InterMat Staff

KEARNEY, Neb. -- The sixth-ranked Nebraska-Kearney wrestling team won the NCAA Super Region VI Championships and qualified seven for the NCAA's Saturday night at the Health & Sports Center. This was the second straight year UNK hosted the 10-team event. The top three finishers in each of 10 weight classes advance to the NCAA Championships, held March 13-14 in Sioux Falls. UNK tallied 148.0 points to easily outdistance Western Colorado(106) for the team title. Colorado Mesa (88) was third with Colorado School of Mines fourth (84.5). Coming in first was Geneva senior Jarrod Hinrichs (285 lbs.), Lincoln junior Wesley Dawkins (133 lbs.), Iowa junior Josh Portillo (125 lbs.), Colorado junior Sam Turner (149 lbs.) and Pennsylvania junior Jacob Wasser (157 lbs.) with Iowa junior Matt Malcom (165 lbs.) the lone Loper runner up. Battling his way through the backside to finish third was Lincoln junior Jonathan Killingsworth (141 lbs.). Seeing their 2019-20 season come to an end today were Delaware graduate transfer Anthony Mancini (184 lbs.), Illinois sophomore Andrew Demos (197 lbs.) and Kansas sophomore Terrell Garraway (174 lbs.). "These tournaments are tough on the heart of the coaches … very emotional. You have your ups and downs. On a positive note we were projected to have seven qualifiers and we got those through," UNK head coach Dalton Jensen said. Wasser (15-6), heading to his first national tournament, was the most unlikely champion as he trailed in his first two matches. He used a reversal and a 2-point near fall in the final 16 seconds to edge Adams State's Natrelle Demison, 6-4. That proved to be the warmup because Wasser next pinned top-seed and fourth-ranked Maxamillian Schneider of San Francisco State at 2:45. At the time of the fall Schneider was up 10-4. The good day continued for Wasser as Payton Tawater of Colorado Mesa forfeited the first place match. "Both of his wins came against higher seeded guys. That doesn't happen without all the stuff he's dealt with the last two years. He had some things, injuries and defeats, not go his way and he's overcome it. When you look at the whole story, the last three or four years and not just today, we're really proud of him," Jensen said. Ranked 12th-nationally but battling a significant injury, Killingsworth (Lincoln S.E.) managed four wins to punch his NCAA ticket. He came out on top by scores of 2-0, 6-1, 7-3 and 4-2 with a reversal at 1:10 in the third period allowing him to win the third place match over Western Colorado's Jason Hanenberg. The 4-2 victory puts him at 24-7 on the season. "John is probably the standout in my mind because he was in a cast three days ago. We cut it off and threw him out there today and he qualified in a very tough weight class," Jensen said. "Really impressed with his performance but at the same time your heart goes out to the three guys we're leaving at home." AD Marc BauerHinrichs (19-4), also ranked 12th in his class, had a 4:08 fall to start the day but went overtime to outlast CSU-Pueblo's Gavin Nye, 5-3. Hinrichs moved ahead for good with an escape in the second tie-breaking period and then finished Nye off with a takedown. In the finals he used an escape and two penalty points to defeat fourth-ranked Weston Hunt of Colorado Mines. At 125 pounds seventh-ranked Portillo (26-7) didn't have any nail-biters, majoring his first two opponents and then rolling past sixth-ranked Patrick Allis of WCU, 11-4, in the finals. Earlier this year Portillo fell to Allis by a 10-4 score at the Buffalo County Fairgrounds. Next fourth-ranked Dawkins (26-9) had another donnybrook with former Loper= and current CSU-Pueblo ThunderWolve D'andre Brumfield. The two squared off at last year's regional and national tournaments with Dawkins winning 7-6 thanks to a reversal with 25 seconds left. Brumfield had erased a 5-2 deficit with four points in the third but a last second shot came after the clock hit zero. Dawkins then pinned Jonathan Andreatta of Adams State in only 31 seconds to come in first. Finally among the national qualifiers, ninth-ranked Turner (8-1) had a major and tech fall before having to using a third period escape and riding time to beat Chase Clasen of Chadron State, 2-0, in the 149 pounds finals. Malcom (30-8) suffered a rare defeat to a Division II opponent in the 165 pound finals, 7-6. The match featured four video reviews with an early 4-1 Malcom lead being wiped off the board. Colorado Mesa's Fred Green (10-9), formerly of Virginia, won thanks to a five-point third period that featured a takedown and reversal. "Matt wrestled well and got put into a situation where maybe a call didn't go his way. A four-point swing is tough to overcome against a good competitor," Jensen said. "He kept fighting hard." The second-ranked Mancini completes his lone season in Kearney at 15-4 and with a fourth place finish at 184 pounds. Garraway (20-12) came in fourth a weight lower with Demos (21-17) ending up in sixth place. "Anthony had a great season for us and (his losses) are tough to swallow. He probably put a little too much pressure on himself … he's a much better wrestler than he showed today," Jensen said.

The St. Cloud State University wrestling team captured its fourth consecutive NCAA Division II regional championship and its seventh title since 2011 on Saturday, Feb. 29 in Sioux Falls, S.D. The Huskies tallied 155.0 points to earn the team title while SCSU wrestlers claimed seven individual titles at the meet. In addition, St. Cloud State coach Steve Costanzo was named the NCAA Division II Super V Regional Coach of the Year. St. Cloud State SCSU will be sending a total of nine wrestlers to the upcoming NCAA Division II championships as the Huskies look to bring back their third consecutive national title and fifth since 2015. At the regional, SCSU gained a championship in the 133-pound bracket with a 3-2 victory by No. 2 Garrett Vos over No. 3 Justin Folley of Upper Iowa. Vos ended the tournament with a 3-0 record and will be making his second consecutive trip to the NCAA nationals. At 141-pounds, SCSU's Joey Bianchini won top honors with a 15-4 major decision over No. 9 Hunter Burnett of Augustana. Bianchini scored a 3-0 record at the regional and will be making his first trip to the NCAA finals on March 13-14. SCSU's No. 2 James Pleski gained his third consecutive NCAA regional crown with a thrilling 3-2 victory over No. 3 Kyle Rathman of Minnesota State, Mankato in the title bout. Pleski was 3-0 at the regional and is a three-time All-American for the Huskies. The titles continued at 157-pounds with a first place finish by No. 2 Jake Barzowski, who scored a 4-2 win over No. 10 Braydon Huber of U-Mary. Barzowski was 3-0 in regional action and will be making his second consecutive trip to the NCAA finals. At 165-pounds, No. 3 Devin FitzPatrick added a title to his resume with a 10-4 victory over No. 12 Shane Gantz of UW-Parkside. He was 3-0 at the NCAA regional and will also be making his second consecutive trip to the NCAA championships. SCSU's No. 4 Kolton Eischens placed first for the Huskies at 174-pounds as he charted a 10-0 major decisions over U-Mary's No. 8 Phillip Springsteen. Eischens was 3-0 in regional play and is a two-time All-America award winner for the Huskies. At 184-pounds No. 3 Tyree Overton gained bonus points with a 23-10 major decision over Minnesota State's Trevor Turriff in the title bout. Overton posted a 3-0 record at the regional and will be making his second trip to the NCAA finals for SCSU. In action at 197-pounds, Noah Ryan placed second after dropping a close 5-2 decision to No. 2 Nick Baumler of Upper Iowa in the title match. Ryan was 2-1 in regional action and will be making his first trip to the NCAA tournament in 2020. At 285-pounds, SCSU's No. 10 Ezayah Oropeza punched his ticket to the NCAA tournament with a third place finish and a 4-1 record in regional competition. In the bout for third place, Oropeza posted a fall at 1:58 against David Griffet of Minnesota State. At 125-pounds, SCSU's Brandon Betancourt placed fourth with a 2-2 record at the regional. In the third place match, Betancourt lost a 4-3 match against Trenton McManus of Minnesota State. The Huskies will next travel to the 2020 NCAA Division II wrestling championships, which will be held in Sioux Falls, S.D. at the Denny Sanford Premiere Center. For more details on tickets and other information regarding the NCAA championships, please visit: https://goaugie.com/sports/2020/1/10/2020-ncaa-wrestling-championship.aspx Regional Team Scores: SCSU 155.0 Upper Iowa 125.5 Augustana 96.5 Minnesota State 93.0 UW-Parkside 73.0 MSU Moorhead 60.5 Mary 55.0 Northern State 37.0 Minot State 20.0 Southwest Minnesota State 14.5

ADRIAN, Mich. -- The No. 6 nationally ranked Baldwin Wallace University wrestling team placed first out of 18 teams at the NCAA Division lll Central Region Championships, hosted by Adrian (Mich.) College, inside the Merillat Sport and Fitness Center. With the championship, BW has now won two regional titles in the last three years. In addition to BW placing first, head coach Jamie Gibbs and assistant coach Jason Zastrow were named Coach and Assistant Coach of the Year. The Yellow Jackets were led by senior All-American and three-time All-Ohio Athletic Conference 197-pounder Zeckary Lehman (Akron/Revere), as he placed first with 23 points. He grabbed a 13-0 major decision in his first-round bout. For his quarterfinal, he claimed a 5-2 decision and advanced to the championship match after a 3:40 pin in his semifinal bout. The senior seized an 8-0 major decision in his first-place bout to move onto nationals. Junior three-time All-OAC and Academic All-OAC 149-pounder Stanley Bleich (North Ridgeville/Elyria Catholic) placed first with 21 points, and grabbed a 9-3 decision in his opening bout. Bleich seized a 5-3 decision in his quarterfinal match and a 6-3 decision over No. 5 Luke Hernandez of the University of Mount Union in his semifinal to advance to the championship bout. Bleich grabbed an 11-1 medical forfeit over No. 3 Zachary Cooper of Alma (Mich.) College to take first place and a spot in nationals. Bleich is now No. 15 on BW's all-time career wins list with a record of 96-18. Freshman All-OAC 125-pounder Jack Stanley (Brecksville/Brecksville-Broadview Heights) placed second with 17 points and won his first-round bout with a forfeit. The freshman took his quarterfinal match with a 2-0 decision, and with a 6-5 decision over the No. 1 individually-ranked Carlos Champagne of Wabash (Ind.) College, Stanley advanced to the championship bout. Stanley fell in the first-place bout to 4-3 decision for a second-place finish and a trip to nationals. Senior All-American, Academic All-OAC and No. 4 nationally-ranked 133-pounder Charlie Nash (Norwalk) placed second with 16.5 points and started his regional with a 15-0 technical fall, before snagging a 4-3 decision in his quarterfinal bout. In his semifinal match, Nash notched a narrow 7-6 decision. Nash dropped his first-place bout to a 3-1 sudden victory but will advance to nationals. Junior 157-pounder Dalton Leightner (Ravenna/Rootstown) earned a second place spot with 15 points. He started his regionals with a 6-4 decision and followed that up with a 9-5 decision in his quarterfinal bout. With a 2-1 decision over No. 6 Sam Gross of John Carroll University in his semifinal, Leightner advanced to the championship match. The junior dropped the first-place bout to a 6-3 decision, but will move onto nationals. Freshman 184-pounder Doug Byrne (Wickliffe) earned a third-place finish with 16.5 points. He won his first-round match with a 4-0 decision and grabbed his quarterfinal bout with a 4:10 pin. Byrne dropped his semifinal to an 11-6 decision. In his consolation semis the freshman secured a 3:50 pin and punched his ticket to nationals with a 5-2 decision for third place. Freshman All-OAC 174-pounder Luke Salmon (Sandusky/Perkins) placed fourth with 14 points. He seized a 13-0 major decision in his opening round bout, and in his quarterfinal, he seized a 4-2 sudden victory to move onto the semis. Salmon dropped his semifinal to No. 3 Darden Schurg of Wabash by way of an 18-5 major decision. In his consolation semifinals, he won by way of 15-0 tech fall. The freshman dropped his third-place bout to a tight 3-2 decision. Senior All-OAC 165-pounder Benjamin Hooff (Worthingon/Thomas Worthington) placed fourth with 13.5 points. He secured a 43 second pin to open his regionals and in his quarterfinal bout he grabbed a 3-2 decision. In his semifinal bout, Hooff fell to No. 1 Kyle Hatch of Wabash, by way of a 3:46 pin. The senior won his consolation semi with a 2-1 tiebreaker before falling in the third-place bout to a 3-1 sudden victory. Hooff has moved into BW's top-25 career wins list with a mark of 79-47. Sophomore 285-pounder Jarod Miller (Greenville, Pa./Reynolds) earned a sixth place finish with 13 points as he pinned his opponent in 2:22 to start his regionals. The sophomore fell I his quarterfinal to a 10-2 major decision. He won his second-round consolation match with a 2:22 pin and followed that up with a 9-1 decision in his third-round consolation. Miller dropped his consolation semis to an 8-0 major decision. Junior All-OAC and Academic All-OAC 141-pounder Tanner McHugh (New Ringgold, Pa./Tamaqua) earned an eighth place finish with 4.5 points. He secured a 3-1 decision in his opening match before falling in his quarterfinal. He dropped the seventh place bout to an 8-4 decision. BW will hit the mats next on Friday and Saturday, March 13 & 14 for the NCAA Division III Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Matches are set to begin at 9 a.m on both days.

MINNEAPOLIS -- The No. 3-ranked Augsburg University men's wrestling team claimed an NCAA Division III regional title for the 18th straight year, qualifying individuals in eight weight classes, including four regional champions, to the national championships at the NCAA Upper Midwest Regional, completed on Saturday at Si Melby Hall. FINAL TEAM SCORES: 1. Augsburg (Minn.) 196.5; 2. Wisconsin-La Crosse 157.5; 3. Wisconsin-Whitewater 116.0; 4. Wisconsin-Eau Claire 100.0; 5. University of Chicago (Ill.) 85.0; 6t. Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.) 82.0; 6t. Wisconsin-Stevens Point 82.0; 8. Wisconsin-Platteville 79.0; 9. Wheaton (Ill.) 59.0; 10. Elmhurst (Ill.) 50.5; 11. Wisconsin-Oshkosh 44.0; 12. Saint John's (Minn.) 35.5; 13. Concordia-Wisconsin 17.0; 14. Milwaukee School of Engineering (Wis.) 11.0; 15. Pacific (Ore.) 7.5; 16. Lakeland (Wis.) 2.5; 17. St. Olaf (Minn.) 0.5. LOCATION: Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis. HOW IT HAPPENED Tanner Vassar is in position to pin his opponent during a 2019-20 Augsburg mens wrestling match.• Augsburg, ranked No. 3 in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III national poll, won the 17-team regional with 196.5 points. Augsburg has won the team title in its NCAA regional every year since starting regional competition in the 2002-03 season. • With its eight national tournament qualifiers, Augsburg has had seven or more national tournament qualifiers in 17 of the last 18 seasons. Augsburg had four regional champions, two runners-up and two third-place finishers. The top three finishers in each weight class qualify for the national tournament. • Augsburg wrestlers went 16-7 in Saturday's action, with six pins, a technical fall and two major decisions. In the two-day tournament, the Auggies combined for a 37-8 record, with 17 pins, a technical fall and eight major decisions. • Augsburg Co-Head Coaches Jim Moulsoff and Tony Valek Upper Midwest Regional Tournament Coach of the Year award, while the Augsburg assistant coaching staff shared the Tournament Assistant Coach of the Year award with Adam Latella of Wisconsin-Whitewater. • In qualifying for the national tournament for the second time by winning the regional title at 149 pounds, Augsburg's Aaron Wilson (SR, Oak Grove, Minn./St. Francis HS) also earned the tournament's Most Falls in Least Time award, as he claimed four pins among his five victories in the meet in 10:01. Wilson, ranked No. 4 nationally at 149 pounds, reached a career milestone with his 100th career victory in the semifinals, then scored a 5:58 pin of Jimmy McAuliffe of Elmhurst (Ill.) in the finals. Now 101-30 in his collegiate career, Wilson improved to 30-1 on the season, including 14 pins, nine technical falls and two major decisions. He previously qualified for the national tournament in the 2015-16 season at 141 pounds. • Top-ranked 184-pounder Tanner Vassar (SR, Maple Lake, Minn./Maple Lake HS) earned his third trip to the national tournament with his first regional title, scoring a third-period 15-1 technical fall in the semifinals and a medical forfeit win in the finals. Now unbeaten at 31-0, Vassar is 124-29 in his college career. Of his 31 wins, 21 are bonus-point triumphs (17 pins, four technical falls, two major decisions). Vassar is a two-time All-American, having finished seventh at 174 in 2018 and fifth at 174 in 2019. • Defending 141-pound national champion David Flynn (SR, Jordan, Minn./Jordan HS (Scott West)) earned his fourth straight trip to the national tournament with his second regional title. The No. 6-ranked 141-pounder nationally, Flynn scored a 3-1 win in the semifinals, then scored a 4-2 victory over No. 3-ranked Hazen Rice of Wisconsin-Whitewater with a takedown with nine seconds left in sudden-victory overtime. Now 17-3 on the season, Flynn is 90-19 in his three-and-a-half seasons at Augsburg, and 118-33 in his overall college career (including a semester spent at Division I North Dakota State in 2016-17). In addition to his national title last year, Flynn also finished third nationally in 2016-17. Solomon Nielsen attempts to lift his opponent for a throw during a 2019-20 Augsburg mens wrestling meet.• Solomon Nielsen (JR, Luverne, Minn./Luverne HS) earned his second straight trip to the national tournament with his first regional title at 184 pounds. Ranked No. 5 nationally at 174, he claimed two dominant wins over nationally-ranked opponents on Saturday, with a 14-7 triumph over No. 6-ranked Evan Lawrence of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in the semifinals, and an 11-3 major decision win over No. 2-ranked Jaritt Shinhoster of Wisconsin-Whitewater in the finals. Nielsen is now 21-2 on the season and 78-18 in his career. He was a national tournament qualifier at 184 last season. • At 157, two-time defending national champion Ryan Epps (SR, Cannon Falls, Minn./Cannon Falls HS) earned his fourth straight trip to the national tournament with a second-place regional finish. Ranked No. 2 nationally at 157, Epps reached the final with a 9-0 major decision win, then suffered a 7-6 overtime loss to top-ranked Grant Zamin of Wisconsin-La Crosse in the finals. After riding the full 30 seconds in his portion of the second overtime, Epps scored an escape four seconds into Zamin's portion, but gave up a takedown with 16 seconds left and could not escape to tie the match. Epps is now 28-2 on the season and 141-13 in his college career. Epps won regional titles in his first three seasons as an Auggie. • Defending 197-pound national champion Lance Benick (JR, Scandia, Minn./Totino-Grace HS) earned his second straight trip to the national tournament with a second-place regional finish. He earned his national berth with a 4-3, come-from-behind win over Colten Cashmore of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the semifinals, scoring the decisive takedown with two seconds left in the bout. In his first action this weekend after being sidelined for more than a month due to injury, he took a medical default in the title bout. Benick is now 5-2 on the season and 45-10 in his Auggie career. • Two-time defending 165-pound national champion Lucas Jeske (SR, St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville HS), currently ranked No. 3 nationally, suffered a 15-6, major decision loss in the semifinals, but rallied back to gain his fourth straight trip to the national tournament with a third-place finish. He scored a 2:59 pin in the consolation semifinal, then claimed one of the most dramatic come-from-behind finishes of his career in the third-place match against Nathan Wynsma of Wisconsin-Platteville. Trailing 14-0 with 1:45 left in the second period, Jeske scored a reversal and two 2-point near-falls to trail 14-6 after two periods. He then scored a dramatic pin with 58 seconds left in the third period to clinch the national berth. Jeske is now 9-3 on the season and 96-12 in his college career. In addition to his two national titles, Jeske finished third nationally in 2016-17, and has three regional titles to his credit. • In one of the most challenging weight-class brackets of the tournament, No. 2-ranked 133-pounder Victor Gliva (SR, Farmington, Minn./Farmington HS) earned his fourth straight national tournament berth with a third-place finish. He was edged 7-5 by No. 5-ranked Noah Becker of Saint John's in the semifinals, but rallied back with a 1:49 pin in the consolation semifinals, then scored an 8-5 win over Josh Stnger of Wisconsin-La Crosse in the third-place match. Gliva is now 25-5 on the season and 114-27 in his college career. He has earned All-American honors twice in his Auggie career, finishing eighth at 125 in 2018 and fifth at 125 in 2019. • Two Auggie first-year wrestlers saw their seasons end on Saturday. Heavyweight Tyler Kim (FY, Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS) finished in fifth place, finishing his season at 24-9, and 125-pounder Justin Stauffacher (FY, Belle Plaine, Minn./Belle Plaine HS (Scott West)) finished in sixth place, ending his season at 17-11..

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Augsburg University men's wrestling team was dominant in the first day of the 2020 NCAA Division III Upper Midwest Regional, with nine of its 10 wrestlers alive in championship contention on Friday. TEAM SCORES AFTER DAY 1: 1. Augsburg 107.5; 2. Wisconsin-La Crosse 80.5; 3. Wisconsin-Whitewater 69.0; 4. Wisconsin-Stevens Point 59.0; 5t. Chicago (Ill.) 57.5; 5t. Wisconsin-Eau Claire 57.5; 7. Wisconsin-Platteville 55.5; 8. Concordia-Moorhead 53.5; 9. Wheaton (Ill.) 39.0; 10. Elmhurst (Ill.) 36.5; 11. Wisconsin-Oshkosh 27.5; 12. Saint John's 25.0; 13. Concordia-Wisconsin 16.0; 14. Milwaukee School of Engineering (Wis.) 11.0; 15. Pacific (Ore.) 7.5; 16. Lakeland (Wis.) 2.5; 17. St. Olaf 0.5. LOCATION: Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis. HOW IT HAPPENED • The No. 3-ranked Auggies went 21-1 with 18 bonus-point victories in the first day of the two-day event. Augsburg wrestlers claimed 11 pins, six major decisions and a forfeit on Friday. • Aaron Wilson (SR, Oak Grove, Minn./St. Francis HS), ranked No. 4 nationally at 149 pounds, improved to 28-1 on the season with three wins, all by first-period pin. Of his 28 wins, Wilson has 12 pins, nine technical falls and two major decisions. He is now 99-30 in his collegiate career. • Top-ranked 184-pounder Tanner Vassar (SR, Maple Lake, Minn./Maple Lake HS) remained unbeaten at 29-0 with a pair of pins. Vassar now has 17 pins on the season, and is now 122-29 in his college career. • Two-time defending 165-pound national champion Lucas Jeske (SR, St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville HS), currently ranked No. 3 nationally, scored a second-period pin and an 11-1 major decision to advance to the semifinals, improving to 7-2 on the season and 94-11 in his Auggie career. • Defending 141-pound national champion David Flynn (SR, Jordan, Minn./Jordan HS (Scott West)) also had a second-period pin and a 9-0 major decision win on Friday to move to the semifinals. Flynn, ranked No. 6 nationally, is now 15-3 on the season with six pins, two technical falls and four major decisions. • Making his first collegiate postseason appearance, 125-pounder Justin Stauffacher (FY, Belle Plaine, Minn./Belle Plaine HS (Scott West)) claimed a second-period pin and an 11-2 major decision to improve to 17-8 on the year. • At 157, two-time defending national champion Ryan Epps (SR, Cannon Falls, Minn./Cannon Falls HS) improved to 27-1 with a forfeit win and a pin, his 11th of the year. Epps, ranked No. 2 nationally at 157, has won 10 matches in a row and is now 140-12 in his collegiate career. • No. 2-ranked 133-pounder Victor Gliva (SR, Farmington, Minn./Farmington HS) improved to 23-4 on the year with a first-period pin and a 3-2 win on Friday, advancing to the semifinals. • Solomon Nielsen (JR, Luverne, Minn./Luverne HS) moved to 21-2 on the year with a pair of major decisions, winning 11-3 and 11-0. He is ranked No. 5 nationally at 174 pounds. • Defending 197-pound national champion Lance Benick (JR, Scandia, Minn./Totino-Grace HS) returned to the lineup after injuries sidelined him for a month, and reached the semifinals with two victories, including an 11-0 major decision. He improved to 4-2 on the season and 44-10 in his Auggie career. • Tyler Kim (FY, Burnsville, Minn./Apple Valley HS) went 2-1 on Friday to remain in contention for a third-place finish and a national tournament berth. He scored a first-period pin in his opening match, then rallied back in the wrestlebacks with a 3-2 win. Kim is now 22-8 on the season.

Nearly two years after the first victims of former Ohio State team physician Richard Strauss came forward -- and decades after the reported sexual assaults took place -- the Columbus-based school's trustees took a critical step to resolving the matter once and for all. On Thursday, the Ohio State trustees passed a resolution authorizing the board chairman to approve a settlement with Strauss' victims. "The resolution puts the university in a position to expedite a settlement and suggests the parties could be nearing an agreement," the Columbus Dispatch reported Thursday. Dr. Richard Strauss served as team physician at Ohio State from the mid-1970s through the late 1990s. Allegations of sexual misconduct against male athletes in nearly a dozen sports, including wrestling, were first made public in April 2018 ... with the first lawsuit being filed in July of that year. In subsequent years, nearly a dozen suits have been filed, involving more than one hundred plaintiffs, most of them past Buckeye athletes, but also involving at least one college wrestling referee who alleged that Strauss had masturbated in front of the mat official in the shower room at St. John Arena on the Ohio State campus in 1994. On a parallel track, the Ohio House of Representatives is discussing a bill to eliminate the statute of limitations for victims of sexual assault -- including Strauss' victims -- so that they may sue for damages. Strauss died in 2005.

The brackets have been released for the 2020 NJCAA Wrestling Championships. The event takes place March 6-7 at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Link: Brackets Schedule Friday, March 6, 2020 9:30 a.m. First Round Noon* Second Round TBA First Round Consolations/Second Round Consolations 6:15 p.m. Quarterfinals/Third Round Consolations 8:30 p.m.* Fourth Round Consolations Saturday, March 7, 2020 10:30 a.m. Championship Semifinals/Consolation Quarterfinals 12:00 p.m.* Consolation Semifinals 1:15 p.m. Consolation Finals 3rd & 4th, 5th & 6th, 7th & 8th 7 p.m. Championship Finals

Wrestling Twitter was aghast Wednesday after the NCAA revealed a mockup for the 2020 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships that, putting it kindly, failed to impress. The intention of the graphic was to excite fans about the possibility of 40K-plus wrestling fans packed into a football stadium to enjoy their favorite sport. However, due to Oregon Trail-worthy graphics the net effect for many fans (including me) was to take the mockup literally. Which in our defense you'd expect when the official Twitter account for the host organization released the information less than a month before the start of the action. While the quality was akin to the stick figure drawings, it was all the inconvenient items left out that irked the masses. Prime among the exclusions were the head table, scorer's tables, score clocks, and coaches' chairs. There was also a noticeable lack of TV cameras, photographers, and the staff necessary to escort wrestlers to and from waiting areas. Another concern was the warmup area for the wrestlers. While the mockup still shows eight mats, they are separated by wide gaps of floor space -- a tough pill for anyone who has ever tried to warm up on the mats in previous years and found them already a little tight. But in the end it was the message the image was trying to send about epic crowds and increased exposure that lends itself to constructive critique. The idea of more seats equating to anything more than increased revenue is likely misplaced. There is probably a small bump in secondary news stories that cover the number of people attending, but it'll be marginal especially when compared to the impact of improved fan experience in the arena. Revisiting the setup for the field of play, AV interactions with the audience, and ensuring a full social media experience is available would likely promote the sport (and the NCAA) in a more productive way. Let's also not forget that adding a dual meet championship, moving to a single semester, and avoiding the start of the basketball season would all be better revenue generators for the NCAA and create more opportunities for fans to watch healthy wrestlers compete. Baby steps? Maybe. I can see this being the first big initiative of many more, but to get to a new place college wrestling needs its stakeholders to agree on new initiatives. That, unfortunately, is a gap even wider than the floor space between the mats in Minneapolis. To your questions … Wrestlers from Team Taylor at the inaugral AWL event (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Q: It seemed like AWL had some potential as a professional wrestling league, but seems to have folded. Why has it been so difficult to create a sustainable wrestling league in the United States? Where have the organizations gone wrong or made the biggest missteps? -- Mike C. Foley: In journalism we call this an evergreen topic -- one that will always be relevant to readers. Seven years after the launch of several leagues and we are no closer to implementing a sustainable wrestling league here in the states. Each has failed for their own reasons, but one major reason is there hasn't been proper alignment of incentives between the athletes, networks (streaming and linear), and sponsors. The stakes need to be high enough to interest the athletes to not only participate but to train for and promote the event. In the past the athletes have been focused on maximizing their personal return (fair) but they haven't always delivered proper promotion. Likewise sponsors are adding money, but not activating on those dollars which means they see absolutely zero positive feedback. Our Olympic athletes aren't always able to hop off the four-year cycle and dedicate time. So what's the best solution? It could be a Joes vs. Sports Stars method where local income producing competitions are held between jiu jitsu fighters, strongmen, CrossFit guys, and rugby players. Allow the individuals to dress up how they like and treat it as a festival setting. Use a TBD takedown-focused style and allow for lots of creativity and promotion. Events in major cities will draw sponsors and the best of the best -- usually former wrestlers -- graduate to a national stage where they take on current champions of this TBD style and some of America's biggest mat stars. This system allows for maximum return on sponsorship dollars, IG-worthy events, and a sustainable mode for supporting our sport's biggest stars while also distributing the sport to a larger audience. If interested in making this happen, please send me an email! Greg Kerkvliet wrestling Jordan Wood at the U23 Nationals (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Q: It sounds like there is a possibility Greg Kerkvliet enters the Penn State lineup at heavyweight for the postseason. Do you see him as a game changer, someone who could help put the Nittany Lions in the thick of the team race? -- Mike C. Foley: I don't. I'm all for dramatic WWE surprise walkouts but this would be unprecedented in our sport's history to transfer, sit, and suddenly be eligible come plat season. How is this OK? I could never have transferred from U.Va. to UNC and expected to wrestle in the same season. Kerkvliet is unquestionably very talented but that talent hasn't been on the collegiate mats. To debut at the Big Tens is like never having ice skated and then expecting to impress Michelle Kwan on a first date. That's not to say Kerkvliet couldn't win a match or two more than Nevills at the NCAAs, but does that guarantee Penn State will overcome Iowa? Is risking his redshirt worth the squeeze? Not my call, but I think this isn't a well thought out plan, and it's bound to end with some bruised egos. Q: What did you make of Iowa State not sending most of their starters to a dual meet against Missouri last Saturday, instead sending key starters to their home open? It seems as though there was gaming going on, getting some starters questionable wins to increase their chances to qualify for the NCAAs. -- Mike C. Foley: We all know this was a blatant disregard for how the wrestling world works, but look around you. Look at the world -- nothing matters in a battle of morality. The only thing is winning or the perception that you did everything you could to WIN. We don't have right and wrong. We have winning and losing. Exploitation of anything so long as it helps get another tick in the W column. I'm saddened and disappointed that the Iowa State administration allowed this to happen, and I think that the NCAA should take aggressive measures to ensure than it doesn't happen again and that the results of the tournament are invalidated. Q: Is Zahid Valencia out of the Olympic Team Trials in April? -- Josh K. Foley: Yes. Given the timing and initial reports, his positive test would have been international, which would preclude his participation. However, there is an appeal process and he's very able to submit to that process and possibly be vindicated. The entire episode is regrettable. I hope that there is something pending that could vindicate him or at least dampen the disappointment of his teammates and fan base. Q: There have been a lot of media reports about how the coronavirus could cancel the Olympic Games. Do you see this as a real possibility? -- Mike C. Foley: As of now there is no real indication the Olympic Games will be moved or canceled. Some sporting events, especially those in Asia, are being canceled or reassigned to other nations. The virus is spreading rapidly, but the vitality and severity have yet to be determined. Death rates range from two percent to four percent of infections. In the scope of sports, it's an unrealistic risk to ask for those infections to spread for the benefit of game playing. But if we're honest with ourselves we also have to recognize that that the virus' two-week incubation makes it perfect for a drip-drip of developing news that creates fear. Japanese school closings, unknown transmission sources in the USA, and the quarantine of northern Italy all drive the fear that makes it difficult for political leaders to sanction activity. I think the decision point will be June 1. That's 90 days from now, which would imply a further knowledge of how the disease is behaving and a more accurate indication of its deadliness. If things are still gloomy you could expect that some news might be expected.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA has announced the qualifier allocations for the 2020 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships as listed in the chart below. Each qualifying tournament was awarded automatic bids per weight class based on current year data. Each wrestler was measured on the following: Division I winning percentage at the weight class; ratings percentage index (RPI); and coaches' ranking. For each wrestler that reached the threshold in at least two of the three categories, his conference tournament was awarded a qualifying spot in that weight class. Each conference was awarded a minimum of one automatic bid per weight class, which will go to the tournament champion, even if they did not have any wrestlers reach at least two of the three thresholds. NCAA tournament spots for each qualifying event will be awarded at the tournament based solely on place-finish. After all of the conference tournaments have concluded, the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet in-person to select the remaining 47 at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 10, while brackets and seeding will be announced on NCAA.com at 6 p.m. on March 11. All weight classes will consist of 33 wrestlers. The at-large selections will be made based on the following criteria: head-to-head competition; quality wins; coaches' ranking; results against common opponents; RPI; qualifying event placement; and winning percentage. Qualifiers per conference The coaches' rankings are determined by a vote of 14 coaches in each weight class with two head coaches from each of the seven conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, EIWA, MAC, Pac-12 and SoCon), which is double the voters that had previously been used for the coaches' panel rankings. For ranking purposes, coaches may only consider a wrestler that has been designated as a starter at a respective weight class. Wrestlers must have participated in at least five matches against Division I opponents in the weight class and have wrestled within the last 30 days to be ranked. The RPI is a calculation that considers a wrestler's winning percentage, opponent winning percentage (strength of schedule) and opponent's opponent winning percentage (opponent's strength of schedule). Only matches against Division I opponents at the designated weight class count towards the RPI and a wrestler needs to have wrestled 15 matches to be ranked. Seth Gross of Wisconsin (133 pounds), Ryan Deakin of Northwestern (157) and Kollin Moore of Ohio State (197) are all ranked No. 1 by both the coaches and in the RPI. The remaining top-ranked wrestlers by the coaches are Spencer Lee of Iowa (125), Nick Lee of Penn State (141), Sammy Sasso of Ohio State (149), Vincenzo Joseph of Penn State (165), Michael Kemerer of Iowa (174), Taylor Lujan of Northern Iowa (184) and Gable Steveson of Minnesota (heavyweight). The remaining top-rated wrestlers in the RPI include Pat Glory of Princeton (125), Luke Pletcher of Ohio State (141), Pat Lugo of Iowa (149), Shane Griffith of Stanford (165), Jordan Kutler of Lehigh (174), Hunter Bolen of Virginia Tech (184) and Mason Parris of Michigan (heavyweight). For tickets or more information about the 2020 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Minneapolis, visit http://www.ncaa.com/wrestling. A full description of the entire selection process is in the 2020 Division I Wrestling Championships Pre-Championships Manual at NCAA.org.

Charles "Biff" Walizer, a man who made a name for himself as a wrestler and wrestling coach within Pennsylvania and beyond, passed away Friday, Feb. 21. He was 78. Charles "Biff" WalizerBorn in Salona, Pa. in September 1941, Walizer wrestled at Bald Eagle Nittany High School in Mill Hall, where he was a 4-year varsity starter with a record of 40-5-0 before graduating in 1959. At Lock Haven State College (now Lock Haven University), Walizer won three College Conference Championships and two NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) championships with a record of 72-10-1. Just as impressive: Walizer was never pinned in high school or college. Beyond success in high school and college, Walizer also qualified to wrestle off for the 1964 Summer Olympics, but unfortunately, due to a car falling on him, he was not able to compete, according to the funeral home obituary. Upon graduating from Lock Haven in 1963, Walizer launched his long and successful coaching career, starting at Alexandria Bay, N.Y. A year later he moved to Titusville, Pa. where he coached from 1964-1969 with a record of 42-19-1. Walizer could claim his first undefeated team in 1968. Walizer moved back to his hometown of Mill Hall where he taught and coached at Bald Eagle Nittany High School from 1970-1995, leading his wrestlers to a record of 252-136-5. Walizer could claim 53 District 6 Champions, 20 Regional winners and seven State Titlists. He coached three undefeated seasons: 1976-77, 1992-93 and 1993-94. Biff also coached the Pennsylvania Cadet and Junior National teams in freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling for eight years. In addition to accumulating winning results, coach Walizer tallied a number of impressive honors. He was a District 6 Coach of the Year for eight years as well as Pennsylvania State Coach of the Year twice. Walizer was inducted into the NAIA National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1993, the Clinton County Sports Hall of Fame in 1994, the District 6 Hall of Family in 1999, the Pennsylvania chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2015, and the West Branch Valley Chapter of the Sports Hall of Fame in 2016. Tom Elling, the dean of Pennsylvania wrestling, shared his thoughts about the legendary wrestler and coach with attendees at the Walizer's funeral service on Wednesday… and with InterMat. "Charles 'Biff' Walizer was a throwback," Elling told InterMat. "He was hard-nosed and lived every day that way. From riding bulls to breaking horses to riding motocross motorcycles to having wrestled an orangutan (and beating it), Biff was a warrior. He was successful as a high school wrestler at Bald Eagle-Nittany High School and as part of the Lock Haven State's 'Fearsome Foursome' of Gray Simons, Fred Powell and Jack Day. "Biff's most notable win was over a West Liberty W.Va. wrestler by the name of Bobby Douglas. Yes, THAT Bobby Douglas. And about a year ago, Bobby heard Biff wasn't doing well so he phoned him. "Wrestlers are tight. Biff's viewing looked like a reunion of Pennsylvania wrestling who's who. Dozens of his former wrestlers lined up to pay their last respects and to tell their favorite Biff stories. There was only one Biff. He will be sorely missed." Walizer is survived the love of his life for 25 years, Becky Smith, along with eight children (including Biff Wilson Walizer who wrestled for Penn State in the late 1990s), eleven grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. Although services have already taken place, memorial contributions may be made to Mat Town Wrestling, the Clinton County S.P.C.A. or any charity of choice.

Mark Hall leads the Most Dominant standings in Division I (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA has released updated standings for the 2020 NCAA Wrestling Awards that will be awarded in March at the respective Division I, II and III Wrestling Championships. The inaugural NCAA Wrestling Awards were presented at the 2012 wrestling championships. The three awards, given in each division, honor the Most Dominant Wrestler as well as the student-athletes that have accumulated the most falls and the most technical falls throughout the course of the regular and postseasons. A 2:33 fall by Penn State 174-pounder Mark Hall over American moved him to 4.85 average team points per match and first place in the race for most dominant in Division I. Hall's teammate Nick Lee is second with 4.67 points at 141 pounds, while Princeton's Pat Glory averages 4.65 points at 125 pounds for third. With limited action in Division II over the last week there was no change in the standings for most dominant in Division II. Two-time national champion Chris Eddins Jr., of Pittsburgh-Johnstown leads with an average of 4.74 points. McKendree 197-pounder Ryan Vasbinder and Notre Dame (Ohio) heavyweight Jared Campbell complete the top three in the division. Division III Most Dominant Wrestler is led by Coast Guard 165-pounder Nicholas Moreno with 5.40 team points per match, followed by Troy Stanich of Stevens with 5.32 and Robert Areyano of Central (Iowa) with 5.25. The Most Dominant Wrestler standings are calculated by adding the total number of team points awarded through match results and dividing that number by the total number of matches wrestled with a minimum of 16 matches to be ranked. Points per match are awarded as follows. * Fall, forfeit, injury default or DQ = 6 points (-6 points for a loss) * Tech falls = 5 points (-5 points for a loss) * Major decision = 4 points (-4 points for a loss) * Decision = 3 points (-3 points for a loss)

MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 26, 2020 -- JROB Intensive Wrestling Camps and Trackwrestling have announced the lineup of featured guests at the 7 IN 7 PRE-GAME PARTY at the NCAA Wrestling Championships, which will take place on Wednesday, March 18, at 7 p.m. at The Barn at Cowboy Jack's Saloon and Restaurant in Minneapolis. Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer (ESPN: "Wrestling Shaped Mike Zimmer") Olympic Gold Medalist and 15-time National Champion Head Coach Dan Gable Wrestle Like A Girl Founder, Army veteran, and two-time World Bronze Medalist Sally Roberts Four-time Gopher All-American and current undefeated Bellator MMA fighter Logan Storley Spartan Races Founder and best-selling author Joe De Sena Army Ranger, Purple Heart recipient, and former MSU-Mankato wrestler SGT (Ret.) Tom Block Olympic Gold Medalist Randy Lewis National Wrestling Hall of Fame member and medical entrepreneur John Bardis (emcee) The event brings together passionate wrestling fans from across the country to celebrate the NCAA Wrestling Championships. While fans socialize, high-impact personalities with connections to wrestling will share what the sport means to them in seven-minute interviews on stage. "I'm thrilled to be a part of this powerful event that amplifies the best of wrestling before the men's NCAA Championships while growing the sport alongside J Robinson," said Wrestle Like A Girl Founder Sally Roberts. "Wrestling is important because it strengthens the fabric of America and builds our next generation of leaders, regardless of gender, and that's something we can all champion." The guest lineup features speakers from across the wrestling world, including two -- Sally Roberts and Tom Block -- with a military background. "I am beyond excited to be part of this new event that celebrates the impact of wrestling," said SGT (Ret.) Tom Block. "It truly is the best sport because it's unforgiving and immensely rewarding all at once. I'm stoked to be able to share how wrestling gave me the tools to become an Army Ranger and serve in the elite 75th Ranger Regiment." Event proceeds will be gifted to TakeDown Cancer, an initiative of the Randy Shaver Cancer Research and Community Fund. "All of us at the Randy Shaver Cancer Research and Community Fund would like to take this opportunity to thank J Robinson for partnering with TakeDown Cancer," said Randy Shaver, KARE 11 news anchor and founder of the Randy Shaver Cancer Research and Community Fund. "Each dollar raised makes an impact on the lives of Minnesota's Cancer Community! Thank you to J Robinson." A limited number of tickets for the event are available to the general public at 7in7party.com. Tickets cost $15 and include one free drink per 21+ guest. About JROB Intensive Wrestling Camps Since its founding in 1978, JROB Intensive Wrestling Camps has trained more than 50,000 wrestlers with a training philosophy that focuses on developing technical skill, physical preparation, building mental toughness, and life skills. Founded by three-time NCAA national champion wrestling coach J Robinson, JROB now operates 12 summer wrestling camps in locations across the country. Learn more at jrobinsoncamps.com. About Trackwrestling Trackwrestling is part of SportsEngine, Inc., an NBC Sports Group company, and is considered the go-to resource for the sport of wrestling, providing the latest in wrestling stats and content, in addition to live streaming and archived video services at www.Trackwrestling.com. Trackwrestling is the official event management system for the National Wrestling Coaches Association and is used to manage more than 9,500 wrestling events each year. Trackwrestling's services are used as the official scoring systems for more than 35 state high school tournaments, the NCAA Divisions I, II and III Championships and is the official streaming partner of United World Wrestling. SportsEngine, Inc. is the leading provider of sport relationship management software for more than a million youth sports organizations, leagues, governing bodies, and associations. Learn more at: www.sportsengine.com. About TakeDown Cancer TakeDown Cancer donations contribute to the work of The Randy Shaver Cancer Research and Community Fund which supports cancer research, prevention, treatment and other community needs throughout the state of Minnesota. Learn more at takedowncancer.org.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- (Qualifiers by weight class | Qualifiers by school | Qualifiers by conference) The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes (NAIA) has officially announced the qualifiers for the 2020 NAIA Wrestling National Championships hosted by Visit Wichita on Tuesday. The 63rd annual event takes place March 6-7 at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kan. Conference champions in their respective weight class earn an automatic berth to the national championship. Conferences received additional allocations based on the amount of wrestlers ranked in each weight class in the final regular-season coaches' poll. In addition to the automatic qualifiers, each conference was allowed three at-large individuals from any weight class. A 14-member national selection committee selected the remainder of the 240-wrestler field. Eight-time defending national champion Grand View (Iowa) will be taking a full roster of 12 grapplers to the national championships. Reinhardt (Ga.) joins the Vikings with a full roster. Menlo (Calif.) is taking the third-most wrestlers with 11, while Campbellsville (Ky.), Life (Ga.), Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) and Southeastern (Fla.) are a close fourth, taking a roster of ten. The Mid-South Conference led all conferences with 61 individual qualifiers. The Cascade Collegiate Conference was second with 51 qualifiers. Preliminary brackets will be announced Friday, Feb. 28.

Ohio State's Kollin Moore will bring a perfect 24-0 record into the postseason (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Finishing unbeaten for an entire college wrestling season is no easy feat. Just four wrestlers did it last year. But a much larger number of competitors are on track to complete the 2019-20 season with a zero in the loss column. This year's list is loaded with top-level wrestlers. There are 14 NCAA Division I wrestlers who will carry unbeaten records into the postseason. Just for fun, we are ranking the undefeated wrestlers most likely to finish this season without a defeat. Here is my list, in order of the most likely wrestlers to go unbeaten: 125: Spencer Lee (Iowa) 15-0 The two-time NCAA champion hasn't been seriously challenged this season. His toughest match was his most recent bout, a 12-3 major decision over No. 4 Nick Piccininni of Oklahoma State on Sunday night. It won't be easy for Lee, but he's the heavy favorite to win NCAAs again at 125 pounds. Lee has a knack for peaking when the stakes are highest. 197: Kollin Moore (Ohio State) 24-0 A national finalist last year, Moore has been one of the most dominant wrestlers in the country this season. He's a strong, physical and hard-charging wrestler who has been a force on the international level in freestyle as well. Moore is right on track to be a national champion this season. 141: Nick Lee (Penn State) 18-0 You can't help but love the way this guy wrestles. He gets after it. He gave up an early takedown to top-ranked Luke Pletcher of Ohio State before taking control for the rest of the match in earning an impressive win. Lee is the total package with his high level of technique, toughness and tenacity. He is going to be difficult to beat. 165: Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) 13-0 Joseph won two NCAA titles before finishing second last season. He's bounced back with a terrific season where he's had impressive wins over All-Americans Alex Marinelli of Iowa and Evan Wick of Wisconsin. Joseph is a tough matchup with his strength and stamina. He's a difficult opponent to wrestle and he's tough to score on. Minnesota's Gable Steveson had an undefeated regular season for the second straight year (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) 285: Gable Steveson (Minnesota) 12-0 Steveson is the most talented wrestler in the country in any weight class. He's a mobile and explosive wrestler who I really believe can make a run at an Olympic medal this year. He's that good. If he stays on the attack, he will win his first NCAA title. He will face a tough challenge with unbeaten Mason Parris of Michigan in his weight class. 174: Michael Kemerer (Iowa) 13-0 The two-time All-American has come on strong late in the season after bumping up two weight classes. Kemerer earned a huge victory over NCAA champion and three-time finalist Mark Hall of Penn State in a dual meet this season. No doubt, the talented Hall will be determined to avenge that loss in the postseason. Kemerer is starting to peak after being out with an injury last season. 157: Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) 18-0 Deakin has ascended to the No. 1 ranking with a superb season. Staying there will be a challenge with past NCAA finalist Hayden Hidlay of North Carolina State and talented freshman David Carr of Iowa State ready to challenge for the title. Deakin is a veteran with strong credentials who is certainly capable of being the top guy in late March. 285: Mason Parris (Michigan) 26-0 Is there a more improved wrestler in the country than Parris? He won a Junior world title over the summer before putting together an impressive regular season for the Wolverines. Parris is really good, but Minnesota's Gable Steveson is going to be difficult to beat. I wouldn't count Parris out though. He's a tough, gritty wrestler who is fun to watch. And he keeps improving. 149: Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) 10-0 This weight class is still fairly wide open, but Kolodzik is a proven wrestler capable of reaching the top of the podium. But there are a number of evenly matched guys in this balanced weight class. Kolodzik has placed third and fifth at nationals. He's won his share of matches at the NCAA meet. He is definitely someone who can make a title run this year. 125: Pat Glory (Princeton) 20-0 Glory is excellent in the top position and his style could create problems for Iowa's Spencer Lee. If Lee has a weakness, it is when he's on bottom. Glory needs to avoid being taken down if he matches up with the Iowa standout and then hope he can prevail with his strength in the top position. 125: Jack Mueller (Virginia) 12-0 This is another veteran capable of winning his share of big matches. He proved that last year in reaching the NCAA finals before falling 5-0 to Iowa's Spencer Lee. Mueller is very good, but he's also in the same weight as one of the nation's best pound-for-pound wrestlers in Spencer Lee. 133: Chas Tucker (Cornell) 28-0 Tucker has had a heck of a season and he's an excellent wrestler, but he's also ranked fifth behind four studs from the Big Ten. Tucker would need a superb performance to surpass the guys ahead of him, but you never know. Crazy things are known to happen this time of year. Tucker is definitely capable of making a big splash next month. 197: Noah Adams (West Virginia) 29-0 The second-ranked Adams may not receive the recognition he deserves, but he's had an outstanding season. Adams has made big gains with his wrestling. He's won his share of big matches and he now has a big opportunity in front of him at the 2020 NCAA Championships. I wouldn't count him out. Stanford's Shane Griffith is an undefeated freshman ranked No. 3 in the country (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 165: Shane Griffith (Stanford) 26-0 Griffith has had a superb season, but he's in a loaded weight class that includes two-time NCAA champion Vincenzo Joseph of Penn State along with a number of other high All-Americans. But you never know. A freshman wasn't expected to win this weight class last year, but that didn't stop Virginia Tech freshman Mekhi Lewis from reaching the top of the podium at 165. Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.

Always dreamed of being able to go the NCAAs ... but only have time to take in a single session? Now you can! The 2020 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships are now offering college wrestling fans the opportunity to purchase single-session tickets in advance ... online. For the first time in recent history, you can purchase tickets for any of the six sessions for the 2020 NCAA D1s, to be held Thursday, March 19 through Saturday, March 21 at US Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. Each day will feature two sessions ... culminating with Session 6 -- the championship finals -- on Saturday night. You can also purchase tickets for all six sessions as a package online. Want to enhance your fan experience at the 2020 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships? Check out The NCAA Experience managed by PRIMESPORT. The NCAA Experience is an exclusive, 2-hour pre-session party located in the DeltaSky360 Club featuring early entry to U.S. Bank Stadium (30 minutes prior to general public), a limited open bar, delicious pre-match tailgate food, meet-and-greet with NCAA wrestling legends, photo opportunity with the NCAA Championships trophy and more! The NCAA Experience fan hospitality will open 60 minutes prior to each session. Tickets for The NCAA Experience may be purchased in advance online. The NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships have always been THE big event on the U.S. amateur wrestling calendar. Now, this year, the championships will be bigger than ever ... thanks to the 2020 NCAAs being held for the first time in an indoor football stadium -- US Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. This totally enclosed venue -- which resembles a huge, glassy Viking ship -- has a seating capacity of 66,860 for football, and 72,711 for the 2019 NCAA Division I men's basketball Final Four. These seating capacities are more than three times that of typical basketball/hockey arenas that have hosted NCAA Division I championships for the past few decades. And that means significantly greater numbers of amateur wrestling fans will have the opportunity to witness in THE major event of the college wrestling season in person. And, while you're at the 2020 NCAAs, check out the free Fan Festival at the Armory, just two blocks west of US Bank Stadium. This annual festival -- held this year on Friday-Saturday, March 20-21 -- has so much for fans to take in. Watch Team USA wrestlers practice, attend autograph sessions and a coaches clinic, buy wrestling memorabilia, and take part in an NCAA semifinals preview show. Free and open to the public, the Fan Festival will be an added food and beverage outlet for wrestling fans between sessions.

Kegan Koshiol and McKinley EricksonTwo St. Croix Falls High School wrestlers were killed on their way to work out with their teammates before school Friday. Kegan Koshiol and McKinley Erickson died when their SUV hit a patch of ice, ran off the road, flipped over, and struck a series of trees in St. Croix Falls on the western Wisconsin border with Minnesota, northeast of Minneapolis-St. Paul. Koshiol and Erickson were slated to travel with the rest of their team to state sectionals at Edgar, Wis. just west of Wausau. The tragic news was shared on the Facebook page of the St. Croix Falls Wrestling Booster Club. Erickson was a junior, and a standout athlete in football, wrestling and track, according to WCCO-TV. The CBS affiliate in the Twin Cities described Koshiol as "a well-loved freshman, and a strong wrestler. His friends say he had interest in one day serving in the military as a pilot." St. Croix Falls wrestling coach Joe Raygor says the wrestling team decided to honor Erickson and Koshiol by competing at the sectionals in Wausau. "We kind of left it up to the kids to come today," Raygor said. "We had two opt out because they couldn't overcome the grief, but we had eight kids come down today. We talked about that sometimes it's not the easy choice, but you have to do what's really hard. We left it up to the kids, we told them we loved them, they came down here, they're ready to fight, and they're wrestling hard. We had both families reach out and tell us they wanted the boys to wrestle hard and they're supportive from home. You know, that's pretty powerful. The big thing that we preach is family. This is a horrible thing, but it reminds us of the family piece." Upon arriving in Edgar, the team was greeted with condolences from schools around the state of Wisconsin, WSAU-TV of Wausau reported. Both coaches and wrestlers used the tournament as an opportunity to honor their teammates and come closer together. Four of the wrestlers from St. Croix Falls made it to the finals of the sectional tournament which gives them an automatic bid to the state tournament which starts Thursday at Kohl Center on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. Memorial services were recently announced.

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Senior Pat Lugo wrapped his senior day with a fall and the top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team wrapped its undefeated regular season (13-0) with a 34-6 win over No. 10 Oklahoma State on Sunday. Pat Lugo (Photo/Brian Ray, HawkeyeSports.com)Lugo made short work in his home finale, decking No. 6 Boo Lewallen in two minutes, 21 seconds. "Very special. My first pin in Carver actually. It was cool," Lugo said. "There were a lot of fans cheering. It was a good night, but the job is not finished. We've got Big Tens, nationals. I want to get my hand raised, do the same thing in Minnesota." Lugo's pin was one of two Hawkeye falls and one of six bonus-point victories. Iowa opened the dual with a combination of major decision, fall, major decision, fall. Iowa led 20-3 at intermission, and held a 28-point advantage by the end, matching its largest margin of victory over the Cowboys in 25 years. "Get the bonus points. When you get the clamps on the guy you make him pay. There were some good things there," said Iowa head coach Tom Brands. Spencer Lee and Alex Marinelli both earned top 10 wins. Lee used one takedown, six nearfall points and three minutes of riding time to defeat No. 4 Nick Piccininni, 12-3, at 125. Marinelli exchanged escapes with No. 6 Travis Wittlake before breaking a 1-1 tie with a takedown in the final minute at 165. Austin DeSanto won by fall, pinning No. 14 Reece Witcraft in two minutes, 38 seconds at 133. Max Murin scored five takedowns and a season-high 15 points in is 15-4 major decision over No. 12 Dusty Hone at 141. Michael Kemerer and Tony Cassioppi also won by major decision. Kemerer racked up five minutes of riding time in a 12-2 win over No. 13 Joe Smith at 174, and Cassioppi closed the dual with an 11-1 major at 285. Jacob Warner also won by decision, 8-3, at 197. Oklahoma State won decisions at 157 and 184. The dual was Iowa's final home dual of the season. A single-season record 87,979 wrestling fans came through the gates of Carver-Hawkeye Arena in 2019-20, a new NCAA average attendance record of 12,568. "We had a great schedule and our fans showed up from the get-go," Brands said. "We had 10,000-plus for Chattanooga and we have to continue that next year. We have to get ready to give our fans something to be excited about going into this postseason and put some exclamation marks on these next two tournaments" UP NEXT Iowa competes at the 2020 Big Ten Championships in Piscataway, New Jersey, on Marcy 7-8. The NCAA Championships are March 19-21 in Minneapolis. NOTABLES The 28-point margin of victory ties for the fourth largest in the series against Oklahoma State, and matches the largest since a 31-3 victory in 1995. Iowa wrestlers finished the dual season with a combined 108-22 record. Iowa completed its 22nd undefeated season at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes are 262-25 since moving into the arena in 1983. Iowa set an NCAA average attendance record, averaging 12,568 in seven duals. The 87,979 fans through the gates is also a school single-season record. Spencer Lee scored bonus points for the 14th time in 15 matches. He outscored his opponents 183-13 in the regular season. Austin DeSanto earned his second pin of the season. He has scored bonus points in 11 of 14 wins. Pat Lugo improved to 9-1 against ranked opponent and earned his sixth top 10 win of the season. Marinelli earned his fourth top 10 win of the season. Michael Kemerer improved to 13-0 and has won 32 straight duals. Results: 125 -- #1 Spencer Lee (IA) major dec. #4 Nick Piccininni (OKST), 12-3; 4-0 133 -- #3 Austin DeSanto (IA) pinned Reece Witcraft (OKST), 2:39; 10-0 141 -- #5 Max Murin (IA) major dec. Dusty Hone (OKST), 15-4; 14-0 149 -- #2 Pat Lugo (IA) pinned #6 Boo Lewallen (OKST), 2:21; 20-0 157 -- Wyatt Sheets (OKST) dec. #5 Kaleb Young (IA), 9-4; 20-3 165 -- #2 Alex Marinelli (IA) dec. #6 Travis Wittlake (OKST), 3-2; 23-3 174 -- #1 Michael Kemerer (IA) major dec. #13 Joe Smith (OKST), 12-2; 27-3 184 -- #14 Anthony Montalvo (OKST) dec. Nelson Brands (IA), 8-2; 27-6 197 -- #6 Jacob Warner (IA) dec. #16 Dakota Greer (OKST), 8-3; 30-6 285 -- #3 Tony Cassioppi (IA) major dec. Austin Harris (OKST), 11-1; 34-6 Records: Iowa (13-0), Oklahoma State (13-3) Attendance: 13,109

AMES, Iowa -- No. 19 Iowa State (10-5, 7-1 Big 12) ended its dual season on a bright note with a 22-16 victory over North Dakota State (10-4, 5-2 Big 12) in wrestling action Sunday evening in Hilton Coliseum. Iowa State won six matches and the takedown battle, 16-7. The win gave the Cyclones a share of the Big 12 dual title at 7-1. How It Happened Iowa State fell down 7-0 after dropping the first two matches at 157 and 165 pounds. Sam Colbray recorded three points for the Cyclones at 174 pounds with a 7-3 victory over Luke Weber. Colbray recorded a pair of takedowns in the third period to improve his season record to 14-7. Marcus Coleman dominated his match in a 15-4 win over T.J. Pottinger at 184 pounds. Coleman was the aggressor from the start, taking down Pottinger in the first 16 seconds while adding back points. He ended the match with five takedowns overall. Gannon Gremmel tied the match at 10-10 with a victory over Brandon Metz at 285 pounds. Gremmel led 1-0 after two periods and Metz chose neutral to begin the third. Gremmel sealed the deal with a takedown nine seconds into the period and stayed on top until the final horn for a 4-0 triumph. Alex Mackall tallied a 6-3 victory over McGwire Midkiff in the 125-pound match, notching a pair of takedowns and a reversal. Todd Small got an early takedown in the 133-pound match, but after a takedown by Cam Sykora moments later, Small's leg got tangled and the match ended by injury default at the 1:24 mark. At 141 pounds, Ian Parker wasted little time in his pin over Sawyer Degen. Parker was up 6-1 after the first period and got the pin in the third period with a cradle after his fourth takedown. Parker improves to 18-3 on the season. Jarrett Degen secured the win with a 4-3 victory over Jaden Van Maanen at 149 pounds. The score was tied at 3-3 heading into the final period, but Degen rode out Van Maanen to avoid the escape and get the extra point for riding time. Next Up Iowa State will start preparation for the 2020 Big 12 Championship, March 7-8 at The BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. Results: 157: Jared Franek (NDSU) maj. dec. Isaac Judge (ISU), 11-2 165: Andrew Fogarty (NDSU) dec. Chase Straw (ISU), 8-1 174: Sam Colbray (ISU) dec. Luke Weber (NDSU), 7-3 184: Marcus Coleman (ISU) maj. dec. T.J. Pottinger (NDSU), 15-4 197: Cordell Eaton (NDSU) dec. Joel Shapiro (ISU), 3-2 285: Gannon Gremmel (ISU) dec. Brandon Metz (NDSU), 4-0 125: Alex Mackall (ISU) dec. McGwire Midkiff (NDSU), 6-3 133: Cam Sykora (NDSU) inj. def. Todd Small (ISU), 1:24 141: Ian Parker (ISU) pinned Sawyer Degen (NDSU), 6:16 149: Jarrett Degen (ISU) dec. Jaden Van Maanen (NDSU), 4-3

No. 14 Princeton broke a 23-match skid to No. 25 Rutgers and picked up the program's first win over the Scarlet Knights since 1990, closing the dual-match season with a win to finish 9-4 and complete the New Jersey sweep, with wins over Rutgers and Rider, for the first time since the 1982-83 season. The Tigers have faced those teams in the same season 18 times since the last sweep, including every year since the sweep through the 1989-90 season, again in the 2005-06 season, and again annually since 2009-10. Princeton opened with a decision from third-ranked Patrick Glory at 125 but saw Rutgers get the next two to take a 6-3 lead. Then came the only match of the night that didn't end in a decision, as fourth-ranked Matthew Kolodzik turned in a first-period pin against Gerard Angelo to put Princeton in front, 9-6. Its significance didn't become clearer until later in the match, but it ended up swaying the night Princeton's way. Kolodzik's win began a three-match win streak for Princeton that included decisions for fourth-ranked Quincy Monday at 157 and Grant Cuomo at 165, with Cuomo's coming by a point, 8-7. That put Princeton ahead 15-6, and after Rutgers' Willie Scott had a decision win at 174, Travis Stefanik, who had the clincher in the Ivy title-winning dual against Cornell two weeks earlier, put Princeton up 18-9 with a 5-2 decision at 184. Princeton had a scare when third-ranked Patrick Brucki suffered an injury early in his match, but he continued and nearly won, falling 10-9 to limit Rutgers' gain to making it 18-12. With one match to go, Brucki's outcome was the clincher for Princeton, though the coaching staffs would have had to consult their rule books and do some quick addition to know that. Had Rutgers won by pin at heavyweight, the first criteria, victories, wouldn't have decided it as each team would have five. The second criteria would have been no help either, as each team would have had one pin and four decisions each. The third criteria, though, went Princeton's way by the thinnest of margins, as Princeton racked up 48 points in its non-pin matches to Rutgers' 47. It didn't come to that. Aidan Conner battled Rutgers' Matthew Correnti to a 6-3 decision, with Correnti's win making it just 18-15. Princeton will have next weekend off before heading to EIWAs at Lehigh, where the team has finished third each of the last three years behind Lehigh and Cornell in either order, giving Princeton its best finish at the event since its 1978 title. Results: 125: #3 Patrick Glory (Princeton) wins by decision over #20 Nicolas Aguilar (Rutgers), 10-5 133: #10 Sammy Alvarez (Rutgers) wins by decision over Sean Pierson (Princeton), 7-5 141: Zach Firestone (Rutgers) wins by decision over Marshall Keller (Princeton), 5-2 149: #4 Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) wins by fall over Gerard Angelo (Rutgers), 2:55 157: #4 Quincy Monday (Princeton) wins by decision over Mike Vanschenkbrill (Rutgers), 8-5 165: Grant Cuomo (Princeton) wins by decision over Brett Donner (Rutgers), 8-7 174: Willie Scott (Rutgers) wins by decision over Nate Dugan (Princeton), 6-1 184: Travis Stefanik (Princeton) wins by decision over #13 Billy Janzer (Rutgers), 5-2 197: #19 Jordan Pagano (Rutgers) wins by decision over #3 Patrick Brucki (Princeton), 10-9 HWT: Matthew Correnti (Rutgers) wins by decision over Aidan Conner (Princeton), 6-3

FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- Senior Trey Keeley, junior Charlie Faber, and sophomore Jack Bokina all posted major decisions as Brown University wrestling rallied past Sacred Heart University, 18-15, in its regular season finale on Sunday afternoon at the William H. Pitt Center. Trailing 12-3 after the first half of the dual, the Bears (4-8, 4-7 EIWA) won four of the meet's final five bouts to come back and defeat the Pioneers (8-6, 3-5 EIWA), closing out a 2-0 weekend that included a 19-18 victory over Harvard yesterday. The Bears concluded the regular season with three wins in their final four duals. "It's nice to be able to close the regular season with back-to-back wins and with wins in three of our last four matches," Brown head coach Todd Beckerman said. "Just like yesterday against Harvard, we needed all 10 guys to win tonight. We can take this momentum with us when we head to EIWAs in two weeks." Keeley (Washington, Ill.) tallied his 12th win of the season, second win of the weekend, and third major decision of the year. Faber (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) notched his 13th win and fifth major decision of the year. Bokina (Mattituck, N.Y.) registered his 17th win of the year, and his team-high sixth major decision of the season completed the Bears' comeback. Junior Nino Bastianelli (Marysville, Mich.) recorded his 17th win of the year and second win of the weekend while freshman Ricky Cabanillas (Whippany, N.J.) charted his team-best 22nd win of the year, sixth straight victory, and second win of the weekend. After Sacred Heart opened the dual – which began at 165 pounds – with three straight victories, Bastianelli began the Bears' comeback with a 7-2 decision over Rob Hetherman at 197 pounds, bringing Brown within 9-3. Following a Pioneer victory in the heavyweight division, Keeley started the Bears' run of four wins in five bouts with an 11-0 shutout major decision over Sean Faraon at 125 pounds, cutting the margin in the team score to 12-7. Faber followed with another major decision, topping Kyle Randall, 15-4, at 133 pounds and slicing the Bears' deficit to 12-11. SHU countered with a win at 141 pounds, moving up 15-11, before Brown answered with back-to-back wins to close the meet. Cabanillas pulled the Bears within 15-14 in the team score behind a 3-1 victory over Nick Palumbo at 149 pounds. Bokina then sealed the team triumph behind a 13-0 shutout major decision over Will Schmidt at 157 pounds. Next, Brown competes at the EIWA Championships at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., from March 6-7. Results: 165: Brandon Levesque (S) def. Matt Lattanze (B), Dec. 5-1 (SHU 3-0) 174: Joe Accousti (S) def. Cade Wilson (B), Dec. 7-2 (SHU 6-0) 184: Kyle Davis (S) def. Aaron Wolk (B), Dec. 6-3 (SHU 9-0) 197: Nino Bastianelli (B) def. Rob Hetherman (S), Dec. 7-2 (SHU 9-3) 285: Connor Fredericks (S) def. Thomas Mukai (B), Dec. 4-0 (SHU 12-3) 125: Trey Keeley (B) def. Sean Faraon (S), MD 11-0 (SHU 12-7) 133: Charlie Faber (B) def. Kyle Randall (S), MD 15-4 (SHU 12-11) 141: Gerard Daly (S) def. Hunter Kosco (B), Dec. 5-1 (SHU 15-11) 149: Ricky Cabanillas (B) def. Nick Palumbo (S), Dec. 3-1 (SHU 15-14) 157: Jack Bokina (B) vs. Will Schmidt (S), MD 13-0 (Brown 18-15)

