Bianchi’s Upset Victory Powers Little Rock to Fourth Straight Win
Trojans finish 6-4 on the day to stay unbeaten in duals
In a thrilling dual featuring as many overtime matches as those decided in regulation, Little Rock Wrestling clinched its fourth consecutive victory, remaining undefeated in dual competition with a 6-4 performance on the day.
“There were a lot of ups and downs, a lot of emotional moments, a lot of really awesome moments. The team we wrestled is gritty and tough and they make your life tough, but we found a way to score a lot of points and get after them a certain matches. It’s definitely something we’re encouraged about, but there’s always room to be better.” Coach Erisman on the win over Central Michigan
How It Happened
The action began at 125, where Tyson Roach made his dual debut against (R) Freshman Kaden Chinavare. After a scoreless first period, Chinavare pulled ahead in the second with an escape and takedown, ultimately holding off Roach’s late comeback attempt for a 9-6 win.
Trailing 0-3, Nasir Bailey wasted no time getting Little Rock on the board at 133. The standout sophomore pinned Sean Spidle in just 1:24, giving the Trojans a 6-3 lead.
At 141, Cole Minnick faced Kellan Aure in a cautious match that ended in Aure’s favor with a second-period pin, putting Central Michigan ahead 9-6.
Brennan Van Hoecke evened the score at 149, defeating Colin Kacena 11-5 in a high-paced final period.
The turning point came at 157, where Matty Bianchi faced Johnny Lovett in the first of three overtime matches. After a tense regulation, Bianchi secured a sudden-victory takedown to win 3-1, giving the Trojans a 12-9 lead heading into intermission. … more at … https://lrtrojans.com/news/2024/12/8/wrestling-bianchis-upset-victory-powers-little-rock-to-fourth-straight-win.aspx
Penn State Takes Down Lehigh 36-3 in Sold Out PPL Center
Nittany Lions win nine of ten, post 21-1 takedown edge, in front of nearly 10,000 fans.
ALLENTOWN, Pa. – The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team (2-0, 0-0 B1G) took down Lehigh (1-2) in a Pennsylvania intra-state dual meet on Sunday in Allentown, Pa. Penn State won nine of ten bouts in a lopsided 36-3 victory.
The dual was wrestled in Allentown’s PPL Center in front of a sold-out crowd of 9,769. All rankings listed are InterMat/InterMat Tournament Power Index (TPI).
The dual began at 125. Penn State true freshman Luke Lilledahl, ranked No. 16 at 125, opened up the dual with a 4-1 win over No. 15 Sheldon Seymour, notching a late counter takedown for the victory. Sophomore Braeden Davis, ranked No. 10 at 133, battled No. 1 Ryan Crookham tough, forcing two late stalls but dropping a tough 4-2 decision.
Senior+ Beau Bartlett, ranked No. 3 at 141, gave Penn State a 6-3 lead in the dual meet with a 5-0 win over Mountain Hawk Carter Bailey, using a first period takedown, an escape and riding time to grab the victory. Sophomore Shayne Van Ness, ranked No. 2 at 149, followed that up with a strong 17-3 major decision over Matt Repos, working up five takedowns in the win. Sophomore Tyler Kasak, ranked No. 4 at 157, used a second period takedown as the edge in a hard fought 5-2 win over Logan Rozynski to close out the first half for Penn State. The Nittany Lions led 13-3 at the midway point.
Sophomore Mitchell Mesenbrink, ranked No. 1 at 165, opened up the second half … more at … https://gopsusports.com/news/2024/12/8/penn-state-takes-down-lehigh-36-3-in-sold-out-ppl-center
Eight Title Winners Nets Gophers Team Crown at Cougar Clash
MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota wrestling claimed eight of the 10 titles en route to winning the team title Saturday at the Cougar Clash in Edwardsville, Ill.
The titles came from redshirt juniors Cooper Flynn (125 pounds), Vance VomBaur (141) and Drew Roberts (149), fifth-year seniors Tommy Askey (157) and Andrew Sparks (165), redshirt sophomore Clayton Whiting (174), and redshirt freshmen Max McEnelly (184) and Gavin Nelson (197).
In addition, the Golden Gophers had finalists at 133 pounds (sophomore Tyler Wells), 174 pounds (redshirt freshman Ethan Riddle) and heavyweight (redshirt junior Bennett Tabor). Minnesota’s 268.5 team points were well ahead of second-place Missouri’s 183.0, while Northern Colorado was third at 157.0. No other team had more than 90 points.
Flynn, ranked 13th by Intermat, was 3-0 on the day en route to his first tournament title as a Gopher. After a first-round bye, he pinned Illinois’ Anthony Ruzic at 4:57, then topped No. 14 Noah Surtin of Missouri, 8-2. In the finals, Flynn picked up his second rank win as he took down No. 5 Stevo Poulin of Northern Colorado, 7-1. Down 1-0 after 2 periods, Flynn tied it with an escape then took down Poulin and added three nearfall points to claim the title.
The fifth-ranked VomBaur cruised through his first two matches, pinning Missouri’s Owen Uhls at 5:55 then getting a 17-4 major decision against another Tiger in Easton Hilton. The finals featured a rematch from last year’s NCAA Championship Blood Round between VomBaur and Missouri’s Josh Edmond, currently ranked 18th. After an 8-5 overtime win last year, VomBaur did it again in a 4-3 win Saturday to take the 141-pound title. An escape and takedown in the first period was enough for VomBaur to prevail.
Roberts finished a 4-0 day with a 12-1 major decision over Northern Colorado’s Benji Alanis to win the crown at 149 pounds. Roberts outscored opponents 49-9 Saturday in his first tournament appearance of the season. Askey, ranked No. 7, took the title at 157 pounds with a 13-4 major decision over James Conway of Missouri. Askey had two first-period takedowns and added another in the second to put the match away. Going 4-0 on the day, he alternated a decision with a major decision on his way to improving his record to 10-0 on the year.
A dominant day for No. 11 Andrew Sparks ended in a 5-0 title win … more at … https://gophersports.com/news/2024/12/7/wrestling-eight-title-winners-nets-gophers-team-crown-at-cougar-clash
Brands Notches Win 300 As Hawkeyes Down Princeton and Army
ST. CHARLES, Missouri – The University of Iowa wrestling team won a pair of duals on Friday night at Francis Howell High School at the Journeymen ‘Unvicil War’. The Hawkeyes defeated Princeton, 39-3, before defeating Army, 23-16, in the nightcap. The second win was head coach Tom Brand’s 300th career dual victory. “We have a lot of work to do,” said Brands. “This team has a lot of work to do. It’s a characteristic of a good coach to be looking ahead not behind.”
The Hawkeyes won 15 of the 20 bouts in the two duals and secured bonus points in 11 matches. In the opening dual of the night the Hawkeyes won nine bouts over Princeton. Including six straight via bonus points. Iowa started the run of technical fall victories with Kyle Parco at 149 as he defeated Christopher Martino, 17-2. Miguel Estrada made his dual debut defeating Cody Tavoso, 21-6, at 157. At 165, Michael Caliendo won 19-3 over Hudson Hightower and Nelson Brands won 20-4 over Xavier Giles at 174. Stephen Buchanan also tallied a technical fall at 197 over No. 18 Luke Stout, 18-3. Iowa got major decisions from Drake Ayala over Daniel Jones, 13-2, … more at … https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2024/12/06/brands-notches-win-300-hawkeyes-down-princeton-and-army/
Montreat Men’s wrestling splits tri-dual at Pikeville
PIKEVILLE, Ky.— The Montreat men’s wrestling team passed through the state of Kentucky Friday evening for a tri-dual hosted by the University of Pikeville. Competing in team duals for the first time this season, the Cavaliers dropped their nonconference matchup versus the Midway University Eagles before rebounding with an Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) triumph over the University of Pikeville Bears. With the split, Montreat started the season 1-1 (1-0 AAC).
Midway (2-1) secured a dual victory over the Cavs by winning the initial six bouts. Montreat forfeited the 125-lb matchup, and the Eagles utilized two pins and a trio of tech falls to extend their lead up to 33-0.
Three consecutive triumphs helped the Cavaliers close the gap. Dalton Towe got Montreat on the board with a 7-5 decision at 174. Milosz Gargol then followed up Towe’s effort with a 13-3 major decision at 184 before Seth Williamson pinned his 197-lb opponent in 6:09. MU responded with a tech fall in the final bout, though, sealing a 38-13 nonconference victory.
Pikeville (0-2, 0-1 AAC) tried to follow Midway’s script as it also got off to a good start. A forfeit paired with a major decision and a fall vaulted the hosts out to a 16-0 advantage; however, the visitors swiftly flipped the dual in their favor.
Freshman Mikai Brinson notched a pin at 149, while Dylan Hogan did the same wrestling in the 165-lb bout. Coupled with four forfeits, Montreat surged in front of its counterpart, 36-16. The Bears snagged a pin in the final showdown to trim the deficit, but the Cavs still captured their first win of the year via a 36-22 final. … more at … https://montreatcavaliers.com/news/2024/12/6/mens-wrestling-mens-wrestling-splits-tri-dual-at-pikeville.aspx
USA Wrestling launches Grow Greco campaign to support development of Greco-Roman wrestling in the U.S.
USA Wrestling has kicked off a year-long fundraising campaign entitled Grow Greco to further the growth and development of Greco-Roman wrestling in the country.
The U.S. Greco-Roman coaching staff has earmarked a $250,000 fundraising goal for 2025 to support Greco-Roman specific initiatives that include national and international training and competition opportunities, developmental camps across the U.S., and building pipelines for youth athletes to pursue a career in the specialized international discipline. “Supporting Greco-Roman wrestling is more than just a contribution to our program; it’s an investment in the future of our athletes and a legacy of excellence. Every dollar donated helps us build a stronger, more competitive team, providing athletes with opportunities to reach their full potential on the global stage,” said Herb House, U.S. National Greco-Roman Head Coach.
The U.S. qualified four athletes to compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Greco-Roman wrestling, a feat only nine countries achieved for Paris.
2024 was a banner year for the U.S. age-group World Team’s. The U17 team finished in fifth place with two medalists, including one champion. The U20 team earned three medals and placed sixth as a team. Additionally, the U.S. won its first Greco-Roman medal at the U23 level.
Contributions put directly toward the Greco-Roman program will help continue the upward trajectory seen in 2024 and assist in providing the necessary resources for sustained international success in the style. “Your support fuels athlete training and competition, … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2024/december/06/usa-wrestling-launches-grow-greco-campaign-to-support-development-of-greco-roman-wrestling-in-the-u-s-
Ryan Mann and Holton Quincy presented Heverly & Carroll Awards
The 2024 Roy Heverly and Lee Carroll Awards were presented to North East Carolina Prep School State Champions Ryan Mann and Holton Quincy during a pause between matches during their first home meet today. The TakeDown Report Editor, Martin Fleming presented these awards to Ryan and Holton. These awards recognize top underclassmen wrestlers in eastern North Carolina.
Holton Quincy was presented the 26th Annual Lee Carroll Award for excellence in athletics, academics and sportsmanship in northeastern North Carolina last season. Holton was the first freshman state champion in Edgecombe County history with 52 wins and 1 loss last season.
