InterMat Staff

KENT, Ohio -- Michigan State wrestling opened the 2019-20 dual meet season with a pair of victories over Kent State and No. 20 Oklahoma on Saturday, Nov. 16 at Kent State's Tri-Meet inside the MAC Center. In a triangular scramble format, the Spartans rotated between two mats throughout the day against Kent State and Oklahoma. MSU, which ranks No. 29 in the latest team rankings, defeated the Sooners, 21-16, and followed with a dominating 36-6 win over the Golden Flashes. "Today was a complete team effort and we kept competing on each and every mat until the end," said fourth year Head Coach Roger Chandler. "The guys were always looking for bonus points and we only gave up a bonus point in one match today. More than half of our victories today were bonus points and that's a testament to our guys looking to put points on the board." MSU's win over Oklahoma is its first since Feb. 2, 2003 and the ninth time overall out of 48 meetings. Michigan State's win over No. 20 Oklahoma was the first over a top-25 team since 2013. Redshirt junior Christian Rebottaro cemented MSU's 21-16 win over Oklahoma in the final match of the day. Tied at one in late in the third period with Josiah Jones and with MSU leading 18-16 in the meet, Rebottaro scored a takedown in the final seconds to win 3-1 at 285 points. MSU was docked a team point for failure to control mat after the bout at 174 pounds. "We've been talking within our program about taking the next step forward," said Chandler. " Today was a big step in defeating a top-25 team and our guys are hungry and want to prove that they belong among the best teams in the country. Oklahoma is a traditionally nationally successful team every year, and our guys stepping up and going toe-to-toe with them is affirmation that they are doing the right things!" The Spartans are 2-0 to start the season for the second-straight year. MSU had five falls in its victory over Kent State. Redshirt senior Logan Griffin earned two big wins for the Green and White at 125 pounds, a fall over Earl Blake of Kent State at 6:26 and a 11-2 major decision win over Oklahoma's Tommy Hoskins. No. 17-ranked ranked Cameron Caffey, from Carbondale, Ill., sparked the Spartans with two pins at 184 pounds over Tyler Bates of Kent State 1:37 into the match and over Darrien Roberts of Oklahoma at the 4:57 mark. Redshirt junior Drew Hughes joined Caffey with two falls on the day at 165 pounds. Hughes dominated OU's Jose Lao Cooper with a pin at 1:07 in the first period and followed with a fall at the 2:29 mark over KSU's Kade Byland. Rebottaro improved to 2-0 with a fall at the 4:42 mark over Kent State's Spencer Berthold. The match of the day came at 141 pounds between MSU's Matt Santos and No. 2 Dom Demas of Oklahoma. Santos put up a fight with Demas as the two were tied at one after three periods. Demas recorded a takedown in sudden victory for the win. "This is a great start to the 2019-20 season and I'm excited for our guys," said Chandler. "We have to use this momentum and get better for the Navy Classic next week." MSU travels to Annapolis, Md. on Saturday, Nov. 23 for the Navy Classic. Air Force, American, Brown, Bucknell, Campbell, The Citadel, Cleveland State, Edinboro, George Mason, Kent State, Lock Haven, Michigan State, Navy, Ohio, Old Dominion, Oregon State, Rutgers and Virginia Tech are among the teams competing in the Navy Classic. All action will take place inside Navy's Wesley Brown Field House and will be live streamed through FloWrestling. Michigan State 21, No. 20 Oklahoma 16 133: #13 Anthony Madrigal dec. Garrett Pepple, 4-0, OU leads 3-0 157: #17 Justin Thomas dec. #16 Jake Tucker, 6-2, OU leads 6-0 184: # 17 Cam Caffey wins by fall Darrien Roberts, (4:57), MSU-OU tied at 6 141: #2 Dom Demas dec. (SV-1) Matt Santos ,3-1, OU leads 9-6 165: Drew Hughes wins by fall Jose Lao Cooper, (1:07), MSU leads 12-9 197: #12 Jake Woodley major dec. Nick May, 12-3, OU leads 13-12 125: Logan Griffin major dec. Tommy Hoskins, 11-2, MSU leads 16-13 149: Jaden Enriquez dec. (SV-2) Jacob Butler ,3-1, MSU leads 19-13 174: #21 Anthony Mantanona dec. Layne Malczewski, 6-3, MSU leads 18-16* 285: #30 Christian Rebottaro dec. Josiah Jones, MSU wins 21-16 *1 point was subtracted from MSU following the bout at 174 (failure to control mat) Michigan State 36, Kent State 6 165: Drew Hughes wins by fall Kade Byland, (2:29), MSU leads 6-0 141: Matt Santos dec. Cory Simpson, 3-2, MSU leads 9-0 197: Brenden McRill dec. Colin McCracken, 5-3, MSU leads 12-0 125: Logan Griffin wins by fall Earl Blake, (6:26), MSU leads 18-0 149: Alex Hrispoloulos dec. Kody Komara, 5-3, MSU leads 21-0 174: Andrew McNally dec. (SV-1) Layne Malczewski, 13-11, MSU leads 21-3 285: #30 Christian Rebottaro wins by fall Spencer Berthold, (4:42), MSU leads 27-3 133: Tim Rooney dec. Jake Spiess, 8-5, MSU leads 27-6 184: #17 Cam Caffey wins by fall Tyler Bates, (1:37), MSU leads 33-6 157: #16 Jake Tucker dec Brady Chrisman, 11-5, MSU wins 36-6

STANFORD, Calif. -- Stanford wrestling opened its home schedule with a 21-11 upset win over No. 17 North Carolina, Saturday, in Burnham Pavilion. The Cardinal (1-1) won seven of the 10 bouts against North Carolina (1-1), including three wins over individually ranked Tar Heels. Tyler Eischens, a redshirt freshman from Anoka, Minnesota, trailed No. 16 A.C. Headlee 2-1 after the opening period at 157 pounds. Headlee went down to start the second and a strong ride by Eischens kept the score 2-1. Eischens tied it up with an escape to start the third before scoring the winning takedown to seal the upset. Ranked eighth at 165 pounds, redshirt freshman Shane Griffith posted a 9-4 decision over No. 17 Kennedy Monday. Griffith fell behind 4-0 before scoring nine unanswered to remain undefeated on the season at 6-0. With the dual win already locked, redshirt senior David Showunmi registered a 4-3 decision over No. 20 Andrew Gunning at heavyweight. Showunmi scored a takedown in the opening period, an escape in the second and finished with 1:23 of riding time in the victory. The dual began at 125 pounds, where true freshman Jackson DiSario earned a come-from-behind 8-5 decision over Joey Melendez. Trailing 4-2 going into the final period, DiSario put six on the board to complete the comeback. It is the first collegiate dual win for the McDonough, Georgia, native. At 141 pounds, No. 13 Real Woods found a way to win in the final seconds against Zach Sherman. There was no score in the opening period and Woods rode Sherman for the entire 2:00 second period. Woods earned an escape to start the third for the first point of the bout. Sherman scored a takedown late in the third period, but Woods managed to escape as time expired and had 1:43 of riding time for the 3-2 decision. True freshman Nick Addison also picked up his first collegiate dual win with a dominating 6-0 decision over Chasen Blair at 184 pounds. Addison scored a takedown in the first and racked up over 2:00 of riding time in the opening period. The Fair Haven, New Jersey, native quickly escaped to start the second to go up 3-0 after two. Blair chose neutral to begin the third and Addison tacked on another takedown and finished with 3:10 of riding time. Redshirt junior Nathan Traxler, who is ranked No. 9 at 197 pounds, solidified the dual victory with an 8-2 decision over Brandon Whitman. Traxler scored a takedown in the first and rode out Whitman in the second for a 2-0 advantage. He posted an escape to start the third and added two more takedowns and 2:50 riding time in the win. Up next, Stanford takes on San Francisco State on Sunday at 3 p.m. in San Francisco. Results: 125 Jackson DiSario (STAN) dec. Joey Melendez (UNC) 8-5 133 Jaime Hernandez (UNC) maj. dec. Brandon Kier (STAN) 15-5 141 #13 Real Woods (STAN) dec. Zach Sherman (UNC) 3-2 149 Michael Goldfeder (UNC) dec. Steve Abbate (STAN) 9-5 157 Tyler Eischens (STAN) dec. #16 A.C. Headlee (UNC) 4-3 165 #8 Shane Griffith (STAN) dec. #17 Kennedy Monday (UNC) 9-4 174 Clay Lautt (UNC) maj. dec. Jared Hill (STAN) 14-6 184 Nick Addison (STAN) dec. Chasen Blair (UNC) 6-0 197 #9 Nathan Traxler (STAN) dec. Brandon Whitman (UNC) 8-2 285 David Showunmi (STAN) dec. #20 Andrew Gunning (UNC) 4-3

LEXINGTON, Va. -- A pair of Cenzo Pelusi decisions at 285 pounds sealed two Franklin & Marshall dual victories on Saturday in Lexington. The Diplomats fought back to down VMI by a narrow 19-17 tally before winning two of the three final matches in a 22-16 win over Davidson in the nightcap. The Diplomats got off on the right foot for their dual-meet schedule, opening at 2-0 on year. A pin at 125 pounds put F&M in an early 6-0 hole against VMI. The Diplomats were quick to respond with Nick Tewell's dominant 9-1 major at 133 pounds that saw the first-year pick up six near-fall points in the bout. Wil Gil kept the momentum rolling with a 4-1 decision that put F&M in front at 7-6. A narrow win in sudden victory at 149 pounds once again put the Keydets ahead at 9-7, but the Diplomats responded with back-to-back 8-1 decisions from Noah Chan (157 pounds) and Emmett LiCastri (165 pounds) that gave the Diplomats a four-point lead in the team score. The 174-pound match saw VMI roll to a commanding 25-0 tech. fall score and follow with an 8-3 decision at 184 pounds that gave the Keydets a 17-13 advantage. Ethan Seeley came up with a clutch 4-0 decision at 197 pounds after securing a first-period takedown that pulled F&M within one of the team score. Pelusi (285 pounds) also recorded a first-period takedown in the deciding matchup and added two more in the third for a crucial 9-5 decision that handed the Diplomats a comeback win. In the nightcap against Davidson, 125-pounder Jack Bruce got F&M off to a strong start with a 5-4 decision, winning his bout after being awarded a riding-time point. A Davidson pin at 133 pounds and a 7-3 decision at 141 pounds put the Wildcats ahead at 9-3 before the Diplomats rattled off three-consecutive wins to claim a 15-9 edge. Gil opened the run with a first-period fall (0:29) at 149 pounds before Chan and LiCastri added decisions of 7-5 and 5-2, respectively. Each team traded wins in the next three matches with the Diplomats coming away with a 10-1 major win by Geoff Magin at 184 pounds that included three takedowns. The Wildcats kept the score close with a 14-1 major of their own at 197 pounds that made it a 19-16 contest heading into the final bout, but Pelusi once again came through in the clutch. He notched four takedowns in his battle, including a pair in the final frame for the 9-5 decision victory. F&M returns to the mats next Sunday, Nov. 24th, traveling to Penn for the annual Keystone Classic tournament. F&M 19, VMI 17 125: John McGarry (VMI) over Jack Bruce (F&M) (Fall 5:55) 133: Nick Tewell (F&M) over Cliff Conway (VMI) (MD 9-1) 141: Wil Gil (F&M) over Dom Gallo (VMI) (Dec 4-1) 149: Job Chishko (VMI) over Brett Kulp (F&M) (SV-1 6-4) 157: Noah Chan (F&M) over Will Lawrence (VMI) (Dec 8-1) 165: Emmett LiCastri (F&M) over Jon Hoover (VMI) (Dec 8-1) 174: Neal Richards (VMI) over Crew Fullerton (F&M) (TF 25-10 7:00) 184: Max Gallahan (VMI) over Geoff Magin (F&M) (Dec 8-3) 197: Ethan Seeley (F&M) over Zach Brown (VMI) (Dec 4-0) 285: Cenzo Pelusi (F&M) over Robbie Adelstein (VMI) (Dec 9-5) F&M 22, Davidson 16 125: Jack Bruce (F&M) over Anthony Rautmann (DAVI) (Dec 5-4) 133: Kyle Gorant (DAVI) over Nick Tewell (F&M) (Fall 2:14) 141: David Loniewski (DAVI) over Brett Kulp (F&M) (Dec 7-3) 149: Wil Gil (F&M) over Will Baldwin (DAVI) (Fall 0:29) 157: Noah Chan (F&M) over Hunter Costa (DAVI) (Dec 7-5) 165: Emmett LiCastri (F&M) over Noah Satterfield (DAVI) (Dec 5-2) 174: Steven Newell (DAVI) over Crew Fullerton (F&M) (Dec 5-1) 184: Geoff Magin (F&M) over Lachlan Rosato (DAVI) (MD 10-1) 197: Conor Fenn (DAVI) over Ethan Seeley (F&M) (MD 14-1) 285: Cenzo Pelusi (F&M) over Mitchell Trigg (DAVI) (Dec 9-5)

TEMPE, Ariz. -- The No. 5 Arizona State wrestling team won nine of ten matches for the second day in a row to earn its second victory of the weekend and improve to 4-0, defeating the McKendree Bearcats 38-3 Saturday at Desert Financial Arena. No. 1 Zahid Valencia (184 lbs.) continued his strong start to the season, defeating opponent Daniel Filipek by tech fall in 5:19, 22-6. Six of Valencia's seven matches so far in the season have resulted in extra-point victories, including four pins. No. 5 Tanner Hall (HWT) pinned McKendree's Caleb Gossett in 6:10, good for his second extra-point win of the season. Competing in a dual for the first time this season, redshirt-junior Cory Crooks (141) earned a tech fall victory over opponent Charles McNeal, the first of his collegiate career. The Sun Devils will host No. 1 Penn State at Desert Financial Arena Friday, Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. The meet will be broadcast on Pac-12 Network Arizona. Results: 125: No. 25 Brandon Courtney (ASU) DEC Marcus Povlick (MU), 6-2 133: No. 12 Josh Kramer (ASU) DEC Christian Mejia (MU), 6-0 141: Cory Crooks (ASU) TF Charles McNeal (MU), 20-5 (5:47) 149: No. 20 Josh Maruca (ASU) MD Frankie Falotico (MU), 15-1 157: Dillon Ulrey (ASU) wins by forfiet 165: No. 6 Josh Shields (ASU) DEC Qian'te Wagner (MU), 5-3 (SV1) 174: No. 11 Anthony Valencia (ASU) DEC Nick Foster (MU), 6-2 184: No. 1 Zahid Valencia (ASU) TF Daniel Filipek (MU), 22-6 (5:19) 197: Ryan Vasbinder (MU) DEC Cade Belshay (ASU), 10-7 HWT: No. 5 Tanner Hall (ASU) FALL Caleb Gossett (MU), 6:10

