North Carolina State Wrestling Claims 2024 ACC Regular Season Crown
RALEIGH – The NC State wrestling team (16-2, 5-0 ACC) earned the 2024 ACC Regular Season Championship after defeating No. 13 Virginia Tech (9-4, 4-1 ACC) by a 20-12 score Friday night. For his last ever dual in Reynolds Coliseum, redshirt-senior and team captain, Trent Hidlay, tallied his 100th career win.
In front of a sold out Reynolds Coliseum, the ACC powerhouse rivals faced each other in their final dual of the season to determine the regular season conference leader. By the end of the night, NC State lifted the trophy for the sixth time in the last seven years.
Alex Faison, Trent Hidlay, Dylan Reinert, Jarrett Trombley, alongside team manager Callie Nix, all experienced their last ever dual match inside Reynolds as they were honored during the senior ceremony prior to the start of the dual.
Third-ranked Jackson Arrington faced second-ranked Caleb Henson to start the evening in the 149 pound weight class. This bout marked the first time he wrestled someone and lost this season as the only dents on his record came from medical forfeits at Cliff Keen back in Decemeber. His defeat put the Hokies on the board first but Ed Scott leveled out the score right after when he fired a decision of his own.
The Wolfpack would go on to drop the next three bouts, two of which were upsets, and give VT a daunting 12-3 lead. Dylan Fishback, with one of the toughest schedules this season, faced his 11th ranked opponent of the 2023-24 campaign and was handed his first loss to an opponent outside the top-15. For the finale of his dual wrestling career, Trent Hidlay went out in style just as we all predicted him to do. His technical fall victory, and the only bonus point win of the night for either team, sparked the energy of the Pack, who would not drop another bout for the rest of the night. With his 18-3 win over No. 26 Andy Smith, he got his 100th career win on his senior night, the 65th bonus point win of those 100.
The heavyweight clash carried the flame for the Wolfpack when Owen Trephan won 4-1 and put his team back in striking distance with a 11-12 team score.
Jakob Camacho put the Wolfpack on top for the first time when he upset No. 3 Cooper Flynn with a 5-1 decision. … story at … GOpack.com/Wrestling-claims-2024-acc-regular-season-crown
End of Season College Matches – part 2
Beavers Soundly Defeat Stanford on Sunday
STANFORD, Calif. – Bookending the 2023-24 season with ranked wins on the road, the 21st-ranked Oregon State wrestling team spoiled #15 Stanford’s senior day with a 29-11 win on Sunday afternoon. The Beavers (7-5) quickly made their presence known by taking the afternoon’s first three duals with decisions by Brandon Kaylor (125) and Cleveland Belton (141) and a first-period fall by Gabe Whisenhunt at 133. Needing just a takedown as separation for the ranked win over 16th-ranked Nico Provo, Kaylor used it late in the third when they were knotted at 1. Kaylor stopped Provo’s comeback attempt as he tried to chip away late before Kaylor clinched it with a final takedown at 7-3.
Whisenhunt quickly piled up points as he pinned his opponent, Dominic Lajoie, needing just 2:20 to do it. Belton grabbed a ranked win for himself, taking a decision from 31st-ranked Jason Miranda. The Californian tallied the last four points of the bout following Miranda’s initial escape to open the second with an escape of his own and a near-fall. The homestanding Cardinal responded with a pair of major decisions at 149 and 157 then again at 165 to chip away at the Beavers’ lead.
With more than two minutes’ worth of riding time, Matthew Olguin got the team out of the skid as he took the 174 lb. bout over Abraham Wojcikiewicz by decision at 10-2. Trey Munoz held off Jack Darrah’s upset bid at 184 but he took a decision win at 5-1. … story at … OSUbeavers.com/Beavers-soundly-defeat-stanford-on-sunday
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HAWKEYES BULLY BADGERS, 34-7
IOWA CITY, Iowa – The fourth-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team defeated Wisconsin, 34-7, on Sunday afternoon on Mediacom Mat at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa won eight of 10 bouts, including six via bonus points. The Hawkeyes recorded 30 takedowns to Wisconsin’s six, and Iowa outscored the Badgers 120-49 in match points. “We have to focus on what is ahead,” said head coach Tom Brands. “That’s what we did after those losses. We are going to Stillwater, Oklahoma, in one week, and the postseason looms.”
The dual started at 125 pounds with Wisconsin getting on the board first. Third-ranked Eric Barnett won an, 8-0, major decision over Joey Cruz. The Hawkeyes responded with a pair of big wins from a pair of wrestlers making their final appearance in Carver-Hawkeye arena. At 133 Brody Teske put together a 19-4 technical fall win over Nicolar Rivera, and at 141 No. 2 Real Woods needed just 4:37 to pin Felix Lettini. “Winning just brings good spirits,” said Woods. “So, I guess spiritually it helps. But this team is full of men who know how to fight through adversity and adversity catapults people like us. It doesn’t bring us down. It really helps us more than anything.” “Sometimes you have to right the wrongs and right the ship,” said Brands. “Real went out there and got back to the roots a little bit. I think it was partly my fault, trying to push him into certain things. Just go out and wrestle your match how you want to wrestle and score a lot of points. It doesn’t matter how you get it done. He righted the wrong. We are on a one-match win streak, and we are going to Stillwater, Oklahoma.” … story at … Hawkeyesports.com/Hawkeye-bully-badgers-34-7
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‘Cats Power Past No. 23 Indiana, 19-18
Illinois downed Northwestern on criteria, 21-20, in day’s closing dual
EVANSTON, Ill. (February 18, 2024) – Trevor Chumbley, Troy Fisher, and Evan Bates enjoyed 2-0 days as Northwestern wrestling (1-9, 1-7 B1G) split a pair of duals to close the 2023-24 regular season this afternoon inside Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Wildcats opened action with a 19-18 win over No. 23 Indiana before dropping a narrow 21-20 decision to Illinois on criteria in the finale.
Chumbley impressed in his 157-pound clash with the Hoosiers’ Zack Rotkvich. After building a sizable lead entering the third period, the St. Charles, Ill. native closed the show, securing the fall just 25 seconds in. Chumbley wrapped up his third bonus-point win of the weekend against Illinois’ Logan Swaw, rolling to a 22-6 win by technical fall (4:55). … story at … NUsports.com/Cats-power-past-no-23-indiana-19-18
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No. 7 Missouri Wrestling Overpowers NDSU, 32-6
FARGO, N.D. – The No. 7-ranked University of Missouri wrestling team earned a road conference win, defeating North Dakota State, 32-6, in Fargo, N.D., on Friday, Feb. 16. The conference win moves Missouri to 9-2 this season and 5-2 in the Big 12, while NDSU falls to 3-10 and is 2-4 in league matches. Redshirt junior Noah Surtin started the team off with a major decision at 125 pounds (20-8), and freshman Drew Stanfield followed with a win in his first dual start, finishing 12-5 at 133 pounds. In the 141-pound match, redshirt sophomore Josh Edmond added a major (15-2) to put Mizzou up 11-0 early. Redshirt senior Brock Mauller carried the Tigers into the break with a decision (2-0) at 157 pounds.
After the break, junior Keegan O’Toole picked up the fall in the third period at 165 pounds. Redshirt senior Peyton Mocco kept the bonus points coming with a major decision (17-3) of his own in the 174-pound match. Earning the first technical fall of the night was redshirt freshman Clayton Whiting, 20-3, at 184. Closing out the night, redshirt senior Zach Elam won by a 9-4 decision in the 285 bout. … story at … MUtigers.com/No-7-wrestling-overpowers-ndsu-32-6
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Army Wrestling Wins Star Match at Navy
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Army West Point Wrestling rode early match wins and withstood multiple runs from the Navy Midshipmen at Navy’s Alumni Hall to win the Star on Friday night, defeating its arch rival 18-17 in the dual match. The Black Knights even the Star Series Presented by USAA, 9-9-1 with the Wrestling win. Nate Lukez begun the dual with a triumphant, 11-1 major decision in the 157lb division. The Black Knights followed with signature win in the 165lb when Gunner Filipowicz won a 5-4 thriller over star Midshipman Andrew Cerniglia—who came into the duel with 15 consecutive wins.
After Ben Pasiuk extended Army’s team lead to 10-0, the Midshipmen trimmed the lead to 10-9 off three consecutive match wins, including a sudden victory in the heavyweight bout. The Black Knights however would answer with a technical fall from Ethan Berginc in the 125lb match, and a 5-4 thriller in the 133lb from Braden Basile. Army’s 18-9 lead was robust enough at that point to stand, even in spite of a pair of Navy major decisions to conclude the dual. … story at … GOarmywestpoint.com/Wrestling-wins-star-match-at-navy
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Why the regular season still matters to John Smith
Luke Surber may have slipped up when discussing how frustrating his injury-plagued season has been.“I just remind myself that nothing really matters ‘til March,” he said. Such a statement would imply No. 2 Oklahoma State’s 13-0 record and upcoming home duals against Oklahoma and Iowa aren’t important. Surber corrected himself when the News Press asked him about that statement. “I shouldn’t say nothing matters ‘til March,” Surber said. “But we could have this great season, but it’s judged on March – Big 12 and nationals.”
He was right the first time, especially for a program as decorated as Oklahoma State. If the Cowboys have a disappointing finish in the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships, it would look even worse than the past two seasons because of their re-emergence. Given the framework of Division I wrestling, the regular season is less indicative of tournament quality than most other sports. At this time a year ago, Pittsburgh was ranked seventh. It finished outside the top 20 at the NCAA tournament, despite having an individual national champion. Yet, an individual champion helped North Carolina and Coleman Scott jump from 21st in February 2023 to 12th in the national tournament.
So what’s the point of dual meets if they have a negligible impact on the final results? For coach John Smith, they’re everything for growing wrestling’s popularity. “I think one of the disappointing things is that we have a dual meet season, and at the end of the season, we go to conference for two days and we go to nationals for three days,” Smith said. “That really judges your season, and somehow we need to continue to make these dual meets more important.” Many college wrestling coaches, including Smith, have been proponents of an event similar to Dual State tournaments in high school. “I fought for that for 15 years, and I think the less I fight for it, it’ll probably happen,” Smith said. “Sometimes change has been a little tough in wrestling.” … story at … STWnewspress.com/Why-the-regular-season-still-matters-to-john-smith
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Columbia Wrestling Downs Harvard, 29-14
The Lions were explosive, with three pins in their win over the Crimson
NEW YORK — Columbia wrestling used three pins to pick up a 29-14 victory over Harvard Friday afternoon. Nick Babin started the day off with a fall in the opening frame, followed by an upset win by Kyle Mosher at 165 against No. 28 Joshua Kim, and Vincent Mueller sealed the deal with a late pin in heavyweight. Babin wasted little time getting the Lions (3-8, 2-3) on the board at 125, earning a pin in just 2:19 over Isaiah Adams to put Columbia in front, 6-0. The Crimson crawled back within one after a technical fall in the 133-pound matchup and grabbed the lead, 8-6, after an 8-1 decision at 141.
Harvard extended the lead to 12-6 after a major decision win. However, Jaden Le came away with a narrow 2-1 victory in 157 after picking up points via penalty and an escape. After the match, the Crimson were docked a team point due to unsportsmanlike conduct before Mosher put the Lions back in front in his upset win at 165. With time winding down in the first period, the senior arched backward and used his leverage to pick up a defensive pin at 165, earning Columbia’s second fall victory of the day at 2:38 to make it 15-11 in favor of the Lions. In the most anticipated matchup of the day, No. 16 Lennox Wolak and No. 5 Phil Conigliaro’s 174 match went the distance. The bout was 4-2 in the final minute, but a late score by Conigliaro sealed the Harvard win to make it a one-point contest. … story at … GOcolumbialions.com/Wrestling-downs-harvard-29-14
End of Season College Matches – part 1
Nittany Lion Wrestlers Defeat Rutgers 35-3 in 2024 BJC Dual
Barraclough and Cochran move up weights, take out ranked foes
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team (10-0, 7-0 B1G) rolled to a 35-3 win over visiting Rutgers (10-5, 3-4 B1G) in the 2024 BJC Dual. Head coach Cael Sanderson‘s crew won nine of ten bouts, including two wrestlers who moved up weights to take down ranked Scarlet Knights.
Senior Terrell Barraclough moved up to 174 and sophomore Lucas Cochran moved up to 285 to help Penn State notch the Big Ten victory. The win was the 1000th dual meet victory in Penn State wrestling history. Action began at 125. Penn State true freshman Braeden Davis, ranked No. 2 at 125, used extra time to post a hard-fought 4-1 (sv) win over No. 19 Dean Peterson. Davis’ win gave Penn State an early 3-0 lead. Nittany Lion sophomore Aaron Nagao, ranked No. 6 at 133, battled No. 10 Dylan Shawver into extra time tied 6-6. Nagao took a low shot early in the extra period and Shawver countered for a takedown and a 9-6 (sv) win, tying the dual at 3-3. Senior Beau Bartlett, ranked No. 1 at 141, scored in the final seconds to break a 1-1 tie, downing Rutgers’ Max Hermes 4-1 to give Penn State a 6-3 lead. True freshman Tyler Kasak, ranked No. 10 at 149, … story at … GOpsusports.com/Nittany-lion-wrestlers-defeat-rutgers-35-3-in-2024-bjc-dual
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Why this version of Penn State wrestling might be the best team in program history
There is an air of confidence to the way Cael Sanderson watches his team compete. The Nittany Lions wrestling coach will adjust how he’s sitting — oscillating between sitting back with his arms folded across his chest and leaning forward with his elbows on his knees — but not much else changes. He’s clearly invested, but doesn’t show an urgency. His calm behavior is a contrast to opposing coaches. Monday night it was Rutgers’ coaches — in a 35-3 defeat at the hands of Penn State — who were shouting instructions to their wrestlers in every bout, much like other coaches around the country. But even when 141-pounder Beau Bartlett earned a victory over Max Hermes Monday night with a takedown in the final seconds of his bout, Sanderson remained stoic while the Bryce Jordan Center crowd around him erupted. That isn’t necessarily different from previous years of Sanderson — but this team might be. And that surely has to make it easier for the head coach to calmly watch on. Sanderson’s 2023-2024 team might be the best one he’s ever coached, even if he’s not looking that far ahead.
Read more at: https://www.centredaily.com/sports/college/penn-state-university/psu-wrestling/article285400997.html#storylink=cpy
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OSU Wrestling: Firmly at No. 2, Cowboys Have Beaten More Ranked Teams Than Anyone in the Country
A look at the Cowboys’ gauntlet.
The Cowboys have been upending ranked teams basically on a weekly basis this season.
Oklahoma State has beaten 11 ranked opponents this season — the most by any team in the country. Nine of those ranked victories have been in a row, as OSU hasn’t faced an unranked opponent since traveling to Wyoming on Dec. 19. OSU has wrestled only two unranked opponents this season in Wyoming and Bucknell in the season opener.
The Cowboys’ run against ranked foes will only continue until the end of the season with No. 25 Oklahoma and No. 4 Iowa left on the schedule. If the Hawkeyes stay put inside the top five, a victory over Iowa on Feb. 25 would also give OSU its fourth win over a top-five team, joining NC State, Iowa State and Missouri. Despite getting through maybe the most difficult schedule in the country unscathed so far, the Cowboys remained at No. 2 behind Penn State in the latest NWCA coaches poll released Tuesday after jumping up a spot last week. OSU and Penn State are the only undefeated teams left in the country. Nebraska is the only one-loss team left. … story at … Pistolsfiringblog.com/OSU-wrestling-firmly-at-no-2-cowboys-have-beaten-more-ranked-teams-than-anyone-in-the-country
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‘Gritty’ Freshmen Score Statement Wins For Nebraska Wrestling vs. Michigan
Freshmen Jacob Van Dee and Antrell Taylor knocked off top-10 opponents, helping the Nebraska wrestling team to a big win against Michigan
Against a tough Michigan team last weekend, Nebraska got some signature wins out of its redshirt freshmen on the way to a dominant 25-7 win over the Wolverines. Both Antrell Taylor and Jacob Van Dee scored Top-10 wins — the biggest of both of their young careers to date. In front of 4,958 fans, the third-largest crowd in program history, Nebraska won the first six matches, including a number of toss-ups. In the end, the Huskers won eight of 10 matches while even seeing some encouraging signs in their two losses — like when #20 Bubba Wilson fought hard in a 1-0 loss to #3 Shane Griffith.
“I saw consistency that we haven’t had,” Nebraska head coach Mark Manning said of the win over Michigan. “Bubba lost 1-0 but fought his butt off and gave himself a chance to win and wrestled really smart. I saw great poise and I saw confidence. A lot of guys have had confidence, I just saw a team full of confidence. “Great crowd. I was really grateful to our fans for coming out and supporting us. I think people realize we have a good team, so it’s really cool.”
Both Taylor and Van Dee have put together solid freshman years to date. Ranked #10 at 165 pounds, Taylor is 16-4 on the year and 5-2 in Big Ten duals. His only conference losses have come against #5 Dean Hamiti and #7 Michael Caliendo, both decisions. Van Dee is ranked #22 at 133 pounds with a 16-6 record on the year — he’s 5-1 in conference duals … story at … Flowrestling.org/Gritty-freshmen-score-statement-wins-for-nebraska-wrestling-vs-michigan
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Wolverines Roll in B1G Dual Finale at No. 23 Indiana
By: Leah Howard
» No. 10 Michigan claimed eight bouts, including the first four and three with bonus points, en route to a 30-7 win in its Big Ten dual finale at No. 23 Indiana.
» Nolan Wertanen (125 pounds) and Dylan Ragusin (133) set the tone with back-to-back first-period bonus wins; Jaden Bullock (184) also rallied from an initial deficit to earn a major decision.
» Joseph Walker used a late third-period takedown to edge No. 21 Donnell Washington, 4-3, at 174 pounds.
Site: Bloomington, Ind. (Wilkinson Hall)
Score: #10 Michigan 30, #23 Indiana 6
Records: U-M (7-4, 5-3 Big Ten), IU (6-4, 3-4 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Feb. 25 — at Central Michigan (Mount Pleasant, Mich.), 2 p.m.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The No. 10-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team claimed eight bouts, including the first four and three with bonus points, to roll to a dominant 30-6 win against No. 23 Indiana in its final Big Ten Conference dual on Friday night (Feb. 16) at Wilkinson Hall.
Among its match wins were a pair of good ones from non-regular starters in sophomore/freshman Nolan Wertanen, who set the tone with a first-period fall at 125 pounds, and senior/junior Joseph Walker, who used a late takedown to earn an upset decision at 174 pounds. … story at … Mgoblue.com/Wolverines-roll-in-b1g-dual-finale-at-no-23-indiana
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No. 6 Ohio State Defeats Michigan State, 38-7
Buckeyes close dual meet season with a 15-2 record and a 7-1 record in the Big Ten Conference
COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. 6 Ohio State won eight of 10 matches and powered to a 38-7 victory over Michigan State to cap its dual meet season with a 15-2 overall record and a 7-1 mark in the Big Ten Conference.
How it Happened
125-No. 22 Brendan McCrone (OSU) def. Tristan Lujan (MSU) | D, 4-1
After a scoreless first, Lujan scored the first point on a locked hands call midway through the second. McCrone scored on an escape to tie it in the third and send the first match of the evening into overtime. McCrone won it with a three-point takedown with just 10 seconds remaining in OT. McCrone improved to 18-8 on the season.
133-No. 10 Nic Bouzakis (OSU) def. Andy Hampton (MSU) | Fall, 1:58
Two quick takedowns by Bouzakis gave him a 6-1 early lead and he won the match over Hampton by fall, 9-2, with a pin at 1:02 of the first. The fall was Bouzakis’ ninth of the season and second consecutive. He improved to 21-7 with the win. Ohio State ‘s lead increased to 9-0.
141-No. 3 Jesse Mendez (OSU) def. No. 27 Jordan Hamdan (MSU) | TF, 19-2
Mendez, now 22-2 on the season, led, 3-0, after a late takedown in the first. He followed with an escape in the second, another point on a stall call and then a takedown and near fall to increase his lead to 12-0 on his way to a tech fall win and a 14-0 lead for the Buckeyes. … story at … Ohiostatebuckeyes.com/No-6-ohio-state-defeats-michigan-state-38-7
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Marinopoulos Powers Illini Past Purdue, 19-18
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Illinois wrestling team won their dual over Purdue, 19-18, on Friday (Feb. 16). Redshirt freshman (285 lbs.) Peter Marinopoulos stepped up big time for Illinois; he defeated Hayden Filipovich (PUR), 8-6, to give the Fighting Illini their first Big Ten win of the season. “I thought our guys fought hard and showed a lot of grit out there on the mat tonight,” said head coach Mike Poeta. “Everyone was focused and responded when called upon. No one did this better tonight than Peter Marinopoulos. The way he was able to go out there as the last match and handle business with the dual on the line. To go get the win for himself and the team. That makes me excited to see where he can go as a wrestler as he continues to get better in our program.”
HOW IT HAPPENED
Graduate student No. 24 (133 lbs.) Tony Madrigal won his fifth straight match tonight and put the first dual points on the board for Illinois. He won via a decision over Dustin Norris (PUR), 7-2, and cut into the Purdue lead, 3-5. Redshirt sophomore No. 25 (141 lbs.) Danny Pucino pinned Christian White (PUR) in 6:10 to put the Illini up 9-5. This is his first fall of the year and only the second one all season for the Illini in dual action. … story at … Fightingillini.com/Marinopoulos-powers-illini-past-purdue
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Cowboys Complete Bedlam Sweep, Improve to 14-0
STILLWATER – The second-ranked Oklahoma State wrestling team downed No. 25 Oklahoma, 34-9, Sunday at Gallagher-Iba Arena for its 19th-straight Phillips 66 Bedlam Series dual win. The Cowboys maintained their perfect season at 14-0 with one dual remaining, while the Sooners ended their regular season at 5-7.
The win moved the all-time series record to 151-27-10 in favor of the Cowboys. Oklahoma State has defeated the Sooners in Gallagher-Iba Arena 24 times in a row, while its 19-dual winning streak is one shy of tying the all-time series record of 20 set between 1969 and 1978. In 33 years at the helm of his alma mater, head coach John Smith owns an impressive 58-6-3 advantage over OU.
Oklahoma State has now defeated a ranked opponent in 10 straight duals, tied for its longest streak since 1994, and leads the nation with a dozen ranked wins. With the win, coach Smith trails Harold Nichols by just two wins at 490 for second-most in Division I wrestling history. “I can’t even remember those first three matches they happened so fast,” coach Smith said. “It’s a great way to start, getting 10 minutes into the dual and you’re already three matches down. I thought we may get out of there in an hour, but credit their guys for fighting it out… The whistle blows and we’re scoring. That’s why we’re winning.” Like they have for most of the season, the Cowboys set the tone early with a pair of pins and technical fall to build a commanding 17-0 lead after three bouts. It marked the fifth-consecutive dual OSU has claimed the opening three matches. OSU ended the day with a season-high six bonus-point wins, its most in a Bedlam dual since December 9, 2018. Just over a minute into the afternoon’s first matchup, Troy Spratley put … story at … OKstate.com/Cowboys-complete-bedlam-sweep-improve-to-14-0
Iowa Women’s Wrestling leads
Iowa remains only Power Five women’s wrestling program. How soon will that change?
‘Viable financial path’ is likely necessary before more Power Five programs follow Hawkeyes’ lead
IOWA CITY — Clarissa Chun experienced a full-circle moment last month at Carver-Hawkeye Arena before her team took on her alma mater, Missouri Valley College.
Chun, the first women’s wrestling coach at Iowa, embraced Mike Machholz — the person who started the women’s wrestling program at Missouri Valley and consequently created an opportunity for Chun as an athlete that she has “so much gratitude for.”
The dual pitted two history-making teams. Missouri Valley was one of the teams at the “beginning of college women’s wrestling overall,” Chun said. Iowa, a couple decades later, became the first Power Five intercollegiate program.
On a day with plenty of historical symbolism, Chun also looked forward to the day if/when Iowa fans “can see Iowa vs. Michigan and Penn State.” As for how long until Chun’s dream of more Power Five women’s wrestling programs existing becomes a reality, it remains unclear.
Iowa athletics director Beth Goetz has been approached “a good handful of times” by colleagues at other schools about the prospect of adding women’s wrestling. “Our coaching staff has continued to have some conversations as well,” Goetz told The Gazette.
Oklahoma State men’s wrestling head coach John Smith said in 2021 that OSU was “in talks” about adding an intercollegiate women’s wrestling program, according to an article in the Stillwater (Okla.) News Press. But Oklahoma State AD Chad Weiberg told a student reporter in 2023 it is a “very challenging time to even think about adding any sports.” Weiberg’s sentiment underscores perhaps the biggest obstacle for the sport’s growth as the NCAA grapples with potentially transformational changes to the collegiate model in the coming years. “Given there are a lot of things going on in the (college sports) landscape today, that might be an impactful part of an institution’s decision about when and how to launch a program,” Iowa’s Goetz said. … story at … Thegazette.com/Iowa-remains-only-power-five-womens-wrestling-program-how-soon-will-that-change
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This Week in Women’s Collegiate Wrestling (2/13/2024)
Key Takeaways from the week
This week saw the end of a few teams’ dual schedules, and several saved the best for last with close, ranked matches, dual-changing upsets, and previews of potential conference and nationals matches as we head into late February. Here are a few takeaways from big duals and what their results could mean for the remainder of the season.
1. Life’s dominant results ahead of the Mid-South Conference Tournament
Life hosted their Life Duals over the weekend with Brewton-Parker, Emmanuel College, #13 Indiana Tech, and St. Andrews in attendance. Every school besides Emmanuel is a Mid-South Conference school and after this weekend, Life is on their way to being undefeated against conference competition. While both (RV) Brewton-Parker and (RV) St. Andrews, were unable to send out a full lineup to compete against the Running Eagles, the #13 ranked Indiana Tech Warriors, put up a good fight.
#8 Makayla Young of Tech got a big pin at 101 lbs over Life’s #10 Devyn Gomez. Gomez has had multiple top-ranked matches this season and has taken some tough losses as a result. She wrestled Young earlier this season at the Soldier Salute and was pinned in that match as well. 101 has really been volatile this season, but looking at her record, Gomez has been battle-tested given her opponents in both duals and open tournaments. It seems like in their matches where Young has been able to get the better of Gomez, she is able to get Gomez to react to her shots and fakes. She has been successful in capitalizing on how she finishes her takedowns to either catch her head or find another way to land in an advantageous way to secure the pin. It will be interesting to see if Gomez can figure out the formula to avenge the losses to Young this season as they will likely match up again at conferences. #8 Tehani Soares kept the wins going for Indiana Tech with a big 10-0 tech fall over Brianna Funakoshi, pushing the team score to 9-0 in favor of the Warriors. However, it was all Life after 109 lbs. Starting with #9 Ariana Martinez, #6 Anna Krejsa, and #10 Riley Dalrymple all getting bonus point wins over their unranked opponents.
While #3 Zaynah McBryde did not compete at the duals, Life has no shortage of talent at 136 lbs. #11 Angie Prado secured another 10-0 tech for the Running Eagles over #16 Carley Anderson. Prado has had some solid results lately taking out #20 Addison Messerly of … story at … Intermatwrestle.comThis-week-in-womens-collegiate-wrestling
Chadron State Eagles finish undefeated in RMAC duals
GOLDEN, Colo. — With a 37-11 victory over Simon Fraser on Thursday, the Chadron State College men’s wrestling team has finished the regular season with a record of 10-1 overall and 8-0 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference duals.
The Eagles already clinched the RMAC title after defeating CSU-Pueblo on Saturday.
In Thursday’s dual, which was held in Golden, Colorado on Colorado School of Mines campus, CSC won the 125, 133, 141, 149, 165, 184 and 197 weight classes.
At 125 pounds, #8 Quade Smith, a junior from Layton, Utah, earned a first period fall in 2:01.
#2 Quen, Campbell, a senior from Tifton, Georgia, needed less time than Smith to finish his match at 133 pounds. Campbell immediately scored a takedown and four nearfall points to begin the match before recording a pin in 0:57.
Leading 12-0, Chadron State’s lead was extended to 24-0 after forfeits by the Red Leaf’s at 141 and 149 pounds.
Simon Fraser won their first match of the day with a decision at 157.
Jaziah Whaley, a redshirt freshman from Gilcrest, Colorado, needed 6:50 to tech fall his opponent 17-1 at 165 pounds.
After the Red Leaf’s won by decision at 174 pounds, CSC won the following two weight classes.
At 184, Keegan Gehlhausen, a redshirt sophomore form Pinedale, Wyoming, was victorious with a 16-2 major decision. Dominic Joyce, a freshman from North Port, Florida, scored the Eagles last four team points with a 22-11 major decision at 197.
An 18-3 tech fall in Simon Fraser’s favor at 285 pounds made the final score 37-11. … story at … Chadroneagles.com/Eagles-finish-undefeated-in-rmac-duals
TDR Top 12 Final Rankings – 106-120 lbs. – TDR # 31-59
Editor’s Notes; The final rankings for the 27th Annual TDR Top 12 in eastern North Carolina with the three lightest weight classes. The top 12 wrestlers in each weight class are listed in order. Wrestlers listed as 13th are considered as honorable mention for the weight class. We welcome reader’s input and information. Email us at martinkfleming@takedownreport +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Rank Wght. Wrestler Team Gr. Yr. Wins Ls Pct Reg. State
| 1 | 106 | Quincy, Holton | North East Carolina Prep | 27 | 52 | 1 | 0.981 | 1A-E | 1st | 1st |
| 2 | 106 | Monks, Alex | Bunn | 25 | 44 | 6 | 0.880 | 2A-ME | 2nd | 2nd |
| 3 | 106 | Verhow, Abrey | White Oak | 26 | 31 | 4 | 0.886 | 3A-E | 1st | 4th |
| 4 | 106 | Boltes, Sam | Washington | 27 | 49 | 11 | 0.817 | 2A-E | 1st | 5th |
| 5 | 106 | Salazar, Jose | Southern Nash | 25 | 41 | 10 | 0.804 | 3A-E | 2nd | 6th |
| 6 | 106 | Trujillo, Brian | New Hanover | 25 | 46 | 8 | 0.852 | 4A-E | 1st | w2 |
| 7 | 106 | Maples, Joseph | South Lenoir | 25 | 36 | 8 | 0.818 | 2A-E | 2nd | w1 |
| 8 | 106 | Arrington, Ayden | Laney | 25 | 41 | 12 | 0.774 | 4A-E | 3rd | w2 |
| 9 | 106 | Winburn, Tristan | West Brunswick | 27 | 28 | 9 | 0.757 | 3A-E | 3rd | w1 |
| 10 | 106 | Mundell, Tyler | North Pitt | 27 | 39 | 16 | 0.709 | 2A-E | 3rd | L2 |
| 11 | 106 | Angstadt, Lucas | Ashley | 26 | 29 | 8 | 0.784 | 4A-E | 4th | L2 |
| 12 | 106 | Fountain, Weseley | SouthWest Edgecombe | 26 | 27 | 8 | 0.771 | 2A-E | 4th | L2 |
| 13 | 106 | Fox, Landon | New Bern | 27 | 40 | 12 | 0.769 | 4A-E | w3 | |
| 13 | 106 | Smith, Quinton | Topsail | 26 | 33 | 15 | 0.688 | 4A-E | w3 | |
| 13 | 106 | Rhodes, Jayden | Currituck County | 27 | 24 | 11 | 0.686 | 3A-E | w3 | |
| 13 | 106 | Soler-Sanchez, Omar | Southern Wayne | 26 | 10 | 5 | 0.667 | 3A-E | 4th | L2 |
| 13 | 106 | Tran, Sander | South Central | 26 | 37 | 19 | 0.661 | 3A-E | w3 | |
| 1 | 113 | Perry, Bryce | Washington | 27 | 52 | 2 | 0.963 | 2A-E | 1st | 5th |
| 2 | 113 | Lewis, Colton | North East Carolina Prep | 25 | 49 | 6 | 0.891 | 1A-E | 1st | 3rd |
| 3 | 113 | Hunt, Cole | Jacksonville | 25 | 37 | 7 | 0.841 | 3A-E | 2nd | 5th |
| 4 | 113 | Barnett, Alexander | New Bern | 25 | 48 | 6 | 0.889 | 4A-E | 1st | 6th |
| 5 | 113 | Brownlee, Ethan | South Johnston | 25 | 47 | 6 | 0.887 | 3A-E | 1st | 6th |
| 6 | 113 | Hunter, Kolton | Rosewood | 25 | 37 | 13 | 0.740 | 1A-E | 2nd | 4th |
| 7 | 113 | Guthrie, Keller | Ayden-Grifton | 26 | 46 | 7 | 0.868 | 2A-E | 2nd | w2 |
| 8 | 113 | Mann, Brandon | South Granville | 26 | 46 | 15 | 0.754 | 2A-ME | 3rd | w2 |
| 9 | 113 | Bullard, Andrew | D.H. Conley | 26 | 31 | 13 | 0.705 | 4A-E | 2nd | L2 |
| 10 | 113 | McMahon, Carvin | Aycock, C.B. | 24 | 37 | 10 | 0.787 | 3A-E | 3rd | L2 |
| 11 | 113 | Crespo, Angel | South Lenoir | 25 | 23 | 16 | 0.590 | 2A-E | 3rd | L2 |
| 12 | 113 | Goodman, Aaron | Swansboro | 27 | 24 | 10 | 0.706 | 3A-E | 4th | L2 |
| 13 | 113 | Baker, Trevon | Southern Nash | 25 | 35 | 6 | 0.854 | 3A-E | w3 | |
| 13 | 113 | Smiling, Chayton | St. Pauls | 25 | 23 | 11 | 0.676 | 2A-ME | w2 | |
| 13 | 113 | Gibson, Brayden | South Central | 26 | 36 | 19 | 0.655 | 3A-E | w2 | |
| 13 | 113 | Brothers, Brian | Pamlico County | 26 | 26 | 15 | 0.634 | 1A-E | w3 | |
| 1 | 120 | Kozminski, Joshua | Dixon | 24 | 47 | 3 | 0.940 | 3A-E | 1st | 4th |
| 2 | 120 | Nolasco-Rayo, Brandon | Louisburg | 25 | 38 | 8 | 0.826 | 2A-ME | 2nd | w1 |
| 3 | 120 | McClung, Colton | D.H. Conley | 25 | 48 | 10 | 0.828 | 4A-E | 2nd | w1 |
| 4 | 120 | Price, Christian | Washington | 24 | 42 | 11 | 0.792 | 2A-E | 1st | L2 |
| 5 | 120 | Kornegay, Ziquaveon | South Central | 24 | 44 | 14 | 0.759 | 3A-E | 2nd | L2 |
| 6 | 120 | Davis, Maxwell | Jacksonville | 26 | 28 | 16 | 0.636 | 3A-E | 3rd | w1 |
| 7 | 120 | Marlow, Chandler | North Johnston | 25 | 29 | 13 | 0.690 | 2A-E | 2nd | L2 |
| 8 | 120 | Holmes, Brayden | Rosewood | 24 | 46 | 11 | 0.807 | 1A-E | 3rd | L2 |
| 9 | 120 | Gresham, Bryson | J.F. Webb | 24 | 28 | 18 | 0.609 | 2A-ME | 3rd | w1 |
| 10 | 120 | Hanks, Gavin | First Flight | 25 | 30 | 9 | 0.769 | 3A-E | 4th | L2 |
| 11 | 120 | Neal, Christian | Corinth-Holders | 24 | 26 | 13 | 0.667 | 4A-E | 4th | L2 |
| 12 | 120 | Wesley, Jamieson | West Craven | 25 | 34 | 25 | 0.576 | 2A-E | 3rd | L2 |
| 13 | 120 | Williamson, Redmond | Northern Nash | 25 | 33 | 10 | 0.767 | 3A-E | w2 | |
| 13 | 120 | Stallman, Spencer | Bunn | 24 | 36 | 12 | 0.750 | 2A-ME | w2 | |
| 13 | 120 | Hill, Austin | West Brunswick | 24 | 24 | 9 | 0.727 | 3A-E | w2 | |
| 13 | 120 | Wences-Pineda, Miguel | Knightdale | 24 | 26 | 10 | 0.722 | 4A-E | w2 | |
| 13 | 120 | Corl, Carson | South Johnston | 25 | 32 | 13 | 0.711 | 3A-E | w2 | |
| 13 | 120 | Harrington, Alden | North Pitt | 27 | 27 | 18 | 0.600 | 2A-E | 4th | L2 |
College Wrestling Rankings, Polls & Lists
By The Numbers: 2nd Coaches Poll
A deep dive into the most recent rankings courtesy of the NCAA coaches.
The second NCAA Coaches Poll and first RPI rankings are out. This means we can dig into the coaches’ poll rankings and create some cool tables and charts based on those rankings!
The following table is how the 2024 NCAA Tournament will go based on projections from the Second Coaches Poll, using the same methodology as our Team Tournament Rankings, where a ranking equals a placement, which is then used to calculate advancement and placement points at the NCAAs. As such, no bonus points are factored in. … story and full numbers at … Flowrestling.org/By-the-numbers-2nd-coaches-poll
And …
NCAA DI Rankings Updated (2/13/2024)
We’re coming down the home stretch of the 2023-24 wrestling season – only two weeks of dual competition remaining. Time flies when you’re not cutting weight! For once, we’ll skip over 125 lbs. There were some upsets and, therefore, some movement – but nothing out of the ordinary or that needs explanation.
141. Cole Matthews really has thrown a wrench into this weight. I’m sure some may have written the 2022 All-American off when he suffered nine losses before mid-January. Most to competition ranked lower than him, at the time. Matthews has seen some familiar faces of late and has thrived. In two of his last three outings, he’s beaten #4 Ryan Jack (NC State) and #5 Lachlan McNeil (North Carolina). That should mean that Jack and McNeil fall, right? Not necessarily, because of the construction of the next tier of competitors at the weight. Jack has head-to-head wins over McNeil (x2), Happel, and Jamison. McNeil has wins over Happel, Echemendia, Jamison, Koderhandt. In addition, the Happel, Hardy, Jamison, Echemendia crew have all exchanged wins with each other.
141 is a good example of why each weight class has a personality of its own. You shouldn’t make decisions at 141, just because you did them at 133. It may not make sense. If the losses continue to mount for any in this range 4-9, obviously more action will be taken.
Another weight that may stand out is 149 lbs. Kannon Webster should be redshirting now and has been removed from the rankings. His removal, coupled with Chance Lamer’s two losses and his subsequent drop, have led to others in that upper tier moving up a spot in the rankings, despite coming off a loss. I don’t like the aesthetics, but what are you gonna do?
We have a new #2 at 197 lbs with Trent Hidlay moving up after Stephen Buchanan was beaten by Tanner Sloan. Some might argue that the move is way overdue. … story and complete rankings at … Intermatwrestle.com/NCAA-di-rankings-updated
And …
Cornell, SDSU, Lehigh remain atop Mid-Major Top 20
Manheim, Pennsylvania – Cornell, South Dakota State and Lehigh stayed put atop the most recent NWCA Division I Men’s Wrestling Mid-Major Coaches Poll released on Wednesday.
The Big Red (10-3) beat a pair of Ivy League opponents – Penn and Princeton – over the weekend. South Dakota State split matches on the road against Big 12 foes Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The Jackrabbits (12-3) remain second in this week’s Mid-Major poll. Lehigh improved to 6-3 after picking off Bucknell 31-11.
Northern Iowa (6-6) jumped to fourth this week after splitting Big 12 duals. The Panthers beat California Baptist 36-9 on the road before returning to Iowa, where they fell to host Iowa State 27-11. Little Rock improved to 14-5 after home wins against CSU Bakersfield and SIU Edwardsville. The Trojans’ 14 wins are the most in school history and is currently tied with Ohio State for the most dual meet wins in the nation among Division I men’s teams.
Campbell, which is ranked in 24th in the nation overall, moves into sixth, while the rest of the Top 10 is Appalachian State, Cal Poly, Navy and Penn. The EIWA leads all conferences with seven teams ranked in the Top 20, … story at … NWCAonline.com/NWCA-cornell-sdsu-lehigh-remain-atop-mid-major-top-20
And …
NCAA releases midseason coaches’ rank and RPI for 2024 Division I Wrestling Championships
INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA has announced the second coaches ranking and first Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) for the 2024 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.
The coaches’ rankings are determined by a vote of 14 coaches in each weight class with two head coaches from each of the seven conferences. For ranking purposes, coaches may only consider a wrestler that has been designated as a starter at a respective weight class. Wrestlers must have eight Division I matches in the weight class to be considered with at least one within the last 30 days.
The RPI is a calculation that consists of three factors: winning percentage, opponent winning percentage (strength of schedule) and opponent’s opponent winning percentage (opponent’s strength of schedule). Only matches against Division I opponents at the designated weight class count towards the RPI and a wrestler needs to have wrestled 15 matches to be ranked.
In the coaches rank, of the 10 weight classes two are led by former national champions in Missouri’s Keegan O’Toole at 165 pounds, Penn State’s Carter Starocci at 174 pounds. The pair has a combined five national titles led by Starocci with three.
Currently no wrestlers sit atop both the coaches rank and RPI in their respective weight class. With many wrestlers still looking to reach the 15-match threshold to earn an RPI, the top of those rankings looks a little different than the coaches’ rank.
At 125 pounds, Purdue’s Matt Ramos sits first in the coaches rank and second in RPI. Jesse Mendez of Ohio State, Caleb Henson of Virginia Tech and Dustin Plott of Oklahoma State are the top-ranked wrestlers in the RPI in their respective weight classes while being ranked second in the coaches rank. … story at … NWCAonline.comNWCA-ncaa-releases-midseason-coaches-rank-and-rpi-for-2024-division-i-wrestling-championships
TDR Top 12 Final Rankings – 126-138 lbs. – TDR # 31-58
Editor’s Notes; The final rankings for the 27th Annual TDR Top 12 in eastern North Carolina with three more weight classes. The top 12 wrestlers in each weight class are listed in order. Wrestlers listed as 13th are considered as honorable mention for the weight class. We welcome reader’s input and information. Email us at martinkfleming@takedownreport +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Rank Wght. Wrestler Team Gr. Yr. Wins Ls Pct Reg. State
| 1 | 126 | Kennedy, Jason | Rosewood | 24 | 52 | 2 | 0.963 | 1A-E | 1st | 1st |
| 2 | 126 | Watt, Tyler | Wake Forest | 25 | 51 | 5 | 0.911 | 4A-E | 1st | 5th |
| 3 | 126 | Peebles, Bailor | Ayden-Grifton | 24 | 45 | 8 | 0.849 | 2A-E | 1st | 6th |
| 4 | 126 | Sibugan, Khalel | First Flight | 26 | 39 | 5 | 0.886 | 3A-E | 1st | w1 |
| 5 | 126 | Goodman, Ayden | Swansboro | 24 | 38 | 9 | 0.809 | 3A-E | 2nd | w1 |
| 6 | 126 | Nolasco-Rayo, Braulio | Louisburg | 25 | 39 | 7 | 0.848 | 2A-ME | 3rd | w1 |
| 7 | 126 | Calderon, Hector | Manteo | 25 | 34 | 24 | 0.586 | 2A-E | 2nd | w1 |
| 8 | 126 | Haro, Chris | South Lenior | 24 | 34 | 7 | 0.829 | 2A-E | 3rd | w1 |
| 9 | 126 | Nipper, Gavin | Jacksonville | 25 | 38 | 12 | 0.760 | 3A-E | 3rd | w2 |
| 10 | 126 | Bonner, Christopher | D.H. Conley | 24 | 45 | 10 | 0.818 | 4A-E | 3rd | L2 |
| 11 | 126 | Yeates, Landon | Pamlico County | 25 | 34 | 13 | 0.723 | 1A-E | 3rd | L2 |
| 12 | 126 | Piper, Noah | Ashley | 24 | 29 | 7 | 0.806 | 4A-E | w2 | |
| 13 | 126 | Woodard, Triston | East Wake | 25 | 38 | 10 | 0.792 | 3A-E | w2 | |
| 13 | 126 | Heath, Tajion | North Pitt | 25 | 41 | 11 | 0.788 | 2A-E | w3 | |
| 13 | 126 | Menteer, Miller | Currituck County | 27 | 39 | 11 | 0.780 | 3A-E | w3 | |
| 13 | 126 | Helton, Tyson | Havelock | 26 | 49 | 15 | 0.766 | 3A-E | 4th | L2 |
| 13 | 126 | Perez, Edy | Pasquotank Co. | 24 | 36 | 13 | 0.735 | 2A-E | w2 | |
| 13 | 126 | Rodriguez, Michbael | Southern Nash | 25 | 36 | 14 | 0.720 | 3A-E | w2 | |
| 13 | 126 | Woolard, Braxton | Washington | 24 | 24 | 18 | 0.571 | 2A-E | 4th | L2 |
| 1 | 132 | McNair, Tobin | Wakefield | 27 | 54 | 2 | 0.964 | 4A-E | 1st | 3rd |
| 2 | 132 | Fazekas, Corey | Northeastern | 25 | 52 | 5 | 0.912 | 2A-E | 1st | 3rd |
| 3 | 132 | Connick, Luke | West Brunswick | 24 | 35 | 4 | 0.897 | 3A-E | 1st | 5th |
| 4 | 132 | Campos, James | Lejeune | 26 | 35 | 7 | 0.833 | 1A-E | 1st | 2nd |
| 5 | 132 | Tellez, Robert | Topsail | 24 | 37 | 9 | 0.804 | 4A-E | 3rd | 6th |
| 6 | 132 | Lewis, Nick | New Bern | 24 | 42 | 10 | 0.808 | 4A-E | 2nd | w1 |
| 7 | 132 | Fucci, Andrew | Dixon | 24 | 35 | 10 | 0.778 | 3A-E | 2nd | w1 |
| 8 | 132 | Davis, Bladen | South Lenoir | 25 | 25 | 11 | 0.694 | 2A-E | 2nd | L2 |
| 9 | 132 | Figuerdo, Josh | West Carteret | 25 | 48 | 12 | 0.800 | 3A-E | 3rd | w1 |
| 10 | 132 | Dennison, Behn | West Craven | 27 | 32 | 21 | 0.604 | 2A-E | 3rd | L2 |
| 11 | 132 | Berdiel, Luis | Northern Nash | 26 | 34 | 13 | 0.723 | 3A-E | 4th | w2 |
| 12 | 132 | Quilan, Jarrett | Ashley | 24 | 31 | 12 | 0.721 | 4A-E | 4th | L2 |
| 13 | 132 | Manning, Hayden | North Pitt | 24 | 39 | 6 | 0.867 | 2A-E | w2 | |
| 13 | 132 | Johnson, Jeremy | Aycock, C.B. | 26 | 35 | 7 | 0.833 | 3A-E | w2 | |
| 13 | 132 | Posner, Zach | Bunn | 25 | 30 | 13 | 0.698 | 2A-ME | w2 | |
| 13 | 132 | Johnson, Jaquan | Pamlico County | 24 | 34 | 15 | 0.694 | 1A-E | w3 | |
| 13 | 132 | Test, Christian | North East Carolina Prep | 24 | 40 | 18 | 0.690 | 1A-E | w2 | |
| 13 | 132 | Sznaider, Tyler | North Brunswick | 26 | 22 | 10 | 0.688 | 3A-E | w3 | |
| 13 | 132 | Thomas, Eli | Laney | 26 | 34 | 17 | 0.667 | 4A-E | w3 | |
| 13 | 132 | Rosenbrock, Kaden | Pasquotank Co. | 27 | 24 | 18 | 0.571 | 2A-E | 4th | L2 |
| 1 | 138 | Mann, Ryan | North East Carolina Prep | 25 | 56 | 0 | 1.000 | 1A-E | 1st | 1st |
| 2 | 138 | Shirley, Dylan | West Carteret | 25 | 48 | 8 | 0.857 | 3A-E | 1st | 3rd |
| 3 | 138 | Miller, Jensen | Southwest Onslow | 24 | 42 | 7 | 0.857 | 2A-E | 1st | 3rd |
| 4 | 138 | Buonocore, Tyler | Laney | 24 | 45 | 10 | 0.818 | 4A-E | 2nd | 6th |
| 5 | 138 | B-Meza, David | Washington | 26 | 36 | 15 | 0.706 | 2A-E | 2nd | w2 |
| 6 | 138 | Canning, Nathan | First Flight | 24 | 31 | 9 | 0.775 | 3A-E | 2nd | w1 |
| 7 | 138 | Klemmer, Tyler | New Bern | 25 | 42 | 16 | 0.724 | 4A-E | 3rd | w2 |
| 8 | 138 | Folks, Jemarion | Ayden-Grifton | 24 | 43 | 8 | 0.843 | 2A-E | 3rd | w1 |
| 9 | 138 | Croom, Ethan | West Johnston | 24 | 31 | 6 | 0.838 | 3A-E | 3rd | L2 |
| 10 | 138 | Edwards, Jaden | Southern Nash | 25 | 36 | 9 | 0.800 | 3A-E | 4th | w2 |
| 11 | 138 | Paul, Ryan | Northside (Pinetown) | 25 | 31 | 12 | 0.721 | 1A-E | 4th | L2 |
| 12 | 138 | Gunn, Donovan | Topsail | 26 | 14 | 5 | 0.737 | 4A-E | w3 | |
| 13 | 138 | Catalan-Escamilla, Eliu | Bunn | 25 | 25 | 7 | 0.781 | 2A-ME | w1 | |
| 13 | 138 | Bracy, Billy | North Brunswick | 24 | 31 | 12 | 0.721 | 3A-E | w3 | |
| 13 | 138 | Herron, Camden | Northside (Jacksonville) | 27 | 32 | 13 | 0.711 | 3A-E | w2 | |
| 13 | 138 | Barcliff, Jeremy | Northeastern | 26 | 32 | 19 | 0.627 | 2A-E | 4th | L2 |
North Carolina Colleges Wrestling News – mid Feb.
Guardiola Claims Wrestler of the Week Award
WALESKA, Ga.— Freddy Guardiola of the Montreat men’s wrestling team was named the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Wrestler of the Week according to a release from the conference office Monday afternoon. The award marked the first of Guardiola’s career and the second for a Montreat wrestler this season.
The Hudson, N.C. native saw his first action of the year on Saturday for senior night against the University of Pikeville. In the 184-lb matchup, Guardiola capped off the dual with a pin in 39 seconds as the Cavaliers defeated the Bears 48-3. … story at … Montreatcavaliers.comGuardiola-claims-wrestler-of-the-week-award
And …
From Understudy to Captain: Barket’s Rise in Blue Devil Wrestling
By Morgan Pruchniewski, Duke Athletics Communications Student Assistant
DURHAM —Connor Barket joined the Duke wrestling team last year as a freshman, but over this past summer he has truly started growing into his full potential. The heavyweight is leading the team with 13 wins and the future looks bright for the young Indiana native.
In his rookie season, Barket was behind senior Jonah Niesenbaum, only seeing action in three bouts, but gaining invaluable experience. “I took a lot from Jonah,” said Barket. “It was great to have a year to be under his wing and learn everything I could. He believed in me and kept my head up. He showed me how to become a successful Division I wrestler, how someone who achieves those kinds of things works and carries themselves.”
Following Niesenbaum’s leadership throughout the regular season, Barket had the opportunity to stay with the team, while they prepared for the NCAA Championship. “Leading up to nationals was a huge learning experience for me,” … story at … GOduke.com/Barket-making-strides-in-just-second-season
And …
NC State Wrestling Trying To Solidify Lineup As Postseason Nears
NC State coach Pat Popolizio and his staff have some lineup decisions to make during the last few weeks of the college wrestling regular season
After a 3-0 start to ACC dual action, #8 NC State will step out of conference action this weekend with a top-10 dual inside Reynolds Coliseum. The Wolfpack will host #9 Cornell this Friday night in a dual that has 19 of the 20 probable starters all ranked this week. “I think both of our teams are in a similar boat when it comes to the schedule,” NC State head coach Pat Popolizio said. “Both of us have wrestled a really good, competitive schedule and both of us have been going conference-heavy for a few weeks. I think this dual will benefit both teams. “I know we wanted to get a really good dual before we zone in on our conference and national tournaments. You look up and down these lineups, there are going to be a lot of good individual matchups.”
Lineup Decisions
Coming into the season, it appeared on paper there was only one weight class up for grabs in the NC State starting lineup. Now here in mid-February that may still be the case, but it now appears the lone question surrounding the postseason lineup has shifted to a different weight class.
Last year’s starter at 165 pounds, Matty Singleton, underwent offseason surgery and the intent was to redshirt him this year after he competed as a true freshman a year ago. He has not seen action in any open tournaments this year, but the Pack is eager to get him back in the starting lineup next year, right now it looks like that will be at 174 pounds with two-year starter Alex Faison out of eligibility at that weight. “He just got cleared a couple of weeks ago, and has been looking really good in training,” Popolizio said. “He has put on some size, … story at … Flowrestling.org/NC-state-wrestling-trying-to-solidify-lineup-as-postseason-nears
And …
Appalachian State Wrestling Posts Pair of SoCon Shutouts
THE CAROLINAS — Tackling a SoCon doubleheader that called for competition in two states, App State Wrestling produced a Thursday sweep with a 54-0 afternoon shutout against Presbyterian in Clinton, S.C., before winning 44-0 at Davidson in the nightcap.
App State (8-3, 5-1 SoCon) started the marathon day, which began with a 6:15 a.m. departure from Boone for the three-hour drive to Clinton, with its national-leading 16th dual shutout since the calendar flipped to 2020. After fighting some heavy interstate traffic to reach Davidson, which is normally two hours from Presbyterian, the Mountaineers added their 17th shutout since 2020 and left the Lake Norman area after 9 p.m. for the two-hour trip home to the High Country.
Ethan Oakley and Will Miller had pins against Davidson, while Tommy Askey added a tech fall in a rematch of the 2023 SoCon final at 157 pounds. Ike Byers, Tomas Brooker and Carson Floyd all secured major decisions wrestling close to their hometowns, with Brooker avenging an early-January loss to Wyatt Ferguson at the Southern Scuffle. … story at … APPstatesports.com/Wrestling-posts-pair-of-socon-shutouts
TDR Top 12 Final Rankings – 144-150 lbs. – TDR # 31-57
Editor’s Notes; The final rankings for the 27th Annual TDR Top 12 in eastern North Carolina with two more weight classes. The top 12 wrestlers in each weight class are listed in order. Wrestlers listed as 13th are considered as honorable mention for the weight class. We welcome reader’s input and information. Email us at martinkfleming@takedownreport +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Rank Wght. Wrestler Team Gr. Yr. Wins Ls Pct Reg. State
| 1 | 144 | Bianco, Frank | Rolesville | 24 | 56 | 5 | 0.918 | 4A-E | 2nd | 1st |
| 2 | 144 | Wysong, Isaiah | Laney | 24 | 34 | 1 | 0.971 | 4A-E | 1st | 2nd |
| 3 | 144 | Rubistello, Stephen | Tarboro | 26 | 41 | 2 | 0.953 | 1A-E | 1st | 2nd |
| 4 | 144 | Foreman, Gabe | Washington | 26 | 43 | 15 | 0.741 | 2A-E | 2nd | 3rd |
| 5 | 144 | Cohen, Gavin | Croatan | 25 | 42 | 6 | 0.875 | 3A-E | 1st | 4th |
| 6 | 144 | Johnson, Nicholas | Heidi Trask | 24 | 37 | 3 | 0.925 | 2A-E | 1st | 6th |
| 7 | 144 | Simpson, Azrael | First Flight | 24 | 41 | 5 | 0.891 | 3A-E | 2nd | 6th |
| 8 | 144 | Alston, Jayden | Bunn | 25 | 29 | 5 | 0.853 | 2A-ME | 1st | w1 |
| 9 | 144 | Estrada, Ariam | Rosewood | 24 | 47 | 7 | 0.870 | 1A-E | 2nd | w1 |
| 10 | 144 | Barclift, Khamani | Northeastern | 24 | 24 | 9 | 0.727 | 2A-E | 3rd | w1 |
| 11 | 144 | Shields-Adams, Ashton | Southwest Onslow | 25 | 40 | 13 | 0.755 | 2A-E | 4th | w2 |
| 12 | 144 | Anderson, Cole | North East Carolina Prep | 26 | 40 | 7 | 0.851 | 1A-E | 3rd | L2 |
| 12 | 144 | Root, Justin | Dixon | 25 | 43 | 8 | 0.843 | 3A-E | 3rd | L2 |
| 13 | 144 | Russo, Zack | Wakefield | 24 | 41 | 9 | 0.820 | 4A-E | w2 | |
| 13 | 144 | Htoo, Har | New Bern | 24 | 25 | 7 | 0.781 | 4A-E | w2 | |
| 13 | 144 | Heppner, Christopher | Ashley | 25 | 23 | 7 | 0.767 | 4A-E | w2 | |
| 13 | 144 | Williams, Damyion | J.F. Webb | 24 | 27 | 9 | 0.750 | 2A-ME | w3 | |
| 13 | 144 | Turner , James | North Johnston | 25 | 34 | 12 | 0.739 | 2A-E | w3 | |
| 13 | 144 | Loftin, Connor | Ayden-Grifton | 25 | 35 | 13 | 0.729 | 2A-E | w3 | |
| 13 | 144 | Callon, Michael | Pasquotank Co. | 25 | 40 | 15 | 0.727 | 2A-E | w2 | |
| 13 | 144 | Sterba, Andrew | Richlands | 24 | 17 | 7 | 0.708 | 3A-E | w3 | |
| 13 | 144 | Allen, Colton | Topsail | 25 | 29 | 12 | 0.707 | 4A-E | w2 | |
| 13 | 144 | Prapuolenis, Kaz | West Carteret | 26 | 17 | 8 | 0.680 | 3A-E | 4th | L2 |
| 13 | 144 | Waterfield, Waylon | Currituck County | 26 | 29 | 14 | 0.674 | 3A-E | w2 | |
| 13 | 144 | Hayes, Jonathan | South Granville | 24 | 31 | 18 | 0.633 | 2A-ME | 4th | L2 |
| 13 | 144 | Bock, Kyle | Hoggard | 25 | 29 | 17 | 0.630 | 4A-E | w3 | |
| 1 | 150 | Fritz, Ian | Topsail | 25 | 47 | 3 | 0.940 | 4A-E | 1st | 1st |
| 2 | 150 | Cotto, Tristan | Laney | 24 | 42 | 6 | 0.875 | 4A-E | 3rd | 2nd |
| 3 | 150 | Johnson, Gerald “JJ” | West Craven | 25 | 45 | 8 | 0.849 | 2A-E | 1st | 4th |
| 4 | 150 | Sabillion, Fabian | Rosewood | 25 | 47 | 9 | 0.839 | 1A-E | 2nd | 3rd |
| 5 | 150 | Wilman, Bailey | Wake Forest | 24 | 52 | 5 | 0.912 | 4A-E | 2nd | 4th |
| 6 | 150 | Toliver, Jordyn | Currituck County | 25 | 29 | 5 | 0.853 | 3A-E | 1st | w2 |
| 7 | 150 | Crump, Jacob | North Pitt | 24 | 41 | 12 | 0.774 | 2A-E | 2nd | 6th |
| 8 | 150 | Powell, Ethan | South Granville | 25 | 31 | 7 | 0.816 | 2A-ME | 2nd | w2 |
| 9 | 150 | Hill, Jamari | Fike | 25 | 38 | 13 | 0.745 | 3A-E | 2nd | L2 |
| 10 | 150 | Schulz, John | West Carteret | 25 | 43 | 12 | 0.782 | 3A-E | 3rd | w1 |
| 11 | 150 | Nguyen, Jonathan | Northeastern | 26 | 24 | 14 | 0.632 | 2A-E | 3rd | w2 |
| 12 | 150 | Mewborn, Isiah | Pamlico County | 26 | 27 | 12 | 0.692 | 1A-E | 3rd | w1 |
| 12 | 150 | Gurkin, Krick | North Brunswick | 26 | 30 | 14 | 0.682 | 3A-E | 4th | w2 |
| 13 | 150 | Benitez, Alexi | Southern Nash | 25 | 41 | 7 | 0.854 | 3A-E | w2 | |
| 13 | 150 | Norwood, Jaedon | Rocky Mount | 24 | 21 | 4 | 0.840 | 3A-E | w2 | |
| 13 | 150 | Browning, Landon | Tarboro | 26 | 36 | 8 | 0.818 | 1A-E | 4th | L2 |
| 13 | 150 | Tucker, Tate | Washington | 26 | 33 | 11 | 0.750 | 2A-E | 4th | w1 |
| 13 | 150 | Bell, Ryan | Bunn | 24 | 28 | 12 | 0.700 | 2A-ME | 3rd | L2 |
| 13 | 150 | Cairo, Anthony | North East Carolina Prep | 24 | 35 | 17 | 0.673 | 1A-E | w2 | |
| 13 | 150 | Guenduer, Nicholas | Hoggard | 25 | 32 | 17 | 0.653 | 4A-E | w3 | |
| 13 | 150 | Logan, Zach | North Johnston | 24 | 27 | 16 | 0.628 | 2A-E | w2 |
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 