N.C. State Wrestling Alumnus, Mike Macchiavello, Wins U.S. Open
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Highlighted by NC State wrestling alumnus Michael Macchiavello winning the Senior Freestyle 92kg bracket, between former and current Wolfpack wrestlers, six landed on the podium at the 2026 U.S. Open in Las Vegas over the weekend.
Across the five days of competition at The Expo at World Market Center in Las Vegas, representatives of NC State wrestling delivered a strong showing at the highly competitive U.S. Open freestyle tournament over the weekend.
Between former and current athletes of the Wolfpack’s program, 11 wrestled in the tournament, while six of those guys found a place on the podium in their respective weight bracket. One alumnus (Mike Macchiavello) and two current freshmen (Will Denny and Cason Howle) earned placements in the top-three. … more at … https://gopack.com/news/2026/4/29/wrestling-alumnus-mike-macchiavello-wins-us-open
Newberry College Women’s Wrestling Recognized Among Nation’s Top Academic Programs by NWCA
NEWBERRY, S.C. — Last month, the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) has recognized the Newberry College women’s wrestling program among the top academic teams in the nation, as part of its 2026 NCAA Women’s Team Scholar All-America Awards.
Newberry earned a team GPA of 3.5795, placing 24th nationally in the NWCA’s Top 40 team rankings. The honor reflects the program’s continued commitment to excellence both in competition and in the classroom.
The NWCA Team Scholar All-America Awards recognize collegiate wrestling programs that demonstrate outstanding academic achievement across their entire roster. This year’s rankings highlight programs that have successfully balanced the demands of elite athletic performance with high academic standards.
In addition to the team recognition, Newberry student-athletes also earned individual academic honors from the NWCA:
Brittany Gordon, Freshman, Exercise Science … more at … https://newberrywolves.com/news/2026/4/21/womens-wrestling-newberry-college-womens-wrestling-recognized-among-nations-top-academic-programs-by-nwca.aspx
Buckeyes Celebrate 2025-26 Season, Announce Team Awards
Ohio State finished 18-1 in duals, boast five All-Americans
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State wrestling program celebrated its successful 2025-26 season at the annual awards banquet last weekend.
It was a tremendous season marked by an 18-1 dual record, the 2025 National Duals Championship, a runners-up finish at the 2026 Big Ten Championships, a fifth-place finish at the 2026 NCAA Championships with five individual All-Americans.
The 2025-26 individual award winners are:
Tommy Rowlands MVP – Jesse Mendez … more at … https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/news/2026/4/21/wrestling-buckeyes-celebrate-2025-26-season-announce-team-awards
Transfer Portal Update (4/22/2026)
The transfer portal continues to produce news on a regular basis and Tuesday was no exception. One of the top lightweight prospects in the nation, Christian Castillo, announced yesterday that he was heading home and transferring to Arizona State.
Castillo tabbed the #14 overall recruit in the high school Class of 2025 after winning a pair of Super 32 titles and making 2022 U17 World Teams in both styles. That year, Castillo earned a silver medal in freestyle. He made the 2023 U17 freestyle team, but did not bring back any hardware.
During his redshirt season at Iowa State, Castillo won seven of eight matches including a title at the Grand View Open and a fourth-place showing at the Midlands Championships. In the semifinals, Castillo fell in sudden victory to Northern Illinois national qualifier, Blake West.
The other notable portal news of the day is that two-time All-American Hunter Garvin will remain with Stanford. Garvin participated in the 2025 NWCA All-Star Classic and then went 1-1 before being lost for the year due to an injury. With Garvin back in the lineup, Chris Ayres’ team could unveil a lineup that features five returning All-Americans (Knox, Valencia, Cardenas, Posada). Without Garvin in the lineup, Stanford still managed to finish sixth at the 2026 NCAA Championships.
Transfers
Christian Castillo (Arizona State) – 125 lbs: From Iowa State
Travis Clawson (Chattanooga) – 125 lbs: Clarion
Alan Koehler (Wisconsin) – 125 lbs: From Nebraska
Brendan McCrone (North Carolina) – 125 lbs: From Ohio State
Vince Robinson (Nebraska) – 125 lbs: From NC State … more at … https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/transfer-portal-update-4222026-r100969/
Seven Blue Devils Tabbed to All-ACC Academic Team
DURHAM, N.C. — The ACC announced Wednesday members of the 2025-26 All-ACC Academic Wrestling team with seven Duke grapplers earning honors.
Receiving accolades for Duke were Raymond Adams, Connor Barket, David Hussey, Owen McGrory, Dylan Ross, Riley Rowan and Spencer von Savoye.
Adams and Barket received recognition for the third year in a row, while Hussey earned honors for the second time. McGrory, Ross, Rowan and von Savoye earned accolades for the first time in their careers.
Duke’s seven selections led all teams in the league, while Pitt and Stanford were second with six each. The Blue Devils have featured at least one All-ACC Academic Team selection in each of the last 19 years.
Academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team include a 3.0 grade point average for the previous two semesters and 3.0 cumulative average during one’s academic career, while being enrolled at the institution for at least one year and being classified as an undergraduate student. In addition, student-athletes must compete in at least 50 percent of their team’s athletic contests. … more at … https://goduke.com/news/2026/4/22/wrestling-seven-blue-devils-tabbed-to-all-acc-academic-team
N.C. State Set to Compete at U.S. Open in Las Vegas
RALEIGH – Between current members of the Pack and graduated alumni, 11 wrestlers are set to compete across various freestyle divisions and weight classes at the 2026 U.S. Open in Las Vegas, starting Wednesday, April 22.
With the collegiate season all wrapped up, freestyle season is officially upon us and kicking off with the U.S. Open in Las Vegas. The tournament at The Expo at World Market Center will run from Wednesday, April 22 to Sunday, April 26.
The full schedule for the event and streaming options can be found on FloWrestling here.
Nine wrestlers are representatives of the Wolfpack RTC right here in Raleigh, guided by RTC coach Jamil Kelly as well as NC State wrestling staff: Pat Popolizio, Zack Esposito, Hayden Hidlay, and Malik McDonald.
In the U-20 division, the rising freshman class of Brogan Tucker, Will Denny, Jason Kwaak, and Cason Howle will represent the Wolfpack RTC. Denny, coming off an impressive collegiate debut in the Wolfpack’s lineup, placed third at 74 kg at the U.S. Open last year.
The senior division features notable names of the NC State lineup – Koy Buesgens, Matty Singleton, and Patrick Brophy, who are also representing the in-house RTC program in Raleigh. … more at … https://gopack.com/news/2026/4/20/wrestling-wrestlers-set-to-compete-at-us-open-in-las-vegas
New Girls Post-Season Wrestling Rankings Shake Up After Women’s Nationals Results
With post-season performances reshaping the landscape, High School On SI’s latest rankings reveal rising stars, tough calls and why every match—win or loss—matters.
This update contains everything since the high school season ended up through the Women’s Nationals. That took us well over a week to go over and led to new candidates emerging and farther research, which led to other shifting in the weight classes.
No Formulas, No Bias—Just Results on the Mat
A few things we want to point out are next. They are procedural and address our approach to the rankings. There is no formula. We don’t have any numerical system. Our rankings are 100% based off the results on the mats. We keep detailed sheets for every wrestler and use ALL matches, not just one result.
Why Losses Matter More Than You Think
You can’t cherry pick and your losses count too. If you have four to five “bad” or losses to unranked girls, one or two, heck sometimes three wins can’t negate those. You will certainly move up but might be behind someone you have a win over because you have losses that outweigh that one win.
Recency Rules: The Weight of Fresh Results
We typically honor the most recent wins over older results. The old results are still there but their importance fades over time as new date takes precedence. Sometimes the only meeting between two wrestlers is an old one, and we will use it. Why not? It’s a data point to be used in the analysis process.
95-Pound Division Still Taking Shape
The 95-pound weight class is growing (up to 17 now). We will not speculate to fill the slots. Eventually, the results on the mat will give us the other candidates. Girls who have been 95 pounds in the past may have grown out of the weight, so we are taking a wait and see approach.
Who’s Eligible—and Who Has to Wait
The last big thing to point out is we are “High School On SI”, so therefore, only high school wrestlers will appear in our rankings unless you reside in a state that allows middle school grapplers to compete with the high school squad. … more at … https://www.si.com/high-school/wrestling/new-girls-post-season-wrestling-rankings-shake-up-after-women-s-nationals-results-01kpv3x5xhca
Chadron State Men’s Wrestling Earns 10 NWCA Scholar All-Americans
CHADRON, Neb. — Chadron State men’s wrestling earned 10 Scholar All-American awards, a program-record, from the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) on Thursday.
The 10 Eagles receiving this honor include Drew Janke, Skyler Geier-Dodson, Aidan Callahan, Wyatt McDermott, Brandon Paredes, Zane Cullers, Keegan Gehlhausen, Mason Villwok, Eli Reese and Dominic Joyce.
This is the fourth consecutive season Paredes has received this honor. Paredes, Villwok and Geier-Dodson were all mentioned in the RMAC Men’s Wrestling All-Academic Honor Roll, released earlier this week. Paredes and Villwok were on the first team, while Geier Dodson made the honor roll.
Chadron State men’s wrestling has progressed academically in recent years, setting new NWCA Scholar honor records in the past two years. The Eagles have gone from six NWCA Scholar All-American awards in 2023-24, to nine awards in 2024-2025 and now to the 10 awards in this past season.
A total of 440 student-athletes, representing 64 of the 71 Division II institutions, were honored for their success in the classroom while competing throughout the season. Leading the nation with 19 honorees was Nebraska-Kearney, followed by McKendree and Colorado Mesa with 15 selections each. … more at … https://chadroneagles.com/news/2026/4/3/mens-wrestling-earns-10-nwca-scholar-all-americans.aspx
Penn State Wrestling Is Having a Remarkable Offseason So Far
After winning their fifth straight NCAA title, the Nittany Lions and Cael Sanderson are maintaining their strong roster.
After winning its fifth straight NCAA wrestling title, Penn State is winning the offseason as well. At least so far.
The NCAA Transfer Portal for wrestling opened April 1, and through the first 10 days, no Nittany Lions have entered. Which is remarkable, considering the program returns enough talent that it could be even better next season. Penn State loses just one starter, returns three undefeated national champions and brings back eight wrestlers who have won All-America honors.
Basically, Penn State’s 10-wrestler starting lineup has one opening, yet no Nittany Lions officially have announced decisions to leave yet. That makes Penn State an outlier in the portal, which closes April 30.
Flowrestling has built an exhaustive transfer tracker listing the dozens of college wrestlers who have entered the portal. Yet none are from Penn State. In fact, Penn State is the only team ranked in InterMat Wrestling’s top 15 without a portal entrant.
“We’re a blessed program. We follow the rules,” Penn State coach Cael Sanderson said at the NCAA Championships in Cleveland. “There’s not a lot of that going on right now. And that’s one of the reasons we can sleep when the wind blows. We train hard and do the right things to the best of our ability and things will work out.”
“We’re a blessed program. We follow the rules. There’s not a lot of that going on right now, and that’s one of the reasons we can sleep when the wind blows.”
Penn State’s Cael Sanderson after winning his 13th NCAA Wrestling title. pic.twitter.com/LRet5BGyYB— Mark Wogenrich (@MarkWogenrich) March 22, 2026
Penn State broke the scoring record at the NCAA Wrestling Championships for the third consecutive season, finishing with 181.5 team points. Luke Lilledahl (125 pounds), … more at … https://www.si.com/college/pennstate/wrestling/penn-state-wrestling-is-having-a-remarkable-offseason-so-far
Endene Transfers to Little Rock
One of the prominent names in the transfer portal announced his next move this afternoon, as Massoma Endene announced that he’ll transfer to Little Rock.
Endene was a three-time DIII national champion for Wartburg and transferred to Iowa during the 2025 offseason. He quickly established himself as a high All-American candidate, at the DI level, after an undefeated showing at the National Duals Invitational. Endene’s victory over the eventual national runner-up, Cody Merrill, clinched Iowa’s win over Oklahoma State. Less than a week later, Endene knocked off returning All-American Mac Stout of Pittsburgh.
Endene’s final match in a Hawkeye singlet came in late-November in the CyHawk dual against four-time All-American Rocky Elam. Somewhere around that time, Endene suffered an injury and was no longer a member of the team in mid-January. He finished 2025-26 with a 6-1 record.
Now, Endene will use his final year of eligibility competing at heavyweight for Little Rock. He and three-time All-American Stephen Little will make for an imposing 1-2 punch at the end of the Trojan lineup. … more at … https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/pac-12/endene-transfers-to-little-rock-r100951/
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 