NDSU Wrestling Tops Campbell at Knockout Christmas Classic
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – North Dakota State wrestling picked up its first win of the season with a 22-16 win over Campbell University on Saturday at the Knockout Christmas Classic held at Silver Spurs Arena. The Bison also fell on a tiebreaker to No. 22 West Virginia, 22-21, and lost to Wisconsin 22-13.
In the opening dual against West Virginia, the Bison picked up five victories, including a tech fall from Kyle Burwick early on. The teams traded the lead early before West Virginia went up by 9 with three straight wins. However, Tayshaun Glover and Drew Blackburn-Forst answered back with wins. Glover won by a decision and then Blackburn-Forst upset No. 29 Michael Wolfgram with a pin to tie the dual at 21-21. The Mountaineers would claim the dual win with a 49-43 difference in match points.
The Bison responded with a strong start against Campbell. In his first career dual, freshman Ezekiel Witt pinned No. 28 Anthony Molton for the Camels to give the Bison an early lead. Burwick followed it up with a win in sudden victory, taking down No. 25 Dom Zaccone.
Following a couple wins from Campbell, Gabriel Schumm, Boeden Greenley, Devin Wasley and Aidan Brenot reeled off four-straight decisions to secure the dual win for the Bison. Greenley secured a 7-1 win over No. 24 Domonic Baker for NDSU’s third upset win over a ranked opponent in the dual.
Wisconsin would jump out to an early lead against the Bison in the final dual, going up 7-0. However, Michael Olson picked up his first dual win, followed by a major decision from No. 29 Gavin Drexler to tie the dual at 7-7. … more at … https://gobison.com/news/2024/12/21/ndsu-wrestling-tops-campbell-at-knockout-christmas-classic.aspx
West Virginia Earns Three Wins at Knockout Christmas Classic
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University wrestling team put on a dominant performance at the Knockout Christmas Classic, defeating three teams on Saturday at the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Florida.

The Mountaineers (6-1, 1-1 Big 12) began the day in a tight battle with the North Dakota State Bison.
Redshirt junior Jace Schafer earned a win by decision against North Dakota State’s Tristan Daughtery in the 125 pound match to get the day started. West Virginia quickly lost momentum as the Bison secured wins to lead, 12-7, early on.
However, fifth-year No. 3 Peyton Hall earned his fifteenth win of the season with a 17-2 technical fall over Boeden Greenley. That was followed by wins from redshirt sophomore No. 29 Brody Conley (174) and redshirt senior No. 26 Dennis Robin (184) to put WVU up, 21-12.
The Bison tied it up at 21 after redshirt senior No. 31 Austin Cooley (197) and fifth-year Michael Wolfgram lost (285). West Virginia earned the win, 22-21, based on a 49-43 difference in match points.
The Mountaineers quickly gained momentum in their match against the Wisconsin … more at … https://wvusports.com/news/2024/12/21/wrestling-west-virginia-earns-three-wins-at-knockout-christmas-classic.aspx
Sooners Score Three Wins at Norman Duals
NORMAN — The No. 21 Oklahoma wrestling team earned an unblemished 3-0 record after defeating Southeast CC, Cal State Bakersfield and Chattanooga in dual action on Saturday. As a team, the Sooners outscored opponents 105-21 on the day.
OU’s first dual was against Southeast CC. A historical milestone for the squad from Lincoln, Neb., Saturday marked the Bobcats’ first dual against a Division I opponent since the inception of the program in 2023. The Sooners had seven wrestlers make their season dual debuts: Beric Jordan, Carter Schmidt, Alex Braun, Hunter Hollingsworth, Anders Thompson, Seth Seago and Ryder Wiese all picked up wins. Elsewhere, KJ Evans, Tate Picklo and Mannix Morgan took care of business as the Sooners routed the Bobcats, 41-0. It marked the first time Oklahoma won all 10 matches in a dual since blanking Little Rock, 37-0, on Nov. 18, 2022.
The Sooners went up against CSU Bakersfield in their second dual of the day. Mosha Schwartz, Willie McDougald, KJ Evans, Mannix Morgan and DJ Parker led the way for Oklahoma as all earned bonus-point wins. Antonio Lorenzo and Picklo added decision victories, while the Roadrunners forfeited the 133-pound bout. The Sooners took eight of the 10 matches to take the 38-7 win.
OU finished out the quad with a dual against Chattanooga. Bradley Hill scored his first dual win since the season opener, racking up three takedowns, an escape and riding time against UTC’s David Harper for an 11-2 major decision. Picklo scored his third win of the day by fall, pinning the Mocs’ Jackson Hurst just one minute into the first period. Lorenzo, Schwartz and Parker contributed with bonus points, capping off a 26-14 win for the Sooners.
