Face of Paulsboro wrestling, head coach Paul Morina earns lofty milestone

PAULSBORO – Paul Morina says there’s more to wrestling than just victories and titles.
The legendary coach of the Paulsboro High School wrestling team points to something much more important. “You don’t worry about the wins and losses,” Morina said. “You worry about the process and try to develop the kids to be the best they can be. You try to develop them into good wrestlers and become good people. They learn discipline and how to work hard. Those are the things that you have to concentrate on (as a coach). “If you do that, the other things will fall into place.”
For four decades, plenty of things have fallen into place for Morina, the face of Paulsboro wrestling and an icon in South Jersey wrestling.
On Monday, Morina reached an impressive milestone – career coaching win No. 800 – as Paulsboro pinned a 39-31 decision on visiting Gloucester in a Colonial Conference meet.
A large group of fans came out to support Morina, who boasts a career record of 800-59-4 with 34 state titles and 43 sectional crowns. Morina needs two more wins to tie the state record held by Stan Woods, who won 802 meets over his 57-year coaching career that included 55 seasons at Emerson-Park Ridge. … more at … https://www.courierpostonline.com/story/sports/high-school/wrestling/2025/01/27/paulsboro-wrestling-head-coach-paul-morina-earns-800th-career-victory/77970265007/

February 4, 2025 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | news, sports, wrestling | Leave a comment

USA Wrestling News & Results

Monday grabs gold, three Americans move to finals at Dan Kolov – Nikola Petrov International
VARNA, Bulgaria – Quincy Monday was the lone men’s freestyle medalist for Team USA on Saturday at the 2025 Dan Kolov – Nikola Petrov International. He defeated returning champion Ivan Kusyak of Ukraine, 9-2, for the 74 kg gold medal.
A tight match early turned into a comfortable lead thanks to a takedown-to-turn sequence for Monday while his opponent was on the shot clock. Monday opened up a 5-0 lead in the first period and cemented the match with a similar takedown-to-lace combination in the second frame.
Monday finished with a 4-0 record for the event, which included a signature 12-0 technical fall win over 2023 World bronze medalist Ramazan Ramazanov of Bulgaria in the opening round. It is his second international gold medal and fourth international medal overall. Monday wrapped up a superb January tour that included a silver medal run at the Henri Deglane Grand Prix in addition to his Dan Kolov – Nikola Petrov title.
Past NCAA All-American Liam Cronin dropped a tight 4-1 decision to Roman Hutsuliak of Ukraine in the 57 kg bronze medal match to finish in fourth place. Cronin led on criteria, 1-1, in the final minute … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2025/january/25/monday-grabs-gold-three-americans-move-to-finals-at-dan-kolov-nikola-petrov-international
And …

USA Wrestling Kids Folkstyle Nationals: Villafane (14U) and Gilbert (12U) named boys Outstanding Wrestlers
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Day one of the 2025 USA Wrestling Kids Folkstyle Nationals featured boys competition in the 14U and 12U age divisions, with exceptional performances across the board. Winning the Outstanding Wrestler in the boys 14U division was Nelson Villafane of the Mat Assassins WC, the champion at 84 pounds. Villafane pinned Grayson VanValkenburg of the Michigan Premier WC in 1:44 in the finals. Villafane had three pins and two technical falls on his dominant march to the title.
Claiming the Outstanding Wrestler in the boys 12U division was Chase Gilbert of the Nova WC, the champion at 82 pounds. Gilbert pinned Walter Caulum of West Salem Bangor Wrestling in 50 seconds in the finals. He had three pins, a technical fall and a decision on his way to the championship.
This event is part of the coveted USA Wrestling Triple Crown in all of the age groups. An athlete in the boys divisions wins the USA Wrestling Triple Crown if they win the USA Wrestling national title in folkstyle, freestyle and Greco-Roman in the same year.
14U Boys Notes
Two-time Triple Crown winner Korbin Kiessling of Rampage Wrestling won the first leg of this year’s Triple Crown with a victory … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2025/january/25/usa-wrestling-kids-folkstyle-nationals-villafane-14u-and-gilbert-12u-named-boys-outstanding-wrestlers

February 1, 2025 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | news, sports, wrestling | Leave a comment

