Takedown Report

Amateur Wrestling Reports

NC State Wrestling Gains One Starter, Loses Another

Just as NC State welcomed transfer Patrick Brophy to the lineup, the Wolfpack lost NCAA qualifier Jackson Arrington for the season.
ACC action gets underway this weekend as the NC State Wolfpack will host Virginia in Friday night action. After competing in many different events the first semester — tournaments, multiple duals in a day — the NC State schedule will now focus on the routine of taking the mat each Friday night against a conference foe for the next six weeks. “What we learned from last year is we just want to keep improving every week,” NC State coach Pat Popolizio said. “If we can do that as individuals, obviously it’s going to help our team. We want to keep building to when we go to the national tournament, because I really do believe we have multiple guys that can compete to win a national title.”
Recently, the Pack has received both good news and bad news about a couple of spots in the lineup. Brophy Makes Wolfpack Debut
First the good news: NC State recently added an NCAA qualifier at the upperweights.
After having to finish up academic responsibilities at The Citadel during the first semester, Patrick Brophy has now joined the Pack and has been inserted into the lineup at 197 pounds for the rest of this year. The week that he was cleared by the NC State compliance office, Brophy hit the mat for three dual wins the weekend before Christmas. With a mid-summer coaching change at The Citadel, the transfer window reopened and Brophy placed his name in it. What led him to come to Raleigh and join the Wolfpack? “Just the opportunity to train with the highest caliber of people,” Brophy said. “Here it was too good to pass up. I have not only some of the best people in the nation, but literally the best guy at my weight class in the world (Trent Hidlay), the current World champ.
“I asked myself how much can I learn? How far can I go with it when you’re around that caliber of training partners and great coaches that NC State has to offer? Just in my short time around this team, I’ve been learning a ton from the coaches and from my training partners.”
Brophy only got serious about wrestling in high school. Before that he was focused on a myriad of other sports, mainly baseball.  “I tried (wrestling) when I was really young, because my dad was a wrestler (a two-time All-American at Loras College), so I think he always wanted me to wrestle,” Brophy said. “I don’t think I really liked it when I was younger, but for whatever reason, I just ended up loving it when I was in high school.”
Brophy reconnected with wrestling once again as a sophomore and he saw the potential to compete into college and started his journey at The Citadel. He was a starter each of his two seasons there, and earned an NCAA bid in 2025, winning a match. The jump he has taken since his first days in a college practice room has been very noticeable. “I think it’s been night and day,” Brophy said. “I’m sure most people would say this, but I would destroy my freshman self. Coming out of high school, … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/15117905-nc-state-wrestling-gains-one-starter-loses-another

January 11, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | , | Leave a comment

NWCA Releases Men’s Brackets Ahead of the 2026 USMC National Duals

NCAA Division I Men’s Bracket
MANHEIM, PA – The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) has shared the NCAA D1 Men’s bracket for the upcoming NWCA/USMC Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships. Presented by A Better Way Athletics, Capitol Construction, and Defense Soap, this year’s event will once again take place at the University of Northern Iowa’s UNI-Dome on January 9-10, 2026.
The opening pools for the NCAA D1 Men’s bracket are as follows:

POOL APOOL B
CampbellBloomsburg
Central MichiganCSU Bakersfield
HarvardDrexel
Northern IllinoisOhio
South Dakota StateNorthern Iowa

Wrestling fans can catch the action-packed event featuring these outstanding teams … more at … https://nwcaonline.com/news/2026/1/4/national-wrestling-coaches-association-nwca-releases-ncaa-division-i-mens-bracket-ahead-of-the-2026-usm-national-duals.aspx
And …

NCAA Division II Men’s Bracket Released for 2026 NWCA/USMC National Duals
MANHEIM, PA – The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) has shared the NCAA D2 Men’s bracket for the upcoming NWCA/USMC Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships. Presented by A Better Way Athletics, Capitol Construction, and Defense Soap, this year’s event will once again take place at the University of Northern Iowa’s UNI-Dome on January 9-10, 2026.
The top eight seeds in the NCAA D2 Men’s bracket are as follows:

  1. Central Oklahoma
  2. Nebraska Kearney
  3. UW-Parkside
  4. Lander
  5. St. Cloud State
  6. Grand Valley State
  7. Tiffin
  8. Augustana

Wrestling fans can catch the action-packed event … more at … https://nwcaonline.com/news/2026/1/4/national-wrestling-coaches-association-ncaa-division-ii-mens-bracket-released-for-2026-nwca-usmc-national-duals.aspx
And …

NWCA Announces NCAA Division III Men’s Bracket for 2026 USMC National Duals
MANHEIM, PA – The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) has shared the NCAA D3 Men’s bracket for the upcoming NWCA/USMC Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships. Presented by A Better Way Athletics, Capitol Construction, and Defense Soap, this year’s event will once again take place at the University of Northern Iowa’s UNI-Dome on January 9-10, 2026.
The top eight seeds in the NCAA D3 Men’s bracket are as follows:

  1. Wartburg
  2. Augsburg
  3. UW-La Crosse
  4. TCNJ
  5. Loras
  6. Roanoke
  7. North Central
  8. Johnson & Wales

Wrestling fans can catch the action-packed event … more at … https://nwcaonline.com/news/2026/1/3/national-wrestling-coaches-association-nwca-announces-ncaa-division-iii-mens-bracket-for-2026-usmc-national-duals.aspx
And …

NAIA Men’s Bracket Set for 2026 NWCA/USMC National Duals
MANHEIM, PA – The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) has shared the NAIA Men’s bracket for the upcoming NWCA/USMC Multi-Division National Dual Meet Championships. Presented by A Better Way Athletics, Capitol Construction, and Defense Soap, this year’s event will once again take place at the University of Northern Iowa’s UNI-Dome on January 9-10, 2026.
The top eight seeds in the NAIA Men’s bracket are as follows:

  1. Grand View
  2. Indiana Tech
  3. Life
  4. Southeastern
  5. Campbellsville
  6. Oklahoma City
  7. Southern Oregon
  8. Embry Riddle

Wrestling fans can catch … more at … https://nwcaonline.com/news/2026/1/2/NAIA-Mens-Bracket-Set-2026-NWCA-USMC-National-Duals.aspx

January 9, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | | Leave a comment

Huskers Down Panthers, 30-6

Behind technical fall victories from No. 12 Chance Lamer and No. 5 Antrell Taylor, the No. 6 Nebraska wrestling team moved to 7-3 on the season with a commanding 30-6 dual victory over No. 16 Northern Iowa on Saturday night at the Devaney Center. 
The Huskers (7-3, 0-0 Big Ten) recorded 20 total takedowns against the Panthers (3-4, 2-0 Big 12) and won eight of 10 bouts in the victory.  
Starting the night at 125, Alan Koehler fell to No. 27 Trever Anderson in a tight decision, allowing the Panthers a 3-0 start.   
Nebraska answered at 133 as No. 8 Jacob Van Dee earned a 5-0 decision over No. 26 Julian Farber, evening the team score. Van Dee remains undefeated on the season with the win.  At 141, No. 3 Brock Hardy gave Nebraska its first lead of the night, defeating No. 11 Cory Land, 5-1.
The Big Red extended its team score with back-to-back technical falls at 149 and 157 pounds. In his first dual victory as a Husker, Lamer recorded 19 points in a 19-4 win over Ethan Basile. Taylor followed with a dominant performance, tallying seven takedowns in a 22-6 win over RJ Weston to push Nebraska’s lead to 16-3 at intermission. 
Northern Iowa responded quickly at 165, where No. 11 Ryder Downey secured a sudden-victory takedown to defeat No. 7 LJ Araujo, 3-0. 
The Huskers regained momentum at 174 pounds as No. 6 Christopher Minto earned a major decision over No. 10 Jared Simma, 10-1. No. 9 Silas Allred followed with a 5-1 decision over Nick Fox at 184 and at 197 pounds, No. 12 Camden McDanel collected a 7-3 decision over John Gunderson.  In his first dual appearance of the season, Harley Andrews closed out the night at heavyweight with a major decision over Adam Ahrendsen, 16-7. Andrews … more at … https://huskers.com/news/2026/01/4/huskers-down-panthers-30-6

