Pembroke’s Johnson Selected as NWCA Bob Bubb Coaching Excellence Award Winner

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) announced Othello “OT” Johnson of the University of North Carolina Pembroke as the 2023 Bob Bubb Coaching Excellence Award winner for NCAA Division II men’s wrestling.

“This is a testament to the guys who have trusted us to be their leaders and a part of their journeys here at UNCP,” Johnson said. “This award is theirs not ours. Thank you to my colleagues for believing in me and honoring me with this award.”

Johnson, who just closed out his 13^th season at the helm of the Braves’ program, has sent 50 qualifiers to the NCAA Division II National Championships during his career. A UNCP graduate, Johnson has had 21 All-Americans as the Braves’ head coach. Johnson sent three to the NCAA Championships this season, after a season that saw UNCP finish as runner up in their conference and fourth at the Super Region 2 Tournament. … rest of story at NWCAonline/pembrokes-johnson-selected-as-nwca-bob-bubb-coaching-excellence-award-winner

March 29, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Other National Championships

TDR Editor’s Notes; Yes, these articles are news from over a week ago but these champions also deserve recognition along with the more widely publicized Division I National Champions.
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VIKINGS CAPTURE 11TH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN PROGRAM HISTORY
Wichita, KS – No. 1 Grand View wrestling claims their 11th NAIA National Championship team title in program history. Along with the team title, Grand View had three individual national champions that were crowned at 141, 197, and 285. 

The phenomenal run by 141-pounder Shea Ruffridge (SR/Pocahontas, IA ) will go down in Grand View Wrestling history. The underdog all year would hold a 6th-ranked position, and heading into the last few weeks of the season Ruffridge would land at No. 4. After following his tremendous last-second win, Ruffridge proved it to be no fluke, and he would win by decision over Life University’s Julian Hernandez, 8-1 to take home his first ever Individual National Championship. 

The Vikings would get their 2nd National Championship from the 197-pounder Owen Braungardt. Braungardt went on an absolute tear during his National Championship tenture – Braungardt started the majority of his season sidelined by an injury. During his final match, Braungardt won by a decision, 6-1 to be crowned a National Champion. 

The final cherry on top for the Vikings would be the final match of the evening between former DI wrestlers Greg Hagan, and Austin Harris of Life University. Hagan wouldn’t waste any time and he would get a pin in the first period to end a whirlwind of a National Tournament for the Vikings.  Grand View amassed a record of 52-13 through the entirety of the tournament. … rest of story at GVvikings.com/article/8027=Wrestling+News

Men’s Wrestling Records Program High Three Champions on Way to Second Place Finish at Nationals
WICHITA, Kan.— The weekend saw multiple program bests for the Life University men’s wrestling program at the NAIA Men’s Wrestling Championships, the team placing six guys in championship bouts with three of them earning the highest honors as the Running Eagles recorded a second place finish in Hartman Arena.

Despite being down two wrestlers, Life U amassed 157.5 team points, creating nearly 70 points of separation with the third placed team Southeastern, 90 points, but came up short of champions Grand View who won their 11th title in 12 years with 206 points. 

Brandon Orum made his way to the 125 lbs title match for the third straight year, pulling off his second championship. The redshirt senior was the second highest scorer for the team with 23.0 points. His first day saw a pair of victories that came in the bonus, starting the day with a first period pin and ending the day in the quarterfinals with a 10-1 major decision over the 7-seed. Orum’s ability to force his opponent into his own pace could not have been more clear on the second day, earning a 1-0 decision victory over the 14-seed in the semis to secure a spot in the title bout. In his final match Saturday night, a late escape and riding time secured the Camden County native his second title in a 5-4 decision.

The second title of the night came from Brevin Balmeceda at 149 lbs. … rest of story at Liferunningeagles.com/news/2023/3/5/mens-wrestling-records-program-high-three-champions-on-way-to-second-place-finish-at-nationals

2023 NJCAA Wrestling Championships

Western Wyoming claims first National Championship

Council Bluffs, IA – Western Wyoming claimed its first NJCAA Wrestling Championship title Saturday in Council Bluffs. The Mustangs finished with a team score of 134 . Darion Johnson was the lone Western Wyoming wrestler to wrestle for an individual national title but fell Northwest Kansas Tech’s Jameel Coles in the 184 weight class. … rest of story at NJCAA.org/sports/wrest/2022-23/national_championship/championship_recap

INDIAN HILLS WINS FIRST NJCAA WOMEN’S INVITATIONAL, AHEAD OF RUNNER-UP UMPQUA

NJCAA WOMEN’S INVITATIONAL
At Council Bluffs, Iowa, March 3-4

101
1st Dutchess King (Indian Hills) VSU Nicole Montojo (Iowa Western), 10-0 4:11
3rd Chiara Barbieri (Niacc) VSU1 Chelsey Mendoza (Northwest Kansas Tech), 14-3 3:44
5th Mailien Tran (Southwestern Oregon) VFO Tenley Jones (Carl Albert State), 0-0

109
1st Lexi Miller (Carl Albert State) VPO1 Ryasia Mcdougle (Northwest Kansas Tech), 14-7
3rd Malachite Chunn (Indian Hills) VPO1 Dianna Pineda (Iowa Central), 9-9
5th Leila Sidhu (Umpqua) VSU1 Tatiana Hernandez (Niacc), 11-1 4:04

116
1st Shammilka Miranda Diaz (Indian Hills) VSU1 Flavia Nagatani (Iowa Western), 14-4 4:24
3rd Kailyn Younger (Iowa Central) VSU Lorelei Wydra (Iowa Western), 10-0 5:23
5th Javanica Mickens (Indian Hills) VFA Kendall Martin (Southwestern Oregon), 0-0 3:00 … rest of story at Teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2023/March/05/NJCAA-Womens-Invitational

NORTH CENTRAL WOMEN CLAIM FIRST NCWWC NATIONAL TEAM TITLE; SHILSON AND KIMBER BECOME FOUR-TIME CHAMPIONS
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Led by three individual champions and 15 All-Americans, North Central, a Div. III school in Illinois, won its first National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships with an amazing team effort at the Alliant Energy Powerhouse.

North Central, ranked No. 2 coming in, scored 198 points, ahead of No. 1 King with 163 points. Rounding out the top five were McKendree with 147.5, Colorado Mesa with 108 and Augsburg with 87.5.

North Central becomes only the second school to ever win this event, which features only NCAA varsity programs. McKendree was the team champion for the first three years of the competition.

Two stars from McKendree became the first four-time NCWWC champions, Emily Shilson (109) and Sydnee Kimber (191).

No. 1 seed Shilson, who won her first three NCWWC titles for Augsburg before transferring this semester, fell behind early in her match against No. 2 Sage Mortimer of King, after Mortimer tossed her for four points in the first period. Shilson battled back to close the gap, and when the athletes got into a seatbelt position, Shilson threw Mortimer to her back to secure a fall at 3:46. … rest of story at … rest of story at Teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2023/March/04/NCWWC

March 29, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

TDR Top Award Finalists

TDR Editor’s Notes; Top 5 finalists for the following 2023 TDR Trophy Awards. The Awards will be announced when the trophies come in. Final selections are difficult and as always we welcome input and information that readers want to share. Contact us at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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James Johnson Award ; Top Senior/s in Eastern North Carolina
113 – Jacob Kresicki (First Flight), 138 – Avery Buonocore (Laney), 182 – Alex Hopper (Laney), 220 – Caleb Beatty (Corinth-Holders), 285 -Taevion Cox (New bern) – All are state finalists with four champions and a combined record of 198 wins and just 7 losses.

Roy Heverly Award ; Top Underclassmen
106 – Alexander Barnett (New Bern), 132 – Ian Fritz (Topsail), 160 – Tristan Cotto (Laney), 170 – Kamar Brown (Northside), 220 – Tyler Stevens (Pamlico County)

Michael Stokes ; Top Senior in Rural Tar-Neuse-Roanoke (T.N.R.) Area
120 – Marcus Tyson (Pamlico Co.), 126 – Walker Bell (West Craven), 152 – Logan Haseley (Corinth-Holders), 170 – Franklin Melton (Clayton), 285 – Dyllin Ellis (Bunn).

