NWCA National Duals
Day 1 D2, D3, NAIA Notes
Friday was filled with fireworks at the NWCA National Duals, where a D2 upstart pulled off a big win while D3 and NAIA powers rolled.
Friday morning began with a bang at the NWCA National Duals — and West Liberty was on the ear-ringing end of it.
Minutes after the tournament’s opening whistle, Cole Laya, the reigning Division II NCAA champion at 125 pounds, got knocked off in overtime by returning All-American Dawson Collins of Colorado Mesa.
It was the first of two consecutive narrow defeats for West Liberty, which put the Hilltoppers in a stressful situation early. It became a theme of the day for West Liberty.
Thanks to a pair of victories by Francesco Borsellino in winner-take-all heavyweight bouts, the Hilltoppers advanced with one-point dual wins against Colorado Mesa and Lander to advance to Saturday’s semifinals in Louisville.
Borsellino’s major decision lifted West Liberty past Colorado Mesa 20-19 and his decision against Lander helped the Hilltoppers win by criteria.
The stage was set for the late dramatics in part due to seventh-ranked 133-pounder Vincent Scollo’s 3-1 overtime win against #6 Elijah Lusk.
West Liberty will take on top-ranked Central Oklahoma in Saturday’s semis. The Bronchos rolled into the semis with wins over Augustana (22-12) and Indianapolis (25-9). St. Cloud State will take on the University of Mary in the other D2 semi.
Here’s a look at five more interesting developments from Friday’s men’s competition in Louisville:
— Nebraska-Kearney has been a perennial Division II power for more than a decade. The Mary Marauders are trying to elevate their program to that level. Mary took a big step Friday.
The Marauders pulled off what the school website called the “biggest victory of the school’s NCAA era” on Friday when they downed the reigning NCAA champion Lopers 21-12 in the quarterfinals.
Mary registered six match wins against Nebraska-Kearney, highlighted by third-ranked Max Bruss’ 7-4 win at 174 against #2 Austin Eldredge. The Lopers had a mathematical chance going into 197, but #10 Hayden Prince suffered an apparent knee injury early in the third period of a 2-2 match against Matt Kaylor. Prince injury defaulted later in the period.
— Wartburg, Augsburg, UW-La Crosse and Johnson & Wales entered Friday unbeaten … rest of story at Flowrestling.org/articles/10290866-nwca-national-duals-day-1-d2-d3-naia-notes
NCAA, NAIA divisions set for semifinals at USMC/NWCA Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships
Louisville, Kentucky – Five of the six divisions in action at the Kentucky Exposition Center have reached the semifinals and in all five, the returning champions are in the mix to repeat, while there’s a party crasher or two in the mix.
Central Oklahoma, UW-La Crosse, Grand View, King University and Life each pushed through winning in early-round competition on Friday at the 2022 U.S. Marine Corps NWCA Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships presented by ARMS Software, Defense Soap, and Capital Construction hosted by NUWAY Combat. The NCWA men’s division wrestles its quarterfinals on Saturday morning.
WHAT: U.S. Marine Corps NWCA Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships
HOST: NUWAY Combat
PRESENTED BY: ARMS Software, Defense Soap, Capital Construction, U.S. Marine Corps
WHERE: Kentucky Expo Center, Louisville, Kentucky
WHEN: January 6-7, 2023
WATCH: Flowrestling (Subscription Required)
RESULTS via Trackwrestling.com: NCAA Men | NAIA Men | NCWA Men
NCAA Women | NAIA Women
Division II Men
Top-seeded Central Oklahoma won both its duals on Friday, but it wasn’t exactly easy for the returning National Duals champion Bronchos. Winning six of the 10 bouts against Augustana (S.D.) in the opening round, a couple of high-profile upsets soured what might have been a stellar day for coach Todd Steidley’s squad.
The win over Augustana wasn’t cemented until a 6-1 win at 197-pounds by top-ranked and returning Division II champion Dalton Abney and second-ranked Shawn Streck’s major decision at 285 pounds. The win got them a matchup with No. 8 Indianapolis, which needed a fall at 285 to knock-off upset-minded Gannon 21-19 in the opening round. Trailing by four in the dual, UIndy’s Cale Gray pinned Gannon’s Gehrig Hutchison in 24 seconds to propel the Greyhounds into the quarterfinals.
In the quarters, UCO won seven of the 10 bouts, but UIndy’s wins came over … rest of story at NWCAonline.com/ncaa-naia-divisions-set-for-semifinals-at-usmc-nwca-multi-division-national-dual-meet-championships
North Carolina University TRIO VICTORIOUS AT F&M OPEN
LANCASTER, PA. – The trio of Gavin Kane, Lachlan McNeil and Austin O’Connor paced the No. 25-ranked North Carolina wrestling program at the 10th Annual David H. Lehman F&M Open, hosted by Franklin & Marshall College.
The trio fueled the North Carolina effort on the day, which saw 10 Tar Heels place in the event.
UNC saw runner-up performances by Jayden Scott (149) and Jack Wagner (125), as Spencer Moore (125) also finished top-three in his respective class. Wil Guida (149), Joey Mazzara (165), Cade Lautt (197) and Max Shaw (197) rounded out the day for the Tar Heels placing in the event.
The Tar Heels return to action tomorrow night, heading to the city of Brotherly Love for a dual matchup against No. 27 Penn. The matchup begins at 8 PM, and can be streamed live on ESPN+. … rest of story at GOheels.com/news/2023/1/6/wrestling-trio-victorious-at-f-m-open
College Women’s Wrestling News
NWCA Announces December Winners of the NCAA Women’s Region Wrestler of the Month Awards
MANHEIM, PA – The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) announced their second women’s wrestling Region Wrestlers of the Month awards today. Following a great December, Lana Perez of Gannon University, Sage Mortimer of King University, Jenavi Alejandro of Tiffin University, Alexis Janiak of Aurora University and Hailey Chapman of Colorado Mesa University were all selected Region Wrestlers of the Month.
Region 1
Perez wrestled at 136 pounds at the Northeast Duals where she picked up two pins in her first two matches. The next two matches she wrestled 143 pounds, pinning eighth-ranked Zoe Gress of East Stroudsburg University before earning a technical fall victory over returning All-American, Temitayo Sanusi of Sacred Heart University. Perez went 4-0 with three pins to earn her first career NWCA Regional Wrestler of the Month honor for Perez.
Region 2
Mortimer won two tournaments wrestling at 109 pounds in December, the North Central Open where she defeated a pair of ranked foes as well as the Wasps Open. At the North Central Open she topped fifth-ranked Kendra Ryan of North Central on a 14-4 technical fall in a semifinal before defeating top-ranked Sydney Petzinger of North Central 8-2 in the final. She won all five of her matches at the Wasps Open, including a pin of teammate and third-ranked Dianna Holmes. In the month, Mortimer went 9-0, winning all three of her matches against ranked foes while taking six wins by technical fall and two via pin. This marks the second NWCA Regional Wrestler of the Month honor for Mortimer as she earned her first last season.
Region 3
Alejandro wrestled at 109 pounds and posted a record of 12-1 in December with three wins via pin and five by technical fall. She won the Soldier Salute with four wins, including … rest of story at NWCAonline.com/nwca-announces-december-winners-of-the-ncaa-womens-region-wrestler-of-the-month-awards
Women’s Brackets For NWCA National Duals Are Here!
Check out the women’s freestyle brackets for the NWCA National Duals on January 6-7, then watch live on FloWrestling.
The NWCA National Duals is January 6-7 in Louisville, Kentucky, and brackets for both divisions have dropped. King University enter as the top seed after winning the event last year but they are missing a 191-pounder so the Tornado will have an open weight for every dual.
North Central is seeded second while McKendree, Colorado Mesa is third, and McKendree, the reigning three-time NCWWC team champions, are fourth.
Southern Oregon is the #1 seed in the NAIA division with Grand View second, Life third, and Campbellsville fourth. Life won the 2022 National Duals in dramatic fashion over Campbellsville but the Tigers rebounded by winning their second straight NAIA Invitational title.
Click here for full NWCA women’s brackets … rest of story at Flowrestling.org/articles/womens-brackets-for-nwca-national-duals-are-here
NWCA National Duals Day 1 Women’s Notes
Top-seeded King University (NCAA) and Southern Oregon (NAIA) held court, while McKendree survived a nailbiter against Augsburg.
Day one of the NWCA National Duals had plenty of intrigue highlighted by McKendree’s quarterfinal thriller over Augsburg in the NCAA division. The Auggies led by five entering the 191-pound final and the Bearcats needed a fall for a tie.
Enter McKendree’s three-time national champion, Sydnee Kimber. She was up 8-0 but a 10-0 technical superiority win would give Augsburg a one-point win. Kimber scored a takedown but continued through the move and eventually secured the dramatic fall.
Both coaches approached the scorer’s table to figure out which team won on criteria since the score was tied, 23-23. McKendree eventually won, 24-23, based on the most match points scored (24-18) in matches that did not include a fall.
McKendree is the reigning three-time NCWWC championships and National Duals champions in 2020 prior to reaching the finals in 2022. … rest of story at Flowrestling.org/articles/nwca-national-duals-day-1-womens-notes
High School Girls wrestling
Girls wrestling is on the rise in New York
Fredonia coach Ross Conti called female wrestling “the fastest growing sport in country.”
That is now evident in Chautauqua County.
Last season, Chautauqua Lake was one of three female wrestling varsity teams in New York State and the only girls-only team in Section VI. However, now there are over 35 girls wrestling programs across the state, with four teams in Section VI, including two in Chautauqua County this year. Joining Chautauqua Lake this season is Fredonia, who adds to a list that includes Orchard Park and a Niagara-Frontier League team in Section VI.
“We’re excited to have it at Fredonia,” Conti said of the newly-formed Fredonia team. “I really like our squad of kids. We’ve really had a good time.”
The two pioneer programs in Chautauqua County will share the stage on Wednesday as Fredonia travels to Chautauqua Lake for the first girls-only dual meet in Section VI history.
Fredonia boasts 15 girls on its female wrestling roster this season, with 12 who have competed so far. Conti hopes to have close to 25 female wrestlers next year.
“Most of the girls we have, this is a really new thing for them,” said Conti. “They are learning, they are coming along. This is a tough endeavor, and they are getting the hang of that.”
The Lady ‘Billies are a diverse group of wrestlers, including various other extracurriculars on their resumes.
“It’s great that a lot of these girls are involved in things like orchestra, dance, and all these other things,” said Conti. “You don’t want your team to be one-dimensional.”
The New York State Public High School Athletic Association is in the process of making girls wrestling a fully-sanctioned sport statewide. … rest of story at Observertoday.com/news/top-stories/2023/01/girls-wrestling-is-on-the-rise-in-new-york
Oklahoma Girls travel to Wonder Woman, bring back hardware
Last weekend was the 4th Annual Wonder Woman Tournament held in Columbia, MO. This is the largest women’s only tournament in the country that comes with the some of the toughest competition for high school women’s teams. While it was clear from the start that the odds were against outside states, with Missouri having the majority of their own wrestlers competing, Oklahoma still showed up willing to take their chances.
On Thursday morning, wrestlers showed up from all over getting ready for weigh-in. There was hardly a blank space across the main floor in sight, as they all waited patiently for their teams to be called-in one at a time to be weighed in and added to their perspective brackets. Seats started filling up quickly, with lawn chairs sat up in every available place lining the arena. To say it was a packed house would be an understatement. Supporters from everywhere came to take-in some of the toughest matches and unbelievable wins as the tournament pushed through several hundred matches in the first day. Every division had Fargo placers, … rest of story at Owrestle.com/oklahoma-girls-travel-to-wonder-woman-bring-back-hardware/
NATIONAL GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL RANKINGS FOR JANUARY RELEASED, WITH TWO NEW NO. 1 ATHLETES IN THE HEART OF THE HIGH SCHOOL SEASON
USA Wrestling, FloWrestling and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum has published its January 2023 rankings for high school girls wrestlers for the 2022-23 season. This national ranking evaluates all girls enrolled in grades 8-12, and athletes from all 50 states are eligible for selection.
This ranking leaned heavily on the scholastic season, where athletes have been competing for their high school programs. There are a number of major in-season events where teams from a number of states have participated including the FIGHT tournament in Ohio, the Dan Gable Donnybrook in Iowa, the Women’s West Coast Tournament of Champions in California, the Wonder Woman in Missouri, the Holy Angels in North Carolina and many others.
Some of the traditionally strong high school boys tournaments are now having strong girls divisions, including the Reno Tournament of Champions in Nevada, the Beast of the East in Delaware, the Powerade in Pennsylvania and others. So many strong holiday tournaments were held in numerous states.
The first of the annual state high school championships was held in Alaska in December.
In the January rankings, there were only two new No. 1 athletes since the November selections: Emily Sindoni of New York (132) and Mishell Rebisch of Michigan (152)
Destiny Rodriguez of Oregon, who was No. 1 at 152 last ranking, moved up to 164 pounds, and is now No. 1 at that weight class.
Repeating in the No. 1 positions are Gabriella Gomez of Illinois (100), Audrey Jimenez of Arizona (105), Alex Szkotnicki of Maryland (112), Elena Ivaldi of California (117), Everest Leydecker of Arizona (122), Shelby Moore of Washington (127), Valerie Hamilton of Illinois (138), Maddie Kubicki of Missouri (144), Sabrina Nauss of Michigan (180), Savannah Isaac of Ohio (200) and Kiera Ganey of Illinois (225).
There were only minimal changes in the Pound-For-Pound (P-4-P) rankings. … rest of story at Teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2023/January/06/Girls-High-School-rankings
NCAA Week 9 Roundup: It’s Tourney Time
Recapping all the biggest stories from the ninth week of the 2022-23 NCAA D1 college wrestling season.
The holiday tournament season has come and gone! We delayed our roundup for one day to accommodate the finals of the Southern Scuffle falling on a Monday. Hey, if the Rose Bowl can be postponed a day, why not this, the granddaddy of wrestling blogs?
So this week, we’re focusing on the Midlands, the Soldier Salute and the Southern Scuffle.
The Dual of The Century, of the Week
There were no duals last week, hence there is no dual of the century of the week. Would you like a refill on that Pepsi?
And Now: Tournament Turbo Time
Wildcats Go Wild As Hosts Of The 58th Midlands
Not only did the Wildcats of Northwestern ably perform their hosting duties, they also won the whole dang thing. This was, if you can believe it, the first team win for the Wildcats in program history. … rest of season at Flowrestling.org/articles/10267451-ncaa-week-9-roundup-its-tourney-time
Five Things We Learned About the Big Ten This Week (1/4/23)
by Kevin Claunch and Lauren Muthler; Photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com
Holiday wrestling staples – Midlands and the Southern Scuffle – were back in full force this year, along with the inaugural Soldier Salute in Iowa, giving wrestling fans plenty of options for entertainment and plenty of excuses to escape excessive family festivities.
Several Big Ten teams were in action this weekend for some final competition before diving into the conference dual slate.
Here’s what we learned:
Well-rounded performance leads Northwestern to Midlands win
After 58 years of hosting the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships, the Northwestern Wildcats were crowned the team champions for the first time in program history.
The feat was even more impressive considering the Wildcats were without one of their top wrestlers in Michael DeAugustino at 125 pounds. They also had a few other wrestlers who had limited mat time due to injuries, coach Matt Storniolo told BTN’s Shane Sparks, referring to his team as “the walking wounded.”
Yet, the Wildcats still found themselves hoisting the team trophy at the end of the day thanks to first-place finishes from Lucas Davison (285), Yahya Thomas (149) and Trevor Chumbley (157) and podium finishes from Chris Cannon (2nd at 133), Andrew Davison (3rd at 197), Aiden Vandenbush (7th at 157) and Evan Bates (8th at 184).
The finals match that probably gave Coach Storniolo the most gray hairs was Thomas’ 4-3 decision over Arizona State’s Kyle Parco. Thomas led by a point when Parco got in deep on a shot and the two went off the mat with 15 seconds remaining. The Arizona State coaching staff wanted a takedown to be called, but after review, the two were deemed to have been off the mat and Thomas held on for the win. … rest of story at Rokfin.com/Five-Things-We-Learned-About-the-Big-Ten-This-Week
Presbyterian College Ends Brown Match on 19-0 Run; Splits Tri-Dual at Franklin & Marshall
LANCASTER, Pa. – Swiftly turning a nine-point deficit into a 10-point victory to bring in the new year with their third head-to-head W of the 2022-23 season, the Presbyterian College men’s wrestling team finished off their second straight tri-dual with a 1-1 trek in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on Thursday afternoon, downing Brown 25-15 before falling to hosting Franklin & Marshall in the second half of the two-parter, 33-9.
On the brink of the 10th annual David H. Lehman F&M Open starting tomorrow morning, the Blue Hose continued their lengthy stretch of dual competition with their sixth and seventh consecutive one-on-one meetings in the Keystone State. Redshirt-junior Trenton Donahue and true freshman Tyler Chittum scored a pair of W’s over both the Bears and the Diplomats in the split result, allowing PC to find their second straight match with an unanswered double-digit scoring run in the come-from-behind switch that toppled Brown.
A 12-0 rally in the team’s previous bout with Duke in Clinton very nearly gave Presbyterian the momentum needed to post a major win pre-Christmas, although the Blue Devils squeezed out the decision in the 10th and final match to avoid a blown lead. On this occasion, an even larger scoring spree sealed the deal for PC by securing 19 straight points against Brown on five wins in a row, going from only six team points at the halfway mark to a comfortable victory in the blink of an eye.
Donahue’s pinfall triumph in match #3 gave … rest of story at GObluehose.com/news/2023/1/5/mens-wrestling-pc-ends-brown-match-on-19-0-run-splits-tri-dual-at-franklin-marshall
Davidson Wrestling Drops Pair of Duals at Franklin & Marshall
LANCASTER, Pa. – The Davidson wrestling team returned to the mats for the first time in 2023 with a pair of dual matches against Franklin & Marshall College and Brown University on Thursday afternoon. The Wildcats fell to the Diplomats 29-9 then, had their comeback fall short against Brown, 22-19.
Bryce Sanderlin and Gavin Henry were the lone victors in the first match of the day. Sanderlin dominated the 165-pound bout on his way to an 8-1 victory. Henry, who came into the new year having won five of his last six matches, took care of business by pinning his opponent midway through the second period.
Against Brown, Davidson found themselves behind, 22-0, after dropping the first five bouts. Sanderlin turned the tides with an 11-4 victory that began a run of five straight wins for the Wildcats. After Sanderlin’s win, Jaden Hardrick wrestled up from his normal 165-pound weight class and turned in a victory in a 5-3 decision. Cameo Blankenship followed suit with another hard-fought victory via decision, 6-3. Davidson trailed 22-10 with two matches left.
Gavin Henry made things interesting when he notched his second pin in as many matches by taking down his opponent in a little over three minutes. This gave Jake Fernicola a chance to tie the match in the heavyweight … rest of story at Davidsonwildcats.com/news/2023/1/5/wrestling-drops-pair-of-duals-at-franklin-marshall
National Duals Collision In Louisville
D2 Insider: Top Teams Set
Division II’s top teams have made their way to the Kentucky Expo Center to battle Friday and Saturday in one of the most intriguing events of the year.
Division II’s top teams have made their way to the Kentucky Expo Center to battle Friday and Saturday in one of the most intriguing events of the year — the NWCA Multi-Divisional National Duals.
Central Oklahoma snapped St. Cloud State’s 77-meet dual winning streak in last year’s finals to claim the title.
This year’s tournament in Louisville features 16 teams, including the top four — #1 Central Oklahoma, #2 Nebraska-Kearney, #3 Lander, #4 St. Cloud State. This will be the first major dual test for the Bronchos, Lopers and Huskies.
Here are the first-round pairings:
Central Oklahoma vs. Augustana
Indianapolis vs. Gannon
Lander vs. Fort Hays State
West Liberty vs. Colorado Mesa
St. Cloud State vs. Mercyhurst
McKendree vs. Upper Iowa
Mary vs. Ashland
Nebraska-Kearney vs. Newberry
Colorado Mesa Surging
While there is no shortage of talent at the National Duals, one team that will be looking to continue to build momentum moving forward is Colorado Mesa University, a team coming off of a fourth-place finish at the Midwest Classic in December and is returning to full strength. Colorado Mesa coach Mike Mendoza is happy with his team’s growth.
“Some of the younger guys, I think, are just getting better with every competition, and next up is the National Duals, which is a big deal for us and we are looking forward to it,” he said.
High Hopes for the Second Half of the Season … rest of story at Flowrestling.org/d2-insider-top-teams-set-for-national-duals-collision-in-louisville
NAIA Insider: Can Anyone Get In Way Of Another Grand View-Life Clash?
Grand View has won 10 straight National Duals titles, beating Life in each of the last three years. The NAIA powers could be on another collision course.
Sixteen NAIA men’s teams arrived this week in Louisville for the opportunity to take home one of the division’s biggest prizes — the NWCA National Duals title.
The title trophy has been covered in Grand View prints throughout the past decade. The Vikings won their 10th straight National Duals title last year.
Also of note, the Vikings have met Life University in each of the past three National Duals finals with Grand View winning 23-12 in 2019, 40-0 in 2020 and 21-10 in 2022 (the 2021 tournament was canceled). Grand View and Life hold the #1 and 2 seeds, respectively, yet it is no guarantee these teams clash again.
Let’s look at which other teams will be fighting for a top placement at the national duals.
The Top Half
Grand View will start off its run with Lourdes University from Ohio. Lourdes is currently led by 184-pound national qualifier William Speight, who is on the fringe of the rankings. The winner will face either #8 Reinhardt or #9 Lindsey Wilson. This dual could come down to the wire.
Right below that in the top half, is Baker vs. Indiana Tech. Indiana Tech is the favorite, but Baker’s low seed can be misleading. Baker had a tough time at the Eagle Duals, but has a pair of ranked wrestlers. Meanwhile, Indiana Tech is 8-0 in duals this year, dominating them all.
If the seeds hold, it would be Doane vs. Indiana Tech in the quarter finals. … rest of story at Flowrestling.org/Naia-insider-can-anyone-get-in-way-of-another-grand-view-life-clash
USMC/NWCA Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships invade Louisville with 95 teams across six college wrestling divisions
Manheim, Pennsylvania – The Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville will once again play host to the NWCA’s annual Multi-Division National Duals, which will feature 95 men’s and women’s programs in six divisions.
The 2022 U.S. Marine Corps NWCA Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships presented by ARMS Software, Defense Soap, and Capital Construction hosted by NUWAY Combat takes place January 6-7. The first whistle blows on Friday morning at 10 a.m. with championship bracket action starting across 16 mats.
“We are excited to once again welcome our teams to Louisville for the National Duals. The Kentucky Expocenter has provided us a fantastic venue for this great event,” said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. “These two action packed days of wrestling will highlight some of the top programs from across the country. We can’t wait to get things kicked off Friday morning and crown our National Champions Saturday evening.”
Of the 95 teams, 13 different schools will have both their men’s and women’s wrestling teams in action.
“We are excited to crown dual meet champions Saturday and to put on this great event for so many teams,” said Jackie Paquette, NWCA Deputy Director. “This event brings together both men and women from across the country, and across governing bodies. We are going to have some terrific wrestling here in Louisville this weekend.”
Division II Men
Central Oklahoma snapped St. Cloud State’s NCAA-record 77 match dual meet win streak in the finals in 2022. St. Cloud State set the mark one round earlier in a semifinal win over Nebraska-Kearney. The top-seeded Bronchos have won 19 duals in a row, dating back to the 2019-20 season and will open up with longtime Division II contender Augustana (S.D.). Nebraska-Kearney, winner of National Duals championships in 2003 and 2007, will be seeded second and open up with Newberry, which made a Cinderella run into the semifinals last season. St. Cloud State has won six Division II National Duals titles. The Huskies are seeded third and will open up with Mercyhurst, while West Liberty is seeded fourth. The Hilltoppers will face Colorado Mesa in the opening round. Lander, Upper Iowa, Mary and Indianapolis round out the top eight seeds.
