InterMat Staff

Mike PoetaMike Poeta is one of the greatest wrestlers ever to compete at the University of Illinois. The two-time All-American is 88-13 in his career, a winning percentage of .871, which ranks third all-time at Illinois. He was NCAA runner-up last season at 157 pounds. RevWrestling.com recently caught up with Poeta and asked him about his injury and when he expects to return to competition, what his NCAA finals loss to Jordan Leen did to him, what makes Jimmy Kennedy so tough, what wrestlers he enjoys watching and learning from, whether he plans to continue wrestling freestyle after his college wrestling career, and much more. You have not competed yet this season due to injury. Describe your injury. Poeta: I've just had some problems with my knee over the summer and it continued on into the season, so it has taken a lot longer to recover than we anticipated. I've been practicing for about two weeks now with no limitation or restrictions … and I feel that I'm better now than I was before I got hurt. It was great for me mentally. I don't think I lost a step or lost a beat. I feel like I'm already starting to wrestle really well. So will you be back for the Midlands at the end of the month? Poeta: Most likely not. Do you have an expected return date? Poeta: The plan for a long time now has been January 9 against West Virginia. That's been the plan the whole time. But I think it's coming along a lot faster than everyone thought. But I think that's still the plan. You wrestled Jordan Leen in the NCAA finals, a wrestler you had never faced. Leen came through the bracket as the No. 8 seed. Being that you were one of the favorites to win the weight class, I imagine there some wrestlers you expected you might face in the finals. How surprised were you to see Leen in the NCAA finals? Mike Poeta (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Poeta: I have always known he's tough. He wrestled my old roommate, Joe Gomez, in the Senior National finals, and actually beat him pretty good … when Joe was one of the best at the time. Jordan Leen is a guy everyone has always known in the wrestling world. I knew he was tough. It's not like I took the match any lighter than if I was wrestling someone like Gregor Gillespie. I knew he was tough and I don't think I approached it any differently. I'm going to go back to a specific moment in that NCAA finals match. End of the second period, about 30 seconds left in the period, you get called for fleeing the mat at about the same you're close to securing a takedown on the edge of the mat. What are your thoughts on the call the referee made? Poeta: The thing is … when you're wrestling and the guy is in on a shot, the point is to counter. When a guy is on a sweep single, to counter the shot and get out of it, you're trying to kick. People who have seen me wrestle know that I don't stall. I'm always trying to score. In that situation, I turned and kicked, turned and kicked. He was still on my leg. I turned back, grabbed his hand, picked him up, and then ended up in on a shot of my own, which was about as clear cut of a takedown as can be. If they're giving Johny Hendricks those takedowns on Ryan Churella a few years back, then mine should have been more than a takedown. The thing is … you can't let the ref decide it. You have to pretend the ref is not there. I shouldn't have let it be that close. But it was a bad call. That's just the way it was. But I shouldn't let one call decide the national finals for me. What did that loss to Leen in the NCAA finals do to you? Poeta: It was tough. The following couple days, couple weeks were really tough. All wrestlers put so much into this sport … and to be so close to your dream and not get it, it was very tough. Just like with any loss, it's really motivating. I have a quote in my locker about it. It has just been motivating. The 157-pound weight class is widely considered to be the strongest of any weight class this season. Four of the top five from last season return, plus some All-Americans from 149 have moved up. What are your thoughts on the overall strength of the weight class this season? Poeta: There are five or six really tough kids, like you said, but you don't have to wrestle them all. At the national tournament, you're probably only going to wrestle two of them. It is tough. There are a lot of tough kids, but who cares … you have to beat everyone who is in front of you. If you were in charge of doing rankings, where would you be ranked right now at 157? Poeta: If I was wrestling, No. 1. I've been sitting out, so I probably wouldn't even put me in there until I wrestle. Although you were unable to compete at the NWCA All-Star Classic due to injury, you accompanied your teammate, Jimmy Kennedy, to the event. You did that on your own expense and on your own time. Why was it important for you to be there with Jimmy? Poeta: The wrestling team, and I'm sure it's like this at every school, it's a brotherhood. We're all brothers. We love each other. Our team was wrestling in Missouri, so he was traveling alone. I just wanted to go keep him company and make it a better time for him … and be a workout partner for him if he needed to do anything to make weight or get ready for his match. In a battle of returning All-Americans, Jimmy Kennedy of Illinois defeated Jayson Ness of Minnesota at the 2008 NWCA All-Star Classic at 133 pounds (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Jimmy Kennedy seems to be wrestling better than he ever has in his career. He is currently 11-0 and ranked No. 2 in the country at 133. He has a victory over Jayson Ness and recently won the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitional. What are your thoughts on the way he's wrestling right now? Poeta: Jimmy Kennedy is an animal. There's no other way to put it. Not only is he probably the best wrestler at 133, but add on top of it, he's the most mentally tough kid I've been around since I started wrestling. Other 133-pounders better watch out. This kid is all business. I saw you in the Faces of the Big Ten commercial. You said that you pick up as much wrestling knowledge as you can from watching successful wrestlers. Who are some of those wrestlers that you enjoy watching and learning from? Poeta: I love watching (Bouvaisa) Saitiev. Everyone watches Saitiev. But you can't do any of the stuff he does. That's the problem with watching him. I love watching him, but the stuff he does is so unique. He has such a good feel for wrestling. I really can't do any of the stuff he does. I really love watching Stephen Abas and Bryan Snyder. I think Bryan Snyder the most just because I think he wrestles a lot like the way I wrestle. The stuff he does really works for me. Illinois is 5-0 this season. You were missing several starters at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational when you placed 13th. I think a lot of people are wondering where Illinois fits into the national picture. You have a mix of young, talented wrestlers in your lineup, plus some veteran leadership. How good can this Illinois team be? Poeta: I think we're a team that can be right up there in the top and be in the hunt. And then we're also a team that could drop back and be nowhere near the top. I think it depends on a lot of individuals. We have guys that can do very, very well. And at the same time, it's night and day. Those same guys might not perform up to their abilities. So honestly it's up in the air. I get more nervous for other guys on my team, especially a guy like Roger Smith-Bergsrud. He's a guy that I wrestle with daily. It's amazing to me how good this kid is … and then he doesn't always show it. If the kid that I wrestle with every day comes out, just like Jimmy Kennedy, he's going to be a scary kid for other wrestlers in his weight class. Mike Poeta is hoping FILA changes the weight classes (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)You have been successful in freestyle in your age group throughout your career. Do you plan to continue competing in freestyle after your college wrestling career? Poeta: I'm just going to wrestle until I die. I just couldn't imagine doing anything else. I'm going to go until my body tells me to stop. With my knee, I sat out for about four months. This was probably the hardest four months of my life. It's tough being away from it. What weight class? Poeta: I'm kind of hoping they switch them around a little bit. I'm one of those guys that is stuck right in the middle. 163 is big for me. When I'm wrestling every day, I'm in the 150s after every practice without really watching what I eat. And 145, that's unmakable. I wouldn't be able to do that. That's too little. So I'm right in between. If there was a low 150s weight class, that would be perfect for me. I'm hoping they switch them around. Otherwise, I'm going to have to sit down and make a decision on the plan going forward.

America's Wrestling Radio Show (TDR) returns to our home based Brute Adidas studios at KXNO for this loaded program. Steve Foster and possibly Jeff Murphy will man the guns as I will be covering a network event in South Florida. I know, rough duty considering the weather here. I promise to come back for a series of shows that will include a special video broadcast of a visit to Sean Bormet's Overtime School of Wrestling, the Midlands and the NWCA National Duals. Joining Steve, Jeff, Randy and crew will be: Ken Kraft- Founder of the Midlands Wrestling Championships. The 46th Annual Midlands will take place at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Dec 29th and 30th. This years field of competitors include 7 Big 10 programs and 2 Big 12 teams with a possible showdown between long time rivals Iowa and Iowa State. Visit the Nusports.com for additional information. Scott Hinkel- Head Coach of Purdue- A name synonymous with Purdue wrestling, Scott Hinkel became the Boilermakers' 13th Head Coach in school history in 2007, after 14 years as a Purdue assistant. Hinkel wasted no time in ushering success back into the Purdue program, becoming the third coach in school history to post a winning dual record in his first season along with Don Corrigan and Fred Miller. Jack Spates- Head Coach of the Sooners of Oklahoma. Fresh off a great west coast tour Spates and company find themselves undefeated (7-0) for the first time in years and still enjoying the second defeat in 2 years over the Cowboys of OSU. Andrew Pariano- Asst. Head Coach of Northwestern University. This young man has plenty on his plate, challenging for a Big 10 Conference Title, getting the facility and the team ready for the Midlands at home a National Duals position. Plenty to do, enough time? We'll find out. Chris Bono- Head Coach U of Tennessee at Chat. The Mocs are currently 4-5 on the season and 1-0 in Southern Conference action. Facing a demanding non-conference schedule, with three of their five losses coming against ranked opponents. Mocs have notched wins over Davidson, Newberry, Northern Illinois and Anderson, UTC has tough defeats against No. 25 Kent State, No. 11 Northwestern, No. 6 Nebraska and West Virginia. The only other loss was a 25-16 set back against E. Michigan. Wednesday night action- The Mocs are 5-2 all time against NAIA Cumberland, including a 42-3 win in Maclellan Gym on Nov. 10, 2007. UTC's last loss in the series was a 21-17 defeat on Feb. 11, 2002. Chattanooga is 4-0 all time against Gardner Webb, including a 46-6 win on Jan. 21, 2007, in their last meeting. UTC faces No. 12 Oklahoma, No. 5 Missouri and West Virginia before completing SoCon action. The match with the Sooners takes place in Maclellan Gym on Jan. 11 at 1:00 p.m. Joel Greenlee- Ohio University now in his 12th year as the head coach of the Bobcats. Ohio's Jacob Ison (Batavia, Ohio) is ranked 20th in the latest poll released by Intermat Wrestling. Ison is 8-1 on the season at 174 pounds. The Bobcats notched wins over Appalachian State and the Citadel, split at the Hossier Dual and Greenlee looks to improve that record with his young team. Listeners and viewers check out our new feature on Takedownradio.com, TDR TV. Great interviews and more to come. Recent postings include Lehigh and Pittsburg. We'll be filming a ton of video at the National Duals as well as providing the play by play from at least 3 mats. Tune in to Livesportsvideo.com for all the action of this years NWCA National Duals. Thanks for the tremendous listenership over the past 11 years. Happy Holidays to one and all!

The University of Minnesota wrestling program inked the top recruiting class in the country last season, and early indications are that J Robinson's 2009 class is no slouch either. This week, W.I.N. Magazine named Robinson's 2009 group of early signees tops in the Big Ten Conference. The magazine's Dec. 8 issue pegs the Minnesota class sixth-best nationally, ahead of Big Ten foes Wisconsin (7th), Iowa (8th), Michigan (11th), Ohio State (13th), and Indiana (17th) in the annual top-25 listing. Once again there is a strong local flavor in the Gophers' recruiting class, with five of the seven student-athletes signed on National Signing Day hailing from the state of Minnesota. The class includes Jake Kettler (Ramsey, Minn.), Alec Ortiz (Newberg Ore.), Bart Reiter (Gilbertville, Iowa), Pat Smith (Chaska, Minn.), Kevin Steinhaus (Pennock, Minn.), David Thorn (St. Michael, Minn.) and Danny Zilverberg (Wayzata, Minn.). "Having five Minnesota High School wrestlers sign with us during the fall period is a tribute to the great programs for youth wrestling that exist here in Minnesota," Robinson said. "There is exceptional quality in this state and we are very excited about this incoming class. They have proven themselves on the national level and we expect big things from this group at the collegiate level." The Golden Gophers are on the road this weekend for a dual with No. 4 Nebraska on Sunday at the NU Coliseum in Lincoln. Minnesota hosts Big XII powerhouse Oklahoma State to open its home dual season in a 2:00 p.m. New Year's Day clash at the University Sports Pavilion. Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-U-GOPHER or by contacting the Gopher Ticket Office at 612.624.8080.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- University of Northern Iowa senior 165-pounder Moza Fay (Anamosa, Iowa/Anamosa HS) has been named the Western Wrestling Conference's Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. Fay, the nation's No. 2-ranked 165-pounder, improved to 6-0 on the season with a 3-2 win over No. 4-ranked Ryan Morningstar (Iowa) in the Panthers dual with the Hawkeyes. Fay notched an escape and then a takedown with only five seconds left in the second period to take a 3-2 lead. Fay kept Morningstar at bay in the third period and was able to fend off several shots at the end of the match to secure the victory. The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming. Other nominees: North Dakota State - Trent Sprenkle, 125 lbs., Fr., Billings, Mont. (Billings HS) Northern Colorado - Tony Mustari, 125 lbs., Jr., Greeley, Colo. (Central HS) Utah Valley - Adam Fager, 197 lbs., Fr., Layton, Utah (Layton HS)

Brad Traviolia will be the featured guest on Wrestling 411 Radio on Tuesday, December 16. Augsburg College's KAUG radio serves as the online host of Wrestling 411 Radio. The hour-long show can be heard live this Tuesday from 7 – 8 p.m. Central Standard Time by visiting www.wrestling411.tv. Archives of each broadcast, along with a video from each show, will be available on the website as well. A member of the NCAA Wrestling Committee since 2006, Traviolia was elected Chair of the committee in 2007. He has led the committee's efforts to develop a strategic plan for the sport of wrestling, including the creation of a new qualifying system that will be in effect for the 2009 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Traviolia was a Big Ten Champion and All-American in wrestling for the Northwestern and went on to serve as an assistant wrestling coach there from 1992-96. Wrestling 411 Radio can be heard live Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 – 8 p.m. CST by visiting www.wrestling411.tv.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Central Michigan posted its third consecutive victory over Michigan Sunday afternoon, winning six of 10 individual bouts in a 19-12 nonconference wrestling victory in Ann Arbor. The 16th-ranked Chippewas (4-1) have claimed victories in their last two trips to Michigan. CMU won in Ann Arbor, 21-12, in 2006 and defeated the Wolverines, 21-13, last season in Mount Pleasant. "Any time you can go there and beat them in their gym is a good win," said CMU head coach Tom Borrelli. "This was a good learning experience for our guys to be in a hostile environment and be in a match that was close all the way through. This match was never not in doubt, so it was a good learning experience for these guys to be in a pressure situation." True freshman Scotti Sentes opened the dual with the biggest win of his young career, shutting out 11th-ranked Mike Watts, 12-0, at 125 pounds. Sentes, now 6-1 overall this season, led 4-0 entering the third period. In the final 35 seconds of the third period, Sentes scored a takedown, three-point nearfall and two-point nearfall to put the match out of reach. Conor Beebe followed with a 9-6 decision at 133 pounds. Beebe scored three takedowns, one in each period, against the Wolverines' Zac Stevens. Stevens escaped early in the third period to pull within 6-5, but Beebe's third takedown 30 seconds later extended his lead to 8-5. He tacked on the riding time point for the final margin. Michigan's Kellen Russell, ranked fourth nationally at 141 pounds, scored a pair of first-period takedowns en route to a 7-3 decision over Eric Kruger. Steve Brown made it three wins in the first four bouts for CMU with a 6-1 decision at 149 pounds. Brown led 2-0 after the first period, then added an escape and a takedown in the second period. Aaron Hynes picked up Michigan's second victory, a 6-4 decision over Eric Cubberly at 157 pounds. CMU's Trevor Stewart, however, extended the Chippewas' lead to 13-6 with a 6-1 decision at 165 pounds. Stewart recorded takedowns in both of the first two periods against UM's Justin Zeerip. The Wolverines posted decisions at 174 and 184 pounds to pull within 13-12. Steve Luke, the No. 1-ranked 174-pounder in the country, defeated No. 10-ranked Mike Miller, 10-4, and Anthony Biondo, ranked 12th nationally at 184, recorded a 7-3 decision over CMU's Vince DiDona. Eric Simaz earned perhaps the most important victory of the day for CMU at 197 pounds. After a scoreless first period, Simaz tallied a takedown and two-point nearfall in the final five seconds of the second period to build a 4-1 lead. He added an escape and a takedown in the third period, giving CMU a 16-12 lead in the team score entering the final bout. At heavyweight, Jarod Trice scored an escape and a takedown in the second period on his way to a 3-2 decision over Michigan's Eddie Phillips. CMU has now won 11 of its last 12 duals dating back to last season. CMU is off next week and returns to action at Midlands Dec. 29-30.

ST. CLOUD, Minn. -- The Augsburg College wrestling team claimed two individual champions and eight placewinners in competition at the St. Cloud State University Husky Open on Saturday at Halenbeck Fieldhouse. Travis Lang (SR, Bismarck, N.D.), the top-ranked wrestler in the latest Division III national rankings, and Jason Adams (JR, Coon Rapids, Minn.), ranked No. 9 nationally at 157, both claimed titles for the Auggies, while Seth Flodeen (SR, Cannon Falls, Minn.) and Andy Witzel (JR, Fulda, Minn.) placed second at 125 and heavyweight, respectively. Lang continued his dominant start to the season with five victories -- four coming on first-period pins and one by a 16-0, second-period technical fall -- to improve to 14-0 on the season. Of his 14 wins, 13 are bonus-point triumphs (10 pins, one major decision, two technical falls). Lang scored a 43-second pin of St. Cloud State's Josh Williams in the 133-pound championship match. Adams won all five of his matches, including one by pin and another by major decision, to improve to 13-2 on the year in capturing the 157-pound title. Adams scored a 6-0 win over St. Cloud State's John Sundgren, ranked No. 3 in the Division II national rankings, in the semifinals, then scored a 9-7 win over Matt Baarson of St. John's in the finals. Flodeen, the defending Division III national champion and current No. 1-ranked wrestler at 125, claimed three victories, including a second-period pin and a 10-1, major-decision triumph, to reach the finals, but fell 10-5 to Wisconsin-Parkside's Cody Zimmerman, the No. 6-ranked wrestler nationally in Division II at 125, in the title match. Witzel, ranked No. 3 nationally at heavyweight, reached the finals with three victories, including two by pin, but fell 6-2 in the finals to Brady Wilson of Minnesota State Mankato, the No. 3-ranked heavyweight in Division II. Witzel is now 12-1 on the season. Lucas Murray (SO, Anoka, Minn.), ranked No. 6 nationally at 141, placed third in his weight class with a 5-1 individual effort, with teammate Tony Valek (FY, Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West ) placing fourth. Brett Landrum (SO, Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata HS) placed fourth at 165, while Brandon Bahr (FY, Bemidji, Minn.) placed fifth at 174. Augsburg's White Team (junior varsity) competed at the Wartburg (Iowa) Dick Walker Invitational on Saturday. Augsburg placed sixth with 52.5 points and had four placewinners -- Trenton Larrieu (FY, Spring Valley, Wis.) placed second at 174, Jake Saatzer (SO, Mound, Minn./Mound-Westonka HS) placed fourth at 149, Josh Kohler (FY, Monticello, Minn.) placed fifth at 174, and Beau Hansen (SO, Albert Lea, Minn.) placed sixth at 157. Augsburg, now ranked No. 7 nationally in Division III, will host the Sunshine Open on Dec. 28-29 in Oviedo, Fla.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 15 in the nation, crushed visiting West Virginia 27-10 today in a non-conference wrestling dual. The Mountaineers were previously undefeated and receiving votes in the national poll, but Penn State won seven of ten bouts, including the first six, and routed visitors. With a line-up featuring five freshmen (and without two regular starters), Penn State still rolled to the lopsided win. Sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) got things started with a forfeit at 125 and the Lions rolled to six straight wins to lead 23-0 before WVU got on the scoreboard. Senior Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) posted a win at 133, freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) notched a close 11-10 win at 141 and All-Americans Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) got majors at 149 and 157. Red-shirt freshman Micah Bollinger (Mifflinburg, Pa.) made his Penn State dual meet debut at 165 and got a thrilling 5-2 win for Penn State's sixth straight victory to open the dual. West Virginia got on the board at 174 where No. 14 Kurt Brenner posted a hard-fought 3-2 win over Nittany Lion freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), who was ranked No. 18. West Virginia added a win at 184 over debuting junior Matt Dodds (Leola, Pa.) before Nittany Lion red-shirt freshman Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) got his first PSU dual meet win at 197, a convincing 12-3 major. West Virginia heavyweight Dustin Rogers, ranked No. 18, closed out the dual with a win over PSU freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio). Penn State won the takedown battle 22-12 and notched a 6-1 edge in bonus points. Three of the five Penn State freshmen who started won their bouts as well (Molinaro, Bollinger and Steadman). Penn State returns to action on Sunday, Jan. 4, when it hosts a double-dual in Rec Hall. Intra-state rivals Lehigh and Lock Haven visit Happy Valley with Penn State facing Lehigh at 1 p.m. and battling Lock Haven at 3 p.m. Single event tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youth. Penn State students get in FREE with a Penn State ID. All Penn State dual meets and post-season action can be heard live in the Centre Region on WRSC (1390 AM State College), WHUN (1150 AM Huntingdon) and live at www.GoPSUsports.com as part of the All-Access package. #15 Penn State 27, West Virginia 10 Sunday, December 14, 2008 - Rec Hall - State College, Pa. 125: Brad Pataky PSU win by forfeit 6-0 133: Tim Haas PSU dec. Tyler Oravec WVU, 10-4 9-0 141: Frank Molinaro PSU dec. Colin Johnston WVU, 11-10 12-0 149: #2 Bubba Jenkins PSU maj. dec. Mark Tsinkerdanos WVU, 20-9 16-0 157: #9 Dan Vallimont PSU maj. dec. Ryan Goodman WVU, 10-2 20-0 165: Micah Bollinger PSU dec. Christian Mory WVU, 5-2 23-0 174: #14 Kurt Brenner WVU dec. #18 Quentin Wright PSU, 3-2 23-3 184: Lance Bryson WVU maj. dec. Matt Dodds PSU, 12-4 23-7 197: Clay Steadman PSU maj. dec. Brandon Boyer WVU, 12-3 27-7 HWT: #18 Dustin Rogers WVU dec. Cameron Wade PSU, 6-3 27-10 Final Score: #15 Penn State 27, West Virginia 10 Attendance: 2,042 Records: Penn State 4-2, West Virginia 2-1 Up next: Penn State hosts Lehigh and Lock Haven in a double-dual on Jan. 4, 2009. Action begins at 1 p.m. BOUT-BY-BOUT: 125: Sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) started the match off in fine fashion for Penn State, receiving a forfeit at 125 as West Virginia did not weigh in a 125-pounder. Pataky then faced WVU 133-pounder Grant Lowther in an exhibition match. The Lion sophomore posted an 11-3 major despite giving up eight pounds. Pataky gets credit only for the forfeit victory and not the exhibition. 133: Senior Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) started at 133 for Penn State and took on WVU's Tyler Oravec. Oravec got the bout's first takedown to lead 2-1 :30 into the bout. But Haas answered with his own takedown at the 1:04 mark to take a 3-2 lead. Haas then rode the Mountaineer grappler for the rest of the first period and led 3-2 (with 1:01 in riding time) heading into the second stanza. Haas chose down to start the second period and escaped at the 1:34 mark to up his lead to 4-2. Haas and Oravec then battled evenly for the remainder of the second period. Down by two, Oravec chose down to start the final period but could not break free of Haas' control until nearly a minute had passed. Haas still led 4-3 with 1:34 in riding time. Haas kept Oravec at a distance long enough to secure the riding time bonus point and then stunned Oravec with a five point move, tossing Oravec to the mat and getting a three-point near fall as well. Haas took the bonus point and posted a strong 10-4 win, giving Penn State a 9-0 lead. 141: Red-shirt freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), riding a seven match win streak, battled Mountaineer Colin Johnston at 141. Molinaro was the aggressor from the starting buzzer, forcing Johnston back on his heels and towards the edge of the mat. Molinaro notched his first takedown at the 1:26 mark, taking a 2-0 lead. The talented freshman then turned Johnston to his back for three back points and a 5-0 lead. Molinaro then rode Johnston out and held that five point lead heading into the second stanza. Johnston chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 5-1 deficit :20 into the bout. He then took Molinaro down to the Penn Staters lead to 5-3. Molinaro, looking to hold on to his riding time edge, escaped at the 1:05 mark, led 6-3 and still had 1:23 in riding time. With :30 left in the second period, Molinaro gained control of Johnston's right ankle but could not finish the takedown as action moved outside the circle. Johnston added a last second takedown right off a reset with just :01 left to cut Molinaro's lead to 6-5 heading into the final period. Molinaro chose down to start the third period, quickly escaped only to get taken down immediately by Johnston and with 1:40 left, the bout was tied 7-7. Molinaro escaped to lead 8-7 and then turned in on Johnston at the 1:03 mark and took the Mountaineer grappler to the mat, taking a 10-7 lead with just over 1:00 left. Molinaro got hit for a second stall warning on top and Johnston quickly reversed Molinaro and tied the bout at 10-10. A Molinaro escape on the edge of the mat gave the Nittany Lion an 11-10 lead with :38 left (riding time was no longer an issue). Molinaro held off Johnston's efforts in the final seconds and posted an 11-10 decision. The win put Penn State up 12-0. 149: No. 2 Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), returning national runner-up at 149, put his undefeated 10-0 record on the line against West Virginia's Mark Tsinkerdanos. Jenkins was sharp from the start, getting a quick takedown to lead 2-0 at the 2:04 mark. The Penn State All-American cut Tsinkerdanos loose and then quickly added a second takedown to lead 4-1 at the opening period's midway point. A Tsinkerdanos escape cut Jenkins' lead to 4-2, but the Lion co-captain added a third takedown and led 6-3 at the ;30 mark. Jenkins worked for a fourth takedown but Tsinkerdanos kept his distance and the Nittany Lion led 6-3 after one period. Jenkins chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 7-3 lead. Tsinkerdanos nearly completed a cradle, gaining control of Jenkins and getting the takedown at the 1:30 mark, cutting Jenkins' lead to 8-5 after a Jenkins escape. Jenkins used a cement mixer, turned Tsinkerdanos to his back for a five point move (getting the takedown and three near-fall points) and led 13-5 with over a minute in riding time after two periods. Tsinkerdanos chose down to start the third period. Jenkins held the Mountaineer down for nearly a minute and then cut him loose. A quick Jenkins takedown and cut gave Jenkins a 15-7 lead with :45 left. Jenkins added another takedown, cut Tsinkerdanos loose and led 17-8 with under :30 left. A seventh takedown as the bout ended gave Jenkins a convincing 20-9 major decision. Penn State led 16-0 after four bouts. 157: All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 9 at 157, took on Ryan Goodman of West Virginia. Vallimont got his first takedown at the1:56 mark and then put together a strong ride, maintaining control of Goodman for 1:33 before the Mountaineer escaped to a 2-1 deficit. Leading 2-1, Vallimont chose down to start the second period. A near reversal almost gave Vallimont two points, but action moved outside the circle and the Nittany Lion led 3-1 after the escape. A solid under hook led to another takedown and this time, Vallimont nearly turned Goodman to his back for back points. But Goodman managed to keep his shoulders parallel and Vallimont led only 5-1 with :30 left. A strong Vallimont ride-out gave the Nittany Lion junior a 5-1 lead (with over 2:00 in riding time) after two periods. Goodman chose neutral to start the third period. Vallimont stepped out of an early Goodman shot to maintain his lead, securing the riding time point in the process as action moved outside the circle with 1:10 left. Vallimont then moved towards a major decision with a takedown at the 1:0 mark. Vallimont cut Goodman loose and led 7-2 with :42 left. Needing one more takedown for bonus points, Vallimont used another under hook to get the decisive takedown at the :10 mark. The final move gave Vallimont a 10-2 major and put Penn State up 20-0. 165: Nittany Lion freshman Micah Bollinger (Mifflinburg, Pa.) made his Penn State dual meet debut at 165 when he met WVU's Christian Mory. Bollinger was the aggressor early on, nearly getting a go-ahead takedown at the 2:00 mark. But a solid scramble on the edge of the mat moved out of bounds and a reset was called with 1:40 to wrestle. Bollinger turned the trick shortly after the reset, stepping behind Mory for the takedown and a 2-0 lead with 1:38 left in the period. The Nittany Lion freshman then put together a very strong ride, keeping control of Mory for the rest of the period to lead 2-0 heading into the second stanza. Mory chose top to start the second period, hoping to turn Bollinger for back points. After a battle, Bollinger worked his way to his feet and looked to send Mory to his back. But the Mountaineer countered the move and turned Bollinger to his back for two near-fall points, tying the bout at 2-2 with :56 left in the period. Mory then rode Bollinger out for the rest of the period, but Mory was hit with a second stall warning as the period ended and Bollinger led 3-2 heading into the final period. Bollinger chose neutral to start the final period. The Nittany Lion freshman shot low on Mory and forced a scramble in the middle of the mat with 1:00. But the Mountaineer managed to fight to a stalemate and a reset was called with :30 left. Bollinger countered a late Mory shot and got a clinching takedown at the :04 mark, getting a 5-2 win in his dual meet debut. The decision put Penn State up 23-0. 174: In one of the dual's most anticipated bouts, Nittany Lion freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) met West Virginia senior Kurt Brenner at 174. Wright entered the bout ranked No. 18 while Brenner was ranked No. 14. Wright used great balance early on to stave off an early Brenner shot and keep things scoreless midway through the first period. Brenner nearly scored on a second quick shot on the edge of the mat, but the move was ruled out of bounds and a reset ensued with 1:00 left. Wright was then called for fleeing the mat with :20 left and Brenner led 1-0. Down by one, Wright chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to tie the bout at 1-1. Neither wrestler could find an opening until Wright nearly tossed Brenner to his back with :12 left. Brenner countered the late move and nearly turned it into a takedown of his own, but Wright fought off the Mountaineer's efforts and kept the bout tied at 1-1. Brenner chose down to start the final period. But Wright put together a dominant ride, nearly turning Brenner for near fall points. A dangerous hold forced a reset with 1:12 left and Brenner then reversed Wright with :40 left to lead 3-1. A Wright escaped cut Brenner's lead to 3-2 with just :24 left and the Nittany Lion true freshman then pressured the ranked Mountaineer, looking to grab a win with a last second takedown. Brenner got called for one stall warning and then tied Wright up for the final seconds to post a hard-fought 3-2 win. The decision kept Penn State from continuing its shut-out, cutting the Lions lead to 23-3. 184: Penn State sent 174-pounder Matt Dodds (Leola, Pa.) to the mat to take on WVU freshman Lance Bryson at 184. Dodds was making his Penn State dual meet debut. Bryson got a quick takedown just :20 into the bout to take an early 2-1 lead after a Dodds escape. Dodds then battled Bryson evenly for the rest of the first period, keeping things close and trailing only 2-1 after the first period. Bryson chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. Dodds was forced into defense during the first half of the second period and was able to keep Bryson from adding to his lead. The feisty Lion junior did give up one more takedown with :20 left in the period and trailed 5-1 heading into the final period. Dodds chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 5-2 deficit just :10 into the session. Bryson, however, quickly answered with another takedown and led 7-2 withy 1:20 left. Dodds escaped at the :55 mark, cutting Bryson's lead to 7-3. Another Bryson takedown put the WVU freshman up 9-3 with a half a minute left to wrestle. Bryson secured the riding time bonus point and then Dodds escaped to a 9-4 deficit. Bryson needed one more takedown for a major and got it with just :06 left. The final takedown gave Bryson a 12-4 major decision and cut Penn State's lead to 23-7. 197: Nittany Lion freshman Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) returned to action at 197 to battle West Virginia's Brandon Boyer. Steadman, looking for his first dual meet win as a Nittany Lion, got the go-ahead takedown with :35 left to lead 2-0. A strong ride-out gave the McKean native the 2-0 lead heading into the second period. Steadman chose down to start the middle stanza and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. The fourth of five Penn State freshmen starting in the dual, Steadman added to his lead, countering a Boyer shot for his own takedown and 5-0 lead with just over 1:00 left in the period. Steadman then dominated Boyer from the top, building up a sizeable riding time edge before Boyer escaped with just :18 left. Boyer shot low on Steadman's right ankle late, but Steadman forced his weight back on Boyer's head to end the period. Trailing 5-1, Boyer chose neutral to start the final period. Boyer looked to score with a double-leg, but Steadman once again countered the threat for his own takedown and a 7-1 lead with 1:15 left. A Boyer escape cut Steadman's lead to 7-2, but the Nittany Lion had secured the riding time point. Yet another counter for Steadman allowed him to step around a late Boyer shot, gain control of his ankle and get another takedown to lead 9-2. Steadman then turned Boyer to his back for two near fall points but an illegal hold stopped the move and gave Boyer a point. But Steadman rode Boyer out and, with the riding time point, go this first PSU dual meet win with a 12-3 major decision. The victory put Penn State up 27-7. HWT: The much-anticipated heavyweight battle pitted talented Penn State freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) against West Virginia's Dustin Rogers, who entered the bout ranked No. 18. Rogers had the first real shot to score with a nice move 1:20 into the first period, but Wade managed to fight off the threat and nearly scored on his own. The talented freshmen duo battled evenly for the rest of the first period and the bout moved to the second stanza scoreless. Wade chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Looking to add to his lead, Wade began working Rogers' upper body, looking for a chance to throw the talented Mountaineer. But Rogers' defense was equal to Wade's offense and the bout stayed scoreless through five minutes of wrestling. Rogers chose down to start the final period. But Wade tied the Mountaineer up and nearly turned him to his back. But Rogers managed to fight out of trouble and was given an escape at the 1:28 mark, tying the bout at 1-1. Rogers got the bout's first takedown with :55 left, taking a 3-1 lead. But Wade quickly reversed the ranked Mountaineer to tie the bout at 3-3 with :32 left. Rogers escaped to a 4-3 lead with :20 left and then countered a frantic Wade shot as the bout ended to grab a hard-fought 6-3 win. Penn State still posted a convincing 27-10 win.

Corvallis, Ore. -- The fifth ranked Missouri wrestling team completed a perfect sweep of West Coast schools and improved to 11-0 on the campaign after holding off Oregon State, 26-10, at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Ore. Missouri's win over the Pac 10 program combined with Saturday's three dual victories in San Luis Obispo, give the Tigers a 4-0 mark in two days on the West Coast. Eight Tiger grapplers combined for Missouri's 16 point margin of victory over the Beavers. Opening the dual at 133 pounds, the Tigers found themselves down early after a loss by major decision. Senior 141 pound wrestler Marcus Hoehn (Farmington, Mo.) helped bring Missouri even with his 12-3 win by major decision over Ryan Harold. Hoehn, ranked 17th in the nation, managed five takedowns in the seven minute match and accumulated over a minute of riding time for his 14th win of the season. A loss by fall at 149 pounds put Missouri once again down in points. However, seven straight wins helped the Tigers overcome the deficit and take the lead and eventual win. Wrestling at 157 pounds, redshirt freshman Patrick Wright (Grand Ledge, Mich.) began Missouri's win streak with his 7-2 victory over Anthony Peressini. The next three Tiger wrestlers, fourth-ranked Michael Chandler (High Ridge, Mo.), eighth ranked Nicholas Marable (Collierville, Tenn.) and fourth ranked Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) all wrestled up one weight class from their usual spot in the lineup, outscoring their opponents a combined 39-17. Jordan, who challenged eighth ranked 184 pounder Kyle Bressler, won his match by way of 14-2 major decision. Earning six points for near falls in the first and third periods, and credited with three takedowns, an escape and one point for riding time, Jordan recorded his 103rd career victory. Jordan currently sits at 11th in the Missouri career wins list and is four wins shy of taking the No. 10 spot. Juniors Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) and Mark Ellis (Peculiar, Mo.) held their opponents to three points, with fourth-ranked Askren besting Chad Hanke, 7-3, at 197 pounds and third-ranked heavyweight Ellis holding off Clayton Jack, 8-3. Returning to the top of the lineup, redshirt freshman Troy Dolan (Blairsville, Pa.) took an 11-9 win over Jake Gonzales at 125 pounds. Dolan scored early in the match, taking down Gonzales, 17 seconds into the first period. The back-and-forth match which saw Dolan down 9-8 with 13 seconds remaining in the bout, came to an end as the Tiger grappler put Gonzales' back in danger and scored two nearfall points at the buzzer for the win. The Tigers will return home and resume practice before traveling to The Midlands Tournament, Dec. 29-30, in Evanston, Ill. Missouri's dual competition will resume Jan. 10, 2009, at the National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- For the first time in this early dual season, the No. 6 Ohio State wrestling team was forced to test itself on the road against No. 17 Edinboro. After winning key matches at 165 pounds and heavyweight, it was able to exit Edinboro, Pa., with a 19-12 win Sunday. The Buckeyes, who will break from competition until Jan. 4, conclude 2008 with a 3-0 record. Ohio State will host Kent State at 5 p.m. in St. John Arena to begin the new year. The Fighting Scots drop to 5-3. The Scarlet and Gray now have won three consecutive matches against Edinboro to lead the overall series, 6-3. The match featured five bouts between ranked opponents, as well as a trio of national champions -- J Jaggers, Mike Pucillo and Edinboro's Gregor Gillespie. After both teams exchanged wins and Edinboro held a slim 9-7 lead following the first five matches, sophomore Colt Sponseller paced the Buckeyes to four of five victories the rest of the way at 165 pounds. A native of Glenmont, Ohio, No. 6 Sponseller secured a 4-1 victory against No. 3 Jarrod King. It was the first loss of the season for King. Sponseller owned an early 2-1 advantage after the first period and despite King taking the down position in the second period, Sponseller did not give up the escape. Choosing bottom in the third period, Sponseller was able to do what his adversary could not and that was score the much-needed point. Up 3-1 lead, Sponseller increased his margin of victory by one after compiling a riding time of 1:51. Wrestling in place of the injured Dave Rella at 174 pounds, Sean Nemec posted his first-career dual win against Paul Paddock, 7-4. Nemec, a redshirt-freshman from Garfield Heights, Ohio, spent his first year at Ohio State competing in open tournaments. He used a pair of takedowns, a reversal and a riding time of 1:20 to down his opponent. Nemec was up 2-1 at the end of the first period before relinquishing an escape in the second period. However, Nemec quickly followed with a takedown to go back up 4-2 before Paddock ended the stanza with an escape. Nemec chose down to open the third period and scored the reversal to give himself some breathing room. Paddock then scored a final escape, but to no avail as Nemec also earned the riding time. Making his 2008-09 debut since winning the national title at 184 pounds in March, junior Mike Pucillo was victorious over 10th-ranked Chris Honeycutt. In the first period, Pucillo jumped out to a 4-0 lead on a takedown and two-point nearfall. In the lone scoring of the second stanza, Pucillo, a native of Strongsville, Ohio, tallied a takedown, riding a 6-0 lead into the final period. Honeycutt opted for the down position and after a stalling call on Honeycutt gave Pucillo an additional point, the Fighting Scot got on the board courtesy of an escape. With no other scoring in the period, Pucillo wrapped up the match with a 5:10 riding time. Leading 16-9 with two matches left, freshman Cody Gardner dropped a close 3-0 decision to Pat Bradshaw at 197 pounds. With Ohio State owning a tight 16-12 advantage, Buckeye and 14th-ranked Corey Morrison pulled out the match-deciding 5-3 decision against No. 8 Joey Fendone in the heavyweight bout. Not only did the win by Morrison, a product of Shaker Heights, Ohio, give the Buckeyes the victory, but he also handed Fendone his first loss of the season as he falls to 14-1. It was a pair of takedowns and an escape that propelled Morrison to victory compared to Fendone's pair of escapes and stalling call. Junior Reece Humphrey remains undefeated at 12-0 following his win over Ricky Deubel at 133 pounds. A native of Indianapolis, Ind., the eighth-ranked Humphrey was the lone wrestler in the match to score bonus points with his 14-6 major decision. At 149 pounds, Lance Palmer notched a 7-1 decision over No. 15 Torsten Gillespie. An early takedown in the first period followed by a reversal, consecutive Gillespie stalling calls and a riding time of 3:35 gave Palmer his 11th win of the season. In addition to losing the 197-pound bout, Ohio State dropped matches at 125, 141 and 157 pounds. Sophomore Nikko Triggas lost 6-2 to Kyle Fluke, while Jaggers fell 5-4 to Joel Webster. Senior Jason Johnstone faced 2007 NCAA champion Gregor Gillespie and lost, 6-2.

San Luis Obispo, Calif. -- The Missouri wrestling team extended its win streak to 10 duals after topping Cal Poly (36-6), Cal State Bakersfield (25-14) and Cal State Fullerton (34-5) at the Central Coast Duals held at the Madonna Inn Convention Center in San Luis Obispo, Calif. The 10 consecutive wins marks the first time since the 2003-04 campaign that the Tigers started out with a 10-0 record. Among the afternoon's victories, senior All-American Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) became the 15th Tiger grappler in program history to crack the 100 win club, finishing the day with a 3-0 record and improving to 102-24 on his career. "The team wrestled well today," Missouri Head Coach Brian Smith said. "They had a long 24 hours of traveling and competing and I was pleased to see them come out and perform as well as they did today. Raymond wrestled tough in his matches. It was good for him to get his 100th win right off the bat. He's looking really good right now." Jordan becomes Missouri's first grappler since Matt Pell to enter the century club. Pell won his 100th career match as a senior in 2007. Wrestling at 174 pounds, Jordan recorded his 100th career victory by way of fall, pinning Fullerton's Todd Noel in 1:56. All three of Jordan's wins on the day came by fall, the second against Jason Points of Cal State Bakersfield in 2:50 and the final against Ryan Des Roches of Cal Poly in two minutes even. Jordan currently sits at 14-0 on the season and has won five of his matches by fall and one by technical fall. In all, the Tigers racked up 24 wins including 13 bonus point victories. Ranked 17th in the latest InterMat poll, senior 141 pound starter Marcus Hoehn (Farmington, Mo.) added three wins to his name, improving to 13-2 on the year. Hoehn was one of nine Tiger grapplers to take on a ranked opponent and topped #20 Flip Novachkov of Cal Poly, 8-3, in his final match of the day. Redshirt freshman Dorian Henderson (Columbus, Ga.) pulled off the upset in Missouri's dual against Cal State Fullerton, besting 16th-ranked Tim Hawkins, 4-2, at 184 pounds. Henderson was one of six Missouri wrestlers to finish the all-day event with a spotless 3-0 mark. In a heavyweight battle the featured third-ranked Mark Ellis (Peculiar, Mo.) and fourth-ranked Mitch Monteiro of Cal State Bakersfield, Missouri's Ellis proved dominant earning a 2-1 victory to seal the Tiger's 25-14 win over Bakersfield. Ellis blanked his first opponent, Kurt Klimek of Cal State Fullerton, 9-0 before holding off Monteiro, 2-1. In his final appearance, Ellis pinned Kelan Bragg of Cal Poly in 2:50. The stick was Ellis' ninth of his junior campaign. Up next for Missouri, Smith and the Tigers will travel North to Oregon State and take on the Beavers in a 4 p.m. (CT) dual Sunday, Dec. 14, set in Corvallis, Ore.

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- The No. 12th-ranked University of Oklahoma wrestling squad recorded a three-match sweep Saturday at the Big 12/Pac-10 Challenge in San Luis Obispo, Calif., and improved to 7-0 on the season. Outscoring opponents 90-26, the Sooners bested Cal Poly, 35-7, Cal-Bakersfield, 26-12, and Cal-Fullerton by a 29-7 final margin. Sooners going undefeated (3-0) on the day were Ryan Smith at 165 pounds, Jeff James at 174 pounds, Eric Lapotsky at 197 pounds and heavyweight Nathan Fernandez. Redshirt sophomore Kyle Terry went 2-0 at 149 pounds and senior Will Rowe posted a 1-0 record, also at 149 pounds. OU's Fernandez recorded the biggest upset of the tournament with a defeat over No. 4 Mitch Monteiro of Cal-Bakersfield. The redshirt sophomore recorded one of his two pins on the day over the top-five wrestler. Another Sooner upset was Lapotsky (No. 14) over No. 11 Riley Orozco of Cal-Bakersfield by an 11-0 major decision. Shane Vernon (No. 16) posted a 4-3 decision over No. 13 Chase Pami of Cal Poly and Pat Flynn beat No. 17 Tom Hawkins of Cal-Fullerton, 8-3. Oklahoma will return to Norman for the holidays with its perfect dual record before returning to action Jan. 3, 2009, at the Lonestar Duals in Arlington, Texas.

It was a day of pins in the Wisconsin wrestling team's 36-9 win over Northern Iowa at the Wisconsin Dells Center. The 11th-ranked Badgers took on No. 24 UNI as part of the Chula Vista Resort Dells Dual Wrestling Classic and pinned three Panthers en route to their fifth dual win of the season, second over a ranked opponent. Wisconsin improves to 5-1-0 in dual action this season while UNI drops to 0-2. The match began at 125 lbs. and junior Drew Hammen got the Badgers on the board first with a 3-2 win over UNI's Caleb Flores. Both wrestlers were scoreless until the third period and Hammen won on two escapes and 1:46 of riding time. UNI responded with a win at 133 lbs. as Josh Baldridge defeated UW true freshman Tom Kelliher, 5-1. The Panthers then jumped out to a 9-3 lead as Trent Washington pinned Wisconsin's No. 14 Zach Tanelli in 5:38. That would be the last win for the Panthers though as the Badgers won the final seven bouts, three of which came by pin. No. 7 Kyle Ruschell started the pinning frenzy for Wisconsin by sticking Jamall Lawrence in 6:52 during the 149 lbs. bout. With the score tied at nine, true freshman Ben Jordan got back on the winning track by defeating Trevor Kittleson, 3-0. Jordan earned the win off a reversal in the third period and had a point of riding time. At 165 lbs. true freshman and 15th ranked Andrew Howe took on UNI's Tyson Reiner, who normally competes at 157 lbs. Howe jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the second period and that was all he needed as Reiner scored just one more escape in the third period to put the team score at 12-9 in favor of Wisconsin. True freshman Travis Rutt extended the lead for the UW with a 5-4 decision over UNI's Jarion Beets. Beets had the 2-1 lead at the end of the first period but Rutt evened the score with an escape in the second. In the third period, Rutt scored three more points for the Badger victory. Eric Bugenhagen won by forfeit at 184 lbs and the Badgers finished off the Panthers with two pins at 197 lbs. and heavyweight. Wisconsin pin leader No. 5 Dallas Herbst returned to action after missing the Cliff Keen Invitational and stuck No. 15 Andrew Anderson in 4:47. Herbst improves to 5-1 this season and four of his five wins were by pin, the fifth coming as an opponent forfeit. No. 5 Kyle Massey registered the final fall of the afternoon by pinning Christian Brantley in 4:15 to put the final team score at 36-9. The Badgers take some time off before heading to Evanston, Ill., for the 2008 Midlands Classic. Competition takes place from Dec. 29-Dec. 30.

BLOOMSBURG -- The Bloomsburg University wrestling team picked up wins over East Stroudsburg and Sacred Heart and lost a tough match to Buffalo on Saturday at the Bloomsburg Duals. The Huskies beat the Warriors of East Stroudsburg, 33-12, Sacred Heart 41-3, before losing to Buffalo 18-16. Bloomsburg All-American Matt Moley (Phoenixville/Spring-Ford) had a big day with three wins, two of them by fall, while the third win was by technical fall. Rick Schmelyun (New Oxford/Bermudian Springs) at 165 pounds had the day's quickest pin with a 49 second victory over Buffalo's Ron Majerus. Bloomsburg, 3-4,will be idle till Dec. 29-30 when the Huskies go to Greensboro, NC to for the Southern Scuffle.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Seven wrestlers for the No. 8 Fighting Illini won both of their matches as Illinois dominated Findlay, 32-6, and McKendree, 39-9, in front of 845 fans Saturday at Huff Hall. No. 2 Jimmy Kennedy (133), No. 6 John Wise (HWT), No. 11 Roger Smith-Bergsrud (165), No. 11 John Dergo (174), No. 17 Jordan Blanton (184), B.J. Futrell (125) and Grant Paswall (157) each went undefeated in the Illini's pair of victories. "It was a pretty dominant team performance," Illinois coach Mark Johnson said. "All of the guys who won both their matches looked good and we had some impressive individual performances. We just have to continue to work on getting healthy and getting our full lineup out there." Futrell and Smith-Bergsrud got the Illini off to a strong start as Futrell pinned Findlay's Nick Weisjhan in 3:29 on one mat, followed shortly by Smith-Bergsrud's technical fall over McKendree's Arben Balazi on the other mat. Kennedy followed Futrell with a technical fall and Dergo scored a pin after Smith-Bergsrud's performance as Illinois went up 11-0 on both mats. No. 17 Jordan Blanton scored a pin in 1:18 at 184, but on the other mat, Ryan Prater dropped a hard-fought 7-6 decision at 141. True-freshman Eric Terrazas fought back on that mat with a 7-5 win at 149, but the Illini streak on the other mat ended when Patrick Bond fell, 3-2, at 197. Wise responded with a pin in 1:55 at heavyweight, though, and Paswall earned a 9-2 win to end the first session on both mats. Next up, Illinois' lighter weights finished the dual against McKendree, as Futrell notched a 21-9 major decision and Kennedy registered a pin in 5:37. Redshirt-freshman Zeke Rowan dropped a 5-4 decision at 141 on a last-second three-point near-fall and Terrazas lost a 4-2 decision at 149, but Paswall finished the dual with a pin in 1:55 to seal the victory, 39-9. In the third session, the Illini heavier weights finished the dual with Findlay, starting with Smith-Bergsrud's 5-1 win at 165. Dergo followed with a 24-7 technical fall and Blanton scored a 7-4 win. Bond dropped a 4-0 decision, but Wise capped the 32-6 win with an 11-1 major decision. Illinois has two weeks off for final exams and the holidays before heading to Midlands at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill., on Dec. 29-30.

BOISE, Idaho -- The Boise State wrestling team earned its first Pac-10 Conference win of the season, Friday night, with a 25-13 victory against the Oregon State Beavers in Bronco Gymnasium. Boise State won seven matches on the night, improving its overall record to 7-1, 1-0 in Pac-10 competition. The Broncos managed to rebound against the Beavers despite dropping the first two matches of the night. At 197-pounds, Boise State freshman Jacob Neumann lost his first ever collegiate match in a 13-4 major decision against Chad Hanke. Then, in the Heavyweight match, Sam Zylstra fell to Oregon State's Clayton Jack, 17-2 technical fall, which gave Oregon State and early 9-0 lead. Alan Bartelli gave the Broncos their first win of the night in the 125-pound match, wrestling Jake Gonzales to a 3-1 decision. After a scoreless first period, Bartelli scored a one point escape in the second to take a 1-0 lead heading into the third. Bartelli sealed the win with 1:01 left in the match with a two-point take down. In the 133-pound match Boise State sophomore Andrew Hochstrasser managed to keep his dual record perfect for the season (8-0) with an 11-2 major decision against Kelly Kubec. Hochstrasser jumped out to a big lead early, scoring six points in the first period. The win narrowed the gap for Boise State, trailing 7-9 going into the 141-pound match. At 141-pounds Eli Hutchison gave the Broncos their first lead of the night, 11-9, after a 12-4 decision over Ryan Harold. Hutchison used an eight-point third period to blow the match wide open, scoring six points on take downs in the final period. The Boise State lead wouldn't last long, however, with Oregon State overtaking Boise State again after Heinrich Barnes defeated Boise State's Jason Chamberlain at 149-pounds. Barnes' 12-4 major decision gave the Beavers' their final lead of the night, 13-11. In the 157-pound match Adam Hall overpowered Oregon State's Anthony Peressini, 20-5, behind a seven-point second period for Hall. In the match, Hall scored on seven take downs, giving Boise State a 16-13 lead and helping to improve his dual record this season to 6-1. Senior Tyler Sherfey overcame two scoreless periods against Oregon State's Keegan Davis in the 165-pound match, en route to a 2-1 decision. Sherfey scored the matches first point with a one-point escape at the 1:50 mark in the third. Despite being penalized one-point for stalling with 00:30 on the clock, Sherfey scored an advantage point in the end to give Boise State a 19-13 lead. Kurt Swartz sealed the deal for the Broncos, however, with a 5-3 overtime win against Ben Harris at 174-pounds. After wrestling to a 3-3 tie at the end of regulation, Swartz scored a two-point take down with 00:11 to go in the first OT, extending Boise State's lead to 22-13. In the final match of the night, 184-pounds, Kirk Smith fended off Oregon State's Kyle Bressler, 4-1, in the most anticipated match of the night. Smith entered Friday night ranked No. 4 in the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA individual rankings, while Bressler was ranked No. 8. After taking an early two point lead in the first period, Smith score a one point escape in the second and scored the advantage point to hold off Bressler and give Boise State the 25-13 win. The Broncos now return to the road, traveling to Reno, Nev. next weekend for the Reno Tournament of Champions on Dec. 18. The Broncos are on the road until Jan. 18 when Boise State will host Cal State-Bakersfield, which is the first of five consecutive Pac-10 home duals for the Broncos.

ERIE, Pa. -- The No. 10 Mercyhurst College wrestling team downed crosstown rival Gannon, 28-12, in the War at the Shore IV. The Lakers won seven of 10 bouts, including back-to-back falls by Kevin Hardy and Bryan Wolff at 174 and 184 lbs, respectively, to even the series record in the War at the Shore. At 125 lbs, Payne Lint got the scoring started for the Lakers with a 10-4 decision over Chris Santucci. After a scoreless opening period, Lint jumped out to a 3-0 lead with an escape and takedown. Santucci added an escape to make it 3-1 but Lint rebounded with two more takedowns to finish the second period with a 7-2 lead. Another fall by Lint and two escapes for Santucci rounded out the scoring as Lint earned a point for riding time. With 1:25 remaining in the second period, 133-pounder Michael Baxter earned an escape for the first points of the bout before adding to his score with a takedown to end the second period leading 3-0. The third period was also scoreless and Baxter would add a point for riding time to finish with a 4-0 decision. At 141 lbs, Gannon's Kevin McElhaney got the Golden Knights on the scoreboard with a 7-4 decision over Lance Pitcel. McElhaney took the lead on a takedown which Pitcel quickly countered with an escape one minute into the match. Another takedown with just over 30 seconds left in the second increased McElhaney's lead to 4-1 before Pitcel earned an escape to make it 4-2 to start the third period. Another escape by Pitcel made it 4-3 but a takedown with almost one minute remaining in the match gave McElhaney a 6-3 advantage, a lead he would not relinquish as Gannon won their first bout of the evening. The Lakers then reeled off five victories, highlighted by the falls and a 14-1 major decision over Brett Terry by Josh Shields gave Mercyhurst a commanding 28-3 lead heading to the final two weights. Lenny Calhoun won at 149 lbs and began with a takedown that was countered with Milanik's escape close to the end of the first period for a 2-1 lead heading into the second. After Milanik deferred and Calhoun started in the down position, an escape by Calhoun stretched his advantage to 3-1. Milanik's escape from the down position started the third and made it 3-2, but Calhoun held on for the victory. At 157 lbs, Andy Lamancusa started the scoring with a takedown just over a minute into the match and Monin quickly added an escape to cut the lead to 2-1 heading into the second period. Another takedown to end the second period with a 4-2 lead that would end the same score. At 165 lbs, Josh Shields took a commanding 5-0 lead just over halfway through the match before adding three near fall points to close out the second period. Another takedown increased Shield's lead to 10-0 before an additional three near fall points stretched the lead to 13-0 before finishing 14-1. Gannon swept the last two matches of the night as Jacob Tazzi posted a 6-1 decision over Trevor Gallo before heavyweight Frank McGrath pinned Kenny Bluska at 2:06.

HEMPSTEAD, NY -- The Pride won nine consecutive matches, including a pin by Lou Ruggirello and a tech fall by Jonny Bonilla-Bowman, to post a 37-3 victory over CAA-rival Binghamton at the David S. Mack Sports Complex Friday night. The Hofstra victory boosted the Pride's season mark to 3-1 and bumped the program's conference match undefeated streak to 61 (60-0-1) and their conference winning streak to 58. The match opened at 184 pounds with Binghamton's 15th-ranked junior Josh Patterson taking on Hofstra freshman Ben Clymer (8-4). Patterson (19-2) jumped out to a 3-0 lead and hung on for a 4-2 victory. Hofstra sophomore Joe Fagiano, ranked 16th in the nation at 197 pounds, put Hofstra on the board with a convincing 15-1 major decision over freshman Carl Korpi (1-7). The Indiana University-transfer improved to 10-1 on the season with his fifth consecutive victory and gave the Pride a 4-3 lead. Hofstra freshman Jordan Enck followed Fagiano's lead with an 8-0 major decision over junior Corey Waite (13-9). Enck boosted his record to 9-8 on the year. Steve Bonanno, the third of five freshmen in the Pride starting line-up, boosted the Hofstra lead to 12-3 with a 17-3 major decision over sophomore Tyler Malberg at 125 pounds. Bonanno improved to 12-6 on the year with his fifth consecutive victory. Pride sophomore Lou Ruggirello, ranked 10th in the nation, improved to 10-1 on the season and recorded his ninth win by fall with a pin of junior Rob Slavin (7-8), in 1:11, at 133 pounds. All 10 of Ruggirello's victories this season have been bonus-point wins. Pride red-shirt freshman Justin Accordino continued Hofstra's run of five straight bonus-point victories with a 14-3 major decision over sophomore Anwar Goeres (11-10) at 141 pounds. Accordino boosted his season-record to 10-4. In a rematch of the 2007 New York State High School Championship final, Hofstra red-shirt freshman P.J. Gillespie, from Long Beach High School, squared off against Matt Kaylor (13-8), from Burnt Hills High School, at 149 pounds. Once again, Gillespie (12-6) got the better of his opponent, jumping out to a 3-0 lead and holding on for a 4-1 victory. Leading 25-3 in the match, Hofstra junior Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (4-5) dominated red-shirt freshman Jon Kaloust (2-5) to post a 25-10 tech fall victory at 157 pounds. Pride sophomore Ryan Patrovich, ranked 20th this week at 165 pounds, boosted his record to 9-3 on the season with a 7-2 victory over sophomore Ryan McGarity (9-9). Patrovich has won four of his last five matches. Hofstra senior Alton Lucas, the Pride's lone returning All-American, closed out the match and boosted his record to 8-3 on the season with a 17-4 major decision over junior Anthony Esposito (8-8) at 174 pounds. The Pride will break for exams and will return to action on December 29-30 when they compete at The Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Rob Koll, who is in his 16th season as head coach at Cornell, has led the Big Red to nine Ivy League titles, crowned four individual NCAA champions, 27 All-Americans, and 23 EIWA champions. Cornell is poised to challenge for the NCAA team title this season with six All-American on its roster. RevWrestling.com recently talked to Koll about Troy Nickerson's status, Mike Grey's move back down to 133, what makes Jordan Leen so good, what Mack Lewnes is going to need to do to win the NCAA title, how Adam Frey's battle with cancer has affected his life, why he thinks the NWCA should do away with the All-Star Classic, and much more. Rob Koll (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)Troy Nickerson started the season at 125 and wrestled 133 against Penn State, but hasn't competed since. What his status? And when do you expect him to return to the lineup? Koll: As soon as possible. He's just struggling with some injuries. We don't want to rush him back too soon … because at the end of the day, nobody is going to care how he does at the Southern Scuffle or Vegas. They're going to remember what he did at nationals. To be honest with you, it's a day-by-day situation and we just don't know. He takes two steps forward and sometimes three steps back. We just want to keep moving forward instead of constantly setting ourselves back. So I don't want to rush the recovery. Compare the Troy Nickerson who placed third at the 2007 NCAAs to the Troy Nickerson who is on your roster now. Where do you think his biggest gains have come during that time away from competition? Koll: That's really hard to say because I haven't seen him wrestle in competition but a couple matches. I wish I could answer that question. I know in the practice room he has significantly improved. He's much more dominant and doesn't give up points anymore. Whereas in the past, he would concede positions and points. He's not doing that anymore. My main concern with Troy is to get him physically healthy so that he can have a great mental frame of mind going into nationals. Mike Grey had an outstanding freshman season. This season, Grey won the Binghamton Open, but struggled against Penn State and then again a day later at the Body Bar Invitational while competing at 141. Now he's moving back down to 133. What went into Grey's decision to move back down to 133? Koll: Well, you just answered it (laughing). The fact that he struggled at 141. He won the Binghamton Open, but didn't look good doing it. Ever since he has gone down, he's just a totally different animal. I'm one hundred percent confident the next time you see Mike Grey he will be vastly improved from the Penn State match and Body Bar. And he's at 133. I think sometimes a person has to train doubly hard to get down to weight … and that makes him that much better. I think in Mike's case, that's the situation. Whereas other people, if they don't have to work so hard, they don't wear themselves out. Mike has to work that hard to have the confidence that he's in just unbelievable shape and bigger and stronger than anybody he wrestles. Will he be back for the Southern Scuffle? Koll: Yes. Mack Lewnes placed fourth at the NCAAs last season as a freshman. He has been very impressive this season. But he has a history of close losses to Nick Marable of Missouri, including one this season at the NWCA All-Star Classic. What's going to be the key for Mack to win an NCAA title this season? Mack Lewnes has struggled with Missouri's Nick Marable throughout his career (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Koll: Well, hopefully Marable is on the other side of the bracket and gets beat (laughing). (Mack) just needs to keep doing what he does every single day, which is work incredibly hard. I've never seen him get out of position in practice. Every waking moment, he's trying to get better. Whether it's coming in and doing extra cardio work or doing extra lifts or drills, he's just an absolute coach's dream come true. He will continue to improve as the season progresses. I have no doubt whatsoever. I think he's the guy to beat. I'm obviously very, very biased. He has to figure out a way to score on Marable. That's the one guy who has given him trouble the last two years. But we'll see him again at the dual meet, so hopefully we'll have it figured out by then. As a competitor, you competed twice in the NWCA All-Star Classic. You have coached several wrestlers in the event during your career, including two this season. What is your opinion of the current format of having the event in the early part of the season and the matches being exhibition matches? Koll: I don't think they should even have it anymore. If it doesn't count, then it doesn't mean anything to me. It's one way or the other. How can you say this doesn't count when every pollster counts it? So it only counts if you win, I guess. But if you lose, it counts against you. Why would Mack be ranked second in so many polls? When in theory he's undefeated. It doesn't make any sense. When I wrestled, it was East-West. It had some meaning to it. It was interesting. People cared. There was some loyalty. There is always that rivalry. That's gone. If they're not going to bring back the East-West, then get rid of the whole thing. Jordan Leen has had a great career at Cornell. He's a two-time All-American and NCAA champion. He's intelligent and well spoken. He's a pre-med major. He also has a strong faith. Describe what the experience has been like not only coaching Jordan, but also getting to know him on a personal level in the time you have spent with him. Jordan Leen, who hails from Tennessee, is a two-time All-American and the defending NCAA champion at 157. Being loose and relaxed is what makes Leen so good because he doesn't get nervous, says Rob Koll (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Koll: Well, I've known Jordan since he was about knee high to a grasshopper. I met him when he was about 4 or 5 years old running around his father's kitchen in Garden City, Kansas. I was recruiting Jason Roach, who was one of our top recruits. I went out to see him. I remember going over to the coach's house and this little red-haired hellion was running all around the kitchen. That was the first time I met Jordan. And then I remember seeing him on video. Coming out of Tennessee, he wasn't highly recruited. But I just really loved what I saw. And then we hit off really well when I spoke to him. And there's been no looking back, obviously. He's a very intelligent wrestler. People really underrate him. For some reason, they don't want to give the kid any credit. Winning nationals was certainly not a fluke last year. He has two losses this year, but the first match … I don't know how to say this without sounding it sounding like sour grapes, I mean, it was one of the poorest officiated matches I've seen in my life. He probably should have won by four … had it not been in someone else's hometown. Against Burroughs, that match could have gone either way. I don't know why people for some reason tend not to give him credit. And then recently, I don't know where I saw it, but people were commenting on how he's cocky or something because of how he wrestles. He just has a blast out there. Being loose and relaxed is what makes him so good because he doesn't get nervous. He's very content … win or lose, he's just going to go as hard as he can. He knows he's done everything he can do. He has a phenomenal attitude. He is really enjoying the experience. I wish every one of my wrestlers could be as poised and relaxed as Jordan. He is his own best coach. He's very, very intelligent. If he loses to somebody, he'll study those videos and have a game plan the next time he wrestles him. So I'm not too concerned about those early losses, although there are so many good kids in that weight class, you know, flip a coin, and anyone can come out on top. Josh Arnone was an All-American two seasons ago at 184, but battled injuries last season. He hasn't competed yet this season. What's his status? Koll: Josh is back. He wrestled live today in practice again. He will be wrestling at the Southern Scuffle and he looks really good. I held him out longer than he needed to be held out this year intentionally. He was cleared to go in early November. I just didn't see a need to rush him back in there. Last year, I think we pushed him a little too quickly. We weren't going to make that same mistake twice. You have six All-Americans on your roster this season, including an NCAA champion and an NCAA finalist. Obviously, the expectations are extremely high for Cornell this season. Do you feel more pressure this season as a coach compared to past seasons? Photo/Tech-Fall.comKoll: That's hard to say because I don't feel it externally. But I certainly put in on myself. Anyone who is competitive is going to put a lot of pressure on themselves. It's not pressure … it's excitement. I talk to other coaches, I say, you know, I'm really blessed and fortunate to be able to coach at Cornell because win or lose, our alumni find the good in our performance. And I'm not just saying that. It's sincere. We'll go out and look awful and they'll tell me how good our uniforms look. I mean, they're going to find something good in everything we do. It makes it a pleasure to coach here. Whereas some of my peers, these poor guys, whether they're being attacked personally or on the message boards, you can't win. And these are some guys who are incredibly successful coaches. And at the same time, coaches who are making as much as high school teachers with no job security and an ungodly amount of pressure. So it can be a thankless job. I don't think people truly appreciate it. It's also awfully fun. I'm fortunate to be in a situation where the pressure I feel is coming from within. It seems that you as a coach often times take a more cautious approach to injuries when it comes to competing in regular season events. You had several starters out for the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. It doesn't seem like you put as much emphasis on regular season events, including duals and major tournaments, as other coaches. Your focus seems to be much more about getting your athletes ready to compete in March. Is that an accurate assessment? Cory Cooperman and Rob Koll coach Jordan Leen to a victory over Iowa State's Cyler Sanderson at the 2008 NWCA All-Star Classic held at St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Koll: Yeah, but you can thank Tim Flynn for that. Year after year, we would have this great dual meet team in November. I remember Tim Flynn and Lou Rosselli would come out and tease Tom Shifflet and me mercilessly. They would be like, "Yay, guys, you have one heck of a dual meet team." It finally dawned up on me, I was like, 'You know what, who freaking cares?' We were ranked in the top 10 in the country, but nobody cared. You can't peak for six months. I think a lot of coaches look at very single dual meet as a national championship … and every single tournament as a national championship. When you look at it that way, one, it's extremely depressing and hard to recover from a loss if you think every match is a national championship, although you may wrestle that match a higher level. But the problem is, you're basically trying to peak for six months. You simply can't do it. I did make a conscious decision that until they change the format to make the dual meets count more than the national championships, I'm not going to perceive it that way. I do have other goals. It's not like I completely forgo early season competition. Things that count for us at Cornell. We're supposed to win the Ivy League Championships … and we do. My goal is obviously is to win the Ivies, get as many guys to nationals, and win the nationals. So you'll find that we do get guys in the lineup when it comes down to the Ivy League Championships. The Eastern championship doesn't mean that much to me, although I look at that as a national qualifier. Now that we have the ability to win the national dual meet championships, you'll see that we put a lot of emphasis on that as well. So I'm not just going to let that go. But, hey, if the best you can do is seventh, I'm not going to sacrifice our Ivies and NCAAs so that we can place sixth instead of seventh. But now that you have a chance to win it, yeah, then I'm really going to try to peak them for that championship. You also have to remember, I don't have anybody here on scholarship. And there's a different relationship that we have with the kids because of that. Kids are here for the right reasons. Some of them will hopefully want to make the Olympic team, but all of them want to be prepared for their careers in medicine, engineering, or law. Despite what some people say, you can't go back and become a doctor after college … because you'll never get into medical school. So to sacrifice the next 60 years of happiness for four years is foolhardy and unnecessary. Having a great education and having a national championship experience, I know the two aren't mutually exclusive. And the great thing is, high school kids know that now. We don't have to beat down their doors to have them come look at us now. Cory Cooperman is in his second season on your staff. People know about his credentials as a wrestler from his days at Blair Academy and Lehigh. But what does he bring to the table as a coach? Koll: Cory is a wrestling savant. He's our little wrestling "Rain Man." The guy has as much technique as anyone I've ever been around, so it's really neat. Sometimes I really have to pull him back because he goes too much. There is only so much you can do at practice. Realistically, you have 30 some guys on the team and only so many of them can do the things he's doing. So he's had to pull back a little bit … because if you're not athletic enough or don't have the experience to do some of things he's able to do, you're wasting your time showing it to them. But he has really gotten a good grasp on that. He has been a super asset. Another one of your assistants, Damion Hahn, was runner-up at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Does Hahn still have plans to compete in freestyle? Damion Hahn (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Koll: Give him two years and let him see how it goes. He's so darn good. He's a different type of coach than Cory. They're very different. Damion is much more basic in his approach, but he's also a bigger guy. So it's a great mix to have someone around the middle weights with Cory. I have Travis Lee on the lighter weights. And I have Damion on the upper weights. I don't think there is a school that has a better staff than what we have. Not only are they great technicians and great coaches, but they are just really good people and very intelligent. On top of that, I still have Tyler Baier in town, who was a national finalist for me. Clint Wattenberg, who has been on the U.S. National Team, is the strength coach and nutritionist. I just have a wonderful group of people here interacting with our kids. You mentioned Travis Lee. You coached him to a pair of NCAA titles. Following his collegiate career, he wrestled some freestyle and had a victory over Olympic silver medalist Stephen Abas. At one point, he seemed to be on the brink of breaking through and challenging for a spot on the World or Olympic team. But he battled some injuries, which prevented him from competing. Is he done competing? Koll: Yeah, he's done. He went over to Ukraine, got hit with an arm spin, came down on his head, and severally herniated three discs all in alignment. Every specialist we took him to told him that he should never wrestle again. He lost feeling in both hands, so it was pretty serious. It wasn't like he had a stinger. He literally went unconscious and lost feeling in both hands. Barring a medical miracle, he won't be competing anymore. Although, in our room, he can still whip anybody up to 149. And on a good day, probably 157. If Travis would have been able to stay healthy and continued competing, how great do you think he could have been in freestyle? Koll: I really believe he was too athletic for anybody. I don't mean to take anything away from anybody on the United States team because they're very good. But it had been a long time since he had lost to anybody in the United States. So I would have been surprised if he didn't make the Olympic team. But anybody who was competing for that spot would beg to differ. I don't want to be disrespectful to anybody else. Not that I don't think they are that good, it's just that I think Travis is that great. One of your wrestlers, Adam Frey, has been courageously battling cancer since March. How has his battle with cancer affected your life? Adam Frey (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)Koll: It puts things in perspective. You have to constantly remind the kids that as bad as it may seem with grades, weight, or whatever, it could certainly be a lot worse. I've been at this for 20 years. I've lost many wrestlers though accidents and tragedies. Life is very, very temporary. You don't want to waste any opportunities. That's really the message we try to get through to these guys. You may never have a chance at a national title. Individually, these guys may never have a chance to win a national title. One of Adam's main goals in life it to get back here and win a national title. That's one of the things he wants to do as much as anything. Almost on his death bed, that's still important to him. These guys have to remember that it can be taken away from you very, very quickly, so don't waste this opportunity. Hopefully Adam will be back next year. Based on everything we hear, there's no reason that he can't be back. But who knows if he'll be able to get back to the same level. So we're really hoping he can. It really puts everything in perspective. Anytime you have a struggle, you have to say, it could be a lot worse.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum has announced its Class of 2009 inductees in the categories of Distinguished Member, Outstanding American, Order of Merit, Medal of Courage and Lifetime Achievement for Officials. The Hall of Fame's Board of Governors approved the selections at its semi-annual meeting held in Las Vegas the first week of December. "I want to thank our Board of Governors and the various screening and selection committees involved in the six-month process that determines our honorees for induction," said Jim Keen Sr., Chairman of the Board of Governors. Distinguished Members – Pete Blair, Ed Eichelberger, Les Gutches and Dennis Koslowski; Outstanding American – Steve Silver; Order of Merit – Arno Niemand; Medal of Courage – Larry Gibson; and Lifetime Achievement for Officials – Chuck Yagla will be inducted during Honors Weekend in Stillwater, June 5-6, 2009. These eight honorees will mark the 33rd class since the Hall of Fame began operations in 1976. The Class of 2009's Distinguished Members includes a World champion in freestyle, one of just two NCAA champions for the Naval Academy, one of the United States' first Greco-Roman stars and one of Lehigh's all-time greats. Distinguished Member - Ed Eichelberger When signing an autograph, Edward Baxter Eichelberger always adds "Galatians 6:14" after his signature. It reads: But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. He was coached by a legend in high school – Billy Martin at Granby High School in Norfolk, Va. – and by another legend in college – Gerald Leeman at Lehigh. Eichelberger was undefeated his final three years of high school, winning three state titles in Virginia. His career at Lehigh included two NCAA championships and a 55-3-1 record with 37 pins. One of his losses came in the 1954 NCAA finals to Myron Roderick of Oklahoma A&M. He was named the EIWA Tournament's Outstanding Wrestler in 1955 and 1956 and the NCAA Tournament's OW in 1955. Employed by IBM since 1956, Eichelberger earned his Masters and Ph.D. from Princeton. Distinguished Member - Peter Blair As a senior at Granby High School in Norfolk, Va., Blair stood just 5-foot-6 and did no t wrestle on the varsity. He enlisted in the United States Navy at the age of 16, and during his recruit training grew an amazing 6 inches. By the time his two years at Bainbridge Prep Academy were done that total was 7.5 inches. Blair competed at 177 pounds as a freshman and sophomore at the United States Naval Academy and moved up to 191 pounds his final two collegiate seasons where he would win back-to-back NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956. His career record was 57-5 with no losses over his final two seasons for legendary head coach Ray Swartz. Soon after beating Kenneth Leuer in the 1956 NCAA finals, Blair pinned five opponents in winning a National AAU title. Two weeks later he was the Olympic Trials champion at 192 pounds and would be elected team captain by his freestyle teammates. In Melbourne, Australia, at the 1956 Olympics, Blair would earn a bronze medal. An officer in the Navy from 1955 until his retirement in 1974, Blair served on ships and submarines and taught at the Academy. Blair died on June 29, 1994, after a brief but concentrated bout with cancer. Distinguished Member - Dennis Koslowski A two-time Division III national champion at Minnesota-Morris, Koslowski began the transition to Greco-Roman soon after graduating in 1982. One year later, in 1983, Koslowski would win the first of his 7 USAW Greco-Roman titles. In 1987 at the World Championships in France, Koslowski earned a silver medal at 220 pounds. At the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, the Minneapolis resident would bring home a bronze medal, and four years later at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, the 220-pounder would earn a silver medal. He was the first to win two Greco-Roman Olympic medals for the USA, an achievement only matched by Rulon Gardner. While at Minnesota-Morris, he was also a three-time All-Conference guard on the football team and is currently the owner of Koslowski Chiropractic, Inc., in the Minneapolis area. Distinguished Member - Les Gutches Gutches was the first athlete to win USA Wrestling national titles in all five age group levels – Cadet, Junior, Espoir, University and Senior. At South Medford High School in Oregon, Gutches won three state titles. He was also a district champion in the 400 meters for the track team. He was a two-time NCAA champion while at Oregon State, compiling a 134-10 career record. He earned the Outstanding Wrestler award at the 1996 NCAA Championships and the Dan Hodge Trophy that same season. Over his final two collegiate seasons he allowed opponents just one takedown. Gutches quickly made his mark in freestyle, winning the first of his 5 U.S. Nationals titles in 1996 and also the Olympic Trials title at 180.5 pounds. In Atlanta, he would finish seventh. However, a year later at the 1997 World Championships in Russia, Gutches would earn a gold medal at 187.25 pounds. He would also earn a bronze medal at the 1999 World Championships. Medal of Courage - Larry Gibson The 2009 Medal of Courage honoree, Gibson has battled adversity since the age of 12 when he was hit by a drunk driver. After almost two years in the hospital and 13 surgeries his leg was amputated seven inches below the knee. He participated in both football and wrestling in high school and college, earning four letters and serving as team captain for two years at George Fox College in Oregon. A life-changing plane crash sent Gibson back to school where he received his teaching degree. He taught history and served as wrestling coach at Omak High School for 16 years. A club coach since 1972, Gibson was voted Washington's Coach of the Year in 1991. He was inducted into the Washington State Chapter of the NWHOF in 1995 and received his USA Wrestling Gold Level Coaches Certificate in 1997. Gibson has been a nationally-known motivational speaker since 1988. Order of Merit - Arno Niemand Niemand, the Order of Merit honoree, received the FILA Gold Star in 2008 and has provided leadership gifts for new training facilities at his high school and collegiate alma maters. He has contributed major resources to several elite national and local youth clubs around the country. He was the pioneer sponsor of USA Wrestling's Women s National freestyle team through his company, Body Bar Systems. Niemand has also support the National Wrestling Coaches Association's educational program Building Leaders for Life and the College Sports Council's advocacy against the consequences of Title IX interpretations on the sport of wrestling. He is currently writing and publishing the book Miracle on the Mat detailing Cornell College's road to the 1947 NCAA championship. Niemand is a graduate of the University of Cornell (Ithaca, N.Y.) and has been a CEO, President and Chairman of Niemand Industries and Body Bar Systems since the 1960s. Outstanding American - Steve Silver The founder and owner of the Steve Silver Company, an import furniture business in Dallas which employs 500 worldwide in five nations, the 2009 Outstanding American honoree has been involved in wrestling throughout his life. Silver wrestled for Spencerport High School in New York and at the University of Alabama for three years under coach Pat Milkovich. Six of Silver's seven children, including two daughters, have participated in wrestling. He founded and coached a youth wrestling club in Forney, Texas, hiring 1988 Olympic gold medalist Kenny Monday to coach the club, now known as Team Monday. Silver is also a big supporter of Bishop Lynch High, a nationally-known program. Silver has served as Team Leader for the last four U.S. Freestyle Teams including the 2008 Olympics in China where he's done business for a number of years. He was named USA Wrestling's Man of the Year in 2006 for his contributions to the sport. Lifetime Achievement for Officials - Chuck Yagla A two-time NCAA champion for the University of Iowa, Yagla has been an official for 24 years. Also a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team, Yagla will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement for Officials. From 1996-07, Yagla worked the NCAA Tournament and was selected as a championship finals official five times. He's also officiated six NCAA Division II Championships along with Big Ten (1995-07) and Pac-10 (1997-07) tournaments. Yagla has worked 12 National Dual Championships and has been officiating college matches and tournaments since 1983. He was appointed Coordinator of Wrestling Officials for the Big Ten and Big 12 Conferences in July of 2008.

Ron and Don Jones are legends in their small community of Iowa Falls, but their impact is far reaching beyond their home town. "The Jones Boys" were both state place winners, with Don winning it all at 133 in 1961, and Ron placing second and third. both went on to wrestle at Iowa State University under legendary head coach Dr. Harold Nichols, and were part of the 1965 national championship team. Ron placed 5th in 1963, and 4th on the ‘65 team, while Don was stuck behind two-time All-American Bob Buzzard. Out of college, both went on to successful careers in coaching, reaching thousands of lives along the way. both ended up coaching at home, with Don running the junior high program and Ron taking on the high school duties. In 15 seasons with Iowa Falls, Ron sported a 134-43-3 record, won seven North Central Conference team titles, 15 state place winners and two state champions. He was named the coach of the year in 1983 and is a member of the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame. Throughout the rich history of Iowa Falls wrestling, nobody remembers there ever being a regular season tournament hosted there. On Dec. 20, that will change as Iowa City's City High, Clarksville, North Butler, Algona, West Marshall, and the JV squads from Perry and West Des Moines Valley join Iowa Falls-Alden for the Ron and Don Jones Invite. The honor is well deserved, and meaningful in more ways than one. In January of this year, Ron was diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) which is a member of the Parkinson's family. His health has been failing, but his mind remains active. He can still spout off about some of the sport's best from the ages, and remembers well the members of the teams he coached. In honor of both Joneses, all former Iowa Falls wrestlers under each are invited to the 11 a.m. tournament–free of charge. Others from their past, including high school and college teammates and opponents, or just friends and casual acquaintances, are also invited to help celebrate the event and make their day extra special. For further information, call Iowa Falls athletic director Pat Norem at 641-648-6440.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Former Oregon State wrestler Les Gutches will be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame during honors weekend in Stillwater, June 5-6, announced Thursday. Gutches will be inducted as a Distinguished Member. He joins seven others in the 33rd class since the Hall of Fame began operations in 1976. He becomes the second Oregon State wrestler to be inducted since Robin Reed in 1978 with former head coach Dale Thomas also being inducted in 1980. "It's a huge honor," Gutches said. "When you win a tournament, it's kind of what you've done then and there. But being inducted into the Hall of Fame is a great honor because it encompasses your body of work and what you've done overall as an athlete. Growing up you see all of the people being inducted and have great respect for them. So for the Hall of Fame to look at your work and deem it to be honored like this, it's huge." Gutches was the first athlete to win USA Wrestling national titles in all five age group levels – Cadet, Junior, Espoir, University and Senior. At South Medford High School in Oregon, Gutches won three state titles. He was also a district champion in the 400 meters for the track team. He was a two-time NCAA champion while at Oregon State, wrestling from 1993-96 and compiling a 134-10 career record. He earned the Outstanding Wrestler award at the 1996 NCAA Championships and the Dan Hodge Trophy that same season. Over his final two collegiate seasons he allowed opponents just one takedown. Gutches quickly made his mark in freestyle, winning the first of his five U.S. Nationals titles in 1996 and also the Olympic Trials title at 180.5 pounds. In Atlanta, he would finish seventh. However, a year later at the 1997 World Championships in Russia, Gutches would earn a gold medal at 187.25 pounds. He would also earn a bronze medal at the 1999 World Championships. Gutches currently is a commercial lender for a bank in Corvallis. He spends his free time helping with local high school wrestling programs and is actively involved with the Oregon State wrestling Orange Crush Club. He was inducted into the Oregon State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003.

WRESTLERS HOST ANNUAL TOURNAMENT: Fourteen schools vie for individual and team honors Saturday, Dec. 13, at the 36th Dick Walker Invitational. Action begins at 9 a.m. inside Levick Arena and the Center Court area of the Wartburg-Waverly Sports and Wellness Center. Updated brackets, results and more will be available throughout the day at www.go-knights.net, the Internet home of Wartburg athletics. A live video webcast of the finals can be accessed at http://www.go-knights.net/video.html, and live audio of the semifinals and finals will be available at http://www.kwar.org. This year's team title chase includes six teams ranked among the top 11 of the current National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III top 25 (Wartburg - #1; Coe - #2; North Central - #4; Augsburg - #7; UW-Whitewater - #9; and Cornell - #11), Central Missouri State out of NCAA Division II, and second-ranked Iowa Central Community College of Fort Dodge and fifth-ranked North Iowa Area Community College of Mason City from the National Junior College Athletic Association. TOURNAMENT HISTORY: The tourney is named in memory of Dr. Richard Walker, long-time Wartburg wrestling coach. Walker compiled a 180-93-4 dual record in 22 years as head coach, including a school-record 43-dual win streak. He was a three-time Iowa Conference Coach of the Year and coached four conference championship teams… Wartburg is the 13-time defending team champions. Augustana College of Rock Island, Ill., was the last team, other than the Knights, to be first in the point standings when they won the 1994 tournament. KNIGHTS NOTES: Senior 157-pounder Aaron Wernimont of Pocahontas, the nation's top-ranked individual at his weight class, brings a 52-match win streak into the tournament. He's just three wins shy of 100 for his career…Senior 165-pounder Justin Hanson of Dakota City is the reigning Iowa Conference Male Athlete of the Week. He rolled up four wins en route to his weight class title at Simpson last weekend including knocking off Burkle, the defending national champion, in the championship…Hanson's effort also moved him to number one at his weight class on the current NWCA individual rankings. Head coach Jim Miller's team also has junior Mark Kist of Eagle Grove ranked 10th at 125, junior Matt Kelly of Dubuque ranked second at 133, senior Zach McKray of Iowa City ranked second at 141, Wernimont first at 157, senior Grant Jenkins of Manchester eighth at 174, freshman Byron Tate of Clinton ninth at 197, and sophomore John Helgerson of West Union sixth at heavyweight…The Orange and Black opened their dual season last week with strong results, toppling No. 19-ranked Loras 44-0 at Dubuque. It was the 123rd consecutive dual win for the program against conference competition. DESERT DUALS: Wartburg hosts the event Sunday, Dec. 21, inside the ballrooms of the Flamingo Las Vegas hotel. Complete information on the tournament is available at http://www.go-knights.net/wrestling/dduals/index.html.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 12th-ranked University of Oklahoma wrestling team will take its perfect 4-0 dual record on the road this weekend, Dec. 13, when it travels to San Luis Obispo, Calif., to compete in the Big 12/Pac-10 Challenge. Competing against the Sooners on Saturday will be Cal Poly (9 a.m.), Cal-Bakersfield (11 a.m.), and Cal-Fullerton (1 p.m.). All matches are scheduled to be held at the Madonna Inn Convention Center. Oklahoma is coming off its second-straight victory over in-state rival Oklahoma State last Sunday to open up Big 12 competition, winning by an 18-15 final margin. The Sooners are 1-0 to begin the Big 12 season for the first time since 1993. Also for the first time this season, the Sooners boast seven nationally-ranked wrestlers, led by No. 9 Jeff James at 174 pounds. Joey Fio is No. 12 at 125 pounds and Kyle Terry and Eric Lapotsky are No. 14 at 149 and 197 pounds, respectively. Redshirt sophomore Zack Bailey is No. 15 at 141 pounds, Shane Vernon is No. 16 among 157-pounders and 133-pound David Armstrong ranks 19th. Cal-Bakersfield leads Sooner competitors this weekend with four nationally-ranked wrestlers. Heavyweight Mitch Montiero is No. 4, Riley Orozco is No. 11 at 197 pounds, and Brandon Zoeteway is No. 15 among 125-pounders. Thomas Kimbrell rounds out the group ranked No. 12 at 133 pounds. Cal Poly has two ranked, as Chase Pami is No. 13 at 157 pounds and Filip Novachkov is No. 20 among 141-pounders. Cal-Fullerton's Tim Hawkins is No. 16 at 184 pounds and T.J. Dillashaw is No. 17 at 133 pounds. The Sooner squad will break for the holidays after this weekend's trip to California, and will resume competition at the Lonestar Duals on Jan. 3, in Arlington, Texas.

LINCOLN -- The University of Nebraska has announced tickets are now on sale for the general public for the 2009 Big 12 Wrestling Championships, which will be held at the NU Coliseum in Lincoln, Neb., on March, 7. Fans can purchase tickets by calling the Nebraska Ticket Office at (800) 8-BIGRED or online at Huskers.com. All-session tickets are $20 for reserved seating (north and south stands) and $15 for general admission (east and west balcony). Individual-session tickets will be available on March 7 for $8 reserved and $7 general admission. The first session begins at 11 a.m., while the second sessions commences at 4 p.m. Finals are contested at 7 p.m. The Huskers host the conference tournament for the second time since the inception of the Big 12 and the first time since 2000. Nebraska finished fourth when it hosted the event in 2000 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. This year's tournament will be contested at the NU Coliseum, which holds more than 4,030 fans. The Coliseum is located in the heart of NU's campus next to Memorial Stadium and has provided a thrilling match-day environment for fans, including hosting the National Duals from 1993 to 1997.