InterMat Staff

BALTIMORE, Md. -– Gettysburg won the final four bouts of the match to record a 27-15 win over Johns Hopkins in Centennial Conference (CC) action on Thursday night at Goldfarb Gymnasium. Gettysburg improves to 2-2-1 overall and 1-1 in conference matches, while the Blue Jays fall to 2-8 overall and 0-1 in CC competition. Johns Hopkins started strong by winning the first two bouts at 184 and 197 pounds. A pin and a decision gave the hosts an early 9-0 advantage. The Bullets got their first points of the night at 285-pounds as senior Mike Pattanite (Tabernacle, N.J./Holy Cross) picked up an 8-3 decision over Vincent Domestico. Sophomore Richard Masella (Little Silver, N.J./Red Bank Regional) followed with the win at 133 on a forfeit to tie the score at 9-9. After the Blue Jays gained six points in the 141-pound weight class, Gettysburg won the final four matchups of the night. The Bullets tied the score, 15-15, when junior Matt Shank (Reedsville, Pa./Indian Valley) pinned James Gettinger at 5:52. Sophomore Andrew Goldstein (Easton, Pa./Easton) followed with a 10-5 decision over Jim Crumlish. Freshman Patrick Doherty (Garden City, N.Y./Chaminade) beat Kyle Keane 10-7 at 165 pounds, and sophomore James Stevenson (Wyncote, Pa./Cheltenham) capped off the match with a fall of Pete Kavanagh in 2:06. The Bullets will return to action on Saturday at the Ursinus Brute/Adidas Invitational in Collegeville, Pa. The contest will start at 10 a.m.

Stanford, Calif. -- The Stanford wrestling team will take on a local foe this week, squaring off with the San Francisco State Gators on Friday night. The Cardinal (2-5, 1-1 Pac-10) looks to rebound from last week's losses and pick up its third dual meet win of the season. Action begins at 7 p.m. Friday night at the Ford Center on the Stanford campus. Co-captain Tanner Gardner (25-3), ranked fourth in the nation at 125 pounds, highlights the Cardinal lineup. The junior has captured a pair of tournament titles this season, and is currently the top-ranked wrestler in the Pac-10. Last week, Gardner went undefeated at the Stanford duals. Stanford's other ranked wrestler, No. 16 Josh Zupancic (25-7), will return this week for the Cardinal at 157 pounds after sitting out at the Stanford Duals. Sophomore 174-pounder Luke Feist (16-13), who is coming off of an upset of No. 11 Matt Palmer of Columbia, will be another force for the Cardinal. San Francisco State (1-7, 1-0 RMAC) is led by Kenneth Packard (157 pounds) who has collected 92 team points this season. Virgil Lockett (141 pounds) leads the team in wins by fall (3) and Ali Lockett (149 pounds) is the only Gator with a winning record in 2006-07. Zupancic and Packard are the only Cardinal and Gator wrestlers to have met this season, as the Cardinal junior dropped Packard, 15-0, at the Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 1. Last season, Stanford topped the Gators 30-9 in San ?Francisco, with the Cardinal winning seven of ten matches. "San Francisco State has a couple of good individuals which, in a dual meet setting, can be the difference between winning and losing," said Head Coach Kerry McCoy. "Our guys shouldn't take anyone lightly and need to go out and wrestle hard. It's great to be at home and in front of a home crowd again. We're just going to go out there and see what we can do."

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestlers shoot for a perfect 8-0 record Friday night when the 17th-ranked Mocs host American University in a home dual match at Maclellan Gym. The Mocs ran their dual record to 7-0 last Sunday with a 21-12 win over Oregon State and a 23-15 win over Northern Iowa. The victory over Oregon State snapped the Beavers' 14-match win streak. The American Eagles improved to 6-5 overall Wednesday with a 53-0 win over Campbell Wednesday and a 50-0 victory over Delaware State. "The wins over Ohio State, Oregon State and Northern Iowa have really boosted our confidence level," UTC Head Coach Chris Bono said. "We have a lot of good chemistry on this team right now, and we will need a total team effort to beat a solid American team Friday." The top four wrestlers in UTC's lineup are all nationally ranked, including Javier Maldonado, 15th at 125 pounds, Matt Keller, No. 6 at 133, Michael Keefe, No. 14 at 141 and Aaron Martin, No. 13 at 149. Lloyd Rogers, ranked 18th, is scheduled to wrestle at 174 pounds. Rounding out Bono's probable lineup are Jake Yost at 157, T.J. Sayers at 165, Josh Edmondson at 184, Mike Marable at 197 and Matt Koz at 285. The Eagles have three wrestlers among the top 25 in their respective weight classes. Josh Glenn is ranked as high as No. 4 at 197, Adam LoPiccolo is sixth at 285, and Mike Cannon is rated 17th at 165. American has also notched wins over Princeton, Harvard, Arizona State and Cal State-Fullerton. The Eagles placed 11th at the Midlands Tournament in December. The match begins at 6 p.m., and admission is $5 and $2 for student-age patrons. Coach Bono is inviting all Mocs supporters to join him and the team following the match at T-Bones Sports Café at 1419 Chestnut Street in Chattanooga.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -– North Carolina's wrestling team carries a three-match winning streak into Saturday's doubleheader at Maryland's Comcast Center Pavilion. The Tar Heels (3-3) will open Atlantic Coast Conference action against the host Terrapins (10-4) at noon and will follow with a dual against 16th-ranked Illinois (2-0). Carolina brings a trio of nationally-ranked performers into the weekend's action in No. 8 Evan Sola at 133 pounds, No. 9 heavyweight Spencer Nadolsky and 12th-ranked Keegan Mueller at 165. Mueller leads the Tar Heels with a 19-4 record, while Nadolsky is 15-4 and Sola is 7-1 after just two weekends back on the mat after redshirting a year ago with a shoulder injury. Sola, who moved past head coach C.D. Mock into sixth place on Carolina's career win list last week, can move into fifth with a pair of victories Saturday. He is currently 109-28 and can surpass three-time national champion T.J. Jarworsky with two more wins. Nadolsky can also join the 100-win club with a pair of victories. Maryland is led by No. 10 Mike Letts, who is 20-3 on the year at 174. No. 13 Alex Krom (141), No. 16 Hudson Taylor (197) and No. 20 Jason Kiessling (165) give the Terps four ranked wrestlers. Seven Illini are ranked by InterMat this week, including No. 1 Mike Poeta at 157. No. 12 Cassio Pero (141), No. 13 Gabe Flores (125), No. 13 Troy Tirapelle (141), No. 13, Roger Smith-Bergsrud (165), No. 15 John Dergo (184) and No. 20 Jimmy Kennedy (133) round out the rankings. After Saturday's action, Carolina hosts four consecutive duals, including a Jan. 19 match-up with rival NC State.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern's eighth-ranked wrestling team heads to Cedar Falls, Iowa this weekend to take part in the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals -- one of the largest wrestling events of the season. The 'Cats have the No. 8 seed in the 16 team field with 15 teams either in the top 25 or receiving votes in the latest USA Today/NWCA/InterMat poll. The 'Cats, who are coming off a third-place finish at the 44th Midlands Championships and are a perfect 8-0 in duals this season, face West Virginia in the first round, which begins at 9 a.m. Saturday Jan. 13. If the 'Cats advance into the quarterfinals they could face the top-ranked Missouri Tigers later Saturday at 1 p.m. Takedown Radio will provide live radio coverage throughout the tournament, while Intermatwrestle.com will provide live text coverage. Livesportsvideo will webcast the semifinal and final rounds. The Match West Virginia features two ranked grapplers. Brandon Rader is ranked seventh at 141 lbs. and Jared Villers is the nation's 14th-ranked 197-pounder. Eighth-ranked Northwestern features five wrestlers in the top 20 and four in the top three. Ryan Lang (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Edward) and Jake Herbert (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) are ranked No. 1 at 141 and 184 pounds, respectively. Mike Tamillow (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick) moved up to No. 2 at 197 and Dustin Fox (Galion, Ohio/Galion) is the nation's third-ranked heavyweight. Nick Hayes (Council Bluffs, Iowa/Lewis Central) is No. 15 at 174. Quoting Coach Cysewski "It is a great opportunity to wrestle schools outside of the Big Ten at this event," head coach Tim Cysewski said. "We love the competition of our conference, but it is good for the guys to see different teams and different styles of wrestling. Our guys are very intelligent and many of them have calculated our potential oppoenents, but West Virginia is our primary focus. They are a good team and we received a glimpse of them at Midlands. We will be prepared for a very tough first round match." Last Time Out Lang and then eighth-ranked Tamillow won titles at the 44th Midlands Championships. Lang topped Iowa's Alex Tsirtis in the 141-pound final and Tamillow defeated Kurt Backes of Iowa State at 197 as the eighth-ranked Wildcats finished third overall, and enjoyed multiple champions for the first time since 1964, at the 44th Midlands Championships held at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Northwestern finished third with 102 points, behind only Iowa State and Iowa. The 'Cats improved on their 10th place finish in 2005. Lang fell behind the second-seeded Tsirtsis, but a pair of thunderous takedowns propelled Lang into the lead. He held on for the 8-5 decision to capture his first career Midlands title. Tamillow, seeded second at 197, handled third-seeded Wynn Michalak in the semifinals before facing Iowa State's fifth-seeded Kurt Backes in Saturday night's final match. The junior trailed 1-0 early, but a late takedown enabled Tamillow to secure victory with a 3-1 decision. The win gave Tamillow his first career Midlands title. Dustin Fox (Galion, Ohio/Galion) placed second at heavyweight, Eric Metzler (Luxemburg, Wis./Luxemburg-Casco) finished sixth at 133 and Brandon Precin (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg) placed eighth at 125. Northwestern enjoyed multiple champions for the first time since 1964. Alone at the Top Northwestern's 37-9 victory over NC State on 11/18 gave head coach Tim Cysewski his 125th win-making him the all-time winningest coach in program history. Cysewski, now in his 17th season, passed Ken Kraft's mark of 124 and currently is enjoying the best start of his tenure. Man on a Mission Junior 197-pounder Mike Tamillow, moving up in weight for 2006-07, is wrestling like a man possessed. He started the season ranked 14th and after a perfect 21-0 start with titles at the Eastern Michigan Open, Reno Tournament of Champions and the Midlands Championships, Tamillow has secured a place among the nation's elite. He now sits at No. 2 in the most recent InterMat poll. Tamillow knocked off three top-20 opponents, including his second win over Central Michigan's then eighth-ranked Wynn Michalak in as many weeks, en route to his first career Midlands title.

Sophomore Dallas Herbst has been named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week, the conference office announced Tuesday. The Winneconne, Wis., native is UW's first Wrestler of the Week since Brady Reineke in February of 2005. On Jan. 6, Herbst concluded the 10th annual Lonestar Duals in Dallas with a perfect 4-0 record to improve to 18-2 overall and a 14-0 in dual competition. In addition, all four of Herbst's wins at the tournament came by fall, including an impressive pin in 34 seconds over Air Force's Peter Bozynski. Herbst also took down Conner Sanders of Army, Northern Colorado's Calen Nicholl and Harvard's Billy Colgan. Herbst, who is ranked 11th nationally, leads the team in pins with 12 and dual points scored with 76. Wisconsin returns to action on Friday, Jan. 19 at the UW Field House as it plays Badgers host to No. 10 Penn State. Match time is set for 7 p.m.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State wrestling team begins Big Ten Conference action when it hosts Purdue at 2 p.m. Sunday in St. John Arena. It will be the 76th meeting between the Buckeyes (1-3; 0-0 Big Ten) and the Boilermakers (10-0; 0-0 Big Ten) PUCILLO MOVES TO 9-0 Mike Pucillo moved to 9-0 at 184 pounds on the season after posting a 19-4 technical fall against Eric Chine of Kent State Jan. 7. Pucillo's 19 points serves as his season best. Prior to that, Pucillo compiled 12 points on three occasions. IN THE WIN COLUMN Lance Palmer (149) has collected 11 wins in his last 16 (.688) matches, including a recent 5-0 win over Kent State's Jason McGee. The Lakewood, Ohio, native has a 15-9 record. LEADER OF THE PACK At 165 pounds, Chris Vondruska leads the Buckeyes in points (138), takedowns (35) and decisions (11). With his win over Sli Bostelman of Kent State, Vondruska now has won 14 of his last 17 (.824) matches. Vondruska's longest winning streak was nine bouts, between Dec. 2 at the Las Vegas Invitational and Dec. 30 at the Southern Scuffle. His overall record stands at 16-8. MAKE IT A DOZEN The Buckeye leader in team points with 63, J.D. Bergman (197) has improved his record to 12-3 on the year. Bergman also leads the team in falls with seven. IN THE BIG TEN Ohio State begins its Big Ten Conference schedule Sunday against Purdue. In 85 years as a member of the Big Ten Conference, the Buckeyes have compiled a 219-303-17 ledger. IN THE BEGINNING... Ohio State is 3-1 against Purdue in Big Ten openers. The Buckeyes lead the all-time series against the Boilermakers, 45-23-7. In the last six meetings, both teams are even with a 3-3 record. Buckeyes vs. Boilermakers in conference openers Jan. 21, 2001 - Ohio State 19, Purdue 12 Feb. 9, 1946 - Ohio State 16, Purdue 10 Jan. 7, 1942 - Purdue 21, Ohio State 3 Jan. 31, 1931 - Ohio State 26, Purdue 8 Last six meetings> 2006 - Purdue 19, Ohio State 15 2005 - Purdue 21, Ohio State 12 2004 - Ohio State 22, Purdue 18 2003 - Purdue 21, Ohio State 17 2002 - Ohio State 27, Purdue 8 2001 - Ohio State 19, Purdue 12 A LOOK AT PURDUE Purdue enters its match against Ohio State with a 10-0 dual record. Leading the Boilermakers in wins is Nathan Moore with 25 at 197 pounds. A 2005 and 2006 NCAA qualifier, the senior out of Indianapolis, Ind., owns a 25-6 overall mark and is ranked 18th in the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA poll. Joining Moore in the national rankings is Jake Patacsil. With a 24-5 ledger at 149 pounds, Patacsil is No. 10. Head coach for Purdue is Jessie Reyes (Cal State-Bakersfield, 1984). In his 15th season at the helm of the Boilermakers, Reyes has compiled a 179-112-3 record. BERGMAN FINISHES SECOND AT SCUFFLE J.D. Bergman captured a second-place finish at the 2006 Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, N.C. Bergman, who wrestled at 197 pounds, had an impressive outing on day one of the event, recording two falls and a major decision en route to the quarterfinals. The following day, Bergman notched a decision to advance to the semifinals where he was slated to meet No. 2 seed and nationally No. 2-ranked Jerry Rinaldi of Cornell. However, Rinaldi was forced to take a medical forfeit and that set up the rematch between Bergman and No. 1 seed and top ranked Max Askren of Missouri. After leading 2-1 going into the third period, Askren was able to pin Bergman in 5:48. LUCKY NO. 13 Chris Vondruska entered the 2006 Southern Scuffle with a five-match winning streak and winner of eight of his last nine. Vondruska then went on to win his first four match-ups at the Southern Scuffle, including recording two major decisions in the rounds of 64 and 32, to extend his winning streak to nine. Although he dropped his next two bouts, Vondruska rebounded in the fifth-place match with a 6-2 decision. He now has been victorious in 14 of his last 17 matches. The fifth-place showing at the Southern Scuffle was Vondruska's third Top 5 tournament showing this season. Vondruska also finished third at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in December and fourth at the EMU Open in November. SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY Ohio State has competed in the Southern Scuffle two times in the tournament's four-year history and during that span the Buckeyes have collected nine individual Top 8 finishes. The Scarlet and Gray competed in the Southern Scuffle for the first time in 2005 and six Buckeyes placed, including J Jaggers who had a second-place outing at 149 pounds. In 2006, J.D. Bergman finished second at 197 pounds, while classmates Chris Vondruska and Lance Palmer placed fifth and seventh, respectively. TOURNAMENT SUCCESS During the past five seasons, Ohio State has posted impressive individual tournament outings. Since the 2002-03 season, the Buckeyes have captured 24 first-place finishes and 10 second-place outings. Ten third-place, fourth-place and fifth-place showings each have been collected during that span. A complete listing of Top 5 tournament finishes since 2002-03 can be found on page 8. ROLLING INTO THE NEW YEAR The Buckeyes began their busiest month in January, with seven duals on the schedule. Ohio State will host three meets during the month (Kent State, Purdue and Indiana), while traveling to the 18th Annual Wendy's Big Classic Duals where it will face Ohio, Cleveland State and Ashland, followed by a trip to Penn State. INDIVIDUAL STANDINGS Four Buckeyes in Lance Palmer, Chris Vondruska, Mike Pucillo and J.D. Bergman are ranked in the Top 20 of their respective weight classes in the latest edition (Jan. 9) of the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA Division I wrestling poll. Vondruska (165) made the biggest leap in the rankings from No. 18 to No. 15. Bergman (197) and Palmer (149) each moved up one spot. Bergman went from No. 4 to No. 3, while Palmer improved to No. 19 from No. 20. Pucillo (184) remained ranked third. BUCKEYES FACE FOUR OHIO SQUADS IN 2007 In 2006-07, the Scarlet and Gray will compete against four Ohio schools - Kent State, Ohio, Cleveland State and Ashland. OSU has faced just four teams from the Buckeye state in a season on eight occasions - 1975, 1981-82, 1985-86, 1992-93, 1996-97, 1997-98, 2004-05 and 2006-07. Ohio State has met five Ohio teams in a season five times and has faced six Ohio squads during a campaign two times. The Buckeyes have met an all-time high seven Ohio opponents on one occasion in 1983-84. SO LONG 2006 Ohio State finished the 2006 portion of its schedule 1-2 in dual action, while also participating in various open tournaments and invitationals. Starting the season at the Michigan State Open in East Lansing, Nov. 12, Ohio State's J.D. Bergman led the Buckeye contingent, winning the 197-pound crown. Sophomore Corey Morrison finished fourth at 285 pounds and Jason Johnstone took home fifth-place honors at 149 pounds. T.J. Enright was a sixth-place finisher at 133 pounds, while Blake Maurer was sixth at 174 pounds. Will Livingston was seventh at 125 pounds and Lance Palmer was eighth at 149 pounds. Ohio State opened its dual schedule Nov. 16 with a home match-up against then-No. 3 Missouri. It was the home debut of first-year head coach Tom Ryan. The Buckeyes fell to the Tigers, 29-9, however, the Scarlet and Gray rebounded with an 18-17 upset victory against then-No. 9 Cornell in Ithaca, N.Y., ten days later. It was a match that came down to the final bout at 133 pounds with Enright going up against Cornell's Nick Bridge. With Ohio State down 17-15, Enright was able to secure a 5-3 win to give the Buckeyes the one-point edge. The win marked the first victory for Ryan as the OSU head coach and it served as his 110th career victory. Ohio State then took a break from dual action and competed at the Las Vegas Invitational in early December. Mike Pucillo paced the Buckeyes in the tournament, winning the 184-pound division. Pucillo recorded a pair of major decisions and a fall en route to defeating two Top 4 wrestlers in the semifinal and final for the title. Chris Vondruska and Palmer also placed for the Buckeyes, with Vondruska finishing third and Palmer taking home seventh place honors. Ohio State returned to dual action at home in St. John Arena Dec. 17 and played host to Chattanooga. OSU fell to the Mocs, 28-13. Three Buckeyes garnered victories in a match-up that did not feature injured Enright at 133 pounds or J Jaggers at 141 pounds. OSU officially concluded 2006 with a final tournament outing at the Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, N.C. Bergman again led the Buckeye contingent, finishing second at 197 pounds. Vondruska went 5-2 in the event for a fifth-place showing while classmate Palmer finished seventh. LAS VEGAS INVITATIONAL CHAMPION Redshirt-freshman Mike Pucillo won the 184-weight class at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Dec. 1-2 in Primm, Nev. Pucillo recorded two major decisions and a fall en route to the semifinal where he defeated No. 4 Raymond Jordan of Missouri, 3-1. In the championship bout against Michigan's and No. 3 Tyrel Todd, Pucillo notched a 12-6 victory for the title. Pucillo became the first Buckeye to win a title at the event since current assistant coach Tommy Rowlands won in 2003 at heavyweight. CONFERENCE LAURELS After his winning performance at 184 pounds in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Mike Pucillo was named the Big Ten Conference Wrestler of the Week for the week of Dec. 4. Pucillo recorded two major decisions and a fall en route to the semifinal where he defeated No. 4 Raymond Jordan of Missouri, 3-1. In the championship bout against Michigan's and No. 3 Tyrel Todd, Pucillo notched a 12-6 victory for the title. ONLY THE BEST Ohio State has competed or will compete against some of the toughest teams in the nation in 2006-07. Eleven of the Buckeyes' opponents are ranked in the latest Top 25 of the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA poll (Jan. 9). Four opponents - Missouri (1), Iowa (5), Northwestern (8) and Penn State (10) are in the Top 10. LIVE WEB STREAMING Live web streaming of Ohio State's match-ups against Indiana (Jan. 28) and Michigan State (Feb. 2) are available on ohiostatebuckeyes.com. Log on to the official web site of the Ohio State Department of Athletics for more information. EXPANDED COVERAGE The NCAA and ESPN announced in October expanded live television coverage of the 2007 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships March 15-17 in Auburn Hills, Mich. For the first time, in the 77-year history of the Division I Wrestling Championships, the Saturday morning medal round will be televised. Scheduled for 10 a.m. EST March 17 on ESPNU, the championships medal round determines the third through eighth place finishers who are honored as All-Americans. The 2007 championships are March 15-17 at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Mich. The University of Michigan and the Detroit Metro Sports Commission will serve as hosts. Tickets for the 2007 championships are available by visiting http://www.detroitsports.org/wrestling/tickets/index.html. UP NEXT 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.

EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. -– With wins at 141 and 149 pounds, Kyle Milanese (Delran, N.J.) and Jack Barrett (Metuchen, N.J.) lifted the Rutgers wrestling team to its third-straight Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) win in a 20-15 decision over East Stroudsburg on Wednesday night. "The match was a little tighter than we felt it should have been," said Rutgers' all-time winningest coach John Sacchi. "Our lightweights really came through for us and Kyle and Jack had two good wins over two of their best kids. Both of them did a good job controlling their opponent and they deserve a lot of credit for battling." The Scarlet Knights (3-2, 3-1 EIWA) found themselves at an early disadvantage, dropping the opening two matches at 157 and 165 pounds and trailing East Stroudsburg (0-6, 0-2 EIWA). In the third bout of the night, Mike Whalen (Lake Hiawatha, N.J.) came up with a 3-1 decision win over the Warriors' Shane Mallory to put Rutgers on the score board. Following an East Stroudsburg pin at the 184-pound bout, the Warriors led, 12-3. Due to an injury, Rutgers was awarded a forfeit at 197 pounds, cutting the lead to 12-9 halfway through the match. At the heavyweight bout, Mike D'Amico (Kenilworth, N.J.) fell in a tough 3-1 decision, giving ESU a 15-9 edge going into the lightweights. At 125 pounds, Ryan Jablonski (Norristown, Pa.) wrestled in his first dual match of the season, posting an 11-4 decision win, including two takedowns and three backpoints, and catalyzing a comeback from the Scarlet Knights. Dan Hilt (Manalapan, N.J.) scored a takedown with 35 seconds left in the opening overtime period to post a 3-1 decision over the Warriors' Matt Swallow, bringing Rutgers within one as ESU led, 15-14. Milanese scored a takedown in the first period en route to the 4-2 decision over Sean Carr at 141 pounds, which gave the Scarlet Knights their first lead of the match. The two exchanged takedowns and, after Carr let Milanese up from the defensive position to start the third, the RU junior was able to defend any offensive attacks from Carr and earned a point from riding time to win the decision. Leading 4-3 on two escapes and a takedown after the second period, Barrett held on for a 6-5 decision over the Warriors' Scott Heckman to seal the victory for the Scarlet Knights. Heckman, having chosen the defensive position in the third period, escaped in the opening seconds to tie the match at four. After a takedown, Barrett was able to fight off any attacks by Heckman following the escape, holding on for the win. The Scarlet Knights will host Army and the Merchant Marine Academy on Sunday, Jan. 14, starting at 2:00 p.m. at the College Avenue Gym. The opening match will feature Rutgers versus Army, followed by the Merchant Marine Academy against Army. In the final match of the day the Scarlet Knights will face the Merchant Marine Academy in a dual.

First, let me start out with my predictions for the Division I portion of the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals: First Round: No. 1 Missouri 30, Penn 9 No. 8 Northwestern 27, West Virginia 9 No. 5 Iowa 29, UC Davis 6 No. 4 Oklahoma State 17, Northern Iowa 12 No. 3 Hofstra 20, Nebraska 12 No. 6 Iowa State 20, Michigan 10 No. 7 Oklahoma 17, Central Michigan 16 No. 2 Minnesota 23, Cornell 14 Quarterfinals: No. 1 Missouri 24, No. 8 Northwestern 17 No. 4 Oklahoma State 16, No. 5 Iowa 15 No. 6 Iowa State 21, No. 3 Hofstra 9 No. 2 Minnesota 20, Oklahoma 13 Semifinals: No. 1 Missouri 19, No. 4 Oklahoma State 16 No. 2 Minnesota 20, No. 6 Iowa State 14 Finals: No. 2 Minnesota 20, No. 1 Missouri 18 Now, two simple questions that I would like answered this weekend … Can we expect more than a two-team race at the NCAA Championships? Entering the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals, Missouri and Minnesota appear to have separated themselves from the rest of the pack in Division I this season, much like last season when Oklahoma State and Minnesota went into the NCAA Championships in Oklahoma City as the clear front-runners. Both Missouri and Minnesota have a pair of No. 1-ranked wrestlers. And both have lineups littered with potential All-Americans. But is there another team that will step up and contend? Iowa State won the Midlands. But are the Cyclones and their six freshmen good enough to compete for a title this season? Northwestern has big point scorers in Ryan Lang (141), Jake Herbert (184), Mike Tamillow (197), and Dustin Fox (Hwt), which makes them a dangerous tournament team. Four-time defending champion Oklahoma State has three horses in Coleman Scott (133), Nathan Morgan (141), and Johny Hendricks (165), but can John Smith get others step up? Can Tom Brands and Dan Gable work some magic in the final two months of the season to put the Hawkeyes in a position to challenge? Is Hofstra more than just a good dual meet team? This weekend might not answer all these questions, but hopefully it will give us a clearer picture as to who the contenders are … and who the pretenders are. Excluding Ben Askren, who is the best pound-for-pound wrestler in college? Ben Askren is undeniably the best pound-for-pound collegiate wrestler in the country this season, so I'm simply taking him out of the equation. Who comes in a distant second to Askren? The way I see it, there are four wrestlers you could make a legitimate case for: Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota (149), Johny Hendricks of Oklahoma State (165), Jake Herbert of Northwestern (184), and Cole Konrad of Minnesota (Hwt). All four will be competing this weekend at the UNI-Dome. Schlatter used this event last season as his coming out performance. He beat four ranked wrestlers, which included avenging his only collegiate loss to Mark DiSalvo of Central Michigan and then beating a thought-to-be invincible Zack Esposito of Oklahoma State. Last season, Schlatter was the hunter. Now he's the hunted. He'll face No. 4 Jordan Leen of Cornell in the opening round and, assuming Oklahoma wins, he'll see No. 2 Matt Storniolo of Oklahoma next. Schlatter has already beaten both this season, so it'll be interesting to see if Leen and Storniolo can close the gap or whether Schlatter can separate himself even more. Love him or hate him, Hendricks is one of the best pound-for-pound collegiate wrestlers in the country. He has two NCAA titles to prove it. The Cowboy senior will see No. 7 Nick Baima of Northern Iowa in the opening round … and then should have a rematch with his nemesis, Mark Perry of Iowa, in the quarterfinal round. Hendricks has owned Perry throughout their careers, winning every meeting, including their most recent match at the NWCA All-Star Classic on Nov. 20. If Hendricks can win decisively over some of the nation's top wrestlers, a case can certainly be made for him being No. 2 in the pound-for-pound rankings to Askren. Herbert has only wrestled 11 matches this season and hasn't competed since Nov. 20. Regardless, he has been a machine this season. He's currently 11-0 and only two of his matches have gone the distance. However, his most impressive victory doesn't show up on his record (because it's considered an exhibition match) -- a 10-2 thumping of NCAA runner-up Roger Kish of Minnesota at the NWCA All-Star Classic. Herbert will likely see No. 6 Raymond Jordan in the quarterfinal round. Keep in mind, the only blemish on his record over the past two seasons is a loss to Askren. Konrad proved just how great he was last season when he went undefeatd an route to an NCAA title … and defeated two-time NCAA champion Steve Mocco of Oklahoma State four times. The problem this season, though, appears to be lack of competition for the Gopher big man. And looking at the field of teams competing at the UNI-Dome this weekend, it's unlikely that he'll even get tested this weekend.

