Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

2022-23 NAIA Men’s Wrestling Preliminary Brackets Released

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – (Brackets – PDF | Watch Live) The preliminary brackets for the 2023 NAIA Men’s Wrestling National Championships have been released by the National Office. Once again, Hartman Arena in Park City, Kansas will be the site for all the action. The battles across 10 weight classes will run March 3rd and 4th. 

All matches at the national championships for Sessions I, II, and III will be stream live via FloWrestling. Access to the live results and brackets can be found through TrackWrestling. The championship bouts on Saturday will air on ESPN3 (www.watchespn.com).

Brackets were verified and approved by the NAIA-Wrestling Coaches Association Bracketing Committee. Previously, the 18-member committee consisting of conference raters and oversight members met to select the remaining at-large qualifiers. Next, the 18-member committee along with three new oversight members determined the ranking order of each weight class. This was used as the basis for the Bracketing Committee and later verified. 

Each conference tournament awards automatic bids per weight class based on the final regular-season poll, which can be seen HERE. The automatic berths were awarded based on the amount of wrestlers ranked in each weight class. Each conference was awarded a minimum of one automatic bid per weight class, which went to the tournament champions, even if the conference did not have any wrestlers ranked in the final regular-season poll. 

The Cascade Collegiate Conference led all conferences with 57 individual qualifiers. The Heart of America Athletic Conference was second with 43 student-athletes while the Mid-South Conference was … rest of story at NAIA.org/sports/mwrest/2022-23/Releases/Preliminary_Bracket_Release

February 27, 2023 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee releases qualifying tournament allocations for 2023 championships

INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee has announced the pre- allocation spots for the 2023 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships as listed in the chart below.

Each qualifying tournament was awarded pre-allocations to the national tournament based on regular season performance by conference wrestlers through February 19. The pre-allocations were determined by using a sliding scale of the three standards while never going below the base of .700 winning percentage, top 30 coaches’ ranking and top 30 RPI ranking until reaching the maximum of 29 wrestlers per weight class.

For each wrestler that reached the threshold in at least two of the three categories, his conference tournament was awarded a qualifying spot in that weight class. Each conference was awarded a minimum of one automatic bid per weight class, which will go to the tournament champion, even if they did not have any wrestlers reach at least two of the three thresholds. NCAA championship spots for each qualifying event will be awarded at conference tournaments based solely on place-finish.

After all the conference tournaments have concluded, the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet in-person to select the remaining 46 at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 7, while brackets and seeding will be announced on NCAA.com at 8 p.m. on March 8. All weight classes will consist of 33 wrestlers. … rest of story at NCAA.com/news/wrestling/article/2023-02-23/ncaa-division-i-wrestling-committee-releases-qualifying-tournament-allocations-2023

What the college wrestling allocations mean for the NCAA championships

Every year, the NCAA wrestling conference allocations release generates a new flurry of excitement for fans. How hard will it be to qualify in a given weight? Who is most likely to secure an NCAA tournament bid? Who is at risk of just missing a ticket to the Big Show? These allocations determine how many placewinners at each respective conference tournament automatically earn a spot at the national tournament in each weight and how high a wrestler needs to finish in order to secure his spot at the NCAA championship.

The allocations are determined by the following criteria: regular season results through February 19, winning percentage, coaches rankings and RPI. Here are the allocations for this year:

CONFERENCE125133141149157165174184197285TOTAL
Atlantic Coast Conference234333354334
Big 12 Conference657778646864
Big Ten Conference9999108799988
Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association655235445645
Mid-American Conference212541421123
Pacific-12 Conference331212213118
Southern Conference121111211112
Pre-Allocations29282929292828262929284
At-Large454445574446

Here’s what they mean:

SoCon wrestlers have to win a conference title to qualify in eight of 10 weights

The Southern Conference earned the fewest automatic qualifier bids again this year, securing just 12 spots for placewinners. At 125, 141, 149, 157, 165, 184, 197 and 285 pounds, only the winner has a guaranteed spot in the NCAA tournament. Runners-up automatically earn bids at 133 and 174 pounds. The rest of the field will have to hope for an at-large bid. … rest of story at NCAA.com/news/wrestling/article/what-college-wrestling-allocations-mean-ncaa-championships

No Allocation, No Worry

Today, NCAA Allocations will be released! It’s the first step in determining who will wrestle in Tulsa at the 2023 NCAA Championships. A formula that takes into account RPI, winning percentage, and coaches rankings will divvy out allocations to each conference; with no more than 29 being handed out per weight class. The rest will be at-large berths.

The beauty of this format is that even if you did not earn an allocation for your conference, you could also “steal” one as they are open to anyone in the conference that places in the range allocated by the NCAA. That scenario is quite common. In fact, we’ve looked at a handful of wrestlers that did not earn allocations at their respective conference tournaments, yet still got to compete at nationals last season.

Wrestling By Pirate’s Allocation List

141 lbs

Stevan Micic (Michigan)

2021-22 Regular Season Record: 6-4

Micic had a limited regular season and didn’t end up having the postseason success we’ve been accustomed to seeing out of him. He ended up getting an NCAA berth with a fourth-place finish in the Big Ten. That led to a 24th seed in Detroit and he advanced to the NCAA Round of 12 before getting eliminated. … rest of story at Intermatwrestle.com/articles/utm_source=Wrestling+News

Can These Schools Produce Their First DI National Qualifiers?
As we head into the postseason, there are plenty of potential stories to follow. One storyline that may not be as obvious as others is following the schools that could see their first DI national qualifiers in 2023. With more teams on the horizon, joining the ranks of DI wrestling, this could be a good annual storyline to follow in the coming years. 

For 2023, there are three schools that have their sights set on pushing wrestlers through their respective conference tournaments to DI nationals for the first time. None of these schools had any wrestlers earn allocations for their conference so, it will be a bit of an uphill battle. But, as anyone who has followed the collegiate postseason for any length of time could tell you, things get unpredictable in March. Upsets happen, injuries are unfortunate but expected, and regular season results get flipped, regularly. 

Below are the three teams seeking to see their first DI national qualifiers. Underneath the team name is the weight classes where they appear to have the best odds at qualification. The number in parentheses is the allocations available in that particular weight class. 

California Baptist
125 (6), 165 (8), 184 (4) Probably the school on this list most likely to crown its first national qualifier(s) is California Baptist. They have three solid options, three of which, compete at weight classes with six or more allocations. … rest of story at Intermatwrestle.com/articles/26531?utm_source=Wrestling+News

February 27, 2023 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Abraham Lincoln: The US President who honed his political skills through wrestling

Find out how the 16th President of the United States became a county champion wrestler, why he was celebrated for a victory in Illinois, and who the only person to beat him in 12 years was.
Abraham Lincoln is one of the most famous politicians in history, but it is less known that he had an equally impressive wrestling career. That’s right, before the 16th President of the United States started grappling with political opponents, he was throwing down rivals on the mat.
To some degree it makes sense: ‘Honest Abe’ was tall, strong, and boasted natural athleticism. As a teenager, when he wasn’t doing agricultural work, the Kentucky native competed in catch-as-catch-can wrestling – also known as catch wrestling – which is a tough, hand-to-hand version of the sport that was included in the Olympic Games St. Louis 1904.

Elements of the sport can still be seen in freestyle wrestling, folkstyle wrestling, and mixed martial arts.

Klessinger: Understanding toughness will help you reach your goals
By John Klessinger

There is a legend or folklore about a Spanish explorer named Hernan Cortes. In the story, Cortes orders his crew to burn all the boats when hitting shore before attempting to conquer the Aztec Empire. The point was simple. It was a psychological tool for inspiring commitment and urgency in his men. If there were no boats, they had to win or die. 

Life is not as dramatic as the legend. Few circumstances in life require such a conviction. If we do not give our best, the consequence is little. At least on the surface, that is. The real result of giving anything less than your best is dealing with the beast within. A strong analogy I know of our psyche. But, our minds can be our greatest ally or most significant foe if it goes untamed.

This column first appeared in the Feb. 17 issue of WIN Magazine. Click on the cover or call 888-305-0606 to subscribe.

Wrestling is such a mental battle. It is often an oversight that it has so much importance compared to physical gifts and athleticism. But ask any wrestler who has invested years of time and pain and they will probably say physical challenges pale compared to mental difficulties. 

It is a feeling we have inside about the performance. The match. A career. You feel contentment. A certain level of peace in what you did. That is if you gave all you had. People can live with disappointment when they don’t leave any stone unturned. 

However, when there is a knowing that “if I only did this” or “I should’ve, could’ve, would’ve,” that is when there is a gnawing sensation in the background. That is much tougher than any workout or physical challenge. The voice in your head that relentlessly reminds you you left some things on the table. 

To some, even this is dramatic, leading to thoughts like: “Wrestling is supposed to be fun,” or “It teaches young men and women to be the best version of themselves.” 

No debate here on those points. We all know, though, if you put the time, effort, and commitment into anything, there are high stakes involved. Mainly, the stakes are how you will feel about yourself when it ends. That is really why we want anything. A championship, career, family, money, anything. It is the feeling inside we have when we get something we want. Whether that feeling is love, satisfaction, or pride, we strive for things because of what it does to us inside. Not outside.

Congratulatory cheers and admiration invoke an emotion that people enjoy. … rest of story at WIN-magazine.com/2023/02/22/klessinger-understanding-toughness-will-help-you-reach-your-goals

February 27, 2023 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NWCA Releases Final Regular Season NCAA Women’s Coaches Poll

MANHEIM, PA – The final set of National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) NCAA Women’s Wrestling rankings there was a change atop the rankings as King University jumped North Central College to reclaim the top spot. The remainder of the top five stayed the same with McKendree University, Colorado Mesa University and Augsburg University.

King regains the top spot with 116 points while North Central has 109 in second. King and North Central are the only teams with at least 10 individuals ranked as the Tornado lead the way with 15 and North Central has 14. McKendree University stayed at third with 74 points while Colorado Mesa is fourth and Augsburg are tied for fifth with 56 and 45 points, respectively. McKendree has seven individuals ranked while Colorado Mesa has six and Augsburg has four, respectively.

INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS

Simon Fraser University has six ranked individuals and stayed sixth with 42 points while Lock Haven University is ranked seventh with 25 points and three individuals ranked. Gannon University has five individuals ranked and are ranked eighth with 23 points. Sacred Heart University and Aurora University round out the top 10 with 21 and 16 points, respectively. Sacred Heart has six individuals ranked while Aurora has one.

There are four new No. 1-ranked wrestlers this week as Emily Shilson of McKendree takes over the top spot at 109 pounds. Simon Fraser’s Victoria Seal also takes over the top spot at 116 pounds while Aurora’s Alexis Janiak regained the top spot at 130 pounds. At 136 pounds, Ana Luciano of King moved up one spot to take the No. 1 ranking.

King and McKendree are the only two schools with multiple individuals ranked No. 1 one as the Tornado have three at the top spot and McKendree has two.

The rankings will also be the top eight seeds at the upcoming National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Coalition (NCWWC) National Championships. The NCWWC National Championships will take place at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Friday and Saturday. … complete rankings and story at NWCAonline.com/nwca-releases-final-regular-season-ncaa-womens-coaches-poll

Seeds Released For Women’s College Nationals
Top eight seeds for the 2023 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships have been released
The top eight seeds for the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships (NCAA programs) have been released with full brackets scheduled for Friday, February 24. The tournament is on March 3-4 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
The women’s college national championships are live on FloWrestling. 

Mar 3-4, 12:00 PM EST

2023 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championship

101 pounds
1  Jessica Corredor – King
2    Lizette Rodriguez – McKendree
3    Jennesis Martinez – Colorado Mesa
4    Maddie Avila – North Central
5    Samantha Miller – Presbyterian
6    Jenavi Alejandro – Tiffin
7    Avery Kibelbek – King
8    Aaliyah Payne-Parris – Sacred Heart

109 pounds
1    Emily Shilson – McKendree
2    Sage Mortimer – King
3    Sydney Petzinger – North Central
4    Dianna Holmes – King
5    Kaelani Shufeldt – Lock Haven
6    Julianne Moccia – Gannon
7    Kendra Ryan – North Central
8    Maddie Mackenzie – Simon Fraser

116 pounds
1    Victoria Seal – Simon Fraser
2    Payton Stroud – McKendree … rest of rankings at Flowrestling.org/articles/10616450-seeds-released-for-womens-college-nationals


February 27, 2023 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Dual Season Finales

TDR Editor’s Notes ; The last set of dual meet results for the season are included in the dozen stories below.
Contact us at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – Hofstra Downs California Baptist In Regular Season Finale
Hempstead, NY – Hofstra won six of 10 weight classes and had three major decisions in a 21-15 victory over visiting California Baptist Saturday at the David S. Mack Physical Education Center. The win came in Hofstra’s regular season and home finale.

The Pride moved to 5-6 overall with the victory, their second win in a row. California Baptist dropped to 3-12 on the season.

Joe McGinty got the Pride started with a 6-1 decision over Joseph Mora of California Baptist at 157 pounds to give Hofstra a 3-0 lead. The Lancers came right back with a major decision from Frank Almaguer over Eric Shindel at 165 to take a 4-3 lead. Ross McFarland picked up a decision at 174 over Louis Rojas to give Hofstra the 6-4 lead before Peter Acciardi scored another major, an 11-2 victory over Ericson Velasquez, that made it  8-6 in favor of the Lancers.

No. 28 Trey Rogers and Zachary Knighton-Ward posted major decisions at 197 and 285 pounds, respectively to put the Pride back on top for good, 14-8. Rogers had a 13-3 win over Caden Gerlach, while Knighton-Ward scored a takedown in the final seconds and then got two back points at the horn to earn the bonus point win over Chris Island. Jacob Moon extended the Pride’s streak to three wins in a row with a 7-2 decision over Devin Garcia at 125 pounds. … rest of story at GOhofstra.com/news/2023/2/18/wrestling-hofstra-downs-california-baptist-in-regular-season-finale

2 } – Robbie Sagaris, Devin Matthews Earn Tech Falls as Wrestling Tops Sacred Heart
By: Adam Rubin
FAIRFIELD, Conn. — The LIU wrestling team headed into Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Championships on a high note.

The Sharks defeated host Sacred Heart, 32-9, on Saturday night. The biggest wins included Robbie Sagaris earning five points for the Sharks with a technical fall over Mike Manta at 125 pounds and Devin Matthews producing the same result against Dakota Asuncion at 141 pounds. Blake Bahna pinned Aidan Zarrella at 165 pounds.

Drew Witham (149), Joe Lopresti (184) and John Dusza (197) also were victorious, while Sacred Heart forfeited at heavyweight.

The Sharks next compete at the EIWA Championships March 3-5 at the Palestra in Philadelphia. … rest of story at Liuathletics.com/newsrobbie-sagaris-devin-matthews-earn-tech-falls-as-wrestling-tops-sacred-heart

3 } – American University Closes Dual Season With a Comeback Win at Drexel and Loss at #24 Penn
PHILADELPHIA – The second dual win of the day for redshirt freshman Lucas White started a five-bout run of wins for American University wrestling at Drexel, allowing the Eagles to overcome an 11-0 deficit and go on to win 19-17 in their final dual of the season. American lost 25-9 at #24 Penn earlier in the day but finished the season at 8-12 with the split. That ties the current Eagles with three other teams in the last 12 years for the most dual victories.
Notable

  • White had an outstanding day at 174 pounds with a pair of wins including his first-ever win over a ranked opponent when he beat #19 Nick Incontrera of Penn.
  • After two periods, White led Incontrera 6-2 and ending up taking the 9-5 decision with over four minutes of riding time in a dominant performance.
  • White took the mat in match number four at Drexel with the Eagles trailing 11-0, but shut out Cody Walsh by 8-0 major decision to start a huge run for AU.
  • Also going 2-0 on the day was sophomore Maximilian Leete at 125 pounds. He beat Penn’s Brady Pruett 8-5 and had a wild match against Drexel’s Antonio Mannino.
  • Leete was down 1-0 before appearing to pin Mannino midway through the second period, but Mannino had just called for injury time during the takedown. … rest of story at AUeagles.com/news/wrestling-closes-dual-season-with-a-comeback-win-at-drexel-and-loss-at-24-penn

4 } – JACKS RETAIN BORDER BELL WITH WIN AT NDSU
FARGO, N.D. — The final dual meet of the season for the South Dakota State wrestling team came down to the final match. When all was said and done Sunday afternoon at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse, heavyweight A.J. Nevills came out victorious to lift the 17th-ranked Jackrabbits to a 19-17, back-and-forth victory over rival and No. 15 North Dakota State.
In retaining the Border Bell traveling trophy, the Jackrabbits completed the dual slate with a 12-4 overall record, including a 6-2 mark against Big 12 Conference opponents. NDSU dropped to 11-3 overall and 6-2 in the Big 12.
While Nevills’ victory was the eventual match-winner, 133-pounder Derrick Cardinal came up with perhaps the biggest win for the Jackrabbits on the day. A redshirt freshman from Forest Lake, Minnesota, Cardinal recorded a takedown early in overtime for a 5-3 sudden victory over 33rd-ranked McGwire Midkiff.
Cardinal’s victory was part of a 10-0 advantage the Jackrabbits built up through the first three matches. Tanner Jordan opened the dual with a 9-0 major decision over Ryan Henningson in the opening bout at 125 pounds and 11th-ranked Clay Carlson followed Cardinal’s win with a 7-4 decision over Gavin Drexler in the 141-pound matchup.
SDSU weathered the storm presented by the Bison in the middle weights … rest of story at GOjacks.com/news/2023/2/19/wrestling-jacks-retain-border-bell-with-win-at-ndsu

5 } – Cerniglia Clinches Navy’s Third Straight Star Match With Come From Behind Victory In Final Bout
The junior tallied seven points in the third period to win his match 7-2 and secure an 18-13 Navy victory

WEST POINT, N.Y. – Despite not wrestling since Jan. 21, Andrew Cerniglia (157-pounds) came from behind to defeat Nathan Lukez by a 7-2 decision and clinch the Star Match for Navy (5-6, 4-1) over rival Army (6-7, 4-4) by a score of 18-13 Sunday afternoon in West Point, N.Y. Lukez held a 1-0 lead heading into the third period, but Cernigilia scored seven points in the third to win Navy’s straight Star Match. The Mids improve to 52-10-5 all-time versus Army and 22-7-2 in West Point. Navy won six of the 10 matches with wins at 184, 197, 285, 133, 141 and 157 pounds.
“This was one of those duals where it was a total team effort. We knew there was the possibility of it ending the way it did,” said head coach Cary Kolat. “We had a few very important scrambles during the dual that looking back made the difference. Army had a game plan for each of our athletes but we talk to our guys about how we would coach against them if we were on the opposing team. The difference tonight was none of our guys got shocked by anything unexpected. Both teams brought a lot to the Star Match today and both wrestled tough.”
The dual began with the 165-pound bout between Val Park and Dalton Harkins. Harkins gained a 3-0 cushion in the first period, but Park got on the board with an escape with 1:29 remaining in the second. … rest of story at Navysports.com/wrestling-cerniglia-clinches-navys-third-straight-star-match-with-come-from-behind-victory-in-final-bout

6 } – Columbia Caps Off Regular Season With Win Over No. 29 Maryland
Lions finish the season 6-7 overall in dual matches and 5-3 in EIWA matches
NEW YORK – The Lions won six bouts Sunday afternoon in Levien Gym to fight off No. 29 Maryland in a thrilling 18-16 win. Columbia completes the regular season with a 6-7 overall record and a 5-3 mark in EIWA action as the Lions prepare to head to the EIWA Championships at the beginning of March.
“The reality is, we already started our transition into postseason, and that is how it has to be, Andrew F. Barth Head Coach of Wrestling Zach Tanelli said. “We used this as our last tune-up before the EIWA tournament. We focused more individually on what we needed than the team, so we are ready to go.”
The festivities got started before the match Sunday as the team’s six seniors were recognized before the match. Chimenum Tasie-Amadi, Gunnar Fuss, Sam Wustefeld, Danny Conley, Danny
Fongaro, and Matt Kazimir are all part of the class of 2023.
“This is a really special group,” Tanelli said about the senior class. “Every class is special, but these guys are the ones that started with me. I recruited each one of these guys. We have always had a good tradition here, but they have been the ones that really made it what it is today and what it is going forward. It is emotional for me seeing these guys wrestle their last dual meet at home.”
The match started at 125, where No. 27 Nick Babin toughed out an 8-5 decision … rest of story at GOcolumbialions.com/news/wrestling-caps-off-regular-season-with-win-over-no-29-maryland

7 } – Huskies Win Regular Season Finale Against SIUE, 25-12
NIU builds momentum heading into MAC Championship
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Three bonus-point wins helped the Northern Illinois University wrestling team defeat SIUE 25-12 in the Huskies’ regular season finale Sunday afternoon at First Community Arena. NIU improved to 8-5 overall and now co-leads the Mid-American Conference (MAC) West Division as the conference championships are just 12 days away (March 3-4).

“I thought our guys competed hard. We went out and we did what we talked about,” said head NIU coach Ryan Ludwig. “We looked to assert our will, we looked to get out and control the ties and score first. And in a lot of those matches that we came out on top, that’s what we did,” HM Blake West, the MAC and NCAA Wrestler of the Week, kicked off the action with a commanding major decision win over Austin Macias. West built a 6-2 lead in the first frame and a 9-2 advantage in the second before winning the bout 11-3 to put the Huskies (8-5, 5-1 MAC) up 4-0 early, his sixth-straight win.

“It was great to see Blake West put together a lot of offense getting the leg attacks. That’s something we want to see more out of him. In his fifth dual start of the season, Lucian Brink helped NIU go back-to-back, edging Aaron Schulist at 133. After leading 6-4 as the second period ended, Brink chose bottom and fended off Schulist’s comeback. Brink held on to earn an 8-7 win and improved to 4-1 in MAC duals this season.

“Brink was really able to grind out a great match, wrestling his position. I thought that was a big win for him. He lost to him earlier in the year at the Cougar Clash,” SIUE (6-8, 2-7 MAC) came within one point (7-6) after two-straight wins at 141 and 149, but Anthony Gibson put an end to the retaliation, pinning Caine Tyus in just :57 seconds, his quickest and fifth fall of the year.   

“I think we lost some real tight battles there that we can turn around for the next tournament. Then things really started to separate, which was fantastic because in those dual settings, you look for bonus-points. So at 157, Anthony Gibson with a first period pin was huge,” At 165, No. 13 Izzak Olejnik beat Cardi Wilson 2-0 before Hayden Pummel built NIU’s lead to 22-6 after pinning … rest of story at NIUhttps://niuhuskies.com/news/2023/2/19/wrestling-huskies-win-regular-season-finale-against-siue-25-12

8 } – Brown University Defeats Sacred Heart to Close Regular Season
FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Brown wrestling came away with a dominant, 31-12, win over Sacred Heart Sunday afternoon in the final match before EIWA’s. After the Pioneers won the first two matches to take a 6-0 lead, the Bears won the final seven of eight matches to cruise to the victory.

