Takedown Report

Bentley Reaches 100 Wins in SoCon Sweep of PC, Davidson

BOONE, N.C. — JohnMark Bentley reached a career milestone Sunday.  
Coincidentally, he achieved it in the company of many App State wrestlers who helped him get there. With a large group of wrestling alums in attendance for the annual Old Timers Match, Bentley picked up the 100th win of his head coaching career as the Mountaineers swept a Southern Conference doubleheader in Varsity Gym.
App State opened the doubleheader with a 48-0 victory against Presbyterian and finished it with a 41-3 victory against Davidson to improve to 3-0 in SoCon action and 4-2 overall. In the process, Bentley improved his career record to 101-68-1 (with five SoCon regular season titles) since he became the Mountaineers’ head coach in 2009.
In between the two wins Sunday, App State recognized its wrestling alums with a presentation that included handshakes from Bentley, who received plenty of congratulatory embraces and comments immediately after the announcement of his 100th victory.
“I’m just honored and humbled and thankful to be able to coach a lot of great wrestlers and a lot of great teams,” Bentley said. “My sights are all looking forward to what we’re going to do to move forward.”
App State picked up 19 wins in 20 total matches, with bonus points resulting from 15 — there were a combined four forfeits. Cary Miller (heavyweight), Matt Zovistoski (157 pounds) and Jonathan Millner (149 pounds) delivered pins as part of 2-0 afternoons, with Millner accounting for 11 points individually thanks to a tech fall in his other match.  Rest of the story at https://appstatesports.com/news/2020/1/12/wrestling-bentley-reaches-100-wins-in-socon-sweep-of-pc-davidson.aspx?mc_cid=35027a7ecb&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

January 13, 2020 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Wisconsin considers proposal for girls wrestling division

Girls wanting to wrestle in high school in the state of Wisconsin may soon have a division of their own, as a proposal is under development to create a separate girls division with opportunities to win a state title.
An ad hoc committee comprised of coaches and administrators — along with the Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Association (WWCA), and the Wisconsin Wrestling Federation — are crafting a proposal that then would go to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA), the Wisconsin State Journal of Madison reported Thursday.
“Girls wrestling is taking off all over the country with nearly 20 states sanctioning a girls division,” according to Stoughton athletic director Mel Dow, a proponent of expanding wrestling opportunities for girls in Wisconsin. “The WWCA has a proposal nearly complete that will allow for girls to join their schools wrestling team, train and compete against comparable opponents throughout the season and then have the opportunity to compete for a state title like the boys have been afforded for decades. The current proposal does not impact the current structure of the boys individual state series and would provide for greater attendance at the WIAA team state event.”
Right now, the proposal would add a separate, fourth division within the current wrestling season… provide an additional level for schools that offer wrestling (a new girls level to join existing varsity, varsity reserve, and junior varsity)… provide opportunity for females to compete for an individual state title… permit girls to practice with the existing team (without need to establish a separate program with its own coach)… and allow girls to choose to compete in regular-season events or girls-only events.
According to the proposal as outlined in the Wisconsin State Journal article, girls would practice with the boys, teams could use the girls in regular-season duals and teams could use females during regional and team sectional events. A girl who qualifies for individual sectionals would have to choose between competing in the boys’ sectional tournament or wrestling in the female state tournament.
The number of high school girls participating in wrestling within the state of Wisconsin is growing quickly. According to statistics supplied by Stoughton’s Dow, in 2018-19, 127 of 333 schools (38%) in Wisconsin had a female wrestler on the roster, with a total of 248 females who wrestled in the state last school year. So far in the 2019-20 school year, 143 of 336 schools (43%) have a female wrestler on the roster and 325 females have competed overall. Rest of the story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/22853?fbclid=IwAR0MzEVTU6wAJZqUXOcHX5_BGthmMnGqqBXLvhGz-Q-QNlWINUiKXCcxi5w

January 13, 2020 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

45th College News, Results and Reports

Wrestling Senior Night to Honor C.J. Morgan
WEST POINT, N.Y. – This seasons Army West Point wrestling senior night versus Lehigh, now on Jan. 31 at 7 p.m., has officially been moved to West Orange High School in West Orange, New Jersey, to honor the late Black Knights wrestler, C.J. Morgan. “We just felt like moving our senior day match to West Orange was the right thing to do,” said head coach Kevin Ward. “I left the decision up to our seniors, and they didn’t hesitate, they knew they wanted to wrestle in C.J.’s home gym on senior night. I appreciate everyone’s support in making this happen and we look forward to honoring C.J. on senior night.” Morgan, originally of West Orange,  Rest of the story at https://goarmywestpoint.com/news/2020/1/6/wrestling-senior-night-to-honor-c-j-morgan.aspx?mc_cid=55aa4b0df7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Mike Raccioppi Honored as PSAC WrestlER of the Week
EAST STROUDSBURG – East Stroudsburg University redshirt senior Mike Raccioppi was announced on Monday as the PSAC Wrestling Athlete of the Week. Raccioppi (Middletown, N.Y./Minisink Valley) went 4-0 for the Warriors at the Williams Open and claimed the 174-pound title after defeating Chance Lapier from Castleton University via a 10-8 decision.
His other three wins were pins and totaled 12:32 as he finished fifth among individual wrestlers with the most pins in the least amount of time.
Raccioppi also claimed the 174-pound title at the Bob Quade Cyclone Open, going 4-0 with three pins. He notched an 18-3 tech fall victory against Pitt-Johnstown’s Brock Biddle in a bout between the top two wrestlers in Super Region I to open the 2019-20 season. Raccioppi is currently ranked No. 1 at 174 pounds … Rest of the story at https://esuwarriors.com/news/2020/1/6/mens-wrestling-mike-raccioppi-honored-as-psac-wrestling-athlete-of-the-week.aspx?mc_cid=55aa4b0df7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Top 10 Oklahoma State Wrestling Moments of the Decade
List of the top 10 OSU wrestling moments of the last ten years
With the 2010s closed up as of last week, I decided to take a look at what I see as the top 10 moments of the decade for Cowboy wrestling
Dieringer wins Hodge
The Hodge award is given annually to the best wrestler in all of college wrestling. For the 2015-16 season, Alex Dieringer was that guy. He was really untouchable for his entire junior and senior season, and for his senior year he was recognized as the best.
Coleman Scott wins Olympic Bronze
In 2012 Coleman Scott won an Olympic Bronze Medal. This was the 16th medal won at the Olympics by a former Oklahoma State wrestler. Relive his medal match here. With the 2010s closed up as of last week, I decided to take a look at what I see as the top 10 moments of the decade for Cowboy wrestling.
Oklahoma State beats Iowa in front of 13,811
What can’t you say about how great this was? The environment, the crowd, the win! To date the, best sporting event I’ve ever attended. The building legitimately shook when Nick Piccininni pinned Spencer Lee.
With the 2010s closed up as of last week, I decided to take a look at what I see as the top 10 moments of the decade for Cowboy wrestling
Grapple on the Gridiron
OSU came out on the losing end of this one, but during the 2015-16 wrestling season Oklahoma State went to Iowa in November and wrestled in front of a 42,287 fans. It’s hard to overstate what big events like this mean for the sport and pretty awesome that OSU was able to be a part of it. Rest of the story, and video at https://pistolsfiringblog.com/top-10-oklahoma-state-wrestling-moments-of-the-decade/?mc_cid=55aa4b0df7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Northern Iowa’s Taylor Lujan named the Big 12 Wrestler of the Week for Week 9. This honor serves as the first Conference award of the season for the senior. Lujan won the title at the Midlands Championship, going 5-0 in the process, including a perfect 4-0 in the championship bout. The senior registered a pair of falls and a major decision, while his 25-9 technical fall against Utah Valley’s Jacob Armstrong helped the Panthers to their first Big 12 victory of the season. Rest of the story at https://iawrestle.com/2020/01/07/taylor-lujan-named-big-12-wrestler-of-the-week-2/?mc_cid=381ae09669&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

D3 WRESTLER OF THE WEEK: JOSIAH GEHR
The d3wrestle.com Wrestler of the Week is Josiah Gehr of Messiah. Gehr won the 133 lbs. weight class at the Washington & Lee Jim Crytzer Memorial Tournament last weekend. He started the day with a pair of technical falls and tacked on an 8-0 major decision in the semifinals. This set up a finals match with #1 ranked returning All-American Levi Englman of Ferrum. Gehr overcame an early 3-0 deficit to earn a 5-3 decision. For his efforts, Gehr was named MAC Wrestler of the Week. Gehr, a sophomore from Stevens, Pennsylvania, was … Rest of the story and release at https://www.d3wrestle.com/wrestler-of-the-week-josiah-gehr/?mc_cid=381ae09669&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Mount Union’s Jordin James Finalist for Greater Cleveland Male Collegiate Athlete of the Year
Mount Union junior wrestler Jordin James (Bedford) has been named a finalist for the Greater Cleveland Male Collegiate Athlete of the Year Award that will be presented as part of the 20th annual Greater Cleveland Sports Awards on Wednesday, January 22 at the Renaissance Hotel downtown. James went 34-1 on the mat a year ago as he was just the third wrestler in school history to in an NCAA individual national title. He wrestled at 133 pounds with 15 technical falls, six major decisions and four pins while winning tournament titles at Messiah (Pa.), Wheaton (Ill.) and the NCAA Central Regional. He is an exercise science major, who wrestled his freshman year at Iowa Lakes Community College. His brother Jairod also wrestled at Mount Union and he won the 2018 national title at 174 pounds. The Sports Awards is a celebration that supports a local non-profit and honors …  Rest of the story at http://athletics.mountunion.edu/sports/wrest/2019-20/releases/20200107dcrs13?mc_cid=381ae09669&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Seeing Double: The Twins of Little Rock Wrestling
LITTLE ROCK – You’re seeing double, but you don’t need to get your eyes checked. As Jayden Carson and Jaylen Carson walk in wearing matching Little Rock wrestling sweatshirts, the only major difference between the identical twins is the St. Louis beanie Jaylen wears, representing their hometown. The two usually dress the same, if not always.  “We like the same things because everything we do is done together,” explains Jaylen. That includes clothes, pastimes like fishing, and of course wrestling. The duo committed to Little Rock after buying into head coach Neil Erisman‘s vision for the Trojans: building a squad from scratch and turning the first Division I wrestling team in Arkansas into a high-level program. “We realized they were creating a program where we could have the opportunity to be the first conference champs, the first national champs, and that sounded cool to us,” says Jayden. “Our whole goal since we were younger was to wrestle at the Division I level together. We came here together to reach our dream. We would never leave each other.” “No matter what, we were going together, like a package deal,” Jaylen adds … Rest of the story at https://lrtrojans.com/news/2019/12/13/seeing-double-the-twins-of-little-rock-wrestling.aspx?mc_cid=381ae09669&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Brands: ‘Competition is Good’
IOWA CITY, Iowa — During a typical week, University of Iowa wrestlers Cash Wilcke and Abe Assad eat together once or twice.
Wilcke and Nelson Brands play video games together a couple times every week.

