Full Circle Wrestling

🏆 WAYNE BRANSTETTER: Building a Wrestling Dynasty | Poway Wrestling 4-Part Series Hall of Fame coach Wayne Branstetter joins the Full Circle Wrestling Podcast for an incredible four-part conversation covering decades of wrestling, coaching, leadership, and the rise of Poway High School Wrestling into one of California’s premier programs. Coach Branstetter’s résumé speaks for itself: 🔥 5× Califor...

🎙️ Marques Gales | Building Champions at Sacramento City College Marques Gales, Head Wrestling Coach at Sacramento City College , joins the Full Circle Wrestling Podcast to talk about leadership, junior college wrestling, athlete development, and what it takes to build a championship-level program. Coming off being named the 2025 3C2A Wrestling Coach of the Year , Coach Gales shares his approach t...

🔥 Paulo Valdez | 3x California State Placer & JUCO State Runner-Up California wrestling standout Paulo Valdez joins Full Circle Wrestling to share his journey through high school and junior college wrestling. A 3x California State Wrestling Placer , Paulo established himself among the top high school wrestlers in the state before continuing his career at the California JUCO level, where he be...

NCAA Champion and Fresno City College wrestling coach Paul Keyshaw joins Full Circle Wrestling for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of wrestling in California, the importance of junior college wrestling, and the explosive growth of women’s wrestling. We also dive into the incredible growth of girls and women’s wrestling. With more high school girls competing, additional college program...

🎙️ Rod Frost | How Elite Wrestling Officials Think Minnesota wrestling official Rod Frost joins the Full Circle Wrestling Officials Academy to share his experience, perspective, and approach to becoming a better wrestling official. Rod has extensive experience officiating high school and college wrestling in Minnesota and also serves as a state evaluator , giving him a unique perspective on what s...

What can parents do to help their young wrestler succeed—without adding pressure, creating anxiety, or taking the joy out of the sport? In this episode of Full Circle Wrestling , sports psychologist and Certified Mental Performance Consultant Hope McQueen, M.S., CMPC , joins Dale Hanover for a practical conversation about the mental side of wrestling and how parents, coaches, and wrestlers can wor...

🎙️ WRESTLING OFFICIATING: STALLING, CONTROL & THE TOUGH CALLS | GARY WADE What separates a good wrestling official from an elite one? Getting the difficult calls right. On this episode of Full Circle Wrestling, I sit down with NCAA Championship Official Gary Wade of New Jersey for an in-depth conversation about some of the toughest situations wrestling referees face on the mat. We break down:...

🥗 Wrestling Nutrition: How to Fuel, Make Weight & Perform Your Best | Kim Tirapelle, Sports Dietitian What should wrestlers eat in the off-season, pre-season, and during wrestling season ? How can an athlete reach the right weight class without sacrificing strength, energy, recovery, or performance ? And once you make weight, what should you eat and drink to rehydrate, refuel, and be ready to...

🎙️ How Do Wrestling Officials Improve—and Move Up? Andy Aichele is a wrestling official from Washington and host of The Real Ref Report podcast. Although Andy has only officiated for seven years, he has moved up quickly. In this episode, we discuss how he did it—and what other wrestling officials can learn from his journey. Andy and Dale have a real, honest, and constructive conversation about: 🔹...

Rocklin Zinkin | Chasing Greatness at Oklahoma State | Full Circle Wrestling Podcast What does it take to become one of the nation's top wrestlers—and still believe your best wrestling is ahead of you? In this episode of Full Circle Wrestling , we sit down with Rocklin Zinkin , a three-time California State Champion and Oklahoma State Cowboy, to discuss the journey from dominating one of the tough...

What does the future of wrestling look like? It might just be on the sand. Beach wrestling is one of the fastest-growing disciplines in the sport, and few people know it better than Coach Tim Box , Head Coach of the USA Men's and Women's Senior Beach Wrestling National Team and Head Coach at Palomar College. Coach Box has led Team USA to success on the world stage while helping shape the future of...

🦷 Protecting Athletes: Mouthguards, Oral Health & Sports Safety with Dr. Ingersoll In this episode of Full Circle Wrestling , Dale sits down with Dr. Ingersoll , a San Diego–based sports dentist who specializes in creating custom mouthguards designed specifically for athletes. Not all mouthguards provide the same fit, comfort, or level of protection. Dr. Ingersoll breaks down the different ty...

🎙️ Full Circle Wrestling Podcast – Arseni Kikiniou On this episode of Full Circle Wrestling , we sit down with one of California's top rising stars, Arseni Kikiniou. Arseni shares his wrestling journey, the sacrifices required to compete at an elite level, and the mindset that has helped him become one of the most respected competitors in the state. We discuss his training philosophy, what separat...

What role does faith play in the world of elite wrestling? In this episode of Full Circle Wrestling , we sit down with Jose Campo , the Team USA Wrestling Chaplain , for a conversation that goes far beyond wins, losses, and championships. Jose has spent years walking alongside some of the world's best wrestlers and coaches, providing encouragement, guidance, and perspective through the highs of vi...

How do you push your child to be their best... without pushing them away? Where's the line between being a coach and being a parent? In this episode of Full Circle Wrestling , we sit down with wrestling legend and coach Adam Tirapelle for an honest conversation about one of the toughest balancing acts in sports—raising successful wrestlers while raising great kids. We discuss: • How coaching your...

🎙️ The First Couple of Officiating: Andrew & Kristin Denninson On this episode of Full Circle Wrestling, we sit down with wrestling officiating power couple Andrew and Kristin Denninson from Kentucky. Both bring an incredible skill set, outstanding experience, fun personalities, and a wealth of knowledge to the profession. We discuss what it's really like being married to a fellow official—the...

n this episode of Full Circle Wrestling, we sit down with Coach Box, the 2024 3C2A Coach of the Year and head coach of the Palomar College wrestling program. Coach Box shares why junior college wrestling is one of the best pathways for many athletes and how Palomar has built a culture of excellence, accountability, and success. We discuss the opportunities available through junior college wrestlin...

🎙️ Full Circle Wrestling Podcast – Arseni Kikiniou On this episode of Full Circle Wrestling , we sit down with one of California's top rising stars, Arseni Kikiniou. Arseni shares his wrestling journey, the sacrifices required to compete at an elite level, and the mindset that has helped him become one of the most respected competitors in the state. We discuss his training philosophy, what separat...

In this episode of Full Circle Wrestling, we sit down with 4-time California State Champion Leilani Lemos, one of the most accomplished and inspiring athletes in girls wrestling. Leilani shares her journey through the sport, the role faith has played in her success, and the importance of family in helping her become a champion both on and off the mat. As a trailblazer for girls wrestling, Leilani...

On this episode of Full Circle Wrestling, we sit down with George Dixon, one of the most respected leaders in wrestling officiating. As the head official for Super 32 and NHSCA High School Nationals, George shares valuable insight into what separates good officials from great ones. We discuss how referees can improve their positioning, communication, consistency, and confidence on the mat, along w...

On this episode of Full Circle Wrestling, we sit down with Gabe Flores to talk about building a championship culture at Clovis North High School. In just his second year as head coach, Gabe led the team to an impressive 6th place finish at the California State Championships, continuing the tradition of excellence in one of the toughest wrestling states in the country. We discuss leadership, develo...

On this episode of Full Circle Wrestling , we sit down with Jonathan Rocha to talk about the mindset, toughness, and discipline that helped shape his wrestling journey. Jonathan wrestled for powerhouse Clovis North High School and became known for his grit after winning a California state title while battling a 105-degree fever — a performance that showed the heart and determination it takes to co...

In this episode of Full Circle Wrestling, we sit down with Stephen Neal — one of the most unique champions in sports history. Stephen is a 2x NCAA Wrestling Champion, Freestyle World Champion, and 3x Super Bowl Champion with the New England Patriots, yet his story goes far beyond titles and trophies. We dive into the mindset that carried him from the wrestling mat to the NFL, the discipline and to...