7 Big Stories from the Week in College Wrestling (1/16/2023)
I know it doesn’t feel that way when you’re cutting weight over the holidays or going through brutal workouts, but the wrestling season really flies by. For such a long season, compared to other collegiate sports, you blink and it’s mid-January. It sounds crazy to think, but a month from now we’ll be wrapping up the regular season.
That’s why we should celebrate and focus on the now. This past weekend was another great couple of days of action on the collegiate wrestling front. As the year progresses, we are seeing seemingly strong teams show weaknesses, while new powers are emerging. Individually, each weight class is taking form, too. Early-season rankings rely on last year’s results, but with two and a half months’ worth of action, plenty of shifting has taken place and will continue to do so.
So, without any further delay, here are seven big stories from the week in college wrestling.
125 is a mess
At one point or another, throughout the course of a four-plus month season, each weight class has that one week, where everyone loses. Well, not everyone, but it just seems that way. For the better part of the year, 141 has been that weight and a weekly basis. That bracket seems to have leveled out and starts to make sense, a bit (for now).
That gave way to 125 lbs going nuts this weekend. … rest of story at Intermatwrestle.com/articles/26424
Hixenbaugh again named SoCon Wrestler of the Week
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – After going undefeated at the 2023 Virginia Duals, Campbell’s Gabriel Hixenbaugh has been named Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week for the second time this season.
Hixenbaugh went 4-0 at 133 pounds at the Virginia Duals, including a 2-0 decision over No. 30 Wyatt Henson of Oklahoma. The redshirt junior also posted a pair of tech fall wins, topping Kent State’s Brendon Fenton 18-3 (7:00) and Maryland’s Conner Quinn 15-0 (5:37), helping CU defeat the 23rd-ranked Terrapins. He added a 5-2 decision over South Dakota State’s Derrick Cardinal in Saturday’s finale.
The Alabaster, Ala. native is now 14-1 on the season. … rest of story at GOcamels.com/news/2023/1/18/wrestling-hixenbaugh-again-named-socon-wrestler-of-the-week
College Coaching Milestones
Fader gets win No. 300 as Blugolds win pool at Budd Whitehill Duals
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (blugolds.com) — Coach Tim Fader picked up the 300th dual victory of his career as the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire wrestling team won its pool on the first day of the Budd Whitehill Duals on Friday. The eighth-ranked Blugolds went 3-0 to advance to Saturday’s semifinals.
Fader, in his eighth season leading the Blugolds, hit No. 300 after the Blugolds’ second win of the day. He is in his 24th season overall as a head coach.
The Blugolds got off to a flying start at the tournament by defeating Oswego State 38-6 in their opening dual. UW-Eau Claire was the victor in eight of the 10 weight classes. Jon Harvey (Fr. – Lake City, Minn./Lincoln) and Jared Stricker (So. – Ashland, Wis.) both won via fall at 165 and 174 pounds, respectively. The victory by Stricker — ranked No. 13 in Division III — came over fifth-ranked Charlie Grygas.
The Blugolds also earned a pair of major decisions against the Lakers. Carter Schulz (Fr. – Rice Lake, Wis.) won 14-2 at 125 pounds, and 10th-ranked Tyler Fleetwood (Jr. – Fulton, Ill.) followed with a 12-0 victory at 133. Fifteenth-ranked Zach Sato won by 6-3 decision at 149 pounds, and ninth-ranked Niall Schoenfelder scored a 7-2 decision at 184 pounds. Sam Melton (Jr. – Shell Lake, Wis./Spooner) and Chase Melton (Sr. – Spooner, Wis.) both won via forfeits at 197 and 285 pounds.
UW-Eau Claire moved to 2-0 in pool play with a 31-7 victory over Messiah in the afternoon, which was the 300th in Fader’s coaching career. The Blugolds were victors in eight of 10 weight classes again, taking two wins by fall, four by decision, one by major decision and one by sudden victory.
Stricker and Chase Melton both won via fall, with each securing a pin in the later stages of their matches at 174 and 285. Sato scored an 8-0 major decision at 149, and Schoenfelder outlasted his foe to secure a 3-1 sudden victory at 184.
Schulz and Fleetwood had gotten the Blugolds off to a winning start by earning decisions … rest of story at Blugolds.com/sports/wrest/2022-23/releases/20230113
RECAP: Thrilling comeback secures Wrestling head coach Seth Bloomquist’s 100th career win
Pins from Shoemaker, Scheib send Raiders to 25-24 win over Seton Hill
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Shippensburg University wrestling head coach Seth Bloomquist‘s 100th career win was one to remember as the Raiders pulled off an incredible comeback to defeat Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) foe Seton Hill Wednesday in Heiges Field House, 25-24.
Shippensburg (6-4, 1-1 PSAC) needed back-to-back pins in the final two matchups, and freshman Trey Shoemaker and redshirt-junior Danny Scheib came through in thrilling fashion, sticking their opponents at 197 and 285, respectively, to give the Raiders the milestone victory.
Seton Hill (4-6, 0-2 PSAC) held a 24-13 lead on the scoreboard thanks to three straight wins at 165, 174 and 184, with Griffin Riley O’Mara leaving the Raiders without any breathing room thanks to a pin at 184.
Shoemaker, who had recorded 11 of his 13 wins via pin heading into Wednesday, was just the right man for the job for the Raiders. The standout first-year wrestler shook off a first-period takedown, locking Seton Hill’s Nick Whittington into a cradle from the bottom position for a quick turn and pin.
Scheib, spurred on by his own large cheering contingent representing Tri-Valley Elementary School, finished the job with a second-period fall over Seton Hill’s John Meyers.
After a feeling-out first three minutes, Scheib was able to reverse his way out of the bottom position to start the second period and flatten his opponent to send the Raider bench, the Heiges crowd and Scheib himself into a frenzy.
The win marked the Raiders’ first conference dual meet win since the 2017-18 season, and their first over the Griffins in seven years. … rest of story at Shipraiders.com/news/2023/1/11/recap-thrilling-comeback-secures-wrestling-head-coach-seth-bloomquists-100th-career-win
Jim Makovsky becomes the winningest coach at MSU, earning his 300th win over SMSU
Following last week’s tough loss, Minnesota State Wrestling bounced back without hesitation. After trailing by 10 points midway through the match, the Mavericks would mount a comeback to defeat Southern Minnesota State 26-18.
The victory would also be a historical milestone for Head Coach, Jim Makovsky. He earning both his 300th career and becoming the winningest coach in school history, passing the former legendary coach Rummy Macias. While such a massive achievement, Coach Makovsky cannot take all the credit for his work.
“I just take it one match at a time and the wins pile up. We have had a lot of people who have contributed, and it really isn’t about me. We have a great program and history which is special, but that is the case with every match as well. It is a bunch of special matches that have really added up over time,” said Makovsky.
The match was a tight contest, which saw the Mavericks jump out to an eight-point lead in their first two matches. However, going into the third match, the lead would slowly dwindle after SMSU sophomores Caden Sterns and Carter Marx put the Mustangs up by one. Entering match four, SMSU junior Jacob Dykes gave them a 12-8 lead and a horn down motion to fans in attendance.
Moving over to the lower weight classes, momentum would … rest of the story at MSUreporter.com/2023/01/16/jim-makovsky-becomes-the-winningest-coach-at-msu-earning-his-300th-win-over-smsu
South Carolina College Wrestling News
Wolves Conquer the Cobras on the Road
Wrestling puts on dominating display as all weight classes claim victory
HARTSVILLE, S.C. — Coming off of the last dual victory against King in which the Wolves won 36-14, Wrestling took the under two hour trip to Hartsville to take on the Cobras from Coker. Newberry would be looking to build off their victory, along with the 10th place finish at NWCA National Duals.
The dual would start off at 141 lbs, but Josh Blatt (Albemarle, N.C.) would start things off right by securing a fall over Zaid Miller at 3:23. 149 lbs Devan Moore (Baxley, Ga.) would keep it up with a 16-0 tech fall over Dylan Billingsley at 3:10, along with 157 lbs Nolan Wheeler (Dahlonega, Ga.), who would win a 6-3 decision over Noah Korenoski.
Keeping up the streak, 165 lbs P.J. Wunderlich [Myrtle Beach, S.C.] (in his return to his undergraduate alma mater) would tech fall Matthew Williams 16-0 at 2:49 before 174 lbs Asa Walton (Buena, N.J.) would pin … rest of story at Newberrywolves.com/news/2023/1/11/wrestling-wolves-conquer-the-cobras-on-the-road
No. 5 Lander Wrestling takes down Limestone 28-17 on the road
GAFFNEY, S.C. – The No. 5 Lander wrestling team took care of business as it downed the Limestone Saints 28-17 Friday evening on the road.
Lander improves to 13-2 overall and 4-0 in the SACC while Limestone falls to 3-2 overall and 2-2 in the SACC.
The match started with a bang as Anthony Yacovetti got things going with a late first-period pin to put the Bearcats up 6-0 and earn his fifth pin of the season. Juan Edmond-Holmes would be next to score for the Bearcats as he earned a 7-3 win by decision. Limestone would also be docked a point for unsportsmanlike conduct at 285.
Moving to 125, James Joplin kept the momentum going with a 15-3 major decision before Kaiden Fisher earned his third pin of the season at 133 to give Lander a 19-(-1) edge.
Limestone would finally get on the board as the Saints took wins at 141 and 149 from forfeits while winning by decision at 157 to make it a 19-14 contest.
Lander would come screaming back with a David Hunsberger pin in the third period at 165 to increase Lander’s lead to 25-14. Hunsberger earned his 20th win of the season while racking up his fourth pin of the season. … rest of story at Landerbearcats.com/news/2023/1/13/no-5-wrestling-takes-down-limestone-28-17-on-the-road
DIVISION I COACHES POLL: Big Ten powers remain undefeated and atop nation’s Top 25
Manheim, Pennsylvania – The top three teams in the nation are a combined 25-0 this season in dual meets and all three are from the Big Ten. Penn State (8-0), Iowa (10-0) and Michigan (7-0) came in 1-2-3 in the most recent NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll released on Tuesday.
With Penn State idle, Iowa topped then-No. 11 Northwestern 27-9 at sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Michigan beat a pair of ranked teams, winning 25-10 in front of a nearly 5,000 fans at then-No. 21 Michigan State’s Jenison Fieldhouse on Friday and then topping then-No. 14 Wisconsin 27-6.
It also sets the stage for a gigantic No. 1 Penn State vs. No. 3 Michigan matchup this coming Friday in University Park at the Bryce Jordan Center.
Iowa State (10-2) headed West to top host Utah Valley 31-9 and NC State wrapped up its non-conference schedule at 10-0 with a 30-6 win over visiting Army West Point. Cornell topped rival Lehigh 18-15 in one of the most storied rivalries in the EIWA. Ohio State remained seventh after beating visiting Rutgers 27-12 at the Covelli Center. Arizona State dropped a 24-12 home dual to visiting Princeton. The Sun Devils (2-3) dropped two spots to No. 10 this week. Virginia Tech (6-2) moved up a spot to No. 8 after a 23-11 win at then-No. 22 Appalachian State. Missouri (6-2) moved up a spot after a Western swing that saw the Tigers top Air Force 35-9 and Wyoming 28-10.
Nebraska (6-2) was the biggest mover within the rankings this week. The Huskers moved to No. 11 after wins over then-No. 11 Northwestern 21-15 and then-No. 12 Minnesota 21-9.
The Big Ten also saw a new team enter the rankings this week. Indiana (6-1) opened the week with a win over then-No. 23 Maryland on criteria and followed with a 24-16 win over then-No. 18 Rutgers. Indiana comes into the rankings this week tied for No. 21 and the Hoosiers are ranked in the Top 25 for the first time since February 2016. … rest of story at NWCAonline.com/division-i-coaches-poll-big-ten-powers-remain-undefeated-and-atop-nations-top-25
WIN Magazine’s Jan. 16 TPI, Dual and Individual Rankings
NEWTON — A trio of wrestlers — Nebraska’s Liam Cronin, Virginia Tech’s Caleb Henson and Penn State’s Levi Haines — have all moved into the Top-10 of their weight class in WIN Magazine’s Jan. 16 Rankings, presented by Cliff Keen Athletic.
Cronin (13-2 as of Jan. 15) is a senior who jumped from 12th to 7th at 125 pounds after the Husker defeated both Minnesota’s Pat McKee and Northwestern’s Michael DeAugustino last weekend. Henson (14-3), a freshman, moved from 12th to 8th at 149 pounds, after he defeated Appalachian State All-American Jon Millner last Friday. Haines, also a freshman, jumped sixth spots from No. 15 to No. 9 at 157 and has a record of 13-1; his last victory coming over Wisconsin’s Garrett Model on Jan. 6.
Overall, Penn State (8-0) remains the No. 1 team in both WIN’s Dual Rankings and Tournament Power Index, which projects where a team will finish in this season’s NCAA Division I Championships, March 16-18, in Tulsa, Okla. … rest of story at WIN-magazine.com/2023/01/16/win-magazines-jan-16-tpi-dual-and-individual-rankings
NEW TDR Shirts
New TDR Shirts in the popular White on Black, available in Small – XXL. Will have them with us when at wrestling matches. For sale at a break even price of $10.
No. 18 UNC-Pembroke Wrestling Steamrolls Emmanuel To Extend Win Streak
PEMBROKE – Visiting Emmanuel went tit-for-tat with the 18th-ranked UNC Pembroke wrestling team through the first four matches of the evening, but the Braves registered 13 takedowns, a trio of near falls and three pins the rest of the way out to post a 34-10 win over the Lions on Thursday at Lumbee Guaranty Bank Court.
It was the fourth-straight victory for the Braves (8-1, 5-0 SACC) who delighted a raucous home crowd in the first appearance on their home mat since November 30. Emmanuel (3-3, 2-3) has now dropped three of its last four outings, and fell to 1-5 all-time in the series with the Black & Gold with Thursday’s result.
Emmanuel used Josh Kincaid’s third-period pin at 141 pounds to grab its second lead of the night, but that signaled the end of the fun for the visitors on the night. Jake Piccirilli knotted the team score back up with a first-period pin at 149 pounds moments later and sparked a run of seven-straight individual victories that closed out the dual.
Rahsaan Vereen pushed the Braves out in front for good with a 10-4 decision in the 157-pound matchup, Loye Burkhead followed with an equally-impressive 13-6 decision at 157 pounds to make it a 16-10 lead for the Braves. Logan Hoffman (174 pounds) and Bryce Walker (197) both recorded pins down the stretch, while Shylik Scriven (184) and Massimo Sullivan both toughed out wins via decision.
The Braves will be back in action again next Thursday when they trek to Harrogate, Tenn., for matchups against a pair of South Atlantic Conference Carolinas foes. UNCP is scheduled to battle both Lincoln Memorial (1-6, 0-3) and King (5-7, 1-3) inside LMU’s Mary Mars Gymnasium. … rest of story at UNCPbraves.com/news/2023/1/12/no-18-wrestling-steamrolls-emmanuel-to-extend-win-streak
Intermat’s SoCon Mid-Season Recap
The SoCon has seen quite a bit of action this season: upsets, match-ups with top-ranked teams, and plenty of traveling. Here’s a breakdown from A to V of what’s been going on in the SoCon.
Appalachian State University, 4-1 overall, 1-0 conference
The season started out on the road to #9-ranked NC State, winning 4 out of 10 matches. Nailbitinig bouts of the evening included #15 Will Formato (165) and #26 Sean Carter’s (133) sudden-victory overtime wins. The Mountaineers lost to the Wolfpack 26-12, but turned around and beat the other ACC foe then-#21 North Carolina 19-16. Carmichael Arena was absolutely electric after Will Miller (174) upset #8 Clay Lautt with a 7-5 decision. This win earned Miller the honor of being named NCAA and SoCon Wrestler of the Week.
In between, App State headed to Vegas and put three wrestlers on the podium at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Jon Jon Miller led the way with a fourth-place finish, while Will Formato was seventh and Tommy Askey eighth.
Varsity Gym’s doors were open on December 20, where Appalachian served up back-to-back shutouts against Bellarmine (39-0) and Queens (50-0). Remember, Queens is a newly-minted Division-I program in North Carolina and in the south…so we may see an addition to the SoCon in the near future.
A New Year’s tradition – The Southern Scuffle – held in Chattanooga, Tennessee; produced three placers from the Mountaineers. There most definitely would have been a fourth; however, Jon Jon Millner (149) did not compete. Caleb Smith (125) earned his third fifth-place finish, Tommy Askey (157) finished seventh, and Sean Carter (133) took home eighth place. This past Sunday, Binghamton traveled to Boone for some dual-meet action. Appalachian won eight of the ten bouts, dropping losses at 184 and heavyweight.
This Friday is definitely going to be special, as #9 Virginia Tech heads to Boone to face off against the #20-ranked Mountaineers. I’m most excited to watch 149 – a likely meeting between two highly-ranked opponents: #8 Jon Jon Millner and #11 Caleb Henson. 125 lbs will surely be a fun match to watch – #21 Caleb Smith and #20 Eddie Ventresca. App State is already 1-1 with ACC competition…let’s see what happens next.
Campbell University, 6-5 overall, 1-0 conference
Campbell started their season off with two back-to-back events – Battle in the River City and Battle at Bragg. The Fighting Camels posted a 2-1 record at the Battle in River City, boasting wins against Little Rock (18-15) and Buffalo (36-3), dropping their loss of the day to #14 Iowa State (34-3). Troy Nation (157) recorded the lone victory against Iowa State, posting an 11-8 decision over Isaac Judge.
The Camels hosted Battle at Bragg, which was truly an event to remember. While there have been matches wrestled on aircraft carriers, I don’t believe there have been any wrestled on a military base, during a hurricane, while being the first collegiate dual streamed on UFC Fight Pass. In an event where competition was stopped to close the aircraft hangar doors in the midst of a literal hurricane, the Camels were met by #5 Michigan and #16 UNC. Campbell lost both duals, picking up two wins at 165 (Dom Baker) and 197 (Levi Hopkins) against the Wolverines (final 26-6), and won three bouts against UNC at 133 (Gabe Hixenbaugh), 157 (Troy Nation), and at heavyweight (Taye Ghadiali).
The Camels traveled to West Point, New York to wrestle in the Black Knight Invitational, bringing home two champions: Taye Ghadiali and Gabe Hixenbaugh and six other place-winners. Mid-December brought the Boilermaker Duals, where Campbell continued to show up, with a 3-0 record for the day. The barnburner dual of the day was against Utah Valley, the Camels posted a 17-16 win, after being tied 16-16, it came down to criteria. Campbell and Utah Valley had split the dual, equally winning 5 matches apiece. After scoring total points scored, Campbell came out on top. Anthony Molton (125) upset Purdue’s #8 Matt Ramos, in a sudden victory overtime win. Campbell won against the EIWA’s Drexel 19-16 and B1G’s Purdue 29-9 – marking a program first for beating a B1G opponent.
Most recently, Campbell hosted a conference competition – beating Gardner-Webb 25-12, and #17 Nebraska, dropping a 37-6 loss. The pair of wins at this dual were earned by heavyweight #12 Taye Ghadiali and #29 Domenic Zaccone. Next up for the Camels is the ever-exciting Virginia Duals, held in Hampton, Virginia where they’ll be up against Kent State, Oklahoma University, Maryland, and South Dakota State.
Gardner-Webb, Davidson and the rest at Intermatwrestle.com/articles/26415
North Carolina D-I Wrestling Results
Gardner-Webb Wrestling Tops Queens 45-0, Falls 20-15 To Army Sunday Afternoon
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb split a pair of duals Sunday afternoon, falling 20-15 in a tight result to Army before rolling past Queens 45-0 in the finale.
Army posted a 52-0 win over Queens earlier Sunday in the day’s first dual.
Gardner-Webb won six of its 10 individual bouts with Army, but bonus points for the Black Knights in three of its four wins proved to be the difference. Army took a major decision at 157 to start the match, then got a quick pin from 19th-ranked Ben Pasiuk at 174 pounds to open up a 10-3 lead. RJ Mosley, ranked No. 25 nationally at 165 pounds, won a 3-2 decision in between those two results.
Jha’Quan Anderson rallied for a 5-4 win at 184 pounds to pull GWU within 10-6 and Sam Mora followed with a 3-1 win at 197 pounds to pull the ‘Dogs within one team point. The Black Knights picked up decisions at 285 and 125 to push the lead to 16-9, but Todd Carter pulled out a 7-3 win at 133 pound to get Gardner-Webb back within striking distance.
Zach Price nearly pulled off a pin late for Gardner-Webb at 141 pounds, but settled for a 9-3 decision that trimmed Army’s lead to 16-15 with one weight class remaining.
Army held on, as Matthew Williams picked up a 14-2 major decision for the final margin.
Gardner-Webb had little trouble with Queens, scoring bonus points in six weight classes en route to a 45-0 win over the Royals.
Tyler Brignola recorded a pin in just 2:16 to open the action at 157 pounds and, … rest of story at GWUsports.com/news/2023/1/15/gardner-webb-wrestling-tops-queens-drops-nailbiter-to-army
Campbell downs No. 23 Maryland, completes action at Virginia Duals
HAMPTON, VA. – Campbell defeated No. 23 Maryland 21-14 and fell to No. 19 South Dakota State 39-3 on Saturday at the Hampton Coliseum, finishing out competition at the 2023 Virginia Duals.
The Camels (8-7) picked up their second win over a Big Ten opponent this season with the dual victory over Maryland (7-2). Saturday marked the fifth and sixth nationally ranked opponents for CU this season.
Gabriel Hixenbaugh led Campbell with a 4-0 weekend, including a pair of wins on Saturday.
The 133 pounder jumpstarted Campbell against the Terrapins, notching a 15-0 tech fall (5:37) over Conner Quinn. Shannon Hanna followed with a 4-2 overtime win at 141 pounds before Maryland took three of the next four bouts for a 14-11 lead.
No. 27 Caleb Hopkins responded for CU at 184 pounds with a 9-0 major decision, and Levi Hopkins down 11th-ranked Jaxon Smith 8-6 in extra time at 197. No. 12 Taye Ghadiali tacked on another decision to close out the 21-14 win, defeating No. 30 Jaron Smith 3-2, fighting through a scramble with 20 seconds remaining in regulation for the deciding takedown.
The Jackrabbits tallied seven bonus point wins over the Camels, including pins for No. 28 Tanner Jordan at 125 pounds and No. 18 Tanner Cook at 165. Hixenbaugh recorded CU’s lone individual victory against SDSU, topping Derrick Cardinal with a 5-2 decision.
Campbell also defeated Kent State 29-12 while dropping a 22-9 dual to Oklahoma on Friday.
Next up, Campbell returns home to host the 2023 Chippewa Challenge on January 22. … rest of story at GOcamels.com/news/2023/1/14/wrestling-downs-maryland-completes-action-at-virginia-duals
No. 22 App State Rolls Past Previously Unbeaten Bulldogs
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Two days after hosting a top-10 team, App State Wrestling hit the road to face an unbeaten conference opponent.
Short on rest — and with two wrestlers making only their second dual starts of the season — the 22nd-ranked Mountaineers were up to the task in a 34-6 win at The Citadel on Sunday afternoon.
Squaring off against the Bulldogs, who were 4-0 overall and 3-0 at home, App State (5-2, 2-0 SoCon) won nine of 10 matches. Luke Uliano‘s six-point pin in the second match produced the first of four bonus-point victories, with the other three coming in the final three matches from Jon Jon Millner (18-7 major decision), Tommy Askey (15-7 major decision) and Will Formato (19-0 tech fall).
App State’s five decisions (worth three team points each) came from Will Miller (9-4 win), Carson Floyd (11-9), Caleb Smith (6-3), Ethan Oakley (4-3 in his second career dual start) and Heath Gonyer (6-0).
App State returned to action after putting up a strong fight Friday night in a 23-11 loss to No. 9 Virginia Tech and improved to 53-5 in its last 58 conference duals.
Two takedowns, plus back points, gave Miller an 8-1 lead after one period of his dual-opening win against Benjamin Haubert, who took third place at last year’s SoCon Championships. … rest of story at APPstatesports.com/news/2023/1/15/-22-wrestling-no-22-app-state-rolls-past-previously-unbeaten-bulldogs
No. 9 Tech prevails on the road against No. 22 App State
The Hokies win seven of ten bouts to finish out of conference competition
BOONE, NC – The No. 9 Virginia Tech wrestling team wrapped up non-conference slate in convincing fashion with a 23-11 win in hostile territory over scrappy No. 22 App State on Friday night. The Hokies were led by bonus point victories from Andy Smith and Hunter Catka but no victory of the evening bigger than that from freshman Caleb Henson. … rest of story at Hokiesports.com/news/2023/1/14/wrestling-no-9-tech-prevails-on-the-road-against-no-22-app-state
Wrestling rolls to first SoCon victory at Davidson
DAVIDSON, N.C. — The Bellarmine wrestling team wrapped up its weekend trip to North Carolina on a high note, as the Knights defeated Davidson 27-12 for their first SoCon victory of the season.
Bellarmine (2-2, 1-2 SoCon) fell to the Wildcats (2-5, 1-1 SoCon) in heartbreaking fashion 20-19 last season. This year, the Knights used a strong start and a pair of pins to earn the conference win.
“Scoring bonus points is something we have been training and working diligently for, so it was great to see us start off with a pin from Royce at 197 and follow up with the Division 1 pin leader recording another in Thadd Huff,” Knights Head Coach Ned Shuck said. “Jack scoring bonus and Zac Cowan running the table after a slow start to get a tech fall was impressive as well.”
Freshman Royce Hall started Bellarmine’s scoring pinning Davidson’s Gavin Henry (2:35) at 197. After limited action and several tough matches to start the season, Hall’s pin was the first victory of his career. Fellow freshman Thadd Huff followed with a pin of Oliver Tipton (4:41) at 285. Huff now leads all DI wrestlers with 13 pins in his 18 total victories.
Jack Parker kept Bellarmine going with a 14-6 major decision victory over Hale Robinson at 125, and Michael Schiffhauer followed with a 4-1 win by decision against Noah Burstein at 133. Trayce Eckman continued the streak for the … rest of story at Bellarmine.edu/news/2023/1/15/wrestling-rolls-to-first-socon-victory-at-davidson
Black Knights Defeat Queens and Gardner-Webb
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – The Army West Point wresting team defeated Queens University of Charlotte 52-0 and Gardner-Webb University 20-15 in a tri-dual Sunday afternoon. Ethan Berginc, Trae McDaniel and Kade Carlson went undefeated in their matches.
How it Happened
The Black Knights dominated early on, winning all ten duals against Queens. Army’s Tanner Craig, Dillon Sheehy, Kade Carlson, #32 Ethan Berginc, Ryan Franco, and Trae McDaniel each won their duals by pins. In the dual against Gardner-Webb, #21 Ben Pasiuk also won his dual by a pin.
Tanner Craig kicked things off for Army in the 157 class. Craig went up against Queen’s Toure Moore. After a scoreless first period, Craig scored first with an escape. With 1:30 left in the second period, Craig extended his lead with a takedown making it a 3-0 dual, Craig defeated Moore with a 3-0 fall (4:25).
In the 165-weight class Dalton Harkins faced Vladimir Sukhikh. After a scoreless first period, Harkins struck first after scoring an escape. Harkins defeated Sukhikh by a 7-0 decision after earning four points with a near fall.
In the 174 class, Dillon Sheehy competed against Jay Skalecki where Sheehy bested Skalecki with a 4-2 pin (4:05). Sahm Abdulrazzaq faced Queen’s D’Andree Hunt in the 184 class. Abdulrazzaq struck first with earning two points from a takedown. With a 2-1 lead Abdulrazzaq added points with another takedown. Dominating the match, Abdulrazzaq bested Hunt by a 17-2 tech fall.
Daniel Lawrence competed next in the 197-weight class, … rest of story at Armywestpoint.com/news/2023/1/15/wrestling-black-knights-defeat-queens-and-gardner-webb
UNC WRESTLING COMPLETES SATURDAY DUAL SWEEP
CAMBRIDGE, MASS. – The No. 27-ranked North Carolina completed the New England sweep Saturday afternoon, defeating Harvard (22-12) and Brown (36-4), to close out the non conference portion of the 2022-23 schedule.
Against the Crimson, the Tar Heels collected six victories in the matchup. UNC would jump out to an early lead in the team score, with wins from Jace Palmer (133) and Lachlan McNeil (141). North Carolina would finish the first matchup of the day on the winning side courtesy of Austin O’Connor (157), Gavin Kane (184), Max Shaw (197), and Jack Wagner (125).
Heading down the road to Providence, R.I., the Tar Heels would close the day just hours later, winning nine of 10 matchups against the Bears. Jace Palmer (133), Zach Sherman (149) and Aydin Guttridge (285) picked up decisions for the Heels. Jack Wagner (125), Lachlan McNeil (141), Joey Mazzara (165) and Cade Lautt (197) were on the winning side … rest of story at GOheels.com/news/2023/1/14/wrestling-completes-saturday-dual-sweep
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
