InterMat Staff

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- With two major decisions over Big Ten foes from Iowa and Purdue this past weekend, Michigan State senior captain R.J. Boudro was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week. The Richmond, Mich., native defeated Purdue's Barry Jackson, 13-4, on Friday night, helping MSU claim its first Big Ten win of the season. Then on Sunday, Boudro won the deciding match for the Spartans against Iowa's Ben Stedman, 14-4, to upset the seventh-ranked Hawkeyes 19-17. Boudro is currently ranked fifth in the nation at 174 pounds with a record of 21-3 on the season. He has already surpassed last year's previous career high of 19 victories, and is second on the team in dual meet points with 30 and major decisions with eight. This is Boudro's second selection as Big Ten Wrestler of the Week. He also won the award the last week of the 2004-05 season.

The Oregon chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame has announced that Portland State head coach Marlin Grahn, along with five other Oregon coaches, will be inducted on April 29 to honor their lifetime service to wrestling. Grahn has spent his entire career both as a wrestler and as a coach at Portland State. Marlin GrahnGrahn, was a Viking assistant coach from 1973 to 1983. In 1984, Grahn became Portland State's head coach, where he has remained until the present time. In 33 years, Grahn has coached 40 All-Americans and eight individual NCAA Division II national champions. His teams placed in the top five nationally four times, winning two national titles and finishing in second once. Grahn, along with his fellow inductees, will join 53 Oregon coaches who have previously been enshrined. The Honors Banquet will take place at the Holiday Inn Portland South in Wilsonville, Ore., on the night of the 29th. A no-host social will start at 5 p.m., followed by the banquet at 6:30 p.m.

OREM, Utah -- Utah Valley State's comeback fell short as North Dakota State hung on to win 19-16 at UVSC's Activities Center on Tuesday, Feb. 7. North Dakota State (6-3) led 16-3 halfway through the match when Utah Valley State (6-9) reeled off victories in the next four bouts to tie the score. It came down to the 149-pound bout between NDSU's Gabe Mooney and Justin Rawle. Mooney notched a couple of takedowns to secure a 4-1 lead after the first period. Rawle escaped Mooney's grasp 19 seconds into the third period to cut the lead to 4-2 but the redshirt freshman took home the victory for the Bison. The match began at 157 pounds with North Dakota State's Andrew Quittschreiber losing to Tanner Cowan 4-1, giving the Wolverines the early 3-0 lead. The Bison went on to win the next four bouts beginning with Zach Molitor's 9-4 decision over Devin Siddoway at 165 pounds. At 174 pounds, junior captain Matt Hermann won his fourth consecutive bout, beating Garret Story 10-5. Matt Wetterling continued his winning ways as well by defeating Ivan Bigney 15-4 at 184 pounds, giving the Bison an extra bonus point. Wetterling has now won his last six bouts and improved his overall record to 23-6. Coming off last night's victory over a nationally ranked opponent, Jacob Bryce pinned Jaime Thornblad of Utah Valley State in just 2 minutes and 31 seconds. This gave the Bison six important team points and made the score 16-3. The Wolverines came storming back, winning the next four bouts. It started with Dallin Norton of Utah Valley State defeating NDSU's Mike Maresh 4-2 in the heavyweight contest. At 125 pounds, Talon Vickers upended Mike Meger 10-4 which was followed by Erkin Tadzhimetov defeating Bison Eric Sanders by the score of 15-4 in the 133-pound bout. The Wolverines tied the score at 16 when 141-pounder Daniel Polkowske defeated David Cunningham 7-3. The match concluded with Mooney's exciting win, giving the redshirt freshman his 18th victory of the year. After dropping their first three matches of the season, North Dakota State has now won six matches in a row and improved their record to 6-3 overall. Utah Valley State had their four-match winning streak snapped and fall to 6-9 for the season. The Bison will travel next to Brookings, S.D. to wrestle familiar foe South Dakota State on Friday, Feb. 10. Match time is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start. North Dakota State 19, Utah Valley State 16 157--Tanner Cowan (UVSC) dec. Andrew Quittschreiber 4-1 165--Zach Molitor (NDSU) dec. Devin Siddoway 9-4 174--Matt Hermann (NDSU) dec. Garret Story 10-5 184--Matt Wetterling (NDSU) maj. dec. Ivan Bigney 15-4 197--Jacob Bryce (NDSU) pin Jaime Thornblad 2:31 Hwt.--Dallin Norton (UVSC) dec. Mike Maresh 4-2 125--Talon Vickers (UVSC) dec. Mike Meger 10-4 133--Erkin Tadzhimetov (UVSC) maj. dec. Eric Sanders 15-4 141--Daniel Polkowske (UVSC) dec. David Cunningham 7-3 149--Gabe Mooney (NDSU) dec. Justin Rawle 4-2

Fresno, Calif. -- Fresh off a second-place finish at the All-California Tournament last weekend, the Bulldogs knocked off their first ranked opponent, defeating No. 20 Cal Poly in the North Gym on Tuesday. The Bulldogs won the first four matches on the night on the way to the 29-18 win, including a major decision at 141 pounds from Garrett Spooner. Fresno State started off quickly, taking a quick lead after Cory Borges won a 15-8 decision over John Hanks in a fast-paced match and Sean Carlson accepted a forfeit at 133 pounds to make it a 9-0 match. One more forfeit and Garrett Spooner's 13-5 major decision over Blake Gaughran at 141 pounds spotted the Bulldogs an early 19-0 lead. Cal Poly pulled it back somewhat, as T.J. Ferguson defeated Dustin Rocha wrestling up at 157 pounds in a major decision, and Fresno State gave back the forfeits to let the Mustangs pull within three at 19-16. Greg Gifford closed the door in what was the match of the night, as Yuri Kalika and Gifford were unable to score in the first period, and Gifford, after a quick escape to take a 1-0 lead, couldn't pull Kalika back onto the mat after a taking a single-leg to get an extra score in the second. A third-period escape by Kalika evened the match, but Gifford finally closed out the match with a takedown with one second on the clock to avoid overtime and get the win. The next match did go to overtime, with Cal Poly's Chris Angle getting a takedown to win the match. The night closed with a heavyweight forfeit accepted by Fresno State's Cody Parker. The Bulldogs travel to Arizona State this weekend before closing out dual season next week with two matches at home in the North Gym. The Bulldogs start with a 7 p.m. dual on Wednesday night against Stanford, before closing out the season on Senior Night at 7 p.m. against UC Davis. Fresno State 28, No. 20 Cal Poly 19 125 - Cory Borges (FS) dec. John Hanks (CP), 15-8 133 - Sean Carlson (FS) accepted forfeit 141 - Garrett Spooner (FS) m.d. Blake Gaughran (CP), 13-5 149 - Darrell Goodpaster (FS) accepted forfeit 157 - T.J. Ferguson (CP) m.d. Dustin Rocha (FS), 12-0 165 - Evan Barbre (CP) accepted forfeit 174 - Sean Thayer (CP) accepted forfeit 184 - Greg Gifford (FS) dec. Yuri Kalika (CP), 3-1 197 - Chris Angle (CP) dec. Miguel Rodriguez (FS), 7-5 (OT) HWT - Cody Parker (FS) accepted forfeit

PITTSBURGH – The Panthers won their first league match of the year with a 31-9 victory over the Clarion Golden Eagles. With a major decision and pin from two of the team's redshirt freshmen, the Panthers were able to get an early lead and maintain their position throughout the match. Pitt now holds a 3-8 season record and is 1-3 in EWL competition. "Overall, we didn't perform like I felt we could have," said Head Coach Rande Stottlemyer. "This was not our best effort. We're capable of more, but we did have some good performances. [Justin] Nestor, [Kyle] Deliere, [Sean] Richmond and other guys won without this being their best day which is something you have to learn to do." Clarion forfeited the first match of the evening, giving Brad Gentzle (Easton, Pa./Easton) a win and Pitt an early 6-0 lead. At 133 pounds, Pitt true freshman Brandon Skonieczky (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) competed in his first collegiate dual meet when he faced Clarion's Matt Myers. In the first period, Myers gained a 2-0 lead on a takedown. The wrestlers were scoreless in the second period, but Meyers gained momentum in the third, earning three points for an escape and takedown. Skonieczky retaliated with an escape and gained a point for riding time. Myers, however, was able to get the 5-2 decision to put clarion on the scoreboard. Pitt still maintained the lead 6-3. Pitt's Ronald Tarquinio (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny) wrestled Clarion's Greg Lewis in the 141-pound match. Tarquinio's takedown in the first period put him ahead 2-0 heading into the second where he earned another point on an escape. Lewis came back in the third, scoring two points on a takedown, but Tarquinio won the bout with a 3-2 decision, keeping Pitt in the lead 9-3. Wrestling at 149 pounds was Pitt's Joey Ecklof (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) against Clarion's Derrick Smith. In the first period, Smith scored the first two points on a takedown, but Ecklof fought back with an escape and takedown to earn the lead. An escape by Smith tied the score at the end of the first period. Smith's escape in the second gave him a 4-3 lead entering the final period. Ecklof score two points on a reversal in the third, and Smith came back with an escape to tie the score and send the match into overtime. After several overtimes, each wrestler scored two points on escapes, but a point for riding time ultimately gave Ecklof the 8-7 victory. His win increased Pitt's lead to 12-3. The match at 157 pounds was between Pitt's Sean Richmond (Emmaus, Pa./Easton) and Clarion's Lucas Christopher. Richmond scored two points on a takedown in the first period for an early lead. In the second, he stayed ahead with an escape and takedown while holding Christopher to only one point from an escape. In the final period, the match became increasingly exciting for Richmond. Scoring six points from takedowns, he won a 12-4 major decision moving the Pitt lead to 16-3. At 165 pounds, Pitt's Justin Nestor (Transfer, Pa./Reynolds) faced Clarion's Logan Downes. Nestor took the lead with a two-point takedown in the first. The match was scoreless in the second. Nestor gained some momentum in the final period, scoring five more points for the 7-0 decision, making the team score 19-3. Pitt's Nick Padezan (Irwin, Pa./Penn Trafford) wrestled Clarion's Dave Gardner at 174 pounds. Gardener was the first to score, earning two points on a takedown in the first period. Padezan fought back with an escape in the second. With a reversal in the final period, Gardner was able to pull ahead to a 4-2 win. Clarion advanced to six team points. The 184-pound bout was exciting for the Panthers as redshirt freshman Kyle Deliere (Cecil, Pa./Canon-McMillan) earned the only pin of the night over Clarion's Dominic Ross. Deliere scored on a takedown in the first period, but his fall at the 1:26 mark, moved Pitt's lead to 25-6. Clarion forfeited their second match of the night at 197 pounds, giving Pitt's Mike Heist (Orefield, Pa./Parkland) an automatic win. The Panthers advanced to 31-6. In the final match of the night, Pitt's Lou Thomas (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg) took on Clarion's A.J. Brooks at heavyweight. The two were scoreless in the first period, but Thomas scored on an escape early in the second to take a 1-0 lead. Brooks came back with an escape in the third to tie the score, and a takedown gave him enough of a lead to win a 3-2 decision. The final score of the match was 31-9. The Panthers will battle at the Fitzgerald Field House again this week when they face Lock Haven on Friday evening at 7:30 p.m.

EAST STROUDSBURG -- Seniors Mark Smith, Keith Smith and Adam Karasevicz all had wins in their final home bouts to lead the East Stroudsburg University wrestling team to a 25-13 victory over Shippensburg, Tuesday at Koehler Fieldhouse. All three seniors were honored before the match and then went out and delivered wins as the Warriors won their fourth straight match and improved to 10-7. Mark Smith won the 94th match of his career with a first period pin while Keith Smith won by major decision, his fourth of the year and his 21st victory of the season. Karasevicz scored a late takedown to close out the match. Nate Nauroth erased an early 3-0 ESU deficit with a second period fall at 133. Nauroth had a takedown in the first period. Matt Wills chose down to start the second period and Nauroth turned him 27 seconds into the second period with a cradle. It was Nauroth's fifth pin of the season and gave ESU a 6-3 lead. Kyle Ferris increased the lead to six at 141. Ferris rode out Alex Renn in the second period and escaped seven seconds into the third period for a 2-0 victory. Mark Smith made it 15-6 ESU with a first-period fall of Chris Murray. Smith fell behind 2-0 early but got a takedown at the edge of the mat and tightened up a headlock for a pin in 1:35. It was Smith's 11th pin of the season. Keith Smith followed with a major decision at165. Smith had a first period takedown, rode out Eric Kauffman in the second and then had a reversal and three takedowns in the final period for an 11-3 win and a 19-6 lead. Dave Sullivan battled his way to a 6-1 win at 174. Sullivan had a takedown with 13 seconds left in the first period, escaped four seconds into third period and had a takedown and riding time for his 22nd win of the season and a 22-6 ESU advantage. Following a pair of Shippensburg victories, Karasevicz closed the dual with a dramatic win. After a scoreless first period, Karasevicz escaped in the second and three seconds into the third period to tie the match. With 13 seconds left, he took down Jason Groller for a 4-3 victory. ESU will wrestle February 17th at American University in Washington, D.C. at 7 p.m. East Stroudsburg 25, Shippensburg 13 125 – Jamie Thomas (S) dec. Matt Swallow, 7-3 (SHIPP 3-0) 133 – Nate Nauroth (ESU) pinned Matt Wills, 3:27 (ESU 6-3) 141 – Kyle Ferris (ESU) dec. Alex Renn, 2-0 (ESU 9-3) 149 – Daniel Nauman (S) dec. Alex Bimes, 7-4 (ESU 9-6) 157 – Mark Smith (ESU) pinned Chris Murray, 1:25 (ESU 15-6) 165 – Keith Smith (ESU) major dec. Eric Kauffman, 11-3 (ESU 19-6) 174 – Dave Sullivan (ESU) dec. Rick Mascino, 6-1 (ESU 22-6) 184 – Peter Grodziak (S) dec. Dave Williams, 7-4 (ESU 22-9) 197 – Corey Jacoby (S) major dec. Sean McCracken, 10-1 (ESU 22-13) 285 – Adam Karasevicz (ESU) dec. Jason Groller, 4-3 (ESU 25-13) Referee: Peter Frampton Records: ESU 10-7; Shippensburg 8-6

The fifth-ranked Augustana College wrestling team will be on the road for three duals against nationally-ranked opponents this week. On February 8, Augustana travels to No. 12 Minnesota State-Moorhead for a key regional matchup. Then on February 11, the Vikings will be in Kearney, Neb., for a pair of duals. Augie will face No. 11 Adams State (Colo.) at 1 p.m. and Nebraska-Kearney, who is tied for fifth in the nation with the Vikings, at 3 p.m.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Two former competitors for the Arizona State University wrestling team competed at the 8th Annual Dave Schultz Memorial International held Feb. 3-4 at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., and walked away with solid results in the competitive event. Former NCAA champion and current assistant coach Eric Larkin finished second at 66kg while former All-American Kellan Fluckiger placed fourth at 120kg. Larkin, who entered the tournament ranked No. 5 in the American freestyle rankings, opened the tournament with a defeat of Korea's Su-Yong Lee (6-0, 2-2). He followed that with a defeat of No. 9 JaMar Billman (0-4, 1-0, 2-1) to advance to the quarterfinals. In a tough bout with No. 3 Jared Frayer, Larkin prevailed, winning the first period 2-1 before taking the second, 1-1. In the semifinals, Larkin faced another international foe, this time rebounding from a first period loss to defeat Japan's Sato Tsukasa (0-1, 4-3, 6-0). In the finals, Larkin took on No. 1 Chris Bono and, after dropping the first period, 3-0, rebounded with a 6-5 win in the second. Bono proved to be too strong as the Team USA member scored a 4-0 victory in the third to take the bout and the title. Fluckiger posted a 2-2 mark in the event and opened with a victory in the first round as he pinned Canada's Justin Beauparlant in 50 seconds. The semifinals brought about a very tough bout as he met Tolly Thompson, the top-ranked American and third-ranked heavyweight in the world. In what would Thompson's toughest bout of the weekend, Fluckiger pushed his foe to the limits before falling, 1-0, 1-0. In the consolation draw, Fluckiger drew Brian Keck in the semifinals and won because of a Keck injury. Fluckiger, the fifth-ranked American heavyweight, then faced No. 4 Pat Cummins for third place, but fell (5-0, 1-1, 2-1) to finish fourth in the event. The current edition of the Sun Devils will compete in their final two duals of the season this weekend when they play host to Fresno State at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Raymond Kellis High School in Glendale before closing out the weekend with a 2 p.m. Sunday contest against Pac-10 foe Stanford at Wells Fargo Arena.

#3 Luther College completed its dual meet schedule with a 38-13 road victory over #25 Dubuque on Feb. 8. Falls by Nate Hansen (125) and John Miller (HWT), plus a major decision by defending national champion Matt Pyle (149) helped boost the Norse on to victory. The win raised Luther's dual meet record to 14-3-1. The Norse have now posted 10 consecutive winning seasons, posting double-digit victories the last nine. The win was also a milestone for Head Coach Dave Mitchell. After tonight's contest, he is Luther's all-time leader for career dual meet victories, posting a record of 128-53-5 in 10 seasons. Mitchell passed Paul Solberg who tallied 127-65-3 record in 15 years at the helm. Earlier this year Mitchell led the Norse to a third place finish at the NCAA III National Duals, the highest finish at this tournament in school history.

STORM LAKE -- Two bonus point victories and five consecutive wins, beginning at 165 pounds, guided No. 1-ranked Wartburg to a 33-9 win over No. 16-ranked Buena Vista at Siebens Fieldhouse. Senior 174-pounder Scott Kauffman of Emmetsburg and junior heavyweight Blake Gillis of Spencer turned in the bonus point victories during the late dual run. Kauffman took Josh Murray to his back in 2:20, while Gillis added a technical fall against Wade Hammen in 6:29. Senior 165-pounder Dustin Bliven of Columbus Junction got the roll going with a 9-2 win over Aaron Cook. Wartburg's win moved their dual record to 27-0, tying the program's single-season dual win total. The Knights break from action until Thursday, Feb. 16, when they shoot for their 14th consecutive Iowa Conference tournament title at the 2006 championships hosted by Central College in Pella. Wartburg 33, Buena Vista 9 125 Ben McCorriston (WAR) defeated Barak Davis (BVU) 6-2 133 Jake Helvey (WAR) vs. Dave Finster (BVU) 12-4 141 Julian Gunnels (BVU) defeated Paul Reedy (WAR) 4-1 149 Jacob Naig (WAR) defeated Mitch Jones (BVU) Fall 1:40 157 Dana Vote (BVU) defeated Bob Kenen (WAR) Fall 1:04 165 Dustin Bliven (WAR) defeated Aaron Cook (BVU) 9-2 174 Scott Kauffman (WAR) defeated Josh Murray (BVU) Fall 2:20 184 Akeem Carter (WAR) defeated Brian Steuve (BVU) 5-2 197 T.J. Miller (WAR) defeated Ben Strandberg (BVU) 4-2 285 Blake Gillis (WAR) defeated Wade Hammen (BVU) Tech Fall 20-5 6:29

BUFFALO, NY -- For a school record sixth time, a University at Buffalo wrestler has taken the Mid-American Conference Wrestler of the Week award with the honor going to sophomore Mike Ragusa (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) after his upset of the nation's 13th-ranked Christian Sinnott of Central Michigan, the league office in Cleveland announced Tuesday. Ragusa, a 174-pounder who is 21-13 this season, started the weekend by becoming the seventh UB wrestler to reach 20 wins this year, as he earned a 20-8 major decision against Eastern Michigan's Don Funk. The win put Buffalo (9-4 overall, 2-2 MAC) ahead for the first time in the match, as Ragusa's major helped spur the Bulls on to a 29-12 win, as they pulled in 20 team points in the final four bouts. On Sunday, Ragusa's win against Sinnott provided a much-needed spark heading into the upperweights, as the former Massachusetts state champion posted a 5-4 overtime win against the 13th-ranked Chippewa. Ragusa earned an escape in the second overtime. Then after allowing an escape, he posted a takedown with five seconds left to clinch his first victory against a nationally-ranked competitor. The award, the first in Ragusa's career, helps cap off the 174-pounder's comeback story. After redshirting in his first year at Buffalo, Ragusa looked as if he were headed to a successful season when he placed sixth at the Oklahoma Gold Classic in 2004. During practice the next week, however, he tore his LCL and was forced to sit out the rest of his freshman campaign. He has come back this year to place at two tournaments, win 20 matches and also win the starting 174-pound job despite being a natural 165-pounder. Junior John Cummings (Bay Shore, NY/Bay Shore) became the fifth UB wrestler to earn the MAC's Wrestler of the Week award after a two-pin performance against Appalachian State and Mercyhurst on Dec. 27. Buffalo posted four straight MAC Wrestler of the Week awards from Nov. 22-Dec. 13. Junior Mark Budd (Orrville, OH/Orrville) earned the fourth honor after beating Division I's top-ranked Shawn Bunch of Edinboro, 6-4, to pick up the award on Dec. 13. Sophomore Mickey Moran (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler Area) picked up his first conference accolade on Nov. 22, as he went 3-0 at a Buffalo quad-meet to earn the award. Senior Kyle Cerminara (Lewiston, NY/Lewiston-Porter) followed with his third career MAC Wrestler of the Week award on Nov. 29, as he posted two wins over nationally-ranked opponents to earn the Mat Town USA Invitational title at 197 pounds and also earned the Harris Lipez Most Outstanding Wrestler at the tournament. Cerminara repeated the honor on Dec. 6 after winning the Las Vegas Invitational title at 197 pounds, defeating three nationally-ranked wrestlers and setting the school's career-record for wins in the process. The Bulls finish up their MAC slate when they head to Kent State on Friday for a 7:00 pm match.

LAWRENCEVILLE -- Ryan Hluschak of Drexel University, and Adam Wright of Old Dominion University, have been named the Colonial Athletic Association Wrestlers of the Week, and Tyler Tisdell of George Mason University has been named the CAA Rookie of the Week, for all competition January 31-February 6. Hluschak, a sophomore 157 from Slatington, PA (Northern Lehigh), went 2-0 last week, with a major decision in a CAA match. Hluschak avenged a loss to Mason's Mitch Webster in the CAA Championships last year with a 17-6 victory. Hluschak placed fourth in the CAAs last year and is currently ranked second in the CAA. Wright, a senior 197 from Dayton, Virginia (Turner Ashby), won both of his matches last week, including a 5-2 upset victory over the 18th ranked wrestler in the nation, Daren Burns of UNC-Greensboro. Currently ranked 19th in the nation and first in the CAA, Wright improved to 14-0 in duals and 25-4 overall with a 20-9 major decision over Virginia's Brent Jones. Tisdell, a freshman 165 from Sewell, NJ (Washington Twp.), won all three of his matches last week by major decision, including a CAA victory against Drexel. Tisdell improved to 7-1 in the CAA, 11-1 in all dual meets, and 24-7 overall.

The University of the Cumberlands (formerly Cumberland College) women's wrestling team divided to participate in two tournaments on Saturday February 4, 2006. Three UC ladies traveled to Colorado Springs, CO to compete in the Dave Schultz Memorial International. The ladies contended against some of the world's finest wrestlers. Alaina Berube (Escanaba, MI) won a gold medal in the 63 kg weight division by pinning her opponent in the third period. Othella Lucas (San Diego, CA) wrestled in the 59 kg bracket, while Heather Martin (Wellington, OH) competed at 67 kg. Lucas and Martin each finished fifth in their respective weight classes. Several other Patriot ladies competed in the Western Open in London, Ontario. Deseree Cazares (South Grand Prairie, TX) defeated teammate Melissa Girard (Norway, MI) to earn a gold medal in the 48 kg division. At 51 kg, Jessica Medina (Pomona, CA) finished fourth. Also finishing forth was Warry Woodard (Smithfield, VA) competing in the 55 kg brackets. Krisha Childress (Goddard, KS) earned a bronze medal at 63 kg. Tabetha Golt (Chesapeake, VA) and Clarissa Dalke (Amarillo, TX) finished fourth in their respective divisions of 67 kg and 72 kg. Theresa Fennell (Amarillo, TX) finished the tournament with a bronze medal. The Patriot ladies will host the United States Girls Wrestling Association's Kentucky State Championships on February 18, 2006. This tournament will feature top elementary, middle school and high school wrestlers from throughout the country.

Dave Schultz was one of the all-time greats. Not just because he was an NCAA champion or an Olympic gold medalist … but because of his genuine good nature and generous spirit. Ten years ago, Dave's life was taken in a senseless, bizarre murder that sounds straight out of a really awful movie. Only this was really awful real life. RevWrestling.com seeks to pay tribute to Dave Schultz with a series of articles that address various aspects of his life and legacy. In this installment, we attempt to paint a picture of Dave Schultz from the perspectives of those who knew him well -- his family and friends -- with memories recorded in 1996, the year that Dave was killed. How is a great athlete remembered immediately after he or she dies? No matter the sport, it seems most obituaries focus on the athletic accomplishments – championships earned, won/loss records, and other statistical achievements. Dave SchultzIn the case of David L. Schultz, the write-ups and remembrances immediately after his murder included his achievements on the mat, including his 1977 California high school state title, a 1982 NCAA championship, and 1984 Olympic gold medal. Yet, despite all these accomplishments, when those who truly knew Dave Schultz are asked "What do you remember about Dave?" they usually focused on the man, not the awards and titles gained as a wrestler. This was true in the press statement issued by USA Wrestling issued the day after Dave's murder on January 26, 1996 by executive director Jim Scherr: "USA Wrestling is deeply shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Dave Schultz, one of the great athletes and individuals ever involved in the sport of wrestling. "We have truly lost a giant, an ambassador of goodwill around the world. Few people have made such an impact on the sport as Dave. His legacy will encompass much more than the numerous medals and honors which he won on the mat. "The record books will forever tell the story of Dave's excellence as a wrestler. A 1984 Olympic gold medal, a 1983 World title, plus a Goodwill Games title, a Pan American Games title, four World Cup titles and ten national titles. He was truly one of the best ever to lace up a pair of wrestling shoes. "But what records won't tell you is the kind of person Dave was and impact he made on all of us in wrestling. There literally wasn't a wrestler Dave wasn't willing to help. He had a profound impact on virtually all of the elite athletes in the US the last fifteen years, as a competitor, coach and friend. He will be irreplaceable among the wrestling community. He touched the lives of thousands of people, all who were enriched by his spirit. "He shared his love and enthusiasm for wrestling with everybody that he met. Through his unique personality, he made friends wherever he traveled and was loved by wrestling fans here in the United States and all over the world." A couple weeks later, at a memorial service for Dave held in mid-February 1996, then-president of USA Wrestling, Larry Sciacchetano, said, "I've heard the term ‘larger than life' a thousand times. I've never really understood what it meant, how someone could be larger than life, until now. "Dave Schultz was larger than life. "His accomplishments in life were monumental. He was a great husband and father, a loving brother and son. He achieved all there was to achieve in wrestling, and he was a great friend to his teammates and anyone who knew him. "We are here today because he lives on through our memory of those things and he will be with us forever. "Dave was a truly unique person. He was one of those rare people who seem to have ten thousand best friends. Most people are lucky to have one or two best friends in their lifetime but for Dave it was different. He made everyone feel important. When you were with him, he was genuinely interested in you, in what you were doing in your life, and how he could help. It never mattered to Dave who you were, or how important you were. His friendship was always sincere…" "The world of wrestling is diminished without him. It's diminished in Ulan Bator. It's diminished in Tbilisi and Budapest. In Krasnoyarsk and Istanbul and Tehran. It's diminished wherever men and women of the sport will be deprived of his performance, his instruction, his great sense of humor, and his friendship…" "I'll always remember Dave as humble in victory, gracious in defeat, and forever a best friend." ---- Within days of the murder, top wrestlers and coaches weighed in with their thoughts on Dave Schultz. Four-time Olympic medalist Bruce Baumgartner: "He's the most unselfish and giving person I have known. Obviously, Dave was one of the best technical and strategic wrestlers and one of the best coaches. I have heard from so many of his students who loved him, from the high school level to the international arena. Dave was always upbeat and positive, with a smile on his face." Kurt Angle, 1995 World Champion who went on to win the gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics months after Dave's death: "Dave was the godfather of USA Wrestling, contributing as a coach, a leader, and an athlete. He cared about everyone, and always put people first, no matter who you were… I loved him and respected him." Three-time World Champion Kevin Jackson: "Dave had the greatest technical mind of any wrestler. He would go out of his way to help all athletes…. If it was not wrestling related, Dave would still help you out. He stuck with you during the tough times. He's a great person to be around." Matt Demaray, four-time US Nationals champ: "Dave was the kind of person that was always smiling and always willing to help out a friend. You would always see him walking around, talking to everyone at competitions, offering advice. "In my mind, Dave was the most knowledgeable wrestler ever in the sport." Iowa State head coach Bobby Douglas: "Dave was the renaissance of wrestling, and we have all lost a great friend. His loyalty to the sport of wrestling, and to his family, his teammates, his colleagues and his students was unmatched… American wrestling has lost a great athlete. America has lost a great person." John Smith, head coach at Oklahoma State: "(Dave) was the single most important person in the 80s for freestyle wrestling. He really took us to the next level." Ed Giese, a teammate and long-time friend, summed it all up by saying, "Dave was wrestling. He revolutionized the sport." ---- A half-year after Dave's death, his absence from the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta was profound -- and powerful. It was the subject of articles in the non-wrestling media, and even merited a multi-page story by famed columnist Rick Reilly in Sports Illustrated, a magazine not known for its coverage of the sport. And, even though he didn't wrestle a single match at the Centennial Olympics, Dave made his presence felt on NBC, the official broadcast network of the 1996 Summer Games. Kurt AngleKurt Angle paid tribute to Dave Schultz not once, but twice on TV. The first time the former Team Foxcatcher light-heavyweight mentioned the late wrestler's name was in a matside interview immediately after winning the gold medal in a suspenseful match determined by a referee's decision. When asked by the NBC reporter about his thoughts as he knelt on the mat after the winning verdict, Angle mentioned Dave Schultz' name immediately after that of his late, beloved father -- and before other relatives -- as among those who are "always with me, looking down on me." Later that night, in a studio interview, NBC sportscaster Bob Costas asked Angle about Dave Schultz. He responded, "It was a tragic ending for someone with a brilliant career. He was my mentor and idol. I did whatever he did – he was someone I looked up to and I wanted to be like him." Later in the same interview, when asked to comment on the wrestling community's reaction to the loss of his long-time coach and friend, Angle replied, "Everyone was in shock at first because it's hard to fathom -- Dave Schultz will never wrestle again. He was one of the best wrestlers in the US in the history of it. He had some more years in front of him so it was hard for everyone to accept. Dave's memory will always be with us. I don't think anybody could forget about him. He's definitely in my heart and will always be in my heart and watching over me, too." NBC also devoted nearly seven minutes of airtime for a separate tribute to Dave Schultz. Today show host Katie Couric set up the pre-recorded piece with this opening statement: "When Dave Schultz died, wrestler lost one of its finest ambassadors, the US team lost a world champion and respected team leader, Danielle and Alexander lost their adored father, and Nancy Schultz lost her beloved husband of 14 years." Even without the lush, romantic-movie soundtrack and soft-focus video of Dave Schultz off the mat -- riding a tricycle with his kids or putting wedding cake in the mouth of his brand-new bride Nancy -- the tribute was genuinely moving as it shared the heartfelt remembrances of those who knew Dave best -- his family. The tribute opened with Dave's father Philip saying, "I considered myself to be among his 10,000 best friends, and he was my best friend, as my son." Dave's younger brother Mark followed up with, "He made the most of his life. He lived the life of ten men in his short life." Then it was Dave's son Alexander, nine years old at the time, shown holding his father's gold medal around his neck, fingering the ribbon: "If I won a baseball game, he'd rather talk about that than the Olympics." Dave Schultz and Mark SchultzMark Schultz appeared onscreen again: "Dave enjoyed everything about the wrestling -- the traveling, the camaraderie, the socializing with the Russians, the Iranians, and all the wrestlers from all over the world. He just loved being around the wrestlers. "He was Mister Wrestling." A bit later in the tribute, his brother -- who also won a gold medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics -- said, "He created Mark Schultz. He was the greatest influence on me. He made me who I am." Dave's dad: "The journey was a remarkable legacy. Remarkable for every one of us. I will miss loving him." Towards the end of the videotaped tribute, Nancy Schultz said, "Alexander told me that he missed dad a lot … but then said 'aren't we lucky he was our dad?'" "To be his best friend, his wife and the mother of his children -- a special role to play that I can't compare with anything else in the world." Chapter 4: Friends share lighter memories and personal experiences with Dave Schultz Did you know Dave Schultz? If you have stories to share, please email the author at mark@revwrestling.com Chapters: Chapter 1: The Day Wrestling Died Chapter 2: The Murderer, John du Pont Chapter 3: Immediate Memories of Dave Chapter 4: Smiling Back at a Life Remembered Chapter 5: A Spirit That Lives On Wrestling Resume for David L. Schultz Among the accomplishments in Dave Schultz' long wrestling career: • 1977 California state champion for Palo Alto High School • Outstanding wrestler 1977 California high school state championships • 1977 Senior National title in Greco-Roman at the AAU Nationals (while still in high school) • 1977 Pan American Games Greco-Roman champion • 1982 NCAA champion for the University of Oklahoma at 167 lbs • Three-time NCAA All-American (placing 3rd at 150 lbs for Oklahoma State in 1978; 2nd at 167 for Oklahoma in 1981) • 1983 Senior Freestyle World champion at 163 • 1984 Olympic gold medal in freestyle at 74 kg/163 lb • 1987 Pan American Games freestyle champion • 1986 Goodwill Games gold medalist • 1994 Goodwill Games silver medalist • Three-time World silver medalist (1985, 1987, 1993) • Two-time World bronze medalist (1982, 1986) • Five-time World Cup champion (1980, 1982, 1985, 1994, 1995) • Three-time World Cup silver medalist (1978, 1981, 1983) • Two-time Tbilisi Tournament champion (1984, 1991) • Three-time DeGlane Challenge champion (1983, 1990, 1991) • Ten-time Senior Nationals champ in both freestyle and Greco-Roman • Outstanding wrestler at US Nationals 1984, 1987 and 1993 • Assistant wrestling coach for University of Oklahoma, Stanford University, and University of Wisconsin -- Madison • Wrestling coach for Team Foxcatcher

GREELEY, Colo. -- North Dakota State won their fifth straight match defeating Northern Colorado 32-5 in front of a crowd of 272 at the Butler-Hancock Sports Pavillion on Monday, Feb. 6. The Bison won eight of ten bouts and improved their record to 5-3 for the season. Northern Colorado (5-4) got the early 3-0 lead when Richard Lohr was able to defeat NDSU's David Cunningham 7-2. The Bison went on to win eight of the next nine matches, beginning with Gabe Mooney winning his 17th match of the year, defeating Kyle LeValley by major decision 12-4 at 149 pounds. With the Bison up 4-3, redshirt freshman Andrew Quittschreiber picked up his first career dual victory defeating Nathan Gerrard 2-0 at 157 pounds. The win improved Quittschreiber's record to 12-9 on the season. The match continued with NDSU 165-pounder Zach Molitor having his three-match winning streak snapped at the hands of Devan Lewis 12-7. That would be the last loss for the Bison on the night as they went on to win the next six bouts, beginning with Matt Hermann winning his third straight dual, beating Ryan Johnson 15-11 at 174 pounds. Matt Wetterling picked up his 22nd win and 16th pin of the year sticking Tim Sexton at 184 pounds at the 7:42 mark. The match went to an extra session with Wetterling picking up three bonus points for the Bison. At 197 pounds, NDSU's Jacob Bryce handed 17th-ranked Reece Hopkin his first dual loss of the season by the score of 6-4. This marks the first time an NDSU wreslter has defeated a nationally ranked wrestler this season. Bryce has now won two consecutive matches and is 14-9 on the year. After the match, Northern Colorado was deducted one team point after Hopkin shoved Bryce. This gave the Bison a 19-5 lead going into the heavyweight bout. North Dakota State's Mike Maresh won for the sixth time in seven career matches defeating Justin Tuell 15-4 in the battle between heavyweights. At 125 pounds, Mike Meger got back to the .500 mark on the season by defeating Beau Hessler 9-3. The sophomore is now 7-7 on the season and is 5-1 in his last six duals. The match concluded when 133-pound sophomore Eric Sanders won his fourth match in a row by pinning Will Cusker in 5 minutes, 45 seconds, making the final score 32-5. Sanders is now 12-9 on the season with four pins. The Bison now lead the all-time series with the Bears 25-2-1 and NDSU head coach Bucky Maughan is 18-1-1 over son and Northern Colorado head coach Jack Maughan. The Bison wrestle their second match in as many nights when they travel north to wrestle Utah Valley State (5-8) in Orem. Match time is scheduled for a 8 p.m. central time start. FINAL RESULTS North Dakota State 32, Northern Colorado 5 141--Richard Lohr (NCOL) dec. David Cunningham 7-2 149--Gabe Mooney (NDSU) maj. dec. Kyle LeValley 12-4 157--Andrew Quittschreiber (NDSU) dec. Nathan Gerrard 2-0 165--Devan Lewis (NCOL) dec. Zach Molitor 12-7 174--Matt Hermann (NDSU) dec. Ryan Johnson 15-11 184--Matt Wetterling (NDSU) pin Tim Sexton 7:42 197--Jacob Bryce (NDSU) dec. #17 Reece Hopkin 6-4* Hwt.--Mike Maresh (NDSU) maj. dec. Justin Tuell 15-4 125--Mike Meger (NDSU) dec. Beau Hessler 9-3 133--Eric Sanders (NDSU) pin Will Cusker 5:45 * Denotes team point deducted from Northern Colorado due to team conduct

Teams_ 1. Cornell 2. Lehigh 3. Penn 4. Navy 5. Army 6. American 7. Columbia 8. Brown 125_ 1. Troy Nickerson, Cornell 2. Mike Silengo, Penn 3. Jeff Sato, Columbia 4. Matt Fisk, Lehigh 5. William Simpson, Army 6. Matt Morkel, American 133_ 1. Matt Valenti, Penn 2. Robbie Preston, Harvard 3. Mike Mormile, Cornell 4. Frank Baughan, Army 5. Joe Baker, Navy 6. Jordan Lipp, American 141_ 1. Cory Cooperman, Lehigh 2. Max Meltzer, Harvard 3. Cesar Grajales, Penn 4. Steve Adamcsik, Rutgers 5. Matt Easter, Cornell 6. Spencer Manley, Navy 149_ 1. Matt Dragon, Penn 2. John Cox, Navy 3. Patrick Simpson, Army 4. Tom Kniezewski, American 5. Matt Ciasulli, Lehigh 6. Keith Dickey, Cornell 157_ 1. Dustin Manotti, Cornell 2. Derek Zinck, Lehigh 3. Andrew Flanagan, Harvard 4. John Jarred, Navy 5. Gene Zannetti 6. Mike Savino, Brown 165_ 1. Troy Letters, Lehigh 2. Muzaffar Abdurakhmanov, American 3. Steve Anceravage, Cornell 4. Jon Anderson, Army 5. Lior Zamir, Penn 6. Craig Dziewiatkowski, Navy 174_ 1. Travis Frick, Lehigh 2. Matt Palmer, Columbia 3. Matt Herrington, Penn 4. Matt Stolpinski, Navy 5. Dan Miracola, Cornell 6. Matt DeNichilo, Princeton 184_ 1. Josh Glenn, American 2. Joe Mazzurco, Cornell 3. Rudy Medini, Rutgers 4. Louis Caputo, Harvard 5. Luke Calvert, Army 6. Dustin Wiles, Penn 197_ 1. Jerry Rinaldi, Cornell 2. Paul Velekei, Penn 3. Matt Cassidy, Lehigh 4. Jake Butler, Princeton 5. Chris Pogue, Navy 6. Charles Martin, Army 285_ 1. Tanner Garrett, Navy 2. Bode Ogunwole, Harvard 3. Adam LoPiccolo, American 4. Paul Weibel, Lehigh 5. Michael Sprigg, Army 6. Levon Mock, Brown

Team: 1. Arizona State 2. Cal Poly 3. Oregon State 4. Oregon 5. Boise State 6t. UC Davis Cal State Bakersfield 8. Cal State Fullerton 9. Stanford 10. Portland State Individual: 125 Pounds 1. Jeremy Mendoza (Arizona State) 2. Chad Mendes (Cal Poly) 3. Eric Stevenson (Oregon State) 4. Tanner Gardner (Stanford) 5. Ryan Dunn (Oregon) 6. Cory Fish (Boise State) 133 Pounds 1. Scott Jorgensen (Boise State) 2. Darrell Vasquez (Cal Poly) 3. Justin Pearch (Oregon) 4. Omar Gaitan (UC Davis) 5. TJ Dillashaw (Cal State Fullerton) 6. Tommy Vargas (Cal State Bakersfield) 141 Pounds 1. Kyle Larson (Oregon State) 2. Derek Moore (UC Davis) 3. David Roberts (Cal Poly) 4. Skyler Woods (Oregon) 5. Matt Schumm (Cal State Bakersfield) 6. Teddy Astorga (Cal State Fullerton) 149 Pounds 1. Anthony Baza (Cal State Bakersfield) 2. Jeff Owens (Cal Poly) 3. Pat Payne (Arizona State) 4. Tyler Sherfey (Boise State) 5. Josh Zupancic (Stanford ) 6. Morgan Atkinson (Cal State Fullerton) 157 Pounds 1. Brian Stith (Arizona State) 2. Ben Cherrington (Boise State) 3. Tony Hook (Oregon State) 4. Scott Loescher (Stanford) 5. Shawn Reilly (Cal State Fullerton) 6. Ryan Williams (Cal Poly) 165 Pounds 1. Joey Bracamonte (Oregon) 2. Pat Pitsch (Arizona State) 3. Frank Richmond (UC Davis) 4. Ray Blake (Stanford) 5. Brian Busby (Cal State Bakersfield) 6. Risto Marttinen (Cal State Fullerton) 174 Pounds 1. Jeremy Larson (Oregon State) 2. Ken Cook (UC Davis) 3. Christian Arellano (Cal State Bakersfield) 4. Ian Murphy (Cal State Fullerton) 5. Nick Hernandez (Cal Poly) 6. Luke Feist (Stanford) 184 Pounds 1. Shane Webster (Oregon) 2. CB Dollaway (Arizona State) 3. Ryan Halsey (Cal Poly) 4. Jesse Taylor (Cal State Fullerton) 5. KC Walsh (Boise State) 6. Tyler Bernacchi (UC Davis) 197 Pounds 1. Ryan Bader (Arizona State) 2. Matt Monteiro (Cal Poly) 3. Dan Pitsch (Oregon State) 4. Casey Phelps (Boise State) 5. Elliot Kelly (UC Davis) 6. Chris Chambers (Cal State Fullerton) Heavyweight 1. Cain Velasquez (Arizona State) 2. Ty Watterson (Oregon State) 3. Eric Parker (Cal State Bakersfield) 4. Andy Patrick (Boise State) 5. Arturo Basulto (Cal Poly) 6. Chris Dearmon (Oregon)

PITTSBURGH -- Junior Matt Kocher has been on a roll in his redshirt season, earning six tournament titles and now achieving his 100th career win. He earned this victory in his second match at the Kent State Open last weekend when pinned his opponent in just one minute. "Matt Kocher's 100 wins prior to completing his third year at Pittsburgh is quite impressive," said Head Coach Rande Stottlemyer. "Along with some of his teammates, he is helping to create a much more intense wrestling culture in which hard work is embraced, competing hard and often is the norm and winning championships is the goal. "He has an excellent opportunity to overtake Pat Santoro's career mark of 167 wins. I think that speaks for itself in terms of this accomplishment thus far. You can be sure he will continue to pursue excellence these next two years." Kocher (State College, Pa./State College) has used his time as a redshirt to gain as much wrestling experience as possible, and it has paid off for him. He started off the season by winning the Slippery Rock Open in November earning a technical fall in his second match. Later that month, he finished third at the West Virginia Open and registered two falls for the year. He won his second tournament at the East Stroudsburg Open, where he finished 6-0 including a fall and major decision to add to his record book. At the Nittany Lion Open in December, Kocher went 6-0 again for first place with another fall and major decision. His fourth tournament victory came at the Cleveland State Open where he defeated Indiana's Matt Coughlin by a 3-1 decision in addition to winning with pins in his opening three matches. At the Midlands Tournament, Kocher finished 5-2 for fifth place with one pin. Two weeks ago he won the Hilltopper Open in West Virginia, and last weekend he took home the 157-pound championship at the Kent State Open. Kocher now holds a 103-28 overall record with a 41-3 record for this season. He's already registered 11 pins on the season and 17 for his career. A two-time NCAA qualifier and EWL Freshman of the Year in 2004, Kocher has been a driving force in Pitt wrestling. In his freshman campaign, he finished 32-13 with an 11-3 dual record, four pins and five major decisions. He placed second at the EWL Championships and earned his first NCAA berth. He additionally placed in three tournaments that season. As a sophomore, Kocher led the team in victories for the second consecutive season with 30 wins. He won the Mat Town Invitational when he defeated Penn State's James Woodall. Kocher finished sixth at the EWL Championships and earned his second trip to Nationals. Kocher joins teammates Ronald Tarquinio (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny) and Justin Nestor (Transfer, Pa./Reynolds) in this achievement this season, and he will undoubtedly continue to climb in Pitt's record books with two more season ahead of him.

KENT, Ohio -- Pitt's Matt Kocher and Keith Gavin have been dominating tournaments this season as two of the Panthers' best redshirts. With their wins this past weekend at the Kent State Open, each of them have multiple tournament titles for this season and will likely be NCAA All-American contenders in 2006-07. "Matt Kocher and Keith Gavin wrestled ‘unattached' while winning their respective weight classes and competed exceptionally well. They both won weight classes that were very competitive," said Head Coach Rande Stottlemyer. "Other wrestlers included Dave Kapetanovich, Brandon Skonieczky, Matt Darnell, Julian Warshaw and Justin Hunt who also competed well. They showed good improvement from their previous competition and can use it as a building block for the next open event which will be held at Edinboro. The only way to get experience is to compete in these events as often as they can. It's imperative to their development as Division I wrestlers." Kocher (State College, Pa./State College) had a landmark tournament at 157 pounds, capturing his 100th career victory in just three seasons. His championship title is his sixth of the season, and he's placed in every tournament he's competed in so far. In his opening bout, he won a 9-2 decision over Bloomsburg's Alex Canover. His fall in the second match was his 100th win. He pinned Michael Mannozzi in one minute. Kocher went on to win a major decision in the quarterfinals over Central Michigan's Zack Strunk. He won the semifinals with a 3-2 decision over West Virginia's Donnie Jones, and in his final match of the tournament won a 1-0 decision over Indiana's Matt Coughlin. Wrestling at 174 pounds, Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) won his second tournament this season in addition to placing in three others. Gavin's 4-0 record from the Kent State Open moves him to 27-7 for the season with six pins. He won his first bout with a fall over Michigan State's Dash Dudley at the 1:50 mark. In the quarterfinals, Gavin defeated Penn State's Brian Cantoalupi with a 3-1 decision. He went on to win a 2-1 decision over Michigan State's Rocky Cozart before winning the championship match with a 2-0 decision over Maryland's Jason Kiessling. At 125 pounds, freshman Brandon Skonieczky (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel) finished 1-2 in the tournament with his win coming from a 7-5 overtime decision over Maryland's Charles Golden. Freshman Justin Hunt (Salem, N.Y./Salem) also finished 1-2, earning his first collegiate major decision with a score of 17-3 over Kent State's Pat Lahan. Sophomore Julian Warshaw (New York, N.Y./Poly Prep) finished 0-2 in the tournament with losses to Virginia's Trevor Bowers and West Virginia's Josh Oliver. Freshman Dave Kapetanovich (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills/CCAC) ended 2-2 in the tournament earning wins over Ashland's Devin Finegan with a 9-3 decision and Gary Chaney with a 7-2 decision. Redshirt freshman Matt Darnell (Lyndhurst, Ohio/Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy) also finished 2-2. He won a 6-0 decision over Virginia Tech's Matt Woods and a 5-0 decision over Findlay's Josh Fox. Several Panthers will compete this weekend in the Edinboro Open. The team will resume league matches this week as well. They'll face Clarion on Tuesday evening and Lock Haven on Friday evening. Both matches will be held at the Fitzgerald Field House.

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Following victories in dual match wins over Duke and Virginia Tech, North Carolina redshirt freshman Vincent Ramirez was named Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestler of the Week for the second time this season Monday. Ramirez also captured the league's first weekly honor Nov. 28. The Durham, N.C., native went 2-0 at 141 pounds last week in leading North Carolina to a 22-15 win over the Blue Devils Jan. 31 and a 31-9 victory over Virginia Tech Feb. 2. Ramirez recorded a 5-3 win over No. 16 David Hoffman of Virginia Tech and defeated Duke's Philip Wightman, 10-6, earlier in the week. Ramirez, who has won his last 12 bouts, is 33-6 on the season and is a perfect 5-0 in ACC action. Ramirez shares the weekly honor with NC State's Jainor Palma. The Tar Heels return to action against the Wolfpack Feb. 11 at Reynolds Coliseum.

BLOOMSBURG -- Bloomsburg University wrestler Brad Forbes (Downingtown/Downingtown) has been named Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) Wrestler of the Week for the period ending February 5, 2006. Forbes won both his bouts at the 141 pound weight class to lead Bloomsburg to dual-meet wins over EWL rivals Clarion and Cleveland State this weekend. In the Clarion meet, Forbes notched a 5-1 win over Clarion's Greg Lewis. Against Cleveland State on Sunday, Forbes scored on a reversal with 44 seconds left in the bout to break a 2-2 tie en route to a 7-2 win over Cleveland State's Mike Hurley. Forbes, a senior, is 20-5 on the season including five major decision wins. Last week he won his first individual Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference title at 141 pounds. The Huskies are 9-7 overall and 3-1 in the EWL on the year. Bloomsburg will travel to 17th-ranked Edinboro on Friday, Feb. 10 in EWL action. Match time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

PITTSBURGH -- Gardner-Webb picked up wins over Delaware State, Duquesne and Millersville to post a 3-1 record at the East Regional Duals on Sunday. Seniors Josh Pniewski, Daniel Elliott, Adam Glaser and Brent Blackwell all went 4-0 on the day. The group of seniors combined to post a 16-0 mark and all positioned themselves to be the top seed in their respective weight classes at the NCAA East Regional Championships on March 4 and 5, which will be hosted by Gardner-Webb inside Paul Porter Arena. Pniewski, already a two-time NCAA East Regional champion, blazed his way to four wins at 133 pounds. Pniewski earned a pin and a major decision to go with a regular decision and a forfeit victory. No. 14 Elliott backed up his national accolades with a pin, two decisions and a forfeit at 149 pounds. Elliott is now 33-2 overall and 22-0 in dual matches this season. The senior also moved to within two victories of the 100-win plateau for his career and extended his dual-match winning streak out to 37 straight matches. Elliott is currently ranked No. 14 at 149 pounds by the NWCA, The Wrestling Mall and W.I.N. Magazine and is No. 15 in Amateur Wrestling News' latest poll. Glaser positioned himself for a run at Nationals with a pin, two decisions and a forfeit victory at 157 pounds. The strong effort should be enough to earn a top seed at the NCAA East Regionals for the senior. Blackwell also ran the table for the Bulldogs, putting himself as the early favorite at 197 pounds for the upcoming NCAA East Regionals. Blackwell scored decisions over all four of his opponents. While GWU posted a 3-1 team record, it also recorded 23 individual victories in the 40 matches. Included in those individual wins were three pins and three major decisions. Cortney Roberts took two wins including a major decision and Brandon Beach also went 2-2. A.J. Renteria earned a major decision for his lone win, while Brandon Schweitzer and Matthias Piasecki also picked up a win. Gardner-Webb began the day by storming past Delaware State, 40-6, as the Hornets forfeited five of the 10 matches to give GWU 30 uncontested points. Renteria picked up a major decision, while Beach and Blackwell each scored decisions for the Bulldogs. In the second match of the day, the host Duquesne squad rolled to a 10-0 lead before consecutive victories from Blackwell and Schweitzer trimmed the gap to 10-6 after five contests. A major decision from Pniewski made it 13-10 in favor of the Dukes and a pin by Elliott brought GWU to within 17-16 with just one match remaining. Glaser then finished off the comeback with a 2-0 decision, giving Gardner-Webb the exciting, 19-17, win. Gardner-Webb ran its season-high win streak out to seven matches with a 25-13 win over Millersville in the third round of the afternoon. GWU faced deficits of 6-0 and 9-6 before Roberts gave the ‘Dogs the lead for good with a major decision win in the 125-pound bout. Pniewski, Elliott and Glaser then put the finishing touches on the team victory by giving GWU wins in three of the last four matches. That set things up for a showdown of the two remaining unbeatens as Gardner-Webb took its 3-0 mark up against Slippery Rock's 2-0 record in the fourth round. The Rock took control of the match with three-straight wins to open the action, taking a 12-0 advantage. Blackwell got GWU on the board with a decision, but Slippery Rock answered with a decision at the 285-pound match and pushed its lead to 18-3 with a victory at 125. GWU took three of the last four bouts as Pniewski, Elliott and Glaser all recorded decisions, but it was not enough as Slippery Rock held off the ‘Dogs for a 22-12 win. Slippery Rock would then bounce Duquesne by a 21-9 margin in the fifth and final round of the day to secure the East Regional title with a perfect 4-0 mark. Gardner-Webb brought home second with a 3-1 record while Duquesne ended 2-2, Millersville was 1-3 and Delaware State took fifth place at 0-4. With the three victories, Gardner-Webb upped its season record to 12-10 and stands with a winning record for the first time in the 2005-2006 campaign. The 12 team wins also mark the most victories in a season for the Bulldogs since the program went to Division I in 2000-2001.

B.J. Padden is one of the senior leaders for the fifth-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers. The 197-pound All-American is currently 19-2 this season and ranked No. 2 in the country by RevWrestling.com. He has won 16 of his last 17 matches and is now 11 wins away from 100 for his career. I recently caught up with Padden to talk about his season, his team, his rivalry with Jake Rosholt of Oklahoma State, and his future aspirations. B.J. PaddenOverall, how would you evaluate your season thus far? Padden: I started out kind of slow. I lost to that Boise State kid. But it's getting better. I had a pretty good week, I thought, at the National Duals. But still, I feel like I'm on an uphill climb, getting ready to peak hopefully at the right time. Give me the ideal scenario for how the last month and a half of your collegiate wrestling career will play out. Padden: I'm training to win the remainder of my matches. I'm working hard and trying to stay focused. I'm taking each dual one at a time. We're in the Big 12 season now. The Big 12 Conference is, in my opinion, the toughest conference in the country. Of course, I might be a little biased. That's definitely true in our weight class. We have Flaggert, Foust, and Rosholt … it's just a really tough weight class. My goal is to go out there and show the country what I can do … and win out the rest of the season, ending with a national title. Nebraska is currently ranked fifth in the country. Is this team good enough to win a national title this season? And if so, what will have to happen at the NCAA Championships? Padden: I think we're definitely good enough to win a Big 12 title and a national title. It's going to take everybody coming together and wrestling solid. I don't think we need to get stressed and go crazy thinking we have to wrestle like a bunch of Olympians or anything, but just go out there and wrestle solid. Guys that get knocked out in the first two or three rounds of nationals, we need those guys to come back through and make into that last day … because I feel that is where the national title is won. Oklahoma State has done such a great job of that. They have guys that come in, they're not really ranked, but they win matches at nationals and come back through the wrestle-backs … and that's how they've been winning it, in my opinion. Your coach, Mark Manning, is extremely intense during competition. Is he that intense in the practice room, too? Padden: Yeah, he's definitely intense in the practice room. He's a little bit more intense during duals … just a little bit, though. But he also knows when to keep it light. He's really good about that. We try to keep it light before practice and kind of relax. But when practice starts at 3:30, it starts. No more messing around until we're done. I read an article where one of your teammates last season, B.J. Wright, said you're the "Outback." What did he mean by that? Padden: I'm not exactly sure. But I come from a small town in Montana that consists of about 55 people. They've always given me a hard time about being from a small town and being a ranch boy. I grew up on a ranch. It might have something to do with that. Montana? I thought you won two South Dakota state titles… Padden: Yeah, our ranch is right on the border. I went to high school in South Dakota, but the ranch itself is in Montana. B.J. PaddenSouth Dakota has produced some very good wrestlers, but it's still not considered a wrestling hotbed state. What other schools, besides Nebraska, showed interest in you coming out of high school in South Dakota? Padden: There weren't that many, actually. Like I said, I come from a small school. I didn't go to Fargo (Cadet/Junior Nationals) until my senior year. A lot of guys that I see in college went to Fargo two, three, four years while they were coming up through high school. So I didn't really get the national exposure they did. But one thing that helped me was that my older brother, Brandon, beat Wes Roberts in the Senior Nationals finals the year before I graduated. That kind of put the spotlight on me. He had already signed with an NAIA school in North Dakota. So when they talked to him, he pointed them toward me, so that was kind of neat. Mark Manning is also originally from South Dakota. My head coach knew him in high school, so I didn't really look at any other schools. I always knew that I was going to go to Nebraska, just because that's where Mark Manning was. But I never really dreamed of going Division I. I was the only one from my high school to go Division I, so it was kind of a big deal. That was so far out of reach. Nobody ever thought of doing that. B.J PaddenYou've had some great battles with Jake Rosholt of Oklahoma State over the past few years. Both of you have won big matches against each other. Does it get to be tough wrestling him so much? And do you approach every match with him the same way? Padden: Yeah, I really have to prepare for each match with him. You have to make sure that you have the right intensity. If you mess up, Jake's the kind of guy that's going to capitalize on it. I came out on top this last time, but he's beaten me quite a few times in the last few years. I really enjoy wrestling him because he's a pretty hard nosed guy. He's country-boy, too. I've talked to him a little bit. He's from Idaho and he's a pretty good guy, so I don't mind wrestling him. I kind of look forward to it because I know what he's going to wrestle like. It's not a lot of surprises. He just wrestles solid. You just know that if you you're going to want to beat him, you need to wrestle solid. And if you don't, he's going to beat you. What has been the highlight of your collegiate career at Nebraska? Padden: Winning Vegas my freshman year was definitely up there. But the Big 12 title, what made that a little more special, in my opinion, is the fact that Rosholt went on to win nationals. It made it a little more meaningful, but yet in the same breath … I lost to him in a pretty close match in the NCAA semifinals. Beating him at Big 12's, losing to him at nationals … that kind of hurt a little bit. I would have to say that both of those things, Vegas and Big 12 title, are at the top. There's no way that I can pick one over the other. Last season, you were the 11th seed at the NCAA Championships, two weeks after winning your Big 12 title over an NCAA champion. Did you look at that as kind of a slap in the face? Padden: Actually, I don't even remember hearing what I was seeded. I try not to look at that or feed into that stuff. I don't check the rankings. I couldn't tell you what I'm ranked. That stuff doesn't bother me much. I try to wrestle the same way I did when I was a freshman and won Vegas, you have to beat everyone to win it. So just kind of take it one match at a time and don't worry about the finals until you get to the finals. The biggest disappointment of your career? Padden: That I can't I stick around for another five years! I've just really enjoyed going to college at Nebraska. It's a great place to be. I love the people. Vince JonesYour teammate, Vince Jones, was pulled out of redshirt at the National Duals and went 4-0, which included a win over two-time All-American Paul Bradley of Iowa. I imagine you work out with him. When it's all said and done, how good can Vince Jones be? Padden: I think he's going to be pretty good. He's definitely going to be an All-American and in contention for a national title before he's done. He's young yet, of course, but I don't think there's anything keeping him from being an All-American this season. He's a really tough wrestler. And he has confidence. That's one thing that you need in this sport, especially at the college level, is confidence. He's really picking up on the mentality and the differences between high school and college wrestling. What are your post-collegiate plans? Padden: I'm getting married this summer, in August, so I'm really excited about that. I would love to be coaching at the college level and continue wrestling internationally in freestyle. The last two Nebraska 197-pounders before you, Brad Vering and Justin Ruiz, are members of the U.S. National Greco Team. Would you ever consider wrestling Greco? Padden: I don't really have a lot of Greco experience, so I'd have to say no. I doubt I'd wrestle Greco. I've wrestled freestyle a few times. I kind of got into that late in my high school career, but it's fun. I think that I would try that. I wrestled in the U.S. Nationals in Vegas last year and wound up eighth, so I'm really looking forward to getting back into freestyle. Are you planning on wrestling in Vegas at the U.S. Nationals again this year? Padden: I might take a little time off this summer. But I'm planning on training all next winter. I would like to wrestle in the Dave Schultz and Sunkist. Just see where I can go. It probably kind of depends on where I'm living.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Michaela Hutchison became the first girl in the nation to win a state high school wrestling title while competing against boys. Hutchison won the final of the 103-pound weight class during Alaska's big school wrestling championships. The Skyview High sophomore entered the state tournament ranked No. 1 in her weight class. Amid chants of "C'mon, Michaela" and "Girl power," Hutchison earned a 1-0 victory Saturday over Colony High School's Aaron Boss. She scored an escape with 16 seconds left to beat Boss for the second time in two weeks. Family and friends mobbed Hutchison as she walked away from the mat with a bloody nose, while the crowd rose in a standing ovation. "They were helping me," Hutchison told the Anchorage Daily News. She finished the season with a 45-4 record that included 33 pins, one shy of the state single-season record. Hutchison is the third in her family of 10 children to win a state title, joining brothers Zeb and Eli.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Fifth-year senior captains Ryan Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) and Greg Wagner (Fort Wayne, Ind./Snider HS) earned falls as the No. 4-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team cruised to a 27-11 victory over Purdue on Sunday (Feb. 5) at the Intercollegiate Athletic Facility. The Wolverines won seven individual matches to improve to a perfect 5-0 in Big Ten Conference competition. Churella tallied his seventh pin of the season, against Dan Bedoy at 165, to all but seal the victory for the Wolverines, giving them a 14-point edge just past the meet's halfway point pounds. The U-M captain built up a quick advantage, scoring an early takedown and turning the Boilermaker three times in the first period. Churella had similar success on top in the second, using a power half to collect three more back points before converting to a deep half for the fall at 4:40. Capping the Wolverine rout in the final match of the contest, Wagner posted his second fall of the weekend, pinning Purdue's Aaron Anspach at the 2:41 mark. Wagner took the Boilermaker to the mat just 19 seconds into the opening frame and went to work, using a leg turk to get the turn before stepping over to end the match early. With the falls, both Wolverine captains improved to 20-0 on the season. Freshman Michael Watts (Riverton, Utah/Riverton HS) put the Wolverines on the board early with a 12-7 decision against Brandon Tucker at 125 pounds. Watts scored a pair of takedowns and turned Tucker for six points to earn his second dual win of the season. Purdue stole away the lead at 133 pounds as fifth-ranked Chris Fleeger earned a 17-8 major decision against senior/junior Mark Moos (Lorain, Ohio/St. Edward HS). Moos, ranked 12th, held the initial lead in the match behind a pair of first-period takedowns and a two-point near fall, but Fleeger rallied back in the third, making the most of scramble situations to break open the match. Junior/sophomore Josh Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS), ranked fourth, kicked off a stretch of five straight wins at the middle with a 9-4 decision against Jake Patacsil at 141 pounds. Churella controlled the match from start to finish, scoring three takedowns and a quick reversal early in the second to claim his ninth consecutive win. Junior/sophomore Eric Tannenbaum (Naperville, Ill./North HS) used his quickness from the standing position to post an 8-4 decision against seventh-ranked Doug Withstandley, avenging an earlier loss to the Boilermaker at the Cliff Keen Invitational. Tannenbaum scored a takedown in each period and accumulated 1:45 in riding time. Junior/sophomore Jeff Marsh (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS) stepped into the lineup at 157 pounds and earned his second straight dual win with a 7-3 decision over Jake Murphy. Marsh converted on a takedown midway through the first period to take early control before adding a second-period reversal and late third-period takedown. At 174 pounds, senior/junior Nick Roy (Wall, N.J./Wall HS) cruised to a 10-4 decision against Barry Jackson, scoring three takedowns and a second-period reversal to put away the match for the Wolverines. The Wolverines will return to the road next Sunday (Feb. 12) for a conference dual against rival Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. The match is slated for a 1 p.m. start at St. John Arena. Michigan 27, Purdue 11 125 -- Michael Watts (U-M) dec. Brandon Tucker, 12-7 U-M, 3-0 133 -- #5 Chris Fleeger (PU) major dec. #12 Mark Moos, 17-8 PU, 4-3 141 -- #4 Josh Churella (U-M) dec. Jake Patacsil, 9-4 U-M, 6-4 149 -- #6 Eric Tannenbaum (U-M) dec. #7 Doug Withstandley, 8-4 U-M, 9-4 157 -- Jeff Marsh (U-M) dec. Jake Murphy, 7-3 U-M, 12-4 165 -- #1 Ryan Churella (U-M) pinned Dan Bedoy, 4:40 U-M, 18-4 174 -- #7 Nick Roy (U-M) dec. Barry Jackson, 10-4 U-M, 21-4 184 -- #3 Ben Wissel (PU) tech. fall Hassen Berri, 23-8 U-M, 21-8 197 -- #20 Nathan Moore (PU) dec. Casey White, 3-2 U-M, 21-11 Hwt -- #3 Greg Wagner (U-M) pinned Aaron Keough, 4:41 U-M 27-11