InterMat Staff

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- No. 18 Illinois wrestling won its home opener, 22-15, over Northern Illinois on Friday at Huff Hall. Redshirt freshman Justin Cardani (125), redshirt junior Dylan Duncan (141), redshirt senior Joey Gunther (174) and redshirt freshman Zac Braunagel (184) led the way with victories in their weight-class bouts. "Very uninspired for the most part," said head coach Jim Heffernan. "(Justin) Cardani got us off to a good start and reversed an early-season loss. (Luke) Luffman's effort was great. We expected things to happen rather than making things happen. Stood around a lot. We have shown a lot of inconsistency and that needs to change, even though it's a pretty young group." Redshirt freshman No. 24 Justin Cardani led off tonight for the Illini against No. 23 Bryce West in the 125-pound bout. Cardani was looking to avenge the 1-0 loss he had against West at the MSU Open back on November 2. Cardani capitalized in the first period, recording two takedowns to jump out to a 4-1 lead. He never looked back, and Cardani would go on to defeat West by decision, 5-2, to put the Illini up 3-0 over the Huskies. After a forfeit by NIU at 133 pounds, redshirt junior Dylan Duncan took the mat for Illinois in the 141-pound bout against Nathan Swartz. Duncan had a takedown in the first period, and then had Swartz on the ropes with four-point near fall, increasing his lead to 6-0. Duncan turned Swartz onto his back and got the fall time at 2:20 to put Illinois up 15-0 over NIU. After Northern Illinois cut the Illinois advantage to 15-9, redshirt senior Joey Gunther got the Illini back on track in his matchup against Kenny Moore. Gunther was strong defensively, not letting Moore escape during a scoreless second period. Gunther escaped quickly in the third, and would earn the riding time point, giving him a 2-0 decision victory. This put the Illini ahead of the Huskies by a score of 18-10. In the next bout at 184-pounds, redshirt freshman Zac Braunagel took total control in his matchup against Caden McWhirter. Braunagel tallied eight takedowns throughout the bout, with four coming in the third period. The eight takedowns would lead Braunagel to a 18-7 major decision over McWhirter. After their third consecutive dual win, the Illini will now spend the next few weeks preparing for the 57th Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships. The tournament, hosted by Northwestern, will be on Sunday, December 29 and Monday, December 30 at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill. Results: 125: Justin Cardani (ILL) dec. Bryce West (NIU), 5-2, ILL 3, NIU 0 133: Travis Piotrowski (ILL) MFF Caleb Meekins (NIU), ILL 9, NIU 0 141: Dylan Duncan (ILL) Fall Nathan Swartz (NIU), 2:20, ILL 15, NIU 0 149: McCoy Kent (NIU) dec. Mousa Jodeh (ILL), 7-1, ILL 15, NIU 3 157: Mason Kauffman (NIU) dec. Eric Barone (ILL), 3-2, ILL 15, NIU 6 165: Izzak Olejnik (NIU) dec. Danny Braunagel (ILL), 7-5, ILL 15, NIU 9 174: Joey Gunther (ILL) dec. Kenny Moore (NIU), 2-0, ILL 18, NIU 9 184: Zac Braunagel (ILL) major dec. Caden McWhirter (NIU), 18-7, ILL 22, NIU 9 197: Gage Braun (NIU) dec. Matt Wroblewski (ILL), 9-5, ILL 22, NIU 12 285: Max Ihry (NIU) dec. Luke Luffman (ILL), 7-4, ILL 22, NIU 15

STILLWATER -- The ninth-ranked Cowboy wrestling team (3-1 overall; 0-0 Big 12) notched its third dual win of the season Friday night when it defeated the 12th-ranked Princeton Tigers, 18-15, inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. The victory over Princeton (1-1 overall; 1-0 EIWA) marks Oklahoma State's second consecutive win against a ranked opponent. OSU took an early lead after Princeton had to forfeit the 165-pound match. The Pokes went on to take five matches from the Tigers, including Austin Harris' first dual win at heavyweight and Dusty Hone's first inside GIA. "It was good to see Dusty Hone at 141 with a good win," coach John Smith said. "Of course, Austin Harris picking up the win at heavyweight was important. If you think about it, if you say we are going to lose at 125 and 197, I would have told you it would be hard to win that match. So, that's what teammates need to do. They need to pick it up when things aren't going very well, and we had that from guys that are in the lineup who you thought it would be tough for them to win tonight." The heavyweight picked up his first dual match victory against Tiger Aidan Conner, 5-2, with a critical reversal and takedown coming in the second period. Also collecting win No. 1 in Gallagher of his career was Dusty Hone. The Cowboy took out Marshall Keller, 7-4. It marked his second dual win of the season. "I feel good just getting back on the right track. It was big to get the momentum back on our side, and something I needed personally to do. It's going to help me a lot." After the forfeit to begin the dual, OSU came up short in three consecutive matches beginning at 174. Andrew Shomers dropped a close 5-2 decision just before Anthony Montalvo fell in sudden victory. No. 2 Patrick Brucki topped sixth-ranked Dakota Geer in the 197-pound bout, and senior Nick Piccininni lost to fourth-ranked Pat Glory for the first time in four meetings. Reece Witcraft's 8-3 decision against Sean Pierson put the Cowboys in front for good. Hone and senior Boo Lewallen followed with decisions. Lewallen topped his second consecutive ranked opponent in Princeton's No. 14 Mike D'Angelo. The dual ended with a Cowboy legacy bout when Wyatt Sheets faced No. 9 Quincy Monday. Sheets came up just short in the 3-2 decision. Cowboy wrestling heads south to Norman next weekend for the first time since 2016. It marks the first season since 2016-17 that the Pokes face the Sooners twice. "We love Bedlam and we take it serious," Smith said. "It's not just another match. It's a match we take personal, and we get ready for it. I'm sure we're going to have to wrestle better than what we did today. I think they're a better team, and we are going to need to make some changes this week and see some better performances." Results: 165: No. 14 Travis Wittlake (OSU) for. 174: Kevin Parker (PU) dec. Andrew Shomers (OSU) 5-2 184: Travis Stefanik (PU) dec. Anthony Montalvo (OSU) SV1 5-3 197: No. 2 Patrick Brucki (PU) dec. No. 6 Dakota Geer (OSU) 12-6 HWT: Austin Harris (OSU) dec. Aidan Conner (PU) 5-2 125: No. 4 Patrick Glory (PU) dec. No. 3 Nick Piccininni (OSU) 9-4 133: Reece Witcraft (OSU) dec. Sean Pierson (PU) 8-3 141: Dusty Hone (OSU) dec. Marshall Keller (PU) 7-4 149: No. 4 Boo Lewallen (OSU) dec. No. 14 Mike D'Angelo (PU) 7-4 157: No. 9 Quincy Monday (PU) dec. Wyatt Sheets (OSU) 3-2

Arizona State's Zahid Valencia won by technical fall in the quarterfinals over Sam Colbray of Iowa State (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) LAS VEGAS -- The top seeds took care of business at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Friday. The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds advanced to the semifinals in nine of the 10 weight classes. Virginia's Jay Aiello (197), seeded No. 2, was the lone wrestler seeded in the top two to lose on Friday. He was defeated in the quarterfinals by Purdue's Christian Brunner, ranked No. 17 by InterMat, 6-4. Three returning Las Vegas champions are on track to repeat: Northwestern's Ryan Deakin (157), Nebraska's Isaiah White (165) and Ohio State's Kollin Moore (197). Seven freshmen earned spots in Saturday's semifinals. Those freshmen include Northwestern's Michael DeAugustino (125), Nebraska's Ridge Lovett (133), Minnesota's Brayton Lee (149), Ohio State's Sammy Sasso (149), Purdue's Kendall Coleman (157), Iowa State's David Carr (157) and NC State's Trent Hidlay (184). Nebraska's Chad Red pinned NC State's Tariq Wilson in the quarterfinals at 141 pounds (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Nebraska, with five quarterfinalists and five alive in the consolations, leads the team race with 69 points. Three-time defending Las Vegas champion Ohio State sits in second place with 68 points. Arizona State (60.5), Northern Iowa (58) and Purdue (53.5) round out the top five teams. Saturday's action is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. PT/noon ET, with the semifinals set for 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. The quarterfinal results and semifinal matchups are listed below. Note: InterMat ranking listed, not tournament seed. Quarterfinal results 125: No. 2 Jack Mueller (Virginia) maj. dec. Patrick McKee (Minnesota), 16-4 Michael DeAugustino (Northwestern) dec. Jack Medley (Michigan), 12-5 No. 9 Devin Schroeder (Purdue) pinned No. 19 Brandon Courtney (Arizona State), 6:03 No. 6 Alex Mackall (Iowa State) dec. Alex Thomsen (Nebraska), 7-6 TB2 133: No. 7 Chas Tucker (Cornell) dec. Collin Gerardi (Virginia Tech), 6-3 Dylan Koontz (Ohio State) dec. No. 13 Jarrett Trombley (NC State), 5-4 Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) dec. Louie Hayes (Virginia), 8-7 No. 8 Montorie Bridges (Wyoming) dec. No. 20 Tim Rooney (Kent State), 6-4 141: No. 1 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State) tech. fall Cole Mattin (Michigan), 26-11 No. 6 Chad Red (Nebraska) pinned No. 12 Tariq Wilson (NC State), 0:33 No. 4 Mitch McKee (Minnesota) maj. dec. No. 13 Ian Parker (Iowa State), 8-0 No. 2 Dom Demas (Oklahoma) dec. No. 18 Mitch Moore (Virginia Tech), 6-4 149: No. 5 Max Thomsen (Northern Iowa) dec. No. 19 Yahya Thomas (Northwestern), 5-4 No. 9 Brayton Lee (Minnesota) dec. No. 8 Brock Zacherl (Clarion), 8-3 No. 12 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) pinned No. 7 Griffin Parriott (Purdue), 4:49 No. 6 Jarrett Degen (Iowa State) pinned No. 13 Collin Purinton (Nebraska), 7:00 157: No. 1 Hayden Hidlay (NC State) dec. Peyton Robb (Nebraska), 3-2 No. 8 Kendall Coleman (Purdue) dec. Justin McCoy (Virginia), 6-3 No. 3 David Carr (Iowa State) dec. No. 14 Justin Thomas (Oklahoma), 6-5 No. 2 Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) dec. Jacori Teemer (Arizona State), 8-5 165: No. 4 Isaiah White (Nebraska) dec. Bailee O'Reilly (Minnesota), 9-5 No. 12 Ethan Smith (Ohio State) dec. No. 13 Thomas Bullard (NC State), 4-3 No. 8 Andrew Fogarty (North Dakota State) maj. dec. No. 14 Phillip Conigliaro (Harvard), 8-0 No. 5 Josh Shields (Arizona State) tech. fall Emil Soehnlen (Purdue), 19-4 174: No. 4 Bryce Steiert (Northern Iowa) dec. No. 16 Jackson Hemauer (Fresno State), 4-3 No. 8 Anthony Valencia (Arizona State) maj. dec. Marcus Coleman (Iowa State), 15-6 No. 7 Dylan Lydy (Purdue) dec. Anthony Mantanona (Oklahoma), 5-3 No. 5 Mikey Labriola (Nebraska) dec. No. 14 Kaleb Romero (Ohio State), 2-1 184: No. 1 Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) tech. fall No. 11 Sammy Colbray (Iowa State), 26-8 No. 5 Lou DePrez (Binghamton) dec. No. 6 Taylor Venz (Nebraska), 7-4 No. 4 Trent Hidlay (NC State) dec. No. 19 Owen Webster (Minnesota), 7-4 No. 3 Taylor Lujan (Northern Iowa) dec. No. 9 Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech), 10-8 197: No. 1 Kollin Moore (Ohio State) dec. No. 19 Kordell Norfleet (Arizona State), 5-3 No. 12 Thomas Lane (Cal Poly) dec. No. 10 Eric Shultz (Nebraska), 6-4 No. 16 Jake Woodley (Oklahoma) dec. No. 8 Tanner Sloan (South Dakota State), 5-3 No. 17 Christian Brunner (Purdue) dec. No. 7 Jay Aiello (Virginia), 4-2 285: No. 2 Mason Parris (Michigan) pinned No. 20 Carter Isley (Northern Iowa), 0:54 No. 13 Christian Lance (Nebraska) maj. dec. Randy Gonzalez (Fresno State), 15-5 No. 6 Tanner Hall (Arizona State) dec. No. 14 Brian Andrews (Wyoming), 2-1 No. 5 Tate Orndorff (Utah Valley) dec. No. 16 Gannon Gremmel (Iowa State), 7-3 Semifinal matchups 125: No. 2 Jack Mueller (Virginia) vs. Michael DeAugustino (Northwestern) No. 6 Alex Mackall (Iowa State) vs. No. 9 Devin Schroeder (Purdue) 133: No. 7 Chas Tucker (Cornell) vs. Dylan Koontz (Ohio State) No. 8 Montorie Bridges (Wyoming) vs. Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) 141: No. 1 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State) vs. No. 6 Chad Red (Nebraska) No. 2 Dom Demas (Oklahoma) vs. No. 4 Mitch McKee (Minnesota) 149: No. 5 Max Thomsen (Northern Iowa) vs. No. 9 Brayton Lee (Minnesota) No. 6 Jarrett Degen (Iowa State) vs. No. 12 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) 157: No. 1 Hayden Hidlay (NC State) vs. No. 8 Kendall Coleman (Purdue) No. 2 Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) vs. No. 3 David Carr (Iowa State) 165: No. 4 Isaiah White (Nebraska) vs. No. 12 Ethan Smith (Ohio State) No. 5 Josh Shields (Arizona State) vs. No. 8 Andrew Fogarty (North Dakota State) 174: No. 4 Bryce Steiert (Northern Iowa) vs. No. 8 Anthony Valencia (Arizona State) No. 5 Mikey Labriola (Nebraska) vs. No. 7 Dylan Lydy (Purdue) 184: No. 1 Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) vs. No. 5 Lou DePrez (Binghamton) No. 3 Taylor Lujan (Northern Iowa) vs. No. 4 Trent Hidlay (NC State) 197: No. 1 Kollin Moore (Ohio State) vs. No. 12 Thomas Lane (Cal Poly) No. 16 Jake Woodley (Oklahoma) vs. No. 17 Christian Brunner (Purdue) 285: No. 2 Mason Parris (Michigan) vs. No. 13 Christian Lance (Nebraska) No. 5 Tate Orndorff (Utah Valley) vs. No. 6 Tanner Hall (Arizona State)

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- Seven Broncs won their matches as the Rider University wrestling team earned a 28-11 road win at Mid-American Conference foe Bloomsburg Friday night. A fall from Robbie Cleary (Edison, NJ/Bound Brook [Rutgers]) at 141 put the Broncs on top for good, as the Broncs improved to 3-0 (2-0 MAC) on the season. Bloomsburg fell to 0-2 (0-1 MAC) with the setback. Rider was first on the board with a win by decision at 125 from Jonathan Tropea (Harrington Park, NJ/Saint Joseph (Montvale))vover Christian Gannone. The Huskies would answer back with a fall at 133 to take a 6-3 lead, but Rider retook the lead for good at 141 with Cleary's win by fall over Aaron Coleman with 4:28. Gino Fluri (Blairstown, NJ/North Warren Regional) would continue the momentum at 149, winning by major decision over Gavin Hale, propelling Rider's lead to 13-6, while Jesse Dellavecchia (Great River, NJ/East Islip [Binghamton]) kept the points coming with a win over Alex Carida at 157, pushing the Broncs' lead to 16-6. Following a setback at 165, Dean Sherry (Brick, NJ/Brick Township) won by major decision over Anthony Vetrano at 174. Bloomsburg got three more points at 184, before the Broncs closed out the match with wins at 197 and 285. Ethan Laird (Waterford, PA/General McLane) defeated Kyle Murphy in a rematch of 2019 EWL Semifinals, before Ryan Cloud (Brookville, OH/Northmont Regional) closed out the match with a fall 26 seconds into the heavyweight bout. Quotes & Notes "I felt our kids wrestled hard tonight and were very aggressive on their feet. We are getting very consistent performances from our guys every time they take the mat and that's important." - Rider Head Coach John Hangey - Rider now leads the all-time series with Bloomsburg, 14-6, including wins in each of the last seven meetings. - Dellavecchia improved to a perfect 13-0 on the season with his win. - Cloud now has a team-best four wins by fall this season. - Rider returns to action on Sunday for its home opener against Central Michigan. The match is set to begin at 1 p.m. - At halftime of the match, Rider will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its wrestling program. Results: 125: Jonathon Tropea (RU) dec. Christian Gannone (BLB), 12-10; Rider leads, 3-0 133: Josh Mason (BLB) WBF Richie Koehler (RU) at 1:33; Bloomsburg leads, 6-3 141: Robbie Cleary (RU) WBF Aaron Coleman (BLB) at 4:28; Rider leads, 9-6 149: Gino Fluri (RU) maj. dec. Gavin Hale (BLB), 20-8; Rider leads, 13-6 157: Jesse Dellavecchia (RU) dec. Alex Carida (BLB), 6-4; Rider leads, 16-6 **Bloomsburg assessed a one-point penalty. Rider leads, 16-5** 165: Nate Newberry (BLB) dec. Georgio Poullas (RU), 15-10 ; Rider leads, 16-8 174: Dean Sherry (RU) maj. dec. Anthony Vetrano (BLB), 9-1 ; Rider leads, 20-8 184: Trevor Allard (BLB) dec. George Walton (RU), 4-3 (OT); Rider leads, 20-11 **Rider assessed a one-point penalty. Rider leads, 19-11 197: Ethan Laird (RU) dec. Kyle Murphy (BLB), 8-2 ; Rider leads, 22-11 285: Ryan Cloud (RU) WBF Jarrett Walters (BLB) at :26; Rider wins, 28-11

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Cleveland State University wrestling team trailed by four points with two bouts left, but the Vikings won the final two matches of the evening in thrilling fashion to claim a 19-17 win at Buffalo in each team's Mid-American Conference opener Friday evening inside Alumni Arena. Sophomore Ben Smith and redshirt sophomore John Kelbly ensured the historic dual was a win for CSU as both Vikings won must-win bouts to help the guests claim a victory in their first dual as a member of the Mid-American Conference. The first three bouts were all won with bonus points, two of which were won by Vikings. True freshman Logan Heil used a seven-point second period to open up a 9-0 lead after five minutes in the opening bout at 125 pounds. The shutout only ended when Heil let his opponent up for an escape in the final frame as he continued to tack on points. He cruised to a 16-2 major win in his first-ever collegiate dual. CSU then dropped the 133-pound bout to the second-ranked preseason wrestler in the MAC. Redshirt senior Evan Cheek got six huge points for the Vikings at 141 pounds. It seemed as though the first period would be scoreless, but with just seconds left, Cheek secured a takedown and collected the fall immediately thereafter to tally the win. After three one-sided bouts to open the dual, none of the final seven bouts were decided by more than four points, with the tight matches only adding to the intensity of the final outcome. Buffalo claimed wins at 149, 157 and 165 to take a 14-10 lead as the Bulls used a takedown late in the third period at 157 to break a tied bout. Redshirt sophomore Chase Archangelo pulled the Vikings back in it with his win at 174. He notched a first-period takedown and never looked back as he held on for a comfortable 7-3 victory after earning the riding-time point. The win came in his first-ever dual against a Division I opponent. A Buffalo takedown with just seconds left in a tied bout at 184 pounds appeared as though it might be a backbreaker for the Vikings' chances. With CSU trailing, 17-13, with two bouts remaining, the Vikings needed a pair of wins. And that's exactly what Smith and Kelbly delivered. Facing an opponent he lost to last season, Smith got off to a slow start. He trailed, 2-1, after the first and was behind, 5-3, after the second. However, Smith continued to battle, looking better as the bout progressed, and he came back to claim a 7-6 win. Kelbly and his opponent were scoreless after the first period. He earned a quick escape in the second period and held his 1-0 lead entering the third. Starting on the top position, Kelbly performed brilliantly to ride his opponent for the entire two minutes as his 2-0 win in the bout secured the team victory for CSU. Cheek and Smith both secured their team-leading 13th wins of the season Friday. Cheek now owns a team-best four pins this season and eight bonus-point wins. Heil tallied his 10th overall victory of the season and his second of the bonus-point variety. CSU won its first Division I dual of the season for the first time since the 2011-12 season. Cleveland State will return home next weekend as it hosts the 15th annual Cleveland State Open Saturday, Dec. 14. QUICK HITS Cleveland State came from behind to top Buffalo, 19-17 The match was the first-ever MAC dual for the Vikings Ben Smith and John Kelbly both won must-win matches in the final two bouts Redshirt senior Evan Cheek claimed the only pin of the dual True freshman Logan Heil won his first-ever collegiate dual, 16-2 Redshirt sophomore Chase Archangelo won his first league dual bout CSU won its first Division I dual of the season for the first time since 2011-12 Results: 125: Logan Heil (CSU) over Jordan Reyes (UB) - 16-2 MD | CSU leads, 4-0 133: Derek Spann (UB) over Justin Patrick (CSU) - 20-2 TF 5:37 | UB leads, 5-4 141: Evan Cheek (CSU) over Marcus Robinson (UB) - Fall 2:57 | CSU leads, 10-5 149: John Arceri (UB) over Gus Sutton (CSU) - 3-0 dec. | CSU leads, 10-8 157: Michael Petite (UB) over Nico O'Dor (CSU) - 6-4 dec. | UB leads, 11-10 165: Troy Keller (UB) over Riley Smucker (CSU) - 7-3 dec. | UB leads, 14-10 174: Chase Archangelo (CSU) over Jake Lanning (UB) - 7-3 dec. | UB leads, 14-13 184: Pete Acciardi (UB) over DeAndre Nassar (CSU) - 3-1 dec. | UB leads, 17-13 197: Ben Smith (CSU) over Sam Schuyler (UB) - 7-6 dec. | UB leads, 17-16 285: John Kelbly (CSU) over Nolan Terrance (UB) - 2-0 dec. | CSU wins, 19-17

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- The Penn State Nittany Lions (2-1, 0-0 B1G) rolled over No. 14 Lehigh (1-3) in the latest edition of Penn State's longest running dual series. Penn State dominated the Mountain Hawks 23-10 in front of 6,047 fans, a new Lehigh Stabler Arena attendance record. Penn State won seven of ten bouts and picked up an impressive season debut win from sophomore Brady Berge (Mantorville, Minn.) at 157 and a Lion dual debut win from true freshman Aaron Brooks (Hagerstown, Md.) at 184. The dual began at 125 where redshirt freshman Brandon Meredith (Limerick, Pa.) made his Lion dual debut, stepping in for classmate Brody Teske (Duncombe, Iowa). Meredith battled No.11 Brandon Paetzell tough but dropped a 15-5 major in his Lion dual debut. Sophomore Roman Bravo-Young (Tucson, Ariz.), ranked No. 4 at 133, took care of Lehigh's Jaret Lane, totaling three third period takedowns to post an impressive 7-2 win. Junior Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.), ranked No. 3 at 141, gave Penn State a lead in the next bout, rolling to a 22-7 technical fall at the 7:00 mark over Lehigh's Joe Lobeck with 3:28 in riding time. Sophomore Jarod Verkleeren (Greensburg, Pa.) got the nod at 149 and battled Lehigh's Jimmy Hoffman through seven minutes and into extra time before dropping a hard-fought 3-1 (sv) decision. Sophomore Brady Berge (Mantorville, Minn.), ranked No. 6 at 157, made his season debut against a nationally ranked foe and came out on top. The Lion sophomore posted takedowns in the first and third periods to post an impressive 5-3 victory over No. 13 Josh Humphreys. Penn State led 11-7 at the midway point. Senior Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 165, posted a 7-4 win over Lehigh's Brian Meyer to open up the second half, giving Penn State a 14-7 lead. Senior Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.), ranked No. 1 at 174, took on No. 2 Jordan Kutler in the dual's premier bout. Hall dominated the first period with a takedown and ride-out and added a takedown in the third period to roll to a 7-2 win with 2:17 in riding time. True freshman Aaron Brooks (Hagerstown, Md.) made his collegiate debut for Penn State at 184 with No. 2 Shakur Rasheed (Coram, N.Y.) still out. Brooks was impressive, picking up three early takedowns to roll to a 10-5 win over Lehigh junior Chris Weiler. Brooks' win gave Penn State a 20-7 lead. Graduate senior Kyle Conel (Ashtabula, Ohio), ranked No. 20 at 197, was the aggressor through his match with No. 15 Jake Jakobsen, but Jakobsen used a late counter takedown to post the 3-1 win to cut Penn State's lead to 20-10. Senior Anthony Cassar (Rocky Hill, N.J.), ranked No. 1 at 285 closed out the dual by dominating No. 10 Jordan Wood in a 9-4 win. Cassar's decision made the final score 23-10 in Penn State's favor. The Nittany Lions won seven of ten bouts and had a lopsided 24-12 advantage in takedowns. Penn State had one bonus victory, Lee's technical fall. Penn State is now 2-1 overall, 0-0 in the Big Ten. Lehigh falls to 1-3. The Nittany Lions return to State College for a dual with Penn this weekend. Penn State hosts the Quakers in Rec Hall at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Penn State Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at @pennstateWREST, on Penn State Wrestling's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennstatewrest. This is PENN STATE. WRESTLING lives here. Results: 125: #11 Brandon Paetzell LU maj. dec. Brandon Meredith PSU, 15-5 0-4 133: #4 Roman Bravo-Young PSU dec. Jaret Lane LU, 7-2 3-4 141: #3 Nick Lee PSU tech fall Joe Lobeck LU, 22-7 (TF; 7:00) 8-4 149: Jimmy Hoffman LU dec. Jarod Verkleeren PSU, 3-1 (SV) 8-7 157: #6 Brady Berge PSU dec. #13 Josh Humphreys LU, 5-3 11-7 165: #1 Vincenzo Joseph PSU dec. Brian Meyer LU, 7-4 14-7 174: #1 Mark Hall PSU dec. #2 Jordan Kutler LU, 7-2 17-7 184: Aaron Brooks PSU dec. Chris Weiler LU, 10-5 20-7 197: #15 Jake Jakobsen LU dec. #20 Kyle Conel PSU, 3-1 20-10 285: #1 Anthony Cassar PSU dec. #10 Jordan Wood LU, 9-4 23-10 Attendance: 6,047 (new Lehigh Stabler Arena record) Records: Penn State (2-1, 0-0 B1G); Lehigh (1-3) Up Next for Penn State: Sunday, Dec, 7, home vs. Penn, 2 p.m. in Rec Hall BOUT-BY-BOUT: 125: Redshirt freshman Brandon Meredith (Limerick, Pa.) made his Penn State dual debut at 125, stepping in for teammate Brody Teske (Duncombe, Iowa), and took on No. 11 Brandon Paetzell. Paetzell worked position into a scramble at the 2:20 mark and finished off the takedown to lead 2-0 early. The Lion freshman escaped to a 2-1 score and then fought off a Paetzell single leg for a bit before the Mountain Hawk scored again to up his lead to 4-1. Paetzell cut Meredith loose and quickly took him down to open up a 6-2 lead at the :45 mark. The Mountain Hawk maintained control for the rest of the period and carried the four-point lead into the second stanza. Meredith chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 6-3 score. Paetzell tacked on two more quick takedowns to lead 10-4 at the 1:00 mark in the second. A late stall point gave Paetzell an 11-4 lead after two periods. Paetzell chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 12-4 lead. Paetzell countered a Meredith shot for another takedown and a 14-5 lead. Meredith got in on a low single with :40 left on the clock and battled over the final seconds for a takedown. But Paetzell fought off the move and, with 2:40 in riding time, posted the 15-5 major decision. 133: Sophomore Roman Bravo-Young (Tucson, Ariz.), ranked No. 4 at 133, met Lehigh's Jaret Lane. The Lion sophomore looked to set the tempo over the first minute, countering a Lane shot and nearly connecting on a low single. But Lane was able to slip away and action continued to the midway point tied 0-0. Bravo-Young worked his way in on a second shot but Lane scrambled his way to a stalemate at the :50 mark. The Lion sophomore had one more shot stopped late in the period and the bout moved to the second period tied 0-0. Lane chose down to start the second period. Bravo-Young put together a strong ride and build up over 1:00 in riding time. The Lion continued to maintain control for the entire period and finished the period on top. The bout moved to the third period tied 0-0 but Bravo-Young had 2:00 in riding time. Bravo-Young chose neutral to start the third period. He quickly moved in on a low shot and finished off the move to lead 2-0 with a clinched riding time point at the 1:10 mark. Bravo-Young cut Lane loose on a reset and nearly locked up a cradle off the start. He settled for a takedown and a 4-1 lead. Bravo-Young cut Lane loose at the :25 mark and then nearly locked up a second cradle. He settled for a last second takedown and, with 2:47 in riding time, rolled to the 7-2 victory. 141: Junior Nick Lee (Evansville, Ind.), ranked No. 3 at 141, took on Joe Lobeck. Lee and Lobeck battled through a scoreless first :30 before Lee countered a slight Lobeck shot for a takedown and a 2-0 lead. Lee cut Lobeck loose and went to work from neutral again, working in on a low shot and taking a 4-1 lead with another takedown. Lee built up a sizeable riding time edge while trying to turn the Mountain Hawk for back points. Lee carried the 4-1 lead with 1:41 in riding time into the second period. The Lion junior chose down to start the second period and, after :45 of work, reversed Lobeck to lead 6-1. Lee cut Lobeck loose and took him down once more to lead 8-2. Lee picked up a stall point and another takedown to lead 11-3 after two periods, with 2:30 riding time in hand. Lobeck chose neutral to start the third period but Lee quickly moved in for a high double and a takedown to lead 13-3. Lee added three more takedowns and, after one final cut, a fifth. With 3:28 in riding time, Lee posted the 22-7 technical fall at the 7:00 mark. 149: Sophomore Jarod Verkleeren (Greensburg, Pa.) got the call at 149 and took on Lehigh's Jimmy Hoffman. The duo battled evenly for the first minute-plus with neither wrestler finding an opening. Hoffman tried a single at the 1:20 mark but Verkleeren muscled his way out of the move to keep things neutral and scoreless with 1:00 left in the opening period. Hoffman worked his way in on a single again, but Verkleeren quickly turned the move into a scramble that nearly killed the clock and the bout moved to the second stanza tied 0-0. Verkleeren chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. The Lion sophomore battled Hoffman through the final 1:30 of the second period in the middle of the mat and carried a 1-0 lead into the third period. Hoffman chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. Verkleeren continued to work the middle of the mat with the Mountain Hawk with neither wrestler breaking through the other's defense. Action finished in neutral and the match moved to a sudden victory period tied 1-1. The first extra minute mirrored the first seven with neither wrestler able to work through for a solid shot. Verkleeren worked in on a chance to throw Hoffman, but the Lion slipped on the move and Hoffman countered for the winning takedown and a 3-1 (sv) victory. 157: Sophomore Brady Berge (Mantorville, Minn.), ranked No. 6 at 157, made his season debut against one of Lehigh's nationally ranked grapplers, No. 13 Josh Humphreys. The ranked duo worked the middle of the mat for over 1:00 with neither wrestler gaining an early edge offensively. Berge connected on a quick shot at the :35 mark and notched the bout's first takedown to lead 2-1 after a quick Humphreys escape. The Lion carried that one-point lead into the second period. Humphreys chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 2-2 tie. Berge quickly worked his way in on a high single. Humphreys countered the move and forced a scramble that ended in a stalemate at the 1:21 mark. Berge countered a slight Humphreys shot with 1:00 left in the period. The bout moved to the third period knotted at 2-2. Berge chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 3-2 lead. Humphreys got in on a low single but Berge was able to counter the move and keep control of the action, forcing a stalemate with 1:08 on the clock. Berge shot low, connected with an ankle and finished off a quick takedown to lead 5-2 at the :45 mark. Humphreys escaped to a 5-3 score but Berge's swift takedown was the difference maker in a 5-3 victory. 165: Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 165, faced off against Lehigh's Brian Meyer. Joseph controlled the center of the mat over the first minute, waiting for an opening on offense. The Loin broke through for an initial takedown at the 1:00 mark and led 2-0. Joseph continued to work from the top position over the final seconds and carried the 2-0 lead with 0:55 in riding time into the second period. Meyer chose down to start the second period. Joseph controlled him just long enough to build up a 1:02 riding time edge before the Hawk escaped to a 2-1 score. Joseph continued to press on offense, forcing Meyer into a first stall warning. Meyer connected on a fast shot with :08 left and Joseph quickly escaped to a 3-3 score. Joseph, tied to start the third period, quickly escaped to a 4-3 lead after choosing down. Joseph and Meyer battled evenly for the first half of the final period. Joseph countered on a slight Meyer shot to open up a 6-3 lead with :45 left in the bout. Meyer tallied one final escape but Joseph posted the 7-4 victory with 1:06 in riding time. 174: Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.), ranked No. 1 at 174, took on No. 2 Jordan Kutler of Lehigh in the dual's most anticipated bout. Hall wasted no time taking a lead, working Kutler to the mat for a quick takedown and a 2-0 lead just :30 into the bout. Hall continued to work on top, building up over 1:00 in riding time with strong offense on top. The Lion senior turned Kutler to his back but did not get the near fall count and continued to lead 2-0 at the :40 mark. Kutler gave up a stall warning and Hall finished the period on top to lead 2-0 with 2:32 in riding time after the opening period. Hall chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. Kutler worked his way into control of Hall's waist and took him down to cut the lead to 3-2. Hall escaped and led 4-2 after two periods with 2:00 in riding time. Kutler chose neutral to begin the third period and nearly tied the score with a takedown. But Hall was able to scramble out of trouble, forcing a stalemate at the 1:10 mark. With clinched riding time, Hall worked to control the middle of the mat. The Lion senior connected on a low single and finished off the match with a final takedown. With 2:17 in riding time, Hall rolled to the 7-2 victory over the second-ranked Kutler. 184: True freshman Aaron Brooks (Hagerstown, Md.) made his Nittany Lion dual debut at 184 with No. 2 Shakur Rasheed still out. Brooks battled Lehigh junior Chris Weiler. The Lion rookie took an early lead with a quick takedown just :25 into the bout. He countered a slight Weiler shot and picked up a second takedown to lead 4-1 with 1:52 on the clock. Weiler escaped and tried to work in on a single but Brooks muscled his way into a scramble that led to a third takedown (nearly picking up back points in the process). Brooks finished on top and led 6-2 with :30 on the clock. Leading 6-2, Brooks chose down to start the second stanza. The Lion sophomore worked his way to his feet and picked up a point on two Weiler stalls. Weiler stalled one more time and Brooks led 8-2 at the :50 mark. He then reversed Weiler, finished on top, and led 10-2 with 1:05 in riding time after two periods. Weiler chose down to start the third period. Brooks cut him loose and went to work on offense. The Lion freshman connected on a low single but Weiler countered for a takedown at the :20 mark to avoid the major. Brooks posted the dominant 10-5 victory in his Penn State debut. 197: Graduate senior Kyle Conel (Ashtabula, Ohio), ranked No. 20 at 197, took on No. 15 Jake Jakobsen. The ranked duo battled evenly in the middle of the mat for the first minute with neither wrestler breaking through on offense. Conel's offense forced Jakobsen into an early stall and action continued neutral. The Lion got in on a high single at the :55 mark but Jakobsen was able to fight off the move and force a stalemate to keep the bout scoreless. The bout moved to the second period in a scoreless tie. Jakobsen chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Conel worked his way in on another high single but once again, Jakobsen's defense forced a stalemate at the 1:00 mark. Conel continued to press, forcing Jakobsen into defense in the middle of the mat as the second period wound down. Trailing 1-0, Conel chose down to start the third period. Jakobsen controlled the action on top for a bit but Conel escaped to a 1-1 tie at the 1:25 mark. Conel continued to be the aggressor but could not work his way through Jakobsen's defense. The Lion shot once again, forcing a scramble that Jakobsen was able to counter for the late takedown. Conel dropped a hard-fought 3-1 decision after the late scramble. 285: Senior Anthony Cassar (Rocky Hill, N.J.), ranked No. 1 at 285, took on No. 10 Jordan Wood in another top ten match-up. Cassar looked to control the action early, taking a number of early shots and forcing Wood into defense as the bout moved to the 1:45 mark. The Lion senior continued to pressure Wood through the midway point of the first period. The duo battled evenly until Cassar forced a stall warning and then took Wood down in the final seconds to lead 2-0 after the opening period. Cassar chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. The Lion continued to chase Wood for a second takedown but the Mountain Hawk was able to work his way out of two different low efforts to keep the bout at 3-0. Wood chose down to start the third period and Cassar went to work on top. Lehigh quickly threw the challenge brick, looking for a locked hands call but the review failed. Wood quickly escaped to a 3-1 score then rolled through a fast shot to take Cassar down. The Lion quickly escaped to lead 4-3 with 1:10 on the clock and then went in fast on offense, picking up a quick takedown to open up a 6-3 lead with :50 left in the bout. Cassar controlled the action top until the :28 mark before Wood escaped to cut Cassar's lead to 6-4. Cassar added a late counter takedown and, with 1:06 in riding time, posted the 9-4 win.

FAIRFAX, Va. -- The Long Island University wrestling team earned its first victory against a Division I opponent when it defeated Gardner-Webb University at the Patriot Duals on Friday, Dec. 6. The Sharks finished 1-3 on the day, dropping a narrow decision (24-18) to Davidson College before suffering setbacks to the Virginia Military Institute (29-12) and the host George Mason University (43-6). LIU is now 2-11 in dual matches this season. Freshman Jimmy Ryan was outstanding for the Sharks, finishing 4-0 on the day at 125, earning three decision and pinning VMI's John McGarry. Junior Mark Malico added two wins by decision, while freshman Michael Blando picked up two wild victories, pinning Gardner-Webb's Brandon Bright in 1:50 and outlasting Davidson's David Loniewski by a 27-21 final. LIU was forced to forfeit its bouts at 133, dropping six points in each of its four duals on the day. Despite the setback, the Blue and Gold took a 12-6 lead at the midway point of the dual with Davidson in the day's opener when senior Dominick Demarco earned an overtime victory against Hunter Costa at 157. The Wildcats took an 18-12 lead after 174 before the Sharks tied the match with six points behind senior Dan McClure's pin of Lachian Rosato during the third period. The Wildcats closed the match with decisions at 197 and 285 to earn the win. The Sharks bounced back against Gardner-Webb, taking a 9-6 lead after 141 when Blando pinned Bright. A forfeit at 149 and a decision win by Demarco gave LIU an 18-8 lead at the midway point. Despite earning nine points at the next two weight classes, McClure put LIU back up by six points with a 3-0 decision over Christian Salter. Sophomore Tim Nagosky clinched the match during the heavyweight bout, earning a 7-4 decision over Gabriel Picket to give LIU the 24-18 win. Ryan gave LIU a 6-0 edge to begin its dual with VMI with a second-period pin of McGarry, but the Keydets took control by winning six of the next eight contested bouts. The Sharks earned two wins in its final match of the day against the Patriots but were unable to get by George Mason. LIU opens Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association competition on Saturday, Dec. 14 when it travels to Philadelphia to grapple with Drexel University at 5:00 p.m. Davidson 24, LIU 18 125: Jimmy Ryan (LIU) def. Anthony Rautmann (DAV), Dec. 3-0 3 0 133: Kyle Gorant (DAV) def. Unknown (LIU), Forfeit 3 6 141: Michael Blando (LIU) def. David Loniewski (DAV), Dec., 27-21 6 6 149: Rhise Royster (LIU) def. Aeden Somers (DAV), Dec., 5-2 9 6 157: Dominick Demarco (LIU) def. Hunter Costa (DAV), SV-1 (2-1) 12 6 165: Noah Satterfield (DAV) def. Mike Parrish (LIU), Pinfall (4:45) 12 12 174: Steven Newll (DAV) def. James Langan (LIU), Pinfall (2:29) 12 18 184: Dan McClure (LIU) def. Lachian Rosato (DAV), Pinfall (5:34) 18 18 197: Conor Fenn (DAV) def. Mark Malico (LIU), Dec., 7-0 18 21 285: Mitchell Trigg (DAV) def. Tim Nagosky (LIU), Dec., 6-0 18 24 LIU 24, Gardner-Webb 18 125: Jimmy Ryan (LIU) def. Michael Pappaconstantinou (GW), Dec. 7-1 3 0 133: Will Edminston (GW) def. Unknown (LIU), Forfeit 3 6 141: Michael Blando (LIU) def. Brandon Bright (GW), Pinfall (1:50) 9 6 149: Rhise Royster (LIU) def. Unknown (GW), Forfeit 15 6 157: Dominick Demarco (LIU) def. Evan Schenk (GW), Dec., 3-2 18 6 165: Rodrick Mosley (GW) def. Jesse Weiner (LIU), Pinfall (3:19) 18 12 174: Sam Mora (GW) def. James Langan (LIU), Dec., 8-3 18 15 184: Dan McClure (LIU) def. Christian Salter (GW), Dec., 3-0 21 15 197: Roderick Davis (GW) def. Mark Malico (LIU), Dec., 5-3 21 18 285: Tim Nagosky (LIU) def. Gabriel Picket (GW), Dec., 7-4 24 18 VMI 29, LIU 12 125: Jimmy Ryan (LIU) def. John McGarry (VMI), Pinfall (3:32) 6 0 133: Cliff Conway (VMI) def. Unknown (LIU), Forfeit 6 6 141: Noah Roulo (VMI) def. Jacob Zuller (LIU), Dec., 7-2 6 9 149: Job Chishko (VMI) def. Anthony Dushaj (LIU), Maj. Dec., 10-2 6 13 157: Dominick Demarco (LIU) def. Ethan Carpenter (VMI), Dec., 3-0 9 13 165: John Hoover (VMI) def. Nick Provenzano (LIU), Maj. Dec., 8-0 9 17 174: Neal Richards (VMI) def. James Langan (LIU), Maj. Dec., 16-4 9 21 184: Max Gallahan (VMI) def. Dan McClure (LIU), Maj. Dec., 11-3 9 25 197: Mark Malico (LIU) def. Zach Brown (VMI), Dec., 5-2 12 25 285: Chris Beck (VMI) def. Tim Nagosky (LIU), Maj. Dec., 12-2 12 29 George Mason 43, LIU 6 125: Jimmy Ryan (LIU) def. Talha Farooq (GM), Dec., 12-9 3 0 133: Josh Jones (GM) def. Unknown (LIU), Forfeit 3 6 141: Alex Madrigal (GM) def. Jacob Zuller (LIU), Tech. Fall, 16-0 (4:37) 3 11 149: Colston DiBlasi (GM) def. Rhise Royster (LIU), Pinfall (4:50) 3 17 157: Kolby Ho (GM) def. Anthony Dushaj (LIU), Tech. Fall, 22-7 (7:00) 3 22 165: Neil Schuster (GM) def. Nick Provenzano (LIU), Pinfall (2:03) 3 28 174: Anthony Lombardo (GM) def. Tom DiGennaro (LIU), Pinfall (1:01) 3 34 184: Paul Pierce (GM) def. Dan McClure (LIU), Maj. Dec., 12-3 3 38 197: Mark Malico (LIU) def. Ramses Montalvo (GM), Dec., 3-1 6 38 285: Jake Slinger (GM) def. Tim Nagosky (LIU), Tech. Fall, 19-0 (2:22) 6 43

Fairfax, Va. -- George Mason wasn't the most gracious host today. The Patriots swept all four dual matches at Patriot Duals held today at the Mason Field House on campus. Mason (5-1, 1-0 MAC) defeated VMI (27-16), Gardner-Webb (36-10), Davidson (41-3) and LIU (43-6). MATCH HIGHLIGHTS The Patriots earned points in 32 of the 40 matches. Josh Jones improved to 6-6 on the season with three straight wins. The fourth match was a forfeit. The freshman earned an impressive win over Michael Pappaconstantinou from Gardner-Webb with a fall at 0:54. Alex Madrigal won all four matches by technical fall improving to 13-5. The Chicago native has won his last eight matches. Colston DiBlasi won all three matches by fall. The redshirt senior has won seven of his last eight matches, improving to 12-7 overall this season. Kolby Ho improves to 14-5 overall with four dual wins today. He is undefeated (6-0) in dual match action. Neil Schuster continues to impress this season, winning all four matches today to improve to 15-3. He has surpassed last season's win total, 13-13 (7-8 duals). The sophomore scored a fall (2:01) in the last match over Nick Provenzano from Long Island. Sophomore Paul Pierce (184) evens his record to 8-8 with four wins at Patriot Duals. Mason 27, VMI 16 125 | John McGarry (VMI) over Talha Farooq (Mason), F, (4:37) 133 | Josh Jones (Mason) over Cliff Conway (VMI), MD, 15-1 141 | Alex Madrigal (Mason) over Noah Roulo (VMI), TF, 16-0 (1:53) 149 | Colston DiBlasi (Mason) over Job Chishko (VMI), F (1:56) 157 | Kolby Ho (Mason) over Ethan Carpenter (VMI), F, (1:21) 165 | Cornelius Schuster (Mason) over Jon Hoover (VMI), Dec., 3-0 174 | Neal Richards (VMI) over Anthony Lombardo (Mason), Dec. 8-7 184 | Paul Pierce (Mason) over Max Gallahan (VMI), Dec., 3-2 197 | Zach Brown (VMI) over Ramses Montalvo (Mason), MD, 8-0 285 | Chris Beck (VMI) over Jake Slinger (Mason), Dec., 3-1 Mason 36, GWU 10 125 | Will Edmiston (GWU) over Talha Farooq (Mason) 133 | Josh Jones (Mason) over Michael Pappaconstantinou (GWU), F, (:54) 141 | Alex Madrigal (Mason) over Brandon Bright (GWU), TF, 17-1 (4:58) 149 | Colston DiBlasi (Mason) won by forfeit 157 | Kolby Ho (Mason) over Evan Schenk (GWU), Dec., 7-3 165 | Cornelius Schuster (Mason) over Rodrick Mosley (GWU), Dec., 8-1 174 | Anthony Lombardo (Mason) over Sam Mora (GWU), MD, 8-0 184 | Paul Pierce (Mason) over Christian Salter (GWU), MD, 13-0 197 | Roderick Davis (GWU) over Ramses Montalvo (Mason), F, (1:19) 285 | Jake Slinger (Mason) over Gabriel Picket (GWU), TF, 16-0 (2:11) Mason 41, Davidson 3 125 | Talha Farooq (Mason) over Anthony Rautmann (DAV), Dec., 13-10 133 | Josh Jones (Mason) over Kyle Gorant (DAV), Dec., 6-2 141 | Alex Madrigal (Mason) over David Loniesdki (DAV), TF 18-2, (2:35) 149 | Colston DiBlasi (Mason) over Dalton Blankenship (DAV), F, (4:26) 157 | Kolby Ho (Mason) over Hunter Costa (DAV), MD, 10-2 165 | Cornelius Schuster (Mason) over Noah Satterfield (DAV), MD, 12-0 174 | Anthony Lombardo (Mason) over Steven Newell (DAV), TF, 17-0 (5:36) 184 | Paul Pierce (Mason) over Lachlan Rosato (DAV), TF, 16-0 (5:18) 197 | Conor Fenn (DAV) over Ramses Montalvo (Mason), MD, 9-0 285 | Jake Slinger (Mason) over Mitchell Trigg (DAV), F, (3:25) Mason 43, LIU 6 125 | Jimmy Ryan (LIU) over Talha Farooq (Mason), Dec., 12-9 133 | Josh Jones (Mason) won by forfeit 141 | Alex Madrigal (Mason) over Jacob Zuller (LIU), TF, 16-0 (4:37) 149 | Colston DiBlasi (Mason) over Rhise Royster (LIU), F, (4:49) 157 | Kolby Ho (Mason) over Anthony Dushaj (LIU), TF 165 | Cornelius Schuster (Mason) over Nick Provenzano (LIU), F, (2:01) 174 | Anthony Lombardo (Mason) over Tom DiGenarro (LIU), F, (0:59) 184 | Paul Pierce (Mason) over Dan McClure (LIU), MD, 12-3 197 | Mark Malico (LIU) over Ramses Montalvo (Mason), Dec., 3-1 285 | Jake Slinger (Mason) over Tim Nagosky (LIU), TF, 19-0 (2:22)

Minnesota's Owen Webster advanced to the quarterfinals with a pin over Cornell's Ben Darmstadt (Photo/David Peterson) The opening session of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational brought some surprising results. Let's examine the 10 biggest upsets of the opening session -- five from the round of 16 and five from the round of 32. Round of 16 125: Jack Medley (Michigan) dec. No. 15 Jakob Camacho (NC State), 6-5 Camacho entered this season with high expectations after going 26-3 as a redshirt. Medley, a sophomore, entered the tournament with a season record of 6-5. In the round of 16, he edged the 15th-ranked Camacho, 6-5. In the third period, with the score tied 3-3, Camacho cut Medley loose with 45 seconds left to make the score 4-3. Camacho then earned a takedown to go up 5-4. However, Medley was able to get a reversal with just over 20 seconds remaining to retake the lead and he held on for the 6-5 win. 125: Michael DeAugustino (Northwestern) dec. No. 16 Jacob Schwarm (Northern Iowa), 4-2 Based on rankings and tournament seeds, this is considered an upset, but it probably shouldn't be since it's DeAugustino's second win over the returning NCAA qualifier Schwarm this season. After a scoreless first period, Schwarm rode DeAugustino the entire second period to accumulate two minutes of riding time. In the third period, with the score 0-0, DeAugustino picked up a reversal with 40 seconds remaining to go up 2-0. Schwarm would get a late escape to make the score 2-1 and then add a point for riding time, which sent the match to sudden victory. The Northwestern wrestler then countered a Schwarm shot in sudden victory to earn a 4-2 win. 133: Louie Hayes (Virginia) dec. No. 15 Anthony Madrigal (Oklahoma), 6-1 Hayes was an NCAA qualifier two seasons ago at 125 pounds. He struggled with his weight last season early last season and moved up from 125 pounds to 133 pounds part way through the season. Hayes went 18-13, but failed to qualify for the NCAAs. Hayes entered Las Vegas unranked, but in the round of 16 he knocked off the 15th-ranked Madrigal, 6-1. Hayes scored takedowns in the final two periods to pace him to the victory. 174: Marcus Coleman (Iowa State) dec. No. 9 Devin Skatzka (Minnesota) Coleman, an NCAA qualifier last season, knocked off the returning All-American Skatzka, 9-6, in the round of 16. The ISU sophomore dominated Skatzka on their feet, picking up four takedowns to zero. Skatzka is strongest from the top position but was unable to get there much in the match. 184: No. 19 Owen Webster (Minnesota) pinned No. 7 Ben Darmstadt (Cornell) Webster, a Fargo champion and Cadet world bronze medalist in high school, started his college career at Division III Augsburg where he became an All-American before transferring to Minnesota. After a disappointing 2018-19 season that saw him compile a 7-9 record, Webster broke into the rankings at 184 pounds this season after a strong start. In the round of 16, Webster faced 2018 All-American Ben Darmstadt. A minute into the match, Webster locked up a cradle and secured fall over Darmstadt to advance to the quarterfinals. Round of 32 133: Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) dec. No. 9 Taylor Lamont (Utah Valley), 6-1 Lovett, a true freshman for the Cornhuskers, stunned LaMont, 6-1, in the first round of the tournament. After a scoreless first period, LaMont chose the down position. Lovett was able to lock up a cradle and score four nearfall points to go up 4-0. With choice in the third period, Lovett chose the top position and was able to ride LaMont for most of the period until a late escape. With riding time, Lovett claimed a 6-1 victory. 133: Dylan Koontz (Ohio State) dec. No. 14 Josh Kramer (Arizona State), 8-6 SV Koontz, a sophomore who made his dual meet debut last Sunday against Cornell, scored an upset victory over No. 14 Josh Kramer of Arizona State, 8-6. Kramer controlled most of the match. He led 5-2 with just over a minute remaining in the match before Koontz picked up a reversal to make the score 5-4. Koontz cut Kramer and picked up a takedown with five seconds remaining to send the match to sudden victory. In sudden victory, Koontz countered a shot from Kramer and came behind for a match-winning takedown. 157: Justin McCoy (Virginia) injury default over No. 11 Will Lewan (Michigan) The unseeded freshman McCoy looked strong in defeating a banged-up Lewan in the opening round. McCoy, who went 25-3 as a redshirt, used two first-period takedowns to go up 4-1 on the nation's No. 11 wrestler after the opening period. In the second period, Lewan chose the down position and McCoy was able to turn him for two points to go up 6-1. A short time later, Lewan was forced to injury default, giving McCoy the victory. 174: Andrew McNally (Kent State) pinned No. 13 Daniel Bullard (NC State), 6:14 Bullard, who entered the tournament ranked No. 13, completely dominated McNally for the first two periods. He controlled every position and built a 13-1 lead heading into the final period. In the third period, McNally came out strong, scoring a takedown to cut the deficit to 13-3. He then locked up a cradle and secured a fall with 46 seconds remaining in the match. 197: Greg Bulsak (Clarion) pinned No. 18 Tanner Orndorff (Utah Valley), 4:01 This would be classified as a mild upset. The unseeded Bulsak, an NCAA qualifier who fell out of the national rankings, pinned No. 18 Orndorff in the second period. Bulsak struck first with a takedown, but Orndorff came back to tie the match with a late first-period reversal. After Orndorff escaped in the second period to go up 3-2, Bulsak scored a takedown off a single leg and then drove the Utah Valley wrestler his back for the fall.

Top-ranked Kollin Moore of Ohio State reached the quarterfinals at 197 pounds (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) LAS VEGAS -- The quarterfinals are set at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Nebraska has the most quarterfinalists with 10, one in every weight class. Arizona State and Iowa State both have seven. Thee-time defending CKLV Invitational champion Ohio State has six, as does Purdue. Northern Iowa leads the team race by 1.5 points over Nebraska. The Panthers have four quarterfinalists. Team Standings (Top 10): 1. Northern Iowa 32.5 2. Nebraska 31 3. Oklahoma 30 4. Arizona State 28 4. Minnesota 28 6. NC State 27.5 7. Ohio State 27 8. Cornell 25 9. Purdue 23 10. Virginia 22.5 View tonight's quarterfinal matchups below. Note: InterMat ranking listed, not tournament seed. 125: No. 2 Jack Mueller (Virginia) vs. Patrick McKee (Minnesota) Michael DeAugustino (Northwestern) vs. Jack Medley (Michigan) No. 9 Devin Schroeder (Purdue) vs. No. 19 Brandon Courtney (Arizona State) No. 6 Alex Mackall (Iowa State) vs. Alex Thomsen (Nebraska) 133: No. 7 Chas Tucker (Cornell) vs. Collin Gerardi (Virginia Tech) No. 13 Jarrett Trombley (NC State) vs. Dylan Koontz (Ohio State) Louie Hayes (Virginia) vs. Ridge Lovett (Nebraska) No. 8 Montorie Bridges (Wyoming) vs. No. 20 Tim Rooney (Kent State) 141: No. 1 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State) vs. Cole Mattin (Michigan) No. 6 Chad Red (Nebraska) vs. No. 12 Tariq Wilson (NC State) No. 4 Mitch McKee (Minnesota) vs. No. 13 Ian Parker (Iowa State) No. 2 Dom Demas (Oklahoma) vs. No. 18 Mitch Moore (Virginia Tech) 149: No. 5 Max Thomsen (Northern Iowa) vs. No. 19 Yahya Thomas (Northwestern) No. 8 Brock Zacherl (Clarion) vs. No. 9 Brayton Lee (Minnesota) No. 7 Griffin Parriott (Purdue) vs. No. 12 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) No. 6 Jarrett Degen (Iowa State) vs. No. 13 Collin Purinton (Nebraska) 157: No. 1 Hayden Hidlay (NC State) vs. Peyton Robb (Nebraska) No. 8 Kendall Coleman (Purdue) vs. Justin McCoy (Virginia) No. 3 David Carr (Iowa State) vs. No. 14 Justin Thomas (Oklahoma) No. 2 Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) vs. Jacori Teemer (Arizona State) 165: No. 4 Isaiah White (Nebraska) vs. Bailee O'Reilly (Minnesota) No. 12 Ethan Smith (Ohio State) vs. No. 13 Thomas Bullard (NC State) No. 8 Andrew Fogarty (North Dakota State) vs. No. 14 Phillip Conigliaro (Harvard) No. 5 Josh Shields (Arizona State) vs. Emil Soehnlen (Purdue) 174: No. 4 Bryce Steiert (Northern Iowa) vs. No. 16 Jackson Hemauer (Fresno State) No. 8 Anthony Valencia (Arizona State) vs. Marcus Coleman (Iowa State) No. 7 Dylan Lydy (Purdue) vs. Anthony Mantanona (Oklahoma) No. 5 Mikey Labriola (Nebraska) vs. No. 14 Kaleb Romero (Ohio State) 184: No. 1 Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) vs. No. 11 Sammy Colbray (Iowa State) No. 5 Lou DePrez (Binghamton) vs. No. 6 Taylor Venz (Nebraska) No. 4 Trent Hidlay (NC State) vs. No. 19 Owen Webster (Minnesota) No. 3 Taylor Lujan (Northern Iowa) vs. No. 9 Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech) 197: No. 1 Kollin Moore (Ohio State) vs. No. 19 Kordell Norfleet (Arizona State) No. 10 Eric Shultz (Nebraska) vs. No. 12 Thomas Lane (Cal Poly) No. 8 Tanner Sloan (South Dakota State) vs. No. 16 Jake Woodley (Oklahoma) No. 7 Jay Aiello (Virginia) vs. No. 17 Christian Brunner (Purdue) 285: No. 2 Mason Parris (Michigan) vs. No. 20 Carter Isley (Northern Iowa) No. 13 Christian Lance (Nebraska) vs. Randy Gonzalez (Fresno State) No. 6 Tanner Hall (Arizona State) vs. No. 14 Brian Andrews (Wyoming) No. 5 Tate Orndorff (Utah Valley) vs. No. 16 Gannon Gremmel (Iowa State)

Links: Results | Schedule | Ten Questions A Twitter List by InterMat

Sonny Santiago (Photo/Chris Mora, Tech-Fall.com) North Carolina announced the signing of California state champion Sonny Santiago (St. John Bosco, Calif.), the nation's No. 1 152-pounder by InterMat, on Friday. Santiago is ranked No. 12 among all wrestlers in the Class of 2020. He originally committed to Arizona State as a junior but reopened the recruiting process. Santiago has been a known commodity for a long time but found a major breakthrough in winning a state title at 152 pounds last season. A key result in that tournament was a 3-2 semifinal victory over Jace Luchau, the projected champion, who happened to win a Junior National freestyle title this past summer. In October, Santiago defeated Travis Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy, N.J.) at Who's Number One. Coleman Scott, head coach at UNC, believes Santiago fits into the program well. "Sonny and his family fit Carolina really well and I knew as soon as I met him that he's the type of guy we want to see in Chapel Hill," Scott said. "His talent, hard work and determination all add up to being a Tar Heel type of wrestler. I think fans are going to be extremely excited about seeing what Sonny can bring to the table."

The Alans International is this weekend in Vladikavkaz, Russia, and some the United States' top wrestlers are making the trek to compete in the annual prize event. Most of the attention will be focused on Kyle Snyder, who is making his first international trip since winning bronze at the 2019 World Championships then promptly moving to Penn State to train under Cael Sanderson, Casey Cunningham, and the rest of the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club. Though a small and local sample size, Snyder's Bill Farrell performance seemed to indicate that he was being prodded to be more open with his attacks. Perhaps most ironic for a wrestler new to training with Cael Sanderson and Jake Varner, Snyder wasn't spending much time in New York City attacking ankles. Instead the stocky upper weight chose a variety of mid-level attacks with quick finishes (and at a much larger volume than usual). Snyder's new strategies will be tested at the Alans International where he is likely to face Vladislav Baitsaev, the 2019 European champion at 97 kilograms along with former nemesis Alan Gogaev and Olympic bronze medalist Magomed Ibragimov. The lineup is stacked and for Snyder that equates to an opportunity to expand on what's working in the circle and dismiss what has become stale. To watch Snyder and the rest of Team USA, check out the streams on YouTube: Saturday, Dec. 7 (local times): 10 a.m. Qualification Round. 6 p.m. Semifinals Sunday, Dec. 8: 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Consolation and bronze-medal matches 7:30 p.m. Gold-medal matches Free live streams: Tape A | Tape B | Tape C | Final To your questions … Questiion of the Week (InterMat T-shirt winner): Will the college wrestling season even be more exciting than in past years because we have a new No. 1-ranked team this year? -- ponderosad Foley: A new top-ranked team has an immediate impact on the interest of the public! To even think that Iowa can come back into the fold after all these years and perhaps win a national title is exciting for hardcore fans and of course the Iowa faithful. However, don't discount the national sports appeal. Most casual sports fans still think Gable and Iowa when they think of wrestling. The Hawkeyes winning another national title would get massive national coverage. Maybe it's less important, but the fact that Iowa has the most interesting cast of characters is also helpful in driving interest and a narrative that the wrestling community can follow. An enigmatic head coach, the turnaround of DeSanto, transfers -- it all adds up to clicks and viewing hours. I can say in all honesty that this is the most excited I've been about college wrestling in December. Sebastian Rivera after beating Iowa's Spencer Lee to claim a Big Ten title (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Q: I heard Northwestern wrestler Sebastian Rivera is competing for Puerto Rico. Do you think he will make the Olympic team? If so, how do you think he will qualify? -- Mike C. Foley: I don't think Sebastian Rivera is competing against any other wrestlers on the island who can stand with him, which means he'll likely win the opportunity to attend the qualification events of behalf of Puerto Rico. In terms of earning Puerto Rico an Olympic credential Rivera has a pretty decent road at 57 kilograms. He can earn seeding points at the Ranking Series tournament in January and the Pan American Championships the week before the Pan Am Qualifier. If he earns points at both and the USA representative and Cuba's Reineri Ortega don't, then he would be on the high side of the bracket with a very clear road to the finals. His biggest hurdle would then be Oscar Urbano (if he's on Rivera's side). If Rivera fails to earn his qualification in Canada, he will have one more opportunity at the Last Chance qualifier in May. That will be a much tougher road since any/all unqualified nations will send a representative making for some highly competitive and crowded brackets. If I'm Rivera I'm all in on goosing the system to ensure I'm the top seed heading into the Pan Am Qualifiers. Really, really helps the chances. Q: In the cases of wrestling being dropped at various schools over the years, there have been an assortment of reasons. Two of which are greedy athletic directors and football coaches who believe all money, resources and space needs to be for them. Yet, in all cases, even those that had absolutely nothing to with Title IX, the wrestling community blames Title IX. Not saying it's completely innocent but it gets scapegoated all the time. Why do we allow this inaccurate information to be thought of as fact? -- @StonebrakerS Foley: The Title IX storyline revolves around the implementation of Title IX from the 1970's to the mid-1990's and the (shockingly abysmal) inability of wrestling's leadership to quickly and appropriately respond in a manner that would achieve their stated outcomes. Let me be as clear as possible about the cause of the cuts to programs over those 25 years. Until as late as 2004 the philosophy for combating Title IX was to dismantle it through the court system and the executive branch. To those ends, wrestling spent millions of dollars taking the EEOC and Department of Education to court in order to upend their enforcement prongs. They also employed George W. Bush to create commissions and think tanks to come up with palatable solutions for the women on those commissions who (rightly) saw these encroachments as the first step to an unequal system. In terms of failure, it was absolute. There was no discernible achievement made to stem the tide of programs being cut. That means 25 years of abject failure. It wasn't until the early aughties that individual programs sought to reach out to their athletic departments to finance solutions -- either through the creation and support of other women's sports, or the setting up of endowments to preserve and ensure funding for the sport -- that some programs were saved from the chopping block. These solutions were cash-intensive but when used have done well to protect programs. The most powerful remedy to Title IX exposure has been … wait for it … abiding by Title IX by offering women the opportunity to wrestle! To think, if wrestling had taken that tact in the late 1980's maybe there would still be men's programs across the American South and California. Football and Title IX aren't to blame. The blame is solely on wrestling for its inability to view the situation in terms of real politics and adjust to larger societal changes in a timely fashion. The rules were in place and instead of creative problem solving we chose to be intractable. The influence of football on the reduction of program numbers only happens because of Title IX and its rules prompting schools to counter balance their 90-plus scholarships and outrageous spending with equal opportunities for women. Today, the sands are shifting again, albeit in a good way. Women are giving wrestling the upper hand at enrollment-hungry schools due to low cost, equal representation for Title IX, and a passionate fan base. However, those successes could be short-lived. As the student debt crisis gets worse, the NCAA becomes more equitable for the student-athletes, and a recession looming, there is likely to be new challenges in our sport that require strong mobilization and a long-term outlook. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Frank Chamizo at NYRTC Musukaev is the man. Jump to 6-minute mark for the scoring. Brandon Sorensen is fighting leukemia and needs support. Q: Who do you see as a breakout wrestler in Las Vegas? Someone people are kind of sleeping on that will perform above expectations. -- Mike C. Foley: Can I choose Sammy Sasso? Seems like he will be placing higher than his seed (sixth). My boy Cam Coy at Virginia is actually pretty tough. Unsure where he's at this season, but always thought he had a high ceiling. There is also a better-than-zero chance Tariq Wilson puts on a show in Las Vegas. NC State wrestlers show tremendous year-over-year improvement and I'm thinking Wilson will be shaking up the rankings after this weekend. Abdulrashid Sadulaev wore a T-shirt with an image of Imam Shamil during his award ceremony at the World Championships Q: I saw Abdulrashid Sadulaev was suspended. Can you elaborate on this decision to suspend him? Do you have an opinion on it? --Mike C. Foley: This is a pretty straightforward opinion from the international federation for wrestling. No wrestler is allowed to mix political or religious beliefs into the competition, and it looks like Sadulaev is no exception. I can appreciate his beliefs, but from where I'm sitting the decision isn't particularly controversial. Very cut-and-dry. Q: Do you see it as a two-team race between Iowa and Penn State for the national title? -- Mike C. Foley: Yes, but it might be a one-team race if Iowa keeps wrestling the way they did against Wisconsin. Good gravy, they are wrestling like a team destined to achieve something special. It's early, but it's awesome to watch. Q: Should Pilates and Pirates be pronounced the same, and if so, is it two or three syllables? -- @ADChandra Foley: Well, now that you mention it, yes. My wife is about to get a whole new set of Dad jokes, and I'm ever so appreciative to you for the opportunity to make her miserable.

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The Bucknell wrestling team topped Bloomsburg, 24-13, on Thursday night in its home opener at Davis Gym. The Bison (1-2, 0-0 EIWA) used a first-period pin by Matthew Kolonia (149) and decisions by six other wrestlers to power past the Huskies (0-1, 0-0 MAC). Senior Garrett Hoffman (285) put an exclamation mark on the victory, scoring a 9-2 decision in his return from an injury suffered in January of his sophomore year. Brandon Seidman (125) staked Bucknell an early advantage, using a third-period escape to top Christian Gannone, 3-2. After a loss by major decision at 133 pounds put Bloomsburg up by a point, Noah Levett (141) rallied to score a 10-5 decision over Aaron Coleman; Levett took the lead by picking up a takedown and two back points in quick succession and never looked back. Kolonia made quick work of Gavin Hale, bringing the Davis Gym crowd to its feet. After a loss by major decision at 157 pounds, the Hartman brothers won back-to-back bouts to extend the Bison's lead to 18-8. Zach Hartman, who is ranked as high as 15th nationally at 165 pounds, used two takedowns and a 4:06 riding time advantage to down Alex Carida, 5-1. Mitch Hartman, making his first dual appearance since 2017, edged Anthony Vetrano, 3-0, in a physical 174-pound bout. Bolstered by No. 14 Trevor Allard's technical fall at 184 pounds, Bloomsburg cut Bucknell's lead down to 18-13. Drew Phipps ultimately clinched the Bison's victory with a 4-0 decision over Kyle Murphy; Phipps rode out Murphy for the majority of the second period before picking up three points in the final frame. With his decision over Murphy, Phipps also stretched his dual winning streak to 15 bouts; he was last defeated in dual action on Jan. 5, 2018 at Navy. Davis Gym was electric when Hoffman, a 2017 NCAA qualifier at 184 pounds, took the mat for the first time since the 2018 Virginia Duals. Hoffman, who spent the past year and a half working back from an injury, looked strong in his victory over Jarrett Walters. While Walters scored the first takedown of the bout, Hoffman responded by netting eight unanswered points; he picked up an additional point for building a 2:15 edge in riding time. Following the exam break, the Bison travel to Long Island University, the EIWA's newest member, for a 7 p.m. dual on Friday, Dec. 20. They then attend the prestigious Ken Kraft Midlands Championships on Dec. 29-30. Results: 125: Brandon Seidman (BU) dec. over Christian Gannone (BLOOM) 3-2 133: Josh Mason (BLOOM) maj. dec. over Darren Miller (BU) 14-3 141: Noah Levett (BU) dec. over Aaron Coleman (BLOOM) 10-5 149: Matthew Kolonia (BU) fall over Gavin Hale (BLOOM) 2:01 157: Nate Newberry (BLOOM) maj. dec. over Jaden Fisher (BU) 15-5 165: #17 Zach Hartman (BU) dec. over Alex Carida (BLOOM) 5-1 174: Mitch Hartman (BU) dec. over Anthony Vetrano (BLOOM) 3-0 184: #14 Trevor Allard (BLOOM) tech fall over Kyle Inlander (BU) 18-3 (7:00) 197: Drew Phipps (BU) dec. over Kyle Murphy (BLOOM) 4-0 285: Garrett Hoffman (BU) dec. over Jarrett Walters (BLOOM) 9-2

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- The 10th-ranked University of Pittsburgh wrestling team recorded eight wins en route to a 29-6 win over rival West Virginia Thursday night at WVU Coliseum. With the win, the Panthers improve to 3-1 on the year, while the Mountaineers drop to 0-3. The win was the 38th over West Virginia in program history as Pitt moves to 38-25-2 all-time. "We wrestled well," said head coach Keith Gavin. "The goal is continual improvement and our guys are buying into that mindset. We are on the right track." Bonus points played a major factor in the dominant win with three Panthers recording major decisions and one with a technical fall. Redshirt freshman Louis Newell got things started for the Panthers, recording an 11-1 major decision over WVU's Joey Thomas at 125 pounds. Newell jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the first after scoring a takedown and four nearfall. He collected his remaining points via penalty point, an escape, takedown and added his final point with riding time. The major decision gave Pitt a 4-0 lead in the dual. Moving to 133 pounds, fifth-ranked redshirt sophomore Micky Phillippi improved to 8-0 on the year after recording his third career technical fall. Phillippi downed Lucas Seibert, 20-5, in 4:31. He scored five takedowns, back-to-back four nearfalls and two escapes to give the Panthers a 9-0 lead after two bouts. Redshirt freshman Cole Matthews continued Pitt's winning ways at 141 pounds, recording a 4-0 decision over Caleb Rea. The 19th-ranked Panther used a takedown, escape and riding time to secure his fifth win of the year. Redshirt freshman Luke Kemerer returned to the win column Thursday night with an 11-9 decision over Liam Lush at 149 pounds. Kemerer got off to a solid start, leading 6-3 at the end of the first. He built on his lead in the second, escaping off bottom and scoring a takedown to lead 9-3 entering the final frame. In the third, WVU's Liam Lusher escaped off bottom and scored a takedown to bring the score to 9-6. Kemerer escaped but was hit with a second stall warning, awarding a point to Lush. Lush then scored a takedown but it wouldn't be enough as Kemerer added his final point with riding time. The win improved the team score to 15-0 in favor of the Panthers. At 157 pounds, redshirt senior Taleb Rahmani held off Alex Hornfeck in a 7-6 decision. The 12th-ranked Panther was quickly taken down, but scored a reversal to tie it, 2-2. Rahmani started the second on top and Hornfeck escaped, but was taken down. Hornfeck then reversed Rahmani who then escaped. In the third, Rahmani started on bottom and reversed Hornfeck who then escaped but it wouldn't be enough. Rahmani's win gave the Panthers an 18-0 lead through the first five bouts. Following the break, redshirt junior Jake Wentzel improved to 7-0 after recording an 11-0 major decision over Brock Godzin. The 11th-ranked 165-pounder struck first in the opening frame and remained on top for the rest of the first. He started the second on bottom and picked up six points off a reversal and four nearfall. In the third, the two started neutral. Wentzel scored a takedown and added his final point with riding time, giving Pitt a 22-0 lead. Moving to 174 pounds, redshirt junior Gregg Harvey outlasted Scott Joll in a 6-2 decision. Harvey used two takedowns, an escape and riding time to secure the win. Pitt's final win of the day came at 184 pounds as redshirt freshman Nino Bonaccorsi picked up a 13-3 major decision over Jackson Moomau. Bonaccorsi recorded five takedowns, an escape, penalty point and riding time to improve to 7-1 on the year. The Mountaineers won the final two bouts, bringing the final score to 29-6. The Panthers continue action Sunday, Dec. 8 when they travel to Philadelphia to take on Drexel at 1 p.m. Results: 125: Louis Newell (UP) maj. dec. Joey Thomas (WVU), 11-1 – Pitt leads 4-0 133: #5 Micky Phillippi (UP) tech. fall Lucas Seibert (WVU), 20-5, 4:31 – Pitt leads 9-0 141: #19 Cole Matthews (UP) dec. Caleb Rea (WVU), 4-0 – Pitt leads 12-0 149: Luke Kemerer (UP) dec. Liam Lusher (WVU), 11-9 – Pitt leads 15-0 157: #12 Taleb Rahmani (UP) dec. Alex Hornfeck (WVU), 7-6 – Pitt leads 18-0 165: #11 Jake Wentzel (UP) maj. dec. Brock Godzin (WVU), 11-0 – Pitt leads 22-0 174: Gregg Harvey (UP) dec. Scott Joll (WVU), 6-2 – Pitt leads 25-0 184: #8 Nino Bonaccorsi (UP) maj. dec. Jackson Moomau (WVU), 13-3 – Pitt leads 29-0 197: #11 Noah Adams (WVU) dec. Kellan Stout (UP), 8-6 – Pitt leads 29-3 285: Brandon Ngati (WVU) dec. Cole Rickert (UP), 10-3 – Pitt wins 29-6

Greg Kerkvliet gets his hand raised after a win at the U23 World Championships (Photo/Kadir Caliskan, United World Wrestling) Greg Kerkvliet, the nation's No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2019, is headed to Penn State. He made the announcement Thursday on Instagram. After originally committing to Minnesota and then Oklahoma State in high school, Kerkvliet signed with Ohio State. A true freshman, Kerkvliet had yet to wrestle a single match for the Buckeyes. Earlier this year, Kerkvliet had indicated he would take a redshirt this season. However, in a radio interview this summer with Steelwood Radio, Kerkvliet said he planned to participate in Ohio State's wrestle-offs this past week to challenge Chase Singletary, the team's starter at 285 pounds. However, both Buckeye big men were in Budapest, Hungary to participate in the U23 Freestyle World Championships, where Kerkvliet eventually placed fifth at 125 kilograms. Kerkvliet was a four-time state champion in Minnesota. He reached the finals of the Cadet World Championships in freestyle twice, winning a gold medal in 2017 and a silver in 2018.

Allen's Anthony Ferrari is one of nine nationally ranked wrestlers expected to compete (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Fourteen teams from six states will assemble Saturday for the Gardner Edgerton (Kansas) Invitational. The field features three nationally ranked teams: No. 12 Allen (Texas), No. 19 Southeast Polk (Iowa), and No. 40 Broken Arrow (Okla.). Additional notable teams include Goddard (Kansas), Lincoln East (Neb.), and Staley (Mo.); though Staley is likely to be without national No. 1 at 195 pounds Rocky Elam, as he is training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center first semester. Nine nationally ranked wrestlers are slated to compete in the event, including the nation's best overall wrestler, A.J. Ferrari (Allen, Texas) at 220 pounds. Joining Ferrari in that weight will be another nationally ranked competitor in No. 6 Cade Lautt (St. James Academy, Kansas). Also in this weight class are expected to be state champion Ethan Kremer (Mill Valley, Kansas) along with returning state tournament participants Kalob Runyon (Southeast Polk, Iowa) and Hayden Gregg (Staley). Seven other weight classes are projected to feature a nationally ranked wrestler, three of whom are in the top ten nationally at their weight class. No. 7 Braxton Brown (Allen, Texas) anchors the 113-pound weight class, which also features state placers in Bryce Cockrell (Broken Arrow, Okla.) and Brandon Baustert (Lincoln East, Neb.). No. 8 Maxx Mayfield (Lincoln East, Neb.) is featured at 152 pounds. Joining him in that field are state champion Mario Danzi (Allen, Texas); multi-time state placers Jace Fisher (Goddard, Kansas), Micah Lugafet (Deer Creek, Okla.), and Joseph Irwin (Lansing, Kansas); as well as previous state qualifier Camden Baarda (Southeast Polk, Iowa). No. 6 Gabe Christenson (Southeast Polk, Iowa) is expected at 195 pounds, as are state champions Emmanuel Skillings (Broken Arrow, Okla.) and Eli Jansen (Skutt Catholic, Neb.), along with state placer Zane Davis (Allen, Texas) and state participant Noah Spreick (Lincoln East, Neb.) Below is a weight-by-weight listing of key wrestlers for the rest of the field. 106: No. 18. Nathan Jesuroga (Southeast Polk, Iowa), Keith Smith (Lincoln East, Neb.), and Logan Burks (Staley, Mo.) 120: No. 16 Jackson Cockrell (Broken Arrow, Okla.), Jason Henschel (Goddard, Kansas), Kade Moore (Allen, Texas), Jason Gilbert (Deer Creek, Okla.), Camden Maestas (Lansing, Kansas) 126: Keegan Slyter (Olathe North, Kansas), Khyler Brewer (Staley, Mo.), Eli Rocha (Platte County, Mo.), Blazik Perez (Broken Arrow, Okla.), Easton Taylor (Manhattan, Kansas) 132: Jordan Cullors (Broken Arrow, Okla.), Rance Waigand (Allen, Texas), Joel Jesuroga (Southeast Polk, Iowa), Zachary Keal (Mill Valley, Kansas), Cade Manion (Deer Creek, Kansas), Jerrdon Fisher (Goddard, Kansas) 138: Jared Hill (Broken Arrow, Okla.), Caleb Lazure (Skutt Catholic, Neb.), Carter Martinson (Southeast Polk, Iowa), Cade Coons (Staley, Mo.) 145: No. 13 Anthony Ferrari (Allen, Texas), Nicholas Stoltenberg (Skutt Catholic, Neb.), David Brooks (Staley, Mo.), Logan Davidson (Goddard, Kansas), Carson Martinson (Southeast Polka, Iowa) 160: No. 19 Elise Brown Ton (Allen, Texas), Aidan Johnson (Staley, Mo.), Cayleb Atkins (Goddard, Kansas), Deveyon Montgomery (Southeast Polk, Iowa), Tye Rozell (Broken Arrow, Okla.) 170: Bryce Mattioda (Broken Arrow, Okla.), Grant Lyman (Lincoln East, Neb.), Nolan Craine (Goddard, Kansas), Brodie Scott (Mill Valley, Kansas) 182: Trevor Dopps (Goddard, Kansas), Justin Brindley (Southeast Polk, Iowa) 285: Jared Neel (Staley, Mo.), Ge'Auvieon Crayton (Lincoln East, Neb.), Connor Brown (Southeast Polk, Iowa), Kobi Lawrence (Lansing, Kansas)

Mark Hall has three wins over Jordan Kutler over the last two seasons (Photo/Lehigh Athletics) After many teams took a bit of a holiday break last weekend, the season is back in full force this weekend. There are several top duals as well as the annual Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. The following are some of the best potential matches at each weight. 125: No. 1 Spencer Lee (Iowa) vs No. 4 Patrick Glory (Princeton) When/Where: Sunday, Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. ET: Iowa at Princeton (ESPN+) The series between Lee and Glory has been rather interesting so far. Last year, during Glory's true freshman season, the two faced off twice. In the first meeting, Lee got out to a big lead as he is want to do, and he ended up finishing the match in the second period via 18-2 technical fall. The rematch was much more interesting. Once again Lee got out to a big lead, and he had the advantage 12-0 after the first. However, Glory rode him well in the latter two periods and put up six straight points. Lee still took the bout via a 12-6 score, but he looked extremely vulnerable at points. Despite the tough second and third periods against Glory, Lee got back on track and ended up picking up his second NCAA title last season. This year he has gotten off to yet another hot start. He has won all three of his match by a combined score of 49-7. Glory went on to finish sixth at the NCAA tournament to become an All-American in his first season of collegiate wrestling. This season he has defeated all five of his opponents. Glory ran through the field at the Princeton Open with three technical falls and a pin. In his last outing, he went to sudden victory against No. 11 Brandon Paetzell (Lehigh) but still pulled out the win. Considering that Lee holds two wins over Glory, it is not a stretch to call him the favorite in this bout. However, Glory gave him fits in their second meeting, which makes the rematch interesting. The competitive level of this match should serve as a barometer to see where both of these wrestlers are at this point in the season. Prediction: Lee (Iowa) major decision over Glory (Princeton) 133: No. 7 Chas Tucker (Cornell) vs. No. 8 Montorie Bridges (Wyoming) When/Where: Friday/Saturday, Dec. 6-7: Cliff Keen Las Vegas (FloWrestling) Tucker got a bit of a late start to the season as he was representing the U.S. at the U23 World Championships. However, he has certainly made up for lost time with seven straight victories to start the year. Tucker knocked off Ohio State' Dylan Koontz last weekend. Bridges quest to get back on the podium this year hit a bit of a speed bump early in the season. He dropped a one-point match against true freshman Theorius Robinson (Northern Colorado). However, other than that he has been perfect. In his last action, he scored a major decision victory over Zak Hensley (Nebraska) to improve to 6-1 on the year. These two met last year. It was a close bout, and Bridges ended up taking the 2-1 victory in tie breakers. Neither wrestler has really faced that toughest competition this year, so if they meet at CKLV it will be a really good test. Bridges has always been hard to score on, and that should help him pull out another close victory over Tucker. Prediction: Bridges (Wyoming) decision over Tucker (Cornell) 141: No. 1 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State) vs. No. 2 Dom Demas (Oklahoma) When/Where: Friday/Saturday, Dec. 6-7: Cliff Keen Las Vegas (FloWrestling) One of the biggest results of the early part of the season was Pletcher's upset over Demas at the Michigan State Open. At the time, Demas was the No. 1-ranked wrestler at the weight. After defeating him in tie breakers, Pletcher took over that spot and has held onto it since. Pletcher not only won that match, but he has dispatched all nine of his opponents so far this year. Another highlight of the young season for the Buckeye was his sudden victory win over No. 14 Real Woods (Stanford). After back-to-back fourth-place finishes at the NCAA tournament at 133 pounds, Pletcher is a clear title contender this year at 141. Demas burst onto the scene last year with his throwing and pinning ability. He ended up finishing fourth at this weight to become an All-American for the first time. Demas began the year ranked No. 1, but he has had some head-scratching results. He already went to overtime with two unranked wrestlers, including Ohio's Kyran Hagan, who is 1-4 on the season. On the other hand, he remains overly dangerous and pinned No. 6 Chad Red (Nebraska) in a little over a minute last month. This match really represents a contrast in styles. Demas will go for the big move and occasionally makes quick work of solid wrestlers. On the other hand, Pletcher chooses to slow down the match and win close against top competitions. The first round went to Pletcher, and that will likely happen again here. However, one big move from Demas could result in a change at the top of the rankings. Prediction: Pletcher (Ohio State) decision over Demas (Oklahoma) 149: No. 5 Max Thomsen (Northern Iowa) vs. No. 12 Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) When/Where: Friday/Saturday, Dec. 6-7: Cliff Keen Las Vegas (FloWrestling) After becoming an All-American in his first year in the lineup for UNI, Thomsen has seen his last two seasons end in the round of 12. He returns this year as one of the favorites to reach the podium. Things looked great at the start of the year as he won the Cyclone Open and knocked off No. 6 Jarrett Degen (Iowa State) before defeating No. 19 Yahya Thomas (Northwestern). Thomsen then hit a bit of a snag and dropped a decision against No. 13 Collin Purinton (Nebraska) his last time out. Things do not get an easier here against Sasso. After a strong redshirt season last year, many are expecting a breakout performance from Sasso this year. Much like Thomsen he started the year with a lot of momentum. He won the Michigan State Open with wins over Nate Limmex (Purdue) and Kanen Storr (Michigan). The only blemish on his season was a surprising defeat via fall against Brent Moore (Virginia Tech). The expectations around Sasso are huge, and he gets a chance to prove the believers true at the CKLV Invitational. Thomsen will likely be his toughest opponent if they meet. Sasso has let some wrestlers stick around with him, but he should be the one getting his hand raised at the end of the day. Prediction: Sasso (Ohio State) decision over Thomsen (Northern Iowa) 157: No. 1 Hayden Hidlay (NC State) vs. No. 3 David Carr (Iowa State) When/Where: Friday/Saturday, Dec. 6-7: Cliff Keen Las Vegas (FloWrestling) By all accounts, Hidlay appears to be the man to beat at 157 pounds this year. After a second and fourth-place finishes as well as the graduation of Jason Nolf, the junior could find himself at the very top of the podium at the end of the year. Hidlay has been perfect so far this year through eight matches, and he has picked up five bonus-point victories along the way. He has already bested No. 5 Larry Early (ODU), who holds a win over him. After a gold medal performance at the Junior World Championships in the offseason, it looked like the time was now for Carr. However, there were still some lingering concerns about the transferability of his freestyle success to the folkstyle mats. Carr answered those questions in his last outing as he scored a 6-1 victory over No. 4 Kaleb Young (Iowa). Young's noted defense held early, but Carr was persistent and pulled out the win with third-period scoring. If this match happens at CKLV Invitational it will likely draw the most eyeballs of any match this weekend. Carr is clearly one of the next big things in college wrestling. However, it is entirely possible that he will struggle to put points on the board against Hidlay. The NC State wrestler is extremely hard to move out of position and has shown he can get to his offense when needed. Prediction: Hidlay (NC State) decision over Carr (Iowa State) 165: No. 6 David McFadden (Virginia Tech) vs. No. 12 Ethan Smith (Ohio State) When/Where: Friday/Saturday, Dec. 6-7: Cliff Keen Las Vegas (FloWrestling) Earlier this season Virginia Tech picked up an epic dual victory over Ohio state. However, in that match, Smith picked up one of his biggest wins to date as he knocked off McFadden. The match was somewhat controversial as Smith benefited from two penalty points, and there was a meaningful video review. The two could easily meet at the CKLV Invitational to settle the score. Outside of his loss against Smith, McFadden has been perfect on the season. He won the Navy Classic, and his run through the field included a win over No. 17 Zach Hartman (Bucknell). McFadden also knocked off former top prospect Peyton Mocco (Missouri). Last season Smith had 13 losses, but he still managed to reach the round of 16 at the NCAA tournament. The Ohio State faithfuls were looking for him to take a big step forward this year. The victory over McFadden was big for him, but his season record still stands at 7-3. Another win and a strong performance at the CKLV Invitational would do wonders for his confidence going forward. McFadden would have won the first match if the review went his way, but at the same time the referees probably got the call correct. This will likely be another close match. McFadden was the favorite in the first bout, and he remains the favorite here. Prediction: McFadden (Virginia Tech) decision over Smith (Ohio State) 174: No. 1 Mark Hall (Penn State) vs. No. 2 Jordan Kutler (Lehigh) When/Where: Friday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. ET: Penn State at Lehigh (ESPN+) With Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) moving up to 184 pounds, Hall became the prohibitive favorite at 174 pounds. He has annihilated his competition so far this year. The three-time NCAA finalist has won all five of his matches with two major decisions and three falls. Kutler has also benefited from Valencia's move out of the weight. He finds himself in the No. 2 spot. He has nearly been as dominant as Hall this year. The two-time All-American is riding a seven-match winning streak that includes three major decisions and two falls. Kutler also knocked off No. 5 Mikey Labriola (Nebraska) at the Journeyman Collegiate Classic earlier this year. On one hand, Hall owns three victories over Kutler over the last two seasons. On the other hand, none of the matches have been blowouts. Their first meeting was a one-point win and the other two each had a four-point differential. Obviously Hall is the favorite, but Kutler could almost certainly pull off the upset. Hall likes to play it close, and that almost always works out for him. Kutler would need to greatly increase his volume on the feet and that seems unlikely to happen. Prediction: Hall (Penn State) decision over Kutler (Lehigh) 184: No. 1 Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) vs. No. 4 Trent Hidlay (NC State) When/Where: Friday/Saturday, Dec. 6-7: Cliff Keen Las Vegas (FloWrestling) Valencia is probably itching to get back on the mats. Even though his squad stopped Penn State's long winning streak in their last dual, he did not get a chance to compete as the Nittany Lions forfeited to him. The two-time NCAA champion is 8-0 on the year with all of his wins coming with bonus points save for his one-point win over No. 6 Taylor Venz (Nebraska). Hidlay has started off his first season as a starter with a bang. He has won all six of his matches, and he has already picked up a pair of signature wins. First he bested No. 7 Ben Darmstadt (Cornell). Hidlay then returned in the same weekend and defeated No. 6 Lou DePrez (Binghamton). The competition gets much tougher for Hidlay here, but he has passed every test so far. Valencia is going to be the favorite in every match he wrestles this year, so he will almost certainly walk away as the champion of the CKLV Invitational. However, it is always interesting to see if the up and coming prospect can take out a returning champion. Prediction: Valencia (Arizona State) decision over Hidlay (NC State) 197: No. 2 Patrick Brucki (Princeton) vs. No. 3 Jacob Warner (Iowa) When/Where: Sunday, Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. ET: Iowa at Princeton (ESPN+) Brucki finished third at the NCAA tournament last year and all three of his losses came against wrestlers who have since graduated. He starts the season as the second-ranked wrestler, and he could very easily make it to the NCAA finals. He defaulted out of his first competition of the season. However, he was back on the mat last weekend and picked up a 7-4 decision over No. 15 Jake Jakobsen (Lehigh). This season has been a bit of a mixed bag for Warner so far. He has won all three of his matches and climbed into the top three in the country. However, he has had some difficulty distancing himself from lesser competition. For example, in his last match he scored a 5-2 decision over Taylor Watkins (Wisconsin). Watkins came into the match with an 0-5 record and a 21-26 career record against Division I competition. If Brucki is healthy he should be able to control this match on the feet and do enough to win. Warner has struggled to get out on bottom against higher level competition and struggles to score too often in his matches. This match might happen against at tournament time, so it should provide some much needed experience for Warner. Prediction: Brucki (Princeton) decision over Warner (Iowa) 285: No. 1 Anthony Cassar (Penn State) vs. No. 10 Jordan Wood (Lehigh) When/Where: Friday, Dec. 6 at 7 p.m. ET: Penn State at Lehigh (ESPN+) The returning NCAA champion has wrestled only two matches so far this season. He also did not compete in freestyle at the Bill Farrell like some of his Penn State teammates. Regardless, he is 2-0, and he knocked off All-American No. 6 Tanner Hall (Arizona State). Wood was one of the top returning placers at the start of this season. However, he has fallen somewhat down the rankings due to a pair of losses. He dropped a match against No. 5 Tate Orndorff (Utah Valley) and another against No. 9 Demetrius Thomas (Pittsburgh). Despite those losses he remains a top heavyweight and will likely return to the podium at the end of the season. Last year Cassar's heavyweight coming-out party really came against Wood. After moving up from 197 pounds, his first real heavyweight test was against Wood, and he passed it with a major decision. This could be an interesting match again this year. Wood really needs to get back his momentum, but that could be a tough task against the NCAA champion. Prediction: Cassar (Penn State) decision over Wood (Lehigh)

Joe Johnston (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Joe Johnston has the unique distinction of knocking off two top seeds at an NCAA wrestling championship in consecutive years. The Kansas native and past Iowa Hawkeye joins Chad Dennis on The MatBoss Podcast to talk about his wrestling career, coaching at Missouri and now his new post, coaching at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Johnston talks about the unique situation service academies bring to the world of wrestling and the student-athletes who have unique educational experiences along the way. 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

Returning CKLV Invitational champion Isaiah White is pre-seeded No. 1 at 165 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) LAS VEGAS -- The pre-seeds have been released for the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, which takes place Friday and Saturday at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Notes: Final seeds are subject to change following weigh-ins on Friday. InterMat national ranking listed to the right. 125: 1. Jack Mueller (Virginia) -- No. 2 2. Alex Mackall (Iowa State) -- No. 6 3. Devin Schroeder (Purdue) -- No. 9 4. Jakob Camacho (NC State) -- No. 15 5. Jacob Schwarm (Northern Iowa) -- No. 16 6. Brandon Courtney (Arizona State) -- No. 19 7. Jace Koelzer (Northern Colorado) 8. Cole Verner (Wyoming) 9. Patrick McKee (Minnesota) 10. Alex Thomsen (Nebraska) 133: 1. Chas Tucker (Cornell) -- No. 7 2. Montorie Bridges (Wyoming) -- No. 8 3. Taylor Lamont (Utah Valley) -- No. 9 4. Jarrett Trombley (NC State) -- No. 13 5. Josh Kramer (Arizona State) -- No. 14 6. Anthony Madrigal (Oklahoma) -- No. 15 7. Tim Rooney (Kent State) -- No. 20 8. Chance Rich (CSU Bakersfield) 9. Collin Gerardi (Virginia Tech) 10. Quinn Kinner (Ohio State) 11. Tye Varndell (Edinboro) 12. Louie Hayes (Virginia) 141: 1. Luke Pletcher (Ohio State) -- No. 1 2. Dom Demas (Oklahoma) -- No. 2 3. Mitch McKee (Minnesota) -- No. 4 4. Chad Red (Nebraska) -- No. 6 5. Tariq Wilson (NC State) -- No. 12 6. Ian Parker (Iowa State) -- No. 13 7. Mitch Moore (Virginia Tech) -- No. 18 8. Cole Mattin (Michigan) 9. Durbin Lloren (Fresno State) 149: 1. Max Thomsen (Northern Iowa) -- No. 5 2. Jarrett Degen (Iowa State) -- No. 6 3. Griffin Parriott (Purdue) -- No. 7 4. Brock Zacherl (Clarion) -- No. 8 5. Brayton Lee (Minnesota) -- No. 9 6. Sammy Sasso (Ohio State) -- No. 12 7. Collin Purinton (Nebraska) -- No. 13 8. Yahya Thomas (Northwestern) -- No. 19 9. Denton Spencer (Virginia) -- No. 20 10. Henry Pohlmeyer (South Dakota State) 11. Russell Rohlfing (CSU Bakersfield) 12. Brent Moore (Virginia Tech) 13. Josh Maruca (Arizona State) 157: 1. Hayden Hidlay (NC State) -- No. 1 2. Ryan Deakin (Northwestern) -- No. 2 3. David Carr (Iowa State) -- No. 3 4. Kendall Coleman (Purdue) -- No. 8 5. Will Lewan (Michigan) -- No. 11 6. Justin Thomas (Oklahoma) -- No. 14 7. Ke-Shawn Hayes (Ohio State) 8. Jacori Teemer (Arizona State) 9. Peyton Robb (Nebraska) 165: 1. Isaiah White (Nebraska) -- No. 4 2. Josh Shields (Arizona State) -- No. 5 3. David McFadden (Virginia Tech) -- No. 6 4. Andrew Fogarty (North Dakota State) -- No. 8 5. Ethan Smith (Ohio State) -- No. 12 6. Thomas Bullard (NC State) -- No. 13 7. Phillip Conigliaro (Harvard) -- No. 14 8. Emil Soehnlen (Purdue) 9. Ricky Stamm (Hofstra) 10. Cam Coy (Virginia) 174: 1. Bryce Steiert (Northern Iowa) -- No. 4 2. Mikey Labriola (Nebraska) -- No. 5 3. Dylan Lydy (Purdue) -- No. 7 4. Anthony Valencia (Arizona State) -- No. 8 5. Devin Skatzka (Minnesota) -- No. 9 6. Daniel Bullard (NC State) -- No. 13 7. Kaleb Romero (Ohio State) -- No. 14 8. Brandon Womack (Cornell) -- No. 15 9. Jackson Hemauer (Fresno State) -- No. 16 10. Hayden Hastings (Wyoming) -- No. 19 11. Anthony Mantanona (Oklahoma) 12. Marcus Coleman (Iowa State) 13. Jacob Oliver (Edinboro) 14. Kimball Bastian (Utah Valley) 184: 1. Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) -- No. 1 2. Taylor Lujan (Northern Iowa) -- No. 3 3. Trent Hidlay (NC State) -- No. 4 4. Lou DePrez (Binghamton) -- No. 5 5. Taylor Venz (Nebraska) -- No. 6 6. Ben Darmstadt (Cornell) -- No. 7 7. Hunter Bolen (Virginia Tech) -- No. 9 8. Sammy Colbray (Iowa State) -- No. 11 9. Jelani Embree (Michigan) -- No. 15 10. Zach Carlson (South Dakota State) -- No. 18 11. Owen Webster (Minnesota) -- No. 19 12. Max Lyon (Purdue) 13. Alan Clothier (Northern Colorado) 14. Tate Samuelson (Wyoming) 197: 1. Kollin Moore (Ohio State) -- No. 1 2. Jay Aiello (Virginia) -- No. 7 3. Tanner Sloan (South Dakota State) -- No. 8 4. Eric Shultz (Nebraska) -- No. 10 5. Thomas Lane (Cal Poly) -- No. 12 6. Jake Woodley (Oklahoma) -- No. 16 7. Christian Brunner (Purdue) -- No. 17 8. Tanner Orndorff (Utah Valley) -- No. 18 9. Kordell Norfleet (Arizona State) -- No. 19 10. Lucas Davison (Northwestern) 285: 1. Mason Parris (Michigan) -- No. 2 2. Tate Orndorff (Utah Valley) -- No. 5 3. Tanner Hall (Arizona State) -- No. 6 4. Chase Singletary (Ohio State) -- No. 7 5. Christian Lance (Nebraska) -- No. 13 6. Brian Andrews (Wyoming) -- No. 14 7. Gannon Gremmel (Iowa State) -- No. 16 8. Brandon Metz (North Dakota State) -- No. 19 9. Carter Isley (Northern Iowa) -- No. 20 10. John Borst (Virginia Tech) 11. Jon Spaulding (Edinboro) 12. Yaraslau Slavikouski (Harvard)

Lourdes University just outside Toledo will be adding a women's intercollegiate wrestling program starting in the 2020-21 school year, according to a report at TransitionWrestling.com, a website devoted to covering women's collegiate wrestling. The website also reports that Lourdes will be the first NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) school in Ohio to offer women's wrestling. "Women's wrestling is moving quickly and growing fast on the NAIA scene," Janet Eaton, Lourdes Athletic Director, told TransitionWrestling.com. "Lourdes athletics is a place where all can be successful. We welcome diversity and inclusion while being the first to break down barriers with stereotypes in a healthy environment. The addition of the sport aligns with the goal and mission of both athletics and the university as a whole." Lourdes University in the process of seeking a head coach for the new women's wrestling program. Candidates who wish to be considered may send their resume, cover letter and contact information for three references direct to the school at resume@lourdes.edu. 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.

Ed Ruth gets his hand raised after beating Jason Jackson (Photo/Bellator) Ed Ruth is taking another significant step in his successful MMA career. Three years after his first MMA bout, the former Penn State wrestling champ will be appearing in his first main event. Ruth will headline Bellator 239 at the WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackervile, Oklahoma on February 21 where he'll face undefeated Yaroslav Amosov in the welterweight (170-pound) match. The 29-year-old Ruth, who launched his pro MMA career in November 2016 with the Bellator organization, is now 8-1. That one loss was to Neiman Gracie at the Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix earlier this year. Since then, Ruth has notched two consecutive victories ... and signed a new contract with Bellator this summer. Yaroslav Amosov, 26, will also be making his first appearance in a main event. The Russian is 22-0 overall, with three wins in Bellator bouts. Among his more impressive opponents: Erick Silva, Gerald Harris and David Rickels. Prior to entering MMA competition, Ed Ruth made a name for himself in wrestling. The Harrisburg, Pennsylvania native was a three-time NCAA champ for Penn State.

Drake Ayala (Fort Dodge, Iowa) is ranked No. 3 at 120 pounds (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) Thirty-three schools will convene for the season-opening Cliff Keen Independence (Iowa) Invitational on Friday and Saturday. The event will start off with preliminary pool competition, and then break down into flighted eight-man brackets based on placement in the preliminary pool round. Three Fab 50 teams anchor the field: No. 25 Simley (Minn.), No. 45 Christian Brothers College (Mo.), and No. 47 Fort Dodge. Christian Brothers College won the event last year, but likely will be without the services of Joshua Saunders, who is ranked No. 3 nationally at 145 pounds, this weekend since he is at the USOTC through first semester. Three additional Iowa teams will also be among those in contention: Iowa City West, Lisbon, and Osage. The 138-pound weight class is absolutely loaded, with three of the nation's top ten wrestlers: No. 6 Cael Happel (Lisbon), No. 7 Ryan Sokol (Simley, Minn.) and No. 9 Caleb Rathjen (Ankeny). Additional contenders include Christian Stanek (Cedar Rapids Xavier), Aidan Nutter (Fennimore, Wis.), Dreyzon Phillips (Fort Dodge), Kendall Norfleet (Marian Catholic, Ill.), Devan Lewis (Smithville, Mo.), and Hudson Taylor (Solon). Drake Ayala (Fort Dodge), who is ranked No. 3 nationally at 120 pounds, is the lone additional ranked wrestler expected to compete in the tournament. Other notables in that weight class include Austin Kegley (Cedar Rapids Prairie) and Jacob Fryer (Christian Brothers College, Mo.). Below is a summary of other notable wrestlers across the weight classes: 106: Kolby Warren (Christian Brothers College, Mo.), Grant O'Dell (Iowa City West), Brandon O'Brien (Linn-Mar), and Quincy Happel (Lisbon) 113: Trevor Anderson (Ankeny), Carter Fousek (Crestwood), Lane Cowell (Fort Dodge), Cade Siebrecht (Lisbon), and Reid Nelson (Simley, Minn.) 126: Alex Flerlage (Christian Brothers College, Mo.), Mason Lull (Fennimore, Wis.), Carson Taylor (Fort Dodge), Isaiah Weber (Independence), Bryce Parke (Linn-Mar), and Joe Sullivan (Osage) 132: Brooks Cowell (Fort Dodge), Hunter Garvin (Iowa City West), Robert Avila (Lisbon), Averee Abben (Osage), and Chase DeBlaere (Simley, Minn.) 145: Sam Kallem (Ankeny) and Cael Berg (Simley) 152: Vincent Zerban (Christian Brothers College, Mo.), Kody Cook (Fort Dodge), Graham Gambrall (Iowa City West), Eli Loyd (Pleasant Valley), Ryan Hampton (Smithville, Mo.), and Zeb Gnida (Solon) 160: Zach Williams (Osage) 170: Lucas White (Christian Brothers College, Mo.), Micky Griffith (Des Moines Lincoln), Matthew Doyle (Independence), Ashton Barker (Iowa City West), Spencer Mooberry (Osage), and Nolan Wanzek (Simley, Minn.) 182: Cole Davis (Independence), Will Hoeft (Iowa City West), and Gavin Nelson (Simley, Minn.) 195: Jack Darrah (Christian Brothers College, Mo.), Ashton Stoner-DeGroot (Cedar Rapids Prairie), Levi Egli (Fort Dodge), Cole Clark (Lisbon), Evan Rosonke (New Hampton), and Quayin Short (Simley, Minn.) 220: Bennett Tabor (Simley, Minn.) 285: Danen Settles (Fort Madison), Brant Baltes (Lisbon), and Taven Rich (Maquoketa)

This first full week of December begins the scholastic wrestling season in earnest for most parts of the country. Below is a listing of scheduled competitions during the week of Dec. 4-10 for teams that appear in the InterMat Fab 50 national high school team rankings. No. 1 Blair Academy, N.J. Competes in the Germantown Academy (Pa.) Tournament on Saturday No. 2 Wyoming Seminary, Pa. Travels to South Huntington, N.Y. for a tri-meet against St. Anthony's (N.Y.) and Chaminade (N.Y.) on Saturday No. 3 Buchanan, Calif. Competes in the Chuckchansi Invitational at Madera South (Calif.) on Friday and Saturday No. 4 St. Edward, Ohio Hosts quad meet on Saturday with Beavercreek (Ohio), Massillon Perry (Ohio), and Westerville North (Ohio) No. 8 Montini Catholic, Ill. Hosts tri-meet on Friday with Marist (Ill.) and Moline (Ill.); travel to No. 21 Chicago (Ill.) Mt. Carmel on Saturday for quad meet along with Providence Catholic (Ill.) and Wheaton North (Ill.) No. 9 Tuttle, Okla. Hosts dual meet against Deer Creek (Okla.) on Tuesday 12/10 No. 11 Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio Competes in the Indianapolis (Ind.) Cathedral Six-Way on Saturday No. 12 Allen, Texas Competes in the Gardner Edgerton (Kansas) Invitational on Saturday No. 13 Poway, Calif. Competes in the Marauder Invitational at Mira Mesa (Calif.) on Friday and Saturday No. 15 Elyria, Ohio Hosts double dual on Saturday with Tiffin (Ohio) Columbian and Ashtabula (Ohio) St. John No. 18 St. John Bosco, Calif. Competes in the Cossarek Classic at Westminster (Calif.) on Friday and Saturday No. 19 Southeast Polk, Iowa Hosts dual meet against Ames (Iowa) on Thursday, competes in the Gardner Edgerton (Kansas) Invitational on Saturday No. 20 Shakopee, Minn. Travels to Farmington (Minn.) for a dual meet on Thursday, travels to Bemidji (Minn.) for a tri-meet on Tuesday 12/10 along with Detroit Lakes (Minn.) No. 21 Chicago (Ill.) Mt. Carmel Hosts multi-team dual meet event on Saturday, which also includes No. 8 Montini Catholic (Ill.) No. 24 Stillwater, Minn. Travels to East Ridge (Minn.) for quad meet on Thursday along with Roseville (Minn.) and White Bear Lake (Minn.) No. 25 Simley, Minn. Competes in the Independence (Iowa) Invitational on Friday and Saturday No. 26 Liberty, Mo. Competes in the Leavenworth (Kansas) Tournament on Saturday, travels to Kearney (Mo.) for dual meet on Tuesday 12/10 No. 27 Malvern Prep, Pa. Competes in the Ephrata (Pa.) Duals on Saturday No. 28 Selma, Calif. Competes in the La Costa Canyon (Calif.) Classic on Friday and Saturday No. 29 Mt. St. Joseph, Md. Competes in the Washington (W.Va.) Elite Opener Tournament on Saturday No. 30 Millard South, Neb. Competes in the Sergeant Bluff-Luton (Iowa) Tournament on Saturday, travels to Elkhorn South (Neb.) for dual meet on Tuesday 12/10 No. 32 Wadsworth, Ohio Hosts tri-meet on Friday with Streetsboro (Ohio) and Mansfield Madison (Ohio) No. 33 Clovis, Calif. Competes in the Newberry Park (Calif.) Invitational on Saturday, hosts dual meet against Bakersfield (Calif.) on Tuedsay 12/10 No. 35 Brownsburg, Ind. Hosts dual meet against Westfield (Ind.) tonight, competes in the Harrison (Ohio) Duals on Saturday No. 36 Waverly-Shell Rock, Iowa Travels to West Delaware (Iowa) for dual meet on Thurdsday, competes in the Keith Young Invitational at Cedar Falls (Iowa) on Saturday No. 37 Clovis North, Calif. Split squad on Friday and Saturday between the Vacaville (Calif.) Duals and the Chuckchansi Invitational at Madera South (Calif.) No. 38 Mustang, Okla. Travels to Shawnee (Okla.) for dual meet on Thursday, travels to Yukon (Okla.) for dual meet on Friday No. 39 St. Paris Graham, Ohio Competes in the Marysville (Ohio) Duals on Saturday No. 40 Broken Arrow, Okla. Hosts dual meet against Owasso (Okla.) on Thurdsay, travels to No. 41 Park Hill (Mo.) for dual meet on Friday, competes in the Gardner Edgerton (Kansas) Invitational on Saturday No. 41 Park Hill, Mo. Hosts dual meet against No. 40 Broken Arrow (Okla.) on Friday, hosts the Park Hill (Mo.) Duals on Saturday No. 42 DeKalb, Ill. Hosts dual meet against Neuqua Valley (Ill.) on Friday, competes in the Washington (Ill.) Duals on Saturday No. 43 Nazareth, Pa. Competes in the Cumberland Valley (Pa.) Kickoff Classic on Friday and Saturday No. 44 Stoughton, Wis. Travels to McFarland (Wis.) for tri-meet on Friday along with Monona Grove (Wis.), hosts the Pieper Duals on Saturday No. 45 Christian Brothers College, Mo. Competes in the Independence (Iowa) Invitational on Friday and Saturday No. 47 Fort Dodge, Iowa Hosts dual meet against Ankeny Centennial (Iowa) on Thursday, competes in the Independence (Iowa) Invitational on Saturday No. 48 Crescent Valley, Ore. Competes in the Perry Burlison Classic at Cascade (Ore.) on Saturday No. 49 Pomona, Colo. Travels to Bear Creek (Colo.) for dual meet tonight, competes in the Battle for the Belt at Pine Creek (Colo.) on Friday and Saturday Off this week: No. 5 Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.), No. 6 Bergen Catholic (N.J.), No. 7 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.), No. 10 Gilroy (Calif.), No. 14 Davison (Mich.), No. 16 Delbarton (N.J.), No. 17 Brighton (Mich.), No. 22 Brecksville (Ohio), No. 23 Southern Columbia (Pa.), No. 31 St. Joseph Montvale (N.J.), No. 34 Lowell (Mich.), No. 46 Dundee (Mich.) and No. 50 Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.)

Alex Marinelli gets in on a shot against Iowa State (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) It's not as if the Iowa Hawkeye wrestling program doesn't have an illustrious history built on tradition, swagger and championships -- it does. In fact, Iowa has 23 NCAA team championships, 11 Big Ten dual championships, and more than 80 individual titles by more than 50 different wrestlers. That said, the recent dominance of Penn State since 2011, one year after Iowa captured its last team title has been unparalleled -- winning eight of the last nine team titles. The one exception being the 2014-15 year when Nico Megaludis, Zain Retherford, Jason Nolf, and Bo Nickal all redshirted simultaneously. These four earned 10 individual championships between them. In totality, 12 Nittany Lion grapplers have brought 23 individual championships to State College since their run began in 2011. Quite frankly, Penn State wrestling is the most dominant active dynasty in all of sports. Thus, Penn State's recent 19-18 dual meet loss to then No. 6 Arizona State in Tempe, in front of what was a record-setting Sun Devil-laden crowd, sent shockwaves across the NCAA. After all, it's not every day that a 60-match dual meet winning-streak is brought to an end, even if by the smallest of margins. In all fairness to Penn State, injuries forced Cael Sanderson's squad to travel to the desert short-handed. Starters Brady Berge and Shakur Rasheed, both consensus top-10 wrestlers by every major ranking site, were out of action due to injury. This, coupled with Penn State's decision to forfeit at 184-pounds proved too much to overcome. Despite winning five bouts, the Nittany Lions were downed for the first time since 2015, prompting over 8,000 upset-minded fans to storm the mat at Desert Financial Arena. Penn State has yet to take to the mat since their Nov. 22 defeat. Iowa on the other hand has wrestled twice since then. First, the Hawkeyes took to the road for the annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series with rival Iowa State. To say that their performance was dominant would be an understatement. The Brands brothers watched as their beloved Hawkeyes won 8-of-10 bouts, recording a 28-4 edge in takedowns and a 90-38 advantage in match points. Iowa's Spencer Lee is ranked No. 1 at 125 pounds (Photo/HawkeyeSports.com) Spencer Lee (125), Austin DeSanto (133), Michael Kemerer (174) and Jacob Warner (197) all recorded bonus-point victories. Alex Marinelli (165), and what looks to be a dangerous freshman duo in Nelson Brands (184), and Tony Cassioppi (285) all secured wins against ranked opponents. Additionally, Pat Lugo (149) extracted revenge on a ranked opponent of his own, Jarrett Degen, winning for the first time in three meetings against Degen. Iowa only faltered at 141 where backup Carter Happel fell to Ian Parker, a ranked Iowa State Cyclone in sudden victory. The other Hawkeye loss and at 157, an upset where Iowa All-American Kaleb Young was bested by David Carr, son of ISU great and three-time Cyclone national champion Nate Carr. Early indications show that the former Carr could be a chip off the old block, poised to be a freshman phenom. Iowa followed up their rivalry match in Ames with a near-perfect showing in a Big Ten opener in front of more than 10,000 at the always rowdy and passionate Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Black & Gold were downright scary -- winning 9-of-10 bouts escaping with the 32-3 trouncing over a talented No. 6 Badgers squad. Picking a marquee match for Sunday's conference showdown is an impossible task -- there were several. Austin DeSanto upset No. 1 Seth Gross at 133, handing the former national champion his first NCAA loss at 133 pounds since former Iowa star Cory Clark beat him, 4-3, in the 2017 NCAA finals. Tony Cassioppi topped No. 2 Trent Hillger at 285, and Alex Marinelli defeated No. 3 Evan Wick at 165 in what is sure to be the first of their many epic battles this season. While DeSanto, Cassioppi, and Marinelli may have drawn the biggest cheers from the Iowa City faithful, Kemerer's pin and Lee's technical fall cannot be overlooked. Max Murin, Pat Lugo, Kaleb Young and Jacob Warner all showed the ability to battle and win the close match at their respective weights too. Even in defeat, backup Cash Wilcke, in the lineup at 184 for a sick Nelson Brands showed grit in a tough sudden-victory loss. Iowa is off to a ferocious 3-0 start with two wins over quality, ranked opponents and a 39-0 shutout over Tennessee-Chattanooga, complete with five bonus-point wins. They have won 27-of-30 individual meets and are winning by an average dual score of better than 33-3. Not to mention, the Hawks are probably as deep as they have been since the 2010 title run. They have seven returning All-Americans, plus a very capable Cash Wilcke who is a three-time Big Ten placer who has finished one round shy of All-American. Plus, some might forget Gavin Teasdale, a four-time PIAA state champion with 162 high school wins to his name. Teasdale adds additional depth to what is the most talented group of lightweights in the country. The season is still young. There is plenty of time for injuries to heal. The team race is more open than it has been in recent memory as some of the nation's best prep for Tokyo 2020. But this is Iowa's year to reclaim their spot atop the proverbial mountain. And, maybe even string together a title streak of their own. Looking ahead to next year, Iowa looks to return eight of the ten athletes currently in the starting lineup. Penn State will have a bit more rebuilding to do. The Nittany Lions will say goodbye to quite the accomplished group of seniors in Vincenzo Joseph, Mark Hall, Shakur Rasheed and Kyle Conel. Anthony Cassar has one more year of eligibility remaining, but his international wrestling aspiration could draw him away from State College as well. Penn State is a good team, but this year and the next, Iowa is looking to be great, with an offensive juggernaut capable of scoring in a hurry. The Hawks are very deserving of their No. 1 ranking -- one they likely won't be relinquishing any time soon.