Takedown Report

NCAA Division II Championships – 2024

Hixenbaugh Completes Historic Season, Wins 133-Pound National Championship
Hixenbaugh’s Win is the First Ever in Program History, and in NCAA Divison II history for all of Montevallo Athletics
PARK CITY, Kan. –  For the first time in the NCAA Division II era, the Falcons are National Champions.
Gabe Hixenbaugh won the 133-pound NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championship, 4-1, over No. 3 and defending National Champion Gavin Quiocho of Glenville State, Saturday, at Hartman Arena.
The win makes Hixenbaugh the first-ever National Champion of any sport in Division II history at Montevallo, doing so in the first year of the wrestling program.
In the championship match, Hixenbaugh weathered the storm early before recording a three-point takedown toward the end of the first period. Quiocho grabbed an escape point for the lone point of the second period as Hixenbaugh led 3-1 with two minutes to go.
In the final period, Hixenbaugh opened with an escape to go up 4-1. For the remaining 1:55, Hixenbaugh displayed exceptional defense while remaining aggressive, resulting in the 4-1 win and the national title.
Hixenbaugh’s historic season comes to an end with a 31-0 record, 14 ranked wins, and the National Championship. Throughout 31 matches, Hixenbaugh was only taken down twice.
The path to the finals for Hixenbaugh saw a tech fall win in the first round, a major decision in the quarterfinals, a buzzer-beating decision win in the semis, and a win by decision in the final. In addition to being the first National Champion in the history of the wrestling program and the entire athletic department, Hixenbaugh is also the first wrestling National Champion in the history of Conference Carolinas.  … story at … Montevallofalcons.com/Hixenbaugh-completes-historic-season-wins-133-pound-national-championship
And …

Josh Kenny Claims Wrestling National Championship At 174 Pounds
Kenny won by pin and tallied three bonus point wins in four matches
The Grand Valley State men’s wrestling program continued to check boxes in the first year of reinstatement. After a 32-year hiatus, the Lakers qualified four wrestlers for the 2024 NCAA DII National Championships, secured an All-American (actually two), claimed an individual National Champion and finished 13^th in the team standings with 31 points. Not a bad first year.
Josh Kenny secured an All-American honor Friday with a quarterfinal win, but that was not the final destination for the sophomore from Grandville, Michigan. Kenny dominated his semifinal match Saturday morning, claiming a 17-2 technical fall win over Brody Hemauer from Wisconsin Parkside. With the win Kenny became the first GVSU wrestler to reach the title match since 1988.
In the finale, Kenny and Central Oklahoma’s  Anthony Des Vigne wrestled to a scoreless first period. Des Vigne took down to start the second period and it proved to be a decision he would regret. After a solid mat return, Kenny dominated with two 4-point near falls, … story at … GVSulakers.com/Josh-kenny-claims-wrestling-national-championship-at-174-pounds
And …

Leija named All-American, writes history in NCAA Wrestling Championships
First Panther to receive All-American honors for DU wrestling
PARK CITY, Kansas – In a emphatic run in a Panther uniform, Manuel Leija set Davenport University wrestling history as the program’s first-ever All-American recipient. Leija competed in the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships between March 15-16 and secured a top-ten finish in eighth overall. Going into the tournament as a top-ranked wrestler for the 125-weight class, Leija showcased grit against top-ranked opponents in his respective bracket. Matched up against who would ultimately be the 125 title champion, Leija faced third-seeded Christian Meija (McKendree) and fell in an 8-1 decision to the national champion. Even so, Leija managed to shake off a less-than-desirable start to the tournament by piecing together a victory over Zach Schupp (Newberry) in an 11-4 decision and followed it up with an 8-5 sudden victory over Dayson Torgerson (Colorado Mesa). … story at … DUpanthers.com/Teija-named-all-american-writes-history-in-ncaa-wrestling-championships
And …

Parks picks up two more wins on Saturday to earn fourth place in Division II
PARK CITY, Kansas – La’Ron Parks won two more matches on Saturday to take fourth place in the country. Entering the NCAA Division II Tournament as an unranked wrestler, he finished the two-day event with a 5-2 record, upsetting three opponents who were ranked in the top-7 in the country. Parks also became an All-American for the first time in his career.
To read about Parks’ performance on Friday, click here.
Getting back on the mat Saturday morning, the Falcons’ heavyweight went up against No. 6 ranked Ryan Herman, from Maryville. Parks won the third round of the consolation bracket in a high scoring 12-5 decision. Herman was the third nationally-ranked wrestler that Parks defeated this weekend, to go along with No. 7 Luke Tweeton and No. 1 Francesco Borsellino.
Parks then moved past Zach Peterson, of Augustana, with a 5-1 decision … story at … Notredamefalcons.com/Parks-picks-up-two-more-wins-on-saturday-to-earn-fourth-place-in-division-ii
And …

Future is Bright as Lopers Finish Third; James Goes Out as National Runner Up
Kearney, Neb. – The fourth-ranked Nebraska-Kearney wrestling team finished in third place and fifth-year senior Nick James was the 141-pound national runner up Saturday at the 2024 NCAA Division II Championships in Wichita. 
MIAA-member Central Oklahoma (110.0) defended its national title with Lander (S.C.) University tallying 86.5 points to come in ahead of the Lopers (77.5). This marks UNK’s 22^nd top eight finish at this tournament; that includes 13 top three efforts (four first, six second and three third).
The Lopers had a solid Saturday as they “upset” six-higher seeded opponents. James (Kearney) is UNK’s 22nd National Runner up and was joined as an All-American by Omaha fifth-year senior Billy Higgins (3rd/184 lbs.), Iowa redshirt sophomore Crew Howard (3rd/285 lbs.), … story at … Lopers.com/Future-is-bright-as-lopers-finish-third-james-goes-out-as-national-runner-up
And …

Hunsberger Wins National Title as Lander Takes Second at NCAA Championship
PARK CITY, Kan. – Sophomore, David Hunsberger, became the Lander Wrestling team’s second-ever national champion as he won the 165-pound National Championship and helped the Bearcats to their second consecutive National Runner-Up finish at the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships inside Hartman Arena on Saturday. Lander finished with 86.5 points, 23.5 behind Central Oklahoma, who claimed their second consecutive National Title.
Session III:
James Joplin led off the session in the semifinals for the Bearcats against Jaxson Rohman, the national-runner up in 2023. Both wrestlers traded takedowns and escapes to end the first period. In the second period, Joplin secured an escape from bottom but was charged with the first of a series of controversial stalling calls. In the third, as he tried to see out the match he was hit for his second stalling call, tying the match and sending it to sudden victory where Joplin was hit with a third stall call, ending the match and sending him to the consolation bracket. Elijah Lusk was next on the mat and got a takedown in each of the first two periods … story at … Landerbearcats.com/Hunsberger-wins-national-title-as-lander-takes-second-at-ncaa-championship
And …

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS … AGAIN
WICHITA, Kan. – Back-to-back!
Dalton Abney moved into the 197-pound finals for the fourth straight year and was joined by a trio of teammates as top-ranked Central Oklahoma broke away from a tight team battle to wrap up its second consecutive NCAA Division II national championship Saturday afternoon. Gabe Johnson (157), Anthony DesVigne (174) and Shawn Streck (Hvy) will also wrestle in tonight’s 7 p.m. finals at Hartman Area, while 165 Hunter Jump placed third, 149 Dylan Brown fourth and 184 Garrett Wells sixth.  
The Bronchos finished the marathon third session with 102 points in clinching the 17th title in the program’s illustrious history. No. 2 Lander is second headed to the finals with 82.5 points, followed by No. 4 Nebraska-Kearney (76.5), No. 5 McKendree (69) and No. 3 St. Cloud State (64). “We’ve preached consistency in everything we do and it showed up this weekend,” head coach Todd Steidley said. “Every day we strive to get better and improve and I feel like we’ve done that. … story at … Bronchosports.com/National-champions-again
And …

Central Oklahoma Pulls Away To Win Second Straight NCAA D2 Wrestling Title
With seven All-Americans, four finalists and two champions, Central Oklahoma pulled away Saturday en route to its second straight Division II NCAA title.
Central Oklahoma entered the season as the prohibitive favorite in the Division II title chase.  The Bronchos finished the season as the clear front-runner, too.  Central Oklahoma pulled away Saturday to secure its second straight national title and ninth in program history. 
With seven All-Americans, four finalists and two champions, the Bronchos piled up 110 points to finish 23.5 ahead of second-place Lander. Nebraska-Kearney finished third with 77.5 points, followed by McKendree (73) and St. Cloud State (64).  Central Oklahoma entered Saturday with a five-point advantage over Lander, but the Bronchos stretched the lead when they went 4-2 in the semifinals.  Gabe Johnson and Shawn Streck won titles for Central Oklahoma. Johnson knocked off returning champion Nick Novak of St. Cloud State 10-7 in the finals at 157, while Streck scored a 7-4 win in the finals against Lander’s Juan Edmond-Holmes.  Streck was one of seven 2023 champions who reached the finals again Saturday, but only three repeated. … story at … Flowrestling.org/Central-oklahoma-pulls-away-to-win-second-straight-ncaa-d2-wrestling-title
And …

Johnson, Streck win individual titles, help Central Oklahoma to DII National team title
Mar. 17, 2024, 12:24 AM (ET) by Savannah Asmann, USA Wrestling
The 2024 NCAA DII National Championships came to a close on Saturday night, as all ten champions were crowned and the Central Oklahoma Bronchos earned the team trophy.
Central Oklahoma captured its second-straight team title with 110.0 points, followed by Lander in second with 86.5 points, and Nebraska-Kearney in third with 77.5 points. McKendree and St. Cloud State trailed closely behind in fourth and fifth place with 73.0 and 64.0 points respectively.
In the final at 125 pounds, Rohman was all over the legs of Mejia, who received a stall warning with one minute left in the period. The first came to a close with no score, as it was Rohman that got to the legs of Mejia four times in the first few minutes. Rohman started the second on top, but Mejia worked to a quick escape to lead 1-0. The Bearcat was able to get Rohman to the mat for three to take a 4-0 lead. The lead was cut to two after an escape and Mejia was caught for stalling, giving Rohman another point. Mejia worked his way to over a minute of riding time after starting the third period on top, which proved to be the difference maker in the match as Christian Mejia was crowned the National Champion at 125 pounds. History was made at 133 pounds as Gabe Hixenbaugh of Montevallo became not only the first wrestling National Champion, but the first ever National Champion for Montevallo in any sport. Hixenbaugh initiated control after a single leg takedown, closing out the first period on top. Defending national champion Gavin Quiocho earned the one point escape after Hixenbaugh started on top for the second period. In the third, Hixenbaugh added an escape to lead 4-1 and ultimately get the victory. At 141 pounds, Zackary Donathan of Tiffin became a two-time national champion after defeating Nick James of Nebraska-Kearney. … story at … Themat.com/Johnson-streck-win-individual-titles-help-central-oklahoma-to-dii-national-team-title

March 18, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NCAA Division II dual records 2024 – TDR # 31-64

The following are the dual meet win loss records for all Division II schools for the 2023-2024 season. We may have missed a school or have an incomplete records. If so, please send in the information to martinkfleming@gmail.com
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March 17, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NCAA Division I dual records 2024 – TDR # 31-63

The following are the dual meet win loss records for all Division I schools for the 2023-2024 season. We may have missed a school or have an incomplete records. If so, please send in the information to martinkfleming@gmail.com
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March 16, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Appalachian State claims SoCon Championship

By Rich Caisse, TDR Reporter 9 March 2024
Heading into the championship finals, the 2024 field of contenders was narrowed to a two-horse
race between Campbell and App State. Boasting national rankings, both programs advanced six
grapplers into the finals. After the dust settled, it was #24 Appalachian State that came out ahead –
winning an impressive 5 of 6 finals matches – Ethan Oakley (133), Cody Bond (149), Tommy Askey
(157), Will Miller (165), and true freshman Tomas Brooker (184).
Ranked and regular season champions, Campbell, claimed 3 titles – Austin Murphy (174), Levi Hopkins (197), and Taye Ghadiali at (HWT). The Fighting Camels had two runner-up finishers in
Domenic Zaccone (133) and Dom Baker (165) who earned NCAA qualification berths, as there were
multiple allocations in their respective weight classes.
3rd Place Chattanooga was the only other school with a SoCon champion. The Mocs advanced 3
wrestlers to the finals and claimed individual championships in Brayden Palmer (125) and Isaiah
Powe (141). 5th Place The Citadel and 7 th place Virginia Military Institute (VMI) were the only other schools securing automatic bids. VMI’s Dyson Dunham finished 3rd at 133 – a weight class with three
automatic bids. Two allocations were granted at 149 where The Citadel’s Jeffrey Boyd lost 2-0 in the
finals to ASU’s Cody Bond. Boyd then he had to defend his automatic bid in a true-second match
with Gardner Webb’s Zach Price. It was a hard fought back and forth bout where Boyd prevailed
and retained his bid.
The biggest story lines came out of a talented 184-pound weight class. Due to a stringent three-
tiered qualifying criteria, the NCAA only allocated a head-scratching one automatic bid for this
weight. A deficiency in winning percentage prevented returning three-time SoCon champion and #1
seed Caleb Hopkins from securing a bid for the weight class. It was nationally ranked and returning
NCAA qualifier, Jha’Quan Anderson that secured the only bid after an impressive senior campaign for
Gardner-Webb.
In the opening round of the tournament, Jha’Quan Anderson ended up getting caught on his back
and falling victim to a flash pin against Presbyterian’s Caleb Roe. This set up an unanticipated
semifinal with Roe and #3 seed, Tomas Brooker, where Brooker won by fall in the 3 rd period. In the
finals, Brooker met Caleb Hopkins and found himself in behind late in the match. In the closing
minute of the third period, Hopkins was hit for stalling-twice and gave up a last second takedown to
give Brooker his first SoCon title.

Final Team Standings

1. Appalachian State – 114.0
2. Campbell – 97.5
3. Chattanooga – 63.5
4. Gardner-Webb – 49.5
5. The Citadel – 44.5
6. Davidson – 23.0
7. VMI – 18.0
8. Presbyterian – 5.5
   125
   1st Place Match: Brayden Palmer (Chattanooga) Sr. over Drew West (Gardner-Webb) RS Jr. (MD
   14-2)
   3rd Place Match: Anthony Molton (Campbell) RS Sr. over Chad Bellis (Appalachian State) Jr.
   (Dec 14-10)
   133
   1st Place Match: Ethan Oakley (Appalachian State) Sr. over Domenic Zaccone (Campbell) 24-8,
   RS Sr. (Dec 5-4)
   3rd Place Match: Dyson Dunham (VMI) So. over Tyson Lane (Gardner-Webb) 2-2, So. (Dec 8-5)
   141
   1st Place Match: Isaiah Powe (Chattanooga) Fr. over Todd Carter (Gardner-Webb) Sr. (Dec 14-
   8)
   3rd Place Match: Jacob Silka (The Citadel) So. over Isaac Byers (Appalachian State) RS Fr. (Dec
   5-2)
   149
   1st Place Match: Cody Bond (Appalachian State) Sr. over Jeffrey Boyd (The Citadel) RS Jr. (Dec
   2-0)
   3rd Place Match: Zach Price (Gardner-Webb) Sr. over Justin Rivera (Campbell) Sr. (Dec 8-4)
   157
   1st Place Match: Tommy Askey (Appalachian State) Sr. over Tanner Peake (Davidson College)
   So. (Dec 9-2)
   3rd Place Match: Lincoln Heck (Chattanooga) RS Jr. over Hayden Watson (The Citadel) RS Fr.
   (MD 16-8)
   165
   1st Place Match: Will Miller (Appalachian State) Jr. over Domonic Baker (Campbell) So. (Dec 8-
   3)
   3rd Place Match: Kamdyn Munro (Chattanooga) So. over Bryce Sanderlin (Davidson College) Sr.
   (Fall 2:42)
   174
   1st Place Match: Austin Murphy (Campbell) RS So. over Sergio Desiante (Chattanooga) So. (Dec
   5-4)
   3rd Place Match: Lucas Uliano (Appalachian State) Jr. over Braxton Lewis (VMI) So. (Fall 5:22)
   184
   1st Place Match: Tomas Brooker (Appalachian State) Fr. over Caleb Hopkins (Campbell) RS So.
   (Dec 5-4)
   3rd Place Match: Jha`Quan Anderson (Gardner-Webb) RS Fr. over Caleb Roe (Presbyterian
   College) RS Fr. (MD 11-0)
   197
   1st Place Match: Levi Hopkins (Campbell) RS Fr. over Patrick Brophy (The Citadel) RS Fr. (Fall
   0:30)
   3rd Place Match: Carson Floyd (Appalachian State) So. over Josh Evans (VMI) Jr. (MD 12-3)

285
1st Place Match: Taye Ghadiali (Campbell) RS Fr. over Jacob Sartorio (Appalachian State) RS Sr.
(Fall 5:40)
3rd Place Match: Ben Stemmet (The Citadel) RS Jr. over Jake Fernicola (Davidson College) Sr.
(SV-1 4-1)
Coach of the Year : John Mark Bentley, App State  
Tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler : Taye Ghadiali, 285, Campbell
Pinnacle Award (student-athlete with the highest GPA on the championship-winning team)
Cody Bond, Sr., App State
Freshman of the Year : Isaiah Powe, 141, Chattanooga

March 15, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Central Oklahoma, Lander among top contenders for NCAA DII Nationals title in Wichita, Kan., March 15-16

by Savannah Asmann, USA Wrestling
NCAA DII National Championship brackets
Full list of NCAA DII National Qualifiers
The NCAA DII National Championships are slated for March 15-16 in Wichita, Kansas. The event begins at 11 a.m. each day inside Hartman Arena, with finals scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday. Eighteen individuals qualify at each weight for a total of 180 national qualifiers slated to compete.
In the last set of rankings prior to the NCAA tournament, defending champion Central Oklahoma led the group with 99 points and eight individuals ranked. The Bronchos are coming off of one of their best seasons and are seeking the 17^th national title in program history, and ninth in the Division II era.
No. 2 Lander will send nine to the tournament. St. Cloud State, ranked third, is a tough contender and has won five of the last eight team titles, will send eight, along with No. 4 Nebraska-Kearney, No. 5 McKendree, No. 24 Gannon and Central Oklahoma.
Qualifying seven athletes was No. 7 Wisconsin-Parkside, and No. 4 West Liberty, No. 8 Augustana and No. 8 Pitt-Johnstown will see six compete in Wichita.
There are seven returning national champions in the mix this weekend: Gavin Quiocho (133 pounds, Glenville State), Zackary Donathan (141 pounds, Tiffin), Nick Novak (157 pounds, St. Cloud State), Chase Luensman (165 pounds, Upper Iowa), Ty McGeary (184 pounds, West Liberty), Dalton Abney (197 pounds, Central Oklahoma) and Shawn Streck (285 pounds, Central Oklahoma). Abney is the only athlete that has the chance to win a third title and holds a career record of 86-6.
Along with seven returning champions, there are also four returning national runners-up in Jaxson Rohman (125 pounds, Augustana), Quentrevion Campbell (133 pounds, Chadron State), Christian Small (149 pounds, Lake Erie) and Derek Blubaugh (197 pounds, UIndy).
The No. 1 seeds at this year’s tournament are James Joplin of Lander (125), Gabe Hixenbaugh of Montevallo (133), Donathan of Tiffin (141), Small of Lake Erie (149), Novak of St. Cloud State (157), David Hunsberger of Lander (165), Scott Joll of UNC Pembroke (174), McGeary of West Liberty (184), Abney of Central Oklahoma (197) and Francesco Borsellino of West Liberty (285).
Region team champions coming into nationals were Gannon (Region I), Lander (Region II), Ashland (Region III), Central Oklahoma (Region IV), St. Cloud State (Region V) and Nebraska-Kearney (Region VI). The two-day event will be held at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kansas, just north of Wichita, Kansas. Sessions begin at 11 a.m. each day, … story at … Themat.com/Central-oklahoma-lander-among-top-contenders-for-ncaa-dii-nationals-title-in-wichita

March 14, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

TDR Update 2024 – TDR # 31-62

5 packages of TDR Top 12 Plaques were sent out to Pasquotank County, West Carteret, New Bern, Lejeune and Heidi Trask. The rest will have to wait until after the NCAA Division I Championships. Will be on the road for the next two weekends so will fall behind again on posting stories.
The TDR will announce the 2024 winners of the James Johnson Memorial Award for the most outstanding senior, the Roy Heverly Award for the top underclassman, and the Michael Stokes and Lee Carroll Awards in the coming weeks. The Olivia Neal Award for the top senior female wrestler shall be presented to two seniors. They are Kamilah Brooks – undefeated state champ at 126 pounds for Pasquotank County and Lillian Prendergast (53-1) at 100 pounds for South Brunswick. Both have had outstanding careers in scholastic wrestling. Their trophies will be presented sometime later this year or in the fall at a home football game. Congratulations Kamilah and Lillian!
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March 13, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

GRAPPLING WITH HISTORY: GREG HATCHER AND THE RISE OF ARKANSAS WRESTLING

by Todd Traub October 17, 2023
Wrestling may be considered the oldest sport in the world, but it is relatively new to Arkansas. Given its growth, however, it seems like wrestling has been in the state a lot longer than it has. In 15 years, Arkansas has become the first state to sanction wrestling from high school to the collegiate NAIA and NCAA Division I, Division II and Division III levels and is among the first states to sanction the sport for girls. Beginning with 44 in 2008, there are now more than 100 boys and girls wrestling programs combined at the high school level. “I come from Oklahoma, which Oklahoma has had wrestling for maybe 120 years, and we have more colleges wrestling in our state than Oklahoma does,” said Pat Smith, the collegiate legend at Oklahoma State who heads the Arkansas Wrestling Academy. “That is mind-boggling.”
Pushed by businessman Greg Hatcher and a coalition of allies, Arkansas has embraced a sport that can be traced at least to ancient Greece, if not further. The timeline for Arkansas is not quite as long, and according to some, is remarkably short. “If it wasn’t for Greg Hatcher, we would never have been moving at this pace,” Smith said.
Hatcher
Arkansas and Mississippi were the only states that did not have scholastic wrestling when Hatcher began his efforts to grow the sport in 2005. “If you look across the country, only the SEC does not have wrestling,” Hatcher said. “Football and basketball dominated, and they didn’t have it. Plus, we were a small state.”
Hatcher was a nine-time varsity letterman at Michigan’s Alma College, where he graduated in 1983. As a senior, he was named All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association in wrestling and was a member of three hall-of-fame wrestling teams, two hall-of-fame baseball teams and, thanks to his multiple sports, six MIAA championship teams.
In 1984, he joined his family in Arkansas, where his father, Joe, had moved to become president of Hendrix College in 1981. Greg Hatcher worked for a computer company and enjoyed the South, but he missed sports and returned north. After a stint as baseball graduate assistant at Notre Dame and as a summer coach, he quickly returned to Arkansas to work for Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield. “I realized there wasn’t anything wrong with Arkansas,” Hatcher said. “I just missed the sports.”
A public relations major in college, Hatcher knew he had a flair for salesmanship, and in 1990, he founded the Hatcher Agency in Little Rock, now the state’s largest health insurance provider. Hatcher also established the Mighty Bluebirds in Little Rock to create athletic opportunities for kids. The organization now has soccer fields, baseball fields and a gym.
By 2005, the Mighty Bluebird wrestling team was already beginning to build a reputation through competition. “When the Mighty Bluebirds rolled up at tournaments out of state, people knew who we were,” said Hunter Jones, a four-time state champion at Little Rock Christian who wrestled collegiately at Ouachita Baptist in Arkadelphia.
Then Hatcher got a call from northwest Arkansas businessman Don Schuler (not to be confused with National Wrestling Hall Of Famer Don Shuler), who ran a wrestling club. … story at … Armoneyandpolitics.com/greg-hatcher-arkansas-wrestling

March 12, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

ACC Championship News

Virginia Tech Aiming To Break NC State’s Grip On ACC Wrestling
Virginia Tech is looking to pry the ACC wrestling title away from NC State and the Hokies appear to be assembling a lineup that can challenge the Pack.
Mar 5, 2024 by Jim Carlson
Virginia Tech fell eight points short of North Carolina State in the Feb. 23 dual meet season finale, but the upcoming Atlantic Coast Conference Championships provides the Hokies with an opportunity to put an end to the Wolfpack’s five-year tournament reign. Tech took four of the first five bouts against State, but the #3 Wolfpack rang up five straight wins to earn a 20-12 win and hand the #8 Hokies just their fourth loss in 13 matches this season. VT’s March 10 trip to the University of North Carolina for the ACCs/NCAA qualifier can’t come soon enough. The Hokies’ last ACC tournament titles came in 2017 and 2018. “I think it’s been deeper in the recent past than it is this year, to be quite honest with you, but it’s really solid, and we’re gonna have to wrestle really well,” Virginia Tech coach Tony Robie said about the ACC. “There’s a lot of good guys, a lot of good teams and a lot of well-coached kids. “(The ACC) lost two NCAA champs with (UNC’s Austin) O’Connor and (Pitt’s Nino) Boniccorsi, so whenever you lose an NCAA champ out of your lineup, that’s gonna affect your team. But overall, I think if you look at recruiting and if you look at trajectory, it’s pretty solid. I feel it’s gonna be really competitive for a long time.”
The NCAA allotted the ACC 28 automatic qualifiers, 14 over the first six weights and 14 more over the final four. Final dual-meet rankings point toward a two-team race between Tech and State, with Pittsburgh, North Carolina and Virginia. chipping in with enough stars to shake things up.
The Hokies will hit Chapel Hill with five top-10 wrestlers, including a pair of #2s in Caleb Henson at 149 and Mekhi Lewis at 174. The expected return of All-American and #8 Bryce Andonian at 157 would boost the Hokies’ chances, and high-placing finishes from #13 Sam Latona at 133, #16 Connor Brady at 165 and new #10 TJ Stewart at 184 also would expand VT’s title prospects. … story at … Flowrestling.org/Virginia-tech-aiming-to-break-nc-states-grip-on-acc-wrestling
And …

Pre-Seeds and Brackets Set for the 2024 ACC Wrestling Championship
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) — The Atlantic Coast Conference has announced the pre-seeds and brackets for the 2024 ACC Wrestling Championship, which will be held this Sunday, March 10, at Carmichael Arena on the campus of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
NC State, the 2024 ACC regular-season dual meet champion and five-time defending ACC champion, leads with five No. 1 seeds in their respective weight class brackets, including defending champions Kai Orine at 133 pounds and Owen Trephan at 285 pounds. NC State’s Trent Hidlay, the three-time defending champion at 184 pounds, earned the No. 1 seed at 197 pounds this year, while fellow three-time champion Mekhi Lewis (2019 – 165 pounds; 2022 and 2023 – 174 pounds) garnered the top seed at 174 pounds.
Two-time defending champion Cole Matthews of Pitt (141) and 2023 champion Caleb Henson of Virginia Tech (149) received the No. 1 seed at their respective weight classes, while two-time champion Jakob Camacho of NC State (2020 and 2022) received the No. 1 seed at 125 pounds.
The defending 165-pound champion Justin McCoy of Virginia is the No. 2 seed in the 174-pound weight class, moving up a weight class this season, while Sam Latona of Virginia Tech, the 2021 ACC Champion at 125 pounds, received the No. 3 seed at 133 pounds. Fellow 2022 champion Ed Scott of NC State (157) is the No. 2 seed in his weight class for this year’s championship.
ACC pre-seeds for this year’s tournament were generated by WrestleStat.com and the six head coaches’ votes. Complete 2024 ACC Wrestling Brackets may be found at https://theacc.co/24wrestbrackets. … story at … ACC.com/Brackets-set-for-the-2024-acc-wrestling-championship¹
And …

2024 ACC Championships Preview
The postseason is upon us and the ACC will be taking center stage on Sunday in Chapel Hill. Brackets were just released so let’s take a look at what we will see on Sunday. 
125: 2 Automatic Qualifiers
Jakob Camacho gets the top seed via his victory over Cooper Flynn in the dual. Spencer Moore earns the 3 seed and will look to avenge his only ACC loss against Cooper Flynn in the semifinals. … story at … Intermatwrestle.com/ACC-championships-preview
And …

“I love to put it on the line all the time:” Q&A with NC State All-American wrestler Trent Hidlay
The N.C. State Wolfpack will take the mat this weekend at the 2024 ACC championship with the goal of winning their sixth conference title as a team. This is a team full of personality and potential, headlined by one of the most popular college wrestlers in recent program history: three-time All-American Trent Hidlay. 🤼 MORE COLLEGE WRESTLING 🤼 🚨 Alerts and updates on Bleacher Report
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We talked with Hidlay ahead of this year’s conference tournament about his legacy in the ACC, his final, special season as a college wrestler and what it will take for him to end his career in Kansas City on top of the podium. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
You’ve had so many memorable moments with NC State nationally and at the conference level. Is there one moment in particular that comes to mind when you think about what has defined your experience at NC State?
One match that I think I go back to a lot was the first time I won ACCs against Hunter Bolen from Virginia Tech. That was really special for me because he was someone who had beaten me three times in a row in my first two years here, and it was getting to the point where I was like ‘man, I feel like I’m better than this guy, and I’m working extremely hard, and I keep falling short.’ … story at … NCAA.com/Love-put-it-line-all-time-qa-nc-state-all-american-wrestler-trent-hidlay

March 10, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Women’s College Wrestling National News

2024 NCWWC National Championship Preview
Brackets are out for the 2024 Nation Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships, and it is going to be an exciting one. With the addition of a seemingly unstoppable Iowa team in their inaugural run at the title, plus returning champs North Central also maxing out their lineup, it’s truly anyone’s game. And that is not even factoring in historically top talent from McKendree and King. You won’t want to miss the action this weekend, so here are a few things to keep an eye out for at each weight.

101 lbs: Top seed – Emilie Gonzalez, Iowa
Iowa is claiming the top 2 spots at this weight with Emilie Gonzalez as the 1 seed and Sterling Dias at 2. However, with how volatile these lower weights can be, I would not expect most seeds to hold. Keep an eye out for Avery Kibelbek of King, who receives a bye in her first round and will then likely see Genesis Ramirez of Aurora, whom she beat 8-0 in a dual earlier this year, before meeting up with Gonzalez. On the opposite side of the bracket, look out for Madison Avila to make a run where she’ll likely meet up with Jessica Corredor of King, which was a semifinal match last year that ended with a 9-0 win for Avila after putting Corredor on her back and working for the pin for the last 30 seconds of the match. If brackets do hold, Gonzalez does have the most recent win over Dias from regionals, but it could go either way.

109 lbs: Top seed – Kendra Ryan, North Central
Behind Kendra Ryan, is Ava Bayless of Iowa who has really shown out this season. I would be really curious to see which one could pull off the win if they were to meet in the finals. The two did face off at US Nationals last year with Ryan getting a dominant tech, but I do think Bayless could even the score especially if she has a dominant run in the rest of the tournament. Her first big obstacle should be Jaslynn Gallegos of North Central in the semis, which would be fireworks after the two met up at National Duals with Bayless winning the 5-5 decision on criteria. … story at … Intermatwrestle.com/2024-ncwwc-national-championship-preview
And …

How a small Illinois college became a women’s wrestling powerhouse
North Central College in Naperville — a small liberal arts school of fewer than 3,000 students — has become one of the premier women’s wrestling programs in the country. And the program only started five years ago.
Last spring, the North Central team took home their first national title. And three Cardinals wrestlers secured individual championships on top of that.
Yelena Makoyed won her third consecutivenational championship in 2023 AND was named the first-ever USA Wrestling Women’s College Wrestler of the Year.
She’s also one of at least six North Central women’s wrestlers who will compete at the Olympic Trialslater this spring with a shot to make it to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris this July.
Makoyed andNCC head coach Joe Norton understand the significance of the opportunity. “That’s the pinnacle of our sport,” said Norton. “It’s not the NFL or the NBA or whatever. And you can go to a Division-3 school and qualify for the Olympic trials? There’s not a lot of dudes going D-3 and going to the NFL.” But, just a few years ago, when the program just began, there was no hardware Norton could point to during the recruiting process. No national titles. No Olympics. Just a small, Division-3 school in the Midwest with a good men’s program and without any scholarships to offer.
“We were just selling dreams back then,” he said. Makoyed remembers his pitch very well. “It was like, ‘I love wrestling. I want to coach, I want to start a woman’s program.’ And we kind of just had to have faith that he would follow through,” she said.
To make recruiting more complicated, girl’s wrestling wasn’t an official IHSA sport at the high school level in Illinois until just 3 years ago. So, there weren’t many local programs to pull from.
Makoyed is from California. She didn’t start wrestling until high school. Her school didn’t have enough girls for their own team, so they’d practice with the boys’ team and then compete against other girls in tournaments. “And I honestly liked it like that,” she said. “Because the coaches treated us equally, the same as the guys, and it was really challenging but it made us really strong.”
She says she wasn’t that heavily recruited, since she started so late. She didn’t really know about many programs with women’s teams until she got the call from coach Norton. … story at … Northernpublicradio.org/How-a-small-illinois-college-became-a-womens-wrestling-powerhouse
And …

Corrie Williams Claims First National Title in Program History
Seven Badgers Named All-Americans at NJCAA National Championship
Corrie Williams of the Snow College women’s wrestling team won the NJCAA National Championship in the 136-pound division over the weekend in Council Bluffs, Iowa.  This is the first National Title for the Badgers women’s wrestling program in its brief two-year history.  
“I went into the tournament knowing I had the capability of winning it all,” Williams said.  “That is what I have been aiming for throughout the entire season.  After being named an All-American last season, I didn’t want to settle for that again this year.  I knew I could win the National Title, and I had a great support system that helped me reach that goal.”
Williams, a sophomore from Enterprise, Utah, entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed in the 136-pound division after a strong season that saw her go 12-5 throughout the 2023-24 campaign. After finishing in fourth place at the National Tournament last year as a three seed, Williams claimed the top spot in her division following her performance during the 2023-24 season.
“This is what I set my sights on during the year,” Williams said.  “In women’s wrestling, anyone can win on any given day.  I realized that if I wanted to be successful and reach my goal, I’d have to keep myself disciplined and do the things that would put me in a good position.  I always wanted to work hard and earn everything and make sure nothing was given to me.”
As a No. 1 seed, Williams received a bye in the first round.  She made quick work of her first two opponents winning each match via fall.  She held a 2-0 lead in her semifinal matchup before her opponent was forced to bow out due to injury.  Williams entered the championship bout against No. 2 seeded Malia Kehne of Carl Albert State College. … story at … Snowbadgers.com/Corrie-williams-claims-first-national-title-in-program-history
And …

Hall of Fame Displays “Women’s Wrestling Memorable Moments” at 2024 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships
STILLWATER, Okla. – The National Wrestling Hall of Fame is proud to announce that “Women’s Wrestling Memorable Moments” will be displayed at the 2024 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships on March 8 and 9 at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.   
This engaging and educational display is dedicated to showcasing the significant milestones and achievements that have shaped the history of women’s wrestling.
Spanning an impressive 10-feet by 10-feet, the vibrant, full-color exhibit is designed to celebrate and acknowledge the rich history and evolution of women’s wrestling. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore a timeline of remarkable achievements and pivotal moments that highlight the progress and resilience of female wrestlers throughout the years.
“This exhibit showcases the exponential growth that women’s wrestling has achieved over the last several decades in the United States,” said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director, National Wrestling Hall of Fame. “Featuring pioneering World and Olympic champions and other significant milestones, this display celebrates the profound impact that women’s wrestling has had on our sport, both in our country and worldwide.”
The annual national championships for NCAA women’s wrestling programs, the NCWWC currently includes NCAA programs from the Division I, II and III levels. Athletes must qualify for the NCWWC through six Regional Qualifiers. This will be the fifth year for this national tournament. For more information and tickets visit ncwwc.com.
Women’s wrestling is currently an NCAA Emerging Sport. Earlier … story at … NWCAonline.com/NWCA-hall-of-fame-displays-womens-wrestling-memorable-moments-at-2024-national-collegiate-womens-wrestling-championships

March 10, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Reevaluating What UNI Wrestling Needs: Women’s Wrestling

By Nic Ryder
As I sit here with a nearly two-year old on my lap trying to type this out, I have a few thoughts on Northern Iowa, including both the University, the athletic department, and the wrestling program. I only bring up the toddler part because if there are typos, I’m going to blame her.
Anyway, let’s talk about the last year for UNI wrestling. It’s been a journey. Last year saw a national runner-up, the program’s first ever three-time Big 12 Champion in Parker Keckeisen. It saw the starting 149 pounder take an Olympic Redshirt in Colin Realbuto to train for Paris this summer. It saw its university and athletic department fail them in the loss of a 100+ year old building, competition facility, and home. It saw the beginnings of a new building start to take shape.
Note: A Big 12 Conference tournament preview is coming, so I won’t get into it too much, other than to say that #1 Parker Keckeisen is rewriting the UNI history books. He is, perhaps, the most dominate wrestler that UNI has ever had in it’s 100 year history. And he’s not done yet.
The Panther Train rumbled into the season with one wheel off the track. I don’t know if it’s steam rolling into the post season now, but under new department leadership, it certainly has all its wheels rolling in the same direction. A new practice facility is on the horizon. It was moved to the University’s larger “Our Tomorrow” campaign because the previous athletic department (and, perhaps, university) leadership failed in its duty to aid its athletic programs. From football, to basketball, to volleyball, to tennis, to track and field. No program was spared.
I’d argue wrestling was hit hardest.
A building on campus that housed the only program to win team national championships (UNI wrestling has three. THREE.) was allowed to decay to the point where it must be torn down. One day fans, student-athletes, coaches, and staff were allowed to work there.
The next day, it’s closed forever.
Let me say it again, the athletic department FAILED its wrestling program. There was no foresight, no innovation, no basic maintenance. The only thing holding it together was Doug Schwab and his staff. So the wrestling program moved forward, if not at a quick pace. Practice facilities were found, equipment moved, and they prepared for their season. A new facility was drawn up, announced to the public, and moved to the larger University’s money-raising effort.
Then old leadership in the athletic department moved on, Bob Bowlsby was brought in, and now things are moving forward at a pace not seen since the early 2000’s. A new basketball and volleyball facility has been announced, under the leadership of the athletic department. They already have a major donor on board and rumors are that it could break ground as early as this summer.
The McLeod Center has seen changes for wrestling already (lights, atmosphere, concessions on the floor) to bring people in. Football added another game to it’s absolutely pathetic home schedule to boost its program. In just two months there are tangible changes to the way the department is being run. Hopefully that continues.
That is the point of this column. Department leadership is back. Things are happening that haven’t happened in years. Money is being raised for all programs. There are still things that need to happen, there will be pain, but that’s what happens when a department is rudderless for years.
Wrestling fans (and probably some internal folks) are upset that the basketball/volleyball facility will get started before the wrestling facility. I don’t blame them. It’s hard to see another program (even at the same university) get priority over another, especially with everything that’s happened. But basketball is a larger-money sport. Their new facility will house three programs. They have been dealing with not having a dedicated practice facility for…well, forever.
Basketball brings in more fans, more interest, and more money. It’s just the way of it. Funds were there before Bowlsby took over, but lack of leadership’s skills kept the money in people’s pockets. Now it’s available and ready to flow. There is foresight. There is innovation. The basics are back. For all sports. Now is the time to reevaluate what wrestling at UNI wants, and what it can contribute back to the athletic department. With Title IX always on a razors edge in Cedar Falls, why wouldn’t now be the time to consider adding women’s wrestling to the department? Considering the financial benefit to the University, considering the visibility that Division I women’s wrestling is about to get (the NCAA will have a women’s wrestling national championship in 2026) with only 4 other Division I wrestling programs, and considering that Iowa is becoming one of the fastest-growing states for high school girls wrestling, it is absolutely a no brainer. Get the men’s and new women’s program in a brand new, state-of-the-art facility. Spend some extra money. Incorporate the history of the past with the potential of the future and set everyone up for success. Continue to build your programs the right way and reap all the benefits that entails. … story at … IAWrestle.com/Reevaluating-what-uni-wrestling-needs-womens-wrestling

March 10, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment