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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Tamyra Mensah-Stock named 2017 USA Wrestling Women’s Wrestler of the Year

USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender, Tamyra Mensah-Stock and National Women’s Coach Terry Steiner pose as Mensah-Stock received her award in Lincoln, Neb. Photo by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers Are Warriors

Tamyra Mensah-Stock (Colorado Springs, Colo./Titan Mercury) was named 2017 Women’s Wrestler of the Year by USA Wrestling. It is the first time that Mensah-Stock has received this prestigious award.

Mensah-Stock, who previously competed under her maiden name Tamyra Mensah, won a number of international competitions during the 2017 season.

She opened the year with a victory at the Ivan Yarygin Memorial Grand Prix in Russia in January, one of the most prestigious Open tournaments in the world, winning bouts against four top foreign opponents. She becames only the sixth U.S. woman to have ever won this event. The previous U.S. woman winner was Kelsey Campbell in 2010.

Mensah-Stock was also a champion at the Grand Prix of Spain in July, winning four bouts, including a 10-0 technical fall over Russia’s Galina Bulitova in the finals.

She added a pair of international silver medals, taking a silver at the Dave Schultz Memorial International in November and the Russia Cup in December. She also competed on the U.S. Women’s World Cup team in Russia in December, earning a 3-1 record in her dual meets.

Mensah-Stock also won her match at the Beat the Streets Benefit “East Meets West” in May in New York City, stopping Japan’s Miwa Morikawa, 5-1.

Domestically, she won the World Team Trials in Las Vegas in April, where she beat two-time Olympian and four-time World medalist Elena Pirozhkova in the finals in two straight matches, 4-3 and 6-2.

Competing in her first Senior World Championships in Paris, France in August, Mensah-Stock finished with a 1-1 record at 69 kg. She opened with a 12-2 technical fall over Alla Belinska of Ukraine, then was beaten by China’s Yue Han, 5-2. Han did not reach the finals, so Stock was not eligible for repechage.

She also completed her college career with a WCWA national title for Wayland Baptist in February, defeating Niauni Hill of Lindenwood-Belleville in the finals at 155 pounds. It was her second career WCWA title. She finished as a four-time All-American.

Among her big achievements earlier in her career was a silver medal at the 2014 University World Championships. She won the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials but did not compete at the Rio Olympics because she was not able to qualify her weight class for the Olympic Games.

Mensah-Stock is a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete. She is a native of Katy, Texas, where she was a two-time Texas state high school champion for Morton Ranch High School.

PAST WOMEN’S WRESTLER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
2017 – Tamyra Mensah-Stock, Colorado Springs, Colo., Titan Mercury WC
2016 – Helen Maroulis, New York, N.Y., Sunkist Kids
2015 – Adeline Gray, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC
2014 – Adeline Gray, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC
2013 – Alyssa Lampe, Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunkist Kids
2012 – Clarissa Chun, Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunkist Kids
2011 – Ali Bernard, New Ulm, Minn., Gator WC
2010 – Elena Pirozhkova, Colorado Springs, Colo., Gator WC
2009 – Deanna Rix, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC
2008 – Randi Miller, Colorado Springs, Colo., Gator WC
2007 – Kristie Marano, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC
2006 – Kristie Marano, Colorado Springs, Colo., New York AC
2005 – Iris Smith, Colorado Springs, Colo. U.S. Army
2004 – Sara McMann, Lock Haven, Pa., Sunkist Kids
2003 – Patricia Miranda, Colorado Springs, Colo., Dave Schultz WC
2002 – Kristie Marano, Albany, N.Y., ATWA
2001 – Toccara Montgomery, Cleveland, Ohio, Sunkist Kids
2000 – Kristie Marano, Albany, N.Y., ATWA
1999 – Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
1998 – Kristie Stenglein, Albany, N.Y., ATWA
1997 – Sandra Bacher, San Jose, Calif., Dave Schultz WC
1996 – Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
1995 – Vickie Zummo, Hamburg, N.J., New York AC
1994 – Shannon Williams, Ontario, Calif., Sunkist Kids
1993 – Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids

Courtesy of Teamusa.org

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Mike Dixon returns to Indiana as associate head coach

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana head wrestling coach Angel Escobedo announced Monday the addition of Mike Dixon to his coaching staff. Dixon, who completed his varsity career at Indiana in 2001, returns to his alma mater as the Hoosiers’ associate head coach.

