Amateur Wrestling News 2015 All-Rookie Team
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Amateur Wrestling News 2015 All-Rookie Team By Jim Kalin the whacky and unfair seeding that went on this Waters from Missouri. Waters beat Thomasello A pair of freshmen won NCAA titles last year. The top half of the bracket was loaded, and earlier in a dual meet after catching the Buckeye year. This season’s rookie class would not be unbelievably the first eight wrestlers in order in an opening five-point takedown. At the outdone, and Ohio State’s Nathan Thomasello contained four All Americans (Alan Waters, NCAAs, Water found none of that good fortune and Fighting Illini Isaiah Martinez made certain Jesse Delgado, Tyler Cox, and Dylan Peters). against Thomasello and was defeated when the of that. But was this group with 12 All Americans This was the bracket half Thomasello advanced Buckeye got a last second edge-of-the-mat and as good as last year’s? You bet, and here’s why. from. edge-of-your-seat takedown. At the Big Tens, Last season’s greenhorn NCAA champs were The other freshman champ was Isaiah Thomasello defeated defending champ Jesse Northwestern’s Jason Tsirtsis and J’Den Cox Martinez, and he is 2015’s Amateur Wrestling Delgado in the semis. from Missouri. Neither repeated. Tsirtsis lost in News Rookie of the Year. Martinez is West Virginia’s Zeke Moisey (31-14) was the semis this year to Edinboro’s David Habat, undefeated in his college career and was the the surprise of the tournament, though he was but it was Cox’s loss in the same round that Midlands and Big Ten champion. He entered unable to do anything with Thomasello in the was an example of how much firing power this the NCAA tournament as the number one seed finals. Interestingly, the two met in December freshmen class possessed. The Missouri Tiger and the favorite, and he didn’t disappoint. His at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in the was defeated by Ohio State’s Kyle Snyder. finals opponent was Cornell’s Brian Realbuto, second round. There was no fanfare or hoopla Snyder is a redshirt freshman and ended placing though there was much controversy about his and NONE in that venue could have foreseen that second. appearance against Martinez. Realbuto had on that mat as eleven other bouts were waging Cox and Tsirtsis were the only freshmen to advanced on a ridiculous technicality after in the convention hall that these rookies would progress to the finals last year. A total of four actually losing his quarterfinal match to Kent be the NCAA finalists. Thomasello won 15-10 freshmen competed in the 2015 finals, though State wrecking ball Ian Miller. But Martinez and ended third in Vegas. Moisey whispered to only three could be champs. Thomasello and could have cared less who he met in the finals. an eighth place there. West Virginia true freshman Zeke Moisey Against Miller earlier this season in a dual met, Moisey wasn’t the only wrestler in West battled for the 125 pound title. Moisey was the Martinez showed why he is our rookie of the Virginia to make our list. Wheeling Jesuit’s true only unseeded finalist, and his impressive swath year. He pinned Miller. freshman Dustin Warner (39-14) from Claymont to the title match was strewn with upsets over Here’s a look at the top rookies for 2014- High in Ohio wrestled a whopping 53 matches the numbers 15, 2 (Cornell’s Nashohn Garrett!), 15. this season. 7, and 8 seeds. That two freshmen ended in the 125 Pounds 133 Pounds finals indicated nothing about the weight’s depth. Redshirt freshman Nathan Thomasello No freshmen All Americans at this weight 125 pounds was one of the toughest classes at (33-4) from Ohio State settled a score in St. Louis class in Division I, though that doesn’t mean the tournament. It was also the best example of with top seeded and previously undefeated Alan there weren’t some promising wrestlers, with Nathan Tomasello Matthew Grossman Dean Heil Brandon Sorenson Isaiah Martinez 125--Ohio State 133--Wilkes 141--Oklahoma State 149--Iowa 157--Illinois Bo Jordan Zach Epperly Willie Miklus Kyle Snyder Nate Butler 165--Ohio State 174--Virginia Tech 184--Missouri 197--Ohio State Hwt.—Stanford 6 Amateur Wrestling News May 15th, 2015 Sammie Henson Named Rookie Coach of Year By Denny Diehl Sammie Henson has been named National Rookie Coach of the Year by Amateur Wrestling News, one year after being named head coach at West Virginia University. He wasted no time coaching true freshman, Zeke Moisey, to the Mountaineers’ first NCAA finals since Greg Jones in 2005 and also WVU’s first All-American in eight seasons. The 20th place finish by WVU was the school’s best since an identical finish in 2005. Henson was hired last year by athletic director, Oliver Luck, the father of the Indianapolis Colts NFL quarterback. Sammie brought 17 years of coaching experience and extended his personal mark of never having a season without an All-American. In their third year in the Big 12, the Mountaineers used runner-up finishes by Moisey (125), Roman Perryman (149), Jake Smith (197) and A.J. Vizcarrondo (hwt) plus a third place by Bubba Scheffel, for a team total of 35 points, ten behind Oklahoma. It was the first time WVU had sent multiple wrestlers to the league finals. Vizcarrondo became the school’s first two-time Big 12 finalist in their three years in the conference. A native of St. Charles, MO, Henson arrived from the U. of Missouri, where he spent two years as head assistant coach. He assisted in producing the nation’s 2nd-ranked recruiting class in 2013 in addition to leading the Tigers to two straight conference titles and seven All-America finishes, including a national champion in 2014. Prior to that Henson was assistant head coach at Oklahoma from 2009-11. While there, he also helped secure the No. 2 recruiting class in the country and coached seven wrestlers to All-America status. Before Henson arrived at Oklahoma, the Sooners hadn’t had an All-American in two years. Before Oklahoma, Henson was the head assistant at Cal Poly (2007-09), volunteer assistant at Nebraska (2006-07), assistant at Army (2002-03) and Penn State (2000-02). Sammie has helped mentor national champions Michael Lightner (Oklahoma), Byron Tucker (Oklahoma), Paul Donahoe (Nebraska) and J’den Cox (Missouri), West Virginia head coach Sammie Henson (center) with assistant Henson is also the current head coach for the Sunkist Kids coach Nick Marable (left) and volunteer assistant Dom Bradley (right). Wrestling Club, which has more current world and Olympic Photo by Dale Sparks. wrestlers than any other wrestling club in the United State. As former wrestler, Henson earned three world medals: World Champion in 1998 in Tehran (John Smith Award for Missouri in 1991. He transferred to Clemson, where he became a two- USA Wrestler of the Year); a silver medal at the 2000 Olympic Games time NCAA Champion with a 71-0 record. at 55 kg (121 lb) in Sydney and a bronze medal at the 2006 World Henson returned to Missouri in 1995 to earn a degree in parks, Wrestling Championships at age 35. Henson started as a collegian at recreation and tourism management. He and wife, Stephanie, have Missouri, where he was a Big Eight Champion and All-American for four children: Jackson, Wyatt, Ruby and Georgia-Kate. the two best probably Virginia Tech’s Kevin and that was as a sophomore. Ashnault fell victim to Edinboro’sMitchell Port Norstrem (21-19) and Jack Hathaway from 141 Pounds in the quarters. In the consolation bracket, Heil Oregon (28-14). Both lost in the first round of Choosing the top three from this weight defeated both Jack and Ashnault. the NCAAs, then met in the consolations, with class was easy. A trio earned All American Other notables were Keith Suber (29- Norstrem winning 3-1. honors; Dean Heil from Oklahoma State 13) from Nebraska-Kearney and Boise State’s Our nod has to go to the Division II took fourth. N.C. State’s Kevin Jacks was Geordan Martinez (30-7). Martinez, whose high national champ, freshman Matthew Grossman fifth, though he progressed further in the school career record in Colorado was 166-2, (36-6) from Wilkes University. Grossman championship bracket than Heil, and Rutgers’ had a very low number of losses this season and was the 11th NCAA champ for Wilkes. He Anthony Ashnault ended eighth. Heil was ousted progressed deep into the NCAA consolations. He wrestled for Manheim Township High School in the quarters by Old Dominion’s Chris Mecate reached the round of twelve but was eliminated in Lancaster, Pa. The highest he ever placed in 4-3. Jack made it to the semis, where he had the the Pennsylvania state tournament was second, misfortune of running up against Logan Stieber. continued on page 8 Amateur Wrestling News May 15th, 2015 7 wrestled for Cleveland St. Edward in high was eliminated in the consolations to end his school and got off to a quiet start this year mainly season 31-12. All-Rookie Team because two of his three matches as a collegian And speaking of one-two punches, how were to highly ranked opponents (Jason Tsirtsis about Central Michigan? Like Rider, the and David Habat!) After that, he lost to Iowa Chippewas had great freshmen at 149 and State’s Gabe Moreno and then fellow freshman 157. Cody LeCount finished 24-11 for Central continued from page 7 Alec Pantaleo (22-9) from Michigan.