Gable on kids trying international styles, other sports
Editor’s Note: WIN Publisher Bryan Van Kley sat down with wrestling legend Dan Gable for an exclusive interview about current topics in the sport. This article appeared in WIN’s Volume 31 Issue 9, which was printed on June 5, 2025. For more practical advice from Gable for wrestlers, coaches and parents, buy a WIN Digital or Combo Subscription here. Archived Q&As with Gable are in every issue in the Archives Section.
WIN: Why do you think it’s important that wrestlers continue from folkstyle into the Olympic styles?
GABLE: There’s really no difference between them (the styles); they’re all wrestling. Wrestling’s wrestling. If you put an opponent on their back and pin them, you win. If you’re good on your feet and good on the bottom, that carries over for both freestyle and scholastic wrestling.
Terry Steiner (head U.S. women’s freestyle coach who wrestled for Gable in college) doesn’t agree with me on this. And I don’t know where Bill Zadick (U.S.’s head men’s freestyle coach who also wrestled for Gable) is on it, but that doesn’t matter. They can have their own beliefs. I believe if you know how to “escape in reverse”, then you’re going to be better because you’re going to get taken down less by knowing how to scramble. You do things to escape in situations like when somebody shoots on you. You stop them, and you escape from them, so they don’t get you. In fact, even better, as they shoot, you score and go around them or snap them down or whip them over. You’re learning defensive moves that work too.
So, I really believe scholastic wrestling is a very important part of our Olympic success. And you’re going to say, well, these kids have been doing this all their life, and they’re really better on defense. Well, yeah, so the first thing I learned in wrestling is just to get off your back, because that’s (getting pinned) a match-ending move. The second thing I would teach in freestyle and Greco-Roman is how to keep from getting ankle-laced and gut wrenched, because those are match-ending moves.
WIN: What are your thoughts on sports specialization vs. being a multi-sport athlete?
GABLE: It depends on whether you can handle one sport, so you don’t get burnt out, and it depends on your size. For me in high school, one of the reasons I didn’t do anything but wrestle was because I was 95 pounds, then 103 and 112. And then when I had started having success a lot, and I learned, it helped me from a motivational point of view. For most people, I think you need to be involved in more activities.
However, if you’re going to be a three-sport person, and let’s say you love wrestling, football and baseball but you’re going to move forward with wrestling after high school, I would add freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. Those come in at a different time, mostly in the summer when you’re out of school. … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2025/06/26/gable-on-kids-trying-international-styles-other-sports/
12 Senior National Team berths determined at True-Third Place Matches prior to Final X
The final 12 members of the 2025-26 Senior National Team berths in men’s and women’s freestyle were determined in True Third-Place matches, held prior to Final X at the Prudential Center.
There were five men’s freestyle matches and four women’s freestyle matches contested, with three women’s freestyle berths determined by forfeit. These matches determined the No. 3 spot on the national team, which provides financial support in terms of a stipend, plus training and competition opportunities.
Men’s Freestyle summaries
At 57 kg, former Nebraska star Liam Cronin secured a 10-3 victory over Stanford’s Nico Provo, 10-3. Cronin led 1-0 at the break on a step out, then hit a four-point takedown in the second period to take a lead that he never relinquished.
At 65 kg, high school star Marcus Blaze defeated Brock Hardy, a star at Nebraska, 8-2 for the victory. Blaze led 4-0 at the break on three step outs and a shot clock point, then scored two second-period takedowns.
Ian Parker hit a big four-point move and followed with another takedown for a 6-0 lead at the break over Bryce Andonian at 70 kg. In the second period, Andonian rallied for two takedowns and gave up a step out, giving the bout to Parker, 7-4. Parker was a star at Iowa State, with Andonian at Virginia Tech.
Jarrett Jacques earned the National Team berth at 74 kg with a tight 6-3 win over Joey Blaze. With Blaze up 2-1 leading into the closing moments, Jacquez was able score four points in the final 16 seconds, and added one point on a failed challenge.
