Waterlook, Iowa, native Jim Miller recently completed his 22nd and final season as the head coach of Wartburg College. During that time, the Knights won ten NCAA Championship team titles and are on a streak of both 21 consecutive IIAC championships and 165 straight IIAC dual meet wins. August 26th, 2013 has been proclaimed Jim Miller Day in the city of Waterloo. Click below for more information.
Jim Miller Day to be declared in Waterloo on August 26th (NWHOF)
Here is an updated top ten list for wins based on information collected so far.
| 1 | Matt Kretlow | Augsburg | 168 |
| 2 | Scott Roesch | Ursinus | 163 |
| 3 | Nathan Fitzenreider | North Central | 161 |
| 3 | Ryan Allen | UW-La Crosse | 161 |
| 5 | Chris Healy | Wabash | 159 |
| 5 | Jake Strausbaugh | Wabash | 159 |
| 7 | Kyle Kwiat | Ohio Northern | 158 |
| 7 | Jamal Fox | Wartburg | 158 |
| 9 | Andy Vogel | Messiah | 157 |
| 9 | Gabe Youel | North Central | 157 |
| 9 | Jamel Tidwell | Augsburg | 157 |
Jake Calhoun has been named head coach at Muhlenberg College. He spent the past two seasons as a grad assistant at Cortland after a year as an assistant coach at Gettysburg. He is a Stevens Point graduate, two time NCAA qualifier, and a Greco-Roman University All-American. He competed in the 2013 World Team Trials at 60kg. See below for more.
Jake Calhoun Named Head Wrestling Coach
Wednesday, August 21, 2013Two-time Division III national qualifier Jake Calhoun is Muhlenberg’s new head wrestling coach.
Calhoun had an outstanding collegiate career at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, earning bids to the national tournament in both 2007 and 2008. He earned All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference accolades in three of his four seasons, including winning the 125-pound title in 2007. Calhoun concluded his career by helping the Pointers finish 10th at the 2008 NCAA Championships.
Although Calhoun graduated from UWSP in 2009, his competitive career has continued. He reached University Level All-American status in Greco-Roman wrestling and wrestled in the World Team Trials in June 2013 for a spot on the World Team.
Calhoun brings nearly a decade of wrestling coaching experience to the Mules. For the past two years, he was a graduate assistant coach at Cortland State University, helping the Red Dragons to top-10 national finishes both years.
The year prior to that, Calhoun was an assistant coach at one of Muhlenberg’s Centennial Conference rivals, Gettysburg. He served as a volunteer assistant coach at Stevens Point from 2008 to 2010.Calhoun was a coach and counselor at the J Robinson and Ken Chertow wrestling camps at various locations around the country from 2005 to 2012. He also worked at the Cornell Wrestling Camp in 2012 and was an assistant coach at the Dennis Hall Wrestling Club from 2004 to 2010. He has been a coach and board member of the Modern Day Gladiators wrestling club since 2011.
Calhoun, who earned his USA Wrestling Bronze Coach’s Certification in 2011, is a member of the National Wrestling Coaches Association and was director of the 2013 Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference tournament.
Update 3:30pm – Ursinus just sent in their list, moving Scott Roesch into the #1 spot
d3wrestle.com is currently collecting data from schools to create an all-time individual wins list. As of today, 21 schools have replied, and the top winners so far appear below. This list will be updated and expanded as more data comes in.
| # | Name | School | Wins |
| 1 | Scott Roesch | Ursinus | 163 |
| 2 | Ryan Allen | UW-La Crosse | 161 |
| 2 | Nathan Fitzenreider | North Central | 161 |
| 4 | Kyle Kwiat | Ohio Northern | 158 |
| 4 | Jamal Fox | Wartburg | 158 |
| 6 | Andy Vogel | Messiah | 157 |
| 6 | Gabe Youel | North Central | 157 |
| 8 | Josh Chelf | UW-La Crosse | 153 |
| 9 | Brett Christensen | Buena Vista | 151 |
| 9 | Aaron Wernimont | Wartburg | 151 |
| 11 | Jeff Freidhof | Luther | 149 |
Mount Union and Stevens Institute of Technology each announced the hiring of new assistant coaches this week. Mount Union has added former Thiel assistant Cortney Roberts, while former Delaware Valley assistant Jeff Jacobs joins the staff at Stevens. See below for more.
Cortney Roberts Named Assistant Wrestling Coach at Mount Union
Cortney Roberts has been named assistant wrestling coach at the University of Mount Union.
Over the past three seasons, Roberts has had stints as an assistant coach at both Thiel (Pa.) College and Lakeview (Pa.) High School.
He was a four-year starter at 125 pounds at NCAA Division I Gardner-Webb (N.C.) University and three times placed at the NCAA East Region tournament.
