Other Scuffle Results
Indiana Takes Third at Southern Scuffle with Two Individual Champs
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. –––– Indiana Wrestling concluded competition at the 2024 Southern Scuffle on Tuesday night at McKenzie Arena with a program record 134 points at the event.
The Hoosiers left Chattanooga with ties for program-bests in the tournament of two individual champions and a third-place finish. It was the first time that Indiana reached either of those marks in the Southern Scuffle since 2009. Sixth-year seniors No. 24 Dan Fongaro (141) and No. 22 Graham Rooks (149) each won the bracket at their weight classes. Including those two, Indiana had seven wrestlers finish on the podium. Redshirt senior No. 10 DJ Washington (174) finished in second place. … story at … IUhoosiers.com/Indiana-takes-third-at-southern-scuffle-with-two-individual-champs
Three Trojans Podium to Produce Top-10 Team Finish at Southern Scuffle
Plus, a program-high five Trojans advanced to day two of the tournament
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Three Little Rock wrestlers placed at the Southern Scuffle tournament as the team finished within the top 10 teams for the second year in a row. Joseph Bianchi and Nasir Bailey both took third in their respective brackets, while Josiah Hill also stood on the podium in back-to-back Scuffle appearances.
In addition to the three podium finishers, two Trojans moved on to the second day of the prestigious event: Brendon Abdon and Reid Nelson. The five wrestlers together total a record number of advancements for the program, as Little Rock advanced four and placed three last season.
“A lot of our guys took advantage of their opportunities and wrestled well,” said associate head coach Javier Maldonado. “What I’m most proud of is how they responded to tough situations and tough losses. They responded to adversity the right way, went back to focusing on scoring points, and made good things happen.”
The older of the two Bianchi brothers that remain on the squad, … story at … LRtrojans.com/Three-trojans-podium-to-produce-top-10-team-finish-at-southern-scuffle
2024 SOUTHERN SCUFFLE FINAL BRACKETS
Bison Crown Two Champions, Five Climb Podium at 2024 Southern Scuffle
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Bucknell wrestling team crowned two champions and placed five on the podium on day two of the Southern Scuffle, finishing in sixth place overall with 106.5 points. The Bison were one of just four teams with two title winners. Kurt Phipps went 5-0 to claim the top spot in the 133-pound bracket, and Noah Mulvaney went 5-0 to finish first in the 165-pound bracket.
Dorian Crosby was the third Bison to reach the championship finals on Tuesday and finished runner-up at 285. Mikey Bartush (184) and Logan Deacetis (197) both fell to the consolation bracket on Monday before finishing fourth and sixth, respectively. Bucknell’s five placewinners was an improvement from the 2023 Southern Scuffle, where Phipps and Darren Miller were the team’s only wrestlers to reach the podium at fourth and fifth place. Bucknell wrestlers went a combined 33-22 overall at the two-day 2024 Southern Scuffle. … story at … Bucknellbison.com/Bison-crown-two-champions-five-climb-podium-at-2024-southern-scuffle
2023 National High School Girls Wrestling Guide Celebrates Success With Data From Every State
By Gary Abbott
USA Wrestling
USA Wrestling’s Girls High School Development Committee has released its 2023 National High School Girls Wrestling Guide to educate and inspire the nation about the explosive growth of girls high school wrestling in our nation.
This 122-page online document provides extensive history on the development of girls high school wrestling, as noted on the cover, “compiled and shared in celebration of the growth of girls wrestling across the nation.”
This guide is posted on USA Wrestling’s website, and has been provided to all of the major organizations within the wrestling community. People can view the guide in an on-line format, or download a PDF of the entire document.
The National High School Girls Wrestling Guide
The document was developed by Andrea Yamamoto and Joan Fulp of the USA Wrestling Girls High School Development Committee, with cooperation from numerous stakeholders. It was designed by accomplished graphic artist Victoria Francis, a USA Wrestling Senior World Team member with an extensive career in wrestling.
Included in the document are data from each state in the nation, including a list of 2023 state champions, the NWHOF Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award winners from the state, a list of college programs in the state, and a participation growth chart for the state in terms of high school wrestling participants and USA Wrestling membership.
Other sections include information on the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, the 2023 U.S. U17 and U20 World Teams, plus extensive national data on girls wrestling on the high school level and within USA Wrestling.
“Gratitude and Celebration are at the center of our vision for the 2023 USAW National Girls HS Wrestling Guide. We want to express our gratitude to everyone that has advocated for girls to represent their high school wrestling team, shake hands at center mat with another female competitor and enjoy the lifelong benefits of wrestling. This guide is an effort to celebrate the achievements made in scholastic girls wrestling by showcasing individual champions, award recipients, growth statistics and images of the amazing female student athletes representing their schools in action, said Yamamoto and Fulp.
Girls wrestling has become a core sport for the National Federation of State High School Associations. … story at … NWHOF.org/news/2023-national-high-school-girls-wrestling-guide-celebrates-success-with-data-from-every-state
Stanford wins Southern Scuffle title with 11 placewinners, four teams have two champions each
BY GARY ABBOTT, USA WRESTLING
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Stanford won the Southern Scuffle team title without any individual champions, dropping all three finals bouts on Tuesday night. Runners-up for Stanford were Nico Provo (125), Jason Miranda (141) and Daniel Cardenas (157). The Cardinal, which led throughout the two-day tournament, finished with 11 total placewinners, including two placers at both 157 pounds and 184 pounds.
Stanford finished with 153.5 points. Only three points separated the second-place through fourth-place teams. Oklahoma was runner-up with 136 points, Indiana was third with 134 points and Army West Point was fourth with 133 points. Northern Colorado came in fifth with 110.5 points.
Four teams finished with two individual champions, Indiana, Oklahoma, Indiana, Northern Colorado and Bucknell.
Oklahoma individual champions were Stephen Buchanan (197) and Josh Heindselman (285). Buchanan poured it on in a 16-1 technical fall over Kyle Haas of Oklahoma State. Heindselman defeated Dorian Crosby of Bucknell, 7-3 in the finals. By winning the last two finals, OU was able to slip into second place as a team.
Indiana champions were Dan Fongaro (141) and Graham Rooks (149). Fongaro beat Stanford’s Miranda, 6-4 in the finals, while Rooks scored a takedown in sudden victory to defeat Cody Bond of Appalachian State, 4-1. Claiming titles for Northern Colorado were Stevo Poulin (125) and Vinny Zerban (157), both defeating Stanford opponents in the finals. Poulin stopped Provo, 6-5, while Zerban scored a takedown in sudden victory to defeat Cardenas, 8-5. Bucknell champions were Kurt Phillips (133) and Noah Mulvaney (165). Phipps got an escape and riding time to defeat Dom Serrano of Northern Colorado, 2-0, while Mulvaney handled Army’s Gunner Filipowicz, 11-5.
Other individual champions were Ben Patrick of Army West Point (174) and Jha’quan Anderson of Gardner-Webb (184). Pasiuk got … story at … Themat.com/Stanford-wins-southern-scuffle-title-with-11-placewinners-four-teams-have-two-champions-each
Iowa wrestling wins big at Soldier Salute, AJ Ferrari gets heated, DQ’d
There were certainly some fireworks in Coralville during the finals of the Solider Salute wrestling tournament on Saturday evening.
The Hawkeye men dominated the event, coming away with the overall team victory and seven individual titles. Gabe Arnold, a Hawkeye freshman who was wrestling unattached, also won a title at 174. But the biggest talking point anybody will take away from the tournament is what happened in the finals of the match of the 197 weight class. It seemed as though AJ Ferrari, who was competing unattached, was going to take home the title, defeating Iowa’s Zach Glazier 197. Shortly after time ran out in the bout, Ferrari slightly pushed down on the back of Glazier’s head. In response, Glazier grabbed and pulled on Ferrari’s upper leg. That’s when Ferrari attempted a punch at Glazier and proceeded to show the Hawkeye his middle finger.
That act got Ferrari disqualified and gave Glazier the title at 197. As Ferrari was walking off the arena floor he did a split and gave two middle fingers to the crowd, much to the displeasure of the Hawkeye faithful in attendance who showered him with boos. Ferrari is a former national champion at Oklahoma State. He was removed from the Cowboys’ roster in July of 2022 and has faced legal issues, though the charge against him was dismissed. He’s been out of the sport for nearly two years, but on December 27 he took a recruiting visit to Iowa. His younger brother, Angelo, is committed and signed to the Hawkeyes as one of the top wrestlers in the class of 2024. His other brother, Anthony, is also committed to Iowa. and has been in Iowa City practicing and working out in the wrestling facility since as early as May 12, according to his Instagram page.
Anthony’s antics earlier in the evening may have been where the ordeal with AJ started. Wrestling in the 149-pound finals against Iowa’s Caleb Rathjen, he suffered two takedowns en route to a 7-2 loss. After the final whistle was blown, Anthony Ferrari gave a shove to the back of Rathjen. Rathjen, an Ankeny native, took exception. He looked back toward Anthony Ferrari and taunted by flexing like Anthony’s older brother AJ, who is known for flexing after wins.
