InterMat Staff

BLOOMSBURG -- The Bloomsburg University wrestling team defeated Clarion 22-15 in Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) action on Friday night. 125- Seventh ranked Mike Sees (Northumberland/Shikellamy) got the Huskies off to a fast start with a 16-5 major decision victory over Jay Ivanco. Sees recorded his first takedown early in the first period of the match and never looked back from there, as he recorded five more takedowns in the bout. 133- Jason Guffey (Muncy/Warrior Run) gave the Huskies an 8-0 lead with a dominating 11-2 major decision victory over Rob LaBrake. LaBrake took an early advantage in the match with a takedown to take a 2-0 lead. Guffey came back to knot up the match at two with consecutive escape points. From there, Guffey dominated the match, recording nine consecutive points to earn the win. 141- Clarion's Sal Lascari put the Golden Eagles on the board with a 3-1 victory over Bloomsburg's Darren Kern (Pennsburg/Upper Perkiomenville). After a scoreless first period, Lascari earned an escape point early in the second to take the lead. He would hold that lead for the rest of the second period and eventually took a 3-0 lead after a takedown. Kern cut the deficit to 3-1 after an escape point with a minute left in the match, but Lascari would hang on in that final minute to earn the win. 149- George Hickman (Castle Hayne, NC/Riverside) increased the Bloomsburg lead to 11-3 after a come from behind 5-3 win over Hadley Harrison. Harrison jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a takedown with 35 seconds left in the first, but Hickman would come back with an escape point late in the first, then another in the second to make the score 3-2 late in the second. Hickman then took the lead with a takedown with 45 seconds left in the second and held on to that lead the entire third period to clinch the win. 157- 19th ranked Matt Moley (Phoenixville/Spring-Ford) built on the Bloomsburg lead with a 6-2 win over Travis Uncapher. Moley took a 2-0 lead with 35 seconds left in the first, then recorded another takedown 10 seconds later that made the lead 4-1. Moley then put the match away with another takedown with one minute left in the third period to improve his record on the year to 25-6. 165- Rickey Schmelyun (New Oxford/Bermudian Springs) took control his match from the start against Dominic Ross eventually earning a 10-3 major decision win. Schmelyun recorded his first takedown with 32 seconds left in the first and would proceed to have four more takedowns throughout the course of the match. 174- Mario Morelli put Clarion back on the board with a 3-2 win over Brian Shaw (Holidaysburg/Holidaysburg). After a scoreless first period, Morelli recorded the first point of the match in the second with an escape. Then in the third, Morelli scored a takedown to make the score 3-0 with 35 seconds left. Shaw tried to comeback after picking up a takedown with 12 seconds left that made the score 3-2, but Morelli would hang on in the final moments of the match to pick up the win. 184- For the first time in the match, Clarion picked up back-to-back victories after Scott Joseph defeated Jesse Hasseman (Franklin, IN/Franklin) 5-4. Hasseman took the lead early in the first with an escape, then in the second made the score 2-0 with another escape point. Joseph would the knot the score up at two with a takedown with 42 seconds left in the second. After Hasseman took the lead at 3-2 with a point in riding time, Joseph recorded an escape point to start the third, then had a takedown with 1:15 left in the period to take a 5-3 lead. Hasseman would record an escape point with one minute left to make it 5-4, but Joseph would hold on the remainder of the match to take the win. 197- Jamie Luckett put the Golden Eagles right back in the match after pinning Bloomsburg's Eric Shaw (Holidaysburg/Holidaysburg) in the second overtime period. After a scoreless first period, Luckett picked up a point early in the second on an escape and would hold a 1-0 lead until Shaw picked up an escape point of his own in the third. After both wrestlers failed to score a point in the first overtime period, Lukett recorded a pin in the opening moments of the second overtime period to take the win. HWT- Ninth-ranked Mike Spaid (Perkiomenville/Boyertown) sealed up the match for the Huskies with a dominating 12-3 major decision victory over Roman Husam. Spaid set the tempo for the match early after recording a takedown with 2:15 left in the first. From there, Spaid would go on to control the match, as he recorded four more takedowns in the match. The victory improves Bloomsburg's record on the year to 4-6-1, 1-3 in the EWL while Clarion falls to 8-10, 0-4 in the EWL. The Huskies return to action Saturday when they host Cleveland State at 1:00 p.m.

Head Coach Pat Pecora's #8-ranked Mountain Cat wrestling team opened up a 12-0 lead en route to an impressive, 23-13, win at #11 Ashland (OH) University, Friday night. Pitt Johnstown, which improved to 13-5, won six of the ten bouts, including a technical fall by #2 Mike Corcetti (Export, Pa.) at 184 lbs. Derrek Bosso (125 lbs.) (Pequea, Pa.) opened the match with a tight, 4-3, win over Brandon Davis, and Brandon Reasy (New Enterprise, Pa.), the nation's #1-ranked wrestler at 133 lbs., won by forfeit. The Mountain Cats increased the lead to 12-0 with #7 Shane Valko's (Windber, Pa.), 5-3, decision over Kyle Karanga at 141 lbs. The Eagles battled their way back into the match with back-to-back wins at 149 lbs. and 157 lbs. Marcus Gordon scored a 12-4 major decision over Ryan McIntyre (Claysburg, Pa.) at 149 lbs., and #4 Muhammad Abdur-Rahman defeated Mazen Kholi (Allentown, Pa.), 7-2, at 157 lbs. to cut the Mountain Cat lead to, 12-7. However, Pitt Johnstown responded with three straight victories to seal the match. Kyle Keane (165 lbs.) (Clearfield, Pa.) and Albert Miles (174 lbs.) (Canonsburg, Pa.) both won by decision, and Corcetti scored a technical fall over Jordan Job at 6:00 to give the Mountain Cats a, 23-7, lead. With the match out of reach, Ashland's #3-ranked Josh Ohl won a 7-2 decision over Patrick Walsh (Leesport, Pa.) at 197 lbs., before the Eagles' Ray Kent set the final score at, 23-13, with a 3-2 win over Nathan Tomporoski (Natrona Heights, Pa.) at heavyweight. With the loss, Ashland dropped to 7-7 on the season. The Mountain Cats wrap-up a weekend trip to Ohio at #15 University of Findlay (OH) on Saturday. Pitt Johnstown will host its next home match on Wednesday, February 13, when West Liberty State (WV) College visits the Sports Center at 7:00 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Fifth-year senior Jeff Marsh (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) knocked off the nation's top-ranked 157-pounder, Mike Poeta, to highlight the No. 6-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team's 22-16 victory over No. 15 Illinois on Friday evening (Feb. 1) in front of 651 fans at Cliff Keen Arena. The Wolverines trailed by 10 points after the opening two weight classes but rallied back with six straight wins at the middleweights. Marsh set the pace throughout the entire 157-pound contest and used a four-point move early in the second and a strong finish in the third to ice his 9-6 upset victory and hand Poeta his first loss of the season. Marsh shot in deep on a single leg off the opening whistle, but it was Poeta who scored first, converting on the subsequent counter to take the initial advantage. After Poeta picked up a quick escape in the second, Marsh dove in on low single, and, as Illini wrestler tried to counter, he wrapped an arm around Poeta's neck and forced him to his back for an additional two points. Poeta neutralized the score with a low single of his own midway through the final frame, but Marsh cut free just seconds later to preserve his lead and, with Poeta flurrying late, countered a throw attempt in the final five seconds to add another takedown and put his team in control of the dual meet. The Wolverines fell behind early in the contest after giving up bonus points in the 125- and 133-pound matches, but freshman Kellen Russell (High Bridge, N.J./Blair Academy) initiated the U-M rally with a hard-fought 4-3 decision over 11th-ranked Ryan Prater at 141 pounds. Russell, ranked fourth, secured the initial lead with a single-leg takedown early in the opening frame and nearly built up riding-time advantage before Prater escaped midway through the period. The Illini wrestler rode Russell for the entirety of the second and evened the score midway through the third with another escape, but Russell stayed on the offensive and retook the lead in the final 30 seconds of the match after shooting in on a double leg and coming out on top of the ensuing scramble on the mat. After Prater pulled within one point with a quick escape, Russell fought off a couple deep shots late to hang on for the win. The U-M rookie leads the Wolverines this season with 23 wins. Fifth-year senior Josh Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) earned his second pin in as many matches at 149 pounds, sticking Grant Paswall at the 4:39 mark to pull the Michigan team within one point on the scoreboard. Churella, ranked eighth, controlled the match from start to finish, gaining the early lead on a double leg late in the first period before adding another midway through the second. Churella rode tough on top after the second takedown and accumulated his riding-time advantage. After Paswall picked up a second stalling call on bottom, Churella turned him with a leg turk, and, when the Illini tried to come up to counter, he covered to push Paswall straight to his back. Churella already owns a career-high five falls this season. Michigan came out of the intermission with its first -- and final -- lead of the evening after Marsh's win at 157 and carried its momentum through the next three bouts to seal up the conference win. Fifth-year senior Eric Tannenbaum (Naperville, Ill./North HS) needed only a second-period escape to earn a 1-0 decision over Roger Smith-Bergsrud at 165 pounds. Tannenbaum, ranked third, pushed the action throughout the match but was unable to score off of a handful of shots and tie-ups. The Wolverine has not lost a Big Ten dual in 12 straight matches, dating back to the 2005-06 season. Senior/juniors Steve Luke (Massillon, Ohio/Perry HS) and Tyrel Todd (Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS) claimed decisive back-to-back wins at 174 and 184 pounds to put the dual out of reach for Illinois. Luke, ranked fourth, finished on takedowns in the first and second periods against 17th-ranked John Dergo, countering a front headlock on his first score before adding a low single late in the middle frame. The Wolverine wrestler earned a quick escape in the final period to preserve his riding time -- he ended with 1:06 -- and claim a 6-2 victory. Todd, ranked second at 184 pounds, put on a takedown clinic in the subsequent match, using a mix of singles, doubles, lifts and dumps to score seven takedowns against Ben Friedl. Todd added three back points late in the first period after taking Friedl straight to his back on a single leg and was pursuing the technical fall late in the match when he slipped up and allowed Friedl to take him down. The Wolverine captain had to settle with the 21-9 major decision and extended his winning streak to 20 consecutive matches. Todd has claimed bonus points in 12 of his last 15 matches. Illinois won the final two bouts at 197 pounds and heavyweight but was unable to overcome the Wolverines' advantage as sophomore/freshmen Eddie Phillips (Woodland, Mich./Lakewood HS) and Chad Bleske (Washington, Mich./Romeo HS) held a pair of ranked Illini opponents to decision victories. The Wolverines (15-4, 2-1 Big Ten) will kick off a four-meet road swing next weekend for a pair of Big Ten duals. U-M will head to State College, Pa., face Penn State on Friday (Feb. 8) at 7 p.m. before wrapping up the weekend in Columbus, Ohio with a 4 p.m. meeting against Ohio State.

NORMAN, Okla. -- In the previous two weeks Oklahoma was unable to recover from early deficits in the losses to then-No. 13 Wisconsin and No. 9 Iowa State. Tonight, the No. 17 Sooners (12-3, 0-2 in Big 12) found themselves in a similar position, falling behind 9-0 after the opening two matches. But unlike the last two defeats, Oklahoma stormed back by posting 31 unanswered points, whipping Arizona State (9-5) by a 31-9 final on alumni night at the Howard McCasland Field House in Norman. "We showed a lot of toughness and fight to come back and dominate the way we did," head coach Jack Spates said. "I am proud of the aggressiveness our team displayed tonight after falling behind 9-0." Filling in for the injured 141 pound Zack Bailey, Nolan Spring used an escape and a riding time point in the third period to edge Chris Drouin, 6-4. The win would spark the Sooners to eight straight victories. No. 13 Will Rowe was the next Sooner to record a win at 149 pounds, posting a 14-4 major decision over Jerrad Trulson. The victory put Oklahoma within two points, 9-7. Chad Terry, ranked 20th, put OU on top for the first time on the evening, 11-9, with a commanding 15-7 major decision over Alex Pavlenko at 157 pounds. Terry scored six takedowns and a reversal in the win. Max Dean then used two takedowns to record a 5-2 decision over Patrick Pitsch at 165 pounds, and Jeff James took the victory at 174 pounds with a 12-4 major decision over Rick Renzi. No. 7 Joshua Weitzel, coming off his lone defeat of the season last week versus Iowa State, pinned No. 14 Brent Chriswell to give the Sooners a 24-9 team lead. The fall gave Weitzel his fifth of the season. No. 5 Joel Flaggert then scored a 16-6 major decision over Thor Moen with six takedowns and a nearfall at 197 pounds, and Nathan Fernandez broke a two match losing skid to win a 2-0 decision at heavyweight over Quinton Pruett. "Nathan is constantly improving and has taken some of the best wrestlers in the country down to the wire," Spates said. "He had a lot of heart and toughness in his match tonight to get the win." The Sun Devils opened the match at 125 pounds with No. 14 Anthony Robles recording a fall over Joey Fio in the first period, giving ASU a 6-0 advantage. Todd Schavrien extended Arizona State's lead to 9-0 by posting a 7-2 decision over 133 pound J.R. Roman. The victory would be ASU's last of the evening. The Sooners resume Big 12 conference competition next weekend as they hit the road to Columbia, Mo., and Lincoln, Neb. OU will dual the Missouri Tigers, ranked 12th, on Friday, Feb. 8, and the No. 2 Nebraska Cornhuskers on Sunday, Feb. 10.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- With a slim 16-13 lead heading into the final match, the seventh-ranked Ohio State wrestling team was able to edge out No. 16 Indiana, 20-13, Friday night courtesy of a 13-0 major decision win by redshirt-sophomore Mike Pucillo in the concluding bout at University Gym in Bloomington, Ind. The win improves the Buckeyes to 15-3 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten, while the Hoosiers drop to 11-5 and 0-3 in the league. Trailing 13-10 after the 157-pound match, true-freshman Colt Sponseller (165) and senior Alex Picazo (174) garnered wins to help set up the OSU victory. Sponseller, who is ranked 13th in the nation, recorded his 13th win of the season to maintain his perfect record after recording a 7-3 decision over 12th-ranked Matt Coughlin. The win by Sponseller evened the score at 13-all, but Picazo soon launched the Buckeyes into the lead (16-13) with his 8-2 decision over Trevor Perry. The third-ranked Pucillo was next at 184 pounds and his 13-0 major decision sealed the Ohio State win. The evening started at 197 pounds, with Buckeye and true-freshman John Weakley and Hoosier Joe Fagiano facing off. Fagiano gave Indiana an early 3-0 advantage after defeating Weakley by a close 6-5 margin. Senior heavyweight and second-ranked J.D. Bergman tied the score, 3-3, when he decisioned Nate Everhart, 8-3. With the win, Bergman now has 118 career wins, which ties him for 11th on the OSU career victories list. Indiana quickly regained the lead at 125 pounds thanks to No. 2 Angel Escobedo's, 10-1 major decision over Buckeye rookie Nikko Triggas. The Hoosiers increased their advantage after the 133 match by another three points after redshirt-sophomore and 14th-ranked Reece Humphrey lost, 5-4, in overtime to No. 12 Andrae Hernandez. Down 10-3, redshirt-junior and 10th-ranked J Jaggers, who was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week Wednesday, cut the Hoosier lead by four when he posted an 18-6 major decision over Scott Kelly at 141 pounds. Sophomore Lance Palmer, who is ranked fifth in the nation, pulled the Buckeyes even (10-10) after earning a 6-0 decision against Kurt Kinser at 149 pounds. The Buckeyes then fell behind, 13-10, when Jason Johnstone dropped a 6-2 decision to eighth-ranked Brandon Becker. However, Ohio State won the next three matches to gain the lead for the first time and eventually wrap up the win. Ohio State remains in the state of Indiana for its dual against Purdue at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Intercollegiate Athletic Facility in West Lafayette.

The No. 13 Wisconsin wrestling team returned home Friday night and captured a 26-12 victory over Michigan State in front of 763 fans at the UW Field House. The Badgers improve to 11-2-1 overall and 2-1-0 in the Big Ten while the Spartans fall to 3-8-0, 0-3-0. Wisconsin won six bouts and had two pins in the victory. The match began at 165 lbs. and UW senior Jake Donar matched up against MSU's Rex Kendle. Both grapplers wrestled to a scoreless first period and Kendle led after the second, 2-1 with a two –point reversal. Kendle ultimately won the bout and scored another point off riding time to capture a 3-1 decision and put the Spartans on the board first, 3-0. The Badgers quickly responded though with a win of their own at 174 lbs. Senior Dan Clum suited up again at 174 lbs. and pinned MSU's John Murphy in 6:24. Clum got out to a 2-0 lead in the first and Murphy tied the score with a takedown in the second but Clum captured the six team points with the pin in the third period. Michigan State came right back and knotted the score at six with a win at 184 lbs. Wisconsin's No. 15 Trevor Brandvold met MSU's Nick Palmieri and fell in a 7-2 decision. That was the closest Michigan State would get for the remainder of the match as Wisconsin won the next three bouts. Junior Dallas Herbst, ranked No. 4 at 197 lbs., met MSU's No. 15 Joe Williams. The Spartan grappler jumped out to a 2-0 lead with 26 seconds remaining in the first period. Herbst came back though and scored five points in the second to take the 5-2 lead. In the third period, Williams scored a reversal to put the score at 5-4 but Herbst responded with an escape with 42 seconds remaining. Williams had a point of riding time but Herbst hung on for the 6-5 win and put the Badgers up, 9-6. With the win, Herbst extended his winning streak to nine matches. At heavyweight, No. 12 junior Kyle Massey had six nearfall points and two takedowns in a 14-2 major decision win over MSU's Alan O'Donnell. No. 18 senior Collin Cudd expanded on the Badgers' lead and captured a 9-2 decision over MSU's Joel Trombly. With the Badgers up 16-6, the bout went into one of the key matches of the night at 133 lbs. UW junior Zach Tanelli, ranked No. 11, met the fourth-ranked Franklin Gomez from MSU. Gomez struck first in the bout with a takedown and had one more before the first period was over to take a 4-2 lead. Tanelli would score two more points in the second off of escapes but Gomez captured the 7-4 win and put the score at 16-9. UW sophomore Kyle Ruschell then recorded the Badgers' second pin of the night at 141 lbs. He matched up against MSU's Micah Carter and had a 2-0 lead before pinning Carter in 3:51 and securing the Badger victory. It was Ruschell's sixth pin of the season and he also extended his winning streak to 11 matches and is still a perfect 14-0 in dual action. Badger freshman Kendall Vogel faced Eddie Skowneski at 149 lbs. and wrestled a tough bout. Vogel got out to a 2-1 lead in the first period but Skowneski would even the score at two in the second with an escape. Despite the tie as time expired, Skowneski captured the match, 3-2 with 1:09 of riding time. Finally, at 157 lbs., No. 4 senior Craig Henning met MSU's John Fulger. Henning scored 10 points in the first period and never looked back in the 13-0 major decision victory. The Badgers continue their home stand Sunday when they host Big Ten rival, Iowa, who is ranked No. 1 in the country. Match time is set for 1 p.m. inside the UW Field House. Sunday is also UW Student Day and Youth Day. Students receive free admission with UW ID and there is also free admission for those 18 and under.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, under the guidance of head coach Troy Sunderland, rallied from a big early deficit to post a thrilling 18-15 win at Northwestern today. No. 8 Penn State split the bouts 5-5 with No. 10 Northwestern, but senior co-captain Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) provided the bonus points with a pin at 133 to spur the Nittany Lions on to victory. Haas, who has steadily worked his way back from an injury that cost him the first semester of action, pinned Northwestern's Eric Metzler at the 3:25 mark to turn a stunning early 9-0 deficit into a closer 9-6 bout. The fall did not just close the gap with the wildcats, it proved to be the difference in the bout as it accounted for the evening's only bonus points. With the dual beginning at 197, Northwestern bolted out to an early lead thanks to an upset loss by Nittany Lion All-American Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) and losses at HWT and 125. Davis was upset by No. 3 Mike Tamillow 6-1. No. 1 Derek Fox posted a tough 5-2 win over No. 15 John Laboranti (Pittston, Pa.) of Penn State and senior Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.), ranked No. 10 at 125, nearly upset No. 5 Brandon Precin but fell, 4-3, in a double tie-breaker. After Haas' pin, Nittany Lion All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) once again seemed to have a fall early in the bout but did not get the call and suffered an upset loss at 141. That loss put NU up 12-6. From that point, the Nittany Lions went on a roll to win four of the last five bouts and grab the victory. Sophomore Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), ranked No. 5, nearly pinned No. 4 Ryan Lang and came away with an 11-8 win at 149; No. 2 Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) moved to 21-0 with an 8-4 win at 157; and Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) upset No. 20 Dominic Marella 6-5 at 165 in another key battle. Rella's win put Penn State up 15-12. At 174, No. 12 Nick Hayes got a hard-fought 7-4 win over No. 16 David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) to tie the score with one bout left. Nittany Lion junior Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.), ranked No. 13 at 184, dominated Northwestern's Adil Kolovic, 14-7, to seal the 18-15 win. The Nittany Lions are now 10-4 overall, 2-2 in the Big Ten. Northwestern moves to 5-6, 0-2 in conference action. The Lions visit No. 15 Illinois on Sunday at 2 p.m. (Eastern) in yet another road dual. Penn State's next action at home will be at home when No. 6 Michigan comes to Rec Hall on Friday, Feb. 8, for a 7 p.m. dual. Tickets for all regular season duals are on sale now at the athletic department ticket office in the Bryce Jordan Center. Single-dual tickets are $5 for adults and seniors and $3 for students 18 and under. Penn State students with a proper student ID are admitted free! Fans can call 814-863-1000 or 800-833-5533 to order single-dual or season tickets. All Penn State duals will be broadcast locally on WBLF 970 AM and WKVA 920 AM and streamed live at www.GoPSUsports.com. All home duals will feature a live video webcast and live scoring at www.GoPSUsports.com as well.

DEKALB, Ill. -- The University of Northern Iowa wrestling team was not going to settle for a tie this time against Northern Illinois. The Panthers used a fall from Moza Fay and major decisions from C.J. Ettelson, Andy O'Loughlin and Andrew Anderson to tally a 24-13 dual win over the Huskies. No. 25-ranked UNI improved to 4-5-1 on the season, while Northern Illinois dropped to 8-6 on the year. UNI now holds a commanding 21-1-5 lead in the all-time series, despite settling for ties in 2006 (16-16) and 2007 (17-17) when the teams met on the mat. The dual began at 133 pounds where Northern Illinois' Pat Castillo scored a 21-9 win over UNI's Josh Baldridge (Haysville, Kan.). Castillo is ranked No. 10 in the nation and is a two-time national qualifier. The Panthers dented the scoreboard twice with pair of wins from the Ettelson brothers of Hudson, Iowa. C.J. scored a major decision at 141 pounds with a 15-7 victory over Tristen DeShazer. Charlie then followed with a decisive 7-1 win at 149 pounds over NIU's Kalen Knull. C.J. trailed early in his match with DeShazer but used two tilts, a takedown and a reversal to take a commanding 14-3 lead late in the match. DeShazer countered with a four-point move in the final 15 seconds of the match, but Ettelson hung on for the eight-point major decision. Charlie held a commanding 6-0 lead midway through the third period before he allowed an escape, while looking for another major decision. However, Charlie could not get a takedown in the final seconds and had to settle for a 7-1 decision over Knull. Charlie's win gave UNI a 7-4 lead in the dual. NIU knotted the dual at 7-7 after 157 pounds behind a 6-3 win from Bryan O'Conner over UNI's Tyson Reiner (Mitchell, S.D.). Reiner trailed 3-2 in the third period, but O'Conner scored a takedown and added a riding time point to secure the three-point win. UNI junior Moza Fay (Anamosa, Iowa) notched his team-high sixth pin of the season at 165 pounds to put the Panthers on top, 13-7. Fay scored his fall in the second period at the 4:40 mark against NIU's Anthony Victor. No. 13-ranked Duke Burk tallied a 5-1 victory over UNI's Alex Dolly (Mishawaka, Ind.) at 174 pounds. Dolly and Burk were locked in a 1-1 battle with 40 seconds left in the third period, when Burk scrambled for a takedown and two-point nearfall to take the match. UNI redshirt freshman Andy O'Loughlin (Independence, Iowa) took the initiative at 184 pounds against NIU's Brad Dieckhaus. O'Loughlin scored a takedown and a two-point nearfall 1:15 into their match. O'Loughlin then added a second takedown later in the first stanza to take a commanding 6-1 advantage. O'Loughlin increased the lead to 8-2 with another takedown in the second period. O'Loughlin opened the third period with his fourth takedown of the match and added his fifth takedown in the closing seconds. The Panther 184-pounder added a riding time point for the 13-3 major decision, which gave the Panthers a 17-10 lead in the dual. After watching O'Loughlin score early and often at 184 pounds, UNI 197-pounder Andrew Anderson followed his lead and scored a takedown only 10 seconds into his match and then notched another two-pointer at the close of the period to take a 4-1 lead against NIU's Jake Smith. Anderson began the second period with a reversal and added two more takedowns to take a commanding 10-3 lead. Anderson finished off Smith with a 13-5 major decision. Anderson's win also gave UNI a 21-10 lead in the dual. NIU's Dave Benner scored a 6-3 win over UNI's Dustin Bauman (Stratford, Wis.) at heavyweight. UNI redshirt freshman Caleb Flores (Rosemead, Calif.) finished off the dual with an 8-7 victory over NIU's T.J. Wunnicke at 125 pounds. The Panthers will be in action next Sunday (Feb. 10) against South Dakota State in a Western Wresting Conference dual. UNI and SDSU will take to the mat in the McLeod Center at 2 p.m.

The top-ranked Iowa wrestling team defeated #3/#4 Minnesota, 20-13, Friday night in Williams Arena. The Hawkeyes (15-1, 4-0 Big Ten) handed the Golden Gophers (11-4, 2-1) their first Big Ten dual loss of the season. Iowa won six bouts, including two upsets, in their eighth straight win. The dual started at 125 with a highly anticipated match between #1 Jayson Ness of Minnesota and #3 Charlie Falck of Iowa. Ness entered the dual with a 26-0 record and on a 27-match winning streak, while Falck brought an undefeated 15-0 dual mark and his own 12-match winning streak to the mat. Falck scored the first takedown of the match, but Ness scored 14 unanswered points to post a 14-2 major decision and snap Falck's streak and perfect dual record. Ness is now 4-0 against Falck in collegiate competition. Iowa responded with wins at the next three weights to build an 11-4 lead. Sophomore Joe Slaton posted a 8-3 win over senior and Gilbertville, IA, native Mack Reiter at 133. Sophomore Dan LeClere, who is ranked ninth or 10th in the nation depending on the poll, scored a takedown in the first sudden victory period to upset #3 Manuel Rivera, 9-7 at 141. Sophomore Brent Metcalf was supposed to be part of another big match as he and Minnesota junior Dustin Schlatter are ranked first or second in the nation at 149, depending on the poll. Metcalf instead faced freshman Luke Mellmer, who has filled in for Schlatter since late December due to injury. The Hawkeye sophomore scored a 20-5 match-ending technical fall in 6:17, collecting his 20th season and career win, and extending his winning streak to 17 matches. Minnesota scored decisions at 157 and 165 to tighten the team score at 11-10, but an 8-3 win by sophomore Jay Borschel at 174 and sophomore Phillip Keddy's 6-2 upset over #5 Roger Kish at 184 gave Iowa a 17-10 lead. Keddy, who is ranked eighth in the nation, scored his 30th career win in the match. Minnesota scored a decision at 197 to keep the team win within reach, but Hawkeye senior Matt Fields shut down the Golden Gophers with a 7-3 win over Ben Berhow at heavyweight. The Hawkeyes will round out the Big Ten weekend roadtrip Sunday when they face #13/#15 Wisconsin (11-2-1, 2-1 Big Ten) at 1 p.m. at the UW Field House in Madison. Wisconsin beat Michigan State (26-12) earlier tonight in Madison. Iowa edges Wisconsin The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team used bonus points to defeat #13/#15 Wisconsin, 22-20, Sunday afternoon at Madison, WI. Each team won five matches, but the Hawkeyes used pins from sophomores Brent Metcalf (149) and Phillip Keddy (184) and a major decision by sophomore Jay Borschel (174) to win their ninth-straight dual. Head Coach Tom Brands picked up his 30th win at Iowa and his 10th win in the Big Ten, as Iowa improved to 16-1, 5-0 Big Ten. Wisconsin fell to 11-3-1, 2-2. "This showed some weakness - it's good to see this," said Brands. "We can do better, that's for sure. Those five wins were big ones for us, and bonus points won us the dual. (Iowa's five winners) did what they were supposed to do." Iowa opened the dual with back-to-back decisions from junior Charlie Falck (125) and sophomore Joe Slaton (133). Wisconsin put its first points on the board at 141 when #7 Kyle Ruschell scored seven points in the third period to beat Hawkeye sophomore Dan LeClere, 8-0. Metcalf extended Iowa's lead to 12-4 with his 4:02 pin of Trevor Bowers at 149. Wisconsin fought back within one (12-11) on Craig Henning's 2-1 win over Ryan Morningstar at 157 and Jake Donar's 13-1 major decision over redshirt freshman Aaron Janssen at 165. Borschel and Keddy's bonus point wins gave the Hawkeyes a 22-11 lead, but the Badgers weren't finished. Wisconsin scored a pin of its own at 197 and junior heavyweight Kyle Massey upset Hawkeye senior Matt Fields, 6-5, in the afternoon's final bout. Slaton, Metcalf and Borschel remain undefeated at 5-0 in Big Ten duals, while Slaton and Borschel picked up their 20th season and career victories. Metcalf extended his winning streak to 18 matches and picked up his seventh pin of the year. Iowa will return to the road next week with a non-conference road trip out west. The Hawkeyes will face Arizona State (9-5, 3-4 Pac 10) Feb. 8 at Copper Canyon High School in Glendale, AZ, at 8:30 p.m. (CT). Iowa will then face Boise State (8-1, 7-1 Pac 10) Feb. 10 at 1 p.m. (CT) at Taco Bell Arena in Boise, ID.

Storm Lake, Iowa -- Buena Vista Director of Athletics, Jan Travis, has announced that current assistant wrestling coach, Sevond Cole, will be promoted to head coach following the conclusion of this season. Cole will replace Mark Schwab who announced his resignation on Tuesday, effective May 31, 2008. "I feel Sevond is an excellent choice," Travis said. "He's served as an assistant with the program under two great mentors (Mark Schwab and Al Baxter), and I have the confidence that he can take over the program and carry on the strong BVU wrestling tradition." Cole returned this season for his second stint with the Beaver wrestling program after having served as an assistant under Baxter from 2001-06. He spent last season as a volunteer wrestling coach, as well as a middle school science instructor, in the Griswold School District. "Having been part of the wrestling program for more than a decade, you can imagine how excited I am to have the opportunity to continue the strong wrestling tradition that we have here at Buena Vista," Cole stated. "I feel blessed to have worked with two amazing coaches in my years as an assistant coach - most recently Mark Schwab and Al Baxter before that. I have learned a lot from both coaches and will continue to hold the bar high for BVU wrestling." Prior to joining the BVU staff in 2001, Cole was a two-time All-American for Baxter and the Beavers (1999 and 2000) at 174 pounds. He also captured a conference championship in 1999, while also being tabbed a Scholar All-American in 2000. "I personally believe Sevond will do a great job" Schwab noted. A few reasons that come to mind are that he truly cares about BVU, he was a 2-time All-American here, and a graduate always personalizes the roots that run deep in your efforts to bring out the best in the athletes and a program. He is not looking for something else. This is what he wants - a "dream job" so to speak. I also think that what he learned from Coach Baxter, and hopefully myself, has prepared him to run a top flight program." "Needless to say, we are thrilled that Coach Cole has agreed to become our new head coach," said BVU President Fred Moore. "He was an outstanding student-athlete in every sense of the word and has contributed mightily as an assistant coach. He is the perfect person to lead our program into the future."

EAST STROUDSBURG -- Senior Dave Williams pinned Millersville's Ray Bennett in the final match of the night to lift East Stroudsburg University to a 24-19 win over the Marauders on Tuesday night at Koehler Fieldhouse. The Warriors entered the 184-pound bout facing a 19-8 deficit, but knew that they would earn six points for a forfeit at heavyweight. Sophomore Shane Mallory won a 12-3 major decision over Steve Funk at 184, making the score 19-12 going into the 197-pound match-up between Williams and Bennett. Bennett had an early takedown, but Williams quickly escaped. Williams scored his takedown at the 1:05 mark in the first period, and seconds later the match was over with the fall coming with 58 seconds left in the period. ESU pulled within 19-18 with the pin, and Chris Birchler picked up the forfeit at 285 to improve to 19-6 on the year and take the victory. Millersville built its 19-8 lead on the strength of three straight decisions from 149 through 165 and a quick fall from Jeremy Brooks at 174. John Andel opened the match at 125 pounds with a 14-5 major decision for the Marauders. Junior Matt Swallow used a big second period to post a 17-2 technical fall over Matt Leggett at 133 pounds to give ESU a 5-4 advantage. At 141, senior Sean Carr earned a 7-3 decision against Mike Greck in a rematch of their consolation bout at the PSAC Championships in December, which Carr won 3-2. ESU improves to 3-8 in dual competition this season and will travel to Delaware Valley for a 7 p.m. start on Friday.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Jim Tressel, Ohio State football head coach, will serve as honorary coach of the Buckeye wrestling team's match vs. Michigan at 4 p.m. Feb. 10 in St. John Arena, Tom Ryan, head coach of the Ohio State wrestling team, announced Wednesday. Jim Tressel"I'm excited about the honor of being with the wrestling Buckeyes," Tressel said. "There is no team I cherish competing with more than Michigan, because the two programs are great schools, with two of the nation's top programs, made up of some of the finest performers in the world in their rugged sport. It means a packed house, making noise from start to finish, creating memories for themselves and their fans for a lifetime." Throughout the 2007-08 home schedule, the Buckeyes have named an honorary coach to sit on the Buckeye bench. Joining Tressel as an honorary coach vs. Michigan is president and CEO of The Dispatch, Mike Curtain. Tressel and Ohio State men's basketball head coach Thad Matta and women's basketball head coach Jim Foster currently have a combined 20-1 record against Michigan. In seven seasons, Tressel is 6-1 vs. the Wolverines. Matta owns a 6-0 ledger in three years leading the Buckeyes and Foster has an 8-0 mark in six seasons at Ohio State.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- J Jaggers, a junior on the seventh-ranked Ohio State wrestling team, was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week the conference announced Wednesday. This is Jaggers' first-career weekly honor. A 2007 All-American at 141 pounds, Jaggers (16-5) lifted the Buckeyes to a 22-19 victory over No. 8 Penn State last Friday in St. John Arena. With the Buckeyes down three (19-16) with one bout remaining, Jaggers (Northfield, Ohio) pinned fifth-ranked Jake Strayer in 3:25 to seal the win. Ohio State trailed throughout the evening, but took its first and only lead for the win after Jaggers' pin. It was Jaggers' second victory of the season over Strayer as he also defeated the Nittany Lion, 6-4, at the National Duals Jan. 13. Strayer was No. 2 in the nation at the time. The win by Jaggers marked the sixth time this season he has beaten a Top 20 wrestler. Of his six wins over a ranked grappler, three have come via fall. Ohio State (14-3; 2-1 Big Ten) will hit the road for three-consecutive matches beginning Friday at 7 p.m. at Indiana. The Buckeyes then will face Purdue at 1 p.m. Sunday in West Lafayette, Ind. The three-match road swing concludes at 7 p.m. at Michigan State in East Lansing.

Baldwin City, KS -- The NIACC Trojans traveled to Baldwin City, KS on Tuesday January 29th to take on the Pratt Community College Beavers in a neutral location. The dual meet was hosted by Baker University, a current NAIA college trying to start wrestling. This college dual meet between NIACC and Pratt served as a boost to show the popularity of college wrestling in the area. A huge turnout despite the weather, saw the No. 5 rated NIACC Trojans down Pratt Community College 38-3. NIACC only lost one match in the contest with Jordan Bartoszek falling to two-time Kansas State champion Tommy Edgemon 8-4. It would be all NIACC for the remainder of the evening. Cody Hogan scored 20 points en route to a technical fall over Pratt's Kyle Beebe. T.J. Moen, Albert White and Glenn Rhees would all win their matches by major decision. Aaron Hancock claimed a narrow 1-0 decision over Zach Hentzen, while brother Tyler Hancock would be down 5-0 early and come back to win by fall in the first period over Jake Thomas. Brad Theilen would receive a forfeit at 197 and heavyweight Beau Tudor was winning by a score of 3-1 when Matt Mock had to injury default. "We wrestled very well against Pratt. I was very proud of our preparation and execution during these matches," stated head wrestling coach Richard Fergola. The NIACC wrestling team will travel to Palatine, IL on Saturday February 2 for the Harper Duals where they will take on Harper, Triton and Lincoln Community Colleges starting at 9:00 am.

Utah Valley State's Ben Kjar has been named the Western Wrestling Conference's Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. Kjar, a 125-pound freshman from Centerville, Utah (Viewmont HS), was a perfect 5-0 last week and improved to 3-0 in WWC conference duals with a 10-4 decision of Air Force's Zach Valdez. Kjar was 4-0 at the Tracy Borah Duals on Saturday, with two wins by fall, one by major decision and one, over Western State's Eddie Lopez, in a 4-3 decision. Kjar's win against Air Force gave him 31 wins on the season, setting a Utah Valley single-season record. 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 State and Wyoming. Others nominated: Air Force: Anthony Stegeman North Dakota State - Adam Aho Northern Colorado - Devan Lewis South Dakota State - Ryan Meyer

To redshirt, or not to redshirt? That's the question confronting college freshmen wrestlers and their coaches. It often seems "automatic" that a wrestler new to college takes advantage of the redshirt option his first year, to get acclimatized to the rigorous demands of the classroom, wrestling room and top-level collegiate wrestling match action. Yet, some freshmen forego their redshirt, and dive right into official competition … either because they want to save the redshirt year for an Olympic quest down the road, or because there's a hole in the program's line-up just waiting to be filled by the first-year student. For freshman Kirk Smith at Boise State University, it was a matter of testing the waters … and deciding on his own that, after a few weeks of wrestling unattached with considerable success, he was ready to officially compete as the 184-pound starter for the Broncos. From Idaho to Greensboro to national attention As of this writing, Kirk Smith is 19-1 in his first year of college competition, with his most recent matches against Pac-10 rivals Oregon (where he won by forfeit) and Oregon State (a 12-6 decision over Kyle Bressler) the last weekend in January. His only loss to date was against Iowa's Phil Keddy at the Kaufman-Brand Open in mid-November. This record has him ranked No. 8 at 184 pounds by RevWrestling.com. Even though he had been successfully competing throughout the fall as an unattached wrestler, Kirk Smith really caught the attention of college wrestling fans across the nation with his performance at the 2007 Southern Scuffle. Kirk SmithThe Idaho native went to the post-Christmas tournament hosted by the University of North Carolina-Greensboro unattached -- "In fact, he paid his own way," according to Boise State head coach Greg Randall. Kirk Smith was more than unattached -- he was also unseeded. In his first match at the Southern Scuffle, he upset seventh-seeded Matthew Parsons of Navy 10-4 … then got a 10-3 victory over Matt Ryan (a student a Virginia Tech, competing unattached). In the quarterfinals, Kirk shut out the second-seeded Josh Haines of Maryland 6-0. Next match, he got a 6-4 semifinals win over NC State's Ryan Goodman, seeded third in the tournament. In the finals, Kirk edged top-seeded Rocco Caponi of Virginia 1-0 to claim the 184-pound crown at the Scuffle. The official Web site of at least one Division I college program described Kirk's championship as "the biggest upset of the Southern Scuffle." Making that upset -- and the title -- even sweeter: Not only had Kirk Smith knocked off the top three seeds at the Southern Scuffle, he had defeated two nationally-ranked wrestlers along the way. (Haines was ranked eighteenth in the nation, while Caponi was ranked seventh.) After the Scuffle, taking off the redshirt Here's how Greg Randall describes the issue of whether Kirk Smith would take advantage of the redshirt as a freshman: "He wrestled in open tournaments unattached to see if he was ready. We didn't want to put him in the lineup too soon." In a published interview with the Boise State Arbiter student newspaper, Kirk Smith is quoted as saying, "I went around (competing) under the Bronco Wrestling Club, which allowed me to go to open tournaments. I still wrestled big-name guys and kind of used that as a landmark to see if I wanted to come out." Coach Randall: "After winning the Scuffle, he wanted to compete for the team. We talked it over. He then went home, discussed with his parents, and, a few hours later, told us." Kirk Smith: "When the coaches asked me, I said, 'You know what I want to do.'" Greg Randall has led Boise State to four top three team finishes at the Pac-10 Championships and two top 25 finishes at the NCAA Championships.Coach Randall: "It worked out incredibly well for us. Our previous 184-pounder (sophomore Matt Casperson) moved up to 197. It's made our team that much stronger in both weights." In his first official match after stripping off the redshirt designation, Kirk Smith went up against the number one wrestler in the Pac-10, Ian Murphy of Cal State Fullerton. The newest Boise State Bronco won the bout 3-2. "It was pretty nerve-wracking," Kirk told the Boise State Arbiter. "But I've been in bigger and tougher matches. It was still nerve-wracking, it was my first match with a Bronco singlet on. You always remember your first match." The wrestling Smiths Kirk Smith may not actually remember his very first match, since it was probably at a very early age. After all, he grew up in a household of wrestlers. "My dad wrestled at Wilkes (College) in Pennsylvania," discloses the Boise State starter. "He grew up in the east, then he and mom moved out to Idaho, where I was born. He coached at my club when I was a kid, then helped out at my middle school, too." "He went with me to the Kaufman-Brand. He was in my corner, which meant a lot to me." In addition to a father with a mat background, Kirk's two older brothers are wrestlers, too. One of his brothers, Nick, wrestles heavyweight for the Broncos; eldest brother Erik is a veteran of the Boise State wrestling program. "We'd all be laying on the floor in the living room, watching TV," says Kirk. "The three sons would take on dad during the commercials. Or it would be dad and me versus the two older brothers." "I was so much smaller than they were when I was a kid," continues Kirk. "I was something of a late bloomer. It was good to grow bigger and be able to get back at my brothers." All that at-home wrestling experience helped pave the way to success as a youngster on actual wrestling mats. "I wrestled freestyle �til middle school," according to Kirk. "It was only in middle school that I started folkstyle." A star at Centennial … and beyond Kirk Smith's wrestling career really took off at Centennial High School in Boise. Coached by Collin Robertson (a Boise State wrestler who won the Pac-10 conference title at 149 pounds in 2002), Kirk was a four-time finalist at the Idaho state tournament, winning the state title twice -- his junior and senior years. While at Centennial, Kirk earned fifteen All-American awards, including four national championships. Just before starting his senior year, he earned the gold medal at the FILA Junior National Championships -- what he labels as "my biggest accomplishment. A couple close friends also won, which made it much more memorable." In his final year of high school, Kirk Smith was considered to be one of the top prep wrestlers in the country, and the top-ranked grappler at 171 pounds. He was also named to the national high school Dream Team his senior year. Kirk Smith also demonstrated excellence off the mat as well. He earned an incredible 3.8 grade point average in high school. Right at home in Boise With his impressive wrestling and academic credentials, it's little wonder that a number of top college programs tried to lure Kirk Smith away from his home state of Idaho. Kirk Smith"I watched my brothers go through the recruiting process," says Kirk. "I saw that some schools don't look out for the student." "I had known the folks at Boise State for a long time, especially (assistant coach) Chris Owens … I knew that I could trust the coaches and the program. I feel you have to believe in the coaches and the program, and have complete trust in them." "I got to talk to my brother Nick when he was at Virginia," Kirk continues. (Nick transferred from the University of Virginia to Boise State after the 2005-06 season.) He talked about the good things about being away, but also talked about homesickness and the challenges of being a long way from home. It was good to talk to him and others, and get their thoughts." In sharing his perspective on recruiting Kirk Smith, coach Greg Randall says, "We went up against some big-time programs, including Minnesota … We were thrilled when he verbally committed to us." "Getting to see my parents each week, having Sunday dinner with them, you can't beat that," says Kirk. A matter of style When asked to describe his wrestling style for his interview, Kirk Smith responds, "It depends on how a guy wants to wrestle me. If he wants to handfight, I can do that …" Greg Randall"You can't always use the same style to go up against a guy -- you have to switch things up." Ask Coach Randall about Kirk Smith's wrestling style, and he says, "He's very strong for his age. Very seasoned, very consistent. Not flashy, not unorthodox. Tough to take down. Tough on top." "We're working with him to work on scoring �- to get more takedowns, more scoring holds." "He always leads his match. He has never had to come from behind." In terms of attitude, Kirk Smith says, "I think of myself as hardnosed, getting after the guy, wrestling tough against the opponent." Greg Randall cites additional attitudinal attributes: "He's a consistent trainer year �round. Works out every day. Mature beyond his age. Weight is solid, never an issue. Loves to wrestle, loves to work out. His attitude rubs off on everybody in the room." "He also works hard in the classroom. In his first semester here, he got a 3.0." What's next Ask Kirk Smith what the highlight of his first year in college, and he responds without hesitation, "No highlights yet. The season's far from over. I've got to fulfill my goals of winning the Pac-10 conference title, and the nationals." "I'm no different than any other wrestler," Kirk continues. "I want to be the best I can be. I want to win the nationals multiple times." "I'd like to wrestle worldwide, and get back into freestyle. But it has to be in the cards. I'll wait and see." Beyond his on-the-mat career, the Exercise Science major says, "I would like to be a coach. I'm learning how the human body works, and how to help an athlete bring out the best." When asked about what makes a good coach, Kirk says, "Know when to be hard, but also know when to be a friend. To know your wrestlers in and outside the room -- where they need to be, what they need to work on, their mental process. Never be satisfied with what you've done." Kirk Smith is excited about the future -- not just his own, but also that of the Boise State Broncos. "We're going to open some eyes in the next couple years." Judging from the buzz generated among college wrestling fans across the nation since winning the 184-pound title at the 2007 Southern Scuffle, it's safe to say that Kirk Smith has already opened some eyes.

THIS WEEK The top-ranked Iowa wrestling team (14-1, 3-0 Big Ten) will take its seven-match winning streak on the road for the first of two straight weekend road trips. The Hawkeyes will wrestle at #3/#4 Minnesota (10-3, 2-0) Friday at 7:30 p.m. The dual in Williams Arena will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network. The Hawkeyes will then travel to Madison to face #13/#15 Wisconsin (10-2-1, 1-1) Sunday at 1 p.m. at the University of Wisconsin Field House. PERRY UNDERGOES KNEE SURGERY Senior 165-pounder Mark Perry has undergone knee surgery. The announcement came Jan. 24 from Iowa's Head Wrestling Coach, Tom Brands. The Hawkeye senior, from Stillwater, OK, will miss 2-3 weeks of action. Perry had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and is expected back on the mat in early February. Perry, a three-time all-American, has a career record of 89-15. He currently has a 13-2 record and is ranked first nationally. His nine pins, this season, are best on the team. MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS Minnesota is 11-3 (2-0 Big Ten) and is ranked third in the nation by W.I.N. Magazine and fourth in the USA Today/NWCA/Intermat Coaches poll. The Golden Gophers are the defending Big Ten and NCAA champions. This season they have wins over Northern Illinois (35-12), Northern Colorado (29-9), North Dakota State (45-0), Nebraska (25-13), Cal State Fullerton (32-9), Cal Poly (23-12), West Virginia (32-9), Central Michigan (20-16), South Dakota State (34-9), Michigan State (23-15) and Michigan (24-15), and losses to Iowa State (18-13), Nebraska (24-13) and Michigan (23-15). Head Coach J Robinson is 329-104-3 in 23 seasons at Minnesota. He has coached 11 NCAA champions, 39 Big Ten champions and 85 all-Americans at Minnesota, while leading the Golden Gophers to six Big Ten and three NCAA titles. Robinson served as interim head coach at Iowa in 1984, when then-Head Coach Dan Gable coached the U.S. Olympic team. He was also an assistant coach (1976-83) and graduate assistant (1972-76) at Iowa. Robinson is assisted by Marty Morgan (Minnesota, 1991), Joe Russell (Minnesota, 1992) and Brandon Eggum (Minnesota, 2000). The Golden Gophers are led by seniors Manuel Rivera (141), C.P. Schlatter (157) and Mack Reiter (133), and sophomore Jayson Ness (125). Ness is undefeated at 26-0 and enters the dual on a 27-match winning streak, which is the second longest in the nation. Reiter is a Gilbertville, IA, native and was a four-time state champion for Don Bosco High School. Junior Dustin Schlatter (149) is the defending Big Ten champion and a two-time all-American, but has not competed since the end of December. WISCONSIN BADGERS Wisconsin is 10-2-1 (1-1 Big Ten) with wins over Dubuque (58-0), Tri-State (45-9), Wisconsin-Oshkosh (53-0), Cornell (21-18), Utah Valley State (28-7), Cal State Fullerton (28-12), Brown (34-6), Navy (23-12), Oklahoma (18-15) and Indiana (20-15), losses to Ohio State (23-13) and Iowa State (24-18) and a tie (16-16) with Northern Iowa. The Badgers are ranked 13th in the nation in the USA Today/NWCA/Intermat Coaches poll and 15th by W.I.N. Magazine. Head Coach Barry Davis is 151-98-10 in 14 seasons at Wisconsin. During his tenure, he has coached two NCAA Champions, 10 Big Ten Champions and 18 all-Americans. The 1985 Big Ten Athlete of the Year, Davis was a four-time all-American and Big Ten Champion and three-time NCAA Champion at 118 and 126 for Iowa (1981-85). A two-time Olympian, he holds Iowa records for most wins in a season (46) and career (162). Davis is assisted by Bart Chelesvig (Iowa, 1992), Donny Pritzlaff (Wisconsin, 2002) and Cory Wallman (Wisconsin, 1999). Chelesvig was a three-time all-American at 167 and 177 for the Hawkeyes (1988-92). The Badgers are led by returning NCAA finalist senior Craig Henning (157), juniors Dallas Herbst (197) and Kyle Massey (Hwt.), and sophomore Kyle Ruschell (141). THE SERIES Iowa leads the series with Minnesota, 62-24-1, and holds a 29-11-1 advantage in Minneapolis. Minnesota has won the last two meetings - 25-9 in 2006 and 29-13 in 2007. Iowa's last win in the series was 23-14 in Iowa City, in 2005. Iowa leads the series with Wisconsin, 70-8-3, and is 33-5-2 in Madison. Wisconsin won the last meeting in Iowa City (21-14 in 2007), breaking Iowa's streak of 32 consecutive wins in the series. Iowa's last win over the Badgers was 24-7 in 2006. WEEKEND MARQUEE MATCHUPS Junior Charlie Falck (125) and sophomores Joe Slaton (133), Dan LeClere (141), Ryan Morningstar (157) and Phillip Keddy (184) will each have marquee match-ups against Minnesota and Wisconsin. Sophomore Brent Metcalf (149) could also come up against defending Big Ten Champion Dustin Schlatter Friday night. Falck will face top-ranked and undefeated Jayson Ness (25-0) of Minnesota and senior Collin Cudd of Wisconsin. Falck is 0-3 vs. Ness and 2-1 vs. Cudd, and brings his own winning streak of 12 matches to the mat. Slaton will meet #5 Mack Reiter of Minnesota and Wisconsin junior Zach Tanelli. It will be Slaton's first meeting with both. LeClere and Morningstar will have a chances at upsets this weekend. LeClere will face #3 Manuel Rivera of Minnesota and #7 Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin. He is 0-1 vs. Rivera and has not faced Ruschell in collegiate competition. Morningstar hopes to pick up his first win against C.P. Schlatter of Minnesota and Craig Henning of Wisconsin, both of whom are ranked in the top 10. He is 0-3 vs. Henning and 0-2 vs. Schlatter. Keddy is set to meet #5 Roger Kish of Minnesota and Trevor Brandvold of Wisconsin. He is 0-1 against both. Metcalf could be part of one of the more anticipated matches in Minneapolis. He and Schlatter are ranked first or second in the nation, depending on the poll. The two have yet to meet in collegiate competition. Schlatter has not competed since the Southern Scuffle in December, so the meeting could be postponed until the Big Ten Championships, in Minneapolis in March. IOWA-WISCONSIN TIES • Wisconsin Head Coach Barry Davis is from Cedar Rapids, IA. His wife is the former Nan Doak, who was the 1985 10,000-meter NCAA Champion for the University of Iowa. She was a five-time all-American in track and three-time in cross country for the Hawkeyes, winning three Big Ten titles. A native of Hedrick, IA, she still holds the Iowa outdoor 5,000-meter record of 15:45.84. • Wisconsin Assistant Bart Chelesvig and Iowa Head Coach Tom Brands were Hawkeye teammates in 1989-92. Davis was an assistant coach for the Hawkeyes who won two NCAA and four Big Ten titles during those four seasons. LAST MEETING - MINNESOTA 29, IOWA 13 Iowa closed out the 2006-07 dual season with a 29-13 loss to top-ranked Minnesota Feb. 18 in Iowa City. A crowd of 8,274 saw the Hawkeyes end the regular season at 14-5 (5-3 Big Ten). The Golden Gophers claimed the Big Ten regular season title with a spotless 8-0 conference mark, going 20-1 overall. Minnesota jumped out to a 10-0 lead on Jayson Ness' 8-0 major decision over Hawkeye Charlie Falck at 125 and Gilbertville, IA, native Mack Reiter's 5:38 pin of senior Lucas Magnani. Hawkeye junior Alex Tsirtsis gave Iowa a much-needed boost at 141, pinning Mike Thorn in 1:16. The Golden Gophers responded with decisions at 149 and 157 from brothers Dustin and C.P. Schlatter to build a 16-6 lead. After the intermission, Iowa scored two wins of its own. Junior Mark Perry scored a last second escape to defeat Tyler Safratowich, 10-2, at 165. Senior Eric Luedke celebrated his 22nd birthday with a 3-1 win in the first tiebreak period over Gabriel Dretsch at 174. Minnesota ended the dual with wins at the last three weights, including a major decision at 184 and a forfeit at heavyweight. Minnesota 29, Iowa 13 125 - Jayson Ness (M) maj. dec. Charlie Falck (I), 8-0 133 - Mack Reiter (M) pinned Lucas Magnani (I), 5:38 141 - Alex Tsirtsis (I) pinned Mike Thorn (M), 1:16 149 - Dustin Schlatter (M) dec. Alex Grunder (I), 5-2 157 - C.P. Schlatter (M) dec. Ryan Morningstar (I), 9-4 165 - Mark Perry (I) maj. dec. Tyler Safratowich (M), 10-2 174 - Eric Luedke (I) dec. Gabriel Dretsch (M), 3-1 TB-1 184 - Roger Kish (M) maj. dec. Phillip Keddy (I), 14-5 197 - Yura Malamura (M) dec. Jordan McLaughlin (I), 4-3 Hwt. - Cole Konrad (M) won by forfeit LAST MEETING - WISCONSIN 21, IOWA 14 The Iowa wrestling team lost its Big Ten home opener to Wisconsin, 21-14, Jan. 27, 2007, in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. It was Wisconsin's first win in the series since 1966 and its first in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa fell to 10-3 (2-1 Big Ten), while the Badgers improved to 16-1 (2-1 Big Ten). The dual started at 125 pounds, where Hawkeye sophomore Charlie Falck held off a late charge by Wisconsin's Collin Cudd to win 12-9. It was Iowa's only lead of the dual, as the Badgers rolled off decisions at the next four weights to take a 12-3 lead. Hawkeye junior Mark Perry's 18-2 match termination over Jake Donar at 165 made up some ground, and senior Eric Luedke 5-0 decision over Mike Felling at 174 pulled Iowa to within one (12-11). But Wisconsin scored a decision at 184 and a first-period pin at 197 to put the team win out of reach for the Hawkeyes. Iowa junior heavyweight Matt Fields won the final match of the night - a 6-3 decision over Kyle Massey. Wisconsin 21, Iowa 14 125 - Charlie Falck (I) dec. Collin Cudd (W), 12-9 133 - Zach Tanelli (W) dec. Mario Galanakis (I), 7-5 141 - Kyle Ruschell (W) dec. Alex Tsirtsis (I), 6-4 149 - Tyler Turner (W) dec. Alex Grunder (I), 8-2 157 - Craig Henning (W) dec. Ryan Morningstar (I), 2-0 165 - Mark Perry (I) tech. fall Jake Donar (W), 18-2 in 4:56 174 - Eric Luedke (I) dec. Mike Felling (W), 5-0 184 - Trevor Brandvold (W) dec. Phillip Keddy (I), 6-2 197 - Dallas Herbst (W) pinned Rick Loera (I), 0:49 Hwt. - Matt Fields (I) dec. Kyle Massey (W), 6-3 IOWA WRESTLING HISTORY Iowa's overall dual meet record is 821-215-30 (.784) in 96 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 20 national titles and 31 Big Ten titles. Iowa's 48 NCAA champions have won a total of 74 NCAA individual titles, crowning six three-time and 13 two-time champions. The Hawkeyes' 100 Big Ten champions have won a total of 181 conference titles. There have been seven four-time, 18 three-time and 24 two-time Iowa winners. Iowa's 130 all-Americans have earned all-America status 266 times, including 16 four-time, 28 three-time and 32 two-time honorees. IOWA TICKET INFORMATION Tickets for Iowa's two remaining home duals are on sale at the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office or at 1-800-464-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com. University of Iowa students will be admitted free to all matches with a student ID. Tickets purchased in advance are $8 for adults and $4 for youth. Tickets purchased at the event are $10 for adults and $5 for youth. FAMILY FOUR PACK AVAILABLE The University of Iowa is offering a Family Four Pack ticket package for the Iowa vs. Indiana dual on Feb. 15. The package includes four tickets, four hot dogs and four drinks for $30. Orders can be placed through the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office or at 1-800-464-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com. LAST WEEK Top-ranked Iowa won its seventh straight dual Sunday night, defeating #10 Northwestern, 22-13, in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes won six bouts, but trailed the first half of the dual against an aggressive Wildcat squad. The win was the 160th for Iowa in Carver-Hawkeye Arena and the 45th career victory for Coach Tom Brands. Iowa improved to 14-1 (3-0 in the Big Ten), while the Wildcats fell to 5-5 (0-1). Northwestern jumped out to a 7-0 lead. Senior Mike Tamillow opened the dual at 197 with a 12-3 major decision over Iowa sophomore Chad Beatty. Top-ranked senior heavyweight Dustin Fox used 1:07 of riding time to defeat #6 Matt Fields, 2-1. The Hawkeyes bounced back as #3 Charlie Falck scored his 20th season victory with a 5-3 win over #5 Brandon Precin at 125. Sophomore Joe Slaton, who is ranked fourth in the nation, followed at 133 with an 11-6 win over unranked Eric Metzler. Northwestern responded with an upset at 141 as unranked freshman Keith Sulzer defeated #9 Dan LeClere, 9-3. Trailing 10-6, Iowa won four of the last five bouts. Sophomores Brent Metcalf (149), Ryan Morningstar (157), Jay Borschel (174) and Phillip Keddy (184) each picked up wins for the Hawkeyes. Top-ranked Metcalf dominated #4 Ryan Lang, scoring a 12-3 major decision. Metcalf has won his last 16 matches and is 19-1 this season. Keddy brought the crowd of 5,837 to its feet with his 1:58 pin over Adil Kolovic to end the dual and clinch the win for Iowa. Iowa 22, Northwestern 13 197 - Mike Tamillow (N) maj. dec. Chad Beatty (I), 12-3 Hwt. - Dustin Fox (N) dec. Matt Fields (I), 2-1 125 - Charlie Falck (I) dec. Brandon Precin (N), 5-3 133 - Joe Slaton (I) dec. Eric Metzler (N), 11-6 141 - Keith Sulzer (N) dec. Dan LeClere (I), 9-3 149 - Brent Metcalf (I) maj. dec. Ryan Lang (N), 12-3 157 - Ryan Morningstar (I) dec. Andrew Nadhir (N), 6-4 165 - Dominic Marella (N) dec. Aaron Janssen (I), 7-5 174 - Jay Borschel (I) dec. Nick Hayes (N), 3-1 184 - Phillip Keddy (I) pinned Adil Kolovic (N), 1:58 NEXT COMPETITION Iowa (14-1, 3-0 Big Ten) will hit the road for the second straight week, taking a non-conference road trip out west. The Hawkeyes will face Arizona State (9-4, 3-4 Pac 10) Feb. 8 at Copper Canyon High School in Glendale, AZ, at 8:30 p.m. (CT). Iowa will then face Boise State (7-1, 6-1 Pac 10) Feb. 10 at 1 p.m. (CT) at Taco Bell Arena in Boise, ID.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Jim Miller and Sam Barber. "On the Mat" is a weekly wrestling radio program that airs every Wednesday night. This week's broadcast can be heard live from 6-7 p.m. Central Standard Time. The Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, hosts the show. Miller is the current head wrestling coach at Wartburg College. Wartburg is the top ranked team Division III wrestling team in the nation and carry 19-0 dual meet record. Miller owns a 320-28-3 career dual meet record and has led the Knight to five NCAA team titles. Barber is in his first year as the head coach of Augsburg College, previously serving as the school's assistant coach for seven years. Augsburg is coming off a big win over second ranked Division II power Nebraska-Omaha. The Auggies are currently ranked third in the nation in Division III. On Saturday, February 2, Augsburg will face Wartburg in "The Battle of The Burgs." This dual meet will also feature a high school meet between scholastic powers Apple Valley (Minnesota) and Waverly Shell Rock (Iowa). Over the course of the past 13 seasons, either Augsburg or Wartburg has won the NCAA Division III tournament. Augsburg has won 10 NCAA titles since 1991 and Wartburg has won five. This dual has become one of the greatest rivalries in college wrestling. The high school dual will begin at 5:30 p.m. with the Wartburg-Augsburg meet scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Both events will take place in Levick Arena on the campus of Wartburg. Tickets for Saturday's double dual are $5 for adults and $3 for students. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m. "On the Mat" can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

Storm Lake, Iowa -- After guiding the Buena Vista University wrestling program for the past three-plus seasons, Director of Athletics Jan Travis has announced that head coach Mark Schwab will step down as coach of the Beavers effective May 31, 2008. "I would like to thank Coach Schwab for the efforts and leadership he's shown and put forth while guiding the Beaver wrestling program over these last four years," Travis said. "We hate to see him go, but want to wish him the best in all of his future endeavors." Mark SchwabSchwab became just the second coach to lead the Beavers since the start of the 1978-79 season when he was hired in 2004 following the retirement of legendary coach, Al Baxter. To this point, the 2007 Iowa Conference Coach of the Year has seen his squads improve from a pair of seventh-place finishes to last season's fourth-place finish at the Iowa Conference Championships. The same can also be said at the NCAA Tournament, where his squads placed 30th and 21st, respectively, in his first two seasons, to a seventh-place standing a year ago. Schwab says he will step down with plenty of good memories from his time guiding the Beavers. "There were sure a lot of good moments here," Schwab said. "What I consider best moments are small things overall - like guys breaking thru, winning hard fought matches. I loved it when we could celebrate as a team." BVU's seventh-place team finish at the 2007 National Tournament was the program's highest since placing fifth back in 2002. BVU's fourth-place finish during last year's Iowa Conference Championships was its highest since taking fourth in 2001. To this point, Schwab has coached one individual conference champion and five All-Americans during his tenure, while also having a pair of wrestlers earn Scholar All-American accolades and one earn Academic All-Conference honors. "It was a very challenging experience, and there is an awful lot to being a head coach in any sport; much more than most would think," Schwab added. "With the three recruiting classes we had in, it was interesting to see just how much an individual differs from the next but yet how predicable we can all be. This experience was a hands-on dealing with people in all their stages of highs and lows. It's personal education for future endeavors." "We are very sad to see Coach Schwab step down," said BVU President Fred Moore. "He has led our wrestling program with tremendous distinction and character. At the same time, I understand his desire to start a new chapter in his life and wish him well. BVU has a proud wrestling tradition, and we will move swiftly to name a new head coach to lead us into the future." A search for a replacement will begin immediately.

OREM, Utah -- In a dual that was switched to the Utah Valley wrestling practice room due to a campus power outage, North Dakota State edged the Wolverines, 23-10 in Western Wrestling Conference dual action. Seven of the 10 matches were decision victories while the other three were major decisions. Utah Valley's (7-9, 1-2 Western Wrestling Conference) Marc Fenwick, Casen Eldredge and Benjamin Kjar won their matches. Fenwick picked up a major decision victory for the Wolverines. Taking advantage of an injury that kept regular UV starter Gehrhart Vuksinick out of the dual, NDSU (8-8, 2-1) jumped to a quick 7-0 lead with a pair of wins. The dual started at the 157-pound weight class where regular 141-pounder Nathan Gardner of Utah Valley went up against the Bison's wrestler with the best record in Adam Aho. Gardner held his own before Aho recorded a late takedown to give him a 12-4 major decision win. Nate Kearsley, wrestling up one weight at 165, took a lead into the third period before opponent Vincent Salimen recorded a late take down and three-point near fall to take the match 12-7. In one of the most dominating efforts of the day, Fenwick controlled much of the early part of the match, jumping to a 13-0 lead with a takedown and a series of near falls. Opponent Shannon Fettig managed to avoid being pinned but Fenwick cruised to a 14-4 major decision victory to cut NDSU's lead to 7-4. Eldredge followed Fenwick with a 9-6 decision victory to tie the dual at 7-7. Down 6-5 in the third round, Eldredge recorded an escape to tie the match then a take down to take the lead. With riding time, Eldredge took the match. After Mark Dennis fell 4-0 and Billy Green fell 6-3 in two tightly contested matches, Kjar recorded a 7-4 victory over NDSU's Eric Hoffman in the 125-pound matchup. Kjar controlled the match in the early going as he recorded a lightning quick takedown and three-point near fall. The tall Hoffman was able to avoid being pinned but Kjar prevailed 7-4 to cut the dual deficit to 13-10. The Bison would win the final three matches of the day, one by major decision to take the dual by a 23-10 margin. The Wolverines will have over a week to get healthy before they return to action, traveling to WWC foes Wyoming and Northern Colorado on Feb. 8 and 9.

GREELEY, Colo. - For just the second time since Jack Maughan has been the head coach at the University of Northern Colorado, the wrestling team defeated North Dakota State, doing so Saturday afternoon 21-18. The Bears improve to 4-5 in dual matches and 2-1 in Western Wrestling Conference action, while the Bison fall to 7-8 overall and 1-1 in league. North Dakota State scored the first nine points of the match, getting a fall by Kenny Moenkedick and a decision by Jacob Bryce at 184 and 197 pounds, respectively. Senior heavyweight Reece Hopkin got the Bears on the board, shutting out Tyler Hemmesch 15-0 for the 9-5 team score. Sophomore 125-pounder Tony Mustari kept things going, winning a 5-3 decision over Eric Hoffman, avenging a pair of losses last year as the Bears pulled within one, 9-8. The Bison were victorious in the next two weight classes, with Eric Sanders winning a 6-5 decision over Blayze Bahe and Gabriel Mooney defeating Richard Lohr 6-4. "I'm very proud of how Blayze Bahe and Richard Lohr finished their matches," said Maughan. You have to win in the third period to win matches and was proud of how they wrestled at the end, even though they didn't win." Junior Daniel Prater held an early lead over Andrey Patselov, but saw it slip away with just 1:07 left on the clock as Patselov recorded a takedown and then a nearfall to lead 7-6. With eight ticks left, Prater got a reversal to win 8-7 and pull NC back within four, 15-11. Next on the mat was Rocco Depaolo, wrestling up a weight class. He lost an 8-2 decision to Adam Aho and the Bears were down again by seven, 18-11. Junior Devan Lewis had a huge day, pinning Mike Quamme in 2:10 after trailing early 2-0 and brought Northern Colorado within one, 18-17. The 10th and final weight class pitted junior Ryan Johnson against Shannon Fetig. Johnson scored the first two points of the bout on a takedown and never looked back, winning 11-3 for the major decision and a team 21-18 victory. Maughan is now 2-19-1 all-time against his father, North Dakota State coach Bucky Maughan. "I'm happy with how we performed, even in some of the matches where we lost to them," Jack Maughan said. "Ryan Johnson had a great win. He's a good story about a walk-on making good." Northern Colorado will now take 12 days off from competition, returning to the mats on Feb. 8 as the Bears host Utah Valley State in Western Wrestling Conference action. That match is set to begin at 7:00 p.m.

Winston Churchill once said, "It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link in the chain of destiny can be handled at a time." Churchill would both live and die before his quote could describe Central DeWitt's Kurt Kreiter's journey into coaching. The journey has held many challenges that define a man who has faced so much. As a prep at North Scott high school, Kreiter would be introduced to his destiny even before he would realize it. Participating in football, baseball, and wrestling, a sport his late father would introduce both him and his brother to, created in Kreiter a life-long commitment to teaching and wrestling hidden inside a serious challenge. Kurt KreiterBut before he could face this challenge, another piece of his story was unfolding. During his sophomore season, Kreiter would be influenced by his sophomore football and wrestling coach, who also taught biology. "I had no idea what I wanted to do. I really liked my biology teacher, who ironically was a DeWitt grad," Kreiter mentions with a smile. "I told myself, that's what I wanted to do." While the first chain of his destiny would appear to him that sophomore year, it would soon be replaced by another. Entering his junior year, Kreiter would soon be faced with his destiny, disguised as a challenge that would forever shape him. "I was a junior in high school, and I developed a mass on my testicle and was diagnosed with testicular cancer," Kreiter explains. "I ended up going to the hospital at the university of Indianapolis, were I would receive medical treatment." Kreiter adds, "I would have the same doctors that Lance Armstrong would later have." Kreiter would fight through this challenge, referring to the event as "a major turning point" in his life. While he won the battle with cancer, it affected Kreiter's athletic career. "It really didn't do a lot for me as an athlete my senior year. I lost a lot of weight and had major surgery," states Kreiter. But the experience would leave a lasting mark. "I decided at a young age that when confronted with something like this I wanted to be a certain type of person and knowing now that you're really never sure what life is going to throw at you, I decided that I was going to try to do what I could, to become that type of person," Kreiter said. That year Kreiter still wrestled and played baseball and football. In fact, he did not miss a football practice, a real life testimony to the lesson of resiliency he would later teach to his future wrestlers. Kreiter would fall short of his goal of qualifying for the state meet that senior season, setting in motion the next part of his story. Knowing that Kurt wanted to farm, Kreiter's father stepped in and told him that he had to attend college. Leaving high school both frustrated and disgusted after not qualifying for the state tournament, Kreiter scrapped a plan to attend Central College to wrestle. Instead he attended the university of Iowa. He tried to leave the sport of wrestling, but his destiny lured him back into the sport a short time later. After a year at Iowa, Kreiter would miss the sport that he felt he had walked away from. Transferring to Augustana College to play football, he enrolled in a wrestling coaching and officiating class that was the catalyst to get him back into wrestling. "The teacher would basically tell a story and the varsity guys would go wrestle. it was basically an extra practice," Kreiter said. After a few times, they would eventually invite Kreiter to come join them, allowing him to move on to the next link in his destiny. He would become a three-year starter for Augustana, wrestling at 190 pounds. He earned academic All-American honors his senior season, and qualified for the national tournament twice. Leaving college having already faced several challenges, Kreiter would be ready to tackle his next. Just like the sophomore teacher who would inspire Kreiter to enter the education profession, he would find himself at the school Mr. Warren had graduated from. Kreiter would serve as an assistant for two years before becoming the head wrestling coach at DeWitt High School, a position he has held for the past 18 seasons. Kreiter is only 11 duals wins away from 200, and holds a career dual meet record of 189-163, but the numbers only tell half the challenge of taking over the Saber program. "The first few years were pretty rough," Kreiter mentions with a half smile, "the first three years we were 4-42. I had fifty losses before I had 10 wins and 100 losses before I had 50 wins." While Kreiter credits being young and holding on to the vision he saw for the program as a reason for hanging in there, the very thing he stresses to his athletes: commitment, played an even larger role. He would be tested with another challenge that would serve as the turning point of the program. When he felt that his team was ready to take the next step, Kreiter entered a double dual in 1992 against Northeast and Fulton, and his team was throttled. "We just got annihilated." Kreiter quickly continues, "We told the guys we were going to have an optional practice the next day to see who really wanted to practice, to wrestle; we had one guy show up." From that point on Kreiter decided that the only way to change the attitude of the program was to make it as hard as he could to ensure that only the strong survived. Four years later Kreiter would crown his first state champion, and recently he sent seven qualifiers to the state meet and placed fourth in the class 2A state duals. While the success is something Kreiter points out as goals he has had for the program, he feels that coaching offers so much more, and being a cancer survivor for twenty-five years has played an important part of what he wants to teach his wrestlers. "Being a cancer survivor has helped to keep things in perspective. I talk about my experiences with cancer. Coaching's a privilege, and also a responsibility. as coaches we have a lot more to offer guys -- life lessons we've experienced, and to help them out in tough situations, but most importantly commitment. To be successful you have to commit yourself. Attitude, resiliency, and time management, time is the only thing that is equal, everyone has only 24 hours a day to work with." Kurt KreiterWhile Kreiter has been challenged through his life, his destiny would not let him look too far ahead. Ironically, it seemed always to be one step ahead. This season there are new challenges on the way. Among others, Kreiter must try to replace a senior class that put DeWitt on the map, and he must now face his brother, who has just been named the new North Scott head coach. Even though the Saber head coach graduated from North Scott, he lets it be known what his true colors are, "I bleed Purple and gold, instead of scarlet and gray now," Kreiter says with a wide grin. While talking about the dual with his brother this season, Kreiter briefly says, "I'm excited. I'd like to beat him." But Kreiter, who is a passionate teacher and candidly says, "There's not a day I haven't looked forward to coming to work at Central," knows in the end that wins and losses don't measure the success of a coach. "When it's all said and done I'm not going to be judged by my peers, or my athletes, by the wins and losses, I'm going to be judged by a lot of other things." While the farming community has missed out on a great man, his destiny let the education profession inherit one of those men that are hard to find but even harder to replace.

Minnesota Probable Lineup: 125 Pounds: No. 1 Jayson Ness (25-0, Division I-leading 17 pins) 133 Pounds: No. 2 Mack Reiter (16-3, 10-2 in dual meets) 141 Pounds: No. 4 Manuel Rivera (25-2, beat No. 3 Kellen Russell of UM Friday) 149 Pounds: Luke Mellmer (8-14) OR No. 2 Dustin Schlatter (13-1) 157 Pounds: No. 7 C.P. Schlatter (21-2, 11-2 in dual meets) 165 Pounds: Tyler Safratowich (19-7, 2007 NCAA qualifier) 174 Pounds: No. 11 Gabe Dretsch (21-7, will face No. 2 Jay Borschel Friday) 184 Pounds: No. 5 Roger Kish (8-3, two-time All-American) 197 Pounds: Justin Bronson (14-12) OR Chris McPhail (3-2) Heavyweight: Ben Berhow (12-10) OR Yura Malamura (10-8)

Ticket sales for the 2008 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, to be held March 8-9 at Williams Arena on the University of Minnesota campus, have been moving briskly, Minnesota Athletics officials announced today. Over 3,500 all-session tickets have already been sold for the two-day event, which will take place in Minneapolis for the first time since 1997. The 3,500 number already eclipses the total number of all-session tickets sold at the previous two Big Ten Championships, which were held in East Lansing, Mich. (2007) and Bloomington, Ind. (2006). "The fan base for Big Ten wrestling is outstanding, and we fully expect great crowds for both days of the championships," said Minnesota associate athletic director and championships manager Marc Ryan. "Tickets are selling fast, and I would urge fans to reserve their seats as quickly as possible." All-session tickets for the 2008 Big Ten Wrestling Championships are priced at just $30 and admit fans to all three sessions of one of the conference's most exciting postseason events. Sessions 1 and 2 will take place on Saturday, March 8, while the Session 3 finals will begin at noon on Sunday, March 9. Tickets may be purchased online through www.gophersports.com, in person at the athletics ticket office in Mariucci Arena or by calling 1-800-U-GOPHER or 612-624-8080. Single-session tickets, if available, will not go on sale until the week of the championship on Monday, March 3.

The Minnesota coaching staff determined on Monday that Roger Kish will wrestle this Friday night against Iowa, while Dustin Schlatter is a "possibility." Roger Kish (Photo/The Guillotine)Kish, a two-time All-American, has not competed since the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals on January 12-13, where he went 0-2. He is expected to face Iowa's Phil Keddy on Friday night in a much anticipated match at 184 pounds. Schlatter, who is also a two-time All-American, has not competed since finishing runner-up at the Southern Scuffle on December 30. If Schlatter does wrestle, he will face Iowa's Brent Metcalf, who is currently ranked No. 1 in the country. If Schlatter is held out of the dual, Luke Mellmer will likely be inserted at 149 pounds. More information with projected lineups coming soon.