InterMat Staff

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Defending NAIA NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals champion Dana College reached the finals of this weekends NWCA/NAIA National Duals in Cedar Falls, IA. The Vikings, who were the number six seed, coming into the tournament defeated McKendree College (IL) in its opening round match 25-18. Jason Bilinksi of Dana recorded a pin at 157 to help secure the Vikings win. Other first round winners were Craig Trampe (125), Burke Barnes (133), Terrence Almond (141), Bulla Tuzon (165), and Wade Jordan (197). The Vikings would then square off against long-time rival William Penn University in the quarterfinals. The Statesmen, the number three seed, were coming off an opening round 44-6 win over Cumberland University. Dana would open up with three straight wins at 125, 133, and 141. Coach Richard Fergola would bump normal 141 pound wrestler, Terrence Almond, up to 149 pounds and wrestle freshman Brian Graham in his spot. Graham would come away with a major decision win 13-5 over Terrence Johnson of WPU. Almond was set to face No. 1 rated Darren Cotton at 149. Almond would drop a tightly contested 7-3 decision. The Vikings would put the match away by winning the last three weight classes and win 26-11, highlighted by Webster Farris defeating three-time All-American and No. 2 rated Abe Trujillo by a score of 11-4 and unrated Jesse Boggs defeating No. 3 rated Chauncey Coleman 6-5. In the semi-finals, the Vikings would face No. 2 rated Embry-Riddle University. Senior Craig Trampe would drop a closely contested bout to No. 2 rated Richard Byrd 4-3. Junior Burke Barnes, rated No. 3 would get a victory by fall over No. 7 rated Franky Villescusa in :13 seconds. At 141 would be the battle of No. 2 rated Gordo Villescusa against No. 3 rated Terrence Almond. Almond would dominate the match and record a major decision 14-6. Bumping up from 141 would be freshman Brian Graham. Graham would defeat No. 6 rated Jason Mendez by a score of 7-4. Junior and No. 6 rated Jason Bilinski would fall behind to No. 1 rated Hayden Harrison early, but would come back in the third period to place Harrison on his back three times and nearly recording the fall, but fell short on time and lost 16-13. Bulla Tuzon lost by fall to No. 4 rated Calvin DeVault and freshman Josh Ghobadpoor lost 7-2 to Morgan Scott. No. 7 rated Webster Farris lost 7-1 to No. 2 rated Joffre Lander. The Vikings would find themselves in familiar territory as they were once again in the National Duals finals facing No. 1 seed Lindenwood. Lindenwood was the No. 1 seed in 2006 and placed third behind the Vikings as well as at the National Tournament in Sioux City, IA. In a closely contested dual, the dual came down to the heavyweights. Losing 20-17 heading into the heavyweight match, the Vikings needed a decision victory from freshman Jesse Boggs to tie the dual and the Vikings would claim the title on criteria of most technical falls. Boggs would lose a close match with Lindenwood's Lance Shunia 6-4 and give the title to Lindenwood 23-17. "I am very proud of this team and our coaching staff. Coming in as the sixth seed and coming that close to winning the championship again was a tribute to the effort that these young men put forth," stated Head coach Richard Fergola.

MILLERSVILLE -- The East Stroudsburg University wrestling program ended up two points shy of beating Millersville University with a score of 19-18, Tuesday night at Pucillo Gymnasium. Millersville's Keith McDonald, Mike Langor, and Mike Acedo-Lalaney took the first three matches against the Warriors. Matt Swallow, Sean Carr, and Scott Heckman retaliated by winning the next three. After two more Maurauder wins, Shane Mallory and Dave Williams had some points to earn. Both Mallory and Williams won by decision, but the final score read 19-18 in favor of Millersville. Both ESU and Millersville now have a record of 1-7. ESU will next travel to Navy on January 24th to wrestle at 7 p.m.

ERIE, PA -- The Gannon wrestling team recovered from an early deficit by winning five of the last seven matches en route to a 24-17 victory over Thiel College Tuesday evening at the Hammermill Center. Thiel opened an 8-3 lead three matches into the affair with major decisions at 125 and 141. Mike Sanders (Albion, N.Y./Albion) sandwiched an 8-4 victory over Jeff Langdon at 133 in between the two losses. Gannon began to take control during the 149-pound match. Ted Hoag (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) began the rally with a 16-3 major decision over Ben Mellring, bringing the Golden Knights within one point of the lead. Zack McKendree (Vandergrift, Pa./Kiski Area) then recorded Gannon's lone pin of the night at 157, taking down Devon Todd. The pin put Gannon in front for the first time at 13-8 and improved McKendree's record to 13-3. Thiel momentarily stopped the bleeding with a victory at 165, but Gannon put the match out of reach with three consecutive wins to seal the victory. Mike Cavalier (Newbury, Ohio/Newbury) earned a 6-2 decision at 174. Erie natives Pino Scavella (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek) and Jon Wentz (Erie, Pa./Cathedral Prep) then posted victories in the next two battles. Scavella moved to 18-12 overall and 2-0 in dual matches with a 5-0 shutout at 184. Wentz then clinched the victory with a 25-10 technical fall in front of the home crowd. He moved to 9-2 overall while capturing his first career dual victory. Thiel recorded a pin in the final match at heavyweight, accounting for the final 24-17 score. Gannon improved to 2-1 with its second consecutive dual victory. Thiel dropped to 2-4. The Golden Knights return to action Saturday, January 20 at the East Coast Duals hosted by Pitt-Johnstown.

GETTYSBURG, Pa. –- Sophomore Dean Staley (Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown), junior John Leinberger (Great Falls, Va./Langley) and senior Mike Pattanite (Tabernacle, N.J./Holy Cross) recorded consecutive victories for Gettysburg, but the Bullets could not overcome an early 19-6 deficit in falling, 31-21, to Centenary in non-conference action on Tuesday evening at Bream Gymnasium. Staley recorded an early takedown at 184 pounds before completing the bout with a pin at 1:52. Leinberger followed with a forfeit win at 197, and Pattanite earned a 10-3 decision at 285. He broke open a close bout with a takedown at the 18-second mark of the second period and added an escape, a takedown and a riding time point to give the Bullets (2-3-1) their first lead of the match at 21-19 after eight weight classes. Cyclones' (5-4-1) freshman William Martinez picked up a forfeit at 125, and junior Ricky Redd completed the victory with a fall at 133. The match started at 141 pounds, where Centenary sophomore Anthony Accardi recorded a major decision. Kyle Nasdeo won by decision at 149, and following a pin by Gettysburg sophomore Andrew Goldstein (Easton, Pa./Easton) at 157, the Cyclones picked up falls from junior Jared Duffy and senior Seth Wisner at 165 and 174, respectively. The Bullets will return to action on Saturday when they host a four-team Centennial Conference event at Bream Gymnasium. Gettysburg will wrestle dual matches against Muhlenberg and Ursinus. Johns Hopkins will also participate in the meet, which begins at 12 p.m.

THIS WEEK Iowa (9-1) will hit the road this week for two dual matches. The Hawkeyes will get another shot at Oklahoma State (9-3) Friday at 8 p.m. in Gallager-Iba Arena at Stillwater, OK. Iowa will then open the 2007 Big Ten season Sunday against Northwestern (10-3) at Rolling Meadows High School in Rolling Meadows, IL. ON THE AIR Radio - Steven Grace and two-time Hawkeye NCAA champion and four-time all-American Mark Ironside will call the action live on AM-800, KXIC. All remaining dual meets will be broadcast live, as will action from the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments. Audio broadcasts from all competitions will also be available online at www.hawkeyesports.com. To listen online, go to the wrestling schedule, click on the event and click on the Listen link. Broadcasts are available using the Hawkeye All-Access subscription ($6.95 per month or $49.95 per year) or the CSTV XXL Premium subscription ($99.95 per year). Television - Friday's dual at Oklahoma State will be broadcast live on ESPNU. Tim Johnson and Dave Armstrong will call the action. The Internet - Press releases, meet results, audio broadcasts and home dual livestats are available on the University of Iowa's website, www.hawkeyesports.com. To access the live home dual scoring, go to the wrestling schedule page, select the event and click on the Livestats link. Current staff and student-athlete head shots can be found at pics.hawkeyesports.com. OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS Oklahoma State, the four-time defending NCAA Champion, is 9-3 with wins against California-Davis (22-9), Michigan State (22-8), Oklahoma (17-15), California-Poly (25-12), Air Force (40-5), Army (32-7), Navy (19-17), Northern Iowa (29-5) and Iowa (22-13), and losses to Minnesota (15-21), Missouri (15-27) and Iowa State (9-25). It is the first three-loss season for the Cowboys since the team went 20-3 in 2001-02. Head Coach John Smith is 245-30-3 in 16 seasons at Oklahoma State. The Cowboys return three all-Americans, including two-time defending NCAA Champion Johny Hendricks (165). Hendricks is the lone undefeated Cowboy, entering Friday's meet with a 21-0 overall record and 11-0 dual mark. Oklahoma State's other returning all-Americans - Coleman Scott (133) and Nathan Morgan (141) have respective 17-3 and 9-2 overall records. NORTHWESTERN WILDCATS Northwestern is 10-3 with wins over Chicago (34-12), Navy (20-16), Indianapolis (31-11), Virginia (24-12), North Carolina (30-9), North Carolin State (37-9), Northern Illinois (28-10), Eastern Illinois (38-12), West Virginia (28-14) and Cornell (24-15), and losses to Missouri (33-8), Iowa (22-18) and Central Michigan (22-11). Head Coach Tim Cysewski is 129-155-5 in 17 seasons at Northwestern. He was an all-American at 134 pounds for Iowa in 1976, and a four-time Hawkeye letterwinner (1973-76). The Wildcats are led by returning all-Americans Ryan Lang (141) and Jake Herbert (184), and juniors Mike Tamillow (197) and Dustin Fox (Hwt.). In dual meet action, the Northwestern wrestlers from 184 pounds and up are a combined 28-2. Lang and Herbert are both undefeated this season, with Lang going 18-0 overall and 8-0 in duals. Herbert is 16-0 overall and 11-0 in duals. IOWA TIES WITH OKLAHOMA STATE, NORTHWESTERN Hawkeye junior 165-pounder Mark Perry is the nephew of Oklahoma State Head Coach John Smith. Perry's father, Mark Perry, Sr., was a two-time Big 12 Conference champion (1984-85) at 118 pounds and a three-year letterwinner (1983-85) for the Cowboys. He also served as an assistant coach on the Oklahoma State wrestling staff for eight seasons (1992-99). Oklahoma State sophomore 174-pounder Brandon Mason and Northwestern junior 174-pounder Nick Hayes are Council Bluffs, IA, natives. Both attended Lewis Central High School. LAST MEETING Oklahoma State - Iowa lost a 22-13 decision to Oklahoma State in the quarterfinals of the 2007 N.W.C.A./Cliff Keen National Duals last Saturday in Cedar Falls, IA. The Cowboys jumped out to a 15-0 lead after the first four matches before Iowa redshirt freshman Ryan Morningstar scored a 2-1 win in the second tiebreaker over Newly McSpadden at 157. Cowboy senior Johny Hendricks immediately followed up with a 9-1 major decision over Hawkeye junior Mark Perry, improving his career record against Perry to 5-0 and handing Perry his second loss of the season. The Hawkeyes scored 10 team points with wins at the next three weights, giving junior heavyweight Matt Fields a chance to tie the dual with a pin. But, redshirt freshman Jared Rosholt beat Fields, 2-1, to seal the win for Oklahoma State. Following are the bout-by-bout results: Oklahoma State 22, Iowa 13 125 - Tyler Shinn (O) dec. Charlie Falck (I), 5-4 133 - Coleman Scott (O) dec. Mario Galanakis (I), 8-2 141 - Nathan Morgan (O) dec Alex Tsirtsis (I), 4-2 149 - Dakotah Simpson (O) pinned Alex Grunder (I), 1:17 157 - Ryan Morningstar (I) dec. Newly McSpadden (O), 2-1 TB-2 165 - Johny Hendricks (O) maj. dec. Mark Perry (I), 9-1 174 - Eric Luedke (I) dec. Brandon Mason (O), 3-2 184 - Phillip Keddy (I) dec. Jack Jensen (O), 7-3 197 - Dan Erekson (I) maj. dec. Jared Shelton (O), 11-1 285 - Jared Rosholt (O) dec. Matt Fields (I), 2-1 Northwestern - Iowa defeated Northwestern, 22-18, last Saturday in the consolation bracket at the N.W.C.A./Cliff Keen National Duals. It was the fourth dual in less than 12 hours for both teams. Northwestern jumped out to a 6-0 lead when freshman Brandon Precin pinned sophomore Charlie Falck in 3:20 at 125. Iowa rolled through the next six bouts, scoring one pin, a major decision and three decisions. The Wildcats responded with wins at the toughest part of their lineup - 184, 197 and Hwt. - to end the dual. Following are the bout-by-bout results: Iowa 22, Northwestern 18 125 - Brandon Precin (N) pinned Charlie Falck (I), 3:20 133 - Mario Galanakis (I) dec. Eric Metzler (N), 3-2 141 - Alex Tsirtsis (I) pinned James Kohlberg (N), 0:47 149 - Alex Grunder (I) dec. Martin Gould (N), 10-6 157 - Ryan Morningstar (I) maj. dec. Dominic Marella (N), 18-5 165 - Mark Perry (I) dec. Greg Hagel (N), 6-4 174 - Eric Luedke (I) dec. Nick Hayes (N), 5-2 184 - Jake Herbert (N) pinned Phillip Keddy (I), 3:44 197 - Mike Tamillow (N) dec. Dan Erekson (I), 8-2 Hwt. - Dustin Fox (N) dec. Matt Fields (I), 3-2 TB-1 THE SERIES Oklahoma State leads the series, 23-16-1, and has won the last seven meetings between the two teams. Iowa's last win in the series was 20-14, in Iowa City, in 2000. The Cowboys hold an 11-5-1 edge in matches wrestled in Stillwater, OK. Iowa leads the series with Northwestern, 62-7-1. The Hawkeyes have won 36 of the last 37 meetings, including the last two. Northwestern's last win in the series was a 22-19 upset in 2005. Iowa holds a 29-4-1 edge in matches wrestled at Evanston, IL. HAWKEYES PLACE FIFTH AT NATIONAL DUALS Iowa went 4-1 and placed fifth at the N.W.C.A./Cliff Keen National Duals in Cedar Falls, IA, last weekend. On Saturday, the fifth-seed Hawkeyes won their opening match against unseeded California-Davis (41-4), lost the quarterfinals to fourth-seed Oklahoma State (22-13), and rebounded to defeat unseeded Nebraska (30-5) and eighth-seed Northwestern (22-18) in the consolation bracket - all in less than 12 hours. Iowa defeated third-seed Hofstra, 26-10, in Sunday's fifth-place match. It is the first time that Iowa placed fifth in its 15-year history at the tournament. The Hawkeyes had won the team title three times, placed second three times, placed third six times and placed sixth once. Senior 174-pounder Eric Luedke was the lone Hawkeye to go 5-0 on the weekend, while senior Mario Galanakis (133), juniors Alex Tsirtsis (141) and Mark Perry (165) and redshirt freshman Ryan Morningstar (157) went 4-1. HAWKEYES SIGN TWO Iowa signed two student-athletes to national letters of intent in the early signing period. Jordan Johnson of Bettendorf, IA and Brodie Ambrose of Eldridge, IA, are Tom Brands' first signings as Iowa's head coach. Johnson won the 2006 Class AA Illinois state heavyweight state title at Naperville North High School. He moved to Bettendorf, IA, and will be competing for Bettendorf High School this season. Ambrose placed third at 171 pounds at the 2006 Class 3A state tournament for North Scott Eldridge High School. He will compete at 189 pounds this season and is a projected 197-pounder for the Hawkeyes. Ambrose also is a 189-pound Fargo freestyle all-American. IOWA WRESTLING ON JEOPARDY! Former Hawkeye wrestlers Luke and Ty Eustice were featured in a clue of the category "Iowa" December 8, and in several clues of the category "Wrestling" January 8 on the TV game show JEOPARDY! Jimmy McGuire and Kelly Miyahara of the JEOPARDY! Clue Crew taped clues at Carver-Hawkeye Arena featuring the Eustice brothers in August. The Eustice brothers are natives of Blue Earth, MN. Luke was an all-American and NCAA finalist at 125 pounds in 2002, lettering for the Hawkeyes from 2001-04. Ty was a two-time all-American at 149 pounds, competing in the NCAA finals in 2006. He lettered for the Hawkeyes from 2003-06. They are the 10th set of brothers to wrestle together in the Hawkeye varsity lineup since the 1950s. IOWA WRESTLING HISTORY Iowa's overall dual meet record is 804-210-30 (.785) in 95 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 20 national titles, including nine of the last 16, and 31 Big Ten titles. Iowa's 47 NCAA champions have won a total of 73 NCAA individual titles, crowning six three-time and 13 two-time champions. The Hawkeyes' 99 Big Ten Champions have won a total of 180 conference titles. There have been seven four-time, 18 three-time and 24 two-time Iowa winners. Iowa's 129 all-Americans have earned all-America status 263 times, including 16 four-time, 27 three-time and 32 two-time honorees. IOWA TICKET INFORMATION Tickets for Iowa's remaining four home duals are on sale at the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office. Tickets purchased in advance are $8 for adults and $4 for youth/non-University of Iowa students. Tickets purchased at the door are $10 for adults and $5 for youth/non-University of Iowa students. University of Iowa students will be admitted free of charge for all matches with a student ID. For tickets, contact the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-424-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com. CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE The Hawkeye wrestling staff of Tom Brands, Dan Gable, Wes Hand, Doug Schwab and Mike Zadick earned a total of two Olympic gold medals, seven NCAA titles, 10 conference titles and 15 all-America honors. Their combined college career wrestling record is 605-84-2 (.877), including three undefeated seasons. NEXT COMPETITION Iowa will wrestle at Purdue (10-1, 0-1 in Big Ten) Friday, January 26 at 6 p.m. at the Intercollegiate Athletic Facility in West Lafayette, IN. The Hawkeyes then return to Carver-Hawkeye Arena to host Wisconsin (14-0, 0-0 in Big Ten) Saturday, January 27 at 7 p.m. in Iowa City.

Mitch Norton, a red shirt freshman from Waverly, Iowa, has been named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Wrestler of the Week. This honor is the fifth NSIC Player of the Week award earned by an Upper Iowa student-athlete this year and second by an Upper Iowa wrestler. This past week the Upper Iowa wrestling team traveled to Kirksville, Missouri to take on the Bulldogs of Truman State University. The team won 25-12 thanks in part to Norton's victory at 165 pounds. Norton, challenged Blake Peterson, a former Division I National Qualifier and University of Northern Iowa transfer, in the highlight match of the night. Norton never trailed in the match and held leads of 4-2 and 6-4 at the ends of periods one and two, respectively. Norton registered two reversals and a near fall in the third period to take the victory 12-7. This dual win came on the heels of a great showing for Norton and the team in their last tournament. On the 5th and 6th of January, the Peacocks competed in the Midwest Classic and Norton led the team to a 2nd place finish thanks to his championship at 165 pounds. Norton has gained the attention of the National Wrestling Coaches Association as well. He is currently ranked #4 in the nation at 165 pounds. Head coach Heath Grimm proudly said, "This honor is well deserved. What makes this honor even more special is the fact that Mitch is just a freshman. Mitch has wrestled extremely well to this point, and we only expect him to keep improving as the season goes on. I believe there are wrestlers who can find a way to win and those who find a way to lose; Mitch is finding ways to win." Norton and the #8 Peacock wrestling team will hit the mat again on both Thursday and Saturday night in their first two home conference duals of the season. Their opponents will be Northern State University on Thursday night at 7 p.m. and the University of Mary on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. Both duals will take place in Dorman Gymnasium.

BUFFALO, NY –- Six months after winning a championship title at the 2006 Canada Cup, former UB wrestling great Kyle Cerminara (Lewiston, NY/Lewiston-Porter) has been tabbed to represent the United States at the 2007 Takhti Cup in Bandar Abbas, Iran on January 18-19. Cerminara, UB's all-time winningest wrestler, will compete at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. on a 14-athlete roster consisting of former world championship medalists, U.S. World Team members, and U.S. Nationals freestyle champions. Cerminara is one of four teammates representing the New York Athletic Conference. The Lewiston, NY native will join the likes of 2006 World silver medalist Mike Zadick as well as 2006 U.S. World Team member Andy Hrovat and 2005 U.S. World Team member Mo Lawal. Coaching the U.S. team will be USA Wrestling's National Freestyle Resident Coach Terry Brands, a two-time World champion and 2000 Olympic bronze medalist, along with veteran coach Ed Giese of Woodale, Ill. Since his championship run at the 2006 Canada Cup in July, Cerminara has been training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO, fighting for a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team when it competes in Beijing, China in 2008. In November, Cerminara finished fourth at the American Airlines/NYAC Holiday International. While at UB, Cerminara began his final season on a 34-match winning streak, which included a first-place finish at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Overall, Cerminara finished his senior season with a 39-4 record and was the winner of every tournament he competed in throughout the season, before finishing second at the MAC Championships. Cerminara left Buffalo with a career record of 137-35 (.796), which is sixth all-time for the Bulls. "We're really proud of Kyle," Buffalo head coach Jim Beichner said. "He's been working really hard to earn a chance to represent his country at the next Olympic games. He has his goals set and knows where he wants to be at in terms of his developmental process. We're all rooting for him here."

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -– The No. 10 Penn State wrestling team's Big Ten opening dual at No. 17 and undefeated Wisconsin will feature a live video stream at www.UWBadgers.com. Action in Madison, Wis., begins at 8 p.m. Eastern. Nittany Lion fans simply go to the above link and click on the appropriate 'Live Video Stream' link to watch the entire Big Ten dual match. The bout features 9-2 Penn State facing 14-0 Wisconsin in the conference lid-lifter for both teams. The audio broadcast of the game will also be available at www.GoPSUsports.com and can be heard locally on WBLF 970 AM and WKVA 920 AM. Jeff Byers will call the action as head coach Troy Sunderland's crew takes on the Badgers.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's Michael Keefe was named the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Month for December, the SoCon office announced this week. Keefe produced an 11-3 mark during the month, wrestling at 141 pounds. The senior from Ringgold, Ga., earned fifth-place finishes at two tournaments in the month. He placed fifth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 2, going 6-1 with a pin and two major decisions. At the end of the month, Keefe finished fifth at the Southern Scuffle. He went 5-2 in the event with a pin and two majors. The 2005 All-America helped the Mocs defeat No. 14 Ohio State 23-13 on Dec. 17 by scoring a 24-10 major decision over OSU's Matt Fleming. Keefe, nationally ranked as high as No. 14, is the second straight UTC wrestler to be selected by the SoCon for its monthly honor. Javier Maldonado, a junior 125-pounder, was the November honoree. The Mocs head to Mount Pleasant, Mich., Sunday to compete in the Chippewa Challenge at Central Michigan University.

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ -- Kevin Fox of Sacred Heart University and Nick Pullano of Old Dominion University, have been named the Colonial Athletic Association Wrestlers of the Week, and Chris Brown of ODU is the CAA Rookie Wrestler of the Week, for all competition January 9-15 Fox, a junior 197 from Kendall Park, NJ (Peddie School), won all three of his CAA duals last week by fall in the first minute of the match. Fox recorded a pin in :41 against Binghamton, in :48 against Wagner and in :39 against Boston University to improve to 7-3 on the season. Pullano, a junior 165 from Chesapeake, VA (Great Bridge), went 6-0 at the Virginia Duals last week, the only wrestler at the tournament to win six bouts. He compiled a tournament-high 60 match points and his 22 team points was third most in the tournament. Pullano improved to 9-0 in duals and 16-7 overall. Brown, a freshman 157 from Chesapeake, VA (Great Bridge), went 5-1 at the Virginia Duals last week, with two major decision and a fall, improving to 8-1 in duals and 26-8 overall. The CAA Duals take place January 19-20 at George Mason.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -– Nathan Galloway (State College, Pa.) has left the Nittany Lion wrestling team and has been given his release to transfer to another institution. The senior from State College informed head coach Troy Sunderland and his coaching staff of his decision early this week. "We appreciate everything Nathan has done for our program during his years as a Nittany Lion," Sunderland said. "We are going to do everything we can to help him continue his academic and athletic careers and wish him the best."

When Ponderosa's Justin Danz stepped on the mat against two-time defending state champion Louis Bland of Central Catholic, there was no fear in his eyes. Instead, Danz viewed reaching the 171-pound final of the 97-team, Five Counties Invitational (AKA The Beast of the West) as giving him a golden opportunity: one of family revenge. As a freshman, Bland had defeated Justin's older brother, Jordan, 10-7, in the Sectional Championships. Justin Danz (Photo/Peter Klingsheim)The younger Danz wasted no time, getting a first period takedown, riding Bland hard and finally pinning the sixth-ranked-nationally opponent just at the two minute mark, causing the capacity crowd in the Fountain Valley High School gymnasium to erupt furiously. "It's definitely a little surprising to go out there and pin the No. 1-ranked guy in the state, who's won states two times. I went out there pretty confident that I was going to win. There was definitely some revenge for beating my brother a few years ago … I wanted that win." Dantz's match was not the only bout of the evening to end in fall. The 125-pound final between Cody Klaus of Vacaville and Nick Fisher of Clovis West had virtually non-stop wild scrambling in a first period that saw Fisher score a takedown and Klaus an escape. In the second period, Klaus threw in legs and was working a power half, but seemingly got too high as Fisher started to try and come out the back door. Remarkably, Klaus was not only able to maintain control, but turn his opponent and earn the fall using no leverage from his legs at all. "I'm really not the best 'legger' in the world," said Klaus after the win, "but I'm comfortable there because I'm always there. I knew he was going to tripod up again, so I just pushed the head under and threw in the half." Nikko Triggas (Photo/Peter Klingsheim)The finals featured a wide variety of matches, from close, tactical bouts, to wild, scrambling shootouts. At 119, standing state champ Nikko Triggas of Campolindo seemed to be in a bit of a dogfight at after an action-packed 4-3 first period against Bakersfield's Frank Lomas. However, Triggas then went on a rampage for the final two periods, scoring 11 unanswered points to win 14-3. The 135 class saw the scoreboard light up like a Christmas tree on both sides as Tommy Wipfli of Foothill-Pleasanton came out on top of a 17-12 bout against Edison's Garrett Drucker, which included Wipfli scoring back-points right at the end. At 145, Bakersfield's Travis Rasmussen used superior conditioning to come from behind against Calivin Miller of Natomas and score a match-tying third period takedown to force overtime. He then scored another takedown to win the sudden victory, 8-6. The clear winner of the champ with the longest ride home was certainly 160-pounder Brandon Hatchett of Oviedo, Florida where he is a two-time state champion. Hatchett earned a sharp 6-0 win over Sultana's Eli McWatters, scoring a takedown in each of the three periods. Although they had only one finalist and no champions, Poway ran away and hid from the rest of the field with 226 points, 59.5 ahead of second place Vacaville who finished with 166.5. Poway used incredible team balance, placing in 9 of the 14 weights, which is remarkable considering the amount of teams competing and the considerable depth of the field. Finals Results: 103 -- Jesse Delgado (Gilroy) dec. Britain Longmire (Cimarron Memorial), 6-0 112 -- Thomas Williams (South Hills) dec. Nektoe Demison (Bakersfield), 3-0 119 -- Nikko Triggas (Campolindo) maj. dec. Frank Lomas (Bakersfield), 14-3 125 -- Kody Klaus (Vacaville) pinned Nick Fisher (Clovis West), 3:37 130 -- Bobby Schofield (Dana Hills) dec. Joey Boone (Poway), 5-2 135 -- Tommy Wipfli (Foothill-Pleasanton) dec. Garrett Drucker (Edison), 17-12 140 -- Mike Vasser (Foothill) dec. Jarell Price (Las Vegas), 7-3 145 -- Travis Rasmussen (Bakersfield) dec. Calivin Miller (Natomas), 5-4 152 -- Jordan Abed (Alhambra) dec. Joey Wilson (Half Moon Bay), 8-6 (SV) 160 -- Brandon Hatchett (Oviedo, FL) dec. Eli McWatters (Sultana) 6-0 171 -- Justin Danz (Ponderosa) pinned Louis Bland (Central Catholic) 1:59 189 -- Kyle Bergstedt (Paradise) dec. Ryan Smith (Temecula Valley) 9-3 215 -- Ryan Flores (Buchanan) dec. Lukhart (Vacaville) 4-0 275 -- Ryan Hoover (Hesperia) dec. Neil Spencer (Cimarron Memorial) 5-1 Team Scores: Poway 226.0 Vacaville 166.5 Buchanan 147.0 Temecula Valley 143.5 Oviedo (Florida) 123.0 Bakersfield 114.5 Sultana 96.5 Cimarron Memorial 96.0 Santa Fe 82.0 Ponderosa 81.0 Outstanding Wrestler Awards: Lightweights -- Nikko Triggas, Campolindo, four pins and one major decision Middleweights -- Joradan Abed, Alhambra, one pin and five decisions Upperweights -- Justin Danz, four pins and one major decision

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Former NCAA champion Fred Davis is the recipient of the 2007 Gallagher Award, to be presented before the Oklahoma State-Iowa dual in Gallagher-Iba Arena on Friday. The Gallagher Award is "presented annually to an OSU wrestling alumnus who exemplifies the spirit and leadership eminent in the tradition of champions." "There has been some fine people win the Gallagher Award," Davis said. "There have been some great wrestlers from the past and I am certainly honored to receive that distinction." Davis was a three-time All-American at Oklahoma A&M from 1954-56. He helped lead the Aggies to three NCAA team titles, and captured an individual title at 167 pounds in 1955. Davis took home fourth in 1954, and he closed out his collegiate career with a runner-up finish in 1956. Davis went into teaching once he finished competing in 1957. He spent three years teaching physical education at a junior high school, before he helped open McLain High School in Tulsa and start the wrestling program. In 1964, Davis left to assume the head coaching position at Brigham Young University. He spent 20 years at the helm of the Cougar wrestling program where he coached 18 All-Americans and 59 Western Athletic Conference champions. BYU claimed the conference championship in 15 of his 20 seasons, and it finished runner-up four times. BYU had its best finish in program history in 1973 when Davis guided the Cougars to fourth place at the NCAA Championships. He was honored as the NCAA coach of the Year for his efforts. That same year he served as president of the National Wrestling Coaches Association. BYU finished sixth in 1978, its only other top-10 finish in school history. Davis resigned from the helm of the BYU program in 1984 so that he could return to Tulsa and spend time with his aging mother. He returned to teaching and took over the wrestling program at Bishop Kelley High School in ‘84. Davis coached five state champions during his tenure at Bishop Kelley and led the Red Comets to a state runner-up finish in 1986. Davis retired from coaching and teaching in 1999. He lives in Tulsa with his wife, Deon, and he has three children: Tannaca Wright, DaNette Azierre and Fred P. Davis III and five step daughters. Past Winners 1986 -- Rex Peery 1987 -- Frank Lewis 1988 -- Myron Roderick 1989 -- Tommy Chesbro 1990 -- Joe McDaniel 1991 -- John W. Divine 1996 -- Ray Murphy 1997 -- John Smith 1998 -- Grady Peninger 1999 -- Kenny Monday 2000 -- Pat Smith 2001 -- Kendall Cross 2002 -- Mike Sheets 2003 -- Doug Blubaugh 2004 -- Grover Rains 2005 -- Bobby Douglas 2006 -- Charles Hetrick 2007 -- Fred Davis

Cedar Falls, Iowa -- Competing in the finals of the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Cliff Keen Duals, the No. 1 ranked Missouri Tigers fell to No. 2 Minnesota, 20-16, to finish with runner-up honors in the UNI Dome on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa. Despite a change in lineup and two-point lead going into the heavyweight bout, the Tigers were unable to hold on for the win. Suffering an 11-0 loss by major decision at 125 pounds, junior All-American Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) helped bring the Tigers even with Minnesota blanking Mike Thorn, 12-0 at 133 pounds. Controlling the match, McCormick recorded three takedowns, one in each period, with a three-point nearfall call at the buzzer in the second period. Earning one point for Thorn's continual stalling, McCormick racked up 1:30 of riding time for his 10th win of the season and 61st of his career. Minnesota took its second lead of the dual with fifth-ranked Manuel Rivera's 18-7 major decision over Missouri's 15th-ranked true freshman Ashtin Primus (South Connelsville, Penn.). The Golden Gophers' team lead was extended an additional three points (11-4) after Missouri's No. 15 Josh Wagner (Milton, Wis.) lost a 1-0 bout to No. 1 Dustin Schlatter. The two wrestlers were scoreless through the entire match, with Schlatter earning his only point on two minutes of riding time. Competing at 157 pounds, sophomore Michael Chandler (High Ridge, Mo.) took the early lead on C.P. Schlatter, but lost by one point (6-5) as Schlatter stormed back to score three takedowns in the final period of action. Chandler had jumped to an early 3-0 lead through the first five minutes but was only able to score two escapes in the third. Making changes to the lineup, redshirt freshman Nicholas Marable (Colliersville, Tenn.) made his second dual start of the season at 165 pounds. Wrestling 19th-ranked Jeremy Larson, Marable won his match, 5-3 to improve to 26-6 on the season while helping Missouri pull within seven points of the Golden Gophers. Next up for the Tigers, senior All-American Matt Pell (Luxemburg, Wis.) scored a 9-4 victory over 12th-ranked Gabe Dretsch at 174 pounds. Pell, ranked No. 7 at 165 pounds, and Dretsch stood tied at three entering the third period, but Pell broke loose in the third, scoring two takedowns and an escape while collecting 1:16 of riding time for the win. Pell now holds 112 wins in his career at Missouri and moved ahead of 165 pound All-American Tyron Woodley for sixth place in the record book. In a rare matchup, senior 174 pound defending National Champion Ben Askren (Hartland, Wis.), ranked No. 1 in the nation, paired with second ranked Roger Kisch at 184 pounds and helped the Tigers come within one point of the Gophers with his 5-4 win by decision. Scoreless through the first period, Askren scored an escape after starting the period down and takedown to end the period with a 3-0 lead. Kisch started the third period down and escaped, but Askren was quick to take the Gopher down for his final two points of the match. Redshirt freshman Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) kept his perfect record in tack with an 11-5 decision over Brent Eidenschink. The win helped Missouri to a short-lived two point advantage that came to an end when Missouri's true freshman Tyler Perry (Hannibal, Mo.) was pined by defending National Champion Cole Konrad in 2:13. The dual loss was Missouri's first of the season and the Tigers return home to Columbia with a 7-1 record. Missouri's next dual of the season will at home, Sunday, Jan. 28, at 2 p.m. (CT) against No. 20 Nebraska in the Hearnes Center.

WASHINGTON -- The American University wrestling team got back to its winning ways Sunday afternoon, riding three wins by bonus points to defeat George Mason, 24-17. Wrestling in its seventh dual in eight days, the Eagles improved to 7-6 on the 2006-07 season. Damian Swietlik, Rudy Rueda and No. 9 Josh Glenn had bonus point victories to help AU to the win. At 149, Swietlik dominated Chris Cartella with over 10 takedowns on his way to the 24-8 technical fall in the third period. Rueda earned his 16th win of the season and seventh by major decision at 174 as he controlled the action from start to finish in a 12-2 victory. At 197, Glenn was equally impressive, scoring a takedown to start the match and pushing his lead to 16-2 thanks to three nearfalls in the first period. A point away from a technical fall, the AU junior scored a takedown and was able to earn the pin - his seventh of the season. American also got decision wins from Jordan Lipp, Mike Cannon and Adam LoPiccolo. Lipp was able to score two takedowns in the second period and escape in the third for an 8-5 decision at 133. Cannon scored take downs at the beginning of the first and second period and rode out his opponent for a 4-0 lead into the third with a 3:35 riding time advantage. He escaped quickly to start the third and scored a takedown for the 7-0 lead, which he held for the 8-3 win. At heavyweight, LoPiccolo earned his eighth straight win, forcing the action and scoring three takedowns for the 8-2 win. The Eagles move to 7-6 on the year after a tough week in which they wrestled seven times, twice against top-25 opponents. AU will get some much needed rest over the next week as their next match will be on the road against Sacred Heart Friday Jan. 26.

CORVALLIS, Ore. -– Oregon State heavyweight Ty Watterson won the afternoon's bout between nationally ranked wrestlers as the 19th-ranked Beavers beat Cal State-Fullerton 23-9 in Pacific-10 wrestling Sunday afternoon at Gill Coliseum. Watterson, ranked 12th in this week's National Wrestling Coaches Association poll, edge CSUF's 14th-ranked Wade Sauer 3-2 as OSU (9-1 overall, 3-0 Pac-10) stretched its home winning streak to nine meets over two seasons. The Beavers now go on the road for a pair of non-conference duals next Saturday, at Wyoming in the afternoon and at Northern Colorado in the evening. Against Cal State-Fullerton (4-4, 2-3), Oregon State won seven of the day's 10 matches. OSU got major decisions from 125-pounder Jake Gonzales and 197-pounder Travis Gardner; in the rest of their wins, the Beavers generally had to grind it out against the Titans to remain unbeaten in Pac-10 duals this season. "I think we've got a lot more to give," OSU head coach Jim Zalesky said. "We've had a good two weeks of training, really not peaking for these meets, kind of training through these meets, but I think we're going to perform a lot better down the road. It was a good performance; sometimes you've got to win by not looking real pretty but just getting a win. "There were some good, tough matches there ... sometimes you just do what you have to do to win." Watterson, ranked second in the Pac-10, defeated Sauer, ranked third, for the third time this season with a 3-2 decision that came down to the OSU heavyweight getting a point for his 2 minutes, 22 seconds of riding time. He had previously beaten Sauer 6-2 at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate and 2-1 at the Reno Tournament of Champions. "They've all been pretty close, but I guess that's what you get out of the guy right behind you," Watterson said. "That played a big part in the way I was wrestling out there, knowing if I beat him one more time, the next time I wrestle him it will be a little mental beforehand. You definitely want to have the mental edge on guys ... We'll be battling again; we're not done yet." Watterson scored a takedown and Sauer an escape in the opening period of their match on Sunday; the only scoring in the second period was Sauer's escape in the closing seconds that tied the score at 2-2. Watterson chose the neutral position to start the third period and neither wrestler could score, with the riding time giving Watterson the win. Watterson improved to 16-4 with two pins this season, while Sauer is 17-9 with two pins; both are ranked behind Cal Poly's Cody Parker at heavyweight in the Pac-10. Watterson's win pushed him into a tie for 42nd place on OSU's list of all-time leaders in career wins with 70 victories. Oregon State's two other nationally ranked wrestlers, 141-pounder Kyle Larson and 174-pounder Jeremy Larson, picked up victories; both are ranked 19th in this week's NWCA poll. Kyle Larson used a takedown in the first period and a two-point near-fall in the third period to gain a 7-0 win over the Titans' Teddy Astorga. Kyle Larson is now 17-5 with seven pins this season and has won nine of his last 11 matches. Jeremy Larson notched a takedown in each period en route to an 8-2 decision over CSUF's Ryan Budd. Jeremy Larson improved to 18-5 with four pins, and the win put him one victory away from gaining a spot in OSU's all-time top-50 in career wins. Gonzales used a reversal and four takedowns in the second period to roll to a 15-7 major decision over Jaime Hernandez to start Sunday's dual; Gonzales is now 12-6 with two pins this season. Gardner scored a pair of three-point near-falls in the final period of an 11-3 major decision over John Drake that assured OSU the team victory in the dual. OSU 133-pounder Bobby Pfennigs upped his record to 16-5 this season with a 7-2 decision over T.J. Dillashaw. Cal State-Fullerton's two wrestlers ranked atop the Pac-10 in their weight class – 149-pounder Morgan Atkinson and 184-pounder Ian Murphy – both took wins. Atkinson, ranked 11th nationally, outscored OSU's Derek Kipperberg, ranked third in the Pac-10, 11-7. Murphy, ranked 18th nationally, topped Oregon State's Kyle Bressler 7-1.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. –- The Rutgers wrestling team split matches on Sunday as it hosted Army and the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) in a tri-meet at the College Avenue Gym. The Scarlet Knights dropped a 28-6 Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) match-up to Army before cruising to a 34-9 win over USMMA. "While the Army score might not reflect it, I felt we wrestled well today," said 16th-year head coach John Sacchi. "We were very competitive in every match. I feel we are improving and just need to keep working on some small things. I was pleased with our intensity the whole day." In its first match versus Army, Rutgers (4-3, 3-2 EIWA) got wins from Matt Pletcher (Eastampton, N.J.) and Lamar Brown (Red Bank, N.J.). At 165 pounds, Pletcher took an early 2-1 lead after a takedown in the opening period and added an escape from the defensive position in the second. In the third, Army's Ed Gibbons cut the lead to one with an escape, but another takedown from Pletcher with 38 seconds remaining and a point for riding time lifted the Scarlet Knights to the bout win. With the win at 197 pounds, Brown improved to 3-0 in dual match action this season. Brown, in one of the day's most exciting matches, scored on a takedown with eight seconds remaining in the fist overtime period to get the win over Army's Connor Sanders. Both Brown and Sanders scored escapes from the defensive positions as the match was tied at one at the end of regulation. The match was Brown's first overtime bout of the season. The Scarlet Knights scored bonus points in four matches en route to a 34-9 victory over USMMA in the final match of the day. Dan Hilt (Manapalan, N.J.) scored 12 backpoints in the first period en route to the 16-0 technical fall win over the Mariners' Anthony Day at 133 pounds. At the 141-pound bout, Kyle Milanese (Delran, N.J.) posted his first pin of the season over USMMA's A.J. Melton. Milanese scored an early takedown and turned Melton to record the pin 2:11 into the bout. In the next match-up, Jack Barrett (Metuchen, N.J.) five takedowns to earn a major decision victory over the Mariners' Seth Ching at 149 pounds. Jamie Lijo (Stanhope, N.J.), who returned to the mat for the first time this season due to injury, recorded a pin over USMMA's Danridge Giltz at 157 pounds. In the first period, Lijo jumped out to a 10-1 lead, including eight backpoints. The pin came 6:15 into the match. Pletcher won his second match of the day, a 10-0 major decision over Trevor Muhler in the 165-pound bout. Pletcher scored five early points and scored three more nearfall points in the final period en route to the win. Mike Whalen (Lake Hiawatha, N.J.) won an 8-2 decision, including three takedowns, over USMMA's Troy McGuiness at 174 pounds. At 184 pounds, Mike Elshamy (Brick, N.J.) recorded his first win of the season, a 3-0 decision over the Mariners' Eric Rohan. Elshamy scored one takedown and earned a point for riding time (2:19) to earn the victory. In the final bout of the day, Mike D'Amico (Kenilworth, N.J.) recorded a 3-2 decision over John Brunetti. D'Amico tallied all his points in the second period, escaping from the defensive position before getting a takedown at the 1:07 mark. Rutgers will travel to Providence, R.I., on Saturday, Jan. 20, for an EIWA match-up with Brown University at 2:00 p.m. at the Pizzitola Center.

Charleston, Ill. -- The Indiana wrestling team remained perfect in dual meet action (9-0-0) with a 41-4 victory over Eastern Illinois on Sunday, Jan. 14. The Hoosiers won nine of the 10 individual matches over the Panthers on the day. Three Hoosiers - No. 12 Angel Escobedo, No. 7 Matt Coughlin and Josh Buuck - pinned their opponents on the day, while Andrae Hernandez earned a 15-0 technical fall in the victory. Seven of the 10 Hoosiers earned bonus points on the day, as IU won its 13th straight match against EIU. Escobedo (125 pounds) opened the meet with his team-leading 11th pin of the year, dropping A.J. Ciccarelli in 4:40. It marked the second time in just over two weeks that he has pinned Ciccarelli, as he turned the trick at the Midlands Championships on Dec. 29. Escobedo is tied for 10th on IU's single-season list with the 11 falls. Escobedo's cousin, Hernandez, followed that up with a 15-0 technical fall of Lenny Grodoski to run his season record to 18-8. He leads the squad with five technical falls on the year. At 141, Nick Walpole topped Casey Carrino 3-1 to move to 16-7 on the season. Coughlin followed Walpole with his fifth pin of the year at 149, falling Tommy Reamer in 1:16. Ryan Pribble (157) won his first dual meet as a Hoosier after that, taking a 7-5 decision over Kile O'Toole. Max Dean (165) followed up a fourth-place finish at Midlands with a 12-0 major decision over Billy Gallo to improve to 22-6 on the year. At 174 pounds, Kenny Robertson earned EIU's only points of the match, taking a 12-0 major decision over Trevor Perry. Indiana followed with major decisions by No. 12 Marc Bennett (11-2) and true freshman Nathan Everhart at 184 and 197, respectively. Buuck closed the match by pinning Joe Trinka in 3:46 for his fifth pin on the year in his six victories. Indiana returns to action on Friday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m. EST in University Gym, when it hosts arch-rival Purdue for the first meet of the Big Ten season.

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The No. 21 Michigan State wrestling team recorded its first dual win of the season with a 23-13 victory over Pittsburgh Sunday afternoon at Jenison Field House. The Spartans won six of the 10 matches, including victories by No. 1 Nick Simmons, No. 4 Andy Simmons, No. 7 Franklin Gomez and No. 8 Joe Williams. Andy Simmons won his 107th career match, moving into a tie for 11th all-time in MSU history with Jim Mason. "Overall, we wrestled pretty well," said MSU head coach Tom Minkel. "We've made some progress and made some improvements. Our main issue is we have to create more pressure when we wrestle and stay on our opponent no matter what the score, and we did a better job of that today." The dual started strong for the Spartans (1-4) at 125 pounds as seventh-ranked Franklin Gomez pinned Brad Gentzle in 2:44. After a slow start the first two minutes, Gomez scored a takedown in the third minute, then quickly brought Gentzle on his back for the pin with 16 seconds remaining in the first period. The pin was the second of the season for Gomez, who improved to 26-2 for the year and 5-0 in dual meets. Top-ranked Nick Simmons defeated his eighth ranked wrestler of the year at 133 pounds, this time disposing of No. 11 Drew Headlee, 6-0. Simmons has now won 12 straight home dual-meet matches and remains undefeated on the season at 25-0. No. 4 Andy Simmons was equally as dominant at 141 pounds, picking up a 15-3 major decision victory over true freshman Jimmy Conroy to give the Spartans a 13-0 lead in the dual. Simmons recorded five takedowns in winning his 107th career match, which is tied for 11th best in MSU history with Jim Mason. "Andy felt better, looked better and wrestled better today," Minkel said, referring to Andy's absence from the lineup for nearly seven weeks. Wrestling in his first career match at 149 pounds, Jeff Wimberley continued his impressive season, racking up his 19th victory with a 7-0 shutout of Joe Ciampoli. After starting the season at 133, then moving up to 141 for two duals, Wimberley looks to have found a home at 149 in the Spartan lineup with his strong showing against Pittsburgh. Wimberley is now 3-0 in duals this season. "One thing Jeff will do for you is wrestle the whole match," said Minkel. "We said we had to get him in the lineup. He got the job done today and it's nice to have him back in the lineup." The Spartans lost their first match of the afternoon at 157 pounds as No. 7 Matt Kocher topped Tony Greathouse, 8-4, but MSU took a 16-3 team lead into the break. MSU got back on the winning track after the break in the 165-pound bout. Red-shirt freshman Rocky Cozart won his first career dual match, scoring a late takedown and near-fall points in the closing seconds of the third period for a 6-1 victory over Sean Richmond. Pitt's highest ranked wrestler, No. 3 Keith Gavin, recorded an 11-2 major decision victory over John Murphy at 174 pounds for the Panthers' second win of the dual. No. 8 Joe Williams secured the victory for Michigan State with a 9-1 major decision over Mike Heist in the 184-pound match. Williams, who improved to 20-6 for the season, jumped out to a 5-1 lead after two periods, and in the third, he added near-fall points and riding time. At 197, red-shirt freshman Nick Palmieri appeared to secure his first career dual-match victory, but Eric Cassidy delivered a takedown in the final seconds of the third period to force overtime. Cassidy then scored the first takedown in the sudden-victory overtime to rally for the 5-3 comeback win. In the heavyweight match, Pitt's Zach Sheaffer defeated Alan O'Donnell, 8-4. Michigan State returns to action Friday, Jan. 26 to host No. 16 Illinois in the Big Ten opener. The match will begin at 7 p.m. in Jenison Field House.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The fourth-ranked Iowa State wrestling team rallied from a semi-final loss to second-seeded and eventual team title champion Minnesota (24-11) to place third at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals with a 25-9 defeat of No. 3 Oklahoma State in the UNI-Dome Sunday. Nick Gallick (133), Mitch Mueller (141) and David Zabriskie (HWT) provided major upset wins in the third-place match, which marked the Cyclones' biggest win over OSU since 1980. ISU improves its' dual mark to 6-3. Double winners on the day for the Cyclones were Gallick and 197-pounder Kurt Backes. Minnesota beat Missouri, 20-16, for the team title. The victory over Oklahoma State is the Cyclones' first since handing the Cowboys a 25-20 loss in the 2002 National Duals in Columbus, Ohio. Sunday's winning margin over the Cowboys is Iowa State's biggest margin of victory in the series since a Dr. Harold Nichols' coached squad defeated OSU 32-9 in 1980. ISU downed Oklahoma State 27-11 in 1976. "We're looking good right now," Iowa State head coach Cael Sanderson said. "As a team we have some room to improve. We're here for the experience; to face the best teams in the country in preparation for the NCAA's. We are making the right progress in order to be in contention in March. We are working hard and it is all coming together. Right now we are happy where our guys are because it is building confidence, especially in our freshmen. I am proud of our guys." Iowa State won seven of ten matches against Oklahoma State. Gallick squared off against two-time OSU All-American Coleman Scott and emerged victorious with a 3-2 decision. The redshirt freshman attacked first with an early takedown to take a 2-0 advantage on the third-ranked Cowboy. With the score tied 2-2, Gallick scored an escape early in the third period that ultimately gave him the win. Gallick improves to 19-6 on the season. At 141-pounds, Mitch Mueller pulled off the surprise with a 5-3 overtime decision of No. 3 Nathan Morgan. Mueller trailed Morgan 3-0 in the match but pulled within one point with a pair of escapes. Morgan was warned for stalling and then penalized for the same infraction, awarding Mueller a point and tying the match at 3-3. The match went to overtime and Mueller wasted no time, taking down the All-American in nine seconds. Zabriskie upset 10th-ranked Jared Rosholt at heavyweight in the final three seconds of the match with a takedown to win 4-3. Like Mueller, Zabriskie was down 3-0 during the second period, but battled back with two escapes. Down 3-2 with less than 10 seconds remaining in the match, Zabriskie grabbed hold of Rosholt's legs on the edge of the mat to score a takedown. The Cyclone redshirt freshman that hails from Branchville, N.J., improves his mark to 15-6. "Our freshmen came through with big upsets today," Sanderson said. "Their matches were huge. It is all about increasing their confidence and giving those freshmen this sort of experience. They are building confidence in themselves." Backes continued his offensive dominance with a 22-9 major decision over Jared Shelton. Backes, ranked eighth nationally, tallied back points early in the match, nearly pinning Shelton and stunned the Cowboy with 10 takedowns. The ISU senior captain put on an offensive showing during the tournament, winning all four of his matches, three of which resulted in bonus points. He now is only three wins shy of etching his name on the ISU 100-career winner's list. Also picking up victories in the Oklahoma State dual were Cyler Sanderson (149), Trent Paulson (157) and Jake Varner (184). "It's exciting, but we have a lot of time until nationals," Trent Paulson said. "We will be a different team by the time the tournament rolls around in March." ISU re-matched with Minnesota in semi-final action to begin the day, but was unable to avenge an early season loss and suffered its second defeat at the Gophers' hands. Gallick registered a 10-0 major decision over Mike Thorn. At 165-pounds, Travis Paulson scored his fifth major decision of the season as he rolled to a 12-4 victory over Jeremy Larson. Backes took a 9-4 decision against Brent Eidenschink. Iowa State will open Big 12 Conference wrestling action on the road Saturday as it will travel to Lincoln, Neb., for a 7 p.m. dual against Nebraska. The Cyclones return to Ames on Jan. 26 to play host to Oklahoma at 7 p.m

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State wrestling team won eight of ten matches to hand Big Ten Conference opponent Purdue its first loss of the season, 28-6, Sunday in St. John Arena. The Buckeyes now are 2-3 overall and 1-0 in the league, while the Boilermakers' record stands at 10-1 and 0-1 in the conference. With the dual starting at 141 pounds, Buckeye J Jaggers (So., Northfield, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel) got the Scarlet and Gray on the board first with a 10-1 major decision over Nick Bertucci. Jaggers never trailed in the match, leading 2-0 at the end of the first period before increasing his lead to 4-1 at the conclusion of the second session. As time expired in the third period, Jaggers notched a 3-point nearfall to take a 9-1 lead and added to his point total after the one minute riding time advantage. Heading into the third period of his match leading 4-0, No. 19 Lance Palmer (Fr., Lakewood, Ohio/St. Edwards) (149) held on for the 4-3 win as time began to run out, as 10th-ranked Jake Patacsil was awarded a 3-point nearfall with :41 seconds left in the third period. After Buckeye Jason Johnstone (So., Massillon, Ohio/Perry) dropped a close 6-4 decision to Jake Murphy at 157 pounds, No. 15 Chris Vondruska (Sr., Lakewood, Ohio/Hofstra) won his team-leading 17th match of the year at 165 pounds, defeating Justin Fraga, 8-3. Like several other Buckeyes, Vondruska never trailed, taking a 4-1 advantage at the end of the first period and increasing the margin to 7-2 at the conclusion of the second stanza. With the riding time advantage, Vondruska secured the victory. Seeing action on the varsity Buckeye squad in a dual for the first time in his career, Tommy Priestley (Jr., Mount Rainier, Md.) earned a 5-1 sudden victory at 174 pounds, defeating Jason Martin. Replacing an injured Blake Maurer (So., Evansville, Ind./Mater Dei), Priestley was down 1-0 heading into the third period. After recording an escape of his own 1:52 into the session to tie the match, Priestley and Martin were headed into overtime. There was no scoring in the first minute of the extra period, forcing the match into two 30 second sessions. As it appeared the score would remain 1-1 going into the next 30 second period, Priestley scored a 3-point nearfall with one second left to take a 4-1 lead. Priestley then notched an escape in the second session with 14 seconds on the board to secure the 5-1 win. With Ohio State up 13-3, No. 3 Mike Pucillo (Fr., Cuyahoga, Ohio/Hofstra) increased the OSU advantage to 19-3 after pinning Nick Skinner in 6:41. Prior to the pin, Pucillo had an 11-4 advantage over Skinner and now has moved to 10-0 on the season at 184 pounds. Purdue earned three more points on the day, as No. 18 Nathan Moore scored a 7-2 decision over No. 3 J.D. Bergman (Jr., Oak Harbor, Ohio/Oak Harbor) at 197 pounds. Up 19-6, the Buckeyes closed out the day with wins in their final three matches. Down 2-1 after the first period, heavyweight Corey Morrison (So., Shaker Heights, Ohio/Shaker Heights) ended the day with a 7-3 win against David Pisarcik. Morrison scored two takedowns and an escape in the remainder of the match and was awarded a point after Pisarcik was handed his second warning. Scoring the only points of the match with a takedown at the 1:22 mark in the first period at 125 pounds, Will Livingston (Fr., Stillwater, N.J./Kittatinny Regional) also earned a riding time advantage of 5:23 to win, 3-0, against Brandon Tucker. T.J. Enright (Jr., Galloway, Ohio/Westland) concluded the day with a 3-1 overtime win over Sean Schmaltz. Tied 1-all at the end of the third, Enright scored a takedown with five seconds remaining in the extra session for the sudden victory. Ohio State will travel to the northeastern part of Ohio where it will participate in the 18th annual Wendy's Big Classic Duals, hosted by Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio. In the all-day event, the Buckeyes will face three Ohio schools in Ohio, Cleveland State and Ashland.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Oklahoma State's wrestling team finished fourth at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals after falling to Big 12 rival Iowa State, 25-9, at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa on Sunday afternoon. Oklahoma State was forced to wrestle for third after falling to top-seeded Missouri, 27-15, in the semifinals of the NWCA Cliff Keen National Duals on Sunday morning. OSU dropped to 9-3 in duals on the season. It is the first three loss season for the Cowboys since they went 20-3 during the 2001-02 season. The Cyclones put OSU in a hole early by pulling off upsets at 133 and 141. Coleman Scott was forced to release Nick Gallick and try to score a takedown. Gallick fought off Scott and won, 3-2. At 141, Nathan Morgan was called for his second stall warning with eight seconds to go, which gave Mitch Mueller a point and sent the match into sudden victory. It was Mueller who got in on a shot to score the winning takedown. That started a string of victories for Iowa State, which took a 12-3 lead in the dual after decisions at 149 and 157. Johny Hendricks defeated second-ranked Travis Paulson, and Brandon Mason recorded a decision to cut the deficit to 12-9. However, Jake Varner all but won the dual for the Cyclones with a fall over Jack Jensen to put ISU up 18-9. The Cowboys needed an upset from Jared Shelton over No. 10 Kurt Backes, to have a chance in the dual. Backes took away any doubt building a 6-1 lead in the first period en route to a major decision. To cap the dual, Iowa State heavyweight David Zabriskie recorded yet another upset for the Cyclones. Zabriskie scored a takedown with three seconds left to score the third upset of the dual for the Cyclones. The critical match for OSU was at 125. The Cowboys needed a victory over 20th-ranked John Olanowski with Scott and Morgan, both ranked third nationally, to follow. The match went into sudden victory and OSU's Tyler Shinn took a shot and scored the winning takedown. The match quickly turned in favor of the Tigers as No. 11 Tyler McCormick reversed Scott with time running out and scored an upset at 133. MU all but iced the dual at 149. B.J. Jackson, trailing by a takedown, took a shot late in the match, Josh Wagner flipped him over straight to his back and pinned him with one second remaining. Wagner's fall gave the Tigers a 9-6 lead, but with top-ranked Ben and Max Askren left to take the mat, it became a daunting task for the Cowboys. Hendricks got a win over seventh-ranked Matt Pell at 165. Ben Askren recorded yet another fall for Missouri over Mason, and then Max Askren pinned Shelton to seal it for the Tigers. The Cowboys return to action on Friday against Iowa in Gallagher-Iba Arena. The match will be aired live on ESPNU beginning at 8 p.m.

Buffalo, NY -- Led by nationally-ranked wrestlers Johnny Galloway, Mike Grimes, Pat Castillo and Duke Burk, the Norhtern Illinois wrestling team dominated the University at Buffalo with a 30-6 victory Sunday. The "Fantastic Four" led the Huskies with four major decisions over UB wrestlers. The Huskies' only two individual defeats of the day came in close matches that were decided in overtime. In the opening match, 17th-ranked Pat Castillo of NIU set the tone for the entire meet by notching a 16-6 major decision over BU's Dan Bishop at 125 pounds. The Bulls got on the board in the second match of the day as 12th-ranked Mark Budd narrowly escaped with a win in overtime against NIU's Chad Vandiver. BU would not score again until the final match of the day. Mike Grimes, ranked ninth nationally, did not let the Buffalo win stop the Huskies momentum as he picked up the second major decision of the day against Jason Hilliar with a decisive score of 14-5. NIU kept rolling as ninth-ranked Johnny Galloway improved his overall record to an impressive 10-1 with another major decision victory over BU's Mike Rangusa. Duke Burk, ranked 16th nationally, picked up the last major decision of the day when he steamrolled Ray Lamb of BU en route to a 14-3 victory. "We had great performances by our four ranked guys (Castillo, Grimes, Galloway, and Duke Burk)," said NIU Head Coach Dave Grant, "When you have those guys going out and doing what they are capable of doing, we're awfully tough to beat." The Huskies will host the Ohio Bobcats in their MAC home opener on Friday, January, 19th at 7 p.m. (CST) in the Convocation Center.

CEDAR FALLS, IA -- The University of Iowa wrestling team defeated third-seed Hofstra, 26-10, to place fifth Sunday at the N.W.C.A./Cliff Keen National Duals in Cedar Falls, IA. It is the first time that Iowa placed fifth in its 15-year history at the tournament. The Hawkeyes have won the team title three times, placed second three times, placed third six times and placed sixth once. Iowa improved to 9-1 on the season with the win, while Hofstra fell to 10-2-2. Iowa, the fifth-seed, opened the dual with wins at the first four weight classes. Sophomore Charlie Falck picked up his 25th career win with an 11-2 major decision over Hofstra's Dave Tomasette at 125. Senior Mario Galanakis improved to 9-1 in dual competition with an 11-1 major decision over Lou Ruggirello at 133. Junior Alex Tsirtsis (141) and senior Alex Grunder (149) each followed up with decisions to give Iowa a 14-0 lead. Hofstra scored its first team points at 157 when fourth-ranked James Strouse scored an 8-0 major decision over Hawkeye redshirt freshman Ryan Morningstar. Iowa rebounded with junior Mark Perry taking a forfeit at 165 and senior Eric Luedke scoring his 40th career win with a 4-1 decision over Alton Lucas at 174. Luedke, the only Hawkeye to go 5-0 at the tournament, improved to 17-1 in collegiate matches and 8-0 in duals. Perry also improved to 13-2 in collegiate matches and 9-1 in duals with the forfeit. Hofstra's Joe Rovelli used a riding-time point to defeat redshirt freshman Phillip Keddy, 7-6 at 184, and fourth-ranked Chris Weidman scored a 10-5 win over sophomore Dan Erekson at 197. Hawkeye junior Matt Fields scored the final team points of the dual, winning a 7-2 decision against Matt Pollock at heavyweight. Iowa (9-1) will hit the road for two dual matches next weekend. The Hawkeyes will get another shot at Oklahoma State (9-3) Friday at 8 p.m. at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, OK. The dual will be aired live on ESPNU. Iowa will also open the 2007 Big Ten season Sunday against Northwestern (10-3) at Rolling Meadows High School in Rolling Meadows, IL.

Providence, RI -- With the score 16-12 entering the final match, junior co-captain Levon Mock (Bangor, MI) wrapped things up decisively, pinning George Hingson of Bucknell to give the Brown wrestling team (1-4, 1-0 EIWA) a 22-12 win over the Bison (7-7, 2-2 EIWA) at the Pizzitola Center Saturday afternoon. Mock was one of six Bears to pick up a win in the dual match. Freshman Greg Einfrank (Millwood, NY) opened the match with a 9-3 win at 125 pounds. After the Bison tied things back up, 3-3, junior Mark Savino (Lawrenceville, NJ) gave the Bears a four-point cushion, taking an 8-0 major decision, which senior Jordan LaFollette (Magadone, OH) followed with a 7-5 win at 149. Senior co-captain David Saadeh (Lancaster, PA) picked up his first win of the year in a big way, topping Brantley Hooks, ranked sixth in the EIWA at 165 pounds, 3-2. Saadeh and Hooks were tied at 2-2 heading into the third round, and Saadeh picked up the winning point on an escape. The Bison took three of the next four matches, with Matt Gevelinger (Mineral Point, WI) taking a 9-6 win by decision at 184 pounds. Mock closed things by pinning Hingson at 2:08. Mock moved to 10-8 on the year with the win, picking up his fourth win by pinfall this season. The Bears will be home once again next weekend, when they host Rutgers at noon at the Pizzitola Center.