InterMat Staff

CHARLESTON, SC -- Early this season the Monarch wrestling team has turned heads with performances at several tournaments. Now, in the thick of the dual season, ODU (2-1) continues to impress with a 30-12 victory over The Citadel (1-1). All four of ODU's nationally ranked monarchs took victories in South Carolina. Two of the four were not tested as David Mendoza and Chris Brown both took forfeit victories in their bouts. Adam Koballa, ranked for the first time in his young career, won a major decision for the Monarchs 19-6 in the 133-lb. division. On the other hand, sophomore, Ryan Williams, ranked 27th by wrestlingreport.com, fought hard for his victory. Williams, coming off a sub-two minute pin against George Mason last weekend tallied a 7-5 victory against Arias. Williams has placed in all three tournaments he participated and is undefeated in dual competition for the season at 3-0. The Monarchs were tested early in the 125-lb. weight class as freshman Kyle Hutter had his lead cut to one in the third period 5-4. Hutter grabbed two more points to pull ahead with a 3-point lead late in the bout. His opponent, freshman Tyler Sim, added a stalling point late in the third but Hutter hung on for the 7-5 victory. After Hutter came Koballa's major decision and Williams' decision. In the 149-lb. class Kaylen Baxter fell behind 5-0 in the second period. The freshman climbed back into it cutting the lead to three at 7-4. He was unable to topple the junior Levi Duyn going down 9-4. Baxter's battle was followed by the first of three forfeits on the day as Chris Brown earned 6 team points in the 157-lb. forfeit. Nick Pullano then took the mat in the 165-lb. class. Pullano looked fantastic for the Monarchs after knocking off nationally ranked Mason grappler last weekend. The junior didn't allow a point and ran away with a 15-0 technical fall all but sealing the match for the Monarchs. The team score ran to an unbeatable 21-3. Derek Coffey then fell 4-2 to Darius Caldwell in the 174-lb. division. In an exciting match Coffey went up two with a takedown in the second period. However, Caldwell fought back and won with a takedown with under thirty seconds to go. Strawn won the match for the Monarchs with his decision over John Dickerson 6-1. The 197-lb. and heavyweight bouts were forfeits with Mendoza taking a victory in the former and The Citadel's 285-pounder John Buck the latter. ODU improves to 2-1 with the win as they finish out the fall season. The Citadel evens their record at 1-1. They will head to the Southern Scuffle tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina on the last weekend of the year before heading home early in 2007.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -– The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 8 nationally, will head into the holiday break on a good note after a hard-fought 20-15 win over visiting Lock Haven. Head coach Troy Sunderland and his staff were without the services of two starters but still managed to win the battle thanks to bonus points and a superb effort from his reserve big man. Sophomore Joe Farina (Denville, N.J.) clinched the dual in the final bout. The dual began at with the evening's premier match-up. Junior Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.), ranked No. 3 at 125, took on No. 6 Obe Blanc of Lock Haven. McKnight got the bout's first takedown at the 2:21 mark to go up 2-1 after a Blanc escape. Looking to build a sizeable lead in the first period, the Nittany Lion went up 4-1 with another takedown at the :45 mark. Blanc escaped to a 4-2 deficit with under :30 left and proceeded to tie the bout with a takedown at the :05 mark. Tied 4-4, Blanc chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 5-4 lead. McKnight nearly took the lead with a takedown at the 1:00 mark but action moved off the mat, resetting the wrestlers at the inner-circle. McKnight got in on another single leg and finished the two point takedown at the :20 mark. McKnight managed to hold the Bald Eagle wrestler down for the remainder of the period to take a 6-5 lead (with 1:15 in riding time) into the final stanza. McKnight chose down to begin the third period and quickly escaped to a 7-5 lead while maintaining his riding time advantage. Blanc tied the bout at 7-7 with a takedown at the 1:08 mark. Needing to hold McKnight for nine seconds to eliminate the riding time point, Blanc was strong enough on top to turn the trick. As time wound down in the clash of two top ten wrestlers, McKnight fought hard to escape Blanc and avoid extra time. After a reset at the :26 mark, McKnight got his escape at the :18 mark to briefly go up 8-7. Blanc, however, quickly turned in on McKnight for a takedown and posted an impressive 9-8 upset win to put Lock Haven up 3-0. At 133, Nittany Lion Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) met Lock Haven's Danny Lopes. Strayer, ranked No. 7, got his first takedown at the 1:20 mark to lead 2-1 after allowing Lopes up. Working for bonus points, he added another takedown for a 4-1 lead after one period. He also amassed a 1:07 riding time advantage. Strayer chose down to begin the second period and escaped to a 5-1 lead. With Lopes working his way off the mat, Strayer pulled the Bald Eagle back on and notched a third takedown to lead 7-1 at the 1:08 mark. Strayer allowed Lopes up and took him down again within seconds to take a 9-2 lead. A second LHU stall put Strayer up 10-2. Strayer held Lopes down for the entire period and headed to the third stanza up 10-2 with a 1:58 time advantage. Lopes chose down to begin the third and allowed Lopes to escape. After another LHU stall put Strayer up 11-3, the Nittany Lion sophomore began working towards even more bonus points. Strayer notched a takedown, forced a two-point stall penalty and a final takedown to post an impressive 18-4 major decision. The win put Penn Sate up 4-3. Junior Bryan Heller (Fair Haven, N.J.) met Lock Haven's Mark Armstrong at 141. Quickly jumping out on the Bald Eagle grappler, Heller got his first takedown to lead 2-0 at the 2:44 mark. Heller was hit with an illegal hold penalty and, after an Armstrong escape, the score was tied at 2-2. Heller went up 4-2. Continuing the move and forcing Armstrong to his back, Heller pinned the Bald Eagle grappler with a furious combination at the 1:15 mark. The six team points gave Penn State a commanding 10-3 lead early. At 149, red-shirt freshman Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) met Lock Haven's Donnie Ament. Vallimont quickly began working on Ament, getting a takedown at the 2:25 mark. Strong on top, Vallimont rode Ament for the entire period to lead 2-0 with a 2:25 riding time edge. Ament chose down to start the second and escaped to a 2-1 deficit. Vallimont got his first takedown after a nice flurry mid-mat to lead briefly lead 3-2, but Vallimont countered with a reversal to retake the lead, 4-3, with 1:00 to wrestle in the second. Ament tied the bout with an escape at the :44 mark. The Nittany Lion red-shirt freshman got a takedown with under :10 left to carry a 6-4 lead (with 2:56 in riding time) into the third period. Vallimont chose down to start the final period and quickly turned a near-escape into a two-point reversal. After an Ament escape, Vallimont led 8-5. Looking to build upon his lead, Vallimont added clinching takedown at the :38 mark to go up 10-5 with an assured riding time point. Working hard on top, Vallimont rode Ament out to post an 11-5 win and push Penn State out to a 13-3 lead. Nittany Lion senior Nathan Galloway (State College, Pa.) took on No. 15 Seth Martin at 157. Galloway, who dropped a heart-breaking 2-0 decision in the Nittany Lion Open final earlier this year, got the first takedown of the bout to go up 2-0 with 1:31 left in the first. Martin escaped to a 2-1 deficit with just over :30 left to wrestle in the first period. Galloway, leading 2-0 with :52 in riding time, chose neutral to begin the second period. The Nittany Lion senior nearly got a second takedown :30 into the middle period, but Martin forced the action of the mat. After a reset, Martin got in on a strong single-leg, looking to take the lead. After Galloway fought off the attempt for a while, Martin finished the move to go up 3-2. Needing an escape to tie the score, Galloway got the important point with :10 left in the second, sending action to the third tied 3-3. Martin chose down to start the third, looking for a go ahead point with an escape. The Nittany Loin senior got his go ahead point quickly, grabbing a 4-3 lead with 1:52 to wrestle. Martin increased his lead to 6-3 with another takedown with 1:20 to wrestle. Martin was strong on top and managed to get Galloway to his back for three near fall points. Martin finished on top to post a 9-3 win and cut the Penn State lead to 13-6. Penn State's Mark Friend (Libertyville, Ill.) took to the mat at 165 against Bald Eagle Landis Wright. Wright went up early with a two-point takedown at the 1:45 mark. Friend tied the bout with a nice reversal and proceeded to ride the Lock Haven freshman for the remainder of the first period. Tied 2-2, Friend chose down to start the middle period and was allowed out by Wright for a 3-2 lead. Friend quickly got in on another single-leg and finished the move with a nice leg kick to lead 5-2. Wright, however, got his own reversal to tighten the match at 4-4 with 1:10 to wrestle in the second. Wright would ride Friend out for the remainder of the period. Friend held a 5-4 lead entering the final two minutes. Wright chose down to start the third and quickly reversed Friend again to go up 6-5 with 1:50 to wrestle. The Lock Haven grappler would not let Friend escape and, after fighting off a near reversal by the Nittany Lion, posted a hard-fought 7-5 win (with the riding time point). The victory made the team score Penn State 13, Lock haven 9. James Yonushonis (Phillipsburg, Pa.), ranked No. 3, took on Lock Haven senior Mike Metzger at 174. Coming off an upset loss at Hofstra, Yonushonis came out and quickly took Metzger down to lead 2-0 less than :30 in. Metzger escaped to a 2-1 deficit but not before Yonushonis built up a 1:23 riding time