InterMat Staff

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- University of Northern Iowa head wrestling coach Brad Penrith has accepted a three-year contract extension, UNI director of athletics Troy Dannen announced today. Penrith's new deal runs through June 2012. Brad Penrith accepted a three-year contract extension as Northern Iowa's head coach. His new deal runs through June 2012 (Photo/Northern Iowa Sports Information)"It was clear during our meetings this week, Brad is anxious to take the program forward to achieve the goals we all share for Panther wrestling," Dannen said. "This extension gives him the opportunity to build upon our competitive successes, and continue to enhance the development of the students in our program." "I am extremely excited for the Panther wrestling program because it shows a level of commitment from our administration to me and my coaching staff that they think we can get this done," Penrith said. "I love the idea that we have been given the challenge of taking Panther wrestling to the next level. Working together with the administration, we can make this happen." The Panthers placed 22nd at the 2009 NCAA Championships, which was the seventh top-25 finish for Penrith during his nine-year reign. This past season also saw senior Moza Fay earn All-America honors at 165 pounds. Penrith has coached 13 All-Americans and 68 national qualifiers during his nine-year stay as Panther head coach. The Panthers have tallied an 80-63-4 dual mark under Penrith and recently won the school's 24th straight regional team title. Penrith's wrestlers have earned 17 National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic team honors since 2001. The Windsor, N.Y., native has been affiliated with the UNI wrestling program since 1997 when he began his stay in Cedar Falls as an assistant coach. Penrith has been instrumental in securing six top-25 recruiting classes, including his 2003 class (No. 4) and 2007 class (No. 9), which ranked among the best in the nation. A 1988 graduate of the University of Iowa Iowa, Penrith was crowned the NCAA 126-pound champion as a sophomore in 1986. Penrith also garnered national runner-up honors in 1987 and 1988 for the Hawkeyes. Penrith also made his mark at the international level before retiring in 1996. He captured a Silver Medal at the 1991 World Championships, was the Gold Medalist at the Pan American Games in 1991 and won the title at the Pan American Games Championship in 1989. Penrith has many accomplishments internationally, including placing third at the 1994 Goodwill Games, becoming a two-time Sunkist Open champion, taking the Roger Coulon title in France in 1992 and '96, being a member of the 1989 U.S. World Team, and taking third at the World Cup in 1990 and 1991. Closer to home, he placed third at the 1996 Olympic Team Trials, won the U.S. Nationals three times--1989, '91 and '93 - and was second at the '92 final Olympic wrestle-off.

Bucknell head wrestling coach Dan Wirnsberger and Jordan Burroughs, 2009 NCAA champion from Nebraska, will be the featured guests on Wrestling 411 Radio on Thursday, March 26. This Thursday's edition of Wrestling 411 Radio will air at 7 p.m. CST. The show can be heard live by visiting www.wrestling411.tv and clicking on the "Listen Live" link. An archive of the broadcast will be available immediately following the show. Wirnsberger recently completed his fourth season as the head wrestling coach at Bucknell University. At the 2009 NCAA tournament Andy Rendos became the first wrestling All-American in Bucknell program history. In 1995, Wirnsberger was a Big Ten champion and an NCAA runner-up at 158 pounds. Burroughs, a two-time All-American, recently finished his junior year with an NCAA title at 157 pounds. Burroughs became the first wrestler in Nebraska Wrestling history to complete a season undefeated. Wrestling 411 Radio can be heard live by visiting www.wrestling411.tv. Questions for any of the guests are welcome. You may e-mail your questions to Kyle Klingman at kklingman@mediasportsproductions.com.

The National Wrestling Coaches Association presented four of wrestling's largest supporters with the Meritorious Award this past weekend at the 2009 NCAA Division I Championships in St. Louis, Missouri. The Meritorious Award is the highest honor that the NWCA can bestow. The four gentlemen selected for the award this year have made remarkable contributions to the promotion, support, and growth of wrestling. This year's Meritorious Award recipients are: Bob Feldmeier Sr. Bob Feldmeier Sr. is the CEO of Feldmeier Equipment in Syracuse, NY, was the founder of LiveSportsVideo, and was also a wrestler for Princeton University. Feldmeier was honored for the considerable amount of resources that he has dedicated to the NWCA's Program Entrenchment efforts and for the tremendous work he has done in the promotion of wrestling. Along with Feldmeier's direct efforts to support wrestling, his company LiveSportsVideo has provided coverage of some the biggest events in wrestling including: The NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals, The Midlands, The Beast of the East, and the U.S. World Teams Trials. In addition to wrestling, LSV delivers over 10,000 live and archived events a year in a wide variety of sports. Mark Mestemacher Mark Mestemacher has dedicated countless hours to growing youth wrestling in southern Illinois and Greater St. Louis regions. Mestemacher recently funded the development of a 23,000 square foot facility in the Edwardsville School District that will be used exclusively to help young aspiring wrestlers in southern Illinois pursue their wrestling dreams. Mestemacher has also been a very generous contributor to the NWCA College Coaches Academy. Arno Neimand Arno Neimand is the CEO of BodyBar and a former Cornell Wrestler. Neimand is being honored for the immense dedication that he has shown in the promotion of women's wrestling across the United States. Irv Naylor Irv Naylor is the CEO of SnowTime Inc. and a tireless supporter of various NWCA Coaching Development and Program Entrenchment initiatives. Naylor has also been very generous in his support of international wrestling through USA Wrestling. "On behalf of the NWCA, I would like to extend my deepest thanks and appreciation to all of this year's Meritorious Award recipients. They all have made a significant mark on the sport and their contributions have done immeasurable good for the wrestling community," NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer said. The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a professional organization dedicated to serve and provide leadership for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on scholastic and collegiate programs. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling. The NWCA, through its organizational structure, promotes communication, recognizes achievement, recommends rules and regulations, sponsors events, and serves as an educational and informational source. Additionally, the NWCA strives to foster the sportsmanship and integrity that are the cornerstones of athletic competition.

2009 Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa inductees Vic Marcucci and Jim Craig will be radio show guests tonight. Marcucci prepped in Illinois and was a three-time All American at Iowa State University. He was the NCAA champion at 160 pounds as a senior in 1967. Marcucci also won a national freestyle title and coached for several years. He lives in Waterloo and will be offering his thoughts on last weekend's NCAA Championships in St. Louis. Jim Craig is originally from Davenport, Iowa, and won Big Ten and NCAA titles as a senior at the University of Iowa at 177 pounds in 1959. He was also third in the NCAA as a junior. He began his coaching career at Britt (IA) High School, winning the team title in 1962 and coaching Bob Steenlage to the last of his four state titles. Craig also coached at Oak Park, Illinois, for many years and was an accomplished referee as well. Marcucci and Craig are two of six new members who, on April 18, will be inducted into the Class of 2009 Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame of Iowa, which is located inside the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa. The other inductees are Leon (Champ) Martin, Franc Freeman, Eric Voelker and Mike Chapman. "On the Mat" can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on AM 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show.

PITTSBURGH -- Redshirt freshman Tyler Nauman has been named the Eastern Wrestling League's Freshman Wrestler of the Year announced the conference office today, March 24th. A Middletown, Pa. native, Nauman posted a season record of 29-9 during his first season in the Pitt starting lineup. Of his 29 wins this season, 11 were by fall, the seventh most for a single season in Pitt history. In his career, the 141-pounder has totaled 18 falls, ranking him 14th on the all-time list. Nauman took second place at both the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and the Keystone Classic this season before winning the 141-pound championship at the year-ending EWL Tournament. He posted a dual record of 11-1, with his only loss coming to No. 11 ranked Drew Lashaway of Kent State, 6-4. In his first NCAA Tournament, Nauman defeated Justin Accordino (Hofstra) in the opening round before falling to eventual two-time national champion, J Jaggers (Ohio State) and Frank Molinero (Penn State). Nauman joins Coach of the Year Tim Flynn and Wrestler of the Year Jarrod King, as post-season EWL honorees. Coach Tim Flynn led the Edinboro Fighting Scots to a second-place finish at the Oklahoma Gold Classic, a PSAC Tournament Championship, second-place finish at the Reno Tournament of Champions, runner-up finish at the Southern Scuffle, a dual-meet record of 14-4-1, and a first-place finish at the EWL Tournament. In addition, under Coach Flynn's guidance, Edinboro University grabbed sixth place at the 2009 NCAA Division I Wrestling Tournament, held in St. Louis. King, the EWL Wrestler of the Year, hails from Connellsville, Pennsylvania, and is a senior at Edinboro University. Competing at 165 pounds, King had an excellent 2009 season, winning the Oklahoma Gold Classic, the PSAC Tournament, the Reno Tournament of Champions, the EWL Tournament, and the 2009 NCAA Tournament. King completed his senior year with a record of 32-5.

EDINBORO, Pa. -- The Eastern Wrestling League today announced that Edinboro's Jarrod King has been named the EWL Wrestler of the Year and head coach Tim Flynn has been selected as the EWL Coach of the Year. Pittsburgh's Tyler Nauman was chosen the EWL Freshman of the Year. Jarrod KingKing capped an incredible year by winning the national championship at 165 lbs. after arriving in St. Louis as the 12th seed. The senior proceeded to win all five of his matches, upsetting three higher seeds along the way. The first was a 12-5 decision over fourth-seeded Moza Fay of Northern Iowa in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, he won a grueling 6-6 two tiebreaker match against Iowa State's Jonathan Reader, the eighth seed. He prevailed thanks to an 11-second advantage in riding time. That left King in the finals against second-seeded Andrew Howe of Wisconsin. He parlayed a body lock in the third period for the bout's lone takedown, snapping a 1-1 tie to win 3-2. King became Edinboro's fourth Division I national champion, joining Sean O'Day, Josh Koscheck and current teammate Gregor Gillespie. King ended a rollercoaster year with a 32-5 record. He ran off 12 straight wins to start the season, winning the Oklahoma Gold Classic and the PSAC Championships. Following a 4-1 loss to sixth-ranked Colt Sponseller of Ohio State, King won eight more matches in a row. That included a win in the title match of the Reno Tournament. The eight-match win streak came to an end thanks to a 3-2 loss to top-ranked Mack Lewnes of Cornell in the championship match of the Southern Scuffle. Less than two weeks later King had to be pulled from the lineup in the Virginia Duals due to a knee injury. It turned out he had a staph infection in his knee. Following a stay in the hospital and over a month out of the lineup, King returned with a week of practice under his belt to compete in Edinboro's final four dual meets. King struggled somewhat upon his return, losing two of three matches, including a 5-3 decision to Donnie Jones of West Virginia in the final dual of the season. He looked like a different wrestler two weeks later, pinning Jones in 23 seconds in the EWL title match for his second straight EWL crown. Tim Flynn and Jarrod King embrace (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)King spent three injury-filled seasons at Oklahoma before transferring to Edinboro a year ago. He went 32-9 a year ago, qualifying for Nationals and going 2-2 in his first trip. He joined his brother Matt as a All-American. Matt King also competed for the Fighting Scots at 165 lbs. and earned third and fourth place finishes. With King playing a major factor, Flynn led Edinboro to a sixth place finish, tying the highest finish ever at the NCAA Division I National Championships. Edinboro finished in the top ten for the third time in the last four years, and had three All-Americans for the third time in four years, as well. In addition to King's title, Paul Donahoe was second at 125 lbs. and Gregor Gillespie placed fourth at 157 lbs. Flynn guided Edinboro to its 11th EWL Tournament title in the last 12 years, and tenth PSAC title in that same period. Edinboro also won the EWL regular season crown for the fourth straight year. Edinboro owns a non-losing streak of 26 straight EWL matches, and is 24-0-2 during that period. Flynn led Edinboro to a 14-4-1 record, with the losses to Penn State, Ohio State, Lehigh and Oklahoma State. He broke the school record for career wins late this year, and now has a record of 136-39-4 after 12 seasons as the head coach of the Fighting Scots. He has now been recognized as the EWL Coach of the Year five times.

Iowa head wrestling coach Tom Brands and J Jaggers, a two-time NCAA champion from Ohio State, will be the featured guests on Wrestling 411 Radio on Tuesday, March 24. This Tuesday's edition of Wrestling 411 Radio will air at 7 p.m. CST. The show can be heard live by visiting www.wrestling411.tv and clicking on the "Listen Live" link. An archive of the broadcast will be available immediately following the show. Brands just completed his third year as the head wrestling coach at the University of Iowa. He recently led the Hawkeyes to its second consecutive NCAA team title. Iowa finished its season with a 24-0 dual meet record and first place finishes at the Midlands, NWCA National Duals, Big Ten tournament, and NCAA tournament. Jaggers, a three-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion for Ohio State, recently finished his collegiate wrestling career with an individual NCAA title at 141 pounds. His performance led the Buckeyes to a second place finish at the 2009 NCAA tournament. Wrestling 411 Radio can be heard live by visiting www.wrestling411.tv. Questions for any of the guests are welcome. You may e-mail your questions to Kyle Klingman at kklingman@mediasportsproductions.com.

ST. LOUIS -- The University of Maryland wrestling team capped the 2008-09 season with a bang Saturday, finishing in 10th place at NCAA Championships at Scottrade Center in St. Louis. It is the second-best NCAA finish in program history. Maryland finished with 47.5 points, finishing ahead of the likes of traditional powerhouses Michigan, Northwestern, Minnesota, Oklahoma State and Penn State, among others. Iowa won its second straight team championship with 96.5 points. Although Hudson Taylor (197 pounds), Alex Krom (141 pounds) and Steven Bell (133 pounds) all clinched all-American status Friday, the trio wrestled for final placement Saturday. Taylor matched last season's third-place finish, winning a pair of matches against two of the nation's best wrestlers. Krom went 1-1 on the day to finish fifth and Bell lost two matches, but still finished sixth. It is the third time in program history that Maryland has produced three all-Americans in one season and the first time since 1987. "This was a great weekend for our program," Maryland head coach Kerry McCoy said. "I am very proud of the way we finished. This year has been full of ups and downs, but it all came together in the end. This would not be possible without the tremendous support of our administration, fans and family." Taylor completed his impressive run through the wrestleback bracket with a pair of victories against top-five wrestlers Saturday morning. In his first match, Taylor dominated the No. 6 seed, Max Askren of Missouri. Taylor dropped a 9-4 decision to Askren earlier this season, but didn't allow a single point in the rematch. After a scoreless first period, Taylor netted a three-point near fall and a two-point near fall in the second. A reversal and the riding-time bonus in the final period gave Taylor an 8-0 major decision. Taylor topped the No. 4 seed, Tyrel Todd of Michigan, in the third-place match, 11-4. A pair of takedowns in the opening period gave Taylor an early 4-1 advantage. Two escapes and a takedown gave Taylor another four points in the second period and he headed into the final frame with an 8-3 lead plus riding time advantage in his favor. Todd could only manage an escape in the third period. After losing his second-round matchup Thursday, Taylor won six straight matches in the consolation bracket. Taylor registered three pins in the tournament, tied for the most by any wrestler during the competition. Taylor won the award for most pins in the least amount of time, getting his three pins in a cumulative total of 5 minutes, 38 seconds. Taylor won the same award earlier this season at the Midlands Championships. Taylor clinched all-American status Friday, becoming only the fourth repeat all-American in Maryland history and the first since David Land finished seventh and eighth at 118 pounds in 1992 and 1993, respectively. Following Friday night's semifinal loss to Ryan Williams, Krom lost a 5-1 decision to No. 6 seed Nick Gallick of Iowa State. However, Krom rebounded in the fifth-place match, beating seventh-seeded Chris Drouin of Arizona State, 4-0. Bell dropped both his matches on the final day to finish sixth at 133 pounds. For the second time of the tournament and third time this season, Bell was defeated by Boise State's Andrew Hochstrasser, the No. 5 seed. This time, Bell lost a 7-3 decision. In the fifth-place match, Bell was technical falled by the No. 3 seed, Jimmy Kennedy of Illinois. Kennedy won 17-0 in 5:13.

A number of champions were crowned during last weeks NCAA Wrestling Finals. While much of the action was found on the mats, another exciting announcement regards a man that has spent as much time around mats as nearly anyone. For 30 years, Steve Foster has been driven by his passion for wrestling. Foster, the co-host of TakeDown Wrestling Radio was recognized by a panel of his peers as the National Wrestling Media Association Broadcaster of the Year. Foster has been a contributor on the program for eight of the nearly twelve years it has existed. During that time, he's seen the number of listeners grow exponentially, and has experienced numerous technological advances, including the addition of web streaming, pod casting, and video. Foster originally came to the show as a fan when he called to win a trivia contest. As his incredible knowledge of the sport became immediately evident, TakeDown Radio founder and host Scott Casber invited him to attend the show. As they say, the rest is history. Foster's own wrestling history began as a child living in Boone, IA where his father regularly took him to see Iowa State Cyclone home meets. Fast forward many years, and Foster has not missed a single home meet in over ten years. A wrestler himself, an injury sidelined him after eight years of competition. Since then, he has tirelessly dedicated much of his personal time to reporting on a subject that only follows his faith and family in terms of personal priorities. Foster has logged hundreds of thousands of miles, has covered every conceivable type of wrestling event, and has forged strong and long lasting relationships with essentially every top personality in the sport. Known for his relaxed, conversational, and professional reporting style, he regularly provides questions that draw on individual personality to provide perspective that is not found anywhere else. " I truly appreciate winning this award and the respect that comes with it. Truly, it's my respect for what I consider the hardest working, and best conditioned athletes in the world that make this possible for me. I'm just glad I have a way to give back," commented the eternally humble Foster. Foster joins a list of well known commentators who have won the award including fellow TDR host Scott Casber, Tim Johnson, Jeff Byers, Ken Chertow, J. Carl Guymon, Dan Gable, and others.

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cornell wrestling's Troy Nickerson and Cam Simaz swept the EIWA end of season awards it was announced on Monday. Nickerson was named the EIWA Wrestler of the Year after winning the NCAA title at 125 pounds, while Simaz was named EIWA Freshman of the Year. Simaz earned All-America honors at 197 pounds after placing eighth. Nickerson finished the season with a perfect 25-0 record. He opened his NCAA tournament by pinning Michigan's Mike Watts in 5:51. Nickerson won by an 11-0 major decision over Hofstra's Steve Bonanno, 11-0, to advance to the quarterfinals where he pinned No. 7 Joey Fio (Oklahoma) in 14 seconds. In the semifinals, the three-time All-American won by a 2-1 decision over No. 3 Angel Escobedo of Indiana. Nickerson won the NCAA title with a 2-1 tiebreaker win over No. 1 Paul Donahoe of Edinboro. Nickerson is a three-time first-team All-Ivy honoree, and he won the EIWA title for the second time this season. He was a runner-up at the NCAA tournament as a freshman (2006) and placed third in 2007 as a sophomore. Nickerson missed the 2008 season due to injury. Simaz went 4-3 at the NCAA tournament to place eighth and become an All-American at 197 pounds. The rookie won the EIWA championships to qualify for the NCAAs. He entered the tournament unseeded and opened with a 5-3 win over No. 11 Andrew Anderson of Northern Iowa. Simaz lost to No. 6 Max Askren, but rallied to win three-straight matches to earn All-America status. Leading the team in wins, the freshman ends his season with a 37-11 record. Wrestling

ST. LOUIS -- Top-ranked and second-seeded Mike Poeta came up just short in a battle of unbeaten wrestlers in the 157-pound championship, falling to top-seeded and second-ranked Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska), 5-1. Poeta takes second at the NCAA Championships for the second-straight year. As a team, Illinois finished eighth with 55 points, the best team finish since taking sixth in 2005 and head coach Mark Johnson's 10th top-10 finish in the Orange and Blue. The 55 points are the fifth-most ever scored by an Illini team at the NCAA tournament. And Poeta, Jimmy Kennedy (4th, 133) and John Wise (7th, HWT) give Illinois its most All-Americans since 2005. "Mike Poeta had a great career, it's just disappointing that he couldn't finish it with a national championship," Johnson said. "He as great of a young man as I've coached. It's a disappointing way to finish what has been a good weekend for us." In the first shot by either wrestler, Poeta got in on a single with 1:25 left but Burroughs fought him off and the pair went out of bounds. Burroughs got in on a leg near the edge and finished the takedown with one second left in the first to go up 2-0 after three minutes. Burroughs started down in the second and earned a caution for a false start. After Poeta was given a caution for a false start, the pair finally got a clean start and Burroughs got out in eight seconds to go up 3-0. The two had a short scramble that yielded nothing except a restart. Burroughs shot near the edge and Poeta fended him off to bring another restart with nine seconds left and the period ended with the Husker leading 3-0. Poeta started down in the third and got out off the whistle to make it 3-1. Poeta shot near the edge and looked to have a leg but the pair went out of bounds. Burroughs shot and Poeta slapped him away with 1:18 left in the bout and Poeta took another shot, looked to have a leg, but Burroughs spun back around and nearly got the takedown before a stalemate was called. Burroughs took a shot that Poeta fended off and tried to turn the corner, but the Husker wouldn't let him and the two went out of bounds. Poeta took another shot that Burroughs fought off and after a final neutral restart, Poeta missed on a shot and Burroughs passed him through to get the winning takedown with one second left and win, 5-1. Poeta finished second for the second-straight year and ends his career as a three-time All-American, also taking third in 2007. His 105 career wins rank 17th in school history and his career winning percentage of .882 ranks second in the Illinois record books. Poeta is only the 10th three-time All-American in school history, and his 2008 campaign ranks eighth in single-season winning percentage and ninth in single-season wins.

Jayson Ness won twice on Saturday to place third at the NCAA wrestling championships and lead a trio of Minnesota All-Americans in St. Louis. Zach Sanders also placed sixth at 125 pounds and Tyler Safratowich was eighth at 157 pounds on the final day for the Gophers, who placed 14th overall with 35 team points. Iowa won its second straight national championship with 96.5 points, holding off Ohio State by 4.5 points as the Buckeyes had two of their three finalists lose in their title match. Ness has finished in the top five at nationals in each of his three seasons at Minnesota, placing runner-up last year and fifth as a freshman at 125 pounds. He moved up to 133 pounds this season and finished the year 38-8 overall while seeded sixth at nationals. Ness opened the day by avenging a loss to third-seeded Jimmy Kennedy of Illinois from the Big Ten championships. Ness beat Kennedy by the same score in which he lost two weeks ago with an 8-2 decision. He followed with a 7-3 win over Boise State's Andrew Hochstrasser in the third-place match. Sanders lost both of his matches on Saturday, dropping his opener to Anthony Robles of Arizona State 19-10. Robles, seeded 12th and well-known for his wrestling success with just one leg, built an 11-1 lead through the first period with three near falls in the opening three minutes. Sanders lost in the fifth place match to third-seeded Angel Escobedo of Indiana 8-0. It was the second straight day he lost to the defending national champion after Escobedo posted an 8-1 victory in the quarterfinals on Friday. Sanders finished the season with a 39-10 record. Safratowich lost in his only match on Saturday in overtime with a 4-2 setback against Chase Pemi of Cal Poly. Pemi recorded a takedown in the extra time to earn the sudden victory and drop Safratowich's season record to 32-15.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Missouri crowned its second-ever wrestling national champion upon the completion of junior heavyweight Mark Ellis' 3-2 overtime victory over fifth-ranked Konrad Dudziak of Duke. The second tie breaker bout of the night, Ellis managed a reversal with 10 seconds remaining in the second 30 second overtime period to capture his first career All-American honor and national title. The first Missouri wrestler to accomplish the feat was two-time National Champion Ben Askren at 174 pounds in 2006 and 2007. Ellis is Missouri's first-ever heavyweight All-American. As a team, the Tigers finished the 79th annual Division I Wrestling Championships in seventh with 70 points. Iowa captured its second consecutive team title with 96.5 points, while Ohio State took second (92 points) and Iowa State third (84.5 points). The top-15 finish is Missouri's sixth straight, dating back to the 2004 NCAA Championships, and highest finish since taking third in 2007. Since the start of the program in 1928, the Tigers have managed three top-10 team finishes, the first coming in 1984 at 10th. Two of the three top-10 finishes have come under current Tiger Head Coach Brian Smith. "At the start of the year, Mark was fighting for a spot in the lineup," Smith said. "He's battled and continued to work and improve in every position on the mat. He's tough. I'm so glad that he got the title. He put so much time into the season. You don't get to the Championship round if you're not a good wrestler, and Mark's a talented competitor." Ellis and Dudziak were scoreless in the first period, although the Duke Blue Devil was hit with stalling early in the bout. Ellis chose down to start the second and escaped in 1:05, while Dudziak opted to start down in the third and escaped in 20 seconds. The two heavyweights pushed through the one minute sudden victory period and scrambled on the edge of the mat for the first 30 second tie breaker. The second 30 second period in which Ellis chose down proved the difference in the match and marked Ellis' third win of the season in overtime. "I've been blessed by God to have the people I do around me," Ellis said. "I can't thank Coach Smith enough for his faith in me. I also have to thank Ben (Askren) for pushing me and working with me and encouraging me along the way. Also, Dom Bradley. He's another heavyweight in our room and he's tough. I don't look at him as being second string. He definitely helped me get where I am today. I promise you, he's going to win a National Title." In addition to Ellis, Raymond Jordan, Michael Chandler, Maxwell Askren and Nicholas Marable all earned All-America honors by finishing among the top seven of their respective weight class. Missouri tied with national champion Iowa for the most All-Americans of the tournament, five. Jordan, a senior, collected his second career trophy by finishing third at 174 pounds. The fourth Missouri wrestler to earn All-America honors in more than one weight class, today's third place showing was an improvement over last year's fifth-place finish at 184 pounds. Chandler and Askren both finished the day in fifth place at 157 pounds and 197 pounds, respectively. The first career All-America honor for Chandler, the Tiger grappler wrapped up his collegiate career by earning his 100th win in his 2-1 decision over Matt Moberly of Bloomsburg. Wrestling at 165 pounds, Marable was one of three Missouri wrestlers to earn their second All-America accolade, finishing seventh with a 6-4 win over Tyler Sherfey of Boise State. The highest attended NCAA Championships in history, a total of 97,111 fans were at the annual event, including 17,385 at the title finals. St. Louis has now hosted four of the five highest attended NCAA Championships of all time.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Iowa State's Jake Varner came out on top in the finals of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships Saturday at the Scottrade Center. The Cyclone beat Craig Brester of Nebraska 2-1 in the 197-pound final to secure the 65th individual NCAA title in the Cyclones' storied wrestling history. The junior three-time All-American, who Friday became the 12th three-time NCAA finalist in Iowa State history, won his title after finishing second at 184 pounds as a freshman and a sophomore. Varner's victory secured a third-place NCAA Championships team finish for Iowa State. Iowa was first with 96.5 points, followed by Ohio State (88), ISU (80.5), Nebraska (74.5) and Cornell (69.5). Varner, a native of Bakersfield, Calif., finishes his junior campaign with a 31-2 record. He currently stands at 91-10 in his career. Varner credited Iowa State head coach Cael Sanderson for his success. "It is great to have coach in the room working with you on a day-to-day basis," Varner. "He has taught me so much, just rolling around with him in practice. Sometimes we talk about things and other times you just learn by wrestling him. You can't do better than him for a workout partner." Varner wasn't going to let Brester bide his time. After letting a decision go to the Husker by a 4-3 score in the finals of the Big 12 Championship, the No. 2-seeded Cyclone had to score the "upset" against the top-seeded Nebraska wrestler for ISU to get the third-place trophy. After a scoreless first period, Varner escaped eight seconds into the second period for a point and pressured Brester around the mat until a stalling warning was issued against the Husker. "The main thing is to stay calm out there," Varner said. "I've been to the finals three times so I know not to panic if you get behind and just keep working." Getting behind would not be a problem Saturday night. Heading into the third period, Varner continued to ride Brester, which turned out to be the difference as Varner earned a point from a riding-time advantage of 1:19. Varner cut Brester loose with 34 seconds left in the match but the Husker 197-pounder didn't get a late takedown. Iowa State finished with four All-Americans in Varner, Nick Gallick (133 – 3rd), Jon Reader (165 – 4th) and David Zabriskie (HWT – 5th). Their individual performance marked the highest NCAA placing for each member of the ISU quartet. Gallick and Reader were knocked out of the championship bracket by the eventual champions of their respective weights. All four Cyclone All-Americans return next season. "It was great to finish with Jake winning a title," Sanderson said. "While we didn't do what we had hoped for as a team, we still had guys come through with key performances that were a credit to their season. Our next opportunity will be next season. We don't have a senior on the entire team so I know we will be a very hungry group."

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Just as he did in March of 2007, Northwestern senior Jake Herbert completed an undefeated season with a 184-pound national title at the NCAA Championships Saturday in St. Louis. NU's four-time All-American held off last year's NCAA champ, Mike Pucillo of Ohio State, by a 6-3 decision to become just the second two-time national title-winner in school history and the first since 1932. "They say college is the best four to six years of your life and I think I'm proof of that," said Herbert, who has already earned his degree after taking a redshirt year in 2007-08 to train for the Olympics in Beijing. "College wrestling is an awesome lifestyle. I just have to thank (head coach) Tim Cysewski because I wouldn't have done any of this without him. I wouldn't have wanted to wrestle for anybody else and it's a special kind of guy that can handle me for six years." With Herbert's win, Northwestern separated itself as the only wrestling program in the country to have had an individual national champion in each of the past three seasons. Herbert, who ends his college career on a 66-match winning streak, won his first title in 2007 while Dustin Fox brought home the heavyweight title in March of last year. "We knew Jake was going to be special when we recruited him and every year Jake has just continued to up the ante for us as coaches," Cysewski said. As a team, the 'Cats came in 13th for the second straight season (46.0 points) to record their fifth consecutive top-15 national finish. Iowa repeated as the team champions with 96.5 points. Herbert (34-0), the 2009 Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, used the NCAA Championships to put the finishing touches on a four-year varsity career in which he posted a 138-4 record, good for the fifth-best winning percentage (.972) among all Division I wrestlers since the 1974-75 season. Saturday's title bout marked the first time Herbert squared off against Pucillo, who moved up a weight class to 197 in NU's regular season dual match versus the Buckeyes and who lost in the Big Ten Championships before he could meet Herbert. Nevertheless, Herbert dismissed the possibility of there being any feeling-out period by diving at and grabbing a hold of Pucillo's right leg just nine seconds into the match. After one restart, Herbert tilted the Buckeye and was on the verge of collecting back points when Pucillo managed to roll off onto his stomach. Following an escape by Pucillo, Herbert distanced himself with a second takedown but Pucillo continued to hold strong, pulling to within 4-3 in the second on another escape. With Herbert leading 5-3 in the third, Pucillo got a great hold of Herbert's left leg with 30 seconds remaining but was unable to finish the move as Herbert completed his season without surrendering a takedown. His 1:53 of riding time brought his final winning margin at Northwestern to 6-3, setting off a celebration among NU's coaches and contingent of fans in the stands at the Scottrade Center. "I thought it went well," Herbert said of the much-anticipated matchup against Pucillo. "I did what I needed to do but he made me work for it. He wasn't going to hand it to me and he wasn't going to roll over. I didn't give up a takedown which was good but I think Mike's a great wrestler and I can see him winning another national title." Herbert concludes his career as one of the most decorated Wildcat wrestlers in NU history. He is the program's only four-time All-American, three-time Big Ten champion and three-time Midlands titlist and ranks second all-time in wins with 149 (including his redshirt season).

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Fifth-year senior Steve Luke (Massillon, Ohio/Perry HS) closed out his stellar University of Michigan wrestling career by capturing the 174-pound national title at the NCAA Championships on Saturday (March 21) in front of 17,385 fans at the Scottrade Center. With fifth-year senior Tyrel Todd (Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS) and sophomore Kellen Russell (High Bridge, N.J./Blair Academy) joining Luke as All-Americans, the Wolverines placed 11th in the team standings with 47 points, just a half point shy of their ninth straight top-10 finish. Luke completed his perfect season in decisive fashion, using three takedowns to secure an 8-4 decision over Central Michigan's seventh-seeded Mike Miller in the championship bout to improve to 32-0. The Wolverine captain wraps his collegiate career with a career mark of 113-24 and becomes the 14th different U-M wrestler to capture an NCAA individual title, upping the Michigan program's total to 20 trophies. The Wolverine captain, who held the nation's No. 1 ranking at 174 pounds for the entirety of the season, struck quickly, converting on a low blast double off an early restart to gain control. When Luke tried for a suck back moments later, Miller used a switch to wrap up his leg but could not bring it in, settling for an escape as Luke stalemated the position. Luke shot in on another double, wrapped up the single leg and finished double on the mat to pad his lead and add to his riding-time advantage. Miller escaped late in the frame and again early in the second, but not before Luke pushed his time advantage over a minute. The Central Michigan wrestler went on the offensive midway through the period, taking a weak single shot, which Luke countered, came around and limp-armed out to score again. A quick Luke escape provided the only points in the third before the Wolverine used his 1:14 riding-time advantage to tack on another at match's end. Todd posted a 1-1 mark on the day to claim fourth place in his final appearance at the NCAA event, falling 11-4 to Maryland's Hudson Taylor in the placing bout. Todd scored on a single leg early in the second to keep the bout close midway through, but the Terp wrestler scored on four takedowns of his own, including one in the waning moments to ice the match. Todd used a big second period to rally back to an 8-3 decision over Boise State's third-seeded Brent Chriswell in the consolation semifinals. Chriswell gained the initial lead when both wrestlers attempted throws out of a lockup early in the first; the Bronco won the position, dumping Todd to the mat. The Wolverine captain evened the score with a pair of escapes and, soon after squaring off after the second, shot in on a single leg to get Chriswell's leg up high. Todd dumped him to the mat but did not get the call as the two quickly went back to their feet and locked up chest to chest. It was Todd who scored off the position the second time around, using an inside trip to take Chriswell to his back for five points. The Wolverine rode out the period and was in control long enough in the third to net his 1:01 in time advantage and add another point at match's end. Russell wrapped up his weekend with a solid win over a familiar opponent, rallying from an early deficit to knock off Penn State's Frank Molinaro, 7-4, for seventh place. Molinaro got in on Russell's legs with several double legs and converted his second shot early in the first to take the initial lead. Russell tried to kick out, but Molinaro lifted his leg high and took him back to the mat, where the Wolverine wrestler scrambled to put him to his back. After a brief referee conference, Russell was awarded two points for the reversal and two for the near fall, giving him a two-point edge after the opening period. The wrestlers continued to flurry in the final two periods with both striking deep on scoring opportunities, but only Russell added offensive points, sprawling hard on a Molinaro double shot before turning the corner and converting the takedown on the edge of the mat to seal up the decision.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -– Jarrod King was not the Edinboro wrestler predicted to win the school's fourth national championship. He did come in as the 12th seed at 165 lbs., but more highly-acclaimed teammates Paul Donahoe and Gregor Gillespie were expected to stand at the top of the awards stand before the senior from Connellsville, PA. But King didn't listen to the oddsmakers, and on Saturday night at the Scottrade Center he became Edinboro's fourth national champion. King handed Wisconsin's Andrew Howe, the number two seed, a 3-2 defeat.

LINCOLN -- Jordan Burroughs became the 10th national champion in Husker history by capturing the 157-pound title during Session VI to lead Nebraska to a fourth-place team finish at the 2009 NCAA Championships. With a fourth-place finish last season also, NU has claimed back-to-back top-five finishes in consecutive years for the first time. For the second season in a row, Iowa captured the team title with 96.5 points while Ohio State finished second (92) and Iowa State claimed third (84.5). "It feels great to be a national champion," Burroughs said. "It took three years, but I finally got it done. I'm just happy to be here and happy that my teammates and my family are able to be here and watch me." A junior from Sicklerville, N.J., Burroughs topped second-seeded Michael Poeta of Illinois in the final, 5-1. As usual, Burroughs was the aggressor in the first period, and earned a critical takedown with just two seconds left in the period. Burroughs escaped 10 seconds into the second to go up 3-0, but neither wrestler could score the rest of the period. Poeta escaped with 1:57 left in the third and turned up the intensity looking for an equalizing takedown, nearly catching Burroughs on several occasions in the final period. Another Burroughs' takedown with two seconds left sealed the bout. He went 35-0 during 2008-09 to become the first Husker national champion ever to complete a season undefeated. Poeta finished as runner up for a second consecutive season with a 17-1 record. "Every time I shot a double leg he would jump back knowing I was going to shoot from my knees," Burroughs said. "I finally found an opening at the end of the first period and got two and it kind of set the pace for the match. I knew he had to come after me. That's when I'm best is when people are chasing me." Nebraska's Craig Brester also advanced to the finals, but lost to second-seeded Jake Varner of Iowa State, 2-1, at 197 pounds. Brester, a junior from Howells, Neb., was hard pressed to generate offense against the three-time NCAA finalist Varner. Neither wrestler scored in the first period, and Varner earned an escape eight seconds in the second. Brester chose down in the third in an attempt to escape and tie the match at one, but Varner earned riding-time advantage to take the win before Brester escaped. Brester went 33-4 in 2008-09 with three of his losses on the season coming to Varner. Head Coach Mark Manning has coached 27 Huskers to All-America honors during his nine seasons at Nebraska. He has also led NU to nine five top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships. NU's 78.5 points are the second most it has ever scored at the tournament, trailing only a 79.5-point performance in 1993. "We would have liked to have won both of those matches, but this is a very tough stage to compete on," Manning said. "Jordan did a great job against a great competitor who was in the finals last year. Jordan has really made himself a complete wrestler and has put the work in. Craig has done the same thing."

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Top seed Franklin Gomez defeated No. 2 seed Reece Humphrey of Ohio State, 5-4, to become the 2009 National Champion at 133 pounds Saturday (March 21) evening at the NCAA Wrestling Championships. Gomez is the 19th MSU wrestler to win a national championship and the first since Kelvin Jackson won the title at 118 pounds in 1995. Overall, it marks the 25th time a Spartan has claimed an individual national title. "This means a lot to me because I represent not just Michigan State, but also Puerto Rico, my club, and especially my family and friends in Florida," said Gomez, a two-time All-American. "There is no better feeling than having one of your wrestlers win a national championship," said MSU head coach Tom Minkel, who coached Jackson in 1995. "He's had his sights set on an NCAA Championship since he walked into our wrestling room. He's a very focused young man and he has very high aspirations." Gomez took shots at Humphrey early on in the match, but the two wrestlers remained locked at zero through the first period. Gomez began the second period down and recorded an escape just over 30 seconds in, giving him the 1-0 lead. Gomez's momentum then carried the two out of bounds as he went for the takedown immediately after escaping. Gomez notched his second takedown with 45 seconds left in the second to give him a 3-0 lead. A Humphrey escape left the score at 3-1 going into the final frame. "I kind of just went with the flow," said Gomez. "I tried to control his hands, because that's kind of what (Humphrey) does, he grabs my elbow. I tried to penalize that, and as you saw, he wasn't able to do that much." With Gomez starting the third period on top, Humphrey narrowed the lead to 3-2 with an escape 14 seconds in. After a minute of neutral wrestling, Gomez notched his third and final takedown of the contest to put him up by three with under a minute left. A reversal by Humphrey with eight seconds left would not affect the outcome, as time expired with Gomez on top, 5-4. Gomez closed out the season on a 14-match win streak dating back to Feb. 8. The All-American finished with 27 wins, the most on the team, opposed by just two losses.

The consensus heading into the championship round of the NCAA Wrestling Championships was that Iowa's Brent Metcalf was just plain unbeatable, that no one could stop him in his quest to repeat as champion at 149 pounds. NC State's Darrion Caldwell apparently didn't get the memo. Caldwell took the defending national champion down twice in the first period and was in control of the match throughout, defeating Metcalf 11-6 to become NC State's fifth national wrestling champion and its first since Sylvester Terkay in 1993. And the final score does not indicate just how one-sided the match was. Caldwell, who improved to 38-1 with the decision, took Metcalf down just seconds into the match to take a 2-0 lead. Metcalf escaped, but Caldwell got him in a headlock and threw him to the mat for the second takedown of the period, the first time Metcalf had been taken down twice in a period in more than a year. Metcalf escaped again near the end of the period and Caldwell took a 4-2 lead into the second period. Caldwell started in the down position in the second period, escaped, then scored a takedown on a counter move off a Metcalf shot to take a 7-2 lead. Caldwell cruised from there. He got one more takedown in the third and led 9-3. Metcalf got an escape and a late takedown in the third period, but the issue was decided by that time. "He's human," Caldwell said of Metcalf. "It's not like we went into a fight and he has a gun and I have a knife." Caldwell never wavered in his belief that he could beat Metcalf, regardless of what popular opinion said. "I felt that I was going to win, because I envisioned myself as a national champion when I prepared for that match," Caldwell said. "I believe in my abilities and I thank God to give me the ability to do what I did. Following the match, as Caldwell began his victory celebration, Metcalf gave Caldwell a big shove and was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, costing Iowa a valuable team point in its quest to repeat as team champions. The loss is only the second of Metcalf's career and ended a 69-match winning streak. Metcalf's other loss also was to Caldwell, who pinned him on November 24, 2007. Metcalf finished the season 37-1. No doubt in part thanks to the victory over the heavily favored Metcalf, Caldwell was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler. He won once by fall and three times by major decision during the tournament, and allowed just 12 points in five bouts, all on escapes. He did not allow a takedown in the entire tournament. Counting the 7-1 lead he had when he pinned Penn's Cesar Grajales in the opening round, Caldwell outscored his five opponents by a combined 52-12. Darrion Caldwell notebook • Caldwell joins Terkay (heavyweight in 1993), Scott Turner (150 pounds in 1988), Tab Thacker (heavyweight in 1984) and Matt Reiss (167 pounds in 1980) as heavyweight champions from NC State. • Caldwell finished the season with a 10-match winning streak: six by major decision, one by technical fall and one by pin. • Caldwell is NC State's first All-American since 1996 (Mike Miller) and its first two-time All-American since 1992-93 (Sylvester Terkay). • Caldwell now has a career record of 95-12 with 50 pins. • He ranks third in school history in career pins, 14 behind career leader Terkay and four behind second-place Tab Thacker (1981-84), both of whom were NCAA heavyweight champions. • Caldwell is one of just six wrestlers in NC State history to break the 90-win plateau and ranks fourth in school history in career victories with 95 (Terkay leads with 122 and is the only one with more than 100). • Caldwell ranks second in school history in career winning percentage at .888 (Terkay leads at .897). • Caldwell is one of just two Wolfpack grapplers, along with Terkay, to win 30 or more matches in a season twice. • Caldwell's season total of 38 wins ties for second most in a single season by an NC State wrestler. Terkay won 41 in 1993, and Brian Jackson won 38 in 1989. • Caldwell now is 10-1 this season against ranked opponents, and 21-7 vs. ranked opponents for his career. • Caldwell has never lost to an ACC opponent in 28 career matches vs. league foes.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- Three time All-American Troy Nickerson won the 2009 NCAA championship at 125 pounds on Saturday night with a 2-1 tie breaker win over Paul Donahoe of Edinboro. Nickerson previously placed third and second in 2007 and 2006 respectively. The Big Red finished in fifth place as a team. Check the Big Red Blog for summaries from all the matches at the NCAA tournament as well as updated team scores. In his match against Donahoe, both wrestlers started with a great deal of action at the head and hands. Nickerson shot near the edge of the mat, but the action was called back to the center. Donahoe used less than thirty seconds of injury time. When the action returned, Donahoe deferred choice in the second, and Nickerson chose down. Nickerson quickly got to his feet, but Donahoe was able to hold on as they went to the edge of the map to return action to the center once more. Nickerson responded by standing up again quickly but could not quite escape before reaching the edge of the map. Back at center, Nickerson stood up immediately and got the escape he was looking for. Nickerson looked for a low single, but Donahoe caught the move in time to deflect it. Both wrestlers showed their offensive and defensive excellence by continuing to shoot and deflect shots by the opponent. Donahoe chose down in the third, and earned an escape eight seconds into the period. Both wrestlers circled a great deal in the third, each looking for the anticipated takedown. With a 1-1 score in regular match-time the wrestlers went into sudden victory. Nickerson had an early shot at the head and chest that looked like a potential takedown, but Donahoe was able to shrug him off. Nickerson had choice for the tie breaker, and he chose down. On the bottom, Nickerson used some injury time, but the action returned quickly. Nickerson collected a point for a technical violation for locking hands against Donahoe.The Edinboro wrestler started down for the his choice and was cautioned. Donahoe attempted two more escapes, but Nickerson was able to hold onto his leg and take him down to the mat for the final few seconds to keep the score 2-1.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- In front of a crowd of 17,385, J Jaggers, a senior on the Ohio State wrestling team, secured his place in Buckeye wrestling history, becoming just the third student-athlete to win two national titles. Jaggers won his second-consecutive crown in the 141-pound division at the 2009 NCAA Wrestling Championships at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo. In one of the tightest team races in recent NCAA wrestling history, Ohio State earned its second-consecutive runner-up finish with 92 points, trailing Iowa, who locked up its second-consecutive crown with 96.5 points. Iowa State finished third with 80.5 points, while Nebraska and Cornell took fourth (78.5) and fifth (73.5), respectively. The 2009 national championships attracted an NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships all-time total attendance record with 97, 111 people in attendance over six sessions. Buckeye head coach Tom Ryan was named National Coach of the Year following the championships. His honor comes just three days after Ohio State assistant Lou Rosselli was named NWCA Assistant Coach of the Year. Jaggers captured his second-consecutive title at 141 pounds, downing No. 8 Ryan Williams of Old Dominion, 10-4. Following his strategy of striking quick and often, the Northfield, Ohio, native jumped ahead, 6-2, on three first-period takedowns. After two stanzas, the score stood at 6-3 before Jaggers recorded a final takedown and earned riding time for the win. "‘I'm doing it again,'" Jaggers said, when asked about making it back to the title round. "You just don't luck upon this thing. Last year, a lot of people called me a ‘one-hit wonder.' The day after the national tournament last year people were saying, ‘he won't win it again.' I think this proves you don't just stumble on two national championships." Jaggers becomes only the third Buckeye to win two NCAA titles, joining Tommy Rowlands (2002 and '04 NCAA heavyweight champion) and Kevin Randleman (1992 and '93 NCAA champion at 177). He ends his senior campaign with a 28-7 ledger and completes his career with a 108-33 record. In a repeat of the Big Ten 133-pound title match, Ohio State's second-seeded Reece Humphrey met No. 1-seed Franklin Gomez of Michigan State in the NCAA title bout. As he did at the league championships, Gomez took a close match from Humphrey, a 5-4 decision in favor of the Spartan. The match was scoreless until the second period with Gomez posting an escape and takedown while Humphrey got on the board with an escape to make it, 3-1, after two. Gomez moved the score to 5-2 with a takedown before Humphrey began a counterattack. The Indianapolis, Ind., native scored a late takedown to make it a one-point contest but the Buckeye ran out of time, dropping the 5-4 decision. Humphrey ends his junior season, earning his first All-America honor, as a runner-up, while compiling a 30-4 record. Junior Mike Pucillo made his run to defend his 2008 national title all the way to the final bout, but fell, 6-3, to Northwestern's undefeated No. 1 seed and 2007 NCAA champion, Jake Herbert. Herbert, who ends his senior season with a 34-0 record, took an early lead with two takedowns in the first, but Pucillo closed within one, 4-3, from three escapes heading into the third. With the riding time in favor of the Wildcats, Pucillo worked to get two points but Herbert was on the defense, ultimately taking the match, 6-3. The Strongsville, Ohio, native completes his junior campaign with a 23-2 record.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- The 2008-2009 season for the Iowa Hawkeyes seemed to be on a smooth glide path to winning a second consecutive NCAA team title with ease. As expected, Iowa won the team title … but it was hardly easy. At times during the three-day 2009 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, other teams held the lead in the team race … but the Hawkeyes clawed their way back, thanks to an especially gutsy performance during Session 5 on Saturday morning, to edge out the Ohio State Buckeyes 96.5 to 92. In fact, the team title was in doubt until the conclusion of the 184-pound finals. "We're going to work real hard to be positive on this thing because a lot of good things happened to win that team title on that backside of the bracket where you don't want to be," said Iowa coach Tom Brands. "A lot of good things happened. And a lot of adversity too." Darrion Caldwell defeated Brent Metcalf en route to winning Most Outstanding Wrestler honors (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)The Hawkeyes team title came without a single individual champion. In fact, their "sure bet" for a champ, Brent Metcalf, lost in a stunning upset in the finals to Darrion Caldwell, in a loss that may remind some Iowa fans of another shocker: Illinois' Steve Marianetti besting Hawkeye legend Lincoln McIlravy in the 1995 NCAAs. But the Metcalf upset seemed in keeping with the "upsetting nature" of the 2009 NCAAs, especially with all the stunning surprises of Day One. More than a number of "sure bets" failed to realize their national title dreams. The Hawkeye's defending 149-pound champ was probably the most notable. "I could have put a sealer on it," said Metcalf. "I could have capped it off. I failed to do that." All this may be appropriate, given how many teams had at least one competitor going for a title -- fifteen teams in all. Ohio State had three wrestlers vying for individual titles, while Nebraska and Edinboro each had two -- the only programs with more than one finalist. Among the schools not normally seen in the finals: Old Dominion (whose last finalist was fifteen years ago), and Duke, with its first-ever finalist. The Finals 125: In the first of a number of title bouts matching the top two seeds, it was No. 1 Paul Donahoe taking on No. 2 Troy Nickerson. Donahoe, a redshirt senior for Edinboro with a perfect 35-0 record, had won the title in this weight class for Nebraska at the 2007 NCAAs. Nickerson, a redshirt junior from Cornell, also had a flawless 24-0 record. The match started uneventfully, with no scoring in the first period. In the second, Nickerson scored an escape. In the third, Donahoe answered with an escape of his own, resulting in a 1-1 tie at the end of regulation. In the first sudden victory period, there was no score. In the first tiebreaker period, Donahoe was assessed one point for a technical violation -- locked hands. When it was time for the Edinboro wrestler to try to escape from Nickerson, he was unable. Final score: 2-1, SV Nickerson "I've been very fortunate all year," said Nickerson. "It shows that all hard work pays off and that I'm very fortunate." 133: The second battle between No. 1 and No. 2 featured Big Ten rivals -- and redshirt juniors -- Franklin Gomez of Michigan State and Reece Humphrey of Ohio State. Gomez was the top seed with a 26-2 record to the finals, while Humphrey had a 30-3 record. After a scoreless first period, the second continued in the same vein for quite a while … until Gomez scored a takedown with about a half-minute left, followed quickly by an escape by Humphrey. In the third, the Buckeye got a second escape, then the Spartan answered with a takedown. Despite a Humphrey reversal towards the end of the match, the final score was 5-4 for Gomez … the first Michigan State wrestler to win an NCAA title since Kelvin Jackson in 1995. Gomez put his faith in the Lord. "No matter where I am I'll always go to church and that always keeps my focus," said Gomez. "That tells me that God is everywhere. And I've been through really hard times, some really difficult times, and I was able to get up because church as helped me a lot to stay focused. (The NCAA title) means a lot to me because I'm not just representing Michigan State but representing Puerto Rico, the people there at my club and the people in Florida. I represent a lot of places, not just Michigan State." J Jaggers won his second straight NCAA title at 141 pounds, defeating Old Dominion's Ryan Williams in the final (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)141: J Jaggers came to Scottrade Center to defend his title against all comers; in the finals, the third-seeded Ohio State redshirt senior with a 39-3 record faced off against eighth-seeded senior Ryan Williams of Old Dominion, 27-7. Unlike the first two matches, there was a flurry of points put on the board by both wrestlers in the opening period. Jaggers snagged the first takedown, while Williams followed up with an escape. The Buckeye champ then scored three nearfall points, followed by a second escape by Williams to make the score 6-2 Jaggers. In the second period, Williams got yet another escape. In the third, Jaggers got an escape of his own, followed by a takedown. Williams notched his fourth escape towards the of the match… but Jaggers successfully defended his title, 10-4, keeping Ohio State fans' hopes alive for grabbing their first team title from Iowa. "My plan was to strike as quick and as often as possible," said Jaggers. "I couldn't let it turn into a cat and mouse game. For me, when I turn it into a shootout and it is about a lot of points, I'm more confident that I'm going to come out on top." 149: Brent Metcalf won the 149 title and Outstanding Wrestler award at the 2008 NCAAs. Would the top-seeded redshirt junior from Iowa with the perfect 37-0 record be able to match those accomplishments in 2009? One man wrecked the party: Darrion Caldwell, the North Carolina State 37-0 sophomore who once pinned the Hawkeye at the beginning of the 2007-8 season. Caldwell came out with guns blazing, starting the bout with a takedown. Metcalf responded with an escape, but there was no stopping the Wolfpack wrestler, as he scored a second takedown. Metcalf scored a second escape to make the score 4-2, Caldwell. The North Carolina State matman continued his take-no-prisoners approach into the second period, with an escape and another takedown to build a 7-2 lead. In the third, the Hawkeye got an escape; Caldwell responded with yet another takedown. Metcalf got another escape, followed by a takedown … but, at the end of the match, Caldwell got an 11-6 upset win. To add insult to injury, when the winner demonstrated his joy with some on-the-mat, after-match acrobatics, Metcalf chased after the champ, trying to score one last takedown. Officials docked Iowa one team point for unsportsmanlike conduct. "It just means I've got to continue to work for the next couple of years," said Caldwell. "I'm thinking about taking this next year off and getting better, a lot better, keep working and maybe go up a couple weight classes. I'm just going to keep working hard for next year, maybe I'll do something with the US Open this upcoming April. We'll take it from there and see where it goes, see where it leads." 157: Yet another battle of No. 1 and No. 2: Top-seeded Jordan Burroughs of Nebraska, Big 12 champ, a junior with a perfect 34-0 mark, taking on the Big Ten champ and 2008 NCAA finalist, Mike Poeta, a redshirt senior with a 17-0 record. The match started with a takedown scored by Burroughs with just two seconds left in the opening period. In the second, the Cornhusker added to his lead with an escape. Poeta got on the board with an escape in the third … but Burroughs followed with another takedown in the closing seconds of the match. Final score: 5-1 Burroughs. It was Poeta's second heartbreaker finals at the nationals, having been runner-up the previous year. "It's huge for me," said Burroughs. "I'm the first undefeated, ever, Nebraska wrestler. It's a great accomplishment for me, my family, my teammates, and everyone who has ever supported me and enjoys the way I wrestle. This is for them." 165: This finals matchup was a study in contrasts: No. 2 Andrew Howe of Wisconsin, the true freshman with a 30-4 record, and No. 12 Jarrod King of Edinboro, a 31-5 senior. The match started slowly, with no scoring in the first period; an escape by King was the only point tallied in the second. In the third, Howe got an escape, which King followed with a takedown. Despite an escape by the Badger, the final outcome was 3-2 for King. For King, his No. 12 seed didn't matter coming into the tournament. "I don't think it (the seed) matters so much," said King. "My goal the entire time was to be a champ, no matter if I was the top seed, no seed, whatever." Steve Luke won the title after finishing runner-up (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)174: A matchup of wrestlers from two universities in the state of Michigan: Top-seeded Steve Luke of the University of Michigan, a senior with a 31-0 record, taking on Central Michigan's seventh seeded Mike Miller, the 30-6 redshirt sophomore. The first period opened with Luke scoring a takedown; Miller escaped. That pattern was repeated to make the score 4-2 for Luke. In the second, Miller escaped. Luke responded with a takedown. Miller scored yet another escape to make the score 6-4 for the Wolverine. Luke added to his point total with an escape of his own in the third. With riding time, the final score was 8-4 for the Michigan senior. "When you're little kid you watch the NCAA's on TV and think, 'Wow, I want to do that,'", said Luke. "But when you're a little kid you think you want to do that but at the same time you think there's no way. You think one day I want to be up on that stage and I don't want to be up on that stage losing, like I did last year. I want to be up on that stage winning. It feels good to go out with a win." 184: Arguably the most anticipated title bout of the 2009 NCAAs: Jake Herbert vs. Mike Pucillo. Anticipated because it pitted two NCAA champs � Herbert a titlewinner in 2007, Pucillo in 2008 -- and because it was the first time this season the two had met on the mat this season, after not wrestling each other in the dual-meet season, or at the Big Tens. The match took on even more significance: It was Ohio State's last chance at winning its first-ever NCAA team title. The top-seeded Herbert, a redshirt senior at Northwestern, sported a 33-0 record … while Ohio State's Pucillo, a redshirt junior, had a 23-1 record. Herbert opened the match in his typical aggressive style, with a takedown; Pucillo responded with an escape. The Wildcat got a second takedown; the Buckeye, a second escape, to make the score 4-2, Herbert. In the second, Pucillo scored an escape. In the third, Herbert got an escape of his own. With riding time, the Northwestern senior ended his college career with a 6-3 victory -- and his second NCAA title -- while Buckeye fans went home doubly disappointed their 184-pounder was unable to defend his title, nor deliver that elusive team title that seemed within their grasp. "It went well," said Herbert. "I like to get some back points. I didn't give up a takedown, which is good. I took all the camera time I could, seven minutes. I got the win, I did what I needed to do and it was a hard fought match. He made me work for it, he made me come at him and he made me win that match. It wasn't like he was going to give it to me, it wasn't like he was going to roll over." 197: One last battle between Nos. 1 and 2, in a rematch of the Big 12 title match: Craig Brester of Nebraska, the top seed and conference champ, a 29-3 redshirt junior, taking on Jake Varner, the 30-2 junior for Iowa State. The two men had wrestled each other a number of times, so both were cautious. There was no scoring in the first period. In the second, Varner scored an escape. In the third, Brester responded with an escape of his own. Varner had enough riding time to make the final score, 2-1 in his favor. The third time was the charm for the Cyclone; in two previous finals appearances, Varner had gone home without a title. "It feels like everyone, I feel like, expects you to win and I just went out there and wrestled my match and it feels good to finally do it," said Varner. Hwt: This time of year, it's totally expected to see Duke University on a men's NCAA basketball bracket … but not necessarily a bracket for college wrestling. For the first time in 80 years, Duke had a finalist in the wrestling championships, in the form of Konrad Dudziak, 27-2 redshirt sophomore originally from Poland… going up against Missouri's Mark Ellis, a junior with a 26-3 record. There was no score in the first period. Ellis opened the second with an escape; Dudziak followed with his own escape in the third, sending the match into overtime. In the sudden victory period, there was no score … and, in the first tiebreaker, no scoring. In the second, Ellis got a takedown. Despite an escape from Dudziak, the final score was 3-2, TB, for Ellis, who, in addition to wrestling for the Missouri Tigers, plays on their football team. "With where I came from and the people who believed in me and just gave me a chance, it's amazing and God is just so good to me," said Ellis. 2009 NCAA All-Americans Here are the wrestlers who earned All-American honors by placing in the top eight in each weight class at the 2009 NCAAs: 125: In the battle for third place, Northwestern's Brandon Precin got a 3-1 win over Arizona State's Anthony Robles. In the fifth-place match, defending champ Angel Escobedo of Indiana got an 8-0 major decision over Zach Sanders of Minnesota. Central Michigan's Scotti Sentes placed seventh by defeating Nicholas Bedelyon of Kent State, 7-2. 133: Minnesota's Jayson Ness took third place by getting a 14-6 major decision over Andrew Hochstrasser of Boise State. In the fifth-place bout, Illinois' Jimmy Kennedy got a 16-0 technical fall at 5:13 over Steve Bell of Maryland. In the seventh-place match, Iowa's Daniel Dennis won on a medical forfeit over Navy's Joe Baker. 141: Iowa State's Nick Gallick got a 5-3 win over Wisconsin's Zach Tanelli to place third. Unseeded Alex Krom of Maryland took fifth place by shutting out Arizona State's Chris Drouin, 4-0. In the match to determine seventh place, top-seeded Kellen Russell of Michigan got a 7-4 decision over Penn State's Frank Molinaro. 149: In the match to determine third place, Wisconsin's Kyle Ruschell edged Lance Palmer of Ohio State, 5-4. Purdue's Jake Patacsil got a 6-4, SV 1 win over Navy's Bryce Saddoris to win fifth place. For seventh place, American's Kyle Borshoff got a 9-1 major decision over Oregon State's Heinrich Barnes. 157: In a battle between two past NCAA titlewinners, defending champ Jordan Leen of Cornell got a 4-0 decision over 2007 champ Gregor Gillespie of Edinboro to earn third place. In the fifth-place match, Missouri's Michael Chandler edged Bloomsburg's Matt Moley, 2-1. Cal Poly's Chase Pami took seventh by getting a 4-2, SV1 win over Minnesota's Tyler Safratowich. 165: Iowa's Ryan Morningstar won third place with a 7-5 decision over Iowa State's Jon Reader. For fifth place, Bucknell's Andrew Rendos got a 9-6 win over Moza Fay of Northern Iowa. Missouri's Nick Marable defeated Boise State's Tyler Sherfey, 6-4, to place seventh. 174: Third place went to Missouri's Raymond Jordan, who shut out Nebraska's Brandon Browne, 4-0. Cornell's Steve Anceravage scored a 13-3 major decision over Quentin Wright of Penn State to place fifth … while Virginia's Chris Henrich earned a 13-3 major decision over American's Mike Cannon for seventh place. 184: Rider's Doug Umbehauer got a 5-3 win over Iowa's Phil Keddy to take third place … while Wyoming's Joe LeBlanc defeated Vince Jones of Nebraska, 9-2 for fifth. Josh Patterson of Binghamton won seventh place with a 4-2 victory over Harvard's Lou Caputo. 197: Maryland's Hudson Taylor took third place for the second straight year, this time with a 11-4 win over Michigan's Tyrel Todd. Fifth place went to Max Askren of Missouri with a 3-0 shut-out of Boise State's Brent Chriswell. In the match for seventh, Brandon Halsey of Cal State Bakersfield got a 14-4 major decision over Cam Sinaz of Cornell. Hwt: Oklahoma State's Jared Rosholt got a 6-4 decision over Iowa's Dan Ereksen to take third place for the second year in a row. Iowa State big man David Zabriskie defeated Kent State's Jermail Porter, 4-2, for fifth place… while Illinois' John Wise was awarded seventh when Pittsburgh's Zach Schaeffer took a medical forfeit. Final Team Standings: 1. Iowa -- 96.5 points 2. Ohio State -- 92 points 3. Iowa State -- 84.5 points 4. Nebraska -- 78.5 points 5. Cornell -- 73.5 points Other Awards: Outstanding Wrestler: Darrion Caldwell, North Carolina State Coach of the Year: Tom Ryan, Ohio State Gorranian Award (Most Pins in Shortest Time): Hudson Taylor, Maryland's 197-pounder Related Content: Final Team Scores Final Brackets Rev Big Show Pick 'Em Results Rev Audio Interviews: Troy Nickerson (125) Franklin Gomez (133) J Jaggers (141) Darrion Caldwell (149) Jordan Burroughs (157) Jarrod King (165) Steve Luke (174) Jake Herbert (184) Jake Varner (197) Mark Ellis (Hwt)

Click on the links below to listen to audio interviews from all 10 NCAA champions. Troy Nickerson (125) Franklin Gomez (133) J Jaggers (141) Darrion Caldwell (149) Jordan Burroughs (157) Jarrod King (165) Steve Luke (174) Jake Herbert (184) Jake Varner (197) Mark Ellis (Hwt)

ST. LOUIS, MO -- Despite crowning no individual champions, the University of Iowa wrestling team collected its second straight national team title at the 2009 NCAA Championships in St. Louis, MO, Saturday night. The Hawkeyes scored 96.5 points, edging runner-up Ohio State by 4.5 points, to record the school's 22nd NCAA team title. That is the closest margin of victory since Iowa won the 1999 team title by two points, and only the second time in school history that the Hawkeyes won the NCAA title without an individual champion. Iowa also accomplished that feat in 1978. It is also the first year that the Hawkeyes have not crowned an individual champion since 2006. "This championship was won this morning," said Hawkeye Head Coach Tom Brands. "We had a lot of guys that came through for us. We have five all-Americans who are all back next year. It's bittersweet with Brent's (Metcalf) match, but our fans love championships." Iowa's lone finalist - junior Brent Metcalf - was upset in the 149-pound finals by #3 seed Darrion Caldwell of North Carolina State, 11-6. Metcalf, who won the 2008 NCAA 149-pound title and was the top seed for this year's tournament at that weight class, saw his 69-match winning streak snapped in the finals. A team point was deducted from Iowa's team score for unsportsmanlike conduct after the match. Metcalf ends the season with a 37-1 record, and has a 72-2 career mark. Both losses are to Caldwell. The Hawkeyes crowned a total of five all-Americans in Metcalf and juniors Daniel Dennis (133-7th), Ryan Morningstar (165-3rd), Phillip Keddy (184-4th) and Dan Erekson (Hwt.-4th). The tournament's six-session attendance total of 97,111 set the all-time record for the event. Iowa ends the 2009 season winning two straight NCAA and Big Ten titles. The Hawkeye posted a perfect 24-0 dual meet record, going 8-0 in Big Ten duals. FINAL NCAA TEAM STANDINGS Place Team - Points 1. Iowa - 96.5 2. Ohio State - 92 3. Iowa State - 84.5 4. Nebraska - 78.5 5. Cornell - 73.5 6. Edinboro - 72 7. Missouri - 70 8. Illinois - 55 9. Wisconsin - 53 10. Maryland - 47.5 IOWA'S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS RESULTS 165 - #3 Darrion Caldwell (N. Carolina St.) dec. #1 Brent Metcalf (Iowa), 11-6