InterMat Staff

At 125, Lucas Magnani of Iowa defeated Ben Hanisch of Iowa State by score of 11-3 (photo by Johnnie Johnson).AMES, IA -- The University of Iowa wrestling team improved to 2-0 on the season with its 20-15 win over Iowa State in Ames Friday night. A crowd of 6,682 saw the Hawkeyes record wins in six matches, including two by major decision, to hand Iowa State its first dual loss of the season. The Cyclones are now 3-1. The Hawkeyes jumped out to 10-0 lead on wins by juniors Ryan Fuller (Hwt.) and Lucas Magnani (125) and true freshman Daniel Dennis (133). Fuller scored a 4-2 win over junior Richard Schopf at heavyweight to open the dual. Magnani followed with an 11-3 major decision over Ben Hanisch at 125. Dennis improved to 6-2 on the season and 2-0 in dual competition with a 10-7 win over fifth-year senior Jesse Sundell at 133. At 141, Nate Gallick of Iowa State defeated Alex Tsirtis, 4-1 (photo by Johnnie Johnson).Iowa State got on the board with Nate Gallick's 4-1 win over sophomore Alex Tsirtsis at 141. Iowa senior Ty Eustice took Iowa into the intermission with a 6-3 win over Jason Knipp at 149. Eustice picked up his 90th career victory with the win, and improved to 7-0 on the season. The Cyclones picked up two wins after the intermission, with Trent Paulson's 8-3 decision over senior Joe Johnston at 157 and Travis Paulson's 8-4 win over senior Cole Pape at 165. Hawkeye sophomore Mark Perry gave Iowa boost with a 13-3 major decision at 174, and senior Paul Bradley sealed the Iowa win with an 8-5 victory over Kurt Backes at 184. Both wrestlers improve to 2-0 on the season, and Bradley is now 5-1 in his career against Backes. Cyclone true freshman Joe Curran won the last match of the night, pinning Iowa senior Adam Fellers in 6:14 at 197. Iowa's win also gave the Hawkeyes two points in the Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series. Iowa State currently leads the series, 5-2, with wins in women's soccer and football. Iowa (2-0) will host Northern Iowa (0-1) Thursday night at 7 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. MEET RESULTS Iowa 20, Iowa State 15 Hwt -- Ryan Fuller (I) dec. Richard Schopf (ISU), 4-2 125 -- Lucas Magnani (I) maj. dec. Ben Hanisch (ISU), 11-3 133 -- Daniel Dennis (I) dec. Jesse Sundell (ISU), 10-7 141 -- Nate Gallick (ISU) dec. Alex Tsirtsis (I), 4-1 149 -- Ty Eustice (I) dec. Jason Knipp (ISU), 6-3 157 -- Trent Paulson (ISU) dec. Joe Johnston (I), 8-3 166 -- Travis Paulson (ISU) dec. Cole Pape (I), 8-4 174 -- Mark Perry (I) maj. dec. David Bertolino (ISU), 13-3 184 -- Paul Bradley (I) dec. Kurt Backes (ISU), 8-5 197 -- Joe Curran (ISU) pinned Adam Fellers (I), 6:14

Dover, DE --- Delaware State University Director of Athletics Chuck Bell has announced the appointment of First State native Dr. Earl E. Walker, Jr. as head coach of the university's wrestling team, effective in mid-December. Walker, 33, succeeds Darren Archangelo, who resigned this fall after two seasons. The Middletown, Delaware native is a prominent psychologist, former collegiate All-America, and state high school wrestling champion. "Delaware State University is very fortunate to hire a coach with the credentials of Dr. Earl Walker," Bell said. "His professional and athletics successes are proof of his commitment to excellence. I am certain he can lead our wrestling program to long-term success." Walker brings a wealth of experience as a wrestling coach and teacher to Delaware State. Presently, he is owner and director of Basics Plus Wrestling Camps in Newton, MA. His responsibilities include wrestling instruction to elementary, middle and high school students. Walker has served three stints as an assistant wrestling coach at Boston University, most recently from September 2000 to June 2004. He previously held the post on two occasions from 1995 to ‘98. From September 1996 to May '97, he was an assistant coach at the University of California-Davis. Walker also served as Assistant Director and Site Manager for Carl Adams World Class Wrestling School in Boston from 1992 to 2004. As a wrestler at Boston University, Walker was a 1994 NCAA Division I All-America in the 158-pound division. He earned the "Mickey" Cochran Memorial Award, presented to Boston University's top male athlete, for the 1993-94 school year. In 2002, Walker was inducted into the Boston University Athletics Hall of Fame. While at St. Andrews School near Middletown, Delaware, Walker was a two-time Delaware high school state champion, winning the 145-pound title as a junior and the 152-pound division during his senior year. He was inducted into the Delaware Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2004. Delaware State University Associate Director of Athletics Doug Dowdy led the search for the new wrestling coach. "Dr. Earl Walker is the highest caliber individual we could possibly find for the position," Dowdy said. "We are extremely fortunate that he has chosen to join us." Dowdy believes Walker's appointment marks the beginning of a bright new era for the Delaware State wrestling program. "We appreciate the patience of our wrestling team members, and are certain they will lead the way in support of coach Walker throughout the state," he added. "Walker's return to Delaware is a tremendous boost to the university, our student-athletes and the state wrestling community." Walker holds three degrees from Boston University. He earned a bachelor's in Clinical Exercise Physiology in 1995, a master's in Human Movement (Health and Wellness) in 1998, and a doctorate in Counseling Psychology in 2003. In addition, he has performed doctoral studies in Health psychology at Columbia University, Teachers College in New York. Walker is presently Executive Director and Sport Psychology Consultant for Self Realization (SR) Consulting, Inc. in Newton, MA.. In addition, he has served as a School Psychology Consultant for The Academy North in Reading, MA since September 2004, and The Psychological Centers in Middletown, RI since November 2004. "I'm grateful to Delaware State University for giving me the opportunity to return home and coach at the Division I level," Walker said. "The state of Delaware has a strong high school wrestling tradition, and I look forward to helping young men pursue their dreams at the collegiate level." He added, "I am excited about the university administration's commitment to the wrestling program, and its goal to make it one of the best in the nation."

Team 1. ASU 2. Cal Poly 3. Oregon 4. Stanford 5. Boise State 6. Oregon State 7. Cal State Bakersfield 8. Cal State Fullerton 9. UC Davis 10. Portland State Individual 125 Pounds 1. Jeremy Mendoza (Arizona State) 2. Tanner Gardner (Stanford) 3. Eric Stevenson (Oregon State) 4. Chad Mendes (Cal Poly) 5. Tommy Vargas (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. John Espinoza (Arizona State) 5. Omar Gaitan (UC Davis) 6. TJ Dillashaw (Cal State Fullerton) 141 Pounds 1. Steve Esparza (Cal Poly) 2. Skyler Woods (Oregon) 3. Tommy Owen (Boise State) 4. Derek Moore/Jeff Bristol (UC Davis) 5. Matt Schumm /Jeremy Doyle (Cal State Bakersfield) 6. Teddy Astorga (Cal State Fullerton) 149 Pounds 1. Anthony Baza (Cal State Bakersfield) 2. Jeff Owens (Cal Poly) 3. Josh Zupancic (Stanford ) 4. Orlando Perez (Oregon State) 5. Tyler Sherfey (Boise State) 6. Morgan Atkinson (Cal State Fullerton) 157 Pounds 1. Brian Stith (Arizona State) 2. Tony Hook (Oregon State) 3. Ben Cherrington (Boise State) 4. Scott Loescher (Stanford) 5. Shawn Reilly (Cal State Fullerton) 6. Ryan Williams (Cal Poly) 165 Pounds 1. Joey Bracamonte (Oregon) 2. Pat Pitsch (Arizona State) 3. Brian Busby (Cal State Bakersfield) 4. Frank Richmond (UC Davis) 5. Ray Blake (Stanford) 6. Risto Marttinen (Cal State Fullerton) 174 Pounds 1. Imad Kharbush (Stanford) 2. Jeremy Larson (OSU) 3. Chet McBee (Oregon) 4. Christian Arellano (Cal State Bakersfield) 5. Ken Cook (UC Davis) 6. Craig Wilkerson/Ian Murphy/Ryan Budd (Cal State Fullerton) 184 Pounds 1. Shane Webster (Oregon) 2. CB Dollaway (Arizona State) 3. Ryan Halsey (Cal Poly) 4. KC Walsh (Boise State) 5. Ryan Hagen (Stanford) 6. Jesse Taylor (Cal State Fullerton) 197 Pounds 1. Ryan Bader (Arizona State) 2. Casey Phelps (Boise State) 3. Matt Monteiro (Cal Poly) 4. Ian Bork (Stanford ) 5. Dan Pitsch (OSU) 6. Chris Chambers (Cal State Fullerton) Heavyweight 1. Cain Velasquez (Arizona State) 2. Allen Kennett (PSU) 3. Ty Watterson (OSU) 4. Eric Parker (Cal State Bakersfield) 5. Arturo Basulto (Cal Poly) 6. Chris Dearmon (Oregon)

DEKALB, Ill. -- No. 14 Northwestern recorded seven victories, including two pins, to top 23rd-ranked Northern Illinois 28-10 Thursday at the Convocation Center. The 'Cats rattled off five-consecutive victories from 157 lbs. through 197 lbs. to win their fourth-straight season-opening dual meet. John Velez (Kings Mills, Ohio/Kings) kicked things off for the Wildcats by facing Pat Castillo at 125 lbs. Velez scored first, notching two points on a takedown with just over 20 seconds to go in the first period. After Velez scored a point on an escape early in the second, he increased his lead to 5-0 after taking Castillo down with one minute remaining in the second. Castillo was awarded one point for a late escape and Velez went into the final period with a 5-1 lead. After Castillo tied the match midway through the final period, Velez scored a reversal to take a two-point lead. With under five seconds remaining, however, Castillo notched a takedown to send the match into overtime. In the overtime session, Velez shot and hit early, to take the match 9-7 and improve his record to 3-0 on the year. At 133 lbs. senior Daniel Quintela (St. Paul, Minn./Highland Park) fought hard against NIU's Andy Hiatt, but ultimately fell 5-3. In arguably Northwestern's most dominating match, No. 9 Ryan Lang (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Edward) pinned NIU's 13th-ranked Josh Wooten. Lang started off fast against Wooten, notching a takedown just 30 seconds into the match. Lang recorded a reversal with 1:40 remaining in the second period before recording a fall at 3:37, giving the Wildcats a 9-3 lead through three weight classes. "I felt Ryan Lang wrestled very well," head coach Tim Cysewski said. "He wrestled with maturity and confidence, and it was nice to see him perform like he did." Freshman Brandon Lozdoski (Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem) filled the 149-pound slot, and faced Northern Illinois' 10th-ranked Mike Grimes. Lozdoski only trailed 4-1 entering the third period, but Grimes scored on a series of late points to take the match 11-2. With the Wildcats holding onto a slim 9-7 lead, sophomore Greg Hagel came through huge for the Wildcats at 157 lbs., beating the Huskies' Aaron Owen 9-6. Owen struck first, hitting on a takedown with just over two minutes remaining in the first period. Hagel brought the match within one when he controlled a neutral position. After taking Owen down by his right leg for two points, Owen quickly responded with a reversal to regain the lead. Owen scored on another reversal early in the second, but Hagel responded with an escape to make the score 6-4. Hagel tied the match at 6-6 on a takedown, and went into the third tied at 6-6. Hagel tallied an escape early in the third, then went up by three when he took advantage of a missed shot by Owen and notched another takedown. With his win, Hagel gave the Wildcats a 12-7 lead heading into the heavier weights, where Cysewski expected to have success against the Huskies. No. 19 Will Durkee (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shady Side Academy) extended Northwestern's lead, when he recorded NU's second pin of the night against the Huskies' Johnny Galloway. Durkee went right after Galloway, shooting for his right leg and recording a takedown just 20 seconds into the first period. After Galloway brought the score to 2-1 on an escape, Durkee weaved through a takedown attempt early in the second period to increase his lead to 4-1. Galloway again scored on an escape, but Durkee controlled the action for a majority of the second period and went into the final stanza with a 4-2 lead. Galloway brought the score to 4-3 on an escape midway through the period, but Durkee wouldn't be caught on any of his takedown attempts. On a Galloway shot attempt late in the third, Durkee spun, got a hold of his leg and notched a takedown. After getting position, Durkee recorded a fall at 6:58 to give Northwestern an 18-7 lead. In another bout of nationally ranked wrestlers, No. 2 Jake Herbert (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) faced NIU's 18th-ranked Danny Burk at 174 lbs. Herbert was in control from beginning to end, taking a 2-0 lead after a takedown early in the first. After Burk scored on an escape in the second, Herbert responded with another takedown to take a 4-1 lead. Herbert thwarted a Burk attempt and scored on another takedown with 30 second left in the third. Burke scored three late points, but Herbert took the riding time point and took the match 8-4, improving his season record to 5-0. With a 21-7 lead, No. 14 Mike Tamillow (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick) topped Nick McClone at 184 lbs. Tamillow got on the board first by recording a takedown with 30 second remaining in the first period. After entering the second stanza with a 2-0 lead, Tamillow scored on a reversal, taking a 4-0 lead. After another reversal in the third, Tamillow recorded three late points for a near fall and went on to win 10-0. After Tamillow's major decision win, Northwestern held a 25-7 lead heading into the last two weight classes. At 197 lbs, No. 7 Matt Delguyd (Mayfield Heights, Ohio/Mayfield) won in the third overtime session, beating Northern Illinois' Derick Hunsinger, 5-3. After the two battled to a stalemate for the first 5:50, Hunsinger was awarded a late stalling point and Delguyd entered the third period down 1-0. After another stalling point, Delguyd recorded an escape to bring the score to 2-1. Delguyd turned up his intensity with a minute left in the final period, shooting repeatedly for Hunsinger's legs, but just couldn't hit. With 20 second remaining, however, Delguyd was awarded a point for stalling and the two went into overtime. After a scoreless first overtime period, Hunsinger took the lead on an escape. Delguyd responded with an escape of his own, then notched a takedown for the 5-3 triple-overtime win. With the Wildcats up 28-7, No. 5 Dustin Fox (Galion, Ohio/Galion) faced Joe Sapp at 184 lbs. Fox got on the board first when recorded an escape midway through the second period. After Sapp tallied an escape early in the third, he scored on a takedown with 10 seconds remaining, taking the match 3-1. Overall, Northwestern went 7-3 in the match and improved its record to 1-0 on the year. "I'm pleased with the win today. Everyone wrestled well, and I couldn't have asked for a better performance for our first dual," Cysewski said.

HARRISONBURG, Va. -- The Gardner-Webb wrestling team edged James Madison by a single point on Thursday night after the teams split the 10 matches. Daniel Elliott earned a tech fall victory and Brent Blackwell took a major decision win for the decisive extra points. The hotly contested match started with the 133-pound bout between No. 18 Josh Pniewski and James Madison's Rich Gebauer. Pniewski rolled to the 12-6 victory to stake Gardner-Webb to the early 3-0 advantage. Gardner-Webb's other nationally ranked grappler, No. 17 Daniel Elliott, then scored an 18-3 tech fall victory over Mitch Davey at 149 pounds to push the GWU lead to a five-point spread at 8-3. The lead grew to 11-3 as Adam Glaser secured Gardner-Webb's third victory in the opening four contests with a 6-2 decision at 157 pounds. After Mike Meagher scored a major decision for the Dukes at 165, Chad Davis earned a 5-1 decision at 174 to double up James Madison on the scoreboard, 14-7. JMU would narrow the gap with decisions in the 184, 285 and 125-pound bouts, but a Brent Blackwell major decision victory at 197 pounds gave Gardner-Webb all the points it would need to finish off the Dukes for an 18-17 road victory. Gardner-Webb improves to 2-5 in dual matches on the young season. The ‘Dogs will be right back on the mats on Friday night when they wrestle at VMI, starting at 7 pm.

Hey wrestling fans, this is Tim Winker chiming in from the Wisconsin-La Crosse team as I have been chosen as our next blogger. This is my third year here at UW-La Crosse. For most of my life, all I've known is sports, school, and farming. Having grown up on a family farm, I learned many useful traits, the most important of them being hard work. I'm very thankful for growing up in that environment as it has shaped the person that I am today. So perhaps it's pure coincidence that my coach asked me to write this the week after Thanksgiving when I recounted many of the things that I was thankful for. Of course, like most people, I am thankful for a loving family that is also able to help me through college. I am also very thankful for my health, which is nice to have in life, especially if you are going to be competing in collegiate athletics. Finally, I realize that I am thankful for one more thing that I had never thought of before … wrestling itself. Coming to La Crosse as a freshman was a very new experience for me. Being away from home, I seemed to have lost some of my hard-working mentality that I learned on the farm. For some reason, I thought that being a full-time student and wrestling would be too much for me, so I decided not to wrestle. However, by the end of my freshman year, I had lost my focus on what I was really in college for, and had started partying a little too much. Because of this, I decided that my sophomore year, I was going to wrestle to bring more structure back into my life. That summer, I got my first job off our family farm as a laborer pouring concrete. To my surprise, I had found a job that I loved and enjoyed going to every day. By the end of the summer, I was dreading going back to school because I was happy just being outside and working. However, my parents encouraged me to continue my education and at least give wrestling a shot. Having qualified for the state tournament three times in high school and placing twice, I thought that I would have no problem competing at the college level. Unfortunately, I had quite a rude awakening as I finished the season with a disappointing 8-12 record at 197 pounds. Throughout the year, I had lost several matches by only one or two points, which normally wouldn't bother me if I knew that my opponent was better than me. Unfortunately, this was not the case. I knew in my mind that I could have won every one of those close matches. I just had to figure out why I hadn't. I also gained something else from wrestling that year besides the experience. I found not only a group of great teammates, but also a group of great friends. I had never seen so many people from all different hometowns and childhoods that came together like a new family, helping me to not miss the one I left at home as much. Our coaches as well, like parents, were and still are sacrificing so much to help the team succeed. Because of this, I knew I wanted to stay in La Crosse to continue my education because of wrestling. Over the past summer, I spent a lot of time soul-searching and trying to figure out what was so different between high school and college wrestling. Over time, I think that I had realized part of the problem: attitude. In high school, I walked onto the mat knowing that I was going to win, and I didn't care who I was wrestling, how good he was, or how quick or strong that he was. However, in college, I found myself intimidating myself before my opponent even had the chance to. I had decided that this year I was going to go into my matches with the same attitude I had in high school. I was going to walk onto the mat not caring who I was wrestling. I would tell myself, "never back down, never quit." In my first tournament of the year, the Kaufman-Brand Open in Omaha, Nebraska, I went out onto the mat with this attitude in mind. This time, I was winning the close matches. I won my first match, but lost my second. This meant that I would have to win four straight matches to be able to place. I didn't worry about this, though. I just kept my nose to the grindstone and kept wrestling with passion. In the match that I lost, I also managed to re-enflame a small case of cauliflower ear so much I thought it was going to pop. It was very painful to even wear my headgear, much less wrestle with it, but I used this as fuel. Each match I walked onto the mat with the right attitude, and each match I found a way to win. In my fifth match, I also got a nasty cut on my head from being accidentally bitten. This wound caused me to have my head wrapped in such a way that I looked like I had been in a war or something. But I just kept on going, winning that match and the next one, guaranteeing my placing at the tournament. Unfortunately, I ran into two tough opponents to end the day, and I ended up placing sixth. I wrestled my last six matches in a matter of only four hours, finally finishing at 10:30 p.m. with a record of 5-3 on the day. It had been a long hard day, but I had proven to myself that I could compete at the college level if I had the right attitude. Sitting here writing this, I realize that I could be a long way from here. I could be finishing up the work season pouring concrete and farming in the cold, nasty weather. Gratefully, the encouragements of my parents, my desire to make something of myself, and wrestling itself have led me to stay in school. I am proud to be doing what I am doing and I am glad that I have these things in my life which I am truly thankful for. Thanks for reading. Tim Winker Past UW-La Crosse Entries: Entry 4 (11/16/05) Entry 3 (11/3/05) Entry 2 (10/19/05) Entry 1 (10/10/05)

ELMHURST, Ill. -- The Elmhurst College wrestling team, made an impressive statement in their first dual meet of the season, pounding conference rival and 24th-ranked Augustana College 39-3. Elmhurst, who entered the dual ranked 23rd in the latest Division III poll, won nine of the 10 matches, including the first five matches of the dual before Augustana got on the scoreboard. Tom Gagan (New Lennox-Lincoln Way Central) kicked off the dual by panning Augustana's Leo Byrd in 2:50 at 125 pounds. Gagan improved to 5-0 with the win, with all five of his victories coming by pin fall. Jeff Kastel (Hinsdale-Hinsdale Central) earned a forfeit at 133 pounds. Returning All-American David Silva (Lake In The Hills/Dundee-Crown) scored a 5-1 decision over Ryan McMurray at 141 pounds while Kenny Thomas (Richmond, Mich.-H.S.) pinned Larry Amedio in 3:41 at 149 pounds. The 157-pound match featured a pair of the top wrestlers in the nation. Elmhurst's Tyler Ludwig (Wheaton-North) entered the match ranked sixth while Augustana's Mike Kerr came in ranked seventh. Ludwig controlled the match, scoring a 13-1 major decision. Augustana scored its only points at 165 pounds when Brian Daly defeated Keith Witalka (Peru/LaSalle-Peru) 6-1. Josh Rupprecht (Pontiac-H.S.) scored an 11-0 major decision over Dan Krcmar at 174 pounds while Nick Mason (Harvard-H.S.) earned an 11-6 victory over Jason Kral at 184 pounds. Nick Metcalf (Villa Park-Willowbrook) defeated Mike Kerr 12-8 at 197 pounds and Ward Brady (Bartlett-Glenbard North) finished the dual with an 11-0 major victory over John Parkhurst at 285 pounds. The Bluejays will wrestle on Saturday, December 3, at the Wisconsin Open.

Las Vegas, Nev. -- Head Coach Brian Smith will take his No. 16 Missouri wrestling team to Las Vegas, Nev., Dec 2-3, to compete in the prestigious Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Billed as the "Elite Wrestling Kickoff," the two-day tournament features nearly 50 teams, nine of which are ranked in the top 25. The top 10 teams of the 2004 event are all among the field of competitors, with No. 3 Michigan looking to defend its 2004 title. Stepping into center circle during the two-day event will be nearly 500 wrestlers, 81 of which are ranked in the top 20 at their respective weight class. Three grapplers ranked No. 1 in the nation take to the mats, including Ben Askren (174), Shawn Bunch of Edinboro (133) and Eric Tannenbaum of Michigan (149). Looking to continue his success at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Askren, a junior, will defend his 2004 title when facing off against the toughest competition he has wrestled against to this point in the season. The 174-pound division includes eight wrestlers ranked in the top 20, Askren is one of two Missouri wrestlers still among the list of unbeaten grapplers, having compiled a 10-0 record to open the campaign. Along the way, Askren, one of three team captains, has pinned nine opponents and earned two tournament titles, the CMSU Open and the Missouri Open. Unbeaten Matt Pell, ranked No. 5 in the nation at 165 pounds, looks to improve on a 2004 outing in which he finished fifth at 184 pounds. Wrestling two weight classes lower as a junior, Pell enters the tournament as the top-ranked grappler in the 165-pound bracket. Several other Missouri wrestlers look to make an impact on the national stage, led by sophomore team captain Tyler McCormick at 133 pounds. McCormick enters the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational with a 3-1 record, his only loss coming in the championship bout of the Missouri Open, 9-4, to Bunch, the top wrestler in the nation at his weight class. Competing at 141 pounds, senior Chris McCormick finished seventh at the Invitational in 2004 and hopes to improve on that showing this weekend. Ranked No. 19 in the nation, McCormick has compiled a 13-1 record. Like every Tiger to shake hands in center circle this weekend, McCormick faces a tough bracket that features five grapplers among the top 20.

BLACKSBURG -- The Virginia Tech Athletics Department, along with head wrestling coach Tom Brands, announced Thursday the four signees who comprise the early 2006 signing class. Eric Decker, Matt Epperly, Billy Murphy and Jim Powers have signed National Letters of Intent to enroll and wrestle at Virginia Tech, beginning next year. Decker, Epperly and Murphy are all ranked in the Top 100 of the 2005-06 InterMat Preseason National Rankings. Murphy is the highest-ranked of the four, earning No. 6 overall national honors by InterMat. The Hughson, Calif., is the No. 2 130-pounder in the country and is projected as a 133-pounder in college. He was a 2005 California state champion and a 2005 NHSCA Junior National champion. He also won the 2004 Reno Tournament of Champions, placed third at the 2004 California state tournament and took runner-up honors at the 2004 Cadet Freestyle Nationals. Murphy also earned 2005 ASICS honorable mention All-America honors. He chose the Hokies over Iowa. Epperly provides some local flavor to the team as he is from nearby Christiansburg. He is ranked the No. 55 overall national prospect and the No. 7 160-pounder in the country by InterMat. He is projected as a 165- or 174-pounder in college. He enters his final year of high school wrestling as a three-time state AA champion. He took fifth place at the 2004 Beast of the East, second at the 2004 Powerade and third at the 2004 Ironman. He chose Tech over Old Dominion and Edinboro. Decker was the final wrestler to verbal to the Hokies, choosing Tech over Lehigh, Maryland and Virginia. The Bainbridge Guilford-Afton, N.Y., native is ranked the No. 99 overall prospect in the nation by InterMat and the No. 10 national prospect at 160 pounds. He is projected as a 165-pounder in college. He enters his final year of high school wrestling with a 190-14 record and won both the 2005 New York Division II state title and the 2005 NHSCA National Open. He is a two-time NYS Division II champion and a five-time Section Four champion. Decker also took fourth at the 2003 Cadet National Greco meet and sixth at the 2003 Cadet National Freestyle meet. Powers, from Ramsey, N.J., wrestles at national powerhouse Blair Academy. Blair is the same program that produced Tech two-time All-American Sean Gray. Powers was the national prep runner-up at heavyweight. He is a member of the New Jersey Freestyle/Greco Team and made it to the final 10 in both freestyle and Greco at the nationals in Fargo, N.D. Brands has indicated that he would like to sign additional wrestlers in the late signing period.

State College, Pa. -- The 2005 Nittany Lion Open Wrestling Tournament will feature live bracket updates available on Penn State's official athletics website, www.GoPSUsports.com. The updates will occur every 30 to 60 minutes and feature full and completely current brackets (in .pdf form) for each of the ten competing weight classes. Action begins in Rec Hall at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4. Six of head coach Troy Sunderland's Nittany Lion grapplers will be taking part, as attached wrestlers while over 20 will compete unattached. The tournament will run throughout the day with finals occurring at approximately 6 p.m. (but that time could vary). Tickets for the event will be available at the Rec Hall ticket windows prior to the event beginning Sunday morning. The Nittany Lion open is run and sponsored by the Penn State Wrestling Booster Club.

LEXINGTON, Va. -- The VMI wrestling team will kick off their home dual season Friday evening at 6:15 p.m., as they host Gardner-Webb at the Thunderdome at Cocke Hall on the VMI post in the first half of a VMI athletics doubleheader. At 8 p.m., the Keydet basketball team will play host to Virginia-Wise at Cameron Hall, providing an exciting evening of events on post. The Keydet wrestling team split a pair of dual matches last month versus ACC opponents, falling to last year's conference champions North Carolina before defeating Duke. Those matches were held Nov. 13 at the Mat Jam Duals event, hosted by Appalachian State and provided the team its first test of the season. Since then, some members of the team traveled to Philadelphia to compete at the Keystone Classic, where junior heavyweight Scott Buhman took home fourth place honors to lead the team. The Keydets return eight starters from last year's team, including junior standout Sam Alvarenga. In his two-plus years on post, Alvarenga has a 58-27 overall record and a 21-7 mark in duals while competing at 149 lbs. Alvarenga's match up Friday night should be a good one, as he is slated to wrestle GWU's Daniel Elliot, who is currently 9-1 this season going into Thursday night's match versus James Madison and is ranked 17th in the nation following his second place finish at the Carolina Open. Last year, Alvarenga defeated Elliott 12-9 when VMI won a 35-6 match at Gardner-Webb. The Keydets return junior David Metzler at 141 as well as sophomore Tommy Cunningham at 157. Metzler has a 46-29 overall record and a 14-9 dual record at the Institute. He is slated to face off against A.J. Renteria Friday night, who currently has a 5-5 record on the season. At 157, either Cunningham, who is 2-0 this season after a stellar freshman campaign, when he went 23-12, or senior Chris Hardy is expected to square off with GWU's Adam Glaser. In last year's match, Cunningham scored a major decision over Glaser in the night's first match. Another quality match is expected to come at heavyweight, where VMI junior Scott Buhman (4-3) will square off with Brandon Schweitzer (5-2). A trio of freshman will expect to be tested on Friday, as Brandon Stillo will get the nod at 133, Kyle Elgert is expected to go at 184 and Niels Madsen should go at 197. Stillo will match up against Josh Pniewski, who is currently ranked 18th in the nation at 133, while Elgert will look to improve on his 2-3 mark against Brandon Beach, who is currently 4-7. Madsen (0-4) is expected to match up against Brent Blackwell (2-7) at 197. The Keydets will host four dual matches this season, as three Southern Conference foes will provide the rest of the matchups in January and February. These matches will lead up to Mat Jam 2006, to be hosted at Cameron Hall on March 4, as both the ACC and SoCon will crown their champions under one roof.

Oklahoma State will open the home portion of its wrestling schedule when it hosts No. 10 Lehigh on Friday night at 7 p.m. inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. The Cowboys have never lost to the Mountain Hawks. OSU is 7-0 all-time versus Lehigh in a series that did not begin until 1985. Oklahoma State wrestled Lehigh twice last year winning 20-16 in the semifinals of the National Duals in Cleveland, Ohio, and OSU won 24-9 in a road dual in Bethlehem, Pa. The last meeting in Stillwater was during the 2003-04 season and OSU came away with a 25-12 victory. Scouting the Mountain Hawks Lehigh is led by-top-ranked Troy Letters at 165. The senior out of Shaler, Pa., is a three-time All-American. He is coming off of a third-place finish at the 2005 Championships and a national championship during the 2004 season. He has only lost four matches in his career and comes to Stillwater with a 97-4 career record. The Mountain Hawks have another returning All-American in Cory Cooperman. Cooperman defeated OSU's Daniel Frishkorn to take third-place at the 2005 NCAA Championships. The two-time All-American was high school teammates with Zack Esposito and Steve Mocco at the Blair Academy. Lehigh also boasts two past All-Americans in Derek Zinck and Travis Frick. Zinck finished eighth in 2003 and comes into this dual ranked No. 8 in the country, while Frick finished fourth in 2004 and in currently ranked sixth.

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Junior Tony Greathouse has earned Big Ten Wrestler of the Week accolades for his thrilling, come-from-behind upset victory against No. 8 Kevin Ward at the Spartans' dual meet with Oklahoma State Sunday, Nov. 27. The Mason, Mich., native trailed Ward in their 157-pound match 3-0 after two periods, but rallied back in the third, scoring two takedowns and two near-fall points in the final minute to claim the 6-4 decision. Greathouse is the second Spartan to earn the honor this season. Nick Simmons earned the honor on Nov. 9 for his performance at the Eastern Michigan Open. The win improved Greathouse's record to 5-2 on the season. He and the rest of the Spartan wrestling team continue their schedule this Sunday, Dec. 4, at the Nittany Lion Open at Penn State. Wrestling begins at 9 a.m. and continues all day.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- Lock Haven University grappler Obe Blanc (Naples, Fla./Lely) has been named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week for the week ending Nov. 27. This is the first honor for both Blanc and the wrestling squad. Blanc, a sophomore who competes for the Bald Eagles at 125 pounds, helped lead the Haven to a fourth place finish at the Mat-Town USA Tournament which was hosted by Lock Haven this past Saturday. After a first round fall and a 13-10 decision in the semi-finals, Blanc dropped his match in the final round to defending national champion and No. 3 Joe Dubuque from Indiana. Last season as a redshirt freshman Blanc placed third in the 2005 EWL Tournament and logged a record of 31-14. Blanc is aiming to win the EWL title and become an NCAA All-American in the 2006 NCAA event at Oklahoma City. Blanc was most recently named EWL Wrestler of the Week. Blanc and the rest of the Bald Eagle grapplers will hit the mat this Saturday, Dec. 3 against Millersville University. The event is slated to begin at 5 p.m. in the Thomas Field House.

Fullerton, Calif. -- Pins by Darrell Vasquez (133) and Arturo Basulto (Hvy.) and a major decision by David Roberts (141) gave Cal Poly the 27-14 Pac-10 Conference victory over Cal State Fullerton Wednesday night at Titan Gym. Basulto took down Fullerton sophomore Dan Ott 53 seconds into the first period to give the Mustangs a 14-8 lead after the fifth bout of the night. Vasques' pin also came in the first period against the Titans' T.J. Dillashaw at 2:41 into the match giving the Mustangs a 20-11 lead. Immediately following Basulto's pin, Roberts scored a major decision beating Fullerton's Teddy Astorga 19-9 in the 141 weight class. Wins by Fullerton's Risto Marttinen (165), Curtis Schurkamp (125), Sean Reilly (157) and Jesse Taylor (184) were not enough as the Titans fall to 0-3 on the season and 0-2 in the Pac-10 Conference. Cal Poly improves to 1-0, 1-0. Taylor's victory over Cal Poly's Chris Angle was the highlight of the evening for Fullerton fans, scoring numerous near take-downs over Angle en route to a 17-1 technical-fall victory in the second period. Fullerton returns to action Friday Dec. 2 when they will participate in the Las Vegas Invitaional.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 4 ranked Oklahoma wrestling team defeated the University of Central Oklahoma 32-6, Wednesday night, in Edmond. No. 1 ranked Teyon Ware was the lone Sooner to record a fall on the evening. Ware scored his fall against UCO's Kyle Evans, 2:44 into the first period, to improve his season record to 5-0. "This was a good outing for us tonight in the way we battled and fought the entire match, and Central Oklahoma came ready to wrestle tonight" said head coach Jack Spates. The Sooners also recorded five major decisions: Sam Hazewinkel (125), Matt Storniolo (149), Will Rowe (157), Justin Dyer (184) and Joel Flaggert (197). "Teyon, Hazewinkel and Will Rowe were outstanding tonight and really wrestled the way that we know they can," continued Spates. "This was a good test for us in our preperation to take on a very solid Lehigh squad. We know we have to step it up a notch this weekend but I think we are more than ready to do that." No. 6 ranked Jake Hager continued his domination early this season with a 3-1 decision over Josh LeadingFox of UCO. Hager pushed his undefeated season mark to 13-0 with tonight's victory. The Sooners will return home this weekend to take on Lehigh in the first home dual of the season on Saturday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m.inside the Howard McCasland Field House.

Coming Up This Week... After having the week of Thanksgiving off, the Wolverines will compete in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational on Friday and Saturday. The invitational will be the first tournament this year that the Wolverines will compete for an overall team score. The invitational will feature some of the top individual and team talent in the country, including #2 Illinois and #3 Michigan and several nationally ranked individual wrestlers. "This is one of the toughest tournaments in the country because of the size and the wide range of teams nationally," said Utah Valley State coach Cody Sanderson. "Because of the competition, we've got to get our guys in to compete and get a good look at NCAA wrestling around the country. I think we're ready for it." The weekend is a big one for 18th ranked Wolverine Erkin Tadzhimetov. The senior from Uzbekistan will compete against other ranked wrestlers at 133 lbs. and have the opportunity to make some more national noise, both for himself and for the Utah Valley State wrestling program. "In this tournament there are a lot of ranked guys in his weight class," said Sanderson. "It's a great chance for him to get in there and prove he can compete with the best in the country." Tadzhimetov was ranked last week in the first season rankings of the year by the NWCA and Intermat Wrestling. It's the second time during his career at Utah Valley that he has been ranked after reaching as high as #16 in the nation during the 2003-04 season. He is the only UV wrestler to be ranked nationally during the wrestling program's three-year history. Coming Up... The Wolverines will host their first home dual of the season next Saturday against Western State at 7:00pm in the Activity Center. Utah Valley State is 0-1 in duals this season, suffering a loss at Iowa State. Following the matchup with Western, the Wolverines will compete in the Reno Tournament Tournament of Champions on Sunday, December 18th.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern's wrestling team travels west to take on the No. 23 Northern Illinois Huskies at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1 in their first dual action of the season. The Wildcats have been idle since Nov. 13, when they participated in the 2005 Michigan State Open. In the tournament, Northwestern had three wrestlers earn titles in their respective weight classes, while placing eight overall. Ryan Lang (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Edward) went 4-0 at the open, beating Michigan State's 2005 All-American Andy Simmons, 6-5, in the title bout to take home the 141-pound crown. For his efforts in the tournament, Lang was named Michigan State Open Most Outstanding Wrestler, Big Ten Wrestler of the Week and Themat.com Wrestler of the Week. Sophomore Jake Herbert (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) also had a successful tournament. Herbert went 4-0 for the weekend by outscoring his opponents 36-7 and recording a first-round fall en route to the 174-pound title. Herbert, a 2005 All-American, was also invited to participate in the 2005 NWCA All-Star Classic, hosted by Oklahoma State on Nov. 21. Herbert won his match against Nebraska's No. 4 Jacob Klein, 8-5. This week, Northwestern looks to win its first dual competition of the season for the fourth-consecutive year. Last season, the 'Cats got wins from Lang, Herbert, Mike Tamillow (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick), Matt Delguyd (Mayfield Heights, Ohio/Mayfield) and John Velez (Kings Mills, Ohio/Kings) to top the then-No. 23 Huskies, 21-13. A win over a top-25 team in the first dual of the season gave Northwestern an early boost of confidence, and the 'Cats finished the season ranked 14th. This season, the 14th-ranked Wildcats enter as the favorite, bringing seven nationally ranked wrestlers--No. 6 Velez (125 lbs.), No. 9 Lang (141 lbs.), No. 2 Herbert (174 lbs.), No. 12 Tamillow (184 lbs.), No. 8 Delguyd (197 lbs.), No. 19 Will Durkee (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shady Side Academy) (165 lbs.) and No. 5 Dustin Fox (Galion, Ohio/Galion) (285 lbs.)--into the match. The toughest matches look to be at 149 lbs.--where No. 9 Lang faces No. 6 Mike Grimes--and 174 lbs.--where No. 2 Herbert faces No. 18 Danny Burke.

Jake RosholtDALLAS, Texas -- Jake Rosholt was named the Big 12 Wrestler of the Month for November as it was announced by the conference office today. Rosholt, a senior from Sandpoint, Idaho, posted a 4-0 record during November. The top-ranked wrestler at 197 wrestled his way to the finals of the Kaufman/Brand Open before defaulting in the championship match. Rosholt went on to defeat Oklahoma's second-ranked Joel Flaggert in the NWCA All-Star Classic. He finished the month with a victory over Michigan State's Jeff Clemens. Rosholt will wrestle Lehigh's Matt Cassidy when the Cowboys battle the Mountain Hawks inside Gallagher-Iba Arena on Friday night at 7 p.m.

LAS VEGAS -- Ten members of the Ohio wrestling team will compete in the 24th annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational this weekend. At the 51-team event, one Bobcat from each weight class will tangle with some of the top wrestlers in the country. Nationally ranked teams such as No. 2 Illinois, No. 3 Michigan, No. 8 Wisconsin, No. 11 Cornell, No. 15 Missouri, No. 18 Arizona State, No. 19 Hofstra, No. 22 Edinboro and No. 25 Penn will take part in the two-day tournament. Action begins Friday at 9 a.m., with weigh-ins starting at 7 a.m. in the Cashman Center. "This tournament allows us to wrestle against some people who we would never see otherwise," said Ohio head coach Joel Greenlee. "I think we really made some gains in the last week. I'm excited to see how our guys will do against national competition." Ohio will have its starter in all the weight divisions except two. True freshman Kent Smith will replace junior 165-pounder Vinny DiGiovanni, who is still recovering from a shoulder injury. At heavyweight, senior Dave Campbell will compete instead of junior Marcus Adelman, who injured his leg at the Northeast Duals last Saturday. America's Wrestling Radio will offer complete coverage, results and play-by-play of the event. Fans can tune in to the free broadcast at Takedownradio.com. Complete match-by-match results for each Bobcat wrestler will be posted on ohiobobcats.com as soon as they become available. Ohio's tentative lineup for this weekend: 125 - Caleb Metcalf 133 - Albert Madsen 141 - Frank Brown 149 - Aaron Gomoll 157 - Jake Frerichs 165 - Kent Smith 174 - Ryan Knapp 184 - Brian Cesear 197 - Nick Terbay HWT - Dave Campbell

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Arizona State University wrestling team, currently ranked No. 18 in the NWCA/USA Today National Rankings, heads to Las Vegas this weekend as it is set to compete in the 2005 Cliff Keen/Las Vegas Invitational Friday and Saturday at the Cashman Center. The Sun Devils, who are coming off a pair of dual meet losses to Top 8 foes (No. 5 Iowa, No. 8 Lehigh), stand 3-2 overall on the season and are 1-0 in Pac-10 duals. THE INVITED The 2005 Cliff Keen/Las Vegas Invitational will feature eight of the nation's Top 25 teams, including two Top 10 squads, as nearly 50 teams are set to compete this weekend at the Cashman Center. No. 3 Michigan and No. 9 Wisconsin lead the way as other ranked teams include No. 11 Cornell, No. 12 Nebraska, No. 15 Missouri, No. 18 Arizona State, No. 19 Hofstra and No. 22 Edinboro. Seven of the 10 teams that comprise the Pac-10 Conference also will be on hand, including ASU, Cal Poly, Boise State, CS Bakersfield, CS Fullerton, Oregon State and UC Davis (Stanford, Oregon and Portland State will not compete). TOUGH INDIVIDUALS Of the 200 wrestlers ranked in the Top 20 (according to the NWCA poll release Nov. 29), 86 are slated to compete this weekend at the Las Vegas Invitational, including 13 of the Top 20 wrestlers at 133 pounds. Two top-ranked wrestlers also are slated to compete, including No. 1 Shawn Bunch (133) of Edinboro and No. 1 Ben Askren (174) of Missouri. According to the same poll, five Sun Devils are among the highly ranked entrants with Cain Velasquez (4th at heavyweight) and Brian Stith (6th at 157) each coming in as the second-highest ranked wrestler in the meet. Jeremy Mendoza (14th at 125) is the third-highest and Patrick Pitsch (11th at 165) is the fourth-highest while Ryan Bader (14th at 197) is the sixth-highest. LOOKING BACK: VEGAS 2004 Last year in Las Vegas, the Sun Devils accumulated 103.5 points and finished fourth overall in the team standings while Michigan (148) won the meet with Nebraska (139.5) and Hofstra (108.5) rounding out the Top 3. Individually, seven Sun Devils placed among the Top 8 with both C.B. Dollaway (184) and Ryan Bader (197) finishing second in their respective weight classes. Cain Velasquez (285) was third, Brian Stith (157) was fifth, Patrick Williams (149) was sixth, Jeremy Mendoza (125) was seventh and Patrick Pitsch (165) was eighth. STRONG STARTS A pair of Sun Devils have opened the season with undefeated records while another is near perfect in 2005-06 following the team's dual with No. 5 Iowa last weekend. Cain Velasquez (285) stands 10-0 on the season while Jeremy Mendoza (125) holds a 7-0 mark against collegiate-eligible competition. Patrick Pitsch (165) is 9-1 with his lone loss coming at Lehigh. VELASQUEZ DOMINATING AGAIN Senior heavyweight Cain Velasquez has proved why he is a threat to win the NCAA title this season as he has opened his final collegiate campaign with a dominating 10-0 record. He has won five major decisions, one technical fall, two pin falls and one injury default. In his last two years, Velasquez has posted a combined record of 46-5 and has won 16 major decisions, five technical falls and five pin falls. All told, he has earned bonus points for the team 26-of-46 bouts over the last two seasons (56.5% of his bouts). TOUGH TIME For the second dual in a row, the Sun Devils took to the mats to face a Top 8 nationally ranked team and, unfortunately for ASU, dropped a dual decision, this time falling to No. 5 Iowa, 26-13. ASU, who also fell at No. 8 Lehigh, 29-7, will also face several other Top 25 teams this season, including No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 6 Minnesota, No. 7 Iowa State and No. 21 Cal Poly. Also, the Sun Devils have a chance to face other top ranked teams while competing in the NWCA National Duals. LIGHTING UP THE SCOREBOARD Of the 30 bouts contested at the Portland State Duals, 17 victories recorded by ASU wrestlers earned bonus points in the team race. Combined, the Sun Devils won five bouts by fall (six points), three by technical fall (five points), seven by major decision (four points) and two by injury default or forfeit (six points). Conversely, only two bouts were won in a dual with No. 8 Lehigh with one victory ending in a major decision for Cain Velasquez. THE FALL GUY Last year, Patrick Pitsch went 24-15 in his first season of action for the Sun Devils. In those 39 bouts, Pitsch did not pin an opponent. In his first match of the 2005-06 season, Pitsch collected his first pin as he defeated Marshall Cook with the fall at 5:42. His pin was one of five recorded by ASU wrestlers at the PSU Duals the first weekend of the season. LAS VEGAS HISTORY The Sun Devils will be making their 21st appearance in the Cliff Keen/Las Vegas Invitational this weekend and will be in search of their fourth team title. In all 20 appearances made so far, the Sun Devils lowest finish has been ninth (three times) while the team has finished in the Top 3 on nine occasions. The years of the titles won were 1992, 1989 and 1988. Over the past four tournaments, the Sun Devils have finished fourth on three occasions (2004, 2002, 2000). THE LINEUP Here are the Sun Devils that have entered into the 2005 Cliff Keen/Las Vegas Invitational this weekend at the Cashman Center: No. 13 Jeremy Mendoza (125), Adam Hickey (133), Jason Robbins (141), Pat Payne (149), No. 6 Brian Stith (157), No. 11 Patrick Pitsch (165), Jamie Robbins (174), Jason Trulson (184), No. 14 Ryan Bader (197) and No. 4 Cain Velasquez (285). CHANGES Of the 10 starters the Sun Devils will enter into the Cliff Keen/Las Vegas Invitational this weekend, only five return after competing in the meet one year ago. Those five returning wrestlers include Jeremy Mendoza (125), Brian Stith (157), Patrick Pitsch (165), Ryan Bader (197) and Cain Velasquez (285). HIGHLY TOUTED Several wrestling publications recently released their updated rankings with the Sun Devils earning placement in the Top 20 as both a team and individually. In the team rankings, Arizona State is No. 18 in the nation according to the NWCA and USA Today. In their individual rankings, five Sun Devils have earned rankings with Cain Velasquez (285) leading the way at No. 4. Also receiving rankings were No. 6 Brian Stith (157), No. 11 Patrick Pitsch (165), No. 13 Jeremy Mendoza (125) and No. 14 Ryan Bader (197). DEFENDING CHAMPS Arizona State won the 2005 Pac-10 Wrestling Championships to not only capture its second crown in three years, but also the 15th in the history of the program. Brian Stith (157) upset Matt Gentry of Stanford, the defending Pac-10 and NCAA champion, to win his weight class and earn Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships. Cain Velasquez (heavyweight) also secured a title, the first of his career, before being named as the Pac-10 Wrestler of the Year. C.B. Dollaway (184) and Ryan Bader (197) each advanced to the finals of their respective weight classes before placing second. At the conference level, seven Sun Devils are ranked in the Top 5 according to the preseason poll released by Stanford, the host of the 2006 event. Jeremy Mendoza (125), Stith, Bader and Velasquez are each ranked No. 1 while Patrick Pitsch (165) and Dollaway are both No. 2. John Espinoza (133) also is ranked, coming in at No. 4. RETURNING ALL-AMERICANS Arizona State has three All-Americans returning to its lineup this season, including a pair of first-time honorees from a year ago. Last year, Brian Stith earned his first national accolade by placing sixth at 157 pounds while Cain Velasquez took fifth in the heavyweight division to earn his first honor. Ryan Bader is the Sun Devils' third All-American returning after earning the acclaim in his sophomore campaign of 2003-04. AND THE AWARD GOES TO: Three members of the Sun Devils earned post-season awards from the Pac-10 last year, including two wrestlers and one coach. At the conference tournament, Brian Stith was voted by the league coaches as the Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships following his title at 157 pounds. After the completion of the NCAA Championships, another vote was taken by the conference coaches with Cain Velasquez (285) receiving Pac-10 Wrestler of the Year while Head Coach Thom Ortiz was chosen as the Pac-10 Coach of the Year for the second time in his four years at the helm of the ASU program. AT THE HELM Thom Ortiz returns for his fifth season as the head coach of the Sun Devils and has compiled a 46-28-1 overall record at Arizona State and stands 26-2-0 in Pac-10 duals. The 2003 and 2005 Pac-10 Coach of the Year will be assisted by Aaron Simpson and Eric Larkin. Simpson is starting his eighth season while Larkin is set to begin his second. All three members of the staff also wrestled for the Sun Devils at one time with Ortiz competing on the 1988 NCAA Championship team and Larkin winning the 2003 NCAA 149 championship. Combined, the trio won nine All-America honors and nine Pac-10 individual crowns. WELLS FARGO ARENA Wells Fargo Arena, which opened in 1974, is a 14,198-seat facility that plays host to Sun Devil wrestling and other ASU varsity teams, including men's and women's basketball, gymnastics and volleyball. In the time the wrestling program has called WFA home, the team has captured one national title, two runner-up finishes and 16 conference crowns, including 15 as members of the Pac-10. Individually, five Sun Devils earned national titles while 55 different athletes captured 103 conference crowns and 66 individuals combined to secure 94 All-America honors. LAST TIME OUT For the second week in a row, the Sun Devils found themselves on the mat with another Top 8 team, this time in the form of No. 5 Iowa, Saturday night inside Wells Fargo Arena. And, for the second time in a row, the Sun Devils came out on the low end of the team scoring, falling to the Hawkeyes, 26-13. Jeremy Mendoza (125), Patrick Pitsch (165), Ryan Bader (197) and Cain Velasquez (285) each secured victories on the day while Brian Stith (157) made his return to the starting lineup following off-season surgery and fell, 4-2, in a tough bout. NEXT TIME OUT Following a week off from competition and a week of finals, the Sun Devils will return to the state of Nevada, this time taking part in the Reno Tournament of Champions, slated for Dec. 18 in Reno, Nev. ASU does not compete in a dual meet until Jan. 4 when it travels to No. 6 Minnesota for a 7 p.m. dual with the Golden Gophers.

The #5/6 Golden Gopher wrestling team (4-0-0) continues its dual meet season on Friday night at Northern Iowa. The match at the West Gym will begin at 7 p.m. This will be the first dual meet for the Panthers. The Golden Gophers are 4-0 on the season after sweeping four matches at the Northeast Duals on Saturday in Albany, N.Y. Minnesota defeated Virginia Tech, 41-7, No. 25 Tennessee-Chattanooga, 36-6, No. 15 Central Michigan, 19-13, and American, 40-10. Overall, the Golden Gophers won 30 of the 40 individual matches. Three wrestlers finished unbeaten on the day. Third-ranked Mack Reiter (133), eighth-ranked C.P. Schlatter (157) and second-ranked Cole Konrad (HWT) all finished 4-0. Senior heavyweight Cole Konrad is 10-0 on the season and has won 39 of his last 40 matches dating back to last year. Konrad was defeated in the NCAA finals last March by Steve Mocco of Oklahoma State. Konrad avenged the loss last week with a 4-1 overtime decision at the NWCA/Marines All-Star Classic. The Golden Gophers' 4-0 start is its best since the 2001-02 squad finished a perfect 19-0-0. Last year's team got off to a 2-2 start. Minnesota's four-match winning streak is the longest since the Golden Gophers won its final five matches of the 2003-04 season (2/6-22). Minnesota eclipsed the 40-point mark in the 41-7 win against Virginia Tech on Saturday for the first time since Jan. 4, 2004, a span of 32 matches. On that day, the Golden Gophers defeated Portland State, 43-4, at the Sports Pavilion. Last year after four matches, the Golden Gophers were a combined 1-7 at 149 and 157 pounds. Minnesota had been outscored 34-3 at the two weights. This season, Dustin and C.P. Schlatter have combined to go 7-1 and outscore the opposition, 31-3. The Golden Gophers are 9-0-1 in their last 10 road openers. Minnesota's last loss in a season road opener came at Fresno State, 17-14, on Dec. 13, 1994. The Golden Gophers are ranked fifth in the nation by The Wrestling Mall and sixth by the NWCA. Three-time defending NCAA Champion Oklahoma State is ranked first, followed by Oklahoma and Michigan. Iowa is ranked fourth by The Wrestling Mall, while defending Big Ten Champion Illinois is sixth. In all, nine Big Ten teams are ranked in the top 25. Six of Minnesota's 10 wrestlers are currently ranked by The Wrestling Mall. Cole Konrad is ranked second in the nation at heavyweight, followed by No. 3 Mack Reiter (133), No. 4 Matt Nagel (165), No. 6 Roger Kish (184), No. 8 C.P. Schlatter (157) and No. 14 Gabriel Dretsch (174). True freshman Dustin Schlatter is expected to become the seventh wrestler to be ranked when the next ratings are released. Including all four major polls, nine of Minnesota's 10 wrestlers are ranked at least once (see page 3). Senior All-American Matt Nagel leads the Golden Gophers with six pins on the season. That already equals his entire total as a junior last season. Nagel entered the year with 14 career falls in his first three years. Mack Reiter, Dustin Schlatter and Cole Konrad rank second with four pins apiece.

The 2005-06 Iowa Conference dual campaign opens Thursday, Dec. 1, in Knights Gymnasium as Wartburg College hosts Loras College of Dubuque at 7 p.m. Wartburg also sends a contingent to the Simpson Storm Invitational Saturday, Dec. 3, with a 9 a.m. start at Cowles Fieldhouse in Indianola. The No. 3-ranked Knights bring a 96-dual win string against current IIAC competition into Thursday's meeting with the No. 7-ranked Duhawks, including a 38-7 decision at Loras Fieldhouse in the 2004 meeting. Wartburg hasn't dropped a league dual since the finale of the 1993-94 campaign against Buena Vista. * Knights rewind, notes: Thursday's dual is the first competition for the Orange and Black since the squad was split four ways for three opens and the Olivet (Mich.) Comet Duals Nov. 19. Wartburg suffered only 10 individual match losses on the day en route to four wins at the Comet Duals. The team rolled past Wabash (Ind.) 42-9, Mt. St. Joseph (Ohio) 37-12, Lycoming (Pa.) 29-12 and Ohio Northern 29-12. Lycoming came into the tournament with a No. 12 national ranking, while Ohio Northern was No. 29. The lower weights proved strong for head coach Jim Miller's squad. Senior Bob Kuennen of Fort Atkinson (149 pounds), freshman Zach McKray of Iowa City (133 pounds) and sophomore Willie Harris of Creston (141 pounds) each picked up four wins. Freshman Dan Schulte of La Crescent, Minn., and junior T.J. Miller of Cedar Falls, wrestling at 174 and 197, also went 4-0. The Knights were also successful at the three open meets. Freshman Ben McCorriston of Antioch, Cal., took a home a title in the Silver Division at 125 pounds at the Augsburg College Auggie Brute-Adidas Open, while senior Dustin Bliven of Columbus Junction and freshman Heath Sheeder of Guthrie Center shared the 165-pound title at the Coe College Thanksgiving Open. Junior heavyweight Blake Gillis of Spencer and senior 141-pounder Dustin Hinschberger of Belle Plaine highlighted the efforts at University of Nebraska-Omaha's Kauffman-Brand Open. Gillis placed third in the multi-divisional field, defeating two-time NCAA Division III national champion Ryan Allen of UW-La Crosse for the second straight weekend, while Hinschberger ended fourth, upsetting Oklahoma State's Daniel Frishkorn, ranked fourth individually in NCAA Division I, in the wrestleback, and battling No. 18-ranked Josh Wooton of Northern Illinois to a 6-2 final in the consolation final. * Gillis earned IIAC overall and wrestler of the week honors after his third-place finish at the Kauffman-Brand Open…Hinschberger became the newest member of the school's 100-win club after placing second at the Harold Nichols Open Nov. 12. He and Gillis are tied for the team win lead with eight each, and Hinschberger hasn't suffered a loss to a Division III wrestler since his sophomore campaign…McKray and Schulte are second on the win ladder, sporting 7-0 records, while four Knights, senior 125-pounder Paul Reedy of Emmetsburg, senior 141-pounder Willie Harris of Creston, sophomore 149-pounder Jake Naig of Emmetsburg and senior 184-pounder Akeem Carter of Waterloo, have six victories. Opponent outlook – Thursday's dual is the first for head coach Randy Steward's Duhawks. Loras garnered three top three efforts at Augsburg in their most recent action as No. 1-ranked 125-pounder Terry Morgan was an individual champion, while 157-pounder Brad Bishop, ranked No. 8, and 184-pounder Mitch Hager, ranked No. 7, each took second. Loras has four wrestlers, including Morgan, Bishop and Hager, ranked in the National Wrestling Coaches Association/Brute-Adidas Division III Nov. 15 poll. 174-pounder Ryan Hagerty is the other one with a No. 4 ranking. Next up – Wartburg hosts the 33rd annual Dick Walker Invitational Saturday, Dec. 10.

State College, Pa. -- The No. 12 Penn State Nittany Lions (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten) will take part in the 2005 Nittany Lion Open on Sunday, Dec. 4, beginning at 8:30 a.m. The action runs throughout most of Sunday. WBLF radio will broadcast the finals of the prestigious tournament. Head coach Troy Sunderland will send six attached wrestlers into action and over 20 unattached grapplers as well. Penn State is coming off a near-upset of No. 3 Michigan on Saturday. The Lions roared out to a 12-3 lead in front of a season high 2,364 fans in an electric Rec Hall, but fell victim to Michigan's string of four ranked wrestlers down the stretch as the Wolverines fought off the upset bid and escaped with a hard-fought 23-15 win. Michigan won six of the four bouts and collected five bonus points off a pin and two majors. Penn State got three bonus points off a pin. Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) won at 197, Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) won at 125, Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) got a pin at 133 and James Yonushonis (Philipsburg, Pa.) got his third straight win over a ranked opponent. Yonushonis and Davis lead Penn State with 5-0 marks while Strayer remains undefeated at 4-0. All three of those Nittany Lions have posted their undefeated seasons in dual matches. Haas is undefeated at 6-0, with five of those wins coming in his title run at the East Stroudsburg Open. Six Nittany Lions will be wrestling attached, including Brad Pataky at 125, Bryan Heller at 133, Mark Friend at 157, Philip Bomberger and Brian Cantalupi at 165 and Aaron Anspach at HWT. Over 20 other Nittany Lions will be wrestling unattached at the event. Penn State will return to action on Friday, Dec. 9, with a dual at Navy and Saturday, Dec. 10, at Penn. The Nittany Lions next home dual is set for Jan. 8 vs. Cornell. 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. WRESTLING ATTACHED FOR PENN STATE... Wt. Name Yr. Hometown 2005-06 Rec. 125 Brad Pataky Fr. Clearfield, Pa./Clearfield 2-2 133 Bryan Heller So. Fair Haven, N.J./Rumson-Fair Haven 8-1 157 Mark Friend Fr. Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville 0-1 165 Philip Bomberger Fr. Port Royal, Pa./Juniata 0-2 165 Brian Cantalupi Jr. Carlisle, Pa./Carlisle 6-3 HWT Aaron Ansapch Jr. Columbia, Pa./Columbia 4-4 WRESTLING UNATTACHED FOR PENN STATE... Over 20 Nittany Lions will take part in the event unattached HEAD COACH TROY SUNDERLAND Troy Sunderland (Penn State, '93) is in his 8th year at the helm of the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling program. Sunderland has coached two NCAA Champions, 15 All-Americans as a head coach (23 overall) and five Big Ten Champions. He was also the 2003 Big Ten Coach of the Year. Sunderland is 69-66 overall. As a wrestler at Penn State from 1988-93, Sunderland was a three-time All-American and a two-time NCAA Runner-Up. He earned both EWL and Big Ten Individual Championships during his days as a student-athlete and was a University and Espoir National Champion. Sunderland's accolades are as follows: EWL Champ at 150 (1992); Big Ten Champion at 150 (1993); NCAA Runner-Up at 150 (1992 and 1993) and 4th at 150 (1991); Career NCAA Tournament record of 13-4; Three-time All-American (1991, 1992 and 1993); 100 career victories (100-13-3 overall record). THE TROY SUNDERLAND SHOW The Troy Sunderland Show will debut on Wednesday, Nov. 2, on WBLF Radio (970 AM). Co-hosted by Jeff Byers, voice of Penn State wrestling, and Troy Sunderland, head wrestling coach, the thirty-minute call in show airs form 7 to 7:30 p.m. nearly every Wednesday night throughout the season. The show, which will feature in-depth interviews with Coach Sunderland and other guests throughout the season, will give Nittany Lion wrestling fans a chance to call in and ask the coach questions. Fans wishing to take part simply call 814-272-9700. "This show gives fans a chance to get some insight into our team's development throughout the year," Sunderland said. "I'm very pleased that we have the chance to give our fans something on a weekly basis that they can look forward to and get excited about." The weekly show will also be streamed live on www.GoPSUsports.com, the official website of Penn State Athletics. BROADCAST INFO (RADIO AND/OR TV) Local radio station WBLF 970 AM will broadcast the entire season of Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling. Continuing a long-standing tradition of full season coverage, each of Penn State's dual matches and four major tournaments will be carried by the station. Jeff Byers, long-time voice of Nittany Lion wrestling, will be at each event to call the action. In addition to the full schedule of duals, WBLF will air the finals of the Nittany Lion Open, the Reno Tournament of Champions on Dec. 18, the Big Ten Championships on March 4-5 and the NCAA Championships on March 16-18. Nittany Lion wrestling fans have been treated to a full season of radio coverage for over 25 years. WBLF is owned by Magnum Broadcasting, which owns and operates four stations locally, including WPHB 1260 AM in Philipsburg. WPHB will also carry select wrestling events. The television schedule is still being finalized. SINGLE MATCH TICKETS AVAILABLE Single match tickets are still available for Penn State's three remaining home duals against Cornell on Sunday, Jan. 8, at 1 p.m.; Michigan State on Friday, Jan. 27, at 7;30 p.m.; and Minnesota on Sunday, Jan. 29, at 1 p.m. Tickets can only be purchased at the door for the Nittany Lion Open on Dec. 4. Fans can purchase tickets 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. YONUSHONIS MAKES IT THREE STRAIGHT VS. RANKED OPPONENTS Junior 174-pounder James Yonushonis downed No. 11 Nick Roy of Michigan, 3-1 (sv), in Penn State's dual vs. Michigan on 11/26, posting his third straight win vs. a ranked foe. Yonushonis beat No. 10 Kelly Flaherty of Wisconsin, 5-3, on 11/20 and No. 7 Travis Frick of Lehigh, 6-4 (sv), on 11/13. HAAS MAKES '05-06 DUAL DEBUT WITH WIN Sophomore Tim Haas made his 2005-06 dual match debut with a 6-4 win over Michigan's Jim Shutich on 11/26. Prior to that, Haas reeled off five wins to claim the 125 pound at the East Stroudsburg Open on 11/19. STRAYER GETS FIRST CAREER FALL Freshman 133-pounder Jake Strayer got his first career fall with a pin of Michigan's Brandon Elliott at the 5:34 mark. The pin was Strayer's fourth straight to begin the 2005-06 season. HART AND THREE OTHER FORMER LIONS IN 2006 CLASS OF PWCA HALL OF FAME Penn State assistant wrestling coach Dave Hart, a former All-American and Academic All-American for Penn State, as well as former Nittany Lion wrestlers Sean Finkbeiner and Steve Sefter, will be inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2006. The induction ceremonies will be held in conjunction with the PIAA State Wrestling Championships, to be held at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa., on March 9-11, 2006. The ceremonies will precede the championship finals on March 11 (further details will be announced at a later date). Hart is an '88 graduate of Juniata High School and a '93 Penn State grad. As a Nittany Lion, he won the 1992 Eastern Wrestling League Title and the 1993 Big Ten title at 167. He was a two-time All-American (placing third in 1993 and fourth in 1992) and team captain in 1993. During his Nittany Lion career, he collected an 89-17 record and was a three-time Academic All-American. Penn State won two NWCA Dual Meet National titles during his wrestling days and placed third and fourth at the NCAA Championships. He is now in his eighth year as an assistant coach at Penn State. Finkbeiner is an '84 graduate of Northampton High School and an '88 Penn State grad. As a Nittany Lion, he earned four letters and was the EWL Champion at 150 in 1987. Finkbeiner earned All-America laurels that year, placing sixth at 150. Sefter is a 1980 graduate of Cedar Cliff High School and an '84 Penn State graduate. Sefter was a four-year letterman at Penn State, earning letters in 1981, 82, 84 and 85. Sefter was a two-time EWL champion at HWT, claiming the titles in 1981 and 1982. He was a two-time All-American, finishing sixth in 1981 and fourth in 1985. PENN STATE MAINTAINS TOP TEN SPOT IN 11/29 W.I.N. RANKINGS The Penn State Nittany Lions are ranked No. 10 in the most recent issue (11/29) of W.I.N.'s NCAA wrestling rankings. The Nittany Lions stayed at No. 10 after battling Michigan (W.I.N.'s No. 5 team) tough in a 23-15 loss. Individually, eight Lions are ranked in the top 20 at their respective weight classes. Freshman Jake Strayer stayed at No. 14 at 133, Senior DeWitt Driscoll fell to No. 12 at 141, James Woodall moved up to No. 11 at 149, Nathan Galloway dropped to No. 19 at 157, 174-pounder James Yonushonis (unranked at the beginning of the year) moved into the top ten with a No. 9 ranking at 174, Eric Bradley maintained his No. 1 perch at 184, sophomore All-American Phil Davis remained at No. 5 at 197 and Joel Edwards maintained his No. 11 ranking at HWT. LIONS SPLIT BOUTS WITH BADGERS BUT BONUS POINTS GIVE UW UPSET The Penn State Nittany Lions, ranked No. 12 heading into its match with No. 15 Wisconsin, won the first three bouts of the Big Ten dual to bolt out to a 9-0 lead. Wisconsin answered with a pin and a major to take a 10-9 lead and post the bonus points that would ultimately decide the match. Penn State won five bouts as did Wisconsin, but the four points won in those two bouts were the difference in the dual as Wisconsin upset Penn State 19-15. HAAS WINS TITLE AT EAST STROUDSBURG OPEN AS FOUR LIONS PLACE Sophomore 125-pounder Tim Haas went 5-0 to claim the 125-pound title at the East Stroudsburg Open in action that went late into Saturday night. Haas was one of five attached Penn State wrestlers at the event, four of whom earned spots in the top eight. Haas claimed the title with an impressive 5-2 win over Jeffrey Sato of Columbia and now sports a perfect 5-0 mark on the year. Sophomore Bryan Heller won his first bout at 133, dropped his second, but reeled off six straight wins in the consolation bracket to place third. Heller is now 8-1. Junior Brian Cantalupi placed seventh at 165, going 5-2 on the day. Cantalupi improved to 6-3 on the year. Junior Aaron Anspach finished sixth at HWT, going 4-3. On route to his sixth place finish, Anspach downed Harvard's Bode Ogunwole, 3-2 TB, who entered the tournament ranked No. 12 in the nation. True freshman Jason Lapham was the other attached Lion grappler at the event, going 1-2 at 149. ROHAN MURPHY QUALIFIES FOR WORLD PARALYMPIC POWERLIFTING CHAMPIONSHIPS Penn State Nittany Lion wrestler Rohan Murphy (Long Island, N.Y.) has qualified for the fourth International Powerlifting Paralympic Championships in Buran, Korea. The 11-day event takes place April 1-12, 2006. Murphy, a bilateral amputee who is a member of the Nittany Lion wrestling team and head coach Troy Sunderland, posted a lift of 285-pounds, which sets a national record at 125-pounds for paralympians. The competition in Korea is the last international competition before the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. Murphy is coming off a 1-2 weekend, wrestling unattached at the East Stroudsburg Open. The junior 125-pounder grabbed his first win of the season, posting an impressive 19-4 technical fall over an unattached grappler from Lehigh. DAVIS NAMED BIG TEN WRESTLER OF THE WEEK Penn State Nittany Lion wrestler Phil Davis has been named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week (11/13/05). The sophomore 197-pounder shares the honor with Northwestern 141-pounder Ryan Lang. Davis, a returning All-American, was a perfect 3-0 last Sunday, recording falls in each of his matches to help lead Penn State to the title at the 2005 Pennsylvania State Dual Championships. His pin of Lehigh's Paul Weibel in 3:30 to spark a Penn State rally and help the Lions to an 18-17 win over the No. 8 Mountain Hawks. The Harrisburg native was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler and won the Most Pins in the Fastest Time Award, getting three in 13:35. PENN STATE CLAIMS PA. STATE DUALS CROWN Trailing by eight with just two bouts left, Penn State thrilled the nearly 2,000 fans in Rec Hall to come from behind and defeat No. 8 Lehigh 18-17, grabbing the title in the second annual Pennsylvania State Dual Championships. Sophomore Phil Davis got a pin at 197 at the 3:20 mark to turn a 17-9 Lehigh lead into a two-point deficit for the Nittany Lions. Senior Joel Edwards followed that up with a thrilling 8-7 win at HWT to complete the comeback and give the Lions the crown, avenging a team loss in the event's finals last year. Edwards scored a takedown with :20 remaining to tie his bout at 7-7 and posted a plus-2:00 riding time edge to get the RT point and the victory. Penn State got to the finals by defeated Pitt-Johnstown 31-10 in the opening round and York 47-3 in the semifinals. Both Davis and Edwards went 3-0 in the tournament as did 174-pounder James Yonushonis. Complete team scores are as follows -- Opening Round: PENN STATE 31, Pitt-Johnstown 10; York 25, Clarion 15; Lehigh 50, Williamson 6; Lock Haven 25, Mercyhurst 17. Semifinals: PENN STATE 47, York 3; Lehigh 32, Lock Haven 3. CONSO SEMIS: Mercyhurst 48, Williamson 3; UPJ 26, Clarion 12. FINALS: PENN STATE 18, Lehigh 17; 3rd Place: Lock Haven 28, York 11; 5th Place: UPJ 30, Mercyhurst 7; 7th Place: Clarion 49, Williamson 0. DAVIS PINS THREE AT DUALS; GETS O.W. Sophomore All-American Phil Davis pinned his first three opponents of the year, going a perfect three for three in pins during the Pa. State Dual Championships on Nov. 13. Davis pinned his three foes in 13:35 to earn the Most Pins in Shortest Time Award. He was also named the event's Most Outstanding Wrestler. YONUSHONIS PERFECT IN PA. DUALS With a number of Lions seeing action in the Pennsylvania State Dual Championships on Nov. 13 and many going 2-0, only three went 3-0 in the event. Senior HWT Joel Edwards and sophomore Phil Davis turned the trick as did junior 174-pounder James Yonushonis. Yonushonis posted a big win over No. 7 Travis Frick of Lehigh in the tournament's title match, grabbing a 6-4 sudden victory decision. EDWARDS 3-0 IN PA. DUALS; CLINCHES TITLE Senior Joel Edwards posted an exciting 8-7 win over Lehigh's Tom Curl in the tournament championship deciding bout. With Penn State trailing 17-15, Edwards erased an early 5-0 deficit to post the win and give the Nittany Lions an 18-17 victory over No. 8 Lehigh and the 2005 Pa. Duals crown. Edwards scored a takedown with :20 left and got the win with a plus-2:00 riding time advantage. NITTANY LIONS SIGN THREE OF NATION'S TOP 15 RECRUITS TO NLI'S Penn State Nittany Lion head wrestling coach Troy Sunderland and his outstanding staff are seeing the fruits of their recruiting labors pay off as a trio of the nation's best high school wrestlers have signed National Letters of Intent to attend Penn State on day one of the signing period. Alphabetically, high school standouts Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio), Josh Rohler (Akron, Ohio) and Garrett Scott (Alexandria, Pa.) will attend Penn State in 2006-07 as members of one of the nation's top recruiting classes. "We are extremely pleased to get commitments from wrestlers and young men of this caliber," Sunderland said. "All three are ranked number one in their weights in at least one poll, so getting wrestlers ranked that high across the board adds to the credibility of this class being considered one of the best incoming classes in the nation." Rella, who projects at 165 for Penn State, is the defending Ohio State Champion heading into his senior season at Walsh Jesuit High School in Cleveland, Ohio. The 2005 Junior National Freestyle runner-up, he was a Junior National All-American. Rella was also runner-up at the FILA Junior National Freestyle Championships and is a two-time Powerade Champion and an Ironman Champion. Rohler, who projects at 157 at Penn State, is heading into his senior season at St. Vincent/St. Mary High School. The 2005 Ohio Division II third place finisher also placed third in the 2005 Beast of the East Championships. Rohler was the 2004 Ironman runner-up and an Ohio State runner-up in 2004. Rohler also is a two-time Cadet National All-American. Scott, who projects at 141 or 149 for the Nittany Lions, is a three-time defending Pennsylvania AA State Champion at Juniata Valley High School. He heads into his final season at JVHS looking to join an elite group of four-time champs. Scott was the 2005 FILA Junior National Freestyle eighth-place finisher and the 2004 Cadet National Greco runner-up. He won the Cadet Freestyle National title in 2002 and 2003 and was National Greco runner-up both those years as well. Penn State's incoming recruiting class, which is considered among the best in the nation by nearly every wrestling publication and outlet, follows closely on the heals of last year's 12-man recruiting class, which was ranked No. 5 by Intermat. Intermat is the official website and media outlet of the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA). NITTANY LIONS FACING ONE OF NATION'S TOUGHEST SCHEDULES The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 12 in the initial USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll, will face one of the nation's toughest schedules in 2005-06 as 11 of the Lions' 17 dual matches will be against teams ranked in the poll's top 25. The Nittany Lions are now 1-2 vs. ranked teams this year. Penn State downed No. 8 Lehigh 18-17 on Sunday, Nov. 13, but were upset, 19-15, by No. 15 Wisconsin on Nov. 20. Penn State lost to No. 3 Michigan, 23-15, on Nov. 26. Penn State will visit No. 25 Penn on December 10 before a trip to the Reno Tournament of Champions on December 18.The Lions will visit No. 8 Lehigh on Friday, Jan. 6 and then quickly turn around to host No. 9 Cornell on Sunday, Jan. 8. Four other Big Ten schools and a Big 12 powerhouse will also face off against Penn State. The Nittany Lions host No. 19 Michigan State on Friday, Jan. 27, and No. 6 Minnesota on Sunday, Jan. 29. Penn State then faces its toughest road stretch of the season, visiting No. 5 Iowa on Feb. 3, No. 7 Iowa State on Feb. 5, and No. 16 Indiana on Feb. 10. PENN STATE RANKED NO. 12 IN USA TODAY/NWCA PRE-SEASON POLL The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team will enter the 2005-06 season with a No. 12 national ranking in the USA Today/NWCA Pre-Season Ranking. The poll, voted on by the nation's wrestling coaches and maintained by Intermat, the NWCA's official website, also includes six Nittany Lions in the individual rankings Senior Eric Bradley made it a perfect four-for-four with his No. 1 ranking at 184. Bradley has been ranked No. 1 in each of the previous national polls to come out this fall. Sophomore Philip Davis comes in ranked No. 6 after finishing seventh at nationals in 2005 as a freshman. Senior James Woodall is ranked No. 14 at 149. The 2004 national qualifier is coming off a medical red-shirt year. Senior Joel Edwards is ranked No. 19 at Heavyweight. Junior Nathan Galloway is No. 10 at 157 and senior DeWitt Driscoll is No. 16 at 141. Oklahoma State carries the No. 1 team ranking and all 12 first place votes as it returns eight qualifiers from the national title squad last year. The Big Ten is well represented in the team rankings with nine teams in the top 25: Michigan (3), Illinois (4), Iowa (5), Minnesota (6), Northwestern (11), Penn State (12), Wisconsin (15), Indiana (16) and Michigan State (19) are all included in the poll. PENN STATE RANKED IN AWN'S PRE-SEASON TOURNAMENT RANKINGS The Penn State Nittany Lions are ranked No. 13 in Amateur Wrestling News' 2005 Pre-Season Top 20. The Nittany Lions are one of eight Big Ten teams ranked in the top 15 and one of nine in the top 20. Oklahoma State is No. 1 in the poll. Five Penn Staters earned pre-season individual rankings, led by Eric Bradley's No. 1 ranking at 184. The senior All-American is the top returning place-winner from the 2005 Championships. Sophomore Phil Davis is ranked No. 5 at 197 after earning All-American laurels as a freshman last year. Senior Joel Edwards is No. 11 at HWT, junior Nathan Galloway is No. 12 at 157 and sophomore Bryan Heller is No. 15 at 133. PENN STATE ALL-TIME VS. RANKED OPPONENTS If the first few pre-season rankings released are any indication, Penn State will once again face one of the nation's toughest dual match schedules this year. With nearly all the Big Ten teams being ranked and a tough non-conference schedule, the Nittany Lions will once again square off against the nation's best. The Nittany Lions are 1-2 vs. ranked teams this season. Penn State went 7-8 vs. ranked team's last year and 4-7 against ranked foes in 2002-03. Penn State is 37-62 under Head Coach Troy Sunderland against ranked teams, 5-39 against the Top 10 and 2-24 against the top five. WRESTLING ATTENDANCE CONTINUES TO SHINE ON A NATIONAL LEVEL Last season, Penn State wrestling drew an average of 2,209 fans per contest, which was fourth in the entire nation and second in the Big Ten. Iowa (5,073), Oklahoma State (4,542) and Lehigh (2,488) were the only teams that drew more fans per match than Penn State. This year, Penn State had over 1,500 fans for Wrestle-Offs, the most in recent memory. While that figure does not count towards the total, Nov. 13's 1,802 was a solid start to the 2005-06 season. The Lions drew 1,752 for a Sunday afternoon dual with Wisconsin on Nov. 20. A season-to-date-best of 2,364 packed Rec Hall for its dual with No. 3 Michigan on Nov. 26. Please join us in thanking these companies and organizations for helping to make your GoPSUsports Web site Possible. Pepsi Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board VisitPA.com Spirit Ready Penn State Alumni Association PA Pork Council Merrill Lynch Hersheys Infield MFG Aeropostale Rockvale Outlets

Pembroke, NC -- UNC Pembroke's men's wrestling team handed Limestone a 39-3 loss on Tuesday night at the Timken Center. The Braves had nine straight wins to score 39 team points. UNC Pembroke is ranked No. 19 in the NCAA Division II Coaches Association poll released on November 2. Saint freshman heavyweight Trey Moss recorded Limestone's lone win of the evening with a 3-2 decision over the Braves' James Dingle. This was also the first victory of the season for Moss. Limestone falls to 1-2 for the season while UNC Pembroke climbs to 2-1. The Saints travel to Anderson, S.C., to face Anderson and West Liberty, who travels to UNC Pembroke for a match on Friday, December 2 at 6:30 pm, on Saturday, December 3 at 11 a.m. UNCP 39, Limestone 3 125: Kevin Jones (UNCP) def. Cody Atkins (LC), 7-1 133: Devon Daniels (UNCP) def. Matt Ross (LC), 12-2 (maj. dec.) 141: Adam Dedmon (UNCP) def. Robbie Miskelly (LC), 8-7 149: Eddo Hojilla (UNCP) def. Joe Federspiel (LC), 8-1 157: Brandon Wallace (UNCP) fall Greg Satterfield (LC), 4:33 165: Cedric Turner (UNCP) fall Brandon Boggan (LC), 6:05 174: JJ Davis (UNCP) fall Dominic Moore (LC), 4:48 184: Derek Garris (UNCP) def. Miles Corey (LC), 9-12 (maj. dec.) 197: Mike Hall (UNCP) def. Corey Walsh (LC), 9-02 (maj. dec.) 285: Trey Moss (LC) def. James Dingles (UNCP), 3-2