InterMat Staff

Two members of the University of Wisconsin wrestling team were selected to participate in the 42nd annual National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic. Badger head coach Barry Davis and two-time All-American Craig Henning will represent Wisconsin at the classic which takes place Monday, Nov. 19 in Eugene, Ore., at McArthur Court. Davis has been selected as one of the coaches for the classic and Henning will wrestle at 157 lbs. against Big Ten Conference opponent Mike Poeta from Illinois. Both wrestlers faced each other at the 2007 Big Ten Championship. The third-seeded Henning upset top-seeded Poeta with a 7-2 decision in the third-place match. Both Henning and Poeta earned All-American status at the 2007 NCAA Championship with their second and third place finishes, respectively. Henning is ranked No. 1 in two preseason polls and is the first Wisconsin grappler to be named an NWCA All-Star since current assistant coach Donny Pritzlaff in 2001. Eight other Big Ten wrestlers were also selected to compete at the classic.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana University wrestling team unofficially began their season Monday night with the Cream and Crimson Intrasquad scrimmage at the Brown County High School in Nashville, Indiana. There were ten matches on the night, wrestle-offs for the 125-pound through 197-pound weight classes in addition to an opening round match between Sophomore Nick Avery and redshirt Freshman Eric Cameron. The aforementioned opening match between Avery and Cameron was tight, extending to sudden victory. A stalling penalty on Avery late in the third period evened the score at 3-3. Cameron then capitalized on the opportunity by recording a takedown for the 5-3 victory. The 125-pound match showcased four-time New Mexico state champion, Freshman Matt Ortega versus redshirt Sophomore Wesley Fike. Ortega jumped out to a 4-1 lead with a pair of takedowns before pinning Fike in 2:23. Redshirt Junior Andrae Hernandez dominated the 133-pound match over Freshman Reece Freeman. The 2007 All-American earned a takedown early in the first period and tallied nine points worth of near falls for an 11-0 lead. Hernandez was then able to finish the match with another takedown and two-point near fall for the 15-0 tech fall in the second period. Freshman Jeff Pelton and Junior Scott Kelly were then paired up at the 141-pound weight class. Kelly held a 2-1 lead after the first period before choosing the down position to begin period two. No points were scored in that period as Pelton did a great job of riding Kelly. Starting in the down position for period three, Pelton made a quick escape to tie the score before getting a takedown for the 4-2 edge. In the end, Pelton earned a 5-2 win with a riding advantage of over three minutes. Redshirt Freshman Kurt Kinser and Sophomore Nick Walpole proved to be one of the most-tightly contested bouts of the night. An escape by each 149-pound Hoosier were the only points scored in regulation. Walpole then seized a 3-1 win with a takedown 34 seconds into sudden victory. Next up was the 157-pound showdown between two-time All-American Brandon Becker and redshirt Freshman Paul Young. The first period ended in a 0-0 stalemate. Young then chose the neutral position in period two. It was the correct call by Young as he tallied a takedown with just seconds remaining for the 2-0 advantage. Becker immediately escaped in period three and took the lead with a takedown of his own. The tables were turned once again, however, when Young put Becker on his back for the pin at the 6:29 mark. The 165-pound match featured 2007 All-American Matt Coughlin and Junior Kyle Samuels. It was a rematch of the Indiana State High School Championship finals in 2004. Coughlin won Monday's dual just as he had in '04, thanks in large part to a perfectly-executed granby roll in the third period for the 3-1 lead. He added one point in riding time for the 4-1 triumph. A pair of redshirt sophomores squared off in the 174-pound match. Trevor Perry just got by Seth Parker in the 3-2 win. Perry grabbed a takedown in the first period, but Parker notched two escapes to even the score at 2-2 entering the third period. Perry chose the down position in the final period, and escaped the grasp of Parker for the go-ahead point. In the night's largest age discrepancy, fifth-year Senior Marc Bennett faced true Freshman Matt Powless in the 184-pound match. Bennett immediately landed a throw and sunk it in for the pin fall at the 0:46 mark of the first period. Arguably, the most action of the night came in the final match of the night, a clash between Freshman Joe Fagiano and redshirt Freshman Jantzen Minton at 197 pounds. Fagiano built a 7-2 lead in the first two periods, but Minton made a run in the third and final round. In the end, however, Fagiano held on for a 9-6 win. Indiana's official start to the season is set for Nov. 9th when the Hoosiers travel to Crawfordsville, Indiana for a dual with Wabash at 7 p.m.

Hempstead, NY -- Hofstra University All-American wrestler Charles Griffin has been selected to participate in the 42nd Annual National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic at the University of Oregon's McArthur Court in Eugene, Oregon. The Classic will be held on Monday, November 19 at 7 p.m. and will be televised on College Sports Television (CSTV). The NWCA All-Star Classic features the top two available wrestlers in each of the 10 weight classes in an exhibition that kicks off the regular season, and sometimes previews the NCAA Championships four months later. Griffin is the first Pride wrestler to participate as a featured competitor since Nick Gallo, Hofstra's only national champion, faced Kenny Nelson from Oklahoma in 1977. Joel Kislin, another Hofstra All-American, made two appearances in the All-Star Classic, facing Iowa State's Chris Taylor in both 1972 and 1973. Griffin, a senior from Reading, Pennsylvania, earned All-American honors at the 2007 NCAA Championships at Auburn Hills, Michigan last March with a third-place finish at 141 pounds. The three-time Colonial Athletic Association champion and NCAA qualifier posted a 35-6 overall record, including a 6-1 mark at the NCAA Championships, in 2006-07. Griffin has posted an 89-20 career record including a perfect 14-0 mark in the conference matches. He will face two-time All-American Nathan Morgan from Oklahoma State. Morgan, ranked third immediately behind Griffin in the preseason poll, placed fourth at last year's NCAA Championships and was sixth in the 2006 Championships. The two wrestlers faced each other as freshman in a dual match at Hofstra during the 2004-05 season. Griffin posted a 7-4 victory over Morgan in that match.

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Augsburg College wrestling team is ranked No. 1 in the National Wrestling Coaches Association's Brute-Adidas Division III preseason national rankings, it was announced this week. The Auggies, defending Division III national champions, have five individuals ranked among the top 10 in individual weight class rankings. Augsburg, winners of 10 of the last 17 Division III national titles, are ranked ahead of perennial rival Wartburg (Iowa), which finished second last season, and Wisconsin-La Crosse, which finished third. Heidelberg (Ohio) is ranked No. 4 and Luther (Iowa) is ranked No. 5. St. John's (Minn.) is ranked No. 23 in the preseason poll. The Auggies are in their first season under new head coach Sam Barber, who served as an assistant for six seasons under former head coach Jeff Swenson. Augsburg's Quincy Osborn (Sr., Grand Rapids, Minn.), who went 44-3 last season to win the Division III national title at 141 pounds, will move up two weight classes to 157 this season. He opens the year ranked No. 1 in the 157-pound class. Osborn was an Division I national tournament qualifier his first two seasons (2003-04, 2004-05) at the University of Minnesota before transferring to Augsburg last year. He is 104-35 in his collegiate career. Also opening the season top-ranked in their weight class is Augsburg's Seth Flodeen (Jr., Cannon Falls, Minn.) at 125 pounds. Flodeen was a national runner-up last season at 125, finishing with a 25-5 record. He is 53-20 in his Auggie career. Robbie Gotreau (Sr., Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS), a two-time All-American at 174 pounds (fifth in 2007, fourth in 2006), will move up to 184 pounds this season. Gotreau, 41-6 last season and 109-26 in his Auggie career, begins the year ranked No. 3 at 184. Wallace O'Connor (Sr., Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh West HS) enters the year ranked No. 3 at 197 pounds. He earned All-American honors for the first time last season, finishing eighth at 197. O'Connor finished 21-17 last season and is 55-47 in his Auggie career. Willy Holst (So., Prescott, Wis.) enters the season ranked No. 5 at 149 pounds. Holst transferred to Augsburg last season after spending his freshman year at Division I Minnesota, but missed nearly all of the season due to an injury. Holst is 14-5 as a collegiate wrestler. Augsburg opens its season with its annual Auggie-Brute-Adidas Open on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 9 a.m. at Si Melby Hall. The Auggies' first dual meet is on Wednesday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m., as Augsburg hosts Augustana (S.D.) at Si Melby Hall.

Second place in the country at 133 pounds and the top finisher on a team that placed fifth at the NCAA Championships sounds like a career highlight for many wrestlers, but not for Oklahoma State senior Coleman Scott. "It killed me last year us getting fifth," Scott said. "It was totally different than the previous years. I can't be satisfied with second place. People expect you to go out there and show that you are good since you have that orange singlet on. That's something you've got to live up to, but it's a good feeling when you do come out on top." Coleman Scott (Photo/Oklahoma State University Sports Information)It was a struggle for Scott to get back to wrestling after the finals loss last season, a match in which Scott scored the only takedown in a 4-2 defeat. However, when Scott finally returned to the mat during the offseason he was able to turn that disappointment into an insatiable drive to finish his final season in Stillwater with a national title. "It got to the point where I was tired of thinking about it and I had to tell myself to get something accomplished and make those strides in the summer that I needed to," Scott said. "Once I got back into my live wrestling and drilling hard I sort of forgot about it, but then the next day it came up. It's just a motivator now though, it helps me out instead of burning me." So for the first time in four years, Oklahoma State entered this past offseason not wearing the target of defending champion on its back. The feeling was a first for Scott, who was part of championship teams in each of his first two seasons with the Cowboys. "It was a big change coming into this season not being the national champion and knowing that we've got to climb a ladder and not everybody is chasing us anymore," Scott said. "But we've made a lot of strides since the beginning of school. Everybody is getting a lot better and we're going to be in good shape by the end of the year. "I'd rather have the target on because that's when you know you're at the top, when everybody is gunning for you and that's a good feeling," Scott said. "It doesn't bother me to be the underdog, but I think by the end of the year we will have that target on us." In line with the adjustment to no longer being the defending champion, OSU head coach John Smith has shaken up his team's preseason workouts, specifically the conditioning. Scott says the difficulty of the workouts has increased significantly and the results are already apparent and have helped a Cowboy squad full of fresh faces gain confidence that was missing at times last season. "It was a lot different this year, we took a totally different approach," Scott said. "This team is by far in the best shape we've been in this early. It was hard, but I think it's going to pay off in the end. "It gives guys a lot of confidence when they get out there and they know they're in way better shape than their opponent is," Scott said. "Last year some guys lacked a little bit of confidence, but the guys on this year's team are definitely not going to lack any confidence in their conditioning or their skill. We think it'll be a good year." Another change in the Cowboy wrestling room has been the transition of senior leadership. During Scott's first three years in Stillwater, there was a wealth of experience and leadership in the room from the likes of Zack Esposito, Jake Rosholt, Johny Hendricks and Steve Mocco. Now, a new group of young Cowboys looks to Scott and fellow senior and two-time All-American Nathan Morgan for guidance, a role that Scott feels ready to embrace. "It's definitely different," Scott said. "You go from being the little guy on the team and looking up to all those guys, and now people are looking up to you. It's hard at first when you realize that there are people looking at you for what to do. Overall it's a good feeling though and I learned a lot from all those guys. "We had such a tight team the last few years and those older guys were so good at bringing me along my freshman year and all the way through my career," Scott said. "I think that me and Nate and the other guys have to step up and do that now." Although the team may have lost the target on its back, Scott hasn't. He is ranked No. 1 in the nation at 133 pounds by every preseason publication. Being the leader at his weight class hasn't gone to his head, however, as he's continually fueled by the eligibility clock he knows is ticking. "I don't have any more time, I've got to win an NCAA title this year," Scott said. "I've gone through it the last three years and I haven't gotten there, so I've got to do it this year. Getting second last year wasn't a good feeling and I don't ever want to have it again. I know I have a target on my back, but I like everyone chasing me trying to get that No. 1 ranking." Although in the short-term Scott's goals are aimed squarely on becoming an NCAA champion, long-term he hopes to continue wrestling on the international and Olympic stage. It's a goal that's all the more attainable if you look at the resources the Cowboy wrestling room has to offer. From former Olympians like Smith and assistant coach Eric Guerrero to current ones like Daniel Cormier and Mo Lawal, Oklahoma State's room is a breeding ground for future Olympians. "I've wrestled freestyle ever since I was about 12 years old and that's always been my goal to be an Olympic champ. I'm going to train here for as long as I can and hopefully be on the Olympic team."

