InterMat Staff

Augustana won 8 overall matches, including the final 6 bouts of the night to defeat Southwest Minnesota State 32-6 in a non-conference dual Friday night in Marshall, Minn. The Vikings, ranked No. 11 in the latest NCAA Division II poll, used a pin by Austin Scarset and 4 major decisions to propel them to the win an improve to 5-3 in dual action this season. The Mustangs dropped to 1-3. Scarset, ranked No. 2 in the nation at 157 pounds, wasted little time in pinning SMSU's Chris Fast in only 40 seconds. It was the only pin of the dual and gave the Vikings a 12-6 lead. Aaron Haddorff then picked up a major decision at 165 pounds. Following a decision by Cody Henriksen at 174 pounds, Beau Severtson (184), Nate Buys (197) and Ray O'Connor (Hwt) all recorded major decision victoies. Chris Trampe got the Vikings off to a good start, edging SMSU's Kurt Smith 7-6 at 125 pounds. Also winning was Jordan Burmeister, who earned a 10-6 win over Ryan Reed at 141 pounds. Augustana will be in action again on Saturday when the Vikings host St. Cloud State in a 2 p.m. dual at the Elmen Center. It will also be Parents Day.

FARGO, N.D. -- North Dakota State (3-2, 1-0 WWC) won its first Western Wrestling Conference match defeating Utah Valley State (3-7, 0-2 WWC) 46-0 in front of a crowd of 604 at the Bison Sports Arena on Friday, January 19. The last time the Bison shutout an opponent was on February 14, 2004, when NDSU upended Air Force 42-0. After forfeits at 125 and 133 pounds, Gabe Mooney got the duel rolling by defeating Justin Morrill 8-4 at 141 pounds. Ryan Adams, wrestling in his first home dual for the Bison, followed that effort up, winning 11-6 over Justin Rawle at 149 pounds. Adam Aho and Mike Quamme each earned four points for NDSU after major decisions at 157 and 165 pounds, respectively. Aho defeated Clayton Wolf 13-4 and Quamme took care of Dustin Olsen 12-3. The 12-3 decision for Quamme was his first career dual win. The most exciting match of the night came at 174 pounds between NDSU's Matt Hermann and UVSC's Marc Fenwick Fenwick had a 10-8 advantage with less than a minute remaining in the final period. But with 34 seconds remaining, Hermann scored a takedown to tie the match at 10 and send it into overtime. The extra session would be a short one though as Hermann notched a takedown 23 seconds into sudden victory to earn a 12-10 decison. Reigning WWC Wrestler of the Week Matt Wetterling increased his winning streak to five and his pinning streak to four at 184 pounds after sticking Brock Jardine's shoulders to the mat in 1:57. At 197 pounds, Jacob Bryce recorded his first technical fall of the season, defeating Eric McCalister 23-8 with 35 seconds remaining in the final period. Heavyweight Justin LaGosh secured the shutout for North Dakota State with a first period pin of Mike Smith. The pin was LaGosh's fourth of the season. The Bison will be back on the road for a pair of Western Wrestling Conference matches. The Bison will wrestle Wyoming on Friday, January 26, at 8 p.m. CST and will be back on the mat the following afternoon against Air Force at 3 p.m. CST.

No. 4 ranked UNO used pins by Ross Taplin at 165 pounds and J.D. Naig at 174 to post a 37-12 North Central Conference win over St. Cloud State Friday night at Lee & Helene Sapp Fieldhouse. The Mavericks, now 4-1 overall and 1-0 in the NCC, also got a technical fall by Todd Meneely and major decisions by freshman Jeff Rau and redshirt freshman Jacob Marrs at 197. UNO won seven of the eight matches, with each team defaulting one, the Mavericks at 125 and the Huskies at heavyweight. The Mavs return to the mat Saturday to compete in the Brand Open at Sapp Fieldhouse with the first matches getting underway at 9 a.m.

LEWISBURG, Pa. –- The Bucknell wrestling squad split in its return to Davis Gym on Friday evening as the Orange and Blue upended Millersville, 34-3, after dropping a heartbreaker to Liberty, 25-24. Following the meet, the Bison are 9-8, while the Marauders fall to 1-8 and the Flames move to 9-6. Andy Rendos (Brockway, Pa./Brockway Area) started things off against Millersville by pinning Gary Price, 5:39 into the 165-lb matchup to give Bucknell a 6-0 advantage. The victory marked the 15th of the year for Rendos in duals competition, to move him into second for dual-meet wins in a season on the program's all-time list. The Bison swept through the next six bouts, building a 28-0 lead. Shane Riccio (Warren, N.J./Watchung Hills) picked up a 5-4 decision over John Heleniak at 174 and George Mann (Orange, Ohio, Orange) recorded a 3-2 victory over Steve Funk at 184. Eric Lapotsky (Mount Carmel, Pa./Mount Carmel Area) followed at 197 with his team-leading 15th fall of the year, pinning Keith McDonald in 3:21. In the heavyweight bout, Sean LoCurto (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City) defeated Mike Langor, 9-8, and 125-pounder Greg Hart (Bedminster, N.J./Bernards) notched a 11-9 decision against Mike Acedo-Malaney. David Marble (Harpursville, N.Y./Harpursville Area) then clinched the match for the Bison at 133 with his 15-6 major decision over John Lester, Jr. Zach Galligan (Boonville, N.Y./Adirondack) was edged, 2-1, in the next bout after Cody Becker picked up the victory with the riding time point. However, 149-pounder Jack Conroy (Westport, Conn./Green Farms Academy) and 157-pounder Brantley Hooks (Spartanburg, S.C./James F. Byrnes) closed things out for Bucknell in a winning fashion. Conroy defeated Nick Foley, 7-2, and Hooks pulled out a 9-6 overtime triumph over Jarrett Hostetter. In the earlier matchup against Liberty, Rendos pinned Chad Porter in 4:47 at 165, after starting out with a 4-1 deficit in his bout. Riccio followed up at 174 with another fall to give the Bison a 12-0 advantage, pinning Jonathan Campbell in 2:03. In the 184-pound matchup, Chris Dagett put the Flames on the board with an 11-8 victory over Mann, but Lapotsky responded by pinning Rory Bosek 1:42 into his bout at 197 to stretch Bucknell's advantage to 18-3. Despite a 9-4 decision by Christian Smith over Hart at 125, Marble picked up another six points for the Bison at 133 after an injury to Sam Walters prevented him from finishing the match. With three bouts remaining, the Orange and Blue led by a 24-12 margin, but Tim Harner pinned Galligan in 6:16 and Aaron Kelley downed Conroy, 12-4, to close the gap to 24-22 heading into the final bout With a 2-2 tie after two periods, Shaun Smith outscored Hooks 2-1 in the third and sealed the 25-24 team victory with his 4-3 decision at 157. Bucknell returns to action next Saturday, Jan. 27, when the team will play host to Wagner in Davis Gym beginning at 1 p.m.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Arizona State University wrestling team came back from a pair of deficits, including a two-point deficit with one bout remaining, to record a 19-18 defeat of visiting Cal State Bakersfield Friday night in a Pac-10 dual held inside Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe. The win improved the Sun Devils' season record to 5-8 overall and 2-1 in the Pac-10 while the Roadrunners fell to 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the conference. Trailing, 18-16, with only the 133 pound bout remaining, true freshman Shawn Jones took to the mat for the first time in 17 days in search of a win for himself and the team. After taking an early 2-1 lead following the first period of action, Jones scored a takedown and three near fall points in the second to break open the scoring before eventually winning, 10-3. The dual opened at 141 with Robert Galvan dropping a 10-3 decision to Matt Schumm before Brandon Doyle scored a 10-6 defeat of ASU's Chris Remsen at 149 to stake the visitors to a 6-0 lead. No. 5 Brian Stith then dominated his foe, Daniel Alejandro, in the 157 pound bout, scoring a 14-4 major decision to cut the CSUB lead to 6-4. The Roadrunners extended their to seven points (11-4) lead at 165 pounds with Daniel Atondo scoring a 16-1 technical fall over Cameron Smith. The Sun Devils responded in kind as Rick Renzi picked up a late takedown to record an 18-10 major decision and bring the team score to 11-8 CSUB. Greg Gifford followed in the 184 pound bout with a 21-5 technical fall for the Sun Devils, giving the hosts their first lead of the night, 13-11. In a match-up of ranked conference wrestlers at 197, Jason Trulson, who was ranked fourth in the Pac-10, scored a 7-5 upset of second-ranked Brandon Halsey to give ASU a 16-11 lead. The Roadrunners struck back, however, and moved to with in one point (16-15) after heavyweight Eric Parker scored a 15-4 major decision over Thor Moen. Brandon Zoeteway then downed ASU's John Espinoza in the 125 pound bout, 8-4, to put the visitors on top, 18-16, and set up the come-from-behind win for Jones. The Sun Devils now will head to Ithaca, N.Y., for a 1 p.m. ET dual at No. 11 Cornell. Next weekend, ASU will return to road conference action as it heads to the Pacific Northwest to take on Oregon and Oregon State. The Sun Devils will take on the Beavers in a 7 p.m. dual in Corvallis on Friday (Jan. 26) before closing out the road trip with a 2 p.m. showdown in Eugene on Sunday (Jan. 28).

BETHLEHEM, Pa. –- Lehigh and Cornell split ten bouts, but back-to-back falls from senior Paul Weibel and sophomore Matt Fisk propelled the 25th ranked Mountain Hawks to a 21-19 win over the No. 11 Big Red Friday night in front of over 2,700 fans at Stabler Arena. Both teams were wrestling shorthanded on the night, but the two six-point victories helped the Brown and White improve to 9-6 on the season and 2-1 in the EIWA duals. Cornell falls to 1-5 overall, 0-1 in league duals. "Both teams were missing somebody," said Lehigh head coach Greg Strobel. "But we got a couple of key falls and put some big points up. I was most impressed by the fact that the guys went out and fought hard. Hopefully we can turn the corner with some tough matches coming up next weekend." The dual started at 157 where senior Dave Nakasone gave Lehigh an early boost, with a 10-6 victory over Drake Hovis. Cornell's Steve Anceravage answered with a 12-4 major decision over freshman Manuel Schubert to put the Big Red on top after two bouts. At 174, senior Dave Helfrich made his returned to the lineup and battled hard on a leg that was less than 100 percent. Helfrich converted two first period takedowns to lead No. 19 Joey Hooker 4-1 after the first period, but after Hooker rallied to tie, the Cornell grappler scored two late in the third to edge Helfrich 7-5. Freshman David Craig brought Lehigh back within one, narrowly missing a major decision and settling for a seven point victory over Luke Hogle. The Mountain Hawks were still without senior Matt Cassidy and sent out freshman Andy Knerr up two weight classes at 197. His opponent, fourth ranked Jerry Rinaldi scored a first period takedown and was able to secure the fall at 2:25. Weibel ignited the Mountain Hawks' rally pinning Zach Hammond for his fifth fall of the season. Leading 2-1 in the first period, Weibel countered a Hammond shot by throwing him to his back and then securing the fall at the 1:51 mark. At 125, Fisk put Lehigh ahead for good with a fall over Mike Rodriguez, who was subbing for Cornell's national runner-up Troy Nickerson. After a scoreless first period Fisk scored a takedown in the second, and was able to eventually work Rodriguez to his back to earn the fall. Freshman Seth Ciasulli battled back from an early deficit, but fell to third ranked Adam Frey at 133, but brother Matt Ciasulli put the Mountain Hawks in great position heading into the final bout. Ciasulli's 5-2 win over Corey Manson put Lehigh up by five with one bout remaining. With the lead, Lehigh knew that as long as sophomore Trevor Chinn did not get pinned by No. 4 Jordan Leen, the Mountain Hawks would win the dual. Chinn kept things close as the match was scoreless after two periods. Leen could only muster a 6-1 decision, which gave Lehigh its sixth dual win over Cornell in the last seven meetings. The Mountain Hawks will return to the mats on Saturday, January 27, when they return to Leeman-Turner at Grace Hall to face a pair of Ivy League foes from New England. Lehigh will wrestle Harvard and 1 p.m. and then will face off against Brown at 3 p.m. For tickets, call 610-7LU-GAME or visit the Lehigh ticket office, located in Grace Hall, during normal business hours.

Champaign, Ill. -- The Big Ten season kicked off for the No. 16 Illinois wrestling team as they upset No. 8 Northwestern, 21-13, Friday night at Huff Hall. The Illini took six out of the ten weight classes to avenge last season's heartbreaking three-point loss to the Wildcats. Gabe Flores (125) and Mike Poeta (157) kept their undefeated season intact in the victory. Ryan Lang, Northwestern's top-ranked 141-pounder didn't compete due to injury. After dropping their first match at heavyweight, the Illini fired off six victories in a row. #10 Gabe Flores (Madera, Calif.) took a decision against Brandon Precin, 8-3. Flores was in control of the entire match as he recorded a takedown, reversal and a two-point nearfall in the win. The Illini appeared to have tied the match, but a team point was subtracted from them because of unsportsmanlike conduct. After the Flores decision, the next four Illini wins came without allowing their opponents to score a takedown. At 133, freshman Jimmy Kennedy took a 2-0 decision against Eric Metzler. At 141, #12 Cassio Pero dominated James Kohlberg, 15-5. Pero (Chicago Heights, Ill.), who logged seven takedowns in the major decision, only let Kohlberg score on five escapes. #12 Troy Tirapelle followed up with a major decision of his own against Marty Gould in their 149-pound match. With Tirapelle (Clovis, Calif.) up 2-1 heading into the third period, he extended his lead by scoring on an escape, a pair of takedowns and a three-point nearfall. At 157, #1 Mike Poeta showed Dominic Marella why he's the top 157-pounder in the country in a win via technical fall, 19-4 (7:00). Poeta (Highwood, Ill.) came out firing in the first period as he scored a takedown and picked up three more on back points. Poeta extended his lead in the first as he added another takedown. The Illini sophomore collected two takedowns in each of the next two periods en-route to the technical fall. At 165, #14 Roger Smith-Bergsrud posted a huge victory against Greg Hagel, 11-7. With no scoring in the first two periods, the action came with a fury in the third. The pair traded takedowns and escapes to start the third. After Hagel took a 7-6 lead later in the period, Smith-Bergsrud (Lake Bluff, Ill.) took the lead back with a takedown. Then, the Illini sophomore sealed the win by picking up three points on a nearfall. At this point in the dual, Illinois had a commanding 21-3 lead. "We wrestled very tough tonight." Head coach Mark Johnson said. "We wrestled the entire seven minutes of every match and we never let up. We had a goal to get tougher this season and it's showing. I'm very pleased with our performance." The No. 16 Illini continue Big Ten action on Sunday, Jan. 21 as they host No. 13 Indiana at Huff Hall. Mat time is scheduled for 1 p.m.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana wrestling team opened its Big Ten season on a winning note, topping rival Purdue 25-12 on Friday, Jan. 21, at University Gym. The crowd of more than 800 saw the Hoosiers take six of the 10 bouts and increase their record to 10-0 on the year. The Hoosiers opened the meet with a pair of crucial victories, picking up bonus points in each of the matches. No. 9 Angel Escobedo improved to 24-2 with a 21-6 technical fall over Purdue's Brandon Tucker with five takedowns in the third period. Andrae Hernandez followed with another bonus point at 133 after grasping a 12-1 major decision over Sean Schmaltz. The Boilers followed with a pair of one-point victories at 141 and 149, recovering from late deficits in each match to earn six dual points. In the most anticipated match of the meet, No. 11 Jake Patacsil used a third-period escape to force overtime, then used another escape in the first tiebreak period to best No. 7 Matt Coughlin 3-2, making the score 9-6. No. 7 Brandon Becker returned from injury and earned bonus points for the Hoosiers at 157, tallying a pair of takedowns in the final minute and earning a point for riding time to take a 9-1 victory over Purdue's Jacob Murphy. In another highly entertaining bout, Justin Fraga used a late takedown to upend IU's Max Dean at 165 in a 6-5 victory. Trevor Perry rebounded from a loss at Eastern Illinois to post an 8-3 decision over Purdue's Jason Martin at 174, and the Hoosiers clinched the meet victory in the 184-pound bout. No. 12 Marc Bennett held a decisive lead late in the third over Nick Skinner, then turned his opponent with just 23 seconds remaining to register his fifth fall of the season and move to 26-4. At 197, true freshman Nathan Everhart more than held his own against No. 14 Nathan Moore of Purdue. Moore took a 1-0 lead with a second-period escape, and held the lead heading into the third. Everhart chose down and earned an escape in the final minute, but not until Moore had registered over a minute of riding time, and the nationally-ranked Moore took a 2-1 decision. Josh Buuck finished off the Hoosier victory with a 9-3 victory over Purdue's David Pisarcik, making the score 25-12 in favor of the home squad. Buuck dominated the match, and nearly earned bonus points with a takedown in the final 10 seconds, but the official ruled that the wrestlers were out of bounds before the takedown occurred. Buuck moved to 7-2 on the year and 2-0 in dual meets. The Hoosiers are back in action on Sunday, Jan. 21, with a crucial Big Ten dual at No. 16 Illinois. The match is slated to begin at 2 p.m. EST in Champaign, Ill.

MADISON, Wis. -- In front of a season high crowd of over 900 people, the No. 15 Wisconsin wrestling team extended its winning streak to 15 as the Badgers took down No. 10 Penn State Friday at the UW Field House. Both teams won five matches, but it was No. 3 Craig Henning's five-point tech fall over Bubba Jenkins at 157 lbs., that proved to be the difference. The match got underway at 125 lbs., where No. 2 Mark McKnight of Penn State defeated Collin Cudd (River Falls, Wis.) 10-4. The dual-meet loss was Cudd's first of the season, while McKnight improved to 16-1. However, sophomore Zach Tanelli (Milburn, N.J.) would answer with an upset over No. 6 Jake Strayer at 133 lbs. The match was tight, with the score tied at 5-5 following the second period. Then Strayer, who had accumulated over a minute of riding time, attempted an illegal maneuver, giving Tanelli a 6-5 advantage with 30 seconds remaining. Tanelli did not stop there, earning an escape, a takedown and a three-point near fall in the final 25 seconds to win his first Big Ten match 12-6. The Badger is now 15-0 in dual competition and 15-2 overall. No. 16 Kyle Ruschell (Crittenden, Ky.) and No. 6 Tyler Turner (Spring Valley, Wis.) added decision victories of their own at 141 lbs. and 149 lbs., respectively. With the score 9-3 in favor of the Badgers, Henning won what would be the deciding match at 157 lbs. A native of Chippewa Falls, Wis., Henning dominate Jenkins from the start, tallying a 15-1 lead at the end of the second. He eventually earned the tech fall at 6:32 into the match, putting Wisconsin ahead 14-9. Nevertheless, Penn State would not back down, earning a win at 165 lbs., as Dave Rella edged Jake Donar (Cuba City, Wis.) 6-4. No. 5 James Yonushonis added to Penn State's points with a 13-4 major decision over Mike Felling (Hutchinson, Minn.) at 174 lbs. Freshman Trevor Brandvold (River Falls, Wis.) got the Badgers back on track, defeating PSU's Phil Bomberger 10-5. No. 15 Brandvold is now 14-3 overall and 9-1 in dual meets. No. 11 Dallas Herbst (Winneconne, Wis.) faced familiar foe Phil Davis at 197 lbs. It was a match that the Nittany Lions knew they had to win to remain in contention for a dual victory. Herbst led 4-2 after the first, but the national-runner up proved to be too strong, winning the bout 11-2. Penn State had pulled within four with only one match remaining, Kyle Massey (Champlin, Minn.) against No. 12 Aaron Anspach at heavyweight. Even is Massey lost, Wisconsin would win the bout as long as Penn State did not earn any bonus points. Massey fell behind 2-1 after the first, and 6-3 after the second. No. 12 Anspach came away with the 8-5 victory, but Massey prevented Penn State from earning crucial bonus points, that could have given PSU the win. Wisconsin upset Penn State for the second consecutive year 17-16. The Badgers now have the second most wins in school history, despite only being halfway through the season. UW is next in action on Jan. 26 as it heads to Evanston, Ill., to face Northwestern. Match time is set for 7 p.m. Check uwbadgers.com for the latest updates and scores.

No. 16 Loras (8-5, 2-2 IIAC) defeated Simpson (2-6-1, 0-3 IIAC) in an Iowa Conference wrestling dual Jan. 19 in Indianola. The Duhawks' Mark Beatty opened the meet with a 6-1 victory over Tony Hager (Sr., Odgen, Iowa, Ogden H.S.) at 125 pounds. Jordan Joy increased the Loras lead to 6-0 with an 8-2 win over Matt Koch (So., Indianola, Iowa, Indianola H.S.) in their 133-pound matchup. Boomer Mears was awarded a default victory at 141. Billy Smith needed a reversal with 15 seconds to go in his 149-pound match against Curtis Barber (Fr., Winterset, Iowa, Winterset H.S.) to earn victory. By riding Barber out in the final period, Smith ended the contest with a 12-9 win. Kellen Delaney (Sr., Kansas City, Mo., Park Hill H.S.) earned the lone Storm decision as he defeated Mark Kaprain 15-2 at 157. Dave Early posted a 11-1 score over Tom Koch (Sr., Runnells, Iowa, Southeast Polk H.S.) at 165 while Brandon Bauer needed to go to triple overtime to defeat Trent Byler (Jr., Lorimor, Iowa, Winterset H.S.) 6-5 at 174 pounds. Jay Figgins recorded the lone pin of the night when he stuck Ryan Napoli (Fr., Kansas City, Mo., St. Pius X H.S.) at the 3:52 mark of the 184-pound contest. Ryan Allen earned a 9-2 decision over Sam Collora (Fr., Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, Mt. Pleasant H.S.) at 197 while Trevor Kaufman ended the night with 10-0 victory over Chris Downing (Jr., Creston, Iowa, Creston H.S.) at heavyweight. Simpson resumes action Saturday when the Storm travel to Pella for duals against William Penn at 9 a.m. and Augustana (Ill.) at 12 p.m.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. –- North Carolina junior Drew Forshey's decision over NC State's Taylor Cummings in the final bout of the night proved to be the difference Friday, as the Tar Heels (4-5, 1-1 ACC) posted a 16-14 victory over rival NC State (7-5, 1-1 ACC) at Carmichael Auditorium. With Carolina trailing 14-13, Forshey came through with a 9-2 decision over Cummings at 125 pounds to lift the Tar Heels' record to 3-0-1 against NC State in their last four meetings. Forshey, now 12-7 on the year, scored a takedown in the first period and tacked on a near fall in the third to cruise to the win. In addition to Forshey, Evan Sola (133), Vincent Ramirez (149), Keegan Mueller (165) and Robert McCarthy (184) each posted wins on the night for the Tar Heels, who are back in action Saturday against No. 22 Navy at 1 p.m. Carolina and State went back and forth over the first six bouts of the night, alternating decisions before McCarthy picked up a big major decision over defending ACC champion Jeremy Colbert at 184 pounds. The Hartland, Mich., redshirt freshman scored a takedown in each period en route to a10-0 shutout and his 10th victory of the season. Down 13-9, the Wolfpack came back with decisions from No. 12 Ryan Goodman and No. 17 Jainor Palma to take their first lead of the night at 14-13. After Palma's overtime win over No. 8 Spencer Nadolsky at heavyweight, NC State had one point deducted by the referee for unsportsman-like conduct giving Carolina a one-point deficit heading into Forshey's match. Carolina jumped out to an early lead thanks to a 6-1 decision for the 10th-ranked Sola over Garrett Cummings at 133 pounds. The two-time All-America scored the first five points of the match and racked up nearly three minutes of riding time in the first period to claim his 111th career win and move past T.J. Jaworsky into fifth place on Carolina's all-time victory list. Sola is now 9-2 on the season. After State's Darrion Caldwell tied the match at three with a decision at 141, Ramirez reclaimed the lead for the Tar Heels with a 10-7 decision over Joe Caramanica at 149. Now 10-6 on the year, Ramirez went ahead on a reversal and three-point near fall late in the second period and then held on with a key reversal in the third. The Wolfpack came back to tie the dual for second time thanks to Kody Hamrah's decision over Ben Fiacco at 157, but Carolina went back in front on a 5-1 decision by Mueller over Obie Simpson at 165. Mueller is the first Tar Heel to reach the 20-win mark and is now 20-6 on the year. Carolina freshman Mike Rappo's late effort was key at 141, as he posted a takedown and near fall at the end of the third period to avoid a major decision and an early deficit for the Tar Heels.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- The wrestling team heads North this weekend to compete in the Chippewa Challenge at Central Michigan University Sunday in Mount Pleasant, Mich. The event features five teams with each wrestling in four dual matches on the day. The Mocs, ranked as high as 17th nationally, will face Gardner-Webb at 10 a.m., Cal Poly at noon, Eastern Illinois at 4 p.m. and host Central Michigan at 6 p.m. UTC, 8-0, carries an undefeated record into the round-robin event. The last time the Mocs enjoyed a start this successful was in 1988 when the team kicked off the season winning its first 10 dual matches. "This will surely be a test for our team," UTC Head Coach Chris Bono said. "Wrestling four duals in one day is tough, and Central Michigan may be one of the top teams we face all year. We have to be focused in each and every match. But we are going up there to win all four." Central Michigan is ranked as high as No. 7 nationally, and the Chippewas will be the Mocs' highest-ranked opponent since they took on No. 5 Minnesota at last year's Northeast Duals on Nov. 26. The Gophers won that match, 36-6. CMU is 8-4-1 on the year. The Chippewas have faced national top-five opponents Minnesota and Hofstra twice each and No. 2 Missouri. CMU has a 33-9 win over American, a team UTC defeated 28-12 in its last outing. Central Michigan has also beaten Bloomsburg, Penn, Michigan, Michigan State, No. 7 Oklahoma and No. 8 Northwestern. The Chippewas won the Reno Tournament of Champions and finished fourth at the Midlands. They have six nationally-ranked wrestlers in their lineup, including third-ranked Bubba Gritter at heavyweight and fifth-ranked Brandon Sinnot at 174. Cal Poly is 3-3 in dual matches, Eastern Illinois is 0-5 and Gardner-Webb is 3-9-1. Bono will employ a slight change in his lineup, placing sophomore Kyle McKee at 197 pounds instead of sophomore Mike Marable. The rest of the tentative lineup remains intact with No. 18 Javier Maldonado at 125, No. 8 Matt Keller at 133, No. 14 Michael Keefe at 141 and No. 13 Aaron Martin at 149 making up the top four weight classes for UTC. Jake Yost and T.J. Sayers will compete at 157 and 165 respectively. Lloyd Rogers, ranked 17th, will face Sinnot at 174. Josh Edmondson and Matt Koz round out the lineup at 184 and 285 respectively.

Team Rankings 1. Lindenwood (Mo.) 2. Dickinson State (N.D.) 3. Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 4. William Penn (Iowa) 5. Dana (Neb.) 6. Missouri Valley 7. Cumberlands (Ky.) 8. Campbellsville (Ky.) 9. Great Falls (Mont.) 9. McKendree (Ill.) 11. Menlo (Calif.) 12. Northwestern (Iowa) 13. Cumberland (Tenn.) 13. Montana State-Northern 15. Jamestown (N.D.) 15. Missouri Baptist 17. Simon Fraser (B.C.) 18. Waldorf (Iowa) 19. York (Neb.) 20. Oklahoma City 20. Morningside (Iowa) Individual Rankings 125 1. Richard Byrd, Embry-Riddle 2. Delrico Choates, Cumberlands (Ky.) 3. Mark Johnston, Dickinson State 4. Josh Sampo, Lindenwood 5. Craig Trampe, Dana 6. Cory Johnston, Dickinson State 7. Steve Costello, Montana State Northern 8. Dennis Kakrah, Lindenwood 133 1. Kyle Jahn, McKendree 2. Burke Barnes, Dana 3. Ryan Moyer, Lindenwood 4. Mike Miller, McKendree 5. John Gerhold, Missouri Valley 6. Jordan Keckler, Northwestern 7. Blake Risk, Great Falls 8. Mikeal Brooks, Cumberlands (Ky.) 141 1. Brad Cooper, Cumberlands (Ky.) 2. Terrence Almond, Dana 3. Gordo Villaescusa, Embry-Riddle 4. Zach Flake, Campbellsville 5. Brian Graham, Dana 6. Chris Smith, Montana State Northern 7. Kyle Norred, Campbellsville 7. Clint Leonard, Missouri Valley 149 1. Darren Cotton, William Penn 2. Mark Dickman, Lindenwood 3. Chris Seta, Campbellsville 4. Brad Stockton, Waldorf 5. Corey Bleaken, Cumberland (Tenn.) 6. Grant Mehring, Jamestown 7. Jairus Murton, Campbellsville 8. Jason Mendez, Embry-Riddle 157 1. Hayden Harrison, Embry-Riddle 2. Chad Jennings, Missouri Valley 3. David Clemens, Campbellsville 4. Wayne French, Great Falls 5. Jason Bilinski, Dana 6. Justin Wolfrum, Lindenwood 7. Brandon Graham, William Penn 8. Matt Gustafson, Morningside 165 1. Jake Dieffenbach, Lindenwood 2. Nate Stirgus, William Penn 3. David Krawczyk, Simon Fraser 4. Shane Bennett, Dickinson State 5. Stephen Towne, Menlo 6. Marty Usman, William Penn 7. Calvin Devault, Embry-Riddle 8. Randy Vanderveen, Lindenwood 174 1. Mike Kummer, Great Falls 2. Abel Trujillo, William Penn 3. John Salter, Lindenwood 4. Enoch Francois, Northwestern 5. Stanton Schlect, Dickinson State 6. David Waters, Montana State Northern 7. Brandon Wyms, McKendree 8. Jake Toavs, Dickinson State 184 1. Jasper Lockett, Missouri Valley 2. Joeffre Lander, Embry-Riddle 3. Kyle Frawley, Lindenwood 4. Matt Michaelson, Dickinson State 5. Tyler Philips, York 6. Luke Borneman, Cumberland (Tenn.) 7. Alex Calvi, Great Falls 7. Tanner Wolk, McKendree 197 1. Justin Schlect, Dickinson State 2. Tyrell Blanche, Menlo 3. Glenn Jackson, Campbellsville 4. Andrew Lundgren, Northwestern 5. Ben Briscoe, Cumberland (Tenn.) 6. Wade Jordan, Dana 7. Brian Fritchman, Montana State Northern 8. Cory Johnson, Oklahoma City 285 1. Eric Flinchum, Cumberlands (Ky.) 2. Jared Bonnell, Missouri Baptist 3. Clay Rogers, Dickinson State 4. David Herman, Missouri Valley 5. Jacob Hallmark, Menlo 6. Sam Sand, Jamestown 7. Lance Shunia, Lindenwood 8. Chauncey Coleman, William Penn

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Oklahoma State's fourth-ranked wrestling team survived a hotly contested dual with fifth-ranked Iowa, 21-11, in front of 4,233 fans and an ESPNU audience on Friday night inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. Five matches were decided by one takedown, with the Cowboys coming out on top in three of those matches. Johny Hendricks and Jack Jensen both secured key third period takedowns to win tight matches and propel OSU to victory. "That is how you win matches, taking people down in the third period and we got those two wins and it made a big difference in the outcome," head coach John Smith said. "I am pleased with the fact that we beat a solid team twice this season. That is important for us." OSU improved to 10-3 on the season and extended its winning streak over Iowa to eight straight matches, while the Hawkeyes fell to 9-2 on the year. Iowa quickly reversed one of the matches in the last meeting when Charlie Falck defeated OSU's Tyler Shinn. Falck was working on a major decision, but Shinn escaped with one second left to keep it to a regular decision. The Cowboys followed with consecutive decisions from Coleman Scott and Nathan Morgan to go ahead 6-3 in the dual. Scott scored two first period takedowns to defeat Mario Galanakis, while Morgan scored a takedown and an ensuing three-point near fall to defeat seventh-ranked Alex Tsirtsis. Freshman Dakotah Simpson was once again called on by coach Smith. Simpson could not duplicate his performance from last Saturday at National Duals when he pinned Iowa's Alex Grunder. Grunder got the first takedown towards the end of the first period and secured the victory when he took Simpson down again late in the third period. OSU retook the lead when Newly McSpadden reversed a decision from the last meeting. McSpadden rode Ryan Morningstar, ranked No. 15 nationally, in the third period to a boisterous OSU crowd. "I had to keep him down," McSpadden said. "There is nothing else to it. My team needed it and I needed it. I had some tough losses last weekend. I lost to him (Morningstar) in double overtime. It was big for me to ride him and get that win. That is what I had to do." The highly anticipated match at 165 between top-ranked Johny Hendricks and fourth-ranked Mark Perry followed. Perry scored the first takedown just a minute into the match to take the lead. Hendricks tied the match on a pair of escapes, but was trailing 3-2 after he released Perry in the third period. Perry had riding time in his favor, but Hendricks got a takedown with 1:11 remaining in the match and sent the riding time south of minute to negate the riding time point. The win was the 44th straight victory for Hendricks and put the Pokes up 12-6 in the dual. Eric Luedke stole a victory from OSU's Brandon Mason when he reversed Mason with 16 seconds left to win by a point. Luedke's victory cut the deficit to three and set up a key match in the dual at 184. Iowa's Phillip Keddy had beaten Jack Jensen twice already this season. The two wrestlers traded escapes through the first two periods and were tied at one in the third period. Jensen shot in on a double leg and scored the winning takedown with 1:25 remaining. Jensen fought off Keddy's attempts and won the bout to put OSU up 15-9 in the dual with two matches remaining. "That guy has beaten me twice this season," Jensen said. "That was a big win for me and the team. I just go in there and try to do my job. It's more about the team than it is me, but it is good to beat somebody you had lost to previously. All three matches have been close, so it is good to finally win one." The Hawkeyes were deducted a team point after a frustrated Keddy slapped Jensen following the match. It did not matter, however, because at 197 Jared Shelton took Iowa's Dan Erekson down hard to the mat and suffered a shoulder injury and could not continue. Erekson's default gave OSU six team points and iced the dual for the Cowboys. Matt Fields recorded an overtime decision over Jared Rosholt to make the final score 21-11. OSU returns to the mat on Sunday when it takes on Oregon at 2 p.m. inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. The match can be heard live on KSPI 93.7 FM with Rex Holt and Roger Moore providing the commentary.

Oklahoma State returns home for the first time since wrestling Michigan State back on Nov. 16. The Cowboys host fifth-ranked Iowa in a dual televised live by ESPNU beginning at 8 p.m. with Dave Armstrong and Tim Johnson announcing the dual. OSU met Iowa in the quarterfinals of the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals on Saturday, Jan. 13. The Cowboys came away with a 22-13 victory and have now won the last seven meetings in the series. OSU leads the all-time series, 23-16-1. The last Iowa win came during the 1999-2000 season when the Hawkeyes defeated the Cowboys, 20-14, in Iowa City. Iowa last won a dual in Stillwater during the 1995-96 season. The Cowboys have lost their last two matches en route to a fourth-place finish at the National Duals. The last time OSU lost two straight was during the 1999-2000 season against Iowa State and Iowa. OSU is 9-3 on the season, its first three-loss season since 2001-02 when the Cowboys went 20-3. The dual will be broadcast live on KSPI 93.7 FM with Rex Holt and Rpger Moore providing the commentary. Last Time Out Oklahoma State finished fourth at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals, going 2-2 in the tournament. OSU defeated Northern Iowa and Iowa to advance to the semifinals, but lost to Missouri and Iowa State to settle for fourth-place. OSU had a good showing from redshirt freshman Tyler Shinn, who won all four of his matches. Johny Hendricks faced four of his top challengers to the NCAA crown and defeated all four (Nick Baima, Mark Perry, Matt Pell and Travis Paulson). The Cowboys did not fare so well on Sunday, losing both matches by a combined score of 52-18 to finish fourth. Third-ranked Coleman Scott lost both of his matches, and Nathan Morgan and Jared Rosholt both fell victim to the upset bug. Scouting the Hawkeyes Iowa is 9-1 on the season and ranked fifth according to both W.I.N. Magazine and USA Today/Intermat/NWCA Coaches' poll. The Hawkeyes have key wins over Iowa State, Northwestern and Hofstra in the fifth-place match at the NWCA National Duals. Iowa's lone loss came in the quarterfinals to OSU. Iowa has seven wrestlers ranked in the top 20 in the latest individual rankings. Mark Perry and Eric Luedke lead the way for the Hawkeyes. Perry, the nephew of OSU head coach John Smith, is a two-time All-American and is ranked fourth in the country. Luedke is ranked as high as second at 174 pounds. Alex Tsirtsis and Matt Fields are the other Hawkeyes ranked in the top 10 at 141 and heavyweight, respectively. Simpson Makes Debut True freshman Dakotah Simpson was pulled out of redshirt to face rival Iowa in the quarterfinals of the National Duals. Simpson made an immediate impact in the dual, pinning fifth-year senior Alex Grunder to put the Pokes up 15-0 and all but sealing the Cowboy victory. Simpson is currently 6-2 on the season and won an open title at the Oklahoma Open. Young Guns Oklahoma State graduated five starters and three All-Americans off of the 2006 national championship squad. Head coach John Smith has had to fill those holes the best that he could and that has come in the forms of a pair of redshirt freshmen and now the possible addition of true freshman Dakotah Simpson. Tyler Shinn has jumped into the rankings and is ranked as high as 14th, while his high school teammate, Jared Rosholt, has been ranked as high as 10th this season. Simpson was pulled out of redshirt at National Duals and is now in position to compete for the starting spot at 149 pounds. In addition, the Cowboys added a pair of sophomores to the lineup in Newly McSpadden and Jared Shelton at 157 and 197, respectiviely. Cowboys Fall Oklahoma State lost to top-ranked Missouri by a score of 27-9. You have to go back 13 years to find another dual the Cowboys lost by as many as 18 points. OSU twice lost to Iowa during the 1994-95 season by scores of 31-3 and 29-10. Even more shocking was OSU was pinned three times in the dual. The Cowboys have been known to rack up the bonus points as they recorded 11 pins in the NCAA Tournament last season, but the last time OSU was pinned three times in a dual was against second-ranked Penn State on Jan. 30, 1993. The Nittany Lions won 38-7 in Stillwater. Hendricks Outstanding Wrestler Johny Hendricks was named outstanding wrestler of the Reno Tournament of Champions on Dec. 20. Hendricks went 6-0 and recorded five major decisions and a fall en route to winning the title. Hendricks is 21-0 on the season and 16 of his 21 victories are by bonus points, 10 major decisions and six falls. Hendricks Reaches the Century Mark Senior Johny Hendricks became the 26th member of the 100-win club when he defeated Oklahoma's Shane Seibert, 7-4, on Dec. 3, 2006. He is currently 21-0 on the season and boasts a career record of 114-12. He tied Lee Roy Smith for 17th on the all-time wins list.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 9/12 Oklahoma wrestling team (7-3, 0-1 Big 12) is set to host the Oregon Ducks in the Sooners first home dual of the new semester at the Howard McCasland Field House. The match is Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Action will be streamed live on the official website of Oklahoma Athletics, www.SoonerSports.com. The Sooners come into the weekend after losing two straight matches at the Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Oklahoma was sent packing early after a barrage of injuries to the starting lineup. OU lost to Central Michigan in round one and a consolation loss to Cornell. OU has won the last eight matches against Oregon and leads the all-time series, 11-1. The Ducks last victory came in 1980 as Oregon defeated the Sooners, 22-16. The Sooners begin a two-match road trip beginning with a trip to Iowa State at 7 p.m., next Friday and than a visit to Arizona State, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m. The next match at the Howard McCasland Field House will be Sunday, Feb. 4 at 3 p.m., as the Sooners entertain the Missouri Tigers.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Purdue University wrestling team continues it's Big Ten schedule this Friday as it travels to Bloomington, Ind. to face archrival Indiana University. Purdue rolls into town at 10-1 overall and 0-1 in conference play, while the Hoosiers are ranked 14th in the country at 9-0. The Boilermakers are looking to bounce back after their first loss of the year, a 28-6 defeat at Ohio State University last Saturday. The bright spots of the day for Purdue came at 157 and 197 pounds, where sophomore Jake Murphy and 14th-ranked senior Nathan Moore won their respective matches. Murphy picked up his first career Big Ten victory, scoring a late reversal to slide past sophomore Jason Johnstone, 6-4. Meanwhile, Moore took home his first victory of the season over a ranked opponent, toppling third-ranked junior J.D. Bergman, 7-2. Indiana has been very impressive so far this season, winning their nine matches by an average of 34 points and posting a trio of top-10 tournament finishes, including a fifth-place showing at the Midlands Championships. The Hoosiers' have grapplers ranked in five of the ten weight classes, including freshman Matt Coughlin and junior Brandon Becker, who are each ranked seventh, respectively, at 149 and 157 pounds. Other highlights of the Indiana lineup come at 125 pounds (ninth-ranked freshman Angel Escobedo), 165 pounds (11th-ranked junior Max Dean) and 184 pounds (12th-ranked senior Marc Bennett). Friday's meet should see fireworks at a few different weight classes, headlined by the clash between Coughlin and Purdue's 11th-ranked sophomore Jake Patacsil at 149 pounds. Patacsil comes into the match looking to rebound from a narrow 4-3 defeat to 14th-ranked Lance Palmer last week, boasting a season record of 24-6. Coughlin stands at 23-4 on the year, riding on the coat tails of a 1:16 pin of Eastern Illinois' Tommy Reamer. Patacsil and Coughlin narrowly avoided each other at the 2006 Midlands Championships as Coughlin fell in the semifinals, while Patacsil advanced on to the championships match. At 157 pounds, Murphy will look to continue his winning ways in conference competition and hopes to avenge a 7-1 loss from last season against Becker. Murphy is 10-6 on the year, while Becker enters the match 18-3, and finished as the runner-up at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Match time is set for 7 p.m. at IU's University Gymnasium.

The Colorado School of Mines wrestling team fell to second-ranked Nebraska-Kearney, 34-6, in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action Thursday night in Volk Gym. CSM (2-6, 0-3 RMAC) senior 157-pounder Nathan Pilcher (Fort Morgan, Colo./Fort Morgan) scored one of CSM's win with a 9-4 decision over seventh-ranked Joe Ellenberger. Freshman 165-pounder Eric Brennan (Wheat Ridge, Colo./Bear Creek) was the only other Oredigger to win as he posted a 4-3 win over Taylor May. UNK (6-1, 1-0 RMAC) was coming off a championship a the National Duals and boasts seven nationally ranked grapplers.

BUFFALO, NY -- The University at Buffalo will play host to the 38th Annual New York State Intercollegiate Wrestling Championships this Friday and Saturday (Jan. 19-20) at Alumni Arena. The annual tournament will feature 16 colleges and universities from around the state and, for the first time in NYSIWC history, will welcome four state-ranked high school wrestling squads who will match up in dual meet action. In order to expose college wrestling in New York State to high school programs, the New York State College Wrestling Coach Association have brought in four WNY programs who are all ranked in the top 25 in the state according to the New York State Sportswriters Association. The top ranked high school program in the state, Spencerport, comes into this weekend's events at a perfect 11-0 record. The Rangers will be joined by Rush-Henrietta (5-0) and Niagara-Wheatfield (4-0), who are ranked 16th and 23rd respectively among large schools. Representing the small schools is Fredonia, ranked fifth in the state with a 7-1 record. The high school dual matches will begin on Saturday at 12:30. This year, the collegiate championships will feature six nationally-ranked teams. Columbia represents the 24th-ranked team in the Division I rankings, earning its first-ever national ranking. A plethora of New York State schools make up a majority of the Division III rankings, led by seventh-ranked Cortland. SUNY Brockport maintains a ranking of 15th despite a record of 0-1, while Ithaca (22nd), Oneonta (25th) and NYU (27th) bring up the bottom. Other schools looking to make an impact this weekend are Alfred State, Army, Buffalo, Hunter, Jamestown CC, Morrisville, Nassau CC, Niagara CC, Oswego State and R.I.T. The preliminary rounds are set to begin at 11 a.m. Friday morning. Tournament Schedule Thursday, January 18th Open Mats - 3:00-9:00 pm Team Registration - 4:00-6:00 pm Mandatory Medical Check - 5:00-7:00 pm Coaches Seeding Meeting - 7:30 pm Friday, January 19th Weigh In - 9:00 am Coaches Assoc. Meeting - 9:30-10:45 am Preliminary Rounds - 11:00-3:00 pm Quarterfinals - 3:00-5:00 pm 2nd Round Consolations - 5:00-7:00 pm Saturday, January 20th Coaches Assoc. Meeting - 9:00 - 10:30 College Weigh In - 9:00 am Semifinals/Consolations - 10:00 - 11:30 am 2nd Semi Consolations - 11:30 - 12:30 pm High School Weigh In - 11:00 am High School Duals - 12:30 - 4:30 pm 12:30 - 2:30 - Niagara Wheatfield vs. Spencerport - Fredonia vs. Rush Henrietta 2:30 - 4:30 - Rush Henrietta vs. Niagara Wheatfield - Fredonia vs. Spencerport Collegiate Championship Round - 4:30 - 7:00 pm

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. –- Coming off a pair of road losses last weekend, the North Carolina wrestling team opens a four-match home stand against rival NC State Friday at 7 p.m. at Carmichael Auditorium. The Tar Heels (3-5, 0-1 ACC) also face a ranked non-conference opponent for the second straight Saturday, as No. 22 Navy comes to town at 1 p.m. A live webcast of Friday's match between the rival Tar Heels and Wolfpack will be available at TarHeelBlue.com through ACC Select. The dual will then be available on-demand at ACCSelect.com. The Tar Heels are led by seniors Evan Sola (8-2 at 133 pounds) and Spencer Nadolsky (17-4 at heavyweight), who both rank in the top 10 nationally in their respective weight classes and have more than 100 career victories. Junior Keegan Mueller is a team-best 19-6 at 165 and is rated No. 15 by InterMat but needs to rebound after a pair of losses last weekend. Junior Drew Forshey, who is 11-7 at 125, and redshirt freshman Ben Fiacco, who is 12-9 at 157, have also been wrestling well for the Tar Heels. The Wolfpack (7-4, 1-0 ACC) will also bring a trio of ranked wrestlers into Friday's match. Ryan Goodman (11-1) checks in at No. 12 at 197, heavyweight Jainor Palma (16-3) is ranked 17th, while Kody Hamrah (11-5) is rated 19th at 157. Carolina posted a 20-16 win at NC State a year ago, and the two teams wrestled to a 16-16 tie in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels and Wolfpack will also square off in Raleigh Feb. 7. No. 22 Navy (6-4) also brings three ranked wrestlers into the weekend, including No. 11 Joe Baker (13-3), who will square off with the 10th-ranked Sola at 133. Tenth-ranked Matt Stolpinski is 26-5 at 174, and No. 9 Ed Prendergast is 24-5 at heavyweight. Nadolsky and Prendergast have already met twice this season with each wrestler winning once in overtime. After this weekend's action, the Tar Heels close out their home schedule against Virginia and Virginia Tech next weekend.

A big thanks to Coach Brad Penrith and the UNI Panthers staff and wrestlers for again hosting an incredible event. Job well done! After the duals we take a break back to the studio. Lee Pritts will join us from Old Dominion to talk about the season to date. Jarrod Swint, Cumberland University coach will join us to update us on his program. Troy Waller knows wrestling and has an event coming up with Pat Militich and other former wrestlers in Spirit Lake, Iowa. John Sacchi has past a milestone at Rutgers and we'll look at his history and future in wrestling. Jeff Murphy will join us for a look back at the National Duals, what happened, and what to expect from the balance of the season. Mark McKnight named TheMat.com/TakedownRadio.com Wrestler of the Week for Jan. 2-8 Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa./Penn State University) has been named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week for Jan. 2-8. The third-ranked McKnight knocked off No. 2 Troy Nickerson of Cornell 5-2 at 125 pounds to spark No. 10 Penn State to an 18-12 win over No. 13 Cornell on Sunday, Jan. 7 in Ithaca, N.Y. McKnight, a junior who is 11-1 this season, scored a first-period takedown against Nickerson and then sealed the win by gaining a takedown with 26 seconds left in the match. McKnight competed for the University of Buffalo from 2003-05 and twice qualified for the NCAA Championships. He fell one win short of being an All-American as a freshman and sophomore. He then transferred to Penn State and redshirted last season with the Nittany Lions. McKnight also excels in the international style of freestyle. He placed sixth at the 2006 U.S. Nationals in freestyle at 55 kg/121 lbs. and qualified for the U.S. World Team Trials. McKnight was a Gold Medalist in freestyle and a Bronze Medalist in Greco-Roman at the Junior Pan Am Championships.

The University of Minnesota wrestling program is partnering with Smile Network International to benefit children in developing countries who are born with facial deformities such as cleft lips and cleft palates. You can help in this worthy cause and help put new smiles on the faces of these children by making a pledge for every pin a Golden Gopher makes during the 2006-07 season. The Gopher wrestling team is committed to excellence and winning in the ring, but just as in life, there's more to this commitment. The entire squad and coaching staff is also committed to helping children beyond the boundaries of a ring by helping Smile Network International perform life-changing surgeries. Smile Network International is a global non-profit, humanitarian organization that provides reconstructive surgeries and related healthcare services to impoverished children and young adults in developing countries. Every year, thousands of children are born in developing countries with facial deformities such as cleft lips and cleft palates and suffer the humiliation and embarrassment of their disfigurement. These children suffer rejection and social injustices and are frequently hidden away from the mainstream of everyday life. The Gopher wrestling team is asking for help to assist in making a profound change in the lives of these children whose condition will otherwise go untreated. If you are interested in making a pledge, please fill out the information on the attached form. Fliers and pledge forms will also be handed out at Minnesota's dual meet against Penn State at the Sports Pavilion at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 21. For more information about Smile Network International, visit www.smilenetwork.org

Following its 20-16 victory over Missouri in the National Duals final, the Golden Gopher wrestling team moved back into the top spot in the polls this week. Minnesota opens the Big Ten season by hosting No. 10 Penn State at the Sports Pavilion this Sunday, Jan. 21 at 2 p.m. Gopher Wrestling Notebook The Series vs. Penn State Minnesota leads the all-time series against PSU, 9-6, including winning each of the last five meetings between the two schools. The Gophers defeated the ninth-ranked Nittany Lions, 25-16, last year in State College, Pa. Back on Top Minnesota received all 12 first-place votes in the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA coaches' poll released yesterday and also jumped ahead of the Tigers in the W.I.N. Magazine and RevWrestling.com rankings. After entering the season as the unanimous No. 1 team in the nation, the Gophers dropped from the top spot after a season-opening loss to Hofstra at the Northeast Duals. Gophers in the Polls Seven of Minnesota's probable starters this weekend are currently ranked individually in the polls. Defending national champions Cole Konrad (Hwt) and Dustin Schlatter (149) both hold the top spot in their weight class across the board, while Manuel Rivera (141) and Roger Kish (184) are both ranked second. Rivera moved up from No. 4 in last week's polls. C.P. Schlatter (157), who returned from a knee injury last weekend, re-entered the rankings at No. 3 this week. Jayson Ness (125) is also ranked in the top five, while Gabriel Dretsch (174) is ranked 12th. Big Ten in the Rankings The Big Ten season will not be a cakewalk for the Gophers, as nine of the 11 conference schools are currently ranked in the top 25. Iowa (No. 5) is the highest-ranked Big Ten team behind Minnesota, while Northwestern and Penn State are also among the top 10. Indiana (No. 14), Michigan (No. 15), Illinois (No. 16), Wisconsin (No. 17), and Michigan State (No. 23) round out the Big Ten schools in the top 25. Ohio State is also receiving votes. Still Perfect Three Minnesota wrestlers enter this weekend still with undefeated records on the season. Manuel Rivera, now ranked No. at 141 pounds, is 26-0 with six pins, six major decisions and one tech fall. Top-ranked Dustin Schlatter is 21-0 with two pins, one major and seven tech falls at 149, while heavyweight Cole Konrad is 17-0 with seven pins and two major decisions. Looking for a Record Top-ranked heavyweight Cole Konrad is riding a 58-match winning streak dating back to the start of last season, currently tied for the longest streak in school history along with Tim Hartung. Konrad will to take sole possession of the record with a victory against Penn State this weekend. Most Consecutive Wins: 1. 58, Cole Konrad (2005-pres.) 58, Tim Hartung (1998-99) 3. 51, Dustin Schlatter (2005-pres.) 4. 39, Marty Morgan (1990-91) 5. 36, Willy Short (1993-94) 6. 32, Marty Morgan (1989-90) 32, Ryan Lewis (2001-02) 8. 29, Cole Konrad (2004-05) The Closer Senior Cole Konrad did what he does last weekend in the finals of the National Duals: clinch a Minnesota victory. The Golden Gophers trailed the Tigers, 16-14, heading into the final match. Konrad delivered a pin of Tyler Perry, mirroring the heroics he provided last year against Oklahoma State's Steve Mocco, to give Minnesota its second straight National Duals title. It was the 16th time that a dual meet has come down to Konrad's match and the 16th time he has delivered the win. Pack the Pavilion All tickets for the PSU meet are just $1, and all fans who attend the dual will also receive a voucher for free admission to any other Gopher home meet for the remainder of the season. For tickets, click here or call 1-800-UGOPHER. The Sunday, Jan. 21 meet against Penn State is also Frazee Community Day, with Frazee, Minn., native Gabriel Dretsch to be honored during intermission. Just around the corner is High School Wrestling Day on Sunday, Jan. 28 against Purdue. All high school teams who submit their rosters will receive free admission to the meet against the Boilermakers, which is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Teams wishing to participate in High School Wrestling Day must submit their rosters to the Gopher Sports Marketing Office via fax at 612-626-8379 by Friday, Jan. 26. Gophers Teaming Up With Smile Network The University of Minnesota wrestling program is partnering with Smile Network International to benefit children in developing countries who are born with facial deformities such as cleft lips and cleft palates. You can help in this worthy cause and help put new smiles on the faces of these children by making a pledge for every pin a Golden Gopher makes during the 2006-07 season. For those interested in making a pledge, click here and download the form at the top of the page. Fliers and pledge forms will also be handed out at the dual meet against Penn State. For more information about Smile Network International, visit www.smilenetwork.org. CSTV to Air National Duals Final College Sports Television (CSTV) will air the championship dual between Minnesota and Missouri next Sunday, Jan. 21 at 6 p.m. The Golden Gophers knocked off the top-ranked Tigers, 20-16, to capture their second straight National Duals title on Sunday at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. To find out how to get CSTV in your area, click here and enter your information. CSTV is available on Comcast, Time Warner, Cox, Charter, Adelphia and Insight cable systems, among others, and is also available on DirecTV (channel 610) and DISH Network (Channel 152). CSTV will also air the Jan. 26 Minnesota-Michigan dual on tape delay on Monday, Jan. 29 at 9 p.m.

University of Minnesota junior C.P. Schlatter has been named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week for Jan. 9-15. Schlatter returned to the Golden Gopher lineup from a knee injury in grand fashion, compiling a perfect 4-0 record at 157 pounds to spark Minnesota to the team title at the National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Schlatter, who re-entered the rankings at No. 3 in the nation in this week's coaches' poll, knocked off then-No. 2 Trent Paulson of Iowa State, 5-4, in the Gophers' 24-11 semifinal win over the Cyclones. He followed by rallying for a pivotal 6-5 win over No. 12 Michael Chandler of Missouri to help lift the Gophers to a 20-16 win in the finals. After trailing 3-0 entering the final period against Chandler, Schlatter scored three takedowns to earn the victory to give the Gophers a 14-4 lead in the dual. Schlatter has compiled a 13-2 record on the season, with his only two losses coming at the Northeast Duals on Nov. 25, the same weekend he went down with the knee injury. He has three major decisions and two tech falls to his credit. Schlatter is the second Golden Gopher to earn TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week award this season, following Gabriel Dretsch, who earned the honor for the week of Dec. 5-11 after posting a pair of pivotal wins in Minnesota victories over Oklahoma State and Iowa State. Each week, TheMat.com selects an Athlete of the Week based upon performance within wrestling for that week. The selection committee considers any level of wrestling, from youth programs through the Senior level. The announcement is made each week on Wednesday.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Following an eighth-place finish at last week's NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals, the eighth-ranked Wildcats open Big Ten season with a road trip to No. 16 Illinois Friday at 7 p.m. before hosting fifth-ranked Iowa at Rolling Meadows High School Sunday at 2 p.m. Junior Mike Tamillow (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick) is 25-1 this season and ranked second at 197 lbs. Last Time Out Wrestling without injured Ryan Lang (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Edward), the nation's top-ranked 141-pounder, the eighth-ranked Wildcats went 2-3 and finished eighth at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals, hosted by Northern Iowa. It was the first time the 'Cats earned a place at the event in program history. Top-ranked Jake Herbert (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) was named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler and his performance earned him Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honors. Quoting Coach Cysewski "Illinois and Iowa are extremely solid teams," head coach Tim Cysewski said. "Illinois has some outstanding individuals as does Iowa." "Our guys know that it will take a complete team effort to beat both teams," Cysewski said. "These are the matches that our guys really look forward to during the year, knowing that it is all preparation for Big Ten's and NCAA's." Scouting the Illini No. 16 Illinois features a strong top of the line up with ranked grappers at 125 lbs. through 165. Top-ranked Mike Poeta took home a Midlands title at 157 lbs. and eighth-ranked Gabe Flores and 18th-ranked true-freshman Jimmy Kennedy hve impressed at 133. The Wildcats won last year's meeting, 19-16, at Rolling Meadows High School. Keep Your Eye On 125: Precin (NU) vs. #8 Flores (ILL) 133: Metzler (NU) vs. #18 Kennedy (ILL 141: #1 Lang (NU) vs. #8 Pero (ILL) 184: #1 Herbert (NU) vs. #15 Dergo (ILL) Scouting the Hawkeyes Fifth-ranked Iowa is a well-balanced squad. Third-ranked Mark Perry at 165 lbs. and second-ranked Eric Luedke at 174 lbs. anchor its line up. Eighth-ranked Alex Tsirtsis finished second to NU's Lang at the Midlands at 141 lbs. and 14th-ranked Mario Galanakis, after falling to the 'Cats' Metzler at Midlands, took a match from the 133-pounder at last week's national duals. Iowa took last year's meeting, 20-16, in Iowa City. Keep Your Eye On 133: Metzler (NU) vs. #14 Galanakis (IA) 141: #1 Lang (NU) vs. #8 Tsirtsis (IA) 174: #15 Hayes (NU) vs. #2 Luedke (IA) 285: #3 Fox (NU) vs. #7 Fields (IA) An Outstanding Return At last weekend's NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals, top-ranked Jake Herbert returned to the mat with a vengeance. The 184-pounder, seeing his first action since the All-Star Classic on 11/20, posted a 5-0 record with three major decisions, a technical fall and a pin. He outscored his opponents 66-14 and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler and was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week for his performance.