InterMat Staff

THIS WEEK Iowa (3-0) will host Coe (5-0) and North Carolina State (2-3) Thursday in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Coe match will start at 6 p.m. and the North Carolina State match will start at 7:30 p.m. The #4 Hawkeyes will be hoping to get their 800th school win. Their current record is 798-209-30. The first 500 fans will receive an Iowa wrestling holiday ornament. TICKET INFORMATION Tickets purchased in advance are $8 for adults and $4 for youth/non-University of Iowa students. Tickets purchased at the door are $10 for adults and $5 for youth/non-University of Iowa students. For tickets, contact the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-424-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com. ON THE AIR Radio - Steven Grace and two-time Hawkeye NCAA champion and four-time all-American Mark Ironside will call the action live on AM-800, KXIC. All dual meets, not including the NWCA National Duals, will be broadcast live, as will action from the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments. Audio broadcasts from all competitions will also be available online. To listen online, go to the wrestling schedule on www.hawkeyesports.com and click on the event. Broadcasts are available using the Hawkeye All-Access subscription ($6.95 per month or $49.95 per year) or the CSTV XXL Premium subscription ($99.95 per year). The Internet - Press releases, meet results, audio broadcasts and home dual livestats are available on the University of Iowa's website, www.hawkeyesports.com. To access the live home dual scoring, go to the wrestling schedule page, select the event and click on the Livestats link. Current staff and student-athlete head shots can be found at pics.hawkeyesports.com. COE KOHAWKS Coe is 6-0 and ranked 12th in the most recent Brute Division III team rankings. The Kohawks scored wins over Manchester (47-4), Wisconsin-Eau Claire (35-6), Lincoln Christian (60-0), Wisconsin-Platteville (27-9) and Lakeland (32-7) at the Lakeland Duals and at Central (56-0). The team also placed third at the Simpson Invite last weekend. Head Coach John Oostendorp has a 54-33-1 record in six years at Coe. He was a two-time all-American at Iowa, winning the 1992 Big Ten heavyweight title. Oostendorp lettered four years in wrestling (1990-93) and one in football (1992) for the Hawkeyes. He is assisted by Dustin Hinschberger, Marcus Kurtz, Eric Casey, Dustin Bliven, Jeremy Kulbartz and Bret Sharp. The Kohawks are led by senior Jared Creason, who is ranked fourth at 141 pounds and brings a 13-1 record to the dual. Senior Brian Clement is 13-2 at 125. NORTH CAROLINA STATE WOLFPACK North Carolina State is 2-3 with wins over Campbell (34-13) and Liberty (32-6), and losses to Wisconsin (29-9), Purdue (24-12) and Northwestern (37-9). Head Coach Carter Jordan is 21-16-1 in three seasons with the Wolfpack. He wrestled at North Carolina State from 1983-86. He is assisted by Tony Davis and Jerrod Sanders. Davis was an NCAA champion and two-time all-American at Northern Iowa (1999- 2000), while Sanders was an all-American at Oklahoma State University (2003). North Carolina State is led by senior heavyweight Jainor Palma, who is ranked 18th in the nation and is undefeated at 5-0. THE SERIES This will be the first meeting between Iowa and Coe. The Hawkeyes lead the series with North Carolina State, 2-0, winning both duals in Iowa City. Iowa won the first meeting, 40-6, in 1985, and the most recent, 37-7, in 1991. IOWA WRESTLING ON JEOPARDY! Former Hawkeye wrestlers Luke and Ty Eustice will be featured in a clue of the category "Iowa" Friday, December 8 on the TV game show Jeopardy! Jimmy McGuire and Kelly Miyahara of the Jeopardy! Clue Crew taped several clues featuring the Eustice brothers in August on the concourse level of Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Check your local listings for the channel and time Jeopardy! airs. PERRY TAKES ON THE COMPETITION In the last two weeks, Hawkeye junior 165-pounder Mark Perry has gone 3-1 against top 10 competition. Perry, who is ranked second in the nation, faced top-ranked Johny Hendricks of Oklahoma State Nov. 20 at the NWCA All-Star Dual in Dallas, TX. After losing a 3-1 decision to the defending NCAA Champion, Perry flew back to Iowa to join the Hawkeyes in their season opener at Northern Iowa the next day. Wrestling for the second time in two days, Perry defeated #5 Nick Baima, 3-0. On Nov. 25, Iowa hosted Arizona State and Perry scored an 8-4 decision over #9 Patrick Pitsch. He then scored a takedown in sudden victory to defeat #4 Travis Paulson, 6-4, setting the tone for Iowa's 24-6 win over intrastate rival Iowa State on Dec. 3. HAWKEYES ROUT IOWA STATE, 24-6 Iowa won eight of 10 matches, including six by two points or less, to defeat intrastate rival Iowa State, 24-6, Dec. 3 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. A crowd of 13,732, the fifth-largest for a dual wrestling meet in Carver-Hawkeye Arena and the 11th-largest in school and NCAA history, turned out for the meet. Iowa improved to 3-0 on the season and bumped the Hawkeyes to a 7-4 lead in the Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series with the win. Iowa State fell to 2-1. "I'm going to give our guys credit," said Iowa Head Coach Tom Brands. "Mark Perry, Dan Erekson and Ryan Morningstar had some big wins for us. There is still a lot of wrestling to do this year, but we are taking small steps in the right direction." Perry, who is ranked second in the nation at 165, scored a takedown in sudden victory to beat fourth-ranked and undefeated Travis Paulson, 6-4. Erekson, an unranked sophomore, upset ninth-ranked and undefeated Kurt Backes, 11-9 at 197. In the final match of the dual, redshirt freshman and #15 Morningstar upset top-ranked and undefeated Trent Paulson, 3-2 at 157. Senior Eric Luedke (174-30th) and juniors Alex Tsirtsis (141-50th) and Matt Fields (Hwt.-45th) each picked up milestone victories. Iowa 24, Iowa State 6 165 - Mark Perry (I) dec. Travis Paulson (ISU), 6-4 SV-1 174 - Eric Luedke (I) dec. David Bertolino (ISU), 6-4 184 - Jake Varner (ISU) dec. Phillip Keddy (I), 6-2 197 - Dan Erekson (I) dec. Kurt Backes (ISU), 11-9 Hwt. - Matt Fields (I) dec. David Zabriskie (ISU), 6-5 125 - Charlie Falck (I) dec. Nick Fanthorpe (ISU), 6-5 133 - Mario Galanakis (I) dec. Nick Gallick (ISU), 6-1 141 - Alex Tsirtsis (I) dec. Mitch Mueller (ISU), 4-1 149 - Cyler Sanderson (ISU) dec. Alex Grunder (I), 9-8 157 - Ryan Morningstar (I) dec. Trent Paulson (ISU), 3-2 THREE HAWKEYES WIN UNI OPEN TITLES Iowa crowned three champions and tallied eight placewinners at the UNI Open in Cedar Falls Sunday. Redshirt freshmen Brent Metcalf (149) and Jay Borschel (174), and freshman Billy Murphy (133) each won individual titles, while sophomore Daniel Dennis (133) and redshirt freshman Dan LeClere (141) placed second. Dennis lost a 9-3 decision to Murphy, while LeClere lost an 8-6 decision in the third sudden victory period to Illinois all-American Cassio Pero. Iowa's other placewinners were senior Luke Magnani (125-4th), redshirt freshman Joe Slaton (133-4th), and freshman Jake Kerr (165-6th). HAWKEYES SIGN TWO Iowa signed two student-athletes to national letters of intent in the early signing period. Jordan Johnson of Bettendorf, IA and Brodie Ambrose of Eldridge, IA, are Tom Brands' first signings as Iowa's head coach. Johnson won the 2006 Class AA Illinois state heavyweight state title at Naperville North High School. He moved to Bettendorf, IA, and will be competing for Bettendorf High School this season. Ambrose placed third at 171 pounds at the 2006 Class 3A state tournament for North Scott Eldridge High School. He will compete at 189 pounds this season and is a projected 197-pounder for the Hawkeyes. Ambrose also is a 189-pound Fargo freestyle all-American. IOWA WRESTLING HISTORY Iowa's overall dual meet record is 798-209-30 (.784) in 95 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 20 national titles, including nine of the last 16, and 31 Big Ten titles. Iowa's 47 NCAA Champions have won a total of 73 NCAA individual titles, crowning six three-time and 13 two-time champions. The Hawkeyes' 99 Big Ten Champions have won a total of 180 conference titles. There have been seven four-time, 18 three-time and 24 two-time Iowa winners. Iowa's 129 all-Americans have earned all-America status 263 times, including 16 four-time, 27 three-time and 32 two-time honorees. CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA Carver-Hawkeye Arena has been the home of Iowa wrestling since 1983. The Hawkeyes are 152-15 (.910) in the arena, which includes a record 10 victories during the 1986 season. Iowa has recorded 16 undefeated seasons in the arena, with the most recent (8-0) occurring in 2002-03. The dual wrestling attendance record for Carver-Hawkeye Arena is 15,291, set when Iowa defeated Iowa State on February 22, 1992. The arena seats 15,500 for a dual wrestling meet. CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE The Hawkeye wrestling staff of Tom Brands, Dan Gable, Wes Hand, Doug Schwab and Mike Zadick earned a total of two Olympic gold medals, seven NCAA titles, 10 conference titles and 15 all-America honors. Their combined college career wrestling record is 605-84-2 (.877), including three undefeated seasons. OH BROTHER Seniors Ben and Brett Stedman from Sioux City, IA, are the lone set of brothers on the 2006-07 Hawkeye roster. There have been 10 sets of brothers to wrestle together in the Hawkeye varsity lineup since the 1950s. They are Don and Tom Huff (1961), Mark and Scott Trizzino (1981), Lenny, Larry and Jim Zalesky (1981-82), Ed and Lou Banach (1981-83), Marty and Lindley Kistler (1984-85), Jim and John Heffernan (1987), Tom and Terry Brands (1989-92), Troy and Terry Steiner (1991-93), Ryan and Randy Fulsaas (2001) and Luke and Ty Eustice (2003-04). The Stedman's are also the fifth set of twins to wrestle at Iowa. Ed and Lou Banach, Tom and Terry Brands, Troy and Terry Steiner and Randy and Ryan Fulsaas are the other four. NEXT COMPETITION Iowa will compete at the 44th annual Midlands Championships December 29-30 in Evanston, IL. The two-day, four session double-elimination tournament will be held in Welsh-Ryan Arena on the Northwestern University campus.

Oklahoma State's wrestling team heads north to wrestle the third-ranked Minnesota Gophers on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Minneapolis. OSU leads the all-time series 16-9, but the recent history has been with Minnesota as the Gophers have won seven of the last 10 meetings, including twice last year. Minnesota defeated OSU in the finals of the National Duals, followed by a victory in the Ford Center in the ESPNU Doublesport Wrestling Invitational. The Cowboys had the last laugh as OSU bested the runner-up Gophers by nearly 40 points at the NCAA Championships. The Cowboys last victory came in Minneapolis in the 2004-05 season. OSU won that dual handily 28-10. The trend in the series has been for the road team as neither team has won at home since the 1996-97 season when OSU had a 26-10 triumph in Stillwater. The dual will be broadcast live on HOT 93.7 FM with Rex Holt and Roger Moore providing the commentary. Last Time Out Oklahoma State needed a decision by heavyweight Jared Rosholt to hold off ninth-ranked Oklahoma in the first Bedlam match of the year, 17-15. The two teams each won five matches with the difference being OSU's major decisions from juniors Coleman Scott and Nathan Morgan at 133 and 141, respectively. The swing match was at 184 where OSU's Jack Jensen met OU's Josh Hinton. OU could have all but clinched the dual with fifth-ranked Joel Flaggert waiting at 197. Jensen pushed the action and scored the first takedown and then enjoyed a second period ride to earn a decision and put the Cowboys back on top. Flaggert won by a decision at 197 to give OU a 15-14 lead in the dual heading into the heavyweight match. In the final match, Rosholt put on a tough ride in the second period, and he scored the only takedown in the third to clinch the dual with a 5-0 decision. Johny Hendricks also won his 100th career match at 165. Scouting the Gophers Minnesota was picked by many to end Oklahoma State's national title run this season, but after the top-ranked Gophers inexplicably lost to Hofstra, the Cowboys return to the top spot in the rankings and Minnesota comes in ranked third according to the NWCA/USA Today Coaches' Poll. Minnesota boasts a deep lineup with six guys ranked in the top 10. The Gophers have two other starters who would be ranked as high that are both out with injury. Defending national champions Dustin Schlatter and Cole Konrad lead the way for the 4-1 Gophers. Roger Kish is ranked second at 184 after a runner-up finish last season. Jayson Ness comes in ranked eighth at 125, Manuel Rivera is seventh at 141 and Gabriel Dretsch is eighth at 174. Last time vs. Minnesota The match once again came down to heavyweight with the dual tied at 16. Both Steve Mocco and Cole Konrad had an escape to send the match into overtime. In the sudden victory period, Mocco took a shot and Konrad spun behind for the dual clinching takedown. The Cowboys had key victories from Nathan Morgan over fifth-ranked Mack Reiter and Brandon Mason over 10th-ranked Gabe Dretsch to put OSU in a position to win the dual. It took a major decision from Jake Rosholt to tie the match and force a showdown at heavyweight. Konrad had the upper hand against Mocco for the second time in 2006. It was Minnesota's second straight victory over the Cowboys and seventh in 10 tries. Minnesota 19, Oklahoma State 16 Venue: Ford Center, Oklahoma City, Okla. Attendance: 4,110 125- #6 Coleman Scott (OSU) Dec. Travis Lang (UMN), 12-5 133- #3 Nathan Morgan (OSU) Dec. #5 Mack Reiter (UMN), 2-1 141- Manuel Rivera (UMN) Fall Justin Porter (OSU), 6:23 149- #1 Dustin Schlatter (UMN) MD #3 Zack Esposito (OSU), 11-2 157- #6 C.P. Schlatter (UMN) Dec. #16 Kevin Ward (OSU), 7-3 165- #1 Johny Hendricks (OSU) Dec. #7 Matt Nagel (UMN), 3-1 174- #11 Brandon Mason (OSU) Dec. #10 Gabriel Dretsch (UMN), 3-1 184- #7 Roger Kish (UMN) Dec. Rusty Blackmon (OSU), 5-1 197- #3 Jake Rosholt (OSU) MD Mitch Kuhlman (UMN), 14-2 285- #1 Cole Konrad (UMN) Dec. #2 Steve Mocco (OSU), 3-1 SV Gopher Bitten Oklahoma State has claimed the last four NCAA team titles and three of the last four NWCA National Duals titles. Over that four year span the Cowboys have compiled a 74-4 dual record. OSU has put together a 111-8 record since the 2000-01 season. Minnesota has been the one team that has been a thorn in the side for the Cowboys. Minnesota has handed OSU five of its eight losses since the 2000-01 season, and it has defeated the Cowboys three times during its current championship run, including twice last year. Hendricks Reaches the Century Mark Senior Johny Hendricks became the 26th member of the 100-win club when he defeated Oklahoma's Shane Seibert, 7-4, on Dec. 3, 2006. He is currently 7-0 on the season and boasts a career record of 100-12. He needs just eight victories to tie Kirk Mammen for 20th on the all-time wins list. Ryan Freeman Making the Most of the Opportunity Oklahoma State fans have been spoiled watching Zack Esposito at 149. Following Esposito's graduation, the Cowboys were set with junior B.J. Jackson, but fellow junior Ryan Freeman eyed an opening and dropped down to 149 to contend for the spot. After Jackson suffered a knee injury in his opening bout against California-Davis, Freeman was inserted into the lineup. He took advantage as he won his first match against Michigan State by an easy score of 10-4. Freeman lost to second-ranked Matt Storniolo by a 7-0 decision and he faces top-ranked Dustin Schlatter on Wednesday.

Columbia, Mo. –- Redshirt freshman Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) was named November's Big 12 Wrestler of the Month after knocking off three of the nation's top-five wrestlers as announced today by the league office. A perfect 10-0 on the season, Askren most recently collected his first Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational title at 197 pounds becoming Missouri's first freshman to take top honors at the prestigious event. Opening the season Nov. 16 against Ohio State, Askren, then ranked No. 12 in the nation, took down All-American and then No. 2 J.D. Bergman, 8-4. Adding to the wins list, Askren went 4-0 at the Missouri Open, Nov. 19, besting two-time All-American and then No. 4 Joel Flaggert of Oklahoma, 2-1. In his next outing of the campaign, Askren went 5-0 and finished first at the 25th annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in Primm, Nev., Dec. 2. Ranked No. 3 in the country, Askren held off No. 2 Jerry Rinaldi of Cornell, 4-3, in the title match. Next up for the Tigers are back-to-back duals against Central Michigan (Dec. 9) and Michigan State (Dec. 10).

DURHAM, N.C. -– Addison Nuding has fit quite well into the role of student-athlete in his year-and-a-half at Duke. The native of Reading, Pa. received the Goldman Sachs Global Leaders Award in this his sophomore year. Nuding is majoring in International Comparative Studies and acquiring certificates in Markets and Management Studies and in Information Studies. The Goldman Sachs Global Leaders Program is an annual competition that aims to identify academic excellence and leadership potential in 100 of the most-accomplished second-year university students from around the world, including only 16 from the United States. Successful applicants are awarded $3,000 and earn the right to be called Goldman Sachs Global Leaders. Duke University is able to nominate five to 10 candidates who meet the eligibility criteria. The criteria for the applicants includes having distinguished themselves as leaders in their community or school, having a 3.4 or better in the final year of secondary school and the first year in college, being full-time students in their second year at Trinity College or the Pratt School of Engineering, be pursuing their first undergraduate degree, and demonstrating competency in spoken and written English. Nuding has not stopped there in his time at Duke. He spent six weeks in Berlin this past summer as part of the Duke Summer in Berlin. The two-course program offers various levels of German language study plus a range of English and German elective courses in an urban environment. Nuding took a German language course and a German Art History course. The Financial Aid Initiative is a university-wide effort to increase endowed funds for scholarships and graduated fellowships. The goal of the initiative is to raise $300 million over three to four years. Nuding has taken it upon himself to become involved in this organization because he believes strongly in Duke's financial aid program, and is thankful that he was able to attend Duke because of the donations of those who believe in it as well. The committee that Nuding serves on tries to create open communication between administration and students, ensure strong donor-recipient bonds, and encourage students to get involved in improving the financial aid program. In addition to those three programs, Nuding is also a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, the First-year Advisory Council, and the Last Day of Classes committee. He also works in the Iron Dukes' office as a student intern. On top of being a Duke student and all of his activities and achievements, Nuding somehow finds the time to wrestle for the Blue Devils. At the 157 pound weight class, Nuding has accumulated a 15-17 record in a little more than one full season, including four pins of his opponents in that time. He finished second in The Citadel Open as a freshman, and tied for second on the team that year with three pins. In high school wrestling, Nuding was a Wendy's High School Heisman winner and state runner-up as a senior. He was also a two-time all-state and all-county recipient, and accumulated 130 wins in four years.

State College, Pa. –- Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling fans will get a chance to pick up free 2006-07 wrestling schedule magnets when No. 7 Penn State hosts No. 24 Lehigh at 7 p.m. on Friday night. The first fans through the Rec Hall doors will get the magnets while supplies last. The key eastern wrestling clash will feature nine ranked wrestlers. Penn State features No. 7 Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.) at 125, No. 7 Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) at 133, No. 2 James Yonushonis (Philipsburg, Pa.) at 174, No. 1 Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) at 197 and No. 11 Aaron Anspach (Columbia, Pa.) at HWT. Lehigh counters with No. 9 Trevor Chinn at 149, No. 19 David Helfrich at 174, No. 20 Matt Cassidy at 197 and No. 13 Paul Weibel at HWT. The two schools have met 94 times with Penn State holding a 59-32-3 edge in the series. The Nittany Lions won both duals vs. the Mountain Hawks last year and have won three of the last four battles. The match will also been seen live on WPSU-TV State College. CSTV national will replay the dual on Tuesday, December 12, at 8 p.m. Season tickets are on sale now. This year's season ticket prices are $24 for adults and $18 for students. Single dual prices are $5 per event for adults and $3 per event for youth. Contact the Penn State ticket office at 814-863-1000 or 800-833-5533 for more information or visit GoPSUsports.com.

It's been said that the only thing that can be expected is the unexpected. However, with weight classes becoming more settled, the biggest potential match-ups of the season from a national perspective are becoming clearer. The following are some highlights of what to watch for … Zach Kemmerer vs. Nick Nelson/Mario Mason/Luke Ashmore Weight: 140 Pounds Where: Ironman/Beast of the East With the possible exception of Corey Jantzen and Kirk Smith, no wrestler improved their stock as much as Kemmerer did in the past year. Coming off a fifth-place finish at state and a fourth-place finish at the Cadet Nationals, Kemmerer went unbeaten through Ironman, Beast of the East, the Pennsylvania state tournament (AAA division), and FILA Cadet Nationals. In the process, he went from a wrestler experts knew was underrated to one of the top seniors in the nation. Included in that great run were wins over Luke Ashmore, Kevin Lipp, Pat McLemore, and Max Shanaman. This year Kemmerer has continued to build his reputation with a brilliant performance at the Michigan State Open. The 17-year-old Kemmerer stepped into this tough collegiate open and showed he belonged -- placing fourth, which included a 2-1 win over future Penn teammate Cesar Grajales. Kemmerer also avenged a defeat from last year in the preseason against two-time Pennsylvania AAA state champ Mike Rappo and defeated Junior Nationals fourth-place finisher Ryan Cubberly. It is ironic, then, that Kemmerer could soon be in the unfamiliar position of needing to avenge two losses in the same day. His Ironman weight class will include both Mario Mason of Blair Academy and Nick Nelson of Shaler, PA. Mason defeated Kemmerer, 4-3, at the 2005 Cadet Freestyle Duals in the only match-up between the two that I am aware of. Mason then showed it wasn't a fluke by easily defeating two wrestlers at Cadet Nationals that defeated Kemmerer, as Mason steamrolled to the title and Kemmerer placed fourth. The second loss Kemmerer could have to avenge (depending on how the seeding formula comes out) would be against Nick Nelson. Nelson defeated Kemmerer at the 2005 Pennsylvania state tournament in the consolation semifinals by a 2-1 score. Nick Nelson remains a lightning rod of controversy in the national rankings. Some would ask, how can a wrestler with almost no Fargo resume and zero state titles be ranked No. 3 in the nation in a loaded weight class? The answer lies in the wrestlers Nelson has beaten. Luke Ashmore (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)Over the past two seasons Nelson has posted wins over three national champions: NHSCA Senior Nationals champ Bubba Jenkins, Junior Nationals champion Luke Ashmore, and FILA Cadet Nationals champ Kemmerer. Nelson has finished third and runner-up in arguably the toughest state tournament in the nation, with archrival Ashtin Primus winning the state title both years. Primus has now graduated, but it is anything but smooth sailing for him to win his first state title, as Kemmerer and Nelson appear to be on a collision course to meet in the Pennsylvania state tournament as well. The road doesn't get any easier for Kemmerer at Beast of the East- as he will be matched up against not only Mario Mason for the second consecutive tournament, but also cadet and junior national freestyle champion Luke Ashmore. Ironically, although Ashmore is more decorated than either Mason or Nelson, Kemmerer defeated him in their only meeting of which I am aware- by a score of 1-0, 3-2 at FILA Cadet Nationals in the spring of 2006. Kemmerer will have easily earned a place among the top three seniors in the nation should he post another unbeaten season. David Taylor vs. Logan Stieber Weight: 103 Pounds Where: Ironman David Taylor (Photo/Wyatt Schultz)In the long run, this could be the match that has the most lasting significance. David Taylor has completely dominated Fargo for the past two years, with only a fluke touch fall (as he was nearing a tech) in the 2005 Greco finals keeping him out of the exclusive group of four-time Cadet Nationals champions. Taylor won the Ironman and Beast of the East last year as a freshman, knocking off highly-rated wrestlers such as Fred Santaite, Boris Novachkov, and Ben Sergent. However, what was really impressive his freshman season is that Taylor won despite being a very small 103. Thinking about it this way: Taylor won Fargo at 91 pounds in the summer before his freshman year … and 98 pounds in the summer after. If we figure that he grew an equal amount throughout the year that would put his ideal weight class last season at around 95 pounds. In other words, as a percentage of size, Taylor's season was the equivalent of a 140 wrestling 152. Despite being so drastically undersized, Taylor earned the No. 2 ranking in the nation. A non-stop attacker with a highly creative style, Taylor overcame the size disadvantage by never letting up for an instant -- in any flurry, he always has one more move and seemingly limitless energy. Taylor is also perhaps the best wrestler in the nation from the top position regardless of grade or weight. This year, Taylor will be wrestling guys his own size- and is a year older and more experienced. In my view there isn't a wrestler in the nation who is within eight points of Taylor this season … with one huge exception. Logan Stieber (Photo/Wyatt Schultz)Logan Stieber, a freshman hailing from tiny Monroeville, Ohio, may be even better than Taylor. While Taylor is a technician, who fights for his wins and overwhelms opponents with his whirlwind pace, Stieber is a machine who simply destroys top opponents in all phases of the sport: power, speed, and technique. His matches against the nation's best have been laughable. In the Cadet Nationals finals against a very tough Chris Villalonga, Stieber piled up 14 unanswered points in less than three minutes of action. That would project to a score of 29-0 over a six-minute match. But the thing is -- it wasn't just that match. That's every match for Stieber, or should I say, every period of every match. Between FILA Cadet Nationals and Cadet Nationals, Stieber scored a tech (six-point advantage) or pin in every period of every match except one, when he beat the eventual third-place finisher 6-0, 4-1. This was the only point allowed by Stieber between the two national tournaments -- a run which saw Stieber outscore his opponents 101-1. Included in Stieber's great run was a 6-0, 6-0 win over Junior Nationals runner-up Jon Morrison. Almost invariable, these six-point techs happened seemingly in the blink of an eye. It's interesting to compare the dominance of Stieber at Cadet Nationals to that of the champions one weight above and one weight below him: Taylor (98-pound champ) and Jordan Oliver (112-pound champ who was the top-ranked 103 in the nation in 2006). Stieber wrestled 16 periods at Fargo and scored a tech or pin in 15 of those periods, for a tech/pin percentage of 94% (down from 100% at FILA Cadets). Taylor's tech/pin percentage was 64%, Oliver's 50%. While Stieber allowed only a single point, Taylor allowed three and Oliver allowed six. Obviously, these comparisons do not prove that Stieber is the superior wrestler to either Taylor or Oliver, but the fact that Stieber was substantially more dominant without having wrestled a high school season has to raise eyebrows. Sean Nemec vs. Jason Welch/Tim Darling/Colt Sponseller Weight: 160 Pounds Where: Ironman/Beast of the East/Medina Invitational Sean Nemec (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)With the possible exception of Kemmerer, no wrestler in the nation will face as much competition this year as Sean Nemec of Lakewood St. Edward. With Mike Benefiel apparently moving to 171, Nemec will likely be facing every three of the other four wrestlers ranked in the top five within a three week time span. Nemec vaulted from being another very good wrestler to star status by basically taking out the entire state of New Jersey in Fargo, more specifically: Darion Caldwell, Scott Winston, and Eric Medina. Like Kemmerer, should Nemec run the table this season with the competition he will face, it would be difficult to deny he deserves a spot among the top three wrestlers in the nation in all weights. It's interesting to note that Nemec was beaten 11-2 by Jason Welch of California in their last meeting (Fargo in 2005). Do not look for such a one-sided result should they meet at Ironman. Welch's wide-open style does provide an interesting contrast to Nemec's more methodical, workman-like approach. It should be noted that at press time, there was some confusion as to whether Jason Welch will be able to wrestle 160 at Ironman, as certification issue may push him to 171. Nemec should next face Tim Darling of Pennsylvania at the Beast of the East. Like Nemec, Darling has already won two state titles in the rugged Pennsylvania AAA Division. Darling presents an even greater style contrast with Nemec than Welch does. The funky Darling is a great at scoring off his opponents shots and very tough on the mat. Stylistically, Darling is similar to Nemec's archrival Travis Blasco of Blair Academy, though probably better in my view. Nemec's track against Darling was not good (though he did defeat him soundly at Ironman), so that may not bode well for Nemec. If Nemec can maintain the level he wrestled at in Fargo, however, that comparison is probably out the window. Finally, Nemec will face two-time Ohio state champion Colt Sponseller in what might be termed, "the Battle for Ohio." Sponseller was NHSCA Juniors champion and is a former Junior Nationals All-American. He was vaulted to superstar status in the Buckeye state, however, by his win over Josh Rohler in the state finals. Rohler actually was the No. 1 ranked 152 in the nation at the start of last year. However, Sponseller controlled the action by attacking every instant of possibly the most decisive 4-3 decision ever recorded. Sponseller and Nemec squared off at Medina their sophomore years with Nemec coming out a 3-1 victor. Frankly, I think Sponseller's style may be a better match-up for Nemec than either Welch or Darling. However, Sponseller has improved dramatically since his sophomore year, so he certainly cannot be counted out. Ironically, Sponseller and Nemec will be teammates at the Ohio State University for the next four years. As an aside -- should Jason Welch be forced to wrestle 171 due to the dreaded certification process, Welch versus three-time Illinois state champion Mike Benefiel at Ironman (and Junior Nationals All-American Brian Roddy, Cadet Nationals champion Andy Thomas, and Hunter Collins) would become one of the biggest match-ups of the year. Should Welch stay at 171 (seemingly unlikely), an even bigger match-up would be against Kirk Smith (the No. 2 senior in the nation) at the Reno Tournament of Champions. Other potential match-ups: Cody Gardner of Christiansburg and Jared Platt of Blair resume their great rivalry at Ironman and Beast. Jordan Blanton, a junior from, Illinois has never tasted defeat in his high school career, but three-time state champion Mike Benefiel will be at his weight class (171) this year. Benefiel started his career as a 112. Illinois fans are hoping that they meet up in an All-Star match. Another possible match-up could be FILA Cadet Nationals champion and two-time Cadet Greco-Roman champ Nate Moore versus former Cadet Nationals champion Tyler Clark at the Dvorak -- should they end up at the same weight.

DAVIDSON, N.C. and STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -— Duke (2-1) wrestled in two meets this past weekend: the Davidson Open on Saturday and the Penn State Open on Sunday. Redshirt sophomore Konrad Dudziak was the star of the weekend, as he won the inaugural Davidson Open as a heavyweight competitor. Sophomore Michael Degli Obizzi took third place at Davidson in the 149 pound weight class, and at Penn State Voris Tejada clinched fourth place at 149 pounds. On his way to victory Saturday at the 285 pound weight class, Dudziak defeated Ryan Hsu of UNC-Greensboro, Trey Moss off Limestone, and Jim Powers of Virginia Tech in his final three matches. It was Dudziak's second tournament championship this season, as he won the UNC-Pembroke Open at 285 pounds on Nov. 11. Degli Obizzi defeated Davidson's Scott Matthews in the quarterfinals at 149 pounds before losing to Virginia Military Institute's David Metzler, who eventually won the championship. Degli Obizzi came back to defeat Zach Martin of Appalachian St. in the third place match. Four other Duke wrestlers had a strong showing at Davidson, making it to the final eight or better in their respective weight classes. Freshman Chase Macer made it to the semifinals at 157 pounds after defeating Nick Raich of Gardner-Webb. Freshman Mat Koelling was able to make it to the quarterfinals in the 165 pound weight class before bowing out. Redshirt sophomore Turner Rooney beat Nick Niesieslowski of Anderson College in the quarterfinals before making his exit from the tournament. Sophomore Wade Van Sickle made it to the semifinals by downing Newberry College's Alonzo Henry. At Penn State on Sunday, Tejada led the way with a fourth place finish. He rattled off four consecutive victories before losing in the semifinals and then in the third place match. It was Tejada's third placing of fifth or higher this season. He also took third in The Citadel Open on Nov. 4 and placed fifth at the UPenn Invitational on Nov. 19. Redshirt junior Bryan Gibson and junior Wes Kuser had strong showings in the Penn State Open as well. Gibson went 3-2 at 133 pounds, and Kuser went 4-2 in the 141 pound weight class. Duke's next competition will be Wed., Dec. 20 at the Reno Tournament of Champions in Reno, Nev. It is an all day event, and is another open meet for the Blue Devils.

Buena Vista University wrestler Wade Hammen has been named the Iowa Conference Male Athlete of the Week. Hammen is a senior from Rockwell City, Iowa. Hammen went 4-1 in his first week of competition after joining the team following the Buena Vista football season and placed second in the heavyweight division at the University of Northern Iowa Open. In the Beavers' dual meet victory over Morningside College, he won by decision over Kiel Ploen, 8-4. At UNI, Hammen defeated Luther's Jake Mandrinich (8-1) then faced three straight Division I opponents. He won by decision over Northern Illinois' Dave Benner (3-2), won by default over Wisconsin's Kyle Massey, and lost to UNI's Tyler Rhodes (8-5), a 2006 NCAA qualifier, in the Championship match. This is the first time in his collegiate wrestling career that Hammen has earned this award. He and the rest of the Beavers will resume action on Saturday at the University of Dubuque Duals.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Senior Sam Alvarenga won seven consecutive matches to take the title at 149 lbs. while competing at the Nittany Lion Open on Sunday, hosted by Penn State. Alvarenga represented one of three placewinners for the Keydets on Sunday, as over 600 wrestlers competed in the ten weight classes at the event. Alvarenga (Springfield, Va./Thomas Edison) improved his overall record to 17-2 on the season with his march to the title, as his 95 career wins place him eighth on the career wins list. His run on Sunday began with a forfeit victory against Michigan State's Eddie Skowneski, while he advanced with a 3-0 decision over Braden Bair. Next up was an 11-6 decision over Liberty's Aaron Kelley, followed by a closely contested 3-2 win against Navy's Joel Ahern, giving Alvarenga a berth into the quarterfinals. In that match, extra time was needed before Alvarenga claimed a 3-1 win in sudden victory over Boston's Mike Roberts. In the semifinals, Alvarenga again posted a sudden victory win over Indiana's Kurt Kinser, this time by a 7-5 margin. The championship pitted Alvarenga against Penn State freshman Dan Vallimont, as the VMI senior took the title with a 10-5 victory. "Sam has really wrestled well ever since dropping that second match at the Keystone Classic a couple of weeks ago," said Trudgeon. "He has really turned it around since then. He's wrestling hungry and has become a lot more aggressive." Meanwhile, fellow senior Scott Buhman was wrestling his way to seventh place in the heavyweight division, running up a 6-2 record on the day to improve to 14-5 overall. After dropping a second round match to eventual third-place finisher Spencer Nadolsky of UNC, Buhman won four straight matches, including a pin in 3:16 against Michigan State's Alex Strachan and an 11-4 win against Columbia's Kevin Lester, before falling by a 6-4 margin to Liberty's Patrick Walker. Buhman then received a medical forfeit against Cleveland State's Rashard Goff to secure the seventh place showing. At 184 lbs., senior Corry Murray, competing in his first tournament of the season, posted a 4-2 first round decision over Duke's Dan Fox, before falling to eventual second-place finisher Brent Chriswell of Purdue. In the consolation bracket, Murray posted four straight victories, including a pair of 3-2 decisions as well as a 3-1 victory, before dropping his final two matches of the day to fall to eighth place. "Corry has probably practiced about a week or so of full matches, so he's still getting up to speed," said Trudgeon. "He's been going at it hard, and he's not quite back to 100% with that ankle, but we're hoping he will be soon. He pulled out a lot of close, hard-fought matches up there, which is great to see. Scott wrestled well enough to place and showed the aggressiveness that he lacked Friday night. As a team, I think that we're starting to put it together hopefully. I think that all of our guys will start feeding off of the success that our leaders had this weekend, as we look to have a big match this Friday (against Gardner-Webb). Hopefully we'll get a few of our guys back healthy, and there will be a lot of good, tight matches in that one." Other competitors for the Keydets included Brandon Franklin at 141 (0-1 record on the day), Tommy Cunningham (1-2) at 157, and Dustin McCabe (3-2) and Kyle Elgert (0-1) at 174. The Keydets return to action on Friday evening, as they compete in their second dual match of the season at Gardner-Webb at 7 p.m.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State wrestling assistant coaches Joe Heskett and Tommy Rowlands claimed titles at the Henri Deglane Challenge in Nice, France, and the American Airlines/New York AC Holiday International in New York, respectively, at the end of November. In his first season as the volunteer assistant coach for the Buckeyes, Heskett defeated 2000 Olympic silver medalist and 2006 Russian National Champion Arsen Gitinov in the championship match to win the gold medal at 74kg/163 pounds in the freestyle competition at the Nov. 24-25 tournament. For his efforts, Heskett was named TheMat.com Athlete of the Week for the week of Nov. 21. "I am in an ideal training environment with unbelievable support from the training staff," Heskett said. "The training here is no question the most intense and focused training I have done in my life and because of that I feel my strength and conditioning combined with my God-given wrestling talent can push me to the Olympic gold, which is the ultimate goal. I also want to thank my wife, Tara, and my two daughters, Olivia and Ava." Rowlands defended his freestyle title at 120kg/264.5 pounds at the New York Athletic Club Nov. 18-19, winning all four of his bouts, including defeating Michael Irving, 4-1 and 6-0, in the final. "I feel good about the fall tournaments," Rowlands said. "This is a stepping stone to the spring and summer." "Under the guidance of Tom Ryan and 2006 U.S. World Team head coach and OSU assistant coach Lou Rosselli, Tommy has been wrestling the best we have ever seen and has been training harder," Ross Thatcher, Ohio State director of operations and Rowlands' longtime training partner, said. "He has more enthusiasm for going to the Olympics." Ohio State head coach Tom Ryan believes Heskett and Rowlands' success is motivation for the Buckeye wrestling team this season. "Not only are they pursuing their Olympic dreams, their actions as leaders set the expectations for the current student-athletes," Ryan said. "It's all about excellence." Heskett and Rowlands train with The Buckeye Wrestling Club, an Ohio Regional Olympic Training Center at the Steelwood Athletic Training Facility, which also serves as the practice site for the Ohio State wrestling team. The mission of The Buckeye Wrestling Club includes producing various levels of champions, from the Ohio state high school tournament to national, world and Olympic level events. It is the goal of the center to fund an Olympic hopeful at each of the seven weight classes in freestyle competition within the next three years. Additionally, The Buckeye Wrestling Club seeks to expand the community support for the Ohio State wrestling program in its goal of winning a NCAA championship.

Two of the most storied programs in college wrestling will face off on Wednesday, Dec. 6 as the third-ranked Golden Gophers host No. 1 Oklahoma State at 7 p.m., at the Sports Pavilion. Minnesota began the year as the top-ranked team in the nation, but a season-opening loss to No. 11 Hofstra knocked the Gophers out of the top spot. The Maroon and Gold will look to regain the No. 1 ranking by beating the defending national champion Cowboys. The Gophers return eight starters and seven NCAA qualifiers from a team that finished second to Oklahoma State at last year's national meet. Minnesota is led by defending national champions Dustin Schlatter (149) and Cole Konrad (Hwt). The Cowboys lose a lot of firepower, with the graduation of three All-Americans and five NCAA qualifiers from last year's national championship team. OSU does return three other All-Americans, including two-time defending national champion Johny Hendricks (165). Minnesota's 21-14 victory over Oklahoma State in the championship match at the 2006 National Duals ended a streak of 30 consecutive victories for the Cowboys. The Gophers also defeated OSU, 19-16, in a dual meet in Stillwater, Okla., on Feb. 12. However, after the Gophers ended the regular season as the top-ranked team in the nation, OSU got the upper hand at the NCAA Championships by claiming its fourth straight national title. For tickets to Wednesday's match, click here, or call 1-800-UGOPHER. FSN North will air the meet on tape delay on Monday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. Highlights will be available on Gophersports.com following the match. The meet will be available in its entirety in the Gold Zone, the premium content site for Golden Gopher athletics, no earlier than 24 hours after the FSN broadcast on Dec. 11. NOTES TO KNOW Home Sweet Home Wednesday's match will be Minnesota's 2006-07 home opener. Since 1998, Minnesota holds a 48-13-0 (.787) record at home. The Golden Gophers have called the Sports Pavilion, Williams Arena, Target Center, the Xcel Energy Center, Rochester, Minn., and Jackson, Minn., home during that span. The Golden Gophers finished the 2005-06 season unbeaten at home (8-0) for the fifth time during J Robinson's tenure. The last time Minnesota finished perfect in its home schedule was in 2001-02 (8-0). The Golden Gophers were also perfect in 1998-99 (4-0) and 1993-94 (8-0). A Thorn In The Side Not many teams other than Minnesota can boast a lot of success against Oklahoma State in recent years. Since the 1999-2000 season, the Cowboys have compiled a 123-13-1 dual meet record (Minnesota is 118-25). During that span, the Golden Gophers have gone 7-3 against Oklahoma State, including handing OSU its last three dual meet defeats. Here are the 13 Cowboy losses in the last seven seasons: Oklahoma State Losses since 1999-2000 Year Opponent Score 99-00 Minnesota L 19-15 99-00 Minnesota L 16-15 99-00 Iowa State L 22-10 99-00 Iowa L 20-14 99-00 Mich. State L 21-10 00-01 Minnesota L 20-12 01-02 Minnesota L 21-12 01-02 Ohio State L 19-13 01-02 Iowa State L 25-20 03-04 Missouri L 21-17 03-04 Minnesota L 17-16 05-06 Minnesota L 21-14 05-06 Minnesota L 19-16 Tough to Defend Since 1998, neither Minnesota nor Oklahoma State has been successful in defending its home arena when facing each other. The last time either team was able to defend its home arena when the other was in town was a 26-10 OSU victory in Stillwater on Jan. 31, 1997. The last time the Gophers defeated the Cowboys at home was a 23-16 victory on Feb. 5, 1994. The Gophers will try to reverse that trend on Wednesday night. Here is a look at the last eight meetings between the two schools which have been contested at their home arenas: Date Host Result Feb. 12, 2006 OSU UM won 19-16 Dec. 5, 2004 UM OSU won 28-10 Feb. 22, 2004 OSU UM won 17-16 Jan. 3, 2003 UM OSU won 26-6 (at Target Center) Dec. 2, 2001 OSU UM won 21-12 Jan. 7, 2001 UM OSU won 25-12 Jan. 9, 2000 OSU UM won 19-15 Nov. 29, 1998 UM OSU won 21-17 *Does not include matches contested at neutral sites U.S. Navy SEALs and Minnesota Wrestling to Launch Unique Event In conjunction with Minnesota's wrestling match Oklahoma State, the U.S. Navy SEALs will be holding a unique event with an overriding goal of promoting physical fitness. The Navy SEALs will conduct a Trident Challenge on Sunday, Dec. 10 from 12 p.m.-5 p.m., at the University Aquatic Center and Field House. The Trident Challenge is an athletic competition consisting of running, push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups and a swim. The Navy SEALs have the military's most successful physical training program, and it's a training program they want to introduce nationally to coaches as an athletic standard of excellence. While only men can be Navy SEALs, the Trident Challenge is open to everyone, not just those interested in joining the military. The competition is an opportunity for civilian to put themselves to the test and see how they stack up against the Navy's best. Representatives from the Navy SEALs will be at the Minnesota-Oklahoma State wrestling match on Dec. 6 to answer questions and kick off the event.

Indianola, IA -- Senior/junior captains Burke Barnes (Lake Stevens, WA) and Terrence Almond (Pelham, GA) captured individual titles at 133 and 141 pounds, respectively, to pace the No. 12-ranked Dana college Vikings to second place (144 points) at the Simpson College Invitational, which concluded Saturday (Dec. 2) behind 1st place Wartburg College who is currently ranked No. 1 in the country in NCAA Division III and are the defending National Champions. Fellow junior Wade Jordan (Coulee City, WA) claimed the individual title at 197 pounds joining the two captains on the top of the podium. The Vikings had eleven total place-winners out of the 15 member team. Senior captain Craig Trampe (Ord, NE) reached the finals at 125, but fell short of the title losing to Robert Struthers of Wartburg College 9-4. Freshman Matt Jacobson (Craig, NE) did not place at 125 pounds despite going 4-2 on the day. Freshman Eric Graham (Kansas City, MO) competing at 133, pinned his way to semi-finals, only to meet team-mate Burke Barnes, but Graham came back through the consolation rounds to finish third. Graham was unseeded but recorded victories over the No.4, No. 5, No. 6 and No. 7 seeds. Sophomore Brett Brandl (Madison, NE) finished sixth in the same weight class. Joining senior Terrence Almond as a place-winner at 141 pounds, was freshman Brian Graham (Kansas City, MO). Fresh off a runner-up finish at the prestigious UNO Open, Brian Graham finished fifth in a tough weight class. At 149, junior Clinton Dale (Las Vegas, NM) competed in the varsity line-up for the first time as a Viking. Dale completed the day with fourth place finish recording defeats over the No. 2 and No. 5 seeds. At 157, junior Jason Bilinski (Pittsgrove, NJ) coming in as the No. 5 seed pinned his way into the semi-finals eventually falling to the No. 1 seed Jacob Malone of St. Johns, MN and finished fourth on the day. Sophomore Dan Pray (St. George, KS) competed in this weight as well finishing the day 3-2. Freshman Bulla Tuzon (Wailuku, HI) unseeded, finished third at 165 pounds only losing to the eventual runner-up. Another freshman, Josh Ghobadpoor (Dahlonega, GA) finished the day with a 3-2 record and did not place. Junior captain Webster Farris (Nebraska City, NE) wrestled his way to a third place finish at 184 pounds. Finally at heavyweight, freshman Jesse Boggs (Deming, NM) lost in the semi-finals to Wartburg's Brian Borchers and eventually settled for a fourth place finish. The Vikings will be back in action when they travel to the University of Sioux Falls in South Dakota to take on USF on Friday December 8th at 7:00 pm. Another Viking group will travel to Kearney for the annual Kearney Open on Saturday December 9th. Other events coming up are the back to back home duals on December 15 and 16. December 15th is titled "Prep Night" and will feature Dana College vs. Briar Cliff University at 7:00 pm. On Saturday December 16th, the Vikings will host Morningside College at 1:00 pm.

Tickets are now available for the 2007 U.S. World Team Trials, set for the Las Vegas Convention Center, June 9-10. All tickets are available starting at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Monday, December 4. Fans are encouraged to place their order to secure the best seats for the competition. The U.S. World Team Trials features the best Olympic-level wrestlers in the nation battling for coveted positions on the U.S. team. A variety of ticket options have been developed and can immediately be ordered online or via the telephone. Tickets can be purchased by calling 866-388-FANS or online at: www.USAWrestlingLasVegas.com This event will determine the 2007 U.S. World Team that will compete at the 2007 World Wrestling Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan in all three Olympic wrestling styles: men's freestyle, men's Greco-Roman and women's freestyle. Numerous past World and Olympic medalists will be on display during the competition. Tickets for the 2007 U.S. World Team Trials can be purchased in three ways. There will be an All-Event price, which covers every session during the two days of action. There is a single-day All-Session price, for fans to attend every session on a specific day. There is also a Single Session ticket price. These options allow spectators to find the best ticket plan to fit their needs and budget. There are three seat location options, Gold, Silver and Bronze, with the Gold seats considered the most desirable. Those who purchase the Gold seats must purchase an All-Event ticket. Those ordering seats in the Silver and Bronze sections may select from all three ticket package plans. ALL-EVENT PRICING Gold - $150 Silver - $75 Bronze - $40 SINGLE DAY ALL-SESSION PRICING Silver - $40 Bronze - $25 SINGLE SESSION PRICING Silver - $25 Bronze - $15 "The U.S. World Team Trials is among the most exciting spectator events in the sports community,"said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. "Every sports fan should make plans to attend this outstanding showcase competition. Combined with the amazing variety of entertainment options that Las Vegas offers, this is a can't-miss wrestling weekend." The local organizing committee for the 2007 U.S. World Team Trials is Las Vegas Events, which has successfully hosted numerous major sports events in the city. "We're pleased to announce that tickets for the 2007 World Team Trials will be on sale," said Pat Christenson, president of Las Vegas Events. "This event is the first step in our partnership with USA Wrestling, and we look forward to hosting all of the athletes, coaches, fans and members of the media next June. Las Vegas has proven in the past to be an ideal event destination, and we think the 2007 World Team Trials will provide another great opportunity to showcase everything our city has to offer." In addition to the 2007 U.S. World Team Trials, Las Vegas Events is partnering with USA Wrestling to host the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling at the Thomas and Mack Center on the campus of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, June 13-15, 2008. Each year, Las Vegas plays host to numerous major sports events including the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, NASCAR Nextel Cup and Craftsman Truck Series events, NHRA Drag Racing, USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team Training and Exhibition, the Las Vegas Bowl, PBR World Finals, Vegoose Music Festival and the signature New Year's Eve production, America‘s Party. Among the major wrestling events held in Las Vegas has been the U.S. National Wrestling Championships, which has been held in the city 18 of the last 20 years. Included in the event has been the U.S. Senior Nationals, plus the Veterans Nationals, the FILA Junior Nationals and the Western Junior Regionals. With the announcement of the ticket prices today, Las Vegas Events has launched an aggressive marketing campaign to encourage the wrestling community and the general public to attend the 2007 U.S. World Team Trials and enjoy the many entertainment and cultural activities available in Las Vegas. As the host city, Las Vegas is a world-class travel destination. Las Vegas offers spectacular shopping, dining, entertainment, and non-stop excitement 24 hours a day. With approximately 133,000 hotel rooms in Las Vegas alone, more than 38.7 million visitors are expected to make the city their convention and tourist destination this year. For the best seating, plan ahead and order your tickets for the 2007 U.S. World Team Trials today!!!! For regular updates on the 2007 U.S. World Team Trials and the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling, please go to www.USAWrestlingLasVegas.com About USA Wrestling USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for amateur wrestling in the United States, and as such, is a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee and the international wrestling federation FILA. USA Wrestling coordinates grassroots and elite wrestling programs across the country, and works to create interest and participation in these programs. USA Wrestling's 145,000-strong membership includes athletes of all ages, plus officials, coaches, parents, volunteers and fans. www.TheMat.com About Las Vegas Events Founded in 1983, Las Vegas Events, Inc. has grown with Las Vegas as the city has emerged as one of the world's top special event and resort destinations. A private, not-for-profit organization, LVE is funded by hotel room tax and serves as the exclusive major special events agency for the city. Since 1991, Las Vegas Events has produced, presented or supported more than 300 events, which have driven more than 2.8 million visitors to the area, resulting in an economic impact of more than $1.6 billion. www.lasvegasevents.com

