TAKEDOWN RADIO REPORT

Posted on | February 26, 2009 | No Comments

Des Moines, Iowa- Hello Wrestling fans. Let me warn you that this is a long release but an important one given its content.

Each year our friends at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, OK decide on a special feature that we embrace and promote for the better health of wrestling. This years feature is- “Glory Beyond the Sport: Wrestling and the Military”

As is now customary we also produce a Black History Month special each February. Why Not combine the two? This week we have a very special 3 Hour program from the Brute adidas Studios of TDR. The second 2 of the scheduled 3 Hour special will be our tribute to African Americans who have served our country and our wrestling community.

We’ll welcome back to the Brute adidas studios Coach Bobby Douglas and wrestling historian Mike Chapman.
Our first hour featured guests include:

Rollie Peterkin- U-Penn-

2007-08: 2008 NCAA Qualifier … 2008 EIWA Champion at 125 pounds … Finished season with a 31-5 record …Advanced to the Round of 12 at the NCAA Championships with a 3-2 record … Wrestled in every dual, going 15-2 and scoring 58 team points … Five wins over ranked opponents … 8-1 against EIWA opponents in regular season … Went 4-0 at Keystone Classic (11/18) to win 125-pound title … Went 5-1 at Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas (11/30-12/2) to finish in third place … Two falls in 07-08, with the fastest coming in 30 seconds against Grand Canyon’s Tony Covert (1/6) … Eight major decision victories to go with one tech fall … Shut out his opponent five times

Mike Clayton of the Stevens Institute Ducks- Clayton in his second season leading the Stevens Institute of Technology wrestling team after being named head coach in August of 2007. A former top assistant at the United States Military Academy and four-year letter winner and NCAA Division I Qualifier at the United States Naval Academy during the 1990’s, Clayton led the Stevens wrestling program back to prominence in his first season, 2007-08, and was named the 2008 NWCA Division III Rookie Coach of the Year.

To round out the first hour Mike, Bobby and I will have a lively discussion on the history of Black Americans who have served our nation.

Our “African Americans in the Military” Black History Month Special Guests Include:
Sergeant Iris Smith- 10 Year US Team Member at 72 Kilos, World Champion, U.S. Nationals Champion, 2000-2002 University Nationals Champion, President of the student council at her HS where she also competed on the men’s varsity Team. Now a member of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program

CAREER NOTES:

* 2005 World Champion
* 2005 World Cup bronze medalist
* Two-time U.S. World Team member (2000, 2005)
* Four-time U.S. Nationals champion (2000-02, 2005)
* Seventh in 2000 World Championships
* Missed the 2001 World Championships to attend basic training with the U.S. Army

Staff Sergeant Shon Lewis Head Coach for the Army World Class Athletic Program Wrestling Team, Greco, Freestyle Men’s and Women’s programs
Sergeant DREMIEL BYERS

CAREER NOTES:

* 2002 World champion
* 2007 World bronze medalist
* Member of 2007 World Team Champions
* Seventh in 2008 Olympic Games
* 2005 CISM Military World Champion
* 2001 World Cup gold medalist
* Sixth in 1999 World Championships
* Seven-time U.S. Nationals champion (1999, 2002-06, 2008)
* 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials runner-up
* Seven-time Armed Forces champion (1997, 1999, 2000, 2003-06)

Harold Henson- Harold Henson: Two years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier by being the first black to play in Major League Baseball, the first African-American competed at the national college wrestling championships, according to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. The man who made history at the 1949 NCAAs: Harold Henson of San Diego State University. (Note: The Hall of Fame had given the name of the first black wrestler at the NCAAs as being Harold Hanson, but, according to articles in the SDSU student newspaper and yearbook of that era, the wrestler’s last name was Henson.)
Harold Henson (Photo/Special Collections and University Archives, Library and Information Access, San Diego State University)
Until the Hall of Fame had disclosed that Henson was the first black to wrestle at an NCAA event, it was widely assumed that the first African-American college matmen made their appearance in the mid 1950s… pioneers such as Simon Roberts at the University of Iowa, Ellie Watkins for the Iowa State Cyclones, and Kent State’s Clarence McNair.

According to the San Diego State student newspaper, just before the 1949 NCAAs, Harold Henson won the 136-pound title at the CCAA conference championships, pinning his opponent in the finals. Then, he and his teammates piled into two cars -– a ’49 Ford, and a ’49 Mercury — and made the trip to the national championships, hosted by Colorado State University in Ft. Collins.

There were twelve men in the 136-pound weight class at the 1949 NCAAs; Harold Henson was unseeded, while 1947 champ Lowell Lange of Cornell College of Iowa was the top seed, and defending champ Dick Dickenson of Michigan State was seeded second.

Henson drew a bye in the first round. In the second, he went up against Oklahoma State’s Don Meeker, who was the fourth seed. The Cowboy got a 7-3 win over the Aztec grappler. That was Henson’s first and last match in the tournament; back then, a wrestler who lost in the second round did not make it into the consolation bracket, so, Henson did not place. (Only the top four placers in each weight class earned All-American honors. In the 136-pound finals, Lange shut out Dickenson 6-0 to win his second title.)

After competing at San Diego State, Harold Henson served in the U.S. Army for 26 years, retiring as a Colonel … then became a Senior Executive in Washington, D.C. government. He is now enjoying retirement.

Bob Pickens, V P of the Board of Commissioners for the Chicago Park District. He was appointed by The HR Mayor Richard M. Daley in Feb 2000 to serve as a Comm until April 2009. The President of the Chicago Park District appointed Comm Pickens to the NE Illinois Planning Comm for a two-year term from 2005-2007. Pickens is fulfilling his lifetime commitment to leadership and civic engagement. Pickens currently owns Merrill Associates, Ltd., a contract labor, janitorial and maintenance company and is an independent Relocation Specialist with AKP Properties, LLC. He continues to be involved in manufacture trade investments with the Republic of China. Prior to retirement, Pickens worked at Sears for 18 years as the Toy Buyer and assistant to the Chairman, National Sales Manager. He began his career as Director of Diversity and Minority Outreach at Foote, Cone and Belding, advertising agency.

Pickens 1958-1962 attended Evanston Township High School in Evanston, IL, an all-state offensive tackle in football, the 1961 Heavyweight State Champion in wrestling and the 1961 Suburban Shot Put and Discus Champion. While at the University of Wisconsin, Pickens was selected as the 1963 pre-season All-American and Big Ten Lineman of the Year during his sophomore term. In 1964, Pickens was selected for the Greco-Roman Wrestling Team representing the U.S. at the Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. He placed sixth in the world. In 1965, Pickens transferred to the University of Nebraska where he was selected as an All-American candidate, received All Big-Eight offensive tackle honors in football and finished second in the National AAU Wrestling Tournament Heavyweight Division. He was conferred his B.S. degree in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska.

From 1967-1969, Commissioner Pickens was drafted to the NFL Chicago Bears, the Edmonton Eskimos in the Canadian Football League. Then served as an official for the Big 10 in 76 to 89. He has served as national steering committee President of the NFL Players Association and President of the NFL Retired Players Association, Chicago Chapter. Pickens volunteers for Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Better Boys Foundation, the Michael F. Sheahan Youth Foundation and Boundless Playgrounds for special needs children. He has been inducted into The History Makers Athletic Hall of Fame and The Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame. Pickens is married to Judith Jamison Pickens and has two children, Todd and Tori, and one grandson, Ameer.
Sylvester Hodges “Airman 1st class” Born in Montrose, Alabama Hodges joined the U.S. Air Force in 1960 and was training as an Aircraft and Missile Elec. when he was recruited into the US Air Force Wrestling Team. He became the 1st Black on that team in our nations history. After winning numerous tournaments he qualified for the OTC but was prevented from training due to injury. Hodges went on after discharge from the U.S.A.F to graduate from the Merritt Community College with and A.A. Degree and was awarded the Athlete of the year award becoming the first Wrestler to receive that distinction. Hodges went on to continue his education at Cal State-Hayword where he was the Undefeated League Champion in 1969. He challenged the NCAA rules, He rose above the din and mediocrity to become one of the best. He co-founded the 1st African American Wrestling Team called Wan Tu Wazuri (Beautiful People). He has served as Past President of the Oakland School Board and is now retired.
1st Lt. Mike Van Arsdale
(born June 20, 1965 in Waterloo, Iowa) UFC Vet and currently signed with the American Fight League.[1] He holds a professional record of eight wins and five losses and his last fight in the UFC was at UFC 57, where he lost to Renato Sobral via a RNC. His MMA debut came in 1998 when he traveled to Brazil to compete in the no-rules International Vale Tudo Championships, a tournament in which van Arsdale won three consecutive fights in one evening to claim the title. A decorated Hall of Fame high school and ISU collegiate wrestler Van Arsdale was 1988 NCAA Division 1 collegiate wrestling champion at 167 lb (76 kg), while competing for Iowa Sate University. He has been inducted into the Iowa HS Wrestling Hall of Fame and the in the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa, located in Waterloo.

So friends as we celebrate our sport, diversity and the American way through wrestling I ask that you join us for America’s Wrestling Radio program. TDR is Live each Saturday 9AM to 11 AM CST from our Clear Channel Studios of KXNO in Des Moines, Iowa. TDR is heard around the world each week and can be enjoyed through our archives and through Pod Casts as well.

Scott Casber
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