Legendary Coach J Robinson Passes Away at 79
The wrestling community lost one of its all-time greats. J Robinson, a National Wrestling Hall of Fame Distinguished Member, passed away on March 29 at the age of 79.
A 1972 Greco-Roman Olympian, three-time Dan Gable Coach of the Year (including twice by WIN Magazine), and proud Army Ranger veteran, Robinson built Minnesota into a national powerhouse — winning three team titles, developing 65 All-Americans and 14 individual national champions over three decades.
His .753 winning percentage and 440 dual-meet victories both stand as the best marks in Minnesota wrestling history.
Off the mat, his J Robinson Intensive Camps trained over 60,000 wrestlers across more than four decades, becoming the largest camp system in the country.
“On behalf of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Board of Governors and staff, I want to extend our sincere sympathies to J’s wife, Sue, his family, friends and the thousands of wrestlers and coaches across the country whose lives were shaped by his influence, friendship, mentorship and leadership,” said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the NWHOF. “A legendary Olympic wrestler, esteemed coach, and proud Army Ranger veteran, J’s impact on wrestling began in the 1960s and spanned more than seven decades. Throughout his remarkable career, he built a legacy defined by an unwavering work ethic, visionary leadership, and a lifelong commitment to elevating the sport and inspiring generations of athletes.”
A tenacious competitor, championship coach, innovative leader and a driving force in the sport of wrestling, Robinson’s competitive spirit and “give-it-your-all” attitude emerged during his days as a prep wrestler in California. He won SDIF titles in 1963 and 1964 and was named Outstanding Wrestler in 1964. His flair for international competition and being on the “cutting edge of the sport” began when he became a member of the inaugural California International Team. Competing in Japan, the pioneer team paved the way for young wrestlers of the future.
In the next years, Robinson made his mark in not just one style of wrestling, but three. He honed his collegiate style skills under the instruction of the legendary coach Myron Roderick at Oklahoma State University. Shifting his focus to the international arena, he was a member of two World teams, finishing fourth in 1970 and fifth in 1971. He competed as a member of the 1972 Greco-Roman Olympic Team and was named to WIN Magazine’s All-Olympic Team of the Century. During this time, he won four national titles: … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2026/04/03/legendary-coach-j-robinson-passes-away-at-79/
OSU First Team in NCAA History with Three Freshman Champs
CLEVELAND – Oklahoma State wrestlers Sergio Vega, Landon Robideau and Jax Forrest won individual titles at the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships Saturday, making OSU the first team in history to record three freshman champions in one year at the national tournament.
All true freshmen, they claimed titles at 141, 157 and 133 pounds, respectively. It was just the third time a team has recorded multiple freshman champions, as Cornell College had two true freshmen win in 1947 and Penn State had a true freshman and redshirt freshman win in 2017.
OSU’s title winners were the biggest contributors to OSU’s team total of 131 points, which marked the third-highest score at the event in program history, the second-highest runner-up score in NCAA tournament history and a higher score than 12 of the 25 team champions since the NCAA began using the current placement point values in 2001.
“We had an awesome tournament,” coach David Taylor said. “It’s not something you’re typically proud of (getting second place), but it’s a stepping stone. You think about the progress we’ve made with a lot of young guys in the lineup, so it’s a pretty awesome season. I’m super proud of the guys, our organization, fans and supporters. All that to say, we’re going to keep getting better.”
No Cowboy contributed more than Forrest’s 26 team points, which broke Pat Smith’s 1990 program freshman record of 25 points (applying the current scoring model).
Vega and Forrest, who finished the season at 24-0 and 18-0, respectively, became the first true freshmen since 1947 to complete undefeated championship seasons.
Only four others in history have accomplished the feat, and all of them occurred in 1947 when many true freshmen who were already into their twenties competed after returning from World War II. None of that group, consisting of then-Oklahoma A&M’s Dick Hutton, Iowa’s Joe Scarpello, and Dick Hauser and Lowell Lange of Cornell College, won more than 15 matches.
Vega was the first Cowboy to claim his title, facing two-time defending NCAA champion, top-seeded and undefeated Jesse Mendez of Ohio State in the opening bout of the night.
Each wrestler scored an escape in regulation, and they took a 1-1 tie into sudden victory. Mendez got to a leg with less than thirty seconds remaining in the extra time, but Vega countered as he’s done all season to score a takedown with 22 seconds left and secure his national title. The win cemented a 24-0 season for the true freshman, who did not allow a single takedown all season. “That was awesome,” Vega said. “It hit me right away. It took them a while to call the takedown. It was awesome. I’ve never had a moment like that in my life.”
Fifth-seeded Robideau was the next Cowboy on the mat, facing defending NCAA champion and three-time All-American Antrell Taylor of Nebraska. Robideau opened the scoring with a two-point nearfall 25 seconds into the second period, then added an escape and stalling point in the third. He then held off several late shots from Taylor to secure a 4-2 decision and became OSU’s second true freshman national champion of the night.
Robideau, who has now avenged both of his season losses in this tournament, wraps up his season with a 21-2 overall record. “I was just super thankful,” Robideau said. “First, I’d like to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. After that, I saw my teammates there supporting me. I saw my mom and my brother, and I thought of all the hard work I’d put in to get to that point. Having them there matside, supporting me, means a lot.”
Forrest, who was still in high school for the first semester of this season, wrestled in the main event to close out the tournament. He faced No. 2 Ben Davino of Ohio State in what many considered the final match of the most challenging weight class in the country.
Trailing 1-0 heading into the final period, Forrest used an escape, takedown and more than two minutes of riding time to secure a 5-2 win and cap his historic run. … more at … https://okstate.com/news/2026/3/21/cowboy-wrestling-osu-first-team-in-ncaa-history-with-three-freshman-champs
Blades, Hikiji, Jimenez, Rodriguez and Welker named finalists for 2026 USA Wrestling Anthony-Maroulis Trophy
Five finalists have been selected for the 2026 USA Wrestling Anthony-Maroulis Trophy, which is presented annually to the nation’s best women’s college wrestler—Kennedy Blades of Iowa, Erin Hikiji of Providence, Audrey Jimenez of Lehigh, Cristelle Rodriguez of Doane and Kylie Welker of Iowa.
Blades, Jimenez and Welker were champions at the inaugural NCAA Women’s Wrestling National Championships. Hikiji and Rodriguez earned national titles at the NAIA Women’s Wrestling Championships.
The award winner will be selected by a vote from three constituent groups—women’s college head coaches, national wrestling media and the fans. Each group accounts for one-third of the total vote.
Public voting is now open at usawrestlingevents.com/wcwoty and will run through Tuesday, March 31. The winner will be announced on Thursday, April 2.
Finalists were determined by the Anthony-Maroulis Trophy oversight committee, which includes representatives of USA Wrestling, college coaches, media, officials and past winners.
| The following criteria were considered when evaluating finalist candidates, using data from the 2025-26 season only:• Season record• Bonus percentage• Number of falls• Number of technical falls• Quality of competition• Integrity and sportsmanship• Impact on program and team success• Cultural impact on women’s college wrestling |
| The USA Wrestling Anthony-Maroulis Trophy is named after Victoria Anthony and Helen Maroulis, who are the first four-time women’s college national champions. Both women won a fourth WCWA national title in 2014 as teammates at Simon Fraser University, becoming the first wrestlers in history to achieve the feat.Previous winners of the award were Yelena Makoyed of North Central (2023), Adaugo Nwachukwu of William Penn (2024) and Kennedy Blades of Iowa (2025).USA Wrestling created the Anthony-Maroulis Trophy to elevate a new award for women’s college wrestling that has significant cultural impact seen with other college athletic awards, such as the Dan Hodge Trophy in men’s college wrestling and the Hesman Trophy in college football. |
Hayden Hidlay Returns to NC State Wrestling
RALEIGH – NC State wrestling’s first-ever five-time All-American is returning to Raleigh to rejoin the NC State wrestling staff, this time as an assistant coach, as announced by head coach Pat Popolizio on Tuesday.
One of the most decorated athletes to come out of the NC State wrestling program, a Raleigh reunion will be had with Hayden Hidlay as he returns to his alma mater.
Hidlay joins the Wolfpack staff after spending the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons as an assistant coach at Stanford, as well as the 2023-24 season at North Dakota State. Immediately following his graduation from NC State back in 2022, the five-year member of the Pack served as the student-athlete development coordinator for NC State wrestling.
“Hayden was one of the most impactful student-athletes we’ve ever had, not only just within our program, but both at the conference and national levels too,” said head coach Pat Popolizio. “As one of the winningest wrestlers in NC State school history, he was our program’s first-ever five-time All-American, all while accumulating academic accolades across the board as well.
He’s spent the last few seasons growing, as a coach and as a man, at Stanford and North Dakota State. Just days ago, he guided Aden Valencia to his first national championship as a 10th-seeded redshirt-freshman at the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Cleveland.
Hayden will continue to instill our program’s culture that he helped build as an athlete. We are thrilled at the opportunity to have him back in Raleigh, back in the wrestling room that he accomplished so much in.”
Over the last two seasons, Hidlay helped the Cardinal produce tremendous results during their first inaugural years in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The squad is coming off a historic season with its highest-ever finish at the NCAA Championships in sixth place and the third national champion in program history, a wrestler whom Hidlay closely oversaw.
“I am honored to be returning to NC State wrestling,” said Hayden Hidlay. … more at … https://gopack.com/news/2026/3/24/hayden-hidlay-returns-to-nc-state-wrestling
Nebraska-Kearney Wins 2026 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championship
The University of Nebraska-Kearney claimed the 2026 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championship tournament, leading all teams with a score of 83 points. The University of Wisconsin-Parkside finished as the runner-up.
The 2026 DII wrestling championships were held at Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, SD, on Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14. Here is everything you need to know for the 2026 championship.
Below you can find the complete schedule of the 2026 DII wrestling championship.
2026 NCAA DII wrestling championship schedule
- Monday, March 2
- Friday, March 6
- Brackets released
- Friday, March 13 — Results
- Preliminaries and first round
- Quarterfinals and first- and second-round consolations
- Saturday, March 14 — Results
- Semifinals, wrestle-backs | 11 a.m.
- Championship finals | 8 p.m.
- 🏆 Nebraska-Kearney wins the 2026 DII wrestling championship
NCAA DII wrestling championship brackets
The brackets for the 2026 DII wrestling championships were released on Friday, March 6.
👉 Click or tap to see the final brackets
NCAA DII wrestling championship history
Nebraska-Kearney defeated Augustana (SD) for the championship last year. Below is the complete history of the DII wrestling championships … more at … https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling-men/article/2026-03-14/nebraska-kearney-wins-2026-ncaa-division-ii-wrestling-championship
Cowgirls Wrestling Club Claims Inaugural USA Wrestling Women’s Collegiate Club Nationals Title
NORTH LIBERTY, Iowa – Oklahoma State’s Cowgirls Wrestling Club won the first-ever USA Wrestling Women’s Collegiate Club Nationals championship at The Palestra in North Liberty, Iowa.
In the 10 weight classes, the Cowgirls had four champions for a total of 192 points. Columbia finished second with 85 points, followed closely by Arizona State with 83 points.
The quartet of Brooke Corrigan, Molly Allen, Hannah Henderson and Kaiulani Garcia led Cowgirls Wrestling Club with national title performances.
Corrigan (103 pounds) and Henderson (131 pounds) went unbeaten in their round-robin brackets. The pair combined to go 6-0, with each victory being a bonus-point win. At 124 pounds, Allen pinned her finals opponent with just 19 seconds left in the opening frame and ended the tournament with three victories. Garcia capped off the national champions for the Cowgirls after she collected a 9-1 decision for the title and finished 3-0 on the day.
