Why is Penn State wrestling, Cael Sanderson more dominant than ever?
Penn State wrestling is still finding ways to outdo itself.
What’s next for the No. 1 team in the nation, the one that somehow appears even more dominant than its two previous record-setting versions?
The Nittany Lions and coach Cael Sanderson, who are well on their way to their 13th national title in the past 15 years, seem to be only distancing themselves further from the rest of the country, including the preeminent Big Ten.
The Lions are in the midst of an NCAA-record 82-match winning streak. They have six No. 1-ranked wrestlers for the first time in history. They’ve stunningly shut out seven opponents this season, another school record.
The top sports dynasty in America? It’s to the point where the biggest question is whether Top 10 opponents, like Nebraska Friday night in the Bryce Jordan Center, will simply score.Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!
When asked recently about they’re ever-growing dominance, Sanderson talked about culture and their long-standing program process. “I mean, we have a special thing going here, right? The kids know that. They see that,” he told reporters last week in State College. “I think I have a pretty good idea of what we’re doing and what we’re not doing. I think, in this era, the NIL era, and all the different motivations to go to different programs, our kids know that they’re coming here because they want to be the best wrestlers they can possibly be.
“I think when we look back, we’ll see that this era has been good to us because we do our best to follow the rules. And we’re going to get the kids that are coming here for the right reasons. Because the kids know, recruits know, parents know.
“Kids are coming here with very high character, wanting to be the best wrestlers in the world.”
How a Penn State wrestling dynasty grows even stronger
Their overall dominance of the sport in the past 15 years is one matter. How they continually find new ways to improve upon themselves is quite another. They certainly own an even deeper roster than the past two teams that broke overall points records at the NCAA Championships. They certainly seem possible of tying or bettering records for most individual finalists (six) and winners (five) at those national championships in Cleveland in late March. … more at … https://www.ydr.com/story/sports/college/penn-state/2026/01/27/why-is-penn-state-college-wrestling-cael-sanderson-more-dominant-than-ever/87702514007/
App. State Improves to 4-0 in SoCon with Impressive Takedown of Knights
BOONE, N.C. — Only one team could exit Varsity Gym with an unbeaten SoCon record Monday.
With App State Wrestling putting together its most complete performance of the season in a 30-6 home win against Bellarmine, the same scenario likely will be in play Sunday.
In a delayed-by-a-day matchup of teams with 3-0 league marks, the Mountaineers took eight of 10 matches against Bellarmine, highlighted by impressive victories from a pair of true freshmen (Colt Campbell, Cooper Foster) and Stephan Monchery’s strong finish in a showdown of talented heavyweights.
Next up for App State (7-5, 4-0 SoCon) is a 2 p.m. home dual on Super Bowl Sunday against The Citadel, which will take a 7-6 overall record and 3-0 league mark into a Thursday match at Gardner-Webb.
Campbell won a 17-3 major decision at 174 pounds against redshirt junior Grant O’Dell, who arrived in Boone with a 19-6 record, and Monchery won a 7-3 decision despite giving up a first-period takedown and rideout to graduate student Daulton Mayer, whose 38-20 record (with 25 pins) over the last two seasons included an opening-minute fall last year when Monchery was a true freshman.
Foster, who got caught in a bad position and was pinned in less than 30 seconds Friday at Campbell, bounced back to win a 5-0 decision against Damion Ryan, whose 4-0 record against SoCon opponents this season included a win against the same Campbell wrestler.
Jeremiah Price (7-0 decision at 157 pounds to start the dual), Tomas Brooker (19-4 tech fall at 184), Logan Eller (6-2 decision at 197) and Jarvis Little (4-2 decision at 133) also prevailed before Kaden Keiser ended the dual with a first-period pin of Zac Cowan, who had beaten Keiser a year earlier in the dual at Bellarmine.
App State, Bellarmine and The Citadel began this week as the only teams without a SoCon loss, as the Bulldogs won at Chattanooga on Saturday in a dual decided by criteria (an 18-all tie was broken by the fact that the lone pin of the night belonged to The Citadel).
