Wrestling Blogs - Stephen Stonebraker

If I were in Charge of NCAA Division I Wrestling By Stephen “Johnnythompsonnum1” Stonebraker This is the plan that I would instill. I would have Five Regional qualifying tournaments at the end of the year. The Middle Regional – Including 16 teams – Iowa, Penn State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Michigan State, Illinois, Northwestern, Indiana, Purdue, Iowa State, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa State. The Top 8 in each weight class would qualify for the NCAA’s. Every year the regional would get 80 qualifiers. The Eastern Regional – Including 19 teams – Clarion, Cleveland State, Pittsburgh, Lock Haven, Bloomsburg, Edinboro,… more »

Adam Wheeler, just became an Olympic Bronze Medalist for the United States in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2008 Olympic Games. In the world of amateur wrestling, the highest achievement one can earn, is to become a medalist at the Olympic games. In grade school and high school wrestling, you're wrestling the best wrestlers in your state. In collegiate wrestling your wrestling the best wrestlers in your country. In international wrestling, which is where the Olympics fall into place, your wrestling the greatest wrestlers in the world. In the minds of many people, their are step processes you must achieve, and… more »

"If you want to wrestle Division I, then you need to either win at least one state title or place in the State tournament at least three times" I've heard that exact line, and other quotes very similar to it for the past 15 years now. I've seen a lot of kids who were good wrestlers in high school, that didn't meet those expectations, and as a result believe they weren't good enough to wrestle on the collegiate level. I find this very sad. Kid's from the tougher wrestling states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, California, Illinois and… more »

Often enough when talking wrestling among other fans, the only matches that seem to be remebered from the NCAA National tournament are the finals matches. In my opinion, I've seen many matches that were extremely dramatic that did not happen to be the finals. I've gone to the NCAA Division I wrestling championships every year since 2003. There are many matches that I recall with fond memories as well as bittersweet memories. If I had to pick the match that I remember the most, it'd be a match from the 2004 tournament. 165 Pounds, Round of 12 match Johnny Clark… more »

I often wonder who I would have wrestled for.?Truth to be known in case your wondering, I wasn't even good enough after high school to wrestle JUCO.? However, sometimes it's fun to pretend like I won a couple of State Titles and dream of what it'd be like to be good enough to wrestle for national qualification and All American Status. ?Narrowing it down to just one person is awfully tough for me to do.? There are so many coaches on the Division I level that I admire and think a great deal of.? However, after a lot of serious… more »

I read Rick Addante's recent blog about Eastern Illinois dropping wrestling and how he says, "Good Riddance". At first I was a little hurt by Addante's reaction to Eastern Illinois wrestling program being dropped, but then when I read into why he felt the way he did, I had a hard time arguing with him. Truth to be known, when Arizona State Wrestling announced it was going to drop it's wrestling team, I took my $150 I make a week, gave $25 to my mom and had her write out a check to help fund the Sundevil wrestling program. I… more »

I don't follow international wrestling nearly as close as I do collegiate wrestling. I'm not sure who exactly is favored in each weight, but I do know that I support the men and women wrestlers from the United States who will be wrestling for us over in China. I imagine that Russia, Georgia, Cuba, Iran and Japan will be producing our toughest competition. On a side note I also heard that Matt Gentry, former wrestling standout at Standford University qualified for the Olympics as a part of Team Canada. I hope to see him do very well. I don't know… more »