InterMat Staff

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The No. 1 ranked Missouri wrestling team opened the home portion of its schedule with a 35-9 win over No. 24 Pittsburgh in the Hearnes Center. A record-setting 2,494 fans were on hand to watch as the Tigers improved to 4-0 on the season for just the 10th time in the 62-year history of the program. The previous record for attendance was set at 2,128, Jan. 22, 2006 against Oklahoma State. Opening action at 125 pounds, redshirt freshman John Olanowski (Virginia Beach, Va.) scored first with seven seconds remaining in the first period. Olanowski took his shot, then took down Panther opponent Brad Gentzle, scoring an additional three points for a nearfall called at the buzzer. In the final five minutes of competition, Olanowski managed two escapes and a single takedown for the eventual 9-3 victory. Junior Josh Wagner (Milton, Wis.) got the crowd excited after scoring back-to-back three-point nearfalls to end the first period and start the second. Wagner was one of nine Missouri wrestlers to finish the first period with the lead and one of eight to hold on for the win. Helping the Tigers back from a six point deficit, Wagner won his bout against Joey Ecklof with a 16-8 major decision, putting Missouri within two points of the Panthers (9-7). 2006 NCAA qualifier sophomore Michael Chandler (High Ridge, Mo.) took Missouri ahead of Pittsburgh after recording a 15-4 major decision against Mark Generalovich. On the way to his 30th career win, Chandler notched six takedowns, the second most of the night. All-American and co-captain Matt Pell (Luxemburg, Wis.) collected Missouri's first fall of the dual sticking Sean Richmond in 1:40. Pell was up 2-0 in the first period before pushing Richmond back from the edge of the mat and planting both shoulders down for the fall. The No. 1 and No. 2 wrestlers at 174 pounds met at center circle for the second time this season. Defending National Champion Ben Askren (Hartland, Wis.) battled with No. 2 Keith Gavin and for the 11th straight match, pinned his opponent. The fall in 2:34 was Askren's second over Gavin as he dropped the Panther in 2:16 at the 25th annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Dec. 3 in the semi-finals. With the win, Askren improves to 129-8 on his career and is three victories shy of setting a new Missouri career falls record. To date, Askren has notched 63 consecutive wins dating back to the start of his junior campaign. Sophomore Raymond Jordan (New Bern, N.C.) came up with the most takedowns of the night, seven. Jordan recorded Missouri's fifth of seven extra point wins after outscoring Kyle Deliere, 17-4, at 184 pounds. Tallying 4:14 of riding time, redshirt freshman Maxwell Askren (Hartland, Wis.) improved to 13-0 on the season after winning a 14-2 major decision against Eric Cassidy at 197 pounds. Askren, currently ranked No. 1 in the nation, collected five of his 14 points through two nearfalls. The Askren brothers are the only two members of Missouri's starting lineup to retain perfect records. Competing in the final bout of the evening, redshirt freshman Mark Ellis (Peculiar, Mo.) gave the Tigers a 26 point lead with his 13-2 major decision over ach Sheaffer. In Missouri's only other dual of the evening between ranked opponents, junior All-American Tyler McCormick, currently No. 10 at 133 pounds, suffered a fall in 3:52 by eighth-ranked Drew Headlee. The loss was only McCormick's fourth of the season. The No. 1 Missouri wrestling team will travel to Greensboro, N.C. for the Southern Scuffle, Dec. 29-30. Missouri's next home dual will be Jan. 28 at 2 p.m. (CT) against Nebraska.

At least on paper, Hofstra's James Strouse had no business beating Minnesota's CP Schlatter at the Journeymen/Brute Northeast Duals in Guilderland Center, NY on Nov. 25. James StrouseAfter all, Schlatter was heralded as one of the top high school recruits in the country a few years back, a four-time state champion with a 165-1 record in wrestling-rich Ohio, Cadet and Junior Nationals champion, and NHSCA Senior Nationals champion. Strouse, a senior, has never reached the All-American podium at the NCAA Championships. He was a one-time New York state champion (two-time state place-winner) who didn't start wrestling until he was in eighth grade. But thankfully for Strouse, wrestling matches aren't won and lost on paper … and the senior from Levittown, NY came through with a 4-2 (sudden victory) decision over Schlatter. "I would have to say that was the biggest win of my wrestling career," said Strouse. "He's an outstanding wrestler. I've watched him in the past. He's really good. I just tried to go out there, keep good position … and thankfully I came out on top. I was pretty happy with the win, but after the match we still had another three duals meets to go that day. And on top of that, its still early in the season, I can't go crazy over one win. I'm going to have so many more close matches and wrestling so many good guys." More importantly (according to Strouse) was the fact that Hofstra, who is now ranked No. 4 in the country by RevWrestling.com, came out on top in the dual against No. 1 Minnesota, 18-17. "Beating Minnesota showed that we're working hard and doing the right things," said Strouse. "We're like a big family. Everyone sticks together. We push ourselves the whole time. It makes us really happy to know that all the extra work we put in is paying off. That's why we work hard, so that we can get something in return. But Minnesota has a tough team. They have a bunch of tough guys. They work hard too. They deserve credit. I mean, it was a battle, a war. It was just an honor to be a part of dual meet against a high caliber team like Minnesota. The win boosted our morale a little bit." Tom ShiffletStrouse, who currently sports a 17-2 record this season, has already avenged three losses from last season, to Schlatter, Travis Piccard of The Citadel, and Nathan Galloway of Penn State. "It gives him some confidence to beat those guys," said Hofstra coach Tom Shifflet. "A lot of it has to do with James going out with a different mindset when he wrestles, where he's a little more offensive. In the past, once he got the lead, a lot of times he would shut down his wrestling. Now, we're trying to get him to wrestle the whole match, whether he has the lead or not. He seems to be doing really well with that philosophy." Coming out of high school, Strouse wasn't heavily recruited. He received some letters and calls from The Citadel, American, and a few other schools, but received no interest from any of the major Division I programs. At the urging of former Hofstra coach Tom Ryan, Strouse signed a gentleman's agreement at the midpoint of his senior season to wrestle for Hofstra. Ryan, who is now the head coach at Ohio State, initially offered Strouse a very small scholarship, but later upped it. "Tom Ryan was one of the biggest influences in wrestling for me," said Strouse. "I met him when I was in ninth grade. He was one of the reasons why I really wanted to do well in wrestling. I kind of idolized him and looked up to him. He was such a great wrestler … and such a nice guy. I always wanted to come to Hofstra. It was like a dream to wrestle for them. Once he offered me a good scholarship, I signed right away." As a redshirt in 2002-03, Strouse compiled a 5-3 record in open tournaments. The next season, as a freshman, he became Hofstra's starter at 149 pounds. He finished the season with a solid record of 23-12 and finished runner-up at the Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA) Championships, but went 1-2 at the NCAA Championships. As a sophomore, Strouse moved up from 149 pounds to 157 pounds, but posted similar numbers. He finished with a 22-12 record, reached the finals of the CAA Championships again, but this time won it over defending champion Dave Miller of Rider. He once again failed to place at the NCAA Championships, going 0-2. Last season, as a junior, it was more of the same: 23-12 record, CAA champion, 1-2 record at the NCAA Championships. Strouse has steadily climbed the 157-pound rankings this season. He began the season ranked in the 12-15 range by most ranking services. But after solid showings at the Journeymen/Brute Northeast Duals and the prestigious Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (where he placed fifth), Strouse is now ranked No. 8 in the country by RevWrestling.com. "Rankings don't really matter to me," said Strouse. "You could have a record of zero and a million going into the national tournament and still win it. It really means nothing. If you look at rankings too much, like, 'This guys is ahead of you, so you're supposed to lose. Therefore, it's OK for you to lose.' That's not a mentality you want to have. It's nice when people are giving you some respect, but you can't look at those things too much or you'll drive yourself crazy." James StrouseFor all the success James Strouse has had throughout his collegiate career at Hofstra, and all the expectations he's exceeded, the one thing that he's still missing is the elusive All-American medal at the NCAA Championships. "I would like to see myself on the podium this season, at least top four," said Strouse. "That would put a pretty big smile on my face. But making it to the NCAA finals and winning it, that would be great. I just have to take it one step at a time. I still have so much of a season ahead of me. I don't want to focus on the end right now. I want to focus on right now." Shifflet believes he possesses the attributes needed to accomplish his goals. "James is really driven," said Shifflet. "He has a great work ethic. He's willing to do what it takes to get it done. He's constantly working on his weaknesses. He listens and picks up on things. He's a senior and he wants to do the whole thing."

First let me say to each of you a very Happy Holiday Season! Thanks for your encouragement, friendship, support, kind words and wonderful ideas. Steve and I and our group of broadcast professionals around the country strive to do our best each and every show. Every wrestler and program is important to this sport and to us. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! After Reno and The University of Missouri its back to the studio for 2 days then off to Chicago for the Huge Midlands Broadcast. With Michigan pulling out for team health reasons the complexion of the event will certainly change as will some of the results. Please tune in. TDR this week will go from 9 AM to 11:30 AM. Joining me in the studio for this extended broadcast is the Asst. Coach of the US Military Academy at Westpoint Mike Clayton. Mike is well respected as a teacher and coach. We welcome him to our studios and to Takedown Radio. If you are coming to Des Moines or anywhere in Iowa and would like an opportunity to talk wrestling to thousands of fans nationwide Our guests include: Dan Wirnsberger -- Head Coach of the revived and running Bucknell Bison wrestling program. What's it like putting a team of true freshmen on the mat to compete? On Winning out of the box. Life as a new head coach. Greg Strobel -- Head Coach of Lehigh- Mountain Hawks and the brown and white have struggled early on the year. Plans for a strong second half? Changes? What's in the air on this beautiful campus where wrestling reigns supreme? David Craig and the future of this young squad. Themat.com/Takedown Radio Athlete of the Week brought to you by: Asics: Gabe Dretsch -- The 13th-ranked Dretsch earned a 3-1 win over No. 8 Brandon Mason to lift the No. 3 ranked Gophers to a 21-15 win over top-ranked and four-time defending NCAA champion Oklahoma State on Dec. 6 in Minneapolis. The team score was tied 12-12 before Dretsch, a junior, pulled off the pivotal win at 174 pounds. Dretsch scored a takedown late in the first period for what turned out to be the deciding factor in the match. Dretsch was 1-2 against Mason last season. Dretsch is a two-time NCAA qualifier and is 12-3 this season (12/14/06) Jim Zalesky -- This Beavers Head Coach is now in his first year. He has a tremendous staff to back his play in a conference well known for great athletes. What's the Pac like? How's it been Recruiting the Northwest. How's Family life after the move. Lets catch up with Jimmy Z. Rico Chiparelli -- Rico Chiparelli's Professional Submission League has made its public debut. This former Iowa Hawkeye is still coaching, teaching and competing? LA Sub X. He'll join us to discuss his venture and his place in wrestling history. Jack Spates -- Head Coach of the Sooners of Oklahoma. In the words of the late Marvin Gaye "What's goin on" Master Jack. This author, wrestler, coach, mentor, friend and father joins us to discuss Boomer Sooner! Themat.com/Takedown Radio Athlete of the Week brought to you by: Asics Travis Paulson -- 165 Pound Iowa State Senior. He beat No. 6 Nick Baima of UNI in their dual on Sunday. Paulson is ranked third in the nation. He finished fourth at the World Team Trials this summer.

RENO, Nev. –- Tenth-ranked Central Michigan University advanced five wrestlers to the finals en route to the team title at the Reno Tournament of Champions. The championship is CMU's first at the event. Oklahoma State had won the tournament four straight years and nine times in the 12 years it has been held. The Chippewas tallied 132.5 team points, while Oklahoma State was runner-up with 131. Oregon State was third with 96.5 team points. CMU held a commanding lead in the team standings entering the medal round, as five Chippewas advanced to the finals of their respective weight classes: No. 3 seed Trevor Stewart (165 pounds), No. 1 seed Brandon Sinnott (174), No. 1 seed Christian Sinnott (184), No. 1 seed Wynn Michalak (197) and No. 3 seed Bubba Gritter. All five finished runner-up, however, and a pair of Oklahoma State wrestlers claimed individual titles to nearly rally the Cowboys. An 8-0 major decision over eighth-seeded Brandon Kelly (Newberry) highlighted Trevor Stewart's run to the finals at 165. He won five straight to earn a date with defending national champ Johnny Hendricks (Oklahoma State) in the championship match, but Hendricks scored a 15-5 major decision in the final. Hendricks was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler. Brandon Sinnott claimed a 9-4 decision over No. 8 seed Nick Corpe (Purdue) and a 6-5 decision over No. 5 Nick Hayes (Northwestern) on his way to the finals at 174. He fell to No. 3 Ken Cook (UC Davis), 9-4, in the final. Christian Sinnott was dominating in the early rounds, claiming a pair of major decisions and a tech fall to advance to semis. He was a 9-4 winner over unseeded Greg Gifford (Arizona State) in the semifinals, but dropped a 5-1 decision to Ian Murphy (Cal State Fullerton) in the championship match. Michalak, the defending Reno champ at 197 pounds, posted falls in each of his first two matches, then claimed decisions over No. 8 seed Jason Trulson (Arizona State) and No. 4 seed Nate Moore (Purdue) to advance to the finals. In the final, however, second-seeded Mike Tamillow (Northwestern) scored a pair of takedowns in a 6-2 victory. At heavyweight, Gritter earned a 3-2 decision over No. 2 seed Ty Watterson (Oregon State) to earn a spot in the finals, where he fell to Cody Parker (Cal Poly), 10-3. Also placing in the top six for CMU were Luke Smith (fourth, 125 pounds), Brandon Carter (sixth, 149) and Eric Neil (sixth, 157). CMU returns to action at Midlands in Evanston, Ill. on Dec. 29-30.

RENO, Nev. -- Oklahoma State crowned two champions in the Reno Tournament of Champions, but finished second to Central Michigan, ending the Cowboys string of four consecutive titles at the Reno Convention Center on Wednesday night. Johny Hendricks was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament after a dominating performance in the 165-pound bracket. The senior from Edmond, Okla. recorded a fall and four major decisions on his way to the title. Coleman Scott recorded a late takedown to rally and defeat fifth-ranked Darrell Vasquez in a rematch from a dual on Monday. Central Michigan held a 40-point lead heading into the placing matches. CMU had five finalists, but lost all five allowing the Cowboys to close the gap. OSU finished with the two champions and six other place-winners. Brandon Mason, Jack Jensen and Jared Rosholt all took third-place. Mason defeated Boise State's Nate Lee, 2-0, while Rosholt upset fourth-ranked Ty Watterson for third. Kevin Wainscott was one of OSU's extra wrestlers and took fifth-place at 165. Wainscott advanced to the semifinals where he lost to Hendricks. It was just the second time in the 12-year history of the event that the Cowboys failed to claim the title. Missouri won the team title by a point in 2001. The Cowboys return to action at the Lone Star Duals in Grand Prairie, Texas on Jan. 6 against Air Force, Army and Navy.

RENO, Nev. -- Junior Mike Tamillow (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick) captured the 197-pound championship Wednesday at the Reno Tournament of Champions held at the Downtown Reno Convention Center. Tamillow knocked off Central Michigan's eighth-ranked Wynn Michalak by a 6-2 decision to capture the crown. A total of four wrestlers placed for the eighth-ranked Wildcats at the full-day event. Freshman Brandon Precin (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg) took third place at 125 lbs., junior Greg Hagel (Linwood, N.J./Blair Academy) captured fourth place at 165 lbs. and junior Nick Hayes (Council Bluffs, Iowa/Lewis Central) took sixth at 174 lbs. Northwestern placed 6th overall. Tamillow stormed to the finals, pinning three of his opponents en route to the final match. The junior recorded falls against Thor Moen of Arizona State, Eric Hinebauch of Great Falls and Kelly Anundson of Newbury before notching an 8-1 decision over Cal Poly's 15th-ranked Matt Monteiro in the semifinals. Tamillow dominated the eighth-ranked Michalak 6-2 in the finals to capture the crown at 197 pounds. Precin, who continues to impress in freshman season, advanced to the semifinals of the 125-pound bracket before falling to Cal Poly's sixth-ranked Chad Mendes, 10-5. The freshman defeated Wyoming's Cody Grant with a pin at 2:31 in his first match, pinned Mike Wilding of Western Wyoming CC at 4:09, pinned Tyler Sim of the Citadel at 5:40 and won a 4-3 decision over Oklahoma State's 18th-ranked Tyler Schinn in the quarterfinals. The freshman captured third place with an 8-3 decision over Central Michigan's 13th-ranked Luke Smith. At 165 lbs, Hagel advanced to the quarterfinals. He knocked off Oregon State's Brett Arand in an 8-3 decision in his first match before taking down Davidson's Kyle Dubs 7-2 to advance to the quarters. Hagel fell to Oklahoma State's Kevin Wainscott 9-2 in the round of eight. The junior topped Liberty's Chad Porter by a 7-2 score in his first consolation match and followed that up with wins over Jonny Nunes of Boise State and Brandon Kelly of Newbury to advance to the third-place match. Hagel ended his night with a loss to Scott Loescher of Stanford, but captured fourth place for the Wildcats. Hayes, who appears in the top-20 in several polls this week at 174 lbs., defeated Clarion's Scott Joseph in his first match by a 15-3 major decision. Hayes took down Arizona State's Ricky Renzi and Oklahoma State's Brandon Mason before falling to Central Michigan's seventh-ranked Brandon Sinnott in the quarterfinals, 6-5. Hayes recorded a win over Boise State's Nate Lee when Lee defaulted, but Hayes had to default in his fifth-place match to Jeremy Larson of Oregon State to take sixth in the tournament. At 133 lbs., Eric Metzler (Luxemburg, Wis./Luxemburg-Casco) won his first match by forfeit over Liberty's Sam Walters. He fell to Oklahoma State's Coleman Scott in his round of 16 match by a 3-1 decision. Metzler won a match in the consolation bracket, knocking off Arizona State's Shawn Jones in a 9-3 decision before falling to Purdue's Sean Schmaltz. Marty Gould (Lincolnwood, Ill./Niles West) fell in his first match at 149 lbs. to Cal Poly's Eric Maldonado and dropped his match in the consolation bracket to Brandon Carter of Central Michigan. Vincent Colletti (Naperville, Ill./Montini Catholic), also wrestling at 149 lbs. for the 'Cats, lost to an opponent from Wyoming in the first round and fell to Arizona State's Chris Remsen by a 10-8 decision in the consolation bracket. Jim Friend (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) also wrestled at 165. Friend fell in his first match to a foe from Central Michigan but won two matches in the consolation draw. The junior defeated Fullerton's Scott Judd in a 6-0 decision after Arizona State's Pat Pitsch defaulted. Friend's tournament ended with a 9-2 loss to Dubs from Davidson. Carl Howe (Three Rivers, Mich./Three Rivers), also at 197 lbs., fell to Purdue's Nate Moore in his first match, but fell in his second consolation match to Travis Gardner of Oregon after an opponent from Duke defaulted. Third-ranked Dustin Fox (Galion, Ohio/Galion), wrestling at heavyweight, won his first two matches before defaulting in the round of 16. Fox had topped Brandon Rupp of Western Wyoming CC by a 7-1 decision and Oregon Jamie Rakevich in 5-2 decision. The Wildcats return to action at the 44th annual Midlands Championships held at Northwestern's Welsh-Ryan Arena Dec. 29-30. For information on the Midlands visit The 2006 Midlands Homepage.

The second-ranked Golden Gopher wrestling team will head to Greensboro, N.C., following the holiday break to compete in the 2006 Southern Scuffle on Dec. 29-30. Heading the tournament field is No. 1 Missouri, and while they will not be squaring off directly, the Gophers and Tigers will undoubtedly be battling for national supremacy. Fans can purchase a live video webcast for the entire Southern Scuffle through the UNC Greensboro website at www.uncgspartans.com or its associate website, www.southernscuffle.com, which will be the source for the most up-to-date results throughout the competition. NOTES TO KNOW Setting the Stage Set up in a similar format to the NCAA Tournament, the Southern Scuffle will offer the Gophers an opportunity to gauge themselves in a championship-type atmosphere. A total of 32 schools from across the nation will be on hand. Each team may enter up to 15 wrestlers in the tournament with its top finisher in each weight class counting towards the team score. Eight nationally-ranked teams and 67 individuals ranked in the top 20 of their respective weight classes are scheduled to compete in the Southern Scuffle. Top-ranked Missouri heads the list of teams traveling to Greensboro. The tournament will also feature four individuals who hold the top spot in their weight classes, two each from Minnesota and Missouri. Dustin Schlatter (149) and Cole Konrad (Hwt) represent the Gophers in that department, while brothers Ben and Max Askren, who wrestle at 174 and 197 pounds respectively, are the top-ranked Tigers. Battle for the Top Billing While they are not squaring off directly, Minnesota and Missouri will undoubtedly be battling for national supremacy in college wrestling. The Tigers currently claim the top spot in the USA Today/InterMat/NWCA Coaches' poll, while the Gophers are ranked second. The roles are reversed in the W.I.N Magazine poll, where Minnesota is No. 1 and Missouri No. 2. The Best of the Rest In addition to No. 1 Missouri and No. 2 Minnesota, six other teams ranked in the top 25 nationally will be featured at the 2006 Southern Scuffle. Here are the nationally-ranked teams who will be competing: USA Today/InterMat/NWCA Top 25 1. Missouri 2. Minnesota 12. Edinboro 13. Cornell 18. Tennessee-Chattanooga 19. Ohio State 23. Lehigh 24. Pittsburgh Match-ups We'd Like to See With so many top teams and individuals competing, there are a number of marquee match-ups that could potentially occur. Here is a look at the most intriguing potential match-ups for the Golden Gophers: 125 -- #9 Jayson Ness vs. #7 Tanner Gardner (Stanford) This would be a rematch of the championship bout at the season--opening Bison Open, where Gardner narrowly defeated Ness, 1-0. Ness would also like to see either of the other two wrestlers in the tournament who are ranked above him to see where he stacks up at this early venture in his career. 141 -- #5 Manuel Rivera vs. #17 Michael Keefe (UT-Chattanooga) While Rivera is the favorite to win the 141--pound weight class, he is still not a household name on the national scene. A victory over Keefe would not only avenge a loss at last year's Northeast Duals, it would also signify the progression he has made. Rivera would also like to avenge a 2005 loss to Brad Canterbury of Navy. 149 -- #1 Dustin Schlatter vs. #3 Gregor Gillespie (Edinboro) Schlatter would like to send a statement that he is the top 149-pounder in the nation. While he defeated No. 2 Matt Storniolo at the NWCA All--Star Classic, the match did not count towards their official records. This would be Schlatter's stiffest regular season test so far this year. 157 -- Tyler Safratowich vs. #17 Josh Zupancic (Stanford) After battling top--ranked Trent Paulson of Iowa State in the Gophers' last dual, the road does not get any easier for Safratowich, as he has No. 2 Brian Stith of Arizona State to look forward to. Nothing would do more for his confidence than defeating Zupancic to avenge his only loss at the season-opening Bison Open, which came in the semifinals. 174 -- #8 Gabriel Dretsch vs. #1 Ben Askren (Missouri) Facing the top-ranked wrestler in the nation is always exciting. Askren is the defending national champion at 174 pounds and is the outright favorite to claim the title again this year. Dretsch has been wrestling very well as of late, providing a couple of clutch victories in Minnesota's last two dual meets. 184 -- #2 Roger Kish vs. #3 Mike Pucillo (Ohio State) While he lost to Northwestern's Jake Herbert at the NWCA All-Star Classic, Kish is still undefeated officially and would like to send a statement that he is still a top contender at 184 pounds. With both conference and national implications, this potential match-up could further influence a three--way rivalry among the big three in the Big Ten. Hwt -- #1 Cole Konrad vs. #8 Ed Prendergast (Navy) or #9 Spencer Nadolsky (UNC) A top 10 wrestler would be a welcome challenge for Konrad. While he has had a couple of close matches this year, it's safe to say we have yet to see his best performance, which he usually saves for the best competition. Looking Ahead Following the Southern Scuffle, the Golden Gophers will return home for the new year and will get right back into dual meet action on Jan. 2 by hosting Arizona State. The Gophers will then have nearly two weeks off before they travel to Cedar Rapids, Iowa where they will look to defend their National Duals title from a year ago.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan wrestling team will not compete at the Midlands Championships, scheduled for Dec. 29-30, head coach Joe McFarland announced on Tuesday (Dec. 19). "After evaluating our first semester," said McFarland, "we just felt it was in our best interest to come back here and let a few of our guys heal up a little bit. We just felt we needed more time to adequately heal and get some good training to get ready for the second and most important part of our season." The Wolverines will return to the mats in the early in the new year when they square off against Hofstra on Saturday, Jan. 6. The non-conference dual is slated for a 7 p.m. start at Cliff Keen Arena.

Hempstead, NY -- For the second time this season Hofstra University senior Chris Weidman has been named the Colonial Athletic Association co-Wrestler of the Week for all competition from December 5-18. Weidman (Baldwin, NY), a senior 197-pounder, defeated the number one ranked wrestler in the nation, Phil Davis of Penn State, 5-4, to lead Hofstra to victory over the eighth ranked Nittany Lions on Sunday, December 10. Currently ranked fourth by InterMat, fifth by Amateur Wrestling News, and sixth by W.I.N. Magazine, Weidman, who was named the CAA co-Wrestler of the Week on December 5, has now knocked off two top-ranked wrestlers since last March, and is 13-1 overall and 7-0 in duals this year. Weidman shares the CAA Wrestler of the Week honor this week with Ryan Hluschak of Drexel University. Brian Wright of George Mason University was selected the CAA Rookie Wrestler of the Week.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -– Junior Obenson Blanc (Naples, Fla./Lely) has been named Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Wrestler of the Week for his efforts in the week ending Dec. 17. This is the first PSAC honor for Blanc and the third for the Lock Haven University wrestling squad (5-3, 1-1 EWL). Blanc had an impeccable week started off with the biggest upset of his career. The junior 125-pounder, ranked No. 6, topped No. 3 Mark McKnight 9-8 on a takedown with 13 seconds left. Blanc followed that up with three victories Sunday at the Clarion Duals, beating No. 20 Steve Mytych (Drexel) 7-4 and getting a pair of tech fall wins. Blanc got the mercy-rule victories over Scott Morgan (Pitt-Johnstown) 19-3 and Matt Benedetti (East Stroudsburg)18-3. The last win was the 70th of Blanc's career. Blanc and the rest of the Bald Eagles are back in action Friday, Dec. 29 at 10 a.m. when they travel to the Southern Scuffle.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- University of Wyoming junior wrestler Carter Downing has been named the Western Wrestling Conference Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. The junior 141-pounder from Woodruff, Utah won both of his matches this past weekend. Downing defeated Ryan Etherton of Nebraska-Kearney by major decision 10-2, then collected Wyoming's only win against the University of Nebraska by wrestling up a weight and defeating Rob Plambeck by major decision 13-4. Downing is now 13-5 on the year with five major decisions and two technical falls. He leads Wyoming in victories, major decisions and technical falls. 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. Other nominees: North Dakota State: Eric Hoffman, 125, Jr., Davenport, Iowa (Davenport North HS/Iowa Central CC) Northern Iowa: C.J. Ettelson, 141, Jr., Hudson, Iowa (Hudson HS) South Dakota State: Tyler Sorenson, 184, R-Fr., Garretson, S.D. (Garretson HS) The WWC will select its next wrestler of the week the first week of January 2007.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. --- Javier Maldonado of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga was named the Southern Conference Wrestler of the Month for November, the SoCon office announced this week. Maldonado, a junior from Kissimmee, Fla., forged an 8-1 record in November, and all but one of his victories was for extra points. He recorded three pins, three major decisions and a technical fall. Wrestling at 125 pounds, Maldonado placed second at the Missouri Open Nov. 19 with a 4-1 mark. In that tournament, he notched three consecutive pins, including one over Oklahoma's J.R. Roman. In the opening dual of the season on Nov. 11, Maldonado scored a tech fall over Davidson's Ben Altman as the Mocs won the SoCon opener. In a win over Virginia Tech, Maldonado earned a major decision. He ended the month with a major decision against Anderson University and Cumberland University and led the team to a 4-0 record in dual matches. Maldonado was the 2006 SoCon Champion at 125 pounds and an NCAA Qualifier.

In recent years, the University of Minnesota has earned a place as one of the top wrestling programs in Division I, winning NCAA team titles in 2001 and 2002, crowning a number of individual champions, and consistently placing among the top five in team rankings. Cole Konrad (Photo/Johnnie Johnson)That said, the Golden Gophers have an even longer legacy in terms of developing great college heavyweights. Only Oklahoma State can claim more NCAA heavyweight champs than Minnesota's four: Leonard Levy in 1941, Verne Gagne in 1949, Brock Lesnar in 2000 … and, the reigning NCAA heavyweight champ, Cole Konrad. The past decade or so, the Minnesota lineup has been anchored by a string of top-notch big men. In addition to Konrad and Lesnar, the Gophers' roster has included NCAA All-Americans Garrett Lowney, Shelton Benjamin and Billy Pierce. Minnesota is focused on continuing that heavyweight legacy with its next generation of big men, Ben Berhow and Joe Nord. While Cole Konrad campaigns for a second straight NCAA heavyweight title as a senior, these two freshmen who have become good friends gain valuable experience as the "heir apparents" to be the next great Gopher big man. Uncommon commonality Ben Berhow and Joe Nord share a number of common points beyond dreams of being the starting heavyweight for the University of Minnesota. Both men are from small communities within the state of Minnesota; Ben hails from Hayward, near the Iowa border, and wrestled for Albert Lea High School … while Joe is from Waconia, just outside the Twin Cities. Both are Minnesota high school state champs -- Ben in the heavyweight class, while Joe won his titles at 215. (The two never wrestled each other in high school.) Both participated in sports beyond wrestling in high school … which translates to a degree of athleticism not always seen in wrestlers who tip the scales at over 200 pounds. "When we train heavyweights, we expect them to do everything the lighter-weight guys do," according to Marty Morgan, assistant coach at Minnesota. "There's no slacking off, no cutback in the amount of running or weight work or practice matches. We want our heavyweights to go the full six minutes without slowing down." "Both of these guys are great athletes -- athletic, quick on their feet," adds Coach Morgan. Meet Ben Berhow Ben Berhow got his start in wrestling in kindergarten. "Lots of my friends were involved in the sport," says Ben. "Albert Lea has a good tradition as a strong program. As I got older, I started attending the varsity matches. That fueled my interest in the sport." Ben Berhow (Photo/The Guillotine)Ben started his career at Albert Lea High School as a 171-pound freshman … and started to grow his sophomore year, competing at 189, then moving up to 215 as a junior, and then competing as a heavyweight his senior year, but actually weighing "232 to 235", says the wrestler. "It took me a while to adjust to wrestling heavyweight. I've been working on my takedowns, getting in shots … I'm still learning." In his assessment of Ben Berhow, long-time Albert Lea High School head coach Larry Goodnature says, "He wrestles like a 150-pounder. Quick, great at takedowns, excellent balance for a big man … lots of strength." Coach Goodnature adds, "Ben is very aggressive. He led the team in takedowns -- the first time a heavyweight has led that category here. He also scored lots of pins." "He has a great work ethic," the coach continues. "He was definitely one of the leaders on the team." "We try to get good competition for our team, participating in top tournaments in the region. Ben wrestled the top competition with confidence." While at Albert Lea, Ben Berhow built a 101-19 record … concluding his high school career with a 47-2 record his senior year, and claiming the heavyweight title at the 2006 Minnesota state tournament after losing in the 215-pound finals the previous year. When asked if it helped to have that finals experience going into his title quest his last year in high school, Ben replied emphatically, "Absolutely! I had an idea of what to expect, and to realize that it's OK to be a bit nervous considering the circumstances. But it helped me to channel that nervousness into something positive and realize my long-time dream of being a state champ." Ben Berhow (Photo/The Guillotine)Ben was a three-sport athlete in high school; in addition to wrestling, he played football and baseball as well. "Up to my senior year, my goal was to play football in college," says Ben. "Once I made up my mind for wrestling, I figured, if I was going to wrestle, I'd want to do it as a Gopher." "When I was in high school, I would participate in Gopher clinics," according to Ben. "I'd get guys like Brandon Eggum and Shelton Benjamin to sign my posters. It's really an honor to be part of a program that I've always admired, and be where these guys I admired in school once wrestled." Albert Lea's Larry Goodnature concurs: "Minnesota has a great track record with heavyweights. If you're going to wrestle in the state of Minnesota, the Gophers are your team." When asked to talk about what made Ben Berhow attractive to the Golden Gophers, Coach Marty Morgan said, "He's very comfortable as a heavyweight. And, wrestling for Albert Lea, he understands what it means to compete for a top program and go up against the best competition … He's also strong academically." "I think of Ben as a great friend," adds his high school coach. "He's always willing to talk to the grade school and middle school wrestlers." Get to know Joe Nord Joe Nord's first introduction to wrestling was in second grade, at a small freestyle club started by his father John (who played football in the USFL, and was once professional wrestler Nord the Barbarian). Joe Nord (Photo/The Guillotine)When the Nords moved to Waconia, Joe was in fifth grade… and was introduced to folkstyle wrestling. It was then that Waconia High School head coach Kelly Wagener first saw Joe in action … and, as he recalls, "I remember saying 'This is a kid to watch. He could be a state champion more than once.'" Joe Nord fulfilled that prophecy … winning back-to-back 215-pound Minnesota high school state titles in his junior and senior year in 2005 and 2006. In seventh and eighth grade, Joe competed at 160 pounds. Over the next four years, Joe amassed a 117-22 record, with over half of those wins -- 62 to be exact -- achieved by pin. As a freshman, he experienced a growth spurt, and, as he describes it, "shared" the role as the starter in both the 189 and 215-pound weight classes with a senior. In his junior year, Joe assumed the sole starter role at 215, and earned third place honors in the Christmas Tournament in Rochester, Minnesota … and, at his first appearance at the Minnesota high school state tournament, took home his first state title. Senior year was even more successful. According to Coach Wagener, Joe was the only wrestler in the history of the Waconia program to go undefeated his senior year, with a perfect 36-0 record. Just as impressive, no opponent was able to score a takedown on Joe his final year in high school. The senior co-captain took first place at the Rochester Christmas Tournament … and won his second 215-pound title in the Minnesota state finals. Joe Nord (Photo/The Guillotine)When asked to describe Joe Nord, Coach Wagener says, "He's well put together. Trying to take him down is like tackling a tree trunk." "He moves like a 125-pounder." Coach Wagener adds, "Joe put 100% into every practice. He listened to everything we told him … In fact, he came back to the (wrestling) room over Thanksgiving, and talked to the kids, saying, �Listen to your coaches.'" "He's a really nice kid, very kind. He always helped out in the room, even working with the seventh graders." In addition to wrestling, Joe was a three-year starter for Waconia's football team, playing offensive guard and defensive line. He finished his senior year as team captain, and received an All-Conference Honorable Mention. While in high school, Joe got a first-hand look at the University of Minnesota wrestling program by participating in J Robinson's 28-Day Intensive Wrestling Camp the summer after his sophomore year. "I got to meet and work out with guys like Konrad, (Roger) Kish," says Joe. "I really like Minnesota's attitude. It's all about hard work, developing a good work ethic … J Rob and the coaches really seem focused on developing wrestlers more than as athletes, but as well-rounded individuals, too." When asked to weigh in Joe's qualities that caught the eye of the Golden Gophers, assistant coach Marty Morgan says, "He's tall for a heavyweight (6'4"), and will grow in weight in college. (Right now he's at 230 pounds.) He wrestles like a lighter-weight wrestler, very agile … He has a great work ethic, and trains hard. He's also strong academically." Experience is the best teacher Both Ben Berhow and Joe Nord are taking advantage of their redshirt freshman status, getting accustomed to the academic rigors of a major university … and the athletic demands of a top-tier wrestling program. Both men are gaining real-world collegiate wrestling experience in actual competition in open tournaments. Ben suffered a sprain at the Omaha Open, and was forced to forfeit a couple matches, resulting in a 5-2 record … but, as he points out, "I have not lost a match outright." Joe placed third at the same tournament. The two also participated in the North Dakota State Open, and after winning their way through the bracket (each getting a pin along the way), met in the heavyweight finals… where the two were declared co-champions. Ben and Joe are also gaining unbeatable experience working out in the Minnesota practice room. As Ben puts it, "You get to go up against Marty Morgan, Cole Konrad -- Brock Lesnar comes in sometimes, too … Great guys who have been up against tough competition, and became champions." Joe adds, "When you wrestle the best guys like Konrad and Lesnar, you get better." With their impressive mat credentials, winning attitude and strong work ethic, Joe Nord and Ben Berhow seem to be on their way to upholding the long-standing tradition of excellence among heavyweights at the University of Minnesota. Please Note: This story also appears in the Dec. 22 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering amateur wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote amateur wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. For information on how to subscribe to The Guillotine, click HERE!

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. –- Junior Obenson Blanc (Naples, Fla./Lely) has been named Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) Wrestler of the Week for his efforts in the week ending Dec. 17. This is the second EWL honor for Blanc and the third for the Lock Haven University wrestling squad (5-3, 1-1 EWL). Blanc had an impeccable week started off with the biggest upset of his career. The junior 125-pounder, ranked No. 6, topped No. 3 Mark McKnight 9-8 on a takedown with 13 seconds left. Blanc followed that up with three victories Sunday at the Clarion Duals, beating No. 20 Steve Mytych (Drexel) 7-4 and getting a pair of tech fall wins. Blanc got the mercy-rule victories over Scott Morgan (Pitt-Johnstown) 19-3 and Matt Benedetti (East Stroudsburg)18-3. The last win was the 70th of Blanc's career. Blanc and the rest of the Bald Eagles are back in action Friday, Dec. 29 at 10 a.m. when they travel to the Southern Scuffle.

PARK FORREST, Ill. -- The Indiana wrestling team upped its dual-meet record to 8-0-0 on the 2006-07 season by sweeping a trio of meets at the F.I.T.E. Duals on Sunday, Dec. 17, at Rich East High School. The Hoosiers dominated their three opponents, allowing each adversary to take just one of the 10 matches, as IU bested Southern Illinois-Edwardsville (45-3), Eastern Michigan (33-3) and Harper (49-6). Redshirt freshman Angel Escobedo continued his dominant season, pinning all three of his opponents in an average time of 3:58. Escobedo, ranked seventh in the most recent poll by RevWrestling.com, began his day with a pin of SIUE's Tommy Hill in 3:21, and Andrae Hernandez and Scott Kelly followed with pins of their own to vault the Hoosiers to an early 18-0 lead in the meet that they would not relinquish. The lone blemish for IU was a 7-5 loss by Ryan Pribble in his dual-meet debut. The Hoosiers followed by upending Harper by a count of 49-6, as four Hoosiers pinned their opponents and two others won by forfeit. Walpole posted his fifth pin of the season at 141, topping David Fear in 6:16. True freshman Nathan Everhart (197) registered his first career pin as well in the match, as Harper totaled just 11 points in the 10 matches. Seven of those came from Jesse Linczmaier, who pinned true freshman Nick Avery at the 4:01 mark to give Harper its only dual points of the day. Against Eastern Michigan, the Hoosiers were poised to post a shutout heading into the heavyweight bout, but a late two-point takedown in the third period gave Charlie Walker a 6-4 victory. Escobedo recorded the match's only pin, but Brandon Becker registered a 17-1 technical fall in the second period and Marc Bennett and Andrae Hernandez each recorded major decisions. Fifth-ranked Matt Coughlin posted his second win over 15th-ranked Jermain Thompson of the year, taking a 7-6, come-from-behind decision with four points in the third period. The Hoosiers will return to action on Friday, Dec. 29, for the 44th installment of the Midlands Championships, hosted by Northwestern. For more information on Midlands, go to www.NUsports.com.

Blair, Nebraska -- The defending NAIA wrestling National Champions and number eight-rated Dana College hosted two conference foes this weekend in the Gardner-Hawks Center. On Friday night, Dana dumped Briar Cliff, 41-0. The next afternoon, Dana defeated NAIA No. 20 Morningside, 42-10. Dana earned its first shut-out on the season against Briar Cliff. Craig Trampe (NAIA No. 6, SR, Ord, Neb.) defeated Jeff Miller 4-0. Burke Barnes (NAIA No. 3, JR, Lake Stevens, Wash.), at 133, and Terrence Almond (NAIA No. 3, SR, Pelham, Ga.), at 141, each pinned their Charger opponents. Clinton Dale (JR, Las Vegas, N.M.) picked up his second dual win by dispatching John Shrader 11-2. Jason Bilinksi (NAIA No. 7, Pittsgrove, N.J.) earned a decision over Corey Brown 19-9. Both teams were open at 165. Bulla Tuzon (FR, Wailuku, Hawaii) defeated Jason Coe 11-3 at 174 pounds. Webster Farris (JR, Nebraska City, Neb.) capped his memorable night by defeating Jason Kruse 15-5 at 184. Farris proposed to his fiancée between the 141 and 149 pound matches. Wade Jordan (NAIA No. 6, JR, Coulee City, Wash.) pinned Jordaryl Logan in 1:05 at 197 pounds. Jesse Boggs (FR, Deming, N.M.) closed the shut out with 12-5 win over Jon Carlson at 285 pounds. Dana did not have much time to recover as the 20th ranked Morningside Chargers came into the Vikings' lair less than 24 hours later. Dana Head Coach Richard Fergola had his grapplers ready for the challenge. Fergola juggled his roster to deal with some tired and injured wrestlers. The coaching moves allowed Dana to come away with a 42-10 win. Trampe dispatched Bradley Gustafson in quick fashion by pin in 3:07 at 125. Eric Graham (FR, Kansas City, Mo.) dropped a 15-2 decision to Chris Utesch at 133 pounds. This would be the only match the Vikings would lose on the weekend. Brian Graham (NAIA No. 6, FR, Kansas City, Mo.) righted the Viking ship at 141 pounds. Graham won a technical fall (15-0) over Sean Smalley. Dale needed extra time to come away with a win at 149. Dale defeated Mitch Peterson 7-5. Bilinski earned Dana's second tech fall at 157. Bilinski downed Erin Hume 17-1. Tuzon quickly pinned Bob Segar in 1:45 at 165. Morningside's only other points on the afternoon came at 174 pounds as Dana had an open weight spot. Farris continued his great weekend with a pin at 184 over Eric Hume. Jordan continued the tech fall theme by outscoring Cole Wilson 17-2. Boggs ended 2006 on a positive note. Boggs pinned Kiel Polen at 285 in 2:26. The Vikings dual record is now 4-0 and 3-0 in conference. Morningside drops to 3-3 and 1-1. Dana is off until Jan. 6 when they host the Dana Open. The meet usually features wrestlers from UNO, UNK, Nebraska, and several top teams in the area. The opening whistle is scheduled for 10 a.m.

San Luis Obispo, Calif -- The No. 22 Cal Poly wrestling team won it's opening Pac-10 dual of the 2006-07 season, 17-16, against Cal State Fullerton as part of a doubleheader held in Mott Gym Monday afternoon in front of a crowd of 963. The Mustangs also wrestled No.3 Oklahoma in a losing effort 25-12, however at one instance during the match the team score read 13-12 in favor of the Cowboys with three matches remaining. Mustang seniors Cody Parker, Matt Monterio, and redshirt freshman Chase Pami all won both decision. Mustang senior Matt Monterio, currently ranked No.10 nationally at 197 pounds, started off both matches with wins over Jared Shelton of Oklahoma State, 13-2 and John Drake of the Titans, 9-6. His record improves to 8-3. Heavyweight Cody Parker pulled of the upset of Cal State Fullerton's Wade Sauer, ranked No.16, in a 7-4 decision. Against Oklahoma State, Parker defeated jared Rosholt in a thrilling overtime victory by recording a takedown with :17 seconds remaining in the overtime period. Pami, a Las Vegas Nevada native, also recorded double victories, by defeating Oklahoma State's Newly McSpadden, 7-6 and Paul Tice of Cal State Fullerton, 8-2. No.6 Darrell Vasquez recorded a major decision, 15-5, over the Titan's T.J. Dillashaw. Vasquez did suffer a defeat to Oklahoma State's Coleman Scott, currently ranked No. 4, in a close 11-8 match. Cal Poly's Eric Maldonado had another impressive match by defeating OSU's Ryan Freeman in a sudden victory overtime match, 7-5. The Mustangs return to action Dec. 20 when they travel to take part in the Reno Tournament of Champions

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Coleman Scott sparked fourth-ranked Oklahoma State as the Cowboys defeated No. 20 Cal Poly, 25-12, in Mott Gymnasium on Wednesday afternoon. Scott scored six points in a wild first period against fifth-ranked Darrell Vasquez. Scott showed he was superior from the top position as he accumulated over three minutes of riding time and secured an 11-8 decision over Vasquez. OSU improved to 4-1 on the season, while Cal Poly dropped to 0-2 on the season. The Cowboys had a rough start to the dual as they dropped the first two matches at 197 and heavyweight. Tyler Shinn made up for it with a major decision at 125 before Scott gave the Pokes the lead in the dual with his decision. Ethan Kyle provided an additional spark with a fall at 141. Kyle had an 8-0 lead over Blake Gaughran heading into the third period. Kyle just rolled him over and pinned him 21 seconds into the period to give OSU a 13-6 lead in the dual. Cal Poly made it interesting with a pair of victories to cut the deficit to one at 13-12. The Cowboys were too strong as they out muscled the Mustangs in the final three weights. Johny Hendricks all but sealed the dual with a second period fall over Ernie Varela. Brandon Mason did seal the victory with a decision over Nick Hernandez at 174. Mason scored two takedowns and went on to win 8-3. Jack Jensen followed with a victory over Yuri Kalika to provide the final margin of 25-12. The Cowboys head to Reno, Nev., for the Reno Tournament of Champions on Wednesday. The Cowboys are looking for their fifth consecutive title at the RTOC.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Following a full week of rest, the ninth-ranked Wildcats will head west for the Reno Tournament of Champions. Competition in the full-day tournament begins Wednesday at the Reno Downtown Convention Center. This year's field features grapplers from several top programs including No. 4 Oklahoma State and No. 10 Central Michigan. "The event allows us to evaluate the progress of certain individuals on the team," head coach Tim Cysewski said. "We use Reno as a measuring stick and it is a great segue into the Midlands Championships." Featured Wildcat entries include third-ranked heavyweight Dustin Fox (Galion, Ohio/Galion) and 11th-ranked Mike Tamillow (Oak Park, Ill./Fenwick) at 197 lbs. They will be joined by freshman Brandon Precin (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg), ranked 17th by W.I.N. Magazine at 125 lbs., and junior Nick Hayes (Council Bluffs, Iowa/Lewis Central), ranked 19th at 174 lbs. by W.I.N. Hayes and Precin went 2-0 in the 'Cats' last dual matches against Northern Illinois and Eastern Illinois with Hayes downing EIU's 12th-ranked Kenny Robertson. Eric Metzler (Luxemburg, Wis./Luxemburg-Casco), James Kohlberg (Rolling Meadows, Ill./Rolling Meadows), Marty Gould (Lincolnwood, Ill./Niles West), Vincent Colletti (Naperville, Ill./Montini Catholic), Dominic Marella (Roselle, Ill./Conant), Jim Friend (Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville), Greg Hagel (Linwood, N.J./Blair Academy) and Carl Howe (Three Rivers, Mich./Three Rivers) will round out Northwestern's entires. Wednesday's college tournament is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. CT and end at approximately 9:30 p.m. For a complete schedule and a list of teams competing, visit the Reno Tournament of Champions Website.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- Riding momentum from Friday's near-win at No. 8 Penn State University, the Lock Haven University wrestling squad (5-3, 1-1 EWL) won all three matches at the Clarion Duals, topping Drexel University, University of Pitt-Johnstown and East Stroudsburg University at Clarion University's Tippin Gym. Going undefeated on the day were No. 6 Obenson Blanc (Naples, Fla./Lely) and freshman Danny Lopes (Oakhurst, N.J./Ocean Township) at 3-0 and freshman Ollie Cooperwood (Hartselle, Ala./Maple Heights (Ohio)) at 2-0. First up were the Drexel Dragons, a 16-15 victory. Blanc started a four-match win streak for the Bald Eagles with a 7-4 decision of No. 20 Steve Mytych at 125. Lopes beat Bill Martin 6-2 and Cooperwood topped James Thierren for his first collegiate dual win with a 3-2 overtime win. Rookie Donnie Ament (Acme, Pa./Mount Pleasant) topped Kyle Bub 6-4 at 149 before Drexel went on a run. No. 14 Ryan Hluchak beat No. 15 Seth Martin (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove) in overtime 3-1, and at 165, Billy Haydt edged freshman Landis Wright (Bellefonte, Pa./Bald Eagle) 11-10. Nick Kozar finished the three-match stretch for the Dragons with a 4-3 decision over senior Derrick Morgan (Media, Pa./Athens), making the team score 12-9 LHU. Sophomore Tom Kocher's (Lancaster, Pa./Manhiem Township) major decision 16-5 win over Justin Terhune at 184 would prove to be the difference in the match. Freshman Jeremie Cook (Venice, Fla./Venice) would drop a tight 6-3 decision to No. 17 Jon Oplinger and classmate Mike Cook (Bellefonte, Pa./Bald Eagle) lost to Chris Cowen 5-1, but Kocher's bonus points would provide the 16-15 team win. Next on the slate came UPJ, the No. 5 team in Division II. Blanc once again got the ball rolling with a 19-3 tech fall of Scott Morgan. Lopes decisioned Brandon Reasey 4-2, and Cooperwood beat DII No. 8 Shane Valko 4-2. Ament picked up his second win of the day with a 5-3 decision over Mazen Kholi, while Martin rebounded with a 9-0 major over Joe Strittmatter. DII No. 3 Albert Miles beat Wright at 165, but Morgan topped DII No. 3 Eli Garshnick 6-1 to extend the team lead to 21-3. The Division II No. 1 at 184 Mike Corcetti beat Kocher 15-6, while DII No. 5 Mike Fowler scored an early second-period pin over freshman Dustin Pine (Mercersburg, Pa./James Buchanan) while Jon Neese got a 7-1 decision over freshman Branden Bowden (Duncannon, Pa./Central Dauphin East) for a three-match win streak, but it wasn't enough, as LHU won 21-16. The Bald Eagles wrapped up the day with a 32-6 win over the Warriors of East Stroudsburg. Blanc picked up his second tech fall of the day with a 18-3 decision over Matt Benedetti to start the match. The win was the 70th of Blanc's career. Lopes picked up his team-high 20th win of the season in a 6-4 decision over Steve Gambino at 133, but sophomore Mark Armstrong (Sugar, Pa./Wyalusing) lost 13-9 to Sean Carr. Ament's 9-7 loss to Scott Heckman brought the team score to 8-6 LHU, but the Bald Eagles ran the table on the rest of the bouts to get the team win. Martin's pin of Kyle Heselpoth at 157 started the run, followed by Wright's 6-2 decision over Leif Ruschmeyer. Martin's victory tied him with Lopes for the team lead with 20. The pin was the 24th of his career, tying him with Mike Maney (2000-04) and Jeff Husick (1985-89) at sixth in school history. Next, senior Michael Metzger (Shillington, Pa./Governor Mifflin) beat Shane Mallory 5-3, and sophomore Ben Hepburn (Williamsport, Pa./Loyalsock) topped Dave Williams 6-2. Jeremie Cook picked up a forfeit win before Mike Cook won over Matt Rosner 3-2. The Bald Eagles are back in action Friday, Dec. 29 at the Southern Scuffle Tournament.

BLOOMSBURG -- The Bloomsburg University wrestling team picked up three wins on Sunday at the Bloomsburg University duals. The Huskies beat Delaware State, 52-0; Bucknell, 31-12; and Buffalo, 23-13. In the Huskies opening match of the day against Delaware State, Bloomsburg picked up four wins by forfeit, two by fall and one by technical fall on its way to a 52-0 win over the Hornets. Bloomsburg 165-pounder Rickey Schmelyun (New Oxford/Bermuda Springs) had the quickest pin of the match winning in just 1:27. Bloomsburg battled with Bucknell in match number two of the day and came away with a 31-12 win. The Huskies started the match with a fall by Mike Sees (Northumberland/Shikellamy) at 125 pounds in 6:24 and ended the match with a fall by heavyweight Mike Spaid (Perkiomenville/Boyertown) in just 1:20. Against Buffalo, the Huskies' Jason Guffey (Muncy/Warrior Run) started the match with a technical fall at 125 pounds, while Matt Moley (Oaks/Spring Ford) earned his second pin of the day at 149 pounds when he showed his opponent the lights in 3:52. Spaid closed out the match for the Huskies with a 7-0 win. Bloomsburg goes to 4-4 with the three victories.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The wrestling team won seven of 10 matches Sunday, including two pins and one major decision, to knock off No. 14 Ohio State 28-13 at St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The Mocs, who improve to 5-0 in dual matches, jumped out to a 9-0 lead then took the lead for good, 15-13, on Matt Koz's decision over Corey Morrison in the 285-pound match. "This is a huge win for our program," UTC Head Coach Chris Bono said. "To come on the road and beat a ranked team in front of their home fans is a big accomplishment. We had contributions from everyone in the lineup, and I am extremely proud. "This win makes us even more hungry. We will take a little bit of time off but get back to work quickly to prepare for the remainder of the season, the conference and the NCAAs." Aaron Martin, ranked as high as No. 13 nationally, set the tempo for the Mocs in the opening match of the afternoon. Martin pinned Lance Palmer, ranked 19th for the Buckeyes, at 1:46 of the second period. Jake Yost followed with a 3-2 decision over Jason Johnstone at 157 as UTC pulled out to a 9-0 advantage. Eighteenth-ranked Chris Vondruska put OSU on the scoreboard with three points, defeating Seth Garvin, 8-3 at 165. The two teams traded wins at 174 and 184. Lloyd Rogers scored a 5-3 victory over Blake Maurer at 174, and third-ranked Mike Pucillo posted a 12-3 major over UTC's Josh Edmondson, leaving UTC's lead at 12-7. The Buckeyes, 1-2, grabbed their first and only lead of the match at 197. Sixth-ranked J.D. Bergman pinned Nick Lorenzano midway through the first period. Koz, a transfer from Minnesota, was making his UTC debut at Sunday's dual. He scored eight points in the third period to pull away from Morrison and hand the Mocs a 15-13 edge. Continuing their strong performances at the lighter weights, the Mocs dominated the final three matches of the day. No. 17 Javier Maldonado held off Will Livingston at 125, 6-4. All-America Matt Keller won his 10th straight match and remained undefeated on the year, pinning Owen Schaefer early in the third period. Michael Keefe, ranked 17th, completed the team victory with an impressive 24-10 major over Matt Fleming. UTC's last win over a ranked opponent came at last year's Lone Star Duals when the Mocs edged No. 18 Wisconsin, 19-18. The last time UTC defeated an opponent ranked as high as 14 was Jan. 14, 2005 when the Mocs beat No. 12 Missouri, 19-16 at the Virginia Duals. The Mocs return to action Dec. 29 and 30 at the Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, N.C.

PITTSBURGH -- The Panthers picked up another dual meet win today as they defeated Appalachian State, 31-9, in the first contest of a tri-meet hosted by Duquesne. Pitt (3-1, 1-0 EWL) only dropped three bouts against the Mountaineers (1-6) while three of the Panthers won their matches with falls. The wrestlers started at heavyweight as Pitt's Zach Sheaffer (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) took on Appalachian State's David Hazell. The two wrestlers were scoreless in the first period, and Sheaffer took a one point lead early in the second with an escape. Hazell came back with two takedowns to make the score 4-1, entering the final period. He then scored on an escape in the third period to win the bout, 5-1. The Mountaineers took a 3-0 lead. Pitt fought back at 125 pounds with true freshman Jimmy Conroy (South Plainfield, N.J./South Plainfield) facing Frank Celorrio of the Mountaineers. Conroy took a two point lead in the first period with a takedown. He scored three more in the second with an escape and takedown before pinning Celorrio at the 4:20 mark. Pitt took the lead, 6-3. At 133 pounds, Pitt's Zach Bowman (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) wrestled Appalachian State's Alex Brown. The first period was scoreless, and the two wrestlers tied it up at two in the second as Bowman had two escapes and Brown had a takedown. In the final period, Brown scored on a takedown and received a point for riding time to win a 5-2 decision. The contest was tied at six. Wrestling at 141 pounds, Joe Ciampoli (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) of the Panthers took on Clinton Swango of the Mountaineers. Ciampoli took a two point lead in the first period with a takedown and went on to match that in the second. He held Swango to only an escape in the final period while scoring on two takedowns and an escape. With a point for riding time, Ciampoli won the 10-1 major decision. The Panthers moved ahead, 10-6. Pitt's Joey Ecklof (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) wrestled Appalachian State's Zach Martin at 149 pounds. Ecklof picked up a big 7-1 lead in the first period with two takedowns and a near fall while Martin only scored on an escape. In the second period, Ecklof scored on two more takedowns and an escape. He then won with a fall at the 4:10 mark, moving the Panthers ahead 16-6. The 157-pound bout was between Pitt's Mark Generalovich (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) and Edward Hutchinson of the Mountaineers. The two wrestlers were scoreless in the first period and tied it up at one in the second as they each received a point for the opponent stalling. In the third period, Hutchinston scored on an escape and takedown for the 4-1 decision. The Panthers still had the lead, 16-9. Pitt's Sean Richmond (Emmaus, Pa./Easton) wrestled a short bout at 165 pounds as he scored two on a takedown against Appalachian State's Tommy Hutchinson before pinning him in 28 seconds. The fall moved the Panthers ahead, 22-9. No. 2 Keith Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) of Pitt faced Neal Martin of the Mountaineers at 174 pounds. The first period was scoreless, but Gavin picked up a three point lead in the second with an escape and takedown. In the final period, he scored on a takedown and a point for Martin stalling. With riding time, Gavin won the 7-2 decision to move Pitt up, 25-9. At 184 pounds, Pitt's Mike Heist (Orefield, Pa./Parkland) took on Appalachian State's Daniel Carrasco, and the two were scoreless in the first period. Heist moved to a 3-0 lead in the second period, scoring on an escape and a takedown. In the final period, Carrasco received a penalty point, but Heist had riding time, giving him the 4-1 decision. The Panthers continued to hold the lead, 28-9. The final bout of was between Eric Cassidy (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) of the Panthers and Josh Carroll of the Mountaineers. The first period was scoreless, and Carroll took the lead by two points after a reversal in the second. Cassidy came back in the final period, scoring on an escape, takedown and near fall. With a point for riding time, he won a 7-2 decision to give Pitt the win, 31-9. The Panthers will now take on Duquesne in the final contest of the day, scheduled for 1 p.m. at the A.J. Palumbo Center. Pitt is undefeated against the Dukes with 10 wins. PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt wrestling team picked up its second dual win today when it defeated cross-town opponent Duquesne in a tri-meet. The Panthers (4-1, 1-0 EWL) won 38-6 against the Dukes (1-4) with three pins in a row from 165 pounds through 184 pounds. Pitt got started at heavyweight with Zach Sheaffer (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) taking on Duquesne's Joe D'Orsie. Sheaffer picked up a two point lead in the first period with a takedown. He moved up to six points in the second period with an escape, takedown and penalty point. With a point for riding time, Sheaffer won the bout, 7-0, putting the Panthers ahead, 3-0. At 125 pounds, Pitt's Brad Gentzle (Easton, Pa./Easton) faced Duquesne's Jon Bittinger. In the first period, Bittinger started with a takedown, and Gentzle scored on a reversal. An escape from Bittinger gave him a 3-2 lead going into the second period. Gentzle tied it up in the second with an escape. Two more takedowns gave him a 7-5 lead heading into the third period. A near fall early in the final period put Gentzle up by five at 10. Bittinger came back with an escape, but Gentzle scored on two more takedowns and had a point for riding time. He won a 15-7 major decision to give the Panthers a 7-0 lead. Pitt's Zach Bowman (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) wrestled Duquesne's Brad Cipriani at 133 pounds. Cipriani had a 2-0 lead in the first period after scoring on a takedown. He picked up a 5-0 lead after scoring on a takedown and an escape in the second period, and with a point for riding time in the third, won a 6-0 decision over Bowman. Pitt still maintained the lead, 7-3. The 141-pound bout was between Pitt's Joe Ciampoli (Altoona, Pa./Altoona) and Duquesne's Rob Stott. Ciampoli had a takedown in the first period to give him a two point lead. In the second, he scored five points on near falls, and in the final period, scored three more and had a point for riding time. His 10-0 decision moved the Panthers ahead, 11-3. At 149 pounds, Pitt's Joey Ecklof (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) took on Duquesne's Rick Minella. In the first period, Ecklof had a takedown, and Minella had an escape for a 2-1 score. Ecklof went on to score on an escape and takedown in the second, giving him a 5-1 lead. In the final period, Minella had several escapes but three takedowns and a point for riding time gave Ecklof the 12-4 major decision. Pitt remained in the lead, 15-3. Wrestling at 157 pounds, Mark Generalovich (Pittsburgh, Pa./Thomas Jefferson) was up against Duquesne's Cody Midlam. The first two periods were scoreless, and Midlam had an escape early in the final period to get on the board. A point for riding time gave Midlam the 2-0 win. The Panthers kept a 15-6 lead. The next three matches moved quickly as each of the Pitt wrestlers won by a fall in the first period. At 165 pounds, Pitt's Sean Richmond (Emmaus, Pa./Easton) was up 6-2 over Duquesne's Ryan Sula when he pinned him at the 1:07 mark. Keith Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) had a takedown against Duquesne's Mike Buczkowski before winning with a fall at the 1:23 mark. And at 184 pounds, Kyle Deliere (Cecil, Pa./Canon-McMillan) had a takedown and a pin at the 0:57 mark against Duquesne's Jared Ricotta. The final bout of the day was between Pitt's Eric Cassidy (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) and Duquesne's Mike Bianco. In the first period, Cassidy had a takedown for the 2-0 lead. A reversal, takedown and near fall in the second period put him up, 9-0. Cassidy scored on two takedowns and a near fall in the final period and received a point for riding time. His 18-0 technical fall came at the 7:00 mark and gave Pitt the 38-6 win. Pitt's next dual contest will be on Friday, Dec. 21 at No. 1 Missouri. The Panthers are 0-2 in the series history against the Tigers.

AMES, Iowa –- The fifth-ranked Cyclones took nine of 10 matches and recorded bonus points in five bouts en route to defeating intrastate rival Northern Iowa, 38-3 Sunday afternoon in Hilton Coliseum. The 35-point margin of victory equals the ISU series best. Iowa State defeated Northern Iowa, 35-0, Jan. 21, 1966 in Ames. ISU's Nick Fanthorpe (125) and Nick Gallick (133) opened the dual with a statement, each recording pins. Cyclones Grant Turner (174) and Kurt Backes (197) each registered major decisions. The Cyclones have won four straight against UNI and now lead the series, 48-16. Iowa State improves to 3-2 in dual meet action, while UNI slips to 0-3. "We knew that Northern Iowa would have a good team, especially after they drew five-to-five with Iowa," ISU head wrestling coach Cael Sanderson said. "We're not going to get overly excited right now because winning and losing is a learning experience as we head toward March." Fanthorpe avenged an early-season loss to Kyle Anson by pinning him in the second period. After registering a takedown and a three-point nearfall in the first period, Fanthorpe was able to stick Anson at the 4L22 mark, midway through the second period. Fanthorpe tallied his third win by fall of the season and improved to 11-4 on the season. "I came out aggressive and went for the takedown," the Naperville, Ill.-native Fanthorpe said. "I got a quarter in on him and was able to take advantage of it. It was one of those things where I was in the right position to do the move." Following up with a pin of his own at 133-pounds was Gallick, who took down Brett Robbins within the opening seconds of the match. He was able to stick the Panther in 2:02. It was Gallick's fifth pin of the year. The Tuscon, Ariz. native is 11-4 overall. "Fanthorpe and Gallick came out being the aggressor," head coach Cael Sanderson said. "If you dictate the tempo of the match, good things will often happen to you." Familiar foes, Travis Paulson and Nick Baima collided on the mat at 165-pounds, with Paulson picking up his seventh career victory over Baima, a 7-4 decision. Paulson, a two-time All-American, began the second period from the down position and quickly escaped. Paulson was up 4-2 on Baima after two periods. Paulson tallied a second takedown in the third period and received a point courtesy of an illegal move by Baima. Adding 1:22 worth of riding time, Paulson emerged victorious by a final score of 7-4. "Cael has been on us to pick up the pace," Paulson said. "He wants us to be more on the offense throughout the match" Rebounding from a tough loss a week ago at 174-pounds, Grant Turner scored a 17-8 major decision over Alex Dolly. Deadlocked at 2-2 after the first period of action, Turner scored a takedown and a three-point nearfall to give him a 9-6 advantage going into the final period of action. The Johnston, Iowa, native maintained his momentum, scoring three more takedowns and accumulating 1:49 worth of riding time. At 184-pounds, Iowa State All-American Kurt Backes picked up his second victory by major decision as he defeated Andrew Anderson, 18-5. Backes took down Anderson five times throughout the match and also scored back points on two occasions. Backes is now 11-1. Iowa State wrestlers will return to action Dec. 29-30 as they will travel to Evanston, Ill. to compete in the Midlands Championship. The Cyclones will then trek to Cedar Falls, Iowa to take part in the Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals Jan. 13-14. Wrestling action will come back to Ames Jan. 26 as the ISU will play host to Oklahoma at 7 p.m.

Lincoln -- The 18th-ranked Nebraska wrestling team rode 10 bonus-point victories in two duals to defeat Wyoming, 34-10, and Nebraska-Kearney, 30-18, in the 2006 Nebraska Duals at the NU Coliseum on Saturday. The Huskers' explosiveness has been on display throughout the early part of this season. Of Nebraska's 43 individual dual wins, 24 have been bonus-point triumphs. Against Wyoming, Nebraska built a 15-point lead after four matches, thanks in part to two bonus-point wins. It started with Paul Donahoe's 20-7 major decision victory over Nick Ramirez at 125 pounds. After Patrick Aleksanyan's 8-6 overtime victory over Cory VomBaur, Dominick Moyer gave NU its second bonus-point win with a 19-2 technical fall win over Brandon Gifford at 141 pounds. Robert Sanders made a strong bid for his own major decision victory, but fell just shy in a 14-7 win over Garrett Desmond. The Huskers would add another four-match winning streak after a setback at 157 pounds. Stephen Dwyer would get Nebraska back on the winning track in a big way with a pin of Kyle Morrow with 37 seconds remaining in their match at 165 pounds. Marc Harwood added a 9-3 win over Bryan Bernal at 174 pounds, then Nebraska put the dual out of reach with back-to-back bonus-point victories. It started with Levi Wofford's 14-4 major decision win over Preston Pavich at 184 pounds. Wofford took control of the match in the second period, when he notched four takedowns. At 197 pounds, Craig Brester pinned Chet Slavin 52 seconds into their match after an early takedown put Brester in the drivers' seat of the battle from the beginning. With the win, Mark Manning became just the third coach in school history with 90 dual wins. He needed only 123 duals to reach the milestone, eight fewer than Bob Fehrs, the first coach in Husker history to win 90, and nine fewer than Tim Neumann, who holds the school record in dual wins with 199. Donahoe gave Nebraska a strong start against the Lopers with a second-period win by fall over Trevor Charbonneau. Donahoe continues to be a force for Nebraska in dual matches, earning the Huskers bonus points in five of his six dual outings. After a loss at 133 pounds, Moyer defeated Jeff Rutledge 3-0 at 141 pounds. Moyer escaped 10 seconds into the second period to gain a one-point lead, then rode Rutledge the duration of the third period to earn the victory. Back-to-back losses at 149 and 157 pounds gave UNK a momentary 12-9 lead, but Nebraska answered with four straight bonus-point victories to earn the dual win. Dwyer put the Huskers back ahead for good with a 13-4 major decision win over Keenan McCurdy at 165 pounds. Dwyer posted six points in the last minute of the match to seal the win and give Nebraska a one-point edge with four matches remaining. At 174 pounds, Harwood followed with a win by fall over Taylor May in a hotly contested match that entered the third period with Harwood holding a 2-1 lead before Harwood escaped early in the period, then earned two takedowns in the last minute. Wofford continued the Husker hot streak with a third-period pin of Dan Hospodka at 184 pounds. Brester closed the dual for NU with a 22-4 win by technical fall over Preston Pavich. With the dual decided, Nebraska dropped the heavyweight match. The win completes Nebraska's first semester competition. For the fifth time in Manning's seven years at NU, the Huskers enter the holiday break undefeated. In fact, Nebraska is 42-3 under Manning in the months of November and December. The Huskers (6-0) are next in action on Saturday, Jan. 5 against Oregon State at 7 p.m. at the NU Coliseum in Lincoln, Neb.