Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

Pan-American Championships & Olympic Trials

U.S. wins Greco-Roman team trophy, secures two more medals at Pan-American Championships
At the 2024 Pan-American Championships held in Acapulco, Mexico, the United States emerged victorious in the team competition, with Alan Vera and Noah Wachsmuth contributing to their success with silver and bronze medals, respectively. Action continues with women’s freestyle and men’s freestyle on Friday at 10 a.m. CT.
Noah Wachsmuth, competing at 72 kg, faced a challenging opening match but ultimately secured a victory against Jose Varela Garcia of Guatemala. In his following match, Wachsmuth fell to Alexis Vargas Ramirez of Mexico, 11-3. Despite this, Wachsmuth concluded the Pan-American Championships with a silver medal.
Alan Vera exhibited impressive form in his tournament opener, defeating Pedro Bello Soto of Mexico, 11-2. In the semifinals, Vera gained a 5-3 lead, acquiring all his points from the par terre position following his opponent’s passivity penalty.
The U.S Greco-Roman team secured the team trophy, outscoring the second place team by 63 points. This is the sixth consecutive year that the United States has won the team race at the Pan-American Championships. Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela rounded out the top five.
U.S. Greco-Roman Results
72 kg: Noah Wachsmuth (New York Athletic Club), silver medalist
WIN Jose Varela Garcia (Guatemala), 6-3 … story at … Themat.com/US-wins-greco-roman-team-trophy-secures-two-more-medals-at-pan-american
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11 Americans receive draw for Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier
2024 Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier Brackets
ACAPULCO, Mexico – The draws for all three international disciplines have been released for the 2024 Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier in Acapulco, Mexico. 11 Americans are entered with aspirations of securing a coveted weight class quota for the upcoming Paris Olympics.
The top four wrestlers in each weight class were seeded based on ranking points from international results, including last week’s Pan American Championships. The remaining entrants were placed into each bracket by blind draw. Nine Americans earned a place among the top four.
The Greco-Roman group of six—Ildar Hafizov, Alejandro Sancho, Kamal Bey, Spencer Woods, Alan Vera and Cohlton Schultz—looks to kick start the U.S. effort in Acapulco on Wednesday. All six men have experience on their side as past U.S. World Team members. … story at … Themat.com/Americans-receive-draw-for-pan-american-olympic-games-qualifier
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2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Qualifiers, as of February 26
USA Wrestling has updated its list of U.S. Olympic Team Trials qualifiers.
There are 181 athletes now qualified for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Wrestling, set for Penn State, April 19-20.
Two athletes qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials by winning their weight class in men’s freestyle at the Pan American Championships in Acapulco, Mexico this weekend, Nick Suriano at 61 kg and Alec Pantaleo at 70 kg. Both of these are non-Olympic weights, so these athletes will have to choose an Olympic weight class for the Olympic Trials.
USA Wrestling will update this list after each of the Olympic Team Trials qualifying events are held. There remain a few more opportunities in 2024 for athletes to qualify for this list.
The next event where athletes can qualify is the Armed Forces Wrestling Championships, in the Greco-Roman discipline only. Champions from this event who have not yet qualified will advance to the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. This event will be held at the U.S. Air Force Academy, which is north of Colorado Springs, Colo. on Saturday, March 2. … story at … Themat.com/USA-olympic-team-trials-qualifiers-as-of-february-26
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Armed Forces Wrestling Championships set for U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado, March 2-3
One of wrestling’s traditionally classic events, the 2024 Armed Forces Wrestling Championships, will be held at U.S. Air Force Academy, which is located northwest of Colorado Springs, Colo.. March 2-3. The competition will be held at the Cadet Gymnasium – East Gym..
The competition will feature dual meet competition in freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman between branches of the Armed Forces, under the management of Armed Forces Sports. This year, teams from the U.S. Army, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy will compete.
The Greco-Roman competition on Saturday will serve as a qualifying event for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling, set for Penn State University, April 19-20. The highest placing Senior Greco-Roman athlete, per weight category, winning either a gold or silver medal, who has yet to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials will qualify to compete in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Wrestling.  In 2023, athletes from six branches were represented, … story at … Themat.com/Armed-forces-wrestling-championships-set-for-u-s-air-force-academy-in-colorado-march-2-3

February 29, 2024 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

End of Season D-I College Matches – part 4

TDR Editor’s Notes ; The upcoming weekend will be a busy one with the NAIA Nationals in Kansas and the Nationals for the NJCAA in Council Bluff, Iowa. NCAA Division II & III Regional and Conference Qualifying tournaments will be held across the country this week to select qualifiers for Nationals in two weeks. This weekend will be quiet one for Division I teams. They are preparing for their qualifying tournaments which will be held next weekend. The following are reports from D-I schools about their end of the regular season matches.
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#9 Cornell University Wrestling Finishes Weekend Strong, Dominates Appalachian State
BOONE, N.C. — Freshman Meyer Shapiro dominated another ranked opponent, and senior Benny Baker avenged an early season loss as the No. 9 Cornell wrestling team (11-4) beat Appalachian State 36-6 on Sunday afternoon at Varsity Gym. 
The Big Red, which had a six-dual win streak snapped Friday against North Carolina State, improved to 11-4 overall and split on its Tar Heel State road trip with the win.  Sophomore Brett Ungar, ranked No. 15 at 125 pounds, set the tone for a dual in which Cornell won eight of 10 matches and racked up bonus points with four of those victories. Ungar led off the dual with a 15-0 technical fall (4:52) win over Chad Bellis, giving Cornell a 5-0 lead before No. 27 Ethan Oakley (133) got Appalachian State on the board with a 10-4 win over Ethan Qureshi.  
At 141 pounds, senior Josh Saunders held on to win 5-3 over Ike Byers for his first collegiate dual victor. No. 20 Ethan Fernandez (149) gave Cornell an 11-3 lead with an 11-5 victory over Jeremiah Price.  In the only match featuring two ranked wrestlers, No. 7 Shapiro (157) beat No. 19 Tommy Askey 20-4 by technical fall. It was Shapiro’s 14th consecutive victory — and his sixth bonus-point win in his last eight matches.  The Big Red swiftly finished dual after Appalachian State’s No. 25 Will Miller (165) beat Brody Oleksak 11-5.  Baker (174) won 13-7 by decision against Luke Uliano, who won the first match between the two 10-5 by decision at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite in December. Minutes later, No. 6 Chris Foca (184) pinned Thomas Brooker in 1:07. No. 7 Jacob Cardenas (197) followed with a 15-0 technical fall win over Carson Floyd in 2:29. … story at … Cornellbigred.com/Wrestling-finishes-weekend-strong-dominates-appalachian-state
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Zach Elam’s Pin Seals Weekend Sweep For No. 7 Wrestling
BROOKINGS, S.D. – The No. 7-ranked University of Missouri wrestling team took down No. 11-ranked South Dakota State 21-19 on Sunday, Feb. 18. Mizzou (10-2, 6-1 Big 12) claimed their second win of the weekend while South Dakota State (12-4, 6-2 Big 12) took only their second conference loss of the season. 
Redshirt junior Noah Surtin opened the dual in a big way at 125 pounds with a 10-point first period en route to a 14-6 victory. At 141 pounds, redshirt sophomore Josh Edmond picked up his second win of the weekend by claiming a 3-2 victory. Brock Mauller continued his strong redshirt senior season with another ranked win, 4-1 at 157 pounds. The Tigers claimed three matches to lead 10-7 at the break. Missouri’s returning National Champion Keegan O’Toole added to his Hodge Trophy resume with his fourth technical fall of the season at 165 pounds. Down 19-17, redshirt senior Zach Elam stepped up with the dual on the line, picking up a pin in 33 seconds to snatch the team victory. … story at … MUtigers.com/Zach-elams-pin-seals-weekend-sweep-for-no-7-wrestling
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The Citadel Dispatches Presbyterian in Season Finale, Clinches Program Win Mark
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Ignited by a pair of falls from Brodie Porter (174 lbs) and Ben Stemmet (285 lbs) along with four additional tech falls, The Citadel (14-4, 6-2 SoCon) officially wrapped up the 2023-24 regular-season campaign against league opponent Presbyterian (3-14, 0-7 SoCon) behind a dominant effort, dismantling the Blue Hose via a 50-0 final margin en route to a program record 14th victory Thursday afternoon at McAlister Field House. Previously, the Bulldogs breached the 13-win mark on three separate occasions with the most recent coming during the team’s last Southern Conference Championship in 2003-04 exactly two decades ago. … story at … Citadelsports.com/The-citadel-dispatches-presbyterian-in-season-finale-clinches-program-win-mark
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No. 19 West Virginia Takes Down Glenville State to Close Out Regular Season
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – In front of the second largest crowd of 4,139 passionate fans in program history, the No. 19 West Virginia University wrestling team (10-5) scored a 42-3 victory over Glenville State (11-10) to complete its regular season at the fifth annual Beauty and the Beast event on Sunday afternoon. With the win, the Mountaineers claimed double-digit wins in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1990 and 1991.
WVU scored three technical falls in three of the first four matches to hold a commanding 18-3 lead at the midway point of the dual. To begin the second half, the Mountaineers continued with their fourth technical fall at 165 pounds, followed by the team’s first pin of the day by redshirt freshman Brody Conley in the first period of action at 174 pounds. West Virginia added their fifth technical fall at 184 pounds and proceeded to add a pair of major decisions to seal the victory.   Looking ahead, … story at … WVUsports.com/West-virginia-takes-down-glenville-state-to-close-out-regular-season
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No. 23 Pitt Wrecks Rider in Wrestling, 29-9
PITTSBURGH—Pitt wrestling put on a dominant performance on Thursday evening, defeating Rider in a dual by a 29-9 score at the Fitzgerald Field House in the team’s penultimate dual of the season. The 23rd-ranked Panthers (9-8, 1-3 ACC) cruised by the Mid-American Conference dual meet leaders, winning eight of the bouts against the Broncs (7-7, 7-0 MAC), including technical fall victories by Colton Camacho at 125 pounds and Mac Stout at 197 pounds.
Cole Matthews also earned bonus points for the Panthers at 141 pounds, claiming a major decision with a late takedown to pick up his 99th career victory for Pitt and set the stage for him to have the chance at reaching the prestigious win 100 on Senior Night tomorrow against Virginia at the Fitz. Several Panthers posted big point totals. Luca Augustine tallied 13, Vinnie Santaniello scored nine and Finn Solomon and brothers Holden Heller and Reece Heller also did enough to earn victories. “I thought we wrestled well tonight overall. It was good to see us score a lot of points in several matches,” Pitt head coach Keith Gavin said. “We’re excited for tomorrow now. It’s a good opportunity to get the back-to-back weigh-ins and simulate the national tournament. Senior Night is always a nice moment to recognize those guys and their families as well.” … story at … Pittsburghpanthers.com/Pitt-wrecks-rider-in-wrestling-29-9
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Cleveland State Wrestling Claims Fifth Straight Win, Topping Kent State on the Road, 27-6
KENT, Ohio – Cleveland State (8-7, 6-2) won its fifth straight match after defeating Kent State (5-16, 1-6) on the road, 27-6, on Thursday night. The Green and White earned the first three points of the night after Ben Aranda recorded an 8-2 decision at 125-pounds. The MAC East Wrestler of the Week, Nick Molchak picked up a 7-0 shutout at 133-pounds to lead 6-0.
Dylan Layton stretched the margin to 9-0 behind a 5-3 decision at 141-pounds. Kent State got on the board with a 4-1 decision at 149-pounds to trail 9-3. Marcus Robinson improved to 4-0 on the year after picking up an 11-7 decision at 157-pounds as the lead stood at 12-3. Following the intermission, Tate Geiser pushed the advantage to 15-3 with a narrow 2-1 victory at 165-pounds. The Golden Flashes got their final points of the night at 174-pounds with a 6-4 win to trail 15-6.
Joey Lyons won his second straight match with a 2-1 decision at 184-pounds to lead 18-6. No. 33 Ben Smith followed with a 7-2 decision at 197-pounds, growing the advantage to 21-6. No. 20 Daniel Bucknavich put an exclamation point on the night … story at … CSUvikings.com/2023-24/releases/2024022
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OSU Wrestling: Sunday’s Dual vs. Iowa Announced as Sellout
There may not be any empty seats in Gallagher-Iba Arena when it hosts “The Greatest Rivalry in College Wrestling” on Sunday. Oklahoma State announced Thursday that its upcoming dual against No. 4 Iowa is already a sellout three days before the two powerhouses meet in a top-five matchup at 2 p.m. Sunday. Although it’s already a sellout, OSU said in its release that students with an all-sports pass will still be able to attend.
No. 2 OSU’s last dual against OU on Sunday brought in 9,912 fans — the third largest crowd for a wrestling dual in GIA in the last 20 years, according to OSU Athletics. Cowboy wrestling has been known to draw large crowds, though, especially during successful seasons like the 14-0 campaign OSU has put together so far. The largest crowd in GIA history was when the Cowboys hosted Penn State in 2017 in front of 14,059 fans. “[A crowd] can be devastating to guys,” OSU coach John Smith said Wednesday. “It can lift you up beyond your abilities to do things, trust me. You find strength you didn’t know you had if they’re yelling for you. … story at … Pistolsfiringblog.com/Sundays-dual-vs-iowa-announced-as-sellout
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Penn State Shuts Out Edinboro 55-0 in Dual Meet Finale
Nittany Lions win all 10 with no matches reaching the third period
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team (12-0, 8-0 B1G) shut out visiting Edinboro (2-12) 55-0 in the dual meet finale for Penn State. The shut-out win allowed head coach Cael Sanderson‘s squad to close out the regular season with a 12-0 overall record.  
The Nittany Lions, who recently wrapped up their 10th Big Ten Regular Season Championship, won all ten bouts, with no match-up reaching the third period.  
The dual meet began at 125. True freshman Braeden Davis, ranked No. 8 at 125, rolled to a 19-3 tech fall over Caleb Edwards at the 4:02 mark off four takedowns and a final four-point near fall. Sophomore Aaron Nagao, ranked No. 11 at 133, followed that up with a tech fall of his own. Nagao used three three-point turns and a series of takedowns to notch an 18-3 tech over Eamonn Jimenez at 3:33, giving Penn State a 10-0 lead. Senior Beau Bartlett, ranked No. 1 at 141, picked up Penn State’s first pin of the dual meet. Bartlett opened up a big lead over Jacob Brenneman and then finished off the bout by pinning the Scot at the 4:11 mark of the second period.
True freshman Tyler Kasak, ranked No. 9 at 149, followed that pin up with a fall of his own. Kasak opened up a big lead over Colin Roberts and finished off his fall early in the second period, … story at … GOpsusports.com/Penn-state-shuts-out-edinboro-55-0-in-dual-meet-finale
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#18 University of Pennsylvania Celebrates Senior Day With a 43-4 Win Over Morgan State
PHILADELPHIA – The #18 University of Pennsylvania wrestling team closed out duals with a 43-4 Senior Day victory over Morgan State on Friday night in The Palestra.  
Penn won nine bouts against the Bears in the regular season closer, with Max Gallagher (125), #9 Michael Colaiocco (133), #17 CJ Composto (141), Hunter Gandy (149), #23 Lucas Revano (157), #6 Nick Incontrera (174), #20 Maximus Hale (184), #25 Cole Urbas (197), and John Stout (285) claiming their battles.
Quaker Notemeal
*Gandy and Cam Connor (165) made their colligate dual debuts against Morgan State.
*The Quakers celebrated seniors Colaiocco, Connor, Revano, Lukas Richie (141), Jake Stefanowicz (184), Stout, Urbas, and Malachi Wiley (174) before the dual.
*Richie and Stefanowicz battled in two exhibition matches after the meet, with both Quakers grabbing pins to close out their collegiate careers at Penn.
*Revano won his 20th match of the season off a tech fall over Joshua Greenwood (Morgan State).
*Senior Stout won his final dual by default, claiming Penn’s last six points in the regular season.
How It Happened
Gallagher gave the Red and Blue a lead they would not let up, … story at … Pennathletics.com/Wrestling-celebrates-senior-day-with-a-43-4-win-over-morgan-state


February 29, 2024 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Carolinas Colleges News & Results

Reyes Tabbed as Women’s Wrestling Coach
MONTREAT, N.C.— Montreat College Athletics has announced the hiring of Koby Reyes as the third head coach in the history of its women’s wrestling program. Reyes begins his duties with the team immediately.
Prior to Montreat, Reyes spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the men’s wrestling squad at Southeastern University. Through his time at SEU, the Fire amassed 23 national qualifiers, 12 All-Americans and a pair of national champions.
From 2021 into 2022, Reyes was an assistant with the Arizona Christian University Firestorm. The Billings, Mont. native saw five national qualifiers and an All-American go through the program while on the staff.
Before coaching, Reyes competed as an athlete at a trio of NCAA Division I institutions. He began his career at Arizona State, wrestled at Boise State in 2017 and finished his college career at Purdue from 2017 to 2019. “I am grateful to be selected by the Montreat College administration to lead the women’s wrestling program,” said Reyes of his hiring. “I believe the Lord has made it clear that my family … story at … Montreatcavaliers.com/Womens-wrestling-reyes-tabbed-as-womens-wrestling-coach
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No. 24 Wrestling Ends Regular Season with 45-3 SoCon Win
BOONE, N.C. — Ranked No. 24 in the country, App State Wrestling closed the regular season with a 45-3 home win against Gardner-Webb on Senior Day in Varsity Gym.  
The Mountaineers (10-4, 7-1 SoCon) won 62 of 70 individual matches in their seven SoCon victories during the regular season, including nine of 10 on Sunday against the Runnin’ Bulldogs (7-9, 3-5). Will Miller (165 pounds), Luke Uliano (174), Chad Bellis (125) and Kaden Keiser (in the 149 finale) all recorded pins for App State, which earned at least one bonus point in all nine victories.
Tommy Askey opened the dual with a tech fall at 157, while wins by major decision came from Carson Floyd (197), Triston Norris (season debut at heavyweight), Ethan Oakley (133) and Ike Byers (141).
Gardner-Webb’s Jha’Quan Anderson, a two-time NCAA qualifier ranked 28th at 184 pounds, won a 7-3 decision against freshman Tomas Brooker.
The Mountaineers improved to 66-6 in SoCon duals over the past 10 years. Miller needed just 99 seconds to record his pin, and Keiser ended the dual just 43 seconds after he took the mat for his first start at 149 pounds. He opened the regular season with a start at 141. Before the dual, App State recognized four wrestlers on Senior Day: Byers, Cody Bond, Jacob Sartorio and Heath Gonyer. … story at … APPstatesports.com/Wrestling-ends-regular-season-with-45-3-socon-win
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Davidson University Sweeps Queens and Presbyterian on Senior Day
DAVIDSON, N.C. – The Davidson wrestling team sent their seniors out in style with a pair of 40-point shutouts over Queens and Presbyterian on Friday night. In all, the Wildcats collected a dozen extra-point wins between the two duals. Davidson’s seniors went 7-0 in regulation with three pins, a major, and three decisions. Jake Fernicola pinned his opponent late in the third period during his first match of the night then won 4-1 in his second match. Bryce Sanderlin picked up a 10-2 major decision over Queens and an 8-1 decision against Presbyterian. Cameo Blankenship earned a 4-1 decision over Queens before a stunning first-period pin over Presbyterian. Jaden Hardrick won his match at 174 pounds with a comeback 7-4 victory against the Royals.
Tyler-Xavier McKnight reached the 20-win milestone with a 19-4 tech fall over Queens and a win by forfeit in the second dual. He became just the third Wildcat to do so since 2015 after Sanderlin eclipsed 20 wins last year and Scott Patrick in 2015. Tanner Peake got a win by forfeit then ripped off a second-period tech fall over Presby to end the day 2-0. Hale Robinson earned a pair of gritty wins in 3-1 and 2-1 decisions at 133. Joshua Viarengo also got a tech fall, 18-3, in his match with Queens along with a 4-0 shutout in his second bout. Freshmen Wyatt Ferguson and Brady Joling earned a pair of wins. … story at … Davidsonwildcats.com/Wrestling-sweeps-queens-and-presbyterian-on-senior-day
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UNC Wrestling Defeats Duke Friday Night, 41-9
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – On Senior Night, the North Carolina wrestling team (11-7, 3-2 ACC) won eight matches on the night over Duke, cruising to a 41-9 victory in Carmichael Arena. The win for the Tar Heels is the largest margin of victory over Duke since the 2019-20 campaign.  Against the Blue Devils, Carolina collected three falls, two technical falls, one major decision, one decision and a forfeit. Beginning the night at 125 pounds, Spencer Moore earned the first period pin over Logan Agin. The Tar Heels then rattled off seven-straight victories, started by a decision from Jace Palmer (133). Carolina earned back-to-back technical falls courtesy of Jayden Scott (149) and Sonny Santiago (157), followed by a fall from Isaias Estrada (165) and a forfeit win credited to Tyler Eischens (174). Rounding out the Carolina victories, Gavin Kane (184) and Max Shaw (197) cruised in their matchups, with a major decision and fall, respectively. … story at … GOheels.com/Wrestling-defeats-duke-friday-night-41-9
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Connaghan Promoted to Head Men’s Wrestling Coach
MONTREAT, N.C.— Jim Connaghan, who was named the associate head coach for the Montreat men’s wrestling program in May, has been promoted to head coach as announced by the athletic department this month.  
Connaghan captained the Cavaliers to a 4-10 overall record and a 4-6 record in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) in his first year at the helm. Montreat won three straight duals in January of 2024, and a pair of athletes captured AAC Wrestler of the Week honors under his guidance.
During the 2022-23 school year, Connaghan assisted with the wrestling programs at Montreat. While obtaining his degree in exercise science from the college, the Englewood, Fla. native held a student assistant position with men’s wrestling and acted as a strength and conditioning coach for both wrestling programs. … story at … Montreatcavaliers.com/Connaghan-promoted-to-head-mens-wrestling-coach

February 28, 2024 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

End of Season D-I College Matches – part 3

Ohio Wrestling Remains Undefeated at Home with 22-17 Win Over SIUE
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ATHENS, Ohio – The Ohio wrestling team (7-5) remained undefeated at home tonight (Feb. 17) with a comeback 22-17 win over SIUE. Ohio was helped by five wins on the night, led by an impressive pin from redshirt sophomore Peyten Kellar (Cutler, Ohio).  With the win, Ohio improved to 3-3 in the MAC and preserved their undefeated, 5-0 record at the Convocation Center. 
After four tight losses to open the meet, Peyten Kellar recorded a win by fall with 3:52 remaining. It was a crucial six points for the Bobcats, cutting the deficit to seven. Kellar remains undefeated in conference matches and improves to 17-2 overall.  Sophomore Jack Lledo (Penn Valley, Pa.) picked up his first MAC dual-meet win of his career. Lledo went down to the wire with his opponent, taking home a critical three points with a win by way of sudden victory. 
Junior Sal Perrine (Northfield, Ohio) earned his 16th win on the season with a strong performance in a 7-3 decision win. Perrine had the upper hand in the match, holding off his opponent and securing three points for Ohio.  At 197, redshirt sophomore Austin Starr (Indian Creek, Ohio) … story at … Ohiobobcats.comOhio-wrestling-remains-undefeated-at-home-with-22-17-win-over-siue
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Cleveland State Wrestling Extends Win Streak to Four, Defeating Bloomsburg, 40-5
BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – Cleveland State (7-7, 5-2) won their fourth straight match on Saturday afternoon after defeating Bloomsburg (4-15, 0-8), 40-5. The Vikings got on the board first as Ben Aranda recorded a 6-4 decision at 125-pounds to make it 3-0. Nick Molchak followed with a 9-0 major decision at 133-pounds as the margin grew to 7-0. A forfeit at 141-pounds gave the Green and White six more points to lead 13-0. Ethan Mitchell recorded a fall in 1:19 at 149-pounds to stretch the advantage to 19-0. At 157 pounds, Marcus Robinson picked up a 20-4 technical fall to make it 24-0.
Bloomsburg got on the board with a technical fall at 165-pounds to trail 24-5. The Green and White came right back with a 4-2 decision from DeAndre Nassar at 174-pounds and a 5-0 shutout from Joey Lyons at 184-pounds to lead 30-5. The Vikings ended the match with back-to-back technical falls from No. 33 Ben Smith at 197-pounds by a score of 18-2 and 17-0 by No. 20 Daniel Bucknavich at 285-pounds to win the match, 40-5. … story at … CSUvikings.com/2023-24/releases/20240217
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No. 24 Camels top Chattanooga 33-6 on senior day
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – No. 24 Campbell raced out to a 30-0 lead, dealing visiting Chattanooga a 33-6 defeat Saturday at the Pope Center / Gore Arena. CU moved to 12-3 overall and 6-0 in SoCon duals, while the Mocs dropped to 10-5 on the season and 4-3 in conference matchups. The win marked Campbell’s ninth straight, and its fifth consecutive in the series over the Mocs.
During the match, Campbell’s three graduating seniors, Riley Augustine, Caleb Hopkins and Austin Murphy were recognized. After a pair of one-point decisions for Justin Rivera at 149 pounds and Chris Earnest at 157, 165-pounder No. 28 Dom Baker and the No. 23-ranked Murphy added 5-0 and 4-2 wins to give Campbell a 12-0 advantage.
The Camels’ lead swelled to 30-0 with three straight pins, with a third period fall from Caleb Hopkins at 184 pounds (5:14), followed by a pair of first stanza pins from No. 17 Levi Hopkins (1:16) and N. 8 Taye Ghadiali (1:40). No. 29 Brayden Palmer put the Mocs on the board at 125 with a 3-0 decision. Chattanooga took two of the final three bouts of the day with the match already in hand for the Camels, … story at … GOcamels.com/No-24-camels-top-chattanooga-33-6-on-senior-day
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Schultz Caps Off Thriller With Cardinal, Helps No. 12 Sun Devils Win Fourth Straight Against No. 21 Stanford
TEMPE, Ariz. – Cohlton Schultz did it again! With the No. 12 Sun Devils trailing No. 21 Stanford, 17-12, with one bout remaining, Schultz stepped on the mat and delivered a heroic performance, pinning Peter Ming (4:52) for the six-point victory, clinching an 18-17 ASU victory.
The Sun Devils have now won four consecutive duals against the Cardinal, including five of their last six, and are a perfect 3-0 while competing at Mullett Arena. “Cohlton Schultz continues to define leadership, success, and ultimately winning,” head coach Zeke Jones said. … story at … Sundevils.com/Schultz-caps-off-thriller-with-cardinal-helps-no-12-sun-devils-win-fourth-straight-against-no-21-stanford
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Mountain Hawks Celebrate Seniors And Alumni With 31-6 Triumph Over Princeton
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Celebrate the seniors. Welcome back alumni. Beat Princeton. That’s what No. 15 Lehigh accomplished Saturday night in the Mountain Hawks’ home finale inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. The Mountain Hawks won seven of nine contested bouts to defeat Princeton 31-6 as Lehigh closed out its home schedule with its seventh straight dual win.
Junior Michael Beard posted his Division I-leading 14th technical fall victory of the season, while junior Malyke Hines and sophomore Nathan Taylor added major decisions for the Mountain Hawks, who improve to 7-3 overall and complete a perfect 7-0 dual slate against EIWA opponents.
“We wrestled pretty well,” Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro said. “It was nice for the seniors. They seniors who wrestled tonight represented the entire senior class so it was nice to see them get those wins.”
Princeton (5-7, 3-5 EIWA) did not weigh in a wrestler at 125 so sophomore Sheldon Seymour received the forfeit. With first-year Ryan Crookham still out at 133, first-year Ethan Smith stepped in and held Nick Kayal to a 7-3 decision as the Tigers picked up the first of their two victories.  
Hines started a Lehigh run of five straight bouts with an 18-5 major decision over Tyler Vazquez at 141. He totaled five takedowns and an impressive second period reversal plus more than two minutes of riding time advantage. … story at … Lehighsports.com/Mountain-hawks-celebrate-seniors-and-alumni-with-31-6-triumph-over-princeton
And …

Pucino’s Pin Lifts Illinois over Northwestern in Season-Finale Dual, 21-20
EVANSTON, Ill. – The Illinois wrestling team won their season-finale dual against Northwestern, 21-20, on Sunday (Feb. 18). Redshirt sophomore No. 25 (141 lbs.) Danny Pucino pinned Kolby McClain (NU) in 2:25 which led to Illinois winning the dual in tiebreakers.
The dual was tied 20-20 after all ten matches and was destined for tie-breaking criteria. The first criteria is match wins which was also even at five each team. The second criteria is pins which made Pucino’s an important one since it was the only one of the night and granted Illinois the tie-breaking point. “I thought this was a good weekend of team wrestling for the guys,” said head coach Mike Poeta. “They fought hard for each other and showed a lot of heart. A big weekend for Danny Pucino getting two massive pins for us, especially today since it broke the tie. That wouldn’t have mattered though if it wasn’t for Peter Marinopoulos. You’re never happy about a loss, but that’s the best loss you can take if it wins the dual for the team. He did everything we asked, showed tremendous guts and wrestled like a gangster through that last match. Edmond Ruth looked good showed a lot more offense which is exciting. Congrats to Chris Moore with the big win knocking off a good, ranked opponent. Tony Madrigal and Justin Cardani did a great job of setting the tone early in this dual.” … story at … Fightingillini.com/Pucino-pin-lifts-illinois-past-northwestern-in-season-finale-dual
And …

American University Posts Two Decisive Wins to Close Out the 2023-24 Home Slate
WASHINGTON – Five pins were included among 15 total wins as American University wrestling went 2-for-2 against Queens University and Lindenwood on the Eagles’ Senior Day. After a 34-14 win over Queens, the Eagles took it up a notch with a 44-9 victory against Lindenwood.
Notable

  • The Eagles posted two pins, a tech fall and two major-decision victories in their 34-14 win over Queens to start the day.
  • The second match saw AU post three pins and two major decisions among the seven bouts that were contested in the dual.
  • Jack Nies (149) and #33 Will Jarrell (HWT) got pins in 2:10 and 2:09, respectively, to put six points on the board apiece against Queens in dual number one. Nies was up 6-1 at the time of his pin, while Jarrell had a 3-0 lead.
  • Nies later got his hand raised in a forfeit victory against Lindenwood, while Jarrell had a 7-1 lead against Lindenwood before getting the victory by injury default to go 2-for-2 on the day.
  • With two four-point near falls and four takedowns, Maximilian Leete (133) cruised to a 21-3 tech fall win over Griffin Gonzalez in the first dual against Queens.
  • At 141 pounds, Cael McIntyre tallied two takedowns and one four-point near fall in an 11-3 major against Connor Goodman of Queens.
  • The Eagles got a key win from Ryan Zimmerman at 165 pounds as he edged Sebastian Shered of Queens, 5-4. In the second dual against Lindenwood, Zimmerman made it 2-for-2 with a 12-3 major decision thanks to six points in the third period in addition to riding time.
  • Liam Volk-Klos had three takedowns in a major decision win over Riley Kuhn with the third coming late in the final period and pushing him past the eight-point margin to finish at 11-2. Volk-Klos capped the day with a pin against Ryan Golnick of Lindenwood, wasting little time as he earned his fourth fall of the season in 1:23.
  • After a second forfeit at 125 for American, Raymond Lopez saw his first action of the day at 133 pounds against Lindenwood, and got AU’s first pin of dual number two in 4:06. Lopez had a 15-1 lead at the time after three takedowns along with four-point and two-point near falls. … story at … AUeagles.com/Wrestling-posts-two-decisive-wins-to-close-out-the-2023-24-home-slate


February 28, 2024 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NAIA College News

#8 Braves Captured their Fourth Straight KCAC Tournament Title on Saturday
YORK, Neb. – The #8 Ottawa University men’s wrestling team secured the KCAC Tournament title on Saturday in York, Nebraska. This is the fourth consecutive title for the Braves and Coach Colby Crank. Ottawa had eight wrestlers who qualified for NAIA Nationals on Saturday, Bobby Robinson, Irish Furthmyre, Francis Morrissey, Kevon Freeman, Dayton Hill, Braden Anderson, JD Perez and Tucker Tomlinson. There may be some other additional wrestlers that can qualify for NAIA Nationals and that information will be released by the NAIA next week.
Braden Ledford won two matches in the 133lb weight division and earned fourth place. Bobby Robinson secured his spot to Nationals by winning three matches in the 133lb weight class as well.
A first place finish for Irish Furthmyre in the 149lb weight class earns him a spot to NAIA Natioals, Furthmyre won his matches by a fall, major decision and technical fall. Brandon Bollinger placed fourth with two in the 149lb weight division.
Francis Morrissey also placed first in his weight division of 157lb and a trip to Nationals, Morrissey won by technical fall and a 4-2 decision. Ben Mitchell wrestled in the 157 and placed fourth overall.
Kevon Freeman and Dayton Hill both qualified for Nationals, Freeman earned first place and Hill secured second in the 165lb weight division. Freeman won three matches on the day and Hill won two.
In the 174lb weight division, Braden Anderson defeated two opponents on the mats to take home first place and a trip to Park City. JD Perez won the 184lb weight division and also qualified for Nationals, Perez won three matches on the day, two by falls and one by decision. Jordan Lomeli defeated two opponents and earned fourth in the 184lb as well. … story at … Ottawabraves.com/Wrestling-8-braves-captured-their-fourth-straight-kcac-tournament-title
And …

Life’s Men’s Wrestling Dominate the AAC Tournament Claiming Nine of Ten Weight Classes
LAKELAND, Fla. — The Life University men’s wrestling team held an incredible hitting percentage Saturday, having nine Running Eagles claim individual titles out of the 10 weight classes as the team pulled away for the Appalachian Athletic Conference Championship.
The one-day tournament was held at Southeastern in Lakeland, Fla. The Running Eagles tallied 217 points to edge second-place Southeastern (180 points). Reinhardt finished third with 161 points with St. Thomas (79.5 points) and Montreat (52 points) rounding out the top five. Making up the rest of the field are Brewton-Parker (50) in sixth, Truett McConnell (32.5) in seventh, WVU Tech (31.5) in eighth, St. Andrews (15) in ninth, Keiser (11.5) in 10th, Pikeville (10) in 11th, and Bluefield (0) in 12th.
Brevin Balmeceda was named the AAC Wrestler of the Year, Omi Acosta was named the AAC Coach of the Year, and Cole Manion was crowned the AAC Assistant Coach of the Year. … story at … Liferunningeagles.com/Mens-wrestling-dominate-the-aac-tournament-claiming-nine-of-ten-weights
And …

Grand View University Vikings Collect 9th Straight Conference Title
OSKALOOSA, IOWA – NO. 1 Grand View University Vikings stormed Oskaloosa to claim the 2024 Heart of America Conference Championship, winning the school’s ninth straight conference title. 10 Grand View wrestlers earned individual titles as well, four of which are co-champions at 133 and 174. The Vikings won the team race with 212 points, ahead of second-place Graceland University with 148.5 points. Grand View also auto-qualified eleven individuals for the 2024 NAIA Championships in two weeks.   
This is Grand View’s 9th consecutive conference title, having also won in 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016* (*Dual Tournament). In the last six years, the Vikings have earned 49 total Heart individual champions. The Vikings tied their own record by sending 12 to the semifinals and 10 to the finals. 10 wrestlers emerged victorious, with four being considered co-champions (Carson Taylor (133), Jackson Cockrell (133), Isaiah Luellen (184), and Jameel Coles (184).
Aden Reeves earned an individual title for the Vikings by picking up a 20-6 major decision over Jose Gonzalez from Dickinson State at 125lbs. The team had two Co-Champions – Carson Taylor and Jackson Cockrell, who solidified their position following a forfeit. Similarly, Isaiah Luellen and Jameel Coles also became Co-Champions due to a forfeit. No. 1 Blake Gonzalez had his toughest match of the weekend in the finals, but he earned his title by a 6-2 decision over 3rd-ranked MoVal wrestler Zollman. True freshman Dylan Whitt won his first title by winning a 3-0 decision over a CMU Eagle. Alex Reynolds earned his second title in his career by pinning his opponent in the final match. Braungardt won his back-to-back title by a 7-3 decision after a late takedown against Karibo. Greg Hagan was unstoppable … story at … GVvikings.com/Vikings-collect-9th-straight-conference-title
And …

2023-24 Daktronics NAIA Men’s Wrestling Scholar-Athletes Released
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) released the 2023-24 Daktronics NAIA Men’s Wrestling Scholar-Athletes on Wednesday. Life (Ga.) has the most nationally with 18 followed by Grand View (Iowa) with 14. Cumberland (Tenn.) and Cumberlands (Ky.) are tied for third with 12 each. 
The 2023-24 list features 253 student-athletes from across 54 institutions, who achieved at least a 3.5 cumulative grade point average (GPA) at their institution. In order to be nominated by an institution’s head coach or sports information director, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, must appear on the eligibility certificate for the sport and have attended one full year at said institution.
For full list of honorees, CLICK HERE. … story at … https://www.naia.org/sports/mwrest/2023-24/Releases/Scholar_Athlete

February 28, 2024 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

End of Regular Season D-II Results

Saints Go 3-0 to Earn Share of 2024 GLVC Wrestling Championship
St. Louis – The Maryville University wrestling team won all three matches Sunday to earn a share of the 2024 Great Lakes Valley Conference Wrestling Championship. The Saints defeated Drury 39-13, upset No. 9 Indianapolis 23-16 and downed Davenport 40-10. Maryville posted a record of 6-1 to share the GLVC title with McKendree and Upper Iowa. The Saints are next in action as they compete in the NCAA Super Regional March 1-2 in Indianapolis.
 
Maryville 39, Drury 13
125 – Caden Howard (Drury University) over Sam Shafer (Maryville University) Dec 11-5
133 – Evan Binder (Maryville University) over Unknown (Unattached) Forf
141 – Kody Ketchum (Maryville University) over Paul Pollard (Drury University) Fall 1:26
149 – Collin Reif (Maryville University) over Anthony Smith (Drury University) TF 17-0
157 – Will Kuster (Drury University) over Luke Ebers (Maryville University) TF 22-7
165 – Cole Ritter (Maryville University) over Trevor Christian (Drury University) Fall 3:49 … story a … Maryvillesaints.com/Saints-go-3-0-to-earn-share-of-2024-glvc-wrestling-championship
And …

#2 Lander Captures Third Straight Conference Title
PEMBROKE, N.C. – The Lander Wrestling team captured their third consecutive conference title on Sunday afternoon as they took down the Newberry Wolves, 33-10, in the semifinal and won six straight bouts to open up the championship match for a 29-9 victory over the sixth-ranked Braves of UNC Pembroke.

Semifinal: #2 Lander 33, Newberry 10
James Joplin started off the match with a gritty 6-2 decision over Zach Shupp, escaping from a third period reversal to keep Shupp from getting any closer.  After 125, Lander rattled off five straight bonus point wins to seal the match. Elijah Lusk and Isham Peace both won by technical fall at 133 and 141 before Zeth Brower ignited the well-traveled contingent of Lander fans with a first period pin at 141 to make it 19-0, Bearcats. Jack Tangen found himself in a high scoring bout at 157 but was still able to secure a 19-9 major decision to make it 23-0. David Hunsberger got back into the win column after suffering his first loss of the year against King with a 16-3 major decision. Newberry got three straight wins at 174, 184, and 197 to make the score 27-10 but Juan Edmond-Holmes pinned nationally-ranked Devon Rice in 2:25 to cap the match and propel Lander into the championship match against UNC Pembroke

Championship: #2 Lander 29, #6 UNC Pembroke 9
After Logan Seliga did not wrestle last season in the championship match, James Joplin got his chance to face the fifth-ranked wrestler and did not let the opportunity pass him by as he secured a 4-2 decision with an early takedown in the first period. At 133, the bout was scoreless until the third period where Elijah Lusk got a reversal and then after a stoppage for injury time was able to secure an escape from the down position to give him a 3-0 decision. … story at … Landerbearcats.com/Wrestling-2-lander-captures-third-straight-conference-title
And …

Maryville, McKendree, UIU Earn Share of GLVC Wrestling Title
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Maryville University, McKendree University, and Upper Iowa University were crowned Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Wrestling Tri-Champions on Sunday afternoon at the Simon Athletic Center on Maryville’s campus in St. Louis, Missouri, after all three teams finished the regular season with a 5-1 league record.  
The Saints claimed their first Conference title after taking down the defending GLVC champions, University of Indianapolis, along with Drury University and Davenport University this afternoon.
The ninth-ranked Bearcats secured their fifth league championship, following shutout wins over Davenport and Drury today. In their inaugural GLVC season, the No. 15 Peacocks garnered the school’s first-ever GLVC crown in any sport, picking up dominant wins over Quincy University and UIndy on Sunday. Per GLVC Bylaws, the Conference declares multiple champions should the regular season end with identical league records. This is the first time in the eight-year history of the sport that more than one program has secured the Conference crown.
The All-GLVC teams and major award winners will be determined in the coming weeks, pending a vote of the league’s head coaches. Additionally, Conference teams now await the NCAA Division II Super Regional, which will be held March 2 in Indianapolis, Indiana. … story at … GLVCsports.com/Maryville-mckendree-uiu-earn-share-of-glvc-wrestling-title
And …

Bronchos hold top spot in DII Men’s Coaches Poll heading into postseason
MANHEIM, Pa. – Heading into the 2024 postseason, the Central Oklahoma Bronchos are still the top team in NCAA Division II men’s wrestling, according to the latest edition of the National Wrestling Coaches Association DII Men’s poll, released Monday afternoon. 
UCO topped the poll with 87 total points behind a poll-high eight ranked wrestlers. The Bronchos, along with #2 Lander, also feature a poll-high two top-ranked wrestlers in defending National Champions Dalton Abney at 197 and Shawn Streck at 285. Lander comes in at #2 with 80 total points and seven ranked wrestlers, highlighted by James Joplin (125) and David Hunsberger (165) at #1 in their respective weight classes.
Augustana made the jump from #14 to #3 in this edition of the poll, amassing 67 total points behind seven ranked individuals. St. Cloud State is in the four-spot with 57 points, with UW-Parkside and McKendree tied in the fifth spot with 48 team points each.  There are no new top-ranked wrestlers in this edition of the poll, with the most #1-ranked individuals coming from Super Region 2 heading into the Super Regionals. In addition to Joplin and Hunsberger from Lander, Gabe Hixenbaugh (133) of Montevallo and Scotty Joll (174) from UNC-Pembroke also head into the postseason atop their respective weights.  Super Region 5 again leads the way with the most ranked wrestlers, with 37 of the nation’s ranked individuals competing in SR5. Along with Super Region 3, SR5 also has the most teams ranked in the Top 25 with six. 
The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference has 33 ranked wrestlers and a poll-high five Top 25 teams, while the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association has 17 ranked wrestlers representing its institutions. The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference has four Top 25 teams. … story at … NWCAonline.com/NCAA-D-2-men-bronchos-hold-top-spot-in-dii-mens-coaches-poll-heading-into-postseason
And …

Glenville State Wrestling Defeats Kentucky Wesleyan and Frostburg State on Senior Day
GLENVILLE, W.Va. – The Glenville State Wrestling team wrapped up the 2023-24 regular season with a pair of Senior Day wins over Kentucky Wesleyan and Frostburg State earlier today. The Pioneers defeated KWC 46-5 and FSU 39-12. 
Head Coach Dylan Cottrell unloaded his roster today on the mat, wrestling both starters and reserves in the wins. All three seniors (Camden Barr, Drake De La Cruz and Gavin Shamblin) were victorious in their final matches at the Waco Center. GSU also recognized team manager, Lindsay Talley, during today’s Senior Day ceremony. 
Up Next For The Pioneers 
The Pioneers will travel to West Liberty next Saturday (Mar. 2) for the NCAA Super Region 3 Tournament. … story at … Gstatepioneers.com/Wrestling-defeats-kentucky-wesleyan-and-frostburg-state-on-senior-day
And …

No. 11 Wrestlers Recognize Seniors Then Down Shippensburg to Claim Eighth Straight PSAC Crown
Head coach Pat Pecora and the 11th-ranked Pitt-Johnstown wrestlers celebrated Senior Night before dealing Shippensburg a 46-0 loss to claim the program’s eighth consecutive PSAC Dual Meet Championship, Thursday night in the Sports Center.  The Mountain Cats closed out the 2023-24 regular season at 14-2 overall and a perfect 7-0 in the PSAC.  
Prior to the match, the Pitt-Johnstown wrestling program recognized Oggie Atwood (285 lbs.), Byron Daubert (133 lbs.), Jacob Ealy (149 lbs.), Colby Keane (165 lbs.), Dillon Keane (165 lbs.), Will Small (184 lbs.), and Alex Weber (174 lbs.).
Following a double forfeit at 125 lbs., Pitt-Johnstown’s Trevon Gray bumped up a weight class to 133 lbs. and won by technical fall, 21-5 at 5:56 over Cal Lederer, and Mason Myers’ 15-0 technical fall victory at 3:29 over Eli Bounds gave Pitt-Johnstown a 10-0 lead to start.
Ealy, ranked second in the country at 149 lbs. followed with a third straight Mountain Cat victory by technical fall.  Ealy defeated Anthony Lavish, 17-2, 1:58 into the opening period, before an 11-3 major decision win at 157 lbs. from Cooper Warshel increased it to 18-0.
Pitt-Johnstown kept adding the points with back-to back falls.  At 165 lbs., Dillon Keane pinned Cole Lang at 2:30 and Tony Salopek won by fall at 2:30 over Liam Bostrom at 174 lbs.
The Mountain Cats built it to 37-0 when Noah Gnibus was awarded a forfeit at 184 lbs., before Pitt-Johnstown closed it out with fifth-ranked Rodgers’ 6-3 decision over Trey Shoemaker at 197 lbs. and a 15th fall of the year from Isaiah Vance, ranked third nationally at 285 lbs.  Vance pinned Demetrius at 2:13 to set the final at 46-0. … story at … Pittjohnstownathletics.com/No-11-wrestlers-recognize-seniors-then-down-shippensburg-to-claim-eighth-straight-psac-crown

February 27, 2024 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Eng of Regular Season D-III Results

TCNJ Wrestling Defeats Messiah in Dual Season Finale
MECHANICSBURG, PA.- The No. 12 ranked TCNJ wrestling team capped off their dual season with a 35-6 victory over Messiah University on Saturday afternoon.  
The Lions (13-50 picked up their second dual match win in a row against the Falcons (11-11) who won one bout on the day.
No. 15 ranked Matthew Griffin (125) started off the cay strong for the Blue & Gold with an 18-3 technical fall victory over Corbin Hutchinson.
Kyle Nase (133) followed this up with an 15-5 major decision win against Asa Brunk.
After a loss at 141, Mike Conklin added another major to the scoreboard for the Lions, winning 17-3 against Noah Rice.
At 157 lbs., freshman Ryan Datz picked up a big win for TCNJ with a 3-2 decision win against regionally eighth ranked Garret Cornell.  
Nick Sacco (165) kept up his undefeated dual record, extending it to 16-0 with an 8-0 decision win against Zach Needles.
James Romaine (174) followed Sacco’s match up with a 4-3 decision victory against Austin Brass. … story at … TCNJathletics.com/Wrestling-defeats-messiah-in-dual-season-finale
And …

Wisconsin-Eau Claire Wrestlers earn share of 1st WIAC championship in program history
PLATTEVILLE, Wis. (blugolds.com) — The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire wrestling team clinched the first Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) championship in program history on Saturday during the WIAC Championships at UW-Platteville. The Blugolds produced three individual conference champions to score 161.5 team points, which tied atop the standings with UW-La Crosse. The Blugolds and Eagles shared the team title as co-champions.
Izzy Balsiger (So. – Chippewa Falls, Wis.), Jared Stricker (Jr. – Ashland, Wis.) and Connor Collins (Sr. – Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh West) won the individual titles at 125 pounds, 174 pounds and 184 pounds, respectively. The Blugolds also had runners-up in Tyler Fleetwood (Sr. – Fulton Ill.) at 133 pounds and Sloan Welch (Fr. – Arpin, Wis./Auburndale) at 285.
Prior to this season, the Blugolds had never finished better than second at a conference championship meet. In a season where UW-Eau Claire already broke its single-season dual victories record, the Blugolds continued to set new high-water marks on Saturday.
Balsiger cruised into the 125-pound finals by dominating his first two matches. He won by first-period pin in his opener, and followed with a 19-4 technical fall in the semifinals. He became the first Blugold champion of the day by edging Luca Paladino of UW-Stevens Point 8-6 in the championship match. Balsiger became the Blugolds’ first WIAC champion at 125 pounds since 2003. Stricker had no trouble returning to the 174-pound championship match. The junior won his opener by technical fall and followed with two pins to reach the finals, where he rolled to a 12-0 major decision over UW-Whitewater’s Ryan Riser.
Stricker has now won a WIAC title in each of his first three seasons at UW-Eau Claire. He is the second wrestler in school history to have won three conference championships. … story at … Blugolds.com/Wrestlers-earn-share-of-1st-wiac-championship-in-program-history
And …

USMMA Wrestling Earns Comeback Win Over New England College At Home
KINGS POINT, N.Y. (Feb. 17, 2024) – Back-to-back first-period pinfalls by freshman Tyler Withers (Gettysburg, Pa.) and junior Jimmy Dunagan (Boulder City, Nev.) put an exclamation point on a 25-22 comeback victory for the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy wrestling team over New England College on Saturday night inside the Liebertz Gymnasium. The dual-meet victory finishes the Mariners’ season with a 7-8 record in head-to-head competitions on the season.
Meet Link
Complete Results
WATCH: Post-Meet Interview With Austin Manning 
Withers, who one week earlier claimed the Centennial Conference Championship at the 184-pound weight class, followed that distinction with a dominant performance over NEC’s Dominic Demaio with a pinfall at the 47-second mark of their match. USMMA led by a 19-16 margin after Withers’s victory – the first lead for the Mariners all afternoon – before Dunagan took down the Pilgrims’ Maxwell Ross in a 16-second eye-blink to give the Mariners the victory in the meet.
The wins from Withers and Dunagan capped off a run of five victories in a row for USMMA after New England College won the first four matches of the day. Down 16-0, junior Austin Manning (Virginia Beach, Va.) got the Mariners on the board with a 19-1 technical-fall victory over the Pilgrims’ Joe Gangi at the 157-pound weight class. A 19-12 decision in favor of Matthew Ferrucci (Killingworth, Conn.) at 165 cut USMMA’s deficit to a 16-8 margin before sophomore Ivan Corral (Oak Forest, Ill.) scored a 21-6 technical fall victory at 174 over Trevion Atallah to set up Withers and Dunagan for the consecutive pins to win the day.
USMMA has concluded its dual-meet season, but the Mariners’ campaign is not completed just yet. The team will now head to the NCAA Division III Northeast Regional Championships on Mar. 2-3 in Worcester, Mass. on the campus of WPI. … story at … USMMAsports.com/Wrestling-earns-comeback-win-over-new-england-college-at-home
And …

Averett University Wrestling captures first place with four individual champions in ODAC Wrestling Championships
DANVILLE, Va. — Averett University wrestling had four champions and three wrestlers earn runner up in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championships on Saturday night in the Grant Center. Averett took first place at 125 pounds, 174, 184 and the 285-pound weight class. Overall, Averett had ten placers in the tournament. Although Roanoke College took the ODAC team title based on dual records, Averett scored the most points of any team to take first place in the tournament.
“Being the ODAC Tournament champions is an amazing accomplishment for our Program”, head coach Blake Roulo said. “It was an exhilarating atmosphere with a packed Grant Center. Our team is turning a corner at the right time. Nine All-Conference, seven finalists and four champions makes it a true one team effort.”
At 125 pounds, junior Mason Barrett pinned Joseph Comaduron in just under two minutes to advance to the semifinals. In the semifinals, Barrett managed to earn another fall in 45 seconds against Anakin Burks. Barrett went against Ferrum College’s Adrian Samano in the finals. Barrett was crowned champion after getting the 4-2 decision.
At 174 pounds, junior Khalil Mitchell started off with a 16-0 technical fall against Carson Hyde. In the semifinals, Mitchell earned another technical fall, defeating Dylan Weaver 16-1 to advance to the finals. Mitchell had a rematch against Roanoke’s Xavier Preston. Both wrestlers are regionally ranked. In their last meeting, Mitchell defeated Preston in a 9-6 decision. He came through with an impressive 11-2 major decision to clinch first place.
Senior George Moseley pinned Alex Taylor in his first match at 184 pounds. In the semifinals, Moseley got another pin. He got the fall against Joesph Toner at the 1:29 mark. Mosley was crowned champion after he got the 13-3 major decision against Jack McCusker. … story at … Averettcougars.com/Wrestling-captures-first-place-with-four-individual-champions-in-odac-wrestling

February 27, 2024 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Major College Conferences’ Recaps – Feb. 20th

Pac-12 Weekly Recap (2/20/2024)
Arizona State sneaks past Stanford
Stanford had Arizona State on the ropes until the heavyweights took the mat. The Sun Devils trailed 17-12 when Cohlton Schultz faced Peter Ming. Schultz dominated the match and gave the Sun Devils an 18-17 victory with a pin.  Jesse Vasquez continued his comeback with a solid 8-3 win over Jason Miranda, Kyle Parco went over Jaden Abas 5-1 in a top-15 matchup, Jacori Teemer got by #8 Daniel Cardenas 7-5 and Tony Negron defeated Jack Darrah 6-3.

Cal Poly nearly sweeps Cal Baptist
The Mustangs defeated Cal Baptist 32-3, winning nine out of the ten matches. Chance Lamer and Trevor Tinker earned tech fall wins while Abraham Hinrichsen got away with a 4-1 sudden victory. Michael Goldfeder’s 7-2 loss to Mateo de la Pena was the only setback on the day for Cal Poly. 

CSU Bakersfield finishes dual season winless
Besides the Covid season, Cal State Bakersfield has won at least one dual in the last ten seasons. However, the Roadrunners lost 29-9 to Hofstra and finished 0-12 in the dual season. In their final dual, the Roadrunners won three matches. Richard Castro-Sandoval defeated Dyland Acevedo-Switzer 6-1, Guillermo Escobedo upended Jake Slotnick 10-4 and Braden Smelser downed Joe McGinty 4-1.
Little Rock wins eight matches against SIUE; Trojans Claim Pac-12 Dual Title … story at … Intermatwrestle.com/Pac-12-weekly-recap-2202024
And …

ACC Weekly Recap (2/20/2024)
We had another solid weekend of ACC wrestling last week, setting up for a great final weekend and conference dual champion-deciding matchup. North Carolina used bonus points to knock off Virginia in a dual with a 5-5 split on matches. The Hokies exacted revenge in Pittsburgh, returning the favor from last season and knocking off the Panthers at home. In the final conference action of the weekend, the Wolfpack showed off their depth, resting most of their starters in a lopsided victory over the Blue Devils. NC State also started the weekend with a bang, dominating in their top-10 battle against Cornell. 

Virginia Tech 26 Pittsburgh 12
Though the dual was closer than the score may appear, the Hokies grabbed control early and never relinquished the lead. They opened the dual with a massive upset at 184 with TJ Stewart taking out #9 Reece Heller in sudden victory on a penalty point for an illegal head scissor. Colton Camacho gave Cooper Flynn a tough test but Flynn was able to secure a last-second takedown to take a 3-2 win. The biggest match of the dual featured the two remaining undefeated wrestlers in the conference at 141. It was a fun match. It was back-and-forth throughout and went to sudden victory; Matthews got in deep on a shot and Crook tried to scramble out – Matthews caught Crook mid-scramble and was able to secure the pin in sudden victory. Matthews earns the top seed for the ACC Championship with an unblemished record; he will still have a match remaining against Jack Gioffre but holds wins over Crook, McNeil, and Jack. The Panthers will be back home for the conference finale weekend, hosting Virginia while Virginia Tech will travel to Raleigh to face NC State for the ACC Dual Champion crown. … story at … Intermatwrestle.com/ACC-weekly-recap-2202024
And …

Big 12 Weekly Recap (2/20/2024)
While some Big 12 dual seasons were already finished as of this week, that didn’t stop a majority of the teams from getting in some competitive final matches. Missouri came back 2-0 after their trip to the Dakota’s, but South Dakota State made it more than interesting. Oklahoma State dominated the Sooners for their 19th consecutive Bedlam win. Wyoming and Utah Valley both won a handful of brackets at the Cowboy Shootout. With SDSU vs NDSU, OK State vs Iowa, and Missouri vs UNI/ISU on the remaining schedule, there are some excellent duals coming up in the final week before conferences. 
Air Force (Overall: 5-7; Conference: 2-6): Dual Results
The Falcons hosted Senior Day against Northern Colorado for their last dual but lost 32-12. Air Force was missing Sam Wolf at 184 but got wins from Garrett Kuchan, Giano Petrucelli, and Wyatt Hendrickson led the way with three wins. Hendrickson got his 14th pin of the season against Andrew Blackburn-Forst and finished his career in duals with an impressive 36-2 dual record with his last dual loss coming in 2021. On top of that, 33 of those wins came by bonus points and 23 were pins. 
Next Up: Big 12 Championships

California Baptist (Overall: 6-10; Conference: 1-6): Dual Results
The Lancers doubled their dual wins from 2023 with a 2-0 weekend against Cal State Bakersfield and Hofstra. They beat CSUB 31-7 and Hofstra by a score of 29-10. They won 15 out of 20 matches and saw Darren Green, Dayne Morton, and Nathan Haas all go 2-0 on the weekend. Seven of the team’s matches came by bonus with one fall, two techs, and four majors. The team’s 31 points against CSUB is the most they’ve scored in a dual against a Division I opponent since making the move. 
Next Up: California Baptist travels to Orem, UT for a season finale dual against Utah Valley on February 24th. 

Iowa State (Overall: 12-2; Conference: 5-1): No Competition. 
Next Up: Iowa State hosts Missouri on February 25th for a Big 12 finale. 

Missouri (Overall: 10-2; Conference: 6-1): Dual Results (NDSU) | Dual Results (SDSU)
The Tigers rebounded from two consecutive losses with wins over the Dakota schools. Missing Kade Moore and Logan Gioffre they took out NDSU 32-6 then had to make a comeback against SDSU for a 21-19 win. Noah Surtin went 2-0 with major decisions, … story at … Intermatwrestle.com/Big-12-weekly-recap-2202024
And …

NCAA DI Rankings Updated (2/20/2024)
We’re coming down the homestretch in the regular season. Only one more week of dual events before we turn our attention to the postseason and conference tournaments. With almost four months of data points at our disposal, there haven’t been too many rankings shake-ups this week. 
As has often been the case, the most work needed to be done to the 125 lb rankings. It was a big week for veterans as Patrick McKee pinned Eric Barnett, Caleb Smith majored Braeden Davis and Jakob Camacho returned with a win over Brett Ungar. We had Jarrett Trombley ranked for NC State, while Camacho was going through a reset, but Camacho’s probably the guys going forward after that win.
So, let get to the rankings: Click Here … story at … Intermatwrestle.com/NCAA-di-rankings-updated-2202024
And …

Five B1G Takeaways from the Big Ten (2/22/24)
We are going into the final week of Big Ten dual meets, and I honestly can’t believe that we made it here so quickly. The incredible competition from this season, specifically in the B1G, has had us glued to every move again this season and last week certainly was another great installment.

Dean Hamiti Completes Undefeated Conference Season
It hasn’t been the easiest year for Hamiti. He took some losses earlier this year and even bumped up to 174 for a few matches to give himself a break from making 165. But one thing that never broke was his conference winning streak. And on Sunday he punctuated his dual meet season with a gritty 14-11 win over Michael Caliendo. He was then named the Co-Wrestler of the Week.

The Pat McKee vs Eric Barnett Series
This is a rivalry that deserves so much more credit. At the beginning of the new year, I wrote about how epic this series has been and how good this dual would be as well and it didn’t disappoint whatsoever. This was the 10th time that McKee and Barnett faced off and just like the others, it was fire. McKee notched his sixth win over Barnett and now leads the series 6-4, he was also named Co-Wrestler of the Week with Dean Hamiti. Of his six wins, five have been by bonus with four of them being by fall and the other by major. This might be one of the best rivalries that gets no love.

Nebraska vs Penn State Was Awesome
Something apparent about Nebraska this season is that they show up to compete and they compete very hard each time out. We’ve seen teams be very good at home and then not so good on the road, but the Cornhuskers haven’t really been one of those teams. Despite the loss in State College, PA, you have to give credit to the Manning/Snyder squad. At the halfway point of the dual, Penn State trailed for the first time this season. It wasn’t until after Carter Starocci’s tech fall at 174 over Bubba Wilson that the Nittany Lions had the lead. Lenny Pinto brought the Huskers back to within a point, but the best closing duo in the country – Aaron Brooks and Greg Kerkvliet – shut the door. But you have to give props to Nebraska, hopefully, they can continue their momentum into the postseason. … story at … Intermatwrestle.com/Big-10/five-b1g-takeaways-from-the-big-ten-22224
And …

SoCon Weekly Recap (2/22/2024)
Hi besties, long time, no see. 
The season is ending almost as quickly as it began – with less than 10 duals left on the calendar, we’re less than 20 days away from the conference tournament (but who’s counting?) This past weekend kicked off on Thursday, App State served up back-to-back SoCon Shutouts, with road victories over Presbyterian (54-0) and Davidson (44-0). 
The Citadel continued with their success on Friday, advancing to a 5-2 record after a 19-14 win over Gardner-Webb. The dual kicked off at 197, where The Citadel scored the first six points for the dual via decisions at 197 and heavyweight. The Runnin’ Bulldogs’ Drew West (125) answered with a major decision victory over Malik Hardy – followed by two victories via decision by Tyson Lane (133) and Todd Carter (141). Arguably one of my favorite pastimes is watching matches go into sudden-victory – and the 149-pound bout did not disappoint. Jeff Boyd and Zach Price battled it out – with Boyd cinching the 5-2 victory. Two more decisions were up on the board from The Citadel’s Hayden Watson (157) and Brodie Porter (174). Lest we forget Ben Haubert’s 13-1 major decision win over Andrew Wilson at 165. Jha’Quan Anderson brought a finale of fireworks with a 12-1 major decision victory over Adam Ortega. The Citadel will be back in action one last time against Presbyterian College on Thursday, February 22.
Davidson, bouncing back from a tough loss against App State, took to the road against VMI and surged through with a 24-19 victory. The dual was tied 19-19 after eight bouts, with notable pins from Wyatt Ferguson (184, Davidson), Dyson Dunham (133, VMI), and Ryan Vigil (149, VMI) – the Wildcats then pulled away at 157, after Tanner Peake’s major decision victory, and Bryce Sanderlin (165) closing out the dual with a technical fall.  Campbell continues with their unscathed conference record after they defeated Chattanooga 33-6 on Saturday. The Mocs scored six points at 125 and 141, … story at … Intermatwrestle.com/Socon-weekly-recap-2222024

February 27, 2024 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

2024 NAIA Men’s Wrestling National Championships Qualifiers Announced

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – (Qualifiers by Weight Class | Qualifiers by School | Qualifiers by Conference) The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has officially announced the qualifiers for the 2024 NAIA Wrestling National Championships hosted by Visit Wichita at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kan. The 67th edition of the annual event will see a format change where six sessions will be held across three days. The action begins on Thursday, February 29th and concludes on Saturday, March 2nd.
Each conference tournament was awarded automatic bids per weight class based on the final regular-season rating, which can be seen HERE. 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.
After the conference tournaments concluded, a 16-member committee consisting of conference raters and oversight members met to select the remaining national at-large qualifiers. In total, 36 student-athletes were selected by at-large classification. The seeding and preliminary brackets will be announced on NAIA.org by 5 p.m. (CST) on Friday, February 23.
Grand View (Iowa), Southeastern (Fla.), and Life (Ga.) will travel a full roster of 12 wrestlers to the national championships while Cumberland (Tenn.), Cumberlands (Ky.), Menlo (Calif.), Ottawa (Kan.), and Providence (Mont.) will bring 11 wrestlers total. … story at … NAIA.org/2023-24/Releases/Qualifiers

February 27, 2024 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NWCA Releases Final Regular Season NCAA D3 Men’s Coaches Polls

Manheim, PA – The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) released the final regular season NCAA Division III Men’s Coaches Polls, which now have Wartburg leading the Tournament poll and and Augsurg still in the #1 spot in the dual poll. 

In the tournament team poll, the top five are comprised of #1 Warburg (77.5), #2 Augsburg (77), #3 UW La Crosse (56.5), #4 North Central (47), and #5 Coast Guard (39). 

The top five teams in the dual poll are #1 Augsburg (10-1), #2 Wartburg (15-1), #3 UW La Crosse (12-2), #4 North Central (11-2), and #5 Coe (12-2).

There one change in this month’s top-ranked individuals at 125: Johnson & Wales’ Joziah Fry is back in the top spot after dropping back down from 133 where he had been ranked second. Wartburg leads the country with two top-ranked wrestlers, while Johnson & Wales,  North Central, Ohio Northern, Baldwin Wallace, UW-La Crosse, Alvernia, Augsburg, and Coast Guard each have a single top-ranked individual.

TOP RANKED INDIVIDUALS | NATIONAL RANKINGS | REGIONAL RANKINGS
125 Joziah Fry, Johnson & Wales
133 Robert Precin, North Central
141 Jacob Reed, Ohio Northern
149 Michael Petrella, Baldwin Wallace
157 Nolan Hertel, UW-La Crosse
165 Matt Lackman, Alvernia
174 Zane Mulder, Wartburg
184 Bentley Schwanebeck-Ostermann, Augsburg
197 Massoma Endene, Wartburg
285 Carl DiGiorgio, Coast Guard

Each of the six Division III Regional Tournaments will take place this weekend. 

February 27, 2024 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

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