The thing that makes the relationship between these three Hawkeye teammates unique is that they are all competing for the varsity spot at 184 pounds. And they are all pretty darn tough.
Wilcke, a senior, is 11-2 and ranked 10th or 11th in the nation. Brands is a redshirt freshman with a 4-3 record. Assad, a true freshman, is 15-3 competing unattached. At the Midlands Championships on Dec. 29-30, Assad placed second, Wilcke third, and Brands went 2-2 and did not place. Any of the three could have their name called when No. 1 Iowa (4-0 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) travels to Indiana on Friday and to No. 18 Purdue on Sunday. “We have three guys (at 184 pounds) who could do the job and we’re not down on any of them,” Iowa head coach Tom Brands said Tuesday during … Rest of the story at https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2020/1/7/wrestling-brands-competition-is-good.aspx?mc_cid=381ae09669&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Buckeyes’ win over Sun Devils mixes up Top 10 in first poll of 2020
Manheim, Pennsylvania –  Ohio State’s 17-16 triumph over then-No. 4 Arizona State in a rare Monday night dual in Columbus kicked off the new year with a flurry as the first NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll of 2020 was released on Tuesday. Iowa remained a unanimous No. 1 and was idle in dual meet competition over the break, but the Hawkeyes set a tournament record for points in winning the title at the 57th Ken Kraft Midlands Championships to close out 2019.
There were over 30 duals involving ranked teams since the final poll of 2019, but in large, the rankings didn’t see anything major. Up top, Nebraska (5-0) remained second, followed by Penn State (3-1). With Arizona State’s loss, Virginia Tech (5-0) moved up a spot to No. 4. The Hokies picked up a pair of wins over the break, beating Chattanooga at home and then-No. 24 Central Michigan on the road. Ohio State (3-1) leap-frogged Arizona State and NC State to land at No. 5. NC State (7-0) stayed at No. 6, while ASU slid three spots to No. 7. Wisconsin, (7-1), Oklahoma State (4-1) and Pittsburgh (5-1) remained 8-9-10 to close out the Top 10.
Minnesota, Cornell and North Carolina all picked up four wins over the break, although Cornell and Minnesota also lost duals along the way. Lehigh (4-3) swept the South Beach Duals, going 3-0 with wins over Minnesota, Missouri and Duke. Minnesota (5-3) beat Cornell, Duke and Old Dominion at the South Beach Duals and also topped South Dakota State before Christmas. North Carolina spoiled the Division I home debut of Little Rock and then swept the West Point Duals, beating Wyoming, … Rest of the story at http://www.nwcaonline.com/buckeyes-sundevils-rankings/?mc_cid=381ae09669&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

NWCA DIII Team and Individual Rankings
The NWCA has released their latest 2019 – 2020 Division III team dual meet and individual rankings released by the ranking committee on Tuesday, January 7, 2020.
Individual rankings
Rest of the story and team rankings at http://www.nwcaonline.com/nwca-diii-team-and-individual-rankings/?mc_cid=381ae09669&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3rd season, Column 19: A Glorious 1st Half; An A-W Recap and Look-Ahead; Cue the Local angle, and…wine times 2
The College Wrestling Season put a beautiful bow on the seasons 1st half with 3 big time events spread from Illinois to Tennessee to Florida. As predicted by most and celebrated by many the Iowa Hawkeyes ran roughshod over the 57th Annual Ken Kraft Midlands with 5 champs and a team point total greater than 2nd place Northern Iowa and 3rd place Illinois combined. The Hawkeyes had 7 finalists, continuing the success shown from the combined 130-18 score of their first 4 dual meet wins. Iowas Midlands title was their 7th in a row and 29th overall. It could realistically be said Iowa could have had 2 more placewinners/finalists had 125LB 2X defending National Champ Spencer Lee not chosen to exit the tournament after cruising into the semifinals, and had 174LB Michael Kemerer been entered. The Hawks didn’t lack for a hero, though, as 165LB Alex Marinelli was named Champion of Champions and took home the Gorarrian award, most pins in least amount of time. For Marinelli any and all wrestling accolades earned and awarded are tinged with sorrow. The loss, prior to last season, of his dear friend (and wifes brother) Eli Stickley in a car accident has been documented nationally by the Flowrestling site. Suffice to say it is Marinellis mission to bring home a title for himself, his team and for family present in both body and spirit. Down Ft. Lauderdale, FL, way, the South Beach Duals is the newbie of the Big 3 events in college wrestlings first half conclusion. Just 3 years young, the Duals saw a format shuffle of sorts this year. Also, some teams committed to the event changed plans and chose the Midlands or the Southern Scuffle instead. 8 of the 9 teams at the event competed in 4 duals with only Lehigh having just 3 matches. Interestingly the Mountain Hawks were the only team to win all of their duals. Minnesota and South Dakota State were 3-1, and Cornell lost just once in 5 matches. Missouri and Michigan State went 2-2, while Wyomings retooled team picked up 1 win. Old Dominion and Duke suffered from bad matchups and some less than stellar effort at times and ended up 0-4. It should be noted that Oklahoma, NC State, and North Dakota State all withdrew from the event. O-U instead rested all but one of their starters and sent freshmen and sophomores to the Midlands, while NC St. and NDSU opted for Chattanooga and the Southern Scuffle. That proved to be fortuitous indeed for both the WolfPack and the Bison, who finished a solid 2nd and a most suprising 5th, respectively, behind champion Oklahoma State, in a field of 2 dozen teams. The Bison in particular blew up this sites top 5 Scuffle team prediction. NDSU easily outpaced Big 10 power Rutgers and fellow tough guy teams Rider, Lock Haven, App St. and up and coming host team UTC. The NC State WolfPack, Pitt Panthers and the Stanford Cardinal all did their part in fulfilling this sites Top 5 contenders status. S’OK, Rutgers, you’re the Scribes homeboyz. You want a Mulligan, you GET a Mulligan. The suprise teams of the Scuffle were no doubt the Bison and Big 12 Conference rival Northern Colorado. The Bears were 6th and both squads had real team efforts. NO titlists for either but 3 finalists and 10 placewinners between the 2 squads, and NDSU was without Top 10 ranked 165LB Andrew Fogarty. All in all the 3 events gave us 2 fairly easily predicted champs and a slew of surprises to set the 2nd half stage. Heres some news and notes from squads perhaps less publicized to … Rest of the story at https://morewrestlingplease.wordpress.com/2020/01/07/3rd-season-column-19-a-glorious-1st-half-an-a-w-recap-and-look-ahead-cue-the-local-angle-and-wine-times-2/?mc_cid=381ae09669&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

January 13, 2020 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Top 100 College teams in dual meet win percent in history – Part 6 (All)

Top 100 College teams Part 6  (in dual meet win percentages over history)
Earlier we listed the top college teams in total dual meet wins across the past 120 years.  These lists ranks the teams by the highest winning percentages of dual meets across the programs’ history.  Accurate team winning percentages are challenging as each win or loss makes a difference.  Previous lists looked at schools within their Divisions.
Part 1 – Women’s and National Junior College teams,
Part 2 – NAIA top teams,
Part 3 – Division III teams,
Part 4 – Division II,
Part 5 – Division I programs.
In order to qualify for this list we need at least 250 matches, at least 60 % winning percentage and at least 15 seasons recorded.
Note : records in italics indicate they are not complete.
The following is the top 140 schools across all divisions ranked by top wining percentage. The top schools are ;

Please e-mail information, correction and additional information.

January 12, 2020 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NC STATE WRESTLING: Wins 7 of 10 Bouts in 29-12 Win over #12 Princeton

By Brian Reinhardt
#6 @PackWrestle Wins 7 of 10 Bouts in 29-12 Win over #12 Princeton
Four bonus point wins, including a pin by Daniel Bullard in first match
RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State Wrestling team won seven of the 10 bouts, including four for bonus point wins, and defeating #12 Princeton 29-12 in Reynolds Coliseum. NC State started the dual with a first period pin by #17 Daniel Bullard at 174 pounds. After a takedown seven seconds in, Bullard got the turn and a pin at the 1:58 mark to give the Pack a quick 6-0 lead. The Pack went back-to-back bonus points, as #3 Trent Hidlay scored an 18-6 major decision. With seven takedowns and 3:18 of RT, Hidlay pushed the Pack’s lead to 11-0 after two bouts. The Tigers first win came via bonus points at 197 pounds, as #3 Pat Brucki scored a 13-3 major decision over #8 Nick Reenan. At heavyweight, Deonte Wilson scored a second period takedown and a reversal in the third period for the 6-1 (with 3:03 of RT). #3 Patrick Glry scored a 17-2 tech fall over Tommy Cox, and halfway through the dual, NC State held a 13-9 lead. R-Fr. Jarrett Trombley used an escape point in the third period to claim a 1-0 win at 133 pounds. At 149, there was an injury default and the Pack was awarded six team points. Matt Grippi got in on a takedown on #15 Mike D’Angelo and picked him up but the takedown went out of bounds and D’Angelo could not continue at the 0:32 mark. In a top-five battle at 157 pounds, #2 Hayden Hidlay scored takedowns in the first and the third periods and downed #5 Quincy Monday 7-2. The final bout ended with … Rest of the results and story at https://gopack.com/news/2020/1/11/wrestling-6-packwrestle-wins-7-of-10-bouts-in-29-12-win-over-12-princeton.aspx

January 12, 2020 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Champions crowned in six collegiate divisions at NWCA National Dual Meet Championships

Louisville, Kentucky – Streaks were again the theme as six National Dual Meet champions were crowned on Saturday at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky, at the 2020 U.S. Marine Corps NWCA Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships presented by ARMS Software and Defense Soap hosted by NUWAY.
Grand View (Iowa) won a record ninth straight NAIA championship by shutting out Life (Ga.) 40-0 in the final and extending the school’s dual meet win streak to 85 in a row. St. Cloud State (Minn.) also continued its National Duals winning ways as the Huskies won their fourth straight Division II championship and extended their Division II-record win streak to 58 after edging McKendree (Ill.) 17-16. McKendree (Ill.) needed criteria to top Simon Fraser (B.C.) 20-19 to win the first NCAA Women’s Division championship. The Bearcats came away with a second straight championship after winning the Women’s Division last year.
Traditional powers Wartburg (Iowa) and Augsburg (Minn.) met for the 12^th time in the Division III final, but Wartburg came away with a 24-15 victory to win its 12^th championship overall. Nassau Community College (N.Y.) won its third NJCAA championship, but its first since 2005 with a 23-15 win over Rochester (Minn.). The eight-team NJCAA field featured eight of the nation’s top non-scholarship junior college wrestling teams.
Menlo (Calif.) was the lone school to win a championship for the first time. The Oaks toppled top-seeded Campbellsville (Ky.) 22-19 to win the NAIA Women’s Division. With over 70 schools sponsoring women’s wrestling, this was the first year the NWCA created separate NCAA and NAIA women’s national dual divisions.
Division II Men
Steve Costanzo’s Huskies won their fourth straight Division II National Dual championship and sixth overall, which is most of any team since the inception of the Division II tournament in 2002. After topping Central Oklahoma 22-12 in the semis, St. Cloud State split five of the 10 bouts with McKendree, but Garrett Aldrich’s fall at 141 pounds proved to be the difference maker in the final.  Rest of the story, results and brackets at http://www.nwcaonline.com/champions-crowned-in-six-collegiate-divisions-at-nwca-national-dual-meet-championships/

January 12, 2020 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

2020 VIRGINIA DUALS – THE 40TH EDITION

2020 Virginia Duals Champions
National College Division – Rider
American College Division – Kutztown
National High School Division – McDonogh (Md.)
American High School Division – Kellam (Va.)
Black & Blue High School Division – Great Bridge (Va.)

Outstanding Wrestlers
National College Division – Larry Early (Old Dominion)
American College Division – Brandon Woody (Averett)
National High School Division – Bretli Reyna (South Dade)
American High School Division – Drew Shurina (Eastern View)
Black & Blue High School Division – Jesse Alvarado (Great Bridge)

Rest of the results, brackets and news at http://virginiaduals.mattalkonline.com/

January 12, 2020 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

44th College News, Results and Reports

OKLAHOMA DOMINANT IN ROAD VICTORY
ATHENS, Ohio – No. 20/NR/23 Oklahoma (2-2, 0-1 Big 12) rolled past the Ohio Bobcats (2-4, 0-1 MAC), 35-6, in its final non-conference dual on Sunday at the Convocation Center in Athens, Ohio. The Sooners took advantage of a trio of pins from Dom Demas, Justin Thomas and Anthony Mantanona and victories from five more Oklahoma wrestlers to record the program’s most dominant dual victory since Nov. 11, 2017, when it defeated Sacred Heart, 53-0. At 125, redshirt senior Christian Moody secured the first win for the Sooners against Ohio’s Trevor Giallombardo. Moody began with two early takedowns and added two escapes in the second period to record an 8-4 decision.  No. 16 Anthony Madrigal (133) gave the Sooners an 8-0 lead with a 19-4 tech fall victory against Ohio’s Derek Giallombardo. Madrigal scored first with a takedown, followed by a two-point nearfall to increase his lead to 4-0. Although Giallombardo escaped twice, Madrigal added three more takedowns on his way to victory.  Oklahoma’s next win of the day came … Rest of the results and story at https://soonersports.com/news/2020/1/5/wrestling-recap.aspx?mc_cid=8be8d92f8c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Oregon State Beavers Topple No. 22 Wolverines in Ann Arbor, 21-15
ANN ARBOR, Mich.– A fast start was all the Beavers needed as Oregon State never looked back and collected a 21-15 victory at No. 22 Michigan on Sunday afternoon.  Oregon State emerged victorious in six of its ten matches on the day as they racked up five decisions as a team. The Beavers ended the dual with a total of ten takedowns and eighteen escapes in the annual edition of the Joe Wells Classic. 
There were four bouts (125, 141, 157, 197) that featured wrestlers ranked in the top 30 of their weight class and Oregon State earned victories in two of the four matches.  Brandon Kaylor returned to the Beaver lineup after three weeks and represented OSU in the first bout of the afternoon as the sophomore dropped … Rest of the results and story at https://osubeavers.com/news/2020/1/5/wrestling-beavers-topple-no-22-wolverines-in-ann-arbor.aspx?mc_cid=8be8d92f8c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

What We Learned from the Holiday Tournaments
The holiday season in the college wrestling world is home to two of the best tournaments all season – the Midlands Championships and the Southern Scuffle. While the fields at this season’s Midlands and Scuffle weren’t quite what they have been in years past, there was still a lot of elite wrestling that took place and no shortage of lessons to be learned as a result. I chose a few lessons from each event that stood out to me and dove a little deeper into them below.
Seth Gross is winning on savviness more than ever before
A couple of years ago, Seth Gross was one of the most dominant wrestlers in the country. He went undefeated against wrestlers at his weight en route to an NCAA title and scored bonus against almost everyone along the way. This year, after taking a medical redshirt and … Rest of the story at http://www.hmawrestling.com/article/what-we-learned-from-the-holiday-tournaments/?mc_cid=8be8d92f8c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

#1 St. Cloud State wrestling posts a 33-16 win over Western Colorado
The #1 ranked St. Cloud State University wrestling team (6-0, 2-0 NSIC) opened the new year with a key 33-16 victory over non-conference rival #23 Western Colorado (2-3, 1-0 RMAC) on Sunday, Jan. 5 before a large SCSU Wrestling Alumni Day crowd in Halenbeck Hall. The victory extended SCSU’s consecutive match win streak to 54, which ties a team and NCAA DII record for most consecutive dual match wins.  The Huskies previously put together 54 wins from Jan. 30, 2011 to Jan. 12, 2014.  In a tough battle on Jan, 5, Western Colorado opened the dual with three consecutive wins to gain a 16-0 lead over the Huskies.  At 125, #3 Patrick Allis posted a 1:07 pin against SCSU’s Robby Horsman.  The Mountaineers extended their lead at 133-pounds with … Rest of the story at https://scsuhuskies.com/news/2020/1/5/-1-st-cloud-state-wrestling-posts-a-33-16-win-over-western-colorado.aspx?mc_cid=8be8d92f8c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Taylor Named Mid-South Wrestler of the Week
(COLUMBIA, Ky.) – Thomas More University senior Andrew Taylor (Cincinnati, Ohio/Elder) was named the Mid-South Conference Wrestler of the Week, as announced by the league office on Monday (January 6, 2020).  Taylor helped lead the Saints to a 10^th place finish at the Spartan Mat Classic hosted by Manchester University on Saturday (January 4). He placed fifth at the 174-weight class as he posted a 5-1 record. Taylor recorded three pins, which were in 1:14, 40-seconds and 55-seconds to go with a major decision win and a decision win. … Rest of the story at https://www.thomasmoresaints.com/sports/wrest/2019-20/releases/20200106lbs251?mc_cid=55aa4b0df7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

TACCHIA GARNERS FIRST HEART WRESTLER OF THE WEEK HONOR
Kansas City, MO – Dante Tacchia (SO/Iowa Falls, IA) collects his first-ever Heart of America Conference Wrestler of the Week honor after having a very successful weekend at the Viking Warrior Open that took place in Fremont, Nebraska.  Viking wrestler, Tacchia, went undefeated at the Viking Warrior Open to take the 133 weight class championship title. Starting off the day defeating Alec Segarra with a fall in 3:49. Heading into … Rest of the story at http://www.gvvikings.com/article/6439?mc_cid=55aa4b0df7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Brock Lesnar Returns to Minneapolis
International superstar Brock Lesnar has been named as an honorary Gophers coach for the team’s Big Ten opener against Wisconsin on Friday January 10, 2020 as the program celebrates the 20th anniversary of his NCAA Championship. The 2000 NCAA National Champion will be honored during the dual as he celebrates the anniversary of his 3-2 victory over Iowa’s Wes Hand in sudden victory. … Rest of the story at https://gophersports.com/news/2020/1/6/wrestling-brock-lesnar-returns-to-minneapolis.aspx?mc_cid=55aa4b0df7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Heil again named SoCon Wrestler of the Month
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – After adding another tournament title and finishing runner-up at the prestigious Midlands Championships, Campbell’s Josh Heil has been named the Southern Conference’s Wrestler of the Month for December. Heil, also the SoCon’s November Wrestler of the Month, fashioned an 11-1 overall record in December, adding yet another tournament title to his 2019-20 resume, as well as posting a Midlands Championships finals appearance. … Rest of the story at https://gocamels.com/news/2020/1/6/wrestling-heil-again-named-socon-wrestler-of-the-month.aspx?mc_cid=55aa4b0df7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

BUCKEYES HAND SUN DEVILS FIRST LOSS IN TOP-10 TILT
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The fourth-ranked Sun Devils of Arizona State University landed in Ohio with an unblemished 5-0 mark, including the stoppage of Penn State’s 60-match winning streak on Nov. 22, and left with a 17-16 defeat in-hand after No. 7 Ohio State (4-1) garnered enough to bonus points to secure victory.
A crowd of 4,132 assembled at the Covelli Center to witness the thrilling tussle. Buckeye fans were amazing tonight !! Crazy to see that much support on a Monday night! Thank you all for coming wasn’t too pretty but we got the job done  #gobucks
— Mountain Man (@moore_of_kollin) January 7, 2020
DUAL SCORE SHEET
Senior captain Luke Pletcher’s 19-4 tech fall at 141 pounds proved to be the difference for the triumphant Scarlet & Gray. He totaled five takedowns and eight near-fall points in yet another dominant performance. … Rest of the story at https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/buckeyes-hand-sun-devils-first-loss-in-top-10-tilt/?mc_cid=55aa4b0df7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

John Carroll Matches Dual Meet Win Total From Last Year With 39-6 Victory Over Keiser
John Carroll ended its Florida trip on a high note by defeating Keiser University, 39-6, in Key West this afternoon. The victory is the ninth dual meet win of the season, matching last year’s win total when JCU posted a 9-3 record.   After finishing fourth out of 14 teams at the Citrus Invitational, the Blue Streaks had a few days off to enjoy the warm Florida weather before returning to competition against Keiser, a first-year NAIA program coached by Blue Streak legend Joe Bertolone. John Carroll started off in control against Keiser after both Kyle Murray and Max Turner won their matches with forfeits. After a loss in the 141 pound bout, Jarrod Brezovec pinned his opponent in the first period to make the score 18-6 in favor of the Blue Streaks.  After that, freshman Patrick McGraw continued his amazing season, defeating his opponent by way of a major decision. A trio of Blue Streaks stepped up and won their matches as Andrew Benos, Stefan Farian, and Aidan Whitis were all able to continue the win streak for John Carroll.  After their three matches were done, the Blue Streaks had built the lead to an insurmountable 33-6. … Rest of the story at https://jcusports.com/news/2020/1/6/wrestling-matches-dual-meet-win-total-from-last-year-with-39-6-victory-over-keiser.aspx?mc_cid=55aa4b0df7&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

January 12, 2020 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Hiram College Athletics to add Men’s and Women’s Wrestling Programs

TDR Editor’s Notes ; WOW! At least four schools this week have announced they are adding a team or teams. Division III and NAIA schools seem to be able to add programs but the much wealthier Division I schools plead poverty and say they can not expand opportunities. Let us encourage the decision makers to broaden wrestling opportunities for students.
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HIRAM, Ohio – January 10, 2020 – Hiram College Athletic Director Todd W. Hibbs announced on Friday the addition of men’s and women’s wrestling programs as the Terriers’ 17th and 18th varsity sports.
“Men’s and women’s wrestling are strategic additions as we continue to grow the Hiram College athletic department,” Hibbs said. “Similar to recent additions of men’s volleyball and women’s cheer and STUNT, we expect these programs to have an immediate impact on our campus.”
A search for a head men’s wrestling coach and director of wrestling operations will begin immediately, with men’s wrestling expected to begin competition in the 2020-21 season. A search for a head women’s wrestling coach will begin no later than the fall of 2020 with the program expected to begin competing in 2021-22.
The addition of men’s wrestling re-establishes a program that competed from 1954 to 1971 in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) and from 1972 to 1987 in the Presidents Athletic Conference (PAC). Over 33 years, 10 Terriers earned All-America honors, and 25 former wrestlers have since been inducted into the William H. Hollinger Hall of Fame.
During their 17-year history in the OAC, 29 Terriers earned conference championships, 40 were named All-OAC and the Terriers won six OAC Tournaments. And in their 16 years in the PAC, 31 Terriers earned conference championships and five were named the PAC’s Most-Outstanding Wrestler.
“We will need assistance from our proud alumni base to ensure a quick rise to excellence for these programs,” Hibbs said. “A high standard in collegiate wrestling was established under previous coaches and administrations, and we fully expect to rise to that level in each of these programs. I encourage anyone in the wrestling community who wants to be supportive to reach out to us.”
The Terriers will join 114 other men’s wrestling programs competing at the NCAA Division III level in the 2020-21 season, including 18 in the Ohio, Michigan and Indiana area and two within the North Coast Athletic Conference, while the NCAA’s Committee on Women’s Athletics recently “recommended that all three divisions … Rest of the story at https://www.hiramterriers.com/sports/wrest/2019-20/releases/20200110hg3smv

January 10, 2020 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

43rd College News, Results and Reports

(TDR) even when Penn State loses a 4 time state champ they just reload with another star. Good to see another top level football player speak out in favor of wrestling. Franklin&Marshall and Washington&Lee both won their home tournaments as they rebuild their programs. Other dual results from New York, Iowa, Minnesota and Oklahoma are included with two stories on Randy Lewis as a champion and how two teams will take their strong showing in the Southern Scuffle as they advance into the 2nd half of the season.
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Penn State: Teske enters transfer portal while Busiello comes aboard
It’s been a busy, news-worthy week for Penn State wrestling off the mat.
A day after the 2019 NCAA team titlewinners revealed that Anthony Cassar and Kyle Conel had suffered season-ending injuries, head coach Cael Sanderson announced Wednesday that redshirt freshman 125-pounder Brody Teske has entered the transfer portal … while the school has confirmed that Adam Busiello is now officially a Nittany Lion. Teske had been a four-time Iowa state champ for Fort Dodge High School before coming to Penn State, where he compiled a career record of 11-4 in the past two seasons. Last season, … Rest of the story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/22838?fbclid=IwAR3mYJP3OVNloVnlRIaEDqU9k4pFw2Ma8_UhN0jIrfU05Y4SbEl7_wLu3_4

THE WRESTLING RECESS TALKS WITH NFL PRO BOWLER JON CONDO ON HIS WRESTLING CAREER
PAWR03: The PA Power Wrestling Recess Podcast is back for Episode #3 and this one is a good one! Host Dom Deputy has special guest Jon Condo – a 2000 State Champion at heavyweight for Philipsburg-Osceola on to talk about his 14 year career in the NFL which included two trips to the Pro Bowl. Jon talks about how wrestling made him the football player he was and talks about his rivalry with Tim Taylor. Take a listen today! Listen on this story at https://www.papowerwrestling.com/pawr03/?mc_cid=d20c3b5a2b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Washington & Lee Wrestling Wins the Jim Crytzer Memorial Invitational
LEXINGTON, Va. – The 24th-ranked Washington and Lee wrestling team claimed its home tournament for the first time since 2013, finishing first out of 10 teams at the Jim Crytzer Memorial Invitational hosted at the Duchossois Tennis Center on Saturday. The Generals claimed three individual titles in recording 153.5 team points, finishing just ahead of Ferrum, which posted 148.0 points.  Messiah, ranked 16th in Division III, took third with 146.5 points, while Averett (101.5) and Southern Virginia (73.5) rounded out the Top 5. Leading the way individually were first-year 149-pounder Alex Winant (Chester, N.J. / West Morris Mendham), sophomore 157-pounder … Rest of the story and results at https://generalssports.com/news/2020/1/4/w-l-wrestling-wins-the-jim-crytzer-memorial-invitational.aspx?mc_cid=d20c3b5a2b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Diplomats Shine at Annual Home Open
Final Brackets
LANCASTER, Pa. – Four Franklin & Marshall wrestlers placed in the top-six to lead at the Diplomats at their home tournament, the 2020 David H. Lehman F&M Open on Saturday in Lancaster. The four top-six finishers were the most ever by the Diplomats in the eight-year history of the event. Wil Gil, Noah Chan, and Emmett LiCastri all delivered third-place showings, while Mike Waszen secured sixth.
Top Performances 
Gil (141 pounds) rattled off three straight wins to open his Open run, including a dominant 15-2 major over Princeton’s Marshall Keller in his first-round match. The Diplomat 141-pounder followed with a decision and a quick opening-minute pin to reach the semifinals.  After falling down to the wrestle backs with a hard-fought 11-9 setback, Gil was awarded third place off a medical forfeit. Chan got off to a torrid start at 157 pounds … Rest of the story at https://www.godiplomats.com/sports/m-wrestl/2019-20/releases/20200104r6w3h1?mc_cid=d20c3b5a2b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Army Takes Two of Three Matches at Host Duals
WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Army West Point wrestling team earned two quality dual wins Saturday at Christl Arena, as the Black Knights defeated both American University and Wyoming during their host West Point Duals.  Coming off a strong performance at last weekend’s Midlands Championships, Army (6-2, 1-0 EIWA) was back in dual match mode to start the new year.  Trey Chalifoux (3-0), Noah Stewart (2-0), and Ben Sullivan (2-0) were all undefeated on the day to lead the team. Markus Hartman, Cael McCormick, and Ben Harvey all earned two wins respectively throughout the day,  The Black Knights opened their day with a tough 19-12 loss to the No. 17 ranked Tar Heels of North Carolina. Army won four matches in its opener, including taking the last three, but couldn’t rally enough to catch the Heels.  Momentum swung into the Cadets favor in match … Rest of the story at https://goarmywestpoint.com/news/2020/1/4/wrestling-army-takes-two-of-three-matches-at-host-duals.aspx?mc_cid=d20c3b5a2b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Panthers Roll Utah Valley 32-12
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – UNI picked up bonus points at five different weights, including a pin by Jay Schwarm at 125 and rolled to a 32-12 victory over Utah Valley in the Panther’s Big 12 opener Saturday evening at the West Gym in Cedar Falls. The match opened at 125 where Schwarm made quick work of UVU’s William Edelblute. Edleblute picked up an early takedown, but Schwarm earned a reversal and picked up the pin with just 1:46 into the first period. At 133, UVU’s Taylor Lamont earned a 4-2 … Rest of the story at https://unipanthers.com/news/2020/1/4/wrestling-panthers-roll-utah-valley-32-12.aspx?mc_cid=d20c3b5a2b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

