InterMat Staff

SLIPPERY ROCK -- Bloomsburg 2005 NCAA qualifiers Mike Sees (Northumberland/Shikellamy) and Jim Bertulis (Aston/Garnett Valley) each posted wins in their weight classes at the 2005 Slippery Rock Open. Sees wrestled at 125 pounds while Bertulis competed at 165. Both were the EWL Champions at those weight classes last season. Several other Bloomsburg wrestlers also had strong showings at the event. Brad Forbes placed second in the 141 pound bracket while Aric Furhman (Spring Grove/Delone Catholic) and Blaine Cohick (Williamsport/Loyalsock) each placed third, Furhman at 157 and Cohick at 197 pounds. Bloomsburg also had a solid tournament at the 149 pound class, with Alex Canover (Mendham/Mendham) going 4-1 and Darren Kern (Pennsburg/Upper Perkiomen) finishing 3-1. George Hickman (Wilmington, NC/Riverside) also wrestled at 149, going 1-2. At 133 pounds, Ricky Donald (Millville/Bloomsburg) had a strong tournament, winning four of his five matches while at 197 pounds Jesse Hasseman (Franklin, IN/Franklin) went 3-1. Other Bloomsburg wrestlers who competed in the tournament were Jason Crawford (New Albany/Wyalusing Valley) who went 0-2 at 157, Frank Beasley (Oden, IL/Centralia) who went 3-2 and Andrew Jordan (Newark, DE/St. Mark's) who went 1-2 both at 174 pounds and at 184 pounds, Nate Shirk (Middleburg/Middleburg) went 2-1 while Chris Swan (Saylorsburg/Pleasant Valley) went 0-2. The Bloomsburg wrestlers are idle until November 12 when they travel to Brockport, NY for the Oklahoma Gold Classic at 10:00 a.m.

Saturday the Dana College wrestling team opened up their season at the SDSU Wrestling Open in Brookings, S.D. Twenty-eight Viking wrestlers competed. Five placed in the tournament. Top performances came from the fourth place finishes of Brett Brandl, (RFr, 133, Madison, Neb.) and Russell Smith (Fr, 174, Owatonna, Minn.). Other notable performances were from Nick Wilkes (Jr, 184, Onamia, Minn.), 6th; Zach Loberg (RFr, 197, North Bend, Neb.), 6th; and Armando Montoya (So, 285, Las Vegas, N.M.), 6th. "This is always a great tournament to start with for our younger inexperienced guys," said Coach Steve Costanzo. "I saw some great things out of the kids today and hopefully we can build on those experiences and get better." In all, there were about 220 entries from 15 universities in attendance. No team scores were kept. The Dana College Vikings will travel to Warrensburg, Mo., Sunday for the Central Missouri State University Wrestling Open. Viking Results: 125 James Hicks (Belle Glade, Fla.) 1-2 125 Teddy Gillespie (Pontiac, Mich.) 1-2 133 Brett Brandl (Madison, Neb.) 3-2, 4th 133 Dan Rowe (Syracuse, Neb.) 2-2 133 Jon Goodridge (Kokomo, Ind.) 0-2 133 Sonny Silva (Kimberly, Idaho) 3-2 141 Clinton Dale (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1-2 141 Adam Hope (Kenyon, N.M.) 0-2 141 George Roath (Kansas City, Kan.) 3-2 141 Torey Seminara (Pearl City, Hawaii) 0-2 149 Anthony Byers (Omaha, Neb.) 0-2 149 Jay Hernandez (Sulphur, La.) 0-2 149 Marcos Martinez (Las Vegas, N.M.) 0-2 149 Dan Pray (St. George, Kan.) 2-2 157 Dakota Sullivan (Bloomfield, N.M.) ‹ 2-2 165 Bulla Tuzon (Wailuku, Hawaii) 2-2 165 Dustin Walker (Sulphur, La.) 0-2 174 Russell Smith (Owatonna, Minn.) 2-2, 4th 184 Nick Wilkes (Onamia, Minn.) 4-2, 6th 184 Chancy Hansen (Valentine, Neb.) 0-2 184 John Justice (Moreno Valley, Calif.) 2-2 184 Joe Palmer (Dennison, Ohio) 0-2 184 Ryan Allen (Coeur D¹Alene, Idaho) 0-2 197 Zach Loberg (North Bend, Neb.) 2-2, 6th 197 Tyler Woodard (Farmington, N.M.) 0-2 197 Wade Jordan (Coulee City, Wash.) 1-2 285 Armando Montoya (Las Vegas, N.M.) 3-2, 6th 285 Jesse Boggs (Deming, N.M.) 3-2

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Oklahoma State's wrestling team will begin its quest for its fourth consecutive national championship and 34th overall when it holds its annual Orange-Black Dual on Thursday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. Five weights have already been set for Thursday night. Returning All-American Coleman Scott will wrestle true freshman Tyler Shinn at 125. At 149, Zack Esposito will begin his title defense when he faces teammate B.J. Jackson. Johny Hendricks will meet freshman Kevin Wainscott as he will look to repeat as champion at 165. There will be two matches at 184 as Clay Kehrer will meet Brent Parkey and Jack Jensen will face Rusty Blackmon. OSU fans will get a glimpse of the future when Jared Rosholt meets two-time national champion Steve Mocco at heavyweight. The remaining weight classes will be decided on Wednesday night in closed ranking matches. The Cowboys are returning six All-Americans and four national champions from the 2005 national championship squad. OSU will open the regular season at Michigan State on Nov. 27 before returning home to face Lehigh on Dec. 2.

The seventh-ranked Iowa State wrestlers opened their season with wins over Div. II Upper Iowa and second-ranked Div. III foe Wisconsin-La Crosse, both 31-9, Sunday afternoon at the Dorman Gym in Fayette. ISU's Ben Hanisch, Jesse Sundell, Nate Gallick Trent Paulson, Travis Paulson and Kurt Backes each had two wins at their respective weight class. The Cyclones held a 66-18 takedown advantage over the two schools and scored eight three-point near falls while allowing none. "It was a good performance," head coach Bobby Douglas said. "We found out a lot about this team and we still have a lot of work to do." The 125-pounder Hanisch started his sophomore season strong with a 14-5 major decision against UIU's Tyler Mumbulo. Hanisch used two first period near falls to jump out to an early 8-0 lead and never looked back against Mumbulo, the 2004-05 Mike McCready Open winner. Hanisch opened last season in similar fashion, registering a major decision against Jacob Elsbernd, 13-1, in Council Bluffs. Sundell came out on top of 2002 All-American Ralph Acosta at 133 pounds. Acosta, who placed fifth in 2002 at the NCAA Div. III Championships, battled to tie the match as the third period expired. The senior NCAA qualifier scored on a double-leg takedown off the edge of the mat midway through the overtime session to take the match 11-9. Last year against the Peacocks, Sundell made quick work of John Gamble, scoring a pin in 1:49. In his match against Wisconsin-La Crosse's fifth-ranked Jordan Kolinski, Sundell scored a pin at the 6:55 mark as he was trailing for the duration of the match. Sundell escaped to begin the third period, scored a takedown and cradled Kolinski for the fall. Nate Gallick, the 2005 NCAA runner-up, topped Kyle Burkle, 8-3, at 141 pounds. Gallick major decisioned Burkle at the season opener last year, 16-5. Gallick scored at will in his next match in a high-scoring major decision over Wisconsin-La Crosse's Brad Velasquez, 25-15. Aron Scott opened his season in explosive fashion, utilizing a slew of double-leg takedowns to major decision Tee Adams at 149 pounds, 15-5. Scott opened last season with a decision over UIU's Brian Bloes, his first career win. ISU's other 149 pounder Jason Knipp added his own major decision over the Eagles' Adam Kuchnia, 9-1. Trent Paulson, a 2005 All-American, pinned Brandon Heying in 5:10 at 157 pounds. Paulson scored bonus points against the Peacocks last year as well, scoring a 19-2 technical fall over Sean Washington. Paulson again notched bonus points in his next match, earning a major decision against UWL's Andrew Dorn, 19-7. Travis Paulson scored more bonus points at 165 pounds, registering major decisions on Brady Hakeman of Upper Iowa and Scott Dorn of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Kurt Backes, ranked fifth in the nation at 184 pounds, major decisioned Peacock Tony Gehling, 15-4, and beat fourth-ranked Eagle Div. III All-American Jason Lulloff from in the next dual. True freshman Joe Curran earned his first career Cyclone victory at 197 pounds, downing Upper Iowa's Dan Goodson at 197 pounds, 6-4. Junior heavyweight Richard Schopf pulled out his first dual win since the 2003-04 season, scoring a takedown as time expired in the third period for an 8-6 win over Wisconsin-La Crosse's Tim Winker. Iowa State faces Utah Valley State in its home opener Friday at 4:30 p.m. in Hilton Coliseum.

