Takedown Report

4th Women’s Wrestling Notes, Results & News

Bulldogs Dominate in Wisconsin at LU Muskie Women’s Duals
PLYMOUTH, Wis. —The Adrian College women’s wrestling team put an exclamation point on the end of the first half of the season by going 4-0 at the Lakeland University Duals and outscoring opponents 131-39 on Saturday in Woltzen Gymnasium. The Bulldogs were 32-8 overall in individual matches on the day and picked up convincing dual wins over Wisconsin Stevens Point, North Central (Illinois), Lakeland and MacMurray by scores of 30-13, 36-11, 34-3 and 31-12, respectively. “I was most impressed with the way the women went out and kept control of almost every match — even the losses,” Adrian coach Cliff Cushard said about his team’s performance. Wrestlers who went 4-0 for the Bulldogs included sophomore Zoe Nowicki and freshmen Megan Vondrasek and Arys Onstott. Adrian also saw four individuals go 3-1 on the day, including senior Mara Eason, sophomores Angela Goldwire, Mackenzie Tayerle and freshman Angela LoRusso. “Finishing up with four dual wins is a great way to lead into national duals,” Cushard said. “We really pulled together as a team.” With fall semester final exams complete, Adrian is off for the winter break and the Bulldogs are back in action on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 10-11, for the National Wrestling Coaches Association multidivisional duals in Louisville, Ky. Rest of the results and story at https://adrianbulldogs.com/sports/w-wrestl/2019-20/releases/20191214qf569l?mc_cid=654ae3350c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

MacMurray Women’s upsets No. 7 North Central, goes 3-1 at Lakeland
PLYMOUTH, Wis. – Highlighted by a win over the No. 7 ranked team in the nation, the MacMurray College women’s wrestling team had a great day at the Lakeland Duals, as the team went 3-1 overall. The team defeated No. 7 North Central, while Tory Marrufo, Jocelyn Hernandez, and Samantha Bush all had three wins individually.
MacMurray 27 No. 7 North Central 21
Starting the day strong, MacMurray used wins from Marrufo, Hernandez, Bush and Tiffany Tiepelman to push ahead early. 
At 109, Hernandez pinned her opponent in 4:09.
MacMurray 35 Lakeland 10
Dominating the host school, the Highlanders crusied to a win in their second match of the day. MacMurray earned victories via fall at the 136, 143 and 155 weight classes. At 136, Mia Dow pinned her opponent in 1:35, while Moreno and Bush needed under a minute each to earn the wins in their respective matches. 
Adrian 36 MacMurray 12
The Highlanders dropped a tough match to a very good Adrian team, as Shropshire and Johnvanique Porter picked up the lone wins in the match.  The rest of the story at https://mchighlanders.com/news/2019/12/14/womens-wrestling-wwrs-upsets-no-7-north-central-goes-3-1-at-lakeland.aspx?mc_cid=654ae3350c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

NWCA Launches NCAA Women’s Coaches Poll
Manheim, PA – The National Wrestling Coaches Association has released its first edition of their 2019-2020 NCAA Women’s team and individual rankings compiled by the ranking committee.

• Individual Rankings

The Tournament Team rankings are based on points for each individual ranking in correlation with what that respective placement would earn at the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships to be held March 6-7 in Adrian, Michigan. That point system is as follows:

Ranking Committee: Cliff Cushard (Adrian College), Link Davis (Emmanuel College), Travis Mercado (Colorado Mesa University), Jason Moorman (King University), Joe Norton (North Central College), Sam Schmitz (McKendree University). Rest of the story at https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/NWCA-Launches-NCAA-Women-s-Coaches-Poll-17-12-2019

UWSP women’s wrestling looks to blaze new path
STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAW)- UW-Stevens Point has a new team on the mat, the first of their kind in the entire Midwest.

Team Practice

“We do have a vision in mind that we want to be at in a few years,” said Johnny Johnson, UWSP wrestling head coach. Nekoosa native Brooke Thurber knew UWSP was where she wanted to go to college. However, in doing so, she never had the opportunity to pursue her passion, wrestling, at the collegiate level.
That is until this year.
“It’s really just been an amazing experience,” said Thurber. “I never thought I was going to get the opportunity to be on a women’s wrestling team.” UWSP is the first public institution in the Midwest to offer women’s wrestling as a sanctioned sport. Rest of the story at https://www.wsaw.com/content/news/Your-Town-UWSP-Womens-Wrestling–566230701.html?mc_cid=e30f8eb0f1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

HMA Interview #20: Rebecca Roper
For the 20th edition of Home Mat Advantage’s Interview Podcast, Rebecca Roper joins Sam Herring to chat about her experiences in wrestling as a kid, her relationship with her husband, Lee Roper, who is the head associate coach at the University of Northern Iowa, as well as her job at the Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa. Rest of the story at http://www.hmawrestling.com/podcast/hma-interview-20-rebecca-roper/?mc_cid=e30f8eb0f1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

