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Heidelberg 2016-2017 Preview

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heidelberg[1]Team: Heidelberg University
Head Coach: Tony Patrizi
Years at School as Head Coach: 3
Career Record at Current School: 16-23
Assistant Coaches: Chris Donaldson and Justin Kihn

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2015-2016 Dual Meet Record: 6-11

2016 NCAA Qualifiers: Justin Kihn (133, 4th), Damon Cheek (149), Aaron Banko (165), Dillen Decker (184)

Returning NCAA Qualifiers (any year): Nino Majoy (285, 2015), Decker

Top Returning Starters: Ryan Hornack- 6th in Mideast Region, Nino Majoy-2x NCAA Qualifier, Dillen Decker- 1x NCAA Qualifier

Top Incoming Wrestlers: Hayden Bates- 2x Oregon State Champ, Dallas O’Green- 2x Michigan State Champ, Naseef Kareem, 1x Maryland State Placer, Dylan Roth-1x Ohio State Placer, Slade Todd- 2x Michigan State Placer







Thiel 2016-2017 Preview

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Thiel_athletics_sm[1]Team: Thiel College
Head Coach: Craig Thurber
Years at School as Head Coach: 14
Career Record at Current School: 124-96
Assistant Coaches: Kraig Smith, Matt Lowry, Brett Smith, Jake Lowry, Jerrold Roosa

2015-2016 Dual Meet Record: 9-10

2016 NCAA Qualifiers: Brett Beltz (157)

Returning NCAA Qualifiers (any year): Beltz

Top Returning Starters: Vince Vahaly 125, Jason Miller 141, Brett Beltz 157 NQ, Chris Nuss 165, Dominic Farabaugh 174

Top Incoming Wrestlers: Gage Gladysz 197 3rd in PIAA, Austin Bonacci 149 PIAA qualifier, Justin Johnson 184 PIAA WPIAL qualifier, John Sims 165, PIAA Northwest Regional qualifier, Tyler Sims 174, PIAA Northwest Regional qualifier







Keystone 2016-2017 Preview

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Image result for keystone giantsTeam: Keystone College
Head Coach: Steve Mytych
Years at School as Head Coach: 1st
Assistant Coaches: Cody Kievman and Stephen Mytych

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Top Incoming Wrestlers: Antonio Lopez Maryland State 3rd, Charles Johnson Pa/NY State 5th, Zack LeBarron 2X PA State Qualifier

Season Outlook:
Keystone begins their first year of competition since 1991 and their first ever as a member of the NCAA.







St. Olaf 2016-2017 Preview

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stolaf_logoTeam: St. Olaf College
Head Coach: Sean Ahrar
Years at School as Head Coach: 12
Career Record at Current School: 33-55
Assistant Coaches: Jim Raczynski and Phil White

2015-2016 Dual Meet Record: 0-10

2016 NCAA Qualifiers: Garrett Beaman (174, 7th), Zach Gibson (285)

Returning NCAA Qualifiers (any year): Beaman

Top Returning Starters: Garrett Beaman All- American 7th place 2016, Troy Beaman 12-2 Record with 12 falls

Top Incoming Wrestlers: Lucas Womack, Luke Wallace (IL State 6th place at 120), Collin LaBrosse (4 time MN state qualifier), Mike Matheson (MN state 6th place), Benji Keillor (State Qualifier). Daniel Gehrz, Sebastian Hyta (Washington State High School Champion at 195)







CWRU 2016-2017 Preview

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Case CWRU logoTeam: Case Western Reserve University
Head Coach: Danny Song
Years at School as Head Coach: 1
Career Record at Current School: 1-7
Assistant Coaches: Chas Busz, Jaes Jones

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2015-2016 Dual Meet Record: 1-7

Top Returning Starters: Matt Moy, Luke DiMuzio, Connor Gordon, Nick Tommas, Nate Tommas, Gavin Dersh-Fisher, Brian McNamara

Top Incoming Wrestlers: Alec Hoover three time all state Washington (5th, 1st, 2nd). Michael Petersen two time all state Illinois (5th, 3rd)







Averett hires Tommy Owen as first head coach

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Averett University has announced the hiring of Tommy Owen as the first wrestling coach in school history. Owen most recently was an assistant coach at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville and also has coached at George Mason University and Boise State. Averett will begin competition in the 2017-2018 season and will be the 5th Division III wrestling team in Virginia along with Washington & Lee, Ferrum, Hampden-Sydney, and Southern Virginia.

Averett hires Owen as first head coach of men’s wrestling program

DANVILLE, Va. — Averett University Director of Athletics Meg Stevens announced the hiring of Tommy Owen as the first head coach of the men’s wrestling program Friday. The Cougars will begin competition during the 2017-18 academic year.

Owen has spent the last two seasons as the head assistant coach at Division I Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where he has coached NCAA national qualifiers and two conference champions in each of the past two years. His teams have also been successful in the classroom, earning a top-14 Division I National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic Team ranking both years.

“I would like to thank Averett President Dr. Tiffany Franks and Director of Athletics Meg Stevens for this amazing opportunity,” Owen said. “I couldn’t be more humbled and excited to be chosen as the inaugural head coach at Averett. Having spent time as a college coach in Virginia, and with my wife being born and raised in the state, I feel this is the perfect opportunity for me to start a program at Averett and continue to build and strengthen wrestling in the state of Virginia and as a whole.”

