USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender receives ACES Stephen D. Ducoff Leadership Award
USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender has received the respected Stephen D. Ducoff Leadership Award as presented by ACES, the Association of Chief Executives of Sport.
The Stephen D. Ducoff Leadership Award is given periodically to an ACES Member who has made significant contributions to the organization and its members over time. The award is in honor of Ducoff, the ACES co-founder, who served as CEO of ACES from 2007 until his passing in 2017.
Rich Bender has been Executive Director of USA Wrestling since 2000, leading one of the most successful National Governing Bodies of Olympic sport through six Olympic quadrenniums, with a focus on the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Olympics . He is one of the longest serving CEOs in the history of the Olympic family, and is the longest serving Executive Director in USA Wrestling history.
From 2010-2016, Bender was elected chairman of U.S. Olympic Committee’s National Governing Body Council, representing over 13,000,000 members from all of the NGBs affiliated with the U.S. Olympic movement. Bender was also elected in 2019 to serve as a USOPC Board Member representing the NGB Council, a position he still holds.
Bender received the award during the ACES Conference in Huntsville, Alabama on October 15.
“It was my honor to present the 2024 award to Rich Bender at the ACES Conference, on behalf of the ACES Board and our members. His wide-ranging positive impact on the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement and the sport of … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2024/october/30/usa-wrestling-executive-director-rich-bender-receives-aces-stephen-d-ducoff-leadership-award
Using The Big Lebowski Quotes to Preview the 2024-25 College Wrestling Season
I remember the first time I saw The Big Lebowski. My Dad and I rented it from a Hollywood Video and watched it on our own while my Mom was out of town. I don’t think I got it. I remember it was funny, but I remember being way more confused than I was laughing. I was maybe 13 at the time. Since then my sense of humor has become more developed, and I now regard this as one of my favorites and one of the funniest movies ever made. The timing, layering of the jokes, uniqueness of the characters, and plot. It’s one of one, and it’s funny every time. A couple of years ago I hit some storylines headed into the NCAA season by using Vision Quest quotes. This year I’m doing the same, but with the masterpiece that was at one point the vision of the Coen Brothers. Join me as we roll like tumbling tumbleweeds into some of the exciting things to look for in the NCAA 2024-2025 wrestling season.
“It’s down there somewhere, let me take another look” – The Dude as he gets his head dunked in a toilet by a goon asking for the money.
What a great way to start a movie and introduce us to an icon. With respect to this season though, this was a lot of us waiting for the wrestling schedules before they finally dropped.
Finally, though, they are out and we can begin planning the excitement we are about to watch. I was picturing myself sitting on a couch with some snacks and a tasty beverage as I watch some of our favorite wrestlers go to work. Whether it’s Michigan and Minnesota, Ohio State against Iowa, or Penn State against Nebraska, we are ready to go! It’s set and we are ready to rock!
“The rug really tied the room together” – The Dude, Walter, and Donnie at various points.
Sadly the rug is gone, and so are some of the greats we had from last season. Vito Arujau, Aaron … more at … https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/using-the-big-lebowski-quotes-to-preview-the-2024-25-college-wrestling-season-r99681/
Unique Dual Venues for the 2024-25 Season
With the collegiate wrestling season ready to kick off fans are once again excited to fill up the iconic arenas throughout the country such as Carver Hawkeye Arena, Hilton Coliseum, Rec Hall, or Gallagher-Iba Arena. However, it is becoming more and more common for high-level duals and other competitions to take place in other non-traditional venues. Could it be possible that these events outside of traditional campuses allow matches to air on more and more streaming services? The answer is likely yes. It also can create a different environment and hopefully stir up interest around the competition. Whatever the reason, it has led to matches taking place in some interesting spots. In the end, you only really need to roll out a mat and set up a scoring table for a collegiate wrestling match. The following looks at some of the unique venues that will host NCAA Division I wrestling this season.
October 31st – The “Dual at the Daddy” Wyoming vs. Campbell
Campbell has been at the forefront of avant-garde venues in the collegiate wrestling world. During the 2022-2023 season, the Fighting Camels wrestled Michigan and North Carolina in an airplane hangar at the military base formerly known as Fort Bragg. At one point it rained, and a match had to be delayed while they repositioned an aircraft and closed the hangar doors.