At 86 kg, in a rematch of the 2025 NCAA finals, five-time NCAA champion Carter Starocci from Penn State defeated 2024 NCAA champion and 2025 runner-up Parker Keckeisen, 4-3. Starocci scored his four points in the first period on a takedown, a step out and a shot clock point. Keckeisen scored three second-period step outs but could not close the gap.
Women’s Freestyle summaries
At 59 kg, Aurora University star Alexis Janiak scored a 4-4 criteria decision over Xochitl Mota-Pettis. Both wrestlers scored two takedowns, but Janiak’s takedown with 58 seconds left was the final score, giving her the criteria. In a dominant effort, Alara Boyd scored three takedowns … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2025/june/14/12-senior-national-team-berths-determined-at-true-third-place-matches-prior-to-final-x
DI Board of Directors formally adopts changes to roster limits
The Division I Board of Directors on Monday adopted additional changes to NCAA rules to implement the court-approved House settlement. The changes — which codify roster limits, including legislated exceptions for current student-athletes whose roster spots would have been impacted by those limits — are effective July 1.
“With the court’s approval of the House settlement, college sports are entering a new era of increased benefits for college athletes,” said Tim Sands, chair of the board and president at Virginia Tech. “Today’s vote to codify the roster provisions of the settlement formally removes limits on scholarships for schools that opt in, dramatically increasing the potential available scholarships for student-athletes across all sports in Division I.”
Moving forward, NCAA rules for Division I programs will no longer include sport-specific scholarship limits. Instead, schools in the defendant conferences and others that opt in to the settlement rules and associated benefits to student-athletes will have roster limits, and schools will have the option to offer scholarships to any and all of those student-athletes. This change will dramatically increase the number of scholarships potentially available to Division I student-athletes, including more than doubling the possible number of scholarships that can be offered to women. NCAA schools have a deadline of June 30 to indicate whether they intend to opt into the settlement for the 2025-26 academic year.
The rules changes include legislated exceptions for current student-athletes with remaining eligibility whose roster spots would have been impacted by immediate implementation of the roster limits. Those designated student-athletes will be identified by their current or former schools, and regardless of the school for which they participate, they will not count toward that school’s roster limits for the duration of their eligibility.
The division’s core guarantees — which include scholarship protections — are not impacted by the rules changes. If a student-athlete receiving athletics aid loses a roster spot for roster management, … more at … https://www.ncaa.org/news/2025/6/23/media-center-di-board-of-directors-formally-adopts-changes-to-roster-limits.aspx
New wrestling books out for fans, history buffs
There are several books that have recently come out that many fans will find intriguing, and for a variety of reasons. What I like most is that all have strong historical impact.
Pat Kelly, a WIN contributor for several years, has produced a terrific book entitled “K-State’s Wrestling Legacy,” with the subtitle “Stories, Stats and Personalities That Shaped the Sport in Kansas and Beyond.” Pat brings an extensive pedigree to his work, having been a two-time Iowa high school state champion, a two-time Division II All-American at Nebraska-Omaha, and built a long high school coaching career in Kansas.
WIN contributor Pat Kelly
The book is loaded with fascinating stories from an important area of wrestling’s past that has been largely forgotten. “For over 50 years, Kansas State University offered a wrestling program that became the state’s flagship at the collegiate level,” reads the back cover. “However, K-State wrestling has now been dormant for half a century. ‘K-State’s Wrestling Legacy’ gives readers a comprehensive look at the program’s history and connects it to the sport’s growth in the Sunflower State and its national influence.” Many important figures from the past parade through the pages, in particular Ed Gallagher, Myron Roderick and Fred Fozzard, all who became legends at Oklahoma State. Gallagher was born in Perth, Kansas, and graduated from high school there before moving on to Oklahoma State and leading the Aggies to 11 NCAA team championships in the 1920s-1930s era.
