InterMat Staff

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The start time for Oklahoma State's wrestling dual against Northern Colorado on Friday, Dec. 5 has been moved from 7 p.m. to 6 p.m., it was announced today. The move is made to help wrestling fans avoid some of the congestion anticipated around the OSU Athletics Center with the Class 6A High School Football Championship game being played in Boone Pickens Stadium at 7 p.m.

University of Oklahoma head wrestling coach Jack Spates will be the featured guest on Wrestling 411 Radio on Tuesday, December 2. Augsburg College's KAUG radio serves as the online host of Wrestling 411 Radio. The hour-long show can be heard live this Tuesday from 7 – 8 p.m. Central Standard Time by visiting www.wrestling411.tv. Archives of each broadcast, along with a video from each show, will be available on the website as well. Spates is in his 16th season as the head wrestling coach at the University of Oklahoma. He has led the Sooners to Big Twelve titles (1999 and 2006) and six top four finishes at the NCAA tournament. Spates was also named National Coach of the Year in 2006. This season, the Sooners are 3-0 in dual meets and will face in-state rival Oklahoma State in Norman on December 7. Wrestling 411 Radio can be heard live Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7 – 8 p.m. CST by visiting www.wrestling411.tv.

By just about any yardstick, Kellen Russell had an impressive first year wrestling for the University of Michigan during the 2007-2008 season. Among his accomplishments: Recorded the best start for a Wolverine true freshman in the long history of the program, with 18 consecutive wins. Compiled a 14-5 record among ranked competition. Defeated eventual NCAA champ J. Jaggers of Ohio State in the finals at the Cliff Keen Invitational. Won the 141-pound title at the 2008 Big Ten conference championships … and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Kellen Russell was named the 2008 Big Ten Freshman of the Year (Photo/University of Michigan Sports Information)Sophomore year can be challenging for any college wrestler, even one as accomplished as Russell, who right now is ranked fifth at 141 pounds in RevWrestling.com's rankings. After getting an overtime victory over Lehigh's Seth Ciasulli in his first match of the 2008-2009 season on November 21, the next day Russell was pinned by Rick Rappo of the University of Pennsylvania. Russell had been leading throughout the match until the fall towards the end of the second period. Both Kellen Russell and his head coach at Michigan, Joe McFarland, recognize the challenge of that second season when you're no longer the new guy with all the surprises. "Last year was a great year for me," according to Russell in an interview before the eastern road trip. "I started strong. I was able to catch some guys off-guard. But I have to change my style, work on being more aggressive." "Some guys get stagnant, do the same old things," says coach McFarland. "(Kellen's) working on things, constantly improving, wanting to develop further as a wrestler." Driven to succeed from the start Continuous improvement may be part of Kellen Russell's wrestling DNA, as it was a factor even early in his mat career. "I started wrestling when I was five or six years old," says the product of High Bridge, New Jersey. "Dad was a high school coach when I was little." "After fifth grade, I decided to leave the school program and wrestled exclusively in a club," Russell continues. "It was an opportunity to work on technique, and have more varied opponents, which also helped me improve my wrestling." When asked how he came to wrestle at the Blair Academy -- the top-ranked prep wrestling program in the nation -- Kellen replies, "Coach (Jeff) Buxton's son started coming to my wrestling club … I started working out (at Blair) before high school." "I thought it was a good choice academically and athletically." Before coming to Michigan, Kellen Russell was a standout at Blair Academy (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)"It was kinda rough the first couple months. There's so much talent in the wrestling room, you're bound to get beat up. But, as you get older and prove yourself, you get more respect." While at Blair, Kellen Russell compiled an impressive 147-7 record. Among his achievements in prep school: Three-time National Prep champion in 2004, 2006 and 2007 … two-time Walsh Ironman finalist, winning the championship in 2006 … and three-time finalist at Beast of the East, claiming the title in 2005. In addition, he won the 130-pound crown at the 2007 Senior Nationals, the Junior National title at 130 in 2006, and the Cadet National championship at 125 in 2005. To top it all off, Kellen Russell was named Northeastern Region recipient of the 2007 Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award. This honor acknowledges more than on-the-mat prowess; it also signifies outstanding achievement in the classroom, as well as character, citizenship, and community service. Ask Russell to pick a favorite moment of his time at Blair Academy, and he responds, "The cap of my high school career was winning the nationals (2007 NHSCA Senior Nationals). I wrestled and beat (Tyler) Nauman who I had lost to earlier. It proved that I was the top 130-pounder in the country." From Blair to Michigan So, how did a guy from New Jersey end up wrestling at the University of Michigan? Joe McFarland"I looked at a number of schools my junior year, including Oklahoma State and Lehigh," says Kellen Russell. "I was contacted by Michigan. Coaches (Joe) McFarland and (Mike) Kulczycki came to Blair." Michigan head coach Joe McFarland picks up the story: "Coach Buxton told me we need to get some Blair kids, especially Kellen Russell. So we watched him at Blair. We liked what we saw, and invited him to see us." "When I came here, I was impressed right away," says the Wolverine sophomore. "The campus is beautiful, I like the town." "Another reason I chose Michigan: I could wrestle off at 141. I didn't want to redshirt." A fantastic freshman year Kellen Russell sums up the move from small prep school to super-sized Big Ten campus this way: "To go from 450 students at Blair to 40,000 here at Michigan, well, that was a jump. But after a couple months, I felt right at home. It was easy to find my way around." "I got along with the kids on the team right from the start," Russell continues. "To have guys like Josh Churella and Mike Kulczycki as workout partners, you can't beat that. It's a great environment." As a true freshman, Russell found his place as the 141-pound starter, and made immediate contributions to the Wolverine wrestling program. During the 2007-2008 season, Russell built a 32-7 overall record, 19-5 in dual-meet competition … rolling up 18 straight wins. Those statistics earned him a place in the history books as having the best start as a true freshman in the nearly ninety years of wrestling at the University of Michigan. "It was a great year for me," says Russell. "I started strong." His strong start was demonstrated in his very first college bout, a 16-1 victory over Dave Harris of College of Mount St. Joseph (Cincinnati). Another early highlight: winning the 141-pound title at the Cliff Keen Invitational December 1, 2007. In March 2008, Russell defeated Minnesota's Manny Rivera in the 141-pound finals of the Big Ten championships to win the conference crown. He also earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. "It was a good experience. I wrestled my matches my way." "I had been ill part of the dual-meet season, when we were competing against Big Ten schools. I wrestled through it, but wasn't at my best. So it was good to prove myself against Big Ten competition." Kellen Russell beat J Jaggers to win the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in December, but lost to the Buckeye when it mattered most … at the NCAA Championships in March (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)A couple weeks after winning the Big Ten title, it was off to St. Louis for the 2008 NCAAs, which Russell describes as "a disappointment." "On the second day, I let my nerves take over. I let my loss to J. Jaggers affect me." After losing to the Ohio State Buckeye -- and eventual 141 national champ -- in the quarterfinals, the third-seeded Russell found himself in the consolation bracket … where, in his first match in the conseys, lost to tenth-seeded Cody Cleveland of University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, and did not place. "It was a good learning lesson." A style evolution Ask Kellen Russell to describe his wrestling style, and here's his response: "I'm similar to most Big Ten guys. Handfight real hard … Good scrambling ability. I don't mind rolling around, using my hips when on the mat in a scramble." In his assessment of his 141-pound sophomore, Michigan coach Joe McFarland concurs: "Very athletic. Great hips. Comes out on top from scramble position well. Good in all positions. Especially good on top, neutralizing the other guy." Russell is never satisfied. "I plan to focus on being more aggressive, more offense-oriented. I hope to dominate opponents, score extra team points." "The more action he can create, the more he can achieve," says McFarland. "He continues to develop." What's next? What's life beyond the mat hold for Kellen Russell? Last season, Kellen Russell built a 32-7 record … rolling up 18 straight wins (Photo/University of Michigan Sports Information)"I like to go fishing. I just started fly fishing, which I really enjoy. Been out to Montana. Around here, I stick with traditional spinners and lures." Right now, Russell is working towards a major in physical education. "Dad was a gym teacher. I could see myself as a high school or college coach." After graduation -- and before possibly stepping into a coaching role -- Kellen Russell isn't ready to step off the wrestling mat just yet. "I'd like to keep competing freestyle. I enjoy freestyle. I'd like to travel around the world, try out for the U.S. Olympic and World Teams." For a wrestler like Kellen Russell who's constantly seeking to improve himself, those goals may be well within reach.

"In the vast frozen expanse of America's heartland burns the heart of a champion." That's the first sentence of text on the back cover of To Be The Best, the new novel from H.L. Hertel that tells the story of Ron and Nick Castle, Midwestern brothers who dream of being high school state wrestling champs. This 191-page book, geared for readers of all ages including junior and senior high students, is now available from H.H. Castle-Mac Publishing. Meet the author H.L. Hertel has written for the business world -- annual reports, business cases, and other internal corporate communications. To Be The Best is his first work of fiction. But, as the Twin Cities-based writer puts it, "It's a story that has been in my mind for years. Every chance I'd get, I'd write a piece of it down. The story grew and grew. The first half of my story became To Be The Best." H.L. Hertel"It originally started as a screenplay. Over the last five years, I turned it into a novel." When asked what fueled the book, Hertel responds, "It reflects how passionate I was about wrestling in high school -- the thousands, tens of thousands of hours I devoted to it." Yes, H.L. Hertel was a wrestler. He took up the sport in junior high school, and earned a spot on the varsity team at his high school in North Dakota. Interestingly, in high school, Hertel was also on the tennis team his sophomore year, but describes wrestling as "my main sport in high school." After high school, Hertel competed in intramural competition in college, winning an intramural title. Wrestling remains in Hertel's blood. "I have two nephews in the sport. I still go to a few duals and tournaments each year." Why a wrestling novel? "There's a natural drama to wrestling," says Hertel. "Weight cutting, the head-to-head competition, the dramatic end-of-match scoring, the work ethic and dedication to prosper in the sport." "You have to work hard to prosper, but you also have to have confidence and focus." "I think about one match in particular in my own experience, how I had failed to match up with a specific opponent in the past. For some reason, when I stepped on the mat against him for this particular match, there was no doubt in my mind that I was going to win. That's part of the drama of the sport, that it goes beyond physical ability. The mental aspects are critical to success." "The audience that enjoys the book is beyond what I expected," the author continues. "I thought the core group of readers would be junior and high school wrestlers, but it is also resonating with and reaching adults who don't have a connection to wrestling." "It may be like the folks who went to the movie Miracle (about the U.S. Olympic hockey team who won the gold medal at the 1980 Olympics)," says Hertel. "Probably a small percentage of them were hockey fans." "I've had people tell me they've read the novel in two nights … People seem to be connecting with the characters." Brothers of the mat To Be The Best opens with a prologue, featuring the two Castle brothers, Ron and Nick, as young boys, sitting in the stands of a high school wrestling event with their dad William, once a wrestler himself. Both are caught up in the action -- both vowing to someday "be the best" and take their place on top of the victory stand like the champions they've just seen in the gym. Here's how author H.L. Hertel describes his two main protagonists: "Ron, the older brother, is a natural wrestling superstar. Nick is a shy kid. He doesn't have the natural ability of his brother." "Ron suffers an injury. Nick now has more pressure to be infallible like his brother." Keeping it real for fans and non-fans alike A number of novels have incorporated high school wrestling into their plotlines, including well-read titles such as Wrestling Sturbridge and VisionQuest. "It never crossed my mind to compare my book to anyone else's," says the author of To Be The Best. "I've had this story in mind for quite a while." "Many matches in the book are based on actual matches, ones I experienced on the mat or from sitting in the stands." "I try to make things as real as possible, but not laden with wrestling terminology," according to Hertel. "Even people who don't know the sport will be able to read about a 'standing switch' and they'll understand what's happening." Here's an example of the author's ability to deftly describe a high school match in terms anyone -- including a non-fan -- can understand: Aggression was paying off for the wrestler in green. He managed to turn his opponent to his back and was holding him as the referee watched closely. At this point, all it would take was for red's shoulder blades to touch the mat for an instant. That would be a pin and the match would be over. After eight seconds on his back, the red wrestler was able to return to his stomach and temporary safety. "Near fall, three points green," bellowed the ref. William felt the familiar tug on his left hand. He glanced down at Nick, whose curiosity allowed him to briefly break his stare and whisper, "Daddy, what was that?" Squeezing the boy's hand, William explained, loud enough for Ron to hear as well, that a 'near fall' was also known as 'back points'. It was a reward, in the form of two or three points, which was given to a wrestler who holds his opponent's back to the mat but does not succeed in pinning him. Hertel describes how that explanatory style was put to the test: "I had test readers -- wrestlers and former wrestlers. I asked them to pick it apart." Matters of time and place With that level of attention to detail in describing wrestling action and other elements of the sport, To Be The Best takes on a level of realism that might have some readers wondering, "Is it fiction, or is it someone's real-life story?" "At first I wanted to set (the story) in my hometown in North Dakota," according to Hertel. "But I purposefully left it vague for readers who want to picture it in their own minds, based on what they know." "I tried to leave the location vague. Somewhere in the Midwest. I used generic, anywhere school names." Hertel had similar thoughts about when the novel is set in time: "I tried to be vague about time -- sometime from the late 1980s to present-day. There are things like the rules and weight classes that put it in that time frame. I was seeking something timeless, of just about any time or place." All those elements make the novel To Be The Best a worthy of consideration for wrestlers, their friends and families, as well as individuals who may not know the difference between a takedown and a touchdown, but have felt the competitive fire burn within their hearts. To learn more about To Be The Best, visit the official Web site www.hhcastle-mac.com which includes a segment of the book to read online. The book may be purchased at that website, or from www.amazon.com. It is also available for sale at wrestling events, where it can be used as a fundraiser for local wrestling programs. For details, visit the official Web site.

Takedownradio.com will broadcast the historic first ever home dual for the new Grand View University Viking wrestling program. December 3 will be a historic day for Grand View, its team and for wrestling. Tune in at 7 PM CST for a taste of what the future holds. Wrestling Program to Host First-Ever Home Dual; Dan Gable Guest of Honor The Grand View University wrestling program will host its first-ever home dual meet on December 3 against No. 13 Northwestern College. The match begins at 7 p.m. at the Sisam Arena on the Grand View campus. Legendary wrestling coach Dan Gable will be the guest of honor at the meet. Gable will address the crowd prior to the match. The evening will kick-off with an indoor tailgate where a chili dinner will be provided for Grand View faculty, staff, and students. The chili dinner is available to the public with a donation to the Grand View athletic department.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- On Thursday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m., the curtains come up on Northwestern's home wrestling schedule at Welsh-Ryan Arena, revealing a tantalizing match-up between the No. 10 Wildcats and instate rival Northern Illinois. Northwestern is seeking revenge for a 22-19 dual match loss suffered last year at the hands of the Huskies in DeKalb. Northwestern encourages all fans to come out to support the 'Cats in their attempt to break the school's single-match attendance record on High School Night at Welsh-Ryan Arena. All high school and junior high students with valid school ID will be admitted to the match for the discounted price of $2. High school and youth wrestling coaches who accompany their teams will also be admitted for $2. All high school teams in attendance will be recognized during the match's 10-minute intermission. Fans will also be treated to T-shirt tosses and other giveaways and entertainment throughout the evening. ON THE WEB Fans who can't make it out to Welsh-Ryan Arena can watch live streaming video of the dual match against Northern Illinois on NUsports.com. HONORING A CHAMPION Before the start of the match against Northern Illinois, Northwestern will honor 2008 heavyweight national champion Dustin Fox, as NU director of athletics Dr. Jim Phillips will be on hand to present Fox his Big Ten and NCAA champion rings. Fox is a native of Galion, Ohio and wrestled for Galion High School, where he was a two-time state champion and a Junior National Freestyle and Greco Roman Champion. He finished his high school career with 132 wins, which remains the school record at Galion High School. At Northwestern, Fox twice earned All-American honors and was a four-time NCAA qualifier. He also won the Midlands Championship, completing the triple crown of college wrestling his senior season. Fox wrapped up his college career with an amazing 109 victories at the heavyweight division, landing him eighth all-time in program history. SCOUTING THE HUSKIES Northern Illinois and Northwestern both competed at the Purdue Duals on Nov. 15, where NU posted a 3-0 mark. The Huskies posted a 35-4 win against Campbellsville but dropped its next two decisions to Tennessee-Chattanooga and Purdue. NIU is led by a host of young wrestlers, including redshirt sophomore Vince Castillo at 141 lbs., who is 6-1 on the year, as well as classmate Bryan Deutsch at 157 lbs., who placed fourth in the elite division of the recent Kaufman/Brand Open. At 197, NIU will likely throw redshirt freshman Scott Penny, a native of Granite City, Ill., who wrestled against Northwestern's John Schoen (Homer Glen, Ill./Marist) in their high school days and now will square off with him in Welsh-Ryan Arena. Huskies head coach Dave Grant is now in his 11th season at the helm for NIU and continually has his squad in the hunt for the Mid-American Conference title. BACK AT HOME Thursday marks a return to competition in Welsh-Ryan Arena for Northwestern's 2007 national champion and second-ranked Jake Herbert (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny). Herbert did not wrestle for the 'Cats last season while taking an Olympic redshirt year, competing in Evanston only for the Midlands Championships, where he earned a second-place finish. Herbert is on a tear thus far in 2008, compiling a 9-0 record on the strength of five falls and two major decisions. GOOD AS GOULD Senior Marty Gould (Lincolnwood, Ill./Niles West) is off to a solid start for Northwestern at 149 lbs. After posting just a 1-1 record in dual matches a year ago, Gould has won three of his four dual match starts to begin the 2008 campaign. Against Stanford, Gould posted an important 6-4 overtime victory against Max Rosefigura to help lift NU to a 25-15 team victory.

TakedownRadio.com will once again Head to Las Vegas, Nevada to broadcast the 27th edition of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas invitational. This is a FREE broadcast courtesy of our sponsors and the Churella Family.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Now in its 46th year, the Midlands Championships at Northwestern University has long been an event at which wrestling fans could see the nation's best wrestlers battle it out. But this year's edition of the Midlands, scheduled for Dec. 29-30 at NU's Welsh-Ryan Arena, features the most talented lineup of teams in tournament history, boasting a long list of elite programs from both coasts as well as America's heartland. "As usual, this year's Midlands Tournament is going to be very strong. It could go down as a historic event in the sense that so many recent NCAA Champions will be competing right here in Evanston," said Northwestern head coach and five-time Midlands champion Tim Cysewski. "This year is a little different because Midlands will be more important than ever in terms of qualifying for nationals, so it will be interesting to see who steps up and makes a name for themselves come late December." Northwestern wrestlers figure to compete for Midlands titles at a number of weight classes, including 184 where returning national champion Jake Herbert looks to become NU's first three-time champ at the prestigious event. Junior All-American Brandon Precin aims to improve on his second-place performance last season in the 125-pound class, which is again headlined by Indiana's Angel Escobedo. In addition, true freshman Jason Welch, who placed sixth at 157 lbs. in 2007 as a high school senior, will hit the mats with his sights set on the first Midlands title of his young career. Six other Big Ten Conference members—Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State and Purdue—are set to join the Wildcats at Midlands. Iowa has maintained its place atop the USA Today/Intermat/NWCA team rankings, led by defending national champion and top-ranked Brent Metcalf, while Illinois checks in at No. 8. No. 12 Wisconsin is slated to rejoin the Midlands lineup, bolstered by No. 5 Dallas Herbst (197 lbs.) and third-ranked Kyle Massey (hwt.). Iowa State, which has been holding down the nation's No. 2 ranking behind Iowa, returns to Midlands after placing second as a team last season. Junior Jake Varner of the Cyclones won Midlands last season at 184 but this year is testing his talents at 197. ISU also had one runner-up and two third-place finishers at the 2007 Midlands. Another program returning to Midlands competition after an extended absence is Maryland under the direction of new head coach Kerry McCoy, formerly the head coach at Stanford. A year ago, the Terps posted a 5-0 record in the ACC to win the conference. The Terps are bolstered by No. 2 Hudson Taylor, who figures to be a primary challenger to Varner at 197 pounds. Arizona State head coach Thom Ortiz, now in his eighth season at the helm, will also be bringing his Sun Devils to the Midlands Championships for the first time in years. Joining Arizona State from the Pac-10 will be Oregon State, coached by former Iowa head man Jim Zalesky. No. 19 Old Dominion, which has finished second in the CAA conference tournament three years running, is also slated to join the competition at Midlands. ODU features redshirt sophomore All-American at 125 Jason Nicholson, who met Northwestern's Precin in the seventh-place match at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis last March. Other ranked teams in this year's field include No. 5 Missouri, No. 17 Central Michigan and No. 21 Pennsylvania. Former top Northwestern assistant Rob Eiter is in his first year in charge of the Quaker program after former Zeke Jones' departure to assume his duties with USA Wrestling. Tickets to Midlands can be purchased by calling 847-491-CATS.

LINCOLN -- Nebraska's Jordan Burroughs has been named the Big 12 Wrestler of the Month, the conference office announced Monday. The honor is the first of Burroughs' career. Burroughs, a junior from Sicklerville, N.J., is one of seven Huskers undefeated on the season after he claimed two dual wins and an open tournament championship. An All-American last year at 149 pounds, Burroughs has moved to 157 pounds with relative ease this season. He opened with a 17-7 major decision over No. 19 Joey Knox in NU's dual win over Chattanooga on Nov. 20, and followed with an impressive performance at the Kaufman-Brand Open on Nov. 22. Burroughs went 4-0 on the day and knocked off former NCAA champion and sixth-ranked Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota 6-4 in the finals to take the title. Burroughs, previously 0-3 in his career against Schlatter, was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament. Burroughs most recently earned an 18-7 major decision versus Oregon State's Jon Brascetta in NU's 34-8 dual win over the Beavers on Nov. 29. Burroughs stands at 6-0 on the season, including 2-0 in duals, with three major decisions and one pin. He has racked up 15 takedowns in his two dual appearances. The Huskers continue their season at the Las Vegas Invitational this weekend. Wrestling at the two-day tournament begins at 11 a.m. in the Las Vegas Convention Center on Friday and Saturday.

DOVER -- Delaware State won six of 10 weight classes, including the last two contests, to earn a 20-16 victory over Franklin & Marshall in college wrestling in Memorial Hall this afternoon. The Hornets improved to 2-1 in duals meets this season, their most wins since the 2004-05 campaign. Delaware State trailed 16-13 before Shawn Nowrey won by major decision over Franklin & Marshall's Colin Ely (17-6) in the 197-pound match to give the Hornets a 17-16 lead. DSU's Jamar Beckett sealed the win with a 10-5 victory over Daniel Canfield in the 285-pound contest. Franklin & Marshall won the 125 and 133-pound matches to open up a 7-0 lead. Delaware State won the next four contests to pull ahead 13-7. Mike Moore recorded the first of the four consecutive wins with a 11-5 victory in the 141-pound match. DSU's Matt Cathell improved to 9-0 on the season with a 9-6 win at 149. Brandon Gardner posted the Hornets' third straight win with an 11-3 major decision at 157, while Kyle Robinson ended the run with a 7-6 win at 165.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana wrestling team went 5-0 at the Hoosier Duals on Saturday. The team was led by freshman Matt Ortega, sophomores Eric Cameron and Paul Young, juniors Angel Escobedo and Nick Walpole, and senior Andrae Hernandez, who all went undefeated on the day. The Hoosiers won at least ten of 12 matches in all five duals, defeating Ohio 38-3, South Dakota State 46-3, Rutgers 29-9, Liberty 29-3 and the University of the Cumberlands 36-6. Hernandez recorded three major decisions and a pin on his way to a 5-0 day. Walpole defeated 16th-ranked Tim Harner of Liberty by a 6-4 tally for one of his four wins. In IU's last dual of the day, the team got two pins and three technical falls against Cumberlands with Young and Coughlin each recording 17-0 victories. Escobedo recorded a pin and a technical fall to open his 4-0 day, and Ortega had two pins and a major decision en route to his 5-0 tally. The Hoosiers return to action on Dec. 5 when they head to the Las Vegas Open. For complete coverage of IU wrestling, stay tuned to www. IUHoosiers.com.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The University of Oklahoma wrestling squad dominated its annual Oklahoma Open Saturday, claiming eight individual championships at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman. The No. 19 Sooners (3-0 in duals) won eight straight championship finals beginning at 141 pounds, with five of those bouts matching teammates. Redshirt sophomore Zack Bailey, ranked 12th nationally, went 4-0 on the day at 141 pounds to claim first, defeating teammate Seth Vernon by a 7-3 decision in the finals. Kyle Terry, ranked No. 15, also was perfect on the day and defeated Sooner Will Rowe, 7-3, at 149 pounds. Terry was voted most valuable wrestler in the college division. Chad Terry and Ryan Smith also went 4-0 on the day at 157 and 165 pounds, respectively. Terry upset teammate and No. 14th-ranked Shane Vernon in the finals, winning 5-3, and Smith won a 3-2 decision over Alex Meade of Oklahoma State. The OU titles continued to roll at 174 pounds, with Jeff James posting an 11-7 victory over Kyle Barnett of Stanford. The redshirt sophomore has climbed to No. 9 in the nation, the best of his career. OU's Pat Flynn then defeated teammate Josh Hinton, 6-3, at 184 pounds, followed by a win by Eric Lapotsky over Jake Johnson of Stanford. The No. 8th-ranked junior recorded three falls in four total bouts on his way to the 197-pound title. Sooner Joe Bach ended the evening by defeating teammate Nathan Fernandez by a 3-2 decision at heavyweight. Ben Ashmore of Arizona State won the 125-pound title and Jordan Oliver of Oklahoma State claimed the 133-pound championship. Also placing for Oklahoma was J.R. Roman at 125 pounds, claiming third. Oklahoma will return to dual action next Sunday, Dec. 7, against the Cowboys of Oklahoma State at 2 p.m., at the Howard McCasland Field House in Norman.

The No. 11 University of Minnesota wrestling team opened its dual meet season with a three-meet sweep over Portland State (54-0), Northern Colorado (42-4) and North Dakota State (36-6) at the Northern Quad on Saturday at the UCR Regional Sports Center in Rochester, Minn. Jayson Ness led the Minnesota effort with pins in each of his three matches at 133 pounds. Ness stuck Portland State's Thomas Cotterll in 2:13, Northern Colorado's Zach Maes in 2:33 and North Dakota State's Tyler Steinwand in 4:22. Ness, ranked first nationally at 133 pounds, owns a perfect 9-0 record this year with eight pins. The two-time All-American matched a school record last year when he recorded 20 pins on his way to a 39-2 record and an appearance in the national title match as a 125-pounder. Five other Gophers recorded perfect 3-0 records at the Northern Quad, including #18 Zach Sanders (125 pounds), #15 Tyler Safratowich (157 pounds), Scott Glasser (165 pounds), Kaleb Young (174 pounds) and Chris McPhail (197 pounds). Gophers' 141-pounder Mike Thorn, the reigning Big Ten Wrestler of the Week, also went unbeaten on Saturday. Thorn pinned PSU's Camrun Arkills in his first match of the afternoon and recorded a 9-3 decision victory over NDSU's Gabe Mooney in the Gophers' final dual of the day. With his two victories Saturday, Thorn ran his record to 11-0 this season. David Zilverburg also competed for the Gophers Saturday at 141 pounds. The Wayzata, MInn. recorded a pin over Northern Colorado's Lance Gallegos in 2:39, helping the Gophers to a 42-4 dual meet victory over the Bears. The Gophers were also a perfect 3-0 at the heavyweight class on Saturday, garnering a pair of wins from Hayward, Minn. native and 18th-ranked Ben Berhow. Berhow decisioned Portland State's Levi Copper 17-9 in the Gophers' opening match and pinned Northern Colorado's Justin Tuell in 6:54 to polish off a 42-4 Minnesota victory in the second dual of the afternoon. Sophomore Joe Nord pinned NDSU's Tyler Hemmesch in 2:51 to polish a 36-6 Minnesota victory in the final dual of the day. Redshirt freshmen Sonny Yohn (184 pounds) and Brian Peterson (149 pounds) also recorded wins in their only matches of the day. Yohn stuck Portland State's Brady Garner in just 29 seconds, while Peterson pinned the Vikings' Henry Kofa in 4:39 as the Gophers cruised to a 54-4 win in the opening dual of the day. The Gophers return to action next weekend. Minnesota will participate in the Las Vegas Invitational next Friday and Saturday in an individual tournament format.

Troy, N.Y. – Ranked as high as fifth in the nation, the Missouri wrestling team finished its four-dual run through the Northeast Duals with a spotless 4-0 record that included wins over No. 20 Old Dominion (29-9), Maryland (28-6), Harvard (38-7) and Brown (41-3). The Tigers improved to 7-0 on the season marking only the second time in five years that Missouri started out with seven consecutive wins. "I was happy with our performance today," Missouri Head Coach Brian Smith said. "We had a lot of guys step up and wrestle well. Marcus Hoehn is really doing a great job in our lineup. He had a big win in our first dual against Old Dominion and finished the day with four wins. The team is really starting to make improvements." Following its 29-9 victory over Old Dominion, in which two wrestlers, Hoehn and 133 pounder Todd Schavrien (Poway, Calif.) recorded upset victories, the Tigers went on to top Maryland, 28-6. Down 6-0 entering the 141 pound match, Hoehn came through with a 6-5 decision setting the Tigers on an eight match win streak that gave Missouri its second win of the afternoon. Hoehn held off 10th-ranked Ryan Williams of Old Dominion in his first match of the day and then knocked off No. 15 Alex Krom of Maryland. Missouri junior All-American Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) also managed an upset, besting second-ranked Hudson Taylor of Maryland, 9-4. Askren, who ranks as high as fifth in the nation, finished the day with a 4-0 record, one of nine Missouri wrestlers to manage a perfect performance at the Northeast Duals. The Tiger's third dual came against Harvard. Improving to 3-0 all-time against the Crimson, Missouri won five bonus point victories, with two wins coming by forfeit. Among Missouri's victories was redshirt freshman Patrick Wright's (Grand Ledge, Mich,) fall in 6:28 over Michael Sadler at 165 pounds. Wright wrestled in both the 157 and 165 pound weight classes Saturday afternoon, winning both of his matches by fall. "We had a lot of young wrestlers display their talent today," Smith said. "Patrick did a great job at 157 and 165 pounds. He's going to do great things for us in the years to come." As a team, Missouri won eight of its 40 bouts by way of fall, with an additional two victories marked as technical falls. Junior heavyweight Mark Ellis (Peculiar, Mo.) contributed to Missouri's pin count with two falls of his own. Ellis, now 11-1 on the season, has won eight of his matches by fall. Senior All-American Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) and Askren tied for the fastest fall of the day, with each managing a pin in 1:16 over their Harvard opponents. Wrestling at 174 pounds, Jordan is now 11-0 on the season and one win away from becoming the 15th wrestler to join the 100 win club. Jordan is 99-24 on his career and could become the first Missouri wrestler in over a year to hit the century mark. Missouri's final win came 41-3 over Brown. Competing at 149 pounds, senior Andrew Sherry (Sewickley, Pa.) improved to 3-0 on the day with his 11-3 major decision over Dave Foxen. All three of Sherry's victories were of the bonus point variety. The Tiger wrestling squad will have nearly two weeks before returning to competition at the Pac 10/Big 12 Duals, Saturday, Dec. 13, in San Luis Obispo, Calif. On Sunday, Dec. 14, Missouri heads to Oregon State to take on the Beavers in a 4 p.m. (CT) contest. The 2008 year wraps up with the two-day Midlands Tournbament, Dec. 29-30, in Evanston, Ill.

TROY, NY -- The top-ranked Hawkeye wrestling team improved to 8-0 on the 2008-09 season with four wins at the 2008 Journeymen/Brute Northeast Duals Saturday in Troy, NY. Iowa beat Binghamton (45-0), Maryland (38-6), Central Michigan (27-6) and Bloomsburg (39-3) at the 17-team event. Hawkeye Head Coach Tom Brands picked up his 60th career win against Bloomsburg, and the Hawkeyes extended their dual winning streak to 22 matches. As a team, Iowa went 35-5 in the four duals. Hawkeye seniors Charlie Falck (125) and Alex Tsirtsis (141), and juniors Brent Metcalf (149), Ryan Morningstar (165), Jay Borschel (174) and Phillip Keddy (184) each went 4-0 on the day. Junior heavyweight Dan Erekson was also undefeated at 3-0, while juniors Joe Slaton (133) and Luke Lofthouse (197) each posted 1-0 records. Falck and Tsirtsis picked up their 75th collegiate career victories - Falck with his 10-2 major decision over Maryland's Brendan Byrne and Tsirtsis with his 3-2 win over Central Michigan's Eric Kruger. Metcalf extended his own winning streak to 40 collegiate matches on one technical fall, one pin and two decisions. Keddy and Borschel each picked up milestone career wins against Bloomsburg, with Keddy scoring his 50th with a 1:22 pin of Jesse Hassemen and Borschel recording his 40th with a 9-2 decision over Nathan Graham. The Hawkeyes will try to pack the house and recapture the current national dual meet attendance record when they host intra-state rival and second-ranked Iowa State (3-0) Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets for the dual are available through the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office at 800-464-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com.

TROY, N.Y. -- Bolstered from upset victories by freshman John McDonald and junior Mike Galante, No. 22 Lehigh opened competition at the Journeymen/Brute Northeast Duals with an 18-13 win over No. 7 Oklahoma State Saturday at the McDonough Athletic Complex at Hudson Valley Community College. The Mountain Hawks later added convincing wins over UNC Greensboro (36-6), Binghamton (33-6) and Appalachian State (36-3) to improve to 8-0 on the dual season. "It was a very good day," said Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro. "The guys wrestled hard and they're continuing to get better. We realize though that we still need to get better. We want to have a good tournament team in addition to a good dual team, because at the end of the year it comes down to being a good tournament team at the EIWAs and NCAAs." McDonald and senior Trevor Chinn led the way for the Brown and White, as each wrestler won all four of his bouts on the day. In the day's opener against Oklahoma State, McDonald started things off for the Brown and White with a 4-3 victory over No. 6 Obenson Blanc at 125. With the match deadlocked at three entering the third period, McDonald rode out the entire third period to win the match with a riding time point. Following a Cowboy win at 133, Seth Ciasulli put Lehigh back in front, with an 8-6 sudden victory win over Jamal Parks at 141. Senior Trevor Chinn kept the run going with a 3-2 win over Luke Silver at 149. Oklahoma State climbed within 9-6 with a win by decision at 157, but Galante started a three-bout Lehigh run, which all but cemented Lehigh's first-ever win over the nation's most storied college wrestling program. Galante trailed 3-2 late in the third period to tenth-ranked Brandon Mason at 165, but scored the go-ahead takedown on a lateral drop and rode out the final eight seconds to avoid overtime. Alex Caruso and David Craig followed with wins by decision to put Lehigh up 18-6, before the Cowboys captured the final two bouts. "McDonald's match was really big for us early on," explained Santoro. "He had a great third period and picked up a big win. Ciasulli's win was also huge, as he beat a really good wrestler in Parks." Santoro concluded, "And 165 was obviously a big one too. Galante went out and beat an All-American so that's a great win for him." Following a two hour layoff, Lehigh captured eight bouts against UNC Greensboro. Chinn and freshman Sean Bilodeau helped blow the dual open with back-to-back wins by fall at 149 and 157. Lehigh's third pin came from freshman Joe Kennedy, who stuck Peter Sturgeon in 4:15 for his first career fall. The dual started with consecutive wins for McDonald and junior Matt Fisk. McDonald put up 14 points in a decision over Mitchell Johnson, while Fisk was dominant in a 17-2 technical fall over Casey Boyle. The only drawback to the victory was that Galante suffered his first loss of the season, 5-3 against Spartan freshman Chris Bullins who is ranked nationally at 165. The Mountain Hawks won nine bouts against Binghamton, including the second consecutive win by fall for Bilodeau, and the first fall of the season for Ciasulli, who pinned Anwar Goeres in 1:29. The featured bout of the dual was at 184 where nationally ranked Josh Patterson won by fall over David Craig. Patterson reversed Craig and scored a three-point near-fall to open the second period, then later caught Craig in a cradle, before securing the fall at the 4:30 mark. The falls for Ciasulli and Bilodeau were the only bonus wins for Lehigh versus the Bearcats. The Mountain Hawks did take care of business in the close matches however, winning all four bouts that were decided by just one point. Junior Justin Allen saw his first dual action of the season, earning a 4-3 win over Dan Bittner at heavyweight. In the final match of the day, Lehigh raced to a 23-0 lead with wins in the first six bouts, including a technical fall for McDonald and a pair major decisions for Fisk and Chinn. Santoro was able to get some more of his back-ups mat-time as well, as freshmen Brian Tanen (157) and Brandon Hatchett (165) and sophomore Kadeem Samuels (184) competed and won at their respective weights. Lehigh will return to the mats next weekend when the Mountain Hawks head to Las Vegas for the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, which begins Friday and runs through Saturday night.

The sixth-ranked Nebraska wrestling team racked up 13 bonus-point wins, including six pins, to easily handle Augustana and Oregon State by a combined score of 84-8 in two duals at the NU Coliseum on Friday. Five Huskers went 2-0 on the day, and Nebraska went 18-2 as a team to move to 3-0 in dual competition this season. Nebraska topped the 30 point mark against the Beavers for a second-straight season, as the Huskers rolled to a 34-8 win in the final dual of the night. NU won eight of the 10 contest matches against OSU, after sweeping all 10 against the Vikings in the Huskers' first dual. Nebraska's 50-0 dismantling of the Vikings is NU's largest win since posting a 55-0 drubbing of the Colorado School of Mines on Jan. 22, 1983. Senior Vince Jones' pin of Kyle Bressler highlighted the Oregon State dual for the Huskers. Jones, ranked No. 7 at 184 pounds, pinned No. 9 Bressler in 2:43, after notching the same result in 1:48 in last year's dual between the two programs. Jones moved to a perfect 8-0 on the season, with six of his wins coming by fall. Redshirt freshman Andy Pokorny also made a strong statement in his debut for the Huskers at 125 pounds. He opened the dual with a pin of Jake Gonzales in 2:28. Sophomore Curtis Salazar posted a 20-5 technical fall against Ryan Harold at 141 pounds, and third-ranked Jordan rounded out NU's bonus-point victories with an 18-7 major decision over Jon Brascetta at 157. No. 5 Stephen Dwyer (165), No. 3 Brandon Browne (174), No. 4 Craig Brester (197) and Tucker Lane (Hwt.) all notched decisions, as the Huskers won the final six matches of the dual. Nebraska jumped on Augustana early and never let up, racking up four pins, two technical falls and a major decision. The quickest fall of the dual went to Browne, who pinned Casey Mouw in 2:02 at 174 pounds. Matt Vacanti was close behind at 133 with a fall in 2:13 over Jason Jeremiason, while Brester and Salazar posted pins in 2:30 and 4:43, respectively. Pokorny started the dual with a 17-0 technical fall at 125, while Lane posted a 15-0 technical fall at heavyweight. Senior Robert Sanders contributed a 15-5 major decision over Brandon Kruger at 157, and Alex Ward (165) and Levi Wofford (184) earned decisions. The Huskers travel to the prestigious Las Vegas Invitational next. Action at the two-day tournament begins at 11 a.m. in the Las Vegas Convention Center on Friday.

Wrestling fans, I'm very grateful for everyone of you and for our sport during this holiday season. On Behalf of our sport and our sponsors Happy Holidays to each of you. This week we take the Brute Adidas studios back out on the road to the Journeymen Brute NORTHEAST Duals in Troy, New York on Saturday November 29th, 2009. Journeymen Brute Northeast Duals Frank "little Chin" Popolizio began the Northeast duals 6 years ago to allow his club wrestlers to watch quality college wrestling and to assist the growth of wrestling in the greater New York State area. This dual tournament began with only 4 teams. This power packed 17 team Dual Tournament includes Iowa, Oklahoma State, Missouri, App. State, American, Binghamton, Brown, Bloomsburg, Bucknell, Central Mich, Drexel, Harvard, Lehigh, Maryland, North Carolina Greensboro, Old Dominion, Virginia and others. Joining TDR's Scott Casber will be Olympic Champion Jeff Blatnick and Earl Smith of D1Collegewrestling.net. This is a free broadcast and will begin at 10:06 AM Eastern. Join us for an interesting and exciting day of collegiate wrestling on America's Wrestling Radio program Takedownradio.com. Our thanks to Frank Popolizio and his family for his continuing support of wrestling!

In 2003, at the inaugural Journeymen/Brute Northeast Duals, only four teams competed and the event drew just 300 fans. Fast forward five years. The Journeymen/Brute Northeast Duals, which takes place at Hudson Valley Community College in New York's Capital Region, is now comprised of 17 Division I programs, including seven programs ranked in the top 25. Two of those programs, Oklahoma State and Iowa, are the most storied college wrestling programs in history. It has become one of the most prestigious early-season events in college wrestling. "It's an honor to have traditional Midwest powers come to the East," said Journeymen Wrestling founder and event director Frank Popolizio. "I realize these programs have a choice to go wherever they want in the country and they're trying to give back." With such a star-studded field of teams already in place, it would be easy for Popolizio to just sit back and let the event sell itself. But he doesn't view it like that. "I view it like, OK, it's going to get me some attention, but now I have maximize that and make sure there is not a stone unturned," said Popolizio. Last year's event drew close to 1,800 fans. Popolizio's goal is to get 2,500 at this year's event. Not only has the event increased awareness for big-time college wrestling to fans in New York's Capital Region, but also to members of the Journeymen Wrestling Club. One of the Journeymen Wrestling Club's sayings is "It's imperative that you're around greatness." Every year, Popolizio brings Olympians, NCAA champions, NCAA All-Americans, and Division I coaches to his club. Already this year he's brought in Division I coaches Pat Santoro, John Hughes, and J Robinson, as well as Olympians Eric Guerrero, Doug Schwab, and Ben Askren. Says Popolizio, "When you have that kind of influence constantly in your face, how do you not become inspired?" Just recently, two Journeymen Wrestling Club members, Austin Meys and Zach Clemente, signed with Division I programs. Meys, a two-time New York state champion, signed with Lehigh, while Clemente, a New York state champion, signed with Virginia. "What's happened is that these guys have become inspired to the point where it's now becoming normal to wrestle in college," said Popolizio. "So it's like we have it cranking and now it's just starting to happen." To assist wrestling fans attending the 2008 Journeyman/Brute Northeast Duals, RevWrestling.com has put together a brief analysis of 20 of the premier wrestlers at the event, as well as five freshmen who are expected to make an impact this season. Collegiate Stars (20 Premier Wrestlers): 1. Brent Metcalf (Iowa, 149) Last season, the 149-pounder from Iowa won a Big Ten championship, Big Ten Outstanding Wrestler award, NCAA title, NCAA Outstanding Wrestler honors, Hodge Trophy, and Rev Wrestler of the Year award. He finished the season with a 39-1 record, getting 12 pins, seven technical falls, and nine major decisions. 2. Joe Slaton (Iowa, 133) Slaton finished last season with a 31-5 record and was NCAA runner-up at 133 pounds. Despite his breakout season, he is expected to be in a dogfight just for a starting spot in the Hawkeye lineup this season. His teammate and rival at 133, Daniel Dennis, won the University Nationals title in freestyle. 3. Nick Marable (Missouri, 165) Marable begins the season ranked No. 1 in the country at 165 pounds after finishing third at the 2008 NCAA Championships. He recently competed at the NWCA All-Star Classic. 4. Jared Rosholt (Oklahoma State, Heavyweight) Rosholt is the No. 1-ranked big man in the land. He posted a 33-5 mark last season and finished fourth at the NCAA Championships. His older brother, Jake, was a three-time NCAA champion for the Cowboys who is now a rising star in mixed martial arts (MMA). 5. Jay Borschel (Iowa, 174) Borschel placed third at the NCAA Championships in his first season in the Hawkeye lineup. He was a four-time Iowa state champion who compiled a record of 163-1 with 95 pins. 6. J.P. O'Connor (Harvard, 157) O'Connor, who is one of only three four-time New York state champions, became the first freshman All-American ever at Harvard in 2007. He repeated as All-American last season, placing sixth at 149 pounds. The pre-med major has moved up to 157 pounds for his junior campaign. 7. Hudson Taylor (Maryland, 197) Taylor was the ACC Wrestler of the Year last season after placing third at the NCAA Championships. He became Maryland's first All-American since 1997 and first Terp to compete at the NWCA All-Star Classic in nearly 40 years. 8. Charlie Falck (Iowa, 125) Falck is a two-time All-American for the Hawkeyes, placing eighth in 2007 and sixth in 2008. He notched a win last season over 2008 NCAA champion Angel Escobedo of Indiana. 9. Raymond Jordan (Missouri, 174) Jordan placed fifth at the NCAA Championships last season to pick up his first All-American medal. He has moved down a weight class to 174 pounds and could become just the fourth Tiger to become an All-American in more than one weight class. 10. Max Askren (Missouri, 197) Askren, the younger brother of Olympic freestyle wrestler Ben Askren, is a returning All-American and two-time Big 12 champion. He served as Ben's training partner leading up to the Olympic Games. 11. Phil Keddy (Iowa, 184) Keddy went from 14-16 as a freshman to 28-11 and All-American last season as a sophomore. He was runner-up at the University World Team Trials in May to 2007 NCAA champion Jake Herbert of Northwestern. 12. Louis Caputo (Harvard, 184) Caputo was an All-American two seasons ago, placing seventh at the NCAA Championships. But last season he suffered a season-ending injury at the Lone Star Duals in January. 13. Mike Cannon (American, 174) Last season, Cannon became just the sixth American University wrestler ever to earn All-America honors after placing sixth at the NCAA Championships. He finished the season with a 30-6 record and was named NWCA Academic All-American for the second consecutive season. 14. Obe Blanc (Oklahoma State, 125) Blanc, who transferred to Oklahoma State from Lock Haven, was an All-American in 2007. He did not compete last season as he took an Olympic redshirt. 15. Brandon Mason (Oklahoma State, 165) Mason is a three-time NCAA qualifier and All-American in 2007. He has moved down one weight class to 165 pounds for his senior season. 16. Trevor Stewart (Central Michigan, 165) Stewart won the MAC title and picked up three victories at the 2008 NCAA Championships despite suffering knee injuries and a broken hand during the season. 17. Alex Tsirtsis/Dan LeClere (Iowa, 141) The Hawkeyes have two very talented wrestlers at this weight class. Both were four-time state champions. Tsirtsis was an All-American in 2006 and redshirted last season. LeClere posted a 28-11 record last season and was a Midlands champion. 18. Matt Moley (Bloomsburg, 157) Moley was 34-11 last season and placed eighth at the 2008 NCAA Championships. He was also runner-up at the EWL Championships. 19. Steve Mytych (Drexel, 125) Last season, Mytech set the Drexel single-season record with 38 victories. He needs just 30 more victories to become Drexel's all-time winningest wrestler. 20. Mike Miller (Central Michigan, 174) Miller was an All-American as a freshman in 2007. He took an Olympic redshirt last season. Super Frosh (Five Impact Freshmen): 1. Jamal Parks (Oklahoma State, 141) Parks is one of the nation's top freshmen. He was a three-time Oklahoma state champion who was ranked No. 1 in the country at his weight class as a high school senior. He compiled a record of 16-1 last season as a redshirt. 2. Troy Dolan (Missouri, 125) Dolan was a three-time Pennsylvania state champion. He was a Super 32 and Powerade champion. As a redshirt last season, Dolan was 28-6 and placed in the top five in his weight class at six tournaments, including two first-place finishes. 3. John Connor McDonald (Lehigh, 125) McDonald was a three-time Delaware state champion who won over 150 matches as a high school wrestler. He was also a Junior Nationals champion in 2006. 4. Jared Trice (Central Michigan, Heavyweight) As a redshirt, Trice won the heavyweight title in the freshman/sophomore division at the Michigan State Open. He was also a third-place finisher at both the Eastern Michigan Open and Kent State Open. 5. Max Shanaman (Missouri, 149) Shanaman came to Missouri from national powerhouse Blair Academy in New Jersey. He was a three-time National Prep champion and two-time Junior Nationals All-American. He was awarded a medical redshirt last season due to injury.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Claiming wins in six of 10 bouts, the St. John's University wrestling team snapped a 22-match losing streak to Augsburg College with an 18-13 dual-meet victory on Wednesday night at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall. The Johnnies (5-0 overall), ranked No. 7 in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III national rankings, won for the first time over the No. 2-ranked Auggies (0-1 overall) since the 1985-86 season. Augsburg is 28-2 in dual meets against St. John's since 1979. The St. John's victory also broke two other Augsburg winning streaks -- a streak of 70 straight victories over Minnesota Division II or III opponents since 1996, and a streak of 92 straight victories over Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference foes stretching to the 1986-87 season. Augsburg, winners of 10 of the last 18 Division III national titles, is now 228-20 against Divisions II and III teams since the 1989-90 season, losing just 15 matches to non-Division I opponents since the 1995-96 season. Against strictly Division III opponents, Augsburg is 235-23 since the 1979-80 season and 159-13 since the 1989-90 season. The Johnnies built an 18-6 lead after eight bouts and withstood Augsburg wins in the final two bouts to secure the dual victory. Meanwhile, Augsburg gained a major-decision, 14-5 victory from 197-pounder Jared Massey (JR, Circle Pines, Minn./Centennial HS) over the Johnnies' Tony Willaert (SO, North Mankato, Minn./Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial HS), ranked No. 3 nationally in the weight class. Massey, now 5-0 on the season, claimed six takedowns and built 1:46 of riding time in the win. Two of Augsburg's three nationally-ranked wrestlers in action on Wednesday claimed victories, as top-ranked Travis Lang (SR, Bismarck, N.D.) built a 5-0 first-period lead and held off a rally by the Johnnies' Mogi Baatar (JR, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia/St. Benedict's Prep HS) in a 9-8 victory. No. 5-ranked Andy Witzel (JR, Fulda, Minn.) scored a 6-3 victory at heavyweight over the Johnnies' Cody Socher (FY, Delano, Minn.). The Johnnies claimed three wins on riding-time bonus points -- a 4-3 win by Chad Henle (FY, Spicer, Minn./New London-Spicer HS) over Augsburg's Josh Roberts (FY, Grand Forks, N.D./Central HS) at 125; a 3-2 win by Matt Baarson (SO, Brooklyn Park, Minn./Champlin Park HS) over Augsburg's No. 3-ranked Jason Adams (JR, Coon Rapids, Minn.) at 157; and a 4-3 win by Matt Schrupp (SR, Watertown, Minn./Watertown-Mayer HS) over Augsburg's Brandon Klukow (SR, Albert Lea, Minn.) at 165. Augsburg's Lucas Murray (SO, Anoka, Minn.) used a takedown and three-point near-fall midway through the third period to claim an 11-8 win over No. 3-ranked Minga Batsukh (SO, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia/St. Benedict's Prep HS) at 141. Dustin Baxter (SO, Fairbanks, Alaska/West Valley HS) of St. John's used a takedown with 14 seconds left to score a 12-10 win over Augsburg's Garrett Long (JR, Cedar, Minn./St. Francis HS) at 184. John Vaith (SO, Hastings, Minn.) used a reversal and three-point near-fall in the third period to rally for an 8-6 win over Augsburg's Tony Valek (FY, Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West) at 149, and Grant Eustice (SR, Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS) scored a 6-3 win over Augsburg's Brandon Bahr (FY, Bemidji, Minn.) at 174. Augsburg's White Team (junior varsity) won six of nine bouts to score a 25-6 win over the St. John's junior varsity in the preliminary match on Wednesday. Augsburg returns to action after the Thanksgiving break on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 9 a.m., competing at the Minnesota State Moorhead Dragon Open. St. John's competes at the Wisconsin-La Crosse Duals on Dec. 6.

IOWA CITY, IA -- University of Iowa Director of Athletics Gary Barta announced today that Coach Tom Brands has signed a contract extension that will run through the 2013 wrestling season. "Tom Brands is the best wrestling coach in the country," said Barta. "When you combine that with the fact he's been a Hawkeye all his life, the fit is perfect. I look forward to working with him for many years to come." Brands' new contract will run through June 2013 and increases his guaranteed annual compensation to approximately $150,000. Additional academic and athletic incentives will offer Brands opportunities for additional income. The 2008 NWCA, W.I.N. Magazine and Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year, Brands is in his third season as Iowa's head wrestling coach. He has a 39-6 overall and 13-3 Big Ten record at Iowa, and a 56-26 career mark. Brands and the defending NCAA and Big Ten Champion Hawkeyes are off to a 4-0 start this season with wins over Iowa Central (52-0), Coe (51-0), Minnesota State Mankato (45-3) and Arizona State (41-0) at the Iowa City Duals last week. Iowa is currently on an 18-dual match winning streak. In only his second season as head coach, Brands guided the 2007-08 squad to NCAA and Big Ten titles, as well the Big Ten regular season title with an undefeated 8-0 league mark. It was Iowa's 21st NCAA team title - the first since 2000 - and the Hawkeyes' 32nd Big Ten championship - the first since 2004. Iowa also won the 2007 Midlands title and the Division I trophy at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals in January. The Hawkeyes posted a 21-1 dual mark, ending the season on a 14-match winning streak. Senior Mark Perry and sophomore Brent Metcalf each won NCAA titles, and Iowa crowned a total of seven all-Americans, which was the most for Iowa since 2001. Iowa also produced six academic all-Big Ten honorees, which is the second-highest total in school history. Brands served as head coach at Virginia Tech University for two seasons (2005-06), recording a 17-20 dual mark. Prior to taking the helm at Virginia Tech, Brands was an assistant coach at Iowa for 12 seasons (1993-2004). He helped the Hawkeyes to a 177-27 dual record, seven NCAA and eight Big Ten titles, while crowning 23 NCAA champions, 73 all-Americans and 36 Big Ten champions. He was named the NWCA Assistant Coach of the Year in 2000. As a competitor, Brands won the 1996 Olympic freestyle gold medal at 136.5 pounds in Atlanta, GA. He also won a gold medal at the 1993 World Freestyle Championships in Toronto, two World Cup gold medals (1994, 1995) and was the 1995 Pan American Games champion. He won four U.S. National titles (1993-96) and made four straight U.S. World or Olympic teams (1993-96). Along with his twin brother, Terry, Tom was named 1993 USA Wrestling Athlete of the Year, the 1993 John Smith Outstanding Freestyle Wrestler and 1993 Amateur Wrestling News Man of the Year. He was inducted into wrestling's Hall of Fame in 2001. Brands was a four-time all-American at Iowa (1989-92). During his Hawkeye career, he won three NCAA titles and was named Outstanding Wrestler of the 1992 NCAA Championships. Also a three time Big Ten champion, Brands won 95 percent of his matches at Iowa. His career mark of 158-7-2, included an undefeated season in 1991 (45-0).

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Freshman Jedd Moore (Mount Vernon, Ohio) has been named the ACC Wrestler of the Week following his standout performance Sunday at the Journeymen Sprawl and Brawl Duals in Binghamton, N.Y. The honor is the first career conference wrestler of the week distinction for Moore. It also marks the second straight week a UVa wrestler has earned the honor after Chris Henrich (So., Lansdale, Pa.) nabbed it Nov. 18. In just his fourth weekend of college wrestling, Moore upset second-ranked Dan Vallimont of Penn State, 9-4, at 157 pounds. The win was key in keeping the Cavaliers close, as they went down to the final bout before falling to No. 14 PSU, 19-15. Moore went on to post a major decision in the Cavaliers' next dual against American International and improved to 12-3 this year. Moore's win over Vallimont marked the highest-ranked opponent a UVa wrestler has defeated in three years under head coach Steve Garland. The 24th-ranked Cavaliers head back to New York Saturday to compete in the Northeast Duals in Albany. UVa is slated to wrestle No. 7 Oklahoma State at 11 a.m., Bucknell at 1 p.m. and Harvard at 3 p.m.

After improving his season record to a perfect 9-0 with an individual title at 141 pounds at the Kaufman-Brand Open over the weekend, Minnesota sophomore Mike Thorn was named Wrestler of the Week by the Big Ten conference office today. Thorn, a St. Michael, Minn. native, earned his second individual title in as many weeks with an impressive 5-3 upset decision over Tennessee-Chattanooga's fourth-ranked Cody Cleveland in the championship bout. His path to the championship included two pins and a 4-1 decision victory over North Dakota State's Gabe Mooney in the semifinals. In his third season with the program, Thorn is expected to be a key contributor for the Gophers, who return just four starters this season. Just two years removed from an NCAA title, Minnesota will welcome Thorn as be one of the key newcomers to the starting lineup this season. Thorn and the Gophers return to action this weekend at the Northern Quad, where they will face Northern Colorado, North Dakota State and Portland State in a dual meet format at the UCR Regional Sports Center in Rochester, Minn. Minnesota first dual with Portland State begins at 10:00 a.m.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Utah Valley University 125-pounder Ben Kjar (Centerville, Utah/Viewmont HS) has been named the Western Wrestling Conference's Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. This past week Kjar, who is ranked 20th nationally, went an impressive 8-0 as he won all three of his dual matches as well as being crowned the 125-pound champion at the Best of the West Open this past Saturday. At the Best of the West, Kjar went 5-0 on the day and beat Oregon State's Jake Gonzales in the championship bout (3-1). Kjar started the week off by winning his match at the No. 13 nationally ranked Boise State Broncos via major decision as he beat Alan Bartelli 12-3. The next night Kjar, as well as the Wolverines, went 2-0 against Portland State and Simon Fraser as he pinned PSU's Kevin Martinez at the 3:40 mark, and beat Simon Fraser's Aso Palani 5-2. On the season Kjar's record has now improved to 13-2 (3-1 duals). 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. Others nominated: North Dakota State - Ryan Adams, 149 lbs., Sr., Coon Rapids, Minn. (Coon Rapids HS) Northern Colorado - Mitchell Polkowske, 149 lbs., Fr., LaJara, Colo. (Centennial HS) Northern Iowa - Charlie Ettelson, 149 lbs., Jr., Hudson, Iowa (Hudson HS) Wyoming - Michael Martinez, 125 lbs., R-Fr., Pagosa Springs, Colo. (Pagosa Springs HS) 2008-09 WWC Wrestlers of the Week Nov. 11 - Andrew Anderson (UNI) Nov. 18 - Shane Onufer (Wyoming) Nov. 25 - Ben Kjar (Utah Valley)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- University of Northern Iowa senior wrestler Moza Fay (Anamosa, Iowa) scored a 13-9 exhibition win over Ohio State's Colt Sponseller at the 2008 NWCA All-Star Meet on Monday night in St. John Arena on the Ohio State campus. UNI head coach Brad Penrith said he was pleased with Fay's effort in the match. "Moza rode him hard and it kind of tired Moza out a little bit," Penrith said. "It was Moza's first real one-hour weigh-in of the year so it's understandable that he would get tired. Moza took control in the third period. It was great match to see where he is at this of year." The Panthers and Fay will be in action again on Dec. 7 at the UNI Open in the UNI-Dome.