Takedown Report

TDR Top 12 – 170 lbs.

TDR Editor’s Note; Posting one weight class each day even while in Ohio. Melton’s selection as 1st at this weight is clear in that none of his losses are to another wrestler in eastern North Carolina. Brown comes in a strong 2nd with a 5th place at states and then the next three are all Regional Champions. Reece edged Brown the week before in overtime but was overcome at States.
We welcome input and views sent to us at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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March 6, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

TDR Top 12 – 182 lbs.

TDR Editor’s Note; Posting one weight class each day even while attending the Southern Conference Tournament at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. Enthusiastic fans, intense coaches and exciting wrestling action. Great chance to see some of the best in college wrestling. It is the time of tournaments this month.
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March 4, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

TDR Top 12 – 195 lbs.

TDR Editor’s Note; Four wrestlers from eastern North Carolina earned medals at the state tournament last month in this weight class. One from each of the divisions. We welcome input at martinkfleming@gmail.com ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

March 3, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Pre-Seeds and Brackets Set for 2023 ACC Wrestling Championship

GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) — The Atlantic Coast Conference has announced pre-seeds and brackets for the 2023 ACC Wrestling Championship, which will be held this Sunday (March 5) at NC State’s Valvano Arena at Reynolds Coliseum.
Pitt leads with four No. 1 seeds in their respective weight class brackets, including defending champions Cole Matthews at 141 pounds and Nino Bonaccorsi at 197.
Four-time defending ACC team champion NC State and Virginia Tech each boast two No. 1 seeds, while Duke and North Carolina have one each.
Other defending champions in this year’s field include NC State’s Ed Scott (157) and Trent Hidlay (184), and Virginia Tech’s Mekhi Lewis (174). Lewis won the 2019 NCAA title at 165 pounds and North Carolina’s Austin O’Connor – seeded No. 1 at 157 in this year’s field – was the 2021 NCAA champion at 149.

ACC pre-seeds for this year’s tournament were generated by WrestleStat.com.
Complete 2023 ACC Wrestling Brackets may be found at https://theacc.co/23WRbrackets
Each weight class champion and runner-up at the 2023 ACC Championship will earn All-ACC recognition. In addition to ACC honors, student-athletes will be vying for berths and seeding in the 2023 NCAA Wrestling Championships, which will be held March 16-18 at BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The ACC has been allotted 33 automatic berths and is hopeful of earning several more at-large selections. 
NC State finished the regular season ranked No. 3 in the NWCA Coaches Poll, with Virginia Tech at No. 10 and Pitt at No. 15. Those three teams shared the ACC 2022-23 regular-season dual meet championship, as each finished 4-1 in conference matches.
Tickets are now on sale for Sunday’s all-day championship, and all seats are general admission.. Tickets are priced at $10 for adults (ages 19 and older; ACC students get in free with school ID) and $7 for youth ages 18 and under. Group sales (15 or more) are priced at $5 – please contact the NC State ticket office directly for group sales. Tickets may be purchased online at https://theacc.co/23ACCtix.
First-round action kicks off Sunday’s Championship at 11 a.m. … THEACC.com/news/pre-seeds-and-brackets-set-for-2023-acc-wrestling-championship

Bellarmine’s Nance named SoCon Wrestler of the Week
Sophomore grabbed four wins in the final week of the regular season

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Bellarmine’s Cole Nance has been named the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week for the final week of the regular season. The selection is made by the league office.
Nance went 4-0 last week at 165 pounds. The Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, native defeated Presbyterian’s Tyler Chittum with a pin 2:31 into the match on Thursday to wrap SoCon competition. Two days later, Nance won three matches during the NWCA Great Lakes Championships to claim the title in his weight class. Nance’s first victory of the day came via pin over Akron wrestler Hamza Sawalha in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, the sophomore got a 12-0 major decision win against Ohio State’s Jake Gooding. Nance concluded his day by earning his third pin of the week in the finals against Ohio State wrestler Yury Pozdneev.
Bellarmine (12-4, 4-4 SoCon) defeated Presbyterian (4-11, 1-7), 22-20, to set a school record for wins in a season. Nance and six others were champions during the NWCA Great Lakes Championships as the Knights placed second in points out of nine teams with 132. … rest of story at SOconsports.com/wrestling-bellarmines-nance-named-socon-wrestler-of-the-week

March 3, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

2023 SoCon Championships Preview & Pre-Seeds

2023 SoCon Conference Preview

12 total allocations/25 in 2022

When: Saturday

Where: Boone, North Carolina (Appalachian State University)

How to Watch:ESPN+

Over the past decade, one of the most competitive conference tournaments, from a team standpoint, has been the SoCon. Five times in the last ten years the top-two squads in the team race have finished within six points of each other. The 2022 edition of the SoCon Championships was one of those occasions as Campbell edged Appalachian State (100.5 to 95) to claim their fourth consecutive SoCon title. Can the Camels make it five? As has been the case in each of those four previous tournaments, the Mountaineers have an imposing team and are capable of winning it all. Appalachian State posted a perfect dual record this year with a 22-14 win over Campbell accounting for the only time that a SoCon team posted double-digits in team points against them. Campbell is battle-tested with their tough dual schedule and a history of recent success at this tournament. Also in the mix is Chattanooga. Though it doesn’t appear that the Mocs have the firepower to unseat either of the top-two teams, they are a talented group that looks secure in third place.

In addition to watching out for an exciting team race, there are some excellent individuals to watch. Jonathan Millner will be wrestling in his final conference tournament and has the opportunity to go down as one of the best wrestlers in SoCon history.

The SoCon was hurt on conference allocation release day, as they were only earmarked for 12 total allocations, across ten weights. That’s something that should rise as the young teams in the league improve. But for Saturday, it should make for intense competition as NCAA qualifying slots will be highly-coveted and rare.

Below is our weight-by-weight preview of the action, along with predictions for top-four finishers at all ten weights and a team race projection. Wrestlers bolded are the ones we have pegged to receive automatic qualifying bids at their respective weight classes.

125 lbs

(1 allocation)

It surprised me slightly when allocations were released and the SoCon only received one slot at 125 lbs. The favorite will be #14 Caleb Smith (Appalachian State), a 2022 NCAA qualifier, who has had an excellent season. Smith hasn’t tasted defeat since he finished fifth at the Southern Scuffle. Last year, Smith needed an at-large berth to get to Detroit. He’s hoping that isn’t the case this time…. rest of story at Intermatwrestle.com/articles/=Wrestling+News

Southern Conference announces seeding for 2023 Wrestling Championship

Eight teams set to compete for the championship crown on Saturday

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference has released the seeds for the 2023 SoCon Wrestling Championship, the league office announced Wednesday. The championship is set to take place Saturday, March 5, at the Holmes Convocation Center in Boone, North Carolina. Eight squads will compete for the 2023 SoCon title with 12 NCAA allocations available for the NCAA Championships.
 The SoCon earned two NCAA allocations each at 133 pounds and 174 pounds. The remaining weight classes earned one allocation each, which is the automatic qualifier for the conference tournament champion.
 Campbell seeks to defend its last four tournament titles under third-year head coach Scotti Sentes. The Camels finished second in the conference regular-season standings with their only loss coming to App State on Feb. 19. App State finished first in the conference standings, concluding the campaign with an 8-0 conference record and 12-2 record overall.
App State’s Jonathan Millner (149), the 2022 SoCon Championship most outstanding wrestler, is looking for his third-straight title. Campbell’s Shannon Hanna (141), Caleb Hopkins (184) and Taye Ghadiali (285), Gardner-Webb’s RJ Mosley (165) and Chattanooga’s Matthew Waddell (184) are all looking for a second straight individual crown. Waddell won the title at 197 a season ago.
Millner, Caleb Smith (125), Ethan Oakley (133), Tommy Askey (157) and Will Formato (165) enter the championship as the No. 1 seeds in their respective weight classes for App State. The Mountaineers’ remaining seeded wrestlers include Heath Gonyer (141, No. 3), Will Miller (174, No. 2), Luke Uliano (184, No. 5), Carson Floyd (197, No. 2) and Jacob Sartorio (HWT, No. 3).
Campbell holds four No. 1 seeds for the third consecutive year, with Hanna (141), Caleb Hopkins (184), Levi Hopkins (197) and Ghadiali (HWT) all earning a top spot. The Camels’ remaining seeded wrestlers include Anthony Molton (125, No. 3), Domenic Zaccone (133, No. 2), Chris Rivera (149, No. 3), Troy Nation (157, No. 2), Dom Baker (165, No. 4) and Cole Rees (174, No. 6).
The Citadel’s John Chesser is the No. 2 seed in the heavyweight class and is the Bulldogs’ highest-seeded wrestler. The seeds for the remaining wrestlers for The Citadel are Blair Orr (125, No. 5), George Rosas (133, No. 5), Jacob Silka (141, No. 5), Ethan Willis (149, No. 5), Anthony Allen (157, No. 6), Brodie Porter (165, No. 8), Ben Haubert (174, No. 3), Tim Fitzpatrick (184, No. 6) and Mark Chiad (197, No. 8).
Davidson’s seeds are Devon Diaco (125, No.8), Jackson Sichelstiel (133, No. 6), Josh Viarengo (141, No. 6), Noah Frack, Davidson (149, No. 6), Tanner Peake (157, No. 3), Bryce Sanderlin (165, No. 6), Jaden Hardrick (174, No. 5), Cameo Blankenship (184, No. 8), Gavin Henry (197, No. 7) and Jake Fernicola (HWT, No. 6).
Mosley, Zach Price (141) and Jha’Quan Anderson (184) are all No. 2 seeds in their respective weight classes for Gardner-Webb. The other Bulldogs that will be competing on Saturday are Drew West (125, No.4), Todd Carter (133, No. 4), Parker Corwin (149, No. 8), Tyler Brignola (157, No. 7), Andrew Wilson (174, No. 8), Sam Mora (197, No. 3) and Abraham Preston (HWT, No. 7).
Presbyterian will compete in its third conference championship, as the squad finished its fourth season as a member of the SoCon. Dominic Chavez received the highest seed for the Blue Hose as he is the No. 2 seed at 125 pounds.
Chattanooga secured one No. 1 seed, that being Rocky Jordan (174), entering the championship on Saturday. Noah Castillo (149) is a No. 2 seed and Waddell looks to follow his 2022 title at 197 pounds … rest of story at SOconsports.com/news/2023/3/1/southern-conference-announces-seeding-for-2023-wrestling-championship

March 2, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

TDR Top 12 – 220 lbs.

TDR Editor’s Notes; Next weight class in our provisional final rulings. Some of the win-loss records may need corrections. The rankings are determined by end of season results and head to head competition. We welcome input from fans and coaches. Email us at martinkfleming@takedownreport
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March 2, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

TDR Top 12 – 285 lbs.

The following are the Top 12 scholastic wrestlers in eastern North Carolina ranked based on end of season performance and head-to-head match results. The wrestlers ranked as 13th are tied for honorable mention at this weight. Later this month we will announce the top 35-40 wrestlers who will be awarded a TDR Top 12 wooden plaque with their name engraved on it. We welcome input, reactions and views emailed to us at martinkfleming@gmail.com

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March 1, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

TDR Top 12 Awards – Girls 2023

The following Girls Wrestlers will be recognized as being a TDR Top 12 wrestler in Eastern North Carolina in 2023. They will be awarded an engraved wooden plaque with their name and weight class this spring. The top wrestler will be recognized with the 2nd Annual Olivia Neal Award for their contribution to the growth in girls’ wrestling.

March 1, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Regional Tournaments News & Results

TDR Editor’s Notes ; The first four stories are from Division II Regionals and the following five stories reports are from some of the Division III Regionals. These competitions determine which wrestlers will qualify to compete in their National Championships two weeks later on March 10th & 11th.
Contact us at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – No. 2 Wrestling rolls over the competition at Super Regionals – Nine wrestlers qualify for the national championship
PEMBROKE, N.C. – For the first time in program history, the No. 2 Lander wrestling team has taken home the Super Region II title after blitzing past the competition with 164 team points.

The Bearcats saw nine wrestlers qualify for the Div. II National Championship in Cedar Rapids, Iowa., on March 10 and 11.

After Lander’s 164 team score, the next closest team was Mount Olive’s 115. Newberry College rounded out the top three with 111.5 points.
The Bearcats also set a new scoring record at the Super Region II championships with their 164 team score. The Bearcats have increased the number of wrestlers they’ve sent to the National Championships each year. 2021 saw two wrestlers qualify while 2022 saw four. Lander finished Super Regionals with nine national qualifiers, seven Super Region championships, one second-place finish and one third-place finish.

James Joplin – 125 (3-0)

After getting a bye in the first round, James Joplin took down Lens Mathurin of Mount Olive with his seventh pin of the year to advance to the semifinals. Joplin would take care of business in the semifinals as he earned a 13-2 major decision over Kevin Radcliff of Limestone to advance to the finals. … rest of story at Landerbearcats.com/news/2023/2/25/no-2-wrestling-rolls-over-the-competition-at-super-regionals-nine-wrestlers-qualify-for-the-nationals

2 } – D2 Insider: A Look At Super Regional Weekend
The duals are done for the D2 season and it’s time to get prepared for the postseason
The dual portion of the Division 2 wrestling season has come to an end and teams are gearing up for a postseason run starting with this weekend’s Super Regional tournaments. This is the opportunity for wrestlers to punch their tickets to the national tournament. 

The Super Regions are divided across the country at the following sites: 

Super Region 1: Host school — East Stroudsburg
Teams: #10 Pitt-Johnstown, #11 Mercyhurst, #19 (tied) Millersville, #23 (tied) Gannon, Alderson Broaddus, American International, East Stroudsburg, Fairmont State, Kutztown, Seton Hill, Shippensburg. 

Super Region 2: Host school — UNC-Pembroke
Teams: #2 Lander, #16 UNC-Pembroke, Belmont Abbey, Coker, Emmanuel, King, Limestone, Lincoln Memorial, Mount Olive, Newberry.

Super Region 3: Host school — Tiffin
Teams:  #4 (tied) West Liberty, #12 Glenville State, … rest of story at Flowrestling.org/articles/10615928-d2-insider-a-look-at-super-regional-weekend

3 } – Grizzlies qualify five for Nationals; Win Super 6 Regional
CHADRON, NEB. – The No. 8 ranked Adams State University wrestling team proved they are a tournament team on Saturday afternoon at the NCAA Division II Super 6 Regional. The Grizzlies were able to climb to the top and win the team title with 114 points, four points behind No. 3 ranked University of Nebraska Kearney.
Of those five wrestlers, four of them were regional champions. Qualifying at 125 pounds was No. 3-ranked Brendon Garcia, qualifying at 149 pounds was No. 3-ranked Josiah Rider, at 157 pounds and remaining undefeated on the season was No. 1 ranked Noah Hermosillo, at 165 was Aaden Valdez and at 184 was Hunter Tobiasson at third place.
At 125 pounds, Brendon Garcia, the No. 1 seed and ranked No. 3 at the weight in the latest polls, won his quarterfinal match with a 12-2 major decision over University of Nebraska Kearney’s Bishop Murray. He won his semifinal match 5-3 over Chadron State’s Quade Smith. He capped of the night with a 3-1 decision in the title bout over Western Colorado’s Patrick Allis.
At 133 pounds, Dale Van Matre dropped his first match to Weston Diblasi … rest of story at ASUgrizzlies.com/news/2023/2/26/wrestling-wres-grizzlies-qualify-five-for-nationals-win-super-6-regional

4 } – Mountain Cats Capture Second Straight and 25th NCAA Regional Wrestling Crown With Four Champions
FULL TOURNAMENT RESULTS     |     TOURNAMENT WEBSITE

Head Coach Pat Pecora, the Regional Coach of the Year, and the Pitt-Johnstown wrestling team captured their second straight and 25^th overall NCAA Division II Regional crown with four champions and a total of eight national qualifiers, Saturday evening in East Stroudsburg.
Pitt-Johnstown won the team title with 148.0 points, 14.5 points better that second-place Gannon.  Mercyhurst (109.5 pts.), Kutztown (77.5 pts.) and Millersville (71 pts.) rounded out the top-5 in the 11-team field.
The Mountain Cats came away with four champions, one runner-up, and three third-place finishers to account for their eight national qualifiers, who advance to the NCAA Division II National Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on March 10 and 11.
All 10 Pitt-Johnstown wrestlers earned pre-tournament seeds, including Trevon Gray (125 lbs.), Caleb Morris (133 lbs.), Jacob Ealy (149 lbs.), Nate Smith (157 lbs.), and Alex Weber (174 lbs.), who were all seeded first in their respective weight classes.
Gray, Ealy, Smith, and Biddle all won titles, while Vance was the runner-up at 285 lbs.  Daubert, Morris, and Rodgers all finished third to round of the eight national qualifiers.
Gray won an 11-3 major decision over Gannon’s Jose Diaz to win the title at 125 lbs., before Ealy, the top-ranked wrestler in the country at 149 lbs. who is 26-0 on the year, held off second-ranked Nick Young (Gannon), 5-4, in the finals at 149 lbs. … rest of story at Pittjohnstownathletics.com/news/2023/2/25/mountain-cats-capture-second-straight-and-25th-ncaa-regional-wrestling-crown-with-four-champs

5 } – Eight Wrestlers Qualify for Nationals, No. 4 Men’s Wrestling Wins Central Regional Championships
CLEVELAND – Eight Baldwin Wallace University men’s wrestlers qualified for the 2023 NCAA Division III Championships as the No. 4 nationally ranked and Ohio Athletic Conference Champion Yellow Jackets won the NCAA Division III Central Regional Championships hosted by Case Western Reserve University in the Veale Center.

BW was first of 20 teams with 175.5 points.   The Yellow Jackets have now won the regional championship in three of the last five years and have finished in the top two in seven straight seasons. 

The top-three wrestlers in each weight class earn All-Central Region honors and qualify for the NCAA Division III Championships.

The eight BW qualifiers included four champions, three runner-up wrestlers and one third place finisher.

Qualifying Yellow Jackets

Senior No. 3 nationally ranked and regional top-seeded All-American 125-pounder Jacob Decatur (Akron/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy) – Champion

• Won a 19-2 technical fall over Shaun Pratt of Trine (Ind.) … rest of story at BWyellowjackets.com/sports/wrest/2022-23/releases/centralchamps

6 } – Three-Peat! No. 9 Wrestling Wins Third Straight Regional Title; Seven Ducks Advance to Nationals
Five regional champions highlight impressive team victory
YORK, Pa. (February 25, 2023) – First-year Nico Diaz, senior Hunter Gutierrez, first-year Ryan Smith, junior Stefan Major and graduate student Michael Dooley were each crowned regional champions as No. 9 Stevens Institute of Technology wrestling captured its third straight Southeast Regional title Saturday at the M&T Bank Field House. 

Junior Luke Hoerle finished third at 125 and senior Kyle Slendorn finished second at 141 as the Ducks will send seven wrestlers to the NCAA Division III National Championships to match a program record. The regional titles were the first for Diaz, Smith and Gutierrez, while Major and Dooley each captured their second. 

As a team, Stevens amassed 181 points over the two-day event, which was hosted by York College of Pennsylvania, to finish atop the 21-team standings and claim the program’s third straight regional title. Stevens finished 36.5 points ahead of second-place Alvernia, who totaled 144.5 points. Washington & Lee finished third with 109 points, with York (97) and Wilkes (87.5) rounding out the top five. Lycoming’s Gable Crebs won the award for the most falls, while Greensboro’s Josh Wilson took home Outstanding Wrestler honors. Washington & Lee swept the coaching accolades as Alex Radsky was named the region’s Staff Person of the Year and Nathan Shearer was named Coach of the Year to round out the individual awards.

“The effort that was shown this weekend by our 10 wrestlers was amazing to watch,” head coach Joe Favia said. “Win or lose, the product that was put on the mat this weekend was something this program should be proud of and that starts with Harrison who rattled off five victories in row after dropping his opening match … rest of story at Stevensducks.com/news/2023/2/25/wrestling-2023Regionals

7 } – Auggie men win regional, send 8 to national tourney
FULL RESULTS | AUGSBURG RESULTS

MEQUON, Wis. — Qualifying eight individuals to the NCAA Division III National Championships and winning two regional titles, the Augsburg University men’s wrestling team won its 20th straight regional championship, taking the crown at the NCAA Division III Upper Midwest Regional, held Friday and Saturday at Concordia University-Wisconsin.

THE BASICS
TEAM SCORES: Augsburg 1st/19 (176.0)
LOCATION: Concordia University-Wisconsin, Mequon, Wis.

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Two Auggies — 285-pounder Tyler Kim (JR, Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS) and 149-pounder Charlie Stuhl (SO, Ellsworth, Wis./Ellsworth HS) — won regional titles over the weekend, with three Auggies earning runner-up honors and three Auggies finishing third to claim berths in the NCAA Division III National Championships, which will be held March 10-11 at the Berglund Center in Roanoke, Va.  Augsburg has had seven or more national tournament qualifiers in 19 of the last 20 seasons.
• Augsburg, ranked No. 3 in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III tournament national poll and No. 2 in the dual-meet poll … rest of story at Augsburg.edu/news/2023/2/25/mwr022523.aspx?utm_source=Wrestling+News

8 } – Wrestling Claims Third Straight NCAA Super Region 3 Team Title; Eight Hilltoppers Qualify For Nationals
TIFFIN, Ohio – The West Liberty University wrestling team claimed its third straight team title and qualified eight wrestlers for the national tournament Saturday at the NCAA Super Region 3 Championships hosted by Tiffin University.

Cole Laya (125) and Jacob Simpson (149) headlined the day battling to the top of their respective podiums. 