State College, Pa. –– Four Nittany Lions advanced to the finals of the 2006 Nittany Lion Open as nine of head coach Troy Sunderland's grapplers advanced to the finals of the event. Over 600 wrestlers from around the nation filled Rec Hall to take part in one of the biggest Open tournaments on the East Coast. Junior Mark McKnight (McDonald, Pa.) won the crown at 125 and was named tournament Outstanding Wrestler. The first two Nittany Lions to claim crowns were two of its captains. Junior Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 197, went a perfect 6-0 to claim the title at 197 pounds. Davis posted two majors and a pin in the process, including a 12-4 major over North Carolina's Dennis Drury in the finals. Senior James Yonushonis (Philipsburg, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at 174, was also 6-0 with two pins. He downed No. 20 Matt Stolpinski of Navy, 3-1, in the title tilt. Senior Bryan Heller (Fair Haven, N.J.) went 6-0 at 141 to claim the championship at 141 pounds. Heller downed Maryland's Alex Krom 8-3 in the finals. In perhaps the most exciting finals match-up, McKnight got a takedown early in extra time to post a 5-3 sudden victory decision over Michigan State's Franklin Gomez in the finals at 125. McKnight entered the bout ranked No. 7 nationally while Gomez was ranked No. 5. McKnight went 5-0 with two majors on the day. Sophomore Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.), ranked No. 7 nationally, advanced to the finals, dropping a scintillating 4-3 decision to No. 1 Nick Simmons of Michigan State in the finals. Strayer had two pins and a technical fall on his way to a runner-up finish. True freshman Dave Rella (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio), wrestling unattached for Penn State, lost 4-1 to Penn's Brock Wittmeyer in the finals at 165. Rella went 5-1on the day. Senior Nathan Galloway (State College, Pa.) lost a heart-breaking 2-0 decision to No. 17 Seth Martin of Lock Haven in the finals at 157. Galloway had an outstanding tournament, going 6-1 with two pins and a technical fall. Freshman Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.) dropped a 10-5 decision in the finals at 149 to VMI's Sam Alvarenga. Vallimont went 5-1 with a major. In addition to Penn State's nine finalists, three other Nittany Lions earned places in the tournament. Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), wrestling unattached went 5-1 at 125 to place third. His only loss was to No. 5 Gomez of MSU and he posted three pins and a major. David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio), also unattached, posted a third place finish at 184 with a 6-1 mark. Chad Unger (Perry, Ohio) went 2-2 at 197 and took home fourth place while Other Penn State wrestlers participating attached included Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.), 2-2 at 184; Brian Cantalupi (Carlisle, Pa.), 2-2 at 184; Jon Clemens (McVeytown, Pa.), 1-1 at 157; Jack Decker (Roseland, N.J.), 0-1 at 174; Joe Farina (Denville, N.J.), 0-1 at HWT; Mark Friend (Libertyville, Ill.), 2-2 at 165; Brendan Herlihy (Fairfield, Conn.), 1-2 at HWT; David Klug (Pennington, N.J.), 0-1 at 184; Ben Mandelbraut (Sharon, Mass.), 0-1 at 141; Chris Robbins (Federica, Del.), 1-2 at 133; and Mike Ward (Mayfield, Ohio), 2-2 at 184. Senior heavyweight Aaron Anspach (Columbia, Pa.), ranked No. 11 nationally, did not wrestle but will wrestle this coming weekend. Unattached wrestlers who also took part were Nathan Andrews (Spring Mills, Pa.), 1-2 at HWT; Eric Caschera (South Williamsport, Pa.), 0-1 at 125; Mike Eagan (Wharton, N.J.), 0-1 at 141; Christian Harr (Hollidaysburg, Pa.), 0-1 at 149; Bubba Jenkins (Virginia Beach, Va.), 3-1 at 157; Michael Lorenzo (Bellefonte, Pa.), 0-1 at 165; and Josh Rohler (Akron, Ohio), 5-2 at 157. Penn State advanced 10 of the 29 wrestlers it had competing into the semifinals and was a perfect 10-0 in the quarterfinals. Virginia Tech's Steve Ratley won the award for most pins in the least amount of time with six falls in 12:21. Penn State's next dual will be a home battle with No. 24 Lehigh on Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions will then head to Hempstead, N.Y., to face No. 5 Hofstra on Sunday at 1 p.m. Both duals can be heard live on WBLF 970 AM and on GoPSUsports.com. Season tickets are on sale now. This year's season ticket prices are $24 for adults and $18 for students. Single dual prices are $5 per event for adults and $3 per event for youth. Contact the Penn State ticket office at 814-863-1000 or 800-833-5533 for more information or visit GoPSUsports.com.

NORMAN, Okla. -– Oklahoma State's Jared Rosholt recorded a decision over Brad Farmer in the final match of the dual to lift the top-ranked Cowboys to a 17-15 victory over Bedlam rival Oklahoma at the McCasland Fieldhouse in Norman, Okla. OSU extended its Bedlam winning streak to 17 consecutive matches and improved to 3-0 on the season. OU dropped to 3-1 on the year. The Cowboys and Sooners traded victories following OU's victory at 157 by Will Rowe, which gave the Sooners a 9-8 lead in the dual. Johny Hendricks gave OSU the lead back with a decision, but OU's Josh Weitzel upset Brandon Mason in sudden victory to put the Sooners in a position for their first Bedlam victory since the 1995-96 season. Hendricks victory was the 100th of his career. The swing match came down to 184 where Jack Jensen met Josh Hinton. OU had fifth-ranked Joel Flaggert waiting at 197 where he could put the dual out of reach for the Cowboys. Jensen took control of the match with a first period takedown and a second period rideout. Jensen held on for a 5-3 decision to give the Cowboys a 14-12 lead in the dual. "Coming in you have to perform for the team," Jensen said. "It was my job to get the win whether it is a decision or major decision or whatever. I need to win to help my team. In that situation it was pivotal." "It was nice to see him step out there and create some action," head coach John Smith said. "He put on a tough ride and that is what it takes to win tough matches. He did a fine job of it." Flaggert gave the Sooners the lead once again, but OSU's Shelton did his job by limiting Flaggert to just a decision. That set the stage for Rosholt who was strong from the top position and rode OU's Brad Farmer for over three minutes. Rosholt got a third period takedown to seal the dual for the Cowboys. "It took a little of the nervousness off," heavyweight Jared Rosholt said about receiving a penalty point in the first period. "You are able to relax a little more because you are up by a point. Just be smart and wrestle well from that point on. It felt good to lock up the win." The difference in the score was the two major decisions that the Cowboys got from Coleman Scott and Nathan Morgan as the two teams each won five matches. All five of OU's victories were by decision. The Cowboys will return to action on Wednesday in Minneapolis as they tangle with third-ranked Minnesota at 7 p.m. The match can be heard live on 93.7 FM with Rex Holt and Roger Moore providing the commentary.

IOWA CITY, IA -- The University of Iowa wrestling team won eight of 10 matches, including six by two points or less, to defeat intrastate rival Iowa State, 24-6, Sunday afternoon in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. A crowd of 13,732, which is the fifth-largest for a dual wrestling meet in Carver-Hawkeye Arena and the 11th-largest in school history, turned out for the meet. Iowa improves to 3-0 on the season and bumped the Hawkeyes to a 7-4 lead in the Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series with the win. Iowa State falls to 2-1. "I'm going to give our guys credit," said Iowa Head Coach Tom Brands. "Mark Perry, Dan Erekson and Ryan Morningstar had some big wins for us. There is still a lot of wrestling to do this year, but we are taking small steps in the right direction." Perry, who is ranked second in the nation at 165, scored a takedown in sudden victory to beat fourth-ranked Travis Paulson, 6-4. Erekson, an unranked sophomore, upset ninth-ranked Kurt Backes, 11-9 at 197. In the final match of the dual, redshirt freshman and #15 Morningstar upset top-ranked Trent Paulson, 3-2 at 157. Senior Eric Luedke (174-30th) and juniors Alex Tsirtsis (141-50th) and Matt Fields (Hwt.-45th) each picked up career milestone victories. The Hawkeyes also recorded eight placewinners at Sunday's UNI Open in Cedar Falls. Redshirt freshmen Brent Metcalf (149) and Jay Borschel (174), and freshman Billy Murphy (133) each won individual titles, while sophomore Daniel Dennis (133) and redshirt freshman Dan LeClere (141) placed second. Iowa's other placewinners were senior Luke Magnani (125-4th), redshirt freshman Joe Slaton (133-4th), and freshman Jake Kerr (165-6th). Iowa (3-0) will host Coe (5-0) at 6 p.m. and North Carolina State (2-3) at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in Iowa City. Match Results: 165 -- Mark Perry (I) dec. Travis Paulson (ISU), 6-4 SV1 174 -- Eric Luedke (I) dec. David Bertolino (ISU), 6-4 184 -- Jake Varner (ISU) dec. Phillip Keddy (I), 6-2 197 -- Dan Erekson (I) dec. Kurt Backes (ISU), 11-9 Hwt. -- Matt Fields (I) dec. David Zabriskie (ISU), 6-5 125 -- Charlie Falck (I) dec. Nick Fanthorpe (ISU), 6-5 133 -- Mario Galanakis (I) dec. Nick Gallick (ISU), 6-1 141 -- Alex Tsirtsis (I) dec. Mitch Mueller (ISU), 4-1 149 -- Cyler Sanderson (ISU) dec. Alex Grunder (I), 9-8 157 -- Ryan Morningstar (I) dec. Trent Paulson (ISU), 3-2

Primm, Nev. -- The No. 2 Missouri wrestling team earned its first-ever Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Title tallying 157 points to finish ahead of runner-up No. 8 Michigan (109) and No. 15 Pennsylvania (100.5). Askren brothers Ben and Maxwell (Hartland, Wis.) each claimed individual crowns in their respective weight class (174 and 197 pounds) with Ben earning Most Outstanding Wrestler and Gorrarian honors for his work on the mat. Senior All-American Matt Pell (Luxemburg, Wis.) finished second at 165 pounds bringing Missouri's total of top-eight finishers to eight, the most ever for a Missouri wrestling program. A perfect 5-0 throughout the two-day tournament, senior defending National Champion Ben Askren breezed through the championship bracket pinning all five of his opponents including runner-up and fourth-ranked Matt Harrington of Pennsylvania in 46 seconds. With his title, Askren claimed Most Outstanding Wrestler as well as the Gorrarian honors for most pins in the tournament. Askren has collected 75 falls in his four year career with the Tigers. The tournament win by Askren is his third consecutive at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. With the five wins, Askren has extended the nation's longest win streak to 60 victories. Younger brother and 197 pound grappler Maxwell Askren finished first in his first appearance at the 25th annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Askren won his semi-final bout by default and notched a 4-3 decision victory over second-ranked Jerry Rinaldi of Cornell in the title round. To date, No. 3 Askren has knocked off three of the nation's top-five ranked wrestlers. Pell, a 2005 All-American tied his career high finish at the Invitational finishing second to No. 5 Eric Tannenbaum of Michigan. Prior to the championship finals, Pell bested Indiana's 13th-ranked Max Dean 9-6, but suffered a 5-3 loss in the final hard-fought bout. Redshirt freshman John Olanowski (Virginia Beach, Va.) finished seventh at 125 pounds after taking a win by forfeit over Tennessee Chattanooga's Javier Maldonado. Fellow redshirt freshman Mark Ellis, a heavyweight from Peculiar, Mo., took sixth. Junior All-American Tyler McCormick (Leawood, Kan.) grappled his way to a fourth place finish at 133 pounds with sophomores Michael Chandler (High Ridge, Mo.) and Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) landing sixth-place finishes at 157 and 184 pounds, respectively. Missouri will travel to the state of Michigan for a pair of duals beginning Saturday, Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m. (CT) against Central Michigan followed by a Sunday, Dec. 10 dual against Michigan State at 1 p.m. (CT).

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- With wins in 18 of 20 bouts on Saturday in Davis Gym, the Bucknell wrestling squad celebrated a festive day that began with the dedication of the William A. Graham IV Varsity Wrestling Room by collecting victories over Princeton and Binghamton by the scores of 46-0 and 27-8, respectively. The Bison, who have won three-straight duals, level their record at 5-5, 1-1 EIWA. The Tigers are now 0-6 (0-1 EIWA) and the Bearcats sit at 1-1 on the year. The Orange and Blue opened up by blanking Princeton, 46-0, marking the first time the Bison have shut out an opponent since posting a 46-0 triumph over Boston College on Jan. 18, 1998. Bucknell collected five pins in the match and Eric Lapotsky's (Mount Carmel, Pa./Mount Carmel Area) win by fall over Zach Morse 1:35 into the 197 bout upped his season total to seven pins, a team best. Against the Bearcats, Bucknell trailed 4-0 after a 9-1 major decision by 149-pounder Nate Patterson over Michael Guttilla (Ingamer, Pa./Blair Academy) in the first bout. Brantley Hooks (Spartansburg, S.C./James F. Byrnes) then responded by defeating Kyle Fried, 5-4 in overtime of the 157 matchup, bringing the Bison to within a point. Andy Rendos (Brockway, Pa./Brockway Area) followed and gave the Orange and Blue a 6-4 advantage with his 12th victory of the year, 7-0, over Chris Klucka at 165, but Josh Patterson put Binghamton back out in front with his 11-3 major decision over George Mann (Orange, Ohio/Orange) at 174. However, that would be the final points of the night for the Bearcats as Shane Riccio (Warren, N.J./Watchung Hills) regained the lead for Bucknell with his 10-8 win over Sam Sirota at 184. The Bison then swept the next five bouts, clinching the victory with a 17-5 major decision by 133-pounder David Marble (Harpursville, N.Y./Harpursville Area) against Kareem Naguib. The day began with several dozen Bucknell wrestling alumni and other dignitaries, including President Brian C. Mitchell, celebrating the dedication of the wrestling practice facility in a ceremony in the McGee Room in Sojka Pavilion prior to the Bucknell versus Northern Iowa men's basketball game. Bill Graham played a pivotal role in bringing back Bison wrestling as his generous donation helped Bucknell return the program to varsity status in addition to providing funding for Bison women's athletics. The Bison will next travel to Lancaster, Pa., where the team will take on Franklin & Marshall in an EIWA matchup on Tuesday, Dec. 5, beginning at 8 p.m.

Northampton, Pa. -- Drexel defeated East Stroudsburg, 30-13, in a non-conference dual match hosted by Northampton High School. The match was the first for the Warriors this season while Drexel improved its record to 3-2. Former Northampton High School stars Steve Mytych (Wyoming, Pa./Northampton), Billy Haydt (Bath, Pa./Northampton), Jon Oplinger (Bath, Pa./Northampton) all won in their homecoming matches. Mytych upped his record to 9-1 this season with a pin of East Stroudsburg's Steve Gambino at 4:59. Billy Haydt earned a 7-2 decision over Leif Ruschmeyer while Oplinger won 11-6 over David Williams. Ryan Hluschak (Slatington, Pa./Northern Lehigh) remained perfect on the season as he earned a major decision win at 157 pounds. Chris Cowen (Mexico, N.Y./Mexico) also earned bonus points when he pinned East Stroudsburg's Matt Rosner at 2:27. Drexel's next match will be a road dual with Colonial Athletic Association opponent Binghamton on Dec. 8. The first match will begin at 7:00 p.m.

JEFFERSON CITY, TN -- The 22nd-ranked Newberry College wrestling team set a school record by defeating two ranked opponents on the same day as the Indians won all three matches at the Carson-Newman Quad Meet on Saturday afternoon. The Indians (10-2-1) faced off first against 12th-ranked West Liberty State College and earned a hard fought 19-18 victory. Brandon Kelly recorded a fall in the 165-pound division to pace Newberry to the victory. In their second match of the day, Newberry avenged an early-season loss to Carson-Newman, defeating the 18th-ranked Eagles 21-13. Kelly Anundson highlighted the match, winning by major decision 11-4 in the 197-pound division. In their final match of the afternoon, the Indians earned a 22-17 victory over UNC Pembroke. Cy Wainwright won by fall in the 285-pound division to lead Newberry to the victory. Newberry will participate in the Reno Tournament of Champions in Reno, NV on December 20. Match times and opponents will be announced in the following weeks.

Wrestler Matt Keller edged University of Pennsylvania's Matt Valenti 9-7 in overtime Saturday to claim first-place honors in the 133-pound bracket at the prestigious Las Vegas Invitational. Keller, an All-America in 2006, went undefeated in five matches on the weekend. He defeated Buffalo's Mark Budd 6-4 in the semifinals to advance to the title match. Keller's title enabled the Mocs to post an eighth-place finish with 65.5 team points, one-half point behind seventh-place Harvard. Missouri captured team honors with 147 points, and Michigan was second with 101 points. "Matt did what he had to do to put himself in contention for a national title," UTC Head Coach Chris Bono said. He has helped put Chattanooga on the map. Overall, I though our team performed real well. But what counts is March. We still have a lot we can improve on, but I am pleased with our performance." Also helping the Mocs' cause were four other wrestlers who placed in the tournament. Javier Maldonado picked up an eighth-place finish at 125 pounds, Michael Keefe was fifth overall at 141, Aaron Martin took home sixth place at 149 and Seth Garvin was seventh at 165. Martin won six consolation matches to advance, and Keefe defeated UNC Greensboro's Chris Bencivenga in the fifth-place match after Bencivenga had beaten Keefe in the quarterfinals. Jake Yost (157), Mike Marable (184), Nick Lorenzano (197) and Eric Rogers (285) also competed for the Mocs.

PRIMM, NEV. -- Led by junior Brandon Becker and redshirt freshman Angel Escobedo, the 17th-ranked Indiana wrestling team posted a sixth-place finish at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Saturday, Dec. 2. IU finished with 89.5 points, as Escobedo finished second at 125 pounds and Becker finished as the runner-up at 157. Missouri, ranked second by the NWCA/Intermat, ran away with the team title, scoring 157 points and beating second-place Michigan by 48. Becker and Escobedo each advanced to their respective championship matches by knocking off their first four opponents. Matt Coughlin (149), Max Dean (165) and Marc Bennett also placed at the tournament, with Coughlin taking third place. Bennett finished fifth, while Dean finished sixth. Escobedo beat a pair of ranked wrestlers to move to the 125-pound finals. After winning his first two matches, the Griffith, Ind., native topped 19th-ranked Patrick Castillo of Northern Illinois in a 6-4 decision. He then faced fourth-ranked Tanner Gardner of Stanford by beating the junior 4-1 in double overtime. He faced 11th-ranked Paul Donahoe in the finals but was topped 2-0 for just his second defeat of the season. Becker topped a trio of opponents to face Wisconsin's Craig Henning, ranked third in the country, in the semifinal. Becker took a 4-2 decision over Henning to earn a spot in the title bout against second-ranked Brian Stith of Arizona State, but Stith took a hard-fought, 2-1 decision to grab the title. The two-time All-American is now 14-2 on the year at 157. Coughlin won his first three matches, including one of the bigger upsets at the tourney, taking a 2-1 overtime decision over Wisconsin's Tyler Turner, the fourth-ranked wrestler in the country at his class. Coughlin was stopped short of the championship bout by Harvard's J.P. O'Connor, but rebounded with a 4-2 overtime victory over Eastern Michigan's Jermaine Thompson to earn a spot in the third-place match. There he faced Chattanooga's 10th-ranked Aaron Martin, and pinned the senior 49 seconds into overtime. Bennett, who entered the tournament 10-0 on the season, was defeated in his first match, falling 5-4 to Cal Poly's Yuri Kalika. After that, Bennett won six straight matches to face seventh-ranked Joe Rovelli of Hofstra, but Rovelli ended Bennett's string with a 7-6 decision. Bennett moved to the fifth-place match against Raymond Jordan of Missouri, taking a 4-3 decision to improve to 17-2 on the year. After winning his first three matches, Dean faced seventh-ranked Matt Pell of Missouri with a trip to the championship match on the line. Pell took a 9-6 decision to send Dean to the wrestleback bracket. Dean faced Zach Shanaman for a spot in the third-place bout, but was bested 3-1 in overtime. The Westchester, Ohio, native moved on to a match for fifth place, where he faced Arizona State's Patrick Pitsch, but Pitsch took sixth with a 6-4 decision. True freshman Nathan Everhart (197) had a solid debut for the Hoosiers, winning his first match by a 9-1 major decision. He followed that by facing the fourth-ranked wrestler in the nation, Max Askren, but Askren escaped with a 5-4 decision. Everhart won his first match in the wrestleback, but was topped 4-2 by Buffalo's Ricky Scott to end his run at a place. Maurice Gunn (HWT) opened his weekend with a 5-3 decision over Wisconsin's Jordan Hein in the opening round. In round two, though, Gunn met up with sixth-seeded Zack Hammond, who took a 3-1 decision. Gunn pinned his first opponent, George Mason's Ryan Kittrick, in 33 seconds, but ended his day 2-2 after a 6-3 loss to The Citadel's John Buck. At 133 pounds, Andrae Hernandez received a first-round bye and followed that up by pinning Eli Huizar of Dickinson State in the second round. Unfortunately, Hernandez followed that with a 7-3 loss in the round of 16 to Pitt's Drew Headlee and a 5-3 loss in the wrestleback to Marques Bravo of Western State. Trevor Perry (174) opened his tournament with a 5-4, opening-round win over Buffalo's Nate Rock. However, Perry was defeated in his next two matches, 10-2 to Nick Hernandez of Cal Poly and 8-3 to Dan Hospodka of Nebraska-Kearney, to end his run. After a first round bye, Nick Walpole (141) drew a tough assignment, going up against seventh-ranked Dominick Moyer of Nebraska, who topped the true freshman with an 8-0 major decision. Walpole moved on to the wrestleback, where he faced Derek Francavilla of Columbia University. Walpole kept the match close, but was topped by a 5-3 score. Indiana (5-0-0) is in action next on Sunday, Dec. 17, when it travels to Park Forrest, Ill., for the FITE Duals.

Ohio State wrestling redshirt-freshman Mike Pucillo won the 184-pound weight class in the 25th Annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in Primm, Nev., Saturday to pace the 13th-ranked Buckeyes to 66 team points for a 10th-place finish. Chris Vondruska finished third at 165 pounds in the event that was held at the Star of the Desert Arena. Missouri won the invitational with 157 points. Michigan finished second (109), while Penn (100.5) rounded out the Top 3. As the No. 2 seed, Pucillo (Cuyahoga, Ohio/Hofstra) entered the second day of competition with a 3-0 record that included two major decisions and a fall. On day two, Pucillo recorded a win over Missouri's Raymond Jordan, 3-1, in the semifinals to advance to the finals where he beat Tyrel Todd of Michigan, 12-6. In the round of 32, Pucillo defeated Jake Devlin of Air Force, 11-3, while in the round of 16, Pucillo knocked off Levi Wofford of Nebraska, 12-0. In quarterfinals action, Pucillo dropped Justin Barent of Columbia in 1:38. After losing his lone match of the invitational to Matt Pell of Missouri in the quarterfinals, Vondruska (Gr., Lakewood, Ohio/Hofstra), an eighth seed, answered with four consecutive wins, including a 2-1 overtime decision over Zachary Lee of Western State in the sixth wrestleback. Vondruska concluded the evening with a 3-2 decision against Zach Shanaman of Penn in the third-place match-up. On day one, Vondruska won a 7-5 decision against Taylor May (Nebraska-Kearney), 7-5, in the pigtails round before pinning Casey Barnum (Western Wyoming) in 4:04 in the round of 32. In the next sessions, Vondruska downed Brian Perry (Stanford), 2-0, before his quarterfinal match-up against Pell. At 149 pounds, true freshman Lance Palmer (Lakewood, Ohio/St. Edwards) finished seventh after posting a 3-1 record on day one as a 10th seed. In the fifth wrestleback, Palmer pinned Brandon Doyle of Cal State-Bakersfield in 3:57, but went on to drop a close 4-3 decision to Jermaine Thompson of Eastern Michigan in the sixth wrestleback. Competing in the seventh-place match-up, Palmer was victorious over Drew DiPasquale of Virginia, 7-2. On the first day of competition, Palmer recorded three consecutive wins, including a technical fall over Chris Cartella of George Mason, 15-0, in the pigtails round and a 12-1 major decision over Jeff Ecklof of Pittsburgh in the round of 16, before losing a close 2-0 overtime decision to Jordan Leen of Cornell in the quarterfinals. J Jaggers (So., Northfield, Ohio/St. Peter Chanel) and Corey Morrison (So., Shaker Heights, Ohio/Shaker Heights) were eliminated in the fifth wrestleback at 141 and 285 pounds, respectively. Jaggers dropped an 8-6 overtime decision to Kyle Larson of Oregon State, while Morrison lost to Joe Sheffield of UNC-Greensboro, 1-0. Nearly 50 Division I, II, NAIA and junior colleges and universities participated in the invitational, which was not an open tournament. Each institution was limited to one eligible wrestler per weight class. The Buckeyes are back in action at 2 p.m. Dec. 17 when they host Tennessee-Chattanooga in St. John Arena.

PRIMM, Nev. -– The 25th Cliff Keen/Las Vegas Invitational came to a close Saturday night at the Star of the Desert in Primm, Nev., with Brian Stith, the No. 2 ranked wrestler in the nation at 157 pounds, winning his weight class and capturing his first crown at the prestigious event. Team scores for the tournament were not available. Stith, the top-seed in the tournament, opened the day with a close 4-2 decision in overtime against No. 5 seed and national No. 9 Matt Kocher of Pittsburgh. Trailing most of the match, Stith scored a takedown in the final minute of regulation to send the bout to overtime, tied at 2-2, where he then scored the winning takedown to reach the final. In the championship bout, Stith again prevailed in a close match, this time scoring a 2-1 decision over the third-seeded and seventh-ranked Brandon Becker of Indiana. In his career, Stith now stands 96-30 overall and needs four victories to become the 22nd Sun Devil in the history of the program to reach 100 career wins. Stith could reach that total at his next event, the Reno Tournament of Champions. One other Sun Devil placed in the tough tournament as Patrick Pitsch, the third-seeded and eighth-ranked competitor at 165 pounds, rebounded from two losses early in the day to score a 6-4 decision over fourth-seeded and 13th-ranked Max Dean of Indiana to finish fifth in the tournament. The Sun Devils will take time off from competition for final exams before returning to the mats on December 20 as they take part in the Reno Tournament of Champions.

The Augustana wrestling team crowned three champions and had a total of five wrestlers place in the top six at the MSU Dragon Open Saturday in Moorhead, Minn. Jordan Burmeister and Mike Long tied for fifth place in the 141-pound Red Division with 3-1 records. Each wrestler won his first-round match before losing in the second round. They both won two matches in the consolation round to make it to the fifth-place match. Mike Wubbena won the title in the 157-pound White Division. He pinned Dietrich Moren in 1:20 in the first round before earning an 11-7 major decision over Chad Stenson. In the semifinals, he edged Jeff Sellman 5-2 before defeating Zach Juusola 7-4 in the championship. In the 165-pound White Division, Kyle Svendson claimed the title with a 3-0 record. After receiving a first-round bye, Svendson pinned Jon Brown in 3:06. He then pinned Walter Kenneback in 3:14 in the semifinals. In the finals, Svendson earned a medical forfeit win over Jake Grygelko. Mitch Lunning placed sixth in the 174-pound Red Division. He won his first-round match. He then lost in the second round. He finished the day with a 2-3 record. Augustana dominated the 184-pound Red Division as Tom Nesseth defeated fellow Viking Beau Severtson 3-1 in the finals. Nesseth, who went 4-0 on the day, pinned Ted Saatzer in 1:06 in his opening match before defeating Matt Nelson of Minnesota State-Moorhead 3-1 in the second round. Nesseth then pinned Garret Long of Augsburg in 3:05 in the semifinals to advance to the championship. Severtson finished 3-1 in the Open. He shut out Matt Siems 2-0 and defeated George Lynaugh of Augsburg 8-6 in the second round. In the semifinals, he downed Matt Michaelson of Dakota State 3-2. Augustana returns to the mat on Wednesday when the Vikings host the University of Sioux Falls. The dual is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in the Elmen Center.