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The ninth-ranked NC State wrestling team went a perfect 3-0 in the annual Wolfpack Duals. The Wolfpack (4-0) won 27 of its 30 matches, including 18 going for bonus points. Up Next: The majority of the Wolfpack will take part in the Wolfpack Wrestling Club Open tomorrow. Action starts at 9 AM at Carmichael Gymnasium. #9 NC State 36, Belmont Abbey 6 125: Charlie Lenox (NCSU) fall Josh Vega; 1:07 - 6-0 133: Lleyton Taylor (BA) dec. Jarred Papcsy; 5-4 - 6-3 141: Alex Urquiza (NCSU) dec. Justin Payne; 4-0 - 9-3 149: Matt Grippi (NCSU) dec. Josh Blatt; 10-4 - 12-3 157: John Dean (BA) dec. Matt Fields; 6-2 - 12-6 165: Tyler Barnes (NCSU) dec. Greg Hilliard; 9-3 - 15-6 174: #13 Daniel Bullard (NCSU) tech fall Chandler Echols; 18-0 - 20-6 184: #13 Trent Hidlay (NCSU) fall Logan Branham; 3:19 - 26-6 197: Tyrie Houghton (NCSU) major dec. Brian Girard; 15-6 - 30-6 285: Colin Lawler (NCSU) fall John Carroll; 2:48 - 36-6 #9 NC State 40, UNC Pembroke 3 125: Tommy Cox (NCSU) major dec. Jayquon McEntyre; 15-2 - 4-0 133: Jarrett Trombley (NCSU) tech fall Nick Daggett; 17-2 - 9-0 141: Jonathan Miller (UNCP) dec. John Devine; 10-5 - 9-3 149: Matt Fields (NCSU) major dec. Sammy Peticos; 14-6 - 13-3 157: Matt Grippi (NCSU) dec. Tyler Makosy; 3-2 - 16-3 165: Tyler Barnes (NCSU) dec. Kaleb Warner; 4-2 - 19-3 174: Jake Cook (NCSU) dec. Garrett Hill; 4-2 - 22-3 184: #13 Trent Hidlay (NCSU) fall Brandon Sloop; 1:56 - 28-3 197: Tyrie Houghton (NCSU) fall Marcus Bell; 6:10 - 34-3 285: Colin Lawler (NCSU) forfeit - 40-3 #9 NC State 45, Reinhardt 0 125: Tommy Cox (NCSU) forfeit - 6-0 133: Jarrett Trombley (NCSU) major dec. Bruce Davis; 17-4 - 10-0 141: Alex Urquiza (NCSU) dec. Jody McAlister; 9-5 - 13-0 149: Matt Fields (NCSU) fall Curtis Doctor; 3:33 - 19-0 157: Matt Grippi (NCSU) dec. Nolan Saxton; 7-6 - 22-0 165: Tyler Barnes (NCSU) fall Cole Tenety; 1:44 - 28-0 174: #13 Daniel Bullard (NCSU) major dec. Michael Carew; 14-4 - 32-0 184: #13 Trent Hidlay (NCSU) major dec. Antonio Stewart; 14-4 - 36-0 197: Tyrie Houghton (NCSU) dec. Jacob Henderson; 8-6 - 39-0 285: Colin Lawler (NCSU) fall Nicholas Jarvis; 6:47 - 45-0

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Competing in Staber Arena for the first time since 2016, No. 10 Lehigh went down to the wire with No. 4 Oklahoma State. A Cowboy forfeit in the final bout at 133 left the dual tied at 20-20, and on the third criteria, total match points, a 58-48 advantage gave the Mountain Hawks the 21-20 victory Saturday afternoon. Lehigh won three of the first five bouts, with a pair of major decisions, to build an 11-6 led at intermission. Oklahoma State got back in the dual with a fall at 184 and a major decision at 197 but the Cowboys did not have a 133 pounder available. When junior Brandon Paetzell kept fourth-ranked Nick Piccininni to a regular decision at 125, the forfeit allowed the Mountain Hawks to tie the dual and ultimately, win their dual opener on criteria. The win is just the second in program history over the Cowboys, who had won 10 of the previous 11 and are now 1-1 on the dual season. It is also Lehigh's fourth dual win over a top five-ranked team in 11-plus years under Pat Santoro. The dual began at 141 with senior Ryan Pomrinca taking on Dusty Hone. A late first period takedown was the difference as Pomrinca posted a 3-2 victory. Sixth-ranked Boo Lewallen put Oklahoma State on the board with a 4-0 decision over sophomore Jimmy Hoffman at 149. Sophomore Josh Humphreys got the Mountain Hawks, and the crowd going with a 16-2 major decision over Wyatt Sheets at 157. Humphreys scored two takedowns and added a pair of four point near falls to lead 12-1 after one period as he avenged a sudden victory loss to Sheets last February. Freshman Brian Meyer came up just short in his dual debut at 165, as he gave up a second period takedown that proved to be the difference in 3-2 decision for Travis Wittlake. Senior Jordan Kutler capped the first half of the dual with an impressive 20-6 major decision over Andrew Shomers at 174. Kutler racked up eight takedowns and came up just short of the technical fall. He had four takedowns in the first period and added one in the second and three more in the third. A wild bout at 184 turned momentum back in the Cowboys' favor as Anthony Montalvo pinned junior Chris Weiler in the third period. A late reversal and two point near fall had Weiler up 8-4 after one period, but Montalvo broke an 8-8 tie with a couple of takedowns in the final period before securing the fall. Dakota Geer extended the Cowboys' lead to 16-11 with a 15-5 major decision over Jake Jakobsen at 197. Geer led 3-0 after two periods and broke the match open with five takedowns in the final frame. Junior Jordan Wood put Lehigh back on track with a 9-4 decision over Austin Harris at 285. In the final contested bout, Piccininni built a 4-1 lead after two and was able to secure the 11-3 major decision with his takedown in the final seconds. Junior Nick Farro got his hand raised at 133, with Lehigh earning the extra team point on criteria. The Mountain Hawks will face two ranked foes next weekend, beginning with a trip to No. 16 Princeton on Saturday for a 5 p.m. match. On Sunday, Lehigh will host No. 15 Pittsburgh at Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Match time is set for 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at LehighTickets.com or by calling 610-7LU-GAME during business hours. The 2019-20 Lehigh Wrestling season is presented by the Historic Hotel Bethlehem. Results: 141 – Ryan Pomrinca (Lehigh) dec. Dusty Hone (OSU) 3-2 149 – Boo Lewallen (OSU) dec. Jimmy Hoffman (Lehigh) 4-0 157 – Josh Humphreys (Lehigh) major dec. Wyatt Sheets (OSU) 16-2 165 – Travis Wittlake (OSU) def. Brian Meyer (Lehigh) 3-2 174 – Jordan Kutler (Lehigh) major dec. Andrew Shomers (OSU) 20-6 184 – Anthony Montalvo (OSU) Fall Chris Weiler (Lehigh) 6:26 197 – Dakota Geer (OSU) major dec. Jake Jakobsen (Lehigh) 15-5 285 – Jordan Wood (Lehigh) dec. Austin Harris (OSU) 9-4 125 – Nick Piccininni (OSU) major dec. Brandon Paetzell (Lehigh) 11-3 133 – Nick Farro (Lehigh) won by forfeit Attendance – 2,930 * - Lehigh wins on third criteria – total match points (58-48)

EDINBORO, Pa. -- The Edinboro wrestling team improved to 5-1 early in the season with a pair of wins in the Boro Duals on Saturday at McComb Fieldhouse. The Fighting Scots won their second Mid-American Conference match in their first season as a member of the MAC, defeating Ohio University 25-7. The ended the duals with a 51-0 win over an out-manned long Island program that is in its first year of division I competition. The Fighting Scots return to action on Saturday, November 23, competing in the Navy Classic. EDINBORO 25, OHIO 7 The Fighting Scots would win eight of ten bouts while improving to 2-0 in Mid-American Conference duals. They would win the first three matches, including an upset at 133 lbs. where true freshman Tye Varndell defeated 17th-ranked Mario Guillen. Lucas Rodriguez got the match underway with a 4-0 win at 125 lbs. over Gio DiSabato. Rodriguez is now 5-0. Varndell, now 4-1, faced his third nationally-ranked opponent in the early going and picked up his second upset. He registered a late takedown, with the match going into overtime tied at 4-4 since Guillen owned riding time. He would come up with the winning takedown with just under 30 seconds remaining for a 6-4 win in sudden victory. Carmine Ciotti followed with a 6-5 decision at 141 lbs. over Moises Guillen. Peter Pappas claimed a 7-3 decision over Kade Kowalski at 157 lbs., with Jacob Oliver adding a 9-5 decision at 174 lbs. over Logan Stanley. Oliver, Edinboro's lone ranked wrestler, is 25th according to FloWrestling. He used a four-point nearfall move in the second period to break a 4-4 tie. That began a string of four straight wins to end the match. Cody Mulligan won a 13-0 major decision over Mason Kroening at 184 lbs., Dylan Reynolds edged Aaron Naples, 5-4, at 197 lbs., and Jon Spaulding won a 3-0 decision at heavyweight. EDINBORO 51, LONG ISLAND 0 Edinboro made short work of the Sharks, winning eight matches by bonus points. That included four falls, a pair of technical falls, and two major decisions. They also won once by forfeit. Fritz Hoehn paced the pin patrol, as the redshirt senior needed just 14 seconds to register his fall in his first match of the season at 165 lbs. Dylan Reynolds won by fall in 42 seconds at 197 lbs., while Tyler Vath and Jacob Oliver also picked up first period pins. Lucas Rodriguez improved to 6-0 at 125 lbs. as the redshirt sophomore won a 16-0 technical fall. EDINBORO 25, OHIO 7 125 lbs. – Lucas Rodriguez (EU) dec. Gio Disabato (OU), 4-0 (EU leads 3-0) 133 lbs. – Tye Varndell (EU) dec. #17 Mario Guillen (OU), 6-4 sv (EU leads 6-0) 141 lbs. – Carmine Ciotti (EU) dec. Moises Guillen (OU), 6-5 (EU leads 9-0) 149 lbs. – Alec Hagan (OU) maj. dec. Tyler Vath (EU), 10-2 (EU leads 9-4) 157 lbs. – Peter Pappas (EU) dec. Kade Kowalski (OU), 7-3 (EU leads 12-4) 165 lbs. – Joe Terry (OU) dec. Derek Ciavarro (EU), 5-3 (EU leads 12-7) 174 lbs. – Jacob Oliver (EU) dec. Logan Stanley (OU), 9-5 (EU leads 15-7) 184 lbs. – Cody Mulligan (EU) maj. dec. Mason Kroening (OU), 13-0 (EU leads 19-7) 197 lbs. – Dylan Reynolds (EU) dec. Aaron Naples (OU), 5-4 (EU leads 22-7) Hwt. – Jon Spaulding (EU) dec. Jordan Earnest (OU), 3-0 (EU leads 25-7) Records: Edinboro 4-1, 2-0 MAC, Ohio 0-2, 0-1 MAC GANNON 46, LONG ISLAND 0 125 lbs. – Jacob Dunlop (GU) fall over Brandon Mercado (LIU), 2:55 (GU leads 6-0) 133 lbs. – Austin Hertel (GU) dec. Michael Blando (LIU), 11-4 (GU leads 9-0) 141 lbs. – Abe Guarriello (GU) fall over. Adam Barker (LIU), 2:24 (GU leads 15-0) 149 lbs. – Dominic Means (GU) fall over Jacob Zuller (LIU), 1:24 (GU leads 21-0) 157 lbs. – Evan Fisler (GU) maj. dec. Dominic DeMarco (LIU), 15-4 (GU leads 25-0) 165 lbs. – Alex Farencek (GU) fall over Nick Provenzano (LIU), 4:51 (GU leads 31-0) 174 lbs. – Luigi Yates (GU) tech. fall Michael Parrish (LIU), 16-0, 3:36 (GU leads 36-0) 184 lbs. – Joel Leise (GU) dec. Dan McClure (LIU), 8-1 (GU leads 39-0) 197 lbs. – Freddie Nixon (GU) maj. dec. Mark Malico (LIU), 13-2(GU leads (43-0) Hwt. – Gehrig Hutchison (GU) dec. Tim Nagosky (LIU), 3-2 tb2 (GU leads 46-0) Records: Gannon 1-0, Long Island 1-6 OHIO 46, LONG ISLAND 0 125 lbs. – Gio Disabato (OU) tech. fall Hunter Scutellaro (LIU), 20-5, 2:51 (OU leads 5-0) 133 lbs. – #17 Mario Guillen (OU) dec. Michael Blando (LIU), 7-4 (OU leads 8-0) 141 lbs. – Shakur Laney (OU) tech. fall Adam Barker (LIU), 25-9, 6:43 (OU leads 13-0) 149 lbs. – Alec Hagan (OU) fall over Jacob Zuller (LIU), 0:35 (OU leads 19-0) 157 lbs. – Kade Kowalski (OU) dec. Dominick DeMarco (LIU), 2-0 (OU leads 22-0) 165 lbs. – Joe Terry (OU) med. forfeit Michael Parrish (LIU) (OU leads 28-0) 174 lbs. – Logan Stanley (OU) fall over Jesse Weiner (LIU), 4:36 (OU leads 34-0) 184 lbs. – Mason Kroening (OU) dec. Dan McClure (LIU), 5-2 (OU leads 37-0) 197 lbs. – Jake Walker (OU) fall over Dan Sharfan (LIU), 6:08 (OU leads 43-0) Hwt. – Jordan Earnest (OU) dec. Tim Nagosky (LIU), 3-1 (OU leads 46-0) Records: Ohio 1-2, Long Island 1-7 EDINBORO 51, LONG ISLAND 0 125 lbs. – Lucas Rodriguez (EU) dec. Hunter Scutellaro (LIU), 16-0, 3:44 (EU leads 5-0) 133 lbs. – Tye Varndell (EU) dec. Michael Blando (LIU), 10-6 (EU leads 8-0) 141 lbs. – Nate Hagan (EU) maj. dec. Jacob Zuller (LIU), 14-5 (EU leads 12-0) 149 lbs. – Tyler Vath (EU) fall over Adam Barker (LIU), 1:28 (EU leads 18-0) 157 lbs. – Peter Pappas (EU) maj. dec. Xavier Pummels (LIU), 14-2 (EU leads 22-0) 165 lbs. – Fritz Hoehn (EU) fall over Jesse Weiner (LIU), 0:14 (EU leads 28-0) 174 lbs. – Jacob Oliver (EU) fall over Nicholas Prevenzano (LIU), 1:43 (EU leads 34-0) 184 lbs. – Cody Mulligan (EU) won by forfeit (EU leads 40-0) 197 lbs. – Dylan Reynolds fall over (EU) Dan Sharfan (LIU), 0:42 (EU leads 46-0) Hwt. – Jon Spaulding (EU) tech. fall Tim Nagosky (LIU), 19-4, 7:00 (EU leads 51-0) Records: Edinboro 5-1, Long Island 1-8

TAHOMA, Wash. -- The Oregon State wrestling team took on Simon Fraser for their first dual of the season on Friday evening. Held at Tahoma Senior High, the Beavers picked up five wins on the night and rolled to a 40-8 win. Sophomore Brandon Kaylor (125) started things off right for the Beavers as he racked up a first period technical fall, 16-0, to put OSU on the board with five quick points. After winning his bracket at the season-opening Mountaineer Invitaitonal, redshirt junior Devan Turner continued to impress at 133 pounds as he rolled to an 18-0 technical fall in the first period. The next bout featured Grant Willits' first action of the season as he competed at 141 pounds. Willits would pick up over four minutes of ride time on his way to an impressive 9-1 major decision to move the team score to 15-0. Next, Lane Stigall would pick up a 15-0 technical fall for the Beaver's third win of the night, improving the team score to 21-0. A solid 18-4 major decision by Logan Meek helped push the five more points as the sophomore competed at 157 pounds for the first time this season. The Beavers kept rolling as Aaron Olmos picked up an 18-1 technical fall in his first action of the season. At 174 pounds, Colton Beisley dropped a 16-0 technical fall to put Simon Fraser in the scoring column as the Beavers still led 30-5. Jackson McKinney won his bout with a 16-0 technical fall before J.J. Dixon an 18-1 technical fall of his own to move the team score to 40-5. The Beavers suffered only their second defeat of the night at 197 pounds as Jamarcus Grant dropped a 7-5 decision to end the night. Next Up: The Beavers are back on the mats this weekend as a contigent of wrestlers will compete at the Mike Clock Open on Sunday, Nov. 17 in Forest Grove, Ore. The meet will begin at 9 a.m. at the Stoller Center. Results: 125 - Brandon Kaylor over Flixzl Reyes (Simon Fraser) TF 16-0 133 - Devan Turner over Unknown (Unattached) TF 18-0 141 - Grant Willits over Randy McDonald (Simon Fraser) Dec 8-1 149 - Lane Stigall over Unknown (Unattached) Forf 157 - Logan Meek over Taber Spray (Simon Fraser) Maj 18-4 165 - Aaron Olmos over Zachary Stratton (Simon Fraser) TF 18-1 174 - Logan Nelson over Colton Beisley (Oregon State University) TF 16-0 184 - Jackson Mckinney over Doug Peyser (Simon Fraser) TF 16-0 197 - J.J Dixon over Nolan Badovinac (Simon Fraser) TF 18-1 285 - Taniela Feliciano-Takafua over Jamarcus Grant (Oregon State University) SV-1 7-5

FRESNO, Calif. -- Rutgers wrestling (4-0) used six individual wins, including a pin from Nicolas Aguilar (125) in his home state and major decisions from No. 11 Sammy Alvarez (133) and No. 19 Christian Colucci (HWT) to secure a 23-13 victory over Fresno State (0-4) on Friday night at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. With the Scarlet Knights trailing the Bulldogs just 17-13 with two bouts to go, Billy Janzer (184) and No. 15 Jordan Pagano (197) used back-to-back decisions to put the dual out of reach. Michael Van Brill (157) also collected a victory for RU, as the program moved to 2-0 all-time against Fresno State and 7-1 all-time against opponents from the Golden State. Notables • First Varsity Dual Win (1): Nicolas Aguilar (125) • Pins (1): Nicolas Aguilar (125) • Major Decisions (2): Christian Colucci (HWT), Sammy Alvarez (133) Results: HWT: No. 19/21/NR Christian Colucci (RU) over Randy Gonzalez (FSU) by major decision, 8-0; RU leads, 4-0 125: Nicolas Aguilar (RU) over Robert Garcia IV (FSU) by fall (2:49); RU leads, 10-0 133: No. 20/11/11 Sammy Alvarez (RU) over NR/23/NR Gary Joint (FSU) by major decision, 9-1; RU leads, 14-0 141: DJ Llehman (FSU) over NR/24/NR JoJo Aragona (RU) by decision, 4-2; RU leads, 14-3 149: No. NR/22/NR Greg Gaxiola (FSU) over Gerard Angelo (RU) by major decision, 15-4; RU leads, 14-7 157: Michael Van Brill (RU) over Jacob Wright (FSU) by decision, 7-4; RU leads, 17-7 165: Adam Kemp (FSU) over Brett Donner (RU) by decision, 5-4; RU leads, 17-10 174: No. 15/16/18 Jackson Hemauer (FSU) over Willie Scott (RU) by decision, 5-0; RU leads, 17-13 184: Billy Janzer (RU) over Dominic Kinkaid (FSU) by decision, 4-0; RU leads, 20-13 197: No. 15/14/13 Jordan Pagano (RU) over Ryan Reyes (FSU), 1-0; RU wins, 23-13 UP NEXT Rutgers closes out its road trip on Saturday against Cal State Bakersfield at 6:30 p.m. ET in Bakersfield, California.

Rider's Jonathan Tropea takes down Minnesota's Patrick McKee at 125 pounds (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) MINNEAPOLIS -- Dean Sherry (Brick, NJ/Brick Township) pinned the No. 6 wrestler in the nation, Devin Skatzka, as the the Rider University wrestling team earned a statement dual victory tonight, upsetting the No. 9 Minnesota Golden Gophers, 21-17, at Williams Arena. Rider got off to a quick start with decisions at 125 and 133 from Jonathan Tropea (Harrington Park, NJ/Saint Joseph (Montvale)) and Chris Wright (Harrisburg, PA/Central Dauphin) to take a 6-0 lead. Minnesota's Mitch McKee after getting a pin at 141 pounds (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) Minnesota surged ahead with a fall from No. 4 Mitch McKee at 141 and another decision from No. 9 Brayton Lee. Jesse Dellavecchia's (Great River, NY/East Islip [Binghamton]) decision over Carson Brolsma knotted the match at 9-9 through five bouts. Minnesota retook the lead with a major decision at 165, before Sherry pinned Skatzka with six seconds remaining in the opening period. The Gophers briefly retook the lead with a major decision at 184, before No. 14 Ethan Laird (Waterford, PA/General McLane) scored an 11-4 decision over Dylan Anderson at 197 to put Rider on top, 18-17. At 285, Ryan Cloud (Brookville, OH/Northmont) scored an escape in the second period and held on for a 1-0 victory in the night's final bout, securing the 21-17 victory for the Broncs. Quotes & Notes "This is a big win for Rider University and our wrestling program." "A lot of things have to go right to beat a nationally ranked Big 10 team, especially in their place. Our kids wrestled very well tonight. I'm very proud of them and their effort." "The match was a great team effort, but the difference in the match was the performance by Tropea and Sherry. We don't win that match without their wins!" - Rider Head Coach John Hangey The match was the third in the all-time series with Minnesota. Rider had fallen in 1996-97 and 2017-18 seasons. Rider's last win over a Big 10 program came Feb. 18, 2018, against Maryland. The last Rider victory over a Big 10 program other than Maryland was Dec. 5, 2015 against Northwestern in Alumni Gym. The Broncs prior win over a ranked team came Jan. 27, 2018, against then-No. 23 Lock Haven, 22-12. Rider returns to action Sunday at Northern Illinois. The match is set to begin at 1 p.m. (ET)/12 p.m. (CT). Results: 125: Jonathan Tropea (Rider) dec. #18 Patrick McKee (Minnesota), 10-3; Rider leads, 3-0 133: Chris Wright (Rider) dec. Brent Jones (Minnesota), 6-5; Rider leads, 6-0 141: #4 Mitch McKee (Minnesota) WBF Herb Edwards (Rider), 0:40; Match tied, 6-6 149: #9 Brayton Lee (Minnesota) dec. Gino Fluri (Rider), 11-7. Minnesota leads, 9-6 157: #6 Jesse Dellavecchia (Rider) dec. Carson Brolsma (Minnesota), 3-2; Match tied, 9-9 165: Bailee O'Reilly (Minnesota) maj. dec. Georgio Poullas (Rider), 17-9; Minnesota leads, 13-9 174: Dean Sherry (Rider) WBF #6 Devin Skatzka (Minnesota), 2:54; Rider leads, 15-13 184: Owen Webster (Minnesota) maj. dec. #33 George Walton (Rider) 11-3; Minnesota leads, 17-15 197: #14 Ethan Laird (Rider) dec. Dylan Anderson (Minnesota) 11-4; Rider leads, 18-17 285: Ryan Cloud (Rider) dec. Boddy Stevenson (Minnesota), 1-0; Rider defeats #6 Minnesota, 21-17

PHILADELPHIA -- Coach John Smith tied Bobby Douglas for fifth on the list of all-time NCAA Division I coaching wins on Friday night in Oklahoma State's 30-6 victory over Drexel. Smith is the only active NCAA DI coach in the top five. "Bobby Douglas was an Oklahoma State guy," Smith said. "That's special for me to reach that milestone. He was my coach at the '92 Olympics and has been a great mentor. I feel like I shouldn't be passing him, with what he's done for the sport and all the people he really made a difference for." Five of eight Cowboy wins came with bonus points, beginning with senior Nick Piccininni's 16-1 technical fall over Dante Mininno. Also collecting bonus-point wins for the Pokes were No. 5 Boo Lewallen, Wyatt Sheets, Anthony Montalvo and Dakota Geer. Lewallen wrestled his first complete match in more than a year and defeated Vincent Foggia, 10-2. Sheets and Montalvo had big third-period pushes to give them 10 and 11 point victories, respectively. Half of the wrestlers in Saturday night's lineup made their OSU dual debuts against the Dragons, and three came away with wins. The most notable victory was No. 20 Travis Wittlake's 5-1 decision over Drexel's 10th-ranked Ebed Jarrell. Dusty Hone won his first dual start, shutting out Tyler Williams, 6-1, and Anthony Montalvo scored a 14-3 major against Bryan McLaughlin. "I liked what (Travis) did," Smith said. "I think there are some things he can take from that match, but overall I thought his effort was good. It was a good win for his first dual meet. Anthony did a good job, too. He picked up some big takedowns in the third and seemed to be excited to be out there. You love to see that. It's fun for a coach to watch." Dakota Geer and Andrew Shomers bumped up weights to fill a couple of gaps in the Cowboy lineup. Shomers wrestled for the Cowboys at 174 pounds and won a hard-fought, 4-2, sudden victory bout against Michael O'Malley. Geer took out Owen Brooks, 16-7, with three third-period takedowns and more than two minutes of riding time. Oklahoma State is back in action tomorrow at No. 10 Lehigh beginning at 12 p.m. CST. Fans can follow along with the action on Twitter with @CowboyWrestling and tune in to listen on Pete 94.3 FM/KSPI-AM 780. Results: 125: No. 4 Nick Piccininni (OSU) TF Dante Mininno (DU), 16-1 133: Chandler Olson (DU) dec. Reece Witcraft (OSU), 5-1 141: Dusty Hone (OSU) dec. Tyler Williams (DU), 6-0 149: No. 5 Boo Lewallen (OSU) MD Vincent Foggia (DU), 10-2 157: Wyatt Sheets (OSU) MD Parker Kropman (DU), 13-3 165: No. 20 Travis Wittlake (OSU) dec. No. 10 Ebed Jarrell (DU), 5-1 174: Andrew Shomers (OSU) dec. Michael O'Malley (DU), SV-1 4-2 184: Anthony Montalvo (OSU) MD Bryan McLaughlin (DU), 14-3 197: No. 5 (184) Dakota Geer (OSU) MD Owen Brooks (DU), 16-7 HWT: Sean O'Malley (DU) dec. Austin Harris (OSU), 2-1

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Winning nine of ten matches on the evening, the No. 5 Arizona State wrestling team defeated the Augustana Vikings in dominant fashion, 35-6, Friday night at Desert Financial Arena. In a meaningful moment for the program following Veterans Day this Monday, former Green Beret and 34-year-old walk-on Roman Rozell made his debut for the Sun Devils, earning an ovation from the crowd of 1,090. Key Notes Top-ranked Zahid Valencia (184 lbs.) pinned his fourth opponent of the young season, this time defeating Augustana's Tanner Brengle in 2:10. ASU notched six extra-point victories, including Z. Valencia's pin and major decisions by Josh Kramer (133), Josh Maruca (149), Josh Shields (157), Anthony Valencia (174) and Tanner Hall (HWT). With the team victory, the Sun Devils move to 3-0 in duals this season. The Sun Devils wrap up the weekend at home tomorrow, when they host Mckendree at 11 am MST. Fans will be able to watch via ASU Live Stream or follow along on Trackwrestling. Results: 125: #25 Brandon Courtney Dec Michael Suda, 9-8 133: #12 Josh Kramer MD Jack Huffman, 11-2 141: Navonte Demison Dec Jebben Keyes, 6-3 149: #20 Josh Maruca MD Keaton Schorr, 15-5 157: Dillon Ulrey Dec Jacob Tvinnereim, 9-7 165: #6 Josh Shields MD Dylan Schuck, 12-4 174: #11 Anthony Valencia MD Ben Kelvington, 18-6 184: #1 Zahid Valencia Fall Tanner Brengle, 2:10 197: Daniel Bishop Fall Roman Rozell, :57 285: #5 Tanner Hall MD Steven Hajas, 10-0