After falling behind early, sophomore Drew Clearie (174) earned an 11-3 major decision and classmate James Araneo (184) edged out a 7-6 decision to give Brown a 7-6 match lead. Back-to-back pins by senior Aaron Wolk (197) and freshman Alex Semenenko (285) made it a commanding 19-6 advantage for the Bears. Sacred Heart then won at 125 by forfeit, but sophomore Hunter Adrian (133) won by pin, sophomore Ian Oswalt (141) took a 10-4 decision, and senior Ricky Cabanillas secured a 6-1 decision to finish the match. … rest of story at Brownbears.com/news/2023/2/19/wrestling-defeats-sacred-heart-to-close-regular-season

9} – Drexel Wins Against Cleveland State in the Rider Duals
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. –  Drexel collected four falls on the day against Cleveland State and Rider in a tri-match on Saturday afternoon. DU went 1-1 as it defeated CSU 27-15 but fell to the Broncs 26-12. Drexel’s record stands at 10-7 heading into the final dual of the regular season. Luke Nichter, No. 17 Evan Barczak, No. 9 Mickey O’Malley, and Sean O’Malley earned victories by pin against Cleveland State. Additionally, Barczak and Mickey O’Malley were triumphant in both duals. 

Against Cleveland St
The Vikings started off the dual with a 5-4 decision at 125. Kyle Waterman defeated Manley at 133 in sudden victory on a takedown to tie the dual at three. CSU broke the tie in a win at 141. Nichter pinned Terry in the first period which gave Drexel its first lead 9-6. Cleveland State was victorious at 157 lbs and evened the bout at nine. Barczak and O’Malley earned back-to-back falls to give DU the advantage 21-9. Josh Stillings dropped a close battle at 184. O’Malley scored the Dragon’s final bonus points of the match in a fall at 3:08. The Vikings were successful in … rest of story at Drexeldragons.com/news/2023/2/18/wrestling-drexel-wins-against-cleveland-state-in-the-rider-duals

10 } – Cal Poly Wraps Up Pac-12 Dual Meet Title, Beats Oregon State 19-15
SCORESHEET | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – For the fourth time this season, Trevor Tinker has provided the points needed in the final match to lead the Cal Poly wrestling team to victory.
Tinker’s 8-2 decision over J.J. Dixon in the 285-pound bout capped the No. 28-ranked Mustangs’ 19-15 triumph over No. 25 Oregon State on Sunday before 1,291 fans inside Mott Athletics Center.
Cal Poly finished 5-0 in Pac-12 dual meets and 8-6 for the year entering the postseason – the Pac-12 Championship on March 5 at Stanford and the 2023 NCAA Division I National Championship on March 16-18 in Tulsa, Okla.

“Grateful for this group,” said Mustang head coach Jon Sioredas. “They have continued to put in a great deal of effort and what we are witnessing is a sheer body of work. I could not be more proud of the collective group for focusing on continued growth and doing so with a great attitude and respect. I cannot wait for the postseason.”
Oregon State won the first bout before Cal Poly claimed the next four weight classes for a 13-3 advantage.

Ethan Rotondo, Dom Demas and Luka Wick all won by decision while Lawrence Saenz earned a major decision to give the Mustangs the 10-point lead. … rest of story at

11 } – #18 University of Pennsylvania Defeats American 25-9 on Senior Day
PHILADELPHIA – The 18th-ranked University of Pennsylvania wrestling team sent its senior’s out with a 25-9 victory over American on Sunday afternoon at The Palestra. #30 Cole Urbas secured the first period pin to give the home team all the points needed for the season finale victory.
Prior to the dual against American on Sunday, Penn honored its Class of 2023. Recognized for their hard work and dedication to Penn Wrestling were Anthony Artalona, Carmen Ferrante, Ben Goldin, Nate Hoaglund, Mikey Kistler, Zakaria Loudini, Gabe Miller, Jesse Quatse, Jeremy Ridge, and Doug Zapf. The Red and Blue also recognized their three senior managers, Kevin Li, Doulton-Lee Ho, and Lily Virbitsky.
#12 Anthony Artalona opened the bout with a pair of first period takedowns to lead 4-1. With an escape in the second period and a point for riding time, the senior gave the Red and Blue an early 3-0 lead with a 6-2 decision win. After a scoreless first period, #32 Lucas Revano tied the bout with a pair of escapes in the second period and with the bout tied 4-4 after the third period, Revano and Caleb Campos went to overtime. Revano needed just 31 seconds of overtime to secure the takedown for the 6-4 win and a 6-0 lead for the Quakers. … rest of story at Pennathletics.com/news/2023/2/19/-18-wrestling-defeats-american-25-9-on-senior-day

12 } – Ohio State wrestling ends regular season with win over No. 4 Cornell, shifts focus to Big Ten Championships
Still missing key contributors due to injury, Tom Ryan’s Buckeyes gutted out a solid top-5 win at the Spartan Combat Duals in Tampa.
Ohio State wrestling ended its regular season in sunny Tampa, Florida this past weekend, defeating Cornell as part of the Spartan Combat Duals. The Big Red presented one final hurdle for Tom Ryan’s Buckeyes, as well as an opportunity for OSU to grab some much-needed momentum heading into the postseason — momentum which was lost or put into question after limping (literally, at times) through the first half of February.

The Scarlet and Gray had dropped two of their previous three duals to Penn State and Nebraska. Both losses occurred at home, with the second also taking place on Senior Night. And to make matters worse, Carson Kharchla, Kaleb Romero, and Gavin Hoffman all missed the Big Ten regular season finale, bringing into question whether or not they will be available for postseason action.
Banged up Buckeye wrestlers lose Big Ten finale on Senior Night, but hopes remain high

However, Saturday’s dual against Cornell showed that Ohio State can still be a very dangerous team. Despite their seemingly waning momentum and legitimately mounting injury issues, the Buckeyes were able to notch a top-5 win, … rest of story at Landgrantholyland.com/ohio-state-wrestling-ends-regular-season-with-win-over-cornell-shifts-focus-to-big-ten-championships

February 27, 2023 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Iowa Wrestling’s Attendance Figures Are Staggering!

Iowa is the gold standard for college wrestling dual attendance — and the Hawkeyes have numbers to prove it.
If numbers are your thing, then the University of Iowa’s average dual attendance figures will leave you in awe. The Hawkeyes averaged over 14,000 per home dual for the second year in a row, and have averaged over 10,000 during five of the past seven seasons (not including the 2021 COVID year where fans weren’t allowed).

The past two seasons stand high above the rest considering that the 2015-16 season received a bump from the Grapple on the Gridiron, which set a single dual attendance record of 42,287.

These numbers provided by the University of Iowa speak for themselves. 

2001-02 – 6,192 — Jim Zalesky
2002-03 – 5,818 — Jim Zalesky
2003-04 – 5,022 — Jim Zalesky
2004-05 – 5,073 — Jim Zalesky
2005-06 – 3,569 — Jim Zalesky
2006-07 – 6,740 — Tom Brands … rest of attendance and story at Flowrestling.org/articles/10617781-iowa-wrestlings-attendance-figures-are-staggering

February 27, 2023 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

DIVISION I COACHES POLL: Penn State goes wire-to-wire at No. 1, final week of competition sees shift in Top 10

Manheim, Pennsylvania – Penn State finished the regular season ranked the same place where it started, atop the NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll. The final poll of the 2022-23 regular season was announced on Wednesday.

The Nittany Lions were the nation’s lone unbeaten team this season, finishing 16-0 after they closed out their schedule with a 40-6 win over visiting Clarion. Iowa stood firm at No. 2. The Hawkeyes finished 15-1 this season and closed out with a solid 28-7 win over then-No. 6 Oklahoma State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena over the weekened.

Missouri’s upset of No. 3 Iowa State shifted the rankings between 3-10. NC State, part of an ACC regular-season championship triangle, finished 14-1 and No. 3. The Wolfpack was followed by No. 4 Nebraska, No. 5 Iowa State, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 7 Oklahoma State, No. 8 Cornell, No. 9 Missouri and No. 10 Virginia Tech. Ohio State upended Cornell in Tampa, Florida over the weekend.

Cal Poly, which was ranked for seven weeks earlier this season, moved back into the poll at No. 25, completing a 5-0 mark in the Pac-12 to win the regular season championship.

Methodology: The NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll is voted on by two coaches from each Division I wrestling conference. Each first-place vote is worth 25 points, 24 points for a second-place vote, 23 for a third-place vote and so on through to one point for a 25th-place vote. The poll is based on dual meet results. … rest of story and rankings at NWCAonline.com/division-i-coaches-poll-penn-state-unanimous-no-1-after-beating-iowa-in-battle-of-big-ten-unbeatens

February 27, 2023 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Girls Wrestling Keeps Growing with Opportunities

PA getting close to sanctioning girls HS wrestling
Editor’s Note: On Feb. 14, 2023, SanctionPA announced that the goal of 100 girls high school programs — the number required by the PIAA before it would consider sanctioning girls high school — had been met. The following feature, which appeared in the February issue of WIN Magazine, gives you a background on the effort it took to reach this goal … and of hopefully making girls high school wrestling in Pennsylvania official later this year.

By Mike Finn
Brooke Zumas has always had a love and strong vision for the sport of wrestling and the impact it has on people, whether it was simply sitting alongside her dad watching Lehigh wrestling matches as a child or later photographing some of the nation’s top events in wrestling.
Fortunately for Zumas and a growing number of girl wrestlers in the state of Pennsylvania, Zumas eventually put her camera down and helped people within the Keystone State to share an even bigger vision and dream: officially sanction girls high school wrestling in Pennsylvania.

This story first appeared in the Feb. 17 issue of WIN Magazine. Click on the cover or call 888-305-0606 to subscribe.

“I think we could have over 125 programs by the start of next season,” said Zumas, who has served as one of the leaders of “SanctionPA” for the past three years. That would be a remarkable number, considering there were many in the state who were unhappy when the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association’s made the decision that there must be at least 100 high school wrestling programs before the PIAA would consider making girls wrestling an official sport. 
In 2019, Zumas was approached to be part of the leadership team of a new group being formed to support the Keystone State’s wrestling community as they attempted to get girls wrestling sanctioned.
“Pat Tocci (formerly of the National Wrestling Coaches Association) reached out to me in December 2019 and said, ‘Can you help move girls wrestling forward in Pennsylvania?’ I jumped in and we formed a task force in March of 2020. It took off and we have never looked back.”
By 2019, over half of the United States’s high school athletic associations had already determined that girls wrestling was here to stay. The traditionally-wrestling-rich state of Pennsylvania had not made that move and the PIAA set its highest bar ever in terms of the number of programs needed for a sport to be sanctioned.

“The PIAA was not going to just start a championship. They have specific criteria. We decided the PIAA gave us a roadmap,” said Zumas. “We might not like it, but we knew what we needed to do, so we said, ‘Let’s go do it.’ ”

And as of Feb.10, 2023 there were 98 girls-only high school programs around the state and Zumas believes the 100-program threshold will be met before the PIAA meets again this summer to decide on changing girls wrestling from “emerging-sports” status to making it an official sport in time for a sanctioned state championship in 2024.

Boys wrestling has always been big in Pennsylvania. There are currently 472 boys high school teams in the state. It usually is the state with most NCAA Division I All-Americans and has more college programs than any other state, a list that includes Penn State, which has won nine NCAA championships since 2011 and is ranked No. 1 this season.

As one might imagine, in a state like Pennsylvania where wrestling is held in such high regard, there were plenty of girls who also felt that wrestling tradition despite very few opportunities to compete. Zumas still remembers how she was introduced to the sport. … rest of story at WIN-magazine.com/sanctionpas-vision-helped-girls-prep-wrestling-gain-momentum-to-try-become-officially-sanctioned

Pennsylvania schools reach milestone in girls’ wrestling
(WHTM) — Wrestling is the fastest-growing sport for girls in the United States.
In Pennsylvania, it has taken several years to reach an important milestone. There are now 100 schools in the Commonwealth with girls wrestling programs. The 100 school mark means the PIAA can officially sanction the sport, but the fight won’t stop here. “Right now. Please don’t stop. Please don’t stop pushing. One hundred isn’t the end with 472 schools having wrestling in our state. There is room for more,” said Robert Lombardi, PIAA executive director.

The athletes are excited about the growing sport as well. “I love wrestling because it made me more responsible in school and keeps me motivated to stay consistent. It brings out confidence and girls and shows that we can do anything. Our girl’s wrestling team is special because we are a group of diverse girls that love and support each other like we are family,” said Liana Samuel, a J.P. McCaskey wrestler. … rest of story at ABC27.com/local-news/pennsylvania-schools-reach-milestone-in-girls-wrestling

KHSAA IN KENTUCKY ADOPTS GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING FOR 2023-24, MAKING IT THE 38TH STATE TO ADD SPORT
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) has officially added girls wrestling as a state sanctioned sport.

A KHSAA press release published today entitled “Board of Control Approves Adoption of Girls’ Wrestling” had the following

The KHSAA Board of Control conducted its fifth regularly scheduled meeting of the 2022-23 academic year on Wednesday in Lexington, approving the adoption of girls’ wrestling, the solicitation of a site to hold the boys’ and girls’ wrestling tournaments consecutively, specifications for KHSAA Golf State First Round sites and the election of the 2023-24 Board President-Elect.
The adoption of girls’ wrestling will be effective in the 2023-24 academic year. As a result of the Board’s approval, the KHSAA Commissioner has been tasked with finalizing logistics for a state championship in girls wrestling with two or four state-managed qualifying sites, as well as finalizing negotiations to find, if possible, a potential consolidated site following a survey of the membership on scheduling implications.
Kentucky becomes the 38th state to host a recognized state girls high school wrestling tournament, as determined by USA Wrestling’s Girls High School Development Committee, co-chaired by Joan Fulp and Andrea Yamamoto. … rest of story and list of states at Teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2023/February/22/Kentucky-becomes-38th-state-to-add-girls-wrestling

February 27, 2023 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment