Six Stories from the SoCon
Campbell Competes in Dual at the Daddy
The Camels started the season with a bang, competing against Wyoming in the Dual at the Daddy in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The Camels lost 28-12 but put up a fight against the Cowboys. Team points were scored at 149, 174, and 285 – Eugene Harney (149, CAMP), served up an upset against #15 Gabe Willochell (WYO), Harney’s first collegiate dual AND win. Dom Baker put some bonus points on the board with a major decision victory over Brett McIntosh, and top-10-ranked Taye Ghadiali ended the evening on a high note with a technical fall against Kevin Zimmer. Anthony Molton (125) wrestled a barnburner against #2 Jore Volk, ultimately losing 2-0.
Throwdown on Yorktown
This event was the first time college wrestling was hosted on the flight deck of the historic USS Yorktown, hosted in Charleston, SC by The Citadel. The event also raised over $1,300 for the SC Wrestling Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, the competition was cut short due to weather/climate conditions. The Citadel was bested by UVA 24-11, but not before posting three wins at 149, 184, and 197 pounds. Patrick Brophy (197) has appeared in the rankings the past couple of weeks, blazing ahead with a 4-1 match record after week two of wrestling. Gardner-Webb also threw down on the Yorktown, clinching victories at 141 and 157 pounds, but ultimately was defeated by the Black Knights 35-6. Todd Carter (141) has made an appearance in the rankings in the past couple of weeks as well, currently sitting at #29, up from #33 after week one.
Journeymen WrangleMania
Campbell beats Cal Baptist 24-17
The Camels picked up a hefty win over Cal Baptist, securing wins at seven out of ten weights. Anthony Molton (125) and Taye Ghadiali (285) started and ended the dual with falls, putting up bonus points for the Camels. … more at … https://intermatwrestle.com/articles.html/college/socon/six-stories-from-the-socon-r99731/
This Week in ACC Wrestling
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Five of the seven Atlantic Coast Conference wrestling teams will return to the mat this weekend, November 15-17, highlighted by three top-20 duals.
On Friday, November 15, at 7 p.m. ET, No. 7 Virginia Tech will host No. 8 Missouri on ACCNX. That same night, No. 25 North Carolina will welcome No. 4 Nebraska to Chapel Hill for an 8 p.m. ET match. Then, on Sunday, November 17, No. 6 NC State will face No. 17 Rutgers in the second part of a back-to-back dual meet with Princeton, starting at 4 p.m. ET on UFC Fight Pass.
Prior to Sunday’s matches with Princeton and Rutgers, NC State will host Appalachian State on Friday at 7 p.m. ET on ACCNX. Duke will travel north to The Empire State to take on Hofstra at 11:30 a.m. ET and Sacred Heart at 1:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 16, while Stanford will face off with Cal Poly at 2:30 p.m. ET in non-conference dual-meet action.
For the third straight week, the ACC had five teams ranked in the top 25 of the NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll, with two teams in the top 10. NC State leads the way at No. 6, one spot ahead of Virginia Tech at No. 7. With a dual match win over Iowa State, Stanford moved … more at … https://theacc.com/news/2024/11/14/this-week-in-acc-wrestling.aspx
#6 Wolfpack Handles Business with App State by a 34-12 Score
RALEIGH, N.C. – Led by Isaac Trumble’s pin fall win in his return to Reynolds Coliseum and technical falls by both Ed Scott and Vince Robinson, sixth-ranked NC State wrestling handled business with App State Friday night to take a 34-12 victory for its first home dual-match of the 2024-25 slate.
After bumping up to 133 pounds in the offseason, redshirt-sophomore Troy Hohman, entered the lineup for the Wolfpack to open the dual-match. His first points of the night over App State’s Chad Bellis came from a 2-point reversal to start the second period. He then gave up a technical point and an escape to make it two a piece. With 30 seconds remaining in the second period he secured a 3-point takedown that was challenged by App State’s head coach and overturned, keeping it 2-2. With less than a minute remaining in the bout, Bellis is able to get a takedown on the edge to carry his decision win comfortably and give the Mountaineers the first team points of the night.
Wrestling at 141 in the starting lineup for the first time in Reynolds Coliseum, seventh-ranked Kai Orine faced App State’s Sean Carter who had to injury default early in the third period, giving NC State the 6-3 lead in team points.
Koy Buesgens claimed a 7-5 victory when he took the stage in the starting lineup at 149 pounds for the first time to face Kaden Keiser. The first period closed out scoreless, but Buesgens started the second in down position and gave away two back points but followed up with an escape making it 1-2. The redshirt-freshman for the Pack is able to get a takedown with 30 seconds left in the second period, giving him the 4-2 lead. Tied up at four a piece with just a minute remaining … more at … https://gopack.com/news/2024/11/15/wrestling-6-wolfpack-handles-business-with-app-state-by-a-34-12-score
And …
Popolizio Signs Elite Recruiting Class on National Signing Day
RALEIGH, N.C. – NC State wrestling head coach Pat Popolizio signed five recruits as part of its 2025 signing class on Wednesday. The group was ranked as the No. 6 recruiting class by FloWrestling on Sept. 19.
Between Will Denny, Brogan Tucker, and Daniel Zepeda, three members of the signing class are featured on FloWrestling’s Big Board rankings list. Zepeda leads the group at No. 7, followed by Denny at No. 17, and rounded out by Tucker at No. 27.
All five wrestlers were named to Sports Illustrated’s 2024-25 Preseason National High School Rankings that list the top 25 wrestlers from all over the country in each weight class.
Will Denny • Manhattan, Illinois
No. 17 on FloWrestling’s Class of 2025 High School Big Board…Ranked No. 3 at 150lbs by Sports Illustrated in the 2024-25 Preseason National High School Rankings…2024 Super 32 Challenge Champion at 157lbs…Won a state title his junior year…Ranked No. 1 by Illinois Matmen his junior year
Cason Howle • Greenwood, South Carolina
Ranked No. 14 at 215lbs by Sports Illustrated in the 2024-25 Preseason National High School Rankings…Three time South Carolina state champion…Holds a 159-1 record heading into his senior year … more at … https://gopack.com/news/2024/11/14/wrestling-popolizio-signs-elite-recruiting-class-on-national-signing-day
TDR Top 12 Preseason Rankings 106-113 lbs.
Editor’s Notes; The following are potential returning wrestlers from last year’s The TakeDown Report’s Top 12 Team as best wrestlers in eastern North Carolina. We expect many changes in weight classes
This will be the 28th consecutive season of publicizing the TDR Top 12 rankings and awards. The win-loss record is from the end of last year. There will be freshmen who could and maybe even should be listed and they will once the regular season. Many wrestlers will be in different weight classes but that will be apparent once the ‘referee blows the whistle.’ We welcome input from coaches, fans and wrestlers.
We plan to recognize the top wrestlers with engraved wooden plaques the 21st year with our ‘duck under’ logo. We do have TDR T-Shirts yet we do have white print on black shirts TDR shirts for just $10!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
| Rnk | Wght. | Name | Team | Gr. | W. | L. | Pct. | Dist. |
| 1 | 106 | Quincy, Holton | North East Carolina Prep | 27 | 52 | 1 | 0.981 | 1A-E |
| 2 | 106 | Monks, Alex | Bunn | 25 | 44 | 6 | 0.880 | 2A-ME |
| 3 | 106 | Verhow, Abrey | White Oak | 26 | 31 | 4 | 0.886 | 3A-E |
| 4 | 106 | Boltes, Sam | Washington | 27 | 49 | 11 | 0.817 | 2A-E |
| 5 | 106 | Salazar, Jose | Southern Nash | 25 | 41 | 10 | 0.804 | 3A-E |
| 6 | 106 | Trujillo, Brian | New Hanover | 25 | 46 | 8 | 0.852 | 4A-E |
| 7 | 106 | Maples, Joseph | South Lenoir | 25 | 36 | 8 | 0.818 | 2A-E |
| 8 | 106 | Arrington, Ayden | Laney | 25 | 41 | 12 | 0.774 | 4A-E |
| 9 | 106 | Winburn, Tristan | West Brunswick | 27 | 28 | 9 | 0.757 | 3A-E |
| 10 | 106 | Mundell, Tyler | North Pitt | 27 | 39 | 16 | 0.709 | 2A-E |
| 11 | 106 | Angstadt, Lucas | Ashley | 26 | 29 | 8 | 0.784 | 4A-E |
| 12 | 106 | Fountain, Weseley | SouthWest Edgecombe | 26 | 27 | 8 | 0.771 | 2A-E |
| 13 | 106 | Hernandez-Aragon, Jonathan | New Hanover | 25 | 20 | 4 | 0.833 | 4A-E |
| 13 | 106 | Fox, Landon | New Bern | 27 | 40 | 12 | 0.769 | 4A-E |
| 13 | 106 | Raines, Michael | Lejeune | 26 | 28 | 9 | 0.757 | 1A-E |
| 13 | 106 | Barton, Corban | Hoggard | 25 | 27 | 10 | 0.730 | 4A-E |
| 13 | 106 | Smith, Quinton | Topsail | 26 | 33 | 15 | 0.688 | 4A-E |
| 13 | 106 | Rhodes, Jayden | Currituck County | 27 | 24 | 11 | 0.686 | 3A-E |
| 13 | 106 | Tran, Sander | South Central | 26 | 37 | 19 | 0.661 | 3A-E |
| 1 | 113 | Perry, Bryce | Washington | 27 | 52 | 2 | 0.963 | 2A-E |
| 2 | 113 | Lewis, Colton | North East Carolina Prep | 25 | 49 | 6 | 0.891 | 1A-E |
| 3 | 113 | Hunt, Cole | Jacksonville | 25 | 37 | 7 | 0.841 | 3A-E |
| 4 | 113 | Barnett, Alexander | New Bern | 25 | 48 | 6 | 0.889 | 4A-E |
| 5 | 113 | Brownlee, Ethan | South Johnston | 25 | 47 | 6 | 0.887 | 3A-E |
| 6 | 113 | Hunter, Kolton | Rosewood | 25 | 37 | 13 | 0.740 | 1A-E |
| 7 | 113 | Guthrie, Keller | Ayden-Grifton | 26 | 46 | 7 | 0.868 | 2A-E |
| 8 | 113 | Mann, Brandon | South Granville | 26 | 46 | 15 | 0.754 | 2A-ME |
| 9 | 113 | Bullard, Andrew | D.H. Conley | 26 | 31 | 13 | 0.705 | 4A-E |
| 10 | 113 | Crespo, Angel | South Lenoir | 25 | 23 | 16 | 0.590 | 2A-E |
| 11 | 113 | Goodman, Aaron | Swansboro | 27 | 24 | 10 | 0.706 | 3A-E |
| 12 | 113 | Gibson, Brayden | South Central | 26 | 36 | 19 | 0.655 | 3A-E |
| 13 | 113 | Baker, Trevon | Southern Nash | 25 | 35 | 6 | 0.854 | 3A-E |
| 13 | 113 | Wright, Finley | Heritage | 26 | 24 | 9 | 0.727 | 4A-E |
| 13 | 113 | Bullock, Jeremy | North Pitt | 26 | 24 | 10 | 0.706 | 2A-E |
| 13 | 113 | Hizer, Michael | West Johnston | 27 | 21 | 9 | 0.700 | 3A-E |
| 13 | 113 | Lieberman, Mark | Currituck County | 27 | 25 | 11 | 0.694 | 3A-E |
| 13 | 113 | Smiling, Chayton | St. Pauls | 25 | 23 | 11 | 0.676 | 2A-ME |
| 13 | 113 | Brothers, Brian | Pamlico County | 26 | 26 | 15 | 0.634 | 1A-E |
| 13 | 113 | Gallagher, Rory | Hoggard | 26 | 29 | 17 | 0.630 | 4A-E |
TDR Top 12 Preseason Rankings 120-132 lbs.
Editor’s Notes; The following are potential returning wrestlers from last year’s The TakeDown Report’s Top 12 Team as best wrestlers in eastern North Carolina. We expect many changes in weight classes
This will be the 28th consecutive season of publicizing the TDR Top 12 rankings and awards. The win-loss record is from the end of last year. There will be freshmen who could and maybe even should be listed and they will once the regular season. Many wrestlers will be in different weight classes but that will be apparent once the ‘referee blows the whistle.’ We welcome input from coaches, fans and wrestlers.
We plan to recognize the top wrestlers with engraved wooden plaques the 21st year with our ‘duck under’ logo. We do have TDR T-Shirts yet we do have white print on black shirts TDR shirts for just $10!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
| Rnk | Wght. | Name | Team | Gr. | W. | L. | Pct. | Dist. |
| 1 | 120 | Nolasco-Rayo, Brandon | Louisburg | 25 | 38 | 8 | 0.826 | 2A-ME |
| 2 | 120 | McClung, Colton | D.H. Conley | 25 | 48 | 10 | 0.828 | 4A-E |
| 3 | 120 | Davis, Maxwell | Jacksonville | 26 | 28 | 16 | 0.636 | 3A-E |
| 4 | 120 | Marlow, Chandler | North Johnston | 25 | 29 | 13 | 0.690 | 2A-E |
| 5 | 120 | Hanks, Gavin | First Flight | 25 | 30 | 9 | 0.769 | 3A-E |
| 6 | 120 | Wesley, Jamieson | West Craven | 25 | 34 | 25 | 0.576 | 2A-E |
| 7 | 120 | Williamson, Redmond | Northern Nash | 25 | 33 | 10 | 0.767 | 3A-E |
| 8 | 120 | Corl, Carson | South Johnston | 25 | 32 | 13 | 0.711 | 3A-E |
| 9 | 120 | Harrington, Alden | North Pitt | 27 | 27 | 18 | 0.600 | 2A-E |
| 10 | 120 | Romero, Marcos | Ayden-Grifton | 25 | 33 | 15 | 0.688 | 2A-E |
| 11 | 120 | Braxton, Christopher | New Hanover | 26 | 30 | 17 | 0.638 | 4A-E |
| 12 | 120 | Goodman, Alex | Swansboro | 27 | 28 | 16 | 0.636 | 3A-E |
| 13 | 120 | Hizer, Cody | West Johnston | 26 | 24 | 5 | 0.828 | 3A-E |
| 13 | 120 | Masse, Tucker | Washington | 27 | 15 | 5 | 0.750 | 2A-E |
| 13 | 120 | Neal, Kingston | Laney | 26 | 22 | 11 | 0.667 | 4A-E |
| 1 | 126 | Watt, Tyler | Wake Forest | 25 | 51 | 5 | 0.911 | 4A-E |
| 2 | 126 | Sibugan, Khalel | First Flight | 26 | 39 | 5 | 0.886 | 3A-E |
| 3 | 126 | Nolasco-Rayo, Braulio | Louisburg | 25 | 39 | 7 | 0.848 | 2A-ME |
| 4 | 126 | Calderon, Hector | Manteo | 25 | 34 | 24 | 0.586 | 2A-E |
| 5 | 126 | Nipper, Gavin | Jacksonville | 25 | 38 | 12 | 0.760 | 3A-E |
| 6 | 126 | Yeates, Landon | Pamlico County | 25 | 34 | 13 | 0.723 | 1A-E |
| 7 | 126 | Helton, Tyson | Havelock | 26 | 49 | 15 | 0.766 | 3A-E |
| 8 | 126 | Heath, Tajion | North Pitt | 25 | 41 | 11 | 0.788 | 2A-E |
| 9 | 126 | Menteer, Miller | Currituck County | 27 | 39 | 11 | 0.780 | 3A-E |
| 10 | 126 | Woodard, Triston | East Wake | 25 | 38 | 10 | 0.792 | 3A-E |
| 11 | 126 | Rodriguez, Michbael | Southern Nash | 25 | 36 | 14 | 0.720 | 3A-E |
| 12 | 126 | Doddy, Landon | Bunn | 27 | 33 | 15 | 0.688 | 2A-ME |
| 13 | 126 | Adalin, Tyler | Topsail | 27 | 23 | 10 | 0.697 | 4A-E |
| 13 | 126 | Fitzgerald, David | North Johnston | 25 | 25 | 14 | 0.641 | 2A-E |
| 13 | 126 | Lewis, Colten | White Oak | 26 | 32 | 20 | 0.615 | 3A-E |
| 13 | 126 | Joseph, Bernard | Greene Central | 25 | 20 | 15 | 0.571 | 2A-E |
| 13 | 126 | Braxton, Kenneth | New Hanover | 26 | 28 | 22 | 0.560 | 4A-E |
| 1 | 132 | McNair, Tobin | Wakefield | 27 | 54 | 2 | 0.964 | 4A-E |
| 2 | 132 | Fazekas, Corey | Northeastern | 25 | 52 | 5 | 0.912 | 2A-E |
| 3 | 132 | Campos, James | Lejeune | 26 | 35 | 7 | 0.833 | 1A-E |
| 4 | 132 | Davis, Bladen | South Lenoir | 25 | 25 | 11 | 0.694 | 2A-E |
| 5 | 132 | Figuerdo, Josh | West Carteret | 25 | 48 | 12 | 0.800 | 3A-E |
| 6 | 132 | Dennison, Behn | West Craven | 27 | 32 | 21 | 0.604 | 2A-E |
| 7 | 132 | Berdiel, Luis | Northern Nash | 26 | 34 | 13 | 0.723 | 3A-E |
| 8 | 132 | Johnson, Jeremy | Aycock, C.B. | 26 | 35 | 7 | 0.833 | 3A-E |
| 9 | 132 | Thomas, Eli | Laney | 26 | 34 | 17 | 0.667 | 4A-E |
| 10 | 132 | Posner, Zach | Bunn | 25 | 30 | 13 | 0.698 | 2A-ME |
| 11 | 132 | Rosenbrock, Kaden | Pasquotank Co. | 27 | 24 | 18 | 0.571 | 2A-E |
| 12 | 132 | Sznaider, Tyler | North Brunswick | 26 | 22 | 10 | 0.688 | 3A-E |
| 13 | 132 | Samples, Caleb | Clayton | 25 | 22 | 7 | 0.759 | 4A-E |
| 13 | 132 | Norman, JB | Washington | 27 | 14 | 5 | 0.737 | 2A-E |
| 13 | 132 | Hall, Anthony | Rosewood | 25 | 13 | 5 | 0.722 | 1A-E |
| 13 | 132 | Campbell, Aiden | Havelock | 27 | 38 | 18 | 0.679 | 3A-E |
| 13 | 132 | Bullard, Cameron | D.H. Conley | 25 | 31 | 17 | 0.646 | 4A-E |
| 13 | 132 | Williams, Tommy | Croatan | 25 | 20 | 11 | 0.645 | 3A-E |
| 13 | 132 | Crothamel, Tyrone | South Johnston | 27 | 28 | 16 | 0.636 | 3A-E |
| 13 | 132 | Oxendine, Chayton | South Central | 26 | 35 | 22 | 0.614 | 3A-E |
TDR Top 12 Preseason Rankings 138-150 lbs.
Editor’s Notes; The following are potential returning wrestlers from last year’s The TakeDown Report’s Top 12 Team as best wrestlers in eastern North Carolina. We expect many changes in weight classes
This will be the 28th consecutive season of publicizing the TDR Top 12 rankings and awards. The win-loss record is from the end of last year. There will be freshmen who could and maybe even should be listed and they will once the regular season. Many wrestlers will be in different weight classes but that will be apparent once the ‘referee blows the whistle.’ We welcome input from coaches, fans and wrestlers.
We plan to recognize the top wrestlers with engraved wooden plaques the 21st year with our ‘duck under’ logo. We do have TDR T-Shirts yet we do have white print on black shirts TDR shirts for just $10!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
| Rnk | Wght. | Name | Team | Gr. | W. | L. | Pct. | Dist. |
| 1 | 138 | Mann, Ryan | North East Carolina Prep | 25 | 56 | 0 | 1.000 | 1A-E |
| 2 | 138 | Shirley, Dylan | West Carteret | 25 | 48 | 8 | 0.857 | 3A-E |
| 3 | 138 | B-Meza, David | Washington | 26 | 36 | 15 | 0.706 | 2A-E |
| 4 | 138 | Klemmer, Tyler | New Bern | 25 | 42 | 16 | 0.724 | 4A-E |
| 5 | 138 | Edwards, Jaden | Southern Nash | 25 | 36 | 9 | 0.800 | 3A-E |
| 6 | 138 | Paul, Ryan | Northside (Pinetown) | 25 | 31 | 12 | 0.721 | 1A-E |
| 7 | 138 | Gunn, Donovan | Topsail | 26 | 14 | 5 | 0.737 | 4A-E |
| 8 | 138 | Barcliff, Jeremy | Northeastern | 26 | 32 | 19 | 0.627 | 2A-E |
| 9 | 138 | Herron, Camden | Northside (Jacksonville) | 27 | 32 | 13 | 0.711 | 3A-E |
| 10 | 138 | Catalan-Escamilla, Eliu | Bunn | 25 | 25 | 7 | 0.781 | 2A-ME |
| 11 | 138 | McMullen, Mason | Jacksonville | 25 | 31 | 17 | 0.646 | 3A-E |
| 12 | 138 | Cooper, Mason | Swansboro | 25 | 30 | 12 | 0.714 | 3A-E |
| 13 | 138 | Dougherty, Ryan | Pasquotank Co. | 26 | 30 | 20 | 0.600 | 2A-E |
| 13 | 138 | Avvisato, Dominic | Dixon | 26 | 21 | 17 | 0.553 | 3A-E |
| 1 | 144 | Rubistello, Stephen | Tarboro | 26 | 41 | 2 | 0.953 | 1A-E |
| 2 | 144 | Foreman, Gabe | Washington | 26 | 43 | 15 | 0.741 | 2A-E |
| 3 | 144 | Cohen, Gavin | Croatan | 25 | 42 | 6 | 0.875 | 3A-E |
| 4 | 144 | Alston, Jayden | Bunn | 25 | 29 | 5 | 0.853 | 2A-ME |
| 5 | 144 | Shields-Adams, Ashton | Southwest Onslow | 25 | 40 | 13 | 0.755 | 2A-E |
| 6 | 144 | Root, Justin | Dixon | 25 | 43 | 8 | 0.843 | 3A-E |
| 7 | 144 | Anderson, Cole | North East Carolina Prep | 26 | 40 | 7 | 0.851 | 1A-E |
| 8 | 144 | Callon, Michael | Pasquotank Co. | 25 | 40 | 15 | 0.727 | 2A-E |
| 9 | 144 | Loftin, Connor | Ayden-Grifton | 25 | 35 | 13 | 0.729 | 2A-E |
| 10 | 144 | Turner , James | North Johnston | 25 | 34 | 12 | 0.739 | 2A-E |
| 11 | 144 | Allen, Colton | Topsail | 25 | 29 | 12 | 0.707 | 4A-E |
| 12 | 144 | Bock, Kyle | Hoggard | 25 | 29 | 17 | 0.630 | 4A-E |
| 13 | 144 | Heppner, Christopher | Ashley | 25 | 23 | 7 | 0.767 | 4A-E |
| 13 | 144 | Prapuolenis, Kaz | West Carteret | 26 | 17 | 8 | 0.680 | 3A-E |
| 13 | 144 | Waterfield, Waylon | Currituck County | 26 | 29 | 14 | 0.674 | 3A-E |
| 13 | 144 | Meadows, Micaiden | White Oak | 25 | 19 | 13 | 0.594 | 3A-E |
| 1 | 150 | Fritz, Ian | Topsail | 25 | 47 | 3 | 0.940 | 4A-E |
| 2 | 150 | Johnson, Gerald “JJ” | West Craven | 25 | 45 | 8 | 0.849 | 2A-E |
| 3 | 150 | Sabillion, Fabian | Rosewood | 25 | 47 | 9 | 0.839 | 1A-E |
| 4 | 150 | Toliver, Jordyn | Currituck County | 25 | 29 | 5 | 0.853 | 3A-E |
| 5 | 150 | Powell, Ethan | South Granville | 25 | 31 | 7 | 0.816 | 2A-ME |
| 6 | 150 | Hill, Jamari | Fike | 25 | 38 | 13 | 0.745 | 3A-E |
| 7 | 150 | Schulz, John | West Carteret | 25 | 43 | 12 | 0.782 | 3A-E |
| 8 | 150 | Nguyen, Jonathan | Northeastern | 26 | 24 | 14 | 0.632 | 2A-E |
| 9 | 150 | Gurkin, Krick | North Brunswick | 26 | 30 | 14 | 0.682 | 3A-E |
| 10 | 150 | Mewborn, Isiah | Pamlico County | 26 | 27 | 12 | 0.692 | 1A-E |
| 11 | 150 | Benitez, Alexi | Southern Nash | 25 | 41 | 7 | 0.854 | 3A-E |
| 12 | 150 | Browning, Landon | Tarboro | 26 | 36 | 8 | 0.818 | 1A-E |
| 13 | 150 | Tucker, Tate | Washington | 26 | 33 | 11 | 0.750 | 2A-E |
| 13 | 150 | Smith, Brock | Jacksonville | 26 | 35 | 13 | 0.729 | 3A-E |
| 13 | 150 | Vanacore, Dominic | First Flight | 25 | 34 | 14 | 0.708 | 3A-E |
| 13 | 150 | Norville, Sawyer | Ayden-Grifton | 25 | 30 | 13 | 0.698 | 2A-E |
| 13 | 150 | Guenduer, Nicholas | Hoggard | 25 | 32 | 17 | 0.653 | 4A-E |
| 13 | 150 | Bolden, Trenstin | Southwest Onslow | 27 | 20 | 12 | 0.625 | 2A-E |
TDR Top 12 Preseason Rankings 157-175 lbs.
Editor’s Notes; The following are potential returning wrestlers from last year’s The TakeDown Report’s Top 12 Team as best wrestlers in eastern North Carolina. We expect many changes in weight classes
This will be the 28th consecutive season of publicizing the TDR Top 12 rankings and awards. The win-loss record is from the end of last year. There will be freshmen who could and maybe even should be listed and they will once the regular season. Many wrestlers will be in different weight classes but that will be apparent once the ‘referee blows the whistle.’ We welcome input from coaches, fans and wrestlers.
We plan to recognize the top wrestlers with engraved wooden plaques the 21st year with our ‘duck under’ logo. We do have TDR T-Shirts yet we do have white print on black shirts TDR shirts for just $10!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
| Rnk | Wght. | Name | Team | Gr. | W. | L. | Pct. | Dist. |
| 1 | 157 | Niedzielski, Izaak | West Craven | 25 | 40 | 18 | 0.690 | 2A-E |
| 2 | 157 | Reynolds, Braeden | West Carteret | 25 | 48 | 11 | 0.814 | 3A-E |
| 3 | 157 | Daniel, Josiah | J.F. Webb | 26 | 23 | 10 | 0.697 | 2A-ME |
| 4 | 157 | McMorris, Zachary | Rolesville | 25 | 44 | 19 | 0.698 | 4A-E |
| 5 | 157 | Cardenas, Mario | Pasquotank Co. | 25 | 40 | 14 | 0.741 | 2A-E |
| 6 | 157 | Higgins, Marqueze | New Hanover | 25 | 40 | 16 | 0.714 | 4A-E |
| 7 | 157 | Lamm, Stephen | Louisburg | 25 | 32 | 6 | 0.842 | 2A-ME |
| 8 | 157 | Francis, Dillon | First Flight | 26 | 30 | 14 | 0.682 | 3A-E |
| 9 | 157 | Davidson, Jessi | North Pitt | 26 | 26 | 11 | 0.703 | 2A-E |
| 10 | 157 | Thibodeau, Joseph | Currituck County | 25 | 25 | 16 | 0.610 | 3A-E |
| 11 | 157 | Wintersein, Pete | Clayton | 25 | 41 | 5 | 0.891 | 2A-E |
| 12 | 157 | Horrell, Lucky | Hoggard | 25 | 36 | 15 | 0.706 | 4A-E |
| 13 | 157 | Wardrick, Jahron | Northern Nash | 26 | 25 | 12 | 0.676 | 3A-E |
| 13 | 157 | Jenkins, Cole | Wake Forest | 26 | 31 | 15 | 0.674 | 4A-E |
| 13 | 157 | Smith, James | Swansboro | 26 | 27 | 15 | 0.643 | 3A-E |
| 1 | 165 | Moses, Jonathan | Jacksonville | 26 | 35 | 18 | 0.660 | 3A-E |
| 2 | 165 | Michael, Noah | Franklinton | 25 | 45 | 6 | 0.882 | 3A-E |
| 3 | 165 | Campos, Jacob | Lejeune | 27 | 33 | 10 | 0.767 | 1A-E |
| 4 | 165 | Kopelman, Mac | Laney | 26 | 38 | 14 | 0.731 | 4A-E |
| 5 | 165 | Farmer, Jacob | Fike | 25 | 31 | 9 | 0.775 | 3A-E |
| 6 | 165 | Lambert, Jeremiah | New Bern | 25 | 47 | 12 | 0.797 | 4A-E |
| 7 | 165 | Scott, Jaden | New Hanover | 25 | 43 | 12 | 0.782 | 4A-E |
| 8 | 165 | Bennion, Jude | East Wake | 25 | 34 | 16 | 0.680 | 3A-E |
| 9 | 165 | Mitcham, Jackson | Dixon | 25 | 31 | 7 | 0.816 | 3A-E |
| 10 | 165 | Crump, Azuriah | North Pitt | 27 | 19 | 16 | 0.543 | 2A-E |
| 11 | 165 | Black, Ethan | First Flight | 25 | 32 | 13 | 0.711 | 3A-E |
| 12 | 165 | Moore, William | SouthWest Edgecombe | 25 | 23 | 11 | 0.676 | 2A-E |
| 13 | 165 | Freed, Bryson | Louisburg | 25 | 21 | 13 | 0.618 | 2A-ME |
| 13 | 165 | Carpenter, Justice | North East Carolina Prep | 25 | 17 | 11 | 0.607 | 1A-E |
| 13 | 165 | Arce, Gabriel | South Brunswick | 26 | 22 | 20 | 0.524 | 3A-E |
| 1 | 175 | Kallar, Clark | Pasquotank Co. | 27 | 49 | 10 | 0.831 | 2A-E |
| 2 | 175 | Perry, Tyler | Bunn | 26 | 36 | 16 | 0.692 | 2A-ME |
| 3 | 175 | Folks, Dashawn | Ayden-Grifton | 26 | 46 | 10 | 0.821 | 2A-E |
| 4 | 175 | Ellison, Elijah | Franklinton | 25 | 38 | 12 | 0.760 | 3A-E |
| 5 | 175 | Stevens, Brendan | Corinth-Holders | 25 | 31 | 12 | 0.721 | 4A-E |
| 6 | 175 | Baldree, Trenton | Washington | 26 | 39 | 18 | 0.684 | 2A-E |
| 7 | 175 | Moulton, Jude | Hoggard | 26 | 21 | 10 | 0.677 | 4A-E |
| 8 | 175 | Brown, Lazarte | Pender County | 25 | 35 | 8 | 0.814 | 1A-E |
| 9 | 175 | Linton, Mehki | South Granville | 25 | 34 | 20 | 0.630 | 2A-ME |
| 10 | 175 | Yarger, Dominic | Currituck County | 26 | 34 | 14 | 0.708 | 3A-E |
| 11 | 175 | Miller, Joseph | Lejeune | 25 | 30 | 11 | 0.732 | 1A-E |
| 12 | 175 | Botti, Diego | Wake Forest | 25 | 29 | 9 | 0.763 | 4A-E |
| 13 | 175 | Fitzsimmons, Owen | Clayton | 25 | 21 | 3 | 0.875 | 4A-E |
| 13 | 175 | Perry, Axl | Aycock, C.B. | 25 | 23 | 6 | 0.793 | 3A-E |
| 13 | 175 | Walker, Holden | Laney | 25 | 25 | 11 | 0.694 | 4A-E |
| 13 | 175 | Staton, Dontae | D.H. Conley | 25 | 28 | 14 | 0.667 | 4A-E |
| 13 | 175 | Gonzalez, Aaron | East Carteret | 25 | 19 | 10 | 0.655 | 2A-E |
| 13 | 175 | Spencer, Carel | New Bern | 27 | 26 | 15 | 0.634 | 4A-E |
TDR Top 12 Preseason Rankings 190-285 lbs. – 2025
Editor’s Notes; The following are potential returning wrestlers from last year’s The TakeDown Report’s Top 12 Team as best wrestlers in eastern North Carolina. We expect many changes in weight classes
This will be the 28th consecutive season of publicizing the TDR Top 12 rankings and awards. The win-loss record is from the end of last year. There will be freshmen who could and maybe even should be listed and they will once the regular season. Many wrestlers will be in different weight classes but that will be apparent once the ‘referee blows the whistle.’ We welcome input from coaches, fans and wrestlers.
We plan to recognize the top wrestlers with engraved wooden plaques the 21st year with our ‘duck under’ logo. We do have TDR T-Shirts yet we do have white print on black shirts TDR shirts for just $10!
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| Rk | Wght. | Name | Team | Gr. | W. | L. | Pct. | Dist. |
| 1 | 190 | Brantley, Eric | Pamlico County | 25 | 34 | 9 | 0.791 | 1A-E |
| 2 | 190 | Mason, Wisdom | North Pitt | 27 | 26 | 14 | 0.650 | 2A-E |
| 3 | 190 | Darden, Jaylin | Rosewood | 26 | 24 | 4 | 0.857 | 1A-E |
| 4 | 190 | Longo, Dino | Bunn | 25 | 36 | 9 | 0.800 | 2A-ME |
| 5 | 190 | Summers, Lucas | First Flight | 25 | 33 | 9 | 0.786 | 3A-E |
| 6 | 190 | Smith, Kaeden | Laney | 25 | 35 | 17 | 0.673 | 4A-E |
| 7 | 190 | Doyle, Antoine | Vance County | 25 | 18 | 3 | 0.857 | 3A-E |
| 8 | 190 | Bates, Marek | Washington | 25 | 17 | 7 | 0.708 | 2A-E |
| 9 | 190 | White, Pierce | Hoggard | 25 | 46 | 8 | 0.852 | 4A-E |
| 10 | 190 | Harris, Baylor | Pender County | 26 | 36 | 15 | 0.706 | 1A-E |
| 11 | 190 | Titus, Cameron | Havelock | 25 | 30 | 27 | 0.526 | 3A-E |
| 12 | 190 | Cherry, Marcus | Northside (Jacksonville) | 25 | 27 | 15 | 0.643 | 3A-E |
| 13 | 190 | Salas-Aguilera, Jonathan | Southside | 26 | 15 | 6 | 0.714 | 1A-E |
| 13 | 190 | Higginbotham, Xavier | Lejeune | 25 | 24 | 10 | 0.706 | 2A-ME |
| 13 | 190 | Stevens, Rhett | Corinth-Holders | 26 | 23 | 12 | 0.657 | 4A-E |
| 13 | 190 | Saldana-Morales, Alonzo | Greene Central | 25 | 26 | 14 | 0.650 | 2A-E |
| 13 | 190 | Royster, Walter | Franklinton | 26 | 27 | 16 | 0.628 | 3A-E |
| 13 | 190 | Matea, Sam | Jacksonville | 25 | 27 | 17 | 0.614 | 3A-E |
| 1 | 215 | Eason, Asher | Heidi Trask | 25 | 41 | 5 | 0.891 | 2A-E |
| 2 | 215 | Ward, Jamarion | South Johnston | 25 | 34 | 16 | 0.680 | 3A-E |
| 3 | 215 | Ewell, Jack | Ayden-Grifton | 25 | 50 | 8 | 0.862 | 2A-E |
| 4 | 215 | Witmer, Codie | Clayton | 25 | 21 | 6 | 0.778 | 4A-E |
| 5 | 215 | Spencer, Landon | Manteo | 25 | 41 | 16 | 0.719 | 2A-E |
| 6 | 215 | Harris, Judah | Hunt | 27 | 20 | 8 | 0.714 | 3A-E |
| 7 | 215 | Garay-Martinez, John | First Flight | 26 | 25 | 14 | 0.641 | 3A-E |
| 8 | 215 | Bowling, Zander | J.F. Webb | 26 | 19 | 13 | 0.594 | 2A-ME |
| 9 | 215 | Roberio, Leo | Southern Nash | 25 | 29 | 9 | 0.763 | 3A-E |
| 10 | 215 | Previl, Aldinio | Rosewood | 27 | 29 | 10 | 0.744 | 1A-E |
| 11 | 215 | Pierce, Gavin | Holmes, Edenton | 25 | 26 | 9 | 0.743 | 2A-E |
| 12 | 215 | Morris, Lathon | West Craven | 25 | 31 | 21 | 0.596 | 2A-E |
| 13 | 215 | Tart, David | Louisburg | 26 | 14 | 5 | 0.737 | 2A-ME |
| 13 | 215 | Carabali Salina, Brian | Southside | 26 | 14 | 6 | 0.700 | 1A-E |
| 13 | 215 | Sanchez, Kevin | Heritage | 25 | 18 | 11 | 0.621 | 4A-E |
| 13 | 215 | Pegues, Jamarious | Cleveland | 25 | 16 | 17 | 0.485 | 4A-E |
| 1 | 285 | Rodgers, Nicholas | Fike | 25 | 50 | 4 | 0.926 | 3A-E |
| 2 | 285 | McClary, Jaden | Goldsboro | 26 | 32 | 6 | 0.842 | 2A-E |
| 3 | 285 | Ouellette, Everest | First Flight | 25 | 39 | 3 | 0.929 | 3A-E |
| 4 | 285 | Modina, Jorge | Ayden-Grifton | 26 | 34 | 11 | 0.756 | 2A-E |
| 5 | 285 | Silver, Daniel | North East Carolina Prep | 25 | 26 | 9 | 0.743 | 1A-E |
| 6 | 285 | Barrington, Davante | Northeastern | 25 | 32 | 14 | 0.696 | 2A-E |
| 7 | 285 | Taula, Eteuanti | Jacksonville | 25 | 35 | 8 | 0.814 | 3A-E |
| 8 | 285 | Nixon, Antonio | Heidi Trask | 25 | 31 | 10 | 0.756 | 2A-E |
| 9 | 285 | Michael, Landon | Franklinton | 26 | 35 | 7 | 0.833 | 1A-E |
| 10 | 285 | Bispham, Christopher | Havelock | 26 | 20 | 6 | 0.769 | 3A-E |
| 11 | 285 | Herring, Nicholas | Greene Central | 25 | 16 | 6 | 0.727 | 2A-E |
| 12 | 285 | Wade, Nick | Rosewood | 26 | 35 | 16 | 0.686 | 1A-E |
| 13 | 285 | Ferebee, Steven | Holmes, Edenton | 26 | 23 | 12 | 0.657 | 2A-E |
| 13 | 285 | Best, Jadon | Aycock, C.B. | 25 | 16 | 9 | 0.640 | 3A-E |
NCAA D1 Wrestling Week 2 Roundup: Journeymenmania
The world’s finest collection of noteworthy happenings from the 1st week of the 2023-24 NCAA D1 wrestling season.
This week’s D1 schedule featured a mix of tournaments, both of the bracketed and round robin variety, and out-of-conference dual meets, as is common this early in the season as teams get their match counts up and continue to figure out their lineup questions and roster battles.
We’ll start the week as we did last week, with the Dual of the Century of the Week, because this is a pro-dual space. Duals are the lifeblood of the college season. No duals, no season. No season, no fans. No fans, fewer new wrestlers, and then the sport is forever diminished.
The Dual of the Week, of the Century
Last week we celebrated Wyoming starting the season on Halloween with the Dual at the Daddy. This week we celebrate the Citadel for locking down a dang aircraft carrier as setting for their double dual meet. UVA won seven matches to spoil the party for the hometown Bulldogs, winning 24-11, while the Runnin Dawgs of Gardner-Webb were stopped in their tracks by a stout Army squad that put a 35-6 thumping G-WU.
Thing is though, an outdoor match next to the South Carolina shore in early November sometimes has a humidity problem. And so the two duals that were scheduled to take place later in the evening (Army vs the Citadel and UVA vs GWU) did not happen. But ya know, that’s life and that won’t stop me from celebrating that we still got do dual meets on the deck of an aircraft carrier.
There was also a collegiate women’s dual between Presbyterian and Campbellsville, and it was a thriller. Campbellsville led by two points heading into the final match, but Ella Beam secured the 10-0 tech to score 4 team points for the Blue Hose (and no points for the Tigers) which put Presbyterian on top 23-21 (freestyle dual meet scoring is a little different but we don’t have time for that now). Additionally, Division II power Lander triumphed over Newberry, 31-6. … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/12985683-ncaa-d1-wrestling-week-2-roundup-journeymenmania
Gable Steveson Returning to Gopher Wrestling Team
MINNEAPOLIS – He’s back.
Olympic gold medalist, two-time NCAA champion and two-time Hodge Trophy winner Gable Steveson is returning to the University of Minnesota wrestling team for a fifth season of competition in the 2024-25 campaign, head coach Brandon Eggum announced Tuesday. “First I would like to thank the University of Minnesota for their time, their effort and their persistence with me to push me to the man I am today,” Steveson said in his comeback video. “Minnesota has given me everything, and now it’s my turn to give it right back to them: to put my feet back on the wrestling mat, to be the champ, one more time.”
Steveson has the opportunity to return by utilizing NCAA waivers due to an Olympic redshirt and the extra year of eligibility that was granted in 2020 due to the circumstances surrounding COVID-19. He is expected to make his season debut on Nov. 24 against Campbell. “Gable has the burning desire to compete for the Maroon and Gold one last time,” Eggum said. “We are thankful he has chosen the opportunity to add to his historic legacy with our program. He is one of the best to ever compete in the sport of wrestling, and we are grateful for the impact has had at our program.”
Steveson, who last competed during the 2021-22 campaign, is one of the most decorated wrestlers in Minnesota wrestling history. The heavyweight is one of six in program history to win multiple NCAA championships (2021-22), one of eight to win three Big Ten titles (2020-22) and one of 11 to be a four-time All-American (2019-22). He boasts the best winning percentage in Gophers history with an 85-2 career record (.977), including a perfect 48-0 mark in dual competition and a 36-0 tally against Big Ten opponents. … more at … https://gophersports.com/news/2024/11/12/gable-steveson-returning-to-gopher-wrestling-team