Lee Carroll ; Top Senior in Rural T.N.R. Area
132 – Ryan Mann (N.E. Carolina Prep), 145 – Jacob Crump (North Pitt), 160 Kaleb Davis (Rosewood), 182 – Ryan DeLoatch (Rosewood), 220 – Dallas Bailey (C.B.Aycock)

Olivia Neal Award ; Top Female Scholastic Wrestler in Eastern North Carolina
107 – Reagan Riddick (First Flight), 120 – Anabel Rodriguez (Dixon), 138 – Angelica Steffy (Croatan), 152 – Natalie Titus (Havelock), & 185 – Elaina Pollock (Laney)
Top ranked in their weight class with a combined record of (132-10) for a winning percentage.

The above is the 2nd Annual Olivia Neal Award. The other awards are the same trophy but with different plaques.

March 28, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Season 6, Column 83: Championship Meanderings and a double dose of straight shooting

The NCAA Division I Championships have come and gone with stories large and small worth noting and two eye-opening, thought-provoking books on where America has been, where it’s going, and options for change.

First and foremost, kudos to Cael Sanderson’s Penn State Nittany Lions who blitzed the field in fully expected fashion to claim the Division I National Team title again. Tom and Terry Brands Iowa Hawkeyes finished 2nd for the 2nd straight year with Cornell a somewhat suprising 3rd and an equally impressive Ohio State filling out the team podium placements at 4th. In reverse order from least to most shocking to the Scribe, these observations….Penn State won. The BIG 10 had five teams finish in the Top 10. Religion and a former President became hot button topics. And now the real news-this sites most beloved conference, the SoCon, bottomed out with a miniscule 15 participating athletes who collectively won 6 matches. Worst hurt-2X AA Jon Jon Millner of Appalachian State was waylaid by a wonky knee, unable to compete for a 3rd AA honor (he would have earned one), disallowed from raising his redunkulous career win total to nearly 130, and prevented from shepherding/uplifting/leading his 5 Mountaineer teammates into battle in Tulsa. Imagine Brad Pitts Achilles forced to stay in bed that morning (actually not that tough to imagine). What would have happened to Agammemnons boys? Exactly what occured to App State and, frankly, the SoCon as a whole. It can only get better, and it will. There’s too many quality coaches, too manygood athletes and too much program support for there not to be a better showing in Kansas City in 2024. App State wasn’t the only powerhouse conference champ to get beaten up, though. Newly crowned PAC12 bully boy Oregon State had their pelts handed to them as the Beavers rolled into Tulsa with 7 studs and left skinned. After the 1st day only 184lb Trey Munoz was still chasing a title. And that was the way the cookie crumbled for Chris Pendletons crew as Munoz alone limped home with a All American, 6th place finish. The Beavers say bye bye to just four folks so that plus great recruiting plus the rocket speed growth going on in Corvallis should make for a better NCAAs next year. On the positive side of things was the presence and progress of athletes from two teams this column has cast an admiring eye on this season, George Mason and American University. Coach Frank Beasley’s Patriots had Grad student and Mid American Conference champ Peter Pappas at 165 as well as rs freshman 149lb Nathan Higley hit the mats in Tulsa. … rest of story at Morewrestlingplease.wordpress.com/2023/03/21/season-6-column-83-championship-meanderings-and-a-double-dose-of-straight-shooting

March 27, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NCAA Championships 2024

2023 NCAA Qualifiers Eligible to Return for 2023-24

by Earl Smith; Photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com

It’s never too early to look ahead to next year! So, with that, we’ve highlighted all of the wrestlers that competed at the 2023 NCAA Championships and have eligibility to return for the 2023-24 season. Normally, this is easy to track, but with eligibility still out of wack due to the 2021 Covid year, these things can be difficult to follow.

Some of the wrestlers that qualified for nationals will have a decision to make, as to whether or not they intend on returning to the mat. Let me know if there is someone below who does not intend on competing in 2023-24 or if there is someone omitted who has been granted extra eligibility.

Wrestlers are grouped by their weight class and how they finished at nationals; starting with placewinners then by the farthest consolation round they advanced to.

