Takedown Report

2023 NAIA Wrestling National Championships Qualifiers Announced

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – (Qualifiers by Weight Class | Qualifiers by School | Qualifiers by Conference) The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has officially announced the qualifiers for the 2023 NAIA Wrestling National Championships hosted at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kan. The 66^th annual event features four sessions and starts on March 3^rd before ending on ESPN3 during the Championship bouts on Saturday, March 4^th.

Each conference tournament was awarded automatic bids per weight class based on the final regular-season poll, which can be seen HERE. Each conference was awarded automatic berths 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 will go to the tournament individual champions, even if the conference did not have any wrestlers ranked in the final regular-season poll. 

After the conference tournaments concluded, an 18-member committee consisting of conference raters and oversight members met to select the remaining national at-large qualifiers. In total, 36 student-athletes were selected by at-large classification. The seeding and preliminary brackets will be announced on NAIA.org by 5 p.m. (CST) on Friday, February 24.

Grand View (Iowa), Indiana Tech, and Southeastern (Fla.) will travel 12 wrestlers to the national championships. Life (Ga.), Morningside (Iowa), and Ottawa (Kan.) will bring 11 wrestlers total; Campbellsville (Ky.) and Menlo (Calif.) will bring along 10 each.  

The Cascade Collegiate Conference led all conferences with 57 individual qualifiers. … rest of story at NAIA.org/sports/mwrest/2022-23/Releases/Qualifiers

February 25, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Women’s Weekly: Championship Season Is Here

The National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships are March 3-4 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Here is what you need to know about who qualified.

Spots in the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships were on the line over the weekend at five separate regional qualifiers. The top four wrestlers from each region qualify for the NCWWC tournament in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on March 3-4. 

Each team can qualify up to 15 wrestlers for the championship tournament that includes NCAA programs from Division I, II, and III schools. This is the fourth year of the event while women’s wrestling continues to work toward NCAA championship status. McKendree University — a D2 program in Lebanon, Illinois — won the first three championships (2020-22) and will seek its fourth title in March. 

Iowa, Lindenwood, Presbyterian, and Sacred Heart are currently the only D1 programs to offer women’s wrestling, although the Hawkeyes will not compete until next season. Below is a breakdown of each region with comments from the winning coach. … rest of story at Flowrestling.org/articles/10609793-womens-weekly-championship-season-is-here

February 25, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Nebraska Defeats Arizona State 25-15 on Senior Day

Lincoln, Neb. – Behind a pin and two technical falls, the Nebraska wrestling team defeated Arizona State 25-15 on Senior Day in front of 2,684 fans at the Devaney Center. 

The dual started with a top-ten matchup at 125, where No. 4 Liam Cronin used a takedown and four near-fall points in sudden victory to overcome No. 8 Brandon Courtney. After Period 3, the two had each only tallied an escape to be tied up 1-1. The effort in overtime gave Cronin the 7-1 decision to start the Huskers off strong.
Boo Dryden battled at 133, but was pinned by No. 4 Michael McGee in the first period. At 141, No. 5 Brock Hardy fell to Emilio Ysaguirre in a 10-4 decision. Ysaguirre struck first with a takedown and four near-fall points to grab the 6-0 lead. Hardy tallied an escape and a takedown to chip away and get within three, 6-3. Each wrestler recorded an escape to close the second period with a 7-4 score. In the final period, Ysaguirre earned three more points for a reversal and the riding time point.Dayne Morton held tight with No. 5 Kyle Parco at 149, jumping out to a 2-1 lead in the second period with a takedown. Parco quickly regained the lead with a reversal. In the last two minutes, Parco claimed the riding time point to earn the 5-2 decision.

Top-ranked Peyton Robb remained undefeated as he dominated Max Wilner to win by technical fall within the first 10 seconds of the second period. Early in the bout, Robb recorded a pair of takedowns to go up 4-1. From there, Robb tallied 12 straight swipes to give him the 17-1 technical fall and bring the team score back within four points of Arizona State, 12-8.

Bubba Wilson continued the momentum at 165, defeating Tony Negron with a 3-1 decision. Wilson scored a takedown in the first period to go up 2-0. Negron had an escape in the second period, but Wilson pulled away again with a third-period escape.

Up next at 174, No. 2 Mikey Labriola tabbed a 9-6 decision over Cael Valencia to maintain his 24-0 record. In the first three minutes, Labriola had a pair of takedowns, while Valencia recorded two escapes. Labriola held on to a 6-4 advantage entering the final period after grabbing two escapes and allowing a takedown in the second period. … rest of story at Huskers.com/news/2023/2/19/wrestling-recap

February 25, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NATIONAL GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL RANKINGS FOR FEBRUARY RELEASED, IN THE HEART OF THE HIGH SCHOOL STATE MEET SEASON

USA Wrestling, FloWrestling and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum has published its February 2023 rankings for high school girls wrestlers for the 2022-23 season. This national ranking evaluates all girls enrolled in grades 8-12, and athletes from all 50 states are eligible for selection.

The annual state high school championships season is upon us, with the results of the events having a considerable impact on the rankings.

Girls state championships, both official and unofficial, have already been held in Alabama, Alaska, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. A number of other states have already held the qualifying events for their state championships.

There were a number of changes in the rankings based upon athletes competing in different weight classes from where they were ranked.

Shelby Moore of Washington, who was No. 1 at 127 pounds, has dropped to 122 points, and takes over the No. 1 position there. Destiny Rodriguez of Oregon, who was No. 1 at 164 pounds, has dropped back to 152 pounds and taken over No. 1 at that weight class.

With the previous No. 1 at 100 pounds jumping two weight classes, Morgan Turner of Illinois is the new No. 1 at 100 pounds. With Moore dropping down, the new No. 1 at 127 pounds is Cadence Diduch of Illinois. With Rodriguez dropping down, as well as the previous No. 2 at 164 going down as well (Jasmine Robinson of Texas), returning as No. 1 at 164 pounds is Ella Pagel of Minnesota. … rest of story at Teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2023/February/17/National-Girls-High-School-Rankings-February

February 25, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Carr Tabbed USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week

AMES, Iowa – David Carr has been named the USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week after going 3-0 in his final week of the regular season.

In the most anticipated match of the season, No. 2 Carr, a 2021 NCAA champion, defeated No. 1 Keegan O’Toole of Missouri, a 2022 NCAA champion, Wednesday in Columbia, Mo. Carr scored two takedowns in the match and rode O’Toole for the entire third period to earn a riding time point in his 7-2 victory.

Carr extended his winning streak to 26 matches and snapped O’Toole’s 41-match win streak.
The Canton, Ohio native also earned a victory over Northern Iowa’s No. 13 Austin Yant, 20-6, last Friday and defeated Illinois’ Anthony Federico, 16-2, on Sunday.

Carr finished the regular season with 72 takedowns while only allowing three, a 24:1 ratio. He posted a 20-0 record with victories against eight wrestlers ranked inside the top 15 in InterMat’s latest rankings. … rest of story at Cyclones.com/news/2023/2/17/carr-tabbed-usa-wrestling-athlete-of-the-week

February 25, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

COLLEGE POST-SEASON KICKS OFF WITH FIVE NCWWC REGIONALS FOR NCAA WOMEN’S TEAMS

Are you ready for the college post-season? It arrives this weekend.

It all kicks off with five Regionals for NCAA women’s wrestling teams. These are the qualifying events for the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships, which are set for Cedar Rapids, Iowa, March 3-4.

The NCWWC Nationals enters its fourth year, as the national tournament for NCAA women’s teams. Women’s wrestling is an emerging sport in all three NCAA divisions, but is not yet an official NCAA Championships event. This event will be held until the NCAA takes it over, a process which is expected to occur within a number of years due to the growth of women’s wrestling among NCAA schools.

Last year, there were four Regional qualifying events, which has expanded to five for this season. The top four wrestlers in each weight class from each Regional will advance to the national championships. There will be a true-fourth place match in any weight class where the fourth- and fifth-place wrestlers did not meet. This will expand the NCWWC Nationals field to 20 athletes in each weight class.

Three Regionals will be held on Saturday, Feb. 18, Region I (at Gannon), Region II (at King) and Region III (at UW-Stevens Point). The other two will be on Sunday, Feb. 19, Region IV (at North Central) and Region V (at Colorado Mesa).

Note: The NAIA women’s conference tournaments are also beginning next week, and will serve as qualifiers for the NAIA Women’s Nationals for the first time. … rest of story at Teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2023/February/17/NCWWC-Regionals-preview

February 25, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NO. 2 IOWA ROLLS NO. 6 COWBOYS ON SENIOR DAY

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Seniors Spencer Lee, Max Murin and Jacob Warner all posted Senior Day wins to lead the second-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team to a 28-7 victory over No. 6 Oklahoma State on Sunday afternoon in front of a sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Hawkeyes won the first six bouts and eight of 10 matches overall to finish the regular season with a 15-1 dual record. Iowa posted two bonus point wins and won four matches decided by two points or less on the day.
“Winning close matches is important,” said head coach Tom Brands. “Getting your hand raised the right way is important. There are always things you’re not satisfied about. Two guys didn’t get the W, but they still have to move forward because it’s the postseason.
“We want to emphasize that we’re a dominant team and sometimes dominant wrestlers have to win close matches. Before the match I said the order is different, nothing else is changed. It’s simple, do what you do best. This time of the year, it’s even more important to do what you do best.”
Starting at 165 pounds, No. 9 Patrick Kennedy opened the dual with a 7-4 win over Wyatt Sheets to open the dual. The Minnesota native had one takedown in the first, trailed 3-2 after two and used two takedowns in the third to ice the match. Kennedy has won four straight matches to improve to 16-2 overall.
No. 16 Nelson Brands followed with a gritty 3-2 victory over No. 7 Dustin Plott at 174. Brands used a second-period takedown to take the lead and his third period escape was the difference as he posted his highest ranked win since 2021. The Iowa City, Iowa, native is 6-4 overall with two ranked wins. … rest of story at Hawkeyesports.com/news/2023/02/19/no-2-iowa-rolls-no-6-cowboys-on-senior-day

February 24, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NWCA Releases Division II Men’s Coaches Regular Season Poll #4

MANHEIM, Pa.- Heading into the postseason, the Central Oklahoma Bronchos narrowly held onto the top spot in Division II wrestling, in the latest edition of the NWCA Division II Coaches Poll, released Jan. 20 by the Association.
Just two points separate the Bronchos from #2 Lander, with UCO coming in with 82 points and the Bearcats 80. Central Oklahoma has a poll-high nine ranked wrestlers, highlighted by the nation’s top heavyweight in Shawn Streck. St. Cloud State and West Liberty are tied for the third place spot (64 points), with defending National Champion Nebraska-Kearney rounding out the top five with 59 points.

INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS

Behind UCO’s nine ranked wrestlers, the Huskies of St. Cloud State have eight ranked individuals, highlighted by 2021 National Champion Abner Romero in the top spot at 174. Lander features seven ranked wrestlers, led by reigning National Champion Zeth Brower at the top of the 141 ranking.

A pair of wrestlers are new to the #1 spot this ranking, with Quentrevion Campbell of Chadron State taking over the top rank at 133 and the aforementioned Streck taking over the #1 slot at 285. All 10 top-ranked individuals represent different programs. 

Super Region 4 & 5 combine for about half of the nation’s ranked wrestlers, with 33 coming from Super Region 5, including a pair of number ones in UW-Parkside’s Shane Gantz at 165 and Romero at 174. Super Region 6 has the most number ones, with Campbell at 133, Adams State’s Noah Hermosillo at 157 and Nebraska-Kearney’s Billy Higgins at 184.

On the team side of things, three of the 10 teams in Super Region 5 are ranked in the Top 10, while 8 total teams appear in the Top 25. Super Regions 4 and 6 both each have a pair of teams in the Top 10.  
Super Regionals loom Feb. 25 or 26 for the 64 NCAA Division II wrestling teams, with Super Region 1 being hosted at East Stroudsburg, Super Region 2 at UNC-Pembroke, Super Region 3 at Tiffin, Super Region 4 at Central Oklahoma, Super Region 5 at Northern State and Super Region 6 at Chadron State.  The top three at each weight class from each of the six regions will  then descend upon Cedar Rapids, Iowa for the 2023 NCAA Division II National Championships March 10-11. … rest of rankings and story at NWCAonline.com/nwca-releases-division-ii-mens-coaches-regular-season-poll

February 24, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

TDR Top 12 – Best Girl Wrestlers in Eastern North Carolina – 2023

TDR Editor’s Notes; The following is a list of the 36 best female scholastic wrestlers in Eastern North Carolina. They are recognized for their successful in competition for this season. Last year the 1st Olivia Neal Award was presented to Isabel Rodriguez of Dixon H.S. for her contributions to the growth in opportunities for female wrestlers in the TDR coverage area. We also awarded wooden engraved TDR Top 12 plaques to the top 5 female wrestlers last season. This year we will present the 2nd Annual Olivia Neal Award and TDR Top 12 plaques to the top 12 wrestlers. As the number of female wrestlers in all age groups has grown by a 30-50% rate each year it becomes challenging to keep track of the numbers. This is encouraging for the sport and for their opportunities in competition. Next season over 30 states will have sanctioned championships for girl wrestlers and over 130 colleges will have women’s varsity teams. Our award winners will be announced in early March.
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February 21, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

2022-23 NAIA Men’s Wrestling Coaches’ Top 20 Poll – Final

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Grand View (Iowa) now leads the NAIA Men’s Wrestling Coaches’ Top 20 Poll for the seventh straight rankings period this year. With the rest of the Top Five remaining the same, the biggest movement comes from Morningside (Iowa) and Cumberlands (Ky.) each leaping four spots. The Cascade and Mid-South Conferences lead the way with five institutions each represented. 

Poll Methodology

• The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the eight conferences.
• Two days prior to the national poll, each qualifying group rater submits the top 10 individuals from each weight class in his conference into the system. Only wrestlers listed on a conference ballot are considered for the national ballot.
• The top 25 individuals in each weight class is based on how each voter ranks the best individuals. An individual receives 25 points for each first place vote, 24 for second place and so on through the list. This same point system is used to determine the team ranking.
• The highest and lowest ranking for each team (a non-rating is considered a low rating) is removed and the team’s ranking will be recalculated with an additional point added to each team for every ballot
• For the complete Top 20 calendar, click here. … rest of story at NAIA.org/sports/mwrest/2022-23/Releases/7_National=Wrestling

February 21, 2023 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment