InterMat Staff

The fourth-ranked Augustana College wrestling team will look to defend its North Region title this week when the Vikings travel to Omaha, Neb., on Sunday, February 26, for the North Region Championships. The North Region Championships will serve as the qualifying tournament for the 2006 NCAA Division II National Championships, which are scheduled for March 10-11 in Findlay, Ohio. The top four finishers in each weight class will advance to the national championships. Live updates on the Augie wrestlers will be available on www.GoAugie.com beginning Sunday afternoon. For a complete look at the North Region Championships, click the link under Related Material.

Stanford, Calif. -- Stanford wrapped up the regular season last week and is set to host the 2006 Pac-10 Conference Championships this Sunday and Monday, Feb. 26 & 27 in Maples Pavilion. The 10 Cardinal wrestlers competing this weekend will seek one of the 39 conference spots to the NCAA Championships, which will be held on March 16-18 at the Downtown Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla. Stanford finished the season under first-year head coach Kerry McCoy with an 8-7 record and a 4-4 mark in Pac-10 duals. The Cardinal will look to improve upon its ninth-place finish at the conference tournament last year. Final seedings and brackets will be announced on Saturday, following the coaches' meeting. Updated brackets, team standings and all the information about the conference championships is available at GoStanford.com. Tickets for the event are on sale through the Stanford ticket office. Single session tickets are $10 per adult and $6 for seniors, youths and students. All session passes are priced at $30 for adults and $20 for students, youths and seniors. For more information, contact the Stanford ticket office at (650) 723-1021 or 800-STANFORD, or online at http://gostanford.collegesports.com/tickets/tickets-body.html. Tickets will be available at the ticket window at Maples Pavilion at the start of each session. Schedule of Events Sunday, February 26 10:15 a.m. - Ticket window & doors open 11 a.m. - Session I (Pigtails & Quarterfinals) 5:15 p.m. - Ticket window & doors open 6 p.m. - Session II (Semifinals & Consolations) Monday, February 27 10:30 a.m. - Ticket window & doors open 11 a.m. - Session III (Consolation Semifinals, Finals - Third and Fifth-Place matches) 5:00 p.m. - Ticket window & doors open 5:30 p.m. - Parade of Champions 6 p.m. - Session IV (Championship Finals) Stanford through the weights... 125 pounds: Co-captain Tanner Gardner (No. 11 in the nation), who qualified for the NCAA Tournament in his first season with a fifth-place finish in the conference tournament, redshirted last year and will seek his second bid to Nationals. The redshirt sophomore is second on the team in wins with 31 and is the team-leader in career wins with 54. Gardner is ranked fourth in the conference. 133 pounds: True freshman Eric Minnick has been a tough competitor during his rookie collegiate season. Minnick has four wins to his name this season, two in duals, but will look to build on that during his first conference championship. 141 pounds: Senior Juston Johnson recently took over the starting role and will compete in his first tournament of the season this weekend. Johnson posted a 4-6 record during the dual season 149 pounds: Sophomore Josh Zupancic had a strong campaign last season, winning 22 matches, including an opening-round victory at the Pac-10 Tournament. But Zupancic will look for his first trip to Nationals this year, as the second-ranked wrestler in the league brings a 22-4 record and a 12-1 dual mark into his second-straight Pac-10 Tournament appearance. 157 pounds: Scott Loescher, who is ranked fourth in the Pac-10, will look for his first trip to the NCAA Tournament. He posted 19 wins in this season, after finishing his redshirt freshman year with 21 victories last year. In 2005, Loescher competed at the Pac-10 Championships at 165 pounds, picking up one victory. 165 pounds: Fifth-year senior and co-captain Ray Blake (No. 13 in the nation), with 37 wins this season and the top ranking in the Pac-10, will seek his first trip to Nationals as he competes at the Pac-10 Championships for the first time in his collegiate career. Blake is just four wins shy of Matt Gentry's school-record 41 wins in a single sesason. 174 pounds: Redshirt freshman Luke Feist posted 17 wins during the regular season this year and enters the weekend ranked sixth in the conference. 184 pounds: Fifth-year senior and co-captain Ryan Hagen has three wins this year, but is a veteran of the team, leading the squad with 93 career matches. Last year, Hagen took sixth-place at the 2005 Pac-10 Championships. He is seeking his first trip to Nationals. 197 pounds: Fifth-year senior Larry Ozowara will look for his first bid to the NCAA Championships as he competes in his third Pac-10 Tournament. As a redshirt freshman in 2003, Ozowara won one match in the conference championships and also competed as a sophomore in 2004. Heavyweight: Redshirt freshman Jared Boyer is ranked fifth in the conference heading into his Pac-10 Tournament. Boyer posted seven wins during his first collegiate season, including four dual victories.

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- When Arvin Gymnasium re-opened at the start of the 2005-06 academic year, the entire Corps of Cadets benefited. The 495,100-square foot building, which includes two basketball courts, several racquetball courts, three swimming pools, two weight rooms, an expansive cardiovascular fitness room, two boxing rooms and a rock climbing wall, serves as the home of physical training for all cadets. While the entire Academy welcomed the revamped facility with open arms, the Army wrestling team was most appreciative. This past fall, the Black Knights' wrestling program moved into a spacious new room on the second floor of the sparkling new building. With its walls adorned with photographs of Army's 14 NCAA All-Americans and each of the program's head coaches, the new wrestling room includes four, 42-foot square double-sided mats, with collegiate markings on one side and Olympic-style markings on the other. Two additional 42x42-foot mats are located in an attached freestyle room that gives the Army coaching staff a total of six mats at its disposal during practice sessions. In addition to the six mats, its capacious new room also features a state-of-the-art locker room that features 50 roomy wooden lockers, enough to accommodate each athlete on the Black Knights' roster. A plush wrestlers-only team lounge, replete with leather sofas and a big screen television set, is attached to the wrestling room as well. The new Army wrestling room includes over $30,000 worth of cardiovascular and weight training equipment itself. Treadmills, stair climbers, stationary bicycles and a set of free weights and weight benches are located adjacent to the mats. Without question, the Army wrestling room is one of the finest in the nation. Army head coach Chuck Barbee believes that the facility gives the Black Knights an advantage as they continue to develop future All-Americans and NCAA Champions. The following is a transcript of a question and answer session of Coach Barbee talking about the new Army wrestling room. What are some of the best aspects of the new room? "The sheer size of the new wrestling room is probably its single best attribute. Having four square mats with padded walls on two sides makes for a tremendous training area. The ability to wrestle uninterrupted without stopping for a wall or a pillar is a huge bonus for us. Another tremendous attribute of this room is how everything is centrally located. Our guys have a locker room, a team/video room, the coaching staff, the training room, an equipment room, swimming pools and numerous other training tools all available to them under one roof. It is really an awesome training environment." How does the Arvin wrestling room help you recruit high school wrestlers to the Army program? "I think the new room speaks very loudly to our whole commitment of training to be the best. Obviously, with the right determination and work ethic a person can be good in most any training environment, but when a young man comes to visit West Point it is exciting for them to see that we have one of the best rooms in the country. Wrestlers know how much time they have to spend at their sport, so the facility that they are getting ready to spend the next 4 years of their life in is very important. This new wrestling room and the entire Arvin complex is truly one of the best I have ever been in. While a nice room does not bring in great athletes by itself, it certainly can make a big difference if we're doing our job in recruiting and a prospect needs just a little extra inspiration to choose our program." How has the new wrestling room allowed you to do more in practice? "We have been able to train at a much higher intensity level because we don't have "stops" in our wrestling action. When two guys get into a flurry of wrestling action you want to let that go as long as you can. Usually that stop occurs from a wall, a barrier or another wrestling group. With this new room, we can get some great uninterrupted wrestling time in, which has been really nice. With the freestyle room attached to our room we can have six matches going on at once, all on their own 42 feet x 42 feet mat. It is great to be able to train in a full circle and we can have 12 guys going at a time. "From a conditioning stand point, I just love our new facility. We can run sprints in the room, we can get dumbbell workouts in with our rack of dumbbells, and probably the best thing we have is an indoor set of stadium stairs. The building was designed in such a way that right in the middle of the building is a set of stairs that start in the basement and run continuously up to the 5th floor...in a straight line like a football stadium. Of course it's kind of a love-hate relationship for our guys, but they know when the third period rolls around their legs and lungs will always be ready." What do the wrestlers/recruits think of the new room? What are they saying about it? "Our guys were flabbergasted. The room is lit up in such a way that it has a very dramatic entrance to it, including some spectacular trophy cases. The first day we went into the room was pretty cool. I was very happy for our guys who had been training in a temporary facility for so long to finally get to see the finished product. My main concern now is that they do not get too spoiled. I always remind them how lucky they are to have the room that they have. Our recruits, parents and boosters all feel the same way. If you had been in wrestling rooms before and you come into ours you can't help but be amazed with all that it offers". What are some of the long-range benefits for the Army wrestling program of having such a nice wrestling room? "There is no facility in the country that can turn you into a champion; that comes only from hard work and determination. However, I am confident that we will always have the work ethic and determination at Army. Adding the extra advantages of cardiovascular equipment, a team room, a large locker room, swimming pools and all the other great items our new building has to offer will help make it more efficient and more motivating for the young men that lay it on the line every day to be an Army wrestler."

Team: 1. Wartburg 27-0 9 1 2. Wis.-La Crosse 8-4 10 5 3. Augsburg 8-3 8 2 4. Luther 14-3-1 6 3 5. Brockport State 5-1 6 4 6. Loras 14-2 5 6 7. Johnson&Wales (R.I.) 17-7 3 17 8. Cortland State 13-3 3 7 9. York (Pa.) 20-6 4 13 10. College of New Jersey 14-2 4 9 11. Ithaca 7-8 4 NR 12. Oswego State 6-7-1 3 NR 13. SIMPSON 11-12 3 27 14. Coe 5-8-1 3 20 15. North Central 7-0 3 8 16. St. John's (Minn.) 5-4 3 23 17. Elmhurst 9-2-1 4 12 18. Wis.-Stevens Point 10-8 3 18 19. Buena Vista 13-11 3 15 20. Delaware Valley 10-7 5 21 21. Heidelberg 16-3 3 10 22. Springfield (Mass.) 12-8 3 14 23. Lycoming 15-6-1 3 22 24. Wis.-Eau Claire 3-13 1 NR 25. Ohio Northern 10-8 3 28 26. Thiel 10-5 2 29 27. Trinity (Conn.) 9-16-1 1 NR 28. Baldwin-Wallace8-14 2 NR 29. Wis.-Platteville 4-4 3 NR 30. Ursinus 15-1-1 4 NR Individual: 125 1. Tyler Hubbard Sr. Wartburg 2. Brandon McDonough So. Johnson&Wales (R.I.) 3. Terry Morgan Sr. Loras 4. Ty Klofta Sr. Ohio Northern 5. Brian Dempsey Jr. College of N.J. 6. Nate Hansen Jr. Luther 7. Rob Vaccaro Jr. Brockport State 8. John Spinner Sr. Oswego State 133 1. Mike Lopez Sr. Luther 2. Joe Jewett Fr. Oswego State 3. Matt Smith Jr. Johnson&Wales (R.I.) 4. Tony D'Ambra Sr. Brockport State 5. Derek Goduto Sr. Montclair State 6. Eddie Murray Sr. Ursinus 7. Zach McKray Fr. Wartburg 8. Justin Hulegaard So. Buena Vista 141 1. Dustin HinschbergerSr. Wartburg 2. Dustin Brewer Sr. SIMPSON 3. Mike Gaeta Jr. Springfield 4. Paul LeBlanc Fr. Cortland State 5. Dan Song Sr. USMMA 6. Gene Koblinisky Jr. New York University 7. Zach Chambers Jr. Wis.-Platteville 8. Dave Paramski Fr. Cornell College 149 1. Matt Pyle Jr. Luther 2. Jacob Naig So. Wartburg 3. Jason Roush Jr. Mt. St. Joseph 4. Jared Evans Jr. Augsburg 5. Jared Creason Jr. Coe 6. Dane LaPlante Jr. Oswego State 7. Don Ooton Jr. Brockport State 8. Carl Amerine Sr. Wilmington 157 1. Joe Galante Jr. College of New Jersey 2. Jeremy Anderson So. Augsburg 3. Joe Pflug So. Heidelberg 4. Bobby Gingerich Sr. North Central 5. Shaheim Bradshaw So. Brockport State 6. Brad Bishop Sr. Loras 7. Jacob Malone Jr. St. John's (Minn.) 8. Ross Needham Jr. Wis.-La Crosse 165 1. Derek Sikora Sr. Wis.-Eau Claire 2. Ryan Valek Sr. Augsburg 3. Corey Murphy Jr. Thiel 4. Steve Martell So. Johnson&Wales (R.I.) 5. Tony Howard Sr. McDaniel 6. Jerry Bowne Sr. York (Pa.) 7. Dustin Bliven Sr. Wartburg 8. Scott Dorn Jr. Wis.-La Crosse 174 1. Stephon Sair Jr. Cortland State 2. Scott Kaufman Sr. Wartburg 3. Josh Chelf So. Wis.-La Crosse 4. Matthias Keib Sr. Ithaca 5. Josh Dolan Jr. Williams 6. Josh Rupprecht Sr. Elmhurst 7. Robbie Gotreau So. Augsburg 8. Al Stacilauskas Sr. Wis.-Stevens Point 184 1. Duane Bastress Sr. York (Pa.) 2. Jason Lulloff Sr. Wis.-La Crosse 3. Akeem Carter Sr. Wartburg 4. Robert Stubbs Sr. Ithaca 5. Brad Tupa Sr. Augsburg 6. Dan Willaert Sr. St. John's (Minn.) 7. Terry Madden Jr. Hunter 8. Mitch Hager Sr. Loras 197 1. TJ Miller So. Wartburg 2. Jamall Johnson Sr. Delaware Valley 3. Mike McCabe Sr. Coe 4. Devin Carmen Sr. Baldwin-Wallace 5. Dustin Doctor Jr. North Central 6. Ben Strandberg Jr. Buena Vista 7. Dan Fiecke Sr. St. John's (Minn.) 8. Alex Bonander Fr. Luther Heavyweight 1. Blake Gillis Jr. Wartburg 2. Ryan Allen Sr. Wis.-La Crosse 3. Mike Blair Sr. Trinity (Conn.) 4. Mike Hayes Sr. Wis.-Stevens Point 5. Tommy Snyder Sr. Lycoming 6. Pat Bennett Sr. Brockport State 7. Ward Brady Jr. Elmhurst 8. Brett Christensen Sr. Simpson

Former Wartburg three-time All-American and two-time national champion Jamal Fox is slated for induction into the National Wrestling Coaches Association's Division III Hall of Fame during the weekend of the national championships at The College of New Jersey. Fox is the second of head coach Jim Miller's wrestlers to be inducted, joining former standout Tom Smith who went in during the 2003 national championships hosted by Loras College of Dubuque. "I hadn't really thought of myself being on the level of a Hall of Famer, but it is starting to set in," Fox, the program's all-time win leader with 166 victories, said. "I will always remember Wartburg wrestling as a place where you had every opportunity to excel, whether it came from the coaching staff or the guys going against you in practice. When you see success around you, it tends to rub off." Currently a doctor of optometry at Groat Eye Care Associates in Greensboro, N.C., Fox was a part of four consecutive Iowa Conference team champions and the 1996 national team champions. He earned back-to-back top two finishes at nationals, placing second in 1995 and winning the title in 1996. Fox also concluded his career with three individual conference titles.

Note: This story also appears in the Feb. 22 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering amateur wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. To subscribe to The Guillotine, click here. Yura Malamura, a sophomore at Highline Community College (Wash.) who has committed to wrestle for the University of Minnesota next season, is a natural-born wrestler. Consider this: Malamura started wrestling when he was in eighth grade at the urging of his older brother. He lost his very first junior high match, but then didn't lose another match over the next two years of his junior high wrestling career. Yura Malamura"I just kicked butt," said Malamura of his first two years in the sport. "It was kind funny because I was just using all muscle. I was just breaking kids." So when Malamura claimed the 197-pound NJCAA national title last February, in his first season of collegiate wrestling, it shouldn't have come as a huge surprise. His competitive drive along with natural ability and a tireless work ethic has allowed him to make great strides in a short period of time. "I think more than anything else, his performance last season was inspiring," said Highline coach Scott Norton, who was honored as 2005 Region 18 Coach of the Year. "Just the way he competes, it's not really something that you see in a lot of athletes. When the lights come on and he's out there on the mat, he's just a completely different person. If you looked at him wrestling in practice as opposed to a match, you would see two completely different people." How far he has come in such a short period of time is mind-boggling. But what's even more mind-boggling is that growing up, Malamura wasn't sure he even wanted to continue wrestling after high school. "I never wanted to wrestle in college," said Malamura, who became the first ever national champion in wrestling at Highline. "It was always kind of in the back of my mind, but I wasn't really sure of it." Malamura was born in Estonia (Eastern Europe), but his parents immigrated to the United States when he was 4 years old. After an impressive junior high wrestling career, Malamura began his high school career at Spanaway Lake High School in Washington (45 miles south of Seattle) when he was a sophomore. One year later, as a junior, he placed fourth at the WIAA State Wrestling Championships (Class 4A) while wrestling at 189 pounds. As a senior, he won the state title at 215 pounds. After high school, Malamura made the decision to attend North Idaho College in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. It was a junior college rich in wrestling tradition, a program that has produced 13 NJCAA national championships. But shortly before classes were to begin, Malamura had a change of heart and withdrew from his classes at North Idaho. He decided to enroll in the two-year Generation Intern program at The City Church in Kirkland, Washington. According to The City Church Web site, "The Generation Intern program is committed to providing cutting edge Biblical instruction and practical ministry opportunities to equip young leaders for life and ministry." Malamura enjoyed being in the program, but he also missed wrestling a lot. He was ambivalent about whether to continue in the Generation Intern program or to enroll in college and get back on the mat. "I was praying about it," said Malamura. "I was like, 'God, what do you want me to do?' It just kept popping up in the back of my mind, should I wrestle, or should I not? I really prayed about it a lot, and God was like, 'Yeah, why not?' So I just went for it. I felt like it was really the right thing to do." In the spring of 2004, Malamura contacted North Idaho again about the possibility of enrolling at the school and joining the wrestling program. They were interested, so he decided that was what he was going to do. Yura Malamura (Photo by Johnnie Johnson)But the more he thought about it, the more he started to question his decision. That summer, while working out at a club called Vision Quest, he ran into some wrestlers from Highline, and told them that he was planning on wrestling at North Idaho. They talked to him about the possibility of coming to Highline. "I didn't even know Highline had a wrestling program," said Malamura. "And it's literally only 10 minutes from my house." The wrestlers suggested that Malamura call Coach Norton. So he picked up the phone and made the call. (Coach Norton) was like, 'Yeah, you should come out,'" recalled Malamura. "Literally, the next day, a week before North Idaho was supposed to start, I picked my classes at Highline and joined the team." Malamura entered Highline not knowing what to expect, but he immediately bought into everything his coach taught and preached. "I really had no idea what to expect from college," said Malamura. "Everybody always talks it up like it's so big. Wrestling in junior college is kind of different compared to Division I. But I came in ready to be coached. I knew (Norton) was a good coach, just from hearing a lot about him. I just did everything he told me to do, literally, from running, to eating, to working out, to lifting, to wrestling. I just thank him a lot for everything he did. And I just prayed about it a lot, too. I was like, 'God, if I'm going to be the best you want me to be, I'm going to my basic things. I just ask you to protect me.' And that's what happened." Last February, Malamura won the Western Regional (Region 18) and was named Most Outstanding Wrestler in the process. Two weeks later at the NJCAA Championships in Rochester (Minn.), he cruised through to the finals, winning by scores of 8-0, 13-0, and 7-3. In the finals, Malamura defeated Jared Shelton of Labette (who now wrestles for Oklahoma State), 6-4. His breakthrough performance on the national scene caught the attention of many Division I college coaches across the country, including Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Boise State, among others. Last fall, Malamura took recruiting visits to Minnesota and Nebraska. He decided on Minnesota. "After I took the trip to Minnesota, I really, really liked it," said Malamura, who plans to wrestle at 197 pounds for the Gophers. "I had a great time with everything. I enjoyed the campus. The coaches are great. Everything that the school offered was great." Malamura also liked the fact that the college is located in a big city (Minneapolis) … and that he has a stable of talented and accomplished wrestlers to work out with, including Roger Kish, Cole Konrad, Brandon Eggum, Damion Hahn, and Marty Morgan. Scott NortonNorton believes that Minnesota is a perfect fit because of his wrestling style. "He's really not a finesse wrestler," said Norton, who won three Pac-10 titles and earned an All-American medal at the University of Oregon. "I think the wrestling in Big Ten is a little more physical, whereas the Big 12 might be a little more finesse. He's extremely physical. He's a perfect model of an Iowa or Minnesota wrestler. That's really the area that I was steering him." Malamura decided to redshirt this season at Highline, which will give him three years of eligibility at the Division I level. He's taking a huge load of classes (27 credits this quarter, while most students are averaging 13-15), working out with the team every day, and is very involved with his church. A week and a half after he graduates, he plans on moving to Minneapolis on June 20 to get an early start on his training. So what are his wrestling goals at Minnesota? "Honestly, I know that I'm going to win a national title in Division I," said Malamura. "It's so in my head right now. I've really started thinking a lot about it. I'm excited." Excited? Minnesota wrestling fans should be, too.

BOILING SPRINGS -- Daniel Elliott ran his record to 35-2 on the season and notched his 100th career victory with a pin 1:50 into the first period. Josh Pniewski also won via a pin but The Citadel won six of the 10 matches en route to the 24-18 victory. The Citadel's Anthony Easter narrowly edged out Cortney Roberts in the 125-pound match after seeing Roberts rally from a 5-1 first-period deficit to knot the score at 5-5. Easter was awarded a riding time point and scored the 6-5 decision to claim the early 3-0 advantage for The Citadel. Pniewski flipped the three-point spread in favor of Gardner-Webb by running his record to 29-9 with a pin 58 seconds into the second period. Pniewski grabbed the early 3-0 lead after the opening frame and had built the cushion to 6-0 before sticking Billy Bullwinkel for the six-point win. Ninth-ranked Sean Markey returned the favor in the 141-pound bout by pinning Chas Franz with 18 seconds remaining in the first frame to reclaim the lead for The Citadel by a 9-6 margin. Elliott then took the mat against The Citadel's Nick Orio and scored a takedown 51 seconds into the match. The twelfth-ranked Elliott quickly followed the takedown with a pair of three-point near falls to grab a commanding 8-0 lead and finished off his 39th-straight, dual-match victory with a pin at the 1:50 mark. Glaser then scored GWU's third win in the first five matches to give the Bulldogs a 15-9 lead. Glaser and Chris Humphries battled to a scoreless draw through the first two periods, but Glaser rode Humphries for the entire second frame and earned a quick escape in the third session to take the 2-0 decision at 157 pounds. The Citadel charged back with a technical fall at 165 and back-to-back 5-2 decisions at 174 and 184 to take the 20-15 advantage heading into the final two bouts. Mark Thompson then secured the team win for The Citadel with an 11-3 major decision victory over Brent Blackwell at 197. Brandon Schweitzer ended The Citadel spurt by blanking John Buck, 6-0, in the heavyweight match, but it was not enough as Gardner-Webb fell by a 24-18 score. The loss drops Gardner-Webb to 12-12 on the season, while The Citadel climbs to 8-8 in dual match action. GWU will close out the regular season on Wednesday night when it hosts UNC Greensboro (10-6) at 7:00 pm. The Citadel Def. Gardner-Webb, 24-18 125 – (CIT) Anthony Easter dec. Cortney Roberts, 6-5 133 – (GWU) Josh Pniewski pin Billy Bullwinkel, 3:58 141 – (CIT) No. 9 Sean Markey pin Chas Franz, 2:42 149 – (GWU) No. 12 Daniel Elliott pin Nick Orio, 1:50 157 – (GWU) Adam Glaser dec. Chris Humphries, 1-0 165 – (CIT) Dan Thompson tech. fall Jordan Lowe, 21-6 174 – (CIT) Darius Caldwell dec. Chad Davis, 5-2 184 – (CIT) John Dickerson dec. Brandon Beach, 5-2 197 – (CIT) Mark Thompson maj. dec. Brent Blackwell, 11-3 285 – (GWU) Brandon Schweitzer dec. John Buck, 6-0

Team 1. Arizona State 2. Cal Poly 3. Oregon State 4. Boise State 5. Stanford 6. Oregon 7. UC Davis 8. Cal State Bakersfield 9. Cal State Fullerton 10. Portland State Individual 125 Pounds 1. Jeremy Mendoza (Arizona State) 2. Chad Mendes (Cal Poly) 3. Eric Stevenson (Oregon State) 4. Tanner Gardner (Stanford) 5. Ryan Dunn (Oregon) 6. Cory Fish (Boise State) 133 Pounds 1. Scott Jorgensen (Boise State) 2. Darrell Vasquez (Cal Poly) 3. Justin Pearch (Oregon) 4. Bobby Pfennings (Oregon State) 5. Omar Gaitan (UC Davis) 6. John Espinoza (Arizona State) 141 Pounds 1. Kyle Larson (Oregon State) 2. Derek Moore (UC Davis) 3. David Roberts (Cal Poly) 4. Skyler Woods (Oregon) 5. Matt Schumm (Cal State Bakersfield) 6. Teddy Astorga (Cal State Fullerton) 149 Pounds 1. Anthony Baza (Cal State Bakersfield) 2. Josh Zupancic (Stanford ) 3. Jeff Owens (Cal Poly) 4. Tyler Sherfey (Boise State) 5. Pat Payne (Arizona State) 6. Morgan Atkinson (Cal State Fullerton) 157 Pounds 1. Brian Stith (Arizona State) 2. Ben Cherrington (Boise State) 3. Tony Hook (Oregon State) 4. Scott Loescher (Stanford) 5. Shawn Reilly (Cal State Fullerton) 6. Ryan Williams (Cal Poly) 165 Pounds 1. Ray Blake (Stanford) 2. Joey Bracamonte (Oregon) 3. Pat Pitsch (Arizona State) 3. Frank Richmond (UC Davis) 5. Brian Busby (Cal State Bakersfield) 6. Risto Marttinen (Cal State Fullerton) 174 Pounds 1. Jeremy Larson (Oregon State) 2. Ken Cook (UC Davis) 3. Christian Arellano (Cal State Bakersfield) 4. Ian Murphy (Cal State Fullerton) 5. Nick Hernandez (Cal Poly) 6. Luke Feist (Stanford) 184 Pounds 1. Shane Webster (Oregon) 2. CB Dollaway (Arizona State) 3. Ryan Halsey (Cal Poly) 4. Jesse Taylor (Cal State Fullerton) 5. KC Walsh (Boise State) 6. Tyler Bernacchi (UC Davis) 197 Pounds 1. Ryan Bader (Arizona State) 2. Matt Monteiro (Cal Poly) 3. Dan Pitsch (Oregon State) 4. Casey Phelps (Boise State) 5. Elliot Kelly (UC Davis) 6. Chris Chambers (Cal State Fullerton) Heavyweight 1. Cain Velasquez (Arizona State) 2. Ty Watterson (Oregon State) 3. Eric Parker (Cal State Bakersfield) 4. Andy Patrick (Boise State) 5. Jared Boyer (Stanford) 6. Arturo Basulto (Cal Poly)

Columbia, Mo. -- Giving the No. 8 Missouri wrestling team its second consecutive Big 12 Wrestler of the Week, sophomore Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) has received the honor for the week of Feb. 14-Feb. 20. McCormick, ranked No. 16 at 133 pounds, came back from a 2-1 first-period deficit to beat No. 7 Matt Keller of Chattanooga in Missouri's 37-6 win Feb. 18. McCormick tied the score in the second frame with an escape, then turned Keller to his back for a two-point nearfall with less than 10 seconds on the clock to get the upset, 4-2. Wrestling in the Tigers' second dual of the day, McCormick defeated UNC-Greensboro's Chris Bencivenga by decision, 8-4. A starter at 133 pounds for the second straight season, McCormick possesses a 25-6 record on the year, including a second-place finish at the Missouri Open Nov. 20 and a third-place showing at the Southern Scuffle Dec. 29-30. McCormick is the third Tiger to receive the Big 12 Wrestler of the Month/Week this season. Junior Ben Askren (Hartland, Wis.) was named the Big 12 Wrestler for the month of December for his performance at 174 pounds, and 165-pound starter Matt Pell (junior, Luxemburg, Wis.) received the honor one week ago.

LAWRENCEVILLE -- TJ Morrison of Rider University and Jon Oplinger of Drexel University have been named the Colonial Athletic Association Wrestlers of the Week, and Bryan LaShomb of Old Dominion University is the CAA Rookie of the Week, for all competition February 14-20. Morrison, a sophomore 197 from Mechanicsburg, PA (Cedar Cliff), won all three of his CAA dual meets last week to improve to 8-1 in the CAA, 17-3 in duals and 26-6 overall. Morrison upset the 20th ranked wrestler in the nation from Hofstra, and won a major decision in a CAA win at Sacred Heart. Oplinger, a sophomore 197 from Bath, PA (Northampton), won both of his matches last week for Drexel, including a major decision over the 16th ranked wrestler in the country from Lehigh. The victory was his fifth in a row since returning from a knee injury, and the 20th of the season. LaShomb, a freshman 125 from Chesapeake, VA (Great Bridge), went 2-0 last week with a pair of major decisions. LaShomb now leads ODU with seven major decisions this year while improving to 13-5 in duals, 21-13 overall.