A native of Spencer, N.Y., he has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Gardner-Webb.
Jeff Jacobs Joins Wrestling Staff as Head Assistant Coach
HOBOKEN, N.J. (August 16, 2013) – The Stevens Institute of Technology wrestling team has added Jeff Jacobs as head assistant coach for the 2013-14 season, Head Coach Mike Clayton announced. Jacobs joins the Stevens staff following a two-year stint as an assistant wrestling coach at Delaware Valley College.
“Jeff has strong local ties and has demonstrated success as a collegiate wrestler at the NCAA DI and DII levels,” Clayton said. “He has helped recruit and develop student-athletes as a DIII assistant coach while earning his M.B.A. He will thrive in the type of work environment demanded of a full-time head assistant coach at a premier co-educational institution like Stevens Institute of Technology. We are all very excited to have Jeff join the Stevens wrestling family.”
While at Delaware Valley, Jacobs helped the team to a 16th-place finish in the nation, producing four NCAA All-American, one Academic All-American and nine Dean’s List honorees in the Spring 2012 semester along the way. He has also served as an assistant coach at the Shore Thing Wrestling Club in Lakewood, N.J. for the past six years, coaching numerous state champions and placewinners, regional champions and collegiate All-Americans.
“I am very excited and honored to be working at Stevens with such high-caliber student-athletes and an outstanding coaching staff,” Jacobs said. “I am fully committed to assisting the coaching staff in every capacity to help the student-athletes reach their goals, both academically and athletically.”
Jacobs has worked with the East Stroudsburg University athletic event staff and served as the Delaware Valley Assistant Coordinator of Intramurals. He also served as an Ocean Rescue Guard at Risdens Beach Corporation and Jenkinsons Corporation in Point Pleasant, N.J.
During his wrestling career, Jacobs was a three-year Varsity letter winner and served as a senior captain of his team at East Stroudsburg, where he won the Division 2 Super Region 1 Championship and qualified for the NCAA Division II Championships. He also served on the ESU Athletics Captains Council.
A 2011 graduate of East Stroudsburg with a bachelor of science degree in sport management and minor in business management, he completed his M.B.A. while at Delaware Valley in 2013.
Efrain Ayala has been elevated to the head coach position at UW-Oshkosh as of this week. He previously had been the assistant at Oshkosh under the departed Chris Stratton who resigned in May. See below for more.
Ayala Selected Head Wrestling Coach
After two years as an assistant, Efrain Ayala was named UW-Oshkosh’s head wrestling coach on Monday (Aug. 12). Ayala replaces Chris Stratton, who resigned in May.
Ayala helped the Titans finish 17th at the NCAA Division III Championship last season and 14th in 2012. Nazar Kulchytskyy won an individual national title each year. UW-Oshkosh also had Sam Engelland, Zachary Mueller and Dan Schiferl qualify for the national tournament.
“It feels good to be in the driver’s seat of a program that has a lot of potential,” Ayala said. “The team is already strong, and I have high expectations for our incoming recruiting class. This season is going to be exciting.”
Before coming to UW-Oshkosh, Ayala spent two years as an assistant wrestling coach and special education paraprofessional in the Kettle Moraine School District.
Ayala has also taught special education at Kennedy Elementary (2009) and was an assistant coach (2008-09) at Saint Peter High School in Minnesota.
“Efrain has been a key part of our program’s success the last two years,” Athletics Director Darryl Sims said. “I’m confident that his leadership will help our student-athletes reach their full potential.”
Ayala was a Nebraska state champion in high school before wrestling at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln during 2003. He then transferred to Minn. State University-Mankato and qualified for the 2005 NCAA Division II Tournament.
Ayala received his elementary education degree from MSU-Mankato during 2008.
Trinity College has hired Marques Gales to be their next Head Wrestling Coach. Gales spent the last three seasons assisting at Springfield. See the Trinity release below.
August 13, 2013
Trinity College Hires Gales As New Head Wrestling Coach
Hartford, Conn., August 13, 2013 – Director of Athletics Michael Renwick has announced the hiring of Marques Gales (Fairfield, Calif.) to be the new Trinity College Head Wrestling Coach. Gales come to Trinity from Springfield College, where he served as an assistant coach for three years. While on campus at Springfield, he helped the Pride win three New England Wrestling Association (NEWA) Championships and coached five All Americans and one NCAA Division III Champion. Gales replaces Steve Makein who resigned in the spring after six seasons.
“I am very excited to announce the hiring of Marques Gales as Trinity’s next head wrestling coach,” said Trinity Athletic Director Mike Renwick. “He is an extremely impressive young man who is driven to make an impact on student-athletes both on the wrestling mat and in life. As an accomplished collegiate wrestler himself, Marques brings instant credibility to the mat to go with the coaching experience he gained at Springfield.”
A 2010 graduate from San Francisco State University and a two-time NCAA Division II National Qualifier, Gales was a highly-decorated wrestler during his college years and earned honors for both academic and athletic achievement. Gales was a both a NCAA National Qualifier and an NWCA National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar All American in 2009.
Earning his bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State in physical education, Gales volunteered as an assistant coach at his alma mater before joining the Springfield staff in 2010. Gales coached eight national qualifiers in three years and helped the Pride finish 14-2 in dual meets and earn the No. 8 ranking in the final national poll in 2012-13. He is a member of the NWCA Leadership Academy and is pursuing a master’s degree at Springfield in sport and exercise psychology. Gales is also employed by Hartford’s Academy of Aerospace and Engineering Middle School as an associate instructor.
“I am honored to be appointed as the head wrestling coach at Trinity College,” said Gales. “I would like to thank Mike Renwick and his staff for allowing me to pursue my passion at one of the nation’s finest colleges. I would also like to thank my family and friends for their continued support as well as Springfield College for preparing me to become the best coach I can be. My goal is to motivate and inspire student-athletes to reach their potential in all facets of their college experience.”
To apply for the Knox Head Coach position click here and scroll down.
From Knox Sports Information
Galesburg, IL – The man who coached the Prairie Fire wrestling team for over a decade has resigned to become a high school administrator.
Tony Islas took over the Knox wrestling program in 2001 and completed his 12th season last March. He stepped down to become assistant principal at the Woodruff Career and Technical Center in Peoria. Islas said he’ll be responsible for the high school side of the building, essentially serving as its principal.
Islas knows being away from coaching, especially during the 2013-14 season, will take some getting used to.
“For so many years I knew what my days, nights, and weekends were going to be filled with from October through March,” he said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do when October comes around and I’m not running the wrestlers around the fieldhouse, working them out tirelessly in the wrestling room, and shouting at them to not settle for anything but their best and to give me more.”
A Rockford, Illinois native, Islas was a four-year varsity letter winner in both wrestling and cross country at Upper Iowa University. He placed sixth in the 1992 Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) Tournament, was the runner-up in the Gold Division of the UW-Stephens Point Open, and he placed third in the Iowa Collegiate State Championships.
During his senior season at Rockford Auburn High School, Islas compiled a 33-3-1 record on the mat. He was the school’s first state qualifier in nearly 14 years and still holds several wrestling records at his alma mater.
Islas said initially he’ll miss everything about coaching at Knox.
“I enjoyed all the headaches of coaching, celebrating the success of victories and picking up the pieces after losses, the weekend travel where I had chances to speak one-on-one with guys about life after Knox; their future careers, relationships, and everything under the sun. I am also going to miss recruiting. I truly loved recruiting. I never felt like I was ‘recruiting’ a student-athlete, but more giving someone a chance to see how great Knox is and why I and many others feel the way we do about the college – and wrestle too.”
Islas added that he enjoyed the hours of set-up the team and coaching staff did to prepare T. Fleming Fieldhouse for the Knox Invite and Chuck Porter Duals. “There is no better sight to behold than when the fieldhouse floor is covered with wrestling mats on the Friday night before the Invite and the Duals; then on Saturday when the fieldhouse is littered with wrestlers, coaches, officials, and fans to watch all of the action.
“I am also going to miss the alumni. They supported me through every season and cared deeply about the program, and still do,” he said.
Islas said one of the highlights of his career was when he and the entire team went to the 2007 National Tournament in Dubuque and witnessed Jaran Rutledge ’08 become Knox College’s first wrestling All-American.
“(Rutledge) lost his first match of the tournament on the opening night. It was a close match and a tough loss to accept. I had to get him mentally focused and ready because another loss would have put him out of the tournament. He dropped down to the consolation bracket and awaited the next opponent. The rest is history. He won that match, earning All-American status, and then rattled off five consecutive match victories on the final day of the NCAA’s for a third place finish.”
Islas said that also propelled the Knox wrestling team to a 24th place team finish. “Then in the 2008 season, Jaran was the number one ranked (heavyweight) wrestler in the country. That was awesome to see.”
Another highlight Islas cited was Edel Vaca ’11 winning the Milwaukee School of Engineering Tournament in 2009 over a very highly touted wrestler from St. Olaf College. Vaca received the Outstanding Wrestler Award and a national ranking. “He had a great year, also placing fourth in the Great Lakes Regional and missed the NCAA’s by just two points. I still think about that third place match,” Islas said.
The long-time coach said he has so many memories. Islas concluded by sharing a story about 2012 Knox graduate James Wagner.
