T.J. Jaworsky Looks Back At His Storied Career
he three-time NCAA champ will receive a big honor this weekend.
By: Steve Kirschner
Note: T.J. Jaworsky will be inducted into the North Carolina Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Sunday May 18.
A three-time NCAA champion in perhaps the most physically grueling individual sport there is. Most Outstanding Wrestler in the NCAA Tournament. National Wrestler of the Year. Undefeated senior season.
Given that lofty list of accomplishments, it is undeniably fair to include T.J. Jaworsky, even 30 years after his final collegiate match, as one of the finest to ever compete in any sport at the University of North Carolina.
The state of Oklahoma doesn’t have much of a pipeline to the Tar Heel State and Carolina athletics, but legendary former wrestling coach Bill Lam, basketball standouts Steve Hale and Brady Manek, two-time national champion assistant basketball coach Joe Holladay and Jaworsky, one of the most successful college wrestlers ever, have made the connection rich in history.
Jaworsky began wrestling at age 5 in Enid, moved to Edmond in the sixth grade, won four state high school titles and eventually competed for two years (one as a red-shirt) at Oklahoma State, one of the sport’s historic programs. But Jaworsky needed a change after suffering an upset loss in the 1992 NCAA Tournament and looked east to find a program where he could fulfill his dream of becoming a multi-time national champion.
“I called NC State but Coach (Bob) Guzzo said he had the ACC champion at my weight coming back, Duke said I was too much of a wrestler for them, and everyone in Oklahoma knows about Coach Lam, so Carolina was a great situation for me,” says Jaworsky, who lives in California now, where he co-owns a stone quarry with his step-father.
“In Oklahoma, wrestling is like basketball is in North Carolina. It’s a big sport. Coach Lam’s reputation followed him to UNC, he had a good recruiting class and I had weekly and monthly goals to win championships. He thought those were lofty goals, and I said, ‘Exactly, that’s what I want to do.'”
Jaworsky not only met those goals, but he also likely exceeded them, winning three ACC championships, earning two ACC Tournament MVPs and a spot on the ACC’s 50th Anniversary team, leading Carolina to a pair of top-10 finishes in the NCAA Championships (sixth in 1994 and eighth in 1995) and winning 110 of 115 matches as a Tar Heel.
Three decades later, Jaworsky remains Carolina’s all-time leader in career winning percentage (.957) and wins by fall (50), single-season pins (24) and the single-season record for most wins in a perfect season (38-0-0 in 1994-95).
For those achievements and others, Jaworsky is being inducted in the North Carolina chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. “T.J. had the three characteristics of what it takes to be a champion – heart, talent and work ethic, with heart being the most important,” says Lam. “T.J. had the most unbelievably competitive heart, … more at … https://goheels.com/news/2025/5/16/wrestling-t-j-jaworsky-looks-back-at-his-storied-career
From high school to NCAA, it’s not always by the book
This is one of the columns I’ve had the most fun writing every year. The NCAA Championships are the measuring stick for every college wrestler in America. Everybody remembers what happened those three heart-stopping days in March – words that never rang true more than they did this year.
It’s also, in a sense, an evaluation of how well I do my job. After all, the rankings I do every issue during the season for WIN are more than just the pecking order for the nation’s best high school wrestlers. They also provide the basis for a lot of speculation – by college coaches and by fans – of who we’re most likely to see on the awards stand at future NCAA tournaments. They’re my take on whom you’ll see becoming the champions and All-Americans of the future. And that’s why this brief look back is always so interesting – in a sense, it’s my personal report card. I hope it’s as interesting for all of you.
As we’ve seen over the years, nothing is absolute. The No. 1 wrestler in high school, it stands to reason, is going to be No. 1 in college as well…right? If the tournament everybody in the rankings is shooting for – the NCAA Championships, held most recently at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia this month – is any indication, not necessarily.
While wrestlers ranked No. 1 more than held their own, the 80 All-Americans, including the wrestlers who competed in the championship final matches, ran the gamut in rankings position when they finished their high school careers.
Only three of the 10 champions, led by the first-ever five-time champion, Carter Starocci (184) of Penn State, finished their prep careers with the No. 1 ranking at their weight class. The others were Lucas Byrd (133) of Illinois and two-time champion Jesse Mendez (141) of Ohio State.
Both of Nebraska’s champions, Ridge Lovett (149) and Antrell Taylor (157), finished their prep careers in the No. 12 spot – a ranking almost unheard of for a champion in recent years. Wyatt Hendrickson of Oklahoma State, whose stunning upset of two-time champion Gable Steveson of Minnesota was one of the tournament’s all-time moments, also finished his prep career outside the Top 5 – he was No. 6. … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2025/04/18/from-high-school-to-ncaa-its-not-always-by-the-book/
Ramstad: This could be the week the NCAA becomes a professional league
A judge is expected to approve an arrangement for Division I colleges to give 22% of athletic department revenue to student-athletes.
So much is going on with the president, investment markets, Minnesota’s Legislature and the Timberwolves’ playoff run, you can be forgiven if you haven‘t heard a monumental change is about to happen in college sports.
A federal judge this week is expected to ratify a legal settlement that will lead NCAA Division I universities to pay athletes from athletic department revenue. Four years after the Supreme Court said student-athletes could market themselves in name-image-likeness (NIL) deals, now they will get a cut of their teams’ overall revenue. “This is the last point that really solidifies [the NCAA] as a professional league,” said Patrick Campion, co-founder of Fame Sport, a new sports marketing firm in Minneapolis. He is a former marketing chief at Sleep Number and managed its NFL sponsorship for eight years.
The settlement inaugurates an enormous change for the athletes, universities and the business of sports in America. “We’re living through a transformation in college sports that rivals the creation of the NCAA itself,” said Chris Pham, a sports attorney at Fredrikson, a Minneapolis law firm. “Between NIL, athlete empowerment and revenue sharing, we’re seeing the traditional amateur model give way to this new economic reality.”
This step is happening because of a class action lawsuit brought against the NCAA in 2020 on behalf of former athletes who missed out on the chance to make NIL money. Before then, the NCAA prohibited athletes from any compensation beyond their college scholarship and room and board.
The settlement — often called the House settlement for Grant House, a former collegiate swimmer whose name leads the list of litigants in the suit — requires the NCAA to pay past athletes from a nearly $3 billion fund. It also requires Division I schools, like the University of Minnesota and University of St. Thomas, to make direct payments to athletes moving forward.
Athletics departments will have to share 22% of their revenue, or up to about $20 million a year. That will blow a hole in spending and force them to cut costs and perhaps some sports. … more at … https://www.startribune.com/ramstad-this-could-be-the-week-the-ncaa-becomes-a-professional-league/601335749
New Women’s Teams & Programs
Fighting Scots Announce the Addition of Women’s Wrestling
Edinboro, Pa. – PennWest Edinboro announced on Friday the additions of women’s wrestling and women’s golf to its varsity sports offerings with competition for both slated to begin in the 2025-26 academic year.
Recruitment for both programs will begin immediately. Recruitment questionnaires are available for wrestling and golf, and both programs will compete at the Division II level.
“The introduction of women’s wrestling and women’s golf at PennWest Edinboro represents an ongoing commitment to providing athletic opportunities for our students,” said PennWest President Dr. Jon Anderson. “We are excited to embrace the newest NCAA Championship sport in women’s wrestling and add the Fighting Scots to the rich tradition of women’s golf.”
Women’s wrestling was announced as the NCAA’s 91st Championship Sport in January. There are currently 93 women’s wrestling programs across the country. The first NCAA Championship competition will be in 2026.
“Edinboro has always had a rich wrestling tradition,” said Director of Athletics Dr. Katherine Robbins. “The addition of women’s wrestling continues to build on that legacy of excellence in the sport of wrestling and adds another chapter to the storied history of Fighting Scot wrestling.” … more at … https://gofightingscots.com/news/2025/4/11/general-fighting-scots-announce-the-addition-of-womens-wrestling.aspx
And …
Pitt-Johnstown Announces Historic Addition of 3 New Sports to Boost Enrollments & Competitive Excellence
The University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown is pleased to announce the addition of three new sponsored NCAA Division II sports—Women’s Wrestling, Men’s Swimming, and Women’s Swimming—to strengthen the enrollment of the university and to add to the high level of competitive excellence of our Athletic Department.
“We are thrilled by this historic addition of Women’s Wrestling and Men’s and Women’s Swimming to our athletic programs, which already includes several championship teams in our conference. We are highly confident that these new sports will elevate an already outstanding athletic program, making Pitt-Johnstown an even more compelling destination for prospective students, thereby helping to increase our in-state and out-of-state enrollments,” stated Pitt-Johnstown President Jem Spectar.
The addition of Women’s Wrestling to UPJ Athletics leverages and complements our historic legacy in Men’s Wrestling, providing a significant boost to our student recruitment efforts throughout the Commonwealth and beyond. Women’s Wrestling has rapidly gained popularity across the country and especially in western Pennsylvania, with many local high schools and wrestling clubs fielding women’s wrestling teams and featuring talented student-athletes. Women’s Wrestling was recently approved as the 91st NCAA-sponsored National Championship and is slated to crown its first national champion in the 2025-26 season. Currently, more than 1,200 women wrestlers are competing at 76 NCAA schools across Division I, II, and III, with NCAA projections pointing to an additional 17 programs to be added in the coming years, which was a crucial factor in UPJ’s decision to add the sport as it continues to increase efforts to boost its lagging enrollment of female students. With the addition of Women’s Wrestling at Pitt-Johnstown, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) will have five universities with Women’s Wrestling … more at … https://pittjohnstownathletics.com/news/2025/4/7/baseball-pitt-johnstown-announces-historic-addition-of-3-new-sports-to-boost-enrollments-competitive-excellence.aspx
And …
Endowment for the pin: Launching women’s wrestling
Just a decade ago few envisioned a women’s wrestling team competing for the Rams. But as the sport exploded at high schools across the nation, our Strategic Planning Committee set it as a priority program.
Cornell became one of the first 29 Division III colleges to add women’s wrestling when we announced our launch on Dec. 1, 2021. The timing was perfect: today girls wrestling is the fastest-growing high school sport. Because we moved quickly, Cornell is in a good position to attract wrestlers who want to continue the sport in college.
We couldn’t have made that choice without Cornell’s endowment.
Although a budget for the program did not exist, the flexibility of unrestricted endowment funds allowed Cornell to pivot and launch the program. “We were able to move quickly and now we’re in a great position to recruit women wrestlers,” says Vice President for Enrollment Management Wendy Beckemeyer. “We’re at the leading edge of this exciting sport, offering women new athletic opportunities, and our enrollment is growing because of this program. It’s a win-win.”
Cornell’s young team landed two place-winners at the Rams’ first-ever women’s wrestling tournament—the Cliff Keen-Mike Duroe Invitational—in January. The team has a roster of 15 women in its second year of competition and shares facilities with the men’s team in the renovated and expanded Richard and Norma Small Athletic and Wellness Center—the SAW.
When Cornell announced the launch, then-Athletic Director Seth Wing called it “a giant step for the college as we continue to enhance the student-athlete experience” … more at … https://news.cornellcollege.edu/2025/Spring/Endowment-womens-wrestling.html
The 2025 NCAA Championships Were Overflowing with Storylines
I waited a couple of days to write this article. I wanted to write it when I got home from Philadelphia and the 2025 NCAA Championships, but I needed some time for perspective. Personally, I’m not a fan of labeling the match or tournament or upset we saw last night as the “Greatest Ever.” Ever is a long time and frankly, even though I’ve covered 17 of the last 19 NCAA Tournaments, I’ve missed much more than I’ve ever seen when it comes to the history of college wrestling.
What that means is that it’s not hyperbole when I say the 2025 NCAA Championships had the best and greatest number of storylines surrounding the tournament of any that I’ve been associated with.
Some were blatant and obvious – others you had to pay attention to notice. Quite frankly, there were so many that you might have missed one or seven.
Let’s go through some of the main ones we knew before the tournament.
- Carter Starocci’s quest for five titles. He did it and became the first NCAA wrestler to achieve the feat and beat an undefeated returning champion in the process.
- Could Penn State break their own scoring record – established a year ago – along with matching Minnesota’s highwater mark of 10 All-Americans? Yes and yes to both. Then Nittany Lions were also the first team since 1992 to put their entire lineup in the NCAA quarterfinals.
- Can Iowa hold onto second place and what’s Jacori Teemer’s status? Teemer went 0-2 and Kyle Parco was injured in his second match and didn’t wrestle in the consolations. Aside from that, Iowa had an alright tournament – capped off by a win at 197 lbs from Stephen Buchanan. They finished fourth as a team.
- Is Oklahoma State the next team ready to challenge Penn State? I suppose that depends on what you call “challenge,” but the Cowboys had a very good tournament, finishing third and crowning two champions in year one under David Taylor. … more at … https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/the-2025-ncaa-championships-were-overflowing-with-storylines-r100162/
Wyatt Hendrickson Wins 2025 WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy, Presented by ASICS
NEWTON, Iowa – When Wyatt Hendrickson emerged from the Wells Fargo Center tunnel and into the spotlight, the American flag draped around his shoulders, he knew the 285-pound NCAA title would soon belong to him.
In fact, the Oklahoma State fifth-year senior, who spent his previous four seasons at the Air Force Academy, knew it well before that historic Saturday night in Philadelphia.
It did not matter who he would have to go through to stand atop the podium. A two-time national champ, two-time previous Dan Hodge Trophy recipient and Olympic gold medalist stood between him and the realization of a lifelong dream, as did the reigning 285-pound NCAA champion. Having been tech falled by both foes in previous collegiate seasons, it still did not matter.
From the moment he committed to rookie head coach David Taylor’s Cowboys, the persistent incoming text messages from his new coach became his mantra. “Wyatt Hendrickson 2025 national champion.”
He read it, comprehended it, believed in it, and willed it into existence.
Hendrickson’s high-crotch takedown, executed with 23 seconds to go in the final on Minnesota’s Gable Steveson for a 5-4 lead and the eventual win, will go down as arguably the most dramatic points in NCAA collegiate wrestling history. On the year, he finished 27-0 with 13 pins, eight tech falls and a bonus-point percentage of 81.5. He took out Penn State’s defending national champion, Greg Kerkvliet, 8-2, in the NCAA semis and the legendary Steveson for the title.
And now, the Kansas native Hendrickson and his season will even further be etched in college wrestling’s history books, as he has been named the recipient of the 2025 WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy presented by ASICS Wrestling.
Hendrickson will be presented the Hodge Trophy at the Oklahoma State University wrestling banquet. Like in past seasons, Hendrickson will then publicly be presented the Hodge at a football game this fall. For more information on the Dan Hodge Trophy, visit www.WIN-magazine.com.
The 145th national champion for Oklahoma State and third wrestler to win the Hodge, Hendrickson narrowly won one of the most competitive Hodge votes in history … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2025/03/31/wyatt-hendrickson-wins-2025-win-magazine-culture-house-dan-hodge-trophy-presented-by-asics/
Celebrating the many “firsts” of our great sport
By Mike Chapman
Being first in any sporting activity is a part of history that lasts forever. There can only be one first in any event for an athlete. Babe Ruth, Roger Bannister, the Green Bay Packers were all first, in one way or another. And college wrestling is no different.
As we speed toward another NCAA tournament, here are some fabulous firsts that come to my mind:
The very first NCAA tournament was held in Ames, Iowa, in 1928.
That year, Harold DeMarsh, Oklahoma State, became the first NCAA champion ever, at 115 pounds.
The first official team champion was Oklahoma State in 1929. (No team score was kept in 1928.)
The first three time champion was Earl McCready, Oklahoma State heavyweight, from 1929 to 1931.
In 1932, Edwin Belshaw, Indiana, became the first O.W.
The tournament was cancelled from 1943-1945 due to World War II, and David Arndt of Oklahoma State stands tall as the only wrestler to win titles on both sides of the war. He claimed two at 145 pounds prior to the conflict, then flew over 100 combat missions in Europe, and returned home to win his third in 1946, this time at 136 pounds.
In 1947, tiny Cornell College in Mount Vernon, under Coach Paul Scott, became the first of four Iowa colleges to win the team title.
In 1948, Bill Koll, Iowa Teachers College (now UNI), was the first to win two O.W. awards at the tournament.
The first four-time finalist was Dick Hutton, Oklahoma State heavyweight, with three titles and one runner-up spot, his final year in 1949.
Penn State claimed its first NCAA title in 1953, under Coach Charlie Speidel.
In 1956, Oklahoma’s Dan Hodge became the first wrestler to capture NCAA, freestyle and Greco-Roman titles all the same year (and with 13 straight pins)!
In the 1957 tourney, Ed Peery of Pittsburgh won his third title at 123, giving the Peery family an amazing nine crowns, the most ever for one family. Father Rex won three for Oklahoma State in the 1930s and Hugh won three for Pittsburgh when Rex was the head coach there.
That same year, Simon Roberts of Iowa earned the honor of being the first African-American by winning at 147 pounds.
In 1958, Myron Roderick of Oklahoma State became the first NCAA champion to also coach a team to the title.
In 1967, Michigan State was the first Big Ten team to win the official title, under coaches Grady Peninger and Doug Blubaugh.
The first and only seven-time college champion is Gray Simons, Lock Haven State (three NCAA and four NAIA), his last pair coming in 1962. … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2025/03/06/celebrating-the-many-firsts-of-our-great-sport/
Byrd Wins National Title at 133 Pounds
Press Conference // Final Brackets
PHILADELPHIA – Lucas Byrd won his first national title at 133 pounds on Saturday (March 22) at the NCAA Championships in the Wells Fargo Center. He became the 21st Fighting Illini wrestler to win a national championship and earned the program’s 25th individual national title. He’s also the program’s first NCAA Champion since now assistant coach Isaiah Martinez in 2016 and the first ever in the weight class of 133 pounds.
“I couldn’t be happier for Lucas Byrd,” said head coach Mike Poeta. “If anybody deserved to be the NCAA Champion this year, it’s him. The amount of work and sacrifice he put into this was amazing. This was not easy; it was a long journey for him, but he wrestled fantastic this weekend. He wanted to be the national champion and he went and got it, he took it. I couldn’t be prouder of him. It was pretty cool seeing him after he won in the tunnel. He had his face in his hands thinking ‘I can’t believe I’m the NCAA Champion’ because it’s that big of a deal and it hits you differently. He did an amazing job and we’re excited to add him to the storied list of national champions that we have at Illinois.”
“I’ll say the same thing I did after I won the semifinals I just have to stay where my toes are at,” said Lucas Byrd. “Me and coach Jeremy Hunter have been striking on a different level; we can speak telepathically almost and anything he tells me I have to trust. In overtime they threw the brick, I looked at Jeremy and he said we’re good we have to go neutral. I step on the line, choose neutral and I look over and see my brother yelling ‘go down, go down’. I shook my head no because I trust my coaches and they put me in the right position.’
‘It has been one hell of a journey. It has been the most exciting journeys that I’ve ever been on. … more at … https://fightingillini.com/news/2025/3/22/wrestling-byrd-wins-national-title-at-133-pounds.aspx
National Champion Penn State Crowns Two Individual Titlists to Close out 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia
Carter Starocci and Mitchell Mesenbrink claim individual titles, Josh Barr national runner-up
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team followed up clinching the NCAA team title earlier in the day by crowning two individual champions in the national finals at the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships. Carter Starocci and Mitchell Mesenbrink both won in the national finals while freshman Josh Barr finished as NCAA runner-up.
With the titles won by Starocci and Mesenbrink, the Nittany Lions now have 61 NCAA Champions, 40 since Sanderson’s arrival as head coach (this is his 16th season at Penn State). Starocci became the first ever five-time national champion with his win. Carter Starocci was named the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championship Outstanding Wrestler at the tournament’s end and Mitchell Mesenbrink was presented with the NCAA’s season-long Most Technical Falls Award.
The Nittany Lions won the team race, clinching it early Saturday morning, with 177.0 points. Penn State finished a full 60.0 points ahead of second place Nebraska’s 117.0 The team point total of 177.0 is a new NCAA record, breaking the mark of 172.5, set by Penn State last year in Kansas City.
Penn State has now won 12 of the last 15 contest NCAA Championships (no event in 2020) and its fourth straight for the third time since Sanderson became head coach in April of 2009. Sanderson is now second in all-time NCAA history with 12 head coaching titles to his credit. The NCAA record is 15. The Nittany Lions have won the NCAA Championship in 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 and 1953. Early in the tournament on Friday night, Penn State secured 10 All-Americans for the first time in school history, becoming only the second team in NCAA history to do so (Minnesota, 2001). All of Penn State’s 10 All-Americans placed in the top six. The Nittany Lions now have 264 All-Americans, 101 under Sanderson in just 16 seasons.
Graduate Carter Starocci, the No. 1 seed at 184, took on No. 2 Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa in the first match of the championship finals. The duo worked through the first minute-plus on their feet in the center circle. Starocci gained control of Keckeisen’s foot on the edge of the mat with :50 on the clock but Keckeisen was able to counter and force a stalemate at :32. … more at … https://gopsusports.com/news/2025/03/22/national-champion-penn-state-crowns-two-individual-titlists-to-close-out-2025-ncaa-wrestling-championships-in-philadelphia
Hendrickson, Hamiti Win NCAA Titles in Thrilling Upsets
PHILADELPHIA – Oklahoma State’s Wyatt Hendrickson and Dean Hamiti Jr. claimed individual titles at the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships Saturday night as Hendrickson delivered a one of the most shocking upsets in the history of the NCAA tournament with a win over Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson to win the heavyweight title and Hamiti delivered an upset of his own by defeating two-time national champion Keegan O’Toole to take home the crown at 174 pounds.
The Cowboys finished in third place in the team standings with 102.5 points to mark its best finish since 2021 and highest point total since 2017. OSU’s two individual champions mark its most since 2016. “Finishing in third place, that’s pretty special because it’s not an individual thing,” coach David Taylor said. “It’s everybody. Individually, obviously those guys help you win, but you need everybody.”
As the most heavily favored wrestler in the finals, Minnesota’s Steveson entered the title bout already holding an Olympic gold medal, two Hodge Trophies, multiple NCAA titles, needing one more win complete a fourth consecutive undefeated collegiate season and with a cemented record as one of the best collegiate wrestlers ever.
Hendrickson entered with an undefeated record of his own this season, but it was his first time reaching an NCAA final.
In a thrilling match that came down to wire, Steveson scored a takedown in the first and Hendrickson followed with a quick escape and another to start the second to make it, 3-2, Steveson, entering the final period. Steveson escaped to start the third and held a 4-2 lead for a majority of the last frame. With time expiring, however, Hendrickson got to Steveson’s leg and finished a takedown with less than 20 seconds remaining to the most thunderous roar from the crowd in recent memory of the NCAA Championships. He held on in the final second to prevent a match-tying escape and came away with a 5-4 win and the most memorable moment of the 2025 wrestling season.
“I was looking at the clock and I’m squeezing him,” Hendrickson said about riding out the final 18 seconds. “I made up my mind. If he did stand up, I didn’t want to lock my hands. I don’t want to get a locked hands call, but I was squeezing. If he stands up, I’m just going to lock and pick him up and just hold him in the air for the last couple seconds, because I’m, like, ‘I have made it this far,’ and I knew I was going to win this match. I don’t care if I had to rip my arms off squeezing him. I was, like, ‘I’m holding this man down and winning this match.'”
Hamiti also produced some fireworks, upsetting Missouri’s top-seeded, undefeated, five-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion in sudden victory. The wrestlers traded escapes in the final two periods to take a 1-1 tie into overtime. … more at … https://okstate.com/news/2025/3/22/cowboy-wrestling-hendrickson-hamiti-win-ncaa-titles-in-thrilling-upsets
And … https://www.flickr.com/photos/osuathletics/54404269429/in/album-72177720324605018