125 lbs

Matt Ramos (Purdue) 2nd

Anthony Noto (Lock Haven) 4th

Eddie Ventresca (Virginia Tech) 7th

Round of 12

Eric Barnett (Wisconsin)

Dean Peterson (Rutgers)

Stevo Poulin (Northern Colorado)

Brett Ungar (Cornell)

Consolation Round of 16

Nick Babin (Columbia)

Patrick McKee (Minnesota)

Jarrett Trombley (NC State)

Consolation Round of 24

Braxton Brown (Maryland)

Michael DeAugustino (Northwestern)

Brandon Kaylor (Oregon State)

Ryan Miller (Penn)

Tucker Owens (Air Force)

Noah Surtin (Missouri)

Jore Volk (Wyoming)

Consolation Round of 32

Ethan Berginc (Army West Point)

Tanner Jordan (South Dakota State) … rest of list and story at Rokfin.com/article/13021/2023-NCAA-Qualifiers-Eligible-to-Return-for-202324

Who Returns The Most Team Points For The 2023-24 Wrestling Season?

A breakdown of the returning team points for every team at the 2023 NCAA Wrestling Championships.

The 2023 NCAA Tournament just concluded and it was incredible! So, what will the 2024 Tournament look like? We can’t forecast everything yet but we can look at how many team points every team in the country is returning. The below article has a breakdown of a “way-too-early” look at the landscape of next year’s team race by examining returning points and rosters for the top 10 teams.

Team Rank By Returning Points From 2023 NCAAs

The table below shows the ranking of every team based on points scored at the 2023 NCAA Championships from athletes who are eligible to return in the 2023-24 season. We also included columns that show the points scored by each team at the 2023 Tournament along with the points earned that each team will “lose” from wrestlers graduating.

March 27, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Facts, Trends, and Numbers from the 2023 NCAA Championships (post-Tournament)

by Earl Smith; Photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com

The NCAA Tournament has come and gone, along with the 2022-23 season. With a boatload of results, 80 All-Americans and ten national champions there are plenty of opportunities for me to have fun. And by fun, I mean looking for new facts, trends, and numbers to talk about from the tournament. Here’s the pre-tournament version that focuses on conference results, seeding, and qualifiers.

And I’ll need your help with the fact at the end of this article. It’s rare, I’m just not sure how rare!

NCAA Title Notes

Keegan O’Toole is only the third multi-time champion for the Missouri Tigers (Ben Askren and J’den Cox are the others).

Nino Bonaccorsi won Pittsburgh’s first national title since his head coach Keith Gavin did so in 2008.

With Austin O’Connor (North Carolina) and Nino Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh) winning titles, it marked the first time since 1994 that the ACC had multiple national champions. Back in ’94, Sammie Henson (Clemson) and TJ Jaworsky (North Carolina) won titles.

After going ten years between national titles (2012-22), Michigan has had champs in back-to-back seasons (Nick Suriano/21 and Mason Parris/22).

Cornell had multiple champions for the first time since the 2016 tournament (Nahshon Garrett – 133 and Gabe Dean – 184).

Carter Starocci and Aaron Brooks’ titles extended Penn State’s streak with at least one national champion, one that dates back to the 2011 tournament.

Penn State’s two national champions are the school’s fewest since they had two in 2016 (Nico Megaludis/125 and Zain Retherford/149).

The 2023 Tournament was the first one since 2013 where a freshman did not capture a title (if you’re counting Keegan O’Toole as a freshman in 2022).

Team-Related Notes

Andrew Alirez’s performance set plenty of records at Northern Colorado. He was the first All-American since future-UFC star Justin Gaethje in 2010 and the first national champion since 1962 when Jack Flasche won the 157 lb weight class. Alirez is also the first NCAA placewinner for the Bears under head coach Troy Nickerson. … rest of story at Rokfin.com/article/Facts-Trends-and-Numbers-from-the-2023-NCAA-Championships-postTournament

March 27, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

2023 NCAA DI National Championships: By the Numbers

7 min read

by Richard Mann; Photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com

Another NCAA tournament is in the books. 10 champions were crowned, and there were several standout statistical performers. The following looks at those top performers even though not all of them managed to bring home national titles.

Point Differential

Spencer Lee +1.70
Mason Parris +1.30

Things certainly did not end for Spencer Lee (Iowa) as many Hawkeye fans had hoped. Instead of bringing home his fourth NCAA title, Matt Ramos (Purdue) pinned him in the final seconds of the semifinals. The loss sent Lee to a sixth-place finish and effectively ended his collegiate career.

While Ramos had wrestled Lee tough earlier in the season, the loss was still unexpected due to the fact that Lee was wrestling well. He ran through the Big Ten tournament where he outscored his opponents 45 to four and finished with a tournament-high +2.18 point differential. His patented scoring was also on display in the earlier rounds of the NCAA tournament. Prior to the match against Ramos, Lee had outscored his opposition 33 to four.

Even including the loss against Ramos, Lee still scored 2.34 points per minute and allowed only 0.64 points per minute. That leaves him with a +1.70 point differential, which was the highest across the entire tournament. Lee’s ability to score from the top position was basically unmatched during his collegiate career. His 2.34 points per minute was also the highest scoring rate of the entire tournament. This year, he finished with the highest point differential in all three tournaments he entered: the Soldier Salute, the Big Ten tournament and the NCAA tournament.

The second-highest point differential of the tournament belonged to Michigan heavyweight Mason Parris. On his path to the title, he averaged 1.48 points per minute and allowed only 0.18 points per minute. His +1.30 differential was ahead of all other competitors outside of Lee.

Parris had the fifth-highest scoring rate in the field, but he allowed more than one point in only one of his matches. Four of his five opponents, including Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State) … rest of story at Rokfin.com/article/13029/2023-NCAA-DI-National-Championships-By-the-Numbers

March 27, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

2023 US Open Wrestling Championship Entries – Senior

Every senior-level wrestler registered for the 2023 US Open Wrestling Championships.

The 2023 US Open will take place from April 26-30 in Las Vegas, Nevada. This tournament is will help determine the world team for the United States with a spot in Final X up for grabs at every weight. Check out the current entries in all three styles below.

Check out the entries for the other age levels at the US Open at the below links:

U20 | U17

Men’s Freestyle

March 27, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

2023 NCAA Championships

2023 NCAA Championships: By The Numbers

Our annual analytical deep dive into the greatest college wrestling competition of the year.

It’s time for our annual analytical deep dive into the greatest collegiate competition of the year, the NCAA D1 Wrestling Championships! We’ve been doing these blogs for a while now and are thrilled to bring you another new edition of this celebrated series!

Previous NCAAs By The Numbers: 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014

We’ve also got heaps more coverage of the 2023 tournament, so check out the following links if you are looking for something you don’t see in this blog.

More glorious NCAA Championships coverage: Brackets | Results | Live Blog | Upsets | ReturnIng Points | Team Race | Eligibility Tracker | Toughest Half Bracket | Best Freshmen

Now on to the wonderful charts, graphs, maps, tables, chairs, breakfast cereals, and what have you. 

We will start with All-Americans by conference. Here are the totals since 2012. I even moved all the teams around, so AAs for Missouri are now all counted for the Big 12, even though Mizzou was in the MAC for most of that time period. Also all the old EWL teams are now in the MAC, etc. 

Note that Ivy League teams did not compete in the 2021 season (thanks, stupid covid, my least favorite of all the coronaviruses) so the EIWA numbers are abnormally low that year. … rest of story at Flowrestling.org/articles/10778346-2023-ncaa-championships-by-the-numbers

NCAA Wrestling Weekend That Was: Examining Spencer Lee’s legacy and more from Tulsa

Semifinal loss stings, but doesn’t diminish his accomplishments

The NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Tulsa, Okla., was filled with greatness, intensity and surprise. Everything we have come to expect from the biggest wrestling event in the world. Here is the Wrestling Weekend That Was, NCAA edition.

Spencer Lee’s legacy

Iowa’s Spencer Lee earned his fourth All-America honor at the NCAA tournament, giving him five All-America honors when added to the National Wrestling Coaches Association award in 2020. The conclusion to a stellar career wasn’t what Lee, the Hawkeye program and fans hoped and expected.

Purdue’s Matt Ramos shocked the college wrestling world (yes, cliché and all) by pulling the biggest modern national tournament upset with a semifinal win.

Cornell University’s Yianni Diakomihalis, a friend of Lee’s, who won his fourth NCAA title Saturday, said he didn’t know what to think of the outcome.

“He’s been one of those guys that’s been very dominant, probably more dominant than I’ve been,” Diakomihalis said of Lee. “You gotta feel for him a little bit, right? I’m kind of in a similar position. The whole arena is waiting for you to lose. Maybe they’re not cheering against you, but secretly in the back of their head, it gets a little louder when the other guy is going to score. It’s tough. It’s tough having that for Spencer, and you can’t help but feel for him a little bit. It’s tough to have that taken from you.”

Lee’s loss stung, along the lines of Lincoln McIlravy/Steve Marianetti, Jason Kelber/Terry Brands and Dan Gable/Larry Owings. It doesn’t overshadow a career that included 98 career wins, three Big Ten Wrestler of the Year awards, three conference titles, two Hodge trophies and the AAU James E. Sullivan award, while consistently battling knee injuries, which may have impacted his final season as well. It would be short-sighted to hang everything on his last performance, or him not wrestling the final day for whatever reason. One that may, or may not, be revealed later.

Lee isn’t, and shouldn’t, be defined by any win or loss. … rest of the story at Gazette.com/hawkeye-wrestling/ncaa-wrestling-weekend-that-was-examining-spencer-lees-legacy-and-more-from-tulsa

PSU should appreciate Sanderson’s greatness

The Penn State wrestling team won its 10th national championship in the last 12 contested NCAA Championships over the weekend in Tulsa.

Think about that. Think about how unbelievable that is. Think about what the program was like before Cael Sanderson took over as head coach.
I don’t know if Penn State fans and administration fully appreciate how fortunate they are to have Sanderson coaching the wrestling team.

Matches at Rec Hall are a happening. There have been sellouts at 66 straight matches at Rec Hall. Sellouts have occurred in 75 of the last 77 home matches, including nine of 11 at the Bryce Jordan Center.

Penn State fans have come to expect greatness from the program. Many of those fans who squeeze into Rec Hall on Friday nights or Sunday afternoons know what it takes to continue the dynasty — how much it takes to remain as college wrestling’s powerhouse.

But I’ve been wondering how much fans who really don’t pay a great amount of attention until the NCAAs appreciate what Sanderson has done. … rest of story at Altoonamirror.com/sports/psu/2023/03/sanderson-doesnt-get-enough-love/

Wrestling Mailbag: NCAA tournament recap, Spencer Lee, catching Penn State, ISU, UNI, more

Had a lot of questions regarding Iowa wrestling and the state of the program and whether or not an overhaul is needed if the Hawkeyes want to compete with Penn State moving forward, so let’s just go ahead and knock this one out at the top, because I have some thoughts on this.

Iowa took second at the NCAA Championships last weekend. If you’ve been reading or listening at all this season, that was largely the expectation, at least to me. Others might disagree, but in October, I figured a comfortable and decisive second-place finish at the NCAA Championships would be a successful season.

It was always going to take a monster effort for the Hawkeyes, or anybody, to catch Penn State in a tournament setting. It was possible, sure, but a lot needed to go right.

When the dust settled Saturday, Iowa did take second, but not very comfortably, beating third-place Cornell by 6 points and fourth-place Ohio State by 12. On top of that, the Hawkeyes finished 55 points behind Penn State, team champs for the 10th time in the last 12 NCAA tournaments.

Despite all of that … I thought Iowa wrestled pretty well over the weekend, all things considered. … rest of story at Desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/college/iowa/wrestling/2023/03/21/wrestling-mailbag-ncaa-championships

March 26, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

College Honors

Bartos, Niffenegger, Pecora Highlight 2023 All-PSAC Wrestling Teams

The Mercyhurst duo of senior Eric Bartos and freshman Jake Niffenegger, along with Pitt-Johnstown head coach Pat Pecora, all earned major awards for the 2023 All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Teams.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – The Mercyhurst duo of senior Eric Bartos and freshman Jake Niffenegger, along with Pitt-Johnstown head coach Pat Pecora, all earned major awards for the 2023 All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Teams, the league office announced Wednesday. Along with the major award winners, First, Second, and Third-Team All-Conference selections were announced.
 
All-conference teams and major award winners are decided by a vote of the league’s head coaches.
 
Mercyhurst senior Eric Bartos captures the 2023 Athlete of the Year honor after a stellar season In which he went 31-4 overall and earned All-American honors with a fourth-place finish at the 2023 NCAA Division II Championships. He was the Super Region 1 champion at 133 pounds and also added a pristine 7-0 record In PSAC dual meets. Bartos was previously named the PSAC Freshman of the Year at the conclusion of the 2017-18 season and has compiled a career record of 114-35 throughout his time as a Laker.
 
