Top five unbeatens unscathed; Nittany Lions win 64th in a row
Manheim, Pennsylvania – With every postseason eligible Division I men’s wrestling program having competed in at least one dual meet, the five remaining unbeaten teams are still sitting in the top five spots of the most recent NWCA Division I Men’s Wrestling Coaches Poll released on Tuesday.
Top-ranked Penn State continues to ride its program-record win streak into the Big Ten season. The Nittany Lions (8-0) defeated No. 7 Nebraska 31-7 in Lincoln over the weekend to win for the 64th straight dual meet. In the loss, Nebraska set a home wrestling attendance record with 6,661 fans at the Devaney Center. Nebraska’s Ridge Lovett knocked off Penn State’s Shayne Van Ness 10-2 at 149 pounds, while Penn State’s Tyler Kasak defeated Nebraska’s Antrell Taylor in a pair of top-five matchups.
Second-ranked Iowa (8-0) kept pace with a 24-9 win over then-No. 9 Illinois. Drake Ayala picked off Illinois’ Lucas Byrd in a top-five matchup at 133 pounds.
Third-ranked Oklahoma State improved to 9-0 with a 30-12 win over visiting West Virginia. Fourth-ranked Ohio State (11-0) bounced Purdue 34-10, while fifth-ranked Northern Iowa (9-0) handled Arizona State 33-10.
Other ranked matchups this past week: No. 8 Minnesota beat then-No. 15 Michigan 25-10, then-No. 23 West Virginia beat then-No. 20 Oklahoma 22-13 in Norman, while unranked Navy picked off then-No. 21 Lehigh 21-15. … more at … https://nwcaonline.com/news/2025/1/21/ncaa-division-1-men-top-five-unbeatens-unscathed-nittany-lions-win-64th-in-a-row.aspx
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
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
Top five undefeated as dual season heats up
Manheim, Pennsylvania – The dual meet season kicked into high gear this past week with the NWCA Multi-Divisional National Duals highlighting the calendar as well as a top-five dual meet in Stillwater. Five teams remain undefeated among Division I men’s wrestling programs and all five are ranked atop the most recent NWCA Division I Men’s Wrestling Coaches Poll released on Tuesday.
Penn State (7-0) remained the unanimous No. 1 in the poll after a 55-0 win over Michigan State, extending the school’s win streak to 63 straight dual victories. Second-ranked Iowa also improved to 7-0 with a conferences shutout. The Hawkeyes blanked Wisconsin 45-0 in Madison over the weekend. Oklahoma State improved to 8-0 after topping then-No. 5 NC State its first loss of the season 34-3. The dual was slated for Sunday, but travel issues related to the winter storm on the East Coast delayed the Wolfpack’s departure, pushing the dual back to Monday night. The Wolfpack shut out Duke 47-0 to open the weekend.
Ohio State (10-0) remained fourth after a pair of ranked wins. The Buckeyes first beat No. 11 Illinois 24-9 before needing All-American heavyweight Nick Feldman’s win to pull out a 17-15 win at home against No. 16 Rutgers.
Northern Iowa improved to 8-0, sweeping the field at the NWCA Multi-Divisional National Duals at the UNI-Dome. The Panthers dropped just five individual matches on the weekend, earning wins over Sacred Heart, Ohio, Northern Colorado and South Dakota State. The Panthers moved up to No. 5 this week, the highest ranking since February of 2014, when they finished the season ranked fifth.
Nebraska rebounded from last week’s loss to Northern Iowa to upended Minnesota 21-13. The Huskers (6-1) moved up two spots to No. 7, while Minnesota (4-1) slid three spots to No. 8.
Virginia Tech dropped out of the top 10 as the Hokies fell over the weekend to then-No. 25 North Carolina 20-17 in Chapel Hill. North Carolina jumped six spots to No. 19, while the Hokies slid out of the Top 10, falling to No. 11. The upset bug also bit then-No. 9 Michigan, as unranked Maryland beat the Wolverines 19-18 on the second criteria in Ann Arbor. It’s the first time Maryland has beaten a top 10 team since the 2007-08 season That win was also against Michigan.
Despite losing to Ohio State, Illinois moved into the Top 10, partially due to the losses by Michigan and Virginia Tech. The Fighting Illini (7-1) did beat Northwestern 33-7 following the loss to Ohio State and are in the Top 10 for the first time since February 9, 2021.
Cornell also moved into the Top 10 following a 23-19 win over then-No. 19 Lehigh.
