InterMat Staff

State College, Pa. -- The No. 12 Penn State Nittany Lions posted a thrilling 18-17 come from behind win over No. 8 Lehigh in front of over 1,800 fans in a raucous Rec Hall today. Trailing 17-9 with just two bouts left, Penn State got a pin and tight decision to grab the victory. Lock Haven finished third in the event while York College placed fourth. Penn State opened the tourney with an impressive 31-10 win over Pitt-Johnstown, the nation's third ranked DII team. Senior James Woodall (St. Dupont, Pa.) and sophomore Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) both garnered pins in the UPJ win, Teammates Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa. ) and DeWitt Driscoll (Connellsville, Pa.) opened the dual with decisions to put the Nittany Lion up 9-o before Woodall posted his pin. Nathan Galloway (State College, Pa.) posted a major decision at 157 and James Yonushonis (Philipsburg, Pa.) won at 174 before Davis got his fall. Senior heavyweight Joel Edwards (Upper Darby, Pa.) grabbed a 3-2 win to close out the dual. Head coach Troy Sunderland held out No. 1-ranked Eric Bradley (Plaistow, N.H.) at 184 to further recovery from an injury in preparation for next weekend's Big Ten opener vs. Wisconsin. The first win in round one was posted by No. 8 Lehigh, which claimed a 50-6 victory over NJCAA entrant Williams Trade. The Mountain Hawks notched five pins and a technical fall in the dual. Lock Haven notched a 25-17 win over Mercyhurst in its first round bout. Division III York College pulled off the first round's upset with a 25-15 win over Clarion. In Penn State's seminal dual vs. York College, Pataky at 125 and Bryan Heller (Fair Haven, N.J.) at 133 got the Nittany Lions off to a solid start in their 47-3 win, posting a technical fall and a major decision for an early 9-0 team lead. Driscoll followed with a pin at 141 and the Lions had a solid 15-0 lead. Jason Lapham (West Chazy, N.Y.) got a shot at 149 for Penn State and got a win before Galloway got a quick pin (at 1:03) at 157 to put Penn State up 24-0. Brian Cantalupi (Carlisle, Pa.) got a technical fall at 165 followed by a Yonushonis fall at 174, giving Penn State a 35-0 lead. Davis got his second pin in as many outings at 197 and Edwards got a pin at HWT to post the final score. Lehigh downed Lock Haven in the other semifinal match, setting up a finals showdown with the Nittany Lions. Lock Haven won the first match, with Obe Blanc grabbing a win at 125. But the Mountain Hawks reeled off nine straight wins to post an impressive 32-3 win. Mercyhurst downed Williamson 48-3 in one consolation semifinal, earning a chance to wrestle for fifth place. Pitt-Johnstown downed Clarion 26-12 in the other consolation semifinal, setting up a fifth place bout between two of the top Division II teams in the country (Mercyhurst is No. 15, UPJ is No. 3). The much-anticipated championship match between No. 12 Penn State and No. 8 Lehigh began with a spirited 125-bout featuring two true-freshmen. Lehigh's Matt Fisk edging Pataky 13-9 to give the Mountain Hawks and early 3-0 lead. Penn State's Strayer, a red-shirt freshman, downed Lehigh's John Stout at 15-12 at 133 to knot the score at 3-3. Lehigh's Cory Cooperman posted an impressive 9-1 major decision over PSU's Driscoll at 141. Cooperman got a fall as time expired, plus a riding time bonus, for the eight-point advantage. The win gave Lehigh a 7-3 lead three bouts into the match. At 149, Woodall dominated Lehigh's Matt Ciasulli 10-4 to pull Penn State to within one, 7-6. State College native Galloway dropped a heart-breaking 2-1 double-overtime decision to Lehigh's Derek Zinck at 157, giving Lehigh a 10-6 lead at the halfway point. The Mountain Hawks extended their lead to 14-6 when Troy Letters posted a 10-1 major over Penn State's Cantalupi at 165. The crowd was energized at 174 when Nittany Lion Yonushonis claimed a 6-4 sudden victory over Lehigh's Travis Frick, pulling Penn State to within five, 14-9, with three bouts remaining. One of the day's most exciting bouts occurred at 194, where David Helfrich of Lehigh posted an 8-7 win over Nittany Lion Neil Bretz (Carlisle, Pa.), who was filling in for the injured Bradley. The win gave LU a 17-9 lead with two bouts left in the dual. But Penn State's Davis, a returning All-American at 197, made the final bout mean everything when he pinned Paul Weibel at 3:20 to close the gap to 17-15. In the afternoon's final bout, heavyweights Edwards of Penn State and Tom Curl of Lehigh put on a thrilling show from the outset. Curl opened up the match with a takedown and near fall to go up 4-0 before Edwards reversed out to close the gap to 5-2 at the end of the first period. Edwards rode Curl most of the second period but Curl escaped with seconds left to lead 6-2 with just two minutes to wrestle. Edwards owned the third period, however, scoring an escape and two take downs to tie the score at seven. His huge riding time advantage gave him an exciting 8-7 win and secured an 18-17 victory for the Nittany Lions. Lock Haven downed York 28-11 to claim third place. Pitt-Johnstown downed Mercyhurst 30-7 in a battle of Division II powers for fifth place. Clarion grabbed a win over Williamson, downing the Mechanics 49-0 for seventh place. Davis was awarded the Most Outstanding Wrestler Award and also took home the award for most falls in the least amount of time, getting three in his three bouts in just 13:35. Penn State will host No. 15 Wisconsin in its next dual match, opening up Big Ten play on Nov. 20 at 1 p.m. in Rec Hall. 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. Team Scores: Round One: Lehigh 50, Williams 6 Lock Haven 25, Mercyhurst 17 York 25, Clarion 15 Penn State 31, Pitt-Johnstown 10 Semifinals: Penn State 47, York College 3 Lehigh 32, Lock Haven 3 Conso Semis: Mercyhurst 48, Williamson 3 Pitt-Johnstown 26, Clarion 12 Finals: Penn State 18, Lehigh 17 Third: Lock Haven 28, York 11 Fifth: Pitt-Johnstown 30, Mercyhurst 7 Seventh: Clarion 49, Williamson 0 Awards: Most Outstanding Wrestler: Phil Davis, Penn State Most Falls in Least Time: Phil Davis, Penn State, thee in 13:35 Attendance: 1,802

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The 2005-06 season got underway for the No. 10 Arizona State University wrestling team Saturday morning in Portland, Ore., as the Sun Devils went 3-0 at the Portland State Duals with seven of its competitors going undefeated on the day. ASU is now 3-0 on the season and 1-0 in the Pac-10 after defeating Portland State in a conference dual. Overall on the day, three Sun Devils made their collegiate debuts with two going undefeated. True freshman Jason Robbins (Oviedo, Fla.) won all three of his bouts at 141 while Pat Payne (So., Poway, Calif.) did the same in his first action for ASU after sitting out last year with an injury. Kevin Gaughan (Jr., New Fairfield, Conn.) won both his bouts at 157 by decision in his Sun Devil debut while Alex Pavlenko (Fr., Mesa, Ariz.) went 1-1 at 174 pounds and Chris Remsen (Fr., Rockport, Maine) lost his only appearance due to an injury. Added to the success of the new additions to the starting lineup was a group of four veterans that each went 3-0 on the day. Jeremy Mendoza (Sr., Temecula, Calif.) won twice by fall and one by major decision to lead off the duals while Patrick Pitsch (So., Spanaway, Wash.) posted a trio of victories by major decision at 165. The two heavier weights on the Sun Devil roster also dominated on the day as both Ryan Bader (Sr., Reno, Nev.) at 197 and Cain Velasquez (Sr., Yuma, Ariz.) each went 3-0 on the day with all three earning bonus points. Bader won his first bout by major decision before winning by injury default and fall in the last two matches while Velasquez won a major decision, technical fall and fall on the day. In the first dual of the day, the Sun Devils handed a 36-6 defeat to the Boxers of Pacific University, a team that competes at the NCAA Division III level, with ASU wrestlers capturing nine of the 10 contested bouts. Mendoza, Adam Hickey (So., Mayfield, Ohio) at 133, Robbins, Payne, Gaughan, Pitsch, Jason Trulson (So., Fountain Hills, Ariz.), Bader and Velasquez each won in the dual while an injury default at 174 was the lone loss. The Sun Devils followed up the win over Pacific with a 29-9 defeat of Southern Oregon, the No. 10 team in the nation at the NAIA level. ASU went 7-3 in the 10 bouts with five victories earning bonus points. Victorious Sun Devils included Mendoza, Robbins, Payne, Gaughan, Pitsch, Bader and Velasquez. The final dual of the day also was the Pac-10 opener for both ASU and PSU with the Sun Devils taking a 39-6 decision over the host Vikings. ASU won all nine bouts contested on the mats with the lone loss coming at 157 pounds on a forfeit from the Sun Devils. Mendoza, Hickey, Robbins, Payne, Pitsch, Pavlenko, Trulson, Bader and Velasquez all won while Mendoza, Bader and Velasquez each pinned their opponents. The Sun Devils return to the road next week for one dual and one tournament as they are set to meet No. 8 Lehigh in a 7 p.m. dual in Bethlehem, Pa., Thursday night before competing in the 2005 East Stroudsburg Open on Saturday.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The Oklahoma wrestling team opened the season Saturday by claiming its seventh straight SUNY-Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic team title with a score of 177 on Saturday in Brockport, NY. The Sooners also captured five individual titles. "Our guys came out and wrestled very well for our first action underneath the lights," OU head coach Jack Spates said. Sam Hazewinkel (125) defeated Mike Sees of Bloomsburg, 8-6; Teyon Ware (141) defeated Cesar Grajales of Pennsylvania, 4-1; Matt Storniolo (149) defeated Patrick Simpson of Army, 1-0; Jarrod King (165) defeated Mickey Moran of Buffalo, 3-2 and Jake Hager defeated Marcus Adelman of Ohio, 8-0. "Jarrod King is someone who we are very excited about and he showed why tonight," Spates said. "He came in as the No. 4 seed in the tournament and came away with the individual title. His performance was very impressive as he showed great technique and great character. Jarrod is going to get better each day and we expect great things to come from him. "We still need to make some technical adjustments but that is very normal for this time of year," Spates continued. "Our guys are in very good shape for this point in the season and that is something that will improve as we move on through our schedule." Justin Dyer placed third at 184 pounds as did Will Rowe at 145 pounds. Freshman Brad Farmer finished fourth in the heavyweight division. Hazewinkel had three pins on the day to win the Most Pins Award to go along with his individual title. The Sooners next travel to Columbia, Mo., to compete in the Missouri Open on Sunday, Nov. 20. TEAM SCORES 1. Oklahoma 171 2. Pennsylvania 166 3. Army 133 4. Kent State 130.5 5. Buffalo 119

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Daniel Elliott took a pin fall victory and won two other matches by decision to open his senior season with a 3-0 mark. Elliott, ranked No. 18 in the nation at 149 pounds, has now won 19 of his last 21 matches dating back to Dec. 30 of 2004. Elliott scored a pin fall victory over Codey Bearden at the 3:17 mark to push Gardner-Webb's lead to 19-0 over Anderson. The Bulldogs went on to take the team victory by a 38-12 score. Matt Taylor made his highly anticipated collegiate debut for the Bulldogs at 125 pounds by scoring a 13-4 major decision win. Josh Pniewski then gave GWU the 10-0 lead by registering a pin in 3:50 before A.J. Renteria took an 8-6 win at 141 pounds. After the Elliott pin fall victory pushed the spread to 19-0, Anderson took the next two matches by forfeit and pin fall to cut the deficit to 19-12. Sophomore Chad Davis pushed the lead to 25-12 with GWU's third pin of the match before Brandon Beach and Brent Blackwell posted wins at 184 and 197. Ricky Wilson Jr. then finished off the 38-12 victory by pinning Aaron Lambert at the 4:50 mark. Gardner-Webb won just four other matches on the day as the ‘Dogs suffered a 33-10 loss to Virginia and a 43-3 loss to the host UNCG squad. Renteria and Elliott pulled out back-to-back decisions at 141 and 149 against Virginia to trim the Cavalier lead to just three points at 9-6. Virginia then posted wins in the next five contests to open up a 33-6 lead before Wilson Jr. score a major decision victory at 285 to make the final 33-10 in favor of Virginia. Elliott then picked up Gardner-Webb's lone victory against UNCG as the Spartans took nine of the ten matches, rolling to the 43-3 win. Gardner-Webb (1-2) will be in action again on Saturday as it competes in the Buffalo Duals against Buffalo, Bloomsburg and the University of Findlay.

MADISON, Wis. -- Senior Lee Kraemer (DeForest, Wis.), along with redshirt freshmen Zach Tanelli (Millburn, N.J.) and Kyle Massey (Champlin, Minn.), captured first place titles in their respected weight classes on Saturday at the third annual Pointer Open hosted by UW-Stevens Point. Overall, the Badgers took six top-five finishes in the gold division along with two top-seven finishes in the silver. Kraemer, wrestling at 197 lbs. in the gold division finished the open with a perfect 4-0 record, notching two victories by fall. He pinned Kyle Coleman of UW-Oshkosh at 3:55, along with Mitch Szwet of UW-Stevens Point at 1:11. Tanelli and Massey also went undefeated at the open in the gold division. Tanelli, competing at 133 lbs., earned two major decision victories en route to his first place title, including a 14-1 win over Efrain Ayala of Mankato State. At heavyweight, Massey pinned two of his opponents in less than two minutes. He took down Jeff Zastrow of UW-Whitewater at 1:08 before defeating Ted Drees of Coe College at 1:40. Massey is now 5-0 on the season, with three of his wins coming as pins. Also in the gold division, Jake Donar (Cuba City, Wis.) and Dallas Herbst (Winneconne, Wis.), were runners-up in the 165 lbs. and 197 lbs. weight classes, respectively. Donar finished 3-1 in the open, while Herbst ended at 2-1. Collin Cudd out of River Falls, Wis., won his final four matches at 125 lbs. to capture third place in the gold division, while senior Ed Gutnik (Iselin, N.J.) placed fourth, going 3-2 on the day. Kyle Reeve, a true freshman out of Mazomanie, Wis., took second place in the silver division at 125 lbs. Reeve took down Andy Livingston of UW-Whitewater, 6-3, to advance to the championship match. He then faced Andy McArthur of Harper College, where he fell 11-4. Reeve finished the open 4-1, improving his overall record as a Badger to 5-1. The Badgers are in action again tomorrow as they send eight wrestlers to the Dubuque Open, in Dubuque, Iowa. Results can be found on uwbadgers.com.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Navy won 13 of 20 matches to cruise to two dual-meet victories over Cal State-Bakersfield and UC-Davis on Saturday to wrap up its West-Coast roadtrip with a 3-0 mark. The Mids defeated Cal State-Bakersfield, 30-13, in the opener, then followed with a 23-13 triumph over UC-Davis. John Cox, Adam Brochetti and Tanner Garrett all won each of their three matches, and Matt Gulosh got a key victory against UC-Davis, filling in at 165 pounds. "It feels good to be 3-0. We beat some decent teams this weekend, and put the kids in a difficult position with the long flight and the jet lag, but I thought we battled very hard today," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. In the first dual against Cal State-Bakersfield, Navy jumped out to a 13-4 lead, thanks to a Brad Canterbury fall at 133 pounds, John Cox's 6-4 win over 12th-ranked Anthony Baza and Adam Brochetti's major-decision win over Daniel Atondo. The Roadrunners battled back at 165 and 174 to tie the score at 13 each, but Navy won the last four matches, including two by major decision, one by fall and the other in overtime to come away with the win. In the second dual, a 23-13 win over UC-Davis, Navy rallied from a 6-0 deficit after two matches, by winning the next five matches to take a commanding 17-6 lead with just three weights to wrestle. During the run, John Cox scored his 10th career technical fall and Matt Gulosh filled in for an injured Craig Dziewiatkowski by wrestling up two weight classes and winning at 165 pounds. Tanner Garrett sealed the deal with a pin at heavyweight in 6:12. "I thought Matt Gulosh wrestled really well, moving up two weights," said Burnett. "Our older guys wrestled well, and our younger guys gained valuable experience. We competed hard and that is what we need to do. We made a few technical mistakes, but those are mistakes that can be fixed. We'll get back to practice and work on those mistakes." Navy will host the eight-team Navy Classic next Saturday at Halsey Field House, beginning at 9:00 a.m.

FORT DODGE, Iowa -- It had been nearly 18 months since Erkin Tadzhimetov had wrestled in a collegiate match, but apparently the senior from Uzbekistan is immune to rust after taking 1st place at 133 lbs. at the Cylcone Open in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Tadzhimetov won five times on Saturday with the championship win coming against Nebraska's Mike Rowe. After redshirting last season, he opened the 2005-06 season on Friday night by beating Jesse Sundell of Iowa State and remains perfect on the season. "He really controlled every position. A couple of guys weren't close to scoring on him," said Utah Valley State coach Cody Sanderson. "Erkin is right where we want him to be right now." Talon Vickers placed 2nd for the Wolverines at 125 lbs. Vickers avenged Friday's loss to Iowa State's Ben Hanisch during the open but fell in the championship match. Daniel Polkowske and Justin Rawle also had successful days. Polkowske made it to the quarterfinals and Rawle won three straight after losing his first match of the day and was one win from placing at the open. "He did a great job," said Sanderson of Rawle. "He's made so much improvement from last year. I was very impressed with him. Overall, I thought the guys had a great job." The Wolverines will wrestle in another open next week at the University of Northern Colorado. After that open on the November 19th, the Wolverines will wrestle at the Las Vegas Invitational on December 2-3. Their first home dual will take place on December 10th against Western State. close windo

TEMECULA, Calif. -- The Navy wrestling team won eight of 10 matches, including four by extra margins, to defeat Cal State-Fullerton, 29-6, in the first dual meet of the year for both teams. Highlighting the Navy win was Adam Brochetti's technical fall at 157 pounds, and major decision victories by Matt Stolpinski, Jonny Kane and Tanner Garrett. The Mids won their season-opening dual meet for the sixth straight season. "We had some good performances and some not-so-good ones again," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "This has been a challenging trip for us already. We didn't get to sleep on Thursday night, basically until 3:30 a.m., and then we got them up early for a workout on Friday. This is all practice to find out where we are at, and we'll hopefully put forth a good performance on Saturday." Navy fell behind 3-0 after the first match, at 133 pounds, when CS-Fullerton's T.J. Dillashaw scored a 4-2 overtime victory over Brad Canterbury. But the Mids ran off three wins in a row, highlighted by Brochetti's 23-8 technical-fall win over Shawn Reilly. The match was Brochetti's first of the year after sitting out last weekend's Eastern Michigan Open and was his first technical fall of his career. Brochetti's win gave Navy an 11-3 lead. Cal State-Fullerton's Risto Marttinen defeated Craig Dziewiatkowski, 5-4, at 165 pounds, but Navy responded by winning the final five matches. Sophomore Matt Stolpinski contined his hot start with a strong 14-5 major decision over Ian Murphy. Jonny Kane followed Stolpinski's win with another major decision, 16-8 over Jess Taylor. After Andrew Adams knocked off Chris Chambers, 10-9 at 197 pounds, Tanner Garrett major decisioned Dan Ott, 14-4. The win was Garrett's 22nd in a row in dual-meet action and he hasn't allowed a foe to score more than five points in a match in the last 43. Alex Usztics closed out the match with a 5-2 win over Curtis Schurkemp at 125 pounds. The match was Usztics' first of the season. "It was good to get our first win," said Burnett. "But we know we are going to have to wrestle better. The competition gets much stiffer on Saturday." Navy will wrestle Cal State-Bakersfield and UC-Davis on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. EDT, with both matches in Bakersfield.

Kansas City, Mo. -- Stanford opened its season on the road against 14th-ranked Missouri tonight at Oak Park High School in Kansas City, Mo. The Cardinal (0-1) fell 32-8 against the Tigers (1-0) in both team's season opener. "It was disappointing, but come March, we'll be better off because of it," noted head coach Kerry McCoy. "We'll learn from it and move forward. If we have a strong showing on Sunday, then this won't hurt us. It's tough for right now, but it will get better." Sophomore Tanner Gardner helped the Cardinal take a 4-0 lead after the fist bout, posting a 14-5 major decision over Tim Kephart. At 133 and 141 pounds, 18th-ranked Tyler McCormick and 19th-ranked Chris McCormick posted wins over a pair of Stanford's true freshmen to give the Tigers a 7-4 advantage. Sophomore Josh Zupancic then put the Cardinal back on top with a 14-2 major decision at 149 pounds. At 157 pounds, Scott Loescher lost a 7-5 overtime match to put the Tigers ahead 10-8 going into intermission. "We started off strong," added McCoy. "Tanner came from behind for the win, then our two freshmen went out and wrestled hard, but they were a little out-matched. Josh got us back on track and that showed we had a chance." After a ten-minute break, the Tigers came back with five-straight wins, starting with a 9-7 decision at 165 pounds over Ray Blake. Missouri scored two-straight pins, as No. 1 Ben Askren and Raymond Jordan both scored falls. At 197, Ian Bork fell behind early and could not recover. The match ended with the Tigers winning by decision at heavyweight. "Ray's loss was another heartbreaker," commented McCoy, "But he wrestled hard and proved that he is in contention to be an All-American. At 174, Luke fought hard and showed a lot of heart, and then Larry showed a few moments of greatness [at 197], but he never really got going. Ian got frustrated early and gave up points and it was an uphill battle from there. By Jared's match, everyone was flat." Stanford will remain in the Show-Me State to compete at the Central Missouri Open in Warrensburg.

AMES, Iowa -- The seventh-ranked Iowa State wrestlers (3-0, 0-0) defeated Utah Valley State College (0-1, 0-0), 33-9, Friday afternoon in its home opener at Hilton Coliseum. All-American Travis Paulson and true freshman Joe Curran pinned their opponents at their respective weight classes to lead ISU. The Cyclones recorded 30 takedowns to the Wolverines' three and took five of the ten matches with bonus points. Iowa State is now 2-0 against UVSC. "We were worked hard in every match," head coach Bobby Douglas said. "They (Utah Valley State College) were well prepared. We still have a lot to work on." Travis Paulson, ranked sixth at 165-pounds, notched his first pin of the season in 4:30 over Mark South. In only his second match as a Cyclone, true freshman Joe Curran pinned Jamie Thornblad at the 3:44 mark. Other bonus points came from Nate Gallick (141), Trent Paulson (157), David Bertolino (174) as the trio recorded technical falls. Bertolino, seeing his first action of the season, picked up his second career home dual victory. Gallick followed a 12-takedown performance against Wisconsin-La Crosse with eight takedowns against true freshman Daniel Polkowske and two three-point near falls. Paulson pinned Cowan last year when the two schools met at the Wolverine Duals. Ben Hanisch avenged a 2004 loss to Talon Vickers at 125-pounds with a 4-1 decision. Jason Knipp followed a strong performance against Wisconsin-La Crosse's Adam Kuchnia with a 4-0 decision against Justin Rawle. In an exhibition match at 149-pounds, Aron Scott decisioned Clayton Wolf 7-4. The ISU wrestlers will be traveling to Fort Dodge to compete in the Cyclone Open on Saturday. Action will return to Hilton Coliseum Dec. 2 to face in-state rival Iowa as the Cyclones seek their third straight win over the Hawkeyes.

Portland State wrestling will look to improve on a challenging 2004 season when a brand new year begins on Saturday morning. PSU finished last season with a 2-17 record but according to early season results look to have bolstered it's roster despite the loss of senior Eddie Dahlen. Dahlen led the Vikings with 15 wins in '04 and finished the season by placing second at the Pac-10 championship meet. Portland State's top returner is Allen Kennett who begins the season ranked second in Pac-10 polls at heavyweight. Like Dahlen, Kennett also finished the year on a tear finishing as a 2004 Pac-10 runner-up. Kennett, the starting fullback for the Vikings, will be out for at least a few weeks with one regular season game still on the football slate. Joining Kennett from last year are 19 others including 133 junior Lucas Hambleton (11-3, six pins), 165 senior Chris Feist (10-17) and 157 junior Kainoa Casco (8-11). With a year of experience under their belts sophomore Jake Schneider (9-14) at 197 and sophomore Sean Murphy (3-25) at 184 should also improve the Vikings efficiency. Transfers Dale Seley and Karras Kalivas have secured starting time early on at 157 and 174 respectively. Both are talented wrestlers with something to prove at the Pac-10 level. Seley, a sophomore from Montana State Northern, came into the fall, wrestled three of last year's returning starters and came out on top. Kalivas on the other hand, is working back into shape after a two-year absence from the sport but going into the first match has secured a starting role. Kalivas was a two-time junior college all-American at Bakersfield Community College. Overall the Viking roster includes four new freshman and four transfers. Portland State will wrestle nationally ranked Arizona State, NAIA powerhouse Southern Oregon University and nearby neighbor Pacific University on Saturday in an ever-evolving schedule. As a member of the Pac-10, PSU wrestles against some of the best programs in the nation. Outside the conference the Vikings will also take on Air Force and Wyoming two programs with winning traditions. Saturday's season start will mark the 22nd with Coach Marlin Grahn at the helm. Grahn's record over his tenure is 123-259-9.

Kansas City, Mo. -- The Missouri Tigers opened their season in impressive fashion Friday, Nov. 11, beating the Stanford Cardinal 32-8. Wrestling at Oak Park High School in Kansas City, Mo. Three wrestlers earned wins in the first start of their collegiate careers to help boost the Tigers to a win in their opening dual of the season. At 157 pounds, redshirt freshman Michael Chandler (High Ridge, Mo.) was down by three points with just 38 seconds left before getting an escape and a quick takedown to force a sudden-victory overtime period. Making his move quickly, Chandler took down Scott Loescher of Stanford seconds into the first overtime period to earn a 7-5 victory. Following a ten-minute intermission, junior Matt Pell (Luxemburg, Wis.) picked up his first victory of the season by beating Ray Blake 9-7 to earn the second of six straight victories for Missouri. Fellow junior Ben Askren (Hartland, Wis.) pinned Luke Feist in 4:10 to earn his first fall of the season a year after setting a new Missouri record with 20 falls. The second Tiger to earn the first victory of his collegiate career, redshirt freshman Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) pinned Larry Ozawara in impressive fashion, taking just 3:59 to push his Stanford opponent's shoulders to the mat. Jordan opened the match with a takedown in the first period, then chose down to start the second. After escaping Ozawara's hold to earn a 3-0 lead, Jordan took down Ozawara with 1:24 to gain a 5-0 lead. 23 seconds later Jordan had the first pin of his collegiate career. A native of the area surrounding Kansas City, senior Jeff Foust (Blue Springs, Mo.) picked up a 13-2 major decision over Ian Bork to give the Tigers a 29-8 lead. Foust's win set the stage for freshman heavyweight Sean Connole (Erie, Penn.) to get his fifth win of the season by earning a 9-4 decision over Jared Boyer. Connole picked up four wins at the Lindenwood Open Oct. 29 to take second place. The Tigers next take to the mat Sunday, Nov. 20 in the sixth annual Missouri Open, an all-day event that attracts over 600 wrestlers to the Hearnes Center Fieldhouse.

AMES, Iowa -- True freshman heavyweight Dallin Norton was impressive in his first collegiate match as he topped Iowa State's Richard Schopf 5-4 in Utah Valley State's season opening dual against the #7 Cyclones. The experienced Iowa State squad was too much for the third year program to handle. With three of its wrestlers ranked 6th in the nation or higher, the Cylcones won big 33-9. "They beat us good but we've made so much progress," said Utah Valley head coach Cody Sanderson. "Our guys are disappointed but they're closing ground fast. We've come a long long way since last year." The Wolverines picked up two other victories in addition to Norton as Ivan Bigney beat Jonathon Gapinski 4-3 and Erkin Tadzhimetov knocked off Jesse Sundell 5-2. In the heavyweight match, Norton trailed 4-3 with :40 seconds to go in the 2nd period before picking up two points on a reversal and holding on in the third. "It was quite a match to be opening with because of the atmosphere and the situation," said Sanderson. "Dallin just wrestled very sound. He was a little conservative but now that he has that match behind him I think he's just gonna open it up from there." The 133 lb. Tadzhimetov, who returns after redshirting 2004-05, never trailed Sundell but found himself up by just one point with seconds to go before he picked up a takedown with 13 seconds left in the match. Sanderson has high expectations for the Uzbekistan native and was pleased with the seniors first performance of the year. "For someone who hasn't really been on the mat for a year and a half, Erkin was pretty good," said Sanderson. "He was a little rusty but I know how good he is and more than anything I'm pleased for him to get this match under his belt." Utah Valley State trailed 11-0 before the 184 lb. Bigney got them on the board with his win over Gapinski. The senior from Wallsburg, Utah trailed 1-0 before a takedown with :27 second to go in the second period gave him the lead for good. As for the rest of the Wolverines, gaining the experience of facing some of the nation's elite could prove to be invaluable as the season wears on. At 165 lbs., freshman Mark South went up against #6 ranked Travis Paulson and was pinned 4:30 into the match, while freshman Daniel Polkowske battled 2nd ranked Nate Gallick at 141 lbs. Gallick picked up a win by tech fall, scoring a near fall at the final buzzer to take a 23-6 advantage. Tanner Cowan fought with #4 Trent Paulson at 157 lbs. Paulson beat the Wolverine junior by tech fall, 18-3 scoring on a near fall at the final buzzer as well. "Those guys are not gonna see anybody better this year," said Sanderson of his two freshmen and Cowan. "The thing I liked was that they didn't hesitate, they went right after them. If they continue to do that they can have a lot of success." Sanderson returned to Ames where he spent his college career wrestling for the Cyclones and received a warm welcome from both the Iowa State fans. "It was nice. The people here are very friendly," said Sanderson. "Our team got a nice reception as well. But hopefully next time we come out here the welcome won't be so warm because we've closed the gap even further." The Wolverines will move on to wrestle in the Cyclone Open tomorrow at Fort Dodge, Iowa. All 12 Wolverines who made the trip will get an opportunity to compete in the open tournament.

BLOOMSBURG -- The Bloomsburg University wrestling team will travel to Brockport, NY this weekend to compete in the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic. The Huskies will compete against ten teams, including co-hosts, Oklahoma and SUNY Brockport. Kent State, Ohio University, and EWL-rival Cleveland State will be in attendance, along with Brown University, the United States Military Academy and the University of Pennsylvania. Buffalo and Rutgers University will also be represented at the tournament. Bloomsburg is led by 2005 NCAA qualifiers Mike Sees (Northumberland/Shikellamy) and Jim Bertulis (Aston/Garnett Valley). Sees, at 125 pounds, and Bertulis, at the 165-pound weight class, both won their respective brackets last weekend at the Slippery Rock Open. Last year, the Huskies finished fourth with 84.5 points at the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic, as Oklahoma won the event with 212.5 points. Kent State finished second with 92.5 points, while University of Pennsylvania was third with 89.5 points. Bertulis recorded a second-place finish at the tournament, while Frank Beasley (Oden, IL/Centralia) won three matches, taking third place. Sees, who is 5-0 this season, and Justin Thomas (Hunlock Creek/Benton) will wrestle for the Huskies at 125 pounds this weekend. He finished last year with a 21-3 record and had three pins. He was an EWL champion last season and also finished second at the PSAC Championships, helping the Huskies' win their first conference title since 1990. He was undefeated in dual matches last season, going 14-0. In the national rankings from wrestlingreport.com, Sees earned the 19th slot, and is also ranked 13th by the Wrestling Mall and Amateur Wrestling News at 125 pounds, and was 15th by W.I.N. Magazine. Thomas, who returns to the team after missing the last two seasons of competition serving for the U.S. Army in Iraq, had a 3-4 career record, including one technical fall. Ricky Donald (Millville/Bloomsburg) will wrestle at 133 pounds for the Huskies. Donald won four out of five matches at the Slippery Rock Open. Donald is a two-time PIAA state qualifier. Two wrestlers will compete at the 141-pound weight class for the Huskies in Brad Forbes (Downingtown/Downingtown) and Joe Hasseman (Franklin, IN/Franklin). Forbes finished second at last weekend's Slippery Rock Open, tallying a 4-1 record. He was 16-9 last year and finished sixth at the EWL Championships. He is currently ranked second in the EWL. Hasseman, who finished 3-4 in dual matches last season at 133 pounds, didn't wrestle last weekend due to injury. He finished last season with a 6-14 record, including two major decisions. In 2005, he had dual match wins over Kent State, Ohio University and Cleveland State. At 149 pounds, George Hickman (Wilmington, NC/Riverside) and Darren Kern (Pennsburg/Upper Perkiomen) will wrestle for the Huskies. Hickman was 8-7 in dual matches last season, compiling a 14-20 record in his freshman campaign. Last weekend, Hickman went 1-2 at Slippery Rock. Kern, a red shirt freshman, compiled a 16-12 record last season in open tournaments. At the Slippery Rock Open, he compiled a record of 3-1, including wins over Washington & Jefferson and James Madison. Jason Crawford (New Albany/Wyalusing Valley) will wrestle for Bloomsburg at 157 pounds. In high school, Crawford tallied more than 100 wins and also made a PIAA state tournament appearance. Bertulis will wrestle for the Huskies at 165 pounds. The 2005 EWL Champion made his first NCAA championship appearance last season, finishing the year with a record of 33-8, 14-2 in dual match competition. Bertulis also posted a second-place finish at the PSAC Championships last season. In the most recent NCAA Division I rankings by wrestlingreport.com, Bertulis held the number 11 slot, while he is ranked first in the EWL. Bertulis earned the 12th slot by the Wrestling Mall and W.I.N. Magazine, and holds the 13th spot by Amateur Wrestling News. Andrew Jordan (Newark, DE/St. Mark's) and Beasley will wrestle for the Huskies at 174 pounds. Jordan, an Old Dominion transfer, went 1-2 last weekend at both 174 and 184 pounds. He is a two-time Delaware runner-up and won over 80 matches in high school. Beasley finished last weekend's tournament with a 3-2 record with wins over Gannon, Mercyhurst and Cleveland State. Last season, Beasley went 13-7, including four pins and three technical falls. He is currently ranked fifth in the EWL. At 184 pounds, Chris Swan (Saylorsburg/Pleasant Valley) will represent Bloomsburg. Swan went 0-2 in last weekend's tournament. He was a PIAA state tournament qualifier in high school. Jesse Hasseman (Franklin, IN/Franklin) and Blaine Cohick (Williamsport/Loyalsock) will wrestle for the Huskies at 197 pounds. Hasseman finished 3-1 at last weekend's tournament, while Cohick took third in the event, going 4-1 in the event. Last season, Hasseman went 8-26, recording all eight wins by pin. Cohick finished sixth at last year's PIAA state tournament. 2005 NCAA qualifier Mike Spaid (Boyertown/Boyertown) and Shawn Albert (Hatboro/Upper Moreland) will wrestle for the Huskies at the heavyweight bracket. Spaid, who did not wrestle last weekend, finished the 2004-05 season with a record of 17-22 record, despite a 2-8 start. He had seven pins on the season and went 2-2 at the NCAA Championships. Spaid, ranked third in the EWL, is currently 23rd in the nation by wrestlingreport.com and holds the 17th slot in the NWCA/Intermat/National Wrestling Media Association Poll. Albert has a 2-4 career record and had one pin last season. He went 1-2 at last year's tournament, recording a win over Wagner. The Huskies will travel to Brockport on Friday night with action to begin at Tuttle North Gymnasium at 10:00 a.m.

ATHENS, Ohio -- The 2005-06 wrestling season begins Saturday as the Ohio Bobcats travel to New York for the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic. Replacing seven starters can be tough. Replacing a legend is nearly impossible. Joel Greenlee's squad will have to do both this season, however, as the Bobcats can no longer be defined by four-time All-American Jake Percival, who graduated with a 142-10 career record and an unblemished 17-0 mark in the Mid-American Conference. Opportunity abounds, though, for young Ohio grapplers who have been waiting in the wings. Projected to join returning starters Caleb Metcalf (sophomore 125-pounder) and Brian Cesear (junior 184-pounder) in the Bobcat lineup are 133-pound redshirt freshman Albert Madsen, 141-pound sophomore Frank Brown, 149-pound junior Aaron Gomoll, 157-pound redshirt freshman Jake Frerichs, 165-pound junior Vinny DiGiovanni, 174-pound sophomore Ryan Knapp, 197-pound junior Nick Terbay and junior heavyweight Marcus Adelman. Brown and DiGiovanni are both injured, however, and Frerichs will not make the trip so in their places will be redshirt freshman Terry Jackson at 141 pounds, true freshman Mike Grandominco at 157 and freshmen Kent Smith and Anthony Spooner at 165. Also competing for Ohio this weekend will be junior 133-pounder Matt Smith, 149-pound redshirt freshman Jesse Irwin and 197-pound redshirt freshman Larry Reichard. The tournament will include wrestlers from 12 teams, including No. 2 Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rutgers, Rider and MAC rivals Buffalo and Kent State. "We're tired of beating each other up in the practice room so I think we need to wrestle competition right now," said Greenlee about his squad. "This will be a good mix of teams. I'm excited to see where we're at because I think we have a pretty solid team." Tentative Bobcat lineup for Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic: 125 - Caleb Metcalf (11-20 last year, 11-20 career) 133 - Albert Madsen (redshirt last year), Matt Smith (11-20, 20-37) 141 - Terry Jackson (redshirt) 149 - Aaron Gomoll (8-15, 17-29), Jesse Irwin (redshirt) 157 - Mike Grandominco (true freshman) 165 - Kent Smith (true freshman), Anthony Spooner (redshirt) 174 - Ryan Knapp (5-9, 5-9) 184 - Brian Cesear (13-22, 20-32) 197 - Nick Terbay (8-6, 11-14), Larry Reichard (redshirt) HWT - Marcus Adelman (14-8, 22-17)

The Bald Eagle Wrestling squad officially kicks off the 2005-06 season this weekend at the second annual Pennsylvania State Dual Championships, hosted by Penn State University, Sunday, Nov. 13 beginning at 10 a.m. LHU battles Division II No. 15 Mercyhurst College, and will face either No. 8/8 Lehigh University or Williamson Trade School. The first four duals take place at 10 a.m., with the semifinals and consolation match-ups starting at 12 p.m. The championship match and all placing duals, third through seventh, will then take place at 2 p.m. Tickets will go on sale at the Rec Hall ticket windows beginning at 9 a.m. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for youth and senior citizens. Select Duals and Championships will be broadcast on the "Voice of Lock Haven Athletics" ESPN 1050 WLYC out of Williamsport, Pa., with a simulcast on WBPZ out of Lock Haven, Pa. Scouting Mercyhurst The Lakers and head coach Tony Cipollone enter the contest ranked No. 15 in Division II. 149-pounder Don Cummings sits No. 7 in the nation. Senior Will Tedder pulls in a No. 8 ranking at 157. Scouting Lehigh No. 8 Lehigh University comes in the highest-ranked Division I program in the tournament. Lehigh boasts five ranked matmen, including No. 2/2 Troy Letters at 165, No. 3/3 Cory Cooperman at 141, No. 6/7 Travis Frick at 174, No. 10/12 Derek Zinc at 157 and No. NR/20 Matt Ciasulli at 149. Scouting Williamson This year's Williamson Trade School is the lone NJCAA representative, and will have a tough task against Lehigh in the first round. Scouting Clarion University Lock Haven could get an early look at Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) foe Clarion University. While the Golden Eagles don't have any ranked wrestlers, ninth-year head coach Ken Nellis brings his troops to battle. Scouting York College York is a perennial Division III powerhouse, and head coach Russ Dudrey enter at No. 19 in the national rankings. Duane Bastress leads the Panthers with a No. 2 ranking at 184, aided by James Russial at No. 7 in 149. Scouting Penn State University The host school is blessed with a No. 13/12 ranking, and head coach Troy Sunderland is in his eighth year guiding the Nittany Lions. Seven ranked grapplers dot the starting lineup for PSU, including unanimous No. 1 Eric Bradley at 184, No. 5/6 Phillip Davis at 197, No. 11/10 Nathan Galloway at 157, No. 11/19 Joel Edwards at Heavyweight, No. 14/NR Bryan Heller at 133, No. NR/14 James Woodall at 149, and No. NR/16 DeWitt Driscoll at 141. Scouting University at Pitt-Johnstown UPJ is No. 3 in the latest Division II rankings, the highest-ranked program in this year's tournament. Four Mountain Cats picked up championships at the Slippery Rock Open earlier this year, so the team is no stranger to victory. The team boasts No. 1 Ryan Mazzocco at 125 and No. 1 Thad Benton at 141. Last Time Out for the Bald Eagles The 2005-06 edition of Lock Haven University wrestling got started Oct. 29 at the SRU Open, hosted by Slippery Rock University. With many of the Bald Eagle starters waiting until the Nov. 13 Pennsylvania State Duals to don the singlet for the first time this season, the Bald Eagle reserves were given their chance to shine at SRU. With no team results, LHU picked up four individual place-winners, led by a pair of second-place finishes at 149 for returning national qualifier Matt Fittery (Denver, Pa./Cocalico) and at 174 for junior Derrick Morgan (Milan, Pa./Athens) who missed most of last season with injuries. Bumping up from last year's class of 141, Fittery was competing in his first event at 149. He made a strong showing, picking off Mercyhurst's Don Cummings 15-5 before falling to Cleveland State University's Victor Crenshaw by fall in the finals. Morgan made short work of most of his opponents, including the University of Pitt-Johnstown's Eli Garshnick by an 8-4 margin in the semifinals before losing the championship bout by injury default. Sophomore Ben Hepburn (Williamsport, Pa./Loyalsock) picked up a third-place finish at 197 by topping John Carrol University's Ryan Summers 3-2 in the consolation bout. True freshman Troy Charles (Muncy, Pa./Hughesville) surprised some with a fourth-place finish at 197. The big rookie decisioned Bloomsburg University's Eric Shaw in the championship quarterfinals before his teammate Blaine Cohick got the better of Charles in the third-place bout by forfeit. Another impressive performance came from sophomore Casey Moore (Beech Creek, Pa./Central Mountain) as he picked up four wins on the day at 133. Preseason Wrestle-Offs Winners: 125- Sophomore Obe Blanc (Naples, Fla./Lely) defeated freshman Mark Armstrong (Sugar, Pa./Wyalusing) 18-10. 133- Sophomore Casey Moore (Beech Creek, Pa./Central Mountain) beat freshman Shane Hyman (Coalport, Pa./Glendale) 7-1 141- Freshman Clint Shirk (Julian, Pa./Bald Eagle Area) pinned freshman Matt Barnett (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) in 1:45 149- Senior Joshua A. Medina (Las Vegas/Pima C.C.) won over sophomore Matt Fittery (Denver, Pa./Cocalico) by forfeit 157- Junior Seth Martin (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove) defeated sophomore Jameik Matthews (Seaford, Del./Laurel) 7-2 165- Freshman Sobhan Namvar (Needham, Mass./Needham) defeated junior Jamie Varner (Glendale, Ariz./Pima C.C.) 6-5 174- Junior Derrick Morgan (Milan, Pa./Athens) beat junior Carlos Ponce (Hialeah, Fla./Hialeah Miami Lakes) 8-7 184- Junior Josh Fisk (Wyalusing, Pa./Drexel University) defeated sophmore Ben Hepburn (Williamsport, Pa./Loyalsock) 4-2 197- Freshman Monty Rockey (Port Matilda, Pa./Bald Eagle Area) pinned junior Troy Charles (Muncy, Pa./Hughesville) in 3:40 285- Senior Tim Meyers (Mill Hall, Pa./Central Mountain) beat sophomore Jamie Nagel (Shade Gap, Pa./Mount Union Area) 3-2 in overtime Up Next The Bald Eagles host No. 15/15 University of Wisconsin Saturday, Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- As millions sit down to watch the advertising extravaganza displayed thru Monday Night Football, true wrestling fans can finally grab their favorite beverage to watch wrestling. Live Sports Video.com will web cast the NWCA 40th Annual All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps. As the excitement unfolds from Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., on Monday night. Fans can turn to their computer for this first ever Live web cast of the All-Star Classic. Just as a stadium fills up with fans, so may this live web cast event; so be first to grab a seat in this cyber arena. Pre-registration will begin after 8pm on Friday November 18th, until the arena is full. The subscription cost of $4.95 allows access to watch the All-Star Classic on www.livesportsvideo.com Monday night, November 21, from 8:00pm EST (7:00pm CST). Live Sports Video has partnered with USA Wrestling and the NWCA to feature some of the greatest wrestling web casts that is similar to this energetic All-Star Classic lineup. Enjoy visiting Live Sports Video not only to watch live events but over 150 archived duals. This Monday night you may not hear play-by-play action from the voices of Al Gifford or John Madden, but rather the voice of a collegiate wrestling expert. Chris Gambrel, who attended OSU and continues to be a familiar wrestling radio voice in Stillwater, will commentate the excitement of the All-Star Classic. "This will be one of the greatest All-Star Classics and we are excited about the web cast," said Mike Moyer, Executive director of the NWCA. Visit www.livesportsvideo.com www.livesportsvideo.com and subscribe to watch the All-Star Classic.

Cody SandersonCody Sanderson is beginning his third season as head coach at Utah Valley State College (UVSC) in Orem, Utah. Prior to coming to UVSC, he served as administrative assistant at Iowa State. He is the oldest brother in the most famous wrestling family ever to come out of the state of Utah. As a competitor, Sanderson was a four-time state champion for Wasatch High School (Utah) and a two-time NCAA runner-up for Iowa State. RevWrestling.com recently caught up with Sanderson to discuss the upcoming dual against Iowa State, his wrestling program, Cam Jones, how Cyler (his youngest brother) is rehabbing from his ACL injury, and whether or not he thinks Cael will ever return to the mat again. Prior to taking the head coaching position at Utah Valley State, you were the administrative assistant at Iowa State. What was attractive about the UVSC position? Sanderson: For a couple of years there wasn't any college wrestling programs in Utah. I just wanted to have the opportunity to be involved with the building of a new program and the establishment of a new NCAA Division I program. It was also a chance to be back home and close to family. UVSC is not yet eligible to compete in postseason competition. What's the reason for that? Sanderson: Well, what happened is … the college here used to be a junior college athletic department. They made the transition to NCAA Division I. There is a series of steps that has to be taken to gain full NCAA status. One of the restrictions is that our teams are not allowed to participate in postseason competition until we meet those requirements. It's actually a seven-year process. We're starting the fourth year. So, until that time is up, they don't allow us to compete in the postseason. Is there any chance that something could change before the seven years that would allow you to compete in postseason competition? Sanderson: We've talked around some ideas. We're hoping that there would be a way to get a change. But as of yet, it's been kind of difficult to really find a way to go about doing that. The NCAA is fairly strict with those regulations. If there is a way, we're trying to find it. So far we haven't had a lot of luck. Talk about the recruiting process at UVSC. How tough is it to convince a kid to come into your program -- with the understanding that he will not be able to compete at the NCAA Tournament? Sanderson: Most of the athletes come here because they want to be a part of what we're doing. What we're doing here really hasn't been done in such a long time. It's so important. Those athletes come here because they want to be part of that. They want to be a part of reestablishing college wrestling in the state. Utah has great high school wrestling. The state has produced numerous collegiate stars. Is that where you do most of your recruiting? Sanderson: Yeah, I mostly recruit kids from around the state. Most of the guys on my team are from Utah, but there are a few other guys from the surrounding areas. But most of the team is from here. You wrestle an extremely challenging schedule. You have duals against a number of highly ranked Division I programs, including Iowa State. You also compete at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and the Lonestar Duals. Why such a challenging schedule? Sanderson: The only way to be able to compete against those teams is to actually compete against them. I like the guys to get as good of competition as they can, because that's what it's going to take eventually to get this team where we want it to be. It's another way to let my guys know that I have confidence in them, and that they can compete with anybody. It doesn't matter if we're a new program or not. We're a wrestling team. We'll go out there and fight against anybody. I read something a while back about your team not having a wrestling room. Is that still the case? Sanderson: We have space which we can turn into a wrestling room, but we're in the process of trying to raise some money to do that. We've done most of our training out of some local high schools. There are some obvious difficulties with that. But to the guys credit, they come in and work hard. It doesn't matter where we are, or what mats we're on, they come in to work. Dallin Norton Last year, you were able to recruit and sign three-time state champion Dallin Norton, one of the top heavyweight recruits in the country. How's he looking so far in the wrestling room? Sanderson: He has made tremendous progress. He has a great deal of potential. The next step now is just getting him more mat experience. I'm very excited to see how he'll do this weekend. Without a conference or national tournament on the horizon -- does it make it difficult to set specific goals? Sanderson: Well, our goal is to be the best that we can be. We're just going to get in here and work as hard as we can at that. Everything else just kind of takes care of itself. Aside from recruiting, what's the biggest difference from coaching in a top-five Division program, like Iowa State, to coaching at UVSC? Sanderson: The biggest change is that now I'm working with a lot of young athletes with less experience. What I'm trying to do is get them as many good competitions as possible, so that we can continue to increase the competition level of our team. There were discussions this past summer about a new wrestling conference being formed, with UVSC being a part of it, along with schools like North Dakota State, South Dakota State, and Northern Iowa, among others. What's the status of the new conference? Is it a real possibility? Sanderson: It is a real possibility. It hasn't been named. We're still in the process of reviewing what the bylaws and regulations would be and making sure that all of the teams are committed. The next step would be getting the actual athletic directors of the schools to say that it's OK go forward with it. I've also heard that the new conference has been approached by the five wrestling schools in the Big 12 Conference for a possible merger. Is that a possibility? Sanderson: You know, some people are throwing around some ideas. That's not really our main focus, though. If something were to happen, that would be fine. But right now, we're just working on getting this conference established. Not just established, but making it one of the top conferences in the country. You'll be back in Ames to wrestle Iowa State this Friday -- against your alma mater and your brothers. What do you think that is going to be like for you? Sanderson: I think it will be a lot of fun. It's fun to compete there. It's fun to compete against such a great team. Also, for me, I spent a lot of time there. I have a lot of friends. I know a lot of guys on the team personally. It's just good to get back and watch them and talk to them again. It's even more fun to compete against them. A lot of wrestling fans are excited about the possibility of Greco star Cam Jones wrestling in your program. What's his current status? Sanderson: He's just working on some eligibility issues right now. What we're looking at is that he'll be fully cleared to compete next season. He won't compete this season. Next season is what we're shooting for. He's enrolled here as a full-time student right now. Will he continue to wrestle Greco as well? Sanderson: That's his plan. His plan is to train Greco. He had surgery this fall. He is really working hard to be ready to compete in the tournaments during the spring. Cyler Sanderson, now a freshman at Iowa State, won a Junior Nationals freestyle title over the summer, but tore his ACL in the Greco portion of the event.Your youngest brother, Cyler, was one of the top high school recruits in the country last season. Did you try to recruit him to UVSC? Sanderson: Yeah, I did. I talked to him about coming here. At this point, I just didn't have quite enough to offer him. It's kind of a tradition for my family to wrestle at Iowa State. With Cael out there coaching, it was the perfect fit for him at this time. Cyler tore his ACL this past summer at Junior Nationals while wrestling Greco. How is his rehab going? Sanderson: His rehab is going really well. I don't think the doctors will clear him to actually be on the mat for at least a few more months. But they said that if he continues to do what he's doing, he'll be have a one-hundred percent recovery. Your father, Steve, had a lot of success coaching at the high school level. He built Wasatch High School into a national powerhouse. What have you learned about coaching from your father? Sanderson: I frequently talk to him about different ideas for coaching -- different philosophies and things I should be doing here to build a program. He went through a lot of the similar things at the high school level, where he built a program into one of the top teams in the country. In a way, I would like to kind of mimic that -- just at the college level. With Cael now serving as the head assistant coach at Iowa State -- does he ever consult you for advice on different coaching aspects. You have obviously been in the coaching game longer. Sanderson: We chat back and forth quite a bit about how things are going and what we're doing with our teams. It's nice to be able to get a different perspective from … well, from him … in a way, I guess he's an opposing coach. So we spend some time sharing things back and forth. What was it like seeing Cael win his gold medal at the Olympics? Sanderson: It was just an incredible experience for me and my family. We knew how much work he put into it and how many difficulties he had along the way. To see him excel at the end, at the Olympic Games when it mattered, it was one of the best experiences that we've been able to have as a family. Were you in Athens for the Games? Sanderson: Yeah, I was able to go out there a little bit early. I spent quite a bit of time with Cael and watched him get ready. It was a great experience, not just watching him get ready, but also being able to sit and watch the rest of the team get ready to compete in the Olympics. Everyone in the wrestling world wants to know whether or not Cael is done wrestling. Do you think we'll ever see him compete again? Sanderson: I'd say that I'd like to watch him compete again, but that's completely up to him now. He's spending a lot of time coaching. He'll just sit back and see. It would be fun, though.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Lehigh senior Troy Letters picked up his 100th career victory, and the eighth ranked Mountain Hawks shook off a slow start en route to a 26-15 win over Rider Thursday night in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 1,827 at Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Lehigh dropped the first two bouts of the evening, but reeled off six wins in a row, including three bonus wins and a forfeit as the Mountain Hawks open the season at 1-0, while Rider falls to 0-1. Lehigh won its second straight season opener and now improves to 8-2 in openers under Greg Strobel. "We lacked a pop early on, probably because we really worked the guys hard in practice earlier this week," said Strobel. "We were able to pick things up a little, and Troy (Letters) was really determined to get that win. Tonight was good for us though, we picked up a win and obviously it's very early in the season so there is plenty of room to grow." The match started at 125 pounds, where sophomore Patrick Berger scored the first takedown, but Rider's Ryan Smith came back to even the match and was able to pin Berger in the second period. The Broncs' lead grew to 9-0 when Zack Cunliffe amassed over four minutes of riding time in a 5-0 blanking of Lehigh's John Stout. The Mountain Hawks got on the scoreboard with back to back major decisions by Cory Cooperman at 141 and Matt Ciasulli in his first dual at 149. Senior Derek Zinck won by forfeit at 157 to put Lehigh ahead and then Letters took center stage. Letters collected wins number 98 and 99 over the weekend at the Slippery Rock Open, where he forfeited his remaining matches to give himself the opportunity to crack the century mark in front of the home fans. The Shaler native and 2004 national champion did just that, building a 10-1 lead before pinning Ryan Cunningham in the second period. Letters improves to 100-4 in his career and becomes the 11th member of the 100 win club at Lehigh. "I really wanted to do it here at Grace," Letters acknowledged afterwards. "The fans here have supported me for so long they've almost become like family. I got my first career win in the old Grace, and I wanted number 100 here as well" The Mountain Hawks picked up wins by decision at 174 and 184 with Travis Frick edging Doug Umbehauer and then Dave Helfrich with a six point win over Joe Maroney. The Broncs would take the final two bouts as T.J. Morrison topped Matt Cassidy and then Tyler Rees used a third period escape to top Dan Murrer, who gave up nearly 90 pounds to his counterpart. Lehigh returns to action on Sunday when the Mountain Hawks head to University Park, Pa. to take part in the second annual Pennsylvania State Dual Championships. The Mountain Hawks will face a junior college team, Williamson in the opening round, which gets underway at 10:00 am from Rec Hall.

Stanford, Calif. -- Stanford wrestling will open the 2005-06 season against No. 14 Missouri on Friday at 7 p.m. The match will be held at Oak Park High School in Kansas City, Mo. The Cardinal will then travel to Warrensburg, Mo., for the Central Missouri Open on Sunday. Last season, the Cardinal finished the year with a 6-8-1 record, but Friday's dual will mark the beginning of first-year head coach Kerry McCoy's tenure at the helm of the Stanford wrestling program. "We're very excited for our first competition," noted McCoy. "It will be a tough test, but we're up for it. On paper, we're not the better team, but we're going to go out there and show what we can do. You have to go out and compete, wrestling is not done on paper." Stanford will stay in the Midwest for Sunday's tournament at Central Missouri State. Last year, the Cardinal placed six wrestlers at the tournament, including sophomores Tanner Gardner, who captured the title at 125 pounds as an unattached competitor, and Josh Zupancic, who finished in second place at 149 pounds. "The tournament will be a chance to get more guys competition time," added McCoy. "It will be good preparation for the end of the season. Right now, every day is practice, and the Central Missouri Open will be an opportunity to see how ready we are."

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State wrestling team and head coach Russ Hellickson announced the signing of Lance Palmer Thursday. Hellickson adds the projected 141-pounder, who is a three-time Ohio state champion and has a 106-5 career mark. A two-time Most Valuable Wrestler at St. Edwards High School in Cleveland, Ohio, Palmer is only the second wrestler in Ohio High School Athletic Association history to pin his way through the sectional, district and state tournaments. Last season, 24 of Palmer's 33 wins came via fall at 125 during his junior campaign. Palmer also had a notable showing at the 2005 Junior Nationals, finishing third. As a sophomore in 2004, Palmer garnered his second state championship title in the 112-weight division after posting a 32-4 record and 21 falls. Palmer captured his first state championship in 2003 (103 pounds) during his freshman year after recording a mark of 41-1 and notching 16 falls. "Ever since I was young, I have wanted to wrestle at Ohio State," Palmer said. "I have been good friends with the guys on the team, so I'm coming into a friendly environment." Hellickson, who is entering his 20th season as Buckeye head coach, is eager for Palmer to showcase his swagger and passion for the sport. "His intensity and success at every competition level makes him one of the top wrestlers in the nation," Hellickson said. Palmer also owns numerous honors, including the 2004 and 2005 St. Edwards Most Pins Award (2004 – 21, 2005 – 24). Named Outstanding Wrestler in 2004 and 2005 after winning two-consecutive titles at the Medina Invitational (MIT), Palmer was a two-time Cliff Keen National Champion. Palmer also was a 2002 U.S. Freestyle National Champion and a member of the 2000 World All-Star Team. "Lance is one of the best recruits in the country," Mitch Clark, Ohio State assistant coach, said. "Lance also is a likable guy. His personality fits well with our team. He is one of the hardest working guys when it's time to focus." With Hellickson offering Palmer the lone scholarship available for the 2006-07 season, Hellickson is confident Palmer will make an easy transition from the high school scene to the collegiate ranks. "Lance will have a big impact on our team," Hellickson said. "He is a very powerful and strong wrestler with an aggressive style. He may be the most prepared high school wrestler we have recruited." Hellickson also credits Clark for recruiting one of the top high school wrestlers in the country. "Mitch Clark is mostly responsible for Lance and his family joining the OSU family," Hellickson said. "The Palmer family is very supportive and we all are glad he is on board." After years of preparation, Dwayne Palmer is excited about his son's pending career at Ohio State. "It has been a lifelong dream for Lance since he was 9 years old to compete for the Buckeyes and to see him reach his goal is icing on the cake," D Palmer said. "Russ and the coaching staff are a great group of people. We are a tight-nit family and we live the sport. We wanted to make sure Lance received a great education and found a secondary family in OSU wrestling." Lance Palmer (Senior, St. Edwards High School) Three-time Ohio high school state champion (2003, 2004 and 2005) … second wrestler in Ohio high school wrestling history to pin his way through the sectional, district and state tournaments … owns a three-year high school career record of 106-5 … has 61 high school career falls … two-time most valuable wrestler at St. Edwards high school (2004 and 2005) … recorded the most pins on high school squad in 2004 (21) and 2005 (24) … 2004 Ohio Division I State Duals MVP … 2004 Asics IronMan National Champion … 2003 Beast of the East Champion … third at the 2005 Junior National Tournament … U.S. Triple Crown National Champion at 75 pounds … Born Feb. 7, 1987.

NORMAN, Okla., -- The Oklahoma wrestling team opens the season this weekend when it travels to Brockport, N.Y., to compete in the seventh annual SUNY-Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic on Saturday, Nov. 12. "What we're looking for this weekend is to come out and wrestle well and wrestle hard and I think we're ready to do that," said head coach Jack Spates. "Brockport is a good mid-level tournament. There are 11 teams most of which are very competitive, including Penn which is a perennial top 15 team. There are a lot of competitive teams but it's a good tournament to open up with. "We're very excited to get out and battle with someone else," Spates said. OU has four wrestlers as the No. 1 seed in their respective weight classes. Sam Hazewinkel at 125 pounds, Teyon Ware at 141 pounds, Matt Storniolo at 149 pounds and Jake Hager at Heavyweight. The Sooners claimed the 2004 Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic team title with a score of 212.5. The win stretched the Sooners string of consecutive team titles at the event to six. The Sooners also had 10 wrestlers place fourth or better, with Sam Hazewinkel, Teyon Ware, Matt Storniolo, Charles Jones, Wes Roberts, E.K. Waldhaus and Joel Flaggert all bringing home individual titles. Season Ticket Information Become a season ticket holder and enjoy Oklahoma Wrestling at affordable prices. As a season ticket holder, you will also have access to intimate seating inside the newly renovated McCasland Field House which provides an up-close look at some of the best wrestling in the country. Public season tickets are only $30 and Faculty/Staff and Letterwinner season tickets are $24. Be a part of the fun and excitement of Oklahoma Wrestling.

Three high school standouts have signed national letters of intent to attend Augustana College and wrestle for the Vikings, Augustana head coach Jason Reitmeier announced Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period. Signing with the Vikings were Jay Sherer of Columbus, Neb., Kyle Svendsen of Omaha, Neb., and Lance Peters of LeRoy, Minn. Sherer is one of the top wrestlers in Nebraska. Entering his senior season at Columbus High School, he has a 113-4 career record. A three-time Class A state finalist, Sherer won the 2004 state title at 125 pounds and the 2005 state crown at 135 pounds. He posted a 40-1 record as a junior and 38-0 as a sophomore. He is on pace to be the Discoverer's first four-time state finalist in Columbus High School history. Svendsen has a 107-17 career record in his first three seasons at Omaha Skutt Catholic High School. Last season, he posted a 37-6 record and finished third at the Class B state tournament while leading Skutt to its eighth-straight Class B state championship. As a sophomore, he was 36-6 and qualified for the state tournament, in addition to placing second at the Rocky Mountain Nationals. As a freshman in 2002-03, Svendsen posted a 34-5 record and placed third at the state meet. Peters enters his fourth season as a starter at LeRoy-Ostrander High School. He begins the 2005-06 season with a 95-16 career record. Last year as a junior, Peters posted a 43-6 record and was the state runner-up at the Class AA state tournament. As a team, the Bulldogs placed fifth at the state meet. A three-time All-Three Rivers Conference performer, Peters was also an academic all-conference selection in 2004-05. "We are extremely pleased to have signed young men of this caliber," Reitmeier said. "Jay is the total packeage. He is a great wrestler and student, having him inked will help us sign more of the areas top wrestlers. He will make and immediate impact on this team. Kyle comes from one of the nations top programs. He will be a great addition in the middle to upper weights and brings in the swagger of a winner. Lance gives us another athletic big man to the upper weight. He is very personable and will fit in great with the team. He is one of four wrestlers on our team from the LeRoy, Minnesota, area." Augustana won the North Central Conference and North Central Regional championships last season and placed second at the 2005 NCAA Division II National Championships. This season, the Vikings were ranked No. 4 in the preseason top 20 poll.

The 2006 USA Wrestling World Team Trials, will be hosted at Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa, May 27-28. The best wrestlers in the nation in the three international styles of wrestling will be on display in this exciting and important event, featuring men's freestyle, men's Greco-Roman and women's freestyle wrestling. The USA Wrestling World Team Trials determines who will represent the U.S. at the 2006 World Wrestling Championships in Guangzhou, China, Sept. 26 – Oct. 1. This will be the second straight year that USA Wrestling will host its World Team Trials in the state of Iowa. The 2005 USA Wrestling World Team Trials were held at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. Other past World Team Trials held in Iowa were the 1983 Freestyle World Team Trials in Iowa City, the 1990 Greco-Roman World Team Trials in Cedar Falls and the 1998 Freestyle World Team Trials in Waterloo. The 2006 USA Wrestling World Team Trials will be organized by the Sioux City Championships Committee. "Sioux City is very proud to be the host of the 2006 USA Wrestling Senior Men's and Women's Freestyle, and Senior Men's Greco-Roman World Team Trials, including many current and future US Olympians. Wrestling is a wonderful part of our Midwestern heritage and enjoys tremendous popularity here," noted Sioux City Mayor Karen Van De Steeg. "Wrestling reflects many of our Midwestern traits, including the values of hard work, patience, focus and discipline. We look forward to hosting this exciting event." "Being selected as the site of this world-class event is a tribute to the support and dedication of our local wrestling community. We know the World Team Trials will be a success in Sioux City – an event not only the fans but the participants will remember for years to come," added Tournament Director Tim Tushla. The Challenge Tournament, featuring all of the qualifiers for the tournament except the 2006 U.S. Nationals champions, will be held on Saturday, May 27. The Final World Team Trials, featuring a best-of-three championship series between the 2006 U.S. Nationals champion and the Challenge Tournament winner in each weight class, will be held on Sunday, May 28. Many of the star wrestlers who competed in the 2004 Olympic Games, as well as the 2005 World Wrestling Championships are expected to participate. This event will also showcase many young talents who are training to make the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team. There will be numerous athletes in the field who have a strong tie to the host state of Iowa, including athletes who competed at Iowa State, the Univ. of Iowa or at Northern Iowa, in addition to other wrestlers who grew up in the state of Iowa or reside there. Three members of the 2005 U.S. World Freestyle Team were residing in Iowa when they made the team: Chris Bono (Gilbert, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Joe Williams (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Tolly Thompson (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Bono attended Iowa State and Williams attended the Univ. of Iowa. Thompson went to high school in Janesville, Iowa. In addition, Howells, Neb. native Brad Vering (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) grew up near Sioux City. Vering competed on the 2004 U.S. Greco-Roman Olympic Team and has competed in the last three World Championships for the U.S., placing fifth in two of those years. 2005 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team member Harry Lester at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. attended Iowa State for a season. 2005 Women's World Team member Sara McMann at 63 kg/138.75 lbs. resides in Iowa City. The Tyson Events Center will seat 7,000 fans for the World Team Trials. Sioux City has hosted numerous outstanding wrestling competitions in the past, as well as a number of other major sports competitions. Among the USA Wrestling events previously hosted in Sioux City were a USA vs. Turkey World Dual meet, a USA vs. Korea World Dual meet and a USA All-Star World Dual Meet. Sioux City is also the current host of the NAIA National Wrestling Championships. Sioux City currently hosts the NAIA Women's Basketball Championships, and has recently hosted the NAIA Baseball Championships and the ISC Men's World Fast-Pitch Softball Championships. The local wrestling community is large and well-respected. Two college wrestling teams are based in the city, Morningside and Briar Cliff. Among the top athletes who come from this community are Tony DeAnda, the assistant wrestling coach for the USOEC women's team at Northern Michigan Univ., and current NCAA Division II National Champion Patrick Allibone of the Univ. of Nebraska-Omaha. A number of other local wrestling stars are competing in major college wrestling programs. "The state of Iowa has proven its love and passion for the sport of wrestling over the last 50 years, and there is no better place to be able to take the 2006 USA Wrestling World Team Trials than to Sioux City," stated USA Wrestling Director of National Events Pete Isais. "We are confident that the Sioux City community will embrace this event and provide a great backdrop for some of the World's top wrestlers to complete the final step in earning a spot on the 2006 U.S. World Team." A website has been established that will provide ticket information, schedules and updates on the World Team Trials event this year. Visit: www.2006trials.org. Past World Team Trials sites 1983 – Iowa City, Iowa (FS), Colorado Springs, Colo. (GR) 1985 – Baton Rouge, La. (FS)*, Colorado Springs, Colo. (GR) 1986 – Indianapolis, Ind. (FS), Albany, N.Y. (GR) 1987 – Houston, Texas* 1989 – Stillwater, Okla.* 1990 – Philadelphia, Pa. (FS), Cedar Falls, Iowa (GR), Toledo, Ohio (W) 1991 – Philadelphia, Pa. (FS), Warrensburg, Mo. (GR). Las Vegas, Nev. (W) 1992 – Las Vegas, Nev. (W) 1993 – Philadelphia, Pa. (FS), Rochester, Minn. (GR), Las Vegas, Nev. (W) 1994 – Philadelphia, Pa. (FS), LaCrosse, Wis. (GR), Las Vegas, Nev. (W) 1995 – Philadelphia, Pa. (FS), Colorado Springs, Colo. and Atlanta, Ga. (GR), Norman, Okla. (W) 1996 – Las Vegas, N.M. (W) 1997 – Las Vegas, Nev. (FS), Minneapolis, Minn. (GR), Roseville, Calif. (W) 1998 – Waterloo, Iowa (FS), Metarie, La. (GR), St. Paul, Minn. (W) 1999 – Seattle, Wash. (FS), Tampa, Fla. (GR), Rochester, Minn. (W) 2000 – Battle Creek, Mich. (W) 2001 – Cincinnati, Ohio 2002 – St. Paul, Minn. 2003 – Indianapolis, Ind. 2005 – Ames, Iowa 2006 – Sioux City, Iowa *- Held during U.S. Olympic Festival

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. -- Four Panther wrestlers traveled to Slippery Rock last weekend to compete in the Slippery Rock Open. The competition was held on Saturday and featured a number of tri-state teams. Junior Matt Kocher (State College, Pa./State College) led the Panthers, capturing the tournament title at 157 pounds. Kocher defeated Rob Hermo of Clarion 7-0 in the first round and Al Wonesh of Lycoming 17-2 in the second round. He went on to pin Mike Vacarier of Gannon in the third round at the 2:58 mark on his way to winning the finals, 12-5, over Chris Wade. Keith Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) was on his way to being undefeated after winning his first match against Chris Swan of Bloomsburg, 23-11, and pinning Jacob Tazzi of Gannon at 1:42. Gavin had to forfeit his third match against Ben Hepburn of Lock Haven because of an injury. Dave Kapetanovich (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills/CCAC), a redshirt freshman and Panther newcomer, went 2-2 in the tournament. Kapetanovich posted wins over both Jared Hirtz of Thiel, 11-5, and Brad Shrum of Duquesne by a 9-3 count. Redshirt freshman Matt Darnell (Lyndhurst, Ohio/Cuyahoga Valley C.A.) competed for the Panthers at 197 this weekend, also finishing with a 2-2 record. He secured two wins over Morgan Wanzer of AIC, 4-0, and Adam Lange of Mt. Union College in the second and third rounds of the tournament, respectively. The Panthers will officially open their season on Tuesday, November 15, at Bloomsburg.