Northern Colorado wrestling showed what its capable of at full strength as they defeated Air Force 25-12, Sunday afternoon. UNC won seven matches, scoring bonus points in four. The Bears won the first five matches of dual, building a 17-0 lead over the Falcons. Jace Koelzer started the team off strong with a 4-1 decision over Graham Shore at 125 lbs. Koelzer scored a first period takedowns, an escape in the second and added riding time to get the win. Mosha Schwartz was next up for the Bears at 133 lbs against Jared Van Vleet. Schwartz had three takedowns, two escapes and the riding time bonus to get a 9-6 decision. At 133 lbs, Chris Sandoval faced off against No. 33 Lenny Petersen. After trailing 2-1 in the first period, Sandoval rallied with takedowns in the second and third periods to get the 6-5 decision and knock off the ranked Falcon wrestler. Andrew Alirez took care of business at 149 lbs against Dylan Martinez, winning a 15-4 major decision. Alirez racked up five takedowns, a four-point nearfall and riding time as the true freshman continued his stellar season. Now in the 157 lbs match, Jimmy Fate dominated Trey Brisker in a 14-1 major decision. Fate jumped out to a 6-0 lead on Brisker in the first with a takedown and nearly had the fall, but settled for a four-point, nearfall. Fate added two more takedowns, a two-point nearfall, one escape and riding time for the victory. Air Force pushed back into the dual with wins at 165 lbs and 174 lbs. Randy Maneweather got the fall on Austin Matthews at 10 seconds for the Falcons first win. Billy Higgins battled Cody Surratt, with Surratt getting the late takedown to edge out Higgins for the 4-2 decision. Air Force cut the UNC lead to 17-9. Alan Clothier would halt any swing of momentum at 184 lbs. with an 11-0 major decision over Jacob Thompson. Clothier scored a pair of takedowns, adding a four-point, nearfall, a reversal and riding time to overpower Thompson. Jacob Seely returned to the mat and dominated Casey Jumps in the 197 lbs bout. Seely won a 10-0 major decision over Jumps, recording three takedowns, a two-point nearfall and riding time, along with a penalty point. The wins secured the dual for UNC as they held a 25-9 lead over Air Force. Robert Winters Jr. battled Matt Wagner in the final match at 285 lbs. Winters Jr. rallied with two, third-period takedowns but came up short in a 5-4 decision loss. Northern Colorado defeated Air Force for the first time since February 2015, when they edged the Falcons 28-27 in head coach, Troy Nickerson's first season at the helm. Results: 125 – No. 33 Jace Koelzer def. Graham Shore, Dec. 4-1 133 – No. 19 Mosha Schwartz def. Jared Van Vleet, Dec. 9-6 141 – Chris Sandoval def. No. 33 Lenny Patersen, Dec. 6-5 149 – No. 15 Andrew Alirez def. Dylan Martinez, MD 15-4 157 – Jimmy Fate def. Trey Brisker, MD 14-1 165 – No. 24 Randy Maneweather def. Austin Matthews, Fall(:10) 174 – Cody Surratt def. Billy Higgins, Dec. 4-2 184 – No. 27 Alan Clothier def. Jacob Thompson, MD 11-0 197 – No. 21 Jacob Seely def. Casey Jumps, MD 10-0 285 – Matt Wagner def. Robert Winters Jr. What's Ahead? Northern Colorado will be off until the team travels to Tulsa for the Big 12 Championships, March 7 through 8.

ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio wrestling team (9-8, 5-4 MAC) finished its 2019-20 regular season strong, picking up a pair of Senior Day wins this afternoon at the Convocation Center. The Bobcats earned a decisive 27-10 win over Mid-American Conference foe Buffalo, then rolled to a 40-6 triumph over Gardner-Webb to close out the afternoon. Ohio celebrated its six-member 2020 senior class prior to the dual against Gardner-Webb, with Zac Carson (Akron, Ohio), Kade Kowalski (Nashport, Ohio), Shakur Laney (Canal Winchester, Ohio), Ben Schneider (Orland Park, Ill.), Joe Terry (Pickerington, Ohio) and Hunter Yeargan (Willard, Mo.) honored in front of the home crowd. Carson, Laney and Yeargan ensured it would be a Senior Day to remember as all three went 2-0 on the afternoon to help propel the Bobcats to a pair of wins. "That's probably the best we've wrestled all year, from top to bottom, and that was awesome," said 23rd-year head coach Joel Greenlee. "Every guy on our team has been working hard and trying to make gains, and I think it's showing." A power outage on the Ohio campus delayed the start of the first match of the day by 40 minutes, then forced the Bobcats and the Bulls to wrestle in the dark. Redshirt junior Trevor Giallombardo (Petoskey, Mich.) brought energy to the building, though, when he earned his first victory of the season to open the match by recording a 13-2 win by major decision over freshman Jordan Reyes at 125 pounds. Buffalo redshirt junior Derek Spann evened the match with a major decision win at 133, but Laney put the Bobcats back up by four courtesy of a 10-1 major decision win over redshirt freshman Marcus Robinson. After redshirt sophomore Alec Hagan (Eureka, Mo.) picked up a 2-0 win by decision over senior John Arceri at 149, Carson made it a 17-4 lead for Ohio by pinning redshirt freshman Michael Petite in 3:40 at 157. "It just felt really good. I can't really go out much better than getting a pin," said Carson. "It was fun. I had fun, and that's what I've kind of been focusing on this last half of the year here. I'm just happy to be able to do that, for me and the team." Senior Troy Keller earned an 8-6 win in overtime at 165 to cut Buffalo's deficit to 10, but the Bobcats earned back-to-back wins at 174 and 184, as Stanley notched an 11-3 major decision win over freshman Bryson Alsteen at 174 and Yeargan followed with a 4-1 win by decision over redshirt freshman Pete Acciardi at 184 to extend the Ohio advantage to 24-7. Redshirt sophomore Sam Schuyler logged a 2-1 win by decision for the Bulls at 197, but redshirt freshman Jordan Earnest (Wadsworth, Ohio) sealed a 17-point conference win for the Bobcats thanks to a 3-1 win by decision over redshirt junior Logan Rill at 285. Power had been restored to the Convo by the time the matchup with Gardner-Webb got underway, but the Bobcats continued to bring the juice, putting an exclamation point on the regular season with a 34-point win over the Runnin' Bulldogs. The Bobcats picked up victories in eight of 10 weight classes. Redshirt freshman Giovanni DiSabato (Hilliard, Ohio) won by forfeit at 133, and Carson won by forfeit at 157 to provide Ohio with 12 points. In his final match at the Convo, Laney came away with a 10-3 win by decision over redshirt sophomore Brandon Bright at 141. Laney has now picked up wins in nine of Ohio's last 10 duals, including eight in a row. Hagan ensured himself a 2-0 afternoon by pinning sophomore Anthony Schiess in 2:06 at 149, and redshirt junior Nick Vestal (Wilmington, Ohio) pinned redshirt freshman RJ Mosley in 2:46 at 165. The Bobcats won the final three bouts of the afternoon, as Yeargan tallied an 8-2 win by decision over freshman Samuel Mora at 184, redshirt junior Jake Walker (Sarasota, Fla.) posted a 12-1 major decision win over senior Roderick Davis at 197 and Earnest punctuated the afternoon by pinning redshirt sophomore Gabriel Pickett in 2:06. "Those are both pretty good wins to get. I thought I had a pretty dominant performance on both matches," said Yeargan of his Senior Day. "To come out here and have that kind of performance on my last time ever performing at the Convo, I'm kind of at a loss for words right now. All year, I've been battling, trying to stay healthy. D-1 wrestling season is hard enough, but to add that on top of things can make things really difficult at times. To finally be healthy and finally be wrestling good and feel like I'm wrestling my best going into the MAC tournament, this is what we live for, and I'm super excited to go into the postseason. With the regular season in the books, Ohio sets its sights on the 2020 MAC Championships, which are set to be held March 7-8 at the Convocation Center on the campus of Northern Illinois in DeKalb, Ill. Ohio 27, Buffalo 10 125: Trevor Giallombardo (Ohio) def. Jordan Reyes (Buffalo), 13-2 maj. dec. (4-0) 133: Derek Spann (Buffalo) def. Giovanni DiSabato (Ohio), 14-4 maj. dec. (4-4) 141: Shakur Laney (Ohio) def. Marcus Robinson (Buffalo), 10-1 maj. dec. (8-4) 149: Alec Hagan (Ohio) def. John Arceri (Buffalo), 2-0 dec. (11-4) 157: Zac Carson (Ohio) def. Michael Petite (Buffalo), fall, 3:40 (17-4) 165: Troy Keller (Buffalo) def. Joe Terry (Ohio), 8-6 SV-1 (17-7) 174: Logan Stanley (Ohio) def. Bryson Alsteen (Buffalo), 11-3 maj. dec. (21-7) 184: Hunter Yeargan (Ohio) def. Pete Acciardi (Buffalo), 4-1 dec. (24-7) 197: Sam Schuyler (Buffalo) def. Jake Walker (Ohio), 2-1 dec. (24-10) 285: Jordan Earnest (Ohio) def. Logan Rill (Buffalo), 3-1 dec. (27-10) Ohio 40, Gardner-Webb 6 125: Michael Pappaconstantinou (Gardner-Webb) def. Trevor Giallombardo (Ohio), 8-6 dec. (0-3) 133: Giovanni DiSabato (Ohio) for. (6-3) 141: Shakur Laney (Ohio) def. Brandon Bright (Gardner-Webb), 10-3 dec. (9-3) 149: Alec Hagan (Ohio) def. Anthony Schiess (Gardner-Webb), fall, 2:06 (15-3) 157: Zac Carson (Ohio) for. (21-3) 165: Nick Vestal (Ohio) def. RJ Mosley (Gardner-Webb), fall, 2:46 (27-3) 174: Evan Schenk (Gardner-Webb) def. Logan Stanley (Ohio), 7-5 dec. (27-6) 184: Hunter Yeargan (Ohio) def. Samuel Mora (Gardner-Webb), 8-2 dec. (30-6) 197: Jake Walker (Ohio) def. Roderick Davis (Gardner-Webb), 12-1 maj. dec. (34-6) 285: Jordan Earnest (Ohio) def. Gabriel Pickett (Gardner-Webb), fall, 2:06 (40-6)

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. -- Northwestern wrestling completed the 2019-20 regular season with a dominant win over SIU-Edwardsville Sunday afternoon. The 'Cats were victorious in eight of the 10 bouts as they won by a final score of 38-9. Jack Jessen got the scoring started in the second bout of the day at 184 pounds. Facing off against Austin Andres, Jessen was comfortable throughout in a 6-1 decision as he put the visitors on the board. Following up Jessen, No. 10 Lucas Davison took the mat at 197 against Aric Bohn. The redshirt first year ensured he completed the campaign on a high as he won by fall, pinning Bohn just over halfway through the first period. At 125 pounds, No. 12 Michael DeAugustino also impressed against his opponent, Gage Datlovsky. He led 4-1 after the first period and took his offense up a notch after that, running up a double-digit lead by the middle of the third period. With a late takedown and the addition of the riding time point, DeAugustino sealed an 18-3 victory by technical fall, putting the 'Cats back out in front as the dual hit the halfway point. On the back of his dramatic first-period fall last weekend after an extended layoff, No. 3 Sebastian Rivera looked to enter the postseason with two-straight wins He looked to be well on his way with two early scores to lead 4-0, but his opponent, Gage Datlovsky, was injured in a mat return by Rivera and unable to finish. Rivera was awarded a victory by injury default and added six team points to the tally as the visitors began to pull away. In his final dual match in the purple and white, Alec McKenna took on Saul Ervin at 141. In a hard-fought bout from start-to-finish, the senior took a narrow early lead and held onto it, staving off a late attack from Ervin that went to replay review. McKenna won via 3-1 decision as the gap in team score continued to widen. No. 18 Yahya Thomas was then awarded a win by forfeit at 149, officially clinching the dual for Northwestern with two bouts remaining. At 157, No. 1 Ryan Deakin put his unblemished record on the line against No. 25 Justin Ruffin, needing just one final victory to complete a perfect regular season. In a tight and nervy match with multiple cautions on Deakin and three stalling calls on Ruffin, Deakin recorded a win by decision to finish with an 18-0 mark and wrap up an undefeated campaign. Another win by forfeit, this time for No. 12 Shayne Oster at 165 pounds, brought the match to a close, with the final score reading 38-9 in favor of Chicago's Big Ten Team. The Wildcats will be back in action at the 2020 Big Ten Championships, beginning on Saturday, March 7 and concluding on Sunday, March 8. The tournament will be held at Rutgers University in Piscataway, N.J. Results: 174: Kevin Gschwendtner (SIUE) dec. #22 Tyler Morland (NU), 7-6 | SIUE 3, NU 0 184: Jack Jessen (NU) dec. Austin Andres (SIUE), 6-1 | SIUE 3, NU 3 197: #10 Lucas Davison (NU) Fall Aric Bohn (SIUE), 2:19 | NU 9, SIUE 3 285: Colton McKiernan (SIUE) Fall Jack Heyob (NU), 2:32 | NU 9, SIUE 9 125: #12 Michael DeAugustino (NU) Tech. Fall Gage Datlovsky (SIUE), 18-3 (7:00) | NU 14, SIUE 9 133: #3 Sebastian Rivera (NU) inj. def. Jacob Blaha (SIUE), 1:19 | NU 20, SIUE 9 141: Alec McKenna (NU) dec. Saul Ervin (SIUE), 3-1 | NU 23, SIUE 9 149: #18 Yahya Thomas (NU) win by forfeit | NU 29, SIUE 9 157: #1 Ryan Deakin (NU) dec. Justin Ruffin (SIUE), 3-2 | NU 32, SIUE 9 165: #12 Shayne Oster (NU) win by forfeit | NU 38, SIUE 9

NORMAN -- Oklahoma wrapped up its regular season with a dominating performance on Sunday afternoon, beating Fresno State, 25-5, inside McCasland Field House. The Sooners (5-7 overall, 3-6 Big 12) won eight of the bouts, including the final four over Fresno State (9-11 overall, 4-4 Big 12). Before the match, the program honored three graduating student-athletes in Eli Boulton, Christian Moody and Clay Vincent. The dual started at 157 and featured OU's No. 22 Justin Thomas in a tight bout with Jacob Wright, who is ranked No. 14 in Track Wrestling's latest polls. Thomas pulled off the upset win in a tiebreaker, earning a 4-3 decision. The win was Thomas' 10th win in dual action this season, and the redshirt junior will enter the postseason with a 19-8 overall record. Elijah Joseph was on the wrong end of a 9-2 decision to Fresno State's Adam Kemp at 165. With the match tied at three apiece, the Sooners won the next three bouts to create some separation between themselves and the Bulldogs. At 174, No. 10 Anthony Mantanona scored pair of takedowns in the final frame to end his regular season with another victory, via 7-4 decision. With the win, Mantanona joined Thomas and Dom Demas in the 10-win club in dual action. The 174-pounder is now 9-1 against Big 12 opponents heading into the Big 12 championships. Darrien Roberts would take the mat for the Sooners at 184, facing Hunter Cruz who had 20 wins entering Sunday. But Cruz would prove to be no match for the true freshman as Roberts earned a 5-3 decision to put the Sooners up 9-3 heading into the 197 bout. No. 15 Jake Woodley looked to keep his four-bout win streak alive at 197 when he faced off with Isaiah Perez. The Pittsburgh native would come out firing, scoring three takedowns in the first period, followed by three more in both the second and third period en route to a 20-7 major decision. It was Woodley's fourth bonus point win of the season and ninth dual win of the year. After five bouts, the Sooners led 13-3 at the intermission. For the Sooners, Josiah Jones took on Fresno State's No. 11 Josh Hokit at 285. Jones led 3-0 after two periods, but Hokit was able to score an escape and two takedowns to win 5-4. But Hokit's win was Fresno State's final victory of the day. At 125, redshirt senior Christian Moody got the job done on senior day, earning a 6-1 decision over Jeremy Trinh. Moody, who claimed his 59th win as Sooner was able to fight through the nerves of his last battle inside McCasland. "I was pretty nervous heading into the match actually." Moody said after the win. "I had to text an old teammate of mine and ask him how he handled the nerves of senior day...it was just really special to get a win in my last match in McCasland." No. 15 Tony Madrigal returned for the Sooners at 133 and needed sudden victory to get his 19th win of the season. He was able to take down Lawrence Saenz to earn a 6-4 sudden victory decision, putting the Sooners up 19-6 and clinching the win. After the match, Fresno State was deducted a team point for unsporting conduct, bringing the team tally to 19-5. Up next for Oklahoma was No. 7 Dom Demas who got into a tight match with No. 23 DJ Lloren, but Demas was able to come out on top after he took down Lloren in the sudden victory period to claim a 3-1 decision. The win marked Demas' 23rd of the season, as the reigning Big 12 champion finishes the regular season with a 12-1 conference record and 11-1 dual record. In the final bout of the day, Jacob Butler battled for three periods to earn a hard-fought win over No. 29 Greg Gaxiola via 4-2 decision. When all was said and done, the Sooners had scored a 25-5 win - their fourth win in Big 12 play and 20th win all-time over Fresno State. UP NEXT The Sooners now prepare for the Big 12 championships, set to be held at the BOK Center in Tulsa on March 7-8. Tickets for the championships can be purchased online, and Sooner fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in section 119, which is the official OU section at the competition. Results: 157 No. 22 Justin Thomas (OKLA) over Jacob Wright (FS) (TB-1 4-3) OU 3-0 165 Adam Kemp (FS) over Elijah Joseph (OKLA) (Dec 9-2) TIED 3-3 174 No. 10 Anthony Mantanona (OKLA) over Jackson Hemauer (FS) (Dec 7-4) OU 6-3 184 Darrien Roberts (OKLA) over Hunter Cruz (FS) (Dec 5-3) OU 9-3 197 No. 15 Jake Woodley (OKLA) over Isaiah Perez (FS) (MD 20-7) OU 13-3 285 No. 11 Josh Hokit (FS) over Josiah Jones (OKLA) (Dec 5-4) OU 13-6 125 Christian Moody (OKLA) over Jeremy Trinh (FS) (Dec 6-1) OU 16-6 133 No. 15 Anthony Madrigal (OKLA) over Lawrence Saenz (FS) (SV-1 6-4) OU 19-6 Fresno State -1.0 team point (unsportsmanlike) OU 19-5 141 No. 7 Dom Demas (OKLA) over No. 23 DJ Lloren (FS) (SV-1 3-1) OU 22-5 149 No. 31 Jacob Butler (OKLA) over No. 29 Greg Gaxiola (FS) (Dec 4-2) OU 25-5

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- In the final regular-season meet of the season, the No. 5 Sun Devil wrestling team (15-2) took advantage in the back half of the lineup, taking six straight matches to defeat No. 8 North Carolina, 22-9 on Sunday afternoon at Carmichael Arena. ASU ended the dual season 15-2 with seven top-25 wins and four top-15 wins. The win total is the most by a Sun Devil wrestling team since 1989-90, when the program finished with 18. The bout with the Tar Heels began with Brandon Courtney (125) improving his dual record to 15-2 as he won by decision over Joey Melendez, 6-3. UNC would counter with three straight decision wins at 133, 141 and 149. ASU contested in each match as the three wrestlers (Josh Kramer, Corey Crooks, Josh Maruca) lost by a combined four points, which came against ranked opponents, Zach Sherman (141) and 2019 All-American Austin O'Connor (149). For the second consecutive match, Jacori Teemer (157) proved to come up clutch yet again over another ranked opponent as he pulled a reversal in the second overtime to beat No. 24 A.C. Headlee, 3-2. Teemer wraps up his first year of dual action in the Maroon and Gold with a 15-5 record and six bonus-point wins. Following a ranked win for Teemer, senior Josh Shields had his own opportunity to add a ranked win to his resume as he went up against No. 14 Kennedy Monday. Shields didn't allow a takedown and took home the decision win, 6-2 to tie the score at nine apiece. Redshirt junior Anthony Valencia got right back into his winning ways after falling to No. 3 Jordan Kutler on Friday. Valencia picked up his sixth major of the season over Clay Lautt, 10-2 to push his season win total to 20. Cade Belshay (197) returned to form on Sunday afternoon as he took a decision win over Joey Mazzara for his first victory since early November. He will look to ride the momentum into Pac-12's in two weeks. Kordell Norfleet and Tanner Hall finished off the Tar Heels with a pair of decision victories, as the Sun Devils got back on track leading into postseason action. Next up, ASU will take a week off before heading to compete in the Pac-12 Championships in Palo Alto, California on Saturday, March 7. The all-day event will televised live on the Pac-12 App and Pac-12 Network Bay Area. To purchase tickets, visit https://gostanford.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetGroupList?prc=P12W&caller=PR&linkID=stanford&RDAT=&RSRC Results: 125 – #8 Brandon Courtney (ASU) Dec Joey Melendez (UNC), 6-3 133 – Jaime Hernandez (UNC) Dec Josh Kramer (ASU), 7-6 141 -- #16 Zach Sherman (UNC) Dec Cory Crooks, 4-2 149 – #5 Austin O'Connor (UNC) Dec Josh Maruca, 4-2 157 – #12 Jacori Teemer (ASU) SV-2 #24 A.C. Headlee, 3-2 165 – #6 Josh Shields (ASU) Dec #14 Kennedy Monday (UNC), 6-2 174 – #9 Anthony Valencia (ASU) MD Clay Lautt (UNC), 10-2 184 – Cade Belshay (ASU) Dec Joey Mazzara, 8-6 197 – #9 Kordell Norfleet (ASU) Dec Brandon Whitman (UNC), 10-5 285 – #4 Tanner Hall (ASU) Dec Andrew Gunning (UNC), 2-1