InterMat Staff

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestlers, ranked No. 8 nationally, will close out the 2006 portion of their schedule by hosting local rival Lock Haven on Friday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall. Penn State will enter the dual with a 4-1 mark, coming off a split last weekend. Penn State downed Lehigh in Rec Hall but fell at No. 5 Hofstra on Sunday. Lock Haven comes in with a 2-2 mark after being shut out by Edinboro on Sunday. Penn State is coming off an up and down weekend. On Friday, the Nittany Lions won six of four bouts against visiting Lehigh and came away with a convincing 23-12 win. The key victory in that bout was freshman Dan Vallimont's 3-1 upset over No. 8 Trevor Chinn at 149. But on Sunday, Penn State found the footing tough as No. 5 Hofstra defended its home mat with a 24-10 win over Penn State. Junior Mark McKnight (125), sophomore Jake Strayer (133) and Aaron Anspach (HWT) each won for Penn State in the dual. Top-ranked Phil Davis (197) and second-ranked James Yonushonis (174) suffered upset losses. Anspach and McKnight remain undefeated on the year. Anspach, the senior heavyweight, is now 5-0 and ranked No. 11. McKnight is now 10-0 and ranked No. 3. Strayer is 10-1 with his only loss a one-point decision to No. 1 Nick Simmons of MIchigan State. Strayer is ranked No. 7. Joining that trio in the national rankings are All-Americans Davis (No. 5) and Yonushonis (No. 3). In all, Penn State has three ranked in the top five and five overall. Lock Haven brings a 2-2 mark into the dual after a 45-0 loss at Edinboro on Sunday. The Bald Eagles are led by No. 6 Obe Blanc at 125 and No. 15 Seth Martin at 157. This will be the 33rd meeting between the two schools. Penn State owns a 28-4 edge in the all-time series, including last year's 33-7 win at Lock Haven. As a special promotion for Friday's dual with Lock Haven, Nittany Lion wrestling buttons will be distributed to fans at the match while supplies last. Penn State will return to action on Sunday, Jan. 7, when it treks to Ithaca for a battle with No. 13 Cornell. It's next home dual is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 28, when Ohio State comes to Rec Hall. All Penn State duals will be heard live on WBLF AM and WKVA AM as well as streamed for free at GoPSUsports.com. Season and single-match tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling the Penn State ticket office at 814-863-1000 or 800-833-5533 for more information. Fans can also get tickets at GoPSUsports.com. This year's season ticket prices are $24 for adults and $18 for students. Single dual prices are $5 per event for adults and $3 per event for youth. All of Penn State's matches can be heard locally on WBLF 970 AM and at GoPSUsports.com

Since my last blog entry, we have only had two dual meets vs. intra-state rivals Northern Illinois and Eastern Illinois. It was finals time at NU and the guys were focusing on that and match preparation. Our practices have been intense and the team was eager to compete. We had about a week and a half off (from competition) since the NWCA All Star Classic, which I felt was needed. The competitive break allowed time for people to heal up from their minor injuries. With wrestling being such a hard sport, people get banged up, fingers get jammed or broken, muscles get pulled, eyes and heads get cut … your body starts feeling old and beat up from the everyday pounding on the mat. Every now and again you need to take some time off from that pounding. Our coaches at NU are very calculated about these breaks. In my opinion, the coaches used our two duals as a way to get some of the newer guys matches and some of us older guys a break. That's enough talk about injuries and the grind. Focusing on the match is what I am all about. Our weekend resulted in a dual meet record of 2-0 bringing our overall record to 8-0 on the season. The 8-0 start ties the best start in NU wrestling history … way to go Tim Cysewski! I believe that we wrestled phenomenally against Northern Illinois. Mike Tamillow and Dustin Fox got us going and they both looked great. It gave us a 6-0 team lead. Our 125 freshman, Brandon Precin, had another big match as he turned a 5-1 deficit into a 6-5 victory. The kid is tough. He probably doesn't even know that Pat Castillo took John Velez into overtime last year! At 133, James Kohlberg had to overcome a 2-0 deficit in the third period. The NIU opponent chose down in the final period and Kohlberg turned him three times en route to a 7-2 victory. That match got the fans on their feet as they welcomed No. 1-ranked Ryan Lang to the mat. Lang went out there and showed why he is the best wrestler in the nation. He dominated his opponent for a 13-0 win. We dropped a match at 149, but we came back with a key win at 157. NIU forfeited to us at 165 and that sealed the match for us. Nick Hayes finished the night off with a fantastic win against Danny Burk in overtime. The key to our victory was managing our positions. Most everyone on the team put themselves in a position to win their individual match. Our head coach (Tim Cysewski) had a great quote for the media after the match. Cysewski said, "Finals week at Northwestern is a tough time and I think the guys let out some of that frustration tonight." The following afternoon, our team won 8 of 10 matches in defeating Eastern Illinois. It was another great effort. Until next time, Jake Herbert Past Entries: Entry 4 (11/29/06) Entry 3 (11/16/06) Entry 2 (11/1/06) Entry 1 (10/17/06)

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. -– The Rutgers wrestling team (1-2, 1-0 EIWA) won its first dual match of the season with a 40-3 Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) victory over Princeton University (0-8, 0-1 EIWA) on Tuesday night at the College Avenue Gym. The Scarlet Knights scored bonus points in five bouts, including pins from Dan Hilt (Manalapan, N.J.), Chris Norrell (Phillipsburg, N.J.), and Matt Pletcher (Eastampton, N.J.). Kyle Milanese (Delran, N.J.) posted a technical fall at 141 pounds, while at 149 pounds Jack Barrett (Metuchen, N.J.) and Keith Dobish (Lodi, N.J.) won by major decision. Also recording wins for the Scarlet Knights were Mike Whalen (Lake Hiawatha, N.J.), Karim Mahmoud (Wallington, N.J.) and Mike D'Amico (Kenilworth, N.J.). In the second match of the night, Hilt recorded his first pin of the season at the 4:34 mark against Princeton's Jeff Kirchick. Hilt took an early 8-0 lead following the first period, scoring his first takedown just 17 seconds into the match. With 1:35 remaining in the second period, Hilt turned Kirchick, recording the pin and giving the Scarlet Knights an early 6-3 lead in the match. Rutgers got another pin at the 157-pound weight class from Norrell, as he recorded his first-career dual-match win. Princeton's Mike Alvarez struck first, scoring a takedown, but Norrell reversed him with 39 seconds remaining to tie the score. In the second, Norrell scored another takedown before turning at the 4:02 mark to post the pin. Pletcher posted the Scarlet Knights' third pin of the match at 165 pounds over Robbie Brenner. With a 2-0 lead in the second, Pletcher scored an escape and a takedown, owning a 7-0 lead heading into the third. Following a takedown with 55 seconds left, Pletcher pinned Brenner at the 6:33 mark. At 141 pounds, Milanese posted his first technical fall of the season, including scoring seven points in the first period, en route to the 16-0 victory over the Tigers' Stephen Savin. With a 7-0 lead, Milanese scored eight backpoints in the second period and was awarded one point for 3:53 of riding time to get the tech-fall win at the 5:00 mark for Rutgers, as the Scarlet Knights took an 11-3 lead. Barrett recorded a 15-3 major-decision win at 149 pounds over the Tigers' Jesse Palermo. With a 2-1 lead after the opening period, Barrett scored three points on an escape from the defensive position and a takedown. After Palermo escaped to open the third, Barrett scored three more takedowns and earned a point for riding time (2:13) to win the bout for the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers got a 5-1 decision win from Whalen at 174 pounds over Princeton's John Clore. Whalen tallied two takedowns, one in both the first and second period, en route to the win. He also earned one point for 2:49 of riding time. At 184 pounds, Dobish posted his second-straight win with an 12-4 major decision over the Tigers' Oliver Noteware. Dobish took an early 4-2 lead through the first period, and scored an escape from the defensive position and another takedown in the second. In the final period, he scored three nearfall points and was awarded a point for riding time to get the Scarlet Knights win. Mahmoud picked up a decision win over Princeton's Zach Morse at 197 pounds. Mahmoud scored two takedowns in the opening period, taking a 4-1 lead, and scored on an escape and a takedown in the second to own a 7-3 lead heading into the final two minutes. Mahmoud escaped from the defensive position and earned a point for riding time to post the 8-3 win. In the final bout of the night, D'Amico won a 3-2 decision over Princeton's Kris Berr. D'Amico led 2-0 after the first period, but Berr cut the lead to one in the second with an escape. After selecting the defensive position, D'Amico got his third point on an escape, but Berr earned a penalty point after D'Amico was called for his second stalling violation. Rutgers will be idle until Saturday, Jan. 6, when it travels to Franklin & Marshall for a dual match with the Diplomats. Match time is set for 2:00 p.m.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Utah Valley State junior wrestler Marc Fenwick has been named the Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. Fenwick pinned Portland State's Tony Contreras (3:39) helping the Wolverines to a 26-19 victory over Portland State Saturday. Fenwick, who normally wrestles at 157, wrestled up two weights as he has all season. "Fenwick has been huge for us all season," UVSC head coach Greg Williams said. "He got a big fall for us against Portland State." 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 State and Wyoming. Other nominees: Air Force: Jake Kriegbaum, 141 lbs., Jr., Abilene, Kan. (Abilene HS) Northern Colorado: Luke Salazer, 157 lbs., Sr., Thornton, Colo. (Thornton HS/Boise State Univ.)

Blair, NE -- Dana College, the 2006 NAIA National Champions, and Head Coach Richard Fergola announced the early signing of three prep stars to national letters of intent for the 2007-08 wrestling season. The Vikings have compiled a three-peat of top five Non-Division I recruiting classes since 2004. Dana has claimed the No. 4, No. 1 and No. 2 recruiting classes as ranked by Wrestling USA magazine. The 2007-08 class is off to a great start. Keaton Taylor (Silver Lake, Kan.), Matt Mueller (Malcolm, Neb.), and Kendall Burke (Raymore, Mo.) have committed to the Viking wrestling program. "These three young men epitomize what we are looking for in a student-athlete," said Fergola. Taylor comes from a storied program at Silver Lake (Kan.) High School. Taylor recently won a state championship in football for the Eagles and will now vie for an individual state wrestling title in Class 3-2-1A. Taylor is a three-time state place-winner for Head Coach Harry Lamar and the Eagles, placing 4th, 6th and 4th respectively. Taylor most importantly carries over a 3.5 G.P.A. Taylor will compete at 133 and/or 141 for the Vikings. Mueller is a native Nebraskan, competing out of Malcolm (Neb.) High School. Mueller is a Nebraska state qualifier, but is yet another high academic student/athlete with a perfect 4.0 G.P.A. Mueller will major in Sport Management at Dana College and compete at 157. Finally, hailing from Ray-Pec High School in Peculiar, Mo., is Burke. Burke is another two-sport athlete that was part of a state championship football team this season and will be looking for his third individual state wrestling title, claiming the championship in 2006 and 2005. Burke is currently ranked No. 19 among the nation's top seniors as rated by Wrestling USA magazine and is a Top 200 recruit as rated by Intermat. Burke will compete at 149 or 157 for the Vikings. "These three young men will add tremendous talent and work ethic to our institution as well as our wrestling program," said Fergola. "I am very excited to have them become part of our program and look forward to tremendous things from them."

Redshirt freshman Jayson Ness has been named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week, the conference office announced today. The 125-pounder from Bloomington, Minn., posted a pair of decisions last week to jump-start the Gophers in victories over top-ranked Oklahoma State and at No. 7 Iowa State. Ness overcame an early deficit against OSU's Tyler Shinn to win 6-3 to give the Gophers an early lead against the Cowboys. On Friday at Iowa State, Ness scored five takedowns against Nick Fanthorpe to cruise to a 12-5 decision. After entering the season unranked, Ness has quickly catapulted himself into the top 10 in the nation and established as one of Minnesota's top wrestlers. Currently ranked No. 9 in the country, Ness now has a 13-2 overall record on the season, including 6-1 dual meets. His 22 team points is tied for fourth on the team. Ness began the season with three straight pins on his way to a second-place finish at the Bison Open. His only loss came in the championship match to fifth-ranked Tanner Gardner of Stanford. A week later, Ness captured the 125-pound title at the Kaufman-Brand Open, defeating No. 6 Paul Donahoe of Nebraska along the way. After losing his first career dual meet start to No. 20 David Tomasette of Hofstra, Ness has since rattled off six straight victories. This is the first Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honor for Ness during his career. He is the third Gopher to earn the award this season, following Gabriel Dretsch (Nov. 22) and Roger Kish (Nov. 29).

Franklin Gomez's life -- and wrestling career -- has taken him from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico to Michigan State … with stops along the way in New Jersey and Florida. Franklin GomezThe Spartan freshman 125-pounder was born in the Dominican Republic … grew up in Puerto Rico … went to high school for one year in New Jersey before transferring to Brandon High School outside Tampa … and now lives off-campus in a house in East Lansing. Along the way, Franklin Gomez has managed to build an impressive wrestling career, winning the "triple crown" of high school wrestling in 2005 (along with a Florida state title) … and has made a positive impression in competition for Michigan State, with a 20-3 record as a redshirt freshman last year, and, as of this writing, a 18-1 start this year. Introduced to wrestling in Puerto Rico Franklin took up wrestling as a twelve-year-old in Puerto Rico, introduced to the sport by a friend who invited him to his wrestling club, named, ironically, the Spartan Club. "I always liked sports to entertain myself," says Franklin. "I started to take wrestling seriously… The coach, Pedro Rojas, had a lot of rules. One was that you had to show your report card to stay in the club… He's like my second dad." (Franklin was raised by a single mother; his father died when Franklin was only five.) "We learned only freestyle. I didn't know folkstyle until I moved to the U.S … If you learn freestyle, Greco and folkstyle, what you learn from each style helps you in whatever style you're wrestling at the time. It's really helpful with positioning." Franklin's mom, Magarita Matos, was concerned about the quality of education he was receiving in Puerto Rico. Coach Rojas suggested that Franklin move to the United States for his high school studies. Imagine leaving your mom, your friends and all that you've known as a sixteen-year-old and moving to New Jersey to live with someone you don't even know. That's what Franklin Gomez did in pursuit of a better education. He went to St. Augustine Prep as a sophomore, and lived there for one year … but didn't like the cold weather, so moved back to Puerto Rico. Mat career really takes off at Brandon Coach Rojas was aware of Brandon High School in Florida, and recommended it to Franklin, who left his home and mother for a second time to live with a family he didn't know, in a place he only knew as a dot on the map. "I didn't know anything about the school," says Franklin. "I didn't realize how good the program is." Most wrestlers and wrestling fans recognize Brandon as being one of the top prep programs in the U.S. Led by longtime head coach Russ Cozart (who owns the record for the longest dual-meet win streak at over 400 matches), Brandon has seventeen Florida state team titles. In addition to Franklin Gomez, the suburban Tampa school has produced a number of name-brand wrestlers, including Josh Lambrecht (a three-time All-American and 2002 NCAA finalist for the Oklahoma Sooners), as well as current collegians Rocky Cozart (a teammate of Franklin's at Michigan State), Cesar Grajales (University of Pennsylvania), and David Craig (Lehigh). When asked what it was like to work with coach Cozart, Franklin had an emphatic, one-word response: "Awesome!" He then continued, "He's like one of us, wrestled with us. Practice was hard, lots of one-on-one drilling, which was a great experience… He taught me everything I know about folkstyle." Franklin achieved great things in his two years at Brandon High. In his junior year in 2004, he placed third at Junior Nationals in freestyle and Greco-Roman. As a senior, he won the Florida high school state title with a perfect 44-0 record, and brought home titles from the Ironman and Beast of the East tournaments that attract top prep wrestlers from across the country. Franklin also earned "triple crown" honors by winning the NHSCA Senior Nationals, the Junior Nationals in freestyle, and the Junior Nationals in Greco-Roman. All these accomplishments did not go unnoticed by the national wrestling media; in 2005, Franklin was ranked as the top high school senior at 119 pounds by both Amateur Wrestling News and Wrestling USA magazines. Despite all these successes on the mat, it was a challenge for Franklin to be away from the life he knew in Puerto Rico. "There were days I wanted to go home, especially when I was in New Jersey," Franklin discloses. "But it was worth the sacrifices to get a better education." "Mike Joyce, my guardian in Tampa, was like another father to me. Without the support of Mike and his wife Debbie, I wouldn't have gotten so far. I stay in touch with them; I feel part of their family." Attracting attention of college coaches With all his wrestling accomplishments -- and being part of a high-profile prep program -- Franklin Gomez attracted the attention of a number of college coaches. "I tried to be straightforward in my looking at schools," says Franklin. "I wanted to go to a place where I could get a good education, and trust the coach." "Michigan State has great coaches who really know wrestling," according to Franklin. Tom MinkelHere's how Tom Minkel, head coach of the Spartans, describes the recruiting process: "We signed Rocky Cozart, and were recruiting David Craig at the time. While we were at the Florida state tourney, Coach Cozart said, 'Keep your eye on Franklin Gomez.' We were impressed. When we met in person, we really hit it off." "I had lived in Venezuela and Guatemala, and speak some Spanish, which helped us bond." "Franklin came up for a visit in April," continues coach Minkel. "The timing was perfect -- it was a beautiful weekend, after having bad weather the weekend before." "I wanted a place where I knew I could stay," says Franklin. "Michigan State is a nice campus. The people are really nice." "We think it's a good fit in many ways," according to Spartans' head coach. "He's got great training partners, (as well as) his relationship with me. We even found a church for him." Soaring to new heights as a Spartan Franklin Gomez was a redshirt freshman at Michigan State during the 2005-06 season. For a Division I wrestler who admits that "the first time I saw college wrestling was on my first recruiting trip," Franklin achieved much in his first year at East Lansing, compiling a 20-3 record in unattached competition … with two of those losses being to Spartan teammate Nick Simmons (two-time 125-pound Big Ten champ and three-time NCAA All-American) in tournament events. During that redshirt year, Franklin won championships at the Cleveland State Open, the Edinboro Open, and Kent State Open… and placed second at the Michigan State Open, Nittany Lion Open, and Eastern Michigan Open. Of the twenty victories, eleven were by major decision. After a summer spent in the practice room and in action (competing in various events, including the U.S. World Team Trials), Franklin Gomez started his first official year of competition for Michigan State at 125 pounds … while the veteran Nick Simmons moved up to 133 for his senior year. As of early December, Franklin is off to a great start, with only one loss in nineteen matches. At the Eastern Michigan Open, he won the championship by getting a 9-1 major decision in the finals over Navy's Alex Usztics. In fact, at the EMU Open, Franklin had only three points scored on him in five matches, winning two of them by major decision and one by technical fall. On his home turf, Franklin was equally impressive, winning the 125-pound crown at the MSU Open by defeating Lock Haven's Obe Blank, 5-1, in the finals. During the tournament, he got a tech fall and a major decision. In dual-meet competition in his freshman season, Franklin got a 4-1 victory over Tyler Shinn of Oklahoma State … then, a 12-2 major decision over Edinboro's Eric Morrill. At the Penn State Open the first weekend in December, Franklin won his first five matches before suffering his first loss of the season, a 5-3 sudden-victory defeat to Penn State's Mark McKnight in the finals. (McKnight and Nick Simmons are the only two wrestlers to beat Franklin in NCAA competition; the Nittany Lion 125-pounder also defeated the Spartan in the finals of the PSU Open last year. Franklin Gomez and Mark McKnight will most likely square off again later this season at the Michigan State-Penn State dual February 18 at East Lansing.) Striving to Succeed When asked to compare prep competition to what he's experienced at Michigan State, Franklin says, "In high school, in a tournament of thirty-six wrestlers, maybe six are really good. In college, everyone is good. The level of competition is way up." Franklin Gomez describes his style as being "quick, moving all the time, maintaining position, sometimes exploding." He adds, "I don't look at the ranking of an opponent. I don't even care about my ranking. (He's currently ranked fifth at 125 by RevWrestling.com) I respect every opponent the same. I wrestle each guy equally hard." "He's very hard-working, with an excellent work ethic," according to Michigan State coach Tom Minkel. "He's always evaluating his performance, always asking questions, always seeking better ways to do things … He's joy to have in the program." Franklin Gomez won by technical fall (16-0) over John Olanowski of Missouri on Dec. 10.Coach Minkel continues, "(Franklin) studies hard, is a good student. He is very committed to his church … He's just become a U.S. citizen." Where will his time at Michigan State take Franklin Gomez? "I'm working towards becoming a sports administrator, perhaps an athletic director someday," says the Spartan freshman who is seeking a minor in coaching. "I'm studying sports and exercise science. That's what my coach in Puerto Rico did. He has a lot of knowledge not just about coaching, but the human body and how it works." As for wrestling goals, Franklin Gomez sets his sights beyond successful seasons and NCAA titles. "My ultimate goal is to win world titles and the Olympics. I wrestled at the U.S. Team Trials this summer, winning three matches and losing two, but those losses were close. I think I'm right in there with others at my weight." It would seem Franklin Gomez is well on his way.

Team: 1. Cornell 2. Penn 3. Navy 4. Columbia 5. Lehigh 6. Harvard 7. American 8. Bucknell Individual: 125_ 1. Troy Nickerson, Cornell 2. Matt Fisk, Lehigh 3. Matt Eveleth, Penn 4. Alex Usztics, Navy 5. Whitt Dunning, Army 6. Brandon Kinney, Columbia 133_ 1. Matt Valenti, Penn 2. Joe Baler, Navy 3. Matt DeLorenzo, Columbia 4. Matt Kyler, Army 5. Seth Ciasulli, Lehigh 6. Jordan Lipp, American 141_ 1. Max Metltzer, Harvard 2. Matt Ciasulli, Lehigh 3. Cesar Grajales, Penn 4. Derek Francavilla, Columbia 5. Sean Carr, East Stroudsburg 6. Keith Dickey, Cornell 149_ 1. Jordan Leen, Cornell 2. John Cox, Navy 3. Trevor Chinn, Lehigh 4. JP O'Connor, Harvard 5. Rob Hitschler, Penn 6. Matt Dunn, Columbia 157_ 1. Andrew Flanagan, Harvard 2. Devin Mesanko, Columbia 3. Matt Dragon, Penn 4. John Jarrad, Navy 5. Chris Grill, Army 6. Brantley Hooks, Bucknell 165_ 1. Steve Anceravage, Cornell 2. Mike Cannon, American 3. Ricky Turk, Columbia 4. Andy Rendos, Bucknell 5. Zach Shanaman, Penn 6. Shawn Kitchner, Brown 174_ 1. Matt Herrington, Penn 2. Mat Stolpinski, Navy 3. Joey Hooker, Cornell 4. Brent Smith, Army 5. Rudy Rueda, American 6. David Helfrich, Lehigh 184_ 1. Louis Caputo, Harvard 2. Justin Barent, Columbia 3. Lior Zamir, Penn 4. Antonio Miranda, Navy 5. David Craig, Lehigh 6. Josh Arnone, Cornell 197_ 1. Jerry Rinaldi, Cornell 2. Josh Glenn, American 3. Matt Cassidy, Lehigh 4. Eric Lapotsky, Bucknell 5. Connor Sanders, Army 6. Kirk Davis, Columbia 285_ 1. Bode Ogunwole, Harvard 2. Adam LoPiccolo, American 3. Paul Weibel, Lehigh 4. Zack Hammond, Cornell 5. Ed Prendergast, Navy 6. Nico Somers, Navy

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. -– The Rutgers wrestling team (0-2) will host Princeton University (0-7) in an in-state battle on Tuesday, Dec. 12, at 7:00 p.m. at the College Avenue Gymnasium. "The Rutgers-Princeton rivalry is steeped in tradition and has great alumni interest from each university," said head coach John Sacchi. "Both line-ups are young and lack experience so the match could go either way." The Scarlet Knights are coming off a 36-4 loss to the University of Maryland on Dec. 9. Freshman Keith Dobish (Lodi, N.J.) posted his first career dual-match win at 184 pounds, recording the lone win for the Scarlet Knights in the match. Dobish took an early 2-0 lead against Maryland's Rich DiPietro with a takedown at the 2:03 mark. Leading 2-1 to start the second period, Dobish selected the defensive position and escaped just eight seconds in. After scoring four points in the second period, Dobish got another takedown, two nearfall points and earned a point for riding time to win the 12-3 major decision. After seeing limited action last year and posting a 3-2 record in tournaments, sophomore Jack Barrett (Metuchen, N.J.) is making his presence felt in the Scarlet Knights line-up and leads the team with nine wins this season, including two pins. Freshman Chris Norrell (Phillipsburg, N.J.) has eight wins, while senior Dan Hilt (Manalapan, N.J.) has six wins in the early going of the season. The meeting between the two teams will be the 70th, as the Tigers lead the all-time series, 31-33-5. Under Sacchi, Rutgers has won 10 out of 12 meetings, including the last nine matches. A 9-3 decision win by Mike D'Amico at heavyweight lifted Rutgers to a 22-21 win over Princeton in last season's match-up on Jan. 6, 2006. Bonus points keyed the Scarlet Knights' win as Ryan Jablonski posted a pin at 125 pounds and Jamie Lijo won by fall at 184 pounds. Rudy Medini, one of RU's seniors last year, won by major decision at 184 pounds.Rutgers also got a decision win by 2006 NCAA qualifier Steve Adamcsik at 141 pounds. Following the match with Princeton, the Scarlet Knights will be idle until Jan. 6 when they travel to Franklin & Marshall for a dual match-up at 2:00 p.m.

The Upper Iowa Wrestling team traveled to St. Cloud State University on Saturday, the 9th, to compete in one of the region's best showcases of talented individuals and teams. The Husky Open featured wrestlers from Upper Iowa (#7 NCAA DII), Minnesota State-Mankato (#3 NCAA DII), St. Cloud State, Southwest Minnesota State, Augsburg (#1 NCAA DIII), UW-LaCrosse (#3 NCAA DIII), as well as Division III schools St. John's and Concordia and many solid NAIA and junior college programs. The Peacocks finished the day with one champion (Ryan Phillips at 197 pounds), three 2nd place finishers (John Gamble at 141 pounds, Mitch Norton at 165 pounds, and Brady Hakeman at 174 pounds), three 4th place finishers (Jacob Pederson at 141 pounds, Tony Gehling at 184 pounds, and Dan Goodson at 285 pounds), two fifth place finishers (Nate Naumann at 133 pounds and Travis Eggers at 157 pounds) and one sixth place finisher (Sean Washington at 157 pounds). In the 125 pound weight class, Tyler Mumbulo (#6 NCAA DII / #3 N. Central Region) was battling a bad case of the flu, but won his first match by pin and then was withdrawn from the tournament by the UIU coaching staff. Bruce Bearman was the second Peacock at 125. Bearman lost his opening match to the #5 seed by decision, 15-9, but won by technical fall in his first consolation match and then lost 2-0 to the Southwest State starter by decision, 2-0. Head Coach Heath Grimm said, "I wanted Tyler to get a match in while he wasn't feeling 100%, so that he knows what it is like to perform under those conditions." In the 133 pound weight class, Nate Naumann (#3 N. Central Region) won his first match by decision, 9-6, over the St. Cloud starter and won in the quarterfinals by technical fall. In the semis, Naumann lost to the #2 seed in a very close match, 7-3. In the consolation semi-finals, he lost 2-1, but finished his day with a victory over the #5 seed, 9-5, in the tournament to claim 5th place. The second Peacock in this class was Layne Greedy, who lost two very close matches 7-6 and 4-3. "Nate is so close to breaking out for us and Layne is right on the edge too. They both just need to learn how to win the close matches," Grimm stated. In the 141 pound weight class, John Gamble (#6 NCAA DII / #2 N. Central Region) won his first three matches with three pins. In the semi-finals Gamble defeated Efrain Ayala (#5 NCAA DII / #1 N. Central Region) from Mankato by decision, 9-4. Gamble lost in the finals to Travis Elg, 8-3, and finished as the runner-up. Elg earned the Outstanding Wrestler honor for his performance on the day. Jacob Pederson also wrestled at 141 pounds and did quite well. Pederson lost his first match 15-10, but then rattled off five straight wins only to be stopped in the consolation finals by the #1 seed Quincy Osborn (Augsburg / University of Minnesota transfer), 13-5. Pederson finished in 4th place for the tournament. Grimm said, "John and Jacob both wrestled very well. John's three pins to begin the day was special and Jacob really turned the corner in his preparation and training this past week." In the 149 pound weight class, Andy Norton was the lone competing Peacock. He won his first match 14-7, but then lost 4-3 to the #4 seed and 13-3 in his final match of the day. In the 157 pound weight class, Sean Washington began his tournament with a loss by pin to Brandon Girtz (#7 NCAA DII), but then picked up four wins in a row in the consolation brackets. Washington won by major decision 17-3, by pin, by major decision 17-6, and by decision 10-7. In the consolation semi-finals, Washington was leading 3-0 and in control of the match when a rib popped out and he had to default the match due to injury and had to forfeit the following match with unattached, UIU wrestler Travis Eggers to finish in 6th place. Brett Hakeman was the second attached wrestler at 157. Hakeman won his first match 12-6, but lost his second match, 10-0, to eventual champion, Jeremy Anderson (Augsburg). In two consolation matches, Hakeman won by pin and then lost to Eggers by decision, 4-3. Grimm said, "Sean really wrestled with some fire after his opening loss. I really think he would have finished in third or fourth had he not gotten injured." In the 165 pound weight class, Mitch Norton (#4 N. Central Region) was unseeded in the tournament, but he proved to be one of the two best wrestlers at 165. Norton won his first match 6-3 over the #4 seed, Tim Palmer (LaCrosse, returning DIII All-American). He won his second match 8-2 and advanced to the quarters where he pinned the #5 seed after trailing 5-1. In the semis, Norton was once again trailing, 10-3, but found a way to pin the #1 seed, Scott Glasser, from the University of Minnesota. "Mitch was awesome. It's always great to see an unseeded wrestler go far into the brackets, but I think he was physically spent by the time he got to the finals," said Grimm. In the finals, Norton lost by decision 5-1 to the #6 seed, but he earned a 2nd place finish and a lot of respect from those in attendance. In the 174 pound weight class, Brady Hakeman (#4 N. Central Region) was the lone Peacock. In his opening match, Hakeman won by pin to advance to the quarterfinals where he won by major decision, 14-2. Hakeman won by an injury default during the semi-finals, but lost in the finals by decision, 8-3, to the #1 seed, Josh Chelf (LaCrosse), and finished as the runner-up. "Brady continues to impress more and more as the season continues," said a proud Grimm. In the 184 pound weight class, Phil Bruschuk (#3 N. Central Region) won his first match 7-3 and was leading his second match 8-3 in the 3rd period when his opponent defaulted due to injury. Bruschuk then was withdrawn from the tournament by the coaching staff as he was also battling a bad case of the flu. Tony Gehling was the second Peacock at 184. Gehling won his first two matches by major decision 13-1 and 11-2, but lost his quarterfinals match in overtime 8-6 to the #2 seed, Robbie Gotreau, a returning DIII All-American. Gehling then won his next three matches to reach the consolation finals, but lost to Gotreau again, 8-5. Gehling earned 4th place. "Tony and Phil both did a good job today. Phil battled the sickness and it was important for him to perform today. Tony wrestled with a lot of heart and lost two close matches to a very good wrestler," stated Grimm. In the 197 pound weight class, Ryan Phillips won by technical fall, 17-1, to advance to the quarters where he won by decision, 9-2, over the #7 seed from Augustana College to reach the semi-finals. Phillips won by decision, 6-4, over Ben Janike (Mankato, #3 N. Central Region, defending national qualifier). In the finals, Phillips defeated the #1 seed from the University of Mary, Jesse Labor, a two-time NAIA All-American and the defending NAIA National Champion at 197, by decision, 3-2. Matt Norton was the second Peacock at 197. Norton was pinned by the #6 seed, Justin Bronson (Minnesota), but won by pin in his first consolation match. In his third match of the day, Norton won by decision, 9-5, over unattached teammate Alex Schmidt. In his final match of the day, Norton lost 12-7. Grimm exclaimed, "Ryan was great and I couldn't be happier that he is going to get some recognition for all the hard work he puts in." In the heavyweight division, Josh Johns won his two opening matches with pins, but lost in the quarters as he faced off against teammate Dan Goodson. Johns lost his one consolation match by pin. Dan Goodson finished in 4th place in the bracket. In his opening match, Goodson won in overtime 3-1, and then beat Johns in the quarterfinals. Goodson lost in the semis 6-0 to the #2 seed in the weight class. He won by pin in the consolation semi-finals, but lost 10-3 in the consolation finals. After the tournament, Grimm added the following thoughts, "Today we performed at the highest level of the year. We knew we'd have to come into this tournament prepared so we concentrated our efforts in four areas this past week. We pushed harder with conditioning; we took care of ourselves nutritionally both before and during the competition; we adjusted our training intensity levels from high at the beginning of the week and lowered them as the week progressed; and we focused on our style of wrestling and made sure that we were the aggressors in each match. I am very pleased with where this team is at right now. We are looking forward to our first home dual meet this Friday." The wrestling team will host Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville on Friday, December 15th, in the Peacock's first home dual meet of the year. The meet is scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m.

Team Rankings 1. Augsburg College (MN) 2. Wartburg College (IA) 3. Luther College (IA) 4. Heidelberg College (OH) 5. Delaware Valley College (PA) 6. University of Wisconsin - LaCrosse 7. Cortland State University of New York 8. College of New Jersey 9. North Central College (IL) 10. Coe College (IA) 11. Wilkes University (PA) 12. Springfield College (MA) 13. York College (PA) 14. State University of New York at Brockport 15. Johnson and Wales University (RI) 16. Cornell College (IA) 17. Loras College (IA) 18. University of Dubuque (IA) 19. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point 20. Buena Vista University (IA) 21. Elmhurst College (IL) 22. John Carroll University (OH) 23. Ithaca College (NY) 24. New York University 25. Olivet College (MI) 26. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire 27. Roger Williams University (RI) 28. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater 29. University of Wisconsin - Platteville 30. Bridgewater State (MA) Individual Rankings 125 lbs. 1. Nate Hansen Sr. Luther College 2. Chris Heilman Jr. Cornell College 3. Brandon McDonough Jr. Johnson & Wales University 4. Mike Gummerson Jr. Centenary College 5. Mike McInally Fr. R. I. T. 6. Felipe Quiroz So. Wilkes College 7. Tony Pretto So. Elmhurst College 8. Rob Vaccaro Sr. SUNY Brockport 133 lbs. 1. David Morgan So. King's College 2. Adam Johnson Jr. North Central College 3. Matt Smith Sr. Johnson & Wales University 4. Justin Hulegaard Sr. Buena Vista University 5. Ray Sarinelli Jr. College of New Jersey 6. Jacob Helvey Jr. Wartburg College 7. Billy Hall So. Muhlenburg College 8. Paul Bjorkstrand So. Augsburg College 141 lbs. 1. Paul LeBlanc So. Cortland State 2. Quincy Osbourne Jr. Augsburg College 3. Minga Butsukh Fr. Saint John's University 4. Rick Laforge Sr. Delaware Valley College 5. Mike Gaeta Sr. Springfield College 6. Jared Creason Sr. Coe College 7. Mike Conklin Sr. Norwich University 8. Andrew Lacroix Sr. Roger Williams University 149 lbs. 1. Joe Pflug Jr. Heidleberg College 2. Jason Roush Sr. College of Mount St. Joseph 3. Matt Pyle Sr. Luther College 4. Jared Evans Sr. Augsburg College 5. Don Ooton Sr. SUNY Brockport 6. Gene Kobilansky Sr. New York University 7. Noah Fitzenreider Sr. North Central College 8. Jaryd Steinbacher So. Delaware Valley College 157 lbs. 1. Jeremy Anderson Jr. Augsburg College 2. Ross Needham Sr. UW LaCrosse 3. Elliott Spence Jr. College of Mount St. Joseph 4. Bobby Gingerich Sr. North Central College 5. Joe Galante Sr. College of New Jersey 6. Aaron Wernimont So. Wartburg College 7. Jacob Malone Sr. Saint John's University 8. Jason Brew So. Olivet College 165 lbs. 1. Scott Dorn Sr. UW LaCrosse 2. Steve Martell Jr. Johnson & Wales University 3. Mike Guenther Sr. College of New Jersey 4. Zach Bogardus Jr. Cortland State 5. Jerry Bowne Sr. York College 6. Shaheim Bradshaw Jr. SUNY Brockport 7. Nate VanDyke Jr. Luther College 8. Jake Tyler Jr. Springfield College 174 lbs. 1. Josh Chelf Jr. UW LaCrosse 2. John Dolan Sr. Williams College 3. Tim Miller So. North Central College 4. Jason Zastrow Sr. Wartburg College 5. Dan Jonhenry So. Heidelberg College 6. John Fralick Sr. Bridgewater State 7. Trevor LeBlanc Jr. Cortland State 8. Kyle Capella Sr. Ursinus College 184 lbs. 1. Jason Lulloff Sr. UW LaCrosse 2. Romeo Djoumessi So. Wartburg College 3. Nick Calandrino Sr. Ithaca College 4. Ryan Summers Sr. John Carroll University 5. Craig Bollig Jr. UW Stevens Point 6. Robbie Gotreau Jr. Augsburg College 7. Brett Giehl Jr. SUNY Brockport 8. James Quinlan Jr. Bridgewater State 197 lbs. 1. Brandon Kelly Sr. Wilkes University 2. TJ Miller Jr. Wartburg College 3. Alex Bonander So. Luther College 4. Ryan Fogliano So. Heidelberg College 5. Phil Archer Jr. Cortland State 6. Mike Schmidt Jr. UW Whitewater 7. Ben Strandberg Sr. Buena Vista University 8. Thomas Sanders Sr. Case Western Reserve University 285 lbs. 1. Blake Gillis Sr. Wartburg College 2. John Miller So. Luther College 3. Arkadiy Levitin Sr. Hunter College 4. Andrew Neuman Sr. Augsburg College 5. Jake Taylor Jr. Oswego State 6. Wade Hammen Sr. Buena Vista University 7. Kyle Bilquist So. Delaware Valley College 8. Kyle Brown Sr. Thiel College NEXT RANKING: Week of January 7, 2007

A dozen years ago, Brock Lesnar burst onto the Division I college wrestling scene as a junior at the University of Minnesota. In just two short seasons, Lesnar became a two-time Big Ten heavyweight champ and two-time NCAA finalist, winning the national title his senior year at the 2000 NCAAs. In the decade since, the former Golden Gopher has made a name for himself beyond amateur wrestling, first in professional wrestling in the WWE, and now, in mixed martial arts (MMA), as a former UFC heavyweight champ who hopes to win back the title. Now a new book -- Brock Lesnar: The Making of a Hard-Core Legend by Joel Rippel -- covers all these aspects of Lesnar's life and career, and more. The right book, right on time If anyone were destined to write Lesnar's life story, it would be Joel Rippel. He is a long-time writer for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and has authored four books on Minnesota sports history. And, just like Lesnar, Rippel is a graduate of the University of Minnesota. The timing for a book on Brock Lesnar couldn't be better. More than a decade after first appearing on the radar screens of college wrestling fans, Lesnar continues to make headlines. This month, it was announced the former UFC heavyweight champ would return to the Octagon to face Junior dos Santos at UFC 131 in Vancouver, British Columbia in June. (The two UFC big men have been serving as opposing team coaches on the latest installment of the popular reality TV series The Ultimate Fighter.) Lesnar's name also popped up in numerous stories this month about his college rival Stephen Neal announcing his retirement from the New England Patriots after ten seasons as right guard. Neal defeated Lesnar in the 1999 NCAA Division I heavyweight championship match to win his second national title. First, a bit about Brock For millions of folks, mention the name Brock Lesnar and they immediately think of his meteoric career in Ultimate Fighting Championships, winning the UFC heavyweight title from Randy Couture after less than a handful of MMA matches. For others, Lesnar was "The Next Big Thing" in professional wrestling, becoming the youngest-ever WWE champ at age 25. Some of us are old enough to remember when Brock Edward Lesnar was the "next big thing" in college wrestling. In January 1999, Lesnar was recruited to wrestle at the University of Minnesota after head coach J Robinson saw the Bismarck State College heavyweight -- and 1998 national junior college champ -- demolish the competition at the Bison Open. Within days of coming to Minnesota, Lesnar became THE talk of the amateur wrestling community. The South Dakota native was the subject of numerous threads on wrestling discussion forums. Even Dan Gable weighed in. As a commentator on Iowa Public TV's College Wrestling series, the legendary wrestler and coach said this about the new Golden Gopher heavyweight: "When he strips out of his warm-ups, Brock Lesnar turns more heads than Cindy Crawford in a thong." In a weight class where a number of the competitors looked like the Pillsbury Doughboy, Lesnar's physique was something else. The 6'3", 265-pound Minnesota heavyweight appeared to be carved from granite. (The school's wrestling program capitalized on this fact by issuing a "Brockfast of Champions" poster, featuring Lesnar in his Minnesota singlet, complete with call-outs that provided a "tale of the tape" as to the measurements of his 20" neck, 52" chest, and more.) Lesnar's musculature wasn't the only thing that generated buzz in the college wrestling world. Right from the start, his on-the-mat performance got people talking. Within a couple weeks of becoming a Gopher, Lesnar pinned his way through four matches at the 1999 National Duals. Among his early pin victims: Iowa's Wes Hand, who became arguably Lesnar's top college rival. During the 1999 season -- his first in Division I -- Lesnar compiled a 24-2 record, including a 21-match win streak, and nabbed the Big Ten title. His two losses: to Iowa State's Trent Hynek early in the season, and, to defending heavyweight champ Stephen Neal in the finals at the 1999 NCAAs at Penn State. The following year, Lesnar lost only one match -- to Wes Hand -- but got revenge by defeating the Hawkeye big guy in the Big Ten and NCAA title bouts. Brock's real wrestling career, by the book ... Some biographies of former college wrestling champs who go on to find fame in pro wrestling give short shrift to their subjects' amateur mat careers, either by glossing over their real wrestling accomplishments in a few pages, or, in the case of one bio that comes to mind, being filled with glaring inaccuracies and misrepresentations. In his book, Joel Rippel manages to present a surprisingly complete presentation of the 33-year-old Lesnar's life that includes his growing-up years, and high school and college wrestling careers, as well as time in the WWE and UFC. As Rippel points out, Brock Lesnar grew up on a farm outside Webster, South Dakota. The book is rich with details on Lesnar's early wrestling career, starting in seventh grade ... and his on-the-mat accomplishments at Webster High School. Brock Lesnar: The Making of a Hard-Core Legend then takes the reader to college (with a surprising-to-most-readers side trip), first to Bismarck State College in North Dakota, where Lesnar was a two-time NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) All-American and 1998 NJCAA heavyweight champ. Then the book goes on to provide a look at Lesnar's two years at Minnesota, highlighting some of his most important matches as a Golden Gopher. After winning the heavyweight title at the 2000 NCAAs in a thrilling overtime match with Wes Hand, Lesnar's life was at something of a crossroads. As Rippel states in the book, Lesnar considered many options, including staying at Minnesota to play football for the Gophers, or try to earn a spot on the U.S. freestyle team to compete at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Instead, he threw his hat into the ring ... the pro wrestling ring. ... then to the squared circle and Octagon The book then presents Brock Lesnar's pro wrestling career, first in the Louisville-based Ohio Valley Wrestling, a developmental league for Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment. As was the case with his Division I college mat career, Lesnar's career in the squared circle was meteoric, becoming the youngest-ever WWE champ at age 25, and a superstar recognized around the world. However, as Rippel points out, all that fame -- not to mention the rigors of travel and performing in the ring -- took its toll on the former college champ, and he left the WWE after about five years. Brock Lesnar (Photo/Sherdog.com)Again, Lesnar wasn't sure what to do next. After trying out for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL, he found a new career in mixed martial arts, and, as in his previous personal combat endeavors, shot to the top of the UFC, the big-leagues of MMA, wresting the heavyweight title from another former college mat champ, Randy Couture, at UFC 91 in November 2008. Not everyone in the world of MMA was happy with Lesnar's fast ascent to the title. Rippel shares this quote from UFC rival Frank Mir that has a strong undertone of resentment: "If Brock Lesnar was never in the WWE, he would have never have gotten a title shot. And he knows that. But that's how people get paid. The bottom line is it's not always about who's a better fighter. All I remember from last time is him whimpering and wincing as I was tapping him ..." [Lesnar lost to Mir at UFC 91, February 2008 ... but avenged that loss at UFC 100 in July 2009.] Brock Lesnar: The Making of a Hard-Core Legend provides interesting, behind-the-scenes detail of what many would say was Lesnar's toughest fight: his serious battle for his health that took him out of action for nearly a year, and nearly cost him his life. The book concludes with Lesnar's triumphant return to the Octagon in defeating former NCAA Division II heavyweight champ Shane Carwin at UFC 116 in July 2010; it does not mention his losing the UFC title to Cain Velasquez, an NCAA All-American for Arizona State, at UFC 121 last October. Joel Rippel presents an even-handed biography of Brock Lesnar that strikes an appropriate balance among the various careers of the champ's life, including his amateur wrestling career. It is chock-full of quotes from those who know Lesnar, including former coaches and rivals. The one thing that astute readers may notice: all the quotes from Lesnar himself are from previous interviews, not direct one-on-one conversations between Rippel and Lesnar himself, which gives the book a bit of an "unauthorized biography" feel. (Don't worry; there aren't any salacious details.) Brock Lesnar: The Making of a Hard-Core Legend is available for purchase online from a number of sources, including Amazon. Brock Lesnar is one of four former University of Minnesota wrestlers to win an NCAA heavyweight title. (Only Oklahoma State has more heavyweight champs.) To learn more about Lesnar and his fellow Gopher big men titlewinners, check out Mark Palmer's InterMat Rewind article from May 2007. For photos and more info on Brock Lesnar and other NCAA Division I heavyweight champs from 1928-2000, visit NCAA Heavyweight Champs Yahoo group.

Sioux Falls, SD -- The 1-0 Dana College Vikings put a damper on the home opener for the University of Sioux Falls on Friday December 8th, as the No. 8 ranked Dana Vikings defeated Sioux Falls 46-3. Sioux Falls forfeited at 133 and 149 and the Vikings claimed seven of eight weight classes wrestled on the evening. Starting the Vikings off was 2006 All-American Craig Trampe (Ord, NE) at 125 defeating Chris Strand 11-4. At 133, the Vikings received a forfeit. At 141, freshman sensation Brian Graham (Kansas City, MO) won 14-7 over Eric Engberg. Sioux Falls forfeited again at 149 to Clinton Dale of Dana. Junior Jason Bilinski (Pittsgrove, NJ) recorded the first fall of the evening at 157 over Koln Fink. Red-shirt freshman Bulla Tuzon won by injury default over Brett Jarman at 165 pounds. Tuzon was winning the bout by one point and starting in the down position in the third period when the official called the match. At 174, freshman Josh Ghobadpoor (Dahlonega, GA) dropped a 2-0 decision to Sioux Falls's Derrick Pomranky. Recording two more falls for the Vikings were juniors Webster Farris (Nebraska City, NE) and Wade Jordan (Coulee City, WA) at 184 and 197. Farris won by fall over Brock Nelson, while Jordan pinned Chris McKinney. Finishing out the dual was heavyweight Jesse Boggs getting a major decision over Clint Whitley. The Dana Vikings were also in action in Kearney, NE at the annual Kearney Open. Highlighting the day for the Vikings was senior Terrence Almond (Pelham, GA). Almond, a three-time All-American won the 141 pound division with three falls and a major decision in the finals. Almond defeated former UNK standout Adam Keiswetter in the finals 14-7. The Vikings will be in action this weekend for back to back home duals on Friday December 15th and Saturday December 16th before heading into the Christmas Break. The Vikings will host the Chargers of Briar Cliff on Friday for "Prep Night" where all local wrestling clubs, middle and high school wrestling programs are welcome to attend the dual for free. The dual with Briar Cliff is slated for a 7:00 pm start. On Saturday December 16th, the Vikings will host Morningside College at 1:00 pm.

EDINBORO, PA –- The Edinboro University wrestling team opened up Eastern Wrestling League action in impressive fashion on Sunday, defeating visiting Lock Haven a 45-0 defeat. The Fighting Scots, ranked 12th in the USA Today/NWCA/InterMat Top 25, won for the second time in two days and improved to 8-1 and 1-0 in the EWL. Lock Haven is now 2-2 and 0-1. The shutout was the first for Edinboro since a 41-0 win over Slippery Rock in the opening match a year ago, and the margin of victory was the largest since a 48-3 win over Loras in 1987-88, Edinboro's second season on the Division I level. The Fighting Scots have now won five straight matches against the Bald Eagles. Edinboro received bonus points in five matches, including three falls, and picked up a win by forfeit. That came at 125 lbs., where freshman Eric Morrill (Sandown, NH/Timberlane Regional) improved to 5-6. Ricky Deubel (Chagrin Falls, OH/Kenston) boosted the lead to 10-0 with a 9-0 major decision over Danny Lopes at 133 lbs. Deubel, ranked 15th by InterMat and 16th by Amateur Wrestling News, jumped out to an 7-0 lead after one period and coasted the rest of the way. The sophomore recorded a takedown just over thirty seconds into the match, and then was awarded a total of five back points in the opening period. He is now 9-5, while Lopes falls to 17-5. Daryl Cocozzo (River Edge, NJ/River Dell Regional), the second true freshman in Edinboro's lineup, moved to 2-7 with a win by fall at 4:23 over Brad Marquardt. Cocozzo grabbed a 10-0 lead after one period, and a second period reversal led to the fall. Gregor Gillespie (Webster, NY/Webster Schroeder) improved to 14-0 overall and 54-4 for his career with a 15-0 technical fall over Donnie Ament at 149 lbs., the end coming at 5:30. The sophomore, ranked third in both polls, gained an 8-0 lead with a takedown and two three-point nearfall moves in the first period. In the feature match of the day, Matt Hill (Freedom, PA/Freedom), ranked seventh by InterMat and eighth by Amateur Wrestling News, defeated Seth Martin, 6-1, at 157 lbs. Martin came in ranked 11th by Amateur Wrestling News and 15th by InterMat. Hill, a senior who had lost three times to Martin a year ago, fell behind 1-0 following a second period escape. He grabbed the lead with a takedown with 1:25 left in the period, leading to three near fall points with 30 seconds left, as Hill nearly pinned Martin. Hill added a point for riding time to improve to 14-0 for the season and 87-35 for his career. Deonte Penn (Solon, OH/Solon) barely heard the whistle to start the 165 pound match when he grabbed a leg and took Landis Wright down. The senior worked Landis, a freshman, on his back before picking up his 39th career fall 59 seconds into the match. Penn is three falls shy of the school record, and improved to 89-41 for his career. He is 12-2 this season and ranked eighth in both polls. At 174 lbs., Phil Moricone (Derry, NH/Pinkerton) improved to 12-3 with a 2-1 win over Derrick Morgan. An advantage of 1:07 in riding time proved the difference, as Moricome had an escape in the second period and Morgan one later in the third. Alex Clemsen (Moberly, MO/Moberle) rode a strong finish to a 6-2 decision over Tom Kocher at 184 lbs. A senior, Clemsen found himself behind 1-0 after a Kocher escape in the second period. Clemsen escaped to start the third period to tie the match, then grabbed a 3-1 lead with a takedown at 1:27. Kocher closed to 3-2 with an escape, but with five seconds left Clemsen recorded a takedown, also putting him over the minute for riding time. With the win, Clemsen, ranked tenth by Amateur Wrestling News and 11th by InterMat, improves to 13-1 and now has a 97-32 career ledger. Jim Gibson (Hermitage, PA/Kennedy Christian) gained a 7-4 decision over Jeremie Cook at 197 lbs. The junior is 11-4 thanks to a pair of takedowns and a reversal. Edinboro picked up its third win by fall at heavyweight, as Joe Fendone (Salem, NH/Central Catholic (MASS)) ended his match with Mike Cook just 1:10 into it. Cook was a Pennsylvania state champion a year ago. Fendone boosted his record to 12-2 and 41-11 for his career. The Fighting Scots, winners of 21 of their last 22 dual meets, will break for finals and Christmas before competing in the Southern Scuffle on December 29-30.

Portland, Ore. -- Down a weight class due to injury, Utah Valley State beat Portland State, 26-19 in the Wolverines first non-tournament dual. The Wolverines, now 3-2 in duals this season, won six of the nine matches in which they participated. "As a team we saw some improvements in specific areas we have been working on," Utah Valley head coach Greg Williams said. "It is encouraging to get the win and see improvement." In the lighter weights, Portland State got a quick lead as the Wolverines forfeited the 125 weight class. The Vikings' Greg Einerson pinned Alex Smith (3:27). UV came back, winning the next three weight classes. Justin Morrill (141) pinned CJ Grandjean, Clayton Wolf won a 5-3 decision in the 149 weight class before Justin Rawle, wrestling up a weight, won a 5-0 decision. "Justin is our team leader," Williams said. "He wrestled up and got us a big win. Marc Fenwick has been huge for us all year. He got a big fall for us tonight." After Fenwick pinned Tony Contreras (3:39), the Wolverines clinched the dual with back-to-back major decision victories. In 184, Brock Jardine beat Jake Schneider, 11-3 before Eric McAllister picked up a 16-4 victory over Keena Washington. Next up for Utah Valley is the Reno Tournament of Champions Dec. 20.

MADISON, Wis. -- The No. 23 Wisconsin wrestling team earned its tenth dual victory of the season Sunday afternoon at the Convocation Center, defeating Northern Illinois. The Badgers fell in the opening two matches but responded with six consecutive wins in rout to a 26-9 victory. The Huskies lead 3-0 after No. 10 Johnny Galloway defeated Jake Donar (Cuba City, Wis.) 5-3 at 165 lbs. At 174 lbs., NIU notched another victory as Danny Burk posted a 5-1 win over Mike Felling (Hutchinson, Minn.) to increase the Huskies lead to 6-0. However, the momentum soon changed as freshman Trevor Bandvold (River Falls, Wis.) improved to 6-3 with a 4-0 win over No. 18 Duke Burk at 184 lbs. No. 10 Dallas Herbst (Winneconne, Wis.) added a win of his own, taking down Nick McClone 8-2 to even the team score at 6-6. Nevertheless, it was heavyweight Kyle Massey's pin at 4:50 that put the Badgers up 12-6. Massey, a sophomore out of Champlin, Minn., is now 6-1 overall with two wins by fall. Badger junior Collin Cudd (River Falls, Wis.) extended the lead to 15-6, as he took down No. 18 Pat Castillo 5-2 at 125 lbs. The win is Cudd's second upset of the weekend as he defeated No. 17 Kyle Anson of UNI, Friday at the UW Field House. Zach Tanelli (Millburn, N.J.) faced Chad Vandiver at 133 lbs. The match was tied 2-2 late in the third period before Tanelli notched a takedown in the final seconds to win 5-2 and give UW an 18-6 lead. The Badgers won their sixth straight bout as No. 17 Kyle Ruschell (Crittenden, Kent.) posted a 10-1 victory over Dan Ruettiger at 141 lbs. Trailing 22-6, the Huskies managed a win at 149 lbs. as No. 17 Mike Grimes defeated Jordan Crass (Medford, Wis.) 12-5. However, the Badgers would end on a victory with No. 4 Craig Henning (Chippewa Falls,Wis.) notching a 12-0 major decision over Kalen Knull. The Badgers will take their winter break before returning to action on Jan. 6 at the Lonestar Duals in Dallas, Texas. Check uwbadgers.com for the latest updates and scores.

PRINCETON, N.J. -- The Maryland wrestling team capped off a 3-0 trip to New Jersey with a victory against Princeton, 42-3, on December 10 at Dillon Gym. The Terrapins have won four straight contests and seven of their last eight duals to improve to 8-3 this season. Maryland won nine of the 10 matches against the Tigers and three wrestlers won by fall on the day. Freshman Jon Kohler, sophomore Alex Krom, and freshman John Price all won by way of pin against Princeton. Kohler's pin was the first of his career, Krom earned his second of the season, and Price's fall was his third. The Terps won the first eight matches of the dual, starting with junior Jeff Oldham at 125 pounds who won by technical fall in 6:01. Oldham controlled the match early with multiple first period takedowns and sealed the win with a near fall late in the third. Both Kohler and Krom ended their matches in the first period with falls to build the Maryland lead to 17-0. Junior Andrew Schlaffer continued the run with an 18-6 major decision at 149 pounds. Schlaffer used a series of takedowns in the third to pull away for the triumph. Sophomore Spencer Hollerith saw his first dual action of the season and turned it into a 10-5 decision to push the lead to 24-0 at 157 pounds. Senior Jason Kiessling continued his winning streak with a 16-5 major decision at 165 and freshman Mike Letts did the same at 174, 18-5. Sophomore Josh Haines won his second match of the season by technical fall. He shutout his opponent 16-0 in just 2:47. Princeton's (0-2) lone win came by decision at 197 pounds before Price finished the day for Maryland with a pin at 285 in 6:08. The Terps will take a couple of weeks off for the holiday before returning to action on December 29-30 at the Southern Scuffle hosted by UNC Greensboro. Six nationally ranked teams and 67 ranked wrestlers will compete at the tournament held at the Greensboro Coliseum Events Center. Tickets for the 2006 UNCG Southern Scuffle can be purchased through the Greensboro Coliseum Box Office. Adult tickets are $10, student tickets are $8 and children under age 5 are free. Fans can also sign up for a live webcast of the event at www.southernscuffle.com. Various matchups on three mats will be featured throughout the tournament for a price of $9.95. All information regarding the Southern Scuffle can be found at the website provided above.

WASHINGTON -- The American University wrestling team rode bonus point victories from Jasen Borshoff, Jordan Lipp and Josh Glenn to a 26-13 victory over EIWA rival and No. 22-ranked Harvard, Sunday afternoon in Bender Arena. The Eagles won six of 10 matches on the day, kicked off by wins from Borshoff and Lipp. The elder of the brothers, Jasen, dominated the Crimson's Ryan Fitzgerald, scoring a takedown and three near falls in the first. He kept the pressure on in the second and scored another takedown and near fall for the 16-0 technical fall victory. Lipp matched his intensity, scrambling from the whistle to four takedowns in the first three minutes. The true sophomore, two-year starter for AU finally broke Brent Kakesako for the win by fall at the 4:37 mark of the second period. In perhaps the match of the day, Kyle Borshoff squared off against No. 13 Max Meltzer at 141. Borshoff, the unranked true freshman battled the entire way with the 2006 EIWA runner-up at 141 from Harvard. Borshoff almost scored in the first as he got in on a single leg that was successfully defended into a stalemate. The pair traded escapes to start the second and third period and were tied going into the last minute of the match. Borshoff shot in at the edge of the mat and was inches away from scoring a takedown, but Meltzer wiggled out of the position and caught the AU wrestler off balance for a takedown with 22 seconds left for the 3-1 lead. Borshoff would escape with 10 seconds to go, but was unsuccessful in his shot attempts. Harvard closed the team gap to 11-7 at 149 with an 8-0 win from No. 9 J.P. O'Connor over AU true freshman Adam Kriwinsky. The Eagles regained control, however, winning the next three matches to take a commanding 20-7 lead with three to go. Christopher Stout, in return from a shoulder injury, showed little signs of rust, scoring two takedowns and an escape plus riding time advantage in a 6-2 win. No. 17 Mike Cannon fell behind in the second period 4-3, but scored a takedown and rode out his opponent for the remainder of the match for the 6-4 win. Sophomore Rudy Rueda led his entire match at 174, scoring a takedown and a nearfall in the first period and two more takedowns plus riding time for the 10-4 win. The visitors would need big performances from its last three wrestlers to challenge for the win, but were unable to score any wins by bonus points the remainder of the match. Instead, after Anthony Fuschino battled No. 9 Louis Caputo to a 6-0 loss, Glenn made his season debut at 197. The 2006 All-American who totaled 21 pins last year, scored a takedown and then slapped a cradle on John Butler just 20 seconds into the match for the pin victory and match clincher. Even though the team match was technically over, there was more than just pride on the line in the day's heavyweight match between No. 8 Adam LoPiccolo and No. 2 Bode Ogunwole, the 2006 EIWA Champion. The pair have faced off twice in the past year with Ogunwole scoring narrow decision victories both times. That trend continued as Ogunwole was able to score a takedown on LoPiccolo in an action heavy first period. The AU junior and two-time NCAA qualifier would escape, but not before Ogunwole established a riding time advantage. Each scored an escape to start the second and third periods and LoPiccolo was unable to score a takedown in the last minute in the 4-2 loss. The With the win American moves to 2-4 on the year and 1-1 in the EIWA. The Eagles' wrestling squad will next be in action over the Christmas Break at the Midlands Tournament hosted by Northwestern. American will be sending a full squad for the first time in program history to the prestigious competition.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners (4-1, 0-1) defeated the No. 20/21 Cal Poly Mustangs (0-1) to close out the 2006 portion of their schedule. Oklahoma has won the last 10 meetings in the series dating back to a tie in 1997. OU is unbeaten in the last 16 duals, with Cal Poly's last victory coming in the 1991-92 season. Head coach Jack Spates is 13-0-1 all-time versus the Mustangs. Eight Sooners recorded victories for Oklahoma, with OU scoring two falls. At 165-pounds Jarrod King defeated Evan Barbre by a pin at the 3:15 mark. Heavyweight Brad Framer recorded his fall over Cody Parker at the :52 mark. Kyle Terry recorded a major decision over Blake Gaughran, 12-2 at 141-pounds. Recording decisions for the Sooners were Sam Hazewinkel at 125-pounds over Chad Mendes, 4-1, Matt Storniolo at 149-pounds defeating Eric Maldonado, 4-2, Will Rowe defeated Chase Pami, 4-2 at 157-pounds, Joshua Weitzel defeated Nicholas Herenandez, 6-2 at 174-pounds and Josh Hinton defeated Yuri Kalika, 4-3 at 184-pounds. Joel Flaggert lost for only the second time this season as Matt Monteiro defeated Flaggert at 197-pounds, 7-5. The Sooners will begin a streak of consecutive road appearances with the dual on Saturday. After the trip to California OU will travel to Forth Worth, Texas for the Lone Star duals on Jan. 7, Oklahoma will travel to Cedar Falls, Iowa to compete in the NWCA National Duals. OU returns home for the first time in the new semester when it hosts Oregon on Jan. 20.

Team Placement: 1 Fresno 2 Sierra 3 Santa Ana 4 Cerritos 5 Palomar 6 Santa Rosa 7 Bakersfield 8 Rio Hondo 9 Mt. SAC 10 Sacramento City 11 Modesto 12 Lassen 13 West Hills 14 Chabot 15 Moorpark 16 Cuesta 17 S J Delta 18 Victor Valley 19 East LA 20 Shasta 21 West Valley Outstanding Wrestler –- Kyle Griffin, Santa Rosa JC, 174 Individual Results: 125: 1--Ivan Sanchez (Santa Ana S1) 125: 2--Jason Carrillo (Cerritos S2) 125: 3--Taylor McCorriston (Santa Rosa N2) 125: 4--Chauncey Philipps (Sierra N1) 125: 5--Rick Bernal (Rio Hondo S5) 125: 6--Kyle Crouch (Fresno N3) 125: 7--Carl Riding (Victor Valley S3) 125: 8--Sammy Saunders (East LA S4) 133: 1--Carlos Alaniz (Cerritos S1) 133: 2--Gabriel Aguilar (Santa Ana S2) 133: 3--Ethan Hall (Palomar S3) 133: 4--Cody Gibson (Bakersfield S4) 133: 5--Mike Righi (Fresno N3) 133: 6--Armando Martinez (S J Delta N6) 133: 7--Claudio Seanez (Mt San Antonio S6) 133: 8--Daymond Bland (Sacramento City N2) 141: 1--Leland Gridley (Sierra N1) 141: 2--Joseph Serrato (Santa Ana S1) 141: 3--Jordan Keckler (Modesto N3) 141: 4--Andrew Holmes (Cerritos S3) 141: 5--Tyson Knierim (Palomar S4) 141: 6--Jonathan Ronny (Chabot N4) 141: 7--Edgar Mercado (Fresno N2) 141: 8--Bruce Wasserman (Bakersfield S2) 149: 1--Alfonso Sanchez (Fresno N1) 149: 2--Henry Kofa (Lassen N2) 149: 3--Ian Millan (Rio Hondo S5) 149: 4--Travis Wood (Sierra N3) 149: 5--Joe Barajas (Palomar S2) 149: 6--Orlando Barragan (Santa Ana S1) 149: 7--Tony Ruiz (Cerritos S3) 149: 8--Eric Timson (Bakersfield S4) 157: 1--Devin Velasquez (Santa Ana S1) 157: 2--Sinai Pezzat (Fresno N1) 157: 3--Matt Giffin (Sierra N3) 157: 4--Stuart Cole (Palomar S4) 157: 5--Zach Johnson (Bakersfield S5) 157: 6--Steve Saenz (Rio Hondo S2) 157: 7--Jake Bridges (Shasta N2) 157: 8--Shawn Schantin (Chabot N5) 165: 1--Glenn Shaw (Palomar S1) 165: 2--Nick Bardsley (Fresno N1) 165: 3--Michael Williams (Cuesta S4) 165: 4--Dan Barraza (Sierra N3) 165: 5--Daniel Garay (Mt San Antonio S3) 165: 6--Eddie Sanchez (SA S7) 165: 7--Jack Porter (Cerritos S2) 165: 8--Tony Moser (Lassen N2) 174: 1--Kyle Griffin (Santa Rosa N1) 174: 2--Tom Eaton (Santa Ana S1) 174: 3--Shaun Ceremello (Fresno N2) 174: 4--Caleb Smith (Palomar S2) 174: 5--Ryan Sughrue (Modesto N4) 174: 6--Eric Sanchez (Rio Hondo S6) 174: 7--Matt Livley (Lassen N6) 174: 8--Eric Gonzales (Moorpark S3) 184: 1--Tim Hawkins (Mt San Antonio S1) 184: 2--Jason Carrasco (Bakersfield S2) 184: 3--Mike Leslie (Sierra N3) 184: 4--Cory Compton (Sacramento City N4) 184: 5--Steven Urquizo (Fresno N1) 184: 6--Louie Audelo (Cerritos S3) 184: 7--Marques Gales (Santa Rosa N2) 184: 8--Shane Miller (Lassen N5) 197: 1--Jerred Dixon (Sacramento City N2) 197: 2--Jayson Collard (Santa Rosa N1) 197: 3--Norman Nail (West Hills N5) 197: 4--Tyler Blair (Fresno N4) 197: 5--Ryan Silvera (Mt San Antonio S1) 197: 6--Todd Moleworth (Moorpark S2) 197: 7--Joseph Ramirez (Modesto N3) 197: 8--Al Kinslow (Cerritos S4) 285: 1--Erik Nye (Sierra N1) 285: 2--Brandon Doran (Cerritos S1) 285: 3--Josh Marquez (Bakersfield S2) 285: 4--Victor Leyva (Fresno N3) 285: 5--Tyler Porras (Santa Ana S3) 285: 6--Steve Franklin (Santa Rosa N2) 285: 7--Matt Klimek (Palomar S4) 285: 8--Alex Arellano (Rio Hondo S7) FINALS 1st and 2nd Results 125: 1st/2nd--Jason Carrillo (Cerritos S2) Major 12-4, Ivan Sanchez (Santa Ana S1) 133: 1st/2nd--Carlos Alaniz (Cerritos S1) Dec 14-7, Gabriel Aguilar (Santa Ana S2) 141: 1st/2nd--Leland Gridley (Sierra N1) Dec 4-2, Joseph Serrato (Santa Ana S1) 149: 1st/2nd--Alfonso Sanchez (Fresno N1) Dec 3-1, Henry Kofa (Lassen N2) 157: 1st/2nd--Devin Velasquez (Santa Ana S1) Dec 2-1, Sinai Pezzat (Fresno N1) 165: 1st/2nd--Glenn Shaw (Palomar S1) Dec 9-7, Nick Bardsley (Fresno N1) 174: 1st/2nd--Kyle Griffin (Santa Rosa N1) Fall, Tom Eaton (Santa Ana S1) 184: 1st/2nd--Tim Hawkins (Mt San Antonio S1) Dec 8-6, Jason Carrasco (Bakersfield S2) 197: 1st/2nd--Jerred Dixon (Sacramento City N2) Fall, Jayson Collard (Santa Rosa N1) 285: 1st/2nd--Erik Nye (Sierra N1) Fall, Brandon Doran (Cerritos S1) PLACE RESULTS 125: 3rd/4th--Taylor McCorriston (Santa Rosa N2) Dec 2-1, Chauncey Philipps (Sierra N1) 125: 5th/6th--Rick Bernal (Rio Hondo S5) Major 12-1, Kyle Crouch (Fresno N3) 125: 7th/8th--Carl Riding (Victor Valley S3) Dec 19-18, Sammy Saunders (East LA S4) 133: 3rd/4th--Ethan Hall (Palomar S3) Major 13-5, Cody Gibson (Bakersfield S4) 133: 5th/6th--Mike Righi (Fresno N3) Def, Armando Martinez (S J Delta N6) 133: 7th/8th--Claudio Seanez (Mt San Antonio S6) Dec 8-4, Daymond Bland (Sacramento City N2) 141: 3rd/4th--Jordan Keckler (Modesto N3) Major 11-1, Andrew Holmes (Cerritos S3) 141: 5th/6th--Tyson Knierim (Palomar S4) Inj Def, Jonathan Ronny (Chabot N4) 141: 7th/8th--Edgar Mercado (Fresno N2) Dec 6-2, Bruce Wasserman (Bakersfield S2) 149: 3rd/4th--Ian Millan (Rio Hondo S5) Dec 10-8, Travis Wood (Sierra N3) 149: 5th/6th--Joe Barajas (Palomar S2) Dec 7-6, Orlando Barragan (Santa Ana S1) 149: 7th/8th--Tony Ruiz (Cerritos S3) Fall, Eric Timson (Bakersfield S4) 157: 3rd/4th--Matt Giffin (Sierra N3) Fall, Stuart Cole (Palomar S4) 157: 5th/6th--Zach Johnson (Bakersfield S5) Def, Steve Saenz (Rio Hondo S2) 157: 7th/8th--Jake Bridges (Shasta N2) Dec 3-1, Shawn Schantin (Chabot N5) 165: 3rd/4th--Michael Williams (Cuesta S4) Dec 9-5, Dan Barraza (Sierra N3) 165: 5th/6th--Daniel Garay (Mt San Antonio S3) Dec 6-1, Eddie Sanchez (SA S7) 165: 7th/8th--Jack Porter (Cerritos S2) Major 13-3, Tony Moser (Lassen N2) 174: 3rd/4th--Shaun Ceremello (Fresno N2) Dec 4-0, Caleb Smith (Palomar S2) 174: 5th/6th--Ryan Sughrue (Modesto N4) Fall, Eric Sanchez (Rio Hondo S6) 174: 7th/8th--Matt Livley (Lassen N6) Dec 7-6, Eric Gonzales (Moorpark S3) 184: 3rd/4th--Mike Leslie (Sierra N3) Fall, Cory Compton (Sacramento City N4) 184: 5th/6th--Steven Urquizo (Fresno N1) Dec 4-0, Louie Audelo (Cerritos S3) 184: 7th/8th--Marques Gales (Santa Rosa N2) Fall, Shane Miller (Lassen N5) 197: 3rd/4th--Norman Nail (West Hills N5) Fall, Tyler Blair (Fresno N4) 197: 5th/6th--Ryan Silvera (Mt San Antonio S1) Def, Todd Moleworth (Moorpark S2) 197: 7th/8th--Joseph Ramirez (Modesto N3) Dec 8-3, Al Kinslow (Cerritos S4) 285: 3rd/4th--Josh Marquez (Bakersfield S2) Fall, Victor Leyva (Fresno N3) 285: 5th/6th--Tyler Porras (Santa Ana S3) Fall, Steve Franklin (Santa Rosa N2) 285: 7th/8th--Matt Klimek (Palomar S4) Fall, Alex Arellano (Rio Hondo S7) SEMI FINAL RESULTS: 125: Semi--Jason Carrillo (Cerritos S2) Dec 10-5, Chauncey Philipps (Sierra N1) 125: Semi--Ivan Sanchez (Santa Ana S1) Major 11-2, Taylor McCorriston (Santa Rosa N2) 133: Semi--Carlos Alaniz (Cerritos S1) Dec 12-11, Armando Martinez (S J Delta N6) 133: Semi--Gabriel Aguilar (Santa Ana S2) Dec 5-0, Cody Gibson (Bakersfield S4) 141: Semi--Leland Gridley (Sierra N1) Dec 7-3, Jonathan Ronny (Chabot N4) 141: Semi--Joseph Serrato (Santa Ana S1) Dec 12-8, Tyson Knierim (Palomar S4) 149: Semi--Henry Kofa (Lassen N2) Dec 13-8, Orlando Barragan (Santa Ana S1) 149: Semi--Alfonso Sanchez (Fresno N1) Dec 6-1, Joe Barajas (Palomar S2) 157: Semi--Sinai Pezzat (Fresno N1) Inj Def, Steve Saenz (Rio Hondo S2) 157: Semi--Devin Velasquez (Santa Ana S1) Fall, Stuart Cole (Palomar S4) 165: Semi--Glenn Shaw (Palomar S1) Dec 5-4, Daniel Garay (Mt San Antonio S3) 165: Semi--Nick Bardsley (Fresno N1) Fall, Dan Barraza (Sierra N3) 174: Semi--Kyle Griffin (Santa Rosa N1) Dec 11-6, Caleb Smith (Palomar S2) 174: Semi--Tom Eaton (Santa Ana S1) Dec 7-0, Shaun Ceremello (Fresno N2) 184: Semi--Tim Hawkins (Mt San Antonio S1) Tech 16-0, Louie Audelo (Cerritos S3) 184: Semi--Jason Carrasco (Bakersfield S2) Dec 8-7, Steven Urquizo (Fresno N1) 197: Semi--Jayson Collard (Santa Rosa N1) Dec 6-1, Todd Moleworth (Moorpark S2) 197: Semi--Jerred Dixon (Sacramento City N2) Dec 10-3, Ryan Silvera (Mt San Antonio S1) 285: Semi--Brandon Doran (Cerritos S1) Dec 7-4, Steve Franklin (Santa Rosa N2) 285: Semi--Erik Nye (Sierra N1) Fall, Josh Marquez (Bakersfield S2) QUARTER FINAL RESULTS: 125: Qtr--Chauncey Philipps (Sierra N1) Fall, Carl Riding (Victor Valley S3) 125: Qtr--Jason Carrillo (Cerritos S2) Dec 10-9, Rick Bernal (Rio Hondo S5) 125: Qtr--Ivan Sanchez (Santa Ana S1) Dec 4-1, Kyle Crouch (Fresno N3) 125: Qtr--Taylor McCorriston (Santa Rosa N2) Dec 8-2, Sammy Saunders (East LA S4) 133: Qtr--Carlos Alaniz (Cerritos S1) Fall, Marcelo Lopez (Rio Hondo S5) 133: Qtr--Armando Martinez (S J Delta N6) Dec 10-6, Daymond Bland (Sacramento City N2) 133: Qtr--Cody Gibson (Bakersfield S4) Dec 11-6, Eddy Ngo (West Valley N1) 133: Qtr--Gabriel Aguilar (Santa Ana S2) Tech 15-0, Claudio Seanez (Mt San Antonio S6) 141: Qtr--Leland Gridley (Sierra N1) Fall, Andrew Holmes (Cerritos S3) 141: Qtr--Jonathan Ronny (Chabot N4) Dec 3-1, Bruce Wasserman (Bakersfield S2) 141: Qtr--Joseph Serrato (Santa Ana S1) Dec 6-4, Jordan Keckler (Modesto N3) 141: Qtr--Tyson Knierim (Palomar S4) Dec 3-2, Edgar Mercado (Fresno N2) 149: Qtr--Orlando Barragan (Santa Ana S1) Dec 11-9, Ian Millan (Rio Hondo S5) 149: Qtr--Henry Kofa (Lassen N2) Major 12-2, Tony Ruiz (Cerritos S3) 149: Qtr--Alfonso Sanchez (Fresno N1) Major 13-5, Eric Timson (Bakersfield S4) 149: Qtr--Joe Barajas (Palomar S2) Dec 7-4, Travis Wood (Sierra N3) 157: Qtr--Sinai Pezzat (Fresno N1) Dec 10-4, Emilio Rojas-Chavez (Cerritos S3) 157: Qtr--Steve Saenz (Rio Hondo S2) Dec 5-0, Zach Johnson (Bakersfield S5) 157: Qtr--Devin Velasquez (Santa Ana S1) Tech 16-0, Matt Giffin (Sierra N3) 157: Qtr--Stuart Cole (Palomar S6) Dec 13-8, Jake Bridges (Shasta N3) 165: Qtr--Glenn Shaw (Palomar S1) Major 11-1, Chris Reifstahl (Moorpark S5) 165: Qtr--Daniel Garay (Mt San Antonio S3) Tech 15-0, Tony Moser (Lassen N2) 165: Qtr--Nick Bardsley (Fresno N1) Major 8-0, Michael Williams (Cuesta S4) 165: Qtr--Dan Barraza (Sierra N3) Dec 2-0, Jack Porter (Cerritos S2) 174: Qtr--Kyle Griffin (Santa Rosa N1) Major 16-3, Eric Gonzales (Moorpark S3) 174: Qtr--Caleb Smith (Palomar S2) Dec 8-3, Ryan Sughrue (Modesto N4) 174: Qtr--Tom Eaton (Santa Ana S1) Major 14-2, Marcus Garcia (West Hills N3) 174: Qtr--Shaun Ceremello (Fresno N2) Dec 7-3, Carlos Ordonez (S J Delta N5) 184: Qtr--Tim Hawkins (Mt San Antonio S1) Tech 20-4, Cory Compton (Sacramento City N4) 184: Qtr--Louie Audelo (Cerritos S3) Dec 9-8, Marques Gales (Santa Rosa N2) 184: Qtr--Steven Urquizo (Fresno N1) Dec 10-4, Shane Miller (Lassen N5) 184: Qtr--Jason Carrasco (Bakersfield S2) Fall, Mike Leslie (Sierra N3) 197: Qtr--Jayson Collard (Santa Rosa N1) Dec 5-4, Tim Wallace (Shasta N6) 197: Qtr--Todd Moleworth (Moorpark S2) Dec 9-4, Tyler Blair (Fresno N4) 197: Qtr--Ryan Silvera (Mt San Antonio S1) Fall, Joseph Ramirez (Modesto N3) 197: Qtr--Jerred Dixon (Sacramento City N2) Dec 8-1, Norman Nail (West Hills N5) 285: Qtr--Brandon Doran (Cerritos S1) Fall, Nick Thompson (Sacramento City N4) 285: Qtr--Steve Franklin (Santa Rosa N2) Fall, Tyler Porras (Santa Ana S3) 285: Qtr--Erik Nye (Sierra N1) Fall, Matt Klimek (Palomar S4) 285: Qtr--Josh Marquez (Bakersfield S2) Fall, Victor Leyva (Fresno N3) ROUND 1 125: C1--Carl Riding (Victor Valley S3) Fall, Jesus Felix (Modesto N6) 125: C1--Rick Bernal (Rio Hondo S5) Fall, Albert Tapia (Sacramento City N4) 125: C1--Kyle Crouch (Fresno N3) Major 16-7, George Silva (Bakersfield S7) 125: C1--Sammy Saunders (East LA S4) Major 12-3, Patrick Domenguez (Lassen N5) 133: C1--Marcelo Lopez (Rio Hondo S5) Dec 11-7, Aaron McCrea (Chabot N4) 133: C1--Armando Martinez (S J Delta N6) Dec 8-5, Ethan Hall (Palomar S3) 133: C1--Cody Gibson (Bakersfield S4) Dec 5-3, Mitch Schroder (Lassen N5) 133: C1--Claudio Seanez (Mt San Antonio S6) Dec 5-4, Mike Righi (Fresno N3) 141: C1--Andrew Holmes (Cerritos S3) Fall, Caleb Mack (S J Delta N6) 141: C1--Jonathan Ronny (Chabot N4) Fall, Brandon Drucker (Cuesta S5) 141: C1--Jordan Keckler (Modesto N3) Tech 17-1, Eric Fehrs (Mt San Antonio S6) 141: C1--Tyson Knierim (Palomar S4) Fall, Richie Nole (West Valley N5) 149: C1--Ian Millan (Rio Hondo S5) Dec 6-0, John Daly (Sacramento City N4) 149: C1--Tony Ruiz (Cerritos S3) Major 10-2, Bayardo Sanchez (West Valley N6) 149: C1--Eric Timson (Bakersfield S4) Dec 8-2, Will Matulich (Santa Rosa N5) 149: C1--Travis Wood (Sierra N3) Fall, Nevin Kamakaala (Cuesta S6) 157: C1--Emilio Rojas-Chavez (Cerritos S3) Dec 4-2, Mathew Coit (Santa Rosa N6) 157: C1--Zach Johnson (Bakersfield S5) Dec 6-2, JD Thrall (Sacramento City N4) 157: C1--Matt Giffin (Sierra N3) Major 15-2, Richard Orewyler (Mt San Antonio S6) 157: C1--Stuart Cole (Palomar S4) Dec 4-2, Shawn Schantin (Chabot N5) 165: C1--Chris Reifstahl (Moorpark S5) Dec 8-2, Zac Wicht (West Valley N4) 165: C1--Daniel Garay (Mt San Antonio S3) Dec 4-1, Martin Beeler (Modesto N6) 165: C1--Michael Williams (Cuesta S4) Dec 7-2, Josh Dixon (Sacramento City N5) 165: C1--Dan Barraza (Sierra N3) Dec 8-6, Eddie Sanchez (SA S7) 174: C1--Eric Gonzales (Moorpark S3) Dec 7-5, Matt Livley (Lassen N6) 174: C1--Ryan Sughrue (Modesto N4) Major 10-1, Gabriel Lemus (East LA S5) 174: C1--Marcus Garcia (West Hills N3) Fall, Charlton Thayn (VV S7) 174: C1--Carlos Ordonez (S J Delta N5) Dec 12-7, Gene Choi (Cerritos S4) 184: C1--Cory Compton (Sacramento City N4) Dec 8-1, Travis Tielens (Palomar S6) 184: C1--Louie Audelo (Cerritos S3) Major 15-3, Matt McGarry (Shasta N6) 184: C1--Shane Miller (Lassen N5) Dec 7-2, Hugo Guzman (Santa Ana S5) 184: C1--Mike Leslie (Sierra N3) Fall, Armando Melendez (RIO S7) 197: C1--Tim Wallace (Shasta N6) Major 13-5, Kellen Desmond (Palomar S3) 197: C1--Tyler Blair (Fresno N4) Dec 3-2, Ramon Perez (Bakersfield S6) 197: C1--Joseph Ramirez (Modesto N3) Fall, Travis Abeyta (RIO S7) 197: C1--Norman Nail (West Hills N5) Fall, Al Kinslow (Cerritos S4) 285: C1--Nick Thompson (Sacramento City N4) Dec 5-2, Brad Chavez (Moorpark S5) 285: C1--Tyler Porras (Santa Ana S3) Major 14-4, Nolan Verga (West Valley N6) 285: C1--Matt Klimek (Palomar S4) Dec 4-1, Robbie Roman-Marin (West Hills N5) 285: C1--Victor Leyva (Fresno N3) Fall, Alex Arellano (Rio Hondo S7)

Hempstead, NY -- The fifth-ranked Pride won the first five matches of the contest, including victories by Chris Weidman and Alton Lucas over the number one and two-ranked wrestlers in their class, respectively, as Hofstra posted a 24-10 victory over #8 Penn State at the Mack Sports Complex Sunday. The victory keeps the Pride perfect in dual matches with a 7-0 mark, while the Nittany Lions lost their first dual of the year and fall to 4-1. Starting the match at 157 pounds, Hofstra's eighth-ranked senior James Strouse (17-2) bounced back from a 5-3 first period deficit to post a 10-6 victory over PSU senior Nathan Galloway. Pride senior All-American Mike Patrovich (7-0), ranked third, overwhelmed sophomore Jason Lapham by tech fall, 18-2, at 165 pounds for a 8-0 lead. At 174 pounds, Hofstra sophomore Alton Lucas, who cracked the top 20 rankings for the first time this week with a number 17 placement, posted a takedown with 53 seconds remaining in the third period to break a 1-1 tie and give him a 3-2 victory over second-ranked senior James Yonushonis. Lucas improved to 11-2 on the season. Pride junior Joe Rovelli, ranked seventh at 184, kept the momentum going with a 13-6 victory over sophomore Phil Bomberger. Rovelli (15-3) was down 5-0 to open the match but rallied to close the deficit to 5-4 at the end of the first period and then posted two near-falls in the second to build an 11-4 lead. Hofstra senior All-American Chris Weidman, ranked sixth at 197 pounds, posted his second victory over a number one ranked wrestler in nine months with a 5-4 victory over junior Phil Davis on the riding time point. Weidman (13-1) entered the third period down 3-2 but posted a reversal to take a 4-3 lead. Davis picked up a point on a stall call after the Pride senior pulled Davis out of bounds. But Weidman had accumulated 2:14 in riding time for the win and a 17-0 lead at halftime. Following the break, Penn State came back to post three straight victories to climb back into the match. Penn State's 12th-ranked senior Aaron Anspach posted a major decision over Pride graduate student Matt Pollock (8-9) 17-6 at 285. In a battle of top 10-ranked juniors, PSU's #3 Mark McKnight edged #8 Dave Tomasette (3-2), 5-2, at 125 pounds, and #7 Jake Strayer blanked Hofstra's 20th-ranked freshman Lou Ruggirello (14-4), 6-0 at 133, to close the gap to 17-10. But Hofstra's 19th-ranked junior Charles Griffin (12-3) slammed the door on the Nittany Lions, bouncing back from a 5-3 deficit entering the third period, to post a 9-5 victory over junior Bryan Heller. Pride red-shirt freshman Mitch Smith (6-1) sealed the deal at 149 with a 16-5 major decision over freshman Dan Vallimont. Hofstra, which defeated Penn State for the first time in five attempts, will take some time off for semester examinations before returning to action to prepare for a January 6th match at Michigan.

East Lansing, Mich. -- The second-ranked Missouri wrestling team came from behind to beat No. 14 Michigan State, 29-14, in today's dual held in Jenison Field House of East Lansing, Mich. The win was Missouri's second straight in the state of Michigan this weekend, as they bested No. 11 Central Michigan, 31-9, in Saturday night's dual. Overall, the Tiger squad is 3-0 on the season, with all three wins coming against top-15 ranked opponents. Suffering disappointing losses at 125, 133 and 141 pounds, junior Josh Wagner (Milton, Wis.) came up with the Tiger's first win of the afternoon. One of five extra point victories on the day for Missouri, Wagner recorded a major decision shutout over Eddie Skowneski, 12-0, putting the Tigers on the board for the first time of the day. The 12 point win marked Wagner's first victory by major decision this season. Sophomore Michael Chandler (High Ridge, Mo.) helped the Tiger's to within six points of the Spartans, when he recorded a win by major decision over Tony Greathouse, 9-1. Chanlder is ranked as high as No. 7 in the nation at 157 pounds. Making his first appearance in the Tiger lineup, redshirt freshman Nick Marable (Collierville, Tenn.) competed at 165 pounds and earned a 9-6 decision over Rocky Cozart. Marable is now 16-3 on the season. Defending National Champion and No. 1 ranked Ben Askren (Hartland, Wis.) collected his 10th straight win by fall. Pinning John Murphy in 1:18, Askren now owns 128 career victories and is four shy of setting a new Missouri career wins mark. Currently, 2006 Hall of Fame Inductee and All-American Wes Roper holds the record with 131 wins. Sophomore Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) continued Missouri's win streak with a 12-3 major decision over 12th ranked Joe Williams. With the win, the Tigers added to the team lead, 21-14, while Jordan moved to 10-4 on the season. Wrestling at 197 pounds, redshirt freshman and No. 2 ranked Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) shutout Nick Palmieri, 17-0, in 4:54 for a technical fall victory while fellow newcomer Mark Ellis (Peculiar, Mo.) claimed the final win of the day at heavyweight with an 11-4 decision over Alan O'Donnell. "I was pleased with how our team competed this weekend," Head Coach Brian Smith said. "We took on two very talented teams and were able to come away with two wins. To be down 14-0 is never a good thing, but we were able to overcome the score and win today. Right now, we're all excited to get back to Columbia and prepare for our first home dual of the season, Dec. 21." Up next for the Tigers, Missouri will take on No. 20 Pittsburgh Thursday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. (CT) in the Hearnes Center.

NORFOLK, VA -- The Monarchs made a statement to the rest of the CAA tonight by upending George Mason University. ODU tallied four pins and a technical fall in the dual against the Patriots and won 38-12. David Mendoza pinned the 15th ranked grappler in the nation at 197 lbs with one second remaining in the second period and Nick Pullano battled with 17th ranked Tyler Tisdell (165) for the full seven minutes before winning 7-3. Mendoza looked as if he was going to struggle against Harry Zander, the ranked Patriot, as he went down 0-2 early. However, those two would be the only points he'd relinquish to Zander as he battled to what would have been a major decision had he not succeeded in pinning the 197 pounder. "Zander was the 15th ranked kid in the country coming off a 4th place finish at the Vegas tournament. Vegas is a super tough tournament," said assistant coach Lee Pritts. "But [Mendoza] didn't just beat him. He had what, a 10-2, maybe even a 12-2 point lead at one point; he dominated him." Mendoza's fleet footed skills against one of the Patriot's top wrestlers included a significant lead in riding time. With the bout in hand, Mendoza did not expect to get a chance at the pin when Zander gave him his opportunity. The referee pounded the mat at the 4:59 mark. "As soon as I saw that opportunity, I knew I had him. I didn't even know how much time I had left, but I knew I had him," said Mendoza. "Ranks are just numbers. You still have to go out and get it done. It doesn't matter who's across the mat." In the 165-pound class Nick Pullano also pulled another upset for the Monarchs. Winning 7-3 over the 17th ranked wrestler Tyler Tisdell, Pullano's decision sealed the team victory for the Monarchs. The Monarchs tallied four pins: Adam Koballa over Will Powars (133) in 1:10, Ryan Williams over David Emison (141) in 1:56, Kaylen Baxter over Chris Cartella (149) in 1:59, and Mendoza's last second victory. The Monarchs nationally ranked grapplers continued to dominate this season as Chris Brown grabbed a technical fall, 18-2, in 5:30 over Dan Cook. Brown is ranked 17th by Amateur Wrestling News and was named the CAA's Co-Rookie of the Week for performance up to December 4th. Williams is ranked 24th by wrestlingreport.com and added another pin to his season total now at three. Mendoza earned his first national ranking of the year on Tuesday when wrestlingreport.com listed him as the 27th best 197 pounder. "It's a stepping stone. We're not where we want to be yet, but it's a stepping stone," said Pritts. The Monarchs came into the dual with a pre-season CAA ranking of 5th with Mason slotted at 4th. Pritts decided that was motivation enough for his guys: "I told the team before the match, 'look, we took second in the conference last year and we get no respect.' We wanted to make a statement," said Pritts. "I told the guys, 'let's go make a statement.' The lopsided victory brings ODU's season record to 1-1 with a 1-0 record in the conference and Mason falls to 2-2 with an 0-1 record in conference. The Monarchs head back on the road and return to action next Saturday, December 16th, as they face off against The Citadel and N.C. State. ODU returns home January 6th as they host the Virginia States at Granby High School.

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. -- The VMI wrestling team evened their record at 1-1 with a 22-20 dual victory over Gardner-Webb on Friday night in non-conference action at Paul Porter Arena. After the Bulldogs took the first two matches to take an 8-0 lead, the Keydets rallied back with three consecutive wins, two by pin, to take a 15-8 lead at the halfway point. But a GWU pin in the next bout and a decision to follow it up gave the Bulldogs 17-15 advantage with three matches to go, before VMI claimed two of the final three to clinch the victory. �It was a wild, back-and-forth kind of match,� said VMI head coach John Trudgeon. �By no means did we wrestle up to our potential, but a win�s a win, and it�s good to get one under our belt. We had a couple of huge pins by Sam (Alvarenga) and Tommy (Cunningham), and Corry�s (Murray) major decision at 184 turned out to be big. It was a good way to wrap up the first semester, but we need to keep getting better and better and build from this.� With the match beginning at 125, GWU�s Cortney Roberts used a strong third period to post an 18-2 technical fall over VMI�s Jeremy Adams. At 133, VMI�s Tyler Anthony scored an early two points on GWU�s Rob Tate, but Tate pulled an escape move in the closing seconds of the first period to trail just 2-1 entering the second period. Starting the second period in the down position, Tate used an escape move to tie the match with 1:25 left in the period. A two-point near fall with 1:10 remaining in the match gave Tate a 4-2 lead he would not relinquish, and GWU moved ahead 8-0. The momentum shifted for the Keydets In the 141 lb. weight class, as VMI�s Brandon Franklin did battle with Charles Franz. Franklin scored two consecutive two-point near falls as time expired in the first period, while Franz recorded an escape in the second to make it 4-1. But Franklin countered with a two-point reversal for a 6-1 lead. Franz again scored an escape with 35 seconds left in the second to make it 6-2 in favor of Franklin. The Keydet tacked on a point in the third with an escape for the 7-2 win, putting the Keydets� first points on the board to cut the margin to 8-3. The Keydets moved ahead with pins at 149 and 157. Keydet senior Sam Alvarenga, ranked 18th nationally by Intermat at 149, pinned GWU freshman Garmonyou Neplo at the 2:30 mark to give VMI a 9-8 advantage, extending his match winning streak to 13 and his overall record to 18-2. Tommy Cunningham needed only 1:38 to do the same to David Pelsang and Tommy Cunningham giving the Keydets a 15-8 lead. But the tide turned at 165, where Matthias Piasecki pinned VMI senior John Burton only 1:34 in, cutting the margin to a single point. The 174-pound match then matched GWU�s Chad Davis and VMI�s Dustin McCabe. Davis jumped out to a 2-0 advantage a minute into the dual thanks to a takedown. McCabe tallied a point with an escape to make it 2-1 at the end of the first period. Davis garnered another point due to a hand violation on McCabe. He made the score 4-1 with an escape with just over a minute remaining in the second period. The two battled to a stalemate in the final period as Davis won 5-1 after riding time was factored in, handing the lead back over to the hosts at 17-15. But VMI senior Corry Murray stopped the bleeding with his major decision at 184. Facing off with Brandon Beach, Murray recorded the first two points of the match as the seconds wound down in the first period, taking a 2-0 lead into the second. He added on two more for a 4-0 advantage 13 seconds into the second frame. Beach got on the board with an escape, trimming the deficit to three at 4-1. Murray gained a 5-1 lead due to a technical violation on Beach and went up 6-1 seconds into the third with an escape. Murray, who held a 9-2 lead with eight seconds remaining, scored two points in the closing seconds to gain a major decision victory, 11-2. In the 197-pound match, GWU�s Dustin Porter saw the Keydets send out Kyle Elgert, normally a competitor at 174. Porter gained a 2-0 lead only to see Elgert score a point with an escape. However, Porter recorded two more points in the first for a 4-1 lead heading into the second frame. Starting in the down position, Porter made the score 5-1 with an escape of his own. Porter tacked on two more points with 10 seconds remaining in the second to hold a 7-1 lead going into the final period. A late escape by Elgert made the final score 8-2 in favor of Porter due to riding time, as Elgert, wrestling up two weight classes, held the Bulldogs to only a three-point victory, making the score 20-19 in favor of the hosts. In the final bout of the night, GWU�s Nick Roehrick took on VMI senior Scott Buhman at heavyweight. An escape by Buhman to start the third period and two more points gave him a 3-0 cushion with just 49 seconds remaining. Roehrick cut the deficit to 3-1 with an escape, but only 32 seconds remained in the match. Roehrick could not overcome the deficit and with riding time factored in, fell 5-1. The Keydets will now break for exams before returning to the mats for the Southern Scuffle, to be held Dec. 29 & 30 Greensboro, N.C.

San Francisco, Calif. -- Tyler Bernacchi, Eliot Kelly and Marcos Orozco each scored falls in their respective weight classes, and Ken Cook and Omar Gaitan earned major decisions to lead the No. 13 Aggies to a 35-6 victory over San Francisco State on Friday night during the Gator's home-opener at the Main Gymnasium. The win bumps the Aggies dual record to 1-1 this season while the Gators fall to 0-5 in duals. San Francisco jumped out to an early 3-0 lead behind a victory from Ken Packard in the opening 157-pound bout, but the Aggies rebounded with impressive performances across the board as they won eight of the next nine bouts to outscore the Gators 35-3. After Kyle Dubs' first victory of the season evened the score at 3-3, the Aggies went on a dominant run in which they won five of the next six matches by fall or major decision. Cook began the impressive run as he earned an 11-3 major decision at 174 before Bernacchi and Kelly earned back-to-back fall victories at 185 and 197, respectively. Orozco earned a third fall victory one match later at 125 and Gaitan secured a major decision (17-5) at 133 to cap the impressive run. Broc Maffia at 285 and Derek Moore at 141 were the other two Aggies to claim victories on the day. Moore is now a perfect 12-0 on the season. UC Davis takes the next week off to train before competing in the Reno Tournament of Champions on December 20.