No. 2 Lander wrestling dispatches No. 18 UNC Pembroke 30-7 to claim the SACC Championship
GREENWOOD – The No. 2 Lander wrestling team took care of business Thursday evening as it dispatched No. 18 UNC Pembroke 30-7 to claim its second straight SACC title.
The Bearcats conclude the regular season with a 20-2 overall record and a spotless 10-0 SACC record. Lander also finishes the season riding an 11-match win streak. UNC Pembroke concludes the regular season with a 12-2 overall record and a 9-1 SACC record.
Lander began its match against UNC Pembroke with three straight wins to take an early 15-0 lead.
James Joplin got the party started with a pin against Cameron Greene at 125 to put the Bearcats up 6-0 for his 16th win and sixth pin of the year.
Elijah Lusk recorded his 25th win of the season with a 15-0 tech fall in the third period after recording three straight four-point near falls. Lusk has now recorded seven tech falls this season.
Zeth Brower moved down his opponent with a 17-6 major decision. Brower recorded three takedowns and a reversal in the third period as part of his stellar performance. Brower is now 27-0 with eight wins by major decision.
The Braves would record back-to-back wins by decision at 149 and 157 before the Bearcats got a 14-5 major decision win at 165 from David Hunsberger. Hunsberger recorded six takedowns in the win as he recorded his 26th win of the year.
Jack Bond would keep the points coming in with a 12-5 win by decision to give Lander a 22-6 edge. Bond’s opponent would score all his points via escapes.
The Braves would take their last win at 184 to make it a 22-9 contest.
Anthony Yacovetti was next to record a win for the Blue and Gold. Yacovetti recorded a 17-2 tech fall that saw two four-point near falls in the third period for his 22nd win of the season and fourth tech fall of the year.
UNC Pembroke’s coach would cost his team two points for unsportsmanlike behavior, making it a 27-9 match.
Juan Edmond-Holmes finished the night with a 5-1 win by decision … rest of story at Landerbearcats.com/news/2023/2/9/wrestling-no-2-wrestling-dispatches-no-18-unc-pembroke-30-7-to-claim-sacc-champn.
No. 2 Lander Too Much For No. 18 Wrestling
GREENWOOD, S.C. – Second-ranked Lander used three-straight bonus point wins to build an early 15-0 lead, and held the 18th-ranked UNC Pembroke wrestling team at arm’s length the rest of the way out to post a 30-7 win over the short-handed Braves on Thursday evening in Horne Arena.
The setback snapped an eight-match win streak for the Braves (12-1, 9-1 SACC) who were without the services of three starters on Thursday evening, including top-ranked Logan Seliga at 125 pounds. The triumph helped the Bearcats (20-2, 10-0) push their win streak out to 10 matches, as well as secure the South Atlantic Conference Carolinas championship for the second-straight season.
Lander got bonus-point wins from third-ranked James Joplin (125 pounds), sixth-ranked Elijah Lusk (133) and top-ranked Zeth Brower (141) to build a ton of early momentum, but the Braves got on the board with consecutive wins – 11th-ranked Jake Piccirilli’s overtime triumph at 149 pounds and Rahsaan Vereen’s 3-2 decision at 157 pounds.
Lander closed out the night with four wins – a streak that was interrupted by Shylik Scriven’s 6-5 decision over fourth-ranked Logan Hall … rest of story at UNCPbraves.com/news/2023/2/9/no-2-lander-too-much-for-no-18-wrestl.
NO. 6 VIRGINIA TECH DEFEATS UNC FRIDAY NIGHT
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – No. 6 Virginia Tech (9-3, 3-1 ACC) was victorious on the road Friday night, defeating the No. 25-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels (6-8, 2-2 ACC) in Carmichael Arena in ACC dual action.
The Hokies stormed out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back, winning eight of 10 matchups with the Tar Heels. Lachlan McNeil (141) and Austin O’Connor (157) secured top-15 wins, courtesy of major decisions.
The Tar Heels return once again to Carmichael Arena next Friday night, welcoming No. 7 NC State for Senior Night to close out the regular season. … rest of story at GOheels.com/news/2023/2/10/no-6-virginia-tech-defeats-wrestling-friday-night
No. 6 NC State takes down No. 17 Pittsburgh, 23-6
NC State now in first place in ACC standings
RALEIGH Pittsburgh rolled into Reynolds Coliseum undefeated, and like so many teams over the last four seasons, they left with a loss.
No. 6 NC State got a leg up in its quest for another ACC title, by knocking off the No.17 Panthers, 23-6 Friday night.
With the win, the Pack (13-1) is tied with Pitt and Virginia Tech for first place, all three teams sitting at 3-1 in league action.
NC State wraps up the regular season next weekend at rival North Carolina.
The Wolfpack improves to 8-3 all-time versus Pittsburgh.
The visiting Panthers got the upper hand on the home team, winning the 141-pound class match to start the evening. The contest was a top-10 showdown between NC State’s Ryan Jack, No. 4 in the country, and No. 3 Cole Matthews from Pitt.
Matthews got a late escape to win 4-2. NC State won the next two matches to retake the momentum.
There were seven ranked-versus-ranked matchups on the night and three matches went into overtime.
One of the top matches was between Pitt’s Nino Bonaccorsi, the top-ranked wrestler in the 197 class and No. 8 Isaac Trumble.
Trumble pushed Bonaccorsi to overtime, before falling 6-4. In the other two overtime matches No. 29 Alex Faison rallied to defeat Luca Augustine with a late takedown. In the final overtime match, Owen Trephan appeared to have a takedown early, but his opponent was ruled out of bounds.
Wolfpack head coach Pat Popolizio challenged, but the call stood. In the extra period, Trephan got a takedown within the lines for the 3-1 win. That win felt like a must have for NC State, who led by five points with three matches remaining. … rest of story ad results at GOpack.com/news/2023/2/10/wrestling-no-6-nc-state-takes-down-no-17-pittsburgh-23-6
High School News – Western N.C.
Hendersonville wrestling’s Walker Mains breaks school record for career wins
Hendersonville boys wrestler Walker Mains has had to overcome several obstacles during his career.
Yet scoliosis and the COVID-19 pandemic couldn’t stop him from breaking the school record for most career wins on Saturday.
He got to No. 151 on Saturday at East Gaston, getting a pin in 30 seconds in his opening match of the weekend tournament. Mains went on to win four more matches Saturday and picked up two more victories Tuesday vs. Patton and Polk County, giving him a 157-24 career record.
The senior, who’s 46-2 this season wrestling at 145 and 152 pounds, also helped Hendersonville tally two more team victories. The Bearcats grabbed a 63-12 win over Patton and a 39-36 victory against the Wolverines.
Mains said coming into the season that he didn’t even know there was a school wins record to break. … rest of story at Blueridgenow.com/story/sports//nc-high-school-wrestling-walker-mains-hendersonville-wins-record
MAC Conference Dual Meet Results
Central Michigan Wrestlers Deliver When It Counts in Downing Kent State
CMU improves to 4-1 in MAC duals
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – Battling illness, the Central Michigan wrestling team had to dig deep.
The Chippewas delivered, winning three of the final four matches and six total on Sunday in downing Kent State, 22-15, in a Mid-American Conference dual at McGuirk Arena.
It was the Chippewas’ fourth consecutive MAC dual victory as they improved to 4-1 in the league. They can win the MAC West title with a victory next weekend at Buffalo.
“It was a real big win considering everything we have going on right now,” said CMU coach Tom Borrelli, whose team is 5-8 overall. “Our starting heavyweight (Bryan Caves) was in the hospital two days ago, our 157-pounder (Corbyn Munson) is really sick right now.
“We’ve been fighting the flu bug a little bit and it was good to fight through some adversity and be able to win. The biggest thing for us right now is getting healthy, getting over the flu. We might need to take a couple days to make sure everybody’s OK to get right back into training.”
Sunday’s dual started at 165 pounds and Tracy Hubbard got the Chippewas off to a fast start with a first-period pin, staking CMU to a 6-0 lead. Those six team points proved critical as the day unfolded.
CMU got decision victories from Alex Cramer (174) and Ben Cushman (184) before falling at 197 and at 285, where backup Simon Lato filled in for Caves, the starter.
That left CMU leading 12-6 heading into the second half of the dual. … rest of story at CMUchippewas.com/news/2023/2/5/wrestling-wrestlers-deliver-when-it-counts-in-downing-kent-state
Cleveland State Wrestling Comes From Behind to Defeat Kent State, 18-16
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland State (6-6, 5-3) edged out Kent State (0-12, 0-7) 18-16 on Thursday evening in the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion match.
Kent State started out the match with a 15-4 major decision at 125-pounds to take a 4-0 advantage. Jake Manley made it a one-point contest after pulling out a 4-3 victory at 133-pounds.
The Golden Flashes answered back with consecutive decisions to lead 10-3. No. 33 Marcus Robinson prevailed 9-7 at 157-pounds as the Vikings trailed 10-6. Daniel Patten followed with a 3-1 victory at 165-pounds as the hosts pulled to within a point, 10-9.
An injury default off an illegal move at 174-pounds pushed the margin back out to 16-9 in favor of Kent State.
With their backs against the wall, Cleveland State regrouped as DeAndre Nassar claimed a 5-2 decision at 184-pounds to get within 16-12. Anthony Perrine followed with a 3-1 win after recording a takedown just as the third-period horn sounded to make it a one-point match.
Daniel Bucknavich then completed the comeback for Cleveland State, winning 4-2 at 285-pounds as the Vikings came from behind to win, 18-16. This was the only time in the match that the Green and White led. … rest of story at https://www.csuvikings.com/sports/m-wrestl/2022-23/releases/20230209wknog1
NCHSAA girls wrestling: Wilmington representation grows ahead of state finals
Just a few years ago, girls wrestling wasn’t an option at some Wilmington-area high schools. But the sport is seeing increased participation across the country, and the Wilmington area is no exception.
The N.C. High School Association will hold its final girls state invitational this weekend; it will become an official NCHSAA sport for the 2023-24 school year. Here’s a look at the seven local competitors who advanced out of last weekend’s regional competition, aiming for a championship this weekend in and around Greensboro.
OVERCOMING TRUAMA ON THE MATA turbulent childhood haunted Laney wrestler Avery Buonocore, now he’s thriving on the mat
ANDRE ADAMS NOT FINISHED AT LANEYHow Andre Adams’ rise as Laney wrestling coach embodies sport’s sacrifice, dedication
STATE CHAMPIONLaney wrestling’s Alex Hopper ready to lead Bucs’ next charge after championship season
The area’s deepest program to date, Laney has eight girls on its team this season, four of whom are competing at Saturday’s tournament.
Sophomore Elaina Pollock returns as a frontrunner to take the title in the 185-pound division. As a freshman, Pollock made history for Laney, becoming the first female to win a title. … rest of story at Starnewsonline.com/story/sports/high-school/nchsaa-girls-wrestling-wilmington-area-state-qualifiers-lily-prendergast-elaina-pollock
How a college wrestling dual works, for new and causal fans
This 2023 season’s most-hyped, most-anticipated matchup between No. 1 Penn State and No. 2 Iowa not only lived up to expectations and broke Big Ten Network viewership records, it prompted an important discussion within the wrestling community about how to grow the sport and capture new fans for similar duals.
This is a guide for all of those fans, the ones who might have watched the dual or the ones who might be interested in a dual in the future. It’s also a guide for returning fans and life-long ones. Wrestling rules are complex and change frequently, but here’s the most up-to-date breakdown on what to expect when you watch a wrestling match and how to follow the action.
The start of the dual
Every collegiate wrestling dual includes 10 contested bouts at the following weight classes: 125, 133, 141, 149, 157, 165, 174, 184, 197 and 285 pounds. Before each dual, a team will weigh in every probable starter one hour before competition. So if the dual starts at 7 p.m., all wrestlers who could potentially compete in the dual will weigh in at 6 p.m.. A team may weigh in more than one wrestler at each weight, but only one wrestler will compete in each weight.
The weigh-in process is private, but formal. Only wresters, coaches, medical staff and a weigh-in supervisor may be at the site of the weigh-in. The wrestlers’ exact weights will be captured on a digital scale and recorded on a formal sheet.
Duals typically start at 125 pounds, though, technically, the rule book simply says “Immediately after the weigh-in for a dual meet or multiple dual meets conducted on the same day, coaches may mutually agree to determine the starting weight class for the matches.” Again, coaches typically agree on 125 pounds, but there’s often a strategy behind a coach choosing not to start at 125 pounds. If the coaches do not agree to start at a given weight, they will flip a coin, and the winner of the coin toss can choose the starting weight. Regardless of which weight coaches choose to start at, the weight classes will then proceed in sequential order. For instance, if, for some reason, the dual starts at 165 pounds, the next bout will be 174 and so on.
The individual matches
Every wrestling bout includes three periods and seven minutes total. The match is broken down as follows:
- First period: three minutes
- Second period: two minutes
- Third period: two minutes
The match begins with both wrestlers coming to the center of the circle, facing each other, and shaking hands. They begin the bout in a neutral position, with both of them standing on their feet. When the ref blows the whistle, they begin to wrestle. … rest of story at NCAA.com/news/wrestling/article/2023-02-08/how-college-wrestling-dual-works-new-and-causal-fans
Latest NCWA Men’s Rankings Released Ahead of Conference Championships
One thing has become clear since the NCWA National Duals…Bellarmine is for real. Not only are they for real in the NCWA Division with a shot at a National Title in March, but they are a legitimate contender in their NCAA Southern Conference as well compiling an overall dual record of 10-2, with their only NCAA-D1 losses coming to Appalachian State and Gardner-Webb. What isn’t clear is which team will leave Puerto Rico with the National Championship title. The current rankings have Liberty still at #1 with 78 points; however, Bellarmine has closed the gap considerably at #2 with 75 points. The top-10 NCWA-D1 are as follows:
#1 Liberty University (Lynchburg, VA) – 78
#2 Bellarmine University (Louisville, KY) – 75 [NCAA-D1]
#3 The Apprentice School (Newport News, VA) – 61
#4 University of Toledo (Toledo, OH) – 42
#5 Grand Valley State University (Allendale, MI) – 39
#6 Queens University of Charlotte (Charlotte, NC) – 29 [NCAA-D1]
#7 Springfield Tech CC (Springfield, MA) – 26
#8 University of Central Florida (Orlando, FL) – 21
#9 Allen University (Allen, SC) – 14 [NCAA-D2]
#10 Grays Harbor College (Aberdeen, WA) – 13
Leading NCWA-D2 are some of the mainstays:
#1 Ohio State WC – 25
#2 Penn State WC – 21
#3 Slippery Rock – 11
#4 Rutgers WC – 10
#5 Fresno State WC / South Carolina / Virginia Tech WC – 9
Bellarmine and Liberty dominate the #1 spots for the men:
125 – Jack Parker – So – Bellarmine – 21-10
133 – Michael Schiffhauer – Fr – Bellarmine – 20-4
141 – Melvin Rubio – Gr – Queens – 11-10
149 – Zach Blevins – Gr – Toledo – 6-1
157 – Grant O’Dell – Fr – Bellarmine – 8-3
165 – Cole Nance – So – Bellarmine – 22-11
174 – Luke Lardarello – Jr – Penn State-Mont Alto – 10-5
184 – Ben Liss – Jr – Rutgers WC – 17-2
197 – Josiah Murphy – Sr – Liberty – 9-1
235 – Jeff Allen – Sr – Liberty – 22-2 … rest of story and rankings at NWCAonline.com/latest-ncwa-mens-rankings-released-ahead-of-conference-championships
NCAA – DI Live Streaming Guide (2/9 -2/12/2023)
TDR Editor’s Notes ; So many options of live wrestling to watch from afar. It is even more exciting in person yet if one can’t be there then ….
We’re into February and winding down the dual season, but have a full-schedule of DI duals whis week. A total of 56 duals will be contested. Since it can be difficult to figure out where and when to watch all of these events, InterMat has put together a list of all of the live-streamed events occurring this weekend. Below are the dates/times and how to watch each match (with links).
All times are eastern
Thursday, February 9:
Kent State at Cleveland State 7:00 PM Cleveland State YouTube
Friday, February 10:
Columbia at Harvard 6:00 PM ESPN+
Indiana at Michigan State 6:30 PM B1G+
Campbell at Bellarmine 7:00 PM BU Knights Sports Network
LIU at Brown 7:00 PM ESPN+
Lehigh at Bucknell 7:00 PM ESPN+
Gardner-Webb at Chattanooga 7:00 PM ESPN+
Buffalo at Clarion 7:00 PM Clarion Rokfin
Millersville at Franklin & Marshall 7:00 PM Centennial Conference TV
Binghamton vs. Cornell at Hilton, NY 7:00 PM BlueFrame Tech
Purdue at Maryland 7:00 PM B1G+
Pittsburgh at NC State 7:00 PM ACC Network Extra
Virginia Tech at North Carolina 7:00 PM ACC Network Extra
Nebraska at Ohio State 7:00 PM Big Ten Network
Princeton at Penn 7:00 PM ESPN+
Penn State at Rutgers 7:00 PM B1G+
Duke at Virginia 7:00 PM ACC Network
Air Force at West Virginia 7:00 PM ESPN+
Rider at Edinboro 7:00 PM FloWrestling
Oklahoma at North Dakota State 8:00 PM NDSU All-Access
… rest of the matches (there are many) at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/26493
Carolinas College & University Results
Oakley Named SoCon Wrestler of the Week
BOONE, N.C. — A fifth member of App State’s wrestling team has won SoCon Wrestler of the Week honors.
In the 25-6 dual win against Chattanooga, with both teams entering the dual at 4-0 in the league, App State’s Ethan Oakley won a 5-2 decision over 13th-ranked Brayden Palmer at 133 pounds.
Oakley broke a 1-1 tie on a takedown with 18 seconds left and responded to a late escape by registering one more takedown in the closing seconds to improve to 4-0 in SoCon duals and 6-0 in all duals.
Oakley, who stepped into the starting role at 133 following Sean Carter’s season-ending injury in mid-January, has gone 13-4 in his last 17 matches.
Oakley joins Carter, Jon Jon Millner, Will Miller and Will Formato as weekly winners for the 2022-23 season.
The 2022-23 season is presented by Hungry Howie’s and Penn Station. App State wraps up the regular season on Sunday, Feb. 19, with a home tripleheader against Campbell (also 5-0 in the SoCon), Presbyterian and Davidson starting at 2 p.m. … rest of story at APPstatesports.com/news/2023/2/8/-20-wrestling-oakley-named-socon-wrestler-of-the-week
Wolves Trounce The Trojans On Senior Night
Newberry Honors The Seniors En Route To A Sizable Win
NEWBERRY, S.C. — In what would be the last home dual of the season, Newberry Men’s Wrestling played host to the Trojans from the University of Mount Olive in a matchup between the number three and number four teams in the South Atlantic Conference Carolinas. The Wolves looked to rebound from the last outing in dual action as they were defeated at home by the Lander Bearcats back on February 1. With the Trojans coming off of a sizable 54-0 victory against Emory & Henry, Newberry needed to defend the home field advantage and end on a high note in conference play and for Senior Night.
Starting the night off at 141 lbs, Josh Blatt (Albemarle, N.C.) started off strong for the home team, winning a decision 8-3 over Hayden Waddell. Dallas Wilson defeated senior 149 lbs Devan Moore (Baxley, Ga.) by decision 7-2 in the ensuing match before senior 157 lbs Will Evans (Richmond Hill, Ga.) secured his first win in dual action on the year, pinning Tyler Vinson at 2:05.
The Trojans came back to win the fourth match of the night, with Mike Vernagallo beating 165 lbs P.J. Wunderlich (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) by tech fall (16-0, 4:57), but the number one wrestler at 174 lbs in Super Region II, Dayton Fields (Seneca, Mo.), made sure to avenge the loss of his teammate by winning against Seth Thomas by a 19-2 tech fall. 184 lbs ZeBrandon Gant (Springfield, Ga.) continued the winning ways for the Wolves, securing a 14-5 major decision over Noah Williams, and 197 lbs Khris Walton (Merrillville, Ky.) did the same, winning by major decision over Jonathan Clack.
The following match resulted in Nico Ramirez … rest of story at Newberrywolves.com/news/2023/2/8/wrestling-wolves-trounce-the-trojans-on-senior-night
Carolinas Showdowns all around – Season 6, Column 79
Conference titles, area bragging rights, and post-season seeds are all on the line in multiple Carolinas clashes starting with Thursdays match between DII powerhouses Lander and Pembroke.
31-3 for a combined record, 18-0 in conference. Nine athletes ranked in the Top 12 nationally between both teams. A staggering three dozen plus podium placements plus multiple titles from multiple wrestlers at multiple tournaments for these two squads combined efforts. Gaudy achievements indeed for the Pembroke Braves and the Lander Bearcats in advance of their South Atlantic Conference Carolinas showdown this week. The series has had a decidedly UNC-P flavor as it stands 3-0 for the Braves so far. SO FAR. Please have no doubt that the Bears Den, Finis Horne Arena, will be jammed to the rafters with Lander loyals howling for the first win in this young but spirited series. National rankings definitely would point to a Bearcats victory with Lander coming in #2 and UNC-P #18. The fireworks will start from the jump as Pembrokes 125lb Logan Seliga is top ranked and should face Landers #4 in the nation James Joplin. What a boost it would be for the Bears if Joplin could hand Seliga, The Midwest Classic and Citrus Invitational champ, his first loss of the season. …
The ACC regular season title will be settled Friday…IF the visiting Pitt Panthers can take down Pat Popolizios NC State WolfPack in Raleigh. Neither going to preview this match nor predict it, but fully expecting to see a magnificent clash of Titans. When the dust settles on this season this series of matches between The WolfPack, the Panthers and Tony Robies Virginia Tech Hokies will be what folks look back on as the year the ACC “arrived.” Especially those with BIG10 tinted glasses. …
See you sometime soon!
Ted Carreras … for full column at Morewrestlingplease.wordpress.com/2023/02/09/season-6-column-79-carolinas-showdowns-all-around
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
