2025 NCAA Division I Men’s Wrestling Championships – 1
TDR Editor’s Notes ; The first session of the Championships is in the books. Over 18,000 were in attendance with a sell out crowd at the Wells Fargo Center. There were upsets, combacks often the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. OK, I’ll admit I heard hat on ‘Wide World of Sports’ on somee Saturday afternoons in my youth. The brackets and results are posted at https://www.ncaa.com/live-updates/wrestling/d1/2025-ncaa-wrestling-championships-schedule-brackets-results
Especially interesting 2nd round matches will be: …
125 – “No. 3 Eddie Ventresca of Virginia Tech is off to a fast start with a 3-0 lead over No. 30 Gylon Sims of The Citadel. He takes the win 5-1 and will have a familiar foe in ACC opponent No. 14 Spencer Moore after Moore beat No. 19 Cooper Flynn 2-0.”
“No. 9 Caleb Smith of Nebraska wrestled No. 24 Nick Babin of Pitt. Match was tied after the first period, and Babin chose bottom. Smith gets the win in the final seconds of sudden victory to advance, 3-0. He’ll face Seymour of Lehigh next.”
133 – “One of the most exciting first-round matches of the session was No. 7 Nic Bouzakis of Ohio State, vs. No. 26 Kai Orine of NC State. Bouzakis cradled Orine for the fall!
One of the biggest upsets of the day was No. 23 Sean Spidle of Central Michigan topping 2024 Big Ten champion and 2024 All-American Dylan Shawver 4-1.”
141 – Second-round match between No. 3 Jesse Mendez of Ohio State and No. 14 Sergio Lemley of Michigan will be a bout between bonus-point scorers. Mendez beat No. 30 Briar Priest of Pitt 21-5 while Lemley pinned No. 19 Mosha Schwartz.”
Lock Haven’s No. 16 Wyatt Henson won a 9-1 major decision over No. 17 Shannon Hanna of Campbell. He’ll get No. 1 Brock Hardy of Nebraska after Hardy, 2025 Big Ten champion, beat No. 32 Nash Singleton of Oregon State 12-3.
149 – “No. 2 Ridge Lovett, 2 time Big Ten champion, survives a barn-burner against No. 31 Sam Cartella of Northwestern 10-8. He will wrestle No. 15 Ty Whalen of Princeton.
“North Carolina All-American No. 6 Lachlan McNeil moves on after a 10-0 win over Kaden Cassidy. He’ll next face No. 11 Sammy Alvarez of Rider who beat No. 22 Gavin Drexler 4-2.
Iowa’s four-time All-American No. 5 Kyle Parco beat No. No. 28 Dylan Gilcher of Michigan 7-2. Next opponent will be No. 12 Ethan Stiles of Oregon State who beat No. 21 Willie McDougald of Oklahoma 6-4.”
157 – “No. 14 Jude Swisher of Penn pinned No. 19 Cobe Siebrecht of South Dakota State to move on. Swisher will take on No. 3 Antrell Taylor, who teched No. 30 James Conway of Missouri 20-4.
165 – “No. 12 Christopher Minto of Nebraska beat No. 21 Joey Bianchi of Little Rock 13-1. Minto will wrestle No. 5 Julian Ramirez of Cornell, who beat No. 28 Mac Church of Virginia Tech 11-2. “
174 – “No. 5 Simon Ruiz of Cornell won 17-2 over No. 28 Clayton Whiting and No. 3 Dean Hamiti of Oklahoma State won 18-1 over No. 30 Avery Bassett of Lock Haven. Ruiz will wrestle No. 21 Josh Ogunsanya next after Ogunsanya beat Myles Takats of Bucknell 4-1 in sudden victory. Hamiti will have No. 14 Matthew Singleton of NC State who beat No. 19 Jared Simma of UNI 4-2.”
184 – “No. 12 Silas Allred of Nebraska adds a pin as well over No. 21 Malacihi Duvall of Gardner-Webb, earning himself the opportunity to take on All-American No. 5 Bennett Berge of South Dakota State” It was interesting to watch as Allred was down 10-1 in the 1st period and came back to take a 14-12 lead in the last 30 seconds of the match then scored the pin in the last 10 seconds.
