WRESTLER SPOTLIGHT: UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN’S CAMERON AMINE

  • University of Michigan’s Cameron Amine, who made it to semi-finals in 2023 Division 1 NCAA Championships at the 165 pounds weight class, ultimately finished 4th in that prestigious tournamnet this season. This earned him his third All-American honors, after being seeded 11th when he entered the tournament. Below is Amine’s bio, as found on the University of Michigan wrestling website (note that it may not be updated to include the 2022 – 2023 statistics):

    Junior/Sophomore (2021-22)
    • Academic All-Big Ten; NWCA All-Academic Team
    • NCAA All-American, 165 pounds
    • Claimed fourth place at the NCAA Championships (March 17-19) with a 4-2 record
    • Earned a 3-1 overtime decision over Iowa’s #3 Alex Marinelli in the NCAA quarterfinals; also defeated Wisconsin’s #4 Dean Hamiti, 7-5, in the consolation semis
    • Placed second at Big Ten Championships (March 4-5) with a 3-1 mark; fell to Iowa’s #2 Alex Marinelli, 2-1, in the championship match
    • Defeated Ohio State’s #4 Carson Kharchla, 3-1 SV, in the Big Ten semifinals
    • Earned a career-best 20 wins; went 9-2 in dual meets, including a 5-2 Big Ten mark
    • Placed fifth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 3-4) with a 3-2 mark
    • Earned two overtime wins over Harvard’s #12 Philip Conigliaro, 3-1 SV and by fall 7:29, at CKLV

    Sophomore/Freshman (2020-21)
    • Academic All-Big Ten; NWCA All-Academic Team
    • U-M Athletic Academic Achievement Award
    • NCAA All-American, 165 pounds
    • Claimed seventh place at the NCAA Championships (March 18-20) with a 5-2 record
    • First Wolverine freshman to earn All-America honors in four seasons (2017)
    • Placed third at the Big Ten Championships (March 6-7) with a 4-1 mark
    • Defeated Nebraska’s #19 Peyton Robb, 4-1, in the third-place match
    • Shared the team wins lead with a 14-4 record, including a 5-1 mark in dual meets
    • Used a third-period ride and turn to defeat Penn State’s #6 Joe Lee, 4-1 (Feb. 14)
    • Beat Rutgers’ Brett Donner, 10-4, in varsity debut (Jan. 8)

    Freshman (2019-20)
    • Redshirted season; competed unattached in four open tournaments
    • Captured the 165-pound title at the Edinboro Open (Feb. 1) with a 5-0 record
    • Runner-up at the Purple Raider Open (Jan. 19) with a 2-1 mark
    • Went 4-2 at the Midlands Championships (Dec. 29-30)
    • Placed fifth at the Michigan State Open (Nov. 2) 4-2 record
    • Defeated Northern Illinois’ Izzak Olejnik, 2-1, in collegiate debut at the MSU Open

    Prep
    • Graduated from Detroit Catholic Central High School (2019)
    • Captured three Michigan state titles, winning at 152 pounds (2019), 145 pounds (2017) and 125 pounds (2016)
    • Four-time Michigan state finalist; claimed runner-up honors at 152 pounds as a junior (2018)
    • Named the MHSAA 2019 Male Wrestler of the Year
    • Michigan recipient of the 2019 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award
    • Posted a career prep record of 167-15, including a 40-0 mark as a senior
    • Contributed to three straight DCC Michigan team state titles (2017, ’18, ’19)
    • Six-time Fargo All-American; reeled off five straight wins, outscoring his opposition, 53-2, to reach the semifinals in 2018 before an injury forced him to default out of the tournament
    • Two-time Super 32 placewinner (2017, ’18), including a runner-up finish as a senior
    • Honor Roll
    • Ranked as the No. 17 overall recruit by FloWrestling and No. 2-ranked 152-pound wrestler

    Personal
    • Enrolled in the School of Kinesiology, majoring in sport management
    • Born on August 3, 2000
    • Son of Sam and Tonya Amine; dad wrestled at Michigan (1988-90)
    • Has two siblings, Jordan and Breanna; Jordan wrestled at Michigan (2015-18)
    • Uncle, Mike Amine (1986-89) and cousins, Malik (2016-19) and Myles (2017-22), also wrestled at Michigan

COMMENTS DISABLED BY SITE.

YOU MAY, HOWEVER, COMMENT THROUGH FACEBOOK.

COACH SPOTLIGHT: DREXEL UNIVERSITY’S MATT AZEVEDO

Drexel University had a 10 – 8 team record during the 2022- 2023 season. Drexel wrestling head coach Matt Azevedo’s bio, as found on the Drexel Wrestling Team’s website (this may not be updated to include 2022 – 2023 statistics):
Matt Azevedo, the Mert and Joanne Hill Head Coach of Wrestling, is in his 12th season as head coach of Drexel Wrestling after joining the Dragons in April 2011 following successful coaching stints at Cornell and Cal Poly. Azevedo has led the program’s resurgence and ushered in a new era of Drexel Wrestling in the EIWA. The 2020 inductee into the California Wrestling Hall of Fame is the eighth head coach in the school’s history and replaced Jack Childs, who retired after 35 seasons at Drexel.The Dragons have climbed onto the national scene and into the national rankings under Azevedo. The Dragons earned their first USA Today/NWCA DI Coaches Poll national ranking under Azevedo and remained ranked in the Top 25 for six weeks during the 2016-17 season. The following year, the Dragons finished the 2017-18 regular season ranked in the top 25 of four separate polls – USA Today/NWCA DI Coaches, FloWrestling, Intermat tournament and Intermat dual – for the first time in program history.On the mat, the Dragons have won 84 matches, including 10-win seasons under Azevedo’s guidance. In 2016-17, Drexel finished with 13 dual victories, its most since the 2006-07 season. The Dragons have taken down ranked nationally ranked opponents in three of the last seven years – No. 21 Rider, 18-14, in Feb. 2018; No. 25 Princeton in Dec. 2016; and No. 20 Northwestern, 21-20, in Nov. 2015. Drexel also dramatically came back to tie the overall score at 20-20 on a late third-period pin against No. 5 Lehigh in Dec. 2017, despite the Mountain Hawks winning on criteria. The Dragons also recorded major victories over Penn in 2016, their first since 1989, against Hofstra in 2013, their first since 1997, and against Binghamton in 2020, their first since 2006.Azevedo has coached 40 NCAA Wrestling Championships qualifiers in his first 11 seasons at the helm. Despite having the 2019-20 season cut short and the 2020-21 season shortened due to the pandemic, the Dragons had all 10 wrestlers place at the EIWA Championships for the first time in program history and sent a program-best (tied with 2002 season) six wrestlers  to the NCAA Tournament in St. Louis. Parker Kropman (157) Michael O’Malley (174), and Bryan McLaughlin (197) each qualified for their second appearance in tournament while Julian Flores (141), Luke Nichter (149) and Evan Barczak (165) each received their first automatic bid to NCAA’s. During the 2022 season, O’Malley made his third-straight NCAA appearance and came within one win of All-American status. He was joined at the NCAA Championships by Barczak for the second straight year. In 2020, Antonio Mininno (125), O’Malley (174) and Bryan McLaughlin (197) earned automatic bids to their first-ever championships, and Ebed Jarrell (165) received an at-large selection to the tournament. Additionally, Parker Kropman (157) was named the first alternate at his weight class. In 2019, Drexel qualified four Dragons for the NCAA Championships in Pittsburgh: Kropman (149), Jarrell (165), Stephen Loiseau (197) and Joey Goodhart (285). In 2018, the Dragons sent a then program-best five wrestlers to Cleveland, Ohio for NCAAs.

Four Dragons have gone on to win conference championships during Azevedo’s tenure, including three since the school joined the EIWA. O’Malley was the school’s latest winner after taking home the EIWA title at 174 in 2022. Matt Cimato won the EIWA title at 149 pounds in 2016, the year after Kevin Devoy won the EIWA title at 133 pounds in 2015. In 2013, 197-pounder Brandon Palik became Drexel’s final CAA champion. The Dragons have seen the EIWA podium become commonplace over the last eight years as 51 wrestlers have placed at the conference tournament. In 2021, Drexel had all 10 wrestlers place at EIWA’s, passing the previous program-record eight in 2018. The Dragons performance was highlighted by a second-place finish by O’Malley (174), a third place finish by Nichter (149) and three fourth-place finishes by Flores (141), McLaughlin (197) and Barczak (165).

In the classroom, Drexel Wrestling has been a standout academic program in the nation. Drexel finished as an NWCA DI Top 30 All-Academic Team eight of the last nine seasons and has boasted the nation’s best team GPA twice. In 2021, the Dragons earned a spot as the seventh highest GPA in the nation at 3.46 and led the list of individual honorees. In 2020, the Dragons claimed high honors with a 3.59 GPA. The year prior, the Dragons were the top academic DI wrestling team in the country with a program-best 3.63 GPA. The Dragons have had 32 NWCA Academic All-America individual selections during that time, including 10 in 2021. They have also had 47 wrestlers have earned EIWA All-Academic Team selections since the award began in 2016, including eight in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Also, 11 wrestlers have been named Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area At-Large Team selections, including Jarrell in 2020 when he was named a co-performer of the year. Jarrell capped a stellar five-year career in University City with an appearance on the CoSIDA Academic All-District 2 Men’s At-Large Team.

While at Cornell, Azevedo helped the Big Red earn nine All-America honors, nine EIWA champions and seven Academic All-Americans. He also guided the team to back-to-back second-place finishes at the NCAA championships, which marked the best performance in school history. Prior to his time at Cornell, Azevedo spent seven seasons as an assistant coach at Cal Poly, where he coached seven All-Americans and eight Pac-10 champions. He also helped guide Cal Poly to its highest finish in school history at the Pac-10 championships by placing second in 2004 and 2006.

Azevedo wrestled collegiately at Arizona State and Iowa State, each for two seasons. He advanced to the NCAA Tournament in three of his four seasons. Azevedo graduated with a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from Iowa State in 2002. He continued his wrestling career after graduation and went on to be a seven-time U.S. National place winner, two-time U.S. National Team member and won the 2008 U.S. Open National Championship.

COMMENTS DISABLED BY SITE.

YOU MAY, HOWEVER, COMMENT THROUGH FACEBOOK.

Renaissance Boy Mario Del Vecchio One of Country’s Best 8th Grade Wrestlers, Weightlifting Phenom, Star of Multiple Movies & Top Student

This past season, he pinned the 11th grader who placed 3rd in the Florida High School States. He pinned the 12th grader who placed 4th in the Florida High School States. He was a High School State Placer. He was a High School Region Champ. He was a High School County Champ. He was a High School District Champ. Named First Team All-County by Florida Today/USA Today, he had a 40 – 8 High School record (with 32 pins and 4 tech falls). With 90% of his wins being pins and tech falls, he was in the top 5 highest Pin/TF % in the entire state for wrestlers with over 30 wins. He scored back points in all of his matches that he wrestled (except 3), so in almost 95% of his matches he put his opponents on their backs; that puts him in the Top 5 for all High School wrestlers in the State of Florida who wrestled at least 30 matches. And over the past year, he beat 24 wrestlers who were High School State Placers/Qualifiers this past season – and he has defeated 32 High School wrestlers who are currently ranked in the Top 20 in the state, including last week defeating the #2 ranked 11th grader who placed 3rd in the Florida High School States (in the weight class one heavier than him), increasing his post-season record to 40 – 4. Accordingly, in the post-season, he has already equaled the number of wins he attained during the regular season. These statistics are particularly astounding, showing absolute dominance for a high school wrestler.

So, who is this high school senior or junior who has carried out all these accomplishments, you ask? Nope, he’s not a senior or junior. Okay, then who is this aberrational sophomore (could it possibly be a freshman)? Nope, not a sophomore or freshman either. In fact, this kid is not in high school at all. It’s Mario Del Vecchio, an 8th grader. Yup, you read that correctly. Del Vecchio is an 8th grader, wrestling for Cocoa Beach High School. And as Florida’s most-frequented wrestling Facebook page and website – The Florida Wrestling Room – noted in a post earlier this week, Del Vecchio is “a true 8th grader, he was never held back.”

Finding some of these statistics so hard to fathom, ESN spent several hours verifying them on TrackWrestling; and yes, they’re all straight up facts. Watching many of Del Vecchio’s matches (hundreds of them can be found on a private YouTube channel going through personal Facebook pages, in addition to many on TrackWrestling and FloArena), the viewer indeed sees complete domination, in addition to a relentless competitor. Not only a pin-master, Del Vecchio is known for incredibly fast pins, with a selection of videos of high school very quick pins here: Pins Opponent in 10 Seconds, Pins Opponent in 11 Seconds, Pins Another Opponent in 11 Seconds, Pins Opponent in 12 Seconds, Pins Opponent in 14 Seconds, Pins Opponent in 18 Seconds, Pins Opponent in 23 Seconds, Pins Opponent in 27 Seconds. The significantly older ages of his opponents just doesn’t factor, nor does an opponent being heavier than him (he often wrestles up in weight class).

Del Vecchio, who is 14 (he will turn 15 at the end of September), ultimately placed 6th at the FHSAA State Tournament at 113 lbs this season. That 6th place finish, while extraordinary for a middle schooler (especially since 4 of his States’ matches were against seniors, one against a junior, and one against a freshman), doesn’t really provide the accurate ranking in the state for his weight class/division: in addition to pinning the 7th place finisher (a senior), as detailed at the beginning of this article, he also pinned the 3rd & 4th place finishers (a junior & senior), so Del Vecchio is more like 2nd or 3rd in the state in terms of overall rankings. Here is just one of his victories from the Florida States (as can be seen on TrackWrestling). And here’s another of his wins from that FHSAA Tournament.

In winning the championship at the Cape Coast Conference Tournament – Brevard County’s county tournament – Del Vecchio was the only 8th grader in the finals (and there was only one 9th grader in the finals, the rest were upper classmen). He also was the first 8th grader in his school’s history to win that tournament. And the Florida Today/USA Today newspaper named him as the only 8th grader to the 2023 All Space Coast Wrestling Team – First Team High School All County. Furthering this trend, last month, Cocoa Beach High School presented this 8th grader with its 2022-2023 Most Outstanding Wrestler award. Additionally, the school issued Del Vecchio awards for: Most Wins, Most Pins, Most Tech Falls, and Highest Placement in the States. Pictured are the varied trophies and medals he took home from that team ceremony.

Social media postings help demonstrate the type of wrestler – and person – who Del Vecchio is. In one post, Del Vecchio said, “There were 5 other middle school kids who were Region Champs in Florida. It’s cool to be in a group with these great wrestlers.” The word “cool” is a bit humble because, as The Florida Wrestling Room headlined in an article, “Out of 2,688 High School Region Participants in Florida, Just 6 True Middle Schoolers are Region Champs” (Del Vecchio was one of those extraordinary middle school wrestlers).  Regarding those 3rd & 4th state placers who he pinned (one was in the first round at the State Tournament and the other was in the Region finals), Del Vecchio stated in a post, “Yeah definitely proud of those wins, but they’ve gotten me too. Have to say we’re all about even. Got a lot of respect for those guys.” And Del Vecchio, who you can see in numerous social media photos and videos wearing a Jesus Trained t-shirt and doing the sign of the cross before each match, ends most of his social media posts with “All Glory to God.”

In not stopping – at all – since the State Tournament, as detailed earlier herein, social media posts show he’s nearly undefeated in 40 post-season matches. See match from a few weeks ago where Del Vecchio defeats a top high school wrestler from Maryland. In profiling Del Vecchio’s performance last month at one of America’s biggest national tournaments, the Adidas Nationals in Missouri, a post on The Florida Wrestling Room declared:

“Mario Del Vecchio – 4th Place in 8th grade 115 lbs. Del Vecchio, who had a very dominant 4 wins that included 3 pins (27 sec, 1:29 & 2:05) and a 9-2 win, wrestled in the largest size bracket in the tournament—a 22 man bracket. Only 2 points separated him from the 1st Place and 2nd Place finishers. Del Vecchio lost a super close 3-2 semifinals match to the kid who took 2nd Place (and that kid lost by one point in the finals)—meaning Del Vecchio and the top 2 finishers were all very close. Notable wins in this tournament: Del Vecchio’s wins included beating a High School State Placer (5th) from Florida, a Middle School State Champ from New Mexico, and a Middle School State Champ from Louisiana. These particularly fierce competition wins (and him being in the biggest bracket) make it so that Del Vecchio really stands out on this list.” Here’s one of his wins from the Adidas Nationals (as can be seen on FloArena). And here’s another of his victories from that national tournament.

In response to his Adidas performance and national standing, Del Vecchio wrote in a social media post, “Very happy with we’re I’m at, maybe I’m in top 10 or so at this point for my age and weight. Still have to keep working, learning. Won’t ever underestimate anyone, but won’t ever overestimate anyone either. My dad’s advice, and he’s right on with that.”

No doubt that Del vecchio is in that top 10 range nationally at this point, as a wrestler. But where he’s in his own, unique, #1 – call it one-and-only status – is as a true modern-day Renaissance Boy. A sidenote: his father (mentioned above), Kenneth Del Vecchio has, for years, been labeled by media as a “modern-day Renaissance Man” (will detail some about him below). The younger Del Vecchio has also, for some time now, been afforded this similar headline – as “Renaissance Boy.”

Going along with his wrestling prowess, Del Vecchio is a weightlifting phenom as well. It’s often said that a man who can bench press his weight 10 times is a pretty strong guy. But what about a 14-year-old boy? Just last month, Del Vecchio, now 125 lbs, pressed 135 lbs for 20 reps on decline bench press (see video here). Anyone who understands weightlifting knows that this is truly phenomenal for a kid his age/weight—that’s 10 more pounds than a 14-year-old’s weight, that he pressed for 20 reps. That’s amazing.

And these stunning weightlifting feats by Del Vecchio have been going on for quite some time. If one looks up the nation’s record (actually the world record) on AAU for flat bench press – for a 114 lbs 13-year-old – AAU lists it as 138.9 lbs. Well, on the day before Del Vecchio turned 14, he broke that record, in bench-pressing 140 lbs on flat bench while weighing 113 lbs (see video here). Of course, as Del Vecchio’s father noted in a Facebook post with the video, there are multiple different organizations that list records, plus Del Vecchio’s lift was in the gym (not a competition)—but, still, this has to place the kid in about the top 5 in the country for his weight/age. Just eight months later, Del Vecchio’s max flat bench press is now significantly higher than the 140 lbs mark he hit the day before his birthday.

Yes, it’s genetics. The Renaissance Man father, Kenneth Del Vecchio – a very outspoken critic of steroid users – was/is one of the pound-for-pound strongest men in the country. In winning many drug-free competitions in his teens, 20s and 30s, Del Vecchio, at one point, maxed out at 385 lbs while weighing 165 lbs on flat bench (which put him in about the top 5 nationally). And, in an absolutely staggering lift, on decline bench he pressed 450 lbs while weighing 165 lbs. Just about a month ago, Del Vecchio, now 54 – and weighing 170 lbs –  bench-pressed 225 lbs for 23 reps on decline (see video here). For his age/weight, that has to put him #1 in the country—what other 54-year-old at that weight could do that? Actually, what guy at any age (at 170 lbs) can bench press 225 lbs for 23 reps? Kenneth Del Vecchio, a bit of a controversial individual with a bit of an ego-maniac-type persona as described more fully later in this article, remarked in his Facebook post about that lift, “I believe that’s more weight/reps than most guys in the NFL.” In checking, ESN couldn’t find anyone under 175 lbs in the NFL (WR, CB, Safety types) who can do that, so go for the personal props.

Back to the Renaissance Boy, Mario Del Vecchio. Not as well-known about him is an overall successful MMA-type background that the kid rarely acknowledges, saying in a post,”It’s really all about wrestling to me. Folksyle wrestling. I don’t want to be one of those types who tries do everything in combat sports. Most of the time, that doesn’t work out too well.” Also sometimes not noted is that Del Vecchio is a standout student, who primarily receives straight A’s. “I missed a few times, though,” Del Vecchio wrote in a social media post. Beyond the standard fare of academia, however, is that Del Vecchio has a photographic memory, a rare ability that has greatly benefitted him in an exciting, artistic career path (this ability, and its usefulness, is more aptly described by a film and TV actress below).

Yup, Del Vecchio has an acting career. A real acting career – in real movies with real movie stars. And he is represented by a leading agent.

Having acted in over 10 movies – all feature films that star multiple Oscar winners and nominees – Del Vecchio has played the lead role in two movies: A Wrestling Christmas Miracle and A Karate Christmas Miracle. Del Vecchio is represented by BMG, one of the leading child acting agencies, which has offices in NYC, LA, and Atlanta.

Starring Martin Kove (“Cobra Kai”; The Karate Kid), Gilbert Gottfried (Emmy nominee; Problem Child), Scott Schwartz (A Christmas Story; The Toy), Jimmie Walker (Golden Globe nominee; “Good Times”), Michael Winslow (Police Academy; Spaceballs), Todd Bridges (“Different Strokes”; “Everybody Hates Chris”), Julie McCullough (“Growing Pains”; Sharknado), Buddy Fitzpatrick (American Criminal), and Mario Del Vecchio (A Karate Christmas Miracle), A Wrestling Christmas Miracle is an inspirational, funny, thrill-ride family Christmas movie.  Here is the film’s trailer.

Starring Eric Roberts (Academy Award nominee; Best of the Best; The Expendables),“Cobra Kai” star Martin Kove (The Karate Kid; Rambo),  Julie McCullough (“Growing Pains”; Sharknado), and Mario Del Vecchio (A Wrestling Christmas Miracle), A Karate Christmas Miracle is an inspirational, thrill-ride family Christmas movie. Here is the film’s trailer.

USA Today and The Record, one of New Jersey’s largest daily newspapers, reporting about Del Vecchio’s acting exploits (and his photographic memory), wrote (see entire article here):

“He hasn’t missed a line; a word. It’s highly unusual,” Julie McCullough said during a break in filming Sunday. “I knew he had it in him, but to carry a whole feature, I wasn’t sure.”

A straight-A student at Highland Elementary School in Midland Park, Mario comes off as a seasoned pro on set, said McCullough, who has had a guest-starring role on “Growing Pains” and other popular TV sitcoms.

“He knows the script. He takes direction. And he has the look,” McCullough said.

“He’s a little girls’ dream,” McCullough said.

It’s difficult to talk about Mario Del Vecchio – who many would also say is a wrestling coach’s dream (based on reading so many different coaches’ praiseworthy comments about him, as a wrestler and person, in social media posts) – without some more talk about his father, Kenneth Del Vecchio—who many say is “this [professional’s/person’s] dream”, but who many others say is “this [professional’s/person’s] nightmare.” ESN has, like so many other media outlets, profiled the older Del Vecchio on multiple occasions. The positive/negative nature of his coverage by ESN, as elsewhere, depends upon who’s reporting about him.

The facts about Kenneth Del Vecchio are correctly stated in this below bio—his accomplishments are extraordinary. He’s definitely a one-and-only, like his son:

Kenneth Del Vecchio is an acclaimed filmmaker who has written, produced and directed over 30 movies that star several Academy Award and Emmy winners and nominees. His films are distributed through industry leaders such as Sony Pictures, Lionsgate, NBCUniversal, Millennium Entertainment, Cinedigm, Screen Media Films, Anchor Bay, Gravitas Ventures, and eOne Entertainment. He has starred in numerous movies, as well. Mr. Del Vecchio is founder and chairman of Hoboken International Film Festival, called by FOX, Time Warner, and other major media “One of the 10 Biggest Film Festivals in the World.” He also is the author of some of the nation’s best-selling legal books, including a series of criminal codebooks published by Pearson Education/Prentice Hall and ALM. A best-selling criminal suspense novelist, he penned his first published novel at only 24-years-old. In addition, he has appeared as a legal analyst on hundreds of TV news shows for major news networks (Fox News, i24 News, Newsmax). He is the owner of the Criminal Law Learning Center, where he has taught thousands of police officers and lawyers…And he is a former Judge, who also has tried over 400 cases as a practicing commercial litigation, criminal defense, and entertainment law attorney; he is a partner at the law firm Stern, Kilcullen & Rufolo. Here is a bio video on Kenneth Del Vecchio that has it all.

Notwithstanding his great professional successes (or perhaps because of them), adversaries of Kenneth Del Vecchio have called him bombastic, hard, argumentative, overly masculine, and yes – an ego maniac. However, it seems many others have complimentary words for him.

Legendary actor Paul Sorvino (GoodfellasNixon) called Del Vecchio “an extraordinary man.” Two-time Academy Award nominee Charles Durning (TootsieThe Best Little Whorehouse in Texas) exclaimed that “Kenneth Del Vecchio is an excellent filmmaker and would make a great leader!” Academy Award nominee Eric Roberts (The ExpendablesThe Pope of Greenwich Village) stated that “Kenneth Del Vecchio is the only judge I ever agreed with in personal conversation. He’s got some great views about freedom and liberty…and he’s a little bit nuts!” TV star Joyce DeWitt (”Three’s Company”) declared that Del Vecchio has “a vision and concept based on excellence and integrity.” Academy Award nominee Robert Loggia (ScarfaceBig) said of Del Vecchio: “The man is honest. Hard-working. Talented. And oh so intelligent.”

Whether one likes him or not, Kenneth Del Vecchio has, indeed, delivered an inconceivable list of professional accomplishments that warrant his longstanding title as a “Modern-day Renaissance Man.” But this article is really about the younger Del Vecchio – Mario Del Vecchio – who, too, has already delivered a lengthy list of aberrational accomplishments, which warrant him being headlined as a “Modern-day Renaissance Boy.” And, as his father noted in a social media post, “My son is a far better wrestler than I ever was.” And as ESN is noting here, there isn’t anything not to like about Mario Del Vecchio—love that Jesus Trained shirt and love that he recognizes so publicly that “All Glory to God.”

This article has been updated, with more facts, since its original publication.

YOUTH WRESTLER LUKE O’CONNOR TAKES OFF IN FLORIDA LIKE A HURRICANE

After nailing 5th place in the very tough New Jersey Youth State Championships last season, as a 4th-grader, Luke O’Connor – now in 5th grade – is poised to potenntially earn State Champ honors. But not in New Jersey this year.

O’Connor is now wrestling in a new state.

Florida.

And he is tearing up the Sunshine State. He has kicked off the season with an 11 – 1 record, nailing seven pins and three major decisions. His only loss was against a Georgia State Champ in a hard fought decision.

Wrestling out of Creeks Wrestling Club in northern Florida, alongside another powerhouse New Jersey alum – 7th grader Florida State Champ Mario Del Vecchio who Empire State News recently profiled in an article here – O’Connor just whipped through the Merritt Island IOF State Qualifier last weekend. In winning two different weight classes, 75 lbs and 80 lbs, O’Connor racked up seven wins in this tournament alone. His victories included two matches against a 2021  Florida State Champ: an 11 – 0 major decision and an 8 -2  decision.

Luke O’Connor, who has a cache of slick moves and who wrestles each match like a chess game, has launched an exceptional season in Florida. Reaching the top of the state podium this year is a definite goal–and a realistic one at that. No matter where the kid finishes this year, though, he has already made his mark in Florida.

WRESTLER SPOTLIGHT: INDIANA TECH UNIVERSITY’S CONNER GIMSON

  • Class:  Junior
  • Weight Class:  133
  • Hometown:  Elkhart, Ind.
  • High School: Jimtown HS
  • Major:  Criminal Justice

2020-21: Went 8-2 as a sophomore…recorded eight two falls…NAIA National Champion at 133-lbs…WHAC Runner-Up to twin brother Matt at 133-lbs…took first place at the Adrian Invite…WHAC All-Academic Team…NWCA Scholar All-American…CoSIDA Academic All-District Team.

2019-20: Went 26-10 as a freshman…recorded eight falls, two tech falls and two major decisions…earned NAIA All-America honors with an seventh-place finish at the NAIA National Championships, defeating twin brother Matt in a match of rock-paper-scissors…Sooner Athletic Conference champion, defeating Matt in the finals…took third at the Patriot Open, Trine Invitational and Indiana Little State Championships…NWCA Scholar All-America Team selection… Selected to the Academic All-SAC Team.

High School: Four-time varsity letter winner for the Jimmies…also played football.

Major: Criminal Justice

Personal: Twin brother Matthew also wrestles for Tech.

COMMENTS DISABLED BY SITE.

YOU MAY, HOWEVER, COMMENT THROUGH FACEBOOK.

COACH SPOTLIGHT: PURDUE UNIVERSITY’S TONY ERSLAND


• In seven years, Ersland has secured 16 top-100 recruits and five top-25 recruiting classes … the class of 2016 was ranked No. 6 by FloWrestling, No. 7 by InterMat and No. 8 by WIN Magazine … the class of 2017 was ranked No. 13 by FloWrestling, No. 18 by InterMat and No. 22 by TheOpenMat.com … the InterMat ranking is the third highest for Purdue with records dating to 2004 … Ersland is credited with two of those top three recruiting classes: 2016 and 2017 … the class of 2018 was ranked 18th by FloWrestling and 25th by TheOpenMat.com … the class of 2020 was ranked No. 13 by FloWrestling, No. 20 by InterMat and No. 22 by MatScouts … the class of 2021 was ranked 17th by WIN Magazine, No. 20 by InterMat and No. 22 by MatScouts.
 
• Has sent 45 wrestlers to the NCAA Championships … has matched a program high with eight qualifiers four times in seven years, including the last three years in a row … Purdue previously qualified eight in 1993 and 2003 … the eight qualifiers in 2015 were the most since 2010.
 
• Forty Boilermakers have placed at the Big Ten Championships under Ersland, with eight earning podium finishes in 2020 and 2021 … the eight placewinners match the program record and are the most since 2004 … Purdue placed fifth at the Big Ten Championships in 2020 (83.0 points), marking the Boilermakers’ best conference finish since 1992, and their most points since points 89 in 2004 … the Boilermakers finished sixth in 2021 (76.0 points), marking the first time Purdue finished in the top-six in back-to-back seasons since placing fifth in 1991 and 1992.
 
• Ersland’s squad has ranked in 22 straight NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll’s, dating to Nov. 12, 2019, and has received votes in 57 consecutive polls, every week since the final poll of the 2016-17 season … the Boilermakers have climbed as high as No. 13 in the nation during the streak, earning the votes in three straight weeks in 2018-19, and again in back-to-back weeks during the 2019-20 campaign … Purdue finished the 2019-20 season ranked 15th in the country, the best final ranking for an Ersland-coached team and the top end-of-season mark for the Boilermakers since 2012-13 (No. 14).
 
• The Boilermakers were tabbed 18th in the 2018-19 preseason poll, the highest preseason ranking since 1991-92 … during the season, the Purdue wrestling team climbed as high as No. 13 in Theraworx NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll, the program’s highest ranking in nearly 10 years … the last time Purdue was ranked 13th or higher was Feb. 17, 1999, where the Boilermakers checked in at No. 13.
 
• In 2019-20, Purdue had as many as eight nationally ranked wrestlers at one time, the first time on record in program history, with nine wrestlers earning a national rank at some point during the season … the team repeated the feat in 2020-21, earning nods in eight weight classes simultaneously, and nine different weight classes at some point during the year.
 
• Seventy-two Academic All-Big Ten Conference honors have been earned by 34 Boilermaker wrestlers … has twice broken program highs in number of honorees, first with 10 in 2015-16 and then 13 in 2018-19 and 2019-20.
 
• The 2018-19 squad was ranked 18th on the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s Top-30 Scholar All-American Teams list … it was the first time since 2013 Purdue made the list and was the second highest ranked team among six Big Ten Conference programs among the top 30 … the team repeated its top-30 showing in 2019-20, ranking 28th, and was again 1-of-2 Big Ten teams.
 
• Five Boilermakers were named NWCA Division I Scholar All-American Award winners in 2018-19, setting a new standard for Purdue wrestling … Ben Thornton earned his third NWCA Division I Scholar All-American Award … Max Lyon joined the three-time honoree club in 2021, becoming the sixth in program history … during Ersland’s tenure, nine Boilermakers have been named NWCA Division I Scholar All-American Award winners a combined 15 times.
 
• Three of Ersland’s wrestlers have received the Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarship, a $7,500 scholarship to be used towards graduate degree education: Andrew Hoselton (2016), Ben Thornton (2019) and Dylan Lydy (2020).
 
• Coached Kendric Maple to the 2017 U.S. Open Men’s Freestyle National Championships title at 61 kg … coached Griffin Parriott to the 2017 UWW Junior Freestyle National Championships title at 70 kg.
 
• Put two Boilermakers on the top of the podium at the 2019 Ken Kraft Midlands Championships, marking the first time in program history as Dylan Lydy won the 174-pound championship and Christian Brunner earned the 197-pound crown … coached 2015 Midlands 165-pound title winner Chad Welch to give Purdue its first Midlands champ since 1963 … coached the first two-time Big Ten Wrestler of the Week in Purdue history in Danny Sabatello (2014-15).
 
• At the 2017 Ken Kraft Midlands Championships a program-record seven wrestlers placed, crushing the previous high of four from 2008, 2006 and 1990 … as a team, the Boilermakers totaled 84 points to place seventh … the 84 points are the most they have ever scored at Midlands, topping 2008’s performance of 82.5 points … they combined to score 367 total match points, which was the fifth most among all teams.
 
• Matched the program’s best team finish at the 2019 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, placing fifth with 92.5 points, the most ever for the Boilermakers since they began attending the tournament in 2002 … had three individuals advance to the finals as Dylan Lydy won the 174-pound championship, while Devin Schroder and Christian Brunner were runner-up at 125 and 197, respectively … had five individuals place, matching the program’s best mark set in 2004.
 
• In 2015, Tony Ersland was one of nine head coaches that were in their first season as a Division I head coach and one of 13 coaches that were in their first year at the helm of their respective program … his eight NCAA qualifiers were the most among both groups … he was also the only coach among both groups to have his team in the final USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll.

COMMENTS DISABLED BY SITE.

