InterMat Staff

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The Air Force Academy's Zach Lord has been named the Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. The senior 157-pound Lord (Missoula, Mont./Sentinel HS) helped lead the Falcons to a 25-20 victory over Northern Colorado last week, as Air Force improved to 3-1 in the WWC with its fourth-straight dual win. Lord, wrestling on Senior Day, pinned the Bears' Luke Salazar in a time of 5:36 to lead Air Force in its first win over UNC since 2004. With the win, Lord improved to 16-21 on the season and 5-10 in dual action, while notching his third fall of the year. The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley State and Wyoming. Others Nominated: Northern Colorado: Reece Hopkin, Jr., HWT (Kersey, Colo./Platte Valley HS) Wyoming: Sam Wendland, Sr., 197, Bozeman, Mont. (Bozeman HS)

THIS WEEK Iowa will compete at the 2007 Big Ten Championships, Saturday and Sunday at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, MI. The meet will be broken into three sessions. Session I will start Saturday at 10 a.m. (CST), Session II will start Saturday at 5 p.m. and Session III will start Sunday at 11 a.m. CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE Following is the Big Ten Championships event schedule. Times are Central Standard. Session - Day - Time (CST) - Competition Session I - Saturday - 10 a.m. - Through quarterfinals and consolation first round Session II - Saturday - 5 p.m. - Through the championship semifinals and up to the consolation semifinals Session III - Sunday - 11 a.m. - Consolation semifinals will be followed by seventh place matches. Championship, third, and fifth place matches for each weight classs will start at 1 pm. ON THE AIR Radio - Hawkeye fans can hear Big Ten wrestling action on AM-800 KXIC and AM-1630 KCJJ. Steven Grace and two-time Hawkeye NCAA champion and four-time all-American Mark Ironside will call the action live on KXIC, while Roger Beyhl, Bob Dane and Ed McGinness will call the action live on KCJJ. To listen to the KXIC broadcast online, go to the wrestling schedule at www.hawkeyesports.com, click on the event and click on the Listen link. Broadcasts are available using the Hawkeye All-Access subscription ($6.95/month or $49.95/year) or the CSTV XXL Premium subscription ($99.95/year). Television - CSTV (College Sports Television) will air a tape-delayed broadcast of Sunday's competition. The airing dates are Wednesday, March 7 at 7 p.m. (CST), Wednesday, March 7 at 10 p.m. (CST) and Friday, March 9 at 6 a.m. (CST). TICKET INFORMATION All-session tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for students. Sunday's final session tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students, while Saturday's single session tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Tickets can be purchased by contacting Michigan State University's Ticket Office at 517/355-1610. BIG TEN CHAMPIONSHIPS RESULTS Updated brackets and team standings will be available throughout the tournament at www.bigten.org and www.msuspartans.com. NCAA QUALIFIERS The Big Ten Conference is alloted 72 qualifiers for the 2007 NCAA Championships, scheduled for March 15-17 in Auburn Hills, MI. The top seven placewinners in each weight class will automatically advance to the national tournament. Big Ten coaches will select two wild cards after the meet. The Hawkeyes advanced eight qualifiers in 2006. BIG TEN RECORDS Iowa holds records in five of seven Big Ten Championship categories. The Hawkeyes hold records for most individual champions in one tournament (9 in 1983), most consecutive team titles (25 from 1974-98), most falls by a team in one tournament (12 in 1979), largest victory margin (118.5 points in 1983) and fastest fall in all matches (Bart Chelesvig's 23-second pin over Illinois' Keith Bolman in 1992). The Hawkeyes have won the most Big Ten team titles (31) and crowned the most individual champions (180). Seven of the Big Ten's 10 four-time conference champions were Hawkeyes, and Iowa has had 18 of the conference's 46 three-time champions. BIG TEN HONORS The Iowa wrestling team has earned several individual Big Ten honors since they were initiated in 1986. Twelve Hawkeyes have been named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, seven have been named Wrestler of the Championships and four have been named Freshman of the Year. Two of Iowa's former head coaches earned conference Coach of the Year honors a combined five times. Following is the list of Iowa's Big Ten award winners: Big Ten Wrestler of the Year Royce Alger - 1987, 1988 Terry Brands - 1992 Tom Brands - 1989 Mark Ironside - 1996, 1997, 1998 Eric Juergens - 2001 Lincoln McIlravy - 1995 Steve Mocco - 2003 Brad Penrith - 1986 Troy Steiner - 1993 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Tom Brands - 1989 Jeff McGinness - 1994 Lincoln McIlravy - 1993 Steve Mocco - 2002 Big Ten Coach of the Year Dan Gable - 1993, 1995, 1996 Jim Zalesky - 2000, 2004 Big Ten Wrestler of the Championships Terry Brands, 1992 Tom Brands, 1989 Jamie Heidt, 1998 Mark Ironside, 1997 Jeff McGinness, 1998 Luke Moffitt, 2002 Jody Strittmatter, 2000 Former Hawkeyes Ed Banach (1983) and Barry Davis (1985) were named Jesse Owens Big Ten Conference Male Athlete of the Year. A total of six wrestlers have been named Iowa's Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year and eight were named Iowa's Conference Medal of Honor winners. Following is the list of honorees: Iowa's Big Ten Medal of Honor Award Winners Ed Banach, 1983 Dan Glenn, 1980 Jeff McGinness, 1998 Gary Meyer, 1958 Wilbur Nead, 1939 Daniel Sherman, 1973 Ralph Thomas, 1951 Carl Voltmer, 1927 Iowa's Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year Ed Banach, 1983 Tom Brands, 1992 Barry Davis, 1985 Jim Heffernan, 1987 Eric Juergens, 2001 Daryl Weber, 1996 2006 BIG TEN REVIEW The Hawkeyes scored 86 points to place sixth at the 2006 Big Ten Championships in Bloomington, IN. It was Iowa's lowest conference tournament placing since finishing eighth in 1967. Minnesota won its ninth team title with 138 points. It was the second straight year that Iowa did not crown an individual Big Ten champion. The last time the Hawkeyes went more than one season without an individual champion was 1965-67. Iowa crowned at least one champion every year from 1970-2004. Sophomore Mark Perry (174) was Iowa's lone finalist. He was pinned (4:02) in the finals by Northwestern's Jake Herbert. Iowa's other placewinners were sophomore Alex Tsirtsis (3rd-141), senior Ty Eustice (3rd-149), junior Eric Luedke (4th-165), junior Lucas Magnani (125-6th), senior Joe Johnston (6th-157), freshman Dan Erekson (6th-197) and senior Paul Bradley (7th-184). IOWA WRESTLING HISTORY Iowa's overall dual meet record is 809-214-30 (.783) in 95 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 LEADS THE NATION IN DUAL MEET ATTENDANCE The Hawkeye wrestling team leads the nation in dual meet attendance for the 2006-07 season, recording the highest home dual meet season average (6,740) and largest single meet crowd (13,732 vs. Iowa State on Dec. 3). Oklahoma State was a distant second with a 3,749 average and 7,014 largest single meet crowd (vs. Oklahoma). The 13,732 Iowa-Iowa State figure ranks 11th in the nation's top 25 largest dual meet crowds ever. Iowa hosted 20 of the top 25 and was the visitor for the other five - including the record-holding 15,646 set at Minnesota on Feb. 1, 2002. HAWKEYES SIGN TWO Iowa signed two student-athletes to national letters of intent in the early signing period. Jordan Johnson of Bettendorf, IA and Brodie Ambrose of Eldridge, IA, are Tom Brands' first signings as Iowa's head coach. Johnson won the 2006 Class AA Illinois state heavyweight title at Naperville North High School. He moved to Bettendorf, IA, and placed third at the 2007 state tournament at heavyweight. Ambrose placed third at 189 pounds at the 2007 state tournament for North Scott Eldridge. He placed third at 171 at the 2006 state meet. Ambrose is a projected 197-pounder for the Hawkeyes. He is also a 189-pound Fargo freestyle all-American. 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. IOWA WRESTLING ON JEOPARDY! Former Hawkeye wrestlers Luke and Ty Eustice were featured in a clue of the category "Iowa" December 8th, and in several clues of the category "Wrestling" January 8th on the TV game show JEOPARDY! Jimmy McGuire and Kelly Miyahara of the JEOPARDY! Clue Crew taped clues at Carver-Hawkeye Arena featuring the Eustice brothers in August. The Eustice brothers are natives of Blue Earth, MN. Luke was an all-American and NCAA finalist at 125 pounds in 2002, lettering for the Hawkeyes from 2001-04. Ty was a two-time all-American at 149 pounds, competing in the NCAA finals in 2006. He lettered for the Hawkeyes from 2003-06. They are the 10th set of brothers to wrestle together in the Hawkeye varsity lineup since the 1950s. THE INTERNET Press releases, meet results, audio broadcasts and dual livestats are available on the University of Iowa's website, www.hawkeyesports.com. To access live dual scoring, go to the wrestling schedule page, select the event and click on the Livestats link. Current staff and student-athlete head shots can be found at pics.hawkeyesports.com. NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS The 77th NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships will be held March 15-17 at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, MI. Tickets are only sold in three-day, six-session packages. All-session ticket packages are $150, $130, and $120. Ticket prices include on-site parking with unlimited in/out privileges. To order tickets, please call the Palace of Auburn Hills Box Office directly at 248-377-0100.

The top-ranked University of Minnesota wrestling team will seek to defend its 2006 Big Ten title this weekend in East Lansing, Mich. The 2007 Big Ten Championships kick off at the Breslin Center at 10 a.m. (CST) on Saturday, March 3 and will wrap up with the championship finals on Sunday, March 4 at approximately 1 p.m. Preliminary Seeds The preliminary seeds for the 2007 Big Ten Wrestling Championships were announced Monday night by conference officials. Minnesota leads all Big Ten teams with four top pre-seeds. Jayson Ness, Manuel Rivera, Dustin Schlatter and Cole Konrad all earned the top billing for the Golden Gophers. The official Big Ten Championships bracket will be released on Friday, March 2. Gopher Seeds 125 –- Jayson Ness (1) 133 –- Mack Reiter (3) 141 –- Manuel Rivera (1) 149 –- Dustin Schlatter (1) 157 -– C.P. Schlatter (T3) 165 -– Tyler Safratowich (3) 174 –- Gabriel Dretsch (4) 184 –- Roger Kish (2) Hwt -– Cole Konrad (1) NOTES TO KNOW Class of the Conference Since snapping Iowa's run of 25 consecutive conference titles at the 1999 Big Ten Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich., the Golden Gophers have claimed five of the last eight conference crowns while taking second the other three times. Minnesota has finished in the top three at Big Tens each of the last 10 years. Unbeaten in the BigTen With a perfect 8-0 record in conference dual meets, Minnesota finished the Big Ten regular season with an unblemished record for the fourth time in Head Coach J Robinson's career and for the first time since their back-to-back national championship runs in 2001 and '02. 20-20 Vision Following a season-opening loss to Hofstra at the Northeast Duals, Minnesota rattled off 20 straight dual meet wins to finish the season to match its 20-1 overall record in 2006. It is the first time in school history the Gophers have posted back-to-back 20-win seasons. The Gophers reached 20 wins in a single season for just the fifth time in school history and fourth time under Robinson. Minnesota's 20 straight wins to finish the 2006-07 season ranks as the third-longest winning streak in school history. Dual Meet Dominance Minnesota has posted a 170-29 (.854) dual meet winning percentage since the start of the 1997-98 season. In seven seasons during that stretch, the Gophers have lost two dual meets or fewer, including a perfect 19-0 season in 2001-02. Unprecedented Success An unprecedented five Minnesota wrestlers finished the 2006-07 season with 20 dual meet wins. Prior to this year, only 12 wrestlers in school history had ever posted 20 dual meet victories in a season. Streaky Gophers Senior heavyweight Cole Konrad is currently riding the second-longest winning streak in the nation at 67 consecutive matches, while sophomore Dustin Schlatter is right on his heels with 59 straight wins of his own, the third-longest streak in the country. Junior Manuel Rivera ranks fifth on the active list with 34 straight wins. Select Company Senior heavyweight Cole Konrad is aiming to join a select list of Minnesota wrestlers who have won three individual Big Ten titles. Only four other wrestlers in school history have accomplished the feat. Top Billing This weekend's Big Ten Championships will feature six wrestlers ranked No. 1 in the country in their respective weight classes, including Minnesota's Dustin Schlatter (149) and Cole Konrad (Hwt). Nine of Minnesota's 10 wrestlers are currently ranked in the top 25 in their respective weight classes. Making Their Debut Three Golden Gopher wrestlers will be competing in their first Big Ten Championships this weekend. Redshirt freshman Jayson Ness is poised to make a run at the 125-pound title, while sophomores Tyler Safratowich and Yura Malamura look to turn in a solid showing with hopes of qualifying for the NCAA Tournament. The top seven finishers at each weight class qualify for NCAAs, with the Big Ten getting two wild card selections.

TEMPE, Ariz. –- John Espinoza, a senior on the Arizona State University wrestling team, was awarded one of nine wild card selections into the NCAA Wrestling Championships, the Pac-10 Conference announced. In a vote of the 10 conference coaches, Espinoza was selected to join teammates Brian Stith (157), Patrick Pitsch (165), Greg Gifford (184) and Jason Trulson (197) in Auburn Hills, Mich., for the national tournament March 15-17. Espinoza, competing at 125 pounds, posted a 2-2 record at the Pac-10 Wrestling Championships over the weekend in Bakersfield, Calif., falling to Marcos Orozco of UC Davis in the third-place bout, 8-6. Seeded third in the tournament, Espinoza opened with a 12-10 decision over Brandon Zoeteway (CS Bakersfield) before dropping a 4-2 decision to second-seeded Eric Stevenson (Oregon State) in the semifinals. In the consolation bracket, Espinoza scored a 5-1 decision over Cory Fish (Boise State) to earn a place in the third-place bout with Orozco. Stith, Pitsch and Gifford each won individual titles in the tournament with both Stith and Pitsch earning their second conference crowns. Trulson placed third in his weight class to earn an automatic berth to the national meet. Joining Espinoza as the nine wild card selections were Cal State Fullerton's T.J. Dillashaw (133) and Bryan Tice (165), Cal Poly's Dave Roberts (141) and Chase Pami (157), Stanford's Brian Perry (165) and Luke Feist (174), Bakersfield's Colton Nichols (heavyweight) and Boise State's Andy Patrick (heavyweight).

The Pac-10 Championships are already in the books, but a vast majority of the Division I conference tournaments will take place this weekend. It's been a great season thus far … and although anything can happen, some very exciting matchups could occur in the league tournaments. Despite months of intra-league wrestling, several of the more intriguing bouts haven't occurred. This has been the result of various injuries as well as the fact that some teams within the same league don't face each other on their schedules. In other instances, matchups that have taken place were so exciting that there's even greater anticipation over the rematch or even third go-round. Here are some of the more anticipated bouts 10. Pat Castillo (Northern Illinois) vs. Luke Smith (Central Michigan) Conference: MAC Weight: 125 In this battle of ranked opponents, Castillo won a tight 3-2 bout in the dual meet. 9. Andrew Flanagan (Harvard) vs. Matt Dragon (Penn) Conference: EIWA Weight: 157 Flanagan won 11-4 in the dual, but Dragon is still a dangerous, if somewhat inconsistent wrestler who just can't be written off in a rematch. 8. Matt Hill (Edinboro) vs. Matt Kocher (Pitt) Conference: EWL Weight: 157 Hill won 4-3 in the dual, but again Kocher is quite dangerous. 7. Matt Herrington (Penn) vs. Matt Stolpinski (Navy) Conference: EIWA Weight: 174 These two ranked wrestlers haven't met this season. Both have had some big wins as well as some disappointing losses. If this matchup occurs, it will definitely help the winner come seeding time for the NCAA's. 6. Jerry Rinaldi (Cornell) vs. Josh Glenn (American) Conference: EIWA Weight: 197 One of the biggest intra-league matchups that hasn't yet occurred. Rinaldi is ranked third, Glenn fourth. Don't expect any kind of chess match in this one, as Glenn is an incredibly dangerous wrestler, known for putting people on their back. 5. Kenny Hashimoto (Northern Colorado) vs. C.J. Ettelson (Northern Iowa) Conference: Western Weight: 141 Hashimoto is probably the fan favorite for �Darkhorse of the Year.' A talented Judoka, Hashimoto is an exciting wrestler capable of big throws. He's 20-2 on the season, with one of the losses being an 8-6 decision to Minnesota's Manuel Rivera. The talented Ettelson was out for a month with an injury, missing the dual against Northern Colorado and a potential matchup against Hashimoto. He looked strong in his return to action and if this match does take place, it will answer questions about both wrestlers. 4. Johny Hendricks (Oklahoma State) vs. Travis Paulson (Iowa State) Conference: Big 12 Weight: 165 One of the best and most decorated active college wrestlers, Hendricks has been tested twice against the bull-like Paulson this year. Hendricks came out on top 4-3 and 5-4 in their meetings, but gave up a takedown in each match and earned exactly one minute of riding time to win most recently. Paulson has to think that he's an inch away to finally beating his nemesis and may get another chance on Saturday. 3. Roger Kish (Minnesota) vs. Mike Pucillo (Ohio State) Conference: Big Ten Weight: 184 Both have been impressive this season, but the Big Ten schedule didn't allow for a dual meet this year. Kish is probably favored, but Pucillo is just a freshman and could have a breakout match at any time. This weight is arguably the best in the Big Ten, as it features all of the top four wrestlers in the country. 2. Max Askren (Missouri) vs. Kurt Backes (Iowa State) Conference: Big 12 Weight: 197 Backes won on a defensive fall in the dual, thus eliminating Askren's chances at going undefeated as a freshman. Was it a fluke? Stay tuned to find out. 1. Manuel Rivera (Minnesota) vs. Ryan Lang (Northwestern) Conference: Big Ten Weight: 141 Manuel Rivera (Photo/The Guillotine)The 141-pound weight class is easily the weight class with the most remaining unanswered questions. It features three undefeated wrestlers: Lang, Rivera and Cal-Davis's Derek Moore. Moore did his part by winning the Pac-10's, but by the time of the Big Show, there can be only one other undefeated wrestler. . Lang missed a good portion of the season, but is still 20-0 and has quality wins over Nathan Morgan of Oklahoma State and Alex Tsirtsis of Iowa. Manuel Rivera has been a machine, going 35-0 this season, endearing himself to wrestling fans everywhere by relentlessly facing tough opponents and gutting out numerous tough wins. This is the only potential league matchup where somebody's "0" has to go.

GOLDEN, Colo. -- Led by individual champions Jared Deaguero (Commerce City, Colo.) and Casey Woodall (Morenci, Ariz.), the Adams State College Grizzlies qualified seven wrestlers for the national tournament while finishing fourth in the team standings at the NCAA West Regional/Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships, held Sunday in the Colorado School of Mines' Steinhauer Fieldhouse and Volk Gymnasium. Deaguero, a 184-pound junior, and Woodall, a 197-pound senior, came through for victories after 125-pound redshirt freshman Arsenia Barksdale (Norfolk, Va.) and 174-pound senior James Reynolds (Monte Vista, Colo.) dropped championship matches while finishing second. Barksdale was named as the RMAC's Freshman of the Year following the tournament. Joey Deaguero (Commerce City, Colo.), Mike Gallegos (Alamosa, Colo.) and Evan Copeland (Las Cruces, N.M.) also earned trips to the Mar. 9-10 NCAA Division II National Championships in Kearney, Neb. with top 4 finishes. Deaguero, a redshirt freshman, finished third in the 141-pound bracket while Gallegos and Copeland finished fourth at 157 and 165 pounds, respectively. Copeland, now a 3-time national qualifier, had to survive a true-fourth place match to survive. Redshirt freshman Noomis Jones (Arvada, Colo.) placed fifth and was just one win shy of a national tournament berth at 149 pounds. True freshman Kevin Schmitt (Arlington, Texas) went 0-2 in the 133-pound bracket. The Grizzlies scored 92.5 team points to edge Chadron State for fourth place in the team standings. The Grizzlies led the Eagles by three points heading into the championship finals before Chadron State surpassed the Grizzlies after Brett Hunter won the 165-pound title by fall. ASC then rallied back with the Jared Deaguero and Woodall victories. The nation's top-ranked University of Nebraska-Kearney Lopers had three individual champions and another four runner-ups to win their sixth straight RMAC title with 141.5 points. The Lopers and RMAC Coach of the Year Marc Bauer qualified nine wrestlers for the national tournament that they will host. That group includes heavyweight Tervel Dlagnev, who had just 91 seconds of mat time en-route to a championship and RMAC Wrestler of the Year honors. Dlagnev pinned his opponent in the quarterfinals before receiving forfeit victories in the semifinals and championship. Fort Hays State did not have any individual champions but finished second with 109.5 points. The Tigers qualified seven wrestlers for nationals. Western State, led by 174-pound champion Larry Wilbanks, who came from behind to defeat Reynolds, 4-3, finished third with 103.5 points. The Mountaineers also qualified seven wrestlers for the national tournament. Chadron State had two individual champions and six national qualifiers. San Francisco State finished sixth with 48 points and had two national qualifiers while Mesa State finished seventh with 24.5 points but did not have any national qualifiers. The host Orediggers qualified one wrestler for the national tournament and finished eighth with 24 points, one more than ninth-place runner-up led by 141-pound champion Ross Montour.

Five Stanford wrestlers placed at the Pac-10 Wrestling Championships today, and all five qualified for next month's NCAA Championships in Detroit. Tanner Gardner claimed his first conference title at 125 pounds, while Josh Zupancic and Zack Giesen finished second at 157 pounds and 184 pounds, respectively. Luke Feist and Brian Perry also placed and were wild card selections for the NCAA Championships. At 125 pounds, Gardner claimed Stanford's first Pac-10 individual title since 2004, defeating Oregon State's Eric Stevenson, 4-1, in the championship bout. The title was the first of Gardner's career, and improves the junior to 38-3 on the season. He will make his third career appearance at the NCAA Championships next month. In the 157-pound title match, Zupancic dropped a close 7-4 decision to No. 3 Brian Stith of Arizona State. In the 184-pound championship, Giesen fell in a 5-0 decision to Arizona State's Greg Gifford. Both Cardinal wrestlers finished second in the conference and qualified automatically for the nationals. At 165 pounds, third-seeded Perry was upset by fourth-seeded Bryan Tice of Cal State Fullerton in the consolation semifinals. The Cardinal senior battled back and decisively won the fifth-place match, however, earning a 12-4 major decision over Boise State's Johnny Nunez. At the end of the tournament, Perry was voted one of nine wild card selections by conference coaches. At 174 pounds, Luke Feist picked up a 19-7 major decision over Nick Hernandez of Cal Poly to advance to the third place match. Feist finished fourth, however, after dropping a 6-5 decision to Boise State's Nate Lee. The Cardinal sophomore also was selected as a wild card, and will compete at the NCAA Championships next month. As a team, Stanford finished sixth in the conference, improving one place on the squad's seventh place 2006 finish. Oregon State won the conference title for the first time since 1994, finishing five points above runner-up Cal State Bakersfield.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Robert Kellogg (Sioux City, Iowa/Sioux City North) won a 160-pound Iowa state title to become the second future Northwestern Wildcat to capture a state title this season. The senior signed a National Letter of Intent in the fall and will compete for the Wildcats starting in 2007-08. "Robert a guy that demands a lot out of himself and you could see that in his final match," assistant coach Andrew Pariano said. "We can't wait to work with him so that he can accomplish his collegiate goals of winning Big Ten and NCAA Championships." Kellogg picked up the 174th win of his career and improved his season record to 53-0 when he won the 160-pound title Saturday night at Wells Fargo Arena. Kellogg became the first wrestler in Sioux City North history win a championship. He dominated his semifinal match, cruising to a 12-1 win, before taking a 2-0 decision in the finals. "The Iowa High School State Wrestling Tournament is an outstanding event," Pariano said. "You know that you are in a state that appreciates wrestling the moment you set foot in Wells Fargo Arena. Robert handled the pressure really well and came away with a 2-0 victory." Fellow signee Mike Benefiel (Aurora, Ill./Montini Catholic) recently became the ninth wrestler in Illinois history to win four state titles. He also set the Illinois wins record with 195 victories. Ben Kuhar (Concord Twp., Ohio/St. Edward) also signed a National Letter of Intent in the fall to join Northwestern for the 2007-08 campaign. The 'Cats return to action Mar. 3-4, at the Big Ten Championships.

Penn State's two returning All-Americans have earned top seeds at their respective weights for the 2007 Big Ten Wrestling Championships this coming weekend in East Lansing, Mich. Junior Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) and senior James Yonushonis (Philipsburg, Pa.) are the No. 1 seeds at 197 and 174 respectively. Eight of head coach Troy Sunderland's Nittany Lions earned preseeds as announced by the Big Ten office Monday night. Davis, a two-time All-American and defending national runner-up at 197, is the No. 1 seed and is the defending Big Ten Champion. He is currently ranked No. 1 nationally and sports a 22-1 record. Davis posted a perfect 8-0 mark in Big Ten duals this past season. Since suffering an upset loss on Dec. 10, Davis has reeled off 13 straight wins, including his eight Big Ten victories. Five of his conference wins were pins. Yonushonis, a returning All-American as well, is the No. 1 seed at 174. He is currently ranked No. 5 nationally and sports a team best 27 wins against only three defeats. Yonushonis was a perfect 8-0 in Big Ten duals as well. Yonushonis went 18-1 overall in duals and is also riding a 13 match win streak. He also competed in the NWCA All-Star Classic, downing Penn's Matt Herrington 4-3 in the event. Joining the duo with a top preseed is senior heavyweight Aaron Anspach (Columbia, Pa.). Anspach is the No. 2 seed at heavyweight after going 16-2 this year. His Big Ten mark is a superb 7-1, with the only loss being a 5-1 decision to No. 1 seed Cole Konrad of Minnesota. Anspach is ranked No. 3 nationally and is making his Big Ten Tournament debut. Sophomore Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) is the No. 5 seed at 133. Strayer advanced to the 'round of 12' at nationals last year, finishing just one win shy of All-America status. He sports a 20-4 record this season, including a 6-2 mark in Big Ten action. He is ranked No. 11 nationally. Junior Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.) checks in as the No. 7 seed at 125. McKnight, ranked No. 13 in the country, went 18-6 this season, 3-5 in Big Ten duals. He is a two-time national qualifier, going to NCAAs in 2004 and 2005 as a wrestler at Buffalo. Three freshmen round out Penn State's seeded wrestlers. Red-shirt freshman Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) is the No. 6 seed at 149. Ranked No. 15 nationally, Vallimont went 16-8 overall, including a solid 5-3 mark in his first run through the Big Ten. True freshman Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) is the No. 7 seed at 157. Jenkins, who assumed the starting spot at 157 for Penn State in January, went 19-7 this year, including a solid 4-4 mark in Big Ten duals. Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio), another true freshman, is the No. 7 seed at 165. Rella, who also emerged as a starter in January, went 20-10 as a rookie, including a 3-5 mark in Big Ten action. Minnesota, the nation's top ranked team, leads the conference with four No. 1 seeds. Penn State is the only other squad with more than one. The preliminary seeds for the 2007 Big Ten Wrestling Championships are determined by a vote amongst the conference's head wrestling coaches after consideration of regular-season results. The 2007 Big Ten Wrestling Championships will take place on Saturday, March 3, and Sunday, March 4, at the Breslin Center on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich. The official Big Ten Championships bracket will be set on Friday, March 2. Less than one week remains until all 11 conference schools will take to the mats for the 2007 Big Ten Wrestling Championships. Ten conference squads are currently ranked in the nation's top 25, including unanimous No. 1 Minnesota. Illinois is ranked seventh, followed by No. 8 Wisconsin, No. 10 Iowa, No. 11 Penn State, No. 15 Northwestern, No. 18 Indiana, No. 21 Ohio State, No. 22 Michigan State and No. 23 Michigan. Last year at Indiana, Minnesota claimed the 2005-06 conference championship with a score of 138 points. Illinois (125) placed second and Michigan (115), Penn State (91) and Northwestern (87.5) rounded out the top five. Iowa (86) and Wisconsin (76.5) finished sixth and seventh, respectively, while Michigan State (68), Purdue (45.5), Indiana (43.5) and Ohio State (40) rounded out the field. Tickets may be purchased by contacting the Michigan State University Ticket Office at 517-355-1610 or online at www.msuspartans.com.

PARK RIDGE, Ill. -- The preliminary seeds for the 2007 Big Ten Wrestling Championships were announced today by conference officials. The pre-seeds are determined by a vote amongst the conference's head wrestling coaches after consideration of regular-season results. The 2007 Big Ten Wrestling Championships will take place on Saturday, March 3, and Sunday, March 4, at the Breslin Center on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Mich. The official Big Ten Championships bracket will be set on Friday, March 2. Top-ranked Minnesota leads all Big Ten teams with four top pre-seeds, as Jayson Ness (33-3 at 125 pounds), Manuel Rivera (34-0 at 141), Dustin Schlatter (29-0 at 149) and Cole Konrad (26-0 at HWT) all earned the top billing for the Golden Gophers. Last season, Konrad was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year and has won his last 67 matches. Schlatter was the conference's Freshman of the Year in 2005-06, while Ness and Rivera have both earned Wrestler of the Week accolades this season. Penn State earned a pair of top pre-seeds, while Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State and Northwestern and were all represented with one selection. The Nittany Lions boast top pre-seeds in James Yonushonis (27-3 at 174) and defending Big Ten Champion Phil Davis (22-1 at 197). The remaining No. 1 pre-seeds consist of Illinois' Michael Poeta (19-0 at 157), Michigan's Eric Tannenbaum (21-0 at 165), Michigan State's Nick Simmons (31-1 at 133) and Northwestern's Jake Herbert (24-0 at 184). Less than one week remains until all 11 conference schools will take to the mats for the 2007 Big Ten Wrestling Championships. Ten conference squads are currently ranked in the nation's top 25, including unanimous No. 1 Minnesota. Illinois is ranked seventh, followed by No. 8 Wisconsin, No. 10 Iowa, No. 11 Penn State, No. 15 Northwestern, No. 18 Indiana, No. 21 Ohio State, No. 22 Michigan State and No. 23 Michigan. Last year at Indiana, Minnesota claimed the 2005-06 conference championship with a score of 138 points. Illinois (125) placed second and Michigan (115), Penn State (91) and Northwestern (87.5) rounded out the top five. Iowa (86) and Wisconsin (76.5) finished sixth and seventh, respectively, while Michigan State (68), Purdue (45.5), Indiana (43.5) and Ohio State (40) rounded out the field. Tickets may be purchased by contacting the Michigan State University Ticket Office at 517-355-1610 or online at www.msuspartans.com. 2007 BIG TEN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS PRELIMINARY SEEDS 125 lbs. 1. Jayson Ness, Minnesota 2. Charlie Falck, Iowa 3. Angel Escobedo, Indiana 4. Franklin Gomez, Michigan State 5. Gabriel Flores, Illinois 6. Brandon Precin, Northwestern 7. Mark McKnight, Penn State 8. Brandon Tucker, Purdue 133 lbs. 1. Nick Simmons, Michigan State 2. James Kennedy, Illinois 3. Mack Reiter, Minnesota 4. Zach Tanelli, Wisconsin 5. Jake Strayer, Penn State 6. Andrae Hernandez, Indiana 7. Mario Galanakis, Iowa 8. T.J. Enright, Ohio State 141 lbs. 1. Manuel Rivera, Minnesota 2. Ryan Lang, Northwestern 3. Andy Simmons, Michigan State 4. Cassio Pero, Illinois 5. Kyle Ruschell, Wisconsin 6. Alex Tsirtsis, Iowa 7. J Jaggers, Ohio State 8. Justin Chrzanowski, Michigan 149 lbs. 1. Dustin Schlatter, Minnesota 2. Joshua Churella, Michigan 3. Lance Palmer, Ohio State 4. Jake Patacsil, Purdue 5. Tyler Turner, Wisconsin 6. Dan Vallimont, Penn State 7. Troy Tirapelle, Illinois 8. Matt Coughlin, Indiana 157 lbs. 1. Michael Poeta, Illinois 2. Brandon Becker, Indiana T3. C.P. Schlatter, Minnesota T3. Craig Henning, Wisconsin 5. Ryan Morningstar, Iowa 6. Bubba Jenkins, Penn State 7. Jacob Murphy, Purdue 8. Jeff Marsh, Michigan 165 lbs. 1. Eric Tannenbaum, Michigan 2. Mark Perry, Iowa 3. Tyler Safratowich, Minnesota 4. Roger Smith-Bergsrud, Illinois 5. Chris Vondruska, Ohio State 6. Justin Fraga, Purdue 7. Dave Rella, Penn State 8. Max Dean, Indiana 174 lbs. 1. James Yonushonis, Penn State 2. Eric Luedke, Iowa 3. Steve Luke, Michigan 4. Gabriel Dretsch, Minnesota 5. Trevor Perry, Indiana 6. Nick Hayes, Northwestern 7. Matthew Winterhalter, Illinois 8. Matthew Maciag, Wisconsin 184 lbs. 1. Jake Herbert, Northwestern 2. Roger Kish, Minnesota 3. Mike Pucillo, Ohio State 4. Tyrel Todd, Michigan 5. Marc Bennet, Indiana 6. Joseph Williams, Michigan State 7. John Dergo, Illinois 8. Trevor Brandvold, Wisconsin 197 lbs. 1. Phil Davis, Penn State 2. Mike Tamillow, Northwestern 3. Patrick Bond, Illinois 4. James Bergman, Ohio State 5. Dallas Herbst, Wisconsin 6. Nathan Moore, Purdue 7. Nick Roy, Michigan 8. Nathan Everhart, Indiana HWT 1. Cole Konrad, Minnesota 2. Aaron Anspach, Penn State 3. Dustin Fox, Northwestern 4. Matt Fields, Iowa 5. Kyle Massey, Wisconsin 6. Josh Buuck, Indiana 7. John Wise, Illinois 8. Corey Morrison, Ohio State

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. –- The Arizona State University wrestling team had three individuals claim titles, the most of any conference team, and another place third as the 2007 Pac-10 Wrestling Championships came to a close Sunday evening inside the Icardo Center in Bakersfield, Calif. As a team, the Sun Devils scored 76.5 points to place fifth while Oregon State's 110 points won the title, edging out host CS Bakersfield (105) and UC Davis (96.5) for the win. The final session opened with John Espinoza, the third-seeded wrestler at 125 pounds, facing fifth-seeded Marcos Orozco (UCD) for third place. Despite hanging tough, the Aggie scored an 8-6 decision over Espinoza, forcing his fate for a berth into the national tournament into the hands of the conference's head coaches as they award one of nine wild card berths (which will be announced later tonight). In the 157 pounds final, top-seeded Brian Stith competed in his third final in a row and walked away with his second career title as he controlled the pace and built an early lead into a 7-4 victory over Josh Zupancic (Stanford). Stith will now advance to the NCAA meet where he was the national runner-up one year ago while earning his second All-America honor. One bout later, second-seeded Patrick Pitsch looked to defend his crown at 165 pounds while taking on top-seeded Dustin Noack (UCD). Pitsch was successful in his bid as a takedown secured his back-to-back crown and an appearance in the national meet. At 184 pounds, top-seeded Greg Gifford faced third-seeded Zack Giessen (SU) in the finals of his first Pac-10 tournament and scored a 5-0 victory to close out his conference collegiate career with a win. The 2006 West Region Champion with Fresno State, Gifford will now look to earn his first All-America honor at the NCAA meet in two weeks. The final Sun Devil to take to the mats was third-seeded Jason Trulson at 197 pounds and he did not disappoint the maroon and gold fans in the stands as he dominated OSU's fifth-seeded Travis Gardner in a 13-1 major decision. Trulson, who will make his first national appearance in two weeks, jumped to an early lead and picked up back points to easily win the bout. Stith, Pitsch, Gifford and Trulson all will compete at the 2007 NCAA Wrestling Championships at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Mich., March 15-17.

Head Coach Pat Pecora and the Pitt Johnstown wrestlers claimed their 20 Regional Tournament Championship with 120 team points, 6.5 points better than second place Mercyhurst College, Saturday afternoon at the University of North Carolina-Pembroke. Four Pitt Johnstown wrestlers earned runner-up finishes and a total of eight will advance to the 2007 NCAA Division II National Tournament at the University of Nebraska-Kearney on March 9-10. After advancing eight to the semifinals and holding a commanding lead after Friday's first day of wrestling, the Mountain Cats got the job done, despite winning no individual titles. Junior All-American Brandon Reasy (133 lbs.) (New Enterprise, Pa.), nationally #1-ranked Mike Corcetti (184 lbs.) (Export, Pa.), 2006 National Qualifier Mike Fowler (197 lbs.) (Carroltown, Pa.) and true freshman Chris Dempsey (HWT.) (Sewickley, Pa.) all reached the finals, but finished second. Kutztown's Joe Kemmerer defeated Reasy, 1-0, in the title bout and Shippensburg's Mark Murphy upset Corcetti with a fall at :53. At 197 lbs., Fowler suffered a 5-1 loss to the tournament's top-seeded Derek Brunson (UNC-Pembroke) and Dempsey lost, 9-5, to Jason Groller (Shippensburg, Pa.) in the championship after knocking off #1-seeded William Moss (Limestone), 3-2, in overtime in the semifinals. Junior Derrek Bosso (125 lbs.) (Pequea, Pa.), 2006 National Qualifier Joe Strittmatter (157 lbs.) (Ebensburg, Pa.) and All-American Eli Garshnick (174 lbs.) (Armagh, Pa.) placed third after reaching the semifinals to earn a trip to the National Tournament. Bosso dropped a, 12-7, decision to eventual champion Payne Lint (Mercyhurst) in the semifinals, but responded with a fall, before scoring a, 10-0, major decision over Ian Barker (Limestone) to place third. Strittmatter lost in the semifinals, but defeated Jacob Wilson (Shippensburg), 3-2, and Mikel Bush (Limestone), 13-7, to finish third, while Garshnick pinned Todd Neptune (Limestone) at 6:54 and won, 3-0, over Quinn Toldbert (Newberry) to secure third place. Red-shirt reshman Shane Valko (141 lbs.) (Windber, Pa.) also advanced to the semifinals and placed fourth to become eighth Mountain Cat to advance to nationals. After suffering a 12-8 decision to Steve Fittery (Shippensburg) in the semis, Valko defeated Bret Martinez, 7-1, but lost, 9-1, to Doug Surra (West Liberty State) in the Third Place Match. Red-shirt freshman Adam Whetstone (149 lbs.) (Claysburg, Pa.) and 2006 All-American Albert Miles (165 lbs.) (Canonsburg, Pa.) competed in the Regional Tournament, but did not place. TEAM STANDINGS: PITT JOHNSTOWN (120 PTS.), Mercyhurst (113.5 pts.), Shippensburg University (100.0 pts.), West Liberty State (WV) College (91.5 pts.), Newberry (SC) College (86.0 pts.), Kutztown University (69.5 pts.), Gannon University (58.0 pts.), UNC-Pembroke (57.0 pts.), Belmont Abbey (NC) College (56.0 pts.), Limestone (NC) College (44.5 pts.), American International (MA) College (11.0 pts.), Anderson (SC) College (11.0 pts.), St. Andrews Presbyterian (NC) College (.5 pts.)

Moorhead, Minn. -- The third-ranked Minnesota State wrestling squad (16-3 overall; 3-0 NCC) qualified all 10 of its wrestlers at the North Central Regional Qualifier held in Moorhead, Minn. for the NCAA Division II National Championships today. The top four wrestlers in each weight class advance to the national championships held on March 9-10 in Kearney, Neb., and will meet wrestlers from three other regional meets from around the country. The Mavericks took the team title at the meet with a team score of 146.5. MSU finished the meet with seven champions, one second place and two fourth place wrestlers. Upper Iowa finished in second place with a team score of 122 and qualified eight wrestlers (one first place; five second place; two third place) while three time defending champions Nebraska Omaha finished in third place with a team score of 114.5 and qualifed eight wrestlers (two first place; one second place; four third place; one fourth place).

Kearney, Neb. -- For the sixth straight season, and for the seventh time in eight years, the Nebraska-Kearney wrestling team has won the RMAC/West Region Championship. Today in Golden, Colo., the Lopers scored 141.5 points to beat out Fort Hays State (109.5) and Western State (103.5) for the team trophy. The field consisted of nine teams, including a first year program (Mesa State) and RMAC-affiliated member San Francisco State and Hays. Winning their weight classes as No. 1 seeds were senior Trevor Charbonneau (125 lbs.), junior Brett Allgood (133 lbs.) and junior Tervel Dlagnev (Hwt.). All three are repeat winners. Junior Joe Ellenberger was seeded 2nd at 157 lbs. and recorded pins in the semifinals and finals to make his first trip to the RMAC meet a memorable one. The Omaha native is now 39-9 on the year. Making the event finals and finishing 2nd were sophomore Matt Farrell (184 lbs.) and redshirt freshmen Taylor May (165 lbs.) and Kelsey Empting (197 lbs.). Empting was the 2nd seed his class with May fourth. Farrell was No. 1 but saw his 24-match win streak end when he lost to 2nd-seed Jared Deaguero of Adams, 6-4, in the finals. Of Farrell's (29-4) four losses this year, two have been to Deaguero. Senior Matt True (22-9), the 2nd seed at 149 lbs., will be making his fourth straight trip to the NCAA meet as he beat top seed Mikel Delk of Hays to finish third. Finally, junior Jeff Rutledge, the top seed at 141 lbs., makes a return visit to the NCAA's thanks to a win in the "true" fourth place match. Rutledge (23-15) was upset in the second round and then lost in the consolation bracket. However, he won the fifth place match by forfeit and then beat Virgil Lockett of San Francisco State, 6-2, to give UNK a ninth qualifier. Wahoo sophomore Paul Sutton, who came into the meet with only four matches under his belt, was seeded 2nd at 174 lbs. He won his first bout but lost three straight matches by one point to finish sixth. Dlagnev was named the RMAC Wrestler of the Year, thanks to his 45-1 record. He had an easy day, having one pin and two forfeit victories. Allgood also had a dominating day, recording two majors and a pin to move to 26-5 on the season. Charbonneau (26-8), who moved into the nation's top spot earlier this week, beat the RMAC Freshman of the Year, Arsenia Barksdale of Adams, 7-3, in the finals. Barksdale is 2nd in the national rankings. May (Imperial) pulled off one of the bigger upsets in the tournament. Coming in with a 13-15 record, he beat top seed Zac Lee of Western, 3-1 in sudden victory, in the semifinals. It's his second win over Lee, ranked 4th nationally, this year. Empting (24-14) got to the finals with a major and a fall before falling to top seed, and No. 1 nationally, Casey Woodall of Adams, 5-1. Finally, head coach Marc Bauer was named RMAC/West Coach of the Year. It marks the sixth time he has won the award. UNK will host the NCAA Championships March 9-10. Brackets for the event will be released early this week. Final Team Scores UNK 141.5 Hays 109.5 Western State 103.5 Adams State 92.5 Chadron State 91.5 San Francisco State 48 Mesa State 24.5 Colorado School of Mines 24 N.M. Highlands 23

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. –- The No. 16 Oregon State University wrestling team captured the Pac-10 Championship for the first time since 1994, edging the host Cal State-Bakersfield Roadrunners at the Icardo Center Sunday. The Beavers finished the tournament with a team score of 110 points, while the Roadrunners had 105 and UC Davis 96.5. The Beavers won individual titles at 174 pounds and heavyweight. Jeremy Larson, ranked No. 17, defeated top-seeded Ken Cook of UC Davis 8-4 in the title match at 174. Larson's win evened his head-to-head competition vs. Cook for the season at two wins each. No. 5 ranked and top-seeded Ty Watterson nearly shut out third-seeded Cody Parker of Cal Poly, before settling for an 8-2 victory. The Beavers also picked up runner-up points from second-seeded Eric Stevenson at 125, who fell 4-1 to top-seeded Tanner Gardner of Stanford. Bobby Pfennings forfeited the championship match at 133 to Darrel Vasquez of Cal Poly. Third-seeded Derek Kipperberg lost his 149 title match to top-seeded Morgan Atkinson of Cal State-Fullerton 8-4. Pfennings has been bothered by a nagging hamstring injury and the coaches decided that it would be beneficial for him to concentrate on becoming healthy for the NCAA Championships rather than risk further injury. Fourth-seeded Kyle Bressler took third place honors at 184 with a 9-0 victory over Brysen French of Oregon. Fifth-seeded Travis Gardner finished fourth after falling in the 197 match to third-seeded Jason Trulson of Arizona State. Unseeded Keegan Davis captured fifth place with an 8-2 win over six-seeded Daniel Alejandro of CSUB. The top three placers at each weight plus nine "wildcards" advance to the March 17-19 NCAA Championships in Detroit. Pac-10 coaches were meeting at press time to determine the wildcards. FINAL TEAM SCORES: 1. Oregon State 110; 2. Cal State-Bakersfield 105; UC Davis 96.5; 4. Cal Poly 84; 5. Arizona State 76.5; 6. Stanford 72; 7. Cal State-Fullerton 69.5; 8. Oregon, 62; 9. Boise State, 58.5 10. Portland State 5.5.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. –- Five Oregon State wrestlers have advanced to the championship finals and the Beavers are the team leaders after Saturday's first day of the Pacific-10 Championships at the Icardo Center. Going after individual conference titles for OSU on Sunday evening will be 125-pounder Eric Stevenson, 133-pounder Bobby Pfennigs, 149-pounder Derek Kipperberg, 174-pounder Jeremy Larson and heavyweight Ty Watterson. OSU, ranked 16th nationally, finished the first day of the two-day meet with 92 points; California-Davis is in second place with 74.5 points and Cal Poly is third with 71.5 points. The tournament concludes with two more sessions on Sunday; the Beavers are trying for their first Pac-10 title since 1994. "It was a good day," OSU head coach Jim Zalesky said. "We won a lot of matches in the last 20 seconds ... those (semifinal) matches at 125 pounds, 133 pounds, 149 pounds – we won those in the last seconds of each match, and that's where training hard and all the hard work pay off, at the end of those close matches." Sunday's first session at 11 a.m. will include the wrestleback semifinals and the fifth-place finals; the second session at 5:30 p.m. will include the third-place finals and the championship finals. Sunday's action at the Pac-10 tournament can be followed on the internet by going to www.gorunners.com, then clicking on the tab labeled "Pacific-10 Wrestling Tournament Central." Live video streaming of the tourney will be available at www.pac-10.org. By reaching the championship finals, the five Beavers have assured themselves a place at the NCAA Championships. The top three wrestlers at each weight class, plus nine wild cards selected from across the 10 weight classes by the conference coaches, will advance to the national meet March 15-17 in Detroit, Mich. Still alive in the wrestleback bracket with the potential to place as high as third for OSU are 157-pounder Keegan Davis, 184-pounder Kyle Bressler and 197-pounder Travis Gardner. "Now we've got to have a good day on Sunday and wrap up the title," Zalesky said. "Nothing is wrapped up yet. In tournaments like this, you've got to wrestle better each day." Wins by Kipperberg, Davis and Gardner over UCD wrestlers who had beaten them in a dual meet earlier this month proved pivotal in OSU building its lead in the team race. "Those were huge for us," Zalesky said. OSU 141-pounder Kyle Larson, ranked 18th nationally and seeded third in the meet, lost both his matches on Saturday. Larson is still trying to recover from a knee injury suffered near the end of the dual meet season. "Kyle was beat up," Zalesky said. "He tried, but he just didn't have it; he just couldn't do anything. It was a tough way for his season to end." Watterson, ranked fifth nationally and seeded first in the Pac-10 meet, won three matches Saturday – including a pin and a major decision – to reach the finals for the second straight season. Watterson will seek his first Pac-10 title against third-seeded Cody Parker of Cal Poly; Parker is ranked 12th nationally. Larson, ranked 17th nationally and seeded second in the meet, is also in the finals for the second straight season after earning a pair of wins, including a technical fall. He'll go against top-seeded Ken Cook of UC-Davis, who is ranked fourth nationally. Stevenson, seeded second, also had a pin among his three victories. He'll wrestle in the finals against Tanner Gardner of Stanford, who is seeded first and is ranked third nationally. Pfennigs, another Beaver seeded second, advanced to the finals with a pair of decisions. His opponent in the finals will be top-seeded Darrell Vasquez of Cal Poly, who is ranked sixth nationally. Kipperberg, seeded third, upset second-seeded Brandon Doyle of Cal State-Bakersfield 6-5 in the semifinals to reach the final. Kipperberg will wrestle for the championship against Morgan Atkinson of Cal State-Fullerton, who is seeded first and is ranked 11th nationally.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 7/14 Oklahoma Sooners (11-7, 0-5 Big 12) defeated No. 19/22 Michigan State (3-11, 2-6 Big 10) on Friday night in East Lansing, Mich., 24-15. "This was a very tough and hard fought match and I was glad to see our kids get the victory," head coach Jack Spates said. The Sooners are now on a two-match winning streak after coming off a 21-13 upset of No. 6/8 Hofstra last Saturday. Kyle Terry began the match with his second consecutive victory over a top-eight ranked wrestler in seven days at 141 pounds. Terry upset No. 4 Andy Simmons by a decision of 4-2. The two went scoreless in the first period and Terry began the second period with a reversal to take a 2-0 lead. Simmons countered with an escape but Terry scored again with a takedown. Simmons could only manage an escape in the third period as Terry took the match 4-2. "Kyle Terry is getting better every match and to beat his second ranked opponent in as many matches is a very big confidence booster for him heading into the Big 12 Championships and NCAA Championships," Spates continued. "Kyle really controlled the match more than the score indicated against a two-time All-American and it was nice to see him get another big victory." No. 1 Sam Hazewinkel recorded his first victory since Jan. 6 with a 6-2 decision over No. 8 Franklin Gomez at 125 pounds. Hazewinkel was scheduled to wrestle last weekend against Hofstra but drew a forfeit. Hazewinkel scored three times in the second period after a scoreless first period. The Sooner senior score an escape, a reversal and a near-fall as Gomez only managed a takedown in the period. The two did not score in the third as Hazewinkel took the victory. "For Sam to come back in his first match since his injury and wrestle a top-10 ranked opponent and pick up the victory shows how much character he has," Spates said. Five other Sooners picked up victories on the evening. No. 2 Matt Storniolo defeated Jeff Wimberley by a decision of 3-0. Storniolo scored once in the first period and again twice in the third period to pick up the victory at 149 pounds. No. 11 Will Rowe won by a decision as well at 157 pounds. Rowe defeated Tony Greathouse by a score of 8-3 at 157 pounds. No. 18 Shane Seibert picked up a fall at 165 pounds. Seibert put Rex Kindle on his back at the 1:04 mark in the first period. No. 8 Joshua Weitzel defeated John Murphy by a decision of 8-5 at 174 pounds. Brad farmer picked up his second consecutive victory at heavyweight as he defeated Alan O'Donnell by a decision of 6-3. The Sooners next travel to Columbia, Mo., for the Big 12 Championships on Saturday, March 3.

William Penn Standout Darren M. Cotton joins us in studio along with others from his team. Cotton is a Team Captain at WPU, 4 x-Regions Champ and 3 x-All-American Neat kid and great story. Very Inspirational. Steve Foster, Jeff Murphy, and I will break things down as we take a look the Big 10'2 and 12's the Pac and NAIA, EIWA and ACC/SOCONN conferences in Our Kemin Foods TDR Top 20 report. Man there's a bunch of wrestling going on. Dave Beachnau, Executive Director of the Detroit Metro Sports Commission Also WWE Star and friend of TDR and am. wrestling Mic Foley joins us from long island to talk about his new book. This looks to be an interesting show. please join us. Next week we'll be live at the Big 12 Conference Championships. Tune in for complete coverage to Takedownradio.com

Click HERE to visit the official web site for the NCAA West Regional/RMAC Wrestling Championships, to be hosted by the Colorado School of Mines Orediggers on Sunday in Golden, Colo. The Grizzlies and eight other RMAC teams will battle it out for conference honors as well as qualifying spots into the Mar. 9-10 NCAA Division II National Championships in Kearney, Neb. The top four wrestlers in each of the ten weight classes will qualify for that championship. The Grizzlies have qualified 19 of a possible 20 wrestlers over the last two years and have finished as the runner-up in each.

NORMAN, Okla. –- The No. 7/14 Oklahoma Sooners (10-7, 0-5 Big 12) face No. 19/22 Michigan State (3-10, 2-6 Big 10) on Friday night in East Lansing, Mich. at 7 p.m., to close the regular season. "Michigan State is an outstanding team and a top-20 program, so it should be an exciting match," head coach Jack Spates said. The Sooners are coming off a 21-13 upset of No. 6/8 Hofstra last Saturday. Last season, Oklahoma defeated the Spartans 24-11 in Norman on senior night. In that dual the Sooners won seven of the 10 matches. The premier match of the evening will pit No. 1 Sam Hazewinkel against No. 8 Franklin Gomez at 125 pounds. Hazewinkel is 17-0 this season and drew a victory due to a forfeit last weekend against Hofstra. This will be the senior's first action since the NWCA National Duals (Jan. 13) where he sustained an injury. Gomez is 31-5 on the year. Both wrestlers hail from Florida. "What we need to focus on is continuing to build off our Hofstra victory," Spates continued. "We need to continue wrestling sharp and aggressive. Michigan State has a very talented team especially with the Simmons twins who are both excellent wrestlers." The Sooners will once again be without starter Joe Comparin at 133 pounds who is out due to a recent injury. The junior has wrestled once since the Lone Star Duals Jan. 6. The Michigan State match will be webcast live at www.msuwrestling.com. The Sooners next travel to Columbia, Mo., for the Big 12 Championships on Saturday, March 3.

The University of Northern Iowa wrestling team will host the 2007 NCAA West Regional March 3 in the McLeod Center. UNI head wrestling coach Brad Penrith said this is a tremendous opportunity to watch collegiate wrestling. "We'll have seven teams in action on two mats, so it's a great chance to catch some top-notch wrestling at a very low price," Penrith said. Adult tickets are $6, while youth tickets are $3 for the NCAA West Regional. Ticket are available from the UNI Ticket Office by calling 319-273-4TIX (4849) or 319-273-DOME (3663). The ticket is good for the entire day of wrestling in the McLeod Center. Wrestling action will begin March 3 at 10 a.m. on two mats in the McLeod Center. The tournament will continue through the day with the finals slated to begin at 5 p.m. Matches for true second will follow the finals at approximately 7 p.m. The West Regional participants for 2007 includes: UNI, Air Force, Eastern Illinois, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, South Dakota State and Wyoming. The West Regional has been alloted 21 qualifiers for this year's NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, which will be held March 15-17 at the Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich. "Many of the fans in the area can remember back to the days that North Dakota State and South Dakota State routinely made trips to Cedar Falls to wrestle because we were a part of the old North Central Conference," Penrith said. "By bringing back some of these old rivalries, we are renewing old acquaintances and showing how talented these teams are in the West Regional."

This is the last blog that I'll write before the Big Ten Championships. I have done all I can at this point, and I have trained for this national title and Big Ten Championship for about 10 years now. I finished my regular season off undefeated, having only three regular decisions the whole year. I was pretty happy with that, but of course I wanted to be more dominant. Until I can pin everyone I step out on that mat against, I will have to keep training and working on getting better. But it's Big Ten's and NCAA's … the fun times. This is where everything counts, all the hard work and training pays off now. It doesn't matter if you're 20-0 or 0-20 going into this part, all you gotta do is win three matches and, boom, you're a Big Ten finalist … and four matches and, boom, you're a national finalist. Jake Herbert (Photo/Stephen J. Carrera)I want to win my next nine matches and get that Big Ten title and my NCAA championship. I have made the Big Ten finals every year so far. Losing in the closing seconds my freshman year … and pinning my opponent in the finals last year. This year the Big Ten is representing the No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4-ranked kids in the nation all in our weight. I'll be getting Tyrel Todd of Michigan in the semifinals to make it to the finals. He was my last match and I was pretty disappointed with the outcome. I gave up my first takedown the whole year against him … and then one more. I'm really looking forward to a rematch so that I can show the nation that what happened last time will never be repeated. The match-up I'm interested to see is Mike Pucillo of Ohio State vs. Roger Kish of Minnesota on the other side. Both kids are great wrestlers who fight tooth and nail for every point. I know Kish has been on a warpath since we wrestled at the NWCA All Star Classic and I have been preparing to wrestle all three. I'm looking forward to it. This Big Ten tournament is very important to win because it's a mindset going into the NCAA's. The winner of this will definitely have mental dominance over everyone else at NCAA's … because if you're the best in the Big Ten, chances are you're the best in the nation. I'll see all you there at the top of the podium Jake Herbert Past Entries: Entry 8 (2/9/07) Entry 7 (1/24/07) Entry 6 (1/10/07) Entry 5 (12/13/06) Entry 4 (11/29/06) Entry 3 (11/16/06) Entry 2 (11/1/06) Entry 1 (10/17/06)

EDMOND, Okla. -- Nebraska-Kearney kept its spot at the head of the NCAA Division II wrestling rankings in the final regular-season poll that was released Wedesday by the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches' Association. The Antelopes, who finished a best-ever 17-1 in duals, were the unanimous No. 1 pick for the second straight poll as they earned all eight first-place votes to finish with 160 points. Central Oklahoma stayed second with 151 points, while Minnesota State-Mankato switched places with Nebraska-Omaha after winning a dual showdown between the two and Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) was fifth. Rounding out the top 10 is Adams State, Upper Iowa, West Liberty State (W.Va.), Fort Hays State (Kan.) and Mercyhurst (Pa.). UNK features three top-ranked individuals -- Trevor Charboneau (125 pounds), Brett Allgood (133) and Tervel Dlagnev (285). UCO is paced by No. 1 Kyle Evans (141), MSU-Mankato is led by top-rated Andy Pickar (165) and UNO has two No. 1s in Todd Meneely (149) and J.D. Naig (174). The other three top-ranked individuals are 157 Brad Becker of Wisconsin-Parkside, 184 Mike Corcetti of UPJ and 197 Casey Woodall of Adams State. Four regional tournaments are on tap around the country this weekend, with the top-four placers at each weight from each regional advancing to the 2007 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships that will be held March 9-10 in Kearney, Neb. The NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches' Association Top 20 poll, with points and last ranking: Rank School (State) Points Last Ranking 1. Nebraska-Kearney 160 1st 2. Central Oklahoma 151 2nd 3. Minnesota State-Mankato 143 4th 4. Nebraska-Omaha 137 3rd 5. Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 129 5th 6. Adams State (Colo.) 118 6th 7. Upper Iowa 106 7th 8. West Liberty State (W.Va.) 102 9th 9. Fort Hays State (Kan.) 88 10th 10. Mercyhurst (Pa.) 83 12th 11. Ashland (Ohio) 82 11th 12. Western State (Colo.) 80 8th 13. Wisconsin-Parkside 64 13th 14. Augustana (S.D.) 51 14th 15. Indianapolis (Ind.) 49 15th 16. Chadron State (Neb.) 44 17th 17. Newberry (S.C.) 38 16th 18. Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 18 18th 19. Kutztown (Pa.) 14 20th 20. Findlay (Ohio) 9 19th Others receiving votes: Minnesota State-Moorhead, Shippensburg (Pa.). 125 Pounds 1. Trevor Charboneau, Nebraska-Kearney 2. Arsenia Barksdale, Adams State (Colo.) 3. Tyler Mumbulo, Upper Iowa 4. Nick Smith, Minnesota State-Mankato 5. Chas Welch, Northern State (S.D.) 6. Devlon Webb, Chadron State (Neb.) 7. Derek Bosso, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 8. John Fleming, Indianapolis (Ind.) 133 Pounds 1. Brett Allgood, Nebraska-Kearney 2. Andy Uhl, Findlay (Ohio) 3. Jeff Pfaffinger, Minnesota State-Mankato 4. Joe Kemmerer, Kutztown (Pa.) 5. Shane Perkey, Indianapolis (Ind.) 6. Jake Brumbelow, Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 7. Brandon Reasy, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 8. Reimark Neidermaier, Belmont Abbey (N.C.) 141 Pounds 1. Kyle Evans, Central Oklahoma 2. Travis Elg, Minnesota State-Mankato 3. Yasiim Bribieseca, Nebraska-Omaha 4. J.J. Zanetta, Mercyhurst (Pa.) 5. Shane Valko, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 6. Jeff Rutledge, Nebraska-Kearney 7. Tony Iovine, Ashland (Ohio) 8. John Gamble, Upper Iowa 149 Pounds 1. Todd Meneely, Nebraska-Omaha 2. Jason Rhoten, Minnesota State-Mankato 3. Mikel Delk, Fort Hays State (Kan.) 4. Shea Timothy, Central Oklahoma 5. Don Cummings, Mercyhurst (Pa.) 6. Marcus Gordon, Ashland (Ohio) 7. Charlie Pingleton, Indianapolis (Ind.) 8. Matt True, Nebraska-Kearney 157 Pounds 1. Brad Becker, Wisconsin-Parkside 2. Tony Guerra, Findlay (Ohio) 3. Jason Leavitt, Central Oklahoma 4. Austin Scarset, Augustana (S.D.) 5. Mike Gallegos, Adams State (Colo.) 6. Brandon Girtz, Minnesota State-Mankato 7. Joe Ellenberger, Nebraska-Kearney 8. Andy Lamancusa, Mercyhurst (Pa.) 165 Pounds 1. Andy Pickar, Minnesota State-Mankato 2. Nate Baker, Minnesota State-Moorhead 3. Ross Taplin, Nebraska-Omaha 4. Zach Lee, Western State (Colo.) 5. Mitch Norton, Upper Iowa 6. Eric Lakia, Ashland (Ohio) 7. Brett Hunter, Chadron State (Neb.) 8. Kevin Kalbach, Kutztown (Pa.) 174 Pounds 1. J.D. Naig, Nebraska-Omaha 2. Zach Shafer, Mercyhurst (Pa.) 3. Tom Clark, West Liberty State (W.Va.) 4. Michael Jackson, Indianapolis (Ind.) 5. Cody Henriksen, Augustana (S.D.) 6. Quinn Tolbert, Newberry (S.C.) 7. Eli Garshnick, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 8. Tyler Tubbs, Minnesota State-Moorhead 184 Pounds 1. Mike Corcetti, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 2. Matt Farrell, Nebraska-Kearney 3. Dan Scanlan, Limestone (S.C.) 4. Nate Jones, Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 5. Jared Hess, Central Oklahoma 6. Jared Deaguero, Adams State (Colo.) 7. Travis Krinke, Minnesota State-Mankato 8. Mark Murphy, Shippensburg (Pa.) 197 Pounds 1. Casey Woodall, Adams State (Colo.) 2. Nate Buys, Augustana (S.D.) 3. Derek Brunson, North Carolina-Pembroke 4. Jacob Marrs, Nebraska-Omaha 5. Ryan Phillips, Upper Iowa 6. Mike Fowler, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 7. Chris Taylor, West Liberty (W.Va.) 8. Ben Janike, Minnesota State-Mankato 285 Pounds 1. Tervel Dlagnev, Nebraska-Kearney 2. Josh LeadingFox, Central Oklahoma 3. Brady Wilson, Minnesota State-Mankato 4. Andrew Ubben, Fort Hays State (Kan.) 5. Josh Ohl, Ashland (Ohio) 6. Jose Navarro, Indianapolis (Ind.) 7. Tony Lewis, Nebraska-Omaha 8. Dan Goodson, Upper Iowa

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- University of Northern Iowa 157-pounder Moza Fay has been named the Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. It is the second time Fay has been honored as the WWC Wrestler of the Week this season. UNI's Fay (Anamosa, Iowa) recorded two falls in a pair of Western Wrestling Conference duals. Fay pinned NDSU's Adam Aho in 3:46 on Friday, and followed it up with a pin of SDSU's Nick Herrboldt in 4:35 on Saturday. With his two wins, Fay improved his season-long win streak to eight in a row and 14 of his last 15. Fay also leads the Panthers this season with nine pins. Fay finished the regular season with a mark of 29-9 overall and 12-4 in dual action. The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley State and Wyoming. Others Nominated: Air Force: Stephen Crozier, 174, So., Monona, Iowa (MFL Mar-Mac HS) North Dakota State: Eric Hoffman, 125, Jr., Davenport, Iowa (Iowa Central C.C./North HS) South Dakota State: Jason Stripling, HWT, Jr., Minneota, Minn. (Minneota HS) Wyoming: Dan Barrone, 184, So., El Prado, N.M. (Taos HS)

GOLDEN, Colo. -- The Colorado School of Mines wrestling team is preparing to host the 2007 NCAA Division II/RMAC West Regional Championships on Sunday, Feb. 25. Action is slated to begin at 12:00 pm in Steinhauer Fieldhouse. All matches will be in the fieldhouse with the exception of the 10 championship matches which will take place in Volk Gymnasium beginning at 7:00 pm. The nine teams scheduled to participate are Adams State, Chadron State, Colorado School of Mines, Fort Hays State, Mesa State, New Mexico Highlands, San Francisco State, Nebraska-Kearney and Western State. Nebraska-Kearney is the favorite heading into the championships as they claimed the RMAC dual meet championship with a perfect 7-0 record. The Lopers are 17-1 overall, ranked first in Division II and boast eight nationally-ranked wrestlers. Leading the way is heavyweight Tervel Dlagnev who is 42-1 with 19 falls and ranked first in the nation. Brett Allgood (22-5) is the top ranked grappler at 133 pounds in Division II. Adams State will enter the tournament ranked sixth in Division II, while Western State is eighth, Fort Hays State is 10th and Chadron State will come in ranked 17th. In all, there are 17 wrestlers who are slated to compete that are ranked in the top-8 of their respective weight classes. Casey Woodall, a 197-pounder from Adams State, joins Dlagnev and Allgood as No. 1 ranked grapplers. The top four finishers in each weight class will qualify for the NCAA Division II National Championships to be contested March 9-10 in Kearney, Neb.