On this episode of On Deck, Ben Askren is joined by 4x All-American, 2x NCAA Champion, and co-founder of Young Guns Wrestling Club, Jody Strittmatter. Strittmatter, current assistant coach at University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown, has coached Division I prodigies including Penn State’s Jason Nolf and Vincenzo Joseph and Iowa’s Spencer Lee to name a few. Askren and Strittmatter discuss all things club wrestling from athlete development to how to get athletes and parents to buy in.



Show Notes

0:00 Show Introduction

2:37 Coaching Influence

4:57 Recruitment Out of High School

7:16 Transferring to Iowa

11:20 Dan Gable

14:05 Tom + Terry Brands

15:42 Jim Zalesky

16:54 Young Guns Wrestling Club

20:31 Club + Development Morals

23:20 Tailoring Coaching to Athletes

27:05 The First Big Name From YGWC

28:10 Jason Nolf

33:10 Spencer Lee

35:49 Vincenzo Joseph

37:47 When Did You Go From Good to Great?

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan is joined in studio by 2016 Olympian Frank Molinaro. Molinaro, a 2012 NCAA Champion for Penn State and coached by Dernlan, is currently training for the 2020 Games at the Oklahoma Regional Training Center. The two discuss training at the highest level from all angles, ranging from diet and nutrition to the mindset that has propelled Molinaro late in his career.

0:00 Show Intro
2:43 Life at Oklahoma RTC
4:36 Training Through a Health Crisis
11:00 Weight Cutting
17:00 Buying into Smart Nutrition and Training
31:06 Importance of Mental Training
33:33 Perceived Effort Ratio
37:24 Pushing Mental Limits
43:25 Coach-Athlete Relationship
52:18 Suffering
1:04:53 Finding the Right Place to Train
1:11:15 Reasons for Still Competing

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant discuss the cancellation of the NCAA Wrestling Championships due to Coronavirus concerns, bringing the 2019-2020 collegiate wrestling season to an unexpected and disappointing end. The two discuss the cancellation from the perspective of athlete, coach, fan and member of the media, and break down the possibility of the NCAA granting extra years of eligibility.



0:00 Show Intro

2:40 History of Disruptions to Wrestling

10:50 Impact on the Athletes

15:35 Reality of an Extra Year in All Divisions

19:35 Economic Implications of Extra Years

23:57 Is March Really All That Matters?

28:22 Setting Precedents for the Future

31:40 Cancelling Events vs. Postponing

59:24 2019-20 Season Isn’t a Loss
0:00 Show Intro
2:43 Life at Oklahoma RTC
4:36 Training Through a Health Crisis
11:00 Weight Cutting
17:00 Buying into Smart Nutrition and Training
31:06 Importance of Mental Training
33:33 Perceived Effort Ratio
37:24 Pushing Mental Limits
43:25 Coach-Athlete Relationship
52:18 Suffering
1:04:53 Finding the Right Place to Train
1:11:15 Reasons for Still Competing

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Cary Kolat joins Matt Dernlan to discuss the abrupt end to the 2019-2020 NCAA Wrestling season, what it means for the athletes and for the sport as a whole. Dernlan and Kolat provide a coach’s perspective to the cancellation of the NCAA Tournament, and discuss the pros and cons of the possibility of the NCAA granting extra years of eligibility.



0:00 Show Intro

0:31 NCAA Wrestling Tournament Cancelled

2:37 Eligibility: Pros and Cons to an Extra Year

9:05 Campbell’s Progression as a Program

11:25 No True End to the Season

11:50 What’s Day-to-Day Life Like?

14:37 -Athletes Losing Structure

17:53 Resources Going Virtual

20:50 Reality of 5- and 6-Year Careers

22:58 Moving On Past Competing

On this episode of On Deck, Ben Askren sits down with 2019 U23 World Silver Medalist and Olympic hopeful Kayla Miracle. After qualifying the 62kg women's freestyle spot for the United States at the 2020 Olympics at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier, Kayla reflects on her performance, and looks ahead to the coming weeks of training for an Olympic Trials with no set date. Askren and Miracle also discuss life at the Hawkeye Wrestling Club and reactions to the NCAA Wrestling Championships being cancelled.

Show Notes:
0:00 Show Introduction
3:40 Kayla Miracle Intro
7:00 Wrestling Events Being Cancelled
10:20 Pan American Olympic Qualifier Recap
11:38 Hawkeye Wrestling Club Depth
17:58 Preparing for a Delayed Olympic Trials
21:35 Iowa Training Partners
24:00 Reaction to Cancelled NCAA Championships
24:57 Things To Do During Quarantine

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant break down the Big Ten Conference Championship, talk ideal NCAA Finals matchups at various weights, and discuss an array of factors which contribute to the added pressure of performing at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.

0:00 Show Intro
1:25 Weather Predictions for NCAAs
2:25 NAIA National Championship
6:20 NCAA Division I Wrestling Media Guide
7:45 Big Ten Championship
8:14 Iowa's Performance
11:16 Did Nebraska Peak Too Early?
12:48 Overtraining in the Postseason
19:57 Marinelli vs. Joseph
22:38 Pletcher vs. Lee
24:17 Hall vs. Kemerer
29:04 Pressure of the NCAA Finals
31:36 Seabass vs. RBY
35:47 Parris vs. Steveson
40:53 Other Big Ten Teams' Performances
47:10 Big 12's Underwhelming Performance
50:15 Remaining Conference Tournaments

On this episode of On Deck, Ben Askren sits down with World Silver Medalist, former Hawkeye, and Olympic hopeful Thomas Gilman to discuss his trip to Russia, relationships with Iowa wrestlers in the light of Big 10’s and the Olympics, as well as his mindset approaching the Pan American Games. Then Askren talks with Purdue Wrestling Head Coach Tony Ersland to recap Purdue’s impressive performance over the past wrestling season as well as at the Big 10’s, and what’s behind Purdue’s rise over the last five years along with what to expect for the future of the program. Show Notes: 0:00 Show Introduction 0:58 Thomas Gilman 19:57 Thomas Gilman Recap 22:06 Tony Ersland 36:00 Tony Ersland Recap 36:23 Show Close

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant discuss the upcoming NAIA Championships, as well as the Big 10 Championships. Dernlan and Bryant discuss the caveats and conditions that will come into play for this year's Big Ten Championships as well as go weight by weight with their picks and predictions on the outcomes for the tournament.

Show Notes:
0:00 Show Introduction
0:36 NAIA
11:37 Big 10 Championship Overview
21:36 125lbs
21:54 133lbs
27:05 141lbs
31:05 149lbs
36:41 157 lbs
40:23 165lbs
43:58 174lbs
49:51 184lbs
54:38 197lbs
1:00:26 Heavyweight
1:05:36 Show Close

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant discuss the upcoming championships across all of college wrestling. Bryant gives a lay of the land for the next few weeks as collegiate wrestling wraps the regular season and we head into conference tournaments and each division’s respective national championship. Dernlan and Bryant break down the pros and cons of the Division I NCAA Wrestling Championship being held at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis and address other fan concerns.

On this episode of On Deck, Ben Askren sits down with Campbell Camels Head Coach Cary Kolat to discuss the way he and his staff have been able to make tremendous progress in developing the team in just a few short years. In addition, Askren also gets Kolat’s thoughts on the Iowa State controversy as well as what is different about this generation’s wrestlers vs previous generations. Then Askren talks to NJRTC Head Coach Reece Humphrey about the turnaround at Princeton and Rutgers as well as how the NJRTC is able to flourish. Askren picks Humphrey’s brain on the addition of an “insta-death” rule concerning excessive riding time during matches as well as his predictions for NCAA’s and more.

Show Notes:

0:00 Show Intro

0:50 Cary Kolat

19:14 Cary Kolat Wrap Up

20:10 Reece Humphrey

40:50 Show Wrap Up