InterMat Staff

Oklahoma State is making its 16th appearance in the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals, having won the title eight times. The Cowboys will open with host Northern Iowa on Saturday at 9 a.m. OSU is 18-2 all-time against the Panthers, and it has won the last nine meetings in the series. The last UNI victory came during the 1990-91 season. OSU owns a 55-8 all-time record at the National Duals, and it has met Northern Iowa once, winning 28-10 in a first round match in 2003. The Cowboys have won three of the last four duals' titles, last winning it in 2005. Oklahoma State faces a tough road to claim its ninth National Duals title. Should the Cowboys advance past Northern Iowa, a possible matchup with fifth-ranked Iowa looms. OSU would then have to post an upset over top-ranked Missouri to reach the finals. In the finals, the likely opponent could be second-ranked Minnesota, who defeated OSU back on Dec. 6, or third-ranked Hofstra, who has previously defeated Minnesota. All matches will be broadcast live by KSPI 93.7 FM, unless there is a conflict with Cowboy basketball and the broadcast will be switched to 780 AM. Rex Holt and Roger Moore will be providing the commentary for all of the wrestling action. Last Time Out The Cowboys traveled to Texas to take part in the Lone Star Duals, where OSU went 3-0. The Cowboys breezed past Air Force and Army by scores of 40-5 and 32-7, respectively. The Cowboys received a stiff test from the Naval Academy, before eventually pulling it out, 19-17. Brandon Mason went 3-0 on the day with a fall, technical fall and a decision over eighth-ranked Matt Stolpinski of Navy. Johny Hendricks went 2-0 with a fall and a major decision. B.J. Jackson went 2-1 in his first action since injuring his knee in the season opener. Coleman Scott and Jared Rosholt also posted falls for the Cowboys on the day. Scouting the Field The top nine teams in the country will all be competing for the 18th NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals title. Overall, the field includes 13 of the top 20 teams in the nation and all five schools represented by the Big 12. Missouri comes in as the top seed after having defeated Minnesota in the Southern Scuffle during the holiday break. Minnesota is the No. 2 seed and has handed Oklahoma State its only loss, while Hofstra is the No. 3 seed after handing Minnesota its only loss. Four of the five Big 12 schools are seeded. The best first-round match is Oklahoma vs. Central Michigan. The Sooners are seeded seventh, while CMU is not seeded but is ranked ninth in the latest coaches' poll. The Chippewas have already defeated Oklahoma State this season in the Reno Tournament of Champions. Unseeded Michigan is also capable of making a run. The Wolverines are ranked 11th and face No. 6 Iowa State in their first match. Oklahoma State has won more National Duals titles than any other team with eight, including three of the last four. Minnesota has won four, while rival Iowa has won three titles. Those three schools have three of the top five seeds in the tournament. Top-seeded Missouri has made one appearance in the finals in 2004, where it lost to OSU. Hendricks, Outstanding Wrestler Johny Hendricks dominated the field at the Reno Tournament of Champions. Hendricks posted five major decisions and a fall for the tournament to earn Outstanding Wrestler. For the season, Hendricks is 17-0 and has recorded bonus points in 15 of his 17 matches. He has recorded six falls and nine major decisions this season. Hendricks followed it up by being named the Division I Outstanding Wrestler for the upper weights at the Lone Star Duals. He won the award after recording a fall and a major decision against Army and Navy. Mason Faces Bumpy Road Sophomore Brandon Mason started the season off with a big victory over fourth-ranked Ken Cook of Cal-Davis. It started a five-match winning streak, but Mason wore out at the UNO Open and turned right around to lose five straight to even his record at 5-5. Mason has now won 10 of his last 11 matches with two falls, a technical fall and three major decisions. During the streak, he has defeated a pair of wrestlers ranked in the top 10 in Oregon State's No. 7 Jeremy Larson and eighth-ranked Matt Stolpinski of Navy.

NORMAN, Okla. -- The No. 7 Oklahoma wrestling team, coming off three straight dual victories, travels to Cedar Falls, Iowa, for the 2007 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. The duals are scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 13 and Sunday, Jan. 14 and will be held at the UNI Dome on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa. "We're very excited about the competition this weekend and this will be a very tough test for our team," said head coach Jack Spates. The Sooners (7-1, 0-1) will face No. 9 Central Michigan (5-2-1), in the first round at 11 a.m., Saturday. The Sooners are coming off a 3-0 weekend at the Lone Star Duals where they defeated Marion Military Institute, Navy and Utah valley State. OU defeated its three opponents by a combined score of 132-9. This year's National Duals feature 13 of the top 25 teams in the country, including Big 12 schools Oklahoma State, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa State. If OU defeats Central Michigan in the first round, it will face either defending National Duals champion No. 2 Minnesota or No. 12/13 Cornell. "This is an incredible event and we drew a very tough draw in Central Michigan. It only gets tougher from there. Our guys need to come ready to wrestle. I believe our team is feeling good and we feel that last weekend's experience only makes us tougher," continued Spates. Complete brackets for the duals can be found at www.intermatwrestle.com. OU returns home for the first time in the new semester when it hosts Oregon on Jan. 20.

Northfield, Minn. -- The St. Cloud State University wrestling team charted its first dual match win of the 2006-07 season with a solid 50-3 victory at St. Olaf College on Wednesday, Jan. 10 in Northfield, Minn. The victory also marked the first win by the Huskies under the leadership of first-year head coach Steve Costanzo. SCSU now owns a 1-1 record this season, and the Huskies will host Northern State on Saturday, Jan. 13 at Halenbeck Hall. SCSU gained its first win with a forfeit victory by Westy Hanson at 125-pounds. Nick Wasche charted a fall at 3:53 against Ricky Traut of St. Olaf at 133-pounds. Tim Whitley continued the roll for SCSU with a 10-6 victory over Dan Rysavy of St. Olaf at 141. Grant Johnson, a Cold Spring resident, posted a fall over St. Olaf's Greg Peabody with a fall at :42. Adam Minnette carded a major decision over Ian Gacheru of St. Olaf with a 17-0 win at 157. At 165-pounds, Matt Steffensen charted a forfeit win and Russell Smith posted a fall over St. Olaf 174-pounder Tom Kopietz at 6:44. In play at 184-pounds, Nick Wilkes pinned SOC's at 5:57 to make the score 44-0. The Oles' lone win was posted by Steve Wood at 197-pounds, as he gained a 2-1 victory over Jairo Sandoval at 197. To finish the evening, Mike Carbone charted his first win as a Husky wrestler with a 2:29 pin against St. Olaf's Nate Steffel at heavyweight. Listed below is a complete summary of the tonight's results.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The Navy wrestling team extended its winning streak over Maryland (10-4) Wednesday night, as the newly-ranked Midshipmen thumped the Terps, 25-12, at the Comcast Pavilion in College Park. Ranked No. 25 in the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA Poll released on Tuesday, Navy claimed wins in seven of the eight matches to improve to 5-4 in dual meet action this winter, while snapping the Terrapins' six-match winning streak. "We came out and competed hard tonight," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "I was really pleased with how well we came prepared and competed. We need to carry that intensity and focus over into Saturday's matchup against Lehigh." Navy senior Alex Usztics (Dauphin, Pa.) schooled second-year 125-pounder James Knox, as he jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first period with a takedown and a near fall. Usztics extended his lead to 8-0 with an escape to start the second period and a takedown. Knox finally got on the scoreboard with an escape to open the final period before Usztics got in one last takedown to earn an 11-1 major decision and give the Mids a 4-0 lead. Ninth-ranked Joe Baker (Poway, Calif.) pushed the Mids' lead to 7-0 with a 12-5 decision at 133 pounds over Annapolis, Md., native Jon Kohler. The Terps finally got on the scoreboard following a close 5-4 decision by 13th-ranked Alex Krom over Navy senior Brad Canterbury (Blue Bell, Pa.) at 141 pounds. After a scoreless opening period, Canterbury went up 1-0 in the second period with an escape. The deciding period was full of action as Krom knotted the score by escaping from the bottom position. Krom earned two points for a reversal, followed by a Canterbury reversal, followed by another Krom reversal as the Terps held a 5-3 advantage. After Krom is cautioned, Canterbury got to within one on an escape, but his final move to bring down Krom was squelched. Navy seniors John Cox (Grand Haven, Mich.) and John Jarred (Kansas City, Mo.) each won their matches at 149 and 157 pounds, respectively, to extend the Mids' lead to 14-3. Cox turned in an 11-4 decision over junior Andrew Schlaffer, while Jarred dismantled second-year Michael McGill in a major decision, 18-6. Junior 165-pounder Justin Jacobs (LeRoy, Mich.) dropped a heart-breaker against 17th-ranked Jason Kiessling. Down 3-1 heading into the third period, Jacobs chose the bottom position and escaped. Following a scramble, Jacobs was able to take the lead briefly with a takedown, but the veteran senior was able to escape and force overtime. Just 23 seconds into the extra period, Kiessling scored a double-leg takedown to fend off the upset-minded Jacobs. Ninth-ranked Matt Stolpinski (Westfield, Mass.) picked up an important win for the Midshipmen at 174 pounds, as he earned a hard-fought 6-4 victory over 13th-ranked Letts. It was an encouraging sign from Stolpinski who dropped a pair of tight matches to his Oklahoma and Oklahoma State foes last weekend at the Lone Star Duals. Stolpinski improved to 19-3 with the win, including a 7-2 dual meet mark. Senior Antonio Miranda (Eugene, Ore.) faced sophomore Elijah Black at 184 pounds, where he earned a five-point win thanks to a 19-3 technical fall that included a near fall. After the first period, Miranda held just a 1-0 lead, but the veteran took advantage of Black's inexperience which included three points for stalling. For Miranda, it is his fourth win by technical fall this season. Maryland redshirt freshman Hudson Taylor, ranked 16th at 197 pounds, wasted little time in adding to his win column for the year, as he pinned Navy sophomore Tyler Moyer (Bremerton, Wash.) in 1:01. Navy junior heavyweight Ed Prendergast (St. Louis, Mo.) sealed the win for the Mids with a 9-5 decision over Terrapin senior Jerry Afari. The Midshipmen return to action on Saturday when it plays host to No. 23 Lehigh at Halsey Field House beginning at 7:00 pm .

