InterMat Staff

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.

NORMAN, Okla. -- Three Oklahoma Sooners will be competing in the 40th annual NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps inside Oklahoma State's Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., on Monday, Nov. 21, at 7 p.m. The three Sooners competing will be returning All-Americans Teyon Ware, Sam Hazewinkel and Joel Flaggert. Ware and Hazewinkel will be making their second appearance in the event, while Flaggert is making his first. Hazewinkel will be competing against Michigan State's Nick Simmons in the 125-pound match. Hazewinkel defeated Simmons, 2-0, in the consolation match at the 2005 NCAA Championships. Hazewinkel also beat Simmons, 2-0, in last season's All-Star classic. Ware will be wrestling Nate Gallick of Iowa State in the 141-pound match. Ware defeated Gallick, 3-2, at last year's NCAA Championships to claim his second 141-pound title. Flaggert will be looking to upset two-time national champion Jake Rosholt of Oklahoma State in the 197-pound match. Flaggert is coming off All-America honors a year ago at the NCAA Championships. "It's pretty exciting, and it's a once in a lifetime opportunity to go out and wrestle in an All-Star meet," said Flaggert. The Sooners open the regular season Nov. 12, in Brockport, N.Y., for the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic. Oklahoma opens the home portion of the schedule against the Lehigh Mountain Hawks on Saturday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. Action takes place inside the Howard McCasland Field House. 2005 NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps 125: Sam Hazewinkel (Oklahoma) vs. Nick Simmons (Michigan State) 133: Tom Clum (Wisconsin) vs. Mack Reiter (Minnesota) 141: Teyon Ware (Oklahoma) vs. Nate Gallick (Iowa State) 149: Zack Esposito (Oklahoma State) vs. Jon Masa (Hofstra) 157: Joe Johnston (Iowa) vs. Alex Tirapelle (Illinois) 165: Johny Hendricks (Oklahoma State) vs. Ryan Churella (Michigan) 174: Mark Perry (Iowa) vs. Jake Herbert (Northwestern) 184: Paul Bradley (Iowa) vs. Pete Friedl (Illinois)

TheMat.com U.S. Senior Freestyle Rankings 55 KG/121 LBS. 1. Sammie Henson, Flintstone, Ga. (Sunkist Kids) 2. Eric Akin, Gardner, Kan. (Cyclone WC) 3. Nick Simmons, Williamston, Mich. (Michigan WC) 4. Matt Azevedo, Arroyo Grande, Calif. (Sunkist Kids) 5. Luke Eustice, Coralville, Iowa (Hawkeye TC) 6. Henry Cejudo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) 7. Jason Powell, Lincoln, Neb. (Gator WC) 8. Alex Contreras, Tolleson, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) 9. Jeremy Mendoza, Temecula, Calif. (Sunkist Kids) 10. Tanner Gardner, Berryton, Kan. (Stanford) 60 KG/132 LBS. 1. Michael Lightner, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids) 2. Nate Gallick, Tucson, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) 3. Travis Lee, Ithaca, N.Y. (New York AC) 4. Stephen Abas, Fresno, Calif. (Sunkist Kids) 5. Mike Zadick, Solon, Iowa (Hawkeye TC) 6. Zach Roberson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) 7. Josh Moore, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio (Sunkist Kids) 8. Danny Felix, Charlottesville, Va. (Sunkist Kids) 9. Angel Cejudo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) 10. Kevin Black, Madison, Wis. (Wisconsin) 66 KG/145.5 LBS. 1. Chris Bono, Ringgold, Ga. (Sunkist Kids) 2. Jared Lawrence, Roseville, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 3. Jared Frayer, Cambridge, Mass. (Gator WC) 4. Jesse Jantzen, Brookline, Mass. (New York AC) 5. Eric Larkin, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) 6. Doug Schwab, Blacksburg, Va. (Gator WC) 7. Bill Zadick, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) 8. Cliff Moore, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye TC) 9. JaMarr Billman, Ithaca, N.Y. (New York AC) 10. Dylan Long, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Panther WC) 74 KG/163 LBS. 1. Joe Williams, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) 2. Kirk White, Boise, Idaho (Bronco WC) 3. Donny Pritzlaff, Northport, N.Y. (New York AC) 4. Tyrone Lewis, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC) 5. Joe Heskett, Grover Beach, Calif. (Gator WC) 6. Scott Owen, DeKalb, Ill. (New York AC) 7. Ramico Blackmon, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Unattached) 8. Nick Passolano, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) 9. Luke Becker, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 10. Carl Fronhofer, Pittsburgh, Pa. (Sunkist Kids) 84 KG/185 LBS. 1. Mo Lawal, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) 2. Lee Fullhart, Christiansburg, Va. (Gator WC) 3. Andry Hrovat, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC) 4. Chris Pendleton, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC) 5. Aaron Simpson, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) 6. Clint Wattenburg, Ithaca, N.Y. (New York AC) 7. Ben Askren, Hartland, Wis. (Sunkist Kids) 8. Tyler Nixt, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye TC) 9. Frank Cornely, Chapel Hill, N.C. (New York AC) 10. Greg Parker, Princeton, N.J. (New York AC) 96 KG/211.5 LBS. 1. Daniel Cormier, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC) 2. Nick Preston, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids) 3. Tommy Rowlands, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids) 4. Nik Fekete, Blacksburg, Va. (New York AC) 5. Zach Thompson, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) 6. Kyle Cerminara, Lewiston, N.Y. (New York AC) 7. Sean Stender, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Panther WC) 8. Daniel Pitsch, Spanaway, Wash. (Orange Crush) 9. Josh Pearce, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Unattached) 10. Joel Flaggert, Choctaw, Okla. (Underdog) 120 KG/264.5 LBS. 1. Tolly Thompson, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) 2. Steve Mocco, N. Bergen, N.J. (New York AC) 3. Cole Konrad, Kewaunee, Wis. (Minnesota Storm) 4. Pat Cummins, Evanston, Ill. (New York AC) 5. Kellan Fluckiger, Morgantown, W.Va. (Sunkist Kids) 6. Ryan Fuller, Lisbon, Iowa (Hawkeye TC) 7. Michael Irving, Clewiston, Fla. (Unattached) 8. Orville Palmer, Norman, Okla. (Underdog) 9. Cain Velasquez, Tempe, Ariz. (Sunkist Kids) 10. Mike Faust, Baltimore, Md. (Sunkist Kids)

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Oregon State's wrestling team will hold its annual Intrasquad Meet on Saturday at 3 p.m. in Gill Coliseum. The top two wrestlers at each weight will meet in best-of-three matchups to determine the Beavers' tentative lineup for a season-opening trip to Hofstra and the Cornell Tournament on Nov. 17-19. There will also be a number of exhibition matches between wrestlers below the top two spots on the depth chart in each weight class. Admission to the meet is free. OSU returns eight starters from last season's team, including five who placed at the Pacific-10 Championships. Junior Jeremy Larson (Hermiston, Ore./Hermiston HS) was second at 174 pounds, senior Tony Hook (Sandpoint, Ida./Sandpoint HS) was third at 157 pounds, junior Dan Pitsch (Tacoma, Wash./Spanaway Lake HS) was fourth at 184 pounds and moves up to 197 this season, junior Ty Watterson (Enumclaw, Wash./Enumclaw HS) was fourth at heavyweight, and junior Eric Stevenson (Newberg, Ore./Newberg HS) was sixth at 125 pounds. Larson is ranked 20th in the nation in the InterMat/National Wrestling Coaches Association rankings, while Watterson is ranked 17th by Amateur Wrestling News and 15th by IM/NWCA. Oregon State's first home meet of the regular season will be Dec. 9 against Oregon.

The U.S. Marine Corps will send five wrestlers to the Vantaa Cup in Vantaa, Finland, Nov. 26-27 and the Haparanda Cup in Haparanda, Sweden, Dec. 3-4. Both events are attended annually by U.S. Greco-Roman athletes as they serve as a warm-up to the upcoming Winter Tour season. Two-time U.S. World Team Trials runner-up Jacob Clark (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marine Corps) will lead the squad at 84 kg/185 lbs. Clark is also a two-time Armed Forces champion (2004-05) and he won a silver medal at the Haparanda Cup last year. Two other Marine wrestlers will compete at 84 kg as well, Ryan Cunninham (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marine Corps) and Jeremy Pederson (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marine Corps). Cunningham, a former three-time NCAA All-American at Central Michigan Univ., placed eighth in the Haparanda Cup last year. Earlier this year, he won a bronze medal at the Granma Cup in Cuba. Pederson placed eighth at this year's U.S. Nationals. He also placed second at the FILA Junior National Championships and fourth in the University National Championships in 2005. Also competing for the U.S. Marines in these two events will be Jeremy McLean (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marine Corps) at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Joe Zinkan (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marine Corps) at 74 kg/163 lbs. McLean placed fourth in this year's University National Championships. He also placed sixth in the Vantaa Cup last year. Zinkan placed fourth in the 2005 Armed Forces Championships. Also competing will be U.S. Nationals runner-up Russ Davie (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. In the past year, Davie has established himself as an international force, winning a silver medal at the 2004 World Cup and another silver medal at the 2004 Pan American Championships. The coach of the team will be Dan Hicks (Quantico, Va.), who placed third at the 2005 U.S. World Team Trials. He was a five-time Armed Forces champion (1997-2000, 2002). Last year, six U.S. wrestlers placed in the top 10 at the Haparanda Cup. At the Vantaa Cup, Phil Johnston of the U.S. Air Force won a bronze medal to lead the U.S. squad. TheMat.com will provide updates from these events. U.S. Rosters Vantaa Cup at Vaanta, Finland, Nov. 26-27 and Haparanda Cup at Haparanda, Sweden, Dec. 3-4 60 kg/132 lbs. – Jeremy McLean, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marine Corps) 74 kg/163 lbs. – Joe Zinkan, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marine Corps) 84 kg/185 lbs. – Jacob Clark, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marine Corps) 84 kg/185 lbs. – Ryan Cunninham, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marine Corps) 84 kg/185 lbs. – Jeremy Pederson, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marine Corps) 120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Russ Davie, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) Coach: Dan Hicks, Quantico, Va.

Team Rankings: Rank School (State) Points 1. Nebraska-Omaha 160 2. Minnesota State-Mankato 148 3. Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 144 4. Augustana (S.D.) 132 5. Findlay (Ohio) 116 6. Central Oklahoma 109 7. Shippensburg (Pa.) 108 8. Nebraska-Kearney 106 9. Adams State (Colo. 86 10. Fort Hays State (Kan.) 79 11. Minnesota State-Moorhead 70 12. Indianapolis (Ind.) 63 13. Ashland (Ohio) 60.5 14. Truman State (Mo.) 56 15. Mercyhurst (Pa.) 52 16. Gannon (Pa.) 46 17. Central Missouri State 45.5 18. San Francisco State (Calif.) 30 19. North Carolina-Pembroke 15 20. Kutztown (Pa.) 12 Individual Rankings: 125 Pounds 1. Ryon Mazzacco, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 2. Rob McCabe, Adams State (Colo.) 3. Jamie Thomas, Shippensburg (Pa.) 4. Nick Smith, Minnesota State-Mankato 5. Marques Bravo, Western State (Colo.) 6. Chas Welch, Northern State (S.D.) 7. Allen Stokes, Truman State (Mo.) 8. Jake Brumbelow, Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 133 Pounds 1. Andy Uhl, Findlay (Ohio) 2. Shane Perkey, Indianapolis (Ind.) 3. Mike Hansen, Central Missouri State 4. Jared Henning, Central Oklahoma 5. Raymond Dunning, Adams State (Colo.) 6. Mike Sanders, Gannon (Pa.) 7. Dan Hilario, Nebraska-Omaha 8. Brett Allgood, Nebraska-Kearney 141 Pounds 1. Thad Benton, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 2. Andre VanderVelde, Augustana (S.D.) 3. Mitch Waite, Nebraska-Omaha 4. Kyle Evans, Central Oklahoma 5. Wade Kilgore, Central Missouri State 6. Ben Keen, Minnesota State-Moorhead 7. Zach Stephens, Minnesota State-Mankato 8. Danny Norman, Indianapolis (Ind.) 149 Pounds 1. Pacifico Garcia, San Francisco State (Calif.) 2. Jason Rhoten, Minnesota State-Mankato 3. R.J. Paterniti, Gannon (Pa.) 4. Ryan King, Augustana (S.D.) 5. Tony Guerra, Findlay (Ohio) 6. Shea Timothy, Central Oklahoma 7. Don Cummings, Mercyhurst (Pa.) 8. Shane Unger, Nebraska-Omaha 157 Pounds 1. Patrick Allibone, Nebraska-Omaha 2. Angelo Vettese, Findlay (Ohio) 3. Math Bitz, Minnesota State-Mankato 4. David Nordhues, Fort Hays State (Kan.) 5. Dustin Teeman, Truman State (Mo.) 6. Austin Scarset, Augustana (S.D.) 7. Nathan Pilcher, Colorado School of Mines 8. Will Tedder, Mercyhurst (Pa.) 165 Pounds 1. J.D. Naig, Nebraska-Omaha 2. Evan Copeland, Adams State (Colo.) 3. Zach Schafer, Mercyhurst (Pa.) 4. Cody Henriksen, Augustana (S.D.) 5. Nate Baker, Minnesota State-Moorhead 6. Cort Petersen, Central Oklahoma 7. Nate Schut, St. Cloud State (Minn.) 8. Chris Gibbs, West Liberty State (W.Va.) 174 Pounds 1. Travis Krinke, Minnesota State-Mankato 2. Mike Jackson, Indianapolis (Ind.) 3. Clint Carmony, Ashland (Ohio) 4. Aaron Meister, Fort Hays State (Kan.) 5. Tim Johns, Southwest Minnesota 6. Eli Garshnick, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 7. Steve Conlin, Nebraska-Omaha 8. Tommy Clark, West Liberty State (W.Va.). 184 Pounds 1. Mike Corcetti, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 2. Mark Murphy, Shippensburg (Pa.) 3. Gregg Nurrenbern, Truman State (Mo.) 4. Derek Brunson, North Carolina-Pembroke 5. John Koons, Minnesota State-Mankato 6. Mike Howell, Fort Hays State (Kan.) 7. Clint Salisbury, Findlay (Ohio) 8. Nate Oviatt, Nebraska-Omaha 197 Pounds 1. Corey Jacoby, Shippensburg (Pa.) 2. Tim Boldt, Augustana (S.D.) 3. Jeff Sylvester, Nebraska-Kearney 4. John Goral, Wisconsin-Parkside 5. Ryan Kirst, Ashland (Ohio) 6. Ben Strandberg, Nebraska-Omaha 7. Dustin Trego, Fort Hays State (Kan.) 8. Dayo Scott, Anderson (S.C.) Hwt 1. Les Sigman, Nebraska-Omaha 2. Andrew Ubben, Fort Hays State (Kan.) 3. Chris Tuchscherer, Minnesota State-Moorhead 4. Josh LeadingFox, Central Oklahoma 5. Tervel Dlagnev, Nebraska-Kearney 6. Zach Majocha, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 7. Jacob Linninger, Shippensburg (Pa.) 8. Brian Black, Upper Iowa

Chuck BarbeeWEST POINT, N.Y. -- Army's wrestling team will kick off its 2005-06 campaign Saturday, Nov. 5, when the mat men host the annual Black-Gold intra-squad scrimmage in their brand-new wrestling room located on the second floor of the newly-renovated Arvin Gymnasium at 5:30 p.m. The meet, which allows Black Knight fans an early opportunity to see Army's grapplers in action, will help head coach Chuck Barbee finalize the starters at several positions. Barbee welcomes back 13 letterwinners and eight starters from a team that put together a 12-5 mark last season and was ranked in the national polls for much of the year. Senior Patrick Simpson will serve as the team's captain this season. Army opens it intercollegiate season Nov. 12 when the Black Knights travel to Brockport, N.Y., to compete in the Oklahoma Gold-Brockport Classic. Here is the Army wrestling season outlook by weight class. 125 A talented stable of skilled wrestlers defines the 125-pound weight class for Army this season. Head coach Chuck Barbee believes that there are five grapplers who have what it takes to make significant contributions to this year's team. Sophomores Travis Featherstone and Fernando Martinez have battled throughout the preseason and the odds are that one of the second-year performers will eventually emerge as this year's starter. Featherstone beat out Martinez for the lead role last season and went on to compile a sturdy 15-16 overall record as the Black Knights' regular starter. The Orange, Calif., native competed in each of Army's dual matches, going 7-10 in those bouts. A former Indiana state champion during his high school career, Martinez saw action in three different tournaments last season. He authored a 6-4 mark with one major decision. The sophomore has trained hard during the off-season and is primed for the bright lights of dual competition. "Featherstone and Martinez are going to be neck-and-neck and I think the competition between them will allow us to make substantial improvements at the weight class," says Barbee. Freshman Davey Mason, a two-time Oklahoma state champion, will be a factor. A technically gifted wrestler, Mason may need a little time to make the adjustment to Division I wrestling. The younger brother of Phillip and Patrick Simpson, William Simpson is a talented freshman who will challenge for a spot right away. A three-time Tennessee state champion, Simpson exhibits tremendous toughness. Junior Thang Tran, who is entering his third year with the program, adds quality depth. 133 The starting spot at 133 pounds is up for grabs this year as returning starter Tony Severo has moved up a class. Severo, an EIWA placewinner for the Black Knights last year, is moving up to 141 pounds and his departure creates a hole that needs to be filled. The early favorite to step in is junior Frank Baughan. Baughan was called upon several times last year for spot duty and performed admirably. "Baughan's a darn good wrestler," comments Barbee. "He just needs some time under the lights." Baughan will get a heavy test from freshman Whitt Dunning. A high school All-American, Dunning has shown that he can compete at the national level and will present a legitimate challenge to the starting role. Three-time Oklahoma state champion Tyler Howard is expected to step right in and challenge Baughan as well. A freshman, who spent last year at USMAPS, Howard possesses a great deal of raw talent. "This group has exceptional capabilities and while there is a great deal of unproven talent at this weight class, I am excited to see it develop," mentions Barbee. 141 The favorite at 141 pounds is senior Tony Severo, who moved up a weight class after a successful year at 133. "Tony did tremendous work last year in cutting down to 133," remarks Barbee. "I think his best weight is 141, and I think we'll see a lot of fire in his eyes this year. Tony will be tough to beat this season." Lief Gilsdorf, who is pencilled in as Severo's backup, is a great competitor and an even better teammate. The junior won his only bout of the year, a 3-2 dual match victory over an opponent from Sacred Heart. Senior Tommy Hendrix, who has been a solid contributor for Army throughout his career, will add steady leadership to this group. Freshman Casey Schrieber, a high school runner-up in Florida last year, will provide depth as he continues to develop. Fellow plebe Brock Epps, a former high school standout in North Carolina, rounds out the weight class. 149 Senior Patrick Simpson, who is stepping up from 141 pounds, is projected as the starter in the 149-pound weight class. He has shown great determination during his off-season program. The coaching staff is expecting big things from him this year as the team captain and one of the squad's seasoned veterans. Drake Rossi, a tough freshman from Illinois, will be one of the three wrestlers pushing Simpson this year. Rossi has good skills and a very promising future with the Black, Gold and Gray. Junior Mike Tatz, who has toiled tirelessly during his first two years, is expected to see more mat time this year at both the varsity and junior varsity levels. Austin Milster and Gary Bowman will add depth to this group. Milster, a junior, is a tireless worker. A freshman, Bowman walked on to the team after spending a productive season at USMAPS. 157 A hard-fought battle is expected at 157 pounds. Sophomore Aaron Wernimont, who put together an 8-8 mark as the primary backup to Phillip Simpson last year at 149 pounds, has moved up to 157 pounds and will be in the mix. Sophomore Brandon Benson, who started several matches last year as a plebe is also in the group. Benson, a two-time Oklahoma state champion during his high school days, authored a 15-16 record last season with four pins. Freshman Brian Rowan comes in after a successful year at USMAPS and is a great competitor. "This weight class is really stacked for us," says Barbee. "I think several guys could start for us, and whoever gets the nod is going to be pretty darn tough. I think we have the man-power to make some noise on the national level in this class." Stephen Anastasia, Ed Gibbons, Joey Cohe, Caleb Pelletier and Jon Drew are all expected to wrestle at 157 pounds, making it the deepest weight class on the team. 165 Coming off a break-out junior season, senior Chad Marzec is the incumbent at 165 pounds. Marzec, who started every match for the Black Knights last year, won a career-best 23 matches, including 12 dual bouts. "Chad is a great worker and he is determined to make it happen for himself at the national level this year," says Barbee. Marzec will face fierce competition from classmate Jon Anderson, who moved up from 157. Anderson started more than half of Army's dual matches and forged a 12-7 overall mark. "Jon is as big and as ripped as he's ever been, and he and Chad are really going to do battle," notes Barbee. Freshhman Dan Geib, who spent the 2004-05 year at USMAPS already knows how to compete at a high level. He is a former Pennsylvania state champion. Freshmen Duder Edmunds and Aaron Carter will get their first taste of college wrestling this year, as will junior Bob Heightchew, who is returning from his Morman mission. "I am excited about this weight class and I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do against some of the nation's top competition," adds Barbee. 174 For the second consecutive year, Coach Barbee expects a huge battle for the starter's role at 174 pounds. Senior Gabriel Lucero, who started during the first half of last season, will go toe-to-toe with sophomore Scott Ferguson, who replaced Lucero in the lead role during the latter stages of 2004-05. The two grapplers put together statictics that were nearly identical last year. Lucero enjoyed his best season since arriving at West Point by racking up a 12-9 record with two pins and three major decisions. Ferguson, meanwhile, came on strong at the end of the season, piling up a 10-8 mark with a pin and two major decisions. "Both guys trained hard during the summer and they are ready to step it up a notch," explains Barbee. "Those guys are really going to push each other." Freshman Jon Mathias, who hails from the talent-rich state of Ohio, enters the Army program after a year at USMAPS. Although he still needs some seasoning, Coach Barbee is confident that Mathias will contribute to the Black Knight program in the near future. Hard-working sophomore Brent Smith will add more depth to this group. He had some success last year and will look to build on that this season. 184 Senior Luke Calvert, who missed the second half of last season due to injury, returns to the lineup this year as one of Army's veteran leaders. The Broken Arrow, Okla., native, who has been ranked nationally throughout his decorated Army career, is determined to make it back to the NCAA tournament. He enters his final collegiate campaign with 63 career victories--the most of any returning Black Knight. Senior Charles Martin, who did an outstanding job filling in for Calvert last year, will battle his classmate for the starting role. Martin went 18-9 last year with three pins. "I don't think Luke is looking past anybody," says Barbee. "Charles has trained hard and is very determined. Those guys are really going to set the standard for us at this weight class." Sophomore Brent Nowak will provide Army with depth at the class. 197 Senior Todd Wisman, Army's highest returning EIWA placewinner, returns to the fold as the early favorite to start once again at 197 pounds. "Todd has been around the block," comments Barbee. "He's been under the heat of competition for a number of years now, and he's truly one of our most seasoned veterans." Wisman won 19 matches last season after winning a total of just 12 during his first two seasons. He will have his work cut out for him as junior Connor Sanders is nipping at his heels for the starting nod. Sanders was 8-9 last season, including a 3-3 record in dual matches. This weight class should eventually boil down to a two-horse race between Wisman and Sanders. Whoever emerges as the No. 1 wrestler will be battle-tested and ready for action. Freshman Josh Ewing, who was at USMAPS last year and finished as the runner-up in Ohio the year before that, will be able to grow and mature this year. Sophomore Dan Scheiring is a solid athlete who will also spend time training at 197 pounds. Heavyweight Sophomore Nathan Thobaben, who started six dual matches last year, returns to the Academy this season and is poised to defend his leading position in the lineup. Thobaben broke onto the scene and produced a solid record of 16-12 during his plebe season. Included in his 16 wins were five pins, one technical fall and one major decision. "We expect Nathan to step it up this year and take it to another level," says Barbee. Senior James Hollis, who has been an off-and-on starter for Army the past couple of years, will challenge Thobaben for the starting position. Hollis went 2-1 last season in dual matches with one win by fall. "James is a veteran senior who will be competing with Nathan all year long," says Barbee. Sophomores Raffi Mnatzakanian and Scott Clark possess a great deal of talent and will augment this group nicely. Freshman Michael Sprigg, who was a high school All-American, is a tough wrestler and the coaching staff is optimistic that he will make a smooth transition to the college level. Overview With nine starters retuning, an abundance of key reserves coming back and another talented recruiting class coming to West Point, Coach Barbee is entering the 2005-06 campaign cautiously optimistic. Once again this season, the Black Knight schedule is nothing short of ambitious with ranked opponents-including defending NCAA Champion Oklahoma State-dotting the dual match schedule. "I think we have what it takes to become a strong dual match team," mentions Barbee. "We don't have one star yet, but our goal is that several stars will emerge ready for the national tournament." The EIWA is as strong as it has ever been and Army will be battle-tested along the way. Each one of the team's battles will help prepare Army to achieve its ultimate goals of beating Navy, performing well at the EIWA Championships and advancing several wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. "We have a solid team with good kids who train hard," praised Barbee. "I think our team has the ability to be very good, and it is up to the wrestlers to make it happen this year. I want us to be at the national tournament, and I want to bring several guys this time."

State College, Pa. -- November 2, 2005 - The No. 12 Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team will hold its annual Wrestle-Offs on Sunday, Nov. 6, at 1 p.m. in Rec Hall. Admission is free to the public. Nearly 40 wrestlers will be taking part in the event. Nine starters return from last year's NCAA Top 25 squad, including two All-Americans and a total of six national qualifiers. Senior Eric Bradley (Plaistow, N.H.) is ranked No. 1 in the USA Today/NWCA pre-season poll at 184. The returning All-American and two-time Big Ten Champion went 31-5 in 2004-05. Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) earned All-America stats at 197 as a freshman and returns after a 37-10- season. Davis is ranked No. 6 by the NWCA. Other ranked wrestlers returning who will be in action on Sunday include No. 16 DeWitt Driscoll (Connellsville, Pa.) at 141, No. 14 James Woodall (St. Dupont, Pa.) at 149, No. 10 Nathan Galloway (State College, Pa.) at 157 and No. 19 Joel Edwards (Upper Darby, Pa.) at HWT. Preliminary brackets for Wrestle-Offs show that three weights (125, 165 and 174) will have five participants and three (149, 184 and HWT) will have four. Head coach Troy Sunderland and the Nittany Lions will open up the regular season by hosting the second annual Pennsylvania Dual Championships on Sunday, Nov. 13, beginning at 10 a.m. in Rec Hall. Tickets for the Pa. Duals can be purchased at the door on event day.

YPSILANTI -- The 2005-06 wrestling season will get underway Saturday, November 5, with the Eastern Michigan University Open in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The tournament attracts over 200 wrestlers and has become a major "coming out" for many top ranked collegiate wrestlers. This year looks to continue that trend. Several NCAA Division I All-Americans and over 30 wrestlers current ranked nationally will open their seasons at Bowen Field House. Among the top ranked teams that will bring a full complement of wrestlers to the tournament are Edinboro, Navy and Purdue. Although actual entrants are still coming in, it is expected that wrestlers from Michigan, Michigan State, Central Michigan, and Indiana will be among the competitors as well. NCAA runner-up Shawn Bunch (133) from Edinboro is one of the returning EMU Open champions expected to compete. Other returning EMU Open champions in the field should include All-Americans Nick Simmons (125) from Michigan State and Pat DeGain (285) from Indiana. Several other returning EMU Open champions are nationally ranked this season, including John Cox (Navy - 149), Eric Neil (CMU - 157), and Kenny Robertson (Eastern Illinois - 174). It is another homecoming of a sort for Cox, a junior from Grand Haven, Michigan. Other top ranked wrestlers expected to compete include Purdue's All-American Ben Wissel (184) and CMU All-Americans Wynn Michalak (197) and Mark DiSalvo (149).

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Lehigh officially kicked off the 2005-06 season on Tuesday night with the annual wrestle-offs at Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. A spirited crowd of almost 1,700 fans witnessed 12 bouts on the evening, as the Mountain Hawk faithful caught their first public glimpse of the 2005-06 team, which is gunning for its fifth consecutive EIWA team championship. "It was a very good show," said head coach Greg Strobel. "The kids were in good shape, there were no conditioning problems. The matches were very competitive, a lot of the new kids have really been impressive. We've seen it in the wrestling room over the last month and the fans got to see it tonight." The nights opening bout was a wrestle-off to determine who would wrestle junior Matt Ciasulli for the starting spot at 149 later in the evening. Freshman Trevor Chinn scored on a four point move early in the first period, then scored the winning takedown with three seconds remaining in the third to defeat sophomore Dave Nakasone 8-6. At 125 true freshman Matt Fisk built a third period riding time advantage to edge sophomore Patrick Berger 2-1. A pair of 141 pound bouts followed. First junior Matt Ennis posted an impressive 16-5 major decision over Phil Koehler in an exhibition bout, then returning All-American senior Cory Cooperman delivered the first fall of the evening, defeating true freshman Frankie Gayeski. Two former NCAA qualifiers squared off at 157 with senior Derek Zinck outlasting junior Matt Anderson 7-2. Fellow senior Troy Letters then shut out true freshman Mike Galante at 165. One of the more anticipated bouts came at 184, which was a rematch of a pre-EIWA tournament wrestle-off from a year ago. Senior Brian LaMay won last year's match-up in the wrestling room, but on Tuesday night it was Helfrich utilizing two first period takedowns to win the bout 5-3. Another intriguing match-up followed at 197 where junior Matt Cassidy built an early lead and went on to defeat classmate Paul Weibel, 13-8. A minor upset occurred at heavyweight, where 197 pounder Dan Murrer scored the only takedown of the bout in a 3-2 win over heavyweight Tom Curl. Two more 149 pound bouts closed out the evening's action. First Nakasone bounced back from his loss in the night's opening bout with a 10-3 win over Mark McCauley. The night's finale was a dandy of a match that needed two overtimes before a winner was declared. Junior Matt Ciasulli and Chinn were knotted at one after regulation, and then tied at two after the first series of overtime periods. After another scoreless sudden death period, Ciasulli scored an escape in the next overtime period and was on his way to riding out the final overtime period before Chinn escaped late to tie the bout at three, but Ciasulli's riding time advantage gave him the victory. "There were a couple upsets, like Murrer beating Curl, and that match between Chinn and Ciasulli was about as close as they come," Strobel added. The Mountain Hawks will open the regular season on Thursday November 10 when they welcome Rider to Leeman-Turner Arena. For tickets call (610) 7LU-GAME, or visit the Lehigh ticket office located in Grace Hall.

Stanford, Calif. -- The 2005-06 Cardinal Wrestling season began tonight, as the team competed in wrestles-offs to determine the starting lineup. There were no matches at 125, 149, 184 and 197 pounds, as Tanner Gardner, Josh Zupancic, Ryan Hagen and Ian Bork did not compete for starting spots tonight. At 133 pounds, a pair of true freshmen battled for the spot, and Eric Minnick came out on top with a 10-6 decision over Matt Kim. Tyler Parker, another true freshman, followed with a 4-2 decision over sophomore Rafael Chavez to claim the position at 141 pounds. Junior Scott Loescher has moved down to 157 pounds this season and claimed his spot with a 16-7 major decision over redshirt freshman Bobby Pease. Fifth-year seniors Ray Blake and Brennan Corbett battled at 165 pounds, with Blake taking an 8-3 victory, as he scored four points in the final two minutes to secure the decision. Fifth-year senior Imad Kharbush took on redshirt freshman Luke Feist at 174 pounds, and Kharbush, the 2004 Pac-10 Champion, scored an 11-7 victory to retain his spot in the starting lineup. The heavyweights rounded out the night, with Oklahomans Jared Boyer and Phillip Doerner wrestling for the last spot. Boyer came away with the 2-0 victory, scoring a pair of points in the second period. In exhibition matches, sophomore Josh Zupancic tallied a 7-3 decision over freshman Peter Miller, while Brian Perry notched a 17-6 major decision over Miguel Matta. Stanford will travel to Kansas City, Mo., for its first dual of the season, as the Cardinal takes on No. 14 Missouri on Friday, Nov. 11. The Cardinal will then compete at the Central Missouri Open on Sunday, before returning west for the California Open on Nov. 19 in Fullerton.

In 1949, Charles Hetrick was crowned national champion at 128 pounds (photo courtesy of Oklahoma State Sports Information).STILLWATER, Okla. -- Former Oklahoma State wrestler Charles Hetrick is this year's recipient of the Gallagher Award to be presented before the Aluni Dual against Oklahoma on Dec. 9. The Gallagher Award is "presented annually to an OSU wrestling alumnus who exemplifies the spirit and leadership eminent in the tradition of champions." "I never had the luxury to wrestle for Mr. Gallagher, but I knew him quite well," Hetrick said. "My high school coach wrestled for Mr. Gallagher so I was familiar with the system. His philosophy was ‘there never was a horse that couldn't be rode, nor a man that couldn't be throwed.' He was one of the pioneers in wrestling in this part of the country. "This is a great honor. I remember when Gallagher Hall was built and I always wanted to compete there, and I finally got the opportunnity after World War II." Hetrick began at Oklahoma A&M in 1941. After serving five years with the United States Marine Corps during World War II, Hetrick enrolled in Southwestern Tech in Weatherford before returning to Oklahoma A&M in 1947. Hetrick was a two-year letterwinner at A&M from 1949-50. In 1949, he was crowned national champion at 128 pounds and was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the NCAA Tournament. Hetrick assumed his coaching career as soon as his wrestling career ended in 1950. He started his career at Salina High School in 1950 before retiring from Blackwell High School, his alma mater, in 1974. Hetrick also served as the head coach at Stillwater High School and Bartlesville Sooner High School. During his time as a head coach, Hetrick coached 26 individual state champions and 21 wrestlers to runner-up finishes. He won three team state titles and had one state runner-up finish as well. Hetrick has had 26 wrestlers go to college on scholarship. Of those wrestlers, four won NCAA championships, eight were NCAA runners-up and 10 went on to become Big Eight champions. Twenty-three of his wrestling alumni went into coaching as well. Hetrick was inducted into the Oklahoma High School Coaches Hall of Fame in 1968. Hetrick joins past winners that include OSU coaches John and Pat Smith, Olympic gold medalists Frank Lewis, Doug Blubaugh, Kenny Monday, Kendall Cross and 2005 recipient Bobby Douglas. Past Winners: 1986 – Rex Peery 1987 – Frank Lewis 1988 – Myron Roderick 1989 – Tommy Chesbro 1990 – Joe McDaniel 1991 – John W. Divine 1996 – Ray Murphy 1997 – John Smith 1998 – Grady Peninger 1999 – Kenny Monday 2000 – Pat Smith 2001 – Kendall Cross 2002 – Mike Sheets 2003 – Doug Blubaugh 2004 – Grover Rains 2005 – Bobby Douglas 2006 – Charles Hetrick

OREM, Utah -- The Utah Valley State wrestling team is holding its intrasquad "Wrestle-off" this Wednesday, November 2nd in the Activity Center. The "Wrestle-off" is free to the public and is a chance for fans to get their first glimpse of this year's squad. "This sort of competition is the best way for us to prepare for our upcoming matches," said head coach Cody Sanderson. "It will simulate an actual dual meet experience as much as possible." Not only will every Wolverine wrestler will have their chance on the mat, but four of the matches will be a competition for a starting position. One wrestler that Wolverine fans will be able to see for the first time since 2003-04 will be Erkin Tadzhimetov. The star senior returns after redshirting in 04-05 and just his presence has already been a big boost for the team. "The whole team has had a surge of confidence having him back," said Sanderson. "I think it's going to bring up the performance of everybody." Tadzhimetov, at 133 lbs., will go head-to-head with 125 lb. wrester Talon Vickers in one of the highlight matches of the evening. "I'm most excited to see those two go at it," said Sanderson. "Erkin has the size advantage, but Talon has made so much progress." The Wolverines will open the season on November 11th when they travel to take on national powerhouse Iowa State. Their first home meet will be on Saturday, December 10th vs. Western State. Here is a full schedule of Wednesday night's meet: 184 Ivan Bigney vs. 174 Garret Story 125 Josh Pappas vs. Kyle Burnett 125 Talon Vicker vs. 133 Erkin Tadzhimetov 141 Rodney Sager vs. Daniel Polkowske 149 Justin Rawle vs. Clayton Wolf 141 Jesse Breinholt vs. 149 Nick Swenson 157 Devin Siddoway vs. Tanner Cowan 165 Mark South vs. D.J. Meis HWT Dallin Norton vs. Cory Bastian 184 Ivan Bigney vs. 197 Jaime Thornblad