InterMat Staff

Mitch Norton, a red shirt freshman from Waverly, Iowa, has been named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Wrestler of the Week. This honor is the fifth NSIC Player of the Week award earned by an Upper Iowa student-athlete this year and second by an Upper Iowa wrestler. This past week the Upper Iowa wrestling team traveled to Kirksville, Missouri to take on the Bulldogs of Truman State University. The team won 25-12 thanks in part to Norton's victory at 165 pounds. Norton, challenged Blake Peterson, a former Division I National Qualifier and University of Northern Iowa transfer, in the highlight match of the night. Norton never trailed in the match and held leads of 4-2 and 6-4 at the ends of periods one and two, respectively. Norton registered two reversals and a near fall in the third period to take the victory 12-7. This dual win came on the heels of a great showing for Norton and the team in their last tournament. On the 5th and 6th of January, the Peacocks competed in the Midwest Classic and Norton led the team to a 2nd place finish thanks to his championship at 165 pounds. Norton has gained the attention of the National Wrestling Coaches Association as well. He is currently ranked #4 in the nation at 165 pounds. Head coach Heath Grimm proudly said, "This honor is well deserved. What makes this honor even more special is the fact that Mitch is just a freshman. Mitch has wrestled extremely well to this point, and we only expect him to keep improving as the season goes on. I believe there are wrestlers who can find a way to win and those who find a way to lose; Mitch is finding ways to win." Norton and the #8 Peacock wrestling team will hit the mat again on both Thursday and Saturday night in their first two home conference duals of the season. Their opponents will be Northern State University on Thursday night at 7 p.m. and the University of Mary on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. Both duals will take place in Dorman Gymnasium.

BUFFALO, NY –- Six months after winning a championship title at the 2006 Canada Cup, former UB wrestling great Kyle Cerminara (Lewiston, NY/Lewiston-Porter) has been tabbed to represent the United States at the 2007 Takhti Cup in Bandar Abbas, Iran on January 18-19. Cerminara, UB's all-time winningest wrestler, will compete at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. on a 14-athlete roster consisting of former world championship medalists, U.S. World Team members, and U.S. Nationals freestyle champions. Cerminara is one of four teammates representing the New York Athletic Conference. The Lewiston, NY native will join the likes of 2006 World silver medalist Mike Zadick as well as 2006 U.S. World Team member Andy Hrovat and 2005 U.S. World Team member Mo Lawal. Coaching the U.S. team will be USA Wrestling's National Freestyle Resident Coach Terry Brands, a two-time World champion and 2000 Olympic bronze medalist, along with veteran coach Ed Giese of Woodale, Ill. Since his championship run at the 2006 Canada Cup in July, Cerminara has been training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO, fighting for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team when it competes in Beijing, China in 2008. In November, Cerminara finished fourth at the American Airlines/NYAC Holiday International. While at UB, Cerminara began his final season on a 34-match winning streak, which included a first-place finish at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Overall, Cerminara finished his senior season with a 39-4 record and was the winner of every tournament he competed in throughout the season, before finishing second at the MAC Championships. Cerminara left Buffalo with a career record of 137-35 (.796), which is sixth all-time for the Bulls. "We're really proud of Kyle," Buffalo head coach Jim Beichner said. "He's been working really hard to earn a chance to represent his country at the next Olympic games. He has his goals set and knows where he wants to be at in terms of his developmental process. We're all rooting for him here."

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -– The No. 10 Penn State wrestling team's Big Ten opening dual at No. 17 and undefeated Wisconsin will feature a live video stream at www.UWBadgers.com. Action in Madison, Wis., begins at 8 p.m. Eastern. Nittany Lion fans simply go to the above link and click on the appropriate 'Live Video Stream' link to watch the entire Big Ten dual match. The bout features 9-2 Penn State facing 14-0 Wisconsin in the conference lid-lifter for both teams. The audio broadcast of the game will also be available at www.GoPSUsports.com and can be heard locally on WBLF 970 AM and WKVA 920 AM. Jeff Byers will call the action as head coach Troy Sunderland's crew takes on the Badgers.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's Michael Keefe was named the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Month for December, the SoCon office announced this week. Keefe produced an 11-3 mark during the month, wrestling at 141 pounds. The senior from Ringgold, Ga., earned fifth-place finishes at two tournaments in the month. He placed fifth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 2, going 6-1 with a pin and two major decisions. At the end of the month, Keefe finished fifth at the Southern Scuffle. He went 5-2 in the event with a pin and two majors. The 2005 All-America helped the Mocs defeat No. 14 Ohio State 23-13 on Dec. 17 by scoring a 24-10 major decision over OSU's Matt Fleming. Keefe, nationally ranked as high as No. 14, is the second straight UTC wrestler to be selected by the SoCon for its monthly honor. Javier Maldonado, a junior 125-pounder, was the November honoree. The Mocs head to Mount Pleasant, Mich., Sunday to compete in the Chippewa Challenge at Central Michigan University.

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ -- Kevin Fox of Sacred Heart University and Nick Pullano of Old Dominion University, have been named the Colonial Athletic Association Wrestlers of the Week, and Chris Brown of ODU is the CAA Rookie Wrestler of the Week, for all competition January 9-15 Fox, a junior 197 from Kendall Park, NJ (Peddie School), won all three of his CAA duals last week by fall in the first minute of the match. Fox recorded a pin in :41 against Binghamton, in :48 against Wagner and in :39 against Boston University to improve to 7-3 on the season. Pullano, a junior 165 from Chesapeake, VA (Great Bridge), went 6-0 at the Virginia Duals last week, the only wrestler at the tournament to win six bouts. He compiled a tournament-high 60 match points and his 22 team points was third most in the tournament. Pullano improved to 9-0 in duals and 16-7 overall. Brown, a freshman 157 from Chesapeake, VA (Great Bridge), went 5-1 at the Virginia Duals last week, with two major decision and a fall, improving to 8-1 in duals and 26-8 overall. The CAA Duals take place January 19-20 at George Mason.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -– Nathan Galloway (State College, Pa.) has left the Nittany Lion wrestling team and has been given his release to transfer to another institution. The senior from State College informed head coach Troy Sunderland and his coaching staff of his decision early this week. "We appreciate everything Nathan has done for our program during his years as a Nittany Lion," Sunderland said. "We are going to do everything we can to help him continue his academic and athletic careers and wish him the best."

When Ponderosa's Justin Danz stepped on the mat against two-time defending state champion Louis Bland of Central Catholic, there was no fear in his eyes. Instead, Danz viewed reaching the 171-pound final of the 97-team, Five Counties Invitational (AKA The Beast of the West) as giving him a golden opportunity: one of family revenge. As a freshman, Bland had defeated Justin's older brother, Jordan, 10-7, in the Sectional Championships. Justin Danz (Photo/Peter Klingsheim)The younger Danz wasted no time, getting a first period takedown, riding Bland hard and finally pinning the sixth-ranked-nationally opponent just at the two minute mark, causing the capacity crowd in the Fountain Valley High School gymnasium to erupt furiously. "It's definitely a little surprising to go out there and pin the No. 1-ranked guy in the state, who's won states two times. I went out there pretty confident that I was going to win. There was definitely some revenge for beating my brother a few years ago … I wanted that win." Dantz's match was not the only bout of the evening to end in fall. The 125-pound final between Cody Klaus of Vacaville and Nick Fisher of Clovis West had virtually non-stop wild scrambling in a first period that saw Fisher score a takedown and Klaus an escape. In the second period, Klaus threw in legs and was working a power half, but seemingly got too high as Fisher started to try and come out the back door. Remarkably, Klaus was not only able to maintain control, but turn his opponent and earn the fall using no leverage from his legs at all. "I'm really not the best 'legger' in the world," said Klaus after the win, "but I'm comfortable there because I'm always there. I knew he was going to tripod up again, so I just pushed the head under and threw in the half." Nikko Triggas (Photo/Peter Klingsheim)The finals featured a wide variety of matches, from close, tactical bouts, to wild, scrambling shootouts. At 119, standing state champ Nikko Triggas of Campolindo seemed to be in a bit of a dogfight at after an action-packed 4-3 first period against Bakersfield's Frank Lomas. However, Triggas then went on a rampage for the final two periods, scoring 11 unanswered points to win 14-3. The 135 class saw the scoreboard light up like a Christmas tree on both sides as Tommy Wipfli of Foothill-Pleasanton came out on top of a 17-12 bout against Edison's Garrett Drucker, which included Wipfli scoring back-points right at the end. At 145, Bakersfield's Travis Rasmussen used superior conditioning to come from behind against Calivin Miller of Natomas and score a match-tying third period takedown to force overtime. He then scored another takedown to win the sudden victory, 8-6. The clear winner of the champ with the longest ride home was certainly 160-pounder Brandon Hatchett of Oviedo, Florida where he is a two-time state champion. Hatchett earned a sharp 6-0 win over Sultana's Eli McWatters, scoring a takedown in each of the three periods. Although they had only one finalist and no champions, Poway ran away and hid from the rest of the field with 226 points, 59.5 ahead of second place Vacaville who finished with 166.5. Poway used incredible team balance, placing in 9 of the 14 weights, which is remarkable considering the amount of teams competing and the considerable depth of the field. Finals Results: 103 -- Jesse Delgado (Gilroy) dec. Britain Longmire (Cimarron Memorial), 6-0 112 -- Thomas Williams (South Hills) dec. Nektoe Demison (Bakersfield), 3-0 119 -- Nikko Triggas (Campolindo) maj. dec. Frank Lomas (Bakersfield), 14-3 125 -- Kody Klaus (Vacaville) pinned Nick Fisher (Clovis West), 3:37 130 -- Bobby Schofield (Dana Hills) dec. Joey Boone (Poway), 5-2 135 -- Tommy Wipfli (Foothill-Pleasanton) dec. Garrett Drucker (Edison), 17-12 140 -- Mike Vasser (Foothill) dec. Jarell Price (Las Vegas), 7-3 145 -- Travis Rasmussen (Bakersfield) dec. Calivin Miller (Natomas), 5-4 152 -- Jordan Abed (Alhambra) dec. Joey Wilson (Half Moon Bay), 8-6 (SV) 160 -- Brandon Hatchett (Oviedo, FL) dec. Eli McWatters (Sultana) 6-0 171 -- Justin Danz (Ponderosa) pinned Louis Bland (Central Catholic) 1:59 189 -- Kyle Bergstedt (Paradise) dec. Ryan Smith (Temecula Valley) 9-3 215 -- Ryan Flores (Buchanan) dec. Lukhart (Vacaville) 4-0 275 -- Ryan Hoover (Hesperia) dec. Neil Spencer (Cimarron Memorial) 5-1 Team Scores: Poway 226.0 Vacaville 166.5 Buchanan 147.0 Temecula Valley 143.5 Oviedo (Florida) 123.0 Bakersfield 114.5 Sultana 96.5 Cimarron Memorial 96.0 Santa Fe 82.0 Ponderosa 81.0 Outstanding Wrestler Awards: Lightweights -- Nikko Triggas, Campolindo, four pins and one major decision Middleweights -- Joradan Abed, Alhambra, one pin and five decisions Upperweights -- Justin Danz, four pins and one major decision

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Former NCAA champion Fred Davis is the recipient of the 2007 Gallagher Award, to be presented before the Oklahoma State-Iowa dual in Gallagher-Iba Arena on Friday. The Gallagher Award is "presented annually to an OSU wrestling alumnus who exemplifies the spirit and leadership eminent in the tradition of champions." "There has been some fine people win the Gallagher Award," Davis said. "There have been some great wrestlers from the past and I am certainly honored to receive that distinction." Davis was a three-time All-American at Oklahoma A&M from 1954-56. He helped lead the Aggies to three NCAA team titles, and captured an individual title at 167 pounds in 1955. Davis took home fourth in 1954, and he closed out his collegiate career with a runner-up finish in 1956. Davis went into teaching once he finished competing in 1957. He spent three years teaching physical education at a junior high school, before he helped open McLain High School in Tulsa and start the wrestling program. In 1964, Davis left to assume the head coaching position at Brigham Young University. He spent 20 years at the helm of the Cougar wrestling program where he coached 18 All-Americans and 59 Western Athletic Conference champions. BYU claimed the conference championship in 15 of his 20 seasons, and it finished runner-up four times. BYU had its best finish in program history in 1973 when Davis guided the Cougars to fourth place at the NCAA Championships. He was honored as the NCAA coach of the Year for his efforts. That same year he served as president of the National Wrestling Coaches Association. BYU finished sixth in 1978, its only other top-10 finish in school history. Davis resigned from the helm of the BYU program in 1984 so that he could return to Tulsa and spend time with his aging mother. He returned to teaching and took over the wrestling program at Bishop Kelley High School in ‘84. Davis coached five state champions during his tenure at Bishop Kelley and led the Red Comets to a state runner-up finish in 1986. Davis retired from coaching and teaching in 1999. He lives in Tulsa with his wife, Deon, and he has three children: Tannaca Wright, DaNette Azierre and Fred P. Davis III and five step daughters. Past Winners 1986 -- Rex Peery 1987 -- Frank Lewis 1988 -- Myron Roderick 1989 -- Tommy Chesbro 1990 -- Joe McDaniel 1991 -- John W. Divine 1996 -- Ray Murphy 1997 -- John Smith 1998 -- Grady Peninger 1999 -- Kenny Monday 2000 -- Pat Smith 2001 -- Kendall Cross 2002 -- Mike Sheets 2003 -- Doug Blubaugh 2004 -- Grover Rains 2005 -- Bobby Douglas 2006 -- Charles Hetrick 2007 -- Fred Davis

Cedar Falls, Iowa -- Competing in the finals of the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Cliff Keen Duals, the No. 1 ranked Missouri Tigers fell to No. 2 Minnesota, 20-16, to finish with runner-up honors in the UNI Dome on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa. Despite a change in lineup and two-point lead going into the heavyweight bout, the Tigers were unable to hold on for the win. Suffering an 11-0 loss by major decision at 125 pounds, junior All-American Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) helped bring the Tigers even with Minnesota blanking Mike Thorn, 12-0 at 133 pounds. Controlling the match, McCormick recorded three takedowns, one in each period, with a three-point nearfall call at the buzzer in the second period. Earning one point for Thorn's continual stalling, McCormick racked up 1:30 of riding time for his 10th win of the season and 61st of his career. Minnesota took its second lead of the dual with fifth-ranked Manuel Rivera's 18-7 major decision over Missouri's 15th-ranked true freshman Ashtin Primus (South Connelsville, Penn.). The Golden Gophers' team lead was extended an additional three points (11-4) after Missouri's No. 15 Josh Wagner (Milton, Wis.) lost a 1-0 bout to No. 1 Dustin Schlatter. The two wrestlers were scoreless through the entire match, with Schlatter earning his only point on two minutes of riding time. Competing at 157 pounds, sophomore Michael Chandler (High Ridge, Mo.) took the early lead on C.P. Schlatter, but lost by one point (6-5) as Schlatter stormed back to score three takedowns in the final period of action. Chandler had jumped to an early 3-0 lead through the first five minutes but was only able to score two escapes in the third. Making changes to the lineup, redshirt freshman Nicholas Marable (Colliersville, Tenn.) made his second dual start of the season at 165 pounds. Wrestling 19th-ranked Jeremy Larson, Marable won his match, 5-3 to improve to 26-6 on the season while helping Missouri pull within seven points of the Golden Gophers. Next up for the Tigers, senior All-American Matt Pell (Luxemburg, Wis.) scored a 9-4 victory over 12th-ranked Gabe Dretsch at 174 pounds. Pell, ranked No. 7 at 165 pounds, and Dretsch stood tied at three entering the third period, but Pell broke loose in the third, scoring two takedowns and an escape while collecting 1:16 of riding time for the win. Pell now holds 112 wins in his career at Missouri and moved ahead of 165 pound All-American Tyron Woodley for sixth place in the record book. In a rare matchup, senior 174 pound defending National Champion Ben Askren (Hartland, Wis.), ranked No. 1 in the nation, paired with second ranked Roger Kisch at 184 pounds and helped the Tigers come within one point of the Gophers with his 5-4 win by decision. Scoreless through the first period, Askren scored an escape after starting the period down and takedown to end the period with a 3-0 lead. Kisch started the third period down and escaped, but Askren was quick to take the Gopher down for his final two points of the match. Redshirt freshman Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) kept his perfect record in tack with an 11-5 decision over Brent Eidenschink. The win helped Missouri to a short-lived two point advantage that came to an end when Missouri's true freshman Tyler Perry (Hannibal, Mo.) was pined by defending National Champion Cole Konrad in 2:13. The dual loss was Missouri's first of the season and the Tigers return home to Columbia with a 7-1 record. Missouri's next dual of the season will at home, Sunday, Jan. 28, at 2 p.m. (CT) against No. 20 Nebraska in the Hearnes Center.

WASHINGTON -- The American University wrestling team got back to its winning ways Sunday afternoon, riding three wins by bonus points to defeat George Mason, 24-17. Wrestling in its seventh dual in eight days, the Eagles improved to 7-6 on the 2006-07 season. Damian Swietlik, Rudy Rueda and No. 9 Josh Glenn had bonus point victories to help AU to the win. At 149, Swietlik dominated Chris Cartella with over 10 takedowns on his way to the 24-8 technical fall in the third period. Rueda earned his 16th win of the season and seventh by major decision at 174 as he controlled the action from start to finish in a 12-2 victory. At 197, Glenn was equally impressive, scoring a takedown to start the match and pushing his lead to 16-2 thanks to three nearfalls in the first period. A point away from a technical fall, the AU junior scored a takedown and was able to earn the pin - his seventh of the season. American also got decision wins from Jordan Lipp, Mike Cannon and Adam LoPiccolo. Lipp was able to score two takedowns in the second period and escape in the third for an 8-5 decision at 133. Cannon scored take downs at the beginning of the first and second period and rode out his opponent for a 4-0 lead into the third with a 3:35 riding time advantage. He escaped quickly to start the third and scored a takedown for the 7-0 lead, which he held for the 8-3 win. At heavyweight, LoPiccolo earned his eighth straight win, forcing the action and scoring three takedowns for the 8-2 win. The Eagles move to 7-6 on the year after a tough week in which they wrestled seven times, twice against top-25 opponents. AU will get some much needed rest over the next week as their next match will be on the road against Sacred Heart Friday Jan. 26.

CORVALLIS, Ore. -– Oregon State heavyweight Ty Watterson won the afternoon's bout between nationally ranked wrestlers as the 19th-ranked Beavers beat Cal State-Fullerton 23-9 in Pacific-10 wrestling Sunday afternoon at Gill Coliseum. Watterson, ranked 12th in this week's National Wrestling Coaches Association poll, edge CSUF's 14th-ranked Wade Sauer 3-2 as OSU (9-1 overall, 3-0 Pac-10) stretched its home winning streak to nine meets over two seasons. The Beavers now go on the road for a pair of non-conference duals next Saturday, at Wyoming in the afternoon and at Northern Colorado in the evening. Against Cal State-Fullerton (4-4, 2-3), Oregon State won seven of the day's 10 matches. OSU got major decisions from 125-pounder Jake Gonzales and 197-pounder Travis Gardner; in the rest of their wins, the Beavers generally had to grind it out against the Titans to remain unbeaten in Pac-10 duals this season. "I think we've got a lot more to give," OSU head coach Jim Zalesky said. "We've had a good two weeks of training, really not peaking for these meets, kind of training through these meets, but I think we're going to perform a lot better down the road. It was a good performance; sometimes you've got to win by not looking real pretty but just getting a win. "There were some good, tough matches there ... sometimes you just do what you have to do to win." Watterson, ranked second in the Pac-10, defeated Sauer, ranked third, for the third time this season with a 3-2 decision that came down to the OSU heavyweight getting a point for his 2 minutes, 22 seconds of riding time. He had previously beaten Sauer 6-2 at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate and 2-1 at the Reno Tournament of Champions. "They've all been pretty close, but I guess that's what you get out of the guy right behind you," Watterson said. "That played a big part in the way I was wrestling out there, knowing if I beat him one more time, the next time I wrestle him it will be a little mental beforehand. You definitely want to have the mental edge on guys ... We'll be battling again; we're not done yet." Watterson scored a takedown and Sauer an escape in the opening period of their match on Sunday; the only scoring in the second period was Sauer's escape in the closing seconds that tied the score at 2-2. Watterson chose the neutral position to start the third period and neither wrestler could score, with the riding time giving Watterson the win. Watterson improved to 16-4 with two pins this season, while Sauer is 17-9 with two pins; both are ranked behind Cal Poly's Cody Parker at heavyweight in the Pac-10. Watterson's win pushed him into a tie for 42nd place on OSU's list of all-time leaders in career wins with 70 victories. Oregon State's two other nationally ranked wrestlers, 141-pounder Kyle Larson and 174-pounder Jeremy Larson, picked up victories; both are ranked 19th in this week's NWCA poll. Kyle Larson used a takedown in the first period and a two-point near-fall in the third period to gain a 7-0 win over the Titans' Teddy Astorga. Kyle Larson is now 17-5 with seven pins this season and has won nine of his last 11 matches. Jeremy Larson notched a takedown in each period en route to an 8-2 decision over CSUF's Ryan Budd. Jeremy Larson improved to 18-5 with four pins, and the win put him one victory away from gaining a spot in OSU's all-time top-50 in career wins. Gonzales used a reversal and four takedowns in the second period to roll to a 15-7 major decision over Jaime Hernandez to start Sunday's dual; Gonzales is now 12-6 with two pins this season. Gardner scored a pair of three-point near-falls in the final period of an 11-3 major decision over John Drake that assured OSU the team victory in the dual. OSU 133-pounder Bobby Pfennigs upped his record to 16-5 this season with a 7-2 decision over T.J. Dillashaw. Cal State-Fullerton's two wrestlers ranked atop the Pac-10 in their weight class – 149-pounder Morgan Atkinson and 184-pounder Ian Murphy – both took wins. Atkinson, ranked 11th nationally, outscored OSU's Derek Kipperberg, ranked third in the Pac-10, 11-7. Murphy, ranked 18th nationally, topped Oregon State's Kyle Bressler 7-1.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. –- The Rutgers wrestling team split matches on Sunday as it hosted Army and the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) in a tri-meet at the College Avenue Gym. The Scarlet Knights dropped a 28-6 Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) match-up to Army before cruising to a 34-9 win over USMMA. "While the Army score might not reflect it, I felt we wrestled well today," said 16th-year head coach John Sacchi. "We were very competitive in every match. I feel we are improving and just need to keep working on some small things. I was pleased with our intensity the whole day." In its first match versus Army, Rutgers (4-3, 3-2 EIWA) got wins from Matt Pletcher (Eastampton, N.J.) and Lamar Brown (Red Bank, N.J.). At 165 pounds, Pletcher took an early 2-1 lead after a takedown in the opening period and added an escape from the defensive position in the second. In the third, Army's Ed Gibbons cut the lead to one with an escape, but another takedown from Pletcher with 38 seconds remaining and a point for riding time lifted the Scarlet Knights to the bout win. With the win at 197 pounds, Brown improved to 3-0 in dual match action this season. Brown, in one of the day's most exciting matches, scored on a takedown with eight seconds remaining in the fist overtime period to get the win over Army's Connor Sanders. Both Brown and Sanders scored escapes from the defensive positions as the match was tied at one at the end of regulation. The match was Brown's first overtime bout of the season. The Scarlet Knights scored bonus points in four matches en route to a 34-9 victory over USMMA in the final match of the day. Dan Hilt (Manapalan, N.J.) scored 12 backpoints in the first period en route to the 16-0 technical fall win over the Mariners' Anthony Day at 133 pounds. At the 141-pound bout, Kyle Milanese (Delran, N.J.) posted his first pin of the season over USMMA's A.J. Melton. Milanese scored an early takedown and turned Melton to record the pin 2:11 into the bout. In the next match-up, Jack Barrett (Metuchen, N.J.) five takedowns to earn a major decision victory over the Mariners' Seth Ching at 149 pounds. Jamie Lijo (Stanhope, N.J.), who returned to the mat for the first time this season due to injury, recorded a pin over USMMA's Danridge Giltz at 157 pounds. In the first period, Lijo jumped out to a 10-1 lead, including eight backpoints. The pin came 6:15 into the match. Pletcher won his second match of the day, a 10-0 major decision over Trevor Muhler in the 165-pound bout. Pletcher scored five early points and scored three more nearfall points in the final period en route to the win. Mike Whalen (Lake Hiawatha, N.J.) won an 8-2 decision, including three takedowns, over USMMA's Troy McGuiness at 174 pounds. At 184 pounds, Mike Elshamy (Brick, N.J.) recorded his first win of the season, a 3-0 decision over the Mariners' Eric Rohan. Elshamy scored one takedown and earned a point for riding time (2:19) to earn the victory. In the final bout of the day, Mike D'Amico (Kenilworth, N.J.) recorded a 3-2 decision over John Brunetti. D'Amico tallied all his points in the second period, escaping from the defensive position before getting a takedown at the 1:07 mark. Rutgers will travel to Providence, R.I., on Saturday, Jan. 20, for an EIWA match-up with Brown University at 2:00 p.m. at the Pizzitola Center.

Charleston, Ill. -- The Indiana wrestling team remained perfect in dual meet action (9-0-0) with a 41-4 victory over Eastern Illinois on Sunday, Jan. 14. The Hoosiers won nine of the 10 individual matches over the Panthers on the day. Three Hoosiers - No. 12 Angel Escobedo, No. 7 Matt Coughlin and Josh Buuck - pinned their opponents on the day, while Andrae Hernandez earned a 15-0 technical fall in the victory. Seven of the 10 Hoosiers earned bonus points on the day, as IU won its 13th straight match against EIU. Escobedo (125 pounds) opened the meet with his team-leading 11th pin of the year, dropping A.J. Ciccarelli in 4:40. It marked the second time in just over two weeks that he has pinned Ciccarelli, as he turned the trick at the Midlands Championships on Dec. 29. Escobedo is tied for 10th on IU's single-season list with the 11 falls. Escobedo's cousin, Hernandez, followed that up with a 15-0 technical fall of Lenny Grodoski to run his season record to 18-8. He leads the squad with five technical falls on the year. At 141, Nick Walpole topped Casey Carrino 3-1 to move to 16-7 on the season. Coughlin followed Walpole with his fifth pin of the year at 149, falling Tommy Reamer in 1:16. Ryan Pribble (157) won his first dual meet as a Hoosier after that, taking a 7-5 decision over Kile O'Toole. Max Dean (165) followed up a fourth-place finish at Midlands with a 12-0 major decision over Billy Gallo to improve to 22-6 on the year. At 174 pounds, Kenny Robertson earned EIU's only points of the match, taking a 12-0 major decision over Trevor Perry. Indiana followed with major decisions by No. 12 Marc Bennett (11-2) and true freshman Nathan Everhart at 184 and 197, respectively. Buuck closed the match by pinning Joe Trinka in 3:46 for his fifth pin on the year in his six victories. Indiana returns to action on Friday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m. EST in University Gym, when it hosts arch-rival Purdue for the first meet of the Big Ten season.

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The No. 21 Michigan State wrestling team recorded its first dual win of the season with a 23-13 victory over Pittsburgh Sunday afternoon at Jenison Field House. The Spartans won six of the 10 matches, including victories by No. 1 Nick Simmons, No. 4 Andy Simmons, No. 7 Franklin Gomez and No. 8 Joe Williams. Andy Simmons won his 107th career match, moving into a tie for 11th all-time in MSU history with Jim Mason. "Overall, we wrestled pretty well," said MSU head coach Tom Minkel. "We've made some progress and made some improvements. Our main issue is we have to create more pressure when we wrestle and stay on our opponent no matter what the score, and we did a better job of that today." The dual started strong for the Spartans (1-4) at 125 pounds as seventh-ranked Franklin Gomez pinned Brad Gentzle in 2:44. After a slow start the first two minutes, Gomez scored a takedown in the third minute, then quickly brought Gentzle on his back for the pin with 16 seconds remaining in the first period. The pin was the second of the season for Gomez, who improved to 26-2 for the year and 5-0 in dual meets. Top-ranked Nick Simmons defeated his eighth ranked wrestler of the year at 133 pounds, this time disposing of No. 11 Drew Headlee, 6-0. Simmons has now won 12 straight home dual-meet matches and remains undefeated on the season at 25-0. No. 4 Andy Simmons was equally as dominant at 141 pounds, picking up a 15-3 major decision victory over true freshman Jimmy Conroy to give the Spartans a 13-0 lead in the dual. Simmons recorded five takedowns in winning his 107th career match, which is tied for 11th best in MSU history with Jim Mason. "Andy felt better, looked better and wrestled better today," Minkel said, referring to Andy's absence from the lineup for nearly seven weeks. Wrestling in his first career match at 149 pounds, Jeff Wimberley continued his impressive season, racking up his 19th victory with a 7-0 shutout of Joe Ciampoli. After starting the season at 133, then moving up to 141 for two duals, Wimberley looks to have found a home at 149 in the Spartan lineup with his strong showing against Pittsburgh. Wimberley is now 3-0 in duals this season. "One thing Jeff will do for you is wrestle the whole match," said Minkel. "We said we had to get him in the lineup. He got the job done today and it's nice to have him back in the lineup." The Spartans lost their first match of the afternoon at 157 pounds as No. 7 Matt Kocher topped Tony Greathouse, 8-4, but MSU took a 16-3 team lead into the break. MSU got back on the winning track after the break in the 165-pound bout. Red-shirt freshman Rocky Cozart won his first career dual match, scoring a late takedown and near-fall points in the closing seconds of the third period for a 6-1 victory over Sean Richmond. Pitt's highest ranked wrestler, No. 3 Keith Gavin, recorded an 11-2 major decision victory over John Murphy at 174 pounds for the Panthers' second win of the dual. No. 8 Joe Williams secured the victory for Michigan State with a 9-1 major decision over Mike Heist in the 184-pound match. Williams, who improved to 20-6 for the season, jumped out to a 5-1 lead after two periods, and in the third, he added near-fall points and riding time. At 197, red-shirt freshman Nick Palmieri appeared to secure his first career dual-match victory, but Eric Cassidy delivered a takedown in the final seconds of the third period to force overtime. Cassidy then scored the first takedown in the sudden-victory overtime to rally for the 5-3 comeback win. In the heavyweight match, Pitt's Zach Sheaffer defeated Alan O'Donnell, 8-4. Michigan State returns to action Friday, Jan. 26 to host No. 16 Illinois in the Big Ten opener. The match will begin at 7 p.m. in Jenison Field House.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The fourth-ranked Iowa State wrestling team rallied from a semi-final loss to second-seeded and eventual team title champion Minnesota (24-11) to place third at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals with a 25-9 defeat of No. 3 Oklahoma State in the UNI-Dome Sunday. Nick Gallick (133), Mitch Mueller (141) and David Zabriskie (HWT) provided major upset wins in the third-place match, which marked the Cyclones' biggest win over OSU since 1980. ISU improves its' dual mark to 6-3. Double winners on the day for the Cyclones were Gallick and 197-pounder Kurt Backes. Minnesota beat Missouri, 20-16, for the team title. The victory over Oklahoma State is the Cyclones' first since handing the Cowboys a 25-20 loss in the 2002 National Duals in Columbus, Ohio. Sunday's winning margin over the Cowboys is Iowa State's biggest margin of victory in the series since a Dr. Harold Nichols' coached squad defeated OSU 32-9 in 1980. ISU downed Oklahoma State 27-11 in 1976. "We're looking good right now," Iowa State head coach Cael Sanderson said. "As a team we have some room to improve. We're here for the experience; to face the best teams in the country in preparation for the NCAA's. We are making the right progress in order to be in contention in March. We are working hard and it is all coming together. Right now we are happy where our guys are because it is building confidence, especially in our freshmen. I am proud of our guys." Iowa State won seven of ten matches against Oklahoma State. Gallick squared off against two-time OSU All-American Coleman Scott and emerged victorious with a 3-2 decision. The redshirt freshman attacked first with an early takedown to take a 2-0 advantage on the third-ranked Cowboy. With the score tied 2-2, Gallick scored an escape early in the third period that ultimately gave him the win. Gallick improves to 19-6 on the season. At 141-pounds, Mitch Mueller pulled off the surprise with a 5-3 overtime decision of No. 3 Nathan Morgan. Mueller trailed Morgan 3-0 in the match but pulled within one point with a pair of escapes. Morgan was warned for stalling and then penalized for the same infraction, awarding Mueller a point and tying the match at 3-3. The match went to overtime and Mueller wasted no time, taking down the All-American in nine seconds. Zabriskie upset 10th-ranked Jared Rosholt at heavyweight in the final three seconds of the match with a takedown to win 4-3. Like Mueller, Zabriskie was down 3-0 during the second period, but battled back with two escapes. Down 3-2 with less than 10 seconds remaining in the match, Zabriskie grabbed hold of Rosholt's legs on the edge of the mat to score a takedown. The Cyclone redshirt freshman that hails from Branchville, N.J., improves his mark to 15-6. "Our freshmen came through with big upsets today," Sanderson said. "Their matches were huge. It is all about increasing their confidence and giving those freshmen this sort of experience. They are building confidence in themselves." Backes continued his offensive dominance with a 22-9 major decision over Jared Shelton. Backes, ranked eighth nationally, tallied back points early in the match, nearly pinning Shelton and stunned the Cowboy with 10 takedowns. The ISU senior captain put on an offensive showing during the tournament, winning all four of his matches, three of which resulted in bonus points. He now is only three wins shy of etching his name on the ISU 100-career winner's list. Also picking up victories in the Oklahoma State dual were Cyler Sanderson (149), Trent Paulson (157) and Jake Varner (184). "It's exciting, but we have a lot of time until nationals," Trent Paulson said. "We will be a different team by the time the tournament rolls around in March." ISU re-matched with Minnesota in semi-final action to begin the day, but was unable to avenge an early season loss and suffered its second defeat at the Gophers' hands. Gallick registered a 10-0 major decision over Mike Thorn. At 165-pounds, Travis Paulson scored his fifth major decision of the season as he rolled to a 12-4 victory over Jeremy Larson. Backes took a 9-4 decision against Brent Eidenschink. Iowa State will open Big 12 Conference wrestling action on the road Saturday as it will travel to Lincoln, Neb., for a 7 p.m. dual against Nebraska. The Cyclones return to Ames on Jan. 26 to play host to Oklahoma at 7 p.m

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State wrestling team won eight of ten matches to hand Big Ten Conference opponent Purdue its first loss of the season, 28-6, Sunday in St. John Arena. The Buckeyes now are 2-3 overall and 1-0 in the league, while the Boilermakers' record stands at 10-1 and 0-1 in the conference. With the dual starting at 141 pounds, Buckeye J Jaggers (So., Northfield, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel) got the Scarlet and Gray on the board first with a 10-1 major decision over Nick Bertucci. Jaggers never trailed in the match, leading 2-0 at the end of the first period before increasing his lead to 4-1 at the conclusion of the second session. As time expired in the third period, Jaggers notched a 3-point nearfall to take a 9-1 lead and added to his point total after the one minute riding time advantage. Heading into the third period of his match leading 4-0, No. 19 Lance Palmer (Fr., Lakewood, Ohio/St. Edwards) (149) held on for the 4-3 win as time began to run out, as 10th-ranked Jake Patacsil was awarded a 3-point nearfall with :41 seconds left in the third period. After Buckeye Jason Johnstone (So., Massillon, Ohio/Perry) dropped a close 6-4 decision to Jake Murphy at 157 pounds, No. 15 Chris Vondruska (Sr., Lakewood, Ohio/Hofstra) won his team-leading 17th match of the year at 165 pounds, defeating Justin Fraga, 8-3. Like several other Buckeyes, Vondruska never trailed, taking a 4-1 advantage at the end of the first period and increasing the margin to 7-2 at the conclusion of the second stanza. With the riding time advantage, Vondruska secured the victory. Seeing action on the varsity Buckeye squad in a dual for the first time in his career, Tommy Priestley (Jr., Mount Rainier, Md.) earned a 5-1 sudden victory at 174 pounds, defeating Jason Martin. Replacing an injured Blake Maurer (So., Evansville, Ind./Mater Dei), Priestley was down 1-0 heading into the third period. After recording an escape of his own 1:52 into the session to tie the match, Priestley and Martin were headed into overtime. There was no scoring in the first minute of the extra period, forcing the match into two 30 second sessions. As it appeared the score would remain 1-1 going into the next 30 second period, Priestley scored a 3-point nearfall with one second left to take a 4-1 lead. Priestley then notched an escape in the second session with 14 seconds on the board to secure the 5-1 win. With Ohio State up 13-3, No. 3 Mike Pucillo (Fr., Cuyahoga, Ohio/Hofstra) increased the OSU advantage to 19-3 after pinning Nick Skinner in 6:41. Prior to the pin, Pucillo had an 11-4 advantage over Skinner and now has moved to 10-0 on the season at 184 pounds. Purdue earned three more points on the day, as No. 18 Nathan Moore scored a 7-2 decision over No. 3 J.D. Bergman (Jr., Oak Harbor, Ohio/Oak Harbor) at 197 pounds. Up 19-6, the Buckeyes closed out the day with wins in their final three matches. Down 2-1 after the first period, heavyweight Corey Morrison (So., Shaker Heights, Ohio/Shaker Heights) ended the day with a 7-3 win against David Pisarcik. Morrison scored two takedowns and an escape in the remainder of the match and was awarded a point after Pisarcik was handed his second warning. Scoring the only points of the match with a takedown at the 1:22 mark in the first period at 125 pounds, Will Livingston (Fr., Stillwater, N.J./Kittatinny Regional) also earned a riding time advantage of 5:23 to win, 3-0, against Brandon Tucker. T.J. Enright (Jr., Galloway, Ohio/Westland) concluded the day with a 3-1 overtime win over Sean Schmaltz. Tied 1-all at the end of the third, Enright scored a takedown with five seconds remaining in the extra session for the sudden victory. Ohio State will travel to the northeastern part of Ohio where it will participate in the 18th annual Wendy's Big Classic Duals, hosted by Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio. In the all-day event, the Buckeyes will face three Ohio schools in Ohio, Cleveland State and Ashland.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Oklahoma State's wrestling team finished fourth at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals after falling to Big 12 rival Iowa State, 25-9, at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa on Sunday afternoon. Oklahoma State was forced to wrestle for third after falling to top-seeded Missouri, 27-15, in the semifinals of the NWCA Cliff Keen National Duals on Sunday morning. OSU dropped to 9-3 in duals on the season. It is the first three loss season for the Cowboys since they went 20-3 during the 2001-02 season. The Cyclones put OSU in a hole early by pulling off upsets at 133 and 141. Coleman Scott was forced to release Nick Gallick and try to score a takedown. Gallick fought off Scott and won, 3-2. At 141, Nathan Morgan was called for his second stall warning with eight seconds to go, which gave Mitch Mueller a point and sent the match into sudden victory. It was Mueller who got in on a shot to score the winning takedown. That started a string of victories for Iowa State, which took a 12-3 lead in the dual after decisions at 149 and 157. Johny Hendricks defeated second-ranked Travis Paulson, and Brandon Mason recorded a decision to cut the deficit to 12-9. However, Jake Varner all but won the dual for the Cyclones with a fall over Jack Jensen to put ISU up 18-9. The Cowboys needed an upset from Jared Shelton over No. 10 Kurt Backes, to have a chance in the dual. Backes took away any doubt building a 6-1 lead in the first period en route to a major decision. To cap the dual, Iowa State heavyweight David Zabriskie recorded yet another upset for the Cyclones. Zabriskie scored a takedown with three seconds left to score the third upset of the dual for the Cyclones. The critical match for OSU was at 125. The Cowboys needed a victory over 20th-ranked John Olanowski with Scott and Morgan, both ranked third nationally, to follow. The match went into sudden victory and OSU's Tyler Shinn took a shot and scored the winning takedown. The match quickly turned in favor of the Tigers as No. 11 Tyler McCormick reversed Scott with time running out and scored an upset at 133. MU all but iced the dual at 149. B.J. Jackson, trailing by a takedown, took a shot late in the match, Josh Wagner flipped him over straight to his back and pinned him with one second remaining. Wagner's fall gave the Tigers a 9-6 lead, but with top-ranked Ben and Max Askren left to take the mat, it became a daunting task for the Cowboys. Hendricks got a win over seventh-ranked Matt Pell at 165. Ben Askren recorded yet another fall for Missouri over Mason, and then Max Askren pinned Shelton to seal it for the Tigers. The Cowboys return to action on Friday against Iowa in Gallagher-Iba Arena. The match will be aired live on ESPNU beginning at 8 p.m.

Buffalo, NY -- Led by nationally-ranked wrestlers Johnny Galloway, Mike Grimes, Pat Castillo and Duke Burk, the Norhtern Illinois wrestling team dominated the University at Buffalo with a 30-6 victory Sunday. The "Fantastic Four" led the Huskies with four major decisions over UB wrestlers. The Huskies' only two individual defeats of the day came in close matches that were decided in overtime. In the opening match, 17th-ranked Pat Castillo of NIU set the tone for the entire meet by notching a 16-6 major decision over BU's Dan Bishop at 125 pounds. The Bulls got on the board in the second match of the day as 12th-ranked Mark Budd narrowly escaped with a win in overtime against NIU's Chad Vandiver. BU would not score again until the final match of the day. Mike Grimes, ranked ninth nationally, did not let the Buffalo win stop the Huskies momentum as he picked up the second major decision of the day against Jason Hilliar with a decisive score of 14-5. NIU kept rolling as ninth-ranked Johnny Galloway improved his overall record to an impressive 10-1 with another major decision victory over BU's Mike Rangusa. Duke Burk, ranked 16th nationally, picked up the last major decision of the day when he steamrolled Ray Lamb of BU en route to a 14-3 victory. "We had great performances by our four ranked guys (Castillo, Grimes, Galloway, and Duke Burk)," said NIU Head Coach Dave Grant, "When you have those guys going out and doing what they are capable of doing, we're awfully tough to beat." The Huskies will host the Ohio Bobcats in their MAC home opener on Friday, January, 19th at 7 p.m. (CST) in the Convocation Center.

CEDAR FALLS, IA -- The University of Iowa wrestling team defeated third-seed Hofstra, 26-10, to place fifth Sunday at the N.W.C.A./Cliff Keen National Duals in Cedar Falls, IA. It is the first time that Iowa placed fifth in its 15-year history at the tournament. The Hawkeyes have won the team title three times, placed second three times, placed third six times and placed sixth once. Iowa improved to 9-1 on the season with the win, while Hofstra fell to 10-2-2. Iowa, the fifth-seed, opened the dual with wins at the first four weight classes. Sophomore Charlie Falck picked up his 25th career win with an 11-2 major decision over Hofstra's Dave Tomasette at 125. Senior Mario Galanakis improved to 9-1 in dual competition with an 11-1 major decision over Lou Ruggirello at 133. Junior Alex Tsirtsis (141) and senior Alex Grunder (149) each followed up with decisions to give Iowa a 14-0 lead. Hofstra scored its first team points at 157 when fourth-ranked James Strouse scored an 8-0 major decision over Hawkeye redshirt freshman Ryan Morningstar. Iowa rebounded with junior Mark Perry taking a forfeit at 165 and senior Eric Luedke scoring his 40th career win with a 4-1 decision over Alton Lucas at 174. Luedke, the only Hawkeye to go 5-0 at the tournament, improved to 17-1 in collegiate matches and 8-0 in duals. Perry also improved to 13-2 in collegiate matches and 9-1 in duals with the forfeit. Hofstra's Joe Rovelli used a riding-time point to defeat redshirt freshman Phillip Keddy, 7-6 at 184, and fourth-ranked Chris Weidman scored a 10-5 win over sophomore Dan Erekson at 197. Hawkeye junior Matt Fields scored the final team points of the dual, winning a 7-2 decision against Matt Pollock at heavyweight. Iowa (9-1) will hit the road for two dual matches next weekend. The Hawkeyes will get another shot at Oklahoma State (9-3) Friday at 8 p.m. at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, OK. The dual will be aired live on ESPNU. Iowa will also open the 2007 Big Ten season Sunday against Northwestern (10-3) at Rolling Meadows High School in Rolling Meadows, IL.

Providence, RI -- With the score 16-12 entering the final match, junior co-captain Levon Mock (Bangor, MI) wrapped things up decisively, pinning George Hingson of Bucknell to give the Brown wrestling team (1-4, 1-0 EIWA) a 22-12 win over the Bison (7-7, 2-2 EIWA) at the Pizzitola Center Saturday afternoon. Mock was one of six Bears to pick up a win in the dual match. Freshman Greg Einfrank (Millwood, NY) opened the match with a 9-3 win at 125 pounds. After the Bison tied things back up, 3-3, junior Mark Savino (Lawrenceville, NJ) gave the Bears a four-point cushion, taking an 8-0 major decision, which senior Jordan LaFollette (Magadone, OH) followed with a 7-5 win at 149. Senior co-captain David Saadeh (Lancaster, PA) picked up his first win of the year in a big way, topping Brantley Hooks, ranked sixth in the EIWA at 165 pounds, 3-2. Saadeh and Hooks were tied at 2-2 heading into the third round, and Saadeh picked up the winning point on an escape. The Bison took three of the next four matches, with Matt Gevelinger (Mineral Point, WI) taking a 9-6 win by decision at 184 pounds. Mock closed things by pinning Hingson at 2:08. Mock moved to 10-8 on the year with the win, picking up his fourth win by pinfall this season. The Bears will be home once again next weekend, when they host Rutgers at noon at the Pizzitola Center.

A team of U.S. men's freestyle wrestlers will compete at the 2006 Takhti Cup in Bandar Abbas, Iran, January 18-19 Included on the 14-athlete U.S. roster is 2006 World silver medalist Mike Zadick (Solon, Iowa/Hawkeye WC) at 60 kg/132 lbs. Also on the U.S. team is 2006 U.S. World Team member Andy Hrovat (Ann Arbor, Mich./New York AC) at 84 kg/185 lbs., as well as 2005 U.S. World Team member Mo Lawal (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Lawal placed seventh at the 2005 World Championships competing at 84 kg/185 lbs. Three 2006 U.S. Nationals freestyle champions will be on the tour: Lawal, plus Henry Cejudo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs. and Zach Roberson (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 60 kg/132 lbs. Cejudo made history in 2006 by becoming the first high school wrestler to win a freestyle national title since USA Wrestling became the national governing body. Other past U.S. Nationals champions on the team are Ramico Blackmon (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Lee Fullhart, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) at 84 kg/185 lbs. Fullhart was also a 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials runner-up. Coaching the U.S. team will be USA Wrestling's National Freestyle Resident Coach Terry Brands, a two-time World champion and 2000 Olympic bronze medalist, along with veteran coach Ed Giese of Woodale, Ill. Among those on the delegation, athletes Blackmon, Hrovat and Fullhart have competed at previous Takhti Cup competitions in Iran. USA Wrestling sponsored the first American sports team to compete in Iran after an absence of over 20 years, when a U.S. freestyle wrestling team competed in the 1998 Takhti Cup. This will be the sixth time a U.S. team has competed in the Takhti Cup (1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007). The U.S. also competed at the 1998 World Championships held in Tehran, Iran. Iran has competed in wrestling in the United States a number of times. This included the 1995 World Championships in Atlanta, the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and the 1998 Junior World Championships in Primm, Nev., the 1998 Goodwill Games in New York City and the 2003 World Championships in New York City. In addition, the Iranian team competed in the World Cup held in the United States a number of times (1995 in Chattanooga, 1998 in Stillwater, 1999 in Spokane, 2000 in Fairfax, Va. and 2001 in Baltimore). Updates from the Takhti Cup will be posted on TheMat.com. U.S. LINEUP FOR TAKHTI CUP 55 kg/121 lbs. – Henry Cejudo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) 55 kg/121 lbs. – Matt Azevedo, Arroyo Grande, Calif. (Sunkist Kids) 60 kg/132 lbs. – Mike Zadick, Solon, Iowa (Hawkeye WC) 60 kg/132 lbs. - Zach Roberson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) 66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Jared Frayer, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) 66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Eric Larkin, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) 74 kg/163 lbs. – Ramico Blackmon, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) 84 kg/185 lbs. – Andy Hrovat, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC) 84 kg/185 lbs. – Lee Fullhart, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) 84 kg/185 lbs. – Tony Gansen, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) 96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Mo Lawal, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) 96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Nik Fekete, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) 96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Kyle Cerminara, Lewiston, N.Y. (New York AC) 120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Michael Irving, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) Coaches – Terry Brands, Colorado Springs, Colo. and Ed Giese, Woodale, Ill. Trainer – Dr. Nick Accardo, Franklin, La. Official – Roy Scott, Farmingville, N.Y. Delegation – Rich Bender, Colorado Springs, Colo., Van Stokes, Clarksville, Tenn., Amir Bashiri, Atlanta, Ga. TAKHTI CUP EVENT SCHEDULE At Bandar Abbas, Iran, January 17-19 Wednesday, January 17 5:00 p.m. – Medical Examination for 55 kg, 66 kg, 96 kg 6:00 p.m. – Weigh-ins for 55 kg, 66 kg, 96 kg Thursday, January 18 9:00 a.m. – Preliminary competition for 55 kg, 66 kg, 96 kg 2:00 p.m. - Medical Examination for 60 kg, 74 kg, 84 kg, 120 kg 3:00 p.m. – Weigh-ins for 60 kg, 74 kg, 84 kg, 120 kg 4:00 p.m. – Opening ceremonies 5:00 p.m. – Finals and award ceremonies for 55 kg, 66 kg, 96 kg Friday, January 19 9:00 a.m. - Preliminary competition for 60 kg, 74 kg, 84 kg, 120 kg 5:00 p.m. – Finals and award ceremonies for 60 kg, 74 kg, 84 kg, 120 kg

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- A 5-3 decision by senior captain John Jarred (Kansas City, Mo.) at 157 pounds gave Navy a one-point lead over EIWA rival Lehigh, an advantage it would not relinquish as the No. 25 Navy wrestling team claimed a 26-12 victory over the 23rd-ranked Mountain Hawks Saturday evening at Halsey Field House. The win snapped Navy's 10-match losing streak to Lehigh, having last beaten the Mountain Hawks on Jan. 27, 1996. It also marked just the second dual loss by Lehigh to an EIWA opponent since the start of the 2002-03 campaign. "This was a big one," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett, who captured his first win over the Mountain Hawks since his arrival in Annapolis seven years ago. "Greg Strobel does a great job with his program at Lehigh and he has strong athletes." "I'll be honest, we really didn't look sharp tonight. I'm proud that we won, but we made some basic mistakes that we haven't made lately. It's not always about winning, but doing things right. In the end, we came through with a win and I'm happy for our wrestlers." Lehigh took control of the match by winning two (125 & 141) of the first three matches, both by major decisions. Navy sophomore 133-pounder Joe Baker (Poway, Calif.) gave the Mids their first win and wasted little time in taking down freshman Seth Ciasulli. He gave up just a pair of points in the match, both escapes by Ciasulli, in a 9-2 decision. A decision by senior John Cox (Grand Haven, Mich.) at 149 pounds was the first of five-straight wins for the Mids. Cox earned a 4-1 victory over Lehigh's Trevor Chinn, riding Chinn throughout the third period to earn the extra point for riding time. At 157 pounds, Jarred earned a come-from-behind victory over Lehigh senior Dave Nakasone, who hails from nearby Ellicott City. Nakasone scored a takedown just 12 seconds into the match with Jarred escaping 10 seconds later. Jarred chose the down position to open the second period, where he knotted the score at two apiece with his escape. Jarred rode Nakasone throughout the third period, not letting Nakasone the one-point escape he desperately needed, while Jarred accumulated riding time. Nakasone finally got out of the clutches of Jarred to take a 3-2 lead with 57 seconds to go in the match. Jarred scored the winning takedown with 19 seconds left and tacked on an extra point for riding time in a 5-3 decision to put the Midshipmen up, 9-8. Junior Justin Jacobs (LeRoy, Mich.), who was forced to move from 157 pounds to 165 because of a recent injury to Robert Johnston, earned his first dual win of the season in an 8-3 victory over freshman Manuel Schubert. Jacobs entered the match having wrestled three-consecutive nationally-ranked wrestlers, including Maryland's Jason Kiessling who he nearly upset on Wednesday, but lost a tough 6-4 decision in overtime. Jacobs, however, took a 2-0 lead into the third period, where he earned an escape and posted a pair of takedowns in the final 30 seconds of the match to post a crucial 8-3 win. "It's a great opportunity to wrestle alongside my teammates who help build me up," said Jacobs. "Being part of a team, you move wherever the team needs you. "On Wednesday, I felt like the switch was flipped and then tonight's win was great. I feel like I'm making some forward progression." Navy earned major decisions at 174 and 184 pounds with Matt Stolpinski (Westfield, Mass.) and Antonio Miranda (Eugene, Ore.) dominating their foes. Stolpinski, ranked No. 11 in the country at 174 pounds, turned in eight takedowns and produced a three-point near fall in his 21-7 victory over junior Eddy Silverman. Miranda, meanwhile, recorded 10 takedowns en route to a 22-9 win over Alex Iacocca. The pair of major decisions gave Navy a 20-8 lead and put Lehigh nearly out of reach with two matches remaining. Mountain Hawks freshman David Craig, ranked No. 20 at 184 pounds, wrestled in place of Matt Cassidy at 197 pounds where he cruised past Navy sophomore Tyler Moyer (Bremerton, Wash.) in a major decision, trimming the Mids' lead to 20-12. Navy junior Ed Prendergast (St. Louis, Mo.), ranked 10th in the nation, sealed the win for the Mids with his 11th pin of the 2006-07 campaign, this one at 1:26 against 15th-ranked Paul Weibel. The Midshipmen return to action next Saturday when they travel to the state of North Carolina to battle the University of North Carolina and N.C. State in a pair of duals. Navy faces the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill at 1:00 pm, before facing the Wolfpack at 7:00 pm in Raleigh.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- For the first time in program history, the Wildcats earned a place at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. The eighth-ranked 'Cats fell to Central Michigan 22-11 to finish eighth at the prestigious tournament. Northwestern wrestled five matches without top-ranked 141-pounder Ryan Lang (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Edward) who missed the event due to injury. Top-ranked Jake Herbert (Wexford, Pa./North Allgheny) went a dominant 5-0 in his return to the mat was named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler. Second-ranked 197-pounder Mike Tamillow (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick) went 4-1, with his only loss coming to top-ranked Max Askren of Missouri. Brandon Precin (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sanburg) started things off for the 'Cats with a 9-0 major decision over Central Michigan's Matt Steintrager. Precin registered multiple takedowns and earned the riding time advantage to give the 'Cats a quick 4-0 lead. Eric Metzler (Luxemburg, Wis./Luxemburg-Casco), wrestling at 133 lbs., lost a close 1-0 decision to Conor Beebe. CMU begin to pull away starting at 141 lbs. Eric Kruger scored a 4-0 decision over James Kohlberg (Rolling Meadows, Ill./Rolling Meadows), wrestling in the place of the injured Lang to put Central Michigan in the lead 6-4. Marty Gould (Lincolnwood, Ill./Niles West) surrendered a major decision at 149 lbs. and Vince Colletti (Naperville, Ill./Montini Catholic) lost an 11-5 decision to give CMU the 13-4 advantage. Greg Hagel (Linwood, N.J./Blair Academy) and Nick Hayes (Councill Bluffs, Iowa/Lewis Central) fought close matches at 165 and 174, respectively, but could not help the 'Cats close the gap to the Chippewas. The eighth-ranked 'Cats, who have been nearly untouchable from 184 lbs. and up, went into the final three matches trailing 19-4. Another major decision by Herbert over Ben Kelto gave the Wildcats four points. The junior, seeing his first action since Nov. 20, went a perfect 5-0 in the duals with two pins, two major decisions and a technical fall. The top-ranked 184-pounder remains undefeated. For the third time this season, the second-ranked Tamillow defeated 10th-ranked Wynn Michalak, this time by a 9-3 decision to cut the 'Cats deficit to 19-11. Michalak started the year ranked above Tamillow, but the junior's performance against the familiar foe has helped him rise in the rankings. Tamillow's only loss in the duals was to Missouri's No. 1 Max Askren. At heavyweight, third-ranked Dustin Fox (Galion, Ohio/Galion) fell to No. 5 Bubba Gritter of Central Michigan. The Chippewa's takedown in the first overtime period proved to the be the difference. The loss was Fox's first in a dual match this season. The 'Cats start their Big Ten slate at 7 p.m. Friday at Illinois. The Wildcats will host Iowa at Rolling Meadows High School Sunday at 2 p.m. to round out of the first weekend of conference action.

J Robinson (Minnesota, Head Coach) On what it feels like to win second straight NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals title "It always feels good, especially when we're going down there and we still don't have Reiter back. We came in there with our team. We had a good training cycle … and they were focused on winning this tournament the way it was … and that's good. They've had a lot of adversity so far and they're rallying to it. We feel good about it." On what was going through his head when Missouri decided to bump "You start adding up points real quick, where they could get points and what we had to do. It was a good thing on their part to do. It was a good tactic or good strategy to do. But the one thing they needed was bonus points that they didn't get. That could have made a little bit of a difference." On what he told Brent Eidenschink prior to his match "I just told him to go out there and wrestle. He's a true freshman. We had some wrestle-offs this week … and he has some good skills. He's a real team player. He went out there, he's good on top, and did what he had to do." On whether Minnesota is a better dual team or tournament team "I think we're good at both. I think if we get our whole lineup together, I think we're both. If we get Reiter back in, I think we're good at both. I think we have a good tournament team, too." On when Mack Reiter is coming back "Somewhere in the next month. He's starting to wrestle already. He made this weight this weekend, so he's on his way back." On whether or not he thought Roger Kish could beat Ben Askren "Yeah, we thought he could. The score was 5-4. One takedown either way it could go." On what it means to be ranked No. 1 "I think it's a good thing to establish as a team, but I think the thing for us is to keep it in perspective. We were here last year, too … and we didn't get to where we wanted to be. So it really doesn't make any difference. That's what we'll be telling the team, 'Hey, this is great. Let's enjoy it for a week or so, and then let's get back and think about what we didn't get last year and what we need to do." On C.P. Schlatter "C.P. has been out with a knee injury. He's been working real hard at it. I think it's a testament to how tough the kid is. He's starting to come into his own. He's getting more and more confidence … and he wasn't tired a bit. I think that's the object of what we try to do is push the pace in the third period … and that's exactly what happened here." Cole Konrad (Minnesota, Hwt) On Missouri "They have a lot of guys who can score big points, so you have to be ready for that … and take that into account. That's why we figured it would come down to who could get the most bonus points, basically. We don't really have a rivalry with Missouri, like we do with Oklahoma State. I mean, we hate each other, so it's a little different." On where Minnesota sits right now "I've been saying all year that we're the top team. That's just my personal opinion, obviously. But we have a tough team. We have a lot of guys who can score points … and we're solid all the way through. We don't give up a lot of bonus points." On what it will mean to have Mack Reiter back in the lineup "Well, he's gong to motivate us. I live with the guy. He's a great influence. He lives and breathes everything wrestling. When he comes back, he's a pinner … and he's exciting watch. He constantly goes … he's a brawler. He's going to bring a lot of emotion to our team, especially at the lower weights." Ben Askren (Missouri, 174) On whether or not this loss to Minnesota gives the team motivation "We don't really need motivation. The motivation is to be the best. Nothing motivates you more than to be the best. And we want to be the best. When you look at the big picture, this seems minor. The National Tournament in March is the real deal, that's what everyone looks back. This is a minor setback, a test for us. We're going to come back from this." On when the final decision was made to bump "When Michael Chandler lost that match at 157, we realized that we needed to bump up. That's what we needed. I knew that I needed bonus. Kish wrestled me tough. I wanted to open it up on him. He locked me down. I couldn't get bonus. I kind of let the team down." On Roger Kish's strength "He definitely was stronger than I expected. I couldn't get to any shots that I wanted to. In the first period because he was slowing me down. But I started getting my shots in the third period. I cut him with 20 seconds left. I knew I need a takedown and back points. He shot on me, which is what I wanted him to do … because I wanted to be in a scramble and put him on his back. I looked for the back points. I didn't want the takedown … because I knew that wouldn't get the job done. I just about had it … he slipped off …he got the takedown. Whether I win by five or win by one, we still don't get bonus. It still leaves it up to the big man to get the win. And that's what happened." On what he weighs naturally "177, 178." On whether Missouri is a better dual team or tournament team "It's questionable. We'll find out in March. We beat Minnesota by three points at the Southern Scuffle a few weeks back. It was a war. They had Mack and C.P. out. We had Tyler and Matt Pell out. I think that just shows how good us and Minnesota are that we both had two key starters out of the tournament. And there's Edinboro, who is a top 10 team, and Cornell, who is a top 10 team, and both of us still blew them water. I think that just shows the strength of us and Minnesota … and I think that's what it's going to come down to at the National Tournament, us and Minnesota duking it out." Marc Bauer (Nebraska Kearney, Head Coach) On winning the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals "I'm very proud of our guys. They all put a great effort into it. For them, it would have been an upset. We were seeded second. But our guys wrestled really well … and I'm proud of them all." On whether or not he was hoping to wrestle Nebraska Omaha "We were kind of looking ahead. We weren't even thinking about them. We know they get lot of guys at semester break in their lineup who are very solid kids. I know right now they're missing their 125-pounder, but it was a great battle every match." On why they wrestle such a touch schedule and competing in Division I events "The reason we do that is because we want our guys for when it comes to pressure situations like this. We don't wrestle a schedule at all. We don't want them nervous. We don't want to them anxious. We want to be able to tell them, 'Hey, you you've been here. You've been in competitions just as tough or tougher than this … just get ready for it." On whether or not the victory over Nebraska Omaha was the biggest win of his coaching career "Yeah, I would have to say so. A come back win like that, that's huge." On what he said to Tervel Dlagnev before he walked out onto the mat against Nebraska Omaha "Before Tervel walked out onto the Mat, I said, �Tervel, you know what you have to do. He looked at me and shook his head. Tervel, I'll tell you what, he's a dynamite young man. It's a great way to cap a tournament off, obviously." On whether or not he talked strategy with Dlagnev prior to stepping out on the mat against Nebraska Omaha "All of our work that we had done up until this point is done. The more I say, the more I think I'm going to interfere routine. So I back off them. Just right before he walked out, I just patted him and said, �You know what you have to do. And he looked at me and shook his head … and he got it done." On being a Nebraska Omaha alum and coaching against your alma mater "Coach Denney has always been a great mentor to me. He runs a stellar program. And I think that's what I bring to UNK. You coach like you were coached. It rubbed off, obviously. Anytime something like this happens to us, it's huge for our program … because they're a top-notch program, the three-time defending national champions. They were the defending champs for the National Dual Championships … so yeah, this is special for our program." On where Dlagnev stacks up against Division I heavyweights "He has already beaten the No. 3. We lost in overtime to the No. 1 at the Midlands. He's right there with every one of those kids. He's a young man. He didn't start wrestling until he was a sophomore in high school … and has just continued to develop. We're the only school that recruited him. He finished third in the state of Texas. He traveled all over the nation this summer and wrestled some of the best. He went to Ohio State and wrestled with Tommy Rowlands for a week. He's been also working with Tolly Thompson, one of the assistant coaches here at UNI, and it's helped him out tremendously. He's a special young man. We're just happy that we have him for one more year." Mike Denney (Nebraska Omaha, Head Coach) On Tony Lewis getting pinned at heavyweight "When you're a heavyweight, it's coming down to you. And that's the same way with a 125-pounder, you're the first guy out, so you need to start it. A closer needs to finish it. He's young … he hasn't wrestled that much. He's going to get better. He made a mistake. But we're going to hang with him." On the team's performance "I was proud of our team. Really proud of them, actually … the way we wrestled, just the way we competed. That was a tough way to lose it, though." Jeff Swenson (Augsburg, Head Coach) On winning the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals "They don't hand out the real national championship trophies until the first weekend in March. It's nice. It shows our kids that hard work is paying off. But we sure walked out of here knowing that we have a lot to work on. Give Wartburg all the credit in the world. I think we were favored at most of those first seven weight classes … and they came after us and almost upset us a couple of times. They did a nice job with us." On whether or not he expected to be up 22-0 against Wartburg "I'm always expecting the unexpected. That's kind of wrestling. But, no … I didn't expect that. In a perfect world, I think we were probably favored in those seven, even if it was slight, but, no, I figured that they would come up with something at one of those weight classes that we didn't have an answer for." On getting breaks "We got some breaks. They had the lead in a couple of those matches … and we had to come back like that … and get a close win. I think our 157-pounder needed to ride him out to get that riding time in order to get that win. I'm real proud of my team, real proud." On the return of Marcus LeVesseur to the lineup "It was a little bit of a whole for us … so that really helps. (Jared) Evans and (Jeremy) Anderson were down in weight, kind of anticipating the return of Marcus. He just gives us an extra punch as we hit that second five weight classes." On whether or not he expects Wartburg to change things at the Feb. 1 dual "I expect the unexpected all the time with Wartburg. They have a great coaching staff and a great group of wrestlers. I'm not sure how many years it's been, but I think we've seen them in the finals every year since they've done the Division III Duals." On whether or not it's tough to keep the team motivated in the early rounds "Not, really … because it's the National Duals. I always say, I think it's one of the top three competitions that we wrestle all year. National Duals, of course our qualifier, and the most important one is the first weekend in March Nationals."

Minnesota wins second straight title University of Minnesota Sports Information Senior Cole Konrad was once again the hero for Minnesota, pinning Missouri's Tyler Perry in the final match of the night to give the Golden Gophers their second straight National Duals crown in dramatic fashion. The top-ranked heavyweight in the nation, Konrad overpowered Perry to put him on his back near the edge of the mat and earned the fall in 2:13. With the win, Minnesota avenged a second-place finish to the Tigers at the Southern Scuffle to win its fourth National Duals crown in the last seven years. Now 11-1 on the season, Minnesota will likely regain the No. 1 ranking in the nation in this week's polls. In an interesting development of events, Missouri adjusted its lineup to pit Ben Askren, the top-ranked 174 pounder in the nation, against Roger Kish in the 184-pound bout. Although Askren won the match by a narrow 5-4 margin, the move did not pay off for the Tigers. Minnesota true freshman Brent Eidenschink avoided bonus points against top-ranked Max Askren in the 197-pound match, limiting Missouri's lead in the dual to just 16-14 heading into the heavyweight bout. Konrad took care of business from there and, with his 58th consecutive victory, tied Tim Hartung for the longest winning streak in school history. His heroics would not have been possible, however, without a number of key performances ahead of him. C.P. Schlatter completed a perfect weekend in his return from a knee injury with a 6-5 come-from-behind victory over No. 12 Mike Chandler. Manuel Rivera and Dustin Schlatter both remained unbeaten on the season, and redshirt freshman Jayson Ness continued to impress with a major decision at 125 pounds. Ness recorded the second shutout of his career with the 11-0 major over No. 18 John Olinowski to give Minnesota the early 4-0 advantage. He countered a shot by the Tiger wrestler midway through the first period to score a takedown and two-point near fall. After starting down in the second, Ness got the escape and then quickly fired in on a single leg to extend his lead to 7-0. He added another takedown in the third and was awarded points for a stall warning on Olanowski and 3:09 of riding time at the end of the match. Missouri evened the match at four apiece with a major decision of their own at 133 pounds, but Rivera got Minnesota rolling with yet another major in the following match. Rivera scored a pair of early takedowns on No. 15 Ashton Primus and worked him to his back with under 10 seconds remaining in the first period to take a 6-1 lead. With bonus points on his mind, Rivera used a series of takedowns and releases over the next two periods to extend his lead, ultimately coming away with an 18-7 victory to improve to 26-0 on the season. The breath went out of the building in the next match when the unthinkable almost happened. Top-ranked Dustin Schlatter was in trouble when Missouri's Josh Wagner nearly rolled him to his back midway through the first period, but Schlatter used his quickness and strength to counter the attack and avoid any damage. In a nail-biting match in which both wrestlers seemed to counter the other's every move, Schlatter built up enough riding time to earn the bonus point and come away with a 1-0 victory. C.P. Schlatter followed with the pivotal victory at 157 pounds. Trailing 3-0 entering the third period, Schlatter turned up the intensity to erase the deficit. He got on the board with a takedown with 1:18 remaining and quickly proceeded to allow Chandler to escape. Schlatter followed the same method two more times and scored the winning takedown with 42 seconds remaining to give the Gophers a 14-4 lead in the dual and bring the Minnesota crowd to its feet. The excitement slowly turned to nerves as Missouri shifted its lineup and won each of the next four matches, but the Gophers kept the damage to a minimum by avoiding any bonus points. Curiosity set in when Missouri's Nick Marable came out to wrestle Jeremy Larson instead of Matt Pell, who is ranked No. 7 at 165 pounds. The strategy became clear, however, when Pell came out to wrestle Gabriel Dretsch in the 174-pound match. Figuring their only chance to win the dual was a victory at 184 pounds, the Tigers sent Ben Askren out to face Roger Kish instead of No. 5 Raymond Jordan. While both bold and clever, the move did not pay off for Missouri. The match between Kish and Askren provided plenty of entertainment, with both wrestlers trying to will their team to victory. Trailing 5-1 midway with under 30 seconds remaining, Kish made it interesting with takedown and then desperately tried to roll Askren to his back. Askren was able to counter however, ultimately coming away with a 5-4 decision to cut Minnesota's lead in the dual to 14-13. Eidenschink followed with a courageous effort at 197, giving top-ranked Max Askren more than what he bargained for. Clearly expecting to earn bonus points, Askren used a series of takedowns and releases to build an early lead in the first period, but Eidenschink caught him off-guard with a takedown late in the period to cut into the lead. He was effective the rest of the way in limiting Askren's offense, allowing only a reversal in the third period. The riding time advantage gave Askren the 11-5 decision. With a 16-4 lead heading into the heavyweight match, Missouri put its hopes in the hands of Perry. However, he proved no match for Konrad, who was mobbed by his team following the victory. Replays of all four Minnesota matches at the National Duals will be available in the Gold Zone this week. The Gophers open Big Ten action Sunday, Jan. 21 when they host Penn State at the Sports Pavilion. Live video of the dual with the Nittany Lions will be available in the Gold Zone. Augsburg wins event for third time Augsburg College Sports Information For the third time in the six-year history of the event, the Augsburg College wrestling team claimed the championship at the National Wrestling Coaches Association/Cliff Keen Division III National Duals, winning 15 of 20 individual matches in claiming two dual-meet victories on Sunday afternoon at the University of Northern Iowa's UNI-Dome. Augsburg, the top-ranked team in the NCAA Division III national rankings, won eight of 10 matches in a 30-6 win over No. 6-ranked Johnson and Wales (R.I.) in the semifinals. In the championship match, Augsburg won the first seven individual bouts in beating No. 2-ranked and defending national champion Wartburg (Iowa) 22-10. The Auggies are now 7-0 on the season, having won 60 of 70 individual matches in its seven team victories this season. Against teams from Divisions II and III, Augsburg is now 214-16 since the 1989-90 season, losing just 11 matches to non-Division I opponents since the 1995-96 season. Against teams from Division III, Augsburg is now 228-19 since the 1979-80 season and 152-9 since 1989-90. Augsburg has won nine Division III national titles in the last 16 seasons. Augsburg and Wartburg, the two dominant teams in small-college wrestling, have met in each of the six NWCA Division III National Duals championship matches in its current format (16-team bracket), Each team has now won three times, with Augsburg winning in 2002, 2005 and 2007, and Wartburg winning in 2003, 2004 and 2006. The Auggies and Knights will meet again in a dual meet on Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall in Minneapolis. Augsburg's Marcus LeVesseur (Sr., Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS), ranked No. 1 nationally at 165 pounds, won both his matches on Sunday, improving his collegiate winning streak to 135 straight matches. LeVesseur, who won Division III national titles at 157 pounds three times (2003, 2004, 2005), has the second-longest winning streak in college wrestling history, behind the 159 of Cael Sanderson at Iowa State (1998-2002). LeVesseur has yet to lose a college wrestling match and is 11-0 this season. LeVesseur claimed a major-decision win in the match against Johnson and Wales, then scored a 5-1 win in the victory over Wartburg. Augsburg built a 22-0 lead against Wartburg in the championship match, winning the first seven individual matches before Wartburg won the final three. The Auggies won four of the six meetings of ranked wrestlers in the meet. Top-ranked Jeremy Anderson (Jr., Thief River Falls, Minn.) claimed a 5-4 win over No. 4-ranked Aaron Wernimont of Wartburg at 157 pounds, while Augsburg's Jafari Vanier (Jr., Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS), the top-ranked wrestler at 133, scored a 5-2 win over No. 3-ranked Jacob Helvey. Seth Flodeen (So., Cannon Falls, Minn.), ranked No. 3 at 125, scored a 6-3 win over No. 7-ranked Robert Struthers, and Robbie Gotreau (Jr., Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS), ranked No. 3 at 174, claimed a 5-2 decision over No. 4-ranked Jason Zastrow. Quincy Osborn (Jr., Grand Rapids, Minn.), ranked No. 2 at 141, improved to 26-1 with a major-decision win, and Jared Evans (Sr., Blue Earth, Minn./Blue Earth Area HS), ranked No. 4 at 149, improved to 22-1 with a victory. Wartburg won the final three matches of the dual, with No. 2-ranked Romeo Djournessi claiming an 8-5 win over George Lynaugh (Jr., Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley HS) of Augsburg at 184, top-ranked T.J. Miller won at 197 and top-ranked Blake Gillis scored an 11-2 major-decision win over Augsburg's Andrew Neumann (Sr., Somerset, Wis.), ranked No. 6 at heavyweight. In the match against Johnson and Wales, Augsburg won eight of 10 matches, highlighted by a 1:14 pin victory by Osborn at 141. Anderson, LeVesseur and Lynaugh all scored major-decision victories for the Auggies, with LeVesseur scoring an 8-0 win over JWU's Steve Martell, ranked No. 3 at 165. Augsburg returns to action on Saturday (1/20), as the varsity competes at the Northwestern-Iowa Red Raider Invitational in Orange City, Iowa, and the White Team (JV) competes at the Minnesota West Community College Open in Worthington, Minn. Both events begin at 9 a.m.