Takedown Report

ESPN and ACC Announce Wrestling Coverage for 2026 Slate

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The ninth-ranked NC State wrestling team is set to have three dual-meets covered on the ACC Network this spring season, with an additional four matches on ACC Network Extra, as released by ESPN on Wednesday.
ESPN platforms will feature nearly 150 collegiate wrestling events throughout the season.  When the Pack hosts Virginia Tech (Jan. 30) and Cornell (Feb. 20), and then visits Pitt in Pittsburgh (Feb. 6), all ranked match-ups will be featured on ACC Friday Night Duals on ACC Network.
Home duals with Virginia (Jan. 9) and North Carolina (Jan. 23), as well as road matches in Palo Alto at Stanford (Jan. 16) and in Durham at Duke (Feb. 13), will be televised on ACCNX. The 2026 ACC Championship on March 9 in Blacksburg will be live on ACC Network to showcase the finals round at 8 p.m.
The 2026 NCAA Championships at the Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, from March 19-21 are set to be aired across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and ESPN+, depending on the round of competition. The commentary crew includes Mike Couzens, Rock Harrison, Tim Johnson … more at … https://gopack.com/news/2026/1/7/espn-and-acc-announce-wrestling-coverage-for-2026-slate

January 10, 2026 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Six Nittany Lion Wrestlers Win Titles at Southern Scuffle and Kauffman Open

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Thirteen members of the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team took part in the 2026 Southern Scuffle at Chattanooga on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 3-4, and three other Nittany Lions competed at the Bobby Kauffman Open at Edinboro on Sunday. Six Penn Staters won individual titles. All rankings listed are InterMat.
Connor Pierce won Penn State’s first title of the day in Chattanooga, winning at 149. Pierce went 6-0 at the tournament, including a major. He downed No. 24 Max Petersen of North Dakota State 5-2 in the semifinals and beat No. 26 Brock Herman of Little Rock 13-6 in the finals.
Joe Sealey won the Scuffle crown at 157. Sealey posted a 6-0 mark over the weekend, picking up a major and two technical falls. He downed The Citadel’s Kyrel Leavell 11-2 in the semis and took down Daniel Zapeda of North Carolina State 11-8 in the title match.
William Henckel won the championship at 174. Henckel rolled to a 6-0 mark with two majors and a technical fall. He beat No. 22 Aidan Wallace of Duke 8-3 in the semifinals before rolling to a 5-0 win over Penn’s Caden Bellis in the finals.
Asher Cunningham claimed the title at 184. Cunningham impressed with a 5-0 mark, including two majors and two pins. He majored No. 30 Christian Hansen of Cornell in the quarterfinals and beat No. 25 Caleb Campos of American 12-9 in the finals, with over 3:00 in riding time.
No. 1 Josh Barr rolled to Penn State’s fifth championship of the day at 197. Barr stormed to a 5-0 record, all for bonus points with a major, two tech falls and two pins. He dominated No. 3 Stephen Little of Little Rock in the finals, posting a dominant 9-1 major decision. Barr also pinned No. 15 Branson John of Maryland in the semifinals.
Lucas Cochran placed sixth at 285. Cochran went 3-0 to start the tournament, including a 5-0 win over No. 18 Brady Colbert of Army in the quarterfinals. Cochran did not compete in the semifinals, taking a medical forfeit loss to finish 3-1 and in sixth place.
No. 8 Aaron Nagao returned to action at 141 and won his first match before taking a medical forfeit loss to bow out of the tournament 1-1 (only the first medial forfeit counts as a loss). Cael Nasdeo went 1-2 with a major decision victory at 141, bowing out of the tournament with a medical forfeit loss (again, only the first medical forfeit counts as a loss). Kyison Garcia went 1-2, moving up a weight to compete at 141. Ty Watson went at 165, Sean Degl posted a 1-2 mark at 174, … more at … https://gopsusports.com/news/2026/01/4/six-nittany-lion-wrestlers-win-titles-southern-scuffle-and-kauffman-open

January 10, 2026 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

California Baptist University Restructures Lancer Athletics; Discontinues Wrestling Program Ahead of Big West Entry

TDR Editor’s Notes; The school will cut 3 Men’s teams in order to enter the Big West Conference with 6 teams. This is contrast to the Women’s Sports as they will have twice as many programs. There is not a football team which usually accounts for an abundance of scholarship athletes.
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Changes will take effect at the end of the competitive season
RIVERSIDE — In response to the evolving intercollegiate athletic landscape, California Baptist University announced today the discontinuation of three Lancer Athletic programs–wrestling, men’s golf, and men’s swim and dive. The changes will take effect at the conclusion of the 2025-26 competitive season.
We have closely monitored the shifting landscape of intercollegiate athletics that has affected institutions across the nation, said Micah Parker, Ph.D., Vice President for Athletics. While we had hoped to continue offering our full slate of athletic programs in this new environment, it has become clear that changes are required to realize the university’s goal of achieving greater competitive excellence that the new Division I era demands.  
Parker continued: As the university looks toward competing in the Big West Conference starting in July 2026, it was necessary to discontinue some athletic programs in order to offer remaining student-athletes and teams the best chance to succeed.
The decision was not made lightly, according to Parker.
Considerable thought and prayer went into this decision, said Parker. We take seriously the responsibility of supporting our student-athletes, and we are committed to walking beside those impacted as they navigate next steps … more at … https://cbulancers.com/news/2026/1/2/general-california-baptist-university-restructures-lancer-athletics-discontinues-three-athletic-programs-ahead-of-big-west-entry

January 10, 2026 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

College Women’s Wrestling News

Cavaliers go 2-2 at Red Lady Duals
MONTGOMERY, Ala.— The Montreat College women’s wrestling squad made its return from Christmas break on Saturday to compete at the Red Lady Duals, hosted by Huntingdon College. Going head-to-head against four NCAA programs, the Cavaliers picked up a pair of team dual victories to move to 13-7 on the year.  
Montreat’s largest margin of victory on Saturday came in its opening dual of the afternoon. The Cavs claimed eight of the 10 bouts during their 38-6 triumph over the McMurry University War Hawks. Sheyla Ochoa Salgado, Daniela Espinal, Nicole Lewis, Audrey Gribble and Emilia Hill registered forfeits to tally five team points each. Sirenity Davis and Annastasia Skoda pinned their opposition for the maximum points as well. Meanwhile, Izzy Campbell eked out a tight 11-10 decision versus her foe.  
Following up their opening triumph, the Cavaliers grabbed a 33-16 victory against the Schreiner University Mountaineers. Davis, Uriah Peters-Gutierrez, Lewis and Daniella Jenkins notched pins, while Shay Potter delivered a 7-4 decision to help secure the win. Forfeit triumphs from Ochoa Salgado and Espinal provided additional breathing room for Montreat down the stretch.  
The Cavs put up a valiant effort but suffered a close 23-21 loss to the hosts on Saturday. Huntingdon College won the dual, but four Cavaliers still captured victories in their individual bouts. Davis landed her third pin of the afternoon at 110, and Lewis took down her opponent in similar fashion. Espinal shut out her foe during a 5-0 decision, adding to Montreat’s total, and Mary Clark wrapped up the dual with a forfeit. Ochoa Salgado, … more at … https://montreatcavaliers.com/news/2026/1/4/womens-wrestling-cavaliers-go-2-2-at-red-lady-duals.aspx
And …

NWCA Unveils NAIA Women’s Bracket for 2026 NWCA/USMC National Duals
MANHEIM, PA – The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) has shared the NAIA Women’s bracket for the upcoming NWCA/USMC Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships. Presented by A Better Way Athletics, Capitol Construction, and Defense Soap, this year’s event will once again take place at the University of Northern Iowa’s UNI-Dome on January 9-10, 2026.
The top eight seeds in the NAIA Women’s bracket are as follows:

1. Life
2. Providence
3. Grand View
4. William Penn
5. Lindsey Wilson
6. Indiana Tech
7. Doane
8. Texas Wesleyan

Wrestling fans can catch … more at … https://nwcaonline.com/news/2026/1/2/national-wrestling-coaches-association-nwca-unveils-naia-womens-bracket-for-2026-nwca-usmc-national-duals.aspx
And …

Presbyterian College Cleans House at Red Lady Duals, Program-Record Eight Straight Wins
MONTGOMERY, Al. – The #6 Presbyterian College women’s wrestling team set a new program benchmark on Saturday afternoon as they made quick work of four straight opponents at the Red Lady Duals, hoisting up their ongoing winning streak to eight matches.
PC defeated Schreiner (41-6), Randolph (44-1), Mount Olive (42-6), and Montreat (43-1) with each performance looking more dominant than the last. The Blue Hose now sit at 12-2 this season when wrestling in a dual setting.
Anchored by their eight nationally-ranked wrestlers, Presby surpassed the 40-point mark in all of their duals on Saturday. They’ve hit at least 40 points nine times since November.
Reigning Southeast Region Coach of the Year Brian Vutianitis steered PC to another quality showing, although the work in Huntingdon is not yet complete. The Blue Hose remain in Alabama for the Red Lady Open tournament tomorrow.
NOTABLES
– Presbyterian won 34 out of the 36 non-forfeited matches across Saturday’s quartet. They spread out 17 pins and 14 other victories via technical fall.
– After dropping the first bout against Schreiner, … more at … https://gobluehose.com/news/2026/1/3/womens-wrestling-pc-cleans-house-at-red-lady-duals-program-record-eight-straight-wins.aspx
And …

USA Wrestling to host inaugural Women’s Collegiate Club Nationals on March 5 in North Liberty, Iowa
by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling
In an effort to expand national competition opportunities at the college level for women, USA Wrestling will host its inaugural Women’s Collegiate Club Nationals on March 5 at The Palestra in North Liberty, Iowa.
The competition is open to all female student-athletes who participate in club wrestling at a collegiate institution at any level (NCAA, NAIA, NCWA, NJCAA, 3C2A, etc.) that does not currently field a varsity program in the NCAA or NAIA divisions. If a school is eligible to compete at the NCAA or NAIA national tournaments, its club program or individual student-athletes do not qualify to wrestle at this event.
The USA Wrestling Women’s Collegiate Club Nationals will be conducted under current international women’s freestyle rules and will match the NCAA/NAIA varsity weight classes. Two divisions will be offered—a high-performance division for more-seasoned competitors seeking elite national competition and a futures division for beginner-level athletes with less than two years of college wrestling experience.
All entrants must be enrolled and in good academic standing at their institution, hold a current USA Wrestling membership, and have competed in at least five freestyle matches against female college opponents during the 2025–26 season.
Online registration is currently open for this event. Athletes are encouraged to sign up by the early registration deadline of February 12. … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2025/december/31/usa-wrestling-to-host-inaugural-women-s-collegiate-club-nationals-on-march-5-in-north-liberty-iowa

January 9, 2026 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

JACKS EARN FIRST WIN OVER SUN DEVILS AT PENTAGON

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The short-handed Jackrabbits battled their way to six wins in their dual with Arizona State, scoring their first-ever win over Arizona State, at the Sanford Pentagon on Friday Night.
The night started at 133 pounds, where redshirt freshman Cale Seaton filled in for regular starter Derrick Cardinal, who was out battling an illness. Seaton shelved Larkin’s leg in the first but was unable to score on it before Larkin scored a takedown of his own. Larkin’s takedown ended up being the decisive point of the match on the way to a 4-1 decision.
Julian Tagg took on Pierson Manville in a rematch of their thriller in Vegas at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Tagg scored on takedowns in the second and third periods on his way to a decision over Manville, tying the dual at three.
Alek Martin took on a tough test at 149 pounds, going up against No. 3 Kaleb Larkin. Martin was able to get to Larkin’s legs multiple times throughout the bout, but was ultimately stifled on the scoresheet, in a 5-2 decision loss. The Sun Devils once again retook the lead, 6-3.
Cael Swensen lined up across from Gabriel Delgado at 157 pounds. The redshirt junior dominated the bout from start to finish, scoring takedown after takedown on his way to a 10-2 major decision to give the Jacks their first lead of the evening, 7-6.
Nicco Ruiz and Marcus Espinoza-Owens faced off in another rematch from CKLV at 165 pounds. Espinoza-Owens was the aggressor in the bout, but the score remained 1-1 after three hard-fought periods. Ruiz was able to grab the ankle of Espinoza-Owens in sudden victory, scoring a takedown and giving the Sun Devils the lead heading into the break. 
After the break, Moses Espinoza-Owens got the party started against Cael Valencia. After giving up an early takedown, Espinoza-Owens found his offense, scoring an avalanche of takedowns on his way to a 17-7 major decision, … more at … https://gojacks.com/news/2026/1/2/wrestling-jacks-earn-first-win-over-sun-devils-at-pentagon

January 9, 2026 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Men’s wrestling sets program record at Hawk Duals

MONTGOMERY, Ala.— The Montreat College men’s wrestling squad traveled to Montgomery, Ala. on Saturday for the Hawk Duals, which were hosted by Huntingdon College, an NCAA Division III institution. Not only did the Cavaliers pick up their first three team dual wins of the campaign to improve to a 3-2 record, but they also set program records for the most points scored and the largest margin of victory in a single team dual.  
Saturday got off to a stellar start as the Cavs toppled the McMurry University War Hawks by a 54-6 margin. While McMurry claimed six points via a pin in the 125-lb weight class, Montreat rattled off nine consecutive victories to secure its initial team dual triumph of the year. Boedi Kirkland, Josh Mojica-Smith, Donovan Cavender and Johnatan Argueta registered first-round pins over their opposition. Meanwhile, Zeke Grabowski, Louis Mehaffey, Robert Branson, Bryson McCraw and Elijah Amaya-Perez tallied forfeit wins.  
The Cavaliers’ second dual of the afternoon proved to be historic. Montreat crushed the Lyon College Scots, shutting out their foes while racking up 57 points. Fifty-seven doubles as both the most points in a single team dual, as well as the largest margin of victory in a team dual, in program history. … more at … https://montreatcavaliers.com/news/2026/1/3/mens-wrestling-mens-wrestling-sets-program-record-at-hawk-duals.aspx

January 9, 2026 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Grand View Opens 2026 at No. 1 in NAIA Men’s Wrestling Rankings; Two New Individual Leaders Named

KANSAS CITY, Mo. –Grand View (Iowa) men’s wrestling opened the new year atop the fourth rating for men’s wrestling, leading the field with 246 points. Life (Ga.) remained steady at No. 2 with 238 points, while Southeastern (Fla.) climbed into the top three with 235 points, swapping positions with Indiana Tech, which slid one spot to No. 4 with 212 points. 
The remainder of the top eight held firm, led by Southern Oregon at No. 5, followed by Oklahoma City, Campbellsville (Ky.), and Embry-Riddle (Ariz.). Cumberland (Tenn.) inched up one spot to No. 9, while Providence (Mont.) surged three places to No. 10 in this edition. 
Friends (Kan.) made a notable push, rising three places to No. 17, while Marian University (Ind.) also moved up one spot to No. 16. Reinhardt (Ga.) and Montana State-Northern entered the rankings after receiving votes at Nos. 23 and 24, in the previous rating. 
The individual rankings produced just two new top-ranked wrestlers, … more at … https://naia.prestosports.com/sports/mwrest/2025-26/Releases/National_4

January 9, 2026 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

#24 UNC-Pembroke Cruises To Win Over Allen

By: Alex Pearce, Assistant Athletic Communications Director
Story Links
Box Score
Highlights
Post-Match Interview
PEMBROKE – No. 24 UNC Pembroke won nine of ten matches en route to a 45-3 victory over Allen in Conference Carolinas dual action Monday afternoon on Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.
Eight Braves earned bonus-point wins in the victory.
The Black & Gold will be back in action January 11 as they step out of Conference Carolinas action to head to Fairmont, W. Va. for the Fairmont State duals. The Braves will take on Salem (11 a.m.), #5 Pitt-Johnstown (12:30 p.m.), Fairmont State (2 p.m.), and Felician (3:30 p.m.). 

ALLEN @ #24 UNCP (W, 45-3)

Spencer May got the Braves on the board first with a first-period pin at 125 pounds, while Donovan Miller followed with a first-period pin of his own in the 133-pound bout to make it 12-0. Chance Cottingham followed with a technical fall at 141 pounds to stretch the lead to 17-0. Allen would take the 149-pound match to make it 17-3, but UNCP would take the final … more at … https://uncpbraves.com/news/2026/1/5/wrestling-cruises-to-win-over-allen.aspx

January 9, 2026 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NCAA D1 Wrestling Week 10 Roundup: Back To The Mats

The world’s finest collection of noteworthy happenings from the 8th week of the 2025-26 NCAA D1 wrestling season.
Hello and happy New Year from Chattanooga, Tennessee, where the Southern Scuffle just concluded another outstanding edition of the annual tournament! 
Week 8 Rankings | Week 10 Box Scores
Roundups: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9
College wrestling returned to action after a holiday week, during which there were no results for us to make note of. However, that didn’t stop your humble blogger from writing a Roundup anyway, as I simply repurposed this space for a recap of all of 2025. 
Now that we’ve traveled through time to the year 2026 (a mere 17 years before the events in the original Robocop movie take place), we can recap the bounty of competitions from week 10 of the 2025-26 NCAA D1 college wrestling season. I’d buy that for a dollar! 
But first, our DotCotW.
The Dual of the Century, of the Week
Dragons Slay Boilermakers 19 to 16
While the Drexel vs Purdue featured less ranked matchups (in this case zero) than I typically like to see in a DotCotW, it did otherwise feature all the hallmarks of a quality dual meet. 
A dual that’s hanging in the balance up until the final match? CHECK
An evenly matched dual with five wins per team? CHECK
Multiple lead changes? CHECK
A LOT of lead changes, like, six lead changes? CHECK … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/15091770-ncaa-d1-wrestling-week-10-roundup-back-to-the-mats

January 9, 2026 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment