Terps Set To Host Big Ten Wrestling Championships For First Time In Program History
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The University of Maryland will host the illustrious Big Ten Wrestling Championships for the first time in program history on March 9-10 in the XFINITY Center. Previously, the Terps hosted the ACC Championships 15 times from 1954 to 2014, but this will be the first time hosting the tournament in the nation’s premier wrestling conference.
The Terps are led by a trio of standout redshirt sophomores in Jaxon Smith (197), Braxton Brown (133) and Ethen Miller (149, who are all top-seven seeds and were all NCAA Qualifiers last year. Smith is the second-seed at 197 pounds, the highest seed for a Maryland wrestler at the Big Ten Championships ever. Maryland is also powered by a graduate transfer heavyweight in Seth Nevills who earned the five-seed and will be competing in the Big Ten Championships for the first time since 2020. Kal Miller (141) and Dom Solis (174) are both former NCAA Qualifiers and both slot in as 11-seeds.
Last year in Ann Arbor, Smith finished in third-place at 197-pounds, the highest finish for a Maryland wrestler at Big Tens since 2019. Kal Miller entered the tournament as the 14th-seed but put together a remarkable run on the backside of the bracket to finish ninth and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. Ethen Miller place eighth and Braxton Brown ninth. Maryland’s 24 team points were the most in a Big Ten Tournament since 2018.
Action will be feature on Big Ten Network throughout the weekend, but B1G+ will feature coverage of all four mats. Fans can also follow the action by following the program’s official Twitter account @TerpsWrestling. … story at … UMterps.com/Terps-set-to-host-b1g-wrestling-championships-for-first-time-in-program-history
NJCAA National Championships
Hartwell Taylor Becomes First National Champion in Program History
Western Wyoming repeats as NJCAA Men’s national champions, Iowa Central takes second
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – Western Wyoming repeated as team champions at the NJCAA Men’s National Championships on Saturday.Western Wyoming had one individual champion, Cody Phelps (133), and finished with seven All-Americans. Phelps was dominant in his finals, scoring a 17-4 major decision over Cesar Avelar of Clackamas. Western Wyoming finished with 161 points, with runner-up Iowa Central at 139.5 points and third-place Pratt with 134.5 points. Clackamas was fourth with 134 points and Iowa Western finished fifth with 123.5 points.
Repeating as national champions were Matt Sarbo of Iowa Central (149) and Aziz Fayzullaev of Northwest (184). Fayzullaev won at 174 pounds last year. Sarbo beat Jaden Two Lance of Carl Albert State, 10-4 in the finals, while Fayzullaev stopped Darion Johnson of Western Wyoming, 7-3 in the finals. … story at … Themat.com/Western-wyoming-repeats-as-njcaa-men-s-national-champions-iowa-central-takes-second
And …
Indian Hills repeats as NJCAA Women’s Invitational champion with two titlists
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – Indian Hills CC, led by two champions and 16 All-Americans, repeated as team champions at the NAIA Women’s National Invitational on Saturday.
Claiming national titles for Indian Hills were Genesis Gilmore of Indian Hills (155) and Eliana Bommarito (235). Bommarito repeated as national champion.
In the finals, Gilmore knocked off 2023 nationals champion Ferny Hernandez of Iowa Western by technical fall, 14-4 at 155 pounds. Bommarito pinned Indian Hills teammate Karla Padilla Zepeda in 1:29 in the finals. Indian Hills won the title with 307.5 points, with Iowa Central in second with 237 points and Umpqua in third with 204.5 points.
Repeating as NJCAA individual national champions were Alexis Miller of Carl Albert (109) and Victoriana Kim of Southwestern Oregon (123) … story at … Themat.com/Indian-hills-repeats-as-njcaa-women-s-invitational-champion-with-two-titlists
And …
Herlyn Becomes First SCC National Champ
Fr. Eve Herlyn became the schools first national champion with her win at Nationals over the weekend. Congratulations, Eve! Herlyn is from Kansas City, Missouri, where she wrestled for Park Hill and had 2- second place finishes at the prep level. She broke through with the championship at the next level. “This is a big deal for me. I fell short of a title in high school. To be a national champion and an all american at this level is well earned, and it shows anybody can do it.” Herlyn’s climb to the title was a long one filled with ups and downs. “It’s crazy, four to six months of work went into this. I had two concussions in January.”
Herlyn and the rest of the wrestlers at SCC this year … story at … SCCbobcats.com/Herlyn-becomes-first-scc-national-champ
NAIA Championships
Grand View (Iowa) Claims 12th Team Championship in 13 Years
PARK CITY, Kan. – Grand View (Iowa) claims the programs 12th Battle For The Red Banner as they win the 2024 NAIA Men’s Wrestling Championship by 55.5 points. The 67th Annual event concluded Saturday Night inside Hartman Arena and was hosted by Visit Wichita from February 29th – March 2nd.
The Vikings have won the Red Banner in 12 of the last 13 years, which further extends the NAI Record for team titles. Former members Adams State (Colo.) and Central State (Okla.) are tied for second with eight each. In total, Grand View has 39 individual championships, which is now tied for first all-time with former member Simon Fraser (B.C.).
Saturday’s schedule included Session IV which saw the Sixth Round (Consolation Semifinals) and Placement Round (Third, Fifth and Seventh place) wrestled in the morning. After the midday break for the facility to be switched over and the Parade of All-Americans, Session VI saw the Championship Finals competed live on ESPN3. Click HERE to see the full schedule and results page. Click HERE for the final team scores of the 2024 championship. … story at … NAIA.org/sports/mwrest/2023-24/Releases/DayThree
And …
Grand View Clinches Their 12th All-Out Team Title in Program History
WICHITA, KANSAS – The Grand View University wrestling squad under the direction of program starter, Nick Mitchell, clinched the 2024 NAIA Championship in the final session of the 2024 67th Annual NAIA National Championship, in Wichita, Kansas. The Vikings clinched their 12th team title in the last 16 years of being a program. Along with the title, Alex Reynolds (174), Isaiah Luellen (184), and Garavous Kouekabakilaho (197) brought home individual gold in the three-day event in Hartman Arena in Wichita, KS. Grand View recorded a 58-16 tournament record at a 0.7838 winning percentage, nearly 20 more match wins than second place.
174-pounder Alex Reynolds claimed the first National Title of the evening. … story at … GVvikings.com/Grand-view-clinches-their-12th-all-out-team-title-in-program-history
And …
Men’s Wrestling Tabs Two Individual National Champions in Second Place Team Finish
WICHITA, Kan. —- The Life University men’s wrestling team finished the 2024 NAIA National Championships in second place overall with 154 total team points over the three day tournament. Brevin Balmeceda and Zane Lanham each captured individual national titles as seven Running Eagles earned All-American honors. Life U started the weekend as one of three teams to qualify 12 individuals for the championships. Seven Running Eagles were able to capture All-American honors and advance to Saturday. Brandon Orum (125 lbs.), Thaddeus Long (133 lbs.), Brevin Balmeceda (157 lbs.) Steven Villalobos (165 lbs.), Riley Smucker (174 lbs.), Kyle Homet (184 lbs.) and Zane Lanham at 285 lbs each battled their way through the brackets to earn All-American status. … story at … Liferunningeagles.com/Wrestling-tabs-two-individual-national-champions-in-second-place-team-finish
And …
National Champion Jovan Garcia Leads Menlo to Third Place Finish at NAIA National Championship Tournament
By: Ally Salzwedel
PARK CITY, KS. – Menlo Men’s Wrestling completed their 2023-24 season at the NAIA National Championship Tournament inside Hartman Arena on Saturday. After a grueling three-day tournament, 6 Oaks finished in the top 7 of their weight class to earn All-American status, including a National Champion at 133, Jovan Garcia, and a National runner-up at 125, Nicolas Aguilar. Rysan Leong (165) and Kanaipono Tapia (157) each placed 3rd with Maximus Zamora (174) and Antonio Dacosta (285) rounding out the group each taking 7th.
Head Coach Joey Martinez led the Oaks to a 3rd place finish as a team with 95.5 points in his 14th National Championship Tournament appearance at the helm. … story at … Menloathletics.com/National-champion-jovan-garcia-leads-menlo-to-third-place-finish
And …
Doane Men’s Wrestling Places Fifth at Nationals
Men’s Wrestling headed south to Park City, Kansas, to compete in the 2024 NAIA National Championships over a newly formatted event. Instead of the traditional two-day event, the wrestlers competed over three days. The Tigers placed fifth overall, tying the best finish in program history, and collected four NAIA All-American honors.
Kasten Grape placed fourth in the 197 bracket with a 4-2 record. After a bye to open action, he won by major decision, … story at … Doaneathletics.com/2023-24
ICAC Advocates for the Protection and Support of Olympic Sports
February 21, 2024 – The Intercollegiate Coaching Association Coalition (ICAC) has taken a significant step in advocating for the protection and support of Olympic sports within college athletics. In a formal submission to Congress’s Commission on the State of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Sports, the ICAC underscores the need to safeguard Olympic sports amid discussions surrounding protections for the NCAA.
Congress created the independent Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics and Paralympics to study the United States’s participation in the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This commission is also known as the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act of 2020.
Mike Moyer, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), highlighted the significance of addressing this issue in congressional discussions: “The ICAC’s letter rightly identifies a critical component of any support Congress mayextend to the NCAA. It suggests that any aid provided to collegiate athletics should be contingent upon the protection of Olympic sports through antitrust exemptions or equivalent measures.”
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, appointed four individuals to the Commission in April 2021, including her pick for co-chair. The appointees include: Co-Chair, Dionne Koller, a professor of law at the University of Baltimore School of Law; Jordyn Wieber, an American Olympic gold medalist gymnast and head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks; Benita Fitzgerald Mosley, a Track & Field Olympic Gold Medalist who served on the International Olympic Committee’s Active Society Commission; and Nancy Hogshead-Makar, a two-time Olympic swimmer, a civil rights lawyer and professor of sports law.
Rob Kehoe, former Director of College Programs for United Soccer Coaches, … story at … NWCAonline.com/NWCA-icac-advocates-for-the-protection-and-support-of-olympic-sports
NCAA wrestling award standings update for the 2024 season
INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA has released updated standings for the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Awards that will be awarded in March at the respective Division I, II and III Wrestling Championships.
The inaugural NCAA Wrestling Awards were presented at the 2012 wrestling championships. The three awards, given in each division, honor the Most Dominant Wrestler as well as the student-athletes that have accumulated the most falls and the most technical falls throughout the course of the regular and postseasons.
For results to be counted for the awards they must come against opponents in the same division (i.e. Division II vs. Division II). Ties in the falls and tech falls categories are broken based on the aggregate time.
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This week features the fifth standings of the Most Dominant Wrestler award, which features a 17-match minimum to qualify for the standings.
The Most Dominant Wrestler standings are calculated by adding the total number of team points awarded through match results and dividing that number by the total number of matches wrestled. Points per match are awarded as follows.
- Fall, forfeit, injury default or DQ: 6 points (-6 points for a loss)
- Tech falls: 5 points (-5 points for a loss)
- Major decision: 4 points (-4 points for a loss)
- Decision: 3 points (-3 points for a loss)
With Division I conference tournaments set for this weekend, there was minimal to no movement in all three award rankings. Michael Beard from Lehigh remains atop tech falls with nine while Wyatt Hendrickson of Air Force leads both falls and most dominant wrestler.
The most dominant wrestler in Division II is Scott Joll at UNC Pembroke. He extended his lead this week to 5.48 points per match over 5.04 from West Liberty’s Ty McGeary.
In Division III, there was a change at the top as Wartburg’s Massoma Endene jumped from third to the lead going from 5.17 to 5.27 points per match. Baldwin Wallace’s Michael Petrella is close behind at 5.22. In Division II falls, Lander’s Anthony Yacovetti regained the lead after two weeks in second. The 197-pounder picked up three falls on the week to put him at 16 for the year. Joll and Pittsburgh-Johnstown’s Isaiah Vance trail by one.
Norwich’s Mason Sprinkel continues to hold the lead in Division III falls for the third straight week, extending his lead to three with 25.
Both Division II and Division III tech falls leaders … story at … NCAA.com/NCAA-wrestling-award-standings-update-2024-season
Best matches at every weight class from the 2023-2024 college wrestling dual season
The 2023-2024 college wrestling season dual season has officially ended, so with the postseason on the horizon, let’s take a look back at some of the best matches at every weight class.
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Note: For each weight class, a “winning match” has been identified along with 2-3 finalists. This is an entirely subjective list based on the significance of these wins in the rankings, the storylines surrounding each match and the amount of points put up by the athlete.
125 pounds: Jakob Camacho (NC State) over Cooper Flynn (Virginia Tech), 5-1
Finalists: Patrick McKee (Minnesota) over Eric Barnett (Wisconsin), FALL (4:47); Nico Provo (Stanford) over Matt Ramos (Purdue), 8-1
Call it recency bias, call it rivalry fever, but Jakob Camacho’s 5-1 win on Feb. 23 over Virginia Tech’s Cooper Flynn is the 2023-2024 125-pound match of the season so far. Flynn started the year in Olympic redshirt behind Virginia Tech All-American Eddie Ventresca, while Camacho, despite holding the No. 1 spot in the country for a brief moment, also sat behind teammate and 2023 ACC champion Jarrett Trombley for several duals this year. But, the final dual of the season, it was Camacho vs. Flynn, two athletes who have the talent to win a title but have taken their own unique paths into the lineup, and Camacho claimed victory.
Flynn came into the match ranked No. 4 while Camacho was No. 14 in the country, though the Pack veteran wrestled like he couldn’t care less about the rankings. He came out and attacked, earning the only offensive points of the match. His win also gave NC State three key team points in the Wolfpack’s 20-12 win over the Hokies.
Camacho and Flynn will likely meet again in the ACC tournament and potentially in the NCAA tournament. But the latest victory belongs to Camacho. This result also shifted the Pack senior up to No. 10 in the rankings and slid Flynn down to No. 6.
LAST YEAR AT 125: Rewatch Matt Ramos’ shocking upset over three-time NCAA champ Spencer Lee
Purdue’s Matt Ramos still paces this crazy weight class at No. 1, with his biggest win coming against Iowa’s No. 2 Drake Ayala in Carver-Hawkeye Arena and his most notable loss coming to Stanford’s No. 18 Nico Provo at the Cliff Keen Invitational. No. 4 Patrick McKee and No. 5 Eric Barnett participated in the other bout that earned “match of the year” finalist status, as McKee pinned Barnett in the second period during yet another result in a long line of back-and-forth outcomes within this rivalry. If these three spotlighted matches prove anything, it’s to expect the unexpected at 125 pounds. The NCAA champ will be the guy that can best weather the storm of what will be a deep national championship bracket come March.
133 pounds: Ryan Crookham (Lehigh) over Vito Arujau (Cornell), 8-4 … story at …NCAA.com/news/wrestling/Best-matches-every-weight-class-2023-2024-college-wrestling-dual-season
Five B1G Takeaways from the Final Week of the Dual Season
Five B1G Takeaways from the Final Week of the Dual Season (2/28/2024)
We’ve reached the end of the regular season and the final week of duals did not disappoint. B1G Ten teams took the chance to go head-to-head with teams from other conferences to cap things off.
Big Ten Goes 7-1 in Cross-Conference Competition
To finish off the regular season, Big Ten teams competed against out-of-conference competition and went 7-1. Wisconsin was the lone team that came out on the losing end of their dual meet against UNI. Of note, Iowa took out Oklahoma State in Stillwater, OK for the first time since 2015, Penn State pitched a shutout at home against Edinboro, and Nebraska took care of things in Tempe.
Lovett Takes First Loss
Nebraska may have taken care of business against Arizona State, but the headliner was Kyle Parco handing top-ranked Ridge Lovett his first loss of the year. Parco scored the only takedown of the bout and added a stall point to get the 4-3 win. Lovett remains No. 1 despite the loss and should be the top-seed at the Big Ten tournament, but he won’t be going in with an unblemished record.
Hawkeyes Get it Done on the Road
Not to be too redundant with my points of emphasis on this win for Iowa, but damn that was impressive. Oklahoma State hosted Iowa in what was a sold-out crowd in Gallagher-Iba Arena, and a Nationally televised matchup, against their biggest rival. Only one of those teams showed up ready to battle though, and it wasn’t the home team. Iowa seemed to pull the trigger on their attacks much more fearlessly, and with much more consistency, and as the dual kept going it looked worse for the Cowboys. If you’re an Iowa fan, this was a much-needed return to normalcy for them after a couple of tough weeks. They looked great as the season began, and they looked far and away like the second-best team in the country, until all of a sudden they didn’t. After the Michigan dual, I remember hearing a lot of talk about their offense, questions about their approach, and questions about their future, but this seemed like a strong way to answer those questions and to be prepared entering the B1G Tournament. The Hawkeyes still have some questions at 133 and 149 as far as who we will see out there competing at B1Gs, but for them, this seems like more of a luxury than a concern. Ladies and gentlemen, let the conference tournaments begin!!!
Matt Ramos Finishes Strong
We’ve made jokes most of the year about the curse of being ranked number 1 at 125. Yet here we are at the end of the regular season, at the same place we began, with Matt Ramos of Purdue ranked number 1 at 125 pounds. Despite early season losses to Jakob Camacho of NC State, and two losses at CKLV to Nico Provo of Stanford and Caleb Smith of Nebraska, Ramos has been quietly undefeated since. That stretch includes ranked wins over Anthony Molton of Campbell, Dean Peterson of Rutgers, Drake Ayala of Iowa, Eric Barnett of Wisconsin, and Patrick McKee of Minnesota. Despite the loss to Caleb Smith at the end of 2023, I would think that Ramos … story at … Intermatwrestle.com/Takeaways-from-the-final-week-of-the-dual-season-2282024
No. 1 Indian Hills CC seeks to repeat as NJCAA Women’s Invitational champions in Council Bluffs, Iowa
NJCAA brackets
Indian Hills CC in Iowa, which won the inaugural NJCAA Women’s Invitational in 2023, comes in as favorite this year, when the event is held alongside the men’s championships at Mid America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa, March 1-2.
Indian Hills is the only program to ever win a junior college national title in women’s wrestling. In addition to winning the first NJCAA Invitational last year, Indian Hills was also the champions at the 2021 and 2022 Junior College National Championships (JCNC), which included programs from a number of college organizations.
The Warriors return three NJCAA individual national champions from last year, Dutchess King (101), Shammilka Miranda Diaz (116), and Eliana Bommarito (235). Bommarito was named Outstanding Wrestler at last year’s nationals.
Wrestling fans will remember over the summer when Bommarito became the first U.S. wrestler to ever win a Senior Beach World Championships. In addition to being an outstanding wrestler on the college level, she is one of the best Beach wrestlers in the world.
Indian Hills returns nine All-Americans from last year. The Warriors have two No. 1 seeds, Bommarito and Tiffany White (191). The team also boasts No. 2 seeds King and Diaz, plus Javanica Mickens (109), Angelica Vicente Gomzalez (123) and Averie Burns (235).
In the most recent NJCAA Women’s Rankings, released on Feb. 10, Umpqua CC was ranked No. 2, led by three No. 1 seeds at the nationals, … story at … Themat.com/Indian-hills-cc-seeks-to-repeat-as-njcaa-women-s-invitational-champions-in-council-bluffs
Brackets released for National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships (for NCAA women)
Brackets have been released for the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships (NCWWC), the annual national championships for NCAA women’s wrestling programs,
The NCWWC will be held at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, March 8-9, 2024.
Check out brackets for 2024 NCWWC
The NCWWC currently includes NCAA programs from the Division I, II and III levels. Athletes qualified for the 2024 NCWWC through six Regional Qualifiers.
Top seeded wrestlers are Emilie Gonzalez of Iowa (101), Kendra Ryan of North Central (109), Samara Chavez of King (116), Shelby Moore of McKendree (123), Victoria Baez-Dillone of King (130), Yele Aycock of North Central (136), Alara Boyd of North Central (143), Marlynne Deede of Iowa (155), Kylie Welker of Iowa (170) and Traeh Haynes of North Central (191).
Tickets remain available through Ticket Master and will include an All-Session ticket, or tickets for each of the four individual sessions. Handicap seating is available. … story at … Themat.com/Brackets-released-for-national-collegiate-women-s-wrestling-championships-for-ncaa-women
TDR Editor’s Update – TDR # 31-61
The TDR Top 12 Teams of boys and girls wrestlers have been announced. The plaques have been ordered. We will start mailing or delivering them the week of March 11th. We will also start announcing that week the winners of the big annual trophies such as the Olivia Neal Award for the most outstanding senior female wrestler, The James Johnson Memorial Award & Michael Stokes Award for top Seniors, Roy Heverly & Lee Carroll Awards for Top Underclassman.
Will be out of the office and traveling most of the next three weeks. This will be due to attendnig wrestling events and family concerns. Have tried to catch up on postings and the news yet may fall behind again during this time.
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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 