Virginia Takes Down Duke 45-3 On Senior Night
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia wrestling team (8-5, 1-3 ACC) put together a complete performance on Friday (Feb. 10) as the Cavaliers defeated Duke (3-?, 0-4 ACC) by a score of 45-3 in dual competition at Mem Gym.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Cavaliers started strong and never looked back, winning nine of 10 weight classes on the night. Duke’s only individual victory would come at heavyweight to close the dual.
Virginia got a decision from Patrick McCormick at 125 pounds to open the match and then picked up seven bonus-point victories after that opening win from McCormick. The Cavaliers got tech falls from Marlon Yarbrough (133) and Jarod Verkleeren (149) sandwiched around a major decision from Dylan Cedeno (141).
The Cavaliers also got three pins with consecutive falls from Jake Keating (157) and Justin McCoy (165) before Michael Battista would notch the third pin at 197 pounds. Vic Marcelli also added six points to the dual score as Duke forfeited at 174 pounds, while Neil Antrassian added a major decision at 184 pounds.
NOTES ON THE DUAL
• With the win, the Cavaliers now lead the all-time series with Duke 64-7-2 through 73 meetings.
• The 45 points scored by the Cavaliers is the most ever in the series against the Blue Devils. … rest of story at Virginiasports.com/news/2023/02/10/virginia-takes-down-duke-45-3-on-senior-night
NWCA Announces Jim Koch Division II Hall of Fame 2023 Class
MANHEIM, PA – Seven former NCAA Divisions II standouts will earn induction as a part of the 2023 class of the Jim Koch Division II Hall of Fame, announced by the NWCA Division II Coaches Friday.
The 2023 class includes a world silver medalist, a total of 13 NCAA Division II National Championships, a Division II Wrestler of the Year, a Most Outstanding Wrestler of the NCAA Division II National Championships, and 25 total NCAA All-American finishes at the Division II and Division I levels.
Arsenia Barksdale of Adams State is the first inductee. Barksdale was a four-time NCAA Division II All-American, winning a national title at 125 for the Grizzlies as a junior in 2009. He finished third as both a freshman and a senior, and was fourth his sophomore year in 2008. He was also a three-time NCAA Division II Regional champion, and was also the Region Freshman of the Year in 2006. Since graduating from Adams State, Barksdale has coached at both the high school and college level. He coached 5 All-Americans, 2 national runners-up, and 1 national champion while assisting at his alma mater, and also helped coach 11 All-Americans and 3 national champions as an assistant at Northwest Kansas Junior College.
Two-time NCAA Division II National Champion Thad Benton of Pitt-Johnstown is the next inductee. The Mountain Cat was a three-time All-American in total, winning the national title at 141 in both 2005 and 2006 after taking fifth at 133 in 2003. He was a two-time NCAA Division II East Region champion, earned the most pins in shortest time at the 2003 NCAA Division II Championships, and was named WrestlingReport.com’s Pennsylvania Collegiate Wrestler of the Year in 2005. His 121 career wins still ranks 15th-best in a UPJ career, while his .842 winning percentage is goof for eighth all-time at UPJ. Benton was the eighth wrestler to win a National Championship for Pitt.-Johnstown, and was just the third to win multiple national titles.
Jason Bingaman of Lake Superior State is the next inductee. A two-time NCAA Division II National Champion and four-time All-American, Bingaman won his first title at 285 as a sophomore in 1992 and followed it with another in 1993. He was national runner-up as a senior, and also placed 6th as a freshman, earning him honors as the top collegiate freshman heavyweight by Amateur Wrestling News in 1991. The 1994 Regional Wrestler of the Year, Bingaman is the LSSU career leader in pins with 51, and posted a career record of 129-33-3. He was also a silver medalist in Greco Roman at the 1991 Espoir World Championships and the 1993 University Nationals and Olympic Sports Festival and was inducted into the Lake Superior State Hall of Fame in 2005.
Trevor Franklin of Upper Iowa is the next honoree. Franklin was a four-time NCAA Division II National Qualifier, winning a pair of National Championships. He was the 125 champion in 2011 and the 133 champion in 2012, earning honors as the NWCA Division II Wrestler of the Year in 2012 with his title capping a perfect 28-0 season. … rest of story and inductees at NWCAonline.com/nwca-announces-jim-koch-division-ii-hall-of-fame-2023-class
Newberry Ends Dual Season With Road Win Against The Yellow Jackets
In action against Allen University and University of South Carolina’s club team, the Wolves come home victorious in both bouts
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Just two days removed from a convincing 34-11 win over the Mount Olive Trojans on Senior Night in Eleazer, Newberry Wrestling (10-5, 8-2 South Atlantic Conference Carolinas) took the short trip to the capital looking to claim another victory on the road. The opponent for this away dual would come in the form of the Allen Yellow Jackets, a team that is 13-4 on the year while 3-1 in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Also, to make things more interesting, the University of South Carolina’s Club Wrestling team would make the trip to Allen, making the trip to Columbia into a tri-meet. With this being the last dual before Newberry shifts their attention towards the Super Region II Championships in two weeks, the Wolves needed to come out strong against a quality opponent while getting ready for postseason action.
Kicking the action off against the University of South Carolina, 125 lbs Christian Decatur (Goldsboro, N.C.) would have his easiest match of the night with a forfeit in the initial bout. 133 lbs JP Gamez (Dade City, Fla.) started things right for Newberry with a pin over Will Vaporis at 2:04, followed by a forfeit win for 141 lbs Fletcher Swindall (Alexandria, Ala.).
149 lbs Marcus Johnson (Columbia, S.C.) was defeated in the following match by Rob Gemerelli via pin, but 157 lbs Will Evans (Richmond Hill, Ga.) followed the match by getting back points lost, pinning Connor Leister at 1:10. 165 lbs P.J. Wunderlich (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) won his match over Garrett Rohmeyer by fall at 3:45, extending the lead even further, and 174 lbs Asa Walton (Buena, N.J.) would win his match as well, securing a major decision over Norman Cella by a score of 10-1.
184 lbs Armando Acosta (Gainesville, Fla.) claimed a 15-6 major decision win over Denton DiCarlo, but the Gamecocks were able to get another win with Zach St. Thomas beating 197 lbs Andrew Annand (Crawfordville, Fla.) by fall (4:48). 285 lbs John Parker (Temecula, Calif.), going up a weight class, would prove size doesn’t always matter in wrestling, pinning Cap Holley at 4:05 to cap off the first action of the night for the Wolves. … rest of story and results at Newberrywolves.com/news/2023/2/10/wrestling-ends-season-with-road-win-against-the-yellow-jackets
10 College Women Who Should Consider Coaching Wrestling
Who will lead the next generation of women’s wrestlers? Here are 10 current college athletes who should think about coaching
What does it take to be a good wrestling coach? There are several current women’s college wrestlers who have what it takes to lead a team. Texas Woman’s coach Randi Miller, a 2008 Olympic bronze medalist, offered her insights on what makes a good coach. “As a women’s wrestling coach, you’ll have to be an advocate for your program and for the sport,” Miller said. “Going from wrestling to coaching means you’ll have to go from being selfish to selfless. “I also think it’s important to be the best wrestler in the room and the worst wrestler in the room at some point so you understand both sides. When you are the best wrestler, were you inclusive or did you exclude people? That’s important to consider as you think about coaching after college.”
Wrestle Like A Girl and D1 Women’s Wrestling are hosting a female coaches zoom series on May 9-11 for anyone interested in coaching as a career path.
Contact Tela O’Donnell at tela@wrestlelikeagirl.org about signing up.
May 9: Exploring Coaching as a Career
May 10: The Art of Coaching: Honing and Growing
May 11: Careers in Wrestling Beyond Coaching
Below is a list of 10, but there are others who should consider coaching as a career path. Be sure to sign up for the above seminar if you are interested.
Emily Cue, Simon Fraser
Simon Fraser coach Justin Abdou on Cue: “I was impressed when I met Emily during her recruiting trip, but I had no idea what a gem she was. She is intelligent, hard-working, and incredibly selfless. She doesn’t complain, she just trains.
“Her teammates love her and respect her. Last year, she was the lone junior on a team full of world-class seniors. This year, she is the lone senior on a young squad. She has led them in every way possible. She’s incredibly positive, and that is infectious. She is a great person. I put that bug in her ear about coaching over Christmas. She would definitely be a natural.” … rest of story at Flowrestling.org/articles/10511196-10-college-women-who-should-consider-coaching-wrestling
2022-23 NAIA Men’s Wrestling National Championships Allocations Announced
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced the allocations for the 66th Annual NAIA Men’s Wrestling National Championships, held March 3rd and 4th at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kansas.
Each conference tournament awards automatic bids per weight class based on the final regular-season poll, which can be seen HERE. Each conference is awarded automatic berths based on the amount of wrestlers ranked in each weight class. Each conference is awarded a minimum of one automatic bid per weight class, which will go to the tournament champions, even if the conference did not have any wrestlers ranked in the final regular-season poll. If a conference does not have an individual ranked in the final top 25 and allocation will be deducted from the original 25 to ensure each conference is represented at each weight class at the National Championships. … rest of story and charts at NAIA.org/sports/mwrest/2022-23/Releases/Allocations
NCAA News
NCAA releases midseason coaches’ rank and RPI for 2023 Division I Wrestling Championships
INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA has announced the second coaches ranking and first Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) for the 2023 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.
The coaches’ rankings are determined by a vote of 14 coaches in each weight class with two head coaches from each of the seven conferences. For ranking purposes, coaches may only consider a wrestler that has been designated as a starter at a respective weight class. Wrestlers must have eight Division I matches in the weight class to be considered with at least one within the last 30 days.
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The RPI is a calculation that consists of three factors: winning percentage, opponent winning percentage (strength of schedule) and opponent’s opponent winning percentage (opponent’s strength of schedule). Only matches against Division I opponents at the designated weight class count towards the RPI and a wrestler needs to have wrestled 15 matches to be ranked.
In the coaches rank, of the 10 weight classes four are led by former national champions in Iowa’s Spencer Lee at 125 pounds, Missouri’s Keegan O’Toole at 165 pounds, Penn State’s Carter Starocci at 174 pounds and Penn State’s Aaron Brooks at 184 pounds. The quartet has a combined eight national titles led by Lee with three.
Oklahoma State’s Daton Fix at 133 pounds and Nebraska’s Peyton Robb at 157 pounds are the only wrestlers to sit atop both the coaches rank and RPI in their respective weight class.
Tap or click here to see the full rankings
With many wrestlers still looking to reach the 15-match threshold to earn an RPI, the top of those rankings looks a little different than the coaches’ rank.
At 149 pounds Yahya Thomas of Northwestern sits first followed by Sammy Sasso of Ohio State, … rest of story at NCAA.com/news/wrestling/article/2023-02-09/ncaa-releases-midseason-coaches-rank-and-rpi-2023-division-i-wrestling-championships
NCAA debuts most dominant wrestler standings in latest award update for the 2023 season
INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA has released updated standings for the 2023 NCAA Wrestling Awards that will be awarded in March at the respective Division I, II and III Wrestling Championships.
The inaugural NCAA Wrestling Awards were presented at the 2012 wrestling championships. The three awards, given in each division, honor the Most Dominant Wrestler as well as the student-athletes that have accumulated the most falls and the most technical falls throughout the course of the regular and postseasons.
For results to be counted for the awards they must come against opponents in the same division (i.e. Division II vs. Division II). Ties in the falls and tech falls categories are broken based on the aggregate time.
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This week features the unveiling of standings for the Most Dominant Wrestler award, which features a 15-match minimum to qualify for the standings.
The Most Dominant Wrestler standings are calculated by adding the total number of team points awarded through match results and dividing that number by the total number of matches wrestled. Points per match are awarded as follows. … rest of story and ratings at NCAA.com/news/wrestling/article/2023-02-08/ncaa-debuts-most-dominant-wrestler-standings-latest-award-update-2023-season
The Open Mat NCAA Division I Wrestling Rankings
February 7, 2023
The Open Mat has released NCAA Division I wrestling rankings for February 7, 2023.
Team Rankings
Tournament:
- Penn State 128.5
- Missouri 82.5
- Iowa 81
- Nebraska 73.5
- Virginia Tech 64.5
- Cornell 62.5
- Pittsburgh 55
- Iowa State 54.5
- North Carolina State 53.5
- Arizona State 51
- Ohio State 49
- Michigan 48.5
- Northwestern 42.5
- Lehigh 41
- Oklahoma State 38 … rest of story and rankings at Guillotine.com/2023/02/the-open-mat-ncaa-division-i-wrestling-rankings-10
No. 2 Lander wrestling dispatches No. 18 UNC Pembroke 30-7 to claim the SACC Championship
GREENWOOD – The No. 2 Lander wrestling team took care of business Thursday evening as it dispatched No. 18 UNC Pembroke 30-7 to claim its second straight SACC title.
The Bearcats conclude the regular season with a 20-2 overall record and a spotless 10-0 SACC record. Lander also finishes the season riding an 11-match win streak. UNC Pembroke concludes the regular season with a 12-2 overall record and a 9-1 SACC record.
Lander began its match against UNC Pembroke with three straight wins to take an early 15-0 lead.
James Joplin got the party started with a pin against Cameron Greene at 125 to put the Bearcats up 6-0 for his 16th win and sixth pin of the year.
Elijah Lusk recorded his 25th win of the season with a 15-0 tech fall in the third period after recording three straight four-point near falls. Lusk has now recorded seven tech falls this season.
Zeth Brower moved down his opponent with a 17-6 major decision. Brower recorded three takedowns and a reversal in the third period as part of his stellar performance. Brower is now 27-0 with eight wins by major decision.
The Braves would record back-to-back wins by decision at 149 and 157 before the Bearcats got a 14-5 major decision win at 165 from David Hunsberger. Hunsberger recorded six takedowns in the win as he recorded his 26th win of the year.
Jack Bond would keep the points coming in with a 12-5 win by decision to give Lander a 22-6 edge. Bond’s opponent would score all his points via escapes.
The Braves would take their last win at 184 to make it a 22-9 contest.
Anthony Yacovetti was next to record a win for the Blue and Gold. Yacovetti recorded a 17-2 tech fall that saw two four-point near falls in the third period for his 22nd win of the season and fourth tech fall of the year.
UNC Pembroke’s coach would cost his team two points for unsportsmanlike behavior, making it a 27-9 match.
Juan Edmond-Holmes finished the night with a 5-1 win by decision … rest of story at Landerbearcats.com/news/2023/2/9/wrestling-no-2-wrestling-dispatches-no-18-unc-pembroke-30-7-to-claim-sacc-champn.
No. 2 Lander Too Much For No. 18 Wrestling
GREENWOOD, S.C. – Second-ranked Lander used three-straight bonus point wins to build an early 15-0 lead, and held the 18th-ranked UNC Pembroke wrestling team at arm’s length the rest of the way out to post a 30-7 win over the short-handed Braves on Thursday evening in Horne Arena.
The setback snapped an eight-match win streak for the Braves (12-1, 9-1 SACC) who were without the services of three starters on Thursday evening, including top-ranked Logan Seliga at 125 pounds. The triumph helped the Bearcats (20-2, 10-0) push their win streak out to 10 matches, as well as secure the South Atlantic Conference Carolinas championship for the second-straight season.
Lander got bonus-point wins from third-ranked James Joplin (125 pounds), sixth-ranked Elijah Lusk (133) and top-ranked Zeth Brower (141) to build a ton of early momentum, but the Braves got on the board with consecutive wins – 11th-ranked Jake Piccirilli’s overtime triumph at 149 pounds and Rahsaan Vereen’s 3-2 decision at 157 pounds.
Lander closed out the night with four wins – a streak that was interrupted by Shylik Scriven’s 6-5 decision over fourth-ranked Logan Hall … rest of story at UNCPbraves.com/news/2023/2/9/no-2-lander-too-much-for-no-18-wrestl.
NO. 6 VIRGINIA TECH DEFEATS UNC FRIDAY NIGHT
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – No. 6 Virginia Tech (9-3, 3-1 ACC) was victorious on the road Friday night, defeating the No. 25-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels (6-8, 2-2 ACC) in Carmichael Arena in ACC dual action.
The Hokies stormed out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back, winning eight of 10 matchups with the Tar Heels. Lachlan McNeil (141) and Austin O’Connor (157) secured top-15 wins, courtesy of major decisions.
The Tar Heels return once again to Carmichael Arena next Friday night, welcoming No. 7 NC State for Senior Night to close out the regular season. … rest of story at GOheels.com/news/2023/2/10/no-6-virginia-tech-defeats-wrestling-friday-night
No. 6 NC State takes down No. 17 Pittsburgh, 23-6
NC State now in first place in ACC standings
RALEIGH Pittsburgh rolled into Reynolds Coliseum undefeated, and like so many teams over the last four seasons, they left with a loss.
No. 6 NC State got a leg up in its quest for another ACC title, by knocking off the No.17 Panthers, 23-6 Friday night.
With the win, the Pack (13-1) is tied with Pitt and Virginia Tech for first place, all three teams sitting at 3-1 in league action.
NC State wraps up the regular season next weekend at rival North Carolina.
The Wolfpack improves to 8-3 all-time versus Pittsburgh.
The visiting Panthers got the upper hand on the home team, winning the 141-pound class match to start the evening. The contest was a top-10 showdown between NC State’s Ryan Jack, No. 4 in the country, and No. 3 Cole Matthews from Pitt.
Matthews got a late escape to win 4-2. NC State won the next two matches to retake the momentum.
There were seven ranked-versus-ranked matchups on the night and three matches went into overtime.
One of the top matches was between Pitt’s Nino Bonaccorsi, the top-ranked wrestler in the 197 class and No. 8 Isaac Trumble.
Trumble pushed Bonaccorsi to overtime, before falling 6-4. In the other two overtime matches No. 29 Alex Faison rallied to defeat Luca Augustine with a late takedown. In the final overtime match, Owen Trephan appeared to have a takedown early, but his opponent was ruled out of bounds.
Wolfpack head coach Pat Popolizio challenged, but the call stood. In the extra period, Trephan got a takedown within the lines for the 3-1 win. That win felt like a must have for NC State, who led by five points with three matches remaining. … rest of story ad results at GOpack.com/news/2023/2/10/wrestling-no-6-nc-state-takes-down-no-17-pittsburgh-23-6
High School News – Western N.C.
Hendersonville wrestling’s Walker Mains breaks school record for career wins
Hendersonville boys wrestler Walker Mains has had to overcome several obstacles during his career.
Yet scoliosis and the COVID-19 pandemic couldn’t stop him from breaking the school record for most career wins on Saturday.
He got to No. 151 on Saturday at East Gaston, getting a pin in 30 seconds in his opening match of the weekend tournament. Mains went on to win four more matches Saturday and picked up two more victories Tuesday vs. Patton and Polk County, giving him a 157-24 career record.
The senior, who’s 46-2 this season wrestling at 145 and 152 pounds, also helped Hendersonville tally two more team victories. The Bearcats grabbed a 63-12 win over Patton and a 39-36 victory against the Wolverines.
Mains said coming into the season that he didn’t even know there was a school wins record to break. … rest of story at Blueridgenow.com/story/sports//nc-high-school-wrestling-walker-mains-hendersonville-wins-record
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