197 – “No. 6 Mac Stout of Pittsburgh advances over No. 27 Michael Dellagatta of Cornell 12-0. He’ll now face his brother No. 11 Luke Stout of Princeton”
285 – “No. 7 Isaac Trumble will have an ACC rematch in the second round with No. 10 Dayton Pitzer after Trumble beat No. 26 Peter Ming of Stanford 18-2. Pitzer beat No. 23 Daniel Bucknavich 6-2.”
As Hodge Trophy race takes shape, a reminder to fans of the award’s criteria, process
By Bryan Van Kley
With fans gearing up for another epic month of national championships, expect one of the closest races ever for the WIN Magazine/Culture House Dan Hodge Trophy. As usual, there has been a lot of discussion over the off-season and during the season on who should win the 2025 Hodge. This is a great chance to explain how the process works.
Wrestling’s equivalent to the Heisman Trophy is awarded annually by the Dan Hodge Trophy Voting Committee to the most dominant wrestler. The committee, made up of all past Hodge winners, select national media, a retired college coach from each region, and a representative of each national wrestling organization will each vote based on four criteria: record, dominance/bonus-point percentage, quality of competition and sportsmanship. Taking them one at a time, here’s how the ASICS Race for the Hodge Trophy sets up going into the conference qualifiers.
It’s likely going to take an undefeated record and a bonus-point percentage of above 90% or near that to win the Hodge. Five guys are front-runners going into the NCAA qualifiers: Penn State’s Mitchell Mesenbrink (22-0, 95.3% bonus-point percentage), Missouri’s Keegan O’Toole (16-0, 87.5%), Penn State’s Carter Starocci (21-0, 90.5%), UNI’s Parker Keckeisen (24-0, 87.5%) and Minnesota’s Gable Steveson (14-0, 92.9%).
One interesting and important variable in the Hodge voting process is that each committee member gets one vote and they’re reminded of the four criteria each year (with the exception of multiple-time Hodge winners, who get one vote for each year they won the award.) The committee members submit their votes to WIN. In addition to those, the winner of the Fan Vote gets five first-place votes. Then, similar to the Heisman, whoever has the most votes from that process wins; it’s pretty simple and the first-place votes are released in the article each year stating who won the Hodge.
In 2024, Aaron Brooks got 48 out of 59 first-place votes. From my perspective in casting my own ballot, I look at record first since the more times you wrestle, the more opportunities there are to get beat, and the more chances for opponents to keep the top guys from scoring bonus points, decreasing their final bonus-point percentage.
There are likely a couple guys from this group of five, probably Mesenbrink and the likely winner of the Starocci-Keckeisen NCAA finals bout, who will be 26 or 27-0 and have bonus points in potentially all or all but one or two of their matches. … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2025/03/06/as-hodge-trophy-race-takes-shape-a-reminder-to-fans-of-the-awards-criteria-process/
‘There’s Not Coincidences’: Taylor Leading His First Cowboy Team into the Building He Wrestled His First NCAA Championships
‘I think it’s gonna be an exciting tournament. It’s gonna be a great environment. Ready to go.’
STILLWATER — In 2011, David Taylor competed in his first NCAA Wrestling Championships at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia; next week, he’ll coach at the event for the first time — in the same arena.
The parallels are made a little more eerie by the fact that Taylor’s first opponent in that 2011 tournament was Oklahoma State’s Neil Erisman (now the head coach at Little Rock), who Taylor beat 13-2. “I think timing in life, there’s not coincidences,” Taylor said Thursday. “But at the same time, it rotates, and that’s where it’s hosted this year. Pennsylvania’s wrestling, it’s rich in tradition. I think it’s gonna be an exciting tournament. It’s gonna be a great environment. Ready to go.”
Taylor was undefeated in that redshirt freshman season at Penn State up until the NCAA final, where Arizona State’s Bubba Jenkins pinned him. In Taylor’s first round match with Erisman, a commentator described the young Taylor as “all offense.” Some things never change. Up to that final, Taylor had outscored his first four opponents 46-9. Flash forward to 2025, and he’s constantly stressing scoring as many points as possible.
Taylor was undefeated in that redshirt freshman season at Penn State up until the NCAA final, where Arizona State’s Bubba Jenkins pinned him. In Taylor’s first round match with Erisman, a commentator described the young Taylor as “all offense.” Some things never change. Up to that final, Taylor had outscored his first four opponents 46-9. Flash forward to 2025, and he’s constantly stressing scoring as many points as possible. “I remember just being excited to compete,” said Taylor thinking back to that 2011 tournament. “What was unique about my freshman year was I just was wrestling with my hair on fire. I was looking to score the entire time. I think in the tournament, I went out with the same mentality. It cost me a little bit in the finals, but that just is what it is. I think I was excited to complete. I think that’s what our guys are — they’re excited to go out and compete.”
In his first season leading a college wrestling program, Taylor has led the Cowboys to their first outright Big 12 tournament title since 2020. … more at … https://pistolsfiringblog.com/theres-not-coincidences-taylor-leading-his-first-cowboy-team-into-the-building-he-wrestled-his-first-ncaa-championships/
Hunsberger Wins Second National Title as #8 Lander Takes Fourth at NCAA Championships
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – David Hunsberger got a takedown at the end of his 165-lb National Championship match to make it 10-2, and while those points didn’t mean much in the match as Hunsberger had all but secured his second consecutive national title, the eight-point major decision meant another point toward Lander’s team total, going along with his first-place points, putting them at 57.5 points and in sole possession of fourth place—half a point ahead of #3 Central Oklahoma for the final team trophy.
This marks the third straight season where the Bearcats have brought a team trophy back to Greenwood, finishing second in 2022 and 2023.
With his decisive 10-2 major decision, Hunsberger became the first Lander wrestler to become a two-time national champion. In his four matches, he outscored his opponents 39-11 and picked up three bonus-point wins.
His first match of the day was a little closer, however, as he entered the third period trailing to Nick Novak of St. Cloud State. But Hunsberger was able to secure a quick escape and then a takedown a few seconds later to take a 4-1 lead. Despite a late stalling penalty point against him, Hunsberger secured his spot in the finals with a 4-2 decision. The win marked the fourth straight season that Lander has had a wrestler in the final session wrestling for a national title.
In the national title match against second-seeded Jack Haskin of Lake Erie, Hunsberger got a takedown right before the first-period horn to close the first three minutes with a 3-0 lead. After a quick escape from Haskin, Hunsberger attacked quickly and earned another takedown, which made it 6-2 after another escape from Haskin going into the third period. Hunsberger chose down to start the third, but Haskin elected to go neutral, giving Hunsberger an escape point to make it 7-2. After several deep shots, Hunsberger was able to get the crucial takedown with 11 seconds on the clock to secure the major decision and a team trophy for the Bearcats.
Isham Peace and Christian Davis both fell in overtime heartbreakers in their semifinal matches. … more at … https://landerbearcats.com/news/2025/3/15/wrestling-hunsberger-wins-second-national-title-as-8-lander-takes-fourth-at-ncaa-championships.aspx
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
Doane University’s Men’s Wrestling Caps Season with Best Nationals Finish
Men’s Wrestling posted 73 points at the 2025 NAIA National Championships, finishing fourth overall. The Tigers’ placement is the best in program history, garnering the first NAIA trophy for Doane. In total, four wrestlers earned NAIA All-American honors with 11 wrestlers qualifying for the national tournament in Park City, Kansas.
Tyson Beauperthuy earned Second Place at 184 to pace the Tigers. He opened the tournament with a pin over Justin Bartee (Rio Grande) in 1:33. In the second round, he defeated 14-seed Rylin Burns (Montana State-Northern) by tech fall, 17-4. In the quarterfinals, he needed extra time as he defeated 11-seed Jameel Coles (Grand View) by sudden victory, 4-1. Beauperthuy took on 7-seed Sawyer Hobbs (Providence) in the semifinals and posted another 17-4 tech fall victory.
