InterMat Staff

The U.S. Marine Corps will send five wrestlers to the Vantaa Cup in Vantaa, Finland, Nov. 26-27 and the Haparanda Cup in Haparanda, Sweden, Dec. 3-4. Both events are attended annually by U.S. Greco-Roman athletes as they serve as a warm-up to the upcoming Winter Tour season. Two-time U.S. World Team Trials runner-up Jacob Clark (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marine Corps) will lead the squad at 84 kg/185 lbs. Clark is also a two-time Armed Forces champion (2004-05) and he won a silver medal at the Haparanda Cup last year. Two other Marine wrestlers will compete at 84 kg as well, Ryan Cunninham (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marine Corps) and Jeremy Pederson (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marine Corps). Cunningham, a former three-time NCAA All-American at Central Michigan Univ., placed eighth in the Haparanda Cup last year. Earlier this year, he won a bronze medal at the Granma Cup in Cuba. Pederson placed eighth at this year's U.S. Nationals. He also placed second at the FILA Junior National Championships and fourth in the University National Championships in 2005. Also competing for the U.S. Marines in these two events will be Jeremy McLean (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marine Corps) at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Joe Zinkan (Quantico, Va./U.S. Marine Corps) at 74 kg/163 lbs. McLean placed fourth in this year's University National Championships. He also placed sixth in the Vantaa Cup last year. Zinkan placed fourth in the 2005 Armed Forces Championships. Also competing will be U.S. Nationals runner-up Russ Davie (Colorado Springs, Colo./New York AC) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. In the past year, Davie has established himself as an international force, winning a silver medal at the 2004 World Cup and another silver medal at the 2004 Pan American Championships. The coach of the team will be Dan Hicks (Quantico, Va.), who placed third at the 2005 U.S. World Team Trials. He was a five-time Armed Forces champion (1997-2000, 2002). Last year, six U.S. wrestlers placed in the top 10 at the Haparanda Cup. At the Vantaa Cup, Phil Johnston of the U.S. Air Force won a bronze medal to lead the U.S. squad. TheMat.com will provide updates from these events. U.S. Rosters Vantaa Cup at Vaanta, Finland, Nov. 26-27 and Haparanda Cup at Haparanda, Sweden, Dec. 3-4 60 kg/132 lbs. – Jeremy McLean, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marine Corps) 74 kg/163 lbs. – Joe Zinkan, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marine Corps) 84 kg/185 lbs. – Jacob Clark, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marine Corps) 84 kg/185 lbs. – Ryan Cunninham, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marine Corps) 84 kg/185 lbs. – Jeremy Pederson, Quantico, Va. (U.S. Marine Corps) 120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Russ Davie, Colorado Springs, Colo. (New York AC) Coach: Dan Hicks, Quantico, Va.

Team Rankings: Rank School (State) Points 1. Nebraska-Omaha 160 2. Minnesota State-Mankato 148 3. Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 144 4. Augustana (S.D.) 132 5. Findlay (Ohio) 116 6. Central Oklahoma 109 7. Shippensburg (Pa.) 108 8. Nebraska-Kearney 106 9. Adams State (Colo. 86 10. Fort Hays State (Kan.) 79 11. Minnesota State-Moorhead 70 12. Indianapolis (Ind.) 63 13. Ashland (Ohio) 60.5 14. Truman State (Mo.) 56 15. Mercyhurst (Pa.) 52 16. Gannon (Pa.) 46 17. Central Missouri State 45.5 18. San Francisco State (Calif.) 30 19. North Carolina-Pembroke 15 20. Kutztown (Pa.) 12 Individual Rankings: 125 Pounds 1. Ryon Mazzacco, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 2. Rob McCabe, Adams State (Colo.) 3. Jamie Thomas, Shippensburg (Pa.) 4. Nick Smith, Minnesota State-Mankato 5. Marques Bravo, Western State (Colo.) 6. Chas Welch, Northern State (S.D.) 7. Allen Stokes, Truman State (Mo.) 8. Jake Brumbelow, Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 133 Pounds 1. Andy Uhl, Findlay (Ohio) 2. Shane Perkey, Indianapolis (Ind.) 3. Mike Hansen, Central Missouri State 4. Jared Henning, Central Oklahoma 5. Raymond Dunning, Adams State (Colo.) 6. Mike Sanders, Gannon (Pa.) 7. Dan Hilario, Nebraska-Omaha 8. Brett Allgood, Nebraska-Kearney 141 Pounds 1. Thad Benton, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 2. Andre VanderVelde, Augustana (S.D.) 3. Mitch Waite, Nebraska-Omaha 4. Kyle Evans, Central Oklahoma 5. Wade Kilgore, Central Missouri State 6. Ben Keen, Minnesota State-Moorhead 7. Zach Stephens, Minnesota State-Mankato 8. Danny Norman, Indianapolis (Ind.) 149 Pounds 1. Pacifico Garcia, San Francisco State (Calif.) 2. Jason Rhoten, Minnesota State-Mankato 3. R.J. Paterniti, Gannon (Pa.) 4. Ryan King, Augustana (S.D.) 5. Tony Guerra, Findlay (Ohio) 6. Shea Timothy, Central Oklahoma 7. Don Cummings, Mercyhurst (Pa.) 8. Shane Unger, Nebraska-Omaha 157 Pounds 1. Patrick Allibone, Nebraska-Omaha 2. Angelo Vettese, Findlay (Ohio) 3. Math Bitz, Minnesota State-Mankato 4. David Nordhues, Fort Hays State (Kan.) 5. Dustin Teeman, Truman State (Mo.) 6. Austin Scarset, Augustana (S.D.) 7. Nathan Pilcher, Colorado School of Mines 8. Will Tedder, Mercyhurst (Pa.) 165 Pounds 1. J.D. Naig, Nebraska-Omaha 2. Evan Copeland, Adams State (Colo.) 3. Zach Schafer, Mercyhurst (Pa.) 4. Cody Henriksen, Augustana (S.D.) 5. Nate Baker, Minnesota State-Moorhead 6. Cort Petersen, Central Oklahoma 7. Nate Schut, St. Cloud State (Minn.) 8. Chris Gibbs, West Liberty State (W.Va.) 174 Pounds 1. Travis Krinke, Minnesota State-Mankato 2. Mike Jackson, Indianapolis (Ind.) 3. Clint Carmony, Ashland (Ohio) 4. Aaron Meister, Fort Hays State (Kan.) 5. Tim Johns, Southwest Minnesota 6. Eli Garshnick, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 7. Steve Conlin, Nebraska-Omaha 8. Tommy Clark, West Liberty State (W.Va.). 184 Pounds 1. Mike Corcetti, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 2. Mark Murphy, Shippensburg (Pa.) 3. Gregg Nurrenbern, Truman State (Mo.) 4. Derek Brunson, North Carolina-Pembroke 5. John Koons, Minnesota State-Mankato 6. Mike Howell, Fort Hays State (Kan.) 7. Clint Salisbury, Findlay (Ohio) 8. Nate Oviatt, Nebraska-Omaha 197 Pounds 1. Corey Jacoby, Shippensburg (Pa.) 2. Tim Boldt, Augustana (S.D.) 3. Jeff Sylvester, Nebraska-Kearney 4. John Goral, Wisconsin-Parkside 5. Ryan Kirst, Ashland (Ohio) 6. Ben Strandberg, Nebraska-Omaha 7. Dustin Trego, Fort Hays State (Kan.) 8. Dayo Scott, Anderson (S.C.) Hwt 1. Les Sigman, Nebraska-Omaha 2. Andrew Ubben, Fort Hays State (Kan.) 3. Chris Tuchscherer, Minnesota State-Moorhead 4. Josh LeadingFox, Central Oklahoma 5. Tervel Dlagnev, Nebraska-Kearney 6. Zach Majocha, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 7. Jacob Linninger, Shippensburg (Pa.) 8. Brian Black, Upper Iowa

Chuck BarbeeWEST POINT, N.Y. -- Army's wrestling team will kick off its 2005-06 campaign Saturday, Nov. 5, when the mat men host the annual Black-Gold intra-squad scrimmage in their brand-new wrestling room located on the second floor of the newly-renovated Arvin Gymnasium at 5:30 p.m. The meet, which allows Black Knight fans an early opportunity to see Army's grapplers in action, will help head coach Chuck Barbee finalize the starters at several positions. Barbee welcomes back 13 letterwinners and eight starters from a team that put together a 12-5 mark last season and was ranked in the national polls for much of the year. Senior Patrick Simpson will serve as the team's captain this season. Army opens it intercollegiate season Nov. 12 when the Black Knights travel to Brockport, N.Y., to compete in the Oklahoma Gold-Brockport Classic. Here is the Army wrestling season outlook by weight class. 125 A talented stable of skilled wrestlers defines the 125-pound weight class for Army this season. Head coach Chuck Barbee believes that there are five grapplers who have what it takes to make significant contributions to this year's team. Sophomores Travis Featherstone and Fernando Martinez have battled throughout the preseason and the odds are that one of the second-year performers will eventually emerge as this year's starter. Featherstone beat out Martinez for the lead role last season and went on to compile a sturdy 15-16 overall record as the Black Knights' regular starter. The Orange, Calif., native competed in each of Army's dual matches, going 7-10 in those bouts. A former Indiana state champion during his high school career, Martinez saw action in three different tournaments last season. He authored a 6-4 mark with one major decision. The sophomore has trained hard during the off-season and is primed for the bright lights of dual competition. "Featherstone and Martinez are going to be neck-and-neck and I think the competition between them will allow us to make substantial improvements at the weight class," says Barbee. Freshman Davey Mason, a two-time Oklahoma state champion, will be a factor. A technically gifted wrestler, Mason may need a little time to make the adjustment to Division I wrestling. The younger brother of Phillip and Patrick Simpson, William Simpson is a talented freshman who will challenge for a spot right away. A three-time Tennessee state champion, Simpson exhibits tremendous toughness. Junior Thang Tran, who is entering his third year with the program, adds quality depth. 133 The starting spot at 133 pounds is up for grabs this year as returning starter Tony Severo has moved up a class. Severo, an EIWA placewinner for the Black Knights last year, is moving up to 141 pounds and his departure creates a hole that needs to be filled. The early favorite to step in is junior Frank Baughan. Baughan was called upon several times last year for spot duty and performed admirably. "Baughan's a darn good wrestler," comments Barbee. "He just needs some time under the lights." Baughan will get a heavy test from freshman Whitt Dunning. A high school All-American, Dunning has shown that he can compete at the national level and will present a legitimate challenge to the starting role. Three-time Oklahoma state champion Tyler Howard is expected to step right in and challenge Baughan as well. A freshman, who spent last year at USMAPS, Howard possesses a great deal of raw talent. "This group has exceptional capabilities and while there is a great deal of unproven talent at this weight class, I am excited to see it develop," mentions Barbee. 141 The favorite at 141 pounds is senior Tony Severo, who moved up a weight class after a successful year at 133. "Tony did tremendous work last year in cutting down to 133," remarks Barbee. "I think his best weight is 141, and I think we'll see a lot of fire in his eyes this year. Tony will be tough to beat this season." Lief Gilsdorf, who is pencilled in as Severo's backup, is a great competitor and an even better teammate. The junior won his only bout of the year, a 3-2 dual match victory over an opponent from Sacred Heart. Senior Tommy Hendrix, who has been a solid contributor for Army throughout his career, will add steady leadership to this group. Freshman Casey Schrieber, a high school runner-up in Florida last year, will provide depth as he continues to develop. Fellow plebe Brock Epps, a former high school standout in North Carolina, rounds out the weight class. 149 Senior Patrick Simpson, who is stepping up from 141 pounds, is projected as the starter in the 149-pound weight class. He has shown great determination during his off-season program. The coaching staff is expecting big things from him this year as the team captain and one of the squad's seasoned veterans. Drake Rossi, a tough freshman from Illinois, will be one of the three wrestlers pushing Simpson this year. Rossi has good skills and a very promising future with the Black, Gold and Gray. Junior Mike Tatz, who has toiled tirelessly during his first two years, is expected to see more mat time this year at both the varsity and junior varsity levels. Austin Milster and Gary Bowman will add depth to this group. Milster, a junior, is a tireless worker. A freshman, Bowman walked on to the team after spending a productive season at USMAPS. 157 A hard-fought battle is expected at 157 pounds. Sophomore Aaron Wernimont, who put together an 8-8 mark as the primary backup to Phillip Simpson last year at 149 pounds, has moved up to 157 pounds and will be in the mix. Sophomore Brandon Benson, who started several matches last year as a plebe is also in the group. Benson, a two-time Oklahoma state champion during his high school days, authored a 15-16 record last season with four pins. Freshman Brian Rowan comes in after a successful year at USMAPS and is a great competitor. "This weight class is really stacked for us," says Barbee. "I think several guys could start for us, and whoever gets the nod is going to be pretty darn tough. I think we have the man-power to make some noise on the national level in this class." Stephen Anastasia, Ed Gibbons, Joey Cohe, Caleb Pelletier and Jon Drew are all expected to wrestle at 157 pounds, making it the deepest weight class on the team. 165 Coming off a break-out junior season, senior Chad Marzec is the incumbent at 165 pounds. Marzec, who started every match for the Black Knights last year, won a career-best 23 matches, including 12 dual bouts. "Chad is a great worker and he is determined to make it happen for himself at the national level this year," says Barbee. Marzec will face fierce competition from classmate Jon Anderson, who moved up from 157. Anderson started more than half of Army's dual matches and forged a 12-7 overall mark. "Jon is as big and as ripped as he's ever been, and he and Chad are really going to do battle," notes Barbee. Freshhman Dan Geib, who spent the 2004-05 year at USMAPS already knows how to compete at a high level. He is a former Pennsylvania state champion. Freshmen Duder Edmunds and Aaron Carter will get their first taste of college wrestling this year, as will junior Bob Heightchew, who is returning from his Morman mission. "I am excited about this weight class and I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do against some of the nation's top competition," adds Barbee. 174 For the second consecutive year, Coach Barbee expects a huge battle for the starter's role at 174 pounds. Senior Gabriel Lucero, who started during the first half of last season, will go toe-to-toe with sophomore Scott Ferguson, who replaced Lucero in the lead role during the latter stages of 2004-05. The two grapplers put together statictics that were nearly identical last year. Lucero enjoyed his best season since arriving at West Point by racking up a 12-9 record with two pins and three major decisions. Ferguson, meanwhile, came on strong at the end of the season, piling up a 10-8 mark with a pin and two major decisions. "Both guys trained hard during the summer and they are ready to step it up a notch," explains Barbee. "Those guys are really going to push each other." Freshman Jon Mathias, who hails from the talent-rich state of Ohio, enters the Army program after a year at USMAPS. Although he still needs some seasoning, Coach Barbee is confident that Mathias will contribute to the Black Knight program in the near future. Hard-working sophomore Brent Smith will add more depth to this group. He had some success last year and will look to build on that this season. 184 Senior Luke Calvert, who missed the second half of last season due to injury, returns to the lineup this year as one of Army's veteran leaders. The Broken Arrow, Okla., native, who has been ranked nationally throughout his decorated Army career, is determined to make it back to the NCAA tournament. He enters his final collegiate campaign with 63 career victories--the most of any returning Black Knight. Senior Charles Martin, who did an outstanding job filling in for Calvert last year, will battle his classmate for the starting role. Martin went 18-9 last year with three pins. "I don't think Luke is looking past anybody," says Barbee. "Charles has trained hard and is very determined. Those guys are really going to set the standard for us at this weight class." Sophomore Brent Nowak will provide Army with depth at the class. 197 Senior Todd Wisman, Army's highest returning EIWA placewinner, returns to the fold as the early favorite to start once again at 197 pounds. "Todd has been around the block," comments Barbee. "He's been under the heat of competition for a number of years now, and he's truly one of our most seasoned veterans." Wisman won 19 matches last season after winning a total of just 12 during his first two seasons. He will have his work cut out for him as junior Connor Sanders is nipping at his heels for the starting nod. Sanders was 8-9 last season, including a 3-3 record in dual matches. This weight class should eventually boil down to a two-horse race between Wisman and Sanders. Whoever emerges as the No. 1 wrestler will be battle-tested and ready for action. Freshman Josh Ewing, who was at USMAPS last year and finished as the runner-up in Ohio the year before that, will be able to grow and mature this year. Sophomore Dan Scheiring is a solid athlete who will also spend time training at 197 pounds. Heavyweight Sophomore Nathan Thobaben, who started six dual matches last year, returns to the Academy this season and is poised to defend his leading position in the lineup. Thobaben broke onto the scene and produced a solid record of 16-12 during his plebe season. Included in his 16 wins were five pins, one technical fall and one major decision. "We expect Nathan to step it up this year and take it to another level," says Barbee. Senior James Hollis, who has been an off-and-on starter for Army the past couple of years, will challenge Thobaben for the starting position. Hollis went 2-1 last season in dual matches with one win by fall. "James is a veteran senior who will be competing with Nathan all year long," says Barbee. Sophomores Raffi Mnatzakanian and Scott Clark possess a great deal of talent and will augment this group nicely. Freshman Michael Sprigg, who was a high school All-American, is a tough wrestler and the coaching staff is optimistic that he will make a smooth transition to the college level. Overview With nine starters retuning, an abundance of key reserves coming back and another talented recruiting class coming to West Point, Coach Barbee is entering the 2005-06 campaign cautiously optimistic. Once again this season, the Black Knight schedule is nothing short of ambitious with ranked opponents-including defending NCAA Champion Oklahoma State-dotting the dual match schedule. "I think we have what it takes to become a strong dual match team," mentions Barbee. "We don't have one star yet, but our goal is that several stars will emerge ready for the national tournament." The EIWA is as strong as it has ever been and Army will be battle-tested along the way. Each one of the team's battles will help prepare Army to achieve its ultimate goals of beating Navy, performing well at the EIWA Championships and advancing several wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. "We have a solid team with good kids who train hard," praised Barbee. "I think our team has the ability to be very good, and it is up to the wrestlers to make it happen this year. I want us to be at the national tournament, and I want to bring several guys this time."

State College, Pa. -- November 2, 2005 - The No. 12 Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team will hold its annual Wrestle-Offs on Sunday, Nov. 6, at 1 p.m. in Rec Hall. Admission is free to the public. Nearly 40 wrestlers will be taking part in the event. Nine starters return from last year's NCAA Top 25 squad, including two All-Americans and a total of six national qualifiers. Senior Eric Bradley (Plaistow, N.H.) is ranked No. 1 in the USA Today/NWCA pre-season poll at 184. The returning All-American and two-time Big Ten Champion went 31-5 in 2004-05. Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) earned All-America stats at 197 as a freshman and returns after a 37-10- season. Davis is ranked No. 6 by the NWCA. Other ranked wrestlers returning who will be in action on Sunday include No. 16 DeWitt Driscoll (Connellsville, Pa.) at 141, No. 14 James Woodall (St. Dupont, Pa.) at 149, No. 10 Nathan Galloway (State College, Pa.) at 157 and No. 19 Joel Edwards (Upper Darby, Pa.) at HWT. Preliminary brackets for Wrestle-Offs show that three weights (125, 165 and 174) will have five participants and three (149, 184 and HWT) will have four. Head coach Troy Sunderland and the Nittany Lions will open up the regular season by hosting the second annual Pennsylvania Dual Championships on Sunday, Nov. 13, beginning at 10 a.m. in Rec Hall. Tickets for the Pa. Duals can be purchased at the door on event day.

YPSILANTI -- The 2005-06 wrestling season will get underway Saturday, November 5, with the Eastern Michigan University Open in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The tournament attracts over 200 wrestlers and has become a major "coming out" for many top ranked collegiate wrestlers. This year looks to continue that trend. Several NCAA Division I All-Americans and over 30 wrestlers current ranked nationally will open their seasons at Bowen Field House. Among the top ranked teams that will bring a full complement of wrestlers to the tournament are Edinboro, Navy and Purdue. Although actual entrants are still coming in, it is expected that wrestlers from Michigan, Michigan State, Central Michigan, and Indiana will be among the competitors as well. NCAA runner-up Shawn Bunch (133) from Edinboro is one of the returning EMU Open champions expected to compete. Other returning EMU Open champions in the field should include All-Americans Nick Simmons (125) from Michigan State and Pat DeGain (285) from Indiana. Several other returning EMU Open champions are nationally ranked this season, including John Cox (Navy - 149), Eric Neil (CMU - 157), and Kenny Robertson (Eastern Illinois - 174). It is another homecoming of a sort for Cox, a junior from Grand Haven, Michigan. Other top ranked wrestlers expected to compete include Purdue's All-American Ben Wissel (184) and CMU All-Americans Wynn Michalak (197) and Mark DiSalvo (149).

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Lehigh officially kicked off the 2005-06 season on Tuesday night with the annual wrestle-offs at Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. A spirited crowd of almost 1,700 fans witnessed 12 bouts on the evening, as the Mountain Hawk faithful caught their first public glimpse of the 2005-06 team, which is gunning for its fifth consecutive EIWA team championship. "It was a very good show," said head coach Greg Strobel. "The kids were in good shape, there were no conditioning problems. The matches were very competitive, a lot of the new kids have really been impressive. We've seen it in the wrestling room over the last month and the fans got to see it tonight." The nights opening bout was a wrestle-off to determine who would wrestle junior Matt Ciasulli for the starting spot at 149 later in the evening. Freshman Trevor Chinn scored on a four point move early in the first period, then scored the winning takedown with three seconds remaining in the third to defeat sophomore Dave Nakasone 8-6. At 125 true freshman Matt Fisk built a third period riding time advantage to edge sophomore Patrick Berger 2-1. A pair of 141 pound bouts followed. First junior Matt Ennis posted an impressive 16-5 major decision over Phil Koehler in an exhibition bout, then returning All-American senior Cory Cooperman delivered the first fall of the evening, defeating true freshman Frankie Gayeski. Two former NCAA qualifiers squared off at 157 with senior Derek Zinck outlasting junior Matt Anderson 7-2. Fellow senior Troy Letters then shut out true freshman Mike Galante at 165. One of the more anticipated bouts came at 184, which was a rematch of a pre-EIWA tournament wrestle-off from a year ago. Senior Brian LaMay won last year's match-up in the wrestling room, but on Tuesday night it was Helfrich utilizing two first period takedowns to win the bout 5-3. Another intriguing match-up followed at 197 where junior Matt Cassidy built an early lead and went on to defeat classmate Paul Weibel, 13-8. A minor upset occurred at heavyweight, where 197 pounder Dan Murrer scored the only takedown of the bout in a 3-2 win over heavyweight Tom Curl. Two more 149 pound bouts closed out the evening's action. First Nakasone bounced back from his loss in the night's opening bout with a 10-3 win over Mark McCauley. The night's finale was a dandy of a match that needed two overtimes before a winner was declared. Junior Matt Ciasulli and Chinn were knotted at one after regulation, and then tied at two after the first series of overtime periods. After another scoreless sudden death period, Ciasulli scored an escape in the next overtime period and was on his way to riding out the final overtime period before Chinn escaped late to tie the bout at three, but Ciasulli's riding time advantage gave him the victory. "There were a couple upsets, like Murrer beating Curl, and that match between Chinn and Ciasulli was about as close as they come," Strobel added. The Mountain Hawks will open the regular season on Thursday November 10 when they welcome Rider to Leeman-Turner Arena. For tickets call (610) 7LU-GAME, or visit the Lehigh ticket office located in Grace Hall.

Stanford, Calif. -- The 2005-06 Cardinal Wrestling season began tonight, as the team competed in wrestles-offs to determine the starting lineup. There were no matches at 125, 149, 184 and 197 pounds, as Tanner Gardner, Josh Zupancic, Ryan Hagen and Ian Bork did not compete for starting spots tonight. At 133 pounds, a pair of true freshmen battled for the spot, and Eric Minnick came out on top with a 10-6 decision over Matt Kim. Tyler Parker, another true freshman, followed with a 4-2 decision over sophomore Rafael Chavez to claim the position at 141 pounds. Junior Scott Loescher has moved down to 157 pounds this season and claimed his spot with a 16-7 major decision over redshirt freshman Bobby Pease. Fifth-year seniors Ray Blake and Brennan Corbett battled at 165 pounds, with Blake taking an 8-3 victory, as he scored four points in the final two minutes to secure the decision. Fifth-year senior Imad Kharbush took on redshirt freshman Luke Feist at 174 pounds, and Kharbush, the 2004 Pac-10 Champion, scored an 11-7 victory to retain his spot in the starting lineup. The heavyweights rounded out the night, with Oklahomans Jared Boyer and Phillip Doerner wrestling for the last spot. Boyer came away with the 2-0 victory, scoring a pair of points in the second period. In exhibition matches, sophomore Josh Zupancic tallied a 7-3 decision over freshman Peter Miller, while Brian Perry notched a 17-6 major decision over Miguel Matta. Stanford will travel to Kansas City, Mo., for its first dual of the season, as the Cardinal takes on No. 14 Missouri on Friday, Nov. 11. The Cardinal will then compete at the Central Missouri Open on Sunday, before returning west for the California Open on Nov. 19 in Fullerton.

In 1949, Charles Hetrick was crowned national champion at 128 pounds (photo courtesy of Oklahoma State Sports Information).STILLWATER, Okla. -- Former Oklahoma State wrestler Charles Hetrick is this year's recipient of the Gallagher Award to be presented before the Aluni Dual against Oklahoma on Dec. 9. The Gallagher Award is "presented annually to an OSU wrestling alumnus who exemplifies the spirit and leadership eminent in the tradition of champions." "I never had the luxury to wrestle for Mr. Gallagher, but I knew him quite well," Hetrick said. "My high school coach wrestled for Mr. Gallagher so I was familiar with the system. His philosophy was ‘there never was a horse that couldn't be rode, nor a man that couldn't be throwed.' He was one of the pioneers in wrestling in this part of the country. "This is a great honor. I remember when Gallagher Hall was built and I always wanted to compete there, and I finally got the opportunnity after World War II." Hetrick began at Oklahoma A&M in 1941. After serving five years with the United States Marine Corps during World War II, Hetrick enrolled in Southwestern Tech in Weatherford before returning to Oklahoma A&M in 1947. Hetrick was a two-year letterwinner at A&M from 1949-50. In 1949, he was crowned national champion at 128 pounds and was named the Outstanding Wrestler of the NCAA Tournament. Hetrick assumed his coaching career as soon as his wrestling career ended in 1950. He started his career at Salina High School in 1950 before retiring from Blackwell High School, his alma mater, in 1974. Hetrick also served as the head coach at Stillwater High School and Bartlesville Sooner High School. During his time as a head coach, Hetrick coached 26 individual state champions and 21 wrestlers to runner-up finishes. He won three team state titles and had one state runner-up finish as well. Hetrick has had 26 wrestlers go to college on scholarship. Of those wrestlers, four won NCAA championships, eight were NCAA runners-up and 10 went on to become Big Eight champions. Twenty-three of his wrestling alumni went into coaching as well. Hetrick was inducted into the Oklahoma High School Coaches Hall of Fame in 1968. Hetrick joins past winners that include OSU coaches John and Pat Smith, Olympic gold medalists Frank Lewis, Doug Blubaugh, Kenny Monday, Kendall Cross and 2005 recipient Bobby Douglas. Past Winners: 1986 – Rex Peery 1987 – Frank Lewis 1988 – Myron Roderick 1989 – Tommy Chesbro 1990 – Joe McDaniel 1991 – John W. Divine 1996 – Ray Murphy 1997 – John Smith 1998 – Grady Peninger 1999 – Kenny Monday 2000 – Pat Smith 2001 – Kendall Cross 2002 – Mike Sheets 2003 – Doug Blubaugh 2004 – Grover Rains 2005 – Bobby Douglas 2006 – Charles Hetrick

OREM, Utah -- The Utah Valley State wrestling team is holding its intrasquad "Wrestle-off" this Wednesday, November 2nd in the Activity Center. The "Wrestle-off" is free to the public and is a chance for fans to get their first glimpse of this year's squad. "This sort of competition is the best way for us to prepare for our upcoming matches," said head coach Cody Sanderson. "It will simulate an actual dual meet experience as much as possible." Not only will every Wolverine wrestler will have their chance on the mat, but four of the matches will be a competition for a starting position. One wrestler that Wolverine fans will be able to see for the first time since 2003-04 will be Erkin Tadzhimetov. The star senior returns after redshirting in 04-05 and just his presence has already been a big boost for the team. "The whole team has had a surge of confidence having him back," said Sanderson. "I think it's going to bring up the performance of everybody." Tadzhimetov, at 133 lbs., will go head-to-head with 125 lb. wrester Talon Vickers in one of the highlight matches of the evening. "I'm most excited to see those two go at it," said Sanderson. "Erkin has the size advantage, but Talon has made so much progress." The Wolverines will open the season on November 11th when they travel to take on national powerhouse Iowa State. Their first home meet will be on Saturday, December 10th vs. Western State. Here is a full schedule of Wednesday night's meet: 184 Ivan Bigney vs. 174 Garret Story 125 Josh Pappas vs. Kyle Burnett 125 Talon Vicker vs. 133 Erkin Tadzhimetov 141 Rodney Sager vs. Daniel Polkowske 149 Justin Rawle vs. Clayton Wolf 141 Jesse Breinholt vs. 149 Nick Swenson 157 Devin Siddoway vs. Tanner Cowan 165 Mark South vs. D.J. Meis HWT Dallin Norton vs. Cory Bastian 184 Ivan Bigney vs. 197 Jaime Thornblad

ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio University wrestling program will host a wrestling clinic for area youth this Saturday at 9 a.m. in the Convocation Center. An intrasquad scrimmage will immediately follow the clinic at noon. The clinic is open to all skill levels from elementary school through high school. The cost is only $25 for those pre-registered and $30 at the door. Everyone who registers will receive an Ohio Wrestling T-shirt and poster. To pre-register, please contact Bobcat assistant coach Kyle Hansen at 593-1213 or hansen@ohio.edu. The free Green vs. White scrimmage at noon will feature the best two Ohio wrestlers who are healthy at each weight. The 10 matches will determine the Bobcat starting lineup for upcoming tournaments. Ohio opens its 2005-06 season Nov. 12 at the Oklahoma-Gold Brockport Classic in Brockport, N.Y. "Basically, we decided as a team that there are three things we want to hang out hat on this year in every wrestling match," said Bobcat head coach Joel Greenlee. "We want to be the first one back to the center of the mat, we want to set the pace of the match and we want to score first. We think if we do those three things every time we wrestle, we've got a great chance to win no matter who we wrestle so I want to see improvements in all those areas from our guys." Tentative match lineup for the Green vs. White scrimmage: 125 - Caleb Metcalf vs. Jake Kagey 133 - Albert Madsen vs. Matt Smith 141 - Jim Fowler vs. Alex Berger or Frank Brown 149 - Aaron Gomoll vs. Jesse Irwin 157 - Jake Frerichs vs. Alex Shiff 165 - Anthony Spooner vs. Mike Grandominco or Kent Smith 174 - Ryan Knapp vs. John Konyesni 184 - Brian Cesear vs. Adam Faires 197 - Nick Terbay vs. Larry Reichard HWT - Marcus Adelman vs. Dave Campbell

Tom BrandsBLACKSBURG -- Change is in the air in regard to Virginia Tech wrestling. Second-year head coach Tom Brands has brought a winning attitude to Blacksburg and it's spilling over to the athletes, administrators, fans and recruits. Several upgrades in the program highlight the 2005-06 campaign, but nowhere is this more evident than Tech's new practice room. For what seems like forever, the Hokies have been stuck in the bottom floor of Cassell Coliseum in a wrestling room too small and dangerous to build a championship program. Gone are the two concrete pillars in the middle of the room in which for years athletes have bounced off of like pinballs, causing trainer Jesse Donnenwerth hours of aggravation in the training room. What the Hokies have now is a room four times the size of their old room, with two full-sized competition mats, along with room for cardio equipment and weights. The Hokies have 5,264 square-feet of open wrestling space with padded walls and no objects interfering with practice. One mat has a 32-foot circle and one has a 42-foot circle, and several practice circles are spread around the two mats. "We envision being able to provide individual weights such as dumb bells on mats and exercise bikes, as well as a seating area for spectators and recruits," said Assistant A.D. Jon Jaudon. The team has been sharing the "back gym" for several weeks with the Hokie volleyball team. The wrestlers would have it for a few days, and then the volleyball team would take it for a few. With basketball under way, the rotation has become more frequent. Once Thanksgiving Break rolls around and the volleyball team can practice in the main gym on Nov. 18, the wrestling team will move in there permanently through the end of this season in March. "This will eventually become a full-time wrestling room, but when that happens depends on when we get the new field house and basketball facilities built," Jaudon said. Fans coming to Tech's home matches this year will also notice a new competition mat, with a 42-foot circle (the largest space allowed per NCAA rules) with a new design and logos. The Hokies are in the midst of preseason training and will open the season on Nov. 12 at the West Virginia Open in Morgantown, W.Va. For more on the Hokies, check out the team preview on hokiesports.com on Nov. 7.

