InterMat Staff

MINNEAPOLIS -- There's a lot of construction going on at Augsburg College these days: -- On the east side of campus, a major addition to Si Melby Hall, the Kennedy Center, is being built and slated for completion during the 2006-07 school year -- an addition which will add a new wrestling training facility, locker room, classroom and meeting room space, and other amenities. -- A brand new air-supported dome will cover the Edor Nelson Field surface starting this winter. -- In the center of campus, the Oren Gateway Building, a facility featuring a Barnes and Noble campus bookstore, retail shops, offices and student housing, is quickly taking shape. -- This fall, Augsburg welcomed its 11th president, Dr. Paul C. Pribbenow, to campus. A different kind of construction takes place every season for the Augsburg wrestling program. It's one where progress is measured by the time-honored team slogans, "One-Percent Improvement A Day,"and "The Pursuit of Excellence While Building Men." And that yearly construction project results in a tradition of excellence unrivaled in small-college wrestling. The Auggies have won nine NCAA Division III national championships, while finishing in the top four nationally the last 18 years in a row and in the top 20 nationally every year since 1971. Augsburg has produced 39 individual national champions and 178 All-Americans in school history. And under head coach Jeff Swenson, the Auggies have established a reputation as a consistent challenger for the national championship. This season should be no different. Augsburg's returning depth, from a squad that finished third at the 2006 Division III national championships, combined with a recruiting and transfer class that Swenson describes as one of the program's best in recent years, could mean that the Auggies will be among the contenders for their 10th crown at the national meet, to be held in Dubuque, Iowa, in March. "We have six out of 10 starters back, so you have to be happy with that," Swenson said. "We're really happy with our recruiting class. We're bringing in a good mix of real good freshmen and some impact transfers, people that could make a difference right away." Depth at virtually every weight class There is significant and talented depth at virtually every weight class, Swenson noted, which should prove itself important as the long wrestling season moves along towards the regional and national meets. "The keys to the success of this coming year's team is that by January, we come together as a team," Swenson said. "It will all be a matter of staying healthy. I feel real confident that whatever weight classes we're at, and what our lineup looks like, we'll be able to peak at the national tournament. We do a nice job of peaking every year there, and we don't plan on being any different this year." Five wrestlers who competed at last season's national tournament return to start the season for the Auggies. National runner-up Jeremy Anderson (Jr., Thief River Falls, Minn.) returns at 157 pounds, after compiling a 44-3 record in his first year as an Auggie after transferring from Division I Minnesota. He will be joined at the weight class by returner Jake Grygelko (So., Loretto, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville HS) and newcomers Shane Braun (Fr., St. Charles, Minn.) and John MacCormick (Fr., Minnetonka, Minn.). Braun was a three-time state high school tournament qualifier. Two-time All-American Jared Evans (Sr., Blue Earth, Minn./Blue Earth Area HS), who finished fourth in 2006 and seventh in 2005, returns to the 149-pound class. He finished 38-8 last year and takes a 102-32 career record into this season. Joining him at 149 is transfer Willy Holst (So., Prescott, Wis.), a transfer from Minnesota who was a multiple state placewinner in his Wisconsin high school days; and Johnny Brandtjen (Fr., Sunfish Lake, Minn./Simley HS), a defending Minnesota state champion and three-time state placewinner. Robbie Gotreau (Jr., Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS) earned All-American honors for the first time last season at 174 pounds, finishing fourth with a 44-9 record. He carries his 68-20 career record into his junior campaign, and will be joined by returner Brian Fischer (Jr., Freedom, Wis.) and newcomer Garrett Long (Fr., Cedar, Minn./St. Francis HS), a three-time state tournament qualifier. Andrew Neumann (Sr., Somerset, Wis.), a national tournament qualifier for the first time last season at heavyweight, returns for his senior season. He had a record of 25-10 last year. Four freshmen who were multiple state tournament qualifiers join the Auggies at the weight class -- Andy Witzel (Fr., Fulda, Minn.), Evan Osterhoudt (Fr., Side Lake, Minn./Hibbing HS), Tyson Barrett (Fr., Excelsior, Minn./Minnetonka HS) and Jake Schoenecker (Fr., New Prague, Minn.). Josh Hansen (Sr., Albert Lea, Minn.), who qualified for the national tournament last season at 141 pounds, will likely move up to 165 this season. He finished 32-10 last season. At 165, Hansen will be joined by returners Brandon Klukow (So., Albert Lea, Minn.) and Dustin Monte (So., Santa Maria, Calif./Righetti HS), as well as newcomers Matt Curtis (Fr., Coon Rapids, Minn.) and Dustin Horner (Fr., Deer River, Minn.). Curtis and Horner were both two-time state tournament qualifiers, with both earning runner-up honors in their career. At 197, starter Wally O'Connor (Jr., Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh West HS) returns after finishing 25-16 last season. Sophomore Bill Boeschenstein (So., Marblehead, Mass./Hyde School) also returns at the weight class, along with newcomer Andy Robinson (Fr., Cedar, Minn./St. Francis HS). Robinson was a two-time state tournament qualifier and placewinner. At 184, George Lynaugh (Jr., Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) and Danny Manley (Jr., Kearny, N.J.) return to compete for the open class, and will be joined by newcomers Andy Peterson (Fr., Grand Maris, Minn./Milaca HS) and Kris Krier (Fr., Woodbury, Minn.). Paul Bjorkstrand (So., Burnsville, Minn.) returns at 125 pounds after finishing 24-12 last season. He is joined by junior college transfer Jaime Rocha (Jr., Santa Maria, Calif./Righetti HS) and newcomer Freddy Vigil (Fr., Bakersfield, Calif./South HS), a three-time California state tournament qualifier. At 133, Zach Hansen (So., Albert Lea, Minn.) and David Elson (So., St. Paul, Minn./Central HS) return to the lineup. There will be a battle for the 141-pound slot. Dominic Dvorak (So., Belle Plaine, Minn./Holy Family HS-Scott West) is back for his sophomore season, and will be joined by several newcomers. Quincy Osborn (Jr., Grand Rapids, Minn.) transfers to Augsburg from Minnesota. In 2005, he finished fifth at the Big Ten championships at 149 pounds, qualifying for the NCAA Division I national tournament. Aaron Gengler (So., Lincoln, Neb./Pius IX HS), a four-time Nebraska state tournament qualifier, also enters the program, along with freshmen Jason Adams (Fr., Coon Rapids, Minn.), Keith Klein (Fr., Paynesville, Minn.) and Chase Nordby (Fr., Clear Lake, Wis.). Adams was a four-time Minnesota state placewinner and state titlist in 2006, while Klein qualified for the state meet twice, as did Nordby in Wisconsin.

State College, Pa. -– Fans unable to attend this Sunday's Penn State Nittany Lion wrestle-offs are in luck as the entire event will be broadcast live on Takedownradio.com. The nationally-recognized wrestling radio network will stream the event live in its entirety. Scott Casber will serve as the host for the event while Jeff Byers, the voice of the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestlers, will call the play-by-play action and team with Casber to give fans an in-depth look at the event. Wrestle-Offs will take place on Sunday, Nov. 12, at 1 p.m. Fans can get the stream at www.takedownradio.com or by going to GoPSUsports.com and following the links. Byers will then begin the 2006-07 regular season with his call of the Pennsylvania Duals on Sunday, Oct. 19, beginning at 10 a.m. The entire Penn State regular season, including all three matches from the Pa. Duals, can be heard locally on WBLF 970 AM as well as many other stations on the state-wide Sports Jam Network (check GoPSUsports.com for a complete listing).

The top-ranked Golden Gopher wrestling team will open its 2006-07 season this weekend at the Bison Open in Fargo, N.D. The first round of competition is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., at the Bison Sports Arena. Minnesota wrestlers have dominated the Bison Open over the course of its 36-year history, producing 142 individual champions. The Gophers claimed nine of 10 titles at the season-opening tournament last year. Minnesota also had three wrestlers place second and four wrestlers place third a year ago. Manuel Rivera, Dustin Schlatter, C.P. Schlatter, Gabriel Dretsch and Roger Kish will all return looking to defend their titles this weekend. The 37th annual Bison Open will feature wrestlers from North Dakota State, Stanford, MSU-Moorhead, Concordia-Moorhead, University of Mary, Dickinson State, Jamestown College, Dakota Community and Technical College and Ridgewater Community College. Following the Bison Open, Minnesota will compete at the Kaufman-Brand Open on Nov. 18 and the Northeast Duals in Albany, N.Y., on Nov. 25. The Golden Gophers will open the dual meet season on Friday, Dec. 1 at Northern Colorado before hosting Oklahoma State on Wednesday, Dec. 6 in a showdown between the top two teams in the nation.

CHARLESTON, S.C. -— Duke wrestling opened the 2006-07 season with six of eight competing freshmen wrestlers placing at The Citadel Open this past weekend. Redshirt freshman John Barone led the way with a first place finish at the 174 pound weight class. This is Duke's first meet of the season, and does not count towards their record because it is an open meet with multiple teams and wrestlers. The Citadel Open is a meet designed as an introduction to college wrestling for freshmen. Barone cruised to the title in the 174 pound weight class, improving upon his fourth place finish in The Citadel Open last year. Barone dominated his opponents, especially in the final match when the opposing wrestler's coach had to pull his wrestler out of the match after he called timeout numerous times. Last year, Barone had Duke's best overall record, with an 11-5 mark, and finished fourth in the Pembroke Open, which is coming up this weekend. "That's something I've never seen before," said Coach Clar Anderson when commenting on Barone's performance in the final match. Anderson has been around college wrestling for 24 years. Freshmen Robert Holbrook and Voris Tejada took third place in their respective weight classes. Holbrook turned in an impressive performance at the 184 pound weight class. Tejada was tied with the meet's eventual champ in the semifinals of the 149 pound weight class, but lost that match on a controversial call by the officials. 133 pound contender Spencer Jasper placed fourth in the meet's deepest weight class, while Jack Richards took fifth in the 197 pound division and Ben Wales placed sixth at 157 pounds. James DiMaiolo and Dan Torres also competed in the meet. The Citadel Open was the first meet for all of Duke's competing wrestlers except Barone and Wales. Wales had a 0-2 mark last year, competing in the Carolina Open. Duke will travel this Saturday to two different meets in-state: the Pembroke Open in Pembroke, N.C., and a quad meet in Boiling Springs, N.C. versus Gardner Webb, Wagner, and Newberry. The latter of those two matches will count towards the team record, the Blue Devils will look to continue their impressive start.

SEASON OPENER Iowa will open the 2006-07 wrestling season Saturday at the Kaufman-Brand Open in Omaha, NE. Competition starts at 9 a.m. at Lee & Helene Sapp Fieldhouse on the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus. A total of 42 teams are expected and approximately 650 wrestlers will compete in the meet. It's easily the country's largest single-day collegiate meet. The tournament will be wrestled in two divisons - an open division and 20 & under division. 2006 NWCA ALL-STAR CLASSIC Junior Mark Perry will represent the Hawkeyes at the 41st annual NWCA All-Star Dual presented by the United States Marine Corps. The dual will be held Monday, November 20 at the Dallas Convention Center and Arena in Dallas, TX. Start time is scheduled for 7 p.m. Perry, who is ranked second in the country, will face top-ranked Johny Hendricks of Oklahoma State at 165 pounds. Hendricks is a two-time NCAA champion and three-time all-American for the Cowboys. Perry is 0-3 against him, losing a 7-5 decision in sudden victory at the 2004 Kaufman-Brand Open, a 3-1 decision in the 2005 Iowa-Oklahoma State dual and a 5-2 decision in the 2005 NCAA Championship finals. The two did not meet last season because Perry wrestled at 174 pounds. 2006-07 SEASON PREVIEW First-year Head Coach Tom Brands and his staff, which includes former Iowa skipper Dan Gable and former Hawkeye wrestlers Wes Hand, Doug Schwab and Mike Zadick hope to guide the 2006-07 Hawkeyes back to the domination experienced in the 1980's and 90's. Brands and the new staff will have ample bodies, and talent, to work with. The Hawkeyes return three all-Americans in senior Eric Luedke (174) and juniors Alex Tsirtsis (141) and Mark Perry (165), and an NCAA qualifier at six weights. The 2006-07 team has strong depth in the lower and middle weights. A large group of newcomers will provide immediate depth. Joining Brands from Virginia Tech are transfers Joe Slaton (133), Dan LeClere (141), Brent Metcalf (149), T.H. Leet (165) and Jay Borschel (174). The five redshirted last season with the Hokies, and are currently appealing a Virginia Tech ruling that prevents them from being eligible this year. If the appeal is lost, all five will have to sit out the 2006-07 season and lose a year of eligibility. If the ruling is overturned, all five would be available to compete immediately. The group brings a combined total of 17 state titles, including four-timers Borschel, LeClere and Metcalf. Borschel (Marion), LeClere (Coggon) and Slaton (Cedar Rapids) are all eastern Iowa natives. Iowa's freshman class includes Matt Ballweg (149-Waverly, IA), Travis Blasco (141, Old Bridge, NJ), Aaron Janssen (157/165-Emmetsburg, IA), Jake Kerr (157-Oskaloosa, IA), Nick Kolegraff (157-Milford, IA), Brooks Kopsa (157-Gilman, IA), Billy Murphy (133-Hughson, CA) and Dane Wilson (197-Oakland, IA). ON THE AIR Radio - Steven Grace and four-time Hawkeye all-American Mark Ironside will call this season's action live on AM-800, KXIC. All dual meets, not including the NWCA National Duals, will be broadcast live, as will action from the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments. Audio broadcasts from all of the season's competition will be available online. To listen to the broadcast online, go to the wrestling schedule page on www.hawkeyesports.com. and click on the event. Broadcasts are available using the Hawkeye All-Access subscription, which can be purchased for $6.95 per month or $49.95 per year. The CSTV XXL Premium subscription is also available for $99.95 per year. Television - Six of Iowa's duals will be aired on television. The Iowa State (Dec. 3), Michigan State (Feb. 11) and Minnesota meets (Feb. 18) will be broadcast live on Iowa Public Television (IPTV), which is in its 31st year of televising college wrestling. Tim Johnson and Jim Gibbons will call the season's action for IPTV. Iowa's dual at Oklahoma State (Jan. 19) will be aired on ESPNU, the Hawkeyes' dual at Penn State (Feb. 4) will be shown on FOX Sports Pittsburgh and Iowa's dual against Ohio State (Feb. 16) will be aired on CSTV. The Internet - Livestats are available for all Hawkeye home duals on the University of Iowa's website, www.hawkeyesports.com. Go to the wrestling schedule page, select the event and click on the Livestats link. 2005 KAUFMAN-BRAND OPEN REVIEW Hawkeye senior Ty Eustice (149) and freshman Ryan Morningstar (157) were Iowa's two individual champions at the 2005 Kaufman-Brand Open in Omaha, NE. Iowa sent 26 competitors to the tournament, which featured 650 wrestlers from 42 teams. Eustice scored a major decision and four decisions en route to his 149-pound open division title. Morningstar scored two pins, a technical fall and two decisions on his way to the 20-and-under title at 157. Also placing for Iowa in the open division were sophomore Alex Tsirtsis (141-2nd), senior Joe Johnston (157-2nd), junior Eric Luedke (165-3rd), senior Cole Pape (165-4th) and sophomore Matt Fields (Hwt.-2nd). Placing for the Hawkeyes in the 20-and-under division were freshmen Thomas Magnani (125-5th), Daniel Dennis (133-5th) and Dan Erekson (197-3rd), and redshirt freshmen Jacob Neuzil (174-5th) and Michael Bucklin (Hwt.-6th). 2005 NWCA ALL-STAR CLASSIC REVIEW Hawkeye seniors Joe Johnston (157) and Paul Bradley (184) competed at the 40th annual NWCA All-Star Classic in Stillwater, OK. Both wrestlers lost close matches. Johnston faced Illinois' Alex Tirapelle in a rematch of the 2005 NCAA Championship quarterfinals. Johnston scored an escape in the second period, but Tirapelle tied the match at 1-1 with an escape of his own to start the third period. Tirapelle then scored a takedown with 1:15 left. Johnston escaped to make the score 3-2, but could not score in the final minute. Tirapelle received a point for riding time to win, 4-2. Bradley lost to Illinois' Pete Friedl, 4-3, in the first meeting between the two. Friedl scored a takedown in the first period and an escape in the second to take a 3-0 lead. Bradley scored an escape and a takedown late in the third period, but Friedl escaped with 30 seconds left for the 4-3 win. 2006 WRESTLE-OFF RESULTS The Hawkeyes held their annual wrestle-offs Nov. 2-4 in the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex in Iowa City. Hawkeye fans that packed the wrestling practice room were were treated to a glimpse of Iowa's young and talented depth. Three of of seven weight class winners are seniors, while three are redshirt freshmen. Following are the results: Thursday Results 149 - Brooks Kopsa dec. Matt Ballweg, 6-2 Friday Results 133 - Mario Galanakis maj. dec. Billy Murphy, 12-2 133 - Joe Slaton dec. Daniel Dennis, 8-6 141 - Dan LeClere maj. dec. Derek Coorough, 17-5 149 - Alex Grunder maj. dec. Brooks Kopsa, 15-6 149 - Travis Blasco maj. dec. Brett Stedman, 11-3 157 - Ryan Morningstar tech. fall Nick Kolegraff, 17-1 in 4:47 165 - Mark Perry maj. dec. Jake Kerr, 12-2 165 - Ben Stedman dec. T.H. Leet, 8-4 Saturday Results 133 - Mario Galanakis dec. Joe Slaton, 10-3 141 - Dan LeClere dec. Alex Tsirtsis, 4-3 149 - Alex Grunder dec. Travis Blasco, 11-6 157 - Ryan Morningstar maj. dec. Brad Medchill, 11-1 165 - Mark Perry maj. dec. Ben Stedman, 10-2 174 - Eric Luedke dec. Jay Borschel, 7-5 sv 184 - Phillip Keddy maj. dec. Rick Loera, 10-2 INTERNET INFORMATION Press releases, meet results and audio broadcasts of dual meets can be found at www.hawkeyesports.com. Current staff and student-athlete head shots can be found at pics.hawkeyesports.com. IOWA WRESTLING HISTORY Iowa's overall dual meet record is 795-209-30 (.783) in 94 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 20 national titles, including nine of the last 16, and 31 Big Ten titles. Iowa's 47 NCAA Champions have won a total of 73 NCAA individual titles, crowning six three-time and 13 two-time champions. The Hawkeyes' 99 Big Ten Champions have won a total of 180 conference titles. There have been seven four-time, 18 three-time and 24 two-time Iowa winners. Iowa's 129 all-Americans have earned all-America status 263 times, including 16 four-time, 27 three-time and 32 two-time honorees. IOWA TICKET INFORMATION Season tickets and single meet tickets for Iowa's eight home duals are on sale at the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-424-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com. University of Iowa students will be admitted free of charge for all matches with a student ID. Following are the ticket prices: Season Tickets $56 - General Public, $49 - University Faculty & Staff Single-Match Tickets Purchased in Advance $8 - Adults, $4 Youth/Non-University of Iowa Students Single-Match Tickets Purchased at the Door $10 - Adults, $5 Youth/Non-University of Iowa Students CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA Carver-Hawkeye Arena has been the home of Iowa wrestling since 1983. The Hawkeyes are 150-15 (.909) in the arena, which includes a record 10 victories during the 1986 season. Iowa has recorded 16 undefeated seasons in the arena, with the most recent (8-0) occurring in 2002-03. The dual wrestling attendance record for Carver-Hawkeye Arena is 15,291, set when Iowa defeated Iowa State on February 22, 1992. The arena seats 15,500 for a dual wrestling meet. OH BROTHER Seniors Ben and Brett Stedman from Sioux City, IA, are the lone set of brothers on the 2006-07 Hawkeye roster. There have been 10 sets of brothers to wrestle together in the Hawkeye varsity lineup since the 1950s. They are Don and Tom Huff (1961), Mark and Scott Trizzino (1981), Lenny, Larry and Jim Zalesky (1981-82), Ed and Lou Banach (1981-83), Marty and Lindley Kistler (1984-85), Jim and John Heffernan (1987), Tom and Terry Brands (1989-92), Troy and Terry Steiner (1991-93), Ryan and Randy Fulsaas (2001) and Luke and Ty Eustice (2003-04). The Stedman's are also the fifth set of twins to wrestle at Iowa. Ed and Lou Banach, Tom and Terry Brands, Troy and Terry Steiner and Randy and Ryan Fulsaas are the other four. CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE The Hawkeye wrestling staff of Tom Brands, Dan Gable, Wes Hand, Doug Schwab and Mike Zadick earned a total of two Olympic gold medals, seven NCAA titles, 10 conference titles and 15 all-America honors. Their combined college career wrestling record is 605-84-2 (.877), including three undefeated seasons. ZADICK BROTHERS WIN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALS Former University of Iowa wrestlers Bill and Mike Zadick brought home shiny hardware from the 2006 World Championships in Guangzhou, China, in September. Bill won the gold medal at 145.5 pounds, winning five straight matches to become the first American since 1999 to win a World freestyle title. Mike earned the silver at 132 pounds in his first World Championships appearance. The Zadicks are the first set of brothers to make a World Team since former Hawkeyes Tom and Terry Brands earned spots in 1993, 1994 and 1995. Tom is now Iowa's head wrestling coach and Terry is the USA Wrestling freestyle resident coach. Both Brands have had hands in both Zadicks' wrestling success. Bill won the 1996 NCAA and Big Ten titles for the Hawkeyes. He was a two-time all-American who lettered for the Hawkeyes from 1993-96. He posted a career record of 87-13 with 16 pins, wrestling at 134 and 142 pounds. A two-time U.S. National Freestyle champion (2001, 2002), Zadick is in his sixth year on the national freestyle team. He won the 2001 and 2006 World Team Trials, placing second in 1999 and 2002. Zadick was also runner-up at the 2003 World Cup and the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. The 2001 Manitoba Open champion, Zadick placed seventh at the 2001 World Championships. He also served as a volunteer assistant coach at Iowa for two seasons (2003-04). A native of Great Falls, MT, Bill earned a B.A. in art from the University of Iowa in 1996. Mike was a three-time all-American (2000-02) at Iowa, winning the 149-pound Big Ten title in 2002. He also placed second at 60 kg/132 pounds at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team trials and U.S. Nationals, and second at the 2005 World Team Trials challenge tournament. The Great Falls, MT, native is in his first season as strength training coach for the Hawkeyes. He served as volunteer assistant coach at Iowa for two seasons (2005-06). Mike earned a bachelor's degree in sports studies from Iowa in 2004. ESPN TO EXPAND LIVE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS COVERAGE ESPN recently announced that four of the six sessions of the 2007 NCAA Wrestling Championships will be aired on live television. The March 17 finals will air at 7 p.m. (CT) on ESPN, while session three, four and five will be shown on ESPNU. Session three will air March 16 at 10 a.m., session four will be shown March 16 at 6 p.m. and session five will air March 17 at 9 a.m. The 2007 championships will be held March 15-17 at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, MI. The University of Michigan and the Detroit Metro Sports Commission will serve as hosts.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -— Three members of the Pitt wrestling team traveled to the WVU Open last weekend where they were successful against several regional and conference opponents. Redshirt junior Matt Kocher won the championship bout at 157 pounds. Zach Bowman and Dave Kapetanovich had strong showings at 141 pounds and 149 pounds, respectively. Kocher (State College, Pa./State College) finished 4-0 at 157 pounds, recording two pins and upsetting two EWL opponents en route to his tournament win. He won his first match with a 17-3 major decision over Maryland's Spencer Hollerith. In his second bout, Kocher pinned Andrew Kreiger of UNCG around the 4:00 mark. He then went on to pin Lock Haven's Seth Martin in overtime around 7:35. In the championship bout, Kocher won a 3-1 decision over West Virginia's Zac Fryling. Kapetanovich (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills/CCAC) finished 4-2 at 149 pounds. He won his first match with a 7-3 decision over Scott Matthews of Davidson. Kapetanovich was pinned in his second bout at the 0:35 mark by Hadley Harrison of Clarion. He won his third match by default over Donnie Ament of Lock Haven and his fourth match by default over Nick Rendinell of West Virginia. Kapetanovich pinned Christian Harr of Penn State at the 6:34 mark before falling to Keith Bernard of Maryland. Bowman (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) wrestled up a weight class at 141 pounds, finishing 1-2 in the tournament. He won a 6-4 decision over Adam Kimbrell of Virginia. In his second bout he lost in a 5-3 decision to Lehigh's Nate Spangler. Bowman then faced Eric Luke where he was pinned at the 2:54 mark. The Pitt wrestling team opens its 2006-07 season next week at Rider. They'll face the Broncs on Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m.

Each fall, amateur wrestling fans eagerly await the unveiling of the newest wrestlers to motor onto the college mats. And, every year, a select few of these freshmen zoom into the public consciousness with so much anticipation among fans, discussion from the wrestling media, and promotion from their programs, you'd think we're talking about the next-generation Corvette, or a blockbuster movie. Gregor GillespieThen again, there are the new guys who somehow escape all the preseason hype and hoopla … then proceed to generate tremendous buzz the old-fashioned way: by earning it by wrestling in an exciting way that leads to upset victories over more-established rivals. During the 2005-06 season, Gregor Gillespie, Edinboro University's 149-pound true freshman, was definitely one of those Cinderella stories that wowed wrestling fans from coast to coast. Making a name for himself right from the start "Gregor came right out of high school and stepped right up as a college freshman," says Tim Flynn, Edinboro's head coach. "He won our wrestle-off in impressive fashion, shutting out our veteran starter 9-0. When you have a guy with that much ability, why have him sit out as a redshirt?" At the beginning of his first collegiate season, Gregor got off to a roaring start. He won the 149-pound title the Eastern Michigan Open, winning five straight matches in dominating style. The freshman Fighting Scot got a tech fall in his first … and a 9-0 shutout in the second. In the quarterfinals, Gregor defeated nationally-ranked John Cox of Navy 13-7… then, in the semifinals, stunned another nationally-ranked wrestler, Michigan State's Darren McKnight, with a 13-1 major decision. In the title bout, Gregor held Mark Dickman of NAIA powerhouse Lindenwood University scoreless, winning 4-0. The title earned Gregor EWL (Eastern Wrestling League) Wrestler of the Week honors for the week ending November 6, 2005. Gregor Gillespie made an equally impressive showing at the Missouri Open, winning the championship again by dispatching rivals from the University of Oklahoma and the University of Illinois. Viva Las Vegas It was at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational where Gregor really grabbed the attention of college wrestling fans everywhere. He won five of his six matches at the prestigious early December event by either a technical fall or a major decision. In his last two matches, he defeated Big Ten wrestlers. In the semifinals, Gregor got a 7-3 decision over Tyler Turner of Wisconsin. In the championship match, Gillespie got a 14-3 major decision over Purdue's Doug Withstandley. When asked about competing at a major event such as the Las Vegas Invitational against the top talent in the nation as a true freshman, Gregor replied, "I gained confidence with every match. You take things one match at a time." "It was one of my better experiences last year … I can't put my finger on exactly why, other than, in my matches there, I was able to get off to a great start in the first minute or so. That does a lot for your confidence." Coach Flynn was even more excited in his analysis of Gillespie's performance in Vegas. "We knew he was really good. We were really impressed right from the start. However, in Vegas, after he teched three opponents, we all said, �Wow!' We then knew we had a great wrestler." What happens in Vegas … To rewrite the famous advertising slogan from the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Bureau, what happened in Vegas, did not stay in Vegas. News of Gregor Gillespie's decisive championship performance at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational went far beyond Nevada to become the talk of the national collegiate wrestling world. Fans across the nation suddenly focused their attention on the Fighting Scot freshman sensation. Gregor proved his Vegas title was more than Lady Luck as he racked up win after win. From winning his very first collegiate match, Gregor scored twenty-three straight victories. He placed fifth at the post-Christmas Southern Scuffle, then, a month later, took home the title at the 63rd annual PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) tournament. Even the wrestling media stood up and took notice, ranking him as high as third in their national polls. At the EWL championships held at Edinboro, Gregor defeated Josh Medina of Lock Haven -- the defending champ -- by the score of 7-3 to claim the 149-pound title. "I enjoyed wrestling at our home," says Gregor. "It was comfortable. I like being in front of our fans. They provide good support." Outstanding in Oklahoma City As an EWL champ, Gregor Gillespie qualified for the 2006 NCAA Division I Championships, held in Oklahoma City. He was seeded seventh at the NCAA's in a talent-rich 149-pound weight class that included Ty Eustice of Iowa, Oklahoma State's Zack Esposito, Matt Storniolo of Oklahoma, Central Michigan's Mark DiSalvo, Michigan's Eric Tannenbaum, and eventual champ Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota. Asked for his initial impressions of the event, Gregor says, "I've never experienced anything like it. It was wild to see fans all the way to the ceiling." Despite the thousands packed to the rafters at the Ford Center -- and the stakes involved -- the NCAA newcomer says, "I didn't feel any pressure other than what I put upon myself." Gregor put things into perspective with this observation: "It's cool to be at the weigh-ins day after day and see the lines get shorter and shorter, and you're still there." Gregor GillespieThe freshman Fighting Scot was definitely in the game all three days of the tournament. In his opening-round match, he pinned Trevor Chinn of Lehigh at 4:13. Later that day, Gregor got a fall at 1:37 over Cornell's Keith Dickey. On Friday, Gregor Gillespie went up against second-seeded Ty Eustice in the quarterfinals, and came out on the losing end of a 5-3 decision to the eventual finalist for the Hawkeyes. Now finding himself in the consolation bracket, Edinboro's man at 149 got an 8-1 victory over Patrick Simpson of Army before losing 11-4 to Hofstra's Jon Masa, who had been seeded sixth. In his last match at the NCAA's, Gregor got his third fall of the tournament, putting fifth-seeded Mark DiSalvo's shoulders to mat at 6:22 to win seventh place. Gregor was the second Fighting Scot to claim All-American status at Oklahoma City. Teammate Shawn Bunch finished his career at Edinboro by placing third at 133. This one-two punch helped put Edinboro in eighth place in the team standings at the 2006 NCAA's, its highest finish in nearly ten years. Gregor Gillespie is the first Edinboro grappler to earn All-American honors as a true freshman. He concluded his first season with an impressive 40-4 record, the first Edinboro first-year wrestler to achieve forty wins. Of those victories, six were by pin … thirteen by technical fall … and six by major decision. For all these accomplishments, Gregor was named Rookie of the Year by the PSAC. Long before the stellar season started … Gregor Gillespie's sensational first year at Edinboro is the product of a long and successful mat career that started approximately fifteen years earlier in upstate New York. "I got my start in wrestling at age four or five," says Gregor. "My dad was a wrestler. (His father Brad competed at Elmira College.) I took to it real quick. Within the first year I was wrestling in tournaments." "In New York, you can wrestle varsity as early as seventh grade," explains Gregor. "In eighth grade, I placed eighth at the state tournament at 96 pounds. I wrestled Troy Nickerson (Cornell's 126-pounder who placed second at the 2006 NCAA's) in the quarterfinals that year." In ninth grade, wrestling for Dean Salvaggio at Webster Schroeder High School, Gregor made it into the finals of the 112-pound weight class. The next year, Gregor went undefeated, and won the state title at 119 pounds. "That was really cool," says Gillespie. "It was the last year New York had a single-division state tournament." "I'm going to Edinboro …" It was at this state tournament that Gregor Gillespie made what proved to be a prophetic statement on TV. Here's how Coach Tim Flynn describes it: "We were watching the Empire Network broadcast of the state finals, to see a prospective recruit in action. All the sudden, before one of the finals matches, this kid is asked, �Where do you want to wrestle in college?' and he says seemingly without any hesitation, �Edinboro.' I nearly fell out of my chair. I had no idea who he was. Turns out that the kid was Gregor." When asked about his sophomore-year psychic statement, Gregor says, "Lou Roselli (former Edinboro assistant coach) came to a local clinic, and I was really impressed. I also liked that Edinboro was a great program only three hours from my home. That's why I mentioned it on TV." "I was contacted by Edinboro my junior year," according to Gregor. "Not a lot of other schools actively recruited me. Flynn and Roselli came to my house. I later made a visit to Edinboro, and was impressed with everything I saw -- the coaching staff, the small campus, the fact it's easy to get around, and smaller class size for more attention from instructors." Streaking toward a second state title While all this was going on his junior year, Gregor Gillespie had been building on a consecutive win streak over a two-year period. "There was some pressure tied to that," says Gregor of the eventual 98-match win streak. As an eleventh grader, he placed third in the New York State tournament at 130 pounds. Later that summer, Gregor traveled up to Fargo, where he took fourth in freestyle competition at 145 pounds. In his senior year, Gregor claimed his second state title, getting a 15-0 tech fall victory in the 145 finals. He placed third at the 2005 Senior Nationals in Cleveland. He completed his career at Webster Schroeder with an amazing 238-14 record, and owns the school record for the most career wins. Flynn weighs in on Gregor Tim Flynn is an enthusiastic supporter of Gregor Gillespie. "He's always aggressive, always scoring. He's very persistent on the mat, doesn't get frustrated, doesn't give up. He's incredibly mature for a freshman." Tim Flynn "He brings lots of energy to the team," continues the coach. "Other coaches notice his energy and enthusiasm, and ask about it … He works very hard. His work ethic is really good, and that seems to rub off on the rest of the team." More than once during the interview, Coach Flynn described his 149-pound All-American in almost Dr. Jekyll-and-Mr. Hyde terms: "On the mat, Gregor's a mature, aggressive beast. Off the mat, he's a happy-go-lucky, friendly kid, with a positive, easy-going attitude." A bit later, the former Penn State All-American said, "Gregor is different than he appears to be. With his earrings and spiked hair, he looks a bit like a wild man. But he's really a good country kid." What's next for Gregor Gillespie? Gregor Gillespie is about to embark on his sophomore season at Edinboro, ranked fourth among all college wrestlers in the 149-pound weight class in the preseason rankings by RevWrestling.com. Over the summer, Gregor says, "I took classes, worked out, stayed in top condition, but didn't enter any official competitions." Asked about the new season -- and his preseason ranking -- Gregor seems to take it all with a healthy perspective: "I don't let that impact me. I'm looking at things one match at time, not looking too far ahead right now." Coach Tim Flynn says of his sophomore, "He's no longer an unknown entity. He'll have to make adjustments. But we will continue to look for great things from him. We expect him to go for a national title."

The evening session of the Northern Regional crowned the final five champions that qualified for the January 7th Super Challenge event in San Jose, California. At 55 kgs Grant Nakamura defeated Rudy Ruiz in the best 2 out of three format to gain the title. Nakamura gave up the first takedown before rallying for scores and the fall at 1:57. The 60 kgs title went to Ed Gutnik by criteria in a round robin format. In the evening session Paul Collum defeated Jimmy Rollins 13-10. The most anticipated match of the evening was the title match at 66 kgs that featured UNI graduate and now Iowa State assistant, Dylan Long, against Hawkeye All-American and assistant Cornell coach Joe Johnston. With about two minutes on the clock in the first period Long countered a Johnston shot taking the action to the mat in a tight front headlock. Long worked the headlock trying to roll it through for exposure when the referee blew a halt to the wrestling for a stalemated position Johnston rolled to his back clearly out from the pressure. After taking his injury time Johnston rallied in the match and went on to capture the title with a 10-4 victory. Solid handfighting and hard driving shot captured the two point takedowns for Johnston who is on the cusp of being a Season 2 team member for a nationally televised wrestling league. Tyron Woodley wrestling out of the University of Missouri captured the title earlier in the day at 74 kgs as did Sean Stender at 96 kgs. At 84 kgs the title was determined by a round-robin format. The closely matched wrestlers had a final bout in the evening session. Jacob Volkman narrowly lost to Tom Meester of Augustana (SD) 16-13 giving the crown to Meester. Ben Wissel received the victory after jumping to a lead before Octavius Bellamy was forced to default due to injury. Finally at 120 kgs, Greg Wagner of Michigan took the title defeating Jason Klohs 5-0. All wrestlers that did not earn the title are still eligible to compete in the final two regionals November 11th in Aston, Pennsylvania and November 18th in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Northern Qualifier Finishers: 121 lbs. 1st -- Grant Nakamura 2nd -- Rudy Ruiz 132 lbs. 1st -- Ed Gutnick 2nd -- Paul Collum 3rd -- Jimmy Rollins 145 lbs. 1st -- Joe Johnston 2nd -- Dylan Long 3rd -- Michael Rio 163 lbs. 1st -- Tyron Woodley 2nd -- Brad Harper 3rd -- Mike Kelly 185 lbs. 1st -- Tom Meester 2nd -- Ben Wissel 3rd -- Jacob Volkman 211 lbs. 1st -- Sean Stender 2nd -- Israel Silva 264 lbs. 1st -- Greg Wagner 2nd -- Roger Miller 3rd -- Jason Klohs

WASHINGTON, Pa. -— Several members of the Pitt wrestling team traveled to nearby Washington & Jefferson College for the W&J Open Invitational. Pitt's Sean Richmond and Zach Sheaffer won in their weight classes while Matt Darnell and A.J. Hunte also placed. At 157 pounds, Richmond (Emmaus, Pa./Easton) went 4-0. He won a 3-2 decision over Mount Union's George Comer. He then defeated Mike Wiseman of Mercyhurst Northeast with a 7-4 decision. Richmond won his last two bouts, 5-3, over Joe Strittmatter and Mazen Kholi, both of Pitt-Johnstown. Sheaffer (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) finished 5-0 en route to a first-place finish at 285 pounds. He won his first two matches with 11-2 major decisions over Tim Katzaman of Elizabethtown and Marc Berry of Theil. Sheaffer then went on to defeat Pitt-Johnstown's Nathan Tomporski with a 4-2 decision. He won his fourth bout by pinning Pitt-Johnstown's Chris Dempsey at the 1:35 mark. Sheaffer won the final bout with a 6-4 decision over Kyle Brown of Theil. In his first collegiate tournament, Hunte (Brookline, Mass./Brookline) finished in second at 197 pounds with a 3-1 record. He won his first match with a fall over Theil's Jared McClure at the 0:57 mark. In the second bout, he pinned W&J's Dylan Mercer at the 3:00 mark. Hunte then won a 3-1 decision over Tim Frank of Duquesne before falling in a 14-2 major decision to Mike Fowler of Pitt-Johnstown. Darnell (Lyndhurst, Ohio/Cuyahoga Valley C.A.) placed third at 184 pounds after finishing 2-2. He won his first match with a 1-0 decision over Duquesne's Scott Black. Darnell lost his second match by a 6-2 decision to Nathan Murin of Pitt-Johnstown. He won his third bout with a decision over Nick Allerding of Mount Union and lost the final match by an 11-0 major decision over Jared Ricotta of Duquesne. Also competing was freshman Brock Mantella (Alpharetta, Ga./Alpharetta) who finished 2-1. Mantella won a 9-2 decision over Jacob Benczo of Waynesburg. He then won a 2-0 decision over Elizabethtown's Paul Connor but was pinned by Pitt-Johnstown's Kyle Keane in his final bout. The Pitt wrestling team opens its 2006-07 season next week at Rider. They'll face the Broncs on Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m.

FOREST GROVE, ORE. -- Portland State junior Jake Schneider won the 184-pound title at the Mike Clock Open Sunday. The Milwaukie, Ore., native topped Southern Oregon's Chase Locke, 6-5, to wrap-up a 4-0 day at the local tournament. Schneider won a 13-4 major decision over an unattached Luis Nava in the first round, then pinned Simon Fraser's Chris Amoroso in 32-seconds. A 10-3 decision against Pacific's Nick Locke sent Schneider to the championship round. Freshman Steven Dailey finished the day 3-1 to place second at 149-pounds. After pinning Southern Oregon's Lewis Nakao in 3:30, Dailey defeated an unattached Richard Alves, 7-0, and Pacific's Nathan Shay, 10-2. In the final round, unattached Adam Hall topped Dailey, 11-3. Portland State officially opens the 2006-07 season on Nov. 12 at the ASU Duals in Tempe, Ariz., against Embry- Riddle and Arizona State.

ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Big Red wrestling team has been ranked first in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association 2006-07 preseason team rankings as based on a poll of all EIWA head coaches. Seven Cornell wrestlers were ranked in the top six of their respective weight classes, and Troy Nickerson and Steve Anceravage were named to the top spot. At 125 pounds, it was not a surprise that Nickerson is picked to finish first in his weight class. Nickerson has been picked to finish first in the country by many national preseason polls. In the No. 2 position is Lehigh's Matt Fisk. Nickerson had a tremendous freshman campaign earning Ivy League Wrestler of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors. He went 4-0 at the EIWA Championships to capture first place. Nickerson led the Big Red in wins with 36 and only lost twice. The EIWA only listed the top six rankings for each of the 10 weight classes. The Big Red was not ranked at 133, 141, or 157 pounds. By conference policy, freshmen are not eligible for ranking until they have begun competition. Jordan Leen ranks fourth at 149 pounds. Leen is also ranked 15th in the country by W.I.N. Magazine. He did not compete for the Big Red last season, but during his freshman campaign, Leen was a NCAA qualifier, was named to the All-Ivy First Team, and was the Ivy League Rookie of the year. He went 25-16 for the season and finished third at the EIWA Championships. At 165 pounds, Steve Anceravage has been picked to top his weight class. Anceravage took second at the EIWA Championships last season. He went 25-10 for the season and was the No. 11 seed at the NCAA Championships. Joey Hooker made the poll at 174 pounds. The senior is ranked in the fifth position. Hooker wrestled at both 165 and 174 pounds last season to combine for a 7-2 record. His sophomore year, he was a NCAA qualifier and was named to the All-Ivy second team. At 184 pounds, Josh Arnone ranks fourth among the EIWA competition. Arnone took third place at the Body Bar Invitational during his rookie season only to be defeated by his then teammate Dan Miracola. Jerry Rinaldi is in the second position at 197 pounds behind American's Josh Glenn. Rinaldi took second place at last year's EIWA Championships losing only to Lehigh's Matt Cassidy. Cassidy is ranked third behind Rinaldi in the poll. During his junior campaign, Rinaldi had a 28-3 record and finished fourth at the NCAA Championships. At 285 pounds, Zack Hammond has been ranked fourth. Hammond took fifth at the EIWA Championships last season and has an overall 8-8 record. The Big Red will open its season on Nov. 18 when it will host the Body Bar Systems Invitational. Cornell will face EIWA opponent Lehigh in Bethlehem, Pa. on Jan. 19. Team Rankings: 1. Cornell 2. Lehigh 3. Penn 4. Columbia 5. Harvard 6. Navy 7. American 8. Brown

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- Head Coach Pat Pecora and the #5-ranked Pitt Johnstown Mountain Cat wrestling team opened the 2006-07 season with seven out of the ten possible champions and four runner-ups at Sunday's Washington and Jefferson College Collegiate Open. Junior Derrek Bosso (125 lbs.) (Pequea, Pa.) was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler after taking the 125-lb. title with a 4-0 record by collecting two decisions and two major decisions. Along with Bosso, junior Brandon Reasey (133 lbs.) (New Enterprise, Pa.), red-shirt freshmen Shane Valko (141 lbs.) (Windber, Pa.) and Kyle Keane (165 lbs.) (Clearfield, Pa.), juniors Rob Sakmar (174 lbs.) (Johnstown, Pa.) and Mike Corcetti (184 lbs.) (Export, Pa.) and senior Mike Fowler (197 lbs.) (Carrolltown, Pa.) all claimed titles in their respective weigh classes. Senior Brian Cook (149 lbs.) (Pittsburgh, Pa.), sophomore Mazen Kholi (157 lbs.) (Allentown, Pa.) and freshmen wrestling unattached Chris Decker (174 lbs.) (Port Matilda, Pa.) and Nathan Murin (184 lbs.) (Washington, Pa.) all finished second. Pitt Johnstown also got third place finishes from Scott Morgan (125 lbs.) (North Hunington, Pa.), Joe Strittmatter (157 lbs.) (Ebensburg, Pa.), Archie McConnell (165 lbs.) (Quarryville, Pa.) and freshman Chris Dempsey (Sewickley, Pa.), who wrestled unattached at heavyweight. Dempsey earned the Most Falls Award after recording four falls. In addition, freshman Josh Ervine (Tipton, Pa.), who also wrestled unattached, earned a fourth place finish at 141 lbs. Pitt Johnstown opens its dual meet schedule on Saturday at East Region rival and #12-ranked West Liberty State (WV) College. The Mountain Cats' first home dual will be December 1 at 7:00 p.m. when Shippensburg University visits the sports Center.

State College, Pa. –- Nov. 6, 2006 – The excitement surrounding Nittany Lion wrestling continues to grow as Penn State has teamed with the Sports Jam Network to create statewide radio coverage for wrestling fans this season. WBLF 970 AM in Bellefonte/State College and WKVA 920 AM in Lewistown will serve as the flagship stations for the network. Wrestling coverage begins with the return of the Troy Sunderland Show this week. Sunderland's weekly coaches' show will debut on Thursday, Nov. 9, at 5:30 p.m. and continue every Thursday (excluding Holidays) throughout the season. The 30 minute show will feature Sunderland and occasional guests taking questions from listeners and keeping Nittany Lion wrestling fans up-to-date with an inside view of the team. Nine stations state-wide will carry the weekly show while more could be added: 1. WBLF 970 AM Bellefonte/State College 2. WKVA 920 AM Lewistown/Huntingdon 3. WTKT 1460 AM Harrisburg/Lancaster/Lebanon/York 4. WTZN 1310 AM Troy/Canton 5. WBPZ 1230 AM Lock Haven 6. WLYC 1050 AM Williamsport 7. WPHB 1230 AM Phillipsburg/Clearfield 8. WGET 1320 AM Gettysburg/Hanover 9. WCHX 105.5 FM Lewistown Every Penn State wrestling match will once again be broadcast, starting with the Pennsylvania Duals and Nov. 19 and culminating with live coverage from the 2007 NCAA Championships in Detroit in March. In addition, the finals of the Nittany Lion Open on Dec. 3 will air as well. Jeff Byers, long-time voice of Penn State wrestling, will serve as the host of The Troy Sunderland Show. Byers will also once again call play-by-play action of every Penn State wrestling event during the upcoming season. The following stations will carry the entire season of Penn State wrestling action with more stations to join the network shortly: 1. WBLF 970 AM Bellefonte/State College 2. WKVA 920 AM Lewistown/Huntingdon In addition, every Sunderland show and match will be streamed live for free at GoPSUsports.com. The Sports Jam Network is the only syndicated network operating in Pennsylvania. It has teamed with Penn State Athletics to distribute "Inside the Pride", featuring student athletes and coaches from the Nittany Lion Olympic Sports as well as the Troy Sunderland show and coaches' shows for women's basketball and baseball. The Sports Jam Network reaches more than 3-million Pennsylvania households via 16-affiliated stations throughout the Keystone state. Its headquarters are in Hunt Valley, Md., and is owned and operated by Eastern Athletics Services, Inc. The Sports Jam Network's Pennsylvania operations and studio is located in Lewistown, Pa. Jed Donahue serves as Vice President/Operations. Penn State enters the 2006-07 season ranked No. 8 in the USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll. The Nittany Lions return two All-Americans in No. 1 197-pounder Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) and No. 3 174-pounder James Yonushonis (Philipsburg, Pa.). Season and single-match tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by calling the Penn State ticket office at 814-863-1000 or 800-833-5533 for more information. Fans can also get tickets at GoPSUsports.com. This year's season ticket prices are $24 for adults and $18 for students. Single dual prices are $5 per event for adults and $3 per event for youth.

That is probably the most-used descriptive phrase regarding the Buena Vista University wrestling program as head coach Mark Schwab enters his third season leading the Beavers. Two seasons ago, the team had roughly a dozen athletes and one All-American. Last year, Buena Vista placed 21st at the NCAA National Championships. This winter, the Beavers return all but one major contributor, 13 letter winners and three national qualifiers from last year's squad that was 14-10 in dual matches. "We are more experienced and our athletes have a better idea of what is expected and what it takes," said Schwab. "The room is better as well, which obviously raises everyone up. But the biggest thing is guys believing that they can compete and win." Other people are starting to believe Buena Vista can win as well. The Beavers will enter the season ranked 11th in the Adidas-Brute National NCAA Division III Preseason Poll. Buena Vista is the third-highest ranked Iowa Conference school behind perennial powers Wartburg College and Luther College. "We still have some things we need to work on," Schwab stated. "We need more leadership on the team. Some guys need to understand the level of commitment necessary to be a part of a winning program and that this is not some come-and-go operation or intramural club. The attitude cannot be ‘kind of' or ‘maybe'. I expect all or nothing." Two-time All-American junior Jestin Hulegaard headlines the list of returnees. He took third place at the national meet in the 133 pound weight class. Hulegaard concluded the year with a record of 27-7. Senior Ben Standberg is beginning his first full season at Buena Vista. He transferred in midway through last season from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Standberg placed third at the Iowa Conference Championship and went on to qualify for the national meet at 197. Sophomore Kyle Forness will be moving up to 157 after qualifying for nationals last year at 149. He finished the year with a record of 24-16 even though he was forced to forfeit six victories at the beginning of the season for cutting weight too quickly. These three national qualifiers combined to go 14-0 at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals to lead Buena Vista to a school-record fifth place finish. The Beavers then dropped five of eight dual matches, four of which were to nationally elite teams, before having a disappointing seventh place finish at the Iowa Conference Championship. "We never seemed to recover after the tournament one week after the National Duals. Our guys had a hard time getting up consistently from then on. Our season is very long, but you have to be able to handle the grind and you have to compete in spite of adversity," explained Schwab. "Now our guys have a better idea of what to expect and hopefully we can avoid that late-season lull because they know they have to be able to get back up and compete week after week." Wade Hammen, who had an impressive showing at last year's conference meet, will join the team for his senior year once the football season concludes. At heavyweight last year, he recorded a team-high 13 pins. At the other end of the spectrum, Ryan Pratt returns at 125. He saw most of the varsity action last year as a freshman. Besides Forness at 149, Buena Vista struggled at times in the middle weight classes a year ago. The good news is, all of those wrestlers return and have a year of experience underneath their belts. Dana Vote will drop down to 149 after wrestling at 157 for much of his sophomore year. He was 17-14 overall with 11 falls a year ago. Sophomores Kody Koster and Tyler Winkleman will continue to battle for the varsity spot at 165. Junior Josh Murray is the most experienced returnee at 174. Sophomore Brian Stueve, who went 26-20 last year, returns at 184. Other returning letter winners include Julian Gunnels (sophomore, 125), Aaron Cook (sophomore, 157), and Austin Hayes (sophomore, 184). "There are a few weights that are crystal clear, but lots can change during the course of the season," Schwab commented. "I am not a big tryout guy. I want to see what guys do in competition, so we will need to see who steps up and competes hard. The team will sort itself out for the most part through the season." Schwab has also brought in 15 new faces to join the mix of talented returnees. Nearly every weight class has a newcomer competing for the varsity spot. "This recruiting class has a lot of past success and future potential," Schwab said. "If they are able to prioritize, set goals, back it with behavior and belief, then they could set a very high bar." Buena Vista begins action on November 10 by traveling to Ames to face Iowa State University. The Beavers' home opener is on November 29 versus Morningside College

Blair, NE -- In 2006, the Nebraska and Iowa wrestling communities witnessed the birth of the Border Brawl. The event showcased the states' best seniors pitted in a dual format held at Dana College in Blair, NE. Blair, NE is a stone's throw over the border between Iowa and Nebraska and turned out to be an excellent location for this first annual event. Blair, NE and Dana College, the 2006 NAIA National Champions are slated to once again host the Border Brawl on March 9, 2007. Originally the Border Brawl was going to rotate to Sioux City, IA and hosted by Morningside College. Due to the date of the event and other events being hosted in the Sioux City area, the Border Brawl will be showcased once again at Dana College. Last year's event drew a crowd of approximately 700 into the Gardner-Hawks Center to watch Iowa defeat Nebraska by a score of 46-15. Iowa won 11 of the 16 matches wrestled. 19 nationally ranked wrestlers as rated by Wrestling USA magazine competed in the first event. Each state was represented by four coaches. Takedown Wrestling Radio was on hand broadcasting the event live via web cast. There were athlete interviews as well coaches and directors of the event. College coaches from all over the area were on hand to see some of the nation's top recruit's battle in what hopes to become a fun rivalry between the bordering states. All of the proceeds from the Border Brawl go to help support NAIA college programs Dana College (NE) and Morningside College (IA). Event directors for the Border Brawl are Dana College Head Coach Richard Fergola and Morningside College Head Coach Tim Jager. "We are excited to be able to offer the Border Brawl again in 2007, "said Head Dana Coach Richard Fergola. "The event promotes wrestling in the area and creates excitement for the wrestling community." Morningside College Head Coach Tim Jager has to agree with his colleague Coach Fergola. "Last years Border Brawl was a huge success. It was a great showcase of some of the best high school wrestlers, not only in Iowa and Nebraska, but in the country. The 2006 Border Brawl was the first ever "Iowa vs. Nebraska" dual meet and it will continue to grow and draw interest." In addition to the return of the Border Brawl on March 9th, the Dana Vikings will also continue to host the annual Black & Blue 2 Freestyle & Greco Tournament. 2007 will mark the third year for this event which attracts approximately 100-150 participants. The Black & Blue 2 will be held on Saturday April 14, 2007 in Gardner-Hawks Center at Dana College. Lastly, 2007 will also mark the 3rd year of the Quest 4 Gold Summer Wrestling Camp at Dana. This year's camp will be held June 10-15, 2007. Past feature clinicians at the Quest 4 Gold Camp were Rulon Gardner and Tom Brands, both Olympic Champions. The 2007 feature clinician will be named soon. For more information on these events, please stay tuned to the Dana College wrestling website at www.dana.edu/wrestling or contact Head Coach Richard Fergola at 402-426-7288 or by e-mail at rfergola@dana.edu .

Brookings, SD -- The Dana College wrestling team kicked off the 2006-07 season by claiming three champions at the South Dakota State University Daktronics/Warren Williamson Open in Brookings, SD Saturday. Returning All-Americans Burke Barnes and Terrence Almond won their respective weight classes. Barnes claimed the championship at 133 pounds by defeating Jeff Cooley of South Dakota State University 4-0. En route to his championship, Barnes defeated Josh Henslee of Iowa Central 8-5 and Beau Penk of NCAA D-II Augustana College 3-0. In the semi-finals Barnes scored a major decision over South Dakota State's Nick Kulseth 13-4. Three-time All-American Terrence Almond recorded his first open championship just like Barnes. Almond won the title at 141 by recording victories over David Schiley of NCAA D-II Northern State University 13-8, Steve Carlson of Minnesota State-Moorhead by fall, NJCAA All-American Joe Soto of Iowa Central 13-8 and Iowa Central's David Greenwald in the finals 15-12. Junior Jason Bilinski came off his red-shirt year with a bang by winning the title at 157 with a defeat over Northern State's Jesse Wood 3-1 in overtime. Bilinski's foes en route to the finals were Tallen Wald of Minnesota State-Moorhead by a score of 8-3, Brady Nagel of the University of Mary 4-3 and Nate Carr Jr. of Iowa Central Community College by a major decision 11-2. Two other Vikings placed in the top five. All-American Craig Trampe finished in 5th place at 125 pounds and red-shirt freshman Ryan "Bula" Tuzon finished in the 4th place spot at 165 pounds. Also competing on Saturday was Student Coach Jimmy Rollins. Rollins, the 2006 NAIA National Champion at 133 pounds for the Vikings was not competing at SDSU, but rather the Real Pro Wrestling Regional Qualifier in Mt. Vernon, IA at Cornell College. Rollins claimed 3rd place at 60 kg (132 lbs). Rollins defeated former two-time NCAA Division II All-American of Nebraska-Kearney Adam Keiswetter. Ed Gutnik of Wisconsin won the regional with Rollins finishing 3rd. Dana College will return to wrestling action this Saturday at the Harold Nichols Open in Ft. Dodge, IA on the campus of Iowa Central Community College with action starting at 9 am.

BUFFALO, NY -- The University at Buffalo wrestling squad witnessed a second consecutive successful UB Open Sunday afternoon, as five Bulls took individual titles in their respective weight classes and kicking off the 2006-07 season with a bang. Thirteen in all placed at the fourth annual open that featured 14 top-notch wrestling schools. Senior captain Mark Budd (Orrville, OH/Orrville) took his third straight UB Open title at 133 pounds, winning a 10-3 decision over the Finger Lakes' Mike Grey. Budd faced three others prior to his championship finish, coasting through with a fall over Edinboro's Pat Wayne in the opening round, only to be awarded a technical fall over Lock Haven's Erik Smith, 18-2, in the quarterfinals. True freshman Corey Greene (Bennington, Vermont/Mt. Anthony Union) looked as though he would face Budd in the finals, but was bumped by Grey, 9-5. Greene rebounded to claim fourth in his first collegiate open. Photo of Ryan Needle Ryan Needle At the 141 weight class, junior Ryan Needle (Newfane, NY/Newfane) began his highly-anticipated 2006-07 campaign with his first UB Open title. Needle, the third-seed, defeated Bloomburg's George Hickman in a 8-4 final decision, while downing a Mid-American Conference rival in Ohio's Kevin Christensen by a 12-4 count. Following a redshirt campaign a season ago, sophomore Scott Rendos (Brockway, PA/Brockway) took home his first UB Open first-place trophy as he dominated the 157 field. Following a 17-0 technical fall in the quarterfinals, top-seeded Rendos took out second-seed Alex Conover of CCM with another technical fall, 16-1. Junior Mike Ragusa (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) displayed a balance effort in taking his first open title. The junior grappler handed Ohio's Anthony Cirany a 6-4 decision loss. Juniors Mickey Moran (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler Area) and Nate Rock (Ephrata, PA/ Ephrata) were seeded first and second, respectively, so there was no surprise that they saw each other in the finals at 174. In the end, Rock would take the title, while Moran would settle for second. Also placing for UB was redshirt freshman Ricky Scott (Walden, NY/Valley Central), who took second in the 184 weight class; senior 197-pounder Ray Lamb (Mays Landing, NJ/Absegami), junior heavyweight Jeff Parker (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro), and redshirt freshman 149-pounder Jason Hilliard (Genoa, NY/Southern Cayuga), who each took fourth; and junior 157-pounder Steven Muldrow (Cincinnati, OH/Summit Country Day) and freshman 197-pounder Jimmy Hamel (Natick, MA/Natick), who each took fifth. The Bulls next compete at the Oklahoma Gold Classic in Brockport, NY on Saturday, Nov. 11. The meet is scheduled to begin at 10:00 am.

NASHVILLE, Ind. -- The Indiana wrestling team kicked off its 2006-07 campaign with the annual intra-squad wrestle-offs, held at Brown County High School on Sunday, Nov. 5. Three of the Hoosiers' four returning NCAA qualifiers competed in the event, with all three taking major decisions over their teammates. "It was a good event today," head coach Duane Goldman said. "I really appreciate the large crowd that attended. They really added a lot to the wrestle-offs. I was pleased with the way we wrestled today - it's a great opportunity for us as coaches to analyze and criticize our athletes. It's given us a good idea of what we need to work on going into our competitive season." Andrae Hernandez was the first returning qualifier to compete, matching up with his cousin, Jose Escobedo, at 133 pounds. Hernandez took a 12-2 major decision, the first major decision of the day. Two-time All-American Brandon Becker staved off a hard-fought effort from Ryan Pribble, moving on to a 12-2 major decision of his own. Junior Max Dean had to outlast a strong effort from two-time Indiana state champion Paul Young, but Dean eventually walked away with an 11-2 major decision. Three newcomers posted major decisions of their own in the event, with redshirt freshmen Trevor Perry and Angel Escobedo and true freshman Nathan Everhart walking away with decisive victories. Perry tallied a 12-4 victory over freshman Nick Avery, Escobedo bested sophomore Wesley Fike 19-7, and Everhart topped walk-on Justin Kuhlman 16-6. Perhaps the most anticipated matchup of the event came at 149 pounds, where highly touted redshirt Matt Coughlin faced Bloomington standout Kurt Kinser. The two grapplers fought to a 1-1 tie in their bout. In other action, at 125 pounds Fike defeated Ted Strychalski 6-2, Alex Warren topped Justin Sciscoe 4-0 at 141, Nick Walpole bested Scott Kelly 8-1 at 141, Jantzen Minton beat Eric Cameron 4-3 at 184 and Marc Bennett downed Justin Curran 5-2 at 184. The Hoosiers will begin their regular season on Sunday, Nov. 12, at the Michigan State Open in East Lansing, Mich. 125: Angel Escobedo maj. dec. Wesley Fike, 19-7 125: Wesley Fike dec. Ted Strychalski, 6-2 133: Andrae Hernandez maj. dec. Jose Escobedo, 12-2 141: Alex Warren dec. Justin Sciscoe, 4-0 141: Nick Walpole dec. Scott Kelly, 8-1 149: Matt Coughlin tied Kurt Kinser, 1-1 157: Brandon Becker maj. dec. Ryan Pribble, 12-2 165: Max Dean maj. dec. Paul Young, 11-2 174: Trevor Perry maj. dec. Nick Avery, 12-4 184: Marc Bennett dec. Justin Curran, 5-2 184: Jantzen Minton dec. Eric Cameron, 4-3 197: Nathan Everhart maj. dec. Justin Kuhlman

YPSILANTI, Mich. -- Northwestern opened its season Saturday at the Easterm Michigan Open and started 2006-07 on a strong note, winning four championships. Ryan Lang (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Edward), Jake Herbert (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny), Mike Tamillow (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick) and Dustin Fox (Galion, Ohio/Galion) all won championships at the season's first event. On the day, Northwestern won four titles and placed seven total wrestlers. Fox went a perfect 5-0 at 285 lbs. to win his first career tournament championship. He topped Alan O'Donnell of Michigan State in the first round, 4-2 and followed that up by taking down Omar Maktabi of Michigan, 6-2. After defeating opponents from Lindenwood and Eastern Michigan to advance to the finals, he defeated Ed Prendergast from Navy by an 8-6 decision. In the championship match, Fox scored 4 points in a thirty second Overtime ride out situation by reversing his finals opponent and then securing a takedown as time ran out. He was the No. 2 seed at 285 lbs., but did not face top-seeded Kirk Nail of Ohio State due to a medical condition. At 141 lbs., Lang, a ranked No. 1 in the nation, not only posted a 5-0 record, but did not have a point scored on him in his five matches. Lang defeated Deone Williams of Brockport University and Cody Burdett of Utah State by major decision, 12-0 and 10-0 respectively. He cruised past Eastern Michigan's Zach Donofrio 9-0 and advanced to the final by topping Ohio State's Reece Humphrey by a 1-0 decision. He pinned Navy's Brad Canterbury 1:36 into the match to take the title. Top-ranked Herbert, wrestling at 184 lbs., pinned all of his opponents up to his final match against Ty Todd of Michigan. In the qurterfinals, he pinned Michigan's Ryan Selley at the 1:50 mark. In the finals, Herbert defeated Todd by a convincing 6-3 decision. Tamillow, wrestling unattached, won the championship at 197 lbs., notching two falls. The No. 2 seed topped opponents from Lindenwood and Cleveland State in the first two rounds and defeated Michigan's Casey White 7-2 to advance to the final where he downed top-seeded Nate Moore from Purdue by a 3-1 decision. Moore entered the tournament No. 9 in the nation at 197 lbs. while Tamillow stands at No. 14. A big story of the open was Wildcat freshman Brandon Precin (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg) at 125 lbs. who knocked off fourth-ranked and top-seeded Mark Moos of Michigan to start the tournament. Moos is a three-time NCAA qualifier at 133 lbs and is back at 125 after moving up in weight. The unseeded Precin won five matches and took 6th place at 125 lbs. He had another big win against Michigan's Michael Watts by a 10-2 major decision. He placed sixth. At 133 lbs., unseeded sophomore James Kohlberg (Rolling Meadows, Ill./Rolling Meadows) finished in fourth place. He defeated Findlay's second-seeded Andy Uhl, a Division II national champion, by an 8-4 decision in his second match. By knocked off a No. 2 seed, Kohlberg was the second unseeded Wildcat to upset a high-seeded opponent. Precin defeated a No. 1 seed earlier in the day. At 165 lbs., Jim Friend (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville), seeing his first action in two years, placed sixth with a 5-2 record. He defeated Purdue's Juston Fraga in his sixth match, 10-8, but fell in the fifth place match. The Wildcats return to action when they host the NU Duals Sunday, Nov. 12, at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Erie, Pa. -- The Stanford wrestling team began the 2006-07 season today at the Avalon Duals in Erie, Pa. The Cardinal dropped its first two duals of the day to Maryland (27-12) and No. 13 Edinboro (30-7), but finished the day strong with a 28-19 victory over Mercyhurst. Against Maryland, the Cardinal took an early lead when junior Tanner Gardner pinned James Knox in 5:19. The Terrapins caught up with three-straight wins, but junior Josh Zupancic stopped the run with a 7-2 decision over Mike McGill at 157 pounds. In his collegiate debut, freshman Zack Giesen collected the only remaining win for the Cardinal, claiming a 4-0 decision over Rich DoPierto at 184 pounds. The Cardinal continued action against the host team, Edinboro, and picked up wins at 125 pounds and 165 pounds. Gardner earned his second-straight win with a 13-0 major decision over Eric Morrill at 125 pounds. Senior Brian Perry highlighted the day with an 11-8 decision over fourth-ranked Deonte Penn at 165 pounds. Two Stanford wrestlers came up just short, as Zupancic was edged by No. 17 Matt Hill, 3-2, at 157 pounds and sophomore Luke Feist fell in a close 5-4 decision to Phil Moricone at 174 pounds. Stanford earned up its first win of the season in the final dual with Mercyhurst. At 125 pounds, Gardner pinned Payne Lint in 4:16 for his third win of the day and freshman Cameron Teitelman picked up his first collegiate win with an 11-4 decision over Braxdon Scaletta at 133 pounds. Mercyhurst pulled into a tie with wins at 141 pounds and 149 pounds, but Zupancic pinned Andy Lamancusa and Perry claimed a 12-2 major decision over Hudson Harrison to give the Cardinal a 10-point advantage. After Mercyhurst's Zack Schafer won by fall at 174 pounds, Cardinal freshman Zack Giesen stepped up with a 4-1 decision over Trevor Gallo. Sophomore Jared Boyer picked up his first win of the season with a win by fall over Rich Froats in 2:17 to seal the victory for the Cardinal. Stanford heads to Fargo, ND next Saturday to compete in the Bison Open. The first Pac-10 dual for the Cardinal will be Nov. 17 at Cal State Fullerton.

The Augustana wrestling team crowned three champions as the Vikings opened the 2006-07 season with an impressive showing at the Daktronics/Warren Williamson Open Saturday in Brookings, S.D. Nate Buys won the 197-pound title, earning the Most Outstanding Wrestler award in the process. Also winning their weight classes were Tom Nesseth at 184 pounds and Ray O'Connor at Heavyweight. Buys, an All-American at 184 pounds last season, cruised into the finals. He pinned Rory Miller in 4:18 before picking up a 17-2 technical fall over Myles Ulmer in the second round. He then pinned John Jones in 3:48 before picking up a 3-1 decision over Jacob Marrs in the finals. Nesseth received a first-round bye before pinning Kevin Kelly in 3:13 in the second round. In the third round, he scored a 16-1 technical fall over Northern State's Jade Cowan. In the semifinals, Nesseth edged teammate Andrew Sorenson 3-0 before earning a 5-2 decision over Tyler Sorenson in the finals. O'Connor edged past Zach Covinington 2-1 and Sam Zylstra 4-2 in his first two matches. In the finals, O'Connor downed Richard Flowers 5-1. A fourth Viking, Chris Trampe, made it to the finals. Trampe, a 125-pounder, won his first two matches before falling to Chas Welch 7-4 in the finals. The Vikings had two wrestlers place at 141 pounds. Jordan Burmeister finished fourth, while Mike Long was fifth. At 157 pounds, Aaron Haddorf earned a fourth-place finish. The Vikings will return to the mat next Saturday when they travel to Mitchell, S.D., for the Dakota Wesleyan Open.

St. Cloud, Minn. -- The St. Cloud State Wrestling team made its debut under first year head coach on Saturday, November 11, in an intersquad meet at Halenbeck Hall with the Cardinal Red team dominating action over the Black squad 29-9. Two exhibition matches started the meet highlighted with first year wrestler Brady Routh pinning Regional Placer, Tom Messerli, with 16 seconds left in the overtime minute of match. Big wins for the Red squad included bouts by All-American Matt Steffenson who controlled his match against veteran Tom Anderson, winning 12-5. A junior transfer, Nick Wilkes, man-handled Jairo Sandoval in an 18-5 decision over the Miami native. The Huskies will begin their regular season on Saturday, November 11 at the Dakota Wesleyan University Open, bouts beginning at 9:00 a.m. MATCH RESULTS (RED v. Black) 125 Gabriel Suarez 1 v. Nick Wasche 3 133 Sonny Silva 15 v. Wes Hanson 0 141 Tim Whitley 5 v. Brent Johnson 3 149 Grant Johnson 9 v. Bryce Mackey 5 157 John Sundgren 9 v. 3 Russell Lumley 165 Matt Steffenson 12 v. Tom Anderson 5 174 Russell Smith 14 v. Neil Russell 5 184 Adam Hill 11 v. Eric Rogness 3 197 Nick Wilkes 18 v. Jairo Sandoval 5 EXHIBITIONS 141 John Denney 13 v. Matt Jackson 3 149 Tom Messerli pinned by Brady Routh at :44 in fourth period

NORMAN, Okla. -- The University of Oklahoma wrestling team defeated Missouri Valley 43-0, and Oklahoma City University 49-0 Saturday night at the Howard McCasland Field House. Head coach Jack Spates and the Sooners dominated and never trailed either school winning both duals by a combined score of 92-0. "I was pleased overall with our performance tonight in two ways, one, we dominated which was great, and two, we saw some good things technically," head coach Jack Spates said. The first dual matched Missouri Valley and OU with the Sooners scoring two major decisions to begin the evening. Sam Hazewinkel defeated Billy Exline 15-3 and Nolan Spring followed up with a 17-7 defeat of Garrett Harding. Kyle Terry beat Clint Leonard by a decision of 8-3, with his twin brother Chad winning by a forfeit to put OU up 17-0. Will Rowe sparked the Sooners with a technical fall of Chad Jennings winning 17-2. Shane Siebert wrestling his first ever match for the Sooners disposed of Kyle Nelson by a major decision of 14-0. Also wrestling his first match for Oklahoma, Joshua Weitzel made quick work of Jake Oberfoell pinning the Viking wrestler in the first period at the 2:04 mark. Josh Hinton need overtime to finish off Josh Lockett. Hinton won his 184 pound match by a decision of 6-4. Joel Flaggert scored another technical fall for OU as he defeated Kyle Riley, 18-2 in the second period. Heavyweight Brad Farmer kept the goose egg on the board for the Sooners as he defeated Wade Empting by a decision of 11-4. Wrestling for the first time since 1932 Oklahoma City University was not able to challenge the Sooners as OU cruised to their second victory of the evening. Sam Hazewinkel won by forfeit to begin the second dual of the evening. Nolan Spring scored his second major decision of the night by defeating Justin Blumer 12-1. Kyle Terry defeated Gabe Hale by a major decision of 19-4 to put the Sooners up 11-0 after three matches. For the second straight match Chad Terry was without an opponent as he drew his second victory by forfeit at 149 pounds. Will Rowe scored his first pin of the season when he took Trevor Adkisson down at the 3:25 mark in the second period. Shane Siebert also recorded his first pin of the young season, as he scored a fall on Dillon Blackmon at the 2:46 mark in the second period. Josh Weitzel scored a technical fall of John Wilcox at 174 pounds winning 18-2. Josh Hinton won a 6-1 decision over Mitchell Eichenauer. Joel Flaggert recorded his second technical fall when he defeated Corey Johnson 23-5. Brad Farmer ended the evening by posting a shutout winning a major decision over Jeremy Johnson 10-0. "This was an invaluable couple of matches because we saw some things that we need to improve on. Overall I was pleased and I look forward to us getting better," Spates continued. Weight-By-Weight Results OU vs. Missouri Valley 125: Sam Hazewinkel (OU) maj. dec. 15-3 Billy Exline (MV) 133: Nolan Spring (OU) maj. dec. 17-7 Garrett Harding (MV) 141: Kyle Terry (OU) dec. 8-3 Clint Leonard (MV) 149: Chad Terry (OU) win by forfeit 157: Will Rowe (OU) tech. fall 17-2 Chad Jennings (MV) 165: Shane Seibert (OU) maj. dec. 14-0 Kyle Nelson (MV) 174: Joshua Weitzel (OU) fall 2:04 Jake Oberfoell (MV) 184: Josh Hinton (OU) sudden death dec. 6-4 Jasper Lockett (MV) 197: Joel Flaggert (OU) tech. fall 18-2 Kyle Riley (MV) HWT: Brad Farmer (OU) dec. 11-4 Wade Empting (MV) Weight-By-Weight Results OU vs. Oklahoma City University 125: Sam Hazewinkel (OU) win by forfeit 133: Nolan Spring (OU) mja. dec. 12-1 Justin Blumer (OCU) 141: Kyle Terry (OU) maj. dec. 19-4 Gabe Hale (OCU) 149: Chad Terry (OU) win by forfeit 157: Will Rowe (OU) fall 3:25 Trevor Adkisson (OCU) 165: Shane Seibert (OU) Fall 2:46 Dillon Blackmon (OCU) 174: Joshua Weitzel (OU) tech. fall 18-2 John Wilcox (OCU) 184: Josh Hinton (OU) dec. 6-1Mitchell Eichenauer (OCU) 197: Joel Flaggert (OU) tech. fall 23-5 Corey Johnson (OCU) HWT: Brad Farmer (OU) maj. dec. 10-0 Jeremy Johnson (OCU)

IOWA CITY, IA -- The University of Iowa wrestling team held its second day of intrasquad competition Saturday morning at the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex in Iowa City, IA. The Hawkeye fans that packed the wrestling practice room to watch the annual wrestle-offs were treated to a glimpse of Iowa's young and talented depth. Three of Saturday's seven winners are seniors, while three are redshirt freshmen. Senior Mario Galanakis (Greenfield, IA) started Saturday's matches off with a 10-3 decision over redshirt freshman Joe Slaton (Cedar Rapids, IA) at 133. Redshirt freshman Dan LeClere (Coggon, IA) provided the first upset of the intrasquad at 141, scoring a takedown in the third period to defeat returning all-American and junior Alex Tsirtsis (Griffith, IN), 4-3. Senior Alex Grunder (Wilton, IA) scored an 11-6 win over true freshman Travis Blasco (Old Bridge, NJ) at 149, and redshirt freshman Ryan Morningstar (Lisbon, IA) followed suit with an 11-1 major decision over junior Brad Medchill (Woodlands, TX) at 157. Two-time all-American and junior Mark Perry (Stillwater, OK) scored a 10-2 major decision over senior Ben Stedman (Sioux City, IA) at 165. All-American senior Eric Luedke (Colby, KS) scored a takedown in sudden victory to defeat Jay Borschel (Marion, IA), 7-5, at 174. Redshirt freshman Phillip Keddy (Vernal, UT) ended the competition with a 10-2 major decision over redshirt freshman Rick Loera (Park Ridge, IL) at 184. The Hawkeyes will open the 2006-07 season November 18 at the Kaufman-Brand Open in Omaha, NE. Saturday Wrestle-Off Results 133 - Mario Galanakis dec. Joe Slaton, 10-3 141 - Dan LeClere dec. Alex Tsirtsis, 4-3 149 - Alex Grunder dec. Travis Blasco, 11-6 157 - Ryan Morningstar maj. dec. Brad Medchill, 11-1 165 - Mark Perry maj. dec. Ben Stedman, 10-2 174 - Eric Luedke dec. Jay Borschel, 7-5 sv 184 - Phillip Keddy maj. dec. Rick Loera, 10-2

The Wisconsin wrestling team kicked off the 2006-07 season by going 2-0 in its double-dual match against the University of Dubuque and UW-Oshkosh Friday at the KI Convention Center in Green Bay, Wis. Wisconsin rolled by Dubuque 49-0 before defeating UW-Oshkosh 40-3. The Badgers have never lost their season opener under head coach Barry Davis. Nine UW wrestlers went undefeated on the day, with five earning wins by pin. Junior Collin Cudd (River Falls, Wis.) notched two falls, earning a pin against Dubuque's Jason Francis at 2:23 and UW-Oshkosh's Chris Stratton at 3:30. At 133 lbs., Zach Tanelli (Short Hills, N.J.) notched a pin over Adam Shumaker of Dubuque at 4:26. Senior Tyler Turner (Spring Valley, Wis.) and Jake Donar (Cuba City, Wis.) also had wins by fall against Dubuque, with Turner's coming at 6:35 in his match against Hakeem Mahdi while Donar pinned Bobby Larson at 1:57. Kyle Ruschell (Crittenden, Kent.) and Jordan Hein (Wausau, Wis.) garnered their first Badger wins against Dubuque at 141 lbs. and heavyweight, respectively. Ruschell defeated Dubuque's Dan Ruter 6-1, while Hein earned a 3-0 win over Eric Daughtes. Against UW-Oshkosh, Dallas Herbst (Winneconne, Wis.) had his first pin of the season against Kyle Coleman at 1:52. Herbst, who wrestles at 197 lbs., led the Badgers last season with 12 wins by fall. Wisconsin's Mike Metzger (Columbus, Wis.) and Matt Maciag (Sussex, N.J.) continued their winning ways against UW-Oshkosh. At 157 lbs., Metzger defeated Evan Brown of Dubuque 3-0 before earning an 8-2 win over Oshkosh's Dallas Moe. At 174 lbs., Maciag earned two major decision victories on the day. He took down Joe Depew of Dubuque 16-4 followed by Adam Dorner 11-1. Justin Peterson, of Comstock, Wis., notched a major decision victory as well, defeating UW –Oshkosh's Pat Detmer 14-2 at 184 lbs. Oshkosh's only points of the match were scored at heavyweight as Justin Schmalfeldt slipped by Hein 7-4. The Badgers return to dual action on Nov. 12 as they travel to Evanston, Ill. for the Northwestern Duals. Check uwbadgers.com for the latest updates and scores. Wisconsin 49 Dubuque 0 125 Collin Cudd (Wisconsin) Pinned Jason Francis (UD), 2:23 06/06 133 Zach Tanelli (Wisconsin) Pinned Adam Shumaker (UD), 4:26 06/12 141 Kyle Ruschell (Wisconsin) Defeated Dan Ruter (UD), 6-1 03/15 149 Tyler Turner (Wisconsin) Pinned Hakeem Mahdi (UD), 6:35 06/21 157 Mike Metzger (Wisconsin) Defeated Evan Brown (UD), 3-0 03/24 165 Jake Donar (Wisconsin) Pinned Bobby Larson (UD), 1:57 06/30 174 Matt Maciag (Wisconsin) Defeated Joe Depew (UD), 16-4 04/34 184 Justin Peterson (Wisconsin) Won By Forfeit 06/40 197 Dallas Herbst (Wisconsin) Won By Forfeit 06/46 285 Jordan Hein (Wisconsin) Defeated Eric Daughtee (UD), 3-0 03/49 Wisconsin 40 UW-Oshkosh 3 125 Collin Cudd (Wisconsin) Pinned Chris Stratton (UWO), 3:30 06/06 133 Zach Tanelli (Wisconsin) Tech Fall Over Derek Koenig (UWO), 4:06 141 Kyle Ruschell (Wisconsin) Defeated Justin Talbot (UWO), 17-6 04/15 149 Tyler Turner (Wisconsin) Defeated Paul Gretzinger (UWO), 13-3 04/19 157 Mike Metzger (Wisconsin) Defeated Dallas Moe (UWO), 8-2 03/22 165 Jake Donar (Wisconsin) Defeated Kevin Luedtke (UWO), 11-1 04/26 174 Matt Maciag (Wisconsin) Defeated Adam Dorner (UWO), 11-1 04/30 184 Justin Peterson (Wisconsin) Defeated Pat Detmer (UWO), 14-2 04/34 197 Dallas Herbst (Wisconsin) Pinned Kyle Coleman (UWO), 1:52 06/40 285 Justin Schmalfeldt (UWO) Defeated Jordan Hein (Wisconsin), 7-4 00/40