Photo: Cody Merrill of California defeated Cole Mirasola of Wisconsin for the 220-pound Junior National championship in men’s freestyle last summer in Fargo. The two highly-ranked stars could meet again in this year’s Fargo finals, which take place next week in the Fargodome. By Rob Sherrill There’s a saying in the scientific world, “Nature abhors a vacuum.” Although many wouldn’t confuse science with wrestling, that saying is as applicable to man’s oldest sport as it is to physics. This column appeared in the July issue of WIN Magazine. Click on cover or call 888-305-0606 to subscribe. It w ..read more

Photo: Sandbag lifts from the ground will force the grip and fingers to work in conjunction with full body strength. By Zach Even-Esh Recently I saw an athlete at my high school using a weightlifting belt and wrist straps before deadlifting. This was common for me in high school as well and my goal is to help wrestlers avoid the mistakes I made over 30 years ago. Yet, we still see wrestlers and wrestling coaches training the wrong way.  The wrestler must have a strong grip. The type of grip strength exercises we implement at The Underground Strength Gym are a blend of grip / hand-specific ..read more

The next few months are going to be busy for some of the United States better freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers, beginning with the 16U/Junior Nationals in Fargo, N.D., in July and followed by the Paris Olympics in August and several other age-group World Championships through October. Click on the latest WIN cover of call 888-305-0606 to subscribe. The latest issue of WIN Magazine, printed June 28, provides readers an insight and preview of all these great events where USA’s finest young wrestlers show off their skills. The following is a page breakdown of many of the stories and col ..read more

Photo: Martin “Farmer” Burns is well known for discovering the equally-legendary Frank Gotch and later served as an assistant high school coach in the 1920s. By Mike Chapman Readers of this column know how much I love to bring attention to the great figures in wrestling’s rich past …. and today’s column reaches all the way back to the time of the Civil War, and then extends forward into this summer. On the afternoon of June 22, a true legend will be recognized for his immeasurable impact on the sport, which had its origins in a tiny village in Iowa. His name was Martin Burns, but he was best k ..read more

Photos: Aaron Stewart (left) and Caleb Noble both won titles in Fargo last summer before capturing Illinois state championships for Warren Township High this past winter. (T.C. Lifonti & Tony Rotundo photos) By TC Lifonti Caleb Noble and Aaron Stewart have had quite a year. The duo out of Warren Township High School has reignited a program that is once again on the rise and on people’s radars in state. And as these two wrestlers are standing atop state and national podiums, people from all over are taking notice.     For Noble, the freshman has had quite a campaign and fortu ..read more

The following was created by Kyle Martin, Norwin High coach and men’s age-group director for Pennsylvania USA Wrestling. Landon Sidun, ranked No. 1 at 113 and Knights RTC athlete Brooks Blasko demonstrated technique. Coach Martin is a USA Wrestling Gold-Certified coach. This technique appeared in the May issue of WIN Magazine. Click here or call 888-305-0606 to subscribe. Head-inside singles are trending as a more popular attack, especially in freestyle. As wrestling constantly adapts to the trends, athletes are becoming better at defending these attacks. Landon (short-sleeve shirt) gets ..read more

Photo: Dan Gable believes David Taylor (left) should seek advice about Oklahoma State wrestling traditions from former legendary coach John Smith. (Oklahoma State photo) Note: Similar to David Taylor being named head coach at Oklahoma State, Dan Gable was also hired to coach a college program (Iowa) shortly after a stellar career as a wrestler in the 1970s. Gable, who won 15 NCAA titles in 20 years with Iowa, recently spoke to WIN Editor Mike Finn about Taylor’s new position and the comparisons. WIN: What did you think when you heard Oklahoma State hired Olympic/World champ David Taylor ..read more

Photo: Joined by Tricia Saunders (left), USA’s first World champ in women’s freestyle, the four American women who competed in the 2004 Olympics — from left, Sara McMann, Toccara Montgomery, Tela O’Donnell and Patricia Miranda — were honored at the 2024 NCAAs. By Kyle Klingman The 2024 Olympic Games in Paris will mark the 20th anniversary of the inclusion of women’s freestyle wrestling. Four weight classes (48 kg, 55, 63 and 72) were included with 50 competitors during the 2004 Games in Athens, Greece. The following are insights from six participants and USA Women’s National Team coach Terry S ..read more

Photo: Try doing push-ups with a heavy chain. By Zach Even-Esh There is a great quote by the late Louie Simmons, founder of Westside Barbell: “It is of no use to be strong in the wrong exercises.”  What does this mean?  To break it down, many wrestlers and athletes in general will opt to train at a local commercial gym. They will break up their training into a bodybuilder split; Chest and arms one day, legs another day, back and biceps another day, etc.  They will sit down on machines, lay down on benches and every exercise avoids what we call ground-based lifts, where you are s ..read more

Photo: Northern Iowa coach Doug Schwab and his wife Allyson take pride in their four kids, the boys Hendrix (left) and Hayden and twin daughters Jenna (left) and Lennon. By Mike Finn As you see in the latest issue of WIN Magazine, there are a lot of famous wrestling names associated with the awards given out annually by WIN Magazine and other sponsors. There is another award I’d like to present … and that’s to all the support of people behind the scenes who help wrestlers and coaches try to reach their potential each year; perhaps a parent, sibling or a significant other. This column app ..read more