advantage. The Nittany Lion All-American upped his lead to 4-2 with another takedown and Metzger escape. Metzger got in on a late first-period single leg but Yonushonis fought the move off handily to take a 4-2 lead into the second. Metzger chose down to start the second and escaped to a 4-3 deficit with 1:35 to wrestle. Yonushonis added a third takedown to lead 6-4 after a Metzger escape with :46 to wrestle. Neither man would mount a serious threat for the remainder of the second, sending the bout to the final period with Yonushonis up 6-4 with 2:20 in riding time. Yonushonis chose down to start the third and quickly escaped to a 7-4 lead. Yonushonis turned a two-point takedown into a near pin with 1:10 left, getting a cradle on Metzger. The Bald Eagle fought pin off just enough to avoid the fall. However, three back points and the riding time point gave Yonushonis a 13-4 major decision. With Penn State short handed due to not having the services of its starting 197-pounder and heavyweight, the four-point major gave Penn State a solid 17-9 cushion. Sophomore Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.) met Lock Haven's Tom Kocher at 184. Bomberger got the first takedown of the bout with 1:00 to wrestle and jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Kocher escaped to a 2-1 deficit and quickly got in on a deep single-leg as the first period wound down. Kocher finished the move to carry a 3-2 lead into the second period. Kocher chose down to start the second and Bomberger began working for back points. Kocher fought off each effort and escaped to a 4-2 lead. Another Kocher takedown and the Bald Eagle had a 6-2 lead with just over 1:00 to wrestle. Bomberger could not work out from Kocher's strong ride and found himself down 6-2 going into the third. Bomberger chose down to begin the third and quickly escaped to a 6-3 deficit. Looking to comeback, Bomberger got in on a single leg but could not finish the move. In the process, Kocher countered the Nittany Lion sophomore's effort to get his own takedown to push his lead to 8-3. Bomberger escaped to cut the lead to 8-4 but had only :50 to wrestle. Kocher fought off every Bomberger effort to post an 8-4 decision. Lock Haven led 17-12 heading into the dual's final two bouts, two bouts that would not feature the regular starters. At 197, Nittany Lion junior Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 5 nationally, was out with the flu. Stepping in for Davis was talented junior Chad Unger (Perry, Ohio). Unger met Lock Haven's Jeremie Cook. Each wrestler traded offensive bursts through the first two minutes with neither man getting any points. The final minute of the first featured Unger working Cook's head to no avail and the bout went to the second period tied 0-0. Cook chose down to begin the second period reversed Unger. Cook added three back points to up his lead to 5-0 with :50 to wrestle in the second. Two more back points as the period wound down had Cook up 7-0 with only two minutes to wrestle. Needing to turn Cook to come back, Unger chose up to start the third period. Unger locked his hands while on top, giving Cook an 8-0 lead. The Nittany Lion junior could not create any solid pinning opportunities. While he did ride Cook for most of the third period, the Bald Eagle freshman fought off every effort to post an impressive 8-1 win. The victory closed the team gap to Penn State 17, Lock Haven 15. With that, the dual – and a potential upset – boiled down to the heavyweight bout where Penn State was without its starting man. Penn State senior heavyweight Aaron Anspach (Columbia, Pa.), ranked No. 11 nationally, was held out of action due to a skin infection. Sophomore Joe Farina got the call to face Lock Haven's Mike Cook in the dual's deciding match-up. Farina got the first takedown at the 1:32 mark to take a 2-0 lead. Cook began working for a reversal and, after :20 of work, tied the bout. Farina escaped to a 3-2 lead with :05 left. Up 3-2 heading into the second, Farina chose down to start the middle period. After a first LHU stall warning and a reset, Farina escaped to a 4-2 lead with 1:15 to wrestle. With the dual in the balance, Farina added a second takedown at the :33 mark to lead 6-2. Farina rode Cook out to carry that 6-2 lead into the final period. Cook chose down to start the final period and Farina began working hard on top. Cook, however, countered Farina's first move and began working for a reversal. After a stalemate and reset, Farina let Cook up. With 1:25 to wrestle, the Nittany Lion sophomore led 6-3. He added insurance with another takedown at the 1:10 mark, bringing the nearly 3,000 fans to their feet. Farina rode Cook long enough to pick up a riding time edge and then maintained his position for the bout's final second. The thrilling 9-3 win clinched the dual, giving Penn State a 20-15 win. The Nittany Lions move to 5-1 while Lock Haven falls to 2-3. Missing two starters, Penn State split the bouts with LHU 5-5 but grabbed the win with five bonus points to none for Lock Haven. Penn State will return to action on Sunday, Jan. 7, when it treks to Ithaca for a battle with No. 13 Cornell. Its 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.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Oklahoma State's wrestling team heads west to face the Cal Poly Mustangs on Monday at 3 p.m. (CST) at the Mott Gymnasium in San Luis Obispo, Calif. The Cowboys have never lost to Cal Poly in 23 meetings. OSU won the only meeting last year, 36-8, in Stillwater. The last time the two teams faced off in San Luis Obispo, OSU claimed the dual by a 32-9 score during the 2004-05 season. Oklahoma State comes in with a 3-1 record and ranked fourth nationally by the USA Today/Intermat/NWCA Coaches' poll. The Cowboys suffered their first loss of the season back on Dec. 6 at then third-ranked Minnesota. The match will be broadcast live on 93.7 FM with Rex Holt and Roger Moore providing the commentary. Last Time Out The Cowboys suffered their first loss of the season to third-ranked Minnesota, 21-15, at the Sports Pavilion in Minneapolis. The Cowboys recorded three major decisions, but Minnesota won six of the 10 bouts to take the dual. OSU got major decisions from Coleman Scott, Newly McSpadden and Johny Hendricks to keep the dual close. Jared Shelton gave the pokes the opportunity to tie at heavyweight with a decision at 197. Shelton lost a major decision in the closing seconds, but he still brought the Cowboys to within three points of the Gophers, with just the heavyweights remaining. Top-ranked Cole Konrad got the only takedown of the match, however, and the Gophers held on for a 21-15 victory. Scouting the Mustangs The Mustangs are 0-1 on the season after losing to Oklahoma, 31-7, in their season opener. Cal Poly got a major decision from fifth-ranked Darrell Vasquez at 133 and a decision from Matt Monteiro at 197. Monteiro might have the biggest individual upset of the young wrestling season with a decision over OU's fifth-ranked Joel Flaggert. Cal Poly has three individuals ranked in the latest individual polls with 125-pounder Chad Mendes leading the way ranked third. Mendes missed the early portion of the season and is 0-1 with his only loss coming to top-ranked Sam Hazewinkel. Vasquez is 12-1 and ranked fifth, while Monteiro jumped in the rankings after defeating Flaggert and is ranked 13th. Last time vs. Cal Poly Oklahoma State won handily over Cal Poly, 36-8, rebounding from a loss to Minnesota in the finals of the National Duals. The Cowboys won eight of the 10 bouts, with six of the wins coming by bonus points. The highlight of the dual was at 133 where high school teammates Nathan Morgan and Darrell Vasquez squared off. It was fourth-ranked Morgan coming up with a takedown in the sudden victory period to defeat third-ranked Vasquez. Coleman Scott and Brandon Mason each recorded technical falls, while Kevin Ward and Johny Hendricks both recorded major decisions. Zack Esposito had a fall, and heavyweight Steve Mocco closed out the dual with a pin. No. 1 Oklahoma State 36, No. 20 Cal Poly 8 Stillwater, Okla. • Gallagher-Iba Arena • Attendance: 3,367 125- #6 Coleman Scott (OSU) TF5 John Hanks (CP), 17-2; 6:00 133- #4 Nathan Morgan (OSU) Dec. #3 Darrell Vasquez (CP), 6-4 SV 141- David Roberts (CP) MD Ethan Kyle (OSU), 13-3 149- #3 Zack Esposito (OSU) Fall Jeff Owens (CP), 2:11 157- #15 Kevin Ward (OSU) MD Ryan Williams (CP), 15-5 165- #1 Johny Hendricks (OSU) MD Rob Maxwell (CP), 13-5 174- #13 Brandon Mason (OSU) TF5 Nick Hernandez (CP), 17-1, 3:59 184- #16 Ryan Halsey (CP) MD Rusty Blackmon (OSU), 12-4 197- Jack Jensen (OSU) Dec. Yuri Kalika (CP), 4-0 285- #2 Steve Mocco (OSU) Fall Arturo Basulto, 1:45 Cowboys FOURTH! Oklahoma State is ranked fourth in the latest USA Today/Intermat/NWCA Coaches' Poll. The last time the Cowboys were as low as fourth was when they finished the 2002 NCAA Championships fifth in Albany, N.Y. The Cowboys have never finished a season lower than seventh and have finished first or second in 45 of the 75 NCAA Championships in which they have competed. Missouri was ranked first in the poll becoming just the 11th school to earn the No. 1 ranking, replacing OSU after its loss to Minnesota on Dec. 6. Gopher Bitten Oklahoma State has claimed the last four NCAA team titles and three of the last four NWCA National Duals titles. Over that four year span, the Cowboys have compiled a 74-5 dual record. OSU has put together a 111-9 record since the 2000-01 season. Minnesota has been the one team that has been a thorn in the side for the Cowboys. Minnesota has handed OSU six of its nine losses since the 2000-01 season, and it has defeated the Cowboys four times during their current championship run, including twice last year. Minnesota has won each of the last three meetings between the two schools, including a 21-15 win this season. Hendricks Reaches the Century Mark Senior Johny Hendricks became the 26th member of the 100-win club when he defeated Oklahoma's Shane Seibert, 7-4, on Dec. 3, 2006. He is currently 8-0 on the season and boasts a career record of 101-12. He needs just seven victories to tie Kirk Mammen for 20th on the all-time wins list.

A total of nine returning national champions and top-ranked wrestlers head final line-up for the Collegiate All-Star Challenge in Sioux City, Iowa on Saturday, December 30, 2006. Athletes from across the country will represent their institutions in 13 matches between some of the finest wrestlers in NCAA Division II and Division III, the NAIA and the nation's Junior Colleges. Returning national champions scheduled to compete include: Mark Dickman (149) and Jake Dieffenbach (165) of Lindenwood University and Jesse Laber (197) of the University of Mary. Athletes who have earned a No. 1 ranking this season are: Andrew Lacroix (141) of Roger Williams University, Joe Soto (141) of Iowa Central, Mikel Delk (149) of Ft. Hays State, Hayden Harrison (157) of Embry-Riddle, Jasper Lockett (184) of Missouri Valley College and Sam Sand (285) of Jamestown. Also competing are four wrestlers ranked No. 2 in the country: Richard Byrd (2) of Embry-Riddle, Jestin Hulegaard (133) of Buena Vista, Joffre Lander (184) of Embry-Riddle and Nate Buys (197) of Augustana (SD). The inaugural Collegiate All-Star Challenge has also received the endorsement of the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) for its efforts to promote the sport of wrestling. "This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase our wrestling champions in an area that obviously has one of the best fan bases and wrestling traditions in this country," stated NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "Sioux City has a demonstrated history of support for amateur wrestling and we are forever grateful for their tireless effort on behalf of our college heroes." Wrestling gets underway at 7:00 p.m. at the Long Lines Center (adjacent to the Tyson Events Center) in Sioux City. Final match assignments (individual ranking in parentheses): 125 pounds: (2) Richard Byrd – Embry-Riddle vs. (6) Anthony Nicolicchia Roger Williams 133 pounds: (2) Jestin Hulegaard – Buena Vista vs. (3) Burke Barnes – Dana 141 pounds: (1) Andrew Lacroix – Roger Williams vs. (1) Joe Soto – Iowa Central 141 pounds: (3) Terrence Almond – Dana vs. (4) Chris Frejie – Western State 149 pounds: (1) Mark Dickman – Lindenwood vs. (1) Mikel Delk – Ft. Hays State 157 pounds: (1) Hayden Harrison – Embry-Riddle vs. (3) Austin Scarset - Augustana 165 pounds: (1) Jake Dieffenbach – Lindenwood vs. (6) Blake Peterson – Truman State 174 pounds: (5) Cody Henriksen – Augustanda vs. (7) Enoch Francois – Northwestern (IA) 184 pounds: (1) Jasper Lockett – Missouri Valley vs. (2) Joffre Lander – Embry-Riddle 184 pounds: (6) Mike Howell – Ft. Hays State vs. (8) Jay Figgins - Loras 197 pounds: (2) Nate Buys – Augustana vs. ('05 NAIA Champion) Jesse Laber – Mary 197 pounds: (4) Ben Strandberg – Buena Vista vs. (5) Andrew Lundgren – Northwestern (IA) 285 pounds: (1) Sam Sand – Jamestown vs. (3) Andrew Ubben – Ft. Hays State All tickets are general admission and will be available only at the door. Adult tickets are $10 and children under age 12 are $5.

A strong field makes up the fourth annual Wartburg Desert Duals Tuesday, Dec. 19, in the Flamingo Las Vegas. Action begins at 10 a.m. Central Standard Time in the ballrooms of the hotel. Joining the second-ranked Knights will be No. 9-ranked North Central College of Naperville, Ill., No. 10-ranked Coe College of Cedar Rapids, No. 17-ranked Loras College of Dubuque, No. 20-ranked Buena Vista University of Storm Lake, and No. 21-ranked Elmhurst College of Illinois as the top NCAA Division III squads entered and No. 9-ranked Great Falls University of Montana and No. 12-ranked Menlo College of California among the top National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' Division I schools entered. Complete information on the 2006 tourney, including a round-by-round schedule, is available at http://www.go-knights.net/wrestling/dduals/index.html. Fans can follow the site throughout the day Tuesday for round-by-round results, recaps, photos and more. KNIGHTS DESERT DUALS NOTES: The host school sports a 12-0 record at the Desert Duals. Wartburg's dominance at the tourney goes even farther as they've given up 10 points just three times, as Elmhurst has compiled the total in each of their previous meetings with the Orange and Black in Las Vegas and Menlo did so last year…Wartburg's closest call came against the Bluejays by a 26-13 count in the 2004 tournament…Head coach Jim Miller's crew, sporting a 29-dual win streak that dates back to the 2004-05 campaign, has six individuals ranked in the National Wrestling Coaches Division III poll, released Dec. 11. Senior heavyweight Blake Gillis of Spencer, at 9-0, is ranked number one, while junior 197-pounder T.J. Miller of Cedar Falls, with a 5-0 record, is ranked second as is sophomore 184-pounder Romeo Djoumessi of Waverly with a 10-1 record. Senior 174-pounder Jason Zastrow of Coon Rapids, Minn., with a 13-2 record, is ranked No. 4, while sophomore 157-pounder Aaron Wernimont of Pocahontas, sporting an 18-2 record and 14 consecutive victories, is ranked No. 6 along with junior 133-pounder Jake Helvey of Mitchellville who has a 13-3 record…Wernimont earned special mention for the second consecutive week in the Iowa Conference's Athlete of the Week announcement Dec. 11. He ran the table at his weight in the 34th Dick Walker Invitational last weekend, rolling up three majors and a technical fall en route to Outstanding Wrestler honors…Two other participating schools have strong Wartburg ties. Former All-American Kevin Bratland and his brother, Karl, both alums, are bringing their No. 9-ranked North Central College team to the tourney, while former three-time NCAA Division III national champion Dustin Hinschberger and former All-American Dustin Bliven are on the coaching staff at Coe. NEXT UP: Wartburg breaks from competition until January 5 and 6 when they split their squad for competition at the Cornell College of Mount Vernon Matman Invitational and Ursinus College of Collegeville, Penn.'s North-South Duals.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The 14th-ranked Ohio State wrestling team will host Chattanooga at 2 p.m. Sunday in St. John Arena. The Buckeyes (1-1-0; 0-0-0 Big Ten) return to dual action after competing in the 25th Annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Dec. 1-2 in Primm, Nev., where they finished 10th with 66 points. IT'S BEEN AWHILE The dual against Chattanooga is the Buckeyes' first home dual since they opened the season Nov. 16 against then-No. 3 Missouri. Since that time, Ohio State has traveled to Ithaca, N.Y., where it defeated then-No. 9 Cornell, 18-17, Nov. 26 and finished 10th in the Las Vegas Invitational in Primm, Nev., Dec. 1-2. LAS VEGAS INVITATIONAL CHAMPION Redshirt-freshman Mike Pucillo won the 184-weight class at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Dec. 1-2 in Primm, Nev. Pucillo recorded two major decisions and a fall en route to the semifinal where he defeated No. 4 Raymond Jordan of Missouri, 3-1. In the championship bout against Michigan's and No. 3 Tyrel Todd, Pucillo notched a 12-6 victory for the title. Pucillo became the first Buckeye to win a title at the event since current assistant coach Tommy Rowlands won in 2003 at heavyweight. CONFERENCE LAURELS After his winning performance at 184 pounds in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Mike Pucillo was named the Big Ten Conference Wrestler of the Week for the week of Dec. 4. Pucillo recorded two major decisions and a fall en route to the semifinal where he defeated No. 4 Raymond Jordan of Missouri, 3-1. In the championship bout against Michigan's and No. 3 Tyrel Todd, Pucillo notched a 12-6 victory for the title. MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION Ohio State competed in the 25th Annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Dec. 1-2 and the Scarlet and Gray compiled 66 points for a 10th-place finish. It was the Buckeyes' first Top 10 finish at the invitational since 2003. Mike Pucillo was victorious in the 184-pound weight class, recording a pair of major decisions and a fall before defeating two Top 4 wrestlers in the semifinal (No. 4 Raymond Jordan) and final (No. 3 Tyrel Todd) for the title. Chris Vondruska recorded a third-place finish at 165 pounds, winning four consecutive matches after losing in the quarterfinals. In the third-place match-up, Vondruska defeated Zach Shanaman of Penn, 3-2. Lance Palmer was the final Buckeye to place, as he finished seventh at 149 pounds. After losing in the quarterfinals, Palmer rebounded with a win in the fifth wrestleback, but lost again in the sixth wrestleback, which dropped him to the seventh-place bout. In that final round, Palmer defeated Drew DiPasquale of Virginia, 7-2. INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Five Buckeyes are ranked in the Top 20 of their respective weight classes in the latest USA Today/InterMat/NWCA standings released Dec. 12. T.J. Enright moved up to No. 15 from No. 16 at 133 pounds. Lance Palmer remained ranked No. 19 at 149 pounds. Chris Vondruska improved one spot to No. 18 from 19th at 165 pounds. Mike Pucillo, who is the highest ranked Buckeye, jumped from fourth to third at 184 pounds. J.D. Bergman is sixth after spending last week ranked seventh. NOTING THE BUCKEYES So far, the Buckeyes have tallied 164 takedown points and have compiled 651 team points in two duals and two tournaments. Additionally, Ohio State has nine major decisions, four technical falls and 12 falls to its credit. ASSISTANT COACHES TAKE GOLD Ohio State wrestling assistant coaches Joe Heskett and Tommy Rowlands claimed titles at the Henri Deglane Challenge in Nice, France, and the American Airlines/New York AC Holiday International in New York, respectively, at the end of November. In his first season as the volunteer assistant coach for the Buckeyes, Heskett defeated 2000 Olympic silver medalist and 2006 Russian National Champion Arsen Gitinov in the championship match to win the gold medal at 74kg/163 pounds in the freestyle competition at the Nov. 24-25 tournament. For his efforts, Heskett was named TheMat.com Athlete of the Week for the week of Nov. 21. Rowlands defended his freestyle title at 120kg/264.5 pounds at the New York Athletic Club Nov. 18-19, winning all four of his bouts, including defeating Michael Irving, 4-1 and 6-0, in the final. SCOUTING CHATTANOOGA Like the Buckeyes, Chattanooga last competed at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in Primm, Nev. The Mocs put up an eighth-place finish with 69.5 points in the two-day event. Winning for Chattanooga at 133 pounds was Matt Keller. Keller defeated the 2006 141-pound NCAA Champion Matt Valenti of Penn, 9-7, in overtime. In dual action, the Mocs are 4-0 on the season, with all four wins coming in their home venue of Maclellan Gym. BUCKEYES VS. MOCS The Buckeyes own a 4-1-1 advantage over the Mocs, but dropped their last meeting 25-19 in 2004 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Ohio State vs. Chattanooga All-Time Series 2004 - UTC 25, OSU 19 2003 - Ohio State 32, UTC 8 2000 - Ohio State 27, UTC 9 1998 - Ohio State 33, UTC 3 1989 - Ohio State 31, UTC 9 1989 - Ohio State 18, UTC 18 VS. THE SOUTHERN CONFERENCE Ohio State has faced only one other Southern Conference opponent. Ohio State met The Citadel during the Virginia Duals Jan. 13, 2006 and defeated the Bulldogs, 38-10. MAKE IT 110 OSU head coach Tom Ryan earned his 110th career victory with the Buckeyes' 18-17 win over Cornell Nov. 26. Ryan gathered his first win as the head coach of the Scarlet and Gray, while his other 109 wins came at Hofstra, where he was the head coach for 11 seasons. Ryan's career record is 110-84-1 (.567). MARK THIS DATE Buckeye head coach Tom Ryan compiled his first win as the OSU head coach against then-No. 9 Cornell Nov. 26. ONLY THE BEST Ohio State has competed or will compete against some of the toughest teams in the nation in 2006-07. Nine of the Buckeyes' opponents are ranked in the latest Top 25 of the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA poll. Four opponents - Missouri (1), Iowa (5), Penn State (8) and Northwestern (9) are in the Top 10. LIVE WEB STREAMING Live web streaming of Ohio State's match-ups against Indiana (Jan. 28) and Michigan State (Feb. 2) are available on ohiostatebuckeyes.com. Log on to the official web site of the Ohio State Department of Athletics for more information. EXPANDED COVERAGE The NCAA and ESPN announced in October expanded live television coverage of the 2007 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships March 15-17 in Auburn Hills, Mich. For the first time, in the 77-year history of the Division I Wrestling Championships, the Saturday morning medal round will be televised. Scheduled for 10 a.m. EST March 17 on ESPNU, the championships medal round determines the third through eighth place finishers who are honored as All-Americans. The 2007 championships are March 15-17 at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Mich. The University of Michigan and the Detroit Metro Sports Commission will serve as hosts. Tickets for the 2007 championships are available by visiting http://www.detroitsports.org/wrestling/tickets/index.html. UP NEXT The Buckeyes will travel to the Southern Scuffle Dec. 29-30 in Greensboro, N.C., while other members of the squad will head to the 44th Annual Midlands Championships, also Dec. 29-30, in Evanston, Ill.

RPW Co-founder and CEO Toby Willis announced (on Monday) that the Super Challenge, originally set for San Jose, CA on Jan. 7, will be moved to Nashville, TN to support TV schedules and better scheduling for the athletes. On the verge of RPW's first major TV deals, TV stations and networks have asked to push up the dates of the delivery of the shows in order to take advantage of sponsor and other marketing and promotional budgets. RPW General Manager Rick Korn stated that, "The response from top stations and regional sports networks has been incredible. This is the first time in my 27 years in television that I've gotten such an overwhelming positive response for a sports property. Virtually every station we went after we have gotten cleared on, in the time slots that we have asked for, and the day of the week we wanted. The hardest part of the TV business is to get your show on the air in top markets like New York, Chicago, LA, Dallas, etc. We are not only getting our shows on the air but we are getting on stations that are No. 1 in their markets. In Chicago, LA, Dallas, Tulsa, Miami, Detroit and many others." Willis and President Matt Case had to make some difficult adjustments in order to fit the needs of our TV partners but in the end it is what is best for our athletes and the league. We really wanted to do the tour, but it would have been impossible given the tight time schedules dictated to us by the stations, Korn stated." On the heals of a successful set of four regional qualifiers is the anticipated Super Challenge, which will mark the conclusion of qualification series. While the Super Challenge will still be held prior to Season 2, it will most likely be wrapped into the studio show weekend in Nashville sometime this spring. Working in conjunction with High Five Entertainment, Nashville is "the ideal location for our studio show" says RPW and High Five Entertainment producer Martin Fischer. "All of our staff is here, it's a central location and Nashville has some great facilities to support such an endeavor. We look forward to taking what we've learned (from Season 1) and producing the Super Challenge and Season 2 even better" concluded Fischer. Having produced Season 1 in a television studio in Los Angeles, the RPW executives are confident that the model will work. Willis parlayed, "we know how to position everything and maximize the look and feel and the talent. It's ideal for a TV show and that's the most efficient way to continue getting our sport out there." We'll cross the live event bridge once we've had a bit more experience working in these known quantities." When asked about the talent, namely the athletes, RPW President Matt Case noted that they are "really anticipating a great crop of new wrestlers to infuse into the league". Case exclaimed, "We saw some fur flying at the qualifiers. These guys want it bad. They know there's a chance and when you open a door for a hungry wrestler, look out. Guys like Tyron Woodley, Kyle Ceminara, Shawn Bunch, and Ben Wissel are exciting to watch and will keep the audience engaged. They're full of action." Case is not just excited about the possible talent coming into the ranks but for the ability to continue showcasing real wrestling to the public in a palatable way. The RPW President noted the success of the new combat leagues such as the UFC and IFL who are now getting mainstream attention and good TV ratings. According to Case, "RPW is in the same family. We're combat made safe for sport. There's a lot to like about all the combat leagues, especially seeing the wrestlers compete" said Case. "We have a slightly different nuance to our presentation and we believe that this will separate us." With the millions that both the UFC and IFL are now bringing in, it seems logical that the RPW has an opportunity to keep it in the family. Look for more information regarding dates for the Super Challenge and Season 2 production in Nashville, TN on www.realprowrestling.com

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Junior Nick Hayes (Council Bluffs, Iowa/Lewis Central) has been named BigElevenWrestling.net Big Ten Wrestler of the Week following No. 9 Northwestern's wins over Northern Illinois and Eastern Illinois. With an 8-0 record, the 'Cats are off to their best start since the 1985-86 season. Hayes earned two dual meet victories over the weekend to improve to 6-1. On Friday night, Hayes notched an overtime win over Northern Illinois' Danny Burk. He tied the score a 4-4 with a two-point takedown in the second period after trailing 4-2. The junior scored an escape in the third period to tie the score at 6-6 and send the match into overtime. Hayes scored a takedown in the extra period to take the 8-6 decision. The junior completed the week with a 6-4 win over 12th-ranked Kenny Robertson of Eastern Illinois. Hayes scored an early escape to tie the match at 3-3 in the third and notched a takedown in the final minute to go up 5-3. Hayes held on for the 6-4 decision. After redshirting last season, Hayes has shifted up in weight to 174 lbs. after two years competing at 165. "It is obvious that Nick used his redshirt year in a positive way," head coach Tim Cysewski said. "His wins over Burk and Robertson show us that Nick is on the right path and is poised to be an All-American this season." The Wildcats, who moved up to No. 9 in this week's USA Today/InterMat/NWCA Wrestling Coaches Poll, return to action Dec. 20 at the Reno Tournament of Champions before heading home to Evanston for the 44th annual Midlands Championships held at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Dec. 29-30. For information on the Midlands visit The 2006 Midlands Home page.

Ryan Phillips (SR/Burlington, IA) has been named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Wrestler of the Week. This honor is the fourth NSIC Player of the Week award earned by an Upper Iowa student-athlete this year. Phillips was the champion of the 197 pound weight class at the St. Cloud State Open, which was held on December 9th in St. Cloud, Minn. Phillips was the #2 seed in the tournament and defeated Ben Janike of Minnesota State (Mankato) to move on to the finals. Janike was the #3 seed in the North Central Region and a national qualifier last season. Phillips, who won four matches on the day, defeated #1 Jesse Laber of the University of Mary 3-2 in the championship match. Laber is a two-time NAIA All-American and the defending NAIA National Champion. Phillips and the #7 Peacock wrestling team will hit the mat again this Friday night in their first home dual of the season. Their opponent will be Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. The matches are scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. in Dorman Gymnasium.

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.