D-II Results & News

Men’s Wrestling Takes Split with Belmont Abbey, #20 Pitt-Johnstown at Bobcat Duals
FROSTBURG, Md. – The Frostburg State Men’s Wrestling team split their day at the Bobcat Duals with a 20-12 win over Belmont Abbey before falling 34-10 to No. 20 Pitt-Johnstown.  
In the first match against BAC, FSU got off to a quick start with freshman Nate Wilhelm (12-9) earning an overtime decision win at 125, then senior Thierno Diallo followed suit with a 7-4 victory at 133 for an early 6-0 lead. The Crusaders answered back with a pair of decisions at 141 and 149 before sophomore Mason Buckler gave the Bobcats back the lead in a 9-1 major decision.  
Belmont Abbey pulled back within one with a decision at 165, but graduate Owen Butler kept Frostburg with a four-point advantage, winning 8-5 at 174. After a Crusader decision brought the deficit back to a single point, freshman Austin Lewis picked up a huge 13-7 decision, while sophomore Gavin Bage polished off the meet victory with a 12-0 shutout major decision for the 20-12 final.  
It would be a different story against the national powerhouse Mountain Cats, as the visitors took each of the first five bouts for a 21-0 lead. FSU got on the board after an illegal move resulted in a default win, then Butler completed an undefeated day with a 10-1 major decision. UPJ took each of the final three matches by a pair of major decisions … more at … https://frostburgsports.com/news/2025/1/19/mens-wrestling-takes-split-with-belmont-abbey-20-pitt-johnstown-at-bobcat-duals.aspx
And …

Huskies of St. Cloud State open 2025 still atop Division II Men’s Coaches Association Rankings
MANHEIM, Pa.- St. Cloud State remains the top ranked team in NCAA Division II men’s wrestling, per the latest edition of the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division II Men’s Coaches Poll released Monday afternoon.
The Huskies, coming off of taking the 2025 NWCA Multi-Divisional National Duals DII Men’s title last weekend, amassed 88.0 points behind nine ranked individuals to stay in the top spot. Glenville State held at #2, but is joined by UW-Parkside in sharing the second spot with both teams totaling 65.5 team points. Nebraska-Kearney (65.0 points) and Central Oklahoma (64.5 points) round out the top five teams. Following more than 40 upsets at National Duals, this edition of the poll features five new top-ranked individuals: Studd Morris (Central Oklahoma) at 125, Reece Barnhardt (UMary) at 133, Chris Donathan (Grand Valley State) at 149, Joel Jesuroga (St. Cloud State) at 157, and Cole Hernandez (Western Colorado) at 174.  
Both Super Region 3 and Super Region 5 feature 37 ranked wrestlers, with three #1s also coming from SR5. Super Region 3 features the most ranked teams with 6 in the top 25, while both Super Region 4 and Super Region 5 have five ranked teams. Thirty-two ranked wrestlers and three #1s wrestle out of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference … more at … https://nwcaonline.com/news/2025/1/20/ncaa-division-2-men-huskies-of-st-cloud-state-open-2025-still-atop-division-ii-mens-coaches-association-rankings.aspx
And …

Chadron Steals Dual in Final Match

CHADRON, Neb. Sage Harrison’s pin at 197 pounds pulled 13th-ranked Western Colorado even with host Chadron State College Friday night, but the Eagles scored a pin in the final match to steal a 23-17 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory over the Mountaineers. 
JUST THE FACTS 
Final score: Chadron State def. Western Colorado, 23-17 
Records: Western 5-3 overall (2-1 RMAC), Chadron State 1-2 (1-2) 
Location: Chicoine Center, Chadron, Neb. 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Vincent Cabral halted the Eagles’ run in the next match, earning an escape point in the second to break a 0-0 deadlock, and recording a takedown in the third to pull out a tough, 5-1 decision after adding a riding time point. 
The night got off to a hot start for Western as Roberto Estrada dominated the opening match at 125 pounds. He led 6-1 after the first period then piled on the points in the second, eventually scoring a 19-3 technical fall at the 5:48 mark of the match. 
Chadron rallied back, though, earning decisions at 133 and 141 before adding a major decision at 149 to take a 10-5 lead. … more at … https://gomountaineers.com/news/2025/1/24/wrestling-chadron-steals-dual-in-final-match.aspx
And …

Roberson Tabbed Conference Carolinas Wrestler Of The Week
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Third-ranked 157-pounder Keegan Roberson capped off a 2-0 week by being named Conference Carolinas Wrestler of the Week, the league announced Tuesday.
The Chicago, Ill. native started the week off with a 6-1 decision win over Newberry’s Dennis Virelli, and followed it up with a thrilling 7-4 decision win over fifth-ranked Jake Nicolosi from Mount Olive, picking up a last-second takedown to secure the victory. The selection marks the second career weekly award for Roberson, … more at … https://uncpbraves.com/news/2025/1/28/wrestling-roberson-tabbed-conference-carolinas-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx
And …

Newberry Wrestling Dominates Allen, Secures 51-3 Victory
NEWBERRY SC – The Newberry College men’s wrestling team put on a commanding performance against Allen University, securing a dominant 51-3 victory at Home. The Wolves won nine of ten bouts, including five by fall, to extend their strong season showing.
The McCullough brothers kicked things off in style, with Hunter McCullough (125 lbs.) earning a major decision over Xavier Anderson (12-4), followed by Ethan McCullough (133 lbs.) pinning Derrius Coleman in just 1:20.
Dennis Virelli (157 lbs.) secured a pin over Quincy Gash at the 3:00 mark, and Nick Humphrys (165 lbs.) followed up with a lightning-fast fall in just 43 seconds. 
The Wolves continued their pinning streak with Andrew Reed (184 lbs.) flattening Jerrel Baskins in 3:48. John Parker (197 lbs.) kept the momentum going, securing another fall at 3:00 … more at … https://newberrywolves.com/news/2025/1/29/mens-wrestling-newberry-wrestling-dominates-allen-secures-51-3-victory.aspx
And …

Abbey Wrestling Moves to 6-1 in Conference with Victory over Allen
NEWBERRY, S.C. — The Belmont Abbey wrestling team earned its sixth Conference Carolinas victory of the season thanks to a 45-6 win over Allen Wednesday evening. The match was held at Newberry’s Eleazer Arena after it was rescheduled from last week due to inclement weather.  
Christian Arrington earned a pin in 46 seconds over Isaiah Mulwee at 165 to lead the way for the Crusaders. Dylan Drinkard (133) and Stone Busler (157) won their respective matches via tech fall while Brett Balzan (125) and Justin Knapp (149) earned wins by major decision.  
Kyler Pickard earned a win over Jerrel Baskins with a 9-8 decision … more at … https://abbeyathletics.com/news/2025/1/29/abbey-wrestling-moves-to-6-1-in-conference-with-victory-over-allen.aspx

January 30, 2025 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | news, sports, wrestling | Leave a comment

Could College Wrestling’s National Duals Invitational Go on Without Penn State?

Penn State coach Cael Sanderson didn’t exactly endorse the idea of a national duals tournament. But it’s coming to the 2025 college wrestling schedule.
A major college wrestling duals tournament will be introduced in 2025, one that will feature more than $1 million in prize money and is being called a “game-changer” for NCAA Division I wrestling. The big question is: Will Penn State compete?
Oklahoma State announced Tuesday the creation of the National Duals Invitational, a two-day team event in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that will showcase some of college wrestling’s top teams. The event, sponsored by Paycom and with Oklahoma State acting as the host school, is scheduled to bring 16 college wrestling teams to Tulsa’s BOK Center on Nov. 15-16, 2025. The champion claims a $200,000 prize, certainly a unique enticement to bring in the nation’s best teams. However, Penn State might not be one of them.
The top-ranked Nittany Lions, who have won 64 consecutive dual matches and are pursuing their 12th NCAA team title under head coach Cael Sanderson, don’t appear yet to be preparing for the event. At least according to Sanderson, who discussed the proposal for a national duals at his weekly media session Monday. “I saw that coming around again,” Sanderson told reporters in State College. “I mean, they have somebody that’s trying to host the event down in Oklahoma. I think that’s just kind of always been what people think the answer is the national duals. I don’t really feel any differently now than I do about it 10 years ago, right? I mean, I think you can create a big event without including every team in the country, right?”
Sanderson was asked Monday about Oklahoma State coach David Taylor’s recent comments to FloWrestling regarding a proposed national duals event. Taylor promoted the idea, saying that a national duals tournament would benefit college wrestling. “As we move forward, we have to figure out ways we can continue to market our teams, our programs and the guys that are on the mat. That’s the future,” Taylor told FloWrestling. “I think having both sets a good schedule. I think it’s something the kids will look forward to, the programs will look forward to. But I don’t want to move away from the national championship being decided as it is. But I do think National Duals would be great for wrestling.” … more at … https://www.si.com/college/pennstate/wrestling/could-college-wrestling-s-national-duals-invitational-go-on-without-penn-state-01jj540z5edb
And …

Oklahoma State Coach David Taylor Thrilled For National Duals In Tulsa
Oklahoma State wrestling coach David Taylor teased the idea of an early-season national dual tournament. A week later, the event was revealed.
Oklahoma State coach David Taylor posted a Jan. 14 message on X  suggesting the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s National Duals should return to the college wrestling calendar with an early-season date featuring the top-ranked teams in the country. 
Speak and you shall receive, coach. 
One week later, Flowrestling and Oklahoma State announced the National Duals Invitational, sponsored by Paycom. It’s a massive attempt at advancing the popularity of the sport, especially in the region, with Tulsa tabbed as the host city. With the November 15-16 date, it will provide valuable early-season incentives that will undoubtedly benefit every participating program — exactly what Taylor envisions. “I think it’s something coaches, athletic directors, wrestlers, are going to be really excited to be a part of,” Taylor said. “And then the way the money can be split up, coaches can decide how they want to do that. If they want to put it in their foundation, if they want to focus on NIL, there’s a lot of needs in college wrestling right now. [We’re] just being creative on how we can grow wrestling and create exciting events.” The 16-team field will vie for a purse worth more than $1 million. Each team will receive $20,000 for participating and the top eight squads will receive additional payouts between $20,000 and $200,000.  Any wrestling program could benefit from the financial gain, national spotlight and early-season litmus tests between wrestlers, some of whom otherwise might not meet until March. 
But perhaps most importantly, it gives Division I wrestling the much-discussed regular-season, marquee dual tournament a large segment of the community has been clamoring for in recent years.  “This is an event that programs and fans can get really excited about,” Taylor said. “It’s early, it gives people something to put on their calendar, you can schedule around it how you want to. I think it’s going to be something that can be a part of really growing our sport. People are really excited about it.”
Taylor said he’s already had people call and tell him their hotels are booked and they’re just waiting on the lineups to be finalized.  College wrestling leaders have discussed the duals since the NWCA’s Division I National Duals dissolved in 2011. That event regularly attracted top teams for an early-January bracketed event, but coaches haven’t been able to form a consensus on when, where and how to make a similar event work. … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/13551050-oklahoma-state-coach-david-taylor-thrilled-for-national-duals-in-tulsa
And …

College wrestling gets boost from new $1 million National Duals Invitational
Chad Richison has long been a fierce proponent of wrestling, encouraging new initiatives and funding different projects. But now, the Paycom founder and CEO is launching a first-of-its-kind college wrestling event in his home state. The inaugural National Duals Invitational, sponsored by Richison’s Paycom, will be held Nov. 15-16 at Tulsa’s BOK Center with a total purse of more than $1 million.
Yes, a purse for a college wrestling tournament.
National Wrestling Coaches Association executive director Mike Moyer calls the new event a game changer. “Due to the unprecedented challenges in NCAA Division I athletics today,” he said in a release, “it is more imperative than ever to have more big moments in intercollegiate wrestling so we can substantially grow our fan base and viewership.”
Half of the squads in the 16-team event, which OSU will serve as the host school for, will earn payouts with the winning team taking home $200,000. Second and third will earn $150,000, fourth $75,000 while fifth through eighth earns between $50,000 and $20,000.
Each team will receive $20,000 just for participating. 

Funding of that magnitude is rare in college sports outside of football and basketball. And they may continue to be the big winners when revenue sharing kicks in — possibly even pushing schools to drop sports or sports to be cut entirely.
Wrestling is one of the sports with an unknown future, and that was the case before this current shift of the landscape. Over the past 50 years, the number of Division I programs has almost been cut in half, from 155 in 1975 to 79 this season, according to FloWrestling. … more at … https://www.oklahoman.com/story/sports/college/2025/01/21/ncaa-wrestling-national-duals-invitational-paycom-chad-richison-million-dollar-payout/77843340007/

January 28, 2025 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | news, sports, wrestling | Leave a comment