InterMat Staff

What's on Tap ... Utah Valley State will take on #11 (D-II) Adams State on Friday night in Alamosa, Colorado. It will be the third meeting between the two schools, with each team winning once. "They are a tough match up for us, so we'll have to be sharp," said Utah Valley coach Cody Sanderson. "We are wrestling well though, especially after last weekend, so I think if we come out and fight like we can we'll give ourselves a chance." Utah Valley State is coming off of two wins at the Cowboy Duals last Saturday. Heavyweight Dallin Norton had the weight of both matches on his shoulders and he came through, winning twice to secure Wolverine victories. Both matches were won by fall, including a big win over Wyoming's Dusty Hoffschneider, a two-time NCAA qualifier. Star 133 pound wrestler Erkin Tadzhimetov is on a roll having won nine straight matches including the last three by fall. He set a school record against Wyoming's Tyson Shatto, pinning him in just :35 seconds. The once ranked Tadzhimetov has strangely disappeared from the top 20 rankings, likely due to Utah Valley's inability to compete in the NCAA Tournament at this point in the school's D-I infancy. Overall he sports an 25-7 record and an 11-1 record in duals. Scouting the Opposition ... Adams State, ranked 11th, will be the third top 20 Division-II opponent this season for the Wolverines. They are currently 0-2 in those matches, losing to now #3 Central Oklahoma at the Lone Star Duals and #14 Western State in a close match in Orem. The Grizzlies feature four wrestlers ranked #7 or higher individually, including #2 Raymond Dunning at 133 pounds, making the matchup between Dunning and Tadzhimetov the most highly anticipated match of the night. Up Next ... Utah Valley State will have three straight home duals to wrap up their home schedule beginning Saturday, February 4th at 7:00pm against South Dakota State. They will take on North Dakota State on Tuesday, February 7th at 7:00pm before the final home match on Saturday, February 11th against Portland State at 2:00pm.

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Patrick Simpson secured a technical fall, Chad Marzec scored a major decision and six other Black Knights picked up wins as Army's wrestling team cruised past Sacred Heart, 30-6, Wednesday evening at West Point's Arvin Gymnasium. The Black Knights, who broke open a 16-6 contest with four straight wins to close out the match, improved to 5-3-2 on the season, while the Pioneers dropped to 5-8. The match began at 174 pounds and Marzec set the tone for Army with a 13-3 major decision triumph over Jed Gigure. The senior utilized five takedowns en route to the convincing win. Senior Luke Calvert followed with an 11-5 decision versus Andrew Silber at 184 pounds, and fellow classmate Charles Martin chipped in a win by forfeit at 197 pounds as the Black Knights assumed a 13-0 advantage after three bouts. Sacred Heart responded by winning two of the next three matches, trimming Army's lead to 16-6 midway through the contest. Freshman William Simpson accounted for the Black Knights' lone win during that span with a 7-2 decision over Mike Arone in the 125-pound bout. From there, Army closed the match with four consecutive wins. Whitt Dunning began the Black Knights' surge with a 3-1 decision opposite Chris Davis at 141 pounds. The freshman scored a takedown in the opening period and made it stand up. Patrick Simpson added his team-leading fifth technical fall of the year in the 149-pound bout, taking down Sean Eagan 24-8. The team captain, who boasts a 22-5 record this season, upped his dual match mark to 7-2. Freshman Brian Rowan and senior Jon Anderson closed out Army's list of winners on the night as each wrestler notched a win by decision. Rowan nipped Sherwood Fendryk, 6-5, at 157 pounds, while Anderson upended Anthony Hayes, 8-2 in the 165-pound bout. The Black Knights return to action on Saturday, Jan. 28, for a pair of dual matches against EIWA opponents Brown and Harvard. Army will battle the Brown Bears at 10 a.m. in Providence, R.I., before traveling north to take on the Harvard Crimson at 3 p.m. in Boston, Mass. *174: Chad Marzec (A) maj. dec. Jed Giguere, 13-3 184: Luke Calvert (A) dec. Andrew Silber, 11-5 197: Charles Martin (A) won by forfeit HWT: Payam Zarrinpour (S) dec. Michael Sprigg, 8-4 125: William Simpson (A) dec. Mike Arone, 7-2 133: Mike DelViscovo (S) dec. Frank Baughan, 5-4 141: Whitt Dunning (A) dec. Chris Davis, 3-1 149: Patrick Simpson (A) tech. fall Sean Eagan, 24-8 157: Brian Rowan (A) dec. Sherwood Fendryk, 6-5 165: Jon Anderson (A) dec. Anthony Hayes, 8-2 * The match began at 174 pounds

Dana College Wrestling set a new school record Wednesday night by winning their their 12th dual of the season in dominating fashion over Morningside College 38-4. Twelve wins is the most dual wins ever by any Dana wrestling team. The Vikings are now 12-1-1 over all and 11-0 against NAIA opponents. The Vikings won nine of ten matches in route to the record breaking victory. Craig Trampe (125 Ord, Neb.), Blair Alderman (197 Spokane, Wash.), and Jason Lozier (149 Omaha, Neb.) all won by major decisions while Wade Jordan (Hwt Coulee City, Wash.) won by technical fall. Senior Willie Parks (184 Garden Grove, Calif.) continues his dominance with another win by fall. Sonny Silva (133 Kimberly, Idaho), Terrence Almond (141 Pelham, Ga.), Scott Taylor (157 Arapahoe, Neb.), and Trent Leichleiter (165 Harvard, Neb.) also got their arm raised. Up next for the Vikings will be another GPAC foe Northwestern College on Friday January 27th in Orange City, Iowa. Following the Northwestern dual, the Vikings will travel to Aberdeen, SD to battle NCAA Division II Northern State University. Dana 38, Morningside 4 125- Craig Trampe (D) def. Jason Freudenburg, 14-2. 133- Sonny Silva (D) def. Chris Utesch, 5-1. 141- Terrence Almond (D) Jared Pickett, 6-5. 149- Jason Lozier (D) def. Brandon Mueller, 9-1. 157- Scott Taylor (D) def. Erin Hume, 9-4. 165- Trent Leichleiter (D) pinned Dan Ascherl, 3:14. 174- Jake Stevenson (M) def. Kyle Frawley, 16-3. 184- Willie Parks (D) pinned Bob Seger, 3:23. 197 – Blair Alderman (D) def. Cole Wilson, 13-5. Hwt- Wade Jordan (D) def. Matt Kastl by technical fall, 16-0.

Dave Schultz was one of the all-time greats. Not just because he was an NCAA champion or an Olympic gold medalist… but because of his genuine good nature and generous spirit. Ten years ago, Dave's life was taken in a senseless, bizarre murder that sounds straight out of a really awful movie. Only this was really awful real life. RevWrestling.com seeks to pay tribute to Dave Schultz with a series of articles that address various aspects of his life and legacy. In this installment, we share the circumstances of his tragic murder… and outline his considerable wrestling accomplishments. In future chapters, we plan to paint a more complete picture of Dave, including reminiscences from some of the folks who knew him best. Friday, January 26, 1996: The day wrestling died. That date, US freestyle wrestler Dave Schultz was murdered by multimillionaire John du Pont at his estate in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania outside Philadelphia. Dave SchultzDave, a 1984 Olympic gold medalist, was training for the 1996 Atlanta Games and coaching the Team Foxcatcher squad at du Pont's state-of-the-art wrestling facility on the estate grounds. That dreary Friday afternoon, Dave was working on the radio in his Toyota Tercel in front of his house at du Pont's estate when the heir to the chemical company fortune pulled up to the 36-year-old wrestler/coach's car and fired a shot through the back window of the station wagon. At the sound of the gunshot, Dave's wife Nancy bolted out of the kitchen in their home. By the time she reached the front door, there was a second shot. She saw her husband on the ground… and du Pont pointing his .38 out the open window of his Lincoln Town Car. According to the account of the crime in the book No Holds Barred: The Strange Life of John E. du Pont, Nancy told du Pont to stop … but he fired off a third shot into the back of the prone wrestler. Then du Pont pointed the gun at Nancy, who took refuge inside the house while dialing 911. The life squad was there in minutes. However, Dave was pronounced dead at Mercy Haverford Hospital at 3:30 p.m. In the meantime, John du Pont fled the murder scene and barricaded himself in his mansion on the estate grounds … staying locked in the library that had been reinforced as a bomb shelter during the Cold War, and stocked with food and water in anticipation of a nuclear attack. Outside, approximately 75 police officers -- including thirty SWAT team members -- took up positions in the freezing rain. Negotiating by phone with the police, du Pont asked that he be addressed as "His Holiness" and referred to himself as the Dali Lama. In the meantime, all wrestlers at the Team Foxcatcher facility were evacuated. The standoff dragged on through the weekend. At least a dozen separate phone conversations took place between du Pont and the police. Earlier that chilly January weekend, the police had shut off the boilers that provided heat to the mansion. By mid-afternoon Sunday, du Pont decided to try to fix the boilers which were located outside the residence. He exited the mansion, headed towards the greenhouse. The police ordered him to surrender. After threatening to run back to the house, du Pont was grabbed by the police, handcuffed and arrested approximately 48 hours after murdering Dave Schultz. ---- In addition to his wife Nancy, Dave Schultz left behind two children -- a nine-year-old son Alexander (named for the legendary Russian Greco-Roman superheavyweight superstar Alexander Medved), and a six-year-old daughter Danielle. He was also survived by his parents Philip (a counselor) and Dorothy (a clothing designer) … and three siblings: sister Seanna, and brothers Mark and Michael. ---- David L. Schultz was born June 6, 1959 in Palo Alto, California, the home of Stanford University. His parents were both Stanford graduates. Dave wrestled at Palo Alto High School, and won the California state title at 165 pounds in 1977 … and earned state wrestler-of-the-year honors that year. Dave SchultzUpon graduation, Dave headed east to Stillwater, Oklahoma to wrestle at Oklahoma State. However, after one year wrestling for the Cowboys, he transferred to UCLA. While sitting out his first year back in California because of the NCAA transfer rule, UCLA eliminated its wrestling program. So Dave was forced to move again, this time to the University of Oklahoma at Norman. In his senior year as a Sooner, he captured the 167-pound title at the 1982 NCAA Championships. Dave completed his college wrestling career as a three-time All-American. Even with those accomplishments, it was Dave's wrestling achievements beyond high school and college where he really made a name for himself. Over the course of nearly two decades, Dave won ten Senior National titles -- eight in freestyle, two in Greco-Roman. In international competition, Dave claimed the World Championship in 1983, plus three World silver medals, and two World bronze medals. Dave also was crowned champion at the 1986 Goodwill Games and the 1987 Pan Am Games … and was a four-time World Cup champ. Dave Schultz was not only incredibly talented as a wrestler, but extremely generous in sharing his experience and knowledge with others. Dave did this as a coach, working as an assistant at the University of Oklahoma, Stanford, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. At the time of his death, he was the head coach at John du Pont's Team Foxcatcher facility where a number of accomplished wrestlers worked out, including 1996 Olympic gold medalists Tom Brands and Kurt Angle. And, as friends are quick to point out, Dave took on the role of coach even in a less formal way, whether it was as clinician at wrestling camps … or in his willingness to answer questions of other wrestlers and demonstrate particular moves at a wrestling event. As good a teacher as Dave was, he was also an incredible student, too. Throughout his career he would ask other wrestlers about the fine points of technique or a specific move. The memory of Dave Schultz lives on. His name graces a major tournament that draws the best grapplers from all over the world … and memories of his amazing wrestling talent and giving nature live on in the hearts of all who knew him. Chapter 2: John du Pont Did you know Dave Schultz? If you have stories to share, please email the author at mark@revwrestling.com. Chapters: Chapter 1: The Day Wrestling Died Chapter 2: The Murderer, John du Pont Chapter 3: Immediate Memories of Dave Chapter 4: Smiling Back at a Life Remembered Chapter 5: A Spirit That Lives On

LAWRENCEVILLE -- The Broncs won six bouts, including two by fall, to defeat Rutgers Wednesday night. "I think things went as well as can be expected considering we are still banged up quite a bit," said Rider head coach Gary Taylor. "We wanted to make sure we got by the other RU." For Rider (8-4-1), sophomore Doug Umbehauer (Shamong/Lenape) and sophomore Ryan Smith (Olmsted Falls, Ohio/Olmsted Falls) each collected pins to lead the Broncs. "When you get caught like the way Doug caught that kid, that's a hard one to get out of," said Taylor. "Doug is still banged up quite a bit but we needed him in the line up tonight. We had others out of the line up. As far as Ryan goes, he's a pinner. If he gets you on your back, nine out of ten times he's going to pin you. And that really helps us out with those extra team points, especially on nights like tonight when you don't have all of your big guns out there." Umbehauer had been out of the line for two weeks with an ankle injury. "We were hoping for a win at that weight class, and also hoping he doesn't get re-injured," said Taylor. "Hope he gets through the match without getting injured, and hope he gets a win. The pin was a nice bonus." "The pin was an added bonus," said Umbehauer. "I still don't have a lot of movement, and it's still a little sore, but it was good to be back out there." Last year Umbehauer wasn't out there very much, sitting out as a red-shirt. "You want to be on the mat all the time, so it was tough sitting out, but I didn't have to make weight all of the time so that made it okay," Umbehauer joked. In just his first full season of competing at Rider, Umbehauer has already received many honors. He has twice been named the Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Week, and was named the Rider male Athlete of the Month for November. He has higher goals to reach. "I came to Rider because it was close to home, and had great coaching, but one of the main reasons was that a wrestler can win a national title here," Umbehauer said. "That's by ultimate goal. This year my goal is to be an All-American, that is something I work hard for every day, and before I'm done I want to be a national champion." At the High School Nationals Umbehauer placed second. "I lost to a wrestler who is now at Cal Poly," said Umbehauer. "It would be nice to see him again at Nationals. He beat me on a penalty point." Also for Rider, sophomore T. J. Morrison (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cedar Cliff), currently ranked 18th in the nation, won by a tech fall. Other winners for Rider included freshman Mike Kessler (Randallstown, Md./Owings Mills), sophomore Zack Cunliffe (Farmingdale/Howell) and senior Chris Marold (Mendham). Rider has now defeated Rutgers (7-5) 10 of the 12 meetings, including the last three and four of the last five. Rider hosts Columbia Saturday. "Columbia is a strong team, and hopefully we'll be healthier by then," Taylor said. 157 – Jamie Lijo-Rut major dec. Dan Silberman-Rid 16-4 0-4 165 – Chris Marold-Rid dec. Matt Pletcher-Rut 5-2 3-4 174 – Doug Umbehauer-Rid wbf Michael Whalen-Rut 6:18 9-4 184 – Rudy Medni-Rut major dec. Joe Maroney-Rid 8-0 9-8 197 – T.J. Morrison-Rid tech fall Lamar Brown-Rut 15-0 14-8 HWT – Mike D'Amico-Rut dec. Peter Reid-Rid 3-0 14-11 125 – Ryan Smith-Rid wbf Ricky Ringel-Rut 5:48 20-11 133 – Zach Cunliffe-Rid dec. Kellen Bradley-Rut 3-0 23-11 141 – Steve Adamcsik-Rut major dec. Mike Palma-Rid 8-0 23-15 149 – Mike Kessler-R id dec. Mike Ferrara-Rut 6-1 26-15

