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Amateur Wrestling Reports

InterMat’s All-Quarter Century Team: NC State

Earlier this week, our All-Quarter Century feature highlighted a Missouri program that really came into its own over the last 25 years. The same can be said for NC State. For the first decade-plus in the 2000’s NC State was a highly competitive team in an ACC that was not at the level that we’ve grown accustomed to.  All of that changed in 2013 with the hiring of Pat Popolizio. Shortly after Popolizio’s hiring, NC State became a perennial conference championship favorite and, in many cases, a top ten team. 
Since NC State doesn’t have the long, storied history like other teams we’ve featured thus far, their All-Quarter Century teams don’t have quite the depth like others. At the same time, they have seen some superstars and their first team generally matches up with most other programs. 
One big decision here was how to handle the logjam at 133-149. Kevin Jack and Tariq Wilson had relatively similar accomplishments and it was difficult to pick between the two. Since Wilson had two years at 133 lbs, we put him there. The other option for Wilson was at 149 lbs and with NCAA champion Darrion Caldwell in the mix, he probably should get that spot. 
Wrestlers considered for the three teams had to compete from 2001-25. For the wrestlers early in this timeframe, their entire collegiate body of work … more at … https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/acc/intermats-all-quarter-century-team-nc-state-r100401/

July 27, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Future NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships sites

UW-La Crosse Selected to Host 2027 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships
La Crosse, Wis. – The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced today the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse has been awarded the bid to host the 2027 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships. 
The wrestling championships, to be held at the La Crosse Center in downtown La Crosse, will occur on March 12-13, 2027.  It will mark the sixth time UW-La Crosse has hosted the NCAA III Wrestling Championships (2011, 2012, 2017, 2021, 2024, 2027). 
“We’re so excited to host the NCAA Championships again in 2027,” said UWL Head Wrestling Coach Dave Malecek.  “There is no better place to have the championships than downtown La Crosse. The La Crosse Center is an amazing facility that is so convenient not only for the wrestlers and coaches but all of the fans. We appreciate the continued support from our amazing downtown businesses and local hotels that help make this championship possible.”
UW-La Crosse placed third at the 2011 and 2024 NCAA Division III Championships at the La Crosse Center, fourth in 2012 and tied for 11th in 2017.  The 2021 championships were canceled due to the COVID-19 public health threat.  … more at … https://uwlathletics.com/news/2025/7/17/uw-la-crosse-selected-to-host-2027-ncaa-division-iii-wrestling-championships.aspx

Quad Cities selected to host 2028 Division III Men’s Wrestling Championships

Augustana, in partnership with Visit Quad Cities, will host the 2028 national meet

MOLINE, Ill. — Augustana College, in partnership with Visit Quad Cities, has been selected as the host for the 2028 NCAA Division III Men’s Wrestling Championships. 
The championship, hosted by Visit Quad Cities in partnership with Augustana College, will take place March 10-11, 2028, at Vibrant Arena at The MARK in Moline, Ill. Early projections show the championship is expected to generate nearly $1 million in direct economic impact for the Quad Cities region. This marks the fourth time Augustana College has served as host institution of the NCAA Division III Men’s Wrestling Championship, with previous host years including 1985, 1991, and 1995 at the Carver Center.
“Hosting the Division III National Championships has been a goal of mine for years,” said head coach Tony Willaert. “This tournament is one of the most electric events in all of wrestling, and it’s incredibly exciting to bring it back to the Quad Cities for the first time since 1995. Since arriving at Augustana, I’ve driven past Vibrant Arena countless times, always imagining what it would be like to bring thousands of fans downtown for a championship weekend. In 2028, we’re not just looking to host, but want to put on a show and make Moline a staple location for this event for years to come.”
Bidding for 87 of 90 NCAA championships began in September 2023, and more than 1,200 bid applications were submitted. Each sport committee, per division, selected the host sites it believed would provide the ultimate experience for the respective student-athletes, resulting in more than 240 total championship event sites being awarded. During the 2025 national championship, over 200 of the best wrestlers in the country competed in ten weight classes. More than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships each year. 
“On behalf of the Visit Quad Cities Board of Directors and professional team, we are thrilled about the opportunity to host the 2028 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships,” said Dave Herrell, President and CEO, Visit Quad Cities. “We are grateful for the confidence of the NCAA and look forward … more at … https://athletics.augustana.edu/news/2025/7/22/quad-cities-selected-to-host-2028-division-iii-mens-wrestling-championships.aspx

July 27, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , | Leave a comment

Virginia Colleges Coaching changes

Averett promotes Braswell to men’s wrestling head coach as Roulo announces departure
DANVILLE, Va. — Averett University announced the promotion of Sam Braswell to head coach of the men’s wrestling program on Wednesday as Blake Roulo departs for another coaching opportunity. Braswell served as an assistant coach for the past three seasons on Roulo’s staff following a storied career as an All-American with the Cougars. Braswell, who has been affiliated with Averett wrestling since it began in 2018, becomes the Cougars’ third head coach for the storied program which has produced 10 All-America selections, 20 NCAA national qualifiers and five region champions in only eight seasons of existence.
“Sam Braswell has been an integral part of our wrestling program, first as a student-athlete and then as an assistant coach,” Director of Athletics Danny Miller said. “His passion, knowledge and experience not only provides continuity within our program, but also a vision for the continued success and growth of Averett wrestling.”
Braswell had an illustrious collegiate wrestling career at Averett from 2018-2022. A three-time NCAA Division III national qualifier and three-time NWCA All-American, Braswell finished his career at Averett as the program’s leader in wins after going 150-28, including a program single-season record for 42 wins in 2021-22. During his final campaign, Braswell won 39 consecutive matches to start the season and finished fourth nationally while winning the NCAA Southeast Region title at 125 pounds  … more at … https://averettcougars.com/news/2025/7/16/mens-wrestling-averett-promotes-braswell-to-mens-wrestling-head-coach-as-roulo-announces-departure.aspx

Roulo Named Wrestling Coach, Assistant Athletic Director at Ferrum
FERRUM, Virginia — Director of Athletics Cleive Adams has announced the hiring of Blake Roulo as Head Wrestling Coach and Assistant Athletic Director at Ferrum College. Roulo comes to Ferrum from Averett University, where he served the past six years as Head Wrestling Coach.
Roulo posted five consecutive winning seasons at the helm of Averett’s mat program. He racked up 96 career dual meet wins, including 21 over NCAA Division II schools and two over Division I schools. He led the Cougars to an impressive 23-6 overall record in 2021-22, while his 2023-24 team went 20-7. 
Roulo’s accomplishments include having coached 20 NCAA qualifiers, 10 All-Americans, 12 National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar All-Americans, 38 regional placewinners, 14 conference champions, 38 wrestlers nationally ranked by the NWCA and/or d3wrestle.com, and one wrestler ranked #1 in the nation two years in a row. 
A seasoned recruiter, Roulo brought in large recruiting classes at Averett: 46 wrestlers in 2019-20, 54 in 2020-21, 63 in 2021-22, 65 in 2022-23, and 60-plus in 2023-24 and 2024-25. He also excels as a fundraiser, out-pacing all Averett sports programs during Annual Day of Giving events the past three years.  “We’re thrilled to welcome Blake Roulo to Ferrum as our new Head Wrestling Coach and Assistant Athletic Director,” said Adams. “We’re fortunate to have attracted a proven, high-quality coach who can continue to elevate our wrestling program and uphold the elite standards that have been established. In his role as Assistant Athletic Director, Blake will also focus on enhancing game day management as we continue to prioritize the student-athlete and fan experience at Ferrum College.” … more at … https://ferrumpanthers.com/news/2025/7/17/ruolo-named-wrestling-coach-assistant-ad-at-ferrum.aspx

July 27, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , | Leave a comment