NCAA D1 Wrestling Week 15 Roundup: Duals Do Matter
The world’s finest collection of noteworthy happenings from the 15th week of the 2025-26 NCAA D1 wrestling season.
I hope you enjoyed the “Big Game” this weekend. I have to call it the “Big Game” because if I say the words Super Bowl™ the NFL will sue me into oblivion.
Oh no, I’ve just said it! I take it back! I’m sorry NFL, I didn’t mean to! Please don’t destroy me and all those whom I hold dear in a litigious tidal wave of pain and destruction!
Week 14 Rankings | Week 15 Box Scores
Roundups: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14
I guess I’ll just have to cross my fingers and pray Roger Goodell takes mercy on a humble college wrestling blogger.
In the meantime, we’ve got another week’s worth of NCAA D1 action to recap! Here are all the noteworthy happenings from week 15 of the 2025-26 season!
The Dual of the Century of the Week
Mania in Jersey Mike’s Arena: Rutgers Defeats Minnesota for the 1st Time Ever
It was a rapturous evening for wrestling fans on the banks of the Raritan River last Friday. This is exactly the thing people mean when they say “dual meets matter”. Dual meet final scores still have no bearing on a program’s finish at the NCAA Championships, however, the right environment and performance in home duals is what grows a fan base, attracts recruits, and builds the foundation upon which improvements in NCAA Championship results are made.
The Scarlet Knights got command performances from #28 Ayden Smith at 125, Andrew Clark at 149, and #32 Anthony White at 157, where they registered upsets of #8 Jore Volk, #19 Drew Roberts and #15 Charlie Millard, respectively.
Things were still in the balance going into the penultimate bout, as #16 Remy Cotton and #25 Gavin Nelson are very evenly matched 197-pounders. That played out on the mat, as the bout went into suddent victory, where Cotton came up huge with a pinfall and a nine point swing for the home team. … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/15392598-ncaa-d1-wrestling-week-15-roundup-duals-do-matter
SUNY Oswego Athletics Mourns The Passing of Legendary Coach James Howard
Oswego, NY – It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of James “Jim” Howard, a legendary figure in collegiate wrestling, a devoted mentor to generations of student-athletes, and an enduring pillar of the SUNY Oswego community.
Jim’s remarkable career spanned more than three decades and left an indelible mark on the sport of wrestling and the lives he touched. For 26 years as head wrestling coach, Jim guided the Lakers with passion, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. Under his leadership, the program produced 28 NCAA All-Americans, including three national champions, and six Top-10 NCAA team finishes, highlighted by a third-place finish at the 1982 National Championships. His accomplishments earned him honors such as Division III Wrestling Coach of the Year (1982) and SUNYAC Coach of the Year (1987).
Beyond wins and accolades, Jim’s influence was rooted in the character he helped cultivate in his student-athletes. Known affectionately simply as “Coach” by those whose lives he shaped, he was celebrated as a true professional and enduring role model, inspiring countless wrestlers to pursue greatness on and off the mat. His service for the broader coaching community included terms as president of the National Wrestling Coaches Association and the Division III Wrestling Coaches Association, rare honors reflecting his stature among peers.
With a lifelong commitment to sport and community, he led a family deeply rooted in athletics and service, with the Howard dynasty at SUNY Oswego and beyond, including multiple family members carrying on the traditions of competition, coaching, and leadership, including Mike Howard, who coaches wrestling and golf, and Britt Howard, head women’s lacrosse coach. … more at … https://oswegolakers.com/news/2026/2/9/wrestling-suny-oswego-athletics-mourns-the-passing-of-legendary-coach-james-howard.aspx
DI Live Streaming Guide (2/11 – 2/15/2026)
We’re into February and coming down the home stretch in the collegiate regular season! From here on out, the majority of the action will be in dual meet competition. Almost all of the DI action this week will come via duals. In most cases, this will be the last week of conference duals. A total of 54 duals will be contested. Since it can be difficult to figure out where and when to watch all of these events, InterMat has put together a list of all of the live-streamed events occurring this week. Below are the dates/times and how to watch each match (with links).
All Times Eastern
Wednesday, February 11:
Morgan State at Franklin & Marshall 6:30 PM FloWrestling
Thursday, February 12:
Lock Haven at Edinboro 7:00 PM FloWrestling
Gardner-Webb at Presbyterian 7:00 PM ESPN+
Oklahoma at Missouri 7:30 PM ESPN+
Friday, February 13:
SIU Edwardsville at Buffalo 6:00 PM ESPN+
Clarion at George Mason 6:00 PM ESPN+
Central Michigan at Kent State 6:00 PM ESPN+
Rutgers at Michigan State 6:30 PM B1G+
Appalachian State at Davidson 7:00 PM FloWrestling
NC State at Duke 7:00 PM ACC Network Extra
Penn at Lehigh 7:00 PM FloWrestling
Ohio State at Penn State 7:00 PM Big Ten Network
Campbell at VMI 7:00 PM
Mercyhurst at Kent State 7:30 PM Kent State Boxcast
Nebraska at Illinois 8:00 PM B1G+
West Virginia at Iowa State 8:00 PM ESPN+
Wyoming at Northern Colorado 8:00 PM FloWrestling
Northern Illinois at Northwestern 8:00 PM B1G+
North Carolina at Virginia Tech 8:00 PM ACC Network
California Baptist at Arizona State 8:30 PM ESPN+
Utah Valley at Air Force 9:00 PM FloWrestling
Michigan at Iowa 9:00 PM Big Ten Network … more at … https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/47_streaming-guide/di-live-streaming-guide-211-2152026-r100810/
Santoro Nets 200th Win at Lehigh as Mountain Hawks Down Morgan State 34-9
BALTIMORE – No. 21 Lehigh picked up its sixth consecutive dual win in the new year with a 34-9 victory at Morgan State Friday night at Hurt Gymnasium. The Mountain Hawks won seven of 10 bouts, scoring bonus points in six of those seven wins.
The victory was No. 200 for Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro as coach of the Mountain Hawks. The 18th-year mentor is now 200-92-1 in charge of the Brown and White.
Lehigh is now 9-6 in duals and a perfect 4-0 against EIWA opponents this season.
Graduate student Sheldon Seymour was given the night off at 125 with sophomore Logan Wadle stepping in against Julian Dawson. Wadle scored the first takedown, but Dawson responded with a second period reversal and late third period takedown to grab a 7-3 decision as the Bears struck first.
First-year Mason Ziegler put Lehigh in front with a 19-3 technical fall victory over Jimmie Jones at 133, with the match ended late in the second period.
Lehigh increased its lead to 11-3 after 141 as sophomore Luke Stanich built a 6-1 lead before pinning Shawn Ryncarz in 1:55 for his first fall of the season.
Morgan State’s lone ranked wrestler, No. 28 Eugene Harney, picked up the Bears’ second win, edging senior Carter Bailey 10-7 in sudden victory. Bailey was making his first dual appearance at 149. He led 4-3 after one period and led by a point into the third before Harney scored a late takedown, which combined with a Bailey escape and riding time, sent the match to overtime. Harney scored the winning takedown with less than a minute remaining in sudden victory.
At 157, sophomore Logan Rozynski needed a late rally to defeat … more at … https://lehighsports.com/news/2026/2/6/mens-wrestling-santoro-nets-200th-win-at-lehigh-as-mountain-hawks-down-morgan-state-34-9
Davidson WildCats Hold off VMI to Equal School Record for SoCon Wins
LEXINGTON, Va. – Davidson claimed a 24-18 win against VMI in Southern Conference wrestling action Saturday afternoon, sealed by DJ Spring II’s sudden victory at 285 pounds inside Cormack Hall.
The Wildcats tied a program record for SoCon victories in a campaign by securing their third league win of the 2025-26 season, which also improved their overall record to 5-11.
With the ‘Cats clinging to a 21-18 lead entering the final bout, Spring II and Drake Garrison entered overtime deadlock at 5-5. Thanks to a take down followed by a near fall, the junior from nearby Newton, N.C., provided the decisive points in a league dual for the second time this season.
In his conference debut, freshman Kiyan Simon secured a 6-5 decision over Kyle Gibson, earning the first points for Davidson and narrowing the gap to 6-3 after VMI initially led due to a 125-pound forfeit.
After Dyson Dunham pushed the Keydet margin to 10-3 with a major decision at 141 pounds, the Wildcats responded with tech falls from Anderson Heap (149 lbs | 21-2) and Tanner Peake (157 lbs | 17-2) to grab their first lead of the match, 13-10.
For Heap, he remained unbeaten against league competition improving to 5-0. … more at … https://davidsonwildcats.com/news/2026/2/7/wrestling-cats-hold-off-vmi-late-surge-to-equal-school-record-for-socon-wins
No. 24 Wrestling Takes Down Ferrum, Clinches Outright Division Title
By: Alex Pearce, Assistant Athletic Communications Director
Story Links
PEMBROKE – No. 24 UNC Pembroke took nine bouts, including seven bonus-point wins, en route to a 43-6 win over Ferrum to close out the regular season and wrap up the Conference Carolinas East Division outright Friday night on Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.
The Braves (15-4, 8-2 CC) improved to 6-0 all-time against the Panthers (6-8, 2-7 CC), as the two squads faced off for the first time since February 5, 2017.
The Black & Gold will be back in action Sunday, February 15 as they play host to the Conference Carolinas Wrestling Championship. The Braves will take on West Division No. 2 seed Montevallo in the semifinals, with action set to begin at 11 a.m and the winner slated to face the winner of West Division No. 1 seed Lander and East Division No. 2 seed Belmont Abbey at 1 p.m.
More information can be found at the Conference Carolinas Wrestling Championship headquarters page.
FERRUM AT #24 UNCP (W, 43-6)
With the match starting at 157 pounds, Tyler Nelson got the Braves on the board first with a decision win. At 165 pounds, Nick Williams started a string of bonus-point wins for the Black & Gold, as Jose Zambrano Canuto (184 pounds), Jackson Buck (197), James Bankston (285), and Cooper Davis (125) each recorded technical falls. After a Ferrum win … more at …
No. 2 Ohio State Completes Home Season Undefeated, Down No. 5 Iowa, 24-9
17-0 start best in program history
COLUMBUS, Ohio — No. 2 Ohio State (17-0, 6-0) concluded the home portion of the 2026 season Friday with a 24-9 win against No. 5 Iowa (9-5, 2-3) at the sold out Covelli Center (4,749).
Ohio State completed the home schedule undefeated (7-0) at the Covelli Center for the first time. The 17-0 overall start to the 2025-26 season is the best in program history.
Starting at 157 pounds, Iowa took a 9-0 lead with three wins by decision. Ohio State then scored 24-unanswered points for the victory.
157 – Victor Voinovich III (IOWA) def. Maddox Shaw (OSU), D, 5-1
The first period ended scoreless. Voinovich got the first score with an escape to start the second. He added a takedown for a 4-0 advantage midway through the period to lead after five minutes. Shaw escaped to begin the third to make it 4-1 Hawkeyes. With a point for riding time, Voinovich got the win by decision, 5-1.
165 – (3) Michael Caliendo (IOWA) def. e’Than Birden (OSU), D, 8-2
Caliendo opened with a takedown. Birden scored with an escape. Caliendo added a takedown to lead 6-1 after the first three minutes. Caliendo added an escape to open the second for a 7-1 lead after two periods. Birden added an escape to make it 7-2 Iowa. With a point for riding time, Caliendo got the win by decision, 8-2.
174 – (3) Patrick Kennedy (IOWA) def. (5) Carson Kharchla (OSU), D, 2-1
Neither wrestler was able to put points on the board in the opening three minutes. Kharchla chose down to start the second and got the escape point for a 1-0 lead. The match stopped briefly for a Kharchla … more at … https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/news/2026/2/6/wrestling-no-2-ohio-state-completes-home-season-undefeated-down-no-5-iowa-24-9
Appalachian State Alumni Day Interviews (2/9/2026)
Here are a pair of interviews from Appalachian State’s Alumni Day on Sunday. … more at … https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/socon/appalachian-state-alumni-day-interviews-292026-r100806/
Makovsky to Retire Following 2025-26 Season
MANKATO, Minn. — Minnesota State men’s wrestling coach Jim Makovsky announced today that he will step down following the 2025-26 season, officially retiring June 30, 2026, bringing a decorated 33-year career at MSU to a close.
Makovsky, who has amassed a 327-149-3 record at Minnesota State, is just the third head coach in the 75-year history of the program. Including four seasons at his alma mater, Valley City State, he holds a career record of 350-169-4. His 350 career wins is eighth all-time in NCAA Division II and among active coaches, he has the second most dual victories in Division II.
“After 33 unforgettable years at Minnesota State University— I have decided that the time is right to retire from my role as head wrestling coach at the end of this season,” said Makovsky.
“This program has been one of the great honors of my life. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside dedicated student-athletes, assistant coaches, alumni, administrators, and supporters who believe in something bigger than themselves. Together, we built a culture rooted in hard work, humility, accountability, and pride-Hungry, Humble, Smart. Watching young people grow, struggle, persevere, and ultimately discover who they can become has been the most rewarding part of this journey.
“I am deeply grateful to every student-athlete who trusted me with their career, every family who shared their son with our program, every colleague who challenged and supported me, and every fan who showed up — in the stands, online, or from miles away to cheer on Maverick Wrestling. This community is special and I’m grateful for all the support and my wrestlers were honored to support it back.
“Coaching is never a solo act. It’s a team effort, and I’ve been blessed to be surrounded by exceptional people at every step. I was fortunate to work alongside excellent assistant coaches, athletic trainers, … more at … https://msumavericks.com/news/2026/2/9/wrestling-makovsky-to-retire-following-2025-26-season.aspx
#9 NC State Survives #12 Pitt on the Road
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – In another conference nail-biter battle, ninth-ranked NC State survived 12th-ranked Pittsburgh on the road Friday night by an 18-13 score that was decided in the final bout.
Facing its final ranked road opponent in dual competition, No. 9 NC State defeated No. 12 Pittsburgh due to heavyweight Isaac Trumble’s victory to close out the dual. The win marks the program’s seventh consecutive win over the Panthers.
Starting at 125 pounds, the Wolfpack took care of business in the first four bouts to climb to a 12-0 team lead. Zach Redding at 133 provided a crucial win over 23rd-ranked Evan Tallmadge to tack on his third ranked victory this season.
Dropping the 157 lb match by major decision gave bonus points to the Panthers to get on the board at the halfway point. Freshman Will Denny got the Pack back on track with a ranked win at 165 to extend NC State’s lead to 15-4 heading into the final four bouts of the night.
The next three matches were claimed by Pittsburgh after sixth-ranked Matty Singleton fell in sudden victory at 174 lbs. Moving into the final bout, the team score stood at 15-13 with the red-and-white leading.
For the second time this season, the win for the Pack was clinched by the sixth-year veteran closer at heavyweight, Isaac Trumble. … more at … https://gopack.com/news/2026/2/6/wrestling-9-nc-state-survives-12-pitt-on-the-road
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
Takedown Report 