InterMat Staff

DAVIDSON -- Four pins powered the Davidson wrestling team to a 27-18 win over The Citadel on Senior Night Friday evening in Belk Arena. The Wildcats clinched their first Southern Conference victory of the season with back-to-back pins in the 174- and 184-pound matches. With the match tied 15-all, Davidson 174-pounder Steven Newell pinned Jacob Cooper in 1:04. Then Gavin Henry followed with a 45-second pin over Jared Zenie at 184, giving the Wildcats the 27-15 edge with one match remaining. At 125, Davidson's Cian Fischer pinned Jordie White in 3:45, and Wildcat Kyle Gorant followed at 133 with a pin of Nathan Orosco in 1:46. The Wildcats' other win came at 157, as Hunter Costa earned a 3-2 decision over Doug Gudenburr. Prior to the match, Davidson recognized the three members of the 2020 class: Costa, Noah Satterfield and Conor Fenn. Results: 125: Cian Fischer (DAV) fall over Jordie White (CIT), 3:45 133: Kyle Gorant (DAV) fall over Nathan Orosco (CIT), 1:46 141: Jacob Dado (CIT) dec. David Loniewski (DAV), 10-5 149: Selwyn Porter (CIT) dec. Will Baldwin (DAV), 9-3 157: Hunter Costa (DAV) dec. Doug Gudenburr (CIT), 3-2 165: Dazjon Casto (CIT) tech. fall over Noah Satterfield (DAV), 18-2 174: Steven Newell (DAV) fall over Jacob Cooper (CIT), 1:04 184: Gavin Henry (DAV) fall over Jared Zenie (CIT), :45 197: Cooper Youngblood (CIT) dec. Lachlan Rosato (DAV), 4-1 285: Michael McAleavey (CIT) maj. dec. Finlay Holston (DAV), 16-3 Up Next Davidson visits Presbyterian in SoCon action Sunday at 2 p.m.

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- The Army West Point wrestling team won seven of its ten dual matches Friday night at Gillis Field House, on the way to defeating Penn 27-9 in an EIWA affair. "I thought certainly some bright spots for our team -- some guys with some big performances," said head coach Kevin Ward. "We did what we were supposed to do tonight." With the action starting at 141 pounds, the scoreboard went Penn's (1-4, 0-1 EIWA) way to begin the night. No. 17 (FloWrestling) Doug Zapf scored a 7-5 decision over Corey Shie to give the Quakers an early 3-0 lead. The tide would quickly shift towards Army (7-2, 2-0 EIWA), as the Black Knights reeled off five straight wins. P.J. Ogunsanya looked sharp, taking down Lucas Revano in an 8-1 decision. Senior captain Lucas Weiland returned to the 157 pound spot, and won a dominant 16-1 tech. fall over Jeremy Ridge. No. 24 ranked Cael McCormick started strong, and scored in all three periods -- winning a 7-2 decison over Jake Lizak. At 174 pounds, No. 24 Ben Harvey earned a bonus point victory with a 16-2 major over Neil Antrassian. Sahm Abdulrazzaq got the nod at 184 pounds, and took full advantage, winning a 7-5 decision in a battle to the end to take the team score to 18-3. Cole Urbas would win Penn's second match of the night at 197 pounds -- a 6-2 decision over J.T. Brown. Perhaps the match of the match of the night came in the heavyweight decision. Tied 1-1 deep into the third period, Bobby Heald was able to score a takedown against Ben Goldin to earn a 3-2 decision. After a forfeit at 125 pounds by Penn, Carmen Ferrente would score late in the third period to win a 3-1 decision and make it a 27-9 final team score. Results: 125: #21 Trey Chalifoux - W, Forfeit 133: Carmen Ferrente (Penn) 3-1 DEC over Lane Peters (Army) 141: #17 Doug Zapf (Penn) 7-5 DEC over Corey Shie (Penn) 149: P.J. Ogunsanya (Army) 8-1 DEC over Lucas Revano (Penn) 157: Lucas Weiland 16-1 TF over Jeremy Ridge 165: #24 Cael McCormick 7-2 DEC over Jake Lizak 174: #24 Ben Harvey 16-2 MD over Neil Antrassian 184: Sahm Abdulrazzaq 7-5 DEC over Jake Hendricks 197: Cole Urbas (Penn) 6-2 DEC over J.T. Brown (Army) 285: Bobby Heald (Army) 3-2 DEC over. Ben Goldin (Penn) UP NEXT Army hits the road next Saturday, Jan. 25 for a dual match versus Lock Haven at 7 p.m.

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The University of Minnesota wrestling program defeated Michigan State 25-10 behind the efforts of seven individual victories. Three Gophers made their career Big Ten dual debuts on the night, headlined by Ryan Thomas and Jake Bergeland who both won after never previously starting any dual. Thomas began the night with his dual debut while Bergeland finished the night with his dual debut. Chase O'Connor made his Big Ten dual debut at heavyweight but ultimately fell by 6-2 decision to Christian Rebottaro. Richmond, Michigan, native Devin Skatzka earned his 100th career victory with his 10-5 victory over Layne Malczewski. Surrounded by friends and family after the match Skatzka did a post-dual interview with BTN and soaked in the scene. "It feels great, I'm blessed," said Skatzka. "Not too many people get to accomplish that. It's great it worked out this way being in Michigan with a bunch of family and friends here." After earning 48 wins in Indiana, Skatzka has added 52 more since becoming a Golden Gopher. Hunter Ritter blew the dual score open with a first period pin against Nick May right before intermission. After putting May to his back early on in the match Ritter calmly settled into pin his opponent's shoulder blades to the Spartans' mat. Results: 157: Ryan Thomas dec. (5-2) over No.21 Jake Tucker (Minnesota leads 3-0) 165: Bailee O'Reilly dec. (5-2) Drew Hughes (Minnesota leads 6-0) 174: No.7 Devin Skatzka dec. (10-5) over Layne Malczewski (Minnesota leads 9-0) 184: No.20 Cam Caffey dec. (9-4) over No.18 Owen Webster (Minnesota leads 9-3) 197: Hunter Ritter fall (2:27) over Nick May (Minnesota leads 15-3) 285: Christian Rebottaro dec. (6-2) over Chase O'Connor (Minnesota leads 15-6) 125: No.14 Pat McKee major dec. (10-2) over Logan Griffin (Minnesota leads 19-6) 133: Garrett Pepple major dec. (11-0) over Brent Jones (Minnesota leads 19-10) 141: No.5 Mitch McKee dec. (12-8) over Matt Santos (Minnesota leads 22-10) 149: Jake Bergeland dec. (9-2) over Alex Hrisopoulos (Minnesota wins 25-10)

Pete Veldman, Minnesota high school state wrestling champ who went on to take to the mat for the Minnesota Golden Gophers -- then later served as a high school athletic director and wrestling official for decades -- died Tuesday at age 86. Pete VeldmanA native of Hollandale, Minn., Peter Veldman was a multi-sport star at Albert Lea High School, winning the heavyweight title at the Minnesota state wrestling championships as a senior in 1951. He also participated in football and track. Graduating from ALHS in 1951, Veldman then headed north to the University of Minnesota, where he continued to be an all-around athlete. In his first two years, he wrestled and played on the Gopher football team before leaving school to serve in the U.S. military for 16 months during the Korean War… then, returned to Minnesota. Overall as a Golden Gopher, Veldman was a three-time NCAA championships qualifier and twice placed at the Big Ten championships (third at 177 pounds at the 1953 Big Tens; fourth as heavyweight at the 1959 conference championships). After graduating from University of Minnesota in 1959, Veldman launched his professional career as a physical education teacher and coach of football and wrestling in the South St. Paul school district. In 1964 Veldman became the athletic director of South St. Paul Schools. If that weren't enough, Veldman also served as the co-coordinator of the Minnesota State High School Wrestling Tournament for 25 years. Veldman stayed actively involved with wrestling as a referee and official of high school and collegiate wrestling tournaments for more than four decades. "Recognized as one of the best officials in the country, Veldman was repeatedly selected to officiate hundreds of high school wrestling meets, Minnesota State Wrestling Tournaments, and NCAA Division I, Division II, and NCAA Big 10 Wrestling Tournaments," according to the St. Paul Pioneer-Press. For his service to athletics -- particularly wrestling -- Pete Veldman received numerous honors over the course of his career. He was inducted into the Minnesota Wrestling Hall of Fame and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. In addition, Veldman was also welcomed into the Minnesota State High School Athletic Directors Hall of Fame and the Albert Lea High School Athletic Hall of Fame. He received the Minnesota High School Athletic Directors Distinguished Alumni Award in 2009. There he was honored as "one of the greatest contributors to athletics and education in Minnesota." What's more, South St. Paul High School honored Veldman's extensive service to the district and community by establishing the Pete Veldman Wrestling Room and creating the annual Veldman Invitational Wrestling Tournament. Peter Veldman is survived by his four sons and many grandchildren. Last summer, he was preceded in death by his wife of 60 years, Arlene. Visitation for Pete Veldman is scheduled for 1-3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26 at the First Presbyterian Church in South St. Paul, with the funeral service to follow at the church.

Tyrell Fortune gets his hand raised after getting a win at Bellator 225 (Photo/Bellator) Next month's Bellator 239 will now feature two former college wrestling champs, as national junior college titlewinner and NCAA Division II champ Tyrell Fortune has been added to the card this week, joining former NCAA Division I titlist Ed Ruth at the mixed martial arts event at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackervile, Oklahoma on Friday, February 21. Fortune will again be matched up to face former UFC fighter Tim Johnson, according to Cageside Press. "Tyrell Fortune vs. Tim Johnson is back on, this time at Bellator 239. The heavyweight pair were previously booked at Bellator 233, only to have the bout fall through. On Wednesday, however, a Bellator official confirmed to Cageside Press that the fight was on again." The 30-year-old Fortune is now 8-0 in his pro MMA career which he launched with Bellator in November 2016. His opponent, Timothy Johnson, 34, brings a 12-9 pro MMA record in a career going back nearly a decade. Fortune brings impressive heavyweight wrestling credentials to his just-announced bout at Bellator 239. signed with Bellator four years ago this month, the promotion had to be impressed with his heavyweight amateur wrestling credentials. Fortune was a two-time Oregon high school state wrestling champ who also won six national freestyle and Greco-Roman titles. Fortune then launched his collegiate career at Clackamas Community College in Oregon, where he won two NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) heavyweight titles. He then headed south to Grand Canyon University in Arizona, where he was crowned heavyweight titlist at the 2013 NCAA Division II championships, and was also named Division II Wrestler of the Year. (Note: Grand Canyon eliminated its varsity wrestling program in March 2016.) Fortune will appear on the same card as Ed Ruth. As InterMat reported in early December, Ruth will be at the top of the card for the first time in a welterweight (170-pound) match vs. Yaroslav Amosov. Ruth, who is 8-1 in his pro MMA career, was a three-time NCAA mat champ for Penn State.

Ryan Crookham is seeded No. 1 at 126 pounds (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Entering its 14th edition this weekend, the Escape the Rock wrestling tournament hosted by Council Rock South in the general Philadelphia area has grown to be a regionally prestigious tournament with a national-level field. Over the course of Saturday and Sunday, 50-plus teams from seven different states will convene for competition. The schedule for competition is as follows: Saturday 10 a.m. ET: Championship wrestling through the quarterfinals (which are projected for around 5 p.m.), consolation wrestling to take the field down to 12 wrestlers per weight class Sunday 9 a.m.: Consolation round to place, semifinals and consolation quarters (about 10:45 a.m.), consolation semifinals and seventh place bouts; 2 p.m. third and fifth place bouts; 4 p.m. championship bouts The field features six Fab 50 teams with No. 8 Malvern Prep (Pa.) entering as the clear favorites, while it seems wide open for second place and the other top five positions with No. 29 Cincinnati (Ohio) LaSalle, No. 32 St. Joseph Montvale (N.J.), No. 36 Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.), No. 37 Notre Dame-Green Pond (Pa.), No. 40 Southern Columbia (Pa.), and Chambersburg (Pa.). Preliminary seeds have been released and are available here. Below are the top four seeds per weight class, with nationally ranked wrestlers noted. 106: 1. Sean Logue (Father Judge, Pa.) 2. Zach Jaracuso (Delaware Valley, Pa.) 3. Logan Attisano (Legacy Christian, Ohio) 4. Thomas Link (Malvern Prep, Pa.) 113: 1. Brett Ungar (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.) -- No. 7 national ranking 2. Kelly Dunnigan (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.) -- No. 16 national ranking 3. Erik Roggie (St. Christopher's, Va.) -- No. 18 national ranking 4. Jacob Craig (The Hill School, Pa.) 120: 1. Dustin Norris (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) -- No. 13 national ranking 2. Kyle Hauserman (Council Rock North, Pa.) 3. Brandon Chlestos (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.) 4. Alex Almeyda (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.) -- No. 7 national ranking 126: 1. Ryan Crookham (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.) -- No. 2 national ranking 2. Eddie Ventresca (Pope John XXIII, N.J.) -- No. 5 national ranking 3. Cole Skinner (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) 4. Cameron Lacure (Legacy Christian, Ohio) 132: 1. Patrick Noonan (Stroudsburg, Pa.) -- No. 10 nationally 2. Joey Olivieri (Hanover Park, N.J.) 3. Brock McMillen (Glendale, Pa.) 4. Casey Wiles (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) 138: 1. Kenny Herrmann (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) -- No. 9 nationally 2. Jacob Perez-Eli (Paulsboro, N.J.) 3. Gavin Brown (Legacy Christian Academy, Ohio) -- No. 18 nationally 4. Alex Poore (Caravel Academy, Del.) 145: 1. Cole Handlovic (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) -- No. 19 nationally 2. Jager Condomiti (Northampton, Pa.) -- No. 10 nationally 3. Anthony Petrucelli (Owen J. Roberts, Pa.) 4. Darnai Heard (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) 152: 1. Dalton Harkins (Malvern Prep, Pa.) -- No. 8 nationally 2. Cameron Robinson (Council Rock North, Pa.) -- No. 15 nationally 3. Dylan Weaver (Lyndhurst, N.J.) 4. A.J. Tamburrino (Hatboro Horsham, Pa.) 160: 1. Andrew Cerniglia (Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa.) -- No. 5 nationally 2. Luke Nichter (Chambersburg, Pa.) -- No. 19 nationally 3. Andrew Clark (Collingswood, N.J.) 4. Dillon Sheehy (Council Rock North, Pa.) 170: 1. Angel Garcia (Mariana Bracetti Academy, Pa.) -- No. 19 nationally 2. Brandon Green (Paulsboro, N.J.) -- No. 15 nationally 3. Leonard Pinto (Stroudsburg, Pa.) -- No. 5 nationally 4. Jaden Bullock (Oscar Smith, Va.) 182: 1. Sam Fisher (Fauquier, Va.) -- No. 15 nationally 2. Joey Milano (Spring Ford, Pa.) 3. Maximus Hale (Downington West, Pa.) 4. Dillon Walker (Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio) 195: 1. Gaige Garcia (Southern Columbia, Pa.) -- No. 2 nationally 2. Nicholas Feldman (Malvern Prep, Pa.) -- No. 8 nationally 3. Chase Mielnik (Dowington West, Pa.) 4. Jason Henderson (Delaware Valley, Pa.) 220: 1. Kyonte Hamilton (Georgetown Prep, Md.) -- No. 3 nationally 2. Cory Johnston (Glendale, Pa.) 3. Michael Toranzo (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.) 4. Adam Young (Shikellamy, Pa.) 285: 1. Cole Deery (Malvern Prep, Pa.) -- No. 13 nationally 2. Lear Quinton (Southern Columbia, Pa.) 3. Jim Mullen (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.) 4. Blake Lambert (Northampton, Pa.)

The 2020 NCAA heavyweight season heats up this weekend. No. 1 Gable Steveson of Minnesota and No. 2 Mason Parris of Michigan could meet during Sunday's Minnesota vs. Michigan dual meet in Ann Arbor. The recent announcement the defending NCAA champion Anthony Cassar would be out for the season, and the return of Steveson off suspension, shook the top of the rankings. Now, with only eight weeks before Big Tens the two top-ranked heavyweights will get their first opportunity to measure their offseason gains. Big men attract attention and it's good for college wrestling to have someone as outspoken (and Brock-aligned) as Steveson facing off against an athletic freak like Parris. Thought they somehow missed each other in 2019, the two are sure to create fireworks for the rest of the season and for two more years. That future and the type o must-watch rivalry match this might become makes me excited for the future of the weight class. Let's also not forget that this rivalry and the additional training being put in by Steveson and Parris will also pay off for the 2020 Olympic team. While Nick Gwiazdowski is the top guy he is certain to be pushed by Steveson and Parris and create the type of competition that makes all three better and helps improve the chances for Team USA to earn a medal at 125 kilograms in Tokyo. To your questions … Sarah Hildebrandt after winning gold at the Pan American Games (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: What do you think of Sarah Hildebrandt dropping to 50 kilograms for the Olympic year? Do you view her as the favorite to make the U.S. team? How do you see her stacking up against the world? -- Mike C. Foley: I think that a runner-up finish at 53 kilograms makes her a definitive favorite to make the United States team at 50 kilograms. There is a lot of talent at the lower weights with Vicky Anthony and Whitney Condor, but so far they haven't created a lot of success on the international level. I got to watch Hildebrandt wrestle several times last year and it was somewhat obvious that she was outmuscled by India, Japan, North Korea and China. She had successes, but she's thinner than most of those 53-kilogram women and was unlikely to flip those results in 2020. Also, if she knew that Jacarra Winchester was coming down to 53 kilograms she may have made the decision (wise IMO) to get out her way. As for medaling … sure? I don't know that she can beat Maria Stadnyk (Azerbaijan) and I'm 98% certain nobody is beating Yui Susaki (Japan). I think Yanan Sun (China) is a guaranteed medalist too. Overall it may just depend on where she lands in the bracket because I do think Hildebrandt can beat Alina Vuc (Romania) and Valentina Islamova (Kazakhstan). Oh, but first, someone has to qualify for the Olympic Games and then earn their spot on the team. The wrestle-off for the Pan Am Qualification spot is Feb. 8 featuring Hildebrandt vs. Condor. Q: What do you think of the head coaching endowment at Drexel? How many wrestling programs have this? -- Mike C. Foley: I'm not sure how many programs have a full endowment, but I do know that Cornell, Columbia, Penn, Harvard, Penn State and Princeton all have endowments. I think that Bucknell's program is endowed, though I don't think it's just the head coaching position. There are certainly a bunch more that I'm missing, but those are the ones that I can recall quickly. (Big Ten and Big 12 schools must have a few.) For Drexel, a program that could be seen as an at-risk program under normal conditions, this is a huge relief. This all but guarantees existence. There could be future funding cuts at the school level, but to get the endowment working on your behalf and supplementing the investment by the school and annual fundraising is a huge help for Drexel, and any other program. A subtle effect is that more programs will be prompted to look for these types of generous donations. They are extremely effective and in a year when JP Morgan made $36.4 billion dollars, I'm sure there are some alumni who have the means to support extra giving. Q: Who do you think will win the women's spots at the wrestle-offs for the Pan Am Olympic Qualifier? 50 kilograms: Whitney Conder vs. Sarah Hildebrandt (best of three) 53kg: Katherine Shai vs. Haley Augello (prelim match), Shai/Augello winner vs. Jacarra Winchester (best of three) 57 kilograms: Helen Maroulis vs. Alli Ragan (prelim match), Maroulis/Ragan winner vs. Jenna Burkert (best of three) Foley: Sarah Hildebrandt looks in good shape to take the best of three at 50 kilograms, but let's see how she performs today at the Matteo Pellicone. Jacarra should take 53 kilograms and Helen at 57 kilograms (if she's healthy!). Q: How will the freestyle team that competes at the Pan Am Olympic Qualifier be chosen? -- Mike C. Foley: The men are whoever was on the 2019 World Team. David Taylor has the first optionality at 86 kilograms since he was the defending world champion when he was injured. That should exclude Pat Downey, but it really just depends on David Taylor and how he's feeling. Other than that I think the lineup is unchanged from what we saw in Nur-Sultan. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Hildebrandt discusses the drop to 50 kilograms Kamal Bey Q: On riding time, since everyone is chiming in, why not just do a hybrid of freestyle and folkstyle? Keep the riding time point, but simply put wrestlers back on their feet after 30 seconds. Some people will argue that the bottom wrestler might be close to getting a reversal/escape or the top person about to turn, but they had their shot in 30 seconds and now go back on their feet regardless of where they are. This would at least push some more action on their feet. Thoughts? -- Andy S. Foley: The main issue is that the bottom man would be heavily incentivize to not "open up" and would instead do everything to simply clam up. Remember that in folkstyle wrestling there is both an incentive to escape (1 point) and a disincentive to clam up (stall warning). The effect is to keep the action moving from once they hit the mat. I don't think we can split the difference, but a shot clock of sorts is probably one thought closer to the solution. If the riding time point doesn't exist there is WAY less riding in college wrestling which would create more standing wrestling and thus more action. Add in a point for the step out and action will increase dramatically and somewhat eliminate these long boring matches where I have to watch some kid try to ride another kid like it's the rodeo. (That is NOT wrestling as it was envisioned in its purest form.) 1. Kill riding time 2. Add step out 3. Enjoy action Q: How would you rank the No. 1-ranked wrestlers from most likely NCAA champ to least likely NCAA champ? -- Mike C. Foley: 184: Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) 125: Spencer Lee (Iowa) 285: Gable Steveson (Minnesota) 174: Mark Hall (Penn State) 149: Pat Lugo (Iowa) 133: Seth Gross (Wisconsin) 157: Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) 165: Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) 197: Kollin Moore (Ohio State) 141: Luke Pletcher (Ohio State)

BOONE, N.C. -- As the lead continued to increase, so did the noise inside Varsity Gym. Takedowns on the mat repeatedly brought fans to their feet. App State posted its most impressive showing of the season and extended its winning streak to five matches with a 29-10 dual victory Thursday against Lock Haven, which is unofficially No. 31 in the NWCA Coaches Poll as the sixth-place team in the others receiving votes category. A year after suffering a lopsided loss to the Bald Eagles, the Mountaineers (5-2) rolled to a decisive win thanks to victories by Codi Russell (133 pounds), Jonathan Millner (149), Matt Zovistoski (157), Will Formato (165), Thomas Flitz (174), Julian Gorring (184) and Cary Miller (285). In addition to Millner's pin and Zovistoski's tech fall, dramatic two-point wins for Russell and Flitz sent the App State fans into a frenzy. "I was really pumped," App State head coach JohnMark Bentley said. "I thought our guys wrestled really well. We looked motivated and hungry, which is something I wanted to see. We had an opportunity to wrestle a team that beat us pretty convincingly last year at their place, and getting a chance to wrestle them on our home mat was really good. Just a lot of great efforts tonight." Russell trailed 3-2 after two periods and used a tiebreaking takedown with 53 seconds left to earn a 5-3 decision against DJ Fehlman, who had beaten Russell last year in the dual at Lock Haven and in the NCAA Championships. With Lock Haven (5-3) ahead 7-3 after three matches, Millner took a 2-0 lead into the second period against Brock Port before using an escape and takedown to set up a pin midway through the period, and Zovistoski turned a 5-0 lead entering the third period against Collin Glorioso into a 21-6 tech fall thanks to a whopping seven takedowns in the final 90 seconds. In rapid succession, Zovistoski repeatedly took down his exhausted opponent, cut him loose and succeeded in going for two more points. Leading 14-7 going into the halfway-point intermission, App State fed off the bonus-point surge and crowd excitement to win the next three matches, starting with Will Formato's 4-0 decision against Austin Bell. Formato rode out the second period in a scoreless match and took control with a reversal early in the third. Flitz then used a takedown with 12 seconds left in the Tiebreaker-2 period to win a 4-2 decision against Jared Siegrist, who had defeated Flitz in the 2019 dual at Lock Haven. Tied 2-2 after three periods, they went through a scoreless Sudden Victory period to enter a pair of 30-second tiebreakers that gave each wrestler a chance to escape from the down position. Flitz executed an escape in the first one, and Siegrist did the same in the next one, but Flitz responded with a takedown 10 seconds later and road out his opponent. The Mountaineers increased their lead to 23-7 when true freshman Julian Gorring claimed a 6-1 decision against Ray Bernot while competing against a team from his home state of Pennsylvania. With App State ahead 23-10 going into the final match, Lock Haven opted to not send its heavyweight out to face Miller, who added six points with a win by forfeit. The Bald Eagles picked up wins at 125 from 25th-ranked Luke Werner, at 141 from Kyle Shoop, a 2019 All-American, and at 197 from Parker McClellan. Even in defeat against ranked opponents, App State limited the damage as Lock Haven finished one point shy of a major decision at 125 and one point shy of a tech fall at 141. With Lock Haven strong at the lower weights, App State held a 9-7 lead after Millner's pin in the fourth match instead of being tied, in part, because of the way the two losses ended. That set the stage for Zovistoski's big win. The 2019-20 wrestling season for App State is presented by Hungry Howies, and the Mountaineers return to action next Thursday, Jan. 23, against Duke. Results: 125: #25 Luke Werner (LH) def. Sean Carter (APP), 7-0 dec. 133: Codi Russell (APP) def. DJ Fehlman (LH), 5-3 dec. 141: #20 Kyle Shoop (LH) def. Bradley Irwin (APP), 14-0 maj. dec. 149: #20 Jonathan Millner (APP) def. Brock Port (LH), fall, 4:10 157: #19 Matt Zovistoski (APP) def. Collin Glorioso (LH), 21-6 tech. fall 165: Will Formato (APP) def. Austin Bell (LH), 4-0 dec. 174: Thomas Flitz (APP) def. Jared Siegrist (LH), 4-2 dec. (TB-2) 184: Julian Gorring (APP) def. Ray Bernot (LH), 6-1 dec. 197: Parker McClellan (LH) def. Paul Carson (APP), 4-0 dec. 285: #25 Cary Miller (APP) def. Trey Hartsock (LH), forfeit

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- The Edinboro wrestling team improved to 9-4 overall and 3-2 in the Mid-American Conference on Thursday night, edging Bloomsburg, 19-16, at Nelson Field House. The Fighting Scots rallied for the win thanks to decisions by Dylan Reynolds and Jon Spaulding at 197 lbs. and heavyweight, respectively. The Fighting Scots would find themselves trailing 13-6 midway through the match, as Bloomsburg picked up bonus points at 133 lbs. and 157 lbs. The match began with Lucas Rodriguez improving to 13-7 with a 9-7 decision over Christian Gannone at 125 lbs. Rodriguez, a redshirt sophomore, jumped out to an 8-2 lead after one period on the strength of a takedown, four nearfall points, and a reversal. Josh Mason (11-5) gave the Huskies a 6-3 lead as he won by fall over freshman Tye Varndell at 133 lbs., with the pin coming at 1:52. Varndell is now 13-7. Edinboro's Nate Hagan would claim a 9-4 decision at 141 lbs. over Marlon Argueta-Diaz. Hagan registered four takedowns while improving to 10-7. Bloomsburg boosted its advantage to 13-6 with back-to-back wins at 149 and 157 lbs. Aaron Coleman (7-5) handed Tyler Vath (9-10) a 4-1 defeat at 149 lbs., and Alex Carida (10-7) followed with a 12-4 major decision over Peter Pappas (14-8) at 157 lbs. Derek Ciavarro would upset Nate Newberry, who came in ranked sixth in the MAC rankings at 165 lbs., via a 7-4 decision. Ciavarro trailed 3-2 after one period, but would record a takedown in both the second and third periods. He is now 10-8 while Newberry dropped to 10-7. Jacob Oliver pulled the Fighting Scots even at 13-13 as the redshirt sophomore recorded Edinboro's lone bonus point win. He prevailed 9-1 with a big third period. While dominating the first two periods, he led just 2-0. He would add on a reversal, two nearfall points, and a takedown in the final two minutes. Oliver is now 16-4 while winning his sixth straight match. Redshirt freshman Cody Mulligan (13-8) fell just shy of upsetting 15th-ranked Trevor Allard (15-1) at 184 lbs. Allard used a first period takedown and one late in the third period for a 5-2 decision, giving the Huskies a 16-13 advantage. Dylan Reynolds (14-7) pulled the Fighting Scots even at 16-16 with a 3-2 decision over Kyle Murphy at 197 lbs., giving Reynolds 70 career wins. The redshirt senior broke a 1-1 tie with a takedown at the 1:25 mark of the third period. That left it up to Spaulding and Bloomsburg's Jarrett Walters to decide the outcome. Spaulding would leave little doubt while winning for the sixth time in his last seven matches. The junior opened up a 4-1 lead after one period with a pair of takedowns, then expanded the lead to 10-4 after two periods with three more takedowns. He would end with six takedowns while posting a 14-7 decision to improve to 16-5. Walters Is now 10-8.4 Edinboro completes its two-match eastern swing on Friday night at Rider. Results: 125 lbs. - Lucas Rodriguez (EU) dec. Christian Gannone (BU), 9-7 (EU leads 3-0) 133 lbs. - Josh Mason (BU) fall over Tye Varndell (EU), 1:52 (BU leads 6-3) 141 lbs. - Nate Hagan (EU) dec. Marlon Argueta-Diaz (BU), 9-4 (Tied at 6-6) 149 lbs. - Aaron Coleman (BU) dec. Tyler Vath (EU), 4-1 (BU leads 9-6) 157 lbs. - Alex Carida (BU) maj. dec. Peter Pappas (EU), 12-4 (BU leads 13-6) 165 lbs. - Derek Ciavarro (EU) dec. Nate Newberry (BU), 7-4 (BU leads 13-9) 174 lbs. - Jacob Oliver (EU) maj. dec. Anthony Vetrano (BU), 9-1 (Tied at 13-13) 184 lbs. - #15 Trevor Allard (BU) dec. Cody Mulligan (EU), 5-2 (BU leads 16-13) 197 lbs. - Dylan Reynolds (EU) dec. Kyle Murphy (BU), 3-2 (Tied at 16-16) Hwt. - Jon Spaulding (EU) dec. Jarrett Walters (BU), 14-7 (EU leads 19-16) RECORDS: Edinboro 9-4, 3-2 MAC; Bloomsburg 2-4, 0-3 MAC

Jahi Jones (Photo/Maryland Athletics) ROSEMONT, Ill. -- The Big Ten Conference office announced today that it publicly reprimands Maryland wrestler Jahi Jones for violating the Big Ten Sportsmanship Policy following the 157-pound match vs. Rider University at the Virginia Duals on Jan. 11. Jones was disqualified for the remainder of the event after he struck an opposing wrestler as the two came to center circle to shake hands at the conclusion of the match. The conference also supports Maryland's suspension of Jones for his actions. He will serve his suspension through the conclusion of Maryland's next two scheduled duals on Friday, Jan. 17 at Michigan and Sunday, Jan. 19 at Michigan State. Big Ten Conference Agreement 10.01 states in part that "The Big Ten Conference expects all contests involving a member institution to be conducted without compromise to any fundamental element of sportsmanship. Such fundamental elements include integrity of the competition, civility toward all, and respect, particularly toward opponents and officials." The Big Ten Conference considers this matter concluded and will have no further comment.

Justin Rivera (Lake Highland Prep) gets his hand raised after winning a Doc B title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Beat the Streets Chicago has organized for a second straight year the Beat the Streets Brawl, which will be held this Saturday at Oak Park River Forest (Ill.). Like last year, the field is again loaded with top end teams from across the country and has some other events tied to it. The event also serves as a key fundraiser for the sponsoring organization, which is helping to provide wrestling and related programming to boys and girls in the city of Chicago. Saturday's event has a youth clinic being conducted by Kyven Gadson from 9 a.m. to noon CT in addition to the four rounds of dual meet competition. The dual meet competition results, brackets, and streaming will be available on TrackWrestling.com The eight teams are split into two pools as follows: Pool 1: No. 4 Montini Catholic (Ill.), No. 24 Broken Arrow (Okla.), No. 25 Liberty (Mo.), and Oak Park River Forest (Ill.) Pool 2: No. 6 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.), No. 7 Bergen Catholic (N.J.), No. 14 Tuttle (Okla.), and No. 43 Fort Dodge (Okla.) Below is the schedule of matches: 10 a.m. CT: Oak Park River Forest vs. Montini Catholic, Broken Arrow vs. Liberty; Lake Highland Prep vs. Fort Dodge, Tuttle vs Bergen Catholic Noon: Montini Catholic vs. Liberty, Broken Arrow vs. Oak Park River Forest; Lake Highland Prep vs. Tuttle, Bergen Catholic vs. Fort Dodge 2 p.m.: Montini Catholic vs. Broken Arrow, Oak Park River Forest vs. Liberty; Tuttle vs. Fort Dodge, Lake Highland Prep vs Bergen Catholic 4 p.m.: Crossover matches based on finish in preliminary pool The following are projected lineups for each of the competing teams: No. 4 Montini Catholic (Ill.) 106: Joseph Fernau, 16U Nationals double All-American 113: Nick Gonalez, state runner-up 120: Nain Vazquez, two-time state 4th place 126: No. 8 Dylan Ragusin 132: Ethan Stiles, 16U Nationals freestyle All-American 138: Braden Stauffenberg 145: No. 15 Fidel Mayora 152: Joe Roberts, two-time state placer 160: Brayden Thompson, 16U Nationals freestyle All-American 170: Cooper Wettig 182: Trevor Swier, three-time state qualifier (2019 state 3rd place) 195: Josh LaBarbera, two-time state qualifier 220: Nathan Wenstrom 285: Colin Baker No. 6 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.) 106: Eligh Rivera, 6th place Walsh Ironman 113: David McClelland 120: Danny Nini, two-time state placer (2018 state champion) 126: Jake Wohltman, three-time state placer 132: No. 15 Chris Rivera 138: No. 7 Justin Rivera 145: TBD 152: No. 12 Noah Castillo 160: Dominic Isola, two-time state placer 170: Bailey Flanagan, 2018 state placer 182: Hunter Brinkman, state 5th place 195: Easton Tobia 220: Matthew Kaplan, state champ 285: Francisco Tobar No. 7 Bergen Catholic (N.J.) 106: Aiden Wallace 113: No. 14 Joseph Cangro 120: Nick Kayal, three-time state placer 126: No. 3 Robert Howard or Riley Halal 132: No. 17 Dylan Cedeno 138: *Will Grater (two-time state 8th place) or Eric Broadie 145: No. 16 Joseph Zargo 152: Alex Strashinsky, state 6th place 160: Nate Camiscioli, 6th place Doc Buchanan (at 152) 170: Justin Onello 182: Jack Patti 195: John Fiore 220: Nate Lewis or Nicholas Fuccilli 285: *Remy Brancotta (state qualifier) or Rafi Bailey *transfer in from other school, may or may not be eligible this week due to "sit-out" rule No. 14 Tuttle (Okla.) 106: Braden Potts 113: Ashton Grounds, two-time state 3rd place 120: *Garrett Steidley (two-time state champ) or Braden Hughart 126: Reese Davis, state runner-up 132: Dalton Burdick 138: Ryder Ramsey, two-time state champ 145: Bryce Dauphin, state runner-up 152: Brady DeArmond, state champ 160: Gage Shetley 170: **Luke Surber (two-time state champ/three-time state finalist) or Sam Schmidt 182: **Dustin Plott (two-time state champ/three-time state finalist) or Parrish Terry 195: Harley Andrews, state runner-up 220: Colin Naney, 2018 state runner-up 285: Korben Graham *has been out for recent events due to injury **has been out season-to-date due to injury, Oklahoma State signee was a Junior National freestyle All-American this past summer No. 24 Broken Arrow (Okla.) 106: Christian Forbes, 16U Nationals double All-American 113: Parker Witcraft 120: Bryce Cockrell, state 3rd place 126: Jackson Cockrell, state runner-up 132: Blazik Perez, two-time state qualifier 138: Jared Hill, two-time state placer 145: Chris Moores 152: William Martin 160: Tye Rozell, state qualifier 170: Bryce Mattioda, three-time state placer/two-time state runner-up 182: Zeno Marcheselli 195: Emmanuel Skillings, state champ 220: Mitchell Banning 285: Marlon Welty No. 25 Liberty (Mo.) 106: Mason Younghans 113: Easton Hilton, state champ 120: No. 5 Jeremiah Reno 126: Ayden Dolt, state qualifier (also Preseason Nationals FR/SO champ) 132: Kyle Dutton, state 4th place 138: Kage Lenger, two-time state qualifier (2018 state placer) 145: Logan Rathjen, state qualifier 152: Jacob Lynn, 2018 state 6th place 160: Drake Smith, state 3rd place 170: Wentric Williams III, state 6th place 182: No. 4 Greyden Penner 195: Jack Horn 220: Callum Trester 285: Nick Biesemeyer No. 43 Fort Dodge (Iowa) 106: Max Bishop 113: Lane Cowell, state 4th place 120: No. 2 Drake Ayala 126: Carson Taylor, state champ/2x state placer 132: Brooks Cowell, state 5th place 138: Dreyzon Phillips, state qualifier 145: Brandon Mills 152: Kody Cook, state qualifier 160: Savion Wheat, state qualifier 170: Dylan Zimmerman 182: Austin Lee, 2018 state qualifier 195: Levi Egli, 2018 state 5th place 220: Sawyer Springer 285: Colton Munter Oak Park River Forest (Ill.) 106: Zavien Stewart 113: Jalen Dunson 120: Connor Nagela 126: No. 9 Jacob Rundell 132: Nico Bolivar, state 5th place/3x state qualifier 138: TBD 145: Joshua Ogunsanya, state 4th place 152: Joe Chapman, two-time state placer 160: Stephon Carr 170: Adrian Palmares 182: Danny Lingen, state qualifier 195: No. 15 Daemyen Middlebrooks 220: Malcolm Gray 285: Fabian Gonzalez