December 28, 2019 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

TAR HEELS TEAM UP TO MAKE THE HOLIDAYS BRIGHTER

Posted: December 23, 2019
By Pat James, GoHeels.com
For more than 20 years, Orange County Social Services (OCSS) has been helping families in need with holiday assistance, bringing joy into their lives this time of year. Carolina Athletics plays a role in that, partnering with OCSS for the annual Share Your Holiday program, the longest-running Christmastime project in which UNC student-athletes participate. Each year, student-athletes gather donations from teammates, coaches and staff, then buy gifts for the children and adults their teams sponsor. This year, Tar Heel teams raised enough money to sponsor 28 individuals. And on Dec. 12, 24 student-athletes representing a variety of team traveled to the OCSS Center in Hillsborough to deliver the presents they purchased. “It’s definitely fun because every year you get a new kid, so you usually get to shop for different things,” said Mia Fradenburg, a senior on the volleyball team. “But I think the time of year is good, too. With final exams, this is just a mini break from that. “It makes you really grateful for everything you do have. And I think this is a really good time for all the sports to come together and do something as a whole.” All 28 varsity teams participate in some sort of holiday gift donation project, most in Share Your Holiday. For the second time, the men’s basketball team partnered with the Me Fine Foundation, a nonprofit that attempts to ease the financial burdens on the caregivers of children who are dealing with a medical crisis. Meanwhile, the football team created packages that will go to needy kids through Operation Christmas Child. Additionally, Department of Athletics staff members donated toys at the department’s holiday luncheon, filling six large bins with games, dolls and other fun items for the OCSS Toy Chest.
With the Share Your Holiday program, each team has a point person who collects donations and plans the shopping date. James Courtney, who held that role for the men’s swimming and diving team, said he and Brooke Bauer, the point person for the women’s swimming and diving team, hoped to raise a combined $400. Ultimately, they surpassed that. Rest of the story at https://goheels.com/news/2019/12/23/student-athlete-development-goheels-exclusive-tar-heels-team-up-to-make-the-holidays-brighter.aspx

GOHEELS EXCLUSIVE: BACK ON THE MAT
When Austin O’Connor pulled onto the rainy campus of Cleveland State University last Saturday morning, it didn’t take long for others on hand to take notice. “There’s that O’Connor kid,” a fellow competitor said just seconds after he walked into Woodling Gymnasium in downtown Cleveland. O’Connor would be competing in a 30-man bracket at the tournament, his first competition of the 2019-20 season. With a grocery bag full of trail mix granola bars and sports drinks in hand, O’Connor kept moving with his headphones over his UNC knit cap and headed into the gym – unfazed, almost like he didn’t even hear it. Rest of the story at https://goheels.com/news/2019/12/20/wrestling-goheels-exclusive-back-on-the-mat.aspx

December 24, 2019 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NO. 17 NORTH CAROLINA CRUISES TO 35-6 WIN OVER LITTLE ROCK

Posted: December 20, 2019
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Clay Lautt and Joey Mazzara led the way with back-to-back pins as No. 17 North Carolina defeated Little Rock on the road Friday night, 35-6, in the Jack Stephens Center. The Trojans began the match with a pair of wins at 125 and 133, but Zach Sherman turned momentum in UNC’s direction with the 141-pound match. His 9-4 decision over Conner Ward put UNC on the board to set up #1 Austin O’Connor’s first dual meet appearance for Carolina this year. At 149 pounds, O’Connor collected bonus points for the Tar Heels. He took down Tyler Brennan twice in the first period and never looked back, winning with a 13-4 major decision. At 157, Josh McClure knocked off Little Rock’s Jose Champagne, 4-0, in McClure’s first dual meet appearance for the Tar Heels this season. He was followed by a major decision performance from Kennedy Monday, a 14-2 win over Will Edgar. Rest of the story at https://goheels.com/news/2019/12/20/wrestling-no-17-north-carolina-cruises-to-35-6-win-over-little-rock.aspx?mc_cid=f9cca19b1a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

December 24, 2019 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Nebraska Cornhuskers Top Oregon State Beavers 32-3

LINCOLN — The No. 2 Nebraska wrestling team scored bonus points in five matches and won eight of nine bouts overall to defeat Oregon State (2-1, 0-0 Pac-12) 32-3 in front of 1,278 fans at the Devaney Center on Friday night.  #6 Mikey Labriola (174) started the night off in dominant fashion, racking up six takedowns and eight near-fall points to defeat Colton Beisley by technical fall, 20-5. #5 Taylor Venz (184) picked up right where Labriola left off, picking up a 9-0 major decision over Colt Doyle. #10 Eric Schultz (197) gave the Huskers three consecutive bonus-point victories to start the evening when he replicated Labriola’s 20-5 technical fall victory against the Beavers’ J.J. Dixon.  The night’s most exciting match took place at heavyweight. #15 Christian Lance (HWT) led JaMarcus Grant 3-1 late in the third period when Grant earned a one-point escape and two-point takedown to seize a 4-3 lead. Lance responded with a takedown as time expired. An official’s review confirmed the takedown, and Lance was victorious by decision, 5-4. Rest of the story at https://huskers.com/news/2019/12/20/wrestling-oregon-state-recap.aspx?mc_cid=f9cca19b1a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

December 24, 2019 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

BULLDOG WRESTLING WINS FIRST-EVER MEETING AGAINST PRESBYTERIAN

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel wrestling team made quick of the Blue Hose of Presbyterian, posting a 37-8 victory, Friday afternoon in McAlister Field House. In the first-ever season of Presbyterian’s wrestling team, the Bulldogs have taken a 1-0 lead over the Blue Hose. Dazjon Casto came away with the fastest victory for the Bulldogs, pinning Noah Hall in one minute and twenty seconds. Selwyn Porter toppled his opponent Bryton Goering in four minutes and twenty-nine seconds. Rest of the story at https://citadelsports.com/news/2019/12/20/bulldog-wrestling-wins-first-ever-meeting-against-presbyterian.aspx?mc_cid=f9cca19b1a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

December 24, 2019 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Top 100 College teams in dual meet win percentages in history – Part 1

Top 100 College teams  (in dual meet win percentages over history) Part 1
Earlier we listed the top college teams in total dual meet wins across the past 120 years.  This list ranks the teams by the highest winning percentages of dual meets across the program’s history.  Now, verifying accurate team winning percentages are more challenging as each win or loss recorded, or not recorded, makes a difference.  Thus with that caveat we welcome input, corrections, information and if possible verification.   In part 1 we shall look at two of the seven lists of collegiate teams ranked by wining percentage.

