InterMat Staff

Oklahoma State fights off Navy, 19-17 GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas -- Oklahoma State's fourth-ranked wrestling team held off a strong come back by Navy and won the dual 19-17 in the final match of the Lone Star Duals on Saturday evening. The Cowboys led the dual 19-7 with two matches remaining, but a fall at heavyweight tightened the dual score. Jared Rosholt was seemingly in control, but Navy heavyweight Ed Pendergrast hit a granby roll and reversed Rosholt. Rosholt escaped to tie the match at two and force overtime. The match went into a tie-breaker period and Pendergrast hit another granby roll, only this time Rosholt wound up on his back and got pinned. Chad Ravannack needed to avoid getting pinned for the Cowboys to seal the victory. Ravannack did his job, but still yielded a major decision and OSU held on for the win. The Cowboys improved to 7-1 on the season, and will head to the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals as the No. 4 seed, if the rankings hold. OSU got an upset at 174 from Brandon Mason over eighth-ranked Matt Stolpinski. Mason got a first period takedown and held on for the win, 4-2, which proved to be the difference in the dual. Johny Hendricks recorded the only bonus point victory for the Cowboys. Hendricks recorded 10 takedowns on his way to a major decision. Navy stayed close with bonus points recording two majors and a fall, but the Cowboys won six matches to hold the lead. Hendricks was named the Outstanding Wrestler for Division I in the upper weight classes. Coleman Scott had a key victory over No. 11 Joe Baker, while Jared Shelton clinched the dual with a win at 197 to put OSU up 12 with two matches remaining. Oklahoma State will wrestle at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals next weekend, Jan. 13-14, at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The duals will be broadcast live on KSPI 780 AM or 93.7 FM as the Cowboys tangle with the best dual teams in the country. Oklahoma State shoots down Army, 32-7 GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas -- Oklahoma State's fourth-ranked Cowboy wrestling team improved to 6-1 with a 32-7 victory over Army at the Lone Star Duals on Saturday afternoon in Grand Prairie, Texas. The Cowboys won eight of the 10 bouts with Johny Hendricks and Brandon Mason recording consecutive falls at 165 and 174, respectively. Hendricks had four takedowns before finally pinning Jon Drew in 2:47, while Mason was working on a technical fall before he ended the match with a pin in 2:40. Nathan Morgan wrestled his first match in more than a month and recorded a decision. B.J. Jackson wrestled his second match of the day and recorded a major decision. Jackson had not wrestled since the opener against UC-Davis back on Nov. 12. Newly McSpadden also recorded a major decision for the Cowboys. Coleman Scott, Jared Shelton and Jared Rosholt all had decisions for OSU. The Cowboys conclude the day at 8 p.m. against Navy. The dual will be broadcast live on 93.7 FM, following the Cowboy basketball game. Oklahoma State takes care of Air Force, 40-5 GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas -- Oklahoma State's fourth-ranked wrestling team won nine of the 10 matches against the United States Air Force Academy as the Cowboys ran away with the dual, 40-5, in its first dual at the Lone Star Duals on Saturday morning. The Cowboys got falls from Coleman Scott and heavyweight Jared Rosholt to lead the Cowboys. Brandon Mason and Jared Shelton both added technical falls to put away the Falcons. B.J. Jackson wrestled his first match since the season opener on Nov. 12. Jackson scored two takedowns and held off Bridger Lord for a 7-5 decision. Kevin Wainscott wrestled his first dual as a Cowboy and came away with a major decision. Seven of the Cowboys nine wins were by bonus points. Jack Jensen and Newly McSpadden also added major decisions. The Cowboys next wrestle Army, coached by former Cowboy Chuck Barbee, at 2 p.m. The dual can be heard live on 780 AM.

NORFOLK, VA -- The Monarchs placed eleven wrestlers in the ten weight classes including six championship appearances and three wins at the Virginia Intercollegiate State Tournament Saturday. Kaylen Baxter defeated his second nationally ranked opponent in seven days when he defeated Sam Alvarenga of VMI to win the 149-lb. weight class and David Mendoza earned the tournaments Most Pins Award with three pins during a 4-0 day . Baxter, coming off a defeat of top ten wrestler Trevor Chinn (Lehigh), was slated to face off against Alvarenga after going 2-0 early in the championship bracket. Baxter pinned James Madison's Eric Nadeau in 5:19 and earned a 10-2 major decision over UVA's Pat Riley. Alvarenga came into the title bout with a 9-2 decision and a 10-0 major and was ranked 20th by InterMat. The bout was tied at 5-5 with just over thirty seconds remaining in the third period when the Keydet was able to slip away from Baxter's grasp and earn one point for an escape. The true freshman for ODU refused to let up and kept coming at Alvarenga, who got a lock on Baxter's left leg with 11 seconds remaining, all but sealing the match. However, Baxter saw a weakness in the lock, turned left, and with 2 seconds remaining put the top ranked VMI grappler's back on the mat for a 7-6 win. "I didn't really start the year out great and the last couple tournaments have been great for my confidence," said Baxter of his two big wins. "It makes all the difference." Mendoza continued his strong season with four more wins beginning with a 4:00 fall of The Apprentice School's Kendall Ridenour. He then quickly put away George Mason's David Russell with a first period fall in 1:43 before facing off with UVA's Joe DeGaravilla in the semi's. Mendoza couldn't make it a sweep on the day with pins but did tally a 13-1 major decision over the Cavalier before heading into the championship bout. Mendoza was set to meet against Harry Zander in the title bout, a familiar opponent as just a month ago Zander had traveled to Norfolk and was pinned by Mendoza in the second period. Zander was motivated and earned a quick takedown and, later in the first period, an impressive reversal. However, Mendoza would stalk in the first period and take advantage of Zander's one mistake early in the second period. For the second time this season, Mendoza pinned Zander in the second period, this time at the 3:30 mark. Mendoza won the 197-lb. weight class and earned the Most Pins Trophy for the tournament. Nick Pullano also repeated a defeat of George Mason's nationally ranked Tyler Tisdell, much like Mendoza's rematch with Zander, and won the 165-lb. weight class. Other highlights include Jesse Strawn taking second in the 184-lb. class to Rocco Caponi, Chris Brown's impressive 4-1 day, good for third, which included three major decisions and a technical fall, and Ryan Williams battling to a 3-2 loss in the title bout against the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler, Tim Harner (Liberty) in the 141-lb. class. The Monarchs will not return home until February 8th, when they host Virginia Tech, but are back in action next Friday/Saturday at the Virginia Duals. The Duals are being held at the Hampton Coliseum.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 11-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team split 10 individual matches down the middle against No. 3 Hofstra as the two teams teams battled to a 18-18 tie on Saturday evening (Jan. 6) in front of 871 fans at Cliff Keen Arena. It marks the first U-M tie in two seasons as well as the first tie in the series history between the two programs. Kicking off the dual with the marquee match of the evening at 165 pounds, senior/junior captain Eric Tannenbaum (Naperville, Ill./North HS), ranked fifth nationally in the latest NWCA poll, used a first-period takedown to earn a 3-1 decision over the Pride's fourth-ranked Mike Patrovich. The Wolverine scored the match's only offensive points with a single leg late in the opening frame. After quick escapes by both wrestlers early in the second and third periods kept point differential at two, Tannenbaum stayed on the attack with a deep single-leg shot midway through the final frame but could not convert on the edge of the match. With the win, Tannenbaum improved his season record to a perfect 11-0. Michigan extended its advantage to 12-0 with wins by senior/juniors Steve Luke (Massillon, Ohio/Perry HS) and Tyrel Todd (Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS) in the subsequent two matches, including a quick first-period fall at 184 pounds. Luke needed just a pair of escapes to emerge with a 2-0 victory over 12th-ranked Alton Lucas. The U-M sophomore, ranked eighth, earned a quick escape at the start of the middle frame and another early in the third after the Pride wrestler took a second injury timeout. Fourth-ranked Todd wasted little time before dumping Rich Muzikar to the mat, shooting in on a single leg 30 seconds into the match and finishing with a double along the edge of the mat. The Wolverine sophomore used an arm bar to turn Muzikar for two points midway through the frame and, just moments later, used head scoop to put the Pride wrestler flat on the mat, earning his third fall of the season at the 1:48 mark. Hofstra claimed its first win of the evening at 197 pounds, where the Pride's third-ranked Chris Weidman used riding time to earn a 9-8 decision over junior/sophomore Casey White (Commerce, Mich./Walled Lake Central HS). White, in his first match in more than a month, trailed by five points after the opening two periods but rallied in the final frame with a takedown and two escapes. The Wolverine ran out of time, however, as Weidman's 4:00 in time advantage proved to be the tiebreaker. Senior/junior heavyweight Omar Maktabi (Iowa City, Iowa/West HS) converted on a takedown midway through the overtime frame to secure a 3-1 decision against Hofstra's Matt Pollock and give the Wolverines a 15-3 advantage entering the halftime intermission. The wrestlers exchanged escapes during regulation, but neither was able to take advantage of scoring opportunities. In extra time, Maktabi used a front headlock to gain position behind Pollock, locked up his hands and used a trip to put the Pride heavyweight on the mat. The Pride would claim the next three matches at the lightweights, including two with bonus points, to even the team score at 15-15 with two bouts remaining. Fifth-ranked Dave Tomasette initiated the rally in the first match out of the break, earning a 16-0 technical fall at 125 pounds against junior/sophomore James Shaheen (Troy, Mich./Athens HS) in the Wolverines' varsity debut. The Pride wrestler scored a pair of takedowns and 11 back points to end the bout at the 5:59 mark. Freshman Chris Diehl (Burton, Mich./Flint Kearsley HS) kept his 133-pound match close against 19th-ranked Lou Ruggirello, matching the Pride wrestler two takedowns with a pair of his own. Ruggirello, however, held the advantage in escapes and used three of them to claim a 7-4 decision. At 141 pounds, Hofstra's 19th-ranked Charles Griffin accumulated a pair of takedowns, a second-period revedrsal and five back points en route to a 12-2 major decision against sophomore/freshman Justin Chrzanowski (Metamora, Mich./Lapeer West HS). The teams traded decision victories in the final two matches -- at 149 and 157 pounds -- to preserve the final 18-18 tie. Senior/junior captain Josh Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) cruised 6-1 win over Mike Parziale behind single-leg takedowns in the first and third periods. He added 1:31 in riding time en route to his seventh consecutive victory. Senior/junior Jeff Marsh (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) hung close with fourth-ranked James Strouse through most of his 157-pound contest, but the Pride wrestler sealed his 6-3 victory midway through the final frame with a low single leg on the edge of the mat. The Wolverines will compete in the prestigious Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals on Saturday and Sunday (Jan. 13-14) in Cedar Falls, Iowa. U-M will be one of 16 teams competing in the Division I field. Hosted by the University of Northern Iowa, all matches will be held at the UNI Dome.

DURHAM, N.C. –- Duke (3-2, 0-0 ACC) dropped a close meet with Davidson 18-17 before bouncing back to trounce Princeton 44-0 on Saturday night. It was the Blue Devils first home meet of the season, and featured the First Annual Duke Wrestling Reunion. Davidson also beat Princeton 30-18, improving their record to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in the Southern Conference. Princeton fell to 0-10 on the season and 0-1 in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association. The tri-meet was set up with two mats, so that each team was split into two-- its upper five weight classes and its lower five weight classes. To begin the meet, Duke's upper weights squared off against Davidson's upper weights on one mat, while Duke's lower weights met Princeton lower weights on the other mat. In the second phase of the night, Duke's lower weights wrestled Davidson lower weights, while right beside them Princeton's upper weights grappled with Davidson's upper weights. The last third of the evening saw Duke's upper weights take on Princeton's upper weights, while Davidson's lower weights went at it with Princeton's lower weights. The Davidson meet began poorly for Duke, as they lost four straight matches in the 165, 174, and 184, and 197 pounds to go down 12-0. Mike Tunick was able to stop the bleeding as he gained six points for the Blue Devils on a forfeit in the Heavyweight class. From then on it got very interesting as Duke attempted to battle back from six points in the lower weight classes. Kellan McKeon lost an extremely close match 2-1 to Davidson's Ben Altman at the 125 pound level. The Blue Devils had one team point deducted for unsportsmanlike conduct immediately following the match to put them down 15-5. That one-point penalty would turn out to haunt them later on. Spencer Jasper defeated Chris Panfili after gaining two points in the first period on a take down, and then holding on for a 3-0 victory at 133 pounds. Jasper received his third point for accumulating a minute differential of riding time over his opponent. After Philip Wightman lost 11-6 to Davidson's Jim Avola at 141 pounds, the Wildcats were ahead of the Blue Devils 18-8 with two matches to go. Knowing that Addison Nuding would score six points on a forfeit by Davidson at 157 pounds in the final match, Daniel Shvartsman needed to come up with a major decision to at least secure a tie, or a technical fall or pin to win the meet for Duke. Shvartsman went up 7-2 on Scott Matthews going into the third and final period, but was unable to increase his lead any further. He ended up winning his match 7-3, although Duke was defeated overall on team points 18-17. Shvartsman continues to move up on the Blue Devils' career wins list. He currently ranks 12th with 76 career victories. Shvartsman is three wins behind Jim Walsh in 11th place, and 29 wins behind all-time leader Bradd Weber. In their other head-to-head meet, it was all Duke, as they blew Princeton away. Every match was won by at least five points. The upper weight classes were especially dominant, scoring two major decisions and two pins. McKeon and Jasper won on forfeits before Wightman, Voris Tejada, and Nuding all won decisions at the 141, 149, and 157 pound weight classes, respectively. For Tejada it was his team-leading 18th win on the year. At 165 pounds, Aaron Glover scored a major decision over Princeton's Aaron Casp, 19-7. That was followed by John Barone's pinning of Matt Collins at 3:00. It was Barone's fifth pin on the season, which ties him for the team best with 141 pound Westley Kuser. It also improved his team-best winning percentage, which now stands at .700 with a 14-6 record. Dan Fox scored Duke's second major decision of the evening with a 10-1 triumph over the Tigers' Oliver Noteware in the 184 pound weight class. Patrick Keenum added on a win at 197 pounds with a 5-0 victory over Zach Morse. Tunick closed out the night with a bang as he pinned Kris Berr at 4:19 for his second pin of the year, and six more Duke points. This weekend marked the first annual Duke Wrestling Alumni Reunion. Over 50 alums returned to catch up with one another and honor legendary Blue Devil coach Bill Harvey. Seven decades of Duke wrestling were represented, including eight individual ACC champions and ten NCAA qualifiers. Duke will compete next in Raleigh against N.C. State in their ACC opening dual meet on Wed., Jan. 10. Meet time is set for 7:30 p.m. The Blue Devils will return home on Wed., Jan. 24, for another tri-meet, this time with The Citadel and Campbell. That meet will start at 7:00 p.m.

Collegeville, PA -- The College of New Jersey wrestling team picked up three victories in four dual meets at the North/South Duals hosted by Ursinus College on Saturday. The Lions (6-1), which are ranked eighth in the latest NWCA Brute – Adidas Division III poll, opened with a 42-11 win over Trinity College (CT) before beating Plymouth State University, 32-3. TCNJ then got past Wesleyan University, 27-11, before falling to second-ranked Wartburg College, 34-4. Senior Mike Guenther (Ewing, NJ/Brick Memorial) boasted a perfect record on the day as he won all three of his matches. Guenther, who is ranked third nationally at 165 pounds, is now 15-2 on the season. A host of Lions recorded three wins on the day led by Ray Sarinelli (Rockaway, NJ/Morris Hills) at 133, Tyler Branham (Newton, NJ/Kittantiny) at 141, Jon Biango (Waldwick, NJ/Waldwick) at 149 and Steve Carbone (Cranford, NJ/Cranford) at heavyweight. The Lions will be back in action next weekend heading to Lycoming College for the annual Budd Whitehill Duals.

Lancaster, Pa. -– Rutgers head wrestling coach John Sacchi recorded his 159th career win at the helm of the Scarlet Knights program, moving to the top of the all-time victory list as RU defeated Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) rival Franklin & Marshall, 36-13 on Saturday afternoon. With the win, Rutgers moves to 2-2 on the season, including a 2-0 mark in the EIWA. Before the victory, Sacchi was tied with the late former coach Deane Oliver. Oliver led Rutgers to a 158-147-9 record in 21 years of coaching (1969-1990) and had a winning percentage of .511. Sacchi's current record of 159-98-5 moves him to the top spot in program history with a winning percentage of .616. The Scarlet Knights got a pin from Mike D'Amico (Kenilworth, N.J.) at heavyweight as the sophomore turned the Diplomats' Nico Somers and earned the fall at the 5:07 mark in the match. Jack Barrett (Metuchen, N.J.) and Lamar Brown (Red Bank, N.J.) posted decision wins at 149 and 197 pounds, respectively. Barrett recorded a 12-7 win over Franklin & Marshall's Steve Gregory, while Brown defeated Sean Logue, 10-3. Due to injuries, the Diplomats forfeited matches at the 125, 133, 174 and 184-pound weight classes. On Wednesday, Jan. 10, Rutgers will travel to East Stroudsburg, Pa. to take on the Warriors in an EIWA match-up at 7:00 p.m.

MILLERSVILLE, Pa. -– The Bucknell wrestling squad put together a successful showing at the Shorty Hitchcock Memorial Classic on Friday as members of the Bison placed in six of the 10 weight classes at the non-scored tournament hosted by Millersville University. David Marble (Harpursville, N.Y./Harpursville Area) captured first at 133 for his first career tournament win. In the championship, Marble defeated Justin Shorts of Delaware Valley College. The Bison had two second-place finishers as Zach Galligan (Boonville, N.Y./Adirondack) was second at 141 and Eric Lapotsky (Mount Carmel, Pa./Mount Carmel Area) was the runner-up in the 197-pound bracket. Andy Rendos (Brockway, Pa./Brockway Area), who is currently ranked 16th in the nation, was upset in his first bout at 165, but swept through the consolation bracket to capture third at the weight. Shane Riccio (Warren, N.J./Watchung Hills) and George Hingson (Moon Township, Pa./Moon Area) rounded out the placewinners for the Orange and Blue, with Riccio finishing third at 174 and Hingson fourth at heavyweight. "I felt our wrestlers performed well today coming out of the break," said Bison head coach Dan Wirnsberger. "The tournament was a good warm-up for us heading into next weekend's trip to Brown and Boston University."

PALO ALTO, CALIF. -- Columbia's head wrestling coach, Brendan Buckley, always enjoys visiting California, where he was an All-American (at Fresno State) and began his coaching career. But few visits have been enjoyable as the present one. The Columbia wrestling team arrived in the Golden State Wednesday and two days later walked away with two come-from-behind victories at the Stanford Duals, 27-11 over the host school and 22-16 over the University of California at Davis. "This was a very good day of wrestling," said Buckley, Columbia's Andrew F. Barth Head Coach of Wrestling. "Although these were our first dual meets of the season and we were missing some people, we did very well against two strong teams." Stanford and UC Davis are both members of the Pac-10 for wrestling; the Aggies are one of the league's pre-season favorites. Columbia trailed after the first bout of each match, as junior Jerome Greco, substituting for the injured Brandon Kinney, lost an 18-3 technical fall to Stanford's Tanner Garner, ranked fourth nationally, and a 5-1 decision to Davis's Marcos Orozco. But the Lions fought back strongly. Against Stanford, 18th-ranked senior Matt DeLorenzo scored a 16-4 major decision over Cameron Teitelman at 133 pounds and junior Derek Francavilla posted another major decision, 13-4 over Rafael Chavez at 141. In his first action in two years, junior Anthony Constantino then decisioned Tyler Parker at 149 pounds, 3-0. It was Constantino's first collegiate bout since competing in the 2005 NCAA Championships; he missed the 2005-06 season while on a leave of absence from Columbia, and was injured the first half of this season. His bout gave Columbia an 11-5 lead, which promptly increased to 17-5 when sophomore Derek Sickles pinned Steven Frehn at 157 pounds, in 1:03. Stanford fought back. The Cardinal closed to 17-8 as Brian Perry beat senior Ricky Turk in overtime at 165, 10-5, spoiling the co-captain's homecoming in his native state. Feist then surprised senior Matt Palmer with a 6-5 decision to pull Stanford within 17-11. Like Constantino, Palmer was competing in his first bout as a collegian this season. He was not in school during the first semester, when he competed unattached while placing second in the Nittany Lion Open. Palmer is ranked 11th nationally. With Stanford, coached by native Long Islander Kerry McCoy, a former Olympian and NCAA champion, just six points away from tying the match, Columbia's higher weights came through. Senior Justin Barent, ranked 14th nationally, more than justified the ranking as he defeated Zack Giesen with a 14-2 major decision to give Columbia a 21-11 lead. Junior Nick Sommerfeld then posted his team-leading 10th victory of the season by edging Jared Boyer, 7-5 in sudden-victory overtime. His win put Columbia up 24-11 to clinch the team victory. Junior Jed Wade evened his season record at 4-4 when he concluded the match with a 6-1 decision over Phillip Doerner at heavyweight. The Lions faced tougher going against UC Davis. They took a 6-3 lead on DeLorenzo's 3-2 decision over Omar Gaitan at 133 and sophomore Sal Tirico's 5-3 victory at 141. It appeared they would win at 149 as well, but Shawn Haratani rallied to edge Matt Dunn, 13-10. Derek Sickles was up next, at 157 pounds, substituting for nationally-ranked Devin Mesanko. The sophomore faced a major battle in highly-regarded Jon Clark. "The bout was pretty even," Buckley said. "Then Derek reversed Clark, right to his back." With 4:45 gone, Sickles posted his second pin of the day, only his third of the season. "Derek did a great job for us," the coach noted. Still the Aggies rallied. Dustin Noack defeated Ricky Turk at 165, 7-3, to pull Davis within 12-9 and set up a confrontation between Columbia's 11th-ranked Matt Palmer and the Aggies' fourth-ranked Ken Cook. But Palmer wasn't feeling well, and Buckley inserted senior Dustin Tillman, normally a 165-pounder. He lost a major decision to Cook by a 12-4 score. UC Davis led, 13-12. The roller-coaster match took another Columbia leap, as Barent registered his second major of the day, 12-2 to put the Lions up, 16-13. The Aggies tied it at 16-all when Eliot Kelly defeated Nick Sommerfeld at 197, 4-3. For the second straight season, it had come down to heavyweight. In last season's match, at the Virginia Duals, Columbia had hung on to a 17-16 victory despite losing the heavyweight bout. This time, they won going away, as first-year Kevin Lester posted the biggest victory of his short collegiate career, pinning Broc Maffia in exactly one minute. "Maffia's good," Buckley said. "He had beaten Jed Wade pretty well [12-5] in Las Vegas." The 6-foot-5 Lester wrestled aggressively against Maffia with the match on the line. "Kevin almost had an early takedown, but the guy scrambled out," Buckley recalled. "Then Kevin hit a headlock. It was a real sneaky move." Maffia went down and stayed down, pinned in exactly one minute to give Columbia a 22-16 victory and give Buckley, an assistant coach at UC Davis in 1997-98 , a particularly sweet victory against his old school. Columbia remains in California for two more matches Sunday, January 7, meeting Cal State Bakersfield, another Pac-10 team, and San Francisco State, in Bakersfield.

STANFORD, Calif. -– Wrestling its first duals of the New Year, Lehigh kicked off 2007 on a high note, winning a pair of duals over Pac 10 foes at the Stanford Duals at the Cardinal's Burnham Pavilion Friday afternoon. The No. 23 Mountain Hawks opened the day with a 33-8 win over UC Davis, and ended it with a 34-9 rout of former Lehigh assistant Kerry McCoy's Stanford Cardinal. The Mountain Hawks now stand at 6-4 on the dual season, and 2-0 on their five dual western swing. "We wrestled with a lot more intensity today," said Lehigh head coach Greg Strobel on the lehighsports.com audio broadcast. "We worked on a lot of little things in practice, fixing up some of the mistakes we were making. Today we weren't making those little mistakes. The other nice thing was that we went out and scored pins and major decisions." Of Lehigh's 16 bout wins on the day, the Mountain Hawks scored five falls and four major decisions. In the opener versus UC Davis, Lehigh won eight of ten bouts, scoring bonus points in five. The Mountain Hawks' lightweights powered Lehigh's fast start with three straight bonus wins. Sophomore Matt Fisk opened the dual with a major decision over Marcos Orozco at 125. In the next bout, freshman Seth Ciasulli picked up his first fall of the season, pinning Omar Gaitan in the second period. Senior Matt Ciasulli closed the run with a 12-2 win over Nexi Delgado, who was subbing for the injured Derek Moore who was ranked second in the country. Lehigh won the next two matches, as Trevor Chinn picked up a win by decision and Dave Nakasone erased a third period deficit to win 11-9 in sudden victory over Jon Clark. UC Davis picked up its two wins at 165 and 174, as Dustin Noack blanked freshman Manuel Schubert and fourth ranked Ken Cook racked up a technical fall over David Helfrich. The Mountain Hawks took the last three bouts versus the Aggies, with freshman David Craig winning by major at 184, senior Matt Cassidy winning by decision at 197 and Paul Weibel ending the dual with a second period win by fall over Broc Maffia. In the day's second dual, the host Cardinal struck first, with fourth ranked Tanner Gardner defeating Fisk 9-2. Fisk kept things close, but a third period take down and three point near fall by Gardner broke up a close bout. From there Lehigh won four in a row, featuring a major decision from Seth Ciasulli, falls by Matt Ciasulli and Nakasone and a decision by Chinn. Stanford picked up a win by fall at 165, with Scott Loescher pinning Manuel Schubert in 3:54. Kerry McCoy juggled his line-up with four wrestlers bumping up in weight, but the Mountain Hawks took advantage, winning all four bouts against Cardinal wrestlers who bumped up. At 174, Helfrich held off 165-pounder Brian Perry 7-5, while Craig bested normal 174 pound grappler Luke Feist 7-3. At 197, Cassidy scored an early five point move in the first period, and on his second attempt at a turn, stuck normal 184 pounder Zack Giesen in 1:03. Weibel just missed a major, earning an 11-4 decision over Phil Doerner at heavyweight. The Mountain Hawks will return to the mats on Sunday when they wrap up their five dual western swing at the Sun Devil Duals in Tempe, Arizona. Lehigh will open up against Cal State Fullerton at 6:30 pm EST, then will face EIWA foe American at 8:00 pm and then host Arizona State at 9:30. The Arizona State match will be broadcast on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 as well as lehighsports.com with streaming audio powered by Yahoo! Sports.

IOWA CITY, IA -- Former Hawkeye wrestlers Luke and Ty Eustice will be featured in several clues of the category "Wrestling" Monday, January 8 on the TV game show JEOPARDY! Jimmy McGuire and Kelly Miyahara of the JEOPARDY! Clue Crew taped several clues at Carver-Hawkeye Arena featuring the Eustice brothers in August. Check your local listings for the channel and time JEOPARDY! airs. The Eustice brothers are natives of Blue Earth, MN. Luke was an all-American and NCAA finalist at 125 pounds in 2002, lettering for the Hawkeyes from 2001-04. Ty was a two-time all-American at 149 pounds, competing in the NCAA finals in 2006. He lettered for the Hawkeyes from 2003-06. They are the 10th set of brothers to wrestle together in the Hawkeye varsity lineup since the 1950s.

NORMAN, Okla. – Oklahoma flexed its muscle in a 55-0 drubbing of Marion Military Institute in session one of the 10th annual Lone Star Duals in Grand Prairie, Texas. The Sooners got five falls in the dual as Sam Hazewinkel, Kyle Terry, Will Rowe, Shane Seibert and Brad Farmer all pinned their opponents. Matt Storniolo, Josh Hinton and Joel Flaggert all won their matches by technical falls. Jarrod King won by a major decision and Joe Comparin won by forfeit. Comparin at 133-pounds began the dual with no match as he took the victory. Terry pinned Steve Chandler of Marion at 141-pounds at the 2:23 mark, putting the Sooners up 12-0 two matches in. Storniolo wrestling for OU at 149-pounds disposed of Zach Brewer by a technical fall, 16-1 in the third period. Rowe scored the second fall for Oklahoma as he pinned Darron Stowe at 157-pounds to begin the third period. Rowe's victory put OU up 23-0. Seibert made it back-to-back falls for the Sooners as he put Jon Ruiz on his back in the first period of the 165-pound match. King wrestling at 174-pounds won by a major decision over Derick Miller, 16-4. Hinton scored another technical fall for Oklahoma at 184-pounds as he marched his way to a shutout of Will Hurst, winning 16-0. Flaggert scored another technical fall for the Sooners as he corralled Tyler Barberi at 197-pounds, 17-2. Farmer at heavyweight for Oklahoma took care of Jay Bruniwitz in the first period pinning him :25 seconds into the match. Hazewinkel, whose father and uncle co-coach Marion, pinned C.J. Hamilton in the second period to cap the Sooners 55-0 shutout of Marion. The Sooners continue their day in Texas with a Session five dual against Navy beginning at 4 p.m. OU closes out the day with Utah Valley State in session six at 6 p.m.

Thomas Wolfe once said, "You can never go home again." The acclaimed writer from Asheville, North Carolina never met fellow Southerner Matt Keller. After high school, Matt left his native Tennessee to wrestle at the University of Nebraska … but was called home for family reasons, and is now a senior at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), where he is ranked sixth in the country at 133 pounds, and may well bring home an NCAA title this March. Keller rocks Cleveland Matt KellerMatt Keller grew up in the Cleveland, Tennessee area, just thirty miles northeast of Chattanooga. "When I was six years old, dad took me to the local Boys' Club for their wrestling program," says Matt. "You see, he was a high school wrestler." "It took three years to wipe the smile off my face." Matt put smiles on the faces of wrestling fans at Bradley Central High School that lasted four years. He delighted the crowds by wrestling varsity his entire high school career, compiling an incredible 140-2 record, and winning four straight Tennessee state championships. Competing for the Cornhuskers Despite these accomplishments, Matt says he was not heavily recruited in high school, admitting during the interview for this profile that he never won a national title. However, he did attract the attention of perennial powerhouse Nebraska. His very first college recruiting trip was to visit the Cornhuskers, and he signed right away. "I liked everything -- the coaches, being able to train with Jason Powell, great facilities," says Matt, who spent three years in Lincoln (one of them as a redshirt freshman). "It was the right choice for me at the time." While at Nebraska, Matt made positive contributions for the Cornhuskers right from the start. As a freshman, he built a 28-12 record, finishing just one win shy of earning All-American honors in the 133-pound weight class. His sophomore year, Matt went down to 125, and, despite some challenges staying at that weight, went 20-8. Both years he placed third in the Big 12 conference tournament. It was at this time that Matt's father David was called to serve in the Army in Afghanistan. At Matt's request, Nebraska head coach Mark Manning released the wrestler from his scholarship, allowing him to transfer to UTC. At the time, coach Manning told the Omaha World Herald, "Matt wants to be closer to home, so he can be there to support his mom and his family. I completely understand his decision. We've had a great relationship and I wish him the best." Adjusting to the move Matt KellerWhen asked what schools he considered to be closer to his family while his dad was overseas, Matt said, "I didn't consider going any place else." However, the move back home meant some major adjustments for the Tennessee native. "It was very hard to leave my friends at Nebraska," says Matt. "I still talk to Jason Powell once a week." "The level of competition from the Big 12 to UTC was a big difference … At Nebraska, it was like having a title match every week. I really got beat up. Here, I'm fresher each week." Matt also seems to be a bit more at home in terms of the academic environment in Chattanooga. "There are about 8,000-10,000 students at UTC. The classes are smaller, more personal," says the UTC senior. Right at home with the Mocs, right from the start In his first season at UTC, Matt Keller made a big splash for the program. In addition to moving back to Tennessee, Matt moved back to the 133-pound weight class after being at 125 his last year at Nebraska. As a junior, Matt compiled a 37-11 overall record, with twelve of those wins scored by a pin, and nine by major decision. Among the highlights of the regular season in 2005-06: Winning the Reno Tournament of Champions in 2005 … and upending top-ranked Tom Clum of Wisconsin, 9-5. Matt took home the 133-pound title at the 2006 Southern Conference Championships, and was voted Outstanding Wrestler of the event. He earned a ticket to Oklahoma City for the 2006 NCAA's, where he claimed All-American honors by placing eighth in a talent-rich weight class. More changes at Chattanooga Coming off a great first season at UTC, Matt Keller faced yet another change to deal with: A new head coach. Chris BonoChange seemed to be one constant for Moc wrestlers and fans. In the past three years, UTC has had two athletic directors… and three head wrestling coaches: Terry Brands, Joe Seay, and now Chris Bono. Coach Bono, who had been an assistant to Seay before being named head coach in July 2006, brings to the job an impressive resume in terms of wrestling and coaching experience. A 1997 graduate of Iowa State and 1996 NCAA champ at 150 pounds for the Cyclones -- as well as being a three-time US World Freestyle Team member -- Chris Bono was an assistant at his alma mater for nine years under long-time head coach Bobby Douglas before coming to Chattanooga in 2005. In a published interview, Matt said of his new head coach, "I obviously have great respect for what he's accomplished as a wrestler … Bono is a really good coach -- everybody around here loves him. He's brought some stability to our program and everybody is on board with him." The positive feeling is mutual. "Matt has an incredible work ethic. Definitely one of the hardest workers in the room," says Coach Bono. "He's one of my leaders. He buys into what I'm saying, which means the world to me as a first-year head coach." "I've seen tremendous growth between this year and last year with Matt," the Mocs head coach continues. "He's matured in all aspects -- not just in wrestling, either … He's grown up in his perspective on the mat, and in life in general." Stellar senior season It appears that maturity is shining through in Matt Keller's winning performance in his last year as a collegiate wrestler. As of this writing, he is ranked sixth in the 133-pound weight class by RevWrestling.com, with a 14-2 record. In early December, Matt took the title at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, winning five straight matches … including a 9-7 overtime victory in the finals over last year's 133-pound NCAA champ Matt Valenti of the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, he won the 133 bracket at the Missouri Open, and secured decisive dual-meet wins over competition from Virginia Tech (by major decision) and Ohio State (by pin). Immediately after Christmas, Matt brought a perfect 10-0 record to the 2006 Southern Scuffle, held at the Greensboro (North Carolina) Coliseum Special Events Center. Matt, the top seed at 133, breezed through his first two bouts (winning one by tech fall) before running into Cornell sophomore -- and eventual 133-pound champ -- Adam Frey, who edged the Mocs senior, 10-9. Matt eventually placed seventh. When asked about Matt Keller's senior year success, Mocs head coach Chris Bono said, "He's gone out and wrestled hard. He really believes in his conditioning. It's not just that he's in top condition to go the distance in every match and wear the other guy down, but that his mental aspect is in top condition, too." What's next? Ask him about his goals for the current season, and Matt's first statement is, "I'm focused on finishing up school, earning my degree in Sociology." But then he immediately follows up with, "Winning a national title is very important to me. I dream about it every night." After he graduates, Matt hopes to continue his mat career as a freestyle wrestler. Ideally, he would like to be a wrestling coach, "hopefully college, somewhere close to home." Matt KellerIn separate interviews, both Matt Keller and Chris Bono discussed how things are changing for the better in terms of wrestling in the state of Tennessee and surrounding region. "Each year, Tennessee high school wrestling gets better and better," according to Matt. "More coaches who grew up in Tennessee are coming back to coach high school." Coach Bono said, "When I first came to UTC, no one thought of national titles. Now fans in the area are talking about the possibility of our wrestlers winning national championships." "This area is starved for wrestling," adds the new coach. "Folks are attracted to the sport. They seem to like what they see down here. We're thrilled with the level of support we've been getting." Perhaps one reason for increased fan enthusiasm in the region may be Matt Keller's attitude towards life on and off the mat. In talking to Matt, his down-home, easy-going spirit comes shining through. Yet it's not at all a contradiction when he says, "I like a battle. I'm a warrior." That combination of one-day-at-a-time attitude and warrior spirit could be the winning combination that helps Matt Keller bring home a national title … a first for him, and a first for UTC and the state of Tennessee as well.

After a huge Midlands Championship we make our way back to the studio for a 2 hour broadcast. We'll do some house keeping and some catching up for sure. Due in the studio is Jeff Murphy with out TDR Top 20 Report. Steve Foster will be taking some much needed and deserved time off. I do appreciate all he does for the show and for the sport. Jeff and I will be joined by local fighter and MCC promoter Ryan Haas who along with his partner John Halverson have a BIG fight coming up in Des Moines on January 13th visit http://midwestcagechampionship.com/index.php. Yes that's the same weekend of the National Duals. Speaking of the Nat'l Duals, I will be announcing them along with Sandy Stevens and TDR will broadcast the event as well. Schedule to follow. This week on TDR: Former wrestler turned coach Anthony Porcelli will join us to discuss his local training facility and club. Can additional training and coaching outside of the room be beneficial? Sean Salmon, Former Ohio State Standout will be joining us. Life after collegiate wrestling? Sean will fill us in on that. Brad Penrith, The Head Coach of the UNI Panthers will join us to discuss the 2006-07 NWCA National Duals to be held at the UNI Dome on his campus in Cedar Falls, Iowa. #1 TheMat.com/TakedownRadio.com Athlete of the week for week of Dec 25th is: Ian Murphy Murphy, who is unranked nationally, defeated No. 7 Christian Sinnott of Central Michigan, 5-1 in the championship finals to win the 184-pound title at the Reno Tournament of Champions in Reno, Nevada, Dec. 20-21. Murphy won five matches during the tournament, three by fall. His pins were over Dan Fox of Duke, Hase Locke of Southern Oregon and Jack Jensen of Oklahoma State. He also defeated Yuri Kalika of Cal Poly, 5-0. Murphy is a junior and is a business administration major. He is returning after a year out of school. He placed sixth in the Pac-10 Championships in 2004. In high school, he was fifth in the California state championships for Santiago High School. #2 TheMat.com/TakedownRadio.com Athlete of the week for week of January 1 is: Adam Frey Competing in his first college tournament, Frey knocked off the No. 1, 2 and 4 seeds en route to winning the 133-pound title at the Southern Scuffle on Dec. 30 in Greensboro, N.C. The eighth-seeded Frey, a sophomore at Cornell University, beat No. 1 seed and No. 2 nationally ranked Matt Keller of Tennessee-Chattanooga 10-9 in the quarterfinal round. He followed with a 10-9 semifinal win over No. 4 seed Joe Baker of Navy and beat No. 2 seed Evan Sola of North Carolina 4-2 in the finals. Individual championships by Frey and NCAA runner-up Troy Nickerson (125) lifted the Big Red to a third-place finish behind No. 1 Missouri and No. 2 Minnesota at the Southern Scuffle. Frey is a sophomore academically, but he still has four years of eligibility remaining including this season. He did not compete last year for Cornell because of an injury. Frey is now ranked ninth nationally by Wrestling International Newsmagazine. Frey was the nation's top-ranked recruit at 130 pounds following his prep career at Blair Academy. He won Junior Nationals in freestyle and Greco-Roman in 2005. Tim McClellan, Former Strength and conditioning coach for the Sundevils, 1996 USOC Strength and Conditioning Coach for Wrestling and featured clinician of The Explosive Wrestler! 30 Strength Training Exercises with Tim McClellan, M.S., C.S.C.S.; and Mike VanArsdale, NCAA Champ and 3X All-American at Iowa State University All things being equal, the more explosive wrestler always wins! In this video, Tim McClellan calls on his experience training champion wrestlers at all levels, including the Olympics, to provide more than 30 exercises to build your wrestling speed and strength. McClellan begins with a brief shoulder warm-up routine and then presents injury prevention exercises for the neck and shoulder. McClellan then teaches strength and speed building in three areas: Lower body power exercises, lower body strength exercises and upper body strength. Each section contains at least 10 different exercises, with McClellan detailing the proper mechanics for each exercise step-by-step. These exercises are movement specific, meaning they emulate actions the wrestler will do on the mat … not only are you training muscles, but movements as well. McClellan also includes a valuable 7-step Guide on How to Construct a Training Program. 65 minutes. 2003. This is sure to be a fascinating show so please join in this Saturday from 9 AM to 11:00 AM on Des Moines Sports Station AM 1460 KXNO, KXNO.Com or Takedownradio.com

Oklahoma State is making its first appearance at the Lone Star Duals in Grand Prairie, Texas. The Cowboys are currently ranked fourth in the country according to the latest USA Today/Intermat/NWCA Coaches' Poll and boast a 4-1 record on the season. OSU's lone loss came at the hands of second-ranked Minnesota back on Dec. 6. The Cowboys are coming off of a win over Cal Poly in their last dual meet, and they have not wrestled since the Reno Tournament of Champions on Dec. 20. The Cowboys took second in Reno, falling to Central Michigan by a mere half point. OSU is wrestling the three service academies in the duals. The Cowboys meet up with Air Force for the first time at 10 a.m. OSU will wrestle former Cowboy wrestler Chuck Barbee's Army Black Knights at 2 p.m. The Cowboys won the only meeting of the series last year, 42-0. OSU will close out the day against the Navy Midshipmen at 8 p.m. The Cowboys lead the all-time series 5-0, but have not wrestled Navy since the 1971-72 season. The first two matches will be live on 780 AM, while the Navy match will air on 93.7 FM, following Cowboy basketball, with Rex Holt and Roger Moore providing the commentary. Last Time Out Oklahoma State crowned two champions en route to a second-place finish at the Reno Tournament of Champions back on Dec. 20. Johny Hendricks recorded a fall and five major decisions as he was named Outstanding Wrestler for the tournament. Coleman Scott defeated fifth-ranked Darrell Vasquez for the second time in three days as he captured a title at 133. The Cowboys had six other wrestlers place in the top six, but it was not enough as Central Michigan held on to win by a mere half a point. Scouting the Opposition Oklahoma State will receive the stiffest challenge from 3-2 Navy. The Midshipmen boast four wrestlers ranked near the top 10 led by 174-pounder Matt Stolpinski, ranked eighth. Ed Pendergrast is ranked ninth at heavyweight, while Joe Baker is No. 11 at 133 and John Cox is 16th at 149. Neither Army nor Air Force have any wrestlers ranked nationally. The Cowboys defeated Army last season 42-0, and they could be looking for a sweep in both of these matches. The Black Knights are currently 2-1 on the season, while Air Force is 1-0. Last time vs. Army The Cowboys had little trouble with Army as they dispatched the Black Knights 42-0. OSU won nine of the 10 bouts by bonus points with Steve Mocco earning a fall. Daniel Frishkorn recorded a technical fall to help put away Army. The only match that did involve bonus points was an 11-4 decision by Johny Hendricks. Oklahoma State 42, Army 0 Gallagher-Iba Arena • Stillwater, Okla. • Attendance: 3,251 125- #7 Coleman Scott (OSU) MD William Simpson (Army), 9-1 133- #6 Nathan Morgan (OSU) MD Whitt Dunning (Army), 16-5 141- #7 Daniel Frishkorn (OSU) TF5 Tyler Howard (Army), 16-0 (5:37) 149- #1 Zack Esposito (OSU) MD Patrick Simpson (Army), 20-9 157- #11 Kevin Ward (OSU) MD Brandon Benson (Army), 13-1 165- #1 Johny Hendricks (OSU) Dec. Chad Marzec (Army), 11-4 174- #9 Brandon Mason (OSU) MD Brent Smith (Army), 14-0 184- Rusty Blackmon (OSU) MD Luke Calvert (Army), 10-1 197- #2 Jake Rosholt (OSU) MD Todd Wisman (Army), 12-3 285- #2 Steve Mocco (OSU) Fall Michael Sprigg (Army), 3:52 Hendricks Reaches the Century Mark Senior Johny Hendricks became the 26th member of the 100-win club when he defeated Oklahoma's Shane Seibert, 7-4, on Dec. 3, 2006. He is currently 15-0 on the season and boasts a career record of 108-12. He tied former hheavyweight Kirk Mammen for 20th on the all-time wins list.

San Francisco, Calif. -- San Francisco State University Gators' wrestling team improved to 1-5 overall and 1-0 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) as they defeated the visiting Mavericks of Mesa State College (CO). The Mavericks fall to 1-5 overall and 1-1 in the RMAC. Senior Will Simmons (Sacramento, CA/Sac City College) improved to 3-4 as he won by a 14-12 decision in the first round of sudden victory over The Mavericks' Andrew Laiminger at 174. SF State won at 184 by forfeit as Cory Creighton (Fr, Carson, WA/Stevenson HS) picked up the win. At 197, Alecxis Lara (Jr, Gilroy, CA/Skyline College) won by fall at 6:44 over Keenan Jennings of Mesa State. Christopher Kennedy put the Mavericks on the board with a 5-2 decision over the Gators' Vincent Bordi (Fr, Manteca, CA) at heavyweight. Freshman Pierre Bondoc (Fr, Modesto, CA/Beyer HS) gave the Gators a 20-3 lead as he won by a 22-4 technical fall over Jason Blasdel at 125 to improve to 1-3. At 133, Ben Lockett (Fr, San Francisco, CA/George Washington HS) improved to 2-10 with a 10-9 decision over Garrett Burner. Virgil Lockett (Sr, San Francisco, CA/Skyline College) recorded his third victory by pin fall as he pinned Mesa State's Jacob Maysog at the 3:19 mark at 133. The Gators won the next match by forfeit at 149 to increase their lead to 35-3. Then at 157, Kenneth Packard (So, Fresno, CA/Roosevelt School of the Arts) recorded a 10-8 sudden victory over Taylor Torisk to run his record to 9-7. In the final match of the afternoon, Mesa State's Cole Johnson recorded a 3-1 win over the Gators' Austin Torres (Jr, 165, Schererville, IN/Skyline College) at 165 to make the final 38-6 SF State. SF State will return to the mat on Sunday for a pair of duals in Bakersfield, Calif. The Gators will face Cal State Bakersfield and Columbia University in a pair of non-conference duals beginning at 1:30pm. SF State will also send some wrestlers to Atherton, Calif., to participate in the Menlo Invitational on the campus of Menlo College.

BUFFALO, NY -- The University at Buffalo wrestling squad handed defeats to two teams Thursday afternoon, as it downed Davidson College, 33-6, and Clarion University, 23-16. The Bulls capped off a successful Thursday afternoon on the mats with a four-match win streak to pull past Clarion and ultimately go undefeated on the day in tri-meet action. Buffalo (4-2) rallied past the Davidson (0-2) behind its core of lightweight wrestlers. Senior captain Mark Budd (Orrville, OH/Orrville) showed why he is ranked 12th in the most recent USA Today/InterMat/NWCA poll at 133 lbs., as he recorded five takedowns en route to a technical fall over Chris Panfili, 19-3. Redshirt freshman Jason Hilliard (Genoa, NY/Southern Cayuga) stepped in at 149 pounds, scoring four points for the Bulls as he defeated Scott Matthews, 12-0. With the Wildcats scoring six points at 165 and 174 pounds, UB put the match away with a trio of victories in the upperweight class. In the later bout, Clarion slowly built up a 16-6 lead entering the 174 pound match. At 133 punds, Budd pinned Tyler Leljedal in 2:41, earning his 30th career dual meet victory along with his 88th career win, which ranks him seventh in school history. Cutting the deficit, the Bulls won the final four matches to upend the Golden Eagles (4-5). Junior Nate Rock (Ephrata, PA/Ephrata) scored an escape in the third frame to tie up the match with Scott Joseph and enter overtime at 1-1. Rock would then turn on the burners, scoring a three-point near fall and four additional points to end the match with a score of 8-1. Redshirt freshman Ricky Scott (Walden, NY/Valley Central) earned a technical fall over Dixon Joseph, 17-2, scoring five team points, to take the lead. Scott scored a plethora of near-fall points to earn his fifth dual match of the year. The Bulls returns to the mats on Tuesday, when they travel to Appalachian, NC for their third straight tri-meet against Appalachian State and Gardner-Webb. Action starts at 7:00 pm.

DeKALB, Ill. -- Northern Illinois senior wrestler Mike Grimes was named the Mid-American Conference Wrestler of the Week after earning first-place at the Midlands Championships by winning five consecutive matches at the 44th annual meet in Evanston. "Mike is our first Midlands Champion since I have been here and that is a great accomplishment for him and for our program," said head coach Dave Grant. "We have come close to having wrestlers win the Midlands in the past, so we are happy to see Mike get us to that point. He exemplifies the attitude and hard work association with our program and what it stands for." Grimes, a fifth-year senior from Villa Park, entered the two-day tournament as the sixth-seed at 149 pounds. After notching three Friday victories to reach the semifinals, Grimes picked up where he left off on Saturday. In the semis, Grimes defeated second-seeded Matt Couglin of Indiana, who was ranked fifth nationally, and in the championship bout bested Jake Patacsil of Purdue to take first place. "It was a tough tournament and a tough road, but it was a fun tournament," said Grimes. "I was able to beat the nation's fifth-ranked wrestler in the semis and then had a challenging match in the championship that came down to the last 30 seconds against a tough opponent." The weekend performance catapulted Grimes up seven places to 10th in the Wrestling International Newsmagazine's latest national rankings.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 7 Oklahoma Sooners hit the road to begin 2007 when they travel to Grand Prairie, Texas, to compete in the Lone Star Duals. The Sooners are looking to stay on the winning track after finishing 2006 with a victory against Cal Poly. Oklahoma will be competing against Marion Military Institute, Navy and Utah Valley State. The Sooners will take on the Marion Military Institute in session one beginning at 8 a.m., Navy in session five at 4 p.m. and Utah Valley State in session six beginning at 6 p.m. "We are looking forward to the Lone Star Duals after the grind of two-a-days during the break," said head coach Jack Spates. "We are very optimistic about this weekend. But were going to have a lot of competitive matches and it will be a challenge." The Sooners come into the Duals with six wrestlers ranked in the top 20 of their respective weight classes. Following this weekend's action, the Sooners travel to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to compete in the NWCA National Duals on Saturday, Jan. 14 and Sunday, Jan. 15. OU returns home for the first time in the new semester when it hosts Oregon on Jan. 20.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana wrestling team's match against Eastern Illinois has been rescheduled for Sunday, Jan. 14, at 2 p.m. EST in Charleston, Ill. The match had originally been scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 13. Indiana will bring a perfect 8-0 record with it to Charleston. The dual meet will represent the Hoosiers' final non-conference dual meet before Big Ten action begins. IU hosts Purdue in its Big Ten opener on Friday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m. at University Gym. The Hoosiers are coming off a strong performance at the Midlands Championships, where they finished fifth as a team out of 56 participants, and redshirt freshman Angel Escobedo took the title at 125 pounds. Escobedo is IU's first Midlands Champion since Pat DeGain won the heavyweight title in 2004 and the first freshman to win Midlands since Mark Perry of Iowa and Jake Herbert of Northwestern won in 2004.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestler Lloyd Rogers was named the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week, the league office announced this week. Rogers earned a seventh-place finish in the 174-pound division at the Southern Scuffle at the end of December after entering the tournament seeded ninth. His meet record of 6-2 was the best of any UTC wrestler in the event. The junior from Palm City, Fla., recorded a pin and two major decisions in defeating wrestlers from Cornell, Missouri, Stanford, Virginia Tech and VMI. His tournament performance caught the attention of the national rankings services. Rogers earned his first national ranking of the regular season, breaking into the Top 20 at 174 pounds this week as the Wrestling International Newsmagazine listed him at No. 19. Rogers is the third UTC wrestler to earn SoCon Wrestler of the Week accolades this season. The Mocs, 5-0, travel to Cedar Falls, Iowa, Sunday to take on Oregon State and Northern Iowa.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State wrestling team will begin the 2007 portion of its schedule with a home match against Kent State at 2 p.m. Sunday in St. John Arena. The Buckeyes (1-2-0; 0-0-0 Big Ten) will welcome its third non-conference opponent to St. John Arena before opening their conference schedule against Purdue at 2 p.m. Jan. 14. BERGMAN FINISHES SECOND AT SCUFFLE J.D. Bergman captured a second-place finish at the 2006 Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, N.C. Bergman, who wrestled at 197 pounds, had an impressive outing on day one of the event, recording two falls and a major decision en route to the quarterfinals. The following day, Bergman notched a decision to advance to the semifinals where he was slated to meet No. 2 seed and nationally No. 2-ranked Jerry Rinaldi of Cornell. However, Rinaldi was forced to take a medical forfeit and that set up the rematch between Bergman and No. 1 seed and top ranked Max Askren of Missouri. After leading 2-1 going into the third period, Bergman fell to Askren in the championship. LUCKY NO. 13 Chris Vondruska entered the 2006 Southern Scuffle with a five-match winning streak and winner of eight of his last nine. Vondruska then went on to win his first four match-ups at the Southern Scuffle, including recording two major decisions in the rounds of 64 and 32, to extend his winning streak to nine. Although he dropped his next two bouts, Vondruska rebounded in the fifth-place match with a 6-2 decision and now has been victorious in 13 of his last 16 matches. The fifth-place showing at the Southern Scuffle was Vondruska's third Top 5 tournament showing this season. Vondruska also finished third at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in December and fourth at the EMU Open in November. SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY Ohio State has competed in the Southern Scuffle two times in the tournament's four-year history and during that span the Buckeyes have collected nine individual Top 8 finishes. The Scarlet and Gray competed in the Southern Scuffle for the first time in 2005 and six Buckeyes placed, including J Jaggers who had a second-place outing at 149 pounds. In 2006, J.D. Bergman finished second at 197 pounds, while classmates Chris Vondruska and Lance Palmer placed fifth and seventh, respectively. TOURNAMENT SUCCESS During the past five seasons, Ohio State has posted impressive individual tournament outings. Since the 2002-03 season, the Buckeyes have captured 24 first-place finishes and 10 second-place outings. Ten third-place, fourth-place and fifth-place showings each have been collected during that span. ROLLING INTO THE NEW YEAR The Buckeyes begin their busiest month in January, competing in seven duals. Ohio State will host three duals during the month (Kent State, Purdue and Indiana), while traveling to the Ashland Duals where it will face Ohio, Cleveland State and Ashland, followed by a trip to Penn State. INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Four Buckeyes are ranked in the latest edition of the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA standings (Jan.3). Lance Palmer is No. 20 at 149 pounds. Chris Vondruska remains the 18th-ranked wrestler at 165 pounds. Wrestling at 184 pounds, Mike Pucillo is the highest ranked Buckeye at No. 3. J.D. Bergman moved up two spots from No. 6 to No. 4 at 197 pounds. BUCKEYES FACE FOUR OHIO SQUADS IN 2007 In 2006-07, the Scarlet and Gray will compete against four Ohio schools - Kent State, Ohio, Cleveland State and Ashland. OSU has faced just four teams from the Buckeye state on eight occasions - 1975, 1981-82, 1985-86, 1992-93, 1996-97, 1997-98, 2004-05 and 2006-07. Ohio State has met five Ohio teams in a season five times and has faced six Ohio squads during a campaign two times. The Buckeyes have met an all-time high seven Ohio opponents on one occasion in 1983-84. VS. THE STATE OF OHIO Ohio State owns a 138-32-3 (.806) all-time record vs. Ohio schools. Against colleges and universities in the state of Ohio that currently supports a wrestling program, the Buckeyes have a 94-28-3 (.764) ledger. Record against Ohio Teams *No longer supports a wrestling program Ashland 18-1 Baldwin-Wallace 1-0 *Bowling Green 8-0 *Capital 5-0 Case Western Reserve 2-0 *Central State 0-1 *Cincinnati 7-1 Cleveland State 19-13-2 *Cuyahoga CC 5-0 Findlay 6-0 *Hiram 1-0 John Carroll 3-3 Kent State 10-6 *Lakeland College 1-0 *Miami 5-1 Muskingum 1-0 Ohio 34-5-1 *Toledo 10-1 VS. THE MAC CONFERENCE Ohio State owns a 61-15-2 record against the current members of the Mid-American Conference. OSU has winning records against all six wrestling programs. OSU record against Mid-American Conference Programs Buffalo 6-0 Kent State 9-5 Ohio 34-5-1 Central Michigan 3-2-1 Eastern Michigan 3-0 Northern Illinois 5-2 BUCKEYES VS. GOLDEN FLASHES Ohio State leads Kent State, 9-5, in the all-time series. The Buckeyes and the Golden Flashes met last season in Kent, Ohio, where OSU dropped a 25-13 decision. Prior to the match-up last year, the Scarlet and Gray had won four consecutive meets. Ohio State vs. Kent State all-time series 2006 - Kent State 25, Ohio State 13 2005 - Ohio State 23, Kent State 16 2003 - Ohio State 22, Kent State 13 1999 - Ohio State 28, Kent State 6 1998 - Ohio State 25, Kent State 7 1985 - Kent State 23, Ohio State 20 1983 - Ohio State 26, Kent State 11 1976 - Kent State 21, Ohio State 18 1964 - Ohio State 20, Kent State 8 1963 - Ohio State 20, Kent State 8 1942 - Kent State 14, Ohio State 12 1941 - Kent State 15, Ohio State 9 1932 - Ohio State 23, Kent State 3 1930 - Ohio State 19, Kent State 8 SO LONG 2006 Ohio State finished the 2006 portion of its schedule 1-2 in dual action, while also participating in various open tournaments and invitationals. Starting the season at the Michigan State Open in East Lansing, Nov. 12, Ohio State's J.D. Bergman led the Buckeye contingent, winning the 197-pound crown. Sophomore Corey Morrison finished fourth at 285 pounds and Jason Johnstone took home fifth-place honors at 149 pounds. T.J. Enright was a sixth-place finisher at 133 pounds, while Blake Maurer was sixth at 174 pounds. Will Livingston was seventh at 125 pounds and Lance Palmer was eighth at 149 pounds. Ohio State opened its dual schedule Nov. 16 with a home match-up against then-No. 3 Missouri. It was the home debut of first-year head coach Tom Ryan. The Buckeyes fell to the Tigers, 29-9, however, the Scarlet and Gray rebounded with an 18-17 upset victory against then-No. 9 Cornell in Ithaca, N.Y., ten days later. It was a match that came down to the final bout at 133 pounds with Enright going up against Cornell's Nick Bridge. With Ohio State down 17-15, Enright was able to secure a 5-3 win to give the Buckeyes the one-point edge. The win marked the first victory for Ryan as the OSU head coach and it served as his 110th career victory. Ohio State then took a break from dual action and competed at the Las Vegas Invitational in early December. Mike Pucillo paced the Buckeyes in the tournament, winning the 184-pound division. Pucillo recorded a pair of major decisions and a fall en route to defeating two Top 4 wrestlers in the semifinal and final for the title. Chris Vondruska and Palmer also placed for the Buckeyes, with Vondruska finishing third and Palmer taking home seventh place honors. Ohio State returned to dual action at home in St. John Arena Dec. 17 and played host to Chattanooga. OSU fell to the Mocs, 28-13. Three Buckeyes garnered victories in a match-up that did not feature injured Enright at 133 pounds or J Jaggers at 141 pounds. OSU officially concluded 2006 with a final tournament outing at the Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, N.C. Bergman again led the Buckeye contingent, finishing second at 197 pounds. Vondruska went 5-2 in the event for a fifth-place showing while classmate Palmer finished seventh. VETERAN FRESHMAN Redshirt-freshman Mike Pucillo has made an immediate impact, starting the first half of the 2006-07 season with a perfect record at 8-0. Not since J.D. Bergman, during the 2004-05 season, has a Buckeye started the season 8-0. Pucillo began his campaign in Ohio State's season opening dual against Missouri and overcame No. 4 Raymond Jordan, 3-2, in his first action as a Buckeye before going on the road and scoring an 11-4 decision against Cornell's Luke Hogle. It was at the 25th Annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Pucillo reeled off five consecutive wins to be crowned champion at 184 pounds. In the semifinal and final, Pucillo compiled wins against two Top 4 wrestlers in No. 4 Jordan and No. 3 Tyrel Todd of Michigan. After taking a week off from competitive action, Pucillo earned his eighth win against Chattanooga's Josh Edmondson, 12-3. LAS VEGAS INVITATIONAL CHAMPION Redshirt-freshman Mike Pucillo won the 184-weight class at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Dec. 1-2 in Primm, Nev. Pucillo recorded two major decisions and a fall en route to the semifinal where he defeated No. 4 Raymond Jordan of Missouri, 3-1. In the championship bout against Michigan's and No. 3 Tyrel Todd, Pucillo notched a 12-6 victory for the title. Pucillo became the first Buckeye to win a title at the event since current assistant coach Tommy Rowlands won in 2003 at heavyweight. CONFERENCE LAURELS After his winning performance at 184 pounds in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Mike Pucillo was named the Big Ten Conference Wrestler of the Week for the week of Dec. 4. Pucillo recorded two major decisions and a fall en route to the semifinal where he defeated No. 4 Raymond Jordan of Missouri, 3-1. In the championship bout against Michigan's and No. 3 Tyrel Todd, Pucillo notched a 12-6 victory for the title. MAKE IT 110 OSU head coach Tom Ryan earned his 110th career victory with the Buckeyes' 18-17 win over Cornell Nov. 26. Ryan gathered his first win as the head coach of the Scarlet and Gray, while his other 109 wins came at Hofstra, where he was the head coach for 11 seasons. Ryan's career record is 110-84-1 (.567). MARK THIS DATE Buckeye head coach Tom Ryan compiled his first win as the OSU head coach against then-No. 9 Cornell Nov. 26. ONLY THE BEST Ohio State has competed or will compete against some of the toughest teams in the nation in 2006-07. Ten of the Buckeyes' opponents are ranked in the latest Top 25 of the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA poll. Four opponents - Missouri (1), Iowa (5), Northwestern (8) and Penn State (10) are in the Top 10. CLASS OF 2007-08 Ohio State wrestling head coach Tom Ryan announced the signing of five student-athletes to the Buckeye squad for the 2007-08 season. Sean Nemec, Colton Sponseller, Bo Touris, Nikko Triggas and John Weakley will join the team next season. "As a staff, we are honored each of these young men have chosen to pursue their academic and athletic goals at Ohio State University," Ryan said. "Each of these young men have won at the highest level with class and hard work. Our staff is looking forward to helping them build upon their successes in every aspect of their lives." Nemec, who hails from Lakewood, Ohio, and attends St. Edwards High School, is considered by many the top wrestling recruit in Ohio. Entering his senior year at St. Edwards, Nemec is ranked as high as first in the nation at 152 pounds in the wrestling publication Amateur Wrestling News and second by Wrestling International Newsmagazine. Nemec is a two-time high school state champion, three-time finalist and the 2004 Cadet freestyle national champion. Nemec also is a two-time junior national freestyle All-American, finishing third at 152 pounds in 2006 and sixth at 145 pounds in 2005. Sponseller, a student at West Holmes High School in Millersburg, Ohio, is a two-time high school state champion. Wrestling at 160 pounds, Sponseller also is the 2006 NHSCA Junior National Champion. Ranked as high as fourth in W.I.N. Magazine's preseason rankings, Sponseller was a seventh-place finisher in the 2005 freestyle competition. Touris is a native of West Chester, Ohio, and attends Lakota West High School. Wrestling at 112 pounds in 2005, Touris was an Ohio high school state division I district qualifier and finished the season with a 36-6 record. In 2006, Touris returned to 103 pounds after wrestling at that weight his freshman year and finished third in the Ohio high school state championships, capping a 46-1 season. Touris also was the Ohio Cadet Greco Roman and Freestyle state champion in 2005. Touris, a Fargo Nationals Cadet Greco Roman National champion, also finished second at the FILA nationals in Cadet Greco Roman competition. Touris was ranked as high as fifth at 103 pounds in W.I.N Magazine and ninth at 112 pounds in that same publication. Triggas hails from Moraga, Calif., where he attends Campolindo High School and wrestles at 119 pounds. Triggas was the North Coast section champion his freshman, sophomore and junior years. He is the third freshman at any weight in the history of Campolindo to become state champion and is on track to become the second wrestler at Campolindo to win four sectional championships. A three-time state qualifier, Triggas finished third his sophomore year with a 51-3 record and was state champion his junior year, compiling 51-2 mark. Triggas also was the 2005 and 2006 Cadet Greco Roman Champion and finished third in freestyle competition in 2005 with a 19-1 record. Weakley is from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, and preps at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, where he wrestles at 189 pounds. Weakley is a three-time All-American, three-time conference champion, two-time district champion and two-time sectional champion. Weakley has been ranked No. 1 in all divisions and is the No. 2-ranked senior in Ohio according to ohiowrestling.net after winning PAC-7 Wrestler of the Year last season. Weakley's freestyle and Greco Roman credentials include becoming a three-time All-American, three-time freestyle state champion, three-time Greco Roman state champion and the Greco Roman Junior National runner-up in 2006. LIVE WEB STREAMING Live web streaming of Ohio State's match-ups against Indiana (Jan. 28) and Michigan State (Feb. 2) are available on ohiostatebuckeyes.com. Log on to the official web site of the Ohio State Department of Athletics for more information. EXPANDED COVERAGE The NCAA and ESPN announced in October expanded live television coverage of the 2007 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships March 15-17 in Auburn Hills, Mich. For the first time, in the 77-year history of the Division I Wrestling Championships, the Saturday morning medal round will be televised. Scheduled for 10 a.m. EST March 17 on ESPNU, the championships medal round determines the third through eighth place finishers who are honored as All-Americans. The 2007 championships are March 15-17 at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Mich. The University of Michigan and the Detroit Metro Sports Commission will serve as hosts. Tickets for the 2007 championships are available by visiting http://www.detroitsports.org/wrestling/tickets/index.html. UP NEXT Ohio State will begin its Big Ten Conference schedule with a home dual vs. Purdue at 2 p.m. Jan. 14 in St. John Arena.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- University of Northern Iowa sophomore Moza Fay has been named the Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. Fay (Anamosa, Iowa) notched a third-place finish at the 2006 Midlands Wrestling Championships after entering the tournament as the No. 7 seed in the 157-pound weight class. Fay scored a 9-2 win over Eric Howe (Purdue) in the first round. Fay notched a 13-7 victory over Jason Brew (Olivet) in the second round. Fay tallied a 12-6 victory over No. 2-seeded Brandon Becker (Indiana) in the quarterfinals. Fay then lost his only match of the tournament to No. 3-seeded Michael Poeta (Illinois), 8-3. Fay bounced back to take third place with a pair of consolation wins over No. 8-seeded Brian Cobb (Road Runner Wrestling Club) via fall at 4:38 and then a 9-5 win over No. 4-seeded Andrew Flannagan (Harvard). The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley State and Wyoming. This week's WWC Wrestler of the Week took into account action from Dec. 20-Jan. 1.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -– Senior No.12 Seth Martin (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove) has been named Co-Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) Wrestler of the Week for his recent efforts on the mat for the Lock Haven University wrestling team. Martin enjoyed the holiday season by picking up an individual championship at the Southern Scuffle tournament hosted by the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The 157-pounder upset No. 6 Matt Hill of Edinboro University in the championship match. Martin topped the tournament's number one seed 4-1 after cruising into the finals. The Haven grappler started things off with a 3-1 win over Ohio University's Jake Frerichs and followed it up by pinning Brad Murri of Boise State University. Martin continued to roll with a 7-0 shutout and a 13-4 major win, setting him up for the championship. The win over Hill marked a bit of payback for Martin, who was defeated 6-1 by the Edinboro Fighting Scot back on Dec. 10 in dual action. Martin and the rest of the Bald Eagles will be back on the mat on Jan. 12, at 7:30 when they host Millersville University.

GREENSBORO, N.C. -– North Carolina's Spencer Nadolsky was tabbed Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestler of the Week after posting a second-place finish in the heavyweight division at UNC Greensboro's Southern Scuffle over the holiday break. After winning his first three bouts on the opening day of the tournament on Friday, December 29, Nadolsky posted overtime decisions against No. 15 Andy Patrick of Boise State (4-3) and No. 8 Ed Prendergast (3-2) to advance to the championship match. In the finals, the senior from Holland, Mich., fell to No. 1-ranked Cole Konrad of Minnesota, 4-1. Nadolsky finished the tournament with a 5-1 record and currently sits with a mark of 13-3 on the season, needing just four wins to record career victory No. 100. The weekly honor is Nadolsky's second of the season. North Carolina went on to finish ninth overall in the team standings at the Southern Scuffle accumulating 68.5 points. Nadolsky and the Tar Heels are back in action this Saturday, January 6 at the Lone Star Duals in Grand Prairie, Texas.

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Big Red wrestling's Adam Frey (Pittsburgh, Pa.) was named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week for Dec. 26-Jan. 1 for his performance at the Southern Scuffle. Competing in his first collegiate tournament, Frey went 5-0 to take the title at 133 pounds and helped the Big Red to take a third place team finish. Frey has also been named the Tompkin's Trust Company's Athlete of the Week. Frey entered the Scuffle as the No. 8 seed and proceeded to take down the No. 1 seed, nationally ranked Matt Keller of Tennessee-Chattanooga, 10-9 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals he overtook the No. 4 seed, the Navy's Joe Baker, 10-9, and to take the championship he won a 4-2 decision over the No. 2 seed Evan Sola (North Carolina). Frey entered the Scuffle unranked, and he is now ranked ninth nationally by W.I.N. Magazine. Following his prep career at Blair Academy, Frey was the nations top recruit at 130 pounds. He was the member of four national championship teams and was an individual national champion as a senior. He was a two-time prep champion and a five-time freestyle and Greco-Roman All-American. Frey will make his dual match debut this weekend at home when the Big Red will take on No. 11 Penn State. The match will take place at 1 p.m. in Newman Arena at Bartels Hall.