Seven Hilltoppers made the finals and nine competed in the semifinals. Vincent Scollo (133), Jamar Williams (157), Chase Morgan (174), Ty McGeary (184), and Francesco Borsellino (285) all finished second in their brackets. Alec Cook wrestled back to a third place finish at 165 to also earn a bid to the national tournament.

West Liberty totaled 137.5 team points finishing atop the 11-team leaderboard. Lake Erie (114.5), Findlay (104.0), Glenville State (103.5), and Tiffin (96.0) rounded out the top five.

Laya, ranked No. 2 nationally, won his fourth career and third consecutive super region title with a pair of falls in the quarter and semi finals, then a hard-fought 2-0 decision in the championship over No. 11 ranked Brandon Mendoza, of Tiffin, behind a second period escape and riding time advantage. Laya will be competing in his fifth national tournament and will attempt for a third straight gold medal. 

Simpson went 3-0 on the day to claim his first super region title. He dominated the quarterfinal round with a 17-0 tech fall, then earned his championship bid with a 4-2 decision. In the title bout, Simpson and Austin Fietz, of Lake Erie, were scoreless in the final period, but the Hilltopper prevailed with escape and ride time advantage points.

Scollo rolled into the semifinals after back-to-back 15-0 tech falls to start the day. … rest of story at Hilltoppersports.com/news/2023/2/25/wrestling-claims-third-straight-ncaa-super-region-3-team-title-eight-hilltoppers-qualify-for-nationals

9} – D3 Insider: Can Anyone End The ‘Burgs Three-Decade Title Run?
It’s been 30 years since a school other than Wartburg or Augsburg captured the Division III title and the D3 powers are once again 1 and 2 in the rankings

In the year 1994, Friends debuted on NBC, Nancy Kerrigan was attacked by Tonya Harding’s bodyguard and Brazil won the World Cup.

The year 1994 also was the last time a team other than Augsburg University and Wartburg College won the Division III wrestling national championship.

Ithaca College owns the distinction of being the last team to win a title other than Augsburg or Wartburg, and the Bombers will host one of six regional tournaments this weekend that serve as the NCAA National Championship qualifier.

Instead of asking defending champion head coach Eric Keller from Wartburg what it takes for the Knights to repeat, he was asked what would it take for somebody other than Augsburg or Wartburg to win.

Keller’s answer was he doesn’t know because he says going down that road distracts you from what is really important.

“Honestly, for us, I don’t think about what other people need to do or what they are doing,” Keller said. “I think once you let your focus shift to other people, other teams you lose sight of what you are doing. Us personally, all we ever focus on is what we are doing.

“That is something we talk about every week when we are competing. It is about us and how we compete and the things we do. This weekend will be no different and the national tournament won’t be any different. I think that is the approach you have to have to compete at the highest level.” … rest of story at Flowrestling.org/articles/10617806-d3-insider-can-anyone-end-the-burgs-three-decade-title-run

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

2022-23 NAIA Men’s Wrestling Preliminary Brackets Released

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – (Brackets – PDF | Watch Live) The preliminary brackets for the 2023 NAIA Men’s Wrestling National Championships have been released by the National Office. Once again, Hartman Arena in Park City, Kansas will be the site for all the action. The battles across 10 weight classes will run March 3rd and 4th. 

All matches at the national championships for Sessions I, II, and III will be stream live via FloWrestling. Access to the live results and brackets can be found through TrackWrestling. The championship bouts on Saturday will air on ESPN3 (www.watchespn.com).

Brackets were verified and approved by the NAIA-Wrestling Coaches Association Bracketing Committee. Previously, the 18-member committee consisting of conference raters and oversight members met to select the remaining at-large qualifiers. Next, the 18-member committee along with three new oversight members determined the ranking order of each weight class. This was used as the basis for the Bracketing Committee and later verified. 

Each conference tournament awards automatic bids per weight class based on the final regular-season poll, which can be seen HERE. The automatic berths were awarded based on the amount of wrestlers ranked in each weight class. Each conference was awarded a minimum of one automatic bid per weight class, which went to the tournament champions, even if the conference did not have any wrestlers ranked in the final regular-season poll. 

The Cascade Collegiate Conference led all conferences with 57 individual qualifiers. The Heart of America Athletic Conference was second with 43 student-athletes while the Mid-South Conference was … rest of story at NAIA.org/sports/mwrest/2022-23/Releases/Preliminary_Bracket_Release

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