Runner-up Columbia has two national champions in Mia Collins at 138 pounds and Kaylie Musard at 207 pounds. Musard went a perfect 3-0 in her round robin, collecting two pins and a technical fall. Collins posted a shutout in her title bout and won a 10-0 contest. Collins outscored her opponents 24-0 in three matches, recording two technical falls and a pin.
Purdue, Army West Point, Arizona State and Jamestown each had one national champion crowned on Thursday afternoon.
At 110 pounds, Purdue’s Adriana Sanchez went 2-0, with both victories coming via pin, in her round robin bracket. Clare Booe of Army West Point notched a 4-0 record at 117 pounds. Each of Booe’s four contests ended in the first period (two technical falls, one pin, one medical default).
Trinity Bouchal of Arizona State and Emily Novak of Jamestown rounded out the championship finals with back-to-back pins. Bouchal’s run to the title at 160 pounds featured just 3:40 minutes of mat time in her three victories. Novak pinned he way to the title at 180 pounds, where all three of her contests resulted in falls in the first 90 seconds of each bout. … more at … https://nwcaonline.com/news/2026/3/6/national-wrestling-coaches-association-cowgirls-wrestling-club-claims-inaugural-usa-wrestling-womens-collegiate-club-nationals-title.aspx
Penn State wins Big Ten title with seven champs; Ohio State sweeps postseason awards
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Penn State crowned seven champions and set a school record with 184 team points on its way to earning the Nittany Lions’ 10th Big Ten title in their own Bryce Jordan Center on Sunday evening.
Ohio State, after crowning two champions, finished second with 148.5 team points, while Nebraska earned third place with 116.5. Iowa and Michigan rounded out the top five with 87 and 86.5 team points, respectively. Penn State and Ohio State became two of just four programs nationwide to earn automatic bids for all 10 wrestlers to the NCAA Championships, joining Oklahoma State (Big 12) and Virginia Tech (ACC). Eight of the 10 No. 1 seeds claimed individual titles, while No. 2 seeds Ben Davino (Ohio State) and PJ Duke (Penn State) won titles as 133 and 157 pounds, respectively.
Duke, a true freshman from Slate Hill, N.Y. who was WIN’s Junior Dan Hodge Trophy recipient in 2025, was named the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler after he earned a major decision over returning NCAA champion Antrell Taylor (Nebraska), 12-4. Meanwhile, Ohio State swept all three season-long awards including Coach of the Year, Wrestler of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors, with Tom Ryan, Jesse Mendez and Ben Davino claiming each, respectively.
Penn State senior Levi Haines became PSU’s fourth four-time Big Ten champion after the 174-pounder outlasted Nebraska’s Christopher Minto, 2-1, in the title bout. Haines was awarded a point for an illegal figure-four to the head in the opening frame, which proved to be the difference in the match. When the smoke settled, a total of 87 wrestlers from the Big Ten conference earned automatic bids to the 2026 NCAA DI Wrestling Championships, set for March 19-21 in Cleveland’s Rocket Arena.
Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson briefly reflected on his team’s performance after claiming another conference title, saying, “Overall, this is a very tough conference tournament with a lot of great wrestlers. We’re excited to move into the Nationals and are happy with this weekend. … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2026/03/10/penn-state-wins-big-ten-title-with-seven-champs-ohio-state-sweeps-postseason-awards/
Women’s College Notebook: As championship season continues, a look back on the historic NCAA’s, and a preview of NAIA’s to come
Amidst back-to-back championship weekends for women’s college wrestling, it could be easy to get lost in the whirlwind of it all – walking away at its conclusion with nothing but vivid, emotional remnants of the experience that was.
And who’s to say that’s a bad thing?
Perhaps the very purest form of consumption is to simply allow oneself to become swept up in the wave of sensations – never stopping to overanalyze one moment lest the next one pass you by.
I’m certainly not going to argue if that’s your approach.
But as I sit here at my desk during the brief hiatus between last weekend’s inaugural NCAA Championships and this weekend’s forthcoming NAIA national tournament, I find myself wanting to pause – at least briefly – and reflect upon this ongoing moment for the sport.
There’s never been a better, more competitive/appreciated time to be a women’s college wrestler – or women’s wrestler of any age, for that matter. This, after decades spent by trailblazers and advocates to open up the deserved opportunities now being seized by today’s athletes. And just as those pioneers before them offered hope and inspiration to the current generation, so too will this group of young women to those following in their footsteps.
With that in mind, allow me to begin this latest women’s wrestling notebook by highlighting just some of the names to remember from a historic NCAA Championships in Coralville, Iowa. After that, we’ll wrap with some names to look forward to at what will be an equally compelling NAIA Championships this weekend in Park City, Kansas.
Etched in history
180.
That’s how many women – representing 54 different schools – will forever hold the distinction as the first participants at an NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championships. Among them, Sloane Kruger (Presbyterian) registered the first-ever win (and pin) at NCAAs just 1:03 into her preliminary bout at 103 pounds.
80.
That’s how many All-Americans – representing 27 different schools – stood on the podium. … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2026/march/12/women-s-college-notebook-as-championship-season-continues-a-look-back-on-the-historic-ncaa-s-and-a-preview-of-naia-s-to-come
These are the 6 teams that qualified their full lineups for the 2026 DI men’s wrestling tournament
Six teams will bring all ten athletes to NCAAs, with four of those teams punching their tickets via conference finishes and two teams — Nebraska and Iowa State — needing a wild card for the tenth athlete.
Here are the profiles of each of these deep, talented squads:
Penn State Nittany Lions
The Penn State Nittany Lions are the team to beat heading into the 2026 NCAA tournament. Last year, Penn State set the NCAA scoring record and put all ten athletes on the podium.
Braeden Davis’ seventh-place bracket win over Billy DeKraker 8-1 at this year’s Big Ten tournament ensured that all ten Nittany Lions will return to nationals with the hopes of chasing and surpassing their achievements from last year. With a program record of seven Big Ten champions, there’s an argument to make that this is the best team in program history.
PENN STATE HISTORY: Complete history of the program and its records
Five Penn State wrestlers — Luke Lilledahl, Shayne Van Ness, Mitchell Mesenbrink, Levi Haines and Rocco Welsh — will enter NCAAs undefeated as likely top seeds. Mesenbrink and Haines will chase their second titles, while Welsh will aim to return to the finals and Lilledahl and Van Ness will look to improve on previous All-American finishes and earn the opportunity to compete on Saturday night.
Complete Penn State roster:
125 pounds: Luke Lilledahl (1st at Big Tens)
133 pounds: Marcus Blaze (2nd at Big Tens)
141 pounds: Braeden Davis (7th at Big Tens)
149 pounds: Shayne Van Ness (1st at Big Tens)
157 pounds: PJ Duke (1st at Big Tens)
165 pounds: Mitchell Mesenbrink (1st at Big Tens)
174 pounds: Levi Haines (1st at Big Tens)
184 pounds: Rocco Welsh (1st at Big Tens)
197 pounds: Josh Barr (1st at Big Tens)
285 pounds: Cole Mirasola (5th at Big Tens)
Ohio State Buckeyes
After picking up Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Big Ten Athlete of the Year and Big Ten Coach of the Year honors, Ohio State has exactly the kind of momentum the Buckeyes need heading into NCAAs. Taking down Penn State is a tall task, but the Bucks make a strong case to be the nation’s second-best team and could put up some serious team points in Cleveland. Ohio State’s strength at Big Tens came from its depth and grittiness, particularly on the backside of the bracket. Nic Bouzakis, Carson Kharchla, Luke Geog and Nick Feldman all rallied from losses to finish third, and similar kinds of performances from these four could help all of them fight for podium spots at nationals. Bouzakis and Geog have yet to earn All-American honors in their careers, but put themselves in prime position to do so with their conference results. Returning Ohio State All-American Ethan Stiles also stepped up at Big Tens and finished second — Ohio State fans likely expect a similar finish from him at nationals. … more at … https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling-men/article/2026-03-10/these-are-6-teams-qualified-their-full-lineups-2026-di-mens-wrestling-tournament
Top Division III ACTIVE Coaches
TDR Editor’s Notes; The following is an updated listing of active head coaches by wins while on the Division III level. Recently retired coaches are included to show recognitione to their coaching colleagues. We welcome input as we update the lists for other divisions and for All-Time coaches including all divisions. Contact us at martinkfleming@gmail.com
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ACTIVE Coaches(D-III)– Top 50 with at least 90 wins 2026
- Lonnie Morris (Johnson & Wales) 478 (14)
- Roger Crebs (Lycoming College) 474 (9)
- Ron Beaschler (Ohio Northern Univ.) 421 (14)
- Bruce Haberli (New York University) 381 (22)
- Dave Mitchell (Luther College) 347 (7)
- Tim Fader (Wis.-Eau Claire,Whitewater, LaCrosse) 345 (9)
- Martin Nichols (Ithaca College) 342 (13)
- Jon Laudenslager (Wilkes University) 310 (7)
- John Oostendorp (Coe College) 298 (10)
- Jay Jones (Rhode Island College) 294 (5)
- Bryan Brunk (Messiah College) 293 (14)
- Dave Malecek (Wisconsin-LaCrosse St.) 257 (14)
- Sebastian Amato (Trinity College) 243 (8)
- Drew Black (Wesleyan Univ.) 241 (5)
- Jon Egan (Roger Williams) – 235 (14)
- Duane Ritter (SUNY Oneonta State) 231 (8)
- Johnny Johnson (Wisc.-Stevens Point) 229 (5)
- Eric Keller (Wartburg College) – 210 (13)
- Jamie Gibbs (Baldwin-Wallace) – 194 (12)
- Mike Howard (SUNY-Oswego State) 193 (1)
- Jon McGovern (Dubuque University) – 193 (7)
- Joe Galente (College of New Jersey) 189 (17)
- Kevin Bratland (U.S. Coast Guard/North Central) 178 (9)
- Craig Thurber (Thiel College) – 177 (4)
- James Holder (Springfield College) 172 (15)
- Eric Van Kley (Central College,) – 171 (12)
- Steve Marianetti (Elmhurst College) – 163 (6)
- Brandon Bissette (Olivet College) 160 (9)
- Scott Legacy (Vermont St.-Castleton) 149 (15)
- Jason Garriques (Centenary College) 147 (10)
- Greg Ilaria (U.S. Merchant Marine) – 146 (10)
- Al Russomano (Scranton Univ.) 139 (11)
- Mark Harwald (John Carroll/Case West/Mt. Union) 135 (4)
- Joe Favia (Stevens Institute of Tech.) 132 (9)
- Nathan Shearer (Washington & Lee) 128 (10)
- Eric Walker (Elizabethtown College) 125 (6)
- Duane Bastress (York College, Pa.) 123 (7)
- Ryan Birt (Millikan College) 123 (15)
- Nate Yetzer (Roanoke/Ferrum Colleges) 120 (15)
- Scott Honacker (Williams College) 119 (10)
- Tim Fader (Wisc.-Eau Claire) 115 (9)
- Bill Schindel (Adrian/Mount Union) 112 (3)
- Keith Norris (John Hopkins Univ.) 111 (1)
- Blake Roulo (Averett Univ.) 108 (12)
- Mike DeRoehn (Lakeland /Wisc-Platteville, Oshkosh,) 107 (9)
- Jim Moulsoff (Augsburg College) 107 – III (9)
- Tommy Prairie (SUNY-Courtland, Wash.&Jeff./Plymouth) 101 – III (4)
- Matt Morin (Southern Maine) 101 – III (6)
- Mike Sugarmeyer (Western New England) 97 (10)
- Kriss Ballaca (Alvernia Univ.) 94 (17)
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 