Since 2013, Owen also served as a USA Wrestling national team volunteer coach, coaching a silver medalist and a bronze medalist at the 2014 University World Championships in Hungary.

“Tommy has a tremendous amount of coaching experience at many levels in the wrestling community,” Stevens said. “His knowledge and passion will be a great asset as we begin our first men’s wrestling program at Averett.”

Before joining SIUE’s coaching staff, Owen coached at Division I George Mason University from 2011-14 while also working as the regional training center coach for the Patriot Elite Wrestling Club. Owen’s collegiate coaching experience also included a stint from 2007-2008 as an assistant at Division I Boise State University, his alma mater.

Owen has also coached a number of club and high school teams, including a position as the head freestyle wrestling coach for Virginia USA Wrestling.

As a collegiate wrestler, Owen competed for Boise State in 2006-07. He began his wrestling career at Division I University of Minnesota, where he was a two-time NCAA national qualifier. He finished seven at the University Nationals Freestyle in 2003, was the Fila Junior National Champion in 2002 and competed at the Junior Pan American Championships in Bogota, Colombia, where he finished second in Greco-Roman and third in Freestyle. While at Minnesota, the team won the 2002 national championship and was the 2003 national runner-up. The Gophers also won the Big 10 Conference championship both of those seasons.

In high school, Owen was a three-time Washington state champion and a four-time finalist. He was the 2001 National High School Coaches Association national champion, a 1998 Cadet National Champion and a member of the 2000 Fila Junior World Team.

A native of Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho, Owen received his bachelor’s degree in history from Boise State in 2006. He joins the Averett family, along with his wife, Jenny.

“I want to thank Mike Moyer and the NWCA along with all the organizations helping to build wrestling in all styles — folk style, freestyle and Greco-Roman,” Owen added. “Without their tireless effort and commitment to the sport, I would not have the opportunities that lie ahead of me.”




Anchoring Bias and the Regional Alignment

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Anchoring is one form of cognitive bias in which the first piece of information offered is given more weight than it deserves. Examples in everyday life include the first offer in a negotiation or when an item is listed for sale at a certain price. In a negotiation, that first amount offered tends to “anchor” the subsequent offers around that point, even if the number does not adequately reflect the value of the transaction. Regarding item prices, seeing that an item is “50% off” can cause the shopper to believe that he or she is getting a great deal because the anchor price is twice as high as the current price, even if the original price has no connection to the item’s actual value.

The current regional alignment, and subsequent attempts to change it, have demonstrated an anchoring bias. The current alignment, while incredibly flawed, has been treated as if it has value simply because it came first. Anytime someone refers to “moving” a team from one region to another, that gives a bit more legitimacy to a system that is inherently unfair. The current alignment is either the result of a mistake or bias, depending on your point of view, and it ought not be treated as worthwhile just because it was the first regional alignment used.

In order for the wrestling and championships committees to create and approve a fair system of six regions, they need to throw away the current system and start from scratch. Any effort that starts with the current alignment as a reference will propagate its unfairness into the next alignment. Throw the old system away, come up with a fair and reasonable set of guidelines for forming regions, and make sure that there is as much transparency as possible. As we head into yet another season with the same regional alignment as the past four, it is worth noting what the Championships Committee decided was appropriate for the 2016-2017 season.

  1. One region has 11 teams while others have 19, even though teams have moved in the past to keep regions at 18 or less.
  2. King’s College and Wilkes University are in different regions. The competition sites for the two schools are less than one mile apart.
  3. If you draw a contiguous line around the West Region, it looks like this:
    west2017

Regional Alignment – How We Got Here
Ice Hour Episodes 12 | 13 – both with discussion of regional alignment
2016-2017 Regional Alignment as determined by the NCAA Championships Committee
d3wrestle.com Regional Alignment Proposal

Four Year Totals 2013-2016 (since the regional system was in place)

Region All-Americans % of total AA Team Points % of total Points
Central 67 20.94 895 20.96
Midwest 65 20.31 888 20.80
Mideast 56 17.5 727.5 17.04
East 52 16.25 684 16.02
Northeast 49 15.31 612 14.33
West 31 9.69 463 10.84








Ice Hour Episode 13: Regional Controversy

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One topic that’s got Division III wrestling coaches in a tizzy is the 2016-17 realignment situation. Well, realignment is a term used loosely as there was only minimal changes in the six-region qualification system with a big point of contention centering around the West Region, with only 11 active teams.

On Episode 13 of The Ice Hour, we’ll talk with Brian Anderson, the head wrestling coach at Wabash, Bryan Brunk, the head wrestling coach at Messiah and Tony Valek, assistant wrestling coach at Augsburg to talk about the key factors, points and players that impacted the lack of full change.

New teams were added to existing regions with minimal teams shifting and no new teams entered the West Region, where perennial power Augsburg resides.

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Penn State Behrend to add wrestling for 2017

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Penn State Behrend Athletics to Add Wrestling and Women's Bowling

Penn State Behrend will add wrestling for the 2017-2018 season. The Erie, Pennsylvania, school previously sponsored the sport until 1978 and returns after a 38 year hiatus. The school has approximately 4,100 undergraduates and is part of the Penn State system. In addition to wrestling, the school will be adding women’s bowling for the 2017-2018 school year. The addition of the team at Penn State Behrend continues the trend of Division III schools adding wrestling over the past few years. The Lions will join Averett University in starting a new team in 2017, while Penn College of Technology will be postseason eligible that same season. Castleton University, Keystone College, MacMurray College, Nebraska Wesleyan University, New England College, Otterbein University, and Thomas More College will all compete for the first time this winter, and Southern Virginia University will be postseason eligible for the first time.



Penn State Behrend Athletics to Add Wrestling and Women’s Bowling

ERIE, Pa. – Penn State Behrend Department of Athletics announced today that he College will add wrestling and women’s bowling to the varsity lineup. Both team’s first seasons are set to begin in the 2017-18 school year.

“We are excited to offer these two sports to the students attending Penn State Behrend,” said Director of Athletics Brian Streeter. “We have seen the excitement around high school wrestling and women’s bowling and feel it is time to bring both sports to our campus. The quality of student-athlete we will attract will fit in well with the other student-athletes that we have competing at the NCAA Division III level.”

Wrestling is actually returning to the Behrend athletic department, as the sport was dropped following the 1977-78 school year. The Lions fielded a strong wrestling program from the late 1960’s through the mid-1970’s. Under the direction of Ed Onorato, Behrend posted a 49-78-3 record over the 12 years history and has two former student-athletes (Ashley Swift, Brian Vollant) inducted into the Behrend Athletics Hall of Fame.

“We want to continue to be competitive within our AMCC conference as well as both regionally and nationally within Division III,” said Streeter. “The addition of both sports will give us additional exposure through all venues.”

The addition of wrestling and women’s bowling will bring the number of varsity sports sponsored by Penn State Behrend to 24. The last varsity sport added was men’s volleyball during the 2011-12 school year.

The wrestling season will run from November through February, while women’s bowling goes from October until March.








2017 Regional Alignment – How we got here

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NCAA_III_logoThe 2017 regional alignment was recently released with zero changes from the 2016 season except to add new teams into existing regions. That setup can be seen here. The Northeast, East, and Mideast regions each have 19 teams, the Midwest has 17, the Central has 15, and the West remains at 11 and is the only region that did not grow this year.

For the past four years, teams only moved from one region to another in order to limit the number of teams in each region to 18 or less. Wilkes, Scranton, Ohio Northern, and Mount St. Joseph are some teams that have moved in the past few years in order to accommodate the limit of 18 teams. This limit has been disregarded for the 2017 season.

In April of 2016, the Division III Wrestling Committee met and developed a proposal for 2017 regionals. The four current members of the committee are Dave Kemmy, Roger Williams athletic director; Eric Van Kley, Central College head coach and athletic director; Nathan Shearer, Washington & Lee head coach; and Roger Crebs, Lycoming head coach. The proposal this group sent to the NCAA Championships Committee can be seen in the committee report here. The image below lays out all six regions under that proposal. Teams in red are new teams or those that would have moved under the proposal.

committee_proposal_april16

Correction: Southern Virginia is actually in the Mideast under this proposal, putting 16 in the Mideast and 18 in the East. The image above has been corrected.




In June of this year, the NCAA Division III Championships Committee (roster listed here) rejected this proposal, referred it back to the wrestling committee, and moved the timeline back to 2017-2018, invalidating what teams had previously been told (read the report here on page 8). Teams had been told that major changes would not be made until the regional system had been in place for four years. The fourth year ended with the 2016 NCAA Championships, but the Championships Committee decided to kick the decision down the road another year.

The wrestling committee proposed a change to the composition of the committee in April of 2015 with a proposed implementation of September 2015. The change would have added two members to the committee in order to have representation from each of the six regions. The Championships Committee approved the proposal in September of 2015 but with an effective date of September 2016, a full year later. In June of 2016, the Championships Committee again approved the proposal, but now the effective date was September 2017, yet another full year later. This is the same report where the regional alignment was rejected and the realignment question postponed until 2017.

The reason given for the postponement in the report was that “The committee requested that input be gathered from affected schools and conference offices before submitting a recommendation. Further, the wrestling committee should outline how proposed changes will change the number of schools assigned to each region and recommend a timeline for implementation (no earlier than 2017-18) to allow schools to adjust to changes.”

At the 2016 National Wrestling Coaches Association Convention, a proposal for the 2017 season was presented to the Division III coaches. The changes were much less drastic than the April proposal and held to the limit of 18 teams in a region. All of the Wisconsin schools were moved to the West, Ithaca and King’s were moved to the Mideast, Baldwin Wallace, Muskingum, and Heidelberg were moved to the Midwest, and the new teams were allocated to regions. This alignment was presented and then an online survey was given to gauge the acceptance among Division III coaches. The August report of the Championships Committee indicates that the committee is aware of the proposal and will take the survey results under consideration before making a final decision on the regional alignment for the 2017 season.

At the September meeting of the Championships Committee, it was decided to do nothing. New teams were added to regions. The prior limit of 18 teams in a region was ignored, and the system for determining who goes to the NCAA Championships became a little bit more unfair, at least for this season. The reason given for the inaction was the desire to wait until there is representation from each of the six regions on the wrestling committee. The reader will note that two paragraphs earlier the reason given for rejecting a prior proposal was to gather information from affected schools. Apparently, the rationale for rejecting change has itself changed. Of course, if the committee will not be expanded until September of 2017, then it seems likely that Division III wrestling will continue to be stuck with half measures and delays. The report for the September 2016 meeting where all regional changes were rejected has not yet been released on the NCAA website. Analysis will be forthcoming on this site when that report is published. The report is expected to arrive in early October.



Ice Hour Episode 12: Dave Malecek

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With the Division III wrestling championships heading back to La Crosse, Wisconsin for the 2016-17 season, it makes sense that The Ice Hour talks with UW-La Crosse head coach Dave Malecek.

Malecek is in his 11th year in La Crosse and was an NCAA Division I All-American in 1994 for the University of Northern Iowa. He’s coached numerous All-Americans and Division III champions during his tenure.

Malecek talks about the nuances of his name, hosting the Division III championships again at the La Crosse Center and also chimes in just a bit on the Division III realignment kerfuffle.

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2016-2017 Regional Alignment

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The NCAA Championships committee has released the regional alignment for the 2016-2017 season. In yet another blow against fairness, no team changed regions while every region but the West added teams. The Northeast, East, and Mideast regions each now have 19 teams, the Midwest has 17, the Central has 15, and the West remains at 11.

NCAA Division III 2016-2017 Regional Alignment

(note: Maranatha continues to be listed on the NCAA’s regional alignment chart for some reason even though the school no longer has a wrestling team)







Archambeau named head coach at New England College

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New England College announced the beginning of wrestling at the school last week, and today they have announced their new wrestling coach. John Archambeau, formerly the head coach at Daniel Webster College, is moving 50 miles up the road from Nashua to Henniker to become the coach at a new program for the second time in his career. Archambeau spent the past two seasons as the first coach at Daniel Webster College after previously spending two seasons as a graduate assistant at his alma mater Springfield College. New England College intends to begin competition this season.

ARCHAMBEAU NAMED HEAD WRESTLING COACH

HENNIKER, N.H. –Director of Athletics Louis Izzi is pleased to announce the hiring of John Archambeau as the program’s first head wrestling coach at New England College.

“We are very excited to have John join our coaching staff and lead our men’s wrestling program into its first season of varsity competition,” said Izzi. “His passion, vision, and knowledge of the sport are essential to successfully building our program from the ground up. I am looking forward to seeing our wrestling program grow and consistently compete at the highest level in Division III under John’s direction.”

Archambeau joins NEC after serving two seasons as head wrestling coach at Daniel Webster College in Nashua, New Hampshire. Archambeau is no stranger to the creation of a program as he was responsible for the establishment of varsity wrestling at Daniel Webster in 2014.

Prior to Daniel Webster Archambeau served two seasons as a graduate assistant for Springfield College. While at Springfield, Archambeau coached 12 all-regional wrestlers, eight national qualifiers, four All-Americans and one national champion.

“I want to thank New England College President Michele Perkins, and athletic director Lou Izzi for this great opportunity,” stated Archambeau. “The entire college campus community has been very welcoming and I look forward to doing everything I can to make this program successful from the start.”

Archambeau earned his Masters of Science degree in advance physical education licensure pedagogy and his Bachelors of Science degree in movement and sport studies both from Springfield College. As an undergraduate Archambeau was a member of the varsity wrestling program earning all-conference honors in 2010 and 2011.

New England College wrestling will be a member of the New England Wrestling Association (NEWA) and will begin varsity competition this November. Members of the NEWA include, in-state opponent Plymouth State University, neighboring University of Southern Maine and Norwich University, plus 11 other institutions.








New England College adds wrestling

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Wrestling




New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire, has announced plans to start a wrestling program. The release from the school says they will begin competition this season, even though they do not currently have a coach or, presumably, a recruiting class. Wrestling will be the 15th varsity sport at New England College. Read on for the press release.

NEW ENGLAND COLLEGE ANNOUNCES ADDITION OF WRESTLING AS A VARSITY SPORT
9/9/2016 1:46pm

Henniker, N.H. – New England College Athletic Director, Lou Izzi, is pleased to announce the addition of wrestling as a varsity sport for the 2016-17 season.

“This is an exciting time for New England College and our athletic department,” states Izzi. “We have been evaluating the addition of men’s wrestling for the past year as part of our strategic plan to increase enrollment and continue to expand the geographic diversity of our student population. We now have the opportunity to launch this program as our sixteenth NCAA-sponsored sport and compete as a full member of the NEWA.”

NEC will be a member of the New England Wrestling Association (NEWA) and will begin varsity competition this November. Members of the NEWA include, in-state opponent Plymouth State University, neighboring University of Southern Maine and Norwich University, plus 11 other institutions.

NEC is in the process of a hiring a full-time head coach. With the addition of wrestling, NEC will boast 15 varsity sports in competition in 2016-17 and move to 16 in 2017-18 when women’s volleyball begins varsity competition.

“On behalf of the executive board of the NEWA and all the members of the league, we are excited to welcome New England College as a full-fledged member of the conference,” stated NEWA president Scott Honecker. “It is fantastic to add another collegiate wrestling opportunity in New Hampshire where the wrestling culture is growing rapidly. We are looking forward to working hand-in-hand with the administration and the future coaching staff as they embark on this new challenge.”




Moenkedick takes over at Concordia

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Moenkedick Replaces Nagel As Coach




Phil Moenkedick has moved from assistant coach to head coach at Concordia College Moorhead. Matt Nagel, the previous head coach, has taken a position as an assistant coach at nearby North Dakota State University, and Moenkedick was elevated to fill the position. Moenkedick was a two time NCAA champion and three time All-American for the Cobbers and holds the school’s all time wins record. Read on for more.

Moenkedick Replaces Nagel As Coach

MOORHEAD, Minn. (8/12/16)—Concordia interim Athletic Director Rachel Bergeson announced that Phil Moenkedick has been named the new head wrestling coach. Moenkedick, who was the Cobber assistant coach, takes over for Matt Nagel who stepped down to take the position as assistant coach at North Dakota State.

Moenkedick becomes only the sixth head wrestling coach at Concordia since 1955.

“It was tough to see Matt go,” commented Bergeson. “He has done an incredible job with the program and continuing the success his father (former Cobber head coach Clay Nagel) started 10 years ago.”

Matt Nagel was with the Cobber program for eight seasons including the last three as the head coach. Nagel was named the NCAA West Region Coach of the Year in 2014 and 2016 and helped 22 Concordia wrestlers earn a spot in the NCAA National Meet. Under Nagel the Cobbers were ranked in the Top 10 of the nation all three years and finished as high as 12th at the NCAA National Meet.

Moenkedick is one of the most decorated wrestlers in Concordia history and has been the assistant coach for the Cobbers for the past two seasons. Moenkedick is a two-time NCAA national champion, three-time All-American and is the all-time wins leader in program history.

“To have a coach like Phil on staff and be able to step into the position will be a huge asset for the program,” added Bergeson. “He has been an invaluable part of the success the past two seasons and his background with Concordia makes him a terrific next step in the progression of the program.”

Moenkedick has had success at all levels of wrestling. He was a runner-up at the Minnesota State High School Meet for Perham high school and then flourished in college under the tutelage of Clay and Matt Nagel. Moenkedick went 135-10 in his four seasons at Concordia and had over 30 wins in three of his four years in maroon and gold. He won the NCAA title in 2010 and 2011 and was a three-time NCAA West Region champion.

“I am honored to be able to carry on the tradition that Clay and Matt started,” said Moenkedick. “They taught me what it was like to compete at the highest national level and I look forward to carrying on the tradition of Cobber All-Americans and high caliber student/athletes.”

In addition to his dominance on the mat, Moenkedick was also successful in the classroom where he earned Capital One Academic All-District Team honors in his junior and senior seasons and was a three-time Scholar All-American. Moenkedick carried a 3.50 grade point average over his four years at Concordia while majoring in Health and Physical Education.

Before coming back to Concordia Phil served as an assistant coach for the Perham High School wrestling program and was a teacher at the school.




Reaction to Division I Strategic Plan

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NCAA Division I Wrestling Five Year Strategic Plan 2016-2021

A five year strategic plan for Division I wrestling was released this week at the NWCA Convention in Fort Lauderdale. In it are several proposals that would drastically change the wrestling season for Division I schools. Click the link above to see the plan as released. The document suggests beginning a three week tournament competition season at or shortly after Christmas followed by a dual meet season that culminates with a dual meet championship and the individual championship as late as the end of April. If applied only to Division I as described, this would create a difference of a month or more between the Division I schedule and the Division II, III, NAIA, and NJCAA schedules.

There are three main arguments against making this change solely for Division I wrestling and a few against changing all NCAA divisions to a new season schedule. First, the arguments against moving just Division I.

  1. When a proposal to push back the NCAA Division I Championships is presented, one of the reasons often given is to avoid conflict with the NCAA Division I basketball championship tournament. While it is true that this tournament soaks up a great deal of media coverage, one point in wrestling’s favor is that ESPN does not have the rights to any March Madness games. Therefore, the ESPN family of networks is free to show an ever increasing amount of wrestling during the NCAA Championships as a sort of counter programming to the basketball tournament. If the NCAA Wrestling championship was moved into late April, wrestling would no longer be competing with March Madness, but would instead be up against the NBA playoffs. While the NBA playoff early round games may attract a smaller audience than March Madness, ESPN has NBA rights and broadcasts playoff games beginning the third week in April. College wrestling seems unlikely to attract a larger following if the championship finals are pushed over to ESPN2 or ESPNU because of the NBA Playoffs.
  2. Is it wise to put Division I wrestling into a silo by itself and separate it from the rest of NCAA Wrestling? As it currently stands, all three divisions begin official practice and competition on the same day and end their seasons within two weeks of each other. This continuity allows for consistency across all three divisions and lets wrestlers from all three divisions participate in early season open tournaments. The NWCA ought to promote unity among the three divisions of the NCAA instead of promoting the idea that Division I wrestling is different or deserving of special treatment. Division I wrestling should not be presented as a sport separate from that contested by Division II and III schools.
  3. Finally, this proposal would separate the Division I season from the Division II and III seasons in an unprecedented manner for NCAA sports. Division I seasons are often longer than Division II or III seasons in the same sport, but this change would draw a thick line between the Division I season and the season in which all other NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA teams compete. The NCAA Championships Committee may not go for this difference in seasons.

It can be frustrating when the future of the sport is discussed as if only Division I wrestling matters, but it is possible that this proposal could trickle down to Divisions II and III and result in wholesale changes to the NCAA Wrestling schedule for all teams. In that case, there is less concern about separating Division I from the other divisions, but it does create a pair of issues for Division III schools in particular.

  1. Personnel issues – Pushing the wrestling season a month later into the spring has the potential to cause some major staffing issues for athletic trainers and equipment staff at the DIII level. If wrestling continued into April, it would require athletic training, sports information, and equipment staff support at a time when all spring sports are underway and fall sports are engaging in their non-traditional season practices. I suspect a proposal to move the Division III wrestling season back would encounter resistance from Division III Athletic Directors.
  2. Season length and practice time – The proposal linked above is a bit unclear on the start of practice, as there is a listed date of November 1st but the calendar at the end shows practice not starting until after Thanksgiving. Any proposed season calendar that shortens the time between the start of practice and the NCAA tournament takes away practice opportunities from Division III wrestlers. Thanks to to NCAA rules, DIII teams can only practice during the official season. This is not an issue for Division I teams, as the leniency of rules about off-season practices allows greater contact between coaches and athletes, while the proliferation of USA Wrestling certified Regional Training Centers essentially allows for unrestricted year round practice at the Division I level. Lastly, beginning the competition season the week after Christmas will all but eliminate a Christmas break for wrestlers and will completely eliminate spring break for every wrestler. This will drive up costs for already strapped athletic departments.

I am sympathetic to the desire to improve the health and academic success of athletes that is the primary motivation for the change, but there may be other ways to promote this idea without making such drastic changes to the sport.

 







Manchester to host Midwest Regional in 2017

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Manchester University named Midwest Regional host




Manchester University will host the 2017 Midwest Regional this coming February. Wabash had hosted the past two years, and the tournament will stay in Indiana at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne. The top three finishers at each weight will qualify for the 2017 NCAA Championships to be held in La Crosse, Wisconsin, on March 10th and 11th.

Manchester University named Midwest Regional host

NORTH MANCHESTER, IND. – Manchester University, in conjunction with the Allen County Memorial Coliseum and Visit Fort Wayne groups, has been awarded a bid to host the 2017 NCAA Division III Midwest Regional wrestling Championships.

The event is set for late February at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.

“We’re very appreciative of being the host for this big event,” Director of Athletics Rick Espeset said. “It’s a great honor to have our university’s name and brand associated with this type of NCAA competition.”

“Fans should be excited for this coming (to Fort Wayne),” head coach Kevin Lake noted. “There are many athletes on participating teams that are from Fort Wayne and surrounding areas including three-time defending national champion Riley LeFever of Wabash College. It’s an incredible showcase of some of the top student-athletes in NCAA Division III all vying for a berth to the national meet.”

Visit Fort Wayne and the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum group mirrored Manchester University’s anticipation.

“We’re thrilled to welcome the NCAA DIII Wrestling Regional to Fort Wayne,” Stephanie Coleman, sports sales manager at Visit Fort Wayne, said. “Early estimates have it bringing a quarter of a million dollars in new spending to our community. We’re so fortunate to have a great collaborative relationship between Visit Fort Wayne, the Memorial Coliseum and Manchester University.”

“Our location is great for the NCAA’s tournaments,” Dan O’Connell, president and CEO of Visit Fort Wayne, admitted. “(The NCAA) was looking for a central location with a high quality venue and a member university and community interested in making the student athlete’s experience at the tournament memorable. We ‘pinned’ all three of those needs, literally.

“Fort Wayne is within a days’ drive of over 90% of the participating institutions,” he added. “We offer an outstanding venue in the Memorial Coliseum which has experience in hosting both wrestling as well as NCAA tournaments. And lastly, along with Manchester University, Visit Fort Wayne is committed to providing every wrestler with a ‘championship experience’.”

Allen County War Memorial Coliseum has played host to the 2010 NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey Midwest Regional and 2006 NCAA Division I men’s volleyball national championship as well as the 2015 and 2016 Cliff Keen National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Duals among its signature events.




Steward resigns, Miller promoted at Loras

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wres-stewardmiller




After 23 years in charge, Randy Steward has resigned as head wrestling coach at Loras College, the Dubuque, Iowa, school announced today. Steward will leave the Duhawks and head to Georgia where he will teach physical education and coach at Sonoraville High School roughly halfway between Atlanta and Chattanooga. During his time at Loras, Steward coached 56 All-Americans and six NCAA champions while earning Iowa Conference Coach of the Year honors four times. He is a recent inductee into the NWCA Division III Hall of Fame.

TJ Miller will move from associate head coach to head coach for the 2016-2017 season. Miller wrestled for his father, Hall of Fame coach Jim Miller, at Wartburg and was the 2007 NCAA Champion at 197 lbs. He was the associate head coach at Loras during the 2015-2016 season and spent the previous five seasons as head coach at Holy Cross School in New Orleans prior to his return to Iowa.

Steward Resigns as Head Wrestling Coach, Miller Named as Replacement

DUBUQUE, Iowa (Duhawks.com) – For 23 years, Randy Steward has owned his place at the side of the mat as the head coach of the wrestling program at Loras College. Beginning in November, the Duhawks will have a new leader at the helm, but one that has stared success right in the eyes.

Loras Director of Athletics Denise Udelhofen accepted the resignation of Steward and approved the transition to promote TJ Miller as head coach on Monday.

“Randy has been a hallmark of Loras College and the wrestling program for many years. He has personally overseen the development of hundreds of student-athletes and forged success in their lives, both on and off the mat,” Udelhofen said. “I have had the pleasure of knowing Randy for over 20 years and consider him to not only be a trusted colleague, but also a dear friend. We are extremely grateful for his dedication and service to Loras and we wish him the best in his future.”

Steward’s new role brings him to Calhoun, Ga. and Sonoraville High School where he will serve as a physical education instructor and head wrestling coach.

“Some people out there may think that my time has come to retire, but that motivates me to no end and I am tickled to death to begin the final chapter of my coaching career,” Steward said. “I’ve been given the opportunity to relocate to Georgia and put my stamp on what is already a very successful program at Sonoraville High School.”

Throughout Steward’s 23 years at Loras, he coached 56 All-Americans, with the most recent being Malcolm Watson at the 2016 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships this past March. His accolades include 228 dual victories, 15 Academic All-Americans, nine top-16 national finishes and six national champions. This past season, Steward was inducted into the DeWitt Central Athletic Hall of Fame and the NWCA NCAA Division III Hall of Fame.

“Reflecting on the past 23 years here at Loras has proven to be an emotional undertaking,” Steward said. “How many people can honest get up every morning and have the opportunity to do something they love? I’ve been extremely fortunate to do just that.”

Steward was named Iowa Conference Coach of the Year and NCAA Central Region Coach of the Year in 2014 after qualifying three for nationals and winning the national championship at 285#. In total, the Iowa Conference has recognized Steward as its Coach of the Year on four occasions.

“It is the end of an era, but I want to make it clear that it is not all about me, I am just one lucky man who had a vision and a passion to build upon something very special,” Steward added. “There are so many people who have helped in one way or another to build the program, including student-athletes, parents, alumni and friends of the program.”

As a Division III student-athlete himself at Cornell College, Steward was a four-time national qualifier before graduating with a degree in physical education. He later went on to earn his master’s degree from Northwest Missouri State University.

With one season under his belt as associate head coach, Miller is eager to lead a collegiate program for the first time in his career. Prior to Loras, Miller was the head wrestling coach at Holy Cross High School in New Orleans where the Tigers won two team state championships and 14 individuals were crowned state champions.

“This move also marks the beginning of a new era with many things already in place and ready to be taken to the next level,” Steward shared. “I will be watching from afar as TJ puts his own personal spin on the program. His imminent success will be fun and exciting to see develop.”

Miller was an NCAA Division III National Champion in 2007 at 197#, finishing with a career record of 110–9. Miller was a three-time NCAA All-American and three-time Iowa Conference Champion. During his time at Wartburg, the Knights won three NCAA Division III National Championships.

“I would like to thank President Jim Collins and Director of Athletics Denise Udelhofen for their confidence in me to lead the wrestling program moving forward,” Miller said. “I will forever be grateful to Randy Steward for giving me my original opportunity, for his friendship and for his guidance. My wife and I are thrilled to be a part of the Loras College family for the years to come and are excited to take the wrestling program to the next level.”

Miller inherits a program that went 2–13 in duals a season ago, but qualified two for nationals in sophomore Michael Triplett (133#) and Watson (197#). In total, four wrestlers earned All-Conference designation, with junior Evan Weaver (141#) and freshman Quin Gilliam (285#) joining Triplett and Watson.

“This past year has been pretty special, given my induction into two hall of fames and my final All-American in Malcolm Watson,” Steward added. “I would like to thank everyone that has a connection to Loras College Wrestling. I will continue to treasure the countless relationships that I have had the pleasure of developing over the past two decades at Loras.”

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Friends of the program are invited to a celebration of Steward’s career at Loras on Saturday, July 9 inside the Alumni Campus Center Ballroom. Social hour will begin at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 6 p.m. and speeches at 6:45 p.m. Cost is $25 per person.




Tobias promoted to head coach at Alma

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Jeremiah Tobias promoted to head wrestling coach




Jeremiah Tobias has been promoted to fill the spot vacated by the recent resignation of Todd Hibbs at Alma College. Tobias has been at Alma since the program’s reinstatement in 2011. The Michigan native has spent five seasons as the associate head coach for the Scots and takes over a team that was ranked as high as sixth in the NWCA and d3wrestle.com team rankings during the 2015-2016 season. Read on for more.

Jeremiah Tobias promoted to head wrestling coach

Jun 20, 2016
Alma, Mich. – Alma College Athletic Director Steven Rackley announced today (Monday, June 20, 2016) that Jeremiah Tobias has been named the head coach of the Scots’ wrestling program. Tobias, who has served as the associate head coach since May 2011, replaces Todd Hibbs, who resigned after five years at the helm of the program. Tobias becomes the seventh head coach in the history of the program, which resumed competition in 2011 after being dormant for 27 years.

“Jeremiah has been an important part of the success that the wrestling program has had over the last five seasons and I have full confidence that he will continue to improve upon the foundation that he has helped to build,” Rackley said. “With our new training facility and the success we’ve had the past few seasons, I look forward to supporting him as he continues to build Alma College into a contender for a national title.”

Over the last five seasons, Alma College has become a consistent presence among the top-20 teams in NCAA Division III and peaked at sixth place in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) and d3wrestle.com polls during the 2015-16 season. Tobias also helped mentor three All-American wrestlers last year, marking the first time in the history of the program that the Scots had more than one student-athlete earn All-America status at the NCAA III Championships.

“It is an honor to be the next head wrestling coach for Alma College,” Tobias said. “I want to thank Coach Hibbs for preparing me for this position and Steven Rackley for giving me this opportunity. I am excited to work with the wrestlers within the program, those in the community and all future Scots. I look forward to building upon the success of the program both academically and athletically.”

As a wrestler, Tobias was a four-time Michigan High School Athletic Association champion, the seventh in state history, and finished his collegiate career at the University of Michigan as the Wolverines’ leader in both career and single-season pins.

Tobias is a 2000 graduate of Manchester High School, where he won four state championships and never lost a match after his freshman year. He earned the Dave Schultz Excellence Award for the state of Michigan in 2000, a national award taking into account excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, character, citizenship and community service.

Tobias continued his success on the mat at the University of Michigan, where he was a three-year letterwinner and set both the single-season (17) and career (57) pin records. During his time as a Wolverine, he was the champion of various college tournaments, including the Michigan State Open, Eastern Michigan Open and Cleveland State Open.

Following college, Tobias collected experience as a coach in several settings. He served as a NCAA Division I assistant coach at the University of Wyoming and as a a full-time NCAA Division II coach at Belmont Abbey College. He also has extensive experience as a private coach and clinic instructor across the eastern United States, including two years as club coach for the Port City Wrestling Club in Wilmington, N.C.

Tobias holds a bachelor’s degree in sports management and his currently pursing his master’s degree in coaching and sports administration.

He is married to Katie Tobias and the two of them have a two-year-old son, Jude.




Hibbs steps down at Alma

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Coach Todd Hibbs




Todd Hibbs has resigned his position at Alma College in order to pursue other opportunities. Hibbs has been the head coach at Alma since the program’s reinstatement for the 2011-2012 season. The Scots had three All-Americans at the 2016 NCAA Championships and finished in 11th place overall. Hibbs accumulated a 51-29 dual meet record at Alma. Hibbs also had college coaching stops at Olivet from 2004-2008 and Michigan State. Read on for the release from Alma.

Hibbs steps down as wrestling coach
Jun 17, 2016
Alma, Mich. – Todd Hibbs, who has served as the head coach of the Alma College wrestling program since 2011, has resigned to pursue other opportunities, it was announced today (Friday, June 17, 2016) by Athletic Director Steven Rackley.

“Todd has taken our wrestling program to national prominence and has set it on a course so that we can consistently compete at a high level,” Rackley said. “I am very thankful for all that Todd has done for Alma College through the wrestling program and I wish him and his family all the best in the next chapter of their lives.”

“I am extremely thankful for all that Coach Hibbs has done for Alma College and for our student-athletes,” Alma College President Jeff Abernathy said. “He has built the wrestling program into one of the best in Division III, while insisting on excellence on and off the mats. Proud as I am of the team’s accomplishments in competition, I am prouder still of their great success as students.”

Under Hibbs’ guidance, the Scots grew into a consistent top-20 team in NCAA Division III, peaking at sixth in the nation in the National Wrestling Coaches Association and d3wrestle.com polls this past season. With Hibbs at the helm, the Scots compiled a cumulative record of 51-29 in dual meet competition while also finishing among the top 12 teams in three national events – twice at the NWCA National Duals and at the 2016 NCAA Division III Championships in March. At the 2016 NCAA meet, Alma had three All-Americans, marking the first time in the history of the program the Scots had more than one at the national championships.

“Five years ago the state of Michigan desperately needed another option for college wrestling, and Alma College stepped up to the plate,” Hibbs said. “I’m so grateful for (Alma College trustee and alumnus) Greg Hatcher’s vision of bringing wrestling back to Alma, and for President Abernathy’s support of that vision. And I cannot thank (Associate Head Coach) Jeremiah Tobias and (Assistant Coach) Fletcher Roberts enough for their tireless work in building this program. Our families are linked forever as Scots.”

According to Hibbs, the breakthrough moment for the program came in January 2013 when the Scots posted a 16-15 win over ninth-ranked Olivet College at Art Smith Arena. After falling to the Comets by a 49-0 margin the previous year, Alma came back in its second season to upset the top-10 program and continue a home winning streak that has lasted four years.

In addition to the success on the mat, Alma has become one of the elite programs academically, as the Scots were recognized three times by the NWCA with a team grade-point average of 3.5 or higher. Over the past five seasons, 21 Scots have been named Scholar All-Americans by the NWCA, including eight in the 2014-15 season, the most across all NCAA divisions.

Hibbs also worked with the Alma College Advancement Office to raise nearly $4 million for a new addition to the Hogan Center, which will open later this summer. The project includes a wrestling room, a new weight room, new coaching offices, a coaching locker room, a team locker room, and a new studio for the Scots’ cheerleading and STUNT team.

Hibbs served as a member of the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee while he was coaching the Scots and is currently a student in the Ph.D. program for Higher Education Leadership at Central Michigan University with a research focus on first-generation college students. According to the NCAA, wrestling has a higher percentage (37 percent) of first-generation students than any other NCAA-sponsored sport.




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