The Binghamton wrestling team competed in its first dual match of the season Friday evening, and came out with a win over South Dakota State. The Bearcats won six of 10 bouts, and defeated the Jackrabbits 25-16. "As a team, we wrestled really hard," head coach Kyle Borshoff said. "This is a much better start this season compared to last season, and I'm excited to continue to build and improve throughout the winter." Highlights (The Bearcats won the toss and decided to wrestle at 149 to begin the match) After falling behind 4-0, Christopher Barker won via injury default to take the lead at 6-4. Trailing 7-6, Alexander Melikian got the lead right back with a 10-3 win by decision over Cade King. No. 2 Lou DePrez followed that up with a major decision victory over No. 29 Zach Carlson at 12-3. With the match tied at 13, Joe Doyle recorded a momentous pin over Blake Wolters to give the team a 19-13 edge before turning over the lineup. The pin occurred in the first period. Audey Ashkar kept the pedal down with an 8-2 victory over Kahlen Morris before Zack Trampe sealed the team's win, as he took down Zach Price 12-9. Results: 149 | No. 16 Henry Pohlmeyer DEC Matt Swanson, 8-0. South Dakota State leads 4-0. 156 | Christopher Barker INJ. Laken Cook. Binghamton leads 6-4. 165 | Kenny O'Neil DEC Dylan Wood, 7-3. South Dakota State leads 7-6. 174 | Alexander Melikian DEC Cade King, 10-3. Binghamton leads 9-7. 184 | No. 2 Lou DePrez MD No. 29 Zach Carlson, 12-3. Binghamton leads 13-7. 197 | No. 6 Tanner Sloan FALL (4:45) Nunzio Crowley. Match tied 13-13. 285 | Joe Doyle PIN Blake Wolters. Binghamton leads 19-13. 125 | Audey Ashkar DEC Kahlen Morris, 8-2. Binghamton leads 22-13. 133 | Zack Trampe DEC Zach Price, 12-9. Binghamton leads 25-13. 141 | Clay Carlson OT DEC Anthony Sparacio, 7-5. Binghamton wins 25-16. Up Next The Bearcats continue action in South Dakota, as they compete at the Daktronics Open Sunday. Action will begin at 9 a.m. Live video can be found here with FloWrestling.

DEKALB, Ill. -- The Northern Illinois University wrestling team was dominant as it scored its first dual victory of the season, defeating Bucknell, 24-10, in Victor E. Court Friday. "They came out to fight and it was gritty tough wrestling," NIU head coach Ryan Ludwig said. "Like I said before, they're a tough team, but I was proud of our guys for battling through situations and finding a way to win in those tight close matches. "I think we could've separated ourselves a little bit more in those matches had we done a better job on top and bottom. If we ride a little better we score or we can take time away from our opponent and further the gap between us and them." The Huskies won seven of the 10 bouts, four by two points or less, and scored a fall victory. NIU raced out to a 6-0 lead when Bryce West and Drew West each scored victories in their respective bouts. Bryce West kicked things off with a 6-1 victory over Brandon Seidman at 125. After falling behind 2-0 after the first period at 133, Drew West erupted in the second period with six points to take a 6-3 advantage over Darren Miller en route to a 7-5 victory. The Bison got on the board a 12-10 victory at 141, but the Huskies responded in the next two bouts. McCoy Kent scored a 9-7 win at 149, while Mason Kauffman battled to an 8-6 decision at 157. Following a 15-7 win for Bucknell at 165, Kenny Moore posted a 4-2 victory in overtime over Frankie Guida. Sophomore Brit Wilson, an NCAA qualifier a year ago, pinned Brandon Stokes at 5:57 in the 184 bout to seal the Huskie victory. After a loss at 197, Max Ihry posted a 6-1 win at 285 to give NIU its first home win of the season. The Huskies return to the mat Sunday when NIU welcomes Rider and Harper to Victor E. Court for the Huskie Duals. The first match begins at 12 p.m. against Rider with the Harper match to follow. Both events will be available via NIUTube on NIUHuskies.com. Results: 125: Bryce West (NIU) dec. Brandon Seidman (Bucknell), 6-1 133: Drew West (NIU) dec. Darren Miller (Bucknell), 7-5 141: Noah Levett (Bucknell) dec. Caleb Brooks (NIU), 12-10 149: McCoy Kent (NIU) dec. Matt Kolonia (Bucknell), 9-7 157: Mason Kauffman (NIU) dec. Jaden Fisher (Bucknell), 8-6 165: Zach Hartman (Bucknell) maj. dec. Caden McWhirter (NIU), 15-7 174: Kenny Moore (NIU) dec. Frankie Guida (Bucknell), SV-1 4-2 184: Brit Wilson (NIU) fall Brandon Stokes (Bucknell), 5:57 197: Drew Phipps (Bucknell) dec. Gage Braun (NIU), 4-1 285: Max Ihry (NIU) dec. Nate Feyrer (Bucknell), 6-1

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The ninth-ranked NC State wresting team opened its 2019-20 season with a 22-11 home win over Old Dominion in Reynolds Coliseum. With the Monarchs (0-1) up 9-3 after the first four bouts, the Pack (1-0) scored three straight wins, including a pin and a major decision to seal the dual win. ODU took the first bout, which opened the dual at 149 pounds. The most exciting match of the day on paper proved to be the most excited bout of the dual. #1 Hayden Hidlay used a takedown with just five seconds left and downed #4 Larry Early (6-4), avenging his loss in last year's dual. The Monarchs took decisions at 165 and 174 pounds to stretch their lead to 9-3. Back-to-back bonus point wins gave the Pack its first lead of the night. The first bonus points of the night went to #13 R-Fr. Trent Hidlay in his Wolfpack debut. Hidlay scored a pair of takedowns in both the first and second periods for the 12-4 major decision. So. Tyrie Houghton put up six team points in the next bout at 197 pounds. After giving up three takedowns in the first, Houghton battled back to tie it 6-6 in the second. He then locked in a cradle and scored the pin at the 4:31 mark to give the Pack a 13-9 lead. NC State made it three straight wins, as So. Deonte Wilson scored a 3-1 win at heavyweight. Down 1-0 to start the third, Wilson scored the bout's lone takedown and tacked on the riding time point for the win. ODU scored a 6-5 decision at 125 pounds to pull the dual to 16-12 with two bouts left. NC State clinched the dual with a win at 133 pounds. Down 3-1 in the final minute, R-Jr. Kellen Devlin scored a takedown and then a four-point near fall to get the 9-5 win. The Pack ended the dual with back-to-back wins as #11 Tariq Wilson scored a 3-2 decision over #14 Sa'Derian Perry at 141 pounds. In a bout of former All-Americans, Wilson scored the bout's lone takedown in the second period. Up Next: NC State will host the annual Wolfpack Duals tomorrow in Carmichael Gymnasium. The Pack will face Belmont Abbey, UNC Pembroke and then Reinhardt starting at noon. Results: 149: Kenan Carter (ODU) dec. A.J. Leitten; 7-2 – 3-0 157: #1 Hayden Hidlay (NCSU) dec. #4 Larry Early; 6-4 – 3-3 165: Shane Jones (ODU) dec. #10 Thomas Bullard; 3-2 – 3-6 174: Alex Cramer (ODU) dec. Jacob Ferreira; 10-4 – 3-9 184: #13 Trent Hidlay (NCSU) major dec. Antonio Agee; 12-4 – 7-9 197: Tyrie Houghton (NCSU) fall Tim Young; 4:31 – 13-9 285: Deonte Wilson (NCSU) dec. Will Hilliard; 3-1 – 16-9 125: Killian Cardinale (ODU) dec. #13 Jacob Camacho; 6-5 – 16-12 133: Kellen Devlin (NCSU) dec. Shannon Hanna; 9-5 – 19-12 141: #11 Tariq Wilson (NCSU) dec. #14 Sa'Derian Perry; 3-2 – 22-11^ Attendance: 1,191 ^ODU deducted a team point after final match.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The No. 3 Ohio State University wrestling team (2-0) seized a 23-12 road victory at No. 15 Pittsburgh (1-1) Friday afternoon. Chase Singletary impressed in his season debut, earning a decisive 8-3 win over ninth-ranked Demetrius Thomas in the heavyweight bout. Ohio State registered bonus points in three bouts, highlighted by Sammy Sasso's third-period fall at 149 pounds. Team captains Kollin Moore and Luke Pletcher each garnered major decisions. Additional Buckeye victors included Malik Heinselman (125 lbs) and Kaleb Romero (174 lbs). The match began at 197 pounds where Moore rattled off three first-period takedowns to put it out of reach before cruising to a 12-3 major decision. The next four bouts shared a common oddity -- the wrestler to record the first takedown went on to lose the bout. Ohio State was victorious in three of those four tussles, including the top-10 triumph for Singletary. He scored eight of the final nine points. Pletcher gathered bonus points for the fifth time in seven trips to the mat while Sasso stuck his fourth opponent of the young season. After back-to-back Panther triumphs at 157 and 165 pounds, Romero got Ohio State back on track. He faced a familiar foe in Gregg Harvey, handing him a 4-3 loss at the Michigan State Open two weeks ago. Romero widened the gap on Friday, stretching the difference to 7-2. Ohio State returns to the Covelli Center on Sunday (Nov. 17), playing host to No. 11 Virginia Tech (2-0) at noon ET. Results: 197: #1 Kollin Moore (OSU) maj dec. Kellan Stout (UP), 12-3 – Ohio State leads 4-0 285: #11 Chase Singletary (OSU) dec. #8 Demetrius Thomas (UP), 8-3 – Ohio State leads 7-0 125: #20 Malik Heinselman (OSU) dec. Louis Newell (UP), 12-7 – Ohio State leads 10-0 133: #4 Micky Phillippi (UP) dec. #14 Quinn Kinner (OSU), 4-2 – Ohio State leads 10-3 141: #1 Luke Pletcher (OSU) maj dec. #15 Cole Matthews (UP), 22-9 – Ohio State leads 14-3 149: #8 Sammy Sasso (OSU) fall Luke Kemerer (UP), 5:25 – Ohio State leads 20-3 157: #13 Taleb Rahmani (UP) dec. Elijah Cleary (OSU), 6-1 – Ohio State leads 20-6 165: #15 Jake Wentzel (UP) dec. #14 Ethan Smith (OSU), 3-2 – Ohio State leads 20-9 174: #20 Kaleb Romero (OSU) dec. Gregg Harvey (UP), 7-2 – Ohio State leads 23-9 184: #9 Nino Bonaccorsi (UP) dec. Gavin Hoffman (OSU), 10-5 – Ohio State wins 23-12

