InterMat Staff

USAFA, Colo. -- The University of Northern Iowa wrestling team put on a sterling performance on Saturday night as the Panthers tallied a 42-0 shutout of the Air Force Falcons in a Western Wrestling Conference dual. The Panthers not only won all 10 bouts, but won the takedown battle, 34-4. UNI improved to 6-4 overall and 2-0 in the WWC. The Panthers' 42-point margin was the largest in a shutout since a 1991 match when the Panthers scored a 48-0 victory over Ithaca. Senior Andrew Anderson (19-6 overall) got the Panthers started at 197 pounds with a 12-5 victory over Air Force's Jim Ciccone. Anderson used three first-period takedowns to go up 6-2 after three minutes of action. Anderson added two more takedowns in the third period to go along with an escape and a riding time point for the victory. Redshirt freshman Christian Brantley put the Panthers on top 8-0 in the dual following a technical fall over Air Force's Josh Larson. Brantley put on a takedown clinic as he notched 10 takedowns in the match. Brantley was able to secure a two-point nearfall in the third period to gain an additional bonus point for the technical fall. Brantley got the win at the 6:07 mark with a 25-9 triumph. Brantley's victory pushed his team-leading win total to 22 on the season. UNI redshirt freshman Cruse Aarhus recorded his first collegiate dual victory at 125 pounds with a 6-3 decision over AFA's Andrew Zwirlein. Aarhus took an early 2-0 lead, but fell behind 3-2 following a takedown from Zwirlein. Aarhus gained an escape prior to the end of the first period to knot the match at 3-3. Aarhus took his second lead of the match with an escape in the second period, 4-3. Aarhus put the match away with a third-period takedown to earn the 6-3 win. Aarhus' win gave the Panthers an 11-0 lead in the dual with the Falcons. Freshman Steven Fitzgerald then followed Aarhus' lead and notched his first collegiate dual victory as well with a fall at 133 pounds. Fitzgerald had taken a 5-0 lead with a takedown and three-point nearfall in the first period. Fitzgerald got the fall early in the second period from the top position. Fitzgerald improved to 3-4 on the season. The Panthers extended the dual lead to 23-0 following a first-period fall from 141-pounder Trent Washington. Washington tallied a pair of takedowns before earning the fall over AFA's Juancarlos Pino at the 2:26 mark. Washington's win moved his season mark to 7-5. UNI's Brett Robbins used seven takedowns and three nearfalls en route to a 23-8 technical fall over the Falcons' Alec Williams at 149 pounds. Robbins' win put UNI on top of Air Force in the dual, 28-0. At 157 pounds, UNI's Trevor Kittleson overcame a second-period deficit to score an 8-3 victory over AFA's Joseph Stafford. Kittleson trailed 3-2 just into the second period, but notched a reversal and did not look back. The Panthers added an escape and a takedown to go along with a riding time point for the victory. Kittleson's win improved UNI's advantage in the dual to 31-0. Senior Moza Fay continued the Panthers' assault on a shutout with a 10-2 major decision over AFA's Stephen Crozier at 165 pounds. Fay opened up a 9-0 lead in the match with Crozier before allowing the Falcon on the board late in the match. Fay secured more than five minutes riding time in the bout. Fay's win moved his season record to 19-2. Junior Scott Hazen had an impressive effort against last year's Western Wrestling Conference 174-pound champion in Air Force's Tyler French. Hazen notched a 9-1 major decision over French. Hazen scored on two takedowns, a two-point nearfall, a reversal and a riding time point. Hazen's win moved him to 11-8 on the year. Senior Alex Dolly closed out the dual with a thrilling 6-4 triumph over AFA's Sterling Tribble at 184 pounds. Dolly led 4-1 after a reversal early in the second period, but Tribble tied it up at 4-4 in the third period with a takedown. Dolly was credited with a reversal with five seconds left in the match to earn the decision, 6-4. The Panthers will return home to take on the Oklahoma State University Cowboys on Sunday at 7 p.m. in the McLeod Center. The match will be broadcast live on 99.3 FM (Y99.3 – Waverly) and on the web as a part of the UNI Panthers GAMEDAY Online.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginia University wrestling Coach Craig Turnbull announced that redshirt-junior Brandon Rader will miss the remainder of the 2008-09 season due to an injury he sustained last year. A Parkersburg, W.Va., native, Rader re-injured his left knee against NCAA runner-up Chad Mendes of Cal Poly on Jan. 2, 2008. Rader received a medical redshirt at the end of the 2007-08 season. He has yet to fully recover from the injury. Rader is the only true freshman in program history to garner All-American status. A two-time All-American at 141 pounds, he owns a 55-11 overall record.

WASHINGTON -- The American University wrestling team won its third-consecutive dual on Friday at Navy, defeating the Midshipmen 19-17 after trailing 14-6 after the first five weights. No. 12 Kyle Borshoff completed AU's comeback with a 5-3 upset win in a second sudden-victory overtime period at 149 lbs., making it the second straight dual he has won the final bout to secure American's victory. No. 3 Mike Cannon remained unbeaten on the year with an early second period fall. Navy jumped all over American early in the dual, winning four of the first five weights to take a 14-6 lead. Cannon, ranked third in the nation at 174 lbs., defeated Mike Billings by fall at the 3:44 mark for AU's only victory early on. Cannon scored the first take down of the match with just five seconds run off the clock and scored a second take down less than one minute later to take a 4-1 lead. He scored a third take down with 21 seconds remaining in the first period and took a 6-2 lead into the second. Cannon deferred his decision to begin the second and Billings chose down. Cannon quickly put Billings on his back to score the win by fall at 3:44. Heavyweight Quinton Pruett turned things around for the Eagles, scoring an 8-2 win over Tyler Moyer to bring AU to within five in the team score, 14-9. Pruett took an early lead in the match with a take down 30 seconds into the first. Moyer was able to escape eight seconds later and the two went into the second period with Pruett ahead, 2-1. Moyer escaped from his down starting position to tie the score quickly in the period but Pruett retook the lead, 4-2, on a take down with 11 seconds left. Pruett chose down to begin the third and escaped for a 5-2 lead then scored a take down with 1:05 remaining to go ahead 7-2. Pruett rode Moyer for the remainder of the period to take the win with riding time, 8-2. Freshman Thomas Williams pulled out a close 8-7 decision at 125 lbs. over Prescott Garner to close AU's deficit to two, 14-12. Williams took an early 4-0 lead over Prescott on a take down with 1:12 left in the first and two nearfall points. He scored a second take down shortly after but Garner immediately reversed to move the score to 6-2. Williams scored two more nearfall points after beginning the second period on top for an 8-2 lead. Garner was able to once again reverse though and heading into the third Williams held an 8-4 lead. Williams began the third down and was penalized twice for stalling, closing the score to 8-6. Garner held the riding time advantage but it was not enough, as the match ended with Williams still leading, 8-7. Navy retook a five point lead in the team score, 17-12, as Jasen Borshoff was defeated at 133 lbs. by No. 10 Joe Baker, 3-2. J. Borshoff escaped from Baker with 1:46 remaining in the third but could not score a take down in the closing moments to steal the win. Matt Mariacher earned a 13-4 major decision over Matt Pagan at 141 lbs., giving the Eagles one final chance at the victory trailing by one, 17-16. Mariacher scored twice in the first period with two take downs, taking a 4-2 lead into the second. Mariacher chose down to begin the second and escaped after 30 seconds for a 5-2 lead. A take down with just under one minute left in the period sent Mariacher into the third leading 7-2. Pagan began the third down and reversed Mariacher to move the score to 7-4 with 1:18 on the clock. Mariacher took over down the stretch though and after an escape, take down, two-point nearfall and riding time, took the bout by major decision, 13-4. Borshoff, ranked 13th in the nation at 149 lbs., put the Eagles over the top with a 5-3 victory over No. 5 Bryce Saddoris in two sudden victory overtimes. Neither wrestler managed a point in the first period and Borshoff scored first in the second with an escape from his down starting position. Borshoff remained ahead 1-0 and began the third up but fell behind, 2-1, on a Saddoris reversal. Borshoff escaped just four seconds after the reversal to tie the score at 2 and send the bout into overtime. Neither wrestler was able to score in the first tiebreaker and Saddoris took a 3-2 lead in with an escape in the first sudden victory. In the second sudden victory Borshoff escaped to tie the score and with 10 seconds remaining scored a takedown for the win, 5-3. American will return to action on Sunday, Jan. 18, at the Indiana Duals in Bloomington, Ind.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The 11th-ranked University of Oklahoma wrestling squad accomplished a feat Friday night that no other team in program history can rival – a perfect 13-0 record to start the season. Oklahoma outlasted the Maryland Terrapins, 22-15, at the McCasland Field House in Norman, battling back from a 12-11 deficit after six bouts to remain undefeated. "That was a great team we beat tonight," head coach Jack Spates said. "We had a lot of respect for Maryland coming in. Our guys need to continue to learn how to win tough and earn points. It feels good to be 13-0." For the second straight dual, Oklahoma faced a deficit entering the 174-pound match. Against Chattanooga last weekend, the Sooners rallied and won handily. Friday evening, the team rose to the occasion once again. Trailing 12-11, 174-pound Jeff James (No. 9) turned the tide back in favor of OU with a decisive 20-4 technical fall of Patrick Klenkel. Pat Flynn then improved to 19-2 on the year with a 9-3 win over Ryan Gray to put the Sooners up 19-12. Hudson Taylor (No. 11) took the win over No. 10 Eric Lapotsky at 197 pounds by a 6-2 decision, inching the Terrapins back to within four, 19-15. Sooner heavyweight Nathan Fernandez would need a win or lose by only a decision to ensure an OU victory. "I had to get a win, I wasn't worried about giving up bonus points," Fernandez said. The redshirt sophomore followed through. Fernandez out-toughed Patrick Gilmore, winning by a 6-2 final and improved his record to 17-4 this season, including nine straight. "Tonight Nathan faced a situation where the match was on the line," Spates said. "I thought he won by being aggressive and it was a really nice win for him." To begin the evening, 125-pound Joey Fio, ranked 11th, edged Brendan Byrne, 2-1. Junior Brian Shelton made it a 6-0 Sooner lead with a 6-1 decision over James Knox. Alex Krom then evened the match at six all with a pin of Sooner Seth Vernon at 141 pounds. Pushing Oklahoma back on top was redshirt junior Kyle Terry with a 21-5 stomping of Steve Fehnel at 149 pounds. Terry, ranked No. 15 in the country, now owns an impressive 17-match win streak. A pair of Maryland victories put the Terrapins back on top, 12-11, after 157-pound Kyle John upset No. 14 Shane Vernon, 14-7, and Brian Letters bested Ryan Smith at 165 pounds, 7-3. The Sooner squad will look to improve to 14-0 this Sunday, Jan. 18, when it travels to Tempe, Ariz., to face the Arizona State Sun Devils at 7 p.m. CST

Wrestling with a full squad for just the second time in 15 duals, the Stanford wrestling team (4-10-1, 0-3 Pac-10) rallied to crush Air Force, 32-7, tonight in Colorado Springs, Colo. The margin of victory (25 points) was the largest for the Cardinal this year, and the team won a season-best eight of 10 bouts. Senior Luke Feist (14-9) highlighted the team victory with his team-leading ninth pin of the season. The Pac-10's co-pin leader at the start of the week, Feist now has 23 pins in his four years on The Farm. He currently stands just one pin short of fifth place on the school's career chart, and tied for tenth place on its single-season list. Nick Amuchastegui (20-4) also had a notable night. In defeating NCAA qualifier Stephen Crozier, the redshirt freshman secured win No. 20, the third Stanford wrestler this year to do so. Amuchastegui, who is now on a career-high seven-match win streak, also secured his place among the 10 winningest freshmen in school history, matching Brian Perry '07 for 10th place. Junior Tyler Parker (1-0) took the mat for the first time since Feb. 24, 2007 and secured a win at 149 pounds. Redshirt freshman Matt Winterbourne (1-2), the team's heavyweight, won the first match of his career. The dual began at 125 pounds, where rookie Matt Sencenbaugh (6-20) dropped a decision to Air Force sophomore Andrew Zwirlein. After taking a 5-0 lead with a near fall in the first period, Sencenbaugh gave up six points in the second to allow Zwirlein to take control. The Falcon wrestler claimed a 9-6 decision and gave his team its only lead of the night. Facing an 0-3 deficit, however, Stanford began to roll. Sophomore Porfirio Madrigal (12-6) started things off with a dominant performance in the second match, picking up a major decision over Tyler Untrauer at 133 pounds. The win was the first of six bonus-point victories for the Cardinal, a season high for the team. Madrigal scored three reversals and put Untrauer on his back twice to earn a 17-8 win. Sophomore Cameron Teitelman (10-12) followed suit, nabbing his first major decision of the year with a 9-0 win over Stephen Makuka at 141 pounds. Teitelman turned Makuka twice in the bout, and built a 7-0 lead by the end of the second period. At 149 pounds, Parker returned from injury and put an impressive start to his 2008-09 season. In his first match of the year, Parker crushed Air Force freshman Alec Williams with a 15-0 technical fall, ending the bout in the second period. Parker's win put the Cardinal up 13-3. Sophomore Lucas Espericueta (21-10) continued the Cardinal roll, earning another bonus-point win at 157 pounds. The Cardinal's returning NCAA qualifier had a 6-1 lead on sophomore Joseph Stafford by the end of the second period and pushed ahead to finish with a 10-1 major decision. With Stanford now up 17-3, Amuchastegui took the mat against Crozier, one of two returning NCAA qualifiers on the Falcon squad. Amuchastegui picked up a key takedown in the first period, then rode Crozier out in the second. The Cardinal freshman held on and eventually earned a 6-2 decision. In the next bout, freshman Victor Haug (8-14) lost a major decision to Air Force's other NCAA qualifier, junior Tyler French, 16-7. Jake Johnson (23-12), Stanford's current season win leader, cinched up the Stanford victory in the 184-pound bout, however, defeating Air Force senior Sterling Tribble, 6-1. Now up 23-7, the Cardinal secured it fourth win of the year, and first over a Division I opponent. Feist followed with his pin, sticking Falcon sophomore Kazden Ikehara in 1:14. Winterbourne, who returned from injury just last week, then won the first match of his career. The Cardinal heavyweight recorded three takedowns in the final period to defeat Josh Larson, 9-3. The Cardinal will be back on the mat tomorrow night, meeting Northern Colorado in Greeley at 6 p.m. (PT).

WAVERLY -- Junior 133-pounder Sean White of Grand Junction, Colo., senior 149-pounder Jacob Naig of Emmetsburg and junior 197-pounder Nick Shandri each gained falls, guiding the top-ranked Wartburg wrestling team to a 44-4 win over Buena Vista Friday, Jan. 16. The Knights, increasing their season dual record to 9-1 and upping their IIAC dual win streak to 126, raced out of the gate against the visiting Beavers (1-5). Sophomore 125-pounder Mark Kist of Eagle Grove scored a major decision followed by White's fall and a forfeit win for senior 141-pounder Zach McKray of Iowa City. Head coach Jim Miller's squad held a 34-0 lead before BV took its only win behind senior 184-pounder Brian Stueve. Wartburg continues IIAC dual action with its second battle in a week against rival Luther Saturday, Jan. 17. Meet time is 7 p.m. at the Regents Center on Luther's campus in Decorah. The Knights will also send individuals to the Central Invitational, slated for a 9 a.m. start at H.S. Kuyper Fieldhouse on Central's campus in Pella.

FARGO, N.D. -- Winning six of 10 matches, including a key pin at 197 pounds by Jared Massey (JR, Circle Pines, Minn.), the Augsburg College wrestling team, ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Division III national rankings, claimed a 22-18 win over Division I opponent North Dakota State University in a dual meet on Friday night at NDSU's Bison Sports Arena. Augsburg, now 6-1 in dual meets, scored four straight wins after dropping the opening bout of the dual to take a lead it would not relinquish, improving to 6-5 in the all-time series against North Dakota State, now 2-6-1 this season in duals. This is the first time Augsburg faced North Dakota State since its last season as a Division II squad in the 2003-04 campaign. "A win like this shows that we can compete at a high level and win at a high level. We try to have a Division I experience at a Division III school," said Augsburg head coach Mark Matzek. The win is Augsburg's third straight over an NCAA Division I opponent in program history. In its last duals with Division I foes on Jan. 7, 2005, Augsburg beat both Cal Poly (25-15) and Oregon State (29-6) at the Oregon Classic Duals. Since 1979, Augsburg is now 6-10 against Division I opponents. After North Dakota State's Trent Sprenkle (FY, Billings, Mont.) opened the match with a third-period upset pin over Augsburg's Seth Flodeen (SR, Cannon Falls, Minn.) at 125 pounds, the Auggies claimed four straight victories. Top-ranked Travis Lang (SR, Bismarck, N.D.) remained perfect at 25-0 on the season with his 22nd bonus-point victory, a 16-6, major-decision triumph over Tyler Steinwand. This season, Lang now has 16 pins, two technical falls, three major decisions and a forfeit. No. 7-ranked Tony Valek (FY, Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West) improved to 21-6 with a win at 141, while Zach Hansen (JR, Albert Lea, Minn.) scored a 5-4 decision at 149 and Jason Adams (JR, Coon Rapids, Minn.), ranked No. 5 at 157, claimed a 7-6 win, giving Augsburg a 13-6 advantage midway through the match. "The guys on the team are stepping up when called upon, especially our youngsters like Tony Valek and Zach Hansen, who was wrestling for a sick Willy Holst (SR, Prescott, Wis.)," Matzek said. After the Bison cut the lead to 13-9 with a win by Tyler Johnson (FY, Bismarck, N.D.) at 165, Augsburg's Zach Molitor (SO, Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti HS), a transfer from North Dakota State, built a 3-0 lead after two periods and claimed a win at 174, improving to 19-5 on the season. Molitor is now ranked No. 7 in Division III at 174. Kenny Moenkedick trimmed the Auggie advantage to 16-12 with a decision at 184, but Massey, the No. 2-ranked wrestler in Division III at 197, scored a second-period pin of NDSU's Drew Ross to clinch the victory for the Auggies. Massey, now 14-0 on the season with eight pins, is a transfer from Division I Wisconsin in his first season with the Auggies after a four-year absence from collegiate wrestling (he competed at Wisconsin in the 2003-04 season). Tyler Hemmesch claimed a second-period pin of Augsburg's No. 4-ranked heavyweight, Andy Witzel (JR, Fulda, Minn.), in the final match of the evening. Augsburg's White Team (junior varsity) will compete on Saturday (1/17) at the Minnesota West Community and Technical College Open in Worthington, Minn. The Auggie varsity will compete in a dual meet at Division II Augustana (S.D.) on Tuesday (1/20) at 7 p.m. in Sioux Falls, S.D.

GREELEY, Colo. -- The University of Northern Iowa ran its conference dual win streak to nine in a row following a 28-13 victory over the University of Northern Colorado Bears on Friday in Butler-Hancock Hall in NCAA wrestling action. UNI came back from a 13-3 deficit in the dual by winning the final six matches, including falls from 165-pounder Moza Fay and heavyweight Christian Brantley. UNI improved to 5-4 on the season, while Northern Colorado dropped to 1-9-1. Northern Colorado jumped out to a 13-3 lead in the dual after winning three of the first four bouts. UNC's 125-pounder Tony Mustari, who is ranked No. 18 in the nation, began the dual with a 14-5 major decision over UNI's Cruse Aarhus. UNC's Casey Cruz then pinned UNI's Steven Fitzgerald at the 2:48 mark of their 133-pound match. Fitzgerald was making his collegiate debut for the Panthers. UNI got on the board at 141 pounds when Trent Washington topped UNC's Kenny Hashimoto, 10-4. Washington recorded four takedowns in the bout with an escape to go along with a riding time point to surge past Hashimoto, who was a national qualifier in 2007. The Bears' Mitchell Polkowske used a six-point third period to score an 8-2 win over UNI's Brett Robbins at 149 pounds. Robbins scored the first takedown of the match to take a 2-0 lead, but could not add to it and entered the third period tied at 2-2. Robbins attempted a shot midway through the final stanza, however Polkowske countered and recorded a takedown. Polkowske added a three-point nearfall to go with a riding time point to earn the 8-2 victory. The Panthers' Tyson Reiner responded with a strong effort at 157 pounds and notched a 7-3 victory over the Bears' Justin Gaethje. Reiner took it right to Gaethje by scoring two takedowns and led 4-2 at the close of the first period. Reiner added a second period escape and another takedown in the closing seconds to pull the Panthers to within 13-6 in the dual. Senior Moza Fay tallied his seventh fall of the season and improved to 18-2 overall with a second-period pin of UNC's Tanner Weiks. Fay got the fall at the 3:46 mark of his 165-pound matchup. Fay's win narrowed the margin in the dual to just one point as UNC led 13-12. At 174 pounds, UNI's Scott Hazen had to work some overtime to get his victory over UNC's Brandon Kammerzell. Hazen appeared to have the match in order in the closing seconds as he tallied a takedown to take a 5-3 lead. However, Hazen was called for a stalling while allowing Kammerzell to escape and the match was extended to overtime. Hazen used the extra time to score a takedown and score a 7-5 sudden victory. Hazen's win gave UNI its first lead of the evening in the dual at 15-13 over UNC. Senior Alex Dolly used five takedowns and plenty of riding time to secure a 12-6 decision over the Bears' Ryan Johnson at 184 pounds. Dolly began the third period in the neutral position but quickly scored a takedown to a take an 8-4 lead. After allowing Johnson to score a reversal, Dolly responded with an escape and another takedown to put the finishing touches on the triumph. UNI clinched the dual victory at 197 pounds when Andrew Anderson scored a 16-6 major decision over UNC's Patrick Carey. Anderson registered seven takedowns in the match as he moved to 18-6 on the season. Anderson's win gave UNI a 22-13 dual advantage. Redshirt freshman heavyweight Christian Brantley put the finishing touches on the dual win with a fall at the 6:12 mark of his match with UNC's Justin Tuell. The win improved Brantley's team-leading total to 21 on the season. The Panthers will be in action again Saturday night against the Air Force Academy. The match will begin at 8:30 p.m. (Central) and will be broadcast live on 99.3 FM (Y99.3 – Waverly) and online as a part of the UNI Panthers GAMEDAY Online.

Event: UFC 93: Franklin vs. Henderson Venue: 02 Arena, Dublin, Ireland Date: January 17, 2009 This is not one of the best fight cards we have seen in the UFC, as CEO Dana White continues to give worldwide exposure to this fast-growing sport. With a few interesting battles scheduled, the rest of the card is sprinkled with unknown European fighters, and hopeful, hometown favorites. But a fight is still a fight. Unfortunately, from a betting standpoint, this card looks full of clear favorites to me! It may be difficult to sweep the boards, laying juice as we go, in a sport full of upsets, but let's take a look and see if any 'dogs really have a chance … In the main event, former Olympic wrestler Dan HENDERSON (23-7) takes on former UFC middleweight champion Rich "Ace" FRANKLIN (26-3). Franklin beats everybody, but the ninja, Anderson "Spider" Silva. Hendo has a rock-hard head, and has never been knocked out! His dirty boxing and dominant wrestling skills make an inside game a must against Franklin. For Franklin to win, he will need to stay outside and kick and strike and score points. His chances of a mild upset are reflected in the betting odds. Take HENDERSON @ -125. He does everything just a little bit better than Franklin and wins by second-round ground-n-pound TKO. Former UFC champion Mark "The Hammer" COLEMAN (15-8) will someday be in the UFC Hall of Fame. But today he loses to Maricio "Shogun" RUA (16-3), who once was considered the best middleweight on the planet. He now fights as a light-heavyweight and has a career full of rehabing injuries, including a dislocated elbow to Coleman the first time they met. Both are former Pride in Japan fighters. Shogun is coming off his shocking loss and first submission loss ever to Forrest Griffen. I think he wants to put on a show tonight, and 44-year old Coleman's return to the UFC offers a great stage. Take RUA �360 to win by second-round, rear-naked choke submission. Welterweight Marcus "The Irish Hand Grenade" DAVIS (20-5) likes to stand and punch as much as his opponent, Chris "Lights Out" LYTLE (36-16-4). But, despite their reputations as devastating punchers, both of these fighters win more of their fights by submission! Interesting. Who's going to hit the canvass tonight? Neither. Take the DAVIS, Irish Hand Grenade, @ -145 in Ireland to win a close decision. Middleweight Denis KANG (31-10-1) has been fighting all over the world for the past decade, but this is his UFC debut. He went 3 1/2 years (4/03-9/06) without losing! His opponent is the very capable Alan "The Talent" BELCHER (12-4). There is a reason that Dana White is bringing Kang into the UFC. It's not to lose to Alan Belcher. Take KANG @ -250 to have an easy win by second-round triangle choke submission. Nobody has had more fights that Jeremy "Gumby" HORN (88-18-5). But, his task tonight is to find a way to stop Brazilian jiu-jitsu expert, Rousimar "Toquinho" PALHARES (17-2), from putting him to sleep on the mat. Palhares lost a decision to Dan Henderson in Atlanta in UFC 88. If the betting line weren't so steep, this would be my best bet of the night. I see Palhares being too quick and too strong for an old fighter who should stay with his coaching career, and put his fight shoes to rest. Take PALHARES @ -380 to beat Horn by second-round armbar submission. And on the undercard: Take Martin "The Hitman" KAMPMANN (13-2) @ -450 to kick his way to victory over Alexandre BARROS (13-5). Despite the beating he took by Nate Marquardt in his last outing, Kampmann's drop to welterweight is significant. His speed and striking power will make him formidable. This one should be easy. Take Eric "Red" SCHAFER (12-3-2) @ -125 to beat Antonio "Samuray" MENDES (14-3). In what should be a close light-heavyweight fight, Mendes will be out to show a better performance than the 1st round whipping he took by Thiago Silva. Schafer is coming off an impressive win over Houston Alexander in Houston's backyard! If Schafer is able to stay away from the long, lanky Mendes' strikes, he will win on the mat with a surprising first-round submission. Take lightweight Denis SIVER (12-6) @ -160, a German, against American, Nate MOHR (8-5), who will try to stand and strike, as his five losses have all been by submission! Siver knows that and will head to the mat for a quick submission win. Take welterweight John HATHAWAY (10-0) @ -250, a Brit, to defeat Irishman Tom EGAN (4-0) in a battle of two unknown, but undefeated strikers. One will drop. Which one will it be? It will be the hay-maker thrower who is on the card for entertainment purposes only. Take Tomasz "Gorilla" DRWAL (14-2) @ -270 to easily defeat Ivan "II Terrible" SERATI (10-2), whose resume has a loss to Vitor Belfort on it. Ivan isn't ready for the UFC yet, and his frantic punches may lead to his quick demise on the mat. So, in summary, we have action on all of the favorites. How many upsets will become the "bad apples" to spoil our pie? I would guess that maybe Franklin, Lytle, and Mendes would be the most likely to pull an upset. I guess we'll see. Let's see if we can score some cash with our "fictitious" $1000 bankroll. Lay $75 to win $60 on Henderson in true dirty boxing and ground-n-pound fashion. Lay $144 to win $40 on Shogun Rua in revenge mode. Lay $87 to win $60 on Davis in the "fight-of-the-night". Lay $125 to win $50 on Kang's UFC debut. Lay $152 to win $40 on Palhares as he schools Horn. Lay $90 to win $20 on Kampmann's leg-kicking, bridge-jump. Lay $50 to win $40 on Red Schafer. Lay $108 to win $40 on Drwal. Lay $100 to win $40 on Hathaway. Lay $ 64 to win $40 on Siver. In total, we are risking $995 to win $430. The $5 balance goes to RevWrestling.com for their outstanding wrestling coverage. Let's use these profits to join REV GOLD membership for all the inside information in the world of amateur wrestling. Good luck and enjoy the fights. I know I will. More later. The UFC Monster

NEWTON, Iowa -- The incredible athletic career of Dan Hodge, the only man to ever win national titles in both boxing and wrestling, has been published by Culture House Books and is now available. It is called Oklahoma Shooter: The Dan Hodge Story. Hodge came out of Perry, Oklahoma, to set the amateur wrestling world on fire in the mid 1950s. He won three NCAA Championships at 177 pounds for the University of Oklahoma, never losing a match or even a takedown. He also won three national titles in freestyle wrestling and one in Greco-Roman. He also competed on two Olympic teams. He made the 1952 team as an unheralded 19-year-old, at that time the youngest wrestler ever to make an Olympic team. In 1956, he won the silver medal in the 174-pound class in Melbourne, Australia. On April 1, 1957, Hodge was on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, the only amateur wrestler ever accorded such an honor. After completing his amateur wrestling career with his third NCAA title in 1957, Hodge turned to boxing. He was 17-0 as an amateur boxer and on March 24, 1958, won the National Golden Gloves heavyweight title with a dramatic knockout victory in Madison Square Garden! Hodge boxed briefly as a professional, posting a record of 8-2 and at one time was being considered for a world title shot against champion Floyd Patterson. In the book, he discloses for the first time the behind-the-scenes problems he had with the business, and why he left boxing even though he had a promising future. After his horrible experience in pro boxing, Hodge became a professional wrestler and is regarded as the greatest junior heavyweight champion of all time. He is also considered one of the greatest "shooters" (a wrestler willing to wrestle for real at any time) in the history of the sport. The book concludes with a ranking of where Dan Hodge fits on the list of the greatest shooters of all time, dating back to the start of the early 1900s. Author Mike Chapman has known Dan and his wife, Dolores, for over 30 years and has spent considerable time with Dan talking about his incredible career. A recognized author and historian, Chapman is the founder of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, and the founder of W.I.N. magazine, one of the top wrestling publications in the country. He has been named National Wrestling Writer of the Year six times, by five different organizations. This is his 21st book, and 15th on wrestling. The book includes 66 photographs, many never seen before. The photos cover Hodge's careers in both wrestling and boxing, as both an amateur and professional. "Dan Hodge has lived a truly amazing life," said Chapman. "He has rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest names in sports history -- from Jack Dempsey to Rocky Marciano, from Ed "Strangler" Lewis to Lou Thesz. There are photos of all of them with Dan in the book, plus many stories about them." The foreword was written by Jim "J.R." Ross, one of the best-known announcers and commentators in pro wrestling history. Oklahoma Shooter: The Dan Hodge Story is published by Culture House Books of Newton, Iowa, a small publishing company that specializes in books about sports legends and movie personalities. It sells for $22.95, with $5 shipping and handling costs. Persons can order the book by calling Culture House Books at 641-791-3072.

San Luis Obispo, Calif. -- T. J. Dillashaw (133), Adin Duenas (141), Tim Hawkins (184) and John Drake (197) each scored a major decision and three teammates picked up points Wednesday night to lead Cal State Fullerton to a 28-9 Pac-10 wrestling victory at Cal Poly. The Titans improved to 8-3 overall and 2-0 in Pac-10 duals while the injury-riddled Mustangs fell to 3-7 and 0-2 after their final home meet of the season. It was Fullerton's first win over the Mustangs since 1992-93 and came after back-to-back one-point losses the past two seasons. Andre Gonzalez got a decision at 125 pounds to get Fullerton out ahead and Dillashaw and Duenas made it an 11-0 lead before Cal Poly hit its strengths. Three consecutive decisions closed the gap but Fullerton won the final four bouts to win going away. Fullerton is idle until more Pac-10 matches at Boise State on Jan. 23 and at Oregon State and Portland State on Jan. 25.

The University of Northern Iowa wrestling team will hold a Military Appreciation Night Jan. 30 in the West Gym when the Panthers take on the Northern Illinois Huskies at 7 p.m. All military personnel with a valid Military ID will receive free admission and all family members will receive a discounted ticket price ($3.00). The tickets must be preordered through the UNI athletics website (www.unipanthers.com). Individuals should click on the Tickets link and then click Promotions. The promo code is WRESPROMO1. The UNI ROTC will present the colors prior to the match. UNI wrestlers will be wearing UNI camouflaged singlets in honor of our soldiers in the armed forces. Following the meet, each singles will be featured on an online auction on the Panthers' website. The money raised through the auction will go toward Second Lieutenant Brian Gienau's memorial fund to build a fallen soldier memorial to be placed on the UNI campus. Gienau was a 2003 graduate of UNI, who was killed Feb. 27, 2005 while on active duty. During the meet's intermission there will be a special recognition of Gienau. Also during the ceremony, the crowd will be informed more about the singlet auction as to when and how they can bid on the singlets.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- After jumping out to a 14-0 lead after three matches, the University of Pittsburgh wrestling team cruised to victory in its second Eastern Wrestling League match of the year, defeating Lock Haven University 30-9 here at Thomas Field House. The Panthers tallied four bonus-point wins on the night, led by sophomore Ethan Headlee's pin in the 165-pound match. After a forfeit in the 125 pound match, the Panthers (2-3, 2-0 EWL) built their lead with back-to-back major decisions from Jimmy Conroy and Ty Nauman. Conroy was an 8-0 winner at 133 over Billy Ashnault while Nauman upped his win total to 19 with a 14-5 win over Zach Kell in the 141-pound bout. Matt Fittery put Lock Haven (5-6-1, 0-1 EWL) on the board with a 6-1 decision over Mark Powell in the 149-pound match, but the Eagles would not gain anymore ground as Pitt went on to take the ensuing three matches. Phil Sorrentino was a 2-1 winner by decision over Ollie Cooperwood at 157, bringing the score to 17-3 in favor of the Blue and Gold. Headlee kept pace with Nauman, earning his 19th win of the year by pinfall, also tying him for the team lead in falls this season with seven. David Sullivan's 11-3 major decision over Travis Stem pushed Pitt's lead to 27-3, the largest lead of the night. Back-to-back decisions at 184 and 197 for Lock Haven closed the gap, but the damage was already done. A.J. Hunte finished off the night with a 3-2 win over Gabe Murtoff in the heavyweight match. Hunte recorded his first dual win of the season after wrestling up a class from his usual 197-pound slot. Pitt returns home for a Sunday afternoon dual with No. 6 Central Michigan University. The Chippewas and Panthers will commence action inside Fitzgerald Field House at 2 p.m.

NORFOLK, Va. -- The 21st ranked wrestling Monarchs head to Fairfax, Virginia and the campus of George Mason University for a trio of duals against Colonial Athletic Association opponents this Saturday at the CAA Duals. ODU will face Binghamton at 10:00 am, Drexel at Noon, and #18 Hofstra at 2:00 pm at the George Mason University Fieldhouse. The match against the Pride will mark the seventh dual against a nationally ranked team this season for Old Dominion. ODU is 2-1 against Binghamton all-time, including a win last season at the CAA Duals. ODU trails the all-time series with Drexel, 5-8, but has three straight wins against the Dragons. The Pride boasts a 61 match unbeaten streak in the CAA and will be putting that on the line against Boston University, Rider, the Monarchs and Sacred Heart. Old Dominion will lean on nationally ranked senior Ryan Williams (141) and sophomore James Nicholson (125) this weekend. Both have posted 23 wins this season and with a combined five losses between them, both have been ranked in the top ten. Williams is ranked seventh in the nation and Nicholson ninth. ODU will also look to #16 Jesse Strawn (197) and #18 Kyle Hutter (133) to grab big wins as they will each face nationally ranked opponents on Saturday. The Monarchs will see five nationally ranked individuals on the mat on Saturday at five different weights. Hutter will have the stiffest competition, facing #9 Lou Ruggirello (Hofstra) at 133 lbs. Two other Hofstra grapplers are nationally ranked in #11 Alton Lucas (174) and #20 Ryan Patrovich (165). Binghamton boasts one nationally ranked wrestler, a top ten 184-pounder in Josh Patterson; rookie Joe Budi will face him first thing on Saturday morning. When the Monarchs face off against Drexel, Jesse Strawn will face #12 Jon Oplinger at 197 lbs. Action begins at 10:00 am on Saturday at the GMU Fieldhouse.

Oklahoma State head coach John Smith will be the featured guest on Wrestling 411 Radio on Thursday, January 15. 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. Smith is in his 18th year as the head wrestling coach at Oklahoma State University. During this tenure his teams have won five NCAA titles. The Cowboys will face top-ranked Iowa on Jan. 18 in Stillwater. As a wrestler, Smith was a six-time World and Olympic champion and a two-time NCAA champion. He is generally considered the best freestyle wrestler this country has produced. 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.

Award winning journalist Andy Hamilton from the Iowa City Press Citizen and co-owner of Iowa's oldest wrestling publication, The Predicament, Wyatt Schultz will appear on this week's radio show. Hamilton has been with the Iowa City Press Citizen for 10 years and is considered one of the top wrestling journalists in the nation. Hamilton won the National Wrestling Media Association Writer of the Year in 2004 and The Dellinger Award from Amateur Wrestling News in 2005. Hamilton serves as the college wrestling beat writer and also covers college football. Wyatt Schultz is co-owner of The Predicament, Iowa's oldest wrestling publication. Schultz is well known for his expertise in wrestling photography and can be recognized at most of the premier wrestling events in the Midwest. Schultz covers high school wrestling throughout the state of Iowa and his hundreds of photos can be seen on thepredicament.com. Two-time NCAA champion and 1980 Olympian Chuck Yagla will also be in the studio tonight. Yagla will be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, OK, in June. "On the Mat" is a weekly wrestling radio show that airs each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00PM Central time on KCNZ AM 1650 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The show is presented by the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute & Museum. You can also listen online at kcnzam.com.

Congrats to University of Iowa (D1) Champs! The individuals who made it through the storm to be recognized as OW's and they are: Division I: Reece Humphrey (Ohio State - 133 lbs.) Division II: Todd Meneely (Nebraska-Omaha - 157 lbs.) Division III: Jared Massey (Augsburg - 197 lbs.) NAIA: Joe Cornejo (Missouri Valley - 157 lbs.) NJCAA: Brad Lower (Iowa Central - 165 lbs.) Women's: Michaela Hutchison (Oklahoma City - 55 kg.) The 2009 NWCA National Duals are complete. We move to the next page. We return to our Brute Adidas studios for a great show this Saturday from 9 AM to 11 AM at Takedownradio.com. Join Steve Foster and Chris Arns, our in studio hosts and their guests. This week on TDR: 9:05 J Robinson- Head Coach Minnesota Gopher Wrestling makes his return to TDR. We'll talk to J about the National Duals and the balance of the season. We'll take a look at what makes Jayson Ness so dang good. 9:20 Derek Delporto- Head Coach Eastern Michigan returns to the show to discuss the eagles program, his second year as head Coach there and what shape his squad is in as we sit squarely in the middle of the season. January 11th the eagles defeated Cleveland State Vikings 31-10 winning 7 of 10 matches. 9:40 Mark Cody- Head Coach of American University Eagles in DC. Its been awhile since Mark's been on the show. AU Eagles defeats NC at home 25-19. Mike Cannon crowned Midlands Champion at 174 pounds. Early, in Aug of 2008 Mark Cody was awarded the Bob Bubb Coaching Excellence Award recipient. 10:05 Mark Manning- Head Coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The No. 4 ranked wrestling team dropped two hard-fought duals last Sunday to finish fourth at the NWCA National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Huskers (8-2) suffered their first loss of the season with a 22-11 defeat by No. 1 Iowa in the morning's semifinals and lost to No. 2 Iowa State by just one point in the consolation finals, 20-19. 10:20 Damon Lau-Founder of Round 5- Mixed martial arts collectable's- Randy Couture, Rich Franklin, Shawn Sherk figurines. Available on line and at over 3000 retail stores across the country. Athletes can sell ad space on shorts and help to create the design of the action figure. round5mma.com. Will there be NCAA Coaches and athletes at some time? Who are candidates? Gable, Sanderson, Brands, Smith........... 10:40 Jim Andrassy- Head Coach Kent State Golden Flashes. Kent State wrestled at the Virginia Duals and competed well. Wrestling 5 matches the flashes go 3-2 on the weekend and gave the Buckeyes a run for their money at Columbus 1 week ago. The Flashes are 6-4 on the year. TDR will feature Kent State vs. N. Illinois on Saturday the 24th of January at 11:05 AM CST Join Chris, Steve and all of us on America's Wrestling Radio Talk Show each and every week at 9:05 AM CST to 11:00 AM CST to hear from the experts, the coaches and the athletes. Visit Takedownradio.com

NORFOLK, Va. -- Old Dominion University wrestler Jesse Strawn (Holton, Kansas/Holton) was recognized for his perfect weekend on the mat as he was named CAA Co-Wrestler of the Week today. With Rider's Doug Umbehauer, who went 4-0 at the Virginia Duals, Strawn earned ODU's second conference honor this season. Strawn, a 197-pounder, posted his team-leading 11th fall at the Duals and led ODU to a fifth place finish. He also led ODU to a win over #24 Kent State University, scoring a go-ahead takedown on the edge with less than one second remaining against Eric Chine. The win sealed the victory for Old Dominion headed into the final match. Strawn is 23-8 this season and is ranked as high as 13th nationally. ODU heads to the CAA Duals this weekend in Fairfax, Virginia at George Mason University and will face Binghamton at 10:00 am, Drexel at Noon, and Hofstra at 2:00 pm.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Virginia's Matt Bonson (Fr., Lewistown, Pa.) has been named the ACC Wrestler of the Week after racking up three wins last weekend at the Virginia Duals. It marks Bonson's first career conference wrestler of the week honor and the third for UVa grapplers this season. Chris Henrich (So., Lansdale, Pa.) earned the honor Nov. 18 and Jedd Moore (Fr., Mount Vernon, Ohio) took home the distinction Nov. 25. Competing at 133 pounds, Bonson won two matches Friday at the Virginia Duals. He opened with a 6-3 decision over Aaron Kalil of Navy and then pinned Clarion's Zach Oberlander in just 1:52. Saturday, Bonson recorded a 10-7 upset of 11th-ranked Dan Mitcheff of Kent State, pushing his record to 11-4 in 2008-09. It marked his second win over a nationally-ranked wrestler this season, as he defeated then-No. 11 Tyler Shinn of Oklahoma State by major decision on Nov. 29. Of Bonson's 11 wins this year, all but two have resulted in bonus points (seven falls, one tech fall, one major decision). Bonson and the Cavaliers return home this weekend at Memorial Gymnasium, playing host to a three-team round robin Saturday with UNC Greensboro and Rutgers and a Sunday dual with Appalachian State. Saturday, UNCG and Rutgers will square off at 11 a.m., followed by Virginia against UNCG at 1 p.m. The Cavaliers and Scarlet Knights then wrestle at 3 p.m. On Sunday, Virginia matches up with Appalachian State at 2 p.m. Admission is free to all matches.

Trevor Franklin, a redshirt freshman from South New Berlin, New York, has been named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Wrestler of the Week for the second week of 2009. This honor is the eighth NSIC Player of the Week award earned by an Upper Iowa student-athlete this year and the second time a UIU wrestler has earned the award this season. Franklin registered a 5-0 record at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. His wins included a fall, a technical fall and three decisions by a combined 20 points. The final victory, a 10-3 decision, came over Michael Baxter of Mercyhurst, who is ranked #5 in the nation. Franklin now has a 19-4 record and is currently carrying a 10-match win streak. During the winning streak, Franklin has posted wins by fall in five of the matches. Upper Iowa finished in seventh place at the National Duals this past weekend. Franklin and the UIU wrestling team will take a short break from competition until the end of this month. The # 8 Peacocks will travel to face the #4 Mavericks of Minnesota State University, Mankato on Jan. 28th. The dual will open the Northern Sun Conference schedule for UIU, while MSU will be going into their fourth conference dual. The match up of national powers will began at 7 pm.

Rashard Goff has been named Eastern Wrestling League wrestler of the week for his dominating performance last week (1/4-1/11). The senior heavyweight has hammered out a perfect 10-0 dual meet record this season, raising his career record to 96-53. This past weekend at the Eastern Michigan Duals, Goff posted a perfect 2-0 record, improving his season record to 24-5. In the first match Goff defeated Ashland's Jacob Southwick by a score of 7-1 and in his second match defeated Eastern Michigan's Wes Schroeder 6-2, his second victory over Schroder this season (6-1 win at Michigan State Open (11/9/08). Goff began his Viking career by being named to the 2005-06 Amateur Wrestling News All-Rookie Third Team. He has won at least 20 matches each season and has reached the NCAA tournament three consecutive seasons. This year Goff has placed at each tournament he has wrestled, including a first place finish at the Michigan State Open, two second place finishes at the Eastern Michigan Open and the Nittany Lion Open. Goff also finished sixth at the Midlands Invitational with a win over then fourth ranked Kyle Massey of Wisconsin. Goff becomes the first Cleveland State wrestler to win the award since Ryan Hurley won the award in January of 2007. The Vikings will be back in action on Saturday night when they host 24th-ranked Kent State. Action is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Woodling Gymnasium.

Nebraska heavyweight Tucker Lane was selected as the Big 12 Wrestler of the Week, the conference announced Tuesday. Lane, a redshirt freshman from Redvale, Colo., shares the weekly honor with Iowa State's Jake Varner. Lane was a key component in the Huskers fourth-place finish at the NWCA National Duals, finishing last weekend with a 3-1 record. He posted an 8-5 decision over Ben Kuhar to give the Huskers a 19-18 victory over No. 20 Northwestern in the opening round, and followed with a 4-2 decision over Cameron Wade to solidify a come-from-behind 20-16 win versus No. 14 Penn State. Against No. 2 Iowa State, Lane scored an early takedown over No. 3 Dave Zabriskie and added a three-point nearfall in the second period to take a 7-6 victory and nearly lead the Huskers to an upset of the Cyclones. Currently the highest ranked freshman heavyweight in the nation at No. 17, Lane is 19-5 on the season, including 8-2 in duals, with three pins. This is his first career honor, and he is the second Husker to earn recognition from the Big 12 this season.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The Western Wrestling Conference announced South Dakota State's Jason Stripling and Wyoming's Michael Martinez as Co-Wrestlers of the Week for their efforts from Jan. 5-11. Stripling, a senior heavyweight from Minneota, Minn. (Minnesota HS), posted a 5-0 record or the Jackrabbits during an east coast road-trip last week. Stripling's 5-0 record, including four by fall, led SDSU to five team wins on the weekend over Delaware St., VMI, Franklin & Marshall, American International and Sacred Heart. In action on Wednesday, Stripling posted a 2-0 record with wins over Leon Barrow by fall at 4:52 and Jamar Beckett at 3:59. At the Franklin & Marshall quadrangular on Saturday, Stripling went 3-0 in as many matches including two by fall. His first win came by decision over Nicolas Somers, 3-0. He then went on two win two in a row by fall over Kelvin Valencia at 5:47 and Bill Beirmeister at 3:27. Stripling improves to 22-8 on the season including a perfect 10-0 in duals with five wins by fall. The Jacks, winners of five straight, improve to 6-3-1. Martinez, a redshirt freshman 125-pounder from Pagosa Springs, Colo. (Pagosa Springs HS), went 3-0 for Wyoming during this past weekend's National Wrestling Coaches Association/Cliff Keen National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. His season record is now 24-7. Against No. 1 Iowa and in front of a pro-Hawkeye crowd, the Cowboy redshirt freshman came from behind after giving up an early takedown and earned a 6-4 win against the Hawkeyes' J.J. Krutsinger. Then versus Buffalo, he got his second win of the day, a 10-1 major decision over Dan Bishop. Martinez saved his best for last and won his third match against No. 16 Boise State, a 5-3 upset victory over No. 18 Brian Owen. The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming. Other nominees: Air Force - Stephen Crozier, 165 lbs., Sr., Monona, Iowa (MFL Mar Mac HS) Northern Colorado - Mitchell Polkowske, Fr., 149 pounds, LaJara, Colo. (Centennial) UNI - Christian Brantley, HWT, R-Fr., Homewood, Ill. (Mount Carmel HS) Utah Valley - Adam Fager, 197 lbs., Fr., Layton, Utah (Layton HS) North Dakota State - Adam Aho, Senior, Frazee, Minn., 165 lbs.

Des Moines, Iowa. -- Friday January 16th Takedown Wrestling Radio will take their Brute adidas studios to Norman, Oklahoma as OU Head Coach Jack Spates and his undefeated Sooners welcome the Terrapins of Maryland. The broadcast is scheduled to get underway at 6:30 PM CST and can be heard on Takedownradio.com through the services of LiveSportsVideo.com courtesy of the Oklahoma Sooners. This is going to be an exciting meet. Coach Spates has his squad firing on all cylinders and his boys will look to defend their home mat. The Sooners are fresh off a road battle posting a 23-14 win over the Mocs of University of Tennessee and will look to continue their winning ways. Ranked Maryland wrestlers Steven Bell, Alex Krom and Hudson Taylor all emerged victorious this last Sunday, but the Terrapins lost their ACC opener to the North Carolina Tar Heels, 19-15, ending the Terps' 10-match winning streak in ACC duals, dating back to 2006. Again, It's The Terrapins Vs. The Sooners this Friday night on Takedownradio.com at 6:30 PM CST, click the listen live button, sit back and enjoy the dual.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- 2000 Olympic champion Brandon Slay of Dallas, Texas has been named as the Assistant National Freestyle Coach and National Freestyle Resident Coach by USA Wrestling, the national governing body for amateur wrestling in the United States. Brandon Slay, who won an Olympic gold medal in 2000, has been named as the Assistant National Freestyle Coach and National Freestyle Resident Coach by USA Wrestling. Slay, a Texas native, wrestled collegiately at the University of PennsylvaniaSlay will be responsible for assisting in all facets of the National Freestyle Team program, with his primary focus on managing the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) resident program in Colorado Springs. He will manage the daily operations, recruiting and training of full-time resident athletes in the program and also train those who attend on a short term basis. "We are excited to take another step in building America's freestyle wrestling team," said National Freestyle Coach Zeke Jones. "Brandon is an Olympic champion and has all the things we are looking for as a National Coach. He has character, passion and a strong work ethic. Brandon will be a great leader of the program and the athletes will enjoy working with him. As a former resident athlete, he understands the structure, demands, benefits and environment at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. He exemplifies the holistic approach, which includes winning gold medals and representing our nation with dignity and excellence." Slay won a gold medal at 76 kg/167.5 lbs. at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. He upset Olympic and World Champion Bouvaisa Saitiev of Russia in the pool competition in Sydney. Saitiev has gone on to win three Olympic gold medals. Slay won the 2000 U.S. National Championships in Las Vegas, Nev., and claimed the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, held in his native Dallas, Texas. He was a U.S. Olympic Training Center resident athlete for two full seasons when he became an Olympic gold medalist. Among the international competitions that Slay won included the test event for the 2000 Olympics, the 1999 Five Continents Cup in Sydney, Australia. He won two University Nationals titles, and was also a champion at the Dave Schulz Memorial International. Slay won two Cadet World medals in Greco-Roman and also competed on a U.S. Junior World Team in freestyle. He was a two-time NCAA runner-up competing for the Univ. of Pennsylvania, where he received a degree from the Wharton School of Business. Originally from Amarillo, Texas, Slay won three state titles for Tascosa High School, and was an all-district football player. After the Olympics, Slay started an organization called Greater Gold, which assists youth in reach their full academic and athletic potential while planting Biblical seeds of truth. He is a board member and on the staff of the Dallas Dynamite, a non-profit wrestling organization in Dallas that trains and mentors young athletes. Slay is also a nationally respected public speaker and wrestling clinician. Slay currently serves as the Director of Young Adult Community at the Watermark Community Church in Dallas. He previously worked with Stream Realty Partners, a commercial real estate firm. "I am really excited about the opportunity to work with Zeke Jones, Bill Zadick and the new developmental coach to be hired as a team to develop the vision that will lead to success in 2012 at the London Olympics," said Slay. "I look forward to creating the coaching synergy to train U.S. freestyle wrestlers to win many more World and Olympic medals." Slay's background as a past USOTC resident athlete will help him in his new position. "I have a passion for the U.S. Olympic Training Center because I went through it as an athlete," said Slay. "I believe one of the main reasons I attained my goals was that I left the college environment for the USOTC. I was a 100% freestyle wrestler with 100% professional freestyle coaches. I know that the USOTC is not the only place where a wrestler can train to be an Olympic champion. Athletes can excel in other training situations. However, I do believe it is one of the ideal locations to develop champions."