The rest of the poll saw considerable shuffling. Ranked head-to-head matchups that impacted this week’s poll included: No. 13 Iowa State beating No. 22 West Virginia 24-18, then-No. 14 South Dakota State defeating then-No. 17 Little Rock 23-13, then-No. 18 Pittsburgh beating then-No. 15 Stanford and West Virginia and Stanford beating then-No. 21 Missouri. … more at … https://nwcaonline.com/news/2025/1/14/ncaa-division-1-men-top-five-undefeated-as-dual-season-heats-up.aspx
Huskers Battle No. 1 Penn State in Front of Record Crowd, Fall 31-7
In front of a record crowd of 6,736, the No. 6 Nebraska wrestling team took on No. 1 Penn State on Friday night. Despite two top-five wins, the Huskers fell 31-7 to the Nittany Lions, and to 6-2 (1-1 Big Ten) on the season. PSU improved to 8-0 (2-0 Big Ten) to continue its five-year dual win streak.
No. 4 Ridge Lovett scored bonus points in his first ever matchup against No. 2 Shayne Van Ness, and No. 16 Van Dee took down No. 5 Braeden Davis. The 24-point Husker loss was the smallest margin yet for Penn State’s 2024-25 season, but with three tech. falls and a major decision, PSU notched another Big Ten victory and pushed the series lead to 13-8-1 PSU.
Kicking the dual off at 174 was No. 15 Lenny Pinto, taking on No. 2 Levi Haines. Haines got an early takedown to take a 3-0 lead into the second period. The Nittany Lion got an early escape, and Pinto fired back with a reversal. Late in the third period Haines took back control, scoring with another … more at … https://huskers.com/news/2025/01/18/huskers-battle-no-1-penn-state-in-front-of-record-crowd-fall-31-7
NCAA Women’s Freestyle Wrestling Has Officially Arrived!
The NCAA approves women’s wrestling as its 91st championship sport, Jason Moorman lands at Tarleton State, and Taina Fernandez takes on the boys.
It has arrived. The NCAA voted to include women’s wrestling as its 91st championship sport. For now, Division I, II, and III institutions will compete in the 2026 NCAA Championships.
Click here for the full story about a monumental moment for women’s wrestling.
He’s Baaaaack!
Jason Moorman’s surprise departure from King University on October 18, 2024, sent shockwaves through women’s wrestling. We still don’t know why he left, but we know where he’s going. Moorman has landed in Stephensville, Texas, as the new head women’s wrestling coach for Tarleton State University. The program offers club wrestling with an expected move to NCAA Division I designation.
Click here for the full story on Moorman’s new role.
Women’s Wrestling Weekly: The Show
Episode 11 of Women’s ‘Wrestling Weekly: The Show’ has dropped. Topics covered include:
— 2025 NWCA National Duals recap.
— Will Iowa ever lose?
— Is Life University the second-best team in the country?
— The Anaya Falcon-Paige Morales rivalry continues.
— McKendree’s line-up takes form.
— Katie Gomez makes college debut.
— Scott Beck basks in his rankings glory.
— Can Grand Valley State win three matches against Iowa? … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/13496466-ncaa-womens-freestyle-wrestling-has-officially-arrived?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Army Wrestling Wins Dual at LIU
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. – Army West Point Wrestling won eight of 10 bouts in Nassau County Sunday on their way to a convincing 37-6 dual win at the LIU Sharks. The Black Knights improve to 5-1 in dual matches and 2-0 vs. EIWA opponents. Of Army’s eight bout victories, six came in bonus point fashion and two by fall. Two Black Knights— Mason Barvitskie at 149 lbs and Jakob Gilfoil at 184 lbs—made their career dual match debuts. At 133 lbs and 141 lbs respectively, Conor Collins and Richard Treanor wrestled in their first duals of the season.
Gunner Filipowicz at 165 lbs moved to 19-2 overall on the season and 5-1 in duals, while also recording his fifth fall of the season in Army’s opening bout Sunday. LIU never got closer in the team score. At 174 lbs, Dalton Harkins recorded his first EIWA dual action this year and secured a technical fall, his first of the year and seventh bonus point victory.
Wolfgang Frable secured Army’s second fall vs. LIU and his second oval this season at 197 lbs. At heavyweight, Lucas Stoddard made his debut in EIWA action and logged a 10-2 major decision.
Charles Farmer (125 lbs) and Collins (133lbs) made … more at … https://goarmywestpoint.com/news/2025/1/12/wrestling-wins-dual-at-liu
Revived Humboldt Wrestling Dominates Simpson in Historic Dual
ARCATA, Calif. – Wrestling returned to Cal Poly Humboldt for the first home dual in 33 years in electric fashion as the Lumberjacks showcased their dominance in a commanding 39-10 victory over Simpson University (Calif.) on Friday night. With a packed house at Lumberjack Arena fueling the energy, the evening was highlighted by thrilling performances, capped by Jayson Victoria’s stunning comeback victory in the 149-pound bout.
Humboldt wasted no time making an impression in the opening match. Caleb Tatad pinned Simpson’s Peyton MacDonald in just 1:11 at 125 pounds, setting the tone for the night. Isaiah Miller (133) and Nathan Aguilar (141) followed with technical falls, showcasing their superior control and technique to extend Humboldt’s lead.
The standout moment of the night came at 149 pounds, where Victoria faced a daunting deficit against Tyler Diaz. With the crowd roaring, Victoria staged an incredible comeback, sealing an 8-7 decision in the final moments. His determination and grit brought the fans to their feet and secured his place as the night’s hero. “This was a special night for Humboldt wrestling,” said Head Coach Lennie Zalesky. “The energy from the fans and alumni paired with the resilience shown by our team, made this return unforgettable.”
Humboldt continued to shine in the middle and upper weights. Cole Zoller edged William Schwertscharf in a tight 3-2 decision at 165 pounds and Abdurrahmann Garner earned decisive victories in their respective weight classes. Garner’s 19-3 technical fall at 197 pounds was another dominant display for the Lumberjacks. … more at … https://humboldtathletics.com/news/2025/1/10/mens-wrestling-wrestling-dominates-simpson-in-historic-dual.aspx
Virginia Duals
No. 13 ISU Defeats Rider, Bucknell at Virginia Duals
HAMPTON, Va. – No. 13 Iowa State (7-3, 2-0 Big 12) recorded a pair of victories over Rider, 30-9, and Bucknell, 28-12, Saturday at the Virginia Duals inside Hampton Coliseum. The Cyclones combined to win 14 of their 20 bouts on the day, including nine by bonus-point margin.
ISU’s 2-0 day completed a perfect eastern road trip that saw the Cyclones defeat No. 22 West Virginia on Wednesday before besting the Broncs (2-6, 0-1 MAC) and Bison (4-4, 2-0 EIWA) Saturday. Iowa State’s 30 dual points against Rider tied for its most in a dual this season (vs. Lock Haven). The Cyclones have won three duals in-a-row, and six of their last seven, since a 1-2 start to the season.
Individually, seven Cyclones had 2-0 days: Kysen Terukina (125), Evan Frost (133), Jacob Frost (141), Paniro Johnson (149), Cody Chittum (157), Evan Bockman (184) and Daniel Herrera (285).
J. Frost had two ranked victories on the day while Chittum improved his team-best winning streak to seven-consecutive matches. After recording his first-career pin Wednesday at West Virginia, Johnson registered his first-career tech fall against a Division I opponent in the dual against Bucknell.
Dual recaps and box scores can be found below.
Up Next
Iowa State is back in action Sunday, Jan. 19 when it hosts the Harold Nichols Cyclone Open in Hilton Coliseum. Action starts at 10 a.m.
No. 13 Iowa State 30, Rider 9
Iowa State defeated Rider, 30-9, in its first dual of the day after taking seven of 10 bouts from the Broncs. The Cyclones won five matches by bonus-point margin, including a pin by 141-pounder Jacob Frost. After Rider started with a decision at 197 pounds, Daniel Herrera got the Cyclones on the board with a 15-2 major decision over Steyn De lange at heavyweight. Herrera tallied three takedowns in the win, in addition to a four-point near fall, but came up short of a technical fall against De lange, who represented South Africa in the Olympics.
No. 19 Kysen Terukina got to his offense early and often in a 20-3 tech fall over Kaden Naame at 125 pounds. The Hawaiian logged five takedowns in the win. At 133 pounds, No. 8 Evan Frost made it back-to-back tech falls for ISU with a commanding 15-0 victory over Nieko Malone which included a pair of four-point turns.
At 141 pounds, No. 15 Jacob Frost reversed No. 24 McKenzie Bell to his back in the third period for … more at … https://cyclones.com/news/2025/1/11/wrestling-no-13-isu-defeats-rider-bucknell-at-virginia-duals.aspx
NWCA National Dual Meet Championships
UNI wrestling wins NWCA National Dual Meet Championship title
HOW IT HAPPENED vs. NORTHERN COLORADO
No. 32 Trever Anderson took on sixth-ranked Stevo Poulin at 125 pounds to open the second day of action in the UNI-Dome in a head-to-head scramble. After giving up a first period takedown, Anderson ultimately was unable to cut the lead, dropping the match 8-4.
UNI would roll following its opening match loss with Julian Farber (133 pounds) battling No. 13 Dominick Serrano. Farber would gain control in the final seconds of the first period with a takedown and add two more takedowns for an 11-3 major decision win, his first ranked victory of the season.
No. 5 Cael Happel faced Armando Garcia at 141 pounds securing his fifth technical fall victory of the year and eighth in his career with a score of 22-6. At 149 pounds, No. 17 Colin Realbuto overcame a scoreless first period to earn an 8-0 major decision win over Benji Alanis.
Keeping UNI’s momentum rolling, No. 4 Ryder Downey squared off against No. 17 Vinny Zerban at 157 pounds. After earning a point with an escape in the second period, Downey maintained control into the third frame, securing riding time to win a tightly contested match by a 2-0 score. Wrestling at 165 pounds, No. 21 Jack Thomsen maintained great position throughout his match, cruising to an 11-2 major decision victory over opponent Clayton Ulrey. No. 17 Jared Simma (174 pounds) also earned his first win of the NWCA Dual Championships over Aydin Rix-McElhinney with a 15-7 major decision.
No. 2 Parker Keckeisen continued the Panthers’ strong opening dual performance … more at … https://unipanthers.com/news/2025/1/11/wrestling-uni-wrestling-wins-nwca-national-dual-meet-championship-title
And …
No. 1 St. Cloud State Wrestling Wins NWCA National Duals Behind Unbelievable Championship Comeback
Huskies beat No. 6 McKendree, No. 4 Central Oklahoma en route to eighth title
Cedar Falls, IA.- No. 1 St. Cloud State Wrestling (7-0, 3-0 NSIC) returned to the Northern Iowa Dome Saturday morning for day two of the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Duals. The Huskies got the day started by taking on No. 6 McKendree in the semifinals. The dual kicked off at 125 where No. 15 Conor Knopick got the party started with an 11-1 major decision against No. 14 Jason Strope. No. 7 Sam Spencer gave the Huskies a 7-0 lead after defeating Anthony Bernardo 9-2. The dual then tightened up as McKendree won the next two bouts as No. 3 Ronan Schuelke beat No. 6 Alyeus Craig 8-1 and then No. 12 Joey Semerad came up with a takedown in overtime to beat No. 1 Colby Njos 4-1 in sudden victory. With the score now being set a 7-6, No. 5 Joel Jesuroga got the St. Cloud State back on track with a 14-3 major decision James Hoskinson. At 165, No. 2 Nick Novak came away with two escape points to defeat No. 6 Corey Peterson 2-0. At 174, No. 5 Bryce Dagel faced off against No. 2 Matt Ortiz. Dagel struck first as he started to grab a leg of Ortiz. The two then went to the mat where Dagel positioned himself well to complete the takedown and take a 3-0 lead. Dagel rode Ortiz the remainder of the opening period and then came away with a quick escape in period two to lead 4-0. Dagel’s had stellar defense in the match as he blocked and avoided every attack by Ortiz. The No. 2 ranked wrestler could only come away with an escape point to start the third period as Bryce Dagel came up with a 4-1 upset to give the Huskies a 17-6 lead. No. 11 Zeke Waltz beat No. 10 Bryce FitzPatrick 3-1 as McKendree got back within striking distance. Moving to 197, No. 4 Dominic Murphy faced off against No. 2 Logan Kvien. Late in the first period, Kvien wrapped up a leg of Murphy … more at … https://scsuhuskies.com/news/2025/1/11/no-1-st-cloud-state-wrestling-wins-nwca-national-duals-behind-unbelievable-championship-comeback
And …
Iowa, Life repeat as Women’s Division champs, St. Cloud State, Augsburg, Grand View reclaim titles; Northern Iowa wins Division I bracket at National Duals
Cedar Falls, Iowa – Coming into Saturday afternoon’s championship finals at the NWCA/USMC Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships presented by A Better Way Athletics, Capitol Construction, and Defense Soap, all five returning team champions from a year ago were in a position to repeat.
When the matches came to completion, only two were able to repeat as Iowa and Life each won women’s division titles at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa.
Host Northern Iowa won the Division I bracket in the division’s return to the Multi-Divisional National Duals, while St. Cloud State, Augsburg and Grand View reclaimed championships after failing to win titles a year ago.
Division I Men
In November, Northern Iowa edged South Dakota State in Cedar Falls on criteria. Saturday was a different story as the Panthers won nine of 10 matches and cruised to a 31-3 championship over the Jackrabbits. While the lineups varied from the late November meeting, Northern Iowa’s familiar haunts didn’t seem to make much difference as they lost just five individual bouts the entire weekend. Prior to topping South Dakota State, Northern Iowa won nine out of 10 matches in a 38-3 victory over Northern Colorado.
Returning NCAA champion Parker Keckeisen went 4-0 with four bonus victories, including an 11-3 major decision over returning All-American Bennett Berge at 184 pounds. Jared Simma rebounded … more at … https://nwcaonline.com/news/2025/1/11/iowa-life-repeat-as-womens-division-champs-st-cloud-state-augsburg-grand-view-reclaim-titles-northern-iowa-wins-division-i-bracket-at-national-duals.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 