Last year, they faced off against Wyoming in the aptly named “Battle in the Barn,” which, you guessed it, took place in a barn. Of course, it was a very nice barn at the Deerwood Ranch in Laramie, Wyoming. Per the website, the wedding venue features “rehearsal, ceremony and … more at … https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/unique-dual-venues-for-the-2024-25-season-r99680/
Lindland Inducted to National Wrestling Hall of Fame
Former Nebraska wrestler and coach Matt Lindland is to be inducted to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member, announced Thursday, Oct. 31. Lindland is the fifth Husker to receive the honor.
The 1993 Big Eight champion was a volunteer assistant coach at Nebraska under Tim Neumann for four seasons from 1996-2000. Lindland assisted in coaching 10 All-Americans for the Huskers, including a standout 1999-2000 season that saw Nebraska crown four All-Americans and finish eighth as a team. Nebraska was 52-25 in his four seasons in Lincoln.
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame honors distinguished members as “a wrestler who has achieved extraordinary success in national and/or international competition; a coach who has demonstrated great leadership in the profession and who has compiled an outstanding record; or a contributor whose long-term activities have substantially enhanced the development and advancement of the sport.”
Lindland also had a storied career wrestling for the Huskers. He helped NU to its best finish ever in 1992-93, compiling a 36-1 record, with an 11-0 dual mark at 158 pounds. His victory total put him in the top 10 in single-season wins, and his .973 winning percentage tied him for No. 1 on NU’s all-time list with Bill Scherr. Lindland’s only loss came at the NCAA Championships, which prevented him from All-America honors.
His season was the driving force behind Nebraska’s No. 2 final dual ranking and third-place NCAA finish. He won the Big Eight title at 158 pounds and helped NU to the 1993 Big Eight team title.
Lindland continued his wrestling career on the international level, earning a silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and competing at four World Championships. He was also named the 1999 USA Wrestling Athlete of the Year. … more at … https://huskers.com/news/2024/10/31/lindland-inducted-to-national-wrestling-hall-of-fame
2024-25 Campbell Preview
Hi besties, long time no see. Leaves are falling, the wind is a little chillier, and wrestling mats have been rolled out. It’s time to talk about our SoCon season.
The Camels added TJ Dudley to their coaching staff this summer. Dudley, a three-time All-American at 184 lbs (Nebraska), comes to the Creek following three seasons of coaching at Brown University. Speaking of Nebraska, the Camels will host the #3 Cornhuskers on November 15, on the infield at the historic Jim Perry Stadium. Intermission will feature a star-studded exhibition presented by CLAW Wrestling between Jordan Oliver and Bryce Andonian. The match that will surely bring the heat on that chilly Friday in November. Also, it’s looking like a 125lb rematch of (former) SoCon rivals #25 Anthony Molton and #4 Caleb Smith (NEB).
But before I get ahead of myself with the schedule, Campbell, continuing to wow fans with fun venues to experience wrestling – from aircraft hangars to battling at barns, the Camels know how to make wrestling fun. Dual at the Daddy will take place on the spookiest night of the year – Halloween. At Frontier Park in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the Camels and the (#25 Wyoming) Cowboys are set to face off for a special dual. So special, it required a waiver from the NCAA to begin the season on October 31. The scary-good matchup of the evening will be at 197 lbs – #17 Joey Novak (WYO) vs #20 Levi Hopkins. Hopkins, the returning Southern Conference Champion, would be defending his 2-0 streak against Novak.
Jake Patacsil is another addition to the Campbell Wrestling staff. Patacsil boasts a rich coaching resume – having held assistant coaching positions at NAIA and NCAA DI and DII programs, Coach Patacsil was also the head coach for the inaugural season of Mount Olive’s wrestling program (2018). An All-American at 149 for Purdue, Patacsil is likely working with the middleweights. Campbell is slated to host five duals this season and will be on the road for WrangleMania, the Knockout Collegiate Classic, the Southern Scuffle, the Chippewa Challenge, … more at … https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/socon/2024-25-campbell-preview-r99667/
Presbyterian College Men’s Wrestling Reveals 2024-25 Schedule
CLINTON, S.C. – Turning the page to their sixth season in program history, the Presbyterian College men’s wrestling squad has announced their full 14-match schedule for the upcoming campaign.
The Blue Hose are set to begin the 2024-25 journey next Sunday inside Templeton Gymnasium, starting off a season at home for the first time since starting the program in 2019.
Interestingly, PC’s layout underneath head coach Mark Cody is devoid of any tournaments, favoring duals from start to finish. Presby hopes to build on a three-win trek last spring, kicking off the season on Sunday against one of their victims from a year ago when Sacred Heart visits Clinton.
The garnet and blue remain in the Southern Conference along with eight other schools, wasting little time in wrestling their first league opponent (November 17). Coach Cody’s gang is comprised of 25 student-athletes, 18 of which are returners. Presbyterian figures to sport six grapplers who competed in regular SoCon matches last year, including 184-pounder Caleb Roe who finished in 4th place at the league tourney.
NOVEMBER
– A 1:00 PM date with Sacred Heart will officially unscrew the lid off the regular season in six days, as the Blue Hose look to repeat a 29-21 win against the Pioneers at a neutral venue in their last encounter.
– PC will stay in Templeton two weeks after the season-opener for an ultra-early SoCon meeting, welcoming Davidson for a 3:00 beginning.
– On Saturday, November 23, the Scotsmen will hit the road for the first time when traveling to Duke University for a tri-dual in Durham. … more at … https://gobluehose.com/news/2024/10/28/mens-wrestling-pc-mens-wrestling-reveals-2024-25-schedule.aspx
UNC-Pembroke Wrestling Renames Tournament In Honor Of Former Head Coach PJ Smith
PEMBROKE – UNCP wrestling’s long-standing preseason tournament, the Pembroke Classic, has been renamed the PJ Smith Pembroke Classic, athletic department officials announced Monday.
“This is a fitting tribute to Coach Smith and his legacy at UNCP and in our community,” said UNC Pembroke Director of Athletics, Dick Christy. “The Pembroke Classic provides a wide spectrum of mat opportunities for student-athletes to compete, something that really aligns with Coach Smith’s efforts to grow the sport of wrestling in our community, region, and state.”
“Coach Smith started this tournament back in the ’80s when he took over as head coach at UNCP, and is the longest-standing preseason tournament in the southeast, as well as one of the longest-standing in the country,” said UNC Pembroke head wrestling coach OT Johnson. “As we all know, PJ was an instrumental part of wrestling in the southeast region, and this tournament is indicative of that. I had a chance to wrestle in this tournament as a collegiate athlete, and it is surreal to be honoring the man that made that possible with the renaming of this event.”
The event is still the longest-standing annual athletics event for UNC Pembroke. … more at … https://uncpbraves.com/news/2024/10/28/wrestling-renames-tournament-in-honor-of-former-head-coach-pj-smith.aspx
Wyoming Wrestling Dominates Campbell, 28-12, in the Dual at the Daddy
CHEYENNE, Wyoming (10/31/24) – The University of Wyoming wrestling team and Campbell opened up the 2024-25 NCAA wrestling season Thursday night in the Dual at the Daddy. And with the entire collegiate wrestling world watching, the Pokes didn’t disappoint.
In fact, they dominated. Wyoming, at Frontier Park on the grounds of Cheyenne Frontier Days, toppled the Fighting Camels, 28-12. “It’s awesome. I love doing these things,” Wyoming’s Jore Volk said. “It was fun too. The crowd was awesome. They’re right on top of you. It was an awesome experience, and I hope we do something with UFC Fight Pass every year.”
These same two teams met last year at the Battle in the Barn. That event was put on by UFC Fight Pass, as well, and Campbell came out on top, 23-12. The revenge exacted by Wyoming on Thursday was quick and loud. The Cowboys sprung two upsets in the first three bouts and rode that to winning seven of 10.
No. 2 Volk (125) got things started with a methodical 2-0 win over No. 13 Anthony Molton. An escape point and a ride-time point accounted for the only scores.
Stockton O’Brien (133) had the match of the night. He pinned No. 15 Domenic Zaccone in the second period and was named Wrestle of the Night for his upset. He was gifted a WWE-style belt following the dual.
Cole Brooks (141) followed suit. He upset No. 29 Shannon Hanna with a takedown in overtime for a 5-2 sudden victory.
No. 25 Jared Hill (157) also won in overtime. He defeated Seth Larson, 8-5.
Cooper Voorhees (165) grinded out a 4-2 decision win over Kendrick Hodge. … more at … https://gowyo.com/news/2024/10/31/wrestling-dominates-campbell-28-12-in-the-dual-at-the-daddy.aspx
Prendergast wins at 103; UMO competes at home event
MOUNT OLIVE (Nov. 4) – In the opening event of the 2024-25 season, freshman Lillian Prendergast captured individual medalist honors in the 103-weight class on Saturday, as the Trojans featured a trio of wrestlers on the podium at the Trojan Open in Kornegay Arena.
The University of Mount Olive women’s wrestling program had eight wrestlers in the event, including four newcomers to the roster. The Trojans featured at least one wrestler in seven of the 10 weight classes. Prendergast posted a perfect 3-0 record at 103 on Saturday in her first collegiate competition with Mount Olive. After receiving an opening-round bye, she produced a fall in just 48 seconds over Olivia Collins of Greensboro in the quarterfinals before defeating Morgan Repasky of Montreat by a 10-0 tech fall. In the championship match, Prendergast captured the individual title via forfeit over Angelina Casteneda of Cumberlands.
Freshman O’marzria Wright delivered a stellar performance in the 110-weight class after finishing as the runner-up behind a 3-1 mark. She won by fall in the opening two rounds after defeating Chloe Carver of Montreat and Ashley Courtney of Cumberlands. In the semifinals, Wright posted a victory via a 12-2 tech fall versus Payton Agnell of Lindsey Wilson but fell the title match to Reagan Thomas of Lindsey Wilson by an 18-7 tech fall.
In the 207 weight class, sophomore Andrea Smith produced a fourth-place finish … more at … https://umotrojans.com/news/2024/11/2/womens-wrestling-prendergast-wins-at-103-umo-competes-at-home-event.aspx
Hatcher Nominated for Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame
The man who is responsible for bringing a Division I wrestling program to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has been nominated to the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.
Greg Hatcher is a nominee for the 67th class in the regular (under 65) voting category for wrestling. Inductees are selected based on the lasting impact and contributions they’ve made to their respective sports. Voting will continue until Oct. 31. Those who would like to vote may join the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. “It’s nice to be nominated for my work with wrestling, but it’s never seemed like work,” Hatcher said. “It’s just been fun helping grow wrestling in the state and across the country. Of all the things I have been involved in, nothing has been more satisfying than watching kids turn into confident, strong men through wrestling competition. Once you’ve wrestled, everything else is easy.”
When Hatcher graduated from Michigan’s Alma College in 1983, he was captain of the wrestling team and named All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association in wrestling. He was also a member of three hall-of-fame wrestling teams, two hall-of-fame baseball teams, and six MIAA championship teams. Following graduation, he coached baseball at Notre Dame University for one year. Hatcher was named the Distinguished Alumnus by Alma College and was inducted into the Alma College Sports Hall of Fame in soccer, wrestling, and baseball. In 2008, he became a member of the Alma College Board of Trustees. Hatcher’s greatest work has come from his efforts in getting wrestling started in Arkansas. Hatcher founded The Arkansas Wrestling Association and has purchased the mats for 65 high schools and 13 colleges to help get new programs started at these schools. For his efforts, he has been honored with the Dan Gable America Needs Wrestling Award, named WIN Magazine’s Man of the Year, and awarded the Certificate of Merit by the Arkansas Activities Association. Hatcher has been inducted into the Arkansas Wrestling Hall of Fame as well as the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
In February 2009, the Jack Stephens Center at UA Little Rock hosted the first sanctioned high school state wrestling tournament, featuring 460 athletes from 40 teams. This early connection between UA Little Rock and the high school wrestling community helped pave the way for the university to establish the first NCAA Division I wrestling program in Arkansas.
In 2018, Hatcher donated $1.4 million for Division I wrestling to be added to Little Rock Athletics. The Greg Hatcher Wrestling Center is named in his honor. In 2019, UA Little Rock honored Greg and Lee Hatcher as the honorees of SpectacuaLR, Little Rock Athletics’ biggest annual fundraising event in support of student-athletes.
Neil Erisman, a Kansas high-school state champion and Big 12 champion at Oklahoma State, came to UA Little Rock to serve as head coach. The Trojans are coming off a historic season this year. The Trojans captured the Pac-12 regular season, … more at … https://lrtrojans.com/news/2024/10/21/wrestling-hatcher-nominated-for-arkansas-sports-hall-of-fame.aspx?utm_medium=sidearm-email&utm_source=lrtrojans.com&utm_campaign=Hatcher%20Nominated%20for%20Arkansas%20Sports%20Hall%20of%20Fame&utm_content=1d0699f2-f646-41da-adfe-5ba03cafba7d
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 