Fresno City Men’s Wrestling Dominates Simpson Duals as Coach Keysaw Celebrates 300 Wins
Fresno City College’s men’s wrestling team went undefeated at the Simpson Duals, marking head coach Paul Keysaw’s 300 dual wins. This milestone was earned over the nearly three decades of Keysaw’s career, showcasing not only his personal dedication but the team’s resilience. “Milestones mean I’m getting old,” Keysaw said, “But they’re a reminder of the hard work that goes into every win.”
Starting his career at Moorpark College in 1996, Keysaw joined FCC as a coach in 2006. Known for his straightforward style and focus on building highly competitive teams, he instills a relentless work ethic in his athletes. “If you want to be successful, you have to work harder than everyone else,” Keysaw said.
Under his guidance, FCC men’s wrestling team has consistently placed in the top three of California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) state championships since 2008. His ability to adapt his coaching style has been key. For sophomore Jake Prudek, ranked first in the state, the event was another stepping stone on his journey to secure a second state title.
Despite setbacks from a car accident and injury recovery, he credits his resilience to the relentless training methods instilled by Keysaw and the team’s culture of valuing hard work. “We practice until we don’t want to do one more rep,” Prudek said. … more at … https://www.therampageonline.com/sports/2024/12/04/fresno-city-mens-wrestling-dominates-simpson-duals-as-coach-keysaw-celebrates-300-wins/
Walsh Jesuit Ironman 2024: What to know about this year’s wrestling tournament
CLEVELAND, Ohio — When the Walsh Jesuit Ironman comes around you know it’s wrestling season in Northeast Ohio. One of the nations biggest in-season high school wrestling tournaments is back this season for its 30th edition.
More than 130 schools will be represented as wrestlers from 27 different states make their way to the tournament. The boys tournament will run throughout the day on Friday and Saturday, while the second annual girls tournament runs from Saturday to Sunday.
There are more than 55 Division I college commits scheduled to be in attendance as well as a handful of national powerhouse programs. That includes last season’s team champion, Wyoming Seminary (N.J.), which is always a team favorite, though it’s yet to be seen if anyone can come anywhere near the tournament record 297 points set by St. Edward in 1997.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 30th Ironman:
When: Doors open at 7 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday doors open at 9 a.m. following an 8 a.m. Mass in the Chapel. Friday, 10 a.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. (championship matches begin at 4 p.m.). A full schedule with … more at … https://www.cleveland.com/highschoolsports/2024/12/walsh-jesuit-ironman-wrestling-preview-2024-what-to-know-about-this-years-tournament.html
2024-25 Preseason National High School Wrestling Rankings: Final Update
Several states have already hit the mats, but the high school wrestling season gets underway in earnest after the Thanksgiving holiday; check out the final update to our preseason national wrestling rankings
By Billy Buckheit, Nov. 26th.
We’re here—the 2024-2025 high school wrestling season is officially underway! Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Texas have been active for a few weeks already. Illinois has joined them with a few events before Thanksgiving. Following the holiday break, every state in the country will kick off their season, except for New Jersey, which begins in mid-December.
With our final edition of the rankings before things kick off, we’ve narrowed it down to one wrestler per team, per weight. Additionally, we’ve removed Valiant Prep wrestlers since they don’t compete during the regular season. They will be added back in come March when they return to the mats in an official capacity.
The Walsh Ironman takes place next weekend (Dec. 6-7). The Ironman is widely regarded as the most challenging high school tournament in the country. It promises to deliver a ton of excitement and is sure to shake up these carefully cultivated rankings.
We say “carefully cultivated” with all the humility possible. We conduct an incredible amount of research and maintain detailed records on not just every wrestler in our rankings, but also every wrestler on our radar—probably 60 to 70 at each weight class. This level of research and record-keeping allows us to be highly accurate.
Instead of speculating or vaguely remembering results, we always have every match right in front of us. This wealth of data enables us to fine-tune the rankings. We can explain every placement. These rankings are not randomly thrown together; there’s a rationale behind where every wrestler is ranked.
One big win shouldn’t—and won’t—erase a series of bad losses. Similarly, a single bad loss doesn’t necessarily cancel out a string of significant victories. National rankings are always subject to change, as upsets are a constant factor. That’s where our detailed record-keeping comes into play.
Because we document every match for each wrestler, it’s easy for us to compare multiple athletes side by side and arrive at the most logical rankings order based on all outcomes—not just recent ones. Of course, recent results take precedence, but as we mentioned, a wrestler’s past record doesn’t disappear due to one new result, whether it’s positive or negative.
Our next update will come before Ironman. Once we have the seeds for the Ironman and the Dan Gable Donnybrook, which also takes place next weekend, we’ll make any necessary changes to weight classes. While we’ve seen lineups for many of the top teams, we know adjustments will be needed over the first few weeks of the season. … more at … https://www.si.com/high-school/wrestling/2024-25-preseason-national-high-school-wrestling-rankings-final-update-01jdnte76p05
Seventh-Ranked Gophers Trounce No. 17 South Dakota State, 30-3
MINNEAPOLIS – No. 7 Minnesota (4-0) won nine of the 10 matches, including six ranked bouts, as it trounced No. 17 South Dakota State (1-2) by a score of 30-3 Sunday afternoon at First Bank & Trust Arena in Brookings, S.D.
After the last two duals were decided by a combined nine points, Minnesota left little doubt Sunday as it won the first six matches and ended up holding the Jackrabbits to their lowest point total in the series since 1974 (31-2).
Minnesota now leads the all-time series with South Dakota State, 29-5, including 13 straight wins. The 13-match win streak ties for Minnesota’s second-longest active streak, along with 13 straight wins over Michigan State. The only streak longer is 19 in a row against North Dakota State. The 29 wins are the Gophers’ second most against all non-Big Ten schools, behind only the 33 wins they have against Northern Iowa. In Brookings, the Gophers are 10-1 all-time and have won the past seven meetings there. Minnesota has also won 10 straight duals dating back to last season. During the current streak, Minnesota has outscored opponents 329-54 and hasn’t allowed more than 12 points in any contest.
The tone was set in the first match of the day at 125 pounds as No. 14 Cooper Flynn upset No. 4 Tanner Jordan, 7-2. Both of Flynn’s takedowns came in the opening period, giving him a 6-1 lead. After no scoring in the second, Jordan gained a point on Flynn’s second stall warning, but riding time improved Flynn to 6-1 on the season and 4-0 in duals.
At 133 pounds, No. 8 Tyler Wells and No. 28 Derrick Cardinal met for the third time in the last two seasons. After splitting the two matchups a year ago, Wells took lead in the series with a 10-2 major decision Sunday. After a scoreless first period, Cardinal escaped to lead 1-0 but Wells got a takedown in the final seconds to lead 3-1. The final period was all Wells as he added an escape and two more takedowns to secure his second major decision of the year.
The first non-ranked matchup came at 141 pounds with No. 5 Vance VomBaur topping … more at … https://gophersports.com/news/2024/12/1/wrestling-gophers-trounce-south-dakota-state-30-3?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
What to Watch: Week five of the college wrestling season
Week five of the college wrestling season is a short one. Many of the teams are taking time off this week to allow their athletes to enjoy Thanksgiving with family and friends. There are enough college events over the weekend to give a wrestling junkie a chance to stay connected with the sport, between kickoffs and turkey leftovers. Not all of these events are streamed, so you might decide to go in person. Here are some highlights from week five.
No. 9 Minnesota at No. 14 South Dakota State
Date: Sunday, December 1
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET
Location: First Bank and Trust Arena, Brookings, S.D.
With Olympic champion and two-time NCAA champion Gable Steveson again anchoring the lineup at heavyweight, No. 9 Minnesota travels to No. 14 South Dakota State for the top Div. I dual meet of the weekend. The Gophers are 3-0, and are rolling after back-to-back shut out victories, stomping North Dakota State 39-0 and Campbell 44-0 last weekend. The Jackrabbits come into the event at 1-1 and are fresh off a tough 16-15 road loss to Big 12 rival Northern Iowa on Sunday. Steveson is the new No. 1 in the FloWrestling Pound-For-Pound rankings, one of 10 Gopher wrestlers in the current FloWrestling rankings. The Jackrabbits have nine ranked wrestlers as well. South Dakota State head coach Damion Hahn was a star for the Gophers and would love to knock off his alma mater in his gym to help the Jackrabbits climb in the rankings. This is a “Teddy Bear Toss” meet, as well, where fans throw teddy bears onto the mat at intermission to be given to children in the community.
Carolina Clash … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2024/november/27/what-to-watch-week-five-of-the-college-wrestling-season
Lander University’s Carolina Clash Results
Tigers Claim First Dual Win Down in South Carolina
GREENWOOD, South Carolina – With 2 straight opens after their home dual debut, the Salem men’s wrestling team took the chance to get back on the mats this afternoon in 4 dual matchups at Lander University’s Carolina Clash. The Tigers went 1-3 on the day including the program’s first ever dual win, which came against Lincoln Memorial in the final matchup of the day. Each dual played out as follows: Lander 52, Salem 4
In the first matchup of the day, Salem faced off with the host Lander Bearcats. The Tigers got their best performance from Seth Thomas, who scored a Major Decision win over Lander’s Lucas Crosby.
Mount Olive 45, Salem 9
Next, the Tigers took on the University of Mount Olive. David Makupson got things started for the Tigers with an early pin on Mount Olive’s Logan Tortual. Iran Love followed that up by grinding out a tight 10-3 win in his bout with Logan Haseley, but Salem fell overall 45-9.
Newberry 50, Salem 5
After a short break, Salem took on the Newberry Wolves. Seth Holt nabbed the lone bout win for the Tigers with an impressive performance to get the tech fall in his bout over Cole McCullough.
Salem 29, Lincoln Memorial 15 … more at … https://salemtigers.com/news/2024/12/1/mens-wrestling-tigers-claim-first-dual-win-down-in-south-carolina.aspx?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
And …
John Parker Leads Wolves At Carolina Clash With 3-0 Record
Nationally ranked John Parker won all three of his matches at the Carolina Clash Duals in Greenwood Sunday. The Wolves posted a 1-2 record defeating Salem and losing to #6 ranked Glenville State and Ashland (Ohio), which is the top team receiving votes outside the top 25. Parker, ranked #10 at 197 pounds registered a pair of falls and a major decision in his three matches. He pinned Kaine Morris of Ashland at 4:40, Clayton Downs of Salem at 1:09 and earned an 11-2 major decision over Isaiha Casto of Glenville State. Dayton Field (174 pounds) and Andrew Reed (184 pounds) both … more at … https://newberrywolves.com/news/2024/12/1/mens-wrestling-john-parker-leads-wolves-at-carolina-clash-with-3-0-record.aspx?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
And …
#15 Lander Picks up Two Conference Wins in 3-1 Day at Carolina Clash
GREENWOOD – The 15th-ranked Lander Wrestling team took down two Conference Carolinas opponents and the Salem Tigers on Sunday as the Bearcats hosted the fourth-annual Carolina Clash inside Horne Arena. Lander finished the day 3-1 as they fell to the Ashland Eagles in their third match of four. Lander now sits at 6-1 overall and still remains perfect at 5-0 in Conference Carolinas action.
Match 1: #15 Lander 52, Salem 4
The Bearcats opened the day with a convincing win over the Salem Tigers out of the Mountain East Conference. Lander won nine of ten bouts, all of which came via pin, technical fall or forfeit. Oren Decker (Fortson, GA), Ryan Dobbs (Seneca, S.C.), and Marvelous Rutledge (Dayton, Ohio) picked up the pins for the Blue and Gold.
Match 2: #15 Lander 26, Mount Olive 15
Lander jumped out to a 14-3 lead, aided by a pin from Isham Peace (Okatie, S.C.) and major decisions from Christian Davis (Arizona City, Ariz.) and Reid Noble (Plant City, Fla.). However, the Trojans did not go away quietly as they cut the lead down to two at 14-12 with a pin of their own and an upset decision over David Hunsberger (Duncan, S.C.) at 165.
Nathan Buckovich gave Lander some breathing room with a major decision of his own, but Mount Olive responded once again with a decision at 184 to stay within striking range. … more at … https://landerbearcats.com/news/2024/12/1/wrestling-15-lander-picks-up-two-conference-wins-in-3-1-day-at-carolina-clash.aspx?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
And …
No. RV Eagle Grapplers Sweep All Four Matches At Carolina Clash
Ashland University’s wrestling team traveled more than 600 miles to get in four matches on Sunday (Dec. 1) in Greenwood, S.C..
The No. RV-ranked Eagles’ trip back to campus won’t seem quite as long after earning wins in all four matches on Sunday. Ashland (4-1) defeated No. RV Newberry (35-12), Coker (41-4), No. 15 and host Lander (25-14), and No. 18 UNC-Pembroke (26-12).
Three Eagles individually went through the day undefeated:
- Sophomore 125-pounder Luke Acuna, ranked No. 14 in NCAA Division II, earned two pins, a technical fall and a decision.
- Sophomore 149-pounder Hayden Kuhn, No. 15 in D-II, had a technical fall, major decision and two decisions. His last win, an 11-1 major decision, came against Pembroke’s Jake Piccirilli, ranked No. 8 in the country.
- Junior 174-pounder Sevriano Garza, No. 9 in the nation, picked up the cycle – a pin, tech fall, major decision and decision.
Going 3-1 on Sunday were … more at … https://goashlandeagles.com/news/2024/12/1/wrestling-no-rv-eagle-grapplers-sweep-all-four-matches-at-carolina-clash.aspx?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
And …
Glenville Wrestling Wins All Four Matches at Carolina Clash
GREENWOOD, S.C. – The nationally ranked Glenville State Wrestling team captured four victories earlier today at the Carolina Clash on the campus of Lander in South Carolina. The Pioneers defeated No. 22 UNC Pembroke, Coker, Newberry and Mount Olive to improve to (5-1).
#5 GSU 33 | #22 UNCP 11
125: Colton Drousias (Glenville State) over Joseph Bruscino (UNC Pembroke) (TF 18-2 2:08)
133: Hunter Ross (Glenville State) over Samuel Hutchinson (UNC Pembroke) (Fall 1:48)
141: Caleb Brooks (Glenville State) over Avery Buonocore (UNC Pembroke) (Dec 2-0)
149: Jake Piccirilli (UNC Pembroke) over Gabe Onorato (Glenville State) (TB-2 2-1)
157: Keegan Roberson (UNC Pembroke) over Loranzo Rajaonarivelo (Glenville State) (TF 19-4 5:17)
165: William Lowery (UNC Pembroke) … more at … https://gstatepioneers.com/news/2024/12/1/wrestling-wins-all-four-matches-at-carolina-clash.aspx?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
No. 25 Wrestling Splits Matchups With Greensboro, No. 16 Illinois
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The 25th-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels split their Monday night duals against Greensboro College and No. 16 Illinois, inside Carmichael Arena. In the opener, the Tar Heels defeated Greensboro College, 47-3.
Carolina had nine victories in the match: four falls, two technical falls, one major decision, one decision and a forfeit. The group of Max Martin (133), Cade Tenold (174), Aidan Schlett (197) and Nolan Neves (285) earned falls in the dual win. Marco Tocci (125) and Omaury Alvarez (165) cruised to technical falls, as Marcus Murabito (184) collected the major decision.
At 149 pounds, Cullen Kane earned a hard-fought decision for the Tar Heels, with Joey Showalter (157) on the receiving end of the Pride’s forfeit. For the second-straight week, the Tar Heels squared off with a ranked Big Ten opponent in Chapel Hill, as 16th-ranked Illinois ended the top-25 matchup victorious, 24-14. Against the Fighting Illini, Spencer Moore (125), Lachlan McNeil (149), Sonny Santiago (157) and Gavin Kane (184) collected wins for the Tar Heels.
To begin the match, Moore used six takedowns to earn the 20-5 major decision over Illinois’ Caelan Riley. At 141, with the match tied 1-1 in overtime, McNeil powered his way to the takedown, clipping the Fighting Illini’s No. 10 Kannon Webster, 4-1.
In the ensuing match at 157 pounds, No. 27 Sonny Santiago collected his first ranked win of the year, with a convincing 10-3 decision against No. 20 Jason Kraisser.
Rounding out the Carolina victories, Gavin Kane earned his first top-10 win since the 2023 NCAA Championships, with a 9-5 decision over No. 9 Edmond Ruth. Tied 5-5 after a Kane escape to begin the third period, the Milton, Ga. native’s takedown with just over a minute remaining propelled the Tar Heel 184-pounder to victory. Up next, Carolina will travel to Nashville, Tenn. on December 21, … more at … https://goheels.com/news/2024/11/25/no-25-wrestling-splits-matchups-with-greensboro-no-16-illinois
Barket Goes 3-0 on the Day; Blue Devils Defeat Presbyterian in Quad Match
PITTSBORO, N.C. — Duke’s 28th-ranked redshirt sophomore Connor Barket went a perfect 3-0 on the day to pace the Blue Devil wrestling team at its Quad Match at Seaforth High School in Pittsboro. Barket, who hails from West Lafayette, Ind., moved to 12-2 on the season, including his first ranked victory on the year. As a team, the Blue Devils (2-5) defeated Presbyterian, 38-9, while falling to American (33-6) and Utah Valley (38-6).
HOW IT HAPPENED
- In the first match of the day against American, Duke’s Aidan Wallace collected his fourth straight win of the season at 165 with a 5-0 decision against Kaden Milheim.
- Duke’s heavyweight Connor Barket also posted a 5-0 decision versus Emmanuel Ulrich for the Blue Devils other points in the match.
- The Blue Devils went up against Utah Valley in the second match with Duke sophomore SP O’Donnell collecting a 7-0 decision versus Veli Quintanilla.
- Down late in his match against 33rd-ranked Jack Forbes, Duke’s Barket registered a late escape and takedown with approximately 20 seconds remaining to register a 7-6 victory.
- In the final match of the day, Duke’s Ethan Grimminger opened things at 125 with a 5-2 decision in overtime against Brayden Adams of Presbyterian to give Duke a 3-0 lead.Grimminger registered a takedown with 29 seconds remaining in overtime to collect the win.
- Blue Devil tri-captain Raymond Adams continued the hot start for Duke with a 17-6 win versus Tyler Rodier at 133.It marked Adams’ first dual match win of the season for the sophomore … more at … https://goduke.com/news/2024/11/23/wrestling-barket-goes-3-0-on-the-day-blue-devils-defeat-presbyterian-in-quad-match
No. 19 WVU Tops App State Wrestling in Debut for New-Look Varsity Gym
BOONE, N.C. — The opening home dual of App State Wrestling’s 2024-25 season featured more significant firsts.
The Mountaineers won two matches and held late leads in two other high-profile battles during a 37-8 loss to No. 19 West Virginia on a cold, snowy Friday that didn’t deter an enthusiastic crowd. It was the debut for a new-look Varsity Gym, highlighted by the unveiling of a C. Philip Byers Scoreboard with video capabilities and a Barker Arena display. Spectators filled new premium bleacher seats on the main floor of Varsity, putting groups of fans on three sides of a new competition mat.
“It was a really awesome atmosphere tonight, and I’m really thankful for our fans and all of App Nation that showed up,” App State head coach JohnMark Bentley said. “It was a great atmosphere to compete in. Obviously, I wish we would have performed a little better, but the venue was awesome.”
Carson Floyd’s overtime takedown gave him a 4-1 decision over Rune Lawrence at 197 pounds, and Kaden Keiser’s 21-5 tech fall of Blake Boyers at 149 pounds produced five team points for the Mountaineers (0-2 with a pair of losses to top-20 opponents).
West Virginia (3-0) earned bonus points in six of its eight wins. Finishing the first period on top, eighth-ranked Will Miller held a 3-1 lead with 1:41 in riding time entering the third period at 165 pounds against third-ranked Peyton Hall, a two-time All-American. Miller went up 4-1 on an escape early in the third and nearly followed that with a takedown, but Hall prevented a score and produced a tying takedown with 43 seconds left.
With Miller’s riding time falling under a minute, he was unable to record a tiebreaking escape. Instead, Hall put Miller in a compromised position that led to a signal for back points before ending the match by fall with 11 seconds left.
The other dramatic match started the dual, as App State’s Chad Bellis jumped out to a 7-1 … more at … https://appstatesports.com/news/2024/11/22/no-19-wvu-tops-app-state-wrestling-in-debut-for-new-look-varsity-gym.aspx
Men’s Wrestling Finishes Big Weekend in Georgia and North Carolina
NEWPORT NEWS – The Apprentice School men’s wrestling team has completed its weekend of action as the team was split between the Lucha Open near Atlanta and a quad match at East Carolina Saturday. Starting with the Lucha Open, the Builders sent 10 wrestlers to the Peach State for competition. In the Gold Division, Ethan Baker and Caleb Hartung each notched a win in their competitions. Baker, wrestling at 174, started his tournament with a quick pinfall of St. Thomas’s Daniel Garlin before falling in a pair of close decisions. Hartung had a long first match of the day at 285 but finished it off with a pinfall in the final minute of the match. He then fell in a close decision to Life’s Nate Glass before a major decision loss in the consolation bracket.
In the Silver Division, Lucas Vannostrand saw a lot of action at 125, wrestling in six matches. He started the day with a pair of pinfalls late in the first period of both opening matches. After losing his third match of the day, he bounced back with a 9-0 major decision win over Cumberland’s JaRi Campbell and a pinfall over Montreat’s Ayden Goodman. His tournament came to a close with a tough 6-4 decision loss.
Nathan Gipson went 1-2 at 133, winning by major decision over St. Andrews’ Briant Witherspoon … more at … https://gobuilders.com/news/2024/11/24/mens-wrestling-finishes-big-weekend-in-georgia-and-north-carolina.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 