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NCAA Wrap-Up Random Thoughts!

Glad everyone was ok and everyone had a good time.
Did anyone see the interview with the deer?
He said it was like getting dropped out of a tree.
Ha. I had never calculated my speed at impact. Until now. Assuming I was 15 feet up the tree, I was doing just over 21 mph when I "landed." The deer and I met at about 48 mph.
 
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I’ve noted that Illinois seems to be a state with high level high school wrestling. They typically do pretty well when comparing where NQs and AAs went to high school. I’m wondering why the Univ of Illinois doesn’t do better. Anyone have any thoughts on that?
 
I’ve noted that Illinois seems to be a state with high level high school wrestling. They typically do pretty well when comparing where NQs and AAs went to high school. I’m wondering why the Univ of Illinois doesn’t do better. Anyone have any thoughts on that?
good q. A lot go to Iowa... I've never checked out the university or the facilities... perhaps they're not fun looking :)
 
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So, I went to Illinois for undergrad. Super crappy walk-on for the track team, who saw the various shared practice facilities.

The wrestling team has its room and hosts wrestling events at Huff Hall. It seats just over 4,000 people. Built in the 1920s. Weight room in the basement as well. Right across the street, and connected by tunnel to, the Armory, which is the indoor track and ROTC building.

Like PSU, in the middle of nowhere. An hour and a half north to the Chicago suburbs, and otherwise, hours of corn and soy in all directions. Depending on the year, a top 25 school. One of the best Engineering schools in the country.

My high school was in the same conference as the school that Abe Assad, Austin Gomez, etc. went to. Went to their Prom once.

Locally, at least when I was applying, Iowa is/was viewed as a safety school. People called it University of Illinois at Iowa. I applied to Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Drake, Northwestern and a couple more I can’t remember. Illinois was the winner of my best + cheapest decision matrix (in-state + minor scholly).
 
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I just took this from Flo. Crazy f’ing stat!

-Penn State has had a national champion in each of the last 11 tournaments. Minnesota is the only other school that has a current string longer than one.
Maybe I'm missing something here, but prior to Gable Steveson, the last University of Minnesota wrestler to win a title was Tony Nelson in 2013.
 
You are missing Gable 2021.
giphy.gif
 
So, I went to Illinois for undergrad. Super crappy walk-on for the track team, who saw the various shared practice facilities.

The wrestling team has its room and hosts wrestling events at Huff Hall. It seats just over 4,000 people. Built in the 1920s. Weight room in the basement as well. Right across the street, and connected by tunnel to, the Armory, which is the indoor track and ROTC building.

Like PSU, in the middle of nowhere. An hour and a half north to the Chicago suburbs, and otherwise, hours of corn and soy in all directions. Depending on the year, a top 25 school. One of the best Engineering schools in the country.

My high school was in the same conference as the school that Abe Assad, Austin Gomez, etc. went to. Went to their Prom once.

Locally, at least when I was applying, Iowa is/was viewed as a safety school. People called it University of Illinois at Iowa. I applied to Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Drake, Northwestern and a couple more I can’t remember. Illinois was the winner of my best + cheapest decision matrix (in-state + minor scholly).
Weirdly, Iowa’s an elite school if you want to publish your short stories in the New Yorker, or be a women’s studies professor. Wrestling, writing, and women; what other programs are its best, water resource management, whiffleball?
 
Lots of positives from the weekend that many people have touched on so I'll go negative 🤔

1. There was no need for a 33rd wrestler. Pigtails in the National Tournament, give me a break. Get rid of it!

2. Tables were too close to the mats, lucky no one got hurt.

3. Really wish Brooks held position and didn't allow Amine to get that last takedown. He dominated but that made it look closer than it was. Furthermore, did anyone else notice how Amine put pressure on the back of Brooks neck with his arm for the final seconds. No class move, and they are supposedly friends?!

4. More booing against Penn State wrestlers than I can ever remember. Maybe because it was in Michigan? Maybe because fans are sick of seeing PSU wrestlers win?

Otherwise, great tournament! 😁
 
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Wyatt Sheets made that concept stick around a bit longer when he AA’d from the 33 last year.
Someone posted a week or two ago that they should allot all the AQs and then hold a tournament between conferences and nationals for everyone else that meets the criteria to wrestle for the remaining allocations. I thought that sounded like a great idea - a last chance qualifier of sorts. Logistically, would it work? Would it make or lose money?
 
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Wyatt Sheets made that concept stick around a bit longer when he AA’d from the 33 last year.
You are probably right, everyone will remember him becoming an All-American from the 33rd seed and no one will remember he didn't beat anyone higher than a 12 seed to do it.
 
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Maybe I'm missing something here, but prior to Gable Steveson, the last University of Minnesota wrestler to win a title was Tony Nelson in 2013.

Why are you "missing something"? Steveson has won back-to-back individual titles at HWT.
 
Lots of positives from the weekend that many people have touched on so I'll go negative 🤔

1. There was no need for a 33rd wrestler. Pigtails in the National Tournament, give me a break. Get rid of it!

2. Tables were too close to the mats, lucky no one got hurt.

3. Really wish Brooks held position and didn't allow Amine to get that last takedown. He dominated but that made it look closer than it was. Furthermore, did anyone else notice how Amine put pressure on the back of Brooks neck with his arm for the final seconds. No class move, and they are supposedly friends?!

4. More booing against Penn State wrestlers than I can ever remember. Maybe because it was in Michigan? Maybe because fans are sick of seeing PSU wrestlers win?

Otherwise, great tournament! 😁
3. I noted the arm on Aaron’s neck/head as well. Amine was clearly frustrated. Proud that Aaron acted like it never happened. He knew he had the ultimate win!
 
Someone posted a week or two ago that they should allot all the AQs and then hold a tournament between conferences and nationals for everyone else that meets the criteria to wrestle for the remaining allocations. I thought that sounded like a great idea - a last chance qualifier of sorts. Logistically, would it work? Would it make or lose money?
Too much wrestling. Wrestle 4 or 5 conference matches first week. Wrestle what, 5 or 6 matches earning one of those last 4 or 5 spots in week 2. Then wrestle nationals, and if one of these guys earns an AA spot they've wrestled 5, 6 or 7 more matches. The top end of that scenario is 18 matches in a 14 day period.
 
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Too close to Iowa lol. Just kidding
I’ve noted that Illinois seems to be a state with high level high school wrestling. They typically do pretty well when comparing where NQs and AAs went to high school. I’m wondering why the Univ of Illinois doesn’t do better. Anyone have any thoughts on that?
 
It was late. I read it as "Minnesota is the only other school that has a current string longer than that one."

My mistake.
You read it right. Penn State has a streak of 11 years in a row. Minnesota has a streak of 2 years in a row with a national champ (Steveson last year and this year). Michigan, Cornell, Northwestern and Missouri have streaks of 1 year of having a national champ. Everybody else, including Iowa, reset at zero consecutive years of having a national champ.
 
Care to list the guys in this photo? I would love to identify some PSU greats from the past...

Guy w the beard and the “Cael Knows” TShirt named Bubba organized the pic non-wrestler long time fan and SC musician.

Back Row L-R
?, Jason Nolf, Mike Slowey, Kerry McCoy, Tom Slowey, Bob Bury, Dan Pfautz, Eric Brugel, Joe Bastardi & Joe Hass

Front row L-R - Bubba, Bernie Fritz, Carl Destefanis, John Fritz, JohnHanrahan, Greg Elinsky, Mike Bevilauqa & ?

Guy kneeling in front is Mike Elinsky/UNC AA but still family:)
 
3. I noted the arm on Aaron’s neck/head as well. Amine was clearly frustrated. Proud that Aaron acted like it never happened. He knew he had the ultimate win!
I noticed Aaron face-mushed smiling into the mat with outstretched arms to two index fingers pointed skyward.

Amine's actions didn't seem to affect Aaron's enjoyment of the moment in the least.
 
Can't wait for Tulsa....assuming I find a way to get there that doesn't have a layover in London or something first. TULSA?! REALLY?!

What a weekend. Y'all were extremely awesome and welcoming, and we had a blast cheering with you all tourney.

My kid immediately asked to wrestle when I got home, and I felt like Kemerer against Hidlay: I have to do this for the team, but I'd really rather be almost anywhere else.

No problem. American Airlines has non stops from Washington DC.
no-problem-snoop-dogg.gif
 
No problem. American Airlines has non stops from Washington DC.
no-problem-snoop-dogg.gif
^^ Only non-stop from the northeast, and without checking, I believe it's one flight per day (nonstop DCA to TUL). That's limiting for many. It's early, but everything else I see is through Atlanta or Chicago.
 
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^^ Only non-stop from the northeast, and without checking, I believe it's one flight per day (nonstop DCA to TUL). That's limiting for many. It's early, but everything else I see is through Atlanta or Chicago.
Now you all know why I moved to Chicago in 2004. It’s called foresight.
 
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I noticed Aaron face-mushed smiling into the mat with outstretched arms to two index fingers pointed skyward.

Amine's actions didn't seem to affect Aaron's enjoyment of the moment in the least.
I’m glad someone else noticed that. To me, that was an instant classic. On bottom… opponent’s forearm on neck… and championship index fingers pointing up. I’d love to see @jmadden1998 or @82bordeaux create a gif from it.
 
So, I went to Illinois for undergrad. Super crappy walk-on for the track team, who saw the various shared practice facilities.

The wrestling team has its room and hosts wrestling events at Huff Hall. It seats just over 4,000 people. Built in the 1920s. Weight room in the basement as well. Right across the street, and connected by tunnel to, the Armory, which is the indoor track and ROTC building.

Like PSU, in the middle of nowhere. An hour and a half north to the Chicago suburbs, and otherwise, hours of corn and soy in all directions. Depending on the year, a top 25 school. One of the best Engineering schools in the country.

My high school was in the same conference as the school that Abe Assad, Austin Gomez, etc. went to. Went to their Prom once.

Locally, at least when I was applying, Iowa is/was viewed as a safety school. People called it University of Illinois at Iowa. I applied to Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Drake, Northwestern and a couple more I can’t remember. Illinois was the winner of my best + cheapest decision matrix (in-state + minor scholly).
Did you go to the prom with Assad or Gomez🤣
 
question-how many amines have wrestled at the NCAA tourney and how many titles have they won??
None, but it is a legacy family. Bothers Mike and Sam both wrestled for Michigan in the late '80's, Mike finishing 2nd in 1988. Jordan and Cam are brothers, and Malik and Myles are brothers. Myles was the most successful (4, 3, 3, 3, 2). Easy enough to find.
 
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None, but it is a legacy family. Bothers Mike and Sam both wrestled for Michigan in the late '80's, Mike finishing 2nd in 1988. Jordan and Cam are brothers, and Malik and Myles are brothers. Myles was the most successful (4, 3, 3, 3, 2). Easy enough to find.
I know the answer it was a joke!!
 
You read it right. Penn State has a streak of 11 years in a row. Minnesota has a streak of 2 years in a row with a national champ (Steveson last year and this year). Michigan, Cornell, Northwestern and Missouri have streaks of 1 year of having a national champ. Everybody else, including Iowa, reset at zero consecutive years of having a national champ.
2 years in a row ... no championships were held in 2020 ---

it sucks, but it's true! Ivy's would love to count a "forced" skipped year, Cornell would be 2nd on that list with Yianni (3)
 
2 years in a row ... no championships were held in 2020 ---

it sucks, but it's true! Ivy's would love to count a "forced" skipped year, Cornell would be 2nd on that list with Yianni (3)
None in 2020, but 2021 (last year) and 2022 (this year).

2020 doesn't count since no competition was held, PSU still has 11 in a row.
 
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