Top 15 most-read stories on USA Wrestling’s website TheMat.com in 2020
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
It is you, our USA Wrestling members and wrestling fans, who determined the Top 15 best-read stories that were posted on USA Wrestling’s website TheMat.com in 2020. This is based entirely upon the data for the number of reads for each story.
The top story was the March 28 article on New Mexico high school wrestler Canaan Bower, whose act of heroism during a gas-station attempted kidnapping captured the nation’s attention.
As an unprecedented year, the next two most read stories had to do with the COVID-19 pandemic. No. 2 was the first major USA Wrestling statement about COVID-19 on March 12. No. 3 was the release of USA Wrestling’s Return to Mat Guidelines on May 15.
Rounding out the top five were No. 4 Big Ten Championships brackets on March 6 and No. 5 J’den Cox announcement on what weight class he would compete during Olympic year on Feb. 11.
There were a variety of other topics included in the Top 15, some on the Olympic, college and high school levels.
Ironically, two of the top 15 were actually published in 2019, but so many people read the stories in 2020 that they made it to this list. No. 12 was the Big Ten Network schedule (published October 17, 2019) and No. 13 was the Olympic Trials Qualifiers list after the Senior Nationals (published December 23, 2019).
Here are our Top 15 stories based upon traffic. If you haven’t read them, or want to read them again, you can click the story and it will come up for you.
No. 1 - March 28 - New Mexico wrestler Canaan Bower, 16, takes down kidnapping suspect and pins him until police arrive
No. 2 - March 12 - USA Wrestling statement on COVID-19 and its activities moving forward, March 12, 2020
No. 3 - May 15 - USA Wrestling releases Return to the Mat Guidelines, to assist wrestling community in making local decisions
No. 4 - March 6 - Big Ten Championships brackets released after seeding meeting
No. 5 - Feb. 11 - Two-time World champion and Olympic medalist J'den Cox announces weight class for 2020 Olympic year
No. 6 - April 28 - 2020-21 High School Wrestling Rules Changes address weigh-in procedures, hair-length restrictions
No. 7 - December 26 - Mikey Racciato, 26, ACC champion for Pitt, has passed away
No. 8 - January 22 - National Girls High School Rankings released, as Palumbo, Jelacic return to No. 1 spots
No. 9 - March 20 - Eight undefeated wrestlers named Hodge Trophy finalists; Online fan voting opens March 23
No. 10 - July 15 - Five-time World and Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs commits to join the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center
No. 11 - March 24 - NCAA announces the 2020 NCAA Wrestling Award winners
No. 12 - October 17, 2019 - Big Ten Network announces record-breaking wrestling schedule for 2019-20
No. 13 - December 23, 2019 - Updated qualifiers for 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, after Senior Nationals
No. 14 - August 30 - Gwiazdowski dominates Main Event, five other wrestlers earn victories at first Wrestling Underground UFC Fight Pass promotion
No. 15 - March 9 - Men's freestyle wins six gold medals and team title on last day of Pan Am Championships in Canada
The top story was the March 28 article on New Mexico high school wrestler Canaan Bower, whose act of heroism during a gas-station attempted kidnapping captured the nation’s attention.
As an unprecedented year, the next two most read stories had to do with the COVID-19 pandemic. No. 2 was the first major USA Wrestling statement about COVID-19 on March 12. No. 3 was the release of USA Wrestling’s Return to Mat Guidelines on May 15.
Rounding out the top five were No. 4 Big Ten Championships brackets on March 6 and No. 5 J’den Cox announcement on what weight class he would compete during Olympic year on Feb. 11.
There were a variety of other topics included in the Top 15, some on the Olympic, college and high school levels.
Ironically, two of the top 15 were actually published in 2019, but so many people read the stories in 2020 that they made it to this list. No. 12 was the Big Ten Network schedule (published October 17, 2019) and No. 13 was the Olympic Trials Qualifiers list after the Senior Nationals (published December 23, 2019).
Here are our Top 15 stories based upon traffic. If you haven’t read them, or want to read them again, you can click the story and it will come up for you.
No. 1 - March 28 - New Mexico wrestler Canaan Bower, 16, takes down kidnapping suspect and pins him until police arrive
No. 2 - March 12 - USA Wrestling statement on COVID-19 and its activities moving forward, March 12, 2020
No. 3 - May 15 - USA Wrestling releases Return to the Mat Guidelines, to assist wrestling community in making local decisions
No. 4 - March 6 - Big Ten Championships brackets released after seeding meeting
No. 5 - Feb. 11 - Two-time World champion and Olympic medalist J'den Cox announces weight class for 2020 Olympic year
No. 6 - April 28 - 2020-21 High School Wrestling Rules Changes address weigh-in procedures, hair-length restrictions
No. 7 - December 26 - Mikey Racciato, 26, ACC champion for Pitt, has passed away
No. 8 - January 22 - National Girls High School Rankings released, as Palumbo, Jelacic return to No. 1 spots
No. 9 - March 20 - Eight undefeated wrestlers named Hodge Trophy finalists; Online fan voting opens March 23
No. 10 - July 15 - Five-time World and Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs commits to join the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center
No. 11 - March 24 - NCAA announces the 2020 NCAA Wrestling Award winners
No. 12 - October 17, 2019 - Big Ten Network announces record-breaking wrestling schedule for 2019-20
No. 13 - December 23, 2019 - Updated qualifiers for 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, after Senior Nationals
No. 14 - August 30 - Gwiazdowski dominates Main Event, five other wrestlers earn victories at first Wrestling Underground UFC Fight Pass promotion
No. 15 - March 9 - Men's freestyle wins six gold medals and team title on last day of Pan Am Championships in Canada
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