Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

Glenville State opens 2026-27 season atop Division II Men’s Coaches Association Rankings

MANHEIM, Pa. – Glenville State has taken the top spot in the first NWCA Division II Men’s Wrestling Coaches Association rankings of the season, released by the National Wrestling Coaches Association Thursday.
The Pioneers, who take the top spot for the first time in program history, totaled 70.0 points, edging 2026 National Champions Nebraska-Kearney, which sits second with 61.5. UW-Parkside follows in third with 58.0 points, while UMary (57.5) and Gannon (54.0) round out the top five.
The rankings also show several notable climbs compared with the teams’ 2026 NCAA Division II National Championship finishes. Minnesota State is sixth after placing 18th at the championships, and Tiffin ranks seventh after finishing 16th. Indianapolis is 10th, up from 24th place at Nationals, while Central Missouri is 11th after a 17th-place finish.
Both Minnesota State and UMary feature two top-ranked individuals. Colton Hush sits atop 141 and Dominic Ducato is #1 at 133 for the Mavericks, while UMary’s Jacob Strausbaugh bumps up to #1 at 149 after his 133-pound title last season and Lane Ewing is top-ranked at 165.
Otgonbayar Batsuuri of UNK is atop the 174 rankings after his title a season ago, while McKendree’s Darion Johnson is also back to defend his title at 184, where he is #1 to start the season. A trio of national runners-up from last season find themselves atop the rankings, with Tiffin’s Anthony Aniciete at 125, St. Cloud State’s Joel Jesuroga at 157, and Glenville State’s Nick Johnson at 197 pounds. Carter Blough of … more at … https://nwcaonline.com/news/2026/10/22/ncaa-division-2-men-glenville-state-opens-2026-27-season-atop-division-ii-mens-coaches-association-rankings.aspx

October 23, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Four Wrestlers Named Preseason All-SoCon from Favored Mountaineers

BOONE, N.C. — App State Wrestling had four accomplished returners named to the SoCon’s preseason all-conference team for 2026-27, the league announced Thursday.
Coaches also picked the Mountaineers to finish first in the league. Head coach JohnMark Bentley‘s roster includes three NCAA Championships qualifiers and the seven other wrestlers who were starters in the 10-man lineup for a 2025-26 team that earned a share of another SoCon regular-season title and won a fourth straight SoCon tournament title.
The three NCAA qualifiers from last season — Aldo Hernandez (141 pounds), Tomas Brooker (184 pounds) and Stephan Monchery — plus 2026 SoCon finalist Anthony Conetta (165 pounds) were named to the preseason All-SoCon team.
App State’s 2026-27 season is presented by Hungry Howie’s and Penn Station. The season officially begins Nov. 1 at the Southeast Open.

2026-27 SoCon Wrestling Preseason Coaches’ Poll (FIrst-place votes)
1. App State (8) – 64 points
2. Chattanooga (1) – 56 points
3. Bellarmine – 51 points
4. Gardner-Webb – 40 points … more at … https://appstatesports.com/news/2026/10/22/wrestling-four-wrestlers-named-preseason-all-socon-from-favored-mountaineers.aspx

October 23, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NC State Wrestling Schedule 2026-27: Full Schedule & Key Matchups

View NC State’s complete 2026-27 schedule, featuring every dual, tournament and postseason event for the Wolfpack.
NC State has announced its 2026-27 schedule, a slate that features National Duals, the Southern Scuffle and a challenging ACC schedule as the Wolfpack look to build on their 10th-place finish at the 2026 NCAA Championships.

The Wolfpack open the season at the Southeast Open before competing at the Journeymen Collegiate Classic. NC State’s schedule also includes non-conference duals against Navy, Ohio State, Buffalo and Cornell, along with appearances at the George Mason Patriot Open and Southern Scuffle.
NC State returns three national qualifiers from the 2025-26 season. Zach Redding returns after qualifying for the NCAA Championships at 133 lbs, while Koy Buesgens and Matty Singleton are also back after earning NCAA bids at 149 and 174 lbs, respectively. … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/16231710-nc-state-wrestling-schedule-2026-27-key-matchups?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

October 22, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Returning DI All-Americans for the 2026-27 Season

We’re less than a month away from the start of the collegiate season. This year is shaping up to be one of the most interesting in quite some time. Penn State looms large over everyone, though Oklahoma State appears to be ready to close the gap. Nebraska has settled into a perennial trophy contender status. There’s a lot of young talent at Virginia Tech and Stanford. And don’t forget about Iowa and Ohio State.
With freshmen being able to hit the ground running and win immediately in this era, it makes for some loaded individual brackets as the All-American medal stands are not largely dominated by seniors, as in past eras. In fact, this season only one weight class features fewer than six returning All-Americans (285 lbs – four). Maybe this changes a bit with a couple of weight changes that aren’t sorted out quite yet, but the point remains. On the other end of the spectrum, there’s a weight class with three returning national champions and another with 11 past All-Americans!
Speaking of All-Americans, here are wrestlers who have earned All-American honors, at one time or another, in their careers and will be expected to compete in 2026-27.
125 lbs
Luke Lilledahl (Penn State) – 2026/1st, 2025/3rd
Marc-Anthony McGowan (Princeton) – 2026/2nd
Nico Provo (Stanford) – 2026/3rd
Vince Robinson (Nebraska) – 2026/4th, 2025/1st … more at … https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/returning-di-all-americans-for-the-2026-27-season-r101251/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

October 20, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Robert Morris announces addition of Division I men’s wrestling program

RMU is an all-sports member of the Horizon League. No conference affiliation has been announced.
From Robert Morris Athletic Communications (Link)

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. (October 9, 2026) – Robert Morris University announced today that it will add NCAA Division I men’s wrestling as its newest varsity athletics program, creating new opportunities for student-athletes throughout Western Pennsylvania and across the country, while building on the region’s deep wrestling tradition.

The RMU Wrestling Team is expected to begin competition in the 2027-28 academic year, with additional details regarding the program’s inaugural season, coaching staff, competition schedule, and home venue to be announced as plans are finalized.

“Western Pennsylvania’s wrestling tradition has been built by generations of outstanding athletes, dedicated coaches, and passionate families,” said Dr. Ron Moses, Vice President and Director of Athletics at RMU. “Adding men’s wrestling at Robert Morris gives talented student-athletes another opportunity to compete at the Division I level close to home while earning an outstanding education. We want young wrestlers throughout this region, and beyond, … more at … https://mattalkonline.substack.com/p/breaking-robert-morris-announces?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=3187901&post_id=219593007&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=1wrfjl&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

October 16, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Justin Harty Steps Down as Men’s and Women’s Wrestling Coach

Greensboro, NC – Greensboro College men’s and women’s head wrestling coach Justin Harty has stepped down from his position, effective immediately. Harty led the two programs for five seasons.
Under Harty’s leadership, the Pride saw substantial growth in both the men’s and women’s wrestling programs. Josh Wilson won a National Championship in 2023-24, while multiple other men’s wrestlers have earned all-conference recognition and NCAA Regionals appearances. 
On the women’s side, Destiny Vaughans became the first female wrestler to be named an All-American in 2024-25 under Harty’s tutelage. Both Hailie Misplay and Kyra Tomlinson have been nationally ranked, while Tomlinson earned a trip to the NCWWC Nationals in 2024-25 and the NCAA Regionals in 2025-26. The team had six total wrestlers make the NCAA Regionals in 2025-26. … more at … https://greensborocollegesports.com/news/2026/10/6/mens-wrestling-justin-harty-steps-down-as-mens-and-womens-wrestling-coach.aspx?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

October 15, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Ohio State Wrestling Schedule 2026-27: Full Schedule & Key Matchups

View Ohio State’s complete 2026-27 schedule, featuring every dual, tournament and postseason event for the Buckeyes.
Ohio State has announced its 2026-27 schedule, a slate that includes early-season tournaments, a trip to National Duals and several key Big Ten matchups as the Buckeyes prepare for the postseason.

The schedule features non-conference duals against Columbia, NC State, Bellarmine, Kent State and Clarion before Ohio State enters conference competition in January. The Buckeyes will also compete at the 2026 Clarion Open and the 2026 National Duals in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
The 2026-27 season features a veteran core for the Buckeyes, who return five NCAA qualifiers from last season, including two All-Americans. Ben Davino returns after finishing as the 2026 NCAA runner-up at 133 lbs and winning a Big Ten title, while heavyweight Nick Feldman brings back All-American credentials. 
Ohio State also returns national qualifiers … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/16231311-ohio-state-wrestling-schedule-2026-27-key-matchups?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

October 14, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

5 wrestling freshmen who could compete for national titles this season

Four freshmen won men’s DI NCAA titles last year. These are the freshmen who will be pushing to make similar history this year. The Oklahoma State Cowboys made headlines at last year’s NCAA DI men’s wrestling tournament when they became the first team in NCAA history to put three true freshmen on the top of the podium. Stanford also crowned a freshman national champ, meaning that four of the ten title winners from last season conquered their brackets in just their first seasons as varsity athletes. Three of those four freshmen also had to top former champs in their weight classes as well in order to claim their crown. 
As the focus shifts to the start of the 2026-2027 college wrestling season, these are the rookies most likely to accomplish the same feat this year, ranked by weight class:  

Anthony Knox, 125 pounds, Rutgers

Rutgers’ Anthony Knox is the only freshman on this list who will be looking to win his first title in a weight class that returns its champion from 2026, making his task one of the most difficult ones in the country. But Knox earned his spot here because of his relentlessness, his gritty style and experience taking on the best in the world, and he’s ready to take that mindset to the college landscape and become the third Rutgers wrestler in history to win a national title.  
Knox, much like the other two Rutgers wrestling champs, comes to the Banks as a four-time state champion and a history of dominance in the Garden State. He posted a 144-1 record as a high school athlete and finished his career as the top-ranked athlete in his weight class in the country. Knox also has elite freestyle experience, finishing 11th at the U20 world championships in 2025 and earning a national team spot at 57kg this summer after picking up wins over All-American Liam Cronin, Vincent Kilkeary and Brody Teske. 
The biggest barrier standing between Knox and a national title is 2026 NCAA champion Penn State’s Luke Lilledahl, who has a win over Olympic silver medalist Spencer Lee — an athlete who pinned and teched Knox — earlier this summer. Knox does have a career win over Lilledahl that dates back to 2021, so while Lilledahl has proven himself to be a steady, dependable champion and has put a gap between himself and the Scarlet Knight rookie since then, Knox has the talent to compete. Penn State and Rutgers will dual on January 9, giving fans the first look at how Knox stacks up against last year’s title winner and what he would need to do to close any gaps between January and March in order to become a freshman champ. 
The biggest name amongst this year’s class of freshmen is none other than Bo “Machine Gun Mindset” Bassett. The Pennsylvania native came to Virginia Tech as the highest ranked athlete in the Class of 2026 after a long recruiting process in which nearly every school in the country made a bid for him. Bassett has now settled into Blacksburg and immediately made a splash, earning a spot on the U20, U23 and now, most recently, senior world team at 65kg. He enters his first college season ranked No. 2 by FloWrestling and No. 5 by Intermat based on his wins in college opens against No. 9 Jaxon Joy at 149 pounds and No. 9 TK Davis at 133 pounds over his last two seasons as a high schooler. 
Bassett’s biggest competition will be No. 1 Luke Stanich of Lehigh, … more at … https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling-men/article/2026-10-05/5-wrestling-freshmen-who-could-compete-national-titles-season?lid=r9vbo48km6wu&primo=

October 9, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , | Leave a comment

Talking North Carolina Wrestling with Rob Koll

North Carolina head coach Rob Koll joins us to talk about his team for the 2026-27 season. The Tar Heels start the year ranked 12th in InterMat’s national dual rankings. Coach Koll talks about some of the competition in the room, key parts of the schedule, the much-improved ACC, his coaching tree and much more! … more at … https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/acc/talking-north-carolina-wrestling-with-rob-koll-r101238/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

October 8, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Mat To Mission: Special Warfare Center & School Hosts Wrestling To Inspire Future Force Generation

By: Elvia Kelly – U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School Public Affairs Office

FORT BRAGG, N.C. – When collegiate wrestling athletes meet Army special operations at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, the common ground is forged in sweat, performance, and the pursuit of excellence.
The Special Operations Center of Excellence welcomed 39 members from the University of North Carolina’s wrestling team to experience holistic approaches to physical training, cognitive exercises, virtual reality at the synthetic training environment, and nutrition Q&A sessions at the Human Performance Force Generation Training Center, commonly referred to as HP FORGE, at Fort Bragg, on Sept. 21, 2026.
While physical training and mental grit paralleled both institutions for preparation on the mat and in the operational environment, the visit embodied attributes that would inspire future force generation. “Taking our team to the Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg was eye opening,” said head coach Rob Koll. “A lot of our young athletes don’t necessarily appreciate the size and scope of the training and expertise that goes into preparing our special operations Soldiers. This put our guys through a small taste of it.”
By showcasing the state-of-the-art training center, the Special Operations Center of Excellence put the Department of War’s warrior readiness and human performance initiatives on display. The visit highlighted how both institutions utilize sports science, mental resilience, and advanced nutrition. “Seeing the science behind the methods, how carefully everything is structured for performance, recovery, and resilience, gave our team a whole new level of respect for the process,” Koll said.
Beyond tactical training, the engagement served as a pillar in the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School by informing and building trust with the American people. “The visit doesn’t just provide a tour of what we do here, but it shows the first SOF truth that people are more important than hardware,” said Michael Fields, Human Performance and Wellness deputy director. “We do that in a few ways by demonstrating metric-driven recovery and prevention methods, such as physical therapy, mental health, cognitive performance, and physical training. It’s a one-stop holistic shop for training, performance, and rehabilitation.”
During their visit, the wrestling team divided into three groups to experience a three-station rotation. Each station focused on a unique area: a 30-minute workout led by  … more at … https://goheels.com/news/2026/9/30/mat-to-mission-special-warfare-center-and-school-hosts-wrestling-to-inspire-future-force-generation?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

October 6, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , | Leave a comment

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