Takedown Report

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Recent College Duals, News – N.C., S.C., & Va.-Feb. 20th

TDR EDitor’s Notes ; College stories of interest to fans in North Carolina.
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No. 16 U.N.C. Cruises To 26-10 Victory Over Virginia On Senior Night
Chapel Hill, N.C. – The 16th-ranked North Carolina wrestling team cruised to a 26-10 victory over Virginia, Friday night inside Carmichael Arena. Prior to the match, GA athletic trainer Megan Maxwell, Isaias Estrada, Aydin Guttridge, Gavin Kane, Spencer Moore, Sonny Santiago and Blaze Yawn were honored on Senior Night, for their contributions to the program during their time in Chapel Hill. On the night, seven Tar Heels were victorious: Spencer Moore (125), Ethan Oakley (133), Lachlan McNeil (149), Sonny Santiago (157), Gavin Kane (184), Cade Lautt (197) and Nolan Neves (285). Beginning the match at 149, the sixth-ranked McNeil utilized a first-period takedown and second-period reversal, clinching the 5-3 decision over UVA’s Erik Roggie. … more at … https://goheels.com/news/2025/2/14/no-16-wrestling-cruises-to-26-10-victory-over-virginia-on-senior-night
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#7 Pack Clips #17 Stanford, Improves to 5-0 in ACC Action
RALEIGH – On senior night, seventh-ranked NC State wrestling improved to 5-0 in ACC action at its final home dual of the season when it took down 17th-ranked Stanford by a 27-13 score Friday night. With Stanford not having anyone to weigh in at 125 lbs, Vince Robinson earned his win by forfeit to start the dual with six points for the Wolfpack.
Kai Orine took the mat for the final time in Reynolds Coliseum but was unable to upset seventh-ranked Tyler Knox and ultimately fell by major decision to cut the team lead to 6-4. The highlight of the night was when Troy Hohman came from behind … more at … https://gopack.com/news/2025/2/15/wrestling-7-pack-clips-17-stanford-improves-to-5-0-in-acc-action
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Lander wins second straight Conference Carolinas Men’s Wrestling crown
Bracket | Tournament Website 

GREENWOOD, S.C. – Lander University claimed their second straight Conference Carolinas men’s wrestling title with a pair of wins at the 2025 Conference Carolinas Men’s Wrestling Championship on Sunday. 12th-ranked Lander captured their second straight Conference Carolinas Men’s Wrestling crown. The Bearcats topped King University in the championship dual 34-10. Lander earned took a 15-0 lead after three bouts behind a pair of falls. Following a pair of King wins, the nation’s top-ranked wrestler at 165 pounds, David Hunsberger extended the Bearcat lead to 20-7 with a technical fall victory.
Lander clinched the win when Anthony Giampietro came up with a reversal to pin at 184 pounds to give the Bearcats a 26-10 lead. Lander then won the final two bouts to take the dual 34-10. … more at … https://conferencecarolinas.com/news/2025/2/16/lander-wins-second-straight-conference-carolinas-mens-wrestling-crown.aspx
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#12 Lander Wins Fourth Straight Conference Championship
GREENWOOD – Anthony Giampeitro (Columbus, N.J.) entered the second period of his 184-pound match down 3-1 with the King Tornado threatening to cut into a then 20-10 Lander lead in the Conference Carolinas Championship Match. But, Giampeitro showed why he was a two-time national qualifier at Millersville as he got a reversal and quickly was able to secure the pin to clinch the 12th-ranked Lander Wrestling team’s fourth-straight conference championship on Sunday inside Horne Arena. … more at … https://landerbearcats.com/news/2025/2/16/wrestling-12-lander-wins-fourth-straight-conference-championship.aspx
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Late Surge Fuels The Citadel Victory over Unbeaten Campbell, Subdues Camels 24-11
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Headlined by a spark-plug ranked win by Thomas Snipes (165 lbs) along with trio of sudden victory decisions from Gylon Sims (125 lbs), Ben Haubert (174 lbs) and Micah DiCarlo (184 lbs), The Citadel (8-4, 4-2 SoCon) managed to orchestrate a monumental victory over previously undefeated Campbell (10-9, 6-1 SoCon) for the first time in league play since the 2014-15 campaign, … more at … https://citadelsports.com/news/2025/2/14/wrestling-late-surge-fuels-the-citadel-victory-over-unbeaten-campbell-subdues-camels-24-11.aspx
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Davidson Wrestling Battles Back; Beat VMI on Senior Night
DAVIDSON, N.C. – The Davidson College wrestling team snapped a 12-dual losing streak with an emphatic win over the VMI Keydets in Belk Arena on Friday night.
Match Highlights
After winning the coin flip, head coach Nate Carr Jr. elected to begin the night at 165. His decision paid off. Bryce Griffin set the tone by securing a dominant 21-4 tech fall over Logan Chambers. Davidson led, 5-0. Marc Koch followed suit with a hard-fought 5-1 decision over Luke Hart to extend Davidson’s lead to 8-0. VMI answered back by taking the next three bouts, all bonus-point victories, to go in front 13-8. … more at … https://davidsonwildcats.com/news/2025/2/14/wrestling-battles-back-beat-vmi-on-senior-night
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Bellarmine wins fifth straight, sets program record SoCon wins after victories over Presbyterian and Gardner-Webb
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Bellarmine wrestling continued to make history on Friday night, defeating Presbyterian 49-0 and Gardner-Webb 23-12 in Paul Porter Arena on the campus of Gardner-Webb University. The Knights (6-3, 5-2 SoCon) have set a new program record for most Southern Conference wins in a single season, topping the previous mark of four set in the 2022-23 season. Bellarmine has also won five consecutive SoCon duals, another first in program history. Before this season, BU had never won more than three SoCon duals in a row. “Our guys just keep battling and growing! I’m really excited about our continued direction,” head coach Ned Shuck said. “In all our matches, we are fighting hard and giving us chances to score.” In the first match of the day against Presbyterian, Bellarmine put the pedal to the metal.  … more at … https://athletics.bellarmine.edu/news/2025/2/14/wrestling-wins-fifth-straight-sets-program-record-socon-wins-after-victories-over-presbyterian-and-gardner-webb.aspx
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No. 10 Hokies defeat No. 18 Panthers for fifth-straight victory
BLACKSBURG, VA – No. 10 Virginia Tech wrestling (8-2, 4-1) dismantled visiting No. 18 Pitt (9-6, 2-3) on Valentine’s Day, winning seven of ten bouts for the Hokies’ fifth-straight victory on Friday night. Tech racked up five bonus point victories including an upset victory at 174-pounds on the evening in a pivotal battle in conference standings ahead of next weekend’s final dual.
More Hokie Bonus Magic
Finding his stride at the right time reminiscent to last year’s late season run is once again No. 22 Thomas Stewart, Jr. for the Hokies. The returning All-American posted yet another bonus point victory via major decision thanks to big throw and nearfall to start off the bout. The redshirt sophomore would then add more takedowns to give the Hokies the lead and never look back.
It was No. 26 Lennox Wolak putting the Hokies on the board – and tying the dual after Tech dropped the first two bouts – with a momentum swinging pin over No. 18 Luca Augustine at 174-pounds. … more at … https://hokiesports.com/news/2025/02/15/no-10-hokies-defeat-no-18-panthers-for-fifth-straight-victory
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NC State’s Popolizio, Robinson and Trumble carrying momentum into final weeks of the season
Feb 13, 2025, 4:41 PM EST by Savannah Asmann, USA Wrestling
WATCH: Full interview with Vince Robinson, Pat Popolizio and Isaac Trumble
The NC State wrestling team, under the leadership of head coach Pat Popolizio, is experiencing an impressive season in 2024-25. Coach Popolizio has cultivated a culture of excellence, resilience, and discipline that has pushed the team to ongoing success.
At 125 pounds, redshirt freshman Vince Robinson, ranked at No. 2, has quickly made a name for himself on the mat. Isaac Trumble, ranked No. 4 at 285 pounds, has contributed significantly to the team’s success this season. Trumble is a 2023 U23 World Champion, 2024 Olympic Team Trials runner-up and Senior National Team member. As the postseason approaches, expectations are high for NC State. The team is building on the momentum they have generated throughout the season under Coach Popolizio’s strategic guidance. … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2025/february/13/nc-state-s-popolizio-robinson-and-trumble-carrying-momentum-into-final-weeks-of-the-season
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Conference Carolinas announces men’s wrestling all-conference awards
GREENVILLE, S.C. – The all-conference honors for Conference Carolinas men’s wrestling in the 2024-25 season were released on Friday prior to the Conference Carolinas Men’s Wrestling Championship.
The 2024-25 all-conference awards were chosen by the head coaches in Conference Carolinas.
Currently ranked No. 1 at 165 pounds and the defending national champion, David Hunsberger was selected Conference Carolinas Wrestler of the Year. He owns an overall record of 21-2, going 7-1 in Conference Carolinas matches. He has taken eight wins by technical fall, six by pin and one by major decision this year. His teammate, who is ranked third at 133 pounds, Christian Davis was selected Conference Carolinas Freshman of the Year. Davis owns a 25-5 overall record, going 9-0 in league bouts. He has taken seven wins by major decision, six by technical fall and four by pin this season. King University head coach Blaze Shade was selected Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year. … more at … https://conferencecarolinas.com/news/2025/2/14/conference-carolinas-announces-mens-wrestling-all-conference-awards.aspx
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Teague named Conference Carolinas Elite 23 Award Winner
MOUNT OLIVE (Feb. 17) – University of Mount Olive redshirt senior Colby Teague received the Conference Carolinas Elite 23 Award at the Conference Carolinas Men’s Wrestling Championship, which was hosted at Finis Horne Arena on the campus of Lander.
Teague boasts a perfect 4.00 cumulative grade-point-average (GPA) while pursuing his master’s degree in counseling: clinical mental health. He earned his bachelor’s degree in May 2023 in recreational therapy from the University of Mount Olive. A native of Newton, North Carolina, Teague became the first-ever recipient from Mount Olive … more at … https://umotrojans.com/news/2025/2/17/wrestling-teague-named-conference-carolinas-elite-23-award-winner.aspx

