Duke Blue Devils Outlast Davidson, 19-17
DAVIDSON, N.C. – The Duke wrestling program defeated Davidson, 19-17, in a thrilling road dual at Duke Family Performance Center in Davidson, N.C. on Friday.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Junior Logan Ferrero opened the scoring for Duke at 157 pounds, defeating the Wildcats’ Tanner Peake in a tiebreaker, 2-1.
• Davidson answered in the following two matches, securing back-to-back victories to take the lead, 6-3, heading into the 184-pound bout.
• Senior Connor Becker defeated Davidson’s Wyatt Ferguson in a 9-4 decision to even the score, 6-6.
• The Blue Devils used major decisions from sophomore heavyweight Connor Barket and freshman Raymond Adams and a tech fall from senior Logan Agin at 125 pounds to pull ahead, 19-9, with two matches remaining.
• The Wildcats battled back in their final two matches, securing eight additional points, however the Blue Devils were able to hang on for the win, 19-17.
NOTES
• Adams captured his first collegiate win, after registering a 10-1 major decision over Davidson’s John Hager.
• Barket secured the first major decision victory of his career, after besting the Wildcats’ Jake Fernicola, 13-3, in the 285-pound bout.
• The Blue Devils improved to 3-4 on the year. … rest of story at … GOduke.com/Blue-devils-outlast-davidson-19-17
Ghadiali named SoCon Wrestler of the Month
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – After going 7-0 to start the season in the month of November, Campbell heavyweight Taye Ghadialihas been named the SoCon Wrestler of the Month, the conference announced Tuesday afternoon. Ranked as high as No. 8 in Intermat and Wrestlestat rankings, Ghadiali is the top-ranked wrestler on the Campbell squad and in the conference. “First off, I want to give all glory to God,” said Ghadiali. “Secondly, I’m grateful and honored to wake up every day and be able to continue chasing my dreams and represent Campbell University. It’s great to see my hard work is paying off, but I’m still not settling. Grind don’t stop!”
Ghadiali recorded bonus point victories in all seven of his matches in November. He began the season pinning Lucas Stoddard of Army in 3:47 at the Battle at Liberty. He was awarded the Outstanding Wrestler Belt by UFC Fight Pass for his performance at the event. The Campbell heavyweight continued his hot start to the season by going 4-0 at the Southeast Open, winning the heavyweight open division. His four victories consisted of two tech falls and two pins. He began the day with tech fall victories over VMI’s B. Jackson (4:04) and Zane Lanham of Life University (5:16).
Ghadiali pinned his opponents in the semifinals and finals of the Southeast Open, both of which ranked in the top-25. First, he pinned #21 B. McDermott of Oregon State in 6:26. Ghadiali followed that up in the first-place bout by beating #22 M. Wolfgram (WVU) in 3:13. In Campbell’s dual against #9 Nebraska, Ghadiali beat Harley Andrews with a 24-12 major decision. He followed that with a pin in the dual against Wyoming in the Battle in the Barn, defeating Kevin Zimmer in 3:47. It was Ghadiali’s fourth pin of the year.
Ghadiali has already started December strong to continue his campaign, taking third place at the vaunted Cliff Keen Invitational. He went 5-1 with four wins against ranked opponents and four bonus-point victories. It is the highest finish ever for a Campbell athlete at the event. … rest of story at … GOcamels.com/Ghadiali-named-socon-wrestler-of-the-month
Zaccone named SoCon Wrestler of the Week
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Redshirt senior Domenic Zaccone was named the SoCon Wrestler of the Week, the conference announced Wednesday afternoon. Zaccone went 5-2 during the week and placed fourth at the Cliff Keen Invitational. Zaccone’s week was highlighted by a top-10 victory at the invitational. He earned a 4-2 decision over No. 10 ranked Julian Chlebove of Arizona State on his way to the podium. It was the highest-ranked victory for the Camels on the week. In addition, Zaccone earned a win over a conference opponent, Ethan Oakley of App State (ranked #31). He recorded the 9-6 decision in the second round of Cliff Keen. Zaccone rounded out his week with three major decisions: 13-4 against Andrew Fallon (Sacred Heart), 12-3 against Julian Farber (Northern Iowa), and 16-6 against Tyler Knox (Stanford).
Now ranked the No. 14 wrestler at 133 pounds by Intermat, Zaccone sits at 7-2 to this point in the season and 2-0 in dual matches. … story at … GOcamels.com/Zaccone-named-socon-wrestler-of-the-week
NC State’s Kai Orine Named ACC Wrestler of the Week
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – NC State’s Kai Orine was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestler of the Week following his first-place finish at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational over the fifth week of the season, Nov. 28-Dec. 3.
Orine claimed his championship with a 5-0 performance in the 133-pound weight class. His wins over the weekend included three ranked victories over No. 11 Evan Frost (Iowa State), No. 18 Derrick Cardinal (South Dakota State), and No. 25 Gabe Whisenhunt (Oregon State).
The Imperial, Missouri, native opened his weekend with a 15-1 major decision win over Christopher Betancourt of Long Island and then recorded a 22-5 tech fall win over Ethan Qureshi of Cornell to advance to the quarterfinals. There, he held off Whisenhunt of Oregon State with a 6-4 decision and then defeated Cardinal of South Dakota State 6-3 in the semifinals to advance to the final.
In the final, he picked up a 12-4 major decision win over Frost of Iowa State to win the championship. … story at … THEacc.comNC-states-kai-orine-named-acc-wrestler-of-the-week
Joll Named Conference Carolinas Wrestler Of The Week
By: Alex Pearce, Assistant Athletic Communications Director
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Graduate student and 6th-ranked 174 pounder Scott Joll pinned another win to his name, picking up Conference Carolinas Wrestler of the Week honors, the league announced Tuesday afternoon.
Joll posted a perfect 5-0 week, with all five victories coming via pinfall. The Belle Vernon, Pa. native started his week with a victory in the Conference Carolinas dual match against Emmanuel. Joll then followed that up with a 4-0 record and four more pins at the Lander Duals, racking up wins against Notre Dame College, Frostburg State, Glenville State, and Kentucky Wesleyan. He currently sits at 10-0 on the year, with eight wins by pinfall. … story at … UNCPbraves.com/Joll-named-conference-carolinas-wrestler-of-the-week
Carolinas Colleges (D-II) Duals Results
#1 Wrestling Goes 4-0 at Carolina Clash
GREENWOOD – The top-ranked Lander Wrestling team picked up four wins, including two over nationally ranked competition, on Saturday at the third annual Carolina Clash. Lander dropped only 4 bouts on the day and scored 182 out of a possible 240 points. Individual highlights included Isham Peace (Okatie, S.C.) picking up 4 wins including three bonus point wins and a 9-5 decision over #2 John Carayiannis of Belmont Abbey as well as Anthony Yacovetti (Bridgeport, Pa.) winning all four of his matches via pinfall.
#1 Lander 57, Kentucky Wesleyan 0
The Bearcats opened the day with a dominating win over the Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers. All 10 members of the Bearcat lineup scored wins by either pin, tech fall, or forfeit. James Joplin (Greensboro, N.C.), Peace, Brandon Matthews (Venetia, PA), and Juan Edmond-Holmes (Goose Creek, S.C.) all picked up first period pins with Joplin recording the quickest in 1:17.
#1 Lander 36, #18 Belmont Abbey 3
After a bye in the second set of matches, Lander continued the day with a Conference Carolinas matchup against the Belmont Abbey Crusaders. While the bouts were closer than they were against Kentucky Wesleyan, the Blue and Gold picked up bonus point wins at 125 and at 149 to help open a 14-0 lead. … story at … Landerbearcats.com/Wrestling-goes-4-0-at-carolina-clash
Coker Wrestling Sweeps at Carolina Clash
Coker University had a successful outing at the Carolina Clash hosted by Lander University, winning all three of their matches. In their first match against Kentucky Wesleyan, Coker dominated with a final score of 41-9. Notable wins came from Weston Bare at 125 lbs, Stephen Spitko at 133 lbs, Omar Armengol at 141 lbs, Trey Weinell at 149 lbs, Noah Korenoski at 157 lbs, Gage Olson at 165 lbs, Duffy Mista at 184 lbs, and Kaleb Walley at 197 lbs. In their second match against Frostburg State, Coker came out with a 26-15 victory. Key wins in this match came from Jonte Crumpton at 125 lbs, Stephen Spitko at 133 lbs, Omar Armengol at 141 lbs, Duffy Mista at 184 lbs, and Kaleb Walley at 197 lbs. … story at … Cokercobras.com/WrestlingNews
Belmont-Abbey Wrestling Competes at Carolina Clash
GREENWOOD, S.C. – The Belmont Abbey wrestling team had one of its busiest days of competition this season as the team traveled to Lander to compete in the Carolina Clash.
The Crusaders went 2-2 overall on the day with victories over Notre Dame (Ohio) and Frostburg State and losses to Glenville State and Lander.
Maxwell Kiel finished with four victories on the day, including a victory over Lander’s Jack Tangen. Colin Bradshaw, Justin Crawford and Skyler Caban were among the Crusaders who won three bouts during the event. Following Saturday’s results, the Crusaders are 4-3 overall and 2-2 in Conference Carolinas competition. … results and story at … Abbeyathletics.comAbbey-wrestling-competes-at-carolina-clash
Coach Pecora Earns Win No. 650 As Wrestlers Cruise to 43-3 Win Over King in Sports Center
Pitt-Johnstown used four straight technical fall wins to open the match, a major decision from Dillon Keane over All-American Trent Mahoney at 165 lbs., and Noah Gnibus’ fall over National Qualifier Clint Morrisett at 184 lbs. in a 43-3 victory over King (TN) University, Saturday afternoon in the sports Center. The 14th-ranked Mountain Cats are now 4-1.
In the process, Head Coach Pat Pecora, college wrestling’s all-time leader in dual meet victories, earned his 650th career win. At 125 lbs., seventh-ranked Trevon Gray dealt Tyson Upchurch a 19-2 loss at 5:28 in the opener. Byron Daubert followed with an 18-0 technical fall at 2:23 over Gavin Qualls in the bout at 133 lbs., and Mason Myers secured a 17-0 technical fall as time expired in the second period over Nico Crosnoe to put Pitt-Johnstown on top, 15-0. … story at … Pittjohnstownathletics.com/Coach-pecora-earns-win-no-650-as-wrestlers-cruise-to-43-3-win
Carolinas Colleges Dual Meet Results & News
Patriots Sweep Duals against Davidson and Cleveland State
airfax, Va. – The George Mason wrestling team defeated Davidson College and MAC opponent Cleveland State in a pair of duals today inside the RAC. Four Patriot wrestlers won two matches, Shawn Nonaka (133), Nate Higley (141), Malachi DuVall (184), and Chad Nix (285).
George Mason improves 6-3, while Davidson drops to 0-2 overall, and Cleveland State (0-4).
Davidson: The Patriots continued its dominance against the Wildcats with a 24-10 win, retaining the ‘Atlantic 10 Dual’ trophy. Mason has won all eight match-ups in the series against the only other Atlantic 10 school sponsoring the sport. The Patriots jumped out to a 13-0 lead after four matches, including a Nate Higley major decision, 14-3, against Josh Viarengo at 141 pounds. … story at … GOmason.com/PatriotsWrestling+News
American University Dominates with Six Shutouts in a 31-7 Victory over Davidson
WASHINGTON – The second-straight home win for American University wrestling was earned in dominant fashion, as the Eagles (4-3) took down visiting Davidson (0-3) by a score of 31-7 on Saturday night in Bender Arena. American won eight of 10 bouts including four by extra points, and capped the night with a pin for Will Jarrell at heavyweight.
Notable
Six of American’s eight wins were earned without allowing the Wildcats a single point. The 24-point margin of victory was the largest for the Eagles so far this season, and the largest at home since the 2017-18 season.
Junior Shamil Kalmatov made the most of a rare start at 125 pounds, earning an escape, takedown and riding time for a 5-0 decision to start the Eagles off strong. … story at … AUeagles.com/Wrestling-dominates-with-six-shutouts-in-a-31-7-victory-over-davidson
Runnin’ Bulldogs Split Home Opening Dual Matches
Four ‘Dawgs finished 2-0 to wrap up Gardner-Webb Duals
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The Gardner-Webb wrestling unit split matches for its home opener on Saturday, December 2 with a win over Kent State University, 28-11, and a down-to-the-wire loss to the University at Buffalo, 20-17.
Competing at 197 pounds, sophomore Josh McCutchen continued his early success this season with an intense 31-23 major decision over Kent State’s Blake Schaffer. Redshirt senior Jha’Quan Anderson highlighted the Buffalo match with a sudden victory over Chase Kranitz (SV-1 4-1). The ‘Dawgs saw graduate students Drew West and Sam Mora, junior Peyton McComas, and Anderson all secure undefeated days on the mat.
Gardner-Webb will take a break from competition until Thursday, Dec. 21 inside the Paul Porter Arena facing George Mason University at 1:00 p.m. and then hitting the mat at 5:00 p.m. against Ohio University. … results at … GWUsports.com/Runnin-bulldogs-split-home-opening-dual-meet
Buffalo Bulls Take Two out of Three at Gardner-Webb Duals
BOILING SPRINGS, NC – The University at Buffalo wrestling team took two out of three duals at Gardner-Webb on Saturday. The Bulls opened the day by beating Kent State, 25-15, to improve to 1-0 in the MAC. After dropping a dual to Chattanooga, UB rebounded to beat host Gardner-Webb, 20-17.
In the opener, the Bulls cruised to a 25-15 win over Kent State. The Bulls won seven of the 10 matches against the Golden Flashes. Max Elton (125) and Tommy Maddox (133) opened the scoring with decisions. Nick Stampoulos extended the UB lead to 12-4 with a first-period pin of Kaden Setzer at 149.
The Bulls followed with four straight wins by Ty Raines (major decision at 157), Hunter Shaut (decision at 165), Jay Nivison (decision at 174) and Chase Kranitz (decision at 184). … story at … UBbulls.com/Bulls-take-two-out-of-three-at-gardner-webb-duals
Redshirt freshman Kamdyn Munro was dominant recording two pins leading the Chattanooga Mocs to a sweep over Buffalo and Kent State
BUFFALO RESULTS
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C.—The Chattanooga Mocs swept MAC opponents today in duals at Gardner-Webb. The Mocs controlled Buffalo 27-12 before blitzing Kent State 38-3.
It was the Kamdyn Munro show claiming all 12 points with a second period fall against the Bulls and a quick first period finish on the Golden Flashes. He wasn’t alone.
Brayden Palmer earned bonus points with majors. His six collegiate wins this season have all been by major decision. Blake Boarman (1 TF), Isaiah Powe (2 MD), Noah Castillo (1 MD), David Harper (Fall) and Kaleb Snodgrass (1 MD) also earned bonus points.
The Mocs swept the early weights again this weekend. The squad is 16-0 at 125 through 149 through four duals. “I’m proud of the way our guys competed,” Coach Kyle Ruschell shared. “They went out there and controlled positions. What I was happiest about with today’s performance? I saw that our guys are coachable and applying what we work on in practice..” … story at … GOmocs.com/Wrestling-rolls-to-two-wins-in-north-carolina
TDR Top 80 Girls in Eastern North Carolina – TDR # 31-6
The following are a preliminary mid-season look at the top female scholastic wrestlers in eastern North Carolina. We welcome input and additional information. Email us at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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| Rnk | Wght. | Name | Team | Gr. | W. | L. | Pct. | Reg. |
| 1 | 100 | Clark, Kadence | Dixon | 12 | 18 | 1 | 0.947 | East |
| 2 | 100 | Mills, Kaylum | Croatan | 12 | 18 | 2 | 0.900 | East |
| 3 | 100 | Ayala-Garcia, Laura | Manteo | 10 | 16 | 2 | 0.889 | East |
| 4 | 100 | Hijawi, Zainab | South Central | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0.700 | East |
| 5 | 100 | Raygoza, Isabella | South Brunswick | 9 | 9 | 6 | 0.600 | East |
| 1 | 107 | Prendergast, Lily | South Brunswick | 12 | 20 | 0 | 1.000 | East |
| 2 | 107 | Ockerman, Anna | Corinth-Holders | 11 | 8 | 0 | 1.000 | East |
| 3 | 107 | Aguirre-Gomez, Thalia | Manteo | 12 | 19 | 1 | 0.950 | East |
| 4 | 107 | Morrow, Brooke | Bunn | 11 | 12 | 1 | 0.923 | East |
| 5 | 107 | Cline, Ryleigh | Swansboro | 9 | 15 | 4 | 0.789 | East |
| 6 | 107 | Miniglio, Callista | Pasquatank County | 10 | 12 | 8 | 0.600 | East |
| 1 | 114 | Simpson, Kate | Bunn | 11 | 11 | 2 | 0.846 | East |
| 2 | 114 | Simmons, Katie | Laney | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0.818 | East |
| 3 | 114 | Heitman, Payton | Dixon | 9 | 13 | 4 | 0.765 | East |
| 4 | 114 | Reese, Khiry | Rosewood | 9 | 13 | 4 | 0.765 | East |
| 5 | 114 | McKethan, Colby | Pasquatank County | 10 | 15 | 6 | 0.714 | East |
| 6 | 114 | Phillips, Abigail | Croatan | 9 | 11 | 5 | 0.688 | East |
| 1 | 120 | Vindigni, Addison | Cleveland | 11 | 11 | 1 | 0.917 | East |
| 2 | 120 | Htway, Khaing | New Bern | 12 | 8 | 1 | 0.889 | East |
| 3 | 120 | Diallo, Ayaan | Northern Nash | 10 | 10 | 2 | 0.833 | East |
| 4 | 120 | Woolley, Michelle | Heidi Trask | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0.818 | East |
| 5 | 120 | Herold, Julianna | South Brunswick | 12 | 14 | 7 | 0.667 | East |
| 6 | 120 | Butler, Peyton | Havelock | 11 | 8 | 4 | 0.667 | East |
| 1 | 126 | Scales, Ahrianna | Pasquatank County | 11 | 20 | 0 | 1.000 | East |
| 2 | 126 | Ready, Olivia | Havelock | 11 | 13 | 1 | 0.929 | East |
| 3 | 126 | Odom, Trinitee | Heidi Trask | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0.909 | East |
| 4 | 126 | Lopez, Lucy | Bunn | 11 | 12 | 3 | 0.800 | East |
| 5 | 126 | Aguirre-Gomez, Gabriella | Manteo | 9 | 14 | 7 | 0.667 | East |
| 6 | 126 | Chavez, Fernanda | West Craven | 9 | 11 | 5 | 0.688 | East |
| 1 | 132 | Brooks, Kamiljah | Pasquatank County | 12 | 16 | 0 | 1.000 | East |
| 2 | 132 | Mazura, Alexis | Rosewood | 12 | 13 | 1 | 0.929 | East |
| 3 | 132 | Rodriquez, Anabel | Dixon | 11 | 13 | 2 | 0.867 | East |
| 4 | 132 | Mitchell, Zedya | South Central | 10 | 6 | 1 | 0.857 | East |
| 5 | 132 | Smith, Marie | Croatan | 12 | 19 | 4 | 0.826 | East |
| 6 | 132 | Sommer, Charli | West Carteret | 9 | 10 | 3 | 0.769 | East |
