InterMat Staff

Stillwater

Bozeman

Eudora

Mill Creek

As schedules are released during the fall and summer, I tend to pick out matches from that particular schedule as ones to watch. Seeing a late-January dual between Oklahoma State and Northern Iowa seemed like it would be a good one. Fast forward a few months and it's perhaps one of the best of the season. A top-five encounter between #3 Oklahoma State and the hosts, #5 Northern Iowa. Looking at these two teams in the preseason, Oklahoma State certainly had the potential to become a top-three team in year one under David Taylor. A strong returning nucleus, plus the addition of three multi-time All-Americans, had Cowboy fans optimistic as ever. But, potential and results can be different. Oklahoma State has been everything we could have imagined, evidenced by their dominant performance at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. All ten Cowboy starters finished in the top-five at their respective weights. Northern Iowa looked like an excellent team, but not quite to the extent that we’ve seen from them throughout the first two and a half months of the year. In November, the Panthers got by a South Dakota State team that featured plenty of returning talent and then won a one-sided matchup against a Missouri team that wasn’t that ravaged by injuries (yet). Doug Schwab’s team really opened eyes nationally with their one-sided (24-9) win over then #4 Nebraska to start January. They’ve kept the momentum going by crushing the field at the National Duals. None of their four opponents scored more than seven points. That set the stage for this top-five matchup between two undefeated Big 12 teams - the scrappy, blue-collar Northern Iowa program that doesn’t care about their lack of resources, they just come to fight. Oklahoma State, on the other hand, received a huge infusion of cash and attention in the offseason as they named Olympic gold medalist David Taylor their new head coach. The contrast between the two programs is stark; however, both are NCAA trophy contenders and are on an upward trajectory. Here’s what to expect from the action on the mat! 125 - #4 Troy Spratley (Oklahoma State) vs. #30 Trever Anderson (Northern Iowa) Just a few weeks ago, this might have been viewed as a huge mismatch. It might still look that way if you’re just looking at the disparity in rankings between Troy Spratley and Trever Anderson. But, Spratley comes into this match off of back-to-back losses to Vincent Robinson (NC State) and Jett Strickenberger (West Virginia). Were those losses a wake-up call for the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational third-place finisher and 2024 Big 12 finalist or a sign of a downward trend? Anderson is also coming in off of back-to-back losses - though his were both at the hands of two top-ten opponents. He started the year with a rough showing at the Grand View Open, where he lost twice to NAIA foes; however, Anderson has been pretty solid since then. He was third at the Soldier Salute and immediately followed that with a win over 2024 All-American Caleb Smith (Nebraska). For a hint at how this match might play out, take a look at last year. Spratley got the dual win but only via a 3-2 margin. The pair did not meet at Big 12’s as Anderson went 0-2 and did not end up qualifying for nationals. Prediction: Spratley by decision (3-0 Oklahoma State) 133 - #19 Cael Hughes/Reece Witcraft (Oklahoma State) vs. #20 Cory Land/Julian Farber (Northern Iowa) No, this isn’t a tag team match, it’s just the rare instance where both teams are two-deep at the same weight and seem to be unsettled as to who’s their long-term starter. In this week’s first coaches rankings, Reece Witcraft and Julian Farber were listed as their respective teams' starters. Witcraft is the veteran who has qualified for nationals on two occasions. He has a fourth-place finish at Vegas on his resume. His pin of Cleveland Belton (Oklahoma) in the Bedlam dual shows just how dangerous Witcraft is at all times, even when trailing by a large margin. The Cowboys also could use Cael Hughes who is unbeaten on the year and posted a fall over returning All-American, Kai Orine (NC State), just over 10 days ago. Cory Land started the year great, but had to injury default out of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. He was out of action for more than a month and appeared a little rusty last week in his return at the Cyclone Open. In Land’s absence, Julian Farber has acquitted himself quite well with wins in his last five dual appearances - three of which came against ranked opposition. At National Duals, not only did Farber hand Dominick Serrano (Northern Colorado) his second loss of the year, but it came via major decision. Prediction: Farber by decision (3-3 Tie) 141 - #4 Tagen Jamison (Oklahoma State) vs. #5 Cael Happel (Northern Iowa) Tagen Jamison is having a fantastic season with a CKLV finals loss to top-ranked Jesse Mendez as the only blemish on his 16-match resume this season. He’s almost doubled his bonus-point percentage and has wins over a pair of past All-Americans this season. But, will he be able to finally solve the riddle that has been Cael Happel? The two met three times in 2023-24 and on each occasion Happel got his hand raised. Both wrestlers were shocked in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament and met each other despite starting as the seventh (Happel) and tenth seeds (Jamison), respectively. Happel’s only loss of the year also came in Vegas; however, his came to then-unranked Julian Tagg (South Dakota State) and he forfeited down to eighth place. Happel rang in the New Year with a nice win over rival and 2024 All-American Brock Hardy (Nebraska), someone that Jamison has also defeated this season. This is certainly one of the toss-up matches of the dual and it’s really hard to ignore the 3-0 record that Happel currently sports. Prediction: Happel by decision (6-3 Northern Iowa) 149 - #14 Carter Young (Oklahoma State) vs. #16 Colin Realbuto (Northern Iowa) We’ve got more toss-up’s! One here at 149 lbs and potentially another at the following weight class. Both Carter Young and Colin Realbuto are coming off redshirt seasons, Young’s was the result of an injury and Realbuto used the year to attempt to make the Italian Olympic Team. Despite this year off, we have history between the pair as Young majored Realbuto at the CKLV Invitational. Interestingly enough, Realbuto wrested back for seventh place while Young missed out on the top-eight. For the most part, both wrestlers generally beat the opponents you’d assume they would beat but are both looking for that signature win over a marquee name. While Young got the head-to-head win, Realbuto has three wins this season over wrestlers who have defeated Young (Gabe Willochell x2 and Jesse Vasquez). The Vasquez win came via fall in Realbuto’s most recent outing. He’ll carry a five-match winning streak into this dual - four of which have come with bonus points involved. Young missed Oklahoma State’s most recent dual, but picked up a solid win over freshman Koy Buesgens (NC State) in his last appearance. He’ll have positive vibes on his side as Young has been very good against UNI in the past. In addition to his major decision in Vegas, he is 3-0 career against the Panthers Cael Happel back in his 141 lb days. Prediction: Young by decision (6-6 Tie) 157 - #11 Caleb Fish (Oklahoma State) vs. #4 Ryder Downey (Northern Iowa) Heading into the season, it didn’t appear as if Michigan State transfer Caleb Fish would be the Cowboys starter, but he was pressed into duty and has been rather consistent. Fish took third in a loaded CKLV weight class. He dropped his second match of the tournament and then reeled off six straight wins to claim third. Since then, he’s gone 4-1 in dual competition losing a barnburner to Virginia Tech freshman Rafael Hipolito and downing NC State All-American Ed Scott, by a 12-5 score. Finishing as the runner-up in the same Vegas weight class was Ryder Downey. He lost a very close, and semi-controversial match to Nebraska All-American in the finals. A few weeks later, Downey was able to even up the score and edged Taylor in sudden victory. The CKLV championship loss remains the only L on the ledger for Downey in 2024-25. He’s a returning Big 12 champion and was a fifth seed at his first NCAA Tournament. Both Downey and Fish have advanced to the NCAA bloodround in the past and each came up a match shy of earning All-American status. This certainly could be a preview of a Big 12 final or the type of match you may see deep in the NCAA Tournament. Prediction: Downey by decision (9-6 Northern Iowa) 165 - #6 Cam Amine (Oklahoma State) vs. #21 Jack Thomsen (Northern Iowa) A path to victory for UNI would likely have them banking team points in the first half of the dual - as they are solid underdogs in four of the final five bouts of the evening. That includes this bout where the Cowboys will send out three-time All-American Cam Amine, a graduate transfer from Michigan. Despite the gap in the rankings, you can expect this one to be close as Amine typically doesn’t blow out opponents unless there’s a larger talent disparity. These two met in Vegas and Amine needed extra time to prevail. It was one of two sudden victory wins for Amine during a run to the finals. After going 2-2 in Vegas, Thomsen has been much more consistent with six wins in his last seven duals. He is also a transfer, from South Dakota State, who flourished and made his first NCAA Tournament last season - his first with the Panthers. Since this bout is likely to be close, it could be one that UNI can steal in their efforts to pull the upset. Thomsen needs to find a way to make this a one-move or one-sequence match. That being said, it’s still hard to pick against Amine in this situation. Prediction: Amine decision over Thomsen (9-9 Tie) 174 - #3 Dean Hamiti (Oklahoma State) vs. #16 Jared Simma (Northern Iowa) Undefeated Dean Hamiti will look to stay that way with a tough matchup against NCAA Round of 12 finisher Jared Simma. The two-time All-American Hamiti was excellent for Wisconsin but has found another gear with the Cowboys. He has only had three regular decisions among his 14 wins this year. Hamiti only had one regular decision on his way to winning the CKLV. Since then, he’s beaten four ranked opponents in his last five duals. Simma was the recipient of an at-large berth to his first NCAA Tournament last year and immediately took advantage of his opportunity. He advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals after knocking off the #5 and #21 seeds in his first two bouts. Simma has proven that the run was no fluke and he has been very steady for UNI in 2024-25. Simma was seventh in Vegas (and didn’t meet Hamiti) At the National Duals, Simma did suffer a loss to Ohio’s Garrett Thompson, but also knocked off the returning Big 12 champion Cade DeVos (South Dakota State). The two had split matches earlier in the season with Simma winning in dual competition and DeVos returning the favor in Vegas. I think that with the team score still up-for-grabs at 174, it will push Hamiti to be more offensive than usual (which could be scary) and look for the major decision. Prediction: Hamiti major decision Simma (13-9 Oklahoma State) 184 - #3 Dustin Plott (Oklahoma State) vs. #2 Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) It’s not every day that you get an NCAA finals rematch in dual competition, but that’s what’s on tap for tonight. The 2024 NCAA Championship bout saw Parker Keckeisen finally capture a national title after a 14-5 major decision over frequent rival Dustin Plott. That was the same score when the two clashed in the 2024 Big 12 finals. In their 2023-24 dual, Plott held Keckeisen to a 12-6 regular decision. That was also the case earlier this year, as the pair met in the CKLV finals and Keckeisen won 8-3. That represents only the second decision victory of the year for Keckeisen in 14 matches. The UNI star will carry an official 45-match winning streak into this evening. His All-Star Classic loss to Penn State’s Carter Starocci doesn’t count. With four All-American honors and a national title, Keckeisen has already cemented his legacy as one of the best in the storied history of UNI wrestling. Over the past season and a half, Plott is 43-1 against opponents not named Keckeisen. His 2024 finals appearance gave him three All-American finishes for his career. Earlier this month, Plott eclipsed the 100-win mark. We saw in last year’s dual, Plott was able to limit the damage from Keckeisen. That was the case in Vegas too. Now, can he take steps toward pulling the upset? As things stand now, this is a likely Big 12 finals matchup (again), along with a potential NCAA semifinal clash. Prediction: Keckeisen by decision (13-12 Oklahoma State) 197 - #7 Luke Surber (Oklahoma State) vs. #14 Wyatt Voelker (Northern Iowa) Here’s another bout where Oklahoma State is favored from a rankings standpoint, but you have to look deeper than that. Last season, at the Big 12 Championships, Wyatt Voelker pinned Luke Surber for fifth place. Now, Surber was near the end of an injury-plagued campaign, so it’s likely he wasn’t at his best. You could argue that Surber is near his best now. He is 14-1 on the year with his only loss coming to Virginia Tech’s Andy Smith. Surber was able to avenge that loss in the December dual between the schools. Of his 14 wins, six have come against past national qualifiers - one being a 5-0 blanking of All-American Trey Munoz (Oregon State). Surber went on to take third in Vegas while Voelker finished seventh. Voelker turned in a quality redshirt freshman campaign, but has been even better this year. The difference between his freshman and sophomore year is reflected in his bonus point percentage. It has almost doubled - a figure that is bolstered by his six falls. Despite the result from the 2024 postseason, I think this is the best version of Surber we’ve seen in college and it will continue tonight. Prediction: Surber by decision (16-12 Oklahoma State) 285 - #3 Wyatt Hendrickson (Oklahoma State) vs. #15 Lance Runyon (Northern Iowa) I’m not sure you ever would have expected that this would be a matchup we’d see in college back in 2022, when both were freshman NCAA qualifiers. Wyatt Hendrickson has been a heavyweight his entire collegiate career; however, Runyon was sixth in the Big 12 at 174 lbs that season. Since then, Runyon has suffered through a pair of injury-filled seasons, wrestling only 12 bouts in 2022-23 and none last year. This season, Runyon has resurfaced up a few weight classes and has been very good. He’s 13-3 this year with his losses only coming to wrestlers currently ranked in the top 15. In Vegas, he downed a pair of NCAA qualifiers on his way to a seventh-place finish. Unfortunately, the wrestler who rolled through the Vegas bracket will be on the other side of the mat in Hendrickson. The bonus-point machine has earned his team extra points in all but two of his 13 matches this season. Hendrickson is a two-time NCAA third-place finisher and became the first Air Force wrestler in two decades to make the NCAA podium. He has since graduated from the Academy and joined Oklahoma State for his final year of eligibility. While Oklahoma State’s duals have not necessarily been close thus far, he’s an excellent ace-in-the-hole for David Taylor, one that likely to win every time he steps on the mat and someone likely to rack up bonus points. Should this dual come down to the final match, he’s a good one to have on your side. Prediction: Hendrickson by major decision (20-12 Oklahoma State)

In the heart of the dual season, we move one week closer to your league playoffs. Let's get straight to it: A reminder of some important rules: Wrestlers entered at a weight must compete at that weight or else their results will not be counted. Wrestlers in the “Floater” spots can compete at ANY weight and accumulate Fantasy points. A wrestler will LOCK on your roster at 11 am ET on the day of their first competition for the week. (refer to the SHP’s Week Preview) Only results against D1 competition (starters, backups, and redshirts) will count towards Fantasy Points. Check your league settings to know how many add/drops are permitted per week. Have a question, concern, suggestions, or just want to chat about Fantasy Wrestling? Hit us up on Twitter or head over to the InterMat Forums where we have a Fantasy Wrestling dedicated Forum page! Wrestlers I Like This Week Wrestler (School)- competition for the week [Proj Score]* 125: Anthony Molton (CAMP) - Vs Bellarmine, Chippewa Challenge [+15] Gylon Sims (CIT) - @ Davidson, @ Presbyterian [+9] Jacob Moran (IND) - @ Michigan State, @ Michigan [+7] Max Gallagher (PENN) - @ Columbia, @ Hofstra [+7] Marc-Anthony McGowan (PRIN) - Vs Rider, @ Columbia [+7] Keyveon Roller (UVA) - @ Stanford [+6] Garrett Ricks (WYO) - Vs Utah Valley, Vs Cal Baptist [+6] Charlie Farmer (ARMY) - Vs Bucknell [+5] Stevo Poulin (UNCO) - Vs Cal Baptist [+5] Blake West (NIU) - @ Ohio [+5] Eddie Ventresca (VT) - @ Duke [+5] Vincent Robinson (NCST) - Vs Pittsburgh [+4] Brendan McCrone (OHST) - @ Iowa [+3] Maximo Renteria (ORST) - @ Little Rock [+3] Jett Strickenberger (WVU) - @ Missouri [+3] 133: Scott Johnson (CLAR) - Vs Cleveland State, @ LIU, Vs Kent State [+10] Anthony Noto (LHU) - Vs Kent State, @ George Mason [+8] Angelo Rini (IND) - @ Michigan State, @ Michigan [+7] Tyler Wells (MINN) - @ Wisconsin, @ Northwestern [+7] Ryan Miller (PENN) - @ Columbia, @ Hofstra [+7] Tyler Ferrera (COR) - @ Brown, @ Harvard [+6] Evan Frost (ISU) - Vs Oklahoma, Vs Oklahoma STate [+6] Nasir Bailey (LR) - Vs Oregon State [+5] TK Davis (GWU) - @ Davidson [+4] Markel Barker (NIU) - @ Ohio [+4] Dominic Serrano (UNCO) - Vs Cal Baptist [+4] Tyler Knox (STAN) - Vs Virginia [+4] Kase Mauger (UVU) - @ Wyoming [+4] Connor McGonagle (VT) - @ Duke [+4] Blake Boarman (CHAT) - Vs VMI [+3] Mason Leiphart (F&M) - Vs Sacred Heart [+3] Kai Orine (NCST) - Vs Pittsburgh [+3] 141: Shannon Hanna (CAMP) - Vs Bellarmine, Chippewa Challenge [+13] Wyatt Henson (LHU) - Vs Kent State, @ George Mason [+9] Vance Vombaur (MINN) - @ Wisconsin, @ Northwestern [+7] CJ Composto (PENN) - @ Columbia, @ Hofstra [+7] Sam Latona (VT) - @ Duke [+5] Todd Carter (GWU) - @ Davidson [+4] Bryce Kresho (F&M) - Vs Sacred Heart [+4] Andrew Alirez (UNCO) - Vs Cal Baptist [+4] Jesse Mendez (OHST) - @ Iowa [+4] Anthony Santaniello (PITT) - @ NC State [+4] Jacob Byra (NIU) - @ Ohio [+3] Beau Bartlett (PSU) - @ Rutgers [+3] Haiden Drury (UVU) - @ Wyoming [+3] 149: Mason Shrader (CMU) - Chippewa Challenge [+11] Ethan Fernandez (COR) - @ Brown, @ Harvard [+7] Cross Wasilewski (PENN) - @ Columbia, @ Hofstra [+7] Ivan Garcia (BING) - @ Brown, @ Harvard [+6] Kannon Webster (ILL) - @ Maryland, @ Rutgers [+6] Ty Whalen (PRIN) - Vs Rider, @ Columbia [+6] Shayne Van Ness (PSU) - @ Rutgers [+4] Caleb Henson (VT) - @ Duke [+5] Jordan Williams (LR) - Vs Oregon State [+4] Derek Raike (OHIO) - Vs Northern Illinois [+3] Jaden Abas (STAN) - Vs Virginia [+3] 157: Tanner Peake (DAV) - Vs The Citadel, @ Gardner-Webb, Vs Air Force [+11] Johnny Lovett (CMU) - Chippewa Challenge [+10] Meyer Shapiro (COR) - @ Brown, @ Harvard [+10] Brayden Roberts (LIU) - Vs Clarion, Vs Kent State [+8] Jude Swisher (PENN) - @ Columbia, @ Hofstra [+8] Rafael Hipolito (VT) - @ Duke [+5] Kaleb Burgess (BUFF) - Vs Bloomsburg [+4] Noah Castillo (CHAT) - Vs VMI [+4] Vince Zerban (UNCO) - Vs Cal Baptist [+4] Dakota Morris (ARMY) - Vs Bucknell [+3] DJ McGee (GMU) - Vs Lock Haven [+3] Ethen Miller (MARY) - Vs Illinois [+3] Ed Scott (NCST) - Vs Pittsburgh [+3] Tyler Kasak (PSU) - @ Rutgers [+3] Grigor Cholakyan (STAN) - Vs Virginia [+3] 165: Julian Ramirez (COR) - @ Brown, @ Harvard [+9] Thomas Snipes (CIT) - @ Davidson, @ Presbyterian [+7] Cesar Alvan (COL) - Vs Penn, Vs Princeton [+7] Braeden Scoles (ILL) - @ Maryland, @ Rutgers [+7] Carter Baer (BING) - @ Brown, @ Harvard [+6] Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU) - @ Rutgers [+5] Evan Maag (GMU) - Vs Lock Haven [+4] Terrell Barraclough (UVU) - @ Wyoming [+4] Peyton Hall (WVU) - @ Missouri [+4] Joseph Bianchi (LR) - Vs Oregon State [+3] Hunter Garvin (STAN) - Vs Virginia [+3] 174: John Worthing (CLAR) - Vs Cleveland State, @ LIU, Vs Kent State [+11] Alex Cramer (CMU) - Chippewa Challenge [+10] Brevin Cassella (BING) - @ Harvard, @ Brown [+8] Simon Ruiz (COR) - @ Brown, @ Harvard [+8] Dean Hamiti (OKST) - @ UNI, @ Iowa State [+8] Nick Incontrera (PENN) - @ Columbia, @ Hofstra [+8] Garrett Thompson (OHIO) - Vs Northern Illinois [+5] Lorenzo Norman (STAN) - Vs Virginia [+5] Sergio Desiante (CHAT) - Vs VMI [+4] Levi Haines (PSU) - @ Rutgers [+4] Lennox Wolak (VT) - @ Duke [+4] Brody Conley (WVU) - @ Missouri [+4] Aiden Zarrella (SHU) - @ Franklin & Marshall [+3] 184: Gage Musser (AF) - @ Presbyterian, @ Davidson [+9] Adrien Cramer (CMU) - Chippewa Challenge [+9] Max McEnelly (MINN) - @ Wisconsin, @ Northwestern [+9] Chris Foca (COR) - @ Brown, @ Harvard [+7] Gavin Hoffman (LHU) - Vs Kent State, @ George Mason [+7] Anthony D’Alesio (LIU) - Vs Clarion, Vs Kent State [+7] Parker Keckeisen (UNI) - Vs Oklahoma State, Vs Oklahoma [+7] Maximus Hale (PENN) - @ Columbia, @ Hofstra [+6] Marcus Petite (BUFF) - Vs Bloomsburg [+4] Carter Starocci (PSU) - @ Rutgers [+4] TJ Stewart (VT) - @ Duke [+4] Gabe Arnold (IOWA) - Vs Ohio State [+3] Brock Delsignore (LR) - Vs Oregon State [+3] 197: AJ Ferrari (CSUB) - Chippewa Challenge [+12] Brian Burburjia (AF) - @ Presbyterian, @ Davidson [+9] Patrick Brophy (CIT) - @ Davidson, @ Presbyterian [+9] Isaiah Salazar (MINN) - @ Wisconsin, @ Northwestern [+9] Joey Novak (WYO) - Vs Utah Valley, Vs Cal Baptist [+8] Mike Dellagatta (COR) - @ Brown, @ Harvard [+7] Jacob Cardenas (MICH) - Vs Nebraska, Vs Indiana [+7] Tucker Hogan (LHU) - Vs Kent State, @ George Mason [+7] Luke Surber (OKST) - @ UNI, @ Iowa State [+7] Luke Stout (PRIN) - Vs Rider, @ Columbia [+7] Stephen Little (LR) - Vs Oregon State [+5] Andy Smith (VT) - @ Duke [+5] Stephen Buchanan (IOWA) - Vs Ohio State [+4] Jeremy Olszko (OHIO) - Vs Northern Illinois [+4] Mac Stout (PITT) - @ NC State [+4] Nick Stemmet (STAN) - Vs Virginia [+4] Ian Bush (WVU) - @ Missouri [+4] 285: Gable Steveson (MINN) - @ Wisconsin, @ Northwestern [+11] Antonio Ramos (AF) - @ Presbyterian, @ Davidson [+10] Wyatt Hendrickson (OKST) - @ UNI, @ Iowa State [+10] Cory Day (BING) - @ Harvard, @ Brown [+8] Daniel Bucknavich (CSU) - Vs Bloomsburg, Vs Clarion [+8] Jordan Greer (OHIO) - Vs Northern Illinois [+4] Brett Mower (ORST) - @ Little Rock [+4] Greg Kerkvliet (PSU) - @ Rutgers [+4]

CLEVELAND, Ohio (Jan. 23, 2025) — Cleveland State University (CSU) has announced it will discontinue its three NCAA sport programs in wrestling, women’s golf and softball, following the approval of the CSU Board of Trustees at their meeting on January 23, 2025. CSU made the difficult decision to discontinue these sport programs at the conclusion of their respective seasons this academic year as part of a strategic effort, which began in 2023, to address budgetary shortfalls across the University. In addition to the discontinued programs, the CSU Board of Trustees approved relocating the University’s Esports program from CSU Athletics to CSU’s Washkewicz College of Engineering. These recommendations resulted from a thorough review of CSU Athletics programs by a working group comprised of representatives from CSU Athletics, CSU faculty and the Cleveland community. The difficult decision to discontinue programs was made after careful consideration in keeping with the guiding principles that the working group identified, including aligning with CSU’s commitment to upholding a transformational student-athlete experience and positioning CSU Athletics for long-term success in the classroom, in the community and in competition. “Over the past several years, one of our primary goals has been to restructure our financial model and to evaluate where our students are engaged academically, socially and competitively,” said CSU President Laura Bloomberg, PhD. “As a result, our athletics department, like many other departments at CSU, has had to make difficult decisions regarding the programs we offer.” CSU has assured the impacted student-athletes that they will retain their athletic financial aid while they are students at CSU, and CSU Athletics will support student-athletes as they navigate this transition. Prior to the discontinuation of these three sport programs, CSU provided proportional athletics participation opportunities and expects to continue to do so after these changes. “It is a tough day for Cleveland State Athletics,” said Kelsie Gory Harkey, director of CSU Athletics. “The student-athletes and coaches in the impacted programs have been an important part of the Cleveland State community, and the decision today is not a reflection of the commitment or passion they, our staff or our alumni have to our program.” She added that CSU will be doing everything it can to assist and support the student-athletes in deciding what is best for them to meet their academic and athletic needs. Cleveland State has no plans to discontinue any of its remaining 15 athletic programs. CSU is an active, engaged member of the Horizon League athletic conference and is committed to participating in Division I Athletics. ### About Cleveland State University Founded in 1964, Cleveland State University is a public research institution located in the heart of Northeast Ohio with 14,000-plus students, ten colleges and schools, and more than 175 academic programs. Find more information at csuohio.edu or contact pr@csuohio.edu. Frequently Asked Questions Which sports have been discontinued? What does it mean if my sport has been “discontinued?” CSU has announced it will discontinue NCAA sport programs in wrestling, women’s golf and softball. These sports will no longer be offered at CSU after their seasons in the 2024-25 academic year, and CSU will not recruit student-athletes into these sports moving forward. Why is CSU discontinuing three sports? Since 2023, Cleveland State University has been evaluating its program offerings in areas including academic affairs, student services and athletics, in an effort to address budgetary shortfalls across the University. CSU made the difficult decision to discontinue three athletic programs in order to align with its commitment to upholding a transformational student-athlete experience and positioning CSU Athletics for long-term success in the classroom, in the community and in competition. Prior to the discontinuation of these three sport programs, CSU provided proportional athletics participation opportunities and expects to continue to do so after these changes. How was this decision made? This decision was made after a thorough review of CSU Athletics programs by representatives from CSU Athletics, CSU faculty and the Cleveland community. Following that review, recommended changes to CSU Athletics were approved by President Laura Bloomberg and the CSU Board of Trustees. Why was this decision announced now? CSU made the announcement now in order to provide as much time as it could to impacted student-athletes and coaches as they consider their next steps. CSU announced the discontinuation of these sport programs on the day that the CSU Board of Trustees approved these actions. How many student-athletes and coaches are impacted by the decision to discontinue programs? Approximately 60 student-athletes and seven coaches are impacted by this decision. How is CSU providing support to impacted student-athletes? Staff in CSU Athletics will assist impacted students in navigating this transition, including the transfer process. Impacted students who receive athletic financial aid will continue to receive aid while they remain students at CSU through current degree completion. What will happen to the coaches and staff in impacted sports? CSU’s Department of Human Resources will work with all impacted employees to address their needs and support their career transitions. CSU is grateful for the time, energy and enthusiasm of our coaches and athletic staff. How will this decision impact incoming students in discontinued sport programs? Staff in CSU Athletics will assist incoming students whose sports have been discontinued. Impacted incoming students will receive their athletic financial aid while they remain students at CSU through current degree completion. Will CSU discontinue more sports? Cleveland State University has no further plans to discontinue any additional athletic programs at this time. If my sport has been discontinued, can I still compete? Yes, student-athletes in discontinued sport programs will compete in their seasons as planned. Can CSU and CSU Athletics fundraise to keep these sport programs? Gifts to CSU and CSU Athletics are always appreciated and welcome. However, each sport program requires annual funding in perpetuity. The decision to discontinue these programs is final and would not be impacted by additional funding. Why is Esports moving to the Washkewicz College of Engineering? Due to its academic focus and emphasis on innovation, the Washkewicz College of Engineering is best positioned to support students in CSU’s Esports program.

Notre Dame-Green Pond

Gunn

Auburndale

Belleville

Maryville

Standley Lake

Sahuarita

Walnut

Blue Springs

The Big Ten is coming off a pretty good week. In football, they claimed their second straight national championship, and, on the mat, we saw some of the best finally face off in very anticipated matches. Here are the dual meets that gave us some of the best highlights. Penn State passes their toughest test thus far with ease A highly anticipated dual with even more highly anticipated matches. Penn State is the reigning champs, and they have been flexing on their competition even more this year. And last week their trip to Nebraska was their toughest of the season and they won 8 of the 10 matches. At 149, Ridge Lovett claimed a major decision over Shayne Van Ness in a wild match that ended in a major decision win for the Husker. On the PSU side, true freshman Luke Lilledahl had the biggest match of his young career and looked poised against returning All-American Caleb Smith to get the win. Overall, the dual didn’t disappoint but showcased just how tough PSU is this year as they now have all 10 wrestlers ranked in the top 7. Illinois drops one on the road in Iowa City The Hawkeyes continued their strong season with a win at home over Illinois on the strength of eight of ten match wins. This included a bout at 133 between Lucas Byrd and Drake Ayala, which despite the low score, was very entertaining. This is certainly a match that I’m looking forward to seeing again in March. Including that win, the Hawkeyes won six of the eight ranked matches in the dual as well (133, 149, 165, 174, 184, 197), which included a stingy 1-0 win for Kyle Parco over Kannon Webster, along with a 20-4 tech fall for Michael Caliendo over Braeden Scoles. Illinois got some solid wins for Danny Pucino at 141, paired with an impressive victory for Luke Luffman at heavyweight over Ben Kueter. Overall, this was a solid win at home over a strong Fighting Illini team. The Hawkeyes host Ohio State this weekend, while Illinois will travel to the East Coast to compete against Maryland and Rutgers. Boilermakers drop two duals, but notch some nice wins Purdue hosted in-state rival Indiana in front of 3,504 fans at Mackey Arena. They lost the dual 25-11 to the Hoosiers but had some solid wins with a major decision from Matt Ramos at 125 over 22nd ranked Jacob Moran. Purdue also had a win from Isaac Ruble at 149 and Joey Blaze at 157. The Hoosiers took the rest of the bouts in this one with Tyler Lillard winning at 165 and Dylan Gilcher jumping into the lineup at 174 to get a solid win over Brody Baumann. The Hoosiers have wrestled well this season and continue their streak over Purdue. Up next for Purdue was a trip to Columbus Ohio against the Buckeyes. In a dual that had some lopsided matchups, Purdue competed well. Ramos continued his win streak at 125 and notched his 20th win on the season against Brendan McCrone. In the other closely ranked matchup of the dual, Purdue got a win at 157 with Joey Blaze taking a 5-1 decision over Sammy Sasso, who has recently made the descent to 157. Both Ramos and Blaze went undefeated on the weekend. Ohio State travels to Iowa City to compete against the Hawkeyes this weekend. Wolverines battle on the road A busy weekend for Michigan as they notched a win against Northwestern 26-10 with a highlight coming at 141 with former teammates Sergio Lemley getting the win against Chris Cannon. Hearing Lemley speak about it after the fact was refreshing as he shared that he remains friends with Cannon and that it was good competition out there on the mat. On the heels of that win, Dylan Gilcher notched a solid win over Sam Cartella in overtime. Beau Mantanona also got a nice victory at 165 over Max Mayfield. For the Wildcats, Trevor Chumbley took a 5-0 victory over Chase Saldate, paired with wins at 125 and 133 for Dedrcik Navarro and Massey Odiotti, respectively. Michigan continued their road trip against a loaded Golden Gophers squad with guys ranked at each weight. Minnesota wrestled very well and ultimately took the 25-10 dual win, with a strong win for returning All-American Vance Vombaur at 141 over Lemley, along with a sudden victory win for Max McEnelly over Jaden Bullock at 184. Michigan got some upset wins at 149 with Dylan Gilcher continuing his strong weekend upsetting Drew Roberts at 149 using a turn with short time in the second to extend his lead. Mantanona earned his second-ranked win of the weekend, this time with a 7-4 win over ninth-ranked Andrew Sparks. This dual ended with some highly-ranked guys in Jacob Cardenas getting a gritty win at 197, followed by the fireworks that Gable Steveson always provides. Michigan hosts Nebraska this Friday, followed by Indiana this Sunday. Minnesota travels to Wisconsin and Northwestern this weekend, which is also Northwestern's only competition of the weekend.

On Thursday morning, the NCAA released its first set of DI coaches rankings. The final rankings will play a part in the amount of automatic allocations each conference gets at each weight, along with at-large berths, and NCAA seeding. To be noted in the rankings, a wrestler must have been designated as a starter by their head coach. They also must compete in at least 8 DI matches at their rankable weight and must have competed once in the last 30 days. The rankings are as follows:

We enter the home stretch of the regular season, and only a couple weeks until your league playoffs. Finish Strong! For these standings, we will be using the Basic Fantasy Scoring through @WrestleStat (Win by Dec +3, Loss by Dec -3, Win by Pin +6, Loss by Pin -6, etc). Only results against D1 competition (starters, backups, and redshirts) will count towards Fantasy Points. Standings are first ordered based on total Fpts, then if tied by Points Per Match (PPM). Week 12 Notes: Though we are in the heart of Dual Season, tournaments are still out there to hit home runs. In fact, of the Top-21 for Week 12, only five did not participate in either the Purple Raider Open or Cyclone Open. The Top Wrestler of Week 12 was Edinboro’s Kade Sottolano with 22 Fpts, followed by two backups in Blaine Frazier and Ty Raines with 20 Fpts. Two redshirts make the Top-5 of Week 12, with Charlie Millard making the most noise in beating Iowa State’s Cody Chittum in the Cyclone Open finals. For the Overall Standings, two matches to one in Matt Ramos’ favor make him tied for the most Fpts with Jesse Mendez. Mendez retains the #1 Overall spot thanks to his 4.5 PPM. Gunner Filipowicz, despite a win by decision, falls back a spot to #3, A week without competition for the only two redshirts in the Overall Standings, Ben Davino and Max Brignola still remain in the Top-33. Davino falls three spots to #12 and Brignola drops from #16 to #29. Week 12 Leaders Year-Long Fantasy Point Standings

There was a lot to cover across collegiate women’s wrestling this week. Here are some of the highlights: Women’s Wrestling becomes the NCAA’s 91st championship sport In the most exciting news of the week, the NCAA voted across all three divisions to approve women’s wrestling as a championship sport at their annual convention. The first NCAA women’s wrestling championship will take place in 2026 and will feature athletes from all division levels. There are over 90 teams estimated to be eligible to compete representing more than 1,200 athletes. Coaches, fans, and former and current college wrestlers spoke out on social media to share their excitement for this opportunity for the next generation of college wrestlers. Life goes 2-0 in tri-dual #1 (NAIA) Life hosted a pair of duals on Wednesday against #8 (NAIA) Lindsey Wilson College and #7 (NCAA) Presbyterian College. The Running Eagles won 8 of 10 matches against Lindsey Wilson, losing their only matches at 138 and 145 lbs. Lindsey Wilson’s wins came from Ta’Jai Broadnex getting a pin at 138 lbs over Life’s Morgan Sacharczyk and Kori Campbell getting a close 8-6 decision against Christina Jean. The Blue Raiders had a bit more momentum against Presbyterian starting things off with 3 wins in a row from Alyssa Archer with a 12-10 decision over Grace York, Reagan Thomas with a pin over Chiara Barbieri, and a forfeit win at 117 lbs. However, from there, it was all Blue Hose, winning the next 7 starting with #5 (NCAA) Alyssa Mahan getting the pin over #18 (NAIA) Sydney Bridenstine. From there, Presbyterian notched another pin, three tech falls, a forfeit, and a 6-0 decision to close things out 31-14. In the final dual of the night, Life took on Presbyterian and got off to an early lead, claiming the first three matches with two tech falls followed by at forfeit. Alyssa Mahan finally put some points on the board for the Blue Hose with a scrappy 11-8 decision victory over Anna Krejsa. Life rallied back with two more tech falls from #5 (NAIA) Sarah Savidge and #1 (NAIA) Zaynah McBryde. Zaynah was the only McBryde in the lineup for this dual and at 145, Paige Wehrmeister was able to get a tech fall of her own over Christina Jane. From there, Life snagged another decision, a tech fall and a fall to close things out 34-10. McKendree makes a statement at MoBap Open #5 McKendree made their mark at the Missouri Baptist Open last Friday, claiming 6 first-place finishes. At 124 lbs, it was Bearcat vs Bearcat as #3 (NCAA) Shelby Moore won an 8-0 decision over teammate Mariah Smith for 1st place. #2 (NCAA) Alex Szkotnicki was the champ at 131 lbs over #10 (NCAA) Cayden Condit of Lindenwood, winning 5-0. Haylie Jaffe, a freshman at McKendree, wrestled unattached in this tournament and won the finals match over teammate #7 (NCAA) Alexis Gomez with an 11-0 tech fall. At 145, #6 (NCAA) Savannah Gomez had a close one with another tough Lindenwood opponent, outscoring #10 (NCAA) Rebecca Strong just 5-4 for the gritty decision win. 160 lbs was the final all-McKendree finals with Lydia Krauss getting the tech fall over Ruby Rios. To cap things off, Tristan Kelly got a forfeit win in the finals after a dominant tech fall in the semis against #2 (NCAA) Sara Lake of Lindenwood. Lindenwood claimed 3 champs of their own, starting with Sienna Caruso of Lindenwood in the 103 lb weight class. She took out Lillian Hackworth of Missouri Baptist in the finals. Then at 117 lbs with #4 (NCAA) Caitlyn Jackson winning over #9 (NCAA) Alexandra Waitsman of William Jewell 6-3. Finally, at 180 lbs, #10 (NCAA) Mikayla Rivera got the fall in under a minute against Tanihya Wilson of Indian Hills. At 110, Quincy claimed victory with Trinity Pendergrass eeking out a 6-2 victory over Samantha Miller of McKendree. Then at 235 lbs, Mariyah Brumley won the hardware for William Woods with a 25-second pin of her opponent Selena Snell of Central College. Open Season In addition to the MoBap Open, teams across divisions competed at a number of open tournaments, spreading out a lot of the talent to many different events. #21 (NCAA) Simpson had three champions at the Mike Duroe Open. Marymount just eeked out Liberty 71-70 in team points at the Southern Virginia Open. Champs were pretty evenly split between #15 (NCAA) East Stroudsburg, Western New England, and Ursinus at the Will Abele Invitational. However, at the York Open, 8 schools crowned champions with #10 (NAIA) Missouri Valley being the only school to win two. #7 (NAIA) Indiana Tech cleaned up at the Women’s Spartan Mat Classic with 99 team points and 4 individual champions. And John Carroll got to claim 3 titles at the Purple Raider Open. Northern Michigan had four champs of their own at the Alma Open on Sunday. To wrap things up, winners were split between #8 (NCAA) Simon Fraser, Pacific University, and #17 (NAIA) Eastern Oregon at the Evergreen Open hosted by Evergreen State with each team taking home two titles. NCAA Powerhouses Battle in Carver-Hawkeye A lot of wrestling fans were tuned in for the Saturday night matchup between #4 (NCAA) Grand Valley State and #1 (NCAA) Iowa as they dualed in front of an in-person crowd of more than 4,000. Each team looked dominant in their earlier matches against Augustana College with Grand Valley State and Iowa winning 29-8 and 44-1, respectively. During the main event, Grand Valley got the early upset with #4 Rayana Sahagun battling for the 6-4 decision win over #2 Sterling Dias. A big throw from Sahagun pushed her into the win column and put points on the board for the Lakers. Without #1 Sage Mortimer here, what could have been big points for GVSU turned into 5 forfeit points in favor of Iowa. It would have been awesome to see a rematch between Mortimer and Bayless, but something tells me we will get that chance in the postseason. At 117 lbs, #1 Brianna Gonzalez continues her insane, undefeated season with the win over Kiley Tabadlo with a tech fall. 124 lbs was another marquee matchup with Cali Leng of Iowa taking on the freshman phenom #4 Aspen Blasko. The two seemed to have all the answers for one another, keeping things low-scoring. Leng ended up winning on criteria in the 2-2 match. Emmilly Patneaud kept things rolling for the Hawkeyes with a pin over Hannah Palise. Grand Valley got back in the win column with #2 Katerina Lange getting the decision over Iowa’s #3 Nanea Estrella 4-2. However, Iowa then rattled off big wins from their most decorated run in their lineup. #3 Macey Kilty gets the tech fall over #9 Elleni Johnson, followed by a pin from #2 Kennedy Blades over #20 Clarissa Agostini, #1 Kylie Welker gets the tech fall over Emily Medford, and then #7 Alivia White closes things out with a 5-0 decision win for the Hawkeyes. This was certainly must-watch wrestling between two of the newest teams in collegiate wrestling. Upcoming events for next week Please note that this is not a comprehensive list of all collegiate women’s competitions. Wednesday, January 22 William Penn vs CMU Missouri Valley vs Baker Friday, January 24 Warrior Duals Saturday, January 25 Warrior Open Journeyman Duals Sunday, January 26 CCIW Championships McKendree Duals

Conference dual season is in full swing. It's crazy to think that there's only about a month left in the regular season. In January, we've settled into a regular schedule, primarily focused on dual competition. A total of 60 duals will be contested. Since it can be difficult to figure out where and when to watch all of these events, InterMat has put together a list of all of the live-streamed events occurring this week. Below are the dates/times and how to watch each match (with links). To make this guide even easier to find, we've added a link on our homepage and the latest Live Streaming Guide will appear right under the header articles. All times Eastern Wednesday, January 22: Arizona State at Missouri 7:30 PM UFC Fight Pass: CFFC Match Day Friday, January 24: Air Force at Presbyterian 11:00 AM ESPN+ Drexel at Bucknell 6:00 PM ESPN+ Bellarmine at Campbell 6:00 PM FloWrestling Bloomsburg at Cleveland State 6:00 PM FloWrestling Nebraska at Michigan 6:00 PM Big Ten Network Penn at Columbia 7:00 PM ESPN+ The Citadel at Davidson 7:00 PM FloWrestling Virginia Tech at Duke 7:00 PM ACC Network Kent State at Lock Haven 7:00 PM PSAC Digital Network Illinois at Maryland 7:00 PM B1G+ Indiana at Michigan State 7:00 PM B1G+ Pittsburgh at NC State 7:00 PM ACC Network Extra Rider at Princeton 7:00 PM ESPN+ Clarion at Cleveland State 7:00 PM FloWrestling Oklahoma at Iowa State 8:00 PM ESPN+ Oregon State at Little Rock 8:00 PM UFC Fight Pass: CFFC Match Day California Baptist at Northern Colorado 8:00 PM FloWrestling Oklahoma State at Northern Iowa 8:00 PM FloWrestling Penn State at Rutgers 8:00 PM Big Ten Network Minnesota at Wisconsin 8:00 PM ESPN+ Utah Valley at Wyoming 8:00 PM FloWrestling Saturday, January 25: Appalachian State at Appalachian Open 9:00 AM Cornell at Harvard 12:00 PM ESPN+ Chattanooga vs. VMI at Cleveland, TN 1:00 PM Northern Illinois at Ohio 1:00 PM ESPN+ Binghamton at Harvard 2:00 PM ESPN+ Ohio State at Iowa 2:00 PM Big Ten Network Cornell at Brown 5:30 PM ESPN+ Drexel at Rider 7:00 PM ESPN+ Binghamton at Brown 7:30 PM ESPN+ Sacred Heart at Franklin & Marshall 7:30 PM Centennial Conference TV Oklahoma at Northern Iowa 8:00 PM FloWrestling California Baptist at Wyoming 8:00 PM FloWrestling Sunday, January 26: Clarion vs. Kent State at East Meadow, NY 11:00 AM Kent State vs. LIU at East Meadow, NY 1:00 PM Clarion vs. LIU at East Meadow, NY 3:00 PM CSU Bakersfield at American 12:00 PM ESPN+ Campbell vs. Central Michigan at American 12:00 PM ESPN+ Central Michigan at American 2:00 PM ESPN+ Campbell vs. CSU Bakersfield at American 2:00 PM ESPN+ Campbell at American 4:00 PM ESPN+ Central Michigan vs. CSU Bakersfield at American 4:00 PM ESPN+ Bloomsburg vs. Glenville State at Buffalo 11:00 AM Penn at Hofstra 12:00 PM Glenville State at Buffalo 1:00 PM ESPN+ Lock Haven at George Mason 1:00 PM ESPN+ Nebraska at Michigan State 1:00 PM B1G+ West Virginia at Missouri 1:00 PM UFC Fight Pass: CFFC Match Day Minnesota at Northwestern 1:00 PM B1G+ The Citadel at Presbyterian 1:00 PM Illinois at Rutgers 1:00 PM B1G+ Army West Point at Bucknell 2:00 PM ESPN+ Princeton at Columbia 2:00 PM ESPN+ Gardner-Webb at Davidson 2:00 PM FloWrestling Indiana at Michigan 2:00 PM ESPN+ Bloomsburg at Buffalo 3:00 PM FloWrestling Air Force at Davidson 4:00 PM FloWrestling Oklahoma State at Iowa State 5:00 PM ESPN Virginia at Stanford 6:00 PM ACC Network Extra

El Diamante

Rush-Henrietta

St. Paul Harding