ALL-TIME NAIA Coaches– Top 60 with at least 50 wins – TDR # 31-18
- Milton Martin (Westmar) 462
- Bob Riehm (Southern Oregon) 270
- Gerald E. “Jerry” Hampton (Graceland U.) 238
- Mike Ritchey (Southern Oregon) 236
- Franky James (Campbellsville) 235
- Mike Machholz (Missouri Valley) 232
- Vern Tate (Huron – SD Si Tanka) 201
- Bill Hughes (Black Hills State) 187
- Clayton Ketterling (Waynesburg/Dickinson St) 170 inc.
- Nick Mitchell (Grand View College) 169
- Jason Moorman (King University) 163 – Women’s Team
- Mike Jones (Simon Fraser) 162 inc
- Archie Randall (Oklahoma City Univ.) 160 – Women’s Team
- Don Lemnus (Valley City State) 158
- Rodger Jehlicka (Adams State, Chadron St.) 147
- David Ray (So. Illinois-Edwardsville, Montana St.) 135
- Caleb Schaeffer (Providence Univ./Great Falls) 133
- Fran Hummel (Northern State, Midland Lutheran) 133 – inc.
- Don Woods (Northern State) 130 – inc.
- Corey Ruff (Lindsey-Wilson) 128
- Milo Trusty (Univ. of Mary) 128
- Tom Jarman (Taylor College) 128
- Thadd O’Donnell (Dickinson State) 121
- Arnold Brandt (Morningside College) 121
- Fran Hummel (Northern State) 115
- Tyson Thivierge (Montana St. Northern) 114
- Corey Ruff (Lindsey-Wilson College) 113
- Jess Wilder (Univ. of Cumberlands) 101
- Lee Miracle (Campbellsville Univ.) 99 – Women’s Team
- Archie Randall (Oklahoma City Univ.) 97
- Jake Stevenson (Morningside College) 97
- K.C. Rock (Embry-Riddle College) 92
- Omi Acosta (Life University) 86
- Jeff Bedard (Reinhardt Univ.) 86
- Rik Dahl (Northwestern College) 84
- Thomas Pompei (Indiana Institute of Technology) 84
- Gary Garvis (William Penn) 83
- Joey Martinez (Menlo) 80
- Donnie Stevens (Cumberlands Univ.) 78 – Women’s Team
- Sam Schmitz (McKendree) 77 – Women’s Team
- Tim Jager (Morningside) 75
- John Jeffire (Findlay College) 70
- Todd Allen (Williams Baptist/Cumberland Univ.) 69
- James Hicks (Cumberland Univ.) 68
- James Kisgen (McKendree College) 66 – school now in Div.II
- Rollie Greeno (Jamestown Univ.) 65
- John Petty (California Baptist/Northwestern) 63
- Daniel Payne (Embry-Riddle/Nor. Arizona) 62
- Steve Costanzo (Dana College) 61
- Steven Bradley (Marian Univ.) — 60
- Aaron Meister (Friends Univ.) 60
- Dana Vote (Doane, Midland) 58
- Dan Sanville (Warner Pacific) 58
- Bill Kracilik (Colorado Mesa) 58
- Joe Privitere (Briar Cliff) — 56
- Beau Vest (Dana-Midland) 55
- Lenny Zalesky (Calif. Baptist) 55
- Cody Garcia (Baker College) 54
- Colby Crank (Ottawa University) 54
- Brian Jackson (Missouri Baptist) 54 inc. – Women’s Team
North Carolina Colleges News & Results
Bond Reaches Final as 7 Mountaineers Medal at Southern Scuffle
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Highlighted by Cody Bond’s run to the 149-pound final, which included a semifinal pin of a top-10 opponent, App State had seven wrestlers reach the podium as top-eight placers at the Southern Scuffle, presented by Compound Sportswear.
Bond advanced to the championship match with a 3-0 start to the event, including an overtime win and a second-period pin of ninth-ranked Jadan Abas from Stanford. Chad Bellis’ quarterfinal win against 15th-ranked Brayden Palmer from Chattanooga served as another highlight.
Abas, a 2021 All-American and three-time NCAA qualifier, led 6-2 after one period before Bond threatened to ride out the entire second period of their semifinal match. After a restart … story at … APPstatesports.com/Bond-reaches-final-as-7-mountaineers-medal-at-southern-scuffle
Gardner-Webb Has Strong Showing in 2024 Southern Scuffle
Anderson wins first place in 184-placement in 2024 Southern Scuffle
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Gardner-Webb University wrestling team took home a first place finish, and had strong showing overall in the 2024 Southern Scuffle (Jan. 1-2). The two-day event was hosted by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
The Runnin’ Bulldogs collected 23 individual wins at the event. Redshirt senior Jha’Quan Anderson wen 5-0 to come in first place in the 184-placement. His wins were over Braden Smelser (CSU-Bakersfield), Nick Olivieri (Brown), Jack Darrah (Stanford), Giuseppe Hoose (Oklahoma), and Cameron Pine (Clarion).
Other standouts for the ‘Dawgs included graduate student Zach Price took fifth place in the 149-placement. He went 5-2 with victories over Dom Findora (Drexel), Kai O’dell (Appalachian State), Benji Alanis (Northern Colorado), Max Petersen (North Dakota State), and Jeremiah Price (Appalachian State). … story at … GWUsports.com/Gardner-webb-has-strong-showing-in-2024-southern-scuffle
Tapia Picks Up Win As Hofstra Falls To No. 4 North Carolina State
WREST: HOFSTRA HIGHLIGHTS
WREST: HOFSTRA COACH DENNIS PAPADATOS POSTMATCH INTERVIEW
PHOTO GALLERY
Hempstead, NY – Noah Tapia picked up the lone Hofstra victory as No. 4 North Carolina State defeated the Pride, 43-5, Sunday at the David S. Mack Physical Education Center. Hofstra moved to 3-3 on the season with the loss and saw its three-match win streak come to an end. All three of the Pride’s losses have come against top-five nationally-ranked opponents. The Wolfpack snapped a two-match losing streak with the victory and improved to 10-2 on the season.
Tapia scored a dominating 20-3 technical fall in 3:59 against Trevor Kantor at 149 pounds. The Pride’s true freshman posted four takedowns and twice scored four back points in the match. Kantor’s only scoring came from three escapes. … story at … GOhofstra.com/Tapia-picks-up-win-as-hofstra-falls-to-no-4-north-carolina-state
Molton takes First at F&M Open, eight Camels place
FINAL RESULTS
MATCH REPLAYS
LANCASTER, Pa. – 125-pound Anthony Molton was perfect on the day, taking first place at the Franklin & Marshall Open Friday. In total, a school record eight Camels placed at the event.
Molton was 5-0, with three bonus-point victories to start out. He recorded two fall victories – against Grant Treaster (Navy) in 4:14, and versus Binghamton’s Carson Wagner in 4:01.
Molton then defeated a pair of NC State wrestlers in the semifinals and final. First, he recorded a 5-4 decision over Vince Robinson with a takedown in the final 30 seconds. He followed that up with another takedown in the last 30 seconds and a victory over Troy Hohman (4-1) to take first place. Molton is the first Campbell wrestler to take first place at the Franklin & Marshall Open.
The Fighting Camels had a trio of second place finishers as well. Before today, … story at … GOcamels.com/Molton-takes-first-at-f-m-open-eight-camels-place
Virginia Splits Duals With Gardner-Webb, George Mason
RICHMOND, Va. – The Virginia wrestling team (4-1) split a pair of dual matches in Richmond, Va., on Saturday (Jan. 6), taking a 22-19 win over Gardner-Webb (2-3) before dropping a 18-17 dual with George Mason (8-4). The duals were wrestled at St. Christopher’s School.
DUAL 1: Virginia 22, Gardner-Webb 19
Gardner-Webb got off to a quick start in the day’s first dual, rattling off four straight wins – including a pin at 133 pounds – as the Runnin’ Bulldogs built a 15-0 lead on the Cavaliers.
Virginia then went to work, winning five of the last six weight classes with four of them producing bonus-points for the Hoos. It started with a major decision from Nick Sanko (157) before Mason Stefanelli (165) and Justin McCoy (174) posted consecutive wins by technical fall that cut the lead to one point at 15-14. Gardner-Webb then picked up one final victory with a major decision at 184 pounds, but Colden Dorfman (197) got two points late for a 6-4 decision to put the Cavaliers within striking distance with heavyweight left to wrestle. … story at … Virginiasports.com/Virginia-splits-duals-with-gardner-webb-george-mason
UNC-Pembroke Wrestling News
Wrestling Grinds Past Newberry In Conference Carolinas Action
By: Alex Pearce, Assistant Athletic Communications Director
Story Links
BOX SCORE
NEWBERRY, S.C. – 9th-ranked and visiting UNC Pembroke rattled off six straight wins to put Newberry out of striking distance and help secure a 27-15 win in Conference Carolinas wrestling action Tuesday night inside Eleazer Arena.
The Braves (7-3, 3-1 CC) moved to 7-11 all-time against the Wolves (3-2, 3-1 CC), and have now taken five of the last six duals in the matchup.
UNCP’s Logan Robinson got the Braves on the board at 133 pounds with a 13-7 decision, while Avery Buonocore followed with a pin in the 141 pound bout to give the Black & Gold the lead for good. 7th-ranked 149 pounder Jake Piccirill tasted victory with a dominating 13-1 major decision over 9th-ranked Devan Moore to make it 13-4 Braves. 6th-ranked 157 pounder and reigning Conference Carolinas Wrestler of the Week, Keegan Roberson, stayed hot with a 15-0 tech. fall win, while Caleb Grau followed it up with a 12-3 major decision in the 165 pound match. 2nd-ranked 174 pounder Scott Joll stayed perfect on the year with a 17-2 tech. fall victory to close out the scoring for the Braves.
The Braves will now head north this weekend as they take part in the Pitt-Johnstown hosted Mountain Cat Duals. … story at … UNCPbraves.com/Wrestling-grinds-past-newberry-in-conference-carolinas-action
Roberson Named Conference Carolinas Wrestler Of The Week
By: Alex Pearce, Assistant Athletic Communications Director
Story Links
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Sophomore and 6th-ranked 157 pounder Keegan Roberson added to his season’s hot start, picking up Conference Carolinas Wrestler of the Week honors, the league announced Tuesday afternoon.
Roberson posted a 4-1 record at the Citrus Invitational, while claiming a second place finish in the 157 pound bracket. The Chicago native used two first-period pins and two technical falls to make his way to the championship bout. Roberson currently sits at 22-5 on the season, with nine wins coming via pinfall. … story at … UNCPbraves.com/Roberson-named-conference-carolinas-wrestler-of-the-week
Wrestling Drops Two At Mountain Cat Duals
By: Alex Pearce, Assistant Athletic Communications Director
Story Links
JOHNSTOWN, PA. – The UNC Pembroke wrestling team suffered two defeats to nationally-ranked squads on Saturday at the Pitt-Johnstown hosted Mountain Cat Duals. UNCP’s final dual against Frostburg State was canceled due to inclement weather in the area.
The Braves will hit the mat again Saturday, January 13 as they return home to host Coker, Allen, and Davis & Elkins for a quad meet. Wrestling action will begin at 1 p.m. on Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.
#9 UNCP vs. #16 GRAND VALLEY STATE (L 24-13)
A Logan Robinson win at 133 pounds, followed by Avery Buonocore’s major decision victory in the 141 pound bout put the Braves ahead 7-4. Caleb Grau recorded a victory at 165 pounds, while second-ranked 174 pounder Scott Joll followed with another win to remain perfect on the year to cut the deficit to 14-13, but the Lakers notched decision victories in the final three bouts to close out the match.
#9 UNCP VS. #11 PITT-JOHNSTOWN (L 36-8) … story at … UNCPbraves.com/Wrestling-drops-two-at-mountain-cat-duals
Buonocore Named Conference Carolinas Wrestler Of The Week
By: Alex Pearce, Assistant Athletic Communications Director Story Links
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Freshman 141 pounder Avery Buonocore added to his impressive rookie campaign, earning Conference Carolinas Wrestler of the Week honors, the league announced Tuesday afternoon. Buonocore posted a perfect 3-0 week, racking up dual match wins over Newberry, Grand Valley State, and Pitt-Johnstown. The Wilmington native tallied a first-period pin against Newberry on Tuesday, then recorded an 11-0 major decision against Grand Valley State in the first dual match of Saturday’s Mountain Cat Duals. Buonocore closed out his perfect week with a thrilling 11-10 decision against Pitt-Johnstown, using a reversal in the final seconds of the third period to take the match. He now sits at 11-4 on the season, and has racked up seven victories via pinfall. … story at … UNCPbraves.com/Buonocore-named-conference-carolinas-wrestler-of-the-week
Other Scuffle Results
Indiana Takes Third at Southern Scuffle with Two Individual Champs
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. –––– Indiana Wrestling concluded competition at the 2024 Southern Scuffle on Tuesday night at McKenzie Arena with a program record 134 points at the event.
The Hoosiers left Chattanooga with ties for program-bests in the tournament of two individual champions and a third-place finish. It was the first time that Indiana reached either of those marks in the Southern Scuffle since 2009. Sixth-year seniors No. 24 Dan Fongaro (141) and No. 22 Graham Rooks (149) each won the bracket at their weight classes. Including those two, Indiana had seven wrestlers finish on the podium. Redshirt senior No. 10 DJ Washington (174) finished in second place. … story at … IUhoosiers.com/Indiana-takes-third-at-southern-scuffle-with-two-individual-champs
Three Trojans Podium to Produce Top-10 Team Finish at Southern Scuffle
Plus, a program-high five Trojans advanced to day two of the tournament
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Three Little Rock wrestlers placed at the Southern Scuffle tournament as the team finished within the top 10 teams for the second year in a row. Joseph Bianchi and Nasir Bailey both took third in their respective brackets, while Josiah Hill also stood on the podium in back-to-back Scuffle appearances.
In addition to the three podium finishers, two Trojans moved on to the second day of the prestigious event: Brendon Abdon and Reid Nelson. The five wrestlers together total a record number of advancements for the program, as Little Rock advanced four and placed three last season.
“A lot of our guys took advantage of their opportunities and wrestled well,” said associate head coach Javier Maldonado. “What I’m most proud of is how they responded to tough situations and tough losses. They responded to adversity the right way, went back to focusing on scoring points, and made good things happen.”
The older of the two Bianchi brothers that remain on the squad, … story at … LRtrojans.com/Three-trojans-podium-to-produce-top-10-team-finish-at-southern-scuffle
2024 SOUTHERN SCUFFLE FINAL BRACKETS
Bison Crown Two Champions, Five Climb Podium at 2024 Southern Scuffle
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Bucknell wrestling team crowned two champions and placed five on the podium on day two of the Southern Scuffle, finishing in sixth place overall with 106.5 points. The Bison were one of just four teams with two title winners. Kurt Phipps went 5-0 to claim the top spot in the 133-pound bracket, and Noah Mulvaney went 5-0 to finish first in the 165-pound bracket.
Dorian Crosby was the third Bison to reach the championship finals on Tuesday and finished runner-up at 285. Mikey Bartush (184) and Logan Deacetis (197) both fell to the consolation bracket on Monday before finishing fourth and sixth, respectively. Bucknell’s five placewinners was an improvement from the 2023 Southern Scuffle, where Phipps and Darren Miller were the team’s only wrestlers to reach the podium at fourth and fifth place. Bucknell wrestlers went a combined 33-22 overall at the two-day 2024 Southern Scuffle. … story at … Bucknellbison.com/Bison-crown-two-champions-five-climb-podium-at-2024-southern-scuffle
2023 National High School Girls Wrestling Guide Celebrates Success With Data From Every State
By Gary Abbott
USA Wrestling
USA Wrestling’s Girls High School Development Committee has released its 2023 National High School Girls Wrestling Guide to educate and inspire the nation about the explosive growth of girls high school wrestling in our nation.
This 122-page online document provides extensive history on the development of girls high school wrestling, as noted on the cover, “compiled and shared in celebration of the growth of girls wrestling across the nation.”
This guide is posted on USA Wrestling’s website, and has been provided to all of the major organizations within the wrestling community. People can view the guide in an on-line format, or download a PDF of the entire document.
The National High School Girls Wrestling Guide
The document was developed by Andrea Yamamoto and Joan Fulp of the USA Wrestling Girls High School Development Committee, with cooperation from numerous stakeholders. It was designed by accomplished graphic artist Victoria Francis, a USA Wrestling Senior World Team member with an extensive career in wrestling.
Included in the document are data from each state in the nation, including a list of 2023 state champions, the NWHOF Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award winners from the state, a list of college programs in the state, and a participation growth chart for the state in terms of high school wrestling participants and USA Wrestling membership.
Other sections include information on the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, the 2023 U.S. U17 and U20 World Teams, plus extensive national data on girls wrestling on the high school level and within USA Wrestling.
“Gratitude and Celebration are at the center of our vision for the 2023 USAW National Girls HS Wrestling Guide. We want to express our gratitude to everyone that has advocated for girls to represent their high school wrestling team, shake hands at center mat with another female competitor and enjoy the lifelong benefits of wrestling. This guide is an effort to celebrate the achievements made in scholastic girls wrestling by showcasing individual champions, award recipients, growth statistics and images of the amazing female student athletes representing their schools in action, said Yamamoto and Fulp.
Girls wrestling has become a core sport for the National Federation of State High School Associations. … story at … NWHOF.org/news/2023-national-high-school-girls-wrestling-guide-celebrates-success-with-data-from-every-state
Stanford wins Southern Scuffle title with 11 placewinners, four teams have two champions each
BY GARY ABBOTT, USA WRESTLING
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Stanford won the Southern Scuffle team title without any individual champions, dropping all three finals bouts on Tuesday night. Runners-up for Stanford were Nico Provo (125), Jason Miranda (141) and Daniel Cardenas (157). The Cardinal, which led throughout the two-day tournament, finished with 11 total placewinners, including two placers at both 157 pounds and 184 pounds.
Stanford finished with 153.5 points. Only three points separated the second-place through fourth-place teams. Oklahoma was runner-up with 136 points, Indiana was third with 134 points and Army West Point was fourth with 133 points. Northern Colorado came in fifth with 110.5 points.
Four teams finished with two individual champions, Indiana, Oklahoma, Indiana, Northern Colorado and Bucknell.
Oklahoma individual champions were Stephen Buchanan (197) and Josh Heindselman (285). Buchanan poured it on in a 16-1 technical fall over Kyle Haas of Oklahoma State. Heindselman defeated Dorian Crosby of Bucknell, 7-3 in the finals. By winning the last two finals, OU was able to slip into second place as a team.
Indiana champions were Dan Fongaro (141) and Graham Rooks (149). Fongaro beat Stanford’s Miranda, 6-4 in the finals, while Rooks scored a takedown in sudden victory to defeat Cody Bond of Appalachian State, 4-1. Claiming titles for Northern Colorado were Stevo Poulin (125) and Vinny Zerban (157), both defeating Stanford opponents in the finals. Poulin stopped Provo, 6-5, while Zerban scored a takedown in sudden victory to defeat Cardenas, 8-5. Bucknell champions were Kurt Phillips (133) and Noah Mulvaney (165). Phipps got an escape and riding time to defeat Dom Serrano of Northern Colorado, 2-0, while Mulvaney handled Army’s Gunner Filipowicz, 11-5.
Other individual champions were Ben Patrick of Army West Point (174) and Jha’quan Anderson of Gardner-Webb (184). Pasiuk got … story at … Themat.com/Stanford-wins-southern-scuffle-title-with-11-placewinners-four-teams-have-two-champions-each
Iowa wrestling wins big at Soldier Salute, AJ Ferrari gets heated, DQ’d
There were certainly some fireworks in Coralville during the finals of the Solider Salute wrestling tournament on Saturday evening.
The Hawkeye men dominated the event, coming away with the overall team victory and seven individual titles. Gabe Arnold, a Hawkeye freshman who was wrestling unattached, also won a title at 174. But the biggest talking point anybody will take away from the tournament is what happened in the finals of the match of the 197 weight class. It seemed as though AJ Ferrari, who was competing unattached, was going to take home the title, defeating Iowa’s Zach Glazier 197. Shortly after time ran out in the bout, Ferrari slightly pushed down on the back of Glazier’s head. In response, Glazier grabbed and pulled on Ferrari’s upper leg. That’s when Ferrari attempted a punch at Glazier and proceeded to show the Hawkeye his middle finger.
That act got Ferrari disqualified and gave Glazier the title at 197. As Ferrari was walking off the arena floor he did a split and gave two middle fingers to the crowd, much to the displeasure of the Hawkeye faithful in attendance who showered him with boos. Ferrari is a former national champion at Oklahoma State. He was removed from the Cowboys’ roster in July of 2022 and has faced legal issues, though the charge against him was dismissed. He’s been out of the sport for nearly two years, but on December 27 he took a recruiting visit to Iowa. His younger brother, Angelo, is committed and signed to the Hawkeyes as one of the top wrestlers in the class of 2024. His other brother, Anthony, is also committed to Iowa. and has been in Iowa City practicing and working out in the wrestling facility since as early as May 12, according to his Instagram page.
Anthony’s antics earlier in the evening may have been where the ordeal with AJ started. Wrestling in the 149-pound finals against Iowa’s Caleb Rathjen, he suffered two takedowns en route to a 7-2 loss. After the final whistle was blown, Anthony Ferrari gave a shove to the back of Rathjen. Rathjen, an Ankeny native, took exception. He looked back toward Anthony Ferrari and taunted by flexing like Anthony’s older brother AJ, who is known for flexing after wins.
Anthony has also dealt with legal issues like AJ, getting a one-year deferred sentence on counts of assaulting two people in July 2022. According to the Stillwater News Press, he entered nolo contendere pleas. Anthony was also booed following his shove of a Hawkeye, while Rathjen’s gestures to Iowa fans were cheered. In prior matches, fans let loose their loudest cheers in Xtream Arena for the Ferrari brothers until the conflicts began. Then, the ones with Iowa singlets were the fan favorites. … story at … Hawkcentral.com/Iowa-wrestling-wins-big-at-solider-salute-aj-ferrari-gets-disqualified
Wisconsin’s Hamiti named OW, Penn earns first Ken Kraft Midlands Championships team title
BY RICHARD IMMEL, USA WRESTLING
HOFMANN ESTATES, Ill. – A stellar set of finals on Saturday evening concluded the 59th Ken Kraft Midlands Championships at NOW Arena—Wisconsin’s Dean Hamiti was presented with the Jack Leese Champion of Champions Award and the Dan Gable Outstanding Wrestler Award after earning the 165-pound title, while the Penn Quakers bagged the programs first team title at the prestigious holiday event. Already a two-time NCAA All-American and Big Ten champion for head coach Chris Bono and the Badgers, Hamiti looked every big a NCAA title contender as he blitzed the 165-pound bracket with three pins on Friday, followed up by a pair of shutout major decisions in the semis and finals. It was a 12-0 win over West Virginia’s Peyton Hall, a three-time NCAA qualifier and 2022 All-American, that cemented Hamiti’s claim as the event’s top wrestler.
Wisconsin picked up a second individual champion from 184-pound graduate transfer Shane Liegel who was a four-time NCAA Div. III All-American and national champion at Loras College. He fought to a 9-6 win in sudden victory against Penn’s Maximus Hale in the championship bout.
The only program to match Wisconsin’s two champions was Lehigh, who bagged first place finishes from NCAA All-American Michael Beard at 197 pounds and true freshman Luke Stanich at 125 pounds. Beard ousted two-time NCAA qualifier Luke Stout of Princeton in a 15-0 final. Stanich, who wrestled unattached, needed overtime tiebreakers to surpass Elijah Griffin of Cal Baptist in an exciting 8-7 championship contest. An upstart West Virginia crew was the lone team to push three athletes into the finals and picked up a stunning win at 141 pounds. NCAA qualifier Jordan Titus decked All-American and No. 1 seed CJ Composto of Penn 18-3 to bring home the title. In addition to Hall and Titus, the Mountaineers saw freshman Ty Watters make the finals. The two-time Pennsylvania state champion was topped by unseeded, unattached competitor Ty Whalen in a 5-1 final at 149 pounds.
Reigning U23 World champion Isaac Trumble of North Carolina State looked every bit a contender at heavyweight this weekend. He posted three pins and a major decision prior to a 2-1 win in the finals over No. 1 seed Luke Luffman of Illinois, who is a three-time NCAA qualifier. 2017 Cadet World bronze medalist and two-time NCAA All-American Jacori Teemer of Arizona State earned a five-point win over defending Midlands champion Trevor Chumbley of Northwestern in the 157-pound finals. Two-time age-group U.S. World Team member Dylan Ragusin, wrestling unattached for Michigan at 133 pounds, and NCAA qualifier Edmond Ruth of Illinois round out the list of individual champions.
Although it didn’t gain an individual champion, the Penn collective put up 127.5 team points with eight place winners. Wisconsin pushed up to second place with a strong day two at 104.5 team points. West Virginia found itself in third place with 100.5 team points. … story at … Themat.com/Wisconsin-s-hamiti-named-ow-penn-earns-first-ken-kraft-midlands-championships-team-title
And
Two High School Freshmen Win Midlands Championships
Ten high schoolers placed in the top five at Midlands, including freshmen champions Kayla Batres and Taina Fernandez
It’s one thing to win the Midlands Championships. It’s another to do it as a high school freshman. That’s what prep stars Kayla Batres and Taina Fernadez did in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, on Saturday. Batres won the 109-pound bracket with a 7-2 win over McKendree NCWWC (NCAA) champion Pauline Granados, a 10-4 win over prep star Rianne Murphy in the semis before securing a 4-2 win over Lock Haven’s Kaelani Shufeldt in the finals. Shufeldt is a returning All-American who recently placed fourth at US Nationals to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Trials.
Fernandez blitzed through the 130-pound bracket with 10-0 techs over Jimena Serna of Morton and Nichole Moore of McKendree. Moore is a 2022 U23 National champion, a 2023 U23 World teamer, and a two-time NAIA All-American for Baker.
The Bowie, Maryland, native notched a 12-1 tech over Aurora’s top-seeded Lexi Janiak, a 2023 U20 World bronze medalist and 2023 NCWWC (NCAA) finalist, before defeating North Central All-American Salome Walker, 10-0, in the finals. … story at … Flowrestling.org/Two-high-school-freshmen-win-midlands-championships
NCAA Division I Team Holiday Notes
EIWA Weekly Recap (12/26/2023)
Below is a recap of last week’s EIWA action, with individual news and highlights worth noting.
Key Takeaways
- Navy shuts out American to remain undefeated
- Binghamton wrestlers claim 5 titles between the Sheridan Tournament and Wilkes Open
- Lehigh claims 3 champs at Sheridan Tournament
- Hofstra goes undefeated 3-0 on the weekend
American
American faced off against EIWA foe Navy at home. Although American did not win any matches, they almost pulled out three wins – two of them would have been potential upsets. We did not see #15 Jack Maida compete in the match. Leete lost in overtime to #22 Ferretti at 133 lbs while Bourne lost to #27 Key at 184 lbs.
#16 Navy 38 – American 0
125 – Dayton DelViscio (Navy) dec. Shamil Kalmatov (AU), 11-10 (Navy 3-0)
133 – #22 Brendan Ferretti (Navy) dec. Maximilian Leete (AU), 4-1 SV (Navy 6-0)
141 – #19 Josh Koderhandt (Navy) major dec. Raymond Lopez (AU), 14-5 (Navy 10-0) … story at … Intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/eiwa/eiwa-weekly-recap
NCAA DI Rankings Updated (12/26/2023)
NCAA DI Rankings have been updated today; however, there was very little movement since the last update. Because of Collegiate Duals, the previous week’s rankings were posted on Wednesday. Since then, there were a few duals along with the Sheridan Invite and the Wilkes Open. The Sheridan Invite provided some movement at 141 lbs as Mitch Moore maintained his perfect record and defeated Malyke Hines. Central Michigan’s Corbyn Munson won the 149 lb bracket and Graham Rooks lost to a pair of Lehigh wrestlers. Also at the Sheridan, Ben Pasiuk moved back down to 174 lbs. Pasiuk was an EIWA finalist at the weight in 2023. … story at … Intermatwrestle.com/NCAA-di-rankings-updated-12262023
2023-24 NCAA DI Rankings
125 – Anthony Noto
Keeping with the theme at 125 this season – we have another new number 1! Anthony Noto takes over the top spot after defeating Jakob Camacho. On top of the loss to Noto, Camacho also took losses to Brendan McCrone and Trever Anderson. Camacho falls to #12 after losing to but is kept from dropping further because of his wins over Matt Ramos and Ethan Berginc on the year.
McCrone moves up to #22 but is kept from rising higher due to losses on the year to Colton Camacho, Tanner Jordan, Jore Volk, Tristan Lujan, and Nick Babin. Trever Anderson moves up to #23 for his win over Jakob Camacho but stays behind Brendan McCrone because of the head to head loss. While Camacho does have a win over McCrone, he also just lost to Kysen Terukina and has other losses on the year to unranked Luke Stanich, Evan Tallamadge, Drew West, and Jax Forrest. Camacho comes into the rankings for his win over Ungar but climb higher because of the aforementioned losses. … story at … Flowrestling.org/rankings/NCAA-di-rankings/47573-125-anthony-noto
Virginia Tech’s Caleb Henson Delivering On Big Expectations
Coming off a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships as a true freshman, Virginia Tech’s Caleb Henson is off to a 17-1 start as a sophomore
The kid’s only a sophomore but his name has been in the rankings and in the news for so long that one could believe he’s a senior. And the way Virginia Tech’s Caleb Henson wrestles very easily could lead one to that same assumption. Henson, the nation’s second-ranked 149-pounder, is 17-1 thus far this season after compiling a 27-5 record that included an ACC title and a fifth-place NCAA finish last year. He became the first freshman in Virginia Tech history to win a conference title and achieve All-America status. With 50 matches already on his win-loss spreadsheet, to say winning has become the standard for the Cartersville, Georgia, native would be an understatement. He went 6-2 at last season’s NCAAs, beating the numbers 6, 7, 8 and 11 seeds from his 4-seed slot. And he built a 16-bout win streak this season before coming out on the short end of a 4-3 decision against Nebraska’s top-ranked Ridge Lovett in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational finals. “That’s the top competition, so that’s what I’m striving for and that’s who I’m looking to wrestle, and I definitely think it’s a good thing to wrestle the guys I’m gonna wrestle at the end of the year, so it doesn’t bother me,” Henson said. “I enjoy it.”
The key to the CKLV final, Henson said, was not being able to finish shots consistently. … story at … Flowrestling.org/Virginia-techs-caleb-henson-delivering-on-big-expectations
Big 12 Midseason Stock Report (Part One)
With the first semester of competition flying by, we are starting to get a better idea of where these teams lie. Some have impressed early, while others are still looking to develop and finish the season stronger. January tends to be a heavy competition month and will give teams another opportunity to improve. I’ll be trying to identify how teams’ stocks have changed since the start of the season, and highlighting a wrestler that is lower in the rankings or unranked that should have an impact for their team throughout the year. All of these are relative to expectations at the start of the year and based on team performance. Air Force (Overall: 2-2; Conference: 0-2): Slight Stock Up
Wrestler To Watch: Joe Fernau – 149lbs
Led by #2 Wyatt Hendrickson, Air Force’s stock has taken a small bump since the start of the season. Tucker Owens has taken a hit, falling out of the rankings during a recent losing streak. A 2023 qualifier, he’ll have multiple ranked matches coming up, and I think he finds a way back to the NCAA tournament. Giano Petrucelli looks to have made a jump in his senior year, with impressive wins over Antrell Taylor and Noah Mulvaney helping him climb the rankings. … story at … Intermatwrestle.com/Big-12-midseason-stock-report-part-one
Ohio State Wrestling Bounces Back In Big Way After Defeat
After an upset loss at home to Pittsburgh, Ohio State wrestling rebounded in Nashville by winning all three of its duals, including a win over NC State
Tom Ryan believes losses have the potential to serve as wake-up calls — lessons his wrestlers would prefer learning differently. As such, Ryan wasn’t overly concerned about his team’s first dual meet defeat of the season when the Buckeyes (7-1) fell to Pittsburgh on Dec. 10. It appears that setback fueled Ohio State’s performance Dec. 19 in Nashville at the Collegiate Duals. The Buckeyes defeated Northern Iowa (26-7), Lock Haven (28-9), and second-ranked NC State (21-20) to bring home the title. “There’s something searing about a loss,” Ryan said. “You inspect things more deeply and I think that happened with our team after Pitt.”
Did winning the title in Nashville provide balm to any doubts the loss to Pittsburgh may have inflicted? “Of course, we were happy with the end result, but I still don’t think we wrestled incredibly well,” Ryan said. “There were some really strong performances and there were some head-scratchers. The team as a whole is still young, and still learning. … story at … Flowrestling.org/Ohio-state-wrestling-bounces-back-in-big-way-after-defeat
UNC-Pembroke Roberson Named Conference Carolinas Wrestler Of The Week
By: Alex Pearce, Assistant Athletic Communications Director
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Sophomore and 6th-ranked 157 pounder Keegan Roberson added to his season’s hot start, picking up Conference Carolinas Wrestler of the Week honors, the league announced Tuesday afternoon.
Roberson posted a 4-1 record at the Citrus Invitational, while claiming a second place finish in the 157 pound bracket. The Chicago native used two first-period pins and two technical falls to make his way to the championship bout. Roberson currently sits at 22-5 on the season, with nine wins coming via pinfall.
Roberson and the Braves are back in action tonight, January 2 as they head to Newberry, S.C. to take on Newberry in a Conference Carolinas dual match. Wrestling action is set to begin at 7 p.m. inside Eleazer Arena. … story at … UNCPbraves.com/Roberson-named-conference-carolinas-wrestler-of-the-week
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
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