Takedown Report

UNC Wrestling Clips No. 23 Navy Sunday Afternoon

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Six North Carolina wrestlers won matches Sunday, in the non-conference finale victory against No. 23 Navy, 20-17.  

Carolina claimed a technical fall from Spencer Moore (125) and five decisions courtesy of Lachlan McNeil (141), Sonny Santiago (157), Tyler Eischens (174), Gavin Kane (184) and Max Shaw (197).

At 141 pounds, McNeil defeated No. 12 Josh Hoderhandt by decision, for his 10th ranked victory of the campaign. Tar Heel 174-pounder Tyler Eischens collected a last second takedown in the third period, to send the match with No. 27 Danny Wask to sudden victory. In the overtime period, Eischens secured a takedown, for his first ranked victory of the season.

Up next, the Tar Heels travel to No. 8 NC State Friday, … story and results at … GOheels.com/Wrestling-clips-no-23-navy-sunday

January 29, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Division III NCAA News & Results

#2 Augsburg Wins 20-19 Thriller Over #1 Wartburg
Augsburg won 20-19 at home over Wartburg in a dual that came down to the last match
Minneapolis, MN — The Augsburg-Wartburg rivalry — affectionately known as the Battle of the Burgs — has had its share of heart-pounding moments. Add the 20-19 home win for the Auggies over the Knights on Friday, January 26 to that list. 
These two teams have dominated Division III wrestling by winning every NCAA Championship since 1995. This was a rematch of the National Duals finals won by Wartburg, 21-19.
Wartburg raced to a 12-0 lead by winning the first three matches, including a major decision by Brett Birchman at 125 and a tech by Joe Pins at 133. 
Augsburg fired back with three straight wins, including a fall by Cooper Willis at 165, for a 13-12 lead after six. Wartburg’s Zane Mulder (174) and Augsburg’s Bentley Schwanebeck-Ostermann (184) traded major decisions before Massoma Endene secured a 6-2 win to give the Knights a 19-17 lead entering the final bout. 
Tyler Kim (Augsburg) and Mitch Williamson (Wartburg) both had opportunities for a takedown but Kim ultimately won in tiebreakers where he fended off multiple shots as time expired. Augsburg won, 20-19, in another riveting edition of the Battle of the Burgs. … story at … Flowrestling.org/Augsburg-wins-20-19-thriller-over-1-wartburg

And …

The Open Mat NCAA Division III Wrestling Rankings
The Open Mat has released NCAA Division III wrestling rankings for Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024.
The Open Mat College Rankings
Team Rankings
Tournament:
1. Augsburg 126
2. Wartburg 93
3. North Central 87.5
4. UW-La Crosse 79.5
5. Baldwin Wallace 62
6. UW-Eau Claire 62
7. Coast Guard 52
8. Alvernia 42.5
9. Johnson & Wales 42
10. Castleton 39
11. NYU 38
12. Millikin 32
13. UW-Whitewater 31.5
14. Centenary 30.5
15. SUNY Cortland 30
16. Concordia-Moorhead 28
17. Ohio Northern 27.5
18. TCNJ 27
19. Stevens 26.5
20. Central 25.5 … rest of story at … Guillotine.com/Open-mat-ncaa-division-iii-wrestling-rankings-25

And …

Auggies claim Battle of the Burgs victory, 20-19
MINNEAPOLIS — A 2-1, overtime tiebreaker victory by heavyweight Tyler Kim (SR, Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS) gave the Augsburg University men’s wrestling team a 20-19 victory in the annual “Battle of the Burgs” dual meet over arch-rival Wartburg College (Iowa) on Friday night at Si Melby Hall.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORE: No. 1/2 Augsburg 20, No. 2/1 Wartburg (Iowa) 19
LOCATION: Si Melby Hall, Minnapolis
RECORDS: Augsburg 7-1 overall, Wartburg 13-1 overall
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Both Augsburg and Wartburg, the top two teams in the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III national polls, had five wins in the match. But Kim’s win in the final bout, combined with a second-period pin by 165-pounder Cooper Willis (SO, Kansasville, Wis./Union Grove HS), proved to be the deciding points in the match.
• Defending NCAA Division III national champion Augsburg entered the match ranked No. 1 in the NWCA’s tournament rankings and No. 2 in the NWCA’s dual-meet rankings, while Wartburg was No. 1 in the dual-meet rankings and No. 2 in the tournament rankings. The Auggies avenged an earlier 21-19 loss to Wartburg in the finals of the NWCA Division III National Duals on Jan. 6. Augsburg snapped a seven-match losing streak to Wartburg in dual meets, dating to the 2017-18 season.
• The dual meet came down to the final bout, as Kim edged … story at … Athletics.augsburg.edu/news/2024/1/26/mwr012624

And …

Wilkes Wrestling Dominates Scranton on Senior Night 40-8
WILKES-BARRE – The Wilkes University wrestling team won eight of ten bouts, seven coming with extra-points, as the Colonels dominated the University of Scranton 40-8 Friday on Senior Night at the Marts Center. Wilkes improved to 4-5 overall in dual matches on the season while Scranton drops to 3-6 in dual match play.
Connor Kerwin (Totowa, NJ/Passaic Valley) began the match at 125-pounds with a 16-8 major decision over Alex Boyd to give Wilkes a 4-0 lead. At 133-pounds Michael Richardson (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial) followed pinning Kevin Corderio in 2:54 to push the lead to 10-0 … story at … GOwilkesu.com/Wilkes-wrestling-dominates-scranton-on-senior-night-40-8

January 29, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

2024 NCAA wrestling championships: Schedule, dates, how to get tickets

The 2024 NCAA wrestling tournament will be held in Kansas City, Missouri from March 21-March 23. 

Complete schedule

Tickets

You can purchase tickets through the NCAA for each of the six sessions here.  

Future Sites 

Next year’s NCAA tournament will be held in Philadelphia from March 20-22. See the complete list of future sites below: 

History

The Oklahoma State Cowboys have won more NCAA wrestling titles than any program in the country with 34 championships.  … story and details at … NCAA.com/news/Wrestling-championships-schedule-dates-how-get-tickets

January 29, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Legally blind Maine wrestler now competing at collegiate level – From Bangor Daily News

The social media cesspool reared its ugly head in the days following Derek Cote’s first Maine Class A individual wrestling state championship.

Keyboard warriors — as Cote described them — called the then-Noble High School freshman’s significant visual impairment that constitutes legal blindness fake. They accused him of possessing an unfair advantage with the slight modification to the initial start of his matches, even though his opponents lined up the same way.

Cote, now a freshman on the University of Southern Maine wrestling team, believes everyone deals with adversity, and vision is his, but also embraces the idea that his story can uplift others. 
“I view it as something I live with,” said the 19-year-old. “I’ve definitely been doubted a decent amount throughout my career, but it’s nothing I’ve ever let bother me or define who I am. I just came to the realization that it doesn’t really matter what others think of you. If they’re not major parts of your life, it doesn’t really matter what their opinion is.”

What defines Derek Cote are the three trait … story at … Southernmainehuskies.com/Wrestling-legally-blind-maine-wrestler-now-competing-at-collegiate-level-from-bangor-daily-news

January 28, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Division II NCAA Results and News – Jan

Mountain Cats Celebrate Winterfest Weekend With 44-0 PSAC Win Over Seton Hill
After welcoming back alumni and friends to kick-off Winterfest Weekend, Head Coach Pat Pecora‘s 11^th-ranked Pitt-Johnstown wrsetlers did not disappoint the large crowd in the Sports Center.  Mason Myers (141 lbs.) and third-ranked Isaiah Vance (285 lbs.) each won by fall, and No. 3 Jacob Ealy (149 lbs.) and Noah Gnibus (184 lbs.) won by technical fall to lead the Mountain Cats to a convincing, 44-0, PSAC victory over Seton Hill.  Pitt-Johnstown improved to 11-2 overall and 3-0 in the conference.
Trevon’s 16-4 major decision win over William Burgess to open the match at 125 lbs. got things going for Pitt-Johnstown.
At 133 lbs. Byron Daubert dealt Seton Hill’s Kyle Burkholder a 9-4 loss, and Myers pinned Jacob Gardner 2:30 into the opening period at 141 lbs. to give the Mountain Cats a 13-0 lead.
Pitt-Johnstown kept it rolling with Ealy’s, 17-1, technical fall victory as time expired in the first period, before Cooper Warshel won by injury default at 5:22 over Christian Hirak to push it out to 24-0 midway through the match.
Following an 8-2 decision by Dillon Keane at 165 lbs. and 7-1 win by Tony Salopek at 174 lbs., Gnibus picked-up the Mountain Cats’ second technical of the evening when he defeated Riley O’Mara, 15-0 at 4:09 to build the lead to 35-0.
Pitt-Johnstown closed it out with fifth-ranked Dakoda Rodgers’ 6-3 win over Brendan Finnerty at 197 lbs. and Vance’s 12^th win by fall of the year.  Vance pinned Lucas Allen at 2:11 to set the final at 44-0. … story at … PittjohnstownathleticsMountain-cats-celebrate-winterfest-weekend-with-44-0-psac-win-over-seton-hill

And …

No. 22 Montevallo Splits Against Conference Carolina Foes
BRISTOL, Tenn. – The No. 22 Montevallo men’s wrestling team split a pair of duals on the road on Friday, Jan. 26 in Bristol, Tenn. In the first match, the Falcons came out on top over Lincoln Memorial with a 37-10 win. This is Montevallo’s third highest point total of the season and is the Falcons third straight win in Conference Carolina play.  
After the win against LMU, the Falcons would lose their first conference dual of the season against King University by a score of 37-8 which is the most points allowed by UM against an opponent this season.
Montevallo is now 5-4 in their inaugural season, 4-3 against Conference Carolina’s schools and 3-1 in the West Division.
The Falcons totaled 10 wins on Friday while Noah Todd and Gabe Hixenbaugh won both of their bouts. In the 133, Hixenbaugh defeated Lincoln Memorial’s Hernand Pinto with a fall in 2:35. Gabe would earn his second victory against King’s Franky Medina with an 18-1 tech fall in 5:43. The Alabaster, Ala. native is now 19-0 this season.
Noah Todd was just as impressive as he defeated LMU’s Gabriel Croom in a 6-3 decision. Todd would replicate his 285-bout by getting the victory over talented Jacob Telles in a 4-2 decision.
Against Lincoln Memorial, Montevallo would take the first two bouts before Lincoln Memorial won the next two to tie the dual at 10-10. The Falcons would win the last six bouts in dominating fashion to win the first dual of the night 37-10.
In the final dual of the night, … story at … Montevallofalcons.com/No-22-montevallo-splits-against-conference-carolina-foes

And …

Central Oklahoma Tames Grizzlies
ALAMOSA, Colo. (Jan. 26) –Gabe Johnson’s technical fall midway through the dual put Central Oklahoma in front and the top-ranked Bronchos went on to topple Adams State 28-12 Friday night. The Bronchos overcame a pair of upset losses to record their 17th straight victory, improving to 10-0 on the season. UCO, winners of 42 of its last 43 duals, moves on to Pueblo Saturday to complete the road trip against Colorado State-Pueblo at 7 p.m. (Oklahoma time). ASU led 9-3 after the first three matches, but Dylan Brown scored a major decision at 149 and Johnson followed with a 16-1 romp to put the Bronchos on top to stay. It was a slim 15-12 lead with three weights remaining before UCO pulled away as 184 Garrett Wells, 197 Dalton Abney and Hvy Shawn Streck all scored bonus points. “We struggled in a few weights, but this is a tough place to wrestle and we came out with a good win,” head coach Todd Steidley said. “I thought we were strong on our feet in most of the matches tonight and that was a big difference. “It’s a long road trip and we’ll look to come back strong tomorrow. We have to be better, our guys know that.” The Grizzlies jumped ahead early with a first-period fall at 125, but Peter Rolle got UCO on the scoreboard with a 6-0 shutout behind a pair of takedowns. Angel Flores then stunned fourth-ranked Dylan Lucas 7-0 at 141 to give ASU a 9-3 lead.
The Bronchos answered with three straight wins to take the lead. Brown started things with a 19-9 major decision, though it wasn’t easy. He trailed 7-6 after the first three minutes, then racked up 12 second-period points with two takedowns and two near-falls in going ahead 18-8 before cruising in. The third-ranked Johnson dominated in his bout, scoring four takedowns and a near-fall in a 16-1 thumping that ended early in the third period. … story at … Bronchosports.com/UCO-tames-grizzlies

And …

Lander Falls to Life in Showdown of Top Programs
GREENWOOD, S.C. –Juan Edmond-Holmes made shot after shot to try to take down the fourth-ranked wrestler in NAIA in Zane Lanham but Lanham was able to defend each shot to come away with a 4-2 decision to secure a 19-16 win for the Life Running Eagles and handed Lander their first home loss since December 3rd, 2021 against West Liberty in a battle of second-ranked programs in their respective divisions. Life improves to 16-0 on the season while Lander falls to 11-3. James Joplin ignited the crowd of 507 fans inside Horne Arena with a 14-2 major decision to give Lander a 4-0 lead early.
The Running Eagles responded at 133 and 141 with two decisions to flip the scoreboard in their favor at 6-4. Zeth Brower breathed life back into the crowd as the graduate student used a 13-point second period to secure a 19-3 tech fall in his home debut to give Lander the lead back at 9-6. From there the teams alternated decisions at 157, 165, and 174 to tie the match at 12 with David Hunsberger coming just a point short of a major decision at 11-4. Life seemed to take control at 184 with a 12-2 major decision but Anthony Yacovetti answered the call at 197 as he earned a shutout 9-0 major decision of his own over the second ranked wrestler in NAIA to tie the match up at 16 heading into the tenth and final bout. … story at … Landerbearcats.com/Lander-falls-to-life-in-showdown-of-top-programs

And …

Montevallo wrestling team taking mat by storm in its first season
MONTEVALLO, Ala. (WIAT) – Falcons are known for their quickness, vision and ability to chase and catch their prey efficiently.  In its first season, the Montevallo Falcons wrestling team has lived up to its nickname, ranking 23rd in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) top-25 rankings with a 4-3 season. In the Jan. 17 edition of the NCAA Division II Super Region II rankings, the Falcons checked in at No. 8.  Gabe Hixenbaugh, a fifth-year senior, is 17-0 and the top 133-pound wrestler by the NWCA. In the latest Super Region II rankings, 165-pound freshman Derek Hussey is at No. 5 and Aiden Knight, another freshman, places at No. 6 in the 174-pound class. 
Falcons head coach Daniel Ownbey was hired in 2022 to lead Montevallo’s 22nd intercollegiate sport. Previously, Ownbey served as the head coach at Wheeling University. A North Carolina native and two-time Division II champion at 141 pounds for UNC Pembroke, Ownbey said he took the job to grow wrestling in the South. Arriving at the small liberal arts school, Ownbey wasted no time making clear what he wanted to see from his wrestlers.  “I told all the guys coming in we’re not going to be a normal first-year program,” Ownbey said. “I don’t want to come in and ‘take our lumps’ and make the excuse of ‘Oh, we’re a bunch of freshmen.’ I told them all that when you come here, we’re looking to build something special, … story at … CBS42.com/Montevallo-wrestling-team-taking-mat-by-storm-in-its-first-season

And …

Chadron State Women’s Eagles dominate in two duals
MINOT, N.D. — The Chadron State College women’s wrestling team won eight of the nine matches they wrestled in and went 2-0 on Thursday, defeating Dakota Wesleyan and Minot State in Minot, North Dakota. The Eagles defeated Dakota Wesleyan 35-5 before beating the hosts 37-10 to improve their record to 7-5 overall.  
In the dual against Dakota Wesleyan, CSC took an immediate 15-0 match lead with forfeits by the Tigers at 101, 109 and 116 pounds. After a double forfeit at 123 pounds, Ana Rojas-Zamora won the first match of the day. Rojas-Zamora, a sophomore from Sweeny, Texas, pinned her opponent to add five more points to CSC’s team score.  
Another double forfeit occurred at 136 pounds before Karstin Hollen, a junior from Mesa, Arizona won by fall at 143 pounds for CSC. The Eagles lone loss of the day occurred at 155 pounds against Dakota Wesleyan. Maria Arellano, a sophomore from Fresno, California, concluded the matches wrestling with another pin in Chadron State’s favor at 170 pounds.
The Eagles received another forfeit victory at 191 pounds. … story at … Chadroneagles.com/Womens-wrestling-eagles-dominate-in-two-duals

And …

Abbey Wrestling Earns Victory over Allen on Senior Night
BELMONT, N.C. – The Belmont Abbey wrestling team closed out its final home match of the regular season with a 44-7 victory over Allen in a Conference Carolinas East Division match Thursday at the Wheeler Center.
Prior to the match, seven seniors were recognized for their efforts and contributions during their time in the program. They are as follows: team manager Haleigh Evans, Max Buico, Jacob Dodson, Amir Joseph, Justin Crawford, Tyler Pepe and Connor Weeks.
The Crusaders won a total of eight bouts, five of which came via falls (pins), including one from Pepe. Buico earned his win on senior night via technical fall.
With the win, Belmont Abbey improves to 6-6 overall and 4-4 in Conference Carolinas competition. Allen is now 7-7 overall, … story at … Abbeyathletics.comAbbey-wrestling-earns-victory-over-allen-on-senior-night

And …

Bronchos Pick Up Two Wins In Nebraska
KEARNEY, Neb. (Jan. 20) – Garrett Wells fueled a late rally that lifted top-ranked Central Oklahoma past No. 18 Northern State in the opener and the Bronchos overwhelmed Western Colorado in their final match at the Younes Hospitality Duals Saturday. UCO overcame a 16-9 deficit to top the Wolves 22-16 before thumping the Mountaineers 34-6 behind five bonus-point wins. Wells started the comeback against NSU with an 18-0 thumping at 184, Dalton Abney followed with a 5-0 shutout and Shawn Streck finished it off with a 19-4 technical fall.
The Bronchos improved to 9-0 with the sweep at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds in running their winning streak to 16 straight. UCO goes back on the road next weekend, traveling to Colorado for back-to-back duals against Adams State and Colorado State-Pueblo. “Northern gave us a battle, which we knew they would,” head coach Todd Steidley said. “We didn’t wrestle very well in a few spots and got behind, but the guys at the end of the lineup did a great job picking us up. “I thought we wrestled better in the second dual. We got some big bonus wins early and that’s always key. It was a good day overall, though I think our guys saw that we still have a lot of work to do.”
The Bronchos led 9-6 halfway through the NSU dual, but the Wolves got a major decision at 165 and a stunning fall at 174 to go ahead 16-9. All-American Anthony DesVigne was leading 4-1 in the second period at 174 when Seth Brossard took him down to his back and got the pin. Wells got UCO back on track at 184, using three takedowns and a pair of four-point near-falls in an 18-0 technical fall and two-time national champion Abney put the Bronchos ahead with a methodical 5-0 decision at 197. Streck then polished off the comeback in dominating fashion. The reigning national champion racked up six takedowns to claim a 19-4 technical fall in a match that ended late in the second period. … story at … Bronchosports.com/Bronchos-pick-up-two-wins-in-nebraska

January 28, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Big 12 Results & News – Jan 27th

Big 12 Weekly Recap (1/23/2024)
Air Force (Overall: 2-4; Conference: 0-2): No Competition. 
Next Up: Air Force competes against SDSU and NDSU on the road on January 26th and 28th. 
California Baptist (Overall: 3-8; Conference: 0-5): Dual Results (NDSU) | Dual Results (SDSU)
The Lancers took a road trip north to take on North Dakota State and South Dakota State over the weekend. They went 0-2, dropping 25-15 to NDSU and 39-3 against SDSu, but had some individuals get solid wins. Against NDSU, the team got off to a quick start with Eli Griffin getting a 20-second pin followed by Hunter Leake scoring a pin of his own. Nathan Haas scored a decision over Adam Cherne and Dayne Morton took Maxwell Petersen to OT, but dropped a 4-1 decision. Against SDSU, the team’s lone win came at 165, where Drayden Morton beat two-time qualifier Tanner Cook 4-2. Eli Griffin dropped his match to Tanner Jordan 7-3 in a ranked matchup. 
Next Up: California Baptist has some time off before taking on Air Force on February 3rd. 
Iowa State (Overall: 9-1; Conference: 2-0): No Competition. 
Next Up: Iowa State duals Oklahoma on January 26th and Oklahoma State on January 27th. 
Missouri (Overall: 7-0; Conference: 3-0): No Competition. 
Next Up: Missouri hits the country roads to take on West Virginia on January 26th. 
North Dakota State (Overall: 3-6; Conference: 2-1): Dual Results (CBU) | Dual Results (UNCO)
The Bison got their first Big 12 dual win of the season and quickly followed it up with a 2-0 performance on the weekend. They started with a 25-12 win over California Baptist, winning seven matches after giving up pins at 125 and 133. NDSU scored a pin of their own at 285 and … story at … Intermatwrestle.com/Big-12-weekly-recap

And …

Wyoming Wrestling Rallies for Third Win in a Row, a 23-16 Victory at Northern Colorado
GREELEY, Colo. (1/26/24) – Jumping out to a fast start has been the recipe for the University of Wyoming wrestling team during it modest two-dual win streak. That wasn’t the case Friday at Northern Colorado. The Cowboys dropped their first two bouts of the night and needed to stem the partisan crowd in come-from-behind form. And that’s just what they did. The Pokes rallied for a 23-16 win inside Bank of Colorado Arena. The win improves Wyoming to 6-5 overall and 4-3 in Big 12 action, while the loss drops Northern Colorado to 8-5 overall and 1-4 in league. ”We had some gusty performances,” head coach Mark Branch said. “It’s a win. But I don’t feel like we moved forward since our last two duals. We didn’t come out and wrestle the way we can. We just weren’t coming out as aggressive as I wanted, so a lot of matches you’re hanging around and hoping they go your way.”
No. 31 Cole Brooks (141) provided the first victory of the night for the Cowboys. He downed Rudy Lopez by major decision, 11-2, moving to 9-4 on the season. “We needed someone to not necessarily stop the bleeding but swing momentum back in our favor,” Branch said. “I know what Cole is capable of, and I think there’s a lot more in him, but that was gusty of him.” … story at … GOwyo.com/Wrestling-rallies-for-third-win-in-a-row-a-23-16-victory-at-northern-colorado

Iowa State Dominates No. 18 Oklahoma, 37-4, in Norman
NORMAN, Okla. – No. 4 Iowa State trounced No. 18 Oklahoma on its home mat, 37-4, Friday night inside McCasland Field House. It marked the Cyclones’ largest win in Norman in program history. Iowa State won the takedown battle against the Sooners, 26-9, and six Cyclones secured bonus-point victories. Casey Swiderski’s return to the lineup, a fall from MJ Gaitan and Yonger Bastida’s 16^th consecutive win to open the season highlighted the ISU victory. ISU improved its record to 10-1 overall and 3-0 in Big 12 action while Oklahoma fell to 5-4 overall and 2-3 in league duals.
Kysen Terukina needed extra time to take care of Oklahoma’s Conrad Hendriksen at 125 pounds. The pair went into sudden victory tied, 1-1, before Terukina used a high crotch to get the winning takedown. 
At 133 pounds, Evan Frost was dominant as he secured a 12-2 major decision over Jace Koelzer. Frost tallied three takedowns and a reversal in the victory. 
Anthony Echemendia picked up his eighth consecutive bonus point win with a 23-7 tech fall against Kaden Smith in 5:57. The Cyclone notched seven takedowns in the match as he improved to 14-3 on the season. In his first match since Dec. 2, Swiderski was in command during an 8-3 decision over No. 32 Willie McDougald. Swiderski looked solid and was much the aggressor in the bout, securing two takedowns on the edge of the mat in the win.
Jason Kraisser got the nod at 157 pounds for the Cyclones. He secured a 2-0 decision over No. 31 Jared Hill thanks to a reversal in the second period followed by a ride out. Hill chose to begin the final period in the neutral position but Kraisser was able to fend off a late push.
David Carr made quick work of Mannix Morgan out of the intermission. Carr racked up five takedowns before sealing the win in 4:50 with a set of four near fall points. … story at … Cyclones.com/Wrestling-no-4-iowa-state-dominates-no-18-oklahoma-37-4

And …

JACKS DOWN AIR FORCE TO RUN STREAK TO SIX
South Dakota State swept the first half of its wrestling dual against Air Force and pulled away with three bonus-point wins down the stretch for a 32-9 victory Friday night at Frost Arena.  
The 10^th-ranked Jackrabbits recorded their sixth consecutive dual victory to improve to 9-2 overall and 3-0 against Big 12 Conference opponents. Air Force dropped to 2-5 overall and 0-4 in the Big 12.  
SDSU won three narrow decisions to open an early 9-0 lead. Tanner Jordan recorded a hard-fought 5-3 decision over Tucker Owens at 125 pounds after allowing an early takedown, followed by backup 133-pounder Logan Graf posting a 4-3 victory over Brenden Barnes.
In the 141-pound matchup, Air Force’s Garrett Kuchan jumped out to a 6-1 first-period lead over 25^th-ranked Clay Carlson with a pair of takedowns. Carlson trimmed the deficit to 6-2 by the end of the first period with an escape, then put together a seven-point second period with an escape and two takedowns of his own to grab the lead for good. He added a point for a minute-plus advantage in riding time to complete the 10-7 victory.
Alek Martin started a string of bonus-point victories with a 9-1 major decision over Joe Fernau in the 149-pound bout and Cael Swensen pushed his winning streak to six matches with a 17-2 technical fall against fellow 157-pounder Brooks Gable in a match that ended 23 seconds into the third period.
Air Force got on the board with a 5-0 decision by 14^th-ranked Giano Petrucelli over Tanner Cook in the 165-pound matchup. The Jackrabbits, however, reeled off three more bonus-point wins in a row, starting with a 14-4 major decision by fourth-ranked Cade DeVos at 174 pounds. … story at … GOjacks.com/Jacks-down-air-force-to-run-streak-to-six

And …

Cowboys Open Back-to-Back with Win Over Northern Iowa
STILLWATER – The Oklahoma State wrestling team defeated No. 22 Northern Iowa, 22-12, for its fifth-straight win over a ranked opponent Friday night at Gallagher-Iba Arena. OSU improved to 9-0 overall and 4-0 in the Big 12, while Northern Iowa fell to 3-5.
The Cowboys won six of 10 matches on the night and were able to separate the score behind a trio of bonus-point wins from Daton Fix, Jordan Williams and Izzak Olejnik. Oklahoma State is now 7-0 against ranked opponents this season and 14-1 in their last 15 duals overall. With the win, head coach John Smith now trails Harold Nichols by just seven victories at 485 for second-most in Division I wrestling history. “I thought our young guys competed,” coach Smith said. “It’s slowed down for them a bit. At 125, we got the first takedown, so we have to keep working to score after that. Daton (Fix) did a great job of scoring for us, knowing this could be a tough match. Jordan Williams did well, and it was exactly what we wanted to see… Good win for Konner (Doucet) after losing to (Tyrell Gordon) twice before. Little bit slow, but you’re going to see some of that this time of year.”
In a rematch from December’s Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Troy Spratley opened the night with a tight 3-2 decision over No. 30 Trever Andersen. A takedown in the first period by Spratley was ultimately enough to earn him his fifth ranked win of the season. Daton Fix then extended the Cowboys’ lead with an 18-4 major decision against No. 23 Julian Farber, marking his fifth-straight match earning bonus points. … story at … OKstate.com/Cowboy-wrestling-cowboys-open-back-to-back-with-win-over-northern-iowa

And …

No. 2 Missouri Secures Eighth Win Of The Season At WVU, 30-6
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The No. 2-ranked University of Missouri wrestling team took care of business at No. 20 West Virginia, 30-6, on Friday, Jan. 26. Mizzou (8-0, 4-0 Big 12) remains undefeated and tacks on another conference win, while handing West Virginia (8-3, 2-3 Big 12) its third conference loss of the season. 
Missouri led off the dual with a bonus-point victory at 125 pounds as a redshirt junior, and No. 6-ranked Noah Surtin took down Jace Schafer in a 17-2 technical fall. Kade Moore continued his strong redshirt freshman campaign in a victory by first-period fall in 2:56. The Tigers got back on track at 157 pounds with a 16-4 major decision by No. 5 Brock Mauller.
Reigning National Champion Keegan O’Toole overcame an early deficit to knock off returning All-American Peyton Hall at 165 pounds. Redshirt senior Peyton Mocco kept the momentum going with a convincing 5-1 decision. No. 9-ranked redshirt freshman Clayton Whiting earned his 11th victory of the season by a 9-6 decision. At 197 pounds, redshirt sophomore Colton Hawks filled in and rode his way to a 2-1 win. Redshirt senior Zach Elam closed out the dual with a resounding 7-0 decision. … story at … MUtigers.com/No-2-wrestling-secures-eighth-win-of-the-season-at-wvu-30-6

January 27, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

ACC Results & News – Jan. 27th

Two Panthers Earn Top-10 Wolfpack Wins
PITTSBURGH—Cole Matthews at 141 pounds and Reece Heller at 184 pounds both picked up top-10 individual wins for the No. 19 Pitt wrestling team on Friday night against No. 8 NC State in front of more than 2,000 fans in the ACC dual opener for both teams at the Fitzgerald Field House. 
Matthews beat his second top-five opponent of the season in No. 4 Ryan Jack, coming from behind to tally a 15-10 decision in a rematch of the last two 141-pound ACC title bouts. Pitt’s senior team captain and former NCAA All-American had previously beaten No. 3 Jesse Mendez from Ohio State and used a flurry of points in the third period to pull off another massive victory.
Heller also emerged with his second top-10 win of the season after a 4-3 decision over No. 7 Dylan Fishback, thanks to an early takedown and some great scrambling. Pitt’s 184-pounder had won 11 of his 12 victories by bonus-point decision, including a major over No. 5 Will Feldkamp from Iowa State, but he showed a gritty and disciplined side to his game in defeating the NC State freshman.
The Wolfpack (11-2, 1-0 ACC) won the other eight bouts in the dual to beat the Panthers (7-6, 0-1) by a 31-6 scoreline in a matchup of two teams who shared the ACC dual title last season. “We didn’t win the close bouts that we needed to tonight,” Pitt head coach Keith Gavin said. “NC State has a really good team, so you have to give them credit. But we’re disappointed with a few of the results from the closer matches that didn’t go our way tonight.” … story at … Pittsburghpanthers.com/Two-panthers-earn-top-10-wolfpack-wins

And …

UNC Wrestling Falls to No. 12 Virginia Tech In ACC Opener
BLACKSBURG, VA. – The North Carolina wrestling program dropped its ACC opener Friday night at Virginia Tech, 33-3 The matchup with the Hokies began at 184-pounds, as junior Gavin Kane secured an 11-8 sudden victory decision. Trailing entering the third period, Kane used two takedowns in the final period to tie the match at eight-all. In the sudden victory period, Kane scored in the opening seconds to claim the decision.
Up next, the Tar Heels travel to No. 8 NC State next Friday, meeting up with the Wolfpack at 8:30 PM. The matchup from Reynolds Coliseum can be watched live on ACC Network.
No. 12 Virginia Tech 33, North Carolina 3
January 26, 2024 | Cassell Coliseum | Blacksburg, Va.
125: No. 6 Cooper Flynn (VT) over No. 29 Spencer Moore (UNC): 4-2 Dec
133: No. 11 Sam Latona (VT) over Jace Palmer (UNC): 19-3 TF
141: No. 14 Tom Crook (VT) over No. 5 Lachlan McNeil (UNC): 5-4 Dec … story at … GOheels.com/Wrestling-falls-to-no-12-virginia-tech-in-acc-opener

And …

2023-24 ACC First Half Recap
This Friday marks the beginning of ACC conference duals with North Carolina facing Virginia Tech, Virginia traveling to Duke, and NC State heading north to Pittsburgh. Before we start ACC action let’s take a look back at the first half of the season and the highlights, and areas of focus, for each team moving forward.

Duke:
Dual Record: 4-8
The Blue Devils have had a very dual-heavy schedule and have traveled extensively already this season. They come into ACC competition at 4-8 and have faced five top-30 dual teams thus far. While their record isn’t stellar, they have performed well against similarly ranked teams with victories over Cleveland State, Kent State, and Davidson. 
They have shown improvement throughout the year after an 0-4 start. The Blue Devils have been led by Gaetano Console (165) and Connor Barket (285). Barket has stepped into 285 well and has looked better as the year has gone on. He placed eighth at the Southern Scuffle and has been consistent in duals for the Blue Devils. Duke has also had better results from Logan Agin at 125 and Logan Ferrero at 157 and both are off to stronger starts than last season and have both picked up big wins in duals. 
Duke isn’t in a position to be a threat for the ACC dual title, but I’m looking for them to continue to improve and have some guys positioned to make a push at the ACC Tournament. 

North Carolina:
Dual Record: 7-5
The Tar Heels are in a transition year with Coach Rob Koll taking the helm early this fall, he retained Associate Head Coach Tony Ramos and rounded out his staff with Enock Francois and Ben Darmstadt. While they transition to the new staff, they have rolled out a very young lineup, having graduated over half of their starters from last season. There have been some growing pains, but there have also been some outstanding team performances already this year. … story at … Intermatwrestle.com/ACC/2023-24-acc-first-half-recap

And …

Duke Blue Devils Drop ACC Opener to Virginia
DURHAM –  The Duke wrestling team (4-9) fell to Virginia (6-2), 45-0, in its ACC opener on Friday in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Prior to the match, the Blue Devils honored their Team Impact teammate, James Walter. The match also marked Duke’s Centennial celebration.
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Senior Conor Becker opened the action at 184 pounds and battled Virginia’s Griffin Gammell, but fell in a tight 4-2 decision.
• In the heavyweight match, sophomore Connor Barket started strong with a quick takedown and continued to battle through the third period against No. 33 Ryan Catka.
• Barket scored five additional points on the defensive end, but came up just short, falling 12-8.
• Sophomore Nick Tattini and freshman David Hussey both competed against tough nationally ranked competition, wrestling No. 28 Dylan Cedeno and No. 14 Justin McCoy, respectively. … story at … GOduke.com/Blue-devils-drop-acc-opener-to-virginia

January 27, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

BIG 10 Conference Results – Jan. 27th

Five B1G Takeaways from the Big Ten (1/25/24)
Dual meets, dual meets and more dual meets. As we go into another weekend of B1G Ten dual meets, we look back at last week’s matchups. We had some duals that lived up to some of our expectations, a few guys whose stock is going up and another that’s going down and Claunch delves into his experience on the call for Michigan’s dual last week. 
Stock up: Michael Blockhus; Stock down: Peyton Robb
There might not be anyone having a better start of the new year than Michael Blockhus. He returned with one goal in mind and so far it looks like he’s on the right track. Last week he took out Jared Franek with a last minute takedown then followed it up with a dominating win over Peyton Robb four days later. Now he’s jumped to No. 6 in the rankings. Earlier this week, I got to catch up with Blockhus to talk about his big wins, returning to the Gophers’ lineup for his final year, and his fighting future. 
On the opposite side is Robb who didn’t just take a loss to Blockhus last week, but was pinned by Joey Blaze of Purdue. That notched Robb’s fourth straight loss. This weekend the Huskers head to Evanston, IL to face Northwestern where Robb will look to get back to his winning ways. 
A Curse at 125 Ends …
We all know what kind of powerhouse Penn State has been for the last million years, but a spot in Coach Cael Sanderson’s lineup that hasn’t been at the championship level is at 125-pounds. As mentioned in the season preview, Nico Megaludis was the last guy in this weight class to sport a Nittany Lion singlet and make the podium. All of that could be over as freshman Braeden Davis has been a very bright, and so far undefeated, presence in their line up. It took a bit for him to stand above PSU’s other options here, but now he’s manning the spot in the line up and in the No. 4 spot in the rankings. He’s also the only guy in the weight class who hasn’t taken a loss yet this season. 
… And Another Curse at 125 Continues
It seems like ages ago when we would occasionally get a No. 1 versus No. 2 battle in the regular season. It doesn’t always happen, but it certainly feels like it used to happen more often than it has of late. Last Friday night, we were lucky enough to see it with Purdue’s Matt Ramos, then ranked second in the country at 125, facing off against Iowa’s No. 1 ranked Drake Ayala in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Purdue, as a team, wasn’t expected to win the dual meet as a whole, but in what was clearly the biggest match of the night, the Boilermaker got a solid win and once again beat a top ranked Hawkeye in a big moment. Was it purposeful that they wore the silver and gold singlets that were worn on that fateful night last March? Probably right? Either way Iowa ran away with the majority of the other matches as expected. Shoutout to Joey Blaze wrestling tough against Jared Franek, and James Rowley getting the win at 184, but Iowa as a unit is still proving to be one of the toughest teams in the country. Iowa will be traveling to Illinois this weekend as they take on the Fighting Illini this Friday, and Northwestern this Sunday. Purdue, as referenced above, will be taking on the Hoosiers in Bloomington Saturday night.
Terrapins v Hoosiers did not disappoint … story at … Intermatwrestle.com/Big-10/five-b1g-takeaways-from-the-big-ten

And …

Feldman Delivers Late to Down Michigan 20-19 In Columbus
COLUMBUS, Ohio — It came down to the final bout of the night at heavyweight before No. 7 Ohio State (12-1, 4-0) defeated No. 13 Michigan (5-3, 3-2) when Nick Feldman defeated No. 4 Lucas Davison 4-3 to give the Buckeyes the 20-19 win before a sellout crowd (4,759) at the Covelli Center in Columbus.  … story and video at … Ohiostatebuckeyes.com/Wrestling-no-7-ohio-state-vs-no-13-michigan-live-updates

And …

HUSKERS TOP WILDCATS BEHIND LOVETT’S PIN, FOUR TECHNICAL FALLS
Behind six bonus-point victories, including a pin and four tech. falls, the No. 6 Nebraska wrestling team routed Northwestern 39-3 on Friday evening. With the dominating defeat, the Huskers improved to 8-1 on the season overall and 3-1 in Big Ten play, while Northwestern dropped to 0-3 (0-2 Big Ten) on the year. 
Action started at 125 as No. 12 Caleb Smith faced Northwestern’s Massey Odiotti. Smith scored three takedowns, an escape and the riding time point to claim the 11-3 major decision.
With the 4-0 team lead, No. 19 Jacob Van Dee matched up with Patrick Adams at 133. Van Dee tallied an early takedown in the first period and the rideout to lead 3-0 with two periods to go. Van Dee then scored three more takedowns and three nearfall points for the 17-2 tech. fall.
After two-straight bonus-point victories, Blake Cushing met Kolby McClain and made it three-straight. Cushing scored six takedowns en route to the 23-7 tech. fall and the 14-0 team lead.  At 149, No. 1 Ridge Lovett earned his second-straight pin and fifth of the season as he got the fall over Northwestern’s Aiden Vandenbush in the second period. He tallied four takedowns and four nearfall points to push the team up by 20.  Ethan Stiles then faced No. 19 Trevor Chumbley at 157. Stiles got on the board first with a takedown, but Chumbley responded with an escape and nearfall to claim the 8-5 decision.  With the 20-3 lead, No. 18 Antrell Taylor wrestled No. 15 Maxx Mayfield at 165. After each wrestler tallied an escape, the pair was tied 1-1 after three periods and went into overtime. Taylor then tallied the takedown in sudden victory to earn the 4-1 decision. … story at … Huskers.com/Huskers-top-wildcats-behind-lovetts-pin-four-technical-falls

And …

Michigan State Wrestling Upsets No. 17-ranked Wisconsin for First B1G Victory
EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan State wrestling team welcomed No. 17-ranked Wisconsin to Jenison Field House on Friday evening to cap off its three-match homestand. On a night led by three bonus point victories, MSU took five matches to upset the Badgers, 22-15. For the Spartans, it was it’s first victory over a Top 20 opponent since the 2021-22 season when they defeated then No. 14-ranked Rutgers, 20-14.
A win on Friday helped Michigan State snap a three-dual skid as the team improves to 8-3 overall and 1-3 in the Big Ten. Friday’s win over Wisconsin guarantees the Spartans a .500 or better finish for the third consecutive season. Wisconsin falls to 6-3 and 0-2 in B1G duals. “I’m happy to see the fruits of the labor coming out tonight for these guys with the work and the effort they put in,” said Michigan State head wrestling coach Roger Chandler. “These guys never quit, they keep fighting and you can see it with no one hanging their head. Look at Andy Hampton, he’s going through a rough spell, but you see he’s fighting for the whole seven minutes and that’s what we need out of him.” … story at … MSUspartans.com/Wrestling-upsets-no-17-ranked-wisconsin-for-first-b1g-victory

And …

HAWKEYES BLOWOUT ILLINI, 36-6
CHAMPAIGN, Illinois – The third-ranked University of Iowa men’s wrestling team won eight of 10 matches to roll to a 36-6 victory over Illinois on Friday night at Huff Hall. The Hawkeyes won six bouts via bonus points, including ending five matchups early via technical fall or pin. “I like bonus points,” said head coach Tom Brands. “I like tech. falls, I like major decisions and I like pins. Hill had a pin, we had four tech. falls. Good stuff.”
Iowa opened the night at 133 for the first time this season. Cullan Schriever got things rolling for the Hawkeyes with a major decision over 30th ranked Tony Madrigal, winning 9-1. At 141 Brody Teske came out and extended the Iowa lead with a 5-0 decision against Will Baysinger. Illinois got on the board with a decision in sudden victory as No. 8 Kannon Webster defeated No. 11 Caleb Rathjen.
Jared Franek and Michael Caliendo sent the Hawkeyes to intermission with a pair of tech. falls. Franek needed 6:01 to dispatch Joe Roberts, 21-5 at 157. At 165 Caliendo defeated 24th ranked Chris Moore, 17-2, in 4:30. … story at … Hawkeyesports.com/Hawkeyes-blowout-illini-36-6

January 27, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

NAIA Rankings & News

2023-24 NAIA Men’s Wrestling Coaches’ Top 20 – No. 5 (January 25)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Grand View (Iowa) returns to the top of the ratings after a one week hiatus, edging out Life (Ga.) by two points. Menlo (Calif.) remains third while the Fire of Southeastern (Fla.) rejoins the Top 5; Campbellsville (Ky.) slides down one spot. The same 20 teams are located in the rating this period, with Providence (Mont.) having the most positive upward movement. 

Rating Methodology

• The rating was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the eight conferences/groups.
• Two days prior to the national rating, each qualifying group rater submits the top 10 individuals from each weight class in his conference into the system. Only wrestlers listed on a conference ballot are considered for the national ballot.
• The top 25 individuals in each weight class is based on how each voter ranks the best individuals. An individual receives 25 points for each first place vote, 24 for second place and so on through the list. This same point system is used to determine the team ranking.
• The highest and lowest ranking for each team (a non-rating is considered a low rating) is removed and the team’s ranking will be recalculated with an additional point added to each team for every ballot
• For the complete Top 20 calendar, click here. … story and rankings at … NAIA.org/sports/Releases/6_National?utm_source=Wrestling+News

And …

2023-24 NAIA Women’s Wrestling Coaches’ Top 20 – No. 4 (January 25)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Menlo (Calif.) claimed the top spot in the fourth NAIA Women’s Wrestling Coaches’ Top 20. Life (Ga.) who was the top ranked program in the country for the previous three rating cycles slid to No. 2. Texas Wesleyan jumped into the top five for the first time this season as Missouri Valley and Wayland Baptist (Texas) joined the rankings at No. 19 and No. 20, respectively.

Rating Methodology

• The ratings were voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the five conferences.
• Two days prior to the national rating, each qualifying group rater submits the top 10 individuals from each weight class in the conference into the system. Only wrestlers listed on a conference ballot are considered for the national ballot.
• The top 20 individuals in each weight class is based on how each voter ranks the best individuals. An individual receives 20 points for each first place vote, 19 for second place and so on through the list. This same point system is used to determine the team ranking.
• The highest and lowest ranking for each team (a non-rating is considered a low rating) is removed and the team’s ranking will be recalculated with an additional point added to each team for every ballot
• Teams that receive only one point in the ballot are not considered “receiving votes.”
• For the complete Top 20 calendar, click here. … story and rankings at … NAIA.org/Releases/Regular_Season_Ratings_No_4?utm_source=Wrestling+News

January 27, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

TDR Top 100 Girls Wrestlers Eastern North Carolina 2024 – part 3 – TDR # 31-32

TDR Editor’s Notes; The following are the Top 7 in the 4 lightest weight classes. Wrestlers with an 11 before their name are in the Honorable Mention category. We are tracking wrestlers from over 60 schools with female wrestlers in the eastern North Carolina TDR coverage area. The area includes over 120 schools in 30 counties.  80 of these schools have over 3,000 students participating in and benefiting from wrestling. Yet there are over 40 schools (25 – 1A, 15 – 2A and one 3A school) are without a wrestling program. We are seeking ways and methods of how we can encourage more schools to offer participation in Wrestling. We welcome input and ideas martinkfleming@gmail.com
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January 26, 2024 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment