Ribustello named the 2025 Lee Carroll Award winner
Stephen Ribustell0 of Tarboro High School has been named the 2025 Lee Carroll Award winner. He ended his junior season in sudden victory overtime in the 1-A State Championship match. It was a successful season as he scored his 100th career win and repeated as a State Runner-Up. In three seasons he has qualified for the State Championships each year while amassing a scholastic record of 109 wins and just 12 losses. He will receive the 27th Annual Lee Carroll Award for excellence in athletics, academics and sportsmanship in northeastern North Carolina later this year.
Lee Carroll started wrestling as a sophomore when Tarboro High School re-started their program in 1992. Lee won 112 matches in 3 years with the Vikings. Lee was state runner-up his junior year before becoming a record setting undefeated state champion in 1995 with a (50-0) record. Lee went on to start four years at North Carolina State qualifying for the Nationals 3 times. Lee has taught engineering graphics at N.C. State and has his own interactive design agency, Forged Media, in Raleigh. He is a member of the Tarboro High Athletic Hall of Fame.
Previous award winners include Holton Quincy in 2024, Ryan Mann in 2023, Caleb Beaty of Corinth-Holders (2022), Logan Tortual of Rosewood (2021). Javon Armstrong of Pamlico County (2020), Aaron Bancroft of Wilson-Fike (2019), Timothy and Christian Decatur of Rosewood (2018), Jaqwuez Norman of Farmville Central (2017), Kaleb Taylor of Rosewood (2016), Wilson Smith of Rocky Mount (2015 & 2014), Angel Najar of North Pitt (2013), Alexander Knight and Jacineto Williamson of Rocky Mount in 2012, Chris Fess of Beddingfield and Tamaris Lane of Nash Central in 2011, Chandler Phillips of Rocky Mount (2010), Landon Lucas of SW Edgecombe (2009), Corey Smith (2008) and Eric Sutton (2007) of Tarboro, Zach Shearin and Paul Horner (2006) and Pat Anstead (2004) of Southern Nash, Jimmy McNamara (2005) of Wilson Hunt and Sammi Hadi (2003) of SW Edgecombe.
By The Numbers: The 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships
Breaking down the 2025 NCAAs with numbers and graphs and maps and positive vibes!
The math checks out: three days plus 10 weights plus 330 competitors equals the greatest weekend of the year!
Previous NCAAs By The Numbers: 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014
And now, with the 2025 edition of the NCAA D1 Wrestling Championships in the books, it’s time to dive into the numbers! More information about all the Philadelphia qualifiers can be found here. … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/13990118-by-the-numbers-the-2025-ncaa-wrestling-championships
Wyatt Hendrickson Stuns Gable Steveson In Epic NCAA Heavyweight Title Clash
Oklahoma State’s Wyatt Hendrickson toppled Olympic champion Gable Steveson 5-4 Saturday in one of the biggest championship match upsets in NCAA history.
Wyatt Hendrickson collapsed to his back.
Gable Steveson dropped to his knees.
The aftermath of college wrestling’s biggest national championship match upset in decades — perhaps ever — momentarily left both heavyweight contestants stunned Saturday night in front of 18,826 buzzing spectators.
Fifty-five years after Larry Owings stopped Dan Gable’s bid for a third national title, Hendrickson prevented Gable Dan Steveson from becoming a three-time NCAA champ with a herculean late takedown and a heavy ride for a scintillating 5-4 victory over the Olympic champion. “My arms have never felt so strong,” said Oklahoma State’s second-seeded Hendrickson, who reeled in Steveson’s right leg, switched off to a double and finished the go-ahead score with 21 seconds remaining. “All I know is I kind of felt when I got that takedown, he kind of gave that little second to relax and I took advantage of that. I don’t know if I had a claw to ride, but I was looking at the clock and I was just squeezing him.
“I didn’t care if I had to rip my arms off squeezing him, I was like, ‘I am holding this man down and winning this match.’” It had been six years since Steveson’s last college loss. … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/13988950-wyatt-hendrickson-stuns-gable-steveson-in-epic-ncaa-heavyweight-title-clash
Penn State Breaks NCAA Tournament Scoring Record For Second Straight Year
One year after breaking the NCAA tournament scoring mark, the Nittany Lions rewrote the record with a strong finish at the 2025 NCAA Championships.
Penn State grabbed the bar for NCAA tournament scoring and raised it even higher Saturday night in Philadelphia.
One year after toppling a 27-year-old national championship scoring mark, the Nittany Lions rewrote the record with a strong finish at the 2025 NCAA Championships.
Penn State went 11-1 and piled up 10 bonus points in contested consolation matches Saturday morning inside the Wells Fargo Center. Then the Nittany Lions tacked on a pair of championship-round victories Saturday night to race past their 2024 record.
Cael Sanderson’s crew finished the tournament with 177 points — 4.5 more than their 2024 record-setting total in Kansas City — as Penn State finished 60 ahead of second-place Nebraska. “It’s been a great year,” Sanderson said. “We’re just constantly thinking ahead and everything’s preparation for the next thing, so we don’t really kind of stop and reflect a whole lot. Obviously, we’re learning as we go and we’ll continue to do that. That’s the name of the game.”
Led by individual national champions Mitchell Mesenbrink (165) and Carter Starocci (184), Penn State became the first Division I program to have 10 wrestlers place sixth or better at the NCAA Championships. “We have a guy (Mesenbrink) that’s a sophomore in the NCAA finals and our other finalist (197-pounder Josh Barr) is a freshman,” Starocci said. “That pretty much tells you kind of where the program is going. We have some young guys making noise.” Penn State lost four-time NCAA champ Aaron Brooks and four-time All-American Bernie Truax, who combined to score 39.5 points for the 2024 squad that finished 100 points ahead of second-place Cornell. … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/13988953-penn-state-breaks-ncaa-tournament-scoring-record-for-second-straight-year
Ockerman and Marshall named Olivia Neal Award winners.
Anna Ockerman of Corinth-Holders and Sophia Marshall of Rosewood named Olivia Neal Award winners for outstanding wrestling.
State Champions Anna Ockerman of Corinth-Holders High School and Sophia Marshall will be presented the 4th Annual Olivia Neal Awards as the 2025 Most Outstanding Female scholastic wrestlers in eastern North Carolina. The award is for inspirational and successful senior female wrestlers in eastern North Carolina that encourage more girls to take advantage of opportunities in wrestling
The first award was given to Isabel Rodriguez of Dixon in 2022. Other previous award winners include Angelica Steffey of Havelock in 2023, Lillian Prendergrast of South Brunswick and Kamilah Brooks of Pasquotank County in 2024. All award winners were included in The TDR Top 12 Girls’ teams with their name engraved on a wooden plaque.
Girls’ wrestling is rapidly growing with 45 states having sanctioned girls state wrestling championships. North Carolina sponsored the first sanctioned state championship tournament in the 2023-2024 last season. This increases the opportunities for student development. In 2008 Olivia Neal became the first female wrestler in North Carolina to qualify for the varsity state tournament. She wrestled for Rosewood High School for four years. Her participation generated publicity for the sport, and she pinned her first state tournament opponent. This inspired a growing number of girls in eastern N.C. to try wrestling.
‘Most Shocking Final I Can Remember.’ Reactions To Wyatt Hendrickson’s Win
Gable Steveson was upset by Wyatt Hendrickson in the NCAA Final. Here’s how people reacted.
An Olympic Champion and No.1 ranked wrestler in the country, regardless of weight class, was stunned in the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships on March 22 in Philadelphia as Oklahoma State heavyweight Wyatt Hendrickson beat Gable Steveson in the final match of the night.
The US Air Force Second Lieutenant, who transferred to Oklahoma State this offseason, was the No. 2 seed to Minnesota Wrestling legend Steveson, who won an Olympic gold medal in Tokoyo and was the 2023 USA Open Champion.
Steveson hadn’t wrestled in college since 2022, but returned for his final year of eligibility to seek another title after trying his hand in WWE and the NFL.
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Steveson was incredible all season, winning the Big Ten Wrestling Championship and getting the No. 1 seed in the tournament.
But Hendrickson beat him 5-4 to stun the crowd in Philly… and the crowd on the internet. Here’s how people reacted.
Biggest NCAA Wrestling Upset Ever? … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/13988757-most-shocking-final-i-can-remember-reactions-to-wyatt-hendricksons-win
Penn State Sets Team Scoring Record During Memorable NCAA Finals
It was truly a historic night in Philadelphia! Penn State casually re-established a team scoring record – one that they had set just a year ago. Cael Sanderson’s team totaled 177 points after rolling to 172.5 points in 2024. The Nittany Lions total came from two national champions and ten All-Americans overall. The latter statistic made them the only second team in DI history (Minnesota 2001) to put their whole team on the medal stand.
Making individual history for Penn State was 184 lber Carter Starocci who became the first wrestler to earn five DI national titles. Barring a change in eligibility requirements, it should be a mark that stands for eternity. Starocci started the night with a win over the weight class’ returning champion Parker Keckeisen in one of the most anticipated of the finals bouts.
Oh yeah, by the way, we might have seen the biggest upset of our lifetime at this event. Wyatt Hendrickson stunned two-time national champion, two-time Hodge Trophy winner, and Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson. Hendrickson stopped Steveson’s 70-match winning streak with a late takedown and rideout to seal a 5-4 victory. It was the third All-American honor for Hendrickson, who was third at this event in each of the last two seasons. Hendrickson earned those placements competing for the Air Force Academy – this title was won as a member of David Taylor’s first Oklahoma State University team. Teammate Dean Hamiti also claimed a title in his final opportunity by downing two-time champion Keegan O’Toole. Both Hamiti and Hendrickson had to defeat two national champions to get their titles.
The Hendrickson title was made all the more unique after his entrance carrying the American flag and the fact that the match took place … more … https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/penn-state-sets-team-scoring-record-during-memorable-ncaa-finals-r100150/
UNI wrestling: Keckeisen finishes career as NCAA runner-up
Keckeisen concludes historic career as the third-winningest wrestler in Panther history. UNI places ninth as a team.
PHILADELPHIA — Parker Keckeisen’s historic Panther wrestling career came to its conclusion on Saturday night as the five-time All-American fell just short in his NCAA title repeat bid in a 4-3 loss to top-seeded Carter Starocci of Penn State at Wells Fargo Center on the final night of the national championships. Keckeisen, a five-time Big 12 champion and only five-time Division I All-American in program history, finishes the season with a 28-1 record and with the highest career winning percentage in program history (.956). He also became the first Northern Iowa wrestler to appear in three consecutive NCAA championship bouts since Bill Koll (1946-48).
The Panthers as a team finished the 2025 NCAA Championships with a ninth place performance in the team standings, the program’s highest Division I tournament finish since placing fifth in 1962.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Keckeisen went on the attack early in a scoreless first period, but was unable to takedown his opponent. Starocci opened the second stanza with a quick escape as both hand fought … more at … https://unipanthers.com/news/2025/3/22/wrestling-uni-wrestling-keckeisen-comes-up-short-in-ncaa-championship-tilt
Cornell Wrestling Earns Three Fifth Place Finishes at the 2025 NCAA Championships
PHILIDELPHIA, Pa. – Cornell wrestling ends the 2025 NCAA Championships with three fifth place finishes and three All-American in Meyer Shapiro, Simon Ruiz and Chris Foca.
SESSION FIVE ACTION
With only three wrestlers remaining, Cornell charged into the consolation semifinals with determination and earned three fifth place finishes.
No. 6 Chris Foca went a round with No. 4 Dustin Plott of Oklahoma State and was held without score till the third period. Plott earned a reversal at the end of the second period to take a 2-0 lead. Foca threw in an escape early in the third but could not put up another point falling 2-1. The senior was able to move on to win one last bout in the Big Red singlet as he took fifth over No. 8 Jaxson Smith of Maryland. Foca wrestled with nothing to lose and racked up two takedowns and an escape in his 7-4 victory over Smith. The New Jersey wrestler ended his senior career 18-2 and 95-20 all time for the Big Red.
No.2 Meyer Shapiro met the 157 first place seed Tyler Kasak of Penn State first thing. The top seeds made a match out of it as they pursued the third-place match. Kasak earned the first points of the match with a takedown in the first period. Shapiro was in control of the second period scramble ultimately letting Kasak escape and add another point the board. The sophomore would add an escape of his own and be rewarded with a penalty point falling 4-2 to the number one seed and moving on to the fifth-place match. Shapiro added one more bonus bout to his records earning a 11-0 major decision win over No. Vinny Zerban of Northern Colorado. With a takedown in each period as well as an escape and riding time the two-time All-American walks away from the championship in fifth place.
Freshman No. 5 Simon Ruiz held No. 2 Levi Haines scoreless through the first two periods … more at … https://cornellbigred.com/news/2025/3/22/cornell-wrestling-earns-three-fifth-place-finishes-at-the-2025-ncaa-championships.aspx
TDR blog
After 20 seasons of publicizing wrestling The TakeDown Report’s (TDR) focus has changed to the collecting of college coaching records from North America since 1903. We will continue to recognize and reward successful wrestlers in eastern North Carolina (east of Raleigh & Fayetteville), assist with schools in starting or re-starting a team and this blog. Join us on our FaceBook Page – “The TakeDown Report” for photos and news. Please send results, stories, links and news to pass along. E-mail us at takedownreport@gmail.com
Martin Fleming, Editor
Takedown Report
Takedown Report 