The Open Mat

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Photo: Kin Lee

Menlo women eligible for 2027 NCAAs

Menlo women's wrestling will compete for an NCAA championship in 2027 after the college was granted active NCAA Division II membership status. The NCAA Division II Management Council Subcommittee overturned an earlier decision by the Division II Membership Committee and approved Menlo's waiver request, moving the college to active membership effective Sept. 11.

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Little Rock promotes White to associate head coach, adds Chionuma to staff

Little Rock wrestling has promoted Albert White to associate head coach and added Chris Chionuma as an assistant coach, strengthening the Trojans' staff as the program continues its rise on the national stage.
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Iowa Western adds three-time NAIA All-American McIntyre to staff

Iowa Western has added three-time NAIA All-American Abby McIntyre to its women's wrestling staff as an assistant coach for the 2026-27 season. McIntyre comes to Council Bluffs after spending the 2025-26 season as an assistant at Buena Vista.
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Villaescusa named head women's wrestling coach at Dubuque

The University of Dubuque has named Fernando Villaescusa as the head women's wrestling coach. Villaescusa becomes just the second women's wrestling coach in program history, taking over after the departure of Dennis Hall in the summer of 2026. He comes to Dubuque after six seasons on the Iowa State wrestling staff, most recently as development coordinator.

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ayala1200

Menlo women eligible for 2027 NCAAs

Menlo women's wrestling will compete for an NCAA championship in 2027 after the college was granted active NCAA Division II membership status. The NCAA Division II Management Council Subcommittee overturned an earlier decision by the Division II Membership Committee and approved Menlo's waiver request, moving the college to active membership effective Sept. 11.
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Little Rock promotes White to associate head coach, adds Chionuma to staff

Little Rock wrestling has promoted Albert White to associate head coach and added Chris Chionuma as an assistant coach, strengthening the Trojans' staff as the program continues its rise on the national stage.
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Iowa Western adds three-time NAIA All-American McIntyre to staff

Iowa Western has added three-time NAIA All-American Abby McIntyre to its women's wrestling staff as an assistant coach for the 2026-27 season. McIntyre comes to Council Bluffs after spending the 2025-26 season as an assistant at Buena Vista.
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Villaescusa named head women's wrestling coach at Dubuque

The University of Dubuque has named Fernando Villaescusa as the head women's wrestling coach. Villaescusa becomes just the second women's wrestling coach in program history, taking over after the departure of Dennis Hall in the summer of 2026. He comes to Dubuque after six seasons on the Iowa State wrestling staff, most recently as development coordinator.
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Three-time Pennsylvania state champ Lasure commits to Iowa State

Iowa State has added another nationally accomplished recruit to its growing women's wrestling program. Violette Lasure, a three-time Pennsylvania state champion, has committed to the Cyclones. She enters her senior season with a perfect 104-0 career record and 95 pins.
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Two-time national champ Shore to lead Otterbein women's program

Otterbein has hired Olivia Shore to lead the women's wrestling program, the school announced. Shore, a two-time national champion, becomes the second head coach in program history as the Cardinals enter their third varsity season this fall.
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Hangey named deputy athletic director at Rider

John Hangey has been named deputy athletic director at Rider University, taking on expanded responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the athletics department. Associate head coach Nic Bedelyon will lead the wrestling program in Hangey's absence, with support from assistant coaches Doug Umbehauer and Tyler Klinsky.
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Chamberlain returns to Utah Valley coaching staff

Utah Valley University is bringing Jason Chamberlain back to its coaching staff, head coach Adam Hall announced. Chamberlain returns to Provo after two seasons leading the Brunson Utah Valley Regional Training Center, a role he's held since 2024. He previously served as a UVU assistant under Greg Williams during the 2021-22 season, following five seasons on staff at Fresno State.
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U17 world finalist Von Gonten commits to Iowa State

Iowa State women's wrestling has landed one of the nation's top high school wrestlers, securing a commitment from Landri Von Gonten of College Park High School in Spring, Texas. Von Gonten is a U17 world finalist and three-time Texas state champion.
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Penn State's Lilledahl, Blaze win gold medals in Poland

Penn State wrestlers Luke Lilledahl and Marcus Blaze added international gold medals to their resumes Sunday, highlighting a dominant showing by the U.S. men's freestyle team at the 35th annual Waclaw Ziolkowski Memorial in Warsaw, Poland. The Americans swept all six weight classes they entered.
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Big Ten Championships to be held at Nationwide Arena in Columbus

The Big Ten Wrestling Championships are headed to a neutral site for the first time in the tournament's 113-year history. The conference announced Wednesday that Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, will host the 2027 championships on March 6-7. All 14 Big Ten programs that sponsor wrestling will compete in the two-day event.
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NCAA champ Mir suffers first pro MMA loss in massive upset

Bella Mir's bid for a UFC contract was derailed Tuesday night in the biggest upset in Dana White's Contender Series history. Alex Apodaca handed Mir the first loss of her professional MMA career, earning a unanimous decision in the women's bantamweight main event at the Meta APEX.
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Boyle wins U20 world title, Team USA claims team title

Team USA closed the 2026 U20 World Championships in historic fashion, earning medals in all four remaining men's freestyle weight classes to complete a 10-for-10 run on the podium. The Americans finished with four gold medals, three silvers and three bronzes while securing their third consecutive team championship. Ohio State commit Michael Boyle delivered the final gold medal with a dominant 12-2 technical superiority in the 97-kilogram championship match.
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Bassett captures U20 world title, USA leads

Team USA continued its dominant run in men's freestyle on Saturday night at the 2026 U20 World Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia, collecting four more medals and pushing its tournament total to six through the first six weight classes. Virginia Tech incoming freshman Bo Bassett supplied the latest gold, rallying past Japan's Takuto Osedo for an 8-2 victory in the 65 kilograms championship match.
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Seidel, Sinclair claim U20 world titles

Team USA went two-for-two in its first men's freestyle medal opportunities Friday night at the 2026 U20 World Championships, with Virginia Tech's Aaron Seidel and Missouri's Aeoden Sinclair both leaving Bratislava, Slovakia, as world champions.
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Graber, Fernandez earn bronze medals at U20 Worlds

Team USA closed out the women's freestyle competition at the 2026 U20 World Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia, with two bronze medals Friday evening. McKendree incoming freshman Caley Graber and top senior recruit Taina Fernandez both reached the podium while Iowa's Karlee Brooks finished fifth.
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Leydecker repeats as U20 world champion

Iowa incoming freshman Everest Leydecker added another world title to her resume Thursday night at the 2026 U20 World Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia, securing her second consecutive U20 world championship with a second-period pin in the 55-kilogram finals.
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Seidel, Sinclair advance to finals of U20 World Championships

The United States remains unbeaten in men's freestyle after the opening wave of competition at the 2026 U20 World Championships, with Virginia Tech's Aaron Seidel and Missouri's Aeoden Sinclair both advancing to the gold medal round.
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Leydecker reaches finals of U20 Worlds for second straight year

Iowa incoming freshman Everest Leydecker is through to the U20 World Championship finals after a dominant 8-0 shutout over 2026 U20 Asian silver medalist Meilin Zhou of China at 55 kilograms Wednesday evening, becoming the first American to reach the finals in Slovakia this week.
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Gordon named head wrestling coach at Ashland

Marcus Gordon is returning to Ashland University as head wrestling coach, director of athletics Al King announced Tuesday. Gordon, a former AU wrestler and assistant coach, becomes the 11th head coach in program history. Gordon takes over a program that won five Great Midwest Athletic Conference championships in six seasons under Colt Sponseller.
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Lock Haven adds Pinto to coaching staff

Lock Haven's wrestling program announced Tuesday via social media that it has hired Lenny Pinto as an assistant coach, adding him to head coach Scott Moore's staff. Pinto most recently competed for Rutgers in 2025-26 after transferring from Nebraska, where he wrestled from 2021 through 2025.
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Iowa incoming freshman Whiting remains alive at U20 Worlds

Iowa incoming freshman Taylor Whiting remains alive at the 2026 U20 World Championships in Bratislava, Slovakia, after the opening day of the women's wrestling competition. Colorado Mesa's Gretchen Donally was eliminated from the tournament.
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Juniata names Mangle head wrestling coach

Juniata College has named Josh Mangle as head coach of its men's and women's wrestling programs, the athletics department announced. Mangle comes to Juniata after serving as an assistant coach at Eastern University, where he helped the program through its inaugural season.