InterMat Staff

ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 14 in the nation, found the going rough at No. 4 Cornell on Friday night and fell 24-10. In a dual wrestled in front of over 4,200 fans, Cornell four straight close bouts after an opening loss to post the win. Penn State was led by talented freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), who dominated No. 3 Mike Grey on his way to an 8-3 win over the returning All-American. Junior All-American Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) got Penn State off to a rousing start, dominating Cornell's Grant Daffin on his way to a 16-7 major decision. But after that win, Penn State suffered four straight close losses in the heart of its line-up. All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 2 at 157, lost a hard-fought 4-0 decision to defending national champion Jordan Leen. Senior Mark Friend (Libertyville, Ill.) gave No. 1-ranked Mack Lewnes all he could handle but fell 7-2 at 165. True freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) nearly upset his second straight All-American, but the 16th-ranked Nittany Lion fell 6-1 to No. 5 Steve Anceravage at 174. Senior Phil Bomberger (Port Royale, Pa.), ranked No. 13, suffered a 6-2 upset loss to No. 18 Justin Kerber at 184 and before Penn State could regroup it was down 12-4 heading into intermission. After intermission, Cornell continued to roll with a pin at 197 before red-shirt freshman Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) nearly upset No. 10 Zach Hammond at HWT. Hammond still got a 7-6 victory and put Cornell up 21-4. Nittany Lion sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) picked up Penn State's second win of the night with a 9-6 decision over Cornell's Frank Perrelli at 125. Senior Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) lost a close decision to No. 2 Troy Nickerson at 133 before Molinaro put together his strong performance with an 8-3 win over Grey, the All-American. The loss was Penn State's first to Cornell since the 1999-2000 season. Penn State had defeated Cornell five straight times by a combined score of 132-53, including two lopsided wins last year. The Nittany Lions still hold a gaudy 55-12-3 edge in the all-time series between the two schools. Penn State is now 0-2 on the year while Cornell moves to 1-0. The Nittany Lions will head to Binghamton, N.Y., on Sunday for the Sprawl and Brawl Duals. Penn State will tackle No. 24 Virginia at 10 a.m., No. 15 Edinboro at 12 p.m. and host Binghamton at 3:30 p.m. Penn State returns to action in State College when it takes part in the 2008 Nittany Lion Open on Sunday, Dec. 7. Action begins at 8:30 a.m. and tickets can be purchased at the door. Penn State's next dual meet is set for Sunday, Dec. 14, when the Nittany Lions host West Virginia in Rec Hall. Action starts at 1 p.m. Fans can purchase season tickets by calling 814-863-1000 or 800-NITTANY. Season tickets are $32 for adults and $24 for youth. Single event tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youth. Penn State students get in FREE with a Penn State ID. All Penn State dual meets and post-season action can be heard live in the Centre Region on WRSC (1390 AM State College), WHUN (1150 AM Huntingdon) and live at www.GoPSUsports.com as part of the All-Access package. BOUT-BY-BOUT: 149: Nittany Lion All-American Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), ranked No. 2 at 149, took to the mat against Cornell's Grant Daffin. Jenkins wasted little time in taking a 2-0 lead with a takedown just ten seconds into the bout. Jenkins cut Daffin loose and began looking for a second takedown. After nearly completing a cement mixer, Jenkins worked his way around behind Daffin for the takedown with 1:40 left, taking a 4-1 lead. Jenkins then put together a very strong ride, building up a solid riding time edge while looking for an opening to turn Daffin to his back. Jenkins' hard work on top forced Daffin into an initial stall warning and allowed the Lion junior to ride Daffin out and carry a 4-1 lead (with 2:16 in riding time) into the middle stanza. Daffin chose down to begin the second period and Jenkins allowed him to escape. Jenkins then quickly took Daffin down again and cut him loose to lead 6-3 with just over 2:20 left in the period. The Nittany Lion junior added a fourth takedown to up his edge to 8-4 after cutting Daffin, quickly snapped in on the Big Red's right thigh to get another takedown and led 10-5 after cutting Daffin loose once more. Jenkins added a sixth takedown at the :42 mark and led 12-5. This time, the Nittany Lion junior rode Daffin out to lead 12-5 with a guaranteed riding time point in hand. Jenkins chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 13-5 lead with 1:22 left in the bout. Daffin got his first takedown at the :30 mark, but Jenkins quickly moved around behind the Cornell grappler to reverse him and take a 15-7 lead. The riding time bonus point gave Jenkins a 16-7 major decision and put the Nittany Lions up 4-0 early. 157: Fellow Penn State All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), also ranked No. 2, met the first of two former NCAA 157-pound Champions he was set to meet on Penn State's weekend in New York. Cornell's Jordan Leen, ranked No. 5 and last year's national champ, was Vallimont's first foe in what could be a very rugged weekend for the Penn State junior. In the dual's marquee match-up featuring two of the nation's best 157-pounders, the duo spent the first half of the opening period looking for a scoring opportunity. Leen took a couple shots low at Vallimont's right ankle, but each time the Nittany Lion junior stepped away from trouble and kept the bout scoreless. Tied 0-0 after one period, Leen chose down to begin the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Neither wrestlers could make a dent in the other's defense until Vallimont got in deep on Leen's right thigh with :32 left. The Nittany Lion sophomore nearly finished the move for a takedown, but action was stopped due to a dangerous hold and the bout went to the third period with Leen holding a 1-0 lead. Trailing 1-0, Vallimont chose neutral to start the third period. He initially got in on Leen's right ankle again and once again, Leen managed to work his way into danger, thus forcing another reset. After a prolonged blood timeout for a cut on Leen's head, Vallimont once again got in on Leen's right thigh. This time, Leen countered the move by stepping over Vallimont and got the first takedown of the bout to lead 3-0 with 1:09 left to wrestle. Vallimont could not work out from Leen's strong ride and, with a riding time bonus point, posted a hard-fought 4-0 win. The victory cut Penn State's lead to 4-3 and seriously damaged Penn State's upset hopes. 165: Penn State senior Mark Friend (Libertyville, Ill.) met the nation's No. 1 ranked 165-pounder in Cornell's Mack Lewnes. Friend and Lewnes battled evenly through the first period, until the Nittany Lion senior got in deep on Lewnes' right thigh. But the top-ranked Lewnes forced a stalemate and kept the bout scoreless with :30 left in the period. Lewnes worked his way into Friend's hips and nearly got his first takedown, but Friend managed to fight off the effort and keep things scoreless after one period. Friend chose down to start the second period. Friend feverishly tried to escape, nearly working out from Lewnes' control a number of times, only to have action move off the mat. The Nittany Lion senior could not manage to escape and, while keeping the bout tied 0-0, faced a 2:00 riding time edge. Lewnes chose down to begin the third period and quickly reversed the Nittany Lion to take a 2-0 lead. Friend worked to escape once more, but Lewnes maintained control long enough to secure the riding time point. Friend escaped to a 2-1 deficit with :28 left. Lewnes got the bout's first takedown at the :18 mark and led 4-2 after a quick Friend escape. Lewnes added one more takedown as the bout ended and, with the bonus point, posted a 7-2 win. The victory gave Cornell a 6-4 lead. 174: Penn State true-freshman Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 16 at 174, met the first of three potential ranked foes of the weekend when he took on No. 5 Steve Anceravage of Cornell, a returning All-American. Looking to build upon his win over a returning All-American last weekend, Wright took the action to Anceravage, acting as the aggressor early on. Wright nearly got the bout's first takedown with an ankle pick, but Anceravage stepped out of trouble to keep the bout scoreless. A flurry on the edge of the mat nearly resulted in a takedown for Wright as the first period ended, but Anceravage worked his way out of trouble. Tied 0-0, Wright chose down to start the second period. Anceravage rode Wright hard for the entire period and kept things scoreless heading into the third stanza. Anceravage chose down to begin the third period and Wright let him loose to a 1-0 lead. Down by one and looking at giving up a riding time point, Wright pressured the Cornell senior, looking for a scoring opportunity. The Nittany Lion freshman saw his chance with a high throw, but Anceravage worked his way out and around Wright for his own takedown and a 3-1 lead (after a Wright escape). Anceravage then iced the bout with a solid takedown with just over :20 left and, with the riding time point, posted a hard-fought 6-1 win. The victory put Cornell up 9-4. 184: Penn State senior Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.), ranked No. 13 at 184, met Cornell's Justin Kerber, ranked No. 18. Kerber got the bout's first takedown to lead 2-1 with over 2:00 left in the opening period. Bomberger looked to answer with his own takedown, nearly finishing off a double-leg at the 1:10 mark to take the lead. But Kerber was able to work his way off the mat and keep his one point advantage. Bomberger once again looked to his double-leg and once again, Kerber was able to keep from giving up the takedown. Trailing 2-1, Bomberger chose down to begin the second period. Kerber continued Cornell's strong performance from the top position and kept Bomberger on the mat until the 1:10 mark. Bomberger managed to escape to a 2-2 with and did not give up the riding time point (Kerber had a 0:59 advantage). Kerber show in at Bomberger's waste and the Nittany Lion tried to move aside and use a throw to counter the move. But the Cornell grappler finished his move off for a takedown and a 4-2 lead after two periods. Kerber chose down to start the third period and Bomberger cut him loose. Bomberger began attacking the Cornell grappler, but Kerber's defense allowed him to counter every Bomberger double-leg and keep his lead. The riding time bonus point allowed Kerber to post a 6-2 upset win and put the Big Red up 12-4. 197: With starter Andrew Haile out for Penn State, red-shirt freshman Clay Steadman (McKean, Pa.) made his Penn State dual meet debut against Cornell's Cam Simaz at 197. Simaz drew first blood with a takedown on the edge of the mat at the 2:10 mark. Steadman escaped to a 2-1 deficit at the 1:50 mark and began looking for his own takedown but could not dent Simaz' defense. Trailing 2-1, Steadman chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 2-2 tie at the 1:30 mark. Steadman got in on Simaz thigh and looked to score, but Simaz countered the move for a takedown and a 4-2 lead. Simaz then turned Steadman to his shoulders and, after a brief tussle, pinned the Nittany Lion freshman at the 4:38 mark. The pin put Cornell up 18-4. HWT: Nittany Lion Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) battled No. 10 Zach Hammond of Cornell in the match-up at heavyweight. Hammond opened up a 2-0 lead with a quick takedown. The Cornell senior then rode the Nittany Lion freshman until the 1:38 mark, when Wade escaped to a 2-1 deficit. Wade battled the tenth-ranked grappler even for the rest of the period and trailed 2-1 after the opening stanza. Wade chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 2-2 tie at the 1:38 mark. Wade pressured the Cornell senior for the rest of the period, but Hammond's defense allowed him keep the bout tied at 2-2 after two periods. With a 1:28 riding time edge, Hammond chose neutral to start the final period. He used a low ankle pick to work his way into a second takedown and a 4-2 lead a the 1:30 mark. Wade then escaped to cut the lead to 4-3 with 1:08 left in the bout. The Nittany Lion freshman shot low on Hammond, but the Cornell grappler countered and notched another takedown to lead 6-4 (after a Wade escape). Wade worked hard and at the final buzzer, got his takedown as the bout ended, briefly tying the score at 6-6. But Hammond's riding time advantage gave Cornell the 7-6 win and a 21-4 lead. 125: Nittany Lion sophomore Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) took to the mat against undefeated freshman Frank Perrelli of Cornell. Perrelli got the first takedown of the bout, taking a 2-0 lead early in the first period. Pataky escaped with just under two minutes left and notched his first takedown at the 1:40 mark. The talented Lion sophomore then turned Perrelli for three near fall points and a 6-2 lead midway through the period. Pataky put together a smothering ride, working from the top to turn Perrelli once again. But the Cornell grappler managed to escape to a 6-3 deficit with :15 left in the period. Up 6-3, Pataky chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 7-3 lead at the 1:31 mark. Perrelli used a strong double leg to take Pataky down and cut his lead to 8-5 after Pataky quickly escaped. Trailing 8-5, Perrelli chose down to begin the final period. Pataky nearly turned Perrelli for a quick pin, but the Big Red wrestler rolled out of trouble and forced a reset, with Pataky still in control at the 1:43 mark. Perrelli escaped to an 8-6 deficit at the 1:30 mark. Pataky had a 1:10 edge in riding time. Perrelli looked to get in on Pataky's upper leg, but the Nittany Lion sophomore kept him from gaining any control. Pataky managed to hold on for a 9-6 win (with the riding time point), cutting Cornell's lead to 21-7. 133: Senior co-captain Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) met Cornell's Troy Nickerson. Nickerson is ranked No. 2 at 125, but moved up to 133 for tonight's dual. Neither wrestler found any traction early on in the bout. Pataky nearly drew first blood at the :26 mark, but Nickerson was able to move out of bounds to force a reset and keep the bout scoreless after three minutes of action. Haas chose neutral to begin the second period. Once again, each wrestler worked the shoulders, looking for a chance to score. Haas was hit with his first stall warning at the 1:05 mark. Using a solid shoulder throw, Haas nearly turned Nickerson to his back on the edge of the mat with just :15 left, but Nickerson was able to keep his shoulders up and roll out of bounds. Tied 0-0, Nickerson chose down to begin the third period and turned an attempted Haas lift into a reversal and a 2-0 lead with 1:44 left in the bout. But Haas countered with his own reversal to tie the score at 2-2 at the 1:12 mark, only to be reversed again by Nickerson with 1:07 left to wrestle. Nickerson then put together a strong ride, keeping control of Haas for the remainder of the bout and securing a bonus point. The 5-2 win put the Big Red up 24-7. 141: Red-shirt freshman Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) met No. 3 Mike Grey of Cornell at 141 pounds. Molinaro was fast and aggressive throughout the opening period, getting a go-ahead takedown at the 1:56 mark to take an early 2-0 lead over returning All-American. Molinaro then put together a very strong ride, keeping control of Grey long enough to build up a 1:22 riding time edge. Grey escaped to a 2-1 deficit after a reset, but the Nittany Lion freshmen continued to be the aggressor for the remainder of the period. Up by one, Molinaro chose down to begin the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. Molinaro gave up a technical point while trying to avoid a Grey takedown and led 3-2 at the :30 mark. But the Nittany Lion freshman was still the aggressor and, with just :20 left, used a quick double leg at Grey's waste to gain control. With :08 left, Molinaro got the takedown and added two back points to lead 7-2 (with a riding time edge heading into the third period). Grey chose down to begin the third period and Molinaro was hit with another illegal hold call, cutting his lead to 7-3. The talented Lion freshman put together a rugged ride, clinching the bonus point. Grey could not break free as Molinaro overpowered the All-American for the entire period. The dominating performance gave Molinaro an 8-3 win and made the final score 24-10.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Two major decisions for No. 22 Lehigh helped seal a key victory for the Mountain Hawks on Friday night at Stabler Arena. Lehigh knocked off its second ranked team of the year with a 20-12 victory over the No. 9 Michigan Wolverines to move to 3-0 for the first time since 2005-06. The Mountain Hawks won six of the ten matches in the bout, but they benefitted even more from key bonus points earned by Matt Fisk and Trevor Chinn to pull away for the win. "They wrestled very hard tonight," Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro said. "We're really coming together as a team now. It's 10 guys out there wrestling for the other 30." The first bout of the match set the tone for an exciting evening at Stabler. Lehigh's John McDonald fell behind early in the first period, trailing by four points after a takedown and a near fall by Michael Watts gave the Wolverine the early cushion. McDonald continued to fight throughout the match, coming within inches of flipping Watts over to score a near fall, but the freshman Mountain Hawk was never able to overcome the early hole and fell 7-3. Needing to make up for the 3-0 deficit, junior captain Matt Fisk took over in the second bout to swing the lead back over to Lehigh. Leading 3-1 at the start of the third Period, Fisk turned into a scoring machine in the final stanza. The captain controlled Michigan's Zac Stevens after moving in for a quick takedown, and never lost his position atop the Wolverine. After a near fall, riding time and multiple stalling calls against Stevens, Fisk had ran away for the 11-1 major decision. "That was a big one," Santoro said. "It really opened up the night for us. He had that moment where it was give and take but then he opened it up." Junior Seth Ciasulli had the cards stacked against him at 141 when he faced off with the No. 5 wrestler in the country at that weight in Kellen Russell. But Ciasulli gave the Stabler Arena fans everything they could ask for as he hung in with the Wolverine for the entire bout. Trailing 4-1 late in the match, Ciasulli scored three unanswered points in a strange sequence of events that brought the Mountain Hawks fans to their feet. On a shot attempt by the Lehigh junior, Russell tried to escape by slipping out of bounds, drawing a penalty for fleeing the mat. With the clock winding down, referee George Chilmonik called consecutive stalling penalties (one warning had already been issued) against Russell, including one in the final second of the bout to pull the wrestlers even. But in the overtime period, it was Russell who was able to shoot in and score a takedown for the 6-4 sudden victory. Lehigh answered again at 149 win Trevor Chinn dominated Justin Chrzanowski at 149. Chinn, the No. 14 wrestler in his class executed a perfect strategy of taking down Chrzanowski and letting him escape only to take him down again. Chinn seemingly scored at will throughout the bout and racked up the points in a 17-5 major decision to give the Mountain Hawks an 8-6 lead. "It feels great," Chinn said of his team's performance in the match. "It's a far cry from last year with all its ups and downs. We feel like we have a solid lineup and everyone is wrestling for everyone else." At 157, the Mountain Hawks continued to pour the pressure on the Wolverines as Sean Bilodeau scored a key victory for the Brown and White. Bilodeau grabbed a big reversal at the start of the third period to move the score to 4-2. Then, the freshman from Massachusetts almost lost control as he slipped over Michigan's Aaron Hynes' shoulders, but he regained his positioning and flipped the Wolverine over for a near fall in an eventual 7-3 win heading into the intermission. After the break, Mike Galante gave the Mountain Hawks the necessary breathing room they needed heading into the final bouts of the night by scoring an 11-5 decision over Justin Zeerip at 165. Galante scored a big takedown at the end of the second period to grab a 5-3 lead and never looked back as he became one of three Mountain Hawks to improve to 3-0 on the season. The marquee match of the night pitted No. 13 Alex Caruso against No. 1 Steve Luke at 174. Caruso fell behind early in the match and was never able to mount an attack against the top wrestler from Michigan. Every time Caruso went in for a shot attempt, Luke was there to defend it, and the Wolverine held on for the 5-3 decision. That put the pressure on David Craig to take care of business at 184. The junior from Brandon, Fla. was the last true favorite in the match for the Mountain Hawks, and with a five-point lead going in, Lehigh needed a win from Craig to feel good about its chances. Craig looked frustrated at the outset as his shot attempts failed, but he was able to swing in for the takedown with less than 20 seconds remaining in the first period to take the 2-0 lead. That was all the cushion Craig would need as he pulled away for the 6-0 victory. Joe Kennedy just had to avoid a disaster at 197 to preserve the lead for the Mountain Hawks. The freshman did his part in a losing effort, avoiding a fall or a major decision against the No. 3 wrestler at that weight class, Tyrel Todd. Todd had bonus points in mind the entire match, but Kennedy fed off the enthusiastic crowd and earned a productive 8-3 loss. All Zach Rey had to do in the final bout of the night was avoid a pin, but the freshman did even more than that. Rey grabbed a big takedown with 30 seconds left in the match to take a 3-1 lead and hold on for the victory as the Stabler Arena crowd rose to its feet to cheer on the home team in the upset. "The crowd had a lot to do with it tonight," Chinn said. "They got behind us early and we just got rolling from there." Lehigh returns to action Sunday afternoon when the Mountain Hawks host Princeton at 1 p.m. at Leeman-Turner Arena in Grace Hall. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the Lehigh ticket office, located in Grace Hall prior to Sunday's match. Bonus points: Lehigh welcomed back more than 50 wrestlers and coaches for a pre-match social and alumni parade before the Michigan match, honoring grapplers from every decade since the 1950s…Friday's match against Michigan marked the first time Lehigh wrestled a dual meet in Stabler Arena since Dec. 7, 2007 against Penn State…Lehigh and Michigan have now met in dual meets in 32-consecutive years…Friday's dual meet was designated the 2008-09 Sheridan Dual, in honor of Lehigh's legendary wrestling coach Billy Sheridan…During the intermission, fans were treated to two exhibition matches between women's wrestlers from the United States and Canadian wrestling federations. The Americans won both matches, with Deanna Rix (South Berwich, Maine) earning a fall over Amanda Gerhardt (Vancouver, B.C., Canada) and Elena Pirozkhov (Colorado Springs, Colo.) earning a decision over Megan Buydens (Saskatoon, Sask., Canada).

Fullerton, Calif. -- Tim Hawkins pinned Victor Haug 2:36 into the 184-pound bout to spark Cal State Fullerton to a 31-6 Pac-10 wrestling victory Friday afternoon over Stanford before a crowd of more than 1,000 on High School Wrestlers Day in Titan Gym. Fullerton improved to 2-0 on the season and 1-0 in Pac-10 competition while the Cardinal fell to 0-4 and 0-2. The Titans were ahead, 12-0, 3 minutes into the match. Stanford forfeited at the opening weight of 174 to Fullerton's Todd Noel and then sent 174-pounder Haug up a bracket to face Hawkins, a transfer from Mt. Sac JC. Fullerton went on to win the next six bouts for a 31-0 lead before Stanford averted a shutout when Lucas Espericueta scored a 6-2 decision at 157 over Steven DelaFuente of Fullerton. Nick Amuchastegui gave Stanford its other points at 165 when he tied his match with Devin Velasquez in the final second of regulation and then scored a takedown 30 seconds into overtime for a 9-7 victory. On an adjacent match, Cal Baptist used three consecutive pins at the lightest weights to score a simultaneous 30-19 victory over Embry-Riddle of Prescott, Arizona. The Lancers are a first-year program and they host Stanford Friday night in Riverside. Fullerton hosts hundreds of wrestlers all day Sunday in the Fullerton Open.

IOWA CITY, IA -- The Hawkeye wrestling team opened the 2008-09 season going 4-0 at the Iowa City Duals Friday in Iowa City. Approximately 900 fans packed the University of Iowa Field House North Gym to watch Iowa defeat Iowa Central (52-0), Coe (51-0) and Minnesota State Mankato (45-3) earlier in the day, and a crowd of 4,846 saw the Hawkeyes beat Arizona State (41-0) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena later in the afternoon. Iowa posted a 39-1 record on the day - including 20 pins, two technical falls and three major decisions - and extended its dual match winning streak to 18. Hawkeye senior Charlie Falck (125), juniors Daniel Dennis (133), Brent Metcalf (149), Ryan Morningstar (165), Jay Borschel (174), Phillip Keddy (184) and Dan Erekson (Hwt.), and redshirt freshman Matt Ballweg (157) each posted 4-0 records on the day. Metcalf pinned all four opponents in a combined total of 9:14, extending his own winning streak to 36 matches. Other individual highlights included three pins each from Borschel and Erekson, Falck's 2-1 win over eighth-ranked Anthony Robles of Arizona State and Morningstar snapping the 44-match winning streak of Coe's Tyler Burkle with a 12-3 major decision. Ballweg also made his varsity lineup debut, scoring one pin and both of the team's technical falls. Senior Alex Tsirtsis (141) and junior Chad Beatty (197) each posted 3-0 records. The Hawkeyes will send 16 wrestlers to the annual Kaufman-Brand Open Saturday in Omaha, NE. The tournament, which will feature approximately 650 wrestlers from 32 teams, is the nation's largest single-day collegiate meet. Competition will start at 9 a.m. at the University of Nebraska at Omaha Field House. Falck, Metcalf, Borschel and Keddy are scheduled to compete at the 43rd annual NWCA All-Star Dual Monday in Columbus, OH. The event, which will be held at Ohio State's St. John Arena is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. (CT) and will be aired on ESPNU December 4 at 9 p.m. (CT).

FAIRFAX, Va. -- The George Mason wrestling team recorded four falls on its way to a 31-14 victory over The Citadel in the first home dual meet of the 2008-09 season on Thursday evening at the Field House. With the win, the Patriots improve to 1-1 on the season, while The Citadel drops to 1-2. After the meet got underway at the 174-pound weight class, Mason immediately took control of the team score with three victories to start the dual. Freshman Mendbagana Tovuujav began the meet with a 21-8 major decision against James Oddo. In the next match, junior Bill Widener pinned the Bulldogs' Kelby Smith in 2:25. The 11th-ranked wrestler at 197 pounds in the latest InterMat poll, sophomore Cayle Byers, followed with a fall in 3:50 against Andrew Delaney to give the Patriots a commanding 16-0 lead in the team scoring. After Aaron Brown won The Citadel's first match of the evening at the heavyweight class with a 14-4 major decision against Mason freshman Hunter Manspile, the Patriots won the next two matches to essentially put the meet out of reach for the Bulldogs. In perhaps the most exciting match of the evening, junior 125-pounder Brian Wright scored a two-point reversal as the final seconds ticked off the clock to take a 6-5 victory against Tyler Sim. Freshman Denny Herndon followed with a fall in 1:21 against Pierre Frazile at the 133-pound weight class to make the team score 25-4 in favor of George Mason. The Citadel took three out of the final four matches of the meet, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Patriots commanding lead. Freshman Jake Bohn was the only Mason athlete to score a victory in those final four matches, recording a fall in 1:31 against Keith Koziel at 157 pounds. George Mason wrestles again in two days, traveling to nearby Annapolis, Md. to compete in the Navy Classic on Saturday, Nov. 22, beginning at 9 a.m. It will be the first tournament the Patriots participate in during the 2008-09 season.

Head coach J Robinson and the University of Minnesota wrestling program announced seven National-Letter-of-Intent signees today. Alec Ortiz (Photo/Wyatt Schultz)Once again there is a strong local flavor in the Gophers recruiting class, with five of the seven student-athletes hailing from the state of Minnesota. The class includes Jake Kettler (Ramsey, Minn.), Alec Ortiz (Newberg Ore.), Bart Reiter (Gilbertville, Iowa), Pat Smith (Chaska, Minn.), Kevin Steinhaus (Pennock, Minn.), David Thorn (St. Michael, Minn.) and Danny Zilverberg (Wayzata, Minn.). "Having five Minnesota High School wrestlers sign with us during the fall period is a tribute to the great programs for youth wrestling that exist here in Minnesota," Robinson said. "There is exceptional quality in this state and we are very excited about this incoming class. They have proven themselves on the national level and we expect big things from this group at the collegiate level." Kettler, a product of Anoka High School, wrestled in the heavyweight class as a prep and placed third at the 2008 Minnesota high school tournament. A 2008 second team academic all-state selection, Kettler posted a 40-6 overall record as a junior. On a national level, Kettler was named a Junior National Greco-Roman All-American. Ortiz is a three-time Oregon state champion at 160 pounds from Newberg High School. The No. 4 overall recruit in the nation and the No. 1-ranked wrestler in his weight class, Ortiz has been a dominant force in Oregon wrestling, compiling a 95-0 record during his prep career to go with four Junior National All-America citations (two in Freestyle and two in Greco-Roman). Reiter, the younger brother of Gopher three-time All-American Mack Reiter, is a three-time state wrestling champion at Don Bosco High School in Gilbertville, Iowa. A National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) Junior National All-American, Reiter owns a 118-2 prep record and is ranked as the No. 10 recruit in his weight class and No. 80 prospect overall by Intermat. He is currently ranked No. 1 in Iowa in the 125-pound class. Pat Smith (Photo/The Guillotine)Smith, who attends Chaska High School, placed third in the 2008 Minnesota high school state tournament at 135 pounds. Considered the No. 11-rated recruit in his weight class, Smith compiled a 37-4 record as a junior and was named second team academic all-state. Smith was also honored as an NHSCA Junior National All-American. Steinhaus, of Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg High School, is a two-time Minnesota state champion, a three-time finalist, and a four-time placewinner. Steinhaus is also a first team academic all-state selection and won the 152-pound Class A title as a junior after capturing the 145-pound title as a sophomore. During an outstanding junior campaign, Steinhaus posted a 47-0 record. The No. 5-ranked prospect in his weight class, Steinhaus was the 2008 NHSCA Junior National Championships runner-up. Thorn, from St. Michael-Albertville High School and the brother of current Gopher Mike Thorn, is a three-time state champion and a two-time Junior National Freestyle All-American. He captured the Minnesota state title at 125 pounds as a junior and finished the 2008 campaign with a 46-2 record. Ranked as the No. 24 overall prospect in the nation and the No. 2 recruit in his weight class, Thorn also earned second team academic all-state honors as a junior. Zilverberg, a Wayzata High School product and the brother of current Gopher David Zilverberg, is a two-time state placer at the Minnesota state tournament. He posted a 48-2 record as a junior and finished third at the 2008 state meet after taking fourth as sophomore in 2007. Zilverberg also won the 2006 Folkstyle National Championship at the cadet level. "I am very pleased with the direction of our recruiting right now," Robinson added. "Coming off our No. 1-ranked recruiting class last year, we believe the University of Minnesota wrestling program will continue to do great things." Minnesota opened its 2008-09 campaign by winning eight titles at last weekend's Bison open. The Gophers continue their season this Saturday at the Nebraska-Omaha Open before traveling to Rochester, Minn., for the Northern Quad on Saturday, Nov. 29.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Virginia wrestling, ranked No. 24 nationally by InterMat, continues its brutal early schedule Sunday as it competes in the Journeymen Sprawl and Brawl Duals in Binghamton, N.Y. The Cavaliers face their fourth straight foe from the Big Ten Conference, No. 14 Penn State, in the opener at 9:45 a.m. UVa then will tackle American International College at 1:15 p.m. Virginia battled three Big Ten foes last Saturday at the ACC/Big Ten Clash, defeating Michigan State, 23-15, and falling to No. 12 Wisconsin, 25-15, and No. 9 Illinois, 39-7. Chris Henrich (So., Lansdale, Pa.) won all three of his matches at 174 pounds and was named the ACC Co-Wrestler of the Week following his performance. The honor is the first career conference wrestler of the week distinction for Henrich. Henrich (7-0), moved up to a No. 14 national ranking this week. He is slated to wrestle No. 17 Quentin Wright of Penn State in the opener. UVa has two other wrestlers ranked – Rocco Caponi (Sr., Uniontown, Ohio) is up to No. 8 at 184 and Ross Gitomer (Jr., Flemington, N.J.) is ranked No. 17 at 125. Coming off an injury, Gitomer is on track to compete for the first time in three weeks on Sunday. Caponi is scheduled to face No. 13 Phil Bomberger of Penn State. Penn State has two others who are ranked, both of whom are No. 2 in the country at their respective weight classes – Bubba Jenkins at 149 and Dan Vallimont at 157. The Nittany Lions are 0-1 in duals this year after suffering an 18-15 loss to Hofstra last Sunday. They are scheduled to travel to No. 4 Cornell Friday night for a dual prior to the Sprawl and Brawl Sunday. Penn State has won all of the seven previous meetings with UVa, but the programs have not met since 1988. In the second match, Virginia will face AIC, which is 2-1 this season. The Yellow Jackets fell to Boston University (37-6) before downing Seton Hill (21-18) and Duquesne (21-20) in road bouts last weekend. UVa and AIC have never met previously in wrestling. Virginia travels back to New York Nov. 29 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.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Thom Ortiz, the head coach of the Arizona State University wrestling team, announced today that Norman Richmond has signed a National Letter of Intent to continue his educational and athletic careers with the Sun Devils. Richmond is slated to compete at 133 pounds for the Sun Devils when he joins the program in time for the 2009-10 campaign. "Norman is a fine addition to our team," Ortiz said. "We strive to be the best team in the Pac-10 Conference and compete for national titles and Norman will certainly help our chances. He is an exciting competitor and we look forward to having him in our program." A native of Portland, Ore., Richmond is currently a member of the Sierra College team in Rocklin, Calif., the same school the produced current Sun Devil heavyweight and two-time undefeated California College champion Erik Nye. Richmond has already found success at SC as he won the 133-pound title at the California Championships in 2007 and was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament. He also earned All-America honors while helping his team to the state title. This season, Richmond has not competed in order to have three years of eligibility with the Sun Devils. His addition to the line-up could prove to shore up a very tough lightweight group that currently features a pair of sophomores that are ranked No. 8 in the nation: Anthony Robles at 125 and Chris Drouin at 141. Richmond already has had success against Pac-10 foes as he won the 2007 Fullerton Open with four of his five wins coming over wrestlers from Pac-10 schools. Prior to defeating Cal Poly's Filip Novachcov in the final (11-7), Richmond knocked off top-seed and nationally ranked T.J. Dillashaw of CS Fullerton, 2-1. Dillashaw was fourth in the Pac-10 last season as the tournament's No. 1 seed. Prior to Sierra, Richmond won a pair of Oregon state championships. After missing the state tournament in his first two years of competition, Richmond tore through the competition and won the state title at 125 pounds during his junior season before adding the 133-pound title as a senior. He also competed in the USA Junior Nationals, winning the Greco-Roman title and placing second in freestyle.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The University of Oklahoma wrestling squad improved to 2-0 on the season after a dominant performance Thursday evening in Norman, defeating Oklahoma City University (4-2) by a 47-0 final. With the victory, Oklahoma coach Jack Spates picked up his 200th win at OU. "There are a lot of great memories and certainly a lot of great kids that are responsible for the wins," Spates said. "I was proud of the way we wrestled tonight. It doesn't matter who the opponent is, you have to come out with the same focus and intensity each night." The No. 19th-ranked Sooners (2-0) began with a 6-0 team lead after Oklahoma City forfeited the opening weight, with sophomore Joey Fio picking up the win. Senior David Armstrong then recorded an 8-3 decision over Justin Blumer at 133 pounds to put the Sooners up 9-0. The Cleveland, Ohio, native recorded two takedowns and a reversal to pick up his third win of the season. A decisive 19-2 technical fall by redshirt sophomore Zack Bailey followed at 141 pounds over Jeremy Garner. After scoring three takedowns and four nearfalls on the evening, the Kansas City, Mo., native improved to 5-0 on the season. Kyle Terry quickly took control of the 149-pound match, scoring four nearfalls and a takedown in the first period to lead 15-1. Just 39 seconds into the second, Terry posted a fall, his third of the season, and gave OU a 20-0 team lead. Shane Vernon continued OU's dominance by recording three takedowns, three nearfalls and a reversal to post an 18-5 major decision at 157 pounds over Mark Meyer. Sooner Ryan Smith pushed the lead to 27-0 by recording a 10-2 major decision over Nik Turner at 165 pounds. Jeff James then put six more on the board, recording a pin versus Andrew Pontikes. The redshirt sophomore now has two pins this season and three in his career. Redshirt sophomore Pat Flynn then recorded a 10-1 major decision over Dillon Blackmon at 184 pounds before teammate Eric Lapotsky scored his fourth fall in only six matches this season at 197 pounds. The Mt. Carmel, Pa., native now owns 12 pins in only 22 matches as a Sooner. Redshirt Freshman Nathan Fernandez sealed the OU shutout with a 9-4 decision at heavyweight over Corey Johnson, scoring three takedowns for his fourth victory of the season. The Sooners will return to action this Sunday, Nov. 23, when they host No. 20th-ranked Old Dominion at 4 p.m., at the McCasland Field House in Norman.

Lincoln -- Junior Craig Brester pinned Chattanooga's Ethan Winel in 2:45 to lead the No. 6 Huskers to a 29-15 dual win over the Mocs at the NU Coliseum on Thursday. Nebraska notched a victory in its season opener for the 14th consecutive year, while Chattanooga fell to 3-4 on the year. The Huskers came out strong with wins in the first six matches of the night, but Brester blew the doors open during the fifth match with a pin in his first contest of the season. The All-American notched a takedown 19 seconds in and collected a three-point nearfall at the 45-second mark, before earning the fall with 15 seconds left in the first period. Brester's win extended the Nebraska lead to 20-0, and put the match out of reach with UTC forfeiting two matches later. NU built a large early lead thanks to major decisions from juniors Jordan Burroughs and Levi Wofford. Making his first appearance at 157 pounds, Burroughs earned seven takedowns, including three in the final period, to earn a 17-7 victory over No. 19 Joey Knox. Wofford was just as impressive at 184 pounds. He surrendered an early takedown, but battled back with three three-point nearfalls in the final period to notch a 15-3 win against Kyle McKee. Fifth-ranked Stephen Dwyer (165), third-ranked Brandon Browne (174) and Tucker Lane (Hwt.) also rattled off decisions for the Huskers before the Mocs put points on the scoreboard. Wrestling in the second and third matches of the night, Dwyer and Browne posted 9-3 and 12-6 victories, respectively. Dwyer earned 2:28 of riding time in his match against Seth Garvin, while Browne notched four takedowns and two reversals against Jason McCroskey. Lane, making his first career dual appearance, posted a 5-3 decision over Cody Sliger. The Huskers forfeited at 125 pounds to break their six-match winning streak, but UTC forfeited at 133 to give the six points right back to Nebraska. The Mocs picked up victories at 141 and 149 in the final two matches of the night. Nebraska returns to the mat on Nov. 28 with a doubleheader against Augustana (S.D.) and Oregon State. The Huskers battle the Vikings at 4 p.m. and Beavers at 6 p.m. Fans can get into the duals free with a valid ticket from the Nebraska-Colorado football game.

Three-time Indiana high school state champ. Junior Nationals freestyle champ. The one wrestler from the Hoosier state to earn the Dave Schultz 2008 High School Excellence Award. Andrew HoweAndrew Howe can claim all those honors … and more. Howe, a graduate of Hanover Central High School in northwest Indiana, is a key component in a talent-rich freshman class at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, ranked second in the nation by InterMat (behind Big Ten rival Minnesota). In addition to Howe, other blue-chip recruits joining the Badgers this season: Trey Bertram (Woodbury, Minnesota), Jim Duffy (Naperville, Illinois), Tom Kelliher (Burnsville, Minnesota), Brad Nardick (Northbrook, Illinois), Tyler Graff (Loveland, Colorado), Travis Rutt (Belle Plain, Minnesota), Cole Schmitt (New Glarus, Wisconsin), and Ben Jordan (St. Paris, Ohio, son of Jim Jordan, two-time NCAA champ for Wisconsin in the 1980s). However, even among these highly accomplished young wrestlers, Andrew Howe may be the one true freshman competing on the varsity team, as the Badgers' starter at 165 pounds. Even as a freshman, Howe is ranked seventh in his weight class by RevWrestling.com. Great expectations It was expected that Andrew Howe would make his debut as a Badger in the November 15 ACC/Big Ten Clash … but he was recovering from a knee injury, and did not compete. Once he's had time to recover, Howe is still expected to compete at 165. Despite the knee injury, great things are expected of Andrew Howe. In an entry in his blog at the official Wisconsin wrestling website early in November, head coach Barry Davis writes, "Our starting lineup is not set yet. A lot have people have asked about the freshmen and whether or not some of them are redshirting. We're not sure yet if all the freshmen are going to compete this year. Tyler Graff, Ben Jordan and Travis Rutt are all up in the air right now, but Andrew Howe will for sure wrestle for us at 165 pounds" "He's head and shoulders above most other freshmen," according to Donny Pritzlaff, assistant coach at Wisconsin who earned two NCAA titles for the Badgers. "(Howe) thrives under pressure," says Pritzlaff. "He's incredibly well-adjusted, which speaks volumes about his work ethic." "He was here all summer. We helped him get ready for Fargo." "He's ready in all respects -- wrestling-wise, academically, too." Coach Pritzlaff continues, "(Howe's) not a vocal kid, but his leadership shows. He's among the hardest-working guys in the room." "He brings a lot of energy to the room. There's a quiet confidence about him. A lot of kids respect that about him." Prep near-perfection You could say that wrestling is in Andrew Howe's genes. His dad Mike wrestled in high school and at Miami University (Ohio); his two older brothers, Jon and Eric, were also wrestlers. (In fact, Eric, who wrestled at Purdue, was a volunteer assistant at Hanover Central.) Andrew Howe took up the sport in first grade, and loved it from the start. In high school, Howe compiled a nearly perfect 192-1 record; the one loss was in the 130-pound finals at the Indiana state championships. As a sophomore, Howe captured his first state title, at 140 pounds. The following year, he claimed his second state crown, this time at 152. As a senior, and captain of the Hanover Central team, Howe completed his prep career with his third Indiana state title, as a 160-pounder. What's more, Andrew Howe was named the sole Indiana winner of the Dave Schultz 2008 High School Excellence Award. This honor, presented to one prep wrestler from each of the 49 states that offers high school wrestling, acknowledges excellence in wrestling, scholastic achievement, character, citizenship, and community service. Andrew Howe won the 2008 Junior Nationals title in Fargo at 160 pounds (Photo/Wyatt Schultz)Ask Andrew Howe the high point of his wrestling career so far, and without a moment of hesitation, he answers, "Winning Fargo this summer." In the 160-pound finals of the 2008 Junior National Freestyle Championships held at Fargo, Howe faced off against another prep superstar, Alex Meade of Delaware. Meade won the first period, but the Badger recruit came battling back with 3-0 and 6-2 wins over the future Oklahoma State Cowboy to claim the title. "The competition is intense at Fargo," according to Howe. "I had fallen short in the past, which makes the win even sweeter." Working Overtime towards success You could say that Andrew Howe's road to three Indiana high school state titles and a national championship in Fargo traveled through Naperville, Illinois, and the Overtime Wrestling Club. Howe made the long trek from his home in Cedar Lake, Indiana to Overtime in west-suburban Chicago up to three or four times a week. All those miles -- not to mention the money spent on the Illinois Tollway -- apparently paid off for Howe. "Overtime helped me a huge, huge amount," says the Wisconsin freshman. One could also say that Overtime Wrestling Club also played prominently in the journey from Indiana to the University of Wisconsin. Sean Bormet (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)"(Howe's) trained at Overtime for years," according to Donny Pritzlaff. "I got a heads up from Overtime's Sean Bormet about him." In addition to coaching Howe, Sean Bormet, owner of the nationally-respected Overtime facility, has coached Pritzlaff in his freestyle career … and told the Wisconsin assistant coach about the impressive wrestler from northwest Indiana whose style he thought would be a good fit for the Badger wrestling program. "I wanted to stay close to home," discloses Howe. "My focus was on Big Ten schools." "Donny started recruiting me. I liked him a lot." "When I made my visit, I immediately fell in love with the campus … I hit it off with the coaches right away, too." On, Wisconsin! Ask Andrew Howe about the transition from Hanover Central High School -- where he was an honor roll student, earning all As and Bs -- to the University of Wisconsin, and he responds, "Academically, at times it's challenging. However, we're provided with excellent tutoring, study tables and assistance to help us succeed in the classroom." "In terms of the transition wrestling-wise, it's really great," Howe continues. "Everything's really structured here. The coaches watch us very closely, give very specific guidance that makes a real difference …" "In practice, we're pushed a lot harder. It's much more intense. Our workout partners provide a much higher level of competition." "I was hoping to start right away," Howe continues. "The coaches told me, 'We'll see if you're ready.'" "They now think I'm ready to go." Style and substance Despite growing in high school from 130 to 160 pounds, the 5'8" Howe has maintained the same wrestling style: "I've always wanted to go through the (other) guy, be as intense as possible, beat the guy up … be powerful, stay on top of him." Donny Pritzlaff"It's really boring not to create action." When asked to describe Andrew Howe's on-the-mat style, coach Pritzlaff responds, "Exciting. Constantly moving forward. Bang and snap. In your face." "He's technically sound, making adjustments as necessary." "He has an incredible passion for the sport." "It doesn't take much to motivate him. He has an inner drive that's second to none." "As we get into the season, he wants to do his best," adds Pritzlaff. "He wants to be the best on the big stage -- the Big Tens, NCAAs." Those statements line up with Andrew Howe's stated goals: "I want to be a multi-time conference and NCAA champ … In the off-season, I want to continue to compete in freestyle as much as possible. I want to make a couple runs at the Olympics." The freshman 165-pounder is still in his first semester of college, and has not yet declared a major. However, his ultimate dream: "I'd love to be a coach." "Being around the sport the rest of my life would be great, helping others achieve success," says Howe. "All my coaches are great people. They've showed me a world of wrestling, and so much about how to be a genuine human being."

Lincoln -- The Nebraska wrestling team signed one additional student-athlete to a National Letter of Intent, Head Coach Mark Manning announced Thursday. C.J. Napier of Columbus, Kan., has signed and will wrestle for the Huskers. "When I took my official visit I felt like I fit in really well," Napier said. "Coach Manning and his whole staff are great people. Everybody was so nice. I was treated real well, and it is an awesome program." Napier will join five other Huskers that signed during the early signing period. Napier, along with Kyle Waldo, David Klingsheim, Cody Compton, Michael Klinginsmith and Caleb Kolb, will join the team in the 2009-10 academic year. C.J. Napier – Columbus, Kan. Wrestling for his father, Todd Napier, at Columbus High School, C.J. Napier has claimed the last two Class 4A state titles. He posted a 34-5 record to place third his freshman year at 130 pounds, before notching 37-3 and 37-1 marks his last two seasons at 135 pounds. Napier owns a 108-9 career record heading into his senior campaign. Napier is also a three-time All-American at the Cadet/Junior National Championships in Fargo, N.D. He won the cadet freestyle title in 2006 at 135 pounds, and has finished fourth and fifth, respectively, in the junior freestyle division at 135 pounds the last two summers. He is the No. 65 wrestler in the InterMat's top 100 recruits of 2009. Napier's hometown of Columbus is just 25 miles from Pittsburg, Kan., the hometown of current Husker freshman Tyler Koehn. Napier chose Nebraska over Oklahoma State, and is projected to wrestle at 133 pounds for the Huskers. Manning on Napier: "C.J. is really a smart wrestler. He is very dedicated and wants to be the best. He has the right mentality. We are just extremely happy to have C.J. because he fits into the type of young man we want on our team and the type of competitor to help us win at the highest level."

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Millersville, Pa. -- The 2008-09 Millersville wrestling team under first-year head coach Todd Roberts opened made its Pucillo Gymnasium debut Wednesday evening and the Marauders defeated both Wagner and Delaware State in convincing fashion. Millersville (2-0) recorded five falls and nine of 10 matches in a 44-3 victory over Wagner, and then won six of the 10 bouts against Delaware for a 25-18 victory. Millersville improved to 13-0-1 all-time against Wagner and 5-0 all-time against Delaware State. The evening couldn't have started any better for the Marauders as the first three wrestlers that stepped on the mat each earned a fall. Sophomore Sean Reed continued the impressive start to his Marauder career by recording falls in both of his matches. Against Wagner's Nicholas Keshecki, the 133-pound Reed scored the pin in just 1:08. His match against Delaware State's Kelvin Watford wasn't nearly as easy. Watford had just scored a three-point nearfall and was in position to score again when Reed bridged and pinned Watford. Brothers John Andel (125) and Sean Andel (141) each scored falls against Wagner as well. John, a senior, pinned Jason Mandragona in two minutes and Sean, in his first career match, pinned Jacob Villaret at 5:59. At 174 pounds, Shane Smith boosted his record to 6-2 on the season. It took him just 2:03 to pin Wagner's Ryan Malloy. Against Delaware State's Kyle Skinner, he earned a hard-fought 3-0 decision. J.J. Lester picked up a 21-5 technical fall against Wagner's Nick Dalcero, but ran into the nation's No. 13-ranked wrestler at 149 pounds against Delaware State. Matt Catthel handed Lester just his second defeat of the season, pinning him at 2:07. 197-pound Raymond Bennett also turned in a pair of outstanding efforts. He pinned Wagner's Mark Wagner in just 58 seconds and then topped Shawn Nowery of Delaware State by a 15-5 major decision. Jeremy Brooks, wrestling at 165, also won both of his bouts, and freshman heavyweight D.J. Fox earned a 4-3 overtime win over Wagner's Angelo D'Amico in his first career match. The Marauders travel to Lock Haven for the Mat Town Open Saturday, Nov. 29.

Philadelphia -- Drexel wrestling opened their 2008-09 dual match season with a 22-11 victory over visiting East Stroudsburg. The Dragons took the final six matches to erase an early 11-4 deficit. Drexel's Steve Mytych (Wyoming, Pa./Northampton) earned a major decision victory at 125 pounds while six other Dragons took wins by decision. For Head Coach Jack Childs it was his 396th career victory at Drexel as he moved closer to the 400-win mark. East Stroudsburg opened the match strong with a pair of major decision wins. The opening bout at 197 pounds saw Shane Mallory defeat Justin Sachse, 22-9. Sachse was moved up from his normal weight class of 174 pounds to challenge Mallory. Chris Birchler earned the Warriors another four pounds when took a 12-3 major decision win in a match-up against Drexel's Kyle Frey. Mytych, a senior co-captain, got the Dragons on the board with a convincing 16-4 triumph to halve the Warriors' lead. At 133 pounds, Matt Swallow outlasted Justin Giani, 9-5, before Drexel made its run of six straight victories to close the match. Freshman Matt Dugan won perhaps the most exciting bout of the day as he trailed in the second period, 3-0. Dugan started the second period in the up position and was assessed a penalty point for an illegal move to increase his deficit to 3-0. He rode Matthew Rizzo out to finish the period then started on top to begin the third. Rizzo was called for stalling twice in the third period while Dugan continued to run up his riding time. With the score 3-2, Dugan earned two points for a near fall with just seconds remaining and won the match, 5-3, while not earning a single takedown. Robbie Robinson picked up a win at 149 pounds with a 4-2 victory over Joe Schick while Billy Haydt followed with a 13-6 decision against Jesse Dunn. Scott Hunter and Brian Stouffer picked up wins with decisions by five points as Hunter defeated Jeff Jacobs, 11-6, and Stouffer topped Nick Tetro, 7-2. Justin Wieller ended the match with a 6-2 victory at 184 pounds over Trevor Salvatore. The Dragons return to action on Saturday, Nov. 22 when they head to Ithaca, N.Y. to participate in the Cornell Body Bar Invitational. The first match starts at 9:00 a.m.

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Army juniors Matt Kyler and Richard Starks were two of nine Black Knights to pick up decisions in a 41-3 victory over Franklin & Marshall, Tuesday night at Gillis Field House. "Tonight was a good night for us," said Army head coach Chuck Barbee. "It was good to see our guys take care of business as we prepare for some strong competition this weekend at Cornell." Kyler, who was ranked ninth at 149 pounds in both of this week's national polls, improved to 7-1 this season by pinning Jay Tracy in 2:31. It was Kyler's fourth fall of the season. Starks, the 16th-ranked wrestler in both polls, ran his record to 5-2 with a 15-0 (7:00) technical fall opposite Colin Ely at 197 pounds. Junior Lance Penhale started the night off at 125 pounds with a 4-1 decision over Stephen Sabreen as the Black Knights won the first seven bouts of the match. Senior captain Whitt Dunning pinned Matt Murray (3:40) at 133, sophomore Casey Thome defeated Al Gianforti, 14-2, at 141, sophomore Rudy Chelednik shutout James DiNicola, 15-0 (5:29) at 157 and freshman Mike Gorman pinned Anthony Bongarzone (6:04) at 165 to stake Army to a 31-0 lead. Black Knight freshman Derek Stanley defeated Jimmy Schulz, 7-1, at 184, while junior Michael Sprigg took a 4-2 decision over Nico Somers at heavyweight to finish the night. Army will compete at the Body Bar Invitational this Saturday (Nov. 22), hosted by Cornell. Action is scheduled to start at 9:00 a.m.

Seventh-year Head Coach Dan Hicks has received national letters of intent from six highly regarded high school senior wrestlers who will join the Cal State Fullerton program as freshmen for the 2009-10 season. "We are very excited about the group that has committed and the future looks bright," said Hicks. The list, alphabetically: Jonah Cruz, 141 / 149, Bakersfield HS -- two-time state place winner... ranked in top four this season Martin Gonzalez, 125, Gilroy HS -- was selected by W.I.N Magazine this week as the No. 1 recruit out of California among all weight classes.. ranked No. 5 senior nationally at 125 Justin Schellenger, 165, Great Valley HS in Malvern, PA -- placed at state in Pennsylvania... career record of 83-24 in first three seasons Taylor Warden, 197, Calvary Chapel High School in Santa Ana -- 5th at state in 2008... currently ranked as high as No. 1 Bryce Whitehead, 149 / 157, Sprague HS in Salem, Oregon Henry Yorba, 133, Poway HS -- two-time state place winner... ranked No. 2 this season

NORFOLK, Va. -- Old Dominion University wrestling coach Steve Martin announced the signing of five recruits to national letters of intent this week. Jack Burbank (Virginia Beach, Va.), Eric Dunnet (Voorhees, N.J.), Justin LaValle (Burnsville, Minn.), John Nicholson (Des Moines, Iowa), and Joey Sheridan (Tulsa, Okla.) all signed National Letters of Intent to attend ODU in the fall of 2009. Jack Burbank is a standout from right here in the Hampton Roads area as he heads into his final season at Cox High School in Virginia Beach. He ranks as high as 13th in the nation and will come in to wrestle in the 285-lb weight class. He placed 6th at the VHSL Championship in 2007 and earned the State Champion crown in 2008. He was also named Beast of the East place winner in 2007. MARTIN ON BURBANK: "We're excited to get a local kid as talented as Burbank. We think he has the potential to do great things. He is a big, tall kid, standing at 6-4, so it should be an easy transition into college wrestling from high school." Eric Dunnet is from Eastern Regional HS in New Jersey and ranks 9th in the nation. He finished 6th in the state his freshman year and was 2nd at sophomore nationals. He also placed 5th at Junior Freestyle Nationals and 6th at Fargo. He is a three-time state placewinner. MARTIN ON DUNNET: "Dunnet is a very scrappy wrestler from New Jersey. He has a strong work ethic and desire. We look forward to helping him develop his technique and help him get on the podium." Justin LaValle arrives from Minnesota as the 5th ranked wrestler in the nation by two publications. He was named to the 2008 National Duals Greco "All Team" and is the 2008-2009 Apple Valley HS Team Captain. Apple Valley HS is currently ranked 3rd in the Nation for High School Wrestling and he has compiled a 141-30 record from for the Eagles. He is ranked #1 in the state of Minnesota in the 130 lb weight class and will wrestle 133 at ODU. MARTIN ON LaVALLE: "LaValle is from national powerhouse Apple Valley HS and was recruited heavily by Minnesota and Nebraska. He's already proven himself on a national level; he is very good on the mat, especially from the top position." John Nicholson is the younger brother of current ODU Wrestler James Nicholson from Des Moines, Iowa. John ranks as high as 7th in the nation coming in. Nicholson won the Class 3-A 152-pound state championship for Roosevelt HS as a junior in 2008 after placing third in that same competition his sophomore year. He takes a 139-14 record into his senior season and will join his brother at Old Dominion as a wrestler in the 157 lb weight class. MARTIN ON NICHOLSON: "John Nicholson wrestles the old school Iowa style of wrestling, constantly coming at you. He's really going to be fun for our fans to watch. He was recruited heavily by Iowa and Missouri with his final choice coming down to us & Iowa. He chose ODU in part because of his brother James." Joey Sheridan joins the Monarchs from Tulsa, Oklahoma where he is a two-time Oklahoma state champion in the 160-lb weight class. Coming to ODU from Tulsa Union HS, Sheridan is ranked as high as 8th in the nation. He was the Cadet National Freestyle Champion in 2006 and is a Reno Tournament of Champions place winner. Sheridan will wrestle at the 174 lb weight class for ODU. MARTIN ON SHERIDAN: "Sheridan has been nationally ranked his whole life. It is very difficult to land a good big guy and he is one of the top three wrestlers coming out of Oklahoma this year. We competed head on with Oklahoma State, Nebraska, and Missouri for this athlete and we're pleased to get him because it is very hard to get an Oklahoma kid to leave Oklahoma." The recruits will join an experienced class of grapplers that will lose just one to graduation this year. The team went 17-3 in 2007-08 and has placed ten in two tournaments to start the 2008-09 campaign. "We had specific recruiting needs at several weight classes. Our staff did a great job of getting five nationally ranked wrestlers at five different weight classes," said Martin. "We were able to lure these athletes away from Big Ten and Big 12 schools because of one common theme: they all want to be a part of the building process of a team that will beat the Oklahoma State's and Iowa's of the world. In addition, each of these student-athletes have high standards in the classroom and off the mat. This recruiting class will be highly ranked."

No. 12 Cornell College defeated Simpson College 35-10 in the dual opener for both schools Nov. 19 in Mount Vernon, Iowa. In the 125-pound opener, Micky Spiwak posted a 16-4 victory over Casey Miller (So., Overland Park, Kan., Blue Valley NW H.S.). Tigue Snider pinned Levi Vogel (So., Jesup, Iowa, Jesup H.S.) 4:33 into their 133 pound match. Kevin Donahue earned a major decision victory, 11-3 over Caleb Brus (So., Creston, Iowa, Creston H.S.) at 141. The Storm got on the board at 149 when Calvin Barber (Jr., Winterset, Iowa, Winterset H.S.) charted a 13-4 major decision victory over Jacob Schwebke. Dave Paramski defeated Ben Hektoen (Sr., Birmingham, Iowa, Fairfield H.S.) via technical fall at 6:02 in the 157-pound matchup. Joe Hambleton defeated Wade Dowling (Jr., West Des Moines, Iowa, Valley H.S.) 8-0 at 165. No. 6 Kyle Kehrli pinned Sam Thielen (So., Lee's Summit, Mo., North H.S.) at 1:51 of the 174-pound contest. Carmen Sacco defeated Jordy Ammons (So., Knoxville, Iowa, Knoxville H.S.) 5-1 at 184. At 197, Robet Widemer defeated Sam Collora (Jr., Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, Mt. Pleasant H.S.) 6-5. John Bunch (So., Prole, Iowa, Martensdale-St. Mary's H.S.) won by forfeit at heavyweight to end the dual. "I was disappointed with how we wrestled tonight," said Simpson head coach Clint Manny. "We didn't come ready at all. Calvin attacked in his match and did a good job. He let (his opponent) up to go for the major decision. We need to regroup and get ready for Augsburg this weekend." The Storm travel to the Augsburg Brute-Adidas Open Saturday in Minneapolis. Bell time is set for 9 a.m.

The University of Pittsburgh wrestling team opened conference action at the Fitzgerald Field House tonight, Nov. 19, defeating Eastern Wrestling League rival Bloomsburg 27-7. The Panthers won eight of ten matches including the first four to coast to their first victory of the season. "We won eight of ten tonight, I think that's pretty good to say the least," noted Head Coach Rande Stottlemyer. "I really felt like our guys went out and tried to control the match from the start. Being able to win a conference match in our league this early in the season is always a great thing." True freshman Chris Albright sparked Pitt (1-1, 1-0) in the opening match of the night at 125 pounds. Down 8-6 to Ian Moser entering the third period, Albright was able to draw two stalling points from Moser to knot the score with 10 seconds remaining. He was then able to hold off Moser's late takedown attempts to secure the 9-8 win after accumulating over a minute of riding time, giving Pitt the early 3-0 lead. "You know, we're always looking for improvement and for Chris to come out tonight and win after being majored two weeks ago by Moser, that shows that our guys are improving on a daily basis," said Stottlemyer of his 125-pounder. Junior Jimmy Conroy, ranked 20th in the latest USA Today/Intermat/NWCA poll, put Pitt up 6-0 with his 4-1 decision over Jason Guffey in the 133-pound match. Conroy cruised after a late first-period takedown, yielding only an escape point to Guffey en route to his first dual win this season. Tyler Nauman made it three straight for the Panthers with his 10-3 decision over Rockey Donald at 141. The redshirt freshman jumped out to a 4-2 lead after the first period and continued to pour it on en route to his second straight dual win. Click here to find out more! Senior transfer Mark Powell gave Pitt a 12-0 advantage with his 4-0 shutout decision over George Hickman. After a scoreless first and second period which say Powell accumulate two minutes of riding time, he escaped eight seconds into the third to take the 1-0 lead. Powell added a takedown late in the third for good measure and tacked on a riding time point to even his dual record at 1-1. Bloomsburg's lone wins came by way of a major decision at 157 and decision at 165. No. 11 ranked Matt Moley downed junior Jeff Warusz 12-2 in the 157-pound match while Ricky Schmelyn was an 8-2 winner over sophomore Ethan Headlee at 165. Redshirt junior David Sullivan and freshman Zac Thomusseit quickly put the Panthers back on track with wins in the 174 and 184-pound matches respectively. Sullivan accumulated over two minutes of riding time on his way to earning the 4-1 decision while Thomusseit's early third-period escape proved to be the difference in the 3-2 decision. Matt Wilps was the third freshman of the night to earn a victory. After trading escapes in the second and third periods, Wilps and Ryan Sutton entered overtime tied at 1-1. 18 seconds into the extra frame, Wilps carded his first collegiate pin and dual match victory, putting Pitt up 24-7. It was business as usual for the No. 7 ranked heavyweight in the country on the mat tonight. Less than 20 seconds into the first period Zach Sheaffer struck with a two-point takedown on Zac Walsh. Two takedowns and an escape later, Sheaffer had racked up over four minutes of riding time, taking the 8-3 decision for his second win on the year. "Zach is always fun to watch because he is technically sound," said Stottlemyer. "He does some things that most heavyweights just don't do and we are fortunate to have a leader of his caliber on our team, setting the example for the younger guys." The Panthers will hit the road for the next three weeks of the season. The next stop is the Keystone Classic hosted by the University of Pennsylvania Sunday, Nov. 23.

University of Missouri Head Wrestling Coach Brian Smith will be the featured guest on Wrestling 411 Radio on Thursday, November 20. Wrestling 411 Radio can be heard live on Tuesdays and Thursdays 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. Smith's Tigers won dual meets over Lock Haven and Bucknell this past weekend, and will be hosting Hofstra on November 22 at 2 p.m. The Hofstra dual meet is part of a special event "Wrestling Supporting Wrestling," where all money raised from tickets sales will go directly to Missouri's wrestling program. During his time at Missouri Smith has compiled a 121-60-2 dual meet record, producing 11 All-Americans to 17 top-eight performances and recently aided in two-time National Champion Ben Askren's run through the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. The Tigers also placed third at the 2007 NCAA tournament. Visit www.wrestling411.tv for information on the show.

Two-time All-American wrestler Jayson Ness of the University of Minnesota has drawn a new opponent for his match at the 43rd annual National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Star Classic. Ness, who will be competing in the 133-pound class this year after earning All-American accolades at the 125-pound level each of the last two seasons, will wrestle Jimmy Kennedy from Illinois. Ness was originally slated to face Iowa's Joey Slayton. The NWCA All-Star Classic annually showcases the nation's top wrestlers. This year's event is being hosted by Ohio State on Nov. 24 at St. John's Arena and will be televised live on ESPNU. Last year, Ness tied a single-season school record with 20 pins. The national runner-up at 125 pounds at the NCAA Championships last March in St. Louis, the junior is one of four returning starters and one of two returning All-Americans for a Minnesota squad that is just two years removed from a national championship.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The University of Northern Iowa wrestling team has signed five wrestlers to National Letters-of-Intent, head coach Brad Penrith announced today. Inking to wrestle for the Panthers starting in 2009-2010 are Jake Demmon (Ottumwa, Iowa/Eddyville-Blakesburg HS), Joe Johnson (Swea City, Iowa/Algona HS/Iowa Central CC), Joey Lazor (McDonough, Ga./Union Grove HS), Ryan Loder (Granite Bay, Calif./Granite Bay HS), Brice Wolf (Greeley, Colo./Greeley Central HS). Demmon (125/133 lbs.) captured a state title in 2008 for Eddyville-Blakesburg High School as he pinned his way through the 119-pound weight class. Demmon's title capped a perfect junior season at 42-0. He was a freestyle regional runner-up and earned All-America honors with a seventh-place finish at Junior Nationals. In 2007, he placed third in the state tournament with a mark of 45-3 at 119 pounds. He was a sectional and regional champ in 2007. Demmon also captured the 2007 freestyle state championship. As a freshman, he qualified for state in the 112-pound weight class with a 36-5 record. Demmon is a three-time academic all-district and first-team all-district honoree. Demmon has compiled a three-year prep record of 123-8. Demmon is ranked fifth in the nation in his weight class in freestyle wrestling by W.I.N. Magazine. "We are extremely happy to have Jake sign with us," Penrith said. "He is one of the finest wrestlers in the state. He is very hard-nosed, wrestles hard and has a gas tank. He loves the sport." Johnson (184/197 lbs.) is ranked No. 2 in the nation at 184 pounds going into his sophomore season at Iowa Central Community College. Johnson placed fourth at last year's NJCAA national meet. Johnson was a three-time state placer at Algona High School. Johnson placed fourth in the state as a senior at 189 pounds after posting a 34-2 record. He placed fourth in the state as a junior at 171 pounds. He tallied a fifth-place finish at 171 pounds at the 2005 state tournament. Johnson posted a prep record of 121-23. He was a two-time first-team all-state linebacker in high school. "Joe is very discipline, motivated, and hasn't even come close to reaching his full potential," Penrith said. "He may be our diamond in the rough this year. I'm excited to add another quality Iowa high school wrestler to our program." Lazor (133/141 lbs.) recently placed third in the nation at the Super 32s. He won the 130-pound Class AAAAA state championship in Georgia as a junior with a perfect 45-0 record. Lazor has compiled a prep record of 163-8 heading into his senior season. He placed second in the state as a sophomore in the 119-pound weight class and also placed fourth in the state as a freshman at 103 pounds. Lazor placed third at the 2008 Brute Adidas Nationals. He is ranked as the 12th-best senior in the nation in his weight class by W.I.N. Magazine. "Joey puts a lot of high goals on himself," Penrith said. "He has a very positive attitude and strong work ethic both in the classroom and on the mat. He has a natural feel on the mat, comes out on top a lot." Loder (184 lbs.) is the 90th-ranked overall recruit in the nation by InterMat. He is ranked as the 6th-best senior recruit in his weight class by W.I.N. Magazine. He is ranked as the ninth-best senior recruit in his weight class by InterMat. Loder is a four-time high school All-American and he placed sixth in the state tournament as junior. Loder placed in the top-12 in the state of California as a sophomore. He placed third at Cadets in 2007 and sixth at Juniors in 2008. He has compiled a high school record of 124-19 heading into his senior season. "We feel Ryan will be an excellent all-around wrestler for us," Penrith said. "He is very focused, has a great attitude and we feel his potential is unlimited." Wolf (174 lbs.) is the 46th-ranked overall recruit in the nation by InterMat. Wolf placed fourth at the 2008 High School Nationals. Wolf is a three-time state placer in the state of Colorado and won the state title as a sophomore. He placed fifth in the state as a freshman and notched a third-place finish as a junior. He is a three-time all-conference honoree. Wolf has compiled a prep record of 116-13 heading into his senior season. Wolf is a two-time football letterwinner. He has earned the Academic Excellence Award and maintains a 3.57 grade point average. He was a Colorado High School Athletic Association Academic All-State honorable mention honoree. He wrestled for head coaches Eric Penfold and Joe Banas in high school. He plans to major in business and minor in art at UNI. "We're really excited to have Brice join our program," Penrith said. "He has a great work ethic and passion for the sport. He wrestles very hard. He is in a weigh class where we need some depth. He is our first kid from Colorado since Steve Ertl."

This week's edition of "On the Mat" will feature Ohio State University assistant coach Joe Heskett and Luther College (IA) head coach Dave Mitchell. Joe Heskett won three high school state championships for Walsh-Jesuit High School in Ohio. At Iowa State University, Heskett was a four-time all-american and three-time finalist at 165 pounds, winning the NCAA title as a senior in 2002. He was also a four-time academic all-american. Heskett had considerable international wrestling success prior to winning both the U.S. Nationals and the World Team Trials in 2007. He placed fifth at the World Championships at 163 pounds and was forced to retire from competition shortly afterwards due to health concerns. Currently, Heskett is an assistant coach at Ohio State University where he helped the Buckeyes to a second place finish at last season's NCAA Championships. Dave Mitchell is in his 13th season as the head coach at Division III power Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. Mitchell was the NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year in 2004 following his team's third place finish. Luther College has finished in the top five nationally six times since 2001. He has coached 39 all-americans, seven national champions and compiled a dual meet record of 156-62-5. A native of Riceville, Iowa, Mitchell was an all-american wrestler at University of Wisconsin- LaCrosse and was a two-time academic all-american. "On the Mat" can be heard live on the internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on AM 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with questions or comments about the show.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- University of Wyoming 174-pounder Shane Onufer has been named the Western Wrestling Conference's Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. Onufer (Auburn, Wash./Auburn HS) went 5-0 this past weekend, led Wyoming to a 34-10 dual win over Stanford and earned the 174-pound title at the Cowboy Open. In his five matches Onufer did not give up a single point to his opponents. On Friday night he won by fall at 1:54 over Stanford's Victor Haug, giving Wyoming a large cushion on the way to UW's first dual win of the season. Onufer then bullied his way to the 174-pound crown on Saturday in the Elite Division at the 36th annual Cowboy Open. He posted a 4-0 record and was named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler. He won his first two matches by fall, his third round bout by major decision, 15-0 over Brett Hunter of Chadron State, and then out-muscled Nebraska-Kearney's Kamarudeen Usman, the No.2 ranked DII wrestler in the country, by a score of 7-0 in the finals. Onufer's season record is now 13-0, with nine pins. 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: Northern Colorado - Tony Mustari, Jr., 125 lbs., Greeley, Colo. North Dakota State - Kenny Moenkedick, So., 184 lbs., Perham, Minn. UNI - Trevor Kittleson, So., 149 lbs., St. Ansgar, Iowa Utah Valley State - Ben Kjar, So., 125 lbs., Centerville, Utah