Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

NCWA National Championships – 2024

Bellarmine men repeat as NCWA Nationals champions with six individual golds, Liberty takes second
Mar. 17, 2024, 12:24 AM (ET) by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
BOSSIER CITY, Louisiana – Led by six individual champions, Bellarmine repeated as men’s team champions at the NCWA Nationals. Bellarmine, in transition to NCAA Div. I, had nine of their 10 entries earn All-American honors, all placing fourth or better. Bellarmine finished up with 245.5 points, with runner-up Liberty at 182 points. Thomas More placed third with 143.5 points, The Apprentice School in fourth with 125.5 points and Lindenwood was fifth with 123.5 points.
The Bellarmine finalists are Damion Ryan (125), Trayce Eckman (133), Gray Ortis (157), Grant O’Dell (165), Cole Nance (174) and Sam Schroeder (184). Nance won the NCWA title for the second straight year. All of the Bellarmine champions won their finals match with bonus points, except for Eckman, who edged Ethan Vugman of Florida in a wild 18-16 decision. Liberty and Thomas More each had two champions. Liberty’s individual champions were Josiah Murphy (235) and Frederick Weaver (285). Both repeated as NCWA champions, and both needed to go into sudden victory to win their finals match. Murphy stopped Joseph Pineda of the Dubuque WC, 4-1 in sudden victory. Weaver beat Jonovan Smith of Caribbean, 2-1 in sudden victory. Champions for Thomas Moore were Cole Thomas (141) and Ryan Moore (149). Moore knocked off returning champion Zac Cowan of Bellarmine, 7-2. Thomas outscored Bruno Alves of Apprentice, 16-10. … story at … Themat.com/Bellarmine-men-repeat-as-ncwa-nationals-champions-with-six-individual-golds-liberty-takes-second
And …

Bellarmine Wrestling repeats as NCWA National Champions
SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER CITY, La. – An already successful 2023-2024 season for Bellarmine wrestling finished in a fitting way on Saturday night in Louisiana as the Knights defended their NCWA National Champion status, winning as a team for the second straight year while six Bellarmine wrestlers secured individual titles. “This season has been incredible to see the progression in each member of our team,” said Bellarmine head coach Ned Shuck. “These 10 men represented their teammates really well this week! They won with class and lost with dignity. They battled and enjoyed every challenge their opponents brought to them.”
Bellarmine dominated the event, winning the team title with 245.5 points. Liberty finished as runner-up with 182 points, a whopping 63.5 points behind the Knights. Thomas More rounded out the team podium, placing third with 143.5 points. Over the three-day tournament, the Knights accumulated 48 total wins and earned bonus points in 44.
Redshirt freshmen Damion Ryan (125), Trayce Eckman (133), Gray Ortis (157) and Grant O’Dell, junior Cole Nance (174) and redshirt sophomore Sam Schroeder (184) all took home individual national titles in their respective weight classes. For Nance, the win marks his second title in as many years.
In addition to the Knights winning national titles, redshirt sophomore Zac Cowan (149) took home a second-place finish while sophomores Chase Hall (141) and Thadd Huff (285) brought home a third-place finish and fourth-place finish, respectively. As a team, Bellarmine racked up 23 pins, … story at … Bellarmine.edu/Wrestling-repeats-as-ncwa-national-champions
And …

Grays Harbor women claim NCWA Nationals title with two champs, Ottawa-Arizona places second
Mar. 17, 2024, 12:07 AM (ET) by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
BOSSIER CITY, Louisiana – Led by two individual champions and 10 All-Americans, Grays Harbor claimed the team title in the women’s division at the NCWA Nationals on Saturday night. Grays Harbor scored 158 points, followed by Ottawa-Arizona with 148 points. Washington State was third with 82.5 points, followed by Utah Tech with 81 points and Grand Canyon with 57.5 points. Grays Harbor reversed the team results from 2023, when Ottawa-Arizona was team champions and Grays Harbor placed second. Individual champions for Grays Harbor were Renaeh Ureste (191) and Jojera Dodge (235). Both pinned Ottawa-Arizona opponents in the finals. Ureste stopped Deonne Topete in 1:42 and Dodge put away Evelyn Coronado in 2:07. Ureste repeated as national champion.
Ottawa-Arizona had the most individual champions with three: Olivia Atkins (101), Liliana Voakes (109) and Anja Hansen (136). Atkins scored a 14-5 major decision over Jasmine Cortez of Texas State. Voakes shut out Jillian Lackey of Allen. Hansen edged Paige Kalish of Central Florida, 6-4. Joining Ureste as repeat champions were Viveca Pannell of MIT (130) and Veloria Pannell of MIT (143). Both won their finals bouts by pin. … story at … Themat.com/Grays-harbor-women-claim-ncwa-nationals-title-with-two-champs-ottawa-arizona-places-2nd

March 20, 2024 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Campbell Camels Wrestling News

Six Camels to wrestle at NCAA Championships
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Campbell wrestling begins their run at the 2024 NCAA Championships on Thursday, with six Camels qualifying for the event. The tournament takes place March 21-23 at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. The action begins at noon (ET), and the entire event can be viewed on the ESPN family of networks. Campbell has now sent five or more wrestlers to the NCAA Championships for six consecutive seasons.
Domenic Zaccone (133) is competing in his third straight NCAA tournament. He is seeded No. 22 and will face the 11-seed Zeth Romney from Cal Poly. Zaccone placed second at the SoCon Championships this year. He’s ranked eighth in the country for tech falls, recording nine this season.
At 165 pounds, Dom Baker is the No. 26 seed and will go up against Oklahoma State’s Izzak Olejnik (No. 7 seed). Baker earned his way to the NCAA Championships by winning the true-place match at the SoCon tournament, a 1-0 decision over Chattanooga’s Kamdyn Munro. This will be Baker’s first trip to the national tournament.
Austin Murphy heads to the NCAAs for the second time, doing so in the 2020-21 season. He is the No. 11 seed at 174 pounds, facing off against No. 22 Peyton Mocco (Missouri) in the first round. Murphy won the SoCon Championships and finished his year with a 22-6 record.
Qualifying for the NCAAs for a fourth time, Caleb Hopkins represents Campbell at 184 pounds. An at-large selection, Hopkins is seeded 28th and will go up against Nebraska’s Lenny Pinto (5 seed). The two wrestled earlier this year, with Pinto winning a close decision.
Levi Hopkins (197 pounds) is heading to nationals for the second time in his career. … story at … GOcamels.com/Six-camels-to-wrestle-at-ncaa-championships
And …

Seedings announced for NCAA Championships
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Six Campbell wrestlers learned their seedings, as the NCAA announced the brackets for the NCAA Wrestling Championships Wednesday night. The event will be held March 21-23 in Kansas City, Mo. at the T-Mobile Center.  
Domenic Zaccone is the 22 seed at 133 pounds. He is matched up against No. 11 seed Zeth Romney (POLY). Zaccone finished the season 24-8 and finished in second place at the SoCon Championships this past Saturday.
At 165 pounds, Dom Baker is the No. 26 seed. He is paired with No. 7 Izzak Olejnik from Oklahoma State. Baker has a 19-7 record this season, finishing second at the SoCon Championships.
Austin Murphy is the 11-seed at 174 pounds after winning the SoCon Championship. He finished the season with a 22-6 record, highlighted by a sixth-place finish at the Las Vegas Invitational. He will face No. 22 Peyton Mocco of Missouri in the opening round.
Caleb Hopkins received an at-large bid to the tournament at 184 pounds, and he will be the No. 28 seed. He will go up against Lenny Pinto (No. 5 seed) from Nebraska. Each wrestler won 22 matches this season. When the two wrestled in early November, Pinto recorded a 6-5 decision victory. … story at … GOcamels.com/Wrestling-seedings-announced-for-ncaa-championships
And …

Ghadiali named SoCon Wrestler of the Month
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Campbell wrestling’s Taye Ghadiali has been selected as the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Month, the conference announced Friday afternoon. Ghadiali is the No. 7 seed at next week’s NCAA Championships. He is ranked No. 9 in the final NCAA Coaches Rankings, and he was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler at the SoCon Championships.  
With 32 wins this season, Ghadiali leads all of Division I. In the month of February, he was a perfect 7-0 against conference opponents. He won all seven matches with bonus points, recording four falls and three tech falls. He then recorded two falls at the SoCon Championships to win the heavyweight division. Ghadiali is near the top of multiple national rankings heading into the NCAA Championships. He is fifth in pins with 12 and sixth in tech falls, totaling 10 during the season.
Ghadiali bookends his season with his second wrestler of the month honor from the SoCon, receiving the award for the month of November as well. This is his third time overall earning this recognition. … story at … GOcamels.com/Ghadiali-named-socon-wrestler-of-the-month

March 20, 2024 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NCAA Division III Championships – 2024

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS! Auggies win 15th men’s wrestling title
LIVE RESULTS/BRACKETS (TRACKWRESTLING.COM)
AUGSBURG NATIONAL TOURNAMENT PAGE
LA CROSSE, Wis. — With two individuals winning national titles and six earning All-American honors, the Augsburg University men’s wrestling team claimed its record-tying 15th NCAA Division III national title, and second in a row, at the national tournament at the La Crosse Center on Saturday.
THE BASICS
TOP 10 TEAM SCORES: 1. Augsburg (Minn.) 95.0; 2. Wartburg (Iowa) 87.5; 3. Wisconsin-La Crosse 82.5; 4. Johnson & Wales (R.I.) 76.0; 5. Wisconsin-Eau Claire 69.0; 6. Baldwin-Wallace (Ohio) 61.5; 7. U.S. Coast Guard Academy (Conn.) 52.5; 8. North Central (Ill.) 42.5; 9. The College of New Jersey 37.0; 10. Loras (Iowa) 34.0. 
LOCATION: La Crosse Center, La Crosse, Wis.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Augsburg won the national title with 95.0 points, bettering second-place Wartburg (Iowa) with 87.5 points and third-place Wisconsin-La Crosse with 82.5 points. The lead shifted back and forth between the three schools throughout the day on Saturday, with the Auggies clinching the crown after the first of its two individual titles in the evening session.
• With its 15th national title, Augsburg has now tied Wartburg for the most NCAA Division III men’s wrestling team titles in tournament history. It’s the first time Augsburg has claimed back-to-back national titles since the 2000-02 championships and 1997 and 1998 championships.
• Top-seeded 184-pounder Bentley Schwanebeck-Ostermann (SR, Loyal, Wis./Marshfield HS) claimed his first national title in dramatic fashion, with his third technical fall win of the tournament, … story at … Augsburg.edu/news/2024/3/16/mwr021624
And …

Men’s Wrestling takes second at NCAA Championships
LA CROSSE, Wis.– The Wartburg men’s wrestling team placed second at the NCAA Championships with 87.5 points.
Semifinals
133: Jaden Hinton (Baldwin Wallace) win by 9-6 dec vs. Joe Pins (WB)
149: Tyler Goebel (UW-La Crosse) win by 4-1 dec vs. Charlie Dojan (WB)
174: Zane Mulder (WB) win by 7-0 dec vs. Zeb Gnida (Loras)
197: Massoma Endene (WB) win by 9-4 dec vs. Montgomery Mills (Westminster) … story and notes at … GOknights.net/Wrestling-at-ncaa-championships-saturday
And …

UWL Places Third at NCAA III Championships; Hertel Wins Title; Four Other All-Americas
Team Scores
Brackets
La Crosse, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse wrestling team placed third at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships Saturday night at the La Crosse Center.  The Eagles finished with 82.5 team points while Augsburg University (Minn.) won the team title with 95.0. Wartburg College (Iowa) was second with 87.5 and Johnson & Wales University (R.I.) fourth with 76.0.   UW-Eau Claire was fifth (69.0) and Baldwin-Wallace University (Ohio) sixth with 61.5. The U.S. Coast Guard Academy was seventh (52.5) followed by North Central College (Ill.) eighth (42.5), The College of New Jersey ninth (37.0) and Loras College (Iowa) 10th (34.0). A total of 55 teams scored points.  UWL now has 24 top-10 finishes at the NCAA III Championships since joining the NCAA III in 1992, … story at … UWLathletics.com/2024/3/16/wrestling
And …

JWU Wildcats place fourth at National Championship
Fry captures second-straight crown at 125 lbs.
LA CROSSE, Wis. – The JWU (Providence) wrestling team placed fourth at the 2024 NCAA Division III Wrestling National Championship Saturday night at the La Crosse Center in Wisconsin.
The Wildcats finished the event with 76 points, which was behind national champion Augsburg (91.0 points), Wartburg (87.5), and Wis.-La Crosse (82.5). As a result, they will bring home a trophy for the third time in program history (2017 – fourth place; 2019 – third-place) and remain the only program in New England to have carried home hardware from a national championship.
Complete Results
Two JWU student-athletes – graduate student Ryan DeVivo (184 lbs.) and junior Joziah Fry (125 lbs.) – advanced to the finals of their respective bracket. Fry left ‘The Badger State’ with his second-consecutive national championship following an 18-8 major decision win while DeVivo fell 19-2 in his match. Fry open the national semifinals with a 19-4 tech fall … story at … JWUathletics.com/Wildcats-place-fourth-at-national-championship
And …

Augsburg wins 15th NCAA Div. III Nationals team title, as Schwanebeck-Ostermann and Kim are champions
Mar. 16, 2024, 11:39 PM (ET) by Jon Gremmels, Special to TheMat.com
LA CROSSE, Wis. — A pair of seventh-place finishes put Augsburg in position to repeat as NCAA Division III national champion, and Bentley Schwanebeck-Ostermann sewed it up in dominating fashion. Schwanebeck-Ostermann sealed Augsburg’s 15th national title, continuing a season of domination with a 19-2 technical fall victory against Ryan DeVivo of Johnson & Wales in the final at 184 pounds Saturday night in the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships at the La Crosse Center. “Winning with your team is way better than by yourself,” Schwanebeck-Ostermann said, comparing the titles. “Just having that whole team with you there, and we’re all champs, that’s what really matters.”
Tyler Kim added a second individual title for the Auggies at 285 pounds to give them a team total of 95 points and tying them with Wartburg for the all-time lead in team championships. Wartburg was second with 87, followed by Wisconsin-La Crosse (82), Johnson & Wales (76) and Wisconsin-Eau Claire (69). After an up-and-down day that saw La Crosse vault into the lead … story at … Themat.com/Augsburg-wins-15th-ncaa-div-iii-nationals-team-title
And …

Furious Finish Lifts Augsburg To Top Of Dramatic NCAA D3 Wrestling Race
Augsburg won its final six matches to pass Wartburg and UW-La Crosse, securing its second straight national title and 15th in program history.
Mar 16, 2024 by Andy Hamilton
There was a moment Saturday afternoon when it appeared three decades of Division III dominance might come to an end with another school poised to hoist the national title trophy for the first time.  Wisconsin-La Crosse won all four of its semifinal matches and rocketed past perennial powers Augsburg and Wartburg and into the lead at the NCAA Division III Championships. 
But in the end — just as it’s been every year since 1995 — it came down to The Burgs.  Augsburg won its final six matches of the tournament and picked up two pins and a technical fall along the way to secure its second straight national title and 15th in program history. 
The Auggies locked up the team race when Bentley Schwanebeck-Ostermann notched a technical fall in the 184-pound title bout and heavyweight Tyler Kim a title of his own to help Augsburg finish the tournament with 95 points — 7.5 more than second-place Wartburg. UW-La Crosse finished third with 82.5 points. Wartburg and La Crosse each entered the finals with a path to a team title, … story at … Flowrestling.org/Furious-finish-lifts-augsburg-to-top-of-dramatic-ncaa-d3-wrestling-race

March 20, 2024 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

2024 EIWA Championship Finals Recap

By Austin Sommer
The 120th EIWA Championships has concluded and the team scoring was as close as it’s been in awhile. The 2024 EIWA Team Championship was won by Cornell University with 164.5 team points, three champions, and nine NCAA qualifiers. In second place was Lehigh  with 159.5 points, four champions, and eight NCAA qualifiers.
Finishing in the top-three as a team was Army West Point with 95.5 points and six NCAA qualifiers. Columbia and Penn tied for fourth place with 90.5 each. Columbia had two champions and will qualify three wrestlers to NCAAs. Penn did not have any champions, but qualified five wrestlers to NCAAs.
For all results, see link here 2024 EIWA Results
Key Takeaways:
Lehigh crowned four individual champs, Cornell finished with three, Columbia with two, and Navy with one champion.
Anthony D’Alesio becomes LIU’s first NCAA D1 qualifier in school history
Ryan Crookham was named Outstanding Wrestler after winning 133lbs title
Kevin Ward of Army West Point ws voted EIWA Coach of the Year
Michael Joyce is Brown’s first NCAA qualifier since 2019
Julian Ramirez of Cornell is the lone repeat champion

125 (5 Automatic Bids – NCAA qualifiers in bold at all weights below)
The top two seeds met in the finals. Lehigh’s Luke Stanich proved why he was the top seed with a 6-0 win over Cornell’s Ungar. Stanich widened the gap from their previous meeting in January. Army’s Berginc took out Brown’s Joyce 5-3 for third. Max Gallagher of Penn won via medical forfeit ovr Sotelo of Harvard. Some ranked wrestlers looking for an at-large bid include Sotelo of Harvard, who had to medically forfeit to 6th place. The other is American’s Jack Maida. He placed 8th after medically forfeiting both matches on day 2.
1st – Luke Stanich (Lehigh) DEC Brett Ungar (Cornell), 6-0
3rd – Ethan Berginc (Army West Point) DEC Mike Joyce (Brown), 5-3
5th – Max Gallagher (Pennsylvania) M FOR Diego Sotelo (Harvard), 0-0 0:00
7th – Robert Sagaris (Long Island University) M FOR Jack Maida (American), 0-0 0:00

133 (5 Automatic Bids)
The top two seeds were in the finals here also. This was one of the most anticipated match-ups in the entire country – and it lived up to the hype. Crookham scored a takedown with under 30-seconds left to secure the win. Braden Basile of Army kept the momentum rolling for him and the team, with another 3rd place finish for the Black Knights. In a winner-take-all bout for 5th place, American’s Max Leete won a thrilling match in tiebreakers over Sacred Heart’s Andrew Fallon. To add to the drama, Fallon was a teammate with Leete at American before transferring to Sacred Heart. There are a few ranked wrestlers who failed to place at 133 looking for an at-large selection. Michael Colaiocco of Penn and Mason Leiphart of Franklin & Marshall fall into this category. Micah Roes of Binghamton earned 7th place, and will be on the bubble to earn an at-large bid.
1st – Ryan Crookham (Lehigh) DEC Vito Arujau (Cornell), 10-6
3rd – Braden Basile (Army West Point) DEC Kurt Phipps (Bucknell), 9-3
5th – Maximilian Leete (American) DEC Andrew Fallon (Sacred Heart), 2-2 TB2 … story at … EIWAwrestling.org/sports/wrest/2023-24/releases
And …

The Six Biggest Storylines At The 2024 EIWA Championships
A breakdown of the biggest storylines heading into the 2024 EIWA Championships set to go down March 8-9 in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.
Mar 5, 2024 by Jon Kozak
The 2024 EIWA Championships are set to go down March 8-9 and will feature some of the nation’s top wrestlers with over 50 NCAA qualifying spots on the line. This event will be live-streamed only on FloWrestling but before it begins, check out the below article to get a breakdown of the biggest storylines leading into the EIWA Championships.
2024 EIWA Championship
More Content for the 2024 EIWA Championships
Schedule | Seeds | Crookham vs Arujau Preview
Who Wins The Ryan Crookham vs Vito Arujau Rematch?
We took a deep dive into the potential rematch between Crookham and Arujau in this article, but it’s worth highlighting it here because it is the biggest potential match that could go down at EIWAs (or any conference). Crookham took the college wrestling world by surprise when he defeated world and NCAA champion Arujau in the second week of the college season. However, almost immediately after the match, the popular opinion was that Arujau would win in the rematch. 
Since then, Crookham has proven throughout the season that the win over Arujau may not have been the fluke most thought. He’s currently 15-0 on the season with notable wins over Connor McGonagle, Vince Santaniello, Aaron Nagao, and Michael Colaiocco. On the other side of things, Arujau took about a month off the mat after the loss to Crookham but has rattled off 8 straight wins and looks to be rounding back into last season’s championship form. I expect the potential final match between Arujau and Crookham to be highly competitive and one of the best matches of the entire weekend. … story at … Flowrestling.org/6-biggest-storylines-at-the-2024-eiwa-championships

March 20, 2024 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

North Carolina State Wrestling News

NC State Carrying Momentum From Record ACC Showing Into NCAA Championships
North Carolina State is rolling into the NCAA Wrestling Championships after a record-setting performance last weekend at the ACC Championships.
Mar 16, 2024 by Brian Reinhardt
March Matness is upon us, every college wrestling fan’s favorite time of the year. The NC State wrestling team closed out one tournament with another ACC trophy, and now the Wolfpack focuses on earning more hardware at the 2024 NCAA Championships.
The Pack is coming off an ACC Championships performance to remember. NC State captured its sixth straight ACC title, with seven individual championships – both school records. The Pack also scored 116 team points, the most in school history and the most at the conference meet since Virginia had 117 points in 1974, and the 29.5 margin of victory over second-place Virginia Tech (116-86.5) was the most at the ACC Championship since 2017. “It was not an easy task by any means with the development and improvement of this conference,” NC State coach Pat Popolizio said. “Those accomplishments are a reflection of everybody involved with our program. Everybody was on the same page, everybody showed up and met those high expectations going in. We attacked the plan that we had laid out dating back to the end of last year.”
NC State won conference titles at 125 pounds (Jakob Camacho — the third of his career), 133 (Kai Orine — for the second straight year), 141 (Ryan Jack), 149 (Jackson Arrington), 157 (Ed Scott — the second of his career), 197 (Trent Hidlay — the fourth of his career), and heavyweight (Owen Trephan — for the second straight year). “Good momentum for all of those guys,” Popolizio said. “The field that they competed against was really good competition. I think as we get to this time of the year, you want to see that tough competition to know that you are ready, in shape and technically sound for the NCAAs.”
Since the 2017-18 campaign, NC State has claimed at least a share of 12 of the last 14 ACC Wrestling trophies (six ACC Championships and six ACC Dual/Regular Season Championships). “I love the fact that our guys love to compete,” Popolizio said. “They embrace the challenges of wrestling tough competition and that is what makes this group special. When the stakes get high, they elevate their game. That was the case at ACCs.
Onto Kansas City
NC State will head to Kansas City on Monday to avoid any travel hiccups, or as the team encountered last year, early 3 a.m. wakeup calls to get one of those early morning flights out of RDU Airport. “We were able to get some good recovery in after ACCs,” Popolizio said. … story at … Flowrestling.org/NC-state-carrying-momentum-from-record-acc-showing-into-ncaa-championships
And …

Esposito Named Associate Head Coach
RALEIGH – NC State head wrestling coach Pat Popolizio has announced that Zack Esposito will join his staff and serve as an associate head coach. The veteran coach comes to the Wolfpack after a stint with USA Wrestling.  “Zack is a big impact hire”, said Popolizio. “He comes from an elite background of wrestling, has produced at all levels and is a proven winner. His values mirror everything that our program stands for and I am confident that we will continue to build on the momentum that has continued to grow in the past several seasons. He shares the same goals as the rest of us, to win a national title.”
After previously holding the associate head coach position at Oklahoma State for seven years, he was most recently the National Freestyle Development and Resident Coach for USA Wrestling, the national governing body for wrestling in the United States.
In his position, Esposito coordinated the U.S. Pan American and World Teams at the U15, U17 and U20 levels. He also managed USA Wrestling’s Elite U20 Resident Program, which trains at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. He worked directly with National Freestyle Coach Bill Zadick and Manager of Freestyle Programs Joe Russell on many other projects as part of USA Wrestling’s professional national freestyle coaching staff. “This is bittersweet, because I really respect Zack and his family,” said National Freestyle Coach Bill Zadick. “We wish him great success in his new opportunity. We know he will continue to be a longtime contributor to USA Wrestling in his new position. We value our Developmental position as one of our most important roles, and will look for another great coach to influence our future.”
Esposito is a familiar face to Popolizio, as they both wrestled for John Smith, … story at … GOpack.com/Esposito-named-associate-head-coach

March 20, 2024 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

PAC – 12 Championships

Little Rock’s Three Conference Champions, Four NCAA Qualifiers Highlight Pac-12 Championships
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Three conference champions. Four NCAA qualifiers. Eight placers. A second-place team finish. The Wrestler of the Meet award-winner. The 2024 Pac-12 Championships was a day like no other for the Little Rock wrestling team. “Wow! What a day,” agreed head coach Neil Erisman at the conclusion of the tournament. “We set a lot of new standards today. There were a lot of ups and downs; I’m super happy for those who get to go on, but also hurting for those who didn’t. As a team, we are going to get back to work and get ready for the NCAA Tournament. It’s a great day to be a Trojan!”
Conference Champions
Before today, only one Trojan had ever advanced to the first place match: Paul Bianchi in 2020, the program’s very first year of competition. He placed second to set the standard for the program, and four years later Nasir Bailey, Joseph Bianchi and Stephen Little surpassed that standard by becoming Little Rock’s first-ever conference champions.  Earning an 8-3 decision over Arizona State in the evening, Nasir Bailey was crowned conference champion at 133 pounds as a true freshman after pulling ahead 7-0 in the first period and never looking back. He was awarded Wrestler of the Meet as the cherry on top. … story at … LRtrojans.com/Little-rocks-three-conference-champions-four-ncaa-qualifiers-highlight-pac-12-championships
And …

FINAL 2024 PAC 12-CHAMPIONSHIPS BRACKETS

Arizona State wins 2024 Pac-12 Wrestling Championship
Mar. 11, 2024, 1:08 AM (ET) by Pac-12 Conference
CORVALLIS, ORE. – Arizona State won their 22nd Pac-12 Wrestling Championship and their fourth in the last five years on Sunday.  The Sun Devils final score of 137.5 is the highest by a Pac-12 champion since ASU had 138.0 in 2021.  Arizona State won the championship in five of the 10 weight classes, highlighted by a fourth straight championship by heavyweight Cohlton Schultz, a fourth title in five years for 157 lb. Jacori Teemer and a three-peat for Kyle Parco at 149.  Little Rock finished in second place at 114.5 thanks to their first ever three individual titles at the Pac-12 Championships, including the Wrester of the Meet Nasir Bailey, who won the 133 pound weight class.
Team Results

  1. Arizona State University: 137.5 points
  2. Little Rock: 115.5 points
  3. Oregon State: 111.0 points … story at … Themat.com/news/Arizona-state-wins-2024-pac-12-wrestling-championship
    And …

Leaders of the Pac! Sun Devils Close Pac-12 Championships With Sixth Conference Title Since 2017
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Back on top! Backed by five individual victories, the Sun Devils captured the 24th Pac-12 Championship title in school history on Sunday evening at Oregon State’s Gill Coliseum, scoring 137.5 team points to outlast runner-up Little Rock (114.5). The Sun Devils shot a jolt through the arena from the get-go when they won four of the first five bouts of the final session, courtesy of Richard Figueroa (125), Jesse Vasquez (141), Kyle Parco (149) and Jacori Teemer (157). They closed the tournament with an emphatic finish via Cohlton Schultz’s big win (285), who pinned Oregon State’s Boone McDermott just 1:01 into the championship match. It was Schultz’s second fall of the day, as he combined to wrestle just 2:06 across both wins. … story at … Thesundevils.com/Leaders-of-the-pac-sun-devils-close-pac-12-championships-with-sixth-conference-title-since-2017

March 20, 2024 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Nebraska Wrestling News

Nebraska Chasing School History At NCAA Wrestling Championships
Nebraska is positioned to make program history at the NCAA Wrestling Championships, where the Huskers are after their fifth team trophy.
Mar 18, 2024 by Dylan Guenther
Nebraska is fresh off a third-place finish at the Big Ten Championships and heads into this week’s NCAA tournament as one of the favorites to earn a team trophy. Led by Big Ten champion Ridge Lovett at 149 pounds, Nebraska saw nine of its wrestlers place at Big Tens. The Huskers had a trio of third-placers in Peyton Robb (157), Lenny Pinto (184) and Silas Allred (197).
Redshirt freshman Jacob Van Dee finished fourth at 133, while Brock Hardy (141) and Antrell Taylor (165) both finished fifth. Football player-turned-wrestler Nash Hutmacher finished sixth at 285 to qualify for NCAAs, while Caleb Smith finished eighth at 125. The lone Husker starter that didn’t receive a spot at NCAAs was Bubba Wilson at 174. Ranked #18 in the country, Wilson is the highest-ranked guy at any weight to not receive an NCAA qualification. The next highest-ranked non-qualifier was #22 Vincent Santaniello of Pitt at 133.
Now that there are only three team trophies instead of four, the margin for error has eroded even further. Nebraska has finished as high as third at NCAAs just once — in 1993. The Huskers also took home team trophies for fourth place in 1984, 2008 and 2009.
Based on the seeds, Nebraska is projected to finish third behind Penn State and NC State. With 58 projected points, Nebraska is followed closely by Lehigh (57), Oklahoma State (55), Iowa State (53.5), Arizona State and Cornell (52 each) and Iowa (49.5). There is a pool of up to 12 teams that have a realistic chance to finish in the two spots behind Penn State, so nothing is guaranteed, but Nebraska has as good a chance as anyone this year.
Now, let’s see how this year’s Huskers got to a point where they’re in the trophy hunt. Top-ranked Ridge Lovett locked up the top seed at NCAAs with his 5-4 win over Michigan’s #5 Austin Gomez in the Big Ten final, his second win over the Wolverine this year. Lovett is 24-1 this season with 14 bonus-point wins, including a team-leading seven pins. Lovett has recorded 47 takedowns this year and given up just seven to pace the team. “Great work by him,” Nebraska coach Mark Manning said of Lovett’s conference tournament. “Obviously, Austin Gomez is a tough competitor and obviously a really good wrestler – he just won (an Olympic qualifying spot for Mexico at) Pan-Ams. Ridge is special. It’s not an easy road to win a championship and he showed a lot of mental toughness.”
At Big Tens, Lovett was dealing with a hand injury. According to Manning, Lovett “crushed” his left hand recently — he had it heavily wrapped last weekend, but it’s been improving.  “It’s a lot better and getting better all the time, and we’re just padding it up and protecting it,” Manning said.
As for Allred, he’ll be the #10 seed at NCAAs after his third-place finish at Big Tens where he only lost to three-time national champ Aaron Brooks. In the third-place match, Allred had arguably the best win of his season when he downed then-#3 Jaxon Smith of Maryland 10-3. Allred leads Nebraska in both wins (24-6 record) and bonus-point wins with 17. He also leads the team with 88 takedowns on the year. … story at … Flowrestling.org/Nebraska-chasing-school-history-at-ncaa-wrestling-championships
And …

Wrestling: Nebraska in the Trophy Hunt Going into NCAA Championships
Nebraska qualified nine of its 10 starters with six Top-10 seeds, including 1-seed Ridge Lovett at 149 pounds
If you’re a wrestling fan, March is the best month of the year. With conference weekend behind us, we’re heading into the NCAA Championships this week starting Thursday morning in Kansas City.
The Huskers are one of a number of contenders that will challenge for a team trophy — after awarding team trophies to the top 4 each year previously, the NCAA will only be awarding trophies to the top 3 finishers this year and going forward.
Having only finished in the top-3 once in program history in 1993 (although they finished fourth twice in 2008 and 2009 and received team trophies), it goes without saying that this year’s team will have to put together a historic national tournament performance to get it done.
With nine qualifiers and six of them seeded in the top 10, the Huskers appear to have the firepower to contend for one of those two trophy spots behind the presumptive winner Penn State. The Nittany Lions are heavy favorites to win their third team title in a row and their 11th in their last 13 tries. In wrestling, Penn State is a dynasty right now and there’s no end in sight, so the rest of the field is really just wrestling for 2nd place and individual glory from their wrestlers.
Based on seeds, Penn State is projected to win the tournament with 131.5 points (doesn’t include potential bonus points adding to their total). NC State is projected to get second with 83. That’s a 48.5 point cushion between #1 and #2, which is likely to be even larger once bonus points are factored in. Nebraska is projected at third place with 58 points, while Lehigh (57), Oklahoma State (55), Iowa State (53.5), Arizona State (52), Cornell (52), Iowa (49.5), Virginia Tech (46) and Michigan (45.5) will all be in contention for a team trophy. The 3rd-ranked Huskers went an impressive 12-2 in their dual season this year. In tournaments, Nebraska was just as impressive with its second-place finish at the Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas in early December. Then just over a week ago, the Huskers placed third at the Big Ten Championships behind just Penn State and Michigan. … story at … Cornnation.com/Nebraska-in-the-trophy-hunt-going-into-ncaa-championships

March 20, 2024 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment