UNC WRESTLING ADDS FRANCOIS, DARMSTADT TO COACHING STAFF
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Entering year one under the direction of head coach Rob Koll, the North Carolina wrestling program has welcomed assistant coaches Dr. Enock Francois and Ben Darmstadt to the coaching staff.
A familiar face on the sidelines with Koll, Dr. Francois spent the past two seasons at Stanford as an assistant coach (2021-22) and the Patricia Miranda Associate Head Coach (2022-23).
In his two seasons with the Cardinal, Dr. Francois mentored three All-America wrestlers and three Pac-12 champions. With Dr. Francois on staff, Stanford was able to secure multiple top-10 recruiting classes, as well as a top-20 finish at the NCAA Championships both seasons.
Dr. Francois, a distinguished member of the United States’ Senior National Greco Team, joined the staff at Stanford after serving as the Buffalo Stampeders Wrestling Club Director, and Special Services Coordinator at The Villages Charter School.
After completing his undergrad degree in psychology with a concentration in social work from California Baptist, Dr. Francois completed his master’s degree in special education and Ph.D. in education leadership from the University of the Cumberlands.
A former wrestler under Koll at Cornell, Darmstadt was a two-time All-America honoree during his time with the Big Red. A two-time EIWA Champion and two-time All-Ivy League First-Time honoree, the Elyria, Ohio native graduated from Cornell with his bachelor’s degree in marketing.
Prior to arriving in Chapel Hill, Darmstadt was a coach at the Cardinal Wrestling Club … rest of story at … GOheels.com/news/2023/10/23/wrestling-adds-francois-darmstadt-to-coaching-staff
BIG TEN NETWORK ANNOUNCES 2023-24 BIG TEN WRESTLING SCHEDULE
The nation’s premier wrestling conference returns to the Big Ten Network in search of a 17th consecutive NCAA Championship, with 24 duals and Big Ten Wrestling Championships coverage airing live on BTN and the FOX Sports app.
Action begins on Sunday, Dec. 3, with the defending national champions and No. 1 team in the nation as Penn State hosts No. 24 Lehigh at 2 p.m. ET. No. 7 Ohio State will take on two ranked non-conference opponents at the start of the year, as No. 15 Pittsburgh visits on Dec. 10 at noon ET and No. 2 Cornell heads to Columbus on Jan. 5 at 8 p.m. ET.
Conference wrestling on the network begins in 2024 with primetime matchup on Friday, Jan. 12, between No. 8 Iowa and No. 5 Nebraska at 7 p.m. ET. The following Friday, Jan. 19, is home to a tripleheader of action with No. 5 Nebraska at No. 16 Minnesota, No. 1 Penn State at No. 9 Michigan and Purdue at No. 8 Iowa squaring off. Throughout the remainder of January and February, Friday night wrestling on BTN will be a mainstay with primetime duals.
Additional schedule highlights include a Friday doubleheader on Feb. 9, when No. 9 Michigan takes on No. 5 Nebraska at 7 p.m. ET ahead of No. 1 Penn State traveling to No. 8 Iowa at 9 p.m. ET. To close out the regular season, No. 25 Wisconsin visits No. 8 Iowa and No. 5 Nebraska competes in Happy Valley against top-ranked Penn State on Sunday, Feb. 18.
More than 80 additional contests will be available for streaming on B1G+, BTN’s home for non-televised events and on-demand archives. B1G+ is home to coverage of the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships, supplemental coverage of the 2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, Soldier Salute, Zingo Nationals and the University of Iowa women’s wrestling team’s first ever home event, the “Trailblazer Duals.” Subscription options include a conference wrestling pass, which delivers all Big Ten wrestling on B1G+, for just $69.99 per year.
B1G Wrestling & Beyond will return in January of 2024 with host Rick Pizzo and analyst Shane Sparks taking you around the Big Ten with an assortment of highlights, analysis and guests. Additional coverage includes the return of On The Mat, BTN’s multi-platform, behind-the-scenes look at Big Ten wrestling, … rest of story at … BTN.com/2023/10/17/big-ten-network-announces-2023-24-big-ten-wrestling-schedule
Campbell picked No. 1 in preseason SoCon wrestling poll
App State, Chattanooga selected second and third, respectively
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Campbell Camels have been selected as the preseason frontrunner for the second straight season for the upcoming 2023-24 wrestling campaign by the league’s nine head coaches, who also selected a 10-member preseason all-conference team.
Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams or student-athletes. Five wrestlers maxed out with the number of points possible to be selected to the preseason all-conference team, while six of the wrestlers on the preseason all-conference team were individual title winners at the 2023 SoCon Championship.
Campbell, who finished second to App State with 78.5 points in last year’s SoCon tournament, earned 59 points in the preseason poll and garnered seven first-place votes. The Camels went 7-1 in conference matchups last season and held a 16-9 record overall, fueled by a pair of victories over Big Ten opponents, topping Purdue on Dec. 20 and then 23rd-ranked Maryland on Jan. 14.
The Camels had five wrestlers selected to the preseason All-SoCon team with Shannon Hanna (141), Austin Murphy (174), Caleb Hopkins (184), Levi Hopkins (197) and Taye Ghadiali (HWT) making the squad. Hanna, both Hopkins’ and Ghadiali were all individual champions at the 2023 SoCon Championship and maxed out on the first-place votes in their respective weight class in the preseason voting. Caleb Hopkins will be looking for his fourth straight individual title at 184 pounds, while Hanna and Ghadiali will each be looking for a third consecutive individual conference crown.
App State, the 2023 SoCon regular season and tournament champion, came in second with 49 points and a first-place vote in the preseason poll. The Mountaineers enter their 14th season under the direction of the two-time defending Southern Conference Coach of the Year JohnMark Bentley. Two App State wrestlers, Tommy Askey (157) and Will Miller (165), were selected to the preseason all-conference team. Askey, who won the 157-pound title at the conference championship a season ago, went 30-13 overall with a perfect 8-0 mark in SoCon matches during the 2022-23 season. Askey was … rest of story at … SOconsports.com/news/2023/10/20/campbell-picked-no-1-in-preseason-socon-wrestling-poll
2023-24 SoCon Preview (Part One)
It’s that time of year again – the air gets colder, the leaves change color, and wrestling mats are rolled out. We’re about to dive into four of the schools in the Southern Conference. Last season, Appalachian State clinched another conference title, followed by Campbell then Chattanooga.
Appalachian State
Appalachian State returns starters at seven out of ten weights this year, following an undefeated conference season. The Mountaineers were 12-2 overall, recording losses to ACC foes NC State and Virginia Tech. Returning starters include national qualifier Ethan Oakley (133), reigning conference champion Tommy Askey (157), and runner-up Will Miller (174). Who can we hope to see step back out on the mat this season? None other than Sean Carter (133) who was faced with a season-ending injury during the Virginia Tech dual. Sophomore Carson Floyd (197) is another familiar face to look out for. As a freshman, he held a 24-9 record (7-1 in conference), was the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year, and a conference finalist.
Varsity Gym will be home to four conference duals (The Citadel, VMI, Bellarmine*, Gardner-Webb), and will yet again host the Southern Conference Championship in Holmes Convocation Center on March 9.
Another matchup you won’t want to miss? The first-ever showdown between App State and Cornell will take place in Boonetown on February 18 after the Bellarmine dual. Newly-minted assistant coach Hunter Richard, a Cornell alumnus, joins JohnMark Bentley’s coaching staff alongside returning assistants Jarrod Patterson and Randall Diabe.
Preseason rankings:
133 – Sean Carter (12)
149 – Cody Bond (26)
157 – Tommy Askey (19)
197 – Carson Floyd (31)
Davidson
The Davidson Wildcats return this season with a new look and a new room, following rebranding and renovations to the wrestling facility unveiled in September. Nate Carr, Jr. will start his second year at the helm, alongside assistants Ty Eustice and Marcus Coleman. The ‘Cats finished their ’22-’23 campaign with a 1-7 conference record and 2-11 overall, recording wins over Presbyterian College (SoCon) and Queens University of Charlotte. Tanner Peake (157) returns to the mat this season, following a 15-4 record between 157 and 165-lb weight classes. Peake broke the mold when he became Davidson’s first conference finalist since 2019 – four years may not seem like long, but it’s a milestone nonetheless. Incoming freshmen to watch out for? At 141 lbs, we’ve got 5A Georgia state champ Tyler McKnight, 149 lbs, 3A North Carolina state champion Brock Carey, and at heavyweight, 2A North Carolina state champ DJ Spring II. Carr and company head home to Ames, Iowa where they’ll wrestle Iowa State on November 12. Notable duals for Davidson include: a home opener against Duke on December 8, and rematches against Bellarmine* (Feb 2) and The Citadel (Feb 11), … rest of story at … Intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/socon/2023-24-socon-preview-part-one
Emerging Sports for Women update: Women’s wrestling on track for championship consideration
Women’s wrestling is on track to become the NCAA’s 91st NCAA championship, based on the latest sports sponsorship data released this month.
Other sports in the Emerging Sports for Women program also showed significant growth in the latest data (see breakdown below).
Women’s wrestling highlighted the six sports in the Emerging Sports for Women program, meeting the requirements to be considered for an NCAA championship. Specifically, more than 40 schools sponsored women’s wrestling at the varsity level and met the sport’s minimum competition and participant requirements in the 2022-23 academic year. The sport’s growth puts it on track to become the sixth sport to earn NCAA championship status through the Emerging Sports for Women program, joining rowing (1996), ice hockey (2000), water polo (2000), bowling (2003) and beach volleyball (2015).
The Committee on Women’s Athletics — an Association-wide committee that oversees the Emerging Sports for Women program, which was established in 1994 based on a recommendation from the NCAA Gender Equity Task Force — anticipates making a recommendation at its February meeting to Divisions I, II and III to sponsor legislation to add a national collegiate women’s wrestling championship. If this recommendation is made, the projected timeline to add a women’s wrestling championship is for each division to sponsor a proposal for the 2024-25 legislative cycle and vote on the proposals before or during the 2025 NCAA Convention. If adopted, the first women’s wrestling championship would be held in winter 2026. This timeline is consistent with past sports added as National Collegiate Championships through the Emerging Sports for Women program.
All three divisions received updates from the Committee on Women’s Athletics in their October meetings. The Committee on Women’s Athletics will continue to use the governance periods before its February meeting to discuss the women’s wrestling championship in detail. This process will provide opportunities for membership and stakeholder feedback on relevant details, such as sport committee composition, championship format, bracket size and dates, which would be included in a recommendation from the Committee on Women’s Athletics. Before a women’s wrestling championship can be established, funding must be considered by the appropriate financial oversight committees.
“What women’s wrestling has accomplished in a short period of time is exceptional. …
Women’s wrestling
2022-23: 51 teams reported sponsoring women’s wrestling, a 12-school uptick from 2021-22. Division III accounted for 30 schools in the 2022-23 sponsorship data, followed by 19 in Division II and two in Division I.
Average roster size: 15. … rest of story at … Ncaa.org/news/2023/10/17/media-center-emerging-sports-for-women-update-womens-wrestling-on-track-for-championship-consideration
Rhode Island adding girls wrestling weight classes for 2023-24 winter sports season
WARWICK, R.I. (October 4, 2023) – The Rhode Island Interscholastic League will be providing additional participation opportunities for girls during the 2023-24 winter sports season beginning on Monday, November 27, 2023.
Girls Wrestling weight classes will be offered for the first time in league history as female wrestling will be integrated into the existing Dual Meet Schedule as well as In-State Tournaments offered by member schools during the regular season. The RIIL State Meet will add the opportunity to compete in 12 weight classes exclusive to females with a chance to earn entrance into the 59th New England Championship beginning on Friday, March 1st at the Providence Career & Technical Academy in Rhode Island. This will mark the first time girls weight classes are offered at the RIIL State and New England Championships.
As of January 2023, 37 states sanctioned girls wrestling as an official high school sport. As a result of these new opportunities being offered, girls’ participation in wrestling has climbed steadily throughout the United States in the last two decades. According to the National Federation of State High Schools’ Athletics Participation Survey, national participation rose from 4,975 female participants in 2005 to 7,351 in 2010. The number of female wrestlers then almost tripled to 21,124 by 2018-19 and has since jumped to 49,127 participants in 2022-23 – a 233% increase over that four-year time period.
Within the RIIL, the number of female wrestlers competing with their respective schools’ coed teams has grown significantly over the last decade, jumping from 8 participants in 2014 to 68 last winter (2022-23). According to the National Girls High School Wrestling Summary compiled by the USA Wrestling Girls High School Development Committee, like Rhode Island, the five other high school state associations in New England have experienced a similar upward climb in participation numbers since 2014. … rest of story at … RIsports.tumblr.com/riil-adding-girls-wrestling-weight-classes
Queens 2023-24 Wrestling Schedule Released
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte wrestling team released their schedule for the 2023-24 season this afternoon which features 13 events between November and February, including six home matches at the Levine Center, before the National Collegiate Open.