For the second time this season, Augustana's Cody Henriksen was named the North Central Conference Wrestler of the Week. Henrikson, a junior 165-pounder from Arlington, S.D., shared the award with Les Sigman of Nebraska-Omaha. Henriksen, who is currently unranked in the national rankings, scored a takedown with five seconds left in regulation to edge #5-ranked Ross Taplin of Nebraska-Omaha 5-3. Henriksen trailed 3-2 heading into the third period but scored an escape early in the third to tie the score 3-3 before getting the last-second takedown. UNO won the dual 23-17. Augustana, ranked sixth in the nation, will take part in the North Regional Championships on Sunday in Omaha, Neb. The top four placers in each weight class advance to the NCAA Division II National Championships. Augustana is the defending regional champions. 2005-2006 Augustana NCC Wreslers of the Week Nov. 9 - Nate Buys Jan. 10 - Tim Boldt Jan. 17 - Ryan King Jan. 31 - Cody Henriksen Feb. 21 - Cody Henriksen

LAWRENCEVILLE, New Jersey -- Junior John Manarte's 4-3 decision at 141 pounds regained the lead for the Pride and Jon Masa and James Strouse sealed the match with decisions as 21st-ranked Hofstra (11-8-1, 6-0) downed Rider (12-7-1, 7-1-1) in a Colonial Athletic Association match at Alumni Gymnasium Monday night. The victory improves Hofstra's conference dual match undefeated streak to 47 (46-0-1) dating back to a 1999 loss to Rider. Starting the match at 165 pound, the Pride opened up a 10-0 lead on a 13-4 major decision by junior Chris Vondruska (20-9) over Chris Marold, a 10-4 decision by senior Mike Patrovich (26-3) over Doug Umbehauer at 174, and an 8-3 win by sophomore Joe Rovelli (24-9) over Joe Maroney at 184. Sophomore T.J. Morrison, the second-ranked CAA wrestler at 197, put the Broncs on the board with an 8-6 decision over Hofstra junior Chris Weidman (15-8). But Pride junior Jon Andriac (22-12) boosted the Hofstra lead to 13-3 with a 7-1 decision over Nick Ciufo at heavyweight. But the Pride forfeited both the 125 and 133 pound weight classes that put Rider ahead in the match 15-13. But Manarte (14-5), who was filling in for injured sophomore Charles Griffin, posted a 4-3 victory over sophomore Mike Palma at 141 pounds to give the Pride a 16-15 lead. Senior Jon Masa (27-7), ranked sixth this week, was taken to overtime by freshman Michael Kessler before pulling out a 10-8 decision in overtime. Junior James Strouse (25-10) wrapped up the victory for the Pride with a 6-0 victory over Ryan Cunningham at 157. Hofstra returns to action on March 3-4 for the CAA Wrestling Championships at Drexel University in Philadelphia. #21 Hofstra 22, Rider 15 165 * Chris Vondruska (HU) maj. dec. Chris Marold (RU) 13-4 4-0 174 * Matt Patrovich (HU) dec. Doug Umbehauer (RU) 10-4 7-0 184 * Joe Rovelli (HU) dec. Joe Maroney (RU) 8-3 10-0 197 * T.J. Morrison (RU) dec. Chris Weidman (HU) 8-6 10-3 285 * Jon Andriac (HU) dec. Nick Ciufo (RU) 7-1 13-3 125 * Ryan Smith (RU) win by forfeit 13-9 133 * Zach Cunliffe (RU) win by forfeit 13-15 141 * John Manarte (HU) dec. Mike Palma (RU) 4-3 16-15 149 * Jon Masa (HU) dec. Mike Kessler (RU) 10-8 ot 19-15 157 * James Strouse (HU) dec. Ryan Cunningham (RU) 6-0 22-15

From a national high school wrestling standpoint, much of the best competition of 2005-2006 is done until NHSCA Senior Nationals. The Ironman, Beast, Reno, and Powerade have all come and gone. But make no mistake -- there is not a single wrestler who won at these prestigious events that would not trade their title to be on top of the podium at their respective state tournaments. While Ironman and Beast may be much tougher to win, it is the state tournament that every wrestler will judge their season based on. Furthermore, there will be many match-ups of national significance at the state tournaments. The following are highlights of what to expect! Ohio Division II 152 pounds: Colt Sponseller vs. Josh Rohler The general consensus in Ohio is that this is the biggest showdown of the 2006 state tournament. Sponseller, only a junior, crushed the opposition to win state at 140 last year as a sophomore and then placed at Junior Nationals in freestyle as well. Sponseller scored a technical fall in the state finals. Rohler is probably the best wrestler in the nation who has not won state. As a sophomore, he finished second at 140, losing 5-3 (giving up a number of bizarre penalty points) in a match in which he was favored. As a junior, he twice defeated two-time Junior National Freestyle All-American Dave Rella, only to get inexplicably upset in the semifinals by a wrestler that Rella would then technical fall. Rohler would finish third. In the post-season, he redeemed himself by winning the NHSCA Junior National Championships. Not only has Rohler defeated Rella twice, he has also defeated since-graduated stars Dave Erwin (now nationally ranked for Penn State) and three-time Pennsylvania state champion Joey Eckloff. However, he has been hampered this season by a knee injury suffered at the Beast of the East and missed over a month of the season. The contrast of styles makes this match-up even more interesting. Sponseller is a takedown artist who attacks relentlessly. Rohler is an outstanding counter specialist and mat wrestler. Ohio's ranking services, meanwhile, are as split as the fans as to which wrestler to favor. Legendary wrestling analyst Brian Brakeman picked Sponseller, and had this to say about the match-up: I think Sponseller will win, though this choice will undoubtedly motivate Rohler. There are three critical factors. It's been more than a month now and Rohler must still have issues with that knee that "no more than two weeks out" now rings as very optimistic. Second, I think Sponseller is better on his feet--a half-step quicker and a great finisher. Third, I wonder about Rohler's reaction in these big bouts. He's wrestled a lot of them in life, but twice now he has struggled at a crucial moment in the state tournament process. This tendency could be exacerbated if his knee is not 100%. By contrast, OhioWrestlingSite.com picked Rohler, focusing on the elite wrestlers he has defeated in past seasons. RevWrestling.com Prediction: Rohler over Sponseller California 112 pounds: Trevor Machado, Justin Paulsen, and Nikko Triggas Nikko Triggas (Photo by Jon Malinowski)Though Triggas was Cadet Nationals Greco champion and third in freestyle over the summer, it was at the Walsh Ironman he made a name for himself. At that tournament he first dismantled Pennsylvania AAA state champion Chris Sheetz, 14-3, and then nearly scored a technical fall over Lakewood St. Edward's super freshman Collin Palmer. He looked nearly invincible. He reaffirmed his superstar status by defeating Justin Paulsen in the finals of Reno, 8-4, and certainly looked like a "shoe-in" for the California title. Not so fast. Paulsen stunned the wrestling world by defeating Triggas in double-overtime at the Five Counties tournament in California. Paulsen, himself, is a three-time state place-winner in single-division California. Further complicating this weight is returning state champion Trevor Machado. Machado actually defeated Triggas 13-11 in overtime last season in the state semifinals. Machado would then go on to win easily in the finals, while Triggas scored a technical fall in his third place bout. This year, Triggas avenged his defeat, handing Triggas his only loss of the year by a 4-2 count. Two other tough competitors who are possibly national caliber wrestler here are Justin Durham and Nicolo Naranjo. Durham had a win over Machado last season, but failed to place at state. Naranjo had a win over Triggas, but Triggas came back to technical fall him in their third place bout. Expect for others to challenge -- as California lower weights are always loaded. RevWrestling.com Prediction: Triggas over Machado Pennsylvania AAA 140 pounds: Ashtin Primus vs. Nick Nelson Here we have a tremendous contrast of styles. Senior Ashtin Primus is the deadliest cradler in the nation, having wracked up 111 pins and counting in his career. The junior Nelson is a control wrestler- a master of winning close bouts. Though they did not wrestle, these two were in the same weight at the 2005 Pennsylvania AAA State Tournament, where Primus won his first state title and Nelson finished third. How tough was this weight class? Zack Kemmerer, this year's Ironman and Beast of the East champion, placed fifth, losing to both Nelson and Primus. Alex Krom, the only wrestler to defeat Adam Frey (Senior National and double Junior Nationals champion) in 2005, placed only fourth, losing to Nelson in the third place bout! This year, Nelson drew first blood, scoring a fall over Primus at the Super 32 challenge, although Primus was leading at the time. Nelson also defeated Bubba Jenkins at that tournament (considered by many the best 145 in the nation). However, at Powerade, Primus scored a four-point move in the final 15 seconds, to avenge his preseason loss 7-4. Both wrestlers have defeated very tough cadet national champions this fall- with Primus winning over Blair Academy's Mario Mason and Nelson defeating Luke Ashmore of Bishop Lynch in double overtime. These two both rank in the top six in the nation at 140 (along with Lance Palmer, Garrett Scott, Matt Vacanti, and Zach Bailey)- but like last year, only one can be state champion! Look for Nelson to avoid the cradle and pull off the upset in a one-point bout. Rev Wrestling Prediction: Nelson over Primus Iowa AAA 119 pounds: Nate Moore vs. Russell Weakley Nate Moore (Photo by Jon Malinowski)A cousin of NCAA champion Cliff Moore, Nate Moore has established himself as one of the top sophomores in the nation this season. While he was upset in the state finals last year at 103 by Marc Ballweg, Moore went on to finish second at Cadet Nationals in freestyle last summer. This year, he has moved to 119 with much improved results. Moore has two impressive overtime wins, the first over Ben Ashmore in the preseason, the second over his likely state semifinals opponent -- senior Russell Weakley. Weakley is himself a two-time state champion. Moore is rated as the No.10 sophomore. He may be rated too low. Both wrestlers are easily among the top ten 119's in the nation. This will be by far the premier match-up of the Iowa state tournament. Rev Wrestling.com Prediction: Nate Moore over Russell Weakley Ohio Division II 130 pounds: Adam Kriwinsky, Coby Boyd, Willie Saxton, and Chase Skonieczny Ohio has packed four national-caliber 130's into a single division in what promises to be the best competition of the 2006 state tournament. Adam Kriwinsky was a state champion at 112 pounds as a sophomore and runner-up at 119 as a junior. Not one for freestyle, he really made a name for himself at the Ironman against Billy Murphy, the nation's best 130. For the first half of that match, Murphy was taking down Kriwinsky and letting him up in what looked like a rout. However, with the score 8-4, Kriwinsky suddenly struck back with a counter takedown of his own. From there, the relentless Kriwinsky had Murphy on the run, falling just short in a 10-9 loss. Kriwinsky uses his long arms to hit cradles and his single-leg, which he typically finishes on the mat. The wrestler with the most national credentials, but no state finals appearances thus far, is Willie Saxton of Buckeye Local High School. Saxton won the NHSCA Juniors last spring at 125 pounds -- and was a Junior National Freestyle All-American in Fargo as well. He is also a former Cadet National Freestyle runner-up. This year, he has been untouchable -- thrashing defending Division I state champion Kevin Hardy by a 17-6 score early in the season. The only question mark for Saxton may be is schedule -- other than Hardy, he has not faced nearly the competition the others (who compete for top-flight programs) have. Coby Boyd is one of the top sophomores in the nation (currently ranked as the No.15 sophomore in the Rev Power Rankings). Boyd was FILA Cadet National Freestyle champion last spring and may have more impressive national-level wins than any wrestler in this group. Among his victims over the past two seasons have been junior national All-American Brandon Precin, senior national fourth place finisher Jordan Lipp, Luke Silver (the No.21 junior), Chase Skonieczy, and Quentin Wright. Boyd is hard to score on and can be a pinner -- how a match between him and offensive machine Saxton might go is completely unpredictable. Skonieczny placed third at Ironman, losing by fall to Boyd but beating Kriwinsky (Boyd beat Skonieczny, Skonieczny beat Kriwinsky, and Kriwinsky beat Boyd). While he failed to place at Beast of the East, he rebounded by winning the Powerade in impressive fashion, beating state champ Hardy for the second time this year and the beating tough Virginia state champ Collin Dozier in the finals (rated as the No.48 junior). Rev Wrestling.com Prediction: Saxton over Boyd, Kriwinsky third, Skonieczny fourth Pennsylvania AAA 119 pounds: Nine-headed monster! We've saved the best for last. There is no class in the nation that can even compare to the depth of the donnybrook that will take place at 119 pounds in Pennsylvania's "AAA" division. There are no fewer than nine wrestlers who would literally win 90% of the state tournaments in this country. Seven state placers return at this weight, including two state champs and two third place finishers. Two other wrestlers have not yet placed but can beat anyone at this weight on a given day. No fewer than four cadet or junior national All-Americans will be competing in this weight. Let's start with the returning state champions. Matt Kyler is favored by many observers in Pennsylvania, and with good reason. Kyler was the undisputed No. 1 103 in the nation last year. Kyler then moved to 112 for Fargo without missing a beat, finishing first in Greco-Roman and fourth in Freestyle. Continuing to grow, he is now at 119 pounds. However, Kyler hit a snag when he lost for the first time since his sophomore year to Walter Peppelman by an 11-8 count. Peppelman finished third at state last year in a ridiculously tough 103-pound class, losing only two matches all year -- both to Kyler. The other returning champ is the surprising Chris Sheetz, who sort of came out of nowhere to win over a tough field at 112 last year (there are no easy fields in Pennsylvania "AAA" division- particularly in the lower weights). Sheetz got off to a rocky start, placing fourth at Ironman at 112, (majored and pinned in his losses), then moving up to 119 for Beast where he failed to place, getting pinned by fellow member of the this weight class Matt Bonson (who placed seventh at 103 last year). Since then, Sheetz has rebounded with a 13-5 win over returning state placer Andrew Flegler and a fall over another returning state placer in this weight, Rudy Chelednik. Based on these impressive wins, Sheetz cannot be counted out. My pick at this weight, however, is none of the aforementioned wrestlers. Russ Souders is a three-time state place-winner transferred from Wilson Area into Easton this year after placing third in the AA division despite being probably the best wrestler in the class. Souders probably should have won state as a sophomore as well, losing in the finals to a wrestler he defeated 7-1 at the previous week's District Finals. This year, Souders vaulted into the national spotlight at the NHSCA Final Four Duals, where he rallied from a 4-0 deficit to defeat the consensus No.1 119-pound wrestler in the nation, Ben Ashmore of Bishop Lynch (TX) High School, by a 9-6 score. Souders has also pinned the very tough Billy Chamberlain. Chamberlain could be the dark horse here. Though he went 0-2 at state last year, he placed third at the Beast of the East that season and third at Junior Nationals in Greco-Roman. This year he has wins over Chelednik, Flegler, and Bonson but was pinned by Souders. Chelednik is another possibility. A returning seventh-place finisher at 112, he split with Peppelman at Powerade, but has lost to Chamberlain and Sheetz. However, Chelednik posted a recent win over nationally ranked, overwhelming "AA" favorite Troy Dolan. A final dark horse could be Jason Deluca. Deluca is a junior who failed to place at state last season. However, he was beaten at state by the arguable pre-tourney favorite and eventual third place finisher. This year, from my information he appears to be undefeated, with an overtime win over Peppelman. Last year, Chamberlain defeated him by a point. Rev Wrestling.com Prediction: 1. Russ Souders 2. Matt Kyler 3. Billy Chamberlain 4. Walter Peppelman 5. Matt Bonson 6. Chris Sheetz 7. Rudy Chelednik 8. Jason Deluca

WASHINGTON -- For the second time in three duals, the American University wrestling team prevailed in a match that came down to the final bout, taking a 20-16 over North Dakota State thanks to No. 10 Adam LoPiccolo's (Glen Rock, Pa./Glen Rock) 4-1 decision victory at heavyweight Monday night. The win closes out AU's regular season and moves them to 13-6 on the year. American won two matches by major decision, but gave up points from forfeit at 141, putting the match at 17-16 with the heavyweight bout left. With the score tied 0-0 after two periods, LoPiccolo started down and escaped in five seconds to take a 1-0 lead. The sophomore was hit with a stalling point with 12 seconds left, but scored a takedown a few ticks later and tacked on a riding point to clinch the match for AU. The fact that the dual came down to the final period was representative of much of the night's point-for-point action. At 133, Jordan Lipp (Beachwood, Oh./Beachwood) needed two takedowns in the final period to win his match, but only got one, falling 8-6, including a point added on for riding time. After the forfeit at 141, Tom Kniezewski (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown) won his seventh straight match at 149 by scoring a takedown with 1:11 left and holding on to the 3-2 decision. At 157, Christopher Stout (Hackettstown, N.J./Blair Academy) pushed his match into overtime with an escape and a takedown in the final minute of the third period. In the second overtime, Stout escaped for the 10-9 win. Rudy Rueda (Waldorf, Md./DeMatha) followed with his second win in a row at 165, an 8-1 decision, but Dwayne Hash-Barberis (Scotia, N.Y./Scotia Glenville) lost a tough double overtime decision at 174, 5-4. With the score 13-12, No. 1 Josh Glenn (Johnson City, N.Y./Johnson City) scored the Eagles' second major decision win on the night - the first coming from Matt Morkel (Omaha, Neb./Skutt). Glenn scored two near falls on his way to the 13-3 win. The advantage shrunk to one when Tyler Flatt (Albany, N.Y./Blair Academy) dropped a 16-5 major decision at 197, leaving LoPiccolo with the task of clinching it for the team. The Eagles have almost two weeks off before heading to the EIWA Championships hosted by Lehigh March 4th and 5th. American 20, North Dakota State 16 125--Matt Morkel (AU) maj. dec. Mike Meger 10-2 133--Eric Sanders (NDSU) dec. Jordan Lipp 8-6 141--David Cunningham (NDSU) wins via forfeit 149--Tom Kniezewski (AU) dec. Gabe Mooney 3-2 157--Chris Stout (AU) dec. Andrew Quittschreiber 10-9 (2 OT) 165--Rudy Rueda (AU) dec. Zach Molitor 8-1 174--Matt Hermann (NDSU) dec. Dwayne Hash-Barberis 5-4 (SV-2) 184--Josh Glenn (AU) maj. dec. Matt Wetterling 13-3 197--Jacob Bryce (NDSU) maj. dec. Tyler Flatt 16-5 Hwt.--Adam LoPiccolo (AU) dec. Mike Maresh 4-1

EAU CLAIRE -- UW-La Crosse won seven of the 10 weight classes to claim its ninth straight conference title today at the 2006 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) hosted by UW-Eau Claire. The fifth-ranked Eagles won the championship with 159 points. 18th-ranked UW-Stevens Point finished second for the fourth straight time with 119 points. UW-Whitewater finished third with 84 points, followed by UW-Platteville with 78 points, UW-Eau Claire with 72 points, UW-Oshkosh with 60 points, and Lawrence University with 58 points. Each weight class final came down to decisions as there were no pins in the final matches. At the 125-pound weight class, it was the Eagles' Pat Parrillo defeating UW-Stevens Points' Jake Calhoun by a 6-4 decision. Kevin Barber also took first place for La Crosse in the 133-pound weight class as he defeated Dane Droessler of Platteville in a 4-3 decision. Platteville's Zach Chambers pulled an upset in the 141-pound weight class as he defeated No.1 seeded and defending champion Joel Burdick of Stevens Point in the finals by a 10-4 decision. Chambers was also named the Wrestler of the Meet. Another Pioneer pulled an upset and won the 149-pound weight class, as Ryan Higgins defeated La Crosse's Jake Larsen by a 9-3 decision. Larsen was the No.1 seed and the defending champion of the weight class. Ross Needham of La Crosse won his second-straight championship in the 157-pound weight class, defeating Chris Brown of Stevens Point in a 9-2 decision. Eau Claire's Derek Sikora won his second conference championship at 165 pounds, as he defeated Scott Dorn of La Crosse by an 8-3 decision. Sikora, who is ranked first in his weight class in Division III, has either won or was runner-up in the championships the last four seasons. The Eagles would then sweep the final four weight classes. Third-ranked Josh Chelf in the 174-pound weight class defeated seventh-ranked Al Stacilauskas of Stevens Point by a close 6-5 decision to claim the title. Second-ranked Jason Lulloff defeated defending champion Ben Dictus of Lawrence by a major decision of 10-1 in the 184-pound weight class. The Eagles' Jim Swanson then defeated Eau Claire's Justin Mc Auly by a 5-3 decision in the final of the 197-pound weight class. This was Swanson's second-straight championship At heavyweight, second-ranked Ryan Allen claimed La Crosse's final championship for as he defeated fourth-ranked Mike Hayes of Stevens Point by a 4-1 decision. This was Allen's fourth-straight championship. Hayes received the Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete Award. Nate Skaar of La Crosse was named Coach of the Year. Along with the champions, the following wrestlers are the conference's NCAA qualifiers: Burdick of Stevens Point at 141 pounds, Mike Rohowetz of La Crosse at 141 pounds, Larsen of La Crosse at 149 pounds, Dorn of La Crosse at 165 pounds, Stacilauskas of Stevens Point at 174 pounds, Dictus of Lawrence at 184 pounds, Hayes of Stevens Points at heavyweight, and Ryan Rozek of Platteville at heavyweight. Alternates include: Adam Dorner of Oshkosh at 174 pounds, Mike Schmidt of Whitewater at 184 pounds, and Mc Auly of Eau Claire at 197 pounds.

Wrestling is undoubtedly one of the most physical sports there is. In recent years, a lot of the top wrestlers in America have stepped off the mats due to the toll that this sport takes on their bodies. The shelf life of a male American wrestler? Usually somewhere around 28 or 29 years old, and that is if they are at the top of the ladder. But heavyweight Tolly Thompson has aged like a fine wine. Turning 33 years old in June, Thompson is the senior U.S. Freestyle World Team member. He also may be the oldest returning wrestler when Season 2 of Real Pro Wrestling gets underway later this year. "I don't really think about my age," Thompson said while taking a break between a workout and looking after some of the rental properties he owns in Iowa. "I still feel like I'm 23 when I step onto the mat, not 33. I've had some bad breaks health-wise in my career, but in the last year or so, things have really been coming together for me." That includes Thompson's bronze medal in the 2005 World Championships, his first World Championships competition. Thompson also recently captured a bronze medal at the Yasar Dogu International in Turkey and a gold at the Dave Schultz Memorial International in Colorado Springs. However, Thompson was not expecting to wait this long to get his first chance at a World medal. In 1998, he was on track to become the next great U.S. heavyweight, following in the footsteps of Bruce Baumgartner and Real Pro Wrestling commentator Tom Erikson. After winning the U.S. Freestyle National Championships, Thompson tore his knee apart. He could not compete in U.S. World Team Trials. Kerry McCoy, a coach for the Pennsylvania Hammer, took over the spot in 1998, and ended up competing through the 2004 Olympic Games. Along the way, McCoy won a silver medal at the 2002 World Championships. Overall, he gathered five World and Olympic finishes in the top seven at heavyweight. Tolly ThompsonSome would say that Thompson only flourished after McCoy stopped competing. Some does not include Thompson. "Kerry is a great competitor. He worked hard for everything he won. But so have I," Thompson said emphatically. "Over the last year and a half, I have been wrestling with as much confidence as I have at any other point in my career. I feel I am capable of winning any match, including if Kerry were to come back and compete." But so far, McCoy has not come back to compete. And Thompson has not only produced glaring results in international competitions, he has dominated his U.S. opponents. College star Steve Mocco, who has had the eyes of the wrestling world on him since he was in the eighth grade, was pinned by Thompson at the U.S. Nationals and defeated twice more by him at the U.S. World Team Trials. Cole Konrad, another up-and-coming college star, has yet to defeat Mocco in freestyle, though he has downed him three times during this collegiate season. With so much focus on the wrestlers who have come before him and those whom may someday take over his spot, it would be understandable for Thompson to become frustrated. Because of his age, many wrestling critics continue to doubt him, and look for one of the younger wrestlers to step to the top of the ladder. "I'm not going to take anything away from the younger guys. Steve and Cole have worked hard, and they are going to have their chance to shine someday. But I'm not ready to give this spot up yet, and they're going to have to earn it," Thompson said. Earning it is what it took Thompson nearly 33 years to do. Now, even with a World medal around his neck, he is being labeled as too old by some within the wrestling community. With Mocco completing his senior season, he may get a chance to earn it during Real Pro Wrestling's Season 2. For Konrad, he will have to wish for a chance at the U.S. Nationals or the U.S. World Team Trials. But until that time comes, Thompson will keep his corkscrew where it belongs -- in his wine cellar.

Dana College Head Wrestling Coach Steve Costanzo was named 2006 Regional Coach of the Year as his Vikings won their fourth regional wrestling championship Saturday in Sioux City, Iowa. Dana finished with 197.5 team points, 85 points ahead of second place William Penn. Five Vikings won individual championships: 125- Burke Barnes (Kimberly, Idaho), 133-Jimmy Rollins (Woodbury, N.J.), 157-Ben Henderson (Federal Way, Wash.), 165-Trent Leichleiter (Harvard, Neb.), and 197- Blair Alderman (Spokane, Wash.). All 12 Viking wrestlers placed in the top four of their respective weight classes with seven Vikings making their way into the finals. At 125 pounds, Barnes dominated the competition with three falls on his way to the title. Rollins continued his winning ways by recording two falls, including a fall in the 133-pound finals over No. 3 ranked Mike Miller of Bacone. Henderson recorded two falls, a major decision and finished with a decision over Brandon Graham of William Penn in the 157-pound finals. At 165 pounds, Leichleiter claimed his first regional title and his 100th college victory in the finals with a 4-1 victory over TJ Stuart of William Penn. Alderman (197) stayed on track in a dominating fashion with two falls and a major decision. This is the second regional title for Alderman. Terrence Almond (141, Pelham, Ga.) and Anthony Haukenberry (149, Buckley, Wash.) both finished in the runner-up position. Almond scored three falls, but then lost in overtime to No. 3 ranked Bryan Odle of Bacone. Haukenberry, the 2004 NAIA National Champion, made his way to the finals with a huge revenge victory over No. 2 ranked Brad Stockton of Waldorf 7-3 in the semi-finals. Haukenberry lost in the finals to No. 1 ranked Darren Cotton. Other placers for the Vikings included third-place finishes from Craig Trampe (125, Ord, Neb.), Scott Taylor (Arapahoe, Neb.), and Marshall Marquardt (174, Altoona, Iowa). Sonny Silva (133, Kimberly, Idaho) and Jason Lozier (149, Omaha, Neb.) both finished in fourth place. The Vikings will vie for Dana's first ever NAIA team national championship in two weeks. The 49th Annual NAIA National Wrestling tournament takes place March 3-4 at the Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa. Top 5 Teams: 1. Dana, 197.50 2. William Penn, 112.50 3. Morningside, 94.50 4. Bacone, 93.50 5. Waldorf, 76.00

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 3-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team claimed sole possession of the 2006 Big Ten Conference dual-meet title with a 31-9 victory against No. 17 Indiana on Sunday (Feb. 19) in front of 851 fans at Cliff Keen Arena. With the victory, the Wolverines closed the regular season with a 16-2 overall record and won the Big Ten dual-meet championship outright with a perfect 8-0 mark. Michigan won eight of 10 individual bouts, including back-to-back falls at 141 and 149 pounds from junior/sophomores Josh Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) and Eric Tannenbaum (Naperville, Ill./North HS) to secure a substanial early advantage. Churella had built up an early advantage against Nick Spatola after a takedown and three-point near fall in the opening period and carried his momentum into the second frame with a quick single leg. The Wolverine went to work on top, using a high-leg turk to turn Spatola before moving around to the front position to finish with a head and arm at the 4:01 mark. Tannenbaum made little work of Indiana's Isaac Knable in the subsequent bout, using a single leg to take the Hoosier straight to his back and earn his second fall of the season at the 15-second mark. Fifth-year senior captains Ryan Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) and Greg Wagner (Fort Wayne, Ind./Snider HS) both went out winners in their final appearances at Cliff Keen Arena, earning decision victories at 165 pounds and heavyweight, respectively. Churella scored a pair of takedowns and accumulated 4:49 in riding time en route to a 6-1 victory over the Hoosiers' Max Dean, while Wagner needed just a takedown midway through the opening period to earn a 3-2 decision against Dave Herman to close out the afternoon's competition. The performances by Churella and Wagner bookended a stretch of five consecutive U-M wins in the second half of the dual meet. Senior/junior Nick Roy (Wall, N.J./Wall HS) started strong and ended strong to control the entire bout against Marc Bennett at 174 pounds, scoring on a pair of first-period takedowns and adding two more in the third. At 184 pounds, sophomore/freshman Tyrel Todd (Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS) grabbed the early lead and never trailed against Justin Curran after scoring on a late first-period takedown. Curran pulled back into the match, scoring his own takedown midway through the final frame to trim Todd's lead to one point, but the Wolverine rallied with an escape and single leg just seconds later to register the 7-2 decision. Junior/sophomore Omar Maktabi (Iowa City, Iowa/West HS) claimed his first career dual win in overtime against Louis Gouleta at 197 pounds, scoring out of a scramble situation to claim a 3-1 victory. Freshman Michael Watts (Riverton, Utah/Riverton HS) opened the dual meet with a dominant 13-1 major decision over the Hoosiers' Blane Culp to claim his fourth consecutive win at 125 pounds. Watts struck immediately, scoring on a pair of inside trips in the opening frame before adding two back points late in the period. The Wolverine freshman collected another takedown in the second and used a high-leg turk to score a three-point near fall at the final buzzer. The Wolverines will take a two-week break to prepare for the 2006 Big Ten Championships, scheduled for March 4-5 in Bloomington, Ind. Hosted by Indiana University, the two-day tournament will be held at Assembly Hall. #3 Michigan 31, #17 Indiana 9 125 -- Michael Watts (U-M) major dec. Blane Culp, 13-1 U-M, 4-0 133 -- Andrae Hernandez (IU) pinned Jim Shutich, 6:45 IU, 6-4 141 -- #4 Josh Churella (U-M) pinned Nick Spatola, 4:01 U-M, 10-6 149 -- #4 Eric Tannenbaum (U-M) pinned Isaac Knable, 0:15 U-M, 16-6 157 -- Brandon Becker (IU) dec. #13 Steve Luke, 5-3 U-M, 16-9 165 -- #1 Ryan Churella (U-M) dec. Max Dean, 6-1 U-M, 19-9 174 -- #10 Nick Roy (U-M) dec. Marc Bennett, 10-4 U-M, 22-9 184 -- #18 Tyrel Todd (U-M) dec. Justin Curran, 7-2 U-M, 25-9 197 -- Omar Maktabi (U-M) dec. Louis Gouletas, 3-1 SV U-M, 28-9 Hwt -- #3 Greg Wagner (U-M) dec. Dave Herman, 3-2 U-M, 31-9 Quotes: Michigan Head Coach Joe McFarland On the potential of a U-M letdown ... "I was a little concerned after Friday's emotional win. We talked about it a little bit yesterday, but I didn't think we'd have a problem. These guys are pretty focused from meet to met, and they're good about the preparation. It didn't seem to be a problem; everyone was focused and ready to go. We didn't want any 'co' in front of the Big Ten season championship." On Michigan's undefeated conference record ... "I think it's a nice feather in our cap. It's very difficult to do, because it is such a tough conference. It's a grueling season. For these guys to be able to do it week to week says a lot about the character of the guys we have in the program. I'm proud of them, really proud." On preparing for the postseason ... "We're going to try to get some good workouts in, get these guys ready and keep them fresh. We want to focus in. We're going to try to wipe the slate clean and get ready for the Big Ten Championships and NCAA Championships. The biggest thing is just to put this all behind us. I think these guys will be ready. They've been looking forward to these tournaments."

PRESCOTT, Ariz. -- Behind individual titles from Alfonso Paez at 133 pounds and Joe Garcia at 141 and five second-place showings, the No. 9 Menlo College men's wrestling team captured its second NAIA Western Regional Championship title in three seasons, collecting 82 team points Saturday to edge out No. 7 Southern Oregon (81) and host No. 6 Embry-Riddle (80). Head coach Keith Spataro was named 2006 Western Regional Co-Coach of the Year along with SOU's Mike Ritchey. Embry-Riddle's Hayden Harrison was named the competition's Most Outstanding Wrestler after the No. 3 seed defeated Menlo's Kyle Bickford for the 157 title. Southern Oregon's Jimmy Grochowsky, the NAIA's top-ranked wrestler at 165 pounds, was named the region's Wrestler of the Year. Simon Fraser of British Columbia was a distant fourth with 23 points. The title was Menlo's second after clinching the 2004 Western Regional. The Oaks finished second a year ago in an event they hosted. Top-seeded Paez downed Embry-Riddle's Micaiah Watkins (maj. dec. 10-1) before defeating teammate and second-seed Pablo Sanchez, 4-1, for the 133 title. Sanchez was an earlier 8-3 victor against Southern Oregon's Barry Johnson. Garcia secured his title courtesy of a 6-2 win against second-seeded Gordo Villaescusa of Embry-Riddle. Garcia, ranked No. 3 nationally at 141 pounds, opened with a 16-2 major decision over Embry-Riddle's Jason Mendez. At 125, Menlo freshman Mike Rodriguez opened his day with a 4-3 upset of Embry-Riddle's Richard Byrd, ranked third nationally by the NAIA. Rodriguez then fell to Southern Oregon's Trevor Lofstedt in the final, 6-4. Top-seeded Bickford received a bye to open the 157 bracket before losing to Harrison, who began his day with a fall of the Oaks' Robert Davis at the two-minute, 58-second mark. It was the second-consecutive runner-up finish for Bickford while Davis settled for third. Senior Jesse Vasquez fell to Southern Oregon's Rick Story in his opening match but rebounded with a 20-5 technical fall against Embry-Riddle's Danny Eller in the third-place bout. Top-seeded Tyrell Blanche of Menlo pinned Southern Oregon's Abe Ewing at 1:34 in his 197-pound opening bout before dropping the title match to Simon Fraser's Rozbeh Banihashimi. Blanche captured last season's 197-pound title. Menlo senior heavyweight Ben Flores, ranked third nationally, fell to top-seeded and No. 1 Mikahil Abdul-Latif of Simon Fraser in the championship bout, 21-7. Flores defeated Southern Oregon's Taylor Wilkerson to begin the day. Wilkerson pinned Menlo's Nick Berry at 1:40 in the third-place bout. Menlo freshman Andrew Cunha settled for third place at 149 after losing an opening-round match to Embry-Riddle's Eli Arismendez, 11-2. At 165, Menlo's Stephen Towne lost a 3-1 opening-round decision to Grochowsky before Southern Oregon's James Mannenbach handed him a 7-4 defeat in the third-place bout. Menlo didn't enter a wrestler at 174. The Oaks complete their season March 3-4 at the NAIA National Championships in Sioux City, Iowa. Menlo was the 2004 national runner-up. Men's Wrestling Result 2006 NAIA Western Regional Championships Embry-Riddle University; Prescott, Ariz. Feb. 19, 2006 Team Scores 1. Menlo College (82 Points) 2. Southern Oregon University (81 Points) 3. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (80 Points) 4. Simon Fraser University (23 Points) Most Outstanding Wrestler Hayden Harrison (Embry Riddle University) 2006 Wrestler of the Year Jimmy Grochowsky (Southern Oregon University) 2006 Coach of the Year Keith Spataro (Menlo College) and Mike Ritchey (Southern Oregon University) Individual Placements 125 1. Trevor Lofstedt (Southern Oregon University) 2. Michael Rodriguez (Menlo College) 3. Frank Villaescusa (Embry Riddle University) 4. Junior Valladolid (Southern Oregon University) 133 1. Alfonso Paez (Menlo College) 2. Pablo Sanchez (Menlo College) 3. Barry Johnson (Southern Oregon University) 4. Micaiah Watkins (Embry Riddle University) 141 1. Joe Garcia (Menlo College) 2. Gordo Villaescusa (Embry Riddle University) 3. Jason Mendez (Embry Riddle University) 4. Matt Holt (Southern Oregon University) 149 1. Eli Arismendez (Embry Riddle University) 2. Jimmy Ulrey (Southern Oregon University) 3. Andrew Cunha (Menlo College) 157 1. Hayden Harrison (Embry Riddle University) 2. Kyle Bickford (Menlo College) 3. Robert Davis (Menlo College) 165 1. Jimmy Grochowsky (Southern Oregon University) 2. Calvin DeVault (Embry Riddle University) 3. James Mannenbach (Southern Oregon University) 4. Stephan Towne (Menlo College) 174 1. David O'Brien (Southern Oregon University) 2. Josh Fitzgerald (Southern Oregon University) 3. Nick Walden (Embry Riddle University) 184 1. Joffre Lander (Embry Riddle University) 2. Rick Story (Southern Oregon University) 3. Jesse Vasquez (Menlo College) 4. Danny Eller (Embry Riddle University) 197 1. Rozbeh Banihashimi (Simon Fraser University) 2. Tyrell Blanche (Menlo College) 3. Bob Charlton (Embry Riddle University) 4. Abe Ewing (Southern Oregon University) HWT 1. Mikahil Abdul-Latif (Simon Fraser University) 2. Ben Flores (Menlo College) 3. Taylor Wilkerson (Southern Oregon University) 4. Nick Berry (Menlo College)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Thanks to a 15th consecutive win by Vincent Ramirez and a pin by Chris Ramos in the final two bouts of the day, North Carolina scored a 19-16 win over Old Dominion in a back-and-forth match Sunday at Carmichael Auditorium. The Tar Heels (16-8-1) won their final four duals of the season for their most victories since the 1989 squad posted 18 victories. With Carolina trailing the Monarchs (11-6-1) by a 16-10 margin, Ramirez scored a 6-2 victory over BJ Compton at 141 pounds to bring the Tar Heels within three. A decision in Ramos' favor would have given Carolina its second draw of the season, but he pinned ODU's Jeff Becker in two minutes to give Carolina six points at 149 and the 19-16 victory. Ramirez's victory improved his record to 35-6 and 20-1 in duals, while Ramos is now 15-13 and has three pins on the season. Junior Deon Barrett got the Tar Heels off on the right foot with an 8-6 decision over Nick Pallano at 157 pounds to open the match. The Monarchs then claimed the next three bouts to take a 9-3 advantage after four matches. Junior David Dashiell put the Tar Heels back in the win column with a key 5-4 decision over 17th-ranked Adam Wright at 197. Dashiell is now 30-10 on the year and has a single-season career best in victories. Junior Spencer Nadolsky, ranked 12th nationally, followed with an 11-1 major decision over John Dolida at heavyweight to give Carolina its first lead of the day at 10-9. The victory was Nadolsky's 38th of the season, which is tied for fifth on the Tar Heels' single-season win list. Old Dominion picked up the next two matches, including a major decision at 125 to take the 16-10 lead before Ramirez and Ramos closed out the match with the decision and the fall to give the Tar Heels the win. Carolina returns to action at the 2006 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, set for March 4 at MatJam 2006 in Lexington, Va. North Carolina 19, Old Dominion 16 Records: UNC 16-8-1, ODU 11-6-1 WT. BOUT RESULT SCORE TEAM SCORE 157 Andre Barrett (UNC) def. Nick Pallano (ODU) 8-6 UNC 3-0 165 Robby Gosnell (ODU) def. Garrett Atkinson (UNC) 6-3 TIED 3-3 174 TJ Hansen (ODU) def. Jake Puckett (UNC) 2-0 ODU 6-3 184 David Mendoza (ODU) def. Justin Dobies (UNC) 8-4 ODU 9-3 197 David Dashiell (UNC) def. #17 Adam Wright (ODU) 5-4 ODU 9-6 HWT #12 Spencer Nadolsky (UNC) def. John Dolida (ODU) 11-1 MD UNC 10-9 125 Bryan LaShomb (ODU) def. Bobby Shaw (UNC) 12-3 MD ODU 13-10 133 Ryan Williams (ODU) def. Jared Royer (UNC) 5-0 ODU 16-10 141 Vincent Ramirez (UNC) def. BJ Compton (ODU) 6-2 ODU 16-13 149 Chris Ramos (UNC) def. Jeff Becker (ODU) Fall 2:00 UNC 19-16

BLOOMSBURG -- Despite a loss to Bloomsburg University, the East Stroudsburg University wrestling team completed its fourth straight winning season. Bloomsburg took advantage of a forfeit and had two major decisions and beat the Warriors 35-0, Sunday at Nelson Fieldhouse. ESU did complete its dual meet season 10-9, the fourth consecutive winning season. ESU will wrestle at EIWA's March 4 and 5 at Lehigh University. Bloomsburg 35, ESU 0 125- Mike Sees (BU) maj. dec. Matt Swallow (ESU), 16-0 133- Rick Donald (BU) dec. Nate Nauroth (ESU), 9-2 141- Brad Forbes (BU) dec. Kyle Ferris (ESU), 5-3, OT 149- George Hickman (BU) won by forfeit 157- Aric Fuhrman (BU) dec. Mark Smith (ESU), 6-4 165- Frank Beasley (BU) dec. Keith Smith (ESU), 3-2 174- Jim Bertulis (BU) dec. Dave Sullivan (ESU), 8-3 184- Nate Shirk (BU) dec. Dave Williams (ESU), 8-2 197- Jesse Hasseman (BU) dec. Charles Deighton (ESU) 7-3 HWT- Mike Spaid (BU) maj. dec. Adam Karasevicz (ESU) 9-0

WASHINGTON -- The American University wrestling team won eight matches by bonus points Sunday afternoon in a 38-9 dismantling of South Dakota State on the road. Three Eagles won by fall and five won by major decision as AU lost only match they contested. Adam LoPiccolo (Glen Rock, Pa./Glen Rock) started the match off with his 20th win of the year by fall in the first period. Matt Morkel (Omaha, Neb./Skutt) and Jordan Lipp (Beachwood, Oh./Beachwood) pushed AU's lead to 14-0, both winning by major decision. Lipp has now won 10 of his last 11 matches. After an American forfeit at 141, Tom Kniezewski (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown) scored his second pin in as many matches for his 21st win of the year. Christopher Stout (Hackettstown, N.J./Blair Academy), Rudy Rueda (Waldorf, Md./DeMatha) and Dwayne Hash-Barberis (Scotia, N.Y./Scotia Glenville) followed with major decision victories to clinch the match for AU. Like Kniezewski at 149, No. 1 Josh Glenn (Johnson City, N.Y./Johnson City) won by fall for the second time in as many matches pushing his record to 26-1 on the year. Glenn lead the EIWA in pins with 17 on the year. With the win, the Eagles move to 12-6 on the year in duals. Tomorrow they face off against North Dakota State in their last dual of the year before the EIWA Tournament, which takes place in two weeks. American 38 South Dakota St 9 285-Adam LoPiccolo, AU F2:29 Jason Stripling 125-Matt Morkel, AU 14-3 Marcus Waters 133-Jordan Lipp, AU 19-7 Alan Marvin 141-Dusty Kavitz, SDS FF 149-Tom Kniezewski, AU F1:10 Brad Gregory 157-Chris Stout, AU 12-4 Chad Herrboldt 165-Rudy Rueda, AU 12-3 Justin Retallic 174-Dwayne Hash-Barberis, AU 15-4 Travis Gottschalk 184-Josh Glenn, AU F1:53 Levi Krehmeyer 197-Cody Nehl, SDS 6-0 Tyler Flatt

Philadelphia - Drexel dropped a tough match to No. 14 Lehigh, 21-19, in the Dragons' final regular season dual meet of the season. Drexel ended its season 20-9 while Lehigh improved to 12-5-1. The 20 wins mark a new school-record for victories in a season. Lehigh jumped to a 10-point lead on the first three matches of the evening. Lehigh's Matt Fisk used a second-period escape to earn a 1-0 decision over Steve Mytych (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) in a match-up of freshman 125-pounders. Lehigh's Jon Stout and Cory Cooperman followed with a pair of decision victories, the latter a major decision. Facing a 10-point deficit, the Dragons looked to junior Chris Renninger (Cresonia, Pa./Blue Mountain) to get them back in the match. Renninger responded with his 10th pin of the season at 3:33 of the match. In the next match, 19th-ranked Ryan Hluschak (Slatington, Pa./Northern Lehigh) recorded a win by fall of his own when he matted Trevor Chinn at 4:18. Hluschak has now won 16 of his last 17 matches. The two wins by fall put Drexel on top, 12-10. Lehigh countered with former NCAA national champion Troy Letters at 165 pounds. The senior defeated Drexel's Scott Hunter (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus), 17-3, to give the Mountain Hawks a 14-12 match lead. Lehigh also won at 174 and 184 pounds, the latter by major decision to extend its lead to 21-12. At 197 pounds, Drexel's Jon Oplinger (Bath, Pa./Northampton) stunned 16th-ranked Matt Cassidy when he earned a 16-6 major decision to pull Drexel within five points with just one match remaining. Defending CAA heavyweight champion Chris Cowen (Mexico, N.Y./Mexico) faced Lehigh's heavyweight offering, Kevin McFarland, who usually wrestles at 197 pounds. Cowen earned a pair of takedowns and was awarded a point when McFarland was cited for stalling but was unable to record a pin. Cowen did win a 7-0 decision, though the Mountain Hawks escaped with a 21-19 match win. Drexel will host the 2006 CAA Championships on March 3 and 4. The first match is slated to begin at 1 p.m. on Friday, March 3. February 19, 2006 (Philadelphia, Pa.) Lehigh 21, Drexel 19 125 - Matt Fisk (L) d. Steve Mytych, 1-0 133 - John Stout (L) d. Zach Makovsky, 7-3 141 - Cory Cooperman (L) m.d. Billy Martin, 24-11 149 - Chris Renninger (D) wbf. Matt Ennis, 3:33 157 - Ryan Hluschak (D) wbf. Trevor Chinn, 4:18 165 - Troy Letters (L) m.d. Scott Hunter, 17-3 174 - Travis Frick (L) d. Nick Kozar, 3-2 184 - David Helfrich (L) m.d. Brian Stouffer, 12-3 197 - Jon Oplinger (D) d. Matt Cassidy, 16-6 HWT - Chris Cowen (D) d. Kevin McFarland, 7-0

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma State continued its dominance over instate rival Oklahoma winning 21-12 at the Howard McCasland Fieldhouse in Norman, Okla. The Cowboys improved to 16-2 on the season and have now won 16 consecutive duals against their Bedlam rival. The dual remained close early as the Cowboys won three of the first five matches, but OU got a technical fall from Teyon Ware at 141 and OSU led 9-8 at the halfway point. Oklahoma was leading the dual 8-3 following Ware's technical fall, but Oklahoma State took the lead with consecutive decisions from Zack Esposito and Kevin Ward. Ward gave up a late takedown to Will Rowe to tie the match, but Ward escaped with four seconds left to win. The Cowboys began to assert themselves after the 165-pound match. Johny Hendricks bullied Jarrod King around the mat for seven minutes. Hendricks was looking for a major decision but got countered in the third period for a late takedown and won 12-5. Brandon Mason kept OSU's string of victories alive against OU's Wes Roberts. Mason scored the match's only takedown to win 3-0. The win put the Cowboys ahead in the dual, 15-8. Justin Dyer got the Sooners back on the scoreboard putting Rusty Blackmon on his back twice and earning a major decision. Jake Rosholt iced the dual for Oklahoma State scoring a late takedown over Joel Flaggert to win by decision, 4-1, and putting OSU up 18-12 heading into the heavyweight match. Steve Mocco put the finishing touches on the dual defeating Jake Hager, 8-1. The Cowboys head to the Big Tournament in Ames, Iowa and will look for its eighth Big 12 championship in 10 years. No. 2 Oklahoma State 21, No. 11 Oklahoma 12 Howard McCasland Fieldhouse * Norman, Okla. Attendance: 1,846 125- Sam Hazewinkel (OU) Dec. Coleman Scott (OSU), 2-0 133- Nathan Morgan (OSU) Dec. Trey Blakely (OU), 9-2 141- Teyon Ware (OU) TF5 Ethan Kyle (OSU), 19-4; 6:06 149- Zack Esposito (OSU) Dec. Matt Storniolo (OU), 4-0 157- Kevin Ward (OSU) Dec. Will Rowe (OU), 6-5 165- Johny Hendricks (OSU) Dec. Jarrod King (OU), 12-5 174- Brandon Mason (OSU) Dec. Wes Roberts (OU), 3-0 184- Justin Dyer (OU) MD Rusty Blackmon (OSU), 13-4 197- Jake Rosholt (OSU) Dec. Joel Flaggert (OU), 4-1 285- Steve Mocco (OSU) Dec. Jake Hager (OU), 8-1

MADISON, Wis. -- Fresh off upsetting No. 18 Michigan State, the No. 23 Wisconsin wrestling team nearly made it a sweep with a tie against No. 6 Illinois on the road. The 15-15 stalemate set the Badgers' regular season record at 9-5-1 and 4-3-1 in Big Ten Conference action. The Illini finished with a 10-2-1 overall record and 5-2-1 in the league. The Badgers charged into Illinois' Huff Hall winning the first three matches with decisions from Tom Clum (133 lbs.), Ed Gutnik (141 lbs.) and Tyler Turner (149 lbs.). Turner dominated his match and despite scoring three takedowns in the final minute, he ran out of time to get the final two points to secure a major decision and settled for the 10-4 win. "We came out really aggressively today and attacked well," said assistant coach Cory Wallman. "Our guys are getting to where they need to be and are peaking at the right time of year, just before Big Tens." With nine points in Wisconsin's favor, the featured match-up at 157 lbs. was cued up with the top-ranked Alex Tirapelle of Illinois facing Wisconsin's No. 5 Craig Henning. Both wrestlers came into the match undefeated in Big Ten action. After two scoreless periods, Tirapelle managed an escape early in the third. He was able to evade Henning the rest of the match and notched a 2-0 with 1:17 of riding time. Illinois took four more matches at 165 lbs., 184 lbs., 197 lbs. and 125 lbs. The Badgers had a chance to pull away when heavyweight Lee Kraemer got his opponent Matt Weight on his back. Weight fought off a pin, but Kraemer earned a three-point nearfall and the 7-5 decision victory. In the final match of the day, Wisconsin's Collin Cudd faced eighth-ranked Kyle Ott. Cudd kept the score close scoring three escapes in the 5-3 loss. The three points only got Illinois close enough to tie, the first of the season, for either team. The Badgers now look to the postseason and the 2006 Big Ten Championships, March 3-5 in Bloomington, Ind. Seeding for the tournament will take place in the next week. Stay tuned to uwbadgers.com for the latest news and updates. #6 Illinois 15, #23 Wisconsin 15 Feb. 19, 2006 Huff Hall (ILL-UW) 133: #6 Tom Clum (WIS) dec. #19 Gabe Flores (ILL), 1-6 (0-3) 141: Ed Gutnik (WIS) dec. Joel Karr (ILL), 6-2 (0-6) 149: #11 Tyler Turner dec. Troy Tirapelle (ILL), 10-4 (0-9) 157: #1 Alex Tirapelle (ILL) dec. #5 Craig Henning (WIS), 2-0 (3-9) 165: #7 Mike Poeta (ILL) dec. #17 Jake Donar (WIS), 7-1 (6-9) 174: #14 Kelly Flaherty (WIS) dec. Roger Smith-Bergsrud (ILL), 0-1 (6-12) 184: #5 Pete Friedl (ILL) dec. Matt Maciag (WIS), 9-2 (9-12) 197: #8 Tyrone Byrd (ILL) dec. Dallas Herbst (WIS), 1-0 (12-12) HWT: Lee Kraemer (WIS) dec Matt Weight (ILL), 7-5 (12-15) 125: #8 Kyle Ott (ILL) dec. Collin Cudd (WIS), 5-3 (15-15)