February 24, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | , | Leave a comment

National College Wrestling News

Editor’s Notes; News of a broader national scope. Check out the sources for updated news.
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NCAA D1 Wrestling Week 16 Roundup: Is It State or States?
The world’s finest collection of noteworthy happenings from the 16th week of the 2024-25 NCAA D1 wrestling season.
Welcome to the recap of the penultimate regular season week of collegiate wrestling, in which we will settle the age-old wrestling debate of what to call the end-of-the-year high school championships: ‘state’ or ‘states”? Box Scores | Rankings | Last Week’s Roundup
As winter gives way to spring we approach the end of the road for so many teenage wrestlers. Around this time, high school gyms and arenas are full up with postseason tournaments. In some parts of the country, this process ends with high schoolers winning ‘state’. In other parts, they say they won ‘states’. That minor difference of one letter is still capable of igniting a firestorm in the social media comment sections of the wrestling community.  Which is the correct way to say it? Keep reading and I will tell you. But first, a thorough recap of all the noteworthy happenings of the 2024-25 NCAA D1 wrestling season! The Dual of the Century of the Week
Panthers Shellack Cyclones In McLeod Center Roof-Ripper, 26-10
They’ve been the DotCotW before, but there’s also no denying the most electric environment of the week was inside the the McLeod Center. And we love nothing more than electrified crowds.  Northern Iowa is the rightfully ranked #4 program in the nation. … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/13736792-ncaa-d1-wrestling-week-16-roundup-is-it-state-or-states
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#2 Iowa vs. #3 Oklahoma State dual set; 2023 champ Alirez new No. 1 at 141
NEWTON, Iowa — Heading into the final major dual-meet weekend of the 2024-25 season, all eyes will be on the star-studded matchup between the No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes and the undefeated No. 3 Oklahoma State Cowboys on Sunday, Feb. 23 in Iowa City. The top-three teams in each poll remained the same as last week, with Iowa and Oklahoma State tabbed as No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in each poll, following top-ranked Penn State. WIN’s Tournament Power Index compiles a point total with each team’s ranked wrestlers similar to NCAA tournament scoring, whereas the Dual Rankings rates teams based on full line-ups. The following is a breakdown of those individual TPI points per ranking: 20 for 1st, 16 for 2nd, 13.5 for 3rd, 12.5 for 4th, 10 for 5th, 9 for 6th, 6.5 for 7th and 5.5 for 8th. Wrestlers ranked 9-12 earn two points each, followed by one and a half points for wrestlers ranked 13-16 and one point for those ranked 17-20. The clash between Iowa and Oklahoma State will feature 19 individually ranked wrestlers of the possible 20 lineup slots and will presumably boast four matchups of wrestlers ranked within the top 10 (165, 174, 184 and 197). The only other clashes between Top-20 dual-meet teams slated to take place this weekend are dual meets between No. 8 NC State at No. 11 Virginia Tech and No. 16 Stanford vs. No. 18 North Carolina, both on Friday, Feb. 21. … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2025/02/17/2-iowa-vs-3-oklahoma-state-dual-set-2023-champ-alirez-new-no-1-at-141/
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NCAA releases midseason coaches’ rank and RPI for 2025 Division I wrestling championships
INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA has announced the second coaches ranking and first Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) for the 2025 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.
The coaches’ rankings are determined by a vote of 16 coaches in each weight class with two head coaches from each of the eight conferences. For ranking purposes, coaches may only consider a wrestler that has been designated as a starter at a respective weight class. Wrestlers must have eight Division I matches in the weight class to be considered with at least one within the last 30 days.
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The RPI is a calculation that consists of three factors: winning percentage, opponent winning percentage (strength of schedule) and opponent’s opponent winning percentage (opponent’s strength of schedule). Only matches against Division I opponents at the designated weight class count towards the RPI and a wrestler needs to have wrestled 15 matches to be ranked. … more at … https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/article/2025-02-13/ncaa-releases-midseason-coaches-rank-and-rpi-2025-division-i-wrestling-championships
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NCAA DI Rankings Updated (2/11/2025)
This edition of the national rankings features more movement in the top ten than many of its predecessors. At 133 lbs, we had a significant jump from Braxton Brown who moved from #11 to #6. Brown defeated the returning Big Ten champion and now only has losses to the second (Romney) and fourth (Byrd) ranked 133 lbers. 
At 149 lbs, Ethan Stiles continues his meteoric rise with his first career top-ten ranking. Stiles started the season at 157 lbs and showed some promise, but he’s been lights-out at 149 lbs. Over the last three weeks, Stiles has picked up wins over #9 (Lamer) #10 (Abas), and #13 (Williams). I generally like to be conservative with some like Stiles, who doesn’t have much of a track record; however, it’s hard to ignore three big wins like those.  Up a weight, we chose to hold with what we had at 157 lbs … more at … https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/ncaa-di-rankings-updated-2112025-r100001/
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Unbeatens still riding high atop Coaches Poll; Northern Iowa reaches highest mark in 37 years
 Manheim, Pennsylvania – Penn State and Oklahoma State remained unbeaten after weekend wins, staying atop the latest NWCA Division I Men’s Wrestling Coaches Poll released on Tuesday.  
The top-ranked Nittany Lions improved to 12-0, extending their school-record winning streak to 68 straight with a 39-0 shutout over No. 19 Michigan and a 35-10 victory over Maryland at Rec Hall. Oklahoma State upped its record to 13-0 after a 25-13 win over then-No. 16 Little Rock. Iowa rallied to win the final two matches of its dual against then-No. 7 Nebraska, securing a 19-17 victory. Meanwhile, then-No. 8 Minnesota edged Ohio State 20-17, dropping the Buckeyes from fourth to eighth in this week’s rankings, while the Gophers climbed two spots to No. 6. 
Northern Iowa (12-1) defeated North Dakota State 33-6, moving up one spot to No. 4, tying the program’s highest ranking in the history of the poll, which dates back to 1956. The only other time Northern Iowa reached No. 4 was on February 8, 1988.
 Despite the loss to Iowa, Nebraska (9-3) moved up to No. 5. … more at … https://nwcaonline.com/news/2025/2/11/ncaa-division-1-men-unbeatens-still-riding-high-atop-coaches-poll-uni-reaches-highest-mark-in-37-years.aspx
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February 11 ASICS Race for the Hodge Trophy Update
This March, WIN Magazine, Culture House and ASICS will announce the winner of the prestigious 2025 Dan Hodge Trophy a week after the March 20-22 NCAA Championships in Philadelphia.
Between now and then, WIN Magazine will provide a weekly update at WIN-Magazine.com on this year’s race for the coveted trophy, which was created in 1994 by former WIN publisher Mike Chapman and named after Dan Hodge, the late three-time NCAA champion (1955-57) from the University of Oklahoma. In addition to former Hodge Trophy winners, a retired coach from each region, and national media members, wrestling fans can once again be part of the voting as well. Shortly after the NCAAs, fans will be able to vote online at WIN-Magazine.com with the winner earning five first-place votes. … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2025/02/11/february-11-asics-race-for-the-hodge-trophy-update/
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All-330 Projections (February 2025)
The All-330 projections are back for February of 2025.  The All-330 is a series of educated guesses on who will be the 330 wrestlers who make the trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to compete at the 2025 NCAA Championships. So, how are these different than the national rankings, which go down to #33? There’s a little bit of guesswork, projection, and opinion that goes into these, which is generally frowned upon with rankings. In some cases, we think a particular wrestler is poised for a big last couple of weeks and conference tournament (or not-so-big).
Another factor for these is conference allocations. Right now we can just speculate allocations for each conference and weight, but you can get an idea of how many each league will get based on rankings. For instance, in a Big Ten weight class … more at … Intermatwrestle.com
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Three Top-10 matches on tap for major dual-meet weekend
NEWTON, Iowa — Three Top-10 showdowns await college wrestling fans for one of the season’s final weekends of dual-meet action, as No. 1 Penn State will square off with No. 7 Ohio State in Columbus, No. 2 Iowa will take on No. 6 Minnesota in Minneapolis and No. 4 Northern Iowa will clash with No. 10 Iowa State in Ames. Penn State remains the No. 1 team in both the dual-team rankings and in WIN’s Tournament Power Index, which projects where teams could finish in this March’s NCAA Division I Championships … based on individual rankings. Iowa remains No. 2 in both polls, while the Oklahoma State Cowboys, already dubbed the third-best dual team, climbed into sole possession of third place in WIN’s TPI this week. … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2025/02/10/three-top-10-matches-on-tap-for-major-dual-meet-weekend/
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NCAA D1 Wrestling Week 15 Roundup: Carver Combat
The world’s finest collection of noteworthy happenings from the 15th week of the 2024-25 NCAA D1 wrestling season. Now that the National Football League has released the sports world from its vice like grip, the nation turns its full attention to the world’s oldest and most excellent sport: wrestling. 
Box Scores | Rankings | Last Week’s Roundup
And for those whose attention has been turnt, the real super bowl is the many dual meets that occurred during the 15th week of the 2024-25 NCAA D1 wrestling season. 
And as football’s latest season comes to an end, and as I type up this week’s collection of noteworthy happenings in college wrestling , I think of the real heroes of this super Sunday: you, the readers, for giving me, your humble blogger, something to do to distract me from watching a hated NFC East rival win a Super Bowl title in dominant fashion. Thank you for that. 
The Dual of the Century of the Week
Hawkeyes Survive Hellacious Huskers, 19-16 … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/13687669-ncaa-d1-wrestling-week-15-roundup-carver-combat

February 24, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NCAA releases midseason coaches’ rank and RPI for 2025 Division I wrestling championships

INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA has announced the second coaches ranking and first Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) for the 2025 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.
The coaches’ rankings are determined by a vote of 16 coaches in each weight class with two head coaches from each of the eight conferences. For ranking purposes, coaches may only consider a wrestler that has been designated as a starter at a respective weight class. Wrestlers must have eight Division I matches in the weight class to be considered with at least one within the last 30 days.
🤼 MORE COLLEGE WRESTLING 🤼 🚨 Alerts and updates on Bleacher Report
🎥 Wrestling on YouTube 🍎 Follow on Apple News

The RPI is a calculation that consists of three factors: winning percentage, opponent winning percentage (strength of schedule) and opponent’s opponent winning percentage (opponent’s strength of schedule). Only matches against Division I opponents at the designated weight class count towards the RPI and a wrestler needs to have wrestled 15 matches to be ranked.
In the coaches’ rank, of the 10 weight classes five are led by former national champions. in Four-time national champion in the 174-pound class at Penn State, Carter Starocci leads the 184-pound class while teammate Levi Haines, 157-pound champion in 2024, tops the list for the 174-pounders. Champions in 2024, Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez and Virginia Tech’s Caleb Henson are out front in their respective weight classes. Taking the lead in the heavyweight division is 2021 and 2022 champion Gable Stevenson of Minnesota. … more at … https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/article/2025-02-13/ncaa-releases-midseason-coaches-rank-and-rpi-2025-division-i-wrestling-championships

February 24, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

2025 NAIA Men’s Wrestling National Championships Allocations Announced

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced the allocations for the 68th Annual NAIA Men’s Wrestling National Championships, held March 6-8, 2025 at Park City Arena in Park City, Kansas.
Each conference tournament was awarded automatic bids per weight class based on the final regular-season rating, which can be seen HERE. The NAIA coaches’ rating is voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the eight conferences. The top 25 individuals in each weight class is based on how each individual rater casts votes for the best individuals. Each conference is awarded automatic berths based on the number of wrestlers ranked in each weight class. Every conference receives a minimum of one automatic bid per weight class, which will be awarded to the tournament champions, even if the conference did not have any wrestlers ranked in the final regular-season rating. If a conference does not have an individual ranked in the final top 25, an allocation will be deducted from the original 25 to ensure that each conference is represented at each weight class at the National Championships. … more at … https://naia.prestosports.com/sports/mwrest/2024-25/Releases/Allocations

February 24, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

WIN Editor Mike Finn Retires From 48-Year Journalism Career

TDR Editor’s Notes ; I am glad for Mike and wish him the best yet it saddens me to think of not seeing him at the Media Table. A totally classy man with honor and a hard worker. He wrote good stories and was fair to all. I am glad I met him back in 2005 at D-I Nationals and many times since. Thank you for your work and your friendship, Mike. I wish you the best in your next step in life.
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Mike Finn retired from 48 years in journalism, including 22 as editor of Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine (WIN). Finn reflects on his career, changes in print journalism, the art of an interview, finding important stories, avoiding Andy Hamilton, and more. .. video & more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/video/13644656-win-editor-mike-finn-retires-from-48-year-journalism-career

February 24, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment