Iowa Wrestling’s Attendance Figures Are Staggering!
Iowa is the gold standard for college wrestling dual attendance — and the Hawkeyes have numbers to prove it.
If numbers are your thing, then the University of Iowa’s average dual attendance figures will leave you in awe. The Hawkeyes averaged over 14,000 per home dual for the second year in a row, and have averaged over 10,000 during five of the past seven seasons (not including the 2021 COVID year where fans weren’t allowed).
The past two seasons stand high above the rest considering that the 2015-16 season received a bump from the Grapple on the Gridiron, which set a single dual attendance record of 42,287.
These numbers provided by the University of Iowa speak for themselves.
2001-02 – 6,192 — Jim Zalesky
2002-03 – 5,818 — Jim Zalesky
2003-04 – 5,022 — Jim Zalesky
2004-05 – 5,073 — Jim Zalesky
2005-06 – 3,569 — Jim Zalesky
2006-07 – 6,740 — Tom Brands … rest of attendance and story at Flowrestling.org/articles/10617781-iowa-wrestlings-attendance-figures-are-staggering
DIVISION I COACHES POLL: Penn State goes wire-to-wire at No. 1, final week of competition sees shift in Top 10
Manheim, Pennsylvania – Penn State finished the regular season ranked the same place where it started, atop the NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll. The final poll of the 2022-23 regular season was announced on Wednesday.
The Nittany Lions were the nation’s lone unbeaten team this season, finishing 16-0 after they closed out their schedule with a 40-6 win over visiting Clarion. Iowa stood firm at No. 2. The Hawkeyes finished 15-1 this season and closed out with a solid 28-7 win over then-No. 6 Oklahoma State at Carver-Hawkeye Arena over the weekened.
Missouri’s upset of No. 3 Iowa State shifted the rankings between 3-10. NC State, part of an ACC regular-season championship triangle, finished 14-1 and No. 3. The Wolfpack was followed by No. 4 Nebraska, No. 5 Iowa State, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 7 Oklahoma State, No. 8 Cornell, No. 9 Missouri and No. 10 Virginia Tech. Ohio State upended Cornell in Tampa, Florida over the weekend.
Cal Poly, which was ranked for seven weeks earlier this season, moved back into the poll at No. 25, completing a 5-0 mark in the Pac-12 to win the regular season championship.
Methodology: The NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll is voted on by two coaches from each Division I wrestling conference. Each first-place vote is worth 25 points, 24 points for a second-place vote, 23 for a third-place vote and so on through to one point for a 25th-place vote. The poll is based on dual meet results. … rest of story and rankings at NWCAonline.com/division-i-coaches-poll-penn-state-unanimous-no-1-after-beating-iowa-in-battle-of-big-ten-unbeatens
Girls Wrestling Keeps Growing with Opportunities
PA getting close to sanctioning girls HS wrestling
Editor’s Note: On Feb. 14, 2023, SanctionPA announced that the goal of 100 girls high school programs — the number required by the PIAA before it would consider sanctioning girls high school — had been met. The following feature, which appeared in the February issue of WIN Magazine, gives you a background on the effort it took to reach this goal … and of hopefully making girls high school wrestling in Pennsylvania official later this year.
By Mike Finn
Brooke Zumas has always had a love and strong vision for the sport of wrestling and the impact it has on people, whether it was simply sitting alongside her dad watching Lehigh wrestling matches as a child or later photographing some of the nation’s top events in wrestling.
Fortunately for Zumas and a growing number of girl wrestlers in the state of Pennsylvania, Zumas eventually put her camera down and helped people within the Keystone State to share an even bigger vision and dream: officially sanction girls high school wrestling in Pennsylvania.
“I think we could have over 125 programs by the start of next season,” said Zumas, who has served as one of the leaders of “SanctionPA” for the past three years. That would be a remarkable number, considering there were many in the state who were unhappy when the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association’s made the decision that there must be at least 100 high school wrestling programs before the PIAA would consider making girls wrestling an official sport.
In 2019, Zumas was approached to be part of the leadership team of a new group being formed to support the Keystone State’s wrestling community as they attempted to get girls wrestling sanctioned.
“Pat Tocci (formerly of the National Wrestling Coaches Association) reached out to me in December 2019 and said, ‘Can you help move girls wrestling forward in Pennsylvania?’ I jumped in and we formed a task force in March of 2020. It took off and we have never looked back.”
By 2019, over half of the United States’s high school athletic associations had already determined that girls wrestling was here to stay. The traditionally-wrestling-rich state of Pennsylvania had not made that move and the PIAA set its highest bar ever in terms of the number of programs needed for a sport to be sanctioned.
“The PIAA was not going to just start a championship. They have specific criteria. We decided the PIAA gave us a roadmap,” said Zumas. “We might not like it, but we knew what we needed to do, so we said, ‘Let’s go do it.’ ”
And as of Feb.10, 2023 there were 98 girls-only high school programs around the state and Zumas believes the 100-program threshold will be met before the PIAA meets again this summer to decide on changing girls wrestling from “emerging-sports” status to making it an official sport in time for a sanctioned state championship in 2024.
Boys wrestling has always been big in Pennsylvania. There are currently 472 boys high school teams in the state. It usually is the state with most NCAA Division I All-Americans and has more college programs than any other state, a list that includes Penn State, which has won nine NCAA championships since 2011 and is ranked No. 1 this season.
As one might imagine, in a state like Pennsylvania where wrestling is held in such high regard, there were plenty of girls who also felt that wrestling tradition despite very few opportunities to compete. Zumas still remembers how she was introduced to the sport. … rest of story at WIN-magazine.com/sanctionpas-vision-helped-girls-prep-wrestling-gain-momentum-to-try-become-officially-sanctioned
Pennsylvania schools reach milestone in girls’ wrestling
(WHTM) — Wrestling is the fastest-growing sport for girls in the United States.
In Pennsylvania, it has taken several years to reach an important milestone. There are now 100 schools in the Commonwealth with girls wrestling programs. The 100 school mark means the PIAA can officially sanction the sport, but the fight won’t stop here. “Right now. Please don’t stop. Please don’t stop pushing. One hundred isn’t the end with 472 schools having wrestling in our state. There is room for more,” said Robert Lombardi, PIAA executive director.
The athletes are excited about the growing sport as well. “I love wrestling because it made me more responsible in school and keeps me motivated to stay consistent. It brings out confidence and girls and shows that we can do anything. Our girl’s wrestling team is special because we are a group of diverse girls that love and support each other like we are family,” said Liana Samuel, a J.P. McCaskey wrestler. … rest of story at ABC27.com/local-news/pennsylvania-schools-reach-milestone-in-girls-wrestling
KHSAA IN KENTUCKY ADOPTS GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING FOR 2023-24, MAKING IT THE 38TH STATE TO ADD SPORT
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) has officially added girls wrestling as a state sanctioned sport.
A KHSAA press release published today entitled “Board of Control Approves Adoption of Girls’ Wrestling” had the following
The KHSAA Board of Control conducted its fifth regularly scheduled meeting of the 2022-23 academic year on Wednesday in Lexington, approving the adoption of girls’ wrestling, the solicitation of a site to hold the boys’ and girls’ wrestling tournaments consecutively, specifications for KHSAA Golf State First Round sites and the election of the 2023-24 Board President-Elect.
The adoption of girls’ wrestling will be effective in the 2023-24 academic year. As a result of the Board’s approval, the KHSAA Commissioner has been tasked with finalizing logistics for a state championship in girls wrestling with two or four state-managed qualifying sites, as well as finalizing negotiations to find, if possible, a potential consolidated site following a survey of the membership on scheduling implications.
Kentucky becomes the 38th state to host a recognized state girls high school wrestling tournament, as determined by USA Wrestling’s Girls High School Development Committee, co-chaired by Joan Fulp and Andrea Yamamoto. … rest of story and list of states at Teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2023/February/22/Kentucky-becomes-38th-state-to-add-girls-wrestling
Carolinas Dual Meet Results
TDR Editor’s Notes ; Stories and reports of results from colleges and universities in North and south Carolina.
Contact us at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – Runnin’ Bulldogs Roll To 34-4 Win Over Davidson On Wrestling Senior Day
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb wrestling rolled to a 34-4 win over Davidson Saturday afternoon on Senior Day.
The Runnin’ Bulldogs recognized two seniors on Saturday in the final home match of the season, with Drew West (125) and RJ Mosley (165) taking the mat for the final time in Paul Porter Arena.
West got things started for Gardner-Webb, taking a 6-2 decision in the opening bout.
Todd Carter took a 13-2 major decision at 133 pounds and Zach Price exploded or a 23-8 tech fall in the third period at 141 pounds. Parker Corwin pushed Gardner-Webb’s lead to 16-0 with an 8-0 major decision at 149 pounds before Davidson could get on the board.
Tanner Peake broke the run by Gardner-Webb, getting the Wildcats a 14-1 major decision at 157 pounds, but Mosley gathered momentum back quickly at 165 pounds, improving to 21-5 on the season with a 7-2 decision.
Andrew Wilson registered a clutch takedown in overtime to win 3-1, followed by a 6-2 decision for Jha’Quan Anderson at 184 and a 5-0 win for Samuel Mora at 197. Abraham Preston picked up a forfeit win at 285 to cap the day. Saturday was Gardner-Webb’s final dual of the season. … rest of story at GWUsports.com/runnin-bulldogs-roll-to-34-4-win-over-davidson-on-wrestling-senior-day
2 } – VMI splits matches with The Citadel & Queens on Senior Day
LEXINGTON, Va. – The VMI wrestling team split matches with The Citadel and Queens University of Charlotte Saturday after the program’s seven graduating seniors were recognized on Senior Day.
The Citadel defeated VMI 20-12 in the first match of the day, but the Keydets rolled to a 38-3 win over Queens to end the 2022-23 regular season.
How it happened:
*The Bulldogs went ahead 11-0 in the early going, but VMI won the next three matches to cut the lead to 11-9. The 174 and 184 pound matches went The Citadel’s way and the Keydets couldn’t close the gap enough in the final two matches to earn the win.
*VMI had three pins and two wins via major decision against Queens.
Highlights:
*Freshman Ryan Vigil won his match against The Citadel at 149 pounds with a reversal in the final five seconds. He pinned his foe from Queens … rest of story at VMIkeydets.com/wrestling-vmi-splits-matches-with-the-citadel-queens-on-senior-day
3 } – Citadel Wrestling Takes Down VMI
LEXINGTON, Va. – The Citadel wrestling team closed out the regular season with a 20-12 victory over VMI in the regular season finale inside Cormak Hall.
The Citadel 20, VMI 12
125: Blair Orr (CIT) MD Tony Burke (VMI), 15-2
133: George Rosas (CIT) MD Dyson Dunham (VMI), 8-0
141: Jacob Silka (CIT) DEC Freddy Junko (VMI), 5-1
149: Ryan Vigil (VMI) DEC Ethan Willis (CIT), 7-6
157: Job Chishko (VMI) DEC Thomas Snipes (CIT), 6-2
165: Braxton Lewis (VMI) DEC Brodie Porter (CIT), 11-5
174: Ben Haubert (CIT) DEC Jon Hoover (VMI), 2-0
184: Tim Fitzpatrick (CIT) DEC Zach Brown (VMI), 10-5
197: Tyler Mousaw (VMI) DEC Mark Chaid (CIT), 10-8
285: John Chesser (CIT) DEC Josh Evans (VMI), 3-2
How it Happened
- The Bulldogs got off to a quick lead as they won each of the first three matches, including two by major decision.
- Blair Orr started things at 125 pounds and eased hi way to a 15-2 victory. He got four takedowns during the match, and secured four near-fall points in the third period.
- George Rosas followed Orr with a major decision victory of his own. After a scoreless first period, Rosas got four near fall points as he rode out the period on top. … rest of story at Citadelsports.com/news/2023/2/18/wrestling-takes-down-vmi
4 } – Pitt Dominates Duke, Clinches Share of ACC Title
PITTSBURGH—The University of Pittsburgh wrestling team cruised past Duke, 43-3, on Saturday at the Fitzgerald Field House and lifted the ACC title as 2022-23 dual champions in the conference.
The Panthers (10-4, 4-1 ACC) won nine bouts against the Blue Devils (3-12, 0-5 ACC) to officially be crowned co-ACC regular-season champions this season after tying at the top of the conference standings with NC State and Virginia Tech.
Pitt, ranked No. 16 this week in the NWCA Coaches Poll, won its second ACC regular-season title in wrestling and first since 2013-14. The Panthers have now won five dual conferences championships in program history, with three Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) titles and two in the ACC.
“We handled business today and did what we needed to do,” Pitt head coach Keith Gavin said. “We have been wrestling well, despite the loss at NC State. It was good to get a win today, honor the seniors and move in a positive direction. Now we will get ready for the ACC Championship in two weeks.”
The Cathedral of Learning’s Victory Lights will be lit this evening in honor of Pitt wrestling’s ACC title.
Pitt honored five departing seniors on Saturday prior to the match. Nino Bonaccorsi, Dazjon Casto, Nicholas Meglino, Micky Phillippi and Jake Slinger were recognized at the team’s final home match.
Phillippi at 133 pounds, Casto at 157 and Bonaccorsi at 197 each won with bonus-point victories on Saturday, getting their hand raised for the final time at Fitzgerald Field House.
… rest of story at Pittsburghpanthers.com/wrestling-pitt-dominates-duke-clinches-share-of-acc-title
5 } – O’CONNOR GARNERS ACC WRESTLER OF THE WEEK HONORS
GREENSBORO, N.C. – North Carolina 157-pounder Austin O’Connor has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestler of the Week, the league announced Tuesday afternoon. The announcement comes following O’Connor decision (3-1) against NC State’s seventh-ranked Ed Scott last Friday night. O’Connor, who currently sits at 16-0 entering next weekend’s ACC Championships, has registered 14 bonus point victories on the season.
O’Connor becomes one of three wrestlers in the conference to collect the conference’s Wrestler of the Week honors multiple times this season, joining Pitt’s Reece Heller and Virginia Tech’s Caleb Henson. A four-time All-America honoree and the 2021 National Champion at 149-pounds, O’Connor maintained his spot in this week’s InterMat Wrestling rankings at No. 2 in the nation, following Friday night’s top-10 victory. … rest of story at GOheels.com/news/o-connor-garners-acc-wrestler-of-the-week-honors
6 } – App State’s Smith named SoCon Wrestler of the Week
Redshirt sophomore went 3-0 in conference matches
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – App State’s Caleb Smith has been named the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week for all competition from Feb. 15-21. The selection is made by the league office.
Smith, who is ranked No. 14 at 125 pounds, went 3-0 last week in three conference duals. The High Point, North Carolina, native defeated 32nd-ranked Campbell wrestler Anthony Molton, 4-1, on Sunday. Later that day, Smith won a decision, 9-3, over Presbyterian’s Dominic Chavez. Smith would grab his third win of the day against Hale Robinson of Davidson with a pin in the second period.
App State (12-2, 8-0 SoCon) defeated Campbell (16-9, 7-1), 22-14, in a matchup of the conference’s top two teams. The Mountaineers won their other two duals via shutout, … rest of story at SOconsports.com/news/2023/2/22/app-states-smith-named-socon-wrestler-of-the-week
7 } – Tight Team Race Should Lead To Memorable ACC Championships
Virginia Tech and North Carolina State appear to be headed toward a photo finish at this year’s ACC Wrestling Championships on March 5
FloWrestling recently released its Atlantic Coast Conference rankings and a quick glance shows how tight the team race will be at the ACC Championships on March 5 in Raleigh. It appears to be a two-team sprint to the finish with North Carolina State and Virginia Tech vying for the crown.
Here are what the predicted tournament points look like based on Flo’s individual conference rankings.
1 NC State — 85
2 Virginia Tech — 84.5
3 Pittsburgh — 65
4 North Carolina — 37.5
5 Virginia — 24.5
6 Duke — 13.5
A half a point separates the Wolfpack and the Hokies, which makes sense since these two teams have combined to win nine of the last 10 conference titles, with NC State winning the last four.
Every win, every bonus point, and every placement point matters down the stretch. The first round is just as important as the finals with only six teams in the conference. Virginia Tech struck first with a 16-14 dual win on January 20 in Blacksburg, but that hardly matters now that it’s tournament time.
North Carolina State won by 22.5 points over Virginia Tech in 2022, although that gap hardly seems possible this time around. This has the potential to be the best team race of any D1 conference championship.
Be on the lookout for Pittsburgh and North Carolina, though. Each team has proven success in multiple weight classes and could play spoiler.
Zach Sherman is predicted as the #5 seed at 149 and … rest of story at Flowrestling.org/tight-team-race-should-lead-to-memorable-acc-championships
8 } –
… rest of story at
Iowa State’s Carr New No. 1 at 165 in WIN’s final regular-season rankings
NEWTON, Iowa — As most NCAA Division I wrestling programs now focus on the postseason in two weeks, Iowa State’s David Carr has taken over the top spot at 165 pounds in WIN Magazine’s Feb. 20 rankings, presented by Cliff Keen Athletic.
Carr, a 2021 NCAA champion, closed out the regular season with a 7-2 decision over Missouri’s defending national champ Keegan O’Toole last week in Columbia, Mo. But the Tigers did beat the Cyclones, 23-12, to earn the No. 3 spot in WIN’s final Dual Rankings, while ISU fell to No. 4.
Penn State, which completed an undefeated regular season (16-0) for the seventh time in the past eight years, remained No. 1 in both WIN’s Dual Rankings and Tournament Power Index, which projects how high a team will finish in this year’s national tournament, based on rankings points associated with their individuals’ rankings. The Nittany Lions feature nine ranked wrestlers, seven in the Top 8 (which would earn All-American status), and three top-ranked wrestlers: Roman Bravo-Young (133), Carter Starocci (174) and Aaron Brooks (184).
Iowa and Nebraska are tied for second in WIN’s TPI with 62.5 points. The Hawkeyes, who ended their regular season with a 28-7 win over Oklahoma State on Sunday, are ranked second in the Dual Rankings. Iowa is the only school that features a wrestler ranked at all 10 weight classes, three in the Top 8, including top-ranked Spencer Lee at 125 pounds. The Huskers, which defeated Arizona State last weekend, have six ranked wrestlers, four in the Top 8 and one top-ranked wrestler: Peyton Robb at 157 pounds. Nebraska is ranked sixth in the Dual Rankings behind No. 5 NC State.
Cornell is ranked No. 4 in the TPI with six ranked wrestlers, with four in the Top 8, including No. 1-ranked Yianni Diakomihalis at 149 pounds.
The other three No. 1-ranked spots remain the same: Northern Colorado’s Andrew Alirez at 141, Pitt’s Nino Bonaccorsi at 197 and Michigan’s Mason Parris at heavyweight.
The following is a breakdown of the points from the TPI, based on a wrestler’s ranking: 20 for 1st, 16 for 2nd, 13.5 for 3rd, 12.5 for 4th, 10 for 5th, 9 for 6th, 6.5 for 7th and 5.5 for 8th. Wrestlers ranked 9-12 earn two points each, followed by one and a half points for wrestlers ranked 13-16 and one point for those ranked 17-20.
This will be WIN’s final regular-season rankings until after the seven conference tournaments are held the first weekend in March. Those NCAA-qualifying tournaments will determine most of the 330 wrestlers qualifying for the NCAA Division I Nationals, March 16-18, in Tulsa, Okla. (The only schools with a remaining dual meet this season are Oregon State and Stanford, which wrestle next Sunday in Corvallis, Ore.)
The following is a list of the when and where the conference tournaments will be held:
- Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), March 5 in Raleigh, N.C.
- Big Ten Conference, March 4-5 in Ann Arbor, Mich.
- Big 12 Conference, March 4-5 in Tulsa, Okla.
- Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (EIWA), March 4-5 in Philadelphia, Pa.
- Mid-American Conference (MAC), March 3-4 in Fairfax, Va.
- Pac-12 Conference, March 5 in Stanford, Calif.
- Southern Conference (SOCON), March 4 in Boone, N.C. … WIN-magazine.com/2023/02/20/iowa-states-carr-new-no-1-at-165-in-wins-final-regular-season-rankings
Dual Meet Results
TDR Editor’s Notes ; End of the dual meet season results for NCAA Division I schools from across the country.
Contact us at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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1 } – Hokies win share of regular season title
Tech wins nine of ten bouts against Virginia to secure Commonwealth win; seniors shine on Senior Night
BLACKSBURG – The No. 9 Virginia Tech wrestling team held down the fort in the last dual of the season with a victory over Commonwealth foe, University of Virginia, in Cassell Coliseum on Friday night. Highlighting the night were seniors Collin Gerardi, Hunter Bolen, and Mekhi Lewis picking up wins in their final bout in Cassell Coliseum and the Hokies securing a share of the regular season title.
The night started with a moving Senior Night ceremony recognizing graduating seniors Mekhi Lewis, Hunter Bolen, Collin Gerardi, Jordan Florence, Brandon Wittenberg, and Drew Nicholson and athletic training students, Caroline Johnson, Taylor Connor, and Ella Anderson. The group was honored for their time, legendary accomplishments, and embodiment of the Hokie spirit during their time in Blacksburg. Among the group, Lewis does have a year of eligibility remaining. … rest of story at Hokiesports.com/news/2023/2/17/hokies-win-share-of-regular-season-title
2 } – No. 23 Spartans Conclude Regular Season with Road Win Over Central Michigan
Spartans Secure Back-to-Back 10 Win Seasons for First Time in 27 Years
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – No. 23 Michigan State wrestling secured back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time in 27 years on Friday night, defeating the Central Michigan Chippewas in a 20-13 dual inside McGuirk Arena.
The Spartans conclude the 2022-23 dual campaign at 10-6 overall, with all six losses coming against nationally ranked opposition inside the National Wrestling Coaches Association top-25. MSU cracked the 10-win mark for the second straight season, publishing a 10-4 overall record a year ago, also securing the third 10-win campaign of the Roger Chandler era. In defeat, Central Michigan falls to 6-9 overall and will conclude its regular season on the road against Michigan on Sunday, Feb. 19.
Friday’s dual began at 133 pounds, with 25th-ranked graduate Spartan Rayvon Foley scoring a 10-2 major decision over Vince Perez to start things off. Four takedowns from Foley led to a dominant advantage in riding time that was rewarded at the conclusion of the bout, ultimately ensuring the first four team points for Michigan State. Redshirt senior Jordan Hamdan was able to maintain Michigan State’s early momentum at 141 pounds, defeating Mason Breece in a 6-4 decision. A pair of takedowns in the first period set the tone for the bout, and despite a late push from Breece, Hamdan was able to pick up MSU’s second consecutive win.
The Chippewas secured their first victory of the evening at 149 pounds, as Johnny Lovett registered a 12-4 major decision over MSU redshirt junior Peyton Omania. Leading the dual by a 7-4 margin, the Spartans and Chippewas got set for the highest-ranked individual matchup of the evening at 157 pounds. Eleventh-ranked junior Spartan Chase Saldate took the mat against No. 28 Corbyn Munson.
After a quiet first period, Munson took bottom to start the second. … rest of story at MSUspartans.com/spartans-conclude-regular-season-with-road-win-over-central-michigan
3 } – RECAP: Tenn.-Chattanooga Wrestling Controls Bellarmine in SoCon Finale
Rocky Jordan and the Chattanooga Mocs roll to an easy win over Bellarmine
RESULTS
CHATTANOOGA—The Chattanooga Mocs cruised to a 32-8 win over Bellarmine in Maclellan Gym Friday night. The Mocs won eight matches earning bonus points in six completing the Southern Conference schedule at 6-2.
“Pleased overall (with the win),” Coach Kyle Ruschell began. “Our guys were looking for offense, looking to score, looking to bully the guys up a little bit. But there’s moments in the matches, top to bottom where we let their guys build a little confidence, and they made it hard on us.
“We just need to nip that in the bud and just say, hey, this is my match, those are my points and I’m not giving you anything. I liked where we were, but there’s moments in the match where we just gotta say no you’re not getting anything from me.”
The Mocs close out the dual season Sunday with a visit by Indiana. The Senior Day Match starts at 2 p.m.
WEIGHT-BY-WEIGHT
125: Logan Ashton 3-2 loss to Jack Parker
The two traded escapes in the second and third before Parker got the first takedown early in the third. Ashton escaped just inside of a minute remaining. The defensive posture Parker took throughout held Ashton off to the buzzer. … rest of story at GOmocs.com/news/2023/2/17/recap-wrestling-controls-bellarmine-in-socon-finale
4 } – TIGERS TAKE DUAL-MEET FINALE AT BUCKNELL, 22-12
Seven matches went Princeton’s way as the Tiger wrestling team won its dual-meet finale 22-12 Friday night at Bucknell.
Nick Kayal opened the night with an 11-4 win over Bucknell’s Grayson McLellan at 125, getting three first-period takedowns to lead 6-3 three minutes in.
Bucknell followed with back-to-back wins at 133 and 141 to take the lead as each of its two NCAA Coaches-ranked wrestlers won their matches. At 133, No. 23-ranked Kurtis Phipps had the lone takedown of the match in the second period on the way to a 4-0 win over Anthony Clark to tie the match, and at 141, No. 26-ranked Darren Miller had a first-period pin to help Bucknell take a 9-3 lead three matches in.
Princeton responded with a five-match win streak that turned the six-point deficit into a 10-point lead. At 149, Marshall Keller was a 5-4 winner over Dylan Chappell, taking a 4-2 lead with a two-point near-fall 27 seconds into the third period, and after Chappell answered with a reversal halfway through the final period, an escape out of that reversal ended up being the decisive point for Keller. At 157, Ty Whalen got past Nick Delp … rest of story at GOprincetontigers.com/news/2023/2/17/wrestling-tigers-take-dual-meet-finale-at-bucknell-22-12
5 } – TERPS TOP BINGHAMTON 19-12 ON BEAUTY AND THE BEAST NIGHT
COLLEGE PARK, MD — The Terps came away with a big win on the main XFINITY Center floor on Friday evening, cruising past Binghamton 19-12 in the return of the Beauty and the Beast event, where wrestling and gymnastics compete side-by-side.
In their home finale, Maryland won four of the first five bouts to pull away early and that would prove to be enough to secure the win. The night was highlighted by a dominant 11-0 major decision from No. 18 Ethen Miller. The Terps improved to 10-8 on the season while Binghamton dropped to 5-13. … rest of story at UMterps.com/news/2023/2/17/wrestling-wrest-binghamton-recap
6 } – Wolfgram’s Pin Lifts West Virginia over Clarion
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – With the team score tied heading into the final match of the dual, redshirt junior Michael Wolfgram scored a pin at heavyweight to lift the West Virginia University wrestling team to a 24-18 victory over Clarion, to conclude Senior Night in front of 1,121 passionate fans on Friday.
Wolfgram flipped Clarion’s Austin Chapman onto his back and managed to keep one leg inbounds to seal the fall in 2:16.
The Mountaineers (9-5) responded with an 18-0 run after Clarion (11-5) took a 9-0 lead to open the contest
by winning the first two matches at 125 and 133 pounds.
Redshirt senior Alex Hornfeck gave West Virginia its first lead of the night, as he scored the first takedown of the match and ended it with a four-point nearfall to claim a 10-2 major decision over the Golden Eagles’ Trevor Elfvin at 157 pounds.
After junior Peyton Hall, ranked No. 12 in the country, captured a 19-4 technical fall to extend WVU’s lead to six (15-9), senior Scott Joll gained a 13-9 decision to close out five-match win streak for the home team.
Tyler Bagoly tied things up for Clarion in the 197-pound fight,
… rest of story at WVUsports.com/news/2023/2/17/wrestling-wolfgrams-pin-lifts-west-virginia-over-clarion
7 } – Rider Wrestling Opens Weekend With Dominant Win vs George Mason
Broncs Takedown Patriots 27-9
LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ- The Rider Broncs Wrestling team started their weekend on a high note with a 27-9 win vs George Mason. With the win Rider moves to 7-5 overall and 5-1 in the MAC. The win also ends Rider’s home losing streak as they get set to finish the year tomorrow afternoon. Rider won four of the first five bouts as Richie Koehler, #23 McKenzie Bell, and #22 Quinn Kinner all picked up bonus point victories. Rider opened up the dual with a win from Tyler Klinsky who took down Markel Baker by decision 3-1.
Rider would go on to win each of the next four all with bonus points. Koehler would take down Pat Schellpfeffer to start the long run for the Broncs. Following, the win at 133 Bell and Kinner would dominate the next two bouts as Bell continued to wreak havoc winning his fourth straight bout by major decision. Bell has now outscored opponents 36-0 in his last four. Kinner would be equally as impressive taking down Evan Maag by fall 2:22 seconds in. The pin is Kinners fourth of the year and his first in a dual this season. … rest of story at GObroncs.com/Rider-opens-weekend-with-dominant-win-vs-george-mason
8 } – Binghamton Wrestling defeats American, 19-13
Bearcats win six of 10 bouts in final EIWA dual
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Binghamton wrestling won six of 10 bouts in the final EIWA dual of the season against American on Thursday afternoon at Bender Arena. Binghamton finished the EIWA campaign with a 4-5 record. Micah Roes, Nate Lucier, Michael Zarif, Brevin Cassella, Sam DePrez, and Jacob Nolan all picked up wins for the Bearcats.
Head coach Kyle Borshoff (American ’10) was honored at intermission. Borshoff, a two-time All-American, will be inducted into American University’s Stafford H. “Pop” Cassell Hall of Fame tomorrow. Assistant Coach Phillip Barreiro (American’13) was also recognized at intermission with other American wrestling alumni. “The team wrestled tough today. We won lots of close matches and came away with a win,”said Borshoff.” American has some good dual meet wins this season, so I’m glad to get one against my alma mater.” … rest of story at BUbearcats.com/news/2023/2/17/Wrestling-defeats-American-19-13
9} – Rider University Takes Share of MAC East Division on Senior Day
Broncs sweep The Weekend with wins vs Cleveland State and Drexel
LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ- For the second time in three full years in the conference, the Rider University wrestling team won a share of the MAC East Division Dual Season Championship after taking down Cleveland State as a part of their tri-meet vs the Vikings and the Drexel Dragons. Rider defeated Cleveland State, 25-9, before taking down Drexel, 26-12. With the wins, Rider ends its dual season as the winner of five straight and finish with a record of 9-5 and 6-1 in the MAC.
Rider saw great performances from Tyler Klinsky, Richie Koehler, #23 McKenzie Bell, #22 Quinn Kinner, #6 Ethan Laird, and David Szuba who all swept the two bouts. Bell, and Szuba were all incredibly dominant with all of their wins on the afternoon with bonus point marks. The Broncs went on a tear in the first four bouts in both contests going undefeated up to 157 vs Cleveland State and Drexel. Bell would pick up his fifth straight major decision as he shutout Cody Moosman 13-0. Bell has now outscored his last five opponents 49-0 with five straight majors. Bell also hasn’t surrendered a point since January 28th vs Bucknell.
Ethan Laird would round out his final dual season with a perfect 13-0 and 7-0 in MAC duals. The three-time NCAA qualifier rounded out his dual season with a pair of strong showings … rest of story at GObroncs.com/news/2023/2/18/wrestling-rider-take-share-of-mac-east-division-on-senior-day
10 } – University of Buffalo Bulls Top Ohio on Senior Night
BUFFALO, NY – The University at Buffalo wrestling team closed out the regular season in style with a 22-17 victory over Ohio at Alumni Arena on Saturday night. Trailing 17-13, the Bulls won their last two matches, including a pin by Greg Hodulick in the final bout to complete the comeback.
After falling behind 3-0, Tommy Maddox got the Bulls going with a 14-2 major decision over Paul Woo to give the Bulls a 4-3 advantage. Kaleb Burgess won by forfeit at 149 to put Buffalo ahead, 10-6. Michael Petite followed with a 4-3 decision over Dan Segura to extend the UB lead to 13-6. Ohio rallied and won the next three matches to take a 17-13 lead with two matches left.
Sam Mitchell started the comeback with a 2-1 decision over Austin Starr at 197. He rode out Starr for the entire third period to earn the victory. That set the stage for Hodulick. Wrestling in his final match at Alumni Arena. … rest of story at UBbulls.com/news/2023/2/18/wrestling-bulls-top-ohio-on-senior-night
11 } – UNC Crushes Air Force in Regular-Season Finale
GREELEY, Colo. – The story couldn’t be written any better. Northern Colorado raced past Air Force 37-9 in the final dual of the regular season and on Senior Night. Seniors Chris Sandoval and Andrew Berreyesa both earned wins by pinfall.
Sandoval (149) pinned Alec Viduya at 6:19 and Andrew Berreyesa (174) took care of business and pinned Gage Musser 1:11.
“Really excited for Chris and Andrew for winning on Senior Day and their final match at home,” said UNC head wrestling coach Troy Nickerson. “We are peaking at the right time and now it’s time for the Big 12 wrestling championships.”
No. 1-ranked Andrew Alirez improved to 20-0 on the season and defeated Bryce Shelton by pinfall at 3:40 … rest of story at UNCbears.com/news/2023/2/19/UNC-Senior-Day
12 } – Bonus Points Abound in Dominant Win Over CMU in Dual Finale
» No. 11 Michigan earned seven bout wins, including five with bonus points, in a 30-9 win over in-state foe Central Michigan in the season dual-meet finale.
» Dylan Ragusin (133) and Cole Mattin (141) earned back-to-back first-period pins, while Jack Medley (125), Matt Finesilver (184) and Mason Parris (Hwt) scored major decisions.
» Mattin and Cameron Amine (165) both returned to the Michigan lineup after a four-week hiatus due to injury.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Crisler Center)
Score: #11 Michigan 30, Central Michigan 9
Records: U-M (11-4), CMU (6-10)
Next U-M Event: Sat-Sun., March 4-5 — host, Big Ten Championships (Crisler Center)
• Photo Gallery
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The No. 9-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team closed out the dual-meet portion of its 2022-23 season in dominant fashion, rolling to a 30-9 win over in-state foe Central Michigan on Sunday evening (Feb. 19) in front of 2,341 fans at Crisler Center.
Michigan won seven matches and earned five bonus wins, including back-to-back pins at 133 and 141 pounds and three major decisions. Four Wolverine seniors claimed wins in their final collegiate dual.
Jack Medley and Mason Parris claimed major decisions at the bookends at 125 pounds and heavyweight to go out winners at home. Medley, ranked 17th nationally, earned a 10-2 win over Sean Spidle with four takedowns — two in the third period — and 2:27 in riding-time advantage.
Parris, the nation’s No. 1 heavyweight, boasted nine takedowns, using a variety of singles, doubles, carries and go behinds, and rode for 3:58 to earn a dominant 20-7 major decision over Bryan Caves. … rest of story at MGOblue.com/wrestling-bonus-points-abound-in-dominant-win-over-cmu-in-dual-finale
2023 NAIA Wrestling National Championships Qualifiers Announced
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – (Qualifiers by Weight Class | Qualifiers by School | Qualifiers by Conference) The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has officially announced the qualifiers for the 2023 NAIA Wrestling National Championships hosted at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kan. The 66th annual event features four sessions and starts on March 3rd before ending on ESPN3 during the Championship bouts on Saturday, March 4th.
Each conference tournament was awarded automatic bids per weight class based on the final regular-season poll, which can be seen HERE. Each conference was awarded automatic berths based on the amount of wrestlers ranked in each weight class. Each conference was awarded a minimum of one automatic bid per weight class, which will go to the tournament individual champions, even if the conference did not have any wrestlers ranked in the final regular-season poll.
After the conference tournaments concluded, an 18-member committee consisting of conference raters and oversight members met to select the remaining national at-large qualifiers. In total, 36 student-athletes were selected by at-large classification. The seeding and preliminary brackets will be announced on NAIA.org by 5 p.m. (CST) on Friday, February 24.
Grand View (Iowa), Indiana Tech, and Southeastern (Fla.) will travel 12 wrestlers to the national championships. Life (Ga.), Morningside (Iowa), and Ottawa (Kan.) will bring 11 wrestlers total; Campbellsville (Ky.) and Menlo (Calif.) will bring along 10 each.
The Cascade Collegiate Conference led all conferences with 57 individual qualifiers. … rest of story at NAIA.org/sports/mwrest/2022-23/Releases/Qualifiers
Women’s Weekly: Championship Season Is Here
The National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships are March 3-4 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Here is what you need to know about who qualified.
Spots in the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships were on the line over the weekend at five separate regional qualifiers. The top four wrestlers from each region qualify for the NCWWC tournament in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on March 3-4.
Each team can qualify up to 15 wrestlers for the championship tournament that includes NCAA programs from Division I, II, and III schools. This is the fourth year of the event while women’s wrestling continues to work toward NCAA championship status. McKendree University — a D2 program in Lebanon, Illinois — won the first three championships (2020-22) and will seek its fourth title in March.
Iowa, Lindenwood, Presbyterian, and Sacred Heart are currently the only D1 programs to offer women’s wrestling, although the Hawkeyes will not compete until next season. Below is a breakdown of each region with comments from the winning coach. … rest of story at Flowrestling.org/articles/10609793-womens-weekly-championship-season-is-here
Nebraska Defeats Arizona State 25-15 on Senior Day
Lincoln, Neb. – Behind a pin and two technical falls, the Nebraska wrestling team defeated Arizona State 25-15 on Senior Day in front of 2,684 fans at the Devaney Center.
The dual started with a top-ten matchup at 125, where No. 4 Liam Cronin used a takedown and four near-fall points in sudden victory to overcome No. 8 Brandon Courtney. After Period 3, the two had each only tallied an escape to be tied up 1-1. The effort in overtime gave Cronin the 7-1 decision to start the Huskers off strong.
Boo Dryden battled at 133, but was pinned by No. 4 Michael McGee in the first period. At 141, No. 5 Brock Hardy fell to Emilio Ysaguirre in a 10-4 decision. Ysaguirre struck first with a takedown and four near-fall points to grab the 6-0 lead. Hardy tallied an escape and a takedown to chip away and get within three, 6-3. Each wrestler recorded an escape to close the second period with a 7-4 score. In the final period, Ysaguirre earned three more points for a reversal and the riding time point.Dayne Morton held tight with No. 5 Kyle Parco at 149, jumping out to a 2-1 lead in the second period with a takedown. Parco quickly regained the lead with a reversal. In the last two minutes, Parco claimed the riding time point to earn the 5-2 decision.
Top-ranked Peyton Robb remained undefeated as he dominated Max Wilner to win by technical fall within the first 10 seconds of the second period. Early in the bout, Robb recorded a pair of takedowns to go up 4-1. From there, Robb tallied 12 straight swipes to give him the 17-1 technical fall and bring the team score back within four points of Arizona State, 12-8.
Bubba Wilson continued the momentum at 165, defeating Tony Negron with a 3-1 decision. Wilson scored a takedown in the first period to go up 2-0. Negron had an escape in the second period, but Wilson pulled away again with a third-period escape.
Up next at 174, No. 2 Mikey Labriola tabbed a 9-6 decision over Cael Valencia to maintain his 24-0 record. In the first three minutes, Labriola had a pair of takedowns, while Valencia recorded two escapes. Labriola held on to a 6-4 advantage entering the final period after grabbing two escapes and allowing a takedown in the second period. … rest of story at Huskers.com/news/2023/2/19/wrestling-recap
NATIONAL GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL RANKINGS FOR FEBRUARY RELEASED, IN THE HEART OF THE HIGH SCHOOL STATE MEET SEASON
USA Wrestling, FloWrestling and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum has published its February 2023 rankings for high school girls wrestlers for the 2022-23 season. This national ranking evaluates all girls enrolled in grades 8-12, and athletes from all 50 states are eligible for selection.
The annual state high school championships season is upon us, with the results of the events having a considerable impact on the rankings.
Girls state championships, both official and unofficial, have already been held in Alabama, Alaska, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, West Virginia and Washington, D.C. A number of other states have already held the qualifying events for their state championships.
There were a number of changes in the rankings based upon athletes competing in different weight classes from where they were ranked.
Shelby Moore of Washington, who was No. 1 at 127 pounds, has dropped to 122 points, and takes over the No. 1 position there. Destiny Rodriguez of Oregon, who was No. 1 at 164 pounds, has dropped back to 152 pounds and taken over No. 1 at that weight class.
With the previous No. 1 at 100 pounds jumping two weight classes, Morgan Turner of Illinois is the new No. 1 at 100 pounds. With Moore dropping down, the new No. 1 at 127 pounds is Cadence Diduch of Illinois. With Rodriguez dropping down, as well as the previous No. 2 at 164 going down as well (Jasmine Robinson of Texas), returning as No. 1 at 164 pounds is Ella Pagel of Minnesota. … rest of story at Teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2023/February/17/National-Girls-High-School-Rankings-February
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
