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Kent State University Adds Women’s Wrestling as 20th Varsity Sport, Planned to Compete in 2027

KENT, Ohio — Kent State University announced today that women’s wrestling will become the athletics department’s 20th varsity sport, marking a historic addition to the Golden Flashes athletics lineup and a milestone for collegiate athletics in Ohio. Kent State becomes the first NCAA Division I institution in the state and fifth in the nation to sponsor women’s wrestling.
The program will begin competition in fall 2027. Hiring for the program’s first head coach is expected to take place by summer 2026, following ongoing planning and facility renovations that will include updated locker rooms and coaches’ offices.
This is an exciting day for Kent State University and for the continued advancement of women’s sports, said Kent State Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Randale L. Richmond. Women’s wrestling is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, and establishing this program allows Kent State to support that growth while creating new opportunities for female student-athletes in Ohio and beyond. We are proud to lead the way as the first Division I program in the state to sponsor the sport. We are thrilled to add women’s wrestling, which continues our leadership in intercollegiate athletics in Ohio and the nation, said Kent State President Todd Diacon. Women’s wrestling has seen a surge of participation nationally. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, the 2024–25 academic year included 8,100 girls’ high school wrestling programs nationwide and 74,064 girls participating in the sport.
Ohio has been a leader in the sport’s growth regionally. The state held its first sanctioned Girls’ High School Wrestling State Championship in 2023, and participation continues to rise. During the 2024–25 academic year, Ohio featured 507 high schools sponsoring girls’ wrestling and 2,535 girls competing statewide. Those numbers are projected to continue increasing as sanctioned collegiate pathways expand. The establishment of Kent State’s women’s wrestling program is supported through state appropriations. As part of House Bill 96, the university received funds that will help support program development, staffing, and facility preparation. 
For more information, you can visit our FAQ page here.
Women’s Wrestling Timeline for Sport Sponsorship:
June 2020 — Women’s wrestling added to the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program, giving the sport formal recognition and a pathway toward full championship status.
October 2023 — The sport surpassed the threshold of 40 schools sponsoring varsity programs … more at … https://kentstatesports.com/news/2025/12/18/womens-wrestling-kent-state-university-adds-womens-wrestling-as-20th-varsity-sport-planned-to-compete-in-2027

December 22, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , | Leave a comment

When can Penn State wrestling make history, break an NCAA win streak?

The ever-dominant Penn State wrestling machine is on the verge of making Division I history this weekend in Tennessee.
Of course, Cael Sanderson, it’s low-key, publicity-aversive head coach, would rather not even talk about it. That’s the style and tenor of the team that has dominated one opponent after another for the past six years.
One that expects to set a new major college win streak Saturday at the Journeyman Collegiate Duals in Nashville, Tenn. Penn State can tie the decades-old record by beating North Dakota State, then break it immediately after by beating Stanford. Penn State’s 77th straight dual meet victory will pass Oklahoma State, which set its mark in 1951.
Sanderson’s Lions haven’t lost since falling 19-17 at Iowa in 2020, before COVID. They haven’t lost at home in nearly … more at … https://www.ydr.com/story/sports/college/penn-state/2025/12/17/when-can-penn-state-wrestling-cael-sanderson-break-ncaa-win-streak/87716445007/

December 22, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Girls wrestling is on the rise across Michigan high schools

Cameron Maldonado didn’t know what to expect when a friend invited her to a girls wrestling tournament in 2023.
She sat in the student section in awe, watching her friend Adeline Tuccini – then a junior at Allen Park – compete. Maldonado knew then: She wanted to join the team. “It’s a space I’ve never seen women in,” Maldanado, 17, of Romulus, said. “There’s not a lot of places that girls can be … more at … https://www.freep.com/story/sports/high-school/2025/12/17/michigan-high-school-girls-wrestling-surge-mhsaa/87481240007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z116528p119450c119450d00—-v116528d–47–b–47–&gca-ft=180&gca-ds=sophi

December 22, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Koy Buesgens Moving Up Rankings In Sophomore Year With NC State Wrestling

Koy Buesgens is off to a 10-1 start and moving up the 149-pound rankings during his second year as a starter at NC State.
As somebody who enjoys coding while majoring in computer science, NC State sophomore Koy Buesgens has a knack for solving problems by turning ideas into step-by-step instructions that a computer can understand and execute.
That ideology correlates perfectly with a wrestling mat, where learning from your mistakes and continually thinking of ways to make constant improvement is key.
After a rookie campaign that saw him earn a podium finish at the 2025 ACC Championships and advance to the NCAA Championships, Buesgens has taken the next step and transitioned this year into a top-10 wrestler at 149 pounds.  “Being in the lineup after facing so many top guys was not only a huge jump from high school, but it was also a huge jump from my redshirt season,” Buesgens said. “At NC State, you know you are walking in, and you’ve got top-level guys that are just ready to scrap with you.
“It was a big switch, and I feel good now. I feel acclimated. Last year was a great opportunity to continue to acclimate to it and really get in there and find where I was among those top guys in the country.” Buesgens was known as being a tough wrestler to score on last year, and over the summer the NC State coaches challenged him to work on his offense and find more attacks from neutral. “I worked a lot on my offense and a big part of creating offense was the ability to pressure and keep pressure on my opponent,” Buesgens said. “I’ve been feeling really good about it recently. I was able to open up on some guys, create a lot of offense on the feet.”
He has opened the season with a 10-1 start. The first weekend of the season, he brought home the title at the Southeast Open after a top-10 win in the final. He then continued with three ranked wins at the National Duals Invitational. “He’s made some huge gains mentally and physically, and we always knew that he could wrestle, and he has the technique behind it and the mindset to be great,” NC State coach Pat Popolizio said. “It’s tough. Anytime you’re a freshman in our lineup, expectations are … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/14982250-koy-buesgens-moving-up-rankings-in-sophomore-year-with-nc-state-wrestling

December 22, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , | Leave a comment

World-champion wrestler sues NCAA over eligibility to compete for Iowa State

Student says NCAA ‘five-year clock’ violates antitrust laws
A world-champion Cuban wrestler, Reineri Andreu Ortega, is suing the National Collegiate Athletic Association over rules that he says have unfairly barred him from wrestling for Iowa State University.

The lawsuit was filed this week by lawyers for Ortega, a student and prospective college wrestler at ISU, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. The lawsuit challenges the NCAA’s so-called “Five-Year Eligibility Clock” and the manner in which the NCAA decides when that clock begins running and thus when a student’s eligibility to compete expires.
Attorneys for Ortega argue that the NCAA’s application of the rule violates antitrust laws and unjustifiably restrains the ability of Ortega and other college athletes to “earn meaningful compensation that is now available to (other) NCAA Division I athletes.”
The lawsuit has its origins in a 2021 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that paved the way for college athletes to receive compensation for use of their names, images, and likenesses. Since then, the market for name, image and likeness compensation opportunities available to NCAA Division I athletes has “exploded into a multi-million dollar industry,” the lawsuit claims.
However, the lawsuit adds, that form of compensation is largely available only to NCAA Division I athletes. Athletes who compete outside of what the lawsuit calls “the NCAA monopoly” have no meaningful opportunity to collect revenue-sharing income or profit from their name, image or likeness.
Under NCAA bylaws, an athlete has five years of eligibility to play four seasons of “intercollegiate competition” in his or her chosen sport.  … more at … https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/12/16/world-champion-wrestler-sues-ncaa-over-eligibility-to-compete-for-iowa-state/

December 22, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Men’s College Notebook: Penn State Seeks History at Collegiate Duals

The top three ranked teams in this week’s NWCA DI Men’s Coaches Poll will all be in the same gym competing in duals this weekend, as Nashville plays host to the annual Collegiate Duals.
#1 Penn State, #2 Ohio State and #3 Iowa State will all be in action. #10 Illinois makes it four of the nation’s top-10 teams. While #17 Cornell, #19 Lehigh and #23 Stanford make it seven top-25 teams among the nine participating schools.
The event takes place on Saturday and Sunday, and all matches can be streamed on FloWrestling.

Here is the complete schedule of duals:

Collegiate Duals Schedule on Saturday, December 20 
  • 3 p.m. (ET) – #23 Stanford vs North Dakota State
  • 5 p.m. (ET) – #1 Penn State vs North Dakota State
  • 7 p.m. (ET) – #1 Penn State vs #23 Stanford
Collegiate Duals Schedule on Sunday, December 21 

December 22, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NCAA DI Rankings Updated (12/16/2025)

All in all, we didn’t have too crazy of a week on the rankings front. With many teams out of action due to last week’s CKLV and possibly exams, there was a lighter schedule than in previous weeks.
A couple of notes about the rankings this week:
For the individual wrestlers’ records, I’ve tried to mirror the official record used for NCAA seeding and such. Personally, I prefer the previous versions as they were official matches – they just included some that were not used for seeding purposes. Let me know if you have a preference, maybe nobody cares!
For the team race….Carson Kharchla’s win over Matty Singleton and his move from fifth to fourth at 174 lbs helps Ohio State pull within a half point of Penn State. We also saw heavyweight Cole Mirasola drop a bit after his loss to Christian Carroll. The Kharchla/Singleton move also let Patrick Kennedy move up a spot and Iowa also gained some ground (1 point) from last week’s rankings.
As a team, the biggest mover in both duals and tournament format was Oklahoma. They jumped up three spots in both rankings after their two wins in New Jersey (Rider, Rutgers). North Carolina and Northern Iowa didn’t budge much in the tournament rankings, but each moved up a couple of spots in the dual rankings after good wins last week.
Now, to some individual weight classes.
125 lbs – We flipped Troy Spratley and Jett Strickenberger after Spratley’s win on Sunday.
Cooper Flynn drops a bit after an 0-2 Friday. One of the opponents who beat him, Bridger Ricks, is knocking on the door for a spot in the top 33.
133 lbs – We added Ronnie Ramirez in place of Richie Figueroa for the first time. Dylan Shawver tumbles to #20 after a loss to Drexel’s Kyle Waterman. At this point, Shawver’s only ranked win is #31 Troy Hohman and he has losses to Waterman and Evan Mougalian. Waterman has a limited resume this year and a loss to #33 Javaan Yarbrough. If he keeps winning, he could make the top 33.
141 lbs – #1 Mendez teched #6 Ryan Jack. At this point, I don’t think there’s a good spot to move Jack down to. The three wrestlers behind him haven’t necessarily warranted a top-five ranking based on anything of late. Jack’s three losses have come to #1 Mendez, #2 Vega, #5 Olivieri. Dario Lemus drops a few spots after a loss to Briar Priest. … more at … https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/ncaa-di-rankings-updated-12162025-r100702/
And …

2025-26 NCAA DI Wrestling Rankings
P4P – Mitchell Mesenbrink
There were no changes in the pound-for-pound in this set of the rankings.
If you have any questions, we welcome and encourage your feedback. Hit up Jon Kozak (email: Jonathan.Kozak@flosports.tv; X: @KozakJon) and JD Rader (email: jd.rader@flosports.tv; X: @rader_jd). … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/rankings/14300895-2025-26-ncaa-di-wrestling-rankings/55198-p4p-mitchell-mesenbrink
And …

WIN’s Dec. 16 updated Tournament Power Index, Top-20 Dual Teams and Individual Rankings
NEWTON, Iowa — WIN’s Dec. 16 updated Tournament Power Index (TPI), Top-20 Dual Teams and Individual Rankings, presented by Cliff Keen Athletic, set the scene for an action-packed weekend slate that boasts the Journeymen Collegiate Duals, set for Dec. 20-21 in Nashville, Tenn. Of WIN’s Top-20 Dual Teams, seven will participate in the event, including the Top-3 teams in Penn State, Iowa State and Ohio State. The latter two, Iowa State and Ohio State, will face off on Sunday, Dec. 21 at 3 p.m. ET.
Additionally, another Top-10 dual-meet matchup looms, as No. 5 Oklahoma State travels to Lincoln, Neb. to take on No. 6 Nebraska on Sunday, Dec. 21.
The Tournament Power Index remained the same this week in terms of the Top 20 teams. Penn State remained No. 1, while Iowa State, Ohio State, Iowa and Oklahoma State rounded out the Top 5, respectively. WIN’s TPI projects where programs could finish at the 2026 NCAA Division I Championships, which will be held March 19-21 in Cleveland.
The following is a breakdown of those individual TPI points per ranking: 20 for 1st, 16 for 2nd, 13.5 for 3rd, 12.5 for 4th, 10 for 5th, 9 for 6th, 6.5 for 7th and 5.5 for 8th. Wrestlers ranked 9-12 earn two points each, followed by one and a half points for wrestlers ranked 13-16 and one point for those ranked 17-20. Penn State features five top-ranked wrestlers with Nittany Lions Shayne Van Ness (149), PJ Duke (157), Mitchell Mesenbrink (165), … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2025/12/16/wins-dec-16-updated-tournament-power-index-top-20-dual-teams-and-individual-rankings/

December 21, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | , | Leave a comment

National Wrestling Hall of Fame Opens Executive Director Search

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum (NWHOF) is the preeminent institution dedicated to preserving the history of wrestling, celebrating its greatest contributors, and inspiring future generations to achieve excellence, on and off the mat.
Founded in 1976, the vision of the NWHOF is to be the definitive steward and champion of wrestling history and achievement while honoring athletes, coaches, officials, and contributors who embody the sport’s core values of integrity, excellence, collaboration, and service.
Headquartered in Stillwater, Oklahoma, with the Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, and 37 state chapters nationwide, the NWHOF serves as both the historical heart and cultural ambassador of the sport. Its mission is to preserve wrestling history, recognize extraordinary achievement and inspire greatness.
As the sport continues to evolve and grow, the NWHOF remains committed to expanding the visibility of wrestling, and ensuring that wrestling’s timeless lessons of hard work, humility, and honor are shared across the United States and around the world.
The Board of Governors seeks a passionate and credible Champion of the NWHOF’s vision, mission and values who will steward the institution’s legacy while propelling it into a new era of innovation, growth, and impact. The Executive Director will serve as the public face and chief spokesperson for the NWHOF and will oversee all aspects of the organization’s operations, including the Stillwater and Waterloo museums, state chapters, finances, staff, programs, and donor relations. This executive will be responsible … more at … https://nwhof.org/news/national-wrestling-hall-of-fame-opens-executive-director-search

December 21, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Mendez-Led Buckeyes Thinking Big After Fast Start

Thanks in part to the influence of two-time NCAA champ Jesse Mendez, the Ohio State Buckeyes are chasing big goals.
It might be natural to assume the 2025-26 campaign has Ohio State coach Tom Ryan flying high. 
His Buckeyes are undefeated (8-0), his lightweights are performing at podium-in-March levels and there’s plenty of chatter in the wrestling world about how good this group of the scarlet and gray-clad grapplers can be.  It’s not an overly bold notion to predict that two undefeated programs will clash in two months when Penn State hosts Ohio State in February.
Ryan won’t make such predictions. Despite opening eyes at the National Duals Invitational — where the Buckeyes handled Wyoming, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa on their way to the title — Ryan insists on staying in each current moment.  “That stuff is for fans, and it’s fun for them,” Ryan said. “But, as cliché as it sounds, we’re focused on the now, trusting our process, staying inside our system. Nothing’s changed.” Ryan spoke of his team’s need to be ready for Sunday’s showdown with Iowa State, calling the retooled, transfer-laden Cyclones “tough” and saying they “pulled in some really good kids this year.” 
There’s a lot of season left and many big challenges are still ahead of the Buckeyes, which Ryan is well aware. Looking down the road, though, does he believe this Ohio State team is capable of taking down Penn State for the national title in March? … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/14984821-mendez-led-buckeyes-thinking-big-after-fast-start

December 20, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Davidson ‘Cats Defeat Presbyterian in League Opener; Fall to Frankin & Marshall

CLINTON, S.C. – Highlighted by a 21-9 victory in its Southern Conference Opener, Davidson finished 1-1 Thursday at Presbyterian’s Quad-Dual inside Templeton Gymnasium.
Following their win over the Blue Hose, the Wildcats dropped a 25-13 decision to Franklin & Marshall to move to 3-6 overall.
Against Presbyterian, Davidson won six of the first seven weight classes by decision to all but put the dual out of reach.
Dylan Smith, who finished the day 2-0 in his first dual action of the season, put the final points on the board for the Wildcats with a 10-8 win over Toler Hornick.
Brady Joling (125), Anderson Heap (149) and Marc Koch (174) also finished the day with a pair of wins. Davidson 21, Presbyterian 9
Clinton, S.C. | Templeton Gymnasium                                                                                                              125 – Brady Joling (DAV) over Brayden Adams (PC) by Decision, 3-0                    
133 – Luke Passarelli (DAV) over Fernando Dominguez (PC) by Decision, 15-10                    
141 – Ryan Luna (PC) over Marley Washington (DAV) by Decision, 2-0 … more at … https://davidsonwildcats.com/news/2025/12/18/wrestling-cats-defeat-presbyterian-in-league-opener-fall-to-frankin-marshall

December 20, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

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