NCAA wrestling award standings debut 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.
MORE: Top names and teams to know for the rest of the 2022-2023 college wrestling season
For falls and tech falls 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 two categories are broken based on the aggregate time.
American’s 125-pounder Maximilian Leete currently paces Division I with nine falls on the season. Lock Haven’s Tyler Stoltzfus trails closely at eight while six wrestlers are right behind at seven.
In Division II, Lake Erie’s Christian Small leads the way with eight. It’s a close race as five wrestlers trail him by one, led by UIndy’s 157-pounder Logan Bailey.
Three wrestlers in Division III have reached 13 falls this season, led by Springfield 157-pounder Myles Leonard who has accomplished the feat in the least amount of time at 3:57. Messiah 157-pounder Garret Cornell and Alfred State 184-pounder Sean Malenfant round out the trio. … rest of the story at NCAA.com/news/wrestling/article/2023-01-11/ncaa-wrestling-award-standings-debut-2023-season
Gardner-Webb’s RJ Mosley Named Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Gardner-Webb’s RJ Mosley was named Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week on Wednesday afternoon following a strong showing.
Mosley (Oklahoma City, Okla.) went 2-0 over the weekend in matches against Campbell and No. 17 Nebraska, wrestling at 165 pounds. In the SoCon opener vs. Campbell, Mosley defeated Dom Baker via 3-2 decision (SV-2) to start the match in style.
Mosley then started the final dual of the night against the Huskers, taking a 4-2 decision (SV-1) over No. 25 Bubba Wilson. The win avenged a loss to Wilson in last year’s NCAA Championships.
Mosley, the defending Southern Conference champion at 165 pounds, was named Big South Wrestler of the Week for the second time this season. He rose to No. 25 in the most recent FloSports national rankings in his weight class.
The redshirt senior is now 12-4 on the season and will lead Gardner-Webb into a long home stand … rest of story at GWUsports.com/news/2023/1/11/wrestling-gardner-webbs-rj-mosley-named-southern-conference-wrestler-of-the-week
Greensboro’s Josh Wilson named ODAC Wrestler of the Week
Forest, VA – The Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) has announced that Greensboro College’s Josh Wilson has been named its Light Wrestler of the Week. Wilson, a two-time NCAA Division III All-American from Greensboro, NC, went undefeated this past weekend at the Jim Ctytzer Invitational to win the 141lb weight class championship. This was Wilson’s second championship this season, having previously won the Messiah Invite, while being named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler. Overall, he is 24-3 in matches this season and is currently ranked #7 nationally at 141lbs. … rest of story at Greensborocollegesports.com/news/2023/1/9/general-greensboros-josh-wilson-named-odac-wrestler-of-the-week
Number 639 – Most Ever
TDR Editor’s Notes ; Coach Pat Pecora led the Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cats to their 639th win under his leadership. This increases his lead as the winningest college wrestling coach of all-time. Pecora surpassed Dale Thomas of Oregon State at the end of the 2019-2020 season with his 618th win. No dual meets were wrestled in the following covid pandemic plagued season. With 13 wins the following season and an undefeated record so far this season it does not look like Pecora and his Mountain Cats will slow down soon. Congratulations to Coach Pecora and his team.
No. 7 Wrestlers Roll to 39-0 Win Over American International
Pitt-Johnstown, ranked seventh in the most recent NWCA National Poll, used falls from No. 11 Dillon Keane (165 lbs.), Alex Weber (174 lbs.), and No. 5 Isaiah Vance (285 lbs.) in a 39-0 shutout over American International (MA) College, Saturday afternoon at Kutztown University. The Mountain Cats improved to 8-0.
Pitt-Johnstown opened-up a 12-0 with straight wins by decision. At 125 lbs., Trevon Grey earned a 10-4 win over Lima Prichard-Holland, before Dajauhn Hertzog shut out Aaron Morocho, 6-0 at 133 lbs. Following a double forfeit at 141 lbs., top-ranked Jacob Ealy (149 lbs.) defeated Tommy Nichols, 9-4, and No. 9 Nate Smith scored a 6-3 win over Joel Moreth at 157 lbs.
The Mountain Cats then began to add some bonus points to their victories.
Keane pinned Tommy Caracciolo at 2:28 of the 165-lb. bout, and Weber pinned Jaron Brown at 5:50 at 174 lbs. to increase the lead to 24-0.
Pitt-Johnstown kept in going with eight-ranked Brock Biddle’s (184 lbs.) 13-1 major decision over ,,, rest of story at Pittjohnstownathletics.com/news/2023/1/7/wrestling-no-7-wrestlers-roll-to-39-0-win-over-american-international
DIVISION I COACHES POLL: Cornell vaults into Top 10 as dual season picks up speed
Manheim, Pennsylvania – Wins over Arizona State and Virginia Tech buoyed Cornell six spots as the Big Red were one of the nation’s biggest movers as the first NWCA Division I Coaches Poll of 2023 was released on Tuesday.
Cornell opened up the new year topping then-No. 3 Arizona State 19-12 in neutral site dual in Austin, Texas. The Big Red followed by heading into the sold out Moss Arts Center in Blacksburg, Virginia, and picking off then-No. 8 Virginia Tech 22-12.
Unbeaten Penn State (8-0) and Iowa (9-0) remained atop of the poll for the eighth straight poll in the 2022-23 regular season. The Nittany Lions topped then-No. 11 Wisconsin in Madison, while Iowa got past pesky Illinois 25-19 at home before topping Purdue 37-6 on the road.
Iowa State (9-2) and Michigan both earned a pair of weekend wins and ended this week’s voting tied for third. NC State (9-0) moved into the top five for the first time this season. The Wolfpack beat Binghamton 36-3.
Iowa State handed Arizona State its second loss of the week with a gritty 19-15 win over the Sun Devils in Ames. Michigan (5-0) swept a pair of duals in California, first beating then-No. 24 Cal Poly 30-11 and then blanking CSU Bakersfield 36-0. Ohio State (7-1) topped Indiana and remained at No. 7, while Arizona State (2-2) dropped five spots to No. 8. Missouri (4-2) held firm at No. 10 after beating then No. 13 Northern Iowa 24-12.
Northwestern improved to 2-0 after an 18-11 win over then-No. 9 Minnesota. … rest of story at NWCAonline.com/division-i-coaches-poll-cornell-vaults-into-top-10-as-dual-season-picks-up-speed
Missouri and Cornell make most noticeable jumps in WIN Jan. 9 rankings
NEWTON, Iowa — Missouri and Cornell made the most noticeable jumps in WIN Magazine’s Jan. 9 Rankings, presented by Cliff Keen Athletic.
The Tigers, featuring eight ranked wrestlers, including a pair of top-ranked wrestlers — Keegan O’Toole (165) and Rocky Elam (197) — have moved ahead of Iowa for second place in WIN’s Tournament Power Index with 67 TPI points. The Hawkeyes, with nine ranked wrestlers and a top-ranked wrestler in Spencer Lee (125), are now in third place with 64 TPI points.
Cornell, meanwhile, made the biggest jump in WIN’s Dual Rankings as the Big Red defeated both Arizona State and Virginia Tech in road victories last week to climb from 15th to No. 9 with a 4-2 record.
WIN’s Tournament Power Index projects where schools will finish in the 2023 NCAA Championships, held this March in Tulsa, Okla. 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 1.5 points for wrestlers ranked 13-16 and 1 point for those ranked 17-20.
Defending NCAA champion Penn State features nine ranked wrestlers — including four who are ranked No. 1 nationally at their weight: Roman Bravo-Young (133), Carter Starocci (174), Aaron Brooks (184) and Greg Kerkvliet (Hwt). The Nittany Lions are ranked No. 1 in both WIN’s TPI and Dual Rankings with an 8-0 record. The Hawkeyes remain No. 2 at 9-0. The Big Ten rivals are scheduled to meet Jan. 27 in State College, Pa.
The other top-ranked individual wrestlers remain the same from a week ago. The members of this group are Northern Colorado’s Andrew Alirez (141), Cornell’s Yianni Diakomihalis (149) and Nebraska’s Peyton Robb (157). … rest of story at WIN-magazine.com/2023/01/09/missouri-and-cornell-make-most-noticeable-jumps-in-win-jan-9-rankings
7 Big Stories from the Week in College Wrestling (1/9/2023)
The first full week of the new year in the college wrestling season did not disappoint as we saw plenty of upsets, individually and team-based, along with standout performances from the sport’s best, coupled with some emerging stars.
It also marked the start of the Big Ten dual schedule which always leads to intriguing matchups, again, individually and team-based. In addition, six duals featured top-15 teams squaring off in dual competition.
With so much going on there’s any number of different talking points to hit on, but we’ve narrowed it down to 7 big stories from the week in college wrestling.
#1 Goes Down at 141 lbs
There was some controversy surrounding InterMat’s rankings at 141 lbs. Top-ranked Cole Matthews of Pittsburgh was bested in the All-Star Classic exhibition match in late-November. #3 Andrew Alirez (Northern Colorado) was impressive in his victory over Matthews and looked deserving of the top spot. I don’t disagree with that notion; however, the entire dual was built around the fact that these are exhibition matches which will not count on a wrestler’s record or factor in towards NCAA seeding. … rest of story at Intermatwrestle.com/articles/26406
Division I Results
The following are just some of the matches last weekend.
Pitt Falls to West Virginia in Backyard Brawl Dual
PITTSBURGH—The Backyard Brawl proved to be just that in Sunday’s Pitt-West Virginia wrestling match, with several contests coming down to crazy scrambles and last-second decisions.
Unfortunately for the No. 21 Panthers, the Mountaineers (6-1) won the majority of those crucial moments and emerged from Fitzgerald Field House with a 24-11 dual victory.
Winning bouts for the Panthers were No. 7 Micky Phillippi at 133 pounds with a major decision over WVU’s Davin Rhoads, Luca Augustine at 174 pounds with a nice win over Brody Conley and No. 2 Nino Bonaccorsi at 197 pounds with a typically dominant performance against Brian Finnerty.
Close defeats defined the dual. The Panthers (5-2) fell in tight bouts at 125 pounds, 141, 157 and lost key scrambles that determined outcomes at 165 and 184 pounds.
“Disappointed with losing so many matches that were decided in the third period,” Pitt head coach Keith Gavin said afterwards. “Give credit to West Virginia; they wrestled tough. But we need to work on some things and come back strong next time out.” … rest of story at Pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2023/1/8/wrestling-pitt-falls-to-west-virginia-in-backyard-brawl-dual
NO. 22 MARYLAND WRESTLING SPLITS MATCHES WITH INDIANA, LOSES ON CRITERIA POINTS
COLLEGE PARK, MD — No. 22 Maryland and Indiana each won five matches, including one major decision apiece, but Indiana held a 57-46 advantage in total points to clinch the criteria point tiebreaker and win the dual, 17-16.
After falling behind 9-3 in the team score, the Terps (6-0, 1-0 Big Ten) reeled off three consecutive wins at 197, 285 and 125. Kal Miller put the Terps up 16-13 with a big sudden victory decision over a ranked opponent, but No. 33 Graham Rooks took a 5-3 decision to tie the bout at 16-16. … rest of story at UMterps.com/news/2023/1/9/wrestling-wrest-iu-recap
Key takeaways from No. 1 Penn State wrestling’s 28-11 win over No. 11 Wisconsin
In the first six bouts of Friday’s night dual between No. 1 Penn State and No. 12 Wisconsin, the Badgers did everything they could to keep the score close. They racked up an early tech fall at 125, they won a big ranked bout at 149 and they earned bonus points at 165 pounds. They were in this match, at least through the first half. But, in the end, the Nittany Lions did what they have done so many times: they took over in the upper weights.
LOOKING AHEAD: Biggest names and teams to know in college wrestling in 2023
Headlined by Aaron Brooks’ technical fall over Tyler Dow, Penn State rolled out four of the five most dominant wrestlers in its lineup in the second half of the dual and pulled away for a definitive victory 28-11 against the Badgers. Here’s what we learned about the statement performance from the Blue and White in Madison.
Bonus points defined Friday night’s performances
Between Wisconsin and Penn State, Friday night’s starters put up a total of 169 points across the ten matches, with the Nittany Lions outsourcing their opponents 105-64.
Wisconsin’s Eric Barnett and Penn State’s Aaron Brooks … rest of story at NCAA.com/news/wrestling/article/2023-01-07/key-takeaways-penn-state-wrestlings-28-11-win-over-no-11-wisconsin
New year, new storylines: Top names and teams to know for the rest of the 2022-2023 college wrestling season
Here’s a look ahead at some of the interesting storylines still to come and athletes to watch that may have been under the radar at the start of the year:
Southern Scuffle features another slate of top-tier matchups
The annual Southern Scuffle held in Chattanooga, TN is the best way to start the new year.
MIDLANDS & SOLDIER SALUTE: Here are the key results from the other major winter tournaments
This season, nearly two dozen teams are competing in this southern event with the hopes of picking up some individual-ranked wins and setting themselves up for a strong second half of the year. The Missouri Tigers won this event in 2022, but with the absence of former Scuffle champs Keegan O’Toole and Rocky Elam, the Tigers will have a harder time defending their crown. They’ll be pushed most intensely by fellow Big 12 foe, Oklahoma State, as the Cowboys bring a number of ranked wrestlers and national qualifiers to the mat including three-time NCAA runner-up Daton Fix and All-Americans Travis Wittlake, Dustin Plott and Wyatt Sheets.
On an individual level, Stanford’s Shane Griffith will start the year looking for his second career Scuffle title at 165 pounds while Northern Colorado’s Andrew Alirez works to win his first crown in Chattanooga following a hot start to the season for the veteran Bear wrestler. The Scuffle always brings great storylines and exciting bouts, and this year will be no different. But the excitement doesn’t end when the finals are over on January 2. The rest of the wrestling season brings even more intrigue and interest and teams begin preparing for conference duals and peaking for the postseason.
The rise of Iowa State expected to continue behind strong freshmen and stellar leadership
The Iowa State Cyclones have been one of the biggest stories of the season thus far, as they came out of the gates on fire with dominant wins over Little Rock, Campbell and, most notably No. 11 Wisconsin. The team has no fear and no doubts. Led by NCAA champion David Carr and All-Americans Marcus Coleman and Yonger Bastida, the Cyclones gave the Iowa Hawkeyes everything they had during the annual Cy-Hawk dual, winning five matches and finishing within three points of the 2021 NCAA champion Hawks. … rest of story at NCAA.com/news/wrestling/article/2023-01-01/new-year-new-storylines-top-names-and-teams-know-rest-2022-2023-college-wrestling
NWCA National Duals Tournament Results
Perennial Powers Grand View, St. Cloud State, Augsburg Claim Duals Titles
The NWCA National Duals featured breakthroughs by upstart programs and individual upsets, but three longstanding powers stood tallest in the end.
The 2023 edition of the NWCA National Duals featured breakthrough performances by upstart programs and stunning individual upsets, but three of college wrestling’s longstanding powers stood tallest in the end.
Grand View captured its 11th straight title in NAIA, St. Cloud State returned to the top of the NCAA Division II heap and Augsburg claimed its eighth D3 title Saturday in Louisville.
Here’s a look at some of the top developments from the second day of the duals:
— Grand View entered the weekend as the prohibitive NAIA favorite and the Vikings made light work of their bracket destruction. Grand View went 18-2 on Friday and scored bonus points in all but four matches and followed that up with a 17-3 day with five bonus-point victories on Saturday. The Vikings notched a 36-0 semifinal win against a Doane squad that withheld several of its top stars and then completed their title run by beating Life in the finals for the National Duals finals for the fourth straight time.
Grand View swept the first five matches against Life. In a rematch of last year’s NAIA title bout and a showdown between the past two national champions at 125 pounds, Grand View’s Esco Walker scored an overtime takedown to beat Brandon Orum 4-2. The Vikings also picked up a 6-1 win from top-ranked 133-pounder Carson Taylor against #3 Jacob Ruiz and fourth-ranked Blake Gonzalez downed #2 Brevin Balmeceda 9-5 at 149 to help launch Grand View out to a 16-0 dual lead.
“I just felt like we fought,” Grand View coach Nick Mitchell said. … rest of story at Flowrestling.org/articles/10307657-perennial-powers-grand-view-st-cloud-state-augsburg-claim-duals-titles
NO. 1 GRAND VIEW WINS 11TH-STRAIGHT NWCA NATIONAL DUALS CHAMPIONSHIP
Louisville, KY – No. 1 Grand View competed in the NWCA National Duals the past two days, taking home the championship for the 11th consecutive year defeating Lourdes in the opening round 43-9, shutting out both No. 12 Reinhardt in the quarterfinals, and No. 4 Doane 36-0. and finishing by defeating No. 2 Life University in the championship 22-8.
OPENING-ROUND
In the opening round, the Vikings would go head to head with Lourdes University who is receiving votes in the latest poll. The Vikings would make easy work of the Ohio team defeating them 43-9. In the lightweight classes, the Vikings would see three wrestlers pin their opponent, Luke Fogleman (FR/Durham, NC ) (125), Kyle Rice (FR/New Plymouth, ID ) (133), and Ben Murphy (SO/Roseville, CA ) (141). Blake Gonzales (149) would see a pass via forfeit, and it would move the Vikings into a strong performance from No. 1 ranked Giovanni Bonilla (SR/Kissimmee, FL ) (157) who would win by tech fall against his opponent 15-0. Tanner Abbas (SR/Kanawha, IA ) (165) would win by decision over Andrew Torres, 9-3. At 174 No. 1 ranked Isaiah Luellen (JR/Rossville, KS ) would cruise past his opponent winning by TF 25-9. Tyson Beauperthuy (SO/Colorado Springs, CO ) would fall by decision in the next round (184), 17-10. No. 3 Owen Braungardt (JR/Rock, KS ) would get a warm welcome back to the mat by pinning his opponent. No. 1 Greg Hagan (JR/Des Moines, IA ) would have an unorthodox go-around in his first match losing to DQ, due to an injury to his opponent.
QUARTERFINALS
The Vikings would square off 12th ranked Reinhardt in the quarterfinals also on Friday, January 6th. No. 1 ranked Esco Walker (SR) (125) would waste no time in his first match of the dual, pinning his 12th-ranked opponent. Following Walker would be No. 1 Carson Taylor (SO) (133) who would win by a major decision to his opponent, 12-1. Ben Murphy (141) would wrestle in his second match of the day winning again by decision, 5-1. Jack Latimer (JR/Camas, WA ) (149) would follow Murphy also winning by major decision versus the No. 20 ranked for Reinhardt. No. 2 Israel Casarez (SR/Reno, NV ) (157) would see his first match of the day against the 5th ranked foe for Reinhardt, … rest of story at GVvikings.com/article/7930?utm_source=Wrestling+News
Bellarmine Wrestling claims NWCA National Duals title
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – In its second day of competition at the Louisville Expo Center, the Bellarmine wrestling team earned first place in the NCWA Division at the NWCA National Duals.
The Knights won all six duals they competed in over the past two days to claim the title. Each dual featured 11 bouts, including a 235 match. Seven Bellarmine wrestlers went 6-0 to help propel the Knights to the tournament win.
Friday – Pool B Results
-Bellarmine 42 – Queens 9
-Bellarmine 58 – Emory & Henry 6
-Bellarmine 46 – Apprentice School 6
Saturday – Tournament
-Bellarmine 48 – Central Florida 6
-Bellarmine 35 – Queens 12
-Bellarmine 29 – Liberty 21
“I love how our team continued to grow together as the tournament progressed,” Knights Head Coach Ned Shuck said. “A dual meet atmosphere is really special and we had a blast with it!” Many of our guys went undefeated on the weekend and wrestled with a dominating style. Getting our arms raised is really cool, but I was more impressed with the level of output they gave in each of the matches.”
Jack Parker went 6-0 for the Knights at 125 including two tech-falls and a pin. … rest of story at Bellarmine.edu/news/2023/1/7/wrestling-claims-ncwa-national-duals-title
Men’s Wrestling Finish as Runner-Up at NWCA National Duals
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The No. 2 Life University men’s wrestling team made it to the championship dual of the NWCA National Duals for the third-straight year, but came up short in the final to claim second place this weekend.
Friday’s first dual matched Life U up with (RV) Cornerstone, the Golden Eagles only victories only coming in the first and final bouts. On their way to a resounding, 41-6 victory, Life U earned four total pins and a tech fall. Jacob Ruiz earned the first pin in the least amount of time at just 25 seconds. Jody McAlister followed him up with a pin of his own in 3:13, while Jack Bass earned the third in just 0:28. The final pin came from Zane Lanham in 3:18, while Myles Starke earned the only tech fall, 18-2 to see the team glide to the quarterfinals.
In the quarterfinals against No. 14 Morningside, the Running Eagles did not give up a single point. Despite giving up no scores, it was a closer match as all but three of the matches were won in hard-fought decisions. Brandon Orum and Tyree Johnson started things with tough victories over ranked opponents. At 149 lbs. Francis Morrissey scored a sizable upset, beating a wrestler ranked 8th, 5-2. … rest of story at Liferunningeagles.com/news/2023/1/7/mens-wrestling-finish-as-runner-up-at-nwca-national-duals
Grand View, King repeat; St. Cloud State, Augsburg regain top spots, while Southern Oregon and Bellarmine win for first time at USMC/NWCA Multi-Division National Duals
Louisville, Kentucky – What started as 95 teams battling for dual meet supremacy ended with six divisional champions at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky on Saturday.
St. Cloud State, Wartburg, Grand View, Bellarmine, King and Southern Oregon took home top honors in each of the six collegiate divisions that came to a close at the 2023 U.S. Marine Corps NWCA Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships presented by ARMS Software, Defense Soap, and Capital Construction hosted by NUWAY Combat.
NAIA Men
Grand View ran its National Duals win streak in the NAIA Division to 11 in a row as the Vikings defeated Life University 22-8 for the fourth straight year in the finals. With the win, Grand View extended its NAIA dual meet win streak to 149 in a row. The dual started off with a tightly contested 125-pound scrap between past national champions. Grand View’s Esco Walker, the champ in 2022, took out Brandon Orum, the 2021 champion, 4-2 in sudden victory. It was one of two overtime wins in the dual by the Vikings. At 133-pounds, it was a 1-2 matchup and it was top-ranked Carson Taylor of Grand View topping Jacob Ruiz 6-1.
Grand View continued its run with a sound victory by Shea Ruffridge at 141 pounds before fifth-ranked Blake Gonzalez knocked off Life’s top-ranked Brevin Balmeceda at 149 pounds. A win by top-ranked Giovanni Bonilla gave Grand View a 16-0 lead before Life’s Jack Bass picked off Marty Margolis 6-4 at 165 pounds. Both wrestlers are returning NAIA finalists. Bass at 157 last season, while Margolis is the returning runner-up at the weight.
Grand View would lock up the title with wins by top-ranked Isaiah Luellen at 174 and second-ranked Ben Lee at 184. Life closed with wins at 197 and 285. At 197, returning national champion Zane Lanham beat … rest of story at NWCAonline.com/grand-view-king-repeat-again-st-cloud-state-augsburg-regain-top-spots-while-southern-oregon-and-bellarmine-win-for-first-time-at-usmc-nwca-multi-division-national-duals
College Women’s Dual Results
SOU captures title at NWCA National Dual Meet Championships
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Southern Oregon University women’s wrestling team hit its biggest program milestone yet Saturday, taking down No. 5 Menlo (Calif.) in the semifinals and No. 2 Grand View (Iowa) in the final to capture the NAIA title at the U.S. Marine Corps/NWCA National Dual Meet Championships inside the Kentucky Expo Center.
The top-ranked Raiders came from behind in both duals, ultimately topping Menlo 25-18 and Grand View 22-18, thanks to a pair of upper-weight seniors: 170-pounder Joye Levendusky and 191-pounder Grace Kristoff. Trailing the Oaks 18-17, Levendusky, ranked No. 3, and Kristoff, ranked No. 5, scored back-to-back technical fall shutouts against Jessica Mendietta and Nikita Dhaliwal. And trailing the Vikings 17-15, Levendusky put the Raiders on top with a 10-0 technical fall over No. 4 Abby McIntyre before Kristoff clinched the championship with a 3-1 decision over No. 11 Olivia Brown.
SOU’s previous best finish at the tournament had been last year’s third-place showing. The team went on to take second place at the NAIA National Tournament. … rest of story at SOUraiders.com/news/2023/1/7/womens-wrestling-sou-captures-title-at-nwca-national-dual-meet-championships
King, SOU Women Win Down-To-The-Wire National Duals Thrillers
It came down to the last match, but King and Southern Oregon pulled off dramatic wins at the NWCA National Duals.
If dramatic finishes are your thing, then King and Southern Oregon delivered must-watch finals at the NWCA National Duals.
The top-seeded Tornado entered the tournament short-handed and still pulled out the win. Head coach Jason Moorman didn’t have a 191-pounder all weekend but he used a strategic move for a 22-20 win over a powerful North Central squad.
King was ahead 20-15 after 155 pounds when the team forfeited against North Central’s nearly unstoppable Yelena Makoyed at 170 pounds. How good is Makoyed? Well, she won three international ranking tournaments in 2022 and pinned the reigning World champion at the World Cup.
So, yeah, she’s pretty stellar.
Moorman bumped up Cheyenne Bowman to take on Traeh Haynes at 191 pounds. Bowman controlled the match from the start for a 5-1 win and a team title for the Tornado.
The turning point was at 136 pounds when King’s Viktorya … rest of story at Flowrestling.org/articles/10306569-king-sou-women-win-down-to-the-wire-national-duals-thrillers
Auggie women take fifth at NWCA National Duals
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — For the second straight year, the No. 5-ranked Augsburg University women’s wrestling team finished in fifth place at the National Wrestling Coaches Association NCAA Women’s National Duals, winning both of its matches on Saturday.
THE BASICS
FINAL SCORES: No. 5 Augsburg 27, No. 8 Gannon (Pa.) 18; No. 5 Augsburg 29, No. 7 Presbyterian (N.C.) 17
LOCATION: Kentucky Exposition Center, Louisville, Ky.
RECORDS: Augsburg 4-2 overall
HOW IT HAPPENED
• Augsburg, ranked No. 5 in the latest NWCA women’s NCAA national rankings, won seven of the eight matches wrestled in a 27-18 victory over No. 8-ranked Gannon University (Pa.) in the consolation semifinals, then scored three technical falls in five matches wrestled in a 29-17 victory over No. 7-ranked Presbyterian College (N.C.) in the fifth place match.
• Top-ranked 155-pounder Marlynne Deede (SR, Springville, Utah/Springville HS), top-ranked 136-pounder Nina Makem (SO, Shakopee, Minn./Shakopee HS) and 123-pounder Gabrielle Torgerson (SR, Spooner, Wis./Cumberland HS) all claimed a pair of technical fall wins on Saturday to lead the Auggie attack.
• Deede, now 22-1 on the season and 68-19 in her collegiate career, claimed a 10-0 victory over Gannon’s Annabelle Helm, the No. 7-ranked 170 pounder nationally, and a 10-0 win over Presbyterian’s Isabella Badon. Deede, who had two pins and a technical fall in Friday’s action, now has 14 technical falls and six pins among her 22 victories this season.
• Makem claimed two technical fall wins over ranked opponents to improve to 20-2 on the season, beating Gannon’s No. 8-ranked Lana Perez 10-0 and Presbyterian’s No. 3-ranked Paige Wehrmeister 10-0. She claimed three technical falls and a pin on the weekend. Makem now has 12 technical falls and six pins on the year.
• Torgerson claimed five bonus-point wins on the weekend — two pins and three technical falls — and had two technical falls on Saturday, 10-0 and 11-0, to improve to 20-8 on the season with nine technical falls and seven pins. She is now 61-23 in her collegiate career. … rest of story at Augsburg.edu/news/2023/1/7/
Division I Top 10 Team Dual Results
No. 4 Iowa State enjoys a victory lap against No. 3 Arizona State
Cyclones win 19-15 and their stock keeps rising
AMES — David Carr shook hands with his vanquished opponent, took a deep breath and circled the Hilton Coliseum floor for a victory lap.
Iowa State’s star 165-pound wrestler had earned it.
Carr won by technical fall Sunday, providing the No. 4 Cyclones with much-needed bonus points in a tense 19-15 triumph over No. 3 Arizona State.
“(Strength coach Ben Durbin) said it would be kind of cool if I went and gave some people some high-fives after a match, just to get the fans kind of pumped up,” said Carr, a three-time All-American and 2021 NCAA champion. “They paid good money to come sit that close and (it was) to get fired up for the next guy coming out — and (174-pounder Julien) Broderson delivered.”
So did third-ranked Carr, who improved to 11-0 this season in the 17-2 victory over No. 28 Tony Negron. The Cyclones (8-2) won the first five matches of the dual, but lost the final five, as well. The last two — at 141 and 149 pounds — were sudden victory setbacks to No. 10 Casey Swiderski and No. 3 Paniro Johnson.
“Sometimes you get those ugly W’s and this was an ugly W,” ISU head coach Kevin Dresser said.
But a win’s a win — and Sunday’s was the second over a No. 3-ranked team in the past two seasons. ISU hadn’t beaten a top-three team for 12 years before breaking through with a 20-12 win over No. 3 Oklahoma State last season. So the program’s trajectory continues to trend upward, even if a couple tough individual setbacks Sunday were mild causes for concern.
“It’s early January and we’re all about greater later,” Carr said. … rest of story at Thegazette.com/sports/no-4-iowa-state-enjoys-a-victory-lap-against-no-3-arizona-state
and No. 4 Iowa State Downs No. 3 Arizona State, 19-15, In Top-5 Dual … story at Cyclones.com/news/2023/1/8/wrestling-no-4-iowa-state-downs-no-3-arizona-state-19-15-in-top-5-dual
Bonus Point Victories Carry No. 10 Wrestling Over No. 13 UNI, 24-12
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The No. 10-ranked University of Missouri wrestling team defeated No. 13 Northern Iowa, 24-12, Sunday, Jan. 8 inside the Hearnes Center. The Tigers improve to 4-2 (3-0, Big 12) on the season, while the Panthers move to 3-2 (1-1).
Mizzou got off to a hot start thanks to No. 14 redshirt sophomore Noah Surtin‘s return to the Hearnes Center, earning a tech fall at 125. After freshman Zeke Seltzer took No. 15 Kyle Biscoglia the distance in his debut, redshirt senior Allan Hart and redshirt junior Brock Mauller picked up a pair of decisions at 141 and 149, respectively, ballooning the Tigers lead to 11-3.
Northern Iowa returned the favor by picking up a pair of decisions at 157 and 165, narrowing the gap to 11-9. Redshirt junior Peyton Mocco regained momentum for the Tigers by picking up his fourth pin of the season at 174. The Panthers answered again with a decision at 184 to make it 17-12. Top-ranked sophomore Rocky Elam‘s major decision at 197 decided the dual, pushing Mizzou’s lead to nine. No. 8 redshirt junior Zach Elam ended the dual a sudden-victory takedown in his ranked matchup at 285, as three bonus-point wins elevated the Tigers to victory. … rest of story at Mutigers.com/news/2023/1/8/bonus-point-victories-carry-no-10-wrestling-over-no-13-uni-24-12
Cowboys Take Final Four Matches in 20-12 Win Over Oregon State
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Oklahoma State wrestling team moved to 5-1 on the season as it pulled together four consecutive wins to close out the dual and defeat Oregon State, 20-12, inside Gill Coliseum on Sunday.
“We looked maybe a little lethargic in some of those early matches, just not ready to go punch someone,” head coach John Smith said. “Losing at 165, 174, 184 and 197, that wasn’t ideal, but I was pleased with Konner Doucet. I was pleased with our Trevor Mastrogiovanni and I was pleased that Daton Fix hammered out the team victory by extending the score to a major decision to put us up by five going into the last match. Carter Young with the win was a nice separation to close it out.”
Trailing 12-7 heading into the final four bouts, Doucet turned the momentum in favor of the Cowboys with a 3-2 decision over J.J. Nixon. Doucet’s victory ended a run of victories by the Beavers spanning from 165 pounds to 197 pounds.
When the lineup turned over to 125 pounds, Mastrogiovanni scored the only takedown of the match in a 3-2 decision over No. 12 Brandon Kaylor to put OSU up in the team score for good. Fix followed up with a 12-4 major decision over No. 18 Jason Shaner as the second-ranked Cowboy moved to 11-0 on the season. Young sealed the dual for good with a 6-2 decision over No. 23 Cleveland Belton.
With the dual starting at 149 pounds, the Pokes got on the board first behind a 10-2 major decision courtesy of Victor Voinovich. It was the second bonus-point … rest of story at OKstate.com/news/2023/1/8/cowboy-wrestling-cowboys-take-final-four-matches-in-20-12-win-over-oregon-state
BIG 10 Conference Duals
Pucino’s Pin Catapults Illini to First B1G Win
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois wrestling team won their home opening Big Ten dual against Wisconsin on Sunday, Jan. 8. Sophomore Danny Pucino secured the fall over Wisconsin’s Felix Lettini at 5:40 to give the Illini the six points that secured the victory, 18-17.
“Today was a great day for our program,” said head coach Mike Poeta. “The last three weeks I can’t tell you enough how proud I am of our guys. We’ve been on a roll. We’ve been climbing, fighting and wrestling hard. The guys are doing exactly what we asked for. I can’t say enough good things about Danny Pucino and Zac Braunagel. Zac has put together some of the best wrestling he’s ever had. Dylan Connell is starting to get on a roll. Lucas Byrd is still Lucas Byrd. When he walks out there, I’m confident he can beat anybody in the country. Today was a fun day for Illinois wrestling.”
Today’s meet started at 157 lbs. compared to the usual 125 lb starts. It looked bleak early for Illinois when they dropped the first two matches and trailed 8-0. Redshirt sophomore Edmond Ruth set off a spark for the Illini when he won his 18th straight match. He decisioned Josh Otto (Wisconsin) 4-1.
Illinois went on to win the next two matches to take the lead 9-8. Redshirt freshman Dylan Connell defeated Wisconsin’s Tyler Dow. Redshirt junior Zac Braunagel won his rematch against Braxton Amos by decision 4-3. Zac faced Braxton at Midlands just a week ago in the finals and defeated him in the second tie breaker round 2-1.
Redshirt sophomore Lucas Byrd continues to bring consistent … rest of story at Fightingillini.com/news/2023/1/8/wrestling-pucinos-pin-catapults-illini-to-first-b1g-win
No. 15 Northwestern Upends No. 9 Minnesota, 18-11
Six ‘Cats record victories in first home win over Golden Gophers since 1996
EVANSTON, Ill. (January 7, 2023) – No. 15 Northwestern (2-0, 1-0 B1G) couldn’t have scripted a better start to Big Ten Conference action, dealing No. 9 Minnesota (7-1, 0-1 B1G) its first dual meet defeat of the season in an 18-11 triumph this afternoon inside Welsh-Ryan Arena. Today’s victory marks the Wildcats’ first dual meet win over the Golden Gophers in Evanston since 1996.
The ‘Cats picked up wins in six of the afternoon’s nine bouts, including five straight victories to close the dual meet.
Maxx Mayfield provided early fireworks in the day’s opening bout at 165 pounds, recording a takedown on the edge of the mat with just one second remaining in the third period to edge out a 6-4 decision over No. 22 Andrew Sparks.
At heavyweight, No. 4 Lucas Davison, fresh off a Midlands Championships run that saw him not allow a point, jumped out to an early lead on Garrett Joles and coasted to a 4-1 win.
No. 11 Chris Cannon found himself in an early hole at 133 pounds, trailing No. 22 Aaron Nagao, 3-0, late in the second period. With time winding down in the frame, Cannon erupted for a takedown that was followed by a four-point near fall as the redshirt junior raced in front, 6-3, on his way to a 7-3 victory. … rest of story at NUsports.com/news/2023/1/7/wrestling-no-15-northwestern-upends-no-9-minnesota-18-11
U-M Wraps West Coast Road Trip with Shutout Win at CSU Bakersfield
» No. 5 Michigan claimed all 10 bouts, earning bonus points in three, to blank CSU Bakersfield, 36-0, and claim its first shutout win in five seasons.
» Mason Parris earned his second straight first-period pin — and eighth fall this season — at heavyweight; he improved to 15-0 this season.
» Chance Lamer (149) and Cameron Amine (165) also earned bonus wins, while Dylan Ragusin (133) and Cole Mattin (141) defeated ranked CSUB opponents.
Site: Bakersfield, Calif. (Icardo Center)
Score: #5 Michigan 36, CSU Bakersfield 0
Records: U-M (5-0), CSUB (0-1)
Next U-M Event: Friday, Jan. 13 — at Michigan State (East Lansing, Mich.), 6:30 p.m.
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The No. 5-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team wrapped up its west-coast road trip in style, rolling to a dominant 36-0 win against CSU Bakersfield on Sunday afternoon (Jan. 8). The Wolverines, who improved to 5-0 in duals this season, earned three bonus wins and earned their first shutout win in five seasons.
Jack Medley kicked off the dual with a 10-4 decision against Richard Castro-Sandoval at 125 pounds. He scored four takedowns, including two in the first period, … rest of story at Mgoblue.com/news/2023/1/8/wrestling-u-m-wraps-west-coast-road-trip-with-shutout-win-at-csu-bakersfield
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