Mercyhurst’s Jake Niffenegger earns Freshman of the Year honors following a breakout first season for the Lakers. The native of Cincinnati, Ohio placed seventh at 141 pounds at the NCAA Division II Championships to earn All-American honors.  He finished the year with a 25-9 record and was the 141-pound Super Region 1 champion. Niffenegger’s award makes it back-to-back Freshman of the Year honors for Mercyhurst, with Dillon Walker claiming the award for the 2021-2022 season.
 
Pat Pecora earns his third consecutive conference Coach of the Year honor in the PSAC and fourth overall of his career after another standout season for the Mountain Cats. Pecora was a finalist from Super Region 1 for the NCAA Division II National Men’s Wrestling Coach of the Year and led Pitt-Johnstown to a 7-0 conference dual meet record (15-0 overall) and the program’s 25th NCAA Regional Title. UPJ earned its seventh consecutive conference championship and eight Mountain Cat wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Division II National Championships. … rest of story at PSACsports.org/news/2023/3/21/bartos-niffenegger-pecora-highlight-2023-all-psac-wrestling-teams

Cardinale’s Toughness and Persistence Leads to Another All-America Season

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The fact that Killian Cardinale became a 125-pound All-American last weekend at the 2023 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is not that remarkable.
 
West Virginia University has had 35 of them in its long history, including Cardinale himself, who finished seventh at nationals in 2021 after transferring from Old Dominion.
 
The Mountaineers have had multiple All-Americans and national champions, too. No, what makes Cardinale’s accomplishment so remarkable is how he did it – basically on one leg!
 
Just four weeks after having surgery to repair his meniscus, and only a couple of months after missing the early portion of the season because of painful stress reactions in his toes, Cardinale soldiered on to become West Virginia’s eighth multiple All-American, joining the likes of Zeke Moisey, Brandon Rader, Vertus Jones, Whitey Chlebove, Mike Mason, Mark Banks and, yes, the incomparable Greg Jones.
 
Cardinale’s journey to the podium is a painful reminder that wrestling can be a grueling sport, physically and emotionally.
 
Who didn’t see the clip posted on social media recently of Spencer Lee’s mother, Cathy, smashing her glasses to pieces and throwing them to the ground in disgust when her son lost in the 125-pound semifinals, denying him a fourth national championship?
 
Cardinale did. That’s his weight class. The guy who knocked Cardinale out of the championship round in the quarterfinals, Purdue’s Matt Ramos, is also the guy who upset Lee. … rest of story at WVUsports.com/news/2023/3/24/Cardinales-toughness-and-persistence-leads-to-another-all-america-season

Behind Vito’s Rise from Self-Doubts to NCAA Champ

In a flash, Cornell’s Vito Arujau attacked the far leg of Penn State’s Roman Bravo-Young, plucked his right ankle, elevated, and drove the opposite direction to score his second takedown of the 133-pound NCAA final. That clip has become one of the most prominent of the NCAA Tournament, and at the moment, all ESPN analyst Jordan Burroughs could say was, “Wow.”

Bravo-Young, a two-time defending national champion, had no answer for the power of Arujau on those clean finishes, which included a second-period reversal to his back where RBY stood little chance.

But to the surprise of many, RBY, who is billed as perhaps the sport’s quickest athlete, also seemed to have no good response for the incredible speed of Arujau. The visual of Bravo-Young looking helpless to Arujau’s leg attacks was striking.

The Cornell junior also out-powered Oklahoma State three-time NCAA runner-up Daton Fix and made it look easy in an 11-3 major in the semis. Two different opponents, two different styles, and Arujau took the action to both of them in dominant performances.

“He’s world-class, I’ve been saying it a long time,” Cornell coach Mike Grey said. “Those two guys, they’re fast and powerful. Vito is just stronger and faster than Daton and RBY.” … rest of story at Intermatwrestle.com/articles/26618Wrestling+News

Yianni D on Becoming a 4x NCAA Champion & Making History

Yianni D is now just the 5th ever 4x NCAA Champion after earning another title at 149lbs this weekend. Today, friend of the show Yianni came back on to talk all about the tournament, his season, his career & what’s next. 

We talk through: 

• – The bracket match by match
• Is the weight lifted now that the mission has been accomplished
• Bouncing back from Austin Gomez loss
• What Mike Grey has done for Yianni … rest of the story at Baschamania.com/podcast/yianni-d-on-becoming-a-4x-ncaa-champion-making-history

March 26, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment