UNC WRESTLING DEFEATS VIRGINIA, STARTS 2-0 IN ACC DUALS
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Behind a first period pin from Lachlan McNeil and a technical fall by Austin O’Connor, the No. 26-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels (6-6, 2-0 ACC) defeated Virginia (6-4, 0-2 ACC) 30-9, Friday night in Carmichael Arena.
On the night, North Carolina boasted winners by decision in Jace Palmer (133), Gavin Kane (184) and Aydin Guttridge (285). Jack Wagner continued his winning ways with a major decision, as McNeil, O’Connor and Michael Goldfeder (174, injury default) picked up extra points in their match wins.
For the second consecutive season, the Tar Heels began the Atlantic Coast Conference portion of the schedule with two-straight wins over Duke and Virginia.
No. 26 North Carolina 30, Virginia 9
Jan. 27, 2023 | Carmichael Arena | Chapel Hill, N.C.
125: No. 19 Jack Wagner (UNC) over Patrick McCormick (UVA) (14-4 MD) … rest of story at Goheels.com/news/2023/1/27/wrestling-defeats-virginia-starts-2-0-in-acc-duals
Univ. of Mount Olive dominates Limestone in league dual meet, 34-12
GAFFNEY, S.C. (Jan. 29) – The University of Mount Olive men’s wrestling team registered seven victories in a dominant performance on Sunday afternoon to claim a 34-12 win at Limestone in South Atlantic Conference Carolinas (SACC) action.
With the win, the Trojans improve to 11-4 this season behind a 5-2 record in league dual meets this year. Mount Olive sits fourth in the conference standings and secured its first win over Limestone in the fourth meeting between the sides. Meanwhile, the Saints fall to 4-4 overall with a 3-4 mark in conference action.
UMO established a 19-0 advantage after claiming wins in the initial four matches of the dual meet. At 125, sophomore Lens Mathurin posted an 11-1 major decision over Nathanael Bullard after a solid second period that included a pair of takedowns and a two-point near fall. Freshman Jeffrey Richards registered an 8-4 decision in the 133-weight class versus William Finnearty after totaling four takedowns in the match. Junior Hayden Waddell collected a victory via forfeit at 141 before redshirt freshman Dallas Wilson (149) delivered a first-period pin over Weston Nguyen. Limestone responded with a technical fall at 157 to close the gap to 19-5, but sophomore Jake Nicolosi (165) increased the lead with another first-period fall against Garrett Starks, 25-5. The Saints answered with back-to-back wins in the 174 and 184 weight classes to trim the deficit to 25-12. At 197, sophomore Jonathan Clack produced a quick win via fall over Anthony Goelzer before Nico Ramirez sealed the win with a 7-2 decision at heavyweight versus AJ Harvey, 34-12. … rest of story at UMOtrojans.com/news/2023/1/29/wrestling-umo-dominates-limestone-in-league-dual-meet-34-12
No. 2 Lander wrestling demolishes Coker 44-3 Thursday evening
GREENWOOD – For the second time this week the No. 2 Lander wrestling team rolled over its opponent, as the Coker Cobras were the latest team to suffer the wrath of the Bearcats with a 44-3 drubbing Thursday evening.
Lander moves to 18-2 overall and 8-0 in the SACC while Coker drops to 3-6 overall and 1-6 in the SACC.
The Bearcats won 9-of-10 matches with eight of those wins coming by major decision or greater.
The night started off with James Joplin taking down his opponent 18-4 at 125. Joplin recorded four-point near falls in both the second and third periods.
Elijah Lusk was next up, as he scored a 16-0 tech fall. After going up 10-0 in the first period, Lusk finished things up with a takedown and a four-point near fall in the second period. Lusk has now recorded 23 wins this season.
Zeth Brower continues to stay perfect on the season as he recorded the first of three pins for Lander on the night. Brower recorded his pin 2:15 into the first period. Brower has six pins on the year and has recorded 25 wins.
Jack Tangen battled his way to a 3-0 win by decision as the points kept coming in for Lander. The Bearcats were up 18-0 before Coker got on the board with a win at 157 to avoid getting shutout.
David Hunsberger notched his 24th win of the season and sixth pin … rest of story at Landerbearcats.com/news/2023/1/26/wrestling-no-2-wrestling-demolishes-coker-44-3
No. 8 NC State dominates Duke on the mat, 46-3
RALEIGH With the cheerleaders and the band in the house, the No. 8 NC State wrestling team matched the energy in Reynolds Coliseum.
Coming off its first loss of the season, the Wolfpack (11-1, 1-1) jumped all over the Duke Blue Devils (3-8, 0-2) in front of 2,605 fans, winning 46-3.
In the last two seasons, NC State has defeated Duke by a combined score of 89-3.
The Pack extends its winning streak over the Blue Devils to eight matches. The average margin of victory during that streak has been 36-6.
Breaking out the pyro and fire for the first time this year, the Pack wrestlers did their part to energy high on the mat.
NC State won nine straight matches, seven of them by fall or major decision, to take control early in the night.
“Great atmosphere for college wrestling,” Pack head coach Pat Popolizio said. “Our fan base continues to show up and expand. That’s critical as we keep moving forward with our program and competing against higher level teams.”
The dual started at the 125 class and junior Jarrett Trombley wasted little time, pinning Ethan Grimminger with 10 seconds remaining in the first period.
Kai Orine was just as dominant for the Pack in the 133 class, using a couple of late four-point near falls en route to a 21-1 win over Logan Agin. … rest of story at GOpack.com/news/2023/1/27/wrestling-no-8-nc-state-dominates-duke-on-the-mat-46-3
Campbell Camels Conquer 3 teams over the weekend
Wrestling downs VMI on the road 25-9
LEXINGTON, VA. – Campbell remained unbeaten in Southern Conference contests, topping VMI 25-9 on the road Sunday at Cormack Hall.
The Camels (13-8, 4-0 SoCon) won its eighth straight dual over VMI (7-5, 1-3 SoCon), claiming its third conference victory of the weekend. Campbell also defeated Presbyterian 36-9 and Davidson 43-3 yesterday in its 2022-23 home finale.
Tied at 3-3 after a pair of overtime decisions to open the match, Campbell built a commanding 25-3 lead with seven consecutive wins, highlighted by No. 29 Levi Hopkins’ 10-2 major decision at 197 pounds.
Camels took two of the match’s three overtime bouts, including Dom Baker’s 3-1 win over Braxton Lewis at 165 to start the day, and Chris Rivera’s 4-2 win over Ryan Vigil at 149.
With the dual in hand, Campbell forfeited at 157, taking the 25-9 road victory. … rest of story at GOcamels.com/news/2023/1/29/wrestling-downs-vmi-on-the-road-25-9
Wrestling downs PC, Davidson
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Campbell defeated Presbyterian 36-9 and Davidson 43-3 in Southern Conference action on Saturday at McCall Court.
The Camels moved to 12-8 on the season and 3-0 against SoCon competition, winning their home finale over the Blue Hose (3-9, 0-5 SoCon) and Wildcats (2-7, 1-3 SoCon).
In Saturday’s opener, Dominic Chavez gave PC a 3-0 lead with a 10-3 decision at 125, but Camels reeled off five straight victories, including a pin (2:44) from No. 29 Domenic Zaccone at 133 over Jacob Brasseur, a 10-2 major decision from at 141 No. 32 Shannon Hanna over Trenton Donahue, and a 15-0 tech fall (3:05) for Troy Nation over Michael Ramirez at 157.
Chad Nix finished off the 36-9 win with a first period pin (0:42) for the Camels.
Campbell raced out to a 34-0 lead over the Wildcats in the second half of the twinbill, starting the match with five straight bonus point wins, including a pin from Hanna (2:45) over Josh Viarengo. … rest of story at GOcamels.com/news/2023/1/28/wrestling-downs-pc-davidson
More Division I Top matches
No. 8 Hokies down No. 5 Wolfpack in front of record crowd in Cassell
Tech wins five bouts, big performances from Smith and Andonian secure the rivalry victory
BLACKSBURG – In an electric night in Cassell in front of a record-breaking 5,943 crowd, the No. 8 Virginia Tech wrestling team defeated conference rivals the No. 5 NC State Wolfpack, 16-14. The Hokies won six out of ten bouts – including the highlighted return of No. 6 Bryce Andonian – to begin 1-0 in conference competition.
The highly anticipated dual began at 125 with No. 20 Eddie Ventresca taking on NC State’s No. 29 Jarrett Trombley. The only points exchanged during regulation were escapes by both wrestlers to send the bout into the first sudden victory match of the evening. Ventresca attempted to score but Trombley was able to counter for neutral danger to put NC State on the board first.
No. 5 Sam Latona recovered for the Hokies and got Tech on the board with a 3-1 victory at 133-pounds against No. 25 Kai Orine. Latona was persistent with attacks and reattacks throughout the bout, nearly finishing on a multitude of attacks but was unable to finish as time expired or the wrestlers went out of bounds. Latona’s victory tied the dual at 3 two bouts into the dual. … rest of story at Hokiesports.com/news/2023/1/20/wrestling-no-8-hokies-down-no-5-wolfpack-in-front-of-record-crowd-in-cassell
Wolverines Earn Seven Bonus Wins in Dominant Showing Over Maryland
» No. 3 Michigan earned bonus points in seven of nine individual wins to defeat Maryland 44-5 at Keen Arena.
» Will Lewan (157 pounds) and Dylan Ragusin (133) earned first-period pins, while Matt Finesilver (184) and Mason Parris (Hwt) secured technical falls.
» Maryland forfeited two matches — at 125 and 197 pounds.
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Cliff Keen Arena)
Score: #3 Michigan 44, Maryland 5
Records: U-M (9-2, 4-2 B1G), UMD (8-6, 0-5 B1G)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Feb. 3 — vs. Oklahoma State (Fort Worth, Texas), 7 p.m. CST
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The No. 3-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team earned seven bonus wins, including pins from Will Lewan and Dylan Ragusin, to cruise to a 44-5 win over Maryland on Sunday afternoon (Jan. 29) in front of 1,291 fans at Cliff Keen Arena.
The Wolverines earned four six-point victories … rest of story at Mgoblue.com/news/2023/1/29/wrestling-wolverines-earn-seven-bonus-wins-in-dominant-showing-over-maryland
No. 21 Lehigh Comes Up One Match Short Against No. 17 Arizona State at Grace Hall
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Wrestling at Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall for the first time in more than two months, a sellout crowd of 1,855 saw No. 21 Lehigh fall 20-16 to No. 17 Arizona State Saturday night. The visiting Sun Devils claimed six bouts overall including two key early decisions to hand the Mountain Hawks their second straight setback.
Graduate student Tate Samuelson and sophomore Michael Beard led the way for Lehigh with bonus point wins, but the Mountain Hawks fall to 6-9 on the dual season after coming up four points short against the Sun Devils.
The dual began at 165 with Arizona State’s Tony Negron winning a 6-2 decision over sophomore Luca Frinzi. At 174, sophomore Jake Logan went to overtime for the second straight night and again came up on the short end in sudden victory, falling 8-6 to Cael Valencia. Logan erased a 4-2 first period deficit with a second period takedown and third period reversal, but it was Valencia winning a scramble in sudden victory to secure the winning takedown.
“We knew it would come down to some of those early matches,” Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro said. … rest of story at Lehighsports.com/news/2023/1/28/wrestling-no-21-lehigh-comes-up-one-match-short-against-no-17-arizona-state
NO. 5 BUCKEYES EARN 23-15 ROAD WIN AT NO. 7 MICHIGAN
COLUMBUS, Ohio – No. 5 Ohio State (10-1, 4-0) won seven of 10 matches and defeated No. 7 Michigan (8-2, 3-2) 23-15 at the Crisler Center Friday in Ann Arbor.
The win was the Buckeyes’ first in Ann Arbor in nearly five years, since February 11, 2018. It also ended a three-match losing streak against the maze and blue.
Ohio State earned the win thanks to a handful of closely-contested matches, especially early in the dual. At 125, 133 and 141 lbs., the Buckeyes scored late in matches and coupled with a technical fall by Sammy Sasso at 149, built a 14-0 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish.
How it Happened
125 | No. 10 Malik Heinselman (OSU) def. No. 20 Jack Medley (UM) | D, 4-3
After a scoreless first period and Medley escape to start the second, Heinselman scored the opening takedown of the match with under 40 seconds remaining in the period. Tied at 2-2 when the third period began, Heinselman’s reversal gave him a 4-2 advantage. He’d hold off Medley for the remainder of the period to earn the 4-3 decision. It was his 17th win of the season.
133 | No. 9 Jesse Mendez (OSU) def. No. 12 Dylan Ragusin (UM) | D, 3-1 (SV-1)
Mendez earned a key momentum-swinging early dual victory at 133 by taking 12th-ranked Dylan Ragusin down early in the first overtime period for a 3-1 decision. … rest of story at Ohiostatebuckeyes.com/no-5-buckeyes-earn-23-15-road-win-at-no-7-michigan
SARA KOENIG RECEIVES NATIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME HONOR
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – University of North Carolina Athletics administrative assistant Sara Koenig has been selected as the 2023 National Wrestling Hall of Fame Lifetime Service to Wrestling award winner, courtesy of the North Carolina chapter.
Friday evening in the Tar Heel victory against Virginia, Koenig was recognized by the athletic department and wrestling program for receiving the honor. The Lifetime Service to Wrestling award is given in appreciation for years of dedication to the development of leadership and citizenship in young people throughout the sport of wrestling.
“We can’t thank Sara enough for her commitment and passion to the sport of wrestling, especially at UNC and in the state of North Carolina,” wrestling head coach Coleman Scott said. “The positive impact she’s had on our program, our student-athletes and coaching staff is unmeasurable, and we’re extremely happy to see her receive the recognition on a national level that she deserves.”
Beginning in 1995, Koenig has spent her time in numerous roles in the sport, including being a contributor and editor of NCMat.com from 1995-2010 … rest of story at Goheels.com/news/2023/1/28/koenig-receives-national-wrestling-hall-of-fame-honor
Girls Wrestling across the nation
The Explosive Growth Of Girls High School Wrestling In Numbers
These numbers prove that girls’ high school wrestling is exploding across the country
On episode 25 of the Everything Women’s Wrestling Podcast, Eve Duncan, Joan Fulp, and Andrea Yamamoto share national updates on girls’ high school wrestling participation numbers for the 2022-2023 season. With a 46% average increase across all states, the data continues to tell a story of explosive growth.
Listeners will understand the sequence of growth across the country as well as the distinct difference between emerging sports status and championship status. Duncan, Fulp, and Yamamoto highlight the 10 states shown in the graphics below by praising grassroots leaders and sharing lessons learned. The conversation will leave you motivated to roll your sleeves up a little higher in an effort to keep this momentum going.
… rest of story and charts at Flowrestling.org/articles/10421777-the-explosive-growth-of-girls-high-school-wrestling-in-numbers
Niagara County girls wrestling expanding one pin at a time with first state tournament on deck
Bill Morello’s life has revolved around Lockport wrestling since childhood. There were plenty of female wrestlers during his early days, but it was primarily a male-dominated sport. Now a father of four daughters, Morello has become an advocate, as girls wrestling has exploded enough to become a standalone sport in more than 30 states and New York is finally following along.
New York is now on the eve of hosting the first state-sanctioned girls state wrestling invitational on Friday at SRC Arena on the campus of Onondaga County Community College in Syracuse, signaling the evolution and popularity of the sport. “They’re doing a great job right now promoting girls wrestling,” Morello said. “It just shows this year — with all the girls tournaments that have gone on — many more schools are getting all-girls wrestling (teams). … It speaks volumes that they support this.”
Fourteen of the 32 wrestlers invited to the invitational are representing Niagara County from Lockport, Newfane, Lewiston-Porter, North Tonawanda and Niagara Wheatfield. What’s even better is only four from the group will be graduating in June and six of the wrestlers being sent are in ninth grade or below. For those like NT coach Tony Fire, having the opportunity to compete at the state level is a monumental step for moving forward.
“It was definitely needed to not only reward them but to give them even more of a reason to come out and work towards being the best in the state,” Fire said. “This, in turn, is seen by other girls and attracts them, which, in turn, is yet another way that this sport will grow for females.” … rest of story at Niagara-gazette.com/sports/niagara-county-girls-wrestling-expanding-one-pin-at-a-time-with-first-state-tournament
Minnesota SHSL announces expansion of girls section and state tournaments
The sport of girls wrestling has taken off around the country, but especially in Minnesota the last couple of years. The latest evidence comes in the forms of a larger postseason.
Some exciting news for Minnesota girls wrestling was just announced by the MSHSL on Wednesday. Just one year after holding the first sanctioned girls section and state tournaments, the League announced it will be expanding the girls wrestling postseason starting this year.
“The MSHSL is excited to see continued growth in girls wrestling,” the League said in a statement. “The number of girls in MSHSL wrestling has more than doubled since last year and the League recognizes the need to modify and expand postseason opportunities at both the section and state tournaments.
“After careful data analysis and consultation with tournament staff, we will be modifying the girls individual section and state tournaments.” … rest of story at Guillotine.com/2023/01/mshsl-announces-expansion-of-girls-section-and-state-tournaments
College Women’s Wrestling News
Emily Shilson to Transfer to McKendree
Big transfer news today on the women’s collegiate front as four-time undefeated collegiate national champion, Emily Shilson, will be transferring from Augsburg to McKendree. Shilson made her news public via her Instagram account today.
Shilson has won the last three NCWWC national titles at 109 lbs while competing at Augsburg; however, she did not compete for Auggies during the 2022-23 campaign. Early indications are that Shilson will be able to wrestle immediately in 2023 for McKendree. Her only collegiate action this year came at the All-Star Classic when Shilson wrestled unattached and took on Life University’s Peyton Prussin. Although Prussin took an early lead, Shilson rallied back for an 8-4 victory.
Shilson’s addition will provide a boost to the three-time defending NCWWC national champion Bearcats. Recently, at the National Duals, McKendree finished third after losing to King in the semifinals. … rest of story at Intermatwrestle.com/articles/26435
Women’s Weekly: Can McKendree Compete With Iowa?
McKendree will challenge King and North Central at this year’s national championships, but can the Bearcats take down the Hawkeyes next season?
Don’t count out the reigning three-time national collegiate champions just yet.
McKendree’s rookie head coach Alexio Garcia is designing a team that can compete for a fourth straight title after a rocky start to the season. The team is currently 6-4 after finishing third at the NWCA Multidivisional National Duals, but much has changed in the past two weeks.
The Bearcats are the only team to hoist a championship trophy over their heads since the inception of the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships (NCAA programs) in 2020. It seemed inevitable that the streak would end after several top wrestlers transferred to different schools once Sam Schmitz — the architect of the program — left for Central Methodist.
Now, it’s a three-team race between North Central, King, and McKendree.
It’s not like the cupboard was completely bare when Garcia arrived in Lebanon, Illinois. He inherited four national champions — Pauline Granados, Cam Guerin, Alara Boyd, and Sydnee Kimber — to build around. Two-time All-Americans Lizzette Rodriguez and Payton Stroud were also in the line-up, which gave McKendree a fighting chance.
However, the Bearcats had holes — and Garcia went on a recruiting frenzy to fill them.
None was bigger than Emily Shilson. … rest of story at Flowrestling.org/articles/10416604-womens-weekly-can-mckendree-compete-with-iowa
Bakersfield College unveils new women’s wrestling team at spring media day
When Andrea Prise stopped by Marcos Austin’s Bakersfield College wrestling team, she was just hoping to recruit some men interested in expanding their horizons by wrestling steers for her fledgling rodeo club. Instead, her visit led to a conversation with Athletic Director Reggie Bolton about BC’s upcoming addition of women’s wrestling as a varsity sport. “He said, ‘Well, are you interested in coaching?’” Prise recalled. “I was like, ‘Well, heck yeah!’”
And so Prise, already an adjunct in agriculture and the founding coach of the rodeo club, now finds herself at the forefront of another new venture. She was joined by wrestlers Galilea Chavez (East) and Chloe Espericueta (Shafter) in the Gil Bishop Sports Center for BC’s media day Friday, the public debut for the new team, which will be on the mat this spring.
“I was just waiting for something to happen,” Chavez said, “for a women’s team, hoping (for it) to open up, and it happened, which I’m very excited about.” Women have trained with the men’s team before — Espericueta, a sophomore, was listed on the wrestling roster each of the past two years, and Chavez, a freshman, won a round robin at the Meathead Movers Tournament in October — but this is the first time they’ll have the chance to compete on their own terms for any extended stretch.
“I think for any first program, we just want to build a strong foundation,” Prise said. “We want to have our fundamentals solid so that from here we can just keep building and building.”
She added that Austin’s team provides a good foundation in and of itself. “I’m gonna keep saying it all semester: I don’t want to reinvent the wheel, I just want to keep going on his program because it’s been successful,” Prise said.
The team’s inaugural season will also be the first for the California Community College Athletic Association as a whole. For now, BC only has wrestlers for six of the 10 weight classes. But Prise, who has refereed wrestling locally and competed herself in high school, hopes that the program will encourage more women to stay local in the future. Her own sister, she said, had to travel to Oregon just to play the sport. … rest of story at NWCAonline.com/bakersfield-college-unveils-new-womens-wrestling-team-at-spring-media-day
Felician University Announces Men’s and Women’s Wrestling for 2024
RUTHERFORD, NJ – Felician University Athletics will add Men’s and Women’s Wrestling to its repertoire in the 2024-2025 academic year, Director of Athletics, Andrew Toriello, announced today.
Wrestling will become the university’s 21st varsity sport, 12th women’s offering and 9th men’s offering with the addition. It will compete at the NCAA Division II level and within the National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) during the Fall/Winter seasons, beginning in early November and its regular season ending by February. Felician is entering a realm with a current total of 64 men’s wrestling teams and 16 women’s teams within Division II; however, Felician would become the first institution in the state of New Jersey to offer the sport at that level.
Throughout Felician’s residing state, with the combination of the NCAA, NAIA, and JUCOs, 14 institutions offer men’s wrestling and 3 offer women. Specifically, within the NCAA Divisions I and III, there are seven New Jersey collegiate organizations that govern a men’s wrestling team (three-Division I/four-Division III) and only three house a women’s team (two- Division I/one-Division III).
“I am very excited to add sports to our intercollegiate athletics offerings and we are ecstatic to become the only Division II school in the state of New Jersey that will sponsor both men and women’s wrestling”, Toriello stated. “New Jersey has proven to have a multitude of talent within the sport of wrestling and bringing the sport to Felician will … rest of story at NWCAonline.com/felician-university-announces-mens-and-womens-wrestling-for-2024/
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
