InterMat Staff

Barry Davis is in his 13th season as head wrestling coach at the University of Wisconsin. He has coached six wrestlers to 10 Big Ten crowns. During Davis' tenure, 16 wrestlers have achieved All-America status while two have claimed NCAA titles. Donny Pritzlaff won back-to-back titles in 2000 and 2001 and Jeff Walter won the 1996 heavyweight crown. Prior to coming to Wisconsin, Davis was an assistant from 1986-1992 at his alma mater, the University of Iowa. Barry DavisAs a collegiate competitor, Davis won three individual NCAA titles (and four team titles) for the Hawkeyes. He still holds school records for wins in a season (46), wins in a career (162), and is fourth in career winning percentage (.945). Davis went on to have a successful international career. He won a silver medal in the 1984 Olympic Games, won a silver medal at the World Championships in 1987, and wrestled in the 1998 Olympic Games. Davis was also recently announced as part of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Class of 2007. RevWrestling.com recently caught up with the Badger coach to talk about about his team's success, whether he envisioned Ben Askren having as much collegiate success as he has coming out of high school, and whether Tom Brands was the right man to replace Jim Zalesky at Iowa, and much more. First off, congratualtions on your win last week over Penn State. Were you happy with the team's effort overall? Davis: It's like anything else, you're glad with the win. (Zach) Tanelli had a good win for us. It was also a big win for him. I thought there were other matches where we chances to win, but couldn't quite finish guys off. I thought we had a chance with (Dallas) Herbst. He missed a body lock there late in the third period … if he keeps that, we have a chance to put (Phil) Davis away. (Craig) Henning did really well. He got the bonus points we needed. (Kyle) Ruschell, being a redshirt freshman, same thing. (Tyler) Turner missed a couple takedowns … and in the second period we had a chance to widen the gap, but we just didn't take advantage of the situation. There are some areas we have to work on. But it was a good win overall for us. It was a good team victory. Individually, we did some good things. But there are other areas we need to keep improving on weekly. You're currently 12-0 in duals this season. Could this potentially be your best team ever at Wisconsin? Davis: It could be. Yeah. But if you look at the rankings right now, we would only have two All-Americans. But then we have guys like Herbst, Ruschell, Tanelli, (Kyle) Massey, (Collin) Cudd … we have to sneak those guys on the stand. It could potentially be our best team. It just depends on how much certain individuals improve until the last day of the NCAA's. Craig Henning is 18-1 this season at 157 pounds and seems to be wrestling with a lot of confidence right now. Will anything short of a national title be a disappointment for Henning? Davis: That's his goal … to win a national championship. In his mind, that's what he wants to do. You just go out there and do the best you can and make your own breaks. All you can do is wrestle up to your capability and the chips are going to fall where they fall. I told the guys, 'A lot of people deserve a lot of things, but you get to earn it on the mat.' That's his goal. That's what he wants. And it's our job to help him get there. We'll know that Saturday night where we stand. There was some talk before this season that Henning might redshirt. Is there still a possibility that he could redshirt next season? Davis: I won't know that until next year. He's in the lineup right now. He's 18-1. And he has a goal set ahead of him. We're going to focus on that right now. When next September comes around … we'll make a decision on who is where at that time. You brought Donny Pritzlaff back to Wisconsin. What kind of impact has he made this season? Davis: He's made a very big impact. He's guy who has been though the program, won two NCAA titles, and just took a bronze medal in the World Championships. We have someone who has been through the system. He was away … and came back. A lot of people know who he is … and know the name. He's still competing. It has been a big impact. It's nice to have people like that back. But it's also nice to have Cory Wallman. He's still here. So we kept everyone intact all the way through. We also have guys like Tom Clum and Eddie Gutnick. The coaches have made a good impact all the way around. Donny steadily climbed the U.S. freestyle ladder. He won his first U.S. Nationals and World Team Trials title this past spring. He then proceeded to capture a bronze medal at the World Championships. What do you attribute to his steady improvement? Davis: His work ethic and his ability to adapt and change. I think a lot of guys when they finish college … they can't go to the next level because they just can't adapt and change to the rules and change to the style. And I think Donny has made that change. The biggest thing is his defense has gotten so much better at that level. His technique has gotten that much tighter. He doesn't make as many mistakes. He's in better position. His defense has gotten better. I remember when he was in college … anytime a guy got to his leg … he would just turn and kick away. It used to drive me crazy. I would say, 'Donny, you can't do that. You have stuff his head, get your hips down, get your weight back, and score that way.' But he's made that change. And I think that it's helped him win a bronze medal. Hopefully as he continues to make changes he'll continue to move up in the World Championships. But that's the biggest thing, to adapt from college to that style … continue to make changes year after year to make yourself better. He's always looking for ways to improve … and when you do that, you're only going to get better. You coached Tom Brands at Iowa. What was your reaction when you received the news that he would be replacing Jim Zalesky at Iowa? Davis: That's who they wanted, so that's who they hired. That's good for them. It's a good position to have. He was the right choice for them, so it worked well for both parties. Do you expect Brands to be a successful collegiate head coach? Davis: Uh … time will tell. I know he's very competitive. He's very aggressive. He coaches that way, too. There's no doubt that he wants to be successful, so I'm sure he'll work at it until he is successful. Barry DavisYou're one of many collegiate head wrestling coaches across the country who competed for Dan Gable at Iowa. Is it a coincidence that the greatest collegiate wrestling coach ever has produced so many collegiate head coaches? Davis: No. I think Dan has prepared a lot of guys for not only coaching, but life in general. If you look at not only the coaches, but also look at what some of these guys are doing in the business world as well … and you'll see success in that area, too. I think he produced that because of the way we trained, the things we've done, and the life that he gave us. So I don't just look at coaches … but I look at other careers, too. You travel to Iowa City on Sunday to wrestle the Hawkeyes. Do you expect the atmosphere to be any different this season with Brands and Gable there? No. With Iowa fans, I don't think it matters who is coaching. They're going to be there cheering their team on. They're just loyal. Wisconsin native Ben Askren is considered by many to be the toughest collegiate wrestler pound-for-pound in the country. Coming out of high school, could you have ever envisioned that he would go on to accomplish what he has at Missouri? Davis: Put it this way, a lot of kids you thought would be great, don't do all that well, whereas some kids are doing great. All you can do is recruit a guy … and hopefully they adapt, make the changes, and improve. Obviously, Ben has done all those things. That's a tribute to him. The state of Wisconsin has produced some very successful wrestlers in recent years, including Ben and Max Askren, Matt Pell, and Cole Konrad. How would you rate the talent level coming out of the state in recent years compared to other states? Davis: I think it goes to show that it's one of the top states the last five or six years. If you look at the results, Wisconsin has made a big move. I think it's a tribute to the high school coaches in the state, the college coaches, and everybody. The state itself has really made a big jump and that's good for us … because now hopefully we can keep the doors closed and keep everyone in the state. You have landed quite a few of Wisconsin's top wrestlers in recent years, including Kevin and Tony Black, Tyler Turner, Craig Henning, and Dallas Herbst, just to name a few. How important is to insure that you do keep the top kids in the state? Davis: It's very important. You always want to keep you top kids in the state if you can. But it's like anything else, you have 9.9 scholarships. You only have so much money. You have a lot of coaches coming into your state recruiting. Sometimes your hands our tied … because you only have so much money. Sometimes people have to do what is best for them financially. Obviously, you can't keep everybody you would like to for that reason. If I could, I would like to keep everybody. Again, it's just not possible. Last question, what kind of performance would you like to see out of this team at the NCAA Championships in Auburn Hills, Michigan to be satisfied? Davis: Well, we have goals. If we continue to make the progress we've made from the beginning of the season until now, from now until the end of the season, we can have a very, very successful season. I think we can make a big run in the Big Ten duals, Big Ten Championships, and NCAA's. Our goal right now is to take it day by day, dual by dual. If we continue to make the progress that we're going to make, we'll evaluate that Saturday night at the NCAA Championships.

The top-ranked Golden Gopher wrestling team hosts a pair of dual meets this weekend at the Sports Pavilion. The No. 17 Michigan Wolverines come to town on Friday, Jan. 26 to face the Gophers at 7 p.m., followed by a match-up with Purdue on Sunday, Jan. 28 at 2 p.m. Gopher Wrestling Notebook Konrad Going For Numbers 60 and 61 Senior heavyweight Cole Konrad is currently riding the second-longest winning streak in the nation at 59 matches. He trails only Missori's Ben Askren, who has won his last 72 contests. Konrad broke Tim Hartung's school record of 58 consecutive wins with his win against Penn State last Sunday and will be going for numbers 60 and 61 this weekend. Schlatter Not Far Behind Sophomore Dustin Schlatter is right on the heels of Konrad, currently with 52 consecutive wins of his own, good enough for the third longest streak in the country. Overall, Schlatter has won 64 of 65 matches for a .985 win percentage in his collegiate career, which currently ranks as the highest career winning percentage in school history. Seeking Revenge Minnesota will have revenge on its mind on Friday night against the Wolverines. Michigan spoiled the Gophers chances for a perfect dual meet season last year, handing them their only loss of the season on Feb. 17, 2006. Marquee Match-Ups Friday night's dual against Michigan will feature a pair of matches between two wrestlers ranked among the top five in the nation. Top-ranked Dustin Schlatter will meet No. 3 Josh Churella at 149 pounds, while second-ranked Roger Kish will face No. 4 Tyrel Todd at 184. One-Two Punch Five Golden Gopher wrestlers are currently ranked either first or second in at least one of the national polls. Defending national champions Dustin Schlatter (149) and Cole Konrad (Hwt) both hold the top spot across the board, while Roger Kish is the consensus No. 2 at 184 pounds. C.P. Schlatter, who returned from a knee injury in grand fashion at the National Duals, is ranked second by both Amateur Wrestling News and W.I.N. Magazine, while Manuel Rivera is No. 2 in the latest NWCA coaches' poll. Four other Minnesota wrestlers are also ranked in at least one poll. Redshirt freshman Jayson Ness is currently ranked No. 4 in the coaches' poll, while Gabriel Dretsch checks in at No. 12. Jeremy Larson re-entered the rankings this week at No. 20. Mack Reiter, who is expected to return from an injury in February, has maintained the No. 6 spot in the W.I.N. Magazine poll. Taking the Nation by Storm While a number of Minnesota wrestlers entered the season expecting to compete for individual national titles, two Golden Gophers have exceeded many people's expectations. Redshirt frehsman Jayson Ness and junior Manuel Rivera have taken the nation by storm with their performances so far this year and have been climbing the polls since the season began. Ness, who entered the season ranked No. 19 in the NWCA coaches' poll and was unranked by a number of other services, has catapulted himself into the top five in the nation with an impressive 25-3 overall record on the season. He boasts a 7-3 mark against ranked opponents, including a remarkable pin of No. 2 Mark McKnight of Penn State in his last match. Rivera, who has been Minnesota's most improved wrestler over the last two years, has attracted the attention of fans across the nation with 27 consecutive victories since the start of the season. Key Stat The Golden Gophers have been scoring bonus points at an impressive clip this season, understanding just how important every point can mean in helping the team to victory. Minnesota wrestlers have scored bonus points in 45 percent (128-284) of their victories this season, including 44 percent (40-90) of their dual meet wins. In contrast, the Gophers have given up bonus points in only 28 percent of losses. Overall, Minnesota wrestlers have contributed 61 pins on the season while only getting pinned 10 times. Perhaps even more impressive, the Gophers have scored 23 tech falls on the season and have not allowed a single one.

MOORHEAD, Minn. -- Scoring nine of 10 individual match victories, the Augsburg College wrestling team scored a 35-3 victory over Minnesota State University Moorhead in a nonconference dual meet on Tuesday night at MSU Moorhead's Alex Nemzek Hall. Augsburg, ranked No. 1 nationally in the NCAA Division III national rankings, won nine of 10 matches against the Division II Dragons for the second straight year. Augsburg is now 10-0 in the all-time dual-meet series with the Dragons, a series that dates to the 1991-92 season. Minnesota State Moorhead, ranked No. 19 in the NCAA Division II national poll, is now 7-5 overall. The Auggies are now 8-0 on the season, having won 69 of 80 individual matches in its seven team victories this season. Against teams from Divisions II and III, Augsburg is now 215-16 since the 1989-90 season, losing just 11 matches to non-Division I opponents since the 1995-96 season. Augsburg has won nine Division III national titles in the last 16 seasons. Augsburg's Marcus LeVesseur (Sr., Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS), ranked No. 1 nationally at 165 pounds, claimed victory in the highlight match of the evening, a 3-2 triumph over Nate Baker of MSU Moorhead, ranked No. 1 nationally in Division II and the defending Division II national champion in his weight class. (Watch the LeVesseur-Baker match by clicking on this link -- YouTube from MSU video). LeVesseur, who won Division III national titles at 157 pounds three times (2003, 2004, 2005), improved to 16-0 on the season and improved his collegiate career record to 140-0, the second-longest winning streak in college wrestling history, behind the 159 of Cael Sanderson at Iowa State (1998-2002). LeVesseur has yet to lose a college wrestling match. Augsburg claimed two pins on the evening and three major decisions. Quincy Osborn (Jr., Grand Rapids, Minn.), ranked No. 2 nationally at 141 pounds, scored a 4:01 pin victory, while Josh Hansen (Sr., Albert Lea, Minn.) also claimed a pin win, in 5:37 at 157. Seth Flodeen (So., Cannon Falls, Minn.), ranked No. 3 at 125, scored a 10-2 major-decision victory, while Jared Evans (Sr., Blue Earth, Minn./Blue Earth Area HS), ranked No. 4 at 149, scored an 8-0 win and Andrew Neumann (Sr., Somerset, Wis.), ranked No. 6 at heavyweight, scored a 10-1 win. Paul Bjorkstrand (So., Burnsville, Minn., 133), George Lynaugh (Jr., Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley HS, 184) and Wally O'Connor (Jr., Oshkosh, Wis./Oshkosh West HS, 197) claimed decision wins for the Auggies. The lone MSU Moorhead win came at 174, as Tyler Tubbs upset Robbie Gotreau (Jr., Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson HS), ranked No. 3 at 174, 6-5. Augsburg returns to action on Friday (1/26) at 7 p.m., with a dual meet at Nebraska-Omaha, the three-time defending NCAA Division II national champions, currently ranked No. 4 in the latest national rankings. MSU Moorhead hosts Northern State (S.D.) on Wednesday (1/24) at 7 p.m.

GAFFNEY, S.C. -- The Limestone wrestlers picked up a convincing 31-13 win over Anderson University on Wednesday night at the Timken Center. The Saints' dual record improves to 5-8 with the victory while Anderson falls to 3-12. Matt Hall (Hamptonville, N.C./125 lbs.) got Limestone off to a solid start as he pinned Anderson's Nathan Fleming at 6:04 to put Limestone up 6-0. The Trojans cut the Saints' lead to two as Andrew Wade picked up a major decision over Nathan Carmack (Miamisburg, Ohio), 10-0, in the 133-pound weight class. However, Riley Pike (Alexander City, Ala.) recorded a 15-0 win over Tyler Davis to put the Saints up 11-4. Anthony DiCarlo gave Anderson another three points with a 4-2 decision over Dustin Baynes (Liberty Twp, Ohio) in the 149-pound division. Dusty Leutz (Naples, Fla./157 lbs.) pinned William Ray, but Matt Godwin edged the Saints' Greg Satterfield (Hampton, Va.), 6-4, in the 165-pound category Limestone came out to win the next three matches, with Todd Neptune (New Concord, Ohio) beating Allen Hampton with a pin at 6:04, and Mike Walsh (Port St. Lucie, Fla./174 lbs.) getting a 5-3 decision over Jared Skinner. Dan Scanlan (Leesburg, Va.) won by forfeit in the 184-pound weight class. Anderson's Aaron Lambert got a 6-4 decision over Trey Moss (Red Bank, S.C.) in the heavyweight class to finish out the contest. Limestone travels to West Liberty, W. Va., to compete in the West Liberty Tri-Meet on January 27 at 11 a.m.

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Sophomore 157-pounder Victer Crenshaw defeated the eighth-ranked wrestler in the nation and sophomore Chris Hahn scored a pin at 197 pounds in the ninth bout of the night to lead Cleveland State to a 22-15 win over Pittsburgh at Fitzgerald Fieldhouse in downtown Pittsburgh. With the win, the Vikings improve to 8-2 and 1-0 in Eastern Wrestling League duals while the Panthers fall to 5-4 and 1-1. Crenshaw (23-5) set the tone early, scoring a takedown in the first minute to take a 2-0 lead. Kocher (17-4) answered with an escape and the process repeated in the second period as the wrestlers battled to a 4-4 tie heading into the final period. Kocher started the final period on top and Crenshaw quickly escaped to go up 5-4. Kocher then shot and Crenshaw sprawled and got behind Kocher for a takedown of his own to go up 7-5, which would be the final score. "Victer is a complete wrestler," head coach Jack Effner said. "He's doing all the right things and he's only going to get better." Hahn (9-4) lifted Pitt's Eric Cassidy early with a double-leg and then twisted him on his back. Hahn controlled Cassidy's head with his left arm and got the pin in exactly 60 seconds. The pin gave CSU a 21-12 lead, clinching the win for the Vikings. "That was a huge win and it will do wonders for our confidence," Effner said. "We beat a good team tonight, one that was ranked second in our league, and our guys were eager to prove that we were ready." Junior Ryan Riggs (8-10) gave CSU an early lead with a 3-2 decision over Brad Gentzle. After being taken down, Riggs scored a pair of escapes to tie the bout, 2-2. Riggs would gain the decision after accumulating 1:28 of riding time in the second period. After a major decision by Pitt's Drew Headlee, an All-American at 133 pounds, gave the Panthers a 4-3 lead, junior Mike Hurley (16-7) used two reversals and three near-fall points to win an 11-5 decision over Joe Ciampoli to put the Vikings ahead, 6-4. Junior Ryan Hurley (21-8) extended the Vikings' lead to 10-4 with a key major decision over Mark Generalovich at 149 pounds. Hurley, the reigning EWL Wrestler of the Week, scored three late takedowns and added a point for riding time to turn a 4-2 bout into a 12-4 major decision, setting the stage for Crenshaw. The Panthers pulled to within 13-12 in the next two matches, a decision by Sean Richmond (17-10) over sophomore Marcus Effner (18-13) at 165 pounds and a 20-5 tech fall by third-ranked Keith Gavin at 174 pounds. Pitt's Zach Sheaffer (22-8) defeated sophomore Rahard Goff (21-11), 1-0, in the night's final bout. CSU was deducted a team point at the end of the meet to cut the final margin to six. The Vikings, who have won five straight, return to action on Friday, Feb. 2 against Lock Haven at Woodling Gym. The meet is set for 7:00 p.m.

DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke (7-4, 0-1 ACC) won one and lost one in their tri-meet with Campbell (2-12-1, 1-4 CAA) and The Citadel (3-4, 0-0 SoCon) Wednesday night, splitting a home tri-meet for the second time this season. The Blue Devils defeated the Camels 38-8 and then were edged out by the Bulldogs 19-17. Senior Daniel Shvartsman at 149 pounds, redshirt sophomore Aaron Glover at 165 pounds and redshirt junior Patrick Keenum at 197 pounds all won both of their matches during the evening. The tri-meet was set up with two mats, so that each team was split into two-- its upper five weight classes and its lower five weight classes. To begin the meet, Duke's upper weights squared off against Campbell's upper weights on one mat, while Duke's lower weights met The Citadel's lower weights on the other mat. In the second phase of the night, Duke's lower weights wrestled Campbell's lower weights, while right beside them The Citadel's upper weights grappled with Campbell's upper weights. The last third of the evening saw Duke's upper weights take on The Citadel's upper weights, while The Citadel's lower weights went at it with Campbell's lower weights. Duke jumped out fast on Campbell, winning the first six matches to go up 31-0. Glover got it started off with a thrilling match against Brent Poynter at 165 pounds. Glover fought to a 5-5 tie at the end of regulation and then fell behind 6-5 in the first overtime before tying it before time expired. In the second overtime, Glover executed a pin of Poynter, coming at 9:53 and securing six points for the Blue Devils. From there freshman Mathew Koelling tallied a major decision over Campbell's Nick Amato 14-5 in the 174 pound bout and redshirt freshman John Barone won on a forfeit at 184 pounds. Duke got back-to-back pins at 197 pounds from Keenum and at the heavyweight class from redshirt freshman Mike Tunick. Keenum pinned Rob Yoder of Campbell with six seconds left in the match, and was already leading 16-8 at that point. Tunick pinned much larger opponent Jeremiah Fennell, who was beating Tunick 5-3 when he was pinned at 5:47. Duke then led 28-0 halfway through the meet. The lower weights would not have it quite as easy, losing two of five matches, but still scored decisions by junior Kellan McKeon at 125 pounds over Richie Apolinar and Philip Wightman at 141 besting Trevor Smith. Shvartsman had an 11-3 major decision over Chris Mazzatta in the 149 pound clash, giving Duke the 38-8 win. It did not appear to bode well for the Blue Devils against The Citadel when McKeon and freshman Spencer Jasper dropped the first two matches against Bulldogs' Tyler Sim and Matthew Leach at 125 and 133 pounds, respectively. 141-pound junior Wes Kuser and Shvartsman helped Duke get back in it quickly. Kuser notched a major decision 12-2 over Matt Bullwinkel and Shvartsman defeated Levi Duyn, one of Campbell's best wrestlers, who also has twelve pins on the season. That gave Duke a 7-6 lead after four matches. Freshman Jared Sernoffsky had a tough evening, drawing two of both teams' best wrestlers in Campbell's Steve Wiktorek and The Citadel's Travis Piccard. Sernoffsky was unable to come up with a win at 157 pounds despite giving a solid effort. The Blue Devils were down 10-7 halfway through their meet with The Citadel. Glover put Duke back on top 11-10 with his major decision, 16-6 over Zachary Filter. It was a truly dominating night for the 165-pound Glover, who has turned it on as of late by winning his last seven matches, including three major decisions and one pin. The lead would swing once again when Barone was pinned by Darius Caldwell at 174 pounds. Barone was behind in the match when he made a move to take the lead, but overcompensated and found himself in a compromising position-- on his back with Caldwell on top. Caldwell used that to his advantage and pinned Barone 4:01 into the bout, giving The Citadel a 16-11 lead. Redshirt sophomore Dan Tulley at 184 and Keenum at 197 would both secure dramatic late-third period decisions over John Dickerson and Griffen Greene, respectively. Both wrestlers were tied in their matches with less than 30 seconds left when they pulled out victories in the waning seconds. The Blue Devils took a 17-16 lead going into the final contest of the meet. The winner of the heavyweight match would take the dual as well, and although Tunick fought hard, he was defeated 11-4 by John Buck. The Blue Devils came up just short in a dual that saw the lead swing six times over the course of ten matches. Shvartsman continues to move up on the Blue Devils' career wins list. He currently ranks 10th with 80 career victories after his two Wednesday night. Shvartsman is five wins behind Jake Cecere in 9th place, and 25 wins behind all-time leader Bradd Weber. The Blue Devils will next face ACC foe Maryland on Jan. 27 at 6p.m. in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke will wrap up their three-meet homestand on Jan. 31 versus North Carolina, in a meet that will be held at Chapel Hill High School at 7 p.m.

Augustana used 2 pins and 3 technical fouls to win its fourth-straight dual, downing Dakota Wesleyan 37-12 Wednesday night in Mitchell, S.D. The Vikings (7-3) picked up pins from Chris Trampe and 125 pounds and Austin Scarset at 157 pounds, while Mike Long (141), Cody Henriksen (165) and Andrew Sorenson (184) all recorded technical falls. In addition, Nate Buys won by forfeit at 197 pounds and Aaron Haddorff registered a major decision at 165 pounds. Augustana will be off until next Wednesday, January 31, when the Vikings travel to Blair, Neb., to face defending NAIA national champion Dana.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The 22nd-ranked Navy wrestling team (9-4) won the first nine matches of the night, including seven bonus-point decisions, to cruise to a 40-6 victory over EIWA foe East Stroudsburg (1-8) Wednesday night at Halsey Field House. The Mids, who have wrestled three matches in the last five days, pushed their winning streak to five in a row dating back to their 25-12 victory over Maryland. "I thought we did a really good job of keeping the pressure up throughout the match tonight," said seventh-year Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "We were doing all the little things that make a big difference. "Miranda and Stolpinski keep paving the way for us, while Ed (Prendergast) stayed consistent. I thought Usztics looked solid tonight and Brad Canterbury got a good win. If you look, we won all the close matches with Joel (Ahern) and Justin (Jacobs) coming away with good wins for us. That's an important step for us." Senior 141-pounder Brad Canterbury (Blue Bell, Pa.) was one of three Navy wrestlers to earn a win by way of major decision, as he held junior Sean Carr without a point in his 8-0 victory. Sophomore Joel Ahern (Herkimer, N.Y.) gave the Mids a 7-0 lead in the match, earning a 5-4 sudden victory over junior 149-pounder Scott Heckman. Ahern scored a takedown with 47 seconds remaining in the second period to take his first lead of the match at 4-2. Less than 10 seconds later, Heckman narrowed the lead to one as he escaped Ahern's hold. Heckman opened the third period by choosing the down position where he knotted the score at 4-4 on an escape with 1:01 left. With just 23 seconds remaining in overtime, Ahern received the match-winning point as the referee called Heckman for an illegal hold (figure four to the head). Team captain John Jarred (Kansas City, Mo.) earned a major decision over Ben Bishop at 157 pounds, while junior Justin Jacobs (LeRoy, Mich.) posted a win at 165 pounds by a 3-0 count against Leif Ruschmeyer. After a scoreless opening period, Jacobs put the first point on the board with 51 seconds left in the second period when he finally fought free of Ruschmeyer's grasp. Jacobs sealed the win with a takedown with 44 seconds to go in the match and gave Navy a 14-0 lead. The next five matches were all bonus-point wins for the Midshipmen. Tenth-ranked Matt Stolpinski (Westfield, Mass.) sparked the run with a 16-1 technical fall over redshirt freshman Shane Mallory at 174 pounds, while senior 184-pounder Antonio Miranda (Eugene, Ore.) produced his fourth-consecutive major decision with a 23-9 win against junior David Williams. The Mids scored a combined 12 points in their next two matches as Navy's Tyler Moyer (Bremerton, Wash.) won the 197-pound match by way of forfeit and eighth-ranked Ed Prendergast (St. Louis, Mo.) pinned Charles Deightion with just five seconds remaining in the match. For Prendergast, it was his 12th pin of the season, which is tied as the seventh most in a season by a Navy wrestler. It's the most since Steve Kovach recorded 12 falls during the 2001-02 campaign. Senior Alex Usztics (Dauphin, Pa.) recorded the Mids' second technical fall of the evening with a 17-2 decision at 5:45 against second-year standout Stephen Gambino. The final match of the evening ended on a scary note for the Midshipmen, as 10th-ranked Joe Baker (Poway, Calif.) was knocked unconscious early in the match. East Stroudsburg's John Stout wasted little time in taking down Baker and followed up with a three-point near fall. In the process, Stout's knee made contact with Baker's head, knocking out Baker. The match was called and Stout won the match by medical forfeit. Navy will have the next week to prepare for the All-Academy Championship held Saturday, Feb. 3 at Air Force. The Mids won last year's All-Academy Championship with Usztics, Baker and Stolpinski back to defend their individual titles.

FAIRFIELD, Conn. -– Brent Smith earned his 10th fall of the season and William Simpson and Matthew Kyler picked up major decisions as Army beat Sacred Heart, 32-6, Wednesday night in non-conference wrestling. Army improved to 8-3 and won of eight of 10 bouts. Christian Snook (157), Brian Rowan (157), Scott Ferguson (184) and Connor Sanders (197) won by decisions while Davey Mason picked up a forfeit at 125. Smith, who now has 22 wins on the season, turned Jed Giguere in the first period. Simpson opened the match at 133 and cruised to a 9-0 win and Kyler followed with a 9-1 victory at 141. "I thought we wrestled well," Army coach Chuck Barbee said. "We wrestled with good intensity and shook off some rust early and just got after it. I was pleased with our effort for a mid-week dual." Following one of two Sacred Heart decisions, Snook battled his way to an 8-4 win at 157, beginning a streak of five straight wins for the Black Knights. Rowan made the match score 14-3 with an 8-5 win. Smith's fall was followed by decisions from Ferguson, 8-6 and Sanders, a 5-2 winner. Army heavyweight Nathan Thobaben was locked in a close battled with Payam Zarrinpour, the 16th-ranked wrestler in the country, but could not pull out the win and fell 8-7. "Our big guys wrestled well," Barbee said. "I thought the whole team wrestled well but our big guys – Smith, Ferguson and Sanders – wrestled some really decent guys. They wrestled smart and got after it. And Nathan just ran out of time against a very good wrestler." Army will host a pair of matches Sunday at Gills Field House. At 2:30 p.m., Army will tangle with Harvard in a match being broadcast live on ESPNU. At 4 p.m., Army will wrestle Brown.

WAVERLY -- Five bonus-point wins in six contested weights, plus four forfeit victories, helped lift No. 2-ranked Wartburg to its 109th consecutive dual win against Iowa Conference competition Wednesday, Jan. 24. The Knights increased their dual record to 15-1 with a 49-0 victory over Central College of Pella in front of 200 fans in Waverly-Shell Rock High School's gym. Sophomore 133-pounder Kalen Lenz of Waverly and senior heavyweight Brian Borchers of Holstein gave the home crowd a thrill, each recording falls in less than 1:30. Lenz took a quick takedown in the opening 10 seconds against the Dutch's Nick Johnson and took him to his back for a fall in 59 seconds. Borchers followed suit with a takedown in six seconds a fall in 1:10 over Mark Trullinger. Junior 184-pounder Grant Jenkins of Manchester turned in the third fall of the night for the Orange and Black in 4:58 over Jess Welu. Junior 125-pounder Nate Behrendsen of Pocahontas and freshman 141-pounder Pete Nee of Mason City each claimed technical fall victories, with Nee's marking his first win of the season. Freshman Nick Shandri of Urbandale evened his season record at 12-12 with a decision victory at 197 pounds. Head coach Jim Miller's team takes its long IIAC dual win streak into the Simpson section of the 2007 IIAC Duals Saturday, Jan. 27. The Knights, winners of 40 of their last 41 overall duals, face the host Storm, No. 9-ranked Coe, and No. 18-ranked Dubuque, beginning at 9 a.m. in Cowles Fieldhouse in Indianola.

This week TDR will witness Oklahoma Sooners at Iowa State on Friday night, head to Spirit Lake Iowa, yes THE Spirit Lake Iowa where my Victory Motorcycle was born and yes we will discuss the Friday night match up between Coaches Sanderson and Spates. Also we'll discuss the Sunday match up between OK State Cowboys and the Cyclones. Joining me on the broadcast will be non other than wrestler, coach and UFC Champion Pat Militich. Pat and I will be joined by other wrestlers and fighters as we prepare for a night of mixed martial arts with the emphasis on wrestling. Tim Sylvia is scheduled to join us as well to discuss his upcoming match with UFC Legend Randy "the Natural" Couture. Matt Hughes should also be joining us to discuss his upcoming match up with Chris "Lights Out" Lytle. Tune in to Intermatwrestle.com's premium site for a series of NEW interviews Jason Bryant and I did with a great selection of coaches and athletes. Should be a fun show. Join us as we take a time out from the intensity of the season if only for a day. In the near future Stay tune for some major announcements regarding TDR and new sponsors. I thank each of you for your support and encouragement. We had a pretty sever financial setback recently but like a good wrestler we will bounce back in the face of this challenge and be better and stronger.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 8/13 Oklahoma Sooners (8-3, 0-1) travel to Ames, Iowa to wrestle the No. 3 Iowa State Cyclones (7-3, 1-0) in their first road Big 12 dual of the season, Friday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. The Sooners come into the match after defeating the Oregon Ducks, 29-10, last Saturday at the Howard McCasland Field House. The Cyclones opened up Big 12 action last Saturday as they defeated Nebraska, 25-12. Last season Iowa State defeated the Sooners in Norman, 19-16 as the Cyclones won six of the 10 matches. Iowa State comes into the match with nine of its 10 starters ranked in the top-20 of their individual weight classes and the Sooners have six of their 10 in the top-20. "We are very excited about getting into the Big 12 portion of our schedule and look forward to a tough test with Iowa State," head coach Jack Spates said. Iowa State leads the all-time series with the Sooners, 42-35-3. Head coach Jack Spates is 5-7-1 all-time against Iowa State. "We also welcome back Matt Storniolo and Will Rowe from injury and think that they will be able to return to the level they were competing at before their injuries. The Cyclones have a very tough team this year and we will need to come in focused and ready to wrestle to come away with a victory," Spates continued. The Sooners next home match will be Sunday, Feb. 4 at 3 p.m., as the Sooners entertain the Missouri Tigers.

Terrence Almond (SR, Pelham, Ga.) was nominated by Coach Richard Fergola. Almond was the top seed at last weekend's Red Raider Open in Orange City, Iowa. Almond went 4-0 on the weekend and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler. Almond won by technical fall, 20-5, over his first opponent. In the quarterfinals, Almond pinned Travis Kirby of Bacone in 4:33. The semifinals saw Almond defeat Jared Pickett of Morningside, 13-6. Almond then pinned second-seeded Quincy Osborn of Augsburg in 1:09 to claim the title. Terrence is currently 33-1 on the season and ranked second in the country. He is eight wins from tying the Dana all-time career wins record.

Sophomore Zach Tanelli (Milburn, N.J.), a member of the University of Wisconsin wrestling team, was named the Big Ten Conference Co-Wrestler of the Week, the conference office announced today. Also earning the award was Illinois' Troy Tirapelle. Wrestling in his first Big Ten match, unranked Tanelli upset No. 6 Jake Strayer of Penn State, 12-6, last week. With the score tied at 5-5 with less than 30 seconds remaining, Strayer attempted an illegal maneuver, giving Tanelli a 6-5 lead. The Badger then earned an escape, a takedown and a three-point near fall in the final 25 seconds to win the 133 lbs., bout and put UW on the board. The win was Tanelli's seventh consecutive of the season. He is now 15-0 in dual competition and 15-2 overall. No. 17 Wisconsin went on to defeat the 10th-ranked Nittany Lions, 17-16, and have since stormed up the national ranks to ninth. This is Tanelli's first Wrestler of the Week honor, but Wisconsin's second of the season, as sophomore Dallas Herbst earned the award two weeks ago.

STILLWATER, OKLA. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum has announced the selection of the Class of 2007 Distinguished Members to be inducted at its annual Honors Weekend Banquet and Induction Ceremony June 2, 2007 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The event will mark the 31st anniversary Class of the Hall of Fame & Museum. Four wrestling greats will be added as Distinguished Members in 2007. They are: • Barry Davis of Madison, Wis. • Greg Gibson of Fontana, Calif. • Larry Kristoff of Bethalto, Ill. • William J. Weick of Chicago Ridge, Ill. All four of these wrestling greats had major achievements at the Olympic Games and World Championships, three as athletes and one as a coach. Davis won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in freestyle wrestling and competed on the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team. Gibson won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Greco-Roman wrestling. Kristoff was a member of two U.S. Olympic freestyle wrestling teams. Kristoff won five medals at the World Championships representing the United States, while Davis was a two-time World medalist during his career. Gibson won three World medals in freestyle wrestling, and was also a World champion in the sport of Sombo. Weick served on the coaching staff of a number of U.S. World and Olympic teams. Three had successful careers in coaching, as well. Weick made his impact on the high school level in Illinois, earning more than 700 dual meet victories for three programs over the last four decades, including five state champion teams. Kristoff was a champion coach at the NCAA Div. II level, leading SIU-Edwardsville to three consecutive NCAA titles. Davis currently serves as the head coach on the Div. I level at the Univ. of Wisconsin. All four were outstanding college wrestlers. Davis won three NCAA Div. I national titles for Iowa and Weick claimed a pair of NCAA titles for the Univ. of Northern Iowa. Kristoff won two NCAA Div. II national crowns for SIU-Carbondale and was a Div. I runner-up. Gibson was a two-time NCAA All-American for Oregon, including a runner-up finish. The Hall of Fame's Board of Governors approved these selections at its semi-annual meeting held in Las Vegas in December 2006. "I want to thank our Board of Governors and the various screening and selection committees involved in the six-month process that determines our honorees for induction. This is another exceptional class of inductees whose merits transcend our sport," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum. Davis becomes a Distinguished Member after a successful international career, as well as an impressive college background. He won a silver medal in freestyle wrestling at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Calif., and earned a spot on the 1988 Olympic team which competed in Seoul, South Korea. Davis also claimed two World medals, a silver in 1987 and a bronze in 1985. He was a three-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American competing for the Univ. of Iowa, also winning four Big Ten titles. He currently serves as the head wrestling coach at the Univ. of Wisconsin. Gibson is considered one of the most versatile wrestlers in history, winning World medals in three international styles: Greco-Roman, freestyle and Sombo. He won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles in Greco-Roman wrestling, and added World silver medals in freestyle in 1981 and 1983 and a World bronze in freestyle in 1982. He won his Sombo World title in 1981. Gibson was a member of a the 1981, 1982 and 1985 Greco-Roman World Teams. He was a Pan American Games champion in 1983, and won three Freestyle World Cup titles. Gibson served in the U.S. Marines for more than 20 years, and is considered the greatest U.S. military wrestler, winning 19 Armed Forces titles in the two styles. He also won numerous national titles in both styles. Gibson had a successful college career, earning All-American honors twice for the Univ. of Oregon, including a runner-up finish in 1976 Kristoff was one of the greatest heavyweight wrestlers in American history, with dominant performances on the national and international levels during the 1960's. He won five World medals for the United States in international freestyle wrestling, capturing silver medals in 1966, 1969 and 1979 and bronze medals in 1965 and 1967. Kristoff competed on two U.S. Olympic teams, placed seventh at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan and fifth at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. He won a total of 13 Senior-level national titles, competing in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. As a college wrestler, Kristoff was a two-time NCAA Div. II national champion, and placed second in the NCAA Div. I National Championships. As a coach, he led SIU-Edwardsville to three NCAA Div. II national titles, coaching numerous champions and All-Americans. Weick is regarded as one of the top wrestling coaches in the nation, with special achievements in international freestyle wrestling and on the high school level. He served on the coaching staff for a number of U.S. teams at the Olympic Games and World Championships. Weick was head coach of the 1975 Pan American Games team that won the team title, and also led U.S. teams to victory at the World Cup, the Junior World Championships and the World University Games. His high school coaching career is legendary, with a career record of 749-112-2 at Tilden Tech, Mount Carmel and Brother Rice High Schools in Illinois. Five of his teams won state team titles, and three were state dual meet champions, and Weick has coached 21 state champion athletes, three of which went on to win six NCAA Division IA Titles. He was a member of the first U.S. World Greco-Roman team in 1961. Weick won two NCAA titles competing for the Univ. of Northern Iowa. Complete biographies of the inductees will be posted each day this week on TheMat.com (www.themat.com), with Davis on Thursday, Gibson on Friday, Kristoff on Saturday, and Weick on Sunday. Additional honorees will be announced in the categories of Outstanding American, Order of Merit, Medal of Courage, and Outstanding Official next week.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -– The University of North Carolina wrestling team closes out its home slate this weekend against Atlantic Coast Conference rivals Virginia and Virginia Tech at Carmichael Auditorium. The Tar Heels (4-6, 1-1 ACC) host the Cavaliers (4-5, 0-0 ACC) at 7 p.m. Friday and the Hokies (5-6, 0-1 ACC) at 1 p.m. Saturday. Saturday's match will mark the final home dual for Carolina seniors David Dashiell, Spencer Nadolsky, Bobby Shaw and Evan Sola. All four Tar Heels earned All-ACC honors and a spot on the ACC Academic Honor Roll during their careers. Sola (9-3) is currently ranked 11th at 133 pounds, while Nadolsky (17-6) is rated as the nation's No. 10 heavyweight. Junior Keegan Mueller is ranked No. 15 at 165 and leads the Tar Heels with a 21-6 record. UNC junior Drew Forshey is the reigning ACC Wrestler of the Week and sports a 13-7 mark at 125 pounds. Friday's meeting will mark the ACC opener for Virginia. The Cavaliers are led by 133-pounder Eric Albright, who is ranked No. 12, and Rocco Caponi, who is No. 18 at 184. The Hokies are making their second trip to Chapel Hill since joining the ACC. Steve Ratley leads the squad with a 21-11 record at 174, while Steve Borja is 18-6 at 184. Carolina is back in action at Duke Tuesday, Jan. 30.

Marshall, Minn. -- Two pins and a tech fall helped aid St. Cloud State University to a 30-9 dual match wrestling victory over Southwest Minnesota State on Jan. 23 in Marshall. After the Mustangs went ahead 3-0 in the 125-pound match, the Huskies picked up the next five matches that included a pin by Grant Johnson (Cold Spring) and by Adam Minnette (New Prague). At 149 pounds, Johnson pinned Luke Giese at 4:20. Minnette quickly turned Chris Fast on the mat at 157 pounds, earning the pin at 1:27. The final four matches were highlighted by a tech fall during the 184 match and a major decision at 197. Junior Nick Wilkes picked up his ninth win of the season, winning 17-0 over C.D. Johnson at 184. Jairo Sandoval took home the major decision at 197, winning 15-4, over Cody Chamblin. The Huskies improve their record to 3-3, going into a tough match against Augsburg College on Saturday, January 27, at 2:00 p.m. in Minneapolis.

The 2007 Iowa Conference Duals spotlight weekend action for No. 2-ranked Wartburg. The Knights, taking a 108-dual league win streak into a meeting with Central Wednesday, compete in the Simpson section of the yearly event Saturday, Jan. 27. Action begins at 9 a.m. in Cowles Fieldhouse on Simpson's campus in Indianola. The Knights face off against the host Storm, No. 9-ranked Coe, and No. 18-ranked Dubuque during the day. Fans can follow the 2007 IIAC Duals throughout the day at http://www.go-knights.net, the Internet home of Wartburg athletics. The Orange and Black (14-1) get their first look at Dubuque and Simpson in dual competition, while the meeting with the Kohawks will be the second of the season, as Wartburg stopped them 21-12 in the quarterfinals of the 2007 NWCA Division III National Duals. Knights Notes: Head coach Jim Miller and his staff announced the following as a probable line-up for this weekend's tournament…125 – Robert Struthers, jr., Emmetsburg (23-6) OR Kyle Blood, sr., Cedar Rapids (8-8); 133 – Jake Helvey, jr., Mitchellville (21-5) OR Kalen Lenz, so., Manchester (17-8); 141- Zach McKray, so, Iowa City (5-4); 149 – Adam Weber, fr., Waterloo (21-10); 157 – Aaron Wernimont, so., Pocahontas (28-4) OR Dustin Jaeger, fr., Manchester (14-6); 165 – Jason Knipp, sr., Gilbertville (6-1); 174 – Craig Kreman, so., Tipton (7-1) OR Dan Schulte, so., Watertown, Minn. (12-9); 184 – Romeo Djoumessi, so, Waverly (23-1); 197 – T.J. Miller, jr., Cedar Falls (17-0) OR Nick Shandri, fr., Urbandale (11-12); HWT – Blake Gillis, sr., Spencer (29-1) OR Brian Borchers, sr., Holstein (26-3)…Seven of Wartburg's individuals are listed in their respective weight classes in the Jan. 23 edition of the National Wrestling Coaches Association's Division III poll. Gillis tops the list with a No. 1 ranking, while Djoumessi and Miller each are ranked second, Helvey is No. 3, senior 174-pounder Jason Zastrow of Coon Rapids, Minn., is No. 4 as is Wernimont, and Struthers is No. 7. Wartburg also kept its No. 2 ranking in the new poll…Djoumessi takes a 21-match win string into the tourney…Gillis, recording his 125th career victory when he toppled UW-Stevens Point's Mitch Szwet Jan. 21, has been making quick work of the opposition, recording a combined 18 falls and technical falls out of his 29 wins. Next Week: Miller's team takes to the road next week for three competition dates. The Knights go south to Cornell College's Small Multi-Sports Center Wednesday, Jan. 31, for a league dual against the No. 17-ranked Rams, beginning at 7 p.m. and then trek northwards Thursday, Feb. 1, for the annual regular season showdown against perennial mat rival and top-ranked Augsburg College at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1, in Si Melby Hall in Minneapolis, Minn. Following the two duals, the Knights compete in UW-Eau Claire's Blugold Invitational Saturday, Feb. 3, beginning at 9 a.m.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - University of Northern Colorado sophomore 141-pounder Kenny Hashimoto has been named the Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. Hashimoto (Thornton, Colo./Thornton HS) won both his matches this week for the Bears. On Friday, he shut out Northern Iowa's Mike Whisler with a 16-0 technical fall, and the following night he pinned No. 19 Kyle Larson from Oregon State. In that match, Larson got a quick takedown for a 2-0 lead, but Hashimoto recovered with a reversal and soon after pinned Larson, just 1:03 into the match. Hashimoto is ranked 14th at 141 pounds in the latest InterMat/NWCA national rankings and has posted a 14-2 mark this season. It marks the second team this season Hashimoto has taken home the WWC Wrestler of the Week honor. The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley State and Wyoming. Others Nominated: Air Force: Bridger Lord, 149, Sr., Missoula, Mont. (Sentinel HS) North Dakota State: Matt Wetterling, 184, Jr., Willmar, Minn. (Willmar HS) UNI: Nick Baima, 165, Sr., Glen Ellyn, Ill. (Glenbard HS) South Dakota State: Jason Stripling, HWT, Jr., Minneota, Minn. (Minneota HS) Wyoming: Carter Downing, 149, Jr. Woodruff, Utah (Evanston HS)

MADISON, Wis. -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has announced that Wisconsin head wrestling coach Barry Davis is the recipient of the 2007 Distinguished Member award. Former Wisconsin wrestler and head coach Russ Hellickson, along with three-time national champion Lee Kemp, have also earned this award. "I feel very honored to receive this award," said Davis. "To be recognized by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame is something special" According to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, a Distinguished Member is a wrestler who has achieved extraordinary success in national and/or international competition, a coach who has demonstrated great leadership in the profession and has compiled an outstanding record, a contributor whose long-term activities have substantially enhanced the development and advancement of the sport, or any combination of the above qualifications. As a collegian at the University of Iowa, Davis was the winningest wrestler at the winningest program at the university level. Davis graduated in 1985 with a career record of 162-9-1 (.945). He still holds school records for wins in a season (46 in 1982) and career (162) and is fourth in career winning percentage. Davis dominated the Big Ten, becoming one of only nine wrestlers in history to win four league titles. The teams he competed on at Iowa were equally dominant, winning Big Ten championships in each of Davis' four years. The 1983 Iowa team had an unprecedented nine Big Ten titlists. After his senior season, Davis was honored as the Big Ten's Athlete of the Year, one of only two wrestlers to win the prestigious award. On the national level, Davis was a four-time All-American and a three-time NCAA champion. After placing seventh as a freshman, Davis won national titles in 1982, 1983 and 1985. Iowa won NCAA team titles all four years that Davis competed. Following the 1985 NCAA Championships, Davis was named Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament. Taking a year off from collegiate competition paid off for the senior-to-be when he earned a silver medal (125.5 pounds) at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Davis was also a member of the 1988 U.S. Olympic team that competed in Seoul, South Korea. He attempted to make his third Olympic team in 1992 but was eliminated at the U.S. Trials. Davis was also runner-up at the 1987 World Championships after winning the Olympic Sports Festival. A 1985 graduate of the University of Iowa, Davis began his coaching career as a graduate assistant to legendary head coach Dan Gable from 1986*87. Davis was an assistant coach at Iowa from 1988*92, helping guide the Hawkeyes to four top-six finishes, including NCAA championships in 1991 and 1992. He coached current UW assistant coach Bart Chelesvig from 1987*92 and Donny Pritzlaff from 1998-2001.

THIS WEEK Iowa (10-2, 1-0 Big Ten) will wrestle at Purdue (10-2, 0-2 in Big Ten) Friday at 6 p.m. at the Intercollegiate Athletic Facility in West Lafayette, IN. The Hawkeyes then return to Carver-Hawkeye Arena to host Wisconsin (15-0, 1-0 in Big Ten) in their Big Ten home opener Saturday at 7 p.m. in Iowa City. 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 remaining dual meets will be broadcast live, as will action from the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments. Live audio broadcasts from all competitions will also be available online at www.hawkeyesports.com. To listen online, go to the wrestling schedule, click on the event and click on the Listen link. 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. PURDUE BOILERMAKERS Purdue is 10-2, 0-2 in the Big Ten, with wins over Old Dominion (18-17), North Carolina State (24-12), North Carolina (33-3), Virginia (19-16), Carson-Newman (32-7), Indianapolis (32-6), Ohio (26-7), Eastern Illinois (34-8), Appalachian State (28-9) and Cleveland State (30-6), and losses to Ohio State (28-6) and Indiana (25-12). Head Coach Jesse Reyes is 179-114-3 in 15 seasons with the Boilermakers. During his tenure, the Boilermakers have crowned four Big Ten Champions and four all-Americans. Reyes is assisted by Scott Hinkel and Tom Erikson. Purdue is led by nationally ranked Jake Patacsil (#11 at 149) and Nathan Moore (#14 at 197). Patacsil, a sophomore, is 25-6 on the season, while Moore, a senior, is 27-5. LAST MEETING Iowa defeated Purdue, 28-11, Jan. 27, 2006, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes won seven bouts, including one by pin and three by major decision, en route to the victory. Iowa improved to 8-4 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten with the win. Iowa 28, Purdue 11 125 - Lucas Magnani (I) dec. Brandon Tucker (P), 7-2 133 - Chris Fleeger (P) tech. fall Daniel Dennis (I), 5:25 141 - Alex Tsirtsis (I) dec. Jason Cook (P), 11-2 149 - Ty Eustice (I) dec. Doug Withstandly (P), 4-2 157 - Joe Johnston (I) maj. dec. Jake Murphy (P), 21-7 165 - Eric Luedke (I) pinned Dan Bedoy (P), 6:07 174 - Mark Perry (I) maj. dec. Nick Corpe (P), 24-5 184 - Ben Wissel (P) dec. Paul Bradley (I), 5-3 197 - Nathan Moore (P) dec. Dan Erekson (I), 10-8 (OT) Hwt. - Ryan Fuller (I) maj. dec. Aaron Keough (P), 10-1 THE SERIES Iowa leads the series with Purdue, 33-4-3. The Hawkeyes have won the last 21 meetings, and are 14-3-1 in West Lafayette. Purdue's last win in the series was a 23-9 decision, at Iowa City, in 1961. HAVEN'T WE MET? Following are career results for potential Iowa-Purdue matchups: 141 - Alex Tsirtsis (I) is 1-0 vs. Nick Bertucci (P) Tsirtsis dec. Bertucci, 4-0, at 2006 Midlands 149 - Alex Grunder (I) is 0-1 vs. Jake Patacsil (P) Patacsil pinned Grunder in 2:37 at 2006 Midlands WISCONSIN BADGERS Wisconsin brings an undefeated 15-0 record (1-0 in the Big Ten) to Iowa City, beating Dubuque (49-0), Wisconsin-Oshkosh (40-3), Indianapolis (43-0), Navy (29-7), Cumberland (53-0), North Carolina State (29-9), Virginia (30-7), North Carolina (35-9), Northern Iowa (24-10), Northern Illinois (26-9), Harvard (36-9), Northern Colorado (29-10), Army (35-3), Air Force (37-6) and Penn State (17-16). Head Coach Barry Davis is 137-93-9 in 13 seasons at Wisconsin. During his tenure he has coached two NCAA Champions, 10 Big Ten Champions and 16 all-Americans. The 1985 Big Ten Athlete of the Year, Davis was a four-time all-American and Big Ten Champion and three-time NCAA Champion at 118 and 126 at Iowa (1981-85). A two-time Olympian, he still holds Iowa records for most wins in a season (46) and a career (162). Davis is assisted by Bart Chelesvig, Donny Pritzlaff and Cory Wallman. Chelesvig, a Webster City, IA, native, was a three-time all-American at 167 and 177 at Iowa (1988-92). The Badgers are led by returning all-American Craig Henning (157), senior Tyler Turner (149), sophomores Zach Tanelli (133) and Dallas Herbst (197) and freshman Trevor Brandvold (184). Henning and Tanelli are undefeated in dual competition, while Turner, Herbst and Brandvold are 12-1, 14-1 and 9-1, respectively. IOWA-WISCONSIN TIES • Wisconsin Head Coach Barry Davis is from Cedar Rapids, IA. His wife is the former Nan Doak, who was the 1985 10,000-meter NCAA Champion for the University of Iowa. She was a five-time all-American in track and three-time in cross country for the Hawkeyes, winning three Big Ten titles. She still holds school records in the outdoor 5,000 meters. She is a native of Hedrick, IA. • Wisconsin Assistant Bart Chelesvig and Iowa Head Coach Tom Brands were Hawkeye teammates 1989-92. Current Iowa Assistant Coach Dan Gable was the head coach and Davis was an assistant during their Hawkeye careers. Iowa won two NCAA and four Big Ten titles during those four seasons. • Hawkeye junior Mark Perry and Wisconsin junior Matt Maciag were prep teammates at Blair Academy in Blair, NJ. LAST MEETING The Hawkeyes beat Wisconsin, 24-7, on Jan. 20, 2006, at Madison in its first Big Ten match of the season. The Hawkeyes won eight of the 10 bouts. Iowa 24, Wisconsin 7 184 - Paul Bradley (I) dec. Justin Peterson (WIS), 13-9 197 - Dan Erekson (I) dec. Dallas Herbst (WIS), 8-5 Hwt. - Matt Fields (I) dec. Kyle Massey (WIS), 8-2 125 - Lucas Magnani (I) dec. Colin Cudd (WIS), 6-4 133 - Tom Clum (WIS) maj. dec. Daniel Dennis (I), 12-4 141 - Alex Tsirtsis (I) dec. Ed Gutnik (WIS), 10-3 149 - Ty Eustice (I) dec. Tyler Turner (WIS), 3-2 157 - Craig Henning (WIS) dec. Joe Johnston (I), 7-2 165 - Eric Luedke (I) dec. Jake Donar (WIS), 7-6 174 - Ben Stedman (I) dec. Mike Felling (WIS), 11-5 THE SERIES Iowa leads the series with Wisconsin, 70-7-3. The Hawkeyes have won the last 32 meetings, and are 36-3-1 in Iowa City. Wisconsin's last win the series was a 18-12 decision, at Iowa City, in 1966. HAVEN'T WE MET? Following are the career results for potential Iowa-Wisconsin matchups: 125 - Charlie Falck (I) is 1-0 vs. Collin Cudd (W) Falck dec. Cudd, 13-11 SV-1, at 2005 Iowa-Wisconsin dual 157 - Ryan Morningstar (I) is 0-1 vs. Craig Henning (W) Henning dec. Morningstar, 1-0, at 2005 Spartan Open 165 - Mark Perry (I) is 1-0 vs. Jake Donar (W) Perry dec. Donar, 8-5, at 2005 Iowa-Wisconsin dual Hwt. - Matt Fields (I) is 1-0 vs. Kyle Massey (W) Fields dec. Massy, 8-2, at 2006 Iowa-Wisconsin dual LAST WEEK Iowa went 1-1 last weekend, losing at Oklahoma State (21-11) and defeating Northwestern (24-14) in its Big Ten opener at Rolling Meadows, IL. Iowa jumped out to a solid start against Oklahoma State behind decisions from sophomore Charlie Falck (125) and senior Alex Grunder (149), making the team score 6-6 after the first four matches. The Cowboys picked up wins at 157 and 165, including two-time defending NCAA Champion Johny Hendricks' sixth career win over Iowa junior Mark Perry at 165. Hawkeye senior Eric Luedke scored a last second reversal to defeat Brandon Mason, 2-1 at 174, making the team score 12-9 in Oklahoma State's favor. But Iowa could not keep the momentum as Cowboy Jack Jensen scored a 3-2 decision over redshirt freshman Phillip Keddy at 184 and a team point was deducted from Iowa for unsportsmanlike conduct, giving Oklahoma State a 15-8 lead. Hawkeye sophomore 197-pounder Dan Erekson suffered a shoulder injury and was forced to injury default, putting the team win out of reach for Iowa. Junior Matt Fields ended the dual with a 6-4 decision in sudden victory over Jared Rosholt at heavyweight. Northwestern jumped out to an 8-0 lead with wins at 197 and heavyweight. Wildcat junior Mike Tamillow scored a 19-4 technical fall over redshirt freshman Rick Loera and Dustin Fox followed with his fourth career victory over Fields - a 2-0 decision at heavyweight. Iowa responded with wins in the next seven bouts and 24 unanswered team points. Junior Alex Tsirtsis scored his 60th career win with a 15-4 major decision over James Kohlberg at 141. Grunder and Perry also recorded major decisions for Iowa. Northwestern scored its final points when Iowa forfeited the 184-pound match. 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. CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA Carver-Hawkeye Arena has been the home of Iowa wrestling since 1983. The Hawkeyes are 154-15 (.911) 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. Iowa's meet with Iowa State earlier this year drew 13,732. That figure ranks 11th in NCAA and Carver-Hawkeye Arena history. IOWA WRESTLING HISTORY Iowa's overall dual meet record is 805-211-30 (.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. IOWA TICKET INFORMATION Tickets for Iowa's remaining four home duals are on sale at the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office. 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. University of Iowa students will be admitted free of charge for all matches with a student ID. For tickets, contact the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-424-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com. 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. NEXT COMPETITION Iowa will kickoff the month of February with two Big Ten road duals. The Hawkeyes will wrestle at Michigan (1-3-1, 0-0 Big Ten) Friday, February 2 at 6:30 p.m. (CT) and at Penn State (9-4, 0-2 Big Ten Sunday, February 4 at 11 a.m. (CT).

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ -- Dave Tomasette of Hofstra University has been named the Colonial Athletic Association Wrestler of the Week, while three freshmen grapplers, Lou Ruggirello of Hofstra, Mike Miller of Rider and David Wise of Campbell share the CAA Rookie of the Week award, for all competition January 16-22. Tomasette, a junior 125 from Sewell, NJ (Washington Twp.), won all five of his bouts at the CAA Duals, compiling three tech falls and a major decision. Currently ranked 14th by Amateur Wrestling News and 19th by InterMat, Tomasette improved to 6-0 in the CAA. He tech falled the second ranked 125 in the CAA from ODU, and won a major decision over the fourth ranked wrestler in the CAA from George Mason. Ruggirello, a freshman 133 from Walden, NY (Valley Central), went 5-0 at the CAA Duals with a three falls, while collecting decision over the second and sixth ranked wrestlers in the CAA. Currently ranked 17th in the nation by InterMat and 18th by Amateur Wrestling News, Ruggirello improved to 6-0 in the CAA and 25-5 overall. Miller, a freshman 184 from Wilmington, DE (Brandywine), won all four of his bouts at the CAAs, including victories over the third and fifth ranked wrestlers in the conference. Miller improves to 5-0 in the CAA. Wise, a freshman 133 from Yorktown, VA (Tabb), won all four of his bouts at the CAA Duals, with a pin and won a decision over the fourth ranked wrestler in the CAA from Boston U.

Hi, this week I'll be filling in for Jake Herbert's blog. Jake got carpel tunnel from typing too much. School-related injuries can be a problem here at Northwestern. One of our freshmen, Andrew Nadhir, had to go to the hospital because he got a crayon stuck up his nose. However, we're a strong team and we don't let these little things break our spirit. Nadhir finished his graph and Jake has yet to miss a paper, although I think the carpel tunnel may be affecting his spelling abilities. So on to the subject of this blog, wrestling. Right now our team is ranked eighth according to most polls. But rankings are not our team's focus at all. Our focus is to find a way to win every match. Right now I am personally 27-1. I lost to Max Askren at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. I know I can beat him, but I need to work on improving my position. He is a very good wrestler, but he has some weaknesses that I can exploit. Something I need to keep in mind as the year winds down is that there is always something I can do to get better. I am confident that I can do this, every time I step on the mat I am confident I will win. I really hate losing. I hate giving anyone any room to say anything about me. I want to be perfect from every position … so my opponents know they're beat when they step out on the mat with me. I tell myself before every match that I am invincible and that nothing bad can happen to me. The truth is I don't have anything particularly special, I just believe in myself and continue to learn. I try to help me teammates understand this. If we do this we can go from a good team to a great team. Mike Tamillow (Photo/John Sachs)I think we are well on our way as a team. I can't really watch my teammates working in practice because I have to focus so much on what I can do to get better. I do keep up with all of them as much as possible. Every one of our wrestlers cares about wrestling and improving. Each of us has something to work on, even Jake and Ryan. As a leader, my job is to help the other wrestlers identify what they can do to be the best. I invite other wrestlers on my team to do the same to me. I will follow my teammates through a brick wall if that's what I need to do and I expect the same out of every one of them. As a team we took eighth at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals … and lost our past two Big Ten dual meets to Illinois and Iowa. We were missing Ryan Lang for these duals, but we still expected more. As a team, I truly believe that our competitive advantage is that we care about everyone on our team. We are going into the end of the season with that focus; everyone is here to reach their goals. Coach Scherr got some banners for the wrestling room to help us stay focused toward the end of the season. My favorite one says "We can and we will" above, and then below says "work harder than we ever thought possible." Every time I read it I work a little harder. Mike Tamillow Past Entries: Entry 6 (1/10/07) Entry 5 (12/13/06) Entry 4 (11/29/06) Entry 3 (11/16/06) Entry 2 (11/1/06) Entry 1 (10/17/06)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -– Ohio State freshman wrestler Lance Palmer is a finalist for the 2005-06 Cleveland Outstanding High School Athlete Award, which will be presented at the fifth annual Greater Cleveland Sports Awards, created by The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission (GCSC), Jan. 29 at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel, Grand Ballroom. Palmer, who has compiled a 17-10 record so far in his first collegiate season, was a four-time Ohio high school national champion from 2003-2006. During his senior campaign, Palmer helped lead St. Edward High School to its 10th-consecutive team title at the Ohio High School Athletic Association wrestling tournament at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. A two-time Most Valuable Wrestler for the Eagles, Palmer compiled a high school career record of 146-6 and was considered the No. 1 recruit nationally by several wrestling media publications. The Greater Cleveland Sports Awards recognizes the top athletes in Cleveland's amateur and professional sports. Past emcees of the gala have included Bob Costas, Dan Patrick, Roy Firestone and Ahmad Rashad. Robin Roberts, co-anchor of Good Morning America will be the emcee for the event this year.

GREENSBORO, N.C. -– North Carolina's Drew Forshey was selected as the Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestler of the Week Monday after posting a pair of victories over the weekend, including the dual-deciding win against NC State Jan. 19. Forshey started the weekend picking up the decisive win in the final bout with the Wolfpack. With the Tar Heels trailing 14-13, the Hickory, N.C., native posted a 9-2 decision over the NC State's Taylor Cummings at 125 pounds to give North Carolina the 16-14 win and its first conference victory of the 2007 season. On Saturday, Forshey registered his second win of the weekend, downing Navy's Alex Usztics by a 2-1 decision. Forshey now stands at 13-7 overall, 8-2 in dual action and 2-0 in the ACC. The Tar Heels have now won three of the eight ACC Wrestler of the Week honors for the 2006-07 season. Heavyweight Spencer Nadolsky was honored Nov. 13 and Jan. 2. Forshey and the Tar Heels are back in action this weekend as they resume conference action with a pair of home dual. North Carolina will welcome Virginia to Chapel Hill at 7 p.m. Friday followed by Virginia Tech at 1 p.m. Saturday.