The top 10 schools with Women’s Wrestling Programs are ;

The top 20 schools in National Junior College or two year programs are ;

Again if a coach, wrestler or fan notices a team’s record that they see as being incomplete and they can provide accurate documentation please do so.  Until we receive that we will go with what we have found so far.  Contact us at martinkfleming@gmail.com

December 21, 2019 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

33rd College News, Notes and Results

Demand for NCAA tickets at a high
The 330 wrestlers who qualify for the 2020 NCAA Division 1 wrestling championships will gain instant admission to an exclusive fraternity. Those men, when each steps on the mat March 19, 2020, in U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis will have more people watching them compete than at any single event in the history of a sport which dates back to the ancient Greeks. Ticket sales revealed by Anthony Holman, NCAA managing director of championships and alliance, during a conference call earlier this week paint a picture of high demand and even higher supply in an NFL stadium that seats nearly 67,000 fans for Minnesota Vikings games and crammed in nearly 73,000 for the men’s basketball Final Four in April. Holman said that years of sellouts in arenas with capacities in the high teens and consistent demand for tickets sent the NCAA in search of more spacious venues. It found U.S. Bank Stadium, the first NFL stadium to host the championships.
“We were coming off of (10) consecutive years of sellouts and venues that were between 15 to 18,000 and the demand for tickets continued to grow. We were historically cutting the number of tickets that were requested by our institutions by 40 and 50%,” he said.
“While the arenas that we’ve been in have been really nice, we’re always tight for floor space and competition space, as well as back of the house space for student athletes to gather, to lounge in between competitions so those were just a couple of the key factors that went into the idea and thought process around moving to the stadium.”
As of this week, Holman said the NCAA had sold out 144 suites that hold an average of 16 people each, more than 20,000 tickets were being held for member institutions and 18,000 tickets have been sold to the general public. “Typically, we only have somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,000 to 1,500 tickets even available to the general public because the vast majority of them are sold to our membership,” Holman said.
So, with more than three months until the championships, it’s safe to say that more than 40,000 tickets have been sold to the championships.  Rest of the story at https://www.sungazette.com/sports/local-sports/2019/12/demand-for-ncaa%E2%80%88tickets-at-a-high/?mc_cid=a643b3b406&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

No. 2 Loras Duhawks Take Down No. 18 Big Blue
Contact: Emily Zadny, Direct of Athletic Communications, 563-588-7970
(Written by Simon Schuler, Athletic Communications Student Assistant)
Results (PDF)
Dubuque, Iowa (Dec. 14, 2019) – The No. 2 Loras College men’s wrestling team put on another dominant performance and stayed undefeated on the year in dual meets by knocking off No. 18 ranked Millikin University 29-10. After dropping a major decision in the opening bout at 125-pounds, the Duhawks tallied the first victory of the night by way of senior Brice Everson. In his season debut at 133-pounds, Everson recorded a first-period fall over Nick Sablan to regain the lead over the Big Blue 6-4. Senior and No. 4/5-ranked Clint Lembeck added five more points to the Duhawk team score by collecting a technical fall over D’Anthony Hopkins. Sophomore Brock Parker continued the momentum by defeating Tristan Birt in a thrilling bout by way of 7-2 decision at 149-pounds to make the team score 18-4. No. 2/2 Brandon Murray earned a hard-fought 10-1 major decision over Peter McCusker at 157-pounds to strengthen the Duhawk lead. In a battle of ranked opponents at 165-pounds, No. 4/3 Eddie Smith came out on top over No. 6/5 Bradan Birt, defeating Birt by 5-2 decision. A dominant performance from No.6/6 Jacob Krakow over Jake Tisza improved the team score to 25-4. Rest of the story at https://duhawks.com/news/2019/12/14/wrestling-no-2-duhawks-take-down-no-18-big-blue.aspx?mc_cid=654ae3350c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Davis & Elkins College Blitzes Averett and Greensboro for Saturday Sweep
GREENSBORO, N.C. – Davis & Elkins ran the gauntlet on Saturday with consecutive duals against Averett and Greensboro College in a tri-meet in North Carolina. The Senators racked up four falls in a 27-23 triumph over Averett to begin the day before following it up two more falls in a 30-24 win against host Greensboro. Craig Cook helped the Senators get back on track in the 133-pound bout with a fall against Averett, but neither team could separate themselves throughout the dual. Clifton Ruggiero kicked the intensity into another gear off the restart, dropping William Merritt with several takedowns before wrapping him up for a fall victory at the 1:38 mark. Noah Tarr followed it up with the Senators fourth fall of the dual in the 165-pound bout, controlling his opponent to the middle of the mat before outmuscling him for the win. Charles Morrison competed in one of the best matches of the dual, making a late charge to earn a sudden victory over Kowan Lee to provide D&E with just enough separation to hold on for the win. Rest of the story at https://senatornation.com/news/2019/12/14/wrestling-d-e-blitzes-averett-and-greensboro-for-saturday-sweep.aspx?mc_cid=654ae3350c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Ian Assael Added as Director of Ops with NC State Wrestling
RALEIGH, N.C. – NC State wrestling head coach Pat Popolizio has announced the hiring of Ian Assael as the Wolfpack’s Director of Operations. Assael is a former college and club coach with experience dating back to 1995.
“Ian brings unique experience that will help elevate our program on all levels with his vast amount years in our sport,” said Popolizio. “I’ve gotten to know him as both a club coach and a high school coach while we were recruiting many of his athletes over the years, many that have since gone on to become Division 1 wrestlers.
“Ian will be a great addition to our program.”
Assael spent the last three years as the head coach of Darkhorse Wrestling in Charlotte. Prior to that stint, he was the owner of Bison Legend Wrestling from 2012-17. On the collegiate level, Assael spent one season (2012-13) as an assistant coach at Bucknell. He graduated from Charlotte in 1990, then spent 10 years as a teacher and a head coach at the high school level.
Assael will be replacing Melissa Simmons who joined Wolfpack Wrestling prior to the 2014-15 season, and served as the Director of Operations for five and a half seasons. A past former national champion during her collegiate days, Simmons recently earned her grad degree from NC State and is pursuing a job opportunity outside of collegiate wrestling. Rest of the story at https://gopack.com/news/2019/12/16/ian-assael-added-as-director-of-ops-with-nc-state-wrestling.aspx