OU will enjoy a holiday break before traveling to Chattanooga, Tenn., to participate in the Southern Scuffle on Jan. 4-5, in what is widely considered one of the toughest regular season tournaments in collegiate wrestling. It will mark the second consecutive season Oklahoma will start the year at the event, and the Sooners will look to improve on … more at … https://soonersports.com/news/2024/12/21/wrestling-sooners-score-three-wins-at-norman-duals
Roanoke Wrestling wins all three at Gator ‘Boots’ Duals
The Facts:
Scores: No. 8 Roanoke 38, Mount Union 9, No. 8 Roanoke 22, No. 14 Loras 17, No. 8 Roanoke 51, Muskingum 3
Location: Hendersonville, Tenn., Hendersonville High School
The Short Story: The Roanoke College wrestling team earned three victories Saturday at the Gator ‘Boots’ Duals, hosted at Hendersonville High School (Tenn.). The Maroons, ranked No. 8 this week in dual match rankings by TheOpenMat.com, breezed to two non-conference victories and won a tight 22-17 decision over No. 14 Loras College (Iowa).
How it happened:
*Mark Samuel rolled to three wins at 141, with two pins and a technical fall.
*Isaic Paulino was 3-0 on the day at 125 with a major decision win.
*Vincenzo Corvetto won all three of his matches at 184, including one pin.
*Jonah Paulino was 2-0 at 133 with two technical falls.
Next Time:
Roanoke will compete at the Jim Crytzer Memorial at Washington & Lee University on Saturday, Jan. 4.
Men’s Gator ‘Boots’ Duals
Hendersonville High School
Hendersonville, Tenn.
Dec. 21, 2024
Final Results: Roanoke 38, Mount Union 9
125 – Isaic Paulino (Roanoke College) over Mason Taylor (Mount Union) Maj 15-4
133 – Jonah Paulino (Roanoke College) over Nolan Frye (Mount Union) TF 17-2
141 – Mark Samuel (Roanoke College) over Mason McCarty (Mount Union) TF 17-2 … More at … https://roanokemaroons.com/news/2024/12/21/roanoke-wrestling-wins-all-three-at-gator-boots-duals.aspx
Cowboys, Buckeyes take out ranked opponents, Top 25 sees minimal movement
Manheim, Pennsylvania – One upset created some movement in the lower half of the NWCA Division I Men’s Wrestling Coaches Poll released on Tuesday, but in large, there were minimal changes in the poll.
The biggest upset came in West Virginia as California Baptist upended then-No. 18 West Virginia 18-15 in New Cumberland. The loss dropped the Mountaineers (3-1) four spots to No. 22.
There were only two duals between ranked teams this past week: No. 3 Oklahoma State (5-0) trounced No. 21 Oklahoma 35-3 at Bedlam, while No. 5 Ohio State topped then-No. 19 Pittsburgh 20-17.
The top 10 remained the same as No. 1 Penn State (3-0) shutout Wyoming 54-0 at the Bryce Jordan Center. Other action saw No. 10 Northern Iowa beat perennial Division II power Nebraska-Kearney 35-8, No. 13 Iowa State beat North Dakota State 27-12, Rutgers (8-2) swept a trio of duals with Gardner-Webb, Kent State and Clarion, while Little Rock beat Chattanooga 32-6 on Monday night.
Methodology: The NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll is voted on by two coaches from each Division I wrestling conference. Each first-place vote is worth 25 points, 24 points for a second-place vote, 23 points for a third-place vote, and so on, through to one point for a 25th-place vote. The poll is based on dual meet results.
NWCA Division I Men’s Wrestling Coaches Poll
December 17, 2024
… more at … https://nwcaonline.com/news/2024/12/17/ncaa-division-1-men-cowboys-buckeyes-take-out-ranked-opponents-top-25-sees-minimal-movement.aspx
WIN Magazine’s Dec. 16 NCAA Division I Rankings, presented by Cliff Keen Athletic
By Mike Finn
NEWTON, Iowa — The holidays are upon the college wrestling world and many of the top teams, listed in WIN Magazine’s Dec. 16 national rankings, will be in action one more weekend before Christmas at neutral-site dual meets.
The biggest event will be happening in Nashville, Tenn., where five teams ranked in WIN’s Dual Team Rankings — No. 1 Penn State, No. 5 Ohio State, No. 10 Iowa State, No. 13 Missouri and No. 19 Little Rock — will compete. This could include a featured meeting between the top-two ranked wrestlers and a pair of national champions at 174 pounds: Missouri’s No. 1 Keegan O’Toole and Penn State’s No. 2-ranked Levi Haines.
Meanwhile, there are also scheduled duals between No. 3 Oklahoma State hosting No. 7 Virginia Tech on Dec. 19 and No. 6 NC State traveling to No. 9 Cornell on Dec. 22.
With most schools taking semester exams last weekend, there was little action and few changes in WIN’s Dec. 16 Rankings, presented by Cliff Keen Athletic. This includes WIN’s Tournament Power Index, where the top five schools are Penn State (138 TPI points), Oklahoma State (78), Iowa (75), Minnesota (64.5) and Virginia Tech (58.5).
WIN’s TPI projects where programs would finish in the 2025 NCAA Division I Championships, which will be held March 20-22 in Philadelphia, if every wrestler finished the season where they are ranked now. The following is a breakdown of those individual TPI points per ranking: 20 for 1st, 16 for 2nd, 13.5 for 3rd, 12.5 for 4th, … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2024/12/16/win-magazines-dec-16-ncaa-division-i-rankings-presented-by-cliff-keen-athletic/
Christian Davis Named Conference Carolinas Wrestler of the Week
Second Bearcat Freshman to be Honored this Season
GREENVILLE, S.C. – After winning the 133-lb Midwest Classic bracket over the weekend by knocking off a pair of nationally-ranked opponents, Christian Davis has been named the Conference Carolinas Wrestler of the Week as announced by the league this afternoon. Davis is the second Lander wrestler to earn the weekly honor this season and the second freshman to earn the honor, joining Issac Sheeren who earned the award in the first week of the season.
Davis earned the honor on the back of a perfect 5-0 week at the prestigious Midwest Classic that saw him become the fourth Midwest Classic Champion in program history as well as the first freshman to win the tournament in program history. Of his five wins, three of them came by bonus point margins, one of which a 10-2 major decision over the fourth-ranked wrestler in his weight class in Peter Rolle of Central Oklahoma. Davis picked up the tournament title with a dominant 8-2 win over the second-ranked wrestler in his class, Reece Barnhardt of UMary.
Davis now sits at 20-2 on the season … more at … https://landerbearcats.com/news/2024/12/17/wrestling-christian-davis-named-conference-carolinas-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx
NECP, Tarboro wrestlers claim titles in USAF-Eagle Invitational
The North East Carolina Prep School wrestling team produced three championships while Tarboro claimed one during the USAF-Eagle Invitational at Rosewood High School on Saturday.
Holton Quincy took the 113-pound title for the Huskies while Colton Lewis won at 126 and Ryan Mann claimed the 144 crown.
Quincy had a bye through the first two rounds. He then pinned Albert Couch of Southwest Onslow (1:22) in the quarterfinals, won by pin (2:32) over Guy Wavra of Corinth Holders in the semifinals and won by major decision 8-0 over Jesse Farmsworth of Panther Creek in the finals.
Lewis received a first-round bye and pinned George Records of Southwest Onslow (0:59) in the second round. Lewis then pinned Florentino Martinez-Hernandez of North Pitt (0:43) in the quarterfinals, won by technical fall 18-4 over Isaiah Mazura of Rosewood in the semifinals and won by major decision 12-0 over Carson Corl of South Johnston in the finals.
Mann received a first-round bye and pinned Troy Parker of Garner (1:13) in the second round. He then won by technical fall 16-1 over Ethan Johnson of North Pitt in the quarterfinals, took a major decision 10-0 over Ashton Shields-Adams in the semifinals and claimed the championship by pinning Mikey Leaf of Ravenscroft (2:51) in the finals match.
Daniel Silver placed second in the 285-pound (heavyweight) division. Silver received byes through the first two rounds. He pinned Sean Banks of Rosewood (3:16) and Jayden Williams of Clayton (3;58) before falling by pin (1:31) to Nicholas Rodgers of Wilson Fike in the championship match.
Other results for the Huskies are as follows:
• 106: Alan Tebalan finished in third place with a pin over Esteban Placencia of Southwest Onslow (0:19).
• 120: Kemon Downing took fourth place after losing by medical forfeit to Connor Elliot of Millbrook.
• 132: Brayden Waneroik ended up fourth overall … more at … https://www.reflector.com/apgstate/necp-tarboro-wrestlers-claim-titles-in-usaf-eagle-invitational/article_e3496683-b2a4-52cf-8a19-097b7f70aa81.html
Taylor Tabbed Big Ten Wrestler of the Week
Nebraska’s Antrell Taylor (157) was named Big Ten Co-Wrestler of the Week, his first time claiming the honor, as the conference announced its award winners on Thursday afternoon.
The sophomore most recently ran a 5-0 Cliff Keen campaign in Las Vegas to take home the 157 title, and improve his season record to 12-0. Taylor took down four ranked opponents, two in the top-10, and had a major decision and pin at the invitational. The first-place finish helped the Huskers claim runner-up in Las Vegas among 30 teams.
Taylor, who is currently the third-ranked wrestler in the nation, is the second Husker to win the award this season, after Ridge Lovett was honored on Nov. 21.
Up next, the Big Red will host a triangular with Augustana (S.D.) and UN-Kearney on Friday, Dec. 20. The Vikings and Lopers will take the mat first, wrestling at 4 p.m., before the Huskers face Augustana (S.D.) at 6 p.m. The UN-Kearney and Nebraska matchup will start following the conclusion of the previous dual. The Huskers’ duals will have live results and be streamed on Big Ten Plus.
2024-25 Big Ten Wrestler of the Week
Nov. 7
W: Joseph Walker, Sr., MICH
F: Ben Davino, OSU … more at … https://huskers.com/news/2024/12/12/taylor-tabbed-big-ten-wrestler-of-the-week
And …
Down To Optimal Weight, Nebraska Wrestling’s Taylor is ‘Here To Stay’
After earning All-America honors last season at 165 pounds, Antrell Taylor is off to a 12-0 start after going back down to his optimal weight of 157.
Nebraska’s Antrell Taylor is back down to his more natural weight of 157 pounds, and after winning a Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational title, he wants everyone to know he’s here to stay after a brief hiatus up at 165. “I definitely see it as I had something to prove,” Taylor said. “I think I proved that, and like I said at the end of the match ‘I’m here to stay’. That’s the type of mentality I have going into every match from here on out.”
After redshirting at 157 pounds, Taylor spent his first season as the starter up at 165 pounds because Nebraska had All-American Peyton Robb at 157 for his senior season. Taylor went 23-10 and finished eighth at NCAAs for All-American honors as a freshman.
After a year spent competing against much bigger opponents, Taylor says he feels much stronger. The season at 165 accelerated his development because he was forced to figure out new ways to get to his offense. “It definitely helped me develop,” Taylor said of facing larger opponents. “I was shooting a single leg, then come up to the body because that’s my best position — the bodylock position — so just finding different ways to my underhooks and bodylocks and stuff like that because I couldn’t really get through guys as much as I wanted to. I didn’t really shoot as many double-legs last year, so it was just finding different ways to get through guys.”
While up at 165, Taylor amassed a pretty solid hit list, including wins over … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/13209445-down-to-optimal-weight-nebraska-wrestlings-taylor-is-here-to-stay
Wrestlers grapple with rule changes
If veteran wrestling fans were paying attention at the Tom Torres Duals at Los Lunas High School Saturday, they certainly heard a lot more whistles and saw a faster pace than usual.
That’s because high school wrestling has undergone a series of rule changes this season, more in line with college wrestling.
According to a news release from the National Federation of State High School Associations, NFHS, “six major changes impacting almost 30 rules” were adopted in April. “I like the changes,” said Steve Chavez, LLHS coach, who also admitted, “It’s going to be a big change for the kids and for the referee.”
Among the adjustments, a take down is now worth three points instead of two and a near-fall can count anywhere from two to five points, depending on how long the criteria is held. Chavez said points can now pile up faster. “Matches are going to go by quicker. Better wrestlers are going to be getting points faster.”
Belen wrestler Tommy Freeman gives a thumbs up. “I like the rule changes. The three-point take down is changing (wrestling) a lot,” Freeman said. Josh Jaramillo, a BHS wrestler, who has competed at the national level, also approves. “All I do is watch college wrestling, study the stuff,” said Jaramillo. “I knew it was happening, so my mindset was used to it.”
Valencia freshman Cole Houck is excited about the rules, too. “I think it’s cool because the match goes faster,” Houck said. “One point makes a big difference.” Another adjustment fans may notice is that wrestlers “will be inbounds with only one point of contact of either wrestler inside or on the boundary line,” which could cut down on stoppages. More mundane rule changes include a new official’s timeout signal, “both hands/fingers pointing inward to the referee’s chest,” and the 10-foot circle in the … more at … https://www.news-bulletin.com/sports/wrestlers-grapple-with-rule-changes/article_4e448a5a-b7fd-11ef-a958-db1663a8b51b.html

