InterMat Staff

Ithaca, N.Y. -- The 12th-ranked Missouri wrestling team (15-2) came from behind winning the five final bouts of the afternoon dual to upset second-ranked Cornell (5-2), 18-14, in Newman Arena of Ithaca, N.Y. Two of Missouri's redshirt freshmen pulled off upsets of their own at 184 pounds and heavyweight. Both unranked grapplers, Dorian Henderson and Dominique Bradley, respectively, knocked off their top-ranked opponents by one point decisions. With the victory, Missouri is credited with its 15th win of the season, marking the first time in three years that the Tigers have tallied 15 or more wins. "Dorian and Dom had big wins for us today," Missouri Head Coach Brian Smith said. "It was good to see so many of our wrestlers step up and compete in such an exciting dual. This win was a confidence booster for us. We were wrestling in a tough environment and it's nice to come out of it with the victory." Missouri, now 3-1 in duals with Cornell, suffered back-to-back losses at 125 and 133 pounds, finding themselves down, 8-0, early in the battle with the Big Red. Twelfth ranked senior Marcus Hoehn (Farmington, Mo.) came up with the Tigers' first win of the dual earning a 6-4 decision over Corey Manson at 141 pounds. Hoehn's victory marks the fifth time of the campaign in which he was first to put points on the board for Missouri and snaps a three bout losing streak for the Tiger middleweight wrestler. Hoehn led Manson the entire match and was awarded one point for riding time after accumulating over two minutes. Senior Andrew Sherry (Sewickley, Pa.) went back and forth with his opponent, DJ Meagher, at 149 pounds. Sherry suffered a loss by one point, one of eight bouts on the day that were determined by two or fewer points. Ninth-ranked senior Michael Chandler (High Ridge, Mo.) went head-to-head with fifth-ranked Jordan Leen. Leen, the 2008 NCAA Champion at 157 pounds, scored first in the match, managing a takedown with 17 seconds left in the first period. The two were scoreless through the second, but Leen took a 3-0 lead after choosing down in the third and escaping. Chandler's takedown cut Leen's lead to one, but his escape with 22 seconds left in the bout secured Corrnell's fourth and final win of he day. For the ninth time of the campaign, the Tigers collected five consecutive wins at 165, 174, 184, 197 pounds and heavyweight. Leading off at 165 pounds, seventh-ranked Nicholas Marable (Collierville, Tenn.) recorded a 4-1 win over John Basting. Marable scored all four of his points in the third period, escaping from the down position, earning a point for Basting's stalling, and two points for his takedown with five seconds left in the match. The second match of the day to feature two top-10 ranked opponents pit No. 6 Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) against fifth-ranked Steve Anceravage of Cornell. Jordan won the bout, 10-5, his 24th win of the campaign and fourth against a top-10 opponent. The Tiger All-American managed a reversal in the second and third periods and back points in the second. A redshirt freshman from Columbus, Ga., Henderson won his second match of the season over a ranked opponent, upsetting No. 16 Justin Kerber, 3-2, at 184 pounds. The two grapplers were scoreless in the first period and Henderson managed the only point of the second period with an escape four seconds in. Kerber escaped in the third period tying the match at one but was quickly returned to the mat on a Henderson takedown with 15 seconds left. Kerber was quick to escape but was unable to connect on a final shot, allowing Henderson the win. "Dorian stuck with what he knew," Smith said. "He wasn't thinking, he was out on the mat just wrestling. He wrestled hard and confident and found a way to win a big match." "I think I wrestled a smart match," Henderson said. "Kerber was real aggressive, but I got that takedown at the end of the period which secured the win. I think the win will help build our momentum going into the Big 12 part of our schedule." Wrestling at 197 pounds, No. 4 Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) held off No. 18 Cam Simaz, 4-3, improving to 14-0 in duals. Missouri held a one point, 15-14, lead heading into the heavyweight bout which paired Bradley of Blue Springs, Mo., against No. 13 Zach Hammond. Bradley's 1-0 win in which the Tiger scored the sole point on an escape in the third period, secured Missouri's 15th win of the year. "I never think of Dom as an underdog," Smith said. "He's beaten some tough wrestlers this year and I know how talented he is." Missouri's upset of No. 2 Cornell, while impressive, is not the highest ranked opponent the Tigers have ever beaten. In 2003, Missouri knocked off then No. 1 Oklahoma State, 21-17. Tiger fans will have a chance to see their squad in action when they open the Big 12 portion of their schedule, Saturday, Jan. 31, against No. 5 Nebraska at 7:30 p.m. (CT) in the Hearnes Center.

Related Content: Rev Audio: Minnesota-Michigan State Minnesota-Michigan State Match Breakdown (Wrestling 411) Minnesota-Michigan State Photo Gallery (The Guillotine) All-American Jayson Ness won the feature match of the afternoon over top-ranked Franklin Gomez at 133 pounds, and the Gophers (11-4, 1-0) cruised to a win in their Big Ten opener over Michigan State (5-4, 0-2) at the Sports Pavilion on Sunday. Ness and Gomez traded reversals in the opening period before the Minnesota junior secured his win over previously unbeaten Gomez with a third period escape to secure the 6-5 decision victory. Ness' win over Gomez improved his all-time record in Big Ten duals to a perfect 17-0. Mike Thorn recorded his tenth pin of the season at 141 pounds and No. 9 Minnesota got major decision wins from Zach Sanders (125 pounds), Gordon Bierschenk (197 pounds) and Ben Berhow (Hwt) to stretch the final margin to 30-6. Sanders opened the meet with a dominating 15-5 win over the Spartans' Eric Olanowski at 125 pounds. The win was a team-leading 27th of the season for the Wabasha, Minn. native and was his sixth by major decision. The redshirt freshman is now a perfect 15-0 in Minnesota dual meets this season. Following the big win by Ness, Thorn's second period pin over the Spartans' Collin Dozier pushed the Minnesota lead to 13-0. Michigan State was able to narrow their deficit to within 13-6 through the 157-pound match, but the Gophers won the final five bouts to stretch their lead to the final 24-point margin. No. 16 Scott Glasser got the ball rolling for the Gophers with his 8-4 decision win over Rex Kindle at 165 pounds. Glasser's win in his Big Ten dual debut improved his 2008-09 record to 17-9. At 174 pounds, junior Matt Everson cranked out a narrow 4-3 victory over the Spartans' Ian Hinton. Redshirt freshman Sonny Yohn followed with another close win at 184 pounds - a 6-3 triumph over Nick Palmieri. The Gophers will hit the road to take on Penn State and Ohio State next weekend before returning to the Twin Cities to host Michigan (Feb. 6) and Northwestern (Feb. 8) in two weeks at the Sports Pavilion. Tickets for both duals are still available and can be purchased by calling 1-800-U-GOPHER or by contacting the Gopher Ticket Office at 612-624-8080.

Click links below to listen to audio interviews from the Minnesota-Michigan State dual meet on Sunday in Minneapolis. Jayson Ness (MN) J Robinson (MN) Franklin Gomez (MSU) Tom Minkel (MSU)

WENDELL, N.C. -- The University of North Carolina wrestling squad wrapped up an unbeaten week and extended its current dual match win streak to six with a 25-9 victory over Navy Saturday at East Wake High School. With the score knotted at six, sophomore 133-pounder Mike Rappo opened a five-match win streak for the Tar Heels (10-6) with a technical fall to propel UNC to victory. The teams split the first four bouts before Rappo staked the Tar Heels to an 11-6 lead with a technical fall of Austin Close. Rappo, a Holland, Pa., native, racked up six takedowns and a pair of three-point near falls to close the match with a 21-6 lead at the 6:11 mark. Rappo's tech fall gave Carolina a lead it would not relinquish. With the Tar Heels holding the 11-6 lead, No. 18 Vincent Ramirez used three takedowns to claim a 9-3 decision over Austin Clouse at 141, and No. 15 Nick Stabile followed with a 10-0 major over Kyle O'Neill at 149. Stabile, who moved to 21-8 with the win, secured the major with a reversal and a three-point near fall in the third. Ramirez improved his record to 25-6 with his victory. Sophomore Thomas Scotton then locked things up for Carolina with a 5-3 decision over Joel Ahern at 157. Scotton, now 17-9 on the year, dropped Ahern with a takedown in the final 10 seconds on the match to claim the win and put things out of reach for Navy. No. 16 Keegan Mueller picked up Carolina's fifth straight victory with an 8-0 major decision over Jason Coyne at 165. Mueller used a third-period takedown and three-point near fall, as well as over four minutes of riding time to secure the major. Mueller owns a team-best 26 victories on the season. Navy's Mike Billings closed the afternoon with a 3-2 win over Robert McCarthy at 174 pounds. The Midshipmen (5-6) opened the match with a 7-2 win for Casey Caldwell at 184, but Carolina came right back with wins from 197-pounder Dennis Drury and heavyweight Justin Dobies to take its first lead of the day. The 17th-ranked Drury, now 22-6, scored a 6-2 decision over Phillip Neese after falling behind early and rallying for the victory. Dobies scored a first-period takedown and went on to post a 5-1 decision against Tyler Moyer for a 6-3 UNC lead and a 22-7 record on the season. Navy tied the score at six thanks to a 10-6 win at 125 by Allan Stein before UNC peeled off the five straight wins to cruise to the victory. The Tar Heels return to Atlantic Coast Conference action Sunday, Feb. 1 against Virginia Tech at Fetzer Gymnasium on the UNC campus.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- The Rutgers wrestling team (18-5) picked up its school-record 18th victory in front of 4,067 fans at the Louis Brown Athletic Center, defeating Rider (4-6) 18-16 on Saturday evening. The Scarlet Knights broke the mark for wins that was set in 1991-92. "It was fun, it was a neat atmosphere," said head coach Scott Goodale. "I would like to have seen some more wrestling, but I think because of the atmosphere, this was the first time that a lot of our guys were wrestling in front of a crowd like that, which is why we have to continue to compete in these situations. I knew they would be tight, both teams wrestled tight, so it made for kind of a boring match, but the bottom line is a win is a win and we are certainly on our way to building something." Seniors Matt Pletcher (Eastampton, N.J.) and Mike Whalen (Lake Hiawatha, N.J.) both moved up in the RU record books with victories. Whalen picked up his 71st career victory to pull into a tie for 23rd place, while Pletcher is in 26th-place with 70 career wins. Freshman Scott Winston (Jackson, N.J.) picked up his team-leading 32nd win of the season. RU opened the match with six quick points, as Rider forfeited at 125. The two teams went back and forth in the next three bouts, as sophomore Mike Demarco (Lyndhurst, N.J.) fell at 133, 1-0, freshman Trevor Melde (Hewitt, N.J.) won at 141 by a final score of 3-0 and junior Kellen Bradley (Newton, N.J.), in his first dual action of the season, fell 3-2 at 149. But RU won the next three matches, as Winston pulled out a 3-2 victory at 157, Pletcher earned a 3-2 come-from-behind overtime win at 165 and Whalen won decisively at 174, 8-3. Trailing 18-6, Rider fought back, winning the last three contests. Sophomore McPaul Ogbonna (East Hanover, N.J.) fought hard against the No. 6 ranked 184-pounder, Doug Umbehauer, but fell 20-7. Redshirt junior Karim Mahmoud (Wallington, N.J.) fell 7-5 in overtime at 197 and redshirt sophomore DJ Russo (Netcong, N.J.) lost in the heavyweight bout, 6-2. "For Ogbonna not to get pinned against the No. 6 ranked wrestler was huge for us," said Goodale. "It was about saving points. Even Russo took one from the team, not going on the bottom where he's good on the mat, but his opponent is very good on top and we did not want to give him a chance on top. It was four or five minutes of boring wrestling on their feet, and DJ didn't win the bout, but he stayed off his back and those are the little things you have to do when you are in a close dual meet." The 4,067 fans is a program-record for the Scarlet Knights, who last wrestled at the RAC during the 2001 season, falling to Oklahoma 38-3. The win is the first for RU wrestling at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. "When you have 4,000 fans behind you it makes it a lot easier to wrestle," said Winston. "They are getting after the other guy and rooting you on and it just makes you want to wrestle that much harder." "It was great, there were lot of alumni here and the fans were into it," said Goodale. "It was neat to see. It was great to see them come out, we just have to get more comfortable wrestling in this type of situation, and the better we get at it the more open we'll be and the harder we'll wrestle when we do compete in front of crowds like that." Rutgers picked up its third all-time victory over Rider, beating the Broncs for the first time since the 2002-03 season. With the victory, RU ended a five-match losing streak against its in-state rival. RU returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 7, when it faces American at the College Ave. Gym at 5:00 p.m. Four of the top high schools in New Jersey (Jackson Memorial, Brearley, Brick Memorial and Eastern Regional) will wrestle prior to RU-AU bout.

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- David Marble (Harpursville, N.Y./Harpursville Central) and David Thompson (West Liberty, Ohio/Graham Local) each recorded pins and Bucknell earned victories in seven of the eight individual bouts contested as the Bison wrestling team easily defeated Liberty 37-12 Saturday afternoon inside Davis Gym. It was the seventh victory in the last nine matches for Bucknell, which improved to 8-6. Thanks to six consecutive victories, the Bison turned an early 12-6 lead into a 37-6 advantage before Liberty (5-7-1) earned a forfeit victory at heavyweight. Bucknell went up 12-0 thanks to a forfeit win at 125 for Derek Reber (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg Area) and a pin by Marble at 133. It took Marble just 1:42 to pick up his team-high seventh pin of the season. After a loss at 141 by Adam Healey (Wilkes Barre, Pa./Wyoming Seminary), Kevin LeValley (Hugo, Colo./Limon) got the six-bout winning streak started with the most competitive match of the afternoon. Liberty's Frankie Gayeski jumped out to a 4-2 lead on LeValley at the end of the first period and still held onto a 4-3 advantage in the final seconds of the third period. However, he was whistled for a stall with two seconds remaining in regulation to knot the score at 4-all. LeValley earned the winning point for riding time advantage and took home his 21st victory of the season. Tyler Riccio (Warren, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan Regional) followed at 157 with a 7-2 decision over Julian Colon. Riccio led by as much as 6-0 into the third period. Back-to-back technical fall victories by No. 12 Andy Rendos (Brockway, Pa./Brockway Area) at 165 and Shane Riccio (Warren, N.J./Watchung Hills) at 174 gave Bucknell an insurmountable 28-6 lead. Riccio has now won eight consecutive matches overall and nine consecutive in dual meets. Thompson continued the Bison success as he earned his second pin of the year over Chris Daggett. The referee awarded the pin as the horn sounded to end the second period. Nathan Jones (Sidney, Ohio/Troy Christian) wrapped up the match with a 7-4 decision over Brandon Johnson at 197. It was Jones' first victory since he finished sixth at the Navy Classic in November, and it broke a personal 12-match losing streak. Saturday's match marked the first of two consecutive home duals for Bucknell, which is 4-2 at home this season. The Bison will host No. 18 Old Dominion Sunday (Jan. 25) afternoon at 1 p.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The Virginia wrestling team rebounded from a tough Friday loss to dominate in a 32-9 victory over Campbell Saturday afternoon in Buies Creek, N.C. The Cavaliers won eight of the 10 weight classes, with six of the eight wins coming by major decision or technical falls. UVa (8-8) won at every class except 125 pounds – an 8-3 Campbell decision – and 141, where UVa forfeited because of an injury to Nick Nelson (So., Pittsburgh, Pa.) in the Friday match at North Carolina. Nelson is ranked 19th nationally in the latest InterMat individual national rankings. Matt Bonson (So., Lewistown, Pa.) and No. 17 Rocco Caponi (Sr., Uniontown, Ohio) posted tech falls at 125 and 184 pounds, respectively. Caponi won his fifth straight bout and earned his 104th career win – third in school history. Peter Ferrara (Sr., Doylestown, Pa.), Mike Sewell (Sr., Bothell, Wash.), No. 10 Chris Henrich (So., Lansdale, Pa.) and No. 20 Brent Jones (Jr., Burke, Va.) recorded major decisions at 149, 165, 174 and 197 pounds, respectively. Henrich notched his team-best eighth major of the year in running his record to 28-1 this year. No. 20 Jedd Moore (Fr., Mount Vernon, Ohio) recorded an 8-2 decision over Jake Fose at 157 pounds to improve to 23-9 this year, while Calvin Cardillo (Jr., Alexandria, Va.) blanked Khiry Reid, 4-0, in the heavyweight class. Campbell falls to 2-8 in dual matches this season. Virginia competes twice next weekend in the Richmond area. Friday, the Cavaliers take on George Mason at 7 p.m. at Hopewell High School. Saturday, UVa battles Virginia Tech at 1 p.m. in the Rumble on the River at Deep Run High School.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 14 in the nation, entered its dual Friday night down three starters. By the time the Hoosier dual ended, Penn State lost two more starters for its battle at No. 25 Purdue. Less than 24 hours after tying No. 21 Indiana, head coach Troy Sunderland's short-handed crew fought its way to a 19-19 tie against the Boilermakers, posting its second tie in less than 24 hours as the squad opened up action in the conference with two straight road duals. Purdue opened up with a major at 197 and a win at heavyweight to take an early 7-0 lead. Penn State then stormed back, beginning with a major from sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) at 125 and a technical fall from All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) at 133. Frank Molinaro followed with a major decision at 141 and Penn State bolted to a 13-7 lead. With All-American Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) out of the line-up, Purdue picked up a technical fall at 149 as Nittany Lion 133-pound reserve Adam Lynch (Mifflinburg, Pa.) put up a tough effort against a ranked Purdue opponent. Purdue also picked up a win at 157 where 141-pounder Colby Pisani (Ridgway, Pa.) moved up two weight classes and gave his Boilermaker foe all he could handle in dropping a tough major decision. Purdue took a 16-13 lead with the major with only three bouts left. Nittany Lion All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), moving up to 165, rode the energy supplied by Pisani's strong effort to a thrilling 6-4 win over Purdue's Luke Manuel, ranked No. 9 at 165. Red-shirt freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) then got a sudden victory win at 174 to give the Nittany Lions a 19-16 lead. Senior Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.), who posted a superb technical fall the night before in Indiana, faced No. 14 A.J. Kissel of Purdue in the dual's final bout. Decker gave the ranked Kissel all he could handle in a 2-1 loss, but the Purdue decision allowed the Boilermakers to tie the bout 19-19. Penn State is now 7-6-2 on the year, 0-0-2 in conference duals. Purdue is now 11-1-1, 0-0-1 in the conference. Penn State returns to action at home on Friday, Jan. 30, when Minnesota comes to town for a 7 p.m. dual in Rec Hall. 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.

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- The West Virginia University wrestling team earned 16 straight team points to earn a 19-16 come-from-behind victory against Bloomsburg on Friday night at Nelson Field House. WVU won the final five bouts, starting at 165 pounds, to improve to 4-4 overall, while earning its first league victory, jumping to 1-0 in EWL action. "We knew they were going to come out and battle real hard," Coach Craig Turnbull said. "Every point was going to be important. We saved one point at 125, one point at 157 and Donnie (Jones) scored a major at 165. Three points was the difference of the match. We came down to several overtime matches. "I felt good about how (David) Jauregui wrestled and how competitive we stayed through, even in losses. We battled to try and save points for the team. Even in a loss, Colin (Johnston) was able to figure out a fifth-year senior (Ricky Donald). He battled to put himself in a position to win, but it just didn't happen. I think all the way through, we responded well." The Mountaineers earned their first three points of the night when 19th-ranked Jauregui recorded a 4-2 victory in the second sudden victory period at 149 pounds. Because of his endurance, the Santa Ana, Calif., native was able to compete at full strength, even wrestling into the fourth overtime session. Wearing down his opponent, George Hickman, Jauregui's takedown in the fourth extra session earned him the win, improving to 7-0 in dual meets. After a loss at 157 pounds, the Mountaineers began the comeback. Redshirt-junior Jones, slated to take on No. 17-ranked Ricky Schmelyun at 165 pounds, began the streak despite the difficult task at-hand. Jones, who prevented Schmelyun from earning any offensive points, registered the first takedown in the first period. In the second session, Jones continued to dominate. Electing to choose neutral, Jones earned his second takedown just moments into the second period. After conceding an escape point, Jones shot at Schmelyun's right leg for his third takedown of the match to lead 6-2 after two periods. After getting a reversal and another point with more than four minutes of riding time, Jones took the 9-1 major decision to bring WVU within nine, still down 16-7. Ranked No. 13 nationally at 174 pounds, fifth-year senior Kurt Brenner continued WVU's battle from behind. Through the first three periods, Brenner was knotted with Nate Graham at one apiece. After neither wrestler scored in the first overtime session, Brenner earned a stalling point for the 2-1 decision. The momentum continued with 184-pounder Lance Bryson. With 17 seconds remaining in the first period, Bryson earned the first offensive points of the bout with a two-point takedown. Bryson earned another takedown close to the end of the period, this one coming with 15 seconds left in the period. Bryson scored three more points in the final period for the 7-3 decision over Bloomsburg's Brian Shaw. Now down just three team points, 16-13, the Mountaineers relied on sophomore 197-pounder Kyle Rooney's match against Jesse Hasseman. Despite Hasseman getting the first takedown, Rooney earned an escape and went on a tear. The Cincinnati, Ohio native countered with a takedown of his own and then nearly pinned Hasseman, but was able to earn three near fall points and accumulated 1:18 worth of riding time in the first period alone. Rooney's first period alone was too much as he went on to take a 9-6 decision, tying the team score at 16 apiece. The deciding factor now rested on the shoulders of fifth-year senior heavyweight Dustin Rogers and he knew he needed to win. Rogers jumped ahead 2-0 and never looked back. After earning the entire two minutes worth of riding time in the second period and five points in the third period, Rogers took the 8-1 decision, giving WVU the 19-16 victory. "We seem to be young enough that we're a little inconsistent with our performances," Turnbull added. "Some days, I feel real good about them, then other days I don't. We're learning. Guys are competing hard. It was a very good win for us." WVU returns to the mat on Saturday, Jan. 24, to face EWL-foe Clarion at 7 p.m. at W.S Tippin Gymnasium.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina came out of the gates with four consecutive victories and never looked back to claim a 23-9 victory over Virginia Friday at Fetzer Gymnasium. The Tar Heels (9-6, 3-0 ACC) captured their fifth straight dual and improved to 3-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference for the first time since the 2001-02 season with the win over the Cavaliers (7-8, 0-1 ACC). Senior Vincent Ramirez and junior Dennis Drury keyed UNC's effort with wins over nationally-ranked opponents. The 18th-ranked Ramirez scored a 9-3 win over No. 19 Nick Nelson at 141 pounds, while Drury, ranked 17th, secured the team victory with a 10-1 major decision over No. 20 Brent Jones at 197. The Tar Heels have won seven of their last eight duals since falling to No. 11 Oklahoma at the Lone Star Duals earlier this month. In the first match of the night, freshman 125-pounder Nick Shields won his third straight to claim the first of four bouts for Carolina to open the match. He scored all the points he would need on a first period takedown and added a point for riding time for a 3-0 decision over Wyatt Anderson. At 133, sophomore Mike Rappo earned his second consecutive major to ACC action to boost the UNC lead to 7-0. He notched three takedowns and a pair of two-point near falls to score a 14-2 victory over Matt Bonson. The win was the 20th of the season for Rappo, who sports a 20-8 mark. In the first of two meetings of top-20 wrestlers on the night, Ramirez rallied from a three-point deficit with a takedown and a three-point near fall in the second period. The Durham product took over from there to cruise to a 9-3 decision over Nelson. Ramirez improved to 24-6 on the year with his second victory over a ranked opponent. No. 15 Nick Stabile continued the run for the Tar Heels with a 7-1 decision over Peter Ferrara at 141. Stabile, who also earned his 20th win of the season, sandwiched a pair of takedowns around a reversal and picked up the riding time point for the six-point victory. Trailing 13-0, Virginia got on the board with an overtime win by No. 20 Jedd Moore over Thomas Scotton at 157. The score was knotted at four after regulation before Moore scored a sudden-victory takedown to earn the decision. No. 16 Keegan Mueller put the Tar Heels back in the win column with a 4-1 decision over Mike Sewell at 165. Holding a 2-0 lead, Mueller put the match away with a third-period takedown to claim his sixth straight victory and improve to a team-best 25-6 this season. Virginia got back in the match with back-to-back victories at 174 and 184 to trim the UNC lead to 16-9. No. 10 Chris Henrich topped Ben Fiacco for an 8-3 decision at 174, and No. 17 Rocco Caponi edged Daniel Llamas 3-1 at 184. Drury then secured the match for the Tar Heels with his major decision over Jones at 197. The Jenkintown, Pa., native racked up three takedowns to grab a 7-1 lead before closing the match with a fourth takedown late in third to wrap up the major and give Carolina an 11-point lead with just one bout to go. Drury moved to 21-6 with the win, which was his fourth over a ranked foe and 13th in his last 15 matches. Heavyweight Justin Dobies closed the match with a 9-4 decision over Calvin Cardillo for the 23-9 final margin. Dobies scored three takedowns and a reversal to move to 21-7 on the season with his eighth win in a row. Carolina is back in action against Navy Saturday at East Wake High School at 1 p.m.

In his West Coast debut Thursday night at the Palace Fighting Championships in Lemore, CA, Phil Davis improved his professional MMA record to 2-0 winning by TKO over Josh Green at 1:50 into the first round. In his six fights, including 4 amateur and 2 professional, Davis has yet to go to the third round with any opponent and continues an impressive start to his MMA career. "Phil Davis is the real deal. He looked great in his PFC debut and is an explosive, exciting MMA athlete. We were really glad to have him on the card and he put on an impressive show for our fans. We look forward to his return to the PFC as soon as possible." -Rich Goodman, Palace Fighting Championships. The next scheduled fight for Phil is back on the East Coast at the Ultimate Warrior Challenge on Saturday, Feb. 21st in Fairfax, VA. Phil will face Cody Donovan. Ticket information and details can be found at: www.uwcmma.com

BOISE, Idaho -- The No. 10 ranked Boise State wrestling team (USA Today/InterMat/NWCA) showed its strength Friday night with a dominating 37-4 win over Pac-10 Conference foe Cal State Fullerton at Bronco Gymnasium. The Broncos (12-3, 3-0 Pac-10) recorded five major decisions and one win by fall in the victory against the Titans (8-4, 2-1). No. 5 nationally ranked sophomore Brent Chriswell (USA Today/InterMat/NWCA) set the tone early for Boise State against John Drake, in the first match of the night (197-pounds). It took Chriswell a couple minutes to deliver the first blow, but after scoring a two-point take with just under a minute left in the first period he then scored a three-point near fall to build a 5-0 lead. In the process, Drake suffered an injury that made him unable to finish the match, earning Chriswell (5-1 overall, 5-1 dual) a win by injury forfeit. Fullerton would narrow the early Bronco lead for a short time, however, as Kurt Klimek defeated Boise State's Sam Zylstra in a 16-5 major decision at heavyweight. Klimek used an eight-point third period to seal the win and narrow the score at 6-4 after two matches. That win would be the final one of the night for the Titans, however, as the Broncos rallied off eight consecutive wins to finish the dual. At 125-pounds, Bronco sophomore Alan Bartelli used a seven-point first period to earn a 12-6 decision against Fullerton's Andre Gonzales. Andrew Hochstrasser, who entered the weekend ranked No. 4 at 133-pounds, earned the next Bronco win in a 9-3 decision against No. 14 ranked TJ Dillashaw. After leading just 5-3 after two periods, Hochstrasser scored four points in the third to put the match out of reach. The win improves Hochstrasser's overall record to 26-2, 14-1 in duals. In the closest match of the night (141-pounds), Boise State senior Cory Fish managed to extend the Bronco lead to 15-4 with a 3-2 decision over Adin Duenas. After wrestling to a 2-2 tie with under a minute to go in the third period, Fish held off Duenas' escape tries and scored one advantage point to earn the win. From there the Broncos would roll, with their first big win coming at 149-pounds. No. 17 ranked Boise State freshman Jason Chamberlain recorded a win by fall against Matt Lopez at the 1:48 mark in the first period. His win was followed by a 14-3 major decision by No. 6 Adam Hall (25-3, 13-1), who defeated Fullerton's Steven DeLaFuente at 157-pounds. In the 165-pound match, senior Tyler Sherfey (No. 19 ranked) scored a 15-4 major decision against Brian Stills to give Boise State a 29-4 lead. No. 16 Nate Lee followed suit at 174-pounds, earning a 14-5 major decision over Fullerton's Todd Noel. In the final match of the night, No. 4 Kirk Smith earned his 27 win of the season with a 14-2 major decision over Adin Duenas. The win keeps Boise State undefeated in Pac-10 competition, as well as a perfect at home this season (4-0). The Broncos now turn their attention to Cal Poly (3-7, 0-2), who will face off with Boise State at 5 p.m. Saturday (Jan. 24) evening in Bronco Gym.

OMAHA, Neb. -- The No. 1-ranked University of Nebraska at Omaha wrestling team won seven of 10 bouts, using four major decisions and a Cody Garcia pin to defeat the top-ranked school in NCAA Division III, Augsburg College, 28-9 Friday night at the Sapp Fieldhouse. UNO improved to 6-0 in duals this season, just a day after topping eleventh-ranked St. Cloud State University, 37-6. The Mavericks began the night winning the first three contests by major decisions. No. 1 Aaron Denson earned a 12-3 major decision over Beau Hansen in the opening match at 165 pounds. Ross Taplin, the No. 1-ranked wrestler at 174 pounds, shut out NCAA III's No. 7 wrestler, Zach Molitor, 11-0 and Brent Pankoke tallied a 13-1 major decision against AC's Brad Baus at 184. The Auggies won their first bout of the dual at 197. The second-ranked wrestler at 197 in NCAA III, Jared Massey, managed to win a 7-2 decision over UNO's No. 4 Jacob Marrs, cutting the Maverick lead to 12-3. At heavyweight, a pair of fourth-ranked wrestlers locked up, Tony Lewis and Andy Witzel. Lewis recorded a takedown just 31 seconds in the match and tallied an escape in the third period to come away with a 3-2 decision. The Mavericks dropped two of their next three bouts. At 125 pounds, AC's fifth-ranked wrestler, Seth Flodeen won a 5-2 decision over Matt Rein. Tony Valek, the No.7 wrestler at 141 recorded a 15-10 decision against UNO's fourth-ranked Mario Morgan. Garcia was able to capture his second pin in as many days at 133. The junior from Hutchinson, Kan. needed only 2:52 to pin AC's Alex Johnson. UNO finished the dual strong, winning the final two matches. The bout at 149 pounds pitted the Mavericks' No. 4 Esai Dominguez against AC's Willy Holst, the top-ranked wrestler in Division III. Dominguez used two takedowns in the third period to escape with a 4-2 decision. The final match of the dual was at 157 where Todd Meneely squared off with Jason Adams. Top-ranked Meneely recorded seven takedowns as he came away with 14-5 major decision, improving his record to 15-0 in his senior campaign. The Mavericks return to action next weekend with a pair of top-ranked foes visiting the Sapp Fieldhouse. UNO will face No. 5 Central Oklahoma on Friday, Jan. 30 and come back the next night, Jan. 31, hosting the 2008 NCAA II Champion and interstate rival, No. 4 Nebraska-Kearney. Both duals are slated for a 7:00 p.m. start.

IOWA CITY, IA -- The top-ranked Hawkeye wrestling team posted its 30th consecutive dual win Friday night when they defeated #15/#13 Wisconsin, 24-12, in their Big Ten season opener in front of 6,981 fans in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. It was Iowa's 165th win in Carver-Hawkeye, and the team improved to 16-0 on the season (1-0 Big Ten). Wisconsin fell to 6-4 (0-1 Big Ten) with the loss. Iowa won six of the night's 10 bouts, starting with a decision by senior Charlie Falck at 125 and a match-ending technical fall by junior Daniel Dennis at 133. It was Falck's first match since injuring his ankle at the 2008 Midlands. Wisconsin senior Zach Tanelli put the Badgers' first points on the board with a 5-0 win over Iowa senior Alex Tsirtsis at 141. Hawkeye junior Brent Metcalf widened Iowa's lead to 14-3 with his 2:12 pin over fifth-ranked Kyle Ruschell at 149. Metcalf, who is ranked first in the nation, has won his last 53 matches and is 21-0 this season. Wisconsin made a run at the mid-way point with decisions from Badger freshmen at 157 and 165. Badger Ben Jordan scored an 8-4 win over Hawkeye sophomore Matt Ballweg at 157, and Andrew Howe posted a 4-3 victory over Iowa junior Ryan Morningstar in the second tiebreak period. Howe was awarded the win due to a seven-second riding time advantage after the second tiebreak. Hawkeye juniors Jay Borschel and Philllip Keddy responded with wins at 174 and 184, respectively, to make the team score 21-9. Borschel picked up his 50th career win with a 7-3 win over freshman Travis Rutt at 174, and Keddy posted his sixth straight win with a 17-4 major decision over sophomore Eric Bugenhagen at 184. Third-ranked Badger Dallas Herbst fought off late attempts by Hawkeye junior Chad Beatty at 197 to post a 2-1 win, but the decision put the team win out of reach for Wisconsin. Iowa junior Dan Erekson closed out the dual with a 3-2 decision over Badger senior Kyle Massey at heavyweight. The top-ranked Hawkeyes will host undefeated Illinois (7-0, 0-0 Big Ten) Sunday at 5 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The dual will be aired live on the Big Ten Network, and has been designated a "Be Bold, Wear Gold" event. The Hawkeyes will also host the 2009 Iowa Wrestling Youth Clinic at 3 p.m. Sunday in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Youth, ages eighth grade and younger, are invited to participate in the annual free clinic put on by members of the University of Iowa wrestling coaching staff. Participants will receive a free ticket at the ticket office window to the Iowa-Illinois dual and a complimentary clinic t-shirt. Friends and family members will be able to purchase their ticket into the dual at this time as well. Check-in will start at 2:30 p.m. at the Carver-Hawkeye Arena north entrance.

AMES, Iowa -- No. 3 Iowa State was able to overcome an early deficit to down 11th-ranked Oklahoma Friday night at Hilton Coliseum, 23-15. ISU won six out of the 10 contested weights. The Cyclone come-from-behind victory was powered by strong bonus-point performances by Cyclone middleweights Cyler Sanderson (157) and Jon Reader (165). Cyclone Jake Varner , the top 197-pounder in the nation, chipped in his own bonus points for the team to improve his personal record to 19-1 this season. ISU totaled 24 takedowns to OU's five in the dual. The Cyclones continue in action Sunday against 13th-ranked Oklahoma State at 1 p.m. at home in Hilton Coliseum. "We lost some matches we didn't need to lose," Iowa State head coach Cael Sanderson said. "Some guys were out there fighting. I was happy with how Cyler (Sanderson) went out and wrestled. Reader also put the heat on his guy. We weren't 100 percent coming in but a dog on the hunt doesn't scratch its fleas." ISU's Sanderson was close to scoring a technical fall in his match. The returning All-American was up 17-5 and scored a late third-period takedown to run the score to 19-5. Following through on his own move, the Cyclone dumped the Sooners' 16th-ranked Shane Vernon to his back to score nearfall points. Sanderson didn't stop there. The Cyclone stuck the Oklahoma wrestler in 6:41 to rack up six team points towards to ISU effort. Following the thunderous applause given at the conclusion of the 157-pound bout, ISU's Jon Reader came out firing. The sophomore Cyclone held a 7-0 advantage heading into the second period against OU's Ryan Smith due to two nearfalls. Reader tallied two third-period takedowns to bring his match total to three and scored the major decision, 16-2. Redshirt freshman Jerome Ward continued his first Cyclone season with a victory at 184 pounds against Oklahoma's Pat Flynn. Ward sealed the deal in the third period with a takedown at 0:24 and added a riding-time advantage to score the decision, 5-2. "That was a good match for Jerome," Sanderson said. "The guy he beat is rated nationally and this will give him confidence heading into Sunday." At 197 pounds, Varner did not disappoint. With ISU holding on to a slim 16-15 team score lead, the No. 1 wrestler at 197 pounds major decisioned OU's Eric Lapotsky, 16-5. Varner recorded seven takedowns over the match. In the final match of the night, the heavyweights went all out. Cyclone David Zabriskie needed quadruple-overtime to edge Nathan Fernandez of Oklahoma. ISU's heavyweight won 4-2 in the second sudden-victory period off a takedown at 0:14 mark. Zabriskie improves to 22-2 on his junior campaign.

The University of Minnesota wrestling team improved its season dual meet record to 10-4 with a win over Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz. on Friday night. Led by redshirt freshman Zach Sanders' 12th consecutive victory, a 14-5 major decision over the Sun Devils' David Prado, the Gophers won the final three bouts of the meet to claim the 26-12 win. Wins by Minnesota's 18th-ranked heavyweight Ben Berhow, Sanders at 125 pounds and a forfeit victory by two-time All-American Jayson Ness helped turn a 12-12 tie into a 26-12 victory for the ninth-ranked Gophers. The Gophers also got a big win at 157 pounds from No. 14 Tyler Safratowich when the senior pinned the Sun Devils' Michael Swigert in 4:29 to tie the meet at six points apiece after Arizona State captured the first two matches of the evening by decision. The pin was Safratowich's seventh of the season. Scott Glasser broke a seven-match losing streak with a 3-2 win at 165 pounds over Kyle DeBerry. The only match of the evening featuring a pair of ranked wrestlers came in the opening bout of the night. Arizona State's No. 6 Chris Drouin defeated Minnesota's ninth-ranked Mike Thorn with an 11-7 decision. The Gophers return to action on Sunday, when they open their Big Ten conference season with a dual against Michigan State at the Sports Pavilion. Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-U-GOPHER or by contacting the Gopher Ticket Office at 612-624-8080.

Junior Stephen Dwyer and senior Brandon Browne notched major decisions in the final two matches to propel No. 4 Nebraska to a 23-14 dual win over Penn in the NU Coliseum on Friday. The Huskers ran their record to 11-2 on the season, while the Quakers dropped to 6-5. After a Penn forfeit at 157 pounds, the Quakers trailed the Huskers by just one at 15-14, but Dwyer and Browne closed the door on any hopes of an upset. Dwyer, ranked fifth in the country at 165, took a 5-1 lead into the third period over Penn's Andrew Coles, and poured it on with three takedowns in the final stanza to win 12-4. Browne, ranked second, accomplished the same feat at 174 pounds against Scott Giffin. After a scoreless first period, Browne took a 5-1 advantage headed to the third and notched three takedowns to claim a 14-4 victory. The win moved Browne to 20-2 on the season with three consecutive bonus-point victories, while Dwyer stands at 19-2. Nebraka opened a 6-0 lead to start the dual with decisions by senior Vince Jones and junior Craig Brester at 184 and 197 pounds, respectively. Jones was tied with Colin Hitschler at 4-4 after the first, but Jones earned an escape in the second period and rode Hitschler out in the final period to take the 6-4 win. Brester used two takedowns and a nearfall in the first two periods to cruise to an 8-1 victory. Trey McLean upset No. 16 Tucker Lane at heavyweight to get Penn on the board, as the Quakers used the momentum to capture three of the next four matches and take a brief 14-9 lead. No. 12 Rollie Peterkin downed NU's Andy Pokorny, 5-1, at 125 pounds, but Husker Matt Vacanti gained the points back with a 3-2 decision over Penn's Bryan Ortenzio at 133. The Quakers earned their only bonus-point win of the night with a 20-4 technical fall by Rick Rappo at 141. NU's Robert Sanders nearly upset No. 10 Cesar Grajales with a late charge, before losing 12-11. Junior Jordan Burroughs claimed the forfeit at 157 for the Huskers, keeping his perfect season alive at 20-0. Nebraska hits the road for two tough duals in Mount Pleasant, Mich., on Sunday. The Huskers face undefeated Virginia Tech (12-0) at 10 a.m. and square off with No. 6 Central Michigan at noon in Rose Arena.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 14 in the nation, opened up the 2009 Big Ten dual meet season with a 17-17 tie at No. 21 Indiana. Head coach Troy Sunderland's squad was buoyed by sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), who downed the defending National Champion at 125, and senior Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.) notched a technical fall at 184 to lead the Nittany Lions. Pataky got things started in a fine fashion for the Nittany Lions, notching the only takedown in a 4-3 win over Indiana's Angel Escobedo, the defending National Champion. Pataky entered the bout ranked No. 19. Senior All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.), ranked No. 11 at 133, followed with a win at 133 and red-shirt freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) won at 141 to put Penn State up 9-0 early. Defending National Runner-Up Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) then posted an 8-3 win at 149. Jenkins, ranked No. 2, was hobbled early on in the bout but still dominated, notching three takedowns to none for his Hoosier opponent to post the win, giving the Nittany Lions a 12-0 lead. Indiana got on the board with a four-point technical fall from No. 12 Kurt Kinzer at 157. Nittany Lion All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 8 at 157, moved up to 165 and suffered a 4-1 upset loss to Indiana's Paul Young, cutting the Lion lead to 12-7. True freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 14 at 174, was upset by No. 17 Trevor Perry in overtime and Penn State's once 12-0 lead was down to 12-10. It was the senior Decker who stopped the IU comeback, notching a 15-0 technical fall at 184 with a series of three point turns. The win pushed Penn State out to a 17-10 lead with just two bouts remaining. Indiana got a major at 197, cutting the Lion lead to 17-14 and setting up the critical bout at heavyweight, where Penn State freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), met Indiana junior Nate Everhart. Everhart would fight his way to a 5-3 decision and Penn State managed a 17-17 tie. Penn State is now 7-6-1 on the year, 0-0-1 in conference duals. Indiana is 13-2-1, 0-0-1 in the loop. The Nittany Lions head to West Lafayette, Ind., tonight to prepare for tomorrow afternoon's battle with No. 25 Purdue. Penn State visits the Boilermakers for a 2 p.m. dual on Saturday. Penn State's next home dual is set for Friday, Jan. 30, when Minnesota comes to town for a 7 p.m. dual in Rec Hall. 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. BOUT-BY-BOUT: * 125: Sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No. 19 nationally, took on defending National Champion Angel Escobedo of Indiana, ranked No. 4, at 125 in one of the dual's most anticipated match-ups. Pataky used a solid double-leg shot at Escobedo's knees to record the first takedown of the match just seconds into the bout. Pataky was trying to keep Escobedo from fleeing the mat when he got hit with a stall warning and a reset was called. Escobedo then took an extended injury timeout before action resumed. Escobedo escaped to a 2-1 deficit after the reset. Pataky was the aggressor for during the entire period, forcing the All-American back towards the edge of the mat and keeping control of the action. Pataky took a shot at Escobedo's thighs but the IU junior countered to force a stalemate on the edge of the mat. Trailing 2-1, Escobedo chose down to begin the second period. Pataky maintained control of the Hoosier long enough to build up a riding time advantage but he got hit with a second stall warning in the process, tying the score at 2-2. Escobedo then escaped to a 3-2 lead and action returned to the middle of the mat with 1:10 left in the second period. Another low double leg by Pataky forced a scramble in the center circle. Pataky worked to get the takedown and Escobedo worked to tie him up himself. But time ran out and Escobedo carried the 3-2 lead into the final period. Pataky, with 1:07 in riding time, chose down to start the final period and quickly escaped to a 3-3 tie while maintaining his 1:00 time advantage. Neither wrestler mounted a threat for the first minute. Pataky looked to tie Escobedo up, fighting off the Hoosier's efforts and forcing him out of the circle. With :30 left, Escobedo mounted a furious rally, trying to use a high throw to send Pataky to the mat and notch a winning takedown. But Pataky was able to stave off the efforts, fighting through a mad Escobedo scramble in front of the Penn State bench as time expired. The thrilling 4-3 win over the defending NCAA Champion gave Penn State an early 3-0 lead. * 133: All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.), ranked No. 11 at 133, met Indiana's Matt Ortega, who entered the bout with a 19-5 record. Strayer wasted no time in gaining control of Ortega's right leg with a high single. The senior then battled his Hoosier foe for half a minute before getting the takedown at the 2:19 mark to take an early 2-0 lead. An Ortega escape cut Strayer's lead to 2-1. Strayer continued to work Ortega's right leg and added another takedown at the 1:10 mark to lead 4-2 after another Ortega escape. Strayer added a third takedown as the period ended, tripping a scrambling Ortega to the mat to lead 6-2 after one period. Strayer chose down to start the middle stanza and quickly escaped to a 7-2 lead. Ortega countered a Strayer shot and nearly turned the Lion to his back. But the All-American fought off his back and only gave up a takedown. Strayer then escaped with :45 left to lead 8-4. Strayer nearly added another takedown with :15 left, but Ortega managed to work his way out of bounds. Trailing 8-4, Ortega chose down to start the third period and escaped to cut Strayer's lead to 8-5. Strayer shot high on Ortega, then slid down low and worked his way into control of the Hoosier's right leg once again. Ortega worked to force action off the mat, but Strayer pulled him onto the mat and continued to work the Hoosier for a takedown. A stalemate was called but only :23 remained in the bout. Strayer then wound out the clock to post a solid 8-5 win and keep Ortega from reaching the 20-win mark. The victory put Penn State up 6-0. * 141: Red-shirt freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) took to the mat at 141 to face IU's Scott Kelly. Molinaro notched the first takedown, taking an early 2-0 lead on the Hoosier senior with a solid double-leg at the 2:41 mark. Molinaro then put together a strong ride, maintaining control of Kelly for 1:31 before he cut Kelly loose. Molinaro then immediately used a swift double-leg to take a 4-1 lead with just under a minute left and the Lion freshman began working for back points. Kelly got hit for one stall warning and Molinaro rode the Hoosier senior out to lead 4-1 with 2:33 in riding time after the opening period. Kelly chose down to start the second stanza and Molinaro let him loose to lead 4-2 seconds into the middle period. Molinaro continued to set the pace, trying to force the tempo. But Kelly was able to hang on top, winding the clock down and managing to end the period. Leading 4-2, Molinaro chose down to start the final stanza and was cut loose to a 5-2 lead. The Lion freshman then quickly gained control of Kelly's right thigh and forced Kelly to try and escape the mat. Kelly was hit with a second stall and Molinaro led 6-2 with 1:45 left. Molinaro fought off a high Kelly shot but Kelly regained control of Molinaro and notched his first takedown, cutting the Lion's lead to 6-4. Kelly cut Molinaro loose with :45 left and then battled his way to a second takedown to cut the lead to 7-6. But time ran out on the late Kelly flurry and, with the riding time point, Molinaro posted a hard-fought 8-6 win. The victory gave Penn State a 9-0 lead after the first three bouts. * 149: 2008 National Runner-Up Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), ranked No. 2 at 149, met Indiana's Nick Walpole in the next bout. Walpole entered the bout with 21 wins on the year. Jenkins notched the first takedown, tripping Walpole to the mat for an early 2-0 lead. But Jenkins had to call for a quick injury timeout, forcing a reset in the center circle, where Walpole escaped to a 2-1 deficit at the 2:10 mark. Walpole was called for a stall warning as Jenkins forced action to the edge of the mat. With Jenkins hobbled a bit, Walpole looked to gain control of the Lion All-American's shoulders. But Jenkins countered a Walpole shot and nearly notched a takedown at the :46 mark before action moved out of bounds. Jenkins countered another Walpole shot and notched a huge takedown in front of the Penn State bench with just :11 left. Walpole managed to escape to a 4-2 deficit before the period ended. Jenkins chose down to start the second stanza and steadily worked his way up to his feet. He notched the escape to lead 5-2 with 1:20 left. Jenkins nearly completed a mixer with :35 left, but Walpole managed to roll through and keep the bout alive. Down 5-2, Walpole chose top to start the final period, hoping to turn Jenkins for back points. Jenkins, however, was steady, working his way out for an escape at the 1:36 mark to lead 6-2. Riding time, at this point, was not a factor. Walpole gained control of Jenkins' right thigh with 1:00 left, but Jenkins countered, worked his way around behind the Hoosier junior and got his third takedown to lead 8-2 with :35 left. Walpole escaped after the reset, cutting the lead to 8-3. Jenkins, wrestling at times on just one leg, continued to shoot, countering Walpole shots and rolling to the 8-3 win. The victory put the Nittany Lions up 12-0. * 157: Penn State sent red-shirt freshman Colby Pisani (Ridgway, Pa.), a reserve 141/149-pounder, to the mat at 157 to take on Indiana's Kurt Kinzer, ranked No. 12 nationally. Pisani was moving up two weights to make his dual meet debut. The young Lion was aggressive out of the box, nearly completing on a flurry of early shots. But the ranked Kinzer fought through each one and kept things scoreless. Kinzer then notched his first takedown at the 2:20 mark to take a 2-0 lead. Pisani escaped, shot and nearly rolled Kinzer to his back, but was countered by the Hoosier and fell behind 4-1 with 1:25 left. Kinzer put together a strong ride, working to turn Pisani. But the Nittany Lion freshman maintained his position and Kinzer led 4-1 (with 2:11 in riding time) after one period. Kinzer chose down to start the second stanza and escaped to a 5-1 lead. Kinzer quickly took Pisani down, cut him loose, and led 7-2. Kinzer added a fourth takedown and another cut to lead 9-3 with :38 left in the second stanza. Pisani got called for a stall warning. He then shot low on Kinzer, nearly gaining control of his ankle, but the Hoosier countered and worked around for another takedown to lead 11-3 with 2:34 in riding time to start the final stanza. Pisani chose down to start the third period and was allowed out to an 11-4 deficit. Kinzer quickly added another takedown and led 13-5 after a Pisani escape. Kinzer added four more takedowns and picked up a stall point as well to roll to a 23-8 four-point technical fall (a wrestler must get back points to receive a five-point technical fall and Pisani did not give up any near fall points). The four point TF at the 7:00 mark (with riding time) cut Penn State's lead to 12-4 heading into an extended intermission. * 165: All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 8 at 157, made the move up to 165 for the rest of the season where he took on Indiana's Paul Young. Young, who entered the bout with a gaudy 22-7 record, quickly came at Vallimont, nearly taking an early 2-0 lead with a high shot. But Vallimont managed to fight off the move and force a reset with 2:30 left. Vallimont shot low on Young, but the Hoosier countered and gained control of Vallimont's shoulders, keeping the bout scoreless with 1:16 left. Vallimont got in on Young's leg with a high single, but this time it was the Hoosier who fought his way out of trouble to keep things scoreless after one period. Vallimont chose down to start the second stanza and escaped at the 1:29 mark to lead 1-0. Neither wrestler mounted a serious challenge for the remainder of the period and Vallimont carried the slim 1-0 lead into the final period. Young chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. Young gained control of Vallimont's right ankle and began working his way for a go-ahead takedown. The Hoosier finally got the points, and a 3-1 lead, with just :45 left in the bout. Vallimont then found himself unable to escape and Young went on to post a 4-1 upset victory, cutting Penn State's lead to 12-7. * 174: In one of the dual's marquee match-ups, Nittany lion true freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) met Indiana's Trevor Perry. Wright entered the bout ranked No. 14 at 174 while Perry was ranked No. 17. Wright took a couple early shots on Perry, but the Hoosier grappler managed to block them off and keep things scoreless early on. Wright shot low once again and once again Perry worked his way around to a counter, nearly getting his own takedown. But Wright scrambled and worked his way to a near takedown himself before action moved out of bounds with 1:10 left. Neither wrestler found an opening for the rest of the period and the bout moved to the second stanza tied 0-0. Wright chose down and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Wright continued to shoot for Perry's lower legs, but the Hoosier was able to block off the shots with high defense and keep from giving up the takedown. Like the first period, the second period's final minute saw neither wrestler with a chance to score and Wright led 1-0 heading into the final period. Perry chose down to start the third and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. Wright continued to shoot low and Perry continued to play high defense, looking to score on counter throws. But Wright was in no danger of giving up any points at any time and action moved to a first sudden victory period. Perry shot low on Wright and, after a short tussle, notched the winning takedown just :32 into the bout and posted a 3-1 upset victory. The win cut Penn State's once 12-0 lead to just 12-10 with three bouts left. * 184: Senior Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.) took to the mats at 184 for Penn State where he met Indiana's Eric Cameron, who entered the bout with a 19-10 record. The first minute-plus of the bout was an even struggle as each wrestler looked for control up high. Each wrestler was hit with a stall warning at the :15 mark and the first period ended in a 0-0 tie. Cameron chose down to start the second period. But Decker was able to gain control of Cameron's leg, use his strength to turn him to his back and pick up three near-fall points to take a 3-0 lead. While not picking up the pin on the first attempt, Decker turned him once more for three more back points with :18 left. Not to miss the chance, Decker turned him one more time, picked up three more back points, and carried a 9-0 lead with a 2:00 riding time edge into the final period. Decker chose top to start the final period and once again turned Cameron for a near pin and a 12-0 lead. One more three point turn and Decker posted a sizzling 15-0 technical fall. The five-point win put the Nittany Lions up 17-10 and snapped a streak of three straight IU victories. * 197: Red-shirt freshman Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) met Indiana's Matt Powless at 197. Powless quickly opened up a 2-0 lead with a takedown in the opening minute. Powless worked up a :35 riding time edge before cutting Steadman loose to a 2-1 lead. The Nittany Lion freshman then battled Powless evenly for the remainder of the period, trialing just 2-1 but picking up a first stall warning. Powless chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. Powless then added a second takedown and began looking to pick up back points. After Steadman fought off his first efforts, Powless cut the Lion freshman loose and led 5-2 with :50 left. Steadman gave up a stall point with :16 left and fell behind 6-2 heading into the final period (Powless had 1:06 in riding time). Steadman chose down to start the last period and was allowed out to a 6-3 deficit. Another Steadman stall gave Powless a 7-3 lead with 1:17 remaining. Each wrestler then lunged forward and collided. Steadman was knocked off his feat and with :47 took an extended injury timeout. The Lion freshman recovered, however, and picked up the pace. Another stall gave Powless two points and a 9-3 lead. But Steadman countered with his own shot gaining control of Powless' foot. The Hoosier, however, managed to work around for a key takedown with just :11 left and, with the riding time point, post a 12-3 major decision. The victory cut PSU's lead to 17-14 with one bout left. * HWT: With the dual meet on the line, red-shirt freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) stepped up for the Nittany Lions at heavyweight where he took on IU junior Nate Everhart. Wade set the early tone, looking to gain control of Everhart's upper body for an opening. But the veteran Hoosier big man was able to keep Wade from connecting and action moved to the second period tied 0-0. Everhart chose down to start the second stanza, gained control of Wade's ankle, and notched a quick reversal to lead 2-0. Everhart then began working for a turning combination but Wade was able to fight off the effort. Wade appeared to have escaped with :08 left and Everhart seemed to have locked his hands, but no escape was awarded and no penalty point called and Everhart was able to ride Wade out. Trailing 2-0 (and giving up 1:21 in riding time), Wade chose down to start the third period. Everhart got hit with a stall point, cutting the lead to 2-1 with 1:29 left. Wade then got hit with a stall warning right before escaping to a 2-2 tie with 1:02 left. Everhart, however, had a 2:18 riding time edge and essentially led 3-2. With time winding down, Wade took a wild shot that Everhart countered and, with :18 left, iced the bout with a takedown. Everhart's 5-3 win earned Indiana a 17-17 tie.

The Fort Hays State wrestling squad took to the road on Thursday evening for a non-conference dual with No. 5-ranked Central Oklahoma in Edmond, Okla. The teams locked up in a very exciting dual that came down to the last match, which pitted 184 pounders Tyler Gonzales (FHSU) and Daniel Morrison (UCO). Gonzales scored a takedown in the waning moments of the match to grab a lead and lift the Tigers to a shocking 21-19 dual win. It was the first win ever for Fort Hays State in Edmond. Fort Hays State bolted out to a quick 6-0 lead with the dual beginning at 197 pounds. FHSU Redshirt-freshman Ben Evans pinned Zach James in 1:05 to give the Tigers the early edge. Evans moved to 14-5 with the win. Central Oklahoma would come back to win the next three matches. At heavyweight, No. 1-ranked Dustin Finn of UCO defeated redshirt-freshman Justin Glenn with a 6-2 decision. Glenn moved to 4-6 on the season. The Bronchos took the dual lead 9-6 after No. 4-ranked Tim Elliott pinned junior Tommy Edgmon in 5:28 at 125 pounds. It was Edgmon's first loss of the year and is now 6-1 overall. UCO extended the lead to 12-6 at 133 pounds with Scott Berens scoring a 7-0 decision over redshirt-freshman Travis Kuhn. Kuhn is now 5-6 this season. FHSU senior James Annon, ranked No. 2 in the nation at 141 pounds, pulled the Tigers back within three with a 4-2 sudden victory in overtime over No. 3-ranked Colby Robinson. Annon moved to 13-5 on the season. Levi Younkin almost pulled the Tigers even in the dual at 149 pounds, but lost by sudden victory in the second overtime to No. 6-ranked Luke Elmore by a score of 8-6. Younkin is now 19-11. At 157 pounds, No. 4-ranked Danny Grater pulled the Tigers back to within three points of the Bronchos with a 5-2 decision over Kelly Henderson. Grater moved to 17-6 with the win. Senior Troy Lussenhop would shift the whole momentum of the dual at 165 pounds by pinning No. 3-ranked Mikey Morgan in the second period in 3:25. Morgan nearly had the fall in the first period, but Lussenhop shocked the arena by putting the Tigers back on top 18-15 with two matches to go. Lussenhop is now 13-6. Junior Shawn Kuhlman would play a big role in setting up the drama for the final match by avoiding a pin at 174 pounds to No. 5-ranked Tommy McCarty. McCarty had Kuhlman on his back but could not get the pin. Kuhlman lost by a 15-1 major decision, but UCO was only able to take a 19-18 lead in the dual with the result. It put everything on the final match of the evening. Kuhlman moved to 21-6 on the season. Junior Tyler Gonzales would be up to the challenge at 184 pounds to deliver the Tigers a huge dual win on the road. In the fading seconds of the third period, he scored a takedown that would lead to his 4-1 win over Daniel Morrison. Gonzales is now 13-9 overall. Fort Hays State grabbed just its second dual win in history over Central Oklahoma. The Bronchos had won 27 of 28 dual meetings with the Tigers before Thursday evening. The only other win for FHSU over Central Oklahoma came during the 1999-2000 season (Bob Smith's final season as head coach) by a score of 21-20 in Hays. The Tigers are now 3-0 in dual action this season. The Tigers are currently unranked, but have received votes for the top 20 poll in each of the last three national ranking releases. The Tigers have two more ranked teams to face this weekend in Warrensburg, Mo., which includes No. 19 Minnesota State-Moorhead and No. 10 Wisconsin-Parkside.

NEW YORK -- The Beat the Streets Wrestling Program announced that it will co-host the sixth annual Mayor's Cup Wrestling Tournament on January 25, 2009 at Harry S. Truman High School in the Bronx and on January 31 and February 1, 2009 at the Harlem Armory in Manhattan. The three-day tournament will bring together 800 high school wrestlers from 79 wrestling programs throughout the five boroughs, the largest gathering of high school wrestlers in New York City. Beat the Streets is co-organizing the event with the Metropolitan Wrestling Association (MWA), the organization that originally founded the Mayor's Cup. The Beat the Streets Wrestling Program offers free coaching, equipment, access to training centers, and training camps to any high school and middle school student interested in participating in amateur wrestling. The Mayor's Cup serves as the premier high school wrestling tournament in New York City for boys and girls from the Public School Athletic League (PSAL), Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA), and independent schools. This is the third year in a row in which all the New York City schools with wrestling programs will participate in the Mayor's Cup and the third year the tournament will include a separate girls division, a sign of the growing number of girls participating in school wrestling programs. "The Mayor's Cup is one of the most anticipated events of the year for New York City high school wrestlers because it offers them a platform to showcase their skills and compete with some of the best wrestlers in the city," said Brian Giffin, President and Executive Director of Beat the Streets. "Beat the Streets strives to expand wrestling to schools throughout the five boroughs, and the Mayor's Cup is a testament to how much wrestling in New York City has grown, continues to grow, and captures the attention of a wide array of students from different backgrounds." Founded in 2004, Beat the Streets' mission is to expand wrestling in the New York City Metropolitan area from beginner to the Olympic level. Approximately 3,500 boys and girls from New York City schools currently participate in Beat the Streets after-school programs. Beat the Streets recently helped raise more than $2 million, the largest contribution to any school sport in the history of New York City's public schools. The organization works closely with a wide range of partners including coaches, school administrators, and current and former professional athletes to provide opportunities for children of diverse backgrounds to participate in opportunities beyond its own programs, including wrestling clinics, tournaments and summer camps. In addition to the Mayor's Cup, Beat the Streets will host Beat the Streets Wrestling Day on February 1, 2009 at the Harlem Armory, where they will lead wrestling clinics for their middle school program. Mayor's Cup Wrestling Tournament Sunday, January 25, 2009 Harry S. Truman High School 750 Baychester Avenue, Bronx, New York 10475 The Freshman, Sophomore and Junior Novice Tournament Wrestling begins: 9:30 a.m. Saturday, January 31, 2009 The 369th Harlem Armory One West 142nd Street, New York, New York 10037 The Senior Novice Tournament Wrestling begins: 9:30 a.m. The Varsity Tournament Wrestling begins: 9:30 a.m. Sunday, February 1, 2009 The 369th Harlem Armory The Girls Tournament Wrestling begins: 9:30 a.m. The Senior Novice Tournament Wrestling begins: 9:30 a.m. The Varsity Tournament Wrestling begins: 9:30 a.m. All Championship Finals Wrestling begins: 1:00 p.m. Please visit www.beat-the-streets.org for more information on the Beat the Streets Wrestling Program.

North Carolina State's Darrion Caldwell and Wartburg's Romeo Djoumessi will be the featured guests on Wrestling 411 Radio on Thursday, January 22. This Thursday's edition of Wrestling 411 Radio will air at 7 p.m. CST. The show can be heard live by visiting www.wrestling411.tv and clicking on the "Listen Live" link. An archive of the broadcast will be available immediately following the show. Caldwell is a junior at North Carolina State and is currently ranked third in the nation at 149 pounds. He placed fifth at the 2008 NCAA tournament, becoming the school's first All-American since 1996. Caldwell was also a three-time state champion in New Jersey. Djoumessi is a senior at Wartburg and is currently the top-ranked 184 pound wrestler in Division III. He is a two-time All-American and the defending NCAA Division III champion at 184 pounds. Wrestling 411 Radio can be heard live by visiting www.wrestling411.tv. Questions for any of the guests are welcome. You may e-mail your questions to Kyle Klingman at kklingman@mediasportsproductions.com.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- South Dakota State University 197-pound junior Tyler Sorenson (Garretson, S.D./Garretson HS) has been named the Western Wrestling Conference's Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. Notching his biggest victory as a Jackrabbit, Sorenson scored a 13-11 victory over No. 11 Hudson Taylor of Maryland. After going up 12-6 in the third period, Taylor recorded a reversal and a two-point near fall to get within two at 12-10. Sorenson would end with an escape and Taylor would receive a riding time bonus to end the scoring, completing the upset. In 2008, Taylor placed third at the National Championships at 197 pounds. Sorenson is a perfect 5-0 in duals after coming back from an injury to start the season. 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 - Tyler Hemmesch, So., Heavyweight, Elk River, Minn. (Elk River HS) Northern Colorado - Mitchell Polkowske, Fr., 149 lbs., LaJara, Colo. (Centennial HS) UNI - Christian Brantley, R-Fr., Heavyweight, Homewood, Ill. (Mount Carmel HS) Wyoming - Jacob Scharbrough, Fr., Heavyweight, Weiser, Idaho (Weiser HS) 2008-09 WWC Wrestlers of the Week Nov. 11 - Andrew Anderson (UNI) Nov. 18 - Shane Onufer (Wyoming) Nov. 25 - Ben Kjar (Utah Valley) Dec. 2 - Mitchell Polkowske (UNC) Dec. 9 - Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming) Dec. 16 - Moza Fay (UNI) Jan. 6 - Moza Fay (UNI) Jan. 13 - Jason Stripling (SDSU) & Michael Martinez (Wyoming) Jan. 21 - Tyler Sorenson (SDSU)

The Kent State Golden Flashes are definitely making a splash in collegiate wrestling this season. In an early January 2009 dual meet, the team made headlines by nearly defeating 2008 NCAA runner-up Ohio State in Columbus, with fifth-year senior Drew Lashaway pinning defending 141-pound champ J Jaggers in the first period. In late December 2008, Jermail Porter, fifth-year senior heavyweight, joined an elite handful of Kent State wrestlers who've earn 100 career wins in the 80-year history of the program … with Eric Chine closing in on the century mark himself. Dustin KilgoreAlong with the accomplishments of these KSU veterans, the Golden Flashes are celebrating the contributions of Dustin Kilgore, redshirt freshman at 184 pounds. As of this writing, Kilgore is 21-3, with those three losses coming against opponents ranked in the top five at 184. (In RevWrestling.com's rankings, Kilgore is sixth in his weight class, and is the highest-ranked freshman.) Seven of those wins were by pin; four by technical fall, and three by major decision. He claimed the 184-pound crown at both the 2008 Oklahoma Gold and Southern Scuffle tournaments. The new year is off to a great start for Dustin Kilgore. On January 2, he was named Mid-American Conference (MAC) wrestler of the week. At the 2009 Virginia Duals held January 9-10, Kilgore got a 6-3 win over Bucknell's David Thompson, and defeated David Craig of Lehigh, 8-4, on the first day … while, on Saturday, he scored a 23-9 major decision over University of Virginia's Rocco Caproni (ranked ninth at RevWrestling.com), a 16-5 major decision over Colin Hitschler of the University of Pennsylvania, and a 17-1 technical fall over Old Dominion's Derek Coffey to go five for five. No Golden Flash in the pan Dustin Kilgore's phenomenal 2008-2009 season was foreshadowed by an impressive redshirt season last year. As an unattached wrestler, the Berea, Ohio, native built a 27-1 record, winning tournaments at Kent State, Cleveland State, Michigan State, Ashland and Edinboro … and placing second at Penn State. At the 2008 FILA Cadet Nationals, Kilgore was 5-2, earning All-American honors, and qualifying for the University World Team Trials. Kilgore won the FILA Junior National Championship title in Las Vegas, winning his first three matches by fall. In the finals, Kilgore beat Kirk Smith, 2008 NCAA All-American from Boise State. Dustin Kilgore is 21-3, with those three losses coming against opponents ranked in the top five at 184 (Photo/Kent State University Sports Information)So far this season, the beat goes on for Dustin Kilgore. He's lost only three matches -- to Northwestern's Jake Herbert in the Boilermaker Challenge … to Kirk Smith in the Body Bar Invitational finals … and to 2008 NCAA champ Mike Pucillo at the Ohio State-Kent State dual. As noted earlier, Kilgore has won seven of his matches this season by putting his opponents' shoulders to the mat. All but one of these falls took place in the first period, with three in less than a minute. That might leave the impression that Kilgore is a pinning machine. When asked if he considers himself a 'fall guy,' Kilgore responds, "It just happens to work out that way. I'm looking to win, not necessarily going for a pin." What works: Sticking with the basics Ask Kilgore to describe his wrestling style, and the 184-pound Golden Flash answers, "Nothing fancy, just sticking to the basics. The stuff that worked for me at age 8 still works for me." "I like to think of myself as a hard worker." Jim AndrassyKent State head coach Jim Andrassy agrees. "His work ethic is incredible … He's got everything in perspective. He's focused on wrestling and the classroom." "You get a guy like him and it trickles down. Other guys in the wrestling room feed off him." When asked to analyze Dustin Kilgore's on-the-mat style, coach Andrassy says, "He moves a lot, especially for an upper-weight wrestler. He's constantly working, but he never gets tired. His conditioning is incredible." "He knows how to get a guy on his back, and is strong enough to keep him there. I think that's why a number of his matches have ended with a fall." "Dustin's very aggressive, always going for the takedown … We're working with him to be more selective on his shots, to develop patience, to sharpen his handfighting skills." Along with Dustin Kilgore's never-stop work ethic, Andrassy is impressed with his 184's character. "He's definitely not one to brag. He's very modest about his accomplishments." Andrassy, a 1995 Kent State grad now in his sixth year as head coach, immediately followed up with a specific example of Kilgore's conscientious attitude: "At the Oklahoma (Gold), in one of his matches, the ref awarded him a point, and Dustin told him, 'I didn't earn it.'" Back in Berea … Dustin Kilgore was destined to wrestle. He grew up in a natural wrestling hotbed, northeast Ohio. And there's a family connection, too. "My dad wrestled in high school, and wanted me to take it up," says the nineteen-year-old Kent State wrestler, referring to his father, Kevin Kilgore. "I started at age seven or eight." "I grew up in Berea, and started wrestling in a 'biddy' program in nearby Strongsville." Dustin Kilgore compiled a record of 149-20 as a prep prior to coming to Kent State (Photo/Kevin Schlosser)In his four seasons at Berea High School in suburban Cleveland, Dustin Kilgore compiled a 149-20 record … winning at least thirty bouts each year. In his last three years as a Berea Brave, Kilgore placed in the top three at the Ohio high school state championships. He won the state title as a junior, was a runner-up as a senior, and placed third his sophomore year. "Winning state was the best feeling," says Kilgore. "Senior year, taking second was a bummer, especially after working so hard." Dustin Kilgore also made a name for himself beyond the borders of the Buckeye state. He was a Junior Nationals champion, and placed third at the Senior Nationals. In recounting his prep career, Kilgore is not one to reminisce about the past. "Going to college is a clean slate." How Kilgore came to Kent When asked how he chose Kent State University (located in Kent, Ohio, just east of Akron), Dustin Kilgore replies, "I didn't want to go too far from home. I'm close to my family. They try to come watch me wrestle as often as possible." "It's a beautiful campus. I like the small-town atmosphere." "We have really phenomenal coaches here. They really care." "Coach Andrassy is really turning the program around. Everyone's putting a lot of work into the program to make us more successful." "When you really look at it, it's your own decision, you have to go where you feel comfortable," Kilgore continues. "In terms of how much success you have, it comes down to how hard you're willing to work." Jim Andrassy weighs in: "We contacted him. We visited him at home, and were impressed from that first meeting. We offered him a full ride right away." "He's definitely a blue-chip recruit." Beyond the mat When Dustin Kilgore isn't on the mat or in the classroom, he enjoys being outdoors. "I love camping, hiking, hunting and fishing," says the Ohio native. "My dad introduced me to the outdoors." "I welcome the escape from the feelings and pressures of life. It's an amazing feeling to get away." Kilgore also enjoys traveling, especially trips to Canada. Back in the classroom, Kilgore is majoring in criminal justice at Kent State, with the possibility of a career in law enforcement, whether its local police work (perhaps as a member of a SWAT team), or maybe even serving in the FBI. Dustin Kilgore is currently ranked No. 6 in the country at 184 pounds by RevWrestling.com (Photo/Kevin Schlosser)However, in talking about careers he's considering, he quickly interjects, "I've done wrestling all my life. I love it … I have trouble imagining getting out of the sport." When asked if that means a possible career in coaching, Kilgore answers, "I enjoy helping others. I've always had great coaches who are willing to work with others, who want their wrestlers to succeed." "They also stressed the importance of academics. Two of my high school coaches were also my teachers. They've also become my friends." "That kind of attitude really helped me in my life, and I'm truly grateful for that." Jim Andrassy sees a possible coaching career in Dustin Kilgore's future. "I'll do whatever it takes to keep him here after graduation. He brings so much to our wrestling program. He's valuable just for his work ethic alone." Right now, Dustin Kilgore is focused on his on-the-mat career and his studies. He's modest about his collegiate wrestling achievements and goals, but enjoys freestyle ("It's a great help with my college wrestling," says Kilgore) and hopes to compete in national and world competition. His never-stop, back-to-basics wrestling style and solid work ethic should continue to make him one of the most talked-about college wrestlers in the nation.

The UNI wrestling team is partnering up with the American Heart Association's Start! Heart Walk to help raise funds for the Cedar Valley Start! Heart Walk on May 16. The Panthers will be raising money for the heart walk to reduce the No. 1 and No. 3 killers of Americans - heart disease and stroke. Beginning with this Sunday's wrestling dual with Oklahoma State at 7 p.m. in the McLeod Center, Panther wrestling supporters can compete for a cause. The Panthers will be collecting donations for the UNI Wrestling Start! Heart Walk Team that will take part in the walk on May 16 at George Wyth State Park in Waterloo. The Heart Walk chairperson Chuck Yagla will be in attendance Sunday and will speak to the crowd about the Heart Walk during the intermission. UNI head coach Brad Penrith and the Panther wrestling team have agreed to participate in the walk as well as raise money ahead of time, which includes online donations at www.waterlooiaheartwalk.org. Individuals can also call in donations to (319) 352-4825 or (888) 619-7980 and specify the donation should go to the UNI Wrestling Start! Heart Walk Team.

Hempstead, NY -- Hofstra junior Lou Ruggirello has been named CAA Wrestler of the Week and freshman Justin Accordino has been named the conference's Rookie of the Week for all competition from January 12-18, the CAA announced Tuesday. Ruggirello, a junior from Walden, New York (Valley Central), was one of three wrestlers for the Pride to go 4-0 at the CAA duals. The top ranked 133-pounder in the CAA, Ruggirello won three bouts by fall, including pins of the second and fourth ranked wrestlers in the CAA. Currently ranked ninth by InterMat and 13th by Amateur Wrestling News, Ruggirello is now 19-2 overall, 9-0 in duals and 5-0 in the CAA. Accordino, a freshman from Wilkes-Barre, PA (Coughlin), went 3-1 at the CAA Duals, his only loss coming to the top-ranked 141-pounder in the CAA. Accordino won by fall over the fourth-ranked wrestler in the CAA, by tech fall, and also defeated the fifth-ranked 141-pounder in the CAA to improve to 15-8 and 7-2 in duals. Ruggirello shares the CAA Wrestler of the Week honor with Chris Brown from Old Dominion University. A junior from Chesapeake, Virginia (Great Bridge), Brown is the top ranked 165-pounder in the CAA and defeated the second, fourth and sixth-ranked wrestlers in the CAA. Currently ranked 13th by Amateur Wrestling News, Brown improved to 19-6 and 14-3 in duals. Accordino shares the CAA Rookie of the Week award with Joe Budi from Old Dominion. A freshman from Appleton, Wisconsin (Kahkauna), Budi, the fourth-ranked 184-pounder in the CAA, pinned the top-ranked wrestler, and beat the third-ranked grappler in the CAA. Budi improved to 20-12. The Pride will return to action this Sunday, January 25 at home at the David S. Mack Sports Complex when they host the Buckeyes of Ohio State at 1 p.m. Prior to Sunday's match the Hofstra Wrestling Brunch will be held at 10 a.m. at the Hofstra University Club. Tom Ryan, the current Ohio State University wrestling coach who served in the same capacity for the Pride from 1995 through 2006, will be the guest speaker. Hofstra Head Wrestling Coach Tom Shifflet will announce at the brunch the Hofstra Wrestling Project that will provide the program with the finest wrestling facility on Long Island and one of the best wrestling facilities in the northeast. Once completed, the renovated home of Pride Wrestling will feature: a new wrestling floor and wall mats; a new cardio room; a student-athlete lounge; a sports medicine room equipped with state-of-the-art technology; and a refurbished coaches office suite. The complex will be named The Teague Ryan Wrestling Complex, in memory of Tom and Lynette Ryan's youngest son who passed away suddenly at age 5 in February, 2004. Proceeds from the brunch as well as $1 from all ticket sales for the 1 p.m. match will benefit the Teague Ryan Memorial Wrestling Fund. Tickets for the brunch are priced at $100 each in advance and $125 at the door, and can be reserved by calling Chrissy Arnone at (516) 463-5281. Tickets for the Hofstra-Ohio State match are priced at $16 for premium seats, $11 for adult general admission, and $6 for youth (12 and under) and senior citizens, and can be purchased online at www.Hofstra.edu/athletics or by calling 516-HOF-TIXX (463-8499).