Taylor Tabbed Big Ten Wrestler of the Week
Nebraska’s Antrell Taylor (157) was named Big Ten Co-Wrestler of the Week, his first time claiming the honor, as the conference announced its award winners on Thursday afternoon.
The sophomore most recently ran a 5-0 Cliff Keen campaign in Las Vegas to take home the 157 title, and improve his season record to 12-0. Taylor took down four ranked opponents, two in the top-10, and had a major decision and pin at the invitational. The first-place finish helped the Huskers claim runner-up in Las Vegas among 30 teams.
Taylor, who is currently the third-ranked wrestler in the nation, is the second Husker to win the award this season, after Ridge Lovett was honored on Nov. 21.
Up next, the Big Red will host a triangular with Augustana (S.D.) and UN-Kearney on Friday, Dec. 20. The Vikings and Lopers will take the mat first, wrestling at 4 p.m., before the Huskers face Augustana (S.D.) at 6 p.m. The UN-Kearney and Nebraska matchup will start following the conclusion of the previous dual. The Huskers’ duals will have live results and be streamed on Big Ten Plus.
2024-25 Big Ten Wrestler of the Week
Nov. 7
W: Joseph Walker, Sr., MICH
F: Ben Davino, OSU … more at … https://huskers.com/news/2024/12/12/taylor-tabbed-big-ten-wrestler-of-the-week
And …
Down To Optimal Weight, Nebraska Wrestling’s Taylor is ‘Here To Stay’
After earning All-America honors last season at 165 pounds, Antrell Taylor is off to a 12-0 start after going back down to his optimal weight of 157.
Nebraska’s Antrell Taylor is back down to his more natural weight of 157 pounds, and after winning a Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational title, he wants everyone to know he’s here to stay after a brief hiatus up at 165. “I definitely see it as I had something to prove,” Taylor said. “I think I proved that, and like I said at the end of the match ‘I’m here to stay’. That’s the type of mentality I have going into every match from here on out.”
After redshirting at 157 pounds, Taylor spent his first season as the starter up at 165 pounds because Nebraska had All-American Peyton Robb at 157 for his senior season. Taylor went 23-10 and finished eighth at NCAAs for All-American honors as a freshman.
After a year spent competing against much bigger opponents, Taylor says he feels much stronger. The season at 165 accelerated his development because he was forced to figure out new ways to get to his offense. “It definitely helped me develop,” Taylor said of facing larger opponents. “I was shooting a single leg, then come up to the body because that’s my best position — the bodylock position — so just finding different ways to my underhooks and bodylocks and stuff like that because I couldn’t really get through guys as much as I wanted to. I didn’t really shoot as many double-legs last year, so it was just finding different ways to get through guys.”
While up at 165, Taylor amassed a pretty solid hit list, including wins over … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/13209445-down-to-optimal-weight-nebraska-wrestlings-taylor-is-here-to-stay
Wrestlers grapple with rule changes
If veteran wrestling fans were paying attention at the Tom Torres Duals at Los Lunas High School Saturday, they certainly heard a lot more whistles and saw a faster pace than usual.
That’s because high school wrestling has undergone a series of rule changes this season, more in line with college wrestling.
According to a news release from the National Federation of State High School Associations, NFHS, “six major changes impacting almost 30 rules” were adopted in April. “I like the changes,” said Steve Chavez, LLHS coach, who also admitted, “It’s going to be a big change for the kids and for the referee.”
Among the adjustments, a take down is now worth three points instead of two and a near-fall can count anywhere from two to five points, depending on how long the criteria is held. Chavez said points can now pile up faster. “Matches are going to go by quicker. Better wrestlers are going to be getting points faster.”
Belen wrestler Tommy Freeman gives a thumbs up. “I like the rule changes. The three-point take down is changing (wrestling) a lot,” Freeman said. Josh Jaramillo, a BHS wrestler, who has competed at the national level, also approves. “All I do is watch college wrestling, study the stuff,” said Jaramillo. “I knew it was happening, so my mindset was used to it.”
Valencia freshman Cole Houck is excited about the rules, too. “I think it’s cool because the match goes faster,” Houck said. “One point makes a big difference.” Another adjustment fans may notice is that wrestlers “will be inbounds with only one point of contact of either wrestler inside or on the boundary line,” which could cut down on stoppages. More mundane rule changes include a new official’s timeout signal, “both hands/fingers pointing inward to the referee’s chest,” and the 10-foot circle in the … more at … https://www.news-bulletin.com/sports/wrestlers-grapple-with-rule-changes/article_4e448a5a-b7fd-11ef-a958-db1663a8b51b.html
No. 6 Ohio State Rallies for 20-17 Win at Pitt
Buckeyes win five of the final six matches of the dual to erase a 14-0 deficit
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The sixth-ranked Ohio State wrestling team roared back from a 14-0 deficit on Friday night against Pittsburgh and won five of the final six bouts to earn a 20-17 victory against the Panthers at Fitzgerald Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh. Trailing 14-0 after fourth matches, the Buckeyes got three major decisions, one decision and one technical fall in the second half of the dual to styme the Panthers. Each of the five wins came from wrestlers ranked in the top 12 of their respective weight classes.
Friday night’s dual began at 174 pounds and for the Buckeyes, it almost started with a significant upset. Unranked freshman e’Than Birden, a Dublin native, battled 17th-ranked Luca Augustine all the way to a second overtime period before eventually falling, 2-1. Neither wrestler was able to score a takedown in the match, as Birden carried a 1-0 lead into the third period.
In the next bout, at 184 pounds, Ohio State once again lost a tight decision. This time it was Seth Shumate who went down the wire in a 6-5 loss to No. 11-ranked Reece Heller. Shumate built a 3-1 lead at the end of the first period was ahead 4-3 entering the third period but a Heller takedown proved to be the difference. The win for the Panthers gave them an early 6-0 lead in the team score.
The Panthers would increase their lead to 9-0 following an 8-2 decision for No. 16 Mac Stout at 197 pounds over Ryder Rogotzke in the first ranked match of the night. Stout got going late in the bout, scoring a late second-period takedown to pull ahead 3-1 and then scoring four points in the third period. A 16-1 technical fall at 285 lbs. – the first bonus points of the night – gave the Panthers a 14-0 cushion after four matches. But Brendan McCone swung some momentum back in Ohio State’s favor … more at … https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/news/2024/12/13/wrestling-no-6-ohio-state-rallies-for-20-17-win-at-pitt
Dispelling the myths about Lincoln’s wrestling days
By Mike Chapman
Well, it’s happened again. I recently read a story online that claims Abe Lincoln wrestled 300 matches and lost just once. As a huge fan of Honest Abe, I was disappointed that such a ridiculous claim keeps popping up from time to time.
One can also read some places that Lincoln not only won hundreds of matches but was a state and regional wrestling champion. But none of that is true. It is a part of the myth or folklore that has been built up around this great man for decades.
Lincoln was born on Feb. 6, 1809, and raised in Kentucky. When he was seven, the family moved to Indiana. He grew into a strapping young man nearly six-foot, four-inches tall and weighing about 180 pounds. He developed a strong, lean physique from years of splitting logs and hard work on a farm.
He first strolled into the tiny village of New Salem, Ill., in 1831 as a 22-year-old looking for a new start in life. And soon after his arrival, he was entangled in an event that was destined to play a very important role in his career. It was called scuffling or grappling, and in modern terms … wrestling.
First of all, we need to define what type of contest Lincoln and others would have participated in back then. There were almost no rules, no time limits and no referees, which are the three basic requirements for any type of official wrestling match today.
It was just a good, old-fashioned scuffle with each man trying to throw the other to his back and make him quit. Foot stomping was a frequent tactic as was hair pulling and thumbing of the face. It was a wild and ruckus engagement with little resemblance to wrestling as we now know it.
In that summer of 1831, Lincoln wound up in a scuffling contest with Jack Armstrong, an older man who was considered the toughest fellow in the area. They tangled on a small slice of grass between two small buildings, and by all accounts Abe got the better of it. I have stood on that very spot many times through the years and have conducted two seminars there about the event. I even appeared on a national radio show several years ago to talk about it.
The most thorough discussion of Lincoln’s wrestling background comes in the book “Honor’s Voice: The Transformation of Abraham Lincoln,” written by historian Douglas L. Wilson, in 1999. The book offers an entire chapter – nearly 32 pages — devoted to Lincoln’s wrestling prowess, appropriately entitled “Wrestling with the Evidence”. … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2024/12/12/dispelling-the-myths-about-lincolns-wrestling-days/
Wrestling Takes Seven of 10 at Davidson for Fourth Straight Dual Win
DAVIDSON, N.C. – The opening three bouts and the final four bouts all went to American University wrestling as the Eagles picked up their fourth straight win with a 25-9 road victory at Davidson College on Sunday afternoon. AU scored two bonus-point wins including a 16-second fall by Raymond Lopez at 133 pounds.
Notable
- The pin for Lopez was his fifth of the young season, and he stands at 7-1 overall with five wins by fall. The only loss so far for Lopez was a medical forfeit on Dec. 8. His 11 career pins are now tied for 16th all-time in program history.
- Starting off the dual was redshirt freshman Coen Bainey with an 11-2 major-decision victory over Luke Passarelli at 125 pounds. Bainey scored three takedowns including two in the third period to earn the bonus-point win for the Eagles.
- After Lopez’s 16-second pin of Enis Ljikovic at 133, the Eagles got a third straight win at 141 pounds from sophomore Cael McIntyre. He led 7-0 after the opening period and held on for an 8-3 win to put AU up 13-0.
- The Wildcats won three straight bouts to come within four team points at 13-9, but the Eagles closed out with four straight wins by decision.
- With a second-period escape and a riding time point, Caleb Campos won 2-0 at 174.
- Senior Breon Phifer used a late, third-period takedown to help secure his first dual win of the season, 5-4 over Ian McGehee at 184 pounds. … more at … https://aueagles.com/news/2024/12/15/wrestling-takes-seven-of-10-at-davidson-for-fourth-straight-dual-win.aspx
Appalachian State Opens SoCon Schedule with Decisive Win at VMI
LEXINGTON, Va. — App State Wrestling started its SoCon schedule in strong fashion, claiming bonus points in seven of its eight victories during a 40-6 dual win at VMI on Thursday night.
The night included the first App State dual victories for three freshmen, with two of those occurring via pins for the Mountaineers, who improved to 1-2 overall after beginning the season with losses to a pair of top-20 opponents in No. 6 NC State and No. 18 West Virginia.
True freshman heavyweight Stephan Monchery won by fall in the third period against fourth-year starter Josh Evans, while redshirt freshman Jeremiah Price needed just 2:33 to record a pin against Eric Doran at 157 pounds. Monchery held a 3-2 lead in the third period when he recorded a takedown and then ended the match with 40 seconds remaining.
Redshirt freshman Bryson Terrell (125 pounds) and redshirt junior Dalton Battle (184 pounds) made their first career dual starts for App State, with Terrell winning via tech fall by a 17-2 count against Cody Tanner.
Riley Edwards opened the dual with a 12-6 decision over Phoenix Alyea at 141 pounds in just his second career dual victory for App State, and the Mountaineers’ remaining wins all involved bonus points.
Luke Uliano won by fall in the first period at 174 pounds, Carson Floyd pitched a shutout in a 16-0 tech fall at 197 pounds, Kaden Keiser had a tech fall by a 20-3 score at 149 pounds and ninth-ranked Will Miller won by a 12-4 major decision … more at … https://appstatesports.com/news/2024/12/12/wrestling-opens-socon-schedule-with-decisive-win-at-vmi.aspx
Lawrence North wrestler slept on floor in a shelter. Had no desk. Now he’s planning on college
INDIANAPOLIS — Lawrence North wrestler Michael White cried as his Utah-bound flight ascended into the Indianapolis skies in June, terrified as he watched the Earth disappear. “The plane, like the gravity felt unfamiliar,” White said. “I didn’t know what to do. I just looked out the window, and I just went up so fast.”
The trip was among many he took to wrestling tournaments in North Carolina, Virginia and North Dakota over the summer. All to face the best in the country, to grow as a wrestler, to make waves in front of college coaches.
The plane was new to White. Quick ascents, however, were not. Less than two years prior, White was a wrestling novice. He took up the sport as a freshman at Lawrence North, going through the most tumultuous experience of his life: Bouncing from hotel to hotel with his family before staying in a Wheeler Mission shelter for six months. It started, he said, when his family was evicted from their apartment after his mom took their landlord to court over mold.
White quit football because he was unable to make practice early in the morning with a single mom and siblings at multiple schools with different start times. But he was determined to join the wrestling team. White and coach Jacob Aven, whom White had for study hall, quickly built a connection over his interest in the sport. White told Aven his goals, including wrestling for a Division I program and winning a state championship. … more at … https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/high-school/2024/12/09/homeless-lawrence-north-wrestler-state-title-college-michael-white/76706709007/
Decreasing Incidence of Youth Wrestling Injuries: A 10-Year Analysis of National Injury Data
Abstract
Background: Wrestling is among the most common youth sports in the United States, with about 260,000 high school participants annually. There is a lack of literature investigating wrestling injury profiles and mechanisms of injuries. In the past 15 years, urgent care utilization has increased, and National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) concussion protocols have been developed and implemented. Purpose/hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to analyze causes, diagnoses, body parts, and trends associated with wrestling injuries presenting to US emergency departments. It was hypothesized that there would be (1) decreased overall injuries presenting to emergency departments because of increased urgent care utilization and (2) decreased concussions because of the NFHS rule implementation and revision.
Study design: Descriptive epidemiology study; Level of evidence, 3.
Methods: Youth wrestling injuries presenting to US emergency departments between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2022, were queried from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database. The data included date of presentation, age, sex, race, body part, injury diagnosis, disposition, and a brief injury narrative. National estimates (NE) were calculated using the associated statistical weight of the reporting hospital. Linear regressions were performed to investigate the relationship between year and NE for overall injuries, diagnoses, body parts, mechanisms of injury, and other subanalyses. Statistical significance was set at P < .05.
Results: A total of 8628 (NE = 296,502) wrestling injuries met the inclusion criteria for this study. The mean age at presentation was 14.3 ± 2.6 years (range, 3 to 18 years). The shoulder (NE = 43,207 [14.6%]), head (NE = 40,875 [13.8%]), and knee (NE = 30,218 [10.2%]) were the most injured body parts. The most common diagnoses were strain/sprain … more at … https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39640181/
California Junior Colleges Results
Sacramento City College’s men’s wrestling team captain shares his journey as a wrestler
Sacramento City College’s wrestling team captain Ben Quilpa was recently named Most Outstanding Wrestler at a big statewide tournament with a season record of 21-3. With the conclusion of the Santa Ana Tournament, Quilpa shared his experience ranking second place in the state at 133 pounds. “It was a good experience. I really liked the setup of the tournament. Santa Ana was really fun just being out there in L.A. chilling with the team,” said Quilpa, who majors in sociology.
Quilpa placed seventh in the Leemore Open prior to the Santa Ana Tournament. He said he felt bitter about the loss, but he is proud of himself after winning the Santa Ana Tournament. “[I] really had a bitter taste in my mouth, so it felt good to win that tournament and kind of shake off the rust,” Quilpa said.
Some struggles Quilpa faced when practicing for the Santa Ana Tournament were balancing schoolwork and practice as well as maintaining weight for the tournament.
City College’s wrestling coach Marques Gales said he was not surprised Quilpa won. Gales praised Quilpa, who he said was coming off of an injury after the Leemore Open tournament, and persisted through his training for Santa Ana. “After a week, he had some time to heal and recover. We were really confident he was going to wrestle to his best ability at the Santa Ana invitation, so there was no surprise that he won it.” Gales said. “He won in nominate fashion, so he was also named the Most Valuable Wrestler at the tournament.”
Quilpa started wrestling in eighth grade at Olympus Junior High School in Roseville. Coming to City College wrestling has been intense, according to Quilpa. He said he finds it a great experience to push his limits and do things he did not think he could do, such as … more at … https://saccityexpress.com/61032/all/sacramento-city-colleges-mens-wrestling-team-captain-shares-his-journey-as-a-wrestler/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
And …
Victor Valley Men’s Wrestling Send Record Number to State
This accomplishment is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Victor Valley College Rams wrestling team. Head coach Rocky Humphrey has been instrumental in leading these athletes to success, pushing them to reach their full potential on the mat.
The Rams have been dominant throughout the season, with several wrestlers earning individual titles at various tournaments. Now, with 10 wrestlers qualifying for the state championships, the team is poised to make a strong showing at the highest level of competition.
Blade Owens, Andrew Diaz, Chris Guerrero, Angel Salgado, Matthias Valdez, Ricardo Valdez, Aiden Valencia, Frankie Stevenson, Joseph Robles, and Alonzo Cardona have all earned their spots at the state championships through their hard work and determination. They have proven themselves to be among the best in the state and will be looking to bring home some hardware next weekend. Additionally, Edward Saldana will serve as a state alternate, ready to step in and compete if needed. This depth and talent on the team are a true testament to the strength of the Victor Valley College wrestling program. … more at … https://athletics.vvc.edu/sports/wrest/2024-25/releases/20241210otr2dk?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
And …
Mt. SAC Men’s Wrestling Dominates at 3C2A Southern California Regional Championships
Monterey Park, Calif. – The Mt. San Antonio College Men’s Wrestling Team captured first place for the fourth consecutive year at the 3C2A Southern California Regional Championships held on Saturday, December 7, at East Los Angeles College. The Mounties earned a team score of 245.5, outpacing second-place Palomar College (169.0) and third-place Cerritos College (120.5).
The Mounties delivered outstanding individual performances, clinching five first-place finishes from Jason Saenz (133 lbs.), Maxximus Martinez (157 lbs.), Jack Estevez (165 lbs.) Roman Loya (184 lbs.) and Mo Talebi (197 lbs.).
Additional podium finishes included Brian Geiger (149 lbs.) and Jakob Hand (174 lbs.) earning second place and Michael Williams (149 lbs.) and Javier Montes (174 lbs.) securing third place.
All 12 Mountie wrestlers qualified to compete at the upcoming individual state championships, set for next weekend at West Hills College in Lemoore, California. … more at … https://www.mtsacathletics.com/sports/wrest/2024-25/releases/20241209npj6fg
OSU moves to No. 2, Purdue’s Ramos new No. 1 at 125 in WIN rankings
Dec. 9, 2024
NEWTON, Iowa — Coming off an impressive team championship at last weekend’s Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Oklahoma State has moved up to No. 2 in WIN Magazine’s Dec. 9 Rankings, presented by Cliff Keen Athletic. Meanwhile, Purdue Matt Ramos is now ranked No. 1 at 125 pounds after the Boilermaker won a championship at that weight last weekend in Las Vegas.
The Cowboys, led by CKLV champs Dean Hamiti (ranked 3rd/174) and Wyatt Hendrickson (3rd/Hwt), are ranked in every weight class and tallied 79 points in WIN Magazine’s Tournament Power Index. Other OSU wrestlers who have been wrestling well include Troy Spratley, who moved to No. 2 at 125, and three other Cowboys who are new to these rankings in Reece Witcraft (133), Carter Young (149) and Caleb Fish (157). WIN’s TPI projects where programs would finish in the 2025 NCAA Division I Championships, which will be held March 20-22 in Philadelphia, if every wrestler finished the season where they are ranked now. The following is a breakdown of those individual TPI points per ranking: 20 for 1st, 16 for 2nd, 13.5 for 3rd, 12.5 for 4th, 10 for 5th, 9 for 6th, 6.5 for 7th and 5.5 for 8th. Wrestlers ranked 9-12 earn two points each, followed by one and a half points for wrestlers ranked 13-16 and one point for those ranked 17-20.
Penn State (2-0) remains No. 1 in both the TPI and dual-team rankings and the Nittany Lions also feature someone new to this season’s rankings: freshman Luke Lilledahl, ranked No. 5 at 125 pounds.
Iowa (6-0) remains No. 2 in the dual-team rankings while the Hawkeyes are now rated No. 3 with 75 points, followed by Minnesota (64.5) and Virginia Tech (57.5).
It should be noted that WIN dropped two wrestlers, highly-ranked in previous rankings: Arizona State’s 125-pound defending champ Richard Figueroa, who has not wrestled this season; and Iowa’s Jacori Teemer, last year’s national runner-up at 157, who is out of the Hawkeye lineup for the time being after sustaining a leg injury two weeks ago.
Penn State features the most top-ranked individuals in Tyler Kasak (157), Mitchell Mesenbrink (165) and Carter Starocci, while the other No. 1-rated wrestlers are Lehigh’s Ryan Crookham (133), Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez (133), Virginia Tech’s Caleb Henson (149), Missouri’s Keegan O’Toole (174), Iowa’s Stephen Buchanan (197) and Minnesota’s Gable Steveson.
WIN Magazine’s Dec. 9 Top-20 Dual Teams
| Rk. | School | W-L | Prev. | Upcoming Action |
| 1. | Penn State | 2-0 | 1st | vs. Wyoming, Dec. 15 |
| 2. | Iowa | 6-0 | 2nd | off until Dec. 29-30, Soldier Salute |
| 3. | Oklahoma State | 4-0 | 3rd | at Oklahoma, Dec. 13 |
| 4. | Nebraska | 3-0 | 4th | off until Dec. 20 vs. Augustana/Neb-Kearney |
| 5. | Ohio State | 3-0 | 5th | at Pitt, Dec. 13 |
| 6. | NC State | 5-0 | 6th | off until dec. 22 at Cornell |
… more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2024/12/09/osu-moves-to-no-2-purdues-ramos-new-no-1-at-125-in-win-rankings/
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 