College Coaching Promotions & changes
Two-Time National Champion Matt Valenti C’07 To Succeed Roger Reina C’84 As Penn Head Wrestling Coach in 2025-26
PHILADELPHIA – The torch is being passed from Penn wrestling’s all-time winningest coach to its all-time winningest student-athlete. Two-time NCAA wrestling champion and Penn Athletics Hall of Famer Matt Valenti C’07 will return to coaching effective immediately as associate head coach and will succeed Roger Reina C’84 as the program’s head coach on April 1, 2025. Reina will remain the head coach in 2024-25, culminating in Penn’s co-hosting of the NCAA Wrestling Championships at the Wells Fargo Center, and will serve as head coach emeritus for his final year of coaching in 2025-26. “I am absolutely thrilled for Matt, Roger and our wrestling program that we were able to successfully and thoughtfully plan for this leadership transition,” Alanna Shanahan, the T. Gibbs Kane, Jr. W’69 Director of Athletics and Recreation said. “The opportunity for these two alumni to work together for two years will be powerful and impactful for our student-athletes.”
Valenti is the program’s career leader in wins (137) and won NCAA championships in 2006 and 2007 at 133 pounds. He was a three-time NCAA All-American, a three-time EIWA champion, three-time first-team All-Ivy selection and the 2007 Ivy League Wrestler of the Year. Valenti was inducted into the Penn Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017 and the EIWA Hall of Fame in 2014. “Matt’s incredible success as a student-athlete at Penn was worthy of induction into our Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility,” Shanahan said. “That athletic background, combined with his prior coaching experience at Penn, strong ties to the alumni and campus community, and robust administrative experience in student-athlete success, mental health and as our admissions liaison made him the ideal choice to succeed Roger and lead the Penn wrestling program. Matt has been successful during every stage of his career and I’m confident his return to the coaching ranks will benefit our current and future student-athletes in competition, in the classroom and in the community.” “As a proud alumnus, it is a tremendous honor to step into a leadership role with the Penn wrestling program,” Valenti said. “Roger’s legacy is unparalleled, and I am committed to continuing and enhancing the tradition of excellence that he has cultivated through the years. Together with the Penn wrestling team, alumni, staff, and community, I look forward to forging a path of continued success both on and off the mat.” “This thoughtful transition will enable our Penn wrestlers, families, staff and alumni to work together over the next two years to effectively navigate the change and empower the successful future of Penn wrestling. Our community is committed to a lasting legacy of excellence,” Reina said. “I am excited to begin working with Matt along with our staff in the continued pursuit of our goals.” … story at … Pennathletics.com/Two-time-national-champion-matt-valenti–to-succeed-roger-reina-as-penn-head-wrestling-coach-in-2025-26
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Shaun Lally Named Inaugural Head Men’s & Women’s Wrestling Coach
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Director of Athletics Troy Tucker has announced that Shaun Lally has been named the inaugural Head Men’s & Women’s Wrestling Coach at Northampton, effective April 2, 2024. “Coach Lally’s experience, not only at the college level, but in the Lehigh Valley, really resonated with the committee,” remarked Tucker, “he has shown the ability to recruit on the college level and his teams had success not only on the mat, but in the classroom as well.”
A former head coach at the Junior High, High School, Club, NCWA (National Collegiate Wrestling Association), and NCAA levels, Lally’s programs have won various awards for marketing, branding, fundraising and academics. Lally is one of only a handful of college coaches to attend all three of the National Wrestling Coaching Association’s (NWCA) Leadership Academies; Men’s Collegiate, Women’s Collegiate, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). A USA Wrestling bronze-certified coach, Lally attended the first-ever Women’s Leadership Academy at Lock Haven University in 2013. He went on to coach two women’s wrestlers who were National Qualifiers in the National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) in 2013-2014. From 2012-2017, Lally coached 12 collegiate national qualifiers and 7 Academic All-Americans.
In 2014, Coach Lally led a resurgence at nearby Muhlenberg College. The Mules, a NCAA Division III team, finished 4-9 overall in his first season, doubling the program win total from the five previous years combined (2-60). In addition, they broke a 37-match losing streak in the Centennial Conference … story at … NCCspartans.com/2024-25-shaun-lally-named-inaugural-head-mens-womens-wrestling-coach
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Pine resigns after successful run at head of Grays Harbor College women’s wrestling program
After a highly-successful reign leading one of the top junior college women’s wrestling programs in the nation, Grays Harbor head coach Kevin Pine has decided to step down. Pine, who has been the Chokers women’s wrestling head coach since 2019 and is coming off a National Collegiate Wrestling Association national championship, tendered his resignation on Monday. “It’s time to move on,” Pine said. “I have a few month left of my term as (Grays Harbor County) Commissioner. This is going to be an opportunity to focus on that. … This will free up some of my free time and I can devote that toward being a good public servant for my community.” Pine’s resignation ends a prolifically successful era for the GHC women’s wrestling program.
Under Pine’s tutelage, the Chokers have had a long list of accomplishments. Over the past five seasons, GHC has earned 40 NCWA All-American honors, eight USA Wrestling medals at the prestigious World Team Trials, five top-three NCWA national team finishes, a Collegiate Cup victory in 2023 and the NCWA women’s national championship this past season. “I’ve been real fortunate to be able to recruit some of the kids we’ve got to come here,” Pine said. “We were doing something right. We had kids that would come here and, for the most part, everybody stayed for two years.” … story at … Pine-resigns-after-successful-run-at-head-of-grays-harbor-college-womens-wrestling-program
Michael Childs Named Head Women’s Wrestling Coach
GLENSIDE – The Arcadia University Department of Athletics and Recreation has announced the hiring of Michael Childs as the first head women’s wrestling coach in program history. Childs will begin his duties at Arcadia on April 8th as he prepares for the program’s first season of competition in 2025-26. “I am tremendously excited and thankful for the opportunity to lead a new women’s wrestling program at a wonderful institution like Arcadia University,” Childs explained. “I’m grateful to the hiring committee at Arcadia for their thoughtfulness throughout the interview process. There was a unique kindness and respect all through my interactions that made me feel comfortable and incredibly excited to begin this journey.”
Childs comes to Arcadia after serving as an assistant men’s wrestling coach for five seasons and an assistant women’s wrestling coach for two seasons at Ursinus College. While with the Bears, Childs assisted in practice planning, helped teach technique, and assisted with match day preparation. Childs also assisted in recruiting, video analysis, and goal setting/action steps. “Coach Childs is a very accomplished wrestler and has an extensive background as a wrestling coach at the collegiate level,” Executive Director of Athletics Brian Granata said. “He is uniquely positioned to leverage his network of coaches and various connections to develop our women’s wrestling program and help it be successful in short order. We are excited to welcome him into our Arcadia Athletics community and look forward to seeing him executive his vision for our program.”
Prior to his time at Ursinus, Childs gained experience as an assistant coach at Division I Franklin & Marshall from 2012-2015, helping coach the first All-American for the Diplomats in 32 years. Childs gained his first collegiate coaching experience at Division I Davidson for two seasons. Childs began his coaching career at numerous Philadelphia-area high schools before transitioning to the collegiate level. … story at … Arcadiaknights.com/Michael-childs-named-head-womens-wrestling-coach
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Frank resigns as Gettysburg head wrestling coach
GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Gino Frank, who has served 17 years on the Gettysburg wrestling coaching staff and last four as head coach, has stepped down from his position.
Frank was instrumental in guiding the Bullets through a head coaching transition in the midst of the pandemic. “I want to thank Gino for his 17 years of energy, effort, and dedication to the wrestling program,” Executive Director of Athletics Mike Mattia said. “He has had a positive impact on a generation of Gettysburg wrestlers, and he certainly left his mark on the program. I wish him nothing but the best.” In his 17 years on staff, he helped Gettysburg produce four All-Americans, 12 national qualifiers, 23 Scholar All-Americans, 11 Centennial Conference (CC) champions and 61 conference placewinners. In his first season leading the way in the corner, he mentored the CC Most Outstanding Wrestler Eric Mougalian, who captured the individual crown at 149. That same year, Luke Kowalski claimed Rookie of the Year honors and has since gone on to win conference titles the last two seasons at 133 in 2023 and 141 in 2024 under Frank’s tutelage. Kowalski’s 2023 crown earned him Most Outstanding Performer honors, making it back-to-back winners for the Bullets. He went on to finish third at the regional meet and seventh at the national championship to become the program’s first All-American since 2016 and first under 157 pounds in 44 years. Prior to Gettysburg, … story at … Gettysburgsports.com/Frank-resigns-as-gettysburg-head-wrestling-coach
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Alnutt Announces Change in Leadership of Wrestling Program
BUFFALO, NY – University at Buffalo Vice President and Director of Athletics Mark Alnutt announced today that John Stutzman will not be returning as head wrestling coach next season. “I want to thank Coach Stutzman for his dedication and service to the UB wrestling program for the last 11 years. While his tenure was marked with many highlights and accomplishments, after much discussion and thorough evaluation of our program, at this time, I believe a fresh start will move the program forward. We wish John and his family nothing but the best in the future.” … more at … UBbulls.com/Alnutt-announces-change-in-leadership-of-wrestling-program
Top 40 All-Time Women’s College Coaches – TDR # 31 – 79
The coaches are ranked by the number of dual meet wins while they were a head coach of a Women’s College Team in any division. Totals include matches from the 2023-2024 season.
ALL-TIME Women’s Coaches– Top 40 with 15 or more wins
- Jason Moorman (King Univ.) 172 (9)
- Archie Randall (Oklahoma City Univ.) 160
- Lee Miracle (Campbellsville) 112 (13)
- Donnie Stephens (Univ. of Cumberlands) 89 (11)
- Sam Schmitz (McKendree Univ.) 77
- Link Davis (Emmanuel College) 74
- Ashley Sword-Buster (Life University) 73 (23)
- Paul Rademacher (Indiana Inst. Of Tech./South. Oregon St.) 65 (17)
- Aaron Meister (Friends/Wayland Baptist Coll.,) 55 (2)
- Brian Jackson (Missouri Baptist) 54 – inc.
- Carl Murphree (Missouri Valley College) 52 – inc. (5)
- Joe Norton (North Central College) 48 (13)
- Nick Goebel (Tiffin University) 44 (14)
- Travis Mercado (Colorado Mesa Univ.) 43 (11)
- Paulina Biega (Sacred Heart University) 40 (17)
- Lee Dale Allen (Menlo Colleg) 40
- Tony DeAnda (Northern Michigan/ Jamestown) 39 (2)
- Mahdi Bigdely (Ottawa Univ.) 36 (11)
- Joel Gibson (Southern Oregon State) 35 (10)
- Joey Bareng (Menlo College) 33
- Angelo Crinzi (Grand View University) 31 (13)
- Devane Dodgens (Brewton-Parker College) 30 (3)
- Anibal Nievas (East Stroudsburg State) 30 (13)
- Matt Stevens (Oklahoma City University) 29 (12)
- Shaunna Isbell Kent (Jamestown) 29 (10)
- Cliff Cushard (Adrian College) 29 (4)
- Bryce Killian (Emmanuel Coll.) 28 (13)
- Cole Spree (Indian Hills Comm. Coll.) 26 (9)
- Cody Griswold (Elmira College) 25 (10)
- Johnny Cobb (Wayland Baptist College) 25
- Tucker Black (William Penn) 23 (9)
- Kirwyn Adderley (Missouri Baptist) 22 (9)
- David Mathews (Life University) 22
- Brieanna Delgado (Central Methodist Coll) 21 (3)
- Chuck Kearney (Univ. of Saint Mary) 20 (6)
- Breonnah Neal (Gannon Un./Ferrum Coll.) 19 (2)
- Beau Vest (Midland Lutheran) 17
- Dany DeAnda (Presbyterian University) 16
- Kevin Corbett (Lyon College) 16
- Craig Jaxkson (Umpqua Comm. Coll.) 15 inc. (0)
- Jake Short (Augsburg College) 15 (1)
Women’s Wrestling News – Apr. 7th
2023-2024 Women’s College Commitment List
A running list of current college commitments for girls’ high school wrestlers.
Mar 30, 2024 by Kyle Klingman
Below is a partial — but not complete — commitment list of current high school wrestlers and colleges they plan to attend along with an approximate college weight. There are thousands of high school wrestlers and over 150 women’s college wrestling programs (NAIA, NJCAA, and NCAA D1, D2, and D3), so this is an ongoing list. Contact Kyle Klingman at kyle.klingman@flosports.tv to add your wrestler to the list. … story at … Flowrestling.org/2024-womens-college-commitment-list
And …
The NCAA Women’s Freestyle Transfer Portal Is Open
Look at the NCAA women’s freestyle wrestlers who have entered the transfer portal.
Apr 6, 2024 by Kyle Klingman
Keep of the NCAA women’s freestyle wrestlers entering the transfer portal, and where they transfer to. Email kyle.klingman@flosports.tv if someone is missing or needs to be added.
2024 NCAA D1 Wrestling Off-Season Transfer Tracker
| Wrestler | Date Entered | Transferring From | Division |
| Janida Garcia | 4/5/2024 | Tiffin | II |
| Cindy Zepeda | 4/4/2024 | Menlo | II |
| Samantha Barragan | 4/4/2024 | Menlo | II |
| Samantha Miller | 3/28/2024 | Mount Olive | II |
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Clearwater high school student rewriting narrative for women in wrestling
Cerenity Whiting is an honors student and state champion who only started wrestling three years ago.
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Stepping onto the wrestling mat, Cerenity Whiting is a trailblazer who’s rewriting the rules. In a sport where muscle meets grit, the Countryside High School student-athlete has shattered expectations.
She’s just a junior in high school and has only been wrestling for a couple of years, but she’s already a state champion and she got her eyes set on even bigger goals. As we celebrate Women’s History Month – it’s important to remember history isn’t just in the past, but it’s being written right now on the wrestling mat.
Cerenity Whiting is not just a wrestler, she’s a trailblazer, as both an honors student and state champion. “I just needed to stay humble, try my best and I knew I would win,” she said. When she stepped onto the mat three years ago, Whiting said she didn’t even know how to execute a headlock. “I used to watch a lot off WWE when I was younger and when I got to high school, I saw they had a wrestling program and thought it be fun,” she said.
But in that short span of time her coach, Joe Logano, said he watched her transform her skills and take the sport by storm. “She kept grinding and kept grinding and stuck to the process, listened to her coaches, followed the plan and it all worked out” Logano said. Whiting said wrestling became her sanctuary, a place where she could grapple with life’s challenges both on and off the mat. … story at … WTSP.com/Student-athlete-clearwater-wrestling-women-champion
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Area grapplers growing girls wrestling
Seven local girls qualified for state tournament
COLUMBUS — For the second straight year, the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) sponsored the girls state wrestling tournament, hosting the event at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, where it ran simultaneously with the 87th annual boys tournament.
Ohio is just one of several states to recently give its stamp of approval on girls wrestling, which has become one of the fastest-growing sports in the country. The National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) said in September that high school girls wrestling participants had increased by 55% year-over-year and had multiplied by nearly five times in the last decade.
“It almost feels like it’s doubling every year. When we started, we’d see pretty much the same girls all the time,” Howland assistant wrestling coach Mike Burns said. “It’s pretty wild to see where it’s going. It’s just going to continue to grow more, and more people are going to come here and learn about it. It’s just gonna keep growing to be as big as the boys here.”
Sloane McNally, a state qualifier in the 105-pound girls division from Boardman, said she has personally seen the expansion of girls wrestling. “It’s changed a lot. We went from having almost no girls — maybe like a couple girls in your weight class, if you were lucky — to [a point that] we had to add a pre-regionals just to qualify for state, so it’s changed a lot. It’s grown a lot,” McNally said.
When Boardman head coach Hadi Hadi began coaching more than 30 years ago, girls wrestled, but there just weren’t very many of them. With no girls-only division or tournaments, many shied away from the sport due to the inevitability of wrestling boys. … story at … Tribtoday.com/Area-grapplers-growing-girls-wrestling
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Tinley Park state champ Jade Hardee keeps wrestling success ‘going to girls’
Tinley Park Bulldogs boys youth wrestling coach Mickey Griffin is stepping down after 15 years of helping produce some of the top wrestlers in the area and state. He never imagined that his final state champion would be a girl. Eighth grader Jade Hardee is such a special wrestler that in January he had her working out with the Bulldogs boys team and joined Bulldogs girls coach Jamie Ruggio Hubbard in overseeing Hardee’s development. Hardee became the first person from Tinley Park to win an Illinois Kids Wrestling Federation girls state championship when she won the 93-pound division March 9 at the BMO Center in Rockford, needing just 42 seconds to pin her opponent in the title match.
It was a big accomplishment, but Hardee was not jumping around and going crazy after the referee’s hand smacked the mat. “I was pretty cool about it, I didn’t do any of that stuff,” Hardee said. “I’m the type where if I could have done a little better in a match, I’m a little bit harder on myself. But then the next time I know to give it my all.” … story at … Chicagotribune.com/Tinley-park-state-champ-jade-hardee-keeps-wrestling-success-going-to-girls
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Prendergast avenges loss, wins historic state title
GREENSBORO — The only time South Brunswick senior wrestler Lillian Prendergast was on her back this season was when dad and coach, David, fell on top of her while celebrating her championship Saturday in the state championships. Prendergast won the 100-pound title in the first girls wrestling state tournament sanctioned by the N.C. High School Athletic Association. The girls — in one classification — wrestled on one mat in the center of the cavernous Greensboro Coliseum at the same time the boys wrestled on four mats — for four classifications — beside the center mat. The Coliseum was nearly a sellout. The significance of the event meant as much to Lillian as her championship. “It’s definitely amazing to see,” she said. “I remember going to tournaments, before I got to high school, seeing one or two girls in a tournament. There wasn’t very much out there. My brother wrestled a girl here at the state tournament in 2011, when it was basically unheard of to hear a girl wrestle. “So to see the growth and the amount of people that have come out, that have done it, even though it is one of the most uncomfortable sports, it’s great to see the passion that a lot of these girls are getting from it. You have your few wrestlers at the top and you have your younger girls — they go out and get beat but they’re still coming back, they’re still coming to practice and they’re still competing.”
Lillian’s mom, Shawna, was the scorekeeper at Lillian’s high school matches. Shawna, too, was thrilled by the state event. “I think the thing that excited me the most,” she said, … story at … https://stateportpilot.com/sports/article_42c0cca8-d0f3-11ee-8539-ffc4beaa36c4.html
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Girls are falling in love with wrestling, the nation’s fastest-growing high school sport
MECHANICSBURG, Pa. (AP) — Jody Mikhail was a sophomore at Pennsylvania’s Cumberland Valley High School when a poster for a new girls’ wrestling club caught her eye. So Mikhail, a senior now, tried the sport. “I fell in love with it the first time,” she said.
Unlike previous generations, she’s hardly alone.
Girls’ wrestling has become the fastest-growing high school sport in the country, sanctioned by a surging number of states and bolstered by a movement of medal-winning female wrestlers, parents and the male-dominated ranks of coaches and administrators who saw it as a necessity and a matter of equality. Where once girls wrestled on boys teams and against boys, increasingly they are wrestling on girls teams and against girls. And now that they are wrestling in sanctioned and official tournaments against girls, their names are going onto plaques on their high schools’ walls and into state record books.
This year, Kentucky, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania held their first state-sanctioned girls’ wrestling championships, while Louisiana became the 45th state to sanction the sport. At the collegiate level, women’s wrestling is designated as an “emerging” sport and is on track to become a championship-level sport in 2026, the NCAA said.
A rapidly growing sport
In Pennsylvania — where the Penn State men are ranked No. 1 and the state’s male and female wrestlers dominated last year’s 16-and-under national team championships — the number of girl wrestlers in high schools nearly doubled this year as the state rocketed to more than 180 high school teams from none in 2020.
Hundreds of girls competed in Pennsylvania’s first sanctioned state tournament, including Mikhail, after years of girls having no choice but to wrestle boys or, if they did wrestle girls, seeing the same handful of faces, year after year, in tournaments organized by local wrestling organizations.
Even for girls who compete nationally or hope to wrestle in college, wrestling in state-sanctioned tournaments brings status. “It really does bring this level of, I think, having these girls feel seen,” said Brooke Zumas, a former wrestling coach who was active in the movement to get the sport sanctioned in Pennsylvania.
Girls who have competed for years are seeing new faces and big crowds in this year’s state-sanctioned championship tournaments. … more at … APnews.com/Wrestling-girls-high-school
Penn State’s four-time champ Aaron Brooks wins 2024 Hodge Trophy
By Tristan Warner, WIN Magazine
NEWTON, Iowa – Paralleling his coach, Cael Sanderson, Penn State’s Aaron Brooks won three NCAA titles at 184 pounds before deciding to move up to the 197-pound weight class in pursuit of his fourth collegiate crown this season.
Partly because his body was growing and the weight cut to 184 was becoming more difficult, but Brooks also asserted that he wanted to make his final season more fun by challenging himself to face new opponents at a higher weight class.
Aaron Brooks
It is that type of mentality, the desire to seek new challenges and never become complacent, that propelled Brooks to a dominating senior season that saw the North Hagerstown, Md. native post a 22-0 record with three major decisions, 11 technical falls and six falls en route to becoming just the seventh-ever four-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion. With that final stat sheet, Brooks has officially been named the recipient of the 2024 WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy awarded to the nation’s top college wrestler. Brooks will be presented the Hodge Trophy at the Penn State University wrestling banquet on Sunday, April 7 in State College. Like in past seasons, Brooks will then publicly be presented the Hodge at a football game this fall. For more information on the Dan Hodge Trophy, including a list of all past winners along with the release story and stats from the year they won the Hodge, visit http://www.WIN-magazine.com.
The seventh Nittany Lion to win the Hodge, Brooks comfortably won the vote as he acquired 48 out of 59 first-place votes. The Hodge Trophy Voting Committee is comprised of: a retired college coach from each region of the country, a representative from each of the national wrestling organizations, select national media members and past Hodge winners. Second-place Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa, 184 pounds) received eight first-place votes, Carter Starocci (Penn State, 174) got two votes and Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State, HWT) received one vote.
The Dan Hodge Trophy
Brooks accumulated the highest portion of the fan votes as well, which accounted for the final five of first-place votes. The four-time NCAA champion received 13,416 votes out of the total 26,928 fan votes that were cast online March 26-29. Keckeisen finished second in the fan vote with 9,675, while Starocci finished third with 1,868. “Winning the Hodge Trophy is a blessing,” Brooks commented. “It is like the Heisman Trophy in football, so to know the hard work and dedication I’ve put in is being rewarded with such a historic award is really cool.” “I am really happy for Aaron,” Sanderson added. “He worked hard, kept improving in all of his positions and had a dominating season.”
Founded in 1995 by Mike Chapman, the creator of WIN Magazine, and sponsored by ASICS, the Dan Hodge Trophy is awarded to the most dominant wrestler each year by WIN and Chapman’s company Culture House. The late Dan Hodge was an undefeated three-time NCAA champion at 177 pounds for the University of Oklahoma, and the only wrestler to ever appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated (April 1, 1957). “Aaron Brooks stands tall in the long list of Dan Hodge Trophy winners, not only for his performance on the mat this year (and all four years, for that matter) but for the way he has represented his school and his sport. Penn State has set the standard for team excellence over the past dozen years and also for individual excellence. It’s a pleasure to welcome Aaron to the roll call of Dan Hodge Trophy recipients,” said Chapman. … story at … WIN-magazine.com/Penn-states-four-time-champ-aaron-brooks-wins-2024-hodge-trophy
Beat the Streets’ 2024 Annual Benefit set for June 4 at Ziegfeld Ballroom
The event will feature a fireside chat with Jordan Burroughs and Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Beat the Streets Wrestling, Inc. will host its 2024 Annual Benefit fundraising event on Tuesday, June 4 at Ziegfeld Ballroom in Manhattan.
The event will support and celebrate BTS programs that empower New York City students to achieve their goals on the wrestling mat and in the classroom – and honor coaches and partners who make each win a reality. The event will feature a cocktail reception, USA Wrestling Olympic athletes, and a live auction.
Seven-time World and Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs will guide a fireside chat with Neil deGrasse Tyson, who will detail his experience as a high school wrestler in The Bronx and how wrestling shaped his success as a World-renowned astrophysicist.
BTS student-athletes and their coaches will be recognized for their accomplishments with awards throughout the evening, and two student award recipients will speak about how BTS programs have impacted their lives. BTS provides a safe, positive atmosphere for student-athletes to learn essential life lessons of discipline, perseverance, self-reliance, humility and a strong work ethic through wrestling.
The BTS Annual Benefit events help the organization raise more than $1 million each year to support local youth wrestling programs, which empower young people in New York City. This year’s event will be the 14th BTS Annual Benefit. The event will start at 6 p.m. Eastern time. … story at … BTSny.org/beat-the-streets-wrestling-2024-annual-benefit-tickets-june-4
Top 60 All-Time NAIA Coaches – TDR # 31 – 78
The coaches are ranked by the number of dual meet wins while they were a head coach at a NAIA school. Totals include matches from the 2023-2024 season.
ALL-TIME NAIA Coaches– Top 60 with at least 55 wins
Active Coaches in Bold
- Milton Martin (Westmar) 462
- Bob Riehm (Southern Oregon) 270
- Franky James (Campbellsville) 251 (16) up 2 spots
- Gerald E. “Jerry” Hampton (Graceland U.) 238
- Mike Ritchey (Southern Oregon) 236
- Mike Machholz (Missouri Valley) 232
- Vern Tate (Huron – SD Si Tanka) 201
- Bill Hughes (Black Hills State) 187
- Nick Mitchell (Grand View College) 182 (13) up 1 spot
- Clayton Ketterling (Waynesburg/Dickinson St) 170 inc.
- Mike Jones (Simon Fraser) 162 inc
- Archie Randall (Oklahoma City Univ.) 160 – Women’s Team
- Don Lemnus (Valley City State) 158
- Jason Moorman (King University) 156 (9)– Women’s Team
- Rodger Jehlicka (Adams State, Chadron St.) 147
- Corey Ruff (Lindsey-Wilson) 135 (7) up 4 spots
- David Ray (So. Illinois-Edwardsville, Montana St.) 135
- Caleb Schaeffer (Providence Univ./Great Falls) 133
- Fran Hummel (Northern State, Midland Lutheran) 133 – inc.
- Don Woods (Northern State) 130 – inc.
- Milo Trusty (Univ. of Mary) 128
- Tom Jarman (Taylor College) 128
- Tyson Thivierge (Montana St. Northern) 121 (7) up 3 spots
- Thadd O’Donnell (Dickinson State) 121
- Arnold Brandt (Morningside College) 121
- Fran Hummel (Northern State) 115
- Corey Ruff (Lindsey-Wilson College) 113
- Lee Miracle (Campbellsville Univ.-Women’s) 112 (13) up 1 spot
- Omi Acosta (Life University) 109 (23) up 4 spots
- Jake Stevenson (Morningside College) 104 (7) up 2 spots
- Jeff Bedard (Reinhardt Univ.) 101 (15) up 3 spots
- Jess Wilder (Univ. of Cumberlands) 101
- K.C. Rock (Embry-Riddle College) 98 (6) up 1 spot
- Archie Randall (Oklahoma City Univ.) 97
- Thomas Pompei (Indiana Institute of Technology) 96 (12) up 1 spot
- Rik Dahl (Northwestern College) 90 (6)
- Donnie Stevens (Cumberlands Univ.-Wom’s) 89 (11)
- Joey Martinez (Menlo) 88 (8)
- Gary Garvis (William Penn) 83
- James Hicks (Cumberland Univ.) 77 (9)
- Sam Schmitz (McKendree) 77 – Women’s Team
- Tim Jager (Morningside) 75
- John Jeffire (Findlay College) 70
- Todd Allen (Williams Baptist/Cumberland Univ.) 69
- Dana Vote (Doane, Midland) 68 (10)
- Steven Bradley (Marian Univ.) — 66 (6)
- James Kisgen (McKendree College) 66 – school now in Div.II
- Colby Crank (Ottawa University) 65 (11)
- Rollie Greeno (Jamestown Univ.) 65
- Aaron Meister (Friends Univ.) 63 (3)
- John Petty (California Baptist/Northwestern) 63
- Cody Garcia (Baker College) 62 (8)
- Joe Privitere (Briar Cliff) — 62 (6)
- Daniel Payne (Embry-Riddle/Nor. Arizona) 62
- Steve Costanzo (Dana College) 61
- Brandon Jorge (Southeastern University) 60 (11)
- Dan Sanville (Warner Pacific) 58
- Bill Kracilik (Colorado Mesa) 58
- Aaron Meister (Friends Univ.-Wom’s) 55 (2)
- Beau Vest (Dana-Midland) 55
- Lenny Zalesky (Calif. Baptist) 55
Top 100 All-Time Division III Coaches – TDR # 31 – 77
The coaches are ranked by the number of dual meet wins while they were a head coach at a Division III school. Totals include matches from the 2023-2024 season.
ALL-TIME Div. III Coaches Top 100 (or so) with at least 130 wins
- Jare Klein (Olivet College) 569 – III
- Bill Racich (Ursinus College) 540 – III
- David Icenhower (College of New Jersey) 534 – III
- John Reese (Wilkes Univ.) 515 – I/III ????
- Max Servcies (Wabash) 487 – III
- Ned McGinley (King’s College) 458 – III
- Roger Crebs (Lycoming College) 450 – III (11)
- Lonnie Morris (Johnson & Wales) 446 – III (24) up 1 spot
- Mike Olson (UNC-Pembroke, Upper Iowa, Monmouth) 428 – II/III ???
- Phil Grebinar (Worcester Poly Tech.) 414 III
- Jim Miller (Wartburg) 413 – III
- Bob Skelton (Western New England College) – 402 III
- Robert Marshall (Del. Valley Coll./Dickinson) – 396 III
- Ron Beaschler (Ohio Northern Univ.) 391 – III (17) up 2 spots
- Al Baxter (Buena Vista Univ.) 376 – III
- Budd Whitehill (Lycoming Coll.) 376 – III
- Don Murray (SUNY-Brockport) 359 – III –
- Bruce Haberli (New York Univ.) 345 –III (10)
- Dave Mitchell (Luther College) 327 – III (12) up 3 spots
- Jeff Swenson (Augsburg Coll.) 321 – III
- Tom Kessler (York College) 321 – III
- Tim Fader (Wisc.-Eau Claire, Whitewater, LaCrosse) 319 (19) up 5
- Steve Eldridge (U.S. Coast Guard Ac.) 317 – III – Inc.,
- Martin Nichols (Ithaca College) 313 – III (14) up 4 spots
- Bob Del Rosa (Case Western Reserve) 310 – III
- Kerry Volkmann (John Carroll) 304 – III
- Daryl Arroyo (Springfield, Mass) 301 – III
- Willie Myers (Wisconsin-Whitewater) 301 – III
- Byron James (Wisc.-River Falls) 297 – III
- Jon Laudenslager (Wilkes University) 290 – III (8) up 2 spots
- Al Sosa (SUNY-Oneota State) 284 — III
- Kenneth Ober (Elizabethtown College) 282 – III
- John Oostendorp (Coe College) 278 – III (12) up 1 spot
- Jay Jones (Rhode Island College) 274 – III (13) up 2 spots
- John Elton (St. John’s {Minn.} 273 – III
- Bryan Brunk (Messiah College) 266 – III (11) up 1 spot
- Frank Cheek (Humboldt State) 261 – III
- Al Hanke (Elmhurst Coll./Lake Forest Coll.{ILL}) 254 – III
- Dave Kemmy (Roger Williams) 251 – III
- Brad Bruhn (SUNY-Cortland) 236 – III
- Randy Steward (Loras College) 235 – III
- James R. Howard (SUNY-Oswego State) 234 — III
- Dave Malececk (Wisc.-Lacrosse) 232 – III (12) up 3 spots
- Sebastian Amato (Trinity College) 228 – III (11) up 5 spots
- Drew Black (Wesleyan Univ/Phoenix.) 227 – III (8) up 3 spots
- John Davis (Maryville College) 224 – III
- Steve Stellner (Montclair State) 223 – III
- Russell “Rusty” Carlsten (Rhode Island College) 222 – III
- Bob Gaudenzi (Hunter College) 218 – III
- Johnny Johnson (Wisc.-Stevens Point) 216 – III (3) up 2 spots
- Jerry Petrofes (Lebanon Valley College) 214 – III
- Tony DeCarlo (John Carroll Univ.) 213 – III
- Donald Montgomery (Mount Union College) 212 – III
- Duane Ritter (SUNY Oneonta State) – 207 – III (12) up 5 spots
- Ron Zalokar (Carthage College) 204 – III
- John Summa (Baldwin-Wallace College) 201 – III
- Earl Fuller (Rochester Inst. Of Tech.) 197 – III
- Gary Franke (Washington & Lee) 196 – III
- Ron Peterson (Simpson College) 195 – III
- Larry Shank (Heidelburg College/Capital) 194 – III
- Jon Egan (Roger Williams) – 193 (10) up 8 spots
- George Olson (Wheaton College) 192 – III
- Richard Walker (Wartburg College/Grinnell College) 191
- Vernon “Finn” Grinaker (Concordia/Moorhead, Mn.) 190
- Mike Howard (SUNY-Oswego State) – 189 (5) up 2 spots
- Sam Case (McDaniel Coll.(West.Md./John Hopkins) 189
- Rich Achtzehn (York College, Penna.) 184
- Eric Keller (Wartburg/Nor.Central Coll.) 183 (15) up 5 spots
- Richard Walker (Wartburg College) 183
- John Hopkins (Scranton University) 183
- Tom Jarman (Manchester, College) 179
- Jon McGovern (Dubuque University) – 178 (7) up 1 spot
- Chester Anderson (Bemidiji State) 177-III (inc.)
- Craig Thurber (Thiel College) – 171 (4)
- Brian Anderson (Wabash College) – 167 (6) up 4 spots
- Claude B. Sharer (Case Western Reserve) 166 – III
- Gene Nighman (SUNY-Cortland) 163-III
- Don Parker (Wisc-Eau Claire/Upper Iowa) 163 – inc
- Charlie Kunes (Susquehanna Univ.) 163
- Joe Galente (College of New Jersey) 158 (13) up 9 spots
- Kevin Puebla (Augustana College, Ill.) 158 – III
- Leo Kocher (University of Chicago) 154 – inc. (6) up 6 spots
- Jamie Gibbs (Baldwin-Wallace) – 154 (15) up 11 spots
- Steve Marianetti (Elmhurst College) – 152 (8) up 7 spots
- John Murray (Ithaca College) 150
- Mike McCarty (S.W.Missouri State) 150
- Barron Bremner (Cornell Coll. / Coe Coll.) 150 — III
- Mike Poe (Millikin College) 149 – III
- Eric Van Kley (Central College ) 148 (12) up 8 spots
- Davies, Gomer H. (Swarthmore) 147 – inc.
- James Holder (Springfield College) 145 (14) up 11 spots
- Mike Duroe (Cornell College) 145
- Chassey, Wilfred (Mass. Inst. Tech.) 145 – inc.
- Biddiscombe, John (Wesleyan Univ./Muhlenberg) – 141
- Alan Zellner (Kutztown/Wilkes Univ. ) 140
- Brandon Brissette (Olivet College) 138 (9) up 9 spots
- Bruce Shumaker (Apprentice School) 138
- Leech, Ray (Ohio Wesleyan) 138 – inc.
- Larry Sciacchetano (Montclair St. & NY-Maritime) 135
- Branden Totten (Delaware Valley College) 132
The 2024 HighSchoolOT All-State Girls Wrestling Team
Lumberton, Jack Britt, and Havelock led the way with three selections each. The first-of-its-kind team has a first team and a second team with two wrestlers per weight class, then 12 honorable mention wrestlers regardless of weight class.
The inaugural HighSchoolOT girls wrestling all-state team is here. The first-of-its-kind team has a first team and a second team with two wrestlers per weight class, then 12 honorable mention wrestlers regardless of weight class.
Since only the N.C. High School Athletic Association sanctions girls wrestling and has only one open classification, the top two finishers made first team and the third- and fourth-place finishers were on second team.
The 12 honorable mention all-state wrestlers — the same number of girls weight classes — are selected without regard to weight class (for instance, 100 pounds could have three HM all-state wrestlers, while 106 could have zero). … story at … Highschoolot.com/2024-highschoolot-all-state-girls-wrestling-team
Top 70 All-Time Division II Coaches – TDR # 31 – 76
The coaches are ranked by the number of dual meet wins while they were a head coach at a Division II school. Totals include matches from the 2023-2024 season.
ALL-TIME Coaches (D-II)– Top 70 (or so) with at least 100 wins Wins
- Pat Pecora (Pitt-Johnstown) 661 (15)
- Doug Parker (Springfield, Mass) 485
- Don Elia (Carson-Newman) 461
- Mike Olson (UNC-Pembroke, Upper Iowa, Monmouth) 428 – II ??
- Arthur “Bucky” Maughn (N Dak State) 408
- David James (Cent. Oklahoma) 396
- Mike Denney (Maryville Univ./Nebr.-Omaha) 389 – retired in 2023
- Vaughn Hitchcock (Cal-Poly-SLO) 353 – II
- Steve Costanzo (St. Cloud Univ.&Dana Coll.) 333 (14) up 1 spot
- Jim Makovsky (Minn. St.-Mankato/Valley City St.) 326 (2)
- Robert “Rummy” Macias (Minn. St.-Mankato) 299
- P.J. Smith (UNC-Pembroke, Campbell) 299
- Vince Monseau (West Liberty St./Peru St.) 286
- Jim Koch (Wisconsin-Parkside) 277
- Mike Sterner (SW Minnesota St.) 254
- William “Bill” Corman (Shippensburg State) 243
- Robert Fisher (Kutztown Univ.) 241 (5) up 1 spot
- Jason Liles (S.D. State/Montana St.-Northern) 236
- Doug Henry (Gannon Univ.) 233 – retired in 2023
- Terry Wetherald (Univ. of Indianapolis – Ind. Central) 230
- Heath Grimm (Upper Iowa Univ.) 229 (19) up 4 spots
- Jason Reitmeier (Augustana College-S.D.) 225 (13) up 3 spots
- Robin Ersland (Minot St./Cent. Mo. St./Calif. (Pa.), N. Mich. 225
- Marc Bauer (Univ. of Nebraska-Kearney) 215
- Mike Wehler (Mercyhurst, West Liberty State) 214 (7) up 1 spot
- Larry Kristoff (So. Illinois-Edwardsville, SW Mo. St.) 212
- Mike Palmisiano (Nebraska-Omaha, Ohio Northern) 200
- Tracy Borah (Western State College) 200
- Jason Valek (Newberry) 194
- Joe Seay (Cal. State Bakersfield) 187
- Allan Abraham (Calif. State San Francisco) 176
- Miles Van Hee (Western State College) 170
- Lars Jensen (Calif. State San Francisco) 170
- Stamatis Bulgaris (Wright State & Dayton) 169
- Ray Kowatch (Ashland College) 167
- John Oxton (St. Cloud State Univ.) 167
- Paul Kendle (Augustana College-S.D.) 163
- Howard Westcott (Portland State) 162
- James Kisgen (McKendree College) D-II – 2013 152 (14) up 4
- John W. Hancock (Northern Col., Col. St. Coll) 152
- Doug Moses (N.M. Highlands, So. Color., Col. St.) 151 – inc
- Bill Garland (Minnesota State-Moorhead) 147
- Roger Denker (Central Missouri State) 143
- Jack LaBonde (Northern Colorado, Col. St. Coll) 142
- John Sterner (Minnesota State-Moorehead) 137
- R.C. LaHaye (Lander/Grand Canyon) 135 (17) up 14
- Scott Ritzen (Chadron State College) 135
- Warren Williamson (South Dakota State ) 134
- Othello ‘O.T.’ Johnson (U. N.C.-Pembroke) 133 (14) up 11
- Dave Shutter (Truman State, NE Missouri State) 133
- Mike McGlinchey (Salisbury State) 133
- Jason Warthan (Indianapolis) 132 (9) up 6
- Jason Ramstetter(Adams State) 131 (6) up 4
- Jack Maughan (Northern Colorado) 129
- Chuck Piper (Colorado Mesa St.) 129
- Ken Caudell (Belmont-Abbey) 127 –– retired in 2023
- Martin Grahn (Portland State) 126
- Dan Hinkel (Kutztown) 124
- Mark Osgood (Ashland Univ.) 121
- Blaine Gorney (Livingstone) 121
- Jesse Nelson (SW Minnesota/Ridgewater) 120 inc. (4)
- Dock Kelly (Lourdes/Anderson Coll.) 117 ** now at NAIA school
- Bob Dalling (East Stroudsburg State) 115
- Dalton Jensen (Nebraska-Kearney) 112 (18) up 10 spots
- Tony Cipollone (Mercyhurst) 112
- Jack Ramey (Kearney State/Fort Hays St.) 107
- Shawn Nelson (Findlay Univ.) 107 inc. (3) up 1
- Seth Bloomquist (Shippensburg State) 105 (1)
- Nathan Osur (Connecticut/Wesleyan Univ.) 103
- Richard Ulrich (Adams State Univ.) 102
- Todd Steidley (Central Oklahoma) 101 (15) up 10 spots
Coaching Retirements
Kocher Announces Retirement After 45 Years With UChicago Wrestling
CHICAGO – It’s an end of an era for University of Chicago wrestling as head coach Leo Kocher has announced his upcoming retirement after 45 years at the helm for the Maroons.
“I cannot imagine a more rewarding professional and personal adventure than the one that has been provided to me by my years at the University of Chicago,” said Kocher. “The opportunity to work with the amazing student athletes who, while handling the most psychologically and physically grueling of intercollegiate sports, at the same time earn a degree from a college which is unsurpassed in its ability to deliver a demanding and extraordinary education.”
Kocher will leave UChicago as the most tenured of all head coaches in the department’s history. He has coached one NCAA D-III champion, one NCAA D-III outstanding wrestler, 32 All-Americans, 144 individual University Athletic Association (UAA) champions, and has led the Maroons to 18 UAA team titles with the last coming in 2023.
Kocher continued by saying, “I am also very grateful for the support and warm friendships shared with so many of my colleagues in Chicago athletics, as well as our college students and university professionals who impacted the lives of my wife Joy and me in our seven years as resident heads in the college housing system. Speaking of Joy, she earns enormous credit and my undying love for her dauntless management of the challenges the spouse of an intercollegiate athletic coach must face. This includes instances of unassisted minding of our three children, competition’s many late evenings and road trips. For the past four decades Joy has dealt with it all with grace and enviable competence.”
Kocher received the school’s John T. Wilson and Norman Maclean awards during his time at the university to go along with several inductions into wrestling hall of fames, numerous Man of the Year and lifetime service awards, and other various recognitions from associations and publications over the years. … story at … UChicago.edu/Kocher-announces-retirement-after-45-years-with-uchicago
And …
CMU’s Tom Borrelli Set to Retire After NCAA Championships
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Central Michigan’s Tom Borrelli, one of the most respected figures in college wrestling, has announced his retirement at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season.
One of the sport’s all-time winningest coaches and an iconic name among his peers, Borrelli led the Chippewas to a first-place finish in the Mid-American Conference Championships over the weekend at Kent State. It was CMU’s 17th such title, the 15th under Borrelli. Including regular season crowns, the Chippewas captured a remarkable 30 MAC championships during Borrelli’s reign. He was named the MAC Coach of the Year for a record 15th time on Saturday.
Borrelli will officially step down after the NCAA Championships on March 23, bringing to an end a career that began in 1979 as a high school coach at his alma mater Goose Creek High School near Charleston, S.C. and continued at Riverwood High School near Atlanta.
Borrelli, who joined the college ranks as an assistant at Clemson in 1984, plans to remain heavily involved with the program that he has been instrumental in building and maintaining since coming to CMU from Lake Superior State in 1991. “The program is in a good spot, I think we’re going to have a good team next year, but I think it’s time for maybe a little different direction, some new enthusiasm – just a younger, more energetic person to lead the program,” said Borrelli, who amassed a 414-204 career dual meet record, ranking fourth in victories among active college coaches and second to Oklahoma State’s John Smith among those leading NCAA Division I programs. … story at … Getsomemaction.com/CMUS-tom-borrelli-set-to-retire-after-ncaa-championships
And …
Central Michigan’s Tom Borrelli Took Unconventional Coaching Path
Tom Borrelli will retire as the head coach of Central Michigan after the 2024 NCAA Championships, but his journey was not without challenges.
Mar 13, 2024 by Kyle Klingman
Tom Borrelli still doesn’t know why he was put in charge of his high school wrestling team as a junior. He was only 16 and competed at 98 pounds — the lightest weight class. It was a week before the South Carolina state championships and most of the wrestlers who had qualified were juniors and seniors at heavier weights. The head coach had to leave practice Borrelli became the interim coach for an hour. Nervous and more than a little shocked, Borrelli warmed up the team and put them through a series of drills. After the first set, he noticed that the team was goofing off. That did not sit well with Borrelli. He stopped the entire practice and ripped into the team. “I don’t know what you guys are thinking but I want to do well in the state tournament and I want to finish strong at the end of the year,” Borrelli told the team. “I’m going to practice hard. If you want to practice hard then practice hard. If not, you probably don’t need to be here.”
Borrelli watched as practice resumed. Everyone was working hard. Everyone listened. Everyone responded to the smallest wrestler on the team. “It was the first time I ever had the feeling that I might be able to motivate people someday,” Borrelli said. “That was the first time I ever experienced that I guess.” Experience is something Borrelli had little of when he took his larger teammates to task in 1974. He started wrestling in 10th grade and didn’t place at the state tournament the previous season. He eventually finished second as a junior and third as a senior for Goose Creek High School — but Borrelli admits that South Carolina wasn’t a national wrestling power, either.
As it turned out, Borrelli was never destined to be a wrestler. He was destined to be a wrestling coach. Because his high school didn’t offer the sport until he was a sophomore, Borrelli had to rely on instruction from his father — a former Pennsylvania state champion who served in the Navy for 24 years. His high school wrestling coach was the football coach who understood that wrestling would help the football team.
The elder Borrelli would ask his son what he learned in practice and then they would go out in the yard and work on moves. Remember, this is South Carolina so the snow wasn’t a factor during the winter. Tom learned to execute moves and would return to practice and explain the technique. The coach eventually discovered that Tom’s father was a former wrestler and invited him to be an assistant. … story at … Flowrestling.org/Central-michigans-tom-borrelli-took-unconventional-coaching-path
TDR blog
After 20 seasons of publicizing wrestling The TakeDown Report’s (TDR) focus has changed to the collecting of college coaching records from North America since 1903. We will continue to recognize and reward successful wrestlers in eastern North Carolina (east of Raleigh & Fayetteville), assist with schools in starting or re-starting a team and this blog. Join us on our FaceBook Page – “The TakeDown Report” for photos and news. Please send results, stories, links and news to pass along. E-mail us at takedownreport@gmail.com
Martin Fleming, Editor
Takedown Report