For more than a half-century, the NWCA All-Star Classic has been an annual event on the college wrestling calendar going back to 1967. Until this year. Last month, the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced that the 2019 All-Star event would not take place this fall. Here's how the NWCA announcement described the event: "Typically serving as the kick-off to the collegiate season, The All-Star Classic has matched up numerous national champions and All-Americans through the years, including many No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchups." Why no NWCA All-Star Classic this fall? Here's the explanation provided by Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director: "On behalf of the NWCA Board of Directors, I wanted to let you know that we have decided to suspend the NWCA All-Star Classic for the 2019/20 year. Over the past 6 months, we have received some terrific ideas and concepts from our constituents on how we can 'revitalize' the All-Star Classic to meet the unique needs of our college wrestlers, coaches, and fans. Some of the proposed ideas and concepts required some extensive vetting which has made it impractical to still host the All-Star Classic this Fall..." InterMat thought the time was right to take a look back at the very first NWCA All-Star event -- the 1967 East-West Classic -- which took place in early April of that year. Not always the kickoff for the college wrestling season Although the All-Star event has been a fixture of college wrestling since 1967, it hasn't always been the season-opening event. In fact, the NWCA All-Star Classic has been the kickoff event for only a decade-and-a-half ... going back to 2005, when the event made its first appearance at the beginning of the collegiate season when held at the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville in metropolitan St. Louis. In the early years -- 1967 through 1971 -- the All-Stars had been the capstone event of the college wrestling season, taking place a week or two after the conclusion of the NCAA wrestling championships. For just over three decades -- from 1972 through 2004 -- the All-Star Classic took place pretty much in mid-season ... sometime from late January up to March, before the NCAAs. An East-West format For two decades -- 1967 through 1987 -- the All-Star Classic used an East vs. West format, with individual wrestlers placed on either an East or West team. (In 1967, the wrestlers were assigned to the East or West team based on the geographic location of the college for which they wrestle.) The event was organized and scored like a regular college dual meet. At the 1967 East-West Classic, each team had two legendary college wrestling coaches. The East team was led by Cliff Keen of the University of Michigan, and Lehigh's Gerry Leeman ... while coaching the West team were Oklahoma State's Myron Roderick and Harold Nichols of Iowa State. Referee for the 1967 East-West Classic was Rex Edgar. A decade earlier, Edgar had wrestled for the University of Oklahoma, winning a Big Seven title and NCAA All-American honors, placing third in the 167-pound bracket at the 1957 NCAAs. (Fun fact: Edgar had been a high school and college teammate of the legendary Dan Hodge, three-time NCAA champ at 177 pounds, whose name graces the Hodge Trophy, the annual award presented to the top college wrestler in the nation by WIN Magazine. By the way... Edgar is the other wrestler featured with Hodge on the cover of the Sports Illustrated April 1, 1957 issue... the only issue in the 60+ year history of the magazine featuring amateur wrestlers as amateur wrestlers.) The world in 1967: On the mat ... The 1967 East-West Classic was held Saturday, April 8 at Gallagher Hall (now Gallagher-Iba Arena) at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater. A near-capacity crowd of 6,700 fans gathered to see the top college wrestlers of the era do battle. (Note: the building was substantially expanded and upgraded in 2000.) The event was conducted under the collegiate rules in effect in 1967. New that year: a match format of three periods, the first lasting two minutes, followed by two periods of three minutes each, for a total of eight minutes (the year before, bouts lasted nine minutes total, consisting of three, three-minute periods). Wrestlers were required to wear the gear of the era -- a three-piece uniform consisting of sleeveless shirt, trunks, and tights. Headgear was required. (Today's singlets would not be permitted until the mid-1970s; the shirtless look of college legends such as Dan Hodge of Oklahoma had been outlawed in the early 1960s.) True to the college wrestling rules at the time, at the 1967 East-West Classic had eleven individual weight classes -- 115, 123, 130, 137, 145, 152, 160, 167, 177, 191 pounds and heavyweight -- the same number as at tournaments such as the NCAA championships, and two more than typical college dual meets (which did not normally have 115 and 191 bouts). Note that 50+ years ago, the heavyweight weight class was called "unlimited" because there was no top weight limit. That came along in the mid-1980s; today's upper limit is 285 pounds. Prior to setting an upper weight limit, there were a handful of NCAA champs who tipped the scales at more than 300 pounds. ... and off the mat The year 1967 was a tumultuous one in the world beyond wrestling. The Vietnam War was taking place half a world away ... with student protests at a number of college campuses across the country. There was also unrest in many major cities in the U.S. as part of the civil rights movement. In its quest to put a man on the moon, NASA suffered a tragic setback when three U.S. astronauts were killed in a fire inside the space capsule during a January training exercise for the first Apollo mission at Cape Kennedy. It was also a historic year in terms of popular culture. The top new movies of 1967 included "The Graduate", "Bonnie and Clyde" and "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner." In terms of pop music, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder were among the biggest acts. Among the top hits of the year: "I'm a Believer" by the Monkees, "Windy" by the Association, "Happy Together" by the Turtles, and "Light My Fire" by the Doors. Among the most popular TV shows of the 1966-67 season: "Bonanza", "The Andy Griffith Show", "Green Acres", "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "Bewitched." The 1967 East-West Classic, Match-by-Match At the 1967 East-West Classic, matches were wrestled in ascending order -- lightest to heftiest, starting with the 115-pounders, and concluding with the unlimited class, better known as heavyweight. (Back then, there was no such thing as random weight draw or setting a match order to conclude the dual with what was expected to be the most exciting match.) 115 pounds: Glenn McMinn (Arizona State/West) dec. Jim Anderson (Minnesota/East), 3-2 Glenn McMinn had placed third at 123 pounds at the 1967 NCAA championships at Kent State University in northeast Ohio two weeks earlier. Jim Anderson came in second at 123 at the '67 NCAAs. Here's how two publications of the era described the first match of the 1967 All-Star event: "The opening 115-pound match set the pace for the match as Glenn McMinn of Arizona State edged the East's Jim Anderson of Minnesota with 10 seconds left in the final period for a 3-2 decision," according to John Fennich, sports editor for the Daily O'Collegian, the student newspaper at Oklahoma State, in his coverage of the first-ever East-West Classic at his school's iconic wrestling venue. Bob Dellinger, sports editor for The Oklahoman -- the daily newspaper for Oklahoma City -- wrote this description for Amateur Wrestling News magazine: "McMinn used a headsnap to drop Jim Anderson of Minnesota with only 11 seconds left in the action-packed opener." In the years since the 1967 East-West Classic ... McMinn was honored with a Lifetime Service to Wrestling by the Arizona chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2005. 123 pounds: Rick Sanders (Portland State/West) tied Bob Fehrs (Michigan/East), 2-2 Prior to wrestling at Portland State, Rick Sanders was a three-time Oregon state wrestling champ for Lincoln High School in Portland. While in college, Sanders launched a successful freestyle career, winning national and world titles. Bob Fehrs, team captain for Michigan Wolverines, was a three-time Big Ten champion (1965-1967), and three-time NCAA finalist the same three years, losing each of those title matches to Lehigh's Mike Caruso. Here's how two publications described the 123-pound All-Star match: "Robert Fehrs of Michigan and Rick Sanders of Portland State each got a reversal and left the 123 championship in doubt as the match ended in a draw," according to the O'Colly's Fennich. "Fehrs had all but the last gasp of a single-leg takedown on Sanders for more than a minute of the first period but didn't score until he managed to reverse when Sanders went too high with a three-quarter Nelson midway in the second," Dellinger wrote for Amateur Wrestling News. "Sanders, outstanding wrestler in the NCAA, reversed for the tie with 1:07 to go and had Fehrs in deep trouble with a near predicament at the buzzer." In the years since the 1967 East-West Classic ... Bob Fehrs received a Lifetime Service to Wrestling by the Pennsylvania chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2017. Rick Sanders was a two-time silver medalist in freestyle wrestling for the U.S. at the Olympics in Mexico City in 1968 and Munich in 1972. Sadly, just weeks after the '72 Munich Games, Sanders was killed in a vehicle crash while hitchhiking in Yugoslavia in October 1972. He was just 27. Sanders was posthumously inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Okla. in 1987. Note: Portland State eliminated its wrestling program in 2009. 130 pounds: Mike Caruso (Lehigh/East) dec. Jim Hanson (Colorado/West), 6-3 Mike Caruso was coming off having won his third EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) title and third NCAA title, having won the 123-pound championship at the 1967 NCAAs at Kent State a couple weeks earlier (defeating Michigan's Bob Fehrs in the finals for the third consecutive time), to conclude a near-perfect 57-1 record at Lehigh. Jim Hanson had placed fourth in the 130-pound bracket at the 1967 NCAAs. Writing for Amateur Wrestling News, Bob Dellinger wrote, "Caruso, three-time national champ, scored a quick four points on a fireman's carry into a predicament in the first 20 seconds and posted a workmanlike 6-3 decision over Jim Hanson of Colorado for his 51st consecutive triumph." In the years since the 1967 East-West Classic ... Mike Caruso was welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1991 ... and was honored by the New Jersey chapter of the Hall of Fame as an Outstanding American in 2001. Sadly, Hanson's alma mater, the University of Colorado, axed its wrestling program in June 1980. 137 pounds: Gene Davis (Oklahoma State/West) dec. Don Behm (Michigan State/East), 7-3 Gene Davis was the first of two Oklahoma State wrestlers to come out as winners in their home gym (Gallagher Hall) at the 1967 All-Star event (the other being Jim Rogers at 145). Davis was a two-time Big 8 champ in 1967 and 1968, and a three-time NCAA All-American, winning the title at the 1966 NCAAs, and placing third at the '67 NCAAs. As a Cowboy, Davis compiled a 62-5-1 record. "Gene Davis was Oklahoma State's first representative who saw action, as he decisioned Michigan State's Don Behm, 7-3," reported the Oklahoma State student paper, the O'Colly. Dellinger, writing for Amateur Wrestling News, provided additional details: "Davis had too much of everything for Don Behm of Michigan State, scoring takedowns with 14 seconds left in the first period and 29 seconds from the end. He controlled the match until Behm reversed with 14 seconds left for a 7-3 score." In the years since the 1967 East-West Classic ... Both wrestlers in the 137-pound match at the first All-Star event later found themselves welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as Distinguished Members: Gene Davis, in 1985 ... and Don Behm, in 2004. 145 pounds: Jim Rogers (Oklahoma State/West) dec. Don New (Cornell University/East), 8-5 Jim Rogers was a two-time Big Eight champ (and three-time conference finalist) and three-time NCAA All-American, coming in fourth place at 145 at the 1967 Nationals. Rogers crafted a 45-16 record at the Stillwater school. "At 145, Jim Rogers of Oklahoma State held off a last-period effort by Cornell's Don New to take the match, 8-5," according to the Daily O'Collegian. "Rogers played cat-and-mouse with Don New of Cornell, piling up a six-point lead with three takedowns and a reverse in the first three minutes and staying on the move the rest of the way for an 8-5 decision," reported Amateur Wrestling News. In the years since the 1967 East-West Classic ... Jim Rogers was presented with the Lifetime Service to Wrestling honor by the Oklahoma chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2004 ... while Don New received a similar honor -- the Lifetime Service to Wrestling rom the Upstate New York chapter of the Hall of Fame -- in 2015. 152 pounds: Lee Ehrler (UCLA/West) dec. Jim Kamman (Michigan/East), 8-7 Both wrestlers had earned All-American honors at the 1967 NCAAs ... in different weight classes. Jim Kamman won the 152-pound crown for the Wolverines, while Lee Ehrler placed third at 160 pounds at the Nationals at Kent State. "Top crowd-pleaser of the night was Ehrler, whose unorthodox style and superb balance shocked national champ Jim Kamman of Michigan, 8-7," wrote Amateur Wrestling News' Dellinger. "Ehrler broke a cradle for a reverse and near-fall in the first period, survived a second-period ride, then used a spectacular Greco-Roman fallback for another nearfall 1:29 from the end. Kamman managed his second takedown with nine seconds left but lacked two seconds of having enough time advantage to tie it." In the years since the 1967 East-West Classic ... Both 152-pounders at the 1967 All-Star event later earned Lifetime Service to Wrestling honors: Lee Ehrler from the California chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2015 ... and Jim Kamman, from the Minnesota chapter of the Hall of Fame, in 2008. Lee Ehrler died in December 2018 at age 73, having been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) not long before his passing. Surprised to see "UCLA" and "wrestling" in the same sentence? The Bruins of southern California once had an NCAA intercollegiate wrestling program. Not anymore. 160 pounds: Joe Domko (Southern Illinois University-Carbondale/East) dec. Vic Marcucci (Iowa State/West), 3-2 Talk about an overachiever: Joe Domko, who lost his first match at in the 167-pound bracket at the 1967 NCAAs, managed to defeat the defending national champ at that weight, Vic Marcucci, at the 1967 East-West Classic. Though the All-Star match between Domko and Marcucci was actually closer than that statement may sound ... "Joe Domko of Southern Illinois got a takedown with 13 seconds left to break 1-1 tie with NCAA champion Vic Marcucci from Iowa State to take the 160-pound match for the East," according to the daily student newspaper at Oklahoma State. Here's Amateur Wrestling News' take on the 160-pound bout: "Domko used a double-leg tackle with seconds left to beat Vic Marcucci of Iowa State -- who barely missed a takedown at the buzzer -- 3-2." In the years since the 1967 East-West Classic ... Vic Marcucci was welcomed into the Glen Brand Wrestling Hall of Fame at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa in 2009. Joe Domko passed away in August 2014 at the age of 69. SIU-Carbondale said goodbye to intercollegiate wrestling in 1989. (Note: Miles away from Carbondale, SIU-Edwardsville in suburban St. Louis still maintains a NCAA Division I mat program.) 167 pounds: George Radman (Michigan State/East) dec. Fred Fairbanks (Washington State), 9-3 In the 167-pound match at the East-West Classic, it was a battle of two All-American honorees from the '67 NCAAs, as Michigan State's George Radman -- 167-pound champ -- faced Washington State's Fred Fairbanks, who placed fifth in the same bracket. "The East took the 167-pound clash as Michigan State's George Radman showed the style that nabbed him this year's NCAA championship and topped Fred Fairbanks of Washington State, 9-3," the Daily O'Collegian reported. One additional detail included in Amateur Wrestling News' brief recap of the match: Radman scored three takedowns. In the years since the 1967 East-West Classic ... The Washington State varsity wrestling program was eliminated after the 1986 season. 177 pounds: Don Parker (University of Northern Iowa/West) dec. Dave Mucka (Moravian College/East), 3-2 Don Parker came to Gallagher Hall for the 1967 East-West Classic as a two-time NCAA Division II champ at 177 (1966, 1967) who went on to place sixth at the same weight at the 1967 NCAA Division I championship. (Back then, Division II champs automatically qualified for the D1 tournament.) Dave Mucka of Pennsylvania's Moravian College placed sixth in the 177 bracket at the 1967 NCAA Division II championships. The 1967 All-Star event was the second time Parker and Mucka met on the mat. The UNI mat champ defeated Mucka in the 177-pound finals at the 1966 National Division II championships. "Don Parker of the State College of Iowa (now UNI) nabbed the final win for the West as he edged Moravian's Dave Mucka, 3-2 at 177," according to the Daily O'Collegian student paper. "Parker's armdrag felled Dave Mucka of Moravian with 29 seconds left for a 3-2 win," added Amateur Wrestling News. In the years since the 1967 East-West Classic ... Don Parker was presented with the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Medal of Courage in 2014. In 1998, he sustained a serious neck injury while hunting which left him paralyzed ... yet was still able to coach wrestling from a wheelchair. Dave Mucka passed away in August 2004. Haven't heard of Moravian wrestling? The private college located in Bethlehem, Pa. said goodbye to its intercollegiate wrestling program at the end of the 1986 season. 191 pounds: Tom Schlendorf (Syracuse/East) dec. Fred Fozzard (Oklahoma State/West), 5-3 Tom Schlendorf -- a two-sport star (football and wrestling) for Syracuse -- had compiled an 84-8-1 record on the mat for the Orangemen. In 1967, Schlendorf completed his athletic career at the upstate New York State school by being named Syracuse Athlete of the Year. Fred Fozzard, the third Oklahoma State wrestler to take to the mat in his home gym at the inaugural All-Star event, was a two-time Big 8 conference champ and 1967 NCAA titlewinner (and three-time NCAA All-American). He entered the East-West Classic with an overall collegiate record of 54-4-3. John Fennich, sports editor for the Daily O'Collegian, wrote about the match as one might expect from someone who normally covered Cowboy wrestlers: "Oklahoma State's Fred Fozzard, NCAA 177-pound champ, lost the 191-pound match, 5-3, to national titleholder (at that weight) Tom Schlendorf of Syracuse after matching the Eastern grappler point-for-point through the opening period." Writing for Amateur Wrestling News magazine, Bob Dellinger provided a few more details of the match at 191: "Fozzard led Schlendorf on a single-leg takedown midway of the second period but Schlendorf's reversal five seconds before the middle buzzer and won the match with a headsnap takedown seven seconds from the end." In the years since the 1967 East-West Classic ... Fred Fozzard was welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 2012. Sadly, Tom Schlendorf passed away in July 2007. The Syracuse Division I wrestling program ceased to exist about twenty years ago. Heavyweight: Dave Porter (Michigan/East) pinned Curley Culp (Arizona State/West), 3:38 Dave Porter and Curley Culp shared a number of things in common. Both made names for themselves in wrestling and in football in both high school and college. Both were two-time state mat champs -- Porter in Michigan, Culp in Arizona. And both had NCAA heavyweight titles earned prior to the 1967 East-West event: Porter at the 1966 NCAAs ... and Culp at the 1967 Nationals. The Porter-Culp heavyweight match at the 1967 All-Stars got big-time coverage. In fact, both the Daily O'Collegian student paper and Amateur Wrestling News gave the concluding bout heavyweight attention, as it was the deciding factor in the event's overall outcome. "A near-capacity Gallagher Hall crowd witnessed a tremendous come-from-behind effort by the East which was capped by the victory punch delivered by Dave Porter, NCAA heavyweight champion in 1966, pinned Curley Culp of the West, NCAA champion in 1967, giving the East a 19-17 win," according to the O'Colly. "The order was a pin and that's what Michigan's Porter served for the East as he trailed the Arizona State 265-pounder going into the second period, 9-5. With 22 seconds left in the second period, Porter decided to press the issue with a reversal and body press for the fall." Bob Dellinger weighed in with his account of the finale. "The heavyweight grudge match was a rouser from the start," wrote Dellinger. "Three times Culp threw Porter to the mat in the first two minutes, piling up a 6-2 lead." "Porter started the second period on top and by blocking a switch, locked Culp in a nearfall. Culp broke away and took Porter down a fourth time for a 9-5 lead. But Porter quickly reversed and as Culp attempted to sit out, threw the Arizona State behemoth on his back and flattened him in 3:38 with a body press." In the years since the 1967 East-West Classic ... Dave Porter won his second heavyweight title at the 1968 NCAAs ... but, two weeks later, at the 1968 East-West Classic, Porter lost to Curley Culp, 5-3. Culp went on to a professional football career as a defensive tackle for the Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Oilers and Minnesota Vikings which spanned fourteen seasons. He was welcomed into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio in August 2013. Porter was a long-time high school teacher and coach at Grand Ledge High School in Michigan before retiring in 2005. In 2010, Porter received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling from the Michigan chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Two years later, in August 2012, Porter passed away after a long illness at age 66. In the end ... After eleven matches featuring the top college wrestlers -- most of them NCAA All-Americans, including a number of recently crowned NCAA champs -- the very first All-Star event was one for the history books. At the 1967 East-West Classic, the East team scored a come-from-behind win -- claiming victory in four of the last five bouts -- to win the team title over the West, 19-17. Special thanks to Amateur Wrestling News for scanning the pages of their coverage of the 1967 East-West Classic and sharing them with this writer... so that I could share this information with InterMat readers.

ST. LOUIS -- Fighting Illini wrestling secured a dramatic, 19-14 victory over No. 13 Missouri Thursday night at Francis Howell High School in St. Louis. Trailing, 11-6, at intermission, the Illini won four of the last five bouts of the night to take the dual. With the score at 16-14, the match came down to the heavyweight bout, and Illini freshman Luke Luffman delivered with a come-from-behind, 9-7, decision victory over Rodrigo Diaz to win Illinois the match and send the Illini to 2-1 on the season. "Guys wrestled with a lot pride, energy and heart," said head coach Jim Heffernan. We had five freshmen in the lineup, and what a fantastic job by (Luke) Luffman! (Joey) Gunther's win was incredible. He found a way to win against a very good guy (No. 8 Connor Flynn). I'm very proud of our effort." Freshman Luke Luffman improved to 7-0 on the season and earned the biggest victory of his young collegiate career thus far with his dual-winning, 9-7, decision over Rodrigo Diaz. At the end of the first period, the score was tied 3-3, but Diaz tallied three points in the second to make the score 6-3 heading into the final period. With the match on the line Luffman took over in the third, escaping and forcing a takedown to tie the score at 6-6. Luffman would tack on another takedown late to go-ahead, and with the point for riding time, won the bout, 9-7, over Diaz, securing a 19-14 Illinois victory over No. 13 Missouri. Also instrumental in the Illini victory was No. 14 Joey Gunther's come-from-behind upset win over No. 11 Connor Flynn at 174-pounds. After a scoreless first period, Flynn scored two points in the second to take a 2-0 lead into the third. Trailing late in the third, Gunther secured a takedown to tie the match at 2-2 and force overtime. In Sudden Victory-1, Gunther tacked on a second takedown to win the bout over Flynn, 4-2. The win by Gunther put the Illini back in front, 12-11, ahead of the Tigers. The Illini also saw key victories out of redshirt freshman Danny Braunagel and redshirt freshman Zac Braunagel. Danny Braunagel got the Illini comeback started with his 11-5 decision over Peyton Mocco at 165-pounds. Mocco scored the first two points of the match with an early takedown, but it was all Braunagel the rest of the way. Braunagel built a 5-1 lead heading into the final period, then added six points in the third with two takedowns and a two-point nearfall. Braunagel's win cut the Missouri advantage to just 11-9 over the Illini, setting the stage for Gunther, who would give the Illini the lead back for good. Braunagel improves to 8-1 on the season, and his eight victories are the most on the team to this point in the season. After Gunther's win, the Illini only led by one team point, 12-11, and were looking to Zac Braunagel to increase the lead in the 184-pound bout. He secured four team points with his 15-7 major decision win against Canten Marriott. Braunagel was in control throughout the match. He got off to a strong start with two takedowns in the first and then two more in the second. With an 8-4 lead entering the final period, Braunagel took over, picking up three takedowns with the third putting him in line for the major decision. His victory gave the Illini some breathing room, putting their lead over the Tigers at 16-11 with two bouts to go. Braunagel now sits at 7-2 on the season. Illinois got off to a strong start on Thursday thanks to wins in the first two bouts of the evening from redshirt freshman Justin Cardani (125) and senior Travis Piotrowski (133). Cardani did all of his scoring in the second period, going up, 3-0, on Dack Punke heading into the final period. He earned the riding time point and gave the Illinois an initial, 3-0, advantage over Missouri with his 4-0 decision against Punke. Cardani is now 4-3 on the season. Senior No. 9 Travis Piotrowski moved to 3-0 in dual bouts this season with his 4-3 decision over No. 25 Allan Hart. Piotrowski took a 3-2 lead at the end of the first period with a two-point takedown late in the opening frame. Hart tied the score with an escape in the second, but Piotrowski took the lead back with an escape in the third and defended the rest of the way en route to the decision that put Illinois ahead, 6-0, over No. 13 Missouri. Piotrowski is now 7-1 overall on the season. With tonight's win, Illinois moves to 21-12 in the all-time series with Missouri. The Illini will spend the next few weeks in the room preparing for their first home dual of the season, which will be on Friday, December 6 against Northern Illinois. The dual against NIU is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. CT at Huff Hall. The promotion is Showdown, and the first 100 fans in attendance will receive free popcorn. Results: 125: Justin Cardani (ILL) dec. Dack Punke (MIZ), 4-0, ILL 3, MIZ 0 133: No. 9 Travis Piotrowski (ILL) dec. No. 25 Alan Hart (MIZ), 4-3, ILL 6, MIZ 0 141: No. 5 Grant Leeth (MIZ), major dec. We Rachal (ILL), 10-2, ILL 6, MIZ 4 149: No. 2 Brock Mauller (MIZ) major dec. Mousa Jodeh (ILL), 12-3, MIZ 8, ILL 6 157: No. 15 Jarrett Jacques (MIZ) dec. Eric Barone (ILL), 7-2, MIZ 11, ILL 6 165: Danny Braunagel (ILL) dec. Peyton Mocco (MIZ), 11-5, MIZ 11, ILL 9 174: No. 14 Joey Gunther (ILL) SV-1 No. 11 Connor Flynn, 4-2, ILL 12, MIZ 11 184: Zac Braunagel (ILL) major dec. Canten Marriott (MIZ), 15-6. ILL 16, MIZ 11 197: No. 20 Wyatt Koelling (MIZ) dec. Matt Wroblewski (ILL), 6-2, ILL 16, MIZ 14 285: Luke Luffman (ILL) dec. Rodrigo Diaz (MIZ), 9-7, ILL 19, MIZ 14

With impeachment proceedings against the president in full swing at the House of Representatives, the often-hidden shenanigans of some congressmen have been well-televised and left some wrestlers to ponder if there is any intellectual, political, social, value, or diversity of opinion among the leaders in the sport. With memes abound depicting the tirades of a few, it can feel like wrestling is siloed, destined to be a sport that graduates aggression before tactic. And it's true that for the past 20 years the wrestlers climbing to the top of the political junk heap have tended to be hyper-conservative and not altogether that compassionate, thoughtful, or jacket-wearing. But it wasn't always that way. Before since-disgraced former Speaker of the House Denny Hastert was elected to his vaunted title in 1999, the most well-known wrestler-turned-politician was something of a people's warrior. A champion of equality, someone with a fire in his belly, not for support of the gun lobby or oil companies, but for people. The middle class. You. Me. A politician who was simultaneously recognized for his once-adept physical combativeness, but also his ever-present compassion and thoughtfulness. Paul Wellstone was raised in Arlington, Virginia, and wrestled on scholarship for the University of North Carolina in the mid 1960's. After earning his B.A. and ACC Conference title, Wellstone went on to earn his Ph.D., From there he moved to Minnesota with his wife to teach and start a family. From the time he arrived at Carleton College, Wellstone was a dogged advocate for workers' rights. He was known to support picketing staff and rally local labor unions. Largely on the back of the energy he created in supporting these issues, he ran for U.S. Senate in 1990 as a member of the (I kid you not) Democratic-Farmer-Labor party. Wellstone would go on to win the race, and then reelection in 1996. He became a powerful voice in Washington, never backing down from a confrontation. In one instance he broke protocol when visiting George H.W. Bush at the White House and confronted him about the U.S. involvement in the first Iraq War. He often called himself the "Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party." In 2000 he was asked by a friend to explore running for president, but after a series of early tours pulled his name from consideration. At the time he cited an old college wrestling injury that had given him severe back discomfort, but later it was revealed he had Multiple Sclerosis. The Wellstone story ends in 2002 when along with his wife and one of his children, he died in a plane crash while headed to the funeral of a local union organizer. The crash happened only a few weeks before what was likely to be Wellstone's election to a third term in the U.S. Senate. What separated Wellstone from so many of his colleagues was an unflappable determination to fight for what was right for all people. He opposed NAFTA and ANWR, fought special interests, and was the only Senator in a tight re-election campaign to vote against the resolution to go to war in Iraq. Wellstone was convinced that Big Oil, Pharma, and the Gun Lobby had someone fighting for them. His role was to fight for the rest of the country. Wellstone left a legacy of thoughtfulness that resonated at his funeral. During his eulogy Sen. Tom Harkin said of Wellstone, "He may have had a bad back, but he had a spine of steel." A wrestler's grit. An unconquerable desire to protect and advocate for those in need. A spine of steel. Wellstone is every wrestler's best representation of what we can be as leaders. The fight for the people and passion with good intention, devoid of the chicanery and two-bit histrionics of today's most powerful former wrestlers in politics. Victories on the mat should never give license to a leader to flex muscles and scream wildly in the berating of others. Toughness learned in our sport should be deployed in the defense of those who need a megaphone on the national stage -- never as the bully, but always with passion. And nobody advocated for the less fortunate better than the late Senator Paul Wellstone. To your questions … Anthony Echemendia after winning a Fargo title in freestyle (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) Q: What are your thoughts on Anthony Echemendia committing to Ohio State? He has limited folkstyle experience but is very good in freestyle and Greco. Have you watched him much? What kind of college career do you think he will have if he suits up for the Buckeyes? -- Mike C. Foley: I've only seen a few of the matches. Given the excitement of the Division I coaches I tend to think there is a huge potential. When you can throw anyone you want on their head, but you can also defend your legs there isn't much reason to think collegiate success is out of reach. The one concern for international wrestlers making the switch from freestyle is the transition to the mat. If you look at Muzaffar Abdurakhmanov he cut a similar path as Echemendia, getting only a few years of mat experience at the JUCO level before testing it out at the Division I level. Overall he performed very well, though the issues on the mat probably kept him off the top of the podium. Echemendia is in a great position at Ohio State. J Jaggers will take responsibility for teaching him how to ride and how to avoid being ridden. Tom Ryan will provide the direction he needs to stay focused off the mat and make large goals for his career. I'm guessing that if all else goes well he could win an NCAA title before he graduates at Ohio State. Q: Bo Nickal plans to open an MMA gym and to compete in MMA. Do you think he will be as successful in MMA as other wrestlers have been? -- Gregg Y. Foley: Yes. Bo Nickal announced he was opening an American Top Team affiliate in State College and was going to run a wrestling team out of the space, too. The Marcelo Garcia black belt in me is excited, since he'll be an Alliance competitor should he go into jiu-jitsu. The business brain in me is also very excited for him, since opening a BJJ school in a wrestling-rich area like State College is sure to draw big, big numbers. And the MMA fan in me is excited because I think he will be a top-flight competitor. Will he be successful? Probably very successful, but these things take YEARS to happen. Look at how many of our sport's top stars are still grinding away, toiling to make it onto main cards. There are some very obvious success stories, but often it seems to take as much luck and marketing as it does in-the-cage competence. Overall, a very good business idea. Will be interested to see it develop! Q: Who are your top three women's wrestlers heading into 2020? -- @EricOlanowski Yui Susaki won her first senior world title in 2017 at the age of 18 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Foley: The best wrestler in the world is probably Yui Susaki (Japan) who has yet to secure her place on the Japanese roster or qualify her weight category for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. If Yui can beat her in-country opponents it seems inevitable that she'll win the 2020 Games with little outside challenge. In terms of results, Adeline Gray (USA) is almost without peer. She's won the last two world championships after sitting out in 2017. And while her lackluster outing at the Rio Games was disappointing, it seemed that her mental lapses have mostly been corrected. She's beaten the best competition in the world again and again. If anyone would challenge Gray for pound-for-pound No. 1, it's defending Olympic champion and three-time world champion Risako Kawai whose only losses in recent years came to four-time Olympic champion Kaori Icho and a since-suspended Orkhon Purvedorj who tested positive immediately following her victory over Kawai at the 2018 Asian Games. What's so compelling about the women's side of the sport is the constant expansion of the sport into new territories, some of which haven't seen prior success in men's wrestling. The stars of the sport are coming from Mongolia, India, Nigeria, and Kyrgyzstan -- nations where options for women are limited and the sport can provide upward social mobility. To me it's almost certain that the biggest wrestling story of the 2020 Olympics will be a woman and that will help our sport continue to grow through even more opportunities for women in even more wrestling-interested nations. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Remembering Paul Wellstone Highlights of women's wrestling at the 2019 World Championships Ismail Musukaev! Q: What excites you most about the Bill Farrell Memorial this weekend? Any potential matchups you're excited to see? -- Mike C. Foley: Honestly, the fact I only have to travel a few stops on the subway and that I can bring my daughter to the action. The weight classes are pretty loaded for a Bill Farrell tournament and I wonder what it will feel like to see Snyder wrestling in an NLWC singlet and being cornered by Cael Sanderson. Also, Vicky Anthony moved to Canada for her training, so I'm interested if that switch has helped her development. It's only been a short time, but her locking into a solid training situation could equate to a tough 50-kilogram situation back on home soil this spring. Q: How do you expect the United States will do at the Women's World Cup this weekend? -- Mike C. Foley: Strong second. Q: With Aaron Pico having a fight on Jan. 25, do you think that means he won't be competing for an Olympic spot in 2020? -- Mike C. Foley: I don't think that date would adversely affect his training. The whole deal is being able to transfer nationalities (December 2019) and to register for the Pan Am Qualifier in March. Then it's about placing in the top two in the qualifier which he's probably better than 50/50 to do even without year-round wrestling training. Wil he do it? Unclear at the moment. The MMA career has had a few fits and starts and that should remain his focus, but the point is clear that he can easily make the Olympics and then from there it's anyone's guess what he can do once he makes it onto the mat in Tokyo.

Anthony Echemendia was a double champion in Fargo Ohio State landed one of the prized recruits in the Class of 2019, Anthony Echemendia, a native of Cuba who won double titles in Fargo this past summer. He made the announcement via Twitter on Wednesday. Last season, Echemendia compiled a 22-0 record and won a state title in Arizona for Sunnyside at 152 pounds. Following Eschemedia's announcement, Ohio State coach Tom Ryan wrote the following on Twitter about his new recruit: "Humble and hard working. Accustomed to discomfort and the hard way. We are excited to welcome Anthony from Cuba 🇨🇺 to Buckeye Nation! He will be enrolling this January. Go Bucks!"

Old Dominion's Larry Early defeated NC State's Hayden Hidlay last season (Photo/ODU Athletics) The marquee match this weekend comes at 157 pounds where No. 1 Hayden Hidlay (NC State) takes on No. 4 Larry Early (Old Dominion). Last year Early surprised Hidlay and handed him a loss. Outside of that there is plenty of action throughout the rest of the weekend of dual meets. 125: No. 18 Patrick McKee (Minnesota) vs. No. 14 Anthony Cefolo (Rider) When/Where: Friday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. ET: Rider at Minnesota (BTN+) After going 14-4 during his redshirt season, McKee joined the starting lineup for the Golden Gophers this year. While in redshirt, he picked up signature wins over Paul Bianchi (Little Rock) and Alex Thomsen (Nebraska). He has made the most of his limited time. McKee has already won the Bison Open and is 4-0 on the season with three falls and a major decision. In his junior season Cefolo qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time. For his senior year, he is dropping down to 125 pounds for the first time since his true freshman season in 2016. Cefolo is yet to debut this year, but he went 19-8 with a first-period fall over Austin Gomez (Iowa State). It will be interesting to see how Cefolo will do back down at 125 pounds. Occasionally the move to a lower weight class can be a case of diminishing returns. On one hand, he might have a size advantage. On the other hand, he might struggle to hold the weight. McKee has looked dynamic this season and clearly made strides since his redshirt year. Look for him to turn up the offense in the neutral position and take the match. Prediction: McKee (Minnesota) decision over Cefolo (Rider) 133: No. 14 Quinn Kinner (Ohio State) vs. No. 4 Micky Phillippi (Pittsburgh) When/Where: Friday, Nov. 15 at 3 p.m. ET: Ohio State at Pittsburgh (ACCNX) Kinner was a top-40 recruit prior to joining the Buckeyes last season. He went 16-3 during his redshirt campaign with his best win coming over Carter Happel (Iowa). This year he has dropped down from 141 to 133 and joined the starting lineup. He has gone 5-2 on the season so far, but he already dropped a 6-4 match against Phillippi at the Michigan State Open. Phillippi nearly became an All-American last season, but he fell in the round of 12. He has gotten off to a strong start this season. He won the Michigan State Open with wins over Kinner and No. 16 Anthony Madrigal (Oklahoma) as well as a second sudden victory escape over No. 9 Travis Piotrowski (Illinois). Last weekend he knocked off No. 18 Noah Gonser (Campbell) via a 6-2 score. Kinner was the aggressor looking for leg attacks early in their first meeting. However, Phillippi was able to defend and turn it on late. Look for a similar trend to continue here. Phillippi has the veteran savvy, and Kinner is still looking for his first victory on this level. Also on a trivial note, Kinner lost twice last year against Phillippi's teammate Cole Matthews. Kinner is currently 0-3 against Pittsburgh wrestlers and 21-2 against other opponents. Prediction: Phillippi (Pittsburgh) decision over Kinner (Ohio State) 141: No. 1 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State) vs. No. 18 Mitch Moore (Virginia Tech) When/Where: Sunday, Nov. 17 at 12 p.m. ET: Virginia Tech at Ohio State (BTN) Two weeks ago Pletcher took over the No. 1 spot with an overtime victory over Dom Demas (Oklahoma). Last weekend he held onto his place with another overtime win over Real Woods (Stanford). After back-to-back All-American seasons at 133 pounds, Pletcher looks like one of the favorites at 141 pounds this year. Moore's 2019-2020 season probably could not have gotten off to a better start. So far he has had two matches, and he has picked up two first-period falls. Last year he was a national qualifier and finished with an 18-9 record. Obviously Pletcher is the favorite in this match. However, his penchant for close matches will almost certainly make his tenure as the top ranked wrestler dramatic. Moore is a big move wrestler, and one might be enough to score the upset. Prediction: Pletcher (Ohio State) decision over Moore (Virginia Tech). 149: Yahya Thomas (Northwestern) vs. No. 3 Max Thomsen (Northern Iowa) When/Where: Sunday, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. ET: Northern Iowa at Northwestern (BTN+) Thomas has excelled on the freestyle scene as he made the 2019 Junior World Team. However, that has not always translated to the collegiate mats. In his first season as a starter last year, he went 12-9 after going 16-6 during his redshirt campaign. After finishing eighth as a redshirt freshman in 2017, Thomsen has ended his season in the round of 12 in back-to-back seasons. He made his season debut last weekend at the Cyclone Open where he took the tournament title. In the finals, he scored yet another victory over No. 4 Jarrett Degen (Iowa State). He improves to 4-0 in his career against the All-American. Thomas clearly has the talent, but he appears to be still looking to put it together. Thomsen was a man on a mission last weekend. Look for that to continue as he tries to make it back on the podium at the end of his senior year. Prediction: Thomsen (Northern Iowa) decision over Thomas (Northwestern) 157: No. 4 Larry Early (Old Dominion) vs. No. 1 Hayden Hidlay (NC State) When/Where: Friday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. ET: Old Dominion at NC State (ACCNX) This will be the third meeting between these two. Hidlay announced himself during his redshirt freshman season with a 16-5 major decision early in the season on the way to an NCAA runner-up performance and a trip to Final X. It was a different story last year. Early handed Hidlay his first regular season loss of his official career via a 4-2 upset. Following the upset, Hidlay eventually got it back on track. He finished the year 24-4 and nearly knocked off Jason Nolf (Penn State) in the NCAA semifinals before finishing fourth. The win was a high point for Early, but he also clawed his way to an eighth-place finish to become an All-American for the first time. Hidlay is the clear favorite for the NCAA title at 157 this year. He needs to be cognizant of the challenge that guys like Early pose. It will likely be a tough match, but look for Hidlay to push the pace of the match and score often on the feet. Prediction: Hidlay (NC State) major decision over Early (Old Dominion) 165: No. 17 Kennedy Monday (North Carolina) vs. No. 8 Shane Griffith (Stanford) When/Where: Saturday, Nov. 16 at 5 p.m. ET: North Carolina at Stanford After missing a large chunk of last season with injuries, Monday has returned to the starting lineup for the Tar Heels this year. He has gone 4-1 with a standout victory over Peyton Mocco (Missouri). However, his lone loss came via fall against No. 16 Quentin Perez (Campbell). After breezing through the competition at the season opening Battle at The Citadel with a major decision and fall, Griffith had his first test against a ranked wrestler last weekend against No. 14 Ethan Smith (Ohio State). The match was somewhat close early, but in the third period the former blue chip prospect locked up the cradle and scored the fall. There are a lot of veteran wrestlers at the top of the 165-pound division. However, Griffith might have something to say about the championship before it is all said and done. Monday will always be a tough test since he can often find ways to score on the feet. On the other hand, Griffith has passed all the tests so far in his career, and his top game could be a difference maker here. Prediction: Griffith (Stanford) major decision over Monday (North Carolina) 174: No. 5 Joe Smith (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 2 Jordan Kutler (Lehigh) When/Where: Saturday, Nov. 16 at 1 p.m. ET: Oklahoma State at Lehigh (Stadium) The 165 experiment for Smith did not really turn out the way the Cowboys hoped last year. He did not drop to the weight until the Big 12 tournament. He did qualify for the NCAA tournament, but he failed to become an All-American for the first time as a starter. This year the plan appears to be him staying put at 174 for the duration. Kutler has been one of the top wrestlers at 174 for the past two seasons. He finished as an All-American twice in what was always a tough weight class. This past weekend he got off to a strong start with a 4-0 performance at the Journeyman Collegiate Classic. He finished with two falls and a 4-1 decision over No. 3 Mikey Labriola (Nebraska). Smith will probably be at his best up at 174 this season, but he has struggled in his two previous matches against Kutler. They first met at the Southern Scuffle in 2017. That was a 7-1 decision victory for the Lehigh wrestler. They matched up again last year. Smith closed the gap, but Kutler still pulled it out via a 2-1 score. Prediction: Kutler (Lehigh) decision over Smith (Oklahoma State) 184: No. 4 Louie DePrez (Binghamton) vs. Zach Carlson (SDSU) When/Where: Friday, Nov. 15 at 5 p.m. ET: Binghamton vs. SDSU at the Sanford Pentagon (Facebook Live) After finishing in the round of 12 last year, DePrez put himself on the map this year at the Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open. He won the tournament and picked up a dominant 7-2 victory over No. 5 Ben Darmstadt (Cornell). There are some big names towards the top of this division, but DePrez has the talent to go on a run around tournament time. Carlson might be one of the lesser known names on this preview, but he had a bit of a breakout season last year. He went 22-9 for the Jackrabbits and nearly qualified for the NCAA tournament out of the Big 12. He started the season with a 4-0 performance and a tournament victory at the Bison Open. DePrez is coming off a big win last weekend, so there is always a chance for an upset. This will be a big opportunity for Carlson, who is looking to make the NCAA tournament for the first time as a senior. Look for DePrez to control this match, but he could have a bit more trouble than expected. Prediction: DePrez (Binghamton) major decision over Carlson (SDSU) 197: Jacob Seely (Northern Colorado) vs. No. 11 Noah Adams (West Virginia) When/Where: Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. ET: West Virginia at Northern Colorado (FloWrestling) Seely comes into his senior season as a two-time NCAA qualifier. Last year he went 14-12 and qualified out of the Big 12. The Bears have been active this year, and Seely has already racked up eight matches. He has gone 6-2 including an odd win over the similarly named Ashton Jacob Seely of Utah Valley. After qualifying for the NCAA tournament last year, Adams has already moved himself up the rankings last two a strong start to the season. He has won both the Southeast Open and the Mountaineer Invitational. Along the way, he has scored two falls, two technical falls and two major decisions. This should be an interesting Big 12 match. Adams comes in as the ranked wrestler, but the series between the two is currently even. Seely won their first meeting last November via a 12-9 score. They rematched at the Big 12 tournament, and Adams took the bout 13-1. Prediction: Adams (West Virginia) decision over Seely (Northern Colorado) 285: No. 14 Brian Andrews (Wyoming) vs. Kayne Hutchison (Air Force) When/Where: Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. ET: Wyoming at Air Force (TrackWrestling) Andrews really stacked up the wins last year. He finished with 35 victories by the time the season ended, and he qualified for the NCAA tournament. He has gotten off to a 3-0 start to this year as he won the Cowboy Invitational and gave up only three points. Hutchison took some lumps last year in his first year in the lineup. He finished 10-8 and went 0-2 at the Big 12 tournament. However, things have been looking up so far this year. He has gone 6-2 and finished second at both the Mountaineer Invitational and the Cowboy Invitational. The downside for Hutchison is that he has already dropped a match against Andrews. In fact, the Wyoming record has twice defeated the Falcon. Occasionally familiarity can lead to an upset, so Andrews should be on the lookout here. In the end, his defense will likely be too tough for Hutchison. Prediction: Andrews (Wyoming) over Hutchison (Air Force)

Looks can be deceiving. Kaila Del Toro, a 16-year-old sophomore at William Howard Taft High School in Chicago, appears like any 5-foot-1, 124-pound high school student. She's not. Last year she started wrestling -- and became an All-American with a fifth-place finish in the 117-pound weight class at the Fargo Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota. Kaila Del Toro"She's got heavy hands, which is something you can certainly train, but it sure is nice to just have them," said Mike Powell, executive director of Beat the Streets -- Chicago. "I saw her snap a girl down at the Beat the Streets National Dual's last summer and just about break [the other girl's nose] on the mat." Del Toro became the first wrestler in the history of Taft and of the wrestling group Beat the Streets-Chicago to become an All-American at the prestigious high school event. Since 2001, the number of girls in high school wrestling has more than quadrupled from 3,405 to just below 17,000 participants today. Title IX, the introduction of women to Olympic wrestling in 2004 and the rise of Mixed Martial Arts have all contributed to this spike. Today, 19 states sponsor official or emerging girls state high school championships, while a dozen others are developing their own girls high school championship series. Del Toro, one of those girls who has "fallen in love" with wrestling, didn't follow in the path of a parent, siblings or friends. "I always liked fighting sports," Del Toro said. "When I was little, I used to watch them and was like, 'Yeah, I want to do that.'" The sophomore's first foray into a "fighting sports" wasn't wrestling. She did Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai and boxing in middle school. Then in high school, she added wrestling -- and promptly brought home serious hardware in her first year of competition. At Taft, she won her sectional event at the 2019 Freshman/Sophomore & Girls Tournament, sponsored by the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association. To participate, the wrestler must be a freshman or sophomore who did not qualify for the Illinois High School Association State Tournament. After being crowned a Section champion, she finished third overall at the event the following week. In May, she took home another third-place finish at the Illinois Girls Freestyle State Championships. Although Del Toro has more experience wrestling folkstyle, she said that she prefers freestyle due to a quicker pace. "It [has] a faster pace and is more [of a] stand-up [style]," said Del Toro. I really like stand-up. I don't like to be on the ground too much and I really like takedowns." She has always had a natural wrestling ability. Proper technique was all that was missing. "She soaks up wrestling like a sponge," said Mike Boyd, her freestyle coach. "Technique was the missing piece, with better technique, she can be an elite freestyle competitor." "Grit, being relentless, she already had that so it wasn't reinventing the wheel," Boyd said. "She was already a great athlete, super strong, super tough. She just needed some technique and someone to push her in the right direction." She hopes to finish No. 1 in the state as a sophomore. By her senior campaign, she hopes to rank top-5 in the nation. "If she continues to do the things she's doing, when Illinois makes girls wrestling an official sport, I would see her as a state qualifier or state placer," said Brad Engel, head coach at Taft. "If she continues on this trajectory, [being a] state champion would be great." "She's one of those special kids who likes to get after it," Engel Said. "I think there is a huge difference between kids who want to win, and kids who don't want to lose, and she definitely hates to lose," Kaila Del Toro wrestling at Preseason Folkstyle Nationals Del Toro has her sights set on a collegiate wrestling career. "For sure, I want to go into college wrestling, I've already started thinking about it," she said. Today, the NCAA does not recognize women's wrestling as a varsity sport. But, more than two dozen schools provide club offerings. Ongoing efforts to get women's wrestling sanctioned by the NCAA as an official varsity sport are underway. The most significant effort to date, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics, has recommended women's wrestling for NCAA Emerging Sport Status to division I, II and III in August 2020. Whether Del Toro can compete in college or not, she plans to advocate for the cause, hoping it will one day be recognized as a full-fledged division I NCAA sport. Powell praised her work ethic, dedication, toughness and athleticism. "I'm not saying this lightly," he said. "She's a future girls state champion, [maybe an] Olympic hopeful with the right coaching and the right situation. She's the real deal." Del Toro received support from Taft, Beat the Streets and her parents from the very beginning -- especially from her mom, Yadira Del Toro, who, when in high school herself, tried out for the football team. "She can do anything. I don't care what anyone tells you, if you have a dream, do it," said Yadira Del Toro, a guest relations associate at Nile Family Services. "For her it's wrestling. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do it because you're a girl." Her advice to her daughter is simple: "Just do your best and always go for it." For the skeptics who say girls can't wrestle, who say it is a "male sport," Kaila has one thing to say. "Wrestle Adeline Grey and see what happens," Del Toro laughed. "If you meet one of those extremely dedicated, women wrestlers, they're phenomenal. You wouldn't be able to tell them no; you can't do this sport because they would kick your ass."

Bo Nickal shoots on J'den Cox at Final X (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Bo Nickal, three-time NCAA champ for Penn State who is now making his mark in freestyle competition, is already making career plans once he steps off for the last time. The 2019 Hodge Trophy winner and InterMat Wrestler of the Year has revealed plans to enter mixed martial arts competition after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and open an MMA gym in the place the Texas native has called home during his college career, according to multiple media reports. "My plan right now is to start a gym in State College, Pennsylvania at Penn State and partner with American Top Team," Nickal said on "The Luke Thomas Show" on SiriusXM radio Monday. "We're going to have an American Top Team up here in State College and be able to access all the resources of ATT," Nickal said, "and at the same time be able to bring Penn State wrestling [closer] to the MMA world and elevate the level of wrestling in MMA and get a lot of athletes and guys that come out of Penn State and other wrestling programs, give them the opportunity to train here and give other guys that maybe didn't train wrestling growing up, don't have a wrestling background, the opportunity to get the best wrestling training in the world." Nickal added, "I'm super excited to stay in State College, stay close to my friends and family and team and coaches and continue to keep improving, getting better and making a lot of waves in the MMA community and the MMA world." Back in April on an interview on ESPN, Nickal made clear the timing of his career plans. "The plan is to do the Olympics in 2020," Nickal said. "Then start fighting." Bo Nickal's interview on "The Luke Thomas Show" came on the heels of the announcement on Instagram from First Round Management CEO Malki Kawa that Nickal had signed with his management company. "Very excited to announce that @firstroundmgmt has signed @pennstatewrest #legend @nobickal1 to an exclusive mgmt contract. Bo is a 3 time national champion and the prestigious 2019 #hodgetrophy recipient. Bo will be getting ready for the Olympic trials and make a run at the Olympics before he transitions full time to mma. Stay tuned, as there will be other big announcements, including the launch of his new gym! Welcome to the #frm fam BO‼️" Bo Nickal isn't the only 2019 NCAA champ for Penn State who is revealing his plans to eventually launch a pro MMA career. Anthony Cassar, defending NCAA heavyweight champ, also envisions fighting in MMA at some point after his collegiate eligibility expires at the end of the 2019-2020 school year. "I grew up watching Fedor Emelianenko and Vitor Belfort as a kid," Cassar said in an interview with ESPN. "It's one of my goals, and I'm going to immerse myself in it someday." If Nickal and Cassar do choose to swap out in their singlets for fight shorts someday, they will be joining a number of former Penn State wrestlers who have found success in MMA, including Phil Davis, Ed Ruth, and current BRAVE CF featherweight champion Bubba Jenkins.

In discussion about the Fab 50 national high school team rankings, much focus is spent toward the top of the rankings, and many of the perennial national powers. Seven teams have been ranked at the end of each of the nine seasons the rankings have been compiled (2010-11 to 2018-19). Bethlehem Catholic, Pa. -- ranked inside the top 21 all nine years -- starts this year No. 50. Blair Academy, N.J. -- national champions seven times, no lower than third -- starts this year No. 1. Clovis, Calif. -- a top ten team for the first seven years of the rankings -- starts this year No. 32. Montini Catholic, Ill. -- a top five team each of the last two years -- starts this year No. 8. St. Edward, Ohio - a program that has ended the last four years in the top ten, including seven of the last nine -- starts this year No. 4. St. Paris Graham, Ohio -- a program that finished last season ranked No. 37 (the previous eight seasons were within the top eight including six top five finishes) -- starts this year No. 38. Wyoming Seminary, Pa. -- a program that has finished in the top four six of the last seven years -- starts this year No. 2. Furthermore six other teams have been ranked within the top 50 for eight of the nine years, with four of those schools being ranked each of the last eight years: Oak Park River Forest, Ill. -- starts this year unranked Poway, Calif. -- starts this year No. 13 Southeast Polk, Iowa -- starts this year No. 19 Tuttle, Okla. -- starts this year No. 9 Broken Arrow has finished every season but 2015-16 ranked and starts this year No. 39 nationally, while Apple Valley, Minn. saw its run of ranked seasons end last year and starts this year unranked. The final rankings of the 2018-19 season saw nine teams appear in the rankings that had never done so previously. That number was also nine at the end of the 2016-17 season, while it was 13 at the end of the 2017-18 and 2014-15 seasons, with a staggering 20 debutants in the final 2015-16 rankings. Who exactly are the candidates to be those teams this season? An obvious answer would be to look at the preseason Fab 50 to see who has never ended a season ranked. In review of the rankings, there are five teams that fit the bill: No. 24 Stillwater (Minn.), No. 29 Millard South (Neb.), No. 30 St. Joseph Montvale (N.J.), No. 37 Mustang (Okla.), and No. 48 Crescent Valley (Ore.). However, history tells us that there will be more teams fitting the bill. In addition, previous history about the rankings suggests that there will be a bit of turnover from the preseason rankings to the final rankings published in mid-March. Given the above, below are five teams (alphabetically listed) that might be worth an eye during the upcoming season. Louisville, Ohio The Leopards finished eleventh in 2018 and then third at last year's state tournament in Division II, which is Ohio's medium-school division. Located in Stark County, which is home to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Louisville has not exactly been on the scholastic wrestling map much over the years; last year's state titles won by Garrett Lautzenheiser and Davin Rhoads were the first for the program since 1986 when Mike Malcuit struck gold at 126 pounds in Class AAA (big-school). They return five of six state qualifiers from last year, along with 82 of their 85 state tournament points (graduated 285-pound wrestler Riley Brendle scored a pin in consolation). Lautzenheiser (126) and Rhoads (132) return to defend state titles, as do three-time state placer Jax Leonard (170), state medalist Brent Paulus (195), and state qualifier Blake Robbins (220). Augmenting the roster are state alternate Brenden Severs (160), go-to-state match participant Daniel Kennedy (152), plus a pair of middle-weights who were two matches from state last year. Louisville certainly has the opportunity from a schedule standpoint to get noticed. In December, they will attend the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, North Canton Holiday Tournament (joined by nationally ranked Wadsworth), and Brecksville Holiday Tournament (with six nationally ranked teams); while January's schedule includes the Maumee Bay Classic with a pair of nationally ranked teams in the field. Notre Dame's Ryan Crookham battling Lucas Byrd in the Walsh Ironman semifinals (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) Notre Dame-Green Pond, Pa. Quite frankly it's not if, but when this group will appear in the Fab 50 national rankings. This is a team on the rise under the leadership of Matt Veres, who has pedigree as a Blair Academy alumnus and a strong youth/club coaching background in the Lehigh Valley. The Crusaders were third in the PIAA Class AA (small-school, two-class state) individual tournament. This year, the team returns four of those six wrestlers, three of whom were state placers with the other finishing one match from a state medal. In addition, Notre Dame adds in via transfer Brett Ungar (113), who won a state title last year in New Jersey; while 2018 state qualifier Joshua Bauman (132) is also available after being closed out of last year's lineup. Returnees from last year's state tournament include state champions Ryan Crookham (126) and Andrew Cerniglia (160), who join Ungar as nationally ranked wrestlers; along with state placer Brandon Chlestos (120) and state qualifier Derek Berlitz (182); while Evan Maag (106) and Holden Garcia (138) have solid potential in the lower-weights. The Crusaders will be clearly tested during the season and prepared for the postseason path. The schedule includes dual meets in January against Bethlehem Catholic and Bergen Catholic; the Walsh Jesuit Ironman and Beast of the East in December, along with the Trojan Wars tournament (Southern Columbia is in the field); as well as the Escape the Rock Tournament in mid-January. Skiatook, Okla. Located about 20 miles northwest of Tulsa, Skiatook won the Class 5A dual team state title and shared the individual tournament title with neighboring Collinsville last season. The Bulldogs return eight of their ten state tournament participants from last season, including seven of nine state medalists. This year's squad is led by a pair of juniors, who have won state titles in both of their scholastic seasons to date: Josh Taylor (138) and Cougar Anderson (160). Skiatook features three returning state runners-up, Cody Francis (132) and Richie Lee (170) from last season's roster, plus incoming transfer Brody Lee (106/113). Additional returning placers are Tony Johnson (152), Hunter Hall (182), and Devin Wilson (195); while Kyle Bowman (106) qualified for state last year, Cale Glover (145) did so in 2018, and Josie Jernigan (106/113) is a potential medal-winner as a freshman. The Bulldogs' schedule does not provide the robustness of competition as do the schedules for the two teams profiled previously. Their December tournament is at Wagoner before Christmas, while mid-January tournaments are at Jenks and Carl Albert, with their toughest dual meet coming on Jan. 21 and Collinsville. Toppenish, Wash. The Wildcats spent a large chunk of last season, from right before Christmas, within the national rankings; however, they did not appear in the final edition of the Fab 50 national high school team rankings. Located near Yakima, which is southeast of Seattle and pretty close to the Oregon border, Toppenish won its sixth state title in wrestling last season competing in Class 2A. This year's team returns four state finalists, including a trio of state champions: Horacio Gonzalez, Haiden Drury, and Kyle Romero; Joel Godina was runner-up to Gonzalez this past season at 106 pounds. Also returning as state medalists are Emerique Gonzales, Isaac John, and Terrell Underwood; while Brayan Cruz and Isaias Ramirez were one match from state placement. From a schedule standpoint, the Wildcats' best chance to put the country on notice will come at the Zinkin Classic hosted by Buchanan (Calif.) right before Christmas, which is where Toppenish made its most notably noise last year. They'll also compete at The Gut Check tournament two weeks later, and event in which No. 1 Blair Academy is making the trip out to compete. Windsor, Colo. The Wizards feature a superlative Class of 2020, which includes three returning state champions: Brady Parker (106) plus the nationally ranked Dominick Serrano (132) and Isaiah Salazar (182). Other senior contributors are expected to include 2018 state qualifier Jacob Parker (126), state qualifier Brennan Todd (145), two-time state placer Cody Eaton (160), along with state placers Tristan Perez (170) and Tyler Grasmick (195). Also expected to make a significant contribution is junior Vance Vombaur (138), who was state runner-up in 2018 but missed last year's post-season due to injury. Four bracket tournaments contested every other weekend from before Christmas through the end of January will provide more than ample measure of Windsor's national ranking potential. The Northern Colorado Christmas Tournament on Dec. 20-21 also features No. 49 Pomona; the Doc Buchanan Invitational is Jan. 3-4, and that field speaks for itself; while Clovis is joining Windsor in the field for the Rockwell Rumble at Utah Valley University on Jan. 17-18; and the Wizards travel to the Rocky Welton Invitational in Kansas two weekends later.

Chad Dennis brings "Dr. Hawkeye" Alex Meyer to talk about the Iowa-Chattanooga dual as well as getting Meyer's perspective on the transfers into the Iowa program, payment of college athletes and some tangents on that. What is the going rate for what athletes can make in the summer? What's the deal with how Iowa does its intrasquad and wrestle-offs? How does a team like Iowa prepare for a team that isn't highly ranked? All that and weight-by-weight preview of the UTC-Iowa dual. 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