11 reasons why everyone should wrestle, the sequel
By John Klessinger (former SouthWest Edgecombe coach)
Almost five years ago to the day, I wrote my first article for WIN magazine. The article was entitled “11 Reasons Why Everyone Should Wrestle.” Plenty of things have changed in my life since then. At the time, my daughter was a sophomore in high school. Now, she is a junior in college. My son was in middle school and now he is only a few months away from graduating high school.
The team I coach won its first state dual championship in 2022, which we repeated in 2023. Last year, we lost in the state dual final 33-30. The dual came down to the last match. We were down 33-27. We needed a fall to tie. A fall would give us the win by criteria. My kid pushed around his opponent for six minutes. His opponent did his job. He fought and stayed off his back, securing the match and state title for his team.
I wrote a book, “A Coach’s Manual: Everything You Need to Be a Successful Coach”, which was published by Championship Productions. Last fall, I was inducted into the Maryland Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
On a different level, while things were going well professionally as a teacher and coach, both of my kids blew out their knees. In 2020, my daughter tore her ACL. Then, in 2022, my son tore his ACL. That left a few years of constant encouragement and attempts at optimism for them both. Ironically, I ruptured my quad tendon in 2023. The doctor said it was the “old man’s version of a torn ACL.” Subconsciously, I guess I wanted to know what it was like.
On a personal level, the past five years have been very challenging. Beyond injuries, things have been difficult at times. It is a part of life. We go through difficult times. I do. You do. We all do. Which brings me back to the first article I had written for WIN, “Why Everyone Should Wrestle.”
If it wasn’t for wrestling, I am certain the last five years would have been much more difficult. Wrestling has been my anchor. It has and continues to teach me the mental toughness to deal with the challenges and continue to keep getting up over and over.
To commemorate our great sport and to celebrate my five-year anniversary writing for WIN, here is part II of 11 Reasons Why Everyone Should Wrestle.
1. Friendships and Community
Once you’ve wrestled, you become part of a special group of people. All wrestlers know the difficulty of the sport. When you meet a wrestler, you become instant friends. You share similar experiences. It is tough to explain, but wrestlers are good people. Hardworking people. Honest people. The sport teaches you the value of struggling and sacrifice. That is why most walk around with humility.
2. Physical Toughness
In some ways, this reason was in the first article — not explicitly stated but implied. However, I don’t know many wrestlers who shy away from things due to bumps and bruises. Wrestlers are physically tough. We don’t sit out because we aren’t feeling great. We do things when we are hurt and sick. Most people I know who aren’t wrestlers are quick to “find a soft place to land.” … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2024/12/03/11-reasons-why-everyone-should-wrestle-the-sequel/
Dozens of wrestlers will battle to be crowned first girls champs
After years of lobbying, girls finally get their own wrestling division in DODEA-Europe.
Those hitting the mats will be making history when the season begins Saturday at Ramstein, Wiesbaden and Vicenza.
They also will be seeking the first titles for girls at the European championships Feb. 6-8 at the Wiesbaden Sport and Fitness Center in Wiesbaden, Germany, after a few of their female predecessors fell just short over the last decade. Some have a leg up on the competition, having grappled with the boys for years, while others are giving the sport a try for the first time. They will compete across eight weight classes – 105, 110, 115, 120, 130, 140, 155 and 170-and-above. Those designations could change during the season, according to DODEA European athletic director Kathy Clemmons. Here’s a team-by-team look at the first girls wrestling season, based on responses from coaches across Europe: Alconbury The Dragons don’t have a large contingent, but they can boast having one of the most experienced wrestlers across Europe. Originally a gymnast, senior Richele Reyes switched over to wrestling when her family moved to the Netherlands. She’s qualified for the European meet three times in her high school career, finishing sixth at 120 pounds her sophomore year. … more at … https://www.stripes.com/sports/europe/2024-12-04/dodea-europe-girls-wrestling-preview-16056145.html
Fresno City Men’s Wrestling Dominates Simpson Duals as Coach Keysaw Celebrates 300 Wins
Fresno City College’s men’s wrestling team went undefeated at the Simpson Duals, marking head coach Paul Keysaw’s 300 dual wins. This milestone was earned over the nearly three decades of Keysaw’s career, showcasing not only his personal dedication but the team’s resilience. “Milestones mean I’m getting old,” Keysaw said, “But they’re a reminder of the hard work that goes into every win.”
Starting his career at Moorpark College in 1996, Keysaw joined FCC as a coach in 2006. Known for his straightforward style and focus on building highly competitive teams, he instills a relentless work ethic in his athletes. “If you want to be successful, you have to work harder than everyone else,” Keysaw said.
Under his guidance, FCC men’s wrestling team has consistently placed in the top three of California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) state championships since 2008. His ability to adapt his coaching style has been key. For sophomore Jake Prudek, ranked first in the state, the event was another stepping stone on his journey to secure a second state title.
Despite setbacks from a car accident and injury recovery, he credits his resilience to the relentless training methods instilled by Keysaw and the team’s culture of valuing hard work. “We practice until we don’t want to do one more rep,” Prudek said. … more at … https://www.therampageonline.com/sports/2024/12/04/fresno-city-mens-wrestling-dominates-simpson-duals-as-coach-keysaw-celebrates-300-wins/
Walsh Jesuit Ironman 2024: What to know about this year’s wrestling tournament
CLEVELAND, Ohio — When the Walsh Jesuit Ironman comes around you know it’s wrestling season in Northeast Ohio. One of the nations biggest in-season high school wrestling tournaments is back this season for its 30th edition.
More than 130 schools will be represented as wrestlers from 27 different states make their way to the tournament. The boys tournament will run throughout the day on Friday and Saturday, while the second annual girls tournament runs from Saturday to Sunday.
There are more than 55 Division I college commits scheduled to be in attendance as well as a handful of national powerhouse programs. That includes last season’s team champion, Wyoming Seminary (N.J.), which is always a team favorite, though it’s yet to be seen if anyone can come anywhere near the tournament record 297 points set by St. Edward in 1997.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 30th Ironman:
When: Doors open at 7 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday doors open at 9 a.m. following an 8 a.m. Mass in the Chapel. Friday, 10 a.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. (championship matches begin at 4 p.m.). A full schedule with … more at … https://www.cleveland.com/highschoolsports/2024/12/walsh-jesuit-ironman-wrestling-preview-2024-what-to-know-about-this-years-tournament.html
2024-25 Preseason National High School Wrestling Rankings: Final Update
Several states have already hit the mats, but the high school wrestling season gets underway in earnest after the Thanksgiving holiday; check out the final update to our preseason national wrestling rankings
By Billy Buckheit, Nov. 26th.
We’re here—the 2024-2025 high school wrestling season is officially underway! Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Texas have been active for a few weeks already. Illinois has joined them with a few events before Thanksgiving. Following the holiday break, every state in the country will kick off their season, except for New Jersey, which begins in mid-December.
With our final edition of the rankings before things kick off, we’ve narrowed it down to one wrestler per team, per weight. Additionally, we’ve removed Valiant Prep wrestlers since they don’t compete during the regular season. They will be added back in come March when they return to the mats in an official capacity.
The Walsh Ironman takes place next weekend (Dec. 6-7). The Ironman is widely regarded as the most challenging high school tournament in the country. It promises to deliver a ton of excitement and is sure to shake up these carefully cultivated rankings.
We say “carefully cultivated” with all the humility possible. We conduct an incredible amount of research and maintain detailed records on not just every wrestler in our rankings, but also every wrestler on our radar—probably 60 to 70 at each weight class. This level of research and record-keeping allows us to be highly accurate.
Instead of speculating or vaguely remembering results, we always have every match right in front of us. This wealth of data enables us to fine-tune the rankings. We can explain every placement. These rankings are not randomly thrown together; there’s a rationale behind where every wrestler is ranked.
One big win shouldn’t—and won’t—erase a series of bad losses. Similarly, a single bad loss doesn’t necessarily cancel out a string of significant victories. National rankings are always subject to change, as upsets are a constant factor. That’s where our detailed record-keeping comes into play.
Because we document every match for each wrestler, it’s easy for us to compare multiple athletes side by side and arrive at the most logical rankings order based on all outcomes—not just recent ones. Of course, recent results take precedence, but as we mentioned, a wrestler’s past record doesn’t disappear due to one new result, whether it’s positive or negative.
Our next update will come before Ironman. Once we have the seeds for the Ironman and the Dan Gable Donnybrook, which also takes place next weekend, we’ll make any necessary changes to weight classes. While we’ve seen lineups for many of the top teams, we know adjustments will be needed over the first few weeks of the season. … more at … https://www.si.com/high-school/wrestling/2024-25-preseason-national-high-school-wrestling-rankings-final-update-01jdnte76p05
Lander University’s Carolina Clash Results
Tigers Claim First Dual Win Down in South Carolina
GREENWOOD, South Carolina – With 2 straight opens after their home dual debut, the Salem men’s wrestling team took the chance to get back on the mats this afternoon in 4 dual matchups at Lander University’s Carolina Clash. The Tigers went 1-3 on the day including the program’s first ever dual win, which came against Lincoln Memorial in the final matchup of the day. Each dual played out as follows: Lander 52, Salem 4
In the first matchup of the day, Salem faced off with the host Lander Bearcats. The Tigers got their best performance from Seth Thomas, who scored a Major Decision win over Lander’s Lucas Crosby.
Mount Olive 45, Salem 9
Next, the Tigers took on the University of Mount Olive. David Makupson got things started for the Tigers with an early pin on Mount Olive’s Logan Tortual. Iran Love followed that up by grinding out a tight 10-3 win in his bout with Logan Haseley, but Salem fell overall 45-9.
Newberry 50, Salem 5
After a short break, Salem took on the Newberry Wolves. Seth Holt nabbed the lone bout win for the Tigers with an impressive performance to get the tech fall in his bout over Cole McCullough.
Salem 29, Lincoln Memorial 15 … more at … https://salemtigers.com/news/2024/12/1/mens-wrestling-tigers-claim-first-dual-win-down-in-south-carolina.aspx?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
And …
John Parker Leads Wolves At Carolina Clash With 3-0 Record
Nationally ranked John Parker won all three of his matches at the Carolina Clash Duals in Greenwood Sunday. The Wolves posted a 1-2 record defeating Salem and losing to #6 ranked Glenville State and Ashland (Ohio), which is the top team receiving votes outside the top 25. Parker, ranked #10 at 197 pounds registered a pair of falls and a major decision in his three matches. He pinned Kaine Morris of Ashland at 4:40, Clayton Downs of Salem at 1:09 and earned an 11-2 major decision over Isaiha Casto of Glenville State. Dayton Field (174 pounds) and Andrew Reed (184 pounds) both … more at … https://newberrywolves.com/news/2024/12/1/mens-wrestling-john-parker-leads-wolves-at-carolina-clash-with-3-0-record.aspx?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
And …
#15 Lander Picks up Two Conference Wins in 3-1 Day at Carolina Clash
GREENWOOD – The 15th-ranked Lander Wrestling team took down two Conference Carolinas opponents and the Salem Tigers on Sunday as the Bearcats hosted the fourth-annual Carolina Clash inside Horne Arena. Lander finished the day 3-1 as they fell to the Ashland Eagles in their third match of four. Lander now sits at 6-1 overall and still remains perfect at 5-0 in Conference Carolinas action.
Match 1: #15 Lander 52, Salem 4
The Bearcats opened the day with a convincing win over the Salem Tigers out of the Mountain East Conference. Lander won nine of ten bouts, all of which came via pin, technical fall or forfeit. Oren Decker (Fortson, GA), Ryan Dobbs (Seneca, S.C.), and Marvelous Rutledge (Dayton, Ohio) picked up the pins for the Blue and Gold.
