12 Senior National Team berths determined at True-Third Place Matches prior to Final X
The final 12 members of the 2025-26 Senior National Team berths in men’s and women’s freestyle were determined in True Third-Place matches, held prior to Final X at the Prudential Center.
There were five men’s freestyle matches and four women’s freestyle matches contested, with three women’s freestyle berths determined by forfeit. These matches determined the No. 3 spot on the national team, which provides financial support in terms of a stipend, plus training and competition opportunities.
Men’s Freestyle summaries
At 57 kg, former Nebraska star Liam Cronin secured a 10-3 victory over Stanford’s Nico Provo, 10-3. Cronin led 1-0 at the break on a step out, then hit a four-point takedown in the second period to take a lead that he never relinquished.
At 65 kg, high school star Marcus Blaze defeated Brock Hardy, a star at Nebraska, 8-2 for the victory. Blaze led 4-0 at the break on three step outs and a shot clock point, then scored two second-period takedowns.
Ian Parker hit a big four-point move and followed with another takedown for a 6-0 lead at the break over Bryce Andonian at 70 kg. In the second period, Andonian rallied for two takedowns and gave up a step out, giving the bout to Parker, 7-4. Parker was a star at Iowa State, with Andonian at Virginia Tech.
Jarrett Jacques earned the National Team berth at 74 kg with a tight 6-3 win over Joey Blaze. With Blaze up 2-1 leading into the closing moments, Jacquez was able score four points in the final 16 seconds, and added one point on a failed challenge.
At 86 kg, in a rematch of the 2025 NCAA finals, five-time NCAA champion Carter Starocci from Penn State defeated 2024 NCAA champion and 2025 runner-up Parker Keckeisen, 4-3. Starocci scored his four points in the first period on a takedown, a step out and a shot clock point. Keckeisen scored three second-period step outs but could not close the gap.
Women’s Freestyle summaries
At 59 kg, Aurora University star Alexis Janiak scored a 4-4 criteria decision over Xochitl Mota-Pettis. Both wrestlers scored two takedowns, but Janiak’s takedown with 58 seconds left was the final score, giving her the criteria. In a dominant effort, Alara Boyd scored three takedowns … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2025/june/14/12-senior-national-team-berths-determined-at-true-third-place-matches-prior-to-final-x
DI Board of Directors formally adopts changes to roster limits
The Division I Board of Directors on Monday adopted additional changes to NCAA rules to implement the court-approved House settlement. The changes — which codify roster limits, including legislated exceptions for current student-athletes whose roster spots would have been impacted by those limits — are effective July 1.
“With the court’s approval of the House settlement, college sports are entering a new era of increased benefits for college athletes,” said Tim Sands, chair of the board and president at Virginia Tech. “Today’s vote to codify the roster provisions of the settlement formally removes limits on scholarships for schools that opt in, dramatically increasing the potential available scholarships for student-athletes across all sports in Division I.”
Moving forward, NCAA rules for Division I programs will no longer include sport-specific scholarship limits. Instead, schools in the defendant conferences and others that opt in to the settlement rules and associated benefits to student-athletes will have roster limits, and schools will have the option to offer scholarships to any and all of those student-athletes. This change will dramatically increase the number of scholarships potentially available to Division I student-athletes, including more than doubling the possible number of scholarships that can be offered to women. NCAA schools have a deadline of June 30 to indicate whether they intend to opt into the settlement for the 2025-26 academic year.
The rules changes include legislated exceptions for current student-athletes with remaining eligibility whose roster spots would have been impacted by immediate implementation of the roster limits. Those designated student-athletes will be identified by their current or former schools, and regardless of the school for which they participate, they will not count toward that school’s roster limits for the duration of their eligibility.
The division’s core guarantees — which include scholarship protections — are not impacted by the rules changes. If a student-athlete receiving athletics aid loses a roster spot for roster management, … more at … https://www.ncaa.org/news/2025/6/23/media-center-di-board-of-directors-formally-adopts-changes-to-roster-limits.aspx
Akron’s Ken Dies receives honor from National Wrestling Hall of Fame
By Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal
When Ken Dies opened a letter at his Highland Square home on June 25, the message caused his wife, Carol, to shed tears of joy.
Dies learned he will have a place in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The letter from the Hall of Fame’s executive director, Lee Roy Smith, states the hall’s Ohio chapter nominated Dies to receive the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award, and the national HOF’s board selected him for the honor. “It’s just overwhelming,” Dies told the Beacon Journal by phone. “I did not expect this.” More on the Dies family: Akron Public Schools gives wrestling enthusiasts proper recognition
An Akron native, Dies is the face of a wrestling royal family Northeast Ohio has known for decades.
The Dies family started running high school and youth tournaments in the late 1970s. After Bill Dies died in 1987, Ken Dies inherited his father’s role as tournament director. His involvement with Ohio Youth Wrestling, the Walsh Jesuit Ironman tournament and the Bill Dies Memorial Wrestling Tournament held at Firestone CLC made him a popular figure in the sport throughout the state.
Now Dies, 81, is being honored at the national level. “My one brother, Steve, he’s a nut,” Dies said with a laugh. “He’s putting me in the same category as Dan Gable. He said, ‘You’re in the same hall of fame as Dan Gable.'” … more at … https://www.newsbreak.com/share/4075349339325-akron-s-ken-dies-receives-honor-from-national-wrestling-hall-of-fame?_f=app_share&pd=0IMTzHkC&lang=en_US&send_time=1750951613&s=i16&trans_data=%7B%22platform%22%3A0%2C%22cv%22%3A%2225.25.0.37%22%2C%22languages%22%3A%22en%22%7D&sep=ns_foryou_rank_exp_25q2-v7%2Cns_foryou_blend_exp_25q2-v7%2Cns_foryou_recall_exp_25q3-v4%2Cns_foryou_model_exp_25q2_v2-v8
Dominance on the mat: NHSCA Nationals cown 55 high school wrestling champions in Virginia Beach showdown
With nearly 6,000 competitors, Pennsylvania leads the pack with seven titles across freshman and junior divisions as top-ranked wrestlers battle for national glory; Florida and Georgia also shine.
Last weekend’s NHSCA Wrestling Nationals in Virginia Beach was a tournament of epic proportions with nearly 6,000 wrestlers competing in a girls, middle school, and four high school divisions. There were 14 weights contested in three of the four high school divisions with the seniors not having a 106lb weight class.
A total 55 champions were crowned amongst the high schoolers. We will not be discussing all of them, just the happenings of interest for the national rankings and other intriguing trends or outcomes.
One of the more intriguing of those being Pennsylvania’s tournament high seven champions coming in just two divisions, Freshman and Junior.
Leading the way was Montgomery’s Brandt Harer, whose 138lb title in the junior division made him a three-time NHSCA Champion. Harer, who is ranked 8th in the nation and won his second consecutive state title this year, used a 16-1 technical fall of Kentucky’s two-time state champion, George Dennis (Harrison County), to lock it down. Dennis picked off California’s Joseph Toscano of Buchanan, who is ranked 3rd at 144, 14-12, in the quarters.
At the next junior weight class, 145lbs, West Scranton’s No. 21 Michael Turi, a three-time state placer, defeated North Carolina’s three-time champ Lorenzo Alston, 6-4. Turi won a NHSCA title as a freshman but did not appear last year.
Speaking of not appearing, Turi’s teammate Jake Benyo (106) did not wrestle an official match during the season. In the freshman finals, Benyo faced another wrestler that was mostly inactive during the campaign, New Jersey’s Anthony Curlo (Blair Academy), and slid by on a 1-0 decision. … more at … https://www.si.com/high-school/wrestling/dominance-on-the-mat-nhsca-nationals-cown-55-high-school-wrestling-champions-in-virginia-beach-showdown-01jqrw289sbj
And …
NHSCA Wrestling Nationals Recap: Part II
Massachusetts crowns three champions, including one from nationally ranked Musa Tamaradze
We are picking up part two of our NHSCA Wrestling Nationals recap with a state not known for their wrestling prowess, Massachusetts. They had three exit the Senior Division with wall charts in hand, Musa Tamaradze (126), No. 18 Elliott Humphries (Northfield Mount Hermon), and Saint John Prep’s Alexander Bajoras (285).
Tamaradze was third at the National Prep Tournament and earned a No. 22 national ranking at 132lbs for the New York Military Academy. Tamaradze won the 126lb bracket over Maryland’s two-time state champ, Tanner Halling (Boonsboro), 9-3, for his second straight NHSCA title. Halling defeated three-time California state placer No. 29 Paulo Valdez (Hespria), 11-0, to reach the finals.
Humphries came on strong last summer with a second-place finish at Fargo in Junior Freestyle after failing to place at National Preps and NHSCAs. This year, Humphries was third at preps and collected his first NHSCA hardware with a 4-1 sudden victory win over Pennsylvania state placer (4th twice), … more at … https://www.si.com/high-school/wrestling/nhsca-wrestling-nationals-recap-part-ii-01jqshh21xc0
Top 40 Division I ACTIVE Coaches
The following is a listing of the Top 40 Active (including rece3ntly retired) Division I Head coaches by dual meet wins. We welcome input, questions and corrections.
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1. John Smith (Oklahoma State Univ.) 490 retired 2024
2. Tom Borelli (Central Michigan) 368 retired 2024
3. Rob Koll (North Carolina/Stanford/Cornell) 348
4. Brian Smith (Missouri/Syracuse) 341
5. Tom Ryan (Ohio State/Hofstra) 335
6. Mark Manning (Nebraska/Northern Iowa) 328
7. Tom Brands (Iowa & Virginia Tech) 308
8. Jim Zalesky (Oregon State/Iowa) 278 now at D-II school
9. Tim Flynn (West Virginia/Edinboro St.) 274
10. Cael Sanderson (Penn State, Iowa State) 262
11. Joel Greenlee (Ohio Univ.) 260
12. Roger Reina (Pennsylvania, Un. Of) 258
13. Pat Popolizio (North Carolina St., SUNY-Binghampton) 256
14. Kevin Dresser (Iowa State/Virginia Tech Univ.) 253
15. Pat Santoro (Lehigh University, Maryland) 239
16. Scott Goodale (Rutgers University) – 235
17. Jim Andrassy (Kent State Univ.) 204
18. Steve Garland (Virginia University) 194
19. John Stutzman (Buffalo SUNY, Bloomsburg) – 190
20. Dan Wirnsberger (Bucknell, Bloomsburg) 183
21. Chris Bono (Wisconsin/South Dakota/U.Tenn.Chatt.) 158
22. John Mark Bentley (Appalachian State) 152
23. Jay Weiss (Harvard Univ.) – 151
24. Jason Borelli (American/Stanford Univ.) – 150
25. Mark Branch (Wyoming Univ.) – 149
26. Zeke Jones (Ariz. St., Univ. Of Penn.) 127
26. Doug Schwab (Northern Iowa) 127
28. Mark Cody (Presbyterian, Oklahoma U., American U.) 124
29. Roger Kish (Oklahoma/N. D. St.) – 122
30. Ryan Ludwig (Northern Illinois) – 113
30. Matt Azevedo (Drexel Un.) 113
32. Greg Williams (Utah Valley State) 110 — Inactive
33. Chris Ayres (Princeton) 105
34. Scott Moore (Lock Haven) 95
35. Tony Ersland (Purdue) 90
36. Brandom Eggum (Minnesota) 84
37. John Hangey (Rider Un.) 83
38. Tony Robie (Virginia Tech/SUNY-Bing.) 80
39. Kevin Ward (U.S. Army Acad.) 78
40. Daniel Elliott (Gardner-Webb) 77
Cornell Wrestling Earns Three Fifth Place Finishes at the 2025 NCAA Championships
PHILIDELPHIA, Pa. – Cornell wrestling ends the 2025 NCAA Championships with three fifth place finishes and three All-American in Meyer Shapiro, Simon Ruiz and Chris Foca.
SESSION FIVE ACTION
With only three wrestlers remaining, Cornell charged into the consolation semifinals with determination and earned three fifth place finishes.
No. 6 Chris Foca went a round with No. 4 Dustin Plott of Oklahoma State and was held without score till the third period. Plott earned a reversal at the end of the second period to take a 2-0 lead. Foca threw in an escape early in the third but could not put up another point falling 2-1. The senior was able to move on to win one last bout in the Big Red singlet as he took fifth over No. 8 Jaxson Smith of Maryland. Foca wrestled with nothing to lose and racked up two takedowns and an escape in his 7-4 victory over Smith. The New Jersey wrestler ended his senior career 18-2 and 95-20 all time for the Big Red.
No.2 Meyer Shapiro met the 157 first place seed Tyler Kasak of Penn State first thing. The top seeds made a match out of it as they pursued the third-place match. Kasak earned the first points of the match with a takedown in the first period. Shapiro was in control of the second period scramble ultimately letting Kasak escape and add another point the board. The sophomore would add an escape of his own and be rewarded with a penalty point falling 4-2 to the number one seed and moving on to the fifth-place match. Shapiro added one more bonus bout to his records earning a 11-0 major decision win over No. Vinny Zerban of Northern Colorado. With a takedown in each period as well as an escape and riding time the two-time All-American walks away from the championship in fifth place.
Freshman No. 5 Simon Ruiz held No. 2 Levi Haines scoreless through the first two periods … more at … https://cornellbigred.com/news/2025/3/22/cornell-wrestling-earns-three-fifth-place-finishes-at-the-2025-ncaa-championships.aspx
Lovett, Taylor Earn National Titles in NU’s Historic Runner-Up Finish
PHILADELPHIA – Ridge Lovett (149) and Antrell Taylor (157) won NCAA titles on Saturday night, helping Nebraska wrestling to its best performance and finish ever at the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships. The Huskers finished as NCAA team runner-up, with 117.0 points.
NU garnered eight All-America honorees at the tournament, with three semifinalists and two champions. Nebraska’s title winners bring home the first individual championship since 2011 (Jordan Borroughs) and the first two in a year since 1984 (Jim Scherr and Bill Scherr).
The Big Red wrestlers put together 17 bonus-point wins for the fifth-highest point total by a runner-up in NCAA history. Prior to this season, the team’s best finish in standings and points was in 1993, finishing third with 79.5 points. The tournament run earned Head Coach Mark Manning the 2025 NCAA Tournament Coach of the Year award.
In the 149 championship match, No. 2 Lovett took on familiar foe and top-seed Caleb Henson (VT). The pair went scoreless through periods one and two, despite a last-second takedown ruling for Henson, which was reversed after further review. Lovett got on the board with an escape in the third period, which he protected for the final stretch to secure the NCAA title. The Husker became the first national champion since Burroughs in 2011 for NU, in what was his final collegiate bout and 101st victory. Lovett avenged his 1-2 record against Henson, and will bring the 149 title back to Lincoln as a four-time All-American.
At 157, No. 3 Taylor faced No. 8 Joey Blaze (PUR) for the fourth time in the past month, this one for the NCAA championship. Taylor took a late first period lead with a takedown and an escape in the second to head to the final two minutes up 4-0. Blaze got on the board with an escape and a penalty point. The Boilermaker could not get a takedown, and Taylor closed the seven minute stretch with a 4-2 victory. The sophomore’s title win marked the first time since 1984 (Jim Scherr and Bill Scherr) that the Huskers had two NCAA champions. Taylor claimed his second All-American honor, and his 50th career win in Philadelphia, and finished his sophomore season 27-4.
The first Husker on the finals mat, No. 1 Brock Hardy (141) met No. 3 Jesse Mendez (OHST) for the championship bout. Hardy got an early 5-0 lead with a takedown and two nearfall points, … more at … https://huskers.com/news/2025/03/23/lovett-taylor-earn-national-titles-in-nus-historic-runner-up-finish
Drexel Mourns the Loss of Jack Childs
PHILADELPHIA – Drexel Athletics is mourning the loss of Hall of Famer Jack Childs. Drexel’s wrestling coach for 35 years, Childs passed away on March 11, 2025.
Childs guided the wrestling program at Drexel from 1976 until his retirement in 2011. He retired as the active Division I leader in career coaching wins (421). While on the bench in University City, Childs posted 25 seasons in which his teams won 10 or more matches and he led the Dragons to the 1985 ECWA championship.
“Jack’s accomplishments and longevity as a coach at Drexel were unmatched,” said Drexel Vice President, Director of Athletics & Recreation Maisha Kelly. “He impacted countless lives during his time leading the wrestling program and was a fixture within the greater Drexel community. It is with heavy hearts that we mourn his loss. Drexel extends its condolences to his wife Anne, their three children and the entire Childs’ family.”
A four-time recipient of the East Coast Wrestling Association Coach of the Year award, Childs was also named Colonial Athletic Association Co-Coach of the Year in 2002, the first season in which the Dragons competed in the conference. He served as president of the National Wrestling Coaches Association and on the NWCA Executive Board. Over the course of his career, Childs amassed more than 500 wins at all levels of NCAA competition while coaching at both Stevens Tech and Drexel.
“Jack meant so much to the Drexel Wrestling program,” said Mert ’67 and Joanne ’69 Hill Head Coach of Wrestling Matt Azevedo. “He created a strong family culture that still exists to this day. Having him back on campus to celebrate the 1985 championship team meant a lot to our entire program and me. He has been a huge resource with his knowledge and expertise. Jack will be greatly missed among our Drexel community.”
Childs was inducted into the Janet E. and Barry C. Burkholder Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017. … more at … https://drexeldragons.com/news/2025/3/13/wrestling-drexel-mourns-the-loss-of-jack-childs
2024-25 high school individual state champions list-March 4: 22 more states
Once again, USA Wrestling will publish regular updates on the 2024-25 state high school champions for both boys and girls.
Winning a state high school title is an amazing achievement for a high school student-athlete. We will post the champions from official state high school championships for boys, as well as the girls who have won official state high school titles, as well as the recognized state competitions which are not run by their state high school association. We will also post the team champions at the state level as available. As available, we will include the state champion’s year in school and final record.
As we move into March, the state high school season is still finishing strong, with 22 different states hosting championships.
This past week, the public school state championships that were held were : Arkansas Boys and Girls State Championships in Little Rock, the California Boys and Girls State Championships in Bakersfield, the Delaware Boys State Championships in Lewes, the Connecticut Boys State Open and Girls State Championships in New Haven, the Illinois Girls State Championships in Bloomington, the Kansas Boys and Girls State Championships (5A-Overland Park, 4A-Wichita, 3A-Salina, 2A – Hays), the Kentucky Boys and Girls State Championships in Lexington, the Massachusetts Boys and Girls All-State Championships in Methuen, the Michigan Boys and Girls State Championships in Detroit, the Minnesota Boys and Girls State Championships in St. Paul, the Missouri Boys and Girls State Championships in Columbia, the New Hampshire Meet of Champions and Girls State Championships, the New York Boys and Girls State Championships in Albany, the Oklahoma Boys and Girls State Championships in Oklahoma City, the Oregon Boys and Girls State Championships in Portland, the Rhode Island Boys and Girls State Championships in Providence, the South Dakota Boys and Girls State Championships in Rapid City, the Vermont Boys State Championships in Barre, the Virginia Boys and Girls State Championships (Class 1 & 2 in Bristol, Class 3 in Lynchburg, Class 4, 5 & 6 in Virginia Beach, Girls in Glen Allen), the Wisconsin Boys and Girls State Championships in Madison, and the Wyoming Boys and Girls State Championships in Casper. … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2025/march/04/2024-25-high-school-individual-state-champions-list-as-of-march-4-22-more-states-host-championships
Big Ten Network presents coverage of 2025 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, March 8-9
The 2025 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, featuring five of the top 10 teams in the country, begins Saturday, March 8, on the Big Ten Network with complete coverage of college wrestling’s premier conference event.
From 11 a.m. ET to 3 p.m. ET Saturday, March 8, the opening session, including the first round and quarterfinal duals, will be broadcast on BTN and B1G+. Session two on Saturday night begins at 6 p.m. ET on B1G+, with coverage of the wrestlebacks and consolation matches. On B1G+, individual mat cameras, as well as the quad box, will allow viewers to customize their experience. Television coverage resumes for Saturday night’s semifinals on BTN from 8 p.m. ET to 10 p.m. ET.
Coverage continues Sunday, March 9, as session three begins at 1 p.m. ET on B1G+ with individual mat cameras for the consolation semifinals and seventh-place matches. At 5:30 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 anchor the weekend television broadcasts on BTN.
Before the championships coverage kicks off, a new episode of On the Mat debuts at 10:30 a.m. ET, March 8. Ahead of the final session March 9, a new episode of B1G Live: Wrestling Pregame will air at 5 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 10, at 7 p.m. ET, recapping the action from the weekend. Additional coverage of all the wrestling championships will be included in new episodes of B1G Today and The B1G Show on the Big Ten Network, and a full schedule can be found at btn.com/shows. Throughout the championships, … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2025/march/03/big-ten-network-presents-coverage-of-2025-big-ten-wrestling-championships-march-8-9
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 