InterMat Staff

MADISON, Wis. -- The No. 15 Wisconsin wrestling team defeated Lock Haven, 45-3, in the season's second team dual. Five pins highlighted the non-conference match-up Saturday in Lock Haven, Pa. Wisconsin improved to 2-0 while Lock Haven dropped to 2-2. The dual started at the 133 lbs. weight class with redshirt freshman Zach Tanelli (Millburn, N.J.) earning a major decision over Casey Moore, 14-2. Senior Tony Turner (Spring Valley, Wis.) followed up with another major decision (11-1) over Clint Shirk at 141 lbs. to put the Badgers head 8-0. At 149 lbs., No. 17 Tyler Turner (Spring Valley, Wis.) battled two periods against the higher ranked No. 13 Joshua Medina before starting down in the third to score an escape and then takedown and win by decision, 3-0. At 157 lbs., No. 15 Craig Henning (Chippewa Falls, Wis.) pinned Seth Martin in 4:13. At 165, No. 20 Jake Donar (Cuba City, Wis.) scored three two-point near falls before time ran out for a major decision over Brock Jardine, 9-0. Wisconsin marked pins in the next four bouts. No. 10 Kelly Flaherty (Big Lake, Minn.) turned a 6-2 deficit around in the second period with two three-point near falls to lead 11-6 after two and finished the job pinning Derrick Morgan in 5:36. At 184 lbs., Matt Maciag (Sussex, N.J.) pinned his man in 3:31. At 197 lbs., redshirt freshman Dallas Herbst (Winneconne, Wis.) made fast work of Troy Charles pinning him in under a minute (0:56). At heavyweight, Kyle Massey (Champlin, Minn.) just missed the minute mark pinning Tim Meyers in 1:06. Wrapping up the dual, No. 17 Collin Cudd (River Falls, Wis.) narrowly missed a win with a 5-2 loss to No. 18 Obenson Blanc. Wisconsin wrestles again Sunday in its first Big Ten Conference match-up vs. Penn State in University Park, Pa. The first bout is set to begin at noon.

Frank Richmond pinned Risto Marttinen of Cal State Fullerton 1:16 into the 165-pound match for the key victory in UC Davis' 25-9 Pac-10 wrestling victory Friday afternoon in Titan Gym. Davis evened its record at 1-1 overall and is 1-0 in the Pac-10 while Fullerton fell to 0-2 and 0-1. After spotting the Aggies the first four bouts, Fullerton had the momentum after decisions by Morgan Atkinson at 149 and Shawn Reilly at 157. But Richmond racked up a quick 6 team points to the delight of the vocal wrestlers in attendance from his alma mater, Kennedy High of La Palma, who were part of a crowd of about 1,500 on High School Wrestlers Day. In simultaneous bouts, Menlo College defeated Embry-Riddle, 19-16, in an NAIA battle while Santa Ana College easily handled Fresno City College, 34-6 in a south-north battle of community college powers.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan wrestling team set its 2005-06 starting rotation at the annual Maize and Blue Intrasquad on Friday (Nov. 18) at Cliff Keen Arena. After preliminary matches were held in practice throughout the preceding week, the intrasquad featured the final round of wrestleoffs at eight different weight classes. A pair of new U-M starters emerged from the intrasquad meet as sophomore/freshmen Steve Luke (Massillon, Ohio/Perry HS) and Tyrel Todd (Bozeman, Mont./Bozeman HS) each swept his respective series at 157 and 194 pounds. Luke struck quickly in his final bout against junior/sophomore Jeff Marsh (Dexter, Mich./Dexter HS), scoring a takedown just 20 seconds into the opening frame to take the lead for good. Marsh knotted the score at 2-2 with a pair of escapes, but Luke regained the advantage with an early escape in the third frame, giving him the final 3-2 edge. Todd used a balanced attack against junior/sophomore Omar Maktabi (Iowa City, Iowa/West HS), scoring a takedown early in the first period and adding another with just 10 seconds remaining in the final frame. The Wolverine freshman also registered 2:15 in riding time to gain an extra point and the 6-2 victory. The final round of wrestleoffs left one weight class unresolved as the 197-pound series between fifth-year senior Willie Breyer (Oxford, Mich./Oxford HS), the returning starter, and sophomore/freshman Casey White (Commerce, Mich./Walled Lake Central HS) is locked up at 1-1. White needed extra time to even the series in this evening's final round, holding Breyer without an escape in the second tiebreaker to claim a 3-2 win. The two Wolverines prepared to square again after a 30-minute break, but Breyer was unable to compete due to injury. The starting job will be determined in a final wrestleoff during the next week. The meet opened and closed at the 125-pound weight class as both wrestleoff matches between junior Jim Shutich (Rockford, Mich./Rockford HS) and freshman Michael Watts (Riverton, Utah/Riverton HS) were contested. Shutich won both matches by slim margins, using a third-period reversal each time to come from behind and win 4-3 and 4-2. Senior/junior Mark Moos (Lorain, Ohio/St. Edward HS) shut out freshman Justin Chrzanowski (Metamora, Mich./Lapeer West HS) 5-0 at 133 pounds on the strength of an early takedown and second-period reversal. Moos earned 1:11 in riding time after holding the advantage for most of the opening frame. Returning junior/sophomore All-Americans Josh Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) and Eric Tannenbaum (Naperville, Mich./North HS) won handily at 141 and 149 pounds, respectively, to resume their starting roles. Churella scored six takedowns against junior/sophomore Brad Cusumano (Utica, Mich./Utica HS) and added 3:40 in riding time to earn a 14-4 major decision victory. Tannenbaum registered a pair of first-period takedowns and added another in the second en route to an 8-2 decision over freshman Braden L'Amoreaux (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston HS). Rounding out the evening's matches at 174 pounds, senior/junior Nick Roy (Wall, N.J./Wall HS) tallied a 9-5 decision against sophomore/freshman Cody Waters (Adrian, Mich./Adrian HS) behind four takedowns, three of which came in the first period. Michigan will kick off the season next Saturday (Nov. 26) in a Big Ten Conference dual against Penn State in State College, Pa. The meet is slated for a 1 p.m. start at Rec Hall.

LINCOLN -- The 17th-ranked Nebraska wrestling team notched its 11th-straight season-opening victory with a 27-9 win over Boise State Friday night at the NU Coliseum. The Huskers won seven of the ten matches in the dual, including four bonus-point victories. NU head coach Mark Manning was pleased with what he saw from the Huskers. "I like the enthusiasm we showed tonight," Manning said. "I thought our guys were a little excited to get in front of the crowd." After losing the first match of the dual, NU put the contest away with three straight bonus-point wins. The streak started with an impressive varsity debut by 157-pound redshirt freshman wrestler Chris Oliver. Oliver defeated Johnny Nunez by fall with 21 seconds left in the second period. Marc Harwood followed with a 13-4 major decision victory over Boise State's Lex Case. Harwood showed his dominance in the match early by jumping out to a 9-3 lead in the first three minutes of the match. Jacob Klein also notched a major decision victory at 174 pound. The fifth-ranked Klein defeated Ben Gilliland, 17-5. While Harwood got off to a fast start in his match, Klein finished his match strong, outscoring Gilliland 10-2 in the final two minutes of the match. "Klein was focused and ready to go for the season," Manning said. "He had good intensity tonight." With a 14-3 lead, NU suffered its second setback of the night at 184 pounds, but followed with three straight wins. Third-ranked B.J. Padden began his senior season with a 2-1overtime win over Casey Phelps. The match was tied at one after Padden's second period escape was answered by Phelps in the third. After a scoreless sudden victory period, Padden was able to ride Phelps for 30 seconds and then notch an escape 12 seconds into the tiebreaker period. Heavyweight Jon May gave Nebraska its second straight overtime win with a 3-1 triumph over Andy Patrick. May took Patrick down with eight seconds to go in the sudden victory period to clinch the victory and give the Huskers a 20-6 lead. In his varsity debut, redshirt freshman Paul Donahoe clinched the dual for Nebraska with an 18-8 major decision win over Cory Fish. In the final four minutes of the match, Donahoe outscored Fish 12-4. After eighth-ranked Scott Jorgensen won for Boise State at 133 pounds, Dominick Moyer closed the dual for NU with an 8-1 victory over Jordan Brock. Moyer ran off the last seven points of the match. Next up for Nebraska is the Kaufman-Brand Open Saturday at Sapp Fieldhouse in Omaha, Neb., starting at 9 a.m.

