Zahid up 11-6 with 47 seconds left, loses 12-11
Zahid Valencia led 11-6 with 47 seconds to go in the Stepan Sargsyan Cup final and lost 12-11. Team USA left Armenia with three silvers and a bronze and no gold, and MatSavant's 3,840-match study says the 3-point takedown is not working.
Big news
Zahid blows 11-6 lead, loses Sargsyan Cup final 12-11
Zahid Valencia led Askhab Khadzhiyev of Kazakhstan 6-0, then 8-2, then 11-6 with 47 seconds left in the Stepan Sargsyan Cup final, and lost 12-11. Kozak said Zahid "definitely got tired" and nearly landed the winning takedown at the buzzer. Aeoden Sinclair teched Khadzhiyev 12-2 in the opening rounds of U20 Worlds last month. Cam Amine dropped the 74kg final 3-1 to Imam Ganishov, ranked #10 in the world, Joey McKenna won bronze 10-1, and Izzak Olejnik took silver after an 11-1 loss to Gadzhimuard Alikhmaev, ranked #11.
He was up 6-0 early and 11-6 with 47 seconds to go.
Izzak Olejnik was down 5-0 in his semifinal match at the Stepan Sargsyan Cup with just 20 seconds left before getting a takedown to 3 turns to win 8-5!
Why it matters: Three silvers and a bronze with no gold for a five-man US freestyle squad, and the man who beat Zahid is the same one an American U20 wrestler teched by 10 last month.
Rivera vs Arujau at RAF 14, winner gets Real Woods
Sebastian Rivera and Vito Arujau meet in a number one contender match at RAF 14 on October 23 in Las Vegas, with the winner getting Real Woods for the RAF Featherweight Championship. Arujau made his RAF debut with a 13-3 tech fall over 2016 Olympic champion Soslan Ramonov and was named USA Wrestling Athlete of the Week. Yonger Bastida vs Greg Kerkvliet, billed by RAF as World Medalist vs NCAA Champion, is on the same card. Both matches air on Fox Nation.
Olympic Medalist Sebastian Rivera and World Champion Vito Arujau face off at #RAF14 OCT 23 in Las Vegas.
Yonger Bastida takes on Greg Kerkvliet OCT 23 in Las Vegas at #RAF14
He beat Haji Aliyev back at RAF 10 in June.
Why it matters: Two of the best American lightweights settle it outside the USA Wrestling system, with a title shot at Real Woods on the line.
- RAF 13 is in Miami on 9/18, card locked per Justin Basch.
- RAF 14 is October 23 in Las Vegas on Fox Nation.
Recruiting, transfers, coaching
Sonny Amato commits to Rutgers, stays home in New Jersey
Sonny Amato, class of 2027 out of Rumson-Fair Haven, gave Rutgers a verbal. He is a 2x NJ state champion and ranked No. 6 at 150 per MatScouts, No. 18 on their Big Board. The College Wrestling Report says he announced on Instagram.
2x NJ State Champ is staying home!
Rutgers got a verbal commitment from the top available senior - 2x NJ state champion Sonny Amato
Why it matters: Rutgers lands the top uncommitted senior in the country at a lightweight, in state, for a class that needed a headliner.
- Our take: keeping the top available senior inside New Jersey matters more here than the number next to his name.
Iowa hosts six women's recruits, including Iowa State commit Von Gonten
Landri Von Gonten, a Texas native and U17 World silver medalist ranked #3 pound for pound, committed to Iowa State a week earlier and still took an official visit to Iowa City. She was one of six recruits on campus with Eve Skrocki, Larra Mullin, Taina Fernandez, Brooke Huffman and Sturgill. Skrocki, a Fargo champ and U17 World Team member, already hit RTC practices in the Iowa room this summer.
The Texas native and U17 World silver medalist committed to Iowa State a week ago but will now travel to Iowa City for an official visit this weekend.
Ryleigh Sturgill, one of the nation’s top lightweight recruits will be in Iowa City this weekend for an official visit.
Why it matters: Iowa's women's program had most of the top of the class in the building at once, and one of them is currently pledged to a rival in state.
- Pending: whether Von Gonten sticks with her Iowa State commitment after the Iowa City visit.
Takes and analysis
MatSavant charts 3,840 NCAA matches, says 3-point takedown failed
MatSavant broke down every point scored in the last six NCAA tournaments, 3,840 matches, split evenly between 1,920 in the 2-point takedown era and 1,920 in the 3-point era, and called the result "a terrible one" for the 3-point takedown. Ramos says there is data now and it is time to go back to two. Tirapelle countered that the rest of the rulebook never adapted, that nobody punishes out of bounds and overtime still exists, so flipping the takedown value alone moves nothing. Rotundo wants an automatic double stall call when the first period ends 0-0, and Kozak asked whether extending those matches another 2-3 minutes is actually a better product than ending them after seven.
I analyzed every point scored in the last 6 NCAA National Tournaments, which totals 3,840 matches, between the best D1 wrestlers in the country.
We have data now and it’s time to go back to 2pt takedowns.
We could switch back to a 2 point takedown and I don't think that single change moves the needle at all.
Why it matters: This is the dataset coaches and analysts will be citing the next time D1 folkstyle scoring rules come up for a vote.
- Pending: whether MatSavant runs Kozak's follow-ups, the 20-year takedown trend and the effect on majors and techs.
Drama
Basch questions Reynolds' Who's #1 spot after 0-3 at Elite 8
Braylon Reynolds, booked opposite Jesse Grajeda at 144 for Who's #1, went 0-3 at the Elite 8 Duals. Basch put the invite up for debate, then noted MatScouts had Reynolds ranked #6 and all three losses came to wrestlers above him, and that Willie had preferred Grajeda vs Dale Corbin off Fargo. The announced 144 bout is a Fargo finals rematch, Ohio State commit against North Carolina commit.
A Who's #1 participant went 0-3 yesterday at Elite Duals, so let's #EmbraceDebate: Should they still compete at Who's #1?
@MatScouts1 had Reynolds #6, and his 3 losses yesterday were to guys above him.
Why it matters: It is a fight over what an event named Who's #1 owes its own rankings, with one of the card's headline matchups in the middle of it.
- Flo's Who's #1 goes 9/26 with Grajeda vs Reynolds still listed at 144.
Quick hits
Dean Anderson beats Israel Borge 3-2 in UTB at 138
#2 Dean Anderson took out #1 Israel Borge 3-2 in the ultimate tiebreaker at the Elite 8 Duals, which MatScoutWillie said settles #1 at 138. Both are registered at 138 for Super 32.
Penn State-Ohio State draws 16,006, Iowa averages 11,811
Penn State vs Ohio State drew 16,006, the largest indoor dual crowd in college wrestling history. Iowa averaged 11,811 fans per home dual to lead the nation for the 23rd time in 24 seasons, with Oklahoma State next at 9,259, and 25 programs averaged 1,000-plus per home dual, nearly double the number from a decade ago. Jason Bryant noted Penn State had two more home duals than Iowa.
Tommy Gantt submits Drakkar Klose at UFC Noche, moves to 13-0
NC State All-American Tommy Gantt submitted Drakkar Klose in round three at UFC Noche. He is 2-0 in the UFC and 13-0 in MMA.
No source yet for the reported Elite 8 Duals disqualification
The Elite 8 Duals disqualification going around is unconfirmed. The only post we have is The Wrestling Nomad pointing at @NYwrestlingnews tops and bottoms, with no wrestlers, no weight, no score and no mention of a DQ. Until someone posts the match details, there is nothing to stand on.
Menlo women clear NCAA Division II move, 2027 nationals set
After a nearly three-year wait, Menlo's women completed the transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II and will compete at the 2027 NCAA Women's Championships in Coralville on March 5-6. The Oaks last wrestled a postseason at the 2024 NAIA Championships, which they won by 38 points over Life University. Head coach Michael Ayala said the approval guarantees his team nothing and they still have to earn the trip.