InterMat Staff

The defending national champion Minnesota Golden Gopher wrestling program announced its fall signing class today, a group that includes six of the nation's top recruits. Jake Deitchler, Atticus Disney, Ryland Geiger, Mario Mason, Matt Mincey and Cody Yohn have all signed National Letters of Intent and will wrestle for the Gophers beginning in the fall of 2008. Jake Deitchler, a native of Anoka, Minn. is a two-time Minnesota state champion and is the nation's top recruit in his weight class according to Amateur Wrestling News. The 2007 NHSCA Junior National Champion at 145 pounds, Deitchler represented the United States at the 2007 Junior World Championships in Beijing along with current Gopher Brandon Sitch. Deitchler also was named the Junior Greco-Roman "Wrestler of the Year" for 2007. Currently ranked 10th overall amongst recruits nationwide by RevWrestling, Deitchler is expected to wrestle at 157 pounds for the Golden Gophers. Heavyweight Atticus Disney is another highly-touted recruit that has committed to Minnesota and hails from Topeka, Kan. This two-time state high school champ was a double champion at this year's FILA Cadet Nationals, winning both the Freestyle and Greco-Roman events. Disney was also the runner-up at the '07 NHSCA Junior Nationals and earned Junior National All-American status. He enters his final prep season as a top-five heavyweight recruit nationally according to Amateur Wrestling News. Ryland Geiger is the 2007 Oregon state high school champion hails from Scappoose, Ore. Expected to compete at 197 pounds when he reaches Minnesota next fall, Geiger was a NHSCA Junior National Champion this past year and was also the '07 Junior National Greco-Roman Champion. He was a double champion (Freestyle and Greco-Roman) at the 2006 Cadet Nationals. Geiger is a top-50 national recruit according to Intermat. Mario Mason currently attends renowned Blair Academy in Blair, N.J., home to one of the finest prep wrestling programs in the country. A two-time National Prep Champion, Mason is currently the nation's number one high school wrestler in the RevWrestling power rankings. This 2007 USA Wrestling Junior National Champion was also a NHSCA Junior National Champion this past year and figures to wrestle at 149 pounds when he arrives in Minnesota next season. Matt Mincey is another homegrown Minnesota recruit and attends Apple Valley High School, winners of back-to-back state wrestling championships and 15 overall since 1983. Mincey was a two-time state individual champion at 125 pounds and also took third at the 2007 NHSCA Junior Nationals. Intermat has ranked Mincey as the 34th-best recruit in the nation, and he is expected to compete at 133 pounds for the Gophers. Cody Yohn is the younger sibling of current Gopher freshman Sonny Yohn (184 pounds) and boasts a list of accomplishments that rivals those of his brother. Cody Yohn hails from Alamosa, Col. and is a two-time Colorado state champion, pairing up with his brother to lead the Mean Moose to back-to-back team titles as well. Yohn is a top-15 national recruit (RevWrestling) and ranks first in his weight class (Amateur Wrestling News). He will compete at 174 pounds for Minnesota next year. Yohn also finished second in the freestyle competition at the 2007 Junior National Championships and was a 2006 Cadet Freestyle All-American. "We're very excited about this recruiting class," said Minnesota head coach J Robinson. "We believe this group will help us continue the standard of excellence we've established here at Minnesota, and will allow us to remain one of the nation's top programs for years to come."

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan wrestling head coach Joe McFarland announced Wednesday (Nov. 21) that three student-athletes, Coby Boyd (West Liberty, Ohio/St. Paris Graham HS), Hunter Collins (Gilroy, Calif./Gilroy HS) and Mark Weber (Goodrich, Mich./Goodrich HS), have signed National Letters of Intent during the early signing period to attend and compete in wrestling at the University next fall. "We couldn't be more excited about having these three guys join our program," said McFarland. "We were able to fill a lot of our team's needs with this class, and I think they will all fit into our program quite well. They're good workers, and they fit the aggressive style of wrestling that we're always looking for at Michigan. I know people will be reading about all three of them in the future, because they are the type of guys that can step up at the collegiate level and compete well nationally. They will certainly help ensure a continued tradition of success for Michigan wrestling in the years to come." Boyd enters his senior season ranked as the No. 5 high school 152-pound wrestler in the nation by Amateur Wrestling News. Named the 2007 Greater Miami Valley Wrestler of the Year, Boyd captured the 145-pound title at last season's Ohio state championships and is a three-time placewinner, taking third place as a sophomore and sixth as a freshman. He carries a 125-15 career record into his senior season and already ranks as St. Paris Graham's career pin leader with 88 during his three seasons. In freestyle competition, he captured the 2005 Cadet National title at 58 kg/127.75 pounds. Boyd is projected to compete at 149/157 pounds at Michigan. "Coby really wanted to come to Michigan," said McFarland. "He and his family felt that this was the kind of program that they wanted to be a part of. So, that's exciting. You certainly want those types in your program -- the guys that really want to be here. Coby is a pinner. He's physical, and he really gets after it when he wrestlesHe's one of those guys that will have an opportunity to step into the lineup right away and have immediate success." Heading into his senior season, Collins holds the No. 3 ranking at 189 pounds by Amateur Wrestling News. He captured the 2007 NHSCA Junior National title at 171 pounds and is a three-time California state placewinner, placing third as a junior (2007), second as a sophomore (2006) and eighth as a freshman (2005). Boasting a 124-16 career prep record, Collins twice placed at the prestigious Reno Tournament of Champions, winning the 171-pound title at last season's event. He is a two-time national freestyle All-American, claiming fifth place in the junior division (2007) and second in the Cadet division (2006). Collins will likely wrestle at 184 or 197 pounds for Michigan. "I think Hunter might have slid under the radar a little bit," said McFarland, "but he has a big, big upside to him. He had some big wins as a junior. He won the Reno Tournmanet of Champions, beating a top national recruit, Kirk Smith, in the finals. He's got a big tank on him. He wrestles hard and just goes and goes. I like his wrestling. I like him on his feet, but I think he's going to be equally good on top. He's another guys that loves to train and loves to work out, so we're really excited about having him." Weber enters his senior season ranked as the No. 2 high school 130-pound wrestler in the nation by Amateur Wrestling News. He is a three-time Michigan state champion at Goodrich High School, where he boasts a career mark of 163-4 and has re-established the school's single-season standards for wins and falls in each of his three years. In freestyle competition, he was a 130-pound finalist at the 2007 Junior National Championships and a 105-pound finalist at the 2005 Cadet National Championships. He also placed fourth in the 119-pound division at the 2006 FILA Cadet Nationals. Weber is projected to compete at 141 or 149 pounds at Michigan. "Mark has done very well nationally," said McFarland, "and he'll be going for his fourth state title this year. I like his style of wrestling. He's got great fundamentals; he's solid in all three areas and always stays in good position. He's been a runner-up at the Cadet and Junior National tournaments, so I think that speaks volumes about the type of competitor he is. He's a Michigan guy, and he's really excited about becoming a Wolverine." Michigan kicks off its 2007-08 season on Saturday (Nov. 24) at the Journeymen/Brute Northeast Duals in Troy, N.Y. Michigan will square off against Bucknell, Maryland, Bloomsburg and Virginia at the dual-meet event.

San Francisco, Calif. -- The Stanford wrestling team picked up its second dual win of the year tonight, earning a 37-10 victory over San Francisco State at The Swamp in San Francisco. Tanner Gardner, Zack Giesen and Jake Johnson paced the squad with pins as eight of the ten Cardinal wrestlers won bouts. The night began at 125 pounds, with Gardner pinning his seventh opponent of the season. Gardner won in 4:40, and gave Stanford a quick 6-0 lead. San Francisco State responded with a pin of its own at 133 pounds, but Matt Kim put the Cardinal back in front with a 9-4 decision over San Francisco State's Randy Aguirre at 141 pounds. Redshirt freshman Lucas Espericueta won his second collegiate dual match, handling the Gators' Josh Nolan by major decision, 14-4, and increasing the Cardinal lead to 13-6. At 157 pounds, senior Josh Zupancic recorded 12 points in the third period, and dominated the Gators' Josh Gonzalez for a 21-5 technical fall. At 165 pounds, sophomore Peter Miller added four more Cardinal points, earning a 16-4 major decision over Zach Sesar of San Francisco State. San Francisco State trimmed the Stanford lead to 22-10 with a major decision at 174 pounds, but Giesen responded with a decisive first period pin to clinch the win for the Cardinal. Giesen put Marcus DeAnda on his back in 2:24 to give Stanford a 28-10 lead. Johnson added an exclamation point to the win, pinning his fourth opponent of the year at 197 pounds. With a 9-0 lead and time expiring in the third period, the sophomore pinned the Gators' Arman Ostadsharif with just one second remaining on the clock (6:59) and gave Stanford a commanding 34-10 lead. Senior Phillip Doerner finished off the night, earning a 7-3 decision over Steve Frankin at heavyweight to cap the 37-10 Cardinal win. Stanford returns to the mats Nov. 30 - Dec. 1 at the Las Vegas Invitational.

The wrestling team improved to 21-1 in dual matches under second-year Head Coach Chris Bono Saturday with a pair of dual-match victories over lower-division teams. The Mocs, ranked as high as No. 12 in the latest NCAA Division I national polls, defeated Newberry College 27-13 and scored a 41-6 victory over Campbellsville. "We did a lot better in the second match," UTC Head Coach Chris Bono said. "I was disappointed in the opening match but was pleased with the effort when we came back against Campbellsville. We can't just come out here and show up and win. I hope that is the lesson we take from today. We certainly can't do that against Missouri (Dec. 16). "I guarantee you that we will make these corrections in our upcoming practices. We will get to take some time off but also have a good few weeks to get ready for Missouri." Newberry, 1-1 and ranked No. 13 in NCAA Division II, notched a 29-7 win over Campbellsville, now 2-2, in the second match of the day. The Tigers entered the duals ranked No. 1 in the NAIA polls. Matt Koz led the way for the Mocs (5-0) with two pins in his two matches at 197 pounds. UTC gave up six points in both matches as eighth-ranked Javier Maldonado had to forfeit his 125-pound matches because of an injury. Koz's pin over Kelly Anundson gave the Mocs a 9-0 lead. A win at heavyweight and the forfeit tied the score. Steve Hromada and Cody Cleveland picked up back-to-back wins at 133 and 141 respectively for a 15-9 lead, and UTC closed out the win in the last three matches. Seth Garvin registered a 12-4 major decision over Christian Johnson at 157, Nick Davis notched a 10-8 overtime win over Alonso Azumendi at 165 and Lloyd Rogers recorded a tech fall at 174 over Bryant Blanton for the 27-13 final. In the victory over Campbellsville, the Mocs used three tech falls, two pins and two major decisions to enter the upcoming exam period on a five-match winning streak. Recording tech falls for UTC in the win over the Tigers were Josh Edmondson at 184, Hromada at 133 and Cleveland at 141. Koz and Joey Knox (149) won by fall, and Davis and Rogers registered major decisions at 165 and 174 respectively. The Mocs are off several weeks for semester exams but return Dec. 16 to host No. 7 Missouri. The dual match at Maclellan Gym begins at 1 p.m.

TROY, NY -- Sophomore Lou Ruggirello led five Pride wrestlers with perfect 3-0 records, including a victory over the top-ranked grappler in the country, as #13 Hofstra captured two of three matches at the Journeymen/Brute Northeast Duals at Hudson Valley Community College Saturday. The Pride defeated #25 Bloomsburg, 30-12, and Bucknell, 24-15, around a 20-16 loss to #3 Oklahoma State. Hofstra, which recorded its first dual match victories of the year, is now 2-3 on the young season. Ruggirello, who entered the 14-team Northeast Duals, ranked fourth in the country at 133 pounds, posted two victories by fall, pinning Bloomsburg's Jason Guffey in 1:26, and Bucknell's 14th-ranked David Marble in 2:02, and edged #1 Coleman Scott from Oklahoma State, 3-2. Ruggirello (5-0) could be looking at the number one ranking in the country next week. Hofstra seniors Dave Tomasette (4-1), at 125, Joe Rovelli (4-1), at 197, and junior Alton Lucas (5-0), at 174, joined Ruggirello with 3-0 marks with two major decisions each. Tomasette ranked eighth in the nation recorded majors over Bloomsburg's 12th-ranked Mike Sees, 13-3, and Bucknell's Jose Matos, 11-3. Rovelli posted major decisions over Oklahoma State's Jared Shelton, 15-4, and Bucknell's Sean LoCurto. Lucas, who is undefeated this season and ranked 16th in the nation, defeated OSU's third-ranked Brandon Mason, 5-3 in sudden victory with a takedown just eight seconds into the overtime. Lucas also posted major decisions over Bloomsburg's Nathan Graham, 15-4, and Bucknell's Rob Waltko, 11-2. Griffin, ranked fourth in the nation at 141, also went 3-0 in the Duals and posted a 7-5 decision over Oklahoma State's second-ranked Nathan Morgan, to go with a 15-3 major win over Bloomsburg's George Hickman. Hofstra's sole returning All-American is 4-1 on the season. Hofstra Head Wrestling Coach Tom Shifflet shook up the line-up a bit for the Duals, replacing sophomore transfer Jonny Bonilla-Bowman (0-2) with junior Anthony Tortora at 157 pounds, and freshman Jeff Siciliano (0-2) with classmate Justin Danz at 184. Tortora went 1-2 in the three matches with a 4-3 victory over Bucknell's Ryan Ochalek, as did Danz with a 4-0 win over Bloomsburg's Jesse Hasseman. Freshman Ryan Patrovich (2-3) also went 1-2 in the Duals with a win by fall over Bloomsburg's Rickey Schmelyan in 2:57. The Pride will head to Nevada next weekend for the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Friday and Saturday, November 30 and December 1.

The defending national champion Golden Gopher wrestling team completed a three-meet sweep Saturday, beating Northern Illinois, Northern Colorado and North Dakota State at the first-ever Northern Quad event at the UCR Regional Sports Center in Rochester, Minn. Minnesota outscored its opponents 109-21 and lost just four matches all day. They will enter next Sunday's Williams Arena showdown with Iowa State a perfect 3-0 in dual meet competition. Jayson Ness, Manuel Rivera, C.P. Schlatter, Dustin Schlatter and Gabe Dretsch all went a perfect 3-0 on the day, while Mack Reiter, Scott Glasser and Justin Bronson each won both of their matches. Tyler Safratowich, Brandon Sitch and Ben Berhow also earned single victories on the day. An estimated crowd of well over 1,500 people traveled to the Rochester Community Technical College campus to watch the all-day event. In the 10 a.m. opener against the Huskies of Northern Illinois, the Gophers won the first seven matches before eventually prevailing by a score of 35-12. Third-ranked Ness started things off with a pin of T.J. Wunnicke (4:43) in the 125 pound match, while Mack Reiter (currently ranked second at 133 pounds) followed that with a well-earned 4-3 decision over 10th-ranked Pat Castillo. It was Reiter's first non-exhibition match of the season – he also participated in last Monday's NWCA All-Star Classic. Rivera and the Schlatter brothers won the next three matches, with Dustin picking up a tech fall (16-1) and C.P. his first pin of the season (in 2:42 over Michael Smith). Scott Glasser then won his collegiate dual meet debut, a 4-2 decision over Bryan Deutsch. Sixth-ranked Gabe Dretsch won a hard-fought 3-2 match with No. 12 Duke Burk in a battle of ranked opponents at 174 pounds. After forfeiting the 184 pound match to Roger Kish, the Huskies picked up two straight pins to end the match – one over 197 pound former junior college national champ Yura Malamura and another over heavyweight Joe Nord. It was Minnesota's first loss at heavyweight in over two years – two-time national champion Cole Konrad (who ended his career on a 76-match winning streak) graduated last spring. The second meet of the day for Minnesota came against Northern Colorado and got underway at 12 p.m., with the Gophers pulling out a 29-9 win. Minnesota improved to 5-0 all-time against the Bears with the win, as the Gophers won eight of ten weight classes. Ness got things started once again with an 8-3 decision to remain perfect on the season. Redshirt freshman Jake Mellmer received his first dual meet start at 133 pounds in relief of Mack Reiter but lost a hard-fought 4-2 match to Blayze Bahe. After Rivera (10-4 win), and the Schlatters (major decisions of 14-3 and 14-2 for Dustin and C.P., respectively) earned victories, 2006-07 NCAA qualifier Tyler Safratowich was able to defeat Devan Lewis by a score of 8-5. Redshirt freshman Brandon Sitch got the call at 174 pounds in place of Gabe Dretsch and responded with an impressive 7-2 win over Ryan Johnson. Roger Kish utterly dominated Vince Mendez before pinning him at the 5:29 mark, setting the stage for senior Justin Bronson. Bronson, contending for a starting spot at 197 pounds, delivered with an 8-1 decision over Patrick Carey. Nord was pinned for the second time on the day to round out the meet, this one coming at the hands of No. 17 Reece Hopkins. The third and final match of the day was between the Gophers and Bison, with Minnesota romping to a 45-0 win. The Gophers are now 14-1 all-time vs. NDSU, including two consecutive shutouts (the last one coming in 2000). Ness began the meet with his eighth fall in nine matches so far this year, making quick work (2:03) of Andy Hackenmueller. Reiter was next with a 14-4 major decision at 133 pounds, and Rivera improved to 10-0 on the season with an 8-3 win over Gabe Mooney. Dustin Schlatter rounded out a day in which he outscored his opponents a whopping 49-6 by tech falling Andrey Patselov 18-3. C.P. Schlatter sent the crowd into a frenzy when he earned his second pin of the afternoon, this one coming in 4:47 over Adam Aho. Schlatter entered the day with just five pins in three previous seasons but picked up two at the Northern Quad. Glasser, Dretsch (now 9-1 this season) and Kish followed with major decision victories before Bronson took to the mat once more at 197 pounds. The senior established himself even further by defeating 2006-07 NCAA qualifier Jake Bryce 4-0. Haywood, Minn. native Ben Berhow completed the sweep at heavyweight by pinning NDSU's Justin LaGosh in 3:55. It was the redshirt freshman's first-ever collegiate dual meet appearance. The Gophers have now won 23 consecutive dual meets, dating back to Nov. 25 of last season. They are still ranked first in every national wrestling poll. Minnesota will now prepare for their Dec. 2 meet with Iowa State, which will get underway at 2 p.m. in Williams Arena a week from Sunday. The Cyclones were the runners-up at last season's NCAA Championships and have already won five dual meets this season (5-0). The meet will be televised either live or via tape delay by the Big Ten Network. Stay tuned to gophersports.com for more updates.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana University wrestling team went 5-0 in dual matches on Saturday at the 2007 Hoosier Duals, picking up wins over Duke, Liberty, Ohio, Oregon and the University of the Cumberlands. The Cream and Crimson improved to 6-0 on the season. Six different Hoosiers also won all five matches individually while two others combined for a 5-0 mark at the 149-pound weight class. Overall, Indiana went 42-8 during the Hoosier Duals, outscoring the opposition by a total score of 187-30. No team reached double-digits against the Hoosiers. Head Coach Duane Goldman's team tallied numerous bonus points with 12 pins, five tech falls and six major decisions in total. Matt Coughlin (165-lb.), ranked fourth in the country, continued his flawless start to the '07-08 campaign by winning five matches on Saturday and improving his season mark to 11-0. He was not flashy, but effective in his victories, earning five decisions. Kurt Kinser made the most out of his three opportunities in the 149-pound weight class by pinning all three opponents and earning IU the maximum of 18 points. Trevor Perry increased his team-high pin total to six, sticking three adversaries Saturday en route to a 5-0 day. No. 2 Angel Escobedo picked up bonus points in all five of his victories, recording two pins, a tech fall, a major decision and a forfeit. His cousin, Andrae Hernandez, did his part in compiling bonus points as well in the process of notching his five wins. Hernandez had a pair of tech falls and a major decisions. Two-time All-American Brandon Becker (No. 9) was yet another Hoosier to post an unblemished 5-0 mark, and one of those wins came against nationally-ranked Jacob Frerichs (No. 19) from Ohio in the form of a 3-0 decision in his final bout of the competition. True freshman Joe Fagiano impressed the Hoosier faithful in his first home event, seizing the "W" in all five of his matches. Nick Walpole rounded out the pool of Hoosiers that went undefeated, picking up victories in both of his contests. No. 8 Marc Bennett won in a variety of ways, grabbing a pin, a tech fall, a major decision and a 9-3 decision in his four wins. Fagiano was not the only true freshman in action Saturday as Alex Warren was responsible for seven points, winning two of his three bouts. Justin Kuhn recorded a win as well, capping off the Hoosiers' 50-0 shutout victory over the University of the Cumberlands with a pin in the heavyweight match.

LAKEWOOD, OH -- The University of Iowa wrestling team opened the 2007-08 dual season with four wins at the St. Edward duals in Lakewood, OH, Saturday. The Hawkeyes beat Findlay (40-3), Iowa Central (50-0), Old Dominion (28-13) and North Carolina State (37-9) to start the season at 4-0. Five Hawkeyes went undefeated on the day. Sophomores Joe Slaton (133) and Jay Borschel (174/184) each recorded two technical falls, one pins and one major decision, while senior Matt Fields (Hwt.) and junior Charlie Falck (125) each scored one pin, one technical fall, one major decision and one decision. Sophomore Phillip Keddy (184/197) scored four decisions at the event. Iowa's next competition will be Dec. 2 at the UNI Open. Wrestling is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, IA.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Old Dominion wrestling team went 2-1 with wins against nationally ranked D-II Findlay University and the top JuCo in the nation, Iowa Central, on Saturday at the St. Edward Duals in Ohio. The team dropped the dual decision to No. 3 Iowa University, but redshirt sophomore Chris Brown notched one of the most impressive victories in Monarch wrestling history. He was ahead 13-1 over three-time All-American, defending national champion and current number one ranked 165-pounder Mark Perry of Iowa before winning the bout by disqualification in the final seconds. "This was by far the biggest individual victory in the history of the program," said head coach Steve Martin. "Brown beat a guy who's defending a national championship, ranked number one by everyone and a three-time All-American." Brown would win the bout by disqualification, after storming ahead of Perry 13-1 in the third period. Perry was disqualified during a blood timeout for flagrant misconduct, giving Brown the win he had all but locked up anyway with the 12-point lead in the final seconds. Brown's ranked teammates David Mendoza and Ryan Williams both tallied wins in the Iowa dual for a final score of 13-28. Mendoza dropped Rick Loera by an 8-0 shutout major decision at 197 lbs. and Williams dropped Dan LeClere in a 6-2 decision at 141 lbs. James Nicholson took a two-point loss at the hands of one of the best 125-pounders in the nation and Jesse Strawn was ahead in a one-point match until the final seconds when 17th ranked Phillip Keddy scored a takedown. "This match could have easily been a 5-5 split," said Martin. "The kids represented themselves well and earned the respect of the gym with the way they wrestled." ODU started the day with a 34-5 victory over the University of Findlay. Findlay is one of the top-ranked teams in Division II, but the Monarchs were too strong, winning eight of the ten bouts. It was the same story against Iowa Central, one of the top schools in the NJCAA, as ODU toppled the team 42-3.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The University of Oklahoma came out on top in eight of ten weight classes at the 37th Oklahoma Open held at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman. Sophomore Kyle Terry was the first of eight straight Sooners to claim titles with a defeat of Luke Ashmore of Oklahoma State at 141 pounds. Seth Vernon continued the Sooner success with a win over Willy Pendleton of Labette to take first at 149 pounds. Chad Terry won over teammate Shane Vernon and Max Dean over Kyle Griffin of Oklahoma State to claim the 157 and 165-pound titles, respectively. Jeff James defeated teammate Chris DeVilbiss at 174 pounds to take the title and Joshua Weitzel won the 184-pound bout over Jack Jensen of OSU. There were co-champions at 197 pounds between Sooners Joel Flaggert and Eric Lapotsky, and Nathan Fernandez topped teammate Luis Hernandez in the heavyweight division. Oklahoma also placed three out of the top four in the 125-pound class. Freshman Joey Fio placed second for the Sooners, followed by Greg Cannon and John Starzky. Oklahoma State's Jamal Parks, who claimed the 133-pound title, was named the Open's Most Outstanding Wrestler. The Sooners will begin the Big 12 conference slate next Sunday, Dec. 2, at 2 p.m. versus in-state rival Oklahoma State. Junior high and high school results at the Oklahoma Open are listed on SoonerSports.com.

TROY, N.Y -- The No. 5-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team kicked off its 2007-08 campaign with a 3-1 performance at the fifth annual Journeymen/Brute Northeast Duals Saturday (Nov. 24) at Hudson Valley Community College. The Wolverines defeated Bucknell (33-6), Bloomsburg (27-12) and Virginia (25-10), while U-M narrowly fell to Maryland (16-18) in its second contest of the day. Four U-M wrestlers, freshman Kellen Russell (High Brdige, N.J./Blair Academy), fifth-year senior Josh Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS), fifth-year senior Eric Tannenbaum (Naperville, Ill./North HS) and senior/junior Steve Luke (Massillon, Ohio/Perry HS), registered flawless 4-0 individual records to lead the Wolverines at the Northeast Duals. Churella and Tannenbaum each recorded major decisions in three appearances, while Luke tallied a major decision and a first-period pin. Fifth-year senior Jeff Marsh (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) and sophomore/freshman Anthony Biondo (Clinton Twp., Mich./Chippewa Valley HS) were also impressive in the Wolverines' first competition of the season with near-perfect 3-1 records. Marsh outscored his opposition 19-5 with two shutout performances, while Biondo -- in the first varsity event of his collegiate career -- registered a pair of falls. The Wolverines opened the competition with a dominant victory against Bucknell in the morning session. U-M won nine consecutive matches, including four with bonus points, and Michigan appeared on track to claim a shutout victory until it gave up a pin in the final match. Sophomore Chris Diehl (Burton, Mich./Flint Kearsley HS), Russell and Biondo each secured the first dual-meet victory of their collegiate careers to highlight the Wolverine performance. Diehl earned an upset decision against the Bisons' 16th-ranked David Marable at 133 pounds, rallying from an early deficit to score a takedown in each of the final two periods and claim the 6-3 final advantage. Russell cruised to a 6-2 decision over Bucknell's Eric Harris in the subsequent match at 141 pounds, scoring a pair of first-period takedowns and building 2:54 in riding time advantage in Russell's varsity debut. After five more victories at the middleweights, including major decisions from Churella, Tannenbaum and Luke, Biondo capped the Wolverines' team scoring with a first-period fall against Sean Locurto at 197 pounds. The U-M freshman took the Bison wrestler to his back midway through the frame and earned an immediate pin, ending the bout at the 1:59 mark. Maryland started strong and ended strong in the second-round contest to deal U-M its first loss of the season. Each squad earned five wins, but a Terrapin pin at 197 pounds and a subsequent decision at heavyweight made the difference as Maryland completed the late comeback and upset victory. After the Terps took the early advantage with back-to-back wins at 125 and 133 pounds, Michigan won five straight matches to steal away the lead, including a 9-5 decision at 174 pounds by Steve Luke, who claimed the day's marquee match over the Terps' seventh-ranked Mike Letts at 174 pounds. The Wolverine junior registered three takedowns in the opening frame and despite being taken down himself in the third, added 1:12 in riding time to earn the decisive victory. The momentum shifted one match later at 184 pounds when Josh Haines pulled off a 4-1 upset against third-ranked senior/junior Tyrel Todd (Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS) to key the Maryland comeback. After a scoreless first, Haines rode out the Wolverine wrestler in the second frame and used a scramble in the third to secure the winning takedown. The Terps' 11th-ranked Hudson Taylor pinned Biondo at 2:41 to bring an end a wild first period at 197 pounds and pull the dual score within just one point, and heavyweight Pat Gilmore iced his team's upset victory with a 17-11 decision over sophomore/freshman Matt Guhn (Clyde, Ohio/Clyde HS) in the final bout. The heavyweight pair combined for eight takedowns and traded the lead throughout the first and second periods until Gilmore used a takedown in waning moments of the middle frame to put Guhn in a near-fall situation and take the lead for good. The Wolverines cruised past Bloomsburg and Virginia in their latter two meets of the day, winning seven of 10 bouts in each competition to wrap up the season-opening event with a 3-1 record. Russell, Churella, Tannenbaum and Luke tallied bonus points to lead the Wolverines over Bloomsburg. With the score tied at three points a piece, Russell and Churella recorded back-to-back major decisions at 141 and 149 pounds, respectively, to put Michigan ahead for good in the dual. Russell recorded five takedowns, two reversals and a two-point near fall to win 22-9 over George Hickman, while Churella rolled past Darren Kern 10-2 with four takedowns and 4:43 in riding time. Tannenbaum added another major decision at 165 pounds, using an equal number of takedowns and three-point near falls to beat Ryan Schmelyun 12-2, while Luke pinned Brian Shaw at the 1:30 mark to net his first fall of the season. After sacrificing the opening two matches against Virginia, the Wolverines recorded five straight wins at the middleweights and claimed seven of the final eight -- including two with bonus points -- to run away with the team victory. Russell started the rally and perfected his season record to 6-0 with a narrow tiebreaker win over Kellon Balum at 141 pounds. With the score still deadlocked at 2-2 after eight minutes of wrestling, Russell earned his escape in the first set of tiebreakers and rode out Balum to end the match. Churella added bonus points in the next match, scoring five takedowns to defeat Eugene Riley 13-4. Biondo also earned big points for the Wolverines with a second-period fall against Brent Jones for his second pin of the afternoon. The U-M wrestler trailed the bout midway through the middle frame after giving up a pair of takedowns, but rallied back and used a takedown of his own to gain the advantage position, throw a leg in and roll Jones up with a spladle, ending the bout at 4:14. Sophomore/freshman Eddie Phillips (Woodland, Mich./Lakewood HS) capped the dual meet with another Wolverine win at heavyweight with a 4-0 decision against Virginia's Calvin Cardillo. Phillips, who was weighed in at 197 pounds, earned a first-period takedown and rode out the Cavalier wrestler in the second to claim his first varsity win. The Wolverines will continue early-season action next week at the 26th annual Cliff Keen Invitational Friday and Saturday (Nov. 30-Dec. 1) in Las Vegas, Nev. Competition is slated to begin with pigtail rounds on Friday at 9 a.m. PST in the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The 2007 Journeymen/Brute Northeast Collegiate Duals, which takes place in Troy, New York on Nov. 24, is without question the premier early-season collegiate wrestling event in the country. This year, the five-year-old event organized by Journeymen Wrestling founder and coach Frank Popolizio has expanded its field of teams from eight to 14. The expansion has forced the event to move from Guilderland High School to the McDonough Sports Complex, a state-of-the-art facility located on the campus of Hudson Valley Community College. The school is nestled in the heart of the Capital Region, where there is not a single collegiate wrestling program within a 65-mile radius. This year's field includes five programs that finished in the top 20 at the 2007 NCAA Championships in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Those programs are Oklahoma State (fifth), Michigan (sixth), Hofstra (seventh), Central Michigan (15th), and American (17th). The remaining programs that make up this year's field include American International, Appalachian State, Binghamton, Bloomsburg, Bucknell, Clarion, Lehigh, Maryland, and Virginia. RevWrestling.com has provided a wrestling fan's guide to this year's event by looking at 20 premier wrestlers, five impact freshmen, and five Journeymen Club wrestlers at this year's event. Collegiate Stars (20 Premier Wrestlers): 1. Josh Glenn (American, 197 Pounds, Senior) Glenn became American's first NCAA champion in any sport in 40 years and the wrestling program's first-ever NCAA champion. *Glenn could possibly miss the 2007 Journeymen/BRUTE Northeast Collegiate Duals since he is still recovering from the knee injury he suffered in the 2007 NCAA finals. 2. Josh Churella (Michigan, 149 Pounds, Senior) Churella was an NCAA runner-up and comes from outstanding wrestling family. His father, Mark, was a three-time NCAA champion and his brother, Ryan, was an NCAA runner-up. 3. Coleman Scott (Oklahoma State, 133 Pounds, Senior) Scott, an NCAA runner-up and three-time All-American, enters the season as the No. 1-ranked wrestler in the country at 133 pounds. 4. Eric Tannenbaum (Michigan, 165 Pounds, Senior) In addition to excelling on the mat (three-time All-American), Tannenbaum, a neuroscience major, also excels in the classroom. 5. Charles Griffin (Hofstra, 141 Pounds, Senior) Griffin was the No. 11 seed at the NCAA Championships, but registered wins over the No. 10, No. 6, and No. 3 seeds en route to a third-place NCAA finish. 6. Nathan Morgan (Oklahoma State, 141 Pounds, Senior) Morgan, a three-time Big 12 champion and a two-time All-American, is one of the most technically sound wrestlers in the entire country. 7. Tyrel Todd (Michigan, 184 Pounds, Junior) Todd is a returning All-American (fifth place) who notched a victory last spring at U.S. Nationals over NCAA champion Jake Herbert of Northwestern in freestyle. 8. Bubba Gritter (Central Michigan, 285 Pounds, Senior) Gritter became Central Michigan's second All-American heavyweight ever with a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. 9. Brandon Mason (Oklahoma State, 174 Pounds, Junior) Mason, a three-time Iowa state champion with a 195-2 record, reached the NCAA semifinals and earned All-American honors after entering the NCAA Championships unseeded. 10. Steve Luke (Michigan, 174 Pounds, Junior) Luke showed resilience at the NCAA Championships coming back from a first-round defeat (to Brandon Mason of Oklahoma State) to place sixth and earn All-American honors. 11. Lou Ruggirello (Hofstra, 133 Pounds, Sophomore) Ruggirello, who posted a 31-9 record and was CAA Rookie of the Year, pinned All-American Tyler McCormick of Missouri on Nov. 10. 12. Wynn Michalak (Central Michigan, 197 Pounds, Senior) Michalak is a two-time All-American and three-time MAC champion. He was recently named the recipient of the first Dick Enberg Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award. 13. Brandon Sinnott (Central Michigan, 174 Pounds, Senior) Sinnott, an All-American (seventh place) posted a 35-7 record, which tied for the 11th-most wins in a single season at Central Michigan. 14. Scott Ervin (Appalachian State, 149 Pounds, Senior) Ervin was a SoCon champion who posted a record of 27-5. He eliminated No. 2-seeded Matt Storniolo of Oklahoma at the NCAA Championships, but came one match shy of earning All-American honors. 15. Joe Rovelli (Hofstra, 197 Pounds, Senior) Rovelli, a three-time CAA champion at 184 pounds, moves up to 197 pounds for his senior campaign. He notched a win over the highly-regarded Max Askren of Missouri on Nov. 10. 16. Dave Tomasette (Hofstra, 125 Pounds, Senior) Tomasette is a three-time NCAA qualifier and two-time CAA champion. 17. Mike Letts (Maryland, 174 Pounds, Sophomore) Letts posted a 30-7 record and became the first true freshman at Maryland to qualify for the NCAA Championships since 1990. 18. Hudson Taylor (Maryland, 197 Pounds, Sophomore) Taylor, a former Blair Academy standout, finished his freshman season with a 29-9 record. 19. Christian Sinnott (Central Michigan, 184 Pounds, Senior) Sinnott, a MAC champion, lost in the NCAA quarterfinals to NCAA champion Jake Herbert of Northwestern. 20. Mike Spaid (Bloomsburg, 285 Pounds, Senior) Spaid earned All-American honors with an eighth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Super Frosh (Five Impact Freshmen): 1. Ryan Patrovich (Hofstra, 165 Pounds) Patrovich is a two-time New York state champion and the younger brother of former Hofstra two-time All-American Mike Patrovich. 2. Ben Ashmore (Oklahoma State, 125 Pounds) Ashmore, a four-time Texas state champion and four-time national prep champion, reached the finals of the Central Missouri Open on Nov. 11, where he lost 4-0 to All-American Tanner Gardner of Stanford. 3. Matt Guhn (Michigan, 285 Pounds) Expectations are high in Ann Arbor for Guhn, an Ohio state champion with a record of 175-15. 4. Michael Chaires (Virginia, 165 Pounds) Chaires started his collegiate career with three straight pins. 5. Erin Medina (Maryland, 149 Pounds) Medina, a former Blair Academy standout, was a three-time national prep champion and Cadet Nationals champion. Local Ties (Five Journeymen Wrestlers): * Journeymen founder and coach Frank Popolizio comments on his former wrestlers. 1. Dennis Bermudez (Bloomsburg, 157 Pounds, Sophomore) Bermudez finished sixth at the EWL Championships. He also scored a victory last season over Lock Haven's Seth Martin, which earned him both PSAC and EWL Wrestler of the Week honors. Popolizio on Bermudez: "Dennis used to drive over an hour and a half to our Journeymen practices. He's from Saugerties, New York, which isn't in Section 2 (Albany Area), so he was ultra-committed to reach excellence. He fell short of his high school goals, but found a good fit in Bloomsburg. They've been working hard with him and he's been working hard for them. He's doing very well. I think he's an All American in the making." 2. Michael Chaires (Virginia, 165 Pounds, Freshman) Chaires, who won two New York state titles and posted a record of 221-19, is a phenomenal athlete with an extremely bright future. Popolizio on Chaires: "Mike's potential is deep. He is a tremendous athlete. He is a two-time New York state champion. His athleticism is accentuated by his speed and slickness. I am excited to see him wrestle at home. I can't help but to believe he'll be a tremendous collegiate wrestler under Coach (Steve) Garland's tutelage." 3. Nate Graham (Bloomsburg, 174 Pounds, Freshman) Graham compiled a 148-30 record at Ravena High School and was a 2007 New York state champion in Division II at 171 pounds. Popolizio on Graham: "Last year at the New York State Championships, Nate realized exactly how good he was. He's always had solid work ethic, but when he found the next level of confidence, it catapulted him to the top. I'm sure that confidence will come through loud and clear in his freshman year. Graham can and will scrap with the best of them." 4. Neal Martin (Appalachian State, 174 Pounds, Senior) Martin, who hails from Cobleskill, New York, was an NCAA qualifier and compiled a 28-14 record. Popolizio on Martin: "Neal used to work with me back at TNT Wrestling Club. As I left to begin Journeymen Wrestling Club, Neal moved onto Appalachian State. He was a tenacious leg rider and top wrestler. He was one of the first guys to buy into our club idea or philosophy. It is only fitting he's being showcased in his hometown during his senior year." 5. Kareem Naguib (Binghamton, 141 Pounds, Redshirt) Naguib, who was a state runner-up for Shenendehowa High School, posted a record of 8-8 last season. He is redshirting this season. Popolizio on Naguib: "Kareem moved into New York State from Michigan in his senior year of high school. Although we inherited Kareem late in his high school career, I had the luxury of working with him on our high school team and at Journeymen Wrestling. He's another prime example of a kid that spontaneously came to life with confidence and believed he belonged at the upper level. He awoke at the New York State Championships and was an absolute dark horse. In the end, Kareem surprised a lot of people, earning a runner up-title. Now he's with my brother, Pat, at Binghamton and he's steadily growing and developing."

The 26th Annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center (Hall N-2) on November 30 & December 1, 2007 and Takedown Wrestling Radio will be there. Takedown Wrestling Radio and its crew head to Las Vegas for its 5th year of coverage of The Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. This monster event will be hosted by Scott Casber, Steve Foster, Guest hosts Randy Couture, Matt Lindland, Gray Maynard and many others. Join us November 30 & December 1, 2007 for complete coverage LIVE from the Las Vegas Convention Center (Hall N-2). A big thank you to the Churella Family for the hard work they put in to making this event possible for our wrestlers. They have truly earned the praise.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern's wrestling team has signed what is arguably its best class in school history. Coach Tim Cysewski and the Wildcats inked three incoming freshmen, including Jason Welch (Walnut Creek, Calif./Las Lomas), the number one prospect in the nation, Brian Roddy (Highland Heights, Ohio/St. Edward), the top-ranked prep wrestler nationally at 171 lbs. and Eric Galka (Hobart, Ind./Hobart), nationally the third-ranked wrestler at 130 lbs. "This recruiting class is a testament to our current team," assistant coach Drew Pariano said. "We obviously work very hard on the recruiting end but our recent success has a big role in this incoming class." Welch, the nation's top 160-lb. wrestler by W.I.N. Wrestling Magazine, Intermat Wrestling and Amateur Wrestling News, was named to the first-team of ASICS High School All-American Wrestling Team this season. He also voted honorable mention his sophomore year to the same team at 152 lbs. Following a junior campaign that netted a record of 50-0, Sports Focus honored him as being a top prep athlete of the Bay Area. "Jason Welch is not only a great wrestler, he is a leader and a true student-athlete," Pariano said. "His talents really showed when he competed at the senior level as a junior during the U.S. Open and made it through to the top 16 despite wrestling against older competition." In 2006, Welch earned a plethora of recognition as he finished first in the state at 160 lbs., first at the Ironman, first in Reno and was voted Most Outstanding Wrestler on five separate occasions. During his sophomore year, Welch compiled a record of 52-2 as he won the state title at 152 lbs., earned the top stop at the Junior Freestyle state tournament, first place at Junior FILA state titles, first in his high school section at NCS, third at the Ironman competition and first in Reno for the first of two-straight times. He was also name Most Outstanding Wrestler four times. "Welch is an outstanding wrestler and his accomplishments speak for themselves," head coach Tim Cysewski said. Roddy joins the team as the fifth member of the team recently recruited from St. Edward High School, and joins the corps as yet another highly-touted recruit as the top-ranked wrestler in the state of Ohio. As last year's 171-lb. state champion, Roddy accumulated a record of 38-1 along the way to earning Academic All-Ohio honors, a third-place finish at the Ironman, a Medina tournament championship and was a member of the Ohio Division I State Championship team and the 2007 High School National Championship team. During his freshman and sophomore campaigns, Roddy had a record of 58-16, while earning two Academic All-State selections, a sectional and district championship his junior year and a place among the Junior National Freestyle All-Americans and the Cadet Freestyle All-American teams. The third member of the 2007 recruiting class, Galka has already experienced two undefeated high school seasons with two state championships to his credit. As both a freshman and junior, Galka finished the season with perfect records of 47-0 and 48-0, respectively. Both seasons ended with state championships. "Eric Galka is a seasoned veteran at the age of 18," Pariano said. "He trained at the Overtime School of Wrestling during his prep career and that shows us that he is committed to our sport." His outstanding freshman season also earned him a junior freestyle state championship, Cadet Freestyle state championship and the Central Regional championship in freestyle. A year later, Galka was named Cadet National All-American at 130 lbs. and followed that up the next year with, a selection among the Junior National All-Americans at 130 and was ranked the No. 2 recruit in the state of Indiana by Intermat Wrestling. "This class has the makings to be one of the best classes in the country. The talent level of this recruiting class is through the roof," Cysewski said. Jason Welch High School: Through junior year has compiled a career record of 147-7... Ranked the No. 1 recruit in the nation... Voted all three years as one of the top five high school male athletes in the East Bay, finished second his junior year... Twice wrestled to a state title in 2006-07, second place in 2005... Ironman title, Reno title his junior year... Named Most Outstanding Wrestler in five different tournaments... First-team ASICS High School All American Wrestling Team in 2007, honorable mention in 2006... Sports Focus top prep athlete of the Bay Area in 2007... First place in state in junior freestyle... Four Most Outstanding Wrestler titles sophomore year, five in 2005...Captain of first-ever undefeated football team, all-league ... Voted Outstanding Defensive Lineman of the Year... All-league and NCS Champion in soccer. Personal: Son of Barb and John Welch... Chose Northwestern over University of Michigan, Iowa State, Minnesota, Oklahoma State, Stanford, Cal Poly and Arizona State. Brian Roddy, Jr. High School: 96-17 career high school record through junior season... Ranked No. 1 in the preseason at 171 lbs. going into 2007... 38-1 record as a junior... Won state title and Medina Tournament... Academic All-Ohio in 2005-06... Third place at the Ironman... Member of 2007 High School National Championship team... Second in state, Ironman as a sophomore at 171 lbs... Member of Ohio Division I Championships team from 2005-06... Junior National Freestyle All-American... Sixth in state as a freshman... National Honor Society member... Lettered twice in football. Personal: Born Brian Robert Roddy Jr. on 7/7/89. Son of Monica and Brian Roddy, Sr... Chose Northwestern over Ohio State, Michigan, Stanford, and Oklahoma State Eric Galka High School: Third-ranked wrestler in the country coming into senior year at 130 lbs... 116-5 career record through junior year... Two undefeated seasons... 48-0 as a junior, won state title... Junior National All-American... State qualifier as a sophomore... Cadet National All-American... Cadet and Junior Regional place winner... 47-0 as a freshman... Won state title at 103 lbs... Junior Freestyle, Cadet Freestyle state champion... Central Region Freestyle champion... National Honor Society member... Two-time National Youth Champion. Personal: Son of Maria and Mark Galka, Choose Northwestern over Cornell University, Indiana, Columbia, and Purdue.

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Mike Finn and Ryan Hockensmith. Finn is currently the editor of Wrestling Illustrated Newsmagazine, a position he has held for over four years. Considered one the nation's top wrestling journalists, Finn was named the National Wrestling Media Association's Print Journalist of the Year earlier this year. He also co-authored the book "Hawkeye Legends, Lists and Lore." Finn, who will appear on a bi-weekly basis throughout the college wrestling season, will discuss several of the tournaments and dual meets that have taken place thus far. Hockensmith is currently an associate editor at ESPN The Magazine. He writes regularly on wrestling, boxing, and mixed martial arts for ESPN.com and for ESPN The Magazine. His recent article in Real Fighter magazine examines how the mixed martial arts world is affecting amateur wrestling in the United States. The article features comments from Cael Sanderson, Troy Sunderland, Kevin Jackson, Rich Bender, and Randy Couture. It also discusses Johny Hendricks' decision enter MMA competitions instead of pursuing World and Olympic teams. "On the Mat" is a weekly wrestling radio program that airs every Wednesday night. This week's broadcast can be heard live from 6-7 p.m. Central Standard Time. The Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Waterloo, Iowa, hosts the show. "On the Mat" can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa on 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

Before 4,380 wrestling fans at the University of Oregon's MacArthur Court Monday night, Minnesota Golden Gopher All-Americans Jayson Ness, Mack Reiter, Dustin Schlatter and Roger Kish competed in the 42nd annual NWCA All-Star Classic, one of the nation's premier wrestling events. Despite a number of hard-fought matches, only Schlatter was able to emerge with a victory – his second straight All-Star Classic win came over NCAA runner-up Josh Churella of Michigan by a score of 3-2. After beating Oklahoma's Matt Storniolo in last year's event, Schlatter notched his third career victory over Churella Monday by scoring the only takedown of the match in the first period and holding on for the win. Schlatter now owns a 3-0 career record against Churella, with the other two victories coming last season. Schlatter also defeated Churella 3-2 for the 2007 Big Ten Championship. Currently ranked fourth in the nation at 125 pounds, Ness competed in his first All-Star event and took on returning NCAA champion Paul Donahoe of Nebraska. Despite defeating Donahue twice last season, the sophomore was done in by two third-period takedowns and lost a 5-2 decision. Reiter also entered the event ranked highly in his weight class (second at 133 pounds), but was toppled in a masterful performance by Lou Ruggirello of Hofstra. Ruggirello picked up a 6-0 victory over the two-time All-American in the first-ever match-up between the two wrestlers. Reiter was competing in his second All-Star Classic, earning his third invitation to the event (he did not participate last season due to injury). In an epic battle at 184 pounds, returning two-time All-American Kish was taken down by Iowa State's Josh Varner in a match between two familiar opponents. Varner scored a second period escape and rode out Kish in the third period for a riding time point. It was the only matchup of the night involving wrestlers from the first and second-ranked teams in the nation, and Varner and Kish are also currently the top two in the weight class. It was Varner's second straight victory over the Minnesota senior (including last year's NCAA Championships) after Kish had defeated Varner twice earlier last season. The two are scheduled to face off again Dec. 2 when the Gophers take on the Cyclones in their home opener at Williams Arena. A full broadcast of the All-Star Classic can be seen on CSTV Wednesday night, beginning at 7:30 p.m. The All-Star Classic was held in Oregon to support the University's soon-to-be-defunct wrestling program, which was cut this summer. Their early-season tournament slate now completed, Minnesota opens dual meet competition this Saturday, Nov. 24 in Rochester, Minn. at the first-ever Northern Quad invitational. Minnesota will square off with Northern Colorado, Northern Illinois and NDSU at the UCR Regional Sports Center. The Gophers will return home to square off with defending NCAA runner-up Iowa State on Dec. 2.

Omaha, NE -- When freshman DaVaughn Perkins came to NIACC, he was one of the nation's top recruits winning three Nebraska state titles and going undefeated in high school with an impressive 86-0 career record. Perkins accomplished all of that competing for Omaha North High School. The NIACC Trojans traveled to the Kaufman-Brand Open hosted by the University of Nebraska-Omaha and Perkins shined once again in front of his home crowd. Perkins won five straight matches to complete his day at home 5-0 and the Kaufman-Brand Open championship at 157 pounds. En route to the title, Perkins defeated several four year school opponents along the way. The first round Perkins beat Bo Petit of Hastings College (NAIA) 7-6. He followed that up with a couple of victories over NCAA Division I opponents in Nick Herboldt of South Dakota State University 10-8 and Joe Grygelko of the University of Minnesota 7-3. In the semi-finals, Perkins faced the tournament's number one seed in Iowa Central Community College's Carrington Banks. Perkins advanced to the finals with a 7-6 victory. In the finals, Perkins downed NCAA Division II Nebraska-Kearney's Ross Brunkhardt 3-2 in a tie-breaker to claim gold. Perkins is now 13-4 on the season heading into Thanksgiving break. Following Perkins, was another freshman Cody Hogan. Hogan also made the semi-finals, but eventually settled for a fifth place finish at 125 pounds. Hogan is now 8-4 on the season with two top five finishes out of two tournaments. The Trojans will be back in action on December 2nd at the UNI Open in Cedar Falls, IA.

Columbia, Mo. -- Nineteen Missouri wrestlers finished among the top six of their respective weight class, with six earning tournament titles at the eighth annual Missouri Open held in the Fieldhouse on the campus of the University of Missouri. Junior Raymond Jordan collected his third consecutive Missouri Open title at 184 pounds, while sophomore Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) defended his title for the second straight year at 197 pounds. Wrestling unattached, true feshman Patrick Wright (Grand Ledge, Mich.) wrestled his way to Missouri's only title in the Freshman/Sophomore Division, doing so in the 165 pound weight class. Junior 157 pounder Michael Chandler (High Ridge, Mo.) captured Missouri's first title of the day, finishing with a 4-0 record that included two wins by major decision. Chandler, now 5-0 on the season, is one of three Tigers on this years' squad to keep his perfect record in tact. Pinning eighth-ranked Roger Smith Bergsrud of Illinois in 46 seconds, 12th-ranked sophomore Nicholas Marable (Collierville, Tenn.) earned his first Missouri Open title at 165 pounds. Marable began his run through the championship bracket with a win by technical fall, 20-4, in 6:02 over Jon Forbes (McKendree) and went on to earn a 21-8 victory over Matt Bailes of Central Michigan. Marable is 6-0 on the season and owns a 32-8 career record. Jordan won four bouts in the all-day tournament, pinning two of his 184 pound opponents, the fastest clocked at 4:09 in his opening round match. Besting third-seeded Jesse Strawn of Old Dominion, 7-4, Jordan's Missouri Open title is the third of his career. Recording back-to-back falls in his first two matches of the morning, Askren went on to win the 197 pound weight class with a 4-2 decision over No. 1 seeded Eric Lapotsky (Oklahoma). Missouri totaled 16 wins by fall in the Open Division of the tournament. Ellis improved to 6-0 on the season, having won four of his six bouts by extra point victories. Ellis began his season with a fall and technical fall against his Rider and Hofstra opponents respectively, and opened today's tournament with a fall in 55 seconds over Indianapolis' Alex Williams. Following with a 16-4 win by major decision and 4-3 win by decision, Ellis held off second-seeded John Wise of Illinois, 6-5, to earn his first Missouri Open title. Wright, who wrestled at 165 pounds, opened the tournament with a bye and went on to finish 4-0 outscoring his opponents 18-6, and winning his first Freshman Sophomore Division title with a 3-1 sudden victory decision. The Tigers will have two weeks to prepare for the 26th annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 in Las Vegas, Nev. Missouri looks to defend its 2006 title, while Askren will make his second run at a title at 197 pounds.

PHILADELPHIA -- The 13th-ranked Chattanooga wrestling team earned five weight class titles Sunday and claimed the team championship at the Keystone Classic hosted by the University of Pennsylvania. Led by the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler, Seth Garvin, the Mocs wrestled to titles at 133 pounds, 141, 157, 174 and 197. Garvin recorded three major decisions in four matches, including a 13-3 victory over Rider's Rob Morrison in the 157-pound finals. UTC edged host team the University of Pennsylvania, 140.5 team points to 125.5. Southern Conference member Appalachian State finished third with 80.5 points. UTC's Steve Hromada pulled off perhaps the surprise of the tournament. Hromada entered the event as the seventh seed, rolled through his bracket, then defeated Penn's Rick Rappo in the finals, 7-5 in overtime. Cody Cleveland scored a 21-10 major over Arizona State's Chris Drouin in the 141 title match, Lloyd Rogers defeated Penn's Jeff Zannetti, 7-4 for the title at 174 and Matt Koz dispatched Arizona State's Jason Trulson, 3-2 to win the 197 weight class. Also helping the Mocs' team finish were third-place finishes from Javier Maldonado (125) and Matt Lettner (185), fourth-place finishes from Nick Davis (165) and Josh Edmondson (184) and a fifth-place finish by Joey Knox (149). The Mocs return to action this Saturday hosting Campbellsville, Cumberland College and Newberry at 1 p.m. at Maclellan Gym.

Eugene, Ore. -- Nebraska junior Paul Donahoe scored a takedown and near fall in the third period against No. 4 Jayson Ness of Minnesota to earn a 5-2 decision at the NWCA All-Star Classic in Eugene, Ore., on Monday. Donahoe, ranked first in the nation at 125 pounds, won the hard-fought battle after entering the third period down 1-0. Donahoe scored a takedown and a near fall in the final frame to earn the win. Donahoe claims the victory after losing twice to Ness last season. Ness beat Donahoe in an 11-5 decision at the Kaufman-Brand Open and was on the winning end of an 8-6 decision in the Huskers' dual with Minnesota on Feb. 11. "In the past when we have lost to Jayson Ness, we have beaten ourselves," Head Coach Mark Manning said. "By wrestling well in all three areas tonight, Paul showed how much he has improved in a year." The match was tied at zero after one period and Ness scored an escape in the second to take a 1-0 lead into the third. Donahoe earned an escape himself to tie the match at one midway through the third. The win moves Donahoe to 3-0 on the season, with two of his wins coming by pins in under two minutes. Donahoe now rejoins the Huskers in their preparations for the Las Vegas Invitational on Nov. 30 in Las Vegas.

EUGENE, Ore. -– Iowa State's All-American Jake Varner defeated Roger Kish of Minnesota 2-0 Monday night at the NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the U.S. Marine Corps in McArthur Court on the campus of the University of Oregon. The National Wrestling Coaches Association lists Varner as the top-ranked wrestler at 184 pounds, followed by Kish. After three minutes in the opening period the match remained scoreless. Kish began the second period from the down position, but was unable to get free from Varner as the Cyclone built up valuable riding time. Varner put a point on the board with an escape at the 1:44 mark in the third period. The riding time that Varner accumulated in the second period added another point and gave the sophomore a 2-0 victory. A native of Bakersfield, Calif., Varner became the 62nd ISU grappler to participate in the elite competition since its inauguration in 1967. This year marks the third consecutive year that Iowa State has sent a wrestler to the event. With Monday's win, Varner has evened his career slate at 2-2 against Kish. The two will again collide on the mat Dec. 2 in Minneapolis, Minn. when the No. 2 Cyclone wrestling team takes on defending NCAA team champion and top-ranked Minnesota.

EUGENE, Ore. -- Third-ranked junior All-American Mike Poeta earned a fall on Wisconsin's No. 2 All-American Craig Henning at the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic. It is Poeta's fifth career win over a higher-ranked opponent and improves his record to 4-0. "It's a terrific win for Mike," Illinois coach Mark Johnson said. "It's a big win against a top conference rival for him to start the season." With the bout scoreless and 1:15 remaining in the first period, Poeta got deep on a double, forcing Henning to scramble. Poeta then stacked up Henning and the Badger tried to tie up Poeta's head. But the Illini captain sat up, earning the fall in 2:22. Up Next: The Illini take a week off from competition for Thanksgiving before returning to action at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Nov. 30-Dec. 1.

ANNAPOLIS, MD -- The Bloomsburg University wrestling team took first place on Saturday at the Navy Classic in Annapolis, Maryland. The Huskies finished with 161.5 points, while the host, U.S. Naval Academy, was second with 140 points. Bucknell was third with 132. Bloomsburg took first in three weight classes at the event and also had three, second place finishes. In all, the Huskies had 10 wrestlers place in the event. Earning first place finishes were 125 pounder Mike Sees (Northumberland/Shikellamy); 149 pounder Dennnis Bermudez (Saugerties, NY/Saugerties) and 157-pounder Matt Moley (Phoenixville/Spring-Ford). Sees was dominant in winning his weight class picking up four of his five wins by technical fall. Bermudez also dominated his weight with two wins by fall and a major decision, while Moley had two pins and a technical fall on his way to the title. At 125 pounds, Ian Moser (Dover, DE/Cesar Rodney) finished third, while at 133 pounds Jason Guffey (Muncy/Warrior Run) was sixth. George Hickman (Castle Hayne, NC/Riverside) was second at 141 pounds as was Ricky Schmeylyun (New Oxford/Bermudian Springs) in the 165 pound weight class. At 184 pounds, Jesse Hasseman (Franklin, IN/Frankilin) was second as was P.J. DiStefano (Whitehall/Whitehall-Coplay) at 197 pounds. At heavyweight, Mike Spaid (Perkiomenville/Boyertown) was third. The Huskies wrestle at the Northeast Duals on Saturday in Albany, NY.

Senior Tanner Gardner (11-0) claimed his second consecutive 125-pound title, and five Cardinal wrestlers placed at the Fullerton Open at Titan Gym in Fullerton, Calif. today. Twelve Stanford wrestlers won matches, combining for 36 Cardinal wins. Gardner went a flawless 5-0 for the second straight week and earned his sixth pin of the season. The Berryton, Kans. native defeated Cal State Bakersfield's Brandon Zoetaway, 6-4, in the championship bout and remains undefeated at 11-0 on the year. Freshman Max Rosefigura (7-2) pinned his first two opponents and posted a 4-2 record on the day. The Anchorage, Alaska native placed for the first time of his collegiate career, taking fourth at 141 pounds. The Cardinal boasted two of the four placers at 157 pounds, as senior Josh Zupancic (10-1) and freshman Nick Amuchastegui (7-2) took second and fourth place, respectively. N0. 6 Zupancic won his first four matches, but was upset by Cal Poly's No. 17 Chase Pami, 5-2, in the championship bout. At the 2006 Fullerton Open, Zupancic defeated Pami to take home the title. Amuchastegui placed for the first time in his collegiate career, going 4-2 and winning three bouts in the consolation bracket to take fourth place. Senior heavyweight Phillip Doerner (11-4) posted a team-best six wins on the day, and took fourth place. After losing his second match, Doerner strung together five consecutive wins in the consolation bracket to earn fourth place. Redshirt freshman Justin Paulsen (11-4) also went 4-2 on the day, and reached the consolation semifinals at 133 pounds. Stanford will wrestle in its second dual of the season Wednesday night, taking on the San Francisco State Gators in San Francisco. .g {text-indent:3px;padding-right:3px;overflow:hidden;white-space:nowrap;letter-spacing:0;word-spacing:0;background-color:#FFFFFF; z-index:1;border-top:0px none;border-left:0px none;border-bottom:1px solid #CCC;border-right:1px solid #CCC;} .dn{display:none} .chip{background-image:url('http://www.google.com/images/spreadsheets/chip.gif'); background-repeat:no-repeat; background-position:top right;} .s1{background-color:#ff0000;font-family:Arial;font-size:80.0%;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;color:#ffff00;text-decoration:none;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:normal;overflow:hidden;text-indent:0px;padding-left:3px;border-right:1px solid #CCC;border-bottom:1px solid #CCC;} .s2{background-color:#800000;font-family:Arial;font-size:80.0%;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;color:#ffff00;text-decoration:none;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:normal;overflow:hidden;text-indent:0px;padding-left:3px;border-right:1px solid #CCC;border-bottom:1px solid #CCC;} .s0{background-color:#c0c0c0;font-family:Arial;font-size:80.0%;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:normal;overflow:hidden;text-indent:0px;padding-left:3px;border-right:1px solid #CCC;border-bottom:1px solid #CCC;} .s6{background-color:white;font-family:Arial;font-size:80.0%;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:normal;overflow:hidden;text-indent:0px;padding-left:3px;border-right:1px solid #CCC;border-bottom:1px solid #CCC;} .s5{background-color:white;font-family:Arial;font-size:80.0%;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:normal;overflow:hidden;text-indent:0px;padding-left:3px;border-right:1px solid #CCC;border-bottom:1px solid #CCC;} .s4{background-color:white;font-family:Arial;font-size:80.0%;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:normal;overflow:hidden;text-indent:0px;padding-left:3px;border-right:1px solid #CCC;border-bottom:1px solid #CCC;} .s3{background-color:#c0c0c0;font-family:Arial;font-size:80.0%;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;text-align:left;vertical-align:bottom;white-space:normal;overflow:hidden;text-indent:0px;padding-left:3px;border-right:1px solid #CCC;border-bottom:1px solid #CCC;} Weight ClassIowa StateMinnesotaPredictionOutcome125Ben HanischJayson NessNess, Major DecisionMinnesota + 4133Nick FanthorpeMack ReiterReiter, Decision Minnesota +3141Nick GallickManny RiveraGallick, Decision Iowa State +3149Mitch MuellerDustin SchlaterSchlatter, Decision Minnesota +3157Cyler SandersonCP SchlatterSchlatter, Decision Minnesota +3165Jon ReaderScott GlasserReader, Decision Iowa State +3174Scott ArtistGabe DretschDretsch, DecisionMinnesota +3184Jake VarnerRoger KishVarner, Decision Iowa State +3197David BertolinoYura MalamuraBertolino, Major DecisionIowa State +4HwtDavid ZabriskieJoe NordZabriskie, DecisionIowa State +3Final Score Prediction:Iowa State 16 Minnesota 16

NORFOLK, Va. -- Old Dominion University wrestling coach Steve Martin announced the signing of four recruits to national letters of intent today. Joe Budi (Kaukauna, Wisc.), Chase Ennis (Yorktown, Va.), Jared King (Chesapeake, Va.) and Craig Wilson (Farmington, Mo.) all signed NLI's to attend ODU in the fall. "This is probably the best class for the early signing period that we have produced," said ODU head coach Steve Martin. "The incoming recruiting class fills definite needs for us at the 149, 157, 184 & 197 weight classes. All four of these student-athletes are serious about winning national titles as well as succeeding in the classroom." Craig Wilson is a standout from Missouri, ranked second in the nation by Wrestling USA and third by W.I.N. Magazine. He is a two-time state champion, three-time placewinner in Missouri and has only lost three bouts in his career. He takes his career 151-3 record into his senior season looking for his third consecutive state title. Wilson also was the 2005 Cadet National Freestyle runner-up as well as a placewinner at the 2006 FILA Cadet National Freestyle Tournament and the 2007 Jr. Freestyle Nationals. Wilson was also being recruited by 2007 National Champion Minnesota, as well as national contenders Missouri, Nebraska and Northern Iowa. MARTIN ON WILSON: "We look to Craig Wilson to be the future prototype of our program. He has goals of being a multiple NCAA champion and he has the credentials and work ethic to back it up. This was a huge pickup for us and it shocked a lot of people. Wilson is very aggressive and wrestles the `Iowa' style of wrestling." Joe Budi finished his junior campaign ranked 7th nationally after a 50-0 campaign including 23 pins. He was the state champion a year ago, is a two-time placewinner at the Wisconsin state championship and is ranked 9th by W.I.N. Magazine heading into his senior year. Also a Brute/adidas National Folkstyle Champion and two-time USA National Folkstyle Champion, he chose ODU over three nationally ranked contenders in Minnesota, Nebraska and Penn. His 118-20 career record will provide depth at a projected weight of 184 or 197. MARTIN ON BUDI: "Joe Budi will be an impact wrestler for us right off the bat. He has a very aggressive style for an upper weight. He competes very hard which will allow for a smooth transition into the collegiate wrestling world. He too wrestles the `Iowa' style and has goals of becoming a national champion and All-American." Jared King wrestles at Virginia state powerhouse Great Bridge High School in Chesapeake, Virginia. King is ranked 10th by Wrestling USA as a two-time state runner-up at Virginia's AAA state tournament. He is a two-time district and two-time regional champion and will add depth to a projected weight of 149 or 157 in college. He chose to wrestle for ODU over in-state rival Virginia Tech. MARTIN ON KING: "Jared King has been around wrestling his whole life and has a natural feel for the sport. He has the ability to pin anyone at any time. We expect him to step in and contribute right away. Jared is a very scrappy wrestler that has a `go-get-him' style. When the whistle blows, he's going forward across the mat to try and pin his opponent." The fourth recruit is a local product from Grafton High school in Yorktown. Chase Ennis is a three-time Bay Rivers District Champion as well as a two-time regional champion. He was the state runner-up last season and heading into his senior season he has a career record of 133-20. A two-time placewinner at the Virginia AA tournament, he's also a two-time Virginia Freestyle State Champion. Ennis was also considering Princeton and UT Chattanooga. MARTIN ON ENNIS: "We consider Ennis the best big guy in the state of Virginia, as well as a diamond in the rough. He is a big, strong kid that has great athletic ability as well as being a very hard worker. We expect Ennis to make an impact in our program." The four grapplers will continue to add depth to Martin's program, which has improved dramatically each year. This season, the Monarchs are receiving the most votes of those outside the Top 25 in the Intermat national rankings.