/11120697-10-famous-transfers-before-the-transfer-portal
5 major men’s college wrestling transfer portal moves — and how they impact the 2024 team title race
Building the perfect college wrestling lineup has never been simple.
A fully-funded college wrestling program has 9.9 scholarships for ten starting spots, and coaches have always had to make tough decisions about weight class depth and recruiting efforts. It’s part of the job.
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But there’s another factor at play in college wrestling today, one that is perhaps even more complex and requires even more layers of compliance to navigate successfully: the transfer portal.
Developed in 2018, the transfer portal serves as a simplified process for athletes looking to switch teams throughout their college career. The transfer portal allows athletes to announce their intentions to explore other athletic programs and open up conversations with coaches at schools both within and beyond the athlete’s current athletic conference.
The portal has created additional freedoms and opportunities for athletes and inspired great intrigue in the NCAA offseason. Some programs have had tremendous success with the transfer portal too, adding key elements to their team or filling a hole left behind by a graduating athlete. Regardless of a coach’s approach to the transfer portal, there are still rules in place in terms of how the portal can work. For instance, the NCAA specifically prohibits communication about recruiting between athletes and coaches of different teams until an athlete’s name has formally been entered into the transfer portal, making the use of the portal a necessity for anyone looking for a new athletic and academic home.
NCAA WRESTLING HISTORY: A complete list of every championship team since 1928
Athletes are allowed to alert schools of their intention to transfer and initiate communication, but, according to the NCAA rules, “the new school cannot discuss transfer opportunities with [an athlete] until they can verify notification of transfer is validated and [the athlete’s] information is entered in the NCAA Transfer Portal.” Through the transfer portal though, most athletes can acquire the necessary waivers and clearance to transfer programs without sacrificing a year of eligibility. … rest of story at … NCAA.com/news/wrestling//5-major-mens-college-wrestling-transfer-portal-moves-and-how-they-impact-2024
Every State’s Most Decorated Fargo Champion
Get ready for Fargo by taking a look at every state’s all-time most accomplished wrestler at USA Wrestling’s 16U and Junior Nationals
Note: The following list was compiled by using data from The Fargo Almanac by Jason Bryant of Mat Talk Online. The almanac is the most complete record of each state’s history at the USA Wrestling Junior & 16U Nationals. The Fargo Almanac breaks down each state’s placewinners and champions by style and age group as well as lists the unique records, lists, facts and figures from the tournament since the first Junior Nationals began in 1971. The Fargo Almanac is a $40 digital publication and can be purchased at fargoalmanac.com.
Alabama: Sam Latona — No Alabamian had won a title in Fargo until Latona claimed a 16U Greco title in 2016. Latona followed that up a year later by winning a Fargo Junior freestyle title.
Alaska: Michaela Hutchison — The state’s only multi-time Fargo champion was a four-time Junior women’s freestyle finalist and won titles in 2006 and 2007.
Arizona: Henry Cejudo — Before he won Olympic gold, Cejudo racked up five Fargo titles — three in Greco and two in freestyle.
Arkansas: Leo Bogaj — Arkansas’ lone champ won a 16U Greco-Roman title at 83.5 pounds in 1998. He also earned All-America honors once more in each style.
California: Aaron Pico and Gracie Figueroa — A pair of five-time Fargo champs. Pico won his five titles, three of which came in freestyle, during a three-year span. Figueroa swept women’s 16U and Junior titles in 2015 and 2016 and added another Junior title in 2017.
Colorado: Malik Heinselman — Heinselman piled up four titles, including three in freestyle, over a three-year stretch beginning in 2014 as an 88-pounder.
Connecticut: Erin Clodgo and Anthony Valles — Before she made a pair of women’s freestyle Senior World Teams, Clodgo placed four times in Fargo and won a pair of Junior titles. Valles won a pair of 16U freestyle titles in 2004 and 2005.
Delaware: Sheldon Thomas — Thomas was a five-time All-American who never stood lower than third on the podium, highlighted by three freestyle titles and four finals appearances.
Florida: Anthony Artalona and Shawn McCoy — Artalona was a six-time All-American, five-time finalist and four-time champ, sweeping the 16U titles in 2015 before winning Junior freestyle titles each of the next two years. McCoy doubled up on 16U titles in 1994 and 1995.
Georgia: Sean Hage — Hage is responsible for nearly a third of Georgia’s 27 titles. He swept both styles for four consecutive years to become one of the event’s two eight-time champions. … rest of story at … Flowrestling.org/articles/11106177-every-states-most-decorated-fargo-champion
NWCA High School State, Section, and National Coach of the Year Awards Released
TDR Note : Chase Holleman of Havelock H.S. was named the state Girls wrestling coach in North Carolina.
Manheim, PA – The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) proudly recognizes outstanding coaches and their remarkable achievements and dedication in the Scholastic Coach of the Year Awards Program. Each year, the NWCA honors head coaches and assistant coaching staffs in both boys and girls wrestling programs, highlighting their invaluable contributions to the sport.
The NWCA Scholastic Coach of the Year Awards Program begins with winners from each state, who then advance as finalists for the section Coach of the Year award. Finally, these exceptional coaches contend for the prestigious National Coach of the Year award, representing their coaching excellence.
NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer expressed his admiration for all coaches and their unwavering commitment to their athletes and the sport of wrestling, saying, “These coaches epitomize dedication and passion, investing countless hours in mentoring and guiding their wrestlers. They inspire and shape the future of the sport, leaving a lasting impact on the lives of their athletes.”
The NWCA is delighted to announce this year’s national winners: … rest of story at … NWCAonline.com/news/national-wrestling-coaches-association-high-school-state-section-and-national-coach-of-the-year-awards
2023 Class National Wrestling Hall of Fame State Chapter of North Carolina
(from left to right) David Barker, Paul Crouse, Sara Koenig, Ryan Blackwell and Billy Baker.
NWCA Partners with NFHS, USAW on Practical Wrestling Uniform Guide for Girls
SEATTLE- The NWCA, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) and USA Wrestling have collaborated on a Practical Wrestling Uniform Guide for Girls, released as a part of the 104th annual NFHS Summer Meeting Saturday.
“We are enthused about the growth of girls wrestling and want to continue to grow the sport in any way we can,” Elliot Hopkins, NFHS Director of Sports, Sanctioning and Student Services said. “We know that education around topics like this are essential to that growth and we are glad to provide it.”
The guide, which is in a slide format, provides information as to the optimal one-piece uniform for girls wrestlers specifically, as well as guidance as to sports bras and the need for proper equipment to ensure all girls are confident in wrestling their matches at all times. It was presented to the wrestling liaisons from each state association office represented at the NFHS Summer Meeting, and also disseminated to them electronically for distribution in their state.
The guide is to be provided to the NFHS state association liaisons, … rest of story at … NWCAonline.com/news/2023/7/1/Practical_Wrestling_Uniform_Guide_for_Girls
Why The NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee Nixed The ‘Turning Point’ Proposal
For a stretch this spring, college wrestling coaches, administrators and fans pondered the possibility of a radical change to one of the sport’s longtime scoring pillars.
In April, the NCAA wrestling rules committee proposed raising the bar for a riding time point. Instead of just needing a minute or more of advantage time, the group pushed forward a rule that would’ve also required a wrestler to score near-fall points — a proposal that became known by some as “the turning point.”
In the end, it was the only one of 14 rule change proposals that didn’t get approved for next season. The rule change process includes a two-week feedback period for coaches and administrators to weigh in on committee proposals before the NCAA’s Playing Rules Oversight Panel decides whether to give the final stamp of approval. Ultimately, the riding time change never made it to the Playing Rules Oversight Panel.
The feedback period became a turning point in sinking the turning point. The rules committee pulled it off the table after an estimated 65 percent of respondents opposed the proposal, according to Rider coach and committee chair John Hangey.
“It opened our eyes and it was a lot of traditionalist thought — and that’s OK and that’s good because we have a great sport and we want to preserve it,” Hangey said. “But at the same time, the job of the committee is to take that feedback and decipher it and analyze it and make the proper decision for the sport. And we did just that. … rest of story at … Flowrestling.org/Why-the-ncaa-wrestling-rules-committee-nixed-the-turning-point-proposal
Three Former ACC Stars Compete Off of the Wrestling Mats
Completing a career in college wrestling is an incredible mental and physical feat that prepares these athletes for all types of challenges that they will face after graduation. While many grads will never step on the mat as a competitor again, some will continue on to challenge for World and Olympic Championships or continue their career in coaching. Others will enter the business world, relying on the work ethic and perseverance they learned through countless hours on the mat. There are a select few who have branched into a new sport after completing their wrestling career. We are going to take a look at the alternate athletic careers that a few ACC wrestling alumni have pursued since graduating.
Jacob Kasper: WWE NXT Julius Creed/Creed Brothers
Duke * ACC Champion * 2x All-American (6,4) * 3x NCAA Qualifier
Kasper left his name in the Duke record books and has left a lasting legacy with the program; a legacy Kasper is proud of after receiving very few opportunities out of high school. He was a two-time Ohio state placer but didn’t have many options collegiately. “I didn’t have any big results, and I grew late in my high school career, so I didn’t really stand out to many schools,” said Kasper, “but I knew I wanted to wrestle in college so I took the initiative to recruit myself.”
Kasper sent out emails to programs across the country, but it was two ACC coaches who expressed the most interest; Glen Lanham at Duke and Pat Popolizio at NC State. “I really clicked with both of them, and I had the opportunity to wrestle for both (Popolizo at the Wolfpack RTC). They are two men who I really respect.” Ultimately, Kasper felt that Duke was the better fit for him and he made the move to Durham, becoming the first in his family to leave Ohio for college.
He started his career in Durham at 184 lbs and made an impression as soon as he got on campus. “I was beating everyone else in the room, and I was the only person scoring points on (Conner) Hartmamn. Once coach saw that, he made it clear that I wasn’t redshirting”. … rest of story at … Intermatwrestle.com/college/acc/three-former-acc-stars-compete-off-of-the-wrestling-mats
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