“James came in as an underweight heavyweight as a freshman and struggled greatly to get wins. We worked year in and year out to improve his wrestling abilities and conditioning. Coaching him his senior season and watching him lead by example, because James wasn’t always the most vocal, was incredible. He transformed himself into a force to be reckoned with. James had a signature move, an outside cradle, which was held together with what the team and I called the Jimbo lock. He would throw himself on top of guys’ backs and just nail them with it all the time. Watching him in the NWA wrestling conference tournament go after and attack guys on their feet and then punish them with his relentless cradle tickled everyone on the team.”
Islas said Wagner pinned two opponents that had beaten him his entire wrestling career en route to capturing the NWA heavyweight title. Wagner finished sixth the following weekend at the Great Lakes Regional. “He proved that hard work pays off, and listening to the coach helps too.”
Asked if he is done coaching for good, Islas didn’t close that chapter of his life entirely.
“Anyone who knows me knows I am a coaching junkie and I will definitely be coaching somewhere, in some kind of way, just not right at the moment. Wrestling has been a part of my life for so long I can’t just quit cold turkey.
Knox athletic director Chad Eisele said a national search for the Prairie Fire’s next head wrestling coach is underway.
Steve Wozniak has been named the interim head wrestling coach at UW-Eau Claire as of July 25th. Wozniak had previously served as the assistant coach at UWEC since 2010 after a strong wrestling career at UW-Stevens Point. See the Eau Claire release below.
Steve Wozniak to Serve as Interim Head Wrestling Coach
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – Steve Wozniak will serve as the interim head coach for the UW-Eau Claire wrestling team, Director of Athletics Scott Kilgallon announced today.
“We are excited to have Coach Wozniak take over the wrestling program and know he will bring his past success as a wrestler, NWCA Scholar All-American, and as a former Blugolds assistant wrestling coach to continue to move the program forward,” Kilgallon said. “I would like to thank Coach Ames for the great job he did last season and look forward to a seamless transition given the great group of assistant coaches working with our team and assisting Coach Wozniak.”
Wozniak takes over the Blugold wrestling program from Jon Ames, who served as interim head coach during the 2012-13 season. During Ames’ time as head coach, he led two Blugolds to the NCAA Division III Championship for the first time since the 2002-03 season. Freshman Nathaniel Behnke (Bruce, Wis.) captured All-American honors, the Blugolds’ first All-American since 2009.
Wozniak has served as an assistant coach for the Blugold wrestling team since 2010. He graduated from UW-Stevens Point in 2011 with a health promotion/wellness degree and competed on both the Pointer wrestling and football team. Wozniak was a nationally-ranked heavyweight during his senior season with the Pointers and earned National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-American honors. He is currently attending UW-Stout to earn a Master’s Degree in school counseling.
“I look forward to another season of being a Blugold,” Wozniak said. “Last year we took a huge step in the right direction, and we will continue off the progress we made the previous year. Last year we were a young team and I am excited to see what we can accomplish this year. I have a great group of assistant coaches with many years of experience that will make this transition seamless, and I look forward to leading the team into the 2013-14 wrestling season.”
The College of Mount St. Vincent is looking for a part time head wrestling coach. Ryan Cooley had been the head coach prior to this announcement and led the team in their first competitive season in 2012-2013. Mount St. Vincent is located in Bronx, New York, and competes in the East Region.
Head Men’s Wrestling Coach:
The part-time head wrestling coach will be responsible for the development, coaching, organization and management of the men’s wrestling team This position reports directly to the Director of Athletics.
Responsibilities:Recruit student athletes for the men’s wrestling team.
Provide high-level sport-skill instruction and motivation.
Oversee player eligibility and NCAA Division III rules compliance.
Schedule and conduct practice sessions during traditional and non-traditional segments of the year.
Manage wrestling team budget and maintain the team equipment inventory.
Display a commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and ethical conduct as per the NCAA Constitution. Serve as a positive role model and mentor to the student community.
Monitor and support student-athlete academic progress.
Collaborate with the Director of Sports Information on the promotion of the wrestling program, including individual and team statistics; media guides; reports to NCAA and ECAC; individual accolades on and off-the-field and College Athletics’ website updates.
Work closely with the athletic department on fundraising activities that impact the wrestling program and/or the athletics department.
Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in physical education or related field required. Experience coaching wrestling on the college or high-school level required. Must possess strong interpersonal and communication skills. A strong commitment to the student-athlete concept and working knowledge of the NCAA rules and regulations is required. Collegiate experience as a student-athlete is preferred.
The College of Mount Saint Vincent is an academically excellent, authentically inclusive, Catholic and ecumenical liberal arts college with approximately 1,500 undergraduate students and 300 graduate students located in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, New York City. Our beautiful 70-acre campus of rolling lawns and wooded hills overlooking the Hudson River is just 12 miles from midtown Manhattan.
Please send your cover letter, resume and the name and contact information for three references to:HR@mountsaintvincent.edu
Please write Wrestling Coach in subject line.
Though no official announcement has been made, Muhlenberg has posted its Head Coach position on the NWCA Jobs Site. Brian Burzynski had been the head coach the past two seasons. Click below for the job posting.
Muhlenberg Head Coach Posting (NWCA Website)
Dan Olsen, a 2013 All-American at 184 lbs. for Wheaton College, competed today at 85kg in the University World Championships in Kazan, Russian. Olsen placed 2nd in the University Nationals and earned a spot on the team in Greco-Roman.
Olsen opened with a 4-2 win over Tajikistan before falling 9-1 to Belarus. That opponent failed to reach the finals, thus eliminating Olsen from the tournament. Three other Americans competed today, with the other three set to go tomorrow. Tyrell Fortune, fresh off a bronze medal in freestyle, placed 5th in Greco-Roman at 120kg.
FLASH: Fortune places fifth in Greco-Roman at World University Games in Kazan, Russia (themat.com)
From MSOE Sports Information
MILWAUKEE — Matthew Zwaschka has been named the new head coach of MSOE Wrestling, taking over for retiring MSOE Athletic Hall of Famer Kevin Morin, who is retiring from the role after 20 years. Zwaschka will also serve as MSOE’s Assistant Director of Recreational Services.
Zwaschka comes to MSOE after a year as the Junior Greco-Roman National Team coach for the Wisconsin Wrestling Federation, an organization Zwaschka has had an affiliation with dating back to 1999. From 2005-11, Zwaschka was an assistant coach and an assistant strength and conditioning coordinator at UW-Whitewater. He has also served as an assistant football coach at Port Washington High School.
As a college wrestler, Zwaschka had tremendous success at UW-LaCrosse. As a team captain in 2003, he was a 2003 Wisconsin Intercollegaite Athletic Conference champion and NCAA tournament qualifier. In 2002, Zwaschka had the opportunity to compete in the European wrestling hotbeds of Bulgaria and Turkey as part of a NCAA Division III all-star team.
“I am very pleased to have Matt join our staff,” Director of Athletics Dan Harris said. “He has an impressive coaching background and a very solid base of recruiting contacts. Although he has big shoes to fill, I am confident he is up to the challenge.”
Harris’ allusion to Morin’s legacy may be an understatement. Named as just the second coach in the history of the MSOE wrestling program in 1993, Morin has trained two NCAA All-Americans, eight NCAA Championship Qualifiers, 28 National Wrestling Coaches Association Academic All-Americans. Ten of Morin’s teams were ranked in the top ten in the nation for academic excellence, including four team awards for having the highest GPA in the nation among NCAA Division III wrestling programs.
Morin also led the Raiders to 101 dual meet victories and six team conference titles. Forty-five of his wrestlers won individual conference championships. Morin received conference coach of the year honors seven times and was a four-time recipient of the Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Association Coach of the Year Award. The National Wrestling Coaches Association honored Morin in 2004 with the Bob Bubb Coaching Excellence Award, presented annually to one coach across each division of collegiate wrestling.
The statistic Morin was most proud of, though, was his 100 percent graduation rate among active seniors. “Morin has been the heart and soul of MSOE wrestling,” Harris said. “He was a great example of integrity, caring for others, dedication and gentlemanly conduct to all his athletes. His teams excelled on the mat and in the classroom. I have met no better coach and teacher of sport fundamentals and lessons of life experience. I am certain that every athlete coached by him is a better man today.”
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Jim Miller, the recently retired head coach at Wartburg College, was named as the co-winner of the WIN Magazine Dan Gable Coach of the Year Award, sharing the award with Penn State’s Cael Sanderson after guiding the Knights to a tenth NCAA Division III Championship in his final season. Click below to read the WIN release.
Miller named co-winner of Dan Gable Coach of the Year Award; saved best pitch for finale
Checking into the hotel in Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Last Day
Woke up in Bulgaria, breakfast in Turkey, lunch in Paris and a late dinner in NYC! Four countries in 24 hours is a great way to end a fantastic cultural exchange wrestling trip, George Sports Camp is the best experience for wrestlers and coaches. I highly recommend to anyone who has a passion for wrestling and enjoys travel. – Bill Racich, Head Coach, Ursinus College
6/27/2013
We are in our last full day in Bulgaria. We will wrestle this afternoon in a tournament in Varna. Varna is along the Black Sea and It is 80 degrees and blue skies on the beach every day. We had a busy day of training with a 7:30am beach run and hand fighting in the sea. It was fun to see all of the people on the beach gather round to watch what we were doing. We had breakfast and then went and did “technique” with George. He went over a new trick off a 2 on 1 and some scoring from “control.” We got a chance to swim, nap, shop, etc., and then back to wrestle at 5 pm. This is a European vacation spot–especially for Germans, so there are a lot of people out at night and on the beach during the day.