Gable Steveson defeated Wisconsin's Trent Hillger, 10-5, last Friday in Minneapolis (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) This weekend was set to feature a match between the top two dual meet teams. However, No. 8 Nebraska suffered an upset against No. 7 Wisconsin last weekend and tumbled down the rankings. Their match against No. 1 Iowa still features some very interesting individual matches, and the rest of the weekend is packed with ranked wrestlers taking on tough opponents. The highlight of the weekend has to be at heavyweight. No. 1 Gable Steveson (Minnesota) decided against a freestyle trip overseas, and he is scheduled to face off against No. 2 Mason Parris (Michigan). The following is a preview of the top dual matches going down this weekend. 125: No. 5 Brandon Paetzell (Lehigh) vs. No. 19 Logan Treaster (Navy) Paetzell has somewhat quietly had a very nice season so far and worked his way up the rankings. He is currently 10-2 on the season with his only two losses coming against No. 4 Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State) and No. 3 Pat Glory (Princeton). He went all the way to overtime with Glory before ultimately falling in sudden victory. Since that bout, he has won seven straight matches and defeated Brandon Meredith (Penn State), No. 15 Patrick McKee (Minnesota) and Dack Punke (Missouri) among others. After two seasons in a reserve role, Treaster has found his way into the starting lineup for Navy this year. He has gone 14-5 so far this year. At the Southern Scuffle, he picked up a signature win over No. 16 Nicolas Aguilar (Rutgers), which greatly contributed to his debut in the rankings. Last weekend he scored a 2-0 decision over Brandon Seidman (Bucknell). Paetzell has the veteran savvy to control the pace and take a close match at this level. It should be an interesting match, and it might be a good preview of an early round EIWA match. Look for Treaster to be a game opponent but ultimately come up short. Prediction: Paetzell (Lehigh) decision over Treaster (Navy) 133: No. 4 Chas Tucker (Cornell) vs. No. 9 Sammy Alvarez (Rutgers) In 2018, Tucker seemingly came out of nowhere to upset No. 2 Austin DeSanto (Iowa) at the EIWA Championships. However, he has not really lived up to that potential with two straight qualifying appearances and zero trips to the podium. However, Tucker has been outstanding so far this season. After getting a late start to the season due to a trip to the U23 World Championships, he has already built a 19-0 record on the season. Tucker has scored signature victories over No. 8 Montorie Bridges (Wyoming) and No. 15 Todd Small (Iowa State). There has certainly been some speed bumps along the way for Alvarez, but he appears to be rounding into form. He won the Southern Scuffle and has since picked up back-to-back dual victories over No. 16 Jordan Decatur (Ohio State) and Garrett Pepple (Michigan State). After some early season losses, it looked like it would be a long season for the true freshman. Now, it looks like he may be able to make a run at All-America honors. The knock on Tucker has been that can be too conservative and defensive. While he has not lit the world on fire with offense this year, he has been able to score in spurts to pull away from opponents. He will likely need to play that card to escape with a win over Alvarez here. Prediction: Tucker (Cornell) decision over Alvarez (Rutgers) 141: No. 1 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State) vs. No. 7 Tristan Moran (Wisconsin) Not only has Pletcher cemented himself as the top wrestler at 141 pounds this season, but he has also been scoring at a higher rate than ever before. In his last five matches, he has scored bonus points in all but one of his matches. The only wrestler to escape giving up bonus points during the stretch was No. 3 Mitch McKee (Minnesota). This will be another tough test for Pletcher as the season inches closer to an ultimate showdown against No. 2 Nick Lee (Penn State). Moran had himself quite a weekend. On Friday he scored a one-point upset over McKee before returning on Sunday and taking out No. 9 Chad Red (Nebraska) on Sunday. He fell behind early against Red, but he was able to turn his opponent twice with a cradle to win 9-4. Moran is now 15-2 on the season and climbing up the rankings. Pletcher's ability to control and push the pace should make him the favorite in this match. However, Moran has always introduced a level of danger with his ability to scramble. Even with Pletcher favored to take the match, it could easily turn into a bout with fireworks. Prediction: Pletcher (Ohio State) major decision over Moran (Wisconsin) 149: No. 5 Brayton Lee (Minnesota) vs. No. 9 Kanen Storr (Michigan) In his first season in the lineup Lee has shot up the rankings with a 12-2 record. The redshirt freshman had his best performance of the season to date at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. On the way to the championship, he won all five of his matches including wins over Josh Maruca (Arizona State), No. 10 Brock Zacherl (Clarion), No. 12 Max Thomsen (UNI) and No. 6 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State). The original plan was for Storr to take a redshirt this year, but he has since returned to the lineup. He had mixed results at the Midlands where he defeated Nate Limmex (Purdue) and No. 15 Cole Martin (Wisconsin) but dropped matches against Vince Turk (Iowa) and No. 8 Kizhan Clarke (American). Including matches he wrestled while under redshirt, his record for the season stands at 11-3. Lee has been a hammer this season, and he could end up sneaking his way into the title picture at the end of the year. Storr has always been a tough out, but he struggles when he is not able to get out to an early lead in matches. Look for Lee to control this one from start to finish. Prediction: Lee (Minnesota) decision over Storr (Michigan) 157: No. 7 Jesse Dellavecchia (Rider) vs. No. 14 Larry Early (Old Dominion) In his senior season Dellavecchia has led the Broncs to a strong start. They started the year with an upset victory over Minnesota, and this past weekend they knocked off Duke, Maryland and Virginia to win the Virginia Duals. Dellavecchia himself has gone 20-2 with victories over No. 15 Markus Hartman (Army) and No. 5 Quincy Monday (Princeton). Many expected a step forward from Early after he became an All-American for the first time last year. He had a tough stretch early in the season as he lost three straight matches against No. 2 Hayden Hidlay (NC State), Justin Ruffin (SIU Edwardsville) and No. 13 Jarrett Jacques (Missouri). However, since that string of losses, Early has gotten back on track with seven straight wins including victories over Justin McCoy (Virginia) and No. 16 Anthony Artalona (Penn). This should be an interesting test for both wrestlers. Dellavecchia has been able to open up with his offense at times this year and picked up some wins that surprised people. However, Early really only struggles when people are able to match him in the control tie positions. In this bout, he should be able to get his hands on his opponent and move him around the mat. It would be an impressive win for either wrestler. Prediction: Early (Old Dominion) decision over Dellavecchia (Rider) 165: No. 5 Isaiah White (Nebraska) vs. No. 2 Alex Marinelli (Iowa) This was slated to be a top-three match until White ran into rival No. 4 Evan Wick (Wisconsin) last weekend. White came in as the higher ranked wrestler but lost to Wick yet again. That was the lone loss of White's season so far as he came into that bout with a perfect 12-0 record, which included victories over No. 13 Ethan Smith (Ohio State) and No. 6 Josh Shields (Arizona State). For the third year in a row, Marinelli has started his season with an extensive winning streak. This year, he has also stepped up his bonus production. He has won all 12 of his matches and scored seven falls. Marinelli has already picked up signature victories over Wick, No. 16 Phillip Conigliaro (Harvard), No. 18 Zach Hartman (Bucknell) and No. 3 David McFadden (Virginia Tech). These two met last year, and Marinelli was able to make a difference with his riding ability. He failed to surrender a single point and took a 3-0 decision. In theory, White could make some noise in this contest if he is able to maintain range and shoot from the outside. However, Marinelli make it a point to close that distance and then control. Look for a similar result in the rematch. Prediction: Marinelli (Iowa) decision over White (Nebraska) 174: No. 6 Michael Labriola (Nebraska) vs. No. 2 Michael Kemerer (Iowa) Labriola brings a 13-3 record into this match with all three of his losses coming against wrestlers currently ranked in the top five. Since finishing third at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, he has picked up back-to-back dual victories. On the season, Labriola has defeated the likes of No. 13 Kimball Bastian (Utah Valley), No. 7 Devin Skatzka (Minnesota), and No. 9 Kaleb Romero (Ohio State). The story of Kemerer prior to last weekend was that he clearly had the talent to be a contender at this weight, but he was largely untested after moving up two weight classes. He came into his bout against No. 4 Dylan Lydy (Purdue) with only five matches under his belt, but he got it done anyway. After a scoreless first period, Kemerer took off in the latter periods and finished with an 8-4 decision victory. Last weekend Kemerer showed that a lot of his game from 157 pounds translates against the highest levels of 174 pounds. With that being said, Labriola is much more offensive than Lydy. In this match Kemerer's defense will be put to the test. He remains the favorite, but there are plenty of interesting tests in the Big Ten before he matches up against No. 1 Mark Hall (Penn State). Prediction: Kemerer (Iowa) decision over Labriola (Nebraska) 184: No. 2 Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech) vs. No. 6 Louie DePrez (Binghamton) The ACC as a whole is having a strong season, and wrestlers like Bolen are a big part of that success. He has gone 16-1 on the season with his only defeat coming in the form of a two-match split against No. 4 Taylor Lujan (UNI). They wrestled twice at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Bolen took one match 9-7, while Lujan took the other 10-8. After winning the Southern Scuffle and getting revenge against No. 3 Trent Hidlay (NC State), it looked like DePrez might be on the way to cementing himself as the second best wrestler at this weight behind only No. 1 Zahid Valencia (Arizona State). However, last weekend he ran into No. 20 Chris Weiler (Lehigh), who pulled the upset. DePrez could easily regain his status with a strong win over Bolen here. These two met earlier this season, and Bolen took an 8-3 decision win. He should be able to duplicate that performance here, but both of these wrestlers end up in a fair amount of wild matches. Prediction: Bolen (Virginia Tech) decision over DePrez (Binghamton) 197: No. 10 Dakota Geer (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 2 Noah Adams (West Virginia) Geer began the year as one of the top returning place winners at this weight. He finished sixth at the NCAA tournament last year to become an All-American for the first time. Geer has had some bumps along the road this year, but he has built a 13-3 record. After dropping a pair of matches at the Southern Scuffle, he got back on track with a second-period technical fall over Sethan Bogulski (Northern Colorado) last weekend. Adams has pushed his way all the way up to the No. 2 spot at this weight with an undefeated 22-0 record. Along the way he picked up the tournament title at the Southern Scuffle where he defeated Ethan Laird (Rider), Jacob Seely (Northern Colorado) and Nathan Traxler (Stanford). Adams was an NCAA qualifier last year, but he did not show this kind of promise and finished with 15 losses. 197 pounds has been mostly wide open this year, and he could easily take advantage. By the time this match happens it will be 364 days since their last encounter. In that bout Geer took home a 10-6 decision in what was mostly a one sided match. At the start of this year, many would expect a repeat performance. However, Adams' momentum in nothing to be ignored. With that being said, Geer has rebounded well from tough matches this season and should break through with a win here. Prediction: Geer (Oklahoma State) decision over Adams (West Virginia) 285: No. 1 Gable Steveson (Minnesota) vs. No. 2 Mason Parris (Michigan) Steveson had been scheduled to head to Rome as part of the Team USA contingent at the Matteo Pellicone International. Instead, he will stick around and battle the second ranked heavyweight in the country. Since returning to the lineup this year, the three-time world champion has won six straight matches including a pair of falls and three major decisions. Last weekend he knocked off his highest ranked opponent as he bested No. 5 Trent Hilger (Wisconsin), 10-5. After making some noise in his true freshman season, Parris finished the year in the round of 12. This year he has gotten off to a hot start and won his first 17 matches. The Michigan wrestler has picked up victories over the likes of No. 4 Matt Stencel (Central Michigan), No. 8 Demetrius Thomas (Pittsburgh), No. 6 Tanner Hall (Arizona State) and No. 11 Carter Isley (Northern Iowa). With Anthony Cassar's season ending due to injury, Steveson has become the prohibitive favorite at heavyweight. However, he will still need to get through a few tough young wrestlers. Parris is one of the most physically gifted heavyweights in recent memory, but he is still clearly learning on the job. At this point, Steveson is the much more polished commodity. Look for him to take care of business and pass this test. Prediction: Steveson (Minnesota) decision over Parris (Michigan)

A look inside U.S. Bank Stadium in downtown Minneapolis, site of the 2020 NCAAs (Photo/Trex Commercial Products) Who will be the winners at the 2020 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships? Months before the first wrestler steps onto the mat, the individuals who will come out on top are thousands of additional fans who will be able to see the Nationals in person for the first time, thanks to the fact the next NCAAs will be held at an indoor football stadium for the first time. U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis -- home to the NFL Minnesota Vikings -- will be the venue for the 2020 NCAAs from March 19 through March 21. 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 more amateur wrestling fans will have the opportunity to witness in THE major event of the college wrestling season in person. Indoor football stadium already looks like a winner Back in December, a number of newspapers and wrestling websites reported that the NCAA was already celebrating impressive sales figures for the 2020 NCAA Division I mat championships. (Tickets for the event first went on sale during the 2019 NCAAs.) Here's what Jim Carlson of PennLive.com had to say about the situation last month: "NCAA officials already have learned -- at more than three months out -- that if they hold the sport's most colossal function in a professional football stadium, people will come. How many remains to be seen, but it's more than a safe assumption to think that the six-session record of 113,743 set in Cleveland in 2018 will fall during the Friday morning quarterfinal round, and the single-session mark of 19,776 will tumble before the opening pigtail bouts." To put those numbers in perspective ... college wrestling programs have already sold approximately 18,000 tickets to the general public for the 2020 NCAAs. Given the size of recent NCAA wrestling venues -- with 18,000-19,000 seats -- that usually means only about 1,000-1,500 tickets have been available to individual buyers not affiliated with a college. So ... how many tickets does the NCAA expect to sell for the 2020 Division I Nationals? Anthony Holman, NCAA Managing Director of Championships and Alliance, said a total figure of tickets sold could number 43,000 to 44,000 -- approximately two-and-a-half times what has been sold in recent years. "To get to that 43/44,000 number, they're taking the 18,000 -- roughly -- that we sold to the general public, and then the 20-plus thousand that are being held for institution allotments and then another 2,300 or so that are part of suites (144 of them) that are also already sold out," Holman said. "That number is accurate with the assumption and understanding that the institutions who have historically requested 300 times the number of tickets we've had available, is the assumption that they take all of the tickets that are made available to them. Yeah, we'll be at that 43 number for sure." "We were coming off of six consecutive years of sellouts and venues that were between 15,000 to 18,000, and the demand for tickets continued to grow," according to Holman. "We were historically cutting the number of tickets that were requested by our institutions by 40 and 50%. So, we thought that capacity was certainly something that was important to provide an opportunity to give folks an opportunity to celebrate this wonderful championship." More seats = more opportunities to attract new fans The NCAA's decision to use an indoor football stadium for its 2020 Division I wrestling championships opens the door to not only welcoming more fans, but also draw new fans who have never had the opportunity to witness the event in person. "Our demographic certainly skews to older men. And we typically have somewhere in the neighborhood of 85 to 90% repeat attendees, and in recent years has been as much as 93%," according to the NCAA's Holman. "It's been a focused and concentrated effort in places where we've gone to New York, for example, where we had 22% first-time attendees there. We're hoping to see that number increase even greater in Minnesota, and that's intentional." "We certainly love and appreciate our avid fans, but we want to introduce the sport and this tremendous championship to the next generation of fans as well and being in Minnesota will give us that opportunity to do that." Bigger venue = more space for participants, too There's yet another benefit to having the 2020 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in an indoor football stadium that even the most experienced fan (or wrestling media member) may not have ever considered. "While the arenas that we've been in have been really nice, we're always tight for floor space and competition space, as well as back-of-the-house space for student athletes to gather, to lounge in between competitions so those were just a couple of the key factors that went into the idea and thought process around moving to the stadium," according to Holman. "We want to provide the best experience we can for our student-athletes. That's where we start and finish. Part of doing that is, and they tell us in their surveys, is being able to participate in front of large numbers of fans and folks that enjoy the sport is important," Holman said. The path to the supersized 2020 NCAAs: 80-plus years in the making In the nearly 90-year history of NCAA wrestling championships, the size -- and seating capacities -- of host venues has grown over the years. Up until about 20-25 years ago, the national college mat championships took place in facilities that averaged 4,000-8,000 seats. The very first NCAAs -- in 1928 -- were held at the Iowa State Armory on the Iowa State campus, a 7,500-seat facility that hosted indoor Cyclone sports such as basketball and wrestling until Hilton Coliseum opened in the early 1970s. Nearly three decades later, the 1957 NCAAs (where Iowa's Simon Roberts became the first African-American to win a national mat title) were held at Fitzgerald Fieldhouse at the University of Pittsburgh with 4,100 seats ... while, the following year, the University of Wyoming hosted the 1958 NCAAs at their 9,500-seat War Memorial Fieldhouse. A dozen years later, the 1970 NCAAs were at Northwestern's McGaw Hall (now Welsh-Ryan Arena), where nearly 8,000 fans saw University of Washington's Larry Owings hand Dan Gable his first loss ever in his combined high school and collegiate mat career. Note that all the facilities mentioned above were located on the campus of the host school. A couple decades ago, the NCAAs started to move away from on-campus venues, opting to switch to larger arenas with 15,000-19,000 seats in major cities. (The last on-campus NCAAs were held at iconic Carver-Hawkeye Arena in 2001.) The decision to hold the 2020 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at an indoor football stadium continues the long-running tradition of "bigger and better" venues. What does the future hold? What's next after the last match is wrestled at the 2020 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in March? You might be surprised to learn that the next two Nationals will NOT be held at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis -- nor at another supersized indoor football stadium -- but at more traditional-sized basketball/hockey arenas with 15,000-19,000 seats, thanks to a bid process conducted by the NCAA a few years ago which selected sites for the mat championships for 2019-2022. As announced in April 2017, the NCAA championships will return to St. Louis in 2021 (held at a familiar venue you may remember as Scottrade Center, now with a new name, Enterprise Center) ... then, the following year, to the new Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit in 2022. What's next? No venues have chosen beyond 2022. However, the bidding process is already underway to determine host sites in 2023 through 2026 ... with the selections to be announced later this year. If the 2020 NCAAs prove to be the success that many anticipate, does that mean more football stadiums will host the NCAAs in the future? Back in December, the NCAA's Anthony Holman said, "I think, again, no promises, but I wouldn't be surprised if there are other opportunities around stadiums going forward should this be successful. I anticipate that we certainly will receive some bids from other stadiums. Folks will be tracking on the success of this for sure." "We want more people," said Holman. "We want a celebration of wrestling. We want as many people to take part in that celebration as possible." This story also appears in the Jan. 17 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. Subscribe to The Guillotine.

Carlos Jacquez is tied for the most technical falls in Division II (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) 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. For falls and tech falls to be counted for the awards they must come against opponents in the same division (i.e. Division II vs. Division II). Ties in the two categories are broken based on the aggregate time. The top two positions for most falls in Division I remains the same from last week with Cornell 197-pounder Ben Darmstadt in first with 11, followed by 2019 champion Matt Stencel of Central Michigan in second with 10. Clarion 197-pounder Greg Bulsak and George Mason 149-pounder Colston DiBlasi each have nine. Tiffin 174-pounder Hayden Bronne has pulled ahead in Division II with a pair of falls last week to reach 11 this season. He sits two falls ahead of the duo of Jacob Robb (Mercyhurst) and Nicholas Mason (Tiffin) with nine falls. Joe Salerno of Washington & Lee and Kaidon Winters of RIT lead all NCAA divisions with 14 falls each. Salerno holds the tiebreaker with an aggregate time of 17:50, 15 minutes faster than Winters. Four more wrestlers have accumulated 13 falls in Division III with Dominic Skawiniak of Saint John's (Minnesota) holding the tiebreaker in that group with his falls coming in just 22:12. George Mason redshirt senior Alex Madrigal already holds a commanding lead in the race for the most tech falls in Division I with 10, three more than second place Pat Glory of Princeton. Division II features a two-way tie with five tech falls between McKendree 197-pounder Ryan Vasbinder and Lindenwood (Missouri) national champion Carlos Jacquez who won at 125 pounds in 2019. Vasbinder holds the time tiebreaker by eight minutes over Jacquez. The race for third is tight with seven wrestlers holding four tech falls. Division III features another tie atop the standings with two wrestlers reaching 10 tech falls. Roger Williams' 149-pounder Tyler Gazaway has accumulated his 10 in 40:20, 13 minutes less than York (Pennsylvania) 125-pounder Jared Kuhns. Thomas Poklikuha (Stevens) and Ahken Chu (SUNY Oneonta) are one behind with nine tech falls. The initial Most Dominant Wrestler standings will be released later this season to allow wrestlers to achieve the minimum number of matches required to be eligible for the standings.

Brody Teske is leaving the Nittany Lions to become a UNI Panther. The 125-pound redshirt freshman who had been on the wrestling roster at Penn State is returning to his home state ... where he will wrestle at the University of Northern Iowa. Brody TeskeTeske posted this succinct announcement on his Instagram account Tuesday: I will be returning to my roots and the state that will always be home to me! I appreciate the support! As InterMat reported, PSU head coach Cael Sanderson announced Teske, a four-time Iowa high school state champ, had entered the transfer portal ... with speculation centering on the Fort Dodge, Iowa native enrolling at the University of Iowa. That speculation centered on the right state, but wrong state school, as revealed in Teske's in-depth interview with The Messenger, the daily newspaper in his hometown, published Wednesday. "UNI is just that hard-nosed grit -- the way I was raised," Teske told the Fort Dodge newspaper. "That blue-collar attitude. They don't have all the glitz and glamour, and they don't need it. It's not a big business there. That's what I love -- the family atmosphere, which is what we embraced under Coach (Bobby) Thompson as Dodgers. I have great respect for Coach (Doug) Schwab and his staff, and the way they treat their wrestlers. They're very welcoming, and I feel like I can be me. "I just have a much better understanding of what I'm looking for than I did when I was in high school," Teske continued. "This isn't going to be easy. I'm walking away from a tremendous opportunity and a scholarship at Penn State with no real guarantees (at UNI). That's not the conventional way to do it. But I'm excited because I feel like I've found my true self and sense of purpose again." Teske shared his thinking behind his decision to switch from Penn State to Northern Iowa: "I was out all of December (with the injury), and when I came home for Christmas break, I really took a step back and had some difficult conversations with myself and my family," said Teske. "Last Tuesday, I went to Coach Cael's office and we talked through everything. I told him I just wasn't physically or mentally satisfied with myself, which had been building for a long time, in all honesty." "Look, I'm not going to speak negatively about Penn State. That's an experience I will carry with me the rest of my life. I learned things from Coach Cael that I'll take with me forever, and definitely miss. I'm not questioning what they do or the way they train. That would be foolish based on their track record. It works for some -- it just didn't work for me." "Those closest to me know the truth. I know the truth," Teske said. "Sometimes, deciding who you are and what you aren't is as important as anything. I feel like I'm much closer to that today. I was an 18-year-old kid being recruited by every school in the country (in 2017). When (PSU head coach and Iowa State legend) Cael Sanderson offers you a scholarship…I was convinced I needed that. How do you say no? I needed the big name. I needed Coach Cael. Penn State was the top of the mountain. "I began to realize, though, that I was I chasing something that wasn't me. On and off the mat, so much added up and made me understand what is truly important. And I feel like UNI aligns more with my values. Who I am not just as a wrestler, but as a person." Teske will be eligible to compete for Northern Iowa next season. In transferring to the Cedar Falls-based university, Teske will join former Fort Dodge teammates Triston Lara, Drew Bennett and Cayd Lara, who are all current members of the UNI Panther wrestling program. Brody Teske is one of the most accomplished prep wrestlers within the state of Iowa in recent memory. During his four years at Fort Dodge High, Teske went 177-1 overall -- the best record in the long history of the school's mat program -- winning four Iowa state championships from 2015-18, making him one of 27 four-timers in state history. As a senior in 2018, Teske also led the Dodgers to a traditional state team championship, their first since 1985. While still in high school, Teske was named the Class 3A Dan Gable Wrestler of the Year and was also named one of the Des Moines Register's Wrestler of the Year winners.

Wyoming Seminary's Nic Bouzakis is ranked No. 1 at 126 pounds (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) With the ever-increasing nationalization of all high school sports, a showdown between No. 1 and No. 2 within the course of a given season is much more the norm than the exception. It should be noted that this is a 20-plus year trend within scholastic wrestling, while for other sports it is much more recent than that. This year's No. 1 against No. 2 dual meet will happen on Friday night when second-ranked Blair Academy (N.J.) plays host to top-ranked Wyoming Seminary (Pa.). Befitting the nationalized trend of high school sports is the fact two prep schools are on top of the Fab 50 national high school team rankings. Below are the projected matches along with an overview of the contestants. 106: No. 11 Brandon Cannon or Daniel Sheen (Wyoming Seminary) vs. No. 2 Marc-Anthony McGowan (Blair Academy) Cannon was the backup for the Blue Knights at 106 pounds through the month of December, though he did win the Beast of the East after McGowan was upset 1-0 in the semifinal round by current No. 14 Tyler Vazquez (Delbarton, N.J.); McGowan reversed that defeat this past weekend in a 5-3 victory. Cannon was also champion of the Eastern States Classic this past weekend, while Sheen placed seventh at the Walsh Ironman (McGowan was champion) before failing to place at Powerade. On the other hand, McGowan was a Cadet World freestyle gold medalist at 45 kilos this summer, while at the trials in Akron, Cannon failed to place top eight and Sheen was fourth. 113: No. 20 Brennen Cernus (Wyoming Seminary) vs. Mason Stefanelli (Blair Academy) Both wrestlers were high school state champions as freshmen; Cernus won an Indiana state title at Culver Academies, while Stefanelli was a Hawaii state champion at Punahou. This season, Cernus placed fifth at the Ironman and third at Powerade while Stefanelli failed to place at both Ironman and the Beast of the East. 120: Gregor McNeil (Wyoming Seminary) vs. No. 12 Ryan Miller (Blair Academy) McNeil was a high school state champion last year as a sophomore at 99 pounds for Hilton (N.Y.), while Miller is a two-time National Prep champion. McNeil failed to place at the Ironman and was runner-up at Powerade, while Miller was third at Ironman and runner-up at the Beast of the East. 126: No. 1 Nic Bouzakis (Wyoming Seminary) vs. No. 4 Trevor Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy) The sophomore Bouzakis was a two-time state champion at Lake Highland Prep (Fla.) before transferring to Wyoming Seminary, while the Oklahoma State signee Mastrogiovanni is a three-time National Prep champion. On the season, Bouzakis has titles at both the Ironman and Powerade, along with a runner-up at the Powerade due to disqualification in the final when his opponent could not continue after an illegal slam; Mastrogiovanni was out for the first month-plus of the season before returning for the Blair Duals this past weekend. This is one of the most crucial matches of the whole dual meet. 132: No. 11 Drew Munch (Wyoming Seminary) vs. No. 1 Shayne Van Ness (Blair Academy) The senior Munch is a Lehigh signee and a two-time National Prep placer, including winning the title at 106 pounds as a freshman in 2017; while the junior van Ness was runner-up at National Preps last year to Beau Bartlett after a season in which he won titles at the Ironman and Beast of the East. This season Munch was champion at the Walsh Ironman pinning in all matches but the final before finishing third at the Powerade, while van Ness was out for the first month-plus before returning for the Blair Duals. 138: No. 1 Beau Bartlett (Wyoming Seminary) vs. No. 14 Lucas Chittum (Blair Academy) Penn State signee Bartlett is a three-time National Prep champion, while the freshman Chittum was a high school state champion two years ago when competing for McCallie (Tenn.) as a junior high wrestler. On the current season has won titles at the Ironman, Powerade, and Eastern States Classic; while Chittum failed to place at the Ironman but went on to win titles at the Beast of the East and the Gut Check. 145: No. 1 Lachlan McNeil (Wyoming Seminary) vs. Lorenzo Norman (Blair Academy) McNeil, a North Carolina signee, was runner-up last year at National Preps in the 120-pound weight class; while in this past off-season he was third in Junior freestyle and a Super 32 champion. During the current season, McNeil has titles at the Ironman, Powerade, and Eastern States Classic to his credit; while Norman is a very talented freshman but failed to make the second day at either the Ironman or Beast of the East. 152: Connor Kievman (Wyoming Seminary) vs. No. 3 Travis Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy) The senior Kievman is a two-time National Prep champion, while the junior Mastrogiovanni is a two-time National Prep finalist, winning it last year at 138 pounds. This past spring, Mastrogiovanni was runner-up at the Cadet World Team Trails in freestyle at 70 kilos. On the current season, Kievman failed to place at the Ironman before taking sixth at the Powerade; while Mastrogiovanni was runner-up at the Ironman, then missed almost a month of competition before returning at the Blair Duals. 160: No. 14 Gabriel Arnold (Wyoming Seminary) vs. Thomas Stewart (Blair Academy) The freshman Arnold had an excellent youth career in Georgia, and it's continued this year with a third-place finish at the Ironman and an appearance in the semifinals of the Powerade. Stewart placed third at National Preps last year as a freshman for St. John's College (D.C.), and in the off-season was a 16U National freestyle champion; however, he failed to place at both the Ironman and the Beast of the East this season. This is yet another opportunity Blair Academy has to "steal" a match in which their wrestler is the lower-ranked competitor. 170: Andrew Donahue (Wyoming Seminary) vs. No. 7 Domonic Mata, Oliver Tipton, or Sean Kilrain (Blair Academy) The sophomore Donahue was a state runner-up last year for Culver Academies (Ind.) before transferring to the Blue Knights, while Mata was a state champion for Poway (Calif.) in 2018 before winning a National Prep title last year for Blair Academy. On the current season, Donahue placed sixth at the Ironman and eighth at Powerade, before winning the Eastern States Classic, while Mata was fourth at Ironman and second at the Beast of the East. However, Mata was not in the Buccaneers' lineup for either The Gut Check tournament or the Blair Duals. The possible absence of Mata could be an impactful factor in Friday night's dual. 182: Cole Rees (Wyoming Seminary) vs. No. 8 Rylan Rogers (Blair Academy) The junior Rees was fourth at National Preps last year in the 170-pound weight class, while the sophomore Rogers was third up at 195 pounds. This past off-season, Rogers was runner-up at both the Cadet World Team Trials and 16U Nationals in freestyle. At the Ironman, Rogers was champion while Rees placed seventh; Rees was runner-up at Powerade, while Rogers was runner-up at the Beast of the East. 195: TBD (Wyoming Seminary) vs. No. 9 Peyton Craft (Blair Academy) Projected Blue Knights' starter Kyle Costello, who was sixth at the NHSCA Junior Nationals last spring has yet to compete this season. The junior Craft is a two-time National Prep placer, including a runner-up finish last year. On the current season Craft was third at Ironman, second at the Beast of the East, and upended two nationally ranked wrestlers at the Blair Duals. 220: No. 10 Kolby Franklin (Wyoming Seminary) vs. No. 12 Noah Pettigrew (Blair Academy) This match features a pair of nationally elite sophomores, both of whom were at different schools as freshmen last year; Franklin was a state runner-up at 195 for St. Joseph's Catholic (Pa.), while Pettigrew was a state champion at 195 for Valdosta (Ga.). Both wrestlers placed at the Cadet World Team Trials in freestyle at 92 kilos and have combined for seven All-American finishes at the 16U Nationals between 2018 and 2019. At the Ironman, Franklin upended Pettigrew 3-2 in the ultimate tiebreaker of their consolation semifinal bout; Pettigrew was fourth at the Beast, while Franklin was runner-up at Powerade. 285: Nate Miller or Jacob Kaminski (Wyoming Seminary) vs. Elijah Anthony (Blair Academy) Anthony upended Miller 10-7 in the second round at the Walsh Ironman, though both wrestlers would go on to bow out of the tournament one match short of placement. Anthony finished eighth at the Beast of the East, while Miller was seventh at the Ironman. Returning National Prep runner-up Kaminski, who was fourth and then first at Oak Park Fenwick (Ill.) in 2017 and 2018, has yet to compete this season; his presence would be an obvious "game changer" for this weight class matchup.

It's official: Lourdes University will add women's wrestling to its varsity sport lineup beginning in the 2020-2021 academic year and that Kate Hill will serve as the team's head coach, the school located in northwest Ohio announced Tuesday. "Women's wrestling has been growing on the collegiate level throughout the country," Athletics Director Janet Eaton said. "We are excited to add the sport here at Lourdes, as it complements our diverse athletics offerings already in place." The Gray Wolves will compete in the NAIA, where the sport is in its second season as an invitational sport. There are 28 NAIA institutions that sponsoring women's wrestling for the 2019-2020 season, and several other schools have announced plans to add the sport for next season. Lourdes joins NCAA member Tiffin University as the only schools in the state of Ohio to sponsor women's varsity wrestling. Hill arrives at Lourdes after serving as a graduate assistant at Campbellsville University for since the summer of 2018. During the 2018-2019 season, Campbellsville finished fourth at the NAIA National Invitational as a team while producing a national champion and a pair of national runners-up. Upon her departure from Campbellsville midway through this season, the Tigers were ranked second in the latest NAIA Coaches' Poll. "Coach Hill has a passion for wrestling," Eaton stated. "I am confident that she has the ability to start our program based upon our her enthusiasm and knowledge of the sport. She was a successful student-athlete on the mat and will be able to bring that knowledge to Lourdes." Hill wrestled four seasons at Campbellsville, helping the Tigers win a WCWA National Championship her senior season. Individually, she earned All-American honors on the mat in 2018. "I am very excited for the opportunity to start the women's wrestling program at Lourdes University," Hill said. "Not only do I believe that Lourdes is the ideal location to build a successful program, but it is also the ideal university to have successful athletes. The University's dedication to service and academics produces individuals that make the world better. My goal is to positively impact young women with regards to their ability to wrestle, academics, sportsmanship, work ethic, and faith. I am so grateful to be here." Hill has also served as a volunteer coach for Team Michigan at the USA Wrestling Freestyle National Championships. Located in Sylvania, Ohio just outside Toledo, Lourdes University is a four-year, private university affiliated with the Roman Catholic church. Founded in 1958, Lourdes has an enrollment of approximately 1,500 students. The new women's wrestling program -- along with the existing men's mat program, and all other intercollegiate sports -- will compete in NAIA.

Fans take in the parade of All-Americans at the 2019 NCAA Division II Championships in Cleveland (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Wrestling is one of the oldest forms of combat. It is an incredibly proud sport with a rich history that dates back thousands of years. As with any sport that lasts this long, it must encounter some bumps and bruises along the way. Over the last three or four decades in particular, wrestling has been put through the ringer -- and the sport has been working to recover ever since. Title IX was particularly devastating to the growth of the sport -- causing it to regress in some ways rather than progress initially. The Title IX of the education amendments of 1972 was enacted into law in June of that year. It read as follows: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance." Although the primary objective of Title IX was to expand the limited educational opportunities available at the time for women and girls -- which it did, it is the application of Title IX to athletics that has gained the greatest public visibility in the nearly 50 years since it was enacted. In particular, the effect it has had on certain non-revenue generating sports such as wrestling. In March of 2016, Forbes reported that, as of the 2014-15 school year, just 76 Division I institutions sponsored wrestling, with 229 programs being supported across all three divisions. The important takeaway from that data: 101 men's wrestling programs have been dropped between 1988-89 and 2014-15, including 41 at the Division I level. On the contrary, the total number of student athletes across all NCAA sports has increased exponentially since 1988-89, but the number of wrestlers has declined 26% from 3,428 to 2,520 in Division I over that span. On the bright side, though collegiate wrestling may not be restored to its glory days of old just yet, there are numerous indications that the sport is rebounding and growing once again. Currently, there are 78 Division I, 64 Division II and 109 Division III wresting programs across the country, according to ncaasports.org. More impressive, these figures are continuously increasing as we speak. For instance, it was announced back in 2018 that, by the year 2022-23 season Division I wrestling would expand to 80 programs. Augustana University, a Division II school in South Dakota, plus Long Island University are all on the move to Division I wrestling. In a similar vein, the Mid-American Conference (MAC) announced in March of last year that the conference added seven new affiliate members -- Bloomsburg, Clarion, Edinboro, Lock Haven, Rider, George Mason and Cleveland State -- to begin competing in the MAC with the 2019-20 wrestling season. In doing so, the mid-major conference is now the second-largest in all of Division I wrestling. Equally encouraging for the sport is the tremendous growth it has seen at both the high school and collegiate ranks as it pertains to women's wrestling. As reported by ESPN in April of 2019, the prevalence of female wrestlers has changed drastically. Since 2001, the number of girls in high school wrestling has risen from 3,405 to nearly 17,000. This is a product of the introduction of women to Olympic wrestling in 2004 and the rise of MMA, a sport dominated by strong wrestlers. I assume the MMA's crop of strong female wrestlers turned MMA athletes themselves will only grow in the future as well. In the past year, six states have sanctioned the sport, making it one of the nation's fastest-growing high school girls' programs. At the intercollegiate level, we are seeing similar trends. According to collegewrestlingrecruiting.com, there are 48 collegiate women's programs located in 22 states, plus one program in Canada. Additionally, the 48 varsity-sponsored college wrestling programs are at NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, and NWAC schools. The most recent development in this realm came just last week when Hiram College -- a Division III institution in Ohio announced that men's and women's wrestling programs would become the Terriers' 17th and 18th varsity sports -- starting with the 2020-21 season. So, what does all of this mean and why is it significant? This means that, as a sport, wrestling -- including collegiate wrestling, is growing again, rebounding from the days of Title IX cuts. As for the significance of this trend, this is noteworthy because this growth is only beneficial if it is also sustainable long-term. While the current growth the sport is seeing is great, here are four additional measures I would like to see taken. If they are, wresting, and college wrestling in particular, will be better for it. Look to the inner cities -- extremely high-populated areas -- to grow the sport As Mike Powell, executive director of BTS Chicago, and Caryn Ward, a BTS Chicago advisory board member, point out in their July 2019 InterMat feature, inner cities are ripe with possible wrestlers -- they just may not know it yet. The Beat the Streets organization currently operates in eight different locations: Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Cleveland, Boston, Providence and Chicago. Many of these are massive metropolitan areas and the perfect place to start attracting young wrestlers to the sport. If you can hook the athletes while their young, you'll have them as fans and participants for life. Don't forget about NCAA Division II, Division III, NAIA, NJCAA and NCWA wrestling There is a plethora of reasons as to why utilizing the sport in the lower NCAA divisions is the perfect way to grow the sport. For instance, Division II and Division III schools carry more wrestling programs than Division I institutions. The increased support for wrestling is because they (DII and DIII institutions) traditionally have tough times attracting students to campus. In the Big Ten, for example, hundreds of thousands of applications pour in year after year to Columbus, State College alike. At schools like Mercyhurst (Division II) or Gannon (Division III), it is tougher to get students to enroll. Wrestling, however, is an asset -- a very literal recruiting tool to encourage kids to campus ultimately helping mitigate some enrollment concerns. Naturally, smaller, lower-level institutions tend to be more enrollment-focused than some of your Big Ten and ACC juggernauts. With that in mind, we need to utilize and capitalize on the mutually beneficial relationship between the needs of a Division II or Division III school (higher enrollment) and wrestling as a vehicle for achieving that. Doing so can fill these schools and possibly grow and popularize the sport. Allow more opportunities for current fans and new fans to see the beauty of NCAA wrestling unfold live via more dual or tri-meets I realize that large meets with a gaggle of schools all in attendance are necessary just for logistical and geographical purposes. It's one of the only ways to get in multiple matches for every wrestler easily and efficiently. Knowing this, I acknowledge why larger multi-school meets are a necessity. That said, they can be confusing and overwhelming to new fans trying to learn the sport. Even for the most experienced wrestling fan -- it isn't easy to watch six, eight or even 10 mats at once. Similarly, speaking from personal experience as a graduate of a Division I mid-major institution, there were years where my team wrestled less than five times at home in a given season. As a wrestling fanatic, I found ways to follow along because I had no other choice. But, for newcomers to the sport, they will never pick up the trade if they cannot see it live easily. Again, I realize there are numerous streaming platforms that allow you to take in all the wrestling coverage you can stomach -- but I think we can all agree streaming falls short to experiencing the match atmosphere at Carver-Hawkeye, Rec Hall, Gallagher-Iba Arena, The RAC and any number of electric, historic wrestling venues. The bottom line being -- if there was a greater emphasis on having more dual meets or tri-meets at schools across the country it would be more welcoming to new, less knowledgeable fans and be more advantageous for growing the sport in that way. Plus, your hardcore fans would still attend too. Keep furthering the growth of women's wrestling at all levels The numbers and the growth already seen since the early 2000s with respect to women's wrestling speak for themselves. Any growth or increased availability -- whether for men, women or both will prove beneficial to growing and popularizing the sport as a whole. As it stands now, the sport is growing and becoming more popular both locally and globally. However, these developments and beneficial changes mean zero if they cannot be sustained long-term. While these four solutions are not an exhaustive list nor are they the only ways to grow and popularize the wrestling brand, they are legitimate options nonetheless. I admit, the best option to truly aiding the growth and popularization of collegiate wrestling would be to have a media rights deal akin to what NCAA football and basketball receive. But, as everyone reading this already knows, this hypothetical behemoth of a TV deal with ESPN, ABC, CBS or any other major player in sports broadcasting is nothing more than a pipe dream in reality.

Who says you can never go home again? Not Derek Foore. Ten years after winning a national wrestling title for Notre Dame College, Foore has returned to his college alma mater as an assistant coach under head coach Sonny Marchette, the Cleveland-area school has announced. Foore, a 2014 NDC graduate, was a two-time All-American for the Falcons. Wrestling at 197 pounds, Foore won a national title at the 2010 NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) Championships… and was a runner-up at the 2011 NAIAs. Prior to stepping onto the mat at Notre Dame College, Foore wrestled at Wadsworth High, where he compiled a 175-18 overall record and was a three-time runner-up at the Ohio state championships. For all his accomplishments in wrestling, Foore has been welcomed into three Halls of Fame – Notre Dame College (inducted as a member of the 2010 National Championship team), as well as the Medina County and Wadsworth High School halls. Foore posted this message on Facebook this weekend: "I am more excited than ever to announce that I will be giving back to the wrestling program that gave me so many life lessons and tools that I use not only in the sport of wrestling, or business but also my life. Thank you for bringing me back home NDC Wrestling. I am looking forward to taking care of on my end to make sure we bring home another national title as well as work with them in mentor them in life outside the mat." Located in South Euclid, Ohio in suburban Cleveland, Notre Dame College is a private, four-year college affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. Founded in 1922, Notre Dame College has an enrollment of 2,100 students. In addition to producing NAIA champ Derek Foore, the Falcon wrestling program -- now competing in NCAA Division II -- can also claim Joey Davis, the first (and only) four-time undefeated D2 national champ (2013-2016) for any school, who is now unbeaten in his professional MMA career.

A.J. Schopp at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Purdue assistant coach A.J. Schopp joins host Chad Dennis on the latest edition of The MatBoss Podcast. Schopp, a three-time All-American at Edinboro, is known for his amazing work on top while on the mat. We'll also get his perspective on the things good and bad in college wrestling. About MatBoss: Created by coaches for coaches, MatBoss for iPad® integrates wrestling stats directly into the video you record for each match, completely replacing the need for labor-intensive pencil and paper scoring systems. It's the wrestling stats app our sport has been waiting for. Focus on coaching, not busy work Improve through video analysis Make data an advantage Eliminate scoring errors Increase exposure Become a digital coach For more information, visit MatBossApp.com. Follow MatBoss on Twitter and subscribe to the show @MatBossApp | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | Spreaker | Google Podcasts | RSS

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team batted 10-for-10 in a 41-0 win at No. 18 Purdue on Sunday. The Hawkeyes won four top-10 matchups and scored bonus points in half of their bouts, including two falls, two technical falls, and one major decision. "I like bonus points. It makes it uneven and puts pressure on those guys," said Iowa head coach Tom Brands. "It doesn't have to be tight. Send messages to the rest of country. I like pins. I like bonus points." The Hawkeyes scored bonus points in three matches before the break. Spencer Lee and Austin DeSanto led off at 125 and 133, outscoring their opponents a combined 34-1 in six minutes, 19 seconds. In a matchup of top five opponents, Lee defeated No. 5 Devin Schroder 17-0 in 2:55. Lee scored a takedown 11 seconds into the match, forced a stalling point, and strung together four tilts worth 14 points. DeSanto used three takedowns and 12 nearfall points to end his match 24 seconds into the second period, 17-1. Max Murin earned a 6-1 decision at 141, Pat Lugo won by 8-0 major decision at 149, and Kaleb Young sent Iowa into the break with a 20-0 lead, topping No. 8 Kendall Coleman, 4-3. "I'd rather get technical falls or pin guys, but we have to win close matches too," Young said. "Our coaches preach to us that the most dominant wrestlers win the close matches. I want to dominate guys, but I have to win the close ones too." The second half opened with the "sugar bull" making its second appearance of the weekend at 165 pounds. Alex Marinelli turned his third takedown of the first period into his seventh fall of the season, flattening Tanner Webster in 1:51. The final four bouts included two top-5 wins and a pin. Michael Kemerer scored three takedowns in the final period to defeat No. 4 Dylan Lydy, 8-4, at 174. Jacob Warner opened the third period with four nearfall points, and closed it with a takedown in the final 34 seconds to win 8-2 against No. 2 Christian Brunner. Abe Assad scored a takedown in the first period and another in the third to win, 5-2, at 184, and Tony Cassioppi put an exclamation point on the shutout with a fall two minutes into his 285-pound match. "This is when it gets fun," Kemerer said. "Down the stretch we're going to need to win highly-ranked matchups. We got the shutout here. They had a lot of guys and thought maybe they could beat us, make it 5-5 or 6-4; we took 10 matches. We just have to stay in there and stay tough." "Purdue has a good team this year," Warner said. "They are up-and-coming, but what we showed today shows what kind of team we are. We are the No. 1 team in the country and we're here to shut everybody out." UP NEXT Iowa hosts No. 2 Nebraska on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 8 p.m. (CT) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. An autograph session follows the dual. #SORENSENSTRONG The wrestling program will distribute #SorensenStrong bandanas to the first 3,000 fans through the doors of Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Jan. 18. The #SorensenStrong bandanas are a symbol of support for former All-American Brandon Sorensen, who is battling acute lymphoblastic leukemia. For mor information about the headbands, visit SorensenStrong.org. NOTABLES Spencer Lee (16-0), Austin DeSanto (10-0), Alex Marinelli (20-0), Abe Assad (2-0), and Tony Cassioppi (3-0) are undefeated in their careers in Big Ten duals. Spencer Lee improved to 8-0 with eight bonus-point wins. Austin DeSanto notched his 10th win of the season, and eighth bonus-point win. Max Murin improved to 10-0, extending his career-long winning streak. Lugo improved to 12-0 and extended his career-high win streak to 11. Alex Marinelli improved to 12-0 with his team-high seventh pin of the season. He has pinned seven of his last nine opponents. Jacob Warner's 8-2 win over #2 Christian Brunner was his second win this season against top 2 opponent. Iowa has won its last 31 meetings in the series. Iowa has won 42 straight matches over the course of its last three duals. The shutout was Iowa's third of the season. Results: 125 -- #1 Spencer Lee (IA) tech. fall #5 Devin Schroder (P), 17-0; 5-0 133 -- #2 Austin DeSanto (IA) tech. fall Travis Ford-Melton (P), 17-1; 10-0 141 -- #7 Max Murin (IA) dec. Parker Filius (P), 6-1; 13-0 149 -- #1 Pat Lugo (IA) major dec. Nate Limmex (P), 8-0; 17-0 157 -- #6 Kaleb Young (IA) dec. #8 Kendall Coleman (P), 4-3; 20-0 165 -- #2 Alex Marinelli (IA) pinned Tanner Webster (P), 1:51; 26-0 174 -- #3 Michael Kemerer (IA) dec. #4 Dylan Lydy (P), 8-4; 29-0 184 -- Abe Assad (IA) dec. Max Lyon (P), 5-2; 32-0 197 -- #5 Jacob Warner (IA) dec. #2 Christian Brunner (P), 8-2; 35-0 285 -- #4 Tony Cassioppi (IA) pinned Thomas Penola (P), 2:00; 41-0 Records: Iowa (6-0, 3-0), Purdue (8-2, 1-1) Attendance: 1,743

MADISON, Wis. -- In their return home, the eighth-ranked Wisconsin wrestling team put on a show at the UW Field House on Sunday afternoon. The Badgers beat the No. 2-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers, 25-18, highlighted by big wins from Tristan Moran and Cole Martin. At 141 pounds, Moran, coming off of a huge upset over No. 2 Mitch McKee from Minnesota on Friday, defeated No. 6 Chad Red of Nebraska by a 9-4 decision. Moran fell behind with an early take down by McKee but bounced back in the second period and held on for the decision. No. 12 Martin wrestled angry Sunday at 149 pounds. Martin lost a heartbreaking 6-4 decision on Friday against No. 4 Brayton Lee of Minnesota but bounced back in a huge way today. Martin took down No. 16 Collin Purinton early in the first period and recorded the pin in just 1:44. Redshirt junior Evan Wick, Wisconsin's All-American 165-pounder, recorded his 100th collegiate victory against No. 3 Isaiah White. Wick is currently ranked sixth by FloWrestling and made a huge statement today getting the 6-3 decision. Eric Barnett started the dual off at 125-pounds with a big victory. Barnett, the true freshman out of Hortonville, Wisconsin, pinned Nebraska's Alex Thomsen in 5:45. Barnett has appeared in two duals at the UW Field House and each has resulted in a pin. No. 1 Seth Gross and No. 5 Trent Hillger both tacked on ranked victories Sunday. At 133-pounds, Gross got the 13-5 major decision over No. 13 Ridge Lovett. Wrapping up the night at 285-pounds, Hillger beat Nebraska's No. 16 Christian Lance 4-1. Straight from the mat "It was an outstanding team win. I'm very happy with the guys, not just for the win but we had a lot of upset guys on Friday night after Minnesota. I'm very happy with the way that they responded. They took the message to heart and they went out and wrestled hard and scored a lot of bonus points. That is something we have been emphasizing and up and down the lineup I am very proud of how they responded." - Head coach, Chris Bono "Honestly I think it's better for me. I love big time matches, I love big time crowds. The higher the rank, the better they are so I just go out there and have fun. I don't think there is anyone in the 141-pound weight class that can beat me. I mean that's what Coach Bono preaches to me all day and that's what I truly believe. When I'm on, I don't think there are many people that can beat me. " - Redshirt senior, Tristan Moran "You can't allow the wins and losses to determine how you're going to wrestle. You have to execute your game plan every single time. That's something that's big for me, just staying calm and staying relaxed. If you have short term memory that helps you stay calm and relaxed, so that's really good that coach is preaching that. I think our guys are really good at doing that now." - Redshirt junior, Evan Wick Notables - Redshirt junior Evan Wick got his 100th career victory against No. 3 Chad Red - 1,891 fans attended Military Appreciation Day - Tristan Moran got his second upset of the weekend against No. 6 Chad Red Up Next The Badgers face their third top-10 opponent when No. 3 Ohio State comes to the Field House on Friday. The match starts at 8 p.m. live on the Big Ten Network. Results: 125 – Eric Barnett (UW) over Alex Thomsen (NEB) by fall, 5:45 133 – No. 1 Seth Gross (UW) over No. 13 Ridge Lovett (NEB) by major dec. 13-5 141 – No. 9 Tristan Moran (UW) over No. 6 Chad Red Jr. (NEB) by dec. 9-4 149 – No. 12 Cole Martin (UW) over No. 16 Collin Purinton (NEB) by fall, 1:44 157 – No. 11 Peyton Robb (NEB) over Drew Scharenbrock (UW) by tech. fall 19-2 165 – No. 6 Evan Wick (UW) over No. 3 Isaiah White (NEB) by dec. 10-6 174 – No. 6 Mikey Labriola (NEB) over Jared Krattiger (UW) by dec. 9-3 184 – No. 5 Taylor Venz (NEB) over Tyler Dow (UW) by tech. fall 17-1 197 – No. 14 Eric Schultz (NEB) over Taylor Watkins (UW) by tech. fall 24-8 285 – No. 5 Trent Hillger (UW) over No. 16 Christian Lance (NEB) 4-1

STILLWATER -- The No. 11 Oklahoma State wrestling team (5-1, 2-0 Big 12) notched six bonus point wins against Northern Colorado en route to a 36-3 defeat of the Bears on Sunday afternoon in Gallagher-Iba Arena. The victory marks the Cowboys' second conference win of the year. "When you wrestle someone you need to dominate, it's hard to ever get what you want out of those matches," coach John Smith said. "I knew there were several matches that were going to be competitive." The Pokes took nine out of 10 bouts from the Bears, starting with a Nick Piccininni 20-5 technical fall over Jace Koelzer. He lit up the scoreboard in the third period, securing four takedowns, and put the Cowboys ahead early. OSU finished the dual with three technical falls and three major decisions. At 165 pounds Travis Wittlake defeated Macoy Flanagan in the first period, 16-1. Wittlake earned two first-period takedowns and three consecutive turns to end the match in 2:23. It marked the redshirt freshman's third technical fall victory of the season. Also collecting a technical fall for the Pokes was Dakota Geer, who rattled off four takedowns in the second period and capped it with a four-point nearfall to finish the bout in 4:35. He defeated Seth Bogulski, 19-3. Dusty Hone defeated Christopher Sandoval via major decision, 8-0. The Cowboy scored four points in the second period and didn't give up a point to the Bear. Boo Lewallen remained undefeated, earning his third win over a ranked opponent this season. He upended 17th-ranked Andrew Alirez, 11-7, behind a six-point effort in the third. "I'm just trying to figure out how to make matches go the way I want them to go, which I think our whole team is trying to do," Lewallen said. "I'm just trying to clean up these matches and continue to put pressure on guys and score points. Yeah, I separated the score when it got hard late in the match, but I'd like to do that earlier in the match, where I open up the score a little more early on and then wrestle through the match like that. Coming off a third-place finish at the Southern Scuffle, Wyatt Sheets collected a 17-4 major decision over Nathan Moore behind a four-takedown final period. Senior Andrew Shomers collected his second dual win of the season at 174 pounds with a shutout victory over Northern Colorado's Billy Higgins. Anthony Montalvo defeated Alan Clothier in a close, 6-3, decision to claim his fourth dual win of the season. Austin Harris closed out the dual with a 4-3 victory in the heavyweight match. He picked up a third-period takedown and held off a late attack to secure the one-point decision and his third straight dual match win. Reece Witcraft had the only loss of the day in a tough match against No. 19 Mosha Schwartz, 12-11. Schwartz earned a takedown late in third to give him the advantage. The Cowboys return to action Friday night with a Big 12 dual against West Virginia and follow that up with a second dual slated for Saturday, both at 7 p.m. Results: 125: No. 4 Nick Piccininni (OSU) TF Jace Koelzer (UNCO) 20-5 133: No. 19 Mosha Schwartz (UNCO) dec. Reece Witcraft (OSU) 12-11 141: Dusty Hone (OSU) MD Chris Sandoval (UNCO) 8-0 149: No. 3 Boo Lewallen (OSU) dec. No. 17 Andrew Alirez (UNCO) 11-4 157: Wyatt Sheets (OSU) MD Nathan Moore (UNCO) 17-4 165: No. 9 Travis Wittlake (OSU) TF Macoy Flanagan (UNCO) 16-1 174: Andrew Shomers (OSU) MD Billy Higgings (UNCO) 9-0 184: Anthony Montalvo (OSU) dec. Alan Clothier (UNCO) 6-3 197: No. 11 Dakota Geer (OSU) TF Seth Bogulski (UNCO) 19-3 HWT: Austin Harris (OSU) dec. Robert Winters (UNCO) 4-3

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Sixteenth ranked UNI Wrestling overcame an early deficit and picked up a 20-13 win over No. 19 Missouri Sunday afternoon at West Gym. Jay Schwarm earned a 3-0 win over Dack Punke to give the Panthers a 3-0 early lead, but Mizzou earned a major decision at 133 to take a 4-3 lead. Michael Blockhus notched an early takedown en route to a 5-1 win to put UNI up 6-4 after three bouts. In a battle of top-10 wrestlers at 149, Max Thomsen (7) fell to Brock Mauller (5) in overtime. The match was tied 1-1 after regulation, but Mauller grabbed a takedown early in SV-1 to pick up the 3-1 win. Missouri extended its lead to 10-6 at the intermission with an 8-5 decision at 157. At 165, Austin Yant went to double overtime with Peyton Mocco. He earned the escape in the first half of the overtime and rode his opponent for the entire 30 seconds of the second to earn the 4-3 win. Bryce Steiert kept the train rolling and earned a 10-1 major decision to give UNI a 13-10 lead. At 184, Taylor Lujan recorded five takedowns to earn the 13-8 win. After a hard-fought loss at 197, the Panthers lead dwindled to 16-13 and it came down to Carter Isley at 285. Isley took control early and picked up the 11-1 major decision over Jose Diaz to close out the 20-13 win for the Panthers. UP NEXT The Panthers head west for duals at Northern Colorado on Friday, Jan. 17 in Greeley and Air Force on Jan. 19 in Colorado Springs. Results: 125: Jay Schwarm (UNI) over Dack Punke (MISS) (Dec 3-0) 133: Allan Hart (MISS) over Jack Skudlarczyk (UNI) (MD 14-2) 141: Michael Blockhus (UNI) over Alex Butler (MISS) (Dec 5-1) 149: Brock Mauller (MISS) over Max Thomsen (UNI) (SV-1 3-1) 157: Jarrett Jacques (MISS) over Keaton Geerts (UNI) (Dec 8-5) 165: Austin Yant (UNI) over Peyton Mocco (MISS) (TB-1 4-3) 174: Bryce Steiert (UNI) over Jeremiah Kent (MISS) (MD 10-1) 184: Taylor Lujan (UNI) over Dylan Wisman (MISS) (Dec 13-8) 197: Wyatt Koelling (MISS) over Noah Glaser (UNI) (Dec 6-2) 285: Carter Isley (UNI) over Jose Diaz (MISS) (MD 11-1)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- No. 18 Illinois Wrestling was dominant in its 32-3 victory over Indiana Sunday afternoon at Huff Hall. The Illini won bouts in nine of the 10 weight classes. Three points is the fewest allowed by the Illini in a dual since defeating SIU Edwardsville, 41-3, on November 15, 2015. The Fighting Illini are now 4-2 on the season and 1-1 in Big Ten duals. "I'm really proud of the way our guys came back after Friday and the 17 hours traveling back to campus," said head coach Jim Heffernan. "We are continuing to improve and wrestle with some purpose." Redshirt freshman Justin Cardani got the afternoon started with a 6-2 win over Liam Cronin in the 125-pound bout. He struck first with a takedown in the first and never looked back, adding a point for an escape in the second along with another takedown. Cardani earned the riding time point to close out the 6-2 victory. Cardani is now 9-5 on the season and 5-1 in duals. Senior Travis Piotrowski prevailed in his matchup at 133-pounds with Cayden Rooks. With the match tied at 1-1, Piotrowski came through with a takedown in the final seconds of the third, earning himself a 3-1 decision over Rooks. Piotrowski is now 15-2 on the season and remains undefeated in duals with a record of 6-0. Redshirt junior Dylan Duncan dominated his way to a major decision in his bout at 141-pounds with Eddie Bolivar. Duncan did most of his damage in the final period, picking up two points for a takedown and then adding four more for the nearfall. He received the point for riding time, winning the bout in a 10-0 shutout. Duncan improves to 12-5 on the season and 2-1 in duals. Redshirt senior Eric Barone picked up his second dual victory of the weekend with his win over Fernie Silva at 157-pounds. Barone recorded a takedown in the opening period that proved to be the difference, and would go on to defeat Silva by decision, 4-0. With today's shutout win, Barone is now 8-7 on the year and 3-3 in duals. Redshirt freshman Danny Braunagel achieved his third tech. fall of the season Sunday afternoon. He tallied four takedowns and two four-point nearfalls en route to defeating Davey Tunon, 18-3, in the 165-pound bout. Braunagel is now 15-4 this season, and 5-1 in duals. Redshirt senior Joey Gunther took on Jacob Covaciu in a battle of ranked opponents at 174-pounds. Ranked 16th nationally, Gunther got the best of No. 24 Covaciu, with a first period takedown being the difference in Gunther's 3-1 victory. Gunther is now 11-3 in his final campaign, and 4-2 in dual bouts. Redshirt senior Zac Braunagel won by tech. fall for the second time this season at 184-pounds. He accumulated four takedowns along with two four-point nearfalls, going on to defeat Jake Hinz, 18-3. Redshirt sophomore Matt Wroblewski struck quickly in his matchup at 197-pounds with Nick Willham. He picked up two points with a takedown six seconds into the match, and that would prove to be the difference in his 4-1 decision over Willham. Wroblewski is now 7-8 this season. Freshman Luke Luffman closed out the dual with a win at Heavyweight. Luffman recorded a takedown for two points midway through the first period to take the initial 2-0 lead over Rudy Streck. He added a point for an escape, plus the riding time point, defeating Streck in a 4-1 decision. Luffman is now 11-4 this season, and 4-2 in duals. Illinois will return to action next weekend, taking on No. 6 Ohio State in Columbus on Sunday, January 19, at Noon CT. The Illini will then host three straight Big Ten duals at Huff Hall, taking on No. 25 Michigan (Sun., Jan. 26), Michigan State (Fri., Jan. 31) and No. 14 Northwestern (Sun., Feb. 2). Results: 125: Justin Cardani (ILL) dec. Liam Cronin (IU), 6-2, ILL 3, IU 0 133: No. 8 Travis Piotrowski (ILL) dec. Cayden Rooks (IU), 3-1, ILL 6, IU 0 141: No. 14 Dylan Duncan (ILL) major dec. Eddie Bolivar (IU), 10-0, ILL 10, IU 0 159: Graham Rooks (IU), dec. Mousa Jodeh (ILL), 6-1, ILL 10, IU 3 157: No. 22 Eric Barone (ILL) dec. Fernie Silva (IU), 4-0, ILL 13, IU 3 165: No. 14 Danny Braunagel (IU) tech. fall Davey Tunon (IU), 18-3, ILL 18, IU 3 174: No. 16 Joey Gunther (ILL) dec. No. 24 Jacob Covaciu (IU), 3-1, ILL 21, IU 3 184: No. 11 Zac Braunagel (ILL) tech. fall Jake Hinz (IU), 18-3, ILL 26, IU 3 197: Matt Wroblewski (ILL) dec. Nick Willham (IU), 3-1, ILL 29, IU 3 285: Luke Luffman (ILL) dec. Rudy Streck (IU), 4-1, ILL 32, IU 3