National Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductees:
This week on the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan have plenty to talk about. Spanning from new inductees to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, to the first matches of the collegiate season. Ben and Matt also discuss the new rules added to the NCAA handbook. The pair begins by discussing Rich Lorenzo. Rich is a mentor to Matt and a new inductee to the NWHOF.
Lorenzo is considered the “Godfather” of Penn State wrestling. He was head coach of Penn State for 15 years. He was largely responsible for Penn State’s return to the collegiate elite. Lorenzo also had a large hand in introducing athletic, academic, and post collegiate preparation to the Penn State wrestling program. Because of this, Rich Lorenzo promoted a well-rounded athlete.
This is something Ben and Matt are glad to see becoming largely common in college athletics. In the past, much of the focus has only been on winning national championships. This left many athletes stranded after graduation. Lorenzo continued to better the sport even after leaving Penn State. He eventually became the Executive Director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association.
All-Star Classic:
Ben Askren transitions the conversation to the NWCA All-Star Classic. The tournament seems to have dramatically dropped in popularity over recent years. Including 5 men’s matches becuase of them were between top ranked wrestlers. Its low popularity, and even lower attendance by notable wrestlers, sparks debate
New Season New Rules:
Finally, discussions on the NWCA All-Star Classic turn to other matches from the first week of the 2018 collegiate season. First up, the 157 lb. final at the Michigan State Open. Between, University of Michigan, freshman Will Lewan and senior Alec Pantaleo. The focus shifts to the NCAA’s newly added hands to the face rule. Next, the pair goes on a lengthy discussion about the impracticality of the NCAA rules they see as fundamentally flawed. As a result, both agree the NCAA wrestling rule needs tweaking.
Lastly, Ben and Matt break down the performance of Lewan and his upset over Pantaleo. This might affect the Michigan lineup in the future and how other teams are dealing with their own lineup changes.
Show Timestamps
- 0:00 – New Inductees to the NWHOF
- 2:00 – Rich Lorenzo
- 6:20 – All-Star Classic
- 23:20 – Initial thoughts on the 2018 Season
- 24:50 – NCAA Hands to the Face and Other Flawed Regulations
- 38:55 – Transition Back to Week One of Wrestling
Where to find the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast
The RUDIS Wrestling Podcast is hosted Ben Askren and Matt Dernlan. Ben Askren, World Champion and Olympic wrestler, joins RUDIS from the T-Row & Funky Show in an official partnership as a content provider for all things RUDIS. Matt Dernlan joins from a D1 college coaching background with family roots grounded in Ohio wrestling with a collective 10 state titles on the shelf.