In the championship match, he faced 1-seed JD Perez (Life). Perez led 6-1 after three minutes of action, recording two takedowns in the final 72 seconds of the period. He added a takedown in the second period to take a 9-2 lead. The final two minutes were a flurry of points as Perez recorded a takedown for a 12-2 lead. Beauperthuy landed his first takedown with 1:03 left in the match but a challenge from the Life corner would give Perez a breather despite the call standing. Beauperthuy picked up two near-fall points to cut the score to 12-8 only to have Perez get a reversal. The final score would end up 15-9.
In the 197 bracket, Kasten Grape and Bradley Antesberger worked their way to the third place match with Grape receiving a medical forfeit win for Third Place while Antesberger took Fourth Place. Grape opened action with a pin over John Schuttler … more at … https://doaneathletics.com/sports/mwrest/2024-25/releases/2025030902o0y2
And …
Life U Wrestling Claims Second at NAIA Nationals with Two Champions, Ten All-Americans
WICHITA, Kan. – The Life University men’s wrestling team finished the 2025 NAIA National Championships in second place overall with 149 total team points over the three-day tournament. Thaddeus Long and JD Perez each captured individual national titles, as the Running Eagles led the NAIA with 10 All-American honors.
Life U entered the weekend as one of the top teams in the country, qualifying multiple wrestlers for the championships. Ten Running Eagles battled their way to All-American honors, securing podium finishes.
In the semifinals, three individuals won their matches to advance to the national title bouts. Thaddeus Long (133 lbs.), JD Perez (184 lbs.), and Khalil Abdushshakur (197 lbs.) each represented the Running Eagles under the lights on championship night.
Long and Perez both claimed national titles, while Abdushshakur finished as a runner-up. … more at … https://liferunningeagles.com/news/2025/3/9/mens-wrestling-life-u-wrestling-claims-second-at-naia-nationals-with-two-champions-ten-all-americans.aspx
TDR Top 12 Team additions announced
Two additions to the TDR Top 12 Team are shown in bold below with James Campos of White Oak included on the Second Team and Maxwell Davis of Jacksonville being added to the Honorable Mention group.
The TakeDown Report will reward the following wrestlers for their successful seasons with an engraved wooden plaque with the wrestler’s name and weight class. The following wrestlers will be listed as a First Team of the top ranked wrestler at each weight, a Second Team and the Honorable Mentions from deep weight classes. The full listing of rankings will be posted soon.
First Team:106– Sam Boltes, So. (Washington), 113– Holton Quincy, So. (N.E.C.P.), 120– Brandon Nolasco-Rayo, Sr. (Louisburg), 126– Tyler Watt, Sr. (Wake Forest), 132– Stephen Rubistello, Jr. (Tarboro), 138– Ryan Mann, Sr. (N.E.C.P.), 144– Tobin McNair, So. (Wakefield), 150– Gerald “JJ” Johnson, Sr. (West Craven), 157– Justin Root, Sr. (Dixon), 165– Mac Kopelman, Jr. (Laney), 175– Noah Michael, Sr. (Franklinton), 190– Lucas Summers, Sr. (First Flight), 215– Asher Eason, Sr. (Heidi Trask), 285– Jaden McClary, Jr. (Goldsboro)
Second Team:
106– Sader Tran, Jr. (South Central), 120– Cole Hunt, Sr. (Jacksonville), 126– Bryce Perry, So., (Washington), 126– Gavin Nipper, Sr. (Jacksonville), 132 – James Campos, Jr. (White Oak), 144 — Hayden Smith, Fr.,(White Oak),150– Gabe Foreman, Jr. (Washington), 150– Isiah Mewborn, Jr. (Pamlico Co.), 157– Landon Browning, Jr. (Tarboro), 175– Brendan Stevens, Sr. (Corinth-Holders), 175– Jude Moulton, Jr. (Hoggard), 190– Joseph Miller, Sr. (Lejeune), 190– Aldinio Previl, So. (Rosewood), 285– Everest Ouellette, Sr. (First Flight), 285– Nicholas Rodgers, Sr. (Wilson-Fike)
Honorable Mentions:
106– Tyler Mundell, So. (North Pitt), 113– Abrey Verhow, Jr. (White Oak), 120– Ethan Brownlee, Sr. (South Johnston), 120– Ayden Arington (Laney) 126– Braulio Nolasco-Rayo, Sr. (Louisburg), 126– Jake Amiott, Fr. (Topsail) 132– Bladen Davis, Sr. (South Lenoir), 132 – Maxwell Davis, Jr. (Jacksonville), 138– Dylan Shirley, Sr. (West Carteret), 138– Coy Deel, So. (West Craven), 144– Ashton Shield-Adams, Sr. (SW Onslow), 150– Kirick Gurkin, Jr. (North Brunswick), 157– Trenstin Bolden, So. (SW Onslow), 165– Jordyn Toliver, Sr. (Curituck Co.), 175– Josiah Daniel, Jr. (J.F. Webb), 175– Marquise Kelly, Sr. (Laney), 190– Clark Kellar, So. (Pasquotank Co.), 190– Lucky Horrell, Sr. (Hoggard), 190– Wisdom Mason, So. (North Pitt), 215– Nick Wade, Jr. (Rosewood), 285– Daniel Silver, Sr. (N.E.C.P.), 285– Antonio Nixon, Sr. (Heidi Trask)
Award Finalists for the James Johnson Memorial, Michael Stokes, Roy Heverly & Lee Caroll Awards;
113– Holton Quincy, So. (N.E.C.P.), 132– Stephen Rubistello, Jr. (Tarboro), 138– Ryan Mann, Sr. (N.E.C.P.), 144– Tobin McNair, So. (Wakefield), 150– Gerald “JJ” Johnson, Sr. (West Craven), 175– Noah Michael, Sr. (Franklinton), 190– Lucas Summers, Sr. (First Flight), 285– Jaden McClary, Jr. (Goldsboro)
Indian Hills wins fifth-straight NJCAA Women’s National team title
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – The Indian Hills women’s wrestling team captured their fifth consecutive NJCAA National title on Saturday night at Mid-America Arena in Council Bluffs, Iowa. After the first day of action, Indian Hills sent 14 through to the semifinals, leading by 78.5 points. Sixteen athletes earned All-America honors at the tournament.
Three athletes won individual titles for the Warriors on Saturday night: Ariah Mervilus (110), Kali Hayden (180) and Kennedi Washington (235). Indian Hills had an additional four finalists advancing to the finals in Chasey Karabell (103), Emmalyn Burnett (117), Angelica Vicente (124) and Wyntergale Oxendine (207).
Iowa Western bumped up to finish second in the team race, after sitting in third through the first day of action. Mia Siqueiros (103), Rosalia Rubio (117) and Ayana Fletcher (160) won titles for Iowa Western in the championship round. In addition to the three champions, four secured All-America honors.
In fourth place was Snow, scoring 173 team points, and two finalists in Rachel Jones (110) and Isabella Morgan (145). Rounding out the top five was Southeast, with 145 team points. … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2025/march/08/indian-hills-wins-fifth-straight-njcaa-women-s-national-team-title
And …
Indian Hills earns first NJCAA men’s team title in program history
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – Indian Hills secured the team title at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Championships inside Mid-America Arena on Saturday night. The team totaled 182 points with nine earning All-America honors.
This is the first team title for the Indian Hills Warriors in history. The program has existed for just five years. The team entered the tournament ranked second in the nation behind No. 1 Western Wyoming.
Gavyn Whitehead (141) and Andrew Marquez (197) were the two individual champions for Indian Hills. Whitehead, seeded No. 4 in the 133lb bracket, defeated Dmitri Alarcon of Western Wyoming in sudden victory in the finals on Saturday night. Marquez, seeded No. 2, bested Coen Grimm of Iowa Central in the championship match.
Clackamas placed second with 141.5 points, as Ane’e Vigil (125) and Gavin Bauder (133) won individual titles.
Western Wyoming, the defending NJCAA National Champions, finished in third place with 137.5 points. Dmarian Lopez won the title at 285 pounds in sudden victory over Jeisser Sampson-Sanchez of Fort Hays Tech. Lopez finished third in last year’s tournament.
Rounding out the top five in the team race was Fort Hays Tech with 125.5 points, and Iowa Central with 116.5 points. Fort Hays Tech was backed by three individual champions: Job Lee (157), Otgonbayar Batsuuri (174) and Lazaro Crespo (184). … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2025/march/08/indian-hills-earns-first-njcaa-team-title-in-program-history
Led by three champions, Iowa repeats as NCWWC champions; women’s wrestling now moves on to NCAA status
CORALVILLE, Iowa – Led by three international wrestling stars who won titles tonight, the University of Iowa repeated as champions at the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships at Xtream Arena.
This was the sixth annual championships for NCAA varsity women’s wrestlers. In January, the NCAA approved women’s wrestling as its 91st national championships, making this the last year that the coalition of wrestling organizations has run this competition. The first NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championships will be held at a date and location to be announced in the winter of 2026.
Iowa, ranked No. 1 all season, finished with 201.5 points, ahead of North Central College with 181 points. McKendree finished in third with 158.5 points, first-year program Grand Valley State in fourth with 129.5 points and King University in fifth with 92.5 points.
All of the champions and runners-up have been active with USA Wrestling, making numerous age-group World Teams and winning national titles and All-American honors at a variety of age-group levels.
Iowa’s three individual champions were all No. 1 seeds, Macey Kilty (145), Kennedy Blades (160) and Kylie Welker (180). Welker won her second straight NCWWC title, while Kilty and Blades won titles in their first year in college wrestling.
Blades, a 2024 Olympic silver medalist who is a junior, scored a 10-0 technical fall over No. 2 seed Kaylynn Albrecht of McKendree in the finals. Blades was dominant on her feet in a match against a highly respected opponent. Albrecht, a graduate student, was a 2023 NAIA champion for Baker University before transferring to McKendree. Blades was named Outstanding Wrestler for the tournament.
Kilty, a two-time Senior World medalist and a graduate student, won a rugged 7-2 decision over No. 3 seed Bella Mir of North Central College. … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2025/march/08/led-by-three-champions-iowa-repeats-as-ncwwc-champions-women-s-wrestling-now-moves-on-to-ncaa-status
And …
Petzinger and Jones Win Titles, Cardinals Take Second
Results Team Scores
CORALVILLE, ILL. (Mar. 8, 2025) – After two long days in Xtream Arena, the North Central College women’s wrestling team finished the 2025 NCWWC National Championships as the national runner-up. Sydney Petzinger (117) and Amani Jones (124) earned national champion status in their respective weight classes. North Central had 12 wrestlers earn All-American honors.
The University of Iowa won its second consecutive national title with 201.5 points. The Cardinals finished in second with 181 points, followed by McKendree University (158.5), Grand Valley State University (158.5), and King University (92.5).
Second-ranked Petzinger opened her day with a 10-1 decision win over fourth-ranked Karissa Tunrwall from Emmanuel University in the semifinals of the 117-weight class. Petzinger met third-ranked Clare Boone (King University) in the finals. Petzinger brought the energy from the very beginning and fed off the North Central fans. Petzinger conquered Booe with a 10-6 decision. Petzinger took her first national championship and earned All-American honors for the fourth time in her career.
“My moms have done everything for me since I started wrestling when I was seven. I owe it all to them,” said Petzinger.
In the 124-weight class, top-ranked Jones sent herself to her second consecutive NCWWC finals by defeating fifth-ranked Aspen Blasko from Grand Valley State University in the semifinals. Jones took on third-ranked Shelby Moore (McKendree University) in the finals. Jones held her head high, kept her pace, and wrestled her shots in the finals. Jones shut down Moore with a 5-0 decision. Jones is a back-to-back national champion and has earned All-American honors every season of her career.
“I am really excited I got to end my final season with a win in front of my teammates after all the support they’ve given me,” said Jones.
Top-ranked Sara Sterner (131) stood her ground in the semifinals against second-ranked Alexandra Szkotnicki (McKendree), … more at … https://northcentralcardinals.com/news/2025/3/8/womens-wrestling-petzinger-and-jones-win-titles-cardinals-take-second.aspx
And …
A Fourth Place Finish And Two National Champs After Day 2 Of The NCWWC
CORALVILLE, IOWA. – The Grand Valley State Lakers ended their 2024-2025 season with two National Champions and Runner-Up in their respective weight classes. The Lakers finished fourth out of 64 teams in the Championship with a score of 129.5. They were behind McKendree University that had 158.5. They brought 12 girls for the first day of competition and had nine girls compete in the second day.
“I am extremely excited about the way our women went out and competed. The national tournament is filled with so many ups and downs. One of the most important things to be able to do is have a short memory. Whether you have a great win, or a hard loss. You move forward and start focusing on the next mat.” stated Head Coach Jake Short about the National Championship. “I could not be more proud of the attitude and effort this team brought to this tournament. … more at … https://gvsulakers.com/news/2025/3/9/womens-wrestling-a-fourth-place-finish-and-two-national-champs-after-day-2-of-the-ncwwc.aspx
And …
Presbyterian College Places Higher Than Ever at National Championships; Six All-Americans
CORALVILLE, Iowa – The Presbyterian College women’s wrestling team finished off a marvelous 2025 season on Saturday night with eight of their 14 qualifiers advancing to the top 12 of the NCWWC National Championships. When the dust cleared, PC garnered a school-record six All-Americans and a sixth-place team ranking (the program’s highest in history).
After claiming the Southeast Region title for the first time two weeks ago, the Blue Hose sent three wrestlers to the National Semifinals in Iowa and found their highest-ranking placer in true freshman Carina Giangeruso who nabbed 4th.
Regional Coach of the Year Brian Vutianitis has directed his squad to a school record in three consecutive seasons at this tournament (which encompassed 61 other institutions), … more at … https://gobluehose.com/news/2025/3/8/womens-wrestling-pc-places-higher-than-ever-at-national-championships-six-all-americans.aspx
Hokies claim 2025 ACC Wrestling Championship
DURHAM, N.C. — Virginia Tech won the 2025 ACC Wrestling Championship Sunday evening at Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium, sending eight wrestlers to the podium. The Hokies had nine wrestlers atuomatically qualify for the NCAA Wrestling Championships at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, March 20-22. It’s the fourth year in a row Tech has sent at least nine wrestlers to the championship.
The Hokies finished with 91.5 points for the team title. Pitt finished in second place with 63.5 points and NC State finished in third with 62.5. The win marks Tech’s fifth ACC tournament title in wrestling and 38th ACC Championship across all sports. … more at … https://hokiesports.com/news/2025/03/10/hokies-claim-2025-acc-wrestling-championship
And …
Pitzer Wins Most Outstanding Wrestler, Pitt Crowns Three ACC Champions
Panthers Finish Second with a Total Score of 63.5 to Match Best ACC Championship Finish
DURHAM, N.C. – The Pitt wrestling team finished second overall in the team standings with 63.5 total points as the Panthers crowned three individual champions at the 2025 ACC Championships, hosted by Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium Sunday.
The Panthers sent four wrestlers to the finals with graduate student Reece Heller (184), redshirt-sophomore Mac Stout (197), and redshirt-sophomore Dayton Pitzer (285) each claiming ACC titles in their respective weight classes. Redshirt-junior Luca Augustine claimed his first ACC medal and finished as the runner-up in the 174-pound match.
Pitzer was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Championship after defeating both the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds en route to his first title. The Panthers matched their best team finish since joining the ACC, also finishing second at the 2015 and 2020 ACC Championships. The three individual champions also match a program best, with the Panthers having three wrestlers claim titles in 2022, 2017, and 2015.
In total, the Panthers had seven individuals automatically qualify for the 2025 NCAA Championships. Nick Babin (125) and Briar Priest (141) finished in fourth place in their weight classes and Jared Keslar (165) finished in fifth place to each earn automatic bids to Philadelphia. … more at … https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2025/3/10/wrestling-pitzer-wins-most-outstanding-wrestler-pitt-crowns-three-acc-champions.aspx
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 