Match 2: #15 Lander 26, Mount Olive 15
Lander jumped out to a 14-3 lead, aided by a pin from Isham Peace (Okatie, S.C.) and major decisions from Christian Davis (Arizona City, Ariz.) and Reid Noble (Plant City, Fla.). However, the Trojans did not go away quietly as they cut the lead down to two at 14-12 with a pin of their own and an upset decision over David Hunsberger (Duncan, S.C.) at 165.
Nathan Buckovich gave Lander some breathing room with a major decision of his own, but Mount Olive responded once again with a decision at 184 to stay within striking range. … more at … https://landerbearcats.com/news/2024/12/1/wrestling-15-lander-picks-up-two-conference-wins-in-3-1-day-at-carolina-clash.aspx?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
And …
No. RV Eagle Grapplers Sweep All Four Matches At Carolina Clash
Ashland University’s wrestling team traveled more than 600 miles to get in four matches on Sunday (Dec. 1) in Greenwood, S.C..
The No. RV-ranked Eagles’ trip back to campus won’t seem quite as long after earning wins in all four matches on Sunday. Ashland (4-1) defeated No. RV Newberry (35-12), Coker (41-4), No. 15 and host Lander (25-14), and No. 18 UNC-Pembroke (26-12).
Three Eagles individually went through the day undefeated:
- Sophomore 125-pounder Luke Acuna, ranked No. 14 in NCAA Division II, earned two pins, a technical fall and a decision.
- Sophomore 149-pounder Hayden Kuhn, No. 15 in D-II, had a technical fall, major decision and two decisions. His last win, an 11-1 major decision, came against Pembroke’s Jake Piccirilli, ranked No. 8 in the country.
- Junior 174-pounder Sevriano Garza, No. 9 in the nation, picked up the cycle – a pin, tech fall, major decision and decision.
Going 3-1 on Sunday were … more at … https://goashlandeagles.com/news/2024/12/1/wrestling-no-rv-eagle-grapplers-sweep-all-four-matches-at-carolina-clash.aspx?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
And …
Glenville Wrestling Wins All Four Matches at Carolina Clash
GREENWOOD, S.C. – The nationally ranked Glenville State Wrestling team captured four victories earlier today at the Carolina Clash on the campus of Lander in South Carolina. The Pioneers defeated No. 22 UNC Pembroke, Coker, Newberry and Mount Olive to improve to (5-1).
#5 GSU 33 | #22 UNCP 11
125: Colton Drousias (Glenville State) over Joseph Bruscino (UNC Pembroke) (TF 18-2 2:08)
133: Hunter Ross (Glenville State) over Samuel Hutchinson (UNC Pembroke) (Fall 1:48)
141: Caleb Brooks (Glenville State) over Avery Buonocore (UNC Pembroke) (Dec 2-0)
149: Jake Piccirilli (UNC Pembroke) over Gabe Onorato (Glenville State) (TB-2 2-1)
157: Keegan Roberson (UNC Pembroke) over Loranzo Rajaonarivelo (Glenville State) (TF 19-4 5:17)
165: William Lowery (UNC Pembroke) … more at … https://gstatepioneers.com/news/2024/12/1/wrestling-wins-all-four-matches-at-carolina-clash.aspx?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
No. 19 WVU Tops App State Wrestling in Debut for New-Look Varsity Gym
BOONE, N.C. — The opening home dual of App State Wrestling’s 2024-25 season featured more significant firsts.
The Mountaineers won two matches and held late leads in two other high-profile battles during a 37-8 loss to No. 19 West Virginia on a cold, snowy Friday that didn’t deter an enthusiastic crowd. It was the debut for a new-look Varsity Gym, highlighted by the unveiling of a C. Philip Byers Scoreboard with video capabilities and a Barker Arena display. Spectators filled new premium bleacher seats on the main floor of Varsity, putting groups of fans on three sides of a new competition mat.
“It was a really awesome atmosphere tonight, and I’m really thankful for our fans and all of App Nation that showed up,” App State head coach JohnMark Bentley said. “It was a great atmosphere to compete in. Obviously, I wish we would have performed a little better, but the venue was awesome.”
Carson Floyd’s overtime takedown gave him a 4-1 decision over Rune Lawrence at 197 pounds, and Kaden Keiser’s 21-5 tech fall of Blake Boyers at 149 pounds produced five team points for the Mountaineers (0-2 with a pair of losses to top-20 opponents).
West Virginia (3-0) earned bonus points in six of its eight wins. Finishing the first period on top, eighth-ranked Will Miller held a 3-1 lead with 1:41 in riding time entering the third period at 165 pounds against third-ranked Peyton Hall, a two-time All-American. Miller went up 4-1 on an escape early in the third and nearly followed that with a takedown, but Hall prevented a score and produced a tying takedown with 43 seconds left.
With Miller’s riding time falling under a minute, he was unable to record a tiebreaking escape. Instead, Hall put Miller in a compromised position that led to a signal for back points before ending the match by fall with 11 seconds left.
The other dramatic match started the dual, as App State’s Chad Bellis jumped out to a 7-1 … more at … https://appstatesports.com/news/2024/11/22/no-19-wvu-tops-app-state-wrestling-in-debut-for-new-look-varsity-gym.aspx
Men’s Wrestling Finishes Big Weekend in Georgia and North Carolina
NEWPORT NEWS – The Apprentice School men’s wrestling team has completed its weekend of action as the team was split between the Lucha Open near Atlanta and a quad match at East Carolina Saturday. Starting with the Lucha Open, the Builders sent 10 wrestlers to the Peach State for competition. In the Gold Division, Ethan Baker and Caleb Hartung each notched a win in their competitions. Baker, wrestling at 174, started his tournament with a quick pinfall of St. Thomas’s Daniel Garlin before falling in a pair of close decisions. Hartung had a long first match of the day at 285 but finished it off with a pinfall in the final minute of the match. He then fell in a close decision to Life’s Nate Glass before a major decision loss in the consolation bracket.
In the Silver Division, Lucas Vannostrand saw a lot of action at 125, wrestling in six matches. He started the day with a pair of pinfalls late in the first period of both opening matches. After losing his third match of the day, he bounced back with a 9-0 major decision win over Cumberland’s JaRi Campbell and a pinfall over Montreat’s Ayden Goodman. His tournament came to a close with a tough 6-4 decision loss.
Nathan Gipson went 1-2 at 133, winning by major decision over St. Andrews’ Briant Witherspoon … more at … https://gobuilders.com/news/2024/11/24/mens-wrestling-finishes-big-weekend-in-georgia-and-north-carolina.aspx
Mount Olive wrestlers honored
Nicolosi voted Wrestler of the Week
GREENVILLE, S.C. (Nov. 26) – After producing a 5-1 record in the 165-weight class last week, University of Mount Olive freshman Brent Nicolosi was selected the Conference Carolinas Wrestler of the Week by the league office on Tuesday afternoon.
Nicolosi earned a conference dual win over Lincoln Memorial and finished on the podium at the Life Open. On Wednesday night, he produced a second-round fall over Julian Smith in a 46-9 win versus Lincoln Memorial in Conference Carolinas action.
Over the weekend, Nicolosi registered a 4-1 mark to place second overall in the 165-gold division. Following an opening-round bye, he earned back-to-back victories via tech fall over Grayson Pennison of Williams Baptist and Eli Clemmons of Cumberland. Nicolosi continued forward with a 7-5 decision against Trent Mahoney of King before a 4-1 decision in the semifinals over Reese Jones of Life. In the championship bout, he dropped an 11-4 decision to Rocky Raby of St. Thomas. … more at … https://umotrojans.com/news/2024/11/26/wrestling-nicolosi-voted-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx
And …
Bramhall named Wrestler of the Week
GREENVILLE, S.C. (Nov. 26) – For a fourth-straight week, the University of Mount Olive women’s wrestling program claimed the Conference Carolinas Wrestler of the Week, as sophomore Savannah Bramhall earned the honor on Tuesday afternoon.