Anthony has also dealt with legal issues like AJ, getting a one-year deferred sentence on counts of assaulting two people in July 2022. According to the Stillwater News Press, he entered nolo contendere pleas. Anthony was also booed following his shove of a Hawkeye, while Rathjen’s gestures to Iowa fans were cheered. In prior matches, fans let loose their loudest cheers in Xtream Arena for the Ferrari brothers until the conflicts began. Then, the ones with Iowa singlets were the fan favorites. … story at … Hawkcentral.com/Iowa-wrestling-wins-big-at-solider-salute-aj-ferrari-gets-disqualified
Wisconsin’s Hamiti named OW, Penn earns first Ken Kraft Midlands Championships team title
BY RICHARD IMMEL, USA WRESTLING
HOFMANN ESTATES, Ill. – A stellar set of finals on Saturday evening concluded the 59th Ken Kraft Midlands Championships at NOW Arena—Wisconsin’s Dean Hamiti was presented with the Jack Leese Champion of Champions Award and the Dan Gable Outstanding Wrestler Award after earning the 165-pound title, while the Penn Quakers bagged the programs first team title at the prestigious holiday event. Already a two-time NCAA All-American and Big Ten champion for head coach Chris Bono and the Badgers, Hamiti looked every big a NCAA title contender as he blitzed the 165-pound bracket with three pins on Friday, followed up by a pair of shutout major decisions in the semis and finals. It was a 12-0 win over West Virginia’s Peyton Hall, a three-time NCAA qualifier and 2022 All-American, that cemented Hamiti’s claim as the event’s top wrestler.
Wisconsin picked up a second individual champion from 184-pound graduate transfer Shane Liegel who was a four-time NCAA Div. III All-American and national champion at Loras College. He fought to a 9-6 win in sudden victory against Penn’s Maximus Hale in the championship bout.
The only program to match Wisconsin’s two champions was Lehigh, who bagged first place finishes from NCAA All-American Michael Beard at 197 pounds and true freshman Luke Stanich at 125 pounds. Beard ousted two-time NCAA qualifier Luke Stout of Princeton in a 15-0 final. Stanich, who wrestled unattached, needed overtime tiebreakers to surpass Elijah Griffin of Cal Baptist in an exciting 8-7 championship contest. An upstart West Virginia crew was the lone team to push three athletes into the finals and picked up a stunning win at 141 pounds. NCAA qualifier Jordan Titus decked All-American and No. 1 seed CJ Composto of Penn 18-3 to bring home the title. In addition to Hall and Titus, the Mountaineers saw freshman Ty Watters make the finals. The two-time Pennsylvania state champion was topped by unseeded, unattached competitor Ty Whalen in a 5-1 final at 149 pounds.
Reigning U23 World champion Isaac Trumble of North Carolina State looked every bit a contender at heavyweight this weekend. He posted three pins and a major decision prior to a 2-1 win in the finals over No. 1 seed Luke Luffman of Illinois, who is a three-time NCAA qualifier. 2017 Cadet World bronze medalist and two-time NCAA All-American Jacori Teemer of Arizona State earned a five-point win over defending Midlands champion Trevor Chumbley of Northwestern in the 157-pound finals. Two-time age-group U.S. World Team member Dylan Ragusin, wrestling unattached for Michigan at 133 pounds, and NCAA qualifier Edmond Ruth of Illinois round out the list of individual champions.
Although it didn’t gain an individual champion, the Penn collective put up 127.5 team points with eight place winners. Wisconsin pushed up to second place with a strong day two at 104.5 team points. West Virginia found itself in third place with 100.5 team points. … story at … Themat.com/Wisconsin-s-hamiti-named-ow-penn-earns-first-ken-kraft-midlands-championships-team-title
And
Two High School Freshmen Win Midlands Championships
Ten high schoolers placed in the top five at Midlands, including freshmen champions Kayla Batres and Taina Fernandez
It’s one thing to win the Midlands Championships. It’s another to do it as a high school freshman. That’s what prep stars Kayla Batres and Taina Fernadez did in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, on Saturday. Batres won the 109-pound bracket with a 7-2 win over McKendree NCWWC (NCAA) champion Pauline Granados, a 10-4 win over prep star Rianne Murphy in the semis before securing a 4-2 win over Lock Haven’s Kaelani Shufeldt in the finals. Shufeldt is a returning All-American who recently placed fourth at US Nationals to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Trials.
Fernandez blitzed through the 130-pound bracket with 10-0 techs over Jimena Serna of Morton and Nichole Moore of McKendree. Moore is a 2022 U23 National champion, a 2023 U23 World teamer, and a two-time NAIA All-American for Baker.
The Bowie, Maryland, native notched a 12-1 tech over Aurora’s top-seeded Lexi Janiak, a 2023 U20 World bronze medalist and 2023 NCWWC (NCAA) finalist, before defeating North Central All-American Salome Walker, 10-0, in the finals. … story at … Flowrestling.org/Two-high-school-freshmen-win-midlands-championships
NCAA Division I Team Holiday Notes
EIWA Weekly Recap (12/26/2023)
Below is a recap of last week’s EIWA action, with individual news and highlights worth noting.
Key Takeaways
- Navy shuts out American to remain undefeated
- Binghamton wrestlers claim 5 titles between the Sheridan Tournament and Wilkes Open
- Lehigh claims 3 champs at Sheridan Tournament
- Hofstra goes undefeated 3-0 on the weekend
American
American faced off against EIWA foe Navy at home. Although American did not win any matches, they almost pulled out three wins – two of them would have been potential upsets. We did not see #15 Jack Maida compete in the match. Leete lost in overtime to #22 Ferretti at 133 lbs while Bourne lost to #27 Key at 184 lbs.
#16 Navy 38 – American 0
125 – Dayton DelViscio (Navy) dec. Shamil Kalmatov (AU), 11-10 (Navy 3-0)
133 – #22 Brendan Ferretti (Navy) dec. Maximilian Leete (AU), 4-1 SV (Navy 6-0)
141 – #19 Josh Koderhandt (Navy) major dec. Raymond Lopez (AU), 14-5 (Navy 10-0) … story at … Intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/eiwa/eiwa-weekly-recap
NCAA DI Rankings Updated (12/26/2023)
NCAA DI Rankings have been updated today; however, there was very little movement since the last update. Because of Collegiate Duals, the previous week’s rankings were posted on Wednesday. Since then, there were a few duals along with the Sheridan Invite and the Wilkes Open. The Sheridan Invite provided some movement at 141 lbs as Mitch Moore maintained his perfect record and defeated Malyke Hines. Central Michigan’s Corbyn Munson won the 149 lb bracket and Graham Rooks lost to a pair of Lehigh wrestlers. Also at the Sheridan, Ben Pasiuk moved back down to 174 lbs. Pasiuk was an EIWA finalist at the weight in 2023. … story at … Intermatwrestle.com/NCAA-di-rankings-updated-12262023
2023-24 NCAA DI Rankings
125 – Anthony Noto
Keeping with the theme at 125 this season – we have another new number 1! Anthony Noto takes over the top spot after defeating Jakob Camacho. On top of the loss to Noto, Camacho also took losses to Brendan McCrone and Trever Anderson. Camacho falls to #12 after losing to but is kept from dropping further because of his wins over Matt Ramos and Ethan Berginc on the year.
McCrone moves up to #22 but is kept from rising higher due to losses on the year to Colton Camacho, Tanner Jordan, Jore Volk, Tristan Lujan, and Nick Babin. Trever Anderson moves up to #23 for his win over Jakob Camacho but stays behind Brendan McCrone because of the head to head loss. While Camacho does have a win over McCrone, he also just lost to Kysen Terukina and has other losses on the year to unranked Luke Stanich, Evan Tallamadge, Drew West, and Jax Forrest. Camacho comes into the rankings for his win over Ungar but climb higher because of the aforementioned losses. … story at … Flowrestling.org/rankings/NCAA-di-rankings/47573-125-anthony-noto
Virginia Tech’s Caleb Henson Delivering On Big Expectations
Coming off a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships as a true freshman, Virginia Tech’s Caleb Henson is off to a 17-1 start as a sophomore
The kid’s only a sophomore but his name has been in the rankings and in the news for so long that one could believe he’s a senior. And the way Virginia Tech’s Caleb Henson wrestles very easily could lead one to that same assumption. Henson, the nation’s second-ranked 149-pounder, is 17-1 thus far this season after compiling a 27-5 record that included an ACC title and a fifth-place NCAA finish last year. He became the first freshman in Virginia Tech history to win a conference title and achieve All-America status. With 50 matches already on his win-loss spreadsheet, to say winning has become the standard for the Cartersville, Georgia, native would be an understatement. He went 6-2 at last season’s NCAAs, beating the numbers 6, 7, 8 and 11 seeds from his 4-seed slot. And he built a 16-bout win streak this season before coming out on the short end of a 4-3 decision against Nebraska’s top-ranked Ridge Lovett in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational finals. “That’s the top competition, so that’s what I’m striving for and that’s who I’m looking to wrestle, and I definitely think it’s a good thing to wrestle the guys I’m gonna wrestle at the end of the year, so it doesn’t bother me,” Henson said. “I enjoy it.”
The key to the CKLV final, Henson said, was not being able to finish shots consistently. … story at … Flowrestling.org/Virginia-techs-caleb-henson-delivering-on-big-expectations
Big 12 Midseason Stock Report (Part One)
With the first semester of competition flying by, we are starting to get a better idea of where these teams lie. Some have impressed early, while others are still looking to develop and finish the season stronger. January tends to be a heavy competition month and will give teams another opportunity to improve. I’ll be trying to identify how teams’ stocks have changed since the start of the season, and highlighting a wrestler that is lower in the rankings or unranked that should have an impact for their team throughout the year. All of these are relative to expectations at the start of the year and based on team performance. Air Force (Overall: 2-2; Conference: 0-2): Slight Stock Up
Wrestler To Watch: Joe Fernau – 149lbs
Led by #2 Wyatt Hendrickson, Air Force’s stock has taken a small bump since the start of the season. Tucker Owens has taken a hit, falling out of the rankings during a recent losing streak. A 2023 qualifier, he’ll have multiple ranked matches coming up, and I think he finds a way back to the NCAA tournament. Giano Petrucelli looks to have made a jump in his senior year, with impressive wins over Antrell Taylor and Noah Mulvaney helping him climb the rankings. … story at … Intermatwrestle.com/Big-12-midseason-stock-report-part-one
Ohio State Wrestling Bounces Back In Big Way After Defeat
After an upset loss at home to Pittsburgh, Ohio State wrestling rebounded in Nashville by winning all three of its duals, including a win over NC State
Tom Ryan believes losses have the potential to serve as wake-up calls — lessons his wrestlers would prefer learning differently. As such, Ryan wasn’t overly concerned about his team’s first dual meet defeat of the season when the Buckeyes (7-1) fell to Pittsburgh on Dec. 10. It appears that setback fueled Ohio State’s performance Dec. 19 in Nashville at the Collegiate Duals. The Buckeyes defeated Northern Iowa (26-7), Lock Haven (28-9), and second-ranked NC State (21-20) to bring home the title. “There’s something searing about a loss,” Ryan said. “You inspect things more deeply and I think that happened with our team after Pitt.”
Did winning the title in Nashville provide balm to any doubts the loss to Pittsburgh may have inflicted? “Of course, we were happy with the end result, but I still don’t think we wrestled incredibly well,” Ryan said. “There were some really strong performances and there were some head-scratchers. The team as a whole is still young, and still learning. … story at … Flowrestling.org/Ohio-state-wrestling-bounces-back-in-big-way-after-defeat
UNC-Pembroke Roberson Named Conference Carolinas Wrestler Of The Week
By: Alex Pearce, Assistant Athletic Communications Director
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Sophomore and 6th-ranked 157 pounder Keegan Roberson added to his season’s hot start, picking up Conference Carolinas Wrestler of the Week honors, the league announced Tuesday afternoon.
Roberson posted a 4-1 record at the Citrus Invitational, while claiming a second place finish in the 157 pound bracket. The Chicago native used two first-period pins and two technical falls to make his way to the championship bout. Roberson currently sits at 22-5 on the season, with nine wins coming via pinfall.
Roberson and the Braves are back in action tonight, January 2 as they head to Newberry, S.C. to take on Newberry in a Conference Carolinas dual match. Wrestling action is set to begin at 7 p.m. inside Eleazer Arena. … story at … UNCPbraves.com/Roberson-named-conference-carolinas-wrestler-of-the-week
2024 NC State vs Oklahoma State Wrestling Dual Preview & Prediction
A full preview and prediction for the wrestling dual meet between NC State and Oklahoma State on Friday, January 5, 2024
On Friday, January 5 at 7:00 pm (ET), the Oklahoma State Cowboys will take on the NC State Wolfpack in one of the premier duals of the weekend. This dual will feature several ranked matchups and is sure to be incredible from start to finish. Take a look at the below article to see the projected lineups along with a breakdown and prediction for each match.
Projected Lineups:
125: #15 Jakob Camacho, NC State vs #20 Troy Spratley, OK State
133: #5 Kai Orine, NC State vs #3 Daton Fix, OK State
141: #4 Ryan Jack, NC State vs #7 Tagen Jamison, OK State
149: #4 Jackson Arrington, NC State vs #21 Jordan Williams, OK State
157: #5 Ed Scott, NC State vs #24 Travis Teague, OK State
165: #20 Derek Fields, NC State vs #3 Izzak Olejnik, OK State
174: #32 Alex Faison, NC State vs Brayden Thompson, OK State
184: #12 Dylan Fishback, NC State vs #3 Dustin Plott, OK State
197: #2 Trent Hidlay, NC State vs #14 Luke Surber, OK State
285: #15 Owen Trephan, NC State vs #12 Konner Doucet, OK State
Before we get into the individual matchups, it’s worth pointing out that this dual has the potential to feature 19 ranked wrestlers with 9 of the 10 matches between ranked individuals.
125: #15 Jakob Camacho, NC State vs #20 Troy Spratley, OK State
125 has been the most unpredictable weight of the season and seemingly every ranked wrestler in the country has a chance to win an NCAA title this season at 125 pounds. Just a few weeks ago, Camacho was #1 before he lost three matches in one day at the Collegiate Duals. However, just because Camacho had a rough day, he’s still incredibly talented and boasts a win over NCAA runner-up Matt Ramos this season.
Spratley had a solid first half of the season accumulating a 9-3 record with ranked wins over Conrad Hendriksen, Trever Anderson, and Spencer Moore while only losing to Jore Volk, Caleb Smith, and Tanner Jordan. This matchup is a toss-up but I’m picking Camacho to get back into the win category and win a close decision over Spratley.
Prediction: Camacho by decision
Dual Prediction: NC State 3, OK State 0
133: #5 Kai Orine, NC State vs #3 Daton Fix, OK State
Daton Fix and Kai Orine have only wrestled once in their college careers – all the way back at the 2022 NCAA Tournament. In that match, Fix won 7-4 but Orine has shown he can be competitive with the best in the country at 133 pounds. I expect this to be a highly entertaining bout with a lot of athletic flurries throughout. Fix has a slight edge on his feet and the mat so he’s my pick in a decision victory.
Prediction: Fix by decision
Dual Prediction: NC State 3, OK State 3 … story at … Flowrestling.org/NC-state-vs-oklahoma-state-wrestling-dual-preview-prediction
Women’s Wrestling News – Jan. 1st
Coaching Philosophy 101 With North Central Coach Joe Norton
North Central women’s coach Joe Norton outlines five coaching principles that are the foundation of his championship program
Joe Norton is the head women’s coach and assistant men’s coach at North Central – a Division III program located in Naperville, Illinois. The Cardinal women’s team made history last season by becoming the first D3 wrestling program to win a college national team championship against every NCAA division. The North Central women’s program began during the 2019-20 season and had 15 All-Americans and three national champions at the 2023 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships. Below are Joe Norton’s five core coaching principles that define North Central’s championship philosophy.
Coaching 101: Joe Norton
Competitive Response
How we respond to adversity immediately after it strikes will determine the outcome of the situation. Giving up a takedown, getting on the scale and seeing a higher number than expected, getting a flat tire, failing a test, etc. Where does your mind go immediately after something bad happens? We preach having a competitive response to adversity, every time it strikes! Turn your mind immediately away from the bad thing that happened, and toward the solution!
Team First
Always put your team before yourself. Human nature is … story at … Flowrestling.org/Coaching-philosophy-101-with-north-central-coach-joe-norton
Women’s Weekly: NCAA Team Race Heats Up
The NCAA team race is heating up after a memorable US Nationals in Fort Worth, Texas
Olympic Trials spots were on the line at the recent US Nationals in Fort Worth, Texas, with the top five advancing to State College, Pennsylvania, on April 19-20. It also offered clues about the upcoming college season.
Iowa, King, McKendree, and North Central are locked in a tight four-team NCAA race entering the 2024 NWCA National Duals on January 5-6 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Below is a breakdown of each of the four teams, their potential best line-ups, and Olympic Trials qualifiers.
Will The Hawkeyes Soar?
Iowa is 7-0 on the season including a 3-0 record at the Desert Duals where it didn’t send a full team. The Hawkeyes went 39-1 during the first four duals with only one win lasting a full six minutes. Marlynne Deede reached the US National finals at 76 kg (167 pounds), which is 12 pounds heavier than her college weight. Emilie Gonzalez (101) and Ava Bayless (109) didn’t place at 50 kg (110 pounds), while Brianna Gonzalez (116) didn’t place at 53 kg. Brianna only fell to post-collegiate wrestlers while her twin sister was wrestling up nine pounds. Nanea Estrella didn’t place, either — but she was injured during her consolation match against Lexie Basham, which was a rematch of the 2022 NAIA Championship finals. Basham won their college match, 3-2, but was behind against Estrella at US Nationals before the injury. … story at … Flowrestling.org/Coaching-philosophy-101-with-north-central-coach-joe-norton
This Bettendorf standout is now wrestling for the #1 team in the country
In high school, Ella Schmit broke barriers as often the only female wrestler in the room. In college, she’s got an entire team of women beside her.
Author: Shelby Kluver (WQAD)
IOWA CITY, Iowa — In high school, Ella Schmit was a breakout star for the Bettendorf Bulldogs Wrestling Team. Now in college, she’s found her place competing for the number one team in the country. When she began her wrestling journey, Schmit often found herself wrestling against boys. At many tournaments, she would be the only woman competing. It was a career of shattering records and glass ceilings. As a senior, she went 16-0 with 13 pins. Throughout high school, she held a career record of 70-18 against both boys and girls.
Schmit also became a three-time state champion in girls wrestling. She previously won two state titles at 106 pounds in Class 3A, where she also qualified for the Iowa boys state tournament, becoming one of four girls in Iowa wrestling history to qualify. Now she finds herself on the University of Iowa’s inaugural women’s wrestling program.
In fact, when Schmit announced her decision to wrestle for Iowa, she became the first in-state commit for the new program. The Hawkeyes are currently ranked number one in the country with a perfect 7-0 record. Two of its members are gearing up for the Olympic trials. … story at … Wqad.com/Ella-schmit-female-wrestling-bettendorf-hawkeyes-iowa
Woodmore’s female wrestlers make history on the mat
BY SHERI TRUSTY
A group of Woodmore Middle School girls are not just breaking down barriers; they are blasting through them. At their first competition, two of the girls walked away as champions. The girls are among the first female wrestlers in Woodmore history, and they are paving the school’s new road with gold.