NORMAN, Okla. -- This weekend the Sooners travel to Columbia, Mo., to compete in the teams sixth Missouri Open on Sunday Nov. 20 "This is an outstanding tournament for our wrestlers to be competing in because of the level of talent that will be at the event," said head coach Jack Spates. The event is scheduled to take place in the Hearnes Center on the campus of the University of Missouri. This will be the Sooners second open tournament of the season after taking the team title last weekend at the SUNY-Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic. "Wes Roberts will be making his season debut which is very exciting for Wes and the entire team," Continued Spates. Jarrod King and Shane Vernon are also becoming better every week so this gives them a chance to improve as well." Also Competing this weekend will be Eastern Illinois, Edinboro, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Old Dominion. Results will be updated once an hour on Missouri's athletic website www.mutigers.com. Last year the Sooners placed nine wrestlers along with five individual champions in the Missouri Open. Sam Hazewinkel (125), Teyon Ware (141), Matt Storniolo (149), Austin David (197) and Jake Hager (HWT) won individual championships in their respective weight classes. The Sooners will be returning home next week to host the 35th annual Oklahoma Open on Thanksgiving weekend.

MADISON, Wis. -- The No. 16 Wisconsin wrestling team heads to Pennsylvania for two dual meets this weekend. The Badgers will face Lock Haven on Saturday, Nov. 19, followed by the first Big Ten Conference match of the season against No. 8 Penn State on Sunday, Nov. 20. Wrestling is set for noon on both days. UW is 8-2 all-time against Lock Haven and last defeated the Eagles in 2003, 28-15. Last season LHU finished 6-8 overall and were 3-3 in conference action. Against Penn State, the Badgers are 4-10 all-time. Last facing the Nittany Lions during the 2003-04 season, UW fell, 24-15 at the UW Field House. PSU placed 23rd at the 2005 NCAA Championships and finished 10-10 overall, 3-5 in Big Ten action. On Sunday, Nov. 13 both Lock Haven and Penn State competed at the Pennsylvania State Duals Tournament, hosted by PSU. The Nittany Lions won the tournament in exciting fashion, upsetting then-No. 8 Lehigh University, 18-17. Lock Haven placed third, going 2-1 on the day. Wisconsin will bring 13 wrestlers to Pennsylvania, two of which are undefeated this season. Redshirt freshman Zach Tanelli (Millburn, N.J.) is 4-0 at 133 lbs., while Kyle Massey, from Champlin, Minn. is 5-0 at heavyweight. Collin Cudd (River Falls, Wis.) hopes to improve on their 4-1 records this season. Cudd will compete at 125 lbs. At 141 lbs. Wisconsin will bring Ed Gutnik and Tony Turner, both seniors on the squad. Gutnik, out of Iselin, N.J., is 3-2 this year, placing fourth at the Pointer Open. A native of Spring Valley Wis., Turner finished second at the Dubuque Open going 4-1 on the day. Joining his brother is junior captain Tyler Turner (Spring Valley, Wis.), who will wrestle at 149 lbs. Sophomore Craig Henning, of Chippewa Falls, Wis., will wrestle at 157 lbs. Jake Donar (Cuba City, Wis.) and Dallas Herbst (Winneconne, Wis.) are traveling as well, competing at 164 lbs., and 197 lbs., respectively. Fellow captain, Kelly Flaherty will compete at 174 lbs. Matt Maciag (Sussex, N.J.) will also make the trip wrestling at 184 lbs. Penn State boasts ranked wrestlers at eight of the 10 weights: At 133 lbs. Jake Strayer is ranked 16th; DeWitt Driscoll at is 16th at 141 lbs.; James Woodall is No. 8 at 149 lbs.; Nathan Galloway is No. 10 at 157 lbs.; James Yonushonis is 17th at 174 lbs.; Eric Bradley holds the top spot at 184 lbs.; Phil Davis is fifth at 197 lbs. and Joel Edwards is 11th at heavyweight. Lock Haven also has wrestlers named in the most recent individual rankings. At 125 lbs., Obe Blanc is ranked 17th in the polls, while Joshua A. Medina is No. 16 at 149 lbs. and Seth Martin is No. 20 in the 157 lbs. weight class. Results from both Lock Haven and Penn State can be found on uwbadgers.com. Live stats for Lock Haven and Penn State can be accessed by clicking the names.

Columbia, Mo. -- The No. 14 Missouri wrestling team will host the sixth-annual Missouri Open Sunday, Nov. 20, in the Hearnes Center Fieldhouse, with the first matches beginning at 9 am (CST). In only its sixth year, the Missouri Open has become one of the largest and most competitive wrestling tournaments in the country. Attracting nearly 600 wrestlers from 20 teams, the all-day event brings in athletes from across the Midwest, including several of the top-ranked wrestlers in the nation. Beginning in 2000, the University of Missouri took on the responsibilities of hosting the event, drawing several hundred wrestlers. Over the past three years, the Missouri Open has taken on a life of its own, gaining national attention and increasing in size. "We really enjoy hosting the Missouri Open," Tiger Head Coach Brian Smith said. "The tournament gives us the opportunity to compete with some of the top wrestlers in the nation right here in our home facility." Held in the Hearnes Center Fieldhouse, nearly 1,700 fans attended the 2004 Missouri Open, with more expected to attend in 2005. "Every year the Open seems to run smoother," Smith said. "It's really gotten the community involved with our program, which is important, and also one of the main reasons for hosting a tournament; to have another home event, but also get people hands on with the Mizzou program." Including the Tigers, five top-20 teams will attend the Open. No. 2 Oklahoma returns for their sixth-straight appearance, while No. 4 Illinois and No. 11 Indiana will make the trip to Columbia, Mo., from the Big Ten Conference. Rounding out the field is No. 20 Edinboro, which features Shawn Bunch, the No. 1 wrestler in the nation at 133 pounds. As many as 17 teams plan to attend the all-day event. Last season, Missouri captured 11 top-six finishes at the Missouri Open and hopes to have even more wrestlers finish in the top-six this year. Several Tigers that placed in the 2004 Open are back to wrestle this year, including senior Austin DeVoe and sophomore Tim Kephart at 125 pounds, who finished fifth and sixth, respectively. Two returning grapplers also appear at 133 pounds, where sophomore Tyler McCormick and junior Amond Prater look to defend their first and third-place finishes, respectively. At 141 pounds senior Chris McCormick is back after taking second a year ago, and fellow senior Jeff Foust was a third-place finisher at 197 pounds. The only other returning placewinner is junior Matt Pell, who took at 184 pounds last season but will compete at 165 pounds this year. Tyler McCormick is the only member of the 2005-06 squad to earn a Missouri Open title in his career. With three Missouri home sporting events taking place Sunday, parking will be limited. Wrestling fans should park in parking lot M on the east side of the Hearnes Center. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under. In addition, the price of admission is $2 for all members of Columbia club teams and any 2005 summer campers eighth grade and under.

OMAHA, Neb. -- The seventh-ranked Iowa State wrestlers will be competing at the annual Kaufman-Brand Open Saturday at 9 a.m. in Sapp Field House on the University of Nebraska-Omaha campus. ISU is coming off a strong showing at the Harold Nichols Open where Nate Gallick (141), Jason Knipp (149), Trent Paulson (157) and Travis Paulson (165) captured titles. True freshmen Nick Fanthorpe (125) and Mitch Mueller (141) placed third while Ben Hanisch (125) and David Bertolino (174) finished fourth. "We're excited to compete in this tournament," head coach Bobby Douglas said. "The competition is tougher every year and this year is no exception. We'll have to work very hard to place at each weight." Bertolino, who is 5-1 this season and picked up a technical fall against Utah Valley State in his 2005-06 debut, is the only returning placewinner after finishing third at 174 pounds at the 2004 Open. Bertolino topped Hostra's nationally ranked Paul Siemon in a 3-1 sudden victory battle in the third-place bout and went 6-1 in the tournament. Two-time All-American Nate Gallick (141) and 2004 All-American Kurt Backes (184) will not compete. The Kaufman-Brand Open is a final tuneup before the Cyclones host Iowa in Hilton Coliseum Dec. 2

OREM, Utah -- This weekend the Wolverines head to Greeley, Colorado for the Old Chicago Northern Colorado Open. 13 wrestlers will compete as Wolverines while the rest of the squad will wrestle unattached and find their way to Greeley on their own. The open is a good opportunity for the Utah Valley State wrestlers to get some early season matches under their belt. "More than anything I need to get guys experience," said head coach Cody Sanderson. "And opens like this are a great opportunity to wrestle more than one time in a day and gain that experience." Teams expected to compete at the UNC Open include Adams State, Air Force, Wyoming and Northern Colorado among several other schools. The Wolverines also expect to compete at several weights including 133 lbs. with senior Erkin Tadzhimetov. Tadzhimetov won his opening match at Iowa State last Friday night and then swept through the competition for a first place finish at the Cyclone Open the following day. Talon Vickers finished 2nd at the Cylcone Open at 125 lbs., while Justin Rawle won four matches at the tournament and fell just short of placing. While the Wolverines were wrestling in Iowa, a few wrestlers including Rodney Sager, headed to Laramie, Wyoming for the Cowboy Open. Sager is redshirting this year for Utah Valley and wrestled unattached at the open, winning the 20 & Under division at 133 lbs. Sanderson Inks Two... Sanderson has signed Pleasant Grove wrestler Gehrhart Vuksinick and Preston, Idaho native Dustin Olsen to letters of intent during the early signing period. Vuksinick was 46-6 as a junior at Pleasant Grove, picking up a region championship and a 2nd place finish at state. His finish at state helped the Vikings to a 2nd place finish at state as a team. He also excels in the classroom, posting a 3.84 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society and a three-time member of the Academic All-Region Team. Olsen is a two time state champion at Preston High School and is the favorite this winter for a third. In addition to the two state titles, he is also a two-time district champion. He won his first district and state titles in 2004 at 152 lbs. in the 3A division. Then, at 160 lbs. in 2005, repeated the same feat at the 4A level. His varsity record during his two state championship seasons is 87-11. Coming Up... The Wolverines will have Thanksgiving weekend off before heading to Las Vegas on December 2-3 for the Las Vegas Invitational. The following weekend will be the first home match against Western State. That will take place December 10th at 7:00pm in the Activity Center.

EASTON, Pa. -- David Craig (171) of Brandon (Fla.) High and Chip Reed (215) of Kernersville (N.C.) Robert B. Glenn High repeated as champions in the High School Division in the 8th annual National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) National Open Pre-Season Wrestling Championships November 12-13 at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C. The scholastic-style event was contested for wrestlers in four divisions: the High School Division (grades 9-12), the Middle School Division (grades 7-9), the Elementary Division (grades 4-6), and the College Division. The top six placewinners qualify for the 2006 NHSCA National Open Wrestling Championships, to be held in Virginia Beach, Va. next June. "The National Open Pre-Season Wrestling Championships has become the best tournament of its kind in the nation," NHSCA executive director Bob Ferraro said. "This Pre-Season event is a unique experience that involves athletes from so many different parts of the country and allows for elementary through college/open competition under one roof. A lot of great wrestlers have come through this event and gotten the confidence boost they needed for an outstanding season. In just eight years, this event has developed an outstanding tradition." Craig, the nation's top collegiate prospect who has committed to Lehigh University, needed just 1 minute, 10 seconds to pin his first three opponents, then won the title with a 15-1 major decision. Eric Grajales, a freshman and Craig's teammate at Brandon, also was dominant in winning the 103-pound title. Jeremie Cook of Venice High became Florida's third champion by winning the title at 189. Reed's second title capped an outstanding performance by the host state, which led all states by crowning five individual champions. Making the most noise was sophomore Jacob Earp (130) of Boone Watauga High. Earp, who didn't place in the Class 4A state tournament last year, stunned two-time New Jersey placewinner Will Livingston of Newton Kittatinny High 2-1 in the semifinals, then scored an 11-2 major decision over Tennessee state champion Nic Bundy of Hendersonville High for the title. Junior Travis Coffey, Earp's teammate at Watauga, won the 112-pound title, along with junior Thomas Ferguson (140) of Cary High and senior Zach Martin (145) of Southern Pines Pinecrest High.

RevWrestling.com is dedicated to covering and promoting amateur wrestling on all levels. However, on occasion, RevWrestling.com will look at mixed martial arts as it relates to amateur wrestling. Having three wrestling sons, I have become an avid fan of amateur wrestling with bleacher butt. More than a decade ago, I was also exposed to a MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) tournament called the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). That "tournament" format no longer exists. It was just too brutal to expect a surviving warrior to last three battles in a single night! Today the UFC is an eight-fight card, fought four or five times a year with the best MMA fighters in the world participating. Weight classes divide the competition, and today's fighter is a well-trained athlete, verse in cross-training and all martial arts disciplines. One dimensional fighters don't last long in the UFC, but wrestlers have certainly made their mark. Prior to becoming a UFC champion, Randy Couture was a four-time national champion in Greco-Roman wrestling. He was also the Pan Am Games champion and placed ninth in the 1997 World Championship in Poland.The evolution and popularity of this primitive, basic fighting competition has been fascinating to follow. Betting odds are now posted in Las Vegas sports books. I have personally attended about a dozen of these events. The world of amateur wrestling can hold its head high, as some of the best MMA fighters today have their roots in the sport of wrestling. Randy Couture, Matt Hughes, Matt Lindland, Rich Franklin, Nick Thompson, Tito Ortiz, Kevin Jackson, Kevin Randleman, Mark Coleman, Mark Kerr, and many others have shown that the ability to control an opponent's body gives you a substantial advantage in beating an opponent. Good wrestlers are able take their opponent's games away! Here's a look at my predictions for the UFC 56 fight card: MATT HUGHES (38-4) over Joe "Diesel" Riggs (26-6) by submission Hughes, a two NCAA All-American wrestler for Northern Illinois, has lost only once in the past four years (to BJ Penn). Matt is a physical freak, strong and thick, who has won 12 fights by (T)KO and 17 by submission. He can beat you either way, and fights a heavy handed opponent in Riggs who has only a "puncher's chance" to take Matt out. But, that is not likely to happen, as Matt usually gets his way with his opponent and has a remarkable lift and takedown that draws crowd approval. Once there on his back, the weight-class drop (Riggs) will eat numerous elbows from Hughes, as his punching power diminishes to worthless. This is as sure a bet as there is on the card, unless Hughes has grown bored with winning. I see Hughes choking out his opponent in the second round. Riggs was a late substitute for the injured Karo Parisyan. RICH FRANKLIN (20-1-1) over Nate Quarry 14-1 by submission Franklin emerged on the scene a few years ago after teaching high school in Cincinnati. His passion for the sport has driven him to become a UFC champion and coach of an Ultimate Fighter team on Spike TV (Matt Hughes is the other). The Ultimate Fighter show can be seen on Monday nights on Spike TV. Quarry is a by-product of last year's show, and has lead pipe fists that may surprise Franklin. But, Franklin's experience and calm demeanor give him the patience necessary to expose his opponent's weaknesses. Franklin should retain his belt with a second round arm bar submission. GEORGES ST. PIERRE (10-1) over Sean Sherk (28-1-1) by TKO I have enjoyed watching the young Canadian, St. Pierre, develop. He just gets better with every fight. This is one hungry and focused fighter, well-trained with workout partner Yves Edwards, and getting stronger and quicker with each battle. Sherk has been out of action most of the past year, fighting only once while taking time off to get away from the sport! St. Pierre is the opposite. He is hungry for the title. Both have lost only to Hughes. It's "deer-in-the headlights" time. I see St. Pierre over-powering Sherk in the first round, leading to a fight stopping TKO. Georges dishes out elbows until the ref stops the action. JEREMY HORN (85-14-6) over Trevor Prangley (11-2) by submission Nobody has more MMA experience than Horn, yet he is three years younger than the South African, Prangley. Trevor's a wrestler with a big heart, but with a limited arsenal of MMA weapons to use. While Horn's a submission artist who can take a sledge-hammer punch from Chuck Liddell and get up from the canvass. There's no quit in either of these dogs. The action will surely be on the ground. These guys aren't punchers. Horn schools Prangley with a third round submission on an ankle lock. KEVIN JORDAN (7-3) over Gabriel Gonzaga (4-1) by KO Two heavyweights, Jordan a pure puncher, while Gonzaga's four wins all coming by submission, rare for a heavyweight. Jordan was recently put to sleep by Paul Buentello's submission, and has a KO on his resume suffered at the hands on one "Cabbage," Wesley Correira. Buentello went on to get KO'd by champion Andrei Arlovski in a matter of seconds in UFC 55. Not a good sign for Jordan. But maybe he learned from this episode and will avoid going to the mat with a jiu-jitsu fighter. I'm playing a hunch that he has, and that this underdog lands a fight-stopping blow to the head of Gonzaga in the second round. Rabid UFC crowds love knock-outs. SAM HOGER (6-1) over Jeff Newton (4-1) by submission Newton is a 38-year old fitness freak who specializes in surf-boarding and rock climbing. He boasts of confidence drawn from years of kickboxing and karate competition. But his limited MMA experience will make him fodder for a younger, more motivated opponent. Hoger, 25, felt insulted by Newton's pre-fight words questioning his athleticism. Motivated opponents usually do well against arrogant ones. I see Hogar submitting Newton in the first round with a rear-naked choke. Newton's UFC career may be a short one. NICK THOMPSON (22-8) over Keith Wisniewski (19-5) by KO Prior to getting into MMA, Nick Thompson was a wrestler for the University of Wisconsin.Thompson, a former wrestler for the University of Wisconsin, is a slight underdog in this match. But nobody has been more active fighting -- as this battle will be Nick's 15th fight of the year! Included on his resume is an impressive TKO over former U.S. Marines Greco-Roman standout Joey Clark. Nick's style is unorthodox and he is able to win by KO or submission. In Wisniewski he fights a fighter who prides himself on controlling the ring and his ability to escape. Both fighters are 24 years old. I'll give it to Thompson on a surprise second round KO. ANSAR CHALANGOV (7-0) over Thiago Alves (13-3) by KO The Russian, Chalangov, is out of the mold of Oleg Taktarov, an early UFC pioneer, who could get beat up all fight, only to win at the end with some well-planned submission hold. Chalangov studies Taktarov's fights. He also looks up to Fedor Emelianenko, the Russian Pride Fighting heavyweight champion. Fedor has hands of stone. The name of Dennis Hallman is also on the resume of Chalangov victims. Yet Hallman beat Matt Hughes twice with submission holds! Yet he fell prey to this Russian. That's a scary thought. Alves is a Brazilian fighter known for his good striking abilities. He is a product of the Ultimate fighter show, who lost his last fight to Spencer Fisher by triangle choke. I think that makes him want to fight this fight on his feet. Big mistake. Chalangov ends it in the second round with a series of elbows to the head in a ground-and-pound clinic, Oleg Taktorov style. The Russian Bear is alive and well. So, that's it for now. Eight MMA fights with eight predictions to match. Hope you enjoy the show. More later. The UFC Monster

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy wrestling team opens its season on Saturday, hosting the eight-team Navy Classic in Halsey Field House, beginning at 9:00 a.m. The Mids are coming off an impressive 3-0 dual-meet sweep last weekend in California, defeating Cal State-Fullerton, Cal State-Bakersfield and UC-Davis. This year's Navy Classic field includes wrestlers from Campbell, Davidson, Duquesne, George Mason, McDaniel, Rutgers and West Virginia. "It's always good to get back home, especially when it's for the first time," said Navy head coach Bruce Burnett. "We are going to enter a lot of people and see what they can do. I haven't had a chance to see a lot of the younger kids in competition, so this will be a good opportunity for us to see how they perform." Navy returns two champions from last year's Navy Classic, which the Mids won for the first time since 1996. Junior 149-pounder John Cox (Grand Haven, Mich.) and senior heavyweight Tanner Garrett (Tulsa, Okla.) both are looking to defend their titles. Cox sports a 9-2 record so far this year, and swept all three of his California foes last weekend, after a slow start at the Eastern Michigan Open. Included in the trio of victories was a 6-4 decision over 12th-ranked Anthony Baza of Cal State-Bakersfield, his first career win over a ranked foe. Garrett, meanwhile, keeps rolling along, owning an 8-0 record and a No. 9 national ranking. He has moved into 19th place on the school's all-time victories list (79) and has won 47 of his last 48 matches in the regular season against NCAA competition, including 24 straight duals. Of his eight wins this season, three have come by extra margin, and he hasn't allowed an opponent to score more than five points in a match in his last 45 outings. The Mids also return several top-three finishers from a year ago is 133-pounder Brad Canterbury (3rd at 125), Matt Gulosh (3rd at 149), Matt Stolpinski (3rd at 174), Chris Pogue (3rd at 184) and Andrew Adams (2nd at 197). Missing from this week's lineup are regular starters Craig Dziewiatkowski at 165 pounds and Adam Brochetti at 157 pounds. Both are sitting out this weekend nursing injuries. Despite the loss of personnel at those two weights, Burnett still likes what he sees at those weights. "When someone is not in the lineup, it gives another wrestler a chance to step up," said Burnett. "This will be another good test for us. It is all practice leading up to the postseason, so it will good to see what everyone can do."

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Oregon State heavyweight Ty Watterson earned a major decision in the final match of the night to edge the Beavers past 18th-ranked Hofstra 18-17 in non-conference wrestling Thursday night at Hofstra Arena. It was the first dual meet of the season for OSU, which now competes at the Cornell Tournament on Saturday. Oregon State and Hofstra (0-1-1) won five matches each, but the Beavers got team bonus points from Watterson's major decision and Bobby Pfennigs' technical fall at 133 pounds while the Pride picked up a pair of major decisions. OSU 157-pounder Tony Hook picked up another big win with a 3-2 upset of Hofstra's James Strouse, who was ranked 17th in the country in the National Wrestling Coaches Association/InterMat preseason poll and 15th by Amateur Wrestling News. "We're pleased with the start, and now we go from there," OSU head coach Joe Wells said. "There's no question about it, we made a lot of mistakes but we'll learn to make adjustments and get better. We let a couple matches slip through our fingers; a couple of guys didn't go out and demonstrate what they can do, and they came up short." The overall outcome may be an indication that the Beavers' offseason efforts have begun paying off. "There's no question that the older guys are leading the way and showing the young guys how it's done," Wells said. Watterson didn't leave the team outcome in suspense, rolling to a 13-0 win over Jon Andriac, a two-time junior college All-American. Watterson, a junior, is ranked 15th in the country by NWCA/InterMat and 17th by Amateur Wrestling News. Pfennigs, also a junior, blanked Hofstra's Robbie Deibert by a 15-0 score in 3 minutes, 41 seconds. That started a string of four straight Oregon State wins that put OSU in front 14-3 after 141-pounder Kyle Larson, 149-pounder Orlando Perez and Hook followed with victories. The Pride came back with four straight wins of its own, though, to go in front 17-14 heading into the final match of the night. That string of Hofstra wins included a victory in the meet's only matchup of nationally-ranked wrestlers, as Mike Patrovich, listed at No. 9 by NWCA/IM, earned an 11-3 major decision over OSU's Jeremy Larson, who was ranked 20th by NWCA/IM.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- It was a battle of top ten teams on Thursday night and No. 8 Lehigh came out with its best performance of the season, in a 29-7 win over No. 10 Arizona State in the Sheridan Memorial Dual in front of a spirited crowd of 2,412 at Stabler Arena. The Mountain Hawks bounced back from a loss to Penn State, winning eight of ten bouts on the evening, including several in dramatic fashion as Lehigh improves to 4-1 on the season. The Sun Devils fall to 3-1 with the loss. The match started at 125, where Arizona State raced to a 3-0 lead behind senior Jeremy Mendoza, who used an escape and a stalling point to edge Lehigh freshman Matt Fisk 2-0. At 133, sophomore Jeff Santo made his season debut in a big way, racing to a 13-0 lead before bringing the Stabler crowd to its feet with a second period pin of Adam Hickey. From there, the Mountain Hawks would go on to win the next eight bouts, before Cain Velasquez scored a 14-4 major decision over Tom Curl in the evening's final bout. The night's biggest upset came at 197; where Lehigh's Matt Cassidy scored a late third period takedown and held on to beat No. 10 Ryan Bader 7-6. "Cassidy's win was probably the biggest of the night," said Lehigh head coach Greg Strobel. "Bader is very good, and a big guy, but Cassidy wrestled a very Strong match." Overtime was kind to the Mountain Hawks as well, as Lehigh won a pair of bouts in sudden victory. First Trevor Chinn made his first dual appearance for the Mountain Hawks, and battled through a full seven minutes, plus two minutes of overtime, before taking down Pat Payne in the second sudden victory period for a 4-2 win at 149. David Helfrich also had to work overtime for Lehigh at 184. A second stalling call on ASU's Jason Trulson knotted their bout at four and then Helfirch scored the winning takedown with just two seconds remaining in the sudden victory period. Derek Zinck and Travis Frick also provided bonus wins for the Mountain Hawks with major decisions at 157 and 174 respectively. The Mountain Hawks will return to action on Sunday, November 27 when they welcome Rutgers to Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. The match gets underway at 2:00. For tickets, call (610) 7LU-GAME or visit the Lehigh ticket office, located in Grace Hall.

The Week The Bald Eagle Wrestling squad (2-1, 0-0 EWL) begins the home portion of the 2005-06 schedule Saturday, Nov. 19 at 1 p.m. when Lock Haven University plays host to No. 15/15 University of Wisconsin. Saturday's action will be broadcast on the "Voice of Lock Haven Athletics" ESPN 1050 WLYC out of Williamsport, Pa., with a simulcast on WBPZ out of Lock Haven, Pa. John Lipez will supply the play-by-play. Series History The Bald Eagles have met the Badgers 10 times on the mat, picking up just a pair of victories. Wisconsin took the most recent meeting in 2004 by a 28-15 tally, the Bald Eagles last won in the 1997 season, a 23-12 battle. Scouting Wisconsin Wisconsin enters with a 1-0 record after a 51-0 drubbing of the Unviersity of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. The Badgers have five ranked grapplers slotted in their potential starters, led by No. 9/17 Tyler Turner at 149 and No. 10/10 Kelly Flaherty at 174. At 157, sophomore Craig Henning enters with a No. 13/15 ranking, while No. 15/20 Jake Donar at 165 and No. NR/17 Collin Cudd at 125 round out the fivesome. Badger Head Coach Barry Davis Barry Davis begins his 12th season at the helm of the Wisconsin wrestling program this fall. Davis was installed as the 15th head coach in Wisconsin history on March 4, 1994, after serving as the program's interim head coach for the 1993–94 season. In his ten seasons leading the Badgers, Davis has firmly instilled his values of commitment, intensity, loyalty and energy on the UW program. Davis brings a winning attitude as a graduate of the University of Iowa, the college wrestling powerhouse. Last Time Out for Wisconsin The Wisconsin Wrestling team traveled to Iowa on Sunday to participate in the Dubuque Spartan Open, hosted by the University of Dubuque. Five of six Badger wrestlers finished in the top-three of their weight classes, highlighting a strong showing at the Open. "This gave us a great opportunity to come down and face some of the Big Ten opponenets we will see later on in the season," said assistant coach Tony Black. "Now we know where out guys stand and what things we can work on to improve this season." Veteran Tony Turner, was one of four Badgers to notch a second place finish on the day. Turner, a senior from Spring Valley, Wis., finished the Open 4-1 at 141 lbs. Also Placing second was redshirt freshman Josh Crass who competed at 133 lbs. Craig Henning, a sophomore out of Chippewa Falls, Wis., started out 3-0 before falling to Iowa's Joe Johnston, 12-5, in the championship match at 157 lbs. Matt Maciag, a redshirt sophomore, fell in the championship match as well. Maciag, from Sussex, N.J., lost in overtime to Iowa's Paul Bradley, 5-3 at 184 lbs. Justin Peterson who fell to Bradley in the semifinals, placed third at 184 lbs., while Tyler Turner went 2-0 at 149 lbs., before withdrawing due to injury. Last Time Out for LHU The Lock Haven University wrestling squad (2-1) picked up a pair of victories in three bouts today (Nov. 13) to earn third place at the second annual Pennsylvania State Duals Tournament, hosted by Penn State University. Sophomore No. 18 Obe Blanc (Naples, Fla./Lely) earned three victories on the day's effort to lead the Bald Eagles. In front of over 1,800 fans packing Rec Hall, LHU opened up with a 25-17 win over Division II No. 15 Mercyhurst College before falling to No. 8 Lehigh University 32-3. The Bald Eagles then rebounded with a 28-11 win over Division III No. 19 York College to nab third place. "I was happy with most of our matches today," said LHU head coach Rocky Bonomo. "We still have a lot of work to do to get to where we need to be. That being said, I'm happy with the effort, and we're looking forward to Wisconsin on Saturday." Blanc got the win over the Lakers started with a tech fall victory over John Fleming at 125. Casey Moore (Beech Creek, Pa./Central Mountain) was upended by Jason Weslager 9-2 before the Bald Eagles rattled off three wins. Freshman 141-pounder Clint Shirk (Julian, Pa./Bald Eagle Area) got a major win over J.J. Zanetta 9-1, while senior No. 13 Joshua A. Medina (Las Vegas/Pima C.C.) beat No. 7 Don Cummings 11-5. Junior Seth Martin (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove) rounded out the trio with a pin of No. 8 Will Tedder. Mercyhurst took three of the next four matches to climb back in it, getting a tech fall win by Zach Schafer over Brock Jardine (Strasburg, Va./Southern Virginia University) at 165, a fall victory by Frank Zatta over Josh Fisk (Wyalusing, Pa./Drexel University) at 184, and an 11-4 decision at 197 from Paul Bergman over freshman Troy Charles (Muncy, Pa./Hughesville). Derrick Morgan (Milan, Pa./Athens) picked up the lone Bald Eagle win of those four bouts with a 10-4 decision over Mike Morgan. With LHU holding a slight 19-17 lead , senior heavyweight Tim Meyers (Mill Hall, Pa./Central Mountain) sealed the victory with a major decision over Nick Marcellino. In the semifinal round, LHU started off well with a 6-3 win by Blanc over Patrick Berger, but then the Mountain Hawks ran the table on the rest of the bouts for the 32-3 win. LHU rebounded against York, as once again Blanc got things started with a 9-4 win over Kyle Flickinger. This time, the next six grapplers followed suit. Moore got a hard-fought 5-4 win over Dave Sterner, Shirk beat Tim Bohlman 9-1 and Medina scored a tech fall on 149-pounder Dean Roberts 25-9. Martin followed with a 13-5 win over Garrett Faulkner and Jardine also scored a major over Jase Stas 11-3 before junior Carlos Ponce (Hialeah, Fla./Hialeah Miami Lakes) nabbed a tech fall in his lone bout of the day over Steve Johnston. The Panthers did get the final three victories, in a pair of majors and a regular decision, but it wasn't enough to change the outcome. Blanc finished the day at 3-0, while Ponce was the only other Bald Eagle to finish the day unscathed. Shirk, Medina and Martin all managed a pair of victories on the day.

Stanford, Calif. -- Lucas Espericueta, Zack Geisen and Jake Johnson have each signed a National Letter of Intent for Stanford Wrestling and will arrive on The Farm next fall as members of the Class of 2010, head coach Kerry McCoy announced today. "I'm really excited to have Zack, Jake and Lucas joining our program," noted McCoy. "We are building something special here at Stanford and it shows because we have three great student-athletes signing with us." Espericueta is a three-sport athlete out of Shafter High School near Bakersfield, Calif.. A three-time state qualifier and two-time Junior National qualifier, Espericueta finished in eighth-place at the state tournament last year while suffering from pneumonia. Geisen is a three-time state champion from North Valley High School in Grants Pass, Ore. He will join fellow North Valley graduate and 2004 NCAA Champion Matt Gentry as a Stanford Wrestler next fall. Geisen, who owns a 126-7 record heading into his senior season, finished in seventh place at the Junior National Greco Championships last summer and will look for his fourth state title this year. Johnson hails from Prior Lake, Minn., where he posted a 30-4 record as a junior at Prior Lake High School. He tallied a second-place finish at the state tournament last season and was selected to the Guillotine All-Academic All-State First-Team. Johnson has captained his high school squad since his sophomore year and has been twice named the team MVP

Nebraska senior 174-pound wrestler Jacob Klein was selected to participate in the 2005 NWCA All-Star Classic, held at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., on Monday, Nov. 21. Klein, an All-American in 2004 at 165 pounds, will face Northwestern's Jake Herbert at 174 pounds Monday night. Klein joins a talented field in which all 20 wrestlers have earned All-America honors, including his opponent, Herbert, who finished third last year at 174 pounds. The Big 12 Conference is also well-represented at the All-Star Classic, as Klein becomes the ninth wrestler from the conference to be invited to participate. Klein was selected Wednesday to replace Iowa's Mark Perry, who could not participate in the event.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana wrestling team will open its season this weekend at the Missouri Open on Nov. 20, in Columbia, Mo. The event marks the first team competition for the Hoosiers and will be against a highly competitive field that includes No. 2/2/2/2 Oklahoma. "This is a good warm up event for our returners and newcomers," head coach Duane Goldman said. "An undefeated season starts for some of these guys, but for the most part it is just a chance to get on the mat against some competitors. There will be a lot of top wrestlers at this event and it will be a good test for some of our new starters." •2005-06 PREVIEW• The Indiana wrestling program is nothing less than a cannon reloaded and ready to fire into the new season. With a national champion, two All-Americans, five NCAA qualifiers and five grapplers finishing in the top six at the Big Ten Championships headlining the roster, the Hoosiers are set to contend for another top-five and top-10 finish at the Big Ten and NCAA Championships, respectively. Head coach Duane Goldman also is coming off one of his best seasons in his 14-year tenure, finishing in the top-10 at the NCAA Championships (ninth) and tied for fifth at the Big Ten Championships. The Hoosiers enter the season with a top-10 recruiting class and are highlighted by 125-pound Joe Dubuque (24-3), who is back to defend his national championship from a year ago. The Bloomfield, N.J., native will look to be the fourth Hoosier to garner three All-American nods in his career. The Indiana Hoosiers also will be led this year by sophomores Brandon Becker and Max Dean and senior Brady Richardson, who all return to the starting lineup with valuable collegiate experience. All-American Becker (33-13) collected a pair of fifth-place outings at NCAAs and Big Tens in 2005 and will fill the 157-pound position again for IU this season. Both appearances in the year-end finals were a debut for last year's redshirt freshman. The Michleton, N.J., product again looks to make an appearance on the national stage, while also making a run at a conference championship. Two-time NCAA qualifier Richardson (23-6) also returns to the IU roster with one goal in mind- making the NCAA tournament and garnering All-American status. Rounding out the NCAA qualifiers from a year ago is Dean. Dean claimed fifth at the Big Ten tournament and posted a 1-2 mark at the NCAA competition. •MISSOURI PREVIEW• The Indiana wrestling team travels to the Missouri Open Sunday, Nov. 20 for its first team event of the season. The Hoosiers look to gain collegiate experience at numerous weight classes, while for some IU grapplers the beginning of an undefeated season begins in Columbia, Mo. The open boasts a highly competitive field with four teams ranked in the top-25 of one or more of the four major NCAA collegiate wrestling polls. Leading the pack is No. 2/2/2/2 Oklahoma, followed by No. 6/4/4/4 Illinois, No. 14/14/14/14 Missouri and No. 23/NR/25/NR Edinboro. The above rankings are in order of TWM, AWN, W.I.N. and NWCA-Intermat. •NATIONAL EXPOSURE• The Indiana Wrestling team opens the season ranked in all four preseason polls, with Amateur Wrestling News tabbing the Hoosiers 10th. The Wrestling Mall and W.I.N. Magazine polls both notched IU in the 11th-place spot, while the NWCA-InterMat preseason poll ranked the Hoosiers 16th. The Hoosiers garnered the preseason rankings after finishing ninth last year at the NCAA Championships (58.5). Indiana returns one national champion, two All-Americans and five NCAA Qualifiers overall from last year's top-10 squad. •REPEAT PERFORMANCE• Indiana 125-pound national champion Joe Dubuque returns for his senior season and looks to defend his national championship from a year ago. The Bloomfield, N.J., native became the first Indiana national champion since Brian Dolph grappled to the title in 1991, and looks to be the first Hoosier to achieve back-to-back titles in a career. Charlie McDaniel (1935-38) is the only Hoosier to win two NCAA crowns (1935 and 1938) during his stint at IU, and one of only three Hoosiers to garner All-American status three times (Millard Duffy, 1935-36,38; Brian Dolph, 1987-90). Dubuque looks to join the ranks of some of the best Hoosier grapplers ever to don the Cream and Crimson. •HOOSIERS IN THE RANKINGS• Four Hoosier grapplers enter the 2005-06 season ranked among the nation's elite. Leading all Hoosiers is two-time All-American Joe Dubuque, who ranks first in all four preseason polls (TWM, AWN. W.I.N., NWCA). The senior also looks to defend his national title from a year ago. At 157, sophomore All-American Brandon Becker (3/5/5/5) received top-five nods from all four preseason audiences, with his highest of third coming in TWM preseason poll. The feat marks the first time Becker has received preseason recognition after grappling in his first year of competition as a redshirt freshman in 2004-05. Sophomore NCAA Qualifier Max Dean entered the polls at 15/16/16/14 for his first preseason rankings of his career. The 165-pound Dean looks to make another run at the NCAA Championships in 2006, this time with the goal of All-American status on his mind. Rounding out the preseason accolades is senior Brady Richardson at 197. Richardson makes the move from 174 and garnered a 20th- and 11th-place ranking in the TWM and NWCA polls, respectively. Richardson, who wrestled at 174 in 2004 and 2005 and qualified for the NCAA Championships in both seasons, is looking to make his mark at his new and stronger weight division. •TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER• Head coach Duane Goldman named seniors Joe Dubuque and Brady Richardson as the 2005-06 team captains. Both Hoosiers enter the senior campaign with high goals for not only the team, but have individual expectations. Dubuque looks to become the first Hoosier to garner back-to-back NCAA titles, the second Hoosier to garner two national crowns in a career and only the fifth IU grappler to receive All-American honors three-times during their stint at IU. Richardson looks to garner his first All-American accolade after qualifying for the postseason the last two years at 174. Goldman says the Vincennes, Ind., native looks stronger and more comfortable in his new weight class, and has all the potential to achieve his 2006 goals. •RECORDS WILL "FALL"• Senior Joe Dubuque stands just nine falls away from entering the all-time Indiana list for most pins in a career. Dubuque currently stands at 15 falls for his career, nine below the ninth-ranked Hoosier Pat Cassidy (1997-2000) who has 24. Viktor Sveda (1998-2002), one of the program's most decorated wrestlers, owns the record with 47. The Bloomfield, N.J., native looks to be the fourth graduating senior in five years to etch their name in the IU career pins record book. Sveda took the top spot in 2002 (47), current IU volunteer coach Coyte Cooper tabbed third on the list in 2004 (37) and last year's All-American Pat DeGain finished in fourth in 2005 (35). •LOOKING FOR THE "W"• Senior national champion Joe Dubuque currently stands at an 86-17 career record. Dubuque falls just 19 wins outside of the top 10 all-time most wins in a career record book. Should Dubuque garner 19 wins in his senior campaign, the Hoosier will tie current 10th-ranked IU grapplers Mark Galyan (1978-1982) and Scott Holman (1986-1990) on the list at 105. Viktor Sveda (1997-2002) currently holds the all-time record with 149. •A TALL MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB• Indiana wrestling is looking at one of its toughest schedules under Duane Goldman's leadership in the 2005-06 lineup. The Hoosiers, once the Big Ten season starts, open the campaign against currently unranked Ohio State (Jan. 20) and Purdue (Jan. 22). The Hoosiers then take on six straight ranked opponents in No. 6/4/4/4 Illinois (Jan. 27), No. 4/6/3/5 Iowa (Jan. 29), No. 5/5/6/6 Minnesota (Feb. 5), No. 12/13/12/12 Penn State (Feb. 10), No. 13/12/13/11 Northwestern (Feb. 17) and No. 3/3/5/3 Michigan (Feb. 19). •BIG SHOES TO FILL• Indiana's starting lineup has a few key changes from last year's roster, which leaves the young Hoosier grapplers with some big shoes to fill. At 133, 2004 starter Brian Dyer transferred out of the IU program and has now left the spot open for either another redshirt freshman Andrae Hernandez or incoming freshman Angel Escobedo. At 141, both seniors Mike Simpson and Cameron Sakon graduated to leave the weight class vacant. Looking to fill the opening will be either junior Ian Campbell or senior Nick Spatola, who is the only one of the two with collegiate experience. At 174, a weight usually filled by current senior Brady Richardson who moved to 197, is now open to a duo of newcomers. Sophomore Marc Bennett and freshman Trevor Perry look to battle for the 2005 starting position. After an early graduation, Andy Rios vacated the 184-pound starting spot, leaving room for either junior Josh Buuck, sophomore Justin Curran or redshirt freshman Heath Vandeventer. The final opening poses the greatest to fill in not only talent, but leadership. Senior Pat DeGain, who filled the heavyweight division and achieved All-American status in his senior season, leaves the weight class open for sophomore Dave Herman. Herman had seven starts in 2004-05 behind DeGain, going 7-1 in his appearances on the mat.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Oklahoma State's wrestling team will begin its defense of the NCAA Championship when it travels to Omaha, Neb., for the Kaufman-Brand Open on Saturday. The Cowboys will be sending their entire roster to compete. All returning wrestlers will wrestle in the Open Division, while the newcomers will compete in the 20 & Under Division. Zack Esposito, Johny Hendricks and Steve Mocco will all stay home to rest for the NWCA All-Star Classic, which will take place in Gallagher-Iba Arena on Monday night. Over 650 wrestlers are set to compete on 12 mats at the Sapp Fieldhouse. The Cowboys will be facing wrestlers from Big 12 rivals Iowa State and Nebraska as well as wrestlers from top programs Iowa and Minnesota. Schools from all levels will be competing (Division I, Division II, Division, III and NAIA). Oklahoma State hosts the NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps on Monday night at 7 p.m. OSU opens the dual season at Michigan State before hosting Lehigh on Dec. 2.

BLACKSBURG -- The University of Nebraska Omaha will host the Kaufman-Brand Open at Lee & Helene Sapp Fieldhouse Saturday, in the nation's largest single-day collegiate meet in the nation. The first matches will get underway at 9 a.m., in two divisions, an open and one for 20 & under competitors. The meet will proceed with no set times for semifinals or finals until its conclusion. A total of 42 teams are expected to enter approximately 650 wrestlers in the meet, making it easily the country's largest single-day collegiate meet. The U.S. Olympic Training Center will send a squad in addition to many of the top teams in all three NCAA divisions. Teams entered from NCAA Division I: Boise Sate, Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, Wyoming, North Dakota State, South Dakota State. NCAA II: Adams State, Augustana, Central Oklahoma, Chadron State, Colorado Mines, Minnesota State, Mankato, Minnesota State-Moorhead, UNO, Nebraska-Kearney, Northern State, St. Cloud State. NCAA III: Luther, Northwestern, Wartburg, Wisconsin-LaCrosse. NAIA: Briar Cliff, Buena Vista, Dana, Mary, Missouri Baptist, Waldorf. Junior Colleges: Ellsworth, Iowa Central, Labette, Lincoln, Neosho and Ridgewater. For Virginia Tech, the lineup is expected to be the same as last week's at the West Virginia Open. Representing Virginia Tech: Eddie Baughan, 165 pounds Mark Czarny, 165 pounds Mike Faust, 285 pounds David Hoffman, 141 pounds John Laboranti, 197 pounds Sheridan Moran, 133 pounds Christian Smith, 125 pounds Justin Staylor, 125 pounds Tech wrestlers competing "unattached": Steve Borja, 184 pounds Jay Borschel, 174 pounds Dave Kiley, 157 pounds Dan LeClere, 141 pounds T.H. Leet, 165 pounds Mark Logan, 285 pounds Brent Metcalf, 149 pounds Anton Prater, 133 pounds Joe Slaton, 133 pounds Matt Woods, 197 pounds Not expected to compete: Jon Bonilla-Bowman, 157 pounds Tyde Prater, 149 pounds Joe Thompson, 125 pounds Brackets are expected to be updated on UNO's Web site as the day goes along, with the event scheduled to end around midnight, Eastern Time.

Preseason tournaments always prove to be a good barometer for teams to see where they sit at this juncture of the season. Let's take a look at some of the key tournaments on the weekend docket. East Stroudsburg Open (Saturday, East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania) The ESU Open might be as tough as it has ever been in its 39-year history. Top teams expected to send wrestlers this year include Lehigh, Arizona State, Penn State, and Hofstra. Harvard, Shippensburg, Delaware Valley, Maryland, and the Citadel have some solid individuals who should also figure into the mix. Troy LettersTroy Letters of Lehigh, a three-time All-American and 2004 NCAA champion, is always a treat to watch compete, regardless of who he wrestles. This weekend should be no exception, as Letters faces a field that will be overmatched and outclassed. The 197-pound weight class should be intriguing … as Division II national champion Corey Jacoby of Shippensburg, freshman sensation Hudson Taylor of Maryland, former ESU Open champion Paul Weibel of Lehigh, and High School Nationals champion Mike Purcillo of Hofstra, are all expected to compete there. At 157 pounds, two-time All-American Jon Masa of Hofstra should see a formidable opponent in NCAA qualifier Travis Piccard of the Citadel. Two talented true freshmen to keep a close eye on this weekend at the ESU Open are David Erwin of Penn State at 165 pounds and Louis Caputo of Harvard at 184 pounds. Erwin, a two-time state champion from Ohio, has been very impressive since stepping foot on the Happy Valley campus. Caputo was a Junior Nationals double champion this past summer in Fargo. The most interesting storyline, however, is the fact that two of the nation's best high school wrestlers have pre-registered for this event at 125 pounds: Mike Grey of New Jersey and Pat McCaffrey of Pennsylvania. Auggie-Brute-Adidas Open (Saturday, Minneapolis, Minnesota) The Auggie Open, which is hosted by Augsburg and held at Si Melbi Hall in Minneapolis, attracts midlevel Division III teams such as Saint John's, Central College, Loras, St. Olaf, and Dubuque. A few top JUCO teams such as Ridgewater, Ellsworth, and Lincoln are expected to be in Minneapolis this year as well. Each weight class is separated into three divisions (based on skill or experience and determined by the coaches): Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Although team points are not kept, host Augsburg dominates this event every year. Last year, the Auggies had nine individual champions in the Gold Division. If you're going to the event this year hoping to see Augsburg three-time undefeated NCAA champion Marcus LeVesseur, you'll come home disappointed. Augsburg coach Jeff Swenson released this statement to RevWrestling.com this week: "Marcus will not be wrestling this season because of academic and personal reasons. We hope to have him back next year." The good news for fans traveling to this event is that you'll get the opportunity to see three Division I All-Americans in action (all from the University of Minnesota): Mack Reiter at 133 pounds, Matt Nagel at 165 pounds, and Cole Konrad at heavyweight. Reiter, Nagel, and Konrad will all compete in the NWCA All-Star Classic on Monday night. You can bet that a few of the newcomers to Division III and JUCO will get an unpleasant initiation into college wrestling. Ryan Kaufman-Glen Brand Open (Saturday, Omaha, Nebraska) The Kaufman-Brand in Omaha has become the premier collegiate open tournament in the country. A total of 42 teams across all divisions are expected to enter approximately 650 wrestlers in the tournament this year -- making it the country's largest single-day collegiate tournament. Last year, 700 wres­tlers competed in over 1,000 match­es dur­ing that lasted from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. The U.S. Olympic Training Center is expected to send a team, which should help stiffen the competition even more. Teams entered from Division I: Boise Sate, Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin, Wyoming, North Dakota State and South Dakota State. Division II: Adams State, Augustana, Central Oklahoma, Chadron State, Colorado Mines, Minnesota State, Mankato, Minnesota State-Moorhead, UNO, Nebraska-Kearney, Northern State, St. Cloud State. Division III: Luther, Northwestern, Wartburg and Wisconsin-La Crosse. NAIA: Briar Cliff, Buena Vista, Dana, Mary, Missouri Baptist, Waldorf. Junior Colleges: Ellsworth, Iowa Central, Labette, Lincoln, Neosho, and Ridgewater. While it's nearly impossible to forecast match-ups prior to the event because most teams don't publicly announce their tournament rosters before Saturday, there is no question that you'll see great match-ups at the Kaufman-Brand. All-Americans will battle All-Americans. Last year, amazingly, six wrestlers who reached the NCAA finals (five of those being NCAA champions) won titles in Omaha. This year, Zack Esposito, Johny Hendricks and Steve Mocco of Oklahoma State will all stay home to rest for the NWCA All-Star Classic on Monday night. Nathan MorganThe Kaufman-Brand is the first event of the season that truly shakes up the rankings and helps wrestlers gauge where they rank on the national level. It also allows true freshmen to showcase their abilities against highly-ranked Division I wrestlers. Last year, two true freshmen won titles at the Kaufman-Brand: Nathan Morgan of Oklahoma State and Alex Tsirtsis of Iowa. Morgan defeated eventual NCAA fourth-place finisher Mack Reiter of Minnesota in the 133-pound finals, while Tsirtsis upended C.J. Ettelson of Northern Iowa in the 141-pound finals. Six years ago, true freshman Damion Hahn of Minnesota gave Cael Sanderson of Iowa State his closest match of his collegiate career (4-3) in Omaha. Body Bar Invitational (Saturday, Ithaca, New York) Last year, two of the eventual top-five teams in the country competed at the Body Bar: Michigan and host Cornell. But with the Wolverines not attending this year, and the Big Red not as strong as they were a year ago, this tournament will take a step back in terms of overall talent. The teams expected to be in Ithaca this year include Army, Drexel, Cornell, Maryland, Sacred Heart, Ithaca, Kent State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Oregon State, and Slippery Rock. One interesting storyline at the Body Bar this year is the much anticipated debut of Troy Nickerson of Cornell at 125 pounds. Remember, four years ago, Cornell had a freshman 125-pounder finish runner-up at the Body Bar named Travis Lee. Lee, who would eventually go on to win two NCAA titles, lost in the finals to a wrestler from Cleveland State. So, if Nickerson does happen to lose to a midlevel Division I wrestler this weekend, let's hold off on scrutinizing an 18-year-old freshman. Other collegiate wrestling tournaments this weekend: Saturday: Navy Classic (Annapolis, Maryland), Concordia Open (Mequon, Wisconsin), Fullerton Open (Fullerton, California), Northern Colorado Open (Greeley, Colorado), and Coe Turkey Invitational (Cedar Rapids, Iowa). Sunday: Missouri Open (Columbia, Missouri), Keystone Classic (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), and Oneonta State Invitational (Oneonta, New York).

No. 3-ranked Wartburg College opens its 2005-06 dual season with four contests at the Olivet (Michigan) Comet Duals Saturday, Nov. 19. The Knights, seeking a fifth consecutive 20-win season, take on Wabash (Indiana) at 9 a.m., Mt. St. Joseph (Ohio) at 10:30 a.m., Lycoming (Pennsylvania) at 12 p.m., and Ohio Northern at 1:30 p.m. All action takes place at Olivet High School. Wartburg is also sending groups to the Augsburg College Auggie Brute-Adidas, Coe College Kohawk and Kauffman-Brand Opens Saturday. Action begins at 9 a.m. in Si-Melby Hall on Augsburg's campus in Minneapolis, Minn., Eby Fieldhouse on the campus of Coe in Cedar Rapids and Sapp Fieldhouse on the campus of the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern's head wrestling coach Tim Cysewski has announced the signing of two student-athletes to National Letters of Intent. Keith Sulzer and Kyle Bertin--both of St. Edward High School in Lakewood, Ohio--will join the team for the 2006-07 season. Both Sulzer and Bertin bring impressive résumés to Evanston. The duo has led St. Edward, which is currently ranked the No. 2 high school program in the country according to Amateur Wrestling News, to three-consecutive state championships. Sulzer is widely considered one of the nation's top high school prospects. He is ranked the country's sixth-best high school wrestler at 130 lbs. by intermatwrestle.com and 11th best according to Amateur Wrestling News. Sulzer is a 2005 National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) Junior Nationals champion, and was runner up at the Fila Cadet Freestyle meet, where he garnered All-America accolades. Sulzer, who chose Northwestern over Cornell, Michigan State and Old Dominion, is projected to wrestle at 133 lbs. for the Wildcats next year. Bertin had a successful run at the NHSCA Junior Nationals as well, winning three matches including a win over three-time Ohio state placewinner Matt Lerer. Bertin twice has earned a spot on the Ohio Cadet National team, and has been a four-year varsity starter for the Eagles. His freshman year, Bertin won titles at Marion Harding, Troy, Licking Heights and New Lexington tournaments. While Bertin was hampered due to injury throughout his sophomore season, he rebounded during his junior campaign, posting a 17-5 record. Bertin chose Northwestern over Stanford. With the two signings, the St. Edwards High School-Northwestern pipeline continues. Sophomore Ryan Lang (North Royalton, Ohio/St. Edward) was a 2003 graduate, as was All-American and 1999 Northwestern graduate Sam Neider.

Hello everyone, my name is Andrew Dorn. I am a freshman wrestling for the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse at 157 pounds. Starting college and joining the wrestling team has been a pretty intense experience for me so far. If you find yourself asking, 'What is the biggest difference between high school and college wrestling?' For me, the answer is a team. There wasn't much of a team at my high school. Having wrestled for many years prior to high school, I had a decent background in wrestling. But high school was a struggle for me, not having much of a wrestling room. It seemed as if I had to work twice as hard to be on an even playing field with my opponents. Stricken with many illnesses and injuries, I did not have the successful high school career that I had hoped to have. My senior year started out great. I was coming into the regional meet with only one loss and I felt good about where I stood. To my disappointment, I placed second at regionals and third at sectionals. I made it to state, but I knew I could have done better to place myself in a favorable position on the chart. My first round at state could not have gone any worse. Losing my first match and being knocked out of the state tournament was devastating for me. As Ross Needham stated in the last Rev Blog, "Anyone who has ever stepped foot on a wrestling mat knows about broken dreams". The moment I lost at the state tournament, I was broken. I did not know what was left for me in terms of wrestling. Then to my surprise, Coach Billy Huebner came to talk to me after my disappointing state match. He said I had untapped talent, and that I was, "a diamond in the rough." He stated that I had not yet reached my potential and that he would enjoy it if I would attempt to reach that potential at UW-La Crosse. I was astonished with this offer. I went from not knowing if I would ever wrestle competitively again to being recruited by one of the best wrestling schools in Division III. I had previously thought of what it would be like to be in a room where I could grow from a high school wrestler into a college athlete. So this essentially made a dream come true. As summer began to fade and with the school year creeping around the corner, I was both excited and scared to lace up the shoes again. I knew that being in such a competitive college wrestling room was going to be a whole lot different from my high school experiences. I wondered how it would be to wrestle in a room with actual college wrestlers, not to mention some of the best in the nation. I was pumped! As practice came along, I felt right at home. I quickly adapted to the room and was happy for once in my life, in terms of the way the wrestling room was run. After a few weeks of practice everyone could feel that wrestle-offs were coming up. I was excited to be able to finally show what I could do. I won both of my matches, one of which was a close overtime match. This meant that I would be starting in the first dual meet of the season against Iowa State. The spot was open due to the fact that our returner at 157 pounds, Ross Needham, was out recovering from recent knee surgery. Coming to La Crosse, one of my goals was to crack the lineup and wrestle against teams such as Iowa State. I didn't anticipate that it would come so quickly. I like wrestling tough matches -- it lets me know where I am as a wrestler and lets me know how hard I need to push myself to get better. As it is every year, I had first-match jitters. Still, as nervous as I was, I was excited beyond all belief to be put into the starting lineup, especially as a true freshman. I knew it would be a tough match, but I thought I was up for the challenge. The van ride to Fayette took us three hours, but it felt like days. Warming up for the match was nerve-racking, but I was pumped up to wrestle. The match didn't go the way I had planned, but it was a very good experience for me. I was up against one of the Paulson brothers (Trent) and he introduced me to college wrestling, beating me by major decision. Andrew Dorn wrestled Iowa State All-American Trent Paulson two times in the same week.This past weekend we wrestled in the Harold Nichols Open at Iowa Central in Fort Dodge. I was excited to wrestle in my first college tournament. I started out wrestling tough in my first match, but I gradually started getting sloppy. The match actually ended up well with me coming out on top with a pin. I quickly found out that in my next match I would be wrestling Trent Paulson from Iowa State again. I didn't wrestle the way I would like to. I was cautious, and maybe a bit intimidated. My next match was close. And in a crazy third period scramble, I won the match with another pin. I lost my next match, 9-5, in what was a very hard fought match. This loss knocked me out of the tourney. As disappointed as I was to be knocked out, I was happy with the way I wrestled overall. All in all, I am overwhelmed with the wrestling team here at UW La Crosse. I couldn't ask for better teammates. They are so supportive on and off the mat. There have been times in my life where I thought about quitting wrestling, but I pressed on with it. I went from being a state qualifier with little hope of going to a good wrestling school to being in the starting lineup for the second ranked team in the country and wrestling a Division I All American. It's safe to say that I am glad where I am right now. My friends and family have been very important to me along the way in keeping me focused and motivated to work through the hard times that wrestling can sometimes bring your way. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my parents for the support they have given me throughout the years, through all the time they have invested in my wrestling and always being there to watch me compete whenever it was possible. The team here in La Crosse has given me a gift. I only hope that I can return the favor. John Andrew Dorn Past UW-La Crosse Entries: Entry 3 (11/3/05) Entry 2 (10/19/05) Entry 1 (10/10/05)

State College, Pa. -- Penn State Nittany Lion wrestler Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) has been named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week. The sophomore 197-pounder shares the honor with Northwestern 141-pounder Ryan Lang. Davis, a returning All-American, was a perfect 3-0 last Sunday, recording falls in each of his matches to help lead Penn State to the title at the 2005 Pennsylvania State Dual Championships. His pin of Lehigh's Paul Weibel in 3:30 to spark a Penn State rally and help the Lions to an 18-17 win over the No. 8 Mountain Hawks. The Harrisburg native was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler and won the Most Pins in the Fastest Time Award, getting three in 13:35. Davis is now 3-0 on the year as are the No. 12 Nittany Lions. Head coach Troy Sunderland and the Nittany Lions will host No. 15 Wisconsin on Sunday, Nov. 20., at 1 p.m. in Rec Hall. Free schedule magnets will be given to the first 2,500 fans showing up for the 1 p.m. match with the Badgers, courtesy of the Penn State Wrestling Booster Club. Also, Penn State Wrestling T-Shirts will be given to the first 1,000 fans, courtesy of Penn State Athletics. Single match tickets can be purchased by visiting the BJC Ticket Center or by calling 814-865-5555 or 800-863-3336. Prices are $5 for adults and $3 for youth and senior citizens. Tickets will also be available at the door beginning one hour prior to match time.