| 1 | 138 | Snow, Kennedle | Havelock | 11 | 11 | 0 | 1.000 | East |
| 2 | 138 | Hall, Lauren | Heidi Trask | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0.900 | East |
| 3 | 138 | Campbell, Isabella | Havelock | 11 | 16 | 2 | 0.889 | East |
| 4 | 138 | Murillo, Bella | Fike | 11 | 8 | 1 | 0.889 | East |
| 5 | 138 | Hirkala, Mariella | Swansboro | 11 | 15 | 4 | 0.789 | East |
| 6 | 138 | Westbrook, Bridgette | Swansboro | 12 | 11 | 3 | 0.786 | East |
| 1 | 145 | Sutton, Sophia | Swansboro | 12 | 10 | 0 | 1.000 | East |
| 2 | 145 | Zak, Brooke | Currituck Co. | 12 | 8 | 0 | 1.000 | East |
| 3 | 145 | Gouveia, Allyson | Millbrook | 11 | 5 | 0 | 1.000 | East |
| 4 | 145 | Rubio, Jocelyn | Millbrook | 12 | 9 | 2 | 0.818 | East |
| 5 | 145 | Ross, Celia | Dixon | 11 | 16 | 5 | 0.762 | East |
| 6 | 145 | Orellana, Cynthia | Laney | 11 | 9 | 3 | 0.750 | East |
| 6 | 145 | Morales, Alma | Bunn | 11 | 11 | 4 | 0.733 | East |
| 1 | 152 | Gonzalez, Lara | Millbrook | 12 | 10 | 0 | 1.000 | East |
| 2 | 152 | Titus, Natalie | Havelock | 12 | 17 | 1 | 0.944 | East |
| 3 | 152 | Parrish, Emily | Rosewood | 11 | 7 | 2 | 0.778 | East |
| 4 | 152 | Milbery, Maggie | Swansboro | 11 | 15 | 5 | 0.750 | East |
| 5 | 152 | Yopp, Emma | South Brunswick | 10 | 14 | 7 | 0.667 | East |
| 1 | 165 | Bane, Faith | New Bern | 10 | 10 | 0 | 1.000 | East |
| 2 | 165 | Alasin, Evangeline | Northeastern | 10 | 6 | 0 | 1.000 | East |
| 3 | 165 | Thalheimer, Amelia | Heidi Trask | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0.909 | East |
| 4 | 165 | Swift, Reilyn | Swansboro | 12 | 18 | 2 | 0.900 | East |
| 5 | 165 | Bland, Dayna | Wakefield | 12 | 15 | 2 | 0.882 | East |
| 6 | 165 | Ross, Ay’Seante | Laney | 11 | 14 | 2 | 0.875 | East |
| 6 | 165 | Baker, Caroline | Bunn | 12 | 12 | 2 | 0.857 | East |
| 6 | 165 | Barrera, Taliana | Dixon | 9 | 18 | 3 | 0.857 | East |
| 6 | 165 | Riley, Kenley | West Carteret | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0.833 | East |
| 6 | 165 | Gebremichael, Rohama | Wakefield | 11 | 12 | 3 | 0.800 | East |
| 6 | 165 | Cheney, Hannah | Rosewood | 12 | 12 | 5 | 0.706 | East |
| 1 | 185 | Pollock, Elaina | Laney | 11 | 13 | 0 | 1.000 | East |
| 2 | 185 | Yarborough, Winston | Cleveland | 12 | 11 | 0 | 1.000 | East |
| 3 | 185 | Gilliams, Amy | South Central | 12 | 12 | 0 | 1.000 | East |
| 3 | 185 | Harris, Kyndal | Havelock | 10 | 13 | 5 | 0.722 | East |
| 4 | 185 | Soto, Ingrid | Bunn | 10 | 10 | 1 | 0.909 | East |
| 5 | 185 | Meja-Aguilar, Ebony | Millbrook | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0.833 | East |
| 6 | 185 | Nava, Alondra | Bunn | 11 | 9 | 3 | 0.750 | East |
| 6 | 185 | Ferlin, Emma | Havelock | 11 | 15 | 7 | 0.682 | East |
| 1 | 235 | Marshall, Sophia | Rosewood | 11 | 14 | 1 | 0.933 | East |
| 2 | 235 | Williams, Allyson | Rosewood | 12 | 15 | 2 | 0.882 | East |
| 3 | 235 | Smith, Illeana | Corinth-Holders | 9 | 5 | 1 | 0.833 | East |
| 4 | 235 | George, Nyema | Havelock | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0.818 | East |
| 5 | 235 | Bowman, Linda | Dixon | 9 | 17 | 4 | 0.810 | East |
| 6 | 235 | Gause, LaNesha | Laney | 9 | 14 | 4 | 0.778 | East |
| 6 | 235 | Stancil, Deanna | Croatan | 9 | 12 | 4 | 0.750 | East |
Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Results
Iowa State wins team title at 2023 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, led by individual champion Bastida
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The tenth-ranked Iowa State Cyclones, led by one individual champion and five place winners, improved on a day one lead to win the team title at the 2023 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Saturday afternoon.
Iowa State scored 130.5 points, with 2022 team champions Nebraska in second with 125.5 points. Rounding out the top five teams were third place Ohio State with 123.5 points, fourth place NC State with 115 points and Oregon State with 98.5 points. Yonger Bastida became Iowa State’s lone champion and first since 2014 after defeating Michigan’s Lucas Davison in the finals at 285 pounds. Davison scored first with an escape in the second period, but Bastida jumped ahead with a reversal in the third to take a 2-1 lead. The match was tied for a majority of the final period following another Davison escape point, but Bastida captured the 5-3 win with a takedown while nine seconds remained.
Nebraska saw two individual champions in top-ranked Ridge Lovett at 149 pounds and No. 3 Peyton Robb at 157 pounds. Lovett edged out Virginia Tech’s Caleb Henson in a 4-3 decision in the finals. The Cornhusker opened up the scoring with an early takedown, and it was an escape point scored in the second that pushed Lovett ahead in the final. … story at … Themat.com/news/Iowa-state-wins-team-title-at-2023-cliff-keen-las-vegas-invitational
Iowa State Wins Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational
LAS VEGAS – Iowa State won its first Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational team title since 1996, and fifth overall, Saturday inside the Westgate Paradise Event Center. Yonger Bastida highlighted ISU’s tournament with a heavyweight title after he defeated Michigan’s No. 3 Lucas Davison, 5-3, in the championship match. Seven Cyclones finished on the podium to give ISU a team total of 130.5, edging Nebraska’s 125.5. Bonus points were key in lifting ISU to its title. The Cyclones won 24 matches with bonus points: five falls, eight tech falls and 11 major decisions.
Bastida went 5-0 with four bonus-point victories en route to his individual title, the first for Iowa State in the tournament since Kyven Gadson in 2014. The Cuban was in on a leg several times during the match but finally earned the takedown with nine seconds remaining to win it.
Evan Frost and Will Feldkamp both recorded runner-up finishes while David Carr placed third. Casey Swiderski notched a fifth-place finish, Anthony Echemendia placed seventh and MJ Gaitan finished in eighth. Frost wrestled NC State’s top-seeded Kai Orine to a scoreless first period in the 133-pound championship match. Orine turned Frost for near fall points twice in the second period before the Cyclone managed to escape, but Orine would add a takedown to his tally before the period’s end. Frost got a takedown back in the final period but was unable to close the gap as he fell, 12-4, to Orine.
In the 165-pound third-place match, Carr pushed the pace against Michigan’s Cam Amine and earned a stall point and an escape in the second period. As he has done often before, Carr put on a stellar third-period ride to clinch a riding time point. Amine would escape with 12 seconds left, but the Cyclone would notch the victory, 3-1. … story at … Cyclones.com/Iowa-state-wins-cliff-keen-las-vegas-invitational
NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS FINISH SECOND AT CLIFF KEEN
Las Vegas – Two Huskers claimed individual titles as the Nebraska wrestling team finished second at the 2023 Cliff Keen Invitational.
Ridge Lovett (149) and Peyton Robb (157) finished atop their weight classes as NU amassed 125.5 team points.
Finals
Lovett (149) won five-straight matches, including three bonus-point victories, to win the Cliff Keen title. He met Virginia Tech’s No. 4 Caleb Henson in the finals where he defeated him 4-3. Robb (157) became the second 2023 Cliff Keen champ as he won his second-straight title in Vegas. He tallied four-straight victories before he met Virginia Tech’s No. 4 Jacori Teemer and defeated him 6-4.
Third-place Matches
Caleb Smith (125) finished competition at the Cliff Keen Invite with a third-place finish and a 6-1 record. He won three-straight matches, including an overtime victory against No. 2 Matt Ramos, before meeting Oregon State’s No. 14 Brandon Kaylor and defeating him in overtime, 4-1. Lenny Pinto (184) won three-straight matches to open the Cliff Keen before falling to top-ranked Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) in the semifinals. Pinto then defeated Michigan’s Jaden Bullock in the consolation semis before falling to Oklahoma State’s No. 5 Dustin Plott in the third-place match.
Fifth-place Matches
Brock Hardy (141) opened competition with three-straight victories, including two bonus point victories, en route to a semifinals matchup against Ohio State’s No. 5 Jesse Mendez. Hardy battled, but fell by major decision and moved on to consolation where he finished sixth.
Silas Allred (197) started with a pin and a major decision before falling by tech. fall to Cornell’s No. 6 Jacob Cardenas in the quarterfinals. In consolation, Allred recorded two-straight bonus-point victories before facing No. 3 Tanner Sloan of South Dakota State. Allred fell to Sloan, and then faced Sonny Sasso (Virginia Tech) and won by decision to finish fifth … story at … Huskers.com/Lovett-robb-win-individual-titles-huskers-finish-second-at-cliff-keen
Mendez Wins Title, Buckeyes Take Third At Cliff Keen Invite
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Jesse Mendez took the 2023 Cliff Keen Invitational Title in the 141-pound bracket to help the Buckeyes to a third-place finish overall at the 41st annual Las Vegas event.
Ohio State amassed 125.5 points over the two days to finished third behind Iowa State and Nebraska. … story at … Ohiostatebuckeyes.com/Mendez-wins-title-buckeyes-take-third-at-cliff-keen-invite
Beavers Finish Fifth at Cliff Keen, Wittlake Takes Second at 174
LAS VEGAS – Completing action in the annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, the 17th-ranked Oregon State wrestling team finished with a fifth-place result, collecting 98.5 points. Travis Wittlake – ranked 12th at 174 lbs. – highlighted the OSU squad with a second-place finish while Brandon Kaylor (125) and Boone McDermott (HWT) each had a fourth-place performance. The fifth-place finish was the best team performance by an OSU squad in the Pendleton era and best since the 2012 edition, when they also placed fourth.
Wittlake used a pair of comebacks to win a thriller over 30th-ranked Danny Wask of Navy by decision at 9-8 in the semifinals. The Coos Bay native battled back from a 3-0 hole early and escaped in the last seconds to clinch a spot in the final. He narrowly fell by decision in a 9-7 bout to seventh-ranked Cade DeVos in the championship. … story at … OSUbeavers.com/Beavers-finish-fifth-at-cliff-keen-wittlake-takes-second-at-174
Izzak Olejnik 165-Pound Champion at CKLV
LAS VEGAS – Oklahoma State wrestler Izzak Olejnik captured the 165-pound title at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Saturday, as the Cowboys finished ninth with 78.5 team points. “It was a good day today,” head coach John Smith said. “Won seven of eight matches today with the one loss. Good competition. We got some young ones, we just got to develop them. We’re not too far off.”
In his only match of the morning session, Olejnik pulled out a tight 6-4 decision over third-seeded Cameron Amine of Michigan. Trailing late in the third period, Olejnik got the takedown he needed with three seconds remaining to jump out in front and ice the match. Olejnik was clutch late once again against No. 4 Julian Ramirez (Cornell) in the finals, breaking a 1-1 tie in the third period with a takedown, which was ultimately enough to win. Third-seeded Olejnik went 6-0 on the weekend, two of which were by fall. He is now a perfect 11-0 on the season and owns five victories over ranked opponents. … story at … OKstate.com/Cowboy-wrestling-izzak-olejnik-165-pound-champion-at-cklv
Two Big Red Wrestlers Reach Finals As Cornell Finishes Sixth Overall At Cliff Keen Invite
LAS VEGAS — Two Cornell wrestlers reached the finals in their weight classes on Saturday, and the Big Red finished in 6th place with 93.5 team points in the 2023 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Junior Julian Ramirez (165 pounds) and sophomore Brett Ungar (125 pounds) placed second in their weight classes, while senior Jacob Cardenas (197 pounds) finished in fourth. Sophomore Vince Cornella (141 pounds) and senior Lewis Fernandes (285 pounds) came in eighth.
Highlights & Notes
Cornell finished in sixth place as a team with 93.5 points. The Big Red has finished in the top 10 in the Cliff Keen team standings three years in a row. … story at … Cornellbigred.com/Cliff-keen-day-two-Cornell-finishes-6th-overall
Runner-up Davison Headlines Five Wolverine Placewinners at CKLV Invitational
By: Leah Howard
» Lucas Davison finished heavyweight runner-up after narrowly fallowing to Iowa State’s Younger Bastida 5-3 in the championship match.
» Cameron Amine (165) placed fourth, while Michael DeAugustino (125), Will Lewan (157) and Jaden Bullock (184) all took sixth place.
» Michigan finished in eighth place in the team standings with 81.5 points.
Score: 8th Place of 35 Teams (81.5 points)
LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The No. 7-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team posted five individual placewinners, including a runner-up finish from graduate student Lucas Davison, to claim eighth place (81.5 points) at the 41st annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Saturday (Dec. 2) at the Westgate Paradise Event Center.
Davison, ranked third nationally at heavyweight, fell to Iowa State’s seventh-ranked Yonger Bastida 5-3 in the championship match. After staving off a few ISU attacks in the first and scrambling out of a deep single-leg shot late in the second, Davison had an opportunity … story at … Mgoblue.com/Runner-up-davison-headlines-five-wolverine-placewinners-at-cklv-invitational
DEVOS WINS 174-POUND TITLE IN VEGAS
LAS VEGAS — Cade DeVos won the 174-pound title and Tanner Sloan captured third place at 197 pounds to lead the South Dakota State wrestling team Saturday on the final day of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational hosted by the Westgate Paradise Event Center.
DeVos, a senior from Altoona, Iowa, posted two victories Saturday to finish the two-day tournament with a 5-0 record. In semifinal action, the third-seeded DeVos trailed early against second-seeded Carson Kharchla of Ohio State before rallying late for an 11-8 decision. In the finals, DeVos matched up against Oregon State’s … story at … GOjacks.com/Devos-wins-174-pound-title-in-vegas
Keckeisen claims 184-pound title at Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational
Three Panthers medal in largest in-season open competition. UNI returns to action on Dec. 10 for first home dual against Columbia.