There doesn’t appear to be much separation between Chattanooga, The Citadel, App State and Bellarmine this season — that was the predicted order of finish in the preseason coaches’ poll, with BU having beaten The Citadel last season in between close losses to App State (23-19) and Chattanooga (16-15).
With that laid out, App State was probably the clear favorite on paper in just two of the 10 matches Monday against Bellarmine (6-5, 3-1). They were supposed to meet Sunday, but the weekend snow in Boone postponed the match until Monday.
The dual was tied at 3-all after Price pitched a shutout and Bellarmine won a 10-5 decision at 165, as Noah Hall quickly followed Anthony Conetta’s tiebreaking takedown in the third period with a reversal and four near fall points.
Campbell gave up a first-period takedown to O’Dell in the next match before producing two near falls during a second-period rideout as a 3-1 deficit turned into a 9-3 lead. Campbell added an escape and a takedown in the third period, finishing on top as three penalty points for stalling from the bottom position increased the margin.
After Brooker had six takedowns at 184, Eller used takedowns in the first and third periods at 197 … more at … https://appstatesports.com/news/2026/2/2/wrestling-improves-to-4-0-in-socon-with-impressive-takedown-of-knights.aspx
Mercyhurst Adds Women’s Wrestling to Division I Profile
TDR Editor’s Note; WRESTLING CONTINUES TO GROW! In the 2025-2026 season we saw over a dozen new and restarted Men’s College & University teams and 40 new Women’s teams. So far it has been announced we will have 9 new or restarted Men’s College & University teams and over 25 Women’s teams will be started. We hope that these numbers will increase especially on the Division level. The growth in college teams on a national level will inspire an increase of participation of the sport in all younger age group levels.
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ERIE, Pa. — Mercyhurst University is excited to announce the addition of women’s wrestling as a Lakers varsity sport, beginning in the 2026–27 academic year. “Wrestling has deep roots and tremendous popularity in our region, and the growth of women’s wrestling nationally has been incredible to watch,” said Director of Athletics, Joe Spano. “With Mercyhurst’s move to Division I and the NCAA elevating women’s wrestling to full championship status, this is the right opportunity at the right time. Adding women’s wrestling creates another meaningful pathway for young women to compete at the NCAA Division I level.”
The Lakers will compete as a Division I program, making women’s wrestling Mercyhurst’s 31st varsity sport.
Mercyhurst becomes the eighth Division I institution to add women’s wrestling, joining Iowa, Lehigh, Lindenwood, Presbyterian, Sacred Heart, Delaware State, and Kent State.
Mercyhurst will be just the second Division I women’s wrestling program in Pennsylvania, joining Lehigh, which announced the addition of the sport in May 2025. “This is an exciting and historic step for Mercyhurst University,” said Laura Zirkle, Mercyhurst Vice President for Student Life. “Women’s wrestling is one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation and adding it as a Division I program aligns with our mission to expand opportunities for women while competing at the highest level. Mercyhurst has a long tradition of athletic excellence, and women’s wrestling will be a powerful addition to that legacy.”
The establishment of the women’s wrestling program aligns with the sport’s rising prominence nationally. In January 2025, the NCAA officially added women’s wrestling as its 91st championship sport, elevating it from Emerging Sport status to full championship status and paving the way for its first national championship in 2026. A national search for the program’s inaugural head coach has begun. Interested applicants … More at … https://hurstathletics.com/news/2026/1/28/mercyhurst-adds-womens-wrestling-to-division-i-profile.aspx?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Embracing glory
Larry Owings scored the biggest upset in NCAA wrestling history and spent the rest of his life coming to terms with it.
By Mike Seely
When Larry Owings was growing up in rural Oregon, everyone—his friends, his family, even his teachers—called him by the nickname “Porky.” They did this because he was overweight. “Nowadays, they would call that bullying,” says Owings, now 75. “Back then, you just had to grin and take it. I can’t tell you how deep down inside I was hurting. It inspired me to say, ‘I’m gonna show you someday.’ “
Would he ever.
Owings had four older brothers, all of them state wrestling champs at Canby High School. Taking a gander at their baby brother in junior high, none of them expected Larry to wrestle at all, much less earn any kind of hardware. But a life-changing event—or occupation, rather—occurred in the summer before his freshman year. “I went to work for an old Norwegian dairy farmer,” he recalls. “I hauled hundred-pound bales of hay for him all summer long. Before that, I worked on the farm picking berries, and I hated picking berries. There was no way I was not gonna do good in this job and go back to picking berries.”
Owings’ weight went from about 150 to 130 through the course of his sweaty vocation, and he also grew a couple of inches. In spite of his siblings’ doubts, he joined the Canby wrestling team and worked his way up to varsity at 123 pounds by the end of his freshman year. By the end of his high school career, he would win state championships in both the 136- and 141-pound weight divisions.
During his senior year, Owings was matched in a tournament with an Iowa State University sophomore named Dan Gable, who was undefeated and already an NCAA champion. Gable won their match rather easily, but Owings managed to score some points – quite a feat for anyone facing a man who would go down as the greatest amateur wrestler of all time.
After losing to Gable, Owings said he felt like he “had a score to settle.” Two years later, he’d get his chance.
Triumph, then turmoil
There were a lot of colleges interested in Owings’ wrestling services after high school, but the University of Washington won out. “I didn’t go to Oregon State because my brothers had gone there,” he explains. “I went up to the U-Dub, beautiful campus, coach was very gung-ho. Jim Smith – he’s still alive, by the way. He’s 90 and lives in Lynnwood. I liked the school, I liked the coach. I wanted to go into architecture, and they had a great architecture program.”
Owings, ’72, ’75, ’78, pursued an architecture degree for a quarter before he deemed it too difficult and switched to industrial education. Things on the mat went according to plan, however. By the time Owings was a sophomore, he was Pac-8 champion at 158 pounds with the 1970 NCAA tournament on the horizon. … more at … https://magazine.washington.edu/feature/larry-owings-who-scored-the-biggest-upset-in-ncaa-wrestling-history-comes-to-terms-with-fame-more-than-50-years-later/#gsc.tab=0
Boulanger Making Impact as True Freshman
By: Travis Swafford, Duke Athletics Communications Student Assistant
DURHAM, N.C.– Duke freshman wrestler Mikey Boulanger is a man of few words. If you ask him about his impressive start on the collegiate mats, he describes the experience as “an adjustment.” If you ask him whether he really went 55-0 as a senior in high school, he nods yes. But when it came time for Duke head coach Glen Lanham to decide whether the freshman would redshirt or compete in his first year on campus, what Boulanger had to say proved pivotal.
As Lanham describes it, “He just came and said that he had thought about taking off the year when he’s so close to competing. He was like, ‘well if I don’t get the rep, somebody else is. So, I just think it would make me better if I’m the starter.'”
The subsequent decision to let Boulanger wrestle has paid immediate dividends, as he collected eight wins over his first 12 bouts start to the season propelled the team to its best fall record in four years. The Milford, Massachusetts, native’s eight wins ranks fifth on the team, anchoring the Blue Devils in the 157-pound weight class. It’s a performance that has left Lanham and the Duke team impressed.
“He’s definitely been surprising, coming out of nowhere, really,” Lanham said. “We thought that he was going to have to use a redshirt, get bigger, that kind of stuff, get used to college wrestling, but he’s just jumped right into it.”
Boulanger took little time to make his mark. In the team’s second dual of the season against Hofstra, with the Blue Devils down 14-6, he won a crucial match against the Pride’s Frank Volpe in an 8-2 decision. Duke would go on to win four of the next five matches and win the contest 24-17. … more at … https://goduke.com/news/2026/1/21/wrestling-boulanger-making-impact-as-true-freshman
Huskers Take Down No. 9 Minnesota
With a key pin from Antrell Taylor to give the Huskers an extra six points, the No. 6 Nebraska wrestling team (9-3, 2-0 Big Ten) earned a 20-12 victory over No. 9 Minnesota (7-3, 1-1 Big Ten) on Friday night. The top-10 matchup opened at 125, where Alan Koehler dropped a 4-1 decision to No. 9 Jore Volk. The Huskers responded at 133 as No. 9 Jacob Van Dee collected his ninth straight dual victory, using an early escape to secure a 1-0 decision over Brandon Morvari.
With the team score tied at 3-3, true freshman Jake Hockaday made his first career Husker start at 141, stepping in to give Brock Hardy a midseason rest. Hockaday battled throughout the bout, but No. 10 Vance VomBaur pulled away with a late takedown to earn a 7-2 decision.
At 149, Nikade Zinkin battled it out with No. 25 Drew Roberts, scoring three escapes before falling by decision, 6-3, giving Minnesota a 9-3 lead.
The Big Red answered at 157 as fifth-ranked Antrell Taylor faced No. 19 Charlie Millard. The pair were scoreless through the first period before exchanging escapes in the second. Trailing 5-3 in the third after Millard secured a takedown, Taylor delivered a dominant finish, scoring a takedown in the final seconds and turning it into a match tying pin to even the team score, 9-9. The pin marked Taylor’s third of the season and second consecutive dual decided by fall.
After the intermission, No. 8 LJ Araujo kept the Huskers’ momentum rolling, recording a pair of takedowns and escapes while adding riding time to secure a 9-2 decision over No. 11 Andrew Sparks.
Next, No. 6 Christopher Minto faced No. 22 Ethan Riddle. Minto recorded a takedown in each period to control the bout and earn an 11-4 decision victory. In a top-10 bout at 184, No. 9 Silas Allred met No. 3 Max McEnelly for the second time in their careers. After McEnelly defeated Allred in last season’s meeting, the pair went scoreless … more at … https://huskers.com/news/2026/01/17/huskers-take-down-no-9-minnesota
Wrestling finding its footing in Northeast Mississippi
The Hill Country is always going to be known for its basketball, but wrestling is finding its place in the area as well. Wrestling continues to grow in Mississippi as more schools begin to field teams. Northeast Mississippi is no exception. “It’s light years ahead of where it was,” said Brian Fox, the co-founder and former president of the Mississippi Wrestling Foundation. “I knew Mississippians would like wrestling because they already wrestle in the backyard or in the living room. We were at two schools in 2020 in the middle of COVID, and now I think we’re at 40 or 41. … It’s kind of like a start-up, but it’s crossed the threshold there where I think the momentum is too strong, and it’s naturally going to grow from here.” The Mississippi High School Activities Association handbook’s list of schools in the Northern Division for wrestling includes Tupelo, Oxford, Saltillo, North Pontotoc and South Pontotoc. Starkville and MSMS are also now fielding teams. It’s a good start for a growing sport, and it ensures that local wrestlers don’t have to travel too far to compete. “That’s changed the game so much because the first year, there were 10 schools in the whole state,” Fox said. “… (Before) you had to go a ways, you had to travel. It really was a lot more work. You can almost have a normal season, a normal amount of travel. We have regions now; we never had regions before.”
The appeal of wrestling as a high school sport is that it’s easy to participate in as well as maintain. Both boys and girls can compete, and a wide variety of weight classes means that athletes are always participating in a fair fight. “Wrestling is great for all kids – not everybody can run a 4.4 40, not every kid is 6-foot-7 and can slam dunk a basketball,” Tupelo wrestling coach Grady Hurley said. “Wrestling, it’s made for all sizes and body shapes and body types. If you’re 106 pounds, you’re going to wrestle a 106-pounder, 113 wrestling a 113. You’re out there in the middle of that 40-by-40 mat by yourself.” Additionally, wrestling doesn’t come with a ton of equipment and upkeep.
“I’m thinking a lot of these smaller schools are going to start adding (wrestling) soon once they realize that the only cost is having the wrestling mat, and it’ll last for 10 to 20 years,” Fox said. “After that, it’s super affordable. You don’t have to have 15 kids, you can have one, and it’s for boys and girls, so I think it’s just going to keep growing.”
One of the next steps for wrestling is to have an official state championship meet. The MHSAA handbook reads, “When 50 percent or more of the member schools enter competition, a plan will be devised to determine a state championship.”
There’s still a statewide meet, however. Three area teams placed in the top five last year: Tupelo (third), Oxford (fourth) and North Pontotoc (fifth). … more at … https://cdispatch.com/sports/wrestling-finding-its-footing-in-northeast-mississippi/
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
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/
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/
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
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