Off-Season Transfers Will Fuel This Season’s NCAA Team Race
Here are the top transfers to keep an eye on as the 2023-24 college wrestling season begins
Several programs will benefit from the transfer portal this season. Most of the top teams look different thanks to key acquisitions. Below is a look at the top wrestlers who transferred during the off-season.
Penn State
125: Kurt McHenry (Michigan)
133: Aaron Nagao (Minnesota)
157/165: Mitchell Mesenbrink (Cal Baptist)
184: Bernie Truax (Cal Poly)
The Nittany Lions bolstered their powerful lineup with three wrestlers who will be in title contention. Nagao placed fifth at the 2023 NCAA Championships and will replace two-time NCAA champion and three-time finalist Roman Bravo-Young.
Mesenbrink only wrestled two matches for Cal Baptist but won a U20 World title and will be a factor if he’s in the line-up, while Bernie Truax is a three-time fourth-place finisher at nationals at three different weights.
McHenry, a two-time Cadet World champion, never saw the starting lineup at the end of the year for Michigan but be a factor at 125 for Penn State. He took undefeated Richie Figueroa of Arizona State to overtime and will compete with Robbie Howard for the spot.
Iowa
125: Joey Cruz (Oklahoma)
149: Victor Voinovich (Oklahoma State)
157: Jared Franek (North Dakota State)
165: Michael Caliendo (North Dakota State)
Franek and Caliendo were All-Americans last season for North Dakota State and will factor heavily into Iowa’s success. Franek and Caliendo will take on a pair of returning Hawkeye national qualifiers Cobe Siebrecht (157) and Patrick Kennedy (165) for their respective spots.
Voinovich replaces Max Murin who graduated following a sixth-place finish at nationals and three appearances in the Round of 12. Cruz could see time at 125 depending on when Drake Ayala is ready to go.
Michigan
125: Michael DeAugustino (Northwestern)
133: Chris Cannon (Northwestern)
174: Shane Griffith (Stanford)
285: Lucas Davison (Northwestern)
A trio of Northwestern All-Americans and an NCAA champion from Stanford puts the Wolverines squarely in the trophy hunt. DeAugustino replaces Jack Medley, Chris Cannon takes over for Dylan Ragusin who is likely redshirting, … rest of story at … Flowrestling.org/Off-season-transfers-will-fuel-this-seasons-ncaa-team-race
2023-24’s Top 50 Collegiate Wrestlers: #21-#25
What has become a preseason staple for us at InterMat, counting down the top 50 wrestlers for the upcoming season, is back for 2023-24. With a large chunk of sixth and seventh-year seniors gone, there is plenty of turnover from last year’s list to this one. That makes for a lot of fun and perhaps some spirited debates.
Like last year, the third iteration of this feature will show five wrestlers at a time, counting down from #50 to #1.
For each wrestler, we’ll have some basic information along with career highlights, and a brief analysis of their career (with an emphasis on last season), followed by an outlook for the upcoming season.
Here are #26-30 #31-35 #36-40 #41-45 #46-50
25) Brock Hardy (Nebraska) … rest of story at … Intermatwrestle.com/college/2023-24s-top-50-collegiate-wrestlers-21-25
Presbyterian Men’s Wrestling Announces Fifth Season’s Schedule
CLINTON, S.C. – With the program that he helped create now reaching a half-decade in age, Presbyterian College men’s wrestling head coach Mark Cody revealed the Blue Hose’s 2023-24 layout on Monday afternoon. An affiliate member of the Southern Conference, PC will begin a fresh season on November 1 with a neutral encounter against NC State.
NOVEMBER + DECEMBER
Primed for six home events on the upcoming season – with four of those held at Templeton Gymnasium – Presbyterian will seek a road-heavy two months prior to the start of SoCon action. In fact, each of the first ten duals/tournaments will take place outside Clinton including the aforementioned Wolfpack meet that will be held in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
The site of the conference championships at the close of the campaign, PC will head back to the Tar Heel State on November 11 for the Mountaineer Invitational hosted by Appalachian State. Six days later, the Blue Hose will face-off with two more neutral parties in Albany, New York, battling Northern Colorado and Sacred Heart.
At that point being one month into the season, Presby will clash with two more non-conference foes at a neutral venue for what will be their lone date of competition in December. They’ll go head-to-head with Michigan State and Bloomsburg back-to-back on the 3rd.
JANUARY
Coach Cody’s club will begin 2024 with a visit to the F&M (Franklin & Marshall) Open on January 5, the second straight year participating in that specific tourney.
The team’s ultra-long road set will wrap up in the middle of the month with three duals in two days, competing with F&M, Brown, and Davidson in their first SoCon affair. PC bested the Bears by a 25-15 clip when they last locked horns in Pennsylvania nine months ago.
January 14 will denote the first true home setting for the Blue Hose, … rest of story at … GObluehose.com/Mens-wrestling-mens-wrestling-announces-fifth-seasons-schedule
96 Teams set to invade UNI-Dome for the 2024 National Duals
Manheim, PA – 2024 will kick off with a bang as 96 teams representing six divisions will descend upon Cedar Falls, IA, and the UNI-Dome for the NWCA/USMC 2024 Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships. NUWAY once again plays host this year’s championships while the presenting sponsors will be A Better Way Athletics, Capital Construction, Defense Soap, and the United States Marine Corps.
Action will take place on Friday, January 5, and Saturday, January 6.
Below, you can find the breakdown for each division. In addition a complete listing of each team competing can be viewed by clicking here.
- NCAA DII Men – 16
- NCAA DIII – 24
- NCAA Women – 16
- NAIA Men – 16
- NAIA Women – 16
- NCWA Men – 8
It is worth mentioning that an astonishing 63 of the 96 teams entered have been established since 2000. Also of note, in the NWCA’s last fiscal year, 59 schools announced the launch of new collegiate programs. Undoubtedly, the National Duals will feature many of those new teams in the future.
The depth for this year’s National Duals is as high as ever, with all but two of last year’s placing teams returning (Not returning NAIA Men 8th & NCWA Men 3rd). Of note, 22 of the squads coming to Cedar Falls also finished in the top 4 of their association’s National Championships last season (NAIA Men 1st – 4th; NAIA Women 1st – 4th; NCAA D2 Men 1st – 3rd; NCAA D3 Men 1st – 4th; NCAA Women 1st – 4th; and NCWA Men 1st – 3rd). … rest of story at … NWCAonline.com/National-wrestling-coaches-association-96-teams-set-to-invade-uni-dome-for-the-2024-national-duals.
Results From The 2023 Super 32 Challenge
Results from Greensboro, NC and the high school boys divisions of the 2023 Defense Soap Super 32 Challenge.
Brackets, bout scores and more can be found inside FloArena.
Finals Results/Matchups
106 #3 Joe Bachmann, Northwales, PA FALL Rocco Hayes, Orland Park, IL, 5:26
113 4 Aaron Seidel, Schaefferstown, PA DEC #2 Domenic Munaretto, St. Charles, IL, 3-0
120 #1 Anthony Knox, Freehold, NJ MD #6 Nathan Desmond, Wind Gap, PA, 11-0
126 #1 Jax Forrest, Johnstown, PA DEC #9 JJ McComas, Stillwater, OK, 5-3
132 #3 Bo Bassett, Windber, PA MD #5 Sergio Vega, Tucson, AZ, 11-0
138 #9 Maddox Shaw, Jefferson Hills, PA DEC #4 Landon Robideau, Saint Michael, MN, 7-3
144 #6 Melvin Miller, Windber, PA DEC #7 Cameron Catrabone, Williamsville, NY, 4-1
150 #2 Kollin Rath, Stroudsburg, PA DEC #7 Kody Routledge, Edmond, OK, 4-2
157 #2 Ladarion Lockett, Stillwater, OK DEC #17 Joseph Antonio, Long Beach, CA, 4-1 SV
165 Leandro Araujo, ND DEC #9 Dominic Bambinelli, Hoschton, GA, 5-3
175 #6 Ryan Burton, Sparta, NJ DEC #4 Cole Han-Lindemyer, Farmington, MN, 2-0
190 #1 Aeoden Sinclair, Edgerton, WI DEC #3 Rune Lawrence, Perryopolis, PA, 3-2
215 #14 Anthony Harris, Sparta, NJ DEC #12 Michael Mocco, Parkland, FL, 4-3
285 #12 Nicholas Sahakian, Tarzana, CA DEC #10 Daniel Herrera, Ames, IA, 2-1 … rest of story and results at … Flowrestling.org/results-from-the-2023-super-32-challenge
6 Breakout Performers At Super 32
Every year Super 32 serves as the proving ground for some of the nation’s newest high school wrestling stars. Here are 6 guys who made names for themselves.
Super 32 is one of the nation’s premier high school proving grounds, and every year, a number of wrestlers announce themselves as serious contenders. Here are seven wrestlers who had outstanding Super 32 performances.
165 lbs – Leandro Araujo, 1st Place
Four-time North Dakota state champ Leandro Araujo entered Super 32 without a top-20 ranking. That will change. Araujo took out #3 Ethan Birden, #11 Latrell Schafer, and #9 Dominic Bambinelli en route to a first-place finish at 165 lbs.
138 lbs – Maddox Shaw, 1st Place
Thomas Jefferson’s Maddox Shaw has been on the national radar since he beat Vincent Robinson at Powerade in 2021, but he established himself as a #1 contender at Super 32 this year.
#9 Shaw racked up ranked victories against #12 (145) Daishun Powe, #5 Paul Kelly, #12 Alex Braun, and #4 Landon Robideau en route to his Super 32 title. That established him as a serious contender for the #1 spot in the country. … rest of story and videos at … Flowrestling.org/articles/11344764-6-breakout-performers-at-super-32
College Choices for Super 32 All-Americans (2023)
This weekend the Super 32 took place in Greensboro, North Carolina. The Super 32 has long been the most difficult high school folkstyle tournament in the country and serves as an unofficial kickoff for the upcoming high school season. Representatives from nearly every DI school in the nation were on hand to get a first-hand look at some of the top prospects in the nation. Some of those top recruits have already been spoken for and have committed to wrestle at the next level.
Those wrestlers that made the top-eight at the Super 32 and have committed to wrestle collegiately are listed below, by their future school. … rest of story at … Intermatwrestle.com/recruiting/college-choices-for-super-32-all-americans-2023
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
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