Division III Men
Wartburg and Augsburg were both unable to attend in 2022, … rest of story at NWCAonline.com/usmc-nwca-national-dual-meet-champions-brings-96-teams-6-divisions-to-kentucky-expocenter
Cornell Controls #3 Arizona State In 19-12 Win At FloWrestling Duals
AUSTIN, Texas — The Cornell wrestling team picked up a signature win, handing third-ranked Arizona State its first dual loss of the season and controlled throughout in a 19-12 victory over the Sun Devils on Wednesday evening at the FloWrestling Duals. The Big Red improved to 3-2 with the win, its first over a top five opponent since knocking off then-No. 4 Ohio State 19-18 on Feb. 19, 2017.
Cornell won both feature matches a pair of top five contests over the final three bouts. In all, the Big Red won four of five matches between ranked grapplers on the evening.
Vito Arujau’s buzzer-beating takedown of fourth-ranked Michael McGee at 133 pounds completed a comeback to remain unbeaten on the season with a 7-5 triumph. The win was the second of the season over McGee, who he defeated 6-1 a month ago in the finals of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. The two-time All-American is 8-0 against ranked wrestlers so far this season.
Three-time NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis also shook off a challenge at 149 pounds from No. 5 Kyle Parco, a two-time All-American. The senior picked up his 98th career win with an 8-2 victory, picking up the pace after a scoreless first period to cement the team win.
The Big Red won three of four matches from 165 to 197 highlighted by a dominant 13-0 major decision win by Chris Foca at 174 pounds. The junior chased a tech fall int he third, but put the only bonus points on the board for either team. … rest of story at Observertoday.com/news/top-stories/2023/01/girls-wrestling-is-on-the-rise-in-new-york
WIN’s Jan. 4 Rankings preview big duals to start 2023 this weekend
The holidays are over and NCAA Division I college wrestling teams will now focus on their dual-meet schedules. That includes four schools, ranked among the Top 10 in WIN’s Jan. 4 dual rankings, presented by Cliff Keen Athletic, that will meet this weekend. No. 3 Iowa State, which moved up two spots, will entertain No. 4 Arizona State on Sunday, Jan. 8, the same day No. 6 Missouri plays host to No. 9 Northern Iowa.
Penn State, which travels to No. 14 Wisconsin on Friday, remained No. 1 in both WIN’s dual rankings and Tournament Power Index (97.5 points), which projects where schools will finish in the 2023 NCAA Championships, held this March in Tulsa, Okla. The Nittany Lions (7-0) feature eight ranked wrestlers, including four who are ranked No. 1 nationally: Roman Bravo-Young (133), Carter Starocci (174), Aaron Brooks (184) and Greg Kerkvliet (Hwt).
The following is a breakdown of the points from the TPI, based on a wrestler’s ranking: 20 for 1st, 16 for 2nd, 13.5 for 3rd, 12.5 for 4th, 10 for 5th, 9 for 6th, 6.5 for 7th and 5.5 for 8th. Wrestlers ranked 9-12 earn two points each, followed by 1.5 points for wrestlers ranked 13-16 and 1 point for those ranked 17-20.
There is a strong three-way battle between the next three schools in WIN’s TPI as five points separate No. 2 Iowa (66), No. 3 Missouri (64.5) and No. 4 Iowa State (61.5), while Cornell (57.5) rounds out the Top-5 schools in the TPI.
Individually, there is a new No. 1 at 157 pounds in Nebraska’s Peyton Robb, who moved up one spot after Princeton’s Quincy Monday, ranked No. 1 at 157 before the holidays, moved up to 165 pounds. The Tiger was the 2022 NCAA runner-up and is ranked No. 4 at the heavier weight class after he recently won a Midlands championship at that weight. … rest of story at WIN-magazine.com/2023/01/04/wins-jan-4-rankings-preview-big-duals-to-start-2023-this-weekend
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 