Conference Carolinas qualifies 30 for NCAA Division II Men’s Wrestling Championships, Lander takes region crown
GREENWOOD, S.C. – A total of 30 individuals from Conference Carolinas qualified for the 2026 NCAA Division II Men’s Wrestling Championships, while Lander University claimed the team title at the Super Region II Championships on Saturday at Lander.
Lander won their fourth straight NCAA Super Region II championship with 165.0 points. King University finished second with 121.0 points while Belmont Abbey College finished third with 117.5 points. The University of Montevallo and UNC Pembroke rounded out the top five with 114 and 111.5 points, respectively.
Lander head coach R.C LaHaye was selected National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Super Region II Coach of the Year.
Lander led the way with nine qualifiers as they were followed by six from Belmont Abbey and four from King. Montevallo and UNC Pembroke each had three qualifiers and the University of Mount Olive and Newberry College each had two qualifiers. Shorter University rounded out the group with one qualifier.
The top three wrestlers in each of the 10 weight classes at all six NCAA Division II regionals will qualify for the 2026 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships that will be held March 13-14 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center. … more at … https://conferencecarolinas.com/news/2026/3/1/conference-carolinas-qualifies-30-for-ncaa-division-ii-mens-wrestling-championships-lander-takes-region-crown.aspx
UNC-Pembroke Punches Three Tickets To NCAA Championships
By: Alex Pearce, Assistant Athletic Communications Director
GREENWOOD, S.C. –Cooper Davis, Logan Robinson, and James Bankston each punched their tickets to the NCAA Championships with third-place finishes in NCAA Super Region II action Saturday at Horne Arena.
Davis went 5-1 on the day in the 125-pound division, including a major decision, two technical falls, and a pin. Davis won his third place match with a 10-0 major decision over Belmont Abbey’s Kyle Simpson and will make his first trip to the NCAA Championships.
Robinson went 4-1 on the day at 133 pounds and will take part in his third NCAA Championships. Each of Robinson’s wins were bonus-point victories, including a 22-6 technical fall over King’s Alex Fernandez in the third-place match.
Bankston dropped his first match in the quarterfinals, but bounced back with three straight wins to finish the day 3-1, including a pin of Mount Olive’s Slade Watkins in the third-place match to advance to his first NCAA Championships.
Keegan Roberson (157 pounds), Caleb Grau (165), and Nick Williams (174) all dropped their third-place matches to bring home fourth-place finishes, while Avery Buonocore (149) and Jackson Buck (197) each took home fifth-place finishes. The Black & Gold compiled 111.5 team points on the way to taking fifth place at the event. … more at … https://uncpbraves.com/news/2026/2/28/wrestling-sends-three-to-ncaa-championships.aspx
TDR Top 12 Women’s team 2026
TDR Editor’s Notes ;
With the expansion from 1 to 5 divisions in 2026 the opportunities for state champions and medalists greatly increased for woman wrestlers. 15 state champions are from eastern North Carolina and they are recognized on the First and Second Teams on the TDR Top 12. The rest are named as Honorable Mentions. The 44 wrestlers named below will receive an engraved wooden plaque with their name as part of the TDR Top 12 team for 2026.
First Team
100 — Izabella Johnson (Croatan), 107 — Alissa Austin (First Flight), 114 — Zainab Hijawi (South Central), 120 — Khiry Reese (Rosewood), Adrianna Miller (White Oak), 126 – Claire Ballard (New Bern), LaNautica Johnson (Vance County), 132 – Mia Lavigne (White Oak), 138 – Benny Jenkins (Wake Forest), 145 – Sydney Simmons (Laney), 152 – Laita Tellez (Havelock), 165 – Emma Yopp (South Brunswick), 185 – LaNesha Gause (Laney), 235 – Leslie Barden (Laney).
Second Team
107 – Peyton Smith (Jacksonville), 114 — Morgan Foy (Onslow Early College), 120 — Abby Garcia (Havelock), 126 – Mia Kiser (Laney), Gabriella Aguirre-Gomez (Manteo), Trinity Wiley (South Brunswick), Jameson McCoy (Rosewood), 132 – Lauren Hall (Heidi Trask), 145 – Zaniyah Shepard (White Oak), 165 – Evangline (Evie) Alasin (Northeastern), Emma Boychuck (Swansboro), 185 – Bella Abba (Wakefield), 235 – Malea Vinson (White Oak).
Honorable Mention
100 – Angelica Ayala-Garcia (Manteo), Yesan Huang (Laney), Alaina Vee (Swansboro), 107 – Ryleigh Cline (Swansboro), 114 – Mackynzie Bilbrey (Northside), Nyima Lovett (J.H. Rose, 120 – Skyla Simpson (First Flight), 126 – Abigail Brwer (Cleveland), 132 – Kelli Faison (Croatan), Italia Squicciarini (Topsail), 145 – Faith Bane (New Bern), Aydelyn Collins (Swansboro), Alexis Tirado (Croatan), 152 – Imani Carroll (Bunn), 185 – Leilany Hernandez-Colon (First Flight), Brilelle Bowman (Dixon).
Abbey Wrestling Has School-Record Six Qualify for Nationals, Two Capture Regional Titles
GREENWOOD, S.C. —Luke Kunath and Caleb Moore won regional championships and four other Crusader placed in the top three, highlighting Belmont Abbey’s record-setting day at the Super Region II Championships Saturday at Finis Horne Arena.
The six wrestlers who advance to the Division II National Championship are the most-ever for The Abbey. That event takes place March 13-14 at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Kunath won three matches, defeating Elijah Lusk of Lander, 4-1 in sudden victory to win the 141 weight class. Caleb Moore was champion at 197, winning four bouts, including 5-1 over David Bertrand of King in the final.
Belmont Abbey’s other national qualifiers are Elijah Carrington (runner-up at 133), Skyler Caban (runner-up at 149), Christian Arrington (third place at 174) and Kyler Pickard (runner-up at 184).
Kunath and Pickard are returning to the national championships for the second consecutive year while the others while be making their first appearance at the Division II National Championship. … more at … https://abbeyathletics.com/news/2026/2/28/abbey-wrestling-super-regionals.aspx
#12 Lander Sets Team Points Record En Route to Fourth Straight Super Region Title
GREENWOOD – The 12th-ranked Lander University Wrestling team delivered a historic performance at the NCAA Super Region II Championship inside Horne Arena, winning the team title with 165.0 points and qualifying nine wrestlers for the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championship on March 13-14 in Sioux Falls, S.D.
The 165.0 team points set a new tournament record, breaking the previous mark set by the 2023 team (164.0). Lander placed all 10 wrestlers for the second straight season and advanced all 10 to the semifinals for just the second time in program history, also accomplished in 2023.
The nine wrestlers who earned their way into the 18-man bracket at nationals were James Joplin, Elijah Lusk, Isham Peace, Reid Noble, David Hunsberger, Maxwell Kiel, Dylan Kohn, Marvelous Rutledge and Isaac Sheeren.
Lander crowned five individual regional champions, pushing the program’s total to 25 all-time.
125 – Kaden Kuenzi (5th Place | 3-2)
Kuenzi opened with a fall in 1:39 and followed with a 15-0 technical fall in 3:29 in the quarterfinals. However a loss in the championship and consolation semifinals saw his qualification run end but the senior ended his career getting his arm raised with a forfiet win in the fifth-place match.
133 – James Joplin (1st Place | 4-0)
Joplin was dominant throughout. He recorded back-to-back first-period pins in 0:50 and 1:25 to reach the semifinals, added a 7-1 decision over UNC Pembroke’s Logan Robinson to secure his third trip to nationals, and capped his run with a 19-2 technical fall in 4:20 in the championship bout.
141 – Elijah Lusk (2nd Place | 2-1)
After a first-round bye, Lusk rolled to a 15-0 technical fall in exactly 3:00 in the quarterfinals. He followed with a gritty 3-2 tiebreaker win in the semifinals to become the first four-time national qualifier in program history … more at … https://landerbearcats.com/news/2026/2/28/wrestling-15-lander-sets-team-points-record-en-route-to-fourth-straight-super-region-title.aspx
Brad Morrison Claims Regional Title, Five Others Advance to NCAA Wrestling National Championships
FULL RESULTS | TOURNAMENT CENTRALPitt-Johnstown’s Brad Morrison claimed an NCAA Super Region I Championship at East Stroudsburg on Saturday to lead six Mountain Cats who qualified for the 2026 NCAA National Tournament in Sioux Falls, S.D., March 13-14.
Head Coach Tyler Reinhart‘s team finished third in the team standings behind champion Gannon, which had nine finalists and seven champions, and Kutztown.
Morrison beat Gannon’s Joey Lyons 4-0 for the 197-pound title while his younger brother, Ty Morrison, placed second at 174 pounds. Matt Sarbo finished second at 149 pounds.
Isaiah Vance earned his fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament with a third-place finish at 285 pounds while freshmen Brady Baker (133 pounds) and Trent Hoover (165) each qualified for the first time.
Noah Gnibus closed out his Pitt-Johnstown career with a fifth-place finish at 184 pounds while Trevon Gray capped his career with a sixth-place at 125 pounds after suffering an injury. The two-time All-American won 99 matches for the Mountain Cats over his career. Cooper Warshel also placed sixth at 157 pounds for the Mountain Cats.
CHAMPION
197 lbs. – Redshirt sophomore Brad Morrison made the most of his first Super Region I tournament. The top seed started his run with a 15-0 technical fall over Felician’s Matt Murray in 3:28. He pinned Wheeling’s Jaxon Burcher – … more at … https://pittjohnstownathletics.com/news/2026/2/28/brad-morrison-claims-regional-title-five-others-advance-to-ncaa-wrestling-national-championships.aspx
Champs! Gannon Wins Regional Team Title, Sends Nine to Nationals With Seven Individual Champs
THE EVENT FACTS
Event: NCAA Super Regional One
GU Team Placement: 1st/12 Teams
GU Competitors Advancing to NCAA Championships: 9
EAST STROUDSBURG, PA- There was never a doubt. Right from the start of the NCAA DII Super Regional One meet, the Golden Knights dominated the field of competition and never looked back. GU took home the team regional crown with 175 total points, 46 more than second place.
In the process, each weight class was tremendous. Gannon earned seven individual regional titles and in the process clinched nine national qualifying bids.
“This was a special day”, said head coach Tom Boyd. “We set out to accomplish a goal, and we did just that. Our team was focused from the very beginning and didn’t relent. I’m proud of the way they fought for each other, supported each other, and gave everything they had in every period. This is a great start to what we hope will be a tremendously successful national championship season.”
This is the second team regional title in the last three seasons for the Golden Knights, who took the team lead just three bouts into the quarterfinal round and never gave up the team advantage.
THE TOP THREE TEAMS
1 – Gannon (175 points)
2 – Kutztown (129 points)
3 – UPJ (127.5 points) … more at … https://gannonsports.com/news/2026/2/28/mens-wrestling-mwrest-regional-recap.aspx
No program, no problem: Oakridge wrestler forges his own path to OFSAA
A London high school athlete will compete in provincial wrestling championships in a singlet that doesn’t bear his school’s logo.
No program, no problem: Oakridge wrestler forges his own path to OFSAA
A London high school athlete will compete in provincial wrestling championships in a singlet that doesn’t bear his school’s logo.
By Ryan Goodison Published Feb 24, 2026
A high school athlete from London will compete in the upcoming provincial wrestling championships, but will do so in a singlet that doesn’t bear his school’s logo.
Oakridge secondary school Grade 11 student Parker Zimmerman is heading to his second straight Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) event March 3-4 in Peterborough. The 83-kilogram weight-class wrestler made it there without a coach of his own at Oakridge.
For two years, Parker Zimmerman and teammates Cooper Gray, Michael Zimmerman, Jayden Kim and Henry Kim have been building something out of almost nothing. Four of them made the regional wrestling championship last week.
And from there, Parker Zimmerman earned a berth at the provincial finals. “It’s something we’ve sort of built on our own,” he said.
He was in Grade 9 when he wanted to try wrestling after coming from a Brazilian jiu-jitsu background. But Oakridge didn’t have a program due to low interest, he said.
With no teachers experienced in wrestling, he reached out to Sir Frederick Banting secondary school coach Mark Puddicombe, who let him train with his team. The other Oakridge wrestlers began to join him soon after.
“The coaches are super welcoming,” Parker Zimmerman said. “It’s been great to be able to train and wrestle with them.”
The Oakridge athletes make the trip to Banting three to five times a week after school. The commute isn’t always easy. … more at … https://lfpress.com/sports/local-sports/no-program-no-problem-oakridge-wrestler-forges-his-own-path-to-ofsaa
2026 WCL | U SPORTS Invitational Championships heads to Lakehead University this weekend
OTTAWA / THUNDER BAY, ON – The 2026 WCL U SPORTS Invitational Championships are set for this weekend (Feb. 27-28) at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The event will feature approximately 200 of the best collegiate wrestlers from across the country, representing 17 universities in 20 weight classes (10 for women and 10 for men).
“We are thrilled to bring the WCL USPORTS Invitational Championships to Thunder Bay and to partner with the outstanding team at Lakehead University,” said Tamara Medwidsky, CEO of Wrestling Canada Lutte. “Lakehead has a strong tradition of hosting exceptional events, and we know they will create a first-class experience for the student-athletes, coaches and fans. This championship will showcase the very best collegiate wrestlers from across the country as they compete at the highest university level and look to take the next step in their wrestling careers. We are excited to see the energy and passion that Thunder Bay will bring to this national event.”
“We’re proud to bring the U SPORTS Invitational Championships back to Thunder Bay for the first time since 2012,” said Leah Ferguson, Chair, host committee. “With incredible support from the City and Tourism Thunder Bay, we’re ready to welcome the country’s top university wrestlers to our community. It’s a huge moment for our local wrestling scene, and we’re excited to showcase both elite competition and the spirit of Thunder Bay.”
The competition will feature a very talented field on both the women’s and men’s side, with numerous competitors having represented Canada on the international stage. For the women, 2024 World U23 silver medalist Serena Di Benedetto will be in action at 53kg. The McMaster product took top spot at the OUA Championships and will look to claim another national title. Competing at 56kg will be Calgary’s Gabi Cross. Cross won the Canada West Championship and is a two-time U23 Pan-Am Championships medalist (silver – 2025, bronze – 2024).
As for the men, names to watch will include Brock’s Javier … more at … https://wrestling.ca/2026-wcl-u-sports-invitational-championships-heads-to-lakehead-university-this-weekend/
The Year of Jax: Forrest’s Sunday Tech Fall the Latest Triumph in What Has Been a Crazy 12-Month Run
“I get moments where I’m like, ‘This is pretty crazy.’”
Published on February 23, 2026 By Marshall Scott
STILLWATER — Last March, Jax Forrest won his second Pennsylvania state title.
That’s a big feat for most high school wrestlers, but that might not be within the five coolest things Forrest has done on a wrestling mat over the past 12 months.
After starting this wrestling season in high school, Forrest enrolled at Oklahoma State at the start of this semester. It was unknown whether Forrest was in Stillwater to redshirt or if he’d be the Cowboys’ guy at 133 pounds.
That decision was finally made public on Sunday night when Forrest took to the mat to wrestle in OSU’s dual against Iowa, exceeding his available dates to redshirt. And then less than 10 minutes later, it was evident that was the correct choice as Forrest teched two-time national finalist Drake Ayala, sending Gallagher-Iba Arena into a frenzy.
These past 12 months have also seen Forrest become the youngest American Senior World Team member of all time, a Senior Pan-American gold medalist, a Senior U.S. Open champ, a U23 World Champ and just the seventh four-time Powerade champion in the event’s history.
The Chinese New Year was last week, marking the Year of the Fire Horse, but you could argue it’s the Year of Jax. “I get moments where I’m like, ‘This is pretty crazy,’” Forrest said. “But I think just trying to stay present. Obviously tonight (after the Iowa dual), I’ll be with my family, and I’ll be like, ‘That was awesome. If I wrestle like that, there’s no one who can stop me.’ But then it’s just getting back to work tomorrow, … more at … https://pistolsfiringblog.com/the-year-of-jax-forrests-sunday-tech-fall-the-latest-triumph-in-what-has-been-a-crazy-12-month-run/
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
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