LAS VEGAS — Parker Keckeisen became the first Panther to win a title at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in the Doug Schwab era on Saturday afternoon, winning the 184-pound title to wrap up a successful weekend of action for UNI in the desert.
Keckeisen, ranked number one in the nation in both the Intermat and FloWrestling rankings, grabbed his 13th and 14th career wins over top-ten ranked opponents on Saturday, defeating No. 7/12 Lenny Pinto (Nebraska) in an 8-4 semifinal decision, before taking down No. 9/6 William Feldkamp (Iowa State) in a 14-4 major decision. Keckeisen has now won 20 consecutive regular season matches dating back to last season. … story at … UNIpanthers.com/Keckeisen-claims-184-pound-title-at-cliff-keen-las-vegas-invitational
GRAY SIMONS | SEVEN: Masterful MiteG
From 1961-1964, Gray Simons was one of the best wrestlers in the World. Heading into his junior season at Lock Haven, Simons had already won two NAIA national championships and an NCAA championship, beating Olympian Dick Wilson in the finals as a sophomore.
EPISODE 1: Unrolling Granby
After his trip to Rome saw him come away from the Olympics without a medal, Simons continued his tear through college wrestling. Would injuries or wrestlers from more dominant programs stop him from his place in wrestling history? Would old friends and teammates be the ones who would knock Simons from his path?
Find out in the second installment of Seven.
Seven is the story of one of America’s great wrestling minds – a stellar athlete with two Olympic appearances – and a dynamic technical mind – delivering next-level techniques learned at Granby and tweaked for the college wrestling world.
Episode 2: Masterful Mite looks at Simons’ run into the record books, becoming the first collegiate wrestler to win four national college championships and the 20th to win three NCAA titles. The journey also runs through his second Olympic appearance. … rest of story at … Mattalkonline.com/podcast/etched-in-stone/gray-simons-seven-masterful-mite
Toledo wrestling is “On the Rise” in the NCWA
By Mike Finn
Bryan Knepper credits his love for the Detroit Lions as one of the reasons he has such a passion to rebuild a college wrestling program like few others could. “I’m almost an apologist,” laughed Knepper. “We are not really fans, but those who have been beaten down over the years.”
But that opinion of his beloved NFL team has changed as the Lions had a winning record last year and led their division this fall after eleven weeks. What’s more, the HBO-produced “Hard Knocks” series on the Lions inspired him to use such a medium in his higher goal to rebuild the University of Toledo wrestling program. “It got me so pumped up about the Lions and believing in (Lions coach) Dan Campbell and his message,” said the 44-year-old Knepper. “I was so pumped up I said this is what we have to do for our program. We need to get the message out there and let people see what happened in the past, what we are doing right now and where we are trying to move in the future.”
That’s why Knepper (in association with LoudKid Films out of Toledo) is creating the documentary, “Rise: The Fall and Rebirth of College Wrestling” which spotlights Toledo’s program being cut and the misintended consequences of Title IX. And, uses their story of building it as a test case for growing the sport again at the NCAA level. The coach hopes to have it streamed on a platform like Netflix as soon as funds are raised. Until then, LoudKid Films has created a trailer:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHGh7Qer4E.
This story appeared in the latest issue of WIN Magazine. Click on the cover or call 888-305-0606 to subscribe.
“I had that lightbulb moment that this is something we can do because so many more people watch these documentaries,” he said. “It’s real. It’s not just some scripted drama. It’s real pain, real people involved. Maybe that’s the way to get to people’s hearts is through this type of media.”
For those who do not know, the Toledo program now competes in the National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) and Knepper has served as its unpaid head coach for 16 years in two different stints since 1997, three years after the school dropped men’s wrestling as an NCAA program in 1994. Working as a structural engineer, Knepper left Toledo in 2005 to work at an Air Force base in Tennessee, but returned to Ohio in 2013 and eventually became the Rockets coach again in 2015.
Before the sport was dropped, Toledo had qualified wrestlers for the NCAAs in all but three years and produced 22 all-time NCAA All-Americans. Meanwhile, the Ohio community had served as the host site for many national and international events, including the first World Cup in 1973 and 17 of the first 19. This history is part of the documentary.
Knepper grew up in Toledo, and his father, Dale, wrestled for the Mid-American Conference school as a freshman in 1969 when it was a varsity program. He was teammates with Greg Wojciechowski, the two-time NCAA finalist at heavyweight, who became the school’s second national champion in 1971. (The other Toledo NCAA champ was 191-pound Harry Lanzi in 1952.) “I grew up with these guys who became mentors and had heard all their stories of how great they were,” said Bryan, who has also created banners for those great wrestlers which hang in the Toledo wrestling room. “I like recognizing them and rebuilding our alumni base and getting them involved in our program. … rest of story at … WIN-magazine.com/Toledo-wrestling-is-on-the-rise-in-the-ncwa
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 