For those of you who have not already seen this, wrestling photographer Tony Rotundo put this lovely little number together.
Check out Coach Popolizio & Athletic Trainer Noel Zeh in this video. It's quality entertainment, I promise.
*make sure your volume is on for this*
Friday, March 30, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Hall of Fame Wrestler Passes Away
aVESTAL, N.Y.—Former wrestling great Mike Truncale passed away March 20 on Long Island. Truncale, inducted into Binghamton’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998, is survived by his wife, Donna, and their children Frank, Brianna and Gabriella.
He was a proprietor of Tennis Court Construction and Maintenance, Co., in Patchogue, N.Y
A native of Smithtown, N.Y., Truncale wrestled at Binghamton from 1983-85 after transferring from University of Tennessee. At Binghamton, Truncale became the school’s first three-time All-American. He placed seventh at the 1983 NCAA Championship, third in 1984 and second in 1985. His overtime match for the 150-pound national championship against an opponent from Trenton State was televised on ESPN. Truncale was a co-captain of Binghamton’s 1984 team that finished third in the entire country - the highest national finish of any team in school history. He went undefeated in duals that season (10-0) and finished his three-year career with an 18-3 dual meet record.
Truncale was named BU’s Athlete of the Year in 1984-85.
He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1985.
______________________
Former teammate Mark Gumble ...
“Mike was captain of the team when I was a freshman. He was my daily workout partner and taught me how to train to become an All-American. I vividly remember speaking with him in the spring of his senior year. He was disappointed in not winning an NCAA title but proud that he was the only BU wrestler ever to become a three-time All-American. His words were a source of inspiration to me during my senior year. I have yet to see another athlete train as hard as Mike did. I used to curse him when he made me run the library tower stairs with him early in the morning or ride the stationary bike for a half-hour every day after practice. Today I am glad I listened and learned from Mike because his influence helped me reach most of my athletic goals at Binghamton.”
Former coach Steve Erber ...
“Mike had a great work ethic and was always very focused. He kind of ran by himself but became a leader by virtue of the tremendous amoutn of time he put in. Other talented athletes started to follow suit and it boosted the whole team up - thus a third-place NCAA finish in 1984. I never really had to motivate Mike. He had a goal and was willing to work to reach it. It any of my athletes deserved a national title by virtue of their work ethic it was Mike.”
Former high school teammate and friend Sean O’Malley ...
“Although he was the toughest man on our Smithtown East teams of 1979 and 1980, he was also one of the nicest, funniest, easiest going guys you could ever meet. He was a real joker, and although our personalities were quite different, we always meshed. I always enjoyed my time with Mike. He was also a craftsman, working with his brother Jack since the mid 1980s building tennis courts, driveways, walkways and the like. Mike’s working legacy will be evident for years to come for anyone playing on the recently rebuilt tennis courts at Smithtown East and West. Mike’s wrestling legacy will also carry with us. Mike was awesome on his feet, and was a Suffolk County Runner up in his junior year in HS.”
A link to John Hartrick's original press release is here.
The Bearcat wrestling family extends our deepest sympathies to Mike's family and friends.
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Below, because we just can't stop talking about Nationals, is a video montage from the 2012 NCAA Championships.
Video credit: John Hartrick.
Photo credit: Angelo Juliano Photography
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
Week in Review
Most teams immediately went to vacation or took off from training after the national tournament. We did not. We have recovery time built into our schedule and will recover soon. We trained through last week. We practiced every day at 9AM this past week. The focus of the week was getting better on our single legs. At the NCAA, World, and Olympic Championships, the move used to score most is a single leg takedown. It is most effective at the highest level and we took this past week to get better as a team in various positions on finishing a single. As a team, we have not had much of a problem getting into the leg, but finishing has been a place that we've struggled a bit. Every day last week, we did technique on different ways to finish the single. We worked on ways to get the corner and get behind, splitting the middle, cutting the leg out, and getting to our feet. We drilled various scenarios from these positions and also went live in the positions. In addition, we started to wrestle a little bit of freestyle. The guys were responsible to get three lifts in last week and did a nice job in the weight room as well.
I think it was a very productive week for the team. I could see significant improvements when they were wrestling live. Now that season is over we can really focus on improving technically. I think it is often overlooked by college coaches but the off season is the best time to technically improve. Many colleges do not have their guys training or are just having them wrestle live. We will be focused this off season on getting better technically. Conditioning wise, we were very good. The guys showed a lot of heart and determination throughout the season. We certainly need to improve in the weight room and technically in some positions so we can continue to dominate next season.
Looking ahead, we are taking this week off from practice to recover. It is the first week of a two week training break that we are taking. The following week is spring break here at BU and we will be off for that as well. After those two weeks, we will be back at it with the focus on freestyle and the University Nationals (May 31st-June 3rd).
Friday, March 23, 2012
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Throwback Thursday Episode 21: Tim Borshoff
Tim Borshoff was a National Runner-up for the Bearcats in 1975 at 126lbs. He is a member of the Binghamton Athletics Hall of Fame.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Nationals Press
This is a lengthy post today, so I apologize, but it's very important for everyone to see all of the press/recognition that the BU Wrestling team has received in the last week. Below is a collection of articles and interviews by John Hartrick, Associate Director of Athletics for Communications, who was at Nationals with the Bearcats and did a phenomenal job recapping the events! Also listed are some articles from the Press & Sun Bulletin and some other random spots. Enjoy!
Wrestlers Head to St. Louis for NCAA Championship
Vinson And Gwiazdowski All-Americans!
Vinson Completes Incredible Run By Taking Third At NCAAs
All Five Wrestlers Still Alive At NCAA Championship
NCAA Wrestling Championship Day 1 Photo Gallery Part 1
NCAA Wrestling Championship Day 1 Photo Gallery Part 2
NCAA Wrestling Championship Day 2 Photo Gallery Part 1
NCAA Wrestling Championship Day 2 Photo Gallery Part 2
NCAA Wrestling Championship Day 2 Photos
2011-2012 Media Guide
March To The Arch (Poster & Sponsors)
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Notorious Pinner Justin Lister Looks for Another “Cinderella” NCAA Run
Vinson has one goal in mind
Binghamton University wrestlers finish on a high
Four Section 4 products seek NCAA wrestling titles
Bearcats bumped from wrestling title track
Cornell's Dake goes 3-for-3 at NCAAs; Vinson finishes third
Your Bearcat NCAA Wrestling Championship Preview
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
NCAA Recap
Congratulations once again to Donnie Vinson and Nick Gwiazdowski on earning All America honors at the 2012 NCAA Championships and doubling Binghamton's All American total (Josh Patterson (2009) & Justin Lister (2010))! Also, congratulations to the rest of the Bearcats participating at Nationals who helped earn the #14 finish: Justin Lister, Nate Schiedel, and Cody Reed. Nate and Cody will both return next year to make a run of their own for the podium. Donnie and Nick will also return next year to improve upon their finishes this year.
Today Coach Beasley & Coach Borshoff discuss Justin, Nate, and Cody's performance at Nationals. Check out the video below..
Today Coach Beasley & Coach Borshoff discuss Justin, Nate, and Cody's performance at Nationals. Check out the video below..
Friday, March 16, 2012
NCAA Update
Check out the articles and interviews by the BU Sports Info department on bubearcats.com
Stay tuned for day 2 action this morning beginning at 11 eastern.
Stay tuned for day 2 action this morning beginning at 11 eastern.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Throwback Thursday Episode 20: Dan Polhamus Part II
Follow the Bearcats at NCAAs on Twitter and Facebook!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
Week in Review
We had a light week of training this past week as we have tapered down to prepare for the national tournament. One of the most important things this time of year is health. Fortunately, all five guys are healthy and ready to go for nationals. By this point in the season, everyone is dinged up, but the five guys going to nationals are very healthy right now and ready to compete. Like I said, we scaled practices back in order to peak for nationals. Last week, everything was short and hard. All week, we spent a little time working on our arm bars and chicken wings on top. Monday, we drilled hard for a short time and wrestled some live goes. Tuesday, we drilled for a half hour. Wednesday, we were off the mat. Thursday, we had a short drill and short live situation goes. Friday, we drilled and went live in short spurts. We did few things at the end of practice to keep our conditioning up. We lifted on Monday and Wednesday. Saturday and Sunday, we took off from practice. Rest is as important as anything this time of year. We will be rested and ready to go on Thursday. Coach Borshoff and I will discuss our first round matches tomorrow on the blog. As usual, we will tweet the results at nationals.
Also, check out this article from New York Wrestling News about BU Senior, Justin Lister.
Also, check out this article from New York Wrestling News about BU Senior, Justin Lister.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Spotlight on Matt Kaylor's Bearcat Wrestling Career
I was very disappointed that Matt Kaylor did not get a bid to the national tournament. He beat five wrestlers (Blevins, Brundage, Warner, Peppelman, and Garcey) who qualified this season and finished the season with a 24-10 record. He qualified a spot for the CAA for the national tournament. He was ranked 24th in the last coaches ranking and 27th in the last RPI. He was "gold standard" based on his results going into the CAA tournament (gold standard wrestlers are usually the first to get an at-large bid to nationals if they do not qualify outright). I feel as though he certainly deserved to be there one more time. Matt is one of the all-time best in BU history in many ways. It has been a pleasure to work with him. Here is a brief look at his career here at BU.
Matt Kaylor is a fifth-year senior who has been part of the BU Wrestling Program for five seasons. He was a two-year captain of the wrestling team and one of the wrestlers who brought the team back to the national spotlight. Matt is second all-time on BU’s Division I win list with 112 wins. Of those wins, 28 have come by way of major decision, 4 by technical fall, and 8 by pin. He is a four year starter and a two-time NCAA national qualifier. He has been nationally ranked for each of the last three seasons, including being ranked as high as 15th in the country. Matt redshirted his true freshman year. He placed every year at the CAA Tournament with finishes of 4th, 4th, 1st, and 5th. He has placed multiple times in the NY State Collegiate Tournament, the BU Open, and the Cornell Body Bar. He has also placed at the Penn State Open and the Reno Tournament of Champions. Matt has won tournament championships at the NY State Collegiate Tournament and the CAA Championships.
Matt graduated in the spring with a BA in history and well over a 3.0 GPA. Matt currently is in his first year of graduate school. He will graduate with a Master’s Degree in the Art of Teaching in the spring of 2013. Currently, he holds around a 3.5 GPA in his master’s degree. He was awarded the CAA Commissioner’s Academic Award last season and was named to the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll here at BU.
I can’t tell you enough what a wonderful person he is. He is a great wrestler and really was one of the main people to put BU on the map. Moreover, he is as good of person as there is on the team. He is selfless, as he cut hard and made 149 his freshman year because it was best for the team. As a sophomore, he moved up to 165 because it was best for the team to have Donnie at 149, Lister at 157, and Matt at 165. The following year, as a junior, he was asked to move down a weight class for the betterment of the team. This year, he was back at 165. All of these changes he made for the team. Anytime he was asked to do anything, he did it without hesitation. He always put the team first and was an unbelievable leader. He may not have won every sprint, race, match, or whatever, but every single day, he gave Binghamton University Wrestling everything he had every second of every practice. Certainly some days were better than others and he might come in sick or worn down, but as soon as practice started, he was giving 100%, no matter how he felt. He never complained or spoke negativity about anything. He is a true inspiration to others and everyone who knows him has the utmost respect for him. He was a quiet leader (until you get to know him and realize he has quite the sense of humor) and the others followed him.
There are a few rare people out there that demand the type of respect that Kaylor does with his work ethic. He is a rare breed of everything that a coach wants in an athlete. He made everyone around him better. I know that I am a better coach and person for knowing and working with Matt. I wish we had more Matt Kaylor's on the team. He is truly a special person and is going to do great things in life. He deserves nothing but the best moving forward.
Unfortunately, the college wrestling chapter of his life is over for Matt. Whether he continues to wrestle Freestyle or Greco or begin coaching, or both, is yet to be determined for sure. He has one more year left of graduate school here at BU, in which, of course, he will continue to do very well. Whatever he chooses to do, he will certainly be successful. Matt permanently left his stamp on BU Wrestling and will continue to grow with Matt's assistance.
Matt, thank you for all that you have done for Binghamton University Wrestling!
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Your Questions, Answered.. and NCAA Information
Before we get to the questions.. today is a big day for NCAA information. Starting at 1pm, the NCAA will release the list of competitors at each weight class. You can follow along on the NCAA Wrestling Facebook page (link). Also, this evening at 6:00, NCAA.com will host a selection show. All first round matchups will be revealed at this time.
Now.. on to the questions. Coach Beasley answered most of the questions posed to us last week.
Well I wanted to answer some of the questions that have come up on the blog over the last couple of weeks. One question that came up was who is the best dressed coach. For that question, we will be doing a video to discuss and answer that question. If you have other questions, feel free to leave them below.
For a redshirt, how many opportunities are there to wrestle in a given year?
Redshirts have many opportunities to wrestle during the season. There are several open tournaments that they can go to and for us there are a lot of open tournaments that are within reasonable driving distance. Open tournaments that we had wrestlers compete in this season were the Buffalo Open, Binghamton Open, Lock Haven Open, Penn State Open, Nassau Open, Millersville Open, New York State Collegiate Tournament, Jamestown Open, Edinboro Open, and National Collegiate Open. Redshirts should, in my opinion, wrestle at least 20 matches in a season and shoot for thirty or more. I know that Heyman, Grella, Perry, Riggi and Deuel all got over twenty matches in this season. We will also have our team at the University Nationals to wrestle freestyle.
How is John Paris doing? Can we hope to see him back next year?
John tore his ACL in the first match of the year. He had surgery in December on it and is currently rehabbing. He has been running and lifting but is unable to get back on the mat yet. He will be off the mat till the summer. We are not going to rush him back as we need him healthy and ready for next season. We will definitely have him back next season. He is a big part of the team and as you recall was the CAA Freshman of the Year last season. He is bigger right now as he has been lifting a lot. He could wind-up anywhere from 174-184-197 but I would expect him at either 174 or 184 pounds next year.
I get asked by a friend who is also a college ref. who the ref happens to be at the Binghamton matches... I don't know because their name is not announced at the beginning of a match. It would be helpful to let us know who is reffing the evenings match.
I will have the referee announced at matches next year. We have had a variety of referees this season. We try to have a lot of different officials
How do you scout wrestlers/teams from outside the geographic area? For example Central Michigan and Arizona State.
I would say that I try to scout everyone who we compete against or who is good and we may see at nationals. I personally watch a ton of wrestling to scout others. However, I do not like to say much about the opponent to the guys on the team. I can come up with a game plan or whatnot for our guys but I feel like if I say a lot about the other guy that we will wrestle tight. For example, if I told Steeley that Matt Snyder was going to cradle a certain way on a certain side on top and that he get a cradle this way on his feet and that he switches to the left on bottom, Steeley may get distracted with watching those things and not wrestle well and wrestle to stop those things. Where if I give him a game plan to focus on things that I know will work against an opponent or that he needs to be aware of one thing the opponent does, it will benefit him. I think there are teams that over analyze opponents and their wrestlers are tight in matches because they are to worried about all the things the other guy can do. Actually scouting is easy as we see most of the teams in the country somewhere or another at a tournament (Reno, Body Bar, Penn State, etc) or duals (Norhteast Duals, etc). Moreover, youtube and flowrestling have made it very easy to scout other teams. You can almost always find at least one match and usually multiple matches of an upper-level division I guy online. I watch all the matches on the big ten network as well. I love watching wrestling, so it is a hobby of mine to just watch wrestling, which makes scouting easy. Also, I have a pretty good memory, so once I scout someone once, I usually remember what they do so it makes scouting them the next year that much easier.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Week in Review: CAA Championships Review 165-HWT
Fear not, Patrick Hunter's Two Minute Tuesday will return after Nationals.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Friday, March 2, 2012
Beasley & Borshoff in the Morning: Part II
Coaches Frank Beasley & Jasen Borshoff preview 165 through HWT in the CAA Conference Championships.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Beasley & Borshoff in the Morning: Part I
Today we pause from our regularly scheduled Throwback Thrusday episode to bring you Part I of II episodes of Beasley & Borshoff in the Morning. Coaches Frank Beasley and Jasen Borshoff are doing video previews of the CAA tournament this weekend. Today they discuss weights 125 through 157. Stay tuned for Part II tomorrow..
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