Waynesburg HS wrestlers commit to Ohio State and Va Tech

[aacoach61]

Waynesburg High School is only 25 miles from Morgantown. We have to start successfully recruiting these WPIAL wrestlers if we ever hope to compete at the NCAA tournament.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; October 22, 2021
Waynesburg wrestlers commit

Rocco Welsh announced his college commitment last Wednesday. A day later, Mac Church did the same. The juniors are teammates at Waynesburg High School, and while they won’t be teaming up again in college, both are headed to big-time programs.

Welsh verbally committed to Ohio State and Church to Virginia Tech. The two helped Waynesburg win WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A team titles last season. Church was the PIAA champion in the 120-pound weight class, while Welsh was the runner-up at 152 pounds. Through two seasons, Church has an overall record of 78-8 and Welsh is 70-16. Welsh is a two-time PIAA runner-up.

[Bearhugger]

Waynesburg High School is only 25 miles from Morgantown. We have to start successfully recruiting these WPIAL wrestlers if we ever hope to compete at the NCAA tournament.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; October 22, 2021
Waynesburg wrestlers commit

Rocco Welsh announced his college commitment last Wednesday. A day later, Mac Church did the same. The juniors are teammates at Waynesburg High School, and while they won’t be teaming up again in college, both are headed to big-time programs.

Welsh verbally committed to Ohio State and Church to Virginia Tech. The two helped Waynesburg win WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A team titles last season. Church was the PIAA champion in the 120-pound weight class, while Welsh was the runner-up at 152 pounds. Through two seasons, Church has an overall record of 78-8 and Welsh is 70-16. Welsh is a two-time PIAA runner-up.

We must ask ourselves what does WVU have to offer over Ohio State or Virginia Tech?

1. Winning tradition? No

2. All Americans every season? No

3. NCAA Champions in the past 5-10 years? No

4. A RTC filled with talent? No

5. A big name coach? No

To add insult to injury, it appears that nobody gets much better from one year to the next while at WVU.

[Letsgooo]

Plus money money money. tOSU is on a recruiting tear because NIL. While some schools won’t talk about potential nil opportunities with recruits. Obviously we’ll never compete with tOSU but we could/should be able to compete with vtech. Ever since Brands spent a little time in VTech they’ve been on the rise.

During our last coaching search someone on here said we should hire Ben Askren. At the time I wasnt sure. But damn I wish we would have lol. Could you imagine O’toole 157 and Hall 165 plus all the other guys in his club. They’re everywhere. Not sure if he would of even been interested but that would of been awesome.

[Matofficial]

When you guys talk about hiring coaches why is it you never mention Cary Kolat ? He went to Campbell and built a team that beat WVU and did well in the NCAAS. He is now at Navy who recently beat WVU and will build a powerful team. He wanted the WVU job and was never even interviewed. He grew up just over the Pa line.

[aacoach61]

When you guys talk about hiring coaches why is it you never mention Cary Kolat ….

If you word search “Kolat” on this site for time period when the coaching opening occurred in March/April 2018, at least 4 separate posters here named Cary Kolat as one of their top choices. But the only opinion that mattered was AD Shane Lyons.

[Jon Perkins]

Cary Kolat would have been a great choice and is a great choice for any program looking to hire a new coach. It is unfortunate for him and others that the AD didn't interview all interested candidates for the job. I will not speak of his hiring abilities because that is a job I would not ever want to do. The fact remains Tim Flynn is the head coach and no matter what your personal opinions of him are, he has proven he can lead a successful program and produce All Americans on a consistent basis.

Without attacking him I want to look into Bearhugger's post and add a new perspective. He says,
1. Winning Tradition? No....that is true
2. All Americans every season? No...that is also true however, they have produced an All American each of the last two seasons and should be knocking on the door to have another this season, and that is an improvement.
3. NCAA Champions in the last 5-10 years? No...that is true
4. A RTC filled with talent? No...that is true, it is hard to fill the RTC with talent when you don't have a winning tradition, consistently produce All Americans, and don't produce Champions.
5. A big name coach? No...To that I ask how big of a name do you want? Before answering that I would challenge you to take a look at the list of the top 20 teams, if you can't look at that list and name 15 head coaches (without a single google search) then you can't really say Tim Flynn is not a big name. Bearhugger, I am not implying you can not do this. My point is that is a big accusation and certain criteria must be met before making such a statement.

Now let's address the original question of, "We must ask ourselves what does WVU have to offer over Ohio State or Virginia Tech?"

There is definitely plenty of room in the lineup for a blue chip recruit to start without redshirting a year, given certain circumstances, and the wrestling facilities are top notch. You are going to be wrestling in the BIG 12, a power conference loaded with talent. And it is within a half day drive from home There is plenty of reasons for wrestlers to come to WVU and join the team. However, the main objective after all is education. When you think of WVU what is the first thing that comes to mind, Books or Beer? Right, it's the Beer. They are notorious for partying and the parents know this. I am sure there is a lot of parents that steer their sons away from WVU because of this fact. They want their son to get a good education and not start life off on the wrong foot. WVU does not offer any better of an education than Ohio State or Virginia Tech and has a much higher risk of not graduating, or even getting incarcerated. A quick google search told me that the graduation rate at OSU is 82%, the graduation rate at Va. Tech is 84%, and the graduation rate at WVU is a measly 58%. Now I don't know how true those numbers are but I honestly did find them and that might tell you why they aren't getting those top recruits, it may have more to do with education and not with the coach.

Again I am not trying to attack anyone, I think there have been a lot of good points made. I just want to offer another point of view.

[KDunbar]

Another thought is ... location, location, location! And Morgantown is not very high on that list. It's sad to say, but it's true. Was there about 50 years ago for 8 years at WVU and had 3 kids at WVU for a combined 22 yeas (some years overlapped) and it has not developed into a destination spot to say the least. Even sadder to say, my youngest opted for Pitt, just because of the education emphasis and atmosphere.

[Jon Perkins]

This was going to be my next point. Morgantown, WV is not exactly a resort destination. It is not even in the top 5 prettiest and scenic places in WV. Most everyone from WV likes WVU because they have passion for their home state and they have an emotional connection to the university. People from OH, PA, NY, etc. do not have that emotional connection and thus is going to take a certain kind of individual to make the commitment to go there.

The last year Coach Flynn was at Edinboro he had Sean Russell, Korbyn Myers, and Dakota Geer on his team. When he left for Morgantown all three of these gentlemen entered the transfer portal. The coaching staff tried recruiting them once again and not one of them came along. These guys all chose to wrestle for coach Flynn at Edinboro but not at WVU, I wonder why that is. I will not speculate because it could be one of a thousand reasons, but I think this points to the fact it is going to be hard to get top level recruits in Morgantown.

I do believe Bearhugger is correct in that in order to draw better recruits to Morgantown they need a BIG name associated with the program in some way. I believe the best way to do this is to hire someone to run the RTC. Someone like a Troy Steiner, Mike Zaddick, or my personal pick would be Tony Nelson. But to get a big name to Morgantown is going to take money and in order to do it, two things need to happen. The first is that Mylan Pharmaceuticals needs to get on board in some way and offer jobs to the athletes (Not the Students) or just be a very large donor. The second thing that needs to happen is that no matter what your personal opinion of the coaching staff is, the end goal is for the wrestling team to be competitive and we as fans need to get on board and do our part to make this happen by donating a little bit ourselves. A big name alone will not get the job done, it might make it easier to gain the support needed to make the program a success. In the end no matter who the coach or coaches are, support for the program is what makes it a success.

[Bearhugger]

This was going to be my next point. Morgantown, WV is not exactly a resort destination. It is not even in the top 5 prettiest and scenic places in WV. Most everyone from WV likes WVU because they have passion for their home state and they have an emotional connection to the university. People from OH, PA, NY, etc. do not have that emotional connection and thus is going to take a certain kind of individual to make the commitment to go there.

The last year Coach Flynn was at Edinboro he had Sean Russell, Korbyn Myers, and Dakota Geer on his team. When he left for Morgantown all three of these gentlemen entered the transfer portal. The coaching staff tried recruiting them once again and not one of them came along. These guys all chose to wrestle for coach Flynn at Edinboro but not at WVU, I wonder why that is. I will not speculate because it could be one of a thousand reasons, but I think this points to the fact it is going to be hard to get top level recruits in Morgantown.

I do believe Bearhugger is correct in that in order to draw better recruits to Morgantown they need a BIG name associated with the program in some way. I believe the best way to do this is to hire someone to run the RTC. Someone like a Troy Steiner, Mike Zaddick, or my personal pick would be Tony Nelson. But to get a big name to Morgantown is going to take money and in order to do it, two things need to happen. The first is that Mylan Pharmaceuticals needs to get on board in some way and offer jobs to the athletes (Not the Students) or just be a very large donor. The second thing that needs to happen is that no matter what your personal opinion of the coaching staff is, the end goal is for the wrestling team to be competitive and we as fans need to get on board and do our part to make this happen by donating a little bit ourselves. A big name alone will not get the job done, it might make it easier to gain the support needed to make the program a success. In the end no matter who the coach or coaches are, support for the program is what makes it a success.

Morgantown could implement a beer tax. All beer tax money could go toward the wrestling team. I figure within 2 weeks, WVU would be able to hire Dan Gable, Gable Steveson, Ric Flair and the Russian Tank.

[Bearhugger]

I see where VA Tech just took out two Big 12 teams in a triangular match.

[Bearhugger]

This was going to be my next point. Morgantown, WV is not exactly a resort destination. It is not even in the top 5 prettiest and scenic places in WV. Most everyone from WV likes WVU because they have passion for their home state and they have an emotional connection to the university. People from OH, PA, NY, etc. do not have that emotional connection and thus is going to take a certain kind of individual to make the commitment to go there.

The last year Coach Flynn was at Edinboro he had Sean Russell, Korbyn Myers, and Dakota Geer on his team. When he left for Morgantown all three of these gentlemen entered the transfer portal. The coaching staff tried recruiting them once again and not one of them came along. These guys all chose to wrestle for coach Flynn at Edinboro but not at WVU, I wonder why that is. I will not speculate because it could be one of a thousand reasons, but I think this points to the fact it is going to be hard to get top level recruits in Morgantown.

I do believe Bearhugger is correct in that in order to draw better recruits to Morgantown they need a BIG name associated with the program in some way. I believe the best way to do this is to hire someone to run the RTC. Someone like a Troy Steiner, Mike Zaddick, or my personal pick would be Tony Nelson. But to get a big name to Morgantown is going to take money and in order to do it, two things need to happen. The first is that Mylan Pharmaceuticals needs to get on board in some way and offer jobs to the athletes (Not the Students) or just be a very large donor. The second thing that needs to happen is that no matter what your personal opinion of the coaching staff is, the end goal is for the wrestling team to be competitive and we as fans need to get on board and do our part to make this happen by donating a little bit ourselves. A big name alone will not get the job done, it might make it easier to gain the support needed to make the program a success. In the end no matter who the coach or coaches are, support for the program is what makes it a success.

How does Morgantown stack up against Athens, Ohio?

[KDunbar]

This was going to be my next point. Morgantown, WV is not exactly a resort destination. It is not even in the top 5 prettiest and scenic places in WV. Most everyone from WV likes WVU because they have passion for their home state and they have an emotional connection to the university. People from OH, PA, NY, etc. do not have that emotional connection and thus is going to take a certain kind of individual to make the commitment to go there.

The last year Coach Flynn was at Edinboro he had Sean Russell, Korbyn Myers, and Dakota Geer on his team. When he left for Morgantown all three of these gentlemen entered the transfer portal. The coaching staff tried recruiting them once again and not one of them came along. These guys all chose to wrestle for coach Flynn at Edinboro but not at WVU, I wonder why that is. I will not speculate because it could be one of a thousand reasons, but I think this points to the fact it is going to be hard to get top level recruits in Morgantown.

I do believe Bearhugger is correct in that in order to draw better recruits to Morgantown they need a BIG name associated with the program in some way. I believe the best way to do this is to hire someone to run the RTC. Someone like a Troy Steiner, Mike Zaddick, or my personal pick would be Tony Nelson. But to get a big name to Morgantown is going to take money and in order to do it, two things need to happen. The first is that Mylan Pharmaceuticals needs to get on board in some way and offer jobs to the athletes (Not the Students) or just be a very large donor. The second thing that needs to happen is that no matter what your personal opinion of the coaching staff is, the end goal is for the wrestling team to be competitive and we as fans need to get on board and do our part to make this happen by donating a little bit ourselves. A big name alone will not get the job done, it might make it easier to gain the support needed to make the program a success. In the end no matter who the coach or coaches are, support for the program is what makes it a success.

How does Morgantown stack up against Athens, Ohio?

Not well it would seem!

[aacoach61]

Morgantown as a city is 10X better than it was even 20 years ago. We expect our football coach to recruit 85 quality scholarship athletes here. Morgantown is near two major interstate highways and only 90 miles from a major international airport. Building a top program surely can be accomplished in wrestling given our proximity to the WPIAL. Wrestling is an indoor, cold weather sport.

On page 21 of my recent November 26 WIN Magazine it listed the top 30 “early recruiting” school rankings. WVU was not among the top 30, and below such wrestling powerhouses and garden spots as Little Rock, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Rutgers, North Dakota State and Cal Baptist. That bodes poorly for the future.

[mscoach57]

The last year Coach Flynn was at Edinboro he had Sean Russell, Korbyn Myers, and Dakota Geer on his team. When he left for Morgantown all three of these gentlemen entered the transfer portal. The coaching staff tried recruiting them once again and not one of them came along. These guys all chose to wrestle for coach Flynn at Edinboro but not at WVU, I wonder why that is.
Like Adams, Luke Martin, and several others it sounds to me like you might be onto something, maybe the edinboro wrestlers you named were looking to get away from Flynn?


I do believe Bearhugger is correct in that in order to draw better recruits to Morgantown they need a BIG name associated with the program in some way. I believe the best way to do this is to hire someone to run the RTC. Someone like a Troy Steiner, Mike Zaddick, or my personal pick would be Tony Nelson. But to get a big name to Morgantown is going to take money and in order to do it, two things need to happen. The first is that Mylan Pharmaceuticals needs to get on board in some way and offer jobs to the athletes (Not the Students) or just be a very large donor.

The same Mylan that just had massive layoffs and is closing/closed?


The second thing that needs to happen is that no matter what your personal opinion of the coaching staff is, the end goal is for the wrestling team to be competitive and we as fans need to get on board and do our part to make this happen by donating a little bit ourselves. A big name alone will not get the job done, it might make it easier to gain the support needed to make the program a success. In the end no matter who the coach or coaches are, support for the program is what makes it a success.

Novel idea to donate money. Many of us have been doing that long before you started following WVU. I can’t speak for others but I bet ya many who give regularly are ready to quit giving. Contrary to what you have been saying it does not appear the program is going in the right direction and this coaching staff continues to let talent leave the state.

[Bearhugger]

This was going to be my next point. Morgantown, WV is not exactly a resort destination. It is not even in the top 5 prettiest and scenic places in WV. Most everyone from WV likes WVU because they have passion for their home state and they have an emotional connection to the university. People from OH, PA, NY, etc. do not have that emotional connection and thus is going to take a certain kind of individual to make the commitment to go there.

The last year Coach Flynn was at Edinboro he had Sean Russell, Korbyn Myers, and Dakota Geer on his team. When he left for Morgantown all three of these gentlemen entered the transfer portal. The coaching staff tried recruiting them once again and not one of them came along. These guys all chose to wrestle for coach Flynn at Edinboro but not at WVU, I wonder why that is. I will not speculate because it could be one of a thousand reasons, but I think this points to the fact it is going to be hard to get top level recruits in Morgantown.

I do believe Bearhugger is correct in that in order to draw better recruits to Morgantown they need a BIG name associated with the program in some way. I believe the best way to do this is to hire someone to run the RTC. Someone like a Troy Steiner, Mike Zaddick, or my personal pick would be Tony Nelson. But to get a big name to Morgantown is going to take money and in order to do it, two things need to happen. The first is that Mylan Pharmaceuticals needs to get on board in some way and offer jobs to the athletes (Not the Students) or just be a very large donor. The second thing that needs to happen is that no matter what your personal opinion of the coaching staff is, the end goal is for the wrestling team to be competitive and we as fans need to get on board and do our part to make this happen by donating a little bit ourselves. A big name alone will not get the job done, it might make it easier to gain the support needed to make the program a success. In the end no matter who the coach or coaches are, support for the program is what makes it a success.

I am sure many people already know this. I am simply providing these details for all readers.

Korbin Myers-Hometown: Carlisle, PA. Transferred to Virginia Tech.

Dakota Geer-Hometown: Franklin, PA. Transferred to Oklahoma State.

Sean Russell. Home town: Lawrenceville, GA. Transferred to Minnesota.

Today, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State and Minnesota are better wrestling schools than Edinboro or WVU. We could blame WVU's shortcomings as the reason why these three wrestlers didn't come to WVU.

Is it possible that the reason why Myers and Geer went to Edinboro is because they were a couple of PA boys that wanted to go to a PA school?

Perhaps these three schools just happened to have available scholarship funding available to grab these guys where WVU didn't? I am trying to be fair here.

Did any of Edinboro's wrestlers follow Flynn to WVU? I am not aware of any. I am sure the majority chose to stay because they were settled in at Edinboro.

Sean Russell is an interesting one. There are no D1 schools in Georgia that provide wrestling. He had to leave the state if he wanted to go D1. Furthermore, he has a brother that wrestled for App State and a father that wrestled for Gardner Webb. With a family filled with college wrestlers, Russell was a high probability and low risk recruit.

One other thing we should wonder about is Edinboro had Bruce Baumgartner as the wrestling coach, then the athletic director. Now he has a title that I do not feel like typing.

What did/does Bruce bring to Edinboro? He is a big name. Also, having a former wrestler as an AD is a positive.

I see where WVU's current AD "was a standout basketball player for the Big Reds."

WVU took on Ohio today with a crew composed of 50% WV wrestlers and 50% "from parts outside of WV". One WV wrestler won and one PA wrestler one. 50% of the wins were from WV and 50% "from parts outside of WV". This math tells me that success is not necessarily driven by a wrestler's home state.

The coaches and the strength coach need to mold the clay.

[Jon Perkins]

mscoach57, you seem nice. I am still up in the air as to who you dislike more, coach Flynn or someone with a different opinion than you.

In regards to your response to my post you say, "Like Adams, Luke Martin, and several others it sounds to me like you might be onto something, maybe the edinboro wrestlers you named were looking to get away from Flynn?" That is pure speculation and it is my opinion that until you have a conversation with any or all of these individuals you should not speculate just to smear someone's name. That is not even remotely polite.

You also responded by saying, "The same Mylan that just had massive layoffs and is closing/closed?" I'm sorry, I did not know they were closing down, I guess I assumed that since they were such a large company that business was doing ok. I should have researched that a little more before I posted it. (See what happens when you assume something and speculate, you get stuff wrong and look foolish)

Finally you say, "Novel idea to donate money. Many of us have been doing that long before you started following WVU. I can’t speak for others but I bet ya many who give regularly are ready to quit giving. Contrary to what you have been saying it does not appear the program is going in the right direction and this coaching staff continues to let talent leave the state." Lots to unpack here so lets go slow. If you can think of another way of helping any program move forward I am all ears. I hardly think that any coaching staff wants any of us showing up to practice to go over the finer points of a switch and the cowboy. If you feel as if it is a waste of money and that your contributions are being wasted then quit donating and stop complaining. I am sure the coaches are not letting all of the in state talent just simply leave without trying to get them in the program. It is a two way street, the athletes have a say so too and there should be no speculation as why anyone did or did not accept their offer. And finally you said the program is not headed in the right direction and while it is not moving at a blistering pace it is moving forward. Each of the last two years the program has had two different All Americans and a third individual in the Round of 12. From 2006 - 2019 there was only 2 different All Americans (each one AA'ed twice) and even though I am not totally sure, I think it is safe to say that there was no more than 2 different guys make it to the Round 12. So I don't see how that is not improvement.

We obviously don't see things the same way and that is ok. It is just hard to believe that you don't have an axe to grind seeing how you were donating your money those years of 2006 - 2019 and not one time did you get on this forum and complain about the lack of success.

[mscoach57]

I do believe Bearhugger is correct in that in order to draw better recruits to Morgantown they need a BIG name associated with the program in some way. I believe the best way to do this is to hire someone to run the RTC. Someone like a Troy Steiner, Mike Zaddick, or my personal pick would be Tony Nelson. But to get a big name to Morgantown is going to take money and in order to do it, two things need to happen. The first is that Mylan Pharmaceuticals needs to get on board in some way and offer jobs to the athletes (Not the Students) or just be a very large donor. The second thing that needs to happen is that no matter what your personal opinion of the coaching staff is, the end goal is for the wrestling team to be competitive and we as fans need to get on board and do our part to make this happen by donating a little bit ourselves. A big name alone will not get the job done, it might make it easier to gain the support needed to make the program a success. In the end no matter who the coach or coaches are, support for the program is what makes it a success.

Well the 2nd thing is going to be difficult given Mylan being shut down.

A 3rd thing might be to recruit athletes who are eligible to participate in the RTC or emphasize off season participation for the current roster.

The new coach Muhamed McBryde is eligible as a u23 champ

Amburgy No
Blumer No
Boyd No
Boyers No
Bradbury Yes Fargo 2018 Cadet Freestyle 4th place
Cardinale Yes Fargo All American
Carman No
Cicciarelli No
D'Alesio No
Daum No
Dowling No
Drousias No
Hall No
Heard No
Hornfeck No
Joll No
Karam No
Lautzenheiser No
Levans No
Mileto No
Moomau No
Myers No
Nadeau No
Rea No
Rhoads Yes Fargo Greco Roman Champion
Roberts Yes Fargo Greco Roman Champion and Greco Age group World Team Trials
Robin No
Schafer No
Seibert No
Titus Yes Fargo 6th Place
Wickersham No
Wolfgram No

[Bearhugger]

I do believe Bearhugger is correct in that in order to draw better recruits to Morgantown they need a BIG name associated with the program in some way. I believe the best way to do this is to hire someone to run the RTC. Someone like a Troy Steiner, Mike Zaddick, or my personal pick would be Tony Nelson. But to get a big name to Morgantown is going to take money and in order to do it, two things need to happen. The first is that Mylan Pharmaceuticals needs to get on board in some way and offer jobs to the athletes (Not the Students) or just be a very large donor. The second thing that needs to happen is that no matter what your personal opinion of the coaching staff is, the end goal is for the wrestling team to be competitive and we as fans need to get on board and do our part to make this happen by donating a little bit ourselves. A big name alone will not get the job done, it might make it easier to gain the support needed to make the program a success. In the end no matter who the coach or coaches are, support for the program is what makes it a success.

Well the 2nd thing is going to be difficult given Mylan being shut down.

A 3rd thing might be to recruit athletes who are eligible to participate in the RTC or emphasize off season participation for the current roster.

The new coach Muhamed McBryde is eligible as a u23 champ

Amburgy No
Blumer No
Boyd No
Boyers No
Bradbury Yes Fargo 2018 Cadet Freestyle 4th place
Cardinale Yes Fargo All American
Carman No
Cicciarelli No
D'Alesio No
Daum No
Dowling No
Drousias No
Hall No
Heard No
Hornfeck No
Joll No
Karam No
Lautzenheiser No
Levans No
Mileto No
Moomau No
Myers No
Nadeau No
Rea No
Rhoads Yes Fargo Greco Roman Champion
Roberts Yes Fargo Greco Roman Champion and Greco Age group World Team Trials
Robin No
Schafer No
Seibert No
Titus Yes Fargo 6th Place
Wickersham No
Wolfgram No

Does this mean that every wrestler with a "no" beside their name is not eligible to use the RTC in the offseason?

[mscoach57]

Correct.
Really need our wrestlers to get qualified this spring and summer. We will not attract a top RTC coach if there are no eligible athletes.
Really need our coaches to strongly encourage the wrestlers to do more than smoke drink vape and find reasons to miss workouts/lifts. And before John gets himself worked up, this description is from something a wvu wrestler’s dad posted.


Apparently some think we also need a non existent company like Mylan Pharmaceuticals to sponsor our non existent RTC roster.

[Coachcookie]

I know the rules for RTC have changed. They used to take top 4 placement in your state in folkstyle, so odds are some of the wrestlers may be eligible under the Grandfathered clause" if they were a member of an RTC before. Also the WV freestyle state tournament never has a large turnout, so I would think more of the in state WV kids on the roster may be eligible that way. placing top for at states, isn't hard if only 5 people enter the weight class.

Tim Flynn had a proven track record doing more with a lot less in Edinboro ( I don't mean the caliper of wrestlers) We were big fans of that program, and my son wrestles there so I'm familiar with the wrestling room, weight room and the money or lack there of the program has. For years the conversation was WVU has had one of the best wrestling facilities in the country, but could not draw in talent. Why is that? Is it the coach , the location??

I think the current conversation of what's wrong with the Culture at WVU overall may be the point of contention here. The man has coached for a long time, and these "rumors" weren't issues. WVU does have a reputation as a party school, one can =not deny that. If the number I saw also on another post is that the graduation rate is less than 60%, that a big hurdle to overcome!

Ironman is coming up, Flynn made his living on getting the talent that weren't household name's and making them better at the Boro. So do this little experiment if you can. Ask the kids who finish from the blood round up to 5/6th and see if WVU has ever been a school they considered to continue the education and wrestling career at?



Rick Ohl

[Bearhugger]

Correct.
Really need our wrestlers to get qualified this spring and summer. We will not attract a top RTC coach if there are no eligible athletes.
Really need our coaches to strongly encourage the wrestlers to do more than smoke drink vape and find reasons to miss workouts/lifts. And before John gets himself worked up, this description is from something a wvu wrestler’s dad posted.


Apparently some think we also need a non existent company like Mylan Pharmaceuticals to sponsor our non existent RTC roster.

What does a wrestler have to do to go from a "no" to a "yes"?

[Coachcookie]

Bearhugger,

See below.


Page 1 of 3
Regional Training Center
September 25, 2020
A. Minimum Requirements:
To be recognized as a Regional Training Center by USA Wrestling a club must meet all of the following criteria:
1. Be a chartered club with USA Wrestling.
2. Be a registered RTC with USA Wrestling through USA Wrestling’s National Teams High Performance Manager.
a. Membership year runs September 1 – August 31.
3. Submit coach, staff and athlete rosters, training, and competition schedules, and have them approved annually
by USA Wrestling. Roster, training and competition schedules can be updated throughout the year.
a. All training and competition schedules must be approved by the national team’s head coach.
b. Any changes or additions to RTC rosters must be immediately sent to USA Wrestling for approval before
participating in the RTC practices.
c. All RTCs must secure 501c3 status within the current USA Wrestling membership year. Failure to comply
will result in non-renewal for the following membership year.
i. Exceptions may be granted through official appeal to the USA Wrestling Ethics Committee.
4. Have use of a facility for wrestling training year-round. The facility must be of a type and quality customarily
accepted and used for the training of USA Wrestling member wrestlers.
a. An RTC may limit the size of their roster based upon safety (facility size).
5. Have a minimum of four established National Team contenders who recognize the club as their Primary Training
Site. An established National Team contender shall be considered to be a wrestler who meets at least one of the
competitive accomplishments within the last five calendar years as noted below in Athlete Criteria.
a. Ongoing eligibility requirement will be verified by USA Wrestling’s Membership Management System:
i. A minimum of four athletes from an RTC must have competed in a USA Wrestling national event
in that calendar year.
6. All practices must be conducted in the international styles of wrestling only.
7. All RTC camps and clinics must be conducted in the facility where the RTC is registered and operated. No
remote RTC camps and clinics are permissible.
8. Abide by applicable USA Wrestling by-laws, rules, and policies and:
a. Incorporate USA Wrestling's mission into all aspects of the program and activities of the RTC.
b. Support and respect the programs, activities, and operations of USA Wrestling.
B. Athlete Criteria:
All wrestlers participating in the RTC practice must meet one of the stated criteria below and must be current athlete
members of USA Wrestling. All RTC athletes must be in good standing with the both the RTC and the RTC host site.
1. Won at least one match at a Senior USAW World or Olympic Team Trials
2. Placed top 8 at USAW Senior Open Championships
3. Placed top 8 at USAW U23 National Championship
4. Placed top 8 at UWW Junior National Championship

Page 2 of 3
5. Placed top 8 at USAW Junior National Championship
6. Placed top 4 at USAW Junior Regional
7. Placed top 8 at USAW 16U National Championship
8. Placed top 8 at UWW Cadet National Championship
9. Placed top 6 at USAW State Junior Freestyle/Greco-Roman Championships
10. Placed top 6 at USAW State 16U Freestyle/Greco-Roman Championships
11. Placed top 4 at USAW Senior Regional
12. Placed top 4 at New York Athletic Club International
13. Placed top 4 at Dave Schultz Memorial International
14. Competed in a Continental Championships/Games, World Championships/Games at any age level
a. 5 year criteria does NOT apply
15. Any veteran athlete who has represented the U.S. within the last two years at the Veteran’s World
Championships or is scheduled to compete at the next world championship event
16. Waivered, first year collegiate athlete who was unable to compete because of USA Wrestling events cancelled
due Covid-19.
17. “Grandfather” clause will apply to any previously RTC rostered athlete who met the “Top 4 Finish at a State
Folkstyle Tournament” criteria.
International athletes/coaches who currently represent a country other than the U.S. may attend on a limited basis
based on approval of the NGB and RTC. These individuals must be of similar competitive caliber. These individuals may
attend on an intermittent basis in order to enhance national team development.
C. Coach Criteria:
1. All coaches on staff must be current USA Wrestling Leader members (includes United States Center for
SafeSport training and USA Wrestling required background screening). Must include having successfully
completed the USA Wrestling Bronze Certification.
2. All RTC employees may NOT recruit prospective student-athletes.
a. Examples are: no calling, no texting
i. Communication can only be mass distribution with regards to practice times.
b. No publication of prospective student athletes in any way.
c. During a two-year period before a prospective student-athlete's anticipated enrollment and a two-year
period after the prospective student-athlete's actual enrollment, an RTC shall not employ (or enter into
a contract for future employment with) an individual associated with the prospective student-athlete in
any RTC position.
*This definition includes, but is not limited to, parents, legal guardians, handlers, personal trainers and
coaches. An individual who meets this definition retains such status during the enrollment of the
prospective student-athlete at the institution.
“Grandfather” clause will apply to any currently employed RTC staff members as of September 1, 2019.
3. An RTC coach, who is employed at a college/university, may NOT coach a PSA at any competition unless they are
on coaching assignment by USA Wrestling National Office or the USA Wrestling State Chapter.
4. When scheduled, a coach should attend the annual national coaches' summit.
Page 3 of 3
D. Prospective Student-Athlete Requirements:
1. A PSA must live within 250 miles of an RTC to participate in practice. If there is no RTC within the boundaries
listed above, the PSA may join the closest RTC to his residence by applying for an exemption through USA
Wrestling.
a. The 250 mile radius is determined by using the home address of the athlete to the zip code of the
regional training center.
b. Once a PSA has signed a National Letter of Intent, the 250 miles radius rule is no longer applicable and
that PSA may attend the RTC of their choice.
2. A PSA may belong to more than one RTC.
3. A PSA may not practice at an RTC during that PSA’s traditional high school wrestling season. Dates are
determined by the PSA’s State Activities Association.
4. If a PSA in not participating in their traditional high school season, they may attend RTC practice during the
traditional folkstyle season.
5. A PSA that is graduated from high school and is taking a year off before matriculating to college, may practice
during the traditional folkstyle season with a RTC.
6. Only the PSA or USA Wrestling can pay for a prospect to attend RTC practice.
7. An RTC may NOT pay travel expenses or fees associated with competition for the PSA.
E. Current Student-Athlete Requirements:
1. Athletes with NCAA eligibility remaining may only be paid for actual and necessary expenses for travel specific to
competition and nothing more.
a. No room and board, stipends, misc. expenses, etc. for any wrestler enrolled in college with remaining
NCAA eligibility.
b. Cannot be employed or offered future employment by the RTC in any capacity while they are studentathletes.
2. RTCs are for Olympic Development and should not be considered a professional organization.
F. Reporting of RTC Infractions:
RTC infractions must be reported in writing to USA Wrestling’s National Teams High Performance Manager. If the
matter cannot be resolved by USA Wrestling staff, it will be forwarded to USA Wrestling’s Ethics Committee or the
appropriate authority (i.e., NCAA Enforcement, USOC, United States Center for SafeSport or other applicable governing
body). The USA Wrestling Ethics Committee will work closely with national staff to determine the appropriate action.
RTC sanctions can include, but not limited to:
1. Suspension of RTC status
2. Suspension of club charter
3. Suspension of individual USA Wrestling membership privileges
4. Suspension of USA Wrestling Leader/coach membership privileges
5. Public reprimand of the RTC and/or individual member
6. Other sanctions as deemed appropriate by the Ethics Committee
RTC rules are evaluated annually and adjusted as deemed necessary by USA Wrestling

[Bearhugger]

Bearhugger,

See below.


Page 1 of 3
Regional Training Center
September 25, 2020
A. Minimum Requirements:
To be recognized as a Regional Training Center by USA Wrestling a club must meet all of the following criteria:
1. Be a chartered club with USA Wrestling.
2. Be a registered RTC with USA Wrestling through USA Wrestling’s National Teams High Performance Manager.
a. Membership year runs September 1 – August 31.
3. Submit coach, staff and athlete rosters, training, and competition schedules, and have them approved annually
by USA Wrestling. Roster, training and competition schedules can be updated throughout the year.
a. All training and competition schedules must be approved by the national team’s head coach.
b. Any changes or additions to RTC rosters must be immediately sent to USA Wrestling for approval before
participating in the RTC practices.
c. All RTCs must secure 501c3 status within the current USA Wrestling membership year. Failure to comply
will result in non-renewal for the following membership year.
i. Exceptions may be granted through official appeal to the USA Wrestling Ethics Committee.
4. Have use of a facility for wrestling training year-round. The facility must be of a type and quality customarily
accepted and used for the training of USA Wrestling member wrestlers.
a. An RTC may limit the size of their roster based upon safety (facility size).
5. Have a minimum of four established National Team contenders who recognize the club as their Primary Training
Site. An established National Team contender shall be considered to be a wrestler who meets at least one of the
competitive accomplishments within the last five calendar years as noted below in Athlete Criteria.
a. Ongoing eligibility requirement will be verified by USA Wrestling’s Membership Management System:
i. A minimum of four athletes from an RTC must have competed in a USA Wrestling national event
in that calendar year.
6. All practices must be conducted in the international styles of wrestling only.
7. All RTC camps and clinics must be conducted in the facility where the RTC is registered and operated. No
remote RTC camps and clinics are permissible.
8. Abide by applicable USA Wrestling by-laws, rules, and policies and:
a. Incorporate USA Wrestling's mission into all aspects of the program and activities of the RTC.
b. Support and respect the programs, activities, and operations of USA Wrestling.
B. Athlete Criteria:
All wrestlers participating in the RTC practice must meet one of the stated criteria below and must be current athlete
members of USA Wrestling. All RTC athletes must be in good standing with the both the RTC and the RTC host site.
1. Won at least one match at a Senior USAW World or Olympic Team Trials
2. Placed top 8 at USAW Senior Open Championships
3. Placed top 8 at USAW U23 National Championship
4. Placed top 8 at UWW Junior National Championship

Page 2 of 3
5. Placed top 8 at USAW Junior National Championship
6. Placed top 4 at USAW Junior Regional
7. Placed top 8 at USAW 16U National Championship
8. Placed top 8 at UWW Cadet National Championship
9. Placed top 6 at USAW State Junior Freestyle/Greco-Roman Championships
10. Placed top 6 at USAW State 16U Freestyle/Greco-Roman Championships
11. Placed top 4 at USAW Senior Regional
12. Placed top 4 at New York Athletic Club International
13. Placed top 4 at Dave Schultz Memorial International
14. Competed in a Continental Championships/Games, World Championships/Games at any age level
a. 5 year criteria does NOT apply
15. Any veteran athlete who has represented the U.S. within the last two years at the Veteran’s World
Championships or is scheduled to compete at the next world championship event
16. Waivered, first year collegiate athlete who was unable to compete because of USA Wrestling events cancelled
due Covid-19.
17. “Grandfather” clause will apply to any previously RTC rostered athlete who met the “Top 4 Finish at a State
Folkstyle Tournament” criteria.
International athletes/coaches who currently represent a country other than the U.S. may attend on a limited basis
based on approval of the NGB and RTC. These individuals must be of similar competitive caliber. These individuals may
attend on an intermittent basis in order to enhance national team development.
C. Coach Criteria:
1. All coaches on staff must be current USA Wrestling Leader members (includes United States Center for
SafeSport training and USA Wrestling required background screening). Must include having successfully
completed the USA Wrestling Bronze Certification.
2. All RTC employees may NOT recruit prospective student-athletes.
a. Examples are: no calling, no texting
i. Communication can only be mass distribution with regards to practice times.
b. No publication of prospective student athletes in any way.
c. During a two-year period before a prospective student-athlete's anticipated enrollment and a two-year
period after the prospective student-athlete's actual enrollment, an RTC shall not employ (or enter into
a contract for future employment with) an individual associated with the prospective student-athlete in
any RTC position.
*This definition includes, but is not limited to, parents, legal guardians, handlers, personal trainers and
coaches. An individual who meets this definition retains such status during the enrollment of the
prospective student-athlete at the institution.
“Grandfather” clause will apply to any currently employed RTC staff members as of September 1, 2019.
3. An RTC coach, who is employed at a college/university, may NOT coach a PSA at any competition unless they are
on coaching assignment by USA Wrestling National Office or the USA Wrestling State Chapter.
4. When scheduled, a coach should attend the annual national coaches' summit.
Page 3 of 3
D. Prospective Student-Athlete Requirements:
1. A PSA must live within 250 miles of an RTC to participate in practice. If there is no RTC within the boundaries
listed above, the PSA may join the closest RTC to his residence by applying for an exemption through USA
Wrestling.
a. The 250 mile radius is determined by using the home address of the athlete to the zip code of the
regional training center.
b. Once a PSA has signed a National Letter of Intent, the 250 miles radius rule is no longer applicable and
that PSA may attend the RTC of their choice.
2. A PSA may belong to more than one RTC.
3. A PSA may not practice at an RTC during that PSA’s traditional high school wrestling season. Dates are
determined by the PSA’s State Activities Association.
4. If a PSA in not participating in their traditional high school season, they may attend RTC practice during the
traditional folkstyle season.
5. A PSA that is graduated from high school and is taking a year off before matriculating to college, may practice
during the traditional folkstyle season with a RTC.
6. Only the PSA or USA Wrestling can pay for a prospect to attend RTC practice.
7. An RTC may NOT pay travel expenses or fees associated with competition for the PSA.
E. Current Student-Athlete Requirements:
1. Athletes with NCAA eligibility remaining may only be paid for actual and necessary expenses for travel specific to
competition and nothing more.
a. No room and board, stipends, misc. expenses, etc. for any wrestler enrolled in college with remaining
NCAA eligibility.
b. Cannot be employed or offered future employment by the RTC in any capacity while they are studentathletes.
2. RTCs are for Olympic Development and should not be considered a professional organization.
F. Reporting of RTC Infractions:
RTC infractions must be reported in writing to USA Wrestling’s National Teams High Performance Manager. If the
matter cannot be resolved by USA Wrestling staff, it will be forwarded to USA Wrestling’s Ethics Committee or the
appropriate authority (i.e., NCAA Enforcement, USOC, United States Center for SafeSport or other applicable governing
body). The USA Wrestling Ethics Committee will work closely with national staff to determine the appropriate action.
RTC sanctions can include, but not limited to:
1. Suspension of RTC status
2. Suspension of club charter
3. Suspension of individual USA Wrestling membership privileges
4. Suspension of USA Wrestling Leader/coach membership privileges
5. Public reprimand of the RTC and/or individual member
6. Other sanctions as deemed appropriate by the Ethics Committee
RTC rules are evaluated annually and adjusted as deemed necessary by USA Wrestling

Thank you

[Jon Perkins]

Correct.
Really need our wrestlers to get qualified this spring and summer. We will not attract a top RTC coach if there are no eligible athletes.
Really need our coaches to strongly encourage the wrestlers to do more than smoke drink vape and find reasons to miss workouts/lifts. And before John gets himself worked up, this description is from something a wvu wrestler’s dad posted.


Apparently some think we also need a non existent company like Mylan Pharmaceuticals to sponsor our non existent RTC roster.

Finally something we can see common ground on. I 100% agree that if the guys on the team are not holding up their end of the bargain then they need to go. They entered into a business agreement when they signed that letter of intent, that was an agreement for them to go to school and to wrestle. If they are not in the classroom or in the wrestling room then they should be working towards improving in either one of those two areas. I am very stern when it comes to someone breaking business deals with me. In my business you get one chance after showing up late or missing work. Paychecks are never late and I don't expect employees to be either. Smoking dope, well there is no second chance for that, I will not waste my time with that trash. As far as drinking and vaping goes, are these guys idiots? It's wrestling season for God sakes, keeping your weight down and lung capacity are kind of a big deal. So yes, I am in agreement that these issues need resolved quickly. And one other thing while I am at here, most of these guys needs a haircut too. Some of these guys and their long hair look like goons. If you are going to be professional you need to look professional. There is a reason that the first thing you do in the military is to get a hair cut, because it shows a form of discipline.

And as far Mylan goes how many time are we going to bring this up, I already said that I had no idea they went out of business. I assumed that since the CEO made 18 million dollars a few years ago they were a solid company. My apologies on that I did not get the memo.

[aacoach61]

Mylan merged with Upjohn to form Viatras. Unfortunately, the new company had no sentimental attachment to Mylan’s flagship manufacturing plant in Morgantown and shut it down. Global mergers are tough on small towns.

https://www.post-gazette.com/business/c ... 2012110134