ACC Dual Meet Results
Card Bounces Back in Win at Missouri
Stanford defeats the Tigers for the first time in program history
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Behind three bonus-point victories, No. 15 Stanford bounced back with a 27-15 win at No. 21 Missouri, Sunday, at the Hearnes Center. The Cardinal (5-2) defeated Missouri (2-7) for the first time in program history after being shut out by the Tigers last season at home. Stanford, which has yet to wrestle a 125 pounder in a dual this season, received bonus points from No. 10 Tyler Knox (133), No. 4 Lorenzo Norman (174) and No. 24 Nick Stemmet (197).
Knox put the Cardinal on the board first with a 12-2 major decision over Kade Moore at 133 pounds. There was no score after the first. Knox chose down to start the second and scored a reversal before Moore countered with one of his own. Knox then scored another to take a 4-2 advantage into the final period. Moore went down and Knox racked up seven near fall points in the third and tacked on the riding-time point to improve to 7-0 in duals. The redshirt freshman moves to 16-2 overall.
Trailing 9-4 in the team score, true freshman EJ Parco registered his first collegiate dual win with a 5-1 decision over Zeke Seltzer at 149 pounds. With no score, Seltzer went down to start the second. Parco was able to ride him out in the period. With 2:00 of riding time to work with, Parco went down to begin the final frame. After notching a quick escape, he gave up a point to Seltzer … more at … https://gostanford.com/news/2025/01/12/card-bounces-back-in-win-at-missouri
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No. 18 Pitt Defeats No. 15 Stanford in ACC Opener, 24-15
PITTSBURGH – The 18th-ranked Pitt wrestling team won six bouts, including three wins by bonus points, to defeat No. 15 Stanford 24-15 in the ACC opener at the Fitzgerald Field House Friday night. The Panthers improved to 6-2 in dual meets and 1-0 in ACC duals.
The Panthers took a 6-0 lead to start the meet after Stanford forfeited the 125-pound match. The Cardinal fought back and won the next two matches to take an 8-6 lead.
Briar Priest came out strong in the 141-pound match with an early takedown to grab a 3-1 lead in the first period. A busy second period tied the match at 5-5 heading into the final two minutes. Priest took the lead on an illegal hold followed by an escape before Miranda had a late takedown in the third period. Priest was awarded one point for riding time to tie the match at 8-8 and send the bout to overtime. Miranda had a takedown to secure the 11-8 sudden victory decision.
No. 26 Finn Solomon secured a 15-0 technical fall win in 4:03 at 149 to give the Panthers an 11-8 lead over the Cardinal. No. 22 Dylan Evans followed with another overtime victory at 157, defeating No. 28 Grigor Cholakyan by a 4-1 decision.
In the 174-pound match, No. 18 Luca Augustine put up a fight against No. 4 Lorenzo Norman. Norman took a 6-2 lead at the end of the first period, but Augustine fought his way back with an escape in the second period and a takedown late in the third. Augustine was not able to hold on as time expired and ultimately dropped the match 8-6. The Panthers went on to win the final three bouts of the night to overcome … more at … https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2025/1/10/wrestling-no-18-pitt-defeats-no-15-stanford-in-acc-opener-24-15.aspx
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No. 18 Panthers Comeback to Defeat No. 22 West Virginia in Backyard Brawl, 25-17
MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – The Backyard Brawl proved to be just that as the 18th-ranked Panthers rallied to win the final four matches and defeat No. 22 West Virginia, 25-17, at the WVU Coliseum Sunday afternoon. The Panthers scored 16 points over the final four matches en route to their victory after trailing the Mountaineers 17-9 after the first six bouts. West Virginia started the dual strong by winning the first three matches, including opening with back-to-back major decision wins, to take an 11-0 lead. Freshman Kade Brown got the Panthers on the board after winning the 149-pound match, defeating Sam Hillegas by a 21-11 major decision. Brown was aggressive from the start with an early takedown to take a 3-0 lead. Hillegas fought back to tie the bout 4-4 but Brown used another takedown with 30 seconds left in the first period for a 7-4 lead. He had two more takedowns to take a 13-6 lead heading into the third and did not let up, scoring two more takedowns and a reversal as the clock ran out.