The 42nd edition of the NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps comes to the Pacific Northwest for the first time in 17 years as Eugene, Ore., will host the annual wrestling spectacle. This year's lineup features six top-ranked wrestlers in Division I, one top-ranked wrestler in Division II, eight second-ranked wrestlers from Division I along with four #3's and one #4. In all, 14 different schools will be represented and will comprise athletes from the Big Ten, Big 12, Colonial, EIWA, EWL, Pac 10 and Division II. "We're excited to have the event in an area that's not only known for its wrestling wealth, but an area that is nationally known for putting out some of the top wrestlers in the nation," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. There is one pivotal focus of this year's event – save the wrestling program at the University of Oregon. In June, the school announced it was cutting the sport in favor of adding baseball and women's competitive cheer, and that 2007-08 would be the final season of Duck Wrestling in Eugene. "This is an important event, not only for the sport of wrestling, but for the health and well-being of wrestling in the state of Oregon and around the country," said NWCA President Ron Mirikitani. "There is great tradition at the University of Oregon. National Champions, Olympic Medalists, Olympic Coaches," continued Mirikitani. "We're hoping that a great fan presence will show the administration that Oregon needs wrestling and wrestling needs Oregon." The lineup that's going to be taking to the mat at McArthur Court is solid. At 125 pounds, returning NCAA champion Paul Donahoe of Nebraska comes in ranked #1 in the country after his surprise run to the title last season. He'll take on Jayson Ness, a sophomore from Minnesota ranked fourth in the nation and a fifth-place finisher at the NCAA Championships last March. It is the first appearance for both wrestlers. At 133 pounds, two of the Big 12's top wrestlers will square off with three-time All-American and returning NCAA runner-up Coleman Scott of Oklahoma State will take on Missouri's two-time All-American Tyler McCormick. Scott is 2-1 lifetime against McCormick and is one of two Cowboys to be represented in the event. Scott's making his second All-Star appearance, losing last year to Penn's Matt Valenti. At 141 pounds, it's the second Cowboy, two-time All-American Nathan Morgan. Morgan, ranked third, will face second-ranked Charles Griffin of Hofstra. Griffin bested Morgan in the third-place match at the 2007 NCAA Division I Championships last March 6-2 and is the first Hofstra wrestler to compete in the main event of the All-Star Classic since Nick Gallo wrestled in the event in 1977, which conversely, took place in Corvallis. Morgan's making his second All-Star appearance. He fell last year to top-ranked Ryan Lang of Northwestern. Hofstra head coach Tom Shifflet will also represent the Pride. At 149 pounds, a pair of Big Ten opponents will tangle as top-ranked Dustin Schlatter, a two-time All-American and 2006 NCAA champion, will face off with second-ranked Josh Churella, a two-time All-American and 2007 NCAA runner-up. It will be Schlatter's second All-Star appearance. Last season, he defeated Oklahoma's Matt Storniolo in Dallas. At 157 pounds, Wisconsin's NCAA runner-up Craig Henning, ranked second at the weight, will wrestle Illinois' Mike Poeta in another All-Big Ten tussle. It's been six years since Barry Davis has had a wrestler compete in the event – Donny Pritzlaff in 2001. Davis joins Shifflet, Iowa Central coach Luke Moffitt and Embry-Riddle coach Ken Ramsey as coaches for the event. Second-ranked Eric Tannenbaum of Michigan will take on third-ranked Patrick Pitsch of Arizona State at 165 pounds. The match could draw some fans from nearby Washington as the two-time Pac-10 champion hails from Spanaway, Wash., a four-hour drive up I-5. Two Eastern conferences are represented at 174 pounds, with returning NCAA finalist and top-ranked Keith Gavin of Pittsburgh against second-ranked Matt Stolpinski of the United States Naval Academy. Gavin is Pitt's first representative since J.J. Fasnacht in 1996, while Stolpinski is the Academy's first since Mark Conley in 2002. Making his second All-Star Classic is Minnesota's Roger Kish. Last season, Kish fell to Northwestern's Jake Herbert, but the Michigan native will have a familiar foe in his opponent in 2007 – Iowa State's top-ranked sophomore Jake Varner. Varner defeated Kish in overtime in the semifinals of last year's NCAA championships at 184 pounds. A pair of Big Ten wrestlers will again meet at 197 pounds, as second-ranked Phil Davis, a three-time All-American from Penn State, will face third-ranked Mike Tamillow of Northwestern. This will be Davis second appearance in the All-Star Classic, but he failed to make weight at last year's event. Tamillow was seventh at last year's NCAA championships. At heavyweight, Division I's top-ranked heavyweight Dustin Fox of Northwestern will have a large challenge in front of him, the top-ranked heavyweight in Division II, Nebraska-Kearney's Tervel Dlagnev. Dlagnev beat Fox in the finals of last year's Midlands championships and is making his third All-Star appearance but first in the main event. In 2005 in Stillwater, Dlagnev beat Central Oklahoma's Josh LeadingFox in the event's only exhibition, while in 2006, the Texan beat Wartburg's Blake Gillis in one of five exhibition matches. Dlagnev's the first non-Division I wrestler in the event since Emmett Willson of Montana State-Northern (NAIA) in 2004 and the first Division II wrestler to compete since Dan Russell of Portland State in 1990 – the last time Oregon hosted the event. "We feel the All-Star Classic is one of wrestling's greatest events because it can give you a potential NCAA final right now," said Moyer. "We're hoping the momentum of this event in Eugene, with people like Ron Finely among others, leading the charge to keep this valuable and historic sport in the state of Oregon." "Countless teachers and coaches have come through the wrestling room at the University of Oregon and it would be a shame if there was no longer a pipeline to Oregon's youth and high school wrestlers and coaches to and from Eugene." "We hope the All-Star Classic not only puts the 20 best wrestlers in the nation on display, but the need for wrestling at Oregon as well," said Moyer. The United States Marine Corps is again partnering with the NWCA for the event and has been a win-win situation for the NWCA and the event itself. "The United States Marine Corps and the NWCA have built a great partnership over the years," said Moyer. "They present one of our showcase events – the All-Star Classic – and also are a key player in our leadership awards. We're pleased to continue our relationship with them on every level." The event is slated for a 7 p.m. start, and tickets are available by calling the Duck ticket office at 1-800-WEB-FOOT (or 541.346.4461 locally) during weekday normal business hours. Prices are $15 for reserved, $10 for Adult General Admission and $5 for Children General Admission (ages 2-18) and UO Students (with a valid UO student ID). For teams of 15 or more, reserved tickets are available for $10 for each ticket if arranged in advance through the UO Athletic Department Ticket Office. Other general ticket information is available at the online at www.GoDucks.com website. More information on the NWCA is available at the www.nwcaonline.com website. 42nd NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps November 19, Eugene, OR 125: #1 Paul Donahoe (Nebraska) vs. #4 Jayson Ness (Minnesota) 133: #1 Coleman Scott (Oklahoma State) vs. #2 Tyler McCormick (Missouri) 141: #2 Charles Griffin (Hofstra) vs. #3 Nathan Morgan (Oklahoma State) 149: #1 Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota) vs. #2 Josh Churella (Michigan) 157: #2 Craig Henning (Wisconsin) vs. #3 Mike Poeta (Illinois) 165: #2 Eric Tannenbaum (Michigan) vs. #3 Patrick Pitsch (Arizona State) 174: #1 Keith Gavin (Pittsburgh) vs. #2 Matt Stolpinski (Navy) 184: #1 Jake Varner (Iowa State) vs. #2 Roger Kish (Minnesota) 197: #2 Phil Davis (Penn State) vs. #3 Mike Tamillow (Northwestern) 285: #1 (D2) Tervel Dlagnev (Neb.-Kearney) vs. #1 (D1) Dustin Fox (Northwestern) EXHIBITIONS (2) 125: #1 (NAIA) Trevor Lofstedt (Southern Oregon) vs. Jake Gonzales (Oregon State) 174: Ron Lee (Oregon) vs. Luke Feist (Stanford) COACHES Tom Shifflet (Hofstra), Barry Davis (Wisconsin), Luke Moffitt (Iowa Central), Ken Ramsey (Embry-Riddle)

Making the transition from high school to a Big Ten university is a challenge for just about anyone. Especially if you're an engineering major … and the school is the University of Illinois, one of the most respected -- and academically rigorous -- engineering schools in the country. Jimmy Kennedy (Photo/University of Illinois Sports Information)If that weren't enough of a challenge, now, add on top of all that -- being the starting wrestler at 133 pounds for the Fighting Illini as a freshman. That in a nutshell describes Jimmy Kennedy's first year at Illinois. Yet Jimmy rose to the challenge -- and then some. He had an incredibly successful first year on the mats at Urbana-Champaign. Among his accomplishments: placing fourth in the 2007 Big Ten conference championships, and making it to the finals of the Midlands. Mark Johnson, head coach at Illinois, concurs. "In my seventeen years here, only a handful of kids have been able to wrestle for us as true freshmen and do so well." Thrust into the starting role "Coming into college, I didn't think I'd be wrestling my freshman year," says Jimmy Kennedy. "The coaches thought I was ready." (In fact, Jimmy was one of only two true freshmen to be installed as starters at Illinois in the 2006-07 season, the other being John Dergo at 184 pounds. This is the first time more than one first-year student-athlete has been in the Illini starting line-up during Coach Johnson's tenure.) "I learned a lot in my first year -- perhaps more than in four years of high school … I competed against some of the best in the country." Jimmy took on a number of opponents ranked in the top twenty at 133 pounds, securing victories over Ohio State's T.J. Enright, Wisconsin's Zach Tanelli, Penn State's Jake Strayer, Indiana's Andrae Hernandez, and North Carolina's Evan Sola during the regular season. Jimmy Kennedy (Photo/University of Illinois Sports Information)Arguably Jimmy Kennedy's biggest regular-season win was a 6-3 victory over Mack Reiter, the two-time All-American from the University of Minnesota. "He was coming back from his injury, and I don't think he was 100%," says the Illini sophomore. "For me, the important thing was not to be intimidated by an opponent's record or reputation. You can't lose the match before you wrestle it." Jimmy ended the regular season with a 25-3 record, with five of those wins secured with a pin. He compiled a 7-1 record in Big Ten dual meet competition, losing only to Michigan State senior Nick Simmons. End-of-season performance At the 2007 Big Ten Championships held at Michigan State, Jimmy Kennedy was seeded second in the 133-pound weight class, behind Nick Simmons. He drew a bye in the first round … then, in the quarterfinals, Jimmy defeated seventh-seeded Mario Galanakis of Iowa 7-6, TB1. However, in the semifinals, the Illinois freshman's title quest was derailed by Andrae Hernandez -- the sixth-seeded Hoosier -- by the score of 3-1. However, Jimmy got back on track with a 6-1 victory over T.J. Enright (the eighth-seeded Buckeye) in the wrestleback semifinals, putting himself in the match for third place against Mack Reiter. The Minnesotan got some revenge for his regular-season loss, pinning his Illini rival at 4:02. Jimmy Kennedy left East Lansing with fourth-place honors … and the right to compete at the national championships two weeks later. At the 2007 NCAAs at the Palace in Auburn Hills, Jimmy Kennedy was seeded ninth in the 133-pound bracket. In his opening-round bout, he scored a 7-4 victory over Lehigh's Seth Ciasulli. The second round saw Jimmy edge eighth-seeded Tyler McCormick of Missouri, 3-2. In the quarterfinals, the Illinois freshman faced familiar foe Nick Simmons … and was shut out by the senior Spartan, 3-0. In the consolation bracket, Jimmy went up against another Big Ten rival, Andrae Hernandez … with the Hoosier getting a 4-3 TB victory. When all was said and done, Jimmy Kennedy was just one win away from earning All-American honors in his first year of college competition. Making a statement at the Midlands One of the high points of Jimmy Kennedy's freshman season was his sparkling performance at the Midlands, the post-Christmas wrestling tournament hosted by Northwestern University that has become one of the major mat events in its 40+ year history. At the Midlands, Jimmy pinned San Francisco State's Ben Lockett at 1:29 … got a 5-3 decision over Conor Beebe of Central Michigan in the second round … and, in the quarterfinals, defeated second-seeded Robbie Preston of Harvard, 5-3 SV. The semifinals saw Jimmy edge Northwestern's Eric Metzler, 2-1, to earn the right to vie for the 133-pound title. In the championship finals, Jimmy was pinned by Nick Simmons … but, along the way, earned the respect of wrestling fans for doing so well in his first appearance at this prestigious event. Back to the beginning Before his incredible 2006-07 season -- or, in fact, before even setting foot on the University of Illinois campus -- Jimmy Kennedy had crafted a solid wrestling career. Jimmy Kennedy (Photo/University of Illinois Sports Information)"I got started (in wrestling) at age five in a club program," says Jimmy. "My cousin and a best friend wrestled. That's how I got into it." "I did pretty well from the beginning." That successful start continued into high school. At Grant Community High School, Jimmy Kennedy had an incredible 187-3 overall record. Perhaps even more incredible, the native of Ingleside, Illinois (a town located between Chicago and the Wisconsin border) broke the Illinois high school state record for takedowns within a season with an eye-popping 384. While in high school, Jimmy made four trips to Champaign-Urbana, qualifying each year for the Illinois high school state championships held at Assembly Hall on the University of Illinois campus. "My goal was to win all four years at state," discloses the Illini 133-pounder. At the end of his prep career, Jimmy had two state titles earned in his sophomore and senior years… placing second his freshman year, and third as a junior. Jimmy's mat success extended far beyond the state of Illinois. As a high school sophomore, he won a Cadet Nationals championship after placing second his freshman year. What's more, in 2006, Jimmy earned the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award. This award, given to only one wrestler per state, honors not only on-the-mat excellence, but also scholastic achievement, character, citizenship, and community service. When asked about his high school mat experience, Jimmy immediately responded, "My high school coach, Ryan Geist, was one of the best in the state … He pushed us hard in practice, and helped instill a good work ethic in us." "Coach was always there for me," Jimmy continues. "I'd talk to him about colleges. He helped me with my college choice … He helped me understand that, any choice I made, it would be a good one." Mark Johnson (Photo/University of Illinois Sports Information)Illinois head coach Mark Johnson weighs in, "Jimmy was at the top of his class, bright, clean-cut, an All-American type kid." "He's in one of the toughest academic programs here," continues Coach Johnson. "He works hard to succeed in school and in wrestling." "Illinois is academically demanding," concurs Jimmy. "It's a struggle to keep up with my class work and wrestling. The coaches here do a great job helping us, planning our schedules around tests, providing study sessions, whatever we need." Engineering a successful future Coming off an incredible freshman season, expectations are high for Jimmy Kennedy's second year at Illinois. He is ranked sixth in RevWrestling.com's preseason rankings for the 133-pound weight class. (Note: Rev's rankings including wrestlers from all three college divisions). Jimmy Kennedy (Photo/University of Illinois Sports Information)When asked for his own expectations for the season about to start, Jimmy Kennedy has an attitude that any coach -- and wrestling team -- has got to love. "I want the team to do its best … I plan to wrestle hard as an individual, and place high at nationals to help my team's standings." What does the future hold for Jimmy beyond college? "It's hard to make a decision about what I'll do after college this early in my life," replies the Illini sophomore. "I'm basically taking things one year at a time."

USA Wrestling has chosen five finalist candidates to serve as coaches for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team in freestyle wrestling. Named as finalists for the volunteer freestyle coaching positions for the U.S. team that will compete at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China are: Sean Bormet of Naperville, Ill. Mike Duroe of Iowa City, Iowa Lee Kemp of Alpharetta, Ga. Kerry McCoy of Stanford, Calif. Lou Rosselli of Columbus, Ohio The five finalists were selected by USA Wrestling's Freestyle Coach Selection Committee. Two of these five volunteer coaches will be selected to serve on the coaching staff at the Beijing Games, along with USA Wrestling's National Freestyle Coach Kevin Jackson. Three of the finalists have served as official Freestyle World Team Coaches at recent World Championships: Duroe (2005, 2006), McCoy (2007) and Rosselli (2006, 2007). The other two coaches, Bormet and Kemp, have been on recent U.S. World Team coaching staffs. Two of the coaches have served as official Junior World Team Coaches in recent years: Rosselli (2005) and Kemp (2007). Both McCoy and Duroe were coaches with the 2007 Pan American Games team. Three of the coach finalists were members of past U.S. Olympic teams as athletes: Kemp (1980), McCoy (2000, 2004) and Rosselli (1996). Kemp was a three-time World champion in freestyle wrestling (1978, 1979, 1982). McCoy is the head wrestling coach at Stanford Univ., and Duroe is head wrestling coach at Cornell College in Iowa. Rosselli is the assistant coach at The Ohio State Univ. Bormet is founder and coach of the Overtime School of Wrestling in Illinois. Kemp coaches the Lee Kemp Cooler Wrestling Club in Georgia. Complete biographies of each of the finalists are below. All five finalists will be given a formal telephone interview with the Freestyle Coach Selection Committee. After the interview process, the Freestyle Coach Selection Committee will select the two coaches which the committee recommends for the Olympic coaching positions. USA Wrestling's Executive Committee will then meet to approve the selections of the Freestyle Coach Selection Committee. The decision of the Executive Committee will be forwarded to the U.S. Olympic Committee for final approval as USA Wrestling's nominees for the Olympic Coach positions. USA Wrestling expects its Olympic Coach selection process to be completed by mid-November. Sean Bormet, Naperville, Ill. Bormet was a member of the coaching staff for the 2006 U.S. World Team, which placed third in the team standings and featured four individual medalists. He is a club coach with the New York Athletic Club, and has worked directly with a number of the athletes on recent U.S. World Teams. Donny Pritzlaff (163 lbs.) and Andy Hrovat (185 lbs.), both members of the New York AC, made the 2006 U.S. World Team. Pritzlaff went on to win a bronze medal at the World Championships. The New York Athletic Club placed second in Div. II at the U.S. National Championships the last two seasons. Six members of the New York AC freestyle team qualified for Freestyle Team USA, the U.S. national team during the last two seasons. Bormet was named winner of the Terry McCann Award winner as the 2006 Freestyle Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. Bormet owns and operates the Overtime School of Wrestling, a top training facility and wrestling club in Illinois. Since opening this program, Bormet has produced numerous champions and All-American on all of USA Wrestling's age levels. Also coaching with Overtime is Kerry Bowmans, a 2000 Olympic Trials runner-up in freestyle wrestling. Bormet was named 2004 USA Wrestling Developmental Coach of the Year for his coaching achievements working with age-group wrestlers and programs. He has coached numerous age-group national champions and All-Americans as a coach for the Illinois Junior and Cadet freestyle national teams. He has also coached the Illinois Junior Duals freestyle team. Prior to founding the Overtime School of Wrestling, Bormet served as an assistant coach at the Univ. of Wisconsin (1994-99) and the Univ. of Michigan (1999-2000). Bormet placed second at the 1999 U.S. National Championships and third in 1999 as a Senior-level freestyle wrestler. He was third at the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Bormet earned NCAA All-American status twice while competing for the Univ. of Michigan. In 1993, he placed third at the NCAA Tournament and in 1992, he placed second. He was a 1991 Espoir National champion in freestyle and competed in the 1991 Espoir World Championships. Bormet was also a three-time Junior freestyle All-American. He was an Illinois state champion for Providence High School in New Lenox, Ill. Mike Duroe, Iowa City, Iowa Duroe served as a World Team Coach for the 2006 U.S. Freestyle World Team, which placed third as a team at the 2006 World Championships in Guangzhou, China. The team featured four individual medalists, including World champion Bill Zadick. Duroe was also a World Team coach for the 2005 U.S. Freestyle World Team, which placed eighth in the standings and featured two medalists, competing in Budapest, Hungary. He was also a coach with the 2007 Pan American Games team, which won seven medals, led by champion Henry Cejudo. Duroe has coached numerous U.S. World-level teams, both in men's freestyle and women's freestyle, as a volunteer coach and also as a staff member for USA Wrestling. He was on the staff of the last three U.S. Olympic men's freestyle coaching teams. Duroe was named 2005 Freestyle Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. He serves in his third season as the head wrestling coach at Cornell College, a Div. III school in Iowa. The program has shown substantial improvement during his tenure. His teams own the top two dual winning totals in school history (15-9-1 in 2005-06 and 14-8 in 2006-07). He was previously the coach of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club and the administrative assistant for the Univ. of Iowa wrestling program. He has extensive coaching experience on the high school, college and international levels. Duroe served in two professional coaching positions for USA Wrestling, the national governing body. From 1998-2000, he was USA Wrestling's Freestyle Developmental Coach. In 2001, Duroe served as USA Wrestling's Freestyle Resident Coach, working with the elite men's freestyle wrestlers at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. He also managed USA Wrestling's women's wrestling programs, including serving as the Head Women's National Coach. Under Duroe's leadership, the United States was successful in age-group World Championships in freestyle wrestling. The highlight of his efforts with the women's program came in 1999, when the United States won the World Team Title in women's wrestling. Prior to joining USA Wrestling's national staff, he coached U.S. teams on the national and international level in men's and women's wrestling. He served as the head coach of three U.S. Women's World Teams (1995-97). Duroe served as head coach of the women's team at the 1997 Pan American Championships. He also was an assistant coach for the 1996 Pan American Championships men's team. Duroe was also the head coach of the 1995 Cadet World Team. He also served as a coach at four U.S. Olympic Festivals (1989-90, 1993-94). Duroe served as head coach at Northern Michigan Univ. from 1980-85, and assistant coach from 1978-80. During his tenure at Northern Michigan, he tutored 27 All-Americans and three national champions. Duroe was also the coach for the Wildcat Wrestling Club at Northwestern Univ. from 1985-86 and an assistant wrestling coach for the Univ. of Pennsylvania from 2001-2003. Duroe served as the head coach at New Trier High School in Illinois from 1986-98, where he led his team to four conference and five regional team titles. As an athlete, Duroe was a two-time regional champion for Drake Univ. He served as captain of Drake's team for three years and has been inducted into the Drake University Wrestling Hall of Fame. Duroe competed on the national level in freestyle in the early 1980s. He was a three-time national freestyle placewinner, and was the 1983 AAU National champion. Lee Kemp of Alpharetta, Ga. Kemp served as coach of the 2007 Junior World freestyle team, which placed 11th in the standings and featured Junior World Champion Bubba Jenkins. In 2006, Kemp served as a member of the U.S. Freestyle World Team coaching staff, assisting with the team which won four individual World medals and placed third in the World Championships in Guangzhou, China. Kemp is a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame after one of the most successful competitive careers in history. Kemp won three World gold medals in freestyle wrestling (1978, 1979, 1982) and was a 1981 World bronze medalist. He was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team which did not attend the Moscow Olympic Games due to the U.S. government boycott. He also won four World Cup titles, and placed second at the 1984 Olympic Trials to Dave Schultz, who went on to win the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Kemp also had one of the greatest college careers, winning three NCAA Div. I titles and placing second as a freshman for the Univ. of Wisconsin. He was a Junior National Champion as a prep wrestling star from Chadron, Ohio. Kemp served as a graduate assistant wrestling coach at the Univ. of Wisconsin. He also coached with high school and college teams in the cities where he held professional positions. While in the New York area, he assisted with the wrestling teams at Montclair State Univ. and Rutgers Univ., as well as at Montclair High School. When living in the Minneapolis area, he assisted with the Univ. of Minnesota and with Forest Lake High School. Kemp was a volunteer coach when Forest Lake High School won the Minnesota state team title, and helped develop state champion wrestlers with the program. He currently coaches the Lee Kemp Cooler Wrestling Club in Georgia. Kemp has had a successful career in business. He received his master's degree in marketing from the Univ. of Wisconsin in 1983. He worked in the advertising field with Burrell Communications in Chicago, then was in marketing with Clairol in New York City. In 1991, he became the ownership of a car dealership, Forest Lake Ford in Minnesota, where he held expand the business serving this suburban city. Kemp has also launched his own internet company, Hire the Winners, LLC, which provides an online assessment tool for sales personnel in the auto industry. Kerry McCoy, Stanford, Calif. McCoy served as a 2007 U.S. World Team Coach, helping lead the United States to a fourth place finish, led by World bronze medalist Daniel Cormier. McCoy was also a coach with the 2007 Pan American Games team, which won seven medals, led by champion Henry Cejudo. McCoy was a member of the coaching staff for the 2006 U.S. Freestyle World Team, which placed third in the World Championships in Guangzhou, China. He has coached numerous nationally-ranked men's freestyle wrestlers in recent years. He is currently the head wrestling coach at Stanford Univ., where he is serving in his third season. Previously, McCoy spent five years as assistant coach at Lehigh Univ. and three years as an assistant at Penn State Univ. He was also the Director of Wrestling for the Lehigh Valley Athletic Club. McCoy was a member of the 2000 and 2004 U.S. Olympic freestyle wrestling teams, placing fifth at the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia and seventh at the 2004 Games in Athens, Greece, competing at super heavyweight. He was a 2003 World silver medalist, and placed fourth at the 1998 and 2001 World meets. McCoy won gold medals at the 2003 Pan American Games and won the World Cup four times (1999-2002). He was second at the 1998 Goodwill Games, and won the Pan American Championships twice. He won the U.S. National championships five straight years (2000-2004), and placed second on two occasions (1996, 1997). McCoy was also a 1992 Junior World champion, and placed seventh in the 1993 Espoir World Championships. He competed for the New York AC. McCoy won two NCAA titles for Penn State Univ. (1994, 1997) and placed third in the 1995 NCAA Championships. He received the Hodge Award in 1997 as the college wrestler of the year. McCoy won 131 of his last 132 matches in college, including an 88-match win streak. He served as Chairperson of the NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and was also the President of Penn State's Student-Athlete Advisory Board. McCoy has also served on Athlete Advisory Committees for the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Wrestling. A native of Middle Island, N.Y., McCoy was a New York state champion for Longwood High School in 1992 and was a state runner-up in 1991. Lou Rosselli, Columbus, Ohio Rosselli served as a 2007 U.S. World Team Coach, helping lead the United States to a fourth place finish, led by World bronze medalist Daniel Cormier. Two athletes who Rosselli served as club coach for Joe Heskett and Tommy Rowlands, both who competed on the 2007 U.S. World Team. Rosselli served as a World Team Coach for the 2006 U.S. Freestyle World Team, which placed third as a team at the 2006 World Championships in Guangzhou, China. The team featured four individual medalists, including World champion Bill Zadick. He was the assistant coach of the 2005 U.S. World University Games Team, which placed third in the team standings with three individual gold medalists in Izmir, Turkey. He serves as a club coach with the New York Athletic Club, one of the world's most successful wrestling clubs. Rosselli has also coached a number of U.S. teams on international tours. Rosselli is in his second season as the assistant wrestling coach at The Ohio State University, joining the staff of new head coach Tom Ryan. Previously, he served 11 seasons as an assistant coach at Edinboro Univ., eight years as a full-time assistant and three years as a volunteer assistant. Rosselli has helped build the Scotsmen into a nationally competitive program on the Div. I level. He is considered one of the nation's most talented assistant wrestling coaches. Rosselli competed at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga., at 114.5 pounds. His quest for an Olympic medal was cut short when he broke his arm during a victory and had to withdraw from competition. Rosselli made the team with a stunning victory at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Rosselli was a 1997 World Cup champion, and won a silver medal at the 1998 Pan American Championships. He won U.S. National freestyle titles three times (1995, 1996, 1999) and was second in the 1998 U.S. Nationals. Rosselli was also a University Nationals freestyle champion in 1994. He competed for the New York AC. Rosselli placed third at the 1993 NCAA Championships and was fourth in the 1991 NCAA Championships for Edinboro Univ. Rosselli was selected the Outstanding Wrestler at both the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament and the Eastern Wrestling League Championships in 1993. His 136 career victories still ranks third on Edinboro's all-time wins list. In 2004, Rosselli was inducted into the Edinboro University Athletic Hall of Fame. He was recognized as the 1993 Sox Harrison Award winner, presented to the top senior male athlete at Edinboro. A native of Middleport, N.Y., Rosselli was a two-time New York state champion at Royalton-Hartland High School, in addition to finishing second once and third once.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Patrick Pitsch, a senior 165-pound wrestler on the Arizona State University wrestling team, has been invited to compete in the 42nd Annual National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps that will take place November 19 at McArthur Court in Eugene, Ore., the Association announced Monday. The Classic, an exhibition event pitting the top wrestlers of each weight class against one another, will feature 10 bouts (one at each collegiate weight) and six of the top-ranked wrestlers in the nation. Pitsch, a senior from Spanaway, Wash., enters the season ranked No. 3 according to the Intermat/NWCA preseason individual rankings for 165 pounds and will face No. 2 Eric Tannenbaum of Michigan in the Classic. According to several other ranking services, Tannenbaum is the consensus national No. 2 behind returning NCAA champion Mark Perry of Iowa while Pitsch is ranked among the Top 5 in all four services, including No. 3 in a pair of rankings. The two-time defending Pac-10 champion at 165 pounds, Pitsch holds a career record of 68-38 in his three years in Tempe and will be looking for his first All-America honor this season. One of the Sun Devils' captains for the 2007-08 season, Pitsch has faced Tannenbaum once in his career, falling in an 8-3 decision in the semifinals of the Cliff Keen/Las Vegas Invitational last year. Pitsch is the 21st different Sun Devil to be included in the All-Star Classic and the first to compete at 165 pounds since 2000 when the late Steve Blackford scored a 13-1 major decision over Boise State's Kirk White. The last time a Sun Devil competed in the event was last year when Brian Stith dropped a 2-1 decision to Iowa State's Trent Paulson at 157 pounds. Overall, ASU wrestlers hold a 10-12-1 record in the event with three no-contests due to injury. For more information on the All-Star Classic, including ticket information, visit: http://www.nwcaonline.com/allstarclassic.cfm.

Several University of Oklahoma wrestlers used last weekend as a warm-up to competition, competing unattached at the Sunkist Kids and Lindenwood Opens. The Sooners are preparing to kick off the season with the annual Red/White ranking match this Thursday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. at the Howard McCasland Fieldhouse. Senior Joel Flaggert took third place at 211.5 pounds at the Sunkist Kids Open. Freshman Ryan Smith also looked impressive, winning three hard-fought battles. Also competing unattached were freshmen Kyle Bergstedt, Seth Vernon and Pat Flynn. Alumnus and four-time All-American Sam Hazewinkel was a double-medalist, winning the Greco-Roman championship and taking second in the Freestyle competition. Former Sooner Michael Lightner took home a silver medal and former standout Teyon Ware also won three battles at the Open. At the Lindenwood Open in St. Charles, Mo., two Sooner wrestlers were crowned champions and one a third-place finisher. Sophomore Eric Lapotsky in the 197-pound division dominated competition with three pins and one technical fall. Lapotsky won the title by a medical default in the finals. Redshirt freshman Zach Bailey in the 141-pound division had two pins and three major decisions in competition. He won in a 4-3 decision in the finals to accept the gold medal. Freshman John Starzyk also competed in the 125-pound weight class and was awarded third place after a sudden over time loss in the semi-finals. Starzyk recorded two pins and two decisions in his efforts. After the Red/White match on Thursday OU will officially start the season Sunday, Nov. 4, in a triple-dual in Oklahoma City against Missouri Valley, Oklahoma City and Neosho Community College.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The 2007-08 Hoosier wrestling season begins tonight with the Cream and Crimson Intrasquad Scrimmage, held at the Brown County High School in Nashville, Indiana. The event is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and will include at least 10 match-ups. Admission is free to the public. 2007-08 SEASON PREVIEW The Indiana University wrestling team will be under the guidance of Head Coach Duane Goldman once again in 2007-08, his 16th year at the helm. The Hoosiers, who placed for the 14th year in a row at the NCAA Tournament in 2006-07, are looking to finish high at the NCAAs and in the Big Ten during the `07-`08 campaign. PROVEN WINNERS RETURN Four All-Americans return for IU this season, including two-time All-American Brandon Becker. Matt Coughlin, Angel Escobedo and Andrae Hernandez all reached the stand last season, while Becker accomplished the feat in 2005 and 2006. Escobedo has the highest finish of the quartet, finishing in fourth place. Becker placed fifth and seventh in his freshman and sophomore years, respectively. Coughlin took seventh while Hernandez finished in eighth place. Indiana returns two other NCAA qualifiers this season. Trevor Perry and Marc Bennett each qualified for the NCAA Tournament a year ago, and Bennett fell just one victory shy of earning All-American status. 125 POUNDS Escobedo will start at 125 lbs. after leading the team with 39 total wins and 14 pins in 2006-07. Both of those totals rank as the seventh-most in school history for a single season, and the 39 wins are the most at IU since Coyte Cooper's 38 victories in 2002-03. Escobedo's fourth-place finish at the NCAAs is the highest for an Indiana freshman since the 1930s. Redshirt sophomore Wesley Fike is the other returner at 125 lbs. for the Hoosiers after redshirting last season. He earned two wins his freshman year. Incoming freshman Matt Ortega and Steve Salinas will also add to the depth at the 125 lbs. position. Ortega is a four-time New Mexico state champion and posted a 178-7 overall high school record. Salinas is a three-time state qualifier from South Bend Clay High School where he holds the school record for most career wins. 133 POUNDS Hernandez returns for his third season starting in 133 lbs. position. He took his second trip to the NCAA Tournament in as many seasons last year, earning All-American honors with an eighth-place finish. He was one of four Hoosiers to compile 30 or more wins in 2006-07. True freshman Reece Freeman solidifies the 133 lbs. position for IU. He went undefeated last season at Bloomington South High School, posting a 48-0 mark en route to a state championship. 141 POUNDS It's a three-horse race for time in the lineup at the 141 lbs. weight class. Junior Scott Kelly will compete with freshmen Jeff Pelton and Alex Warren for the starting position. Kelly has wrestled in various weight classes the past two seasons, compiling eight wins thus far in his career. Pelton is a highly-touted recruit with an Ohio state championship and two runner-up finishes on his resume. Warrren, meanwhile, won 11 matches during his redshirt year and also won a state championship in high school, the 2006 Indiana 130 lbs. title. 149 POUNDS Redshirt freshman Kurt Kinser and Sophomore Nick Walpole are expected to reside at 149 lbs. Kinser is coming off a 15-4 redshirt season. He won the Missouri Open Championship last season while wrestling unattached, topping the No. 1 seed in the finals. Walpole, meanwhile, provides varsity experience after competing in 25 matches last season as a true freshman. 157 POUNDS Two-time All-American Brandon Becker will man the 157 lbs. spot for the Cream and Crimson. He has qualified for the NCAA Tournament in each of his first three seasons and posted a 14-2 dual-meet record in 2006-07. Freshmen Greer Bivenour and Paul Young may also see time at 157 lbs. Bivenour is a two-time state qualifier from Lewis Center, Ohio. Young finished his redshirt season with a 12-5 record. Wrestling unattached, he won six consecutive matches in the consolation bracket at the Michigan State Open last season to finish in fourth place. 165 POUNDS Coughlin showed he is one of the country's elite with his run in the NCAA Tournament a year ago. En route to finishing seventh place in the 149 lbs. weight class, he defeated three nationally-ranked opponents. Coughlin should be even stronger this year moving up to his natural weight class. Young and Junior Kyle Samuels are two additional options for IU in the 165-pound weight class. 174 POUNDS Perry racked up 23 wins, a 13-3 dual match record and seven Big Ten victories during his NCAA-qualifying season a year ago and is expected to start at 174 lbs. once again in 2007-08. Samuels and Sophomores Nick Avery and Seth Parker will also contribute in this weight class. Avery went 8-7 as a true freshman, including a 2-2 showing in dual matches. 184 POUNDS There are plenty of options in the 184-pound weight class, but Senior Marc Bennett is the clear-cut starter after piling up 33 wins and eight pin falls last season. He made his first trip to the NCAA Tournament and looks to build on that success this year. Redshirt Freshmen Eric Cameron, Jantzen Minton and Matt Powless will all battle for time in this spot. Cameron and Minton each recorded four wins in their redshirt seasons while Powless won the Indiana state championship his senior season. 197 POUNDS Minton could also see some time at the 197-pound position, with Freshman Joe Fagiano as his main competition for that spot. Fagiano won the Illinois state title as a junior and finished as the runner-up his senior campaign. Last season's starter, Nate Everhart, is likely to take a redshirt in 2007-08 due to injury. HEAVYWEIGHT The heavyweight position will be filled by either Sophomore Justun Kuhn or Freshman Luke Watkins. Kuhn wrestled last season as a true freshman and came out victorious in four of his nine matches. Watkins improved drastically as upperclassman in high school, putting a together a 58-4 mark during his last two seasons. Indiana University Wrestling

NORFOLK, Va. -- The Annual Blue-Silver Intersquad was held on Sunday, October 29 for the ODU Monarch Wrestling team. Four Monarch wrestlers won by major decision, including Chris Brown's 20-7 victory over teammate T.C. Pendleton. Ryan Williams (141) and Joey Metzler (149) both shutout their opponents in the wrestle-offs. The first five bouts of the afternoon were tight. In the 125-lb. match James Nicholson dropped teammate Billy Chamberlain by decision 8-2 in a match that was closer than the score indicates. Redshirt freshman Dan Rivera followed with a 3-1 victory over Tel Todd in the 157-lb. weight class. The difference in the bout was a takedown with just one second remaining in the first period. Nick Pullano won 5-2 over Derek Coffey in the 174-lb. weight class. Pullano executed a takedown with two seconds remaining in the first went up by three with a takedown late in the second period. The heavyweights would grapple to a stalemate for much of the match, but Roy Dragon III would win on a three-second nearfall in the second period. He toppled Andy Totusek 4-1 for the decision. In the closest match of the day, the 184 pounders Jesse Strawn and Scott Cust battled all three periods. The first points would come in the second period when Strawn would execute a reversal on Cust going up 2-0. Cust would escape, cutting the lead to one. In the third period, Cust would choose the bottom, and escaped Strawn's advantage to tie the score at 2-2. However, Cust could not drop Strawn and the sophomore from Kansas held the riding time advantage to win 3-1. After five tight bouts, the last four were nothing of the sort. At 165-lbs., Chris Brown would put 20 points on the board against T.C. Pendleton, with nine takedowns. The 20-7 major decision comes in his new weight class. Sophomore Kyle Hutter then stepped on the mat for the 133-lb. match, across from freshman Justin Belanger. Hutter, a full-time starter as a true freshman put Belanger away 18-6 for the major decision. Hutter had eight takedowns in the bout. At 149, redshirt freshman Joey Metzler would shut out Buffy Okigbo, adding over five minutes of riding time for the eighth point of the major decision. In the final bout of the day, Ryan Williams would duplicate Metzler's success, with a nine point major decision over Lester France at 141 lbs. The Monarchs wrestle-offs are the annual indicator that the ODU wrestling season has begun. The Old Dominion grapplers will start the regular season November 9 at Michigan State, for the first dual of the season. ODU will also face Iowa on the road before hosting Delaware State University at The Ted on January 8.

Columbia, Mo. -- Senior two-time All-American wrestler Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) has been selected to compete at the 42nd annual National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Star meet, Monday, Nov. 19, at 9 p.m. (CT) on McArthur Court on the campus of the University of Oregon. Ranked second in the nation at 133 pounds, McCormick is slated to compete against Big 12 opponent Coleman Scott of Oklahoma State, currently ranked No. 1 in the weight class. McCormick becomes the first Tiger grappler since current volunteer assistant coach Ben Askren to compete at the annual event. Askren last wrestled at 174 pounds in the 2004 All-Star meet, while Head Coach Brian Smith served as one of two team coaches. Last season, McCormick and Scott met on two occasions, splitting the contests 1-1. McCormick took the first win with a 3-2 decision at the NWCA National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Scott, was credited with win No. 2 after besting McCormick, 6-5, at the Big 12 Championships, March 3, in Columbia, Mo. Both league wrestlers went on to earn All-America honors at the 2007 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Auburn Hills, Mich, with McCormick finishing sixth and Scott, second. McCormick enters his senior campaign as the highest ranked Tiger grappler on this year's 45-man squad. One of four team captains, McCormick currently owns a 70-33 career record and has earned All-America honors in both of his NCAA tournament appearances (2006 and 2007). Tickets to the evening event are $15 for reserved seats and $10 for general admission. To purchase tickets, please visit NWCA online . As in year's past, the NWCA All-Star bout will not count toward McCormick's season or career record.

Columbia, Mo. -- Twenty-one Tiger wrestlers competed unattached at the Lindenwood Open Saturday in St. Charles, Mo., with 12 grapplers finishing among the top-six of their respective weight class and true freshman Dominique Bradley (Blue Springs, Mo.) capturing top honors in the heavyweight division. Dominating the competition, Bradley entered the all-day tournament as the No. 1 seed in the heavyweight division. Opening with a fall in 2:58 over Matthew McClaughlin, Bradley went on to score back-to-back 8-3 decisions before finishing the tournament with a 6-2 decision of seventh-seeded Gordon Johnson. Four Missouri competitors finished second in their weight class, including freshman Troy Dolan (Blairsville, Pa.) at 125 pounds, freshman K.C. Pescaglia (Columbia, Mo.) at 133 pounds, redshirt freshman Vince Hannon (Plainfield, Ill.) at 141 pounds and sophomore Ashtin Primus (South Connelsville, Pa.) at 149 pounds. Missouri's competitors combined for 14 falls on the day, the fastest clocked by freshman Patrick Wright (Grand Ledge, Mich.) at 31 seconds. Wright went on to finish the tournament in third place at 165 pounds. Primus collected the most Tiger falls on the day, with three of his four wins won by way of pin. Opening with a win by major decision (13-1), Primus pinned his next three opponents in 3:07, 1:32 and 2:01. Primus' only loss came to second-seeded Ryan Moyer in the championship match, 6-5. Eight of Missouri's 12 top-six finishes were recorded by newcomers. Members of this year's second-ranked recruiting class Vito Krischke (House Springs, Mo.), Brandon Wiest (O'Fallon, Mo.) Dorian Henderson (Columbus, Ga.) and Trever Collins (Nixa, Mo.) in addition to Dolan, Pescaglia, Wright and Bradley finished among the top six of their respective weight class.

Columbia, Mo. -- The sixth-ranked Missouri wrestling team held its annual Black and Gold wrestle-off's in the Hearnes Center, with Gold topping Black, 30-14. Led by Head Coach Brian Smith, the Gold team earned 18 of its points through falls with junior Marcus Hoehn (Farmington, Mo.) sophomore Nicholas Marable (Collierville, Tenn.) and junior Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) all pinning their opponents. After completing six wrestle-in bouts, the 10-man lineup for both teams was set. Assistant coach Lee Pritts led the Black team effort with three of his grapplers combining for 13 points. Opening at 125 pounds, redshirt freshman Tony Pescaglia (Columbia, Mo.) earned the Gold team's first win of the afternoon, besting sophomore John Olanowski (Virginia Beach, Va.), 3-2. Olanowski took the early lead, but Pescaglia managed two escapes to tie the match and was credited with 1:38 of riding time for the one-point advantage. Senior 133 pound All-American Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) proved dominant in his bout with redshirt freshman Nick Velliquette (Nixa, Mo.), winning the seven-minute match by a score of 10-7. McCormick recorded three takedowns in the first period, a reversal in the second, and was awarded one point after Velliquette was hit with stalling and one point for 2:09 of riding time. Hoehn continued the Gold team's win streak by pinning redshirt freshman opponent Willie Saxton (Rayland, Ohio) in 6:15. Prior to the fall, Saxton led the match, 6-2, nearly pinning Hoehn in the first period. The 149 pound win was awarded to sophomore Ashtin Primus (South Connelsville, Pa.) after senior Josh Wagner (Milton, Wis.) was forced out by injury. A native of Cahokia, Ill., junior Emanuel Brooks earned a one-point win over junior Michael Chandler (High Ridge, Mo.), 2-1. Wrestling for the Gold team, Brooks earned his first point off of a technical violation by Chandler, scoring his second point off of a third period escape 17 seconds into the period. Pinning freshman Patrick Wright in 4:27, Marable added six points to the Gold team's score, with senior James Williamson (Blue Springs, Mo.) and Jordan winning the squads final points of the day. Williamson, won a hard fought 5-2 decision against sophomore Ryan Sonderegger (Overland Park, Kan.) at 174 pounds, with Jordan pinning redshirt freshman Josh Skurnik (Kirkland, Wash.) at 184 pounds in 1:36. The Black team won at 197 pounds and heavyweight. Sophomore Big 12 Champion Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) won the only major decision victory of the dual, 15-6, over freshman Trever Collins (Nixa, Mo.) at 197 pounds. Askren recorded three takedowns in the first period alone, choosing down to start the second period, escaping in seven seconds and taking down Collins for a fourth time at with 1:39 left on the clock. Following the takedown with a three-point nearfall, Collins escape but was quickly taken down again before the end of the second period. Collins managed an escape in the third, but with Askren's 3:27 of riding time, the sophomore came out ahead. One of two overtime bouts on the day, freshman Dominique Bradley (Blue Springs, Mo.) outscored sophomore Tyler Perry (Hannibal, Mo.), 3-2, with a takedown 12 seconds into the one minute overtime period. Bradley and Perry were scoreless through the first period, but Bradley escaped in the second after choosing down. Perry also escaped in the third to tie the bout and send it into overtime. Missouri's first dual of the season is set for Friday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. (CT) against No. 27 Rider in Lawrenceville, N.J. The Tigers will continue their swing through the Northeast with a 6 p.m. (CT) dual with Hofstra on Saturday, Nov. 10. Fans will have their first chance to see Missouri's squad in action Sunday, Nov. 18 at the annual Missouri Open held in the Hearnes Center Fieldhouse.

PITTSBURGH -- The University of Pittsburgh wrestling team got it's first taste of competition tonight as they rolled out the mats at Fitzgerald Field House for their annual intrasquad wrestle-offs. Coach Rande Stottlemyer and his staff looked on as their squad battled each other for eight of the team's starting positions. The event took place in a tournament-style format, with each needing to win two out of three bouts in the finals to earn the starting nod. The evening began with a burst of excitement in the 149 pound bracket as both of the opening matches ended with falls in the first period. Mark Generalovich (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) made quick work of teammate Christian Fagan (North Easton, Mass./Oliver Ames) by pinning him 35 seconds into the bout on the blue mat. Jeff Warusz (Langhorne, Pa./Neshaminy), a transfer from Elizabethtown, won his match over freshman Kyle Patton (Johnstown, Pa./Westmont Hilltop) soon after on the gold mat. Both of those first round victors could not advance any farther, however, as Generalovich was defeated by Joe Cimapoli (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) and Warusz fell at the hands of the bracket's eventual champion Joey Ecklof (Northampton, Pa./Northampton). Pitt's two returning All-Americans from last season Keith Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) and Matt Kocher (State College, Pa./State College) appeared to have picked up where they left off last season by locking up their starting spots in only two matches. Kocher squared off against Adam Counterman (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) in the two-man 157 pound bracket and pinned the freshman with just over a minute gone in the first period. Gavin followed suit by earning a fall against freshman Ethan Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg) with less than five minutes gone in the first finals match of the 174 pound division. The Panthers' other returning All-America honoree, Drew Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg), had a more difficult time in his 141 pound finals match up with highly touted freshman Tyler Nauman (Middletown, Pa./Middletown). Headlee looked to be in a bit of bind as Nauman pulled out to 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series, but the 2005 NCAA All-American found his form and took the next two bouts from the impressive newcomer by scores of 6-4 and 8-5, respectively. Another absolute battle occurred in the 125 pound class, where redshirt sophomore Ryan Bosso (Pequea, Pa./Penn Manor) and former NCAA qualifier Brad Gentzle (Easton, Pa./Easton) took part in two of the harder fought matches of the evening. Gentzle began his night with a major decision over freshman Eric Rosencranz (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) and prevailed in both squabbles with Bosso by scores of 3-1 and 5-2 en route to claiming the team's starting spot. Redshirt junior Sean Richmond (Emmaus, Pa./Easton) entered the night as one of five wrestlers eyeing the starting slot in the 165 pound division. After getting past A.J. Brentzel (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) in his first match 3-2, Richmond matched up against Dave Kapetanovich (Pittsburgh, Pa./CCAC-North) and grabbed the starting job with scores of 7-5 and 3-1. Dave Sullivan (Dingmans Ferry, Pa./East Stroudsburg), a transfer from East Stroudsburg swept his two skirmishes with Matt Darnell (Lyndhurst, Ohio/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy) by scores of 4-0 and 8-0, respectively. In the heavyweight division, Zach Sheaffer (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) and Ryan Tomei (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) split a pair of matches before an injury prevented the third bout from coming to fruition. Sheaffer took the first duel by the score of 3-2 and Tomei returned the favor in the second match by the same score. The Panthers will take to the mats again for their first regular season contest at Lehigh on Sunday, Nov. 11. The match is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. They open up their home slate at Fitzgerald Field House on Wednesday, Dec. 19 at 7:00 p.m. against the Missouri Tigers, who are ranked in the top 10 nationally.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -– Led by two pins from freshman Nikko Triggas and sophomore Lance Palmer, team Scarlet prevailed 18-11 over the Gray squad at the 2007 Ohio State Scarlet and Gray wrestle offs Thursday evening in St. John Arena. Triggas put six points on the board for the Scarlet team after pinning fellow freshman Pat Harrington in 2:15 at 125 pounds. The Gray squad cut its deficit in half at 133 pounds when sophomore Reece Humphrey scored an 8-2 decision over classmate Will Livingston. It was at 149 pounds, Palmer increased Scarlet's lead to 12-3 on a pin in 2:05 over freshman Tyler Meek. However, the Gray team held strong courtesy of a technical fall (17-0) by freshman Sean Nemec over fellow first-year Brendan Beucler. The second half of the wrestle offs at 165 pounds highlighted two freshmen in Robel Campbell and Ross Ambrose. Campbell recorded an 8-2 win to increase the Scarlet lead to 15-8. At 174 pounds, senior Alex Picazo notched a 4-2 decision over another Buckeye senior in Tommy Priestley and with that win team Scarlet increased its margin to 18-8. A pair of underclassmen took the mat at 197 pounds with freshman John Weakley edging sophomore Zack Weinrich, 10-8, to give the Gray squad three points. Finally, at heavyweight, junior Corey Morrison was a medical default winner over senior J.D. Bergman. The 141 and 184 weight classes were not contested. Ohio State begins its season at 2 p.m. Nov. 4 when it meets Notre Dame College in Cleveland, Ohio, at Maple Heights High School. The Buckeyes open their home schedule in St. John Arena at 7 p.m. Nov. 26.

COLUMBUS, Ohio –- Joe Ryan has been added to the Ohio State wrestling support staff as the director of operations, head coach Tom Ryan announced Thursday. Joe Ryan primarily will serve as the team's video coordinator, managing all aspects of the day-to-day video operation. In addition, he will be in charge of managing the recruiting, alumni and development databases. Ryan comes to Ohio State after serving as the head assistant wrestling coach at Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J. During his two-year stint with the Scarlet Knights (2005-2007), one of Ryan's duties was serving as the video coordinator and overseeing the wrestling video department. Prior to his time at Rutgers, Ryan coached at Wagner College in Staten Island, N.Y., from 2001-2005 and was the head coach at Seton Hall in South Orange, N.J., from 1998-2001 after serving as an assistant for the Pirates for two seasons (1997-1998). Ryan is the founder of Outstanding Sports Videos, a web site dedicated to featuring on-demand video of national high school and collegiate competitions, as well as interviews exclusive to regional markets. Ryan received his bachelor's degree in health and physical education from Lock Haven University in 1984. He also is a member of the New Jersey Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

The Augustana wrestling team opens the 2007-08 season with an intrasqaud dual on Saturday at 3 p.m. in the Elmen Center. Admission for the dual is free. The Vikings return 5 starters from last year's team that finished 9th at the NCAA Division II National Championships. It was the Vikings' fourth-straight top 10 national finish. Augustana's roster will feature a lot of young wrestlers. A total of 19 of the 29 team members are true freshmen or redshirt freshmen. Head Coach Jason Reitmeier's squad officially opens the season at the Daktronics Open in Brookings, S.D., on Saturday, November 3.

Madison, Wis. -- The Wisconsin wrestling team kicked off the 2007-08 season Thursday night in front of 647 fans at the UW Field House for the team's annual Wrestle-Offs. The Badgers used ten matches to determine their starting lineup for the season. "I liked how we wrestled overall as a team, I thought they looked good," Wisconsin head coach Barry Davis said. "As a coach, what we look for is how the guys compete with each other and the tendencies of certain guys. I look for how we wrestle overall as a team, how we get to the mat, how they work in riding situations, that's mainly what we're looking for right now and we can find areas where each guy can improve." Things got started with a match at 125 lbs. featuring last season's starter Collin Cudd (River Falls, Wis.) and sophomore Drew Hammen (Random Lake, Wis.). Cudd got out to a 2-0 start in the first period and Hammen tallied just two escapes in the whole match. Cudd, a three-time NCAA qualifier captured the match, 7-2. At 133 lbs., junior Zach Tanelli (Short Hills, N.J.) tallied two takedowns and two near falls in the first period to go up on sophomore Eric Senescu, 9-1 in the first. Tanelli controlled the rest of the match, and returns as Wisconsin's starter at 133 lbs. with a 16-2 win over Senescu. Badger co-captain, sophomore Kyle Ruschell (Crittendon, Ky.) faced junior Dan Sneider (Northbrook, Ill.) at 141 lbs. Ruschell stormed out to a 12-0 lead in the first period and finished with a tech fall, just 3:09 into the match to regain his starting spot. With the departure of former All-American Tyler Turner, Wisconsin has a large gap to fill at 149 lbs. Two freshmen earned their way into the final match tonight as both won preliminary matches earlier in the week. Kendall Vogel (Westfield, Wis.) scored first with a takedown in the first frame but Weldon Rogers (Oak Park, Ill.) was the next to score with a one-point escape in the second period. With the score close at 2-1 heading into the third, Vogel tallied four points in the final frame to earn the match and the starting spot with a 6-1 score. "Being a freshman, I thought Kendall Vogel used the mat really well, he knew where he was the whole time," Davis said. "For a young kid doing that right away, I thought that was impressive." NCAA runner-up and another Badger co-captain, Craig Henning (Chippewa Falls, Wis.), faced off against redshirt freshman Gabe Stoppelmoor at 157 lbs. Henning held Stoppelmoor scoreless in the match and captured a 12-0 decision. Stoppelmoor will compete at 149 lbs. this season but moved up for tonight's match against Henning. The bout at 165 lbs. was one of the closest of the night and featured senior Jake Donar (Cuba City, Wis.) and junior Mike Felling (Hutchinson, Minn.). Donar wrestled the most for Wisconsin at 165 lbs. last season and Felling moves down a weight class this year after wrestling at 174 lbs. in 2006-07. In Thursday's match, Donar had a 3-0 advantage over Felling after a scoreless first period. Felling would score two points in the final frame, but Donar held on for the 3-2 win. At 174 lbs., senior Matt Maciag (Sussex, N.J.) matched up against junior Justin Peterson (Comstock, Wis.). Peterson is another Badger moving down weight classes this season after he wrestled at 184 lbs. last year. In the match, Maciag defeated Peterson 9-1 to regain his starting position. Badger fans got a first look at another freshman, Gage Szablewski. The Lake Park, Ill., native took on redshirt freshman Eric Bugenhagen at 184 lbs. Bugenhagen scored first with a takedown in the first period but Szablewski got on the board with an escape in the second. In the third, Bugenhagen tallied two more points to finish the match, 4-1. Wisconsin's final co-captain, Dallas Herbst (Winneconne, Wis.) faced redshirt freshman Calyn Hull (Colorado Springs, Colo.) at 197 lbs. The score remained close at 2-1 in the first but Herbst would score the final five points to earn his starting spot back with a 7-1 win. Finally, the heavyweight match had the least scoring of the night. Junior Kyle Massey (Champlin, Minn.) took on sophomore Jordan Hein and after a scoreless first, Massey was the only one to get on the board with a one-point escape. Massey also regained his spot in the starting lineup with a 1-0 decision. Wisconsin continues the 2007-08 campaign Friday, Nov. 2, in Green Bay when they take on UW-Oshkosh and Dubuque at the KI Convention Center. Stay tuned to uwbadgers.com throughout the season wrestling updates and scores.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Purdue University wrestling team will open the doors to the Blake Wrestling Center for the second time in a week this Saturday at 9 a.m. for their annual wrestle-off competition. The starting job at eight of the Boilermakers' 10 weight classes will be on the line in a variety of formats. "This is a great way to prepare the guys for the season," said Purdue Head Coach Scott Hinkel. "It gives us all a starting point and gets the competitive juices flowing." The Boilermakers are permitted a four-pound weight allowance on Saturday from their established classes and will weigh-in an hour before the matches begin (8 a.m.). The first of the 15 rounds of competition will begin at 9 a.m. with a combination of exhibition and varsity wrestle-off matches. The Boilers will wrestle a standard match, including a three-minute first period, and two-minute second and third, with NCAA sudden victory and tie breaking procedures in effect if applicable. The job at 125 pounds will be up for grabs between redshirt freshman Akif Eren and first-year Boilermaker George Petrov. Eren has a year in the Purdue wrestling room under his belt, but Petrov comes from a very successful high school program and was his team's most valuable wrestler last season. Senior tri-captain Sean Schmaltz defends his starting position at 133 pounds against redshirt freshman Matt Hemry. Schmaltz started all of last year's Big Ten season for the Boilermakers, earning his first career conference victory over Minnesota's Mike Thorn. Hemry finished fourth at the Indiana high school state championships in 2006, winning his sectional, regional and semi-state titles on the way. Highly competitive duels are set at 141 and 149 pounds, with redshirt sophomore Matt Redmond and redshirt freshman Kevin Lipp ready to go head-to-head at 141, and junior tri-captains Jake Patacsil and Mark Powell facing off at 149. Redmond drops down a weight class after a very successful campaign at 149 pounds last season. He posted an 11-7 mark, including a sixth-place showing at the Midlands Championships, where he toppled a pair of nationally ranked opponents. Lipp enters his first season of varsity competition after piling up a 152-16 record over four years of high school. He won two Ohio high school state championships, and claimed a pair of state bronze medals as well. Patacsil enters the season ranked as high as eighth in the nation in the preseason polls at 149 pounds after a record-setting 2006-07. He rewrote the Purdue back-points record books on his way to team most valuable wrestler honors and a 34-12 overall mark, including a 5-3 conference record and a trip to the 2007 NCAA Tournament. His 190 back points shattered the previous single-season mark by 40 points, and he stands fourth all-time at Purdue with 284 back points in his first two seasons. Powell has an impressive resume of his own, notching a 17-5 record in 2006-07 before bowing out of contention for the starting job due to injury. He finished fifth at the Eastern Michigan Open and had winning records at both the Reno Tournament of Champions and the Midlands Championships. The 157-pound position should prove the most highly coveted as the Boilermakers flaunt five grapplers that will vie for the starting job in a tournament format. Headlining the group is returning starter and NCAA qualifier Jake Murphy. A redshirt junior, Murphy posted a 16-14 record last year, including a 3-4 mark in conference. Throwing their names in the hat are redshirt junior Nick Spohn, redshirt sophomores Nick Bertucci and Sam Patacsil and redshirt freshman Kevin Clem. Spohn captured the Midwest Open crown last year, topping Sam Patacsil in the finals of the tournament, while Bertucci was the Boilermakers' starter at 141 pounds. Clem enters his first season of varsity competition after a successful high school campaign. The battle at 165 pounds features multiple contenders as well, including 2006-07 starters Justin Fraga and Jason Martin. Both redshirt sophomores, Fraga turned in 27 wins, a fourth-place Big Ten Tournament showing and a NCAA Championship appearance at 165 pounds last year, while Martin bumped up a class to take on the starting 174-pound job for the Old Gold and Black. Completing the trio of contenders is redshirt freshman Luke Manuel, who was the 2006 California high school state runner-up and a high school All-American. The three will compete in set of round-robin matches with the best record taking the starting job. Junior Nick Corpe and redshirt junior Aaron Goebel will via for the 174-pound starting spot as the pair both look to rebound from injury-shortened seasons last winter. Corpe was the Boilermakers' starter at 174 as a freshman and sophomore, before cutting his second season short with an injury at the Midlands Championships. Goebel suffered a similar fate in each of his collegiate seasons so far, but looks to straighten that out this year. The spot at heavyweight stands between redshirt sophomore Chris Kasten and redshirt freshman Roger Vukobratovich. Kasten posted a record of 16-6 over the first half of his rookie campaign, while Vukobratovich was his high school MVP his senior year and put in valuable work on the mat last season. The rest of the Boilermakers' starting spots are pretty much set on the shoulders of 184-pound sophomore David Pisarcik and 197-pound redshirt freshman Logan Brown. The pair will compete in a series of exhibition matches to ready themselves for the season-opening tournament. Several of Purdue's true freshman and redshirt wrestlers will be in exhibition action as well, including 2005 NCAA qualifier Colton Salazar, three-time Wisconsin high school state champion A.J. Kissel and 2007 Indiana high school state champion Matt Fields. The Blake Wrestling Center is located within Lambert Fieldhouse, on the south side of the indoor track. Alumni, media and fans are encouraged to attend and get a glimpse of the Boilermakers' first action of the season. Match Schedule Round 1: 157(A) - Kevin Clem vs. Sam Patacsil 165 - Justin Fraga vs. Luke Manuel Round 2: 125 - Matt Fields vs. Bill Putman 125 - Akif Eren vs. George Petrov Round 3: 141 - Kevin Lipp vs. Matt Redmond 133/141 - Jake Fleckenstein vs. David Zimmer Round 4: 133 - Matt Hemry vs. Sean Schmaltz 149 - Jake Patacsil vs. Mark Powell Round 5: 285 - Chris Kasten vs. Roger Vukobratovich 157(B) - Nick Spohn vs. Nick Bertucci Round 6: 157(C) - Jake Murphy vs. 157(A) winner 165 - Luke Manuel vs. Jason Martin Round 7: 165/157 - John Doyle vs. Colton Salazar 184 - A.J. Kissel vs. David Pisarcik Round 8: 174 - Nick Corpe vs. Aaron Goebel 125 - Bill Putman vs. George Petrov Round 9: 125 - Akif Eren vs. Matt Fields 133 - Sean Schmaltz vs. Jake Fleckenstein Round 10: 157(D) - 157(C) winner vs. 157 (B) winner 165 - Jason Martin vs. Justin Fraga Round 11: 149/157 - Jordan Nettuno vs. Colton Salazar 157(E) - 157(A) loser vs. 157(B) loser Round 12: 141/149 - Kevin Lipp vs. Mark Powell 197/184 - Logan Brown vs. David Pisarcik Round 13: 133 - Jake Fleckenstein vs. Matt Hemry 141 - David Zimmer vs. Matt Redmond Round 14: 149 - Jake Patacsil vs. Jordan Nettuno 184/174 - A.J. Kissel vs. Nick Corpe Round 15: 197/285 - Logan Brown vs. Chris Kasten 157(F) - 157(E) winner vs. 157(D) loser

Luke Becker, a four-time All-American and an NCAA Division I national champion at 157-pounds in 2002, will be the guest clinician at the 2007 St. Cloud State University Husky Fall Wrestling Clinic, which will take place on Saturday, Oct. 27, in the Halenbeck Hall Fieldhouse. There are still openings available for this clinic, and participants may register on the day of the event. This informative all-day clinic will start with check-in between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., and it is open to all individuals from first grade to 12th grade. The final session of the day will conclude at 3:15 p.m. The cost of the clinic is $45, and the fee includes three sessions of expert instruction, a clinic t-shirt and lunch. The clinic will feature Becker as its guest clinician. As a member of the University of Minnesota wrestling team, Becker helped the Gophers win national team titles in 2001 and 2002. He gained NCAA All-America honors four times during his collegiate career with fourth place finishes at 157-pounds in 2001 and 2003, and a sixth place finish at 157-pounds in 2000. Becker won two individual Big Ten Conference titles, and he was a three-time Minnesota State High School state champion at Cambridge-Isanti High School. Becker currently serves as an assistant coach at the Unversity of Minnesota under head coach J Robinson. For more information about registering for the 2007 SCSU Husky Fall Wrestling Clinic, please call SCSU wrestling coach Steve Costanzo at 320-308-2996 or e-mail him at sscostanzo@stcloudstate.edu

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Three Northwestern wrestlers have received bids for the 2007 NWCA All-Star Classic on Nov. 19 in Eugene, Ore. Heavyweight Dustin Fox (Galion, Ohio/Galion), Ryan Lang (North Royalton, Ohio/Lakewood St. Edward) at 141 lbs. and Mike Tamillow (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick) at 197 lbs. make up the trio for Northwestern, which was one of just two schools to receive as many bids to the Classic. "Having three invitees is a noteworthy accomplishment and NU is honored to have our top individuals recognized," coach Tim Cysewski said. "This is a testament to the hard work that these wrestlers have put in and it is no secret that we expect to have multiple wrestlers at the All-Star Classic every year." Fox is set to take on Tervel Dlagnev of Nebraska-Kearney, who is the NCAA D-II National Champion. The two have only faced each other once before when Dlagnev defeated Fox at Midlands last year. "Dustin has a chance to challenge a competitor that defeated him last year, not an easy task but one that Dustin is ready to take on," Cysewski said. Tamillow's match comes against Phil Davis of Penn State, who he has faced twice in his career. During last year's regular season, Davis defeated Tamillow, but Tamillow has a victory over Davis at the University Nationals (Freestyle) en route to the 211 lb. Championship, where he was named the Most Valuable Wrestler. At the Big Ten Championships last year, Tamillow also placed above Davis in the 197 weight class. "Tamillow and Phil know each others styles very well, it is always an interesting match-up," Cysewski said. Lang will not be competing at the All-Star Classic, though. It is early in the year and he is focusing hard on his match preparation." Last year, Northwestern was the only school to win two matches at the All-Star Classic with Lang defeating Nathan Morgan of Oklahoma State, 4-3, and Jake Herbert's 10-2 victory over Roger Kish of Minnesota. NU has been victorious in each of the last two NWCA All-Star Classics.

EDMOND -- All-American Heath Jolley's first-period fall capped a five-match winning streak that carried the Blue team to 29-19 victory over the Bronze in Central Oklahoma's annual intrasquad wrestling dual Wednesday night at Hamilton Field House. Jolley, a fifth-place national finisher at 197 pounds last year who is dropping to 184 this season, piled up a 7-1 lead before pinning Scott Cayton in 2:29 as the Blue used the late rally to overcome a 16-8 deficit. The defending national champion Bronchos, ranked No. 1 in the preseason NCAA Division II poll that came out Tuesday, showcased the 2007-08 team with 12 matches. UCO will have another intrasquad dual Nov. 1 in Norman and officially opens the season Nov. 11 at the Central Missouri Open. "I saw a lot of good things, but it's obviously early and we've got a long road ahead of us," said 26th-year head coach David James. "Our conditioning wasn't as good as I'd like it to be and there were some places where we weren't aggressive enough, but overall it was a pretty good outing and I liked what I saw." Three of UCO's four returning All-Americans were in action and neither was tested. In addition to Jolley's fall, returning national champion Kyle Evans at 141 and Tyler Zukerman at 125 – both ranked No. 1 in the preseason – rolled to easy wins. Evans had four near-falls and two takedowns in a 15-0 shutout that ended early in the second period and Zukerman racked up four takedowns and two near-falls in a 16-3 rout. The Blue team also got major decisions from brothers Jarrett and Jordan Edison, with freshman Jordan a 10-1 winner at 141 and redshirt freshman Jarrett a 10-2 victor at 197. The Bronze led 16-8 after Brent Sarette's 10-7 win over Luke Elmore at 149, but the Blue won the next five matches to pull out the win. Kelly Henderson started the rally with an 8-6 victory at 157, Alvin Metcalf and Zach Sikes won back-to-back matches at 165 and Tommy McCarty prevailed at 174 before Jolley ended the streak with his fall. 125: Tyler Zukerman, Bronze, major dec. Nick Rice, 16-3. 141: Jordan Edison, Blue, major dec. Zack McClure, 10-1. 141: Kyle Evans, Bronze, tech. fall Dale McClure, 15-0 (3:19). 149: Colby Robinson, Bronze, major dec. Corby Ray, 11-3. 149: Brent Sarette, Bronze, dec. Luke Elmore, 10-7. 157: Kelly Henderson, Blue, dec. Conner Robinson, 8-6. 165: Alvin Metcalf, Blue, dec. Cody Rowell, 10-5. 165: Zach Sikes, Blue, pinned Kelson Phillips, 6:31. 174: Tommy McCarty, Blue, dec. Kenny Meredith, 3-0. 184: Heath Jolley, Blue, pinned Scotty Cayton, 2:29. 197: Jarrett Edison, Blue, major dec. Jon Wechter, 10-2. 285: Reggie Douglas, Bronze, dec. Braden Land, 4-1.

PITTSBURGH -- University of Pittsburgh 2007 NCAA All-American and national runner-up Keith Gavin will join 19 of the nation's elite wrestlers and showcase his talents at the 42nd annual NWCA All-Star Classic on Monday, Nov. 19 at McArthur Court in Eugene, Ore. Two competitors from each of the 10 weight classes were invited to take part in this national event that in years past has featured wrestling greats such as Cael Sanderson and Dan Gable. Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) will represent the 174-pound class and square off against Matt Stolpinski of Navy. Gavin's invitation makes him the third Panther wrestler in the program's storied history to garner such an honor and the first since 1996 when J.J. Fasnacht traveled to Iowa City, Iowa. Two-time national champion Pat Santoro was the other Pitt wrestler to take part in the Classic, as he competed three times in his career from 1987-89.