Takedown Report

ACC Championship News

Virginia Tech Aiming To Break NC State’s Grip On ACC Wrestling
Virginia Tech is looking to pry the ACC wrestling title away from NC State and the Hokies appear to be assembling a lineup that can challenge the Pack.
Mar 5, 2024 by Jim Carlson
Virginia Tech fell eight points short of North Carolina State in the Feb. 23 dual meet season finale, but the upcoming Atlantic Coast Conference Championships provides the Hokies with an opportunity to put an end to the Wolfpack’s five-year tournament reign. Tech took four of the first five bouts against State, but the #3 Wolfpack rang up five straight wins to earn a 20-12 win and hand the #8 Hokies just their fourth loss in 13 matches this season. VT’s March 10 trip to the University of North Carolina for the ACCs/NCAA qualifier can’t come soon enough. The Hokies’ last ACC tournament titles came in 2017 and 2018. “I think it’s been deeper in the recent past than it is this year, to be quite honest with you, but it’s really solid, and we’re gonna have to wrestle really well,” Virginia Tech coach Tony Robie said about the ACC. “There’s a lot of good guys, a lot of good teams and a lot of well-coached kids. “(The ACC) lost two NCAA champs with (UNC’s Austin) O’Connor and (Pitt’s Nino) Boniccorsi, so whenever you lose an NCAA champ out of your lineup, that’s gonna affect your team. But overall, I think if you look at recruiting and if you look at trajectory, it’s pretty solid. I feel it’s gonna be really competitive for a long time.”
The NCAA allotted the ACC 28 automatic qualifiers, 14 over the first six weights and 14 more over the final four. Final dual-meet rankings point toward a two-team race between Tech and State, with Pittsburgh, North Carolina and Virginia. chipping in with enough stars to shake things up.
The Hokies will hit Chapel Hill with five top-10 wrestlers, including a pair of #2s in Caleb Henson at 149 and Mekhi Lewis at 174. The expected return of All-American and #8 Bryce Andonian at 157 would boost the Hokies’ chances, and high-placing finishes from #13 Sam Latona at 133, #16 Connor Brady at 165 and new #10 TJ Stewart at 184 also would expand VT’s title prospects. … story at … Flowrestling.org/Virginia-tech-aiming-to-break-nc-states-grip-on-acc-wrestling
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Pre-Seeds and Brackets Set for the 2024 ACC Wrestling Championship
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) — The Atlantic Coast Conference has announced the pre-seeds and brackets for the 2024 ACC Wrestling Championship, which will be held this Sunday, March 10, at Carmichael Arena on the campus of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
NC State, the 2024 ACC regular-season dual meet champion and five-time defending ACC champion, leads with five No. 1 seeds in their respective weight class brackets, including defending champions Kai Orine at 133 pounds and Owen Trephan at 285 pounds. NC State’s Trent Hidlay, the three-time defending champion at 184 pounds, earned the No. 1 seed at 197 pounds this year, while fellow three-time champion Mekhi Lewis (2019 – 165 pounds; 2022 and 2023 – 174 pounds) garnered the top seed at 174 pounds.
Two-time defending champion Cole Matthews of Pitt (141) and 2023 champion Caleb Henson of Virginia Tech (149) received the No. 1 seed at their respective weight classes, while two-time champion Jakob Camacho of NC State (2020 and 2022) received the No. 1 seed at 125 pounds.
The defending 165-pound champion Justin McCoy of Virginia is the No. 2 seed in the 174-pound weight class, moving up a weight class this season, while Sam Latona of Virginia Tech, the 2021 ACC Champion at 125 pounds, received the No. 3 seed at 133 pounds. Fellow 2022 champion Ed Scott of NC State (157) is the No. 2 seed in his weight class for this year’s championship.
ACC pre-seeds for this year’s tournament were generated by WrestleStat.com and the six head coaches’ votes. Complete 2024 ACC Wrestling Brackets may be found at https://theacc.co/24wrestbrackets. … story at … ACC.com/Brackets-set-for-the-2024-acc-wrestling-championship¹
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2024 ACC Championships Preview
The postseason is upon us and the ACC will be taking center stage on Sunday in Chapel Hill. Brackets were just released so let’s take a look at what we will see on Sunday. 
125: 2 Automatic Qualifiers
Jakob Camacho gets the top seed via his victory over Cooper Flynn in the dual. Spencer Moore earns the 3 seed and will look to avenge his only ACC loss against Cooper Flynn in the semifinals. … story at … Intermatwrestle.com/ACC-championships-preview
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“I love to put it on the line all the time:” Q&A with NC State All-American wrestler Trent Hidlay
The N.C. State Wolfpack will take the mat this weekend at the 2024 ACC championship with the goal of winning their sixth conference title as a team. This is a team full of personality and potential, headlined by one of the most popular college wrestlers in recent program history: three-time All-American Trent Hidlay. 🤼 MORE COLLEGE WRESTLING 🤼 🚨 Alerts and updates on Bleacher Report
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We talked with Hidlay ahead of this year’s conference tournament about his legacy in the ACC, his final, special season as a college wrestler and what it will take for him to end his career in Kansas City on top of the podium. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
You’ve had so many memorable moments with NC State nationally and at the conference level. Is there one moment in particular that comes to mind when you think about what has defined your experience at NC State?
One match that I think I go back to a lot was the first time I won ACCs against Hunter Bolen from Virginia Tech. That was really special for me because he was someone who had beaten me three times in a row in my first two years here, and it was getting to the point where I was like ‘man, I feel like I’m better than this guy, and I’m working extremely hard, and I keep falling short.’ … story at … NCAA.com/Love-put-it-line-all-time-qa-nc-state-all-american-wrestler-trent-hidlay

March 10, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Women’s College Wrestling National News

2024 NCWWC National Championship Preview
Brackets are out for the 2024 Nation Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships, and it is going to be an exciting one. With the addition of a seemingly unstoppable Iowa team in their inaugural run at the title, plus returning champs North Central also maxing out their lineup, it’s truly anyone’s game. And that is not even factoring in historically top talent from McKendree and King. You won’t want to miss the action this weekend, so here are a few things to keep an eye out for at each weight.

101 lbs: Top seed – Emilie Gonzalez, Iowa
Iowa is claiming the top 2 spots at this weight with Emilie Gonzalez as the 1 seed and Sterling Dias at 2. However, with how volatile these lower weights can be, I would not expect most seeds to hold. Keep an eye out for Avery Kibelbek of King, who receives a bye in her first round and will then likely see Genesis Ramirez of Aurora, whom she beat 8-0 in a dual earlier this year, before meeting up with Gonzalez. On the opposite side of the bracket, look out for Madison Avila to make a run where she’ll likely meet up with Jessica Corredor of King, which was a semifinal match last year that ended with a 9-0 win for Avila after putting Corredor on her back and working for the pin for the last 30 seconds of the match. If brackets do hold, Gonzalez does have the most recent win over Dias from regionals, but it could go either way.

109 lbs: Top seed – Kendra Ryan, North Central
Behind Kendra Ryan, is Ava Bayless of Iowa who has really shown out this season. I would be really curious to see which one could pull off the win if they were to meet in the finals. The two did face off at US Nationals last year with Ryan getting a dominant tech, but I do think Bayless could even the score especially if she has a dominant run in the rest of the tournament. Her first big obstacle should be Jaslynn Gallegos of North Central in the semis, which would be fireworks after the two met up at National Duals with Bayless winning the 5-5 decision on criteria. … story at … Intermatwrestle.com/2024-ncwwc-national-championship-preview
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How a small Illinois college became a women’s wrestling powerhouse
North Central College in Naperville — a small liberal arts school of fewer than 3,000 students — has become one of the premier women’s wrestling programs in the country. And the program only started five years ago.
Last spring, the North Central team took home their first national title. And three Cardinals wrestlers secured individual championships on top of that.
Yelena Makoyed won her third consecutivenational championship in 2023 AND was named the first-ever USA Wrestling Women’s College Wrestler of the Year.
She’s also one of at least six North Central women’s wrestlers who will compete at the Olympic Trialslater this spring with a shot to make it to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris this July.
Makoyed andNCC head coach Joe Norton understand the significance of the opportunity. “That’s the pinnacle of our sport,” said Norton. “It’s not the NFL or the NBA or whatever. And you can go to a Division-3 school and qualify for the Olympic trials? There’s not a lot of dudes going D-3 and going to the NFL.” But, just a few years ago, when the program just began, there was no hardware Norton could point to during the recruiting process. No national titles. No Olympics. Just a small, Division-3 school in the Midwest with a good men’s program and without any scholarships to offer.
“We were just selling dreams back then,” he said. Makoyed remembers his pitch very well. “It was like, ‘I love wrestling. I want to coach, I want to start a woman’s program.’ And we kind of just had to have faith that he would follow through,” she said.
To make recruiting more complicated, girl’s wrestling wasn’t an official IHSA sport at the high school level in Illinois until just 3 years ago. So, there weren’t many local programs to pull from.
Makoyed is from California. She didn’t start wrestling until high school. Her school didn’t have enough girls for their own team, so they’d practice with the boys’ team and then compete against other girls in tournaments. “And I honestly liked it like that,” she said. “Because the coaches treated us equally, the same as the guys, and it was really challenging but it made us really strong.”
She says she wasn’t that heavily recruited, since she started so late. She didn’t really know about many programs with women’s teams until she got the call from coach Norton. … story at … Northernpublicradio.org/How-a-small-illinois-college-became-a-womens-wrestling-powerhouse
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Corrie Williams Claims First National Title in Program History
Seven Badgers Named All-Americans at NJCAA National Championship
Corrie Williams of the Snow College women’s wrestling team won the NJCAA National Championship in the 136-pound division over the weekend in Council Bluffs, Iowa.  This is the first National Title for the Badgers women’s wrestling program in its brief two-year history.  
“I went into the tournament knowing I had the capability of winning it all,” Williams said.  “That is what I have been aiming for throughout the entire season.  After being named an All-American last season, I didn’t want to settle for that again this year.  I knew I could win the National Title, and I had a great support system that helped me reach that goal.”
Williams, a sophomore from Enterprise, Utah, entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed in the 136-pound division after a strong season that saw her go 12-5 throughout the 2023-24 campaign. After finishing in fourth place at the National Tournament last year as a three seed, Williams claimed the top spot in her division following her performance during the 2023-24 season.
“This is what I set my sights on during the year,” Williams said.  “In women’s wrestling, anyone can win on any given day.  I realized that if I wanted to be successful and reach my goal, I’d have to keep myself disciplined and do the things that would put me in a good position.  I always wanted to work hard and earn everything and make sure nothing was given to me.”
As a No. 1 seed, Williams received a bye in the first round.  She made quick work of her first two opponents winning each match via fall.  She held a 2-0 lead in her semifinal matchup before her opponent was forced to bow out due to injury.  Williams entered the championship bout against No. 2 seeded Malia Kehne of Carl Albert State College. … story at … Snowbadgers.com/Corrie-williams-claims-first-national-title-in-program-history
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Hall of Fame Displays “Women’s Wrestling Memorable Moments” at 2024 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships
STILLWATER, Okla. – The National Wrestling Hall of Fame is proud to announce that “Women’s Wrestling Memorable Moments” will be displayed at the 2024 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships on March 8 and 9 at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.   
This engaging and educational display is dedicated to showcasing the significant milestones and achievements that have shaped the history of women’s wrestling.
Spanning an impressive 10-feet by 10-feet, the vibrant, full-color exhibit is designed to celebrate and acknowledge the rich history and evolution of women’s wrestling. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore a timeline of remarkable achievements and pivotal moments that highlight the progress and resilience of female wrestlers throughout the years.
“This exhibit showcases the exponential growth that women’s wrestling has achieved over the last several decades in the United States,” said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director, National Wrestling Hall of Fame. “Featuring pioneering World and Olympic champions and other significant milestones, this display celebrates the profound impact that women’s wrestling has had on our sport, both in our country and worldwide.”
The annual national championships for NCAA women’s wrestling programs, the NCWWC currently includes NCAA programs from the Division I, II and III levels. Athletes must qualify for the NCWWC through six Regional Qualifiers. This will be the fifth year for this national tournament. For more information and tickets visit ncwwc.com.
Women’s wrestling is currently an NCAA Emerging Sport. Earlier … story at … NWCAonline.com/NWCA-hall-of-fame-displays-womens-wrestling-memorable-moments-at-2024-national-collegiate-womens-wrestling-championships

March 10, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Reevaluating What UNI Wrestling Needs: Women’s Wrestling

By Nic Ryder
As I sit here with a nearly two-year old on my lap trying to type this out, I have a few thoughts on Northern Iowa, including both the University, the athletic department, and the wrestling program. I only bring up the toddler part because if there are typos, I’m going to blame her.
Anyway, let’s talk about the last year for UNI wrestling. It’s been a journey. Last year saw a national runner-up, the program’s first ever three-time Big 12 Champion in Parker Keckeisen. It saw the starting 149 pounder take an Olympic Redshirt in Colin Realbuto to train for Paris this summer. It saw its university and athletic department fail them in the loss of a 100+ year old building, competition facility, and home. It saw the beginnings of a new building start to take shape.
Note: A Big 12 Conference tournament preview is coming, so I won’t get into it too much, other than to say that #1 Parker Keckeisen is rewriting the UNI history books. He is, perhaps, the most dominate wrestler that UNI has ever had in it’s 100 year history. And he’s not done yet.
The Panther Train rumbled into the season with one wheel off the track. I don’t know if it’s steam rolling into the post season now, but under new department leadership, it certainly has all its wheels rolling in the same direction. A new practice facility is on the horizon. It was moved to the University’s larger “Our Tomorrow” campaign because the previous athletic department (and, perhaps, university) leadership failed in its duty to aid its athletic programs. From football, to basketball, to volleyball, to tennis, to track and field. No program was spared.
I’d argue wrestling was hit hardest.
A building on campus that housed the only program to win team national championships (UNI wrestling has three. THREE.) was allowed to decay to the point where it must be torn down. One day fans, student-athletes, coaches, and staff were allowed to work there.
The next day, it’s closed forever.
Let me say it again, the athletic department FAILED its wrestling program. There was no foresight, no innovation, no basic maintenance. The only thing holding it together was Doug Schwab and his staff. So the wrestling program moved forward, if not at a quick pace. Practice facilities were found, equipment moved, and they prepared for their season. A new facility was drawn up, announced to the public, and moved to the larger University’s money-raising effort.
Then old leadership in the athletic department moved on, Bob Bowlsby was brought in, and now things are moving forward at a pace not seen since the early 2000’s. A new basketball and volleyball facility has been announced, under the leadership of the athletic department. They already have a major donor on board and rumors are that it could break ground as early as this summer.
The McLeod Center has seen changes for wrestling already (lights, atmosphere, concessions on the floor) to bring people in. Football added another game to it’s absolutely pathetic home schedule to boost its program. In just two months there are tangible changes to the way the department is being run. Hopefully that continues.
That is the point of this column. Department leadership is back. Things are happening that haven’t happened in years. Money is being raised for all programs. There are still things that need to happen, there will be pain, but that’s what happens when a department is rudderless for years.
Wrestling fans (and probably some internal folks) are upset that the basketball/volleyball facility will get started before the wrestling facility. I don’t blame them. It’s hard to see another program (even at the same university) get priority over another, especially with everything that’s happened. But basketball is a larger-money sport. Their new facility will house three programs. They have been dealing with not having a dedicated practice facility for…well, forever.
Basketball brings in more fans, more interest, and more money. It’s just the way of it. Funds were there before Bowlsby took over, but lack of leadership’s skills kept the money in people’s pockets. Now it’s available and ready to flow. There is foresight. There is innovation. The basics are back. For all sports. Now is the time to reevaluate what wrestling at UNI wants, and what it can contribute back to the athletic department. With Title IX always on a razors edge in Cedar Falls, why wouldn’t now be the time to consider adding women’s wrestling to the department? Considering the financial benefit to the University, considering the visibility that Division I women’s wrestling is about to get (the NCAA will have a women’s wrestling national championship in 2026) with only 4 other Division I wrestling programs, and considering that Iowa is becoming one of the fastest-growing states for high school girls wrestling, it is absolutely a no brainer. Get the men’s and new women’s program in a brand new, state-of-the-art facility. Spend some extra money. Incorporate the history of the past with the potential of the future and set everyone up for success. Continue to build your programs the right way and reap all the benefits that entails. … story at … IAWrestle.com/Reevaluating-what-uni-wrestling-needs-womens-wrestling

March 10, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment