Lander picked for fifth straight Conference Carolinas men’s wrestling crown in preseason poll
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Lander University has been picked atop the 2025-26 Conference Carolinas Men’s Wrestling Preseason Poll the league announced on Thursday, October 23. The Bearcats won the final two South Atlantic Conference Carolinas crowns before taking the Conference Carolinas West Division and tournament titles in each of the last two years, the first two years men’s wrestling was Conference Carolinas soley sponsored sport.
The Bearcats received 13-of-15 first-place votes (teams can’t vote for themselves) and 195 total points to claim the top spot while the University of Mount Olive was picked to finish second with 172 points and one first place vote. UNC Pembroke and King University were picked third and fourth with 160 and 154 points respectively. Newberry College rounded out the top five with the final first place vote and 149 points.
Belmont Abbey College (134) was sixth in the preseason poll followed by the University of Montevallo (110), Coker University (96), Emmanuel University (84) and Bluefield State University (64) rounded out the top 10. The poll was rounded out … more at … https://conferencecarolinas.com/news/2025/10/19/lander-picked-for-fourth-straight-conference-carolinas-mens-wrestling-crown-in-preseason-poll.aspx
Duke Blue Devils Hold Wrestle-Offs Ahead of 2025-26 Opener
DURHAM, N.C. — With less than one week remaining until the 2025-26 Duke wrestling campaign gets rolling, the Blue Devils held wrestle-offs this past weekend. Blue Devil head coach Glen Lanham enters his 14th season at Duke and returns a key nucleus that includes tri-captains Connor Barket, Gaetano Console and Aidan Wallace.
Weight 125
Redshirt freshman Riley Rowan opened the competition with a 9-0 decision over Spencer von Savoye. Rowan, who is from Perry, Ohio, registered eight points in the second and third periods, while adding a point for riding time for the victory.
In another match for Rowan, he faced Evan Coles. The match featured an exciting first period that saw all 27 points in the match. Rowan totaled a 21-6 win.
Weight 133
In the first match, freshman John King faced Coles and collected a 21-6 decision. King also faced von Savoye in the second match and took an early 10-1 lead through the first two periods. King totaled two additional points in the third to seal the victory 12-5.
Weight 141
Junior Raymond Adams went up against redshirt freshman Noah Kochman in the first match of the 141-pound weight class. After a scoreless first period, Adams took a 3-1 lead in the second period and hung on for the 3-1 decision.
Weight 149
Redshirt freshman Dylan Ross and redshirt freshman Eli Murray squared off at 149 pounds … more at … https://goduke.com/news/2025/10/27/wrestling-blue-devils-hold-wrestle-offs-ahead-of-2025-26-opener
The Woman of the Year Selection Committee has announced the Top 30 honorees for the 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year Award
Established in 1991, the award is rooted in Title IX and recognizes female student-athletes who have completed their undergraduate studies and distinguished themselves in their community, in athletics and in academics throughout their college careers.
Selected from a record-breaking 631 nominees submitted by member schools — a group that was then narrowed to 167 nominees at the conference level — the Top 30 honorees include 10 from each of the three NCAA divisions. Each honoree has demonstrated excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership. The honorees competed in a total of 14 NCAA championship sports and two NCAA Emerging Sports for Women. They have a variety of majors, including chemistry, mathematics, biology, education, engineering, psychology, nursing, computer science, journalism, sport management and more.
“These honorees represent the very best of what it means to be a student-athlete, and the character-building potential that is inherent in all athletic pursuits. They have distinguished themselves among the many thousands of collegiate athletes who find and surpass their limits every day on the journey to becoming their best selves, not just in sport, but in life,” said Marion Terenzio, chair of the Woman of the Year Selection Committee and president of SUNY Cobleskill. “I congratulate all of the remarkable women named to the Top 30 and applaud their demonstrated ability … more at … https://www.ncaa.org/news/2025/10/22/media-center-the-woman-of-the-year-selection-committee-has-announced-the-top-30-honorees-for-the-2025-ncaa-woman-of-the-year-award.aspx
Bo Bassett Makes Super 32 History — But He Wasn’t the Only Four-Time Champ Crowned in Greensboro
Pennsylvania’s Bo Bassett became the first-ever four-time boys’ champion at the Super 32 Tournament, joining Maryland’s Taina Fernandez, who achieved the same milestone just minutes earlier. Several other stars, including Melvin Miller, Rocklin Zinkin and the Mills brothers, also left Greensboro with gold belts.
As the competition was whittled down on Saturday at the Super 32 Tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina, it led to the anticipation of Sunday’s stage being set for No. 1 Bo Bassett (Bishop McCort, Pennsylvania) to become the first ever four-time champ in the boy’s division.
History made twice at Super 32
We need to designate boys’ division specifically now because, in running order, shortly before Bassett’s bout came Maryland’s Taina Fernandez’s 138-pound final on the lady’s front. Fernandez’s 10-0 technical fall of Arizona’s No. 2 Morgan Lucio (Valiant Prep) made Fernandez the first ever four-time champ, with Bassett joining the club not long after her. Fernadez, a junior at Archbishop Spalding in Maryland, won a Super 32 Belt when she was an eighth grader. More coverage of her escapades can be found in our girls Super 32 article. … more a … https://www.si.com/high-school/wrestling/bo-bassett-makes-super-32-history-but-he-wasn-t-the-only-four-time-champ-crowned-in-greensboro-01k80wazacf1
High school wrestling star Bo Bassett to make Real American Freestyle debut at RAF3 in Chicago
High school wrestling star Bo Bassett signed with Real American Freestyle and will debut at RAF3 on Nov. 29 in Chicago, the company announced Friday.
Bassett, who is committed to Virginia Tech, has a 126-0 high school record in Pennsylvania with 120 bonus-point victories heading into his senior season. He claimed the U17 world title in 2021 and a U20 world bronze in 2024. “Real American Freestyle is where the best of the best face off, and I’m honored to be given the opportunity to compete this November,” Bassett said in a statement. “This is a great chance to wrestle the best senior level wrestlers in the world, and I’m proud to be part of this organization. RAF is going to be the NFL or NBA of wrestling.”
Chad Bronstein, co-Founder and CEO of Real American Freestyle, said it’s not too early for the 19-year-old to compete at this level. … more at … https://apnews.com/article/wrestling-real-american-freestyle-702cfc1ef1fd2cd97c99a54b738d6757
History Was Made at the 2025 Super 32
As someone who enjoys the historical aspect of our sport, it was a must to be in Greensboro, North Carolina over the weekend for the latest edition of the Super 32. For a tournament that dates back to the 1990’s and has featured countless NCAA All-Americans, national champions, and even Olympic medalists, the Super 32 never had a wrestler win four championships at the high school level. Now there are two. Bo Bassett and Taina Fernandez both dominated their way through Super 32 brackets over the weekend and won their fourth championship belt.
In her five bouts, Fernandez only was pushed past the two-minute mark on one occasion. She only allowed a single point while scoring 40 of her own.
Bassett made the finals after six straight tech falls. In the championship match, he defeated Penn commit, Charlie DeSena, via a 13-4 major decision. Two of Bassett’s titles have come over wrestlers that either already earned, or would go on to win, Super 32 titles themselves.
The tournament organizers were prepared in the event that Bassett and Fernandez would win their fourth titles and hand personalized statues made of the two competitors. While each was wrestling in the finals, the tournament stopped so that fans could direct the fullest extent of their attention to these young stars and their attempt at chasing history.
The girls portion of this tournament has only been in existence since 2017, so there isn’t as much history associated with that competition. But for Bassett to be the four-time, in today’s wrestling landscape is quite remarkable. The quality of wrestling and the readiness … more at … https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/high-school/history-was-made-at-the-2025-super-32-r100583/
Presbyterian College Men’s Wrestling Publishes 2025-26 Slate
CLINTON, S.C. – Presbyterian College men’s wrestling head coach Mark Cody has ushered in the 2025-26 competition schedule for his seventh season as the program’s one and only director. The upcoming campaign will feature 13 duals and four regular season tournaments.
The Blue Hose will begin a new path on Sunday, November 2 at the Southeast Open, hosted by Virginia Tech.
PC turns over a new leaf this winter, in possession of their biggest-ever roster that includes 16 new student-athletes and 33 wrestlers in total.
A member of the Southern Conference since the team’s inception in 2019, Presby won five matches at last spring’s league championships. They’ll wrestle seven opponents at Templeton Gym this season, including three SoCon opponents.
NOVEMBER + DECEMBER
– Coach Cody’s club will be in a bracket system for the season-opener in 10 days, headed to Virginia for the Southeast Open. PC wrestled in one regular-season tourney last season, also held in November.
– The Blue Hose men’s and women’s wrestling teams will collaborate on the 15th for the annual Throwdown on the Yorktown, a series of neutral duals in Charleston on the deck of a naval ship.
– Aboard the USS Yorktown, Presbyterian will go head-to-head with Campbell in the first of eight SoCon matches for the year. The action begins at three o’clock.- PC will travel to Sin City on December 5 and 6 for the Cliff Keen Invitational, another tournament from fabulous Las Vegas.
– The Blue Hose will make their first appearance at Templeton on the 15th, a first-time meeting with Cal Baptist on a Monday night.
– One week before Christmas, Presbyterian will entertain Air Force, Franklin & Marshall, and conference rival Davidson in a four-way of duals that starts at 9:00 AM.
– PC closes the book on the 2025 calendar by entering in the famed Midlands Championships … more at … https://gobluehose.com/news/2025/10/23/mens-wrestling-mens-wrestling-publishes-2025-26-slate.aspx
Rutgers Wrestling Excited to Host NWCA All-Star Classic
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – When Rutgers wrestling head coach Scott Goodale received the news that the NWCA All-Star Classic was coming to Jersey Mike’s Arena, he could not contain his excitement.
Known as the unofficial start to the collegiate folkstyle season, the showcase event features some of the country’s top male and female wrestlers. On the men’s side, this year’s field includes reigning NCAA Champions Lucas Byrd (Illinois) and Jesse Mendez (Ohio State), as well as 10 Division I All-Americans from a season ago.
Goodale believes the talented field paired with a top wrestling venue like Jersey Mike’s Arena will make for an incredible atmosphere when the lights come on on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. “All eyes will be on Jersey Mike’s Arena on Saturday night,” Goodale said. “The amount of talent that will be on display here along with our built-in fan support will make this an incredible wrestling atmosphere. I’m so glad they decided to host this event here.”
FloSports and the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) partner each year to host the NWCA All-Star Classic, presented by Nike Wrestling.
Last year’s classic was hosted by Penn State at Rec Hall. When FloSports was presented with several bids for this year’s installment, GM of FloWrestling Travis Shives said Rutgers caught … more at … https://scarletknights.com/news/2025/10/17/wrestling-excited-to-host-nwca-all-star-classic.aspx
Divisions II and III to take part in streaming initiative for championships
Divisions II and III will livestream more than 1,200 championship games free to fans for the 2025-26 academic year. This streaming initiative will enhance the visibility and accessibility of Division II and III championships.
Through a partnership with Hudl and TNT Sports, all rounds of team championships not already covered by existing ESPN or CBS agreements will be streamed free of charge on a centralized platform powered by Hudl. Fans will be able to watch these games via ncaa.com/champs-pass and the NCAA Championships Pass app, available on smart TVs.
“Hudl’s mission is to make sport more accessible and meaningful for teams, athletes and their communities,” said Mark Krug, senior director of elite fan partnerships at Hudl. “By livestreaming NCAA Division II and Division III championships, families, alumni and fans will get direct access to the moments that matter most, while helping student-athletes gain the visibility and recognition they deserve. Through this partnership, we are proud to elevate the visibility of these competitions and celebrate the hard work of these programs nationwide.”
Division II joins the partnership following the success of Division III’s streaming initiative, which attracted over 2.3 million viewers and generated more than 45.8 million minutes of viewing in 2024-25. This agreement marks a significant step forward in providing comprehensive … more at … https://www.ncaa.org/news/2025/10/15/media-center-divisions-ii-and-iii-to-take-part-in-streaming-initiative-for-championships.aspx
Dixon Joins Ferrum Wrestling Staff
FERRUM, Va. — Rayshawn Dixon, one of the most decorated athletes in school history, will join the Ferrum College wrestling coaching staff this season as assistant coach. Dixon will work with first-year Head Coach Blake Roulo and third-year Assistant Coach Levi Englman.
Dixon completed an incredible run for the Panthers in 2005, earning his third trip to the NCAA Tournament and his second All-America finish. He closed out his career with a stellar 133-30 record, including 37 pins. Dixon’s 133 victories is a school record for career wins. He won a school record 13 individual tournament titles, including Regional Championships in 2024 and 2025, and holds Ferrum’s school record for Old Dominion Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week honors in all sports with 10. “Adding Ferrum’s all-time winningest wrestler, along with a second assistant coach who has been ranked as high as #1 in the nation, is a huge boost to our program,” said Roulo. “This will impact not only our upper weights development, but the direction we want to take the program moving forward. Keeping Ferrum’s best at home will be huge in developing and maintaining great athletes and attracting top recruits.”
Dixon earned All-America in 2024 when he placed fifth at the NCAA Division III National Championships at 285 pounds. He earned All-America again in 2025 with his fourth-place finish at the NCAA Tournament. … more at … https://ferrumpanthers.com/news/2025/10/13/dixon-joins-ferrum-wrestling-staff.aspx
Dazjon Casto Returns to The Citadel as Wrestling Assistant Coach
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel wrestling announced the hiring of former standout Dazjon Casto on Wednesday morning as the program’s new assistant coach, per a release from interim head coach Luke Welch.
“I am excited to announce and welcome Dazjon Casto to The Citadel wrestling coaching staff for this upcoming season,” Welch said. “I have had the privilege in coaching Dazjon as an athlete back during the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons and I’m excited to play a role in his coaching career as well. He brings a wealth of experience both as a former Cadet as well as competing at a high level as a collegiate wrestler. Dazjon will play an important role with our development of cadet-athletes, and I’m looking forward to him joining our staff to help us in reaching our goals both in the classroom and on the wrestling mat.”
Casto competed for The Citadel from 2018-2022 as a four-year starter on the mat, notably notching the 157 lbs SoCon individual title during his senior campaign while also punching his ticket to the NCAA DI Wrestling Championships … more at … https://citadelsports.com/news/2025/10/15/dazjon-casto-returns-to-the-citadel-as-wrestling-assistant-coach.aspx
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
Takedown Report 