InterMat Staff

RICHMOND, Va. -- Redshirt freshman Vincent Ramirez topped No. 16-ranked David Hoffman at 141 pounds to lead North Carolina to its second straight Atlantic Coast Conference victory, a 31-9 defeat of Virginia Tech, in Thursday's "Rumble on the River" at St. Christopher's High School. The Tar Heels evened their conference mark at 2-2-1 and improved to 14-8-1 overall on the year. The 14 victories are Carolina's most since 1996. Ramirez's 5-3 win on the strength of two takedowns was his 12th in a row and bumped his ACC record to a perfect 5-0 over this stretch. The Durham Riverside product is now 33-6 overall on the season and sports an 18-1 mark in dual matches. Ramirez's victory tied the match at six after three bouts, as the Tar Heels forfeited at 125 pounds to open the match, and redshirt freshman Jared Royer (17-14) cut the lead in half with a 5-2 win over Sheridan Morgan at 133. Following the Ramirez win, Carolina pulled away from Virginia Tech over the next two bouts. After sitting out the last four matches, sophomore Chris Ramos (14-13) pinned the Hokies' Joe Thompson in 1:44 at 149, and junior Brian Baglio (16-17) tacked on a 12-2 major decision over Dave Kiley at 157 to push the Tar Heels' advantage to 16-6 halfway through the match. UNC continued its run with three straight decisions before junior David Dashiell (29-9) won via forfeit at 197. Senior Garrett Atkinson logged a 3-0 victory over Tucker Michels at 165, followed by a 6-3 win by Alex Maciag (21-13) over Steve Ratley at 174. Sophomore Justin Dobies (26-12) then notched a 10-4 victory over Mark Czarny at 184 to improve to 5-0 in conference action. In a meeting of two of the nation's top heavyweights, Virginia Tech's Mike Faust, rated ninth, scored a 4-3 win over No. 12 Spencer Nadolsky (36-4). After regulation was tied at 1-1, neither scored in the first overtime, sending it further into the night. The second overtime saw each man pick up an escape, but Nadolsky led with one second of riding time. In the second sudden victory, neither man scored, sending it to the second tiebreaker. There, each man again picked up an escape, but Faust held on for two more seconds of riding time to pick up the win on criteria. Nadolsky has dropped two of his last three bouts, both to top-10 opponents in overtime. Carolina returns to action at NC State Saturday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. at Reynolds Coliseum. The Tar Heels and Wolfpack wrestled to a 16-16 tie Jan. 20. North Carolina 31, Virginia Tech 9 Records: UNC 14-8-1 2-2-1 ACC, VT 0-14, 0-3 ACC WT. BOUT RESULT SCORE TEAM SCORE 125 Justin Staylor (VT) win via forfeit FOR VT 6-0 133 Jared Royer (UNC) def. Sheridan Morgan (VT) 5-2 VT 6-3 141 Vincent Ramirez (UNC) def. David Hoffman (VT) 5-3 TIED 6-6 149 Chris Ramos (UNC) def. Joe Thompson (VT) Fall 1:44 UNC 12-6 157 Brian Baglio (UNC) def. Dave Kiley (VT) 12-2 MD UNC 16-6 165 Garrett Atkinson (UNC) Tucker Michels (VT) 3-0 UNC 19-6 174 Alex Maciag (UNC) def. Steve Ratley (VT) 6-3 UNC 22-6 184 Justin Dobies (UNC) def. Mark Czarny (VT) 10-4 UNC 25-6 197 David Dashiell (UNC) win via forfeit FOR UNC 31-6 HWT Mike Faust (VT) def. Spencer Nadolsky (UNC) 4-3 OT UNC 31-9

Pembroke, NC -- Heavyweight James Dingle (pictured) capped off senior night with a pin to help lead UNC Pembroke to a 30-15 victory over Belmont Abbey in college wrestling action Thursday night in the Jones Center. The match got off to a rough start for UNCP coach PJ Smith's Braves as Matt Schoffner (125) was pinned by Belmont Abbey's Chris Neidermeier. Neidermeier's brother, Reimark, followed his teammates lead with a 6-5 decision over UNCP's Kevin Jones (133) giving the Crusaders an early 9-0 lead. Willie Hilton (141) got things under control for Pembroke as he downed Anthony Butler by the score of 8-3. Belmont Abbey then forfeit the 149- and 157-pound matches giving UNCP a 15-9 advantage in the team standings. Belmont then picked up a win by Brian West, who defeated Cedric Turner (165) 8-7, but the Braves' Richard Ahlstrom (174) shutout Timothy Stanton to keep UNCP six points ahead 18-12. Mark Blair kept the Crusaders in the team competition with a 11-5 win over Rex Ely (184), but forfeited the 197-match to the Braves' Matt Dunn putting the team match out of reach, 24-15. Dingle then followed with his pin at the 46-second mark to clinch the win. Up next for the Braves is a road match at Newberry on Wednesday, February 8, before traveling to the Ed South Tournament on Saturday, February 11, hosted by Carson Newman.

Stanford, Calif. -- Stanford (5-4, 2-1 Pac-10) will close out the home season this weekend with three matches in 24 hours, as the Cardinal takes on Oregon at 2 p.m. on Friday, Oregon State at 7 p.m. on Friday and wraps with Portland State at noon on Saturday. Stanford will honor its eight seniors (Ray Blake, Brennan Corbett, Ryan Hagen, Zack Hensley, Juston Johnson, Miguel Matta, Larry Ozowara and Brian Perry) on Saturday in a pre-meet ceremony. "Oregon has two returning Pac-10 champions in their lineup and also a few guys who are ranked highly in the conference this season," noted head coach Kerry McCoy. "It is an important match because we need to bounce back after last weekend and it is the first of our last three home matches. Next up, we have Oregon State, which is another important match. They have guys highly ranked in the conference as well as in the nation. It will be important for us to finish the day on a positive note. Our last home match of the year is against Portland State --and it's senior day, so it will be key to finish our homestand strong and also to recognize our seniors for all the hard work and dedication they put in during their years here." After a disappointing road trip to Davis last weekend, the Cardinal is looking to defend its home mat, which will be the site of the 2006 Pac-10 Championships later this month, Feb. 26-27. First up will be Oregon. The Ducks are 6-4, with a 4-3 record in the Pac-10, but they have won five of their last six matches, with Oregon's only loss being a 23-21 decision at Arizona State. The Cardinal will then match up against Oregon State. The Beavers have won four straight dual meets and seven of its last eight en route to a 10-2-1 overall mark, with 5-1 record in conference action. Stanford will wrap up the homestand against Portland State on Saturday. The Vikings stand at 2-14 on the year with an 0-5 mark in the Pac-10. Portland State will challenge UC Davis on Friday night before arriving in Palo Alto. All three matches will be held at Burnham Pavilion, and both of Friday's matches will be webcast live through GoStanford. Additionally, live text coverage will be available through InterMat. Stanford Probable Lineup - Friday vs. Oregon & Oregon State 125 pounds - Tanner Gardner 133 pounds - Eric Minnick 141 pounds - Juston Johnson or Tyler Parker 149 pounds - Josh Zupancic 157 pounds - Scott Loescher or Zack Hensley 165 pounds - Ray Blake or Miguel Matta 174 pounds - Luke Feist or Brennan Corbett 184 pounds - Ryan Hagen or Larry Ozowara 197 pounds - Ian Bork or Larry Ozowara HWT - Jared Boyer or Phil Doerner Stanford Probable Lineup - Saturday vs. Portland State - Senior Day 125 pounds - Tanner Gardner 133 pounds - Eric Minnick 141 pounds - Juston Johnson 149 pounds - Josh Zupancic 157 pounds - Zack Hensley 165 pounds - Miguel Matta 174 pounds - Brennan Corbett 184 pounds - Ryan Hagen 197 pounds - Larry Ozowara HWT - Jared Boyer

The top-ranked Golden Gopher wrestling team will honor head coach J Robinson and senior All-American Matt Nagel this weekend at the Sports Pavilion. On Friday night when Minnesota takes on Wisconsin, the Golden Gophers will honor Robinson prior to the match for his 20 years as head coach. On Sunday afternoon against Indiana, the Golden Gophers will honor their lone senior. Hired by former Athletic Director Paul Giel prior to the 1986-87 season, Robinson replaced the legendary Wally Johnson who spent 34 years as head coach of the Golden Gophers. In his tenure, Robinson has led Minnesota to a pair of NCAA Championships and four Big Ten titles. This past summer, he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Nagel came to the University after a prep career, which saw him win a record five state titles at Frazee High School. Nagel redshirt his first year as Minnesota claimed its second straight national title in 2002. Four years later, he is now a senior captain on the nation's number-one ranked team. An All-American a year ago, Nagel is currently ranked ninth in the nation with a 23-6 record at 165 pounds. Minnesota will look to finish its home schedule unbeaten for the fifth time in Robinson's tenure. Friday's match against the Badgers will begin at 7 p.m., while Sunday's dual against the Hoosiers will begin at 2 p.m.

ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio wrestling team travels to Virginia this weekend to take on Virginia Tech on Saturday and James Madison and Virginia on Sunday. Ohio (8-8) and Virginia Tech will battle it out Saturday at the Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va., starting at 2 p.m. Heading into a Thursday night dual against North Carolina, the Hokies are 0-13 this season but are led by two nationally ranked competitors - ninth-ranked Mike Faust (26-6) at heavyweight and 16th-ranked David Hoffman (22-6) at 141 pounds. The Bobcats will then travel to Memorial Gymnasium in Charlottesville, Va., to face James Madison at noon and host Virginia at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. Senior heavyweight Chris Cvitan leads the JMU Dukes (4-10) with a 20-3 record this season. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are 7-4 going into a Friday night dual at Old Dominion. They are led by 133-pounder Eric Albright (22-7) and 197-pounder Brent Jones (18-7). "Virginia and Virginia Tech are generally pretty good but the Hokies are down a little bit and are having a rough year," said Ohio head coach Joel Greenlee, who holds a career record of 97-68-4 in dual meets. "Our goal is just to wrestle every match the same. As you get better, you get a little more consistent in what you do and you do it each and every time out." The Bobcats defeated Virginia 18-15 in the opening round of the Virginia Duals last season and lost a home dual to Virginia Tech by a 24-12 score four weeks later. Ohio and James Madison have never faced each other on the mats. Complete results of all three Bobcat dual meets will be posted at ohiobobcats.com as soon as they become available. Ohio's tentative lineup for this weekend: 125 - Caleb Metcalf (16-12) 133 - Terry Jackson (10-7) 141 - Albert Madsen (7-9) or Frank Brown (6-6) 149 - Aaron Gomoll (11-15) 157 - Jake Frerichs (10-5) or Mike Grandominico (2-8) 165 - Kent Smith (5-15) 174 - Ryan Knapp (15-15) 184 - Brian Cesear (18-11) 197 - Nick Terbay (12-9) or Larry Reichard (10-7) HWT - Marcus Adelman (9-6)

State College, Pa. -- Head coach Troy Sunderland and his Nittany Lion wrestling team, fresh off the final two home duals of the season, drew the highest average attendance for Penn State wrestling in seven years. Over 16,500 fans attended Penn State's six home events this season. Penn State, ranked No. 9 in the latest USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll, recently drew 2,974 for its Jan. 27 dual vs. Michigan State and then had a standing-room only crowd of 5,419 for its home final vs. Minnesota on Jan. 29. Overall, 16,544 fans attended six home events: The Pennsylvania Dual Championships (1,802), Wisconsin (1,752), Michigan (2,364), Cornell (2,233), Michigan State (2,974) and Minnesota (5,419) for an average of 2,757 per event. The average is an increase over last season of nearly 20 percent and jumps to 2,948 per event if the limited seating Pennsylvania Duals event is removed. "We really want to thank the fans for continuing to turn out to support the team," Sunderland said. "As we continue to get better and better, we hope the fans appreciated the effort the guys put forth in order to perform well in the big matches like we've had in Rec Hall this year." Penn State's season average is the highest for Nittany Lion wrestling since the team averaged 3,572 per event in 1998-99. This year's outstanding mark will certainly keep Penn State among the top wrestling draws in the nation. Last season, Penn State averaged 2,209 fans per contest (more than 500 less per event than this year) and the Nittany Lions were fourth in the country behind Iowa (5,073), Oklahoma State (4,542) and Lehigh (2,488). "I think with a home crowd and a great atmosphere like we have in Rec Hall, it helps motivate the guys and helps them reach the next level," Sunderland said. "Our fans have shown over the history of this program that they know and love the sport. They've played an important part in the success and tradition of Penn State wrestling." A crowd of 5,419 fans filled Rec Hall for the Sunday dual vs. Minnesota, the largest single match figure since 6,402 saw Penn State battle Iowa in Rec Hall in 1999. "Going out in that kind of atmosphere, with 5,500 people against the top team in the country, is what we talk to recruits about," Sunderland said. "Wrestling is important here and our fans appreciate not just a good team, but a team that goes out and puts forth maximum effort." No. Penn State, 9-3 overall, will visit No. 7 Iowa on Friday night for an 8 p.m. dual and then trek to Iowa State for a 1 p.m. dual on Sunday. Both matches can be heard live locally on WBLF 970 AM and will be streamed live at GoPSUsports.com.

RevWrestling.com is dedicated to covering and promoting amateur wrestling on all levels. However, on occasion, RevWrestling.com will look at mixed martial arts as it relates to amateur wrestling. UFC 57: Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Saturday, February 4, 2006 In one of the most anticipated rematches in UFC history, Randy "the Natural" Couture will try to regain his light heavyweight title from Chuck "the Iceman" Liddell. This is the deciding "rubber" match, as Randy won the first battle with a fourth round "ground-and-pound" TKO over Chuck, but the Iceman added Randy to his long list of knockout victims just ten months ago. This is the decider. Hopefully, it will be 42-year-old Randy's swan song and he will cap a legendary career by retiring after this fight. But, rumor has it that "the Natural" may have signed a three-fight deal with the UFC. Nonetheless, this event sold-out within days, and the UFC Monster will be one of the lucky ones in attendance! This nine-fight card should probably be renamed the "Battle of the Heavyweights" as six of the nine fights feature heavyweight match-ups. There are two light-heavyweight and one welterweight battle, filling out the card. Normally a UFC event features eight fights. I would imagine the additional fight added is due to the fact that many heavyweight fights don't go the distance, so the card may move along quickly. The other element that makes heavyweight fights so unpredictable is that most big boys bring some heavy hands into the ring. Knockouts can occur at any time. A losing fighter can reverse his fortunes with just "one lucky punch." Add some world class wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, throw in a little kick-boxing, muay tai, and rigorous training, and you have today's MMA (mixed martial arts) warrior. Cross training and developing an arsenal of weapons makes today's UFC fighter better than ever. And, just as in wrestling, often it is the athlete that "wants" it more than claims the victory. The mental game is what separates the champions from the also-rans. And, with the growing popularity of the sport, there is an over abundance of athletes working toward MMA careers. The competition gets tougher by the day. Where will this sport go from here? Apparently to LasVegas and the Internet for gambling! That's right, bettable odds are now being posted for each and every fight on the UFC 57 card. Amazing. With that in mind, the UFC Monster will take a look at these fights from a betting point of view. ALESSIO SAKARA (13-3) vs. ELVIS SINOSIC (6-8-2) In this light-heavyweight fight, we actually have a fighter with a losing record, still being show-cased in the UFC! Why? Because Elvis Sinosic has been to the mat with some of the sport's best: Tito Ortiz, Frank Shamrock, Evan Tanner, Jeremy Horn, etc. Elvis is also the biggest underdog on the card, listed @ +320 at Sportsbook.com. Yet those who frequent the MMA message boards, the hardcore fans, all seem to like Elvis' chances here. Sakara is a Gracie jui-jitsu master with vale tudo experience, yet his trademark is his lightning quick punches. You know, those 30-punch knockouts in less than a minute. Sakara is a Vitor Belfort clone. But Sinosic's UFC career hangs in the balance here. Another loss and "see you later." I'll go with the insider's info and take a shot at Elvis getting a bundle (+320). RevWrestling.com Prediction: SINOSIC by submission in the second BRANDON VERA (5-0) vs. JUSTIN EILERS (9-4-10) Four of Vera's five wins are by KO. His ground game hasn't been tested yet. But, Eilers is a former Iowa State football player whose MMA career began with a decision loss to the legendary Dan "the Beast" Severn. Justin also is a banger who likes to go toe-to-toe. The ground game isn't his forte. Vera may take it to the mat and try to find a submission ending. But, my guess is that it's "lights out" for Eilers in the second. I'll take Vera as a -220 favorite. RevWrestling.com Prediction: VERA by KO in the second Keith JardineKEITH JARDINE (10-2-1) vs. MIKE WHITEHEAD (9-5) Both are Season 2 participants on the Ultimate Fighter show -- and each have dropped from heavyweight to light-heavyweight, trying to hang on and survive in the UFC. Losers in these events are soon on the outside looking in. Jardine is a former Albuquerque bounty hunter. His demeanor is just plain mean. These guys are going to throw hay-makers until one of them drops. I think that one is Whitehead. I'll take Jardine as a slight -130 favorite. RevWrestling.com Prediction: JARDINE by KO in the second PAUL BUENTELLO (19-9) vs. GILBERT ALDANA (5-0) Buentello's last fight was a shocking 14-second knockout at the hands of UFC heavyweight champion Andre Arlkovski. That's right, Paul hit the canvas in just 14 seconds! Now his task is to stop a young unbeaten hopeful in Gilbert Aldana, whose perfect record includes all KO victories! Buentello is a rare heavyweight who is able to finish opponents frequently with submission holds. But, this fight will start in the middle and both fighters will test each other's chins. By the second round, I see Buentello taking it to the mat where he gains a winning rear naked choke. I'll take him as a -220 favorite. RevWrestling.com Prediction: BUENTELLO by submission in the second JEFF "THE SNOWMAN" MONSON (19-5) vs. BRANDON LEE HINKLE (14-6) Monson is a compact ball of muscle who likes to bash heads with an opponent, rough it up a bit, throw an array of punches, and then take it to the mat where he is a surprise master of submission holds. Jeff has won 13 straight fights and 10 of those were by submission! Who would have thought? And guess what? Brandon Hinkle's Achilles' heel is that he is a pure striker and has been submitted in five of his six losses. It looks like strength against weakness here to me. I'll take Monson as a -260 favorite. RevWrestling.com Prediction: MONSON by submission in the first NICK DIAZ (11-4) vs. JOE "DIESEL" RIGGS (26-7) Diaz is one of my favorite fighters. I like the fact that his strength and background is ju-jitsu, but he is not afraid to throw punches. In fact, he has taken out some perceived better punchers along the way. Nick is coming off a heart-breaking decision loss to Diego Sanchez, while Riggs couldn't make weight, yet fought anyway against Matt Hughes, with no title on the line, and was submitted by the great one in the second round. Riggs, believe it or not, once was a 300-pound athlete, but is now fighting as a 170-pound welterweight. Needless to say, he is a BIG welterweight. My instincts tell me that Nick will try to duke it out with Diesel Riggs. That will be a mistake. If it goes to the mat, Nick wins. If it stays standing, I like Riggs. It stays standing. I'll take Riggs as a +180 underdog. RevWrestling.com Prediction: RIGGS by KO in the second RENATO "BOBULU" SOBRAL (26-5) vs. MIKE VAN ARSDALE (10-2-1) Van Arsdale is a former Iowa State wrestler, good enough to beat Cael Sanderson in the the 2000 Olympic Trials in freesytle. Van Arsdale's MMA career stretches over 6-7 years, but he has only 13 fights, his only losses to Randy Couture and Vanderlei Silva. Not a bad resume. Babulu Sobral is recognized as one of the best fighters in the world and is on a nine-fight winning streak. This submission artist has beaten Maurice Smith, one of the premier kick-boxers ever in the sport. And he has fought Fedor Emelianenko, regarded as many as the world's best MMA fighter. Sobral is an active and very experienced fighter waiting for his shot at the title. Van Arsdale is in his way, but not for long. RevWrestling.com Prediction: SOBRAL by submission in the second FRANK MIR (8-1) vs. MARCIO CRUZ (1-0) One has to wonder why Dana White would put someone with the experience of only one fight on a card like this against the ex-heavyweight champion Frank Mir. Mir had to vacate the crown after a severe motorcycle accident broke his leg. Over a year of hard rehab has gotten Frank back into the ring. Skeptics say that his mobility is impaired and that his takedown abilities are gone. Frank has always been one of the best in the business in his submission techniques. He broke Tim Silvia's arm in one of them. But, the unknown Cruz is a Rio De Janeiro trained jujitsu fighter. One would then figure that this one will be on the mat and there either has a chance. I believe that Mir wants a quick fight, standing up. I bet his aerobics aren't great, either. Cruz will stand up only long enough to take some kick shots at Mir's vulnerable, damaged leg. I'll bet that Frank finds a way to end this one early. I'll take Mir as a -280 favorite. RevWrestling.com Prediction: MIR by submission in the first Randy Couture with UFC MonsterRANDY ‘"THE NATURAL" COUTURE (14-7) vs. CHUCK "THE ICEMAN" LIDDELL (17-3) What a classic this should be. A world-class wrestler against someone with sledgehammer hands and a great takedown defense. This will be a match of a 42-year-old's will to win and his ability to control his opponent's body versus a younger, quicker, athlete with knockout ability second to none. Both want this one badly. Both were head coaches in the Ultimate Fighter show. Randy does best when he is made an underdog, when the public thinks he can't do, and only his loyal fans stand by. Randy is best at knowing his own body and his refusal to lose. He is the master at taking his opponent's game away by locking then up, getting them to the mat, and controlling them with "ground-and-pound" elbows and fists. Punchers don't do well laying on their backs! And, Randy puts you to your back. I like Chuck. I like Randy more. I hope he retires. He has served our sport (wrestling) well in the UFC. I'll take Randy in his swan song. Why not? He's an underdog @ +150. RevWrestling.com Prediction: COUTURE by TKO in the fourth Good luck and please watch some MMA if you haven't already. More later. UFC Monster

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- The Limestone wrestlers picked up a 28-15 win over Spartanburg Methodist on Wednesday night. "I'm really happy with the guys performance tonight," said Saints head coach Ben Stehura. "They really showed their character and wrestled hard." Sophomore Brent Clausing (Miamisburg, Ohio) won in the 125-pound weight class, freshman Matt Ross (Chicago, Ill.) had a victory in the 133 lb. division, and freshman Robby Miskelly (Fort Mill, S.C.) had a win in the 141-pound category. Limestone had more victories from Dustin Baynes (157 lbs.), freshman Mike Walsh (Port St. Lucie, Fla./184 lbs.), and freshman Trey Moss (Red Bank, S.C./HWT) for the 28-15 win. Limestone will host Campbellsville on Friday, February 3 at 6 p.m at the Timken Center in Gaffney, S.C.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- The Cal State Bakersfield wrestling team scored a big victory over arch–rival and No. 20–ranked Cal Poly Wednesday night at the Icardo Center in its final home dual of the season. Riding the momentum of two big victories by senior Anthony Baza (Sunnyvale/Fremont HS) and junior Eric Parker (Ramona HS), the Roadrunners took six of the 10 matches from a battered Mustang squad. Parker, who entered the match as the No. 3 heavyweight in the Pac–10, took care of an upset–minded Arturo Basulto with an impressive technical fall victory. Parker jumped all over the Mustang's heavyweight, scoring nine takedowns in all and adding a pair of near–fall points in the 22–7 victory. The match of the night came at 149 pounds. It featured Baza, ranked No. 18 in the latest NWCA/NCAA Division I coaches poll and No. 1 in the Pac–10 rankings, and Jeff Owens, ranked No. 20 in the nation and No. 2 in the conference. While it was supposed to be a close contest, the match ended up being dominated by Baza who recorded the initial takedown 19 seconds in and rode Owens out the rest of the period. In the second, Baza opened with a quick escape and scored another takedown one minute in. In the third Owens scored an escape, but was taken down again by Baza with 30 seconds remaining. When all was said and done, Baza stood victorious in the middle of the ring with the 8–1 victory. Another strong performance was turned in by junior Matt Schumm (Corona/Centennial HS), who scored a 3–2 win over David Roberts at 141 pounds. Schumm jumped out early, scoring a takedown with 43 seconds remaining in the first period. With the score at 3–1 heading into the third, Roberts, who entered with a 12–2 record and ranked No. 3 in the Pac–10, started in the down position. Schumm was able to stay on top until a late scramble gave Roberts the escape. As the horn sounded to end the match, Roberts was desperately looking to score the late takedown, but was unable to gain any type of control. Ryan Bergman (Rocklin HS) opened the match with a come–from–behind victory over Yuri Kalika at 197 pounds. Kalika jumped out to a quick 4–1 lead, but ran out of gas in the second as Bergman scored a takedown 30 seconds into the second to take back the lead at 5–4. Bergman scored another takedown in the third en route to a 9–4 decision for his second win of the season. Senior Brian Busby (San Diego/Scripps Ranch HS) and freshman Thomas Kimbrell (Dawsonville, Georgia/Dawson County HS) were awarded victories via forfeit at 165 and 133 pounds, respectively. Cal State Bakersfield closes out its regular season with a trip to San Francisco State on Friday (Feb. 3) before taking part in the All–California open at SFSU on Saturday (Feb. 4) Cal State Bakersfield 26, Cal Poly 19 197 - Ryan Bergman (CSUB) dec. Yuri Kalika (CP), 9–4 HWT - Eric Parker (CSUB) tech fall Arturo Basulto (CP), 6:25 (22–7) 125 - John Hanks (CP) wins by forfeit 133 - Thomas Kimbrell (CSUB) wins by forfeit 141 - Matt Schumm (CSUB) dec. David Roberts (CP), 3–2 149 - #18 Anthony Baza (CSUB) dec. #20 Jeff Owens (CP), 8–1 157 - Ryan Williams (CP) maj. dec. Daniel Atondo (CSUB), 14–5 165 - Brian Busby (CSUB) wins by forfeit 174 - Nick Hernandez (CP) maj. dec. Garth Wara (CSUB), 17–7 184 - #11 Ryan Halsey (CP) pins Brandon Ceremello (CSUB) (4:39) (One team point deducted from Cal Poly for coach's conduct)

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Four Black Knights registered wins by decision, but it was Patrick Simpson's major decision triumph at 149 pounds that proved to be decisive as Army's wrestling team squeezed past EIWA rival Columbia, 16-15, Wednesday evening. The Black Knights, who have reeled off six straight wins, improve to 8-3-2 overall and 6-0 in the EIWA, while the Lions fall to 4-5 (0-2 EIWA). With two bouts remaining, and the match knotted at 12-12, Simpson produced a 17-5 win by major decision over Derek Sickles to give Army a lead that it would not surrender. It was the team-leading sixth major decision for Simpson, who also tops the team with a 25-5 record this season. Simpson's heroics were set up by Charles Martin, Michael Sprigg and William Simpson, who reeled off three consecutive wins and handed Army a 12-6 lead midway through the match. Martin, a senior from Carlisle, Pa., began the Black Knights' surge with an 8-4 decision against Orrin Kleinhenz at 197 pounds. The win was the fourth in a row for Martin, who shows an unblemished 7-0 mark in dual matches this year. Sprigg and William Simpson, a pair of Army's talented freshmen, followed with wins by decision. Sprigg took a hard-fought 7-4 decision from John Grando in the heavyweight bout to level his dual match mark at 6-6, while Simpson got past Jeff Sato, 8-6, at 125 pounds. Simpson's win effectively avenged his loss to Sato in the championship final of the New York State Championships two weeks ago. Simpson, who has won four straight matches, is second on the team with 23 victories this year. Columbia fought back with wins in the 133- and 141-pound bouts to knot the score at 12-12. The see-saw contest, which began at 165 pounds, saw the two teams split the 10 bouts. Senior Jon Anderson gave Army a quick 3-0 lead with a 4-1 decision versus Dustin Tillman at 165 pounds. Columbia responded with wins at 174 pounds and 184 pounds as the Lions grabbed a 6-3 edge after three bouts. "We're wrestling very hard and with a lot of intensity," mentioned Army head coach Chuck Barbee of the Black Knights' win streak. "We're making mistakes, but we're overcoming them. We're doing what we need to do to win, while continuing to improve. "I thought that William (Simpson) and Michael (Sprigg) stepped up for us tonight, and obviously Patrick's match proved to be the difference." Army returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 4, when the Black Knights travel to Kings Point, N.Y., to compete at the Academy Championships beginning at 9 a.m. *165 - Jon Anderson (A) dec. Dustin Tillman, 4-1 174 - Matt Palmer (C) dec. Chad Marzec, 2-1 184 - Justin Barent (C) dec. Luke Calvert, 3-2 197 - Charles Martin (A) dec. Orrin Kleinhenz, 8-4 HWT - Michael Sprigg (A) dec. John Grando, 7-4 125 - William Simpson (A) dec. Jeff Sato, 8-6 133 - Matt DeLorenzo (C) dec. Tyler Howard, 7-5 141 - Sal Tirico (C) dec. Whitt Dunning, 13-7 149 - Patrick Simpson (A) maj. dec. Derek Sickles, 17-5 157 - Tyler Thurgood (C) dec. Brian Rowan, 6-5 * The match began at 165 pounds

DOYLESTOWN (PA) -- Two-time national qualifier Dan Hall's marathon victory at 141 pounds ignited 21st-ranked Delaware Valley College to a dominating 26-9 home triumph over 14th-ranked and Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) archrival Lycoming College. The win improved the Aggies to 9-6 overall in dual meets and a perfect 7-0 in the MAC. The four-time defending MAC champions will wrap up the regular season with matches on Friday and Saturday against Division I opponents Wagner College and Boston University, before preparing for the MAC Championships at Elizabethtown College on February 18. The loss Delaware Valley held a 5-3 advantage after two weight classes when Hall and Lycoming's Kyle Hopkins (14-10) hit the mat. The match turned into a 9-minute, 51-second thriller as the two were tied at 3-3 after seven minutes of regulation and neither wrestler was able to record a point through a minute of overtime and a pair of 30-seconds rideouts. Another 60-second overtime began and, with just nine ticks remaining, Hall (12-9) registered a takedown and two-point near-fall for a 7-3 triumph and an 8-3 Aggie lead. Delaware Valley used the momentum from that bout and picked up decisions at the next three weight classes for 17-3 score. Jaryd Steinbacher improved to 8-11 on the year as the freshman 149-pounder took a 3-0, second-period lead and held for a 3-2 victory over Drew Barder. At 157 pounds, Ryan Herwig (17-9) built a 5-0 lead with a takedown and a three-point near-fall in the first period. He held a 7-2 lead near the end of the second period and went on to a 7-5 triumph over Jason Smith (5-3). Senior John Powell (17-8) made it four straight wins for the Aggies as he erased an early 2-0 deficit, and notched a 10-5 victory over Grant Brindle at 165 pounds. Derek Crane (15-7) kept Lycoming in the match at 17-6 as an escape 15 seconds into the second period was the only point of the match in a 1-0 victory over Ryan Pope (10-9) at 174 pounds. However, senior Mike Berlanda clinched the team victory for the Aggies at 184 as two takedowns, a near-fall and an escape led towards a 7-2 decision over Matt Miller (15-5). The victory improved Berlanda to 15-7 and it gave Delaware Valley a 20-6 lead. 2005 national runner-up Jamall Johnson padded the advantage to 26-6 as he pinned Bryan Kopesky (4-7) with just 12 seconds remaining in the first period (2:48). For Johnson, ranked second in Division III at 197 pounds, it was his 17th win in 21 matches, including 10 by fall. Lycoming's final points came at heavyweight as returning All-American Tommy Snyder, ranked fifth in Division III, improved to 21-1 on the year with a 6-2 decision over Kevin Orr (17-7). The night began at 125 where Delaware Valley's Josh Proctor (6-4) dominated from the beginning and nearly picked up a fall in the first 30 seconds. Proctor went on to register four near-falls and earned a 16-0 technical fall victory over James Saxton (8-10) for a 5-0 Aggie lead. 2005 All-American Sean Cullen (18-5) cut the Warrior deficit to two as the 133 pounder used two takedowns, an escape and riding time for a 6-1 victory over Justin Shorts (11-13). That led to the Hall-Hopkins thriller and the momentum-changing match of the night. DELAWARE VALLEY COLLEGE 26, LYCOMING COLLEGE 9 125 - Josh Proctor (DVC) by technical fall over James Saxton, 6:36 (16-0) 5-0 DVC 133 - Sean Cullen (Lyc) by decision over Justin Shorts, 6-1 5-3 DVC 141 - Dan Hall (DVC) by decision over Kyle Hopkins, 7-3 TB-2 (9:51) 8-3 DVC 149 - Jaryd Steinbacher (DVC) by decision over Drew Barder, 3-2 11-3 DVC 157 - Ryan Herwig (DVC) by decision over Jason Smith, 7-5 14-3 DVC 165 - John Powell (DVC) by decision over Grant Brindle, 10-5 17-3 DVC 174 - Derek Crane (Lyc) by decision over Ryan Pope, 1-0 17-6 DVC 184 - Mike Berlanda (DVC) by decision over Matt Miller, 7-2 20-6 DVC 197 - Jamall Johnson (DVC) by fall over Bryan Kopesky, 2:48 26-6 DVC Hwt - Tommy Snyder (Lyc) by decision over Kevin Orr, 6-2 26-9 DVC

Cowboys Battle Big 12 Rival Nebraska Second-ranked Oklahoma State will host Big 12 rival No. 5 ranked Nebraska in a battle of top five teams inside Gallagher-Iba Arena on Friday night at 7 p.m. The Cowboys lead the all-time series with the Huskers 48-2-1 after defeating Nebraska in the semifinal round of National Duals, 20-14. OSU has won the last 13 meetings in the series and have an 18-match unbeaten streak dating back to the 1992-93 season. The only mark on OSU's record in that time was an 18-18 tie at National Duals during the 1995-96 season. The Cowboys are 13-1 on the season after defeating Iowa State 26-14 on Jan. 29. The Cowboys have not lost to a Big 12 opponent since losing to Missouri, 21-17, early in the 2003-04 season. OSU has won 15 straight duals over Big 12 opponents. Scouting the Huskers Nebraska became the surprise team at National Duals going unseeded and coming through to finish third in the team tournament. Nebraska vaulted from 14th to fifth in the national rankings and as high as third by some publications. The Huskers toppled fifth-seed Iowa, No. 4 Michigan and sixth-seeded Central Michigan in the third-place match. Nebraska is currently 11-3 on the year after beating Missouri last weekend. The Huskers tout four freshmen in the lineup. Paul Donahoe is currently ranked ninth at 125, while Vince Jones was pulled out of redshirt at National Duals and is ranked No. 10 nationally at 184. Redshirt freshman Chris Oliver is also ranked No. 16 nationally at 157 and Patrick Aleksanyan has had a solid year, including a fall that sparked the Huskers to an upset over Iowa. Nebraska also has three sophomores in the lineup. The Huskers also boast All-Americans Jacob Klein and B.J. Padden at 174 and 197, respectively. Klein is ranked third at 174, while Padden is fifth at 197. Davis Returns to OSU Ryan Davis returns to Gallagher-Iba Arena after transferring to Nebraska last fall. Davis began his collegiate career at OSU and went 10-1 in open tournaments as a Cowboy. Davis is 7-6 on the season in his first year at Nebraska and will face fellow Blair Academy alum Ryan Davis in the 149-pound bout. Esposito recorded a major decision in his first match against Davis. Morgan Takes Bakersfield Crown When Nathan Morgan stepped on the mat against Cal Poly, his opponent was someone he was quite familiar with. Darrell Vasquez was a four-time state champion in California out of Bakersfield High School, while Morgan was a three-time state champion and four-time finalist from Bakersfield High as well. Morgan looked up to Vasquez in high school, but now the roles have been reversed when Morgan scored a late takedown in sudden victory to beat his longtime friend. Vasquez will be looking up at Morgan when the new individual rankings are released next week. A Gopher in the Side Oklahoma State has dominated collegiate wrestling since the NCAA started conducting a championship in 1928. The Cowboys have been even more dominating of late winning the last three NCAA titles and compiling a 105-7 record over the last six seasons. There has been one team that has continually stuck out and that is Minnesota. The Gophers have handed OSU four of those seven losses and have won six of the last nine meetings in the series. Oklahoma State still leads the all-time series at 16-8, but Minnesota is closing the gap. Freshmen Become Sophomores Head coach John Smith made a decision last winter to pull two freshmen out of redshirt because the Cowboys were struggling at both 125 and 133. Coleman Scott and Nathan Morgan both became Big 12 champions later on that year, while Scott went on to finish eighth at the NCAA Championships at 125. The freshmen have become sophomores and have turned into two of the better wrestlers at their weight class in the country. Scott recently defeated ninth-ranked Paul Donahoe of Nebraska and avenged an earlier loss to Arizona State's sixth-ranked Jeremy Mendoza. Morgan has the best record on the team at 22-1 and is ranked second by the NWCA/Intermat Individual Rankings at 133 after defeating fourth-ranked Mack Reiter of Minnesota and third-ranked Darrell Vasquez of Cal Poly.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 10/10 Oklahoma Sooners (7-4-1, 0-2) will pursue their third straight non-conference victory when they host the No. 11 Arizona State Sun Devils (12-6, 7-0) on Friday night at 7 p.m., inside the Howard McCasland Field House. OU has not lost to the Sun Devils since the 1998 season and have, in that span, reeled off five wins and one tie. The Sooners hold a 20-14-1 record in the all-time series. Last season the Sooners defeated the Sun Devils 20-17 in Tempe. The last meeting between the two schools in Norman was during the 2003-04 season when the Sooners defeated the Sun Devils 22-18. The match will also mark Danny Hodge Night. Hodge, an Oklahoma wrestling legend, will be signing autographs before the match from 6-7 p.m. The First 500 fans will receive a free Danny Hodge autograph card and Head Coach Jack Spates and the Sooner wrestling team will honor Hodge at intermission for his contributions to the University of Oklahoma and to the sport of wrestling. The Sooners travel to Missouri on Sunday for a 1 p.m. match at the Hearnes Center.

Virginia Tech head wrestling coach Tom Brands' Olympic gold medal will be on display this Saturday, Feb. 4, at Cassell Coliseum before the Hokies take on Ohio University at 2 p.m. Brands won the gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, capturing the freestyle title at 136.5 pounds. There, he outscored four Olympic opponents 19-1 and beat Korea's Jae Sung Jang 7-0 in the gold medal match. Doors open to Cassell Coliseum at 1 p.m., and the medal will be on display in the Northwest corner concourse, between ramps 4 and 6, for fans to see, try on and take pictures.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The 15th-ranked Indiana wrestling team continues its Big Ten schedule on Feb. 5 as it travels to Minneapolis, Minn., to take on the No. 1 Minnesota Golden Gophers at 2 p.m. at the Sport Pavilion. The Hoosiers (12-0, 2-2 Big Ten) look to have a solid performance against the nation's top team in a heated conference showdown. MINNESOTA PREVIEW Minnesota is having one of its best seasons in the history of the program, recently defeating defending national champion then-No. 1 Oklahoma State, 21-14, on Jan. 15 to become the first No. 1 team in the nation other than Oklahoma State in the last three years. Minnesota is 4-0 in conference action with wins over Northwestern (1/20), Iowa (1/22), Ohio State (1/27) and Penn State (1/29). The Golden Gophers boast a lineup that features eight ranked grapplers, two of which are tabbed No. 1 in the country and another three in the top 10. Leading the pack is No. 1 Dustin Schlatter (149), No. 1 Cole Konrad (Heavyweight), No. 3 Mack Reiter (133), No. 4 C.P. Schlatter (157), No. 10 Matt Nagel (165), No. 10 Roger Kish (184), No. 14 Manuel Rivera (141) and No. 15 Gabriel Dretsch (174). Minnesota leads the overall series 39-4-1 over Indiana, winning the last meeting in Bloomington 32-7 on Feb. 24, 2005. Indiana's last win over the Golden Gophers came on Jan. 26, 1968 in Bloomington, when the Hoosiers downed Minnesota 20-8 in Bloomington. Minnesota finished fifth in last year's NCAA Championships and finished runner-up in last year's Big Ten Championships. The Golden Gophers return three All-Americans from last year's top-five squad and placed four overall in the top eight at NCAAs a year ago.

State College, Pa. -- The No. 9 Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team will begin a road swing that will encompass the rest of the 2005-06 season with crucial duals at No. 7 Iowa on Friday night (8 p.m.) and No. 9 Iowa State on Sunday (1 p.m.). Penn State enters the road swing with a 9-3 mark after a split in two home duals last weekend. Penn State is coming off a thrilling close-out to its home season this past weekend. The Nittany Lions thumped No. 18 Michigan State 27-12 on Friday night and the dropped a hard-fought upset bid to No. 1 Minnesota on Sunday, falling 25-16. Nearly 10,000 fans watched the final two home duals of the season, including a season high 5,417 on Sunday. The standing-room only crowd for the battle with Minnesota pushed Penn State's season home attendance average to a seven-year high 2,757. Head coach Troy Sunderland's team features nine wrestlers ranked in the top 20, including four in the top ten. Senior 184-pounder Eric Bradley is 5-0 this season and ranked No. 1 while sophomore Phil Davis is No. 6 at 197. Freshman Jake Strayer, 15-2 at 133, is ranked No. 9. Senior DeWitt Driscoll is ranked No. 10 at 141 with an 11-5 mark. Iowa enters its weekend with a 9-4 mark, 3-1 in Big Ten action. The Hawkeyes are led by five ranked wrestlers, including four ranked among the nation's top seven. Senior Ty Eustice is 15-1 at 149 and ranked No. 2 while sophomore Cole Perry is 10-2 at 174 and ranked No. 3. Iowa State comes in with four ranked grapplers, all of whom are in the top ten. Senior Nate Gallick is undefeated, 25-0, at 141 and ranked No. 1 while junior Trent Paulson is 18-1 at 157 and ranked No. 3. Perhaps the weekend's biggest test lies in front of Nittany Lion Bradley. The returning All-American and top-ranked 184-pounder will face the seventh- and ninth-ranked wrestlers in the country (Iowa's Paul Bradley and Iowa State's Kurt Backes). Other weight classes featuring three ranked grapplers prepping to do battle are 141, 157 and 165. POSSIBLE LINE-UPS -- as of 1/31 #9 Penn State Nittany Lions (9-3, 1-3 Big ten) Wt. Name Yr. Hometown/HS 2005-06 Rec. 125 Tim Haas So. Camp Hill, Pa./Cedar Cliff 13-6 OR Brad Pataky Fr. Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield 12-6 133 #9 Jake Strayer Fr. South Fork, Pa./Forest Hills 15-2 141 #10 DeWitt Driscoll Sr. Connellsville, Pa./Connellsville 11-5 149 #11 James Woodall Sr. Dupont, Pa./Pittston 6-3 157 #14 Nathan Galloway Jr. State College, Pa./State College 10-8 165 #12 David Erwin Fr. Urbana, Ohio/St. Paris Graham 19-5 174 #11 James Yonushonis Jr. Philipsburg, Pa./Philipsburg-Osceola 14-4 184 #1 Eric Bradley Sr. Plaistow, N.H./Timberlane 5-0 197 #6 Philip Davis So. Harrisburg, Pa./Harrisburg 12-3 HWT #18 Joel Edwards Sr. Upper Darby, Pa./Upper Darby 11-3 OR Aaron Anspach Jr. Columbia, Pa./Columbia 13-8 #7 IOWA HAWKEYES (9-4, 3-1 Big ten) Wt. Name Yr. Hometown 2005-06 Rec. 125 Lucas Magnani Jr. Long Island, N.Y. 9-9 133 Daniel Dennis Fr. Ingleside, Ill. 13-10 141 #15 Alex Tsirtsis So. Griffith, Ind. 12-8 149 #2 Ty Eustice Sr. Blue Earth, Minn. 15-1 157 #7 Joe Johnston Sr. Prairie Village, Kan. 16-5 165 Eric Luedke Jr. Colby, Kan. 13-9 OR Cole Pape Sr. Maquoketa, Iowa 7-7 174 #3 Mark Perry So. Stillwater, Okla. 10-2 OR Ben Stedman Jr. Souix City, Iowa 8-9 184 #7 Paul Bradley Sr. Tama, Iowa 7-3 197 Dan Erekson Fr. Eagle, Idaho 13-7 HWT Ryan Fuller Jr. Lisbon, Iowa 5-4 #8 IOWA STATE CYCLONES (10-5, 1-1 Big 12) Wt. Name Yr. Hometown 2005-06 Rec. 125 Ben Hanisch So. Waterloo, Iowa 11-16 133 Jesse Sundell Sr. Ogden, Iowa 14-12 141 #1 Nate Gallick Sr. Tucson, Ariz. 25-0 149 Aron Scott So. Oskaloosa, Iowa 12-9 OR Jason Knipp Jr. Waterloo, Iowa 14-7 157 #3 Trent Paulson Jr. Council Bluffs, Iowa 18-1 165 #9 Travis Paulson Jr. Council Bluffs, Iowa 23-3 174 David Bertolino So. Mt. Pleasant, Ohio 14-10 OR Grant Turner Jr. Johnston, Iowa 6-6 184 #9 Kurt Backes Jr. Neshanic Station, N.J. 15-5 197 Joe Curran Fr. Elk Point, S.D. 10-14 HWT Richard Schopf Jr. Bondurant, Iowa 3-11 (#) All rankings listed are USA Today/NWCA as of 1/31

WAVERLY, Iowa -- No. 1-ranked Wartburg College used three consecutive wins to close its wrestling dual meet with No. 2-ranked Augsburg College, gaining a 22-13 win in the process in the annual "Battle of the Burgs," the battle between the top two teams in NCAA Division III wrestling, on Wednesday night at the Knights Gymnasium. The Knights, improving to 25-0 on the year, opened strong behind top-ranked 125-pounder Tyler Hubbard and top-ranked 141-pounder Dustin Hinschberger. Both individuals gained major decisions, giving the Knights an 8-3 lead. The lead increased to 12-3 as No. 2-ranked 149-pounder Jacob Naig took in another major decision. The Auggies battled back, winning three straight for a 13-12 lead. No. 5-ranked sophomore 157-pounder Jeremy Anderson (So., Thief River Falls, Minn.) and No. 5-ranked sophomore 174-pounder Robbie Gotreau (So., Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS) sparked the comeback, as Anderson turned in a major decision and Gotreau's takedown with 35 seconds remaining surprised top-ranked and unbeaten Scott Kauffman 5-4. It was all Wartburg from there. Senior 184-pounder Akeem Carter and junior 197-pounder Ryan Phillips took decisions and junior heavyweight Blake Gillis backed up his No. 1 ranking with a major decision. The other Auggie wins came from top-ranked Ryan Valek (Sr., Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West), who won his 25th straight match in improving to 32-2 on the season with a victory at 165 pounds, and from Jafari Vanier (So., Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS), who won a decision at 133. The victory was the Knights' second of the season in the series, which Augsburg leads 10-7. Both teams return to action on Saturday (2/4), as Wartburg has a home dual with Coe, while the Auggies face competition in the Wisconsin-Eau Claire Blugold Invitational. College Wrestling -- No. 1 Wartburg (Iowa, 25-0) 22, No. 2 Augsburg (Minn., 7-3) 13 February 1, 2006 -- Knights Gymnasium, Waverly, Iowa. 125 -- No. 1 Tyler Hubbard (WAR, 12-0) maj. dec. Seth Flodeen (AUG, 22-13) 17-8 (Wartburg 4-0). 133 -- Jafari Vanier (AUG, 11-2) dec. Jake Helvey (WAR, 9-6) 8-6 (Wartburg 4-3). 141 -- No. 1 Dustin Hinschberger (WAR, 34-5) maj. dec. Josh Hansen (AUG, 25-6) 9-0 (Wartburg 8-3). 149 -- No. 2 Jacob Naig (WAR, 25-6) maj. dec. Jacob Roberts (AUG, 27-8) 10-0 (Wartburg 12-3). 157 -- No. 5 Jeremy Anderson (AUG, 31-1) maj. dec. Justin Hansen (WAR, 10-6) 9-1 (Wartburg 12-7). 165 -- No. 1 Ryan Valek (AUG, 32-2) dec. Dustin Bliven (WAR, 13-6) 7-0 (Wartburg 12-10). 174 -- No. 5 Robbie Gotreau (AUG, 29-5) dec. No. 1 Scott Kauffman (WAR, 17-1) 5-4 (Augsburg 13-12). 184 -- No. 3 Akeem Carter (WAR, 21-3) dec. Kirk Rall (AUG, 20-12) 4-0 (Wartburg 15-13). 197 -- Ryan Phillips (WAR, 17-4) dec. Wally O'Connor (AUG, 19-14) 8-3 (Wartburg 18-13). HWT -- No. 1 Blake Gillis (WAR, 25-3) maj. dec. Dylan Soberg (AUG, 12-15) 10-0 (Wartburg 22-13).

The last two weeks have flown by. It seems as if we are competing every other day, and I think everyone is starting to know the end is near. As of today, we have only 22 training days left, and only a few more competitions until nationals. I can't wait. I wish they were tomorrow. We have a saying in our room that says, "I will win this match because I have been training for it my whole life." That is basically what it comes down to. Almost twenty years of wrestling, all to be over in a month. Last weekend we wrestled at the Northwestern invite. It is always a very tough tournament, but what I like about it the most is that almost all of our regional teams are there. Some of these teams we don't see anywhere else, so it is nice to get a chance to wrestle these guys before regionals and nationals. It was an amazing day for me and for our team. I won the individual title at 174 pounds, going 5-0 on the day, but what was really cool was receiving the outstanding wrestler of the tournament award. It is the first one I have ever received and it was a great feeling. Marshall MarquardtOur team also won the team title there. It was a big deal for us because one of the teams we beat destroyed us last year in a dual, and we ended up winning by almost twenty points. We also won three duals these last two weeks, going 37-3 in them as a team. It is really amazing to me how well prepared these guys are. Earlier this year, we knew we could have a good team, but our coaches have really brought it out of us. We are training smart and wrestling better than many of us ever have. It will be interesting to see what happens the next month with our team, as we had a few guys become eligible for second semester. Most other schools previously ineligible wrestlers are already wrestling and have been since the new year, but because we have a three week interim semester, our guys didn't become eligible until now. One big addition for us is the return of All-American Jimmy Rollins. He was our biggest point-scorer at nationals last year, and he has been impatiently waiting to get back in our top twelve and in our dual line-up. We recently has a dual against Northern State (Division II) in Aberdeen, SD. It was a pretty surreal experience. We actually wrestled at Aberdeen High School in the middle of their tournament. I have been to a lot of collegiate wrestling rooms, but not one of them was as nice as their high school room was. Their facilities were unbelievable. They even had a jumbotron in their gym. (Something most of us NAIA schools aren't accustomed to.) We only lost one match in the dual, which made the five hour drive home much better. The next two weeks are just as busy as the last. We have four duals and our Conference Championships. I think it will be interesting to see if we can maintain the roll we are on. We are hot right now and have to keep it that way. Everyone is counting on everyone else, and no one is getting let down. It is truly a great thing when a team can come together and accomplish goals. We recently broke our 'dual wins in a season' record, and with four duals left, we look to add to the win column. Until next time, keep getting better. Marshall Marquardt Past Entries:

Slippery Rock, Pa. -- Slippery Rock University announced today the discontinuance of eight varsity athletic teams effective the end of the current academic year. Eliminated will be field hockey, golf, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's water polo, men's tennis and wrestling. "These have been painful decisions," President Robert Smith said. "We are immediately working with our students to help them make decisions regarding their participation in sports and with our affected employees and their families for their careers. We will continue the scholarships for those students who are impacted by this decision and will take other steps to help them. "Our decision to eliminate programs was driven by the necessity to effectively manage the institution's fiscal resources in a time of significant budgetary constraints without eroding our commitment to quality," Smith said. "We have been evaluating our athletic program since 2001, listening to a variety of internal and external committees, who have recommended it is time we need to act. "SRU has grown by 12 percent in those years to serve nearly 1,100 more students. We continue to grow in enrollment and in the quality of our students and academic programs. Despite those successes, Slippery Rock University is facing a third straight year of multi-million-dollar budget cuts as a consequence of mandated fixed costs and the erosion of revenue sources. During those years we have balanced our budget through reductions in management positions, non-contractual assignments of faculty and numerous other cost-cutting measures." Maintaining quality "We have kept our focus on three major values: Raising the value of a Slippery Rock University degree; being a premier residential university; and managing our financial integrity. Having the right-size athletic program affects each of these goals. Raising the value of our degree depends on continuing to strengthen our academic quality; that has to be the priority for our spending. Being a premier residential university involves having an athletic program that is funded so that those teams have the best chance to be competitive. And, managing our fiscal integrity requires wise decisions about resource allocation." Smith explained the athletic decisions were made after extensive discussions. The University Athletic Council, which includes a coach, faculty, student athletes and staff, began a series of meetings in September to perform a five-year review of the athletic department with a focus on sports sponsorship. The council's recommendations were delivered to Smith in mid-December. He also received an independent external consultant's review in November that reiterated the need to reduce the number of teams sponsored. He then met with representatives of the Student Athlete Advisory Council to discuss their concerns and respond to their questions. "The work of the UAC was critical to this process," Smith said. "It was important to involve those affected as much as possible. Dr. Brian Crow, faculty athletic representative and chair of the UAC, and a student representative from the Student Athlete Advisory Council played important leadership roles in monitoring the decision-making process." "In making the final decision, we considered cost-saving potential, necessary future investment in facilities -- which particularly impacted the water sports -- the competitiveness of the teams, the academic performance of the athletes, and the financial support of alumni and external financial support over the past decade," Smith explained. "These cuts will result in estimated reduction of annual expenditures of $350,000." He noted that even with the reductions, spending on athletics would still exceed what is typical at NCAA Division II institutions. A June 2005 study commissioned by the NCAA indicated that the typical NCAA Division II athletic program is made up of 14 teams. Slippery Rock's new complement will be 15 teams.

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 attempt to tell the story of John du Pont, the man who murdered Dave Schultz. In future chapters, we plan to paint a more complete picture of Dave, including reminiscences from some of the folks who knew him best. Fall -- the time of year when the amateur wrestling world comes alive again as a new season begins for scholastic and college programs. Last October, along with the usual discussions about "hot prospects" and predictions of who would win state and national titles, the online wrestling forums were abuzz about a book. No, the wrestling community wasn't talking about the new memoirs of 2000 Olympic gold medalist Rulon Gardner … or those of Kyle Maynard, the legless wrestler from Georgia whose incredible story earned him guest appearances on The Larry King Show and Oprah, and a place on the New York Times best-seller list. The book that had everyone talking was hardly new. In fact, it was nearly twenty years old. And, to the wrestling community, its author was hardly viewed as a hero or an inspiration. The book was titled Off the Mat … and its author was John E. du Pont, the multimillionaire who murdered 1984 Olympic gold medalist wrestler/coach Dave Schultz on January 26, 1996. Why would a book published in 1987 stir up so much discussion in October 2005? Complimentary copies of Off the Mat were sent out to high school wrestling coaches across the country that fall, apparently by a firm representing John du Pont. The reaction in online wrestling forums such as TheMat.com seemed to be one of universal anger and disgust. Rex Peckinpaugh's reaction was pretty typical. The head coach of the high school wrestling program at New Castle, Indiana posted this message to the AmateurWrestlingFanAddicts Yahoo group forum: "I was excited when I saw the package simply because I thought it would be a nice free book or DVD, but when I opened it and saw the du Pont book, I was certainly angry and dismayed. I was even more upset when I read the enclosed letter that said what a great aid this book would be in working with young people. I emailed the address shown on the letter and asked if this book was by the same John du Pont who gunned down Dave Schultz? I knew it was, but I was really angry. I told them I would be returning the book, as I hope everyone does. I read the book when it first came out … put in the context of what the man has done, it is nothing but garbage." John du Pont still manages to stir up anger ten years after murdering one of amateur wrestling's all-time heroes. ---- John Eleuthere du Pont was born on November 22, 1938 into a world of wealth and privilege as the great-great-great-grandson of the founder of E.I. DuPont de Nemours, Inc., the giant chemical company known for brand names such as Teflon and StainMaster. Within two years of his birth, John's parents William "Willie" du Pont Jr. and Jean split up, with the infant going off with his mother. After Willie remarried a young tennis star, the young du Pont had infrequent contact with his father … and was isolated from his older siblings who had already left home. The 1996 Carol Turkington book No Holds Barred: The Strange Life of John E. du Pont describes a young man who was lonely and socially awkward. Du Pont prepped at Haverford, where he participated on the swimming and wrestling teams. He attended the University of Pennsylvania for one year, withdrawing before completing his freshman year to focus all his attention on making the US Olympic swim team. Later, when that dream washed out, he essentially bought his way onto the nation's top-ranked swim team at Santa Clara, California. John du PontHowever, after being told by coaches and teammates that he was not cut out to be a champion swimmer, du Pont tried his hand at pentathlon -- an Olympic sport consisting of five activities: cross-country riding, swimming, running, fencing, and shooting. He won a championship in Australia in 1965, and hosted the national modern pentathlon championships at his Foxcatcher estate in 1967 … but failed to make the 1968 US Olympic team. However, as a reward for his considerable monetary gifts to the sport, du Pont was named trainer for the 1976 US Olympic pentathlon team. By the mid 1980s, John du Pont found a new sport to shower with his wealth and attention: wrestling. In 1985, he approached Villanova University with an offer to finance a varsity wrestling program at the Philadelphia school, as long as he could be head coach. Villanova accepted the offer, and du Pont hired 1984 Olympic gold medalist Mark Schultz -- Dave's younger brother -- as an assistant coach. Du Pont got out the checkbook again to build the Foxcatcher National Training Center for Olympic athletes at his estate, designed for swimmers and wrestlers. The state-of-the-art facility featured a 50' x 50' wrestling room, and a library of hundreds of wrestling matches on videotape for team members to study opponents. But it wasn't just the facilities that attracted top wrestlers to Foxcatcher. Du Pont offered stipends of up to $1,000 a month -- along with free housing and scholarships -- to wrestlers who oftentimes were accustomed to just scraping by. In addition to what he spent on his Foxcatcher club and its wrestlers, du Pont gave to amateur wrestling organizations. He contributed $100,000 to USA Wrestling in 1987 and 1988, then upped the amount to $400,000 each year up to 1995. In return, USA Wrestling named its national championships and World Team Trials after du Pont, and named him "team leader" for the US team at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. ---- Dave SchultzThe lives of Dave Schultz and John du Pont intersected when the millionaire -- who had an estimated worth of over $100 million -- welcomed the 1984 Olympic gold medalist to Foxcatcher in 1988. Dave was on a quest to compete in the Olympics again, so he welcomed the chance to work out with the top wrestlers from around the world, the coaching salary, and the farmhouse on the estate grounds which was home for his wife Nancy and their two children, Alexander and Danielle. However, Dave failed to make the US team for the 1988 Seoul Olympics … and met the same fate in 1992. All efforts were focused on competing for the US in the 1996 Atlanta Games … and Dave used the Foxcatcher facilities with that goal in mind. ---- Jim Humphrey had known Dave Schultz for about two decades. Jim, the 134-pound Big Ten champ and NCAA All-American in 1972 for the Ohio State Buckeyes, first met Dave at a 1976 pre-Olympic training camp at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. "Dave was sixteen at the time," recalls Jim, a member of the World Team in 1974 and 1975. "He was phenomenal at an early age." Fast-forward to the late 1980s. Dave Schultz and Jim Humphrey had remained friends over the years. Jim had coached both Dave and his brother Mark when they were on US National teams. Dave and Jim coached the US team at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. Dave was at Foxcatcher, and Jim was head wrestling coach at Indiana University. "I met John du Pont at the World Championships in France in 1987," says Jim. "Over time, at Dave Schultz's suggestion, du Pont started to talk to me about coaching at Foxcatcher." Jim accepted the head coaching position at du Pont's facility in 1989. "Things were great the first eighteen months or so," recalls Jim, now an assistant coach at his alma mater. "Then du Pont started to make coaching decisions. He would ask certain wrestlers to stick around the farm rather than compete in major events." When asked why, Jim responded, "I think he was lonely. He wanted the company." After serving as Team Foxcatcher's head coach for two-and-a-half years, Jim says, "We decided mutually to part ways. I left the facility in mid to late 1991, and, in fact left coaching to work in the corporate world." (Jim worked for a division of Johnson & Johnson until last August, when he returned for the coaching position at Ohio State.) When asked to talk about life at John du Pont's Foxcatcher, Jim says, "Towards the end, I dreaded dealing with du Pont. A number of guys like Andre Metzger and Mark Schultz had left on acrimonious terms. Dan Chaid was kicked off the farm -- and he was one of the very first to come to Foxcatcher." Jim adds, "Dave had talked about leaving. But he stayed with him to the very end." Ten years after the murder, Jim remembers the circumstances of how he heard the news as clearly as if it were yesterday. "I was in Cincinnati for training at Johnson & Johnson's Ethicon facility there," says Jim. "I was in my car, following my friend and fellow Ethicon employee Bob Kinder who wrestled at Miami University (Ohio) to his folks' house for dinner. Bob suddenly stopped his car, ran back to mine, telling me he had just heard that Dave Schultz was murdered." "I felt like someone punched me in the stomach, knocking the air out of me." "I called Nancy (Schultz) right away. We were both crying, both devastated." When asked about his dealings with John du Pont at Foxcatcher, Jim replied, "I never thought he was dangerous," says Jim. "I never imagined that he would kill any one. The murder was a total shock." ---- Jim Pearson is a mutual friend of Dave Schultz and Jim Humphrey who spent time at Foxcatcher (which he referred to as "Johnny World") until 1992 … and has his own recollections of John du Pont. "One time du Pont showed up an estate barbecue with a semi-automatic machine gun around his neck," says Pearson, who wrestled for Humphrey at Indiana University, where he first met Dave at a clinic. "When someone asked about the gun, he said something like, ‘I don't want to stand in line for a burger.'" Like Jim Humphrey, Pearson clearly recalls how he found out about Dave's murder. "I was watching the Super Bowl at home when a friend called with the news," says Pearson, now president and CEO of Suros Surgical Systems in the Indianapolis area. "Dave was one of the last wrestlers at Foxcatcher," says Pearson. "I think John panicked at the thought of everyone leaving." Jim Pearson concluded the conversation with this positive thought: "People from all over the world came to Foxcatcher. Wrestlers got to interact with swimmers and pentathletes. Lots of great friendships were formed." ---- In 1997, John E. du Pont stood trial for the murder of Dave Schultz. There were two direct witnesses to the murder: Dave's wife Nancy, and one of du Pont's employees, a security professional seated beside the shooter in his car, not expecting the purpose of the visit to the Schultz home at the Foxcatcher estate until the first shot was fired from the lowered window of the Lincoln Town Car. John du Pont (Photo by Chris Gardner)During the trial, the prosecution argued that du Pont's psychological problems were aggravated by alcohol and other substance abuse. One of the prosecutors, Joe McGettigan, said that Dave had tried to help du Pont and at times was successful. "Du Pont was motivated by the same things that motivate many people who kill people they know," McGettigan was quoted in the Baltimore Sun. "In this case, it was a bizarre combination of admiration that extended to almost hero worship of Dave and the envy of Dave's eminence in a field that du Pont had inserted himself -- wrestling." After deliberating a week, the jury determined that du Pont was mentally ill, and found him guilty of third-degree murder. He was sentenced to 13-30 years in prison. Currently du Pont is serving that sentence in a minimum-security facility north of Pittsburgh. According to his longtime attorney and friend Taras Wochock in an article in the Baltimore Sun, du Pont works as a clerk in the prison chapel and teaches civics to his fellow prisoners. He is eligible for parole in three years, and could go to a halfway house in two. Meanwhile, Foxcatcher Farm is under agreement of sale to a developer who plans to build either family homes or a retirement community on the grounds. Chapter 3: Reminiscences of those who knew Dave Schultz 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

Oskaloosa -- Darren Cotton (Jr., Atlanta, Ga., McNair HS) cleared a huge hurdle on his journey to possibly winning his first national title later this season and also helped the #11 nationally-ranked Statesmen wrestling squad drop #15 Waldorf in dual-meet action on Senior Night, 28-10, Tuesday. Penn, who improves to 8-6 in dual meets this season, won the first seven matches of the night and eventually claimed victory in eight of ten overall. The night began with four Statesmen seniors being recognized for their accomplishment in the navy blue and gold. They included Aaron Garza (Sr., Chicago, Ill., Bloom Trail HS), Clint Kelly (Sr., Payete, Idaho, Payette HS), Angelo Love (Sr., Joliet, Ill., Joliet Township HS), and Omar Ortiz (Sr., Fremont, Mich., Muskegon CC). When competition finally began at 125 pounds, Matthew Chustz (Fr., Manassas Park, Va., Manassas Park HS) got Penn rolling by accepting a forfeit victory, his third of the year. Dustin Howa (Fr., Price, Utah, Carbon HS) then picked up the first of four consecutive decisions for the Statesmen, dropping Adam Graham at 133, 9-5. In the most-thrilling match of dual, #5 Central Regionally-rated Earl Robinson (So., Davenport, Davenport Central HS) claimed a mini-upset over #4 Mike Billings in four overtimes at 141, 6-4. After neither grappler could score in the first sudden-death period or in either or the next two "riding" periods, Robinson finally finished the match with a takedown near the edge of the mat to pick up the win. Then came the match the entire crowd came to see with #1 nationally-ranked Cotton facing #2 Brad Stockton at 149. Though both wrestlers were aggressive early, the first period sounded with a scoreless tie. Stockton finally scored the first point with an escape in the second period and held that advantage until the final two minutes of action. But period three was all about the top-ranked wrestler in the land as Cotton tied up the match with an escape and scored the match's only takedown soon after to go up 3-1. Stockton fought out of the clutches of his foe for another escape, but Cotton held on in the waning seconds to claim victory, 3-2. Brandon Graham (So., Oskaloosa, Oskaloosa HS) matched Cotton as he recorded a third-period takedown to drop David Fuller at 157, 3-2. Nate Stirgus (Jr., Muskegon, Mich., Muskegon CC) then put together the night's most-lobsided victory at 165, picking up six takedowns in pounding Phil Klees for a major decision, 18-7. Abel Trujillo (Jr., Durham, N.C., Riverside HS) clinched the meet victory with a 7-6 win over Jerrod Burgins at 174. Despite taking an early 6-3 lead, the junior needed his one-minute riding-time point to secure his victory, building Penn's lead to 25-0 at that point. Jorge Ortiz (Jr., Chicago, Ill., Wilbur Wright HS), at 184, and Jay Thomas (Jr., Alta Loma, Calif., Mt. Sac HS), at 197, both had troubles in their matches and succumbed to defeat as Waldorf narrowed the lead to 25-10. But Jordan Wall (Fr., Liberty, N.C., Eastern Randolph HS) sent the Penn crowd home happy as he scratched out a 2-0 win over Josh Reis at 285 to conclude the meet's scoring at 28-10. Next time: Penn travels to Dubuque to compete in the Spartan Classic, Saturday, at 9 a.m. William Penn vs. Waldorf, 28-10 125--Matthew Chustz (P) won by forfeit (6-0) 133--Dustin Howa (P) won by decision over Adam Graham, 9-5 (9-0) 141--Earl Robinson (P) won by decision over Mike Billings, 6-4 (4OT) (12-0) 149--Darren Cotton (P) won by decision over Brad Stockton, 3-2 (15-0) 157--Brandon Graham (P) won by decision over David Fuller, 3-2 (18-0) 165--Nate Stirgus (P) won by major decision over Phil Klees, 18-7 (22-0) 174--Abel Trujillo (P) won by decision over Jerrod Burgins, 7-6 (25-0) 184--Casey Sullivan (W) won by major decision over Jorge Ortiz, 11-2 (25-4) 197--Jake Head (W) won by fall over Jay Thomas, 4:40 (25-10) 285--Jordan Wall (P) won by decision over Josh Reis, 2-0 (28-10)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina won seven of eight contested matches to break through with its first Atlantic Coast Conference win of the season, a 22-15 victory over rival Duke Tuesday at Carmichael Auditorium. The Tar Heels (13-8-1, 1-2-1 ACC) have now won 31 of their last 32 duals with the Blue Devils (0-8, 0-3 ACC). The victory also pushed Carolina's lead in the Carlyle Cup race, the all-sports competition between UNC and Duke, to 7-5. Sophomore Justin Dobies, redshirt freshman Vincent Ramirez and junior Spencer Nadolsky each won Tuesday to improve to 4-0 individually in ACC action. Nadolsky picked up the biggest win for the Tar Heels, a 10-2 major decision at heavyweight. With an 18-3 advantage after seven bouts, Carolina head coach C.D. Mock rested David Dashiell at 197 and Bobby Shaw at 125, giving Duke 12 points. Nadolsky picked up the Tar Heels' final four points in between the forfeits with his major decision over Duke's Wade Van Sickle to improve to 36-3 this season and 20-1 in duals. After redshirt freshman Jared Royer opened the match strongly for Carolina with an 8-2 decision over Michael Degli Obizzi at 133, Ramirez rebounded from an early 5-0 deficit to notch a 10-6 come-from-behind win over Philip Wightman at 141. He followed a three-point near fall for Wightman with a quick reversal and never looked back, posting a 7-1 advantage over the final two periods. The Durham native has won 12 straight bouts and improved his record to 32-6 and 4-0 in conference action. Duke followed with a decision by Daniel Shvartsman at 149, trimming the UNC lead to 6-3, but junior Brian Baglio quickly put the Tar Heels back in the win column at 157 with a 6-1 win over Cameron Harms. The Blue Devils nearly picked up their second win of the night at 165, but senior Garrett Atkinson, the reigning ACC champion in the class, scored a takedown of Aaron Glover with less than 10 seconds remaining in the third period to escape with a 5-4 victory and push the Tar Heel advantage to 12-3 midway through the match. Atkinson is now 12-8 on the season. Sophomore Alex Maciag then picked up a second consecutive dramatic win for the Tar Heels, a 5-4 overtime decision at 174. Duke's Levi Craig scored on an escape to take a 4-3 lead in the second overtime period, but Maciag responded with a reversal in the third extra frame to post a 5-4 win and a 15-3 Carolina advantage. Maciag is now 20-13 this season. Sophomore Justin Dobies tacked on an overtime win of his own at 184, downing Duke's Dan Tulley, 7-4. The bout was tied at three after regulation, but Dobies took control in OT, scoring a two-point near fall and a takedown to push the Tar Heels' lead to 18-3 and essentially secure the match. Carolina is back in ACC action Thursday against Virginia Tech in the "Rumble on the River" at St. Christopher's High School in Richmond, Va. North Carolina 22, Duke 15 Records: UNC 13-8-1 1-2-1 ACC, DU 0-8, 0-3 ACC WT. BOUT RESULT SCORE TEAM SCORE 133 Jared Royer (UNC) def. Michael Degli Obizzi (DU) 8-2 UNC 3-0 141 Vincent Ramirez (UNC) def. Philip Wightman (DU) 10-6 UNC 6-0 149 Daniel Shvartsman (DU) def. Isaiah Britton (UNC) 6-3 UNC 6-3 157 Brian Baglio (UNC) def. Cameron Harms (DU) 6-1 UNC 9-3 165 Garrett Atkinson (UNC) def. Aaron Glover (DU) 5-4 UNC 12-3 174 Alex Maciag (UNC) Levi Craig (DU) 5-4 OT UNC 15-3 184 Justin Dobies (UNC) def. Dan Tulley (DU) 7-4 OT UNC 18-3 197 Konrad Dudziak (DU) win via forfeit FOR UNC 18-9 HWT #12 Spencer Nadolsky (UNC) def. Wade Van Sickle (DU) 10-2 MD UNC 22-9 125 Kellan McKeon (DU) win via forfeit FOR UNC 22-15

In its first year in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, the Upper Iowa wrestling team has crowned four NSIC Wrestlers of the Week. Now the Peacocks are after something more prestigious – a conference championship. Thursday's 7 p.m. dual in Dorman Gymnasium against Minnesota State Moorhead will go a long way in determining the conference title. Although Upper Iowa doesn't officially join the NSIC until 2006-07, the Peacock wrestling program was granted provisional conference membership this year. Both Upper Iowa (5-2-1) and Minnesota State Moorhead (8-6) enter the dual with perfect 1-0 NSIC records. Both are ranked in the top-20 nationally. MSU Moorhead is 12th in the latest NCAA Division II rankings while Upper Iowa is 16th. After Thursday, each team will have only a conference dual with Southwest Minnesota State (3-5 overall, 0-0 NSIC) remaining. The Peacocks visit the Mustangs Saturday at 3 p.m. while MSU Moorhead will travel to Marshall, Minn., Friday, Feb. 17. Upper Iowa will again rely on its veteran leaders. Two-time Division III All-American Brian Black is currently the seventh-ranked heavyweight. National qualifier C.J. MacNaught is ranked fourth at 174 pounds. Ralph Acosta, a 2002 All-American, will compete for the Peacocks at 133 pounds. Red-shirt freshman Tyler Mumbulo is ranked eighth at 125 pounds. Mumbulo, MacNaught and Black each won individual titles at the Midwest Classic, while MacNaught also claimed the Dubuque Spartan Open crown. MSU Moorhead returns two All-Americans from a year ago. Heavyweight Chris Tuchscherer finished second and 141-pounder Ben Keen took eighth. Tuchscherer is currently the fourth-ranked heavyweight in Division II. The Dragons also feature the top-ranked 165-pounder in the country, Nate Baker. Baker transferred to Moorhead from the University of Minnesota, where he was a Division I national qualifier. Tickets for the Thursday dual are $7 for adults and $4 for students. The doors open at 6 p.m. with the wrestling to begin at 7 p.m. Free snow cones will be given out from 6-6:55 p.m. As a special promotion, a 27-inch Panasonic flat screen television will be given to one lucky fan in attendance during intermission.

Cody HenriksenAugustana's Cody Henriksen today became the fourth Viking wrestler this season to be named the North Central Conference Wrestler of the Week. Henrikson, a junior 165-pounder from Arlington, S.D., shared the award with Travis Krinkie of Minnesota State. Henriksen, who is currently unranked in the national rankings, defeated No. 3 Andy Pickar of Minnesota State 5-4 in Friday's dual between the fifth-ranked Vikings and second-ranked Mavericks. MSU won the dual 25-17. 2005-2006 Augustana NCC Wreslers of the Week: Nov. 9 - Nate Buys Jan. 10 - Tim Boldt Jan. 17 - Ryan King Jan. 31 - Cody Henriksen, Augustana

ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio University Athletics Department and the Bobcat wrestling program will honor former national champion and legendary head coach Harry Houska on February 11-12, 2006. A special reception will be held at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Ohio University Inn Banquet Room and all former Bobcats and wrestling fans are invited to attend. Admission to the event is free. Then, at the midway point of Sunday's 2 p.m. dual meet against Kent State in the Convocation Center, a plaque will be presented to Houska in honor of the Harry Houska Wall of Champions, which recognizes all Mid-American Conference and NCAA champions from Ohio University. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to Nick Welsch at 740-597-1828 or nw354404@ohio.edu by Feb. 3, 2006. A block of rooms are available at the Ohio University Inn under "Ohio University Wrestling Reunion" or you can reserve your own room at the Ohio University Inn by calling 740-593-6661 or by clicking here. Reservations must be made by Feb. 3 to receive the discounted group rate.