This morning we were challenged to a soccer game by the French team. We were game but not nearly as skilled….highlights were when Connor Keating–our stud goalie decided to show them American football and ran it through the French team all the way to the other side of the field and threw the ball in the goal. It was hilarious and we told the French it was a goal and worth six points and that tied the score….our big man Anthony Edgren did score a goal but paid the price on his celebration slide on the turf field.
Most guys are resting or getting some sunshine in before our afternoon tournament. I hope to have pictures and more contact from the guys this afternoon. Internet and phone service has been pretty sketchy since we left Plovdiv. Results to come! – Tim Fader, Head Coach, UW-Whitewater
Great last competition today in Varna, Bulgaria. There were teams from Turkey, Bulgaria, Ukraine, France and our team America. We had four weight class winners, while Alec Noa and Ronny Hauser did not compete.
1st weight class Ryne Morrison was 1-2
2nd weight class. Corey Meyer was the champion going 3-0
3rd weight class Matt Adcock was the champion going 3-0. Matt defeated teammate Kaleb Loht in the final match to determine the champion. Kaleb finished 2-1 Maxx Hubbard also finished 2-1
4th weight class Damon cheek was the champion going 3-0
5th weight class. Connor Keating was the champion going 3-0. Connor defeated teammate Eli Gaylor in the final match to determine the winner. Eli finished 2-1
6th weight class TJ Decker finished 2-1 Cedric Gibson was injured in his first match and did not continue
7th weigHt class Philip Landis finished 0-3. Colin Lenhardt 1-2
Hwt. Anthony Edgren was 1-1
With the French and Bulgarian Teams
6/24/2013
We just finished our second competition of the exchange. We wrestled in Plovdiv this afternoon after arriving here from Sophia last night. There were three mats down in an old cement building, and we had a pretty large variety of match ups. We had two rounds of wrestling on one mat and there were some pretty vocal fans in the room. Some very exciting matchups with a lot of points being scored. Here are the results.
Alec Noa w13-6. L 0-8
Matt Adcock. Lbf
Connor Keating. Lbf. W7-3
Ronny Hauser w9-0
Ryan Morrison. W16-8
Corey Meyer. L0-8. W10-3
Maxx Hubbard. L12-14. Lbf
Damon Cheek. L 3-10. W 7-0
Cedric Gibson. L 2-5. W10-2
TJ Decker. L0-5. W7-0
Phil Landis. L0-8. L2-2
Eli Gaylor. WBF. W7-0
Kaleb Loht. L0-8. W8-0
Phil Landis had a match up with one of Bulgarians best senior wrestler George Sredkov. This was a fan favorite as was Cedric Gibson’s first match up with one of the other senior level wrestler Dimitar Kasov. It was obvious that the crowd wanted to see these two beat the Americans. George has been traveling with our team as interpreter and friend. We leave for varna tomorrow to get the last leg of the trip underway. This is a very fun group to travel with. Colin had a sickness today and Anthony an injury that prevented them from competing. We hope both can go in Varna! – Tim Fader, Head Coach, UW-Whitewater
I am a sophomore at the university of Wisconsin-Whitewater wrestling at weight class 141 during the wrestling season but competing in Bulgaria at about 70 kg. We arrived in Bulgaria around 2 pm where we finally got to unpack and settle down for about 3 hours until we had our first practice in an awesome wrestling gym. There was about 4 Olympic wrestling mats covering a huge gym floor, it was awesome. To start off our first wrestling practice we did a normal warm up jogging around the mats, but some things that were very different is that during the warmup there was a part where you would do a double wheel barrow where one person does a normal wheelbarrow with a partner holding their ankles then there’s another person on their backs then you put your feet on the partners shoulders. It was ferry cool and different. After the warm up we played a game of Bulgarian basketball, which was intense. This Bulgarian basketball was a combination of american football and regular basketball, it got pretty tiring and was very fun. After that we finally went over technique. And after this first day I could really tell I am going to learn a lot on this trip. Now I am really excited to be able to wrestle the Bulgarians national team, and my coach just told me they will partner me up with their best guy! I am very excited for the rest of this trip! – Matt Adcock, UW-Whitewater
I wrestle for Heidelberg University at 149 lbs. Today on the trip we got to go to go around the city of Plovdiv. The history around the city was amazing. We were able to see a pottery worker make a pot. After our tour of the city we got to wrestle a local club. They were extremely kind and it was a great competition. The quality of the wrestling was great. Some of which were prior junior national wrestlers. – Damon Cheek, Heidelberg
Today we were in Plovdiv and it is one of the oldest cities in Bulgaria. We got a tour of the city. Got to go into some shops. Saw some pretty old structures like the theater,an old church where there was a baptism going on. An interesting fact about the churches here is that since Bulgaria is mostly Muslim now the Christian churches are not allowed to be built higher than the Muslim churches. The competition was steep where we wrestled ex junior national team members which included some members who were European champs and such. The wrestling is really tough here and that is what we came here for to: get better. You only get better when you wrestle the best. I’d highly recommend this trip to any division three wrestler! – Kaleb Loht, Messiah College
Some UWW Wrestlers in Bulgaria
6/25/2013
Our day started off with a tour of the old town in Plovdiv. The history here is incredible and the architecture is unbelievable. We saw an amphitheatre from the 500’s BC which is still in good shape and used today. We also stopped to see a pottery worker who made a pot in front of us. After that we entered the oldest church in Plovdiv which is also still in use. The roads we walked on to get there were built during the old Roman Empire and used as aqueducts to deliver fresh water from the mountains. Latter on in the day we had our second competition. We wrestled well today and felt more comfortable on the mat. We stuck with our game plan and wrestled our way instead of their way. This is our last day in Plovdiv as we will travel to Varna tomorrow morning. I’m looking forward to the last leg of our trip and final competition coming up! Eli Gaylor- Ursinus College
![muskingum-muskies[1]](https://www.d3wrestle.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/muskingum-muskies1.jpg)
Muskingum University invites applications for a Graduate Assistant in Athletics to serve as Assistant Wrestling Coach and Spring Sports Game Manager. Position will serve as an assistant wrestling coach to aid the head coach in all designated areas. Will also serve as the spring sports game manager to assist the Director of Athletics and various head coaches in home game administrative responsibilities.
A Bachelor’s Degree is required; preferably in education and acceptance into the Muskingum University Graduate Program.
Candidates should possess a strong collegiate background in wrestling; good organizational and management skills; operate under the philosophy and rules of the OAC and NCAA; good communication and telephone skills.
This position in a one year contract with a one year renewable contract and comes with a stipend, housing, meal plan when University is in session and tuition remission.
Please send a cover letter, resume and list of references to: Larry Shank, Director of Athletics, Muskingum University, Recreation Center, New Concord, OH 43762. These can also be faxed to 740-826-8300 or emailed to lshank@muskingum.edu.
Muskingum University is an equal opportunity employer.
The team at The Edge in Hoboken, New Jersey before the trip
6/19/2013
The trip so far has been great. We drove from Whitewater to Hoboken, NJ. We picked up another wrestler in Ohio along the way. When we arrived in NJ we worked out at Edge Wrestling Facility, the owner Jeff Marsh was an amazing host. He let us stay there over night so we wouldn’t have to pay for a hotel. After practice we went into NYC and we saw Madison Square Garden, Time Square, The Freedom Tower, and The Empire State Building. The next morning we left to take 2 buses to JFK and now we are waiting to fly to Paris and then Sofia, Bulgaria. – Corey Meyer, UW-Whitewater
The team had a great training session last night at an incredible wrestling complex in Hoboken , NJ. The Edge wrestling facility is amazing and CEO Jeff Marsh was more than hospitable. He’s a first class guy running a Top Notch Training Center. The team is made up of 19 coaches/Wrestlers from Eight different colleges . The guys are excited as are the coaches. Getting ready to board the plane for Paris so I have to go!! – Bill Racich, Head Coach, Ursinus College
We are actually getting ready to board the plane. The guys look relaxed and ready to go…This trip should be a great experience for both the athletes and the coaches. We are looking forward to the journey – Pat Curry, Assistant Coach, Ursinus College
6/20/13
We left Monday from Whitewater Wisconsin making the long 18 hour trip and finally making it to New Jersey. We were able to stay at the Edge wrestling facility where we got to get a practice in and spend the night. After our practice we got on a train and headed to New York and checked out Times Square, Madison square garden and the Freedom Tower. Being the first time I have ever been in New York it was a new experience, definitely not used to all of the people but it is a place that everyone needs to experience at least once in their lifetime. We then headed back to the Edge facility to get some sleep. Now we are sitting at the JFK airport waiting to board the plane for the 8 hour flight to Paris, then make the 3 hour flight to Bulgaria. Here we go! – TJ Decker, UW-Whitewater
We flew out of JFK at 4:25 to start of very long travel process arriving in Paris at 6am their time. Then finally making it to Sofia, Bulgaria at 2:30. Our plane was greeted by armed border patrol and local police to bring a man out of the plane in handcuffs, it was really weird and very eye opening. They live a lot simpler of a lifestyle in Bulgaria and their definition of 4 star is worlds different than ours. I immediately gained a greater appreciation for where I live and thankful for what I have. we jumped right into our first workout with practices being a lot slower and extremely technical. As a warmup we played basketball, but not our version there were no fouls in this game. and we got destroyed by the locals! Learning 5-point throws twenty minutes into practice was eye opening for the kids that never wrestled freestyle before. Overall our first day was awesome in Bulgaria and can’t wait for the rest of the trip! Today we head to the mountains to train and compete against the French and Bulgarian teams. – Ryne Morrison, Ursinus College
Yesterday we had our first practice in Bulgaria at one of the countries oldest training centers. Their teams outlook on wrestling has already been eye opening. The Bulgarians have a relaxed, and open approach to the sport and as a result their techniques are clean and original. it was plain to see that the bulgarians not only love the sport but truly enjoy it. Their warm up was a hybrid of traditional wrestling drills and circus moves including a three person wheel barrow tower, and a move where you surf on your partners back as he crawls across the mat. During our training the team was warm and receptive to us. After training we headed back the hotel for a Bulgarian feast which included but was not limited to a mountain of potatoes and a half chicken for each wrestler. – Connor Keating, Assistant Coach, Norwich University
Traveled to Bansko on day 2 for a training session with the French and Bulgarian Junior National Teams. Arrived at the Hotel Olymp. Nice clean facility, and they turned their exercise room into a double mat room. Solid training session, and we were able to venture out on the town. The townsfolks were very nice, and the snow capped mountains were a beautiful backdrop (we are scoping out the mountain tops on Saturday). – Josh Mangle, Assistant Coach, Ursinus College
6/21/13
Yesterday was our second day in Bulgaria, and it was also the first day of competition. Most of the guys got two or three matches against top level competition. The Bulgarian and French National teams where very nice and willing to wrestle anyone that wanted to get another match in, but man were they tough! Many of us wrestled world medalist and European champions. At night after competition one of the locals showed us around the town. All of us guys got to go see the shops and the restaurants. Seeing the town gave us some time to just sit down and enjoy the beautiful country we are training in. Bulgaria is great so far, on to day three! – Alec Noa, Lakeland College
Today was a great day for Division III wrestling as our athletes won seven bouts against future Olympians from Bulgaria & France. All Americans Cedric Gibson, Anthony Egdten (UWW) & Colin Lenhardt (JWU) led the way with big wins over Bulgaria’s future stars followed by Messiah’s Kaleb Loht & Ursinus College’s Eli Gaylor grinding out big wins. The competition level was world class in a fantastic wrestling venue and all of our athletes fought hard and made a name for themselves. Following the competition, World renowned George Kalchev spoke with our team congratulating them on their performance. Kalchev and the other international opponents were openly impressed and demonstrated a level of respect with the quality of our D3 wrestlers. – Bill Racich, Head Coach, Ursinus College
Results vs Bulgarian national team. They are competing in the European championships in two weeks. We wrestled in the basement of a mountain resort hotel. Cool!! The officiating here makes me feel like this isn’t the sport of wrestling….. – Tim Fader, Head Coach, UW-Whitewater
| Alec Noa, Lakeland 0-3 Ryne Morrison, Ursinus 0-1 Kaleb Loht, Messiah 1-1 Colin Lenhardt, Johnson & Wales 1-1 Connor Keating, Whitewater 0-2 Maxx Hubbard, Whitewater 0-2 Eli Gaylor, Ursinus 1-1 |
Cedric Gibson, Whitewater 2-1 Matt Adcock, Whitewater 0-2 Corey Meyer, Whitewater 0-2 Anthony Edgren, Whitewater 1-1 Philip Landis, Elizabethtown 0-2 Damon Cheek, Heidelberg 0-2 TJ Decker, Whitewater 0-2 |
The trip for me is going very well so far! The plane ride and the driving has all been a great but very long experience for me. We trained really hard the first day here in Sofia. We played a very intense game of basketball with the Bulgarians and learned a hand full of throws and turns on top by George. The second day we traveled to Bansko where the Bulgaria’s Olympic training center is held! There we had a very intense but technical practice and ended the day with competition against the junior national team (France and Bulgaria). Our USA team did very well on our feet with most of our guys taking the France and Bulgarian down at well, we just got points scored on the bottom position, but hey we all have another 5-6 days to improve on that position. We also stop to see the Bulgarian monastery, great and humble experience to enjoy and see the Bulgarian religions, beliefs, norms and culture. Well that’s all for now. The USA team will continue to train hard and improve in the position we need to! Remember only one way to the top (WORK)!! – Cedric Gibson, Whitewater
Here is a link to information about Keystone State Games. The individual wrestling competition will be held August 3rd, and there is an open division for athletes who either live in or are attending college in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, New York, West Virginia, Ohio, and Washington D.C. The tournament takes place at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, PA. Click below for more info.
2013 State Games of America will be combined with the Keystone State Games. All eligible athletes for the annual Keystone State Games (which include New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, New York, West Virginia, Ohio, and Washington D.C.) are eligible to compete at the 2013 State Games of America. There is also a team duals event for high school and below the next day.