#23 Mountaineers bounce back, beat #15 MSU-Mankato
MANKATO, Minn. — The No. 23 Western Colorado wrestling team bounced back from a loss Thursday at Augustana as the Mountaineers upended No. 15 Minnesota State – Mankato 24-19 on Saturday at the Taylor Center. The dual started at 141 pounds and Jason Hanenberg got WCU rolling with a pin a minute into the second period to make it 6-0. The Mavericks picked up a major decision win at 149 and a decision victory at 157 to take a 7-6 lead before Michael Thelen got the lead back for WCU with a 7-4 win over Logan Saltou to make it 9-7. Arguably the turning point of the match came at 174 pounds as WCU’s Jimmy LaConte (ranked 11th) trailed 10-6 in the third period to MSU’s Zach Johnson (ranked No. 7) before turning the tables by getting a pin with 1:15 left in the match to pick up a huge six points for the Mountaineers and give them a 15-7 advantage. … Rest of the story at https://gomountaineers.com/news/2020/1/4/WRST04Jan2020.aspx?mc_cid=d20c3b5a2b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Not every champion takes the same path to glory
Not every champion takes the same path to glory
Randy Lewis set a goal in fifth grade to become an Olympic champion. That goal manifested itself when he won a gold medal in the 62-kilogram weight class in men’s freestyle wrestling at the 1984 Olympics.  Lewis was everything that is right with wrestling. His go-for-broke, pin-them-all, high-flying, and creative style embodied the fighting spirit of the sport. The Rapid City, South Dakota, native wanted to put on a show for himself and for the fans. “Wrestling would be the most popular sport in the world if everyone competed like Randy Lewis,” Lincoln McIlravry, a three-time NCAA champion, and 2000 Olympic bronze medalist said once.  Prior to a high school match, Lewis’s father asked his son about a game plan. … Rest of the story at www.trackwrestling.com/RandyLewisChampionPath

D1 Insider: Cowboys, Wolfpack set stage for strong second half
The Southern Scuffle has long served as a midseason proving ground for teams looking to test their power and scoring potential in what many consider a practice run for the NCAA Championships. And while this season’s field in Chattanooga, Tenn. lacked a number of heavy-hitters, it still provided a stiff test and may have produced good omens for a number of teams heading into the second half of the season. Led by 125-pounder Nick Piccininni, Oklahoma State won its second Scuffle in four years and edged North Carolina State and Stanford to do so. Piccininni won his second-straight title while Kaden Gfeller was second at 141.  Five other Cowboys earned podium finishes to help beat the Wolfpack by seven team points in the final standings. “We had a few guys who had some really good matches and performed well, and that was really the difference in the outcome,” Oklahoma State coach John Smith said. “It was a little disappointing to have only one champion, but Nick had probably his best match of the tournament in that finals bout. I’m not disappointed in any individuals. We really need to build on this tournament, get a lot better and try to solidify our lineup in the next couple of weeks.” While Smith believes more of his wrestlers had the ability to go deeper in their respective brackets, the Cowboys were able to earn the bonus points that made the difference. Oklahoma State earned those in 18 bouts with 10 combined falls and techs. The Cowboys will have a chance to try and produce more bonus points across their next three duals – all favorable matchups at home. 

MAKING THE CUT

N.C. State’s second-place finish was paced by Hayden Hidlay’s 157-pound title win, but the Wolfpack has been buoyed by the return of veteran Nick Reenan.  The N.C. State 197-pounder looked good in his first extended action since having offseason knee surgery. Reenan went 4-1 in Chattanooga with a pair of forfeits, one to a non-collegiate opponent, for precautionary reasons. It’s been a guarded comeback for the senior who’s competing at 197 for the first time. He made his season debut in a dual against Appalachian State on Dec. 13 when he survived a 4-3 bout against Paul Carson. “Any time you come off a surgery, your mind is going to take some time mentally to get focused and that’s what we saw,” N.C. State coach Pat Popolizio said on his podcast leading up to the Scuffle. But that mental hurdle wasn’t the only thing in Reenan’s way. His weight was, and the bout against Carson nearly didn’t happen.  “There was a need to be concerned,” Reenan said. “I gained too much weight. I was not expecting it to be so hard to get down to 197 and I kind of put it off until the last minute a little bit. I haven’t really cut weight in a long time and I didn’t do it the right way. But I wanted to get out and wrestle a match and I was tired, yep.”  Reenan said he’s gotten to a point where he’s “no more than six or seven” pounds overweight now, which is a more comfortable cut for him. The added energy he’ll have as a result is something Popolizio is looking forward to seeing. “We need him hitting on all cylinders because he’s capable of winning the national title,” Popolizio said.  Rest of the story at www.trackwrestling.com/OklahomaState-NCState

Bronchos Plaster Ouachita Baptist
COLLINSVILLE, Okla. (Jan. 4) –Kalin Winkler scored a thrilling last-minute fall in the only competitive match of the day to highlight No. 6-ranked Central Okahoma’s 51-0 shellacking of outmanned Ouachita Baptist Saturday afternoon at Collinsville High School. The Bronchos earned bonus points in nine of the 10 matches with four technical falls, three falls, a major decision and a forfeit to go along with a 4-0 shutout. UCO had a 16-0 advantage in near-falls and a 15-1 edge in takedowns during the lopsided dual. “We came out and took care of business,” said head coach Todd Steidley, whose team improved to 3-0. … Rest of the story at Bronchosports.com/news/2020/1/4/wrestling-bronchos-plaster-ouachita-baptist.

January 10, 2020 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment