Penn State wins Big Ten title with seven champs; Ohio State sweeps postseason awards
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Penn State crowned seven champions and set a school record with 184 team points on its way to earning the Nittany Lions’ 10th Big Ten title in their own Bryce Jordan Center on Sunday evening.
Ohio State, after crowning two champions, finished second with 148.5 team points, while Nebraska earned third place with 116.5. Iowa and Michigan rounded out the top five with 87 and 86.5 team points, respectively. Penn State and Ohio State became two of just four programs nationwide to earn automatic bids for all 10 wrestlers to the NCAA Championships, joining Oklahoma State (Big 12) and Virginia Tech (ACC). Eight of the 10 No. 1 seeds claimed individual titles, while No. 2 seeds Ben Davino (Ohio State) and PJ Duke (Penn State) won titles as 133 and 157 pounds, respectively.
Duke, a true freshman from Slate Hill, N.Y. who was WIN’s Junior Dan Hodge Trophy recipient in 2025, was named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler after he earned a major decision over returning NCAA champion Antrell Taylor (Nebraska), 12-4. Meanwhile, Ohio State swept all three season-long awards including Coach of the Year, Wrestler of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors, with Tom Ryan, Jesse Mendez and Ben Davino claiming each, respectively.
Penn State senior Levi Haines became PSU’s fourth four-time Big Ten champion after the 174-pounder outlasted Nebraska’s Christopher Minto, 2-1, in the title bout. Haines was awarded a point for an illegal figure-four to the head in the opening frame, which proved to be the difference in the match. When the smoke settled, a total of 87 wrestlers from the Big Ten conference earned automatic bids to the 2026 NCAA DI Wrestling Championships, set for March 19-21 in Cleveland’s Rocket Arena.
Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson briefly reflected on his team’s performance after claiming another conference title, saying, “Overall, this is a very tough conference tournament with a lot of great wrestlers. We’re excited to move into the Nationals and are happy with this weekend. … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2026/03/10/penn-state-wins-big-ten-title-with-seven-champs-ohio-state-sweeps-postseason-awards/
Women’s College Notebook: As championship season continues, a look back on the historic NCAA’s, and a preview of NAIA’s to come
Amidst back-to-back championship weekends for women’s college wrestling, it could be easy to get lost in the whirlwind of it all – walking away at its conclusion with nothing but vivid, emotional remnants of the experience that was.
And who’s to say that’s a bad thing?
Perhaps the very purest form of consumption is to simply allow oneself to become swept up in the wave of sensations – never stopping to overanalyze one moment lest the next one pass you by.
I’m certainly not going to argue if that’s your approach.
But as I sit here at my desk during the brief hiatus between last weekend’s inaugural NCAA Championships and this weekend’s forthcoming NAIA national tournament, I find myself wanting to pause – at least briefly – and reflect upon this ongoing moment for the sport.
There’s never been a better, more competitive/appreciated time to be a women’s college wrestler – or women’s wrestler of any age, for that matter. This, after decades spent by trailblazers and advocates to open up the deserved opportunities now being seized by today’s athletes. And just as those pioneers before them offered hope and inspiration to the current generation, so too will this group of young women to those following in their footsteps.
With that in mind, allow me to begin this latest women’s wrestling notebook by highlighting just some of the names to remember from a historic NCAA Championships in Coralville, Iowa. After that, we’ll wrap with some names to look forward to at what will be an equally compelling NAIA Championships this weekend in Park City, Kansas.
Etched in history
180.
That’s how many women – representing 54 different schools – will forever hold the distinction as the first participants at an NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championships. Among them, Sloane Kruger (Presbyterian) registered the first-ever win (and pin) at NCAAs just 1:03 into her preliminary bout at 103 pounds.
80.
That’s how many All-Americans – representing 27 different schools – stood on the podium. … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2026/march/12/women-s-college-notebook-as-championship-season-continues-a-look-back-on-the-historic-ncaa-s-and-a-preview-of-naia-s-to-come
These are the 6 teams that qualified their full lineups for the 2026 DI men’s wrestling tournament
Six teams will bring all ten athletes to NCAAs, with four of those teams punching their tickets via conference finishes and two teams — Nebraska and Iowa State — needing a wild card for the tenth athlete.
Here are the profiles of each of these deep, talented squads:
Penn State Nittany Lions
The Penn State Nittany Lions are the team to beat heading into the 2026 NCAA tournament. Last year, Penn State set the NCAA scoring record and put all ten athletes on the podium.
Braeden Davis’ seventh-place bracket win over Billy DeKraker 8-1 at this year’s Big Ten tournament ensured that all ten Nittany Lions will return to nationals with the hopes of chasing and surpassing their achievements from last year. With a program record of seven Big Ten champions, there’s an argument to make that this is the best team in program history.
PENN STATE HISTORY: Complete history of the program and its records
Five Penn State wrestlers — Luke Lilledahl, Shayne Van Ness, Mitchell Mesenbrink, Levi Haines and Rocco Welsh — will enter NCAAs undefeated as likely top seeds. Mesenbrink and Haines will chase their second titles, while Welsh will aim to return to the finals and Lilledahl and Van Ness will look to improve on previous All-American finishes and earn the opportunity to compete on Saturday night.
Complete Penn State roster:
125 pounds: Luke Lilledahl (1st at Big Tens)
133 pounds: Marcus Blaze (2nd at Big Tens)
141 pounds: Braeden Davis (7th at Big Tens)
149 pounds: Shayne Van Ness (1st at Big Tens)
157 pounds: PJ Duke (1st at Big Tens)
165 pounds: Mitchell Mesenbrink (1st at Big Tens)
174 pounds: Levi Haines (1st at Big Tens)
184 pounds: Rocco Welsh (1st at Big Tens)
197 pounds: Josh Barr (1st at Big Tens)
285 pounds: Cole Mirasola (5th at Big Tens)
Ohio State Buckeyes
After picking up Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Big Ten Athlete of the Year and Big Ten Coach of the Year honors, Ohio State has exactly the kind of momentum the Buckeyes need heading into NCAAs. Taking down Penn State is a tall task, but the Bucks make a strong case to be the nation’s second-best team and could put up some serious team points in Cleveland. Ohio State’s strength at Big Tens came from its depth and grittiness, particularly on the backside of the bracket. Nic Bouzakis, Carson Kharchla, Luke Geog and Nick Feldman all rallied from losses to finish third, and similar kinds of performances from these four could help all of them fight for podium spots at nationals. Bouzakis and Geog have yet to earn All-American honors in their careers, but put themselves in prime position to do so with their conference results. Returning Ohio State All-American Ethan Stiles also stepped up at Big Tens and finished second — Ohio State fans likely expect a similar finish from him at nationals. … more at … https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling-men/article/2026-03-10/these-are-6-teams-qualified-their-full-lineups-2026-di-mens-wrestling-tournament
NCAA D-III Regional results & News
Six qualify for nationals, helps Wrestling to third place finish at NCAA III Regional IV Championships
ADA — The Ohio Northern wrestling team had six individuals qualify for the national championships with top three finishes, leading ONU to a third place team finish at the 2026 NCAA III Region IV Championships on Friday and Saturday.
| NCAA Regionals Site |
The Basics
- Records: Ohio Northern (14-4 Overall)
- The Polar Bears finished 3rd of 20 teams with 177.5 points.
- #2 Roanoke (Va.) won the team title with 217.5 points, #18 Baldwin Wallace was second with 188.5 points, and Washington & Lee (Va.) was 4th with 153.5 points.
- Venue: ONU Sports Center – Ada, Ohio.
ONU Individuals
Freshman Londen Murphy
No. 13-ranked sophomore Myles Johnson (Springboro) went 4-0 with two pins to win the at 197-pound title.
Sophomore Jovanni Greco (Ross) went 3-1 with a tech fall and finished second at 149. Freshman Kurt Mokros (Lewis Center/Olentangy) went 4-1 with two pins to finish third at 125. … more at … https://www.onusports.com/sports/wrest/2025-26/releases/20260228s7hbfb
AND …
Champs Again! Wrestling Seals Sixth Straight Regional Title Behind Six NCAA Qualifiers
EWING, N.J. – TCNJ Wrestling racked up four regional champions and a six-pack of NCAA qualifiers in running their streak of Region III titles to six with a dominant performance in front of its home fans on Saturday.
Garrett Totten (133), Vinnie Santaniello (141), Hunter Mays (174), and D.J. Henry (197) all won their respective brackets and will be joined at the NCAA Championships by Matthew Griffin (125) and J.J. Giordano (149), who secured third place to make it to the national tournament.
Henry was named the region’s Most Outstanding Wrestler, while head coach Joe Galante and his staff claimed Regional Coach of the Year and Staff of the Year recognition.
TCNJ racked up 174 team points to outdistance runner-up NYU by 34, extending its run of regional dominance for another year. The Lions piled up nine place-winners over the two-day tournament, with … https://tcnjathletics.com/news/2026/2/28/champs-again-wrestling-seals-sixth-straight-regional-title-behind-six-ncaa-qualifiers.aspx
AND …
No. 22 Men’s Wrestling Sends Seven to Nationals, Finishes Runner-Up at Region 4 Championships
ADA, Ohio – The No. 22 nationally ranked Baldwin Wallace University men’s wrestling team qualified seven wrestlers to the 2026 NCAA Division III National Championships as BW finished in second place at the 2026 NCAA Division III Region 4 Championships hosted by Ohio Northern University in the ONU Sports Center.
BW was second of 20 teams with188.5 points. No. 1 nationally ranked Roanoke (Va.) College was the champion with 217.5 points. The top three wrestlers in each weight class earn All-Region 4 honors and qualify for the NCAA Division III Championships. The Yellow Jackets’ seven qualifiers included two champions, two second place finishers and three third place grapplers while all 10 wrestlers placed in the top six.
BW Qualifiers
Won by pinfall in 2:43 over Quintez Pratt of Wilmington
Junior All-American and No. 4 nationally ranked 165-pounder Andrew Supers (Medina) – Champion
Bye in first round … more at … https://bwyellowjackets.com/news/2026/2/28/mens-wrestling-no-22-mens-wrestling-sends-seven-to-nationals-finishes-runner-up-at-region-4-championships.aspx
AND …
2026 NCAA Division III men’s wrestling championships qualifiers announced
INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA Division III Men’s Wrestling Committee announced today the participants in the 2026 NCAA Division III Men’s Wrestling Championships.
Click or tap to see the full list of qualifiers
The championships will be held March 13-14 at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The American Rivers Conference will serve as the host.
A total of 210 participants will compete in the championship. Student-athletes qualified for the championship by placing in the top three of their respective weight classes at one of the seven NCAA regional tournaments held Feb. 27, 28, and March 1. The complete list of all wrestlers competing in the championship is available at NCAA.com and the complete seeded bracket will be available on NCAA.com Tuesday, March 10. NCAA.com will stream all sessions.
In the 2025 championships, Johnson & Wales University (Providence) and Wartburg were crowned co-champions, earning their first and 16th national title, respectively. … more at … https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling-men/article/2026-03-02/2026-ncaa-division-iii-mens-wrestling-championships-qualifiers-announced
NCAA Division III Regionals
Six Bears heading to 2026 NCAA Championships
NEW LONDON, Conn. –
After sending four last year, Coast Guard exceeded that number by two in 2026, sending six men to the national championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. As a team, the Bears placed 3rd of 19 teams in the school’s first time hosting the NCAA Regionals.
Leading the charge for the Bears were three champions. 149 Nathan Fitt(Branchville, NJ) cruised in the semifinal, holding commanding leads of 3-0 and 7-1 before winning by a score of 8-2. In the finals, Fitt’s opponent forfeited giving the senior the title and his third trip to nationals. … more at … https://coastguardathletics.com/news/2026/3/1/wrestling-six-bears-heading-to-2026-ncaa-championships.aspx
AND …
Program-record six Ephs head to National Championship as wrestlers earn 2nd at Regionals
NEW LONDON, Conn. – After a great first day of competition that saw nine Williams College wrestlers still in contention entering Sunday, the team continued the strong performance and will be sending six Ephs to the NCAA Division III National Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in two weeks.
The six wrestlers heading to Nationals – Caleb Seyfried at 149, Peter Kane at 157, Henry Forte at 165, Gage Wiggins at 174, Jamie Evarts at 184, and Zach Borzio at 197 – is the most the team has ever sent in a single season, and the performance at Regionals is the team’s best since this qualifying format was introduced. Kane and Evarts were the Ephs’ two Regional winners, both repeating their wins from a year ago.
The team finished second overall with 155 points, behind Springfield College (170.5) and ahead of Coast Guard (152.5), Castleton (144.5) and Johnson & Wales (144).
Entering Sunday, the Ephs had six wrestlers unbeaten into the semifinals, where a win would earn a ticket to Iowa, and five were able to get those wins: Seyfried, Kane, Wiggins, Evarts, and Borzio. Forte was the only Eph to lose his semifinal, but he then battled through the consolation bracket and ultimately won his third-place match to punch his ticket as well.
Seyfried was first on the mat on Sunday for the Ephs, and he got off to a quick start, jumping out to a 7-0 lead over Wesleyan’s Ike Guttentag in the first period. Guttentag kept chipping away at the lead for the rest of the match, including scoring four points with under a minute left, but an escape point to start the third ended up being the difference as Seyfried earned an 8-7 decision win. After the victory, … more at … https://ephsports.williams.edu/news/2026/3/1/wrestling-program-record-six-ephs-head-to-national-championship-as-wrestlers-earn-2nd-at-regionals.aspx
AND …
Trio of Spartans Qualify for National Championship; Wrestling Places Fourth at NCAA Regionals
NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Vermont State University Castleton wrestling team placed fourth as a team on Sunday at the 2026 NCAA Division III Northeast Regional Championship. The Spartans have three individuals who qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championship.
The three qualifiers will head to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on March 13-14 as both teams and individuals battle for the 2026 NCAA National Championship. Castleton finished fourth with 144.5 team points. Springfield took first with 170.5 points, Williams College claimed second with 155 points, Coast Guard finished third with 152.5 points, and Johnson & Wales rounded out the top five right behind the Spartans with 144 points.
Drew Marchese, Jashon Holmes, and Desmond McLaughlin were the top finishers as individuals, with all three placing second in their respective weight classes, and all three are set to make their first career trips to the NCAA National Championship. Josh Negron and Joseph Baker finished fourth, Nicolas Balella and Nathaniel Camiscioli notched fifth, and Stone Farnsworth and Logan Frank claimed seventh as all nine participants on day two became place-winners.
14th-ranked Marchese was the first Spartan to punch his ticket to the NCAA National Championship at 125 pounds after taking down Charlie Pavis of WPI 8-0 via major decision to claim a spot in the championship bout. There, he met with 15th-ranked Nico Rivera of Johnson & Wales and narrowly lost in a 3-2 decision.
Holmes also took second at 165 pounds for his first career … more at … https://castletonsports.com/news/2026/3/1/trio-of-spartans-qualify-for-national-championship-wrestling-places-fourth-at-ncaa-regionals.aspx
AND …
SIX-cess! Wrestling Wins Sixth Straight Regional Title; Smith Fourpeats at 157
Ithaca, N.Y. – The Stevens Institute of Technology wrestling team’s regional dynasty continued with an unprecedented sixth straight title at the Region II Championships on Saturday, with four Ducks earning automatic berths into the NCAA Championships.
Trailing host Ithaca by 7.5 points after Friday, the Ducks had seven Top-5 finishers and nine Top-7 finishers – no other school had more than six in the Top 5 or seven in the Top 7 – finishing with 147.5 points, 3.5 clear of Ithaca. Lycoming was a distant third with 108, RIT was fourth with 98, and Oneonta was fifth with 96.
Ryan Smith won his fourth regional title and Nico Diaz continued his remarkable return to the mats, winning his second regional title in three years after missing last season to injury.
THE RUNDOWN
After a 7-3 decision win the 141-lb semifinal, Diaz, the draw’s No. 1 seed, collected two third period takedowns in the final, turning a 3-2 deficit into an 8-7 win. Smith was as dominant Saturday as he was Friday at 165, winning both his semifinal and final bouts by major decision, outpointing his opponents 22-2. One of the few wrestlers seeded … more at … https://stevensducks.com/news/2026/2/28/six-cess-wrestling-wins-sixth-straight-regional-title.aspx
WIN’s Feb. 24 rankings update includes final Top 20 dual teams; OK State strengthens hold on No. 2 spot in TPI
Photo: Oklahoma State’s Zack Ryder (pictured at the 2025 NWCA All-Star Classic), returned to the Cowboy lineup last weekend and earned a 2-1 SV decision over Iowa’s Gabe Arnold at 184 lbs. Photo by Sam Janicki.
NEWTON, Iowa — The 2025-26 regular season is in the rearview, as WIN’s Feb. 24 rankings update reflects the updated Tournament Power Index (TPI) and individual rankings heading into the conference tournaments while also providing the final set of Top 20 dual-meet teams.
In this week’s TPI, Oklahoma State (93) pulled away from the field slightly as the clear No. 2, while the logjam of programs ranked No. 2 through No. 5 remains. Ohio State (86.5), Nebraska (85.5) and Iowa State (84), all separated by just a total of 2.5 points, will all be vying for a team trophy in Cleveland. Penn State remains No. 1 with 152 total TPI points.
WIN’s TPI projects where programs could finish at the 2026 NCAA Division I Championships, which will be held March 19-21 in Cleveland. The following is a breakdown of those individual TPI points per ranking: 20 for 1st, 16 for 2nd, 13.5 for 3rd, 12.5 for 4th, 10 for 5th, 9 for 6th, 6.5 for 7th and 5.5 for 8th. Wrestlers ranked 9-12 earn two points each, followed by one and a half points for wrestlers ranked 13-16 and one point for those ranked 17-20.
Penn State features five top-ranked wrestlers with Nittany Lions Luke Lilledahl (125), Shayne Van Ness (149), Mitchell Mesenbrink (165), Levi Haines (174) and Josh Barr (197) headlining their respective weight classes. Also ranked No. 1 are three defending national champions in Lucas Byrd of Illinois (133), Jesse Mendez of Ohio State (141) and Antrell Taylor of Nebraska (157). … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2026/02/24/wins-feb-24-rankings-update-includes-final-top-20-dual-teams-ok-state-solidifies-no-2-spot-in-tpi/
Top-ranked Nittany Lions go wire-to-wire, finish regular season as lone unbeaten
Manheim, Pennsylvania – Penn State closes the regular season as the unanimous No. 1 team in the country, finishing 15-0 to headline the final NWCA Division I Men’s Wrestling Coaches Poll of the regular season, released Tuesday.
The Nittany Lions capped their dual slate with a 50-0 win over Princeton and will head into next season riding a Division I-record 86 straight dual meet victories. Third-ranked Oklahoma State closed at 15-1 after a 32-11 win over then-No. 7 Iowa in front of 12,629 fans and a worldwide audience on ESPN’s flagship channel. It’s the fourth-largest crowd in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
It’s the 12th dual meet crowd over 10,000 fans at a Division I men’s dual event this year, surpassing the previous high of 10 set last season. Penn State, Iowa, Iowa State and Oklahoma State hosted all 12 of those events, with Iowa hosting half of them. Oklahoma State held three duals with over 10,000, Penn State two and Iowa State one.
Iowa State secured the No. 4 spot with a 20-14 victory over then-No. 14 Missouri to finish 12-2, while fifth-ranked Nebraska wrapped its dual schedule at 13-6 following a 32-6 win over Utah Valley.
Virginia Tech finished sixth at 11-3 after a 26-17 win over Duke. Eighth-ranked NC State edged Cornell 19-18 to close at 15-4.
Rutgers finished 14-5 and 11th after a 45-3 win over Hofstra. Michigan moved to 12th at 9-6 with a 34-6 victory over Central Michigan. Pittsburgh climbed to 13th after a 37-0 shutout of Virginia.
North Carolina dropped to 15th after a 28-6 loss to 18th-ranked Stanford. West Virginia secured the No. 16 position with a 21-15 win over Lock Haven.
Northern Iowa edged Wisconsin 16-15 in a ranked matchup to finish 17th. Stanford’s win over North Carolina pushed the Cardinal to 18th. Wisconsin fell to 19th.
Indiana closes the regular season ranked 20th after a 20-16 win over Purdue. South Dakota State dropped to 21st following a 20-13 loss to North Dakota State. Wyoming, Oklahoma and Oregon State … more at … https://nwcaonline.com/news/2026/2/24/national-wrestling-coaches-association-top-ranked-nittany-lions-go-wire-to-wire-finish-regular-season-as-lone-unbeaten.aspx
No. 3 Oklahoma State outscores No. 7 Iowa wrestling 32-11
Final scores
In front of a pack house full of Cowboy faithful, No. 3 Oklahoma State put on a show, topping the No. 7 Iowa Hawkeyes 32-11 behind electric performances from their underclassmen.
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True freshman Jax Forrest put up the statement result of the night when he teched two-time NCAA finalist Drake Ayala and then confidently declared in his post-match interview that he’s coming for the title. The spring semester has been all about Forrest, and he showed he’s not slowing down one bit.
Teammate and fellow true freshman Sergio Vega followed Forrest’s performance with a fall over Kale Peterson to give the Cowboys a 14-0 lead, thanks to his six team points, Forrest’s five team points and a three-point decision win from No. 7 Troy Spratley over Iowa’s No. 6 Dean Peterson.
The Hawks and the Cowboys split 149 and 157 pounds with Iowa’s Ryder Block winning the lighter of the two weights by tech and Oklahoma State’s Landon Robideau winning by decision over No. 14 Jordan Williams, 5-1.
Iowa looked to come roaring back after gutsy wins from All-Americans Mikey Caliendo and Patrick Kennedy in the second half of the dual at 165 and 174 pounds, but the effort wasn’t enough. This rivalry dual belonged to the Cowboys.
TEAM HISTORY: Oklahoma State | Iowa
Oklahoma State ran away with the win after No. 9 Alex Facundo topped Gabe Arnold in overtime at 184 pounds, freshman Cody Merrill pinned Iowa’s Brody Sampson and Konner Doucet pinned Iowa. The confetti fell all night long in Gallagher-Iba, and the Cowboys will now head into the postseason with confidence and poise as they look to improve upon their third-place team finish last season.
| WEIGHT | BOUT RESULT | TEAM SCORE |
|---|---|---|
| 125 | No. 7 Troy Spratley over No. 6 Dean Peterson, 5-3 | 3-0, OSU |
| 133 | No. 6 Jax Forrest over No. 9 Drake Ayala, 19-3 | 8-0, OSU |
NCAA D1 Wrestling Week 17 Roundup: That’s A Wrap
The world’s finest collection of noteworthy happenings from the 17th week of the 2025-26 NCAA D1 wrestling season.
Every year, I say the season is going to go by faster than you think it will, and does anyone ever believe me? Yeah, probably, I guess. I’ve never actually sought out confirmation when making rhetorical statements like that.
But guess what? The season did end, and it did go by fast! So I hope you cherished every week of the regular season (I know I did), and I also hope you enjoy the final Roundup of noteworthy weekly happenings during the 2025-26 NCAA D1 wrestling season!
Week 16 Rankings | Week 17 Box Scores
Roundups: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14 | Week 15 | Week 16
There is technically still one more dual this week, assuming you’re reading this Monday before noon, as that is when VMI is scheduled to wrestle Presbyterian. If it’s after that, then the season is officially dunzo. It is finito, terminated, shuffled off this seasonal coil. Either way, it’s time for the recapping to begin.
The Dual of the Century of the Week
Good Revenge, Cowboy – Oklahoma State Downs Iowa 32-11
You all knew this was going to be DotCotW. The hype was simply too strong to deny.
FloWrestling had boots on the ground with our very own Christian Pyles and Connor Petros in attendance, slinging content. Christian managed to sneak a peak of the insane crowd gathering outside historic Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Gallagher-Iba was sold out, with 12,629 rabid Cowboy fans in attendance. And they were all in a big mood by the time things started cooking in the arena. Everyone should experience a big Oklahoma State dual in their lives, and make sure you arrive in time for their iconic run out to Marilyn Mason’s Beautiful People.
This was a rematch of a semifinal bout of the National Duals Invitational presented by Paycom, and it’s interesting to see how different the lineups for both teams were on Sunday compared to the mid-November dual.
Here’s the NDI box score:
Iowa 18, Oklahoma State 16
125: #10 Dean Peterson (Iowa) over #2 Troy Spratley (OK State) Dec 5-4 .. morre at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/15475275-ncaa-d1-wrestling-week-17-roundup-thats-a-wrap
D3 Split A Necessary Step For Women’s College Wrestling
NCAA Division III programs will host a separate championship during the 2027-28 season. What does that mean for women’s college wrestling?
Whether you like it or not, NCAA Division III women’s wrestling programs will host their own championship during the 2027-28 season.
The reason? Competitive balance.
It should shock no one that this was the inevitable direction for women’s college wrestling. Division III schools do not offer athletic scholarships, so a separate end-of-year tournament makes sense.
D3 Hobart College in Geneva, New York, doesn’t face Power Four Alabama for the NCAA men’s football championship. Why would D3 Eureka College in Eureka, Illinois, face Power Four Iowa for the NCAA women’s wrestling title? “Any time an athletic director adds a sport, the first question they will ask is if we can be reasonably competitive to justify it,” NWCA executive director Mike Moyer said. “No athletic director wants to add a sport where they can’t provide a quality experience. It doesn’t mean they have to win a national title. They just want to know if we can reasonably provide a good experience.”
This is what competitive sports do.
Double A teams play Double A teams in baseball.
G League teams play G League teams in basketball.
D3 schools face other D3 schools in wrestling.
“The split was a long time coming, and in the grand scheme of women’s wrestling, it allows us to continue to grow at a high rate,” Eastern coach Andrew Taylor said. “With Division III passing the vote to split off for our own championships, Division II and Division I can use the momentum to continue their growth as well.
“The split was a long time coming.” – Eastern coach Andrew Taylor
“For our program at Eastern, it really only changes how we approach things for two weekends out of the year. We will still be recruiting athletes who want to chase World Teams, and we will still be creating a schedule that allows us to compete against some of the best programs in the country in all divisions.
“I am excited for what the leadership committee can do to create an incredible event, and our goal will be to chase a team trophy in that first year.”
What About North Central?
For the next two years, all three divisions will compete at the NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championships in March. This offers a unique historical opportunity for Division III programs to win championships and become All-Americans … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles?nav_id=125
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
Takedown Report 