USA Nevada Wrestling

Last year was a banner year for Nevada, multiple All-Americans, extending our streak with at least one Fargo Finalist, a High School Girls Showcase National Champion in Emma Albanese, and Abraham Coronado brought home a Folkstyle National Championship at 120lbs.  Wrestling is strong in Nevada, and we have a lot to look forward to as our wrestlers continue their journey at the college level at a record number.  Within our outstanding College sophomore class, Reese Larramendy brought a NCAA National Championship to the Silver state (by way of IOWA); the first Nevada wrestler to ever do so.  We could not be prouder. 

2024-25 has even more to look forward to.  The State Leader Summit and National Board of Director meeting was this past weekend and was attended by Annie Zucker (Nevada Vice-Chair), Wendy Bullock (Nevada Pairing Director), and Rob Cate (Nevada Chairman).  Some exciting stuff came out of that meeting that we need to share:

• USA Wrestling is adopting the new NHFS scoring rules for the new season (3pt take downs, Single point of contact out of bounds where not modified for safety or modification).
• Kids Nationals (8u-14u) no longer need to participate in a regional to be qualified for Nationals but are encouraged to do so as it will help with the PIN rating and seeding.
• 14u and 16u weight classes for regional and national events were slightly modified (Nevada will also use these for our association championships and state championships)
• The biggest change to our season will be within the world of Girls Folkstyle.  Where a folkstyle match is between two female wrestlers the following rule modifications will be used at USA Wrestling sanctioned events:
  • When both wrestlers are in the neutral position, an athlete stepping out of the competition circle will have a “step out” point awarded to the opponent.  This is virtually identical to freestyle.  This rule has been in place for regional and National events already, and we are moving it down to the state level to better prepare our female athletes for the upper levels.
  • At the end of each period, the wrestlers will begin the subsequent period in the standing/ neutral position. - In the event of an injury while wrestling is happening in the “top/ bottom” or “par terre” position, Wrestling will resume in the referee's position unless nearfall points have been awarded in that sequence. If nearfall points have been awarded, wrestling will resume standing.
    • In the event of overtime, the first period of overtime will begin in the neutral position, as is the current rule. If no scoring happens, the wrestlers will wrestle 2 30 second periods. The modification proposed is that these 30 second periods will be conducted similarly to the Freestyle “Activity period”. The coin is flipped, and that wrestler chooses if they wish to be “on the clock” first. If they choose this and no scoring happens in the 30 seconds, their opponent will be awarded 1 point. The same is done for the 2nd 30 second period with the other wrestler “on the clock”. At the end of the 2nd 30 seconds, the point will be awarded if no scoring has occurred and that wrestler, the one “scoring last” will be declared the winner. This allows for strategy to be used in selecting offense or defense in the 1st 30 seconds.
    • EXAMPLE: In overtime, any score in the 1-minute period, will award the match to the wrestler earning that score.
    • As is the rule from NFHS, the entire 30 seconds in each of the 2nd and 3rd overtime periods will be wrestled to completion unless there is a fall. If the wrestler "on the clock" does not score, 1 point will be awarded to their opponent regardless of any score by the other wrestler
    • stalling. step out, or takedown points will be awarded as earned.

These female folkstyle modifications are designed to better prepare the female athletes for the Next levels (NCAA, College, international), where Freestyle is the only style contested. while not disrupting the coaching and general instruction found in Folkstyle wrestling.  Detailed instructions and officiating rules will be sent out shortly by our Officials Director Rob Roy.

Female athletes at a regional and national level are only to compete against other females.  In Nevada, as we continue to build up our numbers, females 12u and above cannot compete against boys at the state level and we encourage this practice to flow down to local events.  Whereas the biggest barrier for females in joining our sport is the fear (or the parent’s fear) of competing against males, it is the position of USA Wrestling that gender specific events is the best path to rapid growth

Additionally, Nevada has been selected by USA Wrestling to pilot the new Meet Management software called USABRACKETING.  Think of it as Trackwrestling and Flo Arena on steroids.  USA wrestling will begin using the system in the new calendar year for all regional and national events and Nevada will be using it for every event starting Sept 1, 2024…the first in the country to do so.  Rob, Wendy and Annie had time to work with the developers and will be a leading voice in adjustments and feature enhancements.  Registration for events will be easier than ever, results will be easier to follow, the parent experience will be clean, easy and efficient.  Detailed training videos will be sent out to clubs and parents this fall preparing us all for this system.  Rob has been working with the developers for about a year now on this product and is over the moon excited to share it with the wrestling community in Nevada.

The new year opens on August 26th for membership.  Please login to membership right away and renew your membership before Sept 1st so there is no lapse in your benefits or coverage.  If you are an adult leader or coach, please begin the process right away as you may have to renew your background check, and you will have to do at least a refresher on the SafeSport program, and some may have to complete a more detailed renewal. A reminder that participation at a practice is not protected or approved unless the club is chartered, the adults in the room are current members, and the athlete is a current member.

With the new Olympic Quad in front of us, an Olympics that we are hosting right here in the USA, along with the enhanced support from our state services group in the way of marketing, operations, software, and guidance, there is a national increase in the cost of membership.  USA Wrestling continues to have one of the lowest membership costs within the Olympic Movement and provides the best coverage possible for a combat sport.  The cost for an athlete will be $65 and the cost for an adult leader will be $100.

We will be having our USA Nevada Wrestling Fall Board meeting on Sept 15th, 2024, from 1pm-3pm via zoom.  The link will be available shortly on our website along with the agenda for the meeting.

Finally, for those of you that are training right now, the Western States events team would like you to attend the Western States Preseason Championships on October 5th, 2024.  This year it is part of FIGHTCON, the home of almost every combat sport under one roof.  Check out the flyer and registration link from the western state’s events page. https://www.westregionusaw.com/preseason

If you are going to compete in any USAW Regional or National event, or Western States in Pocatello, your wrestler must be registered for Team Nevada. With your wrestler’s paid registration, you will receive a gear package, and proceeds go to provide coaches and camps to support Team Nevada events. Please click HERE to register for Team Nevada and to obtain your sizes. All registrations paid before April 1, 2024 will receive the gear package prior to the US OPEN at the end of APRIL.  Please hit this deadline to get the gear prior to Western Regionals in May.  Final order window will be MAY 16th will receive the gear package Western States championships in Pocatello.  

GET YOUR GEAR PACKAGE HERE