Led by four champs, Fresno City dominates to repeat as champions at California CC States
BY GARY ABBOTT, USA WRESTLING | DEC. 15th
FRESNO, Calif. – Led by four individual champions, three runners-up and 11 placewinners, Fresno City repeated as champions at the California Community College Athletic Association state championships on Saturday. Individual champions for the Rams were Daniel Ruiz (149), Josh McMillan (157), Jack Kilner (197) and Armando Barcenas (285). Runners-up for Fresno City were Mario Moreno (125), Chris Gaxiola (149) and Augustine Garcia (165). Moreno and Gaxiola lost to teammates in the finals.
Fresno City pushed 10 athletes into the semifinals, and finished with 11 placewinners. Fresno City finished with 186 points, with Cerritos in second with 137 points. Champions for Cerritos were Jonathan Prata (125) and Isaiah Mora (141). Other individual champions were Kahlil Tucker of Rio Hondo (133), Jacob Hansen of Moorpark (165), Jonathan Hunter of Bakersfield (174) and Stephen Martin of Skyline (184). Rest of the story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2019/December/15/Fresno-City-wins-California-CC-States?mc_cid=a643b3b406&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Concordia College Bus Broken But Cobbers Perfect At Duals
LINCOLN, NEB. (12/14/19)—Even a broken-down bus couldn’t slow down Concordia as they came away with three dominant wins and went 3-0 at the Nebraska Wesleyan Prairie Wolf duals.  Concordia started the day by cruising to a 55-0 win over Fontbonne (Mo.) and then followed that up with a decisive 41-10 victory over host Neb. Wesleyan before finishing the day with a resounding 30-8 win over Buena Vista. The duals wins are the first of the year for the Cobbers who opened with a pair of Division II opponents. Concordia is now 3-2 in duals this season.  In the end it was a complete team effort from the Cobbers as 13 different wrestlers scored at least three team points on the day.
Concordia 55, Fontbonne (Mo.) 0
In the first dual meet of the day against Fontbonne, the lightweights staked Concordia to a big early lead from which they would not look back. Junior 125-pounder Cole Kubesh led off with a pin and sophomore 133-pounder Jacob Prunty followed that up with a quick technical fall to push the team score to 11-0 after only two matches. Concordia’s lead grew to 15-0 when freshman 141-pounder Cade Lundeen tacked on four more team points with a major decision. Not to be outdone, the Cobber middleweights kept the momentum going as freshman Tyler Bents pinned his opponent early in the match. 157-pound freshman Gabe Allen earned a victory by forfeit and then junior 165-pounder Alex Skaare added another pin. The middle portion of the match was finished off by 174-pound freshman Ian Frenzel who demolished his opponent with a technical fall. Even though the dual win was already assured, the top three weight-class athletes kept the foot on the gas pedal. Jacob Arends, Gabe Zierden and Austin Ratliff proved unrelenting. Arends won by fall at 184 while Zierden scored 18 unanswered points for a technical fall at 197. Ratliff wrapped things up with a hard-earned pin at 285 to make the final tally 55-0 in favor of the Cobbers.
Concordia 41, Neb. Wesleyan 10 
Concordia faced a stiffer test in match No.2 when they faced off against Neb. Wesleyan. For the second straight match Concordia was able to bolt out of the starting gate and establish an insurmountable early lead. Rest of the story at https://concordiamn.prestosports.com//sports/wrest/2019-20/releases/201912151s7xui?mc_cid=a643b3b406&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

McKendree Wins Back-to-Back Midwest Classic Title
(INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Dec. 15) – The McKendree University men’s wrestling participated in the two-day 41^st Annual Midwest Classic this weekend in Indianapolis, where they defended their first-place title. The Bearcats scored 131.5 team points and three individual champions. Along with first-place finished from Marcus Povlick (Plainfield, IL/Plainfield North), Nick Foster (Belleville, IL/Belleville West) and Ryan Vasbinder (Grand Rapids, MI/Grandville), Juwan Edmond (Bellwood, IL) made his debut as a Bearcat and placed sixth, Nate Smalling (Belleville, Ill./Belleville West) placed seventh, Caleb Gossett (St. Charles, MO/Francis Howell Central) Placed third, and Qian’te Wagner (Alton, Ill./Alton) and Michael Aldrich (Ballwin, MO/Parkway South) placed eighth in their respective weight classes.
Below are the individual results from Day 2:
125-lb. bracket:Marcus Povlick (Plainfield, IL/Plainfield North) headed into the semifinals with a 3-0 record where he would off against Tanner Cole of University of Central Oklahoma. Povlick’s 3-2 decision defeat over Cole sent him into the finals, where he would face Patrick Allice of Western Colorado University.  Rest of the story at https://mckbearcats.com/news/2019/12/15/mens-wrestling-mckendree-wins-back-to-back-midwest-classic-title.aspx?mc_cid=a643b3b406&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Cowboys Take Team Title and Crown Three at Reno T.O.C.
RENO, Nev. (Dec. 15, 2019) – It was a banner day for the Wyoming wrestling team Sunday at the Reno Tournament of Champions as the Cowboys took first place as a team with 155.5 points and crowned three individual champions on the day. Montorie Bridges at 133 pounds, Dewey Krueger at 157 and Tate Samuelson at 184 were the three champions for the Pokes. Krueger was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament, becoming the third consecutive Cowboy to receive the honor at Reno. It also marks UW’s fifth-straight season with a top-four team finish at the Tournament of Champions. “I was about to leave, honestly, I didn’t know what was going on” said Krueger afterwards. “They called my name over, and I was like ‘dang.’ I had a good tournament and had fun. This was probably the most fun I had wrestling, I enjoy wrestling and it feels good to have it pay off a little bit.” UW also got three second-place finishes at the event as Jaron Jensen (149), Cole Moody (165) and Hayden Hastings (174) all came up just short in the finals. Rest of the story at https://gowyo.com/news/2019/12/15/wrestling-cowboys-take-team-title-and-crown-three-at-reno-t-o-c.aspx?mc_cid=a643b3b406&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Wrestling December 15, 2019
Pokes Collect 10th-Consecutive Bedlam Dual Win
PHOTOS
Bout Sheet
NORMAN, Okla. – The No. 9 Oklahoma State wrestling team (4-1, 1-0 Big 12) notched its 10th consecutive dual victory over Oklahoma, 23-9, Sunday afternoon in the teams’ first contest in Norman in more than three years. The win against Oklahoma’s squad pushed the Cowboys’ all-time Bedlam record to 142-27-10. The Cowboys took seven of 10 matches from the Sooners (1-2 overall, 0-1 Big 12), including an upset for freshman Reece Witcraft at 133 pounds. Witcraft took out No. 18 Anthony Madrigal in an action-packed bout, 6-5, collecting his first ranked victory for the Cowboys. In three of the seven wins, OSU also picked up bonus points.  
“At 133, we had a good match,” coach John Smith said. “It was good to get those bonus points at 125 and 149 pounds, also. Bonus points make a big difference, and both those guys got them. It was a good win, taking seven of the 10, almost eight. I think the difference was we were scoring in the third period.” 
Coming off tough losses against Princeton just more than a week ago, Nick Piccininni and 197-pound Dakota Geer picked up wins for the Cowboys. Piccininni won a major decision in the 125-pound bout against Christian Moody. The senior scored an early takedown and four-count before picking up two more takedowns and forcing multiple stalling calls against Moody. In a top-10 contest, No. 5 Geer defeated ninth-ranked Jake Woodley in a tough 4-2 decision. Fourth-ranked Boo Lewallen and redshirt freshman Anthony Montalvo put four points on the board each for the Pokes. Lewallen defeated Sooner Jacob Butler 12-4 with riding time. Montalvo took Darrien Roberts down twice, once with a four-point turn, in his 13-5 victory.  At 165 pounds, Travis Wittlake maintained his undefeated record with a 3-2 win over Sooner Sam Dover, and four a second straight week, Austin Harris won his dual bout via decision, 6-2, against Josiah Jones.  Dusty Hone gave Dom Demas a tough match at 141 pounds before dropping the bout, 6-4 to the No. 4 ranked Sooner.  Rest of the story at https://okstate.com/news/2019/12/15/wrestling-pokes-collect-10th-consecutive-bedlam-dual-win.aspx?mc_cid=a643b3b406&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

December 20, 2019 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Eight with @PackWrestle Ties to Compete at U.S. Senior Nationals

Top five in each weight class advance to the 2020 U.S. Olympics Trials RALEIGH, N.C. – Eight athletes that have ties to the NC State Wrestling program and Wolfpack Wrestling Club will in action at this weekend’s USA Wrestling Men’s Freestyle Senior Nationals in Fort Worth, Texas. Freestyle action will take place on Saturday and Sunday. This weekend’s competition will serve as the largest Olympic Team Trials qualifier of the year with 30 spots up for grabs across six Olympic weights (57 kg, 65 kg, 74 kg, 86 kg, 97 kg and 125 kg). The top five athletes in each weight will earn a bid to the US Olympic Trials to be held in April at Penn State, for a spot on the 2020 U.S. Summer Olympics team. Former Wolfpack All-American Tommy Gantt is the highest seeded former Wolfpack wrestler, as he earned the third seed at 74 kg. Current volunteer coach Timmy McCall enters as the seventh seed at 97 kg. Former Wolfpack grapplers Quinton Godley (74 kg) and Lee Davis (86 kg) still reside in Raleigh and continue to train at the Wolfpack’s RTC. Former Duke All-American Jacob Kasper (97 kg) splits his time training between his alma mater and the NC State mat room. A trio of former Wolfpack wrestlers who either coach or train at other schools will also be in action. Sean Fausz will wrestle at 65 kg. After winning silver at the U23 World Championships while at NC State last fall, Fausz graduated and is now an assistant coach at Cal Poly. Rest of the story at https://gopack.com/news/2019/12/19/wrestling-eight-with-packwrestle-ties-to-compete-at-us-senior-nationals.aspx

December 19, 2019 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

3rd High School News, Notes & Results

Bancroft leads Golden Demons to 3rd-place showing at WRAL Invite
RALEIGH — Led by senior Aaron Bancroft, the Fike High wrestling team enjoyed its best showing at the 48th annual WRAL Invitational tournament Friday and Saturday at Athens Drive High. Rest of the story at http://wilsontimes.com/stories/area-roundup-bancroft-leads-golden-demons-to-3rd-place-showing-at-wral-invite,197197?newsletter=197199

Wyoming Seminary dominates Walsh Jesuit Ironman, McNeil named OW
CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — No. 2 Wyoming Seminary, Pa. made a statement in a big way as they won the Walsh Jesuit Ironman by 45.5 points over No. 1 Blair Academy, N.J. The Blue Knights placed 10 wrestlers, while their other three entrants were one match short of a top eight placement finish. They also went 4-0 in semifinal matches and had three wrestlers win weight class titles: No. 4 Nic Bouzakis (126), Drew Munch (132), and No. 4 Lachlan McNeil (145). Lachlan McNeil gets his hand raised after beating No. 1 Victor Voinovich (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)
McNeil was named Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament after his 5-1 finals victory over No. 1 Victor Voinovich (Brecksville, Ohio), a match decided by two takedowns scored within the first minute of the bout; the unranked Munch won his first five matches of the tournament all by fall before a 10-4 championship victory over No. 14 Ethen Miller (Park Hill, Mo.); while Bouzakis won the evening’s featured final 4-3 over No. 3 Ryan Crookham (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.) in a match of the nation’s top two overall Class of 2022 wrestlers. Joining McNeil in knocking off a national No. 1 in the final was No. 10 Frankie Tal-Shahar (American Heritage, Fla.), who beat Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) 3-2 in the tiebreakers; Tal-Shahar beat two additional ranked wrestlers earlier in the tournament. The lone top-ranked wrestler to win a title was Marc-Anthony McGowan (Blair Academy, N.J.) at 106 pounds. Out of the four No. 2 ranked wrestlers in the bracket, only two won weight classes: Padraic Gallagher (St. Edward, Ohio) at 160 and Braxton Amos (Parkersburg South, W.Va.) at 220; it was a third consecutive Ironman title for Amos, who steamrolled his way through the tournament, including wins over a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers.
There were three unranked wrestlers to win weight classes. Joining Munch were unranked wrestlers Dalton Harkins (152) and Cole Deery (285), both from Malvern Prep, Pa. Harkins beat three top ten-ranked wrestlers, including a pin at 6:17 of overtime against No. 2 Travis Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy, N.J.) in the final. Three unranked wrestlers were runner-up finishers: Jaden Bullock (Oscar Smith, Va.) at 170 pounds, Nicholas Feldman (Malvern Prep, Pa.) at 195, and Max Millin (Massillon Perry, Ohio) at 285; Bullock beat No. 2 Nevan Snodgrass (Kettering Fairmont, Ohio) 12-6 in the semifinal round. Further discussion of the tournament will come in an analysis article on Monday. Below are the team standings and medal match results.
Team Standings:
1. No. 2 Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) 234.5
2. No. 1 Blair Academy (N.J.) 189
3. No. 27 Malvern Prep (Pa.) 126.5
4. No. 22 Brecksville (Ohio) 119
5. No. 8 Montini Catholic (Ill.) 116
6. No. 7 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.) 107.5
7. Notre Dame-Green Pond (Pa.) 101
8. No. 15 Elyria (Ohio) 95.5
9. No. 4 St. Edward (Ohio) 84.5
10. Waynesburg (Pa.) 82
Rest of the story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/22700?mc_cid=654ae3350c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

WRAL Tournament Photos
Photos linked at https://www.highschoolot.com/wral-wrestling-invitational-dec-14-2019/18834604/

InterMat High School Rankings
Full rankings at https://intermatwrestle.com/rankings/high_school/Team?fbclid=IwAR1IRyy7HJ5Td5d2ebe3yLUOOV2lMcZfHZw2CXM44-VacnfxoywET8sIZsA

December 19, 2019 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

32nd College News, Notes and Results

The Humble Beginnings of Rider Wrestling
The Rider wrestling program is 50 years old. Sort of.
A 1968 newspaper clipping in the Sunday Times Advertiser of Trenton reported that the program was starting its season on Dec. 5, against the Hofstra freshmen, resuming the sport after 33 years. The initial program dates to 1930-31, but in 1935 they rolled up the mats.
Rest of the story and historic photos at https://gobroncs.com/news/2019/12/13/franklin-features-the-humble-beginnings-of-rider-wrestling.aspx?mc_cid=654ae3350c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Iowa State dominates Chattanooga at Hilton Coliseum
AMES, Ia. — The Chattanooga wrestling team hasn’t found much luck in the state of Iowa. Last month, the Mocs traveled to Iowa City to face top-ranked Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes rolled to a 39-0 victory and scored bonus points in half the matches. On Saturday night, Chattanooga made a return trip, this time to Hilton Coliseum to take on 15th-ranked Iowa State. The results weren’t much different, as the Cyclones beat the Mocs, 26-7. The victory pushes Iowa State to 2-1 this season, the other victory coming over Bucknell last month. The Cyclones dominated Chattanooga, winning eight of 10 bouts. They managed distinct advantages in total match points, 70-46, and total takedowns, 21-10. Only David Carr produced bonus points for the Cyclones, rolling up eight takedowns en route to a 21-6 technical fall over Tyler Shilson at 157 pounds. The redshirt freshman nearly pinned Shilson in the second period, then scored three takedowns in the third period to put Iowa State up 14-4 midway through the dual. Rest of the story at https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/sports/college/iowa-state/wrestling/2019/12/14/cyclones-dominate-chattanooga-hilton-coliseum-david-carr-kevin-dresser-todd-small-sam-colbray-isu/2650864001/?mc_cid=654ae3350c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

#6 Mount Union Claims Four Wins at Kalahari Duals
SANDUSKY, Ohio — The No. 6 ranked Mount Union wrestling team won all of its matches Saturday at the Kalahari Duals hosted by Heidelberg University in Sandusky, Ohio. The Purple Raiders are now 6-0 on the season and have won 10-straight dual matches dating back to last season. Mount Union rolled past Adrian (Mich.) 42-3, beat Wisconsin-Oshkosh 29-6, stopped Defiance 36-10 then finished the day with a 28-18 win over nationally ranked No. 25 Olivet (Mich.). Antwon Pugh (Copley) went 3-0 with a pair of pins at 157 pounds. Pugh pinned Zach Altman of Adrian in 31 seconds, beat Keagan Lazar of UW-Oshkosh 13-6, then pinned Cole Hersch of Olivet in 2:29. Pugh, ranked No. 1 in the nation at 157, is now 14-0 on the season with nine pins. David Massey (Cuyahoga Falls / Woodridge) went 4-0 on the day with a pair of major decisions at 133 pounds. He now has a team-best 19 wins on the season. Rest of the story at http://athletics.mountunion.edu/sports/wrest/2019-20/releases/20191214nhcksd?mc_cid=654ae3350c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Lehman Eclipses 100 Career Victories as Wrestling Goes 4-0 at Kalahari Duals
SANDUSKY, Ohio – Senior All-American and two-time All-Ohio Athletic Conference 197-pounder Zeckary Lehman (Akron/Revere) claimed his 100th career victory as the No. 7 Nationally-Ranked Baldwin Wallace University wrestling team went 4-0, with one victory over a top-25 opponent, at the Kalahari Duals, hosted by Heidelberg University.
BW vs Defiance
BW (5-1, 1-1 OAC) got on the board with freshman 125-pounder Jack Stanley (Brecksville / Brecksville-Broadview Heights), who secured the opening bout with a forfeit to take a 6-0 lead. Junior 133-pounder Chad Craft (Dayton/Northmont) seized a 9-6 decision, giving BW an early 9-0. Senior All-American and Academic All-OAC 141-pounder Charlie Nash (Norwalk) grabbed a 20-4 technical fall to give the Yellow Jackets a 14-0 lead. Junior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC 149-pounder Tanner McHugh (New Ringgold, Pa./Tamaqua) handed his opponent a 9-4 decision to give BW a 17-0 lead. Junior two-time All-OAC and Academic All-OAC 157-pounder Stanley Bleich (North Ridgeville/Elyria Catholic) beat his opponent with a 17-7 major decision to give the Yellow Jackets a 21-0 lead. Senior All-OAC 174-pounder Benjamin Hooff (Worthingon/Thomas Worthington) claimed a 7-4 decision to take a 24-0 lead. Freshman 197-pounder Doug Byrne (Wickliffe) took down his opponent with a 16-1 technical fall.  Rest of the story at https://www.bwyellowjackets.com/sports/wrest/2019-20/releases/kalahariduals?mc_cid=654ae3350c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Bronchos In The Lead At Midwest Classic
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Dec. 14) – Central Oklahoma pushed four wrestlers into the semifinals and rode a flurry of bonus-point wins to grab the team lead after first-day action in the 41st Annual Midwest Classic Saturday. The No. 16-ranked Bronchos earned extra points in 15 of their 23 wins and finished the day with 70 points, giving them a one-point lead over No. 19 Tiffin. Second-rated McKendree is third with 61.5 points, followed by Western Colorado (49.5) and Gannon (46). The huge 37-team tournament that features 16 top-25 clubs resumes at 8 a.m. Sunday (Oklahoma time). Placement matches will start at 12 p.m. Tanner Cole (125 pounds), Ty Lucas (157), Dayton Garrett (165) and Heath Gray (184) all moved into the semifinals for UCO, while 141 Nate Keim, 149 Brik Filippo and 197 Kalin Winkler are still alive in the consolation bracket. “We had a good day, but there’s still a lot of wrestling to do,” head coach Todd Steidley said. “Our guys came out ready and they got off to a great start. We scored a lot of bonus points and that’s always huge. “Tomorrow will be a big day. We need to come out with the same focus we had today and finish the job.” UCO got off to a fantastic start, winning nine of its 10 opening-round matches with seven bonus wins. Garrett, Gray, Lucas, Winkler and Garrett Beier all had falls – with Garrett’s coming in just 18 seconds – while Filippo and Noah McQuigg added major decisions. Rest of the story at https://bronchosports.com/news/2019/12/14/wrestling-bronchos-in-the-lead-at-midwest-classic.aspx?mc_cid=654ae3350c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

No. 12 Wrestling Closes Semester With Dual Victories Over Oswego State, Jamestown CC
ITHACA, N.Y. – The 12^th-ranked Ithaca College wrestling team was in action inside the Hill Center’s Ben Light Gymnasium for the final time this semester when the Bombers played host to a tri-meet with Oswego State and Jamestown Community College on Saturday afternoon. The Bombers were impressive in both outings, earning convincing triumphs over both the Lakers (34-10) and Jayhawks (47-0) to close out the calendar year of 2019 on a high note. The two victories improves Ithaca’s record to 4-2 in duals this season.
  Rest of the story at https://athletics.ithaca.edu/news/2019/12/14/no-12-wrestling-closes-semester-with-dual-victories-over-oswego-state-jamestown-cc.aspx?mc_cid=654ae3350c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Lock Haven goes perfect 3-0 at Messiah Duals
Bald Eagles win 26 of 30 bouts on the day and record dominating wins over Millersville, McDaniel and Messiah
GRANTHAM, Pa. – The Lock Haven University wrestling team turned in an all-around dominating effort today on the way to a perfect 3-0 run at the Messiah Duals, hosted by Messiah College. LHU beat Millersville University 41-6, topped McDaniel College 49-6, and in the final match of the day, Lock Haven rolled by host-Messiah College, 43-3. On the day, Lock Haven won 26 of 30 bouts with 13 pins, five tech falls and three majors.
The three wins today helped Lock Haven cap a perfect 4-0 weekend. Last night (Fri, Dec. 13), LHU topped Navy 19-15 in a thriller at the 2019 Rumble in the Jungle hosted by Red Lion High School. Now winners of four straight, the Bald Eagles are 4-1 overall after opening the season last week with a loss to Central Michigan. Leading the way today was Matt Maloney (Bethlehem, Pa./Liberty), DJ Fehlman (Warren, Pa./Warren), Austin Wilson (New Providence, Pa./Solanco), Austin Bell (Belle Vernon, Pa./Bell Vernon), Jared Siegrist (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central) and Parker McClellan (Altoona, Pa./Altoona), who were all a perfect 3-0 on the day. Rest of the story at https://www.golhu.com/news/2019/12/14/wrestling-goes-perfect-3-0-at-messiah-duals.aspx?mc_cid=654ae3350c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

No. 5 Tigers outscore opponents by 214 points at Pigeon Forge Duals
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. — Outscoring opponents by 214 points at the Pigeon Forge duals, Tiger wrestling dominated its competition with wins on Jamestown University, Lyon University, Keiser University and Bluefield College. The fifth-ranked Tigers improved their duals record on the year to a perfect 9-0 thus far. Ninth-ranked Jordan Martinez went 3-0 on the weekend at 125 pounds with a decision, tech fall and a forfeit victory. At 133, Kolten Radaz and Marvin Galette both went 2-0.  At 141, No. 2 Dayton Marvell swept his competition with a pair of pins, a major decision and forfeit victory as well. Michael Diemer and Tristan Selmer also went 3-0 at 149 and 157 pounds, respectively.  Chandler Woenker picked up a pair of victories at 165, while Mahlic Sallah and David Richardson both joined Marvell with 4-0 records.  Rest of the story at https://campbellsvilletigers.com/news/2019/12/14/mens-wrestling-no-5-tigers-outscore-opponents-by-214-points-at-pigeon-forge-duals.aspx?mc_cid=654ae3350c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

No. 10 Men’s Wrestling Dominates at Smoky Mountain Duals
GATLINBURG, Tenn. —- The No. 10 nationally ranked Life University men’s wrestling team completed the Smoky Mountain Duals Friday afternoon, where the team posted a 3-0 record and shutout two teams. The Running Eagles downed Campbellsville’s number two team 51-0 before defeating (RV) Bluefield 57-0. In the final dual of the day, Life U defeated (RV) University of Jamestown 41-12 to end the event. In the dual against Campbellsville’s number two squad, the Running Eagles earned bonus points in every weight class except two. Kevin Saravia earned a win via pin fall at the five minute mark at 125 as Quin McGlamery earned the 11-0 major decision at 133. Julian Hernandez picked up a 4-2 decision at 141 as Marcelo Sierra won with an 18-2 technical fall at 149. Osvani Ley took the 3-1 decision at 157 with Sid Ohl earning the pin (1:19) at 165. Campbellsville forfeited the final four weight classes for the 51-0 victory. Next the men matched up with Bluefield who is receiving votes in the NAIA Top 25 Coaches’ Poll. The Running Eagles dominated the Rams with every match scoring bonus points. McGlamery (133, 2:54), Hernandez (141, 2:27), Denver Stonecheck (149, 1:30), Phillip McBride (174, 6:13) and Timothy Johnson (184, 1:47) each won via pin fall at their weight class. Saravia added a 15-0 technical fall at 125 and Baker Hadwan finished the dual with a 15-4 major decision at 285. The 57-0 margin of victory marks the largest in program history. Rest of the story at https://liferunningeagles.com/news/2019/12/14/no-10-mens-wrestling-dominates-at-smoky-mountain-duals.aspx?mc_cid=654ae3350c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Drexel Opens EIWA Action with Dominant 42-3 Win over LIU
PHILADELPHIA – Drexel Wrestling set off on its 2019-20 Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association campaign in a big way with a 42-3 win over Long Island University at the Daskalakis Athletic Center on Saturday. The Dragons (3-2, 1-0 EIWA) won nine of 10 bouts and scored bonus points in six total matches, including a pair of pins by No. 17 Ebed Jarrell and No. 33 Michael O’Malley.
“The Dragons nab bonus points in 6?? total bouts and jump out to a 1??-0?? start in EIWA competition with a 42-3 win over LIU on Saturday
Ebed Jarrell collects the 17th pin of his career to move into the top-15 at Drexel
MORE??https://t.co/APysmsPBYO pic.twitter.com/yDISScYu2R— DrexelWrestling (@DrexelWrestling) December 14, 2019
Tyler Williams commenced the dual with a 20-4 technical fall over Michael Blando at 141 pounds. The freshman scored points in bunches, especially in the third period. With a 10-4 advantage, Williams started the final period in the down position. After an escape and a takedown, he secured the tech fall with six-straight near fall points. Rest of the story at https://drexeldragons.com/news/2019/12/14/wrestling-opens-eiwa-action-with-dominant-42-3-win-over-liu.aspx?mc_cid=654ae3350c&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

December 18, 2019 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment