Wisconsin wrestling the best in the US

Numbers · March 07, 2017, 09:29:54 PM

ULTIMATE GOAL

"I want to create a situation where Wisconsin is the best wrestling state in the United States."

Ben Askren
3/7/17
https://www.facebook.com/askrenbros/

It might take 10-15-20 years.

missinghome · March 08, 2017, 11:02:33 AM

Ben,
Why do you think other states are so much better then WI (because they are)? What are they doing to get to a higher level?

benaskren · March 09, 2017, 08:10:19 AM

Well a lot of it has to do with tradition and collegiate opportunity. For example the best wrestling state in the US is Pennsylvania which has 14 D1 colleges a couple of which are teachers college which pump out an amazing amount of high level HS coaches. Same can be said for a few other states.

That being said the game is changing and we are going to be on the cutting edge and leading the charge!

I could write up my manifesto but i can't give away all of my secrets

ramjet · March 09, 2017, 08:26:01 AM

The key to a great coach is what Ben? (I have my ideas but you may another idea.)

OneEyedFatMan · March 09, 2017, 12:50:52 PM

Getyourpoints,

I have heard it said by several that University D-3 is a better quality all around than D-2.

Wisconsin has quite a few D-3 schools. Nine to be exact with wrestling.

But when some of your best boys end up at Upper Iowa or Iowa Western and then begin slowly fading/rusting - and I'm not sure why- that seems to beg the question. Apparently D-3 offers "leadership" scholarships?

Barou · March 09, 2017, 01:01:07 PM

If an NAIA wrestling program started up in Wisconsin I think it could be a hotbed for talent. Scholarship money at that level would be a huge draw IMO. Ideally, Viterbo in La Crosse is already NAIA. Great location and if they can lure the NAIA coach of the year, Corey Ruff (Western Wisconsin native) it would be a success!!!

benaskren · March 09, 2017, 01:03:05 PM

Ramjet- You could write a book about that

and if you are talking about a NCAA Div 1 coach you could write another book about that detailing management, recruiting and fundraising procedures

Too long to type, I'll do a FB live on my opinion sometime. I just did a fun one about youth sports specialization.

OneEyedFatMan · March 09, 2017, 02:52:57 PM

Getyourpoints... you gotta stop with the FAKE NEWS!

Although.....St. Cloud State had 1 finalist and Augsburg had 4, with 3 champions at Don Parker Open.

and...

at the North Country Open..

St. Cloud State had 4 finalists and 3 champs, while Augsburg had 8 finalists and 3 champs.
Head to head...STS won by MFF at 125 final and by fall at 133, while Augs won by major at 197.

NOT thinking that STS blows away Augsburg, if you know what I mean. Also, Wartburg beat Augsburg in their dual meet.

Best,

OneEyed

MNbadger · March 09, 2017, 06:13:51 PM

Augsburg would crush MN State.

Quote from: getyourpoints on March 09, 2017, 02:11:19 PM
One eye,
There are not very many if any D3 schools keeping up with D2 or NIAI.
Augsburg is one of the best D3 schools in the country and they can't touch St Cloud or MN state.
Common man!! 😉
A Wisconsin D3 wrestling coach makes over 45k including teaching.
The MN D2 coaches make over 95k and they focus 100% of there time on Wrestling. D2 schools are getting state champs and Fargo AA from all over the nation and D3 schools are primary local state placers that love wrestling.

OneEyedFatMan · March 10, 2017, 11:01:29 AM

Thanks!

Quote from: getyourpoints on March 09, 2017, 02:58:45 PM
Great research, I was unaware of those results this year.

Handles II · March 10, 2017, 01:28:13 PM

Quote from: getyourpoints on March 09, 2017, 02:58:45 PM
Great research, I was unaware of those results this year.

Then maybe not say those things without backing it up??

The top D3 schools and top D2 schools are usually pretty close in performance and have been for quite a few years. With teams like SDSU and NDSU both going D1, and Nebraska-Omaha dropping their wrestling program, D2 has possibly lost a bit of ground?

OneEyedFatMan · March 10, 2017, 03:09:23 PM

Quote from: Handles II on March 10, 2017, 01:28:13 PM
Quote from: getyourpoints on March 09, 2017, 02:58:45 PM
Great research, I was unaware of those results this year.
Then maybe not say those things without backing it up??

The top D3 schools and top D2 schools are usually pretty close in performance and have been for quite a few years. With teams like SDSU and NDSU both going D1, and Nebraska-Omaha dropping their wrestling program, D2 has possibly lost a bit of ground?

That's a fair statement. Cal Baptist, coming on strong with Lennie Zalesky as coach, is moving up out of D-2 as well.

bman · March 10, 2017, 08:32:55 PM

Quote from: getyourpoints on March 09, 2017, 11:57:23 AM
The equation is very easy to figure out, The more D1, D2, and NAIA colleges you have in your state the better you are.
Iowa has between 6-9
Minn has between 4-5
Ill has between 5-8
Michigan has between 5-8
Indiana has between 4-7
Virginia has 5 D1 collages that offer wrestling.
North Dakota has 5 (I think only 1000 people live there)
Ohio has 9
North Carolina has 7-9

WISCONSIN HAS 2

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Is it really the number of DI, DII and NAIA schools in your state that builds a thriving/successful wrestling culture in the state?
Or, is it the population base which is already rich with a wrestling culture that is able to support that many college programs? Iowa has 3 D1 programs, 1 DII program and maybe 6 NAIA programs with 9 DIII programs. Wisconsin has 1 D1, 1 DII and 10 DIII. Iowa, with a population of just over half of Wisconsin's population, has 13 homegrown kids going to the D1 NCAAs. Wisconsin has 4. I think it may be more about the popularity of the sport which allows for more growth at the college level. Go back a 100 years and look into wrestling in Iowa. That didn't happen because of college teams. How many college hockey programs are in WI and MN? I think the popularity of hockey in those states did more to build the number of college hockey programs rather than the number of college hockey teams built the popularity.

Ghetto · March 10, 2017, 08:44:16 PM

Only having WI and Parkside giving out wrestling scholarships is a problem. It doesn't provide a larger picture showing kids it is possible in the state. D3 is what we know, and D3 is what we have success at. There are a bunch of kids who I think have lower level D1 talent and end up at the D3 level wrestling. You don't think if a kid is considering a UW system school to wrestle at, and an in-state NAIA or D2 school would be an option? Of course it would.

UW-Parkside gets very little in the way of resources. They consistently produce (and have produced, historically) yet they get treated like a high school team. One of you Parkside alum, Whoever you are, need to get all your buddies together and build a wrestling facility and get them a big money donor.

I'll bring the free labor.

Army Ant · March 12, 2017, 09:48:41 AM

Quote from: bman on March 10, 2017, 08:32:55 PM
Quote from: getyourpoints on March 09, 2017, 11:57:23 AM
The equation is very easy to figure out, The more D1, D2, and NAIA colleges you have in your state the better you are.
Iowa has between 6-9
Minn has between 4-5
Ill has between 5-8
Michigan has between 5-8
Indiana has between 4-7
Virginia has 5 D1 collages that offer wrestling.
North Dakota has 5 (I think only 1000 people live there)
Ohio has 9
North Carolina has 7-9

WISCONSIN HAS 2

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Is it really the number of DI, DII and NAIA schools in your state that builds a thriving/successful wrestling culture in the state?
Or, is it the population base which is already rich with a wrestling culture that is able to support that many college programs? Iowa has 3 D1 programs, 1 DII program and maybe 6 NAIA programs with 9 DIII programs. Wisconsin has 1 D1, 1 DII and 10 DIII. Iowa, with a population of just over half of Wisconsin's population, has 13 homegrown kids going to the D1 NCAAs. Wisconsin has 4. I think it may be more about the popularity of the sport which allows for more growth at the college level. Go back a 100 years and look into wrestling in Iowa. That didn't happen because of college teams. How many college hockey programs are in WI and MN? I think the popularity of hockey in those states did more to build the number of college hockey programs rather than the number of college hockey teams built the popularity.

I agree 100%. I assumed the # of successful college programs in a state like PA was more the result of a strong general interest in wrestling in the state than the other way around. If UW-Whitewater and UW-Lacrosse started handing out scholarships (and therefore became D1 or D2) I don't think we'd get many more kids (if any at all) involved in wrestling as a result of that. I'm sure it helps but I don't think as much as the other way around. I'm far from a wrestling expert specifically but this isn't specific to wrestling. You seem this correlation between success at the youth and college levels across the nation and across all sports.