For Penn State wrestling fans the news creates a somewhat bleak outlook for winning the NCAA title in 2020. The Cassar points will be sorely missed, but you can't write off the Nittany Lions entirely since they are replacing outgoing wrestlers with proven five-star recruits. Still, the simple math seems to heavily favor Iowa at the NCAA tournament and only an injury bug is likely to change that calculus.
The announcement and subsequent realization that Penn State's title chances are diminishing highlights just how incredible it is for a program to remain dominant for so long. The recruiting is unimpeachable, the development is mind-boggling, and the motivation given to the athletes to perform is obvious. Penn State's dynasty is not going extinct if they team earn second or third place at NCAAs, it's just regrouping -- possibly for another 10-15 years on top.
But for now its Iowa's NCAA championship to lose. Can they perform? Will everyone on their roster stay healthy? Can Penn State make up the mileage and surprise everyone in Minneapolis?
I'm not sure about you, but I welcome these new questions and the uncertainty of it all will add to the storylines come March and hopefully produce some great viewership and engagement numbers for the NCAA and their partners (which would reflect well on wrestling's future).
To your questions …
David Taylor battles Drew Foster at Beat The Streets (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Q: I have seen nothing on David Taylor. What is the story with David Taylor's recovery? Is he doing well enough that we'll see him in competition for the Olympics?
-- Rich I.
Foley: David is all over social media. You should follow along! Yes, he recently said that he was "back" and I'm guessing you'll see him compete at the Pan American Qualifier this March in Ottawa.
As for his chances to compete at the Olympic Games, that will depend on his ability to fend off a new crop of 86-kilogram wrestlers at the Trials, which may or may not include J'den Cox.
Most of the Olympic Team Trials spots are locked and we saw some great matchups. Have you heard any plans for getting more of our weights qualified? Suggestions or recommendations?
-- @pbr54321
Foley: The process for the United States to earn additional Olympic qualification allocations for Tokyo 2020 is straightforward. There are 16 tickets per weight category with the first six earned by the top six placewinners at the 2019 World Championships in Nur-Sultan. The next eight are evenly divided among four continental tournaments and their finalists: Europeans (2), Asians (2), Pan Ams (2) and Africa/Oceania (2). The final two tickets are earned by weight category finalists at the Last Chance Qualifier held April 30-May 3 in Sofia, Bulgaria. Note that any nation who has qualified their weight category for Tokyo may not enter a subsequent qualification tournament.
Currently the United States has qualified four weight categories across three styles.
Freestyle: 74 kilograms, 97 kilograms
Women's wrestling: 68 kilograms, 76 kilograms
Greco-Roman: None
The next opportunity for the team to qualify a weight will be the Pan American Qualifier in Ottawa in mid-March. Team USA is scheduled to send their 2019 World Championship squad, with the notable exception of David Taylor, a 2018 world champion who was out in 2019 due to injury. He has the right of first refusal on qualification. I'd also assume some other changes may occur before March 1.
In freestyle there are no easy weights to qualify. Cuba is bringing Reineri Andreu Ortega (57 kilograms), Alejandro Valdes Tobier (65 kilograms), Yurieski Torreblanca (86 kilograms) and Oscar Pino Hinds (125 kilograms). And you'll also have Puerto Rico with Sebastian Rivera (57 kilograms) and Franklin Gomez (74 kilograms), Venezuela with Pedro Ceballos (86 kilograms), Luis Urbaneja (125 kilograms) and Canada with Korey Jarvis at 125 kilograms.
The women's picture is a little clearer. Most of the top women who have yet to qualify are sitting in the driver's seat of the qualification process. The Canadian women and some unknowns from Cuba could disrupt a few weights along with upstarts from Ecuador.
Greco-Roman has an excellent chance to qualify across the board so long as they are opposite the Cubans. Thankfully they have already qualified at 67 kilograms and 130 kilograms, leaving at least two Cuban-free weights.
Q: Hope you're having a great start to 2020 and that the holiday season treated you and yours well! First, I sprung for Platinum. I love the site, and continuing to read up on wrestling, even as my career gets ever farther in the rear view, it's a fun way to stay connected. My dad, brother, and I are planning to attend Big Tens at Rutgers which should be fun.
Secondly, I have a thought on riding time. In the past I've been a proponent of it, as I think in theory the rule rewards excellence in one of three situational positions that folkstyle wrestling puts athletes in. Unfortunately, it's clear the letter of the rule versus the spirit of it is now what's being adhered to. Creating the "buck'em bronco" situation you accurately described. As such it's clear that the intent of trying to incentivize pursuit of turns and pins isn't working. So the riding point should be eliminated. I also think that the 4-point nearfall should be eliminated and revert to two or three-point nearfall. Instead of those two "bonus point" scenarios perhaps the wrestler with the most exposure points at the end of the match gets a one-point bonus? This way the bonus point is actually connected to the direct action that you're looking to incentivize. It seems the issue with a riding point is that it assumes that time spent on top = higher likelihood of turns/pins which has not borne out.
-- Jon G.
Foley: One-hundred percent agreement. There are as many falls in freestyle as there are in folkstyle and there is almost no par terre. Most of the falls in freestyle, women's and Greco-Roman come from transitional positions where more can happen in returning to the mat.
I also agree that four points is stupid. Really, really dumb. The extra points have only helped to slow down the pace of the matches once someone finds a turn. Again, freestyle got rid of the extra point for holding your opponent in position because it didn't show much in the way of additional dominance. Why should a cheap tilt be worth four points but a throw without control is nada?
MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME
Who's ready for Bajrang vs. Oliver?!
Best moves of 2019
Q: Do you have any insight on the location or timing for U23 Asian Championships? I noticed last year's in Mongolia may have been the first one. It seems like UWW (or someone) is putting a larger emphasis on this age category (whether we're calling it U23 or University). Is this the case? The U23 scene seems to be growing in the quality of the World Championships and in the slight increase in the number of international tournaments offering the age group.
-- Jason W.
Foley: Much more emphasis on the development of age class competitions. When wrestlers win a world or continental title they are often rewarded with funds for training by their local and national governments. That's a powerful incentive for UWW to help the IF's as they search for funding to keep the lights on.
The calendar for the U23's comes together a little later each year, because there is no legacy to the event. Also, because it's an Olympic year that age category gets thinned out a bit as everyone is trying to make their nation's Olympic team and pushes back on attending other tournaments.
Check back in a month or two and I think the U23 calendar will have more information.
Q: After being somewhat dormant for a number of years the ACC Conference is looking like a power conference with three teams ranked in the top 10 nationally. To what do you attribute this resurgence as of late? Who's your pick win the ACC tournament and who do you think will have highest finish at NCAAs?
-- Don C.
Foley: The ACC has been competing well over the past several years, but I agree that the concentration of programs in the top ten is a next level for the conference. The NC State and UNC programs of the 80's and 90's would work their way into the top ten often, but I can't think of a time in which three programs from the ACC were all in the top ten.
There has been a dramatic shift in conference power over the past 15 years, much of which can be credited to the elimination of historical data to allocate NCAA allotments for conferences. The RPI system is a much better indication of who is performing well throughout the year and gave coaches and athletes the confidence to try and build programs outside of the traditional powerhouse conferences of the Big 12 and Big Ten.
Q: With Anthony Cassar out for the season, do you think Gable Steveson as a surefire national champion? Or could he be challenged by Mason Parris, Tony Cassioppi, Seth Nevills or someone else?
-- Mike C.
Foley: Big loss for Penn State. If I'm Cassar I go ahead and start training MMA. No reason to keep competing at the college level.
Gable wins it walking away. I thought Cassioppi could challenge, but after seeing him compete more I'm just not sure he has the firepower to stay with Steveson. The rest of the crew, including the new Penn State heavyweight Seth Nevills face a similar battle. Steveson has the size, stamina, and technique of a great heavyweight but is complimented by athleticism and a school that loves to win NCAA heavyweight titles.
Q: Looks like the Matteo Pellicone International in Rome, Italy, is loaded with talent. What are you most looking forward to seeing at the event?
-- Mike C.
Foley: The tournament is loaded! Women's wrestling has two Olympic champions and seven world champions, while freestyle could feature previous world champions Kyle Dake vs. Frank Chamizo competing at 74 kilograms and a rematch of the Dan Kolov final from last year with Jordan Oliver facing world bronze medalist Bajrang Punia at 65 kilograms.
Going to be a perfect weekend of wrestling. Very much looking forward to seeing which wrestlers surprise us at 57 kilograms too.
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now