Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

Wyoming Upsets No. 10 South Dakota State, 24-18

LARAMIE, Wyoming (1/18/26) – The University of Wyoming wrestling team has curiously resided just on the outside looking in of the NWCA Coaches’ Poll. Even though the Cowboys have scored more points against No. 1 Penn State than any other team this season and their only losses have come to top 10 teams, the Pokes were still not viewed as one of the 25 best teams in the country.
That’ll change following Sunday. Wyoming defeated No. 10 South Dakota State, 24-18, inside the UniWyo Sports Complex, marking its first victory over a top 10 team in eight years. “That’s a really good team,” head coach Mark Branch said. “To be able to pull off that win says a lot about our guys and our team. We had a lot of big moments in that dual. And to beat a team like that, you have to have big moments.”
No. 32 Jared Hill (157) provided one of those big moments. He pinned No. 17 Cael Swensen in overtime, which vaulted Wyoming ahead, 14-9. It was a lead the Pokes never relinquished. “That was super gutsy,” Branch said. “It was kill or be killed. If Jared doesn’t do what he did, he goes to his back. Jared went for it, and that was a huge momentum swing. It got the crowd on their feet and was huge heading into halftime.”
Sloan Swan (165) showcased some guts, as well. He had been struggling this season, but he logged one of the biggest wins of his career coming out of halftime. Swan utilized a late takedown to upset No. 27 Marcus Espinoza-Owens via decision, 4-1. “Having Jared go out there against a really tough guy and get a win, that was huge,” Swan said. “You can feel the energy rise, and it pumped me up.”
The lead Swan gave the Cowboys needed a little extra help, and without No. 4 … more at … https://gowyo.com/news/2026/1/18/wrestling-upsets-no-10-south-dakota-state-24-18.aspx

January 22, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | , | Leave a comment

Penn State vs Iowa Wrestling Dual Preview & Prediction

A full preview with predictions for the upcoming wrestling dual between Penn State and Iowa.
#4 Iowa will welcome #1 Penn State to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Friday night in the most highly anticipated dual of the weekend. Wrestling starts at 7:00 pm (ET) on the Big Ten Network, but before the action goes down, check out a full preview for this rivalry dual in the article below. 
Probable lineups:
125: #2 Luke Lilledahl, Penn State vs #7 Dean Peterson, Iowa
133: #6 Marcus Blaze, Penn State vs #11 Drake Ayala, Iowa
141: #8 Braeden Davis, Penn State vs #15 Nasir Bailey, Iowa
149: #1 Shayne Van Ness, Penn State vs #10 Ryder Block, Iowa
157: #2 PJ Duke Penn, State vs #11 Jordan Williams, Iowa
165: #1 Mitchell Mesenbrink, Penn State vs #3 Michael Caliendo, Iowa
174: #1 Levi Haines Penn, State vs #3 Patrick Kennedy, Iowa
184: #4 Rocco Welsh, Penn State vs #1 Angelo Ferrari, Iowa
197: #1 Josh Barr, Penn State vs Harvey Ludington/Gabe Arnold/Brody Sampson
285: #12 Cole Mirasola, Penn State vs #5 Ben Kueter, Iowa

125: #2 Luke Lilledahl, Penn State vs #7 Dean Peterson, Iowa

Lilledahl and Peterson will meet for the second time in their college careers on Friday night. Peterson won their meeting last year in a one takedown, 4-1 decision. I expect a similar close match in this meeting and would be surprised if we see either wrestler light up the scoreboard. 
Both wrestlers have had similar seasons, with Lilledahl boasting a 9-1 record and Peterson with a 7-1 record. Lilledahl’s lone loss was to his teammate Nate Desmond, but he boasts ranked wins over #32 Ayden Smith, #13 Nico Provo, #19 Ezekiel Witt, and #27 Conrad Hendriksen. Peterson suffered a loss to #5 Nic Bouzakis at the National Duals Inviational but holds ranked wins over #15 Spencer Moore, #8 Troy Spratley, #27 Tyler Chappell, #25 Cooper Flynn, and #30 Bridger Ricks. Though Peterson won the last match, we haven’t seen him wrestle in over a month. Is Peterson healthy? Will there be any mat rust? Because of those questions, I give a slight edge to Lilledahl in their meeting on Friday. 
Prediction: Lilledahl wins by decision
Team score prediction: Penn State 3, Iowa 0 … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/15179310-penn-state-vs-iowa-wrestling-dual-preview-prediction

January 16, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | , | Leave a comment

Top-ranked Penn State wins NCAA record 78th in a row; No. 2 Ohio State stays unbeaten

Penn State will face Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Friday.
Manheim, Pennsylvania – A full slate of duals involving ranked teams highlighted the opening week of January as the NWCA Division I Men’s Wrestling Coaches Poll was released Tuesday.  
Top-ranked Penn State moved to 7-0 with a 48-0 win over then-No. 16 Rutgers, while second-ranked Ohio State remained unbeaten at 12-0 after a 45-0 shutout of then-No. 23 Indiana. Iowa State went 2-0 on the week, defeating Arizona State 29-14 before picking up a 36-3 win over North Dakota State.  
Fourth-ranked Iowa earned a 23-12 win over then-No. 18 Wisconsin, and fifth-ranked Oklahoma State blanked then-No. 15 Oklahoma, 37-0. Nebraska added a 36-3 win over Purdue, while No. 7 Virginia Tech edged then-No. 14 Pittsburgh, 18-15, on the road.  
Northern Iowa captured the NWCA National Duals title with a 20-14 win over South Dakota State in the finals at the UNI-Dome. The Panthers went 5-0 on the weekend with additional victories over CSU Bakersfield, Ohio, Bloomsburg and Drexel, while the Jackrabbits finished 4-1 with wins against Harvard, Northern Illinois, Campbell and Central Michigan before the finals loss. SDSU slid two spots to No. 10, while UNI jumped to No. 14.  
NC State picked up a 19-17 win over Virginia, while Minnesota defeated then-No. 10 Illinois, 27-9. Michigan earned a 43-3 win over Michigan State, and Wisconsin split its week with a 28-12 win over Maryland before falling at Iowa.  
Cornell split its duals with a win over Bucknell and a loss to Lehigh, while the Mountain Hawks followed that result with a 32-7 win over American. West Virginia went 2-0 with wins over Arizona State and California Baptist, and Stanford earned a 35-10 victory over Duke. 
A full slate of conference and non-conference duals involving ranked teams is scheduled for the coming week, highlighted by several head-to-head matchups. Top-ranked Penn State travels to Iowa on Friday to face the fourth-ranked Hawkeyes before closing the weekend at Northwestern. Sixth-ranked Nebraska heads to Minneapolis to meet No. 11 Minnesota, while seventh-ranked Virginia Tech hosts Appalachian State. No. 14 Pittsburgh will be at home Friday… more at … https://nwcaonline.com/news/2026/1/13/national-wrestling-coaches-association-top-ranked-penn-state-wins-ncaa-record-78th-in-a-row-no-2-ohio-state-stays-unbeaten.aspx

January 15, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , | Leave a comment

Nebraska Wrestling Lining Up Pieces For Another Trophy Push

A.J. Ferrari is set to make his debut with the Nebraska wrestling program while the Huskers are getting the rest of their lineup pieces in order.

Nov 5, 2025 by Dylan Guenther
Nebraska started its season this past weekend with nine of its starters taking the mat – minus top-ranked heavyweight AJ Ferrari – but you won’t have to wait much longer to see the high-profile transfer in a Husker singlet. According to Nebraska coach Mark Manning, Ferrari is slated to make his Husker debut in the team’s home opener on Friday against Army. Ferrari missed the Navy Classic due to a turf toe injury. “He’s strong and a big, powerful guy. He’s really athletic. He’s a great competitor — that’s what we knew we were going to get out of AJ,” Manning said. “He brings a lot of competitive spirit to our team. At heavyweight, if you got a guy who can be a difference-maker, that’s a really big deal. We filled that missing piece with AJ. What he brings to our team can be a game-changer. He’s worked hard and gotten himself into really good shape, and his toe is healed up, so he’s ready to fire on Friday.”
Against Army, Ferrari is likely to take on #14 Brady Colbert in his first career match at heavyweight. He’s 50-2 in college at 197 pounds with his NCAA title coming in 2021 as a true freshman for Oklahoma State. How Ferrari looks against Colbert will tell us a lot with National Duals coming up … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/14718051-nebraska-wrestling-lining-up-pieces-for-another-trophy-push
And …

Nebraska Wesleyan Wrestling Adds Peyton Robb as Assistant Coach
LINCOLN, Neb. – Nebraska Wesleyan head wrestling coach Colton McCrystal has filled the vacancy on his coaching staff with the hiring of Peyton Robb, it was announced Monday. “Peyton is a world class athlete that we are really lucky to have with our program” McCrystal said. “His career speaks for itself, but he also has a great mind and approach to coaching. I’m looking forward to having his insight and coaching style add to what we are trying to shape our program into.”
Robb comes to Nebraska Wesleyan after completing a coaching internship with the University of Nebraska wrestling program, where he assisted with practice planning, athlete development, and program operations during the 2024 fall semester. He also contributed to research on training methods and trends while maintaining relationships with current and former Huskers.
In addition to his work with Nebraska, Robb has been self-employed as a wrestling camp coach, coordinating and leading youth wrestling camps around the country. His ability to teach technique, inspire young wrestlers, and grow the sport has made him a respected name among coaches and athletes alike. Robb is also a current Regional Training Center … more at … https://nwusports.com/news/2025/11/3/nebraska-wesleyan-wrestling-adds-peyton-robb-as-assistant-coach.aspx
And …

3 Takes: Nebraska wrestling wins fourth straight Navy Classic
No. 2-ranked Nebraska wrestling opened its season with a bang at the Navy Classic, taking first place among 10 teams for the fourth straight year. The Huskers impressed, with five of their six finalists winning their divisions. Last season may have been one of NU’s best overall seasons, yet head coach Mark Manning may have an even better one in store for 2025-26.
Here are three takeaways following Nebraska’s dominant showing: … more at … https://www.on3.com/teams/nebraska-cornhuskers/news/3-takes-nebraska-wrestling-wins-fourth-straight-navy-classic/

November 12, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | , | Leave a comment