WASHINGTON -- Just three days after returning from the Arizona State Duals, the American University's wrestling team scored the two largest margins of victory in school history Wednesday, dominating Campbell and Delaware State by scores of 53-0 and 50-0, respectively. The Eagles won every match except two by bonus points on the day. While currently recovering from the three match ASU Duals and preparing for a Friday night showdown at No. 18 University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, AU wrestled flawlessly throughout the day, beginning with Campbell. Lightweights Jasen Borshoff and Jordan Lipp won by major decision to start the match, scoring 20-10 and 16-4 victories, respectively. True freshman Kyle Borshoff scored an impressive 21-5 technical fall in the next match to give AU the 15-0 cushion. Pins from Damian Swietlik, Mike Cannon and Rudy Rueda and three forfeits from Campbell put the match at 49-0 entering the heavyweight bout. No. 6 Adam LoPiccolo picked up his fifth straight win with a major decision 12-4, giving AU the 53-0 win - the largest win in school history. AU carried the momentum against Delaware State for the 50-0 win. The older, but lighter Borshoff and Lipp won via forfeit to give AU the 12-0 advantage early. At 141, the younger Borshoff had one of the more competitive matches of the day, overcoming a late injury to his ankle and an aggressive James Garret of Delaware State for a 13-7 win. Borshoff was down 2-0 to a takedown but scored an escape, takedown and two back points to earn a 5-3 lead after the first period. The 2006 New York State Champion fended off several of Garrett's takedown attempts and led 10-5 before injuring his ankle with just 20 seconds left in the second. After a quick taping job, the AU freshmen hobbled through the rest of the match, choosing the top position to start the third and using strong defense to preserve his victory. Following a 12-4 major decision for Swietlik and Jimmy Pepper's second win via forfeit, Cannon earned his second first-period pin of the day to give AU a 31-0 lead. At 174, Rueda continued his strong wrestling with a 19-4 technical fall and Dwayne Hash scored a 12-5 decision at 184 to push AU to a 39 point advantage. At 197, No. 9 Josh Glenn earned some mat time as well, winning by technical fall in the second period, 25-7. A forfeit at heavyweight gave LoPiccolo his career-best 26th win of the season and AU a 50-0 victory - a margin that is tied for second in the all-time record books. With the wins, the Eagles are now 6-5 on the year in duals and have won five of their last six matches. After wrestling five duals in the past four days, AU will face No. 18 University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Friday night on the road and then return home for a dual versus George Mason on Sunday at noon.

GREENSBORO, NC -– The University at Buffalo wrestling squad assured its fifth straight dual meet victory, as it defeated UNC-Greensboro Wednesday night, 22-14. The Bulls prevailed as a result of monster performances by senior Mark Budd (Orrville, OH/Orrville) and redshirt freshman Jason Hilliard (Genoa, NY/Southern Cayuga), each earning technical falls in UB's third meet in two days. After the Spartans (2-1) grabbed the initial lead 4-0, Buffalo (7-2) rebounded to find a familiar position at 133 pounds with nationally 12th-ranked Mark Budd landing a massive 20-4 technical fall over Mitchell Johnson. Despite the effort at 141 pounds, redshirt freshman Andrew Stella (Tonawanda, NY/Sweet Home) was overmatched by his adversary, as the Spartans' Chris Bencivenga secured 23 points to counteract Stella's 11, landing the major decision. Buffalo retained the lead once again following another lopsided technical fall. Jason Hilliard shutout Marcus Hannah by a count of 18-0, earning his 15th win of the season. Freshman Justin Hunt (Salem, NY/Salem) and junior Mike Ragusa (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) each hammered home decisions to make the score 16-8 heading into the 174-lb. bout. Junior Nate Rock (Ephrata, PA/Ephrata) and senior Ray Lamb (Vineland, NJ/Absegami) each saw overtimes sessions in their respective bouts, with Lamb managing to pick up the decision over Scott Snyder, 3-1, making it more difficult for the Spartans to seize its third straight win of the season. Redshirt freshman Ricky Scott (Walden, NY/Valley Central) snagged his 18th win of the season at the hands of Nick Clark, 4-2. Scott is second on the team in wins, and has won six of his last seven matches. Junior Jeff Parker (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) was unable to win his 17th match of the season, as he fell to Joe Sheffield, 3-1. The Bulls claimed their third straight victory against a team from the Southern Conference, winning decisively against Davidson on Jan. 4 by a score of 33-6, and most recently handed Appalachian State a 25-16 defeat. Buffalo returns home to Alumni Arena on Sunday, as the team welcome its first Mid-American Conference opponent of the season in Northern Illinois. The Huskies are 0-1 following a 26-9 defeat at the hands of Wisconsin, and feature four nationally-ranked wrestlers. The meet is scheduled for 12 p.m.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- NC State's trio of ranked wrestlers each scored big points to lead the Wolfpack to a 26-15 decision over Duke on Wednesday night at Reynolds Coliseum in the first Atlantic Coast Conference action of the season for either team. Junior Kody Hamrah, ranked 19th at 157 pounds, had four takedowns and a reversal to improve to 11-5 on the season with an 11-3 major decision over Duke's Addison Nudig. Sophomore Ryan Goodman, ranked 13th at 197, majored Patrick Keenum 9-1. Goodman, who had two takedowns and a reversal, also got a pair of points on stalling penalties against Keenum. Goodman lifted his record on the season to 10-1. Senior heayweight Jainor Palma, ranked 18th, improved to 15-3 when he pinned Mike Tunick 66 seconds into the evening's final bout. Palma's pin provided the deciding points. NC State improved to 6-4 in dual matches with the win, but aside from Hamrah, Goodman and Palma, the Wolfpack struggled with the Blue Devils, who fell to 3-3 in dual matches. Freshman 125-pounder Taylor Cummings managed a second-period escape for the only point in his 1-0 win over Kellan McKeon, and sophomore 149-pounder Joe Caramanica got a, escape and a takedown in the third period to overcome Daniel Shvartsman 4-2. Duke forfeited the match at 133 pounds. And that was the highlights for NC State. Philip Wightman pinned the Wolfpack's Jake Smith in the 141-pound bout. Aaron Glover had three takedowns and limited Jalil Dozier to an escape in a 7-1 win for the Blue Devils at 165. Randy Goodman jumped to a 4-1 lead at 174, but gave up two quick points in the third period on a stall call and an escape, then was taken down by John Barone, who won 6-4. At 184, Jeremy Colbert was penalized two points for stalling and scored his only two points on a reversal in the third period in a 5-2 loss to Dan Tulley that did not feature a takedown from either wrestler. The Wolfpack will return to action on Saturday, January 13 against Newberry. The match, which will be held at Reynolds Coliseum, will begin at 2 p.m.

LEXINGTON, Va. -- George Mason (5-2) earned a close 23-22 victory against in-state rival VMI (1-2) at Cocke Hall in Lexington, Va. on Wednesday afternoon. Both Randy Oates (174 pounds) and Harry Zander (197 pounds) won their matches by pin fall. After junior Joe Coughlin won by forfeit to give the Patriots a quick 6-0 lead in the meet, the Keydets strung together four consecutive wins to take a 10-point lead at 16-6. VMI freshman Johnathan Pope started the streak by pinning Mason freshman Mostafa Ibrahim in 4:42 at 133 pounds to tie the match at six. Both Tyler Anthony and Sam Alvarenga earned decisions at the next two weight classes to put VMI ahead 12-6, and junior Tommy Cunningham closed out the winning streak with an 8-0 major decision victory against senior Robert Henry at 157 pounds. Redshirt sophomore Tyler Tisdell put Mason back in the win column with a dominating 21-6 technical fall victory against Vince Cole at 165 pounds to pull the Patriots within five points of VMI. Oates followed up Tisdell's win with a pin fall victory against Dustin McCabe to give Mason a one-point lead at 17-16. The lead didn't last long; however, as VMI's Corry Murray defeated junior Matt Moyer to put the Keydets back on top 19-17. With the Patriots down two, redshirt junior Harry Zander pinned Kyle Elgert in 1:14 at 197 pounds to give George Mason the lead for good, 23-19. Despite Mason dropping the final match when Leon Barrow recorded a 2-1 overtime victory at 285 pounds against senior Ryan Kittrick, the Patriots held on for the win, 23-22. George Mason hits the mat again on Sunday, Jan. 14 at 1 p.m. against American in Washington, D.C. The Eagles are unranked but were listed in the others receiving votes category in the latest USA Today/Intermat/NWCA Division I Team Rankings. Individually, American has three ranked wrestlers, as freshman Mike Cannon is ranked 17th by Intermat/NWCA/NWMA at 165 pounds, junior Josh Glenn is currently ranked ninth at 197 pounds by Intermat/NWCA/NWMA and third by Amateur Wrestling News, and junior Adam LoPiccolo is ranked sixth at 285 pounds by Intermat/NWCA/NWMA and 11th by Amateur Wrestling News.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- University of Northern Colorado sophomore Kenny Hashimoto has been named the Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. Hashimoto (Thornton, Colo.) went 4-0 with two pins at the Lone Star Duals. Hashimoto, who competes at 141 pounds, was honored as the Outstanding Wrestler of the lower weight classes at the Lone Star Duals. Hashimoto picked up wins over Harvard's 10th-ranked Max Meltzer, Wisconsin's 16th-ranked Kyle Ruschell, North Carolina's Mike Rappo and Brown's Mike Savino. Hashimoto pinned Meltzer and Savino. 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: UNI: Nick Baima, 165, Sr., Glen Elly, Ill. (Glenbard HS) SDSU: Derek Pirner, 141, Jr., Elk Point, S.D. (Elk Point HS/Univ. of Nebraska)

Hello to all that follow up on my blog. I have had lots of friends (Ty Moore is included in this group) tell me that they are actually reading my words and are fascinated by my blog/posts. My parents have also told me that lots of their friends have been reading as well. I have used the last month of the season to focus on my technique, and improve on my strengths and weaknesses. I was able to push my body in other areas -- mainly running and lifting. When I do return to the mat, I will be stronger, faster, in better shape, and more technically sound than I have ever been in my life. At the beginning of the year I thought that I would be too small at 184. My early season matches also prove that I can be more dominant this year than I was in previous seasons. It has seemed that every year since ninth grade I have gotten bigger, stronger, faster, more intelligent, and an all around better wrestler than the previous year. I had a good year last year and won some big matches, but I obviously had a let down at the end of the year. Some would say, 'How can you come back after losing your final match that you were confident that you would win?' I do this by resetting and revaluating my goals. Last year's goal was to go undefeated and win a national title. I came as close to this goal as possible, only to fall short … but I got a taste of what it takes to get it done. I feel that this was one of the best things that could have happened to me. After my second place NCAA finish, I then went on to win University Nationals and I placed third at the University Worlds. I proved to myself that I am not just capable of being the best wrestler in the nation … but if I work hard, I can be the best in the world. This year my goal for college is not just to be an undefeated national champion, but to completely dominate all of my opponents. After every match I wrestle I want my opponent to step off the mat broken and thinking in his head, 'Man, I got handled by a superior wrestler.' Jake Herbert (Photo/Johnnie Johnson)At this time, I feel as though I have reached an even higher level of wrestling than in the past. From my time off the mats, and in my observations, I began to pick up some of the small things that make all good wrestlers great. I started realizing that when I implement these minute details into my wrestling I have taken a step closer to being a complete wrestler. It seems simple to me. If you are never out of position, you will never get scored on. If you are in perfect position when you attack, you will score every time. For some people when they are off the mat they get "rusty." Not me, I am very hungry to get back on the mat. For those of you wondering, my return will be at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. I am looking forward to helping the Northwestern Wildcats place very high at the meet. Our team is looking very strong and we had the best Midlands showing in our team's history. I have to give a shout out to our true freshman 125-pounder Brandon Precin, who is really tearing it up. I feel that he will make his impact heard at Big Ten's this year. Eric Metzler had a great Midlands at 133 after he lost in the semifinals. Some would say that his loss was controversial. Of course, we have to talk about Ryan Lang. He is my roommate, training partner, teacher, student, and most importantly, he is my friend. He went out and had a blast at the 44th annual event. Mike Tamillow (197) has had just an outstanding year. On paper, he is the best wrestler on the team. Mike is undefeated and has not even give up a takedown this year. I remember when Mike was a freshman stud kicking butt even though he was still wet behind the ears. As John Velez used to say: Tamillow is a stud and he pushes Jake harder than anyone! If Mike Tamillow does not win his NCAA title right after I win mine this year, I will be very surprised. He is the best in the nation at his weight. Dustin Fox should be right in there as well this season. He has all the talent, speed, and size needed to be in the NCAA finals. As the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals approach, we will begin to focus on our individual matches. Our team is ready to turn some heads and surprise some people this weekend. After we finish up at the Duals, I can look forward to Big Ten wrestling … where it's at! I will see all of you mat side. Until next time, take care. Jake Herbert 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)

The second-ranked Golden Gopher wrestling team (7-1) will compete in the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals this weekend at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Minnesota will face Cornell on Saturday in the first round at 11 a.m. 2007 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa Arena: UNI-Dome Date: Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 13-14 Radio: Takedownradio.com will be broadcasting the National Duals all day Saturday and Sunday. Webcast: LiveSportsVideo.com will provide a free webcast of the NWCA National Duals on Sunday, Jan. 14th. The webcast start times are: 11a.m. for the semifinal rounds, 1 p.m. for placing rounds and 3 p.m. for the finals. First Round Match-ups #1 Missouri vs. Penn #2 Minnesota vs. Cornell #3 Hofstra vs. Nebraska #4 Oklahoma State vs. Northern Iowa #5 Iowa vs. UC-Davis #6 Iowa State vs. Michigan #7 Oklahoma vs. Central Michigan #8 Northwestern vs. West Virginia NOTES TO KNOW National Duals History This will be the 11th straight year that Minnesota has competed in the National Duals. The Golden Gophers have won the title four times: 1998, 2001, ‘02 and ‘06. Minnesota also finished second in 1999 and 2000 and third in 1997 and 2005. The Gophers hold a 36-12 record all-time at the National Duals. A Look Back Cole Konrad pinned two-time NCAA Champion Steve Mocco to give the second-ranked Golden Gopher wrestling team a 21-14 upset of top-ranked Oklahoma State in the finals at the 2006 National Duals. Konrad ended Mocco's 85-match winning streak, while the Golden Gophers snapped the Cowboys' 30-match winning streak as they won their fourth National Duals title and first since 2002. Konrad earned his first official win over the OSU wrestler en route to being named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler, capping a memorable tournament for himself and the rest of the Gophers. Minnesota advanced to the championship match with a 20-15 victory over No. 9 Central Michigan in the semifinals. Konrad was again the hero, with his 9-1 major decision over Bubba Gritter giving the Gophers the victory. With the win, Minnesota advanced to finals of the National Duals for the first time since 2002. To Be the Best... The Golden Gophers are well aware of what it's going to take to become the No. 1 team in the country. Outside of themselves, Minnesota has faced each of the top-five teams in the nation in some form or another already this season. Hofstra, currently ranked third in the nation, handed Minnesota its only loss of the season, 18-17, at the Northeast Duals. The Gophers rode a huge wave of momentum into the holiday break after defeating then-top ranked Oklahoma State and current No. 4 Iowa State within three days of each other. Immediately out of the break, No. 1 Missouri narrowly edged the Gophers at the Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, N.C., claiming the team title by a final score of 179.5-176. With the top nine teams in the nation all competing at this weekend's tournament, Minnesota hopes to re-gain the top ranking by capturing its second straight National Duals title and fourth in the last seven years. Striving 4 Perfection Heading into the National Duals, four Minnesota wrestlers are still undefeated on the season. Manuel Rivera, ranked No. 5 nationally at 141 pounds, is 22-0 with five pins, five major decisions and one tech fall. Top-ranked Dustin Schlatter is 17-0 with two pins, one major and seven tech falls at 149. Roger Kish, No. 2 at 184 pounds, is also 17-0 with eight pins, one major decision and one tech fall. Top-ranked heavyweight Cole Konrad is 13-0 with six pins and two major decisions. Minnesota has not had four undefeated wrestlers at this point in the season since five Gophers were still perfect heading into the National Duals in 1997-98. Among that group was current assistant coach Brandon Eggum. Top Billing The National Duals will feature eight of the 10 top-ranked wrestlers in the nation, including Minnesota's Dustin Schlatter (149) and Cole Konrad (Hwt). Other top-ranked wrestlers include: Missouri's Ben Askren (174) and his brother Max (197), Northwestern's Ryan Lang (141) and Jake Herbert (184), Oklahoma's Sam Hazewinkel (125) and Oklahoma State's Johny Hendricks (165). The Road Ahead If the seeds hold true, the Gophers will get a chance to avenge their season-opening loss to Hofstra in the semifinals. A victory over the Pride could set up a showdown between Minnesota and top-ranked Missouri in the finals on Sunday at 3 p.m. First, Minnesota must get through Cornell and the winner of No. 7 Oklahoma/Central Michigan on Saturday. Matches We'd Like to See 125 - Jayson Ness could potentially see three of the top five wrestlers in the nation in his first three matches of the tournament. First up is No. 3 Troy Nickerson of Cornell. Round two could bring top-ranked Sam Hazewinkel of Oklahoma, followed by a possible rematch with David Tomasette Hofstra in the semis. Ness' only three losses of the season have come against wrestlers currently ranked in the top five, including one each to Nickerson and Tomasette. He would like nothing more than to avenge one or both in helping Minnesota to the title. 133 - Mike Thorn's most intriguing match will come in the first round against No. 5 Adam Frey. 141 - It is unlikely Manuel Rivera will get a shot at top-ranked Ryan Lang of Northwestern, but a number of top 10 opponents are still scattered throughout the field. The one Rivera is most likely to see is No. 9 Charles Griffin of Hofstra. Rivera won a 5-1 decision over Griffin at the Northeast Duals. 149 - If Minnesota and Oklahoma both advance to the second round, all eyes will undoubtedly be on the match-up between top-ranked Dustin Schlatter and No. 2 Matt Storniolo. Schlatter topped Storniolo, 3-0, earlier this year at the All-Star Classic, but this would be their first official meeting of the season. Schlatter defeated Storniolo, 5-1, in the semifinals of last year's NCAA Championships. 157 - C.P. Schlatter (if he's healthy) vs. anybody... or another Tyler Safratowich upset. 165 - Jeremy Larson entered the rankings at No. 19 this week. There's a good chance he could face another ranked opponent in every one of his matches. 174 - Gabriel Dretsch could also see a ranked opponent in every round, possibly culminating with top-ranked Ben Askren in the finals. If Oklahoma State is able to reach the finals, another Dretsch-Brandon Mason bout would also be entertaining. 184 - Much like Rivera, Roger Kish will not likely get a chance to face Northwestern's top-ranked Jake Herbert, but No. 6 Joe Rovelli of Hofstra and No. 5 Raymond Jordan of Missouri may be awaiting on Sunday. 197 - True freshman Brent Eidenschink will get his first dual meet start this weekend. His reward - if the top seeds in the tournament hold up, he could potentially face four of the top seven wrestlers in the country. Hwt - Upsets abound are about the only hope for top-ranked Cole Konrad to see any ranked competition. Central Michigan would have to knock off Oklahoma in the first round for Konrad to see No. 5 Bubba Gritter. The only other ranked wresters are in the top half of the bracket. He Keeps Going and Going and... Senior heavyweight Cole Konrad has a chance to tie the school record for consecutive wins this weekend. With 54 consecutive victories dating back to the beginning of last season, Konrad trails only Tim Hartung, who set the record at 58 in 1999.

In its first dual meet of the season, and the first dual meet under the leadership of new coach Steve Costanzo, the St. Cloud State University wrestling team (0-1) suffered a tough 19-17 loss to #16 Minnesota State Moorhead on Tuesday, Jan. 9 in St. Cloud. The Huskies began the meet strong as freshman Westy Hanson won the first match of the night by a 12-2 decision over Casey Dschaak of MSU at 125. Hanson is now 8-9 on the season. In the second match of the evening, MSU's Troy McFarland gained a 13-9 win at 133 over SCSU's Nick Wasche, a sophomore from Cedar, Minn. At 141-pounds, Tim Whitley rolled to a 9-3 win over Moorhead's Kelly Jahnke. Whitley, a freshman from Wenatchee, Wash. is now 13-7 on the season. At 149-pounds, Cold Spring resident Grant Johnson gained another SCSU win with a 9-1 decision over Shane Walton of MSU. At 157-pounds, MSU gained a 10-3 win by Kyle Trout over Adam Minnette of SCSU. In action at 165-pounds, MSU's Nate Baker (the nation's top ranked DII wrestler at 165) posted a quick :15 pin over SCSU's Matt Steffenson. SCSU got back into the thick of things at 174-pounds as Russell Smith (Owatonna) charted a 4-3 win over MSU's Tyler Tubbs to give SCSU a 14-12 edge. The Huskies ran the score to 17-12 with a win by Nick Wilkes (Onamia) at 184-pounds, as he gained a 13-6 decision over MSU's Mike Nelson. The turning point for the Dragon's came when Josaih Bush was able to pick up two quick points in the overtime round in the 197 bout to defeat Jairo Sandovall moving Moorhead to within two points of the Huskies, 15-17. Heavyweight wrestler Joe Fracchinni sealed the victory for the Dragons as he won by a major decision over first-year Husky, Michael Carbone, 13-1. The Huskies will travel to St. Olaf on Wednesday, Jan. 10 and then return to Halenbeck Hall on Saturday, Jan. 13 for a 3 p.m. match against Northern State University.

BOONE, NC -– Senior captain Mark Budd (Orrville, OH/Orrville) became just the seventh grappler in school history to win 90 matches in a career, as he led the University at Buffalo wrestling squad to a duo of dual meet victories Tuesday afternoon. The Bulls (6-2) toppled over Gardner-Webb, 42-3, while two early pinfalls boosted the Bulls past Appalachian State, 25-16. Budd picked up right where he left off before the holiday break, as the nationally-12th ranked 133-pounder scored a pin over Gardner-Webb's Rob Tate at 4:32. The match highlighted a string of eight straight victories over the Bulldogs (3-8-1). Redshirt freshmen Andrew Stella (Tonawanda, NY/Sweet Home) and Jason Hilliard (Genoa, NY/Southern Cayuga) continued the trend by landing consecutive pinfalls to add six dual meet points to the Bulls' score. Stella pinned Chaz Franz in 3:22, while Hilliard scored a fall over Josh Lowe in 2:45. The 42-3 landslide victory is the third time this season that the Bulls have scored more than 40 points on their opposition, and the second time in as many lifetime meetings that UB scored 40-plus points on Gardner-Webb. Photo of Dan Bishop Dan Bishop The second bout of the afternoon versus Appalachian State (4-9) proved to carry a more competitive atmosphere, but Buffalo would take the lead early and never look back. Redshirt freshman Dan Bishop (Whitehall, NY/Whitehall) picked up his first career pin against Frank Celorrio in the 125-lb. bout, while Mark Budd claimed his second pin of the afternoon over Corey Hulsey. The early 12-point lead would slowly be chiseled away, as the Mountaineers earned three consecutive victories to make the score 12-10. Scott Ervin, nationally-ranked 16th at 149 pounds, overmatched Jason Hilliard in a 13-0 technical fall. Junior Mike Ragusa (Foxboro, MA/Foxboro) fought back to his winning ways by taking his second victory of the afternoon. Ragusa took App State's Tommy Hutchinson into overtime, and managed to come away with a 9-7 decision. The Bulls' heavy hitters of senior Ray Lamb (Vineland, NJ/Absegami) and redshirt freshman Ricky Scott (Walden, NY/Valley Central) were too much for the Mountaineers, as Lamb scored a 9-1 major decision over Dan Carrasco, and Scott pinned Brandon Brothers in 3:29. Buffalo will look to finish its North Carolina road swing 3-0, as it travels to Greensboro to tangle with the Spartans. The Spartans defeated the Bulls last season in Alumni Arena, 22-20, in both team's only career meeting. The meet is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

