NCAA Tourney

[Big Bird]

I think Clay got a tough draw, but has a winnable match in round 1 and 2.

Hayden has a tough but very good draw. Pestano has been no match for Zillmer, he beat Zavatsky this year, Aboundaer has no offense, and he beat Dean handily last year...I have it as the 12 seed vs the 10 seed in the finals.

Rodriguez has a bad draw IMO. I think he beats Fausz, but even that's tough. I don't think he can beat Megaludis. I wish he would've had either Dance or Gillman, as I think he'd have a chance there. I have him beating Fausz, losing to Mega, and then beating Fleetwood again, beating returning AA Klimara, and then falling to Peters in the rd of 12.

Overall, I'm excited. NDSU has a legit chance at a title and the other two have a chance to win a few, and even sneak in another AA. NYC has been solid and there is a ton of wrestling royalty walking around, who have been very approachable to annoying fans.

See everyone at Brother Jimmy's BBQ in between sessions Friday???

[RadioBison]

Just about anything could happen at 184. I've seen one guy at Intermat predicting that Zavatsky wins the whole thing, so that's no given either. We all know that Zillmer can beat anybody in the field. I would love to see it happen.

The field is pretty stacked at 125 as well, especially the top 4. If Rodriguez can win a couple and get in the top 16, I will be happy. Anything more is a bonus.

I'm not familiar with many guys at 149, but I think Ream has a good chance to win at least one match, which would be a decent way to cap the season. If he keeps going like at the Big XII, maybe he can win more.

[Hansel]

Rodriguez wins his opener 7-3

[Hansel]

Ream loses his opener 11-7

[Hansel]

Zillmer wins 10-5

[Big Bird]

Clay wrestled really well and was right with him. He now has former AA Evan Henderson to stay alive.

Rodriguez wrestled great for two periods and looked invincible on his feet...and then chose down and looked bad. The Klimara loss should benefit Rodriguez in the wrestlebacks after the Megaludis match. I had Rodriguez beating Klimara to get to the R12 anyway, but now his path looks a bit easier.

Zillmer was OK. Zavatsky is wrestling really well right now and this should be a dandy. Hayden has to win to avoid an absolutely brutal road back in the wrestlebacks. The loser of this match will run into returning AA Kenny Courts immediately.

[Christopher Moen]

Zillmer is on deck on Mat #7.

[onbison09]

Well that sucked. Had some chances just couldn't finish

[RadioBison]

Well that sucked. Had some chances just couldn't finish

There sure isn't room for any errors here.

[Christopher Moen]

Well that sucked. Had some chances just couldn't finish

Add in that his opponent never once tried a legit offensive move (only two crappy half shots in a row to prevent the second stall call). Just capitalized by getting the higher altitude during a scramble situation.

[RadioBison]

Ream on deck mat 6

[RadioBison]

Man did Ream own the #8 seed.

[onbison09]

Man did Ream own the #8 seed.
That was really fun to watch. He beat the hell out of him. I really like the way Ream wrestles. Doesn't back down. Kept looking to score even when he lost.

[onbison09]

Is there another round tonight?

[CAS4127]

That was really fun to watch. He beat the hell out of him. I really like the way Ream wrestles. Doesn't back down. Kept looking to score even when he lost.

How can you beat the hell out of opponent and lose?


Sent from my iPhone.

[RadioBison]

Is there another round tonight?

No, this is it for today.

[Christopher Moen]

How can you beat the hell out of opponent and lose?


Sent from my iPhone.

He didn't in the second match. onbison09 was referring to Ream still trying score in his first match despite losing and eventually lost. In the second match, Ream destroyed Evan Henderson (an 8th seed) with a technical fall. I'm not sure if Henderson is hurt or isn't as good at collegiate wrestling, but he's won quite a few impressive matches on the senior international scene in freestyle.

[CAS4127]

He didn't in the second match. onbison09 was referring to Ream still trying score in his first match despite losing and eventually lost. In the second match, Ream destroyed Evan Henderson (an 8th seed) with a technical fall. I'm not sure if Henderson is hurt or isn't as good at collegiate wrestling, but he's won quite a few impressive matches on the senior international scene in freestyle.

Thanks, and cool. Good on Reams.


Sent from my iPhone.

[onbison09]

Yeah I meant in his first match he was down with short time left and he kept shooting for takedowns when a lot of guys in that situation just shut down

[Big Bird]

Great match by Rrodriguez. You can count on one hand the guys in the country at 125 who have taken down Megaludis this year and Josh did. He has a good path to AA too. If Josh wrestles like he is capable of, he'll have Dylan Peters of UNI to AA.

Ream was great. He's a sophomore, has been to NCAAs twice, has a 3-3 record at NCAAs, and all three of his wins at NCAAs are against former All Americans. Hhe wrestled great on top and was decisive with his shots.

Zillmer let that one slip away. He had multiple chances to pull the trigger when he got Zavatsky off balance in the second and third period, and just didn't pull the trigger. He was the better wrestler for 6 and a half minutes and just lost as scramble. It doesn't get easier tomorrow either...he'll have Scheffel who knocked off AA Courts, then likely 4 seed Abounader and then the loser of the Brooks/Dudley match just to AA. That's tough, but he did something similar last year.

[RadioBison]

Rodriguez wins 7-0 over Fleetwood. Next up Macri from Cornell.

[RadioBison]

Ream falls 12-3 to #10 DePalma from Kent State. I heard somebody yell "that's a stall ride" early on, and that's what it seemed like to me.

[RadioBison]

Zillmer beats Bubba Scheffel from WV 5-0. Next up is #4 Abounader from Michigan.

[Hansel]

Rodriguez wins 5-4, next up Peters from UNI

[RadioBison]

Rodriguez holds on for a 5-4 win over Macri. Next up is #9 Dylan Peters of UNI with AA status on the line.

[Bisonwinagn]

If Zillmer gets through #4 he will have to beat #2 to become AA. Brutal consolation bracket.

[RadioBison]

If Zillmer gets through #4 he will have to beat #2 to become AA. Brutal consolation bracket.

I think they could have picked #2 through #16 out of a hat this year.

[RadioBison]

Zillmer is up next on mat 3. This round goes fast.

[herdmember]

Link to watch online?

[sgt smash]

What happened there, I missed the end of Zillmer's match.

[Hansel]

What happened there, I missed the end of Zillmer's match.

Opponent won via riding time tie-breaker

[sgt smash]

Opponent won via riding time tie-breaker

Did they give him a point for stalling before that?

[RadioBison]

Did they give him a point for stalling before that?

Yes, they did.

[RadioBison]

Link to watch online?

You can try watchespn. Rodriguez will be on again at 7 PM central.

[herdmember]

Zilmer done so only Rodriguez left?

[RadioBison]

Zilmer done so only Rodriguez left?

Yep, the only one left.

[Snake]

Shitty way to end a career. Bison as a whole are terrible on bottom.

[CAS4127]

Shitty way to end a career. Bison as a whole are terrible on bottom.

And just how did he end it?

This thread is funny. Hardly any substance on the actual match.


Sent from my iPhone.

[RadioBison]

And just how did he end it?

This thread is funny. Hardly any substance on the actual match.


Sent from my iPhone.

They went to OT. Nobody scored in the sudden death portion. The other guy chose down and Zillmer rode him out for the full 30 seconds. He only needed an escape when it was his time to be down, but he couldn't get one. There was another one minute of sudden death and again no one score. Next Zillmer went down and was ridden out again. The other guy did get an escape when he had a chance in the final OT. He was up by a point until he got hit for stalling to tie things up. So it was still tied after the final OT, but the other guy won because he accumulated more riding time.

[CAS4127]

They went to OT. Nobody scored in the sudden death portion. The other guy chose down and Zillmer rode him out for the full 30 seconds. He only needed an escape when it was his time to be down, but he couldn't get one. There was another one minute of sudden death and again no one score. Next Zillmer went down and was ridden out again. The other guy did get an escape when he had a chance in the final OT. He was up by a point until he got hit for stalling to tie things up. So it was still tied after the final OT, but the other guy won because he accumulated more riding time.

Thanks. Solid, competitive match.


Sent from my iPhone.

[Big Bird]

I dont like the matchup vs peters, because he is so physical and strong, but josh can win if he stays aggressive and keeps the match on his feet.

He can do this. I think he comes out on fire and has a great first period. Prediction: 6-5 win for the good guy

[Big Bird]

Coaches Rivera and Garnett in the corner

[Big Bird]

And MSG is blasting thunderstruck

[Big Bird]

Quick td peters

[RadioBison]

They are playing Thunderstruck. I hope that's a good omen.

[Big Bird]

Peters riding tough but parralel. Not a good start

[Big Bird]

Peters with the fall. Just way too strong

[1998braves64]

Peters with the fall. Just way too strong

Wow that didn't take long.

[onbison09]

Peters with the fall. Just way too strong
Damnit you were right. Hopefully the boys have a better year next year. I'm planning on being there. Maybe it's easy to say for me, but it seemed like we were really tentative in a lot of matches. Zilmer's all seemed winnable. Not faulting the effort, but frustrating.

[onbison09]

Wow Tomasello getting stuck! I'm getting boatraced in my pool

[Christopher Moen]

Coaches have lot a LOT of work to do. When I say LOT, I don't mean trying to just out-recruit SDSU and the rest of the old WWC teams, but the rest of the Big-12 and even the Big 10. Mediocrity is not the Bison way.

[Big Bird]

Damnit you were right. Hopefully the boys have a better year next year. I'm planning on being there. Maybe it's easy to say for me, but it seemed like we were really tentative in a lot of matches. Zilmer's all seemed winnable. Not faulting the effort, but frustrating.

And to make it worse, Peters is very well known for his cow catcher...

[Big Bird]

Coaches have lot a LOT of work to do. When I say LOT, I don't mean trying to just out-recruit SDSU and the rest of the old WWC teams, but the rest of the Big-12 and even the Big 10. Mediocrity is not the Bison way.

Well said.

[1998braves64]

All Big XII in 141 final.

Heil (OSU) and Meredith (Wyo)

[RadioBison]

Big Bird, you made a good call weeks ago about Meridith being an AA, but I bet you didn't see him in the finals.

[onbison09]

First Wyo finalist since 58

[Gladiator Dad]

So Pack for SDSU just lost and he was SDSU's last hope for an AA. So who had the most disappointing tournament NDSU or SDSU?

[RadioBison]

So Pack for SDSU just lost and he was SDSU's last hope for an AA. So who had the most disappointing tournament NDSU or SDSU?

I don't think our guys need to hang their heads. Josh only lost to AA's. Clay only lost to AA's. Hayden's tournament stings the most because we had such big expectations for him, but 184 was stacked, and his losses were so close.

[Big Bird]

Peters just had another cow catcher for a fall

[Big Bird]

Big Bird, you made a good call weeks ago about Meridith being an AA, but I bet you didn't see him in the finals.

Yeah, that surprised me. There is a Wyoming group sitting in front of us and they weren't too surprised. He has a real chance to win the title.

Also, congrats to all American jade rauser of uvu. Talented, tough, and seems like a good kid.

[onbison09]

Some great matches tonight. Love watching Bo wrestle.

[Christopher Moen]

Yeah, that surprised me. There is a Wyoming group sitting in front of us and they weren't too surprised. He has a real chance to win the title.

Also, congrats to all American jade rauser of uvu. Talented, tough, and seems like a good kid.

Hard to believe that Jade and Hayden use to be in the same weight class. Here's a photo I did years back when we still did flyers for our events. I thought when I used this photo, that it was featuring one of the Rauser brothers, but was later told it was Hayden. I'm still not sure to this day.

https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/1918813_132271349468_8131413_n.jpg?oh=3ac2c43833bf fea64d48e6912f4c3edd&oe=574EE4A2

[Big Bird]

It appears we'll at least come home with one award...

[CAS4127]

It appears we'll at least come home with one award...

Thanks for substance once again./purple


Sent from my iPhone.

[Big Bird]

Clay Ream is the elite 90 award recipient! 4.0 in biochemistry and molecular biology!

Congrats Clay, NDSU, and Gladiator Dad!

[onbison09]

Clay Ream is the elite 90 award recipient! 4.0 in bio mechanical engineering!

Congrats Clay, NDSU, and Gladiator Dad!
This is a picture they will save!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cd8vw9XVAAArhR_.jpg

[CAS4127]

Pretty Cool!


Sent from my iPhone.

[Gladiator Dad]

Clay Ream is the elite 90 award recipient! 4.0 in biochemistry and molecular biology!

Congrats Clay, NDSU, and Gladiator Dad!

Thank you his mom and I very proud of him on and off the mat

[RadioBison]

Thank you his mom and I very proud of him on and off the mat

Congrats! That was a great article on Clay in the latest Bison Illustrated as well. Thanks for encouraging him to stick with it when his spirits were down.

[roadwarrior]

That's pretty impressive that Clay had the best GPA when there are that many participants in the tournament! Over 300 I would guess?

[onbison09]

Pretty Cool!


Sent from my iPhone.
I know the Wentz one had a smaller sample size, but 1 school getting two of those awards is pretty impressive!

[onbison09]

Wow Bo goes down to 11 seed from Ohio State. Hawks fans calling for Brands head.

[Big Bird]

Gwiz vs Snyder was better than dake vs taylor. Unreal athleticism and skill

[RadioBison]

Tonight was good from beginning to end. I don't know what more you could ask for in a finals.

[onbison09]

Tonight was good from beginning to end. I don't know what more you could ask for in a finals.
That was the best finals top to bottom I can ever remember. If I get half of that live next year in St. Louis, I will be happy.

[CAS4127]

That was the best finals top to bottom I can ever remember. If I get half of that live next year in St. Louis, I will be happy.

It was solid for sure!!


Sent from my iPhone.

[Christopher Moen]

Wow Bo goes down to 11 seed from Ohio State. Hawks fans calling for Brands head.


The "Iowa Style" doesn't work anymore as the athletic wrestlers have learned how to beat the plodders. During a discussion I had with a Russian coach ten years ago, the Brands Brothers, with their "Iowa Style," were the catalyst of the Russians (especially those of the Caucasus region) coming up with better technique and training because they were plain out tired of getting their heads beaten for a whole match.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptaNak1B3_Q

With a combination of younger wrestlers in the USA being able to watch wrestling technique from around the world because of the internet and an influx of younger coaches that are technique driven, the age of the plodders (strong, defensive, aggressive wrestlers that lack technique and athleticism) might be on the way out in collegiate wrestling. It definitely is that way in both freestyle (Metcalf is the exception) and Greco-Roman (except the US).

[RadioBison]

With a combination of younger wrestlers in the USA being able to watch wrestling technique from around the world because of the internet and an influx of younger coaches that are technique driven, the age of the plodders (strong, defensive, aggressive wrestlers that lack technique and athleticism) might be on the way out in collegiate wrestling.

Does somebody like Tsirtsis qualify as a plodder? I heard one of the matside commentators saying that the new stalling rules made his style ineffective.

[bisonaudit]

The "Iowa Style" doesn't work anymore as the athletic wrestlers have learned how to beat the plodders. During a discussion I had with a Russian coach ten years ago, the Brands Brothers, with their "Iowa Style," were the catalyst of the Russians (especially those of the Caucasus region) coming up with better technique and training because they were plain out tired of getting their heads beaten for a whole match.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptaNak1B3_Q

With a combination of younger wrestlers in the USA being able to watch wrestling technique from around the world because of the internet and an influx of younger coaches that are technique driven, the age of the plodders (strong, defensive, aggressive wrestlers that lack technique and athleticism) might be on the way out in collegiate wrestling. It definitely is that way in both freestyle (Metcalf is the exception) and Greco-Roman (except the US).

That can only be good for the sport as far as its Olympic prospects are concerned and attracting more eyeballs.

[BisoninNWMN]

The "Iowa Style" doesn't work anymore as the athletic wrestlers have learned how to beat the plodders. During a discussion I had with a Russian coach ten years ago, the Brands Brothers, with their "Iowa Style," were the catalyst of the Russians (especially those of the Caucasus region) coming up with better technique and training because they were plain out tired of getting their heads beaten for a whole match.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptaNak1B3_Q

With a combination of younger wrestlers in the USA being able to watch wrestling technique from around the world because of the internet and an influx of younger coaches that are technique driven, the age of the plodders (strong, defensive, aggressive wrestlers that lack technique and athleticism) might be on the way out in collegiate wrestling. It definitely is that way in both freestyle (Metcalf is the exception) and Greco-Roman (except the US).


Different styles come and go.

[Christopher Moen]

Does somebody like Tsirtsis qualify as a plodder? I heard one of the matside commentators saying that the new stalling rules made his style ineffective.

Plodder, yes, but not the reason why he struggled so badly this year IMO. I believe his struggles had a lot to do with losing his sister in September from a car accident and then losing one of his good friends a month later. Very tough year for the young man.

[Gladiator Dad]

Plodder, yes, but not the reason why he struggled so badly this year IMO. I believe his struggles had a lot to do with losing his sister in September from a car accident and then losing one of his good friends a month later. Very tough year for the young man.

I'm not a big T-shirt fan but I agree Chris you have to feel for the kid on a personal level. You can also add that his head coach was let go or left depending on what you read.

[Christopher Moen]

I'm not a big T-shirt fan but I agree Chris you have to feel for the kid on a personal level. You can also add that his head coach was let go or left depending on what you read.

Never quite understood the firing of Drew Pariano because the AD wanted to go in another direction. If the AD wants Northwestern to be at the top of the Big 10, he's going to have to hire someone like Cael Sanderson to have a chance. Personally, I'm not sure if Northwestern is as committed to their athletics as the other schools in the Big 10 for them to be consistently competitive. However, if academics were a sport, they would be at the top.

With that said, I was really impressive with how classy Drew Pariano was with the firing. I don't know him personally, but I haven't heard anyone say anything negative about him.

[Christopher Moen]

Different styles come and go.

While that might be true, what doesn't come and go is Russia's ability to kick our butts. Heck, we barely beat their second, third and fourth ranked guys at last year's World Cup with our number ones. It will be interesting how much their performances drop off after the WADA investigations.

[SC_TX]

wow what a crappy performance from SDSU. They finished 39th at the NCAAs after being top 25 most of the season. We were only barely behind them at 44.

[SC_TX]

Never quite understood the firing of Drew Pariano because the AD wanted to go in another direction. If the AD wants Northwestern to be at the top of the Big 10, he's going to have to hire someone like Cael Sanderson to have a chance. Personally, I'm not sure if Northwestern is as committed to their athletics as the other schools in the Big 10 for them to be consistently competitive. However, if academics were a sport, they would be at the top.

With that said, I was really impressive with how classy Drew Pariano was with the firing. I don't know him personally, but I haven't heard anyone say anything negative about him.

They are #8 in men's tennis right now

[Christopher Moen]

They are #8 in men's tennis right now

Not too shabby being that NCAA Tennis actually has a ton of Division I Men's and Women's programs (258 and 318 respectively). Heck, tennis is more big-time than hockey!

[Gladiator Dad]

Here are the numbers for All American's by Conference. Obviously the Big 10 took things over this year but the Big XII hung well I thought

All Americans By Conference:
Big Ten - 31
Big 12 - 13
ACC - 11
EIWA - 10
MAC - 10
Pac 12 - 4
EWL - 1
SoCon - 0

When you break the Big XII number down to what the Old WWC actually would've done. The old conference didn't fare too well with only 2 but wouldn't have come in last as a conference
133 - Jade Rauser of Utah Valley
141 - Bryce Meredith of Wyoming

[Christopher Moen]

Madison Square Garden channeling its inner-FargoDome: https://www.facebook.com/100009176096061/videos/1577506132565241/[/video] (https://www.facebook.com/100009176096061/videos/1577506132565241/)

Nice crowd video from WIN Magazine's Kyle Klingman.

[SC_TX]

question for you wrestling nuts. Is there a particular weight class that you personally enjoy following and watching the most? and if so why?

[AKBison]

I would guess that most like to watch whatever weight they wrestled at :) But honestly, all weights are fun to watch as technique and wrestling styles change as the weight classes go up.

[Gladiator Dad]

question for you wrestling nuts. Is there a particular weight class that you personally enjoy following and watching the most? and if so why?

I've always been partial to the middle weights (141,149,157) I think they have a great balance between speed & strength and that usually makes for an exciting match. Having said that as long as there's good wrestlers on the match I will definitely be watching it regardless of the weight class

[Big Bird]

question for you wrestling nuts. Is there a particular weight class that you personally enjoy following and watching the most? and if so why?

I've always enjoyed 157 and 165 the most. You get a good blend of size and typically exceptional athleticism. Heavyweight is my least favorite to watch, although that wouldn't be the case if Gwiaz and Snyder were wrestling.

Christopher, if Snyder wins gold in Rio, does he get a large payment?

[1998braves64]

I'm curious about weight class... The weight class your in you have to be at that weight or lower correct? With only multiple day tournament allowances for weight gained exceptions? What I find crazy is that these guys look larger than their weight class... Like for me coming out of HS I was 195-200 but I would say I looked scrawny and not overly muscular. Probably 6'2-6'3?? So essentially probably only had a shot at 197 or heavy weight classes? How do these guys have so much muscle mass yet stay in weight class? Guessing having a low body fat%? What do typical college wrestlers run at?

Just curious as only gotten really interested in the past couple of years with my son getting involved in the youth wrestling here in Hillsboro.


Sent from Win8 phone on a bullet train from Hillsboro.

[Christopher Moen]

I've always enjoyed 157 and 165 the most. You get a good blend of size and typically exceptional athleticism. Heavyweight is my least favorite to watch, although that wouldn't be the case if Gwiaz and Snyder were wrestling.

Christopher, if Snyder wins gold in Rio, does he get a large payment?


I'm not an expert at this, but with Kyle still having two years of college eligibility left after this year, the amount Kyle can accept isn't clear to me. From what I understand of our "Living the Dream Fund," a wrestler (male or female) gets the following for medalling at the World Championships:

Gold - $50,000
Silver - $25,000
Bronze - $15,000

For medalling at the Olympics, a wrestler (again, male or female) gets the following:

Gold - $250,000
Silver - $50,000
Bronze - $25,000

Now when a NCAA athlete medals, I believe they can only accept USOC funds immediately. I believe the "Living the Dream Fund" check is a combination of the fund set by USA Wrestling and the remaining coming from the USOC medal incentive. The USOC medal bonus breakdown is:

Gold - $25,000
Silver - $15,000
Bronze - $10,000

Therefore in Kyle's case in 2015, I believe he was able to keep $25,000 of the $50,000 he earned from the "Living the Dream Fund." I believe the rest goes in some type of trust and held until he graduates or completes his NCAA eligibility. If he wins this year (Olympics) and he decides to continue his collegiate career, I believe he will be able to keep the USOC medal incentive part ($25,000), and, the rest ($225,000) again goes into the trust account. Of course, all of this money is taxable. However, I don't know how he gets taxed after the breakdown of what he can keep and what goes into a trust each year. Hopefully though, the amount he is being taxed for is for income and not as a bonus or prize money.

[RadioBison]

I'm curious about weight class... The weight class your in you have to be at that weight or lower correct? With only multiple day tournament allowances for weight gained exceptions? What I find crazy is that these guys look larger than their weight class... Like for me coming out of HS I was 195-200 but I would say I looked scrawny and not overly muscular. Probably 6'2-6'3?? So essentially probably only had a shot at 197 or heavy weight classes? How do these guys have so much muscle mass yet stay in weight class? Guessing having a low body fat%? What do typical college wrestlers run at?

Just curious as only gotten really interested in the past couple of years with my son getting involved in the youth wrestling here in Hillsboro.


Sent from Win8 phone on a bullet train from Hillsboro.

I was a mediocre high school wrestler, but by my calculations I was at about 9.5% body fat. I would guess most college wrestlers come in well below that.

[RadioBison]

question for you wrestling nuts. Is there a particular weight class that you personally enjoy following and watching the most? and if so why?

I typically like the lowest weights because of the speed, but any weight can be good. I especially like the guys that aren't afraid to try big moves, such as David Terao, Zeke Moisey, Nahshon Garrett, Dylan Ness, IMar.

[Christopher Moen]

question for you wrestling nuts. Is there a particular weight class that you personally enjoy following and watching the most? and if so why?


I don't have a favorite weight class, but I prefer to watching wrestlers with superior technique and always trying to score. The same can be said for wrestling disciplines (freestyle, collegiate or Greco-Roman).

The last thing I want to see while watching wrestling is this crap where two competitors try absolutely nothing to win a match:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxg2p_3BUTM


That isn't a sport.

[Christopher Moen]

I was a mediocre high school wrestler, but by my calculations I was at about 9.5% body fat. I would guess most college wrestlers come in well below that.

Depends on how much you are cutting. I've been the about same height since I was a senior in high school. My last year, I cut a ton to wrestle 160 LBS and during health class, we tested our body fat during the wrestling season. I was calculated at 1%. I would go on that year and place 6th at state after separating my AC joint in the semis and placing fourth in Greco-Roman in Fargo. After my RFr, I got tired of cutting weight to make 167 LBS and moved up to 197 LBS/HWT. Although I couldn't beat Wolters or Severson to make the squad, I actually performed better, especially in Greco-Roman. I would AA three more times with my last collegiate competition resulting in a National Championships at 97 KG. When I wrestled at these higher weights, my body fat percentage was between 11 and 13%. Now, 11-13% might sound a lot, but at that time, I was in one of the best shapes of my life. Here's me after winning the title in 2000 (I was actually also training for pro wrestling school at this time too):

https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtf1/v/t1.0-9/1937079_118586199468_749719_n.jpg?oh=f68673bd8b7cd a96c3cb776d6fde2993&oe=57532B5D

Man, I wish my body fat percentage was back down to this level.

For the best shape of my life, that happened after working with Coach Kramer. I don't know what fat percentage I was in 2003, but after the year of rebuilding my knee, I was huge. Here's the infamous wrestling pic of me cheating:

https://scontent.fsnc1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/1937079_118587869468_3048094_n.jpg?oh=33cf9e9d6759 84fceaa07022877f3b5c&oe=579318BD

[Big Bird]

I'm not an expert at this, but with Kyle still having two years of college eligibility left after this year, the amount Kyle can accept isn't clear to me. From what I understand of our "Living the Dream Fund," a wrestler (male or female) gets the following for medalling at the World Championships:

Gold - $50,000
Silver - $25,000
Bronze - $15,000

For medalling at the Olympics, a wrestler (again, male or female) gets the following:

Gold - $250,000
Silver - $50,000
Bronze - $25,000

Now when a NCAA athlete medals, I believe they can only accept USOC funds immediately. I believe the "Living the Dream Fund" check is a combination of the fund set by USA Wrestling and the remaining coming from the USOC medal incentive. The USOC medal bonus breakdown is:

Gold - $25,000
Silver - $15,000
Bronze - $10,000

Therefore in Kyle's case in 2015, I believe he was able to keep $25,000 of the $50,000 he earned from the "Living the Dream Fund." I believe the rest goes in some type of trust and held until he graduates or completes his NCAA eligibility. If he wins this year (Olympics) and he decides to continue his collegiate career, I believe he will be able to keep the USOC medal incentive part ($25,000), and, the rest ($225,000) again goes into the trust account. Of course, all of this money is taxable. However, I don't know how he gets taxed after the breakdown of what he can keep and what goes into a trust each year. Hopefully though, the amount he is being taxed for is for income and not as a bonus or prize money.

Thanks, I was just worried that if he won the gold, he'd have to choose between a large payment and collegiate wrestling. Kyle Snyder is GREAT for college wrestling and I don't want to lose him.

[RadioBison]

I don't have a favorite weight class, but I prefer to watching wrestlers with superior technique and always trying to score. The same can be said for wrestling disciplines (freestyle, collegiate or Greco-Roman)


Speaking of superior technique, what do our guys need to start doing to get out better from the down position?

[Christopher Moen]

Speaking of superior technique, what do our guys need to start doing to get out better from the down position?

It's hard to give an honest, accurate statement as to why our guys weren't better on bottom this year for two reasons; first, I didn't see a ton of footage of NDSU wrestling this past year and secondly, I was never known for being a great technician, but rather an unorthodox wrestler. With that said, to be superior on bottom, you need to be able have hand control and be explosive. Again, I didn't see a lot of NDSU wrestling (or collegiate wrestling to begin with), but from what I saw, I didn't see a lot of energy from the Bison and that I believe that affected their ability to be effective on bottom.

If my assessment on NDSU's energy is accurate, I wish I had an answer. However, keep in mind, that no season is more difficult to train for than college wrestling. The multiple work-outs per day, school, studying, working to make ends meet, making weight multiple times a week, etc. for five months takes its toll on an individual. This is one of the reasons why many of our top collegiate wrestlers are burnt out after four to five years of competition and don't make successful international wrestlers. The body can only take so much for so long.

[onbison09]

I just want to thank everyone for the posts in the wrestling board this year. I haven't been able to keep up as much with the team since I moved.