Newberry Wrestling Dominates at UNC Pembroke Open
PEMBROKE, N.C. – Men’s wrestling comes back to Newberry with four weight class champions and 15 place winners after competing in the UNC Pembroke Open earlier today. With a team score of 224.5 points, the wolves took first in the 149, 157, 184 and 285Ibs weight class. Four wolves registered as unattached and claimed 72 points collectively on two third place finishes (Ethan McCullough and Dennis Virelli), a fourth (Keagan Judd) and a sixth (Hunter McCullough) place finish.
Devon Rice won the team 18 points after sweeping his two rounds and quarter/semifinal rounds. Rice solidified his finish after taking the decision over Mount Olive’s John Demencic, 5-1. Zebrandon Grant earned 19 points after receiving a first round by and flying through the second, quater and semi final rounds. Grant was met in the finals by fellow wolf Jacoby Benjamin, securing first with a 4-1 decision.
PJ Wunderlich earned the wolves 20 points after receiving a first round by and clearing the second and semi/quarterfinal rounds. Wunderlich won in the finals against Reinhardt in sudden victory. Devan Moore earned the second most points by a wolf today with 20.5. Also receiving a first round by, Moore won the second round by fall over UNC Pembroke in 1 minute and 2 seconds. Moore then went on to dominate the quarters with a 19-3 tech fall win over Reinhardt and a major decision in the semis against Reinhardt again, 10-2. Moore completes in the Reinhardt sweep in the finals with 4-2 decision.
Second place came in the 184 and 197 pound classes and third in the 174 pound class. At 184 Jacoby Benjamin earned 14 points after clearing UNC Pembroke in the second and quarterfinal rounds then Reinhardt in the semifinal. John Parker earned 19 points in the 197 pound class after wrestling two unattached and one Mount Olive wrestler. … rest of story at … Newberrywolves.com/11/5/wrestling-dominates-at-unc-pembroke-open
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Seliga Named Conference Carolinas Wrestler Of The Week
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Redshirt junior and 11th-ranked 125 pounder Logan Seliga added to his hot start this season, picking up Conference Carolinas Wrestler of the Week honors, the league announced Tuesday afternoon.
Seliga posted a perfect 4-0 showing at the Pembroke Classic, rattling off four straight first-period pins to take first place in the 125 pound tournament. The Belle Vernon, Pa. native pinned Reinhardt’s Angel Banda in the championship match to claim the top spot.
A two-time NCAA Championships qualifier for the Black & Gold, Seliga has compiled a 45-14 (.763) career record in Pembroke, and has now earned the weekly award four times as a member of the Black & Gold. … rest of story at … UNCPbraves.com/11/7/wrestling-seliga-named-conference-carolinas-wrestler-of-the-week
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Hoosiers Open Season with Team Title, Three Individual Champions at The Citadel
CHARLESTON, S.C. ––– Indiana Wrestling opened its 2023-24 campaign at The Battle at The Citadel tournament on Sunday in McAlister Fieldhouse. The Hoosiers took first place in the tournament with 118.5 points and three individual champions winning their weight class’ bracket, along with seven total Indiana wrestlers placing. Indiana’s Dan Fongaro (141), No. 6 Graham Rooks (149) and Gabe Sollars (197) each won the bracket for their weight class. Tyler Lillard (165) took second place while No. 22 Cayden Rooks (133), Nico Bolivar (157) and Roman Rogotzke (184) each finished in third. Indiana entered 16 total wrestlers in the tournament, and they faced opponents from The Citadel, American, Appalachian State, Drexel and George Mason … rest of story … IUhoosiers.com/11/5/wrestling-hoosiers-open-season-with-team-title-three-individual-champions-at-the-citadel
NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS WIN 31-12 AT NDSU
Fargo, N.D. – The No. 9 Nebraska wrestling team dominated North Dakota State, recording five bonus-point victories to defeat NDSU (0-1, 0-0 Big 12) 31-12 on Saturday afternoon.
#14 Caleb Smith (125) started the day off strong for the Huskers as he used a reversal, two takedowns and an escape to claim the 9-5 decision and his first career Husker victory. Jacob Van Dee then got the start at 133 as he recorded a takedown, escape and the riding time point for the 5-1 victory.
At 141, NDSU tallied its first win of the day as sophomore Blake Cushing was tied with Gavin Drexler 4-4 after two periods, but fell by decision 9-4. #1 Ridge Lovett (149) got the Huskers back on track as he earned the first bonus-point victory for NU. Lovett used a takedown in each period to claim the 11-1 major decision win over NDSU’s #11 Kellyn March.
With the 10-3 overall team lead, #3 Peyton Robb kept the Huskers rolling at 157. The Husker senior scored two takedowns and two nearfall points in the opening period and added a reversal and a takedown in each of the following periods en route to the 18-3 tech. fall against NDSU’s Landen Johnson. Next up at 165, Antrell Taylor came out quickly as he tallied a pin in the opening period of the match to help the Huskers hold the 15-3 advantage with four matches remaining.
At 174, sophomore #20 Elise Brown Ton got the start. He recorded an opening-period takedown, but it was not enough as NDSU’s Aidan Brenot topped Brown Ton by decision, 8-3. The next two matches of the day saw the Big Red rack up two-straight tech. falls. #9 Lenny Pinto used six takedowns in his match at 184 to claim the 19-4 fall in Period 3. #7 Silas Allred followed suit at 197 as he tallied five takedowns and four nearfall points to earn the 20-4 victory. … rest of story at … Huskers.com/news/2023/11/4/huskers-win-31-12-at-ndsu
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Chadron State College defeats NJC in season opener, 46-9
CHADRON, Neb. — The Chadron State College men’s wrestling team pinned six of its opponents on Friday night in the Chicoine Center, boosting them to a 46-9 season opening win against Northeastern Junior College.
The Eagles points were scored with six pins and two tech falls. The Plainsmen nine points were from a forfeit and one decision. At 125 pounds, CSC forfeited the weight class, giving NJC six team points to start the match.
Fans in attendance didn’t have to wait long for the Eagles scoring to start with returning national runner-up Quen Campbell opening the match at 133 pounds. Campbell, a senior from Tifton, Georgia, opened his season with a 22-3 tech fall early in the second period, lowering CSC’s deficit to 6-5. He recorded nine takedown points, twelve nearfall points, one point for an escape and a riding time point. Due to a rule change in NCAA Wrestling, takedowns are now worth three points instead of two.
Chadron State won the 141- and 149-pound weight classes with pins by Ethan Leake and Brody Lamb. Leake, a graduate student from Clovis, California, pinned his opponent in 3:56 while Lamb, a senior from Wellington, Colorado won in 0:38. … rest of story at … Chadroneagles.com/11/3/mens-wrestling-csc-defeats-njc-in-season-opener-46-9
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New, Returning Talent Fueling Nebraska Wrestling Hopes | Husker Insider
Top-ranked Ridge Lovett returns, along with three other Big Ten finalists and a couple key newcomers to boost the confidence of the Nebraska wrestling team.
Last season didn’t end as Nebraska had hoped. With a chance at a team trophy going into the third day of NCAAs, Peyton Robb and Brock Hardy were both lost to injuries. The Huskers still finished in eighth in the team race, but their sights were set higher than that. In contrast, things have been looking up for the Huskers ever since. Robb is ready to roll at 157, while 2022 NCAA finalist Ridge Lovett returns from redshirt. Hardy is fully healthy and just won a bronze medal at the U23 World Championships at 65 kilograms. On top of that, Nebraska saw one of its up-and-comers nearly make the U20 World Team in Antrell Taylor before winning gold at the U20 Pan-Am Championships.
With nine wrestlers currently ranked at their weight class, Nebraska boasts top-end talent and depth — four of its wrestlers are ranked in the top six. This past weekend, the Huskers opened their season against North Dakota State and notched a 31-12 win with five of their wins coming with bonus points.
Robb Returns to the Mat
Less than eight months since having to medically forfeit out of NCAAs due to a rare skin infection in his leg that required multiple surgeries and skin grafts, Robb took the mat in Nebraska’s season-opener. He took off right where he left off with an 18-3 tech fall over NDSU’s Landon Johnson. “You never would have thought in early April that Peyton Robb would be wrestling in early November,” Nebraska coach Mark Manning said. “It’s just miraculous. It’s just a testament to his courage and his intestinal fortitude. It was really cool to see, it was just like back to normal.”
In what can only be described as inspirational, Robb’s rapid recovery has been a morale boost for his teammates. … rest of story at … Flowrestling.org/New-returning-talent-fueling-nebraska-wrestling-hopes-husker-insider
‘It was super special’: Iowa State’s David Carr returns to Perry to wrestle Cleveland State
PERRY TWP. — David Carr doesn’t lack for accolades. The 2018 Perry graduate is a four-time All-American, four-time Big 12 champion, national runner-up and national champion for Iowa State.
He’s a five-time — yes, five-time — high school state champion and an Ironman and Fargo freestyle champion. That said, there’s just something about coming home that matters the most.
The Cyclones senior got to do just that when Iowa State coach Kevin Dresser brought his team to Perry’s gymnasium to wrestle Cleveland State on Sunday. The Cyclones won 43-3 and Carr pinned former Stow standout Daniel Patten in 1:47 in front of hundreds of fans. “I have a lot of good memories here,” Carr said. “Being a senior and coming back here to create one more good memory in front all of these Ohioans, it’s pretty special. “I talked to all the Perry wrestlers and all the young kids coming up and told them anything is possible. You just have to work hard and believe. Trust in God and he’ll do the right things. This was super special. It was awesome having my teammates here. Having coach Dresser and the staff put this together, this is something I’ll remember forever.”
Kyle Dake, Shane Sparks among stars who come out to see Iowa State national champ David Carr wrestle
… rest of story at … Beaconjournal.com/11/06/david-carr-massillon-perry-high-school-iowa-state-wrestling-national-champion
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No. 10 Iowa State Defeats Cleveland State in Carr’s Return Home
MASSILLON, Ohio– No. 10 Iowa State opened its season with a 43-3 victory over Cleveland State Sunday afternoon inside David Carr’s high school gymnasium at Perry High School. Carr capped the Cyclones’ season-opening win with a fall in 1:47, earning himself UFC Fight Pass Most Outstanding Wrestler.
Four Cyclones – Caleb Helgeson, Nando Villaescusa, Evan Frost and Anthony Echemendia – made their debuts in the ISU dual lineup against the Vikings, all securing wins. Iowa State won the takedown battle against Cleveland State, 47-6. All nine of ISU’s individual bout victories came with bonus points. MJ Gaitan started his redshirt freshman season with a commanding 19-3 major decision over Cleveland State’s Ronald Dimmerling. The California native used five takedowns, four of which came in the first period, and three near fall points in the win.
At 184 pounds, Helgeson picked up a 14-3 major decision over Joey Lyons to give Iowa State a 9-0 advantage in the team score. Villaescusa was solid in a 16-8 upset over No. 24 Ben Smith at 197 pounds. Villaescusa gave up an early takedown but controlled the rest of the way, racking up over two minutes of riding time in the win. Yonger Bastida put on a takedown clinic at heavyweight. He took down No. 28 Daniel Bucknavich eight times in a 26-10 tech fall in 6:03. A takedown at the buzzer paired with a riding time point gave Kysen Terukina a tech fall against Ben Aranda in 7:00. Iowa State led, 23-0, at the halfway point in the dual. Evan Frost got stronger throughout the match in a 17-3 major decision … rest of story at … Cyclones.com/11/5/wrestling-iowa-state-defeats-cleveland-state-in-carrs-return-home
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Heart of a Cyclone – David Carr
Cardinal & Gold runs deep through David Carr’s blood.
Being a Cyclone means everything to David. The No. 2 overall recruit in the class of 2018, Carr came to Ames to help rebuild a struggling program and bring Iowa State wrestling back to national prominence. Five years later – after an individual national title, two other top-three NCAA tournament finishes and four Big 12 Championship rings on his fingers – he chose to ignore other suitors to stay at ISU for his final season. After all, being a Cyclone does run in the family.
The Carr family legacy at Iowa State is well documented. David’s father, Nate, is one of the most decorated wrestlers to ever wear the colors. Nate won three consecutive NCAA titles from 1981-83 and piled up 122 career victories. After his college wrestling days were finished, Nate went on to capture a bronze medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. David’s brother, Nate Carr Jr., wrestled at Iowa State from 2009-11 and their uncles, Solomon and Michael Carr, were Cyclone wrestlers in the 1980s. Nate and David are among rare company in the collegiate wrestling world. They are one of six father-son duos in NCAA history to win Division I national titles and one of two pairs to do it at the same school.
“Being an NCAA Champion father-son duo was a dream of mine ever since I was a little kid,” David said. “My dad was legendary, explosive and a bit of a showman. Those are things I have really tried to emulate in my style of wrestling. The way he entertained the crowd and gave people their money’s worth, I try to do the same thing.” Nate hasn’t only influenced David’s style on the mat, but also how he carries himself off the mat and how to properly attack the day-to-day grind of being a student-athlete. “He always gives me advice,” David said. “He’s always telling me to make sure that I’m feeling good and giving full effort in everything I do. And it’s not just wrestling we talk about, but school, faith and life. He is there through all the highs and lows and has helped me tremendously.”
As David enters his final season at Iowa State, the final chapter of their unique story is still unwritten – goals not yet reached. Under head coach Kevin Dresser, Iowa State has shown steady improvement throughout David’s time in Ames. The year prior to David’s arrival, ISU tied for 45th at the NCAA Championships. Since then, the Cyclones have placed 16th, T-13th, 17th and 11th at the national tournament. But David didn’t come to Iowa State for top-15 finishes. … rest of story at … Cyclones.com/10/26/wrestling-heart-of-a-cyclone-david-carr
IOWA HAWKEYES SELL OUT CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA FOR THIRD CONSECUTIVE SEASON
IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa Athletics Department announced Friday that season tickets for the 2023-24 Hawkeye wrestling season are sold out for a third consecutive season.
Capacity for wrestling duals at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in 2023-24 is 14,847. The Hawkeyes have led the nation in attendance in every season since 2006-07, head coach Tom Brands’ first as head coach. Iowa set an NCAA record, averaging 14,905 fans in 2021-22. Iowa is coming off a 2022-23 season where it posted a 15-1 overall and 7-1 Big Ten mark. The Hawkeyes placed second at both the Big Ten and NCAA Championships. Iowa crowned two Big Ten champions and had six All-Americans. The program had 14 Academic All-Big Ten selections for a second straight year — tied for the second highest total in school history. … rest of story at … Hawkeyesports.com/2023/hawkeyes-sell-out-carver-hawkeye-arena-for-third-consecutive-season
Updated: Burroughs wins gold at Kunaev DA in Kazakhstan, McKenna beats Diakomihalis in 65 kg semifinals
TARAZ CITY, Kazakhstan – 2012 Olympic champion and six-time World champion Jordan Burroughs (Philadelphia, Pa./Sunkist Kids/Pennsylvania RTC) won a gold medal at 74 kg at the Kunaev DA International on Saturday.
He opened up his offense in a 15-4 technical fall victory over 2018 and 2019 U20 World bronze medalist Syrbaz Talgat of Kazakhstan in the gold-medal finals. Talgat scored the opening takedown and added an ankle lace turn for a 4-0 lead. After Burroughs forced a step out, he added a low double leg takedown and a turn for a 5-4 lead at the break. In the second period, Burroughs stuck again with a takedown, then secured an ankle lace, turning Talgat four times to finish off the technical fall.
Burroughs powered through four rounds of action on Friday to reach the finals, including a 10-0 technical fall win over Yerbarys Satybaldy of Kazakhstan in the semifinals. Burroughs is down to 74 kg, the weight where he won his Olympic title and four of his World titles, for the first time since the finals of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Fort Worth, Texas in April 2021. He won his Olympic gold and four of his World titles at 74 kg and added two World titles at 79 kg.
Two U.S. Senior Freestyle National Team members reached the semifinals at 65 kg, where Joey McKenna (Philadelphia, Pa./Titan Mercury WC/Pennsylvania RTC) defeated 2022 World silver medalist Yianni Diakomihalis … rest of story at … Themat.com/news/2023/nov/04/burroughs-wins-gold-at-kunaev-da-in-kazakhstan-mckenna-beats-diakomihalis-in-65-kg-semifinals
Longtime UNCP wrestling coach P.J. Smith dies
PEMBROKE — After an extraordinary life with an impact stretching far beyond The University of North Carolina at Pembroke wrestling program that he led for a quarter-century, P.J. Smith died Monday. He was 76. A member of the NCAA Wrestling, North Carolina Wrestling and UNCP Athletics halls of fame, Smith served as UNCP’s head wrestling coach from 1982 to 2006. “UNCP wrestling, UNC Pembroke, Robeson County, North Carolina, the wrestling community nationally — we lost a good one today, man,” said current UNCP wrestling coach O.T. Johnson, who has known Smith for about 25 years. “I’m not going to lie — this one hits different.”
Smith held a 255-150-3 record with the Braves, coached 33 All-Americans and 13 academic All-Americans, and led his team to two top-10 finishes at the NCAA Division-II national tournament — though much of what he accomplished while coaching the Braves can’t be measured with statistics. “His attention to detail, his ability to motivate (made him a good coach),” said Justin Winans, who wrestled for Smith from 1996-99 and is now UNCP’s director of campus recreation. “He made you focus on the little things, and it was more about — I know it’s a cliche, but it’s more about the journey than the conclusion or the destination. He helped develop men, not just wrestlers.”
Smith was known for giving opportunities to wrestlers from less-advantaged backgrounds, even going so far as to open his home for those within the UNCP Athletics community who needed a place to stay. “He never looked down on anyone, especially people that were not in good situations,” Winans said. “He was an advocate for reaching your hand out and making sure that the least of us was pulled along for the ride.” “For him, it was about taking care of people,” Johnson said. “He was a servant leader, and that showed in every action he had, everything he did. Even in retirement he was involved in making sure kids that don’t have could get.”
Johnson, who became an assistant coach for the Braves at the same time that Smith retired in 2006 and has been head coach since 2011, said Smith would call after the college season each year to ask if any Braves wrestlers had old wrestling shoes that Smith could use to give to underprivileged children, allowing them to have the equipment to become involved in the sport.
Smith also taught countless local children how to swim through the UNCP swimming school, which he ran in the summer months, hiring individuals from within the wrestling program to work the camps, and helped numerous people become certified as lifeguards. “Being a part of it, working the swim school and taking my daughter through the swim school with Coach Smith is something I’ll never forget,” Johnson said. “The guy did it his way, in all facets.”
He was also involved in the American Red Cross, and did much work behind the scenes to encourage the establishment of wrestling programs at local high schools and even other colleges. “Those are all things that I’m not sure a lot of people are aware of that he did,” former UNCP athletic director Dan Kenney said. “I think that what I would say about P.J. is he obviously is a Hall of Fame member of our athletic family, but I think P.J. did so much more behind the scenes, beyond even wrestling.”
But while Smith’s impact extended far beyond the mat, what he’ll be most remembered for is his role coaching the Braves and his overall dedication to the sport. … rest of story at … Robesonian.com/sports/Longtime-uncp-wrestling-coach-p-j-smith-dies
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
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