InterMat Staff

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- No. 6 Mizzou Wrestling (9-0, 3-0 MAC) remained perfect overall and in Mid-American Conference duals with a 46-0 shutout win over Ohio, followed by a 24-12 victory over Northern Illinois on Saturday inside the Hearnes Center. Mizzou's victory over Ohio marked its first shutout triumph of the season. The Tigers' 46-point margin of victory was their largest since a 48-0 win over SIU-Edwardsville two seasons ago (Dec. 9, 2018). The Tigers tallied eight bonus point victories between the afternoon's two duals, seven of which occurring against the Bobcats. 197-pound freshman Rocky Elam produced two falls on the day. 165-pound freshman Keegan O'Toole secured his third pin of the season, tying 184-pound redshirt sophomore Jeremiah Kent in leading the team. O'Toole and 174-pound redshirt sophomore Peyton Mocco both defeated ranked opponents from Northern Illinois, with O'Toole beating No. 18 Izzak Olejnik and Mocco toppling No. 31 Mason Kauffman in the second tie breaker. Hear From Head Coach Brian Smith On Saturday's pair of victories in Mid-Missouri… "We got after it against Ohio. We got a bunch of good wins and got bonus points, which we obviously like. Against Northern Illinois, we lost three matches and didn't get a lot of bonus point wins so that was a little frustrating. Rocky (Elam) did a good job at 197 pounds getting two pins today. He was the only wrestler against Northern Illinois to get bonus points however, so I know we can improve there as a team. They frustrated us a bit by slowing down the pace." Hear From 197-Pound Freshman Rocky Elam On tallying two wins via fall Saturday… "It felt good. As a team we had a dominant performance today against Ohio. Everyone looked good and felt fresh. Personally, I really wanted to go out there today and score points in the first period. That was my game plan in both matches." Hear From 165-Pound Freshman Keegan O'Toole On his two victories against the Bobcats and Huskies… "They both felt pretty good. The first one against Ohio went really well and I was moving my feet. I was able to attack well and picked up the fall. In the finale versus Northern Illinois, I thought I wrestled decent against a tougher kid. I need to find more ways to get to my attacks. They were really trying to lock us all down. Moving forward, I need to continue to get better every day." No. 6 Mizzou over Ohio, 46-0 125: Noah Surtin (MIZ) over Oscar Sanchez (OH) by 6-0 decision 133: Trey Crawford (MIZ) over Brayden Littel (OH) by fall (1:47) 141: No. 4 Allan Hart (MIZ) over Collin Yinger (OH) by 20-4 technical fall (2:44) 149: No. 3 Brock Mauller (MIZ) over Alex Mosconi (OH) by 18-4 major decision 157: No. 10 Jarrett Jacques (MIZ) over Jordan Slivka (OH) by 6-2 decision 165: No. 12 Keegan O'Toole (MIZ) over Sean O'Dwyer (OH) by fall (3:58) 174: No. 18 Peyton Mocco (MIZ) over Logan Stanley (OH) by 9-6 decision 184: Colton Hawks (MIZ) over Carson Brewer (OH) by 12-2 major decision 197: No. 14 Rocky Elam (MIZ) over Jake Walker (OH) by fall (2:05) HWT: No. 8 Zach Elam (MIZ) over Jacob Padilla (OH) by fall (0:39) No. 6 Mizzou over Northern Illinois, 24-12 125: Connor Brown (MIZ) over Lucian Brink (NI) by 10-5 decision 133: Bryce West (NI) over Trey Crawford (MIZ) by fall (6:55) 141: No. 4 Allan Hart (MIZ) over Caleb Brooks (NI) by 6-0 decision 149: No. 3 Brock Mauller (MIZ) over Anthony Cheloni (NI) by 9-3 decision 157: No. 10 Jarrett Jacques (MIZ) over Anthony Gibson (NI) by 5-0 decision 165: No. 12 Keegan O'Toole (MIZ) over No. 18 Izzak Olejnik (NI) by 5-1 decision 174: No. 18 Peyton Mocco (MIZ) over No. 31 Mason Kauffman (NI) by 2-1 decision (TB2) 184: No. 10 Brit Wilson (NI) over Colton Hawks (MIZ) by 5-4 decision 197: No. 14 Rocky Elam (MIZ) over Will Feldkamp (NI) by fall (1:39) HWT: No. 25 Max Ihry (NI) over Wyatt Koelling (MIZ) by 3-1 decision (SV1) Extra Matches: 133: Mikey Kaminski (NI) over Cam Valdiviez (MIZ) by fall (1:33) 141: Ethan Turner (MIZ) over Nick Termini (NI) by fall (6:23) 141: Josh Edmond (MIZ) over Dillon Nichols (NI) by 13-5 major decision 157: Mitchell Bohlken (MIZ) over Nick Vestal (OH) by 5-4 decision 184: Sean Harman (MIZ) over Mason Kroening (OH) by 14-5 major decision HWT: Rodrigo Diaz (MIZ) over Johnny Shafer (NI) by 3-0 decision #TigerStyle Takeaways Mizzou's shutout victory over Ohio was its first since its 45-0 win over Missouri Valley last season (Nov. 21, 2019). The Tigers have now won 25 consecutive MAC duals, dating back to the 2017-18 season. Up Next: Mizzou hits the road once again next weekend, visiting MAC foes Kent State and Rider. The Tigers will open their afternoon in Kent, Ohio, with a dual against the Golden Flashes at 11 a.m. CT.

The Binghamton University wrestling team continued to build strong momentum to start the season, taking down No. 22 Army 23-10 Saturday afternoon in West Point. Ignited by a comeback victory by freshman Micah Roes, and capped off with a major decision by Cory Day over No. 17 Ben Sullivan, the Bearcats return home with a 3-0 record and their best start since the 2011-12 season. "That team effort was incredible," head coach Kyle Borshoff said. "What those guys did out there, it's hard to do. I need to come up with more adjectives because the only one that comes to my mind is just how incredible that was. I am so proud of our guys. There were four matches listed as "toss ups" and we were able to win all of them. Those added with Day's upset, leads to the final score you see." How It Happened Roes kicked off the match, and went down 6-0 early in the first. A momentous second period brought him back to 6-4, but time was not on his side late. A late takedown and hard earned rideout brought the bout to overtime, where Roes went on to grab a takedown and a 10-8 decision. 133-pounder Anthony Sobotker took control early in his matchup with Army's Mark Montgomery, leading 8-1 after the first period. Montgomery fought back, but Sobotker pulled out a 10-5 decision, improving to 3-0 on the season. With two close matches thus far in 2021, No. 22 Zack Trampe made sure to put his matchup away early. A takedown and four back points in the first vaulted him to a 13-2 major decision. Army fought back, winning the next two matches, but Brevin Cassella was able to putt an end to the Black Knights' streak with a gutsy 3-2 decision. A late escape in the second and a strong third period on top carried him to his third straight win. In an important matchup at 174 pounds, Jacob Nolan found himself down 2-1 (effectively 3-1 with ride time) after two periods. Despite the deficit, Nolan took control in the third with two takedowns to come away with a 6-3 decision. No. 4 Lou DePrez controlled his matchup from the start, building a 7-1 lead. DePrez was working for a major decision but came up one point short, getting the 10-3 decision. In the final matchup, Cory Day went up against No. 17 Ben Sullivan. Despite weighing in at nearly 70 pounds less than the nationally ranked Sullivan, Day dominated in the second and third period to grab a 10-2 major decision. Up Next The Bearcats head to Bethlehem, Pa. for a matchup with Lehigh next Saturday, January 30. The dual will begin at 4 p.m. Results: 125 | No. 30 Micah Roes (BU) DEC (OT) Ryan Chauvin (Army), 10-8. BU leads 3-0. 133 | Anthony Sobotker (BU) DEC Mark Montgomery (Army), 10-5. BU leads 6-0. 141 | No. 22 Zack Trampe (BU) MD Logan Brown (Army), 13-2. BU leads 10-0. 149 | Corey Shie (Army) DEC (OT) Michael Zarif (BU), 3-1. BU leads 10-3. 157 | No. 17 Markus Hartman (Army) MD Christopher Barker (BU), 9-1. BU leads 10-7. 165 | Brevin Cassella (BU) DEC Beau Guffey (Army), 3-2. BU leads 13-7. 174 | Jacob Nolan (BU) DEC Brad Laughlin (Army), 6-3. BU leads 16-7. 184 | No. 4 Lou DePrez (BU) DEC Taylor Brown (Army), 10-3. BU leads 19-7. 197 | No. 26 J.T. Brown (Army) DEC Sam DePrez (BU), 9-3. BU leads 19-10. 285 | Cory Day (BU) MD No. 17 Ben Sullivan (Army), 10-2. BU wins 23-10. Extra Matches: 141 | Lane Peters (Army) Fall Dane Heberlein (BU), 2:20. 165 | Owen Brown (Army) MD Dimitri Gamkreilidze (BU), 12-3.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- The West Virginia University wrestling team overcame a 15-13 deficit to defeat Cleveland State, 18-15, on Saturday afternoon, at Woodling Gymnasium, in Cleveland, Ohio. With two bouts remaining, WVU (4-2, 0-1) desperately needed a pair of decisions to claim the team victory over CSU (0-1). No. 1 Noah Adams, a redshirt junior out of Coal City, West Virginia, answered the call for the Mountaineers, as he grinded out an 8-2 decision over Ben Smith at 197 pounds for the one-point edge in team scoring. However, West Virginia was deducted a team point due to an unsportsmanlike conduct call on Adams for throwing his head gear. With the match knotted at 15-all, redshirt freshman Michael Wolfgram turned it up in the heavyweight bout to claim a 6-3 win over John Kelby, as WVU walked away with the 18-15 team victory. "Today made for a crazy, but exciting match," third-year coach Tim Flynn said. "We got a lot of valuable mat time, and it was huge for Michael to come through with a victory for the team win." Redshirt junior Killian Cardinale, ranked No. 25 nationally via The Open Mat, started things off for the Mountaineers with a 9-1 major decision over Jake Manley at 125 pounds. Cardinale posted a trio of takedowns to put WVU on the board first en route to his first bonus victory of the season. At 141 pounds, redshirt freshman Jeffrey Boyd got back into the win column with a 10-4 decision over Joseph Caprella. Boyd started on bottom to earn the escape, followed by a takedown for the 3-0 lead in the second period. Caprella eventually escaped, but Boyd tacked on another takedown, as well as a reversal, for the 7-3 advantage heading in the final frame. Caprella quickly escaped to cut his deficit to three, but Boyd tallied his third takedown of the match and added on the ride time point at the end of regulation for the 10-4 win, as WVU took a 7-3 lead in the contest. However, CSU fought back and won two consecutive matches at 149 and 157 pounds, respectively, for the 12-7 advantage midway through the dual. Freshman Peyton Hall, ranked No. 24 nationally by FloWrestling, cut the Mountaineers' deficit to two with an 8-2 decision over Riley Smucker at 165 pounds. Sophomore Scott Joll followed suit with a hard-fought, 12-11 win over Anthony Rice. With the bout tied at 8-8 heading into the final frame, Rice decided to start in the defensive position and earn the escape. Joll registered a takedown to secure the ride time point, but Rice used a reversal with one second remaining to force sudden victory. However, Joll was awarded the win following a stall call on Rice in overtime, as WVU regained the lead at 13-12. Cleveland State then scored an 8-6 decision in a tie breaker at 184 pounds for the 15-13 match lead. However, it was West Virginia that closed out the dual with a pair of decision wins for the overall team victory. Looking ahead, WVU will return home to compete against Big 12 affiliate Northern Colorado (3-0, 2-0) on Sunday, Jan. 31, at 12 p.m. ET, inside the WVU Coliseum. Results: 125: No. -/-/25 Killian Cardinale (WVU) major dec. Jake Manley (CSU), 9-1 133: Logan Heil (CSU) dec. Joey Thomas (WVU), 2-1 141: Jeffrey Boyd (WVU) dec. Joseph Caprella (CSU), 10-4 149: Marcus Robinson (CSU) dec. Brayden Roberts (WVU), 5-1 157: Daniel Patten (CSU) wins by fall Alex Hornfeck (WVU), F 4:56 165: No. -/24/25 Peyton Hall (WVU) dec. Riley Smucker (CSU), 8-2 174: Scott Joll (WVU) dec. Anthony Rice (CSU), 12-11 [SV-1] 184: DeAndre Nassar (CSU) dec. Anthony Carman (WVU), 8-6 [TB-1] 197: No. 1/1/1 Noah Adams (WVU) dec. Ben Smith (CSU), 8-2 HWT: Michael Wolfgram (WVU) dec. John Kelbly (CSU), 6-3 *WVU was deducted a team point due to an unsportsmanlike conduct call on Noah Adams (throwing headgear)*