“I’m excited to bring Mike Dixon on staff, as he was an instrumental part of the rise of Old Dominion Wrestling and brought in many top-25 recruiting classes,” Escobedo said. “As an alumnus, his passion and commitment to see Indiana Wrestling at the top is unwavering. I know he is excited to have a big impact on taking this program to new heights. My staff and I are eager to foster success in this program.”

Dixon enters the IU wrestling room with over a decade of veteran leadership and experience with raising a wrestling program to national prominence. In 13 years as an assistant and associate head coach at Old Dominion, Dixon guided his wrestlers to nine NCAA All-American honors and 18 individual conference championships.

Dixon’s hiring is the second by coach Escobedo, who took over the helm as IU’s eighth head coach in April. Last month, Escobedo announced four-time All-American Isaac Jordan as an assistant coach.

“I’m excited to be coming back to Indiana and joining Angel’s staff,” Dixon said shortly after the announcement. “I look forward to working alongside both Angel and Isaac to build a sustainable program that can compete for championships within the Big Ten and nationally.”

In over a decade with Old Dominion, Dixon helped head coach Steve Martin find success on the mat and in the classroom while putting the Monarchs on the map of the wrestling landscape. In the 2007-08 season, Dixon’s first with the Monarchs, Old Dominion earned their first top-20 ranking in program history with six NCAA Championships qualifiers, then a school record.

The next year, Old Dominion captured a top-20 NCAA Championships while Ryan Williams (141 lbs.) became the program’s first NCAA finalist in 15 years.

The 2011-12 season saw the Monarchs raise the bar with a program-best seven NCAA qualifiers and an outstanding dual meet season that included ranked upsets over Iowa State, Rutgers, and Central Michigan. Two wrestlers, Scott Festejo and Te Edwards, claimed individual titles at the 2012 CAA Championships.

Dixon helped guide a seamless transition to the Mid American Conference (MAC) in the 2013-14 season, as all six NCAA qualifiers finished in fourth-place or better at the ensuing MAC Championships.

In just their second season as a MAC member, Dixon and the Monarchs took runner-up at the conference championships in 2015. Dixon was named the SAAC Staffer of the Year and led two wrestlers, Chris Mecate and Alexander Richardson, to the All-American podium. That marked the first time Old Dominion earned two NCAA All-Americans in one season since 1991. Mecate became Old Dominion’s first back-to-back All-American with a fifth-place finish the next season.

Dixon assisted in the development of Kevin Beazley, one of the most prominent wrestlers in program history, as he achieved All-American status at the 2017 NCAA Championships. Most recently, Beazley took a Greco-Roman bronze medal finish at the 2018 City of Sassari International in Italy.

In his 13 years with the program, the Monarchs achieved a 109-82-2 dual meet record with two CAA regular season titles. Old Dominion also earned six NWCA All-Academic honors in Dixon’s tenure alongside two NCAA Elite 89 awards, given annually to the NCAA Championships participant with the highest GPA. Tristan Warner became just the second wrestler in Division-I to win back-to-back Elite 89 honors.

Prior to his tenure in Norfolk, Virginia, Dixon served as an assistant at James Madison University. Dixon guided two conference podium finishes and revitalized their recruiting strategy after the university dropped athletic scholarships in 2000.

Before joining the staff at James Madison, Dixon embarked his coaching career in his hometown of Indianapolis. As an assistant at the University of Indianapolis, Dixon oversaw five national qualifiers and three top-12 finishes. He also assisted the wrestling program at Arsenal Tech High School and guided four conference champions, two sectional champions, and the school’s first-ever freshman to win a city championship.

A 2001 graduate of Indiana University with a degree in management from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Dixon was an NCAA qualifier at 275 lbs. in 1998. He earned the team’s Most Improved Wrestler award in 1998 and the prestigious Billy Thom Leadership award in 2001. Also in the 2001 season, Dixon became a University National Freestyle Champion and earned a fourth-place finish in the 2001 Pan-American Games at 97kg.

Dixon earned his master’s degree in education from Old Dominion University in 2012.

Courtesty of teamusa.org

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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.