Lee Carroll started wrestling as a sophomore when Tarboro High School re-started their program in 1992. Lee won 112 matches in 3 years with the Vikings. Lee was state runner-up his junior year before becoming a record setting undefeated state champion in 1995 with a (50-0) record. Lee went on to start four years at North Carolina State qualifying for the Nationals 3 times. Lee has taught engineering graphics at N.C. State and has his own interactive design agency, Forged Media, in Raleigh. He is a member of the Tarboro High Athletic Hall of Fame.
Previous award winners include Ryan Mann in 2023, Caleb Beaty of Corinth-Holders (2022), Logan Tortual of Rosewood (2021). Javon Armstrong of Pamlico County (2020), Aaron Bancroft of Wilson-Fike (2019), Timothy and Christian Decatur of Rosewood (2018), Jaqwuez Norman of Farmville Central (2017), Kaleb Taylor of Rosewood (2016), Wilson Smith of Rocky Mount (2015 & 2014), Angel Najar of North Pitt (2013), Alexander Knight and Jacineto Williamson of Rocky Mount in 2012, Chris Fess of Beddingfield and Tamaris Lane of Nash Central in 2011, Chandler Phillips of Rocky Mount (2010), Landon Lucas of SW Edgecombe (2009), Corey Smith (2008) and Eric Sutton (2007) of Tarboro, Zach Shearin and Paul Horner (2006) and Pat Anstead (2004) of Southern Nash, Jimmy McNamara (2005) of Wilson Hunt and Sammi Hadi (2003) of SW Edgecombe.
Ryan Mann was presented the 26th Annual Roy Heverly Award for his excellence in athletics, academics and sportsmanship in eastern North Carolina. He earned his first state medal as a freshman at 120 pounds and the first state medalist in wrestling for N.E. Carolina Prep School. As a sophomore, Mann a state finalist with a (58-1) record. After an undefeated season last year his scholastic career record, so far, is 145 wins and 5 losses.
Previous ‘Roy Heverly Award’ winners include Ian Fritz in 2023, Joe Sculthorpe(2014) and Matteson Correll(2013) of Topsail, Alex Hopper(2022), Mark Samuel(2021 & 2020) and Frank Hickman(2007) of Wilmington Laney, Caleb Beaty(2021) of Wake Forest, River Carroll(2020) of Swansboro, Christian Decatur(2019) and Nick Quillen(2012) of Rosewood, Alec Sampson(2018) of Hoggard, Beau Studebaker(2017) of East Carteret, Harrison Campbell(2016) of West Brunswick, Blaine Mainz(2015) of and Tyler Ross(2012) of Jacksonville, Jake Smith(2011) and Charlie Millea(2008) of Havelock, Marquin Hill(2010) of Washington, Ryan Blackwell(2009) and Sean O’Laker(2006) of Croatan, Eddie Sawyer(2005) and Brian Lashomb(2004) of Currituck County and Raymond Jordan of New Bern in 2003,
The award is named in honor of former state champion Roy Heverly, a 4 time state medalist at West Carteret and three time All-American at The University of North Carolina-Pembroke. The TakeDown Report promotes amateur wrestling in eastern North Carolina, sponsors these Awards. “These awards recognize successful wrestlers in the area each year.” Fleming noted, “It encourages the young men from the teams in the eastern part of the state with another opportunity for all to realize the hard work, determination and discipline it takes to be a top wrestler,” he added. The TDR ranks wrestlers in the ‘TDR Top 12’ as displayed on the TDR Blog page. The TDR has been involved in reporting wrestling results and encouraging media coverage of amateur wrestling in eastern North Carolina for over 25 years. Contact the TDR at martinkfleming@gmail.com and check our blog at https://takedownreport.wordpress.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/The-TakeDown-Report-235098404048/
Virginia Tech’s Caleb Henson Named ACC Wrestler of the Week
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Virginia Tech junior Caleb Henson was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestler of the Week for matches held from December 5-8.
Henson proved why he is the No. 1 nationally ranked wrestler at 149 pounds, going 5-0 to take home the 149-pound championship at the 2024 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. He is the first Hokie to win a title at the prestigious Las Vegas event since 2018. At the CLKV Invitational, Henson was a perfect 5-0 with three bonus point victories and three wins over ranked opponents.
He started the tournament with back-to-back technical fall wins over Noah Tapia of Hofstra (17-2; 3:33) and Jagger French of Cal Poly (19-3; 5:38) before securing a 6-3 decision over No. 20 Carter Young of Oklahoma State in the quarterfinals. Henson then went on to defeat All-American Jaden Abas of Stanford, ranked No. 14, in the semifinals via fall with a time of 6:53, advancing to his second consecutive CKLV finals appearance.
In the finals, Henson faced off with No. 5 Ridge Lovett of Nebraska, to whom he lost in the Vegas finals last year but would go on to defeat in the 2024 NCAA Championship semifinals last March. The two grapplers went to-to-toe for all three periods and then into sudden victory where Henson scored a three-point takedown to pick up the 6-3 win.
With his five wins last week, Henson improved his season record to 11-0. … more at … https://theacc.com/news/2024/12/10/wrestling-virginia-techs-caleb-henson-named-acc-wrestler-of-the-week.aspx
NC State Wrestling Charged Up For ‘Toughest Tournament In The Country’
North Carolina State won’t have a full lineup, but the Wolfpack is ready to tangle with the loaded field at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational
It’s hard to argue that the Cliff Keen Invitational is not college wrestling’s top in-season tournament each year. This year marks the third straight year NC State will be among the teams competing in Las Vegas. Last year, 37 out of the 80 2024 All-Americans competed at the Cliff Keen Invite. This year will feature eight of the top 12 teams ranked in this week’s Flowrestling rankings “Anytime you can get into an arena and have that many guys going on and placing at NCAAs, you know that is the toughest tournament in the country,” NC State coach Pat Popolizio said. “There is not another tournament in the country (during the season) that mirrors what goes on in Las Vegas.
“We love going to it. We know with the amount of competition there every year, our guys need to zone in and focus. We gave ourselves a month of completion to be ready for this level of competition.” Not all 10 starters will be in action for NC State in Las Vegas this weekend.
Christian Knop is still out after having to injury default in the dual against Appalachian State on Nov. 15. Stepping into his spot at 197 pounds will be sophomore Andrew Macchiavello, the younger brother of 2018 national champion Michael Macchiavello. Kai Orine and Dylan Fishback will also not compete this weekend. Orine won the 133-pound weight class in Las Vegas last year, while Fishback also reached the podium with a seventh-place showing.
Early-Season Standouts
A pair of Wolfpack wrestlers have turned heads with their early season results, and both were not in the lineup last year as they redshirted. They will also compete in perhaps the top two weight classes at the Cliff Keen — 125 pounds and heavyweight. One was expected to make the jump into the top-10 this year, while the second started as a backup and has caught the attention of many after his great start to the season as an unknown.
Isaac Trumble redshirted last year after starting his first two seasons at 197 pounds. Now at heavyweight, Trumble is ranked fifth nationally. He is also a past Cliff Keen champion back in his 197-pound days. … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/13131773-nc-state-wrestling-charged-up-for-toughest-tournament-in-the-country
College Dual Meet Results
Drexel Earns Dominant Victory Over Clarion, 31-3
CLARION, Pa. – The Drexel wrestling team took down Clarion on the road Wednesday night in dominant fashion, 31-3. The victory was the first of the season for the Dragons after facing off against three ranked opponents. Desmond Pleasant, Kyle Waterman, Jordan Soriano, Luke Nichter, Cody Walsh, Giuseppe Hoose, Mickey O’Malley, and Dom Petracci all earned wins for the Dragons.
The dual started at 125, as Pleasant picked up his first win of the season against Scott Clawson. The redshirt junior found himself in a hole early in the contest, falling behind 5-0 after a takedown and near fall in the final seconds of the first by Clawson. Pleasant made a comeback in the second period, securing an escape and takedown to trail by just two. The Piscataway, N.J. native recorded two takedowns in the final two minutes to take the decision win, 10-6.