CLARION, Pa. -- The Clarion wrestling team evened its season record with an inspired showing on Saturday afternoon, with the Golden Eagles defeating SIU-Edwardsville and Kent State in a doubleheader sweep at Tippin Gymnasium. Clarion (2-2, 2-1 MAC) overcame the Cougars in a close bout, outscoring them 21-15, and followed with a rollercoaster 30-9 win over the Golden Flashes. The Golden Eagles were looking to respond to an 0-2 start to the season, and it was quickly apparent they were ready to flip the script as they came out loaded for bear. Kyle Schickel, Kolby Ho and Greg Bulsak were the three Golden Eagles to win both of their bouts on Saturday afternoon, with that trio helping Clarion to a narrow win over the Cougars and a larger win over the Golden Flashes. Tate Ortz made his season debut with a split on the afternoon, including a key technical fall against Kent State's Ian Senz that turned the momentum in the Golden Eagles' favor, and Ty Bagoly got off the schneid with a first period fall over the Golden Flashes' Jacob Cover. Clarion and SIU-Edwardsville split their 10 bouts evenly at 5-5, though the Golden Eagles were the beneficiary of a forfeit at 133 pounds that ultimately proved a difference in the match. Schickel won the first bout on the mat in that contest, outlasting Saul Ervin for a 4-3 decision at 141 pounds. Trailing 3-2 heading into the final moments of the third period, Schickel dropped Ervin for two points and rode him out for the win. Koleno followed with a tight decision of his own, defeating Cardeionte Wilson in a 6-5 decision to put the Golden Eagles ahead 12-3. The teams traded decisions at the next two weights, with Ho defeating Chase Diehl at 165 pounds to make it 15-6, but SIU-Edwardsville was not done. They took decisions at 174 and 184 pounds to cut the lead to 15-12, but Greg Bulsak sucked the drama out of the gym with a second period pin of Austin Andres at 197 pounds, clinching the match. The bout against the Golden Flashes was shaped by a number of momentum swings, as Kent State opened on a major decision at 125 pounds before being docked a team point. They added another decision at 133 pounds and seemed to have control of the emotional tide, even after Schickel defeated Avry Mutschly at 141 pounds. With Kent State leading 10-3 heading into the 157-pound bout, Ortz provided the spark that lit the Golden Eagles' fire with a 16-1 technical fall over Ian Senz. Ortz racked up 10 points in the first period with a pair of four-point near falls, and got the final takedown necessary for the tech fall near the end of the second period. Ho built off that momentum with a major decision over Mason Karpinski, taking Karpinski down just before time expired to earn the bonus points. There was a large swing at 174 pounds when nationally-ranked Andrew McNally was injured in his bout against Clarion's Caleb Hetrick, with the contender hurt on a takedown attempt early in the first period and unable to continue. Wohlabaugh and Bulsak notched back-to-back decisions to clinch the team win, setting the stage for Bagoly's heavyweight win. The 2020 NCAA qualifier tossed Jacob Cover and pinned him with less than 30 seconds remaining in the first period to get the win. Kent State 25, SIU-Edwardsville 15 125: Jake Ferri (KENT) def. Austin Macias (SIUE) MD 14-5 133: Patrick Gould (KENT) win by default 141: Saul Ervin (SIUE) def. Avry Mutschler (KENT) Dec 7-3 149: Kody Komara (KENT) def. Cardeionte Wilson (SIUE) Dec 6-5 157: Justin Ruffin (SIUE) def. Ian Senz (KENT) TF 20-2 7:00 165: Chase Diehl (SIUE) def. Mason Karpinski (KENT) Dec 5-2 174: Andrew McNally (KENT) def. Kevin Gschwendtner (SIUE) Dec. 9-6 184: Tyler Bates (KENT) def. Ryan Yarnell (SIUE) Dec. 6-1 197: Colin McCracken (KENT) def. Austin Andres (SIUE) Fall 285: Colton McKiernan (SIUE) def. Jacob Cover (KENT) MD 10-0 Clarion 21, SIU-Edwardsville 15 125: Austin Macias (SIUE) def. Cam Butler (Clarion) Dec. 5-3 133: TJ England (Clarion) win by default 141: Kyle Schickel (Clarion) def. Saul Ervin (SIUE) Dec. 4-3 149: Seth Koleno (Clarion) def. Cardeionte Wilson (SIUE) Dec. 6-5 157: Justin Ruffin (SIUE) def. Tate Ortz (Clarion) Dec. 7-3 165: Kolby Ho (Clarion) def. Chase Diehl (SIUE) Dec. 11-4 174: Kevin Gschwendtner (SIUE) def. Mike Vernagallo (Clarion) Dec. 9-4 184: Ryan Yarnell (SIUE) def. Max Wohlabaugh (Clarion) Dec. 8-5 197: Greg Bulsak (Clarion) def. Austin Andres (SIUE) Fall 5:41 285: Colton McKiernan (SIUE) def. Ty Bagoly (Clarion) Dec. 3-1 Clarion 30, Kent State 9 125: Jake Ferri (KENT) def. Cam Butler (Clarion) MD 16-7 * - team point deducted from Kent for coach arguing call 133: Patrick Gould (KENT) def. Luke Mazzeo (Clarion) Dec. 12-6 141: Kyle Schickel (Clarion) def. Avry Mutschly (KENT) Dec. 3-2 149: Kody Komara (KENT) def. Seth Koleno (Clarion) Dec. 9-4 157: Tate Ortz (Clarion) def. Ian Senz (KENT) TF 16-1 4:22 165: Kolby Ho (Clarion) def. Mason Karpinski (Kent) MD 12-3 174: Caleb Hetrick (Clarion) def. Andrew McNally M. For. 184: Max Wohlabaugh (Clarion) def. Tyler Bates (KENT) Dec. 3-2 197: Greg Bulsak (Clarion) def. Colin McCracken (KENT) Dec. 9-5 285: Ty Bagoly (Clarion) def. Jacob Cover (Kent) Fall 2:32

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team picked up two wins in Southern Conference action in Davidson, N.C., today. The Mocs opened with a 36-3 win over VMI, followed by a 37-6 victory against the host Wildcats. UTC improved its record to 6-2 overall and 4-0 in league duals, dropping only two matches overall on the day. VMI dropped to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in league duals, while Davidson moved to 1-2 overall and in SoCon action. The Mocs will be without two starters for the rest of the season with juniors Tanner Smith (149) and Hunter Fortner (174) both out with injuries. Their replacements, junior Aidan Murphy (149) and sophomore Carial Tarter (174), are both moving up a weight and both scored a pair of wins today. Chattanooga 36, VMI 3 125: No. 21 Fabian Gutierrez (UTC) fall over Cliff Conway (VMI), 4:33 133: Colton Landers (UTC) tech. fall over Luke Fegley (VMI), 17-0, (5:16) 141: Franco Valdes (UTC) maj. dec. over Freddy Junko (VMI), 12-3 149: Aidan Murphy (UTC) dec. over Job Chisko (VMI), 4-0 157: Weston Wichman (UTC) dec. over Seth Fillers (VMI), 4-0 165: Drew Nicholson (UTC) maj. dec. over Jon Hoover (VMI), 8-0 174: Carial Tarter (UTC) dec. over Joel Diaz (VMI), 6-2 184: Matthew Waddell (UTC) dec. over Chase Mielnik (VMI), 14-7 197: Tyler Mousaw (VMI) dec. over Logan Andrew (UTC), 3-2 285: Grayson Walthall (UTC) fall over Soloman Harris (VMI), 3:56 Extra Matches: 141: Josh Yost (VMI) dec. over Matthews Williams (UTC), 12-8 Senior Fabian Gutierrez set the tone early with a second-period pin over Cliff Conway in the VMI match. UTC scored bonus points in the first three wins, running out to a 15-0 lead. Junior Colton Landers had a tech fall at 133, while junior Franco Valdes scored a major decision at 141. Murphy kept the momentum going with a 4-0 shutout over Job Chisko. Chisko came into the weekend with a 5-0 record on the year. Freshman Weston Wichman and junior Drew Nicholson also kept the Keydets off the board with a 4-0 decision and an 8-0 major, respectively. Tarter got his first win at 174 with a 6-2 decision over Joel Diaz. That clinched the dual win for the Mocs. Junior Matthew Waddell followed with a 14-7 decision at 184 before VMI got on the board with a win at 197. Junior Grayson Walthall closed out the dual with a pin over Soloman Harris at heavyweight. Chattanooga 37, Davidson 6 125: No. 22 Fabian Gutierrez (UTC) winner by forfeit 133: Colton Landers (UTC) dec. over Kyle Gorant (DC), 5-3 141: Franco Valdes (UTC) maj. dec. over Gavin Damasco (DC), 11-3 149: Aidan Murphy (UTC) dec. over David Loniewski (DC), 7-2 157: Grant Lundy (UTC) maj. dec. over Erik Eva (DC), 17-2, (3:53) 165: Drew Nicholson (UTC) maj. dec. over Anthony Spera (DC), 11-3 174: Carial Tarter (UTC) dec. over Jaden Hardrick (DC), 3-2 184: Matthew Waddell (UTC) fall over Gavin Henry (DC), 4:45 197: Finlay Holton (DC) fall over Logan Andrew (UTC), 1:13 285: Grayson Walthall (UTC) dec. over Mitchell Trigg (DC), 5-3 Extra Matches: 149: Garrett Stewart (DC) maj. dec. over George Coleman (UTC), 9-1 The Davidson match started much like the first bout with the Mocs jumping out to a 6-0 lead after a forfeit at 125. Landers scored a decision at 133, followed by another major decision from Valdes at 141. Valdes improved to 5-0 on the year with his two wins today. Murphy scored another decision at 149, while freshman Grant Lundy stepped in at 157 for a major decision. Nicholson added a major at 165 before Tarter eaked out a 3-2 win at 174. Waddell clinched the dual with pin at 184 before the Wildcats scored their only points with a fall at 197. Walthall again closed out the dual at heavyweight with a 5-3 decision. Up next for the Mocs is a trip to Boone, N.C., to face Appalachian State and Presbyterian. Action takes place on Sunday, Jan. 31, beginning at 2:00 p.m. (E.S.T.).

