InterMat Staff

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 10 in the nation, put together another dominating performance and crushed No. 12 Hofstra 28-11 in a key Eastern Wrestling dual meet. Head coach Troy Sunderland watched three of his charges take down three top ten wrestlers and got two pins on its way to winning seven of ten bouts. Senior Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) got things started in the dual's first bout with a major decision over the sixth-ranked 197-pounder in Hofstra's Joe Rovelli; classmate Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.) downed the seventh-ranked 125-pounder in Dave Tomasette and junior Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) dominated the nation's second-ranked 141-pounder in Charles Griffin. Add to that a pin form heavyweight Stefan Tighe (Erie, Pa.) in the dual's second bout and junior 184-pounder Phil Bomberger in the final match-up and Penn State rode to a lop-sided win. Davis got things started right away with another dominant performance over a top ten wrestler. This time, an 11-2 major of No. 6 Rovelli gave Penn State a lead it would never relinquish. By the time McKnight posted his decision over No. 7 Tomasette and Strayer nearly pinned No. 2 Griffin on his way to a decision, the Lions owned a 16-5 lead. Tighe and Bomberger added pins and sophomores Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) and Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) notched decisions in the victory. Penn State posted seven bonus points to Hofstra's two. Penn State improves to 2-0 with the win while Hofstra falls to 0-2. Davis will take part in the NWCA All-Star Classic on Monday night in Eugene, Ore. The event begins at 10 p.m. Eastern and Davis will meet No. 3 Mike Tamillow of Northwestern in the exhibition. The Nittany Lions will return to action in two weeks when it takes part in the 2007 Nittany Lion Open in Rec Hall. Action for that event begins at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 2. The Nittany Lion Open is not part of Penn State's regular season ticket package. NLO?tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for students, $2 as part of a group package and free to Nittany Lion Wrestling Club members, Penn State students with ID?and season ticket holders. Penn State will return to action on Friday and Sunday, Dec. 7 and 9, when it visits Lehigh and Oklahoma State, respectively. Penn State's next home dual will be on Jan. 4, when Cornell visits Rec Hall for a 7 p.m. dual. BOUT-BY-BOUT: 197: The bout began with a marquee match-up of top ten men. Penn State's Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) put his No. 2 national tag on the line against No. 6 Joe Rovelli of Hofstra at 197. Rovelli quickly gained control of Davis' right ankle but Davis deftly fought off the move and forced a reset with 2:30 to wrestle in the first period. Davis got the bout's first takedown with a strong move, wrapping Rovelli up mid-chest and taking him down for a 2-0 lead. Rovelli worked for a reversal twice but Davis' used his athletic ability to fight the moves off and carry that lead into the second period. Davis chose down to start the middle stanza and quickly reversed Rovelli, nearly pinning the sixth-ranked Pride wrestler. A dangerous hold forced a reset and Rovelli escaped to a 6-1 deficit. Davis continued to pour on the offense, getting another takedown and a three-point near fall as the second period ended, carrying an 11-1 lead with well over a minute's worth of riding time into the final stanza. Rovelli chose down to start the final period, but Davis maintained strong control for the entire period, dominating Rovelli for the full two minutes. The riding time point gave Davis a convincing 12-1 major decision and put Penn State up 4-0 after one bout. In Davis' first two bouts, the three-time All-American posted a 17-2 technical fall over the No. 8 wrestler in the country and a 12-1 major over No. 6 Rovelli. HWT: Penn State sophomore Stefan Tighe (Erie, Pa.) took on Hofstra's James Guerin at heavyweight. Tighe got out to an early 2-0 lead with a hard-working takedown at the :47 mark but Guerin managed an escape as the period ended. Leading 2-1, Tighe chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. Tighe nearly scored a double-leg takedown midway through the second, but Guerin managed to back off the mat and force a reset (he did get a stall warning in the process). A single leg trip led to another Tighe takedown with just :04 left and the Nittany Lion sophomore held a 5-1 lead entering the final period. Guerin chose down to start the final period and Tighe allowed him up to immediately begin working for bonus points. Tighe quickly grabbed Guerin around the shoulders, smartly tossed him to his back and scored a thrilling pin at the 5:19 mark, sending the Nittany Lion faithful into a frenzy. The pin put Penn State up 10-0 after two bouts. 125: Two of the nation's best met at 125 where Penn State senior Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.), ranked No. 10, met No. 7 Dave Tomasette of Hofstra. The talented senior duo battled tooth-and-nail through the first half of the first period, trading shots without either wrestler giving an inch. McKnight continued to roll through each Tomasette shot, countering with his own near takedowns but after three minutes, the bout was tied 0-0. McKnight chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. He then turned into Tomasette and scored the bout's first takedown with a solid double-leg to take a 3-0 lead at the 1:43 mark. Tomasette got his escape after a reset, cutting the lead to 3-1. McKnight kept the pressure on Tomasette for the rest of the second and carried that lead into the final two minutes. Tomasette chose down to start the final period and escaped to a 3-2 deficit. McKnight continued to be the aggressor, looking for openings as time ticked away. Tomasette nearly turned a McKnight shot into a takedown with :40 left, but McKnight fought off the move and forced a reset in the center of the mat. The Nittany Lion senior continued to work for a clinching takedown and nearly got it as the third period ended. Tomasette managed to fight the move off, but the aggression by McKnight allowed the Lion senior to kill the clock and post an important 3-2 win. The victory put Penn State up 13-0 after three bouts. 133: With senior Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) sidelined by a sore knee, freshman Mike Eagen (Wharton, N.J.) took to the mat against No. 4 Lou Ruggirello of Hofstra. Ruggirello quickly gained control of the match with a two point takedown and a three-point near fall, leading 5-0 after just :30. Ruggirello added two more back points after a reset and three more within the same move and carried a 10-0 lead into the second period. Eagen chose neutral to being the second period but Ruggirello quickly took the Lion freshman down to lead 12-0. Ruggirello added another three-point near fall to post a 15-0 technical fall at the 4:04 mark, cutting the Penn State lead to 13-5. 141: In another match-up between top ten grapplers, No. 7 Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) met No. 2 Charles Griffin of Hofstra. Following McKnight's lead, Strayer acted as the aggressor early on. Getting in on Griffin's left ankle, McKnight pulled the Pride grappler back onto the mat as he tried to slide off and got the bout's first takedown at the 1:21 mark. After a reset, Strayer finished a cradle and turned Griffin to his back, nearly pinning the No. 2 ranked grappler but not getting the call. Still, the three-point near fall sent the bout to the middle stanza with Strayer up 5-0. Griffin chose down to start the second period but Strayer would not give up an early escape. The Lion All-American worked Griffin's right arm from on top, building up a point-clinching 3:20 edge in riding time while riding Griffin out. Leading 5-0 after two periods, Strayer chose down to begin the final period. Strayer gave up a stall point while working to escape. While Griffin did ride Strayer out, Strayer posted a stunning 6-1 win with his riding time point. The thrilling decision gave the Lions a 16-5 lead heading into intermission. 149: Nittany Lion sophomore Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.) put his No. 7 national ranking on the line against Hofstra's Mitch Smith at 149. Jenkins wasted no time in getting up early on Smith, picking both Smith's ankles to lead 2-1 early on. Another ankle pick on the edge of the mat put Jenkins up 4-1 with :47 left. The Nittany Lion sophomore rode the Pride wrestler out to carry the 4-1 lead into the second period (with 1:09 in riding time as well). Smith chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 4-2 deficit. Looking for more points, Jenkins continued to apply the pressure, nearly nabbing another takedown with a flurry of moves midway through the period. But with Smith playing defense, Jenkins settled for a 4-2 lead after two periods. Jenkins chose down to star the final period and escaped to a 5-2 lead. But Smith did manage to work away Jenkins' riding time edge. Smith then took his first real shot of the bout at the 1:00 mark, getting in high on Jenkins' leg, but the Nittany Lion sophomore fought the move off and forced a reset with :55 left to wrestle. Jenkins got in low on Smith's left leg and nearly got two more points, but Smith stepped over Jenkins and forced a stalemate with just :20 left. Jenkins's solid first period was enough to post a sound 5-2 win and put Penn State up 19-5. 157: Penn State's Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 12 at 157, met Jonny Bonilla-Bowman of Hofstra in the next bout. Vallimont wasted no time in opening up a lead, scoring a takedown just :35 into the bout. The Lion sophomore then worked Bonilla-Bowman from the top and built up a 2:35 edge in riding time while riding the Hofstra sophomore out. Down 2-0 after one period, Bonilla-Bowman chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 2-1 deficit. Vallimont used a solid single-leg at th3 :35 mark to up his lead to 4-1 and then his Hofstra foe out to carry that lead into the final period. Vallimont chose down to start the third and quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead. Sidestepping a quick Bonilla-Bowman shot, Vallimont countered with a high shot of his own, but Bonilla-Bowman worked away from the Nittany Lion. Bonilla-Bowman got his first takedown with just :05 left, but the offense was too little too late and, with a riding time point, Vallimont posted a 6-3 win. The victory gave Penn State a 22-5 lead. 165: Sophomore Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio), ranked No. 16 nationally, met Hofstra freshman Ryan Patrovich at 165. Neither wrestler broke through offensively over the first half. With :40 left, Rella worked in high on Patrovich's right thigh, but the red-shirt freshman fought off Rella long enough to force a reset. Scoreless after the first three minutes of wrestling, Patrovich chose down to start the middle period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. A strong double-leg in the middle of the mat nearly resulted in the bout's first takedown, but Patrovich deftly stepped back and out of the situation to maintain his slim lead. Down 1-0, Rella chose down to start the final period. Rella got his bout tying escape after a furious :48 seconds. Another double-leg shot was fought off by Patrovich, who countered the move for a takedown of his own at the :12 mark. The move was enough for the Hofstra grappler to post a 3-1 upset over Rella. The win cut Penn State's lead to 22-8. 174: With starter Mark Friend (Libertyville, Ill.) out of the line-up for Penn State with a skin disorder, sophomore David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) took to the mats to meet Hofstra's Alton Lucas at 174. Erwin, who was ranked No. 11 nationally earlier in the season but dropped out of the rankings after faltering in wrestle-offs, found himself down 2-0 early as Lucas bolted out of the gates with a quick takedown just :07 into the bout. Lucas put together a strong ride and built up a 1:53 edge in riding time before Erwin escaped. Lucas added another strong takedown and rode Erwin out to lead 4-1 with 2:04 in riding time after one period. Erwin chose down to begin the middle stanza and quickly escaped to a 4-2 deficit. Breaking open his offense, Erwin got his first takedown right in front of the scorers table to tie the bout at 4-4. Needing more than one takedown, he let Lucas up, giving the Pride wrestler a 5-4 lead after two periods. Griffin chose down to start the third. Erwin cut him loose to a 6-4 deficit and quickly shot low but Griffin countered the move to score two points of his own. Erwin notched a reversal and once again cut Griffin loose but after 1:10 in the third period, Griffin held a 9-06 edge. The Hofstra junior added another takedown at the :40 mark to move out to an 11-7 lead after an Erwin escape. A riding time point gave Lucas a 12-7 win and cut Penn State's lead to 22-11. 184: Nittany Lion junior Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.), ranked No. 20 at 184, met Hofstra freshman Jeff Siciliano. Showcasing his offense quickly, Bomberger had an early takedown waved off just :15. Not needing much more time than that, Bomberger caught Siciliano in an upper body hold and tossed the Pride rookie to his back, sticking him for a pin at 1:52 to put an exclamation point on a dominating team performance. The six points gave Penn State a 28-11 win.

OMAHA, NE -- The University of Iowa wrestling team crowned five individual champions at the 25th annual Kaufman-Brand Open in Omaha, NE, Saturday. All of Iowa's champions and all but two placewinners were competing unattached. Seniors Mark Perry (165) and Matt Fields (Hwt.), junior Charlie Falck (125) and sophomores Joe Slaton (133), Brent Metcalf (149) and Phillip Keddy (184) each won titles in the tournament's elite division. It was Metcalf's second straight individual title at the meet, while the other five won their first career Kaufman-Brand Open title. Iowa's six individual titles was the most recorded by any team. Tournament host University of Nebraska-Omaha crowned four individual champions. Also placing for the Hawkeyes in the elite division were juniors Dan Erekson (Hwt.-3rd) and Rick Loera (184-3rd), and sophomores Dan LeClere (141-3rd), Jay Borschel (174-5th) and Chad Beatty (174-6th). Placing for Iowa in the amateur division were redshirt freshman Matt Ballweg (149-3rd) and true freshmen J.J. Krutsinger (125-3rd), Blake Rasing (Hwt.-3rd), Jordan Johnson (197-4th), Montell Marion (133-5th) and Brodie Ambrose (197-5th). Iowa will open the 2007-08 dual season Nov. 24 at the St. Edward Duals in Lakewood, OH. The Hawkeyes will face the University of Findlay at 9 a.m., Iowa Central Community College at 10:30 a.m., Old Dominion University at 1:30 p.m. and North Carolina State University at 3 p.m. All times are central and all matches will be held at the St. Edward High School Gymnasium.

Please Note: RevWrestling.com is dedicated to covering and promoting amateur wrestling on all levels. However, on occasion, RevWrestling.com will look at mixed martial arts (MMA) as it relates to amateur wrestling. Event: UFC 78: Validation Date: November 17, 2007 Location: Newark, New Jersey (Prudential Center) In what many are calling a rare lame UFC card with few big-name fighters, tonight's mixed martial card still has some very intriguing matchups to solve. One of the most interesting fights on the card is unbeaten and four-time Clarion NCAA qualifier Frankie "The Answer" EDGAR (7-0) taking on the hard-hitting and very experienced Spencer "The King" FISHER (20-3). Spencer has 11 KOs out of his 20 wins and may be the hardest puncher in the welterweight ranks. But Edgar has been perfect and is the only fighter to have defeated Tyson Griffin, and he will be fighting in front of hometown folks tonight in New Jersey. Despite being favored by 81% of UFC website voters, Fisher opened as only a �115 pick against Edgar. And strangely, the betting public has pounded Edgar and he is now the �145 favorite. I had hoped for underdog odds on "the Answer", but still will take my chances with Edgar's skills. Fisher should push the pace and stalk Frank around the cage in his stand-up game, but I see the wrestling skills of Edgar controlling Fisher's body on the ground, which will lead to a narrow decision over the more-seasoned veteran. Nobody has been able to submit Fisher. Maybe tonight? Take EDGAR �145 over Fisher by narrow decision. Ed "Short Fuse" HERMAN (13-5) is a product of the Ultimate Fighter show. He takes on journeyman, Canadian fighter Joe DOERKSEN (39-10), who has been fighting MMA for almost a decade. Doerksen's losses have been to studs like Matt Hughes, Matt Lindland, Eugene Jackson, David Loiseau, Nate Marquardt, and Paulo Filho. Not bad, huh? Herman's has been vulnerable to getting caught by submission, and this is where Doerksen shines. An amazing 31 of his 39 victories is by submission. And, tonight he is an underdog at +120! I'll take the bait. I like DOERKSEN by 2nd round submission with rear-naked choke. Karo "the Heat" PARISYAN (17-5) is known for his relentless aggression on the mat , tumbling from one move to another using his judo and ground skills to become a truly entertaining fighter. His sights are on the elterweight crown as he fights to survive against Ryo "Piranha" CHONAN (14-7). Chonan's whole career has been spent fighting some of the best of Pride in Japan, while Parisyan's mark includes wins over UFC fighters like reigning champ Matt Serra, Chris Lytle, Nick Thompson, Josh Burkman, Drew Fickett, and Nick Diaz. That's pretty impressive. Yet Karo has never had a KO win. Will tonight be the night? I doubt it. But, I see an easy victory for the heavily favored Parisyan (who ranges from �345 to �450). Take PARISYAN and lay the juice. He wins by 1st round armbar submission. Houston ALEXANDER (8-1) has come stomping onto the UFC with back-to-back demolishing TKO wins over Alessio Sakara and Keith Jardine, who recently beat legendary Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell. His opponent is unbeaten Thiago SILVA (11-0), who has 9 KOs out of his 11 wins. Somebody's gonna get knocked senseless tonight in this fight. These two aggressive sluggers will go toe-to-toe from the "get-go" in this one! It should be electrifying and over in a heartbeat. When the dust settles, I hope my man is still standing. Ride the hot horse, take ALEXANDER �155 by 1st round KO. In the featured match, former Michigan State wrestler Rashad EVANS (10-0-1) takes on undefeated British light-heavyweight Michael "The Count" BISPING (14-0). Despite both being undefeated, they are both coming off "losses of sort". Evans got the daylights kicked out of him by a much larger and more experienced Tito Ortiz, yet managed to get a draw out of the contest thanks to Tito losing a penalty point. Bisping was schooled by a better Matt Hamill, who got screwed by British judges who gave the split decision to the hometown boy. Dana White should be ashamed. Evans looks small for his weight class, but his wrestling skills are impeccable and he is faster than most he faces. Bisping will be going for a KO and would prefer to stand and fight. That won't happen. When Evans gets Bisping to his back, you will see some impressive ground-and-pound that will pick up where Tito left off. Take EVANS �305 to stay unbeaten. On the undercard: Thiago "Pitbull" ALVES (12-3) -170 beats Chris "lights out" LYTLE (24-14-5) by split decision. Both fighters are capable of a win here. Joe "J-Lau" LAUSON (15-3) �550 beats undefeated Jason REINHARDT (18-0) by 1st round triangle choke submission. Lauson is a psycho freak with cage experience going against a fighter who hasn't lost, but also hasn't fought at this level of competition. Marcus "Maximus" AURELLO (14-5) �450 beats Luke CAUDILLO (13-8) by 2nd round armbar submission. Why is this fight on the card? …….and veteran MMA fighter, Akihiro GONO (27-12-7) -225 wins a decision over the undefeated youngster, Tamden "the barn cat" McCRORY (8-0). Gono's been fighting for over 13 years, while McCrory has been at it for just over a year! How does a fighter get 7 "draws" on his record? I'll take the experience here. That's it for now. Enjoy the fights. I'll see you at the winner's window!

NORMAN, Okla. -- Oklahoma scored 30 unanswered points after trailing early to dominate the North Carolina State Wolfpack by a score of 30-9 in Norman. The Sooners trailed 9-0 after losing the first three matches of the evening. Taylor Cummings won in a 6-4 decision over Greg Cannon at 125 pounds, followed by 133-pound J.R. Roman falling to Ryan Tice by a 13-10 decision. The Wolfpack extended their lead 9-0 after a 5-0 decision by Joe Caramanica over Zack Bailey at 141 pounds. Will Rowe at 149 pounds started the Sooner comeback with a dramatic fall over returning ACC Wrestler of the Year Darrion Caldwell. "Will showed his character and got a big fall for us that really turned the tide of the match," head coach Jack Spates said. The Sooners would not look back, with Chad Terry scoring a 9-2 decision over Ray Ward in the 157-pound match to tie the team score at nine. Max Dean won in dominant fashion over Jalil Dozier in a 15-3 major decision at 165 pounds. Jeff James extended the OU lead to 16-9 by edging Randy Goodman 3-2 at 174 pounds. Joshua Weitzel scored a win at 184 pounds by forfeit. Joel Flaggert scored the only technical fall of the night in a 24-8 win over Mark Jahad at 197 pounds, followed by the final victory by Nathan Fernandez, scoring a 11-6 decision over Bobby Isola in the heavyweight division. "I feel good about this team," Spates said. "We are young so we are continuing to learn, but I like the direction we are headed." Oklahoma wrestlers will next be in action at the Oklahoma Classic, held in Norman at the Lloyd Noble Center on Nov. 24.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan wrestling team set its 2007-08 starting rotation at the annual Maize and Blue Intrasquad on Friday (Nov. 16) in front of 813 fans at Cliff Keen Arena. After preliminary matches were held in practice throughout the preceding week, the intrasquad featured the final round of wrestleoffs at six different weight classes. First-time starters emerged from three different weight classes as freshman Kellen Russell (High Bridge, N.J./Blair Academy), sophomore/freshman Anthony Biondo (Clinton Twp., Mich./Chippewa Valley HS) and sophomore/freshman Matt Guhn (Clyde, Ohio/Clyde HS) swept the series 141 and 197 pounds and heavyweight. The final bouts were all decided by two points or less. Russell will be the second true freshman to earn an immediate starting role in as many years for the Wolverines after defeating junior/sophomore Justin Chrzanowski (Metamora, Mich./Lapeer West HS) by a narrow 3-1 margin. Russell started the second period down following a scoreless first and quickly scrambled for a reversal to secure the only points he would need. Chrzanowski picked up a quick escape in the third to pull within one, but Russell used his 1:14 in riding-time advantage to pad the lead at match's end. The bouts at 197 pounds and heavyweight proved even closer affairs. Biondo trailed by a point late in his match against sophomore/freshman Eddie Phillips (Woodland, Mich./Lakewood HS) but scored a slide-by takedown with just 33 seconds remaining in the bout and held Phillips to the mat to win 4-3. Guhn did just the opposite in the subsequent contest, using a first-period takedown on the edge to defeat sophomore/freshman Chad Bleske (Washington, Mich./Romeo HS) 3-2. Junior Michael Watts (Riverton, Utah/Riverton HS) and sophomore Chris Diehl (Burton, Mich./Flint Kearsley HS) kicked off the intrasquad competition with major-decision victories at 125 and 133 pounds, respectively. Watts scored a pair of first-period takedowns and added five back points to beat freshman Zach Jones (Brighton, Mich./Hartland HS) by an 11-1 margin. Watts will wrestle freshman Jason Lara (Midway City, Calif./Calvary Chapel HS) in the final round of wrestle-offs at 125 pounds in the coming weeks. Diehl used a front headlock to earn a quick takedown against sophomore/freshman Mike Sears (Grand Blanc, Mich./Flint Powers Catholic HS) and locked up a cradle to secure a three-point near fall late in the frame. Diehl converted on double-leg attempts to score two more takedowns and added 4:38 in riding time to win 11-0. Fifth-year senior Jeff Marsh (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) used a first-period double leg to pick up a close 3-2 decision over sophomore/freshman Aaron Hynes (Mt. Morris, Mich./Flint Kearsley HS), while senior/junior Cody Waters (Adrian, Mich./Adrian HS) converted a late third-period single leg to beat sophomore/freshman Ryan Selley (Linden, Mich./Linden HS) 3-1 in an equally close bout at 184 pounds. Waters will soon face senior/junior captain Tyrel Todd (Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS) for the final 184-pound wrestle-off. Senior/junior Steve Luke (Massillon, Ohio/Perry HS) reclaimed his starting spot at 174 pounds with a 15-2 major decision against junior/sophomore Jordan Sherrod (Portage, Mich./Central HS). Luke built up a sizeable advantage in the first period after using a fireman's carry to take Sherrod directly to his back and tack on three back points. He added another takedown in each of the remaining frames and two more back points to earn the decisive victory. The intrasquad featured three exhibition contests, including two starring the Wolverines' fifth-year senior captains Josh Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) and Eric Tannenbaum (Naperville, Ill./North HS), who will be competing in the NWCA All-Star Classic on Monday (Nov. 19) at 149 and 165 pounds, respectively. Churella earned a 18-1 technical fall over sophomore/freshman Mark Beaudry (Pueblo, Colo./South HS), using three takedowns and 11 back points to end the match at the five-minute mark. Tannenbaum beat freshman Dave Johnson (Jenison, Mich./Jenison HS) from his feat, scoring five takedowns before adding a late two-point near fall and 4:36 in riding time to claim a 14-3 major decision. Freshman Justin Zeerip (Fremont, Mich./Hesperia HS) earned a 10-0 major decision over senior/junior Dario Mainella (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson HS) in the third exhibition match. Zeerip took an early lead on a quick single leg and used a leg turk to score three back points and a five-point advantage after the first period. The U-M rookie countered a late second-period shot to add another takedown and rode out Mainella in the third to accumulate 3:41 in riding time. The Wolverines will officially kick off the 2007-08 season next Saturday (Nov. 24) at the Journeymen/Brute Northeast Duals in Troy, N.Y. Michigan square off against Bucknell, Maryland, Bloomsburg and Virginia at the dual-meet event.

LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. -- The second-ranked Iowa State wrestling squad etched its second dual victory of the season with a 34-0 victory over Rider Friday night in Alumni Gym. David Bertolino upset No. 11 T.J. Morrison at 197 pounds and three Cyclones -- Nick Fanthorpe (133), Jon Reader (165) and David Zabriskie (HWT) -- provided bonus points. Winning in their ISU dual debut were Mark Kist and Chris Pursel at 125 and 174 pounds, respectively. "Rider is a solid program with solid kids," ISU head coach Cael Sanderson said. "It gives us more preparation for our season. We're getting good competition and were trying to see where we're at so far. Now, we go back to the drawing board and see what areas we need to work on." Iowa State (2-0) dominated every aspect of the dual, winning all 10 bouts, recording 33 takedowns and only surrendering three. Outside of the three takedowns, the only points that the Broncs could muster were escapes and a single reversal. The Cyclones handed Rider its second loss of the season. Bertolino, who spent the previous three seasons at 174 pounds, has bumped up two weight classes to 197 pounds for his senior campaign. Bertolino took T.J. Morrison down to the wire and claimed a 5-4 victory. The Mount Pleasant, Ohio, native struck first with a takedown midway through the first period and added an escape at the start of the second period for a 3-0 lead. Morrison, an NCAA qualifier a year ago, reversed Bertolino in the third period to take a 4-3 advantage. With time ticking down, Bertolino escaped from the Bronc to make the match 4-4. The 1:15 worth of riding time that Bertolino accumulated was the difference in the match, giving him a point and a 5-4 victory. "It was a close match," Bertolino said. "I knew that my conditioning was better than his and that he would break before I would. I wanted to push the pace and I knew he was hurting more. I've been waiting to wrestle someone tough and to have the chance to prove myself at this weight. I knew that it was a matter of time before someone tough came along. This is definitely a confidence builder for me." Fanthorpe scored his second major decision of his sophomore campaign, 12-4 over Zac Cunliffe at 133 pounds. The Naperville, Ill., native held a 5-1 lead after the second period, but it was the third period when Fanthorpe proved to be too much for Cunliffe, taking down the Bronc three times. Ranked eighth at 133 pounds, Fanthorpe pushes his season mark to 6-0. Reader continued his explosive offensive performance by putting 16 points on the board and blanking Mike Darling in 5:20. The ninth-ranked 165 pound redshirt freshman used three technical falls, two reversals and a takedown en route to his sixth win. A native of Branchville, N.J., Zabriskie returned to his home state and put together an impressive 24-9 technical fall of Peter Reid. The third period again was again key for the Cyclones as the eighth-ranked heavyweight scored six takedowns in 90 seconds. Zabriskie also recorded 3:11 worth of riding time in the win. In his first dual start, redshirt freshman Mark Kist opened the night with a 3-2 decision over Mitch Fenton at 125 pounds. Kist scored the only takedown early in the first period and added an escape in the third to take the bout. The Eagle Grove, Iowa, native, who finished as the runner-up at last week's Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open, ups his record to 4-0. "Getting that first (dual) win feels great, especially to wrestle in an Iowa State singlet. I wanted to get another takedown towards the end, but I just pushed the pace. This is different from wrestling in a tournament because during a dual there is only one match going on at a time. All of the focus is on you and I like that." Pursel made his first start for the Cyclones and took a 7-3 decision over Joe Ferber at 174 pounds. Hailing from Effingham, Kan., Pursel registered a takedown at 1:01 in the first period and another at 1:34 in the second period. A reversal in the third sealed the sophomore's first dual victory. "Both Kist and Pursel had a great first match," Sanderson said. "They did what we told them to and we're proud of them." Iowa State will travel to Binghamton, N.Y., to wrestle in the Binghamton Duals Sunday. The Cyclones will face a trio of opponents in Clarion, West Virginia and Binghamton starting at 8:30 a.m. CST. Action returns to Hilton Coliseum Dec. 9 as ISU will play host to intrastate rival Iowa at 2 p.m.

Lincoln -- The Husker wrestling team opened their home schedule with a 28-13 dual victory over a persistent Lehigh squad on Friday at the NU Coliseum in front of 828 fans. Nebraska, ranked No. 14 in the nation, tangled with the Mountain Hawks into the eighth match of the night. David Craig scored a 9-4 decision over NU's Andy Johnson at 184 pounds to pull Lehigh within two as LU looked for the upset. Sophomore Levi Wofford went down early in his 197-pound match and the Huskers looked to be on the ropes. Wofford collected himself to take the lead with a dramatic takedown with three seconds left in the first period and crank up the Husker's momentum with a 13-4 major decision win over LU's Alex Iacocca. Wofford's win stretched the lead back to five and rousing victories by senior Jon May at heavyweight and junior Paul Donahoe at 125 capped the dual with three straight wins and a 15-point win for NU. Nebraska found the Mountain Hawks to be a worthy adversary early in the dual. Lehigh jumped out to a 4-0 lead when Kevin Vinh recorded a 10-2 major decision over the Huskers' Austin Baier to start the dual at 133 pounds. Junior Robert Sanders tied the match at four with a 14-4 major decision at 141 as the Huskers won the next two matches behind sophomore Jordan Burroughs at 149 and junior Chris Oliver at 157 to stretch the lead to 12-4. Lehigh asserted themselves back into the dual with a Mike Galante pin of Nebraska's Stephen Dwyer at 165 and cut the Huskers' down to two. Junior Brandon Browne gained NU some breathing room with an 11-5 decision over LU's Alex Caruso at 174, but Lehigh responded with Craig's win over Johnson. Nebraska won the next three matches and Donahoe put an exclamation point on the dual at 125 pounds. Donahoe pinned LU's Mitch Berger in 1:29 to improve to 2-0 in his title defense. The Huskers travel to the talent-filled Kaufman-Brand Open in Omaha Saturday. The majority of NU's squad will compete in the one-day open tournament; with action beginning at 9 a.m. Donahoe will skip the Kaufman-Brand to prepare for the All-Star Classic in Eugene, Ore., on Monday.

It came down to the final bout, but the No. 11 Wisconsin wrestling team upset No. 8 Cornell, 21-18 Friday night at the Newman Arena in Ithaca, N.Y. Junior Dallas Herbst secured the Badger victory when he pinned Cornell's Matt Panasevich at 6:44 in the 197 lbs. match. The night began at heavyweight and Cornell got on the board first. It took an overtime and a tie breaker before the Big Red's Zach Hammond edged Wisconsin junior Kyle Massey, 2-1. The Badgers responded though, winning the next three matches and taking a 9-3 lead. Senior Collin Cudd tied the score at three with an 11-5 victory over Cornell's Frank Perrelli at 125 lbs. and junior Zach Tanelli helped the Badgers take the lead with a close 7-5 win against Mike Grey at 133 lbs. Sophomore Kyle Ruschell wrestled at 141 lbs. for Wisconsin and had four takedowns in his 12-3 win over Eric McGill. The bout at 149 lbs. came down to the final seconds for Wisconsin freshman Kendall Vogel and Cornell's Adam Frey. Vogel scored a two-point takedown with five seconds left in the third period and a three-point nearfall as time expired to knot the score at seven, but Frey's 2:17 of riding time gave Cornell the 8-7 win at 149 lbs. Wisconsin built on its lead with a win at 157 lbs. Only four points were scored in the whole match but senior Craig Henning's two-point reversal in the third period and one point for riding time was what it took to defeat Cornell's Jordan Leen, 3-1. Cornell then tied and regained the lead with pins at 165 lbs. and 174 lbs., but Wisconsin pulled within three at 18-15 with a win at 184 lbs. Sophomore Trevor Brandvold captured the 7-4 victory over Cornell's Nate Holley. Down three and with the match on the line, Herbst got out to a quick 4-0 lead in the first period. As the match continued, Herbst would score five more points and allowed just one point for Panasevich before the Badger grappler recorded his third pin of the season and the win for Wisconsin. Herbst now has 33 career pins, which moves him into second all-time on UW's career falls list. The Badgers return to the mat at the Newman Arena tomorrow for competition at the Body Bar Invite. Wisconsin is one of 10 teams at the invite and competition begins at 8 a.m. (CST).

Dual No. 2: No. 14 Nebraska vs. Lehigh Date: Friday, Nov. 16 Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: NU Coliseum Live Stats: Huskers.com Live Webcast: Huskers.com Tournament No. 2: No. 14 Nebraska at Kaufman-Brand Open Host School: University of Nebraska-Omaha Date: Saturday, Nov. 17 Time: 9 a.m. Location: Sapp Fieldhouse, Omaha, Neb. Live Stats: Gomavs.unomaha.edu Special Event: No. 1 Paul Donahoe at NWCA All-Star Classic Host School: University of Oregon Date: Monday, Nov. 19 Time: 7 p.m. Location: McArthur Court, Eugene, Ore. Live Webcast: Livesportsvideo.com Television: College Sports Television (Tape-Delayed) Nebraska Begins Home Schedule with Lehigh The coming weekend may be a good indicator of how the Nebraska wrestling team will fare this season. NU hosts their first dual of the the year as the Huskers welcome Lehigh (0-1) to the NU Coliseum on Friday at 7:30 p.m and travel to the talent-filled Kaufman-Brand Open in Omaha on Saturday. Friday night's matchup is one of only four home duals for NU during the 2007-08 campaign as the Huskers feature another tough schedule this season, while Saturday's Kaufman-Brand Open is the largest single-day collegiate meet in the nation. Action begins at 9 a.m. in Omaha at the Sapp Fieldhouse as nearly all of NU 31's wrestlers will see action. Junior Paul Donahoe will also face a tough early test as he travels to Eugene, Ore. for the All-Star Classic on Monday. He will face No. 4 Jayson Ness of Minnesota. Last Time Out: Huskers Claim Six Titles at Cowboy Open The Husker wrestling team wrapped up its weekend trip to Wyoming by claiming six individual titles at the Cowboy Open in Laramie on Saturday, including five first-place finishes in the elite division. After a 47-0 dual win over Wyoming on Friday night, Nebraska continued its early-season success in its first tournament of the 2007-08 campaign. Five Huskers won the elite division of their weight class, including Jordan Burroughs (149), Chris Oliver (157), Stephen Dwyer (165), Brandon Browne (174) and Craig Brester (197). Freshman Tucker Lane added NU's final title by winning the heavyweight class of the amateur division. Burroughs highlighted the day with a dominating performance at 149 pounds. Burroughs, a sophomore, recorded three straight major-decision victories to enter the finals and nearly added another major decision as he capped the day with a 13-7 decision over Adam Hall of Boise State. Burroughs had plenty of competition for the spotlight. Fellow sophomore Craig Brester pinned his first two opponents in 55 seconds and 1:43 and added a 16-1 technical fall to advance to the finals. Brester used a 10-4 decision over Josh Majerus of Chadron State College to win his class. Junior Chris Oliver also racked up a pin, his coming in the second round in 1:08 against Noomis Jones of Adams State, as he won the 157 pound class with a 2-1 decision in the finals. Sophomore Stephen Dwyer notched two major decisions before winning a 3-1 overtime match against Eric Coxbill of Wyoming on his way to winning at 165. After sitting out the 2006-07 campaign, junior Brandon Browne shook off the rust with a 13-1 major-decision win in the finals to claim the 174-pound title. Scouting Lehigh (0-1, 0-0 EIWA) Lehigh lost its season-opening dual to No. 20 Pittsbrugh, 24-9, but the Mountain Hawks may be a team ready to excel. LU tied for 38th at the NCAA Championships last year, but return all five qualifiers, including six starters. Lehigh's probable starting lineup for Friday includes six freshmen or sophomores and only two seniors. Several observers are noticing Lehigh's potential also as WIN Magazine has ranked the Mountain Hawks No. 22 and, although they are not ranked by the NWCA, they have received votes. Lehigh's probable starting lineup includes two wrestlers that have climbed into the rankings. Senior Dave Nakasone (157) earns the No. 17 spot according to Amateur Wrestling News after qualifying for his first NCAA Tournament last season. Nakasone went 1-2 at nationals, but both losses came to eventual All-Americans. Sophomore David Craig (184) is the highest ranked Mountain Hawk, ranked No. 12 by Amateur Wrestling News, No. 11 by Intermat and No. 7 be WIN Magazine. Craig will lead Lehigh this season after going 3-2 last year at nationals and reaching the round of 16 as a true freshman at LU. Husker History vs. Lehigh Lehigh is one of a limited number of schools that hold a winning record against the Huskers, as the Mountain Hawks have a 3-2-0 advantage. The series has an interesting history. All five previous meetings between the two squads have come in Bethlehem, Pa., as Friday's matchup will be the first time in school history the Huskers have hosted Lehigh. Nebraska first faced off against LU on Jan., 11, 1939 and lost 22-10. The rivalry took an extended hiatus for 62 years, until NU visited Lehigh in 2001 and again suffered another loss, 24-18. The Mountain Hawks added their third victory against NU in 2003, 34-7, but the Huskers have rolled off two consecutive victories over LU, including a 25-13 win in 2004. Last year's matchup saw the 19th-ranked Huskers win five of the first six matches and never look back on their way to a 27-15 win over No. 23 Lehigh. The win clinched at least a .500 season, the fifth straight for Nebraska and the 17th in the last 18 years. In last year's dual, after a fall at 133 pounds gave NU a six-point deficit, Nebraska reeled off five straight wins, starting with Dominick Moyer's 9-2 victory at 141 pounds over Matt Ciasulli in the night's only match featuring a pair of ranked wrestlers. At 149 pounds, Jordan Burroughs put the Huskers in front with a 19-3 win by technical fall over Jeff Santo. Chris Oliver continued his strong wrestling with a 15-5 major decision triumph over Dave Nakasone at 157 pounds. Stephen Dwyer followed at 165 pounds with a 5-1 win over Manuel Schubert. Marc Harwood continued the run at 174 pounds, defeating Dave Helfrich, 7-4. Harwood clinched the dual with a three-point near fall late in the third period to break a 4-4 tie. The win by Harwood gave Nebraska an 18-6 lead with four matches remaining. After a setback at 184 pounds, Craig Brester clinched the dual for Nebraska with his pin of Matt Cassidy 1:10 into their match at 197 pounds. The pin gave the Huskers a 24-10 lead with just two matches to go. With the dual decided, a loss at heavyweight cut Nebraska's lead to 24-15 with one match left, before Paul Donahoe finished the dual with a thrilling 10-8 win over Matt Fisk at 125 pounds. Scouting the Kaufman-Brand Open The Kaufman-Brand Open, hosted by the University of Nebraska-Omaha has been the nation's largest single-day collegiate meet in the nation for several years. This year, a total of 42 teams are expected to enter approximately 650 wrestlers in the meet. The open attracts a talented field from all levels of wrestling. Teams entered include Big 12 Conference foes Iowa State and Oklahoma State, while the U.S. Olympic Training Center will send a squad. A range of strong teams from around the region attending include Division II schools such as Augustana College (S.D.) and Minnesota State-Mankato. Host school UNO has a strong wrestling history including a national championship two year ago. Division III will also be well represented by Wartburg and Wisconsin-LaCrosse. The first matches get underway at 9 a.m. in two divisions, an open and one for 20 and under competitors. The meet will proceed, with no set times for semifinals or finals, until its conclusion. Last Year at the Kaufman-Brand Open Mike Rowe won the 133-pound elite bracket championship and Matt Vacanti won the 125-pound amateur bracket title to lead the way for the 15 Nebraska wrestlers who placed at the 2006 Kaufman-Brand Open on Saturday at Sapp Fieldhouse in Omaha, Neb. No team scoring was kept, but half of the 30 wrestlers Nebraska sent to the event placed. The tournament, which featured Iowa State, Oklahoma State and Minnesota and hosted by Division II national champion Nebraska-Omaha, is the largest one-day tournament in the nation with 37 teams participating. On his way to the championship, Rowe won four matches, including one by fall over Brad Neitenbach of Oklahoma State in the second round. Rowe clinched the championship with a win by medical forfeit over the OSU's Coleman Scott. Vacanti was dominant on his way to the championship in the 125-pound amateur bracket. He won his first three matches in the tournament by fall by in a total of 7:12. Vacanti defeated Terrance Young of Iowa Central by decision, 3-1, before knocking off Oklahoma State's Ben Ashmore, 3-2, in the finals. At 141 pounds, Dominick Moyer took second in the elite bracket. His run to the finals included a 9-3 semifinal win over fourth-ranked Alex Tsirtsis of Iowa. Moyer was defeated in the final by 10th-ranked Manuel Rivera of Minnesota, 6-4, in his third match against ranked opposition on the day. After a first-round win over Dan Ruter of Dubuque, Moyer defeated eighth-ranked C.J. Ettelson of Northern Iowa, 6-3. Also taking runner-up honors was Brandon Browne at 174 pounds in the elite bracket. Browne ran off four straight wins by decision before losing in the sudden victory period in the final to 11th-ranked Gabe Dretsch of Minnesota, 3-1. Three Huskers competing in the elite brackets earned third-place finishes in their respective weight classes. Paul Donahoe at 125 pounds won five of six matches including the first three by fall and the third-place match by major decision on his way to finishing third. At 157 pounds, Chris Oliver capped a 5-1 day with a 5-4 win over Ryan Morningstar of Iowa to take third, while heavyweight Jon May also placed third, rebounding from an overtime loss to win a pair of matches in the consolation bracket. Rounding out the eight Huskers placing in the elite brackets were Patrick Aleksanyan (sixth, 133) and Vince Jones (fifth, 184). In the amateur brackets, a pair of Nebraska wrestlers earned third-place finishes, including Curtis Salazar at 149 pounds and Stephen Dwyer at 165 pounds. Jordan Burroughs took fourth at 149 pounds, while Casey Gubbels and Cameron Browne finished in fifth place at 141 and 197, respectively. Alex Ward finished sixth at 165 pounds. Donahoe Selected to All-Star Classic Nebraska junior wrestler Paul Donahoe has been selected to participate in the 42nd Annual NWCA (National Wrestling Coaches Association) All-Star Classic in Eugene, Ore. The event, hosted by the University of Oregon this year, begins at 9 p.m. CT on Monday, Nov. 19. The event attempts to pair the top two wrestlers in each weight class. However, Donahoe, ranked No. 1 at 125 by Intermat, will be pitted against No. 4 Jayson Ness, a sophomore from the University of Minnesota. Donahoe is the first Husker to compete in the All-Star Classic since Jacob Klein wrestled at 174 pounds in 2004. Fans can watch the event live through the subscription-based service, livesportsvideo.com, or catch the action tape-delayed on CSTV at 7:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday. Follow Huskers.com for match-day news. Donahoe Defends Junior Paul Donahoe will attempt to become the first Husker to repeat as a national champion this season. Donahoe capped his sophomore year by going 5-0 at the NCAA Championships, including a 3-1 overtime win over No. 1 Sam Hazewinkel of Oklahoma in the finals. Donahoe started the season by winning 23 of his first 24 matches and never looked back. His 35-5 season record tied three Huskers for fourth-most wins by a sophomore in school history. He became the first NU wrestler since Jason Powell in 2002-03 to win at least 30 matches. Donahoe became the ninth national champion in school history and the 77th All-American. Single Senior The Nebraska wrestling team sports plenty of youth this season as its roster includes just one senior. Heavyweight Jon May returns for his senior year as a Husker looking to return to the NCAA Championships. May notched a 1-2 record at nationals in 2006, and looked to be well on his way last season before an ACL injury sidelined him. May recorded a 14-4 record before the injury. May's experience will come in handy as 16 of NU's 34 wrestlers are in their first or second year in the program. Last Friday, May made his first dual start since Feb. 19, 2006, against Wyoming. May recorded a 7-3 decision over Jason Still to pick up the win. Manning's Meanderings Nebraska wrestling head coach Mark Manning took his talents halfway across the world, as he traveled with the U.S. delegation as an assistant coach to the 2007 World Championships in Bauke, Azerbaijan, on Sept. 17-23. Manning has his share of international experience. He was selected as the head coach of the U.S. team for the 2001 World Championships. He also coached in the 1996 and 2000 Olympics as an assistant. Manning focused his efforts on the freestyle team, while two of his former wrestlers, Brad Vering and Justing Ruiz, competed for the U.S. in the Greco-Roman division. Vering, an NCAA Champion at 197 pounds at Nebraska in 2000, captured the silver medal in the 84 kilograms (185 pounds) division. He rolled off five straight wins before losing in the finals. The country of Azerbaijan, where the World Championships were held, was a full 10 time zones ahead of Lincoln. The country is located north of Iran and east of Armenia. Manning is entering his eighth year as Nebraska's head coach in 2007-08, having compiled a 118-63-4 dual record. St. Louis Slated for Schedule Eager Nebraska fans can mark March 20-22 on their calender right now. The NCAA Championships will be held on those dates at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo. and hopefully more than a few Huskers will be there. As the 2007-08 season begins, eight NU grapplers are ranked in their respective weight classes, but a tough road to St. Louis faces them. Nebraska's schedule features seven schools ranked by InterMat, including the top three teams in Minnesota, Oklahoma State and Iowa State. Nebraska will face all three of those opponents on the road. It's All In the Family The Nebraska wrestling team will be a family affair this season as three sets of brothers are on the squad. For the second consecutive year, two members of the Moyer, Sanders and Browne family will share time on the mat. Dominick Moyer, Robert Sanders and Brandon Browne will be joined by their younger brothers Derek, Paul and Cameron, respectively. Dominick Moyer, a volunteer assistant coach this year after finishing his career with the Huskers, is joined on the NU wrestling squad by his brother, Derek, who was a three-time state champion at Oskaloosa High School in Iowa. Robert Sanders, an NCAA qualifier at 149 pounds in 2005-06, continues his wrestling career with his brother Paul at NU. With their father, Bob, as their head coach, both Robert and Paul won at least two individual state championships at San Juan High School in Blanding, Utah. Brandon Browne, a projected starter at 174 pounds, is joined again by his brother, Cameron. Brandon was a two-time state champion at Plattsmouth High School, while Cameron earned one state title during his time at PHS. Since 1990, six pairs of brothers have lettered for NU, including the Buxtons (Jason, 1991-92; John 1990-93), the Coltvets (Jeff, 1985-86, 1988-89; Rick, 1992-93), the DeAndas (Tony, 1995-96; Jose, 1996-99), the Hensons (Joe, 1999-2000; Josh, 1999-2000), the Malias (Joe, 2000-04; Ty, 2001) and the Verings (Brad, 1998-2001; Russ, 1994). Among those wrestlers are three that attained All-America status, including three-time All-American and 2000 national champion Brad Vering. Jose DeAnda and John Buxton also earned All-America honors during their Husker careers. In NU wrestling history, the most decorated pair of brothers are the Scherrs. Bill and Jim Scherr each won a national championship in 1984, Jim at 177 pounds, and Bill at 190. Jim earned a pair of All-America honors during his career, while Bill was a three-time All-American. Both Bill and Jim are members of Nebraska's 100-win club. Non-Varsity Notes Nebraska's non-varsity wrestlers face one of their most difficult challenges of the season with the Kaufman-Brand Open on Saturday. The tournament is one of the nation's largest single-day collegiate meet, and draws top teams from across the nation. Many of the Huskers will compete in the amateur division, reserved for 20 and under competitors, while the majority of NU's starters will see time in the elite division. The majority of the NU's non-varsity wrestlers began their season last Saturday at the Cowboy Open. Leading the way for the Huskers was freshman Tucker Lane, who won the heavyweight class of the amateur division. Lane is now 7-1 on the season with three pins. He has finished first and second in the two open tournaments he has competed in. At 149, freshman Chris Hacker realed off four straight victories, including his first two by pin in 1:51 and 1:25, respectively. Curtis Salazar, competing at 141, and Cody Foust, wrestling at 165, both went 2-2 at the Cowboy Open. Huskers Battle for Starting Spots at Wrestle-Offs The 2007-08 Nebraska wrestling team made its public debut Nov. 2 as the Huskers held their annual wrestle-offs at the Devaney Center Track. Several Huskers made cases for starting positions while several grapplers made a tough decision for NU head coach Mark Manning. The wrestle-offs, held to assist Manning in deciding the final starting lineup, saw several grapplers go undefeated on the night. Junior Chris Oliver qualified for the NCAA Tournament last year and looks to be on his way again as he asserted his abilities at 157 pounds Friday night. Oliver pinned Rob Plambeck in 35 seconds, pinned Frank Jonas in 2:25 and recorded an 11-3 major decision over Paul Sanders. Sophomore Stephen Dwyer also qualified last year and also won both his matches Friday night. Dwyer recorded a 12-0 major decision over Cody Foust and followed up with a 4-1 decision over Alex Ward at 165 pounds. The talented group of Huskers at 141 pounds continued to prove the weight class is the deepest for NU this season. However, a starter did not make himself immediately clear Friday night. Junior Robert Sanders won two matches against Jered Hensley and Patrick Aleksanyan, but redshirt freshman Curtis Salazar beat him. Salazar made his own bid for the spot with a win over Sanders, but came up short against Aleksanyan. Next up: Nebraska Invited to Las Vegas The Huskers will trek to the Silver State for their next competition to participate in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Nov. 30-Dec. 1. The event, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center this year, usually draws several of the top teams in the nation. Ranked schools such as Oregon State and Hofstra will be in attendance. The Huskers have historically excelled at the invite, including finishing fourth as a team last year.

MASON CITY -– NIACC wrestling's first home dual meet in over 30 years ended in a dominating fashion as the lower weight classes for the Trojans sparked a 35-15 win over Ridgewater Community College. NIACC's Cody Hogan (125), who is ranked #6 in the nation, set the tone early in the dual, pinning Ridgewater's Tom Brenner in 3:35. In the 133 pound weight class, Trojan Nathan Jones never trailed against Jon Tatro and took down Tatro three times en route to a 9-5 decision, and a 9-0 lead overall for NIACC. At 141, Trojan T.J. Moen extended NIACC's lead with a 9-5 decision over nationally seventh ranked Brandon Schunk, and ranked sixth in the nation Albert White dropped Ridgewater's Greg Skerik in a technical fall, 22-7 in 5:35. Another nationally ranked Trojan DeVaughn Perkins (ranked #5 at 157 pounds) forced Zach Juusola into a fall in the first period. NIACC's Aaron Hancock was nearly pinned in the second period of his 165 pound match against Kurt Salmonon, but was able to turn the tables and pinned Salmonon in 3:43 to make NIACC's lead 29-0. Ridgewater got on the board in the 174 pound match when Scott Thompson beat Tim Hill by technical fall in 3:27, and Ridgewater's Andrew Larson added to the teams total by dropping NIACC's Jason Schweer in a technical fall, 18-1. NIACC's Jordan Graham, who is nationally ranked seventh in the 184 pound class, wrestled in the 197 class and beat Shane Swenson by fall, allowing only five points in 5:34. In the final match of the night, Beau Tudor of NIACC dropped a decision to Seth McGregor in the heavyweight class, 10-0 NIACC is now 1-0 in dual meets this year and will wrestle at the UNO Open in Omaha, Nebraska on November 17. The next NIACC home dual meet is on December 7 against Neosho County Community College.

Every four years, the wrestling world turns its attention to the Olympics, as grapplers from across the planet battle for glory and precious medals. Jamie MoffattBefore ever stepping on the mat at the Olympics, wrestlers in the United States must first earn a place on the U.S. Olympic team. This long process culminates with the U.S. Olympic Trials usually held weeks before the Olympic Games. Author Jamie Moffatt provides wrestling fans with a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at this process of building a U.S. Olympic wrestling team in his brand-new book, Wrestlers at the Trials, published by Exit Zero Publishing, Inc. This 196-page book covers the U.S. Olympic Trials from 1960 through 1988 by sharing the stories of more than ninety U.S. wrestlers, coaches and officials who participated in these events. Wrestling fans may recognize Jamie Moffatt as co-author (with Roger Olesen) of A Turning Point, the 2003 book about the 1953 NCAA wrestling championships held at Penn State or for his work as former board chairman of the College Sports Council, a non-profit advocacy group who opposes the enforcement of proportionality aspects of Title IX. He wrestled for The Hill School in Pennsylvania, where he was team captain his senior year, and competed at Cornell University his freshman year. After graduating from Cornell in 1965, Jamie had a successful business career, retiring a few yeas ago as a Management Consulting Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers. The long road to The Trials What caused Jamie to write a book about the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials? "I got some nice feedback on my 1953 NCAA book. Frank Bettucci, who I had interviewed for that book (as the 147-pound NCAA champ from Cornell University), told me I should write the story of the 1960 Olympic Trials." "I gave it considerable thought … There's very minimal coverage of the Trials. No books, and not much media coverage, either. Yet there are interesting stories to share, stories that should be preserved for posterity's sake." "I originally decided to expand the scope of the book beyond the 1960 Trials, all the way through 2004," Jamie discloses. "I decided to start with 1960 because a number of the wrestlers from earlier Trials have already passed on." "In November 2005, I went to Colorado Springs to meet with the folks at USA Wrestling and the U.S. Olympic Committee. I wasn't seeking funding, but was looking for moral support, and access to their records … I got all the encouragement I needed." "As I started the writing process, for each of the Trials, I looked at the �box scores' -- the results -- and thought, 'Who would be the people I should contact?' USA Wrestling's Gary Abbott was particularly helpful in making some suggestions for contacts." Knowing when to close the book "Until this spring, I was on target to complete a book about the 1960-2004 Trials in time for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials," continues Jamie. As I was starting work on the chapters for the 1988 and 1992 Trials, many of the guys I was interviewing just weren't as passionate as the wrestlers who were involved in earlier Trials, and weren't as available. The older guys have fewer time restraints. Most of them are retired, and have raised their families." "I also realized that, to finish the book as originally intended, would have been a 60-80 hour-a-week task. I woke up one morning at 2 a.m. with the idea that I should conclude the book at the 1988 Trials." "I stopped writing in July, so that I could bring the book out at the beginning of the wrestling season." Making contact When asked how he gathered information for Wrestlers at the Trials, Jamie Moffatt replies, "I did 95% of the interviews by phone." "The majority of my time spent was finding people. Jim Scherr (U.S. Olympic Committee chair and 1988 U.S. Olympic freestyle team member) was kind enough to share contact info on wrestlers who competed in the Olympics, though that information was not always kept up-to-date. Wayne Baughman (Olympic wrestler and coach) provided a lot of help." "I played investigator, using online tools to try to find people." "Once I made contact (with the wrestlers), I'd explain what I was doing, then say, 'I'll call you back in a week or two' to give them a chance to clear the cobwebs and gather their thoughts," says Jamie. "When I conducted the interviews, I made sure to ask the wrestlers about how they got started in the sport. I thought that was important information to share with readers." "I did all the interviews chronologically," Jamie explains. "I did all the interviews for the 1960 Trials, then wrote that chapter, then moved on to the 1964 Trials." "As I did the interviews on the phone, I'd take notes in my own form of notehand, then type up my notes immediately after, while it was all fresh in my mind." "For the most part, the guys I talked to were grateful to be asked, and willing to share their stories, with the idea of doing something for the sport." "One after another, as they told their stories, these guys were very gracious, to me, and, with regards to their fellow competitors," Jamie continues. "Mutual respect is so much a part of this. You can't achieve this level of excellence unless you pay the price. These guys know what the others have been through." Political intrigues However, when it comes to talking about referees, coaches or other officials that may have done them wrong, it was another matter. "(Wrestlers) were very open to talk about politics," says Jamie. Readers of Wrestlers at the Trials who always assumed that "the best man" automatically made the U.S. team and wrestled at the Olympics may be surprised at the backroom politics, territorial favoritism and racial prejudices that sometimes overrode pure mat talent in terms of determining team membership. In its first chapter, Wrestlers at the Trials presents some allegations of unfairness in the process to determine who would wrestle for the United States at the 1960 Olympics in Rome. Some wrestlers from Eastern schools alleged that the coaches and officials were biased towards grapplers with Oklahoma connections. One example: Cornell University wrestler -- and two-time NCAA champ -- Dave Auble thought he had won the 125.5 lb freestyle slot at the U.S. Olympic Trials at Ames, Iowa which Terry McCann had missed because of an injury. After the Trials, a training camp was held at the University of Oklahoma, hosted by the freestyle coach (and former Sooner head coach) Port Robertson, culminating in a "final wrestle-off." Here's how Dave Auble describes the situation on page 18 of Wrestlers at the Trials: 1960 U.S. Olympic Trials champions pictured. Note: Only three of the Trials champions made the U.S. Olympic team in 1960. Dave Auble is second from the right (Photo/Amateur Wrestling News)At the start of the Camp, the coaches laid down the rules for us. They made it very clear -� it would be tough. 1) If anyone leaves the Camp, they are off the team; 2) if anyone brings their family to Camp, thy are off the team; 3) and we had to live in the dorms. Not everyone played by these rules. McCann left and went home at the end of the first week of Camp. I am not sure why. The coaches came and told me I now had made the final team. Several days later, McCann returned, brings his wife back with him, and moves into a local hotel. Then they told me I had to wrestle him for the team spot. None of this seemed fair to me. After finding out that McCann was staying in a hotel, our coaches went to the Committee and requested that we get a hotel room. They couldn't say 'no' since they gave the okay for McCann to live there, so we moved and got some comfortable nights' sleep at last. In the first challenge match, I came out charging. He was a lot more experienced than me, caught me coming in and pancaked me to my back for the three-point move. I took him down twice later in the bout but he wisely stayed away from me the rest of the time and beat me. My coaches changed our match strategy for the second bout and told me to wrestle smarter, more cautiously. I did, and scored a takedown with a duck-under in the first period. Terry never scored a point against me. I thought I won and had made the team. However, at the end of the match the referee raised Terry's hand as two of the judges voted for Terry, giving him a split decision. In those days the scores were never posted during the match. Terry McCann went on to win a gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics. In the book Dave Auble continues: "I bear no grudges against Terry. I have great admiration for him. We became close friends … But, I do have bitterness towards the Trials administrators and their politics. They took away my deserved opportunity." Ask author Jamie Moffatt about the political aspect and he says, "There's some similar practices going on even in college wrestle-offs today. A coach may choose the guy who lost in the wrestle-off because he thinks that guy may have a better chance in the upcoming dual." "As for the (McCann/Auble) situation in 1960, the coaches noted that McCann never lost to the Russians. The Oklahoma people probably thought 'McCann gives us a better chance to win a medal than Auble.'" (Although Terry McCann was a Chicago native and a graduate of the University of Iowa, at the time he lived, worked and worked out in Oklahoma. To read an InterMat Rewind profile about Terry and his brother Fran, click HERE.) Political infighting wasn't limited to 1960. Arguably the messiest situation was determining who'd wrestle for the U.S. freestyle team at 136.5 lbs for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Wrestlers at the Trials devotes an entire chapter to the Lee Roy Smith-Randy Lewis battle that wound its way into the courts, with each of the major participants telling his side of the story. Politics aside … Wrestlers at the Trials isn't all political shenanigans and off-the-mat battles. There are stories that will make wrestling fans smile or even laugh out loud. One of Jamie Moffatt's favorite stories involves Don Behm -- 1968 Olympic silver medallist -- and the free-spirited Rick Sanders, both vying for the 125.5 lb. spot on the 1972 U.S. Olympic freestyle team. Here's how Don Behm told the story in the book: Don Behm (Photo/Wade Schalles)I'm cutting weight pretty heavy to get 125.5, as is my finals opponent, Sanders. We are sitting in the steam room together the morning before our final match that will determine which one of us will make the Olympic team. We both hate making weight and we had to be at scratch weight. Sanders all the sudden says, 'Is this a weight-losing contest or a wrestling contest?' We both agree it's all about wrestling and not about cutting weight. He says, 'Okay, let's forget about all this steam-room stuff and not make weight for our match. What are they going to do -- take the third-place guy? I don't think so.' We leave the steam room and go get something to eat and drink. Coach (Bill) Farrell was having Bill Weick weigh-in each of the wrestlers. After a while we go over to Weick and he asks, 'When do you fellas want to weigh in?' We tell him, 'In a little while' and we go have some more to eat and drink. A couple hours later we see Bill and tell him, �We're ready now' and take off for the locker room scales. Sanders races into the locker room, jumps on the scales and the needle goes way past 125. I jump on right after him and the needle does the same. Weick comes walking into the locker room just as I'm jumping off -- and headed to the water cooler as Sanders had just done. Weick asks Sanders, �Did you make weight?' 'Yep,' says Sanders, guzzling down more water. He looks at me and I say, 'Yeah, he did.' Then he asks me, 'Behm, did you make 125?' 'Yep,' I say and Sanders backs me up. Despite this steam-room silliness, the two wrestlers took the final match seriously. In the book, Coach Farrell is quoted as saying. "The hardest-fought of all freestyle challenge matches were between Behm and Sanders -- very, very close. No one ever backed up or stalled. They could have gone either way." Rick Sanders (Photo/Bobby Douglas)Stan Dziedzic, runner-up at 163 lbs, says of the Behm-Sanders finals match: "It was probably the best wrestling match I've ever seen. Those two were so highly competitive. It was a fantastic match to watch." Rick Sanders decisioned Don Behm 2-1 to make the team, and earned a silver medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Wrestlers at the Trials is chock-full of fascinating stories about some of the greatest wrestlers of the past 45 years, in the words of the men who experienced these events first-hand. It provides wrestlers, coaches and fans with rich details of on-the-mat action and a unique backstage perspective not normally found in media coverage of U.S. Olympic Trials. To learn more about Wrestlers at the Trials -- or to purchase a copy -- contact InterMat's Mark Palmer (mark@intermatwrestle.com) and he'll forward your request to book author Jamie Moffatt NOTE: All photos in this article appear in Wrestlers at the Trials, courtesy of the source listed in that particular photo caption.

Stillwater, Okla. -- Oklahoma State's Brandon Mason went from being a solid wrestler to becoming a challenger for the NCAA title last season. He was ranked outside of the top 10 going into the 2007 NCAA Championships, but finished fifth to earn All-America honors. As a result of his strong performance when it mattered most, this year's preseason rankings have Mason ranked as the third-best wrestler in the nation at 174 pounds. Though a fifth-place finish for someone ranked outside of the top 10 would be considered by most as a successful showing, Mason competes as part of an Oklahoma State wrestling team that has set a higher standard. Having won the NCAA team title 34 times, most recently in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, the Cowboys expect nothing but the best. "I was disappointed in being fifth. A lot of us could have done better," Mason said. "I could have placed higher. I should not have lost a few matches that I did lose at nationals. Every person factors in. It is individual, but it is also a team race. I should have won some more matches to help the team out." Mason was also upset with how he started last year as a redshirt sophomore, "I definitely don't want to start out 5-5 like I started out last year. That was ugly." Despite the slow start, Mason flipped the switch to win 22 of his last 30 matches to end with a season record of 27-13. With the momentum gained at the end of the season, Mason said he worked in the offseason on doing what he needs to do to be a national champion. "I have been working harder on my offensive shots. I started to get a few at the end of the season last year, but I have been working harder on them this year. My defense needs improving and I have been working on that this off-season," Mason explained. "On bottom, I need to be getting out faster. On top, I need to stop hanging as much as I have been. I need to switch up my breakdown techniques instead of doing the same one every time. Those are the four or five things that I really need to improve in order to be successful and win a national title this year." The biggest talk surrounding the Oklahoma State wrestling program during the off-season was of the grueling workouts coach John Smith threw at the team during the summer months of training. Mason said the training was vastly different from the past. "We ran a lot more and we wrestled a lot more in the length of our goes. The intensity was brought up from last year at the same point of the season," Mason said. Smith wanted to emphasize that his team would be physically fit and ready to rebound from a disappointing season. "[Running in the heat during the summer] really builds mental toughness for sure," Mason said. "I think coach turned it up because we have several guys who are stepping into the lineup for the first time. He wants them ready for the first match and he doesn't have a year for them to build that confidence so he is trying to get them mentally tough." Mason said the Cowboys are tougher, stronger and more intense than last year. From an individual perspective, his off-season workout and desire to improve have made Mason more competitive and he's ready to challenge for an NCAA title this year. "Mentally I am ready," Mason said. "I am really hungry this year. There are things I want to accomplish that I do not want to slip out of my grasp."

The National Wrestling Coaches Association has announced that two-time All-American Mack Reiter of the University of Minnesota has been selected to replace Missouri's Tyler McCormick at 133 pounds at the 42nd annual NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps. The University of Oregon's McArthur Court will host the event on November 19 at 7 p.m. (PST) It is Reiter's third All-Star Classic selection, however, he did not compete in the 2006 event after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament prior to the event. McCormick pulled out with a slight leg injury Reiter joins teammates Jayson Ness (125), Dustin Schlatter (149) and Roger Kish (184) as Golden Gophers as participants in the event. Minnesota wrestlers have made 20 previous appearances in the NWCA All-Star Classic. Reiter will face top-ranked Coleman Scott of Oklahoma State at 133 pounds. The Iowa native is the second replacement in this year's event. On Monday, Wade Sauer of Cal State-Fullerton was named to replace Northwestern's Dustin Fox at heavyweight. MATCHUPS 125: No. 1 Paul Donahoe (Nebraska) vs. No. 4 Jayson Ness (Minnesota) 133: No. 1 Coleman Scott (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 4 Mack Reiter (Minnesota) 141: No. 2 Charles Griffin (Hofstra) vs. No. 3 Nathan Morgan (Oklahoma State) 149: No. 1 Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota) vs. No. 2 Josh Churella (Michigan) 157: No. 2 Craig Henning (Wisconsin) vs. No. 3 Mike Poeta (Illinois) 165: No. 2 Eric Tannenbaum (Michigan) vs. No. 3 Patrick Pitsch (Arizona State) 174: No. 1 Keith Gavin (Pittsburgh) vs. No. 2 Matt Stolpinski (Navy) 184: No. 1 Jake Varner (Iowa State) vs. No. 2 Roger Kish (Minnesota) 197: No. 2 Phil Davis (Penn State) vs. No. 3 Mike Tamillow (Northwestern) 285: No. 1 (D2) Tervel Dlagnev (Neb.-Kearney) vs. No. 3 (D1) Wade Sauer (Fullerton) EXHIBITIONS 125: No. 1 (NAIA) Trevor Lofstedt (Southern Oregon) vs. Jake Gonzales (Oregon State) 174: Ron Lee (Oregon) vs. Luke Feist (Stanford)

EAST LANSING, Mich. –- Redshirt freshman Nick Stabile and freshman Michael Robinson each brought home individual titles in the Freshman/Sophomore Division, and junior Justin Dobies posted a third-place finish at heavyweight in the Open Division to lead North Carolina's contingent at the Michigan State Open Sunday at Jenison Field House. Stabile, who was victorious at 141 pounds, and Robinson, who won at 125, led a strong showing by the Tar Heels in the Freshman/Sophomore Division. Twelve of the 14 Carolina wrestlers entered placed in the top five of their respective weight classes. In addition to Stabile and Robinson, Danny Lopes (133), Keenan Duffie (149) and Thomas Scotton (157) each posted runner-up finishes. Jason DeLuca (third at 125), Jeremy Shaw (fifth at 133), Mike Rappo (third at 149), Thomas Ferguson (fourth at 157), Rudy Moures (fifth at 157), Kyle Kiss (fifth at 174) and Nick Tenpenny (fourth at 184) also finished as placewinners. Dobies, who was making his debut at heavyweight, led the Tar Heels in the open division with his third-place finish. Drew Forshey (fifth at 125), Dennis Drury (sixth at 197) and Kevin Owen (sixth at 174) were also placewinners. Dobies, who wrestled at 184 for two seasons before redshirting a year ago, suffered an opening round loss but rebounded to win five straight bouts to take third. He downed Travis Clark of Findlay in the third-place bout. In the Freshman/Sophomore Division, Robinson won his first collegiate bout with a pin of Manchester's Jason Ray and never looked back, taking the 125-pound title with a 4-0 record on the day. He topped Michigan State's Eric Owlanoski by a 5-3 margin in the final. Stabile brought home the Tar Heels second title with a 4-0 record at 141. He allowed just two points on the day and pinned Michigan's Mark Beaudry in the final in 2:35. Carolina is back in action Saturday at the second-annual ACC/Big Ten Clash at the Tar Heels' Eddie Smith Field House. UNC will face Michigan State at noon and Purdue at 4 p.m.

This weekend we take our mobile Brute Adidas Studios on the road for 6 brand new episodes of Takedown Radio. Takedown Radio is now broadcast on the following internet outlets: Takedownradio.com, KXNO.com, Matchannel.com, Mat-magazine.com. Please be sure to join our regular live broadcasts every Saturday as we talk to the worlds greatest athletes. TDR is available LIVE, Archived and Pod Cast. Visit Takedownradio.com for more details. Road Schedule- 11-14-07 to 11-19-07 11-14-07 Lehigh University Room Show- 3:30 PM Eastern 11-15-07 Bloomsburg University of PA Vs. Pitt- 6:30 PM Eastern 11-16-07 Rider University Vs. IA State- 6:00 PM Eastern 11-17-07 Cornell University- Body Bar Invitational 10:00 AM Eastern 11-18-07 Binghamton University's- Sprawl and Brawl 9:00 AM Eastern 11-19-07 Brown University Room Show- 3:00 PM Eastern Check the broadcast times for each program. Our Guests will Include: Coaches, Wrestlers and other folks will join us throughout each of these special days. Takedownradio.com, KXNO.com, Matchannel.com, Mat-magazine.com are our web partners. Wrestlers and MMA competitors join us each and every week. You should too! TDR is available LIVE, Archived and Pod Cast as well. Visit Takedownradio.com for more details. Thanks for listening!

Returning All-American Wade Sauer of Cal State-Fullerton has been selected to replace Northwestern's Dustin Fox at the 42nd annual NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps on November 19 in Eugene, Ore. Sauer, a junior, placed sixth at the NCAA Championships last year for Coach Dan Hicks' squad and finished the season with a 30-13 record. From Grass Valley, Calif., Sauer started his college career at Fresno State and transferred to Fullerton after the Bulldog wrestling program was dropped. Ironically, he defeated his former teammate at Fresno, Cody Parker, in the consolations at the NCAA Championships last season en route to his sixth-place finish. Parker was wrestling for Cal Poly. Among Sauer's wins at the NCAA tournament last year: Kyle Massey of Wisconsin, Parker, Reece Hopkin of Northern Colorado, Dustin Rogers of West Virginia and Payam Zarrinpour of Sacred Heart. Sauer is the first-ever representative from Cal State-Fullerton in the NWCA All-Star Classic. Fox withdrew after suffering an injury while competing last weekend. Cal State-Fullerton coach Dan Hicks was a two-time participant in the NWCA All-Star Classic as a wrestler for Oregon State. He defeated Sam Komar of Indiana 7-4 in 1978 when the event was hosted at Franklin & Marshall. In 1979, he defeated Michigan State's Jeff Therrian 6-3 when the event was held in Corvallis.

Mason City -- North Iowa Area Community College head wrestling coach Richard Fergola announced today the verbal commitment from Brock Coutu of Griswold, CT. Coutu was the 2007 Class S Connecticut state champion at 135 pounds. Coutu placed third in the state championships in 2006. Coutu is currently ranked No. 21 among the nation's top seniors by Wrestling USA magazine. Coutu will compete for the Trojans at 141 pounds. "I am very excited about the commitment of Brock", stated Fergola. He epitomizes exactly what we are looking for in a student-athlete. He gets the job done in the classroom as well as the mat."

BETHLEHEM -- The University of Pittsburgh wrestling team opened its 2007-08 season today at Lehigh University's Leeman-Turner Arena. The Panthers used multiple strong performances to hand the Mountain Hawks their first loss of the season by a tally of 24-9. The afternoon began with the 125 pound match up of junior Brad Gentzle (Easton, Pa./Easton) and Lehigh's Mitch Berger. Gentzle trailed Berger after the first period 3-2, but regained his composure and pinned the Mountain Hawk with just less than five minutes gone in the bout, giving the Panthers an early 6-0 advantage in the match. Sophomore Jimmy Conroy (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) was the next Panther to step to the line, as he squared off against Kevin Vinh. The New Jersey native found himself in a 5-2 hole after the first period and appeared to have gained the momentum back from Vinh, compiling well over a minute of riding time, but Vinh came on with a flurry to end the third period, taking the duel 7-6 and cutting the Panther's six point lead in half. Returning All-American and No. 11 ranked Drew Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg) jumped out to a 6-2 lead on Jeff Santo in the 141 match up after the first period and went on to take the bout by a score of 7-2. Junior Joey Ecklof (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) suffered two takedowns in the first period to fall behind Lehigh's Trevor Chinn 4-2. After trading escapes, Ecklof picked up two stalling points in the third, but another Chinn takedown with 11 seconds left sealed his fate and the 149 bout went to the Mountain Hawks, 7-6. Redshirt senior Matt Kocher (State College, Pa./State College), another of Pitt's three returning All-Americans, pummeled Dave Nakasone with a series of takedowns throughout the first two periods and appeared to have a major decision wrapped up until Nakasome scored a takedown late in the third to salvage some valuable team points for Lehigh. Kocher would claim victory in the bout by a score of 12-6. Lehigh's Mike Galante racked up 42 seconds of riding time against Pitt junior Sean Richmond (Emmaus, Pa./Easton) in the first period and had extended that tally to 2:06 by the start of the third. Richmond registered two escapes during the bout, but was unable to muster any offense and the Mountain Hawks again cut Pitt's lead to three, 12-9. In the afternoon's most crowd pleasing bout, Redshirt senior Keith Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail), the nation's No. 1 ranked wrestler and last year's national runner-up in the 174 pound class, squared off with Lehigh's Alex Caruso in a very low scoring affair. After a scoreless first period, Caruso answered a Gavin escape in the second with one of his own in the third and sent the bout into overtime. After yet another stalemate in the overtime period, the two men once again traded escapes before Gavin registered a takedown to lock up a 4-2 victory. David Sullivan (Dingmans Ferry, Pa./Delaware Valley/East Stroudsburg), a sophomore transfer from East Stroudsburg, turned the tide against Lehigh's 184 contestant David Craig with a two point reversal in the second and used a substantial amount of riding time to take his bout and stretch the team's lead to nine points with just two matches to go. Sophomore A.J. Hunte (Brookline, Mass./Brookline) jumped out to a 4-1 lead on Alex Iacocca in the 184 duel and held off the Mountain Hawk's advances, winning by a count of 5-3. In the heavyweight bout, former EWL Champion Zach Sheaffer (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) controlled the match up for the beginning, as he registered a takedown against Justin Allen in the first and then smothered the Mountain Hawk heavyweight, accumulating almost four and a half minutes of riding time. Sheaffer took the bout 7-0 and set the final at 24-9. The Panthers will look to continue their winning ways this Thursday, Nov. 15th when they travel to Bloomsburg to take on the Huskies at 7:30 p.m.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team opened up the 2007-08 season with a big win over a talented Maryland Terrapin team in Rec Hall. Led by senior All-American Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.), head coach Troy Sunderland's squad won nine of ten bouts to claim a dominating 34-3 win over visiting Maryland. Despite facing a team that already had three duals under its belt, Penn State was dominant. The Nittany Lions won nine of ten bouts, including a technical fall from Davis in the day's marquee bout. Penn State got a pin from sophomore Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), Davis' technical fall and two majors to claim a 7-0 edge in bonus points as well. Junior All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) and sophomore Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) got Penn State's majors. Action began with Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.) posting a 3-2 win at 125 before Maryland got its only win as Terrapin Steve Bell posted a 12-11 overtime decision over Lion senior Tim Haas (Camp Hills, Pa.). Haas was making his return to the mat after missing a year with an injury while Bell remained undefeated on the year. Strayer followed with his 14-0 major over No. 20 Charlie Pinto of Maryland and then Jenkins thrilled the crowd with a pin of Maryland's Eric Medina midway through the second period at 149. Vallimont posted a 13-4 major at 157 and then Penn State's Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) grabbed a 7-5 win at 165. Nittany Lion junior Mark Friend (Libertyville, Ill.) also won 7-5 at 174 and then Lion junior Phil Bomberger grabbed a sound 12-6 win at 184. All this had Penn State with the dual meet in hand before Davis put his No. 2 national ranking on the line against No. 8 Hudson Taylor of Maryland. Taylor was no match for Davis as the three-time All-American posted a 17-2 technical fall at the 4:12 mark. Sophomore heavyweight Stefan Tighe (Erie, Pa.) rounded out the scoring with a 3-2 win to give the Lions the 34-3 victory. Penn State moves to 1-0 while Maryland falls to 2-2. The Nittany Lions will host Hofstra in their next dual, welcoming the 13th-ranked Pride to Rec Hall on Saturday, Nov. 17, for a 1 p.m. dual. Tickets for all regular season duals are on sale now at the athletic department ticket office in the Bryce Jordan Center. Single-dual tickets are $5 for adults and seniors and $3 for students 18 and under. Penn State students with a proper student ID are admitted free! Season tickets are $28 for adults and seniors while youth 18 and under season tickets are $21. Fans can call 814-863-1000 or 800-833-5533 to order single-dual or season tickets. All Penn State duals will be broadcast locally on WBLF 970 AM and WKVA 920 AM and streamed live at www.GoPSUsports.com. All home duals will feature live scoring at www.GoPSUsports.com as well. Bout-By-Bout: 125: Nittany Lion senior Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.), ranked No. 11 nationally, met Maryland's Brendan Byrne. Byrne scored the first points of the bout with a takedown to take a 2-1 lead just over :30 into the match. The move spurred McKnight into action as the Lion senior answered with his own takedown quickly thereafter to take a 3-2 lead. Byrne escaped to a 3-3 tie. McKnight got in low on Byrne's right ankle with :30 left, but Byrne fought the move off to force a stalemate and reset, sending the bout to the second period tied at 3-3. Byrne chose down to start the second and quickly escaped to a 4-3 lead. The Terp's advantage was short lived as McKnight notched his second takedown at the 1:35 mark to knot the bout at 5-5 after a Byrne escape. Byrne got hit with an illegal hold call trying to fight off another McKnight shot, giving the Lion senior a 6-5 lead with :30 left in the second. McKnight continued to be the aggressor, forcing Byrne into playing defense. Leading 6-5 after two, McKnight chose down to begin the final period. While McKnight escaped, Byrne got hit with another illegal hold call and, after the escape, McKnight led 8-5. A wild flurry with under :30 left nearly cost McKnight back points, but the Lion fought the move off. Byrne still added a takedown before time expired, but it was too little too late as McKnight posted an 8-7 win to give Penn State an early 3-0 lead. 133: Penn State senior Tim Haas (Camp Hills, Pa.) returned to the mats of Rec Hall after missing last year with an injury facing undefeated Maryland 133-pounder Steve Bell. Haas quickly broke out to a 2-0 lead with a fast takedown that nearly resulted in back points. Bell tied the match after being ridden for :59 seconds with a reversal and, after Haas escaped, the Nittany Lion senior had a 3-2 lead. Bell added his own takedown with :30 left to take a 4-3 lead, but Haas would escape as the period ended to send the bout into the middle stanza tied 4-4. Haas chose down to begin the second period. After two Maryland cautions on the start and a stall call, Haas worked himself free for a 5-4 lead at the 1:25 mark. Haas took a 7-4 lead with a solid single leg-to-takedown move with under :30 left but found himself once again reversed by Bell. Showcasing solid clock awareness, Haas managed a very important escape before the second period ended to carry an 8-6 lead into the final period. Bell chose down to begin the final period and notched his third reversal of Haas, tying the score briefly before Haas escaped to a 9-8 lead at the 1:40 mark. Byrne scored a go-ahead takedown with 1:23 left, taking a 10-9 lead with :50 left. Haas escaped to a 10-10 tie with :30 left, sending the match into a first sudden victory period. Bell and Haas scrambled in front of the scorers table as time wound down with neither wrestler scoring, sending the bout to the first of two tie-breaker periods. Haas chose down in the first tie-breaker and escaped to an 11-10 lead. Bell chose down to start the second tie-breaker stanza. Haas had the match in hand, nearly riding the Terrapin out for the win, but Bell once again scored a reversal, his fourth of the bout, with just one second left. The 12-11 tie-breaker win for Bell tied the team score at 3-3. Bell improved to 4-0 with the win. 141: Junior All-American Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.), who placed seventh nationally at 133 last year, entered the new campaign up at 141. He put his pre-season No. 7 national ranking on the line against No. 20 Charlie Pinto of Maryland and came away with a commanding technical fall Strayer got the first takedown of the bout quickly and nearly pinned Pinto. Still, Strayer got the three-point near fall and led 5-0 early in period one. Strayer added another three-point move as the first period ended to lead 8-0 heading into the second period. Pinto chose neutral to start the middle stanza. Strayer continued his dominance with a quick takedown at the :45 mark and rode Pinto out to lead 10-0 with 3:00 of riding time heading into the final period. Strayer chose down to start the third period and escaped to an 11-0 lead. Pinto got in low on Strayer's left ankle in his first real scoring chance of the bout, But Strayer turned the move into a two-point takedown of his own with :35 left. Pinto managed to fight Strayer off to avoid the technical fall, but Strayer still posted a 14-0 major decision. The win put Penn State up 7-3. 149: Sophomore Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), ranked No. 7 nationally at his new weight, met Maryland's Eric Medina. Medina got the bout's first takedown with a nice move at the 2:17 to lead 2-1 after a Jenkins escape. Jenkins took his first lead of the year with a swift upper body move with :40 left. The Lion sophomore then proceeded to ride Medina out to lead 3-2 heading into the second period. Jenkins chose down to begin the period and escaped to a 4-2 lead. A thrilling upper body throw later, and Jenkins calmly worked Medina's back to the mat for a pin at the 3:56 mark. The six points put Penn State up 13-3. 157: Sophomore Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), ranked No. 12 at his new weight of 157, got on top of Maryland's Brian Letters 2-0 just seconds into the bout, but Letters notched a reversal to tie the bout at 2-2 shortly after. Vallimont steadily worked his way to a reversal of his own, grabbing a 4-2 lead with 1:10 left in the period. Letters escaped to a 4-3 deficit with under :30 left in the first period. Letters chose down to start the second period and Vallimont let him up to a 4-4 tie. The Lion sophomore quickly got in low on Letters' feet and finished off the move to lead 6-4. Letters got hit with an illegal hold call to put Vallimont up by three and Vallimont proceeded to ride Letters out to carry that lead, and :50 riding time, into the final period. Vallimont chose down to start the final period. After steadily working his way to his feet, Vallimont got his escape at the 1:18 mark to lead 8-4. He then iced the bout with a nice upper body takedown and three back points to post a strong 13-4 major decision. The victory gave Penn State a 17-3 lead heading into a ten minute intermission. 165: 16th-ranked Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) took on Maryland's Ryan Kennett at 165. The true sophomore nearly got a takedown on the edge of the mat, but Kennett forced a stalemate with 1:15 left in the first period. Kennett, wrestling defensively, was hit with his first stall with :20 left in the period as Rella stayed in the Terrapin's face and forced the bout's tempo, despite the scoreless tie. Kennett chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 1-0 lead. Kennett then took his first shot of the bout, getting in on Rella's left foot. Rella fought the takedown off for nearly a minute before giving up the points with :50 left in the second. Trailing 3-0, Rella escaped to a 3-1 deficit and within seconds used a strong double-leg takedown to tie the bout at 3-3 with :22 left. Kennett managed an escape with :07 left to carry a 4-3 lead into the final period. Rella chose down to start the final period and used his muscle to force Kennett back for a two-point reversal and a 5-4 lead with 1:25 left. Kennett tied the bout with an escape at the 1:10 mark, but Rella was not to be denied, getting an athletic takedown on the edge of the mat to lead 7-5 with :31 left in the bout. Rella then rode Kennett out to post a 7-5 decision, putting Penn State up 20-3. 174: Junior Mark Friend (Libertyville, Ill.), fresh off an energized and impressive win in Penn State's wrestle-offs a week earlier, met Maryland's Brad Nielsen at 174. No. 7 Mike Letts of Maryland missed the dual with an injury. Friend, building off his outstanding showing in Wrestle-Offs a week earlier, got the first takedown of the bout to lead 2-0 less than a minute in. Friend then rode Nielsen for over two minutes to lead 2-1 with 2:15 in riding time heading into the second period. Nielsen chose down to start the second stanza and escaped to a 2-2 tie less than :30 in. But Friend quickly got in high on Nielsen's right thigh and turned the move into two points to lead 4-2 at the 1:15 mark. Once again showcasing his strength on top, Friend rode Nielsen out to lead 4-2 with 3:51 in riding time after two periods. With a riding time point secured, Friend chose down to start the third period. The Nittany Lion junior steadily worked his way to his feet and escaped to a 5-2 lead at the 1:30 mark. Friend once again got in on Nielsen's left thigh, but this time Nielsen fought the move off and turned it into a takedown of his own. Nielsen let Friend up, giving Friend a 6-4 lead with :45 left. The Terrapin continued to pressure Friend. Friend gave up a stall point but Nielsen would not score another point and Friend grabbed a sound 7-5 victory to put the Nittany Lions up 23-3. 184: Junior Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.) took on Maryland's Joshua Haines and quickly opened up a 2-1 lead after a take-down/escape at the 1:40 mark. Bomberger continued to apply the pressure to Haines and got a second takedown at the 1:10 mark. The Nittany Lion junior added two back points to lead 6-2 after cutting Haines loose. Leading 6-2 after one period, Bomberger chose down to start the second stanza. Haines was strong on top, however, riding Bomberger for the entire period and forcing Bomberger into a stall warning as well. Still, Bomberger held a 6-2 lead heading into the final period. Haines chose top to start the third, hoping to turn Bomberger for back points. But Bomberger turned that decision into a thrilling reversal that nearly resulted in a pin. Haines escaped, but Bomberger still led 8-3 with just over a minute left. Not to be content with that, Bomberger continued to force the offense from his feet, notching another takedown to lead 10-4 (after a Haines escape). Working for a major, Bomberger got another takedown to lead 12-5 with just :12 left, barely missing out on the major but securing a strong 12-6 decision and giving the Lions a 26-3 lead. 197: Three-time All-American Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 2 nationally, met No. 8 Hudson Taylor of Maryland in the dual's most anticipated match-up. Davis began his mastery of Taylor with a takedown at the 2:28 mark to lead 2-1 after the Terrapin escaped. Davis used his strength and wingspan to wrap Taylor up from his shoulders and notch another takedown at the 1:20 mark. He then finished a cradle to put Taylor to his back and grab three back points to lead 7-2 after letting Taylor up. Quickly working in on Taylor's upper body, Davis proceeded to pick the eight-ranked grappler up and toss him to his back for another two-point take down, three point near fall move. Davis led 12-2 after one period and chose down to start the second stanza. Working well from underneath, Davis worked his way on top of Taylor for a reversal that led to yet another near fall situation. Five points later and Davis posted a 17-2 technical fall at the 4:12 mark. The win gave Penn State a 31-3 lead. HWT: Sophomore Stefan Tighe (Erie, Pa.) made his Nittany Lion dual match debut in fine fashion with a solid decision over Maryland's Pat Gilmore. Tighe got his first takedown at the 2:30 mark to take a 2-1 lead early. The duo would battle for the remainder of the period scoreless and Tighe led 2-1 after a period. The Lion sophomore chose down to start the second and escaped to a 3-1 lead. Neither wrestler would manage a real scoring opportunity in the second, sending the bout the third with Tighe leading 3-1. Gilmore chose down to start the third and escaped to cut Tighe's lead to 3-2. Tighe could not break through Gilmore's defense. The first period takedown turned out to be enough for Tighe in his Penn State debut as he held on for a 3-2 win. The final three points gave Penn State a 34-3 win.

The defending national champion Minnesota Golden Gopher wrestling team enjoyed a successful opening to their 2007-08 season Saturday, winning nine of 10 weight classes at the 38th annual Bison Open in Fargo, N.D. Seven Gophers captured individual crowns while four more Minnesota wrestlers shared co-champion status at the all-day event, held at the Fargo Sports Arena. Twelve other Gophers were top-five finishers. Jayson Ness successfully defended his 2006 Bison Open crown at 125 pounds, with each of his decisions coming by fall (1:18 and 1:45). He was crowned co-champion at the weight class along with fellow Gopher Zach Sanders. Sanders, a five-time Minnesota state high school champion and winner of the Dave Schultz award for the nation's most outstanding prep wrestler. Sanders stormed to a perfect 3-0 record, including a fall and two major decisions. Sophomore Mike Thorn picked up his first Bison Open title, cruising to a perfect 4-0 record while picking up one fall and one major decision. Gophers Eric Johnson, David Zilverberg and Jake Mellmer also competed at 133 pounds, with Mellmer gaining fourth place. At 141 pounds, senior and returning NCAA qualifier Manny Rivera picked up his third straight Bison Open crown Saturday. Rivera went a perfect 4-0 with two pins and one major decision. Two-time All-American and former national champion Dustin Schlatter also took home a third straight first-place mention at Saturday's event. Schlatter had two falls and two major decisions en route to a 4-0 record. Luke Mellmer went 3-2 for a fifth place decision at 149 pounds, while fellow freshman Brian Peterson claimed fourth place. In the absence of 2006-07 All-American C.P. Schlatter, freshman Joe Grygelko was able to claim second place at 157 pounds. Grygelko posted a 2-2 record, gaining one fall. At 165 pounds, Scott Glasser successfully defended his 2006 Bison Open title, reeling off three straight falls (in 1:18, 1:44 and 1:10) en route to a perfect 4-0 record. He was able to defeat teammate Tyler Safratowich by a 5-3 decision in the championship match. Safratowich picked up two major decisions before losing to Glasser, while Nate Matousek took home third place. Three-time NCAA qualifier Gabe Dretsch won another Bison Open individual championship at 174 pounds, defeating teammates Kaleb Young and Brandon Sitch on his way to a perfect 3-0 record. Sitch was the runner-up in the weight class, while Young finished fifth. Mitch Kuhlman placed fourth. Returning All-American Roger Kish and freshman Sonny Yohn were declared co-champions at 184 pounds, with each wrestler winning both of their matches on the day. Three Gophers placed at 197 pounds, with Chris McPhail coming out on top with a 3-0 record. McPhail defeated fellow Gopher Brent Eidenschink in the final, while Justin Bronson finished in third place after being beaten by Eidenschink 4-2 in the semifinals. In heavyweight competition, redshirt freshman Joe Nord appeared to take the lead in the battle to replace departed national champion Cole Konrad by taking first with a 3-0 record, including two falls. Ben Berhow, another redshirt freshman competing for a starting position, finished in fourth place. Minnesota has now accumulated 159 individual champions over the course of the Bison Open's 38-year history. Video highlights from the 2007 Bison Open will be available in the Gold Zone in the coming days. The Gophers will compete in another open tournament next Saturday, traveling to Omaha, Neb. for the Kaufman-Brand Open Nov. 17. Minnesota was dominant in Omaha last year, with Ness, Rivera, C.P. Schlatter, Dretsch and Glasser all brining home titles at the event. The Kaufman-Brand Open is hosted on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Omaha and will get underway at 9 a.m. Minnesota opens dual meet competition Nov. 24 in Rochester, Minn. at the first-ever Northern Quad invitational. Minnesota will square off with Northern Colorado, Northern Illinois and NDSU that Saturday at the UCR Regional Sports Complex. The Gophers will return home to square off with defending NCAA runner-up Iowa State on Dec. 2.

Laramie, Wyo. -– The 14th-ranked Nebraska wrestling team racked up two pins and two technical falls to cruise to a 47-0 win over Wyoming in Laramie on Friday night. Ironically, the shutout is NU's first since a 42-0 victory over Wyoming in Lincoln on Dec. 18, 2004. Friday night's dual was the Huskers first this season, but Nebraska wrestled to perfection on the night. Redshirt freshman Andy Johnson opened the competition with a statement as he pinned UW's Colt Reece in 2:06 at 184 pounds. After a UW forfeit at 197 pounds, senior Jon May continued his comeback from last season's injury with a 7-3 decision over the Cowboy's Jason Still. In the next match, Paul Donahoe, NU's returning national champion at 125 pounds, pinned UW's Cody Grant in 4:34 and the rout was on. Nebraska went on to record two technical falls as junior Chris Oliver defeated Wyoming's Clay Sondegeroth, 17-2, at 157 pounds and junior Brandon Browne won 20-3 over Kyle Morrow at 174. Sophomore Jordan Burroughs, wrestling at 149, contributed a 19-7 major decision over Cody Chipperfield, while sophomores Stephen Dwyer and Austin Baier both added decision at their weights. Dwyer won 6-3, while Baier brought home a 6-3 victory. Two Huskers made debuts for NU on the night as Johnson and Baier both started their first career dual starts for Nebraska. The Huskers continue their time in Wyoming on Saturday as the Huskers compete in the Cowboy Open in Laramie. Action begins at 10 a.m. CT as fans can access live updates through Huskers.com.

Matt Koz scored an 11-2 major decision over Ohio State's John Weakley in the 197-pound match Saturday to secure Chattanooga's 19-16 victory over the No. 8-ranked Buckeyes. Koz, an Ohio native ranked as high as No. 11 nationally, extended the 19th-ranked Mocs' lead from 15-10 to 19-10, an insurmountable lead with one match left. "This is big, huge for us," UTC Head Coach Chris Bono said. "But we can't look at it like this made our season. It's the first match of the year. I wish they would practice like they came out to wrestle tonight. I'm going to expect this from them every day." UTC, which defeated the Buckeyes last year, 28-13 in Columbus, Ohio, earned victories in six of the 10 matches. Sophomore Joey Knox pulled off perhaps the surprise of the dual with a 6-3 victory over third-ranked Lance Palmer at 149. Javier Maldonado, ranked as high as No. 8 at 125 pounds, got the scoring going for the Mocs, 3-0, with a 7-1 decision over Nikko Triggas. OSU, 3-1, took a 6-3 lead on the strength of back-to-back decisions by Reece Humphrey at 133 and No. 6 J Jaggers at 141. After Knox tied the score, UTC strung together three consecutive wins. Seth Garvin edged Jason Johnstone 8-7 on a riding time point at 157, Nick Davis recorded a 16-6 major over Robel Campbell at 165 and No. 16 Lloyd Rogers defeated Alex Picazo 11-5 at 174. Mike Pucillo held true to his No. 4 national ranking with an 18-2 technical fall over Josh Edmondson in the 184-pound match. Fourth-ranked J. D. Bergman closed out the match following Koz's win with a pin of UTC's Ben O'Neill in the heavyweight final. Earlier in the day, the Mocs registered a 42-3 victory over Cumberland University and a 44-4 win over Anderson University. The Buckeyes defeated Anderson 44-3 and Cumberland 39-16. UTC picked up three pins, two tech falls and two major decisions in the win over Cumberland and recorded the same amount of bonus wins over Anderson. Picking up pins in the first two matches were Koz and Rogers with two apiece, and Maldonado and Garvin. The Mocs will compete at the Pennsylvania Open Nov. 18 in Philadelphia.

Hempstead, N.Y. -- In a dual that came down to the final bout of the night, the sixth-ranked Missouri wrestling team came from behind to take down No. 13 Hofstra, 22-21, in the David S. Mack Sports Complex. A technical fall by sophomore heavyweight Mark Ellis (Blue Springs, Mo.) proved the deciding factor in the night's dual. Needing five points to win the battle, Ellis managed a 21-6 win in 6:39 to help the Tigers improve to 2-0 on the season. "I'm pleased with the way our team fought back tonight," Head Coach Brian Smith said. "We suffered some tough losses and we'll have to go back to the practice room and work on several things. But, it's still early in the season. We'll use these early duals to really find out where we are and what we need to work on." Down 14-0 entering the 149 pound match, Tiger senior Josh Wagner (Milton, Wis.) was first to put points on the Tiger's side of the scoreboard. Holding on for a 5-2 win over 17th-ranked Mitch Smith, ninth-ranked Wagner and Smith entered the second period tied at two, but Wagner managed an escape in six seconds and a takedown with nine seconds left on the clock to take a 5-2 lead into the third period. Allowing Smith a single escape in the third, Wagner collected his first win of the season and started Missouri on a three-bout win streak. Junior NCAA qualifier and ninth-ranked Michael Chandler (High Ridge, Mo.) helped cut the Pride's lead in half by recording a 15-6 win by major decision over 15th-ranked Johnny Bonilla-Bowman. In his first start of the season, Chandler collected seven of his 14 points by nearfall, all in the third period. Each wrestler was awarded one point for either a stall call (Bonilla-Bowman) or technical violation (Chandler). Chandler was the first Tiger to score first in a bout, taking down Bonilla-Bowman 1:25 into the match. After quieting the large Pride crowd sophomore Nicholas Marable (Colliersville, Tenn.) moved to 2-0 on the season, shutting down 12th-ranked Ryan Patrovich, 10-2, at 165 pounds. Marable held the Hofstra wrestler to only two escapes, scoring a takedown and reversal in the second period and a takedown in the third. Hofstra increased its lead to seven points, but junior Raymond Jordan was quick to close the gap, pinning Jeff Siciliano in 4:20. The second Tiger fall of the very young season, Jordan showed his dominance at 184 pounds taking down Siciliano three times in the first period and scoring four points through back points before sticking the Pride wrestler. A loss at 197 pounds put the Tigers down 21-17, but Ellis' technical fall helped Missouri to its win. Ellis took downJames Guerin eight times in the match and managed 1:55 of riding time. Two duals into the season and Missouri has won seven of its 20 matches by bonus point victories. The Tiger wrestling team will return home to host the eighth annual Missouri Open Sunday, Nov. 18 in the Fieldhouse. The all-day tournament will begin at 9 a.m. (CT) with finals expected to start around 3 p.m. (CT). Volunteers are still needed to help with the annual event. If interested, please contact Smith at smithbq@missouri.edu.

Lawrenceville, N.J. -The sixth-ranked Missouri wrestling team opened its 62nd season of competition with a 34-4 win over 27th-ranked Rider in Alumni Gymnasium in Lawrenceville. N.J. Nine Tigers earned wins including first-time starters Tony Pescaglia (Columbia, Mo.) and Emanuel Brooks (Cahokia, Ill.) at 125 and 157 pounds, respectively. Three Tigers helped Missouri with extra point wins including sophomore Mark Ellis (Peculiar, Mo.) who pinned his opponent in 2:18. With the victory, Missouri improves to 33-29 in season openers having won its last five openers dating back to the start of the 2003-04 campaign Beginning the dual at 125 pounds, redshirt freshman Pescaglia earned a 10-4 win by decision over Mitch Fenton. Fenton scored first with a takedown in 1:02, but Pescaglia was quick to escape and score a takedown of his own. Choosing down to start the second period, Pescaglia added to his total with an escape and takedown, increasing his lead to 6-3. Finishing the dual with a takedown and awarded one point after Fenton was hit with his second warning, Pescaglia collected 2:45 of riding time for the double-digit win. Earning his first win of the season, second-ranked senior Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) added to Missouri's point total with a 7-3 decision of 16th-ranked Zac Cunliffe. Missouri's returning All-American scored five unanswered points before Cunliffe managed an escape in the third period. Despite Cunliffe's 1:44 of riding time, which he accumulated in the first period, McCormick won the match and is now 71-33 on his career. Junior Marcus Hoehn (Farmington, Mo.) came up with his sixth career dual win after holding off Fred Rodgers, 6-1. Hoehn scored a takedown on the edge of the mat and held Rodgers scoreless through the first two periods, cutting him in the third after the Bronc chose down. Hoehn tacked on 2:18 of riding time for the final 6-1 score. A back-and-forth match at 149 pounds, senior Josh Wagner (Milton, Wis.) suffered a 17-9 loss by major decision to 2007 All-American Don Fisch. Wagner, ranked as high as ninth in the nation, scored first with a takedown nine seconds in the match and followed with a quick three-point nearfall. Fisch, ranked fourth at 141 pounds, responded with a takedown and nearfall but Wagner escaped to end the first period with a one point lead. Wagner deferred his choice in the second period and Fisch chose neutral. A takedown by the Bronc All-American and an escape by Wagner sent the match into the third period tied at seven. Wagner escaped three seconds into the third period, but was unable to score further points against Fisch, who managed two takedowns and two three-point nearfalls. Making his first collegiate starter after holding off teammate Michael Chandler by one point in the Black and Gold wrestle-off's, junior Brooks set off Missouri's six-match win streak with an 8-4 decision of Rob Morrison at 157 pounds.. Next on the mat, 12th-ranked sophomore Nicholas Marable (Colliersville, Tenn., tacked an additional five points to the Tiger scoreboard with the first of two Missouri wins by technical fall. One bout later, junior captain and sixth-ranked Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) won his match 22-7 against ninth-ranked Doug Umbehauer. In between the two technical fall victories was a 7-2 win by decision for senior James Williamson (Blue Springs, Mo.). Williamson, who becomes the first Tiger to wrestle at 174 pounds since the graduation of National Champion Ben Askren, held Joe Ferber down for 1:16 of riding time and scored two takedowns and a reversal for his seven points. Third-ranked sophomore Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) opened his second season at 197 pounds with a 7-6 win over 11th-ranked T.J. Morrison. The final bout of evening came to a close in 2:18 as 13th-ranked Tiger sophomore Ellis pinned Peter Reid. The fall is the fifth of Ellis' career and the first of the Tiger's season. The Missouri wrestling team will travel to 13th-ranked Hofstra for a Saturday, Nov. 10 dual beginning at 7 p.m. (CT). The dual can be heard live on WRHU by visiting Missouri's athletic website at www.mutigers.com and clicking on the schedule page of the Tiger wrestling program.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Former Northwestern volunteer assistant coach and current Wildcat Wrestling Club coach, Bill Scherr, has been selected as one of four finalists to receive a coaching position for the U.S. in the 2008 Beijing Olympics in women's freestyle wrestling. Named as finalists for the volunteer women's coaching position for the U.S. team that will compete at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Beijing, China, are: Scherr, Northwestern graduate Tadaaki Hatta of Elyria, Ohio, Troy Steiner of Corvallis, Ore., and Levi Weikel-Magden of Colorado Springs, Colo. The four finalists were selected by USA Wrestling's Women's Coach Selection Committee. One of these four volunteer coaches will be selected to serve on the coaching staff at the Beijing Games, along with USA Wrestling's National Women's Coach Terry Steiner. Three of the finalists have served as official Women's World Team Coaches at recent World Championships: Hatta (1991), Scherr (2005, 2006) and Steiner (2007). Weikel-Magden has been on the coaching staff of a number of U.S. World Teams. Scherr was a member of the 1988 U.S. Olympic freestyle team as an athlete, winning a bronze medal at 100 kg/220 lbs. He also won four World medals in his career, including a 1985 World gold medal. USA Wrestling expects its Olympic Coach selection process to be completed by late-November. Scherr served as a World Team coach of the 2006 U.S. Women's World Team, which competed in Guangzhou, China and placed seventh in the World Championships, led by two medalists Scherr was a World Team coach of the 2005 U.S. Women's World Team, which competed in Budapest, Hungary, placed third in the team standings and featured four medalists, including World champion Iris Smith. He is a coach for the women wrestlers with the Sunkist Kids, which won the 2007 U.S. Nationals team title and placed five athletes on the 2007 U.S. World Team. Scherr was an assistant coach at Northwestern Univ. last year, which placed fourth at the NCAA Championships, its highest finish in school history. He currently coaches the Wildcat WC freestyle wrestlers and is a volunteer with Northwestern Univ. program. He was an assistant coach at Indiana University for five years, from 1984-89, working with coach Jim Humphrey. The team was 2-17 the season before his arrival and had a 15-0 record his final year with the program. Scherr is also a widely respected clinician, working numerous camps and clinics around the nation. Scherr was one of the greatest wrestlers in U.S. freestyle history. He was a 1985 World champion and a 1988 Olympic bronze medalist. He ran off an amazing five-year run of consecutive World-level medals for the United States from 1985-89. He was also a 1986 and 1989 World silver medalist and a 1987 World bronze medalist. His five consecutive World-level medals is one of U.S. wrestling's greatest feats. Bill Scherr was a two-time World Cup champion, a Pan American Games champion, a World Grand Masters champion, a Goodwill Games champion and a four-time U.S. Nationals champion. In 1992, he made a late comeback to the sport, winning the U.S. Nationals title and making the finals of the Olympic Team Trials where he placed second. He is a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Scherr was a 1984 NCAA champion at the Univ. of Nebraska, where he starred alongside his twin brother Jim. He was also a two-time high school state champion from Mobridge, S.D. He is a leader in the effort to bring the 2016 Olympic Games to Chicago, serving as chairman of World Sport Chicago as well as serving on the Board of Directors of Chicago 2016 and heading up the efforts of the Wildcat Wrestling Club. Professionally, he is a Vice President with Goldman Sachs & Co.