No. 1 Penn State wrestling dominates No. 2 Ohio State 36-5
No. 1 Penn State dominate No. 2 Ohio State 36-5
The No. 1 Penn State Nittany Lions keep making more history. The defending national champions topped the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes in style 36-5, winning their 85th consecutive dual meet and the Big Ten regular season title.
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All eight of Penn State’s No. 1-ranked athletes walked away with a victory against their Ohio State foes, with No. 1 Shayne Van Ness, No. 1 PJ Duke, No. 1 Mitchell Mesenbrink, No. 1 Levi Haines and No. 1 Josh Barr winning by bonus at 149, 157, 165, 174 and 197 pounds respectively.Â
Penn State’s No. 1 Luke Lilledahl started the dual with early momentum, winning a 4-1 sudden-victory bout over No. 2 Nic Bouzakis at 125 pounds after Lilledahl found a takedown shortly into the extra period. The 133-pound bout went to Penn State as well, with No. 4 Marcus Blaze pulling off a reversal in the riding time tiebreaker to beat No. 2 Ben Davino, 3-2.
At 141 pounds, Ohio State got back in the match with No. 1 Jesse Mendez earning an 18-2 tech fall over No. 12 Braeden Davis. Van Ness matched that result with his 20-5 tech fall against Brogan Fielding at 149 pounds, and No. 4 Duke pinned Daxton Chase at 157 pounds to give Penn State a 19-5 lead at intermission.
Out of the break, No. 1 Mesenbrink kept Penn State in control with a 12-2 major win against No. 16 Paddy Gallagher. No. 1 Haines was close to pinning T.J. Schierl but had to settle for a 16-1 tech fall. The points clinched the dual for Penn State.
No. 1 Rocco Welsh spent most of the match trailing against No. 8 Dylan Fishback at 184 pounds, but a takedown with 15 seconds left gave the Nittany Lion a 7-6 win. No. 1 Josh Barr earned a 11-2 major decision win against No. 10 Luke Geog. At heavyweight, No. 12 Cole Mirasola upset No. 3 Nick Feldman in sudden victory, finishing off … more at … https://www.ncaa.com/live-updates/wrestling-men/d1/no-1-penn-state-wrestling-dominates-no-2-ohio-state-36-5
No. 6 Hokies handle No. 13 North Carolina for seventh top 25 win of the season
BLACKSBURG – The No. 6 Virginia Tech wrestling team (10-2, 5-0 ACC) continues to roll – dispatching a chippy No. 13 North Carolina Tar Heel (9-4, 2-3 ACC) squad 29-9 in Cassell Coliseum on Friday night. With the win, Tech notched its seventh top 25 win this year as well as secured a share of the 2026 ACC regular season title. The Hokies won eight of ten bouts with three via bonus and two upset wins by No. 33 Mac Church and No. 32 Jaden Bullock.
Rankings Don’t Mean Everything
Since re-entering the starting lineup at 165-pounds, No. 33 Mac Church (16-7) has claimed back-to-back wins with an exclamation point on Friday night over No. 12 Bryce Hepner. In a stalwart first period, it was Church who would strike and secure the only takedown of the match in the second period. With a 3-1 lead, the redshirt sophomore would hold on to secure a 3-2 decision victory for his biggest victory this season.
Home state native, No. 32 Jaden Bullock (15-10) added another credible win to his resume – taking out No. 13 Jake Dailey at 184-pounds once again. The two met earlier this season at the Southeast Open which saw Bullock make a surging comeback for the victory, an eerily similar situation to Friday night. Trailing in the third, Bullock would secure a reversal into two nearfall points then add a takedown at the end of the bout with an upset 8-3 decision for the Hokies to kill any momentum the Tar Heels had to make a comeback.
Freshmen Phenomenal Once Again
Continuing his sensational debut campaign, No. 6 Aaron Seidel (12-0) had another tech fall shutout on opening day against UNC’s true freshman Matthew Botello at 133-pounds. Seidel was offensive early as he’s been all season and jumped out to a 14-0 lead to end the first two periods courtesy of two takedowns and 11 nearfall. The Hokie would then garner a reversal in the third for the 16-0 tech fall, keeping his 100% bonus rate of 10 techs, one pin, and one major rolling.
With No. 6 Collin Gaj out with injury, it was fellow freshman Drew Gorman (15-6) bumping up and filling in at 149-pounds for Tech. Gorman opened up scoring with a crucial four-point nearfall sequence in the second period then added an escape, takedown, and riding time point to take a 10-4 decision over Nate Askew to further separate the team score in favor of the Hokies.
Ventresca and Miller Show Veteran Poise, Sasso and Mullen Bonus to Seal Business
No. 3 Eddie Ventresca (16-2) continues to steer the Hokies in his national title campaign season. Ventresca displayed his blinding speed and veteran savviness against yet another top 15 ranked opponent in No. 13 Kysen Terukina. Terukina a multiple time NCAA qualifier at Iowa State before transferring to the Tar Heels this offseason never threatened the reigning 125-pound ACC champion as Ventresca secured two takedowns and an escape for the 7-2 decision to start the dual.
At 157-pounds, No. 16 Ethen Miller (11-3) has an attraction to the theatrics with his second straight weekend of extra time wrestling. It was a chippy bout against UNC’s No. 25 Laird Root for the Hokie, unnecessary roughness points finding its way to both wrestlers early in the bout. Tied at 2 via said points and escapes by both competitors, it was Miller converting on a sprawl to go-behind for the 5-2 winning takedown in sudden victory.
New look No. 14 Sonny Sasso (18-5) continues to find his form with a controlling 12-4 major decision over Robert Platt at 197-pounds. Sasso tallied three takedowns – two coming in the opening period – plus two escapes and a riding time point for this third straight victory. His win secured the dual for the Hokies and secured a share of the regular season conference title, making it back-to-back titles for Tech.
Fan favorite No. 17 Jimmy Mullen (19-5) put an exclamation point on the dual with a 19-3 4:52 tech fall … nore at … https://hokiesports.com/news/2026/02/14/no-6-hokies-handle-no-13-north-carolina-for-seventh-top-25-win-on-the-season
2026 D-III Regional Sites and Dates Set
The 2026 Regional sites and dates are as follows
| Region | Host | Location | Tournament Dates |
| Region I | U.S. Coast Guard Academy | New London, Connecticut | Feb. 28 – March 1 |
| Region II | Ithaca College | Ithaca, New York | Feb. 27-28 |
| Region III | The College of New Jersey | Ewing Township, New Jersey | Feb. 27-28 |
| Region IV | Ohio Northern University | Ada, Ohio | Feb. 27-28 |
| Region V | John Carroll University | University Heights, Ohio | Feb. 27-28 |
| Region VI | Loras College | Dubuque, Iowa | Feb. 27-28 |
| Region VII | UW – Eau Claire | Eau Claire, Wisconsin | Feb. 27-28 |
The teams assigned to each region can be found in the 2025-2026 Regional Alignment … more details at … https://www.d3wrestle.com/2026-regional-sites-and-dates-set/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=2026-regional-sites-and-dates-set
No. 7 Hawkeyes Come Back to Defeat No. 10 Michigan, 19-17
The seventh-ranked Iowa wrestling team defeated No. 10 Michigan, 19–17, on Friday night on Mediacom Mat at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The seventh-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team defeated No. 10 Michigan, 19–17, on Friday night on Mediacom Mat at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Iowa and Michigan split the matches 5–5, but Iowa got technical falls at 133 and 165 pounds, which proved to be the difference. “It is important to the team,” said head coach Tom Brands. “Those are five-point wins, each of them. There was never a question like, oh, I’m going to feel it out and see if this guy is going to crack or not. It was foot on the gas, smart wrestling, foot on the gas. They just went out and got the tech fall.”
The Hawkeyes had 18 takedowns to Michigan’s 10 and outscored the Wolverines in total match points, 67–58. With the dual starting at 141 pounds, Kale Petersen was first on the mat for the Hawkeyes, dropping an 11–2 major decision to No. 26 Dylan Ragusin, who used a cradle to secure a takedown in the final 10 seconds and earn bonus points for the Wolverines.
Michigan then extended its lead with an 8–3 decision from No. 15 Lachlan McNeil over No. 19 Ryder Block. Trailing 4–0 in the third period, Block got a takedown with just over a minute left, but a takedown by McNeil with three seconds remaining clinched the bout for the Wolverine.
At 157 pounds, No. 13 Cameron Catrabone made it three straight victories for the Wolverines with a takedown with 32 seconds left in the bout to overcome a 3–2 lead from No. 14 Jordan Williams. No. 3 Michael Caliendo went out in style in his final Carver match as a Hawkeye, using seven takedowns to notch a 21–6 tech. fall over Justin Gates at 165 pounds to get Iowa on the board and cut Michigan’s lead in half.
Michigan won a 6–3 decision in sudden victory at 174 pounds to close out the first half of the dual. A late third-period takedown from No. 11 Beau Mantanona gave him the lead over third-ranked Patrick Kennedy before a stall call made it 3–3 and sent things to overtime, where a takedown after a scramble gave Mantanona the victory. A second straight match went to overtime as Gabe Arnold defeated No. 7 Brock Mantanona, 3–2, in tiebreakers with 10 seconds of riding time at 184 pounds. … more at … https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2026/02/14/no-7-hawkeyes-come-back-to-defeat-no-10-michigan-19-17
IOWA STATE Victories
No. 4 Cyclones Dominate No. 18 West Virginia 32-7
AMES, Iowa – It was all Cyclones in a top-20 Big 12 showdown Friday night at Hilton Coliseum, as No. 4 Iowa State won eight matches to beat No. 18 West Virginia 32-7. It was the eighth-straight win over the Mountaineers, as Iowa State improved to 23-2 all-time against West Virginia.
Iowa State (10-2, 6-1 Big 12) won the takedown battle, 27-5, over the Mountaineers (9-4, 5-3 Big 12).
The Cyclones kicked things off with an upset at 125 pounds, as No. 11 Stevo Poulin beat No. 8 Jett Strickenberger by 14-4 major decision. Poulin was 0-4 all-time against Strickenberger entering the match, but got the best of him thanks to a big opening period. Poulin led 7-1 early after a takedown and four near fall, but Strickenberger cut the lead to 7-4 with a takedown to close the period. A second period takedown, followed by a pair of stall calls in the third led to the major decision. At 133 pounds, No. 19 Gunner Andrick defeated Adrian Meza 5-0.
No. 3 Anthony Echemendia earned the second major decision of the night for the Cyclones at 141 pounds, as he beat Jordan Titus 1-3. Echemendia used a takedown in each of the three periods to pick up his fifth major decision of the season. Echemendia improved to 14-2 on the year with the win, including a 7-2 dual record, while also earning his 50th career victory.
At 149 pounds, No. 11 Jacob Frost used a late escape to seal a 6-5 victory over Willie McDougald. Frost had a takedown in the first period, but gave one up with :36 left to tie the match. The escape with :34 remaining earned Frost his 13th victory of the year, improving to 9-2 in dual matches.
In the match of the night, No. 8 Vinny Zerban knocked off No. 6 Ty Watters 5-2 at 157 pounds. Down 1-0 going into the third period, Zerban escaped to even the match before getting a takedown with :43 remaining to lock up the win.
No. 15 Connor Euton took care of business at 165 pounds, earning a 20-4 technical fall against Sasha Gavronsky in 6:02. Euton led 7-1 after the first period thanks to a takedown and a four-point nearfall. He added two more takedowns in the second period and two in the third for his seventh technical fall of the season.
At 174 pounds, No. 13 MJ Gaitan picked up the second ranked win of the night for the Cyclones, as he … more at … https://cyclones.com/news/2026/2/13/wrestling-no-4-cyclones-dominate-no-18-west-virginia-32-7
And …
No. 4 Cyclones Derail No. 15 Panthers, 28-6
AMES, Iowa – No. 4 Iowa State defeated in-state rival No. 15 UNI Sunday night in front of a rowdy Hilton Coliseum crowd. The Cyclones took eight of 10 matches from the Panthers, including the first five of the dual, to come out on top, 28-6.
Iowa State (11-2, 7-1 Big 12) held a 24-8 advantage in takedowns against UNI (10-8, 4-4 Big 12). This marks the first time since the 2003-04 season the Cyclones notched dual victories over both of their in-state rivals, Iowa and UNI.
ISU won three matches via bonus-point margin, including heavyweight Yonger Bastida’s 12th tech fall of the season, tied for the most nationally (James Conway; Franklin & Marshall). Bastida’s last three wins inside of Hilton Coliseum, and seven of his last nine overall, have come via tech fall. Bastida now owns a 95:2 takedown ratio on the season.
No. 11 Stevo Poulin got the Cyclones started with a decisive 4-1 decision against No. 31 Trevor Anderson. After a scoreless first period, Poulin reversed Anderson to start the second period and rode the Panther for the remainder of the period. Poulin also rode Anderson for the entirety of the third period as he amassed well over three minutes of riding time.
In an upset at 133 pounds, Garrett Grice topped No. 22 Julian Farber in a tight match, 5-4. Grice flashed his scrambling ability and turned a Farber attack into a takedown of his own in the opening period. The Cyclone would add a reversal in the final period to cap his first dual appearance of the season after missing much of the year to injury.
No. 3 Anthony Echemendia got out to a big lead against Max Brady at 141 pounds but surrendered a pair of third period takedowns to thwart the tech fall. Nonetheless, Echemendia rolled to a 19-10 major decision over Brady.
No. 11 Jacob Frost notched his fourth ranked win of the season with a commanding 8-2 decision over No. 32 Caleb Rathjen. The Cyclone tallied takedowns in the second and third periods as he improved to 14-4 on the season.
At 157 pounds, No. 8 Vinny Zerban made it five in a row for the Cyclones with a 15-5 major decision over Cael Rahnavardi. Zerban recorded three first-period takedowns, along with a reversal and riding time point in the third, as he improved to 13-3 on the year.
No. 15 Connor Euton dropped a tight match to No. 6 Ryder Downey in overtime, 8-5. Both wrestlers exchanged takedowns in regulation, but it was Downey who prevailed in the extra frame.
In the dual’s marquee matchup at 174 pounds, No. 13 MJ Gaitan won an overtime thriller over No. 12 Jared Simma, 8-5. Simma struck first with a takedown in the opening period before Gaitan responded with one of his own in the second and again … more at … https://cyclones.com/news/2026/2/15/wrestling-no-4-cyclones-derail-no-15-panthers-28-6
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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
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