Hope Scherger, competing at 128 pounds, and Tinley Thieroff, competing at 86 pounds, both won their matches and earned the title of champion at the Bryan Invitational on Saturday, Dec. 10. Vida Hernandez, competing at 115 pounds, came in second, and Elana Reif, competing at 98 pounds, came in fourth. The team came to finish second among 20 teams at the invitational.
Scherger said Woodmore’s girls’ team opened the door for her to try wrestling. “I always wanted to do it, but I knew it would be hard with the boys,” she said. “I thought I’d probably be good.” She was right. At the Clyde Invitational on Saturday, Dec. 17, where 50 schools gathered to compete, Scherger came in second at 128 pounds. Hernandez placed third at 110 pounds, Thieroff placed fourth at 92 pounds, and Reif placed fourth at 98 pounds. The team placed 15th overall. Hernandez said she joined the team because she thought wrestling could build strength and confidence. She discovered she walked onto the mat with more natural skill than she expected. “I was better than I thought I’d be,” she said. What Hernandez didn’t expect was the role the mind plays in wrestling. … story at … Thebeacon.net/woodmores-female-wrestlers-make-history-on-the-mat
North Central scores five champs, second-straight women’s team title at Ken Kraft Midlands Championships
BY RICHARD IMMEL, USA WRESTLING
HOFMANN ESTATES, Ill. – The No. 2 ranked North Central College squad delivered its second-straight team title at the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships on the strength of five individual champions, nine finalists and 17 women placing in the top five of their weight classes. Three-time NCWWC national champion Yelena Makoyed led the way for the Cardinals with a masterful performance at 170 pounds. Makoyed, the inaugural recipient of the USA Wrestling Women’s College Wrestler of the Year award, went unscored upon, teching each opponent, on the way to her first Midlands title.
2023 U20 World bronze medalist and two-time NCWWC All-American Amani Jones posted a similar effort for North Central on her way to the 123-pound title. The Junior from Locust Grove, Ga., won two bouts by 10-0 scores before pinning unattached wrestler Carissa Qureshi at the 2:04 mark of the championship match. Also earning top prize for the defending NCWWC team champions were two-time All-Americans Sydney Petzinger at 116 pounds and Tiera Jimerson at 155 pounds, plus returning national runner-up Traeh Haynes at 191 pounds. One area of surprise for North Central came at 101 pounds … story at … Themat.com/North-central-scores-five-champs-second-straight-women-s-team-title-at-ken-kraft-midlands-championships
NCAA No. 1 Iowa women, with five champions, top NAIA No. 1 Life at Soldiers Salute
CORALVILLE, Iowa – NCAA No. 1 Iowa, led by five individual champions, defeated second place NAIA No. 1 Life by 29.5 points to win the Soldier Salute in women’s freestyle on Saturday. The Hawkeyes scored 223 points, with Life finishing with 193.5 points. Iowa extended their 10.5 point lead from Friday. Rounding out the top five were NAIA Indiana Tech with 92 points, NAIA Texas Wesleyan with 87.5 points and NJCAA Umpqua CC with 59.5 points.
Individual champions for the Hawkeyes were Sterling Dias (101), Ava Bayless (109), Brianna Gonzalez (116), Bella Mir (155) and Haley Ward (170).
At 155 pounds, Iowa’s Bella Mir pinned NAIA No. 2 Latifah McBryde of Life in 2:05. Mir was named Outstanding Wrestler, with six wins including four pins and one technical fall. Iowa wrestlers who also won their finals by fall were Dias and Gonzalez. Ward scored a technical fall in the finals, and Bayless won by injury default. … story at … Themat.com/NCAA-no-1-iowa-women-with-five-champions-top-naia-no-1-life-at-soldiers-salute
Desert Vista, Sunnyside girls win appeals with AIA to compete against boys in wrestling
On Monday, she won a battle with the Arizona Interscholastic Association.
On Tuesday, Phoenix Desert Vista High School sophomore Everest Leydecker pinned her male opponent within a minute of her first 120-pound division match of the season.
It was a victory on and off the mat not only for Leydecker, but for Tucson Sunnyside senior Audrey Jimenez, who also petitioned the AIA and is now allowed to compete against boys this wrestling season at 106 pounds.
A year after girls wrestling became an “emerging” sport under the AIA umbrella, the association sanctioned it as a team sport in spring of 2020 competing in the winter, the same time as the boys compete, due to an increasing amount of girls wanting to wrestle. But for Leydecker and Jimenez, who are among the best female wrestlers in their respective age and weight groups in the world, they weren’t being challenged at the Arizona high school level against other girls. It wasn’t easy to clear a path after last spring the AIA changed a bylaw that wouldn’t allow girls who are at schools with girls wrestling teams to compete on the boys teams.
Former North High wrestling champion Nick Kehagias, who helps young wrestlers and wrote the book “Wrestling With The Truth” with his high school coach, wrote a letter last spring to the AIA suggesting it allow for petitions if a female athlete had the desire to compete with boys. During her freshman year last season, Leydecker was wrestling against boys in dual meets, but her wins weren’t being counted by the AIA, said Shelly Leydecker, Everest’s mom “Everest won every dual meet last year but it counted as a loss for us,” Shelly said. “We started the fight in March and finally got the decision in December. So it’s been many months.” … story at … AZcentral.com/Arizona-female-wrestlers-win-appeals-to-compete-against-boys
Abbott Blog: Top 10 wrestling stories of 2023
BY GARY ABBOTT, USA WRESTLING
Easily one of my favorite assignments each year is writing up the Top 10 wrestling stories of the year. The holiday season provides a perfect chance to look back at the year gone by, identify those athletes and stories which made the year special, then look ahead at the year ahead in the sport.
The year ahead is an Olympic year, which is a special time for our sport. Every four years, the world gets together for the greatest activity on earth, the Olympic Games. During the Games, the general public will get a peak at many sports on the Olympic program which may not get this kind of attention in the non-Olympic years. What is great about the year before the Games is that the Olympic quest is already underway. For instance, there are 181 wrestlers already qualified for the April 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling at Penn State, and only a few more spots available in early 2024. Many of the top stories in 2023 are connected to 2024 Olympic Games in Paris in some way. Even better, the United States is competing at a high level leading into Paris. It should be a fantastic year ahead for wrestling fans.
So what were my biggest stories of 2023? Here we go….
1. USA men’s freestyle team wins back-to-back World titles for first time – This year’s top story was a team, the 2023 U.S. Senior men’s freestyle squad. The USA came into Belgrade as the returning team champions, after beating Iran in the 2022 final standings. What was different in 2023 is that Russian and Belarussian athletes were permitted to compete as neutral athletes, making this the strongest field possible. It was also the first and most important qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Olympics. In addition, Team USA had six first-time Senior World Team members competing in men’s freestyle, adding additional questions about the team strength. It didn’t matter. Team USA started its first day putting all four from Group One in the semifinals and three into the finals and never looked back. When it ended, Team USA won seven medals and beat runner-up Iran by 40 points, the first back-to-back titles in U.S. history and the fifth all-time. Although Russia’s points were not counted due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the USA would have also beaten Russia had their points as Independent Neutral Athletes been counted. Golds were won by Vitali Arujau (61 kg), Zain Retherford (70 kg) and David Taylor (86 kg), a silver from Kyle Dake (74 kg) and bronze medals by Zahid Valencia (92 kg), Kyle Snyder (97 kg) and Mason Parris (125 kg). Three of the medals were won by first-timers. The USA punched four of the six Olympic weights into the Paris Games, with just 57 kg and 65 kg left to qualify in 2023. Kudos go to National Coaches Bill Zadick and Joe Russell, plus the clubs and Regional Training Centers which supported this team of talents. This was a remarkable performance by the American men’s freestylers, the biggest story of 2023.
2. Amazing Amit Elor wins three World titles for second straight year – Amit Elor made history in 2022 by becoming the first U.S. athlete (and only second in World history) to win three age-group World titles in the same year. Since Elor was only 19 when she won 2022 World golds as a U20, U23 and Senior athlete, she was age-eligible to compete in all three World Championships again in 2023. Amit Elor loves to compete, and she set a goal to sweep all three once again. And Amit went out and did it once again. Her toughest victory may have been the first one, the U20 Worlds in Amman, Jordan, when Elor got sick along with many of her teammates. In spite of being greatly impacted by illness, Elor won all four bouts handily, getting three technical falls and a pin and not allowing a point. Next came the Senior Worlds, and Elor was again dominant, shutting out her first two opponents, getting a semifinals technical fall, then finishing it off with an 8-2 win over Enkh Amar of Mongolia in the finals. At the U23 Worlds, she was unbeatable, claiming two pins, a technical fall and a 5-0 shutout. This gives Elor eight UWW World titles during her career (actually nine if you count her U17 World Beach title). The biggest question is where will Elor wrestle in the Olympic year. By throwing her hat into the Pan American Olympic Qualifier wrestle-offs at 68 kg, the answer seems to be that she will drop down in weight for her run at the Paris Games.
3. David Taylor wins Worlds beating Hassan Yazdani again – Wrestling is an individual sport, and there is nothing better than a fierce rivalry between two of the World’s greatest stars. That is what happens every time that 2020 Olympic champion David Taylor of the United States and 2016 Olympic champion Hassan Yazdani of Iran battle it out at 86 kg in men’s freestyle. The finals of the 2023 World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, gave wrestling fans … story at … Themat.com/December/27/Abbott-blog-top-10-wrestling-stories-of-2023
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 