NAIA Grants Invitational Status to Women’s Wrestling

KANSAS CITY, MO, April 14, 2018 – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) will add women’s wrestling as an invitational sport beginning the 2018-19 academic year. The decision was unanimously approved today by the NAIA’s National Administrative Council at the NAIA National Convention in Kansas City, Mo.

“The NAIA is proud to be the first intercollegiate athletics association to officially recognize women’s wrestling,” said NAIA President & CEO Jim Carr. “This is a great opportunity to empower female student-athletes both athletically and academically. The recent growth of the sport indicates it will have a strong future with our association.”

The NAIA has more member institutions sponsoring women’s wrestling than any other intercollegiate athletics association. This year, 19 schools offered women’s wrestling and it’s anticipated that the 2018-19 academic year will have 25 teams.

“The National Wrestling Coaches Association is grateful for the NAIA’s leadership and pioneering efforts as the first collegiate governing body to recognize women’s wrestling as an invitational sport,” said Mike Moyer, executive director of NWCA. “We look forward to working with the NAIA and its member institutions to establish many more intercollegiate women’s teams moving forward.”

Invitational status officially puts women’s wrestling under NAIA purview. This means the sport will begin competing and developing the protocols and framework needed for championship status. A national women’s wrestling invitational will be hosted annually. Once a sport has 40 teams and has completed two years at invitational status, it may apply for championship status.

Courtesy of Naia.org

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Gwiazdowski healthy, strong, motivated heading into Final X

Nick Gwiazdowski is a heavyweight, so he’s used to waiting for his turn to wrestle.

Gwiazdowski spent the past two weekends watching the first seven world freestyle team spots determined at Final X events in Lincoln and State College.

“We’ve got some really great wrestlers and it was fun to watch,” he said. “It definitely got my competitive juices flowing.”

Now it’s Gwiazdowski’s turn.

The 2017 world bronze medalist will battle long-time rival Adam Coon when the third and final stage of the Final X is contested Saturday night at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa.

Gwiazdowski and Coon will meet in a best-of-three match series at 125 kilograms. The winner advances to October’s World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

“I’m really excited and motivated to wrestle,” Gwiazdowski said. “I’m healthy and strong — I’m ready to go. I can’t wait to get out there and have my opportunity to compete.”

Gwiazdowski, a two-time NCAA champion, has had a strong season. He placed third at January’s prestigious Ivan Yarygin event in Russia before going 2-1 for the U.S. team that won April’s World Cup.

He dropped a 4-3 decision to 2015 world silver medalist Jamaladdin Magomedov of Azerbaijan in the gold-medal dual at the World Cup.

“I feel like I’ve continued to make progress and I’ve improved a lot over the last 10 months since the World Championships,” he said. “I have tried to build on that performance from last year. A big part of what I’ve worked on is getting stronger and increasing my attack rate with my offense.

“This is the strongest I’ve been in a long time. I have had some really good training and I’ve had really good preparation leading up to this event.”

The 6-foot-1, 258-pound Gwiazdowski will face a familiar foe in the massive 6-foot-5, 285-pound Coon, who is trying to make U.S. world teams in both freestyle and Greco-Roman this year.

Nick Gwiazdowski defeated Adam Coon multiple times at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Gwiazdowski earned one-point wins over Coon in the 2015 NCAA finals and 2016 NCAA semifinals. He also beat Coon by 12-2 technical superiority in freestyle at the 2015 U.S. World Team Trials.

Coon does have a win over Gwiazdowski, a 3-1 victory in overtime in the quarterfinals of the 2013 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational.

Coon won the U.S. Open and World Team Trials Challenge Tournament this year to earn a shot at Gwiazdowski, who earned a Final X berth by virtue of being a returning world medalist. Coon is a past Cadet world champion and Junior world bronze medalist in freestyle.

“Adam has had a really solid year — he beat a world champion,” Gwiazdowski said. “He is a big, strong guy, but you expect everyone to be strong that you face at this level. I expect guys to be 275 pounds and be physical. I respect Adam and what he does. I’m looking forward to the challenge of facing him. He always brings a fight. He’s in your face and he wrestles hard.”

Gwiazdowski is ready to match Coon’s hard-charging style and approach.

“I’m in great shape,” he said, “and I feel really confident with my conditioning.”

