Ownbey Inducted Into UNC Pembroke Athletics Hall of Fame
PEMBROKE, N.C. – Head Wrestling Coach Daniel Ownbey has been inducted into the University of North Carolina at Pembroke Athletics Hall of Fame, the school announced over the weekend. The prestigious honor highlights Ownbey’s outstanding collegiate career and lasting impact on the UNCP Wrestling program.
“I want to thank UNC Pembroke Athletics and the Hall of Fame committee for this incredible opportunity to join some of the greatest athletes who competed for UNC Pembroke”, said Ownbey. “I also want to thank Othello Johnson for giving me the opportunity to continue my career for the Braves, as well as Chris Notte, for being the coach I needed to push me to my limits to reach my goals. UNCP will always hold a very special place in my heart, and I will always be proud to have worn the Black and Gold. I look forward to seeing my own athletes have this opportunity in years to come at Montevallo.”
The Asheville, North Carolina native was a four-time All-American from 2011-15, compiling an 133-18 record on the mat. Ownbey further cemented his legacy with a pair of NCAA Division II national titles, the first coming in the 2013-14 season. He capped off a stellar career with his second championship in the 2014-15 campaign, becoming the school’s first multi-time national champion.
Ownbey added to his list of accolades following the 2014-15 season, being named the NCAA Super Region II Wrestler of the Year. … more at … https://montevallofalcons.com/news/2025/8/11/wrestling-ownbey-inducted-into-unc-pembroke-athletics-hall-of-fame.aspx
Schulz to join prestigious UNC Pembroke program
MOREHEAD CITY — There wasn’t another school that hardly stood a chance with John Schulz.
The recent West Carteret graduate has known since his sophomore year that he wanted to wrestle at UNC Pembroke. “Pembroke has been my number one school for a long time” he said. “They did a wrestling camp here my sophomore year, and since then, I kind of had them on my radar. I’ve just been developing a relationship with them.”
Schulz credited assistant coach Nick Daggett for his recruitment and attention to developing a relationship over the past three years. It’s easy to see why Schulz is so enamored with the UNCP program.
The Braves finished tied for 10th at the NCAA Division II National Championships in the 2023-2024 season, which was the highest standing since the 2011-2012 campaign. They have now logged team points at 22 straight NCAA Championships, dating back to the 2002-03 campaign.
Othello “O.T.” Johnson, who is heading into his 15th season as the coach, has led the team to some of the finest years in the history of the program, including a 2017-18 season that led to the program’s first conference title in 34 years. In that same season, UNCP turned in its seventh straight top 25 finish under Johnson after finishing 15th at the NCAA Division II National Championships. The Braves have finished in the top 25 on three more occasions since.
Johnson has produced 59 NCAA qualifiers in his tenure. … more at … https://www.carolinacoastonline.com/news_times/sports/article_a36dc24b-977a-42b2-843c-066e6e3a236a.html
New College Wrestling programs
TDR Editor’s Notes; The following programs are just some of the new college teams that will be starting up. So far over 50 new teams have been announced for next season while about 10 teams will be dropped mostly due to schools’ closures. So far over 10 new teams in the following year while 2 teams will be dropped due to a school closure. While most of these schools are far away they are exaamples of the growth in collegiate and scholastic wrestling.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Wrestling Returns To Wittenberg
Wittenberg to Sponsor Donor-Supported Men’s and Women’s Wrestling Programs Starting in 2026-27 School Year
SPRINGFIELD, OH – The last time wrestling singlets were adorned with the iconic Wittenberg logo, the year was 1990, and the majority of Wittenberg’s intercollegiate athletics teams had just started competition in a new league.
Fast forward to 2025 and Wittenberg, which discontinued its wrestling program at the conclusion of the 1989-90 school year, has won more than 130 team championships across a variety of sports as a member of the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). While the league has never sponsored competition in the sport, calls from Wittenberg alumni to bring wrestling back have never ceased.
Those calls have grown louder in recent years until they reached a crescendo this year. A group of wrestling alumni stepped forward to support the University by providing financial backing to not only re-start Wittenberg’s men’s wrestling program but also offer a new women’s wrestling program as well.
“We are deeply grateful to our supportive alumni and friends who, as donors, are allowing us to expand our athletics offerings without requiring additional investments from the University,” said Wittenberg President Christian M.M. Brady, DPhil (Oxon.). “This model preserves our financial future and positions us to offer a program of great interest and an overall excellent academic and educational experience to our current and prospective students.”
Both teams will start competition in the 2026-27 school year, following a year that will be dedicated to recruiting. A search for a new coach is already underway. “We are extremely excited about the reinstatement of our wrestling program, which will include a women’s team,” … more at … https://www.wittenberg.edu/news/07-31-25/wrestling-returns-wittenberg
Women’s Wrestling Coming to St. Ambrose in 2026-27
St. Ambrose University is announcing the addition of a varsity women’s wrestling program, building on its legacy of athletic excellence and opportunities for student-athletes. The team will begin official competition in the 2026–27 academic year, with a head coach to be hired during this academic year to lead recruiting, scheduling, and program development.
“As early as four years ago, we saw the tremendous momentum behind girls’ wrestling at the high school level, especially in Iowa and Illinois,” said Mike Holmes, Director of Athletics at St. Ambrose. “We’ve had our eye on this opportunity ever since, and we’re excited to bring that vision to life for our Ambrosian student-athletes.”
The launch of the women’s program builds upon the university’s strategic facilities plan, which included future expansion when the men’s wrestling program was launched in 2021. The current wrestling facility was constructed with dedicated space for a women’s team, including locker rooms and office space.
The university is applying for the women’s wrestling team to compete in the Heart of America Athletic Conference, the same conference where the men’s wrestling team competes as an affiliate. Adding a women’s team expands opportunities for Ambrosian student-athletes and allows St. Ambrose to further engage in conference-level competition and contribute to the rapid national and regional growth of the sport. “We designed our wrestling facility with this expansion in mind,” … more at … https://www.saubees.com/sports/wwrest/2025-26/releases/20250804g72d65
And …
Mount St. Joseph to Add Women’s Wrestling as 22nd Athletic Team
CINCINNATI, Ohio – Mount St. Joseph University is announcing the addition of women’s wrestling to the Universities athletic programs. The team is slated to begin competition in the fall of 2026 and will increase the total number of athletic teams to 22 at The Mount.
Women’s wrestling is one of the fastest-growing sports among high schools across the country and specifically in the state of Ohio. The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) sponsored their first state championship in 2024. According to the National Wrestling Coaches Association, the number of female high school wrestlers nationally has exploded 804 in 1994 to more than 50,000 in 2024.
At the collegiate level, women’s wrestling was listed as an “emerging sport” by the NCAA in 2020-21. Since that time the sport has seen tremendous growth at the collegiate level and became the NCAA’s 91st championship level sport in January of 2025.
The MSJ women’s wrestling program will become the NCAA’s 58th Division III team. It will be the seventh D-III program in the state of Ohio and the first south of Westerville. … more at … https://msjlions.com/news/2025/8/5/general-mount-st-joseph-to-add-womens-wrestling-as-22nd-athletic-team.aspx
USA Wrestling Coach’s Corner: Scott Honecker (Mass./Conn.)
TDR Editor’s Note; Coach Honecker was a head coach at Greenville J.H. Rose before moving on to New England and the college coaching ranks.
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By Tristan Warner
Saying ‘yes’ to opportunities has been the story of Scott Honecker’s life. It is also his best advice for coaches, and even the many student-athletes he mentors on a yearly basis.
Head coach at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass. since the 2012-13 season, he also serves as the national team director for Connecticut USA Wrestling. More recently, he has picked up steam in the Greco-Roman coaching scene, as Honecker will lead Team USA at the 2025 U20 World Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria in August.
He has taken a winding path, at least geographically, to get where he is now, but for Honecker, taking advantage of opportunities, no matter where they take him, has been the recipe. “My competitive career concluded, and I wanted to continue in wrestling,” explained Honecker. “It wasn’t realistic for me to be decorated on the Senior level, so I started coaching because I really was mostly motivated to stay with the sport. “I have been able to make a life and a career in this sport without having the competitive accolades of many of my peer coaches. If you are passionate about wrestling and helping young people, it doesn’t matter if you had a medal around your neck.”
Fresh out of Ithaca College, Honecker’s first coaching gig took him to the Tar Heel State, where he served as varsity coach at J.H. Rose High School in Greenville, N.C. in 2005. He spent six years at the helm of the Rampants, at a time when wrestling in the state of North Carolina was still in an emerging status. “North Carolina was sort of coming out of the dark,” Honecker recalled. “Super 32 had just started on two mats. The best thing about being a high school coach in North Carolina as a 22-year-old was that, through USA Wrestling, there was a lot of opportunity. I was able to break into roles that, if I was in a more established state, would have taken me longer to earn my way into.”
This is when Honecker got involved with coaching the national teams. He was named North Carolina State Coach of the Year in 2009 by USA Wrestling. “When I was ready to transition to a full-time coaching role, doing things in Fargo helped make me a more realistic candidate.”
Upon his move back to the northeast region, … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2025/07/10/usa-wrestling-coachs-corner-scott-honecker-mass-conn/
Mike Moyer On The Battle Facing College Olympic Sports
National Wrestling Coaches Association executive director Mike Moyer shares the latest updates on the fight to protect college wrestling and other Olympic sports. … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/video/14447978-mike-moyer-on-the-battle-facing-college-olympic-sports
Mijain Lopez on winning a fifth Olympic gold and life after wrestling: “It’s time to start a new chapter”
The Greco-Roman legend from Cuba reflects on his historic Paris 2024 farewell, staying connected to the sport, and why he’s at peace with retirement.
Mijaín López knew the Olympic Games Paris 2024 would be his final competition. The Greco-Roman wrestling legend from Cuba went out in style, capturing his fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal in the French capital. It’s a feat no other wrestler has achieved.
After his triumph, López left his shoes on the mat – a silent gesture of passing the torch to the next generation in a sport he had dedicated his life to since he was just 10 years old. “It’s hard to say goodbye to sport, because you’re leaving your whole life behind,” López told Olympics.com in an exclusive interview during the International Athletes Forum in Lausanne. “I’ve been dedicated to wrestling since I was ten. My life was spent on the mat, with my coaches, away from my family… Retirement is tough for any athlete because it means starting a whole new life.”
That new life is already taking shape for the 41-year-old. If he thought he would rest on his laurels or enjoy some time off following Paris… well, he was wrong. “I thought I’d take some time to rest, but I haven’t really managed to. It’s been more like a continuation because I’ve been involved in a lot of activities, especially with young people,” explained López. “It’s given me the chance to give something back, the charisma I had in my sporting career. And honestly, I’m really happy doing what I’m doing.”
Now, he’s working as a sports ambassador, … more at … https://www.olympics.com/en/news/mijain-lopez-interview-fifth-olympic-gold-life-after-wrestling
Big Ten Wrestling Championships Headed to Penn State
The Nittany Lions will host the 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Penn State will entertain the best of Big Ten wrestling in 2026. The Big Ten Wrestling Championships return to Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center for the first time since 2022. The tournament is scheduled for March 7-8, 2026.
Penn State is pursuing its fourth straight team title, and 10th under head coach Cael Sanderson, at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships. The Nittany Lions crowned five individual winners at last season’s Big Ten tournament.
Interestingly, Sanderson has never won a Big Ten tournament title in his home building. Penn State last hosted the Big Ten Wrestling Championships in 2022 and ’21. The Nittany Lions finished second to Michigan in 2022 and second to Iowa in 2021. Before that, Penn State previously hosted the event in 2009, when it finished seventh.
RELATED: Penn State sets Big Ten opponents for 2025-26 wrestling season
The Nittany Lions will chase their fifth straight NCAA team title with another stacked roster. The Nittany Lions return two national champions (Mitchell Mesenbrink in 2025, Levi Haines in 2024) and five All-Americans who placed fifth or better at their weight classes last season. In addition, Penn State signed former NCAA runner-up Rocco Welsh from Ohio State and 2024 world freestyle champion Masanosuke Ono to its roster.
According to FloWrestling’s latest college rankings, five Nittany Lions rank among the top-20 nationally pound-for-pound, with Mesenbrink staking he No. 1 spot overall. Haines is third, followed by Tyler Kasak at No. 12, Shayne Van Ness at No. 14 and Josh Barr at No. 18.
Penn State also two of the top freshmen in college wrestling with Marcus Blaze and PJ Duke, who will be busy on the world stage before the season. Duke is scheduled to compete at three world championships, including Senior Worlds in Croatia in September. In addition, 70 percent of the U.S. men’s freestyle team competing at the U23 World Championships wrestle for Penn State.
RELATED: Penn State releases coach Cael Sanderson’s salary … more at … https://www.si.com/college/pennstate/football/why-former-syracuse-receiver-trebor-pena-sought-change-at-penn-state
Midweek championship dates added as NCHSAA revises calendar; basketball playoffs overhauled
No sport had more changes than basketball, which for the last two years has hosted a “final four” format in Winston-Salem with all boys and girls regional finals and championships taking place across six straight days. That now appears gone.
The jump from four to eight classes means the N.C. High School Athletic Association had to add some dates to its championship calendar.
A revised calendar released on Tuesday shows nearly every sport may add at least one date to its previous calendar. Exact championship dates are not set in stone until the NCHSAA announces each venue.
There were no changes to the championship dates for boys and girls golf, boys and girls lacrosse, individual wrestling and individual boys and girls tennis.
Most sports saw an added day, like a Thursday championship for those already hosted on Friday and Saturday, or Friday-Saturday championships for those that were formerly all on Saturday. … more at … https://www.highschoolot.com/story/midweek-championship-dates-added-as-nchsaa-revises-calendar-basketball-playoffs-overhauled/22108874/
Actor Steve Buscemi is in the national Wrestling Hall of Fame
Before Steve Buscemi became known for his memorable portrayals of complex characters in films like Reservoir Dogs and Fargo or his commanding performance as a corrupt politician in HBO’s Boardwalk Empire, he was grappling on wrestling mats at Valley Stream Central High School in New York. The acclaimed actor’s connection to wrestling runs deeper than many fans might realize. In 2015, Buscemi received recognition as an Outstanding American by the Downstate New York Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, cementing his place among distinguished alumni who have leveraged their wrestling foundation to achieve excellence in other fields.
During his high school years at Valley Stream Central, Buscemi competed as a varsity starter on what was considered an exceptionally strong team. His coach was Harold Earl, himself a Hall of Fame inductee who received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the Downstate New York Chapter in 1995. Under Earl‘s guidance, Buscemi developed the discipline and work ethic that would later serve him throughout his diverse career in entertainment. “Wrestling’s pride in those who have used the disciplines of the sport to launch notable careers in other walks of life, … more at … https://bjjdoc.com/2025/07/30/actor-steve-buscemi-is-in-the-national-wrestling-hall-of-fame/
FOX Nation to stream Real American Freestyle wrestling events
FOX Nation announced Monday that it will be the streaming partner for Real American Freestyle wrestling.
The first event, called RAF 01, is scheduled for August 30 at the Wolstein Center in Cleveland. FOX Nation also will stream a second event in the fall at a date to be determined.
“Real American Freestyle is creating something that’s never been done before, and we needed a partner that understood that and could build with us,” Hulk Hogan, Real American Freestyle commissioner, said of the direct-to-consumer, on-demand service. “FOX Nation is synergistic with our brand, they appreciate the importance of bringing this sport to the masses, and they believe in our goal.” … more at … https://apnews.com/article/wrestling-hulk-hogan-fox-f7013600bb73ae4698cbbf9cc8ca700e
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 