No. 7 Ohio State Wins Season Opener at No. 3 Virginia Tech, 24-12
COLUMBUS, Ohio — No. 7 Ohio State (1-0) defeated No. 3 Virginia Tech (0-1) Friday at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Virginia. The Buckeyes got victories from four freshmen, including a pin by Ryder Rogotzke, a true freshman, at 184, to take the Top 10 match from the Hokies, 24-12. Redshirt freshmen Brendan McCrone (125), Luke Geog (197) and Nick Feldman (HWT) also posted wins.
McCrone had the upset of the match with a major decision victory (11-3) over No. 4 Eddie Ventresca in the opening bout of the match.
How it Happened
125 – Brendan McCrone (OSU) def. No. 4 Eddie Ventresca (VT) | MD, 11-3
Ventresca scored first with a takedown for at 3-0 lead. McCrone earned a point with an escape near the end of the first to make it 3-1 Virginia Tech. McCrone made it 3-2 with another escape to start the second. McCrone then got the late takedown and a four-point near fall in the second to make it 9-3 Buckeyes. The redshirt freshman Buckeye kept the pressure up in the third to come away with the upset and the 11-3 win by major decision. McCrone got a point for riding time and another for three cautions called against Ventresca.
133 – No. 7 Sam Latona (VT) def. No. 14 Nic Bouzakis (OSU) | D, 7-5
Latona ended the first period with a takedown to lead 3-0. Bouzakis escaped to start the second to make it 3-1 in favor of the Hokies. Neither wrestler added points the remainder of the second. Latona chose down to open the third and added a point with an escape to make it 4-1. Latona added a take down. Bouzakis added an escape and takedown but Latona won by decision, 7-5.
141 – No. 5 Jesse Mendez (OSU) def. Hunter Mason (VT) | TF, 18-3
Mendez opened with a takedown for a 3-0 lead and then made it 9-3 quickly with another pair of takedowns. The period ended with Mendez in the lead 16-3 after another takedown and a four-point near fall. The second period ended with Mendez up 18-3 after a two-point near fall for the win by technical fall, 18-3. … rest of story at … Ohiostatebuckeyes.com/Wrestling-no-7-ohio-state-at-no-3-virginia-tech-live-updates
HUSKERS DOMINATE CAMELS BEHIND FOUR TECHNICAL FALLS
Lincoln – The No. 9 Nebraska wrestling team routed the Campbell Camels, 37-4, in front of a crows of 2,527 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Friday night.
The matchup began at 184 pounds, where No. 9 Lenny Pinto started off strong for the Huskers, recording a takedown in the first period to make the score 3-1. In the second period, Caleb Hopkins notched a takedown of his own to take a 5-3 lead. Pinto continued to trail by two but with less than 10 seconds left in the bout, Pinto grabbed another takedown to claim the victory, 6-5. At 197, No. 7 Silas Allred faced off against Levi Hopkins. Allred got off to a fast start in the opening period, posting two takedowns and an escape to take a 7-4 lead. In the second period, the Husker sophomore recorded another takedown and an escape to go into the final period with an 11-5 advantage. The two fought evenly in the third period and Allred grabbed the 11-6 victory. In the heavyweight division, Campbell’s No. 15-ranked Taye Ghadiali took control over NU’s Harley Andrews in the second and third periods after Andrews scored the first takedown of the match. Ghadiali grasped the Camels’ first victory of the night with a 24-12 major decision. No. 13 Caleb Smith got the Big Red back on track at 125. He notched a takedown in the first period to take a 3-1 lead over the Camels’ Zander Phaturos. The two fought evenly in the second period and the score remained 3-1. Smith tallied a takedown and an escape in the third period and used a riding time advantage to nab the 8-2 decision.
At 133, No. 31 Jake Van Dee continued the Husker momentum with a 10-2 victory over Logan Hile. The Nebraska redshirt freshman recorded two takedowns in the first period to grab a 6-1 edge. He notched an escape in the second period to increase the lead to 7-1. Van Dee used a reversal and riding time edge to claim the major decision, 13-4. … rest of story … Huskers.com/Huskers-dominate-camels-behind-four-technical-falls
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Wrestling: Huskers Smash Campbell 37-4 in Home Opener
Nebraska put on a dominant effort in front of dozens of former Husker wrestlers in its season opener Friday night at the Devaney Center. The 9th-ranked Huskers mowed through Campbell 37-4, putting up points in bunches along the way. No slouch, Campbell is in the “others receiving votes” part of the rankings. Make no mistake, the way Nebraska handled the Fighting Camels shows how good this team is. … rest of story … Cornnation.com/Wrestling-huskers-smash-campbell-37-4-in-home-opener
College Women’s Results
Montreat Women’s Wrestling Goes 1-1 at Life Duals
MARIETTA, Ga.— The Montreat women’s wrestling team matched up against two schools at the Life Duals in Marietta, Ga. Friday afternoon. Facing Marymount University and Siena Heights University, the Cavs split their duals, resulting in a 1-1 team record to start the season.
The Cavaliers started their afternoon with a win over Marymount. After a pair of double forfeits, Mariah Gonzalez recorded a 12-2 tech fall victory at 116 to put Montreat up 4-1. Charlotte Wheeler then made it 8-1 with a 10-0 tech fall at 130. Though the Cavs fell in the final of the three contested bouts, they picked up their first victory of the year with an 8-6 final.
In the second and final matchup, Montreat faced Siena Heights, a team also receiving votes in the national poll. An early pin gave the Saints a 5-0 edge before Trinity Howard answered with a fall of her own to level the score at five through the 123-lb battle. Following a pin and tech fall in favor of SHU, Nicole Lewis brought the Cavaliers within five with an 11-0 tech fall; however, two more double forfeits resulted in a 14-9 concluding scoreline.
“This was a great opportunity to get warmed up for tomorrow. … rest of story at … Montreatcavaliers.com/Womens-wrestling-womens-wrestling-goes-1-1-at-life-duals
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Women’s Wrestling Capture First Ever Win at Dual Meet
Emory, VA – Bluefield State University Women’s Wrestling program won their first-ever dual meet on Thursday evening over Southwest Virginia CC on the strength of two pins, a technical fall, and four forfeits.
Gracelyn Hanson and Raelie Hernandez opened the scoring, receiving a pair of forfeits. Caitlyn Ash, moving up a weight to 136, used a counter and then a half nelson to score a pin. Malia Cook earned her third victory of the year with a first period fall of her own. Hannah Mae Catungal earned her fifth win of the year on the strength of a technical fall, her second of the year. Charniece McClarence got her hand raised at 170, and Tayla Grove, normally a 155, bumped up to 191 lbs to get a win. “This was pretty cool. To be fortunate enough to be on the bench while these young women made Bluefield State history is a kind of blessing” said Sam Gardner. “They are hard workers, dedicated, scrappy, and fun. I’m lucky I have the opportunity to work with them. Caitlyn showed me what I thought she was capable of after moving up a class from last week. Malia tried a move we’d been working on in practice and missed it, but she didn’t let it bother her. She picked herself up, stayed on the attack, and got the pin. … rest of story at … GObstate.com/General-womens-wrestling-capture-first-ever-win-at-dual-meet
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McDaniel College to Add Women’s Wrestling in Fall 2024
WESTMINSTER, Md. – McDaniel College has announced the addition of women’s wrestling to the intercollegiate athletics program. The team is slated to start competition in the fall of 2024 and increase the total number of athletic teams at McDaniel to 25.
One of the fastest-growing sports in high school, women’s wrestling is rapidly expanding at the collegiate level. According to the National Wrestling Coaches Association, the number of female high school wrestlers has exploded from just 804 in 1994 to more than 50,000 in 2023. In addition, the National Federation of State High School Associations reports that the number of high school girls participating in wrestling has increased 55% since 2021-22. Today, 44 states offer separate state wrestling championships for girls.
At the collegiate level, women’s wrestling is currently offered at 169 institutions and became an NCAA emerging sport in 2020-21. Based on the most recent participation rate, women’s wrestling is on track to become the NCAA’s 91st NCAA championship and is the highlighted sport among the six existing NCAA Emerging Sports for Women.
McDaniel’s women’s wrestling program will become the 61st Division III program, the third Centennial Conference program, and the first Division III collegiate program in Maryland. McDaniel’s women’s program will be developed under the leadership of Head Men’s and Women’s Wrestling Coach Mason Goretsas. … rest of story … Mcdanielathletics.com/Womens-wrestling-mcdaniel-college-to-add-womens-wrestling-in-fall-2024
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Iowa women host historic first home event Sunday, with three other Div. I teams in the Trailblazer Duals
The wrestling community celebrated when the University of Iowa announced that it would be the first Div. I Power Five program to sponsor women’s wrestling. When they hired World champion and Olympic medalist Clarissa Chun to be its head coach, anticipation built. Last year, a strong set of recruits redshirted for a year, in preparation for Iowa’s first women’s wrestling college season.
The wait is over. The Iowa women’s wrestling team will host its first competition as a varsity women’s program on Sunday at the Trailblazer Duals, welcoming the other three NCAA Div. I programs to historic Carver-Hawkeye Arena: Presbyterian College, Sacred Heart University and Lindenwood University. You can sense the importance of this moment just listening to Coach Chun talk about Sunday “I am really excited. I don’t know what to expect with the crowd coming out for a women’s wrestling event. When I initially got announced in Carver Hawkeye Arena, there was so much excitement, and there still is, … rest of story … Themat.com/news/Iowa-women-host-historic-first-home-event-sunday-with-three-other-div-i-teams-in-the-trailblazer-duals
2023 Journeymen Collegiate Classic Brackets, Rankings, & Schedule
The Journeymen Collegiate Classic features 30 ranked wrestlers this year. Here are the brackets, rankings, and a schedule for this year’s loaded event
The Journeymen Collegiate Classic is a staple in the first month of the NCAA wrestling season. This year’s event features stars from #1 Penn State, #5 Cornell, #7 Arizona State, #9 NC State, and more. All of this year’s ranked wrestlers are listed below along with complete pools and a schedule for the event.
2023 Journeymen Collegiate Classic
Over 30 Ranked Wrestlers, 10 In The Top 4
This year’s Journeymen Collegiate Classic field is loaded with 30 ranked wrestlers including 10 who are ranked in the top four in their respective weight classes. Complete NCAA rankings are available here.
125 Pool A – #7 Brett Ungar, Cornell
125 Pool A – #27 Diego Sotelo, Harvard
125 Pool B – #30 Robert Howard, Penn State
133 Pool A – #1 Vito Arujau, Cornell
133 Pool A – #6 Connor McGonagle, Lehigh
133 Pool A – #7 Michael Colaiocco, Penn
133 Pool A – #25 Mason Leiphart, Franklin & Marshall
141 Pool A – #2 Beau Bartlett, Penn State
141 Pool A – #21 Jesse Vasquez, ASU
141 Pool A – #7 CJ Composto, Penn
141 Pool A – #10 Vince Cornella, Cornell
141 Pool B – #11 Malyke Hines, Lehigh … rest of story … Flowrestling.org/2023-journeymen-collegiate-classic-brackets-rankings-schedule
Oklahoma State-NC State Wrestling Dual Altered
STILLWATER – The wrestling dual between Oklahoma State and NC State has been changed from a neutral site matchup to a home-and-home series contested at campus sites, it was announced today.
The dual was originally scheduled to take place at Naval Air Station Sigonella in Sicily on December 30, but the two programs mutually decided on the change. Oklahoma State will now travel to Raleigh to face the Wolfpack on January 5, 2024 with NC State making a return trip to Stillwater at a date to be determined.
For more information on Cowboy Wrestling, visit okstate.com or @CowboyWrestling on X.
OKstate.com/news/cowboy-wrestling-oklahoma-state-nc-state-wrestling-dual-altered
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Wolfpack Wrestling and Oklahoma State to Compete in Home and Home Duals
Two of nation’s top programs to meet in Reynolds on Jan. 5
NC State and OklahomaState, two of the most successful programs in college wrestling, will square off in homeand home duals in 2024 and 2025. The Cowboys will compete in Raleighon Jan. 5, 2024, and the Wolfpack will make the trip to Stillwater in 2025. The teams were originally slated to compete in Italy in December but decided jointly to replace that matchup with the home and home competitions. The Wolfpack entered the season with nine straight top-20 NCAA finishes, including back-to-back top 10 finishes in 2022 and 2023. The Cowboys, who have won five national titles under renowned head coach John Smith, finished 18th. In this week’s NWCA Coaches Poll, the Pack is ranked third nationally while the Cowboys sit at 11th.
NC State head coach PatPopolizio, now in his 12th season at the helm of the program, competed for Smith at Oklahoma State from 1998-2002, helping lead the Cowboys to top-five national finishes in each of his four seasons with the program. “We’re very excited about the opportunity for two of the top programs in college wrestling to compete in front of the two best fanbases in college wrestling,” said Wolfpack head coach Pat Popolizio. “Oklahoma State has a rich and successful history with 34 NCAA titles and it’s huge for our program to bring a team of that caliber to Reynolds. I know the atmosphere will be electric.” … rest of story and details at … GOpack.com/Wolfpack-wrestling-and-oklahoma-state-to-compete-in-home-and-home-duals
A look at the 13 new rules in college wrestling this season
With wrestling season just around the corner, there have been some changes that fans should know about. The NCAA has made 13 rule changes regarding things as small as facial hair to changes in how a match is scored.
Facial hair
There is no restriction for facial hair on wrestlers.
Medical forfeits
The first medical forfeit results in a loss on the wrestler’s individual season record. The exception is when a medical forfeit occurs immediately following an injury default. This new rule discourages wrestlers from using the medical forfeit when not injured. Before, wrestlers could medically forfeit, and their record would not be affected.
Mat-side video review
The referee now has the authority to confirm or overturn all calls or missed calls during a video-review challenge. Previously, if points were scored from each wrestler in a situation when a challenge occurred, and the scoring of the match was changed during the review, all points after the challenged call were removed for either wrestler. Now, points scored after a review change may be kept or scored differently. Coach’s video-review challenge
Eliminates the control of mat violation and team-point deduction for a delayed video review.
Hand-touch takedown
Previously, if a wrestler touched the mat with a hand from the rear standing positions, a takedown would be awarded. Now, wrestlers are awarded reaction time in all positions.
Near fall
A three near-fall points option has been added this year. Wrestlers can now earn two points for two seconds, three points for three seconds and four points for four seconds.
Takedown scoring
Takedowns are now worth three points instead of two. This rewards the wrestler willing to be more offensive.
Tournament team scoring
True placement matches cannot alter the final team score.
Assessing match penalties
Removes the required match stoppage after a wrestler is penalized for an illegal hold when there is no presence of injury.
Waist and ankle ride stalling
Expands the five-second count to include all situations in which the offensive/advantaged wrestler grabs the bottom wrestler’s ankle.
On-the-mat stalling
Specifies the offensive wrestler must work toward obtaining near-fall points and/or pin to avoid stalling. … rest of story and rule changes at … Ocolly.com/big12sports/A-look-at-the-13-new-rules-in-college-wrestling-this-season
Wrestling in Mississippi!
Oak Grove High School debuts wrestling team
PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) – An old sport has made its debut in Oak Grove.
Thursday night, the high school hosted its first ever wrestling match.
“The kids here are the ones that wanted a wrestling program,” Oak Grove coach Brandon Lozdoski said. “We kind of found each other, in a sense. A group of students wanted a wrestling team. They found me as a coach through the local gym, and I accepted the job.”
Lozdoski moved to the Pine Belt from Detroit and noticed a lack of wrestling programs throughout the state. He gauged enough interest to start the Oak Grove program, but the team’s closest competition is outside of the Pine Belt. “We travel about an hour, hour-and-a-half each time,” Lozdoski said. “We got Mendenhall as the closest to the north. And in the south, you got programs in Ocean Springs and Vancleave. “We are really just trying to build in this community. Mendenhall is the closest I can get.”
The team practices for about two hours each day, and the sport is something senior Jaren Spiers has been missing. “I’m originally from Utah, and I grew up wrestling for about 10 years,” he said. “It’s always been a part of my life, and I’ve really missed it every since.” Spiers says after about five years away from the sport, it didn’t take long for him to get back in the groove. “There’s a few things that I needed to learn, but all of my old techniques came back to me pretty easily.”
With the program still new to the area, Lozdoski says the team is having to adjust its expectations.
“It’s a sport that takes a lot of accountability, and you have to be disciplined,” he said. “These kids aren’t used to holding themselves to a weight limit. You’ve got to know what you’re eating. You’ve got to know what you weigh before you go to bed. You’ve got to know what you’re putting in your body.”
Coaches say they hope the team will inspire other Pine Belt schools to add wrestling. … rest of story and video at … WDAM.com/Oak-grove-high-school-debuts-new-wrestling-team
Five Things You Need To Know About NCAA Division II Wrestling This Season
Seven of the 10 NCAA Division II wrestling champions from last season are back, including a upperweight duo that led Central Oklahoma to a national title.
No division in college wrestling has seen more turnover at the top in recent years than Division II. Three different schools have won titles in the past three seasons and the top-four team trophies have been split between perennial powers and upstarts that are quickly establishing themselves as title contenders.
Here’s a look at what to watch this season:
Team To Beat
Central Oklahoma ran away with the national title in March, finishing 43 points ahead of second-place Lander, and the Bronchos are in pursuit of a repeat in 2024. Coach Todd Steidley’s roster includes five returning All-Americans, led by two-time national champion Dalton Abney (197) and reigning heavyweight champ Shawn Streck. Abney is a three-time national finalist with a 76-6 career record. He’ll anchor the lineup until Streck returns in the second semester. Additionally, the Bronchos return All-Americans Dylan Lucas (141), Gabe Johnson (157), and Anthony DesVigne at 184 pounds. “No one has won it this year and we don’t have anything to defend,” Steidley said. “We’re moving forward with that mindset and trying to be prepared for March.”
Top Contenders
Lander, West Liberty and St. Cloud State figure to be in the title chase in March. In its fourth season of competition, Lander surged to a runner-up finish. There’s no more flying under the radar for the Bearcats, especially with a roster that includes 2022 national champion Zeth Brower (141) and returning All-Americans James Joplin (125), Elijah Lusk (133), David Hunsberger (165) and Juan Edmond-Holmes (285). “We know we are going to get everybody’s best shot every time they compete against someone in a Lander singlet,” Lander coach R.C. LaHaye said. “We are using that as motivation to do all of the little things right so when they start shootin’ we’re ready.”
Coach Danny Irwin has had the West Liberty Hilltoppers on the doorstep to a title in recent years. They finished fourth in 2021, third in 2022 and sixth this past season. The Hilltoppers hope this is the year they put all the pieces together and take home a title.
West Liberty is led by returning 184-pound national champion Ty McGeary. He’ll be joined by returning All-Americans Vincent Scollo (133) and Alec Cook (165). West Liberty also has high expectations for returning national qualifiers Jamar Williams (157) and Francesco Borsellino (285). Perennial contender St. Cloud State expects to be in the title race once again in 2024. The Huskies are coming off a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships — eighth straight top-four finish at the national tournament.
Coach Steve Constanzo’s team is led by returning champion Nick Novak at 157 pounds. … rest of story at Flowrestling.org/Five-things-you-need-to-know-about-ncaa-division-ii-wrestling-this-season…
UNC WRESTLING SWEEPS DUALS OVER BUFFALO, NO. 13 ARIZONA STATE
BETHLEHEM, PA. – The North Carolina wrestling program swept its matches Saturday at WrangleMania, defeating Buffalo (32-7) and No. 13 Arizona State (22-16). To start the day against the Bulls, Carolina won eight of 10 matches in the dual, highlighted by back-to-back falls early and one technical fall to close the matchup. Caden McCrary (133) and Lachlan McNeil (141) sparked the Tar Heels early, with consecutive first period pins. Making his season debut, Cade Lautt (285) capped off the victory for Carolina with the tech fall. The group of Spencer Moore (125), Jayden Scott (149), Danny Nini (157), Gavin Kane (184) and Max Shaw (197) all were victorious by decision.
Against the Sun Devils, Carolina collected two major decisions, one technical fall, one injury default and one decision in the effort. Moore (125), McNeil (141), Sonny Santiago (157), Shaw (197) and Lautt (285) finished on the winning side for the Tar Heels. … complete match scores at … GOheels.com/wrestling-sweeps-duals-over-buffalo-no-13-arizona-state
#1 Lander Wrestling Places Ten at Mountaineer Open
BOONE, N.C. – The top-ranked Lander Wrestling team opened tournament season on Saturday as they took part in the Mountaineer Open hosted by App State. The Bearcats brought 13 wrestlers and had ten of them place in the top four against a field filled with Division I athletes, including four first place finishes by Anthony Yacovetti, Brandon Matthews, David Hunsberger, and Juan Edmond-Holmes.
#10 Anthony Yacovetti had a dominant day as he placed first in the 197-pound class by recording three pins in all three of his matches. He opened the tournament with a pin of Edison Flores of Gardner-Webb in 5:27. He followed that up with a 26-second pin of Amarion Wilson of Greensboro College and then pinned Gunnar Polle of App State in 4:14.
#12 Brandon Matthews had three bonus point wins as well in his first-place run. After a 2:08 pin of Luke Gregory of Greensboro College he recorded back to back shutout tech falls of wrestlers from Gardner-Webb and North Carolina.
#2 Hunsberger had to pins in less than 45 seconds in his first two matches and followed that up with a 18-2 tech fall and a 20-11 major decision over Nick Grizales from App State.
#2 Holmes also had bonus point wins in all of his matches as he finished 3-0 with a 17-1 tech fall, a 16-3 major decision, and a 1:07 pin.
Isham Peace, Jack Tangen, Kaden Kuenzi, and Nate Bukovich each placed second for the Bearcats.
Peace followed up his pin against Limestone with back to back pins to open the day before falling in a narrow 4-2 decision in the finals.
Kuenzi picked up a 36-second pin in his first match and followed that up with a 5-2 decision in the semifinals before dropping in the finals in a 7-2 decision. … rest of story at … Landerbearcats.com/Lander-wrestling-places-ten-at-mountaineer-invitational
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 