#8 N.C. State Wolfpack Inches Past Cornell in Final Dual of the Season
RALEIGH – Eighth-ranked NC State wrestling defeated Cornell 19-18 at home for its final dual of the 2025-26 season to finish 15-4 overall and 5-1 in the ACC.
In his 14 years at the helm, Pat Popolizio has secured 12 total seasons with a dual record of at least 10 wins, the two outlying seasons being his first in Raleigh and COVID.
The Wolfpack and Big Red split the dual, claiming five bouts apiece, proving bonus points to be crucial. NC State won the first four bouts while Cornell took the final four.
Technical falls by sixth-years Isaac Trumble and Zach Redding help boost the Pack to a 16-0 lead before dropping the first match for the red-and-white.
At 149 lbs, Koy Buesgens had the highlight of the night, defeating No. 2 Jaxon Joy for the highest-ranked win of his career and shutting down Joy’s undefeated season.
Matty Singleton dropped a tight match with No. 2 Simon Ruiz at 174 lbs by a 8-6 decision despite jumping out to a 6-2 lead at the start.
Up Next
The Wolfpack prepares for the ACC Championship, … more at … https://gopack.com/news/2026/2/20/-8-wrestling-inches-past-cornell-in-final-dual-of-the-season
Mount Olive Women’s Wrestling Sits Third After Day One of NCAA Women’s Wrestling Regional #3
FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. — The University of Mount Olive women’s wrestling team delivered a strong showing on day one of the 2026 NCAA Women’s Wrestling Regional #3, hosted by Emmanuel University on Friday in Franklin Springs, Ga. The Trojans ended the opening day in third place with 62.5 points, placing five wrestlers into the championship semifinals and three into the consolation bracket.
According to the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) team rankings, updated Feb. 12, Presbyterian and King entered the weekend tied for fifth, while Emmanuel stood 10th nationally. After day one of competition, the team standings are as follows:
- Presbyterian – 85 points (10 championship semifinalists)
- Emmanuel (Ga.) – 67 points (6 championship, 3 consolations)
- Mount Olive – 62.5 points (5 championship, 3 consolations)
- King – 55.5 points (6 championship)
- Delaware State – 42 points (3 championship, 4 consolations)
Championship Bracket Performances
At 110 pounds, Katie Simmons opened with a dominant 10–0 technical fall over Aniyah Baker (Huntingdon) before pinning Dusti Casperson (Southern Virginia) in 2:29 during the quarterfinals. Simmons will face Chloe Dearwester of Presbyterian College in the semifinals.
Top-seeded Lilian Prendergast (103) received a first-round bye and then needed just 1:05 to pin Celeste Welch (Newberry) in the quarterfinals. She advances to the semifinals against Rebekah Jean-Baptist of Emmanuel.
At 207 pounds, Zaria Robinson impressed with two quick victories, pinning Riley Stokes (Newberry) in 0:31 and earning a 10–0 technical fall over Allison Gabarrete (Emory & Henry). Robinson will face L.J Peters (Randolph) in the semifinals.
Kaylsee Hill (138) recorded back-to-back falls, pinning Seani Casperson (Southern Virginia) in 2:03 and Aalijah Pineda (Emmanuel) in 5:29. Hill will meet Carina Gianeruso of Presbyterian in the semifinals.
At 180 pounds, second-seeded Journey Land received a first-round bye and then pinned Jehieli Velez (Delaware State) in 2:20 to move into the semifinals, where she will take on Morgan Linton (McDaniel).
Consolation Bracket Highlights
Ahriana Scales (117) rebounded after a quarterfinal loss with a 2:58 pin over Rebekah Kinkade (Allen) and will continue in the consolation bracket against Ariana Carnahan (McDaniel).
At 131 pounds, Bella Murillo opened with a 14–2 technical fall over Nadia Ungurean (Frostburg State), … more at … https://umotrojans.com/news/2026/2/20/womens-wrestling-mount-olive-womens-wrestling-sits-third-after-day-one-of-ncaa-womens-wrestling-regional-3.aspx
Tomlinson Reaches Semifinals of NCAA Regionals
Franklin Springs, GA – Greensboro College Women’s Wrestling competed in day one of the NCAA Regionals on Friday at Emmanuel University.
Kyra Tomlinson went 2-0 in the 138lb class to advance to Saturday’s semifinals. She defeated Annalie Mejia of Waynesburg in round one, and then took down Stephanie Noel of Randolph in the quarterfinals. Tomlinson will wrestle Ruby Julien-Newsom of King University in the semifinals.
Hailie Misplay wrestled in the 145lb class and went 2-1 on Friday. She lost her first match of the day, but then won 10-0 in her second match, followed by a 10-6 victory in her third match of the day.
Breanna Davis went 0-2 in the 110lb class for Greensboro, … more at … https://greensborocollegesports.com/news/2026/2/20/womens-wrestling-tomlinson-reaches-semifinals-of-ncaa-regionals.aspx
Presbyterian College Goes 14-0 in Day One of Regional Tournament, All Ten Wrestlers Advance
FRANKLIN SPRINGS, Ga. – The fifth-ranked Presbyterian College women’s wrestling team was quite literally perfect on Friday afternoon in the first two rounds of the Southeast Region Championships, qualifying all 10 competitors to the Semifinals tomorrow.
PC wrestled 14 times and never lost, off to a tremendous start in their pursuit of a second consecutive Region title. Two new rules for the first season of women’s wrestling under the NCAA banner: teams can only qualify a maximum of 10 to Nationals next month and the Regional bracket is split up into two days.
The Blue Hose were unimpeded all day at Emmanuel, pinning eight opponents … more at … https://gobluehose.com/news/2026/2/20/womens-wrestling-pc-goes-14-0-in-day-one-of-regional-tournament-all-ten-wrestlers-advance.aspx
Mid-South Conference includes Lewis on Champions of Character Team
BOWLING GREEN, Ky.— According to a release from the Mid-South Conference (MSC) office Friday morning, Montreat College women’s wrestling senior Nicole Lewis landed on the 2025-26 MSC Women’s Wrestling Champions of Character Team. In total, 13 student-athletes garnered the annual league honor.
A senior from Chugiak, Alaska, Lewis is 20-20 on the season entering the MSC Women’s Wrestling Championships. Earlier this season, she appeared in the 160-lb weight class rankings of the NAIA Women’s Wrestling Coaches’ Top 20 for the first time in her collegiate career.
The MSC recognizes a Champions of Character Team for each championship sport. The student-athletes honored on this year’s MSC Women’s Wrestling Champions of Character Team were nominated by their coaches based on their leadership on and off campus, as well as their demonstration of the NAIA’s five core character values. … more at … https://montreatcavaliers.com/news/2026/2/20/womens-wrestling-mid-south-conference-includes-lewis-on-champions-of-character-team.aspx
Six Consecutive Individual Wins Propel The Citadel Past Gardner-Webb, 19-13
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. — Carried by six straight individual wins stretching from Carson DesRosier (149 lbs) to Adam Ortega (197 lbs) and highlighted by a sudden victory stunner courtesy of Jacob Silka (174 lbs), The Citadel (8-6, 4-0 SoCon) showcased late-season resiliency in the team’s penultimate road clash at Gardner-Webb (4-11, 1-3 SoCon), rallying from an early double-digit deficit en route to an eventual 19-13 victory Friday evening at Paul Porter Arena.
“In the six years I have been apart of the program here at The Citadel, Gardner Webb has always fought really hard against us and they have always brought their best,” interim head coach Luke Welch said. “Gardner Webb beat Air Force at the beginning of the year and we lost to Air Force. Knowing that and the history, I told the guys we needed to be ready to go, but we weren’t and found ourselves in a dogfight. Fortunately, we found a way to get the win but have to learn from this match and get better from it. I do think it’s a positive for our guys to experience a dogfight before getting into post season play.”
Next up, the four-event roadtrip … more at … https://citadelsports.com/news/2026/2/6/wrestling-six-consecutive-individual-wins-propel-the-citadel-past-gardner-webb-19-13.aspx
Foca Added To UNC Wrestling Staff
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Two-time NCAA All-America wrestler Chris Foca has joined the North Carolina wrestling staff as the program’s recruiting coordinator, head coach Rob Koll announced Wednesday morning.
In his new role with the Tar Heels, Foca will assist the program in team travel, on-campus recruiting, match day planning and operations, donor relations and all program related events.
No stranger to working with Koll, Foca was recruited to Cornell during Koll’s tenure with the Big Red, winning 95 matches during his four-year career. A four-time NCAA qualifier, Foca finished third at 174-pounds in 2023 and fifth at 184-pounds a season ago.
Prior to his time in Ithaca, Foca was a five-time member of the US National Team and the 2019 New Jersey state champion.
A 2025 graduate of Cornell, … more at … https://goheels.com/news/2026/2/18/foca-added-to-wrestling-staff
No. 2 Ohio State Completes Dual Season, Down Terps 29-16
Buckeyes turn attention to Big Ten, NCAA championships
COLUMBUS, Ohio — No. 2 Ohio State (18-1, 7-1) completed the 2025-26 dual season with a 29-16 win at Maryland (4-9, 0-8) Sunday at the Schanwald Pavilion in College Park. The Buckeyes won six matches against the Terrapins, all by bonus points.
Ohio State now begin preparations for the 2026 Big Ten Championships March 7-8 at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pennsylvania.
125 – (2) Nic Bouzakis (OSU) def. Abram Cline (UMD), TF, 15-0
Bouzakis opened with a takedown and two four-point nearfalls for an 11-0 advantage after the opening three minutes. Bouzakis added an escape to open the second and added a takedown for a 15-0 win by technical fall.
141 – (1) Jesse Mendez (OSU) def. Dario Lemus (UMD), F, 4:04
Mendez scored two takedowns in the first 25 seconds of the match. Lemus countered with a pair of escapes and a takedown to make it 6-5 Mendez. Another two takedowns for Mendez made it 13-6 Buckeyes. A fifth takedown for Mendez upped the lead to 16-7 after the first period. An escape and takedown by Mendez made it 20-7 before Mendez got the pin at 4:04.
149 – (4) Carter Young (UMD) def. Brogan Fielding (OSU), MD, 14-3
Young struck first with a takedown followed by a Fielding escape to make it 3-1. Another takedown for the Terrapin increased the lead to 6-1. Fielding added an escape to go to the second period trailing 6-2. Starting from bottom, Fielding escaped again before a Young takedown made it 9-3. Young opened the third with an escape and then a takedown for a 13-3 lead. With a point for riding time, Young got the win 14-3.
157 – Mekhi Neal (UMD) def. Daxton Chase (OSU), D, 4-1
There was no score after the opening three minutes. Neal opened the second with an escape point as did Chase in the third. Neal then got a takedown in the final minute for a 4-1 win by decision.
165 – (16) Paddy Gallagher (OSU) def. AJ Rodrigues (UMD), TF, 23-7
Gallagher opened the second half of the match with takedown for a 3-0 lead after the opening period. Rodriques started the second with an escape point before a Gallagher takedown made it 6-1 Buckeyes. Another Rodrigues escape and Gallagher takedown increased the lead to 9-3 Ohio State. Gallagher added a takedown to lead 12-4 going to the third. Gallagher opened the third with a reversal for a 10-point lead (14-4). Gallagher finished off the bout for 23-7 win by technical fall.
174 – Seth Digby (UMD) def. T.J. Schierl (OSU), SV, 4-1
There was no scoring in the first three minutes. Schierl started with an escape in the second for the only scoring before the final period. Digby tied it at 1-all with an escape to send the bout to sudden victory. Digby then got the win with a takedown, 4-1.
184 – (8) Dylan Fishback (OSU) def. Sepantra Ahanj-Elias (UMD), 17-4
Fishback started with a pair of takedowns and built more than two minutes of riding time on his way to a 6-1 lead after the opening period. Another takedown after an Ahanj-Elias escape made it 9-3 Buckeyes. Fishback led 12-3 after five minutes and added an escape for a 13-3 lead early in the third. With another takedown and a point for riding time, Fishback got the win by major decision. 17-4.
197 – (17) Branson John (UMD) def. (10) Luke Geog (OSU), Fall, 4:20
Geog score first with an escape before a second-period John takedown and pin earned the win for the Terp.
HWT – (3) Nick Feldman (OSU) def. Joey Schneck (UMD), TF, 19-3
Two quick takedowns propelled Feldman to a 6-1 lead in less than 30 seconds. Feldman added two more takedowns for a 12-3 advantage with more than a minute to go in the opener. Feldman added a four-point nearfall to make it 16-3 after three minutes. A quick takedown in the second earned the 19-3 win by technical fall to close out the dual season for the Buckeyes.
| Wt. | No. 2 Ohio State at Maryland | OSU | UMD |
|---|---|---|---|
| 125 | (2) Nic Bouzakis (OSU) def. Abram Cline (UMD), TF, 15-0 | 5 | 0 |
| 133 | (2) Ben Davino (OSU) def. (13) Braxton Brown (UMD), MD, 11-2 | 9 | 0 |
| 141 | (1) Jesse Mendez (OSU) def. Dario Lemus (UMD), F, 4:04 | 15 | 0 |
| 149 | (4) Carter Young (UMD) def. Brogan Fielding (OSU), MD, 14-3 | 15 | 4 |
| 157 | Mekhi Neal (UMD) def. Daxton Chase (OSU), D, 4-1 | 15 | 7 |
| 165 | (16) Paddy Gallagher (OSU) def. AJ Rodrigues (UMD), TF, 23-7 | 20 | 7 |
| 174 | Seth Digby (UMD) def. T.J. Schierl (OSU), SV, 4-1 | 20 | 10 |
| 184 | (8) Dylan Fishback (OSU) def. Sepantra Ahanj-Elias (UMD), 17-4 | 24 | 10 |
| 197 | (17) Branson John (UMD) def. (10) Luke Geog (OSU), Fall, 4:20 | 24 | 16 |
| HWT | (3) Nick Feldman (OSU) def. Joey Schneck (UMD), TF, 19-3 | 29 | 16 |
#GoBucks
The Citadel Rallies Past Bellarmine, Edges Davidson in Sunday Doubleheader Sweep
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Highlighted by pairs of individual wins from Jacob Silka (174 lbs), a key Brodie Porter (184 lbs) fall and a pair of late decisions from Adam Ortega (197 lbs) and Roy Price III (285 lbs), The Citadel (10-7, 6-1 SoCon) orchestrated a clean sweep of Southern Conference adversaries Bellarmine (7-7, 4-3 SoCon) and Davidson (5-13, 3-4 SoCon) during the program’s doubleheader homecoming, initially mounting a comeback victory over the Knights en route to a 22-13 decision before narrowly escaping Davidson behind a 20-14 mark Sunday afternoon at McAlister Field House.
Next up, the Bulldogs officially close out the 2025-26 regular-season campaign with a key rivalry clash against VMI, hosting the Keydets on Sunday, Feb. 22, start time set for 2 pm ET. Notably, The Citadel will celebrate 10 long-time members of the program as part of Senior Day festivities prior to the dual.
FINAL RESULTS
The Citadel def. Bellarmine, 22-13
Sunday, Feb. 15 | McAlister Field House | Charleston, S.C.
125 —Gylon Sims (CIT) over Joe Calvin (BELL), DEC (5-3) … more at … https://citadelsports.com/news/2026/2/15/wrestling-rallies-past-bellarmine-edges-davidson-in-sunday-doubleheader-sweep.aspx
One for the Thumb – No. 15 Lander Dominates Twice to Win Fifth Straight Conference Carolinas Title
PEMBROKE, N.C. – The 15th-ranked Lander Wrestling team turned in one of the most dominant days in program history Sunday, winning 19 of 20 bouts to claim their fifth-straight league crown at the Conference Carolinas Wrestling Championship inside Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.
Lander rolled past Belmont Abbey, 43-3, in the semifinals before shutting out host and 24th-ranked UNC Pembroke, 39-(-2), in the championship match. Both victories marked the largest margins over each opponent in program history. The title is Lander’s third under the current Conference Carolinas banner, to go along with two South Atlantic Conference Carolinas championships.
The Bearcats’ 43 points in the semifinal were their most ever in the Conference Carolinas Championship, while the 39 points in the title bout were the most in a championship match in program history and the second-most ever at the championship site.
Semifinal: #15 Lander 43, Belmont Abbey 3
Lander made sure there would be no repeat of November’s early deficit against the Crusaders.
Kaden Kuenzi and #7 James Joplin opened the dual with bonus-point wins to stake the Bearcats to a 9-0 lead. After Belmont Abbey picked up its lone win at 141, Lander slammed the door with seven straight victories, six coming with bonus points.
Isham Peace earned his fourth major decision of the season at 149, and Noah Roulo shook off a frantic opening period at 157 to roll to a 27-11 technical fall. David Hunsberger pushed his Division II-leading tech fall total to 12 with a 19-3 victory.
Maxwell Kiel clinched the dual with a shutout major decision against his former team. Dylan Kohn added another major at 184 before Marvelous Rutledge and Isaac Sheeren capped the rout with first-period pins…. more at … https://landerbearcats.com/news/2026/2/15/wrestling-one-for-the-thumb-no-15-lander-dominates-twice-to-win-fifth-straight-conference-carolinas-title.aspx
TDR blog
After 20 seasons of publicizing wrestling The TakeDown Report’s (TDR) focus has changed to the collecting of college coaching records from North America since 1903. We will continue to recognize and reward successful wrestlers in eastern North Carolina (east of Raleigh & Fayetteville), assist with schools in starting or re-starting a team and this blog. Join us on our FaceBook Page – “The TakeDown Report” for photos and news. Please send results, stories, links and news to pass along. E-mail us at takedownreport@gmail.com
Martin Fleming, Editor
Takedown Report
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