Roderick is a native of Wellington, Kansas, who won three NCAA titles as a wrestler at OSU and coached the team to seven NCAA team titles in the 1950s and ‘60s.
I saw Fred Fozzard wrestle during his glory years at Oklahoma State and had great respect for his aggressive style on the mat. He was NCAA champion at 177 pounds in 1967 and placed second and third, as well. In 1969, he and fellow Oregonian Rick Sanders became America’s first world champions ever. Fozzard was K-State’s last head wrestling coach, … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2025/06/24/several-must-read-books-for-wrestling-fans-history-buffs/
Kent State Names Josh Moore as Wrestling Program’s Seventh Head Coach
KENT, Ohio – Kent State Vice President and Director of Athletics Randale L. Richmond announced today the hiring of Josh Moore as the seventh head coach in Golden Flashes wrestling history. Moore, who previously served as head coach at Cleveland State University for seven years, returns to Kent State, where he began his coaching career as an assistant coach from 2004-2015.
“We are very excited to welcome Josh and his family back to Kent State,” said Richmond. “His deep connection to our program and his proven track record of developing championship caliber wrestlers on the mat, in the classroom, and throughout the community makes him the ideal leader for the next era of Golden Flashes wrestling.”
Moore brings 21 years of Division I coaching experience to the position, including impressive achievements at Kent State and Cleveland State. During his tenure as head coach at Cleveland State, he guided the program to national recognition, helping the Vikings achieve one of the top team GPAs in the nation over the past five years while leading the MAC in Individual Academic All-Americans.
His coaching accomplishments include mentoring 10 All-Americans and 69 NCAA Division I qualifiers throughout his career. At Kent State, Moore was instrumental in developing the program’s first-ever NCAA champion, Dustin Kilgore, and helped guide the Golden Flashes to four top-25 team finishes at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. “Coming back to Kent State as the Head Coach is truly a dream come true for my family and me,” said Moore. “I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity and fired up to bring the energy, passion, and purpose every single day. Ohio wrestling family, Let’s build something special-together!”
Beyond his coaching success, Moore has demonstrated exceptional leadership in academic achievement and community engagement. He helped Cleveland State Wrestling earn a perfect 1000 Academic Progress Rate (APR) in 2023-2024 and has been instrumental in maintaining team GPAs above 3.25 throughout his career. His fundraising efforts have generated significant support for wrestling programs, including leading Cleveland State as the top Giving Day Ambassador and securing over $200,000. … more at … https://kentstatesports.com/news/2025/6/13/kent-state-names-josh-moore-as-wrestling-programs-seventh-head-coach.aspx
Akron’s Ken Dies receives honor from National Wrestling Hall of Fame
By Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal
When Ken Dies opened a letter at his Highland Square home on June 25, the message caused his wife, Carol, to shed tears of joy.
Dies learned he will have a place in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The letter from the Hall of Fame’s executive director, Lee Roy Smith, states the hall’s Ohio chapter nominated Dies to receive the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award, and the national HOF’s board selected him for the honor. “It’s just overwhelming,” Dies told the Beacon Journal by phone. “I did not expect this.” More on the Dies family: Akron Public Schools gives wrestling enthusiasts proper recognition
An Akron native, Dies is the face of a wrestling royal family Northeast Ohio has known for decades.
The Dies family started running high school and youth tournaments in the late 1970s. After Bill Dies died in 1987, Ken Dies inherited his father’s role as tournament director. His involvement with Ohio Youth Wrestling, the Walsh Jesuit Ironman tournament and the Bill Dies Memorial Wrestling Tournament held at Firestone CLC made him a popular figure in the sport throughout the state.
Now Dies, 81, is being honored at the national level. “My one brother, Steve, he’s a nut,” Dies said with a laugh. “He’s putting me in the same category as Dan Gable. He said, ‘You’re in the same hall of fame as Dan Gable.'” … more at … https://www.newsbreak.com/share/4075349339325-akron-s-ken-dies-receives-honor-from-national-wrestling-hall-of-fame?_f=app_share&pd=0IMTzHkC&lang=en_US&send_time=1750951613&s=i16&trans_data=%7B%22platform%22%3A0%2C%22cv%22%3A%2225.25.0.37%22%2C%22languages%22%3A%22en%22%7D&sep=ns_foryou_rank_exp_25q2-v7%2Cns_foryou_blend_exp_25q2-v7%2Cns_foryou_recall_exp_25q3-v4%2Cns_foryou_model_exp_25q2_v2-v8
Mike Finn named WIN’s Journalist of the Year
By Tristan Warner
Mike Finn’s journalism career spanned 47 years, with over 21 of those years spent as editor of WIN Magazine.
Finn, who dabbled in the sport of wrestling at Columbus High School in Waterloo, Iowa, admittedly, never found success on the mat, but he fell in love with what wrestling taught him. It challenged him as an individual. He took those life lessons and applied them to his professional career, chasing down stories and truth just as wrestlers chase down takedowns and pins.
Now, after retiring from his post in early February, Finn has been recognized as WIN’s 2024-25 Journalist of the Year. “It is kind, and I am honored,” Finn said. “I would like to start by thanking Mike Chapman, the creator of WIN Magazine. Dan Gable, who was a hero to me as a kid, I got to know professionally, spending two hours a month talking about the sport and life.
“Thanks to Bryan Van Kley, who gave me some independence to do what I felt needed to be done, and so many coaches, athletes, and writers who would help me produce WIN Magazine. You need these people. You cannot do it by yourself.”
WIN publisher Bryan Van Kley said, “We’re excited to name Mike as this year’s Journalist of the Year Award winner, as he was a true professional journalist. He really understood the power of a great story, is a really good writer, and worked extremely hard to promote the sport by getting the most interesting stories of wrestling’s athletes and coaches out to the general public.”
Finn took a lot of pride in his role as WIN editor, and he insisted his primary goal was being able to share people’s stories. He believes everyone has a unique one to tell. He never shied away from challenging athletes and coaches with tough questions that drilled down deeper than the surface level. “Wrestlers and coaches will be candid, but they need to be challenged a little bit more,” Finn explained. “Everybody out there who has an opinion now thinks they’re a journalist. A journalist tries to be fair and look at all angles. An opinion writer is different.
“Coaches and athletes hear more from the opinion makers than the journalists asking fair questions. Journalists have got to come together and build up more and be willing to take risks. If someone is going to subscribe and pay for a publication, they want quality. They want to find the story.”
Finn recalls an era where, not just in wrestling but across the board, athletic programs, coaches and the athletes themselves needed journalists to produce content to market and promote them. The new era of technology, in which programs have the capability to do a great deal of promoting themselves, Finn said, has presented challenges for the old-school journalist. “In the newspaper era, journalism challenged people with stories. … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2025/06/06/mike-finn-named-wins-journalist-of-the-year/
Nebraska’s Mark Manning named WIN’s Mike Chapman Impact Award recipient
By Tristan Warner
hen Mark Manning was asked how it felt to be the recipient of WIN’s 2025 Mike Chapman Impact Award, his instinctive reaction was to immediately begin deflecting all credit and attributing his program’s success to everyone other than himself. “It is really nice recognition for my staff, the team, just all the guys that make it happen,” Manning said. “Even though I am the recipient, I feel really blessed and thankful for all the people that invest in our program.
“It starts with the commitment that our guys have to being their very best. I have a great staff around me. (Bryan) Snyder, Tervel (Dlagnev), James (Green), our trainer, our strength coach; it is such a united group.”
In addition to earning his 200th dual-meet victory, Manning’s 2024-25 Huskers claimed a second-place finish at the NCAA Championships after accumulating 117 team points, eight All-Americans and two national champions in Ridge Lovett and Antrell Taylor. Brock Hardy also reached the finals, giving the Huskers three back-to-back-to-back NCAA finalists. The historic finish gave Nebraska two NCAA champions for the first time since 1984, when Jim and Bill Scherr won consecutive titles at 177 and 190, respectively.
As a result, Manning was named the 2025 NWCA NCAA Tournament Coach of the Year. Nebraska also put together an 11-3 dual meet record with a 6-2 mark in Big Ten action this season, which solidified them as a Top-5 program in WIN’s final Top-20 Dual-Team Rankings.
Notably, of the Huskers’ eight AAs, all but one outperformed his seed, with No. 17 Jacob Van Dee, No. 12 Christopher Minto, another No. 12 in Silas Allred, and No. 20 Camden McDanel all landing on the podium.
But as high achieving as Manning’s squad has been on the mats, his impact is more far-reaching for everyone involved in the Husker wrestling program while also sending ripples throughout the collegiate wrestling landscape.
Awarded annually since 1995, in 2008, WIN started to name its Impact Award after WIN founder Mike Chapman, who actually shared the award in 1999 with his wife Bev. Mike has written over 500 columns on wrestling and several books on the sport. “In his long career, Mark has earned many accolades as a competitor, coach and leader, at all levels, and we are delighted to add his name to the long list of Impact winners,” Chapman commented. “This past season marks the high point of a tremendous coaching career and showed the entire wrestling community what dedication and determination are all about.”
Manning always makes it a point of emphasis to take wrestling-related questions and scale his answers to address facets of life that transcend the sport. “Our top goal is to create a high-character person,” Manning said. “We do a lot of investing in developing our student-athletes and our wrestlers from their character standpoint. Your word is important. How you approach your work is important. If you want to max out as a person, you have to develop physically, mentally and spiritually.
“We equip them with a elite-level mindset and an approach to how you treat people. Our team is very respectful to our opponents, they know how to handle themselves and represent the University of Nebraska in a first-class manner. They want to imitate greatness.”
In a new era of NIL deals and seemingly never-ending transfer portal movers and shakers, it is worth noting that just one of Nebraska’s 10 starters from the 2024-25 season, All-American Caleb Smith, did not begin his career in Lincoln (App State).
The loyalty and buy-in from Nebraska’s student-athletes are evident, and Manning believes it starts with the recruiting process that promises to deliver a life-long investment. “We have developed a reputation that we are going to do things the right way,” Manning said. “It is a lifetime commitment. It is not us trying to convince the right kids to come here; it is them choosing us because they know they can do it here. We attract people who want that next level experience.
With the Nebraska Wrestling Training Center already famous for producing the likes of seven-time World and Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2025/05/31/nebraskas-mark-manning-named-wins-mike-chapman-impact-award-recipient/
Northern Iowa’s Doug Schwab named WIN’s Dan Gable Coach of the Year
By Tristan Warner
Since 1997, WIN has annually named its Coach of the Year by Dan Gable.
Gable is arguably the greatest coach the sport has ever produced. As a wrestler, the native of Waterloo compiled a 118-1 record and won two NCAA titles (1969 and 1970) before capturing the 1972 Olympic gold medal in freestyle. As a coach, he led the Iowa program for 21 years (1977-97) and produced 15 team championship, 45 individual titlists and 144 All-Americans.
The 2025 Dan Gable Coach of the Year is Northern Iowa’s Doug Schwab, who is making his mark and impacting the lives of student-athletes in Cedar Falls, just eight miles down the road from Gable’s hometown. “Obviously it is a great honor,” Schwab stated. “I appreciate the recognition. I got to be coached by Gable and an award named after him is pretty cool. I am pretty proud of that.
“People have to understand it is beyond you as the head coach. It is the whole staff. I have a high level of responsibility in being the guy leading the charge, but it doesn’t happen without the assistants and the support staff following up behind you and doing so much of the work.”
