Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

Illinois’ Byrd New No. 1 at 133 in WIN’s Jan. 13 Rankings

NEWTON, Iowa — Lucas Byrd of Illinois has taken over the top spot at 133 pounds in WIN Magazine’s Jan. 13 national rankings presented by Cliff Keen Athletic.
Byrd, a senior, moved up from the No. 2 spot after the previous No. 1-ranked wrestler at 133 — Ryan Crookham of Lehigh — suffered an injury last weekend. A school spokesperson said the Mountain Hawk would miss the upcoming dual with Navy and was unsure how long Crookham would be out of action. This new ranking now sets up an upcoming battle between Byrd and Iowa’s No. 2 Drake Ayala when the Big Ten teams meet this Friday in Iowa City, where Iowa — ranked No. 2 in WIN’s Dual-Team rankings and No. 3 in WIN’s Tournament Power Index — will entertain the Illini, which ranks No. 12 in the dual rankings and No. 7 in WIN’s TPI.
Penn State remains the top-ranked team in both team rankings and features three top-ranked wrestlers: Tyler Kasak (157), Mitchell Mesenbrink (165) and Carter Starocci. Oklahoma State, scheduled to wrestle Monday night against NC State, is ranked No. 3 in dual competition and No. 2 in WIN’s TPI.
WIN’s TPI projects where teams are expected to place in this season’s NCAA Championships in March, based on individual rankings at this point in the season. The following is a breakdown of those individual TPI points per ranking: 20 for 1st, … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2025/01/13/illinois-byrd-new-no-1-at-133-in-wins-jan-13-rankings/

January 23, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , | Leave a comment

Gardner-Webb Wrestling Defeats Duke, Scores Power Five Road Win

DURHAM, N.C. – The Gardner-Webb University wrestling team scored a Power Five victory on the road on Tuesday afternoon, starting strong and riding early results to a 23-19 win at Duke
It would be the lower weight classes making the biggest difference for Gardner-Webb on Tuesday afternoon inside Card Gymnasium, with the Runnin’ Bulldogs picking up individual victories at 125, 133, 141 and 149 pounds. GWU ultimately sealed the deal with additional late wins at 184 and 197
To open the match, junior Jeffrey Jacome continued a fine junior season with a 10-2 major decision, defeating Ethan Grimminger to give GWU a 4-0 lead. Junior Tyson Lane increased that lead to 7-0 moments later in the 133 pound class, beating Raymond Adams by a 5-2 decision. Graduate Todd Carter returned to duals for Gardner-Webb in a big way in the 141 pound division, defeating Christian Coleman of Duke by tech fall, 19-4 and giving GWU a 12-0 lead. Sophomore Joseph Giordano then made it 15-0 to the Runnin’ Bulldogs after a win in the 149 pound class, 5-3 over Sean O’Donnell.
After Duke closed to within a point at 15-14, freshman Jackson Potts and junior Josh McCutchen stepped up to complete the victory. In the 184 pound class, Potts defeated David Hussey by a 7-5 decision while McCutchen scored a 17-1 tech fall over Kwasi Bonsu. The pair combined to give Gardner-Webb a 23-14 … more at … https://gwusports.com/news/2025/1/14/wrestling-defeats-duke-scores-road-power-five-win.aspx

January 23, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , | Leave a comment

The National Duals Invitational, Sponsored by Paycom, Brings High-Stakes Wrestling to Tulsa

OKLAHOMA CITY – The National Duals Invitational, sponsored by Paycom, will welcome some of the top collegiate wrestling talent to BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the weekend of Nov. 15-16. “Hosting the National Duals Invitational by our fantastic sponsor, Paycom, is a game-changer for D1 wrestling. Due to the unprecedented challenges in NCAA Division I athletics today, it is more imperative than ever to have more big moments in intercollegiate wrestling so we can substantially grow our fan base and viewership,” said Mike Moyer, Executive Director, National Wrestling Coaches Association.   
The premiere 16-team event will feature some of the top NCAA Division I teams, with a total purse of more than $1 million up for grabs. The top 8 teams will all earn payouts, with the winning squad walking away with $200,000. The second- and third-place teams will earn $150,000, while fourth place earns $75,000. Fifth through eighth place will each earn between $50,000 and $20,000, respectively. All participating teams will receive $20,000 for attending. 
Ticket details and the full roster of teams competing will be announced on or before July 15. “I am excited for the sport of wrestling to have a competitive field at the inaugural National Duals Invitational,” said Chad Richison, Paycom’s founder and CEO. “Investing in student athletes and non-income-generating sports is important in today’s ever-evolving collegiate landscape.”
Thirty-four-time NCAA champion Oklahoma State will serve as the host school.  “Bringing a prestigious wrestling tournament of this magnitude to Oklahoma is exciting for the sport, and the winnings will be significant in helping universities build out their programs at an even higher level. We continue to be grateful for Mr. Richison and Paycom’s support of wrestling in the state of Oklahoma and nationally,” said Chad Weiberg, Oklahoma State Vice President and Athletic Director. 
This event will be held at the BOK Center, which was also the site of the 2023 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships and is the current home of the 2025 Big 12 Championships. … more at … https://nwcaonline.com/news/2025/1/21/national-wrestling-coaches-association-the-national-duals-invitational-sponsored-by-paycom-brings-high-stakes-wrestling-to-tulsa.aspx

January 22, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , | Leave a comment

NCAA adds women’s wrestling as 91st championship

Sport becomes sixth in Emerging Sports for Women program to reach championship status
The NCAA added women’s wrestling as its 91st championship sport, providing another athletics opportunity for female athletes to compete. Divisions I, II and III approved the addition at the Association’s annual Convention this week in Nashville, Tennessee.  
Women’s wrestling now advances from the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program to become a national collegiate championship, featuring female athletes from all three divisions competing against one another. The NCAA’s first women’s wrestling championship will be in 2026. “We are thrilled that women’s wrestling will be an NCAA sport, making it the 91st championship that we host,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said. “We extend a big thank you to everyone who supported this effort and the athletes, coaches and fans for their passion for a fast-growing and exciting sport that brings even more opportunities for women to participate in athletics.”
There were 76 women’s wrestling programs at NCAA schools in 2023-24, with projections pointing to an additional 17 programs in 2024-25. More than 1,200 women wrestlers are competing at NCAA schools today. The sport is also diverse. At least 45% of the student-athletes competing are of diverse or international backgrounds. “This means so much to women’s wrestling and to women’s sports in general,” said University of Iowa student-athlete wrestler and 2024 Olympic silver medalist Kennedy Blades. “It gives women’s wrestling recognition and shows that it is important, not just around the world, but also in our country. College sports are huge in the United States. This shows how much women’s wrestling is growing. Since I was a little girl, I dreamed about being an NCAA national wrestling champion. It will fulfill so many little girls’ dreams, including mine.” 
USA Wrestling, the national governing body for the sport, and organizations such as Wrestle Like a Girl have steadily supported efforts for an NCAA championship in the sport  “USA Wrestling salutes the NCAA leadership for its historic decision to make women’s wrestling its 91st NCAA championships,” said Rich Bender, executive director of USA Wrestling.  “Women’s wrestling has been an Olympic sport since 2004 and is the fastest-growing sport for young women in our nation. We thank each of the NCAA institutions which have already added women’s wrestling for their leadership and vision and invite others to consider providing this opportunity. We celebrate today with all of those within wrestling and college athletics who have worked so hard to make this dream a reality,” Bender said. 
Sally Roberts, chief executive officer and founder of Wrestle Like a Girl, also shared her excitement.  “I am filled with immense pride and gratitude as we celebrate the landmark … more at … https://nwcaonline.com/news/2025/1/17/national-wrestling-coaches-association-ncaa-adds-womens-wrestling-as-91st-championship.aspx

January 22, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , | Leave a comment

TDR Top 12 January Girls Rankings 120-132 lbs.

Editor’s Notes; The following this season’s The TakeDown Report’s Top 120 best female wrestlers in eastern North Carolina. There are changes in weight classes, records and rankings which can generate discussion and interest in the wrestlers. This is the 3rd season of the TDR Top 12 rankings and awards for girl wrestlers and the 28th season for boys. Most of the win-loss record is from TrackWrestling as a starting point. We welcome input from coaches, fans and wrestlers. We will recognize the top wrestlers with engraved wooden plaques for the 21st year with the ‘duck under’ logo. We also have TDR T-Shirts with white print on black shirts for just $10!
The following columns are Rank, Weight, wrestler, school, graduation year, wins, losses, win percentage.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

1120Vindigni, AddisonCleveland253501.000
2120Simpson, SkylaFirst Flight271101.000
3120Ready, OliviaHavelock252810.966
4120Odom, TriniteeHeidi Trask251630.842
5120Hirkala, MariellaSwansboro252650.839
6120Aguirre-Gomez, GabriellaManteo272660.813
7120Belangia, KoriCurrituck Co.272370.767
8120Shipley, HaydenJacksonville282590.735
10120Ballard, ClaireNew Bern272290.710
10120Sanchez, AdelaideLejeune281360.684
1126Snow, KennedleHavelock253030.909
2126Johnson, LaNauticaVance County261540.789
3126Whitley, MacynDixon261850.783
4126Kiser, MiaLaney262060.769
5126Holton, MyrezzaManteo262170.750
6126Chavez, FernandaWest Craven271660.727
7126Waybright, IsabelleLejeune251460.700
8126Brewer, AbigailCleveland2725110.694
10126Wiley, TrinitySouth Brunswick271360.684
10126Wood, AlexandriaCurrituck Co.251680.667
1132Rodriquez, AnabelDixon252320.920
2132Murillo, BellaFike251510.938
3132Sommer, CharliWest Carteret271620.889
4132Almedia-Torres, KeyaraCleveland252870.800
5132Lavigne, MiaWhite Oak272880.778
6132Martin, VioletRolesville251440.778
7132Beaver, MirellHeritage262070.741
8132Woolley, MichelleHeidi Trask251040.714
10132Vita, KrisaSouth Brunswick25940.692
10132Collinis, AydelynSwansboro282090.690
10132Almendarez, FerlaniNorth Pitt271890.667
10132Sapp, AshleighWest Brunswick28840.667

January 17, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , | Leave a comment

TDR Top 12 January Girls Rankings 138-152 lbs.

Editor’s Notes; The following this season’s The TakeDown Report’s Top 120 best female wrestlers in eastern North Carolina. There are changes in weight classes, records and rankings which can generate discussion and interest in the wrestlers. This is the 3rd season of the TDR Top 12 rankings and awards for girl wrestlers and the 28th season for boys. Most of the win-loss record is from TrackWrestling as a starting point. We welcome input from coaches, fans and wrestlers. We will recognize the top wrestlers with engraved wooden plaques for the 21st year with the ‘duck under’ logo. We also have TDR T-Shirts with white print on black shirts for just $10!
The following columns are Rank, Weight, wrestler, school, graduation year, wins, losses, win percentage.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

1138Ross, Ay’SeanteLaney252010.952
2138Hall, LaurenHeidi Trask261301.000
3138Ross, CeliaDixon252850.848
4138Campbell, IsabellaHavelock252550.833
5138Vargus, GabrielaLejeune251750.773
6138McCoy, JamesonRosewood281860.750
7138Hernandez, LincyVance County25930.750
8138Padilla, LexiWest Craven281140.733
1145Bane, FaithNew Bern262601.000
2145Milbery, MaggieSwansboro252020.909
3145Vann, JaelahEast Carteret271750.773
4145Jefferson, KimoraFranklinton251540.789
5145Disbennett, GiovannaDixon252060.769
6145Outlaw, ImariAyden-Grifton251330.813
7145Simmons,  SydneyLaney261980.704
8145Zatlin, RyleeLejeune251560.714
10145Hankins, Ma’LayshaNorth Pitt261360.684
1152Fraser, ToriNorth Pitt261910.950
2152Pollock,  ElainaLaney251730.850
3152Tellez, LailaHavelock282850.848
4152Dellinger, HaleighFairmont262130.875
5152Barrera, TalianaDixon272250.815
6152Boychuck, EmmaSwansboro272460.800
7152O’Neal, Jah-QuierrahFike251440.778
8152Anderson, TaylorEast Carteret28601.000
10152Fuentes, CindyWest Brunswick271030.769
10152Mitchell, ZedyaSouth Central261140.733
10152Reyes, AshleyBunn261560.714
10152Gomez, MayalinaCleveland271980.704

January 17, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , | Leave a comment

TDR Top 12 – January Girls Rankings 165-235 lbs.

Editor’s Notes; The following this season’s The TakeDown Report’s Top 120 best female wrestlers in eastern North Carolina. There are changes in weight classes, records and rankings which can generate discussion and interest in the wrestlers. This is the 3rd season of the TDR Top 12 rankings and awards for girl wrestlers and the 28th season for boys. Most of the win-loss record is from TrackWrestling as a starting point. We welcome input from coaches, fans and wrestlers. We will recognize the top wrestlers with engraved wooden plaques for the 21st year with the ‘duck under’ logo. We also have TDR T-Shirts with white print on black shirts for just $10!
The following columns are Rank, Weight, wrestler, school, graduation year, wins, losses, win percentage.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

1165Alasin, Evangline (Evie)Northeastern261801.000
2165Gebremichael, RohamaWakefield252630.897
3165Yopp, EmmaSouth Brunswick261730.850
4165Wilson, JailahRichlands251630.842
5165Seal, MadisonCurrituck Co.271950.792
6165Valerin, LaynieCleveland272580.758
7165McCarthy, KellySwansboro262170.750
8165Noblees, JymeiaGoldsboro25601.000
10165Cruz, AdiannaManteo271040.714
10165Lilley, BaileyBunn261670.696
10165Bailey, SydneyHeritage2620100.667
10165Escobar, GenesisLaney2720100.667
1185Bowman, BrilelleDixon272120.913
2185Gause, LaNeshaLaney271420.875
3185Ferlin, EmmaHavelock252250.815
4185Guzman, SamanthaAyden-Grifton251220.857
5185Gillihan, EdelleAshley251630.842
6185Abba, BellaWakefield282360.793
7185Clark, AziahRichlands261950.792
8185Busby, EllaEast Carteret251440.778
10185Soto-Ramos, IngridBunn261340.765
10185Hernandez-Mares, LincyManteo261350.722
10185Hurlburt, AbbySouth Brunswick271040.714
10185Livesay, ZoeCurrituck Co.261460.700
1235Marshall, SophiaRosewood252001.000
2235Vinson, MaleaWhite Oak253020.938
3235Outlaw, AuriyannaAyden-Grifton271210.923
4235Barden, LeslieLaney261830.857
5235Lee, Le’NessaLouisburg281020.833
6235Reil, GabriellaSwansboro272350.821
7235Brake, CaraNorthern Nash261560.714
8235Hurlburt, KylaSouth Brunswick271230.800
10235Christiansen, AlijahAshley26820.800
10235Daley, AveryNew Bern282080.714

January 17, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , | Leave a comment

DI Live Streaming Guide (1/16 – 1/19/2025)

Conference dual season is in full swing.  The holiday dual season is behind us and we’re more into a regular schedule, primarily focused on dual competition.  A total of 49 duals will be contested. Since it can be difficult to figure out where and when to watch all of these events, InterMat has put together a list of all of the live-streamed events occurring this week. Below are the dates/times and how to watch each match (with links). To make this guide even easier to find, we’ve added a link on our homepage and the latest Live Streaming Guide will appear right under the header articles. 
All times Eastern
Thursday, January 16:
South Dakota State at California Baptist  9:00 PM  FloWrestling
Friday, January 17:
Brown vs. Little Rock at Davidson  10:00 AM  FloWrestling
Morgan State at Davidson  10:00 AM  FloWrestling
Brown vs. Lock Haven at Davidson  12:00 PM  FloWrestling
Little Rock vs. Morgan State at Davidson  12:00 PM  FloWrestling
Little Rock at Davidson  2:30 PM  FloWrestling
Lock Haven vs. The Citadel at Davidson  2:30 PM  FloWrestling
Brown at Davidson  4:30 PM  FloWrestling
Morgan State vs. The Citadel at Davidson  4:30 PM  FloWrestling
Lock Haven vs. Morgan State at Davidson  6:00 PM  FloWrestling
Pittsburgh at Bucknell  6:00 PM  ESPN+
Harvard at American  6:30 PM  ESPN+
Northern Illinois at Central Michigan  7:00 PM  Chippewas All-Access
North Carolina at Duke  7:00 PM  ACC Network Extra
Campbell at Gardner-Webb  7:00 PM  ESPN+
Illinois at Iowa  7:00 PM   Big Ten Network
SIU Edwardsville at Kent State  7:00 PM
Wisconsin at Maryland  7:00 PM  B1G+
Indiana at Purdue  7:00 PM  B1G+
NC State at Virginia  7:00 PM  ACC Network Extra … more at … https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/47_streaming-guide/di-live-streaming-guide-116-1192025-r99932/

January 17, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | , | Leave a comment

Camels have strong showing at F&M Open with two champions, five finalists

LANCASTER, Pa. – Campbell wrestling came away with two champions and three second place finishes at the David H. Lehman ’68 Franklin & Marshall Open held at the Alumni Sports and Fitness Center on Friday.
Anthony Molton became an F&M Open champion for the second straight season, going 5-0 on the day. The No. 1 seed at 125 pounds, he started his day with two consecutive tech falls. Molton’s effort builds off his third-place finish at the Southern Scuffle earlier this week.
Wynton Denkins also was undefeated in Lancaster with a 6-0 mark. The No. 2 seed, Denkins had three bonus-point wins, followed by three consecutive wins against seeded opponents. His semifinal win was against the No. 3 seed, Kai Owens from Columbia, who was an NCAA qualifier last season.
The two first-place finishers mark the first time Campbell has had multiple champions at this event. Five finalists are also the most in a single F&M Open for the Camels.
Cooper ShoreShannon Hanna and Levi Hopkins made up the rest of the finalists. Shore was undefeated until his matchup with Molton in the championship bout at 125 pounds. The two teammates did not wrestle, and Shore was awarded second place.
Hanna split matches against All Americans on Friday, earning a win over Ryan Jack (NC State – Unattached). The two were deadlocked at five points each through the first sudden victory period, … more at … https://gocamels.com/news/2025/1/10/wrestling-camels-have-strong-showing-at-f-m-open-with-two-champions-five-finalists.aspx

January 16, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , | Leave a comment

Wrestling grows at all levels, with USA Wrestling and high schools leading the way

By Gary Abbott’s List of Biggest Stories in 2024
During the pandemic, there was a big concern that wrestling, a combat sport which does not allow for social distancing, might take a big hit when the world was shut down. However, the absolute opposite has been the reality. Due to creative and aggressive health protocols for wrestling events, the sport bounced back quickly and is now in an impressive growth trend. In 2024, USA Wrestling set new records in membership, blowing past 300,000 members for the first time, with 334,494 at the end of the 2023-24 season. Female wrestling led the way with 30% growth during the year, but expansion happened across the board, in all age-levels, in every part of the country and for both males and females. This growth was also reflected at the high school level. According to the NFHS press release, “the two biggest story lines are the increases in all forms of high school football, and the continued rise in both girls and boys wrestling.” Girls wrestling is the fastest growing sport in the nation, hands-down, but boys wrestling is also growing quickly. The NFHS reported that boys wrestling grew by 32,443 athletes in 2023-24 and has had a 25% increase since the 2021-22 season. Entries for both boys and girls at major USA Wrestling events are also setting records. College wrestling is seeing the addition of new programs for men and women in all of the organizations (NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, etc.). It has been said that we are in the golden era for wrestling in the United States and the data is proving this to be true. The mission for all leaders within wrestling is to fuel continued growth in strategic ways that brings the world’s greatest sport to even more people in the future. … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2024/december/28/abbott-blog-top-10-wrestling-stories-of-2024

January 15, 2025 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , | Leave a comment