The season begins on Thursday, November 2 when the Royals travel to Greensboro for a four-team event that also features Greensboro College, North Carolina, and Oregon State. Queens last faced UNC in 2021 in Chapel Hill when the Tar Heels defeated the Royals 48-0. However, this will be the first ever meeting with Greensboro College and Oregon State in Queens’ history.
Less than two weeks later, the Royals will travel to Danville, Virginia for the Averett University hosted Cougar Open on November 12. The Royals competed in the same event in November 2021, finishing in second place with four Queens wrestlers taking first in their weight class. The Royals will compete in their first home match of the season against St. Andrews the following weekend on a date that is yet to be determined.
The Royals stay home to begin December with a meet against Bellarmine on December 2. Queens competed against the Knights three times last season and four times in program history with a loss each time. However, this will be the first time that Queens hosts Bellarmine at the Levine Center.
On Friday, December 15, the Royals travel to Chattanooga, Tennessee for a three-team meet hosted by UT Chattanooga. Little Rock will be the third team competing at the meet and it will be the first time the Royals compete against either team. Early the following week, the Royals return home for another three-team meet with Duke and The Citadel on December 19. It will be the third time Queens and The Citadel will match up in program history and the first time Queens and Duke will compete against one another. … rest of story at … Queensathletics.com/news/2023/10/20/mens-wrestling-queens-2023-24-wrestling-schedule
Oklahoma State’s Dual with Iowa to Be Nationally Televised
OSU-Iowa is known for historic matchups.
A matchup between two of the greatest wrestling programs in the country will get an audience of its caliber.
Oklahoma State announced Wednesday that the Cowboys’ dual with Iowa will be televised on FS1. The dual is scheduled for 2 p.m. Feb. 25 (a Sunday) at Gallagher-Iba Arena and will conclude the Cowboys’ regular season.
This is a meeting known for historic and unique bouts. In 2022, the two met at Globe Life Field in Arlington for the Bout at the Ballpark. In 2015, Iowa hosted The Grapple on the Gridiron at Kinnick Stadium in front a record-breaking crowd of 42,287 fans that watched the Cowboys and Hawkeyes compete.
OSU leads the all-time series 29-25-2 but hasn’t won since 2019. Both programs have combined for 58 national team titles. … rest of story … Pistolsfiringblog.com/oklahoma-states-dual-with-iowa-to-be-nationally-televised
NORTH CAROLINA NAMES 2023-24 CAPTAINS
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The North Carolina wrestling program has named four captains for the 2023-24 season. Gavin Kane, Lachlan McNeil, Jayden Scott, and Max Shaw have been named to the leadership panel prior to the campaign.
Kane, a junior from Milton, Ga., collected his first All-America honor last season with an eighth-place finish at the 2023 NCAA Championships. The Tar Heel 184-pounder enters the campaign ranked sixth in the preseason rankings, following a 25-win effort a season ago.
McNeil, from Toronto, Ontario, also earned his first ever All-America finish a season ago, with a fourth-place finish at 141-pounds at the NCAA Championships. The redshirt-sophomore collected 27 wins last season and enters the campaign as the fourth-ranked wrestler in his respective weight class.
A redshirt-freshman, Scott competed at 149-pounds during his first season in Chapel Hill. The Henrietta, N.Y. product collected 14 victories as a true freshman, including a perfect 4-0 mark on his way to winning the Appalachian State Open.
Entering his redshirt-junior season, Shaw returns for the Tar Heels after qualifying for the NCAA Championships for the second time in his career. The Pittsburgh, Pa. native earned 16 wins a season ago, including an opening round win at the national tournament in Tulsa. … rest of story at … GOheels.com/news/2023/10/19/wrestling-names-2023-24-captains
2023-24 Duke Preview
Duke fielded a young team last season and experienced a lot of growing pains along the way. Hopefully, that experience will help the squad this year, with most starters seeing at least their second year in the lineup. It is well documented the challenges that Coach Lanham faces with building the program at Duke. It is an academically challenging institution and he has no scholarships to offer, which makes the success they have had throughout his tenure that much more impressive. It appeared as though Jonah Niesenbaum could be the next Blue Devil to make it onto the podium with the gains he had made in the past two years; however, Niesenbaum has chosen to forgo his final year of eligibility to pursue an opportunity outside of collegiate wrestling. The Blue Devils will look to a new crop of talent in Durham looking to make their mark in the ACC.
TOP RETURNER
Jarred Papscy will step into the role of veteran leader … rest of story at … Intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/acc/2023-24-duke-preview
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 