The 25-year-old Gwiazdowski is an athletic heavyweight who has excelled with an array of lethal leg attacks. He’s a tough matchup for most heavyweights who don’t possess his speed and mobility.

“I’m going to be fast and explosive,” he said, “and ready for whatever happens out there.”

Gwiazdowski is looking to join an already loaded 2018 American world team that includes Olympic and world champions Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Snyder, world champion Logan Stieber, world silver medalists Thomas Gilman and James Green, and Hodge Trophy winners Kyle Dake and David Taylor.

Nick Gwiazdowski won a world bronze medal in Paris (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Gwiazdowski was a member of the 2017 United States squad that won the world team title in men’s freestyle wrestling last year in Paris. It was the first U.S. team title in that style since 1995.

“This year’s world team is really good already,” he said. “I’ve been around this group the last couple of years and I’ve been able to see what they do. It’s an impressive group of guys who compete and train at a very high level. I’ve learned a lot from being around them.”

Gwiazdowski and coach Pat Popolizio led a resurgence of the wrestling program at North Carolina State. The Wolfpack are coming off their best season in school history after winning a team trophy when they tied for fourth at the 2018 NCAA tournament in Cleveland.

And the best may be yet to come as N.C. State continues to bring in top-level recruits.

“It’s really exciting to see what is going on here,” said Gwiazdowski, who continues to train in Raleigh. “A lot of things have changed since I first got here. The intensity of guys and the skill level they have now is really impressive. Pat’s done a great job and he’s put together a great coaching staff. It’s fun to see them continue to bring in talented wrestlers and see the program having so much success. It’s awesome.”

Popolizio is impressed with what Gwiazdowski has done after a standout collegiate career where he was a three-time NCAA finalist.

Nick Gwiazdowski with coaches Obe Blanc (left) and Bill Zadick (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

“Nick is an extremely motivated individual and he has been working very hard to accomplish his ultimate goal of becoming a world champion,” Popolizio said. “Coach (Obe) Blanc has been leading our RTC’s training and our staff feels very confident about Nick’s preparation heading into this weekend.

“Nick excels on the Senior level because he takes the sport and his training very seriously. He is a true professional, he does everything right and he expects the best.”

So what is the key for Gwiazdowski to achieve his lofty goals?

“Some of it is technical, and some of it is intensity and fight,” he said. “I have to stay focused and believe that I’m good enough to be a world champion. You need to develop that mindset and I feel like I can beat anybody in the world right now.”

Courtesy of Intermatwrestling.com

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Wrestling Hacks for Staying Fit During Off-Season

Summer is kind of officially here, and I hope your making the best out of the awesome sunshine and your days off before school’s back in session. It’s definitely important to rest your body during off-season, for a moment of time, but don’t get super comfortable buddy! If you do, you may have a hard time getting back into the swing of things when the new season officially starts. As a wrestler and an athlete overall, it’s vital that you take certain initiatives to maintain both your weight and athletic prowess year-round. Off-season is the prime time to work on improving your diet, strength, quickness, endurance and agility as well as gaining muscle, without the distraction of competitions and classes.

The first thing you should do, to maintain yourself while you’re off, is regulate your meals. Your off-season diet is just as vital as when you’re on. You can still enjoy eating what you like. I mean it’s off-season righhht! However, make sure you minimize your portions and focus on quality food. Diving into a perpetual pile of junk-food during the summer can lead to poor eating habits during wrestling season, like extreme dieting, which we know isn’t good for several reasons. It can result in health deficiencies and decrease your performance. Therefore, it’s good to ensure that your daily meal consumption primarily contains:

1. Fruits and Veggies, which provide needed minerals and nutrients
2. Healthy Fluids, particularly water (dehydration leads to reduced muscle strength, performance and endurance while hydration helps control metabolism and hormones, while improving circulation of nutrients)
3. Complex Carbohydrates (ex: Oatmeal, Wheat Bread, lentils, quinoa)
4. Rich Protein (ex: lean eggs, meat, yogurt, milk, cheese, soy products)

Instead of counting calories, make it easier on yourself by just balancing meals consisting of these four groups. These foods not only help you remain full for longer periods of time, so you eat less; but they also result in faster recovery times after training. Additionally, they increase your energy. Make sure you eat these foods every two to three hours, while also consuming plenty of water, to boost your metabolism.