The 2024-25 season was a historic one for Schwab’s program, as the Panthers’ ninth-place finish at the 2025 NCAA DI Championships in Philadelphia was the highest since 1962. Parker Keckeisen also became the first-ever five-time All-American in UNI history, registering a runner-up finish at 184 pounds.
Named the 2025 NWCA National Coach of the Year, Schwab’s UNI squad was just one of four schools (Penn State, Cornell and Ohio State) to qualify all 10 wrestlers for the national tournament, a feat which had not occurred at UNI since 1986. Northern Iowa’s other All-American, Cael Happel, registered a fifth-place finish at 141 pounds, the highest finish for a Panther at the weight class since Dylan Long reached the finals in 2003.
The Big 12 runner-up Panthers, who were narrowly edged by Oklahoma State in the tournament’s final match, secured the program’s best Big 12 finish with three conference champions and 149.5 team points. The Panthers’ dual-meet season was equally impressive, as the squad posted a 14-1 record with a 7-1 mark in Big 12 action, only falling to Oklahoma State, 22-14. UNI defeated national contender Nebraska, ranked fourth at the time, 24-9, on Jan. 5 and toppled storied Big 12-rival Iowa State, ranked No. 14 at the time, … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2025/05/30/northern-iowas-doug-schwab-named-wins-dan-gable-coach-of-the-year/
Iowa leads Division I men’s wrestling in home attendance for 18th straight season
New Brighton, Minnesota – The University of Iowa once again led the nation in NCAA Division I men’s wrestling attendance, averaging 13,640 fans per dual across seven home meets, as the National Wrestling Media Association released its annual attendance report on Thursday.
Iowa drew a capacity crowd of 14,897 twice last season, filling Carver-Hawkeye Arena for duals against rivals Iowa State and Oklahoma State.
Penn State ranked second, drawing an average of 9,007 fans, including a season-high 15,998 for its dual with Iowa. That figure ties the indoor attendance record Penn State set in 2018 and matched in 2023 at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Oklahoma State moved up one spot from last season to finish third with an average of 7,597, highlighted by a crowd of 10,740 against Missouri. The David Taylor effect was clearly evident, as this marked the program’s highest home attendance average at Gallagher-Iba Arena since record-keeping began in 2002. The previous high average was in 2019 (5,226.6).
There were 10 duals with over 10,000 fans nationwide, marking the first time in recorded history there were at least 10 duals surpassing five figures. Iowa’s Carver-Hawkeye Arena hosted seven duals surpassing 10,000, while Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center hosted two and Oklahoma State’s Gallagher-Iba Arena had one. The previous high for most duals with over 10,000 fans in a season is nine, set in 2023 and tied in 2024.
Of the 127 Division I men’s duals with over 10,000 fans historically, more than half (67) have come in the last 12 college wrestling seasons. There were no attendance records kept for the 2020-21 season.
Iowa State, which ranked third last season, slid to fourth but still drew over 33,000 total fans. The Cyclones averaged 5,533.5, with a high of 9,470 coming against Oklahoma in a co-hosted event with the Iowa State gymnastics team at Hilton Coliseum. Rutgers continued its reputation for lively home duals, jumping from ninth to fifth with an average of 4,228, including 8,097 fans for its home dual against Penn State.
The closure of historic West Gym forced Northern Iowa to move its home duals to the McLeod Center, resulting in an attendance surge that propelled the Panthers into the top 10. UNI leaped from 12th to sixth with a school-record average of 4,222. Ohio State improved slightly from eighth to seventh, averaging 3,975 at the Covelli Center. Nebraska climbed from 11th to eighth, averaging 3,817.5, with a high of 6,661 at the Devaney Center against Iowa.
Note : N.C. State placed 13th with a 2,530 average and North Carolina Univ. placed 21st with an average attendance of 1,652 which is up from being listed 41st the year before. … more at … https://www.nationalwrestlingmedia.com/2025/05/iowa-leads-division-i-mens-wrestling-in-home-attendance-for-18th-straight-season/
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 