InterMat Staff

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- The Cal State Bakersfield wrestling alumni squad edged out the current Roadrunners by a 20–18 count in the CSUB alumni dual Sunday afternoon at the Icardo Center. The annual match features a number of former Roadrunner stars at weights they remembered from high school or earlier pitted against the current Bakersfield squad. The outcome of the match came down to the final weight class of the day. Roberto Vargas, an All–American from last season's squad, faced junior Matt Schumm (Corona, Calif./Centennial HS) at 141 pounds. After a close first period, Vargas, who weighed a bit more than the 141 he wrestled at last year, outscored Schumm 9–0 in the second period en route to a 15–2 win. Tommy Vargas (Highland, Calif./Northwestern) scored a narrow 3–2 victory over Moses Delfin, an All–American in 1999 for the 'Runners and a current assistant coach for the squad. Vargas scored the only takedown of the match in the first period and managed to hold off Delfin for the victory. The most entertaining match of the evening came at 174 pounds where Bakersfield's Christian Arellano (Moreno Valley, Calif./Canyon Springs HS) edged out Ian Nelms by a count of 8–6. The two wrestlers battled back and forth, combining for four reversals. Arellano managed the final reversal midway though the final period and held on for the win. Another close match came just one match later at 184 pounds. Lou Montano, a former two–time NCAA Division I All–American held a slight 4–3 lead with riding time advantage nearing the end of the match. The Roadrunners' Brandon Ceremello (Clovis, Calif./Clovis HS) was able to score a quick escape and benefited from a stalling call with a few seconds left to force overtime. In the extra period, Ceremello was able to overcome at least a 30 pound disadvantage and score the takedown for the victory. At heavyweight, junior Eric Parker (Ramona, Calif,/Ramona HS) held off a strong challenge from former three–time Pac–10 placewinner Brian Malavar for a close 4–2 decision. The match was the only one of the night where the Alumni wrestler was close to making weight. Former two–time All–American Coby Wright scored a tech fall victory over freshman Brandon Zoetewey (San Ramon, Calif./De La Salle HS) at 125 pounds. Wright, who had a 20 pound weight and at least one foot height advantage, took the freshman down at will, scoring the technical fall at the end of the match. Bakersfield returns to action this weekend as the squad travels to the Las Vegas Invitational on Friday and Saturday.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- No. 8 Lehigh got its first look at an EIWA opponent on Sunday afternoon and the Mountain Hawks rolled to a 36-3 win over Rutgers at Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Lehigh secured wins in nine of ten weight classes and got bonus points in five bouts as the Mountain Hawks improve to 5-1 heading into next weekend's showdowns against Oklahoma State and Oklahoma. Rutgers drops its dual opener and falls to 0-1. The match started at 174 and Travis Frick got the Mountain Hawks off to a fast start. Frick scored early and often en route to a 19-6 major decision over Scarlet Knights' freshman Michael Whalen. Rutgers picked up its only victory at 184 as last minute replacement Ben Bishop wrestled tough and gave up only a decision in a 4-1 loss to Rutgers' No. 9 ranked Rudy Medini. Lehigh re-asserted its dominance in the remaining bouts. Matt Cassidy and Tom Curl delivered wins by decisions at 197 and heavyweight respectively. When the lineup turned over to the lightweights, freshman Matt Fisk and sophomore Jeff Santo delivered bonus wins. Fisk was very impressive in a 15-5 major decision over Ryan Jablonski at 125 and then Santo built a 12-0 lead before pinning Andrew Cardella in 3:56. Matt Ennis earned a 4-2 decision subbing for Cory Cooperman at 141. Trevor Chinn and Derek Zinck wrapped things up with wins with Zinck's coming by major decision. Troy Letters was a winner by forfeit for the Brown and White at 165. "I thought we wrestled well today as a team," said head coach Greg Strobel. "Today was a good challenge for us and a good measuring stick before we head to Oklahoma next week." The Mountain Hawks return to action on Friday night when they travel to Stillwater, Oklahoma to face No. 1 Oklahoma State. Friday's match gets underway at 8:00 EST from historic Gallagher-Iba Arena. The match will be broadcast on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 as well as online at lehighsports.com with streaming provided by Yahoo! Sports.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Muzaffar Abdurakhmanov (Tashkent, Uzbekistan) stayed undefeated this year, knocking off fourth-ranked Matt Nagel of Minnesota and Josh Glenn (Johnson City, N.Y./Johnson) pinned all his opponents, including sixth-ranked Roger Kish of Minnesota to highlight the American University wrestling team's performance at the Northeast Duals Saturday. The team wrestled without a 125 or 141 and went 1-3 on the day, beating Virginia-Tech and losing to No. 5 Minnesota (40-10), No. 13 Central Michigan 27-16, No. 25 Tennessee-Chattanooga by five points. Wins by Abdurakhmanov and Glenn highlighted AU's final dual of the day, against #5 ranked Minnesota. Abdurakhmanov major decisioned fourth-ranked Matt Nagel, 13-3. Nagel came into the match undefeated, recently beating defending NCAA Champion Johny Hendricks of Oklahoma State. Abdurakhmanov is now 10-0 on the year. At 184, Glenn pinned sixth-ranked Roger Kish 4:02 into the match for the win. It was Kish's first loss of the year. Glenn had four wins on the day, all by pin. He has won every match this year by pin and is now 10-0 on the year as well. Matt Morkel (Omaha, Neb./Skutt), American's promising 125 pounder, was unable to compete because of an injury that occurred in the team's season opener.

College wrestling changed forever in November of 2002 when Cornell head wrestling coach Rob Koll unveiled his program's brand-new Friedman Wrestling Center, the nation's first stand-alone wrestling facility. The media gathered and Cornell, already enjoying a string of successful seasons, became an instant premier program. The brick and mortar of the building attracted attention and more donors, which in-turn set off a nine-year cycle of talent recruited and national success. Friedman Wrestling CenterCornell's construction and subsequent ascendancy had unexpected consequences on the rest of college wrestling. Almost immediately an arms war developed among those wanting to be mentioned among the top echelon of college wrestling programs. Schools that had once happily relied on the governance of one or two premier coaches and 1500 square feet of Resilite now needed plasma television, 4500 square feet of mat space, and stacked coaching staffs. From Penn State to Nebraska to Iowa, wrestling programs began to find donors willing to help create mega-programs where the new-normal for success would be available to student-athletes seeking status as All-Americans and NCAA champions. For six years the 80-some-odd programs have been trying to keep up with the Jones' Koll's of the college wrestling world, and while schools have made incredible, almost illogical, gains, none have matched the recent 18-month spending spree and product development of the Michigan Wolverines. Bahna Wrestling CenterLike Friedman before it, the Bahna Wrestling Center was the catalyst for change in Ann Arbor. The state-of-the art complex that became only the second stand-alone wrestling facility when it was dedicated in October of 2009, and though Bahna brings about Twit Pic-inducing amenities a bright-eyed 18-year-old recruit might want (Playstation, plasma televisions, Gatorade machine), it also has everything they need to succeed (training room, weight room, 7500 square feet of mat space). What is different about Michigan is the sudden influx of human capital -- a concentration of coaching and athletic talent very rarely, if ever, assembled in one program. Michigan head wrestling coach Joe McFarland and the Michigan athletic program did what no other program in the country has been able to match, instantly recruiting the best coaches, senior-level wrestlers and top prospects all at once. The confluence of technical expertise, international success, and expectation for future results has taken a Wolverine program from Big Ten after thought last season to talk of future title contender. The Michigan coaching staff was the first significant change inside the Wolverine programs. McFarland recruited arguably the two most sought after head coaching prospects in the country, Sean Bormet and Donny Pritzlaff, and asked them to come to Ann Arbor as assistant coaches. Both, ever-accomplished as competitors, had made their respective marks in junior, senior, and collegiate coaching. Donny Pritzlaff"On the interview it was clear to me that the administrator wanted to be the best and were willing to do what it took to get there," said Pritzlaff a two-time NCAA champion and former assistant-head coach at the Univ. of Wisconsin. "Michigan wanted the best coaches, assistant coaches, wrestlers, student-athletes and recruits. I'm a competitive guy and I could tell they were all-in. They expect to win." According to Pritzlaff the jump from Wisconsin to Michigan started with an initial interest in the head-coaching job at American University. Once change had crept into his thought process, the 400-mile move from Madison to Ann Arbor became manageable. "I spent 11 years in Madison as a wrestler and a coach, and I think it was time to get new experiences and new challenges." Helping to make the decision was the recent hiring of Sean Bormet, who not only wrestled and coached at Michigan, though he'd spent the last 11 years running the epically successful Overtime School of Wrestling in Naperville, Ill. Bormet's Fargo team swept the event in 2010, winning freestyle and Greco in both Juniors and Cadets. He saw Michigan as an opportunity to create a new professional challenge. Sean Bormet"Opening and running Overtime taught me a tremendous amount in terms of business management and the foundation of development in the types athletes I will now be recruiting," said Bormet. "There is an enormous amount of work that goes into running a Division I program and I was not going to underestimate that fact. For me it was not about the staff title I would hold, but about the coaches I am working with, the support and commitment of the administration, and the athletes I have to train and coach." When it come to respecting ability Bormet and Pritzlaff shared the praise. Said Bormet of his former athlete, "Pritzlaff is special. He was exceptional as a competitor and he is as a coach. It was an honor to coach Donny and contribute to his success at the NCAAs and the World Championships." Pritzlaff, who won the bronze medal at the 2006 World Championships, credits Bormet with being one of the motivating factors in his decision, "I've always wanted to work with Bormet; he recruited me to Wisconsin and coached me at the senior level. He's one of the best in the country at what he does and I wanted to learn from him." Michigan Men (left to right): Jimmy Kennedy, Andrew Howe, Tyrel Todd, Josh Churella, Mike Poeta, and Jake Herbert (Photo/Leah Howard, Michigan Sports Information)Somewhat controversially, what followed was a nationwide shuffle of talent. Coaches aren't to blame when their athletes follow them to schools, and most try their best to prevent gutting a program, but as with any martial art relationship bonds of leadership formed in times of great emotional need can't always be easily severed. When Bormet and Pritzlaff reported to Ann Arbor, they attracted one of the most exceptional and accomplished groups of senior-level athletes assembled to date. World silver medalist Jake Herbert, Mike Poeta, Jimmy Kennedy, Tyrel Todd, Josh Churella and Andrew Howe (who is not enrolled at Wisconsin or Michigan) are all full-time members of the senior-level program called the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club, and live and train alongside the Michigan Wolverine wrestling team. "I love Bormet," said Herbert, a two-time NCAA champion at Northwestern. "I wanted to train with him because he's going to get me prepared to win an Olympic title. I also get to be around six or seven other guys who have the same goals and are working hard to achieve them every day. It's like being back on a team." "They also have a chocolate milk machine," Herbert said only half-jokingly. The recent influx of talent and their relationship to the Michigan program was prompted, nay -- encouraged, by the changed relationship between the NCAA and senior-level wrestlers. Previously the senior-level wrestlers could only participate in club practices, but with schools who've now gained designation as Regional Training Centers (RTC) from USA Wrestling, senior-level athletes can now wrestle with the college athletes during scheduled NCAA practice periods. By earning an RTC designation and recruiting Bormet and Prtizlaff, Michigan gathered up seven more world-class competitors to join in select practices and drill sessions. Cliff Keen Wrestling Club members with Sean Bormet (Photo/Leah Howard, Michigan Sports Information)"It's been pretty awesome to have the senior-level guys in the room," said 2011 NCAA Champion Kellen Russell. "I'm drilling with Jimmy Kennedy and getting technique advice from guys like Howe. The whole team benefits from having these guys around -- they all know how to win." "Pollination of technique and competitive mindset between wrestlers at the NCAA level and the World level is optimal for everyone involved," said Bormet of the RTC designation and how its influenced programs like Michigan and Ohio State. "There are several significant college programs making this commitment around the country and it is healthy for American wrestling as a whole." Pritzlaff sees his time coaching under McFarland and with Bormet as a catalyst for his on career, but also an important visualization tool for the Michigan wrestlers, "I always wanted to be involved in this type of program -- around guys who want to be Olympic champions. They are here every day working their strength and condition and it's been great for our wrestlers to see these guys working out -- to see the intensity." Michigan's current wrestlers are obviously benefiting from the exposure to the talent, and that should help push the Wolverines, who have seven guys ranked in the top 20, into a possible podium position at the Big Ten Championships. Their improvement and the expected influx of talent, including InterMat's top recruit Taylor Massa, means that the coffer of talent won't soon be diminished, or suffer from a lack of development. Cliff Keen Wrestling Club teammates Andrew Howe and Jake Herbert wrestle while Sean Bormet gives instruction (Photo/Leah Howard, Michigan Sports Information)Though they are pampered by their surroundings, the competitive edge of the Michigan team and senior-level athletes like Herbert doesn't wane with the ease of a facility that has everything in one location. Russell thinks his 2011-2012 teammates are hungrier than ever, readying themselves for the five-month season, "We're ready to start winning," he said. Even Herbert, who lost his 2010 World team position to Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson in 2011, has a renewed outlook on the coming season and how he'll accomplish his goals. "Kenny Monday had Dave Schultz, Henry Cejudo had Stephen Abas, it's only fair that I have Cael Sanderson." He'll also have a weight room, 7500 square feet of mat space, and a training room. But more importantly he and the current Wolverine wrestlers will have multiple training partners and coaches -- each of them with newly minted designations as Michigan Men.

Nice, France -- Andy Hrovat (Ann Arbor, Mich./New York AC) won a gold medal at 84 kg/185 lbs. at the Henri Deglane Challenge on Friday evening by defeating fellow American Chris Pendleton (Stillwater, Okla./Gator WC) in a men's freestyle final, 6-0, 0-3, 1-1. Hrovat swept through four opponents on his way to the gold medal, as he continued his strong start to the 2005-06 freestyle season. Also winning a medal in men's freestyle competition was Angel Cejudo (Colorado Springs, Colo./Sunkist Kids) with a silver at 60 kg/132 lbs. Cejudo won his first two matches with 6-0 scores in all four periods wrestled. In the finals, he dropped a 6-0, 1-0 decision to Petru Toarca of Romania, who placed fourth in the 2002 World Championships. Ron Groves (Colorado Springs, Colo./Unattached) posted a 1-1 record and Aaron Holker (Colorado Springs, Colo./U.S. Army) lost his first-round bout. Both competed at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. In Greco-Roman competition, John Wechter (East Lansing, Mich./Sunkist Kids) won a bronze medal at 84 kg/185 lbs. Wechter downed Asian Junior champion Davoud Hadavand of Iran in the first round before losing to eventual champion Denis Forov of Russia in the second round. Forov was a 2003 Junior World champion. After winning one bout in the consolation bracket, Wechter defeated Pedro Garcia of Spain, 2-0, 3-0, for the bronze. Also competing for the U.S. in Greco-Roman but not placing were Willie Madison (Metairie, La./Gator WC/USOEC) at 60 kg/132 lbs. and Mark Rial (Colorado Springs, Colo./Gator WC) at 66 kg/145.5 lbs. On Saturday, two more men's weight classes, 74 kg/163 lbs. and 96 kg/211.5 lbs., will compete in each style as will three women's weight classes, 55 kg/121 lbs., 63 kg/138.75 lbs. and 67 kg/147.5 lbs.

State College, Pa. -- The No. 11 Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team nearly pulled off an upset of its own, leading early but falling to No. 2 Michigan in Rec Hall. Penn State would bolt out to a 12-3 lead only to see Michigan's bevy of ranked grapplers spur a Wolverine comeback as Michigan posted a hard-fought 23-15 win over Penn State. A season-high 2,364 fans packed Rec Hall for the Big Ten dual. The dual began at 197, where Penn State's Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.), a returning All-American and ranked No. 6 in the country, broke open an early tight match vs. Michigan's Casey White with five late points in the second period off a reversal and a three-point near fall. Davis would dominate the third period and post a 6-0 win to put Penn State up 3-0. Greg WagnerAt heavyweight, junior Aaron Anspach (Columbia, Pa.) stepped in to face Michigan's Greg Wagner, ranked No. 3 in the nation. Wagner took Anspach down midway through the first, but Anspach would quickly escape. A last second takedown gave Wagner a 4-1 lead after one. The bout would head to the third with Wagner up 5-1. Anspach would escape to tighten the match at 5-2 but get no closer and drop the close match 8-2. Sophomore Tim Haas (Camp Hill, Pa.) fresh off his title at the East Stroudsburg Open, got up early on Michigan junior Jim Shutich with two take downs plus a riding time edge of 1:30. Up 4-1 heading into the second, Haas would ride Shutich for another :50 before Shutich's escape made the score 4-2 going to period three. Haas chose down to start the third and was allowed up :45 seconds in. Shutich would post a late take down but Haas held on for the 6-4 win and a 6-3 Penn State team lead. With nationally ranked Wolverine Mark Moos out, Penn State freshman Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.) scored early on Michigan's Brandon Elliott, wrestling up from his natural 125. Strayer would take Elliott down four times in the first period and lead 9-3 with riding time heading into the second. Strayer would continue to dominate the match and lead 17-4 after two. Strayer would eventually pin Elliott at 5:34, giving Penn State a 12-3 lead after four bouts. A key battle at 141 started with No. 8 Josh Churella of Michigan getting an early takedown on Penn State's No. 16 DeWitt Driscoll (Connellsville, Pa.). Driscoll would quickly escape to tighten the hotly contested bout at 2-1. Churella scored another takedown and ride Driscoll out to lead 4-1 with a riding time edge heading into the second. Driscoll was reversed early in the second period and trailed 6-1 after two. Churella would score a late take down in the third period and post a 9-1 major. Penn State led 12-7 at the midway point. Two more ranked wrestlers squared off at 149. Penn State's James Woodall (St. Dupont, Pa.), ranked No. 14, battled No. 3 Eric Tannenbaum of Michigan tough early, but Tannenbaum scored a takedown a minute in and ride Woodall for the remainder of the period to lead 2-0 with a 2:01 riding time edge after one period. Tannenbaum would extend his lead to 5-1 with a takedown in the second and go on to post a 10-4 win, cutting Penn State's team lead to 12-10. Steve LukePenn State's Nathan Galloway (State College, Pa.), ranked No. 10 at 157, fell behind No. 19 Steve Luke early as Luke scored a take down to start the match and post another take down late in the first period to lead 4-1 after one. Luke would increase his edge to 6-3 heading into the third period with a 2:14 riding time advantage. Luke's early reversal in the third period would increase the lead and he would hold off a late Galloway rally to post the 11-9 win and give Michigan its first lead of the match, 13-12. Freshman Phil Bomberger (Port Royal, Pa.) faced No. 3 Ryan Churella of Michigan at 165. Churella took Bomberger down in the first and rode the freshman for 1:45 to close out the first period with a 2-0 lead and a 1:45 riding time advantage. Churella would increase his edge to 9-0 after two before posting a pin at 5:32 and increase Michigan's edge to 19-12. 174-pounder James Yonushonis (Philipsburg, Pa.) entered his match with No. 11 Nick Roy of Michigan with a 4-0 mark and a two straight wins over ranked opponents. The duo battled to a scoreless first period. Roy chose down to start the second and escape :11 in to lead 1-0 after two. Yonushonis was down to start the third and escaped five second in to tie the bout at 1-1. Plenty of action but no scoring would send the 1-1 bout into a sudden victory period. Yonushonis would post a take down with just :22 into the bout to post his third straight win over a ranked foe, 3-1. Penn State found itself down 19-15 with a bout remaining. With top-ranked Nittany Lion Eric Bradley still nursing an ankle injury for Penn State, freshman Neil Bretz (Carlisle, Pa.) moved up to 184, needing not just a win but bonus points vs. Michigan freshman Tyrel Todd. Todd scored the first take down of the bout in the first period and continue to score on Bretz, a natural 174-pounder, through the second period leading 10-2 with riding time after two periods. Todd would go on to post an impressive 18-5 major and give Michigan a 23-15 dual victory. Penn State hosts the Nittany Lion Open next Sunday, beginning at 8:30 a.m. Tickets are available at the door the day of the event. Penn State's next home dual is on Sunday, Jan. 8, when the Lions host Cornell at 1 p.m. in Rec Ha... Single match tickets can be purchased by visiting the BJC Ticket Center or by calling 814-865-5555 or 800-863-3336. Prices are $5 for adults and $3 for youth and senior citizens. DUAL MATCH SUMMARY: No. 11 PENN STATE 15, No. 2 MICHIGAN 23 Saturday, November 26, 2005 - Rec Hall - State College, Pa. Wt. Result PSU-UM 197: #6 Phil Davis PSU def. Casey White UM, 6-0 3-0 HWT: #3 Greg Wagner UM def. Aaron Anspach PSU, 8-2 3-3 125: Tim Haas PSU def. Jim Shutich UM, 6-4 6-3 133: Jake Strayer PSU pinned Brandon Elliott UM, WBF 5:34 12-3 141: #8 Josh Churella UM maj. dec. #16 DeWitt Driscoll PSU, 9-1 12-7 149: #3 Eric Tannenbaum UM def. #14 James Woodall PSU, 10-4 12-10 157: #19 Steve Luke UM def. #10 Nathan Galloway PSU, 11-9 12-13 165: #3 Ryan Churella UM pinned Phil Bomberger PSU, WBF 5:32 12-19 174: James Yonushonis PSU def. #11 Nick Roy UM 3-1 SV 15-19 184: Tyrel Todd UM maj. dec. Neil Bretz PSU, 18-5 15-23 RECORDS: Penn State 3-2, 0-2 Big Ten; Michigan 1-0, 1-0 Big Ten ATTENDANCE: 2,364

The No. 2-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team will kick off its 2005-06 slate on Saturday (Nov. 26) with a Big Ten Conference dual meet against No. 11 Penn State in State College, Pa. The match is slated for a 1 p.m. start at Rec Hall. Michigan holds the narrow 22-20 advantage in the all-time series against Penn State, dating back to 1933. The Wolverines have also been dominant of late with wins in eight of the last nine meetings, including a pair of lopsided victories last season. U-M rallied from early deficits in both duals, winning 31-9 in the regular-season affair in Ann Arbor before posting a 29-14 win at the National Duals one week later. Senior/juniors Ryan Churella (Northville, Mich./Novi HS) and Greg Wagner (Fort Wayne, Ind./Snider HS) played instrumental roles in both wins, each collecting back-to-back falls at 165 pounds and heavyweight, respectively. Joe McFarlandMichigan head coach Joe McFarland owns a near-perfect 7-1 record against the Nittany Lions since taking the helm of the Wolverine squad while PSU head coach Troy Sunderland owns a 67-65 career record in eight seasons at Penn State and is 1-7 against the Wolverines. The Nittany Lions own a 3-1 record already this season, losing 19-15 to Wisconsin in their most recent outing. Penn State on the Internet: www.GoPSUSports.com. Marquee Matches 149 Pounds -- #3 Eric Tannenbaum (Michigan) vs. #14 James Woodall (Penn State) Eric TannenbaumTannenbaum made a pretty successful season debut on Monday (Nov. 21) with a 7-3 win over Oklahoma State's top-ranked Zack Esposito at the NWCA All-Star Classic. He will square off against a ranked opponent for the second time in as many matches when he takes on Penn State's 14th-rank James Woodall. The two wrestlers will meet for the first time as Woodall regains his 149-pound starting role after posting a 10-2 record last season while backing up PSU starter Jack Decker. The Nittany Lion wrestler owns a 2-1 mark in 2005-06 with his lone loss coming in overtime against Wisconsin's Tyler Turner (8-6). 157 Pounds -- #19 Steve Luke (Michigan) vs. #10 Nate Galloway (Penn State) One week after solidifying his starting role in U-M's lineup, Luke will immediately face his first major challenge when he squares off against Penn State's 10th-ranked Nate Galloway in just his first varsity match. Galloway is 2-2 this season with a pair of big bonus wins and both losses falling in the tiebreaker round. In his most recent outing, Galloway fell to Wisconsin's Craig Henning 5-3. Luke posted a 7-3 record in open tournament competition during his redshirt campaign and, in a successful summer season, represented the United States at the Junior World Championships. Saturday's dual meet will mark his season debut. Projected match-ups: 125: Jim Shutich (Michigan) vs. Brad Pataky or Tim Haas (Penn State) 133: Mark Moos (Michigan) vs. Jake Strayer (Penn State) 141: Josh Churella (Michigan) vs. DeWitt Driscoll (Penn State) 149: Eric Tannenbaum (Michigan) vs. James Woodall (Penn State) 157: Steve Luke (Michigan) vs. Nate Galloway (Penn State) 165: Ryan Churella (Michigan) vs. Phil Bomberger or Brian Cantalupi (Penn State) 174: Nick Roy (Michigan) vs. James Yonushonis (Penn State) 184: Tyrel Todd (Michigan) vs. Eric Bradley or Neil Bretz (Penn State) 197: Willie Breyer (Michigan) vs. Phil Davis (Penn State) Hwt: Greg Wagner (Michigan) vs. Joel Edwards (Penn State)

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Three successful high school wrestlers have signed National Letters of Intent to attend Arizona State University and compete on its wrestling team, Sun Devil Head Coach Thom Ortiz announced Wednesday. The trio of signees, which includes Shawn Jones, David Green and Kenny Lester, will enroll at ASU in time to compete for the 2006-07 team. "I am very pleased with the student-athletes we have signed to attend Arizona State," Ortiz said. "All three of them are state champions and know what it takes to be successful on the mat as well as off. I feel each will be strong contributors for this program as we strive to remain among the Top 5 teams in the nation each year." Jones will come to Tempe from Snake River, Idaho, where he will be looking to finish his high school career as a four-time state champion. Currently ranked among the Top 3 in the nation by several amateur wrestling publications, Jones holds a career 108-8 record in high school and has been dominant at the state's 3A meet, winning his first two titles by pinning his opponent in the first round of the championship bout. He also twice earned All-America honors last season as he was crowned the 2005 Greco-Roman national champion at the Fargo Cadet/Junior National Championships and a runner-up in the freestyle competition, both at 125 pounds. Both Green and Lester will come to Tempe by way of the same high school, Oviedo, the same program that produced current Sun Devil starter Jason Robbins (true freshman at 141 pounds). Green is a two-time defending Florida state champion and enters his senior season with a career record of 111-20. After qualifying for the state meet as a freshman with a 24-13 record, Green, who enters the season ranked No. 6 in the nation, won titles as a sophomore (43-6) and junior (44-1) and in his junior campaign, also helped the team to a state title. A fifth-place finisher at the 2005 Fargo Cadet/Junior National Championships in Greco-Roman (189), Green helped Team Florida to the 2004 National Junior Duals Championship title. Joining Green as a team captain for the Lions this year is Lester, one of the top ranked competitors in the national high school rankings at 275 pounds. The 2005 state champion, Lester has won at least 40 bouts in each of his three seasons and stands 132-25 overall in his career. After going 42-14 as a freshman, 42-10 as a sophomore (5th at state) and 48-1 last year, Lester will look to help his team defend their state crown this season while going for his second individual title. The school's single-season record holder for pins a year with 35, he is on pace to break the career falls record of 113 held by current Sun Devil Robbins. On the national scene, Lester also has attained All-America honors twice, earning the award at the Cadet level in 2003 and the Junior level last year. "All three of these athletes have a goal of winning national titles, both individually as well as with the team," Ortiz said. "They are strong, hard workers and will represent Arizona State University well. Our program has continued to grow and shine over the past few years and I feel these three young men will only help the program continue its climb to the top."

Upper Iowa won the first three matches in picking up a 23-13 dual meet victory over Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Wednesday night. The meet was the Peacocks' first Division II battle of the season. Red-shirt freshman Tyler Mumbulo started Upper Iowa (1-1) in the right direction with a 15-0 technical fall victory at 125 pounds. Returning national qualifier senior Ralph Acosta picked up a 3-2 decision at 133 pounds before sophomore Kyle Burkle added a 6-4 win at 141 pounds for an 11-0 UIU lead. SIU-Edwardsville (0-3) got on the board at 149 pounds as Joe Rujawitz earned a slim 2-1 decision. UIU senior Brandon Heying (4-0 at 157 pounds) and red-shirt freshman Tony Gehling (9-6 at 184 pounds) collected decisions for the Peacocks. Junior Brian Black ended the meet with a quick fall at heavyweight, defeating Dusty Garner in 32 seconds. In its two years of competing at the Division II level, Upper Iowa remained perfect against D-II foes. The lone UIU loss this season came at the hands of nationally-ranked Division I power Iowa State University. The Peacocks will return home to host Waldorf College Thursday, Dec. 1, at 6 p.m.

State College, Pa. -- Two-time NCAA National Champions Jeff Prescott and Kerry McCoy will be returning to Rec Hall on Saturday, Nov. 26, to be honored prior to No. 12 Penn State's home dual vs. No. 3 Michigan. The match starts at 1 p.m. with ceremonies taking place prior to the start of the match. Prescott and McCoy are two of three Nittany Lions two-time champs, with Andy Matter being the third. Matter will not be able to return for the ceremony. Each of the three former champions will be commemorated in January, as their likeness will be replicated into miniature bronze statues that will be given out to fans. The first 1,000 fans at Penn State's Jan. 8 dual with Cornell will receive the Matter statues; the first 1,000 at the dual vs. Michigan State on Jan. 27 will receive the Prescott statues and the first 1,000 through the doors for the home dual vs. Minnesota on Jan. 29 will receive the McCoy statues. Prescott won the national title at 118 in 1991 and 1992 and finished fifth in 1990, making him one of 17 three-time All-Americans. McCoy won HWT national title in 1994 and 1997 and was third in '95, joining Prescott on the three-time All-American list. Matter won the title at 167 in 1971 and 1972. Head Coach Troy Sunderland's Nittany Lions will enter the dual with a 3-1 mark, 0-1 in Big Ten action, while Michigan will be seeing its first dual match action of the year. Other promotional activities for the Michigan match include posters, magnets, wristbands, autographs and Scout Day. Single match tickets can be purchased by visiting the BJC Ticket Center or by calling 814-865-5555 or 800-863-3336. Prices are $5 for adults and $3 for youth and senior citizens.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Oklahoma State's wrestling program announced today the signing of six high school seniors to National Letters of Intent. Cody Hill, Lance Thompson, Jordan Frishkorn, Neil Erisman, Ben Ashmore and Quinten Fuentes will join head coach John Smith's squad in the fall of 2006. "It was a good start to our recruiting class this year," Smith said. "I liked that we signed guys that can cover a lot of weights and can wrestle at a lot of weights. We will continue to recruit in the spring, but all six of the guys that we have signed are good young men and good students. They are indicative of what we want representing Oklahoma State University." Frishkorn is the most highly touted recruit of the group. The brother of current Cowboy Daniel Frishkorn, Jordan is ranked No. 9 nationally of all high school seniors by RevWrestling.com. The Chesapeake, Va. native is the top-ranked wrestler by Intermat in the 130-pound weight class. Frishkorn has compiled a record of 101-15 the last two seasons. Ashmore comes to OSU via Bishop Lynch High School in Dallas, Texas. He will join former high school teammate Kevin Wainscott next fall. Ashmore was named Area Wrestler of the Year by The Dallas Morning News. He has won national championships at Prep Nationals and the Beast of the East Tournament. He has compiled a career record of 80-1. Erisman is ranked No. 18 by RevWrestling.com. The De Soto, Kan. native is coming off of two state runner-up finishes. He is currently ranked sixth nationally at 160 pounds by Intermat. Thompson is a two-time state champion from Stillwater High School. Thompson is ranked No. 31 nationally by RevWrestling.com and is the third-ranked wrestler in the 130-pound weight class by Intermat. "I am excited about Lance Thompson, having a local athlete join our team, " Smith added. "He has a lot of fire in his belly and that is what I like. He has a very bright upside if he continues to train and work hard." Hill won the 2005 state championship for Marlow High School in Marlow, Okla. Hill is ranked sixth at 171 pounds by Intermat. Quinten Fuentes was a late addition to OSU's recruiting class. The Johnstown, Colo. native projects to either the 141 or 149 pound weight classes after winning his first state title at 130 last season. At one point during his junior season he carried a record of 31-0 with 29 pins. The current crop of Cowboys opens the dual season this Sunday at Michigan State. The dual will be broadcast live by 93.7 with the first match scheduled to start at 1 p.m.

Junior All-American heavyweight Cole Konrad, a native of Freedom, Wis., has been named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week after his 4-1 overtime decision against two-time defending NCAA Champion Steve Mocco of Oklahoma State. It is the first weekly award of Konrad's career. On Monday at the NWCA/Marines All-Star Classic, Konrad and Mocco went to overtime tied at one point apiece. Konrad rode Mocco the entire first period. In the second, Mocco was penalized a point for hooking his hands. Konrad then scored a reversal with nine seconds remaining to claim the 4-1 win. Mocco won all three meetings between the two wrestlers a year ago, including an overtime victory in the finals at the NCAA Championship. The fifth-ranked Golden Gophers open their dual meet season on Saturday at the Northeast Duals. Minnesota will face Virginia Tech, No. 25 Tennessee-Chattanooga, No. 15 Central Michigan and American.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- The gold team put on a bit of a clinic Tuesday night at the annual Cal State Bakersfield Blue/Gold Intersquad scrimmage, pulling out the 21–12 win over the blue squad at the Icardo Center. The meet featured just nine matches with some of the Roadrunners wrestling up or down a weight as a number of wrestlers have been sick lately. A pair of matches at 141 and 149 pounds highlighted the evening, both coming down to the wire. At 141 pounds, sophomore Jeremy Doyle (Ramona, Calif./Ramona HS) staked an early lead on junior Matt Schumm (Corona, Calif./Centennial HS), leading 7–5 after the first two periods. However, an escape midway though the period and a takedown near the end gave Schumm the 8–7 decision. The first of two 149 pound matches also proved to be an exciting one featuring junior Anthony Watson (Waterloo, Iowa/Iowa) and sophomore Daniel Alejandro (Hesperia, Calif./Sultana HS). With the match tied at four and time winding down, Alejandro scored a takedown with just 10 seconds left, but in the process, opened a cut over his eye. Watson took advantage of the short break, quickly escaping on the restart and taking down Alejandro with just one second left for the victory. Watson's victory was the first of five consecutive wins for the Gold side. Senior Anthony Baza (Sunnyvale, Calif./Fremont HS) scored an easy technical fall victory in the other 149 pound match. He was followed by sophomore Daniel Atondo (Sunnyvale, Calif./Fremont HS), who scored a 5–1 win at 165, senior Christian Arellano (Moreno Valley, Calif./Canyon Springs HS), who picked up a 7–0 victory at 174 and freshman Colton Nichols (Poway, Calif./Poway HS), who registered an 8–2 decision at 197. Other winners on the night were junior heavyweight Eric Parker (Ramona, Calif./Ramona HS), freshman Brandon Zoetewey (San Ramon, Calif./De la Salle HS) at 125 and senior Tommy Vargas (Highland, Calif./Northwestern) at 133. Bakersfield returns to action on Sunday (Nov. 27) for the alumni meet. The annual event is set to begin at 2 p.m. at the Icardo Center.

San Francisco, Calif. -- Stanford improved to 1-1 on the season tonight with a 30-9 victory over San Francisco State at the Main Gym. "I'm very happy to have our first dual win of the season," noted head coach Kerry McCoy. "It was a rocky start, but we came back and got the win. Some people were nervous, but we're making improvements each week and we continue to get better." Junior Ian Bork got the night started with a 10-7 decision over Richard Escobar at 197 pounds, but the Gators came right back with a win at heavyweight. Sophomore Tanner Gardner earned a win by forfeit at 125, but San Francisco State countered at 133 with an 8-3 decision to pull within three. At 141, true freshman Tyler Parker held on to take a 6-4 decision, and at 157, Juston Joshnson took a win by medical forfeit over the defending Division II NCAA Champion Pacifico Garcia, after a collision broke Garcia's nose. Senior Ray Blake clinched the Stanford victory with a tech fall at 165 pounds, out-scoring the Gators' Will Simmons 17-2 in just under seven minutes. Blake went down 2-0 to start the match, but immediately earned a reversal and went on to earn his 12th win of the year. At 174, redshirt freshman Luke Feist won his first collegiate dual match with an 8-0 major decision over Justin Switzer, while senior Larry Ozowara led the team with four takedowns as he earned a 10-6 victory over Danny Dahl to give the Cardinal a 30-9 victory. Stanford will be back on the mats next week at the Las Vegas Invitational.

Thoughts from the NWCA All-Star Classic ... Is that Matt Nagel or Luke Becker? Photo courtesy of Augsburg College.• Matt Nagel of Minnesota looks like he has morphed into Luke Becker during the off-season. Their wrestling styles and setups (along with Nagel's new chiseled look) are strikingly similar. Someone needs to check his ID. He looked extremely tough during the finals of the Auggie Open when he easily handled Augsburg's Valek (ranked No. 1 in DIII) in the finals and then made a statement with his win over Johny Hendricks two days later. I am thinking that Nagel has top three written all over him this year. Side note: Cole Williams from University of Dubuque pinned his way through the Auggie Open with the exception of a close 6-5 loss to Nagel in the semifinals. Warrants mentioning. • Did anyone else notice the male cheerleaders sitting with crossed legs matside during the match? In all of the meets I have ever watched in my life, I have never seen this before. I enjoy the acrobatics of male cheerleaders at college football games, but seeing them seated at the side of the mat was pure comedy. I kept waiting for the "Be Aggressive, B-E Aggressive, you have to B-E-A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E" cheer. • Just for the record, these bouts DO count (at least for RevWrestling.com) against individual rankings. Didn't Cole Konrad beat Steve Mocco -- and doesn't that imply that he is currently wrestling at a higher level and should be ranked accordingly? The term "exhibition match" makes it sound like one of the guys is not giving his best -- which I don't think is the case. The All-Star Classic matches are an early indicator of performance that should be taken into account for current rankings. Period. Wake me up when this match is over!• I mentioned this during the last Gumbo, but let me reiterate -- "I cannot (and will not) sit through three more Nate Gallick/Teyon Ware snooze-fests." • Alex Tirapelle may not have put to rest the "He may not be the best 157-pounder on his own team" banter since Michael Poeta recently won the Missouri Open. He did, however, prove that he would be the best 157-pound wrestler on the Iowa Hawkeye team. • I have never been more excited about an upcoming collegiate wrestling season. The All-Star Classic may have put me over the top to the point where I need a cooling down period. • Props to LiveSportsVideo for the Web coverage. Access to the matches without the travel costs is fantastic. With that being said (cable executives take note) -- I am willing to pay at least four times as much money to watch the same broadcast on my TV while on my couch via cable pay-per-view. • I enjoyed the heavyweight pre-meet under card at the All-Star Classic, but it is time to take it to the next level. For next year, I am proposing a "People's Choice" poll to select three under card matches prior to the official start of the meet. Here is how it works: o A list of the 10 best non-Division I match-ups is created by a governing body (or RevWrestling.com) o Cross division match-ups are encouraged o Fans perform online voting to determine the most anticipated match-ups o The top three most anticipated matches are selected as the under card for the All-Star Classic o A few examples that could have been used for this year: Willie Parks (Dana -- NAIA) vs. Yura Malamura (Highline -- JUCO), Thad Benton (UPJ -- DII) vs. Dustin Hinschberger (Wartburg -- DIII), Nate Baker (Minnesota State-Moorhead -- DII) vs. Tyson Springer (Dickinson State -- NAIA) Other Thoughts … Matt Hoover• In what scenario does Matt Hoover (former Iowa Hawkeye) not win NBC's reality show "The Biggest Loser?" Doesn't he have the most experience cutting weight when it matters? Can ANYONE else on the reality show match his experience with that?!? Every time they show footage of him working out, it might as well be any wrestling room in the country the day before weigh-ins … three layers of sweatpants included. • I am not sure about the new look wrestling outfits (as previewed in the New York Times), but the side-cut UFC fighter board shorts are poised to become the next trend in wrestling workout gear. • It is time to put an official end to wrestlers shaking the hand of the opposing coach after every match. Here's why: 1) I have never seen a coach who enjoys it, 2) the winning wrestler is typically the only one who initiates it, and 3) shaking the hand of the guy you just wrestled displays the right amount of sportsmanship. Tournament directors -- please include this in your tournament rulebooks going forward. • If Ben Askren continues at this rate (10-0 and pure domination), we will be discussing the early favorites for the 2006-2007 Ben Askren Trophy at this time next year (formerly known as the Dan Hodge Trophy). • Call me old school, but there are way too many tattoos in collegiate wrestling. If you have seen one barbed wire tribal around the bicep, you have seen a million. We know, you are 18 now and you have always wanted one -- but I'm recommending that you wait until your singlet wearing days are over.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The No. 11/10/11/16 Indiana wrestling team continues its season as it travels to Lock Haven, Pa., for the Mat Town Invitational. The Hoosiers are coming off a stellar performance, where it placed seven at the Missouri Open and had senior Brady Richardson return with the 197-pound title. Last year's Mat Town winner, Minnesota, is not returning to defend its invitational title, leaving the door open for the Hoosiers, who come into the event as the highest ranked team. The nine-team field includes Indiana, University of Buffalo, Clarion University, Lock Haven University, University of Maryland, Ohio University, University of Oregon, Old Dominion University, and Rider University. The Mat Town Invitational is in its 30th year and will begin on Saturday at 9 a.m. EST. "Mat Town is an excellent tournament," head coach Duane Goldman said. "We were third in it last year, and we want to improve on that finish this year. We want to use this opportunity to improve as a team, and we have inspiration to build team unity in our first event with a team score. " •MISSOURI OPEN RECAP• With Indiana's best finish at the tournament, senior Brady Richardson took the 197-pound crown, going 3-0 in Columbia. Richardson dethroned two ranked opponents and posted one fall on his way to the gold finish, with his best bout coming against No. 2-seeded Tyrone Byrd (Illinois). Byrd, ranked 12th nationally, kept the match close but fell 3-1 in the end to the determined Richardson. Redshirt freshman Jose Escobedo started Indiana off in the 125-pound division, finishing third for his first top-five outing of the year. At 133, redshirt freshman Andrae Hernandez grappled to a bronze finish. Hernandez fell early in a tight 3-1 decision to No. 4-seeded Gabe Flores (Illinois), but rattled off five consecutive wins thereafter to take home the top-three finish. At 141, senior Nick Spatola grappled to a sixth-place finish at the open, going 3-3 en route to the top performance. At 149, sophomore Matt Cooper posted a sixth-place finish, going 3-1 at the event. Sophomore Max Dean had a tough weekend, going 1-2 at 165 pounds. Dean claimed his win in commanding fashion with a major decision over Andrew Tsensee (UNA), 13-2. Sophomore Marc Bennett (174) recorded a 2-2 performance at the Open with a pin (2:43) against Sean McAleney (Chattanooga). At 184, junior Justin Curran looked impressive, going 4-1 on the day, with his sole loss coming against 11th-ranked Alex Clemson (Edinboro) in the semifinals, 8-3. Curran posted two pins, with his first coming against the No. 4-seeded Corey Johnson (Lindenwood), en route to the third-place finish. Sophomore Heath Vandeventer went 0-2 at the Open with both of his losses coming against fierce competition. Sophomore Dave Herman wrapped up the Hoosier contingent finishing second. The unseeded Herman almost completed his sweep of the top-three seeds, taking down No. 2-seeded Austin David (Missouri), 8-3, Koel Davia (Edinboro), 7-2, in his quarterfinal match up and No. 3-seeded Chase Gormley (Lindenwood), 8-7, in the semifinals. Herman's sole loss came at the hands of No. 1-seeded and 5th-ranked Jake Hager (Oklahoma) in the finals. •MAT TOWN PREVIEW• The Indiana wrestling team travels to the Mat Town Invitational Saturday, Nov. 26 for its second team event of the season. After a successful outing at the Missouri Open, head coach Duane Goldman looks to take home the team title in Lock Haven, Pa., while also garnering extended experience for his young Hoosier grapplers. The Hoosiers are the highest-ranked team at the invitational, but will not take that for granted as the nine-team field boasts a handful of talented wrestlers. The event also marks the first tournament for the Hoosiers where a team score and place is being recorded. •THE "RICH" GET RICHER• Senior Brady Richardson won his second career title at the Missouri Open, defeating two ranked opponents en route to the title. Richardson's title is his first of the season and extended the two-time NCAA qualifier's winning streak to five. The Vincennes, Ind., native's streak began at the Michigan State Open, where he finished third, and will be tested this weekend in Lock Haven, Pa. Overall, Richardson is 7-1 on the season. •HERMAN OR HE-MAN• First year starter Dave Herman is looking impressive in his first three tournaments, tabbing three top-five finishes, two of which were just one win short of the title. At the Missouri Open, Herman's sole loss came against the nation's fifth-ranked grappler in Jake Hager (Okla.). Herman has posted an overall record of 10-3, tallying two pins, one technical fall and one major in the process. Herman is a returning letterwinner from last year's team that finished ninth at NCAAs and had seven starts for the Hoosiers behind senior All-American Pat DeGain. With DeGain's graduation, Herman looks to dominate the heavyweight starting position in 2006. •"JUST" IN TIME• Sophomore Justin Curran had a solid weekend at the Missouri Open, going 3-1 and finishing third at the event at 184. Curran's sole loss came against 11th-ranked Alex Clemson of Lindenwood while pins decided two of his three wins. Curran wrestles at a weight that has three individuals vying for the position, as Curran, junior Josh Buuck and redshirt freshman Heath Vandeventer are grappling for the starting spot. Buuck has the most college experience between the three, but all three Hoosiers have shown promise throughout their careers. Curran's early success only forecasts a good future for the weight class at Indiana, showing no matter who takes the spot in the lineup, it will be a Hoosier who knows how to win. •NATIONAL EXPOSURE• The Indiana Wrestling team opens the season ranked in all four preseason polls, with Amateur Wrestling News tabbing the Hoosiers 10th. The Wrestling Mall and W.I.N. Magazine polls both notched IU in the 11th-place spot, while the NWCA-InterMat preseason poll ranked the Hoosiers 16th. The Hoosiers garnered the preseason rankings after finishing ninth last year at the NCAA Championships (58.5). Indiana returns one national champion, two All-Americans and five NCAA qualifiers overall from last year's top-10 squad. •REPEAT PERFORMANCE• Indiana 125-pound national champion Joe Dubuque returns for his senior season and looks to defend his national championship from a year ago. The Bloomfield, N.J., native became the first Indiana national champion since Brian Dolph grappled to the title in 1991 and looks to be the first Hoosier to achieve back-to-back titles in a career. Charlie McDaniel (1935-38) is the only Hoosier to win two NCAA crowns (1935 and 1938) during his stint at IU, and one of only three Hoosiers to garner All-American status three times (Millard Duffy, 1935-36,38; Brian Dolph, 1987-90). Dubuque looks to join the ranks of some of the best Hoosier grapplers ever to don the Cream and Crimson. •HOOSIERS IN THE RANKINGS• Four Hoosier grapplers enter the 2005-06 season ranked among the nation's elite. Leading all Hoosiers is two-time All-American Joe Dubuque, who ranks first in all four preseason polls (TWM, AWN. W.I.N., NWCA). The senior also looks to defend his national title from a year ago. At 157, sophomore All-American Brandon Becker (3/5/5/5) received top-five nods from all four preseason audiences, with his highest of third coming in TWM preseason poll. The feat marks the first time Becker has received preseason recognition after grappling in his first year of competition as a redshirt freshman in 2004-05. Sophomore NCAA qualifier Max Dean entered the polls at 15/16/16/14 for the first preseason rankings of his career. The 165-pound Dean looks to make another run at the NCAA Championships in 2006, this time with the goal of All-American status on his mind. Rounding out the preseason accolades is senior Brady Richardson at 197. Richardson makes the move from 174 and garnered a 20th- and 11th-place ranking in the TWM and NWCA polls, respectively. Richardson, who wrestled at 174 in 2004 and 2005 and qualified for the NCAA Championships in both seasons, is looking to make his mark at his new and stronger weight division. •TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER• Head coach Duane Goldman named seniors Joe Dubuque and Brady Richardson as the 2005-06 team captains. Both Hoosiers enter the senior campaign with high goals for not only the team, but have individual expectations. Dubuque looks to become the first Hoosier to garner back-to-back NCAA titles, the second (Charlie McDaniel, 1935 and 1938) Hoosier to garner two national crowns in a career and only the fifth IU grappler to receive All-American honors three-times during their stint at IU. Richardson looks to garner his first All-American accolade after qualifying for the postseason the last two years at 174. Goldman says the Vincennes, Ind., native looks stronger and more comfortable in his new weight class and has all the potential to achieve his 2006 goals. •RECORDS WILL "FALL"• Seniors Joe Dubuque and Brady Richardson are looking to etch their names in the Hoosier record book this coming season. Dubuque stands just nine falls away from entering the all-time Indiana list for most pins in a career, while Richardson is 15 away from an appearance in the history book. Dubuque and Richardson currently stand at 15 and nine falls , respectively, their careers. Viktor Sveda (1998-2002), one of the program's most decorated wrestlers, owns the record with 47. The seniors look to be the fourth and fifth graduating seniors in five years to etch their name in the IU career pins record book. Sveda took the top spot in 2002 (47), current IU volunteer coach Coyte Cooper tabbed third on the list in 2004 (37) and last year's All-American Pat DeGain finished in fourth in 2005 (35). •LOOKING FOR THE "W"• Senior national champion Joe Dubuque currently stands at an 86-17 career record. Dubuque falls just 19 wins outside of the top 10 all-time most wins in a career record book. Should Dubuque garner 19 wins in his senior campaign, the Hoosier will tie current 10th-ranked IU grapplers Mark Galyan (1978-1982) and Scott Holman (1986-1990) on the list at 105. Also looking to end his career in record-setting fashion is two-time All-American Brady Richardson. Richardson currently stands at 76 wins in his career, 29 wins out of the top-10 record book. Viktor Sveda (1997-2002) currently holds the all-time record with 149. •A TALL MOUNTAIN TO CLIMB• Indiana wrestling is looking at one of its toughest schedules under Duane Goldman's leadership. The Hoosiers, once the Big Ten season starts, open the campaign against currently unranked Ohio State (Jan. 20) and Purdue (Jan. 22). The Hoosiers then take on six straight ranked opponents in No. 6/4/4/4 Illinois (Jan. 27), No. 4/6/3/5 Iowa (Jan. 29), No. 5/5/6/6 Minnesota (Feb. 5), No. 12/13/12/12 Penn State (Feb. 10), No. 13/12/13/11 Northwestern (Feb. 17) and No. 3/3/5/3 Michigan (Feb. 19) to close out the regular season. •BIG SHOES TO FILL• Indiana's starting lineup has a few key changes from last year's roster, which leaves the young Hoosier grapplers with some big shoes to fill. At 133, 2004 starter Brian Dyer left the IU program and has now left the spot open for either another redshirt freshman Andrae Hernandez. At 141, both seniors Mike Simpson and Cameron Sakon graduated to leave the weight class vacant. Looking to fill the opening will be either junior Ian Campbell or senior Nick Spatola, who is the only one of the two with collegiate experience. At 174, a weight usually filled by current senior Brady Richardson who moved to 197, is now open for sophomore Marc Bennett, who will be looked upon to carry the load for the Hoosiers. After an early graduation, Andy Rios vacated the 184-pound starting spot, leaving room for either junior Josh Buuck, sophomore Justin Curran or redshirt freshman Heath Vandeventer. The final opening poses the greatest to fill in not only talent, but leadership. Senior Pat DeGain, who filled the heavyweight division and achieved All-American status in his senior season, leaves the weight class open for sophomore Dave Herman. Herman had seven starts in 2004-05 behind DeGain, going 6-1 in his appearances on the mat.

GAFFNEY, S.C. -- The Limestone College wrestling team beat Belmont Abbey, 33-15, on Wednesday afternoon at the Timken Center. Limestone evens its record to 1-1 this season with today's victory. "The guys wrestled well, and wrestled hard," said Saints head coach Ben Stehura of his team's first win of the season. "Overall I'm pleased with our performance." Limestone sophomores Brent Clausing (Miamisburg, Ohio/Miamisburg HS) and Joby Shreckhise (Grottoes, Va./Ford Defiance HS) and freshmen Miles Corey (Fairfax, Va./Woodson HS) and Mike Walsh (Port St. Lucie, Fla./Jupiter Christian HS) won their matches. Belmont Abbey forfeited three matches in the 149 lb., 157 lb. and 197 lbs. weight classes. Clausing (125) won a major decision, 10-0, against the Crusader's Chris Neidermeier while Shreckhise (165) beat Brian West, 9-4. Corey (174) won against Tim Stanton, 18-4, and Walsh (184) had a win against Mark Blair, 10-6. "The upperweights showed a lot of heart today," pointed out Stehura. The Saints will host UNC Pembroke on Tuesday, November 29 in Gaffney, S.C., at the Timken Center. The match will begin at 7 p.m.

I guess I can finally say that the season has finally started. How do I know this? Well, I had to make it down to weight for the first time this year last Friday night for a home dual against Bacone College. There is one thing I can always count on every time I make weight for a dual or a tournament -- a feeling of euphoria as the coldest water and Gatorade I can find come rushing down my throat. I think many wrestlers would agree that there are not many things better than this, besides winning, of course. Since being in college, I have always had one problem, which is maintaining my weight. It doesn't fluctuate up and down like many -- it dips below my wrestling weight. After I make weight the first time, it seems like I can never get above that weight. Last year, wrestling 174 pounds, I would rarely be above it, and many times I would weigh around 168 pounds after practice. Now, this isn't always a bad thing. It is nice when you can eat full meals the night before weigh-ins, or even the morning of weigh-ins before stepping on the scale, but it always felt like I was smaller than everyone else. I think this year is going to be a little different. As I mentioned in an earlier Rev Blog, I try to eat right, 5-7 times a day and stay hydrated at the same time. This was a little difficult to do when Friday came around and I was still five pounds over. When I came to Dana, I was introduced to a new way of doing things I had never done before, which is practicing before dual meets. Obviously, this isn't a full-out practice with live wrestling and conditioning, but a good, hard drilling practice to really get loosened up and get those last pounds off before stepping on the scale. At first, I thought this was a bit ridiculous, working out the day of a meet, but then I realized that I was working out anyway most of the time on my own to make the weight in high school, and I really started to like the idea of practicing before weigh-ins. Anyway, after working out Friday morning, I was able to eat breakfast and lunch, and get ready for our hour-long practice before weigh-ins. I felt a little sluggish during the workout, but I got down to weight, which is always a big relief for any wrestler the first time. However, it was especially relieving for me as most of the summer I saw the scale tipping 205 pounds … actually figuring I would end up at 184 pounds. At 174 pounds, Marshall Marquardt pinned Tim Flick of Bacone College at 4:23.We weighed in and got ready to go. We were up against the 11th ranked team in the nation, but our coach always preaches to never take anyone lightly, because if you aren't ready to go, you can always get beaten. I could tell that we were ready as a team. We were relaxed, but intense at the same time. It's just one of those things you start to recognize in your teammates faces when you have been around for a while. You know if they are ready to go … and we were. We started off at 125 pounds, and never looked back, dropping only one match to Bacone at 133 pounds. I told my coach that I was going to go after my first collegiate technical fall ever, but when I saw my chance to go for the pin, I took it. I felt satisfied with my match as I did my cool down, and yet I was still somewhat disappointed because I knew I could have accomplished my match goal of a tech fall. I think it is very important to set short-term goals for yourself -- which is another idea our coaches preach to us. I try to set goals for myself every day, whether it is not getting taken down or scored on in a 45-minute grind match, or staying after to get 50 more repetitions on my stand-up, I believe setting goals make you a better wrestler. You may not always reach these goals, but it seems like you try that much harder to make things happen, than when you just go into a practice or match with no intentions on how you want to perform. I am sure that most of you go into a match with the main goal of winning, but next time try to set a goal for yourself, such as getting 10 takedowns on your opponent, or not allowing your opponent to score offensively on you. I like to do this in practice as well, when I get ready to wrestle a match against my teammate. I think it helps me prepare better for actual dual meets or tournament matches. These are just little things that seem to make a world of difference in my practices and matches. Until next time, keep getting better. Marshall Marquardt Past Entries: Entry 4 (11/9/05) Entry 3 (10/26/05) Entry 2 (10/13/05) Entry 1 (10/1/05)

High School kids can't compete with college wrestlers. There is a huge difference between high school and college wrestling. How many times have we all heard these normally true, if cliché, statements? They are pretty much taken as fact in the wrestling world. Except to this year's senior class, that is. Perhaps the biggest story of the preseason is the stunning success that high school wrestlers have been having against collegiate and international competitors. Three high school seniors have particularly defied conventional wisdom with their performances this preseason: Henry Cejudo, Mike Grey, and Jonathan Reader. Henry Cejudo Henry CejudoThis fall, Henry Cejudo has stunned the wrestling world by putting together the most impressive performances against international competition since Cary Kolat. Henry-mania started when this 18-year-old crushed Jason Powell at the Sunkist Open in October. Yes, that Jason Powell -- the same one who won NCAA's in 2004 with a technical fall over Kyle Ott in the finals. To put this win in perspective, Jason Powell was in essentially the same position as Cejudo is today, six years ago -- the top lightweight in the nation, winner of five Junior Nationals titles. Powell has had six years in the Nebraska program since, in which he became a three-time All-American and an NCAA champion. It would have seemed like no contest … and it was, in fact, no contest. However, no one would have foreseen that it would be Cejudo who would emerge the dominant winner, by a tally of 4-0, 3-4, 8-2. While he later dropped two matches to former NCAA runner-up Luke Eustice and highly-ranked Matt Azevedo -- Cejudo was very competitive in both matches. Again, the important thing to remember here is that we are talking about a high school kid wrestling against former NCAA All-Americans who are now in their mid-20's and attempting to make the U.S. World or Olympic Team. But the best was yet to come. Not one to avoid a challenge, Cejudo next ventured to the NYAC Holiday Tournament in New York. Just in case you thought the first match was a fluke, Cejudo dominated Powell again -- this time by scores of 3-3, 6-0. The next round, Cejudo was pitted against Besik Kudukhov from Russia. Kudukhov was the Junior World champion in 2005 -- a tournament in which Cejudo placed fifth. Before you consider this a black mark on Cejudo's record, bear in mind that this is a tournament for wrestlers who are between the ages of 17 and 20, and Cejudo was 17 when he competed there. This was also higher than all current collegians who competed there were able to place, including NCAA fourth place-finisher Eric Tannenbaum. Simply put, wrestlers from other countries are much more experienced in freestyle at this age -- making this tournament exceedingly difficult. Cejudo showed just how rapid his unthinkable progression has been by blasting the Russian by a score of 3-1, 7-0 to advance to the finals. In the finals, Cejudo was pitted against another Russian opponent, Ekhkhtur Badamsakian. Badamsakian had advanced to the finals without yielding a single point. This included wins over the aforementioned Luke Eustice and collegiate star Mark McKnight. Surely, it seemed, Cejudo's run would come to an end, given that Eustice just beat Cejudo at the Sunkist Open -- and this Russian competitor had shutout Eustice. Instead, Cejudo capped off his unbelievable weekend by destroying Badamsakian in the finals by a score of 1-2, 4-1, 10-2. Let's put these numbers in perspective. High schooler Henry Cejudo racked up 15 points, while allowing only five, against a competitor that neither Eustice nor McKnight could score on. Altogether, in his unfathomable three-match run against NCAA champ Powell, Junior World champ Kudukhov, and Badamsakian, Cejudo outscored the opposition 34-9. Not since Cary Kolat has a high school wrestler been this impressive against international competition. It seems likely that Cejudo is the third best 121-pounder (55 kg) in the USA right now -- and that is presuming that neither Sammy Henson nor Eric Akin retire. Should Henson retire, in this writer's view, Cejudo has a legitimate chance to make the U.S. World Team this spring. Mike Grey Mike GreyIt has never been a secret that despite winning a Cadet and Junior National Freestyle title, Mike Grey of Delbarton, New Jersey, was best in folkstyle. A brutal mat wrestler, this season Grey will likely become single-division New Jersey's first four-time state champion. During that run, Grey has only had a single loss, to High School Nationals and Junior Nationals Freestyle champion Franklin Gomez, in overtime, at the 2004 Beast of the East. Grey has never been in danger of losing in his rugged home state. No one, however, could have anticipated what Grey would accomplish at the East Stroudsburg Open on Nov. 19. All Grey did was compile a 5-1 record to place third. Most notably, Grey beat Jeremy Mendoza of Arizona State. Mendoza was one win from becoming an All-American last season. Grey also knocked off Ross Gitomer, formerly of Blair Academy, in the first round. Gitomer was a High School Nationals and Junior National Freestyle runner-up last spring. Grey's only loss was to the eventual champion, Tim Haas of Penn State, by a score of 5-2. A Cejudo/Grey match-up on the horizon? Given how much these young wrestlers' stock has risen, a Cejudo/Grey match-up would be by far the most anticipated match of the year. Both wrestlers are expected to compete at 125 pounds, so a match-up at High School Nationals in April would be on the horizon. Given that Cejudo is beating NCAA champions and Junior World champions, and in 2004 scored a technical fall over Grey in freestyle, it might seem that Grey stands little to no chance. Not so fast. Clearly, at this point, the gap between these competitors is huge in freestyle. However, Cejudo is also much less focused on folkstyle at this point, and Grey, as discussed above, is much more proficient in folkstyle. While his best hope on his feet is probably to slow down the lightning-fast Cejudo -- if Grey can get his offense from the mat rolling, a lot of takedowns could be made up quickly. Indeed, the last time Cejudo was defeated by a high school wrestler, it was in folkstyle (that loss coming to Ben Ashmore at the Brute Nationals in the spring of 2004). The bet here, however, is that Cejudo will prove to be on a different level even in his weaker style (folkstyle) and defeat Grey handily. It is also interesting to note that while Grey's win over Mendoza was very impressive, Cejudo handled Mendoza quite easily in freestyle at Sunkist, prevailing by a margin of 1-0, 4-0. A win like this is almost ho-hum for Cejudo these days. Jonathan Reader This writer published an article in October in which it was declared that there were a "super-seven" who clearly stood out from all other competitors. Jonathan Reader was ranked No. 10, and therefore, not listed as part of this "super-seven." At the Harold Nichols/Cyclone Open on November 12, Reader proved this writer wrong. Competing in a tournament near the school he will attend next fall (Reader has committed to wrestle for Iowa State), Reader stunned the competition to place second. Along the way, he defeated defending Division II national champion Patrick Allibone of Nebraska-Omaha by a score of 6-4. Reader also defeated tough redshirt freshman Moza Fay of Northern Iowa by an identical 6-4 score to reach the finals. Ironically, in the finals, Reader matched up with future teammate Trent Paulson of Iowa State. Paulson finished fourth last season at the NCAA's in the toughest weight in the nation, 157 lbs. Tough as Reader was, the expectation was for the 22-years-old Paulson to destroy the 17-year-old Reader. Instead, Reader hung tough, losing by a respectable 10-6 margin. Paulson then preceded to shutout returning NCAA runner-up Joe Johnston in the Kaufman-Brand Open finals. Reader now moves into a more appropriate rank of No. 4 senior in the nation. As good as Reader is, a number of stiff challenges loom for him at High School Nationals. The 160-pound weight class will likely be the toughest in the nation this season. His foremost challenger will likely be two-time Junior National Freestyle All-American David Rella of Walsh Jesuit High School in Ohio. Rella himself has shown the ability to compete against older competition, placing second at the FILA Junior Nationals, where he defeated NCAA qualifier Joey Hooker among others. He also has wins over two of last year's top seniors, Alton Lucas and Donnie Jones, to his credit. Rella is currently the No. 9 rated senior in the Rev Power Rankings. Another top challenger to Reader will be Ryan Patrovich of New York. Patrovich emerged from a loaded bracket in Fargo to place second in the freestyle competition, knocking off High School Nationals champion Travis Hammons among others. Patrovich is currently the No. 12 rated senior in the nation in the Power Rankings. Nos. 17 and 18 rated seniors Mack Lewnes and Neil Erisman, both former Cadet Nationals Freestyle champions, are also expected to be competing at 160. Erisman won two of three bouts against Hammons last season, one of those wins by technical fall. It seems likely that there has never been a preseason where high school wrestlers have had so much success against collegiate and international wrestlers. Reader, Grey, and most of all, Cejudo, have startled the wrestling world with their successes against older competition. Of course, their rivals surely believe that their successes will only paint a bigger bull's-eye on these wrestlers. The bet here is that they will miss that mark. Whatever happens, their preseason successes have made this season a lot more interesting before it has even started.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Just off an impressive showing at the East Stroudsburg Open, the University of North Carolina wrestling team returns home to host the annual Carolina Open Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. at Carmichael Auditorium. Admission to the event is free, and finals are expected to begin around 6 p.m. Several in-state opponents join the Tar Heels in the field, as Duke, UNC Greensboro, Appalachian State, Campbell and Davidson are all expected to compete. Carolina is paced by junior heavyweight Spencer Nadolsky, who is 11-1 on the young season with seven pins. He placed third at last weekend's East Stroudsburg Open. Sophomore Alex Maciag is coming off a second-place finish at 174 and is 6-2 on the season. Other Tar Heels off to a quick start include 197-pounder David Dashiell, who is 7-2, and redshirt freshman Vincent Ramirez, who is 8-3 at 141 pounds after two weekends of action. Following the Carolina Open, the Tar Heels return to the mat at Penn State's Nittany Lion Open, Sunday, Dec. 4.

PROBABLE LINEUPS Iowa Hawkeyes (0-0-0 Overall, 0-0-0 in Big Ten) Wt. Name Yr. Hometown (HS/Last School) Record 125 Trent Goodale Sr. Osage, IA (Osage) 0-1 OR Lucas Magnani Jr. Long Island, NY (St. Anthony's/Brown) 1-2 133 Daniel Dennis Fr. Ingleside, IL (Grant) 4-2 OR Gabe Ruhkala Sr. Loomis, CA (Del Oro) 0-2 141 Alex Tsirtsis So. Griffith, IN (Griffith) 4-1 149 Ty Eustice Sr.. Blue Earth, MN (Blue Earth) 5-0 157 Joe Johnston Sr. Prairie Village, KS (Shawnee Mission E.) 4-2 165 Eric Luedke Jr. Colby, KS (Colby/Colby CC) 5-1 OR Cole Pape Sr. Maquoketa, IA (Maquoketa) 4-2 174 Mark Perry So. Stillwater, OK (Blair Academy, NJ) 0-0 OR Ben Stedman Jr. Sioux City, IA (Bishop Heelan) 1-2 184 Paul Bradley Sr. Tama, IA (South Tama) 0-0 197 Adam Fellers Sr. Fort Dodge, IA (Fort Dodge) 0-2 HWT Matt Fields So. Lowden, IA (North Cedar) 2-1 OR Ryan Fuller Jr. Lisbon, IA (Lisbon) 2-2 Arizona State Sun Devils (3-1-0 Overall, 1-0-0 in Pac-10) Wt. Name Yr. Hometown (Last School) Record 125 Jeremy Mendoza Sr. Temecula, CA (Temecula Valley) 6-1 133 Adam Hickey So. Mayfield, OH (Mayfield) 4-4 141 Jason Robbins Fr. Orlando, FL (Oviedo) 3-1 149 Pat Payne So. Poway, CA (Poway) 4-3 157 Kevin Gaughan Jr. Mesa, AZ (Red Mountain) 4-3 Brian Stith Jr. Hampton, VA (Frank W. Cox) 0-0 165 Patrick Pitsch So. Spanaway, WA (Spanaway Lake) 8-1 174 Alex Pavlenko *Fr. Mesa, AZ (Marcos de Niza) 2-4 OR Jamie Robbins Jr. Mesa, AZ (Mountain View) 2-2 184 Jason Trulson So. Fountain Hills, AZ (Fountain Hills) 4-2 197 Ryan Bader Sr. Reno, NV (McQueen) 5-4 HWT Cain Velasquez Sr. Yuma, AZ (Iowa Central CC) 9-0 THIS WEEK Iowa (0-0) will open the 2005-06 dual meet season Saturday at Arizona State (3-1). The meet will be held at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, AZ, and start at 7 p.m. (CT). ON THE AIR Radio - Morrie Adams and four-time Hawkeye all-American Mark Ironside will call this season's action live on AM-800 KXIC. To listen to the broadcast online, go to the wrestling schedule page on www.hawkeyesports.com. Broadcasts are available using the CSTV All-Access subscription, which can be purchased for $6.95 per month or $49.95 per year. ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS Arizona State is 3-1 overall and 1-0 in the Pac-10, with wins over Pacific-Oregon (38-6), Southern Oregon (28-9) and Portland State (43-6) and a loss to Lehigh (29-7). Head Coach Thom Ortiz is 46-27-1 in five seasons at Arizona State. The Sun Devils are led by returning all-Americans Brian Stith (157), Ryan Bader (197) and Cain Velasquez (Hwt.) Velasquez, who is 9-0 this season, won the heavyweight division at the East Stroudsburg Open in Stroudsburg, PA, last weekend. THE SERIES Iowa leads the series with Arizona State, 20-1-1, winning the last 14 meetings. The Hawkeyes are 8-1-1 against the Sun Devils in Tempe. Iowa's last win in the series was a 29-10 decision in Iowa City last season. Arizona State's last win in the series was a 22-18 decision, in Tempe, in 1988. HAVEN'T WE MET? Here are past results of potential Iowa-Arizona State matchups: 125 Lucas Magnani (I) is 0-1 vs. Jeremy Mendoza (ASU) Mendoza maj. dec. Magnani, 14-0, at 2004-05 dual 157 Joe Johnston (I) is 1-1 vs. Brian Stith (ASU) Stith dec. Johnston, 9-7, at 2003-04 dual Johnston dec. Stith, 8-5, at 2004-05 dual Hwt. Matt Fields (I) is 1-0 vs. Cain Velasquez (ASU) Fields dec. Velasquez, 4-3, at 2004-05 dual Hwt. Ryan Fuller (I) is 0-1 vs. Cain Velasquez (ASU) Velasquez dec. Fuller, 6-1, at 2003-04 dual LAST MEETING Iowa opened the 2004-05 dual season November 27 with a 29-10 victory over Arizona State in Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. The Hawkeyes recorded their 775th dual win in school history with the victory. Arizona State fell to 0-1 with the loss. It was the Carver-Hawkeye Arena debut for seven Hawkeyes, and Iowa went 8-2 overall on the evening. The results: Iowa 29, Arizona State 10 174 Luke Lofthouse (I) dec. Rick Renzi (ASU), 8-5 184 Paul Bradley (I) dec. C.B. Dollaway (ASU), 9-7 sv 197 Ryan Bader (ASU) pinned Dane Pape (I), 2:23 Hwt. Matt Fields (I) dec. Cain Velasquez (ASU), 4-3 125 Jeremy Mendoza (ASU) maj. dec. Lucas Magnani (I), 14-0 133 Mario Galanakis (I) pinned Adam Hickey (ASU), 1:29 141 Alex Tsirtsis (I) maj. dec. Chris Frieje (ASU), 10-2 149 Ty Eustice (I) dec. Patrick Williams (ASU), 6-3 157 Joe Johnston (I) dec. Brian Stith (ASU), 8-5 165 Mark Perry (I) maj. dec. Patrick Pitsch (ASU), 14-3 LAST WEEK Senior Ty Eustice (149) and freshman Ryan Morningstar (157) were Iowa's two individual champions at the 2005 Kaufman-Brand Open in Omaha, NE. Iowa sent 26 competitors to the tournament, which featured 650 wrestlers from 42 teams, making it the nation's largest single-day collegiate tournament. It was Eustice's first competition of the season, while Morningstar placed third at the Spartan Open in Dubuque earlier this month. Eustice scored a major decision and four decisions en route to his 149-pound open division title, improving to 5-0 on the season and 88-26 in his career. Morningstar scored two pins, a technical fall and two decisions on his way to the 20-and-under division title at 157. He is now 9-1 on the season. Also placing for Iowa in the open division were sophomore Alex Tsirtsis (141-2nd), senior Joe Johnston (157-2nd), junior Eric Luedke (165-3rd), senior Cole Pape (165-4th) and sophomore Matt Fields (Hwt.-2nd). Placing for the Hawkeyes in the 20-and-under division were freshmen Thomas Magnani (125-5th), Daniel Dennis (133-5th) and Dan Erekson (197-3rd), and redshirt freshmen Jacob Neuzil (174-5th) and Michael Bucklin (Hwt.-6th). 2005 NWCA All-STAR CLASSIC Hawkeye seniors Joe Johnston (157) and Paul Bradley (184) competed at the 40th annual NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marine Corps Monday night in Stillwater, OK. Both wrestlers lost close matches. Johnston faced Illinois' Alex Tirapelle in what was a rematch of the 2005 NCAA Championship quarterfinals. Johnston scored an escape in the second period, but Tirapelle tied the match at 1-1 with an escape of his own to start the third period. Tirapelle then scored a takedown with 1:15 left in the match. Johnston escaped to make the score 3-2, but could not score in the final minute. Tirapelle received a point for riding time to win, 4-2. Tirapelle is now 4-2 against Johnston in his career. Bradley lost to Illinois' Pete Friedl, 4-3, in the first meeting between the two. Friedl scored a takedown in the first period and an escape in the second to take a 3-0 lead. Bradley scored an escape and a takedown late in the third period, but Friedl escaped with 30 seconds left for the 4-3 win. 2005 NWCA All-Star Classic Results Hwt. - Tervel Dlagney (UNK) dec. Josh Leadingfox (UCO), 6-3 125 - Sam Hazewinkel (Oklahoma) dec. Nick Simmons (Michigan St.), 6-2 133 - Darrell Vasquez (Cal Poly) dec. Mack Reiter (Minnesota), 6-3 141 - Nate Gallick (Iowa St.) dec. Teyon Ware (Oklahoma), 3-1 149 - Eric Tannenbaum (Michigan) dec. Zack Esposito (Oklahoma St.), 7-3 157 - Alex Tirapelle (Illinois) dec. Joe Johnston (Iowa), 4-2 165 - Matt Nagel (Minnesota) dec. Johny Hendricks (Oklahoma St.), 5-3 174 - Jake Herbert (Northwestern) dec. Jacob Klein (Nebraska), 8-5 184 - Pete Friedl (Illinois) dec. Paul Bradley (Iowa), 4-3 197 - Jake Rosholt (Oklahoma St.) dec. Joel Flaggert (Oklahoma), 8-3 Hwt. - Kole Conrad (Minnesota) dec. Steven Mocco (Oklahoma St.), 4-1 TB-1 HEAD COACH JIM ZALESKY Jim Zalesky is in his ninth season as head coach at the University of Iowa. He has a school and career record of 116-27 (.811). Named National Coach of the Year in 1998 and 1999, and Big Ten Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2004, he has led the Hawkeyes to three NCAA (1998-00) and three Big Ten titles (1998, 2000, 2004). Zalesky has coached 10 NCAA Champions, 20 Big Ten Champions and 40 all-Americans at Iowa. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in June 2004, the University of Iowa Letterman's Club Hall of Fame and the Iowa High School Athletic Association Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2002, and the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1994. A three-time national champion and one of Iowa's 15 four-time all-Americans, Zalesky was an assistant coach and head recruiter at Iowa under Dan Gable for seven seasons (1991-97). He was named Assistant Coach of the Year by the N.W.C.A. in 1992 and 1997. Undefeated as a junior and senior, Zalesky ended his career on an 89-match winning streak. IOWA WRESTLING HISTORY Iowa's overall dual meet record is 784-202-30 (.786) in 93 seasons. The Hawkeyes have won 20 national titles, including nine of the last 15, and 31 Big Ten titles. Iowa's 47 NCAA Champions have won a total of 73 NCAA individual titles, crowning six three-time and 13 two-time champions. The Hawkeyes' 99 Big Ten Champions have won a total of 180 conference individual titles. There have been seven four-time, 18 three-time and 24 two-time Iowa winners. Iowa's 127 all-Americans have earned all-America status 258 times, including 16 four-time, 27 three-time and 29 two-time honorees. PACK THE PLACE - BREAK THE RECORD The Hawkeyes will try to regain the dual meet national attendance record when they host defending NCAA champion and top-ranked Oklahoma State on January 7. Match time is set for 7:30 p.m. The current national attendance record of 15,646 was set February 1, 2002, when Iowa wrestled at Minnesota. IOWA TICKET INFORMATION Season tickets and single meet tickets for Iowa's seven home duals are on sale at the University of Iowa Athletic Ticket Office at 1-800-424-2957, 319-335-9327 or www.hawkeyesports.com. University of Iowa students will be admitted free of charge for all duals except Oklahoma State. Season Tickets - $56 - General Public; $49 - University Faculty & Staff Single-Match Tickets (Advance Purchase)* - $8 - Adults; $4 - Youth Single-Match Tickets (Gate Purchase)* - $10 - Adults; $5 - Youth Group Rates* - $4 - Per person with a group of 15 or more * Iowa vs. Oklahoma State tickets are $10 each. The group rate for the Iowa vs. Oklahoma State dual is $5 per person. CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE The Hawkeye wrestling staff of Jim Zalesky, Troy Steiner, Tim Hartung, Luke Eustice and Mike Zadick earned a total of six NCAA titles, 10 Big Ten titles and 15 all-America honors. Their combined college career wrestling record is 596-90-1 (.881), including four undefeated seasons. HAWKEYES LEAD NATION IN ATTENDANCE Iowa wrestling fans love their Hawkeyes, and have no problem coming out to show it. Iowa led the nation in home dual meet attendance last season, posting a season average of 5,073 fans per home dual. Oklahoma State was second (4,542) and Lehigh third (2,488). The Hawkeye's ability to draw crowds on the road has helped 10 schools set dual attendance records. In 2004-05, Cal Davis (5,150) and Illinois (3,573) set records when they hosted the Hawkeyes. The other eight schools are Minnesota (15,646 - 2002), Iowa State (14,507 - 1982), Penn State (11,245 - 1996), Northern Iowa (10,200 - 1976), North Dakota State (6,307 - 1992), Pennsylvania (5,109 - 2002), Wisconsin (4,800 - 1978) and Cleveland State (3,620 - 1987). Iowa has been a part of the 35 largest recorded dual meet crowds, helping to set the national attendance record 10 times. The current attendance record of 15,646 was set February 1, 2002, when Iowa wrestled at Minnesota. Thirty-two of the top 35 matchups were with intra-state rival Iowa State. The Hawkeyes have also wrestled in front of 44 of the 47 recorded dual crowds over 10,000. In 2004-05, Iowa competed in 11 of the top 20 reported dual crowds, hosting six (Iowa State, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Virginia Tech, Indiana and Arizona State) and visiting for five (Oklahoma State, Cal-Davis, Illinois, Penn State and Northern Iowa).

Click here to vote on the best wrestlers of all-time.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- University of Illinois redshirt-freshman wrestler Mke Poeta won the Missouri Open title at 157 pounds, Sunday, as the Illini opened the 2005 season on a high note. The Illini had 11 wrestlers place in the tournament despite missing their four All-Americans from the lineup. Poeta (Highland Park, Ill.) won four straight matches at 157 pounds, taking advantage of a forfeit by Mike Chandler of Missouri in the finals to win his second consecutive Missouri Open title. For the second straight year, junior 174-pounder Donny Reynolds (Frankfort, Ill.) finished in second place, this time losing to No. 1-ranked Ben Askren of Missouri, 25-10. Senior Tyrone Byrd (Clinton, Ill.) battled through the championship bracket for a second-place finish at 197, dropping a 3-1 decision to At 149 pounds, redshirt-freshman Troy Tirapelle (Clovis, Calif.) recovered from an early loss to win five matches in a row and earn a third place finish with a 5-2 decision over Chris Seta of Campbellsville University. Junior heavyweight Matt Weight (Batavia, Ill.) placed third with his 7-2 decision over Brad Farmer of Oklahoma. Junior Matt Winterhalter (Durand, Ill.) finished the day in fourth place at 174 pounds, while 141-pound junior Joel Karr (Clinton, Ill.) placed fifth. Senior heavyweight Matt Fletcher (Peru, Ill.) took sixth. The Illini also saw great success in the freshman division as Nick Guida (Allentown, Pa.) won five straight matches at 174 pounds, downing No. 2 seed Matt Cauley of Lindenwood University to win his first collegiate title. Clint Arlis (Batavia, Ill.), 149 pounds and heavyweight John Wise (Pittsfield, Ill.) placed second, while 184-pounder Jake Norman (Batavia, Ill.) placed fourth and heavyweight Andy Greenawalt (Naperville, Ill.) placed fifth. The Illini return to action on Dec. 2-3 as they travel to the Las Vegas Invitational. MISSOURI OPEN 1st: Mike Poeta (157); 2nd: Donny Reynolds (174); Tyrone Byrd (197); 3rd: Troy Tirapelle (149), Matt Weight (Hwt.); 4th: Matt Winterhalter (174); 5th: Joel Karr (141); 6th: Matt Fletcher (Hwt) FRESHMAN DIVISION 1st: Nick Guida (174); 2nd: Clint Arlis (149), John Wise (Hwt.); 4th: Jake Norman (184); 5th: Andy Greenawalt (Hwt.)

Last year at this time junior Darrell Vasquez was living with the realization that he would have to sit out an entire season due to illness. One year later he is celebrating a victory over the No. 3 ranked 133 pound wrestler in the country. Vasquez, who was added to the NWCA All Star Classic to fill in for Wisconsin's Tom Clum, defeated Mack Reiter of Minnesota, 6-3 in what could be a taste of things to come for the former All-American. Vasquez, ranked fifth in the country in the NWCA/Intermat and W.I.N. poll, finished second the Pac-10 championship in 2004, and followed that up with a fourth-place finish in the national championships. He led the team with a 30-7 record, as well as a 9-1 record in dual matches. Reiter, who is ranked No. 3 in both the NWCA/Intermat poll and the W.I.N. poll is coming off a 2005 season standout freshman season that saw him capture the Big Ten title in convincing fashion by pinning top-seeded Mark Jayne of Illinois in the finals. Reiter was also an All-American, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Big Ten Championship's Most Outstanding Wrestler, and his 40 wins on the season was the fifth-highest total in school history. The 6-3 victory will likely move Vasquez up in national polls, and he will now seriously be considered a national champion contender. Including Reiter, twenty All-Americans appeared in the classic , including five defending national champions. Vasquez was also successful in Cal Poly's annual Green vs. Gold scrimmage last Thursday, pinning sophomore Eric Melgares at 5:51. The Mustangs as a team are currently ranked No. 21 in the country by NWCA/Intermat wrestling. Vasquez has only continued the hot start for the 2005-06 season as sophomore Chad Mendes and junior Matt Monteiro both took first place last weekend in the Fullerton Open. Mendes is No. 12 in the country at 125 pounds, while Monteiro is No.15 at 197. Cal Poly will continue its season Wednesday Nov. 30, taking on Pac-10 member, Cal State Fullerton in the first dual match of the season, with a start time of 7 p.m.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- In front of a home Oklahoma State crowd, junior/sophomore Eric Tannenbaum (Naperville, Ill./North HS), a member of the University of Michigan wrestling team, defeated the Cowboys' top-ranked Zack Esposito 7-3 at the National Wrestling Coaches Association's 40th annual All-Star Classic on Monday (Nov. 21) at Gallagher-Iba Arena. In a rematch of last season's 149-pound NCAA semifinal, which Esposito won 7-2 en route to his first NCAA individual championship, Tannenbaum, ranked third preseason in all major polls, rallied from a two-point deficit to post six points in the third frame and claim the biggest win of his collegiate career to date. Esposito struck first after a scoreless first period, scoring on a reversal early in the middle frame to take a 2-0 advantage. Tannenbaum freed himself to cut the lead to one point and warded off further OSU attacks late in the period. Starting in the down position to begin the third period, Tannenbaum took control of the match, scoring a quick reversal and adding a pair of back points to steal away the lead for good. After Esposito pulled away to earn the one-point escape, Tannenbaum scored again on a takedown late in the period and rode out the Cowboy wrestler to secure the win in his first action of the 2005-06 campaign. Tannenbaum is the 29th Wolverine wrestler to compete at the annual all-star meet and the third in as many years. His win marked the first U-M all-star win since Otto Olson and Andy Hrovat each collected big victories at the 2002 event. At that meet, Hrovat earned a 7-5 decision against Indiana's top-ranked Viktor Sveda. The Wolverines will kick off the season on Saturday (Nov. 26) against Big Ten Conference rival Penn State in State College, Pa. The match is slated for a 1 p.m. start at the Nittany Lions' Rec Hall.