Oklahoma State is making its 16th appearance in the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals, having won the title eight times. The Cowboys will open with host Northern Iowa on Saturday at 9 a.m. OSU is 18-2 all-time against the Panthers, and it has won the last nine meetings in the series. The last UNI victory came during the 1990-91 season. OSU owns a 55-8 all-time record at the National Duals, and it has met Northern Iowa once, winning 28-10 in a first round match in 2003. The Cowboys have won three of the last four duals' titles, last winning it in 2005. Oklahoma State faces a tough road to claim its ninth National Duals title. Should the Cowboys advance past Northern Iowa, a possible matchup with fifth-ranked Iowa looms. OSU would then have to post an upset over top-ranked Missouri to reach the finals. In the finals, the likely opponent could be second-ranked Minnesota, who defeated OSU back on Dec. 6, or third-ranked Hofstra, who has previously defeated Minnesota. All matches will be broadcast live by KSPI 93.7 FM, unless there is a conflict with Cowboy basketball and the broadcast will be switched to 780 AM. Rex Holt and Roger Moore will be providing the commentary for all of the wrestling action. Last Time Out The Cowboys traveled to Texas to take part in the Lone Star Duals, where OSU went 3-0. The Cowboys breezed past Air Force and Army by scores of 40-5 and 32-7, respectively. The Cowboys received a stiff test from the Naval Academy, before eventually pulling it out, 19-17. Brandon Mason went 3-0 on the day with a fall, technical fall and a decision over eighth-ranked Matt Stolpinski of Navy. Johny Hendricks went 2-0 with a fall and a major decision. B.J. Jackson went 2-1 in his first action since injuring his knee in the season opener. Coleman Scott and Jared Rosholt also posted falls for the Cowboys on the day. Scouting the Field The top nine teams in the country will all be competing for the 18th NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals title. Overall, the field includes 13 of the top 20 teams in the nation and all five schools represented by the Big 12. Missouri comes in as the top seed after having defeated Minnesota in the Southern Scuffle during the holiday break. Minnesota is the No. 2 seed and has handed Oklahoma State its only loss, while Hofstra is the No. 3 seed after handing Minnesota its only loss. Four of the five Big 12 schools are seeded. The best first-round match is Oklahoma vs. Central Michigan. The Sooners are seeded seventh, while CMU is not seeded but is ranked ninth in the latest coaches' poll. The Chippewas have already defeated Oklahoma State this season in the Reno Tournament of Champions. Unseeded Michigan is also capable of making a run. The Wolverines are ranked 11th and face No. 6 Iowa State in their first match. Oklahoma State has won more National Duals titles than any other team with eight, including three of the last four. Minnesota has won four, while rival Iowa has won three titles. Those three schools have three of the top five seeds in the tournament. Top-seeded Missouri has made one appearance in the finals in 2004, where it lost to OSU. Hendricks, Outstanding Wrestler Johny Hendricks dominated the field at the Reno Tournament of Champions. Hendricks posted five major decisions and a fall for the tournament to earn Outstanding Wrestler. For the season, Hendricks is 17-0 and has recorded bonus points in 15 of his 17 matches. He has recorded six falls and nine major decisions this season. Hendricks followed it up by being named the Division I Outstanding Wrestler for the upper weights at the Lone Star Duals. He won the award after recording a fall and a major decision against Army and Navy. Mason Faces Bumpy Road Sophomore Brandon Mason started the season off with a big victory over fourth-ranked Ken Cook of Cal-Davis. It started a five-match winning streak, but Mason wore out at the UNO Open and turned right around to lose five straight to even his record at 5-5. Mason has now won 10 of his last 11 matches with two falls, a technical fall and three major decisions. During the streak, he has defeated a pair of wrestlers ranked in the top 10 in Oregon State's No. 7 Jeremy Larson and eighth-ranked Matt Stolpinski of Navy.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 7 Oklahoma wrestling team, coming off three straight dual victories, travels to Cedar Falls, Iowa, for the 2007 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. The duals are scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 13 and Sunday, Jan. 14 and will be held at the UNI Dome on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa. "We're very excited about the competition this weekend and this will be a very tough test for our team," said head coach Jack Spates. The Sooners (7-1, 0-1) will face No. 9 Central Michigan (5-2-1), in the first round at 11 a.m., Saturday. The Sooners are coming off a 3-0 weekend at the Lone Star Duals where they defeated Marion Military Institute, Navy and Utah valley State. OU defeated its three opponents by a combined score of 132-9. This year's National Duals feature 13 of the top 25 teams in the country, including Big 12 schools Oklahoma State, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa State. If OU defeats Central Michigan in the first round, it will face either defending National Duals champion No. 2 Minnesota or No. 12/13 Cornell. "This is an incredible event and we drew a very tough draw in Central Michigan. It only gets tougher from there. Our guys need to come ready to wrestle. I believe our team is feeling good and we feel that last weekend's experience only makes us tougher," continued Spates. Complete brackets for the duals can be found at www.intermatwrestle.com. OU returns home for the first time in the new semester when it hosts Oregon on Jan. 20.

Northfield, Minn. -- The St. Cloud State University wrestling team charted its first dual match win of the 2006-07 season with a solid 50-3 victory at St. Olaf College on Wednesday, Jan. 10 in Northfield, Minn. The victory also marked the first win by the Huskies under the leadership of first-year head coach Steve Costanzo. SCSU now owns a 1-1 record this season, and the Huskies will host Northern State on Saturday, Jan. 13 at Halenbeck Hall. SCSU gained its first win with a forfeit victory by Westy Hanson at 125-pounds. Nick Wasche charted a fall at 3:53 against Ricky Traut of St. Olaf at 133-pounds. Tim Whitley continued the roll for SCSU with a 10-6 victory over Dan Rysavy of St. Olaf at 141. Grant Johnson, a Cold Spring resident, posted a fall over St. Olaf's Greg Peabody with a fall at :42. Adam Minnette carded a major decision over Ian Gacheru of St. Olaf with a 17-0 win at 157. At 165-pounds, Matt Steffensen charted a forfeit win and Russell Smith posted a fall over St. Olaf 174-pounder Tom Kopietz at 6:44. In play at 184-pounds, Nick Wilkes pinned SOC's at 5:57 to make the score 44-0. The Oles' lone win was posted by Steve Wood at 197-pounds, as he gained a 2-1 victory over Jairo Sandoval at 197. To finish the evening, Mike Carbone charted his first win as a Husky wrestler with a 2:29 pin against St. Olaf's Nate Steffel at heavyweight. Listed below is a complete summary of the tonight's results.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The Navy wrestling team extended its winning streak over Maryland (10-4) Wednesday night, as the newly-ranked Midshipmen thumped the Terps, 25-12, at the Comcast Pavilion in College Park. Ranked No. 25 in the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA Poll released on Tuesday, Navy claimed wins in seven of the eight matches to improve to 5-4 in dual meet action this winter, while snapping the Terrapins' six-match winning streak. "We came out and competed hard tonight," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "I was really pleased with how well we came prepared and competed. We need to carry that intensity and focus over into Saturday's matchup against Lehigh." Navy senior Alex Usztics (Dauphin, Pa.) schooled second-year 125-pounder James Knox, as he jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first period with a takedown and a near fall. Usztics extended his lead to 8-0 with an escape to start the second period and a takedown. Knox finally got on the scoreboard with an escape to open the final period before Usztics got in one last takedown to earn an 11-1 major decision and give the Mids a 4-0 lead. Ninth-ranked Joe Baker (Poway, Calif.) pushed the Mids' lead to 7-0 with a 12-5 decision at 133 pounds over Annapolis, Md., native Jon Kohler. The Terps finally got on the scoreboard following a close 5-4 decision by 13th-ranked Alex Krom over Navy senior Brad Canterbury (Blue Bell, Pa.) at 141 pounds. After a scoreless opening period, Canterbury went up 1-0 in the second period with an escape. The deciding period was full of action as Krom knotted the score by escaping from the bottom position. Krom earned two points for a reversal, followed by a Canterbury reversal, followed by another Krom reversal as the Terps held a 5-3 advantage. After Krom is cautioned, Canterbury got to within one on an escape, but his final move to bring down Krom was squelched. Navy seniors John Cox (Grand Haven, Mich.) and John Jarred (Kansas City, Mo.) each won their matches at 149 and 157 pounds, respectively, to extend the Mids' lead to 14-3. Cox turned in an 11-4 decision over junior Andrew Schlaffer, while Jarred dismantled second-year Michael McGill in a major decision, 18-6. Junior 165-pounder Justin Jacobs (LeRoy, Mich.) dropped a heart-breaker against 17th-ranked Jason Kiessling. Down 3-1 heading into the third period, Jacobs chose the bottom position and escaped. Following a scramble, Jacobs was able to take the lead briefly with a takedown, but the veteran senior was able to escape and force overtime. Just 23 seconds into the extra period, Kiessling scored a double-leg takedown to fend off the upset-minded Jacobs. Ninth-ranked Matt Stolpinski (Westfield, Mass.) picked up an important win for the Midshipmen at 174 pounds, as he earned a hard-fought 6-4 victory over 13th-ranked Letts. It was an encouraging sign from Stolpinski who dropped a pair of tight matches to his Oklahoma and Oklahoma State foes last weekend at the Lone Star Duals. Stolpinski improved to 19-3 with the win, including a 7-2 dual meet mark. Senior Antonio Miranda (Eugene, Ore.) faced sophomore Elijah Black at 184 pounds, where he earned a five-point win thanks to a 19-3 technical fall that included a near fall. After the first period, Miranda held just a 1-0 lead, but the veteran took advantage of Black's inexperience which included three points for stalling. For Miranda, it is his fourth win by technical fall this season. Maryland redshirt freshman Hudson Taylor, ranked 16th at 197 pounds, wasted little time in adding to his win column for the year, as he pinned Navy sophomore Tyler Moyer (Bremerton, Wash.) in 1:01. Navy junior heavyweight Ed Prendergast (St. Louis, Mo.) sealed the win for the Mids with a 9-5 decision over Terrapin senior Jerry Afari. The Midshipmen return to action on Saturday when it plays host to No. 23 Lehigh at Halsey Field House beginning at 7:00 pm .

WASHINGTON -- Just three days after returning from the Arizona State Duals, the American University's wrestling team scored the two largest margins of victory in school history Wednesday, dominating Campbell and Delaware State by scores of 53-0 and 50-0, respectively. The Eagles won every match except two by bonus points on the day. While currently recovering from the three match ASU Duals and preparing for a Friday night showdown at No. 18 University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, AU wrestled flawlessly throughout the day, beginning with Campbell. Lightweights Jasen Borshoff and Jordan Lipp won by major decision to start the match, scoring 20-10 and 16-4 victories, respectively. True freshman Kyle Borshoff scored an impressive 21-5 technical fall in the next match to give AU the 15-0 cushion. Pins from Damian Swietlik, Mike Cannon and Rudy Rueda and three forfeits from Campbell put the match at 49-0 entering the heavyweight bout. No. 6 Adam LoPiccolo picked up his fifth straight win with a major decision 12-4, giving AU the 53-0 win - the largest win in school history. AU carried the momentum against Delaware State for the 50-0 win. The older, but lighter Borshoff and Lipp won via forfeit to give AU the 12-0 advantage early. At 141, the younger Borshoff had one of the more competitive matches of the day, overcoming a late injury to his ankle and an aggressive James Garret of Delaware State for a 13-7 win. Borshoff was down 2-0 to a takedown but scored an escape, takedown and two back points to earn a 5-3 lead after the first period. The 2006 New York State Champion fended off several of Garrett's takedown attempts and led 10-5 before injuring his ankle with just 20 seconds left in the second. After a quick taping job, the AU freshmen hobbled through the rest of the match, choosing the top position to start the third and using strong defense to preserve his victory. Following a 12-4 major decision for Swietlik and Jimmy Pepper's second win via forfeit, Cannon earned his second first-period pin of the day to give AU a 31-0 lead. At 174, Rueda continued his strong wrestling with a 19-4 technical fall and Dwayne Hash scored a 12-5 decision at 184 to push AU to a 39 point advantage. At 197, No. 9 Josh Glenn earned some mat time as well, winning by technical fall in the second period, 25-7. A forfeit at heavyweight gave LoPiccolo his career-best 26th win of the season and AU a 50-0 victory - a margin that is tied for second in the all-time record books. With the wins, the Eagles are now 6-5 on the year in duals and have won five of their last six matches. After wrestling five duals in the past four days, AU will face No. 18 University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Friday night on the road and then return home for a dual versus George Mason on Sunday at noon.

GREENSBORO, NC -– The University at Buffalo wrestling squad assured its fifth straight dual meet victory, as it defeated UNC-Greensboro Wednesday night, 22-14. The Bulls prevailed as a result of monster performances by senior Mark Budd (Orrville, OH/Orrville) and redshirt freshman Jason Hilliard (Genoa, NY/Southern Cayuga), each earning technical falls in UB's third meet in two days. After the Spartans (2-1) grabbed the initial lead 4-0, Buffalo (7-2) rebounded to find a familiar position at 133 pounds with nationally 12th-ranked Mark Budd landing a massive 20-4 technical fall over Mitchell Johnson. Despite the effort at 141 pounds, redshirt freshman Andrew Stella (Tonawanda, NY/Sweet Home) was overmatched by his adversary, as the Spartans' Chris Bencivenga secured 23 points to counteract Stella's 11, landing the major decision. Buffalo retained the lead once again following another lopsided technical fall. Jason Hilliard shutout Marcus Hannah by a count of 18-0, earning his 15th win of the season. Freshman Justin Hunt (Salem, NY/Salem) and junior Mike Ragusa (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) each hammered home decisions to make the score 16-8 heading into the 174-lb. bout. Junior Nate Rock (Ephrata, PA/Ephrata) and senior Ray Lamb (Vineland, NJ/Absegami) each saw overtimes sessions in their respective bouts, with Lamb managing to pick up the decision over Scott Snyder, 3-1, making it more difficult for the Spartans to seize its third straight win of the season. Redshirt freshman Ricky Scott (Walden, NY/Valley Central) snagged his 18th win of the season at the hands of Nick Clark, 4-2. Scott is second on the team in wins, and has won six of his last seven matches. Junior Jeff Parker (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) was unable to win his 17th match of the season, as he fell to Joe Sheffield, 3-1. The Bulls claimed their third straight victory against a team from the Southern Conference, winning decisively against Davidson on Jan. 4 by a score of 33-6, and most recently handed Appalachian State a 25-16 defeat. Buffalo returns home to Alumni Arena on Sunday, as the team welcome its first Mid-American Conference opponent of the season in Northern Illinois. The Huskies are 0-1 following a 26-9 defeat at the hands of Wisconsin, and feature four nationally-ranked wrestlers. The meet is scheduled for 12 p.m.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- NC State's trio of ranked wrestlers each scored big points to lead the Wolfpack to a 26-15 decision over Duke on Wednesday night at Reynolds Coliseum in the first Atlantic Coast Conference action of the season for either team. Junior Kody Hamrah, ranked 19th at 157 pounds, had four takedowns and a reversal to improve to 11-5 on the season with an 11-3 major decision over Duke's Addison Nudig. Sophomore Ryan Goodman, ranked 13th at 197, majored Patrick Keenum 9-1. Goodman, who had two takedowns and a reversal, also got a pair of points on stalling penalties against Keenum. Goodman lifted his record on the season to 10-1. Senior heayweight Jainor Palma, ranked 18th, improved to 15-3 when he pinned Mike Tunick 66 seconds into the evening's final bout. Palma's pin provided the deciding points. NC State improved to 6-4 in dual matches with the win, but aside from Hamrah, Goodman and Palma, the Wolfpack struggled with the Blue Devils, who fell to 3-3 in dual matches. Freshman 125-pounder Taylor Cummings managed a second-period escape for the only point in his 1-0 win over Kellan McKeon, and sophomore 149-pounder Joe Caramanica got a, escape and a takedown in the third period to overcome Daniel Shvartsman 4-2. Duke forfeited the match at 133 pounds. And that was the highlights for NC State. Philip Wightman pinned the Wolfpack's Jake Smith in the 141-pound bout. Aaron Glover had three takedowns and limited Jalil Dozier to an escape in a 7-1 win for the Blue Devils at 165. Randy Goodman jumped to a 4-1 lead at 174, but gave up two quick points in the third period on a stall call and an escape, then was taken down by John Barone, who won 6-4. At 184, Jeremy Colbert was penalized two points for stalling and scored his only two points on a reversal in the third period in a 5-2 loss to Dan Tulley that did not feature a takedown from either wrestler. The Wolfpack will return to action on Saturday, January 13 against Newberry. The match, which will be held at Reynolds Coliseum, will begin at 2 p.m.

LEXINGTON, Va. -- George Mason (5-2) earned a close 23-22 victory against in-state rival VMI (1-2) at Cocke Hall in Lexington, Va. on Wednesday afternoon. Both Randy Oates (174 pounds) and Harry Zander (197 pounds) won their matches by pin fall. After junior Joe Coughlin won by forfeit to give the Patriots a quick 6-0 lead in the meet, the Keydets strung together four consecutive wins to take a 10-point lead at 16-6. VMI freshman Johnathan Pope started the streak by pinning Mason freshman Mostafa Ibrahim in 4:42 at 133 pounds to tie the match at six. Both Tyler Anthony and Sam Alvarenga earned decisions at the next two weight classes to put VMI ahead 12-6, and junior Tommy Cunningham closed out the winning streak with an 8-0 major decision victory against senior Robert Henry at 157 pounds. Redshirt sophomore Tyler Tisdell put Mason back in the win column with a dominating 21-6 technical fall victory against Vince Cole at 165 pounds to pull the Patriots within five points of VMI. Oates followed up Tisdell's win with a pin fall victory against Dustin McCabe to give Mason a one-point lead at 17-16. The lead didn't last long; however, as VMI's Corry Murray defeated junior Matt Moyer to put the Keydets back on top 19-17. With the Patriots down two, redshirt junior Harry Zander pinned Kyle Elgert in 1:14 at 197 pounds to give George Mason the lead for good, 23-19. Despite Mason dropping the final match when Leon Barrow recorded a 2-1 overtime victory at 285 pounds against senior Ryan Kittrick, the Patriots held on for the win, 23-22. George Mason hits the mat again on Sunday, Jan. 14 at 1 p.m. against American in Washington, D.C. The Eagles are unranked but were listed in the others receiving votes category in the latest USA Today/Intermat/NWCA Division I Team Rankings. Individually, American has three ranked wrestlers, as freshman Mike Cannon is ranked 17th by Intermat/NWCA/NWMA at 165 pounds, junior Josh Glenn is currently ranked ninth at 197 pounds by Intermat/NWCA/NWMA and third by Amateur Wrestling News, and junior Adam LoPiccolo is ranked sixth at 285 pounds by Intermat/NWCA/NWMA and 11th by Amateur Wrestling News.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- University of Northern Colorado sophomore Kenny Hashimoto has been named the Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. Hashimoto (Thornton, Colo.) went 4-0 with two pins at the Lone Star Duals. Hashimoto, who competes at 141 pounds, was honored as the Outstanding Wrestler of the lower weight classes at the Lone Star Duals. Hashimoto picked up wins over Harvard's 10th-ranked Max Meltzer, Wisconsin's 16th-ranked Kyle Ruschell, North Carolina's Mike Rappo and Brown's Mike Savino. Hashimoto pinned Meltzer and Savino. The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley State and Wyoming. Others Nominated: UNI: Nick Baima, 165, Sr., Glen Elly, Ill. (Glenbard HS) SDSU: Derek Pirner, 141, Jr., Elk Point, S.D. (Elk Point HS/Univ. of Nebraska)

Hello to all that follow up on my blog. I have had lots of friends (Ty Moore is included in this group) tell me that they are actually reading my words and are fascinated by my blog/posts. My parents have also told me that lots of their friends have been reading as well. I have used the last month of the season to focus on my technique, and improve on my strengths and weaknesses. I was able to push my body in other areas -- mainly running and lifting. When I do return to the mat, I will be stronger, faster, in better shape, and more technically sound than I have ever been in my life. At the beginning of the year I thought that I would be too small at 184. My early season matches also prove that I can be more dominant this year than I was in previous seasons. It has seemed that every year since ninth grade I have gotten bigger, stronger, faster, more intelligent, and an all around better wrestler than the previous year. I had a good year last year and won some big matches, but I obviously had a let down at the end of the year. Some would say, 'How can you come back after losing your final match that you were confident that you would win?' I do this by resetting and revaluating my goals. Last year's goal was to go undefeated and win a national title. I came as close to this goal as possible, only to fall short … but I got a taste of what it takes to get it done. I feel that this was one of the best things that could have happened to me. After my second place NCAA finish, I then went on to win University Nationals and I placed third at the University Worlds. I proved to myself that I am not just capable of being the best wrestler in the nation … but if I work hard, I can be the best in the world. This year my goal for college is not just to be an undefeated national champion, but to completely dominate all of my opponents. After every match I wrestle I want my opponent to step off the mat broken and thinking in his head, 'Man, I got handled by a superior wrestler.' Jake Herbert (Photo/Johnnie Johnson)At this time, I feel as though I have reached an even higher level of wrestling than in the past. From my time off the mats, and in my observations, I began to pick up some of the small things that make all good wrestlers great. I started realizing that when I implement these minute details into my wrestling I have taken a step closer to being a complete wrestler. It seems simple to me. If you are never out of position, you will never get scored on. If you are in perfect position when you attack, you will score every time. For some people when they are off the mat they get "rusty." Not me, I am very hungry to get back on the mat. For those of you wondering, my return will be at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. I am looking forward to helping the Northwestern Wildcats place very high at the meet. Our team is looking very strong and we had the best Midlands showing in our team's history. I have to give a shout out to our true freshman 125-pounder Brandon Precin, who is really tearing it up. I feel that he will make his impact heard at Big Ten's this year. Eric Metzler had a great Midlands at 133 after he lost in the semifinals. Some would say that his loss was controversial. Of course, we have to talk about Ryan Lang. He is my roommate, training partner, teacher, student, and most importantly, he is my friend. He went out and had a blast at the 44th annual event. Mike Tamillow (197) has had just an outstanding year. On paper, he is the best wrestler on the team. Mike is undefeated and has not even give up a takedown this year. I remember when Mike was a freshman stud kicking butt even though he was still wet behind the ears. As John Velez used to say: Tamillow is a stud and he pushes Jake harder than anyone! If Mike Tamillow does not win his NCAA title right after I win mine this year, I will be very surprised. He is the best in the nation at his weight. Dustin Fox should be right in there as well this season. He has all the talent, speed, and size needed to be in the NCAA finals. As the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals approach, we will begin to focus on our individual matches. Our team is ready to turn some heads and surprise some people this weekend. After we finish up at the Duals, I can look forward to Big Ten wrestling … where it's at! I will see all of you mat side. Until next time, take care. Jake Herbert Entry 5 (12/13/06) Entry 4 (11/29/06) Entry 3 (11/16/06) Entry 2 (11/1/06) Entry 1 (10/17/06)

The second-ranked Golden Gopher wrestling team (7-1) will compete in the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals this weekend at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Minnesota will face Cornell on Saturday in the first round at 11 a.m. 2007 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa Arena: UNI-Dome Date: Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 13-14 Radio: Takedownradio.com will be broadcasting the National Duals all day Saturday and Sunday. Webcast: LiveSportsVideo.com will provide a free webcast of the NWCA National Duals on Sunday, Jan. 14th. The webcast start times are: 11a.m. for the semifinal rounds, 1 p.m. for placing rounds and 3 p.m. for the finals. First Round Match-ups #1 Missouri vs. Penn #2 Minnesota vs. Cornell #3 Hofstra vs. Nebraska #4 Oklahoma State vs. Northern Iowa #5 Iowa vs. UC-Davis #6 Iowa State vs. Michigan #7 Oklahoma vs. Central Michigan #8 Northwestern vs. West Virginia NOTES TO KNOW National Duals History This will be the 11th straight year that Minnesota has competed in the National Duals. The Golden Gophers have won the title four times: 1998, 2001, ‘02 and ‘06. Minnesota also finished second in 1999 and 2000 and third in 1997 and 2005. The Gophers hold a 36-12 record all-time at the National Duals. A Look Back Cole Konrad pinned two-time NCAA Champion Steve Mocco to give the second-ranked Golden Gopher wrestling team a 21-14 upset of top-ranked Oklahoma State in the finals at the 2006 National Duals. Konrad ended Mocco's 85-match winning streak, while the Golden Gophers snapped the Cowboys' 30-match winning streak as they won their fourth National Duals title and first since 2002. Konrad earned his first official win over the OSU wrestler en route to being named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler, capping a memorable tournament for himself and the rest of the Gophers. Minnesota advanced to the championship match with a 20-15 victory over No. 9 Central Michigan in the semifinals. Konrad was again the hero, with his 9-1 major decision over Bubba Gritter giving the Gophers the victory. With the win, Minnesota advanced to finals of the National Duals for the first time since 2002. To Be the Best... The Golden Gophers are well aware of what it's going to take to become the No. 1 team in the country. Outside of themselves, Minnesota has faced each of the top-five teams in the nation in some form or another already this season. Hofstra, currently ranked third in the nation, handed Minnesota its only loss of the season, 18-17, at the Northeast Duals. The Gophers rode a huge wave of momentum into the holiday break after defeating then-top ranked Oklahoma State and current No. 4 Iowa State within three days of each other. Immediately out of the break, No. 1 Missouri narrowly edged the Gophers at the Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, N.C., claiming the team title by a final score of 179.5-176. With the top nine teams in the nation all competing at this weekend's tournament, Minnesota hopes to re-gain the top ranking by capturing its second straight National Duals title and fourth in the last seven years. Striving 4 Perfection Heading into the National Duals, four Minnesota wrestlers are still undefeated on the season. Manuel Rivera, ranked No. 5 nationally at 141 pounds, is 22-0 with five pins, five major decisions and one tech fall. Top-ranked Dustin Schlatter is 17-0 with two pins, one major and seven tech falls at 149. Roger Kish, No. 2 at 184 pounds, is also 17-0 with eight pins, one major decision and one tech fall. Top-ranked heavyweight Cole Konrad is 13-0 with six pins and two major decisions. Minnesota has not had four undefeated wrestlers at this point in the season since five Gophers were still perfect heading into the National Duals in 1997-98. Among that group was current assistant coach Brandon Eggum. Top Billing The National Duals will feature eight of the 10 top-ranked wrestlers in the nation, including Minnesota's Dustin Schlatter (149) and Cole Konrad (Hwt). Other top-ranked wrestlers include: Missouri's Ben Askren (174) and his brother Max (197), Northwestern's Ryan Lang (141) and Jake Herbert (184), Oklahoma's Sam Hazewinkel (125) and Oklahoma State's Johny Hendricks (165). The Road Ahead If the seeds hold true, the Gophers will get a chance to avenge their season-opening loss to Hofstra in the semifinals. A victory over the Pride could set up a showdown between Minnesota and top-ranked Missouri in the finals on Sunday at 3 p.m. First, Minnesota must get through Cornell and the winner of No. 7 Oklahoma/Central Michigan on Saturday. Matches We'd Like to See 125 - Jayson Ness could potentially see three of the top five wrestlers in the nation in his first three matches of the tournament. First up is No. 3 Troy Nickerson of Cornell. Round two could bring top-ranked Sam Hazewinkel of Oklahoma, followed by a possible rematch with David Tomasette Hofstra in the semis. Ness' only three losses of the season have come against wrestlers currently ranked in the top five, including one each to Nickerson and Tomasette. He would like nothing more than to avenge one or both in helping Minnesota to the title. 133 - Mike Thorn's most intriguing match will come in the first round against No. 5 Adam Frey. 141 - It is unlikely Manuel Rivera will get a shot at top-ranked Ryan Lang of Northwestern, but a number of top 10 opponents are still scattered throughout the field. The one Rivera is most likely to see is No. 9 Charles Griffin of Hofstra. Rivera won a 5-1 decision over Griffin at the Northeast Duals. 149 - If Minnesota and Oklahoma both advance to the second round, all eyes will undoubtedly be on the match-up between top-ranked Dustin Schlatter and No. 2 Matt Storniolo. Schlatter topped Storniolo, 3-0, earlier this year at the All-Star Classic, but this would be their first official meeting of the season. Schlatter defeated Storniolo, 5-1, in the semifinals of last year's NCAA Championships. 157 - C.P. Schlatter (if he's healthy) vs. anybody... or another Tyler Safratowich upset. 165 - Jeremy Larson entered the rankings at No. 19 this week. There's a good chance he could face another ranked opponent in every one of his matches. 174 - Gabriel Dretsch could also see a ranked opponent in every round, possibly culminating with top-ranked Ben Askren in the finals. If Oklahoma State is able to reach the finals, another Dretsch-Brandon Mason bout would also be entertaining. 184 - Much like Rivera, Roger Kish will not likely get a chance to face Northwestern's top-ranked Jake Herbert, but No. 6 Joe Rovelli of Hofstra and No. 5 Raymond Jordan of Missouri may be awaiting on Sunday. 197 - True freshman Brent Eidenschink will get his first dual meet start this weekend. His reward - if the top seeds in the tournament hold up, he could potentially face four of the top seven wrestlers in the country. Hwt - Upsets abound are about the only hope for top-ranked Cole Konrad to see any ranked competition. Central Michigan would have to knock off Oklahoma in the first round for Konrad to see No. 5 Bubba Gritter. The only other ranked wresters are in the top half of the bracket. He Keeps Going and Going and... Senior heavyweight Cole Konrad has a chance to tie the school record for consecutive wins this weekend. With 54 consecutive victories dating back to the beginning of last season, Konrad trails only Tim Hartung, who set the record at 58 in 1999.

In its first dual meet of the season, and the first dual meet under the leadership of new coach Steve Costanzo, the St. Cloud State University wrestling team (0-1) suffered a tough 19-17 loss to #16 Minnesota State Moorhead on Tuesday, Jan. 9 in St. Cloud. The Huskies began the meet strong as freshman Westy Hanson won the first match of the night by a 12-2 decision over Casey Dschaak of MSU at 125. Hanson is now 8-9 on the season. In the second match of the evening, MSU's Troy McFarland gained a 13-9 win at 133 over SCSU's Nick Wasche, a sophomore from Cedar, Minn. At 141-pounds, Tim Whitley rolled to a 9-3 win over Moorhead's Kelly Jahnke. Whitley, a freshman from Wenatchee, Wash. is now 13-7 on the season. At 149-pounds, Cold Spring resident Grant Johnson gained another SCSU win with a 9-1 decision over Shane Walton of MSU. At 157-pounds, MSU gained a 10-3 win by Kyle Trout over Adam Minnette of SCSU. In action at 165-pounds, MSU's Nate Baker (the nation's top ranked DII wrestler at 165) posted a quick :15 pin over SCSU's Matt Steffenson. SCSU got back into the thick of things at 174-pounds as Russell Smith (Owatonna) charted a 4-3 win over MSU's Tyler Tubbs to give SCSU a 14-12 edge. The Huskies ran the score to 17-12 with a win by Nick Wilkes (Onamia) at 184-pounds, as he gained a 13-6 decision over MSU's Mike Nelson. The turning point for the Dragon's came when Josaih Bush was able to pick up two quick points in the overtime round in the 197 bout to defeat Jairo Sandovall moving Moorhead to within two points of the Huskies, 15-17. Heavyweight wrestler Joe Fracchinni sealed the victory for the Dragons as he won by a major decision over first-year Husky, Michael Carbone, 13-1. The Huskies will travel to St. Olaf on Wednesday, Jan. 10 and then return to Halenbeck Hall on Saturday, Jan. 13 for a 3 p.m. match against Northern State University.

BOONE, NC -– Senior captain Mark Budd (Orrville, OH/Orrville) became just the seventh grappler in school history to win 90 matches in a career, as he led the University at Buffalo wrestling squad to a duo of dual meet victories Tuesday afternoon. The Bulls (6-2) toppled over Gardner-Webb, 42-3, while two early pinfalls boosted the Bulls past Appalachian State, 25-16. Budd picked up right where he left off before the holiday break, as the nationally-12th ranked 133-pounder scored a pin over Gardner-Webb's Rob Tate at 4:32. The match highlighted a string of eight straight victories over the Bulldogs (3-8-1). Redshirt freshmen Andrew Stella (Tonawanda, NY/Sweet Home) and Jason Hilliard (Genoa, NY/Southern Cayuga) continued the trend by landing consecutive pinfalls to add six dual meet points to the Bulls' score. Stella pinned Chaz Franz in 3:22, while Hilliard scored a fall over Josh Lowe in 2:45. The 42-3 landslide victory is the third time this season that the Bulls have scored more than 40 points on their opposition, and the second time in as many lifetime meetings that UB scored 40-plus points on Gardner-Webb. Photo of Dan Bishop Dan Bishop The second bout of the afternoon versus Appalachian State (4-9) proved to carry a more competitive atmosphere, but Buffalo would take the lead early and never look back. Redshirt freshman Dan Bishop (Whitehall, NY/Whitehall) picked up his first career pin against Frank Celorrio in the 125-lb. bout, while Mark Budd claimed his second pin of the afternoon over Corey Hulsey. The early 12-point lead would slowly be chiseled away, as the Mountaineers earned three consecutive victories to make the score 12-10. Scott Ervin, nationally-ranked 16th at 149 pounds, overmatched Jason Hilliard in a 13-0 technical fall. Junior Mike Ragusa (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) fought back to his winning ways by taking his second victory of the afternoon. Ragusa took App State's Tommy Hutchinson into overtime, and managed to come away with a 9-7 decision. The Bulls' heavy hitters of senior Ray Lamb (Vineland, NJ/Absegami) and redshirt freshman Ricky Scott (Walden, NY/Valley Central) were too much for the Mountaineers, as Lamb scored a 9-1 major decision over Dan Carrasco, and Scott pinned Brandon Brothers in 3:29. Buffalo will look to finish its North Carolina road swing 3-0, as it travels to Greensboro to tangle with the Spartans. The Spartans defeated the Bulls last season in Alumni Arena, 22-20, in both team's only career meeting. The meet is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

THIS WEEK IN PANTHER WRESTLING Sat., Jan. 13: NWCA Cliff Keen National Duals 9 a.m. vs. Oklahoma State (UNI-Dome) 11 a.m./1 p.m. vs. Iowa/UC Davis (UNI-Dome) Sun. Jan. 14: NWCA Cliff Keen National Duals TBD The University of Northern Iowa will serve as the tournament host for the 2007 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals on Saturday and Sunday in the UNI-Dome. This is the second consecutive year UNI will serve as the tournament host. Last year, UNI drew 13,800 fans for the two-day event. UNI is scheduled to host the event again in 2008 and 2009. This year's National Duals will feature 72 teams from five divisions (NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA) competing on 18 mats over two days for the title of national dual meet champion. Teams will compete in full dual matches, with competition in 10 weight classes. The winning team advances in the championship bracket with the losing team moving to the consolation bracket. In addition to five divisions of wrestling, four women's teams and four NCWA also will compete to crown a champion. Matches will begin at 9 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. PANTHER POINTS UNI TO FACE OKLAHOMA STATE IN NATIONAL DUALS The unranked UNI Panthers' wrestling team will take on No. 4-ranked Oklahoma State (7-1 overall) in the first round of the National Duals on Saturday at 9 a.m. The winner of the UNI-Oklahoma State match will take on the winner of the Iowa-UC Davis match at 1 p.m. The losers will also match up at 1 p.m. in the consolation bracket. UNI faced Oklahoma State in the first round of the 2003 National Duals in Columbus, Ohio. OSU scored a 28-10 win over the Panthers in 2003. The Cowboys hold a 17-4 lead in the all-time series between the two schools. OSU has won eight straight duals, including a 35-6 win last year in Stillwater. OSU and UNI will also meet Jan. 27 in the McLeod Center. PANTHERS AT THE NATIONAL DUALS UNI has posted a mark of 3-10 all-time at the National Duals. UNI recorded its only first-round win in 2005 when the Panthers knocked off Hofstra, 22-14, in Cleveland, Ohio. UNI also secured National Duals wins in 2003 (Missouri, 18-15) and 2004 (Iowa State, 22-21). NATIONAL DUALS MATCH FORMAT Each collegiate match will consist of 10 bouts in weight classes from 125 to 285 pounds. Each bout will last three periods, with the first period lasting three minutes and the next two lasting two minutes. Bouts will continue for the full time or until a wrestler is pinned. In the event a bout ends tied, a one minute sudden-victory period will be held. Should the bout remaing tied, two 30-second overtime periods will be conducted. MAT IDENTIFICIATION Inside the UNI-Dome, 18 mats will be in use for the National Duals. In addition each mat can be identified by a number resting on top of the scoreboard at each mat. TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR 2007 NATIONAL DUALS Tickets for the 2007 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals are still available for this weekend's wrestling action. The UNI-Dome is the host for the 2007 National Duals, being held January 13-14 in the UNI-Dome. The NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals is one of the largest collegiate national sporting events in the country, with more than 1,400 wrestlers and 80 teams attending. "We are extremely excited to bring the largest collegiate athletic event to one of the most capable hosting institutions in the country," said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. "There is such a large representation of Iowa wrestling programs at the event. There are few other places in the country where we could have such a strong fan base. There has been fantastic community support and UNI has shown that is has the resources in place to put on great wrestling events, as evidenced by the 1997 NCAA Championships and last year's National Duals." Top wrestlers from each collegiate athletic division (Divison I, II, III, NAIA, JUCO, NWCA and Women's) will compete for a national dual title. Thirteen teams from the state of Iowa will compete including Iowa (I), Iowa State (I), UNI (I), Wartburg (III), Luther (III), Simpson (III), Morningside (NAIA), William Penn (NAIA) and Ellsworth Community College (JUCO). "We are thrilled to have the national duals at the UNI-Dome and in the Cedar Valley. This event will bring significant attention to UNI and to the area," said Rick Hartzell, UNI Director of Athletics. "It is our hope that this can become an annual event that is a positive one for our community in every sense of the word." The event will be broken into two sessions - one on Saturday and one on Sunday. All session passes are available by contacting the UNI-Dome ticket office at (877) 216-DOME. Individual session tickets will go on sale Friday, Jan. 12, 2007. All Session Pass $30 All Session Senior/Student* $22 * Must be under 18 or have a valid University or College ID BAIMA CLIMBS VICTORY CHART UNI senior Nick Baima (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) is in 12th place on the Panthers' all-time victories list with 109 career victories. Baima added wins over UTC's Seth Garvin (20-5) and Oregon State's Brett Arand (17-8). Baima is 109-38 all-time in his Panther career. Kirk Myers (1978-82) and Rich Powers (1988-92) are tied for the all-time record for wins with 134. C.J. CARRIES THE TEAM LEAD Junior 141-pounder C.J. Ettelson (Hudson, Iowa) added to his team leading 22 wins this season with a win over UTC's Josh Keefe. Ettelson also carries the Panthers' best dual mark at 4-1 this year. Ettelson is tied for the team lead with six falls this season. Ettelson has tallied 23 pins in his career and is three pins away from entering the Panthers' top-10 list in that category. Ettelson has compiled an overall mark of 74-32 as a Panther. FAY FAIRS WELL Sophomore 157-pounder Moza Fay (Anamosa, Iowa) secured two more wins this past weekend and improved his season mark to 19-7. Fay notched wins over UTC's Jake Yost and Oregon State's Keegan Davis. Fay tallied a second period fall against Davis to give him the Panthers' team lead with seven pins this season. Fay has four second-place finishes to his name this season at the Harold Nichols Open, Kaufman Brand Open, the UNI Open and the 2006 Midlands. Fay has a 49-15 all-time record at UNI. ANDERSON BEGINS STRONG Sophomore 197-pounder Andrew Anderson (Sioux City, Iowa) ranks third on the team in wins this season with 19. Anderson has picked up a trio of third-place finishes at the Harold Nichols Open, the Kaufman-Brand Open and the UNI Open. Anderson also added a sixth-place finish at the 2006 Midlands to go along with his fifth-place finish at the 2005 Midlands. MITCHELL JOINS SQUAD Junior college transfer Dallas Mitchell joined the UNI wrestling team for the spring semester. Mitchell comes to UNI via Minnesota West Community & Technical School. Mitchell will wrestle at 184 pounds for the Panthers. Mitchell posted a pair of wins in the double dual with Chattanooga and Oregon State. Mitchell wrestled at 197 pounds against the Mocs and 184 pounds against the Beavers. Mitchell is 4-2 since joining the team. DOLLY'S RETURN Junior Alex Dolly has enjoyed a good return to the Panthers' lineup. Dolly suffered a neck injury last season and underwent surgery which forced him to miss the majority of last season. This season Dolly has returned to the lineup and ranks fifth on the team with 15 victories. ANSON MOVES UP TO 133 Redshirt freshman Kyle Anson (Iowa City, Iowa), who saw action at 125 pounds through December has been moved up to 133 pounds after battling an early season illness. Anson moved up to 133 pounds for the Panthers' double dual with Chattanooga and Oregon State. Anson is 12-7 and ranks third on the team with five pins. ZINNEL IS BACK Senior Curt Zinnel (Fort Dodge, Iowa) saw his first action of the season on Dec. 29 at the 2006 Midlands Wrestling Championships. Zinnel is 1-3 this season in his return to the mat. Zinnel tallied 10 wins last season before injuring his hamstring. GOETSCH GETS IT GOING Junior 157-pounder Colby Goetsch (Ankeny, Iowa) tallied an eighth-place finish at the 2006 Midlands. Goetsch posted a 4-3 mark at the tournament in Evanston, Ill., and improved to 11-9 on the season. Goetsch has posted a 29-30 all-time record for the Panthers. UNI IN THE TOP 25 The UNI wrestling team is ranked No. 24 in The Wrestling Report's most recent top 25 poll. UNI JOINS WESTERN WRESTLING CONFERENCE Seven intercollegiate institutions, including the University of Northern Iowa, have announced the formation of the Western Wrestling Conference (WWC). The NCAA Division I wrestling-only alliance will begin competition in the 2006-07 season. Charter members of the Western Wrestling Conference will include: the United States Air Force Academy, North Dakota State University, the University of Northern Colorado, the University of Northern Iowa, South Dakota State University, Utah Valley State College and the University of Wyoming. Three of the members currently compete in the NCAA West Regional and they include Air Force, UNI and Wyoming. Northern Colorado, North Dakota State, South Dakota State and Utah Valley State are transitioning their programs to the Division I level. UNC, NDSU, SDSU will be eligible for the NCAA Championships in 2006-07, while UVSC will be eligible for the postseason in 2009-10. The 2007 NCAA West Regional will still serve as the NCAA qualifying tournament and will be hosted by the University of Northern Iowa. The goal of the league is to replace the West Regional with the conference tournament, which would then serve as the NCAA qualifier. PLEDGES FOR PINS A new initiative by University of Northern Iowa wrestling fans could make the slap of the mat ring like a cash register for the Panther wrestling program. "Pledges for Pins" invites supporters to promise a donation for every pin the team scores in the regular 2006-07 season. Last year the Panthers tallied 44 pins. Sandy Stevens, UNI graduate and announcer at national and international wrestling events, has kicked off the campaign with a pledge of $50 per pin -- and a challenge. "UNI has an unparalleled legacy of wrestling excellence," she said. "This is our chance to help bring the program back into the top five nationally, and all Panther wrestling fans can be involved. "Any pledge amount, from $1 on up, is welcome; however, if 25 others pledge $50 a pin or if 50 people pledge $25 a pin, I'll raise my pledge to $75." UNI head coach Brad Penrith said "Pledges for Pins" is a great opportunity to give back to the UNI wrestling program. "The UNI wrestling program would like to thank Sandy Stevens for stepping up and encouraging others to financially help the Panthers," Penrith said. "This is a great way to help support the program and assist us in getting UNI wrestling back to the top of collegiate wrestling." Donors may specify a maximum number of pins for their contribution, Stevens said. Outright donations are also welcome. Contributors will be sent a statement at the end of the season. Pledges or donations may be sent to Pledges for Pins, UNI Foundation, 205 Commons, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50614. Please include name, address, phone number, signature and amount of pledge per pin. All contributions are tax-deductible. These funds will be used to make improvements to the University of Northern Iowa program and return UNI to its former stature as one of the top wrestling schools in the country. "Panther wrestlers will be showcasing their talent in the new McLeod Center, a first-rate facility," Stevens said. "We want to make it possible for those same wrestlers -- and future student-athletes -- to enjoy a first-class facility in the West gym for their practices." WEEKLY PRESS LUNCHEONS The UNI head coach Brad Penrith or a member of his coaching staff will be available at the weekly Press Luncheons held each Monday beginning at 12 noon in the back room of Pepper's Grill and Sports Pub located on 18th Street in Cedar Falls.

THIS WEEK Fifth-seed Iowa (5-0) will face Cal-Davis (2-3) in the first round of the N.W.C.A./Cliff Keen National Duals Saturday at 9 a.m. at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. The two-day annual tournament features 16 teams each from NCAA Divisions I, II and III and NAIA, eight NJCAA teams, four NCWA teams and three women's wrestling teams. The Division I field includes nine of the top 10 ranked teams in the most recent USA Today/Intermat/N.W.C.A. coaches poll. Cal-Davis, Central Michigan, Cornell, #3 Hofstra, #6 Iowa State, Michigan, #2 Minnesota, #1 Missouri, Nebraska, Northern Iowa, #8 Northwestern, #7 Oklahoma, #4 Oklahoma State, Pennsylvania and West Virginia will all battle the Hawkeyes for the title. Results will be available at www.unipanthers.com throughout the tournament. Depending on the outcome of the Iowa-Cal-Davis dual, the Hawkeyes will face either the winner or loser of the #4 Oklahoma State-Northern Iowa dual Saturday at 1 p.m. NATIONAL DUALS SCHEDULE The following is the Division I tournament schedule for this weekend's N.W.C.A./Cliff Keen National Duals: Saturday, January 13 9-11 a.m. Championship Preliminary Round 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Championship Preliminary Round 1-3 p.m. Championship Quarterfinals/Consolation First Round 3-5 p.m. Championship Quarterfinals/Consolations First Round 5-7 p.m. Consolation Second Round 7-9 p.m. Consolation Third Round Sunday, January 14 9-11 a.m. Seventh-Place Match 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Championship Semifinals 1-2:45 p.m. Third and Fifth-Place Matches 3-5 p.m. Championship Finals NATIONAL DUALS TICKET INFORMATION All-session tickets are $30 for adults and $22 for seniors and students. Individual session tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for seniors and students. Tickets may be purchased by contacting the UNI-Dome box office at 1-877-216-3663. ON THE AIR Onine Radio - Steven Grace and two-time Hawkeye NCAA champion and four-time all-American Mark Ironside will call the Iowa dual meet action live on www.hawkeyesports.com. To listen, go to the wrestling schedule and click on the event. 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). Takedown Wrestling Radio will also broadcast portions of the National Duals free of charge at Takedownradio.com and KXNO.com. J. Carl Guymon, Scott Casber and Steve Foster will call the action. Broadcasts will run Saturday from 9:06-11 a.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. through the tournament finals. Online Video - LiveSportsVideo.com will present a free web cast of Sunday's championship semifinals (11 a.m.), third and fifth-place matches (1 p.m.) and championship finals (3 p.m.). 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. LAST TIME AT THE DUALS Iowa placed sixth at the 2006 N.W.C.A./Cliff Keen National Duals in Cedar Falls. The fifth-seeded Hawkeyes opened the tournament with a 24-13 loss to Nebraska, but fought back in the consolations to defeat Northern Illinois (24-6), third-seed Oklahoma (21-15) and eighth-seed Missouri (31-12) on Saturday. Iowa dropped the fifth-place match to fourth-seeded Michigan (19-15) on Sunday to place sixth. HAWKEYE HISTORY AT THE DUALS Iowa has wrestled in 14 National Duals and has a 50-9-3 all time record in the tournament. Iowa has won the title three times (1992, 1995, 1996), placed second three times (1994, 1997, 1998), third six times (1990, 1991, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2003) and sixth once (2006). SCOUTING THE AGGIES California-Davis is 2-3, 1-0 in the Pac-10, with wins over San Francisco State (35-6) and Stanford (29-12), and losses to Oklahoma State (22-9), Lehigh (33-8) and Columbia (22-16). Head Coach Lennie Zalesky, who was a three-time all-Americans and Big Ten Champion at Iowa from 1979-82, is in his sixth season with the Aggies. He is assisted by former Oklahoma State wrestler Mark Munoz and former California-Bakersfield wrestler Matt Sanchez. The Aggies are led by returning NCAA qualifiers Omar Gaitan (133), Derek Moore (141) and Ken Cook (174). Moore is 12-0, Cook is 13-3 and senior 197-pounder Eliot Kelly is 15-6 this season. THE SERIES Following are Iowa's series records with each Division I N.W.C.A./Cliff Keen National Duals comepting team: Opponent - Series Record - Last Meeting Results (Yr.) California-Davis - 2-0 - W, 26-9 (2005) Central Michigan - 2-0 - W, 28-8 (2003) Cornell - 0-1 - L, 24-6 (1965) Hofstra - 5-0 - W, 24-15 (2002) Iowa State - 54-16-2 - W, 24-6 (2006) Michigan - 23-25-1 - L, 19-15 (2006) Minnesota - 62-23-1 - L, 25-9 (2006) Missouri - 3-0 - W, 31-12 (2006) Nebraska - 22-10-2 - L, 24-13 (2006) Northern Iowa - 39-8-2 - W, 18-15 (2006) Northwestern - 61-7-1 - W, 20-16 (2006) Oklahoma - 16-17-1 - W, 21-15 (2006) Oklahoma State - 16-22-1 - L, 18-14 (2006) Pennsylvania - 3-0 - W, 17-15 (2002) West Virginia - 0-0 - The two teams have never met. HAVEN'T WE MET? Hawkeye junior Matt Fields is 1-0 vs. California-Davis' Broc Maffia at heavyweight. Fields won a 15-6 major decision in the 2005 dual in Davis, CA. IOWA PLACES SECOND AT 2006 MIDLANDS The Hawkeyes crowned one champion, two runners-up and four other placewinners at the 44th annual Midlands Championships in Evanston, IL, December 29-30. Iowa placed second in the team race with 107 points. Iowa State won its first team title since 1981 with 154.5. Hawkeye senior 174-pounder Eric Luedke won his first Midlands title and picked up his 35th career victory, defeating Rider's Doug Umbehauer, 6-4, in the finals. Juniors Alex Tsirtsis and Mark Perry both placed second with second-seed Tsirtsis losing an 8-5 decision to top-seed Ryan Lang of Northwestern at 141 and top-seed Perry losing a 5-2 decision to second-seed Travis Paulson of Iowa State at 165. Also placing for the Hawkeyes were senior Mario Galanakis (8th-133), junior Matt Fields (6th-Hwt.), sophomore Charlie Falck (7th-125) and redshirt freshman Ryan Morningstar (7th-157). 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 800-209-30 (.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. CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA Carver-Hawkeye Arena has been the home of Iowa wrestling since 1983. The Hawkeyes are 154-15 (.911) in the arena, which includes a record 10 victories during the 1986 season. Iowa has recorded 16 undefeated seasons in the arena, with the most recent (8-0) occurring in 2002-03. The dual wrestling attendance record for Carver-Hawkeye Arena is 15,291, set when Iowa defeated Iowa State on February 22, 1992. The arena seats 15,500 for a dual wrestling meet. Iowa's meet with Iowa State earlier this year drew 13,732. That figure ranks 11th in NCAA and Carver-Hawkeye Arena history. 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. ESPN TO EXPAND LIVE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS COVERAGE ESPN recently announced that four of the six sessions of the 2007 NCAA Wrestling Championships will be aired on live television. The March 17 finals will air at 7 p.m. (CT) on ESPN, while session three, four and five will be shown on ESPNU. Session three will air March 16 at 10 a.m., session four will be shown March 16 at 6 p.m. and session five will air March 17 at 9 a.m. The 2007 championships will be held March 15-17 at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, MI. The University of Michigan and the Detroit Metro Sports Commission will serve as hosts. NEXT COMPETITION Iowa will wrestle at Oklahoma State (4-1) Friday, January 19 in its last non-conference dual of the season. Match time is set for 8 p.m. (CT) at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, OK. The dual will be aired live on ESPNU.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- The Rutgers wrestling team will travel East Stroudsburg, Pa. on Wednesday, Jan. 10, for an Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) battle with the Warriors at 7:00 p.m. The Scarlet Knights are coming off of a 36-13 win at Franklin & Marshall on Jan. 6. Rutgers head wrestling coach John Sacchi recorded his 159th career win at the helm of the Scarlet Knights program against the Diplomats, moving to the top of the all-time victory with the win as Rutgers moved to 2-2 on the season, including a 2-1 mark in the EIWA. Jack Barrett (Metuchen, N.J.) and Lamar Brown (Red Bank, N.J.) posted decision wins at 149 and 197 pounds, respectively. Barrett recorded a 12-7 win over Franklin & Marshall's Steve Gregory, while Brown defeated Sean Logue, 10-3. Due to injuries, the Diplomats forfeited matches at the 125, 133, 174 and 184-pound weight classes. Leading in the heavyweight bout, Mike D'Amico (Kenilworth, N.J.) won by injury default when Nico Summers pulled out of the match at the 5:07 mark On the season, the Scarlet Knights are led by Barrett who has an 11-8 record on the season, including a 2-2 mark in dual matches. Chris Norrell (Philipsburg, N.J.) has nine wins on the season, while Dan Hilt (Manalapan, N.J.) has eight victories in his senior campaign. East Stroudsburg is coming off a 27th-place finish at the Southern Scuffle (Dec. 30), not having wrestled a dual match since Dec. 5, when the Warriors fell to Army, 25-12, in an EIWA match. Sean Carr leads the team with 10 wins at 141 pounds, while Nate Nauroth is 5-4 on the season. Rutgers leads the all-time series with the Warriors, 14-11-1, including a 10-4-1 mark under Sacchi. Last season, the Scarlet Knights came up with an 18-14 win over East Stroudsburg on Jan. 11, 2006. Ryan Jablonski (Norristown, Pa.), Steve Adamcsik (Chester, N.J.), Jamie Lijo (Stanhope, N.J.), and Mike Whalen (Lake Hiawatha, N.J.) all picked up wins for RU last year. "It's always a border battle with East Stroudsburg," Sacchi said. "The matches are always tight so we're expecting the same thing this season." Following the match-up with the Warriors, Rutgers will host Army and the Merchant Marine Academy on Sunday, Jan. 14, with matches beginning at 2:00 p.m.