A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Bramhall earned a first-round fall over Shonticia Taft in the 160-weight class, as the Trojans improved to 3-0 in Conference Carolinas action following a 45-5 win over Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday night.
Bramhall garners the accolade for a consecutive week and joins Lillian Prendergast as a two-time recipient of Wrestler of the Week this season. … more at … https://umotrojans.com/news/2024/11/26/womens-wrestling-bramhall-named-wrestler-of-the-week-cc.aspx
In Memory of Coach Jerry Daniels
| We pass along this notice for a worthy cause. We remember “Mousey” as a positive man with a great love of wrestling and people. Your support would be appreciated. — TDR Editor & Staff |
| Friends of Coach Jerry Daniels You may have heard the sad news of the passing of Coach Jerry Daniels in Raleigh on June 20,2024 at the age of 92. He was well known to thousands of people primarily because of his absolute passion for the sport of wrestling. He coached at two colleges, a couple of high schools and refereed hundreds of high school and college wrestling matches for over 60 years and served as a coach at summer wrestling camps for over 50 years! Imagine how many kids and coaches knew him! Imagine how many fans yelled at him for making a “bad call” as a referee! You know if you talked for any length of time with Coach, you never forgot him. The purpose of this contact with you is to ask you to consider something special. Anyone who talked to Coach always got an earful of wrestling stories. In all the stories, his absolute love for the sport of wrestling shined through. Another thing that always shined as well was his attitude of serving people and going out of his way to help people…of all stripes. He often worked for free or stepped outside of his world of wrestling to give help or advice to someone. He would often drive for miles or stay up late into the night to help someone. My quick personal story with Coach began my junior year at NC State when he came to be our assistant wrestling coach, after leaving the head coaching job at Pfieffer College. At the beginning of my senior year, my head coach Al Crawford suddenly died at a wrestling tournament in Atlanta, GA. This led to Coach Daniels becoming head coach of the Wolfpack, a position he held for 7 years. He finished with a 60-36-3 dual meet record. He continued in the sport for many more decades as a camp clinician and referee. For me personally, my contact with him literally changed the trajectory of my life. I digress a bit to give you the brief story. My senior year, he gave me a copy of the first Athletes in Action magazine. Inside there was a story about AIA starting a new traveling all-star wrestling team to travel the US and around the world with the goal of competing at the highest level and sharing their faith with anyone who would listen. Long story made short, we joined AIA wrestling and never got back to the hopeful engineering career. Wrestling for the USA on two world championship teams and the Pan Am team changed everything for me. Now, I am a Certified Financial Planner. Who knew? My life was forever redirected, humanly speaking, because Coach Daniels handed me a magazine and said, “Hey you might be interested, read this.”. He did that because he cared for me! I am forever grateful that he cared. You too may have a similar impactful story. We want to honor Coach Daniels with a permanent memento in Reynolds Coliseum, to memorialize his life and influence. Consider joining me and my friends to make this happen as soon as we can, preferably before the current wrestling season ends. I would love to honor Coach and give a token of our appreciation to his family at a dual in January or February. This means we need to fund it before the end of 2024. Our goal is to raise at least $25,000. We already have big start with a couple nice gifts and look forward to seeing what you may consider. Any size gift will be greatly appreciated. Keep in mind that gifts made to the Wolfpack Club in support of this initiative are tax deductible and will honor Coach Daniels as well as supporting wrestling in our community. Your gift can be made online by clicking Coach Daniels Wrestling Fund or by check made payable to Wolfpack Club, PO Box 37100, Raleigh, NC 27627. If you have questions don’t hesitate to call me, or you can reach out to Ben Broussard at the Wolfpack Club, Ben.Broussard@Wolfpackclub.com or by phone at 919-605-2321. Thanks! Greg HicksClick Here to Donate to the Coach Daniels Wrestling Fund |
| Copyright © 2024 Wolfpack Club, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Wolfpack Club PO Box 37100 Raleigh, NC 27627-7100 |
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
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