Iowa State Adds Women’s Wrestling As 18th Varsity Program
AMES, Iowa – Women’s wrestling will debut as Iowa State University’s 18th intercollegiate athletics program during the 2027-28 academic year, Endowed Cyclone Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard announced today.
“Iowa State enjoys a rich wrestling tradition, and we believe the addition of women’s wrestling will afford tremendous opportunities for young women not only in Iowa, but around the country, to compete at the highest level in the sport,” Pollard said. “This is a great day for wrestling in the state of Iowa and at Iowa State University, and we look forward to growing a program under Coach Alli St. John that will build off the historic success of our men’s team.
“As we considered future opportunities for female athletes, it became clear that women’s wrestling offered Iowa State University the best combination of strategic fit, start-up efficiency and growth potential,” he added. “Women’s wrestling is recognized as one of the nation’s fastest growing sports at both the high school and collegiate level, and we are excited to help grow the sport for future generations of young women.”
Identified as an emerging sport in 2020 by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all three divisions, the NCAA held its first national championship in the sport last month in Coralville, Iowa. Currently, there are 113 NCAA members that sponsor wrestling as a varsity sport, including six at the Division I level—Iowa, Lehigh, Delaware State, Lindenwood, Presbyterian and Sacred Heart with Kent State having announced plans to begin a program in 2027-28. Within the state of Iowa, there are 15 universities and colleges that currently sponsor the sport. “Women’s wrestling has been an Olympic sport since 2004 and is the fastest-growing sport for young women in our nation,” said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director upon the announcement that the sport would become the NCAA’s 91st championship in 2026.
At the high school level, 218 Iowa high schools sponsor women’s wrestling and the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union held its fourth state championship … more at … https://cyclones.com/news/2026/4/16/athletics-iowa-state-adds-womens-wrestling-as-18th-varsity-program
Blades, Hikiji, Jimenez, Rodriguez and Welker named finalists for 2026 USA Wrestling Anthony-Maroulis Trophy
Five finalists have been selected for the 2026 USA Wrestling Anthony-Maroulis Trophy, which is presented annually to the nation’s best women’s college wrestler—Kennedy Blades of Iowa, Erin Hikiji of Providence, Audrey Jimenez of Lehigh, Cristelle Rodriguez of Doane and Kylie Welker of Iowa.
Blades, Jimenez and Welker were champions at the inaugural NCAA Women’s Wrestling National Championships. Hikiji and Rodriguez earned national titles at the NAIA Women’s Wrestling Championships.
The award winner will be selected by a vote from three constituent groups—women’s college head coaches, national wrestling media and the fans. Each group accounts for one-third of the total vote.
Public voting is now open at usawrestlingevents.com/wcwoty and will run through Tuesday, March 31. The winner will be announced on Thursday, April 2.
Finalists were determined by the Anthony-Maroulis Trophy oversight committee, which includes representatives of USA Wrestling, college coaches, media, officials and past winners.
| The following criteria were considered when evaluating finalist candidates, using data from the 2025-26 season only:• Season record• Bonus percentage• Number of falls• Number of technical falls• Quality of competition• Integrity and sportsmanship• Impact on program and team success• Cultural impact on women’s college wrestling |
| The USA Wrestling Anthony-Maroulis Trophy is named after Victoria Anthony and Helen Maroulis, who are the first four-time women’s college national champions. Both women won a fourth WCWA national title in 2014 as teammates at Simon Fraser University, becoming the first wrestlers in history to achieve the feat.Previous winners of the award were Yelena Makoyed of North Central (2023), Adaugo Nwachukwu of William Penn (2024) and Kennedy Blades of Iowa (2025).USA Wrestling created the Anthony-Maroulis Trophy to elevate a new award for women’s college wrestling that has significant cultural impact seen with other college athletic awards, such as the Dan Hodge Trophy in men’s college wrestling and the Hesman Trophy in college football. |
Hayden Hidlay Returns to NC State Wrestling
RALEIGH – NC State wrestling’s first-ever five-time All-American is returning to Raleigh to rejoin the NC State wrestling staff, this time as an assistant coach, as announced by head coach Pat Popolizio on Tuesday.
One of the most decorated athletes to come out of the NC State wrestling program, a Raleigh reunion will be had with Hayden Hidlay as he returns to his alma mater.
Hidlay joins the Wolfpack staff after spending the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons as an assistant coach at Stanford, as well as the 2023-24 season at North Dakota State. Immediately following his graduation from NC State back in 2022, the five-year member of the Pack served as the student-athlete development coordinator for NC State wrestling.
“Hayden was one of the most impactful student-athletes we’ve ever had, not only just within our program, but both at the conference and national levels too,” said head coach Pat Popolizio. “As one of the winningest wrestlers in NC State school history, he was our program’s first-ever five-time All-American, all while accumulating academic accolades across the board as well.
He’s spent the last few seasons growing, as a coach and as a man, at Stanford and North Dakota State. Just days ago, he guided Aden Valencia to his first national championship as a 10th-seeded redshirt-freshman at the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Cleveland.
Hayden will continue to instill our program’s culture that he helped build as an athlete. We are thrilled at the opportunity to have him back in Raleigh, back in the wrestling room that he accomplished so much in.”
Over the last two seasons, Hidlay helped the Cardinal produce tremendous results during their first inaugural years in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The squad is coming off a historic season with its highest-ever finish at the NCAA Championships in sixth place and the third national champion in program history, a wrestler whom Hidlay closely oversaw.
“I am honored to be returning to NC State wrestling,” said Hayden Hidlay. … more at … https://gopack.com/news/2026/3/24/hayden-hidlay-returns-to-nc-state-wrestling
Big Ten Network Presents Coverage of 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships
The 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, featuring 10 teams in Intermat’s top 25 tournament rankings, including five of the top 10 teams in the country, begins Saturday, March 7, on the Big Ten Network with complete coverage of college wrestling’s premier conference event.
Ahead of the championships, B1G+ is introducing a limited-time offer where fans can secure 13 months of B1G+ for $30.00 with code B1GWR. The offer is available through Friday, March 13 at 11:59 p.m. PT.
From 10 a.m. ET to 2 p.m. ET Saturday, March 7, the opening session, including the first round and quarterfinal duals, will be broadcast on BTN and B1G+. On B1G+, individual mat cameras, as well as the quad box, will allow viewers to customize their experience. Session two on Saturday night begins at 5 p.m. ET on B1G+, with coverage of the wrestlebacks and consolation matches. Television coverage resumes for Saturday night’s semifinals on BTN from 7 p.m. ET to 9 p.m. ET.
Coverage continues Sunday, March 8, as session three begins at noon ET on B1G+ with individual mat cameras for the consolation semifinals and seventh-place matches. At 4:30 p.m. ET, television coverage resumes as Big Ten champions are crowned on Big Ten Network, with third and fifth-place bouts airing on B1G+.
Big Ten Network veterans Shane Sparks, Jim Gibbons, Tim Johnson and Zach Mackey will be on the call for all the action throughout the weekend’s television broadcasts on BTN.
Before the championships coverage kicks off, a new episode of On the Mat debuts at 9:30 a.m. ET, March 7, featuring stories highlighting Penn State’s Mitchell Mesenbrink, Illinois’ Danny Pacino and Indiana’s work as a team throughout the season.
Ahead of the championship session March 8, a new episode of B1G Live: Wrestling Pregame will air at 4 p.m. ET, as Rick Pizzo and Malik Amine preview the final rounds of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships. A new episode of B1G Wrestling in 60: B1G Championships debuts Monday, March 9, at 7 p.m. ET, recapping the action from the weekend. Additional coverage of the wrestling championships will be included in new episodes of B1G Today … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2026/march/02/big-ten-network-presents-coverage-of-2026-big-ten-wrestling-championships
Central Oklahoma — REGIONAL CHAMPS!
Bronchos Claim Sixth Straight Regional Title Behind Four Individual Champs
EDMOND – Gabe Johnson joined elite company in leading Central Oklahoma to its sixth consecutive NCAA Division II Super Regional IV Tournament championship Sunday at Hamilton Field House.
Johnson became just the fourth four-time regional champion in UCO’s rich history by capturing the 157-pound crown and the No. 2-ranked Bronchos also got title-winning efforts from 125 Eli Kirk, 133 Jason Henschel and 174 Hunter Jump in finishing the one-day, 11-team tourney with 156 points.
No. 13 Central Missouri came in second with 132 points, followed by No. 10 McKendree (112), Indianapolis (108.5) and Maryville (89.5).
It took a top three finish to earn a spot in the national tournament, with UCO getting runner-up efforts from 141 Josh Taylor and 165 Bryce Dauphin along with clutch third-place showings from 149 Bam West and 184 Branson Britten to finish with eight qualifiers. Garrett Wells took fourth at 197 and Ryan Nichols sixth at heavyweight.
“It was a long, tough day and I thought we battled hard,” said head coach Todd Steidley, who was named Super Regional IV Coach of the Year for the fifth time. “I’m proud of our guys. This is probably the toughest regional in the country and we came out with eight qualifiers.
“Our goal is always to get all 10 guys in so it’s disappointing when we don’t do that, but we’ve got a good group moving on and I’m excited about our chances in the national tournament.”
The NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships are set for March 13-14 in Sioux Falls, S.D. as the Bronchos take aim at their 18th national championship. UCO finished fifth last year after winning back-to-back titles in 2023 and ’24.
Johnson capped off a 4-0 run to his fourth regional title with a 14-8 finals win over Nicolas Zamora of Maryville. The top-ranked senior star bolted to a 10-1 first period lead behind two takedowns and a near-fall and made it 11-1 in the second with a quick escape before Zamora got two final-minute takedowns.
Johnson breezed into the finals in dominating fashion, outscoring three … more at … https://bronchosports.com/news/2026/3/1/wrestling-regional-champs.aspx
2026 WCL | U SPORTS Invitational Championships heads to Lakehead University this weekend
OTTAWA / THUNDER BAY, ON – The 2026 WCL U SPORTS Invitational Championships are set for this weekend (Feb. 27-28) at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The event will feature approximately 200 of the best collegiate wrestlers from across the country, representing 17 universities in 20 weight classes (10 for women and 10 for men).
“We are thrilled to bring the WCL USPORTS Invitational Championships to Thunder Bay and to partner with the outstanding team at Lakehead University,” said Tamara Medwidsky, CEO of Wrestling Canada Lutte. “Lakehead has a strong tradition of hosting exceptional events, and we know they will create a first-class experience for the student-athletes, coaches and fans. This championship will showcase the very best collegiate wrestlers from across the country as they compete at the highest university level and look to take the next step in their wrestling careers. We are excited to see the energy and passion that Thunder Bay will bring to this national event.”
“We’re proud to bring the U SPORTS Invitational Championships back to Thunder Bay for the first time since 2012,” said Leah Ferguson, Chair, host committee. “With incredible support from the City and Tourism Thunder Bay, we’re ready to welcome the country’s top university wrestlers to our community. It’s a huge moment for our local wrestling scene, and we’re excited to showcase both elite competition and the spirit of Thunder Bay.”
The competition will feature a very talented field on both the women’s and men’s side, with numerous competitors having represented Canada on the international stage. For the women, 2024 World U23 silver medalist Serena Di Benedetto will be in action at 53kg. The McMaster product took top spot at the OUA Championships and will look to claim another national title. Competing at 56kg will be Calgary’s Gabi Cross. Cross won the Canada West Championship and is a two-time U23 Pan-Am Championships medalist (silver – 2025, bronze – 2024).
As for the men, names to watch will include Brock’s Javier … more at … https://wrestling.ca/2026-wcl-u-sports-invitational-championships-heads-to-lakehead-university-this-weekend/
Olympian, World Medalist, Hall Of Fame Wrestler And Coach Bobby Douglas Passed Away At Age 83
Bobby Douglas, 83, a two-time Olympian, two-time World medalist, six-time U.S. World Team member, and National Wrestling Hall of Fame Distinguished Member for his lifetime accomplishments as a wrestler and coach, passed away from natural causes on Monday in Iowa.
Douglas was a trailblazer who left his mark on USA Wrestling history in numerous ways. He was a dedicated husband to his wife, Jackie. The couple had one son, Bobby Jr. No plans for a memorial service for Douglas will be made available. The family is appreciative of the love and support for Bobby and asks for privacy during this time.
Douglas represented the U.S. at the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, and the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, Mexico. He was the first black American to wrestle in the Olympic Games, and was captain of the 1968 Olympic Team, which was also a first. He competed at six Senior World Championships from 1963 to 1970, with appearances in both Greco-Roman and men’s freestyle. He collected two men’s freestyle World medals—silver in 1966 in Toledo, Ohio, and bronze in 1970 in Edmonton, Canada.
Prior to his Senior level run of success, Douglas was a 1962 NAIA champion and 1963 NCAA runner-up at West Liberty State. He transferred to Oklahoma State for the 1964-65 season, where he won the Big 8 Championships. As a prep, Douglas was a two-time Ohio state champion for Bridgeport High School.
Douglas transitioned to coaching in 1973, leading UC Santa Barbara, before moving to Arizona State the following year. He led the Sun Devils to new heights over 18 years as head coach, earning the program’s only NCAA title in 1988, nine conference titles and nine top-10 NCAA finishes, plus coaching two individual NCAA champions—Eddie Urbano (1985) and Dan St. John (1989, 1990)—37 conference champions and 58 All-Americans. Douglas added 14 seasons as head coach at Iowa State from 1992-2006, coaching individuals to 10 NCAA titles, 31 conference titles and 52 NCAA All-America honors.
Douglas coached many notable athletes, … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2026/february/24/two-time-olympian-hall-of-fame-wrestler-and-coach-bobby-douglas-passes-away-at-age-83
Preliminary Final TDR Top 12 – 2026 — (106-132 lbs.)
Editor’s Note : The lightest 5 weight classes are listed below. The rest of the weight classes will be posted later.:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
| 1 | 106 | Bernthal, Xavier | New Bern | 29 | 54 | 7 | ### | 7A | 3rd | 1st |
| 2 | 106 | Helbert, Jonathan | West Carteret | 28 | 33 | 6 | 0.846 | 5A | 1st | 4th |
| 3 | 106 | Tran, Sander | South Central | 26 | 32 | 5 | 0.865 | 7A | 2nd | 2nd |
| 4 | 106 | Lopez, Eliel | Rosewood | 28 | 33 | 10 | 0.767 | 1A-2A | 1st | w1 |
| 5 | 106 | Schoen, Mason | Hoggard, John T. | 27 | 36 | 5 | 0.878 | 8A | 2nd | w1 |
| 6 | 106 | Berkshire, Trebor | Lejeune | 28 | 23 | 11 | 0.676 | 1A-2A | 4th | 4th |
| 7 | 106 | Piver, Santiago | Amer. Leadership Acad. | 29 | 46 | 6 | 0.885 | 1A-2A | 2nd | L2 |
| 8 | 106 | Geist, Jake | Jacksonville | 29 | 37 | 10 | 0.787 | 6A | 2nd | w1 |
| 9 | 106 | Hewett, Ayden | West Brunswick | 28 | 36 | 10 | 0.783 | 6A | 4th | L2 |
| 10 | 106 | Placencia, Esteban | Southwest Onslow | 28 | 37 | 11 | 0.771 | 4A | 4th | L2 |
| 11 | 106 | Pfeffer, Dylan | Dixon | 29 | 25 | 16 | 0.610 | 5A | 4th | L2 |
| 12 | 106 | Anstead, Corey | Louisburg | 27 | 35 | 6 | 0.854 | 3A | w3 | —— |
| 15 | 106 | Pobadora, Alfred | Rocky Mount | 26 | 32 | 3 | 0.914 | 5A | w2INJ | ——- |
| 15 | 106 | Carter, Thomas | New Hanover | 29 | 38 | 9 | 0.809 | 7A | w3 | —— |
| 15 | 106 | Teribury, Ryan | Topsail | 28 | 38 | 10 | 0.792 | 7A | w3 | —— |
| 1 | 113 | Gardner, Tyler | Jacksonville | 28 | 45 | 5 | ### | 6A | 3rd | 3rd |
| 2 | 113 | Tebalan, Alan | North East Carolina Prep | 27 | 16 | 5 | 0.762 | 1A-2A | 1st | 4th |
| 3 | 113 | Abel, Jackson | Franklinton | 28 | 34 | 7 | 0.829 | 6A | 2nd | 4th |
| 4 | 113 | Boltes, Sam | Washington | 27 | 44 | 9 | 0.830 | 4A | 2nd | w1 |
| 5 | 113 | Ogden, Lennon | Southern Nash | 28 | 34 | 7 | 0.829 | 5A | 2nd | w1 |
| 6 | 113 | Carter, Matthew | New Hanover | 27 | 35 | 8 | 0.814 | 7A | 3rd | w1 |
| 7 | 113 | Frizzelle, Ronnie | Spring Creek | 28 | 30 | 13 | 0.698 | 3A | 2nd | w1 |
| 8 | 113 | Davis, John | Southside | 28 | 20 | 7 | 0.741 | 1A-2A | 3rd | L2 |
| 9 | 113 | Robles, Raymi | Croatan | 26 | 35 | 16 | 0.686 | 5A | 3rd | L2 |
| 10 | 113 | Reales, Javier | North Johnston | 27 | 40 | 9 | 0.816 | 4A | w2 | —— |
| 11 | 113 | Dawson, Caleb | New Bern | 29 | 41 | 15 | 0.732 | 7A | w2 | —— |
| 12 | 113 | Twiddy. Shaylor | Manteo | 29 | 20 | 16 | 0.556 | 1A-2A | 4th | w1 |
| 15 | 113 | Smith, Quinton | Topsail | 26 | 36 | 14 | 0.720 | w3 | —— | |
| 1 | 120 | Angstadt, Lucas | Ashley | 26 | 36 | 1 | ### | 7A | 1st | 1st |
| 2 | 120 | Mazura, Isaiah | Rosewood | 28 | 45 | 4 | 0.918 | 1A-2A | 1st | 2nd |
| 3 | 120 | Gallagher, Rory | Hoggard, John T. | 26 | 47 | 5 | 0.904 | 8A | 1st | w1 |
| 4 | 120 | Waneroik, Brayden | North East Carolina Prep | 28 | 41 | 12 | 0.774 | 1A-2A | 2nd | 3rd |
| 5 | 120 | Angell, Lucas | Currituck County | 27 | 47 | 12 | 0.797 | 5A | 2nd | 4th |
| 6 | 120 | Winburn, Tristan | West Brunswick | 27 | 37 | 7 | 0.841 | 6A | 2nd | w1 |
| 7 | 120 | Mundell, Tyler | North Pitt | 27 | 51 | 11 | 0.823 | 4A | 4th | w1 |
| 8 | 120 | Pope, Jacob | Topsail | 28 | 29 | 11 | 0.725 | 7A | 3rd | L2 |
| 9 | 120 | Moses, Garrett | Jacksonville | 26 | 33 | 15 | 0.688 | 6A | 3rd | L2 |
| 10 | 120 | Cortezano, Rommel | Holmes, Edenton | 29 | 24 | 14 | 0.632 | 1A-2A | 3rd | L2 |
| 11 | 120 | Lamparelli, Jovanni | Richlands | 28 | 36 | 15 | 0.706 | 5A | 4th | w1 |
| 12 | 120 | Vetter, Levi | Swansboro | 26 | 40 | 13 | 0.755 | 6A | 4th | L2 |
| 15 | 120 | Snyder, Cary | West Johnston | 27 | 22 | 6 | 0.786 | 6A | w2 | —— |
| 15 | 120 | Campos, Justin | White Oak | 28 | 34 | 11 | 0.756 | 6A | w2 | —— |
| 15 | 120 | Keel, Jacob | Rolesville | 26 | 36 | 12 | 0.750 | 8A | w2 | —— |
| 15 | 120 | Ebron-Berger, Zareion | New Bern | 27 | 42 | 17 | 0.712 | 7A | w3 | —— |
| 15 | 120 | McCarty, Hayden | First Flight | 27 | 34 | 14 | 0.708 | 4A | w3 | —— |
| 1 | 126 | Quincy, Holton | North East Carolina Prep | 27 | 50 | 1 | ### | 1A-2A | 1st | 1st |
| 2 | 126 | Braxton, Christopher | New Hanover | 26 | 36 | 8 | 0.818 | 7A | 1st | 3rd |
| 3 | 126 | Alexander, Robert | White Oak | 26 | 51 | 12 | 0.810 | 6A | 1st | 3rd |
| 4 | 126 | Jones, Nate | Northside (Jacksonville) | 27 | 38 | 13 | 0.745 | 5A | 1st | w1 |
| 5 | 126 | Sylvester, Elijah | Pasquotank Co. | 28 | 43 | 11 | 0.796 | 3A | 3rd | w1 |
| 6 | 126 | Martinez-Hernandez, Florentino | North Pitt | 28 | 46 | 16 | 0.742 | 4A | 3rd | L2 |
| 7 | 126 | Woolard, Justin | Washington | 28 | 40 | 19 | 0.678 | 4A | 4th | L2 |
| 8 | 126 | Sullivan, Brendan | Lejeune | 28 | 19 | 10 | 0.655 | 1A-2A | 4th | L2 |
| 9 | 126 | Fleckinger, Max | North Brunswick | 27 | 25 | 14 | 0.641 | 7A | 4th | L2 |
| 10 | 126 | Doddy, Landon | Bunn | 27 | 24 | 6 | 0.800 | 4A | w3 | —— |
| 11 | 126 | Walker, Gavin | West Craven | 28 | 43 | 13 | 0.768 | 4A | w3 | —— |
| 12 | 126 | Fox, Landon | New Bern | 27 | 41 | 14 | 0.745 | 7A | w3 | —— |
| 15 | 126 | Flores, Daniel | North Johnston | 27 | 41 | 15 | 0.732 | 4A | w2 | —— |
| 1 | 132 | Tennessee, Ashton | West Johnston | 27 | 34 | 1 | 0.971 | 6A | 1st | 1st |
| 2 | 132 | Menteer, Miller | Currituck County | 27 | 53 | 6 | ### | 5A | 1st | 1st |
| 3 | 132 | Riddick, Christian | First Flight | 28 | 39 | 2 | 0.951 | 4A | 1st | 2nd |
| 4 | 132 | Lewis, Colten | White Oak | 26 | 47 | 6 | 0.887 | 6A | 2nd | 2nd |
| 5 | 132 | Guerrero-Perez, Gael | Bunn | 29 | 36 | 5 | 0.878 | 4A | 2nd | 4th |
| 6 | 132 | Watts, Elijah | South Brunswick | 26 | 23 | 7 | 0.767 | 5A | 3rd | 4th |
| 7 | 132 | Costillo, Gavin | Jacksonville | 27 | 41 | 12 | 0.774 | 6A | 3rd | 4th |
| 8 | 132 | Treacy, Riley | Pamlico County | 28 | 25 | 9 | 0.735 | 1A-2A | 4th | 2nd |
| 9 | 132 | Carter, Garret | Lejeune | 26 | 31 | 11 | 0.738 | 1A-2A | 2nd | w1 |
| 10 | 132 | Braxton, Kenneth | New Hanover | 26 | 27 | 13 | 0.675 | 7A | 3rd | w1 |
| 11 | 132 | Mercer, Sheamus | Swansboro | 28 | 44 | 9 | 0.830 | 6A | 4th | w1 |
| 12 | 132 | Ascencio, Aron | Ayden-Grifton | 26 | 17 | 10 | 0.630 | 3A | 4th | L2 |
| 15 | 132 | Thomas, Eli | Laney, Emsley A. | 26 | 42 | 3 | 0.933 | 8A | dnw | —— |
| 15 | 132 | Suydam, Eli | Southern Nash | 28 | 24 | 7 | 0.774 | 5A | w2 | —— |
| 15 | 132 | Baarnes, Jeremiah | Eastern Wayne | 28 | 29 | 10 | 0.744 | 4A | w3 | —— |
| 15 | 132 | Downing, Kemon | North East Carolina Prep | 26 | 27 | 11 | 0.711 | 1A-2A | w3 | —— |
2025-26 Top 40 National High School Wrestling Rankings – Feb. 21, 2026
Oklahoma duals provide the only major changes to national high school wrestling team rankings.
Billy Buckheit | Feb 21, 2026
Bixby placed second in the Oklahoma state duals to No. 15 Stillwater, but the Spartans still made the biggest upward move in this week’s national rankings, going from No. 33 to No. 16. / Bixby Wrestling
Aside from what happened at the 6A Oklahoma State Dual Meet Tournament, the team ranking changes this week were minimal.
California and New Jersey Offer the Best Opportunities for Future Shakeups
We expect more of that as we come to the close of the season. Most of the teams on this list will dominate their state tournaments, with a few potentially having some epic clashes, specifically in California and New Jersey.
Lake Highland Prep and Blair Set for One More Battle at National Prep Tournament
The final word on the National Prep rivalry with Lake Highland Prep and Blair Academy will be settled this weekend, with the winner taking final position over the other. Without any new evidence, it would likely take Buchanan failing to win their Masters tournament this weekend or next week’s states for them to tumble from the top spot.
State Tournament scoring can be skewed given the nature of only the best reaching the podium, so we measure those scores realistically and balance them with all a team’s results.
Like the individuals, the teams have some clear chains then some jumbled spots. We use all results to place them, not just one.
2025-26 Top 40 National High School Wrestling Rankings – Feb. 21, 2026
1-Buchanan, CA
Previous No. 1
Competed at and won the Central Section D1 Tournament over Clovis and Clovis North.
2-Lake Highland Prep, FL
Previous No. 2
Won the Southeast National Prep Qualifier.
3-Blair Academy, NJ
Previous No. 3
Took the team crown at the New Jersey/New York Prep Qualifier. … more at … https://www.si.com/high-school/wrestling/2025-26-top-40-national-high-school-wrestling-rankings-feb-21-2026-01kj06mpa983
Bushnell to Add Men’s and Women’s Wrestling
EUGENE, Ore. – Bushnell University announced on Monday that the Beacons will add two new varsity programs with men’s and women’s wrestling officially joining the sport offerings in the fall of 2027.
Bushnell athletics cites the recent rise in popularity in youth wrestling as a contributing factor in the decision to add both men’s and women’s programs at Bushnell. High School wrestling participation nationally is at its highest in over 50 years with nearly 375,000 boys and girls competing. Additionally, Bushnell will be the seventh four-year university in Oregon to sponsor the sports.
“We are thrilled to be adding to our athletic offerings with the addition of our wrestling program,” said Athletic Director Corey Anderson. “Girls Wrestling is the fastest growing high school sport in the country, and USA Wrestling has launched national campaigns to increase the popularity of the sport. National trends for high school and collegiate programs are on an upward trajectory.”
Anderson added, “We have quickly learned that there is a strong passion for men’s and women’s wrestling in Eugene, Lane County, Oregon and beyond. Once we started talking to a few, key contacts in the region about the idea of us adding an NAIA collegiate wrestling program, we immediately started having knowledgeable and passionate people reach out to us to celebrate the idea but also wanting to know how they can help. I am excited about these new relationships and partner opportunities that Bushnell Wrestling will provide us while continuing to do The Kingdom’s good work!”
The addition of two new teams will bring Bushnell’s total number of varsity teams to 19 and are the first programs to be added since Baseball came on board in 2021. The Wrestling teams will begin play in the 2027-2028 season, joining the Cascade Conference which boasts 11 men’s and eight women’s programs.
“What an exciting day for Bushnell University, the Cascade Conference, and wrestling in the West,” stated CCC Commissioner Robert Cashell. “The program immensely strengthens men’s and women’s wrestling for the conference and represents continued growth and evolution of Beacon Athletics. It is wonderful to see more opportunities for young men and women to compete in the sport they love at the collegiate level, … more at … https://bushnellbeacons.com/news/2026/2/16/general-bushnell-to-add-mens-and-womens-wrestling.aspx?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
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 