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First Indi­vid­ual Rank­ings Released for Men’s Division

| Bryan Knepper

The NCWA Men's Division does not appear to have a runaway team as it has had in past years. The top-5 in D1 consist of Menlo (66 points), Apprentice (47), Liberty (45), Thomas More (32), and Washington State (32). Of note only one team has a ranked wrestler in each of the 11 weight classes - Tarleton State, the soon to be NCAA-D1 program in Texas (currently tied for 6th with Springfield Tech. Division 2 is once again led by THE Ohio State (25 points) making it the 8th best program in the NCWA currently. Chasing the Buckeyes are Slippery Rock (15), Iowa State (14), Clemson (12), and West Chester (11).

The #1 wrestlers at each weight class are currently as follows:

125 - Aiden Scheeringa - Sr - Liberty - 2024 National Runner-Up
133 - Ethan Vugman - So - Florida - 2024 National Runner-Up
141 - Cole Thomas - So - Thomas More (NCAA) - 2024 National Champion
149 - Lincoln Vick - So - Iowa State (NCWA) - 2024 3rd Place
157 - Kanaipono Tapia - Jr - Menlo (NCAA)
165 - Keith Brubach - Sr - Slippery Rock - 2024 National Runner-Up
174 - Isaiah Morales - Jr - Menlo (NCAA)
184 - Graham Carson - Sr - Ohio State (NCWA) - 2024 3rd Place / 3x All-American
197 - Cesar Ubico - So - Utah Tech - 2024 National Champion
235 - Christopher San Paolo - So - Rowan - 2024 3rd Place
285 - Jonovan Smith - So - Caribbean - 2024 National Runner-Up

For a full list of the Men's Team Rankings, click HERE. To see the current top-20 in each weight class, click HERE.

Lib­er­ty’s Wheel­er Takes Heavy­weight Crown at Life University

| Liberty SID

Junior heavyweight Wade Wheeler won all five of his matches by fall to capture first place in the Silver Division of Saturday's Lucha Open at Life University in Marietta, Ga., highlighting a strong showing for Liberty University's men's wrestling team.



The Flames also recorded very respectable fourth- and sixth-place individual showings and a 5-1 finish from freshmen in a field of 68 NAIA and NCWA colleges and universities represented. No team scores were kept.

"We are very encouraged by the team's performance this weekend," Liberty Head Coach Jesse Castro said. "We are extremely young yet eager to improve. Our main objective was to get more gritty, to show courage, perseverance, and

Appren­tice Fin­ish­es Big Week­end in Geor­gia and North Carolina

| Apprentice SID

NEWPORT NEWS - The Apprentice School men's wrestling team has completed its weekend of action as the team was split between the Lucha Open near Atlanta and a quad match at East Carolina Saturday.



Starting with the Lucha Open, the Builders sent 10 wrestlers to the Peach State for competition. In the Gold Division, Ethan Baker and Caleb Hartung each notched a win in their competitions. Baker, wrestling at 174, started his tournament with a quick pinfall of St. Thomas's Daniel Garlin before falling in a pair of close decisions. Hartung had a long first match of the day at 285 but finished it off with a pinfall in the final minute of the match. He then fell in a close decision to Life's Nate Glass before a major decision loss in the consolation bracket.

In the Silver Division, Lucas Vannostrand saw a lot of action at 125, wrestling in six matches. He started the day with

NCWA Wom­en’s Team Rankings

| Bryan Knepper

The women's division has grown by leaps and bounds over the last few years; however, the division remains top heavy with four teams at the top and then the rest. Look for Ottawa-Arizona to attempt to get back to the top of the podium (1st in 2023, 2nd in 2024) and Washington State, Utah Tech, and UNLV to battle it out for the top spot. Click on READ MORE for a top-25 team preview!

NCWA Men’s Team Rankings

| Bryan Knepper

Now that the 2x Defending National Champions, Bellarmine University, have moved on to full NCAA-D1 status, the battle for the 2025 NCWA Men's National Championship seems to be a dog-fight between around 5 programs. Liberty graduated some top talent including National Champions but also brought in a stellar recruiting class. Thomas More and Apprentice re-loaded their rosters with several key returners. Menlo College will be in a NCAA-transition year along with Vanguard University. Tarleton State will be in their first year with a NCAA-recruited team. Then there are the upstart programs that have made a recent mark such as Washington State, Utah Tech, and Springfield Tech. For the top-25 Men's team (NCWA-D1 and D2 ranked together, click READ MORE).

Hen­son, McEl­ravy Fin­ish Sec­ond at Cougar Open

| Apprentice

DANVILLE, Va. - The Apprentice School men's wrestling program wrapped up their second event of the year Sunday at the Cougar Open with Matthew Henson and David McElravy, Jr. each earning second place finishes to lead the way for the Builders.



Henson started his road to the podium at 184 with a 4-1 decision win over Allen's Jerrel Baskings before a 4-2 win over Bluefield State's Aiden Santos in the quarterfinals. Henson then got a medical forfeit in the semifinals to earn his second place finish. More

Tar­leton State Wrestling Makes Waves at The Viking Open in Oklahoma

| Jim Giunta

Tarleton State University made a strong statement at this weekend's Viking Open, hosted by Carl Albert College in Poteau, Oklahoma. Competing against a talented field in their first season under coaches Grant Leeth and Dalton Brady, Tarleton’s wrestlers claimed impressive individual victories and clinched second place overall with 112.5 points. They finished just behind North Eastern Oklahoma, who led the team scores with 124 points.

Navy transfer Zach Espalin dominated the 133-pound bracket with an undefeated 4-0 record, taking home the title in his weight class. True freshman Finn Shephard turned in an outstanding performance, winning five matches against 0 losses in a tough 32-man bracket at 165 pounds, securing another championship for Tarleton.

Other notable performances came from 184 lb Laird Borbon 5-1 with a solid second place finish ,141 pound

NCWA Wom­en’s Wrestling Membership Explodes

| NCWA

The National Collegiate Wrestling Association is seeing unprecedented growth in its women’s wrestling division. Since introducing a national championship for women in 2007 with just seven teams, the NCWA has expanded to 86 schools now sponsoring women’s wrestling programs. This season alone, 27 new programs joined, adding to last year's total of 59 teams.

The surge highlights a rising demand for women’s wrestling opportunities in collegiate athletics. The NCWA’s steady commitment to supporting and promoting women’s wrestling is paying off as the sport continues to grow nationwide. This years Nationals will be expanded from a two day event to three days with competition beginning Thursday March 13th 2025. With a vibrant community of 86 schools, NCWA women’s wrestling is primed for an exciting year.

Teams to watch this season include Washington State, Ottawa University Arizona, Utah Tech, Tarleton State in Texas, and Liberty University in Virginia—all strong contenders likely to vie for the national championship title. With these powerhouse programs, the race for this year’s championship promises some of the most intense competition in women's wrestling nationwide.

Utah Tech Uni­ver­si­ty Award­ed 2025 NCWA Wom­en’s Nation­al Duals and Men’s West Regional Duals

| Bryan Knepper

Utah Tech University has been awarded the 2025 NCWA Women's National Duals and the Men's Western Regional Duals. Teams expected to compete for the Women's title include the host Utah Tech Trailblazers, Ottawa University - Arizona, Grand Canyon University, and UNLV. The application / contract for the 2025 NCWA Women's National Duals can be found at 2025 NCWA WOMEN'S NATIONAL DUALS APPLICATION / CONTRACT. The contract for the 2025 Men's West Regional Duals can be found at 2025 NCWA MEN'S REGIONAL DUALS CONTRACT.

The Appren­tice School Award­ed 2025 NCWA Men’s Nation­al Duals and Wom­en’s East Regional Duals

| Bryan Knepper

The Apprentice School (NCWA-D1, Newport News, Virginia) has been officially awarded the 2025 NCWA Men's National Duals and Women's East Regional Duals. After 2 years of joining forces with the NWCA in Iowa and Kentucky, the NCWA Board of Directors made the decision to break the tournament back out in order to provide a date more accommodating to NCWA institutions and to allow for more teams to participate (increasing from 8 to 16). The National Duals returns to Virginia where it had been hosted for several years by Liberty University. The new host looks to build an annual event in the Virginia Beach area akin to the Virginia Duals. Official Men's National Duals contracts are now posted at 2025 MEN'S NATIONAL DUALS APPLICATION / CONTRACT . Teams expected to compete for a Men's Dual title include The Apprentice School, Liberty, Thomas More, Tarleton State, Springfield Tech, and Washington State among others. Official Women's East Regional Duals contracts are now posted at 2025 WOMEN'S EAST REGIONAL DUALS CONTRACT.

Wash­ing­ton State Season Preview

| Coach Phil Burnett

The Washington State University Cougar Wrestling Team is locked and loaded for the upcoming 2024-2025 Season. The Cougar Women’s Team has 23 wrestlers. Our women’s roster features 5 returning All Americans including the defending National Champion Sophomore Genesis Vazquez,

2024-25 Washington State University Wrestling
2024-25 Washington State University Wrestling Team

also 2-time All American and 2024 Finalist Junior Petra Bernsten, 2-Time All American and 2023 Finalist Senior Julie Wilson, 4th Place Maryum Ajaz and 5th Place Jordan Washek.

The Cougar Men’s Team has 43 men on their roster with 4 returning All Americans led by 2024 3rd Place Finisher Sophomore Mitchell

2024 – 25 Athlete Registration Opens

| NCWA

On September 15th, NCWA athlete clearinghouse registration opened, with over a hundred athletes signing up in the first 24 hours. The 2024-25 season is shaping up to be the biggest in the NCWA’s 28-year history, with 16 new teams already registered and another 12 in the process. Athletes should register and sign their waivers as soon as possible. Coaches will need to upload athletes' photos as well as their waivers before the 10-day practice blackout period begins. The Conference Championships, held on March 1st, will be the most competitive ever, and qualifying for the 2025 National Collegiate Wrestling Championships in Bossier City, Louisiana, will be more challenging than ever. The NCWA looks forward to another great year of competition and camaraderie. Good luck to all!

Ottawa Boasts Strong 2024 – 25 Women’s Recruiting Class

| Ed Cruz

Ottawa University Arizona Women's Wrestling Season Preview
Lead by two returning National Champions (Liliana Voakes and Anja Hansen) and 4 All-Americans (Angelina Walker, Iyanla Thomas, Ebony Cortez, and Evelynn Coronado), National Qualifier Mia Iguado, and Lourdes Duran who was injured. Ottawa University Arizona is ready for another successful season.



Adding to those returners is a very strong recruiting class of fourteen wrestlers. Those fourteen include a State Champion (Sharnesia Tate), seven State Placers

Tar­leton State Wrestling Ready to Com­pete for The NCWA Title

| NCWA

Head coach Grant Leeth, a former NCAA All-American at Missouri, has his new recruiting class ready to hit the mats this season. Leeth, along with Assistant Coach Dalton Brady, a 4x Arizona State Champion and Arizona State University standout, has solid aspirations of winning their first NCWA National Title next March in Bossier City, Louisiana.

Leeth has had an outstanding recruiting class, bringing in 46 men and 16 women to Tarleton State University. "We were selective in not just recruiting great athletes but also looked for solid students with a focus on academics,” noted Leeth. With one returning All-American and one National Qualifier from the Texans' 2024 squad, Leeth has added numerous high school state champions and a handful of portal transfers from NCAA schools. The women’s program also looks strong enough in their first year to chase after Washington State, Ottawa, and Liberty, pushing those perennial leaders for the 2025 Title.

Wrestler Career and Internship

| David Fallon

WIBN Fall Virtual Career Fair
September 26 --- 1-4pm EST

Connect with companies seeking to hire wrestlers for internships and early career opportunities.

Top 5 Reasons Why YOU Should Attend

  • These companies want to hire wrestlers --- no other career fair actively seeks out wrestlers.
  • Our last career fair generated 113 positions for wrestlers.
  • Internships matter! Not only do they help in getting a job but they also help in determining what you actually want to do when you graduate.
  • Internships are as much for Sophomores as they are for Juniors. MANY companies hire Sophomores for internships. Do not get left behind.
  • It is not too early to start thinking about what you will do after you graduate. They say that "summer wrestling creates winter champions". The same is true when trying to find your first career opportunity.
Click to for Free Registration

NCWA Alum­ni Continue Wrestling Careers

| Jim Giunta

Beginning in 1997, the National Collegiate Wrestling Association now has over 160 schools represented within the league. With nearly three decades now of competition there have been some impressive NCWA alumni that continue on with their mat career. Here are just two of the many notable alumni that help showcase the prowess of many NCWA athletes.

Tom Lawlor is one of the many recognizable names who competed in the NCWA. He won three NCWA national championships in the 235 pound weight class. Shortly after graduating from University of Central Florida Tom began working on his career in professional MMA.

Two years later competing in season 8 of the Ultimate Fighter he defeated >>>>

House v. NCAA set­tle­ment, non-rev­enue sports at risk

| Jim Giunta

NCWA will need, more than ever, to be prepared as a safety net for NCAA Wrestling Programs that could suffer the chopping block as a result of the recent supreme court ruling and the NCAA opening of a new era in college athletics. leaders do not have much time to prepare for the transformative age. College sports is on the precipice of changing forever after the NCAA Board of Governors and every Power Five conference agreed to destroy the amateurism model and share revenue with players by coming to terms on settling a multi-billion dollar lawsuit that threatened to bankrupt the collegiate athletics enterprise.

2024 Vision Forum Approach­es … Reg­is­ter for this Free Event

| Jim Giunta

The NCWA Conference leadership, Coaches & Officials from across the country will gather in The Colony, TX this June at TRU by Hilton at GrandScape to promote their visions for improving & growing wrestling at the college level. The Vision Forum dates back to 1999 just 2 years after founding the NCWA and has been the catalyst for the unprecedented success of the organization This year we will again partner with coaches across the nation to promote our sport and give our leaders the opportunity to network, collaborate and build lasting relationships around the sport they all love.

All NCWA Coaches, Officials & Leaders are encouraged to attend and to make their voices heard. The NCWA is the most coach centered governing body within the wrestling community and this annual Vision Forum is one of the best ways the NCWA can take coaches input and develop comprehensive, wrestling friendly rules, best practices, scheduling and a long term direction for our sport. We look forward to including all coaches and administrators in the future plans of the NCWA.
​ Don't miss this chance to make a lasting impact. EVENT & HOTEL REGISTRATION HERE

On the Wrestling Ring They Promised to Wed in the Spring

| Mike Kilen

For the last time, she walked to the wrestling mat’s center ring, only to turn around and find him on bended knee – holding a ring.

Samantha Tuttle isn’t the type to wish for a “ring by spring,” as the Grand Canyon University student adage goes, but even this gutsy grappler started to cry.

Noah Valenzuela proposes to Sami Tuttle after her match at the NCWA National Championships.


The former New Mexico high school wrestler had transferred from a nearby college to GCU in 2022 after the coach told her she’d never be an all-American. She promptly joined a GCU women’s team in Club Sports that just launched the year before and never forgot his words, becoming an all-American for the second time in mid-March.

“A couple years ago, we were talking about not bringing wrestling back