Redshirt-freshman Dylan Evans continued the momentum for the Panthers to with a 21-6 technical fall win over Sasha Gavronsky at 157, decreasing the Panthers’ deficit to 11-9. Evans attacked early … more at … https://pittsburghpanthers.com/news/2025/1/12/wrestling-no-18-panthers-comeback-to-defeat-no-22-west-virginia-in-backyard-brawl-25-17.aspx
UNC Wrestling Clips No. 8 Virginia Tech, 20-17
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – In the Atlantic Coast Conference opener, the 25th-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels controlled No. 8 Virginia Tech, 20-17, inside Carmichael Arena Friday night.
The win was the first over the Hokies since the 2019-20 campaign, and the first against Virginia Tech in Chapel Hill since the 2018-19 season. Carolina was victorious in five matches on the night: three decisions, one technical fall and one fall.
Beginning the match at 165, Carolina trailed in the team score, 4-0. The momentum shifted in the Tar Heel favor at 174 and 184 pounds, with Joshua Ogunsanya’s decision and Gavin Kane’s second-period fall. Meeting No. 13 Lennox Wolak, Ogunsanya jumped out to an early lead in the opening three minutes courtesy of two takedowns and never looked back, holding on for the 7-4 decision over his former teammate. At 184 pounds, Kane squared off with the Hokies’ 29th-ranked TJ Stewart, battling to a scoreless opening period. Following Stewart’s choice to begin the second period on bottom, Kane was able to collect the fall 29 seconds into the second frame.
Following a sudden victory decision at 197 and fall at heavyweight in favor of the visiting Hokies, the lineup flipped to 125 pounds, as No. 20 Spencer Moore squared off with fourth-ranked Eddie Ventresca. Ventresca forced the match into sudden victory with a third-period escape, tied at one-all, but Moore was able to secure the takedown with 39 seconds remaining in the overtime period. Dillon Campbell’s riding time point at 133 pounds sent the matchup against Tar Heel Ethan Oakley into sudden victory for the second-straight match, with Oakley working for the three-point takedown and decision, 4-1. The country’s sixth-ranked at 149-pounds, Lachlan McNeil, cruised to a 22-6 technical fall for the final Carolina win of the night, behind a five-takedown first period. … more at … https://goheels.com/news/2025/1/10/wrestling-clips-no-8-virginia-tech-20-17
More Big Ten Dual Meet Results
No. 16 Rutgers Downs No. 24 Indiana, 28-6
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – No. 16 Rutgers wrestling (9-2, 1-0) opened Big Ten Conference action with a 28-6 road win at No. 24 Indiana (4-2, 0-2) on Friday night in Bloomington. The Scarlet Knights won eight out of 10 bouts against the Hoosiers, which included five ranked victories and a fall from No. 23 Jackson Turley (174).
No. 8 Yaraslau Slavikouski (HWT), No. 16 Dean Peterson (125), No. 18 John Poznanski (197) and No. 27 Shane Cartagena-Walsh (184) all delivered decisions over ranked foes, with Peterson extending his winning streak to 12. Turley pinned NCAA qualifier Derek Gilcher in 50 seconds for his fourth fall of the season. Friday marked RU’s first win over a ranked opponent this season … more at … https://scarletknights.com/news/2025/1/10/no-16-wrestling-downs-no-24-indiana-28-6.aspx
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Feldman Delivers Late, No. 4 Ohio State Outlasts No. 17 Rutgers, 17-15
COLUMBUS, Ohio —Nick Feldman delivered another third-period takedown to earn the deciding team points in No. 4 Ohio State’s (10-0, 2-0) 17-15 comeback win over No. 17 Rutgers (9-3, 1-1) Sunday at the Covelli Center (3,757).
Only one of the 10 matches were decided with bonus points in the narrow victory by the Buckeyes. Trailing 6-0 early, Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez earned five points for the Buckeyes with a 17-2 win by technical fall in his match at 141.
Dylan D’Emilio gave the Buckeyes their first lead at 8-6 with a 2-1 win over No. 24 Andrew Clark at 149. Ohio State kept its lead with wins by Sammy Sasso (157) and Carson Kharchla (174). Rutgers then won at 184 … more at … https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/news/2025/1/12/wrestling-feldman-delivers-late-no-4-ohio-state-outlasts-no-17-rutgers-17-15
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Nittany Lion Wrestling Opens Up Big Ten Action With 55-0 Shutout Over Michigan State
Penn State notches six falls and ties margin of victory record
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team (7-0, 1-0 B1G) opened up Big Ten dual meet action on Friday by shutting out Michigan State (2-2, 0-1 B1G) 55-0 in sold out Rec Hall. Penn State tallied six pins in the victory.
The shutout was the fourth of the year for Penn State and the 55-0 margin over victory tied the school record (55-0 over Buffalo on Feb. 18, 2018, in Rec Hall). Penn State held Michigan State to no takedowns in the dual meet as well.
The dual began at 285. Senior+ Greg Kerkvliet, ranked No. 2 at 285, opened up the dual meet by pinning Max Vanadia in less than a minute. Kerkvliet got the fall at 0:56 to give Penn State an early 6-0 lead. Penn State true freshman Luke Lilledahl, ranked No. 12 at 125, … more at … https://gopsusports.com/news/2025/01/11/nittany-lion-wrestling-opens-up-big-ten-action-with-55-0-shutout-over-michigan-state
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Iowa rolls to 45-0 shutout over Wisconsin in Big Ten Conference dual opener
Hawkeyes post 7 bonus-point victories in 13th straight win over the Badgers
University of Iowa was too good, too tough and simply too much for Wisconsin.
The Hawkeyes ran the table to win its Big Ten Conference dual opener. Second-ranked Iowa dominated Wisconsin, posting seven bonus-point victories and rolling to a 45-0 shutout Sunday afternoon at Wisconsin Field House in Madison, Wis. The Hawkeyes have won 13 straight against and 44 of the last 45 against the Badgers. “Lot of bonus points,” Iowa Coach Tom Brands said. “A shutout, so 10-of-10 in matches. We have Illinois in five days, don’t want to downplay this but we do have to get ready. It’s going quick now.”
Iowa’s Joey Cruz got the nod at 125 to start the dual. He capitalized on the opportunity with two takedowns in an 8-2 decision over Nicolar Rivera, who is ranked as high as 14 th nationally. The Hawkeyes (7-0, 1-0 Big Ten) continued to soar, receiving their first bonus-point finish from No. 4 Drake Ayala at 133. The 2024 NCAA finalist tallied five takedowns in a 21-6 technical fall over Zan Fugitt. Ayala closed strong, posting 14 points, including four nearfall, in the final period. … more at … https://www.thegazette.com/iowa-hawkeyes/iowa-rolls-to-45-0-shutout-over-wisconsin-in-big-ten-conference-dual-opener/
Big Ten Dual Meet Results
Upsets Help No. 4 Buckeyes Down No. 10 Illinois, 24-9
Buckeyes return to Columbus to face No. 17 Rutgers Sunday
COLUMBUS, Ohio — No. 4 Ohio State (9-0, 1-0) defeated No. 10 Illinois (6-1, 1-1) at Huff Hall in Champaign, Illinois, Friday behind a pair of upsets by unranked Buckeyes. Ohio State won seven of the 10 matches in a 24-9 victory.
Freshman e’Than Birden (165) and redshirt sophomore Seth Shumate (197) both earned wins over ranked Illini wrestlers.
How it Happened
125-No. 10 Brendan McCrone (R-So.) def. Caelan Riley (Jr.) | D, 5-0
McCrone opened the Big Ten season with a takedown early in the first. He took a 3-0 score into the second and then added an escape for a 4-0 lead. With a point for riding time, McCrone got the win by decision, 5-0.
133-No. 2 Lucas Byrd (R-Sr.) def. No. 9 Nic Bouzakis (R-So.) | D, 8-5 SV-1
Bouzakis struck first with a takedown to lead quickly 3-1 after a Byrd escape. Bouzakis added an escape early in the second for a 4-1 lead. Byrd tied it at 4-all with an edge-of-the-mat takedown that was challenged by Ohio State but to no avail. Bouzakis reclaimed the lead with an escape to head to the third leading 5-4. Byrd escaped to tie the bout to send the match to sudden victory. Byrd then got the victory with a takedown to win, 8-5.
141-No. 1 Jesse Mendez (Jr.) def. No. 13 Danny Pucino (R-Jr.) | F, 1:47
Mendez opened the scoring with a takedown and then got the pin at 1:47.
149-No. 12 Dylan D’Emilio (Gr.) def. No. 11 Kannon Webster (R-Fr.) | D, 2-0
The first period ended with no score. D’Emilio went up 1-0 with an escape to … more at … https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/news/2025/1/10/wrestling-no-4-buckeyes-v-no-11-illinois
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Terps Roll Past Michigan State, 27-11, Sweep Weekend In Michigan
EAST LANSING, MI — Maryland wrestling completed a weekend sweep of the state of Michigan with a 27-11 win over the Michigan State Spartans.
After dropping a close match at 125 to kick off the dual, the Terps won four consecutive matches before the intermission break, with Braxton Brown and Ethen Miller picking up wins by bonus points to lead the way. Kal Miller won in sudden victory while freshman Dario Lemus picked up his first career Big Ten dual victory.
True freshman Alex Uryniak started the second-half of the match off strong with his first career Big Ten dual victory. Jaxon Smith added a fall after just over a minute of action and Seth Nevills closed out the match with a major decision victory. … details at … https://umterps.com/news/2025/1/12/wrestling-terps-roll-past-michigan-state-27-11-sweep-weekend-in-michigan.aspx
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Terps Upset No. 10 Michigan 19-18, Earn First Top-10 Win Since 2009
ANN ARBOR, MI — Maryland wrestling opened up the 2025 Big Ten season in impressive fashion, stunning the 10th-ranked Michigan Wolverines, 19-18, getting the winning point on criteria thanks to Braxton Brown’s pin at 133.
It was Maryland’s first win over a top-10 team since Nov. 20, 2009, when the No. 10 Terps defeated No. 4 Cornell in Ithaca, by a score of 18-17. It was the first time the Terps beat a top-10 team as un ranked opponent since Nov. 24, 2007 when they topped No. 5 Michigan, 18-16. … more at … https://umterps.com/news/2025/1/10/wrestling-terps-upset-no-10-michigan-19-18-earn-first-top-10-win-since-2007.aspx
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#25 Boilers Open B1G Season With Win Over Wildcats
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The No. 25 Purdue wrestling team opened its Big Ten Conference slate with a 31-13 win over Northwestern Friday night in Holloway Gymnasium.
The Boilermakers (7-1, 1-0 B1G) earned five bonus point wins to match their best dual record since the 2019-20 season.
The team donned special edition volt-colored uniforms for its annual Hammer Down Cancer dual. The wrestlers’ match-worn singlets were auctioned off to fans seeking a piece of history, with all proceeds benefiting the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research.
Purdue improved to 49-44-2 in the all-time series against the Wildcats … more at … https://purduesports.com/news/2025/1/10/wrestling-boilers-open-b1g-season-with-win-over-wildcats
Camels have strong showing at F&M Open with two champions, five finalists
LANCASTER, Pa. – Campbell wrestling came away with two champions and three second place finishes at the David H. Lehman ’68 Franklin & Marshall Open held at the Alumni Sports and Fitness Center on Friday.
Anthony Molton became an F&M Open champion for the second straight season, going 5-0 on the day. The No. 1 seed at 125 pounds, he started his day with two consecutive tech falls. Molton’s effort builds off his third-place finish at the Southern Scuffle earlier this week.
Wynton Denkins also was undefeated in Lancaster with a 6-0 mark. The No. 2 seed, Denkins had three bonus-point wins, followed by three consecutive wins against seeded opponents. His semifinal win was against the No. 3 seed, Kai Owens from Columbia, who was an NCAA qualifier last season.
The two first-place finishers mark the first time Campbell has had multiple champions at this event. Five finalists are also the most in a single F&M Open for the Camels.
Cooper Shore, Shannon Hanna and Levi Hopkins made up the rest of the finalists. Shore was undefeated until his matchup with Molton in the championship bout at 125 pounds. The two teammates did not wrestle, and Shore was awarded second place.
Hanna split matches against All Americans on Friday, earning a win over Ryan Jack (NC State – Unattached). The two were deadlocked at five points each through the first sudden victory period, … more at … https://gocamels.com/news/2025/1/10/wrestling-camels-have-strong-showing-at-f-m-open-with-two-champions-five-finalists.aspx
App. State Wrestling Posts Impressive SoCon Win at The Citadel
CHARLESTON, S.C. — In a showdown of teams that were top-three SoCon finishers a year ago, an App State Wrestling squad with five freshmen in its 10-man lineup recorded victories in the final nine matches to claim a 31-3 win at The Citadel on Sunday.
App State (2-2 overall, 2-0 SoCon) followed a league-opening win at VMI with another road victory, highlighted by No. 33 Carson Floyd’s 4-3 decision against No. 27 Patrick Brophy in a ranked battle at 197 pounds. Aldo Hernandez accounted for one of App State’s four major decisions in his first career dual start at 141, and fellow redshirt freshman Logan Eller also posted his first career dual win at 184.
No. 8 Will Miller took his first lead on a takedown with about a minute left in a 6-4 decision against Thomas Snipes at 165, and redshirt freshman Jeremiah Price bounced back from a recent 5-3 loss to Pitt transfer Tyler Badgett at the Southern Scuffle by winning a 5-2 decision over Badgett at 157. Kaden Keiser, meanwhile, won an 8-3 decision at 149 against Carson DesRosier, who entered the dual with a 14-3 record for the Bulldogs (3-2, 0-1).
The Mountaineers’ other victories were bonus-point results that came from Chad Bellis (11-1 major at 133), Luke Uliano (8-0 shutout at 174) and true freshman Stephan Monchery (11-3 major at heavyweight). Uliano led 1-0 entering the third period against Ben Haubert and rode out the final two minutes, producing near falls worth two and four points before earning a bonus point because of his riding time.
After they split two matches last season, Floyd turned defense into offense for a takedown and rideout with just under two minutes left in the first period against Brophy, who cut his deficit to 4-3 with a second-period takedown. With Floyd’s riding time at approximately 40 seconds entering the third, Brophy chose neutral instead of starting on bottom with a one-point deficit, and … more at … https://appstatesports.com/news/2025/1/12/wrestling-posts-impressive-socon-win-at-the-citadel.aspx
Wrestling grows at all levels, with USA Wrestling and high schools leading the way
By Gary Abbott’s List of Biggest Stories in 2024
During the pandemic, there was a big concern that wrestling, a combat sport which does not allow for social distancing, might take a big hit when the world was shut down. However, the absolute opposite has been the reality. Due to creative and aggressive health protocols for wrestling events, the sport bounced back quickly and is now in an impressive growth trend. In 2024, USA Wrestling set new records in membership, blowing past 300,000 members for the first time, with 334,494 at the end of the 2023-24 season. Female wrestling led the way with 30% growth during the year, but expansion happened across the board, in all age-levels, in every part of the country and for both males and females. This growth was also reflected at the high school level. According to the NFHS press release, “the two biggest story lines are the increases in all forms of high school football, and the continued rise in both girls and boys wrestling.” Girls wrestling is the fastest growing sport in the nation, hands-down, but boys wrestling is also growing quickly. The NFHS reported that boys wrestling grew by 32,443 athletes in 2023-24 and has had a 25% increase since the 2021-22 season. Entries for both boys and girls at major USA Wrestling events are also setting records. College wrestling is seeing the addition of new programs for men and women in all of the organizations (NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, etc.). It has been said that we are in the golden era for wrestling in the United States and the data is proving this to be true. The mission for all leaders within wrestling is to fuel continued growth in strategic ways that brings the world’s greatest sport to even more people in the future. … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2024/december/28/abbott-blog-top-10-wrestling-stories-of-2024
UNC’s Moore, NCSU’s Robinson Tabbed ACC Co-Wrestlers of the Week
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Following a top-5 win versus a top-10 team, North Carolina’s Spencer Moore and NC State’s Vince Robinson were named Atlantic Coast Conference Co-Wrestlers of the Week following matches from January 10-13.
In North Carolina’s ACC opener versus No. 8 Virginia Tech on Friday, January 10, No. 20 Moore picked up his first top-5 win of the season with a 4-1 sudden victory win over No. 4 Eddie Ventresca of Virginia Tech at 125 pounds. After Ventresca forced the match into sudden victory with an escape in the third period to tie the match at 1-1, Moore was able to secure a takedown with 39 seconds remaining in the overtime period for the decision.
The win was the first for the Tar Heels over the Hokies since the 2019-20 season and the first against Virginia Tech in Chapel Hill since the 2018-19 season.
NC State’s match at No. 3 Oklahoma State, which was moved to Monday, January 13, due to weather conditions, started with a win from Robinson at 125 pounds to put the No. 5 Wolfpack in front 3-0 in the match. No. 11 Robinson, who returned to the NC State lineup after not competing for over a month, defeated No. 2 Troy Spratley of the Cowboys 7-3 to start the dual. … more at … https://theacc.com/news/2025/1/14/wrestling-uncs-moore-ncsus-robinson-tabbed-acc-co-wrestlers-of-the-week.aspx
No. 6 Huskers Outlast No. 4 Gophers
The No. 6 Nebraska wrestling team took down No. 4 Minnesota behind the efforts of three upset victories for the Big Red, winning the dual 21-13. Head coach Mark Manning notched his 300th dual win at Nebraska, and the Huskers improved to 6-1 (1-0 Big Ten) while handing the Gophers (4-1, 0-1 Big Ten) their first loss of the season.
The Saturday afternoon crowd of 3,518 at the Devaney Center set the stage for the Big Ten home opener, and the Huskers came out on top in the top-10 matchup, taking seven of 10 bouts and three of four top-10 ranked individual matches.
Starting at 157, the Huskers’ fifth-ranked Antrell Taylor took on No. 10 Tommy Askey. The pair traded escapes in the first two periods, and went scoreless in the third to force overtime. Taylor took control quickly into the sudden victory period, and claimed the win with a takedown. The sophomore notched his 14th victory of the season, sixth ranked win, and three points for the Big Red. It was Askey’s first loss of the season.
Next, Christopher Minto faced No. 9 Andrew Sparks at 165. Minto struck first with a two-point reversal in the second period. Trailing in the third, Minto scored a takedown to take the lead at 5-4. He held that lead to the end of the period, scoring the second victory for Nebraska, and extending the overall lead to 6-0. The win was Minto’s 13th of the season, and the upset was the second of his career to topple a ranked opponent.
On the mat at 174 was No. 16 Lenny Pinto and Minnesota’s No. 24 Clayton Whiting. Two takedowns gave Pinto the 6-2 lead entering the second period. A penalty and escape in the third, along with riding time, gave Pinto the 9-3 decision. … more at … https://huskers.com/news/2025/01/11/no-6-huskers-outlast-no-4-gophers
What to Watch: Week 11 of the College Wrestling Season
As Week 11 of the college wrestling season kicks off, many teams begin their conference schedules, gearing up for some of the most intense matches of the season. Wrestling fans won’t want to miss the NWCA National Duals happening in Iowa this weekend, where teams from five divisions are set to compete.
NWCA National Duals
Date: January 10-11, 2025
Time: 10 a.m. CT
Location: UNI-Dome, Cedar Falls, Iowa
Where to Watch: FloWrestling
Teams from multiple divisions travel to Cedar Falls, Iowa, for the annual NWCA National Duals. Competition begins on Friday, January 10, and continues into Saturday. Brackets have been released for the following divisions: NCAA DI Men, NCAA DII Men, NCAA DIII Men and NAIA Men. For more information, visit themat.com.
NAIA Men: Campbellsville, Corban, Cumberlands, Doane, Eastern Oregon, Embry-Riddle, Grand View, Indiana Tech, Life, Missouri Valley, Montana State Northern, Morningside, Oklahoma City, Providence, Reinhardt, … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2025/january/09/what-to-watch-week-11-of-the-college-wrestling-season
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5 college wrestling duals to watch this weekend
With nearly two dozen upcoming college duals this weekend featuring ranked teams, there’s no shortage of great action to watch. Here are five duals in particular worth your attention.
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Friday, Jan. 10: No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 11 Illinois, 8 p.m. on BTN+
Ranked No. 4 in the country, the Buckeyes have nine wrestlers in the top 15 and are loaded with stars. Illinois, though, poses a sneaky challenge in this dual, as the Illini are favored in half of the projected bouts in this Big Ten battle. The home mat advantage in Illinois is notable here as well, particularly in a dual where every weight will matter.
If the dual begins 125 pounds, Ohio State will have the advantage at the start with No. 10 Brendan McCrone, a sophomore who has made big jumps this year but is fresh off a 6-5 loss to Maximo Renteria of Oregon State. This is one of just two weights where Illinois does not have a ranked wrestler, so McCrone’s job will be to go out and win with bonus to swing the momentum toward Ohio State before the top-10 battle at 133 pounds between No. 9 Nic Bouzakis and No. 2 Lucas Bryd.
Byrd and Bouzakis have not hit yet in their college wrestling careers because Byrd was out with an injury last season, but expect this match to be fast-paced and intense. Byrd is 9-0 on the year and heavily favored, but Bouzakis does have wins over All-Americans Dylan Ragusin and Anthony Noto this year with his only non-teammate loss coming against Cliff Keen champ Zeth Romney. There’s a path for both teams to win without the match, though the possibility becomes narrower for Illinois if Byrd drops to Bouzakis. Ohio State will then be favored at 141 pounds with No. 1 Jesse Mendez vs. No. 13 Danny Puncino, 157 pounds with No. 7 Paddy Gallagher vs. Jason Kraisser, … more at … https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/article/2025-01-09/5-college-wrestling-duals-watch-weekend
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
