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No. 2 Ohio State, No. 17 Rutgers earn statement top-10 wins in weekend wrestling action

After last weekend was filled with upsets, the men’s college wrestling world settled, with favorites mostly holding serve, the major exception being the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, who earned their first win over No. 6 Minnesota in the program’s history in the Big Ten.
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Here’s a recap of the action from this weekend ahead of the nation’s top two teams in the Big Ten and the country — No. 1 Penn State and No. 2 Ohio State — meeting on Friday:

Penn State, Ohio State stay undefeated ahead of spotlight dual 

Both No. 1 Penn State and No. 2 Ohio State met challenges ahead of their dual in Happy Valley.
The Nittany Lions were the 38-3 winners over No. 10 Michigan, winning the first nine matches of the night. No. 1 Luke Lilledahl kicked off the momentum with a 21-5 win over No. 23 Diego Sotelo in the 125-pound opening bout, while No. 4 Marcus Blaze won his 133-pound match by a 17-2 margin over Michigan’s Gauge Botero.
In the closest match of the night, Nate Desmond’s sudden-victory takedown gave him an 8-5 win over No. 26 Dylan Ragusin at 141 pounds. No. 1 Shayne Van Ness was a 9-1 major winner over No. 13 Lachlan McNeil, and No. 4 PJ Duke took a high-scoring 12-10 decision over No. 13 Cameron Catrabone, giving the Nittany Lions a 20-0 halftime lead.
Out of the break, back-to-back tech falls from No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink and No. 1 Levi Haines gave Penn State 30 team total points after just seven matches. No. 1 Rocco Welsh then won the 184-pound bout over No. 7 Brock Mantanona 8-1, and No. 1 Josh Barr added one more tech fall, 19-4, over No. 20 Hayden Walters. The lone Michigan winner was No. 5 Taye Ghadiali at heavyweight, who beat Penn State’s No. 12 Cole Mirasola, 4-1.
The Buckeyes, meanwhile, hosted No. 8 Iowa in Columbus on Senior Night and took down the Hawks definitively, 24-9. Ohio State took seven of ten matches, headlined by two-time NCAA champion Jesse Mendez’ 21-3 tech fall over Kale Peterson. The win gave Ohio State its first undefeated season in the Covelli Center in program history. The dual started at 157 pounds, and Iowa won the first three matches by decision, including a 2-1 decision win by No. 3 Patrick Kennedy over No. 5 Carson Khachla in just one of two matches featuring two All-Americans. 
From there, the Buckeyes didn’t lose a match. No. 7 Dylan Fishback won the 184-pound match with a sudden-victory takedown over Gabe Arnold to give Ohio State its first team points of the night. No. 10 Luke Geog earned a 13-4 major-decision win over Brody Sampson at 197 pounds, and No. 3 Nick Feldman won the heavyweight match over No. 8 Ken Keuter, 3-2.

NATIONAL DUALS: How Ohio State beat Iowa back to December before last weekend’s second win

When the dual transitioned to finish at the lower weights, Ohio State’s dominance continued. No. 2 Nic Bouzakis beat No. 6 Dean Peterson 9-5 at 125, and No. 2 Ben Davino beat No. 9 Draye Ayala 4-2 at 133, and Mendez finished off the dual by securing his final home victory to continue Ohio State’s best start in program history. 
Elsewhere in the Big Ten, No. 5 Nebraska was dominant on Senior Day against Northwestern with a 47-0 win, while Rutgers made a statement, taking down the No. 6 Gophers. … more at … https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling-men/article/2026-02-09/no-2-ohio-state-no-17-rutgers-earn-statement-top-10-wins-weekend-wrestling-action

February 12, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , | Leave a comment

NCAA D1 Wrestling Week 15 Roundup: Duals Do Matter

The world’s finest collection of noteworthy happenings from the 15th week of the 2025-26 NCAA D1 wrestling season.
I hope you enjoyed the “Big Game” this weekend. I have to call it the “Big Game” because if I say the words Super Bowl™ the NFL will sue me into oblivion. 
Oh no, I’ve just said it! I take it back! I’m sorry NFL, I didn’t mean to! Please don’t destroy me and all those whom I hold dear in a litigious tidal wave of pain and destruction! 
Week 14 Rankings | Week 15 Box Scores
Roundups: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14
I guess I’ll just have to cross my fingers and pray Roger Goodell takes mercy on a humble college wrestling blogger. 
In the meantime, we’ve got another week’s worth of NCAA D1 action to recap! Here are all the noteworthy happenings from week 15 of the 2025-26 season!
The Dual of the Century of the Week
Mania in Jersey Mike’s Arena: Rutgers Defeats Minnesota for the 1st Time Ever
It was a rapturous evening for wrestling fans on the banks of the Raritan River last Friday. This is exactly the thing people mean when they say “dual meets matter”. Dual meet final scores still have no bearing on a program’s finish at the NCAA Championships, however, the right environment and performance in home duals is what grows a fan base, attracts recruits, and builds the foundation upon which improvements in NCAA Championship results are made. 
The Scarlet Knights got command performances from #28 Ayden Smith at 125, Andrew Clark at 149, and #32 Anthony White at 157, where they registered upsets of #8 Jore Volk, #19 Drew Roberts and #15 Charlie Millard, respectively. 
Things were still in the balance going into the penultimate bout, as #16 Remy Cotton and #25 Gavin Nelson are very evenly matched 197-pounders. That played out on the mat, as the bout went into suddent victory, where Cotton came up huge with a pinfall and a nine point swing for the home team. … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/15392598-ncaa-d1-wrestling-week-15-roundup-duals-do-matter

February 12, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , | Leave a comment

SUNY Oswego Athletics Mourns The Passing of Legendary Coach James Howard

Oswego, NY – It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of James “Jim” Howard, a legendary figure in collegiate wrestling, a devoted mentor to generations of student-athletes, and an enduring pillar of the SUNY Oswego community.
Jim’s remarkable career spanned more than three decades and left an indelible mark on the sport of wrestling and the lives he touched. For 26 years as head wrestling coach, Jim guided the Lakers with passion, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. Under his leadership, the program produced 28 NCAA All-Americans, including three national champions, and six Top-10 NCAA team finishes, highlighted by a third-place finish at the 1982 National Championships. His accomplishments earned him honors such as Division III Wrestling Coach of the Year (1982) and SUNYAC Coach of the Year (1987). 
Beyond wins and accolades, Jim’s influence was rooted in the character he helped cultivate in his student-athletes. Known affectionately simply as “Coach” by those whose lives he shaped, he was celebrated as a true professional and enduring role model, inspiring countless wrestlers to pursue greatness on and off the mat. His service for the broader coaching community included terms as president of the National Wrestling Coaches Association and the Division III Wrestling Coaches Association, rare honors reflecting his stature among peers. 
With a lifelong commitment to sport and community, he led a family deeply rooted in athletics and service, with the Howard dynasty at SUNY Oswego and beyond, including multiple family members carrying on the traditions of competition, coaching, and leadership, including Mike Howard, who coaches wrestling and golf, and Britt Howard, head women’s lacrosse coach. … more at … https://oswegolakers.com/news/2026/2/9/wrestling-suny-oswego-athletics-mourns-the-passing-of-legendary-coach-james-howard.aspx

February 12, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment