InterMat Staff

Columbia, Mo. -- The No. 8 Missouri wrestling team will complete its regular-season schedule Saturday, Feb. 18, traveling to Chattanooga, Tenn., to take on both UT-Chattanooga and UNC-Greensboro at Maclellan Gym. The Tigers open action in the three-team meet with a dual against UT-Chattanooga at 1:30 p.m. EST, immediately followed by a matchup against the Spartans at 3:30 p.m. CST. Head Coach Brian Smith's squad faced UTC twice one year ago, with each team taking a victory. Wrestling in the first round of last year's Virginia Duals, the Mocs knocked Missouri out of the championship bracket with a 19-16 upset, but the Tigers evened the score by taking a 22-15 win in their last home dual of the campaign. The Missouri wrestling program has never faced UNC-Greensboro. Last week the Tigers knocked off Iowa State in Ames, Iowa, which marked the first time since the 1927-28 season in which Missouri has beaten the Cyclones on the road. Missouri enters the weekend in the midst of a three-match winning streak over ranked opponents, having beaten then-No. 10 Oklahoma, No. 7 Iowa State and No. 25 Northern Iowa over the course of the past two weeks. Sophomore Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) will square off against No. 7 Matt Keller, to whom McCormick lost a 7-4 decision at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Dec. 2. Ranked No. 16 at 133 pounds, McCormick has emerged victorious in five of his last six bouts, the only loss coming to No. 2 Nathan Morgan of Oklahoma State Jan. 22. Also facing a familiar ranked opponent, senior Chris McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) will face No. 20 Kevin Artis of UNC-Greensboro, over whom the Tiger earned a 4-1 decision Dec. 3 at the NWCA National Duals. Chris McCormick is 27-9 on the season, with victories over four ranked opponents.

PELLA -- No. 1-ranked Wartburg rolled to its 14th consecutive Iowa Conference team wrestling title Thursday, Feb. 16, scoring 208 points at Central College's Kuyper Fieldhouse and Kuyper Gymnasium. The Knights turned in a conference record-tying eight individual champions, which continued a string of four straight years of having at least six individual conference champions, and broke the tournament's point record in the process. Sophomore 149-pounder Jacob Naig of Emmetsburg earned Outstanding Wrestler honors, marking the 13th time a Wartburg wrestler has been so honored, while head coach Jim Miller was named Coach of the Year for the eighth time in his career. Naig's outstanding wrestling award was completed with his 8-4 win over top-ranked Matt Pyle of Luther in the championship. Trailing 4-2 in the final period, Naig rolled through for some key nearfall points to turn the tables on an earlier season loss to Pyle. "My confidence level is higher than it was in our last match," Naig, the No. 2-ranked wrestler in NCAA Division III, said. "With that, I've been able to get some momentum going recently. It's a great win right now, but there is more out there in two weeks. This is a good start, though." Senior 125-pounder Tyler Hubbard of Blue Springs, Mo., got the championship round run going, posting his second victory this season against Luther's Nate Hansen with a 6-3 decision. Senior 141-pounder Dustin Hinschberger of Belle Plaine completed his third consecutive conference title, turning in a 10-0 major decision over Simpson's Dustin Brewer. After Naig's win at 149, senior 165-pounder Dustin Bliven of Columbus Junction notched a 6-3 decision over Dubuque's Cole Williams for his first individual league title. From 174 pounds on, the Knights added momentum to their final margin of victory as senior Scott Kauffman of Emmetsburg, senior Akeem Carter of Waterloo and juniors T.J. Miller of Cedar Falls and Blake Gillis of Spencer reeled off two falls, a major decision and a technical fall to gain championships. Carter and Gillis each won their third individual conference championships, while Hubbard and Kauffman gained their second league crowns. Freshman Zach McKray of Iowa City gave top-ranked Mike Lopez of Luther a strong battle at 133, falling only 3-2. He joins the eight champions for national tournament competition. "What a great finish," Miller said following the final round record of 8-1. "It's all about building momentum for nationals which is the goal we set for today. I feel we are going into the national tournament with nine strong individuals." SEMIFINALS Gaining eight-or-more championship round qualifiers for the fourth straight season, Wartburg ended the semifinals with a 9-1 record. Six of the match wins came by bonus points with Gillis and Kauffman gaining falls and Bliven turning in a technical fall. McKray and Naig upended higher seeded opponents during the round. McKray, seeded third, rallied for a 7-6 win over Buena Vista's Jestin Hulegaard, the second seed, and Naig, the third seed at 149, rolled up some early nearfall points in a 10-2 win over second-seeded Luke Forness of Buena Vista. QUARTERFINALS The Knights got out of the gate fast, winning all 10 quarterfinal round matches, nine coming via bonus-point status. Hubbard, Bliven, Kauffman, Miller and Gillis each claimed falls, while Hinschberger and Naig took victories by technical falls.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 3-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team claimed at least a share of its third straight Big Ten Conference dual-meet crown with a 19-15 upset of top-ranked Minnesota on Friday (Feb. 17) in front of a capacity 1,850 fans at Cliff Keen Arena. Sophomore/freshman Casey White (Commerce, Mich./Walled Lake Central HS) turned the Gophers' Mitch Kuhlman in the closing seconds of the 197-pound bout to secure a 7-2 decision and clinch the Wolverine victory with one match still remaining. After a scoreless first period and offsetting reversals in the second, White held just a narrow one-point advantage entering the final frame with Kulhman starting on bottom. White kept the Gopher on the mat for the two full minutes and used a high-leg turk to hold Kulhman in a near-fall situation for the final 30 seconds. With each team claiming five individual bouts, bonus points played the deciding factor in the contest as Michigan's fifth-year senior captain Ryan Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) and junior/sophomore Josh Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) picked up extra points at 165 and 141 pounds, respectively. Ryan Churella, ranked No. 1 nationally by NWCA/InterMat, earned a six-point victory over Matt Nagel when the Gopher wrestler was disqualified after receiving his fifth stalling call with just 13 seconds remaining in the third period. Churella scored on a quick high-crotch early in the second frame and added a reversal in the third to get on top and build up riding-time advantage. Churella could not get much else accomplished as Nagel simply lay flat on the mat to start picking up stalling calls -- one in each of the first two periods and three in the third. The victory gave the Wolverines the lead for good in the dual meet and kept Churella undefeated at 21-0 on the season. Josh Churella, ranked fourth at 141 pounds, earned a dominant 13-5 major decision against Tyler Safratowich to pick up an extra team point early in the dual. Churella scored five takedowns in the match, most notably a double leg with only 30 seconds remaining to secure the major after riding time. With the win, Churella extended his winning streak to 11 straight matches. Freshman Michael Watts (Riverton, Utah/Riverton HS) got the momentum rolling early for the Wolverines with a 9-6 decision over Travis Lang at the opening weight of 125 pounds. Watts struck first with a quick double leg just 20 second into the bout, but the Gopher stole away the lead with an escape and takedown at the end of the period. Watts again struck quickly in the second, earning a fast escape and using a cement mixer to get the go-ahead takedown. The Wolverine added two more in the final frame to claim the victory and give U-M the first lead in the dual. Senior/junior Nick Roy (Wall, N.J./Wall HS) rounded out the Wolverines' individual victors with a close 3-2 decision against 13th-ranked Gabriel Dretsch at 174 pounds. With the score knotted at one point apiece early in the third, Roy shot in on a single leg late in the frame, finishing with a double to secure the deciding takedown. The win gave Michigan a seven-point advantage with three bouts to go. The Wolverines will wrap up the regular-season portion of their 2005-06 schedule against No. 17 Indiana on Sunday (Feb. 19) in a 2 p.m. dual at Cliff Keen Arena. #3 Michigan 19, #1 Minnesota 15 125 -- Michael Watts (Mich.) dec. Travis Lang, 9-6 Mich., 3-0 133 -- #3 Mack Reiter (Minn.) dec. #11 Mark Moos, 13-6 Tie, 3-3 141 -- #4 Josh Churella (Mich.) major dec. Tyler Safratowich, 13-5 Mich., 7-3 149 -- #1 Dustin Schlatter (Minn.) dec. #4 Eric Tannenbaum, 6-0 Mich., 7-6 157 -- #4 C.P. Schlatter (Minn.) dec. #13 Steve Luke (Mich.) 2-1 TB Minn., 9-7 165 -- #1 Ryan Churella (Mich.) won by disqualification over #9 Matt Nagel Mich., 13-9 174 -- #10 Nick Roy (Mich.) dec. #13 Gabriel Dretsch, 3-2 Mich., 16-9 184 -- #9 Roger Kish (Minn.) dec. #18 Tyrel Todd, 6-4 SV Mich., 16-12 197 -- Casey White (Mich.) dec. Mitch Kuhlman, 7-2 Mich., 19-12 Hwt -- #1 Cole Konrad (Minn.) dec. #3 Greg Wagner, 1-0 Mich., 19-15

Ypsilanti, MI -- In the final Mid-American Conference dual meet of 2005-06 Northern Illinois University's wrestlers finally preformed up to their expectations. The Huskies dominated Eastern Michigan University winning all but the 133-pound match. NIU improved its overall record to 8-5-2, while it finished the MAC season at 3-1-1. "It was a good night for us," said NIU head coach Dave Grant. "Guys put it on the line and wrestled hard. We had quite a few takedowns and a good attitude tonight. We wrestled real well and our intensity was good. Guys went out to wrestle tonight. We have some good momentum and we need to continue it on this weekend. Overall, we had some great performances." Heavyweight Joe Sapp (Mahomet / Mahomet-Seymour) got the evening off to a good start for the visiting Huskies. The No. 20 ranked wrestler gave Northern Illinois a 3-0 lead when he took down EMU freshman Jake Wood. No. 12 ranked Pat Castillo (Western Springs / LaGrange Lyons Twp.) kept the momentum going for the Huskies defeating Eastern Michigan's best wrestler No. 17 ranked Sean Clair. Castillo took home a 7-5 victory over the ranked freshman foe and extended the Huskies lead to six. Eastern Michigan would bounce back to tie the dual meet at 6-6 after Phillip Plowman pinned Chad Vandiver (Roscoe / Harlem). 133-pounds has been a difficult class for Coach Grant to find success in this season, and despite the loss Northern Illinois did not loose momentum as senior Josh Wooton (Urbana, OH / Graham) came to the canvas for the Huskies. The No. 12 ranked wrestler in nation at 141-pounds, Wooton easily handled his opponent earning NIU's lone major decision of the night with a 15-3 victory over Nick Conklin. Wooton currently holds the Huskies longest winning streak at seven and closed his Mid-American Conference career dual meet record at a stellar 19-1, with his lone defeat coming during his freshman season. No. 14 ranked Mike Grimes (Villa Park / Lombard Montini) continued his winning ways marking the ninth time this season that both he and Wooton have won in the same dual meet. Grimes improved his record to 21-7 overall and 4-1 in Mid-Am action after his 4-3 decision over Jermain Thompson. With a 13-6 lead, 157-pounder Aaron Owen (Carlsbad, NM) picked up his sixth victory of the season and his second in a row to extend the NIU lead. Owen's 8-2 decision, and more importantly his return to form after struggling with nagging injuries, fills one of only a few holes in the NIU starting 10. 165-pounder Johnny Galloway's (Iowa City, IA) 6-3 decision and 174-pounder Danny Burk's (Peoria / Notre Dame) 11-5 win put the Huskies up 22-6 with only matches remaining. Burk improved his record to 18-9 overall and 3-2 in MAC action. Burk has a good chance to become the fifth Huskie to reach the 20 win plateau this season and join, Castillo, Wooton, Grimes, and Sapp at that mark. Alex Nelson (Portage, WI / Turner) returned to the lineup for the Northern Illinois Thursday (Feb. 16) night. The senior who normally wrestles at 165-pounds went up two weight classes and earned a 9-3 decision in the 184-pound bout for NIU. Rounding out the evening's competition was 197-pounder Derek Hunsinger's (El Paso) victory over Tony Lyssiotis. Hunsinger's 10-6 decision gave the Huskies a 28-6 victory and improved Hunsinger's record to 2-1 in Mid-American competition. Northern Illinois returns to the mats for its final two dual meets of the season Sunday (Feb. 19) when it travels to Charleston, IL to square off with Eastern Illinois University and the University of Northern Colorado at 2:00 p.m. (CST). Following the duals the Huskies will have almost two weeks to rest before hosting the Mid-American Conference Championship at the Convocation Center in DeKalb, IL, on March 3rd and 4th. No. 24 Northern Illinois 28 at Eastern Michigan 6 285: #20 Joe Sapp (NIU), def. Jake Wood (EMU), 8-3, 3-0 NIU 125: #13 Pat Castillo (NIU), def. #17 Sean Clair (EMU), 7-5, 6-0 NIU 133: Phillip Plowman (EMU), pinned Chad Vandiver (NIU), 1:25, 6-6 141: #12 Josh Wooton (NIU), maj. dec. Nick Conklin (EMU), 15-3, 10-6 NIU 149: #14 Mike Grimes (NIU), def. Jermain Thompson (EMU), 4-3, 13-6 NIU 157: Aaron Owen (NIU), dec. Quinn Guernsey (EMU), 8-2, 16-6 NIU 165: Johnny Galloway (NIU), def. Chad Roush (EMU), 6-3, 19-6 NIU 174: Danny Burk (NIU), def. Josh Lewis (EMU), 11-5, 22-6 NIU 184: Alex Nelson (NIU), def. John McClure (EMU), 9-3, 25-6 NIU 197: Derek Hunsinger (NIU), def. Tony Lyssiotis (EMU), 10-6, 28-6 NIU

Slippery Rock, Pa. -- The final dual match in the foreseeable future of Rock wrestling came down to the final weight-class match, and then into extra time. Matt Burkholder, one of three seniors honored before the match, stepped into the spotlight and shone brightly as he recorded a takedown in overtime to notch a 3-1 win in the heavyweight match to put the finishing touch on a 21-17 win over No. 23 Buffalo (9-6). The win, witnessed by an estimated crowd of 450 fans in Morrow Field House, was the second memorable victory for The Rock in the span of five days. The Rock, the No. 4 team finisher in this year's Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships, knocked off PSAC runner-up, 18-17, last Saturday in Morrow Field House. The back-to-back wins over Bloomsburg and Buffalo gave this winter's Green and White squad seven wins in its final eight dual matches and a 14-9 final record. That win total is the highest recorded by a Rock wrestling team since the 1972-73 squad finished with a 16-1 record. Thursday's win was a bittersweet one, though, as SRU will discontinue its wrestling program at the conclusion of the 2005-06 season due to budgetary constraints. That fact can not detract from the effort put forth Thursday night by The Rock. SRU held an 18-17 edge when the combatants took the mat for the final weight-class bout. Seven minutes and seven seconds later, Burkholder -- who now owns an 18-14 record this winter -- was the victor over Buffalo's Harold Sherrell, owner of a 32-7 record and a national ranking of between 14th and 17th in the various polls. Somewhat lost in the elation of the final-bout victory and team triumph were crucial pins by freshman 141-pounder David Pienaar (1:25) and junior 174-pounder Jerimiah Frederick (2:28). Frederick's win gave SRU the lead for good, 15-13, before junior Charlie Pienaar recorded a 1-0 decision in the 184 match to extend the difference to five points, 18-13. Buffalo star Kyle Cerminara won a 14-2 major decision in the 197-pound match to trim The Rock's lead to one, 18-17, and set up the decisive, winner-take-all duel between Burkholder and Sherrell. Cerminara, owner of a 36-1 record this winter, is ranked between second and fourth in the various national polls. The Rock took an early 3-0 lead in the team scoring on the strength of a 5-4 decision by Chris Clarke in the 125-pound match. Buffalo standout Mark Budd (34-4) put the Bulls on top, 4-3, with a 13-4 major decision in the 133 match. Budd is ranked 13th or 14th in the various national polls. David Pienaar's pin put The Rock back on top, 9-4, before Buffalo won three straight weight-class matches to take a 13-9 advantage. Dana Gingerich won an 8-4 decision in the 149-pound match, John Cummings recorded a 4-3 overtime decision in the 157 match and Mickey Moran scored a 3-2 win in the 165 bout for the Bulls. That proved to be the extent of the Bulls' victory hopes, though, as Frederick, Charlie Pienaar and Burkholder came through in the clutch for SRU. The Rock is idle until March 4, when they will travel to Gardner-Webb College in North Carolina for the NCAA Division I East Regional tournament. Individual weight-class champions from that tournament earn berths to the Division I national tournament, which will be held March 16-19 in Oklahoma City, Okla. Complete results of Thursday's match were as follows: 125 pounds -- Chris Clarke (SR) dec. Eric Piedimonte, 5-4 133 pounds -- Mark Budd (B) maj. dec. Sal Lascari, 13-4 141 pounds -- David Pienaar (SR) pinned Cliff Smith, 1:28 149 pounds -- Dana Gingerich (B) dec. Shawn Baglio, 8-4 157 pounds -- John Cummings (B) dec. Gerald Christian, 4-3 (ot) 165 pounds -- Mickey Moran (B) dec. Jason Cardillo, 3-2 174 pounds -- Jerimiah Frederick (SR) pinned Mike Ragusa, 2:28 184 pounds -- Charlie Pienaar (SR) dec. Garrett Hicks, 1-0 197 pounds -- Kyle Cerminara (B) maj. dec. Andrew Joseph, 14-2 Heavyweight -- Matt Burkholder (SR) dec. Harold Sherrell, 3-1 (ot)

St. Cloud, Minn. -- The St. Cloud State wrestling team comes close to their first victory of the season but loses in the final pair of wrestlers, 24-18 to Southwest Minnesota State University at Halenbeck Hall on the SCSU campus, Thursday, February 16. The Huskies climbed back from a 0-9 lead that the Mustangs built in the first two sets, tying the score at 9 after junior Tom Messerli took home his third win of the season, winning by decision over Luke Griffith 4-2. SCSU forfieted the 157 weight to go down 15-9. Wins by Tom Anderson and Jason Moore tied the score at 15. Anderson won in his first overtime match of the season 3-1 by decision over Greg Frank. Moore tallied his tenth victory of the season in a close contest over no.7 ranked Tim Johns. First year Husky, Neil Russel picked up his third win of the season going three rounds with Tyler Johnson to give SCSU their first lead of the match. SMSU tied it up when Joel Wipperfurth dominated Jario Sandoval in a 5-1 decision. The score was tied, SCSU's Brandon Nowak and SMSU's Jeremy Schafer were last, wrestling at Heavyweight, the victor would bring home their personal first win of the season and the victory for their team. Nowak got the first points jumping 2-0 but was soon taken down by Schafer who pinned Nowak at 1:34 in to the match. SCSU charted their seventh consecutive loss on the season, now 0-7 overall and 0-2 in the NCC. Results 2-16-06 125-SMS Smith (13-12) def. SCS Wasche (8-17) 4-2 133-SMS Reed (18-11) def. SCS Johnson (3-17) Fall at 2:33 141-SCS Tappe (1-5) def SMS due to forfiet 149-SCS Messerli (4-15) def SMS Griffith (3-11) 4-2 157-SMS Struchen (13-15) def SCS due to forfiet 165-SCS Anderson (3-9) def SMS Frank (4-18) 3-1 OT 174-SCS Moore (10-2) def #7 Johns (23-6) 6-5 184-SCS Russel (3-5) def SMS Johnson (11-18) 7-6 197-SMS Wipperfurth (15-7) def SCS Sandoval (6-17) 5-1 HWT-SMS Schafer (1-14) def SCS Nowak (0-8) Fall at 1:34

PELLA, IOWA -- For the second time in three years, Wartburg College crowned eight individual champions as the Knights won their 14th consecutive Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) wrestling Championship at Central College. Wartburg totaled 208 points, bettering their total of 206.5 points from the 2004 IIAC Championship. Luther College finished second for the sixth time in the last seven years with 131 points followed by Loras College (151 points), Coe College (101), Simpson College (94.5) and the University of Dubuque (94). Wartburg sophomore Jacob Naig (Emmetsburg, Iowa/Emmetsburg) was named Dick Walker Outstanding Wrestler. The #3-seed at 149-pounds went 3-0 with a technical fall and a major decision. He defeated Loras' Andrew Sloan by technical fall in the quarterfinals (16-0, 2:59) and the #2-seed Kyle Forness of Buena Vista by major decision in the semifinals (10-2). In the Championship match, Naig defeated defending Conference and national Champion Matt Pyle of Luther (9-4). Other individual champions include Wartburg's Tyler Hubbard (125-pounds), Luther's Mike Lopez (133-pounds), Wartburg's Dustin Hinschberger (141-pounds), Loras' Brad Bishop (157-pounds), Wartburg's Dustin Bliven (165-pounds), Wartburg's Scott Kauffman (174-pounds), Wartburg's Akeem Carter (184-pounds), Wartburg's T.J. Miller (197-pounds) and Wartburg's Blake Gillis (heavyweight). Hinschberger, Carter and Gillis each won their third consecutive Conference title becoming the first IIAC wrestlers to win three straight titles since Wartburg's Tom Smith won 126-pounds from 1995-97. Hubbard and Kauffman both won their second straight Conference titles, having won 133 and 184-pounds, respectively, last year. After leading his team to a 27-0 dual mark, including 8-0 against Conference foes, Wartburg's Jim Miller was named IIAC Coach of the Year. The Knights sent nine wrestlers to the finals, marking the fourth straight year they had at least eight wrestlers in the finals. It is eighth time Miller was named Coach of the Year. Complete Conference Championship results are attached. The Championship finals will be televised by Mediacom Cable on its Connections channel across the state of Iowa. The broadcast will air on Saturday, February 18, at 11:00 a.m., Sunday, February 19, at 11:30 a.m., and Monday, February 20, at 8:30 p.m. Mediacom Cable subscribers should check their local listings for the Mediacom Connections channel in their area. Thirty-two wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Championships to be held March 3-4 at The College of New Jersey in Ewing, N.J. The winner and runners-up in each of the ten weight classes along with 12 wildcards will represent the Conference at the National Championships. The Iowa Conference national qualifiers are: Buena Vista (3) – Jestin Hulegaard (133), Kyle Forness (149), Ben Strandberg (197) Coe (3) – Niles Mercer (141), Jared Creason (149), Mike McCabe (197) Cornell (2) – Chris Heilman (125), Drew Paramaski (141) Dubuque (1) – Cole Williams (165) Loras (5) – Terry Morgan (125), Brad Bishop (157), Ryan Hagerty (174), Mitch Hager (184), Jay Figgins (197) Luther (6) – Nate Hansen (125), Mike Lopez (133), Matt Pyle (149), Nate Van Dyke (157), Alec Bonander (197), John Miller (Hwt.) Simpson (3) – Dustin Brewer (141), Cody Downing (174), Brett Christensen (Hwt.) Wartburg (9) – Tyler Hubbard (125), Zach McKray (133), Dustin Hinschberger (141), Jacob Naig (149), Dustin Bliven (165), Scott Kauffman (174), Akeem Carter (184), T.J. Miller (197), Blake Gillis (Hwt.)

PISCATAWAY, NJ -- The Rutgers University wrestling team got wins from 184-pound senior Rudy Medini (Colonia, NJ) and 141-pound junior Steve Adamcsik (Chester, NJ), but fell short to the Dragons of Drexel, 28-10, on Thursday evening at the College Avenue Gymnasium. Medini, Rutgers' lone senior, was honored before the match for Senior Night. The match began at 174-pounds and after freshman Mike Whalen (Lake Hiawatha, NJ) dropped a close 5-3 decision to Drexel's Nick Kozar, Medini stepped to the mat for his final match ever at the College Avenue Gymnasium. Medini worked Drexel's Brian Stouffer and pulled out the 15-5 major decision, the senior's seventh major decision of the season. With his family in the stands, and brother Marcello Medini (Colonia, NJ) watching from the Rutgers bench, Medini was outstanding in his final regular season bout as a member of the Rutgers wrestling team. He finished his regular season with a 22-5 record, good for second on the Rutgers team. Alongside Medini, Adamcsik had a standout season for RU. The junior dropped Drexel's Will Martin at the 1:26 mark with a pin and won his 25th match of the season. The victory was the sixth pin for a victory for Adamcsik, and his 20-match winning streak to end the season proved to be a major bright spot for RU, which heads into the EIWA Championships at Lehigh on March 4 and 5. With five freshmen and two sophomores starting for most of the season for RU, the wrestling team competed night in and night out and wound up having a promising season. Provided freshmen make the next step in 2006-2007, the RU wrestling program is headed for many solid seasons in the near future. With the loss, RU dropped to 7-9 on the season. It finished out its conference schedule with a 3-5 record. The win improved the Dragons to 20-8 on the season. After closing out its regular season, the Scarlet Knights will return for post-season action on March 4 and 5. RU will travel to Lehigh University to take part in the EIWA Conference Championships. Rutgers 10, Drexel 28 125: Steve Mytych (DU) dec. Ricky Ringel (RU), 8-3 133: Zack Makovsky (DU) maj. dec. Kellen Bradley (RU), 15-4 141: Steve Adamcsik (RU) PF Will Martin (DU), @ 1:26 149: Chris Renninger (DU) PF Marcello Medini (RU), @ 2:17 157: Ryan Hlushak (DU) dec. Jamie Lijo (RU), 12-5 165: Scott Hunter (DU) dec. Matt Pletcher (RU), 6-2 174: Nick Kozar (DU) dec. Mike Whalen (RU), 5-3 184: Rudy Medini (RU) maj. dec. Brian Stouffer (DU), 15-5 197: Jon Oplinger (DU) dec. Lamar Brown (RU), 12-7 285: Chris Cowen (DU) dec. Mike D'Amico (RU), 3-2

ATHENS, Ohio -- As a young team, the Ohio wrestling squad knows it will be a huge underdog Friday night at fourth-ranked Central Michigan. Boasting nine nationally ranked wrestlers in their lineup, the Chippewas (11-4 overall, 3-0 Mid-American Conference) will be the overwhelming favorite in every match during the 7:30 p.m. dual meet at Rose Arena. Despite the challenge, Bobcat head coach Joel Greenlee thinks his wrestlers can compete with their highly-touted counterparts in many of the match-ups. "We can wrestle with them at almost all the weights," Greenlee said. "It's not all gloom and doom because I think we've got a pretty good team as well. If we go up there and out-fight them, we've got a chance." Five of Central Michigan's victories have come against ranked opponents this year, including a 19-15 win over then-No. 3 Oklahoma at the National Duals on Jan. 14 and a 33-2 pasting of No. 24 Northern Illinois last Friday. The Chippewas, however, are not taking Ohio lightly. "Ohio is a dangerous team," said CMU head coach Tom Borrelli. "They are young and talented and are in a position where they could turn the corner at any time." The Bobcats (11-10, 1-3 MAC) are led by junior 184-pounder Brian Cesear (21-13), 125-pound sophomore Caleb Metcalf (19-14) and reigning MAC Wrestler of the Week Terry Jackson (14-8) at 133 pounds. Friday's meet will close out the regular season for Ohio. The Bobcats will then have two weeks to prepare for the MAC Championships, being held March 3-4 in DeKalb, Ill. Tentative lineup for Friday night's dual: 125 - Ohio's Caleb Metcalf (19-14) vs. #11 Luke Smith (17-4) 133 - Ohio's Terry Jackson (14-8) vs. #11 Jason Borrelli (19-6) 141 - Ohio's Albert Madsen (9-10) vs. #12 Brandon Carter (15-8) 149 - Ohio's Aaron Gomoll (14-17) vs. #5 Mark DiSalvo (19-5) 157 - Ohio's Jake Frerichs (13-7) vs. #16 Andy Keller (19-8) 165 - Ohio's Kent Smith (5-19) vs. Trevor Stewart (8-5) 174 - Ohio's Ryan Knapp (18-17) vs. #17 Brandon Sinnott (22-9) 184 - Ohio's Brian Cesear (21-13) vs. #18 Christian Sinnott (19-10) 197 - Ohio's Nick Terbay (15-11) vs. #1 Wynn Michalak (25-1) HWT - Ohio's Marcus Adelman (10-10) vs. #13 Bubba Gritter (17-12)

SALEM, Ore. -- The Oregon wrestling team rolled against Portland State winning 49-0, Wednesday night in Salem. The Ducks roared to the victory scoring 4 pins on the night. "This was a good match for us," head coach Chuck Kearney said. "We came out and were aggressive and took the match to them, when you do that good things happen. We wanted to treat this as our first round of the conference tournament and we did that and we were tough and aggressive all night long." Ryan Dunn opened the match for the Ducks on a good note as he rolled to a 24-10 major decision victory. Beau Malia quickly followed that at 133 by pinning Ryan Farwell at 2:34 of their match. At 141 Skyler Woods won in a walkover. At 149 Stewart Bogart rolled off a 5-0 decision against Adam Duryee. Cyle Hartzell wrestling for the first time in several weeks was able to score a 19-7 major decision over Kainoa Casco. Joey Bracamonte picked up the Ducks second pin of the night as he rolled over Brian Lemmon 2:30 into their match at 165. Chet McBee scored the Ducks third pin just seconds into his match at 174 as he took down Tony Contreras and got him turned for the pin just 31 seconds into their match. Shane Webster scored a technical fall victory at 1:09 of the second period when he scored a takedown of Sean Murphy giving him the 21-6 final margin. Tony Rolen scored an 8-6 decision over Jake Schneider making the score 43-0. Heavyweight Chris Dearmon completed the sweep winning with the fall at 1:17, to make the final score 49-0. The Ducks return to action when they head to Stanford, Calif., for the Pac-10 Tournament February 26-27.

Fresno, Calif. -- Stanford closed out the regular season tonight with a 26-12 win over Fresno State in the North Gym, to give the Cardinal an 8-7 record this season, giving first-year head coach Kerry McCoy his first winning season. The Cardinal will be off for the next week and a half as Stanford prepares for the 2006 Pac-10 Tournament. The match started at 141 pounds, with Fresno State scoring the first points of the night, as Garrett Spooner posted a 10-3 decision to give the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead. But Josh Zupancic closed out the regular season with a 13-3 major decision over Dustin Rocha to give the Cardinal the 4-3 lead. Zupancic ends the year with a 12-1 record in duals and a 22-4 overall record heading into the Pac-10 Tournament. At 157 pounds, Scott Loescher took a 6-0 lead in the first period, securing a takedown and adding a four-point nearfall when Charles Jones required injury time during the back points. Jones was never able to recover and Loescher kept the pressure high, notching a technical fall at 5:24. Up next was Fresno's Darrell Goodpaster, wrestling up a weight at 165 pounds, got the early momentum with a quick takedown, but fifth-year senior Ray Blake charged back with 11 unanswered points and the riding time bonus to secure a major decision for his 37th win of the season. Blake also ends the dual season with a 10-2 mark in dual compeition. Stanford's Miguel Matta picked up a win by forfeit at 174 pounds, to give the Cardinal 19-3 lead. But Greg Gifford scored the Bulldogs' second win with a 3-2 decision at 184 pounds. Larry Ozowara came back for Stanford with a 10-7 decision, securing the victory on a takedown with 37 seconds left in the match. Fresno tallied an 8-3 decision at heavyweight to cut Stanford's lead to 22-9, but with only two matches left, the Stanford victory was secured. Tanner Gardner, ranked No. 11 in the nation, picked up his 31st victory of the season with a 13-4 victory over Cory Borges at 125 pounds. Borges scored a reversal to tie the bout at 4-4 in the second period, but Gardner closed out the match with nine-straight points to pick up the major decision. Gardner finishes the season with a 12-2 record in duals. The meet ended as Sean Carlson secured a 9-2 victory at 133 pounds to make the final scored 26-12 in favor of the Cardinal. Stanford will host the Pac-10 Conference Tournament on Feb. 26 and 27 at Maples Pavilion. Competition will begin at 11 a.m. both days. Tickets are available through GoStanford.com and through the ticket office at 1-800-STANFORD. Stanford 26, Fresno State 12 * match started at 141 pounds 125 pounds - #11 Tanner Garder (S) maj. dec. Cory Borges (FS), 13-4 [26-9] 133 pounds - Sean Carlson (FS) dec. Eric Minnick (S), 9-2 [26-12] *141 pounds - Garrett Spooner (FS) dec. Juston Johnson (S), 10-3 [0-3] 149 pounds - Josh Zupancic (S) maj. dec. Dustin Rocha (FS), 13-3 [4-3] 157 pounds - Scott Loescher (S) tech. fall Charles Jones (FS), fall at 5:24 (18-2) [9-3] 165 pounds - #14 Ray Blake (S) maj. dec. Darrell Goodpaster (FS), 12-2 [13-3] 174 pounds - Miguel Matta (S) wins by forfeit [19-3] 184 pounds - Greg Gifford (FS) dec. Brennan Corbett (S), 3-2 [19-6] 197 pounds - Larry Ozowara (S) dec. Miguel Rodriguez (FS), 10-7 [22-6] HWT - Cody Parker (FS) dec. Jared Boyer (S), 8-3 [22-9]

Hey wrestling fans, it is crunch time for teams across the nation as they finalize rosters and prepare for the biggest meet of the year. Coaches and athletes are focused to finish out their grueling seasons and determined to finish on top of the competition. However, I am feeling a little different about the end of this season, because it will be my last season of competition for the Eagles -- with graduation just around the corner. So later in this blog I will give my final thoughts on my teammates and my career at La Crosse, hopefully sparing you of all the boring details. As a freshman at La Crosse, I was timid to step into the wrestling room. I didn't know anyone and I wasn't sure if I was ready for the time commitment that comes with being part of a dominating wrestling team. As the weeks went by, I started to form friendships and I felt comfortable to stick with the team. Practices were tough and weekends were long, but I had my friends there every step of the way. Everything is easier when you can talk to people that know how you feel even before you tell them. As the years came and went, I felt unfulfilled with myself, however. I watched my roommate and friend of five years, Ryan Allen, become a three-time national finalist and two-time national champion. It was awesome, and I couldn't be happier for him, but I was waiting for my time to accomplish all the goals I set for myself when I started my career at UWL. One season after another, something always went wrong for me, whether it was injuries, lost wrestle-offs, or crucial matches that I didn't win, and I felt my goals vanish with each season past. Now being no different from any other season, I will not be the starter in my final wrestling season. It is hard to take, however, I have realized many things over the years that seem to put everything in perspective and make me feel like I am about to finish college with everything I could have hoped for. Being a team captain for the last two years has made me feel like a huge piece of the pie in the wrestling room at UWL. I enjoy giving advice to the younger guys on the team. I like going to eat with the team and laughing uncontrollably loud, as if we are the only ones in the place. You guys know what I'm talking about. I love going to weigh-ins and seeing that UWL are the only guys joking and acting like 12-year-olds, as all the other wrestlers look like it is the last place they want to be. I liked the "Royal Rumbles" we had in our apartment living room, Al, Lolly, Heuston, Needham, Passe. What a sight that must have been. I loved wrestling live in the practice room until blood was flying and we could hardly crouch in a stance for one second longer. I felt pride sitting with my teammates on the mats as Skaar, Billy, and Ruff call us bad asses and say, "No one can do what you guys are doing!" I like to see battles at every weight class, because after all, every good team has them. I think we have more than most. Adam KuchniaWhat I am trying to say is that my teammates have turned into my brothers and I care more about the success of them than I do the success of me. I just realized that this year. Ryan Allen, Cory Barsness, and I will be the only guys done after this season. We have seen guys quit the team, guys join the team, and people wish they had the "cachones" to do what this wrestling team does without question. We have gained friends and brothers, and we have even lost loved ones, and for me almost felt unbearable to continue to wrestle. But we have stuck it out for the good of the team that we love so much. In our last "hoorah" we have the chance to become part of something bigger than our individual selves. The UWL wrestling team has a great chance to become national champions, and I cannot wait to be a part of that. So in the end, I feel more fulfilled than I ever thought would be possible. I've gained lifelong lessons that will be with me even when I leave La Crosse and friends, that I am certain, will be part of my life for a long time. My teammates amaze me and are capable of anything. My season is not over, but I already feel like I can close out my last season at UWL with a smile on my face, knowing I was a part of something great. Wrestling fans get ready to see La Crosse "stir the pot at nationals." Adam Kuchnia Past UW-La Crosse Entries: Entry 7 (1/27/06) Entry 6 (12/19/05) Entry 5 (12/1/05) Entry 4 (11/16/05) Entry 3 (11/3/05) Entry 2 (10/19/05) Entry 1 (10/10/05)

BROOKINGS, S.D. -- The South Dakota State University wrestling team won eight matches, including three by fall Wednesday night to defeat Northern State 36-6 at Frost Arena in Brookings, S.D. Andy Everson, a junior from Mitchell, put the Jacks on the board at 157-pounds by defeating Dana Dargatz 11-3. After a Brad Gregory victory at 165-pounds, junior Levi Krehmeyer gave the Jackrabbits a 12-3 advantage in the match by tech. falling Spencer Dockery in 4 minutes, 23 seconds. Krehmeyer finished the match with 12 straight points. Cody Nehl followed that up by defeating Todd Naasz 3-0. The senior used a riding time of 3 minutes, 27 seconds to secure the victory. Sophomore Jason Stripling made quick work of Jess Hockley at heavyweight, pinning him in 2 minutes, 8 seconds. Sophomore Marcus Waters pushed the Jackrabbit lead to 27-3 by upending Austin Johnsrud by fall in 2 minutes, 4 seconds. At 133-pounds Alan Marvin, a Adrian, Mich., native, came back from a 5-4 deficit in the third to defeat Logan Hayman 6-5. The freshman tied the match at 5-5 with 34 seconds left and then used a riding time of 1 minute, 38 seconds to record the decision. Elk Point native Derek Pirner closed out the scoring for the Jacks by pinning Mark Burkart in 2 minutes, 11 seconds. SDSU improved to 7-9 on the year, while Northern State dropped to 4-8. With the win the Jackrabbits are now 4-2 at Frost Arena this season. South Dakota State will travel to Cedar Falls, Iowa, Friday to face nationally ranked Northern Iowa. Start time for the match is set for 6 p.m. at the West Gym on Northern Iowa's campus. SDSU will close its season with a home match against American University Sunday afternoon. The match, which marks Senior Day for the Jacks, will begin at 2 p.m. at Frost Arena.

Join Steve Foster and I for a LIVE broadcast from the 64th Annual Des Moines Sportshow. Joining us to talk wrestling will be: Troy Sunderland -- Head Coach of Penn State. What's in the water in University Park? Man these guys are wrestling GREAT! Mike Clayton -- Head Coach West Point. This legendary program is on the move. Find out more. Jared Lawrence -- NCAA champion, Founder of Pinnacle Wrestling and currently Training in Colorado Springs. Find out what's going on in Jared's life and more. Zeke Jones -- New U Penn Head Coach -- How are things progressing at the home of the Quakers under new head Coach Z. Jones? We'll find out. Join us for a special broadcast this Saturday February 18th 10:00 AM to 11:30 CST for America's Wrestling Radio Program at Takedownradio.com

Well, I guess I will start off talking about our two duals last week. We headed to Division II powerhouse Augustana for a dual that night. It was a highly anticipated dual not only for me, but for our team as well. This was the first dual where all of our guys were eligible, and we were all looking forward to seeing them in action. I was personally looking forward to wrestling a guy who had gotten the best of me not once, but twice, and both by pin. The first match was in a dual two years ago. Everything was going fine and I was up in the match, 10-9, and then I was fighting off my back, but I didn't succeed. It was almost an identical match earlier this year at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. We were going back and forth with each other, with me once again ending up on my back and hearing the ref hit the mat. So, needless to say, I was looking forward to the dual match. We started off the dual with wins at 125 and 133 pounds, getting bonus points in each match. We dropped the next two matches, with Augustana getting bonus points in one of them. We split the next two matches, and it was my turn. Marshall MarquardtOne thing I have never mentioned is that I live for dual meets. To me, it is the ultimate match. Waiting impatiently as you watch your teammates wrestle, and then every eye in the place is on you. It is a feeling I will miss very much. Anyway, I was trying to stay relaxed, but who was I kidding? My heart was going a thousand miles an hour. I was getting ready to wrestle someone who had beaten me twice, by fall. It started and ended well, as I scored two takedowns and allowed him only one escape, walking away with a 4-1 victory. I was very pleased as you can imagine. Beating someone who has gotten the best of you before seems to be that much more fulfilling. We finished the meet winning five of the 10 matches, but had more bonus points and won 20-17. It really is amazing how right your coach can be sometimes. He told us all week that this dual meet would be decided on which team scored more majors, technical falls, and pins, as it had been the previous year, and it was. We packed up and headed out to Storm Lake, Iowa for a dual against Division III Buena Vista the next day. We strolled into town about 1:00 am, just in time to check-in to the motel and get to bed, or try to anyway. The next day we were a bit disappointed to learn that they were only wrestling a few of their varsity guys against us. For whatever reason, it doesn't really matter, we left losing only one match, but we still knew it could have been better. We got back and started preparing for our last two duals of the season and the conference tournament. Our last duals were against Waldorf College and York College. York cancelled that day which meant we would only be wrestling Waldorf that night. It was a big dual for us because they are in our region. It was also a big night for many of us as it was Senior Night. It was very special for me, as about half of my extended family showed up. My mom, dad, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and family friends were all in attendance. Some of them had never even seen me wrestle a match, which meant a lot to me. It was emotional to see all the support I have and how much they all mean to me. I knew it was going to be a good night. I wrestled what I believe to be one of my best matches of my career, scoring numerous points and finishing with a pin. I gave a little "thank you" to the crowd, as many of them have seen me wrestle numerous matches over the last five years. It was a big night for all of us in a way, as we crushed our old dual win record, going 18-1-1 on the season. We lost only to Division I Cal Poly and we tied Division I Oregon State. We were 14-0 against NAIA teams, 2-0 against Division II teams, and 2-0 against Division III teams. It has been a special year for many of us, with high hopes of it being even better in three weeks. We wrestled at our conference tournament this past weekend and ran away with the team title. We beat the second place finisher by 89 points, having eight individual champions, three second place finishers by default to our own wrestlers, and a third place finish. It was a good weekend for all of us. As we get ready to defend our regional title this coming weekend, we are more focused than ever. I think our team is peaking at the right time, and it should be a very fun weekend. Until next time, keep getting better. Marshall Marquardt Past Entries: Entry 9 (1/19/06) Entry 8 (1/5/06) Entry 7 (12/28/05) Entry 6 (12/7/05) Entry 5 (11/23/05) Entry 4 (11/9/05) Entry 3 (10/26/05) Entry 2 (10/13/05) Entry 1 (10/1/05)

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- Les Sigman's 67th straight win couldn't have been more timely for the Mavericks Wednesday night. Sigman broke a 17-17 tie with a pin over No. 6 ranked heavyweight Cris Bietz in the final match, giving UNO a 23-17 win and its first undefeated season in 36 years. The No. 1 ranked Mavericks also wrapped up their seventh North Central Conference title in a 10-0 season. Augustana, ranked No. 6 in NCAA Division II, fell to 12-5. The Vikings took advantage of a forfeit at 125 pounds to claim a 6-0 lead before Dan Hilario, Mitch Waite, Shane Unger and Patrick Allibone reeled off wins to put UNO on top, 14-6. Viking 165-pounder Cody Henriksen then upset No. 5 ranked Ross Taplin, 5-3, narrowing the margin to 14-9. But No. 2 ranked J.D. Naig answered with a solid 6-2 win over No. 4 ranked Dusty Wilking in the next match at 174. The Vikings tied the match with a decision at 184 and a technical fall by No. 1 ranked Tim Boldt at 197. That set the stage for Sigman, the three-time national champion, who took an 8-4 lead in the first period before notching the fall early in the second. The only other UNO team to go undefeated in dual matches was the 1969-70 Don Benning-coached squad that was 14-0 before going on to win the NAIA national championship. UNO's next action will be on Sunday, February 26 at the NCAA II North Regional at Lee & Helene Sapp Fieldhouse. Mavericks 23, Augustana 17 125: Chris Trampe (Augie) won by forfeit 133: No. 6 Dan Hilario (UNO) dec. Jeremie Degen (Augie), 11-5 141: No. 3 Mitch Waite (UNO) dec. No. 6 Andre VanderVelde (Augie), 11-6 149: No. 6 Shane Unger (UNO) dec. Aaron Haddorff (Augie), 10-6 157: No. 1 Patrick Allibone (UNO) WBTF Matt McDougall (Augie), 18-1 165: Cody Henriksen (Augie) dec. No. 5 Ross Taplin (UNO), 5-3 174: No. 2 J.D. Naig (UNO) dec. No. 4 Dusty Wilking (Augie), 6-2 184: No. 4 Nate Buys (Augie) dec. Nate Oviatt (UNO), 4-2 OT 197: No. 1 Tim Boldt (Augie) WBTF Nick Edmonds (UNO), 22-7 Hwt: No. 1 Les Sigman (UNO) WBF No. 6 Cris Bietz (Augie), 4:41

Columbia, Mo. -- Junior Matt Pell (Luxemburg, Wis.) has been named the Big 12 Wrestler of the Week for the week of Feb. 13. Ranked No. 5 in the nation at 165 pounds, Pell defeated No. 9 Travis Paulson of Iowa State with a 6-3 decision in the No. 10 Tiger's upset of No. 7 Iowa State Feb. 12. A 2005 All-American at 184 pounds, Pell has returned to his natural weight class this season and been one of Missouri's steadiest performers. The junior has compiled a 27-3 record this year, earning an 11-3 mark against ranked opponents. A dominant force in tournament competition, Pell won the 165-pound title Nov. 20 at the Missouri Open and took first place at the Southern Scuffle Dec. 29-30, one of the most prestigious individual tournaments in the country. Pell also finished second at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Dec. 2-3. The Missouri wrestling team concludes its regular-season schedule this weekend with a pair of duals in Chattanooga, Tenn. The Tigers open competition against Chattanooga at 12:30 p.m. CST, then square off against UNC-Greensboro at 2:30 p.m. CST.

Team Rankings 1. Dana (Neb.) 2. Lindenwood (Mo.) 3. Cumberlands (Ky.) 4. Great Falls (Mont.) 5. Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 6. Dickinson State (N.D.) 7. Menlo (Calif.) 8. Missouri Valley 9. Southern Oregon 10. Bacone (Okla.) 11. McKendree (Ill.) 11. Simon Fraser (B.C.) 13. Campbellsvile (Ky.) 13. William Penn (Iowa) 15. Cumberland (Tenn.) 16. Waldorf (Iowa) 17. Jamestown (N.D.) 18. Newman (Kan.) 19. Missouri Baptist 20. Montana State-Northern Individual Rankings 125 1 Delrico Choates, Jr., Cumberlands (Ky.) 2 Richard Byrd, Jr., Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 3 Josh Sampo, Jr., Lindenwood (Mo.) 4 Craig Trampe, Jr., Dana (Neb.) 5 Forrest Bogue, So., Great Falls (Mont.) 6 Nate Engle, Sr., Missouri Valley 7 Jason Harrington, So., Great Falls (Mont.) 8 Burke Barns, Jr., Dana (Neb.) 133 1 Kyle Jahn, So., McKendree (Ill.) 2 Jimmy Rollins, Sr., Dana (Neb.) 3 Mike Miller, Jr., Bacone (Okla.) 4 Alfonso Paez, Sr., Menlo (Calif.) 5 Shane Hase, Jr., Jamestown (N.D.) 6 Jason Moreno, Jr., Lindenwood (Mo.) 7 Pablo Sanchez, Sr., Menlo (Calif.) 8 Ryan Moyer, Fr., Lindenwood (Mo.) 141 1 Brad Cooper, Jr., Cumberlands (Ky.) 2 Joe Garcia, Sr., Menlo (Calif.) 3 Bryan Odle, Sr., Bacone (Okla.) 4 Nick Budeski, Jr., Great Falls (Mont.) 5 Terrence Almond, Jr., Dana (Neb.) 6 Nathanial Troupe, Fr., Missouri Valley 7 Gordo Villaescusa, Jr., Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 8 Chris Smith, Jr., Montana State-Northern 149 1 Darren Cotton, Jr., William Penn (Iowa) 2 Brad Stockton, Jr., Waldorf (Iowa) 3 Chris Seta, Jr., Campbellsville (Ky.) 4 Anthony Haukenberry, Sr., Dana (Neb.) 5 Dustin Center, Jr., Cumberlands (Ky.) 6 Jimmy Ulrey, So., Southern Oregon 7 Jon Muri, Jr., Great Falls (Mont.) 8 Mark Dickman, Jr., Lindenwood (Mo.) 157 1 Mike Rio, Sr., Lindenwood (Mo.) 2 Hayden Harrison, So., Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 3 Darion Terry, Sr., Missouri Valley 4 Ben Henderson, Sr., Dana (Neb.) 5 Kyle Bickford, Sr., Menlo (Calif.) 6 David Clemons, Fr., Campbellsville (Ky.) 7 Chad Jennings, So., Missouri Valley 8 Scott Taylor, Sr., Dana (Neb.) 165 1 Jimmy Grochowsky, Sr., Southern Oregon 2 Tyson Springer, Sr., Dickinson State (N.D.) 3 Jake Dieffenbach, So., Lindenwood (Mo.) 4 Ryan Smith, So., Great Falls (Mont.) 5 Drew Dickerson, Sr., Missouri Valley 6 Calvin DeVault, So., Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 7 Nate Stirgus, Jr., William Penn (Iowa) 8 Trent Leichleiter, Sr., Dana (Neb.) 174 1 Keith Cupp, Jr., Cumberland (Tenn.) 2 Gabe Harry, Sr., Dickinson State (N.D.) 3 Marshall Marquardt, Sr., Dana (Neb.) 4 Mike Kummer, So., Great Falls (Mont.) 5 Todd Allen, Sr., Cumberlands (Ky.) 6 David O'Brien, Jr., Southern Oregon 7 Jake Oberfell, Fr., Missouri Valley 8 Curtis Chenowith, Jr., Newman (Kan.) 184 1 Willie Parks, Sr., Dana (Neb.) 2 Joffre Lander, Jr., Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 3 Corey Johnson, Sr., Lindenwood (Mo.) 4 Jasper Lockett, Jr., Bacone (Okla.) 5 Rick Story, Jr., Southern Oregon 6 Adam Hicks, Jr., McKendree (Ill.) 7 Elijah Simburger, Sr., Dickinson State (N.D.) 8 JD Johnson, So., Newman (Kan.) 197 1 Eric Flinchum, Jr., Cumberlands (Ky.) 2 Justin Schlect, So., Dickinson State (N.D.) 3 Robert Charlton, Sr., Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 4 Blair Alderman, Sr., Dana (Neb.) 5 Marcus Andy, Sr., Great Falls (Mont.) 6 Rozbeh Banihashimi, Sr., Simon Fraser (B.C.) 7 Glen Jackson, Fr., Campbellsville (Ky.) 8 Tyrell Blanche, Jr., Menlo (Calif.) HWT 1 Mikhail Adbul-Latif, Sr., Simon Fraser (B.C.) 2 Luke Roberts, Sr., Great Falls (Mont.) 3 Ben Flores, Sr., Menlo (Calif.) 4 Chase Gormley, Sr., Lindenwood (Mo.) 5 Clay Rogers, Jr., Dickinson State (N.D.) 6 Chris Johnson, Sr., Missouri Valley 7 Jared Bonnell, Sr., Missouri Baptist 8 Danny Ledda, Jr., Jamestown (N.D.)

True freshman Dustin Schlatter has been named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week after his 11 -2 major decision against defending NCAA Champion Zack Esposito on Sunday. Ranked number one in the country, Schlatter defeated Esposito for the second time this season. His win helped Minnesota secure a 19-16 victory against second-ranked Oklahoma State. The National High School Wrestler of the Year out of Massillon, Ohio, Schlatter is 32-1 on the season at 149 pounds. Twenty-two of his 32 wins on the year have resulted in bonus points, including a team-best nine technical falls and nine major decisions. In the past month alone, Schlatter has defeated second-ranked Ty Eustice of Iowa, third-ranked Esposito twice, fifth-ranked Mark DiSalvo of Central Michigan and seventh-ranked Jon Masa of Hofstra. Schlatter and the Golden Gophers close out the regular season on Friday at No. 3 Michigan and on Sunday at No. 18 Michigan State. Minnesota (19-0, 6-0) is looking to complete the second unbeaten season in school history.

Wartburg puts its 13-year string of Iowa Conference team championships on the line Thursday, Feb. 16, at the 2006 IIAC Championships at Central College's H.S. Kuyper Fieldhouse. The conference tourney also serves as the NCAA Division III national meet qualifier for each school with 32 berths on the line. Individual champions and runner-ups at each weight, plus 12 wild cards, will represent the Iowa Conference at the 2006 national championships. Meet time is set for 10 a.m. with varsity and junior varsity slated throughout on the day. The grand march and championship finals are set for 6:30 and 7 p.m. in P.H. Kuyper Gymnasium. Mediacom Cable will broadcast the finals on a tape-delayed basis on its Connections channel across the state of Iowa. The broadcast is set for Saturday, February 18, at 11:00 a.m., Sunday, February 19, at 11:30 a.m., and Monday, February 20, at 8:30 p.m. Subscribers should check their local listings for the Mediacom Connections channel in their area. Complete information on the 2006 IIAC Championships, including updated results and brackets throughout the competition, are and will be available at http://www.central.edu/athletics/wrestling/iowaconf.html. Fans can also tune in to live play-by-play through http://www.kwar.org/kwar.ram or going to http://www.kwayradio.com and clicking on the "Listen Live" button. Wartburg out-scored rival Luther 194-158 for the 2005 conference championship. Six Knights' individuals claimed conference titles as well. Knights news, notes: Head coach Jim Miller's team enters the tourney ranked No. 1 in the recent National Wrestling Coaches Association/Brute-Adidas Division III top 30, released Monday, Feb. 13. Wartburg brings seven ranked individuals into the championships as well with senior 125-pounder Tyler Hubbard of Blue Springs, Mo., senior 141-pounder Dustin Hinschberger of Belle Plaine, junior 197-pounder T.J. Miller of Cedar Falls and junior heavyweight Blake Gillis of Spencer each sitting at No. 1. The rest of the ranked Knights are sophomore 149-pounder Jacob Naig of Emmetsburg (No. 2), senior 174-pounder Scott Kauffman of Emmetsburg (No. 2) and senior 184-pounder Akeem Carter of Waterloo (No. 3). Carter, Gillis and Hinschberger each seek their third consecutive individual league titles Thursday. Carter won his first two at 197, while Gillis and Hinschberger each gained their first two crowns at their current weight classes. Kauffman and Hubbard are seeking two straight titles with their first championships coming at different weights, as Kauffman was the 184-pound champion and Hubbard won at 133 last winter. Naig looks to place in the top four for the second consecutive year. Wartburg has been out of competition since a 33-9 win at Buena Vista Feb. 7. The win over the Beavers moved the Knights' dual record to 27-0, tying the 2005-06 squad with the 2003-04 national championship team for the most dual wins in a season. In alumni news, former 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.

EDINBORO, Pa. -- Several Pitt wrestlers have had success in open tournaments this season, and last weekend redshirt freshman Dave Kapetanovich was added to the list. Along with four of his teammates, Kapetanovich competed in the annual Edinboro Open where he finished fourth at 157 pounds. Kapetanovich (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills/CCAC) won a 3-0 decision over Edinboro's Ryan Uber in his first match and went on to claim his second match with a 7-3 decision over Maryland's Eric Grida. After a 10-3 loss to Central Michigan's Zack Strunk, Kapetanovich came back to win an 11-4 victory over Chris Meyers of Shippensburg. In the third-place bout, Kapetanovich faced Strunk again where he lost a 10-5 decision four fourth place. He finished 3-2 in the tournament to give him a season record of 7-12. Wrestling in the 141 pound weight class, redshirt freshman Joe Ciampoli (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) recorded a 2-2 record in the tournament. In is first match of the day, Ciampoli pinned Rob Tate of Gardner Webb at 1:17, before dropping a 2-0 decision to Central Michigan's Steve Brown. He then went on to defeat Edinboro's Joel Webster by a score of 7-3 in the first consolation match, but fell Bryan Heller of Penn State in his next match by a 6-3 decision. Ciampoli's pin was the first of his collegiate career. He now holds a career record of 20-14. Also wrestling for Pitt in the tournament were freshmen Brandon Skonieczky (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) and Brandon Smith (Columbia, Pa./Columbia), redshirt freshman Matt Darnell (Lyndhurst, Ohio/Cuyahoga Valley C.A.) and redshirt sophomore Tim Allen (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland). In the 125 weight class, Skonieczky recorded his first collegiate major decision, beating Paul Gerabeno 10-2 in his third match of the day. He finished 1-2 in the tournament. Allen also recorded a win by decision, wrestling at 165 pounds, against Jeremy Stole. Both Hunt and Darnell finished 0-2 in the tournament. The Panthers will close out their regular season on Friday, Feb. 17, at the Fitzgerald Field House against undefeated conference rival Edinboro. Pitt enters the match with a 4-8 overall record and a 2-3 showing in the EWL (Eastern Wrestling League), while Edinboro stands at 9-0 and 3-0 respectively.

By now most people know that Real Pro Wrestling has brought wrestling to the pro leagues. Having finished Season One, both the television show, the DVD, and video on the Web. We are also now planning Season Two, coming late fall 2006. That noted, many people still may not understand the larger goal of RPW. While we are taking one step at a time, it is important to have a clear final goal and divide this journey into feasible steps. This goal is what we call "final status." It is the vision of what wrestling could and should be. While RPW would like to be to wrestling what the NFL is to football, this comparison isn't a perfect fit. The NFL is mostly a domestic product and depends on expensive stadiums. Wrestling is an international product and needs smaller stadiums and venues, something that many cities already have. Wrestling is a true international product and the vision of wrestling's final status should reflect this. What we think is best, is for our pro league season to be divided into two parts, the domestic and the international. Ideally this domestic, or national season, would best be from February to April. During these three months, the teams would compete in weekly duals. The team national championships and individual national championships would then be in April. The second part of the season would start with the US team trials. This would then be followed by Team USA competing in duals with other national teams. This international portion of the wrestling calendar would then culminate with the World Cup for the team championships, and the World Championships for the individual championships. Of course, every four years the Olympics would take the place of the World Championships. This duality can be implemented by other countries too. RPW would be the North American League, possibly even including Canada and Cuba. There could also be a European League, a Middle Eastern League, and Russian League, a Chinese League, even a few Asian or Pacific Rim leagues. Since pro leagues are now becoming reality in many of these areas, this vision is not that unreasonable. The countries also already have national teams and the international season is not that different from what already exists. Of course the World and Olympic Championships too already exist. We'd like to see the World Cup developed more but this is not that difficult. This final status vision uses all the major existing events and organizations. Everybody wins. There would be a natural progression to build to the post season and wrestling would have the much needed organization and presence. By the time the Nationals and World Championships come around, fans would know the wrestlers. This is just a partial picture of the final status though. There is still more detail on rules, and styles, and the national picture from kid wrestling to college. These details will be explained in follow-up articles. RPW is a significant part of this bigger picture. Yes, we are a pro league for US wrestlers, but we are also showing the way both with good rules and good television production. We can help wrestling on all levels in these areas. Toby WillisLeadership is not a result of birthright or entitlement. It is a responsibility and destiny to be fulfilled by those who have the talent, opportunity, and courage. We are not looking to run the whole show, just head up the portions underdeveloped and do what we can to help bring wrestling to the promised land. Look for RPW to pursue official partnerships with other wrestling organizations in the future. Like our national founding fathers, who runs the show is not as important and the governing structure and the rule of law. We think the athletes need a significant voice in this government and power should be shared and limited. Our proposed structure will also be explored in a future article. Just like all wrestlers are optimistic that they can improve and win championships, so too should the world of wrestling be optimistic that we can achieve our final status goals. But it takes teamwork and strong leadership. And it takes dedicated fans. Everybody has a part to play. We are only as strong as our weakest link. For our sport's sake, just make sure that link is not you.

The sixth-ranked Augustana College wrestling team will be at home for its final dual of the season on Wednesday when the Vikings entertain top-ranked Nebraska-Omaha in a 7 p.m. dual in the Elmen Center. Augustana brings a 12-4 dual record into the North Central Conference matchup, while Nebraska-Omaha is 9-0. The Mavericks and Vikings finished first and second at the 2005 NCAA Division II National Championships.

Terry JacksonCLEVELAND -- Ohio University wrestler Terry Jackson, a 133-pound redshirt freshman from Uhrichsville, Ohio, has been named the Mid-American Conference Wrestler of the Week, the league office announced today. Jackson won both of this matches for the Bobcats last weekend, defeating West Virginia's Seth Lisa on Friday and Kent State's Drew Opfer on Sunday. His 4-2 decision over Lisa - a two-time NCAA qualifier - came in overtime and was crucial to Ohio's 18-16 victory over the Mountaineers, which gave Bobcat head coach Joel Greenlee his 100th career coaching win. On Sunday's, Jackson dominated Opfer, a senior for the Golden Flashes. The 7-0 shutout improved Jackson's record to 12-4 in duals and 3-1 in the MAC. Jackson has won six of his last seven matches, including two pins and one major decision. "Terry has really come a long way since the beginning of the season," said Greenlee. "Since becoming the starter, he's done just a great job for us. He's not a real flashy guy - he's basic in what he does - but he doesn't make mistakes and that is huge in wrestling." Jackson and the Bobcats (11-10, 1-3 MAC) finish out the regular season this Friday at Central Michigan (11-4, 3-0 MAC), currently ranked fifth in the nation with nine individually ranked wrestlers. Ohio will then compete at the MAC Championships in DeKalb, Ill., on March 3-4.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- Junior Derrick Morgan. (Milan, Pa./Athens) has been named LHU Bookstore Athlete of the Week for his efforts in the week ending Feb 12. This is the first honor for both Martin and the Lock Haven University wrestling team. Morgan came away from some tough competition with a pair of victories this week. First, he beat the University of Pittsburgh's Kyle Deliere, taking the third period 5-1 for a 9-2 victory. Morgan followed that up with his 20th victory of the season, a pin of West Virginia University's Chance Litton. Morgan turned his first takedown into the quickest Bald Eagle fall this season at 1:05. Morgan and the rest of the Bald Eagles are back in action Friday, Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m. when they host Bloomsburg University The LHU Bookstore sponsors the Athlete of the Week to better promote Lock Haven student-athletes. The LHU Bookstore is available for all academic texts, LHU apparel and more. The Bookstore is located in the Parson's Union Building on the campus of Lock Haven University.