Remember when you had to read a short story or novel for class, and discuss its major story themes? Just as any work of literature has story themes, so does a college wrestling season. Before cracking open the book on the 2005-2006 season, let's look at some of the anticipated major story themes we may still be discussing after wrestlers hang up their headgear next March. The story themes are listed in no particular order. Steve Mocco will be looking to join a very elite club of college big men who have won three NCAA titles.Will Steve Mocco win his third NCAA title? If the Oklahoma State Cowboy heavyweight takes the championship next March in Oklahoma City, he will join a very elite club of college big men who have won the NCAA crown three times: Earl McCready, Dick Hutton, Jimmy Jackson and Carlton Haselrig. Among recent heavyweight champs, not even Kurt Angle, Kerry McCoy, Stephen Neal or Tommy Rowlands were able to claim a third title. The wrestling world first became aware of Steve Mocco as a prep star at Blair Academy in New Jersey. After a year or more of intense speculation and anticipation among colleges and fans, Mocco chose the University of Iowa for his collegiate wrestling career. In his two years as the Hawkeye heavyweight, Mocco lost only three matches -- all as a freshman -- and was a two-time NCAA finalist, winning the title as a sophomore. After taking a redshirt year to try for the Olympics in the 2003-2004 season, Mocco transferred from Iowa to Oklahoma State, winning a second NCAA title in 2005 … the only heavyweight champ to have won a title for two different schools. Will Mocco be able to pin down that third title this year? Entering his senior season, Mocco has amassed a 108-3 collegiate record, with 41 of those matches ending in a fall. The general consensus is that the current heavyweights aren't giant killers. However, the one man most likely to stand in Mocco's way is Cole Konrad. The Minnesota heavyweight has given Mocco a real challenge, taking the Cowboy into overtime in three matches, including the 2005 NCAA finals … yet the Oklahoma State big man has always come out on top. Will the same be true in 2006? Can Marcus LeVesseur complete his college career undefeated? About to start his senior year at Augsburg, the 157-pound LeVesseur has a 124-match win streak that is second only to Cael Sanderson's. Can LeVesseur become Division III's first four-time champion, and leave the mat at the end of the year with a perfect record? As a junior, LeVesseur racked up the same exact stats that Sanderson compiled in his senior year: a 40-0 record with 24 pins. In fact, a majority of Augsburg superstar's opponents did not make it to the second period. A handful of collegiate wrestlers have ended their careers with perfect records, including Earl McCready of Oklahoma State in the 1920s, Bill Koll of Northern Iowa in the 1940s, and Dan Hodge in the 1950s. But the mats are also lined with greats whose otherwise perfect college careers have the blemish of a single loss: Ed Peery, Hugh Peery, Stanley Henson, Dick Hutton, Jim Nance, and, perhaps most famously, Dan Gable. The question is: is there a Larry Owings in Marcus LeVesseur's future? Sam Hazewinkel has finished third in the country at 125 pounds the last two seasons for the Sooners.Will the long-time Sooners vs. Cowboys "Bedlam Series" be a rivalry of equals again? Fans, wrestlers and coaches all feed off rivalries. One of the most enduring is the "Bedlam Series" between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Oklahoma State Cowboys. In the past, the word "bedlam" was an appropriate description of the atmosphere in the facility hosting this cross-state match-up. Back in the days of Cowboys coach Ed Gallagher, fans would literally hang from the rafters of the old gym at the Stillwater campus to take in the action. In recent years, the rivalry may have lost some of its intensity as Oklahoma State became the dominant power in college wrestling while Oklahoma had some challenging years. Now, the team out of Norman is re-emerging as a major player, ranked second to the Cowboys in just about every pre-season forecast, thanks to top-rate talent such as Sam Hazewinkel at 125 lbs, Teyon Ware at 141, 149-pounder Matt Storniolo, and Joel Flaggert at 197. Of course the Cowboys are also talent-rich, with nine of last year's starters returning to the mats … four of those being defending NCAA champs: Zack Esposito at 149 lbs, 165-pounder Johny Hendricks, Jake Rosholt at 197, and heavyweight Steve Mocco. If you want to catch these two teams in action, be in Stillwater on December 9 … and get your ticket early, unless you want to be up in the rafters of Gallagher-Iba Arena! What impact will Kerry McCoy and his coaches have on Stanford? The Palo Alto-based school is celebrated for its sterling academic reputation (considered to be a west-coast Ivy League school) and famous graduates, including Condoleeza Rice and Chelsea Clinton. Now Stanford has the opportunity to be thought of as a wrestling power in the west, thanks to a new slate of coaches for the 2005-2006 season. Leading the Cardinals is Kerry McCoy, hired in early June as head coach. McCoy is a two-time Olympian, four-time World Cup champion, and two-time NCAA heavyweight titlist. He also brings coaching experience, having served as assistant at Lehigh for five years … and, before that, three years at his alma mater, Penn State. This summer, McCoy retained three-year Cardinal assistant coach Kevin Klemm, and brought on board John Clark, a two-time All-American at Ohio State, and Matt Gentry, Stanford's first NCAA champion (2004), who will be a volunteer assistant coach. While Stanford may not be listed among the top twenty five on any of the major pre-season polls, the impact of this new coaching staff may be further down the road, as blue-chip scholar-athletes from high schools in California and beyond see the value in wrestling for the Cardinals. Will Virginia Tech's recruiting create a national powerhouse? Amazing how the fortunes of a wrestling program can improve so quickly. Not that long ago, college wrestling fans would have been hard-pressed to tell you anything about Virginia Tech, let alone find it on a map. Now it seems that a number of top high school mat men know the way to Blacksburg, Virginia … thanks to a program that is emerging from the shadows as a potential mat power. Brent MetcalfTwo major wrestling media outlets (Intermat and W.I.N. magazine) declared Virginia Tech's recruiting class second only to Iowa State. Among the wrestlers committing to wrestle for the Hokies are early signees Brent Metcalf of Michigan, T.H. Leet of Georgia, and Iowans Joey Slaton, Jay Borschel and Daniel LeClere. All five men were named scholastic All-Americans by Wrestling USA magazine, and share seventeen state titles among them, with Metcalf, Borschel and LeClere being four-time state champs. If that wasn't enough to put Virginia Tech on the map, this summer the school added Jon Bonilla-Bowman of New York, Kevin O'Connor of Maryland, Mark Logan of Virginia, and Dave Kiley of New Jersey. It isn't just the scenery that brings top-shelf talent to Blacksburg. Head coach Tom Brands has brought his brand of intensity to the mountains of southwest Virginia… along with assistants Wes Hand and Doug Schwab, all trained the Iowa Hawkeye way by none other than Dan Gable. The long-range future looks bright for the Hokies, as does the upcoming season, with returning starters like David Hoffman at 133, 149-pounder Tyde Prater, Steve Borja at 184, and heavyweight Mike Faust. Is there any doubt that Oklahoma State will win a fourth straight NCAA team title? Don't bet the farm on it, but, barring any shocking surprises, the Cowboys will probably win the NCAA Division I team title at Oklahoma City next March. Head coach John Smith downplays it all, saying, "We have to earn it. We have to remind ourselves every day that championships are not given away -- they are earned each year." Last year, the team pretty much ran away with the title, with half of the ten individual titles being won by a grappler wearing the orange and black. Nine of last year's starters are returning; six of them are All-Americans, four of them defending champs. No wonder that, this year, Oklahoma State is ranked at the top of all the major wrestling team rankings. The same preseason polls also list a Cowboy among the top five in just about every weight class. That's got to have all the other wrestlers quaking in their boots. Is there a realignment in the Big Ten? A few years ago, the Big Ten seemed to be all about perennial national champion Iowa, with the other programs lumped together as also-rans in the minds of many wrestling fans. Iowa hasn't won the team title since 2000; Minnesota took the team championship twice in the new century, and Michigan and Illinois have emerged as top five programs. All four of these Big Ten programs find themselves in the top ten in preseason polls again this year. Perhaps the most interesting development in the Big Ten is the emergence of Northwestern and Indiana. In past years, the Wildcats and Hoosiers found themselves towards the bottom of the conference standings. However, according to the advance rankings in the wrestling media, these two programs are now listed among the top dozen or so teams. Northwestern is coming off a great year, with a Beast of the East team title and a win over Iowa, a fourteenth place finish at the NCAAs, and 174-pound freshman sensation Jake Herbert generating excitement in Evanston and beyond. Heavyweight Dustin Fox, John Valez at 125, Mat Delguyd (last year's 197-pound Big Ten champ), and Ryan Lang at 141 are also ranked in the top ten in preseason prognostications. To the south, fans in Bloomington are salivating at the prospects for their Hoosiers this season; in 2005, Indiana's Joe Dubuque claimed an NCAA individual title. The 125-pounder is back, as is All-American Brandon Becker at 157, to lead the Hoosiers for the 2005-06 season. Adding to the excitement, Penn State, Wisconsin and Michigan State also find themselves among the top twenty in most early team rankings, making it a barnburner of a season for wrestling fans in the Midwest. What will Troy Nickerson and Adam Frey do for the fortunes of Cornell -- and the Ivy League? 2005 was a year to remember for Cornell University. The Ivy League school in upstate New York surprised a number of wrestling fans with a fourth-place team finish at the NCAAs -- its best performance in more than a half century. And they signed a recruiting class that ranks among the top five in the country, featuring two high school lightweights with heavyweight credentials: Troy Nickerson and Adam Frey. Adam Frey, who will wrestle at 141 pounds for Cornell, won two national prep titles for Blair Academy.Nickerson is the first-ever five-time New York state champion, a NHSCA Senior National champ at 125 pounds, and winner of the 2005 Junior Dan Hodge Trophy (awarded to the best high school wrestler in the nation by the AAU and W.I.N. magazine). Frey is a two-time national prep champ for Blair Academy -- and earned outstanding wrestler honors at the 2005 Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic. For those who value academic achievement along with mat prowess, it's heartening to see two of the best high school wrestlers in the U.S. now putting their brains and brawn to the test in the Ivy League. Following in the footsteps of 2000 Olympic gold medalist Brandon Slay (University of Pennsylvania) and 2004 NCAA champ and 2005 World University Games gold medalist Jesse Jantzen (Harvard), Nickerson and Frey might encourage more high school scholar-athletes to take the Ivy route. Can someone other than Augsburg or Wartburg win the NCAA Division III team title? When wrestling magazines and Web sites cover the Division III mat scene, they often focus on what they refer to "the 'burgs" -- Augsburg in Minneapolis, and Wartburg in Waverly, Iowa. This year, though, the wrestling world may have to cast its gaze a bit further. In his preseason analysis of the division for RevWrestling.com, staff writer Jeff Vanderwerf opened with this sentence: "For over a decade, this article might have been titled 'Augsburg or Wartburg? Division III Teams to Watch.' Not this season." Perhaps even more surprising, Vanderwerf predicted that neither 'burg would win it all, putting University of Wisconsin at La Crosse at the top of his predictions for the new season, with Augsburg placing second, and Wartburg third. UW-La Crosse placed fourth at the 2005 NCAAs, and has never won the national title. So why might they be viewed as potentially winning it all this year? The Eagles boast one of the most talented heavyweights in college wrestling today, Ryan Allen, who has given Division I big men Steve Mocco and Cole Konrad close matches. In addition, six other All-Americans will return for LaCrosse. For all these reasons, RevWrestling.com has placed LaCrosse in its top-25 team rankings of all college programs. The defending team champs, the Augsburg Auggies, lost five All-Americans to graduation … but they still have five left, including LeVesseur at 157, who will be looking to complete this season -- and his career -- with a perfect record and another title. The Wartburg Knights, second at last year's NCAAs, expect to come charging back this season, led by two-time NCAA champs Dustin Hinschberger at 141 and 197-pounder Akeem Carter. So the Division III championships promise to be especially exciting in 2006 … and open to the possibility of a team champ outside the ‘burgs. Will Tennessee-Chattanooga lose forward momentum with its coaching changes? In the past couple years, the Mocs generated a lot of talk -- and excitement -- beyond its southern fan base, thanks in part to head coach Terry Brands, and the team's boldness in scheduling tough opponents. This summer, Brands accepted a coaching position at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, and UT-Chattanooga fans immediately feared their program would head south in terms of its standing in the wrestling world. After all, the Mocs had placed 21st at the 2005 NCAAs after winning the Southern Conference Championship. Joe Seay led Cal State-Bakersfield to seven NCAA Division II titles and Oklahoma State to two Division I titles.The future looks bright for the Mocs and their fans. The team is ranked in the top twenty-five by RevWrestling.com, The Wrestling Mall, and W.I.N. magazine. One strong reason may be its new yet seasoned coaching staff. Although new to Chattanooga, head coach Joe Seay is no stranger to the college wrestling world. Perhaps best known as an USA Wrestling staff member and freestyle coach (most recently coaching at the 2005 World Championships in Budapest), Seay directed Cal State-Bakersfield to seven NCAA Division II titles and Oklahoma State to two Division I team championships -- the only coach to win NCAA titles in both divisions. Joining Seay on the coaching staff are Chris Bono, long-time assistant at his alma mater Iowa State, along with Steve Hamilton, Sammie Henson, and Leonce Crump. The Mocs also welcome back wrestlers who are ranked among the top 20 in preseason polls, including All-American Michael Keefe (who placed fifth at the NCAAs at 141 pounds), his twin brother Josh at 133, and 184-pounder John Davis. Transferring from the Nebraska Cornhuskers is mat veteran Matt Keller. So, despite losing its head coach, UTC may not lose any forward momentum as it builds itself into a force to be reckoned with throughout the U.S.

Greg StrobelBETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Lehigh wrestling fans will catch their first public glimpse of the 2005-06 Mountain Hawks on Tuesday night as Lehigh will hold its annual season-opening wrestle-offs at Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. More than just a showcase for the fans, many of Tuesday night's bouts will be used to determine Lehigh's starting line-up when the Mountain Hawks, ranked eighth in the preseason by Intermat, open their regular season on Thursday, November 10 against Rider. "I'm really looking forward to them (the wrestle-offs)," said eleventh year Lehigh head coach Greg Strobel, Monday on the Lehigh Sports Magazine television show. "It's always a lot of fun because we know we are going to win. I get to visit with a lot of the fans at Grace Hall and take notes on how the team is wrestling." Tuesday night's event will feature 12 bouts, including three exhibition bouts. Several intriguing battles will be at least temporarily settled on Tuesday night, including a three-way race for the starting job at 149 pounds. In Tuesday's opening bout, sophomore Dave Nakasone will wrestle-off against deferred freshman Trevor Chinn, with the winner coming back later in the evening to wrestle junior Matt Ciasulli who has moved up two weight classes from last season. Another highly contested battle is at 125, where sophomore Patrick Berger will square off against true freshman Matt Fisk, who comes to Lehigh as Pennsylvania's career leader in wins at the high school level. A pair of juniors will collide at 197 for the right to replace former All-American Jon Trenge. Matt Cassidy was the starter in 2003-04, when Trenge took his Olympic deferral year. He will take on Paul Weibel, who competed as a heavyweight his first two seasons but will move down to his more natural weight. "The wrestle-offs provide a good chance for some of the kids to wrestle in front of our large home crowd," Strobel said. "We will have some very good matches." Here's a weight by weight breakdown of Tuesday night's probable match-ups: 125 Matt Fisk (Fr.) vs. Patrick Berger (So.) 141 Cory Cooperman (Sr.) vs. Frankie Gayeski (Fr.) 141 Matt Ennis (Jr.) vs. Phil Koehler (So.) Exhibition 149 Trevor Chinn (Fr.) vs. Dave Nakasone (So.) 149 Matt Ciasulli (Jr.) vs. Chinn-Nakasone winner 157 Derek Zinck (Sr.) vs. Matt Anderson (Jr.) 165 Troy Letters (Sr.) vs. Mike Galante (Fr.) 174 Manuel Schubert (Fr.) vs. Samir Soriano (Fr.) Exhibition 184 Dave Helfrich (Jr.) vs. Brian LaMay (Sr.) 184 Jon Bruno (Jr.) vs. Bryan Bernal (Jr.) Exhibition 197 Matt Cassidy (Jr.) vs. Paul Weibel (Jr.) 285 Tom Curl (Jr.) vs. Dan Murrer (So.)

This week enjoy 2 BIG Takedown Radio Broadcasts: First: Friday we'll broadcast LIVE from the Home of Coach Joe Seay at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Our broadcast will begin at 6 PM Eastern/ 5 PM Central This broadcast will take place during the wrestle offs at UTC. We'll enjoy conversations with Coaches Seay, Bono, Henson, Hamilton and Crump as well as may of their athletes and fans. This is sure to be a memorable show so please tune in. Second: Our normal studio show will be anything but normal as "The King" Kyle Klingman takes over my microphone. May of you have enjoyed Kyle writings, editorials and general muses on TheWrestlingMall.com over the past few years. Let me say this, "I respect no one more than this young man. He has Great integrity. I know you'll enjoy his version of TDR". Kyle is also the glue that holds together the efforts of our friends Mike and Bev Chapman, the founders of the International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Newton, Iowa. Tune in to this show with Kyle Klingman Joining Kyle will be: Joe McFarland- Head Coach of the Michigan Wolverines Bruce Burnett- Head Coach of Navy Pat Santoro- Head Coach of Maryland Frank Popolizio of the Journeymen Wrestling Club Marty Morgan- Assistant Head Coach University of Minnesota Jose Campo- Author of new wrestling book "Wisdom from the Corner" 2 Great Broadcasts in one big week. Thanks to our sponsors and you our listeners!

Colorado Springs, Colo. -- All seven members of the 2005 U.S. Men's Freestyle World Team will compete in the Super Cup, Nov. 12-14 in the Daghestan Republic of Russia. This tournament will be a similar format to the World Cup, with nations wrestling dual meets for numerous awards. The first-place team will be awarded $40,000 to split among the participants. The second-place team will be awarded $30,000 and the third-place team will earn $20,000. There are also other individual awards given out for "Best Technique," "The Will To Victory" and "Best Judge." Overall, 13 teams from 12 countries will compete in this competition. The 13th team is a team solely from the Daghestan Republic. Of the other 12 teams, the top four teams in the 2005 World Champions, Russia, Cuba, Georgia and Ukraine will send squads to this event. Seven of the other eight teams, including the United States which placed eighth, also placed in the top 20 overall at the World Championships this year – Azerbaijan (20th), Armenia (16th), Belarus (17th), Iran (6th), Turkey (13th) and Uzbekistan (12th). The other team competing is Romania. "This is a great event for our team to be able to compete in so soon after the World Championships," USA Wrestling National Freestyle Coach Kevin Jackson stated. "Our team was pretty disappointed with our performance after the World Championships this year, and this will give us an opportunity to show that we are better than an eighth-place finish." Jackson also stated that with the amount of money being awarded and the countries competing, that he expects most of the top wrestlers to be in their respective nation's lineup. If all nations competing bring their top wrestlers, 19 of this year's 28 medalists from the World Championships would be present. The U.S. team will include former World champion Sammie Henson (Flintstone, Ga./Sunkist Kids) at 55 kg/121 lbs. Henson won a World title in 1998 and followed that with an Olympic silver medal in 2000. He also won silver medals in the 1998 and 1999 World Cup. Also competing are 2005 World bronze medalists Joe Williams (Ames, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Tolly Thompson (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Sunkist Kids) at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Williams, who also won a World bronze medal in 2001, has won four gold medals at a similar event, the World Cup. Thompson won a bronze medal at the 2005 World Cup. Daniel Cormier (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC), who placed fourth in the 2004 Olympic Games, will wrestle for the U.S. team at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Cormier also placed fifth in the 2003 World Championships. In 2003, he placed third in another high-profile event in Russia, the Ivan Yarygin Cup, which billed the winners of the 96 kg and 120 kg weight classes against each other in a best of the big men competition. Representing the U.S. at 84 kg/185 lbs. will be Mo Lawal (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC), who placed seventh at this year's World Championships after losing a controversial match to former World champion Sazhid Sazhidov of Russia. Rounding out the U.S. roster will be Michael Lightner (Norman, Okla./Sunkist Kids) at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Chris Bono (Ringgold, Ga./Sunkist Kids) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., both of whom competed in this year's World Championships. Lightner was a newcomer to this year's World Team after winning a U.S. Nationals title earlier in the season. Bono is a veteran of international competitions, winning a gold medal at the 2003 World Cup and also competing in the 2001 World Championships. The team will be coached by Kevin Jackson (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and USA Wrestling Freestyle Resident Coach Terry Brands (Woodland Park, Colo.). The exact format of the Super Cup has not yet been determined and the final lineups of the other countries have not yet been released. TheMat.com will provide more information as it becomes available. U.S. Roster for Freestyle Super Cup at Daghestan Republic, Russia Nov. 12-14, 2005 55 kg/121 lbs. – Sammie Henson, Flintstone, Ga. (Sunkist Kids) 60 kg/132 lbs. – Michael Lightner, Norman, Okla. (Sunkist Kids) 66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Chris Bono, Ringgold, Ga. (Sunkist Kids) 74 kg/163 lbs. – Joe Williams, Ames, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) 84 kg/185 lbs. – Mo Lawal, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Gator WC) 96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Daniel Cormier, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC) 120 kg/264.5 lbs. – Tolly Thompson, Cedar Falls, Iowa (Sunkist Kids) Coaches: Terry Brands (Woodland Park, Colo.) and Kevin Jackson (Colorado Springs, Colo.)

The men's wrestling team at University of the Cumberlands was idle this past weekend but three of its members still competed on their own in the Lindenwood Open in Missouri. Co-Captain Todd Allen (Hodgenville, KY), senior Nate Jolly (Cincinnati, OH) and junior Matthew Reis (Alexandria, KY) made the ten-hour drive to Lindenwood College and competed at their respective weight class divisions. Todd Allen wrestled at the 174Ib weight class and did not do as well as he had expected to and commented, "I wrestled bad and lost to a guy I beat last year. I just didn't bring enough to the table." Although disappointed by the loss, Allen said, "It's okay because I got to see some of the competition and I'll be ready when it is time for the ‘big show'." Senior Nate Jolly went 1-2 at the 157Ib weight class wrestling some of his best matches by far according to Co-Captain Todd Allen. "Jolly only went 1-2 but wrestled smart and the match he won was the best I have ever seen him compete in. If he continues at this pace, he'll be ready come March," stated Allen. Junior Matthew Reis wrestled at the 165Ib weight class going 4-2. Reis was a take down away from going to the third and fourth place round. For Reis the competition was needed as he said," We are doing the right things in practice and I felt good out there on the mat. The weight lifting and the extra workouts are going to really pay off." The Patriots will return to the mat as a team as they host their annual Patriot Open on Saturday, November 5th.

Every season there are wrestlers that every fan looks forward to seeing in action. The 2005-2006 campaign isn't unique in this respect. The names are on the tip of the collective tongue. In Division I, you have names like Mocco, Dubuque, Askren, Bunch, Esposito, Rosholt … one could go on for ages. In Division II and NAIA, there are a host of others: Sigman, Jacoby, and Allibone in DII, and Miller and Parks in NAIA, to name but a few. Division III is no different. Some would say that D-III wrestlers are the epitome of the student-athlete, with no scholarships given out, and most of the wrestlers working their tails off (on the mat and in the classroom) with fewer accolades. In short -- they wrestle for the love of the sport. While all these grapplers are to be commended, there are a few who stand out for their prowess come game-time. Let's take a look at the top D-III wrestler at each weight class (and some of their top rivals). For D-III insiders, many of the names will be old-hat (six champs and two runners-up from last year return) -- for those who are not abreast of these fine wrestlers, take note, and catch them if you get the chance. 125: Terry Morgan, Loras College Morgan is the highest-placing returning competitor at what looks to be a relatively wide-open weight class. A three-time NCAA qualifier, Morgan had his best result last year, finishing third in a tough weight class which included seniors Matt Shankey (Augsburg) and Williams' Tom Prairie. As it stands, he is the preseason top-ranked 125-pounder. He has three other returning All-Americans to contend with, however, and, come March, Morgan has to wrestle his way out of one of the top D-III conferences in the country, the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC). Others to Watch (last year's NCAA finish): Brian Dempsey, College of New Jersey (fifth) Ty Klofta, Ohio Northern (sixth) Derek Goduto, Monclair (eighth) 133: Tony D'Ambra, SUNY-Brockport Last year's NCAA runner-up is glad to see the tail-lights of graduated Augsburg Auggie Mark Matzek, to whom he lost a tough 4-1 decision in the 2005 championship match. So clear sailing for the New Yorker? Not so fast. He has very tough hombres in Luther senior Mike Lopez and Buena Vista sophomore Jestin Hulegaard to consider. Should he under-perform at nationals, watch for these two to take advantage. Others to Watch: Mike Lopez, Luther (fourth) Jestin Hulegaard, Buena Vista (fifth) Sean Cullen, Lycoming (sixth) Jordan Kolinski, UW-LaCrosse (DNP) Dustin Hinschberger of Wartburg is the two-time defending NCAA champion at 141 pounds (photo courtesy of TheGuillotine.com).141: Dustin Hinschberger, Wartburg With Augsburg's Jamell Tidwell (the only D-III wrestler to seriously challenge Hinschberger the last two years, never beating him, and NCAA runner-up to Hinschberger twice) gone -- this weight seems to be his for the taking. The two-time defending champ has not lost a match to a D-III wrestler in the past two years, and is one of the most heralded wrestlers in D-III. Lurking behind the senior is Simpson's Dustin Brewer, Springfield's Mike Gaeta, and Elmhurst's David Silva -- all returning All-Americans. It seems highly likely they'll be battling for the runner-up spot on the podium, as none of them came within three points of Hinschberger last year. Others to Watch: Dustin Brewer, Simpson (fourth) Mike Gaeta, Springfield (seventh) David Silva, Elmhurst (eighth) 149: Matt Pyle, Luther Returning champ Pyle went on a tear last March at the NCAA Tournament with his closest match being a 10-7 victory over Mount St. Joseph's Jason Roush in the semifinals. He then defeated a tough and seasoned Clint Manny of Simpson in the finals, 8-1, to secure his title. Although a strong favorite to defend his title, he will have a battle from Roush, who returns. Wartburg's Jacob Naig and Jared Evans of Augsburg, both All-Americans in 2005, will also be back to try to challenge Pyle. Others to Watch: Jason Roush, Mount St. Joseph (third) Jacob Naig, Wartburg (sixth) Jared Evans, Augsburg (seventh) 157: Marcus LeVesseur, Augsburg Any wrestling fan who hasn't heard about Marcus LeVesseur has either been: A) Living in Papua New Guinea with no access to the Internet for the past three years or B) Blissfully ignoring the world of college wrestling, having put themselves on a decade-long hiatus after the glory of the Cael Sanderson days. Well, for those who don't know, the numbers tell all: three-time D-III NCAA champion, 124 victories, 0 losses, OW, 2004 USA Wrestling University Nationals champion …and so on. Oh, and he's also an all-conference quarterback on the Augsburg football team, too (LeVesseur led the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in total offense in yards per game in 2004). A major reason why UW-LaCrosse's Ross Needham is on the "Others to Watch" list is because he lost to LeVesseur by only a point in last year's NCAA Tournament (5-4). A hearty good luck to the other D-III 157-pounders this year. Others to Watch: Joe Gallante, College of New Jersey (fourth) Shaheim Bradshaw, SUNY-Brockport (fifth) Carl Amerine, Wilmington (eighth) Ross Needham, UW-LaCrosse (DNP) 165: Ryan Valek, Augsburg Valek, a two-time All-American, lost a tight 6-4 decision in last year's final to one of the top D-III wrestlers in recent years, Luther's Garrett South. With South gone to graduation, and only one other top-five finisher returning, UW-Eau Claire's Derek Sikora, Valek looks set to take the next step. There have been rumblings that Valek's teammate LeVesseur might move up to 165, which would put Valek at 174. But these rumors are thus far unsubstantiated and do not seem likely. If LeVesseur does stay at 157, however, Valek is a good bet to give Augsburg two champs in a row. Others to Watch: Derek Sikora, UW-Eau Claire (fifth) John Dolan, Williams (seventh) Corey Murphy, Thiel College (eighth) 174: Stephon Sair, Cortland This looks to be the most wide-open weight in D-III in 2005-2006. The top-three finishers from last year (Augsburg's Joe Moon, Wabash's Chris Healy, and Johnson and Wales' Tim Ruberg) have graduated, leaving a vacuum in the "favorites" department. This is not to say that there isn't talent at this weight -- there is. To wit: Sair was the fourth-place finisher last year, and McDaniel's Tony Howard and UW-Lacrosse's Josh Chelf fought for fifth and sixth place in 2005 (with Howard coming out on top, 6-1). Thus, Sair is the highest placer returning, but Howard might be a little hungrier -- as this is his senior season. Look for these two (along with Chelf, who actually defeated Sair in the first round at the 2005 NCAAs) to battle for the top spot. Others to Watch: Tony Howard, McDaniel (fifth) Josh Chelf, UW-LaCrosse (sixth) 184: Duane Bastress, York This is a true meat-grinder of a weight in 2005-2006. Returning champ and favorite Bastress will have a tough row to hoe if he is to retain his championship. Not only will Bastress have to contend with John Carroll's Ryan Summers, whom he beat 10-7 in last year's championship match, but Augsburg'sBrad Tupa, Wartburg's Scott Kauffman (who won't compete until second semester), and Ursinus' Mike Troutman, and two-time All-American Lacrosse's Jason Lulloff (who's coming off injury) lay in wait. Watch this bracket come March -- it should be a doozy. Others to Watch: Ryan Summers, John Carroll (runner-up) Brad Tupa, Augsburg (fourth) Scott Kauffman, Wartburg (fifth) Mike Troutman, Ursinus (eighth) Jason Lulloff, UW-LaCrosse (two-time All-American, DNQ in 2005 due to injury) 197: Akeem Carter, Wartburg To the untrained eye, 197, like 184, looks to be a seriously tough weight this season. After all, the top-four finishers from last year's NCAA Tournament are returning. As the adage goes, however, looks can be deceiving. This is because the returning champ is Akeem Carter -- and because Carter is a two-time national champion at this weight -- and because Carter has not lost to a DIII wrestler in the past two years. He is the prohibitive favorite. The battle for who gets to face Carter in the finals is going to be a tough as nails, though. Others to Watch: Jamall Johnson, Delaware Valley (runner-up) Will Weiss, SUNY-Brockport (third) Matt Loesch, Muhlenberg College (fourth) Justin Sorenson, Augsburg (sixth) Devin Carmen, Baldwin Wallace (eighth) Ryan AllenHwt: Ryan Allen, UW-LaCrosse Two-time defending NCAA champion Allen is seen by many college wrestling observers to be a top-eight heavyweight in any division. He has battled with the likes of Les Sigman (beating Sigman by forfeit in last year's Midlands -- Allen took fifth) and Bode Ogunwole (to whom he lost in those same Midlands, 7-3), and holds a career record of 120-9. One of his biggest rivals is waiting due southwest of LaCrosse in Waverly, Iowa. Blake Gillis of Wartburg is another excellent D-III heavyweight. Allen defeated Gillis 7-2 in last year's NCAA final -- and it's a safe bet that the two will fight it out for the championship again this year. Allen is the heavy favorite, however, and should become a three-time NCAA champion for the LaCrosse Eagles. Others to Watch: Blake Gillis, Wartburg (runner-up) Mike Blair, Trinity (third) Mike Hayes, UW-Stevens Point (fifth) Brett Christensen, Simpson (sixth) Tommy Snyder, Lycoming (seventh) Pat Bennett, SUNY-Brockport (eighth)

GREELEY, Colo. -- The University of Northern Colorado wrestling squad was on display for the public on Saturday night in the Blue & Gold scrimmage in the Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion. The Gold squad was able to tally a 29-25 win over the Blue team. The Bears will begin their season on Nov. 13 at the Wyoming Cowboy Open. Northern Colorado's first home action of the season comes on Nov. 19 at the Old Chicago Northern Colorado Open. 133 lbs. Adam Garcia (Blue) vs. Will Cusker (Gold) Cusker began the intra-squad dual with a 5-4 victory over Garcia. 157 lbs. Sean Coughlin (Blue) vs. Devan Lewis (Gold) Coughlin won 6-3 after a scoreless first period. Coughlin used a two-point nearfall in the second period to gain the advantage in the match. 184 lbs. Alex Joseph (Blue) vs. Shawn Hart (Gold) After a scoreless first period, Hart scored a takedown in the final minute of regulation to break a 2-2 tie and gained the win, 4-2. 125 lbs. Tony Mustari (Blue) vs. Beau Hessler (Gold) Mustari used a takedown and a 3-point nearfall to take control of the match in the first period. Mustari then pinned Hessler at the 4:37 mark of the match. 133 lbs. Kyle Kaiser (Blue) vs. Blayze Bahe (Gold) Bahe scored a takedown late in the first period to take a 2-0 lead en route to a 5-3 decision. 141/149 lbs. Kenny Hashimoto (Blue) vs. Tim Silengo (Gold) Hashimoto racked up six takedowns and three-plus minutes of riding time to a 14-4 major decision win. 141/149 lbs. Richard Lohr (Blue) vs. Paul Dack (Gold) Dack escaped with less than 10 seconds to go in the match to tally a 4-3 victory over Lohr. Lohr had tied the match just seconds earlier with a reversal. 141/149 lbs. Matt Aboussie (Blue) vs. Mark Hastings (Gold) Hastings rolled to a 13-3 win. Hastings tallied more than 3 ½ minutes of riding time in the win. 149/157 lbs. Kyle LeValley (Blue) vs. Luke Salazar (Gold) Salazar scored a pair of takedowns at the end of both the first and second periods to help him score a 5-1 victory. 149/157 lbs. Chase Walker (Blue) vs. Matt Stewart (Gold) Walker rolled to a 10-4 victory as he compiled five takedowns in the match. 165 lbs. Ryan Johnson (Blue) vs. Tito Rinaldis (Gold) Rinaldis built a 5-1 lead before hanging on for a 5-3 victory. 184/197 lbs. Reece Hopkin (Blue) vs. Tim Sexton (Gold) Hopkin notched a third period takedown to score a 3-1 win. 133 lbs. Derrick Salazar (Blue) vs. Will Cusker (Gold) Cusker scored a takedown with only two seconds left in the match to tally a 4-2 triumph. 157 lbs. Sean Coughlin (Blue) vs. Nathan Gerrard (Gold) Gerrard scored a five-point move in the first period and then rolled to a 10-1 victory. 174 lbs. Alex Joseph (Blue) vs. Caleb Van Vorst (Gold) Joseph opened up an early 5-1 lead and then scored a pin at the 3:56 mark in the second period. Blue & Gold Match-by-Match Results: 133 - Will Cusker (Gold) dec. Adam Garcia - 5-4 157 - Sean Coughlin (Blue) dec. Devan Lewis - 6-3 184 - Shawn Hart (Gold) dec. Alex Joseph - 4-2 125 - Tony Mustari (Blue) pinned Beau Hessler - 4:37 133 - Blayze Bahe (Gold) dec. Kyle Kaiser - 5-3 141/149 - Kenny Hashimoto (Blue) maj. dec. Tim Silengo - 14-4 141/149 - Paul Dack (Gold) dec. Richard Lohr - 4-3 141/149 - Mark Hastings (Gold) maj. dec. Matt Aboussie - 13-3 149/157 - Luke Salazar (Gold) dec. Kyle LeValley - 5-1 149/157 - Chase Walker (Blue) dec. Matt Stewart - 10-4 165 - Tito Rinaldis (Gold) dec. Ryan Johnson - 5-3 184/197 - Reece Hopkin (Blue) dec. Tim Sexton - 3-1 133 - Will Cusker (Gold) dec. Derrick Salazar - 4-2 157 - Nathan Gerrard (Gold) maj. dec. Sean Coughlin - 10-1 174 - Alex Joseph (Blue) pinned Caleb Van Vorst - 3:56

EIWA Preseason Rankings: Team Rankings: 1. Lehigh 2. Cornell 3. Penn 4. Navy 5. Columbia 6. Army 7. Harvard 8. American Individual Rankings: 125: 1. Jeff Sato, Columbia 2. Jeff Schell, Brown 3. Alex Usztics, Navy 4. Matt Morkel, American 5. Mike Silengo, Penn 6. Ricky Ringel, Rutgers 133: 1. Matt Valenti, Penn 2. Robbie Preston, Harvard 3. Mike Mormile, Cornell 4. Matt DeLorenzo, Columbia 5. Jeffrey Santo, Lehigh 6. Dan Appello, Brown 141: 1. Cory Cooperman, Lehigh 2. Max Meltzer, Harvard 3. Jordan Leen, Cornell 4. Stephen Sutton, Columbia 5. Tony Severo, Army 6. Spencer Manley, Navy 149: 1. John Cox, Navy 2. Matt Ciasulli, Lehigh 3. Ricky Turk, Columbia 4. Patrick Simpson, Army 5. Mark Smith, East Stroudsburg 6. Tom Kniezewski, American 157: 1. Dustin Manotti, Cornell 2. Derek Zinck, Lehigh 3. Gene Zannetti, Penn 4. Adam Brochetti, Navy 5. Mike Baria, Harvard 6. Joe Sacco, Rutgers 165: 1. Troy Letters, Lehigh 2. Muzzaffar Abdurakhmanov, American 3. Craig Dziewiatkowski, Navy 4. Joey Hooker, Cornell 5. Dustin Tillman, Columbia 6. Keith Smith, East Stroudsburg 174: 1. Travis Frick, Lehigh 2. Matt Palmer, Columbia 3. Dustin Wiles, Penn 4. Matt Stolpinski, Navy 5. Dan Miracola, Cornell 6. Scott Ferguson, Army 184: 1. Joe Mazzurco, Cornell 2. Josh Glenn, American 3. Rudy Medini, Rutgers 4. Brian LaMay, Lehigh 5. Luke Calvert, Army 6. Mike Pedro, Brown 197: 1. Jerry Rinaldi, Cornell 2. Paul Velekei, Penn 3. Jake Butler, Princeton 4. Todd Wisman, Army 5. Paul Weibel, Lehigh 6. Andy Adams, Navy Hwt: 1. Tanner Garrett, Navy 2. Bode Ogunwole, Harvard 3. Ramel Meekins, Rutgers 4. Adam LoPiccolo, American 5. Tom Curl, Lehigh 6. Jason Manross, Cornell

Team Rankings: 1 Lindenwood (Mo.) 2 Dana (Neb.) 3 Cumberlands (Ky.) 4 Dickinson State (N.D.) 5 Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 6 Missouri Valley 7 Great Falls (Mont.) 7 Menlo (Calif.) 9 William Penn (Iowa) 10 Southern Oregon 11 Bacone (Okla.) 11 McKendree (Ill.) 13 Cumberland (Tenn.) 13 Waldorf (Iowa) 15 Jamestown (N.D.) 16 Morningside (Iowa) 17 Montana State-Northern 18 Campbellsville (Ky.) 19 Simon Fraser (B.C.) Individual Rankings: 125: 1 Delrico Choates, Jr., Cumberland (Ky.) 2 Nate Engle, Sr., Missouri Valley (Iowa) 3 Richard Byrd, Jr., Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 4 Josh Sampo, Jr., Lindenwood (Mo.) 5 Mark Johnston, Jr., Dickinson State (N.D.) 6 Craig Trampe, Jr., Dana (Neb.) 7 Bobby Howard, Sr., Lindenwood (Mo.) 8 Cory Johnston, So., Dickinson State (N.D.) 133: 1 Kyle Jahn, So., McKendree (Ill.) 2 Jimmy Rollins, Sr., Dana (Neb.) 3 Mike Miller, Jr., Bacone (Okla.) 4 Ben Watson, Jr., Cumberland (Tenn.) 5 Jason Moreno, Jr., Lindenwood (Mo.) 6 Alfonso Paez, Sr., Menlo (Calif.) 7 Shane Hase, Jr., Jamestown (N.D.) 8 Pablo Sanchez, Sr., Menlo (Calif.) 141: 1 Brad Stockton, Jr., Waldorf (Iowa) 2 Bryan Odle, Sr., Bacone (Okla.) 3 Chris Smith, Jr., Montana State-Northern 3 Jason Lozier, Sr., Dana (Neb.) 5 Brad Cooper, Jr., Cumberland (Tenn.) 6 Spencer Griffiths, So., Great Falls (Mont.) 7 Gordo Villaescusa, Jr., Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 8 Robert Dominquez, Jr., Lindenwood (Mo.) 149: 1 Darren Cotton, Jr.., William Penn (Iowa) 2 Tyler Moran, Sr., Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 3 Mark Dickman, Jr., Lindenwood (Mo.) 3 Terrence Almond, Jr.., Dana (Neb.) 5 Chris Seta, Jr., Campbellsville (Ky.) 6 Josh Blackburn, Jr., McKendree (Ill.) 7 Miguel Guiterez, Jr., Lindenwood (Mo.) 8 Jake Esser, Sr., Jamestown (N.D.) 157: 1 Mike Rio, Sr., Lindenwood (Mo.) 2 Darion Terry, Sr., Missouri Valley 3 Ben Henderson, Sr., Dana (Neb.) 3 Rocky Vercher, Jr., Lindenwood (Mo.) 5 Joe Casey, Sr., Great Falls (Mont.) 6 Kyle Bickford, Sr., Menlo (Calif.) 7 James Meland, Sr., Jamestown (N.D.) 7 Scott Taylor, Sr., Dana (Neb.) 165: 1 Tyson Springer, Sr., Dickinson State (N.D.) 2 Jimmy Grochowsky, Sr., Southern Oregon 3 Jake Dieffenbach, So., Lindenwood (Mo.) 4 Drew Dickerson, Sr., Missouri Valley 5 Ryan Smith, So., Great Falls (Mont.) 6 Trent Leichleiter, Sr., Dana (Neb.) 7 Calvin DeVault, So., Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 8 Earl Waller, Jr., Cumberlands (Ky.) 174: 1 Todd Allen, Sr., Cumberlands (Ky.) 2 Jake Stevenson, So., Morningside (Iowa) 3 Gabe Harry, Sr., Dickinson State (N.D.) 4 David O'Brien, Jr., Southern Oregon 5 Abel Trujillo, Jr., William Penn (Iowa) 6 Mike Kummer, So., Great Falls (Mont.) 7 Corey Johnson, Sr., Lindenwood (Mo.) 7 Marshall Marquardt, Sr., Dana (Neb.) 184: 1 Joffre Lander, Jr., Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 2 Matt Juncal, Jr., Cumberlands (Ky.) 3 Elijah Simburger, Sr., Dickinson State (N.D.) 4 Blair Alderman, Sr., Dana (Neb.) 5 Chris Wilkes, Jr., Cumberlands (Ky.) 6 Chris Lopez, Sr., Lindenwood (Mo.) 7 Joe Vincent, Sr., Jamestown (N.D.) 8 Rick Story, Jr., Southern Oregon 8 Ryan Mattingly, Sr., Montana State-Northern 197: 1 Eric Flinchum, Jr., Cumberlands (Ky.) 2 Justin Schlect, So., Dickinson State (N.D.) 3 Tyrell Blanche, Jr., Menlo (Calif.) 4 Robert Roszkiewicz, Sr., Lindenwood (Mo.) 5 Willie Parks, Sr., Dana (Neb.) 6 Jimmy Becerra, Jr., Lindenwood (Mo.) 7 Robert Charlton, Sr., Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 8 Stephen Westbeld, Sr., Cumberland (Tenn.) Hwt: 1 Chris Johnson, Sr., Missouri Valley 2 Alex Becerra, Jr., Lindenwood (Mo.) 3 Ben Flores, Sr., Menlo (Calif.) 4 Luke Roberts, Sr., Great Falls (Mont.) 5 Jacob Marquardt, So., Dana (Neb.) 6 Chase Gormley, Sr., Lindenwood (Mo.) 7 Arjan Bhullar, Fr., Simon Fraser (B.C.) 8 Clay Rogers, Jr., Dickinson State (N.D.)

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt wrestling team will prepare to open their 2005-06 season by having wrestle-offs on Sunday, November 6. The competition will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Fitzgerald Field House as the Panthers look to establish their starting line up. Drew HeadleeAt 125 pounds, the starting position is wide open with three tough true freshman battling returning starter Zach Bowman (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan). Bowman was an EWL placewinner for the Panthers last season, but the new freshman should keep it interesting. Senior Mike Ciotti (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) looks to be the early season favorite at 133 pounds as last year's starter Drew Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg) is healing from a wrist injury. Redshirt senior Ronald Tarquinio (McDonald, Pa./West Allegheny) will try to maintain his starting position at 141 pounds, but he'll be faced with some tough competition from redshirt freshman Joe Ciampoli (Altoona, Pa./Altoona). Wrestling fans can expect to see some early season surprises from true freshman Joey Ecklof (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) as he battles for a starting position at 149 pounds. An NCAA qualifier last year, Matt Kocher (State College, Pa./State College) will face Sean Richmond (Emmaus, Pa./Easton) at 157 pounds. While Kocher will likely redshirt for the season, it should still be a tough match. At 165, redshirt senior Justin Nestor (Transfer, Pa./Reynolds) is favored after three berths to the NCAA Championships. Redshirt junior Francis Iorfido (Johnsonburg, Pa/Johnsonburg) returns to dual meet action this year and will battle Nick Padezan (Irwin, Pa./Penn Trafford) for the starting position. With Keith Gavin (Factoryville, Pa./Lackawanna Trail) a probable redshirt for the coming year, it will be interesting to see how Kyle Deliere (Cecil, Pa/Canon-McMillan) steps up to the challenge at 184 pounds. Also look for Mike Heist (Orefield, Pa./Parkland) to make a push for the starting position. At 197 pounds, Lou Thomas (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg), a returning starter from last season, is the early favorite. There will not be a match at 285 pounds due to Zach Sheaffer's (Carlisle, Pa./Cumberland Valley) knee injury. The Panthers are currently ranked in the top-25 of four of the nation's premier polls. The team has six returning NCAA qualifiers, two veteran EWL conference champions and an NCAA All-American. With that much talent, it's sure to be an exciting starting line up. The Panthers will officially start their season with an away dual meet on Tuesday, November 15 with a 7:30 p.m. against EWL rival Bloomsburg.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- The Navy wrestling team will hold its only exhibition match of the season on Saturday with the annual Blue-Gold Challenge Matches, being held at 1:00 p.m., in Halsey Field House. The Mids are coming off a 12-3 overall record and a third-place EIWA Tournament finish, and return six starters from last year's squad. Head Coach Bruce Burnett is very excited to get the season underway. "This is an important event for us," said Burnett, who enters his sixth season with 53-26 record at Navy. "It sets the stage for the entire year. The reality is that it is the first opportunity to step on a mat this year and compete in front of people. There should be several great matches and every weight will be competitive." Leading the Blue team will be 125-pounder Alex Usztics (Dauphin, Pa.), 149-pounder John Cox (Grand Haven, Mich.) and 165-pounder Craig Dziewiatkowski (Aurora, Ill.). Both Cox and Dziewiatkowski were NCAA Qualifiers a year ago. For the Gold team, heavyweight Tanner Garrett (Tulsa, Okla.), 174-pounder Matt Stolpinski (Westfield, Mass.) and 184-pounder Jonny Kane (Portland, Maine) will lead the charge. Garrett is a two-time NCAA Qualifier and is ranked No. 8 in the preseason polls. "I'm sure it's a little nerve-wracking to be wrestling a teammate, but once the matches start, those nerves should go away," said Burnett. "It will be a good opportunity for our fans to see the progress we have made in the wrestling room. We are very excited to get going." Following this weekend's Blue-Gold matches, Navy will compete in the Eastern Michigan Open on Nov. 5, in Ypsilanti, Mich., for its season-opening tournament. BLUE-GOLD MATCHES: 125 Blue - Alex Usztics • Jr. • Dauphin, Pa. Gold - Caleb Levee • Fr. • Mandeville, La. 133 Blue - Branden Beasley • So. • Alexandria, Va. Gold - Brad Canterbury • Jr. • Blue Bell, Pa. 141 Blue - Spencer Manley • So. • Ooltewah, Tenn. Gold - Ricky Tippett • Fr. • White Marsh, Md. 149 Blue - John Cox • So. • Grand Haven, Mich. Gold - Matt Gulosh • Sr. • Stow, Ohio 157 Blue - Adam Brochetti • Sr. • Kittanning, Pa. Gold - Justin Jacobs • So. • LeRoy, Mich. 165 Blue - Craig Dziewiatkowski • Sr. • Aurora, Ill. Gold - Robert Johnston • So. • Satellite Beach, Fla. 174 Blue - Jesse Feinsod • Fr. • Colorado Springs, Colo. Gold - Matt Stolpinski • So. • Westfield, Mass. 184 Blue - Chris Pogue • Sr. • Chesapeake, Va. Gold - Jonny Kane • Sr. • Portland, Maine 197 Blue - Tyler Moyer • Fr. • Bremerton, Wash. Gold - Andrew Adams • Sr. • Dublin, Ohio HWT Blue - Ed Prendergast • So. • St. Louis, Mo. Gold - Tanner Garrett • Sr. • Tulsa, Okla

Sooners look toward season opener Nov. 12 NORMAN, Okla. -- The White team defeated the Red team in the annual Red/White Classic Thursday night, 22-15, inside the Howard McCasland Field House. The 10 matches were to determine the starters for the upcoming season. "I'm pleased overall with our performance tonight because we looked better than we have in the past, and I thought our conditioning was up a notch, said head coach Jack Spates. We need more combinations out on the mat, but I saw a lot of bright spots." "Kyle Terry, the young freshman, looked very tough tonight, Jarrod King looked super as well. Our two heavyweights battled hard tonight in an exciting match. Overall I was very pleased. It's early and we're not where we're going to be, but it's a good place to start," Spates said. Leading both squads on the evening were returning All-Americans Sam Hazewinkel and Joel Flaggert. At 125 pounds, Hazewinkel started the evening with a major decision, 14-4, over J.J. Anderson of the red team. Flaggert, at 197 pounds, registered a fall at the 2:47 mark to defeat true freshman Matt Cole. Also registering wins for the White team were Matt Storniolo (149), Jarrod King (165), Cody Hilbun (174), Justin Dyer (184) and Jake Hager (Hwt.) "We came out and wrestled tough tonight, said Senior Teyon Ware. This match lets us see where we are at this point in the season, but we're ready to get the season underway." "We're going to have a talented team this season and I think everyone is ready to start wrestling someone other than their teammate," said Ware. Ware was challenged in the 141 pound match by true freshman Kyle Terry, but was able to come away with a 6-2 decision. Posting wins for the Red team, along with Ware and Flaggert, were Joe Comparin (133) and Shane Vernon (157). The Sooners open the regular season Nov. 12, in Brockport, N.Y., for the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic. Oklahoma opens their home portion of the schedule against the Lehigh Mountain Hawks Saturday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. Action takes place inside the Howard McCasland Field House. 125 pounds: Sam Hazewinkel (White) maj. dec. J.J. Anderson (Red), 14-4 133 pounds: Joe Comparin (Red) dec. Trey Blakely (White), 4-1 141 pounds: Teyon Ware (Red) dec. Kyle Terry (White), 6-2 149 pounds: Matt Storniolo (White) dec. Will Rowe (Red), 10-4 157 pounds: Shane Vernon (Red) dec. Jerome Featherstone (White), 3-1 165 pounds: Jarrod King (White) maj. dec. Jake Jackson (Red), 15-1 174 pounds: Cody Hilbun (White) maj. dec. Erik Ford (Red), 13-2 184 pounds: Justin Dyer (White) dec. Josh Hinton (Red), 10-2 197 pounds: Joel Flaggert (Red) fall Matt Cole (White), 2:47 Heavyweight: Jake Hager (White) dec. Austin David (Red), 2-1

Travis Lee is unbelievable. Entering last weekend, the 22-year-old Hawaiian had wrestled just one freestyle tournament since high school -- and had only been on the mat a month since winning his second NCAA title last March. He took the summer off because he had a hernia which required surgery. Nonetheless, we went on to defeat Olympic silver medalist Stephen Abas en route to his runner-up finish at the always-competitive Sunkist International Open in Tempe, Arizona. "After my freshman year of college, I went out to Colorado Springs (to the Olympic Training Center) for a week," said Lee, who wrestles at 60 kg. "I had a chance to wrestle with Stephen Abas, Eric Guerrero, and some other great wrestlers. Obviously, I was getting beaten up at the time, so I didn't really know what to expect when I went out to the Sunkist. I knew that I had developed over the course of my college career. But I guess that I was kind of shocked by how it went, especially since I hadn't wrestled freestyle in a long time. I didn't really feel too comfortable the entire tournament. It has been a slow process getting back into my freestyle game. I'm still making that transition from collegiate style to freestyle. I felt like I made some of mistakes out at Sunkist." Mistakes? What, beating an Olympic silver medalist? Travis Lee defeated Stephen Abas in the semifinals of the Sunkist International Open, but lost in the finals to Saeed Azarbayjani of Canada (photo by John Sachs).But make no mistake about it -- Lee's future in the international style appears to be extremely bright. Cornell head coach Rob Koll, who was named 2005 Division I Coach of the Year by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), knows how great of a freestyler Lee can be. He also understands what international wrestling is all about. His freestyle wrestling career took him all over the world. Koll placed fifth at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo. He was also a two-time World Cup champion, two-time U.S. Nationals champion, World Grand Prix champion, Pan-American Games champion, and a 1992 U.S. Olympic alternate. So was Koll surprised by how Lee fared at the Sunkist? "Yeah, I was surprised," said Koll, who has coached Lee since 2001. "I thought he'd win it. I was disappointed that he didn't win it. And I'm not just saying that to be cute. I really thought he'd win it. I have a hard time seeing him do anything but win because I've seen him win so much." Last March, Lee captured his second NCAA title by defeating Edinboro's Shawn Bunch in the 133-pound NCAA finals. His first title came in 2003 at 125 pounds. Lee, who was also a four-time All-American, became just the third Ivy League wrestler to win two NCAA titles -- and the first since 1960. Travis Lee won the 2005 NCAA title at 133 pounds by defeating Shawn Bunch of Edinboro. "When I won my national titles, I had completely different feelings each time," recalled Lee. "I was ecstatic my sophomore year. I was just so pumped up. I was thinking that I could maybe win three national titles and that would be amazing. But I didn't really have the tournament I wanted to have my junior year. I just wasn't focused at nationals. But my senior year, when I won, it felt like more of a relief to me than anything else. There was just so much more pressure during my senior year, being that it was my last year and my last chance to win another national title. Maybe that's why I did better -- because that pressure was there." What makes Lee's achievements all the more impressive, though, is the fact that five years ago, not a single Division I college head coach would give him the time of day. In 2000, Lee and his mother, Lynette, spent hours going through videotapes (both high school and Junior Nationals matches), so they could put together a compilation tape of his wrestling. They made about 20 videotapes and sent them off to all of the top Division I wrestling programs in the country. Initially, only one coach was interested. "Oklahoma contacted me," recalled Lee, who won three state titles in Hawaii. "I think it was their assistant coach at the time, Chuck Barbee, who was interested. But he ended up moving from Oklahoma to Army. So that kind of screwed up that process. Oklahoma stopped recruiting me after he left." So Lee decided to send an e-mail to Koll. He knew that Cornell was an Ivy League school -- which piqued his interest. Recalls Koll: "I sent an e-mail back and said, 'Travis, please send me a video because I have absolutely no idea what being a state champion in Hawaii means.' I was being brutally honest. I wasn't trying to pat myself on the back. It was just kind of a backhand insult to the state of Hawaii. He sent me a video. So I watched it for a few minutes and then put it away. I put it away because it wasn't that impressive. He had good intensity, but it just wasn't all that impressive. He had all of his early matches on there, like from his sophomore year, but you couldn't tell from watching it. About a month goes by and I decide, just for the heck of it, to take out the video and look at it again because something struck me. It wasn't his technique, but it was his intensity. I thought, 'We'll give it a chance.' As I watched it more and more and more, I thought, 'Boy, this kid is really good.' So we committed to recruiting him." It would be a major understatement to say that Koll is glad he did recruit Lee. Not only has Lee accomplished more than any other wrestler in Ivy League history (no other Ivy League wrestler had ever been a four-time All-American), but he has also become a symbol for the rising Cornell program -- a program that finished fourth in the country last season. Lee is quick to give credit to his coaches and teammates for his success -- specifically Koll and Cornell assistant coach Steve Garland. Steve Garland and Rob Koll"Both Rob and Steve have been vital to my development as a wrestler," said Lee. "Having Rob there was great because he's been through that. He was a national champion and a four-time All-American. He just has great credentials. Having him there, not necessarily wrestling with me every day, but having him there to analyze videos and technique was so important. It was just nice having someone to talk to that has already been through the process and knows what it's like at the World level. I think that was a big part. With Steve, he was my training partner most of my career. When I first got to Cornell, he really took the initiative to really try to develop me and help me become a great Division I college wrestler. I owe a lot to him for that. There were other workout partners along the way that helped me, like Jamar (Billman) and a lot of my teammates." Lee graduated last spring with a bachelor's degree in biological engineering. He is now in graduate school at Cornell working on his master's degree in the same area of study -- and also serving as a volunteer assistant coach. This past year, Cornell inked one of the top recruiting classes in the country, led by five-time New York state champion, Troy Nickerson, who was the Asics High School Wrestler of the Year in 2005, and Adam Frey, a Junior Nationals double champion. Koll thinks having Lee in the program helped entice those recruits. "Having Travis around is obviously great for recruiting," said Koll. "But once you get the kids in the room, he inspires them by his work ethic and the fact that he's so technically sound. If you're wrestling him, and you make any mistakes, he's going to exploit those mistakes. So just by wrestling with him every day, they're going to make natural adjustments, above and beyond what he teaches them." Lee has enjoyed working out with both Nickerson and Frey since they have arrived on campus. Nickerson will wrestle at 125 pounds and Frey will wrestle at 141 pounds. "It has been great working out with them," said Lee. "It's good for me and it's good for them. I get new, fresh workout partners. And it's good for them because I can help them progress in their college careers. I really think they're going to make a big impact on the team really quickly. A lot of times, in the first few months, it's just about getting past those high school mistakes and really adapting to college wrestling. I think both of them have the ability to do that right away, assuming they stay injury-free." Lee is also a very accomplished Greco wrestler, having won a Junior Nationals Greco title after his senior year of high school. But right now, he has decided that his focus is going to be strictly on freestyle. "I definitely like Greco a lot," said Lee. "But since I started wrestling freestyle, I don't know. To train at this kind of level, you really have to choose between one or the other. I thought it would be an easier transition coming from collegiate to freestyle. I love both styles, but I really want to do well at freestyle first." Lee is planning to wrestle in as many freestyle tournaments as possible this season. Or as many as his busy schedule allows. He says, "The more matches I get, the more beneficial it's going to be." He has his sights set on the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. "After my master's program is done, I'm really thinking about concentrating and focusing the next two and a half to three years to train for 2008," said Lee. Lee also has aspirations of someday opening up his own wrestling club in Hawaii. "It's kind of funny, there are tons of judo clubs in Hawaii, but the number of wrestling clubs is really minimal," said Lee. "That is something I was thinking about starting down the road." Regardless of what the future holds for Lee, Koll believes he has already set a precedent for future generations. "He's doing exactly what we preached you could do," said Koll. "You can have a world-class education and prepare for your career at the highest level, but also train for the Olympics. In the past, people have had the Big Ten mentality, where you can't do it anywhere else. He is showing that simply is not true."

125: Junior Tony Hager became the starter a year ago and charted a 9-25 record and two pins. Of his 25 losses, eight were to national ranked wrestlers at either NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, or Division III. Hager finished seventh at the IIAC Championships. Hager is expected to be pushed by freshman Matt Koch. Koch finished fifth at the state meet as a senior for Indianola High School. A two-time conference champion, Koch won a district title as a senior. He ended his career with a 129-33 record. "Tony looks to improve upon a tough sophomore season," said Simpson head coach Ron Peterson. "He will be pushed hard by Matt for the varsity job." 133: Senior Dustin Brewer is expected to be the starter at 133. He will attempt to earn All-American honors for the third year in a row and at \ e on the national level," said Peterson. "He has beaten some of the better kids in the country. The key for Cole is to stay healthy." 149: Sophomore Geoff Murtha and freshman Ben Hektoen will battle it out to replace three-time All-American Clint Manny at 149. Murtha won the 149 pound Iowa Conference JV Tournament title last season. He went 8-6 with one pin in limited action a year ago. Hektoen is the only four-time state qualifier in Fairfield High School history. Hektoen placed third in the state meet as a junior, seventh as a senior, and eighth as a sophomore. A three-time conference and two-time district champion, he finished career with 111 wins. "Both Geoff and Ben will battle it out throughout season," Peterson said. "We need one of them to step up and take control." 157: Junior Kellen Delaney registered a 27-12 mark with seven pins after moving up from 141. He won the 157-pound title at the Citrus Open and was second at the Simpson Invitational at 157. Delaney finished fifth at the IIAC Championships at 157. "Kellen had an outstanding sophomore season, we feel that he should be an All-American this year. He has beaten some of the top kids in the country. 165: Three wrestlers; senior Bryan Llewellyn, junior Tom Koch, and freshman John Richman will vie for the starting position. Llewellyn transferred to Simpson from IIAC rival Central and went 6-9 in limited varsity action. He was third at the Iowa Conference JV Tournament at 165. Koch moves up from 157 where he won the Iowa Conference JV Tournament title. He charted a 19-11 record for the year. Richman graduated from Des Moines Roosevelt High School where he qualified for the state meet as a senior. Richman won the a district and conference championship as a senior. "Its going to be a dogfight at 165 for us. Bryan has proven to be competitive when he is healthy. Tom had a solid sophomore year and we look for him to be a factor. John comes from a great high school program and we hope he can add to our program." 174: Senior Cody Downing moves down from 184 to start at this weight. Downing led the Storm with 15 pins a year ago. He posted a 28-16 record and was fifth at the Iowa Conference Championships. He earned top five placings at three in season tournament last season. "Cody is one of our two captains," Peterson commented. "He's been on the verge of the making the national tournament and we expect him to make a run for nationals this season." 184: A trio comprised of three freshmen; Matt Jorgenson, Sean Miller, and Robert Zube will vie for the starter's position. Jorgenson was a three-time state meet qualifier for Pocahontas High School. He finished fourth at the state tournament as a senior and fifth as a junior. Miller won the 189 pound Missouri state wrestling championship as a senior for Park Hill High School. He finished fourth at the state meet as a junior at 189. Zube was named honorable mention All-Conference as a junior and senior for Viroqua (Wis.) High School. "This weight is going to be one that we look for someone to step up. Sean has performed very well in camp. He is going to be pushed by both Matt and Robert. 197: Sophomore Chris Downing should serve as the starter. The younger brother of Simpson's Cody Downing, Chris Downing transfers to Simpson from NAIA Morningside. He was finished third at the state tournament for Creston High School after going 49-6 with a school record 34 pins. He ended his career with 100 wins. "We are excited to have Chris in our program," said Peterson. "197 was our weakest weight class a year ago and Chris provides us with a solid starter who has a year of college experience under his belt." Hwt: Senior Brett Christensen earned All-American honors (sixth) for the first time as a junior. A three-time national tournament qualifier, Christensen charted a 29-15 mark with 10 pins. The 2005 Iowa Conference runner-up, seven of Christensen's losses were to opponents ranked in the Division III top eight. "Brett is our other senior captain," Peterson said. "He has been a great leader for us in the preseason. We believe that he can be in the top five in the nation this season."