Appalachian State Wrestlers Recognized With SoCon Academic Honors
BOONE, N.C. — App State Wrestling had 21 student-athletes make the 2024 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll and four student-athletes earn Academic All-SoCon honors.
That total contributed to the Mountaineers posting a team GPA of 3.09 for the spring semester and possessing a cumulative GPA of 3.12.
The Academic All-SoCon recipients were Chad Bellis, Cody Bond, Tommy Askey and Ethan Oakley. Earlier this week, Bellis also was named to the CSC Academic All-District team by the College Sports Communicators.
To be eligible for Academic All-SoCon recognition, student-athletes had to carry at least a 3.3 cumulative GPA at the conclusion of the spring semester and meet participation requirements during the 2023-24 season. Additionally, the student-athletes must have successfully completed at least three semesters at their institutions, making true freshmen and first-year transfers ineligible for inclusion.
The SoCon’s Academic Honor Roll consists of student-athletes who achieve a 3.0 minimum GPA for the academic year while being a member of the final squad list during their sport’s traditional season.
The honor roll members were highlighted by three wrestlers — Bond, Levi Andrews and Joe Zovistoski — who made the list for Commissioner’s Medals that are awarded to student-athletes who attain a GPA of 3.8 or higher throughout the year.
In addition to Andrews, Bond and Zovistoski, the other honor roll … more at … Appstatesports.com/Wrestlers-recognized-with-socon-academic-honors
Thirteen Presbyterian College Men’s Wrestlers Make SoCon Honor Roll, Five of Which Named to Academic All-Conference Team
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Presbyterian College men’s wrestling program (an affiliate member of the Southern Conference since its creation five years ago) was represented plentifully on the 2024 SoCon Honor Roll and All-Conference units. Announced on Thursday afternoon, PC qualified 13 for the former and five for the latter.
Michael Ramirez, Caleb Roe, Brayden Adams, Eli Holiday, and Morvens Saint Jean all met the strict requirements to hit the mark for All-SoCon Academic status. They were joined by Dakota Price, Joshua Roe, George Hopkins, Ryan Luna, Brandon Jacoby, Connor Garren, Reed Douglass, and Malcolm Wiley to round out the full group of 13 on the SoCon Honor Roll.
Having five Academic All-Conference wrestlers is an improvement of three compared to last season’s rollout. The program has now produced 18 different Honor Roll members in the last two academic years. Of the 15 Presbyterian athletes who made the list in 2023, 10 of them returned to the roster for another go. All of them retained their memberships on the SoCon Honor Roll, with four of them advancing to All-Conference levels after being ineligible the previous instance due to their freshman classification.
In order to gain entry into the Southern Conference Honor Roll, one must acquire a 3.0 grade point average over the course of the full academic year. Any student-athlete with that number or higher will be included, regardless of class or the amount that they competed.
The criteria for SoCon All-Conference, however, is much more strenuous. Freshmen and transfers are not permitted, and all of those who qualify must’ve established a 3.3 GPA for their cumulative college careers while also competing in at least 50 percent of their team’s events throughout the regular season. … more at … GObluehose.com/Thirteen-pc-mens-wrestlers-make-socon-honor-roll
Six Campbell wrestlers named Academic All-SoCon, 18 make Honor Roll
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Six wrestlers from Campbell University were named to the Southern Conference Academic All-Conference team, and 18 were placed on the conference’s Academic Honor Roll, the conference office announced Thursday afternoon.
Domenic Zaccone, Dom Baker, Austin Murphy, Caleb Hopkins, Levi Hopkins and Taye Ghadiali all found themselves on the academic all-conference list. These six wrestlers were also recognized as NWCA Scholar All-Americans at the conclusion of the season.
To be named to the Academic All-SoCon team, student-athletes must carry at minimum a 3.3 GPA at the conclusion of the spring semester while also competing in at least 50% of their team’s competitions. Eligible student-athletes must also have successfully completed at least three semesters at their current institution. “We are proud to honor the academic excellence of each of each student athlete named to the Academic All-SoCon team,” SoCon Commissioner Michael Cross said. “It takes an extraordinary amount of dedication to balance academic success with this degree of athletic performance.”
Levi Hopkins was one of 42 student-athletes on the academic all-conference team to own a 4.0 GPA. These six athletes were joined by 12 teammates on the SoCon Academic Honor Roll … more at … GOcamels.com/Six-wrestlers-named-academic-all-socon-18-make-honor-roll
Women’s Collegiate Wrestling News (June 2024)
Transfer Portal Update
There have been some additional commitments since my last article that will have big impacts on lineups for the coming season.
Commitments
Kendall Bostelman – from North Central to William Penn
William Penn made a big splash last season with the arrival of Coaches Wilcke and Kadel from the now-closed Iowa Wesleyan along with many of their former teams top talent including Adaugo Nwachukwu and Mia Palumbo. The team went from 33rd place to 4th place at NAIA Nationals in one season. In addition to their strong recruiting class so far (keep an eye out for a lineup preview article), Kendall Bostelman will be another super charge for the Statesman program to keep them winning. Bostelman comes from last season’s NCWWC runner up North Central where she competed for two seasons. During her freshman season she became an All American, finishing sixth at the tournament after finishing third in her region. She has also earned a sixth place finish at the U23 World Team Trials in 2023. In her last season, she competed at 143 lbs and went 20-5, including 9 tech falls against her opponents. Bostelman’s offense can be lethal, so it will be exciting to see what momentum she adds to the already climbing William Penn squad.
Kaelani Shufeldt – from Lock Haven to North Central
While the Cardinals may have lost Bostelman from their lineup, they picked up an instant-impact competitor in Kaelani Shufeldt. Shufeldt was Lock Haven’s first two-time All American and first national finalist after coming up just short against Iowa’s Ava Bayless in the finals of NCWWCs. In the semifinals, Shufeldt pinned the No. 1 seed from North Central, Kendra Ryan. In fact, Shufeldt pinned every opponent in the tournament outside of Bayless. Shufeldt will head into her junior season with a career record of 50-8 with 18 pins last season. Back in December, … more at … Intermatwrestle.com/Womens-collegiate-wrestling-news-june-2024
Fargo Rosters: Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio
Starting on June 26, USA Wrestling began publishing the state team rosters for the 2024 USMC Junior and 16U Nationals set for Fargo, N.D. State teams will be posted whenever a final roster has been submitted and confirmed with the state association.
In addition to the list of athletes (by age-group, style and weight), boys who are included in the most recent FloWrestling rankings, as well as girls who are included in the most recent National Girls High School rankings, will be identified.
We add the following rosters today: Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina and Ohio. Ohio has one of the largest and most powerful rosters in Fargo each year, a challenger for team titles with both their men and women. North Carolina and Massachusetts are building stronger programs with some talented individuals. Mississippi, which is just now developing wrestling in the state, will be represented in Fargo this summer, a step forward for the sport.
NORTH CAROLINA
Junior Boys freestyle
120 Ethan Brownlee
120 Elijah Dorsey
126 Devon Conner
132 Layne Armstrong
138 Jackson Rowling
138 Alexander Schweitzer
138 Kaleb Flores
138 Shawn Bass
144 Ashton Shields-Adams
150 John Schulz
157 Jeremiah Johnson
157 Braden Reynolds
157 Luke Osborne
165 Troy Shannon
175 Dominic Blue
175 Connor Reese
175 Noah Michael
190 Harrison Compton
190 Brock Sullivan
190 Troy Deniz
190 Tayshaun Glover
215 Hayden Haynes
215 Dantrell Williams
285 Sebastian Rivera
285 Austin Rivera
285 Damien Couture
Junior Greco-Roman
120 Ethan Brownlee … rest of story at … Themat.com/Fargo-rosters-north-carolina-ohio
Legendary OU Head Coach Stan Abel Passes Away at 87
OWrestle.com has learned that longtime OU Head Coach and Hall of Famer Stan Abel passed away yesterday at the age of 87. The legendary Sooner coached OU to a National Title in 1974 and three other team runner-up finishes. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1990.
His bio from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame: “With two national championships as a wrestler, and another as a coach, Stanley Abel reached across five decades with a career marked by continuing success. Vigorous, vehement and volatile, he was one of the best known figures in the sport. Abel always was out in front for his wrestlers, fighting as hard for them off the mat as he ever asked them to fight on the mat.
In 29 years as a head coach, he amassed more than 350 dual meet victories and a consistent 73 per cent winning record against the toughest possible lineup of opponents. Abel became coach at the University of Oklahoma in 1973, successor to three other Hall of Fame coaches. His Sooners won the NCAA championship in 1974, placed second three times and only once finished out of the nation’s Top 10.
He coached 15 NCAA champions and 74 All-Americans. One of his proudest moments came in 1984 when his son, Darren, earned All-America honors as an OU wrestler. The Sooners captured three Big Eight trophies and Abel was conference coach of the year three times. He was elected Man of the Year in 1974, … more at … Owrestle.com/legendary-ou-head-coach-stan-abel-passes-away-at-87
Weekly Recruiting Update (6/28/2024)
With a few months before the high school preseason, the top recruits from the Class of 2025 continue to fly off the board. Before this week, only five of the top-60 recruits in the nation were uncommitted. That number dropped to four as North Carolina snapped one of those prospects up and added to an already impressive recruiting class.
Even though fans and us in the media have started paying attention to the Classes of 2025 and 2026, some schools are still looking to solidify their incoming freshmen classes. Two of them recently picked up notable commitments. Those are all listed below in our latest recruiting update.
#54 Matthew Botello (Wyoming Seminary via Massachusetts) to North Carolina
One of the highest remaining uncommitted recruits from the Class of 2025 is off the board as #54 Matthew Botello has committed to North Carolina. … more at … Intermatwrestle.com/Weekly-recruiting-update
2024-25 NC State Wrestling Early Lineup Look
A breakdown of the potential starting lineup for the 2024-25 NC State wrestling team.
NC State finished 11th at the 2024 NCAA Tournament and has a lineup filled with potential All-Americans for next season. The Wolfpack will be one of the most exciting teams to watch throughout next year and will be one of the main contenders to win a team trophy. Check out the below article for a full breakdown of NC State’s starting lineup next season.
NC State Projected 2024-25 Lineup:
125: #10 Jakob Camacho
133: #6 Kai Orine
141: #5 Ryan Jack
149: #6 Jackson Arrington
157: #8 Ed Scott
165: #17 Derek Fields
174: Matthew Singleton
184: #9 Dylan Fishback
197: Christian Knop/Chase Horne/Isaac Trumble
285: #9 Isaac Trumble/Owen Trephan
125: #10 Jakob Camacho
Jakob Camacho is entering his final year of college as one of the best wrestlers in the country who hasn’t earned All-American honors. Camacho finished one win shy of All-American honors in 2021 and was two wins short at the 2022 and 2024 NCAA Tournaments. Despite those disappointing finishes, Camacho was ranked #1 in the country early last season after he defeated 2023 NCAA runner-up Matt Ramos, 8-5. Along with the win over Ramos, Camacho also has career victories over All-Americans Drake Ayala, Caleb Smith, Sam Latona, Dylan Ragusin, and Jack Mueller. Camacho has an extremely high ceiling and will be right in the mix with several wrestlers next year to win a national title at 125 pounds.
133: #6 Kai Orine
Kai Orine is now a two-time All-American after finishing 8th place at 133 pounds at the last two NCAA Tournaments. Orine is one of the more exciting wrestlers in the country and recorded victories last season over #7 Aaron Nagao, #11 Jacob Van Dee, and #4 Evan Frost. At the 2024 NCAA Tournament, Orine dropped matches to #5 Dylan Shawver, #2 Nasir Bailey, and Vito Arujau resulting in his #6 ranking entering next year. Despite those losses, both Vito Arujau and Daton Fix have graduated and leave 133 pounds a little more wide open … more at … Flowrestling.org/NC-state-wrestling-early-lineup-look
Army veteran’s journey from ‘derelict’ to champion wrestler
Sally Roberts is an athlete, Army veteran and the founder of Wrestle Like A Girl. On this week’s episode of The American Legion Tango Alpha Lima podcast, she delivers her message: “It’s OK to suffer, it’s OK to endure, it’s the lessons we learn from it.”
Roberts, the first in her family to graduate from high school, had a troubled childhood and found her salvation in wrestling. Admitting she got into wrestling because she was a “derelict,” who was committing break-ins and getting into fights, Roberts credits wrestling for changing her life and helping her to build a winning mindset. “Regardless of our limitations the only thing that holds us back is our mind,” says the three-time wrestling national champion and two-time world bronze medalist. “And it is up to us to determine, are we driving ourselves and are we going to drive that positive mindset narrative or is there going to be a different narrative that tells us we are unworthy, we are incapable, we are limited, we have a disability and it is going to hold us back? “I’ve seen time and time again that people who show up and hit life hard and get hit hard by life, nothing holds them back but their mind.”
After not making the 2008 Olympic team, she joined the Army, went into Special Operations and volunteered for deployment in Afghanistan. “My wrestling career really set me up for success in the military,” she said. “Foremost, it made me appreciate and find the joy in suffering. And depending on what you are doing in the military, there is a fair amount of suffering.”
Upon redeployment, she joined the world class athlete program. After concluding her military and athletic career she founded Wrestle Like a Girl, the national advocacy organization for girls and women in wrestling. Her mission-driven organization aims to empower girls and women using the sport of wrestling to become leaders in life. “Anyone can do hard things,” she says. “From my perspective, … more at … Legion.org/Army-veterans-journey-derelict-champion-wrestler
OSU Wrestling: Making an All-Time Lineup from the John Smith Era
It’s hard to imagine John Smith will never put together another lineup for Cowboy Wrestling.
Smith retired after leading Oklahoma State for 33 seasons. During his tenure, Smith coached 153 All-Americans, 33 individual NCAA champions and two Dan Hodge Trophy winners. Since those numbers will no longer be added to, I thought it was a perfect time to create an all-time lineup from the John Smith era.
Here’s how it worked: I filled out a lineup just like a coach would for a dual using 10 of the greatest wrestlers to compete under Smith. However, weight classes have fluctuated since Smith started his three-plus decade coaching career, so I used modern-day weight classes and used the weight that was closest to where that wrestler found the most success.
Below is the full lineup, followed by an explanation of why I chose who for each weight.
125: Eric Guerrero
133: Johnny Thompson
141: Dean Heil
149: Jordan Oliver
157: Pat Smith
165: Alex Dieringer
174: Chris Perry
184: Daniel Cormier
197: Jake Rosholt
285: Steve Mocco
125: Eric Guerrero
Guerrero would be the first to step on the mat for this lineup in a dual, and, boy, what a start. Speaking of duals, Guerrero has the fourth-most dual wins in OSU history with 69. Overall, he was 117–13 in his career as a four-time All-American. He placed fifth as a freshman before finishing his career with three NCAA titles in a row. Guerrero was dominant during that stint, too, with 74 bonus-point wins (10th-best all-time), 28 of which were technical falls (second-most all-time). In this theoretical dual, it’s almost a lock the Pokes would start this thing with more than three points.
133: Johnny Thompson
The recency bias urged me to put Daton Fix here, but at the end of the day, Thompson won a pair of NCAA titles while losing only once in the finals. Thompson was a four-time All-American, … more at … Pistolsfiringblog.com/osu-wrestling-making-an-all-time-lineup-from-the-john-smith-era
TDR blog
After 20 seasons of publicizing wrestling The TakeDown Report’s (TDR) focus has changed to the collecting of college coaching records from North America since 1903. We will continue to recognize and reward successful wrestlers in eastern North Carolina (east of Raleigh & Fayetteville), assist with schools in starting or re-starting a team and this blog. Join us on our FaceBook Page – “The TakeDown Report” for photos and news. Please send results, stories, links and news to pass along. E-mail us at takedownreport@gmail.com
Martin Fleming, Editor
Takedown Report
Takedown Report 