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- The Duke wrestling team dropped their sixth straight dual meet, falling to UNC Greensboro, 23-9, on Wednesday night at Fleming Gymnasium. The Blue Devils fall to 0-6 on the season while the Spartans improve to 8-1. The night began at 149 pounds and UNC Greensboro jumped out to a 3-0 lead when Cody Harrington won by decision over junior Daniel Shvartsman, 9-3. Duke freshman Cameron Harms then defeated Nate Berryman, 8-4, at 157 pounds to tie the score at 3-3. After taking a four-point lead on Mark Ring's major decision victory over redshirt freshman Aaron Glover at 165 pounds, the Spartans went ahead 10-3 on a decision win from Joe Lowe, who defeated senior Levi Craig, 6-4, at 174 pounds. Duke redshirt freshman Dan Tulley earned a 3-1 win over Kane Smith in the 184-pound weight class to cut the deficit to four but that was as close as the Blue Devils would get. Daren Burns, ranked 19th in the USA Today/NWCA/InterMat Coaches Poll at 197 pounds, scored a major decision victory over sophomore Konrad Dudziak to push the Spartans' lead to eight. Tyler Shovlin, who is ranked 14th in the heavyweight division, followed with a 4-0 win over freshman Wade Van Sickle to extend the lead to 17-6. Duke sophomore Kellan McKeon picked up the third victory of the night for the Blue Devils, defeating Justin Walp, 2-0, at 125 pounds. UNCG closed out the dual meet by winning the next two weight classes as Chris Bencivenga defeated freshman Michael Degli Obizzi, 11-5, at 133 pounds, and Kevin Artis, ranked 20th at 141 pounds, won by decision over junior Philip Wightman, 5-2. The Duke wrestling team will return to ACC action on Saturday, squaring off against Maryland at 3 p.m. UNC Greensboro 23, Duke 9 149: Cody Harrington (UNCG) def. Daniel Shvartsman (Duke), 9-3 (0-3) 157: Cameron Harms (Duke) def. Nate Berryman (UNCG), 8-4 (3-3) 165: Mark Ring (UNCG) major decision Aaron Glover (Duke), 10-1 (3-7) 174: Joe Lowe (UNCG) def. Levi Craig (Duke), 6-4 (3-10) 184: Dan Tulley (Duke) def. Kane Smith (UNCG), 3-1 (6-10) 197: Daren Burns (UNCG) major decision Konrad Dudziak (Duke), 11-2 (6-14) HWT: Tyler Shovlin (UNCG) def. Wade Van Sickle (Duke), 4-0 (6-17) 125: Kellan McKeon (Duke) def. Justin Walp (UNCG), 2-0 (9-17) 133: Chris Bencivenga (UNCG) def. Michael Degli Obizzi (Duke), 11-5 (9-20) 141: Kevin Artis (UNCG) def. Philip Wightman (Duke), 5-2 (9-23)

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern sophomore All-American Jake Herbert (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) has been named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week the conference office announced Wednesday. Herbert, who is the nation's second-ranked wrestler at 174 lbs., shares the award with Minnesota's Roger Kish after going 2-0 in duals versus No. 1 Minnesota and No. 22 Wisconsin last week. The award is Herbert's second of the season and the third of his career. Herbert extended his Northwestern-record winning streak to 28 by defeating Minnesota's eighth-ranked Gabriel Dretsch and the Badgers' Mike Felling, outscoring his opponents by a combined 30-5. On Friday versus the Gophers, Herbert earned a 13-3 major decision over Drestch. He followed that performance by topping Felling, 17-2, by technical fall at 4:25. The win was Herbert's fourth-straight by fall, technical fall or major decision and his 15th out of 22 matches this season. The conference Wrestler of the Week award is Northwestern's third of the season, second-most among conference schools.

WAVERLY -- Top-ranked Wartburg remained unbeaten and grabbed a slice of Iowa Conference dual history Friday, Jan. 20, with a 31-16 win over No. 3-ranked Luther in front of 1100 fans at Knights Gymnasium. The third-ranked Norse, despite dropping to 9-3-1 on the season, gave the home side all it could handle, winning by a major decision at 125 and a decision at 133 and 157 to tie the score at 10-10. Falls from senior 165-pounder Dustin Bliven of Columbus Junction, senior 184-pounder Akeem Carter of Waterloo and junior 197-pounder T.J. Miller of Cedar Falls gave the Knights their 100th consecutive league dual win in a row. Since head coach Jim Miller took over the program, the Knights have never lost a home Iowa Conference dual. Only two schools have won a dual in Knights Gymnasium against coach Miller's teams: Iowa State and Augsburg. Coach Miller's conference dual record is an amazing 122-3-1 and part of that mark was a win on Dec. 1, 1994, when Wartburg defeated archrival Luther 48-0 to begin their current string of 100 straight wins in league dual competition. Wartburg's last IIAC home dual loss was Jan. 17, 1991 to Buena Vista – they were tied by Central 20-20 the following year – it's a record of 51-0-1 and a span of 16 years. It's last league dual loss was at Buena Vista, 18-16, in the final dual of the 1993-94 season. Wartburg improved to 18-0 with the win. The Knights resume their dual season with a double-dual at UW-Stevens Pt. Saturday, Jan. 20, against the #22 ranked Pointers and UW-Oshkosh at 4 and 6 p.m. Luther returns to dual competition for the Iowa Conference duals section at Loras Saturday, Jan. 28. #1 Wartburg (W) 38, #19 Simpson (S) 8 125 Paul Reedy (W) def. Brandon Haugh, 4-0 133 Jake Helvey (W) def. Matt Koch, 11-2 141 #2 Dustin Brewer (S) def. Robert Struthers by TF (18-2) @6:30 149 #2 Jacob Naig (W) def. Cole Christensen, 18-5 157 Kellen Delaney (S) def. Robert Kuennen, 12-9 165 Dustin Bliven (W) def. Bryan Llewellyn by TF (18-0) @6:00 174 #2 Scott Kaufman (W) pinned Cody Downing, @1:29 184 #3 Akeem Carter (W) pinned Matt Jorgenson, @3:53 197 Ryan Phillips (W) pinned Berke Tuinstra, @3:39 Hwt. #1 Blake Gillis (W) def. #8 Brett Christensen, 10-1 Wartburg 21-0, 3-0 IIAC Simpson 10-8, 1-2 IIAC

Hempstead, NY -- Pride junior Jon Andriac recorded a win by fall to help lead #21 Hofstra (9-4-1) to a 25-15 victory over #22 Penn (7-3) Wednesday night at the Hofstra Arena. The victory was Hofstra's sixth straight win while the Quakers had their winning streak stopped at two. Hofstra, which forfeited two weight classes at 125 and 133, lost just one match on the mat as Lior Zamir edged Chris Vondruska 4-3 at 165 pounds in the first match of the night. But fifth-ranked Pride senior Mike Patrovich improved to 21-2 on the year with a 10-5 win over #19 Matt Herrington (9-3) to tie the match at 3-3. Hofstra's 19th-ranked sophomore Joe Rovelli (19-6) rallied to down Dustin Wiles 6-4 at 184 pounds to boost the lead to 6-3. Junior Chris Weidman improved to 14-3 with a 12-6 win over Paul Velekei at 197 for a 9-3 lead. With the two forfeits to follow his match, Andriac put the Pride on firm footing with a pin of freshman Jayson Bowlsby in 4:01 for a 15-3 lead. Andriac improved to 17-11 on the year with his sixth fall of the season. Penn's Mike Silengo, ranked 17th, won by forfeit at 125 and 10th-ranked Matt Valenti did the same at 133 to tie the match at 15-15. But Hofstra's 13th-ranked sophomore Charles Griffin (18-4) posted a 6-3 decision over Cesar Grajales to take an 18-15 lead. Senior Jon Masa (23-5), ranked fourth at 149 pounds, sealed the victory with a 13-5 victory over Matt Dragon for a 22-15 lead. Junior James Strouse (22-7) avenged a 5-4 tie-breaker loss to #20 Gene Zannetti at the Las Vegas Invitational in December with a 2-1 victory. The Pride, who closed out their home schedule Wednesday night, returns to action on February 4th when they square off against Lehigh and Maryland in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. #21 Hofstra 25, #22 Pennsylvania 15 165 - Lior Zamir (UP) dec. Chris Vondruska (HU), 4-3 174 - #5 Mike Patrovich (HU) dec. #19 Matt Herrington (UP), 10-5 184 - #19 Joe Rovelli (HU) dec. Dustin Wiles (UP), 6-4 197 - Chris Weidman (HU) dec. Paul Velekei (UP), 12-6 285 - Jon Andriac (HU) WBF Jayson Bowlsby (UP), 4:01 125 - #17 Mike Silengo (UP) won by forfeit 133 - #10 Matt Valenti (UP) won by forfeit 141 - #13 Charles Griffin (HU) dec. Cesar Grajales (UP), 6-3 149 - #4 Jon Masa (HU) maj. dec. Matt Dragon (UP), 13-5 157 - #16 James Strouse (HU) dec. #20 Gene Zannetti (UP), 2-1

Sophomore Roger Kish has been named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week after defeating a pair of top-10 opponents last weekend. This is the fifth time in 11 weeks that a Golden Gopher wrestler has been honored by the conference. Last Friday against Northwestern, Kish defeated 10th-ranked Mike Tamillow at 184 pounds. On Sunday, he earned a 4-1 decision against sixth-ranked Paul Bradley of Iowa. Bradley entered the match with two wins over Kish. A native of LaPeer, Mich., Kish is ranked eighth in the country with a 24-3 record. He has won 12 of his last 13 matches. The top-ranked Golden Gophers hit the road this weekend for duals at Ohio State on Friday and at No. 9 Penn State on Sunday.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The No. 19-ranked Navy wrestling team's matches with North Carolina and North Carolina State have been changed to accompany a scheduling conflict. Navy will wrestle North Carolina State at 3:00 p.m., and will now wrestle North Carolina at 5:00 p.m., pushing back each match two hours. Both matches will be in Halsey Field House, and will be broadcast over the internet, via Takedown Radio, beginning with its pre-match show at 2:00 p.m. For ticket information, call the Naval Academy Athletic Association ticket office at 1-800-US4-NAVY.

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team opened its Southern Conference season with six consecutive victories in a 22-9 win over The Citadel Tuesday in Charleston, S.C. The Mocs, 10-6-1 and 1-0 in the SoCon, led 19-0 in the match before The Citadel, 4-7 and 0-1, scratched the scoreboard. Heavyweight Israel Silva led off the dual with a 5-3 win over John Buck. Javier Maldonado added a 13-6 decision over Anthony Easter at 125 pounds, and Adam Rains gave the Mocs an early 9-0 lead with his 8-2 win over Billy Bullwinkel at 133. Michael Keefe provided the eventual clinching victory at 141 pounds, just four matches into the dual, with a 14-4 major decision over Michael Arias. Aaron Martin extended the 13-0 advantage with an 8-2 win over Matt Bullwinkel at 149, and Jake Yost capped the six straight UTC decisions with a 10-3 victory over Chris Humphries at 157. The Citadel's only wins came at 165, 174 and 197 pounds. Dan Thompson defeated Daniel Peterson 7-4 at 165 for the Bulldogs' first points of the evening. Darius Caldwell edged T.J. Sayers 6-5 at 174, and Mark Thompson scored a 7-0 decision over Lloyd Rogers at 197. John Davis rounded out the Mocs' scoring at 184 with a 3-1 win over John Dickerson. The Mocs host Northern Iowa and Cumberland University Saturday at 7 p.m. at Maclellan Gym. Chattanooga 22, The Citadel 9 285 – Israel Silva (UTC) dec. John Buck (CIT), 5-3 3-0 125 – Javier Maldonado (UTC) dec. Anthony Easter (CIT), 13-6 6-0 133 – Adam Rains (UTC) dec. Billy Bullwinkel (CIT), 8-2 9-0 141 – Michael Keefe (UTC) maj. dec. Michael Arias (CIT), 14-4 13-0 149 – Aaron Martin (UTC) dec. Matt Bullwinkel (CIT), 8-2 16-0 157 – Jake Yost (UTC) dec. Chris Humphries (CIT), 10-3 19-0 165 – Dan Thompson (CIT) dec. Daniel Peterson (UTC), 7-4 19-3 174 – Darius Caldwell (CIT) dec. T.J. Sayers (UTC), 6-5 19-6 184 – John Davis (UTC) dec. John Dickerson (CIT), 3-1 22-6 197 – Mark Thompson (CIT) dec. Lloyd Rogers (UTC), 7-0 22-9

Fresno, Calif. -- Fresno State won the first two matches of the night and two of the last three, but a fall and three forfeits sealed the Bulldogs fate as Cal State Fullerton took a 28-18 win. The Bulldogs had four decision wins and a forfeit, but was unable to recover from giving up 18 uncontested points as the team continued to be unable to wrestle three classes. The Bulldogs started the night quickly, as Sean Carlson won a 5-3 decision with a late takedown of T.J. Dillashaw, and Garrett Spooner recovered from an early near-fall by Joaquin Carlos to take an 18-13 win in a high-paced match. Morgan Atkinson brought the Titans onto the board with a pin at 149 pounds, though, and three consecutive forfeits erased the Bulldog advantage, as Cal State Fullerton moved ahead 24-6. The Bulldogs' Cody Parker and Greg Gifford each won decisions, and Fresno State's Miguel Rodriguez wrestled hard but was beaten by the Titan's Chris Chambers while filling in for injured 197-pounder Brandon Halsey. The Bulldogs picked up a forfeit from Cal State Fullerton at 125 pounds since Cal State Fullerton's Johnny Rojas did not make weight, but the match was wrestled as an exhibition at the end of the night with Fresno State's Cory Borges winning a major decision 14-6. Fresno State continues a busy week with a road trip to Oregon this weekend. The Bulldogs will face the Oregon Ducks first on Friday night, before taking on Oregon State and Portland State on Saturday. Cal State Fullerton 28, Fresno State 18 January 24, 2006 133 - Sean Carlson (FS) dec. T. J. Dillashaw (CSF), 5-3 141 - Garrett Spooner (FS) dec. Joaquin Carlos (CSF), 18-13 149 - Morgan Atkinson (CSF) fall Dustin Rocha (FS), 1:59 157 - Shawn Reilly (CSF) accepted forfeit 165 - Risto Martinnen (CSF) accepted forfeit 174 - Ian Murphy (CSF) accepted forfeit 184 - Greg Gifford (FS) dec. Jesse Taylor (CSF), 9-4 197 - Chris Chambers (CSF) m.d. Miguel Rodriguez (FS), 12-4 285 - Cody Parker (FS) dec. Matthew Methling (CSF), 7-2 125 - Cory Borges (FS) accepted forfeit *Exhib.* Cory Borges (FS) m.d. Johnny Rojas (CSF), 14-6

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern head wrestling coach Tim Cysewski announced today that the time and location for the Wildcats' dual versus Illinois has been changed to 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5 at Rolling Meadows High School. Doors at Rolling Meadows High School will open at noon for the Big Ten dual meet. Prior to that, two local youth club teams will be competing in a dual starting at 11 a.m. "We are very excited to have this meet at Rolling Meadows High School. It will give both Northwestern and Illinois fans a chance to watch a dual in a new environment and provide our fans and teams the opportunity to enjoy the Super Bowl," Cysewski said. The dual was originally scheduled for 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 5. Tickets prices will be $4 for students and $7 for adults. Rolling Meadows High School is located at 2901 Central Road, in Rolling Meadows, Ill. From Welsh-Ryan Arena, travel west on Central St. and take a left on Gross Point Road. Continue south on Gross Point Road to Golf Road. Turn right onto Golf Road and continue east 10 miles to Rand Road/US 12. Take a slight right onto Rand Road/US 12, continue 1.5 miles and make a slight left onto Central Road. Continue five miles and arrive at Rolling Meadows High School. Questions can be directed to the Northwestern media services office at (847) 491-7503.

Team: 1. Arizona State 2. Cal Poly 3. Oregon State 4. UC Davis 5. Cal State Bakersfield 6. Oregon 7. Boise State 8. Cal State Fullerton 9. Stanford 10. Portland State Individual: 125 Pounds 1. Jeremy Mendoza (Arizona State) 2. Chad Mendes (Cal Poly) 3. Tanner Gardner (Stanford) 4. Eric Stevenson (Oregon State) 5. Brandon Zoetewey (Cal State Bakersfield) 6. Marcos Orozco (UC Davis) 133 Pounds 1. Scott Jorgensen (Boise State) 2. Darrell Vasquez (Cal Poly) 3. Justin Pearch (Oregon) 4. Omar Gaitan (UC Davis) 5. TJ Dillashaw (Cal State Fullerton) 6. Tommy Vargas (Cal State Bakersfield) 141 Pounds 1. Derek Moore (UC Davis) 2. Kyle Larson (Oregon State) 3. Steve Esparza (Cal Poly) 4. Skyler Woods (Oregon) 5. Matt Schumm (Cal State Bakersfield) 6. Teddy Astorga (Cal State Fullerton) 149 Pounds 1. Pat Payne (Arizona State) 2. Anthony Baza (Cal State Bakersfield) 3. Jeff Owens (Cal Poly) 4. Tyler Sherfey (Boise State) 5. Josh Zupancic (Stanford ) 6. Morgan Atkinson (Cal State Fullerton) 157 Pounds 1. Brian Stith (Arizona State) 2. Scott Loescher (Stanford) 3. Tony Hook (Oregon State) 4. Ben Cherrington (Boise State) 5. Shawn Reilly (Cal State Fullerton) 6. Ryan Williams (Cal Poly) 165 Pounds 1. Joey Bracamonte (Oregon) 2. Pat Pitsch (Arizona State) 3. Frank Richmond (UC Davis) 4. Ray Blake (Stanford) 5. Brian Busby (Cal State Bakersfield) 6. Risto Marttinen (Cal State Fullerton) 174 Pounds 1. Jeremy Larson (Oregon State) 2. Ken Cook (UC Davis) 3. Christian Arellano (Cal State Bakersfield) 4. Ian Murphy/Ryan Budd (Cal State Fullerton) 5. Nick Hernandez (Cal Poly) 6. Alex Pavlenko (Arizona State) 184 Pounds 1. Shane Webster (Oregon) 2. CB Dollaway (Arizona State) 3. Ryan Halsey (Cal Poly) 4. Tyler Bernacchi (UC Davis) 5. Jesse Taylor (Cal State Fullerton) 6. KC Walsh (Boise State) 197 Pounds 1. Ryan Bader (Arizona State) 2. Matt Monteiro (Cal Poly) 3. Dan Pitsch (Oregon State) 4. Casey Phelps (Boise State) 5. Elliot Kelly (UC Davis) 6. Chris Chambers (Cal State Fullerton) Heavyweight 1. Cain Velasquez (Arizona State) 2. Ty Watterson (Oregon State) 3. Eric Parker (Cal State Bakersfield) 4. Andy Patrick (Boise State) 5. Arturo Basulto (Cal Poly) 6. Chris Dearmon (Oregon)

Columbia, Mo. -- Wrestling unattached Jan. 21 at the 13th annual Roger Denker Open in Warrensburg, Mo., freshman John Olanowski (Virginia Beach, Va.) marched through the 125-pound bracket, earning the third title of his redshirt season. Dominating the bracket throughout the day, Olanowski pinned his first opponent, Danny Morreale of Lindenwood, in 3:16, then won by technical fall over Missouri Baptist's Gary Brooks in 5:58. A 15-2 decision over Tommy Edgmon of Neosho County Community College put Olanowski into the championship bout, where he squared off against a familiar opponent in Josh Sampo of Lindenwood. In their first meeting of the campaign Sampo earned the victory, 6-3, but this time Olanowski was able to turn the tables on his opponent for an 8-3 victory and the title. Freshman Nick Marable (Colliersville, Tenn.) lost just one match on the day to finish third at 157 pounds. Fighting his way through the wrestleback bracket after a loss in the quarterfinals, Marable earned victories in three matches to make it to the third-place bout. Wrestling against Randy Vanderveen of Lindenwood, Marable outscored his opponent, 3-1, picking up the win. Freshmen Dirk Hurrin (Alexandria, Va.) and Mark Ellis (Peculiar, Mo.) each recorded 3-2 marks on the day to take fourth place at 174 and 285 pounds, respectively. Hurrin placed in the top six for the second week in a row after winning the Dan Gable Open a week ago, and Ellis improved to 22-9 in his redshirt season. Sophomore Justin Cole (Gladstone, Mo.) rounded out the placewinners for Missouri by taking sixth place at 149 pounds.

Please be advised that the Jan. 25 Iowa Conference wrestling dual between #1 Wartburg (20-0, 2-0 IIAC) and #19 Simpson (10-7, 1-1 IIAC) will now be conducted in Simpson's Cowles Fieldhouse rather than Simpson's Hopper Gymnasium. The start time will remain 7 p.m.

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ -- Jon Masa of Hofstra University, and Chris Cowen of Drexel University, have been named the Colonial Athletic Association Wrestlers of the Week, and Mike Kessler of Rider University was named the CAA Rookie of the Week, for all competition January 17-23. Masa, a senior from Long Beach, NY (Long Beach), won all five of his bouts at the CAA Duals last week in impressive fashion. Currently ranked fourth in the nation at 149, Masa collected two falls, two tech falls and a major decision at the CAAs to improve to 22-5. Masa extended his winning streak to six matches. Cowen, a junior from Mexico, NY (Mexico), won all three of his matches at the CAAs last week, collected a pair of pins. The defending CAA heavyweight champion, Cowen has now won six of his last eight bouts. Kessler, a freshman 149 from Randallstown, Md. (Owings Mills), won all five of his bouts at the CAAs, including two victories over wrestlers who are ranked in the top five in the CAA, along with a major decision. Kessler improves to 6-0 in the CAA.

DALLAS, Texas -- Nathan Morgan went 3-0 last week, including two wins over ranked opponents, and was named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week for Jan. 17-23 as it was announced by the Big 12 Office this morning. Morgan won both matches of a double dual against Cal Poly and Fresno State on Jan. 20. His first match was against fellow Bakersfield, Calif. native and third-ranked Darrell Vasquez of Cal Poly. Morgan scored a takedown in sudden victory to beat his friend, 6-4. The Sophomore added a major decision against Sean Carlson helping the Cowboys to a 44-3 dual victory over Fresno State. Morgan closed out the week with a 9-4 decision over No. 19 Tyler McCormick. Morgan currently owns a 21-1 record, best on the team, and is ranked as high as second by the NWCA/Intermat. Morgan also leads the Big 12 with 50 takedowns in dual meets. You can see Morgan in action on Sunday when Iowa State visits Gallagher-Iba Arena for a 2 p.m. dual.

State College, Pa. -- The No. 10 Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, under the guidance of head coach Troy Sunderland, will host two more national powers this weekend, including the country's top-ranked team, in its final two home duals of the season. Action takes place in Rec Hall on Friday and Sunday. The Nittany Lions, 8-2 overall and winners of five straight, host No. 18 Michigan State (2-3 overall) on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in Rec Hall. Penn State then readies itself as No. 1 Minnesota invades Rec Hall for a 1 p.m. dual on Sunday. Sunday's battle with the Gophers will also serve as Senior Day for Penn State. Using USA Today/NWCA rankings as of 1/17, a total of 21 ranked wrestlers are on tap in the three probable starting line-ups, including two individuals ranked No. 1 in the country at their respective weight classes. Penn State, with a total of eight ranked grapplers, will be led by senior Eric Bradley (Plaistow, N.H.), who is ranked No. 1 at 184. Bradley, the reigning two-time Big Ten Champion and a returning All-American, is 3-0 on the season. Minnesota's Cole Konrad, a junior heavyweight, is ranked No. 1 at heavyweight and is a perfect 26-0 on the year. Each weight class could feature exciting bouts and will showcase some of the nation's top wrestling talent. Michigan State's Nick Simmons leads the charge at 125, sporting a 20-0 mark and a No. 4 ranking. Penn State will send either sophomore Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) at 13-4 or freshman Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) at 12-6. Minnesota will go with either freshman Travis Lang, 21-10 overall, or junior Andrew Domingues, 13-7. Nittany Lion freshman Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) heads into the weekend with a 14-1 record and a No. 10 national rank at 133. Strayer will certainly be tested in a match-up with No. 3 Mack Reiter of Minnesota, who comes in with a 21-2 record. Michigan State will counter with freshman Jeff Wimberly, who is 9-12 overall. The 141-pounder weight class will feature three ranked wrestlers. Penn State senior DeWitt Driscoll (Connellsville, Pa.) is ranked No. 9 nationally and sports a 10-4 mark while Michigan State's Andy Simmons is 22-2 and ranked No. 4. Minnesota's line-up will feature No. 19 Manuel Rivera, who is 20-9 overall. At 149, Nittany Lion senior James Woodall (St. Dupont, Pa.), ranked No. 10 and 5-2 overall, will get a shot at two national powers. Michigan State senior Darren McKnight is 17-7 and ranked No. 12 while Golden Gopher Dustin Schlatter brings a superb 28-1 overall mark and a lofty No. 2 ranking to the table. Tough battles loom at 157 as well for Nittany Lion junior Nathan Galloway (State College, Pa.), who comes in ranked No. 14 and sporting a 9-7 mark. Galloway will face Michigan State's Tony Greathouse, a junior with a 12-7 record, and Minnesota's C.P. Schlatter, a sophomore with a 25-4 mark and a No. 6 rank. Penn State true freshman David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio), who has burst onto the scene with an 18-4 mark and a No. 11 national rank, will face stern tests each night out this weekend. Michigan State will go with one of two talented sophomores, either Greg Goidosik, 10-5 overall, or Bryan Harney, 6-6. Minnesota's Matt Nagel is a senior with a 21-6 record and a No. 10 ranking. Junior James Yonushonis (Philipsburg, Pa.) will look to continue his hot year at 174 for Penn State. Yonushonis is ranked No. 12 in the country and is 13-3 overall. The Philipsburg native will battle two ranked grapplers. Michigan State will send senior R.J. Boudro to the mat. Boudro is 17-3 and ranked No. 7 nationally. The Golden Gophers counter with sophomore Gabriel Dretsch, who is 21-8 and ranked No. 16. At 184, Nittany Lion Bradley will face two of his toughest foes to date this season. The Spartans will go with either No. 20 Joe Williams, who is 6-7 overall, or outstanding freshman John Murphy, who is 14-8. Minnesota features sophomore Roger Kish, who is 24-3 and ranked No. 13. Returning All-American Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) leads the charge at 197 for Penn State, sporting a 10-3 mark and a No. 6 national rank. Michigan State will go with senior Jeff Clemens, who is 13-9 overall. The Golden Gophers will enter one of two sophomores, either 7-13 Justin Bronson or 5-6 Mitch Kuhlman. Set to challenge top-ranked and undefeated Konrad at heavyweight will be one of two talented Nittany Lions. Penn State will go with senior Joel Edwards (Upper Darby, Pa.), 10-2 overall and ranked No. 20, or junior Aaron Anspach (Columbia, Pa.), 13-8. Michigan State counters with senior Max Lossen, who is 10-8. In addition to the outstanding talent that will be featured in the two duals, exciting promotions are also on tap. The first 1,000 fans through the Rec Hall doors on Friday night will receive a free Jeff Prescott Bronze mini-statue. The first 1,000 fans through the doors on Sunday will receive a free Kerry McCoy Bronze mini-statue. Also, due to the shipping problems that prevented distribution of the Andy Matter statues on Jan. 8, fans with vouchers from that dual can pick up their statues this weekend. Additional Matter statues will be made available to those without vouchers on a first come first serve basis. Single match tickets can be purchased by visiting the BJC Ticket Center or by calling 814-865-5555 or 800-863-3336. Prices are $5 for adults and $3 for youth and senior citizens. Both duals will be televised. The PSU/MSU match will be a WPSU-TV live broadcast while the Nittany Lion/Golden Gopher dual will be 'live-to-tape' and shown on a tape delay basis to a CSTV national audience. Check local listings for exact dates and times. The action can also be heard live on WBLF 970 AM, streamed live on www.GoPSUsports.com (which also features live scoring of every home dual).

JOHNSTOWN, PA -- Pitt Johnstown senior National Champion Thad Benton (141 lbs) (Claysburg, Pa./Claysburg-Kimmel H.S.) will look for career victory #100 when Head Coach Pat Pecora's (30th season) #3-ranked Mountain Cat wrestlers host #16-ranked Gannon University Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. in the Sports Center. Prior to the match, the Pitt Johnstown Athletic Department will recognize Coach Pecora by presenting him with a plaque to commemorate his 400th career victory he earned with a 37-4 win over Anderson (S.C.) College on Friday. With a victory, Benton will become the 17th Pitt Johnstown wrestler to reach 100 career wins. Benton, the 2005 NCAA Division II National Champion at 141 lbs., comes in with a 28-5 record in 2005-06 and a 99-21 career record. Along with Friday's win over Anderson, the Mountain Cats also posted four victories by a combined score of 140-33 at Saturday's East Coast Duals. The Mountain Cats have five wrestlers in Wednesday's starting line-up nationally-ranked, including Benton (141 lbs.) and Mike Corcetti (184 lbs.), who are both ranked #1. Ryon Mazzocco (125 lbs.) is ranked #3, while Mike Fowler (197 lbs.) and Zach Majocha (HWT.) are ranked #8 in their respective weight classes. Head Coach Don Henry's (22nd season) Golden Knights come in ranked #16 in NCAA Division II with a 3-4 record following a 2-2 showing at last weekend's East Coast Duals. R.J. Paterniti, a 2005 All-American, is ranked #3 at 149 lbs. The Golden Knights also have 2005 National Qualifier Jacob Tazzi at 184 lbs. Probable match-ups include: NCAA #3 Ryon Mazzocco (UPJ) vs. Adam Green at 125 lbs…NCAA #1 Thad Benton (UPJ) vs. East Region #5 Joe Cavalier at 141 lbs…East Region #5 Jay Matteo (UPJ) vs. NCAA #3 R.J. Paterniti at 149 lbs…Joe Strittmatter (UPJ) vs. Mike Cavalier at 157 lbs…Rob Sakmar (UPJ) vs. NCAA #8 Blake Pennock at 165… Adam Musisko (UPJ) vs. East Region #4 Jason Radtke 174 lbs…NCAA #1 Mike Corcetti (UPJ) vs. East Region #4 Jacob Tazzi at 184 lbs…NCAA #8 Mike Fowler (UPJ) vs. Chris Moerke at 197 lbs…NCAA #8 Zach Majocha or Jon Neese (UPJ) vs. Dan Shields at Heavyweight.

Note: This story also appears in the Jan. 25 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering amateur wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. To subscribe to The Guillotine, click here. Roger Kish of the University of Minnesota owns the national high school record for career victories with 252. But the 184-pound sophomore couldn't care less. In fact, if you ask him whether or not anyone since then has come close to challenging that record, he says, "You know, I couldn't tell you. I don't know. The record just kind of happened. When I was in high school, I didn't even think about it until someone said, hey, you're only two wins away from tying the record or something. But it was cool." It's classic Roger Kish. As a freshman last season, Roger Kish posted a 28-11 record and qualified for the NCAA Championships.The 21-year-old Michigan native remains one of the most gifted wrestlers in the country (and has the accolades to prove it), but you would never know it from talking to him. He carries himself off the mat in a way that makes him seem almost oblivious to his talents. He doesn't have a clue how many national titles he won growing up. Four? Five? Six? He doesn't know or care. When he arrived on the Minnesota campus in the fall of 2003 as the No. 1 high school wrestler in the entire country, his goal wasn't to be the next four-time NCAA champion or break Cael Sanderson's consecutive victories streak. Not even close. "I just wanted to come here and wrestle, kind of see what it was all about," said Kish. "I guess my biggest goal was to break into the starting lineup after my redshirt season." That's exactly what he did. Last season as a redshirt freshman, Kish posted a 28-11 record, which included tournament titles at the Bison Open, Kaufman-Brand Open, and the Southern Scuffle, where he defeated eventual NCAA runner-up Tyler Baier of Cornell in the finals, 7-4. He missed five weeks of the season, though, in January and February, because of a skin infection. Kish went on to place sixth at the Big Ten Championships. At the NCAA Championships, he won three matches, but lost in the round of 12 and missed out on becoming an All-American. "I was really disappointed with the way my season ended up," said Kish, who began the season with 11 straight victories. "With being out so long, and not being able to get on the mat or work out, I went from beating the (NCAA) runner-up the week before I got my skin infection to not even placing. It gave me a lot of motivation going into this season." Minnesota head assistant coach Marty Morgan, who also serves as the recruiting coordinator, first spotted Kish at the Michigan State High School Championships in 2000, when he won a state title for LaPeer West High School as a freshman at 160 pounds. Morgan was there to watch Nick and Andy Simmons, but came away impressed with what he saw from Kish. From that point on, Morgan kept a close eye on Kish and followed his progress throughout his high school career. Marty Morgan is in his 11th season as the top assistant at Minnesota (photo courtesy of TheGuillotine.com).In addition to shattering the national record for career victories, Kish reeled off 223-consecutive victories (a national record that was broken in 2004), won Cadet Nationals, Junior Nationals, NHSHA Senior Nationals, four Michigan Class B state titles (led his team to two), and picked up the Junior Schalles Award, which is given annually to the nation's top high school pinner. "When he came here on his (recruiting) visit, we had some exceptional upper-weight training partners for him at the time," said Morgan, who is in his 11th season as the top assistant at Minnesota. "Brandon Eggum, Tim Hartung, and Damion Hahn were all here training, along with me, and some other guys on the team. Plus, I think he realized the style we wrestle is kind of his style. We wrestle an aggressive, conditioning-type style, and that's what he likes." Kish, who also considered Iowa, Iowa State, and Michigan, became the prized recruit in Minnesota's 17-member 2003 recruiting class, which was ranked as the nation's best by virtually every major wrestling publication and Web site. The class also included current Minnesota starters Mack Reiter (133), Manuel Rivera (141), C.P. Schlatter (157), Gabe Dretsch (174), and Mitch Kuhlman (197). Kish redshirted his first season at Minnesota and posted a 9-4 record while wrestling unattached at 184 pounds. He worked out daily with the likes of Eggum, Hartung, Hahn, Morgan, Jacob Volkmann, and Luke Becker. "It was a rare occasion when I worked out with another freshman," said Kish. But coming from a small high school in Michigan to a major Division I university was a bit of an adjustment for Kish. "I've had classes here at Minnesota that were as large as my whole high school," said Kish. "I was kind of lost in the crowd. I just wasn't used to that many people." Kish was honored that season as a Scholar-Athlete for his efforts on the mat and in the classroom. On Sunday, Roger Kish defeated two-time All-American Paul Bradley of Iowa, 4-1 (photo courtesy of TheGuillotine.com).In the spring of his redshirt season, Kish was one of three Gopher wrestlers (along with Mack Reiter and C.P. Schlatter) to compete on the 20-and-under U.S. National Team. He was the lone wrestler on the team to capture titles in both freestyle and Greco-Roman at the Junior Pan-Am Championships in Maracaibo, Venezuela. It was a memorable experience for Kish. "I really enjoyed it," said Kish. "I never had the experience of flying that far away, being that far way from home while competing. It was fun. You got to see a lot of new styles of wrestling, a lot of new guys, good competition, and different attitudes about the sport." Kish is having a tremendous sophomore season for Minnesota. He currently owns a 24-3 record and is ranked No. 9 in the country at 184 pounds by RevWrestling.com. "I feel really good right now," said Kish. "I'm working on a couple things. A couple things I'm staring to figure out. It's all kind of coming together for me." Morgan is pleased with the adjustments he's made. "I think he's finally starting to figure out the style he wants to wrestle," said Morgan, who was an NCAA champion for Minnesota in 1991. "He's learning that he has some scoring positions that he didn't have last season. Probably more than anything else, he's found ways to score on people without using his old reliables." Kish played a major role in helping the Gophers claim the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals title in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He finished the weekend with a perfect 4-0 record, which included avenging an early season loss to Iowa State All-American Kurt Backes, and picking up a key win in the championship match against Oklahoma State's Rusty Blackmon. Kish says that he won't be satisfied with anything less than a national title this season for both himself and the Gophers. Regardless, the future appears to be extremely bright in Minnesota, with eight of their 10 starters being freshmen or sophomores. Is it conceivable that Minnesota could win the next three national titles and eclipse the back-to-back titles won in 2001 and 2002? "I would like to think so," said Kish, who is majoring in business and marketing education. "That's one of our goals. It's something we've thought about since we were seniors in high school."

I must confess. I thought Blair Academy was vulnerable this year. I believed that this was the year that another national powerhouse would topple the dynasty of high school wrestling. After all, they had graduated Adam Frey, Hudson Taylor, Rollie Peterkin, Ross Gitomer, and Tyler Thurgood. Jeff BuxtonYou just don't replace wrestlers like that, right? I thought for sure that Lakewood St. Edward's -- or perhaps another team -- would prevent Blair from winning their sixth straight national title. When the dust settled on Blair Academy's 37-18 win over St. Edward's on January 14 (which followed wins at the Ironman and Beast of the East), it was assured that Blair would collect their sixth straight national title. I recently had the chance to speak with the architect of this dynasty, head coach Jeff Buxton. I was struck by Buxton's enthusiasm for his program, his school, his wrestlers, and the sport in general. We could have probably talked wrestling all night if we did not have other obligations to attend to! Coach Buxton, first I'd like to ask you some background questions, how long have you been coaching at Blair? Buxton: I've been there for 24 years. Your recent win over St. Ed's guaranteed that you your sixth straight national title and eighth overall. What would you say has been the single biggest factor in your success? Buxton: I've had very motivated kids that want to excel. It's fun to come to the practice room every day and see the kids give every thing they have. Every year, each team wants to top the previous team! At some point it's going to have to stop (string of national titles), some thought it would stop this year and some thought it would stop last year. Can you talk a little bit about what your coaching philosophy? Buxton: I try to prepare the kids for college, both in the classroom and on the wrestling mat. We get them ready for college as students and wrestlers. You know, at Blair it's a different environment because the kids are here 24 hours a day. They develop a different relationship with the faculty, eating lunch and dinner with them, and getting to know them. It's a lot like a college atmosphere -- only a lot more structured. In the St. Ed's match, there were some surprising lineup moves that proved successful. Why did you decide to go with Victor Mocco at 160 rather than Adam Hogue? Buxton: Just a feel. On that particular day, I wasn't sure if they were going to go with Swift or Tomasone. I wanted to go with a more physical kid on this particular day, which was Mocco. How is Victor Mocco related to Steve Mocco? Buxton: Victor Mocco is cousins with Steve Mocco. The win over St. Ed's was surprisingly convincing, what was the key to the match in your mind? Buxton: We had some "luck of the draw" starting at 130 pounds that played a big part in the match because we started in the heart of our lineup -- Russell, Shanaman, Mason, Blasco, Medina. Blasco winning 4-2 against Nemec gave us a lot of momentum. That match got Medina fired up and he went out and got a quick fall against Bertin, which gave Mocco momentum … and it just sort of snowballed. Are the changes you made to your lineup for the St. Ed's dual permanent? Buxton: We want to spread the wealth around. It's good sometimes to go with young kids. It shows that I am comfortable going with them, which is a confidence boost for the younger kids. Going into this year, it seemed Blair had taken some pretty big hits to graduation, losing Adam Frey, Peterkin, Taylor, Gitomer, and Thurgood among others. Yet, you prevailed at Ironman, won Beast by a huge margin, and dominated St. Ed's in your recent dual. Have you been surprised by the way this year's team has responded? Buxton: Absolutely. Going into Beast, I don't think we were the favorites. St. Ed's, they have a lot of horses, a very strong nucleus of kids. Talking to our team before the meet -- I told our team that this was going to be a tournament we were going to have to win through the consolations … if things don't go your way, you have to recover. That's basically what we did having nine place-winners. Coach, what is a typical Blair practice like? Buxton: It changes every day. Doing periodization is something I really work on. There are times we train really hard and times we don't train so hard. I have to pick and choose the days we go hard versus the days we focus on technique or strength training. Trying to get the right thing at the right is something that doesn't always happen, but it's something I'm working toward, getting the guys peaking and performing at the right time. I also go by feel -- seeing how the guys look on a particular day. I will say when I push them hard they respond to it! The other thing I think we don well is prepare for certain teams. Certain teams have certain tendencies. You prepare for St. Ed's differently than you prepare for Easton or Upper Perkiomen, knowing how each team has different tendencies. Could you provide an example of how your preparation differs? Buxton: Sure. Ohio kids don't do a lot of mat wrestling. St. Ed's has worked really hard on getting their kids better in the top position, but against any Ohio team we try to take advantage on the mat. St. Ed's and St. Paris Graham are teams that have to put their hands on you (i.e. "tie-up"), so we work on hand-fighting and getting guys off our heads, They are very good penetrators and stay in position on their feet. Certainly we didn't do a good job with either Palmer, but both of those guys are exceptional competitors. Where I think we did a very good job (in the St. Ed's dual) was coming off the bottom. Now, I have a tough question for you. If you had to pick who is the best wrestler you have coached, who would it be? Buxton: (Laughs): You know I can't do that! There have been so many good ones for so many different reasons. How about I list the best in certain categories? Okay, that works. Buxton: Here goes… Steve Mocco -- Hardest trainer. Came to practice every day with his lunch pail ready to work. One of the best competitors. You knew every time he was going to give it every thing he had. Impossible to score on, but his biggest thing was that he had huge lungs and could wrestle all day. Cory Cooperman -- Greatest scrambler. His hips were so good he could score off anyone's shot. And he was also a great rider. Zack Esposito -- Purest athlete. Speed, strength, and incredible coordination. He has an incredible mind for the sport. I could give him or Cooperman a tape of an international wrestler and they could come back with 14-15 new things. They could watch the tape and wrestle like the guy on the tape … oh man do they love the sport! They really pushed me as a coach -- to keep their minds always stimulated and learning. Kurt Backes -- Physically strongest In 2003, Mark Perry won the NHSCA Senior Nationals title at 160 while at Blair Academy and earned Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament in the process.Mark Perry -- One of the greatest riders. And he could scramble with the best of them -- a tremendous competitor. Matt Palmer -- Just so tough on top! Damon Johnson -- A tremendous athlete. Teched one of the Hughes brothers at Junior Nationals and beat the other 11-0! Ryan Davis, Rob Preston, and Max Meltzer deserve mention. Pat Santoro came in here as a post-grad -- it was rewarding seeing him go from a Pennsylvania state third-place finisher, to a four-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion! There was a period of time where it was ridiculous what was going on in our room, every day was so fun to watch -- Esposito, Perry, Palmer, Davis… Back to this year's team. Eric Medina had an outstanding freshman season, but was somewhat disappointing last year as a sophomore. He seems to have really improved this year. What would you say has been the key for him? Buxton: He's a lot more focused, just about everything he's doing, and certainly confidence has played a big factor. Seeing how he went out against Bertin, and how he is practicing, he's got it going on! Both he and Blasco have more passion for the sport than last year. They're fired up about what they are doing. For Medina, I used the loss at Cadet Nationals (Medina was pinned in the semifinals and went on to take third, one year after dominating the Cadet Nationals) as something to work off of. He came into the season with specific goals. He wanted to dominate at 152 pounds … and he has done so. He is just a pure athlete -- great strength and speed, the flurries he can get into are unbelievable. Probably the biggest difference is maturity. He is in a good place. Anthony VallesA lot of people were surprised that Anthony Valles wrestled at 112 after winning Cadet Nationals last year at 98. Would you say he is sort of between weights this year? Buxton: Well, it's always a big jump from 98 or 103 to 112. Not only is it a jump, but it's a jump technically. And he's a very technical kid. The hardest adjustment he's having is how physical Palmer was with him. He is on the small side at 112. It's an adjustment, and there's an adjustment to being away from home -- Blair's an adjustment. I think he's going to be okay. He's taken a few bumps this year. He's certainly not, to answer your question, a big 112. Coach, 99.9% of teams have their most important competition at the end of the season. For Blair, the tournaments and duals that determine whether you are national champions, and your toughest competition, are in the beginning and middle of the year. Does this make the National Preps "anti-climactic" -- and how does it affect your training? Buxton: At the end of the year, we have a lull. But we try to put the pedal to the metal at the end, even though the National Preps isn't the toughest tournament that we have, it is the last tournament of the year and it affects seeding for the next year. Plus, you don't want to go through this grueling schedule and not perform at the end of the year. You don't want to end with a letdown. Coach Buxton, one last question. In your opinion, who is the best high school wrestler in the country, outside of your team? Buxton: Two names come to mind. We haven't seen him this year -- but David Craig. He is good in all position and just a great competitor. I haven't seen Henry Cejudo in two years, but I hear he is really dominating, even with the senior-level guys.

WAVERLY -- Top-ranked Wartburg remained unbeaten and grabbed a slice of Iowa Conference dual history Friday, Jan. 20, with a 31-16 win over No. 3-ranked Luther in front of 1100 fans at Knights Gymnasium. The third-ranked Norse, despite dropping to 9-3-1 on the season, gave the home side all it could handle, winning by a major decision at 125 and a decision at 133 and 157 to tie the score at 10-10. Falls from senior 165-pounder Dustin Bliven of Columbus Junction, senior 184-pounder Akeem Carter of Waterloo and junior 197-pounder T.J. Miller of Cedar Falls gave the Knights their 100th consecutive league dual win in a row. Since head coach Jim Miller took over the program, the Knights have never lost a home Iowa Conference dual. Only two schools have won a dual in Knights Gymnasium against coach Miller's teams: Iowa State and Augsburg. Coach Miller's conference dual record is an amazing 122-3-1 and part of that mark was a win on Dec. 1, 1994, when Wartburg defeated archrival Luther 48-0 to begin their current string of 100 straight wins in league dual competition. Wartburg's last IIAC home dual loss was Jan. 17, 1991 to Buena Vista – they were tied by Central 20-20 the following year – it's a record of 51-0-1 and a span of 16 years. It's last league dual loss was at Buena Vista, 18-16, in the final dual of the 1993-94 season. UW-STEVENS POINT/UW-OSHKOSH The Knights claimed their 19th and 20th dual wins Jan. 21 at Quandt Fieldhouse in Stevens Pt., Wis., rolling past the No. 22-ranked UW-Stevens Pt. Pointers 30-6 and UW-Oshkosh 51-0. The two wins helped Wartburg reach the 20-win level for the third consecutive season. Senior 125-pounder Paul Reedy of Emmetsburg, freshman 133-pounder Zach McKray of Iowa City, senior 141-pounder Dustin Hinschberger of Belle Plaine, sophomore 157-pounder Justin Hanson of Humboldt, freshman 165-pounder Joe Bunne of LeRoy, Minn., senior 174-pounder Scott Kauffman of Emmetsburg and Carter each won two matches during the day. Wartburg resumes dual action Wednesday, Jan. 25, with a visit to Simpson College in Indianola. Match time is 7 p.m. in Cowles Fieldhouse.

Stanford, Calif. -- Stanford picked up its second-straight dual win tonight with a 26-11 victory over Cal State Fullerton in Burnham Pavilion. The Cardinal improved to 5-3 on the year with a 2-0 mark in conference action, while the Titans fall to 2-10 on the season with an 0-6 mark in Pac-10 competition. "This was a good win," noted head coach Kerry McCoy. "We had some rough spots, but they fought hard. We were at a high level of intensity. We were better than we were on Friday night and we're getting better every time out." The meet started at heavyweight, as redshirt freshman Jared Boyer notched his first conference victory with an 8-5 decision over Matt Methling. Sophomore co-captain Tanner Gardner picked up a technical fall over Johnny Rojas to give the Cardinal an 8-0 lead before Fullerton scored its first points with a major decision from T.J. Dillashaw at 133 pounds. At 141, junior Juston Johnson stepped into the starting lineup and scored his second dual win of the year with an 8-5 decision over Joaquin Carlos. Sophomore Josh Zupancic added a 6-3 decision over Morgan Atkinson to help the Cardinal to a 14-4 lead. At 157, Stanford's Scott Loescher, ranked second in the Pac-10, jumped out to an 8-1 lead in the second period over Shawn Reilly, who is ranked fifth in the conference. Reilly refused to give up, taking an 11-10 lead as time expired, but Loescher still had the bonus point for riding time, forcing overtime. Loescher came back immediately, scoring a takedown and nearfall for the 15-11 overtime win. At 165 pounds, senior co-captain Ray Blake scored four takedowns and a three-point near fall en route to his 32nd win of the season, an 11-4 victory over Risto Martinnen, who is ranked sixth in the conference. With the win, Stanford owned a 20-4 lead before the Titans' Ian Murphy and Jesse Taylor scored back-to-back wins to cut Stanford's margin to nine with one bout to go. The dual ended with Stanford on top 26-11, as Ian Bork was awarded the forfeit victory for the Cardinal at 197 pounds. Stanford will be on the road this weekend as the Cardinal travels to UC Davis for a Friday night dual. Stanford 26, Cal State Fullerton 11 * match started at heavyweight 125 pounds -- #9 Tanner Gardner (S) tech. fall John Rojas (F), fall at 3:31 [8-0] 133 pounds -- T.J. Dillashaw (F) maj. dec. Eric Minnick (S), 14-2. [8-4] 141 pounds -- Juston Johnson (S) dec. Joaquin Carlos (F), 8-5. [11-4] 149 pounds -- Josh Zupancic (S) dec. Morgan Atkinson (F), 6-3. [14-4] 157 pounds -- Scott Loescher (S) dec. Shawn Reilly (F), 15-11 sv. [17-4] 165 pounds -- Ray Blake (S) dec. Risto Martinnen (F), 11-4. [20-4] 174 pounds -- Ian Murphy (F) dec. Luke Feist (S), 8-7. [20-7] 184 pounds -- Jesse Taylor (F) maj. dec. Ryan Hagen (S), 9-1. [20-11] 197 pounds -- Ian Bork (S) by forfeit. [26-11] *HWT -- Jared Boyer (S) dec. Matt Methling (F), 8-5 [3-0]