January 8, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | , | Leave a comment

Penn State collects Southern Scuffle title with five individual champions

Jan 4, 2026, 7:32 PM EST
by Brian Reinhardt
Individual champions from the 2026 Southern Scuffle.
CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee – Penn State only sent two of its starters, Aaron Nagao at 141 pounds and Josh Barr at 197 pounds, but just like at the last four NCAA Championships, the Nittany Lions came away with the team title at the 2026 Southern Scuffle.
Penn State captured five of the 10 individual championships and cleared second-place Penn by 20 points, 143.5-123.5. Picking up titles for the Nittany Lions were Barr, Connor Pierce (149), Joe Sealey (157), Will Henckel (174) and Asher Cunningham (184).
Little Rock had four wrestlers advance into the finals and finished in third place, with Matty Bianchi taking the 165-pound crown. Virginia Tech was the only other school outside of Penn State with multiple individual titles—bookends Eddie Ventresca at 125 pounds and Jimmy Mullen at heavyweight.
Also standing atop the podium of one of the toughest in-season tournaments were Dom Serrano of Northern Colorado at 133 pounds and Vince Cornella of Cornell at 141 pounds. Serrano was named the Outstanding Wrestler award recipient.
Complete results and archived matches from the Southern Scuffle are available at FloWrestling.com.

2026 Southern Scuffle 
At Chattanooga, Tennessee, Jan. 3-4 

Finals Summary 
125: #3 Eddie Ventresca (Virginia Tech) dec. #20 Zeke Witt (North Dakota State), 4-1 (SV1) 

A two-time All-American, Ventresca cruised to the title, not conceding a single takedown in any of his six matches. In the semifinals, he scored an 8-3 win over former Virginia Tech teammate #26 Cooper Flynn (now at Chattanooga). In the final, he notched the lone takedown of the bout 1:22 into extra time for a 4-1 win. Ranked #3 nationally and doubling his season match total this weekend, he is a perfect 3-0 all-time, including 1-0 this year, against the defending national champion Vince Robinson of NC State.

133: #16 Dom Serrano (Northern Colorado) dec. #10 Braxton Brown (Maryland), 5-4 

In one of the most exciting finals matches, Serrano scored the last-second win. Tied 1-1 late in the third, Brown scored the first takedown with around 30 seconds left. After an escape, Serrano went to work and was awarded the takedown right before the final whistle. Before this weekend, Serrano had only wrestled one match. He got in five matches over the last two days, capped with … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2026/january/04/penn-state-collects-southern-scuffle-title-with-five-individual-champions

January 8, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | | Leave a comment

Top 10 USA Wrestling Stories of 2025

Jan 1, 2026, 1:11 AM EST

by Richard Immel, USA Wrestling
The year-end tradition of reflection and appreciation for the sport of wrestling continues in 2025, albeit with a different voice behind the keyboard.
My longtime mentor and friend, Gary Abbott, who retired three months ago after nearly four decades of service to USA Wrestling, always enjoyed writing up his top wrestling stories of the year. It is my intent to keep this tradition alive, if anything, because I know Gary will read and enjoy. I’ll give it my best attempt to fill these (untied) shoes. Congratulations on an amazing career, Gary. Your presence around here is already missed.
Before I jump into my personal top 10 wrestling stories of 2025, I feel the urge to brag a bit on the USA Wrestling community. First off, kudos to everyone who participated in USA Wrestling this year. Whether you are an athlete, coach, parent, official, or fan, know that you made an impact. USA Wrestling shattered its membership record in the 2024-25 membership year with nearly 372k members, up 28k from the year prior. Wrestling in the U.S. has never been healthier, and that is tremendously exciting for the future.
USA Wrestling also launched USA Bracketing, its new event management platform, with great success in 2025. A special shoutout to my colleague Dave Mathews and his crew for the tireless, sometimes thankless, efforts on this project (that continue today), and for leveling up the game in the wrestling technology space. As someone who constantly thinks about preserving the history of our great sport, what a win for all of us to have a resource like USA Bracketing at our fingertips.
With the pleasantries out of the way, let’s move on to my top 10 wrestling stories of 2025.

10. Olympian Ben Askren’s inspirational recovery from a double lung transplant 

At 41 years old and in seemingly great health, 2008 Olympian Ben Askren underwent the fight of his life and has come out the other side as an inspiration to all. In June 2025, Askren was hospitalized with a staph infection that progressed into pneumonia that severely damaged his lungs. He was in a coma for multiple weeks before receiving a life-saving double lung transplant. Askren has publicly documented his recovery journey through his social media platforms with the wrestling community behind him every step of the way. Askren’s initials were worn on the U.S. World Team singlets in Zagreb, Croatia. He remains #AskrenStrong as he carries on his recovery process each day.  

9. Kikiniou family success—Father-son duo make U.S. Open finals; Arseni doubles up at U17 Worlds 

What a year it was for the incredible Kikiniou family. Aliaksandr Kikiniou Sr. was a two-time Olympian for Belarus (2004, 2012) and immigrated to the United States, where he began competing under the U.S. banner in 2023. At age 45, Kikiniou made the finals of this year’s U.S. Open, which served as the Greco-Roman World Team Trials. As did his 18-year-old son, Aliaksandr Kikiniou Jr. Both finished as No. 2 on the U.S. National Team in Greco-Roman. … more at … https://www.themat.com/news/2025/december/31/top-10-wrestling-stories-of-2025

January 5, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , | Leave a comment

InterMat’s Top Wrestling Stories for 2025

We’ve only got a few hours left in 2025 and are ready to look forward to a big 2026. Before changing the calendar (or letting it update on your phone), let’s take a quick look back at some of the biggest wrestling-related stories of the year for InterMat. Please let us know if you have some that we might have missed!
10. Ohio State wins National Duals Invitational
The college wrestling needs more juice. We need events that excite and energize the fanbases, creating arguments and debate, and hypotheticals. Those things are healthy. It needs to be more than just focusing on those three days in March.
The National Duals Invitational came along and filled that void very nicely. Coming into the event, one of the main storylines was whether or not Oklahoma State’s freshman-laden lineup could win it all. Maybe Nebraska could build off their second-place finish at nationals in 2025. Or trusty Iowa.
What happened was Ohio State’s lightweights blitzed the field and the Buckeyes disposed of Wyoming, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Iowa. Nic Bouzakis debuted at 125 lbs, Ben Davino beat a returning national finalist, and Jesse Mendez prevailed in an NCAA finals rematch.
And for the 400 lb elephant in the room (or not in the room), Penn State. The Nittany Lions declined an invitation to participate. Their absence spurred plenty of debate between fans on social media and on the message board- maybe they should go in the future vs. why do they need to go, would it be better with them or without them, do they have an obligation to go? Those were all questions thrown around by fans in the days leading up to the event and in the aftermath. Whichever side you fall on in the debates, just the conversation and interest is good for our sport.

9. Recruiting/NIL/Transfer Portal
This is a bit of a catch-all for a couple of different topics. Basically, the new-era of collegiate sports wrapped up into one point. Like the “Penn State at National Duals Invitational” topic, you may not agree with one side in the debate; however, there are plenty of people interested in the overall conversation.
As someone who looks at the metrics of articles and social media, recruiting battles, recruiting flips, NIL rumors, and transfer decisions move the needle.
Some of the important stories of the year related to these categories are:

  • Bo Bassett’s recruiting graphic/commitment to Iowa/decommitment and signing with Virginia Tech.
  • The Hokies, along with Oklahoma State, Penn State, Iowa, and Cornell amassing huge recruiting classes.
  • Three 2025 NCAA DI champions transferred in the prior offseason.
  • The game of musical chairs at 184 lbs with the Rocco Welsh/Zack Ryder transfers.
  • The potential for Jax Forrest to join the Oklahoma State team instead of finishing his final HS season.
  • Some notable transfers are not faring as well in their new homes.
  • The portal helped make Iowa State into a top-three team after missing the top 20 in Philly.

8. Iowa State finally wins the CyHawk Dual
For the first time since 2004, Iowa State has beaten their in-state rivals, Iowa, in dual meet competition. Iowa head coach Tom Brands had been in his current position since 2006-07 … more at … https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/intermats-top-wrestling-stories-for-2025-r100729/

January 4, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | , | Leave a comment

#6 Lander Dominates King 38-6 to Open 2026

GREENWOOD – In a rematch of last season’s Conference Carolinas Championship match, the sixth-ranked Lander Wrestling team opened the 2026 calendar year in dominant fashion with a 38-6 win over King on Friday night inside Horne Arena.
The Bearcats won eight of ten bouts, with seven coming by bonus-point margin, as Lander controlled the dual from the opening whistle.
Kaden Kuenzi got the Blue and Gold rolling immediately at 125, needing just 45 seconds to record a first-period pin and give Lander (11-0, 4-0 CC) a 6-0 lead. #6 James Joplin and #1 Elijah Lusk followed with back-to-back major decisions at 133 and 141 to stretch the advantage to 14-0.
King (5-4, 4-2 CC) answered at 149 with a narrow decision to get on the board, but Lander quickly seized control once again. Reid Noble responded with a 19-3 technical fall in 4:06 at 157 before #2 David Hunsberger added an 18-1 tech fall in 4:28 at 165 to make it 24-4 through six matches. At 174, Sean Crews battled tightly with fourth-ranked Clint Morrisette, falling just short in a 4-2 decision.
Lander clinched the dual at 184 as #8 Dylan Kohn breezed to a 15-0 second-period technical fall, pushing the Bearcats past the 30-point mark. #14 Marvelous Rutledge added another hard-fought win at 197, securing a 4-1 sudden-victory decision over the 15th-ranked wrestler in the weight class, before #13 Isaac Sheeren closed the night in emphatic fashion with a first-period pin (2:06) at heavyweight.
Lander now turns its attention to the NWCA National Duals, … more at … https://landerbearcats.com/news/2026/1/2/wrestling-6-lander-dominates-king-38-6-to-open-2026.aspx
And …

Coker Cruises to a 40-7 Win Over Allen
Mason Moody, Frank Bianco, Benjamin Newton, and Hunter Miller all put 6 points on the board for the Cobras

Hartsville, S.C.: The Cobras started the new year with a win over conference rivals Allen University. The Coker won with a commanding score of 40-7. … more at … https://www.cokercobras.com/sports/wrest/2025-26/releases/20260102npgy95
And …

Maroon wrestling opens 2026 with 51-0 win over Penn College
The Facts:
Score: Roanoke 51, Penn College 0
Location: Front Royal, Va. – Skyline High School 
The Short story: The Roanoke College wrestling team quickly defeated Penn College 51-0 Thursday in a non-conference dual hosted at Skyline High School in Front Royal, Va.
The Maroons had two pins and six technical falls.
Roanoke is No. 5 this week in theopenmat.com dual rankings and are No. 6 in the National Wrestling Coaches Association Poll.
How it happened:  
*The Maroons opened with three-straight technical falls to go ahead 15-0. … more at … https://roanokemaroons.com/news/2026/1/1/wrestling-maroon-wrestling-opens-2026-with-51-0-win-over-penn-college.aspx

January 4, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | | Leave a comment

The Comparison Trap in Youth Wrestling

Wrestling is different from most youth sports. There’s no teammate to share the moment with, no lineup to blend into, no one else on the mat when the whistle blows. Every win and every loss belongs to the athlete alone.
Because of that, wrestling parents often feel results more deeply. When another child is winning matches and their own child isn’t, it’s easy to start comparing — and even easier to assume that struggling means it’s time to try a different sport.
But in wrestling, early results are one of the least reliable indicators of long-term success.
Wrestling Exposes Development Gaps Early
In team sports, size, speed, or early maturity can be masked by teammates. In wrestling, they can’t. A stronger or more physically mature child often has a huge advantage at young ages. That doesn’t mean they’re more talented — it means they’re further along in development.
Many wrestlers who struggle early simply haven’t hit their physical or emotional growth phase yet. Strength, coordination, confidence, and mat awareness all come at different times. Comparing two wrestlers at age 9 or 11 ignores the fact that they may be years apart developmentally.
Early Wins in Wrestling Can Be Misleading
It’s common to see youth wrestlers dominate early — often because they’re bigger, stronger, or more aggressive. But wrestling evolves quickly. As athletes grow, competition tightens, technique matters more, and effort alone isn’t enough.
Many early “stars” plateau when physical advantages disappear. Meanwhile, wrestlers who struggled early often surge once their bodies and minds catch up — if they’re still in the sport.
Wrestling rewards persistence more than early success.
Why Parents Misread Losing in Wrestling
Because wrestling is one-on-one, losing can feel like a personal failure instead of part of development. Parents see their child’s hand not being raised and assume:

  • They’re not good at wrestling
  • They’re falling behind others
  • Another sport might suit them better

But losing in wrestling often means a child is learning hard lessons: how to handle pressure, how to problem-solve mid-match, how to keep competing when things don’t go their way. Those lessons don’t show up on a bracket — but they shape better wrestlers long-term.
Switching Sports Because of Losses Sends the Wrong Message
Changing sports solely because a child isn’t winning in wrestling teaches an unintended lesson: that struggle means failure, and that success should come quickly.
Wrestling is supposed to be hard. It’s supposed to challenge kids mentally and physically. … more at … https://iawrestle.com/2025/12/29/the-comparison-trap-in-youth-wrestling/

January 2, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , | Leave a comment

Women’s and Girls’ Wrestling Is Ready for Its Modern Era

rom 204 high school wrestlers in 1989 to record-breaking numbers today, the sport’s long-overlooked revolution is now impossible to ignore—just in time for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
If you were to ask 100 random Americans what the nation’s fastest-growing high school sport is, few would come up with the correct answer: girls’ wrestling.
The release of the documentary All American, which chronicles the challenges on and off the mat of three wrestlers, Naomi, Jo and Arham, arrives at a pivotal moment in the trailblazing journey of girls’ and women’s wrestling in the United States.
Today, a record 47 state high school associations will crown girls’ wrestling champions, with more states adding full-team competitions every year.
At the collegiate level, participation has surged. Earlier this year, the NCAA officially named women’s wrestling as its 91st championship sport. The number of college programs offering women’s wrestling has ballooned—as evidenced by the fact that the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics will soon hold its fourth national championship for women’s wrestling.
At the youth level, USA Wrestling’s iconic Fargo tournament drew more than 2,200 girls this year—a number that would have been unimaginable a generation ago. Team USA’s women are now global powerhouses, routinely medaling in world and Olympic competitions.
To the observer or new fan, girls’ and women’s wrestling seem like a sudden marvel, but the road to our current apex is filled with a long history of resistance, sacrifice and struggle. For years, even after the passage of Title IX in 1972, wrestling remained male-dominated, with opportunities for girls on the mat scarce and resistance to our inclusion supercharged.
For so many girls and women on the mat today, our story dates back to 1989, when five American women—Afsoon Roshanzamir, Asia DeWeese, Marie Ziegler, Janet Trussell and Leia Kawaii—traveled to Switzerland for the Women’s World Freestyle Championships, the first ever Women’s World Championship in which a U.S. team entered. Despite winning three medals during that tournament, they had no financial or organizational support, no national recognition, or parades; yet they persisted, representing a country whose wrestling gatekeepers had little interest or belief in our participation. Despite the hostility, their courage to compete at that time sparked the enduring flame of women’s wrestling in the United States that still reverberates.
Back then, a tiny fraction of girls wrestled in high school. In 1989, the National Federation of State High School Associations—the main body that governs high school athletics—reported that only 204 girls were wrestling at 25 schools nationwide, with virtually all of them on boys’ teams. Yet word spread about the women who had competed in Switzerland and what their example meant.
The following year, in 1990, the first official U.S. Senior Women’s World Team Trials event was held in Vallejo, Calif., with the winners qualifying for the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. The dominant theme of that weekend was not competition but gratitude and community after years of isolation. Girls who had long been alone in wrestling swapped their stories and techniques, molding a foundation for the sports that continued long after that tournament.  That sense of community has remained at the forefront … more at … https://msmagazine.com/2025/12/26/womens-girls-wrestling/

January 1, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , | Leave a comment

Caleb Smith unlocked potential he didn’t know he had

Editor’s Note: This article appeared in WIN’s Volume 32 Issue 4, the Late December Issue. 
By John Klessinger
After losing two straight matches as the No. 5 seed at 125 lbs. in the 2023 NCAA Division I Championships, Caleb Smith decided he needed a change. He already graduated from Appalachian State with a degree in marketing. With the COVID year, Smith had two remaining years of eligibility.
Smith recognized at App State he needed to grow. Before his sophomore season, he and two-time All-American Jonathan Millner trained every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 6 a.m. “I had to be uncomfortable,” said Smith. “I hated waking up early. The time was one way to do that,” he added.
With two more years of eligibility and a disappointing result at the NCAAs, Smith prayed a lot and decided Nebraska was the place he needed to go. He loved Mark Manning and his staff. Smith spoke to Olympic gold medalist and two-time NCAA champion Jordan Burroughs before going to Lincoln about wrestling for the Huskers.
Burroughs told Smith there is a standard at Nebraska. “There is an expectation that you are to work towards being the best version of yourself every day. Not only wrestling, but in everything,” Smith said. Almost immediately, Smith experienced something he didn’t feel at Appalachian State. Being in the Big Ten and a high-ranking program, everything felt bigger than him. He’d go to a store, and people knew who he was. “Nebraska was the most fun I ever had. I loved the training, the competition and the fans. It is special,” said Smith.
The transition, though, didn’t come with immediate success. Wrestling in the Big Ten was not the same as the Southern Conference. Smith lost a bunch of matches early. He struggled with his confidence. He took a lopsided loss to Minnesota All-American Patrick McKee. It changed his career. After that match, a teammate said to him, “If you are doing this for God, why does it matter if you win or lose?” remembered Smith. That realization, along with Manning’s mindset, helped Smith slowly come to believe in himself. “Manning told me to look in the mirror every day and say five times, ‘I am the best,’” said Smith. “I didn’t necessarily believe it, but every time I looked in the mirror, I said it,” he added.
Before the final match of the 2024 Minnesota dual, heavyweight Harley Andrews looked at Smith and said, “I got you.” He was talking about Smith’s loss to McKee. Anderson went out and sealed the dual with an 11-7 victory over Bennett Tabor. “I learned those guys have my back. If I’d fight for them, … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2025/12/26/caleb-smith-unlocked-potential-he-didnt-know-he-had/

January 1, 2026 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , | Leave a comment

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