Takedown Report

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 Shore, Shannon 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 The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | news, sports, wrestling | 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 The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | news, sports, wrestling | Leave a comment

Army claims Southern Scuffle team title, Northern Iowa downs Nebraska, Cornell defeats Missouri

Week ten of the college wrestling season has come and gone. Army secured its first-ever team title at the Southern Scuffle with one champion in Gunner Filipowicz, Northern Iowa picked up a ranked victory over Nebraska, Oklahoma State routed Air Force 43-6, and so much more. Let’s dive into the highlights and key moments that made this week one to remember.
Performance of the week
Chattanooga’s Sergio Desiante secured an individual title at 174 pounds for the Mocs at the 2025 Southern Scuffle on Sunday. In the finals, Desiante picked up a win over No. 10 Gaven Sax of Oklahoma. In the semifinals on Sunday morning, Desiante, ranked 29th in the latest FloWrestling rankings, defeated No. 4 Lennox Wolak of Virginia Tech, 7-6. Desiante was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament. … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2025/january/06/college-wrestling-notebook-army-claims-southern-scuffle-team-title-northern-iowa-downs-nebraska-cornell-defeats-missouri
And …

Army Wins Team Title, 4 Mocs Place at the Southern Scuffle
Sergio Desiante earned the Chattanooga Mocs first title at the 2025 Southern Scuffle presented by Compound Sportswear with back-to-back top 10 triumphs.
RESULTS (PDF) | TICKETS
CHATTANOOGA—Army claimed the team title at the Southern Scuffle presented by Compound Sportswear. The Chattanooga Mocs Sergio Desiante, the champion at 174, was named Most Outstanding Wrestler. He led four Mocs to the podium for the weekend.  
The four medalists ties for second highest total in school history in the event. That was also done in 2012 and 2024 and ranks behind seven in 2006 in Greensboro, N.C. The two semifinalists – Jackson Hurst (165) & Sergio Desiante (174) – marked the third time in program history with multiple wrestlers reaching that point. There were two in 2006 and a high of three last year. 
Desiante made the big splash with a top 5 win in the semifinals. He took the early lead with a first period takedown and dominated the bout in a 7-6 decision. … more at … https://gomocs.com/news/2025/1/5/wrestling-recap-army-wins-team-title-4-mocs-place-at-the-southern-scuffle.aspx

January 11, 2025 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | news, sports, wrestling | Leave a comment