Takedown Report

North Carolina Colleges Wrestling News & Results

No. 25 UMO conquers Belmont Abbey, 21-20
MOUNT OLIVE (Jan. 15) – In a highly competitive Conference Carolinas dual, redshirt junior Slade Watkins won via decision in the heavyweight bout to secure a 21-20 victory over Belmont Abbey on Wednesday night at Kornegay Arena.
With the win, the No. 25 ranked University of Mount Olive men’s wrestling program improved to 8-2 overall while remaining undefeated in league duals with a 5-0 record. The Trojans have won the last three meetings in the series and hold a 3-2 record against the Crusaders. Meanwhile, Belmont Abbey dropped to 5-5 this season with a 5-1 mark in conference action.
At 125, redshirt junior Christian Decatur produced a dominant 17-4 major decision over Dylan Drinkard before the Crusaders countered with a 17-3 major decision in the 133-weight class. Freshman Benjamin Hernandez answered with a 10-2 major decision over Luke Kunath at 141 to take an 8-4 lead, but Belmont Abbey responded with an 18-2 tech fall in the 149-weight class to take a narrow 9-8 advantage. No. 3 ranked senior Jake Nicolosi (157) posted a 19-4 tech fall to regain the lead before No. 11 ranked freshman Brent Nicolosi recorded a 21-5 tech fall to hold an 18-9 edge. The Crusaders registered three straight wins with a tech fall, a decision, and a major decision to reclaim the advantage. … more at … https://umotrojans.com/news/2025/1/15/wrestling-no-25-umo-conquers-belmont-abbey-21-20.aspx
And …

Denkins named SoCon Wrestler of the Week
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – 149-pounder Wynton Denkins was selected as the SoCon Wrestler of the Week, the conference announced Wednesday afternoon. The sophomore from Perrysburg, Ohio went 6-0 and took first place at the David H. Lehman ’68 Franklin & Marshall Open last Friday. Denkins has amassed a 20-6 record this season, the first Camel to reach 20 victories.
Denkins was the No. 2 seed at the F&M Open, and he began the tournament with three consecutive bonus-point victories. He defeated Yanni Vines (Columbia) and Jackson Polo (PRTC) by major decision, followed by a tech fall against J. Brown (unattached), a 28-12 score in 6:39.
Denkins followed that up by defeating three seeded opponents in the final three rounds. In the quarterfinal, he bested the No. 7 seed Alex Nini (Rutgers – unattached), 4-1 in the first sudden victory period. His biggest win of the day came in the semifinals against Columbia’s Kai Owen, the No. 3 seed and a NCAA qualifier from a season ago. Denkins scored a takedown in the first period and entered the third with a 3-2 lead. His takedown with 1:15 left in the third period sealed the win.
The championship bout was his third go at a Columbia … more at … https://gocamels.com/news/2025/1/15/wrestling-denkins-named-socon-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx
And …

NC State Freshman Vince Robinson Rocketing Up College Wrestling Rankings
NC State’s Vincent Robinson has been one of the nation’s top freshmen this season, climbing to #3 at 125 pounds after knocking off then-#2 Troy Spratley
One of the top stories of the college season has been the emergence of NC State freshman Vince Robinson and his ascent up the national rankings at 125 pounds. The Chicago native was coming off a redshirt season in which he was limited to just one tournament and one dual.
Throughout the preseason, he was thrown into competition at the weight against three-time ACC champion Jakob Camacho, who was coming back for his seventh season. But after the second weekend of action this season, Robinson’s bright future for the Pack was clear.
Robinson went to the Journeymen Collegiate Classic in mid-November and came home with a perfect 3-0 mark with all his wins against ranked foes (#16, #19 and #13). For his efforts he was named ACC Wrestler of the Week and inserted into the Pack’s starting lineup. “He has done a phenomenal job, jumping right into our lineup,” NC State coach Pat Popolizio said. “He had some really good wins right away. “He has been a great spark for NC State, and he is doing all the right things, like making weight and taking care of school.”
That hot streak to the season has continued as NC State heads into ACC duals from here on out until March. Robinson has not taken a loss this year when he has stepped out onto the mat, his two blemishes in the win/loss column came after … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/13491606-nc-state-freshman-vince-robinson-rocketing-up-college-wrestling-rankings
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Wrestling Goes Undefeated at Davidson Duals
DAVIDSON, North Carolina – The Little Rock Trojans put on a dominant display at the multi-team dual event, claiming decisive victories over Brown, Morgan State, and Davidson to secure first place. The team showcased impressive performances across multiple weight classes, demonstrating their depth and strength on the mat.
Little Rock 28, Brown 13 
Little Rock opened the competition with a commanding 28-13 win over Brown. Tyson Roach set the tone at 125 lbs with a hard-fought 5-3 decision over Jared Brunner. Brennan Van Hoecke followed up at 141 lbs with an electrifying 15-9 decision over Giuseppe Iamunno. The Trojans gained momentum as Jordan Williams (149 lbs) and Matty Bianchi (157 lbs) secured major decision victories. Joseph Bianchi (165 lbs) delivered an emphatic 19-2 technical fall over Keegan Rothrock, while Tyler Brennan (174 lbs) controlled his match for a 10-0 major decision. At 197 lbs, Stephen Little added another technical fall (19-4) to solidify the win. Despite a couple of setbacks, including a sudden victory loss at 184 lbs, the Trojans remained in control throughout the dual.
Little Rock 41, Morgan State 6
The Trojans continued their dominant run with a 41-6 rout of Morgan State. Roach once again led the charge with a 17-2 technical fall at 125 lbs. Van Hoecke delivered a statement win at 141 lbs, … more at … https://lrtrojans.com/news/2025/1/17/wrestling-goes-undefeated-at-davidson-duals.aspx
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Camels best Runnin’ Bulldogs for opening SoCon win, 31-9
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The Campbell Camels wrestling squad opened its 2025 SoCon season with a resounding 31-9 victory over Gardner-Webb Friday evening at Paul Porter Arena. The Fighting Camels (2-7, 1-0 SoCon) had strong performances throughout the lineup, including pins at 174 pounds and heavyweight to come out on top against the Runnin’ Bulldogs (3-6, 0-1).
#22 Anthony Molton continued his hot streak with a tech fall over Jeffery Jacome to start the night. CU never looked back from the advantage, leading wire-to-wire.
After GWU scored a decision at 133 pounds, #27 Shannon Hanna earned a 2-1 upset victory over No. 19 Todd Carter at 141 pounds. Hanna started on bottom in the second and scored a reversal about 20 seconds into the period. After Carter was able to escape, neither wrestler secured the upper hand in the third period. The win is Hanna’s third over a ranked opponent this season.
Gardner-Webb bounced back with a win at 149 during the tiebreak period, but Chris Earnest prevented them from getting any closer. In his first dual action of the season, Earnest scored an 11-2 major decision over Drew Pepin at 157 pounds.
Dom Baker followed that immediately with a major decision of his own at 165 pounds. His 13-4 performance over Tyler Brignola gave the Camels a 16-6 advantage through six bouts. The scoring continued for Campbell at 174 pounds. Riley Augustine, also in his first dual match of the season, pinned Andrew Wilson in the first period for his second victory by fall of the season.
GWU won by way of decision at 184 pounds, … more at … https://gocamels.com/news/2025/1/17/wrestling-camels-best-runnin-bulldogs-for-opening-socon-win-31-9.aspx

January 25, 2025 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | sports, wrestling