InterMat Staff

http://mutigers.cstv.com/chat/110906aaa.html Welcome to the weekly mutigers.com moderated wrestling chat! On Monday, Nov. 13, Wrestling Head Coach Brian Smith will stop by to answer your questions about his team and its preparation for the 2006-07 wrestling season! The Q-and-A session with the coach of the nation's third-ranked wrestling team will last approximately 20 minutes. The Nov. 13 chat session with Coach Smith kicks off a season-long campaign (Monday Mat Chat) in which fans will have the opportunity to communicate with various members of the Missouri coaching staff and team. Each chat session will be held Monday at 2:30 p.m. (CT). Mizzou's seventh Head Wrestling Coach, Brian Smith sat down with his team and made a list of goals that he hoped to help the 1998 squad and future Tiger teams accomplish. Over the past eight years, Smith and the 111 men that have come through the varsity program have slowly but surely checked items off the list. Individual Big 12 Champions, improved grade-point averages, record-setting attendances, a top-five national ranking and Missouri's first-ever NCAA National Champion in wrestling were all on Smith's "to-do" list. His unique TigerStyle training program has molded today's team into a national powerhouse looking to contend for the program's first top-five NCAA finish. Smith enters the 2006-07 campaign with an eight-year record of 98-53-1 at Mizzou, and career 100-61-2 mark over nine seasons. While Coach Smith will not by stopping by until Monday afternoon, feel free to submit questions now and we will have them waiting for him when he arrives to chat.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern is set to host the Northwestern Duals Sunday at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The full-day event begins at 9 a.m. and will feature 11 dual matches on three mats. The 10th-ranked Wildcats will welcome Wisconsin, Navy, the University of Indianapolis, Cornell College (Iowa), Cumberland University (Tenn.) and the University of Chicago. The Wildcats take on Chicago at 11 a.m., Navy at 1 p.m. and Indianapolis at 3 p.m. The 'Cats took four championships at last weekend's Eastern Michigan Open. Juniors Dustin Fox (Galion, Ohio/Galion) at heavyweight, Mike Tamillow (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick) at 197 lbs., Jake Herbert (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny), ranked No. 1 at 184 lbs. and Ryan Lang (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Edward), top-ranked at 141 lbs all went undefeated. Lang was named this week's Big Ten Wrestler of the Week for his performance. 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. The seven-team event will feature NCAA qualifiers, All-Americans and ranked grapplers from various divisioins and conference. Bigelevenwrestling.net has pegged Navy's showdown with both NU and Wisconsin as their "Matches of the Week". A Look at the Teams in the NU Duals: University of Indianapolis Greyhounds: • The Greyhounds are ranked No. 7 in the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association's preseason poll and return all four All-America wrestlers from last year, a season which saw UIndy finish 10th at the national championships, the highest national finish in the program's history. • All four returning All-Americans are also ranked in their respective weight classes. Shane Perkey, at 133, appears third in the individual rankings. Charlie Pingleton is ranked No. 2 at 149. Mike Jackson, who was the runner-up at 174 pounds in 2005-06, is the preseason No. 4. Jose Navarro is ranked fourth in the heavyweight class. Cornell College Rams: • Cornell, which had a record-setting 15-9-1 dual season a year ago, is ranked No. 16 in Division III. • Junior 125-pounder Chris Heilman is rated third. Heilman, one of eight returning starters for the Rams, was 33-9 last season, placing fourth in the Iowa Conference and seventh in the nation. • Another national qualifier, sophomore 141-pounder Dave Paramski , suffered a hand injury in the preseason and will not be available until January. He was 33-11 with seven falls last season, placing third in the IIAC. • There are six Iowa Conference teams ranked in the top 24 in the preseason - defending national champion Wartburg (second), Luther (fourth), Buena Vista (11th), Coe (12th), Cornell (16th) and Loras (24th). University of Chicago Maroons: • Senior Phil Kruzel is the two-time defending University Athletic Association champion at 174-pounds. • Senior Mike Bishof placed third at the 2006 Great Lakes Regional at 165 lbs. • Sophomore Ben Hart finished fourth at the 2006 Great Lake Regional at 125 lbs. • Senior Andrew Bribriesco and sophomore Tom Nero posted sixth-place finishes at 141 and 285 pounds, respectively, at the 2006 Great Lakes Regional. Navy Midshipmen: • Six Navy wrestlers finished second, while three more placed in the season-opening Eastern Michigan Open. • Returning NCAA qualifier Joe Baker, ranked 13th, made an appearance in the championship bout at 133 pounds. Baker earned a pair of major decisions • Senior Brad Canterbury had a solid showing at 141 pounds where he made his way into the championship match. • Senior John Cox, one-of-three returning NCAA qualifiers, is ranked seventh nationally at 149 lbs. He fell in the championship match at the Eastern Michigan Open. Wisconsin Badgers: • The Badgers kicked off the 2006-07 season by going 2-0 in their double-dual match against Dubuque and UW-Oshkosh. Wisconsin rolled by Dubuque 49-0 before defeating UW-Oshkosh 40-3. • Seven Badger wrestlers earned top-20 rankings this season, with two in the top-five at their respective weight classes. Both Tyler Turner and Craig Henning are ranked No. 4, while Dallas Herbert is ranked 10th. Also receiving rankings were four other Badgers, including heavyweight Kyle Massey, rated 16th. At 125 lb.s Collin Cudd napped a No. 17 ranking. Cumberland Bulldogs: • Cumberland, out of the NAIA has already competed in two events this year. The Bulldogs wrestled at the Lindenwood Open before taking on Newberry College last weekend. Cumberland fell 31-7. • They return three National Qualifiers in Daniel Rosbottom, Luke Borneman and Eric McCray, and All-American Desean Willis. Schedule of Matches: 9 a.m. Mat 1: Cumberland v. Navy Mat 2: Wisconsin v. Indianapolis Mat 3: Cornell College v. Chicago 11 a.m. Mat 1: Cornell College v. Cumberland Mat 2: Northwestern v. Chicago Mat 3: Wisconsin v. Navy 1 p.m. Mat 1: Cornell College v. Indianapolis Mat 2: Northwestern v. Navy Mat 3: Wisconsin v. Cumberland 3 p.m. Mat 1: Cumberland v. Chicago Mat 2: Indianapolis v. Northwestern

The Johns Hopkins wrestling team had been scheduled to compete at the Green Terror Duals this weekend. That match has been postponed and now the Blue Jays will return to action on Tuesday, November 14th at Elizabethtown. For the most up to date wrestlign news and for all your Hopkins sports news, check out www.hopkinssports.com

Oklahoma State's wrestling team is set to open the 2006-07 season on Sunday against the Aggies from California-Davis. It is the first ever meeting between the two school. The match can be heard live on HOT 93.7 FM with Rex Holt and Roger Moore calling the action. The Cowboys are coming off of their fourth straight NCAA title and return three All-Americans from the squad, including 165-pound NCAA Champion Johny Hendricks. All-Americans Coleman Scott and Nathan Morgan are moving up in weight to 133 and 141, respectively. OSU will have plenty of new faces in the lineup as the Cowboys will have six new starters. Scouting the Aggies UC Davis comes to Stillwater to open the 2006-07 campaign. The Aggies boast four wrestlers ranked in the top 20 of their weight class, and are bringing a veteran squad with six seniors in the starting lineup. Three NCAA qualifiers return from last year led by Ken Cook, who is ranked fourth at 174 pounds. Derek Moore returns at 141 where he is ranked eighth, and sophomore Tyler Bernacchi is ranked 15th at 184. Omar Gaitan also appears in the national rankings at No. 19 at 133. Fresh Faces Oklahoma State will have six new starters in the lineup for the 2006-07 season. Redshirt freshmen bookend the lineup with Tyler Shinn at 125 and Jared Rosholt at heavyweight. Junior B.J. Jackson will get his opportunity after sitting behind three-time All-American Zack Esposito the past three years. Newly McSpadden will earn the start at 157. Jack Jensen has limited varsity experience and coach Smith could go with either Brent Parkey or Jared Shelton at 197. Cowboys Selected to Compete in All-Star Classic A pair of Cowboys were selected to represent Oklahoma State in the NWCA All-Star Classic at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, Texas on Nov. 20. Johny Hendricks is making his second appearance in the event at 165 pounds, while Coleman Scott is taking part for the first time. Hendricks is set to take on Iowa's Mark Perry in a rematch of the 2005 NCAA finals. Hendricks won that match, 5-2, and defended his title at 165. Perry is a two-time All-American with his runner-up finish in 2005 and a third-place showing last year at 174. Coleman Scott will meet defending NCAA champion Matt Valenti of Pennsylvania. Scott finished fifth at the NCAA Championships last season at 125, and he is currently ranked third in the country at 133. Oklahoma State hosted the NWCA All-Star Classic last year inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. The home crowd saw three Cowboys get upset, including Hendricks who lost an overtime decision to Minnesota's Matt Nagel. Mark Munoz Returns to Stillwater Former Cowboy Mark Munoz returns to Gallagher-Iba Arena where he wrestled at 197 pounds. Munoz was a two-time All-American for OSU from 2000-01. He took third-place as a junior in 2000 before returning to capture the title the following season. Munoz has spent the past couple of seasons as an assistant at UC Davis.

The California Community College Coaches Association has released individual rankings as of 11-8-2006. The next idividual and team rankings will be released following the Regional Championships on December 2nd. 125 1. Ivan Sanchez, Santa Ana 2. Chauncey Phillips, Sierra 3. Taylor McCorriston, Santa Rosa 4. Robert Escalantes, San Joaquin Delta 5. Todd Wilcox, Sierra 6. Cecil Sebastian, Mt. San Antonio 7. Jason Carrillo, Cerritos 8. Sammy Saunders, East LA 133 1. Carlos Alaniz, Cerritos 2. Gabe Aguilar, Santa Ana 3. Cody Gibson, Bakersfield 4. Mike Righi, Fresno City 5. Eddy Ngo, West Valley 6. James Durago, Cabot 7. Claudio Saenz, Mt. San Antonio 8. Armando Martinez, San Joaquin Delta 141 1. Jordan Keckler, Modesto 2. Joe Serrato, Santa Ana 3. Jonathon Ronny, Chabot 4. Leland Gridley, Sierra 5. Edgar Mercado, Fresno City 6. Tyson Knierin, Palomar 7. Andrew Holmes, Cerritos 8. Chris Alves, Shasta 149 1. Alfonso Sanchez, Fresno City 2. Vlad Kochiev, Moorpark 3. James Nelson, Sierra 4. Travis Wood, Sierra 5. Ian Millan, Rio Hondo 6. Scott Sandy, Sacramento City 7. Tony Ruiz, Cerritos 8. Joe Barajas, Palomar 157 1. JD Thrall, Sacramento City 2. Sinai Pezzat, Fresno City 3. Devin Velasquez, Santa Ana 4. Stuart Cole, Palomar 5. Ryan Sanchez, Palomar 6. Matt Giffin, Sierra 7. Mark Bertron, West Valley 8. Emilio Rojas-Chaves, Cerritos 165 1. Glen Shaw, Palomar 2. Nick Bardsley, Fresno City 3. Michael Williams, Cuesta 4. Jack Porter, Cerritos 5. Chris Minafo, West Valley 6. Daniel Garay, Mt. San Antonio 7. Jaspreet Singh, Sierra 8. Josh Dixon, Sacramento City 174 1. Kyle Griffin, Santa Rosa 2. Shaun Ceremello, Fresno City 3. Tom Eaton, Santa Ana 4. Travis Edwards, Cuesta 5. Carlos Ordonez, San Joaquin Delta 6. Sean McCellany, Bakersfield 7. Travis Tielens, Palomar 8. Ryan Sughrue, Modesto 184 1. Tim Hawkins, Mt. San Antonio 3. Jason Carasco, Bakersfield 2. Steven Urquizo, Fresno City 4. Louie Audelo, Cerritos 5. Cory Compton, Sacramento City 6. Marques Gales, Santa Rosa 7. Mark Ryan, Santa Rosa 8. Joey Hauss, Moorpark 197 1. Jayson Collard, Santa Rosa 2. Norman Nail, West Hills 3. Jake Bingham, Santa Rosa 4. Al Kinslow, Cerritos 5. Ryan Silvera, Mt. San Antonio 6. Brandon Stickel, Sierra 7. Joe Rameriz , Modesto 8. Tyler Blair, Fresno City 285 1. Eric Nye, Sierra 2. Josh Marquez, Bakersfield 3. Tyler Porras , Santa Ana 4. Brandon Doran, Cerritos 5. Victor Leyva, Fresno City 6. Luis Leyva, Fresno City 7. Robby Roman Marin, West Hills 8. Matt Klimek, Palomar

ALAMOSA, Colo. -- All-Americans Raymond Dunning (Nashville, Tenn.) and Evan Copeland (Las Cruces, N.M.) each claimed important wins while youngsters A.J. Alexander (Pueblo, Colo.) and James Lucero (Brighton, Colo.) took late thrillers as the white team overcame a pair of pins to post a 20-15 win over the green squad in Adams State College's annual Green & White Wrestling Dual, held Wednesday night in Plachy Hall. Dunning, wrestling at 141 pounds, scored the final 11 points of the match to post a 14-6 major decision victory over highly touted freshman Josh Hensley (Alamosa, Colo.) as the white team went up for good, 7-6. Copeland later took a 5-2 decision over James Reynolds (Monte Vista, Colo.) in a battle of 2-time NCAA Division II National Tournament qualifiers at 174 pounds. Dunning and Copeland both earned All-America honors in 2005 and were tabbed to the Preseason All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference team that was announced on Tuesday afternoon. Although Dunning and Copeland came up big in two of the premiere bouts of the night, it was Alexander and Lucero, both freshmen, who squeaked out narrow wins to give the white team the momentum throughout much of the night. Alexander trailed Rueben Gutierez (Platteville, Colo.), a state champion from Valley High School, by a 5-1 count after two periods before roaring back to take a 9-6 win in a 125/133-pound match-up of newcomers. Alexander was down 6-4 in the waning seconds before scoring a takedown and ensuing near fall to claim the decision that put the white team up 3-0. The green squad wasted little time in avenging the heartbreaker as Joey Deaguero (Commerce City, Colo.) pinned redshirt freshman Joe Kelso (Monte Vista, Colo.) in the first of two 141-pound bouts. Deaguero, who won three state titles while at Adams City High School, was named as the RMAC's Preseason Freshman of the Year on Tuesday. He showed Kelso why as he needed just 49 seconds of the second period to put the green team up 6-3. Dunning, who trailed Hensley 6-3 after the first period, the dominated the latter stages of a second 141-pound battle. Hensley, an undefeated state champion as a senior at Alamosa High School, had scored a reversal, takedown and near fall in the first period before Dunning used three near falls and a reversal in the final four minutes to claim the victory. Alamosa High School fans had more to cheer about in the 149/157-pound bout as Mike Gallegos (Alamosa, Colo.) scored a 12-2 major decision win over Centauri High School product Jacob Sheridan (La Jara, Colo.) giving the white team an 11-6 win. Gallegos, who transferred from Division I Cal State-Bakersfield over the summer, scored two reversals and a 3-point near fall in that match-up of talented redshirt freshman. The fans were then treated to a thriller at 157 pounds as redshirt freshman Noomis Jones (Arvada, Colo.) claimed a 6-4 victory over senior Dusty Vaughn (Montrose, Colo.) pulling the green team within 11-9 after the match that went on for nearly 10 minutes of action. Jones and Vaughn were tied at 3 through regulation before neither wrestler scored in the first 1-minute sudden death overtime. Jones chose the bottom position for the first half of the tiebreaking period getting out of Vaughn's hold with just five seconds left on the clock. Vaughn then returned the favor in the second half of the tiebreaker, but was eventually worn down as Jones claimed the victory with a takedown in the second sudden death overtime. The fans were treated to a nearly as exciting second 157-pound bout as Lucero took a 4-3 win over fellow freshman Jeremy Trujillo (Alamosa, Colo.). Lucero, a 3-time all-conference wrestler while at Brighton High School, had a 2-1 lead after the first period before Trujillo, another Alamosa High School graduate, recorded a near fall to a take a 3-2 lead in the second. Lucero then got out moments later to even the match at 3 before riding Trujillo for the entire third period to claim the win thanks to a 72-second advantage in riding time. Copeland then took his 5-2 win over Reynolds thanks in large part to a disputed takedown at the edge of the mat in the waning seconds of the first period. That win gave the green team a 17-9 lead before true freshman Brandon Morris (Nucla, Colo.) claimed a 6-1 win over redshirt freshman Andre' Harris (Gold Canyon, Ariz.) in the penultimate 174/184-pound battle. Morris, a 2-time state champion from Nucla High School, and Harris, a 2-time Arizona State Tournament placer, were scoreless for five-plus minutes before an escape, two third period takedowns combined with a fine 2-minute ride throughout the second period gave Morris the dual-clinching victory. Down 20-9, the green team did end the dual on a high note as returning 197-pound All-American Casey Woodall (Morenci, Ariz.) pinned freshman heavyweight Keaton Roosen (Monte Vista, Colo.) with just 57 seconds left. Despite giving up about 50 pounds to the 2006 Colorado State Champion, Woodall built a 5-0 lead midway through the second period before closing out the dual with the pin from the top position in the third period. Woodall is ranked first at 197 pounds in the NCAA Division II National Wrestling Coaches Association Preseason Rankings. Coach Jason Ramstetter's Grizzlies, tabbed third in the RMAC and 16th in the nation according to recently released preseason polls, will begin the regular season on Saturday at the Wyoming Cowboy Open in Laramie, Wyo. Action begins at 9 a.m.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Senior Johny Hendricks and junior Coleman Scott were both selected to represent Oklahoma State at the NWCA All-Star Classic to be held at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, Texas on Nov. 20. Hendricks is making his second appearance in the classic and will face Iowa's Mark Perry in a rematch of the 2005 NCAA finals. Hendricks won that final and successfully defended his title last season. Coleman Scott is scheduled to face defending NCAA champion Matt Valenti of Pennsylvania. Scott finished fifth at 125 at the 2006 NCAA Championships, and he is currently ranked third at 133. Oklahoma State hosted the event last year in Gallagher-Iba Arena. Hendricks lost his match to Minnesota's Matt Nagel in overtime. Three other Cowboys wrestled in the event last year, with Jake Rosholt being the only Cowboy to win his match. Oklahoma State opens the 2006-07 season on Sunday against California-Davis at 2 p.m. inside Gallagher-Iba Arena.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Oklahoma State head wrestling coach John Smith announced the signing of four high school seniors today to National Letters of Intent. Clayton Foster, Jamal Parks, Luke Silver and Luke Ashmore all signed with the Cowboys. Foster hails from Idaho, while Parks comes to the Cowboys from Tulsa Union High School. Silver and Ashmore join the Cowboys out of Bishop Lynch High School in Dallas. Smith has had success recruiting the state of Idaho the past few years where Jake Rosholt was a three-time NCAA champion out of Sandpoint. Foster, a native of Kamiah, Idaho, is the top-ranked wrestler at 189 pounds. He is a 2006 Junior National Champion and will wrestle either 184 or 197 in college. Parks is a two-time state champion out of Union where he was the 2006 Junior National Champion. He is the top-ranked wrestler at 135 pounds and projects to wrestle at either 133 or 141 at OSU. Ashmore will join his brother Ben at OSU in the fall of 2007. He is ranked second at 145 pounds and is a 2006 Junior National Champion. Ashmore is a three-time National Prep finalist, winning the title as a sophomore. Ashmore will wrestle at 141 or 149 pounds for the Cowboys. Silver is ranked fourth in the country by WIN Magazine. Silver became the first wrestler from the state of Texas to win the Super 32 Challenge and is a National Prep All-American. He is projected to wrestle at 149 or 157 pounds at OSU. "This class motivates me as much as any class I have signed," Smith said. "All of them are great young student-athletes with great character and a strong wrestling background." The current Cowboys open the season on Sunday against California-Davis at 2 p.m. inside Gallagher-Iba Arena.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Junior Ryan Lang (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Edward) has been named this week's Big Ten Wrestler of the Week. This is the second honor of Lang's career and the first for the Wildcats this season. Lang, ranked No. 1 in the nation at 141 lbs., not only posted a 5-0 record at last weekend's Eastern Michigan Open, 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. "It is outstanding to not have a point scored on you in a tournament," head coach Tim Cysewski said. "It's tough to go into matches where every opponent you face knows who you are and wants to take down the No. 1 guy. Opponents will either wrestle you hard or play games to keep it close. Ryan has shown a lot of maturity with that No. 1 ranking." The Wildcats enjoyed a successful start to the 2006-07 campaign at the Eastern Michigan Open, taking championships at four weights. Lang, along with Dustin Fox (Galion, Ohio/Galion), Jake Herbert (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) and Mike Tamillow (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick), all captured titles. Lang is the 'Cats' first Big Ten Wrestler of the Week since Herbert received the honor on Jan. 25, 2006. Lang last won the honor on Nov. 16, 2005. The 'Cats return to action Sunday when they will host the seven-team Northwestern Duals at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The 11-dual event begins at 9 a.m.

Oskaloosa -- The top spots at five of the ten weight classes in the NAIA's Central Region are coveted by William Penn wrestlers as the preseason rating was released recently. After a realignment during the offseason, the Statesmen are now grouped with Bacone (Okla.), Missouri Valley, Oklahoma City, Waldorf, and York (Neb.) in the Central Region. Three-time national champion Missouri Valley enters as Penn's toughest competition, most recently claiming the trophy in 2003. Oklahoma City will be in its first year sponsoring a wrestling program, while Bacone, Waldorf, and York all come over from the same region Penn was in a year ago. Three-time All-Americans Darren Cotton (Sr., Atlanta, Ga., McNair HS), at 149 pounds, and Abel Trujillo (Sr., Durham, N.C., Riverside HS), at 174 pounds, lead the way for Penn as both top their respective weight class. Fellow top-ranked Statesmen wrestlers include 141-pounder Earl Robinson (Jr., Davenport, Davenport Central HS), a two-time national qualifier, 165-pounder Nate Stirgus (Sr., Muskegon, Mich., Muskegon CC), who finished seventh at last year's national tournament for Honorable Mention All-American status, and 285-pounder Jordan Wall (So., Liberty, N.C, Eastern Randolph HS), who was also a national qualifier a year ago. Penn also has seven other individuals ranked second, including 125-pounder Shamar Haynes (Jr., Cedar Rapids, Ellsworth CC), 133-pounder Josh Hines (So., Dallas, Texas, Sam Houston HS), 149-pounder Paul Carter (Sr., Carson City, Nev., Carson HS), 157-pounder Brandon Graham (Jr., Oskaloosa, Oskaloosa HS), 184-pounder Jorge Ortiz (Sr., Chicago, Ill., Wilbur Wright CC), 197-pounder Nigel Collins (Sr., Sterling, Ill., Ashford), and 285-pounder Chauncey Coleman (Sr., Fresno, Calif., McLane HS). Within that group are seven national-qualifying campaigns and a junior-college All-American in Haynes (fourth place) last year. Also ranked for the Statesmen is 165-pounder T.J. Stuart (So., Eddyville, Eddyville-Blakesburg HS), in third, 125-pounder Kevin Jury (Fr., El Paso, Texas, Americans HS) and 174-pounder Mark Lovelace (Sr., Adrian, Mo., Adrian R-1 HS), who are both in fifth, and Spenser Sharp (Fr., Hoquiam, Wash., Hoquiam HS), in sixth. Penn opens the season on November 11 with wrestlers attending one of two tournaments, the Dakota Wesleyan Open in Mitchell, S.D. at 9 a.m. or the Iowa State Open in Fort Dodge at 10 a.m. NAIA Central Regional Preseason Rating - November 7, 2006: 125 1. Billy Exline So. Missouri Valley 2. Shamar Haynes Jr. William Penn 3. Kevin Gray Jr. York 4. Justin Blumer So. Oklahoma City 5. Kevin Jury Fr. William Penn 6. Bryan Yale Fr. Waldorf 133 1. Jon Gerhold So. Missouri Valley 2. Josh Hines So. William Penn 3. Gabe Hale Fr. Oklahoma City 4. Matt Cimmino York 141 1. Earl Robinson Jr. William Penn 2. Clint Leonard Missouri Valley 3. Rob Thomas So. Waldorf 4. Brandon Pigorsch Jr. York 149 1. Darren Cotton Sr. William Penn 2. Paul Carter Sr. William Penn 3. Jody Ashline Missouri Valley 4. Zach Rosson So. Oklahoma City 157 1. Chad Jennings So. Missouri Valley 2. Brandon Graham Sr. William Penn 3. Kelly Rydberg Sr. Waldorf 4. Weston Fleming York 5. Zach Rosson So. Oklahoma City 165 1. Nate Sturgis Sr. William Penn 2. Kevin Guinn Sr. Waldorf 3. T.J. Stuart So. William Penn 4. Ryan Kromer York 5. Dillion Blackman Oklahoma City 6. Brett Trenhaile Jr. Waldorf 174 1. Abel Trujillo Jr. William Penn 2. Jake Oberfoell So. Missouri Valley 3. Josh Wilcox Jr. Oklahoma City 4. Derek Pike Waldorf 5. Mark Lovelace Sr. William Penn 6. Trey Jackson Jr. York 184 1. Jasper Lockett Sr. Missouri Valley 2. Jorge Ortiz Sr. William Penn 3. Kent Scheff Waldorf 4. Mitchell Eichenauer Fr. Oklahoma City 5. Tony Ponce Jr. York 6. Spenser Sharp Fr. William Penn 197 1. Jeff Cobb Missouri Valley 2. Nigel Collins Sr. William Penn 3. Jake Head Jr. Waldorf 4. Cory Johnson Fr. Oklahoma City 5. Bryan Irsik York 285 1. Jordan Wall So. William Penn 2. Chauncey Coleman Sr. William Penn 3. Josh Reis So. Waldorf 4. Wade Empting Fr. Missouri Valley 5. Jeremy Johnson Fr. Oklahoma City 6. Jamie Brisbin York

State College, Pa. -– Four of the nation's top high school wrestlers have signed national letters of intent to attend Penn State and continue their collegiate wrestling careers with the Nittany Lion wrestlers. Fresh off two straight years of highly-ranked recruiting classes, head coach Troy Sunderland is once again putting together a talented class. Tim Darling (Nazareth, Pa.), ranked No. 2 nationally by Amateur Wrestling News at 152 pounds, is a two-time Pennsylvania state champion from Nazareth High School. A four-year starter for head coach Dave Crowell, Darling also placed third at states as a freshman. He is the son of Bob and Kathi Darling and will be making a run at his third state title this season. He enters his senior year with a 123-10 career record. Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 2 nationally by AWN at 140 pounds, is a two-time New Jersey state champion. A superb wrestler for Souther Regional High School and head coach John Stout, Molinaro is working towards a third state title this year. He is the son of Frank and Michele Molinaro and sports a 109-4 career record at SRHS. Jared Platt (Randolph, N.J.), ranked No. 2 nationally by AWN at 215 pounds, is the defending national prep champion. Wrestling at the Blair Academy for head coach Jeff Buxton, Platt was also the runner-up at Junior Nationals. He is the son of John and Tracey Platt and sports a 93-10 career record. Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked NO. 2 nationally by AWN at 275 pounds, is a two time Ohio state champion from St. Peter Chanel High School. Wade was runner up at Junior Nationals and Cade Nationals as well. Wade will be going for a third state title for head coach Graham Goghill. He is the son of Kevin and Trish Wade and sports a 104-25 career record. "We're pleased and excited to welcome four of the top wrestlers in the country and their families to the Penn State wrestling family," Sunderland said. "It's a tribute to the hard work of the assistant coaches and our support staff that we have once again attracted such outstanding young men to our program. These young men and their families felt a strong connection to our team and saw the commitment that Penn State has to wrestling in our new facilities. These four wrestlers want to win multiple team and individual titles here at Penn State and those goals mesh perfectly with the goals of their future teammates." Penn State enters the 2006-07 season ranked No. 8 nationally in the USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll. The Nittany Lions host Wrestle-Offs on Sunday at 1 p.m. (admission is free) and open up the regular season at the Pennsylvania Duals at Lock Haven on Sunday, Nov. 19. 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.

The 2006-07 competition season for No. 2-ranked Wartburg begins Saturday, Nov. 11, at the Harold Nichols Cyclone Open in Fort Dodge and the UW-SP Pointer Open. Head coach Jim Miller and his staff have set line-ups for both meets. They are as follows: Harold Nichols – Junior 149-pounder Tyler Everson of Clinton; senior 125-pounder Kyle Blood of Cedar Rapids; senior 165-pounder Dustin Cooper of Urbandale; sophomore 184-pounder Romeo Djoumessi of Waverly; senior heavyweight Blake Gillis of Spencer; sophomore 141-pounder Blake Hoppenworth of Cambridge; sophomore 165-pounder Justin Hanson of Humboldt; junior 133-pounder Jake Helvey of Mitchellville; sophomore 141-pounder Zach McKray of Iowa City; junior 197-pounder T.J. Miller of Cedar Falls; junior 149-pounder Jacob Naig of Emmetsburg; sophomore 174-pounder Dan Schulte of Watertown, Minn.; junior 125-pounder Robert Struthers of Emmetsburg; freshman 157-pounder Aaron Wernimont of Pocahontas; and senior 174-pounder Jason Zastrow of Coon Rapids, Minn. UW-SP Pointer Open – Senior heavyweight Brian Borchers of Holstein; sophomore 174-pounder Grant Jenkins of Manchester; junior 125-pounder Nate Behrendsen of Rolfe; sophomore 141-pounder David Varney of Waterloo; freshman 174-pounder Craig Abrahamson of Boone; freshman 157-pounder Joel Kennedy of Webster City; sophomore 133-pounder Kalen Lenz of Manchester; sophomore 125-pounder Ben McCorrison of Antioch, Calif.; freshman 141-pounder Chris Sandy of Spirit Lake; freshman 197-pounder Jake Shandri of Urbandale; freshman 157-pounder Mike Unruh of Elburn, Ill.; freshman 149-pounder Adam Weber of Waterloo; freshman 133-pounder Shawn White of Grand Junction, Colo.; freshman 157-pounder Dustin Jaeger of Manchester; and sophomore 174-pounder Matt Schrupp of Watertown, Minn. IN THE POLLS - Wartburg has five individuals ranked in the top eight of their respective weight classes heading into this weekend's season openers. Junior 149-pounder Jacob Naig of Emmetsburg and senior heavyweight Blake Gillis of Spencer are each No. 1, while junior 197-pounder T.J. Miller of Cedar Falls is No. 2, sophomore 141-pounder Zach McKray of Iowa City is No. 4, and sophomore 184-pounder Romeo Djoumessi of Waverly is No. 5. NWCA ALL-STAR HONOR - Gillis has already received a top honor this season, being selected for an exhibition match against NCAA Division II standout Tervel Dlagnev of Nebraska-Kearney, at the NWCA All-Star meet in Dallas, Texas, Monday, Nov. 20. Gillis is the first NCAA Division III wrestler to receive an invitation to this event. Ten matches will be contested between top individuals in NCAA Division I along with the featured exhibitions at the Dallas Convention Center. "This invitation is a great confidence booster to the beginning of my season, as well as my goal of a national title," Gillis said. Miller will join Gillis in Dallas as a coach on the all-star 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.