Lehigh adds women’s wrestling, making it the sixth Division I school to sponsor the sport
Where does this position NCAA women’s wrestling heading into its first season as an NCAA championship sport?
The release had been worked through, massaged, updated and ready to deploy – the question was the timing.
On Tuesday morning, Lehigh University elevated its successful women’s club wrestling program to varsity status, making it the 26th varsity sport at the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania school. The move makes Lehigh the sixth full Division I school to offer women’s wrestling as a varsity sport, joining Iowa, Sacred Heart, Presbyterian, Lindenwood and Delaware State, which announced the addition in November of 2024.
As of May 27, there are 116 NCAA schools with women’s wrestling as a varsity sport.
With already a strong roster in place and a vibrant head coach already there, the question for Lehigh wasn’t if, but when.
Head coach Brazel Marquez landed some of the top high school talent for the incoming class, recently highlighted in Kyle Klingman’s story on Flowrestling on May 8. … more at …
Transfer Portal Update (5/22/2025)
Since our last update, there weren’t any earth-shattering moves; however, a few teams quietly got better. Most notably, Central Michigan.
The Chippewas have picked up Gianni Maldonado who spent the last year at the Air Force Academy’s Prep School. Just a year ago, Maldonado was deemed a top 150 recruit (#146) coming out of high school in Florida. He put together a 4-2 record at 157 and 165 lbs while competing for the prep school in 2024-25.
CMU also picked up Seth Larson who went 1-7 at 157 lbs for Campbell. All of Larson’s action came in dual meets as a true freshman in 2024-25. The addition of Maldonado gives CMU some depth in the middle weights, so the Central Michigan could redshirt Larson during the upcoming season.
Northern Colorado is a school that has used the portal well, of late. The Bears latest addition is Murphy Menke, a Colorado native, who started for most of the year at Oregon State. Menke began the year at 165 lbs, but moved up and was the postseason entry for Oregon State at 174 lbs. He made the Pac-12 finals and lost to Tyler Brennan (Little Rock) who was later deemed ineligible.
Remember, there are still avenues for a wrestler to enter the transfer portal at this time. Any additional entries will be tied to a coaching change or perhaps from a graduate student.
The first list of wrestlers we’ve listed … more at … https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/transfer-portal-update-5222025-r100269/
Canadian Wrestling Championships (Senior, Junior, Cadet) head to Edmonton
OTTAWA— The Canadian Wrestling Championships (Senior, Junior, Cadet) will take place next week, May 29-31, in Edmonton at the Clare Drake Arena on the University of Alberta campus. This premier wrestling event features three age groups of competitors all vying for the title of national champion and a spot on one of Canada’s national teams. “We are absolutely thrilled to be returning to Edmonton for the upcoming Canadian Wrestling Championships (Senior, Junior, Cadet),” said Tamara Medwidsky, CEO of Wrestling Canada Lutte. “Edmonton has always been a passionate and supportive wrestling community, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to once again showcase the best of Canadian wrestling in such a vibrant city. This event plays a critical role by determining our national champions and selecting members of Canada’s national teams—athletes who will go on to represent our country on the international stage. It’s an exciting event for our sport and we can’t wait to witness the incredible talent and determination that define Canadian wrestling.”
“2025 is a very exciting year for the Friends of the World Cup of Wrestling Society. Not only do we get to welcome the wrestling community to Edmonton for the national championships, but we are also celebrating our 35th anniversary, as an organization,” said Kelly Rich, Event Chair / Friends of the World Cup of Wrestling Society. “Our host organizing committee and volunteers are looking forward to hosting the over 600 participants from across the country, … more at … https://wrestling.ca/canadian-wrestling-championships-senior-junior-cadet-head-to-edmonton/
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
Martin Fleming, Editor
Takedown Report
Takedown Report 