The Upper Iowa wrestling team took to the mat for the first time as a full-fledged NCAA Division II institution Sunday afternoon, and they did so against Iowa State University, the seventh-ranked Division I program in the country. The Cyclones showed why they are one of the premier wrestling programs in the nation with a 31-9 win over the Peacocks in Dorman Gymnasium. ISU won eight of the team matches, including four major decisions and a win by fall. The return of three National qualifiers to the Peacock lineup helped UIU immediately. Two-time All-American Brian Black picked up a 7-4 decision over Ben Dunkelberger at heavyweight, while C.J. MacNaught won by injury default at 174 pounds. All-American Ralph Acosta rebounded from a slow start only to lose 11-9 in overtime to Jesse Sundell at 133 pounds. Sundell is ranked 15th in the Amateur Wrestling News. Kyle Burkle lost 8-3 to #2 Nate Gallick at 141 pounds and Dan Goodson fell 6-4 to Joe Curran at 197 pounds. Iowa State's #4/3 Trent Paulson picked up the only win by fall at the 5:10 mark at 157 pounds. Ben Hanisch, Aron Scott, #6/5 Travis Paulson and #5/3 Kurt Backes each won by major decision for the Cyclones. Iowa State followed with an identical 31-9 win over Wisconsin-La Crosse, the second-ranked team in the NCAA Division III ranks. Upper Iowa returns to the mat Saturday at the Dubuque Spartan Open. Matches begin at 10 a.m.

The 2005-06 wrestling season kicked off Saturday, November 5 at the Eastern Michigan University Open in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The tournament set a record with over 335 wrestlers and was the first outing for many top ranked collegiate wrestlers. Michigan State was the strongest team in the field with 10 placers including 2 champions - All American Nick Simmons (125) and his brother Andy Simmons (141). Purdue and Edinboro claimed 2 champions. Purdue's strength was in the upper weights with All American Ben Wissel claiming the 184 crown and Nate Moore winning the tournament at 197. Edinboro's champions were NCAA runner-up Shawn Bunch (133) and Gregor Gillespie (149). Navy claimed two champions with John Jarred at 157 and Tanner Garret at 285. The surprise team of the tournament was Lindenwood University with 9 placers, including champion Jake Dieffenbach at 165. The biggest individual surprise was Indiana's true freshman Trevor Perry who captured the title at 174. Eastern was led by its own true freshman standout, Sean Clair, who took 4th in the 125 pound weight class. The new Eagle from Plum, Pennsylvania lost in the semifinals to runner-up Franklin Gomez from Michigan State and finished the tournament with a 4-2 record. Although they did not place, the Eagle coaches were impressed with the wrestling of sophomores Josh Moulton (141), Zack Beck (125) and freshmen Chris Jenkins (133) and Rece Cox (149). Three Eagle starters sat out the tournament, including Captains Phil Plowman (133) and Charley Walker (285) and nationally ranked Jermaine Thompson (149).

The unofficial kickoff to the high school wrestling season comes this Saturday and Sunday in Greensboro, N.C. at the Super 32 Challenge. Competition on Saturday will narrow the field in each weight class down to 16 competitors (eight in the quarterfinals, and eight in consolation), with the competition on Sunday determining a champion and the other seven place-winners. Many of the nation's elite wrestlers will assemble for a truly rigorous "pre-test" as they "Battle for the Belt." This field includes 23 of the nation's Top 100 seniors, 19 of the Top 50 juniors, 18 of the Top 50 sophomores, and 10 of the Top 25 freshmen. Among that group is the nation's best senior in Taylor Massa (St. Johns, Mich.), the nation's best sophomore in Chance Marsteller (Kennard Dale, Pa.), along with number two ranked wrestlers in the senior, junior, and freshman classes -- Jason Tsirtsis (Crown Point, Indiana), Ben Whitford (St. Johns, Mich.), and Matthew Kolodzik (Miami Valley, Ohio). Fifteen wrestlers that have made a Super 32 Challenge final over the years are among the anchor wrestlers of the field. It includes an impressive five of such wrestlers in the 126 pound weight class, the premier weight class of the tournament: defending champions Anthony Ashnault (South Plainfield, N.J.) and Nathan Kraisser (Centennial, Md.); along with runners-up in Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), 2009 champion Joey Dance (Christiansburg, Va.), and Rossi Bruno (Brandon, Fla.). Two returning event champions also anchor the 182 pound weight class -- Cody Wiercioch (Canon McMillan, Pa.) and Brandon Griffin (Sprague, Ore.). Other weight classes with a pair of former finalists include 113, 132, and 138 pounds. The pair of finalists from 103 pounds last year, Darian Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) and Nathan Tomasello (CVCA, Ohio) headline the 113 pound field; 2008 champion Alex Cisneros (Selma, Calif.) and last year's 130 pound runner-up Brandon Jeske (Cox, Va.) showcase at 132 pounds; while defending champion Steve Spearman (Erie McDowell, Pa.) and two-time runner-up Jason Tsirtsis are among the stars at 138 pounds. Rounding out that cast of characters is 2008 runner-up Jacob Crawford (Millbrook, Va.) at 145 pounds along with 2008 and 2009 runner-up Taylor Massa. The following is a breakdown of some of the (many) key wrestlers in each weight class, along with potential thoughts on what might happen over the two-day tournament. 106: Even though this weight lacks a true "mega-star", there are still many highly credentialed wrestlers within this field -- seven are ranked in their respective graduating class, and eleven have earned All-American honors in Fargo (Junior and/or Cadet Nationals) at some point of their career. Leading this field is Nathan Boston (Indiana), who was undefeated during his freshman season of high school and a FloNationals runner-up in March 2011. A key feature of this opening weight class is impact freshmen, including Matthew Kolodzik (Miami Valley, Ohio), Dylan Lucas (Brandon, Fla.), Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional, Pa.), A.C. Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa.), and Fredy Stroker (Bettendorf, Iowa). Other notables include state champions Sean Russell (Collins Hill, Ga.), Coy Ozias (Christiansburg, Va.), and Kyle Kelly (Chenango Forks, N.Y.); NHSCA Freshman Nationals champ Ryan Millhof (Collins Hill, Ga.); Junior National double All-American Jan Rosenberg (Morris Knolls, N.J.); and three-time Cadet National All-American Brent Fleetwood (Smyrna, Del.). Finals Prediction: Nathan Boston over Matthew Kolodzik 113: This is a very deep weight class that includes six returning Super 32 Challenge placers, along with ten additional wrestlers that have earned All-American honors in Fargo. Headline figures include last year's Super 32 finalists at 103 pounds -- Darian Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) and Nathan Tomasello (CVCA, Ohio) - each also won a title in Fargo this past summer. Other returning place-winners are two-time state champion Ryan Diehl (Trinity, Pa.), three-time Cadet All-Americans Dalton Macri (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) and Zac Hall (St. Johns, Mich.), along with state champion Billy Rappo (Council Rock South, Pa.). Also in this weight are FILA Cadet freestyle champion Dalton Brady (Colo.), Junior National freestyle runner-up Jarred Brooks (Warsaw, Indiana), and Junior National double All-American Jordan Wigger (Summerville, S.C.). Additional notable wrestlers include state champions JR Wert (Christiansburg, Va.), Cassidy Oshiro (Maryknoll, Hawaii), James Flint (Brandon, Fla.), Braun Marquez (Canyon Randall, Texas), and Brendan Calas (Seton Hall Prep, N.J.). Finals Prediction: Dalton Brady over Nathan Tomasello 120: The three featured wrestlers in this weight placed in the top five of last year's absolute meat-grinder of a weight class at 112 pounds in the Super 32. George DiCamillo (St. Ignatius, Ohio) followed that up with a second Ironman title, along with initial state and FloNationals championships; Jacob Schmitt (St. Johns, Mich.) and Conner Schram (Canon-McMillan, Pa.) made their second state finals appearances in as many high school seasons, while Schmitt also placed second in freestyle at the FILA Cadet Nationals and was a Junior Greco-Roman All-American. Others of note in this weight class include state champions Austin Hood (Louisburg, Kansas), Eric Montoya (Volcano Vista, N.M.), Cody Hummer (Savannah, Mo.), and Kaleb LeMaire (Caesar Rodney, Del.). Also meriting attention are 2010 state champions Emilio Martinez (Greeley West, Colo.), Will Mason (Cape Henry Collegiate, Va.), Alec Dierna (Wayne, N.Y.), and Drew Ferguson-Mitchell (Collins Hill Ga.). In addition are National Prep placers Jacob Goodwin (Bishop Lynch, Texas) and Andrew Atkinson (Liberty Christian, Va.), FloNationals runner-up Cody Stainbrook (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio), and Junior National freestyle All-American Eli Hale (Miami, Okla.). Finals Prediction: George DiCamillo over Jacob Schmitt 126: As discussed in the lead portion of this article, the weight class is absolutely stacked with five returning Super 32 finalists. Those include three-time state champions Rossi Bruno (Brandon, Fla.) and Nathan Kraisser (Centennial, Md.), two-time state champions Anthony Ashnault (South Plainfield, N.J.) and Joey Dance (Christiansburg, Va.), along with 2010 state champion Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.). Yet those five don't even scratch the surface of the quality present in this weight class. Three other wrestlers placed in last year's Super 32 Challenge -- 2010 Junior freestyle All-American Eric Devos (Waverly-Shell Rock, Iowa), Russell Coleman (Park Hill, Mo.), and Chris Caton (Northside Christian, N.C.). Other multiple-time state champions in this weight include Brandon Brunner (The Baylor School, Tennessee), FloNationals champion Dean Heil (St. Edward, Ohio), David Jeffrey (Parkersburg South, West Va.), Ryan O'Boyle (Central Catholic, Massachusetts), 2010 FloNationals runner-up Cody Phillips (Union County, Indiana), Zach Watson (The Baylor School, Tennessee), Skyler Wood (Platte County, Mo.), and Garrison White (Robinson, N.C.). Yet other notable wrestlers are Cadet freestyle runner-up finishers Jonce Blaylock (Berryhill, Okla.) and Gary Wayne Harding (Collinsville, Okla.), along with two-time state finalists in Alex Calandrino (Howell, Mich.), Corey Keener (Blue Mountain, Pa.) Randy Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), Dane Harlowe (Annandale, Va.), and Jake Smith (Newark Memorial, Calif.). Finals Prediction: Rossi Bruno over Nathan Kraisser 132: Three wrestlers in the top ten of their respective graduating classes stand out as the best in this weight class -- two-time Super 32 runner-up Brandon Jeske (Cox, Va.), 2008 Super 32 champion Alex Cisneros (Selma, Calif.), and Junior National Greco-Roman champion Kevin Norstrem (Brandon, Fla.). Three other former Super 32 placers feature in this weight class as well -- Shyheim Brown (Central Dauphin, Pa.), Tyson Dippery (Central Dauphin, Pa.), and John Fahy (Trinity, Kentucky). Also in this field are four additional Junior National Greco-Roman All-Americans in Laike Gardner (Biglerville, Pa.), Julian Purdy (Nevada Union, Calif.), Arty Walsh (Schuylkill Valley, Pa.), and Joey Ward (Moeller, Ohio); along with Junior National freestyle All-American Brant Schafer (St. Johns, Mich.). Additional state champions in this weight class include Davey Dolan (Berryhill, Okla.), Campbell Lewis (Soddy Daisy, Tennessee), and Neal Molloy (Danville, Indiana). Notable multi-time state placers include Colt Cotten (Benton, Pa.), Devon Jackson (Yorktown, Indiana), Brandon Keller (Timber Creek, N.J.), and Connor Melde (Bergen Catholic, N.J.). Finals Prediction: Brandon Jeske over Alex Cisneros 138: With the consolidation of middle-weight classes this year (last year's 125, 130, 135, 140, and 145 are shrunk into 126, 132, 138, and 145), there are going to be some weight classes in tournaments that are absolutely star-laden due to the lack of competitive options. This is one of those cases. The second-ranked senior and junior in the nation are both in this weight class -- two-time Super 32 runner-up Jason Tsirtsis (Crown Point, Indiana) and three-time Fargo double finalist Ben Whitford (St. Johns, Mich.). Additional stars in this weight class are FloNationals champion Nate Skonieczny (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio), a pair of FloNationals runners-up in Quentin Murphy (Holley Central, N.Y.) and Steve Spearman (Erie McDowell, Pa.), and two-time Super 32 placer Brent Fickel (Padua). Other state champions in this field are NHSCA Junior National runner-up Tony