YOU MAY, HOWEVER, COMMENT THROUGH FACEBOOK.

INTERVIEW WITH BREWTON PARKER COLLEGE’S COACH DEVANE DODGENS

Director of the Mens and Womens wrestling teams for Brewton Parker College, Coach Devane Dodgens is a young coach building a solid team with a system and methodology built on a strong foundation of learning from some of the best coaches in the sport and experience. He comes to us with coaching experience from 3 top 10 NAIA programs and is building a strong program in BPC. We are excited to have him over. Our interview with him is below.

After a competitive career with being a 2x AA you jumped right into the coaching, can you give us a breakdown of your experience after graduating and the lead up to BPC Director.

Coach D – My experience jumping straight into coaching was a fantastic one and set me up to be a great coach. I got to work under 3 college head coaches and did my time before taking a head coaching job. I worked under Jeff Bedard who is the Reinhardt men’s head coach ( they are 4x conference champs and qualified all 12 wrestlers to the national tournament the last 2 years, along with finishing in the top 15 of NAIA. Coach B taught me a lot about being confident in what I was teaching and getting to know the people that you are coaching better. Next, I got to learn under Jameel Bryant who is the head coach at Lindsey Wilson College. They are also a top 10 NAIA program and before Jameel got there he had help coach SEU to their best finish at nationals with 2 national champs. I learned that you can be fun and work hard at the same time under Bryant. I also learned everything about hand fighting and head outsides shots from him. Then I got to coach under the great Omi Acosta. (NAIA national champs and was voted coach of the year recently, funny side note I was his first All-American when I was actually good at wrestling !) Coach O reached you how to motivate someone to literally run through walls for you. He believes in setting the right structure and organization. The #LUCHA lifestyle isn’t just a phase, it’s a lifestyle and Omi truly believes in living it and passing it along to everyone he works with. Lastly, Nate Ethridge was someone I got to train and work under. I was a 2x state champ for him in high school. A lot like Coach Omi coach Ethridge cares more about just being a wrestler. He wants whoever he works with to be accountable and to grow in their personal lives.  The amount of time and technique he puts into each and every person he works with motivates me daily to continue to do better and do more.  taking my time and learning under these guys before I went to be a head coach is something I wouldn’t trade for the world.

Now going into what is I believe your 3rd year at BPC and 1st year as Director of both the mens at the women’s programs, what can you tell us about what to expect for the coming years?

Coach D – Our guys team is in great hands under Coach Kenny Mason and I fully am expecting them back in the top 20 this year in terms of wrestling. I also am expecting them to compete in the duals and finish in the top 6. I think with the young guys we have it is very doable. From there I would like coach Kenny to keep building and instilling the culture that he thinks is necessary. I expect us in the top 10 by 2022-2023 in terms of grades and wrestling. I expect us to be one of the three great college men’s teams in Georgia. i.e Us, Reinhardt, and Life !!

And for our Ladies program, the time to use the “we are a young team” as an excuse is over. I expect 3/4 of my team to be academic all Americans and I fully expect us to finish in the top 10 this year. We have all the tools here with coach Cruz, Emily, and Jonchuck working closely with both programs so there are no excuses. My hope is to place ladies at UWW, U23, and have some national champs/ all Americans this year. We already got off to a good start but we need to do better and keep growing on and off the mat. My hope is to build a dynasty where young ladies from all over (especially Florida) can come and get an education all the while competing with the nation’s best and growing as people.

Along with coaching are you also looking for a run on the senior circuit?

Coach D – I am actually even if it’s just competing. The biggest drawback that coaches like coach Sword from life have is that they have competed in the main event. That experience alone is so useful in coaching and I just have not been able to get that yet. But I do have plans to make a run when the circuit restarts at the end of this year.

We are looking forward to having you over, what can you tell us about what you have lined up for us October 10th?


Coach D – I have our men’s coach coming down along with some of the ladies and men.  We plan on showing a different viewpoint on hand fighting, drills, and of course getting live wrestling in. We are basically going to try to take these young men and women through a college-level warm-up, drill, and get some matches in, so they know what they are expecting when they get to the next level.

‍‍Coach, where can student athletes who are interested in Brewton Parker being their next step reach you guys or get more info?

Women’s Head Coach and Wrestling Director

Devane Dodgens
231-580-6458
ddodgens@bpc.edu

Men’s Head Coach

Kenny Mason
229-300-7608
kmason1@bpc.edu

BPC recruit me
Women | Brewton-Parker College (Georgia) Athletics (bpcathletics.com)

BPC visitation- If times or dates don’t work please reach out to coaches
BPC Visit Page

COMMENTS DISABLED BY SITE.

YOU MAY, HOWEVER, COMMENT THROUGH FACEBOOK.

COACH SPOTLIGHT: LEHIGH UNIVERSITY’S PAT SANTORO

He played an integral role in the renaissance of the Lehigh wrestling program in the late 1990s. In his first year back, he led the Mountain Hawks to a school-record 23 dual wins, a second place EIWA finish, and was named EIWA Coach of the Year. In his 10th season, Bethlehem native Pat Santoro led the Mountain Hawks to the top of the EIWA, winning the program’s first EIWA title since 2006 and 35th overall. That accomplishment, plus a 12-3 dual season that resulted in a No. 8 final dual meet ranking, led to Santoro to earn NWCA National Coach of the Year honors. Santoro enters his 14th season looking to maintain Lehigh’s perch at the top of the EIWA, while molding the Mountain Hawks into a perennial top ten team and national championship contender. Santoro was hired in April, 2008 as just the eighth head coach in program history. He holds the title as the Lawrence White Head Coach of Wrestling at Lehigh.
A six-time EIWA Coach of the Year, Santoro has mentored two NCAA Champions at Lehigh, the second of which, Darian Cruz won the 125-pound title in 2017. He has led 20 individuals to a total of 31 EIWA titles, while guiding 17 men to 31 total All-American honors. Santoro finished the 2020-21 season with a dual meet record of 159-60-1 at Lehigh.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020-21 was the most unusual of seasons. Santoro guided the Mountain Hawks through several preseason training starts and stoppages. COVID related cancellations shorted an already abbreviated season to seven duals, but the Mountain Hawks performed at their best at the end of February. Lehigh pulled away from the field to win its fourth consecutive EIWA team championship at Spooky Nook Sports Complex in Manheim, Pa. The Mountain Hawks crowned four individual champions, including heavyweight Jordan Wood who became a four-time EIWA champion, and qualified all 10 entrants for the NCAA Championships. For his efforts, Santoro captured his sixth EIWA Coach of the Year award.
Santoro led Lehigh to its third straight EIWA team title in 2019-20, capping a strong 12-3 dual meet season that saw Santoro reach a pair of personal milestones. Lehigh’s 19-14 victory at Cornell on Jan. 11 was Santoro’s 150th as the Mountain Hawks’ head coach. A week later, Lehigh defeated Navy 23-9 for the 200th head coaching victory of Santoro’s career.
The 2019-20 season saw Lehigh defeat a pair of top five opponents in duals, as the Mountain Hawks opened the dual season with a criteria win over No. 4 Oklahoma State and closed it with a victory over No. 5 Arizona State.
A tight battle was expected at the EIWA Championships at Stabler Arena, but the Mountain Hawks rose to the challenge. Lehigh had nine place winners, five finalists and three champions on the way to its third straight team title. All three individual champions were repeat titlists, as Jordan Kutler and Jordan Wood won their third consecutive conference titles and Josh Humphreys won his second straight. For his efforts, Santoro was named EIWA Coach of the Year for the fifth time.
Despite the cancellation of the NCAA Tournament in Minnesota, five Mountain Hawks were recognized as All-Americans by the NWCA: conference champions Humphreys, Kutler and Wood plus juniors Brandon Paetzell and Chris Weiler.
For the 2018-19 Mountain Hawks, it was a matter not of how they started, but how they finished. A rash of early-season injuries and a challenging schedule led to an 0-7 dual start, but the Mountain Hawks rebounded winning nine of their last 11 duals. Lehigh knocked-off EIWA rival Cornell during the dual season and then beat the Big Red again at the EIWA Championships to secure the program’s second straight EIWA team title and 36th overall.
Junior Jordan Kutler and sophomore Jordan Wood won their second consecutive EIWA titles, while freshman Josh Humphreys also won an individual championship. The Mountain Hawks qualified eight wrestlers for the NCAA Championships in Pittsburgh and continued their strong finish to the season, crowning three All-Americans, while having two others fall just one win short of All-America status as part of a 13th place finish. Kutler earned his second straight podium finish while Wood and senior Ryan Preisch earned All-America honors for the first time.
The Mountain Hawks also achieved off the mat, with Lehigh ranking 15th among Division I wrestling programs in terms of GPA of their postseason starting lineup and six of Lehigh’s NCAA qualifiers were named to the NWCA All-Academic Team.
Santoro led Lehigh to its 35th EIWA team title and first since 2006 with an impressive 164.5 point performance in 2018. The Mountain Hawks crowned five individual EIWA champions and had all 10 wrestlers earn berths for the NCAA Championships. After leading Lehigh to its first league title in 12 seasons, Santoro was named EIWA Coach of the Year for the fourth time. He also led Lehigh to a top 10 dual meet finish as the Mountain Hawks posted a 12-3 dual record that included a convincing win over then-No. 4 Michigan while also pushing No. 1 Penn State to the bring in a 23-19 loss in front of a Lehigh home dual record crowd of 9,896 at PPL Center in Allentown.
Prior to the NCAA Tournament, Santoro was named NWCA National Coach of the Year, for Lehigh’s performance during the dual season and EIWA Tournament. At the national tournament, Santoro’s Lehigh team produced three All-Americans, with Darian Cruz becoming a three-time All-American, Scott Parker earning his second medal and Jordan Kutler reaching the podium for the first time. Three other Lehigh wrestlers finished one win short of All-America honors.
Darian Cruz’s national title capped a successful campaign for the Mountain Hawks in 2016-17. Lehigh went 10-4 in duals and finished third at the Southern Scuffle during the regular season. The Mountain Hawks competed in the NWCA National Duals Championship Series for the second consecutive season, avenging a loss to Rutgers a year prior with a 23-10 win inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Darian Cruz and Scott Parker won individual EIWA titles at the first two weights and both wrestlers went on to earn All-America honors, with Parker finishing eighth at 133 in addition to Cruz’s national title. Three other wrestlers fell just short of All-America honors as Lehigh finished 12th at the NCAA Championships. Seven Mountain Hawks qualified for the NCAA Championships with all seven winning at least one match.
Santoro earned his third EIWA Coach of the Year award in 2015-16. He led the Mountain Hawks to a 13-3 dual record that included Lehigh’s first win over rival Cornell since 2011. Lehigh went 7-0 against EIWA opponents and represented the conference in the NWCA National Duals Championship Series. The Mountain Hawks finished second at the EIWA Championships with lineup bookends Darian Cruz and Max Wessell winning their first career titles. All 10 Mountain Hawks placed at the EIWA Tournament while nine wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Championships.
Lehigh crowned three All-Americans at the NCAA Championships for the third straight year with Wessell and Randy Cruz earning their first career All-America medals, while Nathaniel Brown became a two-time All-American. The Mountain Hawks finished 14th as a team at Madison Square Garden.
In 2014-15, Santoro earned his 100th victory as Lehigh’s head coach when the Mountain Hawks upset eventual NCAA Champion Ohio State in the quarterfinals of the NWCA National Duals. The win over Ohio State was one of the highlights of a season that saw the Mountain Hawks go 14-6 in duals.
Lehigh’s lineup featured just two seniors but a strong core of sophomores and juniors continued to impress. Randy Cruz won his second EIWA title to help lead Lehigh to a second place conference finish. Nathaniel Brown reached the NCAA finals at 184 while Mason Beckman and Mitch Minotti earned All-America honors for the second straight year. As a team the Mountain Hawks finished 13th at the NCAA Championships.
Santoro led the 2013-14 Lehigh squad through the ups and downs that come with a young roster.
The Mountain Hawks’ regular lineup featured just one senior and no juniors but a young talented group managed to win ten duals. Lehigh enjoyed a strong EIWA tournament, with Mason Beckman winning an individual title to lead the Mountain Hawks to a second place finish. The young Mountain Hawks soared at the NCAA Championships with freshmen Darian Cruz and Mitch Minotti joining Beckman in earning All-America honors, giving Lehigh at least three All-Americans for the third time in four years. Cruz and Minotti were Lehigh’s first freshmen All-Americans since 2003 with Cruz also becoming Lehigh’s first true freshman All-American in 34 years.
In 2012-13, Santoro worked with a young team that battled through injuries and a string of bad luck and helped guide the Mountain Hawks to ten dual meet wins. Three individuals won individual EIWA titles including Randy Cruz, who became Lehigh’s first true freshman EIWA champion since 1980. Under Santoro’s guidance Robert Hamlin became Lehigh’s 16th three-time All-American and reached the NCAA finals for the second time in his career.
Under Santoro’s direction, Lehigh continued to make strides in 2011-12. The Mountain Hawks finished eighth at the NCAA Championships for the second straight year and once again had two finalists in Zack Rey and Brandon Hatchett. Lehigh crowned four All-Americans, its most since having five in 2004. At the EIWA Championships, Santoro guided the Mountain Hawks within a mere 2.5 points of the team title. Hamlin won his second straight EIWA title, while Hatchett won his first. Shane Welsh was the surprise of the tournament, capturing the title at 149 from the No. 6 seed. Lehigh’s three championships were its most since 2006. For his efforts, Santoro was voted EIWA Coach of the Year for the second time.
Santoro’s third season in Bethlehem proved to be his best to date on the national level. Lehigh returned to the top ten at the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2006 with an eighth place finish. The Mountain Hawks crowned three All-Americans for the first time in five years and placed two wrestlers in the NCAA finals for the first time since 2003. Rey became Santoro’s first national champion and the 27th in Lehigh history with his triumph in Philadelphia. Lehigh enjoyed another strong dual meet season, going 15-6 and finishing eighth in the national rankings. The Mountain Hawks took second at the EIWA Championships with Hamlin winning an individual title, a precursor to his second place NCAA finish.
In 2009-10, Santoro guided the Mountain Hawks to a 16-3-1 dual record and a top-ten national dual meet ranking for most of the season. Lehigh had a record six place-winners at the Midlands Championships and reached the finals at the Virginia Duals for the second straight season. In March, Santoro guided Rey to an EIWA title and All-America honors with a third place finish at the NCAA Championships, the program’s first All-American in four years.
Santoro produced an immediate turnaround in his first season back in Bethlehem. The Mountain Hawks won their first 15 duals to start the season, including victories over the likes of Maryland, Michigan, Penn State and Lehigh’s first-ever dual win over Oklahoma State. The team’s 23-1 dual mark surpassed the school record for dual wins in a season. Santoro guided Seth Ciasulli and David Craig to individual EIWA Championships, while the Mountain Hawks finished second in the conference and qualified seven wrestlers for the NCAA Championships.
Before returning to Lehigh, Santoro spent the previous five years as the head coach at the University of Maryland where he helped resurrect the Terrapins program, which in 2008 captured its first ACC title in 35 years; a feat which earned Santoro ACC Coach of the Year honors. That year, the Terps went 16-4 and entered the national rankings for the first time since 1993, climbing as high as No. 21. Under Santoro’s guidance, Maryland crowned its first All-American since 1997 en route to a top-25 team finish at the NCAA Championships. Santoro posted a 48-41-1 record in five seasons at College Park, including an impressive 33-9 dual mark his last two seasons.
Prior to his stint at Maryland Santoro served as an assistant at Lehigh for nine years, including eight seasons as the top assistant on Greg Strobel’s staff. During his initial tenure, Santoro was part of some of the most successful teams in school history. In 2003, Santoro was named the national Assistant Coach of the Year by the National Wrestling Coaches Association, after helping guide the Brown and White to its third EIWA title in four years, and a fourth place finish at the NCAA Championships, at the time the program’s best finish in 24 years.
Before coming to Lehigh, Santoro spent the 1993-94 season as an assistant coach at Duquesne and the two seasons prior to that as a graduate assistant at Penn State.
Regarded throughout the community as one of the sport’s top teachers and recruiters, Santoro has enjoyed success at every level of wrestling, both as a coach and a competitor. After wrestling for Bethlehem Catholic High School and taking a post-graduate year at Blair Academy, Santoro wrestled collegiately at the University of Pittsburgh, where he became the Panthers’ only four-time All-America while capturing national titles in 1988 and 1989 at 142 pounds. A three-time Eastern Wrestling League Champion, he was the recipient of Pittsburgh’s Golden Panther Award in 1989, recognizing the outstanding athlete of the year.
On the international scene, Santoro enjoyed a stellar career which spanned nearly a decade. He was a four time member of the U.S. National Team between 1995 and 1999 and served as an alternate for the 1996 Olympic Team and the 1999 World Team. Santoro placed fourth at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials, third at the 1992 Olympic Trials and was runner-up in the 1992 U.S. Open Freestyle Championships.
Santoro earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Pittsburgh in 1992. In addition to his Bethlehem roots and previous coaching stint at Lehigh, Santoro’s father, uncle and brother all wrestled for the Brown and White.
Santoro and his wife Julie have a daughter, Leah and a son, Mack.

Career Milestones
2021……. Led Lehigh to fourth straight EIWA title
…………… Named EIWA Coach of the Year for the sixth time
2020……. Named EIWA Coach of the Year for the fifth time
…………… Led Lehigh to third consecutive EIWA title
2019……. Led Lehigh to back-to-back EIWA team titles
2018……. Guided Lehigh to first EIWA title in 12 years
…………… EIWA Coach of the Year
…………… NWCA National Coach of the Year
2017……. Coached second NCAA Champion (Darian Cruz)
2016……. EIWA Coach of the Year
2012……. EIWA Coach of the Year
2011……. Coached first NCAA Champion (Zack Rey)
2009……. EIWA Coach of the Year
…………… Led Lehigh to school single-season record 23 dual wins
2008……. ACC Coach of the Year
…………… Guided Maryland to first ACC title in 35 years
2007……. Led Maryland to school record-tying 17 dual wins
2003……. NWCA National Assistant Coach of the Year
1995-03… Coached four EIWA Championship teams and four
…………… NCAA top ten teams as Lehigh assistant coach
1993-94… Duquesne assistant coach
1991-93… Penn State assistant coach
COMMENTS DISABLED BY SITE.

YOU MAY, HOWEVER, COMMENT THROUGH FACEBOOK.

NEW STANFORD COACH KOLL ADDS ASSISTANT COACHES FRANCOIS AND JOSEPH

By Daniel Sonninshine

New Stanford University head coach Rob Koll has added two assistant coaches to his staff. Dr. Enock Francois and Vincent Joseph will join him as part of the new leadership for the recently-revived Stanford wrestling program.

Francois has served as the Buffalo Stempeders Wrestling Club Director, based out of The Villages Charter School in Florida, where he also serves as associate head wrestling coach. Francois maintained an excellent wrestling career,  as described on the Stanford University website:

“Dr. Francois was a member of the U.S. Senior National Greco Team in 2017 and a Senior Nationals placewinner in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. He spent time with Koll while training fulltime with the Cornell wrestling program from 2014-18 within the regional training center, and served as a coach with the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club (FLWC). A 2016 Olympic Trials U.S. qualifier, he placed fourth at the 2015 USA Wrestling World Team Trials challenge tournament. In 2020, Dr. Francois was the Pan Am Games Ju-Jitsu Blue Belt Masters 1 champion and placed second at the Ju-Jitsu Blue Belt Masters 1 World Championships.”

In addition to his accomplishments in wrestling, Francois is also a dedicated educator, having earned a Ph.D. in education leadership from University of Cumberlands, Williamsburg, Kentucky. Besides coaching at The Villages Charter School, he has also served as the Special Services Coordinator for the past three years.  

Joseph also brings talent and wrestling accolades to the Stanford coaching staff. The Pittsburgh native is a 2020 graduate of Penn State. As described on Stanford’s website, “A three-time NCAA All-American, Joseph won the 165-pound national title as a freshman (2017) and sophomore (2018) before falling in the finals as a junior (2019). His senior year was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent cancellation of the 2020 NCAA Championships. He finished his illustrious career with the Nittany Lions with an 89-9 overall record, including 25 falls.” 

With these additions to the coaching staff, the future of Stanford wrestling is looking both promising and exciting. 

COMMENTS DISABLED BY SITE.

YOU MAY, HOWEVER, COMMENT THROUGH FACEBOOK.