THIS WEEK IN PANTHER WRESTLING Sat., Jan. 13: NWCA Cliff Keen National Duals 9 a.m. vs. Oklahoma State (UNI-Dome) 11 a.m./1 p.m. vs. Iowa/UC Davis (UNI-Dome) Sun. Jan. 14: NWCA Cliff Keen National Duals TBD The University of Northern Iowa will serve as the tournament host for the 2007 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals on Saturday and Sunday in the UNI-Dome. This is the second consecutive year UNI will serve as the tournament host. Last year, UNI drew 13,800 fans for the two-day event. UNI is scheduled to host the event again in 2008 and 2009. This year's National Duals will feature 72 teams from five divisions (NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA) competing on 18 mats over two days for the title of national dual meet champion. Teams will compete in full dual matches, with competition in 10 weight classes. The winning team advances in the championship bracket with the losing team moving to the consolation bracket. In addition to five divisions of wrestling, four women's teams and four NCWA also will compete to crown a champion. Matches will begin at 9 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. PANTHER POINTS UNI TO FACE OKLAHOMA STATE IN NATIONAL DUALS The unranked UNI Panthers' wrestling team will take on No. 4-ranked Oklahoma State (7-1 overall) in the first round of the National Duals on Saturday at 9 a.m. The winner of the UNI-Oklahoma State match will take on the winner of the Iowa-UC Davis match at 1 p.m. The losers will also match up at 1 p.m. in the consolation bracket. UNI faced Oklahoma State in the first round of the 2003 National Duals in Columbus, Ohio. OSU scored a 28-10 win over the Panthers in 2003. The Cowboys hold a 17-4 lead in the all-time series between the two schools. OSU has won eight straight duals, including a 35-6 win last year in Stillwater. OSU and UNI will also meet Jan. 27 in the McLeod Center. PANTHERS AT THE NATIONAL DUALS UNI has posted a mark of 3-10 all-time at the National Duals. UNI recorded its only first-round win in 2005 when the Panthers knocked off Hofstra, 22-14, in Cleveland, Ohio. UNI also secured National Duals wins in 2003 (Missouri, 18-15) and 2004 (Iowa State, 22-21). NATIONAL DUALS MATCH FORMAT Each collegiate match will consist of 10 bouts in weight classes from 125 to 285 pounds. Each bout will last three periods, with the first period lasting three minutes and the next two lasting two minutes. Bouts will continue for the full time or until a wrestler is pinned. In the event a bout ends tied, a one minute sudden-victory period will be held. Should the bout remaing tied, two 30-second overtime periods will be conducted. MAT IDENTIFICIATION Inside the UNI-Dome, 18 mats will be in use for the National Duals. In addition each mat can be identified by a number resting on top of the scoreboard at each mat. TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR 2007 NATIONAL DUALS Tickets for the 2007 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals are still available for this weekend's wrestling action. The UNI-Dome is the host for the 2007 National Duals, being held January 13-14 in the UNI-Dome. The NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals is one of the largest collegiate national sporting events in the country, with more than 1,400 wrestlers and 80 teams attending. "We are extremely excited to bring the largest collegiate athletic event to one of the most capable hosting institutions in the country," said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. "There is such a large representation of Iowa wrestling programs at the event. There are few other places in the country where we could have such a strong fan base. There has been fantastic community support and UNI has shown that is has the resources in place to put on great wrestling events, as evidenced by the 1997 NCAA Championships and last year's National Duals." Top wrestlers from each collegiate athletic division (Divison I, II, III, NAIA, JUCO, NWCA and Women's) will compete for a national dual title. Thirteen teams from the state of Iowa will compete including Iowa (I), Iowa State (I), UNI (I), Wartburg (III), Luther (III), Simpson (III), Morningside (NAIA), William Penn (NAIA) and Ellsworth Community College (JUCO). "We are thrilled to have the national duals at the UNI-Dome and in the Cedar Valley. This event will bring significant attention to UNI and to the area," said Rick Hartzell, UNI Director of Athletics. "It is our hope that this can become an annual event that is a positive one for our community in every sense of the word." The event will be broken into two sessions - one on Saturday and one on Sunday. All session passes are available by contacting the UNI-Dome ticket office at (877) 216-DOME. Individual session tickets will go on sale Friday, Jan. 12, 2007. All Session Pass $30 All Session Senior/Student* $22 * Must be under 18 or have a valid University or College ID BAIMA CLIMBS VICTORY CHART UNI senior Nick Baima (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) is in 12th place on the Panthers' all-time victories list with 109 career victories. Baima added wins over UTC's Seth Garvin (20-5) and Oregon State's Brett Arand (17-8). Baima is 109-38 all-time in his Panther career. Kirk Myers (1978-82) and Rich Powers (1988-92) are tied for the all-time record for wins with 134. C.J. CARRIES THE TEAM LEAD Junior 141-pounder C.J. Ettelson (Hudson, Iowa) added to his team leading 22 wins this season with a win over UTC's Josh Keefe. Ettelson also carries the Panthers' best dual mark at 4-1 this year. Ettelson is tied for the team lead with six falls this season. Ettelson has tallied 23 pins in his career and is three pins away from entering the Panthers' top-10 list in that category. Ettelson has compiled an overall mark of 74-32 as a Panther. FAY FAIRS WELL Sophomore 157-pounder Moza Fay (Anamosa, Iowa) secured two more wins this past weekend and improved his season mark to 19-7. Fay notched wins over UTC's Jake Yost and Oregon State's Keegan Davis. Fay tallied a second period fall against Davis to give him the Panthers' team lead with seven pins this season. Fay has four second-place finishes to his name this season at the Harold Nichols Open, Kaufman Brand Open, the UNI Open and the 2006 Midlands. Fay has a 49-15 all-time record at UNI. ANDERSON BEGINS STRONG Sophomore 197-pounder Andrew Anderson (Sioux City, Iowa) ranks third on the team in wins this season with 19. Anderson has picked up a trio of third-place finishes at the Harold Nichols Open, the Kaufman-Brand Open and the UNI Open. Anderson also added a sixth-place finish at the 2006 Midlands to go along with his fifth-place finish at the 2005 Midlands. MITCHELL JOINS SQUAD Junior college transfer Dallas Mitchell joined the UNI wrestling team for the spring semester. Mitchell comes to UNI via Minnesota West Community & Technical School. Mitchell will wrestle at 184 pounds for the Panthers. Mitchell posted a pair of wins in the double dual with Chattanooga and Oregon State. Mitchell wrestled at 197 pounds against the Mocs and 184 pounds against the Beavers. Mitchell is 4-2 since joining the team. DOLLY'S RETURN Junior Alex Dolly has enjoyed a good return to the Panthers' lineup. Dolly suffered a neck injury last season and underwent surgery which forced him to miss the majority of last season. This season Dolly has returned to the lineup and ranks fifth on the team with 15 victories. ANSON MOVES UP TO 133 Redshirt freshman Kyle Anson (Iowa City, Iowa), who saw action at 125 pounds through December has been moved up to 133 pounds after battling an early season illness. Anson moved up to 133 pounds for the Panthers' double dual with Chattanooga and Oregon State. Anson is 12-7 and ranks third on the team with five pins. ZINNEL IS BACK Senior Curt Zinnel (Fort Dodge, Iowa) saw his first action of the season on Dec. 29 at the 2006 Midlands Wrestling Championships. Zinnel is 1-3 this season in his return to the mat. Zinnel tallied 10 wins last season before injuring his hamstring. GOETSCH GETS IT GOING Junior 157-pounder Colby Goetsch (Ankeny, Iowa) tallied an eighth-place finish at the 2006 Midlands. Goetsch posted a 4-3 mark at the tournament in Evanston, Ill., and improved to 11-9 on the season. Goetsch has posted a 29-30 all-time record for the Panthers. UNI IN THE TOP 25 The UNI wrestling team is ranked No. 24 in The Wrestling Report's most recent top 25 poll. UNI JOINS WESTERN WRESTLING CONFERENCE Seven intercollegiate institutions, including the University of Northern Iowa, have announced the formation of the Western Wrestling Conference (WWC). The NCAA Division I wrestling-only alliance will begin competition in the 2006-07 season. Charter members of the Western Wrestling Conference will include: the United States Air Force Academy, North Dakota State University, the University of Northern Colorado, the University of Northern Iowa, South Dakota State University, Utah Valley State College and the University of Wyoming. Three of the members currently compete in the NCAA West Regional and they include Air Force, UNI and Wyoming. Northern Colorado, North Dakota State, South Dakota State and Utah Valley State are transitioning their programs to the Division I level. UNC, NDSU, SDSU will be eligible for the NCAA Championships in 2006-07, while UVSC will be eligible for the postseason in 2009-10. The 2007 NCAA West Regional will still serve as the NCAA qualifying tournament and will be hosted by the University of Northern Iowa. The goal of the league is to replace the West Regional with the conference tournament, which would then serve as the NCAA qualifier. PLEDGES FOR PINS A new initiative by University of Northern Iowa wrestling fans could make the slap of the mat ring like a cash register for the Panther wrestling program. "Pledges for Pins" invites supporters to promise a donation for every pin the team scores in the regular 2006-07 season. Last year the Panthers tallied 44 pins. Sandy Stevens, UNI graduate and announcer at national and international wrestling events, has kicked off the campaign with a pledge of $50 per pin -- and a challenge. "UNI has an unparalleled legacy of wrestling excellence," she said. "This is our chance to help bring the program back into the top five nationally, and all Panther wrestling fans can be involved. "Any pledge amount, from $1 on up, is welcome; however, if 25 others pledge $50 a pin or if 50 people pledge $25 a pin, I'll raise my pledge to $75." UNI head coach Brad Penrith said "Pledges for Pins" is a great opportunity to give back to the UNI wrestling program. "The UNI wrestling program would like to thank Sandy Stevens for stepping up and encouraging others to financially help the Panthers," Penrith said. "This is a great way to help support the program and assist us in getting UNI wrestling back to the top of collegiate wrestling." Donors may specify a maximum number of pins for their contribution, Stevens said. Outright donations are also welcome. Contributors will be sent a statement at the end of the season. Pledges or donations may be sent to Pledges for Pins, UNI Foundation, 205 Commons, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50614. Please include name, address, phone number, signature and amount of pledge per pin. All contributions are tax-deductible. These funds will be used to make improvements to the University of Northern Iowa program and return UNI to its former stature as one of the top wrestling schools in the country. "Panther wrestlers will be showcasing their talent in the new McLeod Center, a first-rate facility," Stevens said. "We want to make it possible for those same wrestlers -- and future student-athletes -- to enjoy a first-class facility in the West gym for their practices." WEEKLY PRESS LUNCHEONS The UNI head coach Brad Penrith or a member of his coaching staff will be available at the weekly Press Luncheons held each Monday beginning at 12 noon in the back room of Pepper's Grill and Sports Pub located on 18th Street in Cedar Falls.

THIS WEEK Fifth-seed Iowa (5-0) will face Cal-Davis (2-3) in the first round of the N.W.C.A./Cliff Keen National Duals Saturday at 9 a.m. at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. The two-day annual tournament features 16 teams each from NCAA Divisions I, II and III and NAIA, eight NJCAA teams, four NCWA teams and three women's wrestling teams. The Division I field includes nine of the top 10 ranked teams in the most recent USA Today/Intermat/N.W.C.A. coaches poll. Cal-Davis, Central Michigan, Cornell, #3 Hofstra, #6 Iowa State, Michigan, #2 Minnesota, #1 Missouri, Nebraska, Northern Iowa, #8 Northwestern, #7 Oklahoma, #4 Oklahoma State, Pennsylvania and West Virginia will all battle the Hawkeyes for the title. Results will be available at www.unipanthers.com throughout the tournament. Depending on the outcome of the Iowa-Cal-Davis dual, the Hawkeyes will face either the winner or loser of the #4 Oklahoma State-Northern Iowa dual Saturday at 1 p.m. NATIONAL DUALS SCHEDULE The following is the Division I tournament schedule for this weekend's N.W.C.A./Cliff Keen National Duals: Saturday, January 13 9-11 a.m. Championship Preliminary Round 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Championship Preliminary Round 1-3 p.m. Championship Quarterfinals/Consolation First Round 3-5 p.m. Championship Quarterfinals/Consolations First Round 5-7 p.m. Consolation Second Round 7-9 p.m. Consolation Third Round Sunday, January 14 9-11 a.m. Seventh-Place Match 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Championship Semifinals 1-2:45 p.m. Third and Fifth-Place Matches 3-5 p.m. Championship Finals NATIONAL DUALS TICKET INFORMATION All-session tickets are $30 for adults and $22 for seniors and students. Individual session tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for seniors and students. Tickets may be purchased by contacting the UNI-Dome box office at 1-877-216-3663. ON THE AIR Onine Radio - Steven Grace and two-time Hawkeye NCAA champion and four-time all-American Mark Ironside will call the Iowa dual meet action live on www.hawkeyesports.com. To listen, go to the wrestling schedule and click on the event. Broadcasts are available using the Hawkeye All-Access subscription ($6.95 per month or $49.95 per year) or the CSTV XXL Premium subscription ($99.95 per year). Takedown Wrestling Radio will also broadcast portions of the National Duals free of charge at Takedownradio.com and KXNO.com. J. Carl Guymon, Scott Casber and Steve Foster will call the action. Broadcasts will run Saturday from 9:06-11 a.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. through the tournament finals. Online Video - LiveSportsVideo.com will present a free web cast of Sunday's championship semifinals (11 a.m.), third and fifth-place matches (1 p.m.) and championship finals (3 p.m.). 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. LAST TIME AT THE DUALS Iowa placed sixth at the 2006 N.W.C.A./Cliff Keen National Duals in Cedar Falls. The fifth-seeded Hawkeyes opened the tournament with a 24-13 loss to Nebraska, but fought back in the consolations to defeat Northern Illinois (24-6), third-seed Oklahoma (21-15) and eighth-seed Missouri (31-12) on Saturday. Iowa dropped the fifth-place match to fourth-seeded Michigan (19-15) on Sunday to place sixth. HAWKEYE HISTORY AT THE DUALS Iowa has wrestled in 14 National Duals and has a 50-9-3 all time record in the tournament. Iowa has won the title three times (1992, 1995, 1996), placed second three times (1994, 1997, 1998), third six times (1990, 1991, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2003) and sixth once (2006). SCOUTING THE AGGIES California-Davis is 2-3, 1-0 in the Pac-10, with wins over San Francisco State (35-6) and Stanford (29-12), and losses to Oklahoma State (22-9), Lehigh (33-8) and Columbia (22-16). Head Coach Lennie Zalesky, who was a three-time all-Americans and Big Ten Champion at Iowa from 1979-82, is in his sixth season with the Aggies. He is assisted by former Oklahoma State wrestler Mark Munoz and former California-Bakersfield wrestler Matt Sanchez. The Aggies are led by returning NCAA qualifiers Omar Gaitan (133), Derek Moore (141) and Ken Cook (174). Moore is 12-0, Cook is 13-3 and senior 197-pounder Eliot Kelly is 15-6 this season. THE SERIES Following are Iowa's series records with each Division I N.W.C.A./Cliff Keen National Duals comepting team: Opponent - Series Record - Last Meeting Results (Yr.) California-Davis - 2-0 - W, 26-9 (2005) Central Michigan - 2-0 - W, 28-8 (2003) Cornell - 0-1 - L, 24-6 (1965) Hofstra - 5-0 - W, 24-15 (2002) Iowa State - 54-16-2 - W, 24-6 (2006) Michigan - 23-25-1 - L, 19-15 (2006) Minnesota - 62-23-1 - L, 25-9 (2006) Missouri - 3-0 - W, 31-12 (2006) Nebraska - 22-10-2 - L, 24-13 (2006) Northern Iowa - 39-8-2 - W, 18-15 (2006) Northwestern - 61-7-1 - W, 20-16 (2006) Oklahoma - 16-17-1 - W, 21-15 (2006) Oklahoma State - 16-22-1 - L, 18-14 (2006) Pennsylvania - 3-0 - W, 17-15 (2002) West Virginia - 0-0 - The two teams have never met. HAVEN'T WE MET? Hawkeye junior Matt Fields is 1-0 vs. California-Davis' Broc Maffia at heavyweight. Fields won a 15-6 major decision in the 2005 dual in Davis, CA. IOWA PLACES SECOND AT 2006 MIDLANDS The Hawkeyes crowned one champion, two runners-up and four other placewinners at the 44th annual Midlands Championships in Evanston, IL, December 29-30. Iowa placed second in the team race with 107 points. Iowa State won its first team title since 1981 with 154.5. Hawkeye senior 174-pounder Eric Luedke won his first Midlands title and picked up his 35th career victory, defeating Rider's Doug Umbehauer, 6-4, in the finals. Juniors Alex Tsirtsis and Mark Perry both placed second with second-seed Tsirtsis losing an 8-5 decision to top-seed Ryan Lang of Northwestern at 141 and top-seed Perry losing a 5-2 decision to second-seed Travis Paulson of Iowa State at 165. Also placing for the Hawkeyes were senior Mario Galanakis (8th-133), junior Matt Fields (6th-Hwt.), sophomore Charlie Falck (7th-125) and redshirt freshman Ryan Morningstar (7th-157). HAWKEYES SIGN TWO Iowa signed two student-athletes to national letters of intent in the early signing period. Jordan Johnson of Bettendorf, IA and Brodie Ambrose of Eldridge, IA, are Tom Brands' first signings as Iowa's head coach. Johnson won the 2006 Class AA Illinois state heavyweight state title at Naperville North High School. He moved to Bettendorf, IA, and will be competing for Bettendorf High School this season. Ambrose placed third at 171 pounds at the 2006 Class 3A state tournament for North Scott Eldridge High School. He will compete at 189 pounds this season and is a projected 197-pounder for the Hawkeyes. Ambrose also is a 189-pound Fargo freestyle all-American. IOWA WRESTLING ON JEOPARDY! Former Hawkeye wrestlers Luke and Ty Eustice were featured in a clue of the category "Iowa" December 8, and in several clues of the category "Wrestling" January 8 on the TV game show JEOPARDY! Jimmy McGuire and Kelly Miyahara of the JEOPARDY! Clue Crew taped clues at Carver-Hawkeye Arena featuring the Eustice brothers in August. The Eustice brothers are natives of Blue Earth, MN. Luke was an all-American and NCAA finalist at 125 pounds in 2002, lettering for the Hawkeyes from 2001-04. Ty was a two-time all-American at 149 pounds, competing in the NCAA finals in 2006. He lettered for the Hawkeyes from 2003-06. They are the 10th set of brothers to wrestle together in the Hawkeye varsity lineup since the 1950s. IOWA WRESTLING HISTORY Iowa's overall dual meet record is 800-209-30 (.785) in 95 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 20 national titles, including nine of the last 16, and 31 Big Ten titles. Iowa's 47 NCAA champions have won a total of 73 NCAA individual titles, crowning six three-time and 13 two-time champions. The Hawkeyes' 99 Big Ten Champions have won a total of 180 conference titles. There have been seven four-time, 18 three-time and 24 two-time Iowa winners. Iowa's 129 all-Americans have earned all-America status 263 times, including 16 four-time, 27 three-time and 32 two-time honorees. CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA Carver-Hawkeye Arena has been the home of Iowa wrestling since 1983. The Hawkeyes are 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 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. ESPN TO EXPAND LIVE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS COVERAGE ESPN recently announced that four of the six sessions of the 2007 NCAA Wrestling Championships will be aired on live television. The March 17 finals will air at 7 p.m. (CT) on ESPN, while session three, four and five will be shown on ESPNU. Session three will air March 16 at 10 a.m., session four will be shown March 16 at 6 p.m. and session five will air March 17 at 9 a.m. The 2007 championships will be held March 15-17 at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, MI. The University of Michigan and the Detroit Metro Sports Commission will serve as hosts. NEXT COMPETITION Iowa will wrestle at Oklahoma State (4-1) Friday, January 19 in its last non-conference dual of the season. Match time is set for 8 p.m. (CT) at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, OK. The dual will be aired live on ESPNU.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- The Rutgers wrestling team will travel East Stroudsburg, Pa. on Wednesday, Jan. 10, for an Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) battle with the Warriors at 7:00 p.m. The Scarlet Knights are coming off of a 36-13 win at Franklin & Marshall on Jan. 6. Rutgers head wrestling coach John Sacchi recorded his 159th career win at the helm of the Scarlet Knights program against the Diplomats, moving to the top of the all-time victory with the win as Rutgers moved to 2-2 on the season, including a 2-1 mark in the EIWA. Jack Barrett (Metuchen, N.J.) and Lamar Brown (Red Bank, N.J.) posted decision wins at 149 and 197 pounds, respectively. Barrett recorded a 12-7 win over Franklin & Marshall's Steve Gregory, while Brown defeated Sean Logue, 10-3. Due to injuries, the Diplomats forfeited matches at the 125, 133, 174 and 184-pound weight classes. Leading in the heavyweight bout, Mike D'Amico (Kenilworth, N.J.) won by injury default when Nico Summers pulled out of the match at the 5:07 mark On the season, the Scarlet Knights are led by Barrett who has an 11-8 record on the season, including a 2-2 mark in dual matches. Chris Norrell (Philipsburg, N.J.) has nine wins on the season, while Dan Hilt (Manalapan, N.J.) has eight victories in his senior campaign. East Stroudsburg is coming off a 27th-place finish at the Southern Scuffle (Dec. 30), not having wrestled a dual match since Dec. 5, when the Warriors fell to Army, 25-12, in an EIWA match. Sean Carr leads the team with 10 wins at 141 pounds, while Nate Nauroth is 5-4 on the season. Rutgers leads the all-time series with the Warriors, 14-11-1, including a 10-4-1 mark under Sacchi. Last season, the Scarlet Knights came up with an 18-14 win over East Stroudsburg on Jan. 11, 2006. Ryan Jablonski (Norristown, Pa.), Steve Adamcsik (Chester, N.J.), Jamie Lijo (Stanhope, N.J.), and Mike Whalen (Lake Hiawatha, N.J.) all picked up wins for RU last year. "It's always a border battle with East Stroudsburg," Sacchi said. "The matches are always tight so we're expecting the same thing this season." Following the match-up with the Warriors, Rutgers will host Army and the Merchant Marine Academy on Sunday, Jan. 14, with matches beginning at 2:00 p.m.

DURHAM, N.C. —- Duke (3-2) will travel across the Triangle on Wednesday night for an ACC showdown with the N.C. State Wolfpack (5-4). The match is set for 7:30 p.m. at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh. It is the first ACC meet for both teams. The Blue Devils: Duke is 3-2 on the season, with 11 more head-to-head matches awaiting them. That includes five duals against ACC opponents. Three starting wrestlers have stood out so far this season for Duke. Redshirt freshman John Barone has a 14-6 record at 174 pounds, with five pins. His record is good for Duke's best individual winning percentage this season, and he won the The Citadel Open on Nov. 4. Junior Wes Kuser has picked up five falls as well, while going 11-9 at 141 pounds. Barone's and Kuser's pin totals are even more impressive in that Duke's season high for falls in all of 2005-06 was four. Duke still has 15 more matches and the ACC Tournament this year. Freshman Voris Tejada has also been outstanding for the Blue Devils, recording a team-best 18 wins, with only eight losses. Tejada, who wrestles at 149 pounds, has also added two falls. The Opponent: N.C. State is 5-4 on the season, and has faced an impressive list of opponents. Three of their four losses have been to ranked opponents, which include No. 15 Wisconsin (29-9), No. 12 Northwestern (37-9), and No. 4 Iowa (38-9). The Wolfpack boast three nationally ranked wrestlers. At 157 pounds, junior Kody Hamrah is No. 19 in the USA Today/ Intermat/ NWCA Division I Rankings. Hamrah holds a 10-5 record with one fall this year, and is 3-4 versus ranked opponents. Sophomore Ryan Goodman is ranked No. 13 in the 197 pound weight class, and is 9-1 this season with one pin. Goodman is 2-1 when facing ranked opponents this season. Heavyweight senior Jainor Palma is ranked No. 18 for N.C. State. Palma is 14-3 in 2006-07 with one fall, and is also 2-1 against ranked opponents. Last Time Out: Duke split a tri-meet with Davidson and Princeton on Jan. 6. The Blue Devils were edged out 18-17 by Davidson, and then thrashed Princeton 44-0. Barone and Mike Tunick recorded pins for Duke against the Tigers. N.C. State last won all three of its matchups at the N.C. State Duals on Jan. 6. The Wolfpack defeated Drexel 20-13, South Dakota State 32-17, and Gardner-Webb 38-13. Shvartsman Shimmying Up The Wins List: Senior Daniel Shvartsman continues to move up on the Blue Devils' career wins list. He currently ranks 12th with 76 career victories. Shvartsman is three wins behind Jim Walsh in 11th place, and 29 wins behind all-time leader Bradd Weber. A Look Ahead: Duke will travel up to Murrysville, Pa., for a quad meet with Duquesne, York, and Apprentice on Sat., Jan. 20 beginning at 4 p.m. The Blue Devils will return home for the first of three consecutive home meets in one week on Wed., Jan. 24, versus Campbell and The Citadel at 7 p.m.

LAWRENCEVILLE -- David Mendoza of Old Dominion University and Doug Umbehauer of Rider University, have been named the Colonial Athletic Association Wresters of the Week, while A. J. Detwiler of Boston University and Kaylen Baxter of ODU were named the CAA Rookie Wrestlers of the Week, for all competition December 19-January 8. Mendoza, a sophomore 197 from Wyomissing, PA (Wyomissing High), went 10-2 at two tournaments, winning his weight class at the Virginia States while placing fifth at the Southern Scuffle. Currently ranked 20th in the nation, Mendoza collected four pins and two major decisions last week, including a pin in the Virginia State finals to improve to 19-4 on the season. Umbehauer, a sophomore 174 from Shamong, NJ (Lenape High), placed runner-up at the Midlands Championships, losing in sudden victory in the finals to the fifth ranked wrestler in the nation from Iowa. Currently ranked ninth by Amateur Wrestling News and 14th by InterMat, Umbehauer upset the top seed in the semi-finals at Midlands who was ranked third in the nation from Penn State. Detwiler, a freshman 157 from Souderton, PA (Pennridge High), won his weight class at the Wilkes Open in his collegiate debut, collecting a pair of pins and winning the award for most points. Detwiler begins his collegiate career 5-0. Baxter, a freshman 149 from Fairbanks, Alaska (West Valley High), defeated a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers on his way to a 6-2 week, including winning his weight class at the Virginia States. Baxter defeated the tenth ranked wrestler from Lehigh and the 18th ranked wrestler from VMI.

TEMPE, Ariz. -– No. 23 Lehigh completed its five match western trip, winning two of three duals at the Sun Devil Duals at Arizona State's Wells Fargo Arena Sunday evening. The Titans of Cal State Fullerton rallied to hand the Mountain Hawks a stunning 27-18 loss in the opener, but Lehigh rallied to pick up a 25-19 win over EIWA foe American and 38-12 rout of the host Sun Devils. Sophomore Matt Fisk led the way for Lehigh, winning all three of his matches by fall, as Lehigh improves to 8-5 on the dual season and 1-0 in the EIWA. In the opener against the Titans, Lehigh's lightweights again put together a string of bonus points to give the Mountain Hawks an early 15-0 lead. Fisk and senior Matt Ciasulli secured wins by fall, sandwiched around a 6-4 win by decision by Seth Ciasulli over Tyler Dillashaw. Matt Ciasulli's fall against Teddy Astorga came with just two seconds remaining in the second period. The Mountain Hawks would win just one bout the rest of the dual, as senior Dave Nakasone won a 10-4 decision over Robert Musser. Fullerton earned its first points when Morgan Atkinson scored a 5-3 sudden victory win over sophomore Trevor Chinn. The Titans won the final four contested bouts, scoring falls at 174 and heavyweight, and benefiting from a Lehigh forfeit at 197, where senior Matt Cassidy was held out with an injury. Fisk recorded his second straight pin opening up the American bout, scoring an early takedown on Jasen Borschoff, before turning him and securing the fall in just 37 seconds. Wins by decision by both Seth and Matt Ciasulli made it 12-0 Lehigh after three bouts. Chinn needed two takedowns in the final 30 seconds to defeat Damian Swietlik 6-4 at 149. Dave Nakasone made it five in a row with a 16-7 major decision over Jimmy Peppers. The Eagles came back with wins at 165 and 174, but the Mountain Hawks iced the dual at 184 as Craig bounced back from his earlier loss with a first period pin over Anthony Fuschino. Against the host Sun Devils, Fisk made it three-for-three in Sunday falls as he stacked up John Espinoza for a fall in 2:28. The win was the first of three straight bonus wins as Seth Ciasulli followed with a dominating technical fall over Angel Alegre. Matt Ciasulli followed his younger brother, using a head scissors to pin Robert Galvan from the neutral position in the first period. Chinn followed with a 12-5 decision to give the Brown and White a 19-0 lead through four bouts. Arizona State earned decisions from former NCAA runner-up Brian Stith and sophomore Alex Pavlenko at 157 and 174 respectively around a forfeit to Lehigh at 165. Lehigh again forfeited 197, choosing not to wrestle Cassidy, who injured his knee in a morning workout; but the final two bouts went the Mountain Hawks way, as Craig and Weibel earned wins by fall to give Lehigh four wins by fall in the dual and a 26 point win over the Sun Devils. The Mountain Hawks will return to the mats on Saturday, January 13, when they visit EIWA rival Navy. The match gets underway at 7:00 pm from Annapolis, Maryland and will be broadcast on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 as well as online at lehighsports.com with streaming powered by Yahoo! Sports.

MILLERSVILLE -- No. 14 Penn crowned three champions at the Shorty Hitchcock Open Friday, as Jeff Zannetti, Jack Sullivan and Trey McLean all won titles at the tournament hosted by Millersville University. "Sullivan, Jeff Zannetti and McLean all wrestled well today, and we placed most everyone who entered," said Head Coach Zeke Jones. "We just came off a tough holiday training cycle and our men are getting the payoff." Zannetti won the 165-pound title by going 5-0 in the tournament. Zannetti reached the final after a forfeit victory over teammate Brock Wittmeyer, then beat Millersville's Josh Evans with a 15-7 major decision in the final. Wittmeyer went on to finish fifth, blanking Lock Haven's Corey Blake, 4-0, in that match. Sullivan won a pair of tight 3-2 decisions in his final two matches to capture the crown at 197. After winning a tech fall and a major decision in the opening rounds, Sullivan beat Maryland's Pat Gilmore, 3-2, in the semis before topping Eric Lopotsky of Bucknell by the same score in the championship match. At heavyweight, Trey McLean made his career debut for the Quakers in style, winning the bracket with a 3-0 record. McLean pinned Shippensburg's Jonathan Rhone in 1:34 before taking out Bucknell's George Hingson, 6-1, in the semifinals. In the final, McLean came out on top with a 3-1 decision over Delaware Valley's Kyle Bilquist. Chris Moulton also placed at heavyweight, going 3-2 to take fifth place with a 9-0 major decision Dan Zander took fourth at 174 lbs., going 2-2 overall. Zander made the semifinals with a 5-3 decision over Lock Haven's Rory McCoy before falling to eventual champion Chris Barrick of Shippensburg, 12-4. Zander advanced to the third-place final and fell to Bucknell's Shane Riccio in a tight battle, 3-2, to settle for fourth. Penn returns to action this weekend at the National Duals at the University of Northern Iowa.

Tempe, Arizona -- Ian Murphy and Morgan Atkinson each won three bouts to carry Cal State Fullerton to a near sweep of the Sun Devil Duals against Lehigh, American University and host Arizona State Sunday evening. The Titans defeated No. 23-ranked Lehigh, 27-18, and host ASU in a Pac-10 match, 30-14; but lost to American, 22-18, when heavyweight Wade Sauer was pinned by No. 6-ranked Adam LoPiccolo in 1:21. Fullerton is now 3-3 on the season and 1-2 in Pac-10 competition. Lehigh ends the day 8-5 while American is 4-5 and ASU is 2-6, 2-1. All three meets began at 125 pounds and heavyweight Sauer twice had the decisive match. Fullerton was leading Lehigh, 21-18, going into the final bout when No. 20-ranked Sauer pinned No. 14-ranked Paul Weibel 1:06 into the second period. Against Lehigh, Fullerton lost the three lightest weights and had only 3 points on Atkinson's decision at 149 after five bouts and trailed, 18-3. But the Titans won the five heaviest weights, going ahead when John Drake accepted a forfeit at 197. Murphy, who recently was named national wrestler of the week at 184, pinned ASU's Greg Gifford in 3:19 and American's Anthony Fuschino in 1:25, the latter to break a 12-12 tie.

Blair, NE -- The 2007 Dana College Viking wrestling program is back in full swing now after the holiday break. The Vikings recently hosted the annual Ron Beaman/Dana Open on January 6th. The Dana program and head coach Richard Fergola utilized the home tournament as a preparation process for the upcoming NWCA/NAIA National Duals in Cedar Falls, IA. Five Vikings placed in the Dana Open with senior Terrence Almond leading the way. Almond finished the day with a 5-0 record and claimed his fourth tournament title of the season which ties him for the most tournament titles in a season. Almond is now 26-1 on the season and is fifteen victories away from tying the all-time career wins held by Leister Bowling. Almond claimed the title as Dana freshman Brian Graham reached the finals but the match was not wrestled. Brian Graham has now placed in four tournaments on the year, reaching the finals in two of them. En route to the finals, Graham defeated two University of Missouri wrestlers in Vince Hannon 2-0 and Amond Prater 8-7. Senior Craig Trampe reached the finals with a 1-0 victory over Missouri Valley All-American Billy Exline. Trampe fell short of the tournament title with a loss to University of Missouri's Tony Pescaglia. At 157, Dan Pray finished the day in fourth place. Junior Wade Jordan ranked sixth in the country capped off the day with a third place finish at 197 pounds. En route to his third place finish, Jordan defeated three Missouri Valley wrestlers in a row including Jeff Cobb who was a 2004 Olympian by a score of 2-1. Jordan then finished off another Missouri Valley opponent in Wade Empting 6-1. Juniors and two of the four team captains, Burke Barnes and Webster Farris pulled out of the tournament with minor injuries. Barnes was 2-0 and Farris was 2-1 before pulling out. The Vikings will be in action this weekend at the NWCA National Duals held at the UNI Dome on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, IA. Dana is the defending duals champion and will head into the duals as the tournament's sixth seed. Action will get underway for the Vikings at 11:00 am on Saturday January 13th against McKendree College.

Tim HartungTim Hartung, who hails from a Durand, Wisconsin, was a one-time state champion who wasn't heavily recruited coming out of high school. But he went on to wrestle at the University of Minnesota, where he became a two-time NCAA champion, three-time All-American, and helped put the Gophers on the collegiate wrestling map. He became the first Gopher in 51 years to win back-to-back NCAA crowns. After his collegiate career, Hartung went on to have a successful freestyle wrestling career. He was an alternate on the 2004 U.S. Olympic team. In 2002, Hartung won the U.S. Nationals and was a World Team member. He also placed several times at the U.S. Nationals and World Team Trials. Hartung has coaching experience at three of the nation's top collegiate wrestling programs: Minnesota (five seasons), Iowa (two seasons), and is now in his first season as an assistant coach Iowa State. RevWrestling.com recently caught up with Hartung to talk to him about his career at Minnesota, his international career, his brief stint at Iowa and whether or not he still harbors any hard feeling toward the program, his relationship with Cael Sanderson, and what the Cyclones need to do to challenge for a national title in March. Coming out of high school, you were a one-time Wisconsin state champion, yet went on to become one of the all-time greats at Minnesota. You exceeded a lot of people's expectations coming out of high school. Did you exceed your expectations? Hartung: For sure. That's an easy question. I was really uncertain coming out of high school what I wanted to do. I was a three-sport athlete. I played football and baseball. I almost signed at St. Cloud State, so that I could play both sports. The door to Minnesota kind of opened late in the recruiting process of my senior year. I didn't even really know college wrestling coming out of high school. I didn't follow it much. I was wrapped up in a lot of other things. When I went on to Minnesota, it was definitely a crapshoot for me. I was kind of underdeveloped. I came in behind a lot of the people I came in with … so my expectations were just to go up there and see what I could do. I really didn't have any goals past that. And part of that was that I had a lot of people around me who said, 'You're not Division I caliber. You won't make it there.' It was an interesting decision. What made it even more special was that I got a chance to prove a lot of people wrong … and I got a chance to prove a lot to myself. I learned a lot about setting your mind towards something … and anything is possible. So it was a good experience. What's something about J Robinson that most people don't know? Hartung: He comes across as a pretty hard-nosed guy. I think a lot of people in the wrestling world, and a lot of people who know him from a business or wrestling side, kind of think he's a really intense, hard-nosed guy. And he is. But there's a whole side to him where he's pretty tender, too. He's an emotional guy. He cares a lot. If he has a good relationship with you, he cares about you. Even since I've left there, I stay in touch with him quite a bit. I know that if I ever needed any help in any way, he would be there for me. I think a lot of people might not know that he's really a great man behind all of the intense things. He's always in the paper. I think a lot of people maybe get the impression that he's this hard-nosed guy who maybe doesn't have any feelings. But he's really a tender guy if you get to know him and do the things you're supposed to for him. You have obviously developed a relationship over the years with Minnesota head assistant coach Marty Morgan. He is expected by many to be the eventual successor to J Robinson at Minnesota. If given an opportunity, what kind of head coach do you expect Marty to be? Hartung: He's going to be a great coach for sure. He just has such a good understanding of how to communicate with athletes, how to motivate them, how to peak them, how to train them, how to individualize is probably the best thing I've noticed about him. Brandon Eggum and I used to compete with each other all the time, we practiced together all the time, and he would have us doing completely different things. I just think he understands that each guy is completely different … and what he needs is important, not necessarily what the whole needs the whole time. He's really doing a lot of things. J has kept him around for 14 or 15 years for a reason. He's a great recruiter. He was the biggest person who steered my career. I think back … and I model a lot the things I do after the way he treated with me. I know that he'll do a good job once he gets a chance there. I'm sure that everybody in the Minnesota wrestling nation kind of expects that to happen. When you look back on your collegiate career at Minnesota, is there a certain memory that sticks out most in your mind? Tim HartungHartung: There's one that sticks out a lot. The class that I got recruited with: Chad Kraft, Troy Marr, Josh Holiday, Bart Golyer, and some others … when our class came through, we cracked the top five for the first time in 1997. We were second in 1998. We were second in 1999. Just the way we put Minnesota wrestling on the map was really special. But the memory that was hardest to get over is our senior season, everything was kind of unfolding for us to be Minnesota's first national championship team. We knocked Iowa off the Big Ten 25-years-in-a-row platform. Going into the NCAA Championships, we were ranked No. 1. And then we end up losing to Iowa by two points. Even though I won the national title individually that year, it was really disappointing. I still have the picture hanging up of the second-place trophy picture … and there were a lot of disappointed faces. It was a really heart-wrenching loss to lose by two points. Even though I won it individually, it was just really, really bitter. It would have capped off the greatest career … for a group of kids to come in and build a program like that over five years and then leave with a national title … and we didn't get that opportunity. We were second again. We still talk about it when we get together. It's one of those things that will be in our minds forever. Internationally, you won the U.S. Nationals, were a U.S. World Team member in 2002, and placed several times at the U.S. Nationals and World Team Trials. How did you come to you decision to hang up the competitive shoes? And was it harder than you expected? Tim Hartung (Photo/The Guillotine)Hartung: People who have been in any athletic arena at a high level for long enough, you just kind of lose the fire a little bit. That's what was starting to happen to me. It was starting to become more of a chore to practice, more of a chore to make all of my decisions revolve around what my next workout was going to be, what my next tournament was going to be. The only thing that made it hard was the way it ended. I was runner-up in 2004 (at the Olympic Trials), and the way I lost in the finals, it was kind of unsettling. As far as making the decision to be done, I knew that it was time to be done. I just knew that it was time because of the strains and the stresses of training and just the mentality of the whole sport was taking a toll on me. I think back, I don't regret anything. I'm glad it's done. I don't have any aspirations to make any type of comeback or anything. I enjoy coaching. It's fun to worry about other guys now. You spent two seasons at Iowa coaching under Jim Zalesky. Zalesky was recently quoted in some Iowa newspapers talking about how the administration handled his firing. The following is a recent quote from Zalesky: "No one ever said thanks for putting your time in, nobody ever said thank you for anything. I don't respect a place like that, so I really lost a lot of respect for the University of Iowa as an institution." Do you personally harbor any hard feelings toward Iowa with how the administration handled the situation? Hartung: Obviously, I don't to the extent that Jim does. That was his life. That was his program. He grew up there. He went through the program. He left for Minnesota for three years and came back to be Gable's head assistant. I was only there for two years, so for me to say anything near the things that he has said, and mean them to the same extent, would be ridiculous. But the two seasons I spent underneath him, I couldn't be around a nicer guy, a coach who cared about his athletes, and a coach who tried his best to make that program No. 1 again. Everything that he is saying is one-hundred percent accurate. The way that administration handled our coaching staff … and lack of respect and gratitude shown, everything he has said is exactly on. As far as my feelings on it, I don't regret anything. I got a chance to work with two great people. I learned a lot as a coach. It really taught me a lot of new things to be around those guys and see a different philosophy and style. But from an administrative standpoint, I lost a ton of respect for them. Not the program necessarily, but the school and the way they handled things. Any coach they're supporting should have their one-hundred and ten percent backing, until they fire him and hire somebody new. He went through several years before I got there, and then the two years that I was there, with no support at all. You were always looking over your shoulder because you didn't know who was watching you. So it was a really interesting coaching situation from that standpoint. There has been a lot said and made of the Iowa-Iowa State rivalry. At the press conference following the dual on Dec. 3, Tom Brands said the following: "I had Mark Perry for a year here, and then Hartung had him for two years, and we're still working out the kinks in him." When things like that are said, does it bother you? Or is it just something that's said in the heat of the battle? Hartung: It doesn't bother me at all. It actually makes me laugh. When a coach allows a guy to take a timeout when he's not hurt … granted, Perry did it when Jim, Troy, and I were there too, when a kid does that, I don't care who has coached him in the past, I don't care who coached him five or 10 years ago, who is coaching him now is allowing the kid to do that. For him to point at me and tell me that I coached him for two years and that he's only coached him for one year, it still goes straight to the head coach. And especially for a program that has scrutinized teams and individuals for years for taking timeouts when they're not hurt, they're basically trying to take the blame off themselves. I'll take the blame. When I was coaching Perry and he did that against (Matt) Nagel, it hurt. I was embarrassed. I wasn't pointing fingers at anyone who had him before me. It was partly me for allowing him to do that. They just need to take ownership for that. It's not a personal thing. I just kind of laugh whenever things like that happen. What's a bigger rivalry, in your opinion: Iowa-Minnesota or Iowa-Iowa State? Hartung: It would definitely have to be Iowa-Iowa State, just because it's an intrastate rivalry. You look all over the country, all of those Florida-Florida State's in football. All the intrastate rivalries are a little more intense, just because it's the intrastate type thing. During my career at Minnesota, it was pretty heated. It was a heck of a rivalry. And I think it's probably going to start up again, especially now with Tom and Cael at the helms, it's going to be the bigger rivalry for sure in the future, I would think. How long have you known Cael Sanderson on a personal level? And has your relationships developed? Hartung: I started kind of training with him in 2002, so I would say that I've known him four or five years now. That's kind of how our relationship started. After college, when we started going to the training camps, it was pretty natural for us to work out a lot together because we were one weight class apart. He came to Minneapolis a few times to train with me up there. I came down to Ames a few times. And then I went to Athens as his training partner. We e-mailed a lot and just stayed in touch, talked a lot at college tournaments over the last couple years when I was coaching at Iowa and he was at Iowa State. That's just kind of how our relationship developed and grew. It was kind of ironic, the same day that Bobby (Douglas) resigned and Cael took over, it was the same day Coach Zalesky was fired. What has it been like working with Cael in the coaching arena? Hartung: It has been really good. I've been very impressed with all of the things he has done. Everybody has heard it during the process leading into him getting the head coaching job, and since he has become a head coach, everyone says, 'Good athletes don't always make good coaches.' You know, I've heard that over the last couple years. He's doing a great job. It has been fun working with him. He keeps it fun. He divvies out responsibilities really well. He doesn't try to take everything and do it all himself. He wants to win. He wants to use everybody to their full potential. He'll do anything to win. And when you're driven to that extent, he's going to do whatever it takes. It's just been a really good situation so far. It's been fun. You have been an assistant coach for several years. Do you have aspirations of becoming a head coach? Tim HartungHartung: You know, I'm not really sure yet. It would have to be the right situation. It would have to be the right program. I'm really close with my family. Most of them still live in Wisconsin. It was really important to me when I made the decision to go to Iowa City, that it was within four hours. And then making the decision to come to Iowa State, it actually became a little bit closer, so it was a really easy decision for me. I'm getting married in August. I plan on having kids and having a family. The coaching lifestyle is a little bit hectic. You're always on the road. I'm not sure if I'm going to stay in it for a long time. I'm not sure if I'm going to move on to the next level of becoming a head coach. So far, things have just kind of fallen into place. After 2004, I was actually going to move on and get into the athletic administration world. But after the Trials, I didn't quite feel like moving on. And then the Iowa job became available. When Steiner and Zalesky were calling me, it kind of felt like it was happening for a reason. And then when I got fired at Iowa, Cael hired me over here, it kind of felt like it was happening for a reason. I'm just going to kind of wait and see how things go. Once I start having some kids, see how that goes, and just kind of see where it takes me. Kurt Backes dropped an early season dual to Iowa. But since then he's rebounded nicely. He recently pinned Josh Glenn to reach the finals of the Midlands. What has been the biggest difference in Backes' wrestling lately compared to the early part of the season? Hartung: It's a tough thing to answer because he has struggled in the past with different things. But the main thing that we've been trying to hit home with him is, Hey, it's just wrestling. It's just a sport. It's only a brief period of your life. It's not life or death. It's not that important. Go out there and give it your all, have fun, and whatever happens, happens. If it's your best effort, that's all we want. We've just been trying to keep it real basic. Cael does a great job of doing that. There's not a lot of pressure. All the pressure that comes on our guys is what they're putting on themselves. All that we're asking is their best effort, leave it all out on the mat, give yourself the best opportunity to perform. And I think him just taking that simple approach has really helped him. He's smiling and having fun. It looks like he's really enjoying himself again. It seems that he's just taking a simpler approach to everything and realizing that it's not that big of a deal. Your family still loves you no matter what. The things that are important will be important no matter what. It just seems that he's kind of buying into that, so that's good. You've been around some talented upper-weight wrestlers throughout your career. How does Jake Varner compare to wrestlers like Brandon Eggum and Damion Hahn when they were freshmen? And how great can he be? Jake Varner (Photo/John Sachs)Hartung: He is obviously doing really well as a freshman. I think probably the biggest thing, from being around guys like Hahn and Eggum … I remember Hahn, he was obviously the top recruit that year, everyone though this guy could beat Cael and win four titles, but his biggest thing was his confidence. Coming into college wrestling, Hahn probably didn't believe he was as good as he was. He didn't have the mentality yet. That's something he developed and obviously he became a great college wrestler. One of the things about Varner is that he expects to win now. His mentality is, 'I'm going to go out there and dominate.' He's lost a few matches, but he comes off the mat thinking he could've and should've won. His expectations of himself are so high as a freshman. That's one of the things that I think is the hardest to instill in someone, just that confidence, and he kind of already has that. I would expect him to really have a great career. Iowa State won the Midlands title. As a coaching staff, were you happy with the team's effort out in Evanston, Illinois? Hartung: For sure. One of the best things that is kind of unfolding is the chemistry and how things are coming together for us as a team. We have six freshmen, so we knew that our best performances weren't going to be in November and December, and they had to keep improving to get to where we wanted to be in March. And that's kind of what we've been seeing. That's been really encouraging, just to see the progress. We went into Iowa City and kind of let the pressure get to us. We didn't win any close matches, so it looked like we got routed, but we still saw a ton of good things. Then we came back and had a really good match against Minnesota, blanked UNI, and went into the Midlands. Everybody seems to be making progress, getting more confident, and wrestling harder. Every week we're working on new things that guys are struggling with … and the next match you see them doing it. So it's just really neat to see the progress and the steps our guys are making. You have the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals this weekend. What do you try to take away from this event? Hartung: With such a young team, it's just experience. You get a different feel. You're not wrestling individually. Each time you're going to go in and battle as a team, which I think is really good for us to just keep building that team unity and team togetherness to help us the rest of the season. It's just experience. Hopefully we'll only have four matches, but if we do lose … we'll get five, six, seven matches. We'll be together as a team. Our three seniors (Trent Paulson, Travis Paulson, and Kurt Backes) really did a great job at the Midlands. I'll give them a ton of credit for our finish there. They led the way with bonus points, pins, and all three were in the finals. If our three seniors can do that for us day in, day out, the young guys are eager to follow, so it's going to be a good thing. Last question: What's it going to take for the Iowa State Cyclones to win the NCAA title at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Michigan? Hartung: I think just steady progression. If our guys continue to get better, and they are, they're improving daily. If they just continue with that mindset and keep getting better and better, gaining experience, gaining confidence, no injuries, we stay healthy, it's just a matter of making them believe when we step into the NCAA Championships that we can win the tournament, going after bonus points, all the things you need to do, just have them believe in that when it's time to believe. They're definitely moving in the right direction. We're not there yet, but we're definitely heading in the right direction.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The wrestling team trailed only once in two duals on the day and defeated two formidable foes on the road. The 17th-ranked Mocs improved their dual record to a perfect 7-0 with a 21-12 win over Oregon State and a 23-15 victory over Northern Iowa. Both matches were held on the UNI campus. The Mocs received double victories from 15th-ranked Javier Maldonado at 125 pounds, No. 6 Matt Keller at 133, No. 14 Aaron Martin at 149, No. 19 Lloyd Rogers at 174 and Mat Koz at 285. "I expected to beat Oregon State," UTC Head Coach Chris Bono said. "What was unexpected was beating three nationally-ranked wrestlers that Oregon State had. "We're just trying to set a standard. We didn't wrestle our best against Oregon State as a team. We looked flat in some places. We wrestled much better against Northern Iowa, but we had to." UTC eased out to a 15-0 lead over previously unbeaten Oregon State before relinquishing a match. Maldonado edged Jake Gonzales 6-5, Keller defeated Bobby Pfennings 10-3 and Josh Keefe beat No. 15 Kyle Larson 8-3 at 141. Josh Keefe filled in for his twin brother, 17th-ranked Michael, at 141 who is suffering from a sore shoulder. Martin followed Keefe at 149 with a 7-0 shutout of Derek Kipperberg, and Jake Yost scored a 6-0 win over Keegan Davis at 157. The Beavers, 7-1, won three of the final five matches to cut into the lead. Brett Arand pinned Seth Garvin at 165, Kyle Bressler topped Mike Marable 10-9 at 184 and Travis Gardner recorded a 3-0 decision over Josh Edmondson at 197. Rogers registered a one-point win over seventh-ranked Jeremy Larson at 174, and Koz ended the match with a sudden victory 4-2 win over No. 4 Ty Watterson. "Rogers probably had the biggest win," Bono said. "Their guy has been ranked as high as seventh in the nation. Lloyd has worked so hard and come so far. Koz stepping up and beating their ranked guy at heavyweight and then Josh upsetting Larson was gravy because the match came down to wins from Aaron Martin, Jake Yost and Rogers." UTC was nearly as impressive against the host Panthers, now 0-5. Maldonado and Keller spotted the Mocs an 8-0 lead with back-to-back major decisions. Maldonado beat Grant Ruge 10-2 and Keller was a 14-2 winner over Kyle Anson. After a loss at 141, Martin turned in his second shutout of the day with a 2-0 decision over Ryan Osgood. Moza Fay's win over Yost at 157 and Nick Baima's technical fall over Seth Garvin gave the Panthers a 12-11 lead. UTC retook the lead and closed out the match, winning three of the last four. Rogers pinned Curt Zinnel, Edmondson defeated Danny Dunning 5-2 and Koz edged Andrew Anderson 4-3. UTC is off to its best dual-record start since beginning the 1987-88 season 10-0. The Mocs host highly-regarded American University Friday at 6 p.m. at Maclellan Gym.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa –- Oregon State saw its win streak end at 14 dual meets when the Beavers were beaten by 18th-ranked Tennessee-Chattanooga 21-12 on Sunday afternoon, then OSU bounced back to beat host Northern Iowa 25-16 in non-conference wrestling at the McLeod Center. Oregon State (8-1 overall, 2-0 Pacific-10) and Northern Iowa both received votes in this week's National Wrestling Coaches Association poll; OSU had beaten 17th-ranked Nebraska 21-15 on Friday night. The Beavers return home to meet Cal State-Fullerton in a Pacific-10 dual next Sunday at 2 p.m. at Gill Coliseum after Sunday's split. "In the first meet, we just didn't make our own breaks," OSU head coach Jim Zalesky said. "We let UTC make their breaks and we didn't make enough breaks. The way it matched up, we knew going in that if we didn't win the close matches, we wouldn't win the meet; we lost a couple of close matches and an overtime match and we just didn't make it happen. But we bounced back well in the final meet, and that's what counts. "Some guys have to realize they can wrestle with these guys who are ranked ahead of them. The more they realize that, the more success they'll have down the road." OSU's dual against Tennessee-Chattanooga (7-0, 1-0 Southern) saw the Beavers drop a pair of one-point matches and an overtime match. The dual began with the Mocs sending out four nationally ranked wrestlers and all four won, capped by 17th-ranked Josh Keefe beating OSU's 15th-ranked Kyle Larson 8-3, to take a 12-0 lead. Oregon State picked up a pin from 165-pounder Brett Arand, to eventually draw within 15-6, but the Beavers' other two nationally ranked wrestlers were knocked off and OSU couldn't overtake the Mocs. At 174 pounds, OSU's 18th-ranked Jeremy Larson was edged by UTC's Lloyd Rogers 4-3, while 12th-ranked heavyweight Ty Watterson lost to Matt Koz 4-2 when Koz scored a takedown in the sudden victory overtime period. OSU's other wins against Tennessee-Chattanooga came at 184 pounds, where Kyle Bressler won 10-9 over Mike Marable, and at 197 pounds, where Travis Gardner beat Josh Edmonson 3-0. Oregon State rebounded against Northern Iowa (0-5), winning the first four matches to roll to a 16-0 lead. None of the Beavers responded to an earlier loss more dramatically than Kyle Larson. Larson pinned 10th-ranked C.J. Ettelson of Northern Iowa in 1 minute, 13 seconds; Larson is now 17-4 with seven pins this season. Jeremy Larson also came back with a win, beating UNI's Alex Dolly 10-6. After surrendering an early takedown, Larson escaped and scored a pair of takedowns in the first period and went on to the victory; he's now 17-5 with four pins this season. "The Larsons didn't look like themselves the first time out, but they turned it around in the second meet against UNI," Zalesky said. "Kyle got a big pin for us, that really got us rolling." OSU's third nationally ranked wrestler, Watterson, received a forfeit to finish the meet. He's now 15-4 with six pins this season. Oregon State also got victories against the Panthers when 125-pounder Jake Gonzales scored a major decision over Grant Ruge 12-3, 133-pounder Bobby Pfennigs decisioned Kyle Anson 8-2, and 149-pounder Derek Kipperberg beat Charlie Ettelson 11-5. The Beavers' 14-meet winning streak had been OSU's longest since another 14-meet streak during the 1985-86 season. Oregon State's 7-0 start had been the Beavers' fastest since they also won their first seven meets during the 1993-94 season.