Soriano followed up his win against No. 1 Penn State with a major decision win at 141 pounds. The Westbury, N.Y. native managed two takedowns in the first period to take the early 6-2 lead. Soriano carried the momentum to get win, 17-5
Nichter got back in the win column in a hard fought battle at 157 pounds. A takedown and an escape point in the opening period was enough to record the decision win, 4-2.
Walsh earned another win over Wesley Barnes at 165 pounds. Both wrestlers went scoreless heading into the third period. Barnes was able to take Walsh down with nearly one minute remaining to take a 3-1 lead. The Cherry Hill, N.J. native responded with a quick reversal and was able to take the 4-3 win with riding time.
Hoose recorded his first technical fall of the season. The graduate student led 10-0 after the second period, recording two takedowns and four near-fall points. Hoose eventually managed to take his opponent down twice more for the 16-1 win. … more at … https://drexeldragons.com/news/2024/12/4/wrestling-drexel-earns-dominant-victory-over-clarion-31-3?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
And …
Mavs use quick start, strong finish to win at Western in top-20 match-up
No. 14 Mavs move to 4-0 with 31-12 win over No. 17 Mountaineers
GUNNISON, Colo.— The nation’s 14th-ranked Colorado Mesa University men’s wrestling team won the first three matches without conceding a takedown to build a 12-0 team lead and went on to win the last three and seven of the ten total bouts, including five by bonus-point margins to claim a comfortable 31-12 dual win over arch-rival and 17th-ranked Western Colorado University on Wednesday night here in the Mountaineers’ Paul W. Wright Gymnasium.
The Mavericks improved to 4-0 on the season and defeated the Mountaineers (1-2) for the fourth straight dual, a new CMU record winning streak in the rivalry that has seen the teams dual 29 times since 2007.
CMU’s five nationally-ranked wrestlers were all victorious in the dual that did not count in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference standings. The teams will square off again in their conference-counting dual on Feb. 13, 2025 in Grand Junction in CMU’s Bank of Colorado Battle in Brownson.
The two nationally-ranked Mountaineer wrestlers that were in Wednesday’s lineup were also winners and combined for two of the Mountaineers’ three wins and nine of their 12 team points. The quick start was keyed by seventh-ranked 125-pound sophomore Dayson Torgerson, who registered a 17-0 technical fall win three seconds before the end of the first period. Oran Huff, ranked 12th in the country at 133 pounds, …more at … https://cmumavericks.com/news/2024/12/4/wrestling-mavs-use-quick-start-strong-finish-to-win-at-western-in-top-20-match-up.aspx?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
And …
Johnson’s pin lifts No. 13 Wrestling to thrilling 21-20 OAC victory at John Carroll
UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS — Freshman Myles Johnson (Springboro) registered a first period pin to lead the No. 13-ranked Ohio Northern wrestling team to a come from behind 21-20 victory at John Carroll on Tuesday night. This is the Polar Bears’ second conference victory this season.
The Basics
- Records: #13 Ohio Northern (7-3 Overall, 2-0 OAC), John Carroll (4-3 Overall, 1-1 OAC).
- Venue: DeCarlo Varsity Center – University Heights, Ohio.
ONU Individuals
Johnson won by pin at 2:42 to give the Polar Bears the win
Senior Cael Vanderhorst (Covington) began the scoring for the Polar Bears with a major decision at 149 lbs Senior Jayden Jones (Ashland) followed with another major decision at 157 to cut into the lead. Senior Adam Myers (Springfield/STEM Academy) with a major decision at 174 for the Polar Bears. Senior Gavin Layman (Chesterton, Ind.) won by decision at 197 to pull the Polar Bears within 20-15. … more at … https://www.onusports.com/sports/wrest/2024-25/releases/20241203sovc3h
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 