DeAngelo (Southern Alamance, N.C.), Nick Trimble (Sparta, Mich.), FloNationals placer Gabe Morse (Lowell, Mich.), and Brooks Martino (Robinson, Va.). Wrestlers that have finished second in the state include Josh Pennell (St. Johns, Mich.), Austin Matthews (Reynolds, Pa.), James Dekrone (John Glenn, N.Y.), and Mitch Newhouse (Massillon Perry, Ohio). Finals Prediction: Jason Tsirtsis over Ben Whitford 145: Leading the way in this weight class is three-time state champion, two-time state placer, and NHSCA Juniors champion Jacob Crawford (Millbrook, Va.). Three other InterMat Top 100 seniors anchor the weight class: two-time Junior National freestyle All-American Matt Cimato (LaSalle, Pa.), three-time state champion Alec Mooradian (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.), along with state champion and FloNationals placer Andrew Morse (Lowell, Mich.). Other very formidable seniors in this weight include FloNationals placer Kevin Moylan (Stagg, Ill.), NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Alenick Richardson (St. Peter's Prep, N.J.), Junior National Greco-Roman All-American Cody Ross (Springstead, Fla.), three-time state placers Zach Beitz (Juniata, Pa.) and Connor Mullins (New Castle, Indiana), state champion Joey Moon (Southern Alamance, N.C.), two-time National Prep placer Will Switzer (Archbishop Spalding, Md.), and three-time state runner-up Tanner Minder (Kearney, Mo.). Sophomore superstars include two-time Super 32 placer Solomon Chisko (Canon-McMillan, Pa.), National Prep runner-up Jack Clark (McDonogh, Md.), and Cadet freestyle All-American Jack Bass (Allen, Texas). Top juniors include state champion Cain Salas (Granite City, Ill.), along with state runner-up and Cadet double All-American Garrett Hammond (Chambersburg, Pa.). Finals Prediction: Jacob Crawford over Matt Cimato 152: Two years ago as an eighth-grader this young man competed in the Nittany Lion Open. Not only that, but he won a match, and was rather competitive in his two losses. Since then, the reputation of Chance Marsteller (Kennard Dale, Pa.) has only continued to grow. A dominant Cadet freestyle title last summer, an undefeated state championship season as a freshman in the Pennsylvania big-school division, and an absolutely dominant sweep of Greco-Roman and freestyle at the Cadet Duals and Cadet Nationals has transpired in the interim. Marsteller is clearly the best Class of 2014 wrestler in America, and some might argue the best overall high school wrestler in America. While there is no realistic challenger to Marsteller within this field, any number of wrestlers will be battling for "best of the rest" honors. Notable sophomores in this group include state champion and Cadet freestyle All-American Josh Llopez (La Plata, Md.), state placer Garrett Peppelman (Central Dauphin, Pa.), along with state placer and FloNationals placer Jordan Cooks (Davison, Mich.). Additional state champions in this weight include Kyle Burns (Milan Edison, Ohio), Eric O'Neill (Winter Springs, Fla.), Nick Kee (Scotland, N.C.), Austin Scogg (Rockford, Mich.), Patrick Davis (Woodbridge, Del.), and Aaron Walker (Judson, Texas). Also meriting attention is FILA Cadet freestyle All-American Travis Curley (St. Johns, Mich.). Finals Prediction: Chance Marsteller over Travis Curley 160: For the lack of star power present in the prior weight, this group provides more than sufficient compensation with four InterMat Top 100 Class of 2012 recruits as a starting point. This group includes Ironman and Beast of the East champion Jason Luster (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Pa.) -- a three-time state/National Prep finalist; Beast of the East runner-up Cody Allala (Hopewell, Va.), a three-time state champion; FloNationals and Junior National Greco-Roman champion Geordan Speiller (Pine Castle Christian, Fla.), a two-time state champion; along with Beast of the East champion Devon Gobbo (Delbarton, N.J.), a two-time state placer and Super 32 placer. Additional wrestlers to watch include FloNationals placers Tyler Askey (Northgate, Ga.) and Geno Morelli (DuBois, Pa.); Junior National Greco-Roman All-American Burke Paddock (Warsaw, N.Y.); state champions Jordan Wohlfert (St. Johns, Mich.), John Crowley (Regis, Colo.), and Zach Epperly (Christiansburg, Va.); NHSCA Junior placers Vincent Favia (Christian Brothers, N.J.), Ben Sullivan (Apple Valley, Minn.), and Justin Spyres (Green Run, Va.); along with state runners-up Victor Pereira (Newark Memorial, Calif.) and Adam Jackson (Rosemount, Minn.). Finals Prediction: Jason Luster over Cody Allala 170: Like the 152 pound weight anchored by the nation's top sophomore, this weight is anchored by one of the true elite wrestlers in America -- Taylor Massa (St. Johns, Mich.). Massa is seeking an elusive Super 32 title having finished third, second, second, and third in his prior attempts. The University of Mich. bound wrestler is ranked as the top recruit in the Class of 2012, has won three state titles, and is a two-time FILA Junior National freestyle champion. An additional similarity, is the lack of a bona fide challenger, though the contender group has some pretty solid wrestlers. Other state champions in this weight class include Junior Greco-Roman All-American Kyle Koziel (Brandon, Fla.), Forrest Przybysz (Jefferson, Ga.), Tanner Tinsley (Hanover, Va.), Jacob Haydock (Brandon, Fla.), Jared Haught (Parkersburg, West Va.), Cadet freestyle runner-up Parker Vonegidy (Piedmont, N.C.), and NHSCA freshman champion Chip Ness (Buford, Ga.). Additional wrestlers meriting attention are state placers Elliott Riddick (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), Connor Moran (Solanco, Pa.), and Austin Coniker (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Pa.); along with National Prep placer Tyler Rill (Mt. St. Joseph, Md.), Super 32 placer Brian Dorsey (Bowie, Texas), and NHSCA Sophomore champion Nick Zak (Jackson Liberty, N.J.). Finals Prediction: Taylor Massa over Kyle Koziel 182: The other side of the consolidation of weight classes in the middle is the increase of classes in the upper weights. What used to be the three weight classes of 171, 189, and 215 is now a four weight stretch of 170, 182, 195, and 220. This weight class is similar to the 180 weight that had been contested in prior years in Texas, but is new for high school wrestling overall. Despite that, there is excellent quality present in this weight class with a pair of defending Super 32 champions in Brandon Griffin (Sprague, Ore.) and Cody Wiercioch (Canon-McMillan, Pa.). Other superstars in this weight include two-time Junior National freestyle All-American Jordan Thomas (Greenville, Mich.), state champions and returning Super 32 placers Chaz Gresham (Goshen, Ohio) and Jesse Doyle (Wheatmore, N.C.), NHSCA Junior Nationals champion Tim Dudley (Irmo, S.C.), as well as FloNationals and Junior Greco-Roman runner-up Kevin Beazley (Detroit Catholic Central, Mich.). Others meriting attention include state champions Greg Wilson (Keller Central, Texas), Taylor Jackson (Citrus, Fla.), and Gray Jones (Camden County, Ga.); NHSCA Junior Nationals placers David Reck (Colonial Forge, Va.) and Victor Pozsonyi (Roselle Park, N.J.); along with Super 32 placer Jared Lux (North Allegheny, Pa.). Finals Prediction: Jordan Thomas over Brandon Griffin 195: This weight class and the next weight class are where the after-effects of the weight class change really show, both in terms of quality depth and quantity of participants. A pair of star juniors headlines the field in this weight -- two-time Cadet National double (Greco-Roman and freestyle) champion Mitch Sliga (Fishers, Indiana) and two-time state finalist, 2010 Cadet freestyle champion, Brooks Climmons (Pope, Ga.). Additional wrestlers to note include a trio of NHSCA Junior Nationals placers in Joe Jessen (Millbrook, Va.), Cameron King (Trinity, N.C.), and James Suvak (St. Edward, Ohio). Also present in the field are state champion Cody Davis (Pigeon Forge, Tennessee) along with state placers Payne Hayden (St. Johns, Mich.) and Matt McCutcheon (Kiski Area, Pa.). Finals Prediction: Mitch Sliga over Brooks Climmons 220: Winning a state championship as a freshman is a genuine accomplishment. Winning it in the Keystone State makes it all the more impressive. But to do it at 215 pounds, against 18 and 19 year old men, is all the more impressive. That is what Thomas Haines (Solanco, Pa.) did this past year. This sophomore, ranked No. 11 nationally, regardless of weight is a strong favorite to emerge with the belt on Sunday afternoon. Others to watch include state champion Chuckie Kerkesner (Cypress Lake, Fla.) along with state placers Ray Stone (Akron SVSM, Ohio), Trevor Stevens (Pope, Ga.), and Garrett Linton (Rootstown, Ohio). Finals Prediction: Thomas Haines over Chuckie Kerkesner 285: Last, and least in terms of participants in this tournament, is the heavyweights. None the less, there are a couple of high profile names in this field. First and foremost is Junior National double All-American Doug Vollaro (Pine Castle Christian, Fla.), who also was a FloNationals champion and earned second consecutive double runner-up honors at the FILA Cadet Nationals this spring. Joining Vollaro as an InterMat Top 100 senior in this weight is John Dreggors (Springstead, Fla.), a state runner-up who won titles at the NHSCA Junior National and FILA Cadet Greco-Roman tournaments this spring. Additional wrestlers in this weight class include National Prep runner-up Terrance Jean-Jacques (Haverhill, Massachusetts), Junior National freestyle All-American DaQuante Timbers (Freedom, Va.), state champion Lucas Ryan (Stonewall Jackson, Va.), and NHSCA Freshman champion Jesse Webb (Mt. Anthony Union, Vt.). Finals Prediction: Doug Vollaro over John Dreggors

SLIPPERY ROCK, PA -- Senior Kyle Cerminara (Lewiston, NY/Lewiston-Porter) reached his 100th career win and has advanced to the semifinals at the University at Buffalo's season-opening tournament at the Slippery Rock Open at Morrow Field House on Saturday. Cerminara won his 99th career match against George Mason's John Bauman, 20-8, and followed that by winning his 100th against Lycoming's Matt Miller, 15-1. The 2004 All-American joins Josh States (1998-2002), who he will tie with two more wins, and Gary Cooper (1998-2003) as the only Buffalo wrestlers to ever reach 100 career wins.

YPSILANTI, Mich. -- Navy took home two individual titles and four others placed at the competitive season-opening Eastern Michigan Open on Saturday. Junior 157-pounder John Jarred (Kansas City, Mo.) and senior heavyweight Tanner Garrett (Tulsa, Okla.) brought home titles in their respective weight classes, while freshman 141-pounder Ricky Tippett (White Marsh, Md.) earned a second-place finish in his first collegiate tournament. "We came here to find out where we were at and where we stood and we found out a lot today," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "We had some good performances and some not-so-good performances. I know we are better than we showed today in some areas. We'll go back to the drawing board next week and get ready for our California trip." Other placewinners for Navy included 174-pound sophomore Matt Stolpinski (3rd; Westfield, Mass.), junior 149-pounder John Cox (4th; Grand Haven, Mich.) and freshman 197-pounder Tyler Moyer (5th; Bremerton, Wash.).

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Seven wrestlers secured victories as the Black team defeated the Gold squad, 21-14, Saturday evening in Army's annual Black-Gold intrasquad wrestling scrimmage. The match, which was contested inside the newly renovated Arvin Gymnasium, kicked off the Black Knights' 2005-06 season. The action began at 165 pounds with Jon Anderson giving the Gold team an early 4-0 advantage as the Virginia Beach, Va., native turned in an 18-6 major decision triumph over freshman John Drew. Anderson sprinted out of the gates with three takedowns in the first period and cruised from there. The four-year standout produced six takedowns during the match, while Drew garnered his points on six escapes. Army dropped the 165- and 174-pound bouts before Charles Martin tied the score, 6-6, as the Carlisle, Pa., product earned a 9-7 decision opposite Doran Heist in the 184-pound contest. The bout was tied at 6-apiece going into the third period, but Martin outscored Heist 2-1 in the final frame to secure the win. In the second bout of the night, the Black team's Scott Ferguson nipped freshman Jon Mathias, 3-2, at 174 pounds. The match, deadlocked 0-0 after the first period, was highlighted by Ferguson's three-point flurry midway through the second period. The sophomore earned one point on an escape before producing the match's only takedown. He held off Mathias in the third stanza to earn the one-point victory. The 184-pound match set up as a fierce battle between a pair of Army seniors in Luke Calvert and Charles Martin. The contest remained scoreless into the second period, when Calvert, who was competing for the Black team, scored a point on a well-executed takedown. The grapplers traded escape points and Calvert took a 3-1 lead into the third period. Martin opened the third period with a two-point reversal to knot the score at 3-3. Calvert responded with an escape off of the ensuing restart and the Broken Arrow, Okla., native held on for the 4-3 decision. Calvert's win put the Black squad ahead 6-4, but the lead proved to be short-lived as junior Connor Sanders cruised past sophomore Daniel Schiering with a 12-4 major decision. Sanders used five takedowns en route to earning the four-point decision, which put the Gold team ahead 8-6 after four bouts. The see-saw scrimmage tipped in favor of the Black team as freshman Michael Sprigg outlasted senior James Hollis in overtime, 5-2, at heavyweight. The bout, which was tied at 1-1 after regulation time, remained deadlocked at 2-2 through the first four overtime periods. In the fifth extra session, Sprigg broke through with an escape to take the lead and added a takedown to provide the final margin. The Black team won three more matches in a row to seize the match. In the sixth bout of the match, sophomore Fernando Martinez defeated freshman William Simpson, 8-3, at 125 pounds. A product of Highland, Ind., Martinez produced a pair of takedowns in both the first and second periods on his way to the victory. The three-point decision extended the Black team's lead to 12-8. At 133 pounds, junior Frank Baughan kept the momentum going for the Black team as he turned back up-and-coming freshman Whitt Dunning, 6-2. Baughan jumped out a 5-0 advantage after two periods on the strength of a pair of takedowns. The third session proved to be a spirited one and Dunning averted being shutout with a nice two-point reversal late. Baughan's victory set the stage for Severo's match-securing win. BLACK DEFEATS GOLD AT WRESTLING'S ANNUAL INTRASQUAD SCRIMMAGE Severo, who moved up to 141 pounds after wrestling at 133 pounds last season, came away with a hard-fought 3-1 decision versus junior Lief Gilsdorf. The win gave the Black Knights an insurmountable 18-8 cushion heading to the match's final bout. Senior team captain Patrick Simpson halted the Black team's run of four consecutive wins by decision when he pinned junior Austin Milster in 2:58 to pull the Gold team to within 18-14 with one bout remaining. Simpson's win by fall kept the Gold team in contention. Junior Rush Williams put an end to any hopes that the Gold team had of a comeback when he downed freshman Brian Rowan, 3-1, at 157 pounds. The bout went to overtime tied at 1-1, and Williams wasted little time before he scored a takedown in the sudden victory overtime session. The Black Knights officially lift the lid on their 2005-06 intercollegiate campaign at the SUNY Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic on Saturday, Nov. 12, in Brockport, N.Y. The action is slated to begin at 10 a.m.

ATHENS, Ohio -- Six redshirt freshmen on the Ohio wrestling team made themselves known with strong performances at the annual Green vs. White intrasquad scrimmage in the Convocation Center on Saturday as White outlasted Green by a 15-14 score. Of those six redshirt freshman, Terry Jackson (Uhrichsville, Ohio) provided the biggest upset of the day when he defeated senior captain Jim Fowler (Valley City, Ohio) 3-1 in overtime at 141 pounds. "Terry Jackson's performance at 141 was a big surprise," said Ohio head coach Joel Greenlee, who served as the referee for all of Saturday's matches. "He really took it to him from start to finish so that was a good match for Terry." Jackson started the year behind fellow reshirt freshman Albert Madsen (Strongsville, Ohio) and junior Matt Smith (Sandyville, W.Va.) at 133 pounds but his performance Saturday has pushed him to the top of the chart at 141 pounds. In addition to Fowler at that weight, sophomore Frank Brown (Westerville, Ohio) remains a possible starter once he recovers from a knee injury. According to Greenlee, sophomore Caleb Metcalf (Waterville, Ohio) and Madsen also looked impressive in their matches. Metcalf scored a major decision for the Green team in the day's opening match by beating redshirt freshman Jake Kagey (Alexandria, Ohio) by a 12-1 margin at 125 pounds. Madsen then gave the White team its first points with a 7-1 decision over Smith in the 133 bout.

FRESNO, Calif. -- The Bulldogs kicked off the 2005-06 wrestling season Friday night at the annual alumni match, where Fresno State was able to hold nine matches with some of their top alumni, including three-time National Champion Stephen Abas, All-Americans Billy Blunt and Marcio Botelho, and four more previous conference or region champions. Using a shortened format in the friendly match to conserve energy for the veterans, the Alumni came away with a 26-4 win. The night began with an introduction of the alumni squad, led by former head coach Dennis DeLiddo and Harold and DeWayne Zinkin, two more former WAC champions. Then the action started as the 2005-06 squad under head coach Shawn Charles used the opportunity to see the new wrestlers in their first live action against new opponents on the year, as each match went three periods of one minute each. Moving from lightest to heaviest, the night started with Olympic Silver Medalist Stephen Abas taking on four straight opponents in the 125-133 pound weight range. Abas cruised through the match, proving he was still in top form, though potential 125 starter Eugene Yasutomi, a transfer from Fresno City had Abas in trouble in his section. The Bulldogs picked up their first win on the night when Garrett Spooner picked up a major decision off of Ben Martinez. 2004 Region Champion Casey Olsen answered back for the alumni, stealing a 3-1 decision from Charles Jones, and 2005 graduate Jimmy Medeiros continued the streak by taking a 9-3 decision over Devereaux Solis. The Alumni escaped with their second of four close shaves when Paris Ruiz was able to grab a 4-2 decision over Dan Cadwallader moving to the higher weights. Then, in one of the more anticipated alumni-Bulldog matches, Eddy Gifford took advantage of a near fall in the second period to grab a 8-2 win over his younger brother Greg Gifford. Following that match, 2000 Region Champion Tim Cornish grabbed a takedown in the final twenty seconds to beat Andrew Meredith 3-2. The final two matches involved the big boys, and no one was disappointed as the 2005-06 heavyweights Cody Parker and Wade Sauer faced off against former All-Americans Billy Blunt and Marcio Botelho. Both times, though, the alumni came out victorious to finish off the fun night. The 2005-06 Bulldog wrestlers begin their season on November 19, when the team travels to the Los Angeles area to take part in the Fullerton Open. The Bulldogs' dual season begins at home on December 10, when the Bulldogs host a NCAA Western Region rival, Wyoming, at 2 p.m. in the North Gym.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team opened up the 2005-06 schedule Friday night with its annual Blue-Gold wrestle-offs. Head Coach Joe Seay will use the intersquad matches to determine his team's depth as the regular season approaches. "We will still adjust the lineup," Seay said. "We wanted to try to get them out in front of a crowd. It was good for them to compete as we get ready to open up the season at the Appalachian Duals. Then we have two weeks to get ready to go to Albany, N.Y. "I was satisfied with what I saw tonight. I was not discouraged whatsoever." The matches were close in the early going until T.J. Sayers and Nick Lorenzano registered the night's only pins. Sayers won by fall over Sean McAleney at 174 pounds, and Lorenzano pinned newcomer Kevin Pecor at 197. Sean Cordell, a Cleveland, Tenn., native who transferred from West Virginia, started off the night with a 6-5 decision over Adam Rains at 125. Nebraska transfer Matt Keller got past two-time NCAA qualifier Josh Keefe at 131, 8-3. All-America Michael Keefe edged Aaron Martin, a Virginia transfer, 8-7 at 141 pounds. The wrestlers were set to go into overtime until it was determined that a scoring error had been made in Keefe's favor. Soddy Daisy, Tenn., native Jake Yost scored a 10-3 victory over Robert Buckhaults at 157, and Daniel Peterson edged newcomer Jeff Baker 6-4 at 165. Lloyd Rogers posted a 17-6 major decision over newcomer Ben O'Neill at 184, and Israel Silva closed out the event with a 4-2 win over Zach Tramel at 285. Sayers' pin came at 59 seconds of the second period, while Lorenzano's recorded his pin 1:02 into the second period. "I knew we would have some very tight matches in the lower weights," Seay said. "Some of our matches in the upper weights were a little lopsided, but we still had good, competitive matches." The match was broadcast live around the world over the Internet on TakedownRadio.com. The Mocs open the 2005-06 season Nov. 12 at the Appalachian Duals. UTC BLUE-GOLD RESULTS: 125 Sean Cordell dec. Adam Rains, 6-5 133 Matt Keller dec. Josh Keefe, 8-3 141 Michael Keefe dec. Aaron Martin, 8-7 149 Wayne French dec. Joey Knox, 8-4 157 Jake Yost dec. Robert Buckhaults, 10-3 165 Daniel Peterson dec. Jeff Baker, 6-4 174 T.J. Sayers fall Ben O'Neill, 4:01 184 Lloyd Rogers maj. dec. Ben O'Neill, 17-6 197 Nick Lorenzano fall Kevin Pecor, 3:58 285 Israel Silva dec. Zach Tramel, 4-2

Three U.S. men's freestyle wrestlers have earned spots in the finals of the 2005 Clansmen International in Canada. Wrestling for gold medals will be Jared Lawrence (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., Damion Hahn (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnesota Storm) at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. and Tommy Rowlands (Columbus, Ohio/Sunkist Kids) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Lawrence has defeated three Canadian wrestlers on his way to the finals, where he will face 2005 Junior World champion Shamil Batirov of Russia. Hahn, who is 3-0 in the tournament so far, will wrestle a Canadian opponent in the finals. Rowlands posted a 2-0 record against Canadian opponents to earn a trip to the finals, where he will face Marat Basiev of Russia, who placed third in this year's Russian Nationals.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The No. 14 Missouri wrestling squad gave Tiger fans their first glimpse of the 2005-06 edition of Head Coach Brian Smith's team, competing in 17 intrasquad matches in the Hearnes Center Fieldhouse. Six matches of the annual Black and Gold dual were decided by a single point, while a seventh ended in sudden victory in the first overtime period. The only overtime match of the evening pitted redshirt freshman Andrew Sherry (Sewickley, Penn.) against sophomore Justin Cole (Gladstone, Mo.), and at the end of regulation the score stood at 2-2. Competing at 149 pounds, Cole utilized a single-leg takedown to end the match 33 seconds into the first overtime. Continuing the spectacle with another exciting match, senior Austin DeVoe (Columbus, Kan.) and sophomore Tim Kephart (O'Fallon, Mo.) battled at 125 pounds, posting a 1-1 tie through the first six and a half minutes of action. With 18 seconds left in the match, Kephart took down DeVoe to gain a 3-1 advantage. DeVoe earned another point with eight seconds left by escaping the hold of the sophomore, but time ran out, giving Kephart a 3-2 victory. After a 10-0 victory by sophomore Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) at 133 pounds over junior Amond Prater (Marietta, Ga.), three matches in a row went down to the wire, with just one point separating the combatants. In a hotly contested match at 141 pounds, senior Chris McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) earned a late takedown to beat sophomore Josh Wagner (Milton, Wis.). With the momentum carrying on to the 149-pound bout, junior Jed Lewis (Norfolk Neb.) also earned a third-period takedown to beat Cole. Wrestling at 157 pounds, redshirt freshman Michael Chandler (High Ridge, Mo.) and sophomore James Williamson (Blue Springs, Mo.) fought to a 2-2 tie through seven minutes, but Chandler was awarded a 3-2 victory due to the 1:05 minutes of riding time he accumulated during the match. Wrapping up the annual intrasquad wrestle-offs were strong performances by returning All-Americans Matt Pell (Luxemburg, Wis.) and Ben Askren (Hartland, Wis.), as well as a solid showing by freshman Max Askren (Hartland, Wis.), the younger brother of Ben. Competing at 165 pounds, Pell pinned freshman Nick Marable (Collierville, Tenn.) in 2:57, while Askren took 1:52 to drop the shoulders of redshirt freshman Joey Garrity (Orion, Ill.) to the mat. Max Askren, competing at 197 pounds, beat senior Jeff Foust (Blue Springs, Mo.) with a 7-2 decision, to turn in his second strong performance in a Missouri uniform. The true freshman earned the 197-pound title at the Lindenwood Open Oct. 29. The Tigers open their regular-season slate at Oak Park High School in Kansas City, Mo., Friday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. (CST), taking on the Stanford Cardinal to kick off the 2005-06 season. For ticket information stop by the ticket office located in Mizzou Arena or call 1-800-CAT-PAWS.

MADISON, Wis. -- Wisconsin wrestling's 2005-06 campaign officially gets underway on Friday as the Badgers head north to take on in-state opponent UW-Oshkosh. Match time is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. and will be held at a neutral site, the KI Convention Center in Green Bay, Wis., home of the 2005 Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Clinic. This marks the fourth time these two in-state foes have battled on the mat with the Badgers leading the all-time series 3-0. Wisconsin has never lost a season opener under head coach Barry Davis, defeating UW-O last season 46-6. In order to keep the starters strong and fresh, many new faces will be in the line up on Friday. Wrestling at 125 lbs., will be Kyle Reeve, a true freshman out of Mazomanie, Wis. Reeve will face the Titans Chris Truemper a fellow freshman from Park Falls, Wis. At 133 lbs., redshirt freshman Dan Sneider (Northbrook, Ill.) will start for the Badgers and taking on UW-Oshkosh junior Jeremy VanSchyndel. VanSchyndel went 22-11 last season and finished third at the WIAC championships. Fellow redshirt freshman Zach Tanelli will compete at 141 lbs. The Millburn, N.J., native will likely face UW-Oshkosh junior Doug Rozelman. Senior Tony Turner will also get a start this weekend, competing in the 149 lbs. weight class. Turner, from Spring Valley, Wis., posted a 6-5 overall record as a junior at 141 lbs. Turner could possibly face the Titans' Tony Lombardi, a junior from Big Pine Key, Fla. Craig Henning (Chippewa Falls, Wis.) will start at the 157 lbs. spot for the Badgers, a weight class up from his 149 lbs. spot last year. In 2004-05, Henning was the only true freshman to compete for the Badgers, qualifying for the NCAA championships and placing second at the Big Ten championships. Henning, who is ranked 13th in the preseason polls, will square-off against UW-Oshkosh senior Matt Kehoe. Tyler Clark a redshirt sophomore (Beloit, Wis.) will wrestle at 165 lbs. for the Badgers. Clark competed last season against UW-Oshkosh, defeating Adam Dorner, 5-3. Tri-captain Kelly Flaherty (Big Lake, Minn.) will compete at 174 lbs., against either freshman Alex Sell or junior Adam Dorner. Flaherty, who earned a preseason ranking of ninth, completed his junior year with a 20-13 overall record and a second trip to the NCAAs. Matt Maciag who earned a spot in the starting line-up following the team wrestle-offs, will compete at 184 lbs., against the Titans' Pat Detmer. Maciag, a native of Sussex, N.J., competed at both 184 lbs. and 197 lbs. last season, compiling a 9-9 record. The final two spots in the lineup are filled by redshirt freshmen who were part of the top-rated recruiting class of 2004. Dallas Herbst, of Winneconne, Wis., takes the 197 lbs., and Kyle Massey, of Champlin, Minn., will wrestle at heavyweight. Herbst will battle Kyle Coleman, a junior who went 9-16 on the season last year. Massey will likely face Juderson Desile a senior from Miami, Fla. Badger wrestling is next in action on Saturday, Nov. 12 at the Pointer Open held in Stevens Point, Wis. Check uwbadgers.com for the latest updates and scores.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Coming off its most successful season in 10 years, the Navy wrestling team looks to keep its momentum in 2005-06 as it opens the season this weekend at the Eastern Michigan Open in Ypsilanti, Mich. The Mids are ranked No. 29 in the WrestlingReport.com national poll and are the first team listed in the "others receiving votes" category in the USA Today / NWCA Wrestling top 25 poll. Head Coach Bruce Burnett will take 20 wrestlers to the tournament, which starts at 9:00 a.m., on Saturday morning. "It's time to compete," said Burnett. "It will be great to get out of the room and to wrestle against other competition. We will find out a lot of where we stand this weekend, and this tournament will really test us as there are a lot of strong, ranked wrestlers competing. It will be a very good measuring stick for us and where we stand as a group." Included in the 20 wrestlers are four freshmen competing in their first collegiate competition. In all, 10 freshmen or sophomores will challenge for titles this weekend. "I am really interested to see how our young guys perform," said Burnett. "We know they are talented, but until they go against other competition, you don't really know what to expect. It will be a good test for them to see where they stand." Burnett is also taking three nationally-ranked competitors and seven seniors on the trip. "It will also be a good tournament for the ranked guys," said Burnett. "It will be good for them to see how they stand nationally and compete against some of the top wrestlers in the country." Highlighting the Navy contingent is senior heavyweight Tanner Garrett (Tulsa, Okla.). Garrett went 35-5 last season, and has won 39 of his last 40 matches in the regular season against collegiate competition. He owns a 71-28 career record and with just four wins, can become the 25th wrestler in Navy school history to reach 75 career victories. He enters the season ranked anywhere from seventh to ninth in the four major national polls. Junior John Cox (Grand Haven, Mich.) returns after posting a 29-11 record last year and reaching his first NCAA Tournament at 149 pounds. He owns a 49-17 career mark and his 49 wins are the fourth most for any Navy wrestler in his first two years at the school. He is ranked anywhere from 10th to 19th in the four major polls. Lastly, senior Craig Dziewiatkowski (Aurora, Ill.) advanced to his first NCAA Tournament a year ago at 165 pounds. He went 29-14 last year and owns a 53-30 career mark. He is ranked No. 17-19 in three of the four major polls. Navy returns six starters in all from last year's 12-3 team that placed third at the EIWA Championships. The Mids will head to the West Coast next weekend for three dual meets against Cal State-Fullerton, Cal State-Bakersfield and UC-Davis on Friday and Saturday.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- 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 ten of the Lions' 14 dual matches will be against teams ranked in the poll's top 25. Penn State could also face a ranked opponent again in the Pennsylvania State Dual Championships in Rec Hall on Sunday. Head coach Troy Sunderland and the Lions will get the ball rolling early with the potential of facing No. 8 Lehigh in the Pennsylvania Dual Championships next Sunday, Nov. 13. An early start to the Big Ten season brings No. 15 Wisconsin to Rec Hall on Sunday, Nov. 20, and pre-season conference favorite Michigan to Rec Hall on Saturday, Nov. 26. Michigan enters the season ranked No. 3. 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. And while the ranked opponents jump out, Penn State four duals against currently unranked opponents are daunting as well and are all on the road. The Nittany Lions visit always-tough Navy on Dec. 9, local rival Lock Haven on Jan. 11, and Big Ten foe Ohio State on Feb. 17. Penn State closes out the regular season with a match vs. Purdue in Indianapolis' Conseco Fieldhouse in an event time to coincide with the conclusion of the Indiana State High School Wrestling Championships. Penn State will look to prepare for the start of a rugged schedule when it hosts its annual Wrestle-Offs on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Rec Hall. Admission is free.

• Do we all need to act surprised when Henry Cejudo decides to skip college altogether to train freestyle full-time at the Olympic Training Center? • I really hope that Cory Cooperman's appearance on MTV's "True Life: I'm on a diet" is not what is driving Lehigh's stellar recruiting class. For the sake of all of us -- this better be a coincidence. A few other observations from that MTV episode: -I hope that MTV worked in some PowerBar advertising dollars for that show. I mean, Cooperman only ate a case of them on the hour-long show. -I could not help but think that the restaurant argument scene between Cooperman and his mother is an argument that is played out one too many times between every high school and collegiate wrestler and his mother throughout the season. -How did Nate Gulosh of Navy pull the short straw and have both of his losses to Cooperman aired on the show? • Has anyone else wondered how the Asics marketing team determined that Rulon's signature shoe would be a higher-end shoe than Cael's signature shoe? I'll guarantee you that Nike's marketing guys didn't make the same mistake when pulling the product lines together for the Air Jordan's vs. the Air Barkley's.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team will give fans a first glimpse of the 2005-06 squad Friday night at the annual Blue-Gold Intersquad Meet. The meet will be held at Maclellan Gym on the UTC campus beginning at 7 p.m. Admission is free. First-year Head Coach Joe Seay has put together a competitive 10-match wrestle-off which will determine the Mocs' depth chart for the fast-approaching season. "We will use these wrestle-offs to determine our No. 1 and No. 2 guys at every weight class," Seay said. "But more importantly, it will give our fans, boosters and wrestling alumni a chance to see how hard these men have been working and allow them to get a sneak peek at the team before the season gets underway." The exhibition features three nationally-ranked wrestlers including 2005 All-America Michael Keefe of Ringgold, Ga. Keefe, ranked as high as No. 5, will wrestle Aaron Martin, a transfer from Virginia, at 141 pounds. Twin brother Josh Keefe is ranked as high as No. 14 nationally and will face Nebraska transfer Matt Keller at 133. Keller is ranked as high as No. 12. Senior John Davis is also ranked at 184 pounds but will not participate because of an injury. Other returning starters in the lineup include Wayne French (149), Dan Peterson (165) and Wes Taylor (197). Internet users can listen to a live three-hour web broadcast of the match beginning at 6 p.m. by logging onto www.takedownradio.com. There is no charge to hear the broadcast. PROJECTED MATCHES 125 Sean Cordell vs. Adam Rains 133 Josh Keefe vs. Matt Keller 141 Michael Keefe vs. Aaron Martin 149 Wayne French vs. Joey Knox 157 Robert Buckhaults vs. Jake Yost 165 Jeff Baker vs. Daniel Peterson 174 Ben O'Neill vs. T.J. Sayers 184 Kevin Pecor vs. Lloyd Rogers 197 Nick Lorenzano vs. Wes Taylor 285 Israel Silva vs. Zach Tramel

MANHEIM, Pa. -- Cal Poly¹s Darrell Vasquez will replace the injured Tom Clum from Wisconsin in the 133-pound match of the 40th annual NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps to be held in Oklahoma State¹s Gallagher-Iba Arena on Nov. 21. Vasquez will wrestle Minnesota¹s third-ranked Mack Reiter. Vasquez is currently ranked fourth by Amateur Wrestling News after taking the 2004-05 season off due to an illness. Vasquez finished sixth at 133 in the 2004 NCAA Championships as a redshirt freshman. Nebraska-Kearney¹s Tervel Diagnev has also been announced as Central Oklahoma¹s Josh Leadingfox¹s opponent in the heavyweight exhibition match.

Tickets are now available for purchase for the 1st Annual Border Brawl! The Border Brawl will feature the top seniors from Iowa vs the top seniors from Nebraska in a dual taking place on Friday March 10, 2006 at 7:00 pm in Gardner-Hawks Center on the campus of Dana College! Tickets will be $6.00 for pre-sale and $8.00 at the door. All teams and youth groups will be $6.00. All ticket sales are available online on the Dana College wrestling website at http://www.dana.edu/wrestling/brawl_reservations.html Tickets are ONLY on sale via this website, no where else. All proceeds help benefit college wrestling programs at Morningside College (IA) and Dana College (NE). GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY AND BE A PART OF THE ALL STAR DUAL OF THE YEAR! THE BORDER BRAWL! For more information, contact Richard Fergola at 402-426-7374 or via e-mail at rfergola@dana.edu

Just when you think everything is in place and you're having a great start to your season … you're watching wrestle-offs, your leg elevated with ice on your knee. A small medial meniscus tear held me out of this weekend's wrestle-offs and will keep me off the mat for the next couple of weeks. Sitting on the sidelines for this event made me realize how high the intensity level really picks up from the practice room to the mats in front of family, friends, teammates and coaches. Our practice room is intense, but there was a new level reached this last Saturday afternoon. Most wrestlers search the depths of their brains for some type of inspiration right before they hit the mat. This could be in the form of something one of their former coaches told them or simply something catchy they read on a T-shirt somewhere. I venture to guess that the majority of my teammates had these thoughts running through their minds during the wrestle-offs. I am guilty of this on many occasions. I have heard it said that true athletes shouldn't need quotes to motivate themselves. I would assume that someone who hasn't had much experience with the sport of wrestling said this. There are so many times that the mind and body argue about who will quit first. The ability to reference that inspirational quote from the back of your mind can be a very useful tool -- it has been for me at times. These thoughts usually remind me of the importance of one more takedown, one more sprint, or that last rep. I have been a country music fan for years. I can remember playing air guitar on my grandpa's leg when I was just a little shaver. I am basically a fan of good music no matter what the genre. Last year, I heard a song from Green Day, "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." I had to find the lyrics to this song. Although the band members don't look it, I thought it was written for a wrestler. It has numerous implications to a wrestler's life and in specific my own journey as a wrestler. Take the first verse for example: "I walk a lonely road The only one I that have ever known Don't know were it goes But its home to me and I walk alone" All wrestlers can attest to that lonely road. It may be the road we are running down when all of our friends are sitting on the couch playing video games or that unknown road we traveled down when we first entered this sport. I can remember last year I had three teammates in particular that walked a lonely road of cutting weight. Sure, lots of guys shed some pounds, but really cutting weight is lonely time we all know too well. Jordan Kolinski, Mike Rohowetz, and Adam Kuchnia all pulled a lot of weight each week for the team, they spent a lot of time on that road … only they weren't walking. They were running or they were on a stationary bike, but I'm sure they felt pretty alone at times. As a son to a wrestling coach, I can truly say that this road called wrestling is the only one I have ever known. It is not any stretch of the imagination to say my first shoes had a split sole on them. It also wasn't my first steps everyone in the family was excited about -- it was my first penetration step that got the most cheers. As screwed up as it sounds, I am glad that I have been traveling down this road, even though I don't know exactly where it is leading me at times. Will the sore knees and the messed up ears be worth it in the end? You're darn right they will be. "I walk this empty street On the Boulevard of broken dreams Where the city sleeps And I'm the only one and I walk alone" Ross Needham posted a 26-9 record last season while wrestling at 157 pounds.Anyone who has ever stepped foot on a wrestling mat knows about broken dreams. Even as young wrestlers we were introduced to this reality of feast or famine. The losses are tough to swallow -- there is no doubt about it. But they must be used as motivation. Last year at nationals, I was the only one of eight wrestlers that qualified from my team not take the walk as an All-American. Talk about an empty street! My dreams of being an All-American came crashing down. Sure, I wrestled some very close matches that could have gone either way. (Editors Note: At the NCAA Tournament, Needham gave Augsburg undefeated three-time NCAA champion Marcus LeVesseur his closest collegiate match ever -- a 5-4 loss). But who cares how close I got to beating someone? I lost … that's all that mattered. Some people dream of goals being reached and others wake up and make them happen. When my opponents are dreaming about glory, I want to be finishing my last set on the squat rack. When my opponents are sleeping, I want to be gutting out that last sprint down the straightaway. "My shadows the only one that walks beside me My shallow hearts the only thing that's beating Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me Till then I'll walk alone!" I am blessed to be surrounded by the best teammates a guy could ever ask for. They can push me to no end and are always there for me in every aspect of my life. But, in the end, every wrestler has to go out there on the mat by himself. It ends being just our own shadow next to us on that lonely road. When I snap that headgear on, everything and everybody becomes a muffled background. It is my heart and lungs that I hear above everything else. The things that wrestlers do to be successful often times leave outsiders scratching their heads. There are times that you wish they understood, but in the end it is only you that needs to know why you do what you do. You truly do walk alone. I have had the support of family, friends, coaches and teammates throughout my career as a wrestler, and I thank them for that. But in the end, I must walk out on that mat alone. I will do what it takes to fulfill my goals for this season. Last March, this Boulevard ended up as a broken dream. Last March, I truly felt alone. Now I have another destination in front of me and that "boulevard of broken dreams" is not a street I plan on venturing down anytime soon. Past UW-LaCrosse Entries: Entry 2 (10/19/05) Entry 1 (10/10/05)

OREM, Utah -- The Utah Valley State wrestling squad gave fans their first glimpse of this year's squad on Wednesday night when they battled in the intrasquad green & black match. While it was just teammate against teammate, some wrestlers were fighting for starting positions and it showed with some close battles. "There were some good, close matches at 157 and 165," said head coach Cody Sanderson. "We'll still have to make some decisions. We have some places we need to get some work still. There's definitely room for improvement." The 157 lb. match pitted Tanner Cowan and Devin Siddoway, with Cowan just getting by with a 6-to-5 win. At 165 lbs. Mark South scored four late points to top D.J. Meis 11-to-7. The lone fall came at the heavyweight position, when freshman Dallin Norton showed fans why he was so highly touted out of Wasatch High School by pinning Cory Bastian with :10 seconds left in the first period. The fall clinched the match for the Black squad, giving them a 20-13 lead. Ivan Bigney, who wrestled twice for the Green team, won the final match to go to 2-0 on the evening, closing the gap to the final score of 20-17. "He's tough, he's good," said Sanderson of Norton. "He's got tremendous skill but we do have to get him in better shape." One of the highlights of the evening was senior Erkin Tadzhimetov's return to the mat after redshirting in 2004-05. Tadzhimetov, at 133, wrestled 125 lb. junior Talon Vickers and hung on to beat the lighter wrestler 7-to-3. For the native of Uzbekistan, it was just a chance to shake off the rust and some jitters. "Before the match I was really pumped up...I was ready to go. I was so excited." said Tadzhimetov. The Wolverines will begin the regular season next weekend in Iowa when they take on Iowa State on Friday, November 4th in Ames, Iowa. They will then compete in the Cyclone Open in Fort Dodge, Iowa on November 5th. Their first home match will be December 10th when Utah Valley State hosts Western State at 7:00pm in the Activity Center.