The next crucial thing you must do is work on your physical fitness. Before you begin the process, thoroughly consider what areas you fell short in during the previous season and what improvements you want to make. Did you typically run out of breath or become weak half-way through your matches? Did you have issues with your flexibility when trying to implement your technique? Since you have been off from wrestling for a bit, ease your way back into your physical training gradually. Begin with light work initially, then progress to higher intensity conditioning. According to Johnson Fitness, in order to:

1. Boost Endurance: Implement “interval training” and lengthen your workouts
2. Advance Your Speed: Implement exercises that include flexibility and that involve sprinting
3. Increase Strength: Incorporate squats, push-ups, lunges and abdominal exercises

If you do all these things during your time off, including working on your technique with one of your wrestling buddies, you’re on your way to being a beast on the mat, if you’re not already there.

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Shane Lyons Names Tim Flynn WVU’s Ninth Wrestling Coach

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University Director of Athletics and Associate Vice President Shane Lyons has named Tim Flynn as the school’s ninth wrestling coach.

Flynn comes to West Virginia from Edinboro, where he spent the past 21 years building the Fighting Scots into a wrestling powerhouse. He compiled a 223-95-5 career record at Edinboro to become the school’s all-time winningest coach and a member of its Hall of Fame.

His accomplishments at Edinboro totaled 150 national qualifiers, 38 All-Americans, 64 EWL champions and 97 PSAC champions. He led the Fighting Scots to five top-10 finishes at the NCAA Wrestling Championships, 14 top-20 finishes and 18 top-25 finishes.

Flynn engineered in recent years two of the best seasons in Edinboro wrestling history. His 2013-14 squad recorded a fifth-place finish at the national tournament with three All-Americans. The Fighting Scots ended the year with an 11-3 record, winning 10 of their last 11 duals including a 17-16 win over No. 6 Pitt. He received NWCA NCAA Division I Coach of the Year honors, shared InterMat Coach of the Year honors with Minnesota’s J Robinson and also was selected as WIN’s Dan Gable Coach of the Year. He followed in 2014-15 with four All-Americans and a third-place national finish – the school’s highest ever.

He was the Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) Coach of the Year seven times and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Coach of the Year 13 times. Flynn also coached three national champions (John Koscheck at 174 in 2001, Gregor Gillespie at 149 in 2007 and Jarrod King at 165 in 2009) and eight NCAA runners-up.

Under the former Penn State All-American, Edinboro dominated eastern wrestling circles, winning the EWL Championship in 15 of the last 21 years, including eight straight years at one point, along with the PSAC tournament title 17 times in his 21 campaigns. At one point, Edinboro won 34 of 35 EWL dual matches, which included a 29-match winning streak.

“Tim brings to West Virginia a wealth of head coaching experience, success and veteran leadership,” Lyons said. “He is a proven winner and one of the most respected coaches in the sport. His years of success and consistency speak volumes, and I know he will be a great fit for our department and wrestling program.”

Before taking over the head coaching duties, Flynn was an assistant at Edinboro under legendary coach and Olympian Bruce Baumgartner from 1992-97. Flynn assisted Baumgartner to a 56-21 record, including a 14-0 dual match mark and a sixth-place finish at Nationals in 1996.

“I’m excited, this is a blessing for me,” Flynn said. “It came at a great time. West Virginia is a sleeping giant located in a great spot for wrestling as well as a great conference. I’m excited and ready to get started.”

Following three standout seasons at Vista High in Vista, California, Flynn moved east to finish his prep career at Annapolis Senior High in Annapolis, Maryland. He went on to enjoy a stellar career at Penn State, captaining the 1986-87 squad while earning All-American honors at 134 pounds. He went 30-10-1 as a senior, winning the EWL title and finishing seventh at Nationals. The Nittany Lions enjoyed one of their greatest seasons ever with an 18-1-1 record and a third-place finish at the NCAA Tournament.

Flynn finished with a 105-32-2 collegiate wrestling record, still ranking among the all-time career leaders in victories for Penn State. He also won the EWL title as a junior in 1986 while competing at 126 pounds, finishing with a 30-7-1 mark. He qualified for Nationals as a sophomore as well after finishing second at the EWL Championships. He was a four-time Midlands Championships place winner, a two-time Mat-Town USA champion and was an Espoir National freestyle runner-up in 1984.

Flynn, who is currently a member of the National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NWCA) Leadership Group, graduated from Penn State in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in business management. He later earned his master’s degree in business administration from Penn State with a concentration in finance in 1990. He and his wife, Tanya, have two children – Logan and Riley.

Courtesy of WVUSPORTS.COM

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Alvernia Announces Addition Of Wrestling For 2019-20

Alvernia University Athletic Director Bill Stiles announced Wednesday the addition of Wrestling as the Pennsylvania university’s 28th varsity sport.

The national search for a head coach will begin immediately, and the Golden Wolves start competing in the winter of 2019.

“We are in the heart of a wrestling hotbed with over 36,000 boys participating in high school wrestling within our primary recruiting market, encompassing almost 1500 high school programs – including all 15 schools in Berks County,” said Stiles. “The ability for us to continue strategic growth and provide additional opportunities to talented student-athletes in our region remains paramount, and wrestling provides a wonderful opportunity for us to do that.”

Alvernia will be the sixth member of the Middle Atlantic Conference to sponsor varsity wrestling. Messiah College earned the 2018 MAC Championship followed by Delaware Valley, Wilkes, Lycoming, and King’s.

Alvernia will practice and compete in the Physical Education Center, home to Alvernia’s volleyball and basketball teams.

Courtesy of Auwolves.com

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JUDGE DROPS LAWSUIT AGAINST UIL: TRANSGENDER WRESTLER, MACK BEGG, STILL REQUIRED TO WRESTLE GIRLS

After two challenges, the UIL’s current steroid policy remained intact Tuesday.

The policy came into public light in relation to the case of Mack Beggs, the Euless Trinity transgender wrestler who went on to win a girls wrestling state championship while taking testosterone under a “safe harbor” provision in the education code.

On Tuesday, a Travis County judge dismissed a lawsuit asking the UIL to not allow Beggs to compete. Around the same time, the Senate Education Committee left pending a bill that would have changed the organization’s safe harbor provision.

The lawsuit, originally filed just before the wrestling regional championships in February, was brought by Coppell lawyer Jim Baudhuin and alleged the risk of injury to other wrestlers and an

unfair advantage to Beggs. Baudhuin amended the lawsuit several times leading up to the hearing and argued that the UIL was not following its rules related to steroid use.

The UIL filed for a “Plea of Jurisdiction,” which asked for the case to be dismissed for several reasons before it went on to a trial, leading to the hearing Tuesday.

In her explanation for dismissing the claims, the judge said Baudhuin’s case was more of a question of what the UIL did with its discretionary powers than a question of the UIL not following the law or its constitution.

Both UIL Deputy Director Jamey Harrison and the Beggs camp were pleased with the result.

“It was kind of expected,” said Damon McNew, Beggs’ stepfather. “It’s what the UIL stated a little bit after the competition.”

McNew said there was “absolutely” relief the lawsuit is over.

Baudhuin also said the ruling “wasn’t unexpected.”

“This was a very difficult, frustrating case,” Baudhuin said.

Baudhuin attempted, in part, to argue that the UIL had failed to prove Beggs fell under the “safe harbor” provision outlined in the state’s education code. The UIL cited FERPA privacy law.

Baudhuin subpoenaed Harrison to testify on UIL rules but the judge cut off the testimony, saying this hearing was not the time to fish for information.

Baudhuin said he’d talk with an appellate lawyer and discuss if they’ll choose to appeal.

“As I’m standing here 15 minutes after the hearing is done, I don’t think we’re going to pursue it any further,” Baudhuin said.

Part of the UIL’s argument was the law could change in the coming months. That chance got smaller Tuesday as Senate Bill 2095 was left pending.

Leo Barnes, the UIL’s directory of policy and compliance, told the committee that as of now, the organization can only conduct randomized drug testing, and that program is not currently funded.

It also would require any person seeking protection under the safe harbor provision to release medical records to the UIL and allow communication between the organization and the student’s healthcare professionals.

The UIL could also declare the student ineligible despite the safe harbor provision if it determines the safety of other students or fairness of competition would be affected by the student’s steroid use.

With the bill pending, it could be voted out of committee, but the chances of that are small. Thus, the UIL’s current steroid policy remains.

At least until June, when the UIL legislative council meets.

Courtesy of Sports Day

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