MINNEAPOLIS -- The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team extended its winning streak to 15 duals with a 35-6 win at No. 15 Minnesota on Friday night at the Maturi Sports Pavilion. The margin of victory was the largest in the series since a 44-2 Hawkeye win in 1992. Wrestling insertIowa piled up 34 takedowns and won the first nine bouts, scoring bonus points in five of them, and finished the dual with a 115-45 edge in match points and a 34-7 advantage in takedowns. The Hawkeyes scored bonus points in the first three matches and added two more major decisions after the break. Minnesota didn't record a takedown until the eighth match of the night, and didn't get on the board until the final match of the dual. "Good lopsided win," said head coach Tom Brands. "A lot of good things. A lot of hustle. But there is also things where I know we can score more points and maybe be a little more efficient." Top-ranked Spencer Lee opened the scoring with a takedown 31 seconds into the match at 125. He rattled off 12 nearfall points before securing the fall in one minute, 53 seconds. The pin was the 23rd of his career, the 18th in the first period. Fifth-ranked Austin DeSanto put up 21 points for the second time in as many matches, this time using four takedowns and 12 back points to dismantle No. 20 Boo Dryden, 21-2, at 133. Top-ranked Jaydin Eierman piled up 10 takedowns, including four in the third period, to run away 22-9 at 141. Max Murin scored a takedown in the final second of the first period and added a second takedown in the final minute of a 5-1 decision at 149. Seventh-ranked Kaleb Young won a top-10 matchup at 157. Young used a third-period takedown to force overtime and rode-out No. 6 Brayton Lee in the first-tiebreak period to earn a 4-3 decision, giving Iowa a 21-0 team lead at the break. Second-ranked Alex Marinelli opened the second half with an 8-4 decision at 165, and No. 1 Michael Kemerer scored four takedowns to win his 2021 season debut by 12-3 major decision. Sixth-ranked Nelson Brands recorded five takedowns in a 10-6 win at 184, and Jacob Warner extended Iowa's lead to 35-0, scoring five takedowns in a 13-2 major decision at 197. Minnesota got on the board at heavyweight when top-ranked Gable Steveson won by 15-6 major decision over No. 3 Tony Cassioppi. No. 1 Iowa returns to action hosting No. 2 Michigan and No. 10 Illinois on Sunday, Jan. 31, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes wrestle Michigan at 11 a.m. on BTN. The Illinois duals begins at 3 p.m. on BTN Plus. "Michigan is going to be loaded for bear," Brands said. "They are coming after the Hawks in Carver-Hawkeye Arena and we have to get better between now and then." NOTABLES Iowa has won 15 straight overall and 20 consecutive Big Ten duals. Iowa has won seven straight against the Gophers and four in a row at Minnesota, outscoring the Gophers 109-37 in its last four trips to Minneapolis. Tom Brands improved to 15-4 all-time against Minnesota. Spencer Lee extended his winning streak to 25 matches. Spencer Lee's pin was the 23rd of his career, 18 have come in the first period. Spencer Lee is 24-0 all-time in Big Ten duals. Austin DeSanto won 21-2, his 23rd career match scoring 20 or more points. Austin DeSanto has outscored his two opponents this season, 42-8. Eierman scored 22 match points, his highest total since scoring 24 in 2018. Young's win over No. 6 Lee was his highest ranked win over an opponent since defeating No. 5 Ryan Deakin at the 2019 NCAA Championships. Bretli Reyna made his collegiate debut in the "extra matches" Zach Glazier made his collegiate debut in the "extra matches" Patrick Kennedy earned his first career win in the "extra matches" Results: 125 #1 Spencer Lee (I) pinned #9 Patrick McKee (M), 1:53; 6-0 133 #5 Austin DeSanto (I) tech. fall #20 Boo Dryden (M), 21-2; 11-0 141 #1 Jaydin Eierman (I) major dec. Marco Polanco (M), 22-9; 15-0 149 #6 Max Murin (I) dec. #17 Michael Blockhus (M), 5-1; 18-0 157 #7 Kaleb Young (I) dec. #6 Brayton Lee (M), 4-3; 21-0 165 #2 Alex Marinelli (I) dec. #16 Andrew Sparks (M), 8-4; 24-0 174 #1 Michael Kemerer major dec. (I) #16 Jake Allar (M), 12-4; 28-0 184 #6 Nelson Brands (I) dec. Isaiah Salazar (M), 10-6; 31-0 197 #3 Jacob Warner (I) major dec. #31 Garrett Joles (M), 13-2; 35-0 285 #1 Gable Steveson (M) major dec. #3 Tony Cassioppi (I), 15-6; 35-4 Records: Iowa (2-0, 2-0), Minnesota (2-2, 2-2) Date: Jan. 22, 2021 Extra Matches: 133 Cullan Schriever (I) major dec. Jake Gilva (M), 14-5 149 Jake Bergeland (M) dec. Carter Happel (I), 5-4 157 Cael Carlson (M) dec. Bretli Reyna (I), 5-4 174 Patrick Kennedy (I) dec. Sam Skillings (M), 10-4 197 Zach Glazier (I) dec. Dylan Anderson (M), 10-3

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- No. 4 Oklahoma State moved to 5-0 on the season with a 33-6 win over Air Force in front of an empty arena in the Cowboys' Big 12 conference opener. "Boo stands out to to me," Oklahoma State head coach John Smith said. "Travis WIttlake looked pretty good and our three upperweights did a good job at the end to close the dual out." Trevor Mastrogiovanni won the first bout of the day with a hard-fought 2-1 decision. The freshman secured his fifth victory of the season by riding out Cody Phippen the entirety of the third period. Air Force took a 6-3 lead after wins at 133 pounds and 141 pounds where Dusty Hone made his season dual debut for OSU. Late in the third period up 4-2, Hone got taken down and looked to take the lead back with a reversal, but his points were deducted after review ruled the reversal took place after time had expired. The ruling gave Lenny Petersen the 5-4 advantage with riding time. Boo Lewallen put a stop to the Falcons' momentum and returned the lead in favor of the Cowboys with a 22-3 technical fall over Dylan Martinez. The No. 4 ranked 149 pounder in the nation picked up his third technical fall of the season, which is tied for the team lead. Lewallen gave the Pokes an 8-6 lead and OSU never looked back winning the final seven matches of the dual. Jalin Harper picked up his third-consecutive win in a 3-1 decision following his solid performance in Little Rock last Sunday. Fourth-ranked Travis Wittlake added another tech fall for the Cowboys at 165 pounds to separate the score even more before Dustin Plott improved his record to 5-0 in his freshman campaign with a 5-3 victory over Cody Surratt. For the second weekend in a row Dakota Geer and AJ Ferrari went back-to-back technical falls. The duo at 184 and 197 tied Lewallen with their third tech falls of the season against Air Force. Geer did his work early carrying an 8-1 lead into the second period before adding more points in the second and needing just 12 seconds in the third period to clinch the 22-3 tech fall. Contrary to Geer, Ferrari used an escape and four takedowns in a nine point third period to secure the victory. Austin Harris ended the night for the Cowboys with his first bonus-point victory of the season, a 12-2 major decision over Wyatt Hendrickson. No. 4 Oklahoma State will look to stay unbeaten next Saturday when the Pokes travel to Northern Iowa for a 1 p.m. dual before a bout with No. 9 Iowa State in Ames at 7 p.m. Results: 125: No. 13 Trevor Mastrogiovanni (OSU) dec. Cody Phippen (AF), 2-1 133: No. 19 Jared Van Vleet (AF) dec. Andrew Nieman (OSU), 6-0 141: Lenny Petersen (AF) dec. Dusty Hone (OSU), 5-4 149: No. 4 Boo Lewallen (OSU) TF Dylan Martinez (AF), 22-3 157: Jalin Harper (OSU) dec. Parker Simington (AF), 3-1 165: No. 4 Travis Wittlake (OSU) dec. Chase Diehl (AF), 9-2 174: No. 19 Dustin Plott (OSU) dec. Cody Surratt (AF), 5-3 184: No. 9 Dakota Geer (OSU) TF Calvin Sund (AF), 18-1 197: No. 14 AJ Ferrari (OSU) TF Kayne Hutchinson (AF), 20-5 HWT: Austin Harris (OSU) MD Wyatt Hendrickson (AF), 12-2

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- No. 7 Illinois edged out No. 13 Purdue in an exciting 19-17 win on Friday night, improving to 4-0 on the season. The Illini and Boilermakers each won five bouts, but the Illini picked up several key victories along the way to edge the Boilermakers. Lucas Byrd, Dylan Duncan, and Luke Luffman all secured wins to stay undefeated on the season. "It was ugly at times but we found a way," said head coach Jim Heffernan. DJ Shannon was outstanding as was Luke Luffman clinching the win. Lucas Byrd and Dylan Duncan deserve some credit as well getting bonus points. Good team win." Justin Cardani battled with Devin Schroder but ultimately fell short in a 2-0 decision as the junior 125-pounder was unable to score on Purdue's top wrestler. Picking up three takedowns in the first period, Lucas Byrd took a 6-2 lead into the second. The Illini sophomore notched several more takedowns in a dominant second period and won by fall (6:40) to put the Illini up, 6-3 after the first two bouts. Byrd is now a perfect 4-0 on the season. Dylan Duncan was in control during the entire 141-pound bout, securing multiple takedowns en route to a 11-3 major decision victory over Purdue's Parker Filius. The senior picked up his second win of the season and is now 2-0 after missing last weekend's tri-meet due to injury. Mike Carr finished a big takedown as time expired in period one, taking a 4-1 lead into the second period. The senior 149-pounder earned an 8-2 decision to extend the Illini lead to 13-3 over Purdue. Redshirt junior Johnny Mologousis trailed 6-2 after the first period and found himself fighting his way back the rest of the way. The junior would earn an escape in the third period but ended up losing by major decision, 14-4. After the 157-pound bout, Illinois led the Boilermakers, 13-7 with five matches to go. True freshman Luke Odom trailed 4-0 after the first period and was unable to score as Purdue's Gerrit Nijenhuis won by major decision, 8-0. DJ Shannon and Emil Soehnlen were knotted at 0 following the first period, but Shannon would start the second on bottom and earn the quick escape to go up 1-0. Shannon secured riding time in the first minute of a thrilling third period in which the riding time was the deciding factor in a 2-1 decision for Shannon. Illinois went ahead 16-11 following the 174-pound bout. Trailing 2-0 heading into the second period, Zac Braunagel started the second on bottom and came out with a quick escape. Purdue's Max Lyon would take a 2-1 lead into another exciting third period where Braunagel would earn a takedown to knot the score, but an escape late in the period from Lyon would give him the edge in a 4-3 decision. Another low-scoring and exciting match, Matt Wroblewski lost by decision, 5-3. The match loss would give Purdue a 17-16 edge and their first lead of the night. In the decisive 285-pound bout, Luke Luffman picked up a big takedown at the end of the first period to go up 2-0 heading into the second. Luffman would stay in control for the remainder of the match, ultimately picking up a 4-0 decision and giving the Illini their fourth win of the season. Results: 125: Devin Schroder (PUR) over Justin Cardani (ILL) (Dec 2-0) 133: Lucas Byrd (ILL) over Nathan Cummings (PUR) (Fall 6:40) 141: Dylan Duncan (ILL) over Parker Filius (PUR) (MD 11-3) 149: Michael Carr (ILL) over Alec White (PUR) (Dec 8-2) 157: Kendall Coleman (PUR) over Johnny Mologousis (ILL) (MD 14-4) 165: Gerrit Nijenhuis (PUR) over Luke Odom (ILL) (MD 8-0) 174: DJ Shannon (ILL) over Emil Soehnlen (PUR) (Dec 2-1) 184: Max Lyon (PUR) over Zach Braunagel (ILL) (Dec 4-3) 197: Thomas Penola (PUR) over Matt Wroblewski (ILL) (Dec 5-3) 285: Luke Luffman (ILL) over Jamarcus Grant (PUR) (Dec 4-0) Extra Matches: 141: Daniel Pucino (ILL) def. Bjorn Schroeder (PUR), Fall 2:34 149: Christian Kanzler (ILL) def. Trey Kruze (PUR), D 8-5 157: Cooper Noehre (PUR) def. Jacob Reicin (ILL), MD 16-4 184: Macartney Parkinson (PUR) def. Chase Waggoner (ILL), Fall 0:47 197: Isiah Pettigrew (ILL) def. Trevor Blue (PUR), Up Next for The Illini No. 7 Illinois travels to Iowa City to take on No. 1 Iowa and No. 2 Michigan in a Big Ten tri-meet on Sunday, January 31. The Illini will face the Wolverines at 1 p.m. followed by the Hawkeyes at 3 p.m., and both matchups will be streamed on BTN+.

DURHAM, N.C. -- No. 14 North Carolina earned its fourth-straight ACC-opening match win against Duke on Friday evening in Cameron Indoor Stadium. Coleman Scott's team posted a 29-9 win to open up conference competition. North Carolina found itself down 3-0 after the 125-pound match that featured Wil Guida. The freshman battled tough after finding himself down 6-1 in the first period. Guida found a way to pull within two, 6-4, but was unable to register a takedown in the back half of the third period and fell by two. Carolina tied up the match at three when Timothy Decatur went back-and-forth in the 133-pound bout through the first two periods against Parker Decker. Decatur held a one-point lead with one period to go and fought through the third period for the 5-4 decision. No. 10 Zach Sherman rolled in the 141-pound bout and gave Carolina its first lead of the match with a 12-1 major decision. Carolina fell at 149 pounds before freshman Sonny Santiago sparked energy on the Carolina bench. Santiago, in his first dual meet appearance as a Tar Heel, posted a 6-4 overtime victory at 157 pounds. Heading into the overtime period, Santiago and Duke's Brandon LaRue were tied at four points before Santiago scored a takedown in sudden victory to win and give UNC a 10-6 lead. No. 10 Kennedy Monday rolled to a 22-7 technical fall victory in the 165-pound match before Gavin Kane earned a 15-6 major decision win at 174 pounds. The win was his second-straight to begin his Carolina career. With the win, UNC pushed its lead to 19-6. No. 15 Clay Lautt won via injury default in the first period of the 184-pound match. UNC's Max Shaw posted an 11-3 major decision victory at 197 pounds against Duke's Kaden Russell. Shaw grinded out the first two periods before recording a reversal, a takedown and four near-fall points to earn the major decision. In the heavyweight match, Jonah Niesenbaum earned a 4-3 win over UNC freshman Aydin Guttridge. North Carolina returns to the mat against N.C. State on Friday, January 29. The dual meet will be broadcast on the ACC Network. Results: 125: Logan Agin (Duke) dec. Wil Guida (UNC), 6-4 133: Timothy Decatur (UNC) dec. Parker Decker (Duke), 5-4 141: No. 10 Zach Sherman (UNC) maj. dec. Patrick Rowland (Duke), 12-1 149: No. 19 Josh Finesilver (Duke) dec. Nick Lirette, 13-7 157: Sonny Santiago (UNC) dec. Brandon LaRue (Duke), 6-4 165: No. 10 Kennedy Monday (UNC) tech fall Eric Carter (Duke), 22-7 (6:13) 174: Gavin Kane (UNC) maj. dec. Conor Becker (Duke), 15-6 184: No. 15 Clay Lautt (UNC) inj. def. Jack Wimmer (Duke), 0:48 197: Max Shaw (UNC) maj. dec. Kaden Russell (Duke), 11-3 285: Jonah Niesenbaum (Duke) dec. Aydin Guttridge (UNC), 4-3 TB2 Extra Matches: 285: Max Fausnaugh (Duke) dec. Adam Honis (UNC), 11-6 197: Vincent Baker (Duke) dec. Cade Lautt (UNC), 11-7 133: Drake Doolittle (Duke) dec. Timothy Decatur (UNC), 5-2 141: Connor Alexander (UNC) maj. dec. Ty Mills (Duke), 11-0 149: Nick Lirette (UNC) maj. dec. Ryan Spangler (Duke), 15-5 285: Brayden Ray (Duke) dec. Aydin Guttridge (UNC), 3-2 157: Sonny Santiago (UNC) dec. Bryson Neace (Duke), 4-3 165: Kennedy Monday (UNC) pinned Preston Decker, 2:01 197: Max Shaw (UNC) dec. Vincent Baker, 8-5 285: Ben Frye (Duke) pinned Adam Honis (UNC), 1:15

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Powered behind a pair of top-10 upsets, and four ranked wins overall, No. 4 @PackWrestle stormed past No. 12 Pitt 27-6 Friday night in Reynolds Coliseum. The Pack (4-0, 2-0 ACC) won eight of the 10 bouts overall against the Panthers (3-1, 1-1), including the final six bouts of the night. The 21st consecutive Pack dual win was highlighted by freshman Isaac Trumble stepping in at 197 pounds for the first time this season and scoring a 6-1 win over No. 5 Nino Bonaccorsi. At 165 pounds, Thomas Bullard came away with a 4-3 win over No. 7 Jake Wentzel. The dual started at 125 pounds, and with bonus points for the Pack. No. 5 Jakob Camacho scored all five takedowns in the bout, including three in the third period, and scored a 13-5 major decision to open the dual. Pitt's first win was a No. 4 Micky Phillippi 4-2 decision over No. 16 Jarrett Trombley. The Pack came right back with a top-15 win at 141 pounds, as No. 11 Tariq Wilson stayed undefeated with a 7-5 OT win over No. 14 Cole Matthews. Matthews got a takedown in the final seconds to tie the score, but after a scoreless first 60 seconds of OT, Wilson got a reversal for the decisive points. Pitt once again answered with a decision at 149 pounds, as Luke Kemerer scored the bout's lone takedown with 10 seconds left to down Ed Scott, 3-2. No. 2 Hayden Hidlay got more bonus points, as he notched three four-point near falls in the second period at 157 pounds for a 19-2 tech fall win. The Pack led at intermission 12-6. NC State came right out and scored a top-10 win at 165 pounds. No. 17 Thomas Bullard used a second period takedown and third period reversal to score a 4-3 win over No. 7 Jake Wentzel. The Pack racked up a third straight win, as No. 12 Daniel Bullard used 3:08 of RT in a dominating 6-0 decision to up the Pack lead to 18-6. No. 4 Trent Hidlay made his Reynolds season debut and was dominate with a ranked win with all four takedowns in the bout and 2:29 of RT in an 11-4 decision over No. 16 Gregg Harvey. Making his debut in the lineup, freshman Isaac Trumble came out and scored a top-5 win, taking out No. 5 Nino Bonaccorsi 6-1. After a scoreless first, Trumble started the second on top and scored a four-point near fall as time expired. He then added an escape and 2:00 of RT came away with the upset win. The Pack closed the dual with its sixth straight win, as No. 18 Deonte Wilson scored a 6-1 win over previously undefeated Jake Slinger at heavyweight. Up Next: The Pack will be in road action next Friday night, as the Pack travels to No. 14 North Carolina. The dual will be televised on the ACC Network. Results: 125: #5 Jakob Camacho (NCSU) major dec. Colton Camacho; 13-5 - 4-0 133: #4 Micky Phillippi (Pitt) dec. #16 Jarrett Trombley; 4-2 - 4-3 141: #11 Tariq Wilson (NCSU) dec. #14 Cole Matthews; 7-5 (TB1) - 7-3 149: Luke Kemerer (Pitt) dec. Ed Scott; 3-2 - 7-6 157: #2 Hayden Hidlay (NCSU) tech fall Tyler Badgett; 19-2 - 12-6 165: #17 Thomas Bullard (NCSU) dec. #7 Jake Wentzel; 4-3 - 15-6 174: #12 Daniel Bullard (NCSU) dec. Jared McGill; 6-0 - 18-6 184: #4 Trent Hidlay (NCSU) dec. #16 Gregg Harvey; 11-4 - 21-6 197: Isaac Trumble (NCSU) dec. #5 Nino Bonaccorsi; 6-1 - 24-6 285: #18 Deonte Wilson (NCSU) dec. Jake Slinger; 6-1 - 27-6

BLACKSBURG -- In its ACC opener, Virginia Tech wrestling made it nine straight against Virginia Friday night with a 19-15 win in Cassell Coliseum. The eighth-ranked Hokies (5-0, 1-0 ACC) rode the momentum off two early bonus-point wins and never relinquished the lead for their 17th win out of the last 18 meetings with the Cavaliers (1-2, 0-2 ACC). Each team won five matches, but Tech's three bonus-point victories proved to be the difference. MATCH HIGHLIGHTS Kicking the dual off with a bang, No. 10 Sam Latona pulled out a technical fall over Sam Book in the last minute of the match. Latona led 7-3 with 45 seconds left when he secured a takedown and turned Book for two four-point near falls before the horn sounded. With riding time, the redshirt freshman opened the dual with an 18-3 tech. In the marquee matchup of the night, No. 8 Korbin Myers picked up a top-15 win over No. 12 Louie Hayes. The graduate student looked dominant in a 12-1 major decision, his first bonus-point win of the season, and racked up 3:42 in riding time. Also staying undefeated on the season was sophomore Bryce Andonian, who shut out his opponent Denton Spencer for an 8-0 major decision. Andonian, the No. 12 149-pounder in the country, was on top for over half the match, securing 4:15 in riding time. The Kirtland, Ohio product is now 22-6 in his career and 12-3 in dual matches. No. 1 Mekhi Lewis beat No. 15 Jake Keating in a top-15 showdown that saw Lewis increase his collegiate winning streak to 24 straight matches. Lewis' last loss came on Dec. 1, 2018 and he has yet to be taken down during that span. Second-ranked Hunter Bolen secured his fourth win of the season with a 10-4 decision over Michael Battista. The 2020 ACC Champion held on for 2:23 of riding time to extend Tech's lead to 19-9. Results: 125: No. 10 Sam Latona (VT) TF Sam Book (UVA), 18-3 (7:00) 133: No. 8 Korbin Myers (VT) MD No. 12 Louie Hayes (UVA), 12-1 141: Brian Courtney (UVA) dec. Sam Hillegas (VT), 8-3 149: No. 12 Bryce Andonian (VT) MD Denton Spencer (UVA), 8-0 157: No. 15 Justin McCoy (UVA) dec. Connor Brady (VT), 3-2 165: No. 1 Mekhi Lewis (VT) dec. No. 15 Jake Keating (UVA), 8-2 174: Vic Marcelli (UVA) dec. Dakota Howard (VT), 6-4 184: No. 2 Hunter Bolen (VT) dec. Michael Battista (UVA), 10-4 197: No. 3 Jay Aiello (UVA) dec. Andy Smith (VT), 10-3 285: No. 20 Quinn Miller (UVA) dec. Hunter Catka (VT), 4-0 Extra Matches: 141: Collin Gerardi (VT) dec. Dylan Cedeno (UVA), 7-6 149: Caden Darber (VT) MD Ray Costa (UVA), 14-5 157: Clayton Ulrey (VT) MD Nic Sansone (UVA), 12-4 174: Robby Patrick (UVA) WBF Sam Fisher (VT), 1:02 184: Hudson Stewart (UVA) dec. Nathan Warden (VT), 8-6 (SV-1) 197: Stan Smeltzer (VT) dec. Ethan Weatherspoon (UVA), 2-1

North Dakota State's three wrestling duals scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 24, at Cal Poly against Fresno State, California Baptist and Cal Poly have been canceled due to COVID-19 protocol. NDSU's next scheduled meet is Sunday, Feb. 7, when the Bison (2-2) host Big 12 Conference opponents South Dakota State and Iowa State in the Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex.

The Pennsylvania Regional Training Center and the Wrestlers in Business Network Philadelphia Chapter are excited to release the complete match list for the January 29th, "Summit 1" card. The main card is composed of Senior-level men's and women's freestyle bouts, while the undercard features both U23 and high school action. The event will stream in its entirety on the PRTC's Rokfin account, which can be purchased for $9.99 a month. Jake Hunter, the Chair of the Philadelphia WIBN chapter, believes this event is just the beginning of collaboration between the newly relaunched Philadelphia WIBN and the PRTC. "The Philadelphia Chapter of WIBN is excited to continue our city's tradition of Brotherly Love through a partnership with the PRTC on future events that bring value to the wrestling community," Hunter stated. PRTC Executive Director Brandon Slay echoed the sentiments and credited the Philadelphia WIBN in helping to compose the elite event. "This PRTC Rokfin event may be the best card to date. We have some fantastic high school, U23, and Senior-level matchups from all across the nation, as well as an international match between Israel and Canada. Plus, we have three women's freestyle matches. It's been wonderful to partner with WIBN Philly to make Summit 1 a reality. We couldn't have made this event happen without their leadership, and we look forward to Summit 2 and 3 down the road." The card's main event pits Cadet and two-time Junior World champion Mark Hall against 2019 Alexander Medved International champion Nate Jackson. Hall, an NCAA champion and 3x finalist at Penn State, will be making his PRTC debut at 88 kg against Jackson, a 2020 Senior Nationals runner-up, who competes for the New Jersey RTC. Currently, five other PRTC resident athletes are scheduled to compete on the main card including, David McFadden, Ethan Lizak, Dan Vallimont, Ben Honis and Mauro Correnti. McFadden, a 2018 U23 World Team member and 2020 U23 Nationals champion, will take on two-time NCAA champion Vincenzo Joseph of the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club at 79 kg. McFadden was a four-time All-American for Virginia Tech and joined the PRTC in April 2020. Lizak will compete against the NYC RTC's Shelton Mack at 63kg. Lizak was a 2017 NCAA finalist and three-time All-American at the University of Minnesota. He also competed on the 2013 Junior World Team. Earlier this month, Lizak downed two-time NCAA champion Matt McDonough, 10-0, on a FloWrestling card. Mack, an eighth-place finisher at the 2020 Senior Nationals, is currently an assistant at Columbia University. Vallimont, one of the original PRTC athletes, will wrestle Branson Ashworth of the Wyoming RTC. Vallimont was a two-time All-American and NCAA finalist for Penn State. He is the 2018 U.S. Open runner-up and has logged numerous placements at international and domestic events over the course of his career. Ashworth was a three-time NCAA qualifier for Wyoming. He is a 2020 Cerro Pelado bronze medalist. At 97 kg, Honis will square off with Scottie Boykin of the Spartan Combat RTC. Honis, an All-American for Cornell, is the 2019 U.S. Open runner-up. Boykin was a three-time NCAA qualifier at UT-Chattanooga. On the Senior level, he won the 2019 Last Chance World Team Trials Senior Qualifier and placed second at the 2019 Dave Schultz Memorial International. Correnti will represent the PRTC at 125 kg, taking on the Spartan Combat RTC's Lewis Fernandes. Correnti wrestled collegiately for Rider and was a NCAA qualifier. Fernandes is a freshman at Cornell. Wrestling unattached last season, he compiled a 26-4 record in open competition. Anthony Artalona, who currently wrestles at the University of Pennsylvania, will also be competing for the PRTC on the main card. Artalona, a two-time Fargo Junior champion and 16U champion in both freestyle and Greco-Roman, will take on Evan Henderson of the Spartan Combat RTC. Henderson, a two-time All-American for North Carolina, has been active on the Senior scene since 2014. He is the 2018 Bill Farrell International champion and a 2020 Senior Nationals runner-up. The main card features four other matches not including PRTC wrestlers. 71 kg will showcase a women's freestyle battle between Skylar Grote of the Lehigh Valley Wrestling Club and Egyptian Olympian Enas Ahmed. Grote is a two-time Junior Pan Am champion, a 2020 U23 Nationals champion and a 2020 Senior Nationals runner-up. Ahmed placed fifth at the 2016 Olympic Games and is a two-time Senior African Games champion and a 2015 All African Games gold medalist. Myles Martin and Max Dean will face off at 88 kg in a highly anticipated rematch. Martin, a member of the Ohio RTC, was a four-time All-American and 2016 NCAA champion at Ohio State. Dean, who will represent the Spartan Combat RTC, has earned All-American honors twice in two attempts for Cornell. At the 2019 NCAA Championships, Dean stunned Martin, who was the undefeated No. 1 seed, in the semifinals, 5-4. The pair have not wrestled since. Dean is a 2019 U23 World Team member, while Martin is a 2018 U23 World Team member and recently won the FloWrestling 195-Pound Eight-Man bracket challenge. Fan favorites Chandler Rogers of the Arkansas RTC and Ben Darmstadt of the Spartan Combat RTC will square off at 205 pounds. Rogers was a two-time All-American for Oklahoma State. Post-collegiately, he has competed primarily in Greco-Roman, but he is also a 2019 Pan Am champion in freestyle. Darmstadt is a two-time All-American for Cornell, who is still NCAA eligible. In the sole international bout of the night, Israel's Mitch Finesilver will wrestle Canada's Jasmit Phulka. Finesilver, who trains with the NYC RTC, was a 2019 All-American for Duke, placing fourth at the NCAA Tournament. Internationally, he is a 2017 Maccabi Games champion and a 2021 Henri Deglane third-place finisher. Phulka is a two-time Canadian Senior World Team member currently training with the Cyclone RTC. He is a 2019 Canada Cup champion and a 2019 Pan Am Championships bronze medalist. The must-watch match of the undercard features Ivy League rivals Michael Colaiocco of the PRTC vs. Angelo Rini of the NYC RTC. As a freshman last season, Colaiocco put together a 23-7 record at 125 pounds for Penn and was named a NWCA Second-Team All-American. Rini, who competes for Columbia, was also a freshman last season, logging a 25-10 record at 133 pounds. Colaiocco is a 2020 U23 Nationals runner-up, while Rini is a 2020 UWW Junior Nationals runner-up. Summit 1 Full Card Senior-level Main Card - 8pm EST 125 kg: Mauro Correnti (PRTC) vs. Lewis Fernandes (Spartan Combat RTC) 97 kg: Ben Honis (PRTC) vs. Scottie Boykin (Spartan Combat RTC) 76 kg: Mitch Finesilver (Israel) vs. Jasmit Phulka (Canada) 79 kg: Dan Vallimont (PRTC) vs. Branson Ashworth (Wyoming RTC) 63 kg: Ethan Lizak (PRTC) vs. Shelton Mack (NYC RTC) 150 lbs: Anthony Artalona (PRTC) vs. Evan Henderson (Spartan Combat RTC) 205 lbs: Chandler Rogers (Arkansas RTC) vs. Ben Darmstadt (Spartan Combat RTC) 71 kg: Skylar Grote (LVWC) vs. Enas Ahmed (Egypt) 88 kg: Myles Martin (Ohio RTC) vs. Max Dean (Spartan Combat RTC) 79 kg: David McFadden (PRTC) vs. Vincenzo Joseph (NLWC) 88 kg: Mark Hall (PRTC) vs. Nate Jackson (NJRTC) U23 Undercard - 6pm EST 125kg: Ben Goldin (PRTC) vs Kaleb Snodgrass (Mat Town RTC) 86 kg: Max Hale (PRTC) vs. Brian Bonino (NYCRTC) 86 kg: Neil Antrassian (PRTC) vs. Michael Baker (NYCRTC) 72 kg: Doug Zapf (PRTC) vs. Connor Kievman (NYCRTC) 62 kg: Carmen Ferrante (PRTC) vs. Dom LaJoie (Spartan Combat RTC) 60 kg: Ryan Miller (PRTC) vs. Joe Manchio (NYCRTC) 191 lbs: Caira Jaynes (PA) vs. Erin Murray (PA) 125 kg Ben Goldin (PRTC) vs. Dan Conley (NYCRTC) 62 kg: Michael Colaiocco (PRTC) vs. Angelo Rini (NYCRTC) High School Undercard - 4pm EST 141 lbs: Jayden Gonzales (NJ) vs Branden Palcko (NJ) 126 lbs: PJ Duke (NY) vs. Daniel Zepeda (CA) 147 lbs: Sam McMonagle (PA) vs. Henry Porter (CA) 285 lbs: Ryan Catka (PA) vs. Mike Misita (NJ) 126 lbs: Dom Findora (PA) vs. Evan Mougolian (NJ) 134 lbs: Nate Lucier (PA) vs. D'Amani Almodovar (NJ) 162 lbs: Hunter Gandy (NJ) vs. Victor Jacinto (CA) 142 lbs: Ty Whalen (NJ) vs. Kelly Dunnigan (NJ) 117 lbs: Ava Bayless (PA) vs. Chloe Ayres (NJ) 145 lbs: Levi Haines (PA) vs. Alex Almeyda (NJ) ABOUT THE PENNSYLVANIA REGIONAL TRAINING CENTER The Pennsylvania RTC (PRTC) is a non-profit organization that is for developmental and senior-level wrestlers who desire to train in an environment that specializes in the international styles of Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling with the ultimate goal of becoming World and Olympic champions. The PRTC is dedicated to providing our wrestlers with the tools and resources to succeed on and off the wrestling mat. ABOUT THE WRESTLERS IN BUSINESS NETWORK The Wrestlers in Business Network is a national, non-profit networking group for everyone that is passionate about the sport of wrestling. They are dedicated to advancing careers, businesses, personal growth, and the sport that we all love. Simply put, WIBN uses the common bond of wrestling to achieve great things for all members and the sport.

Penn State has sold out 55 straight duals in Rec Hall (Photo/Mark Selders) The Penn State-Michigan State wrestling match scheduled for Sunday has been postponed. The universities mutually agreed to the postponement out of an abundance of caution surrounding the health and safety of the student-athletes, coaches and staff. The institutions will work with the Big Ten Conference to identify rescheduling options.

The International Olympic Committee released a statement on news reports of the Tokyo Olympics games being canceled. We refer you to the strong and clear statement that the Japanese Government made today, saying that the report is "categorically untrue." Please find the statement here: Some news reports circulating today are claiming that the Government of Japan has privately concluded that the Tokyo Olympics will have to be canceled because of the coronavirus. This is categorically untrue. At an IOC Executive Board meeting in July last year, it was agreed that the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 would be held on July 23 this year, and the program and venues for the Games were rescheduled accordingly. All parties involved are working together to prepare for a successful Games this summer. "We will be implementing all possible countermeasures against COVID-19 and will continue to work closely with the IOC, the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in our preparations for holding a safe and secure Games this summer. Together with its Japanese partners and friends, the IOC is fully concentrated on and committed to the successful delivery of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 this year.

Teague Moore coaching at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) WASHINGTON -- American University wrestling coach Teague Moore has departed from American University, effective immediately. The Department of Athletics will conduct a national search for a new head coach. In the meantime, former AU wrestler Jason Grimes '17, '20 will serve as the program's interim coach and take on the leadership role in the wrestling room. Over the last nine seasons at American, the Eagles went 60-71 in dual meets with a 24-41 mark in EIWA matches. These teams featured five All-Americans, 32 NCAA qualifiers and 47 place-winners at the EIWA Championships.

The Henri Deglane Grand Prix wrapped up Sunday in Nice, France, with several American wrestlers in women's and men's freestyle coming away with gold, silver, and bronze medal finishes. The weekend's most notable performance was that of Cornell's Yianni Diakomihalis who walloped a series of opponents on his way to gold at 65 kilograms. Yianni avenged a close loss to 2016 Olympic champion Vladimer Khinchegashvili with an impressive 13-2 shellacking of the Georgian star. He also drummed wrestlers from France and Poland. Most notably, Yianni bested fellow American James Green 5-0. The commanding win against one of America's best 65-kilogram wrestlers, and a beating of King Vlad, means Yianni has cemented himself as the top candidate to earn a spot on the United States Olympic team for Tokyo 2021. Going a bit further, I think that Yianni has a slightly better than 50/50 chance to medal at the Olympic Games should he continue to improve over the next several months. Domestically, Yianni will have to face JO and Jaydin Eierman, who could give him fits in certain positions, but where Yianni would still be heavily favored. However, it's Zain Retherford, the 65-kilogram representative from Nur-Sultan who has every chance to beat Yianni come April. He's stronger, quicker, and has plenty of international experience. Will that mean he can beat Yianni who is obviously a different wrestler that he was 18 months ago, or even six months ago? No clue. We'll just have to see how it plays out on the mats. It's important to keep in mind that whoever wins the battle at 65 kilograms will be facing long odds at qualifying for the Olympic Games. The World Qualifier in May will almost certainly feature either Haji Aliev, King Vlad, or Selahattin Kilicsallayan or Turkey. If one of those guys ends up on the same side then it's possible that an Olympic berth would be a coin flip, at best. (Forgiving that Yianni would be favored over King Vlad.) In other Deglane news, Thomas Gilman stifled Vito Arujau and came home with bronze. However, for the moment that really is the side show as the nation waits for what should be an incredible showdown between Gilman and his Hawkeye brethren Spencer Lee. The winner of the 57-kilogram tournament will have an advantage for the Olympic Games since the qualification strife was sorted in March, whereas the rest of the world still needs to go through their final two tournaments. Should Spencer Lee come out on top, I'm certain there will be a lot of European wrestling fans who will be greatly disappointed -- after his comeback performance in Macon in 2016 the world has grown to respect his ability and his heart. To your questions … Cary Kolat drills with one of his Navy wrestlers (Photo/Navy Athletics) Q: Cary Kolat seems to be having early success at Navy. They beat Lehigh for the first time since 2011 and broke into the top 25. Do you think Kolat will ever be able to get Navy into the top 10 and eventually contending for a team trophy? Or is the ceiling lower at a service academy? -- Mike C. Foley: Cary Kolat is having an incredible start to his coaching campaign at the Naval Academy. Put aside the things that make him a great coach, the situation at the Naval Academy is absolutely fantastic. The room can see as many as 100 wrestlers in a day, who are all in quarantine, and who are not drinking or breaking rules with anything like regularity. In that way, the less desirable part of coaching in the 2020's has been taken care of by the situation. The Naval Academy has had a few multiyear runs with top-25 appearances, largely during the Bruce Burnett era. There were All-Americans, conference titles, and wins over big-name programs. They competed tough and would give teams fits. On level they still had holes in the lineup largely due to restrictions on recruiting, but found ways to win. Here's my theory on why Coach Kolat is much better situated in 2021 than Coach Burnett was in 2010. The baseline technique and skill of the common high school wrestler is far greater today than it was 10 or 20 years ago. With online instruction and sport specialization there has been an incredible improvement across the board. Now, the top athletes and finishers may still end up in the Big 10 or ACC, but Kolat doesn't need to work near as hard to provide operational techniques to his wrestlers and thus can spend more time on high level techniques. The building blocks are in place and Kolat just needs to provide the intelligence and inspiration. The other thing that will work in Kolat's favor is that he's extremely well known by the wrestling dad's now searching for a school to send their children. Wrestling parents and the broader socioeconomic class we embody, is attracted to military service. A dash of Kolat, a pop of discipline, and the garnish of a "free" education is highly attractive to any parent in our world. I have a lot of confidence in saying that Kolat will finish in the top 10 in the next five years. He will have a season with multiple All-Americans in the next three, and he will beat - or place higher - than several top 25 teams in 2021. Kolat is a great coach in the right spot at the right time. Q: Any idea what's up with American University? They haven't wrested or released a schedule yet. They were supposed to wrestle Navy twice, but I believe those matches were canceled. -- Mike C. Foley: According to the communications department at American: "We have had delays to start training due to health and safety protocols, and there are a few items holding up our schedule release, but the program is not on hold. I will let you know as soon as it is determined." Q: I've noticed a lot of the international competitors wearing some seriously vintage wrestling shoes in competitions of late. Asics Dave Schultz Ultraflex's, Asics Gables (the original ones), Adidas Combat Speeds (not new), etc. These don't look like they're old versions either, they're in good shape, and almost seem new or new old stock. All of those models are long since discontinued, at least state side, and fetch hundreds of dollars on eBay in good condition or common sizes. Any idea where these teams are getting their shoes? Is vintage just in right now and they're scouring eBay? Do their teams have piles of deadstock? Are Asics and Adidas still offering older models in the non-U.S. markets? -- Jon G. Foley: The shoe game overseas is pretty incredible, but I can't provide much insight on the shoes or who is supplying them. Are we certain they are vintage? From my eye a lot of the shoes are the basic Adidas that we've seen over the last several years -- unfussy, tight to the foot, and bold colors. To my eye, most look to be the Combat Speeds, but the light blue version isn't available in the USA. Comment section have any insight? Maybe you could email me, too. I'll also be sure to get a bug in the ear of these international guys and see if I can find the supplier! Q: Gable Steveson and Anthony Cassioppi meet Friday night. Last season Gable beat him 9-4 at the Big Tens and 7-5 in a dual meet. How do you see Friday's match going? -- Mike C. Foley: Love me a good heavyweight matchup, but the space between Gable Steveson and most every other heavyweight in the United States has widened past the point of being competitive. Gable by a touchdown. Q: How do you think the Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier fight Saturday night will go? -- Mike C. Foley: With a beautiful new Powers John's Lane Release Irish Whiskey I was gifted by a friend for Christmas! As for in-the-cage, I'd suspect the UFC is keen to see Conor stay competitive until another high-level fight can be booked and the organization profit. That means they know, or believe, that Dustin is little better than a tomato can opponent. That's not to say Dustin can't give Conor fits, or go the distance, it just means there was a reason they didn't find a wrestler for Conor to fight, or someone who could submit the Irishman from their own back. What I do think we will see is blood, and lots of it. There are going to be a lot of eye-level jabs landed by both men and given the UFC's lust for blood-spattered, standing brawls is what they are expecting too.

FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- In their second regular dual match of the season, the LIU wrestling team got its first win, beating Sacred Heart 24-16. The Sharks came from behind and had two falls en route to the win over the Pioneers. After SHU jumped out to a 6-0 lead with decisions in the first two matches, Tim Nagosky got the first win for LIU, with a 4-2 decision over Mark Blokh. Freshman Bryce Cockrell would even up the team score 6-6- with his 4-2 decision over Sean Faraon at 125. The Sharks took their first lead of the day when freshman Devin Matthews eeked out a 3-2 decision over Kyle Randall at 133. Another freshman, Drew Witham, increased LIU's lead to 15-6 when he registered a fall over Ryan Burns in just 53 seconds at 141. Junior Chris Gomez also recorded a fall, defeating Seth Brown at 149 in 4:21. SHU would take a major decision and a win via fall at 157 and 165 to close the gap to 21-16, but the Sharks finished strong, as James Langan beat SHU's Scott Jarosz, 6-5 at 174 tto cap the day, and the 24-16 win for LIU. Up next, the Sharks host their first home match of the season, taking on Hofstra, Sunday, January 24 at 12 p.m. in the Pratt Recreation Center. Results: 184 Joe Accousti (SHU) def. Dan Shafran (LIU) Decision 6-1 3-0 197 Robert Hetherman (SHU) def. T.J. Franden (LIU) Decision 6-1 6-0 285 Tim Nagosky (LIU) def. Mark Blokh (SHU) Decision 4-2 6-3 125 Bryce Cockrell (LIU) def. Sean Faraon (SHU) Decision 4-2 6-6 133 Devin Matthews (LIU) def. Kyle Randall (SHU) Decision 3-2 6-9 141 Drew Witham (LIU) def. Ryan Burns (SHU) Fall 0:53 6-15 149 Chris Gomez (LIU) def. Seth Brown (SHU) Fall 4:21 6-21 157 Nick Palumbo (SHU) def. Kenny Cooper (LIU) Major Decision 16-3 10-21 165 Will Schmidt (SHU) def. Ryan Ferro (LIU) Fall 2:59 16-21 174 James Langan (LIU) def. Scott Jarosz (SHU) Decision 6-5 16-24

KENT, Ohio -- The Kent State Golden Flashes opened their home slate with a pair of impressive dual victories, defeating Gannon 19-12 and Mercyhurst 26-9 inside the Kent State Field House. Jake Ferri led the Golden Flashes on Wednesday, picking up a pair of major decision victories and running his match win streak to five. Ian Senz also won his two matches on Wednesday picking up a 9-8 comeback victory over Evan Fisler of Gannon and a 6-4 sudden victory over Spencer Head of Mercyhurst. Joe Andrassy also stepped in at 184 and grinded out two victories including an overtime thriller against Mercyhurst. Ferri got the Flashes out to an early 4-0 lead against Gannon in the first dual of the night. The Knights, ranked #7 in the Division-II polls, won four of the next five matches to take a 12-7 lead heading into the heavier weight matches. Mike Caniglia stopped the Knights' momentum with a 3-1 victory at 174 pounds. Joe Andrassy kept it going, grinding out a 4-3 victory over Cam Page at 184 to give Kent State a 13-12 lead. Colin McCracken led throughout his match at 197, earning a 7-4 victory by decision against Joel Leisle and Jacob Cover clinched the victory with a 5-4 decision against Freddie Nixon to make it 19-12 Kent State. The two schools also held five extra matches that did not count towards the team score. Gannon won four of the five extra matches with Tanner Clark earning the 6-2 decision at 285. Kent State 19, Gannon 12 125 Jake Ferri (Kent State) over charles lenox (Gannon) (MD 15-3) 4 0 133 Jacob Dunlop (Gannon) over Patrick Gould (Kent State) (Dec 5-1) 4 3 141 Austin Hertel (Gannon) over Avry Mutschler (Kent State) (Dec 3-2) 4 6 149 Dominic Means (Gannon) over Kody Komara (Kent State) (Dec 10-4) 4 9 157 Ian Senz (Kent State) over Evan Fisler (Gannon) (Dec 9-8) 7 9 165 Alex Farenchak (Gannon) over Brady Chrisman (Kent State) (Dec 9-5) 7 12 174 Mike Caniglia (Kent State) over Luigi Yates (Gannon) (Dec 3-1) 10 12 184 Joe Andrassy (Kent State) over Cam Page (Gannon) (Dec 4-3) 13 12 197 Colin McCracken (Kent State) over Joel Leise (Gannon) (Dec 7-4) 16 12 285 Jacob Cover (Kent State) over Freddie Nixon (Gannon) (Dec 5-4) 19 12 125 Extra: Charles Lenox (Gannon) over Tomas Guitierrez (Kent State) (Fall 5:19) 141 Extra: Parker Loera (Gannon) over Raphael Rodriguez (Kent State) (Dec 7-3) 157 Extra: Nick Young (Gannon) over Nick Colasurdo (Kent State) (Inj. 5:00) 197 Extra: joseph petrella (Gannon) over Ryan Boyle (Kent State) (TB-2 4-3) 285 Extra: William Clark (Kent State) over Matt Long (Gannon) (Dec 6-2) The Flashes closed out the night against the Mercyhurst Lakers who came in ranked #17 in the Division-II polls. Again, it was Ferri who got things started in dominant fashion with his second major decision of the night. Patrick Gould rode an impressive 10-point first period to an 11-6 decision at 133 pounds to put Kent State up 7-0. Mercyhurst got on the board at 141 as Alexis Soriano grabbed points late in the third period to take a 4-3 decision. Kody Komara pitched a shutout and narrowly missed out on the major decision bonus point in a 7-0 victory. Senz' aforementioned sudden victory put Kent State up 10 and Mason Karpinski had a pair of near falls and earned an 18-9 major decision. Andrassy rounded out the Kent State scoring, getting a reversal in extra time to earn the 3-1 sudden victory. The Flashes and Lakers held a pair of extra matches after the dual. Raphael Rodriguez earned an 8-6 victory over Caiden Mooney and Tanner Clark closed his 2-0 day with a major decision win over Adam Allen. Kent State 26, Mercyhurst 12 125 Jake Ferri (Kent State) over Jacob Ruggeri (Mercyhurst) (MD 21-8) 4 0 133 Patrick Gould (Kent State) over Eric Bartos (Mercyhurst) (Dec 11-6) 7 0 141 Alexis Soriano (Mercyhurst) over Avry Mutschler (Kent State) (Dec 4-3) 7 3 149 Kody Komara (Kent State) over Alex Samson (Mercyhurst) (Dec 7-0) 10 3 157 Ian Senz (Kent State) over Spencer Head (Mercyhurst) (SV-1 6-4) 13 3 165 Mason Karpinski (Kent State) over Jason Breeden (Mercyhurst) (MD 18-9) 17 3 174 Trevor Johnson (Mercyhurst) over Mike Caniglia (Kent State) (Dec 4-2) 17 6 184 Joe Andrassy (Kent State) over Trever Begin (Mercyhurst) (SV-1 3-1) 20 6 197 Colin McCracken (Kent State) over Unknown (For.) 26 6 285 Jacob Robb (Mercyhurst) over Jacob Cover (Kent State) (Dec 3-2) 26 9 149 Extra: Raphael Rodriguez (Kent State) over Caiden Mooney (Mercyhurst) (Dec 8-6) 285 Extra: William Clark (Kent State) over Adam Allen (Mercyhurst) (MD 9-1) Kent State's dual record now sits at 2-2 on the year. The Golden Flashes are back at it on Saturday, heading to Clarion for a MAC quad. The Flashes will take on host Clarion as well as Central Michigan and SIU-Edwardsville. The quad is set to begin at 11 a.m. with Kent State taking on Central Michigan, followed by SIU-E at 1 and Clarion at 3 p.m.

Northern Colorado head wrestling coach Troy Nickerson (Photo/UNC Athletics) GREELEY, Colo. -- University of Northern Colorado Athletics has paused all wrestling team activities due to COVID-19 protocol. Due to the pause, the Bears' dual against Oklahoma State on Friday has been canceled. UNC Athletics continues to follow all state, local and NCAA guidelines in regards to COVID-19.

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame was saddened to learn that Louis "Lou" Giani, a Distinguished Member inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003, passed away on Tuesday, at the age of 86. Louis "Lou" GianiA wake will be held from 4-8 p.m. on Sunday, January 24, at M.A. Connell Funeral Home in Huntington Station, New York, and a funeral service will be held on Monday, January 25, at 9:30 a.m. at St Hughs of Lincoln in Huntington Station, New York. "On behalf of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Board of Governors and staff, I want to express our sincere sympathies to the family, friends and countless wrestlers coached by Lou Giani," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. "A great competitor as a wrestler, he became one of the most extraordinary coaches our sport has ever had, particularly at the youth and high school levels. His impact became known across the wrestling world in 2003 when he became one of only five high school coaches in history to be enshrined in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member." A virtually self-taught wrestler, Giani's competitive career did not begin until his junior year of high school. Defying the odds, he won an impressive 10 New York Athletic Club titles and more than 20 tournament titles in the United States. He won a gold medal at the Pan American Games in 1959 and was a member of the United States Olympic team in 1960. Although his Olympic participation was cut short by a serious infection, his passion for the sport propelled him into the coaching arena. Under Coach Giani's leadership, Huntington High School team captured nine New York state team titles, six tournament and three first-place state poll rankings. The fact that there is only one state tournament, with 600 programs participating, accentuates the magnitude of these accomplishments. He had a career coaching record of 436-36-1, including 28 undefeated seasons, in 40 seasons. Giani coached a Suffolk record 188 All-County wrestlers and a state record 23 state champions and 53 all-state wrestlers. Touted as the greatest high school wrestling coach in the state of New York, Giani was recognized by his peers three times as the New York Wrestling Coach of the Year and three times was chosen as the National High School Wrestling Coach of the Year, including 2002 by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. He holds the distinction of being the first Suffolk County champion from Huntington High School while his son, Lou, Jr., was Huntington's first state champion. His youngest son, Joseph, was the school's first NCAA mat champion, capturing a Division III title while earning All-American honors three times for SUNY College at Brockport. Motivated by his commitment to wrestling, Giani pursued additional avenues to contribute to the sport. He launched two youth wrestling programs in Long Island, designed to generate interest, enthusiasm and participation, while working to provide numerous opportunities for underprivileged youth through wrestling. With wrestling as the backdrop, he worked the "Giani Magic" to instill values, work ethic and hope into the lives of young men, both on and off the mat. National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum America's shrine to the sport of wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame & Museum was founded as a nonprofit organization in 1976 to honor the sport of wrestling, preserve its history, recognize extraordinary individual achievements, and inspire future generations. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has museums in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Waterloo, Iowa. The Stillwater, Oklahoma, location reopened in June 2016 following a $3.8 million renovation while the Waterloo, Iowa, location reopened in March 2019 after undergoing a $1.4 million renovation. Both museums now feature interactive exhibits and electronic kiosks, as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. Stillwater also has the John T. Vaughan Hall of Honors where the greatest names in wrestling are recognized, including iconic granite plaques presented to Distinguished Members since the Hall of Fame opened in 1976. The museum has the largest collection of wrestling artifacts and memorabilia in the world, including the most collegiate and Olympic wrestling uniforms. Wrestling truly is for everyone and the diversity and accessibility of the sport continues to be highlighted through exhibits featuring females, African-Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Latino Americans. There is also a library featuring historical documents, including NCAA guides and results, as well as books on the sport. For more information about the Hall of Fame, please visit www.NWHOF.org.

Fifth-ranked Brayton Lee of Minnesota is expected to face No. 6 Kaleb Young of Iowa Friday (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com) It took a while for the collegiate wrestling season to return, and some teams are still not in action. However, the slate of dual meets this week offers several potential top matches. The following previews some of the best potential matches in each weight class. 125: Theorius Robinson (Northern Colorado) vs. No. 13 Trevor Mastrogiovanni (Oklahoma State) After a strong redshirt year at 133 pounds, Robinson has dropped down to 125 pounds for this season. During his redshirt year, he finished with a 9-3 and picked up a key victory over Montorie Bridges (Wyoming) on his way to the tournament title at the season-opening Cowboy Invitational. The former three-time Colorado state champion has lost his only match of the season against Taylor LaMont (Utah Valley), but he might still be primed to make a run at All-America status this season. Mastrogiovanni is a true freshman, but he has started all the way at 125 pounds for the Cowboys. He has been perfect so far on the way to a 4-0 record. His best win to date was a 7-4 decision over Oregon State's Brandon Kaylor. Mastrogiovanni wrestled on the high school level for Blair Academy where he was a three-time National Prep champion and finished with a 96-4 record. This is an early season match between two young wrestlers who could be facing off for years to come in the Big 12 Conference. Mastrogiovanni is probably the more complete wrestler at this point, so he should be the favorite in this match. However, Robinson is a dangerous wrestler in the neutral position, so he might make it interesting. Prediction: Mastrogiovanni decision over Robinson 133: No. 17 Matt Schmitt (Missouri) vs. Bryce West (Northern Illinois) Missouri has been perhaps the most active team so far this season, and Schmitt has benefitted from that schedule. He has already built a 5-1 record with victories over Devan Turner (Oregon State), Job Greenwood (Wyoming) and Kyle Biscoglia (Northern Iowa). After qualifying for the NCAA tournament during the 2019 season, Schmitt took a redshirt season last year. West qualified for the NCAA tournament as a redshirt freshman in 2019. Last season he went 23-11 yet missed out on qualification. So far this season, West has been on the edge of the rankings and is coming into this match after a victory over Drew Marten (Central Michigan). This battle of MAC rivals could be a preview of the conference tournament. West always seems to end up in high-scoring matches with his three matches so far this season averaging 13.33 total points scored. Schmitt has done a good job controlling the pace of his matches this season, so he should be able to take this decision, but this could be a wild match. Prediction: Schmitt decision over West 141: No. 12 Dylan Duncan (Illinois) vs. No. 20 Parker Filius (Purdue) Duncan did not compete in Illinois' successful action this past weekend, but the three-time NCAA qualifier picked up a fall in his only action so far this season as he bested Paul Konrath (Indiana) in 6:18. Last year, Duncan went 19-10 and qualified for the NCAA tournament through the Big Ten. During the season, he picked up key victories over Gabe Tagg (North Carolina) and No. 15 Dresden Simon (Central Michigan). Filius has yet to make his season debut for Purdue. He qualified for the NCAA tournament last season with a 19-10 record. At the Big Ten tournament, Filius picked up victories over Cole Mattin (Michigan) and Alec McKenna (Northwestern). These two are developing a bit of a rivalry. They met twice last season with Filius taking their first meeting via an 8-7 score. The rematch came at the Big Ten tournament. This time Duncan controlled the match and kept the scoring to a minimum. In the end, he took home a 3-1 decision. If this match happens, expect a similar result to their last meeting. Prediction: Duncan decision over Filius 149: No. 1 Austin O'Connor (North Carolina) vs. No. 19 Josh Finesilver (Duke) O'Connor enters this season as the favorite to win the 149-pound weight class. He went 25-1 last season with his only defeat coming against Iowa's Pat Lugo who would finish the season ranked No. 1 at the weight. In early December, O'Connor picked up a dominant freestyle victory over former NCAA champion Dean Heil. In his only action this season, he scored a 47-second fall over Jacson Muldrew (Gardner Webb). After qualifying for the NCAA tournament in back-to-back years, Finesilver took a redshirt year last season. During the year, he went 11-4 with key victories over No. 16 Tanner Smith (Chattanooga) and No. 12 Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech). In his season debut, Finesilver scored a 9-5 victory over Luke Kemerer (Pittsburgh). If this match materializes, it will be the first meeting between the two. However, O'Connor does have an extensive history against Finesilver's brother Mitch. O'Connor holds a 3-2 record over that Finesilver with their last meeting coming at the 2019 NCAA tournament. O'Connor will likely be the favorite in all the matches he wrestles this season, but the family and Duke-North Carolina rivalries make this a hard match to miss. Prediction: O'Connor major decision over Finesilver 157: No. 5 Brayton Lee (Minnesota) vs. No. 6 Kaleb Young (Iowa) Lee moved up to 157 pounds after qualifying for the NCAAs last year at 149 pounds. He went 25-6 as a redshirt freshman and picked up key victories over Griffin Parriott (Purdue), Jarod Verkleeren (Penn State) and Sammy Sasso (Ohio State). So far this year, Lee has picked up three victories over Caleb Licking (Nebraska), Lucas Cordio (Maryland) and Chase Saldate (Michigan State). Young qualified for the NCAA tournament last year with a 15-5 record, but he had a tough Big Ten tournament that saw him go two and out. However, Young got back on track in his debut to this season. He scored a 17-5 victory over Licking. It was Young's first time scoring over seven points in his last 11 collegiate matches. This might be a competitive yet low scoring match. Both wrestlers excel defensively, so the first takedown could end up being the difference. Young should be a slight favorite despite the rankings due to his experience. However, neither wrestler winning should surprise anyone. Prediction: Young decision over Lee 165: No. 14 Andrew Sparks (Minnesota) vs. No. 2 Alex Marinelli (Iowa) Sparks has earned the starting spot for Minnesota in his first year on campus. Last year, on the high school level, he was a California state champion, and he scored a 7-1 victory over Cael Valencia in the finals. This season, he has gotten off to a strong start with three wins over No. 19 Peyton Robb (Nebraska), Jon Spadafora (Maryland) and No. 18 Jacob Tucker (Michigan State). Marinelli went 20-1 last year with his only defeat coming against rival Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) in a wild match. With the return of No. 1 Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech) from redshirt, Marinelli enters this season in the second spot. His senior season got off to a solid start with a 9-3 decision over Robb last weekend. Sparks has looked the part since stepping on the mat as a true freshman. The level of competition takes a big step up here against Marinelli. The Iowa wrestler is a clear favorite in this match, but he does at times allow opponents to hang around. Look for Marinelli to dominate the ties, but Sparks might be able to keep it closer than expected. Prediction: Marinelli decision over Sparks 174: No. 15 Hayden Hastings (Wyoming) vs. No. 16 Trey Munoz (Arizona State) Hastings enters his junior season at Wyoming after qualifying as both a redshirt freshman and sophomore. Last year he went 23-10 and qualified through the Big 12 tournament with victories over Luke Weber (North Dakota State), Billy Higgins (Northern Colorado) and Scott Joll (West Virginia). This year, Hastings has started with four straight victories. Munoz went 13-2 during a redshirt season last year, but many of those victories came over wrestlers from lower divisions. Despite that, Munoz announced his presence with an 8-3 victory over No. 11 Anthony Mantanona (Oklahoma) in his first official match in an Arizona State singlet. If Munoz is able to pick up a second victory over a ranked wrestler in his second match, it will show that might be a true contender for All-America status at this weight. Hastings is certainly a tough out for most at this weight. Look for him to physically dominate this match, but Munoz might be able to excel in scrambles. Prediction: Hastings decision over Munoz 184: John Poznanski (Rutgers) vs. No. 11 Rocky Jordan (Ohio State) Poznanski comes to Rutgers after a successful high school career. He won a New Jersey state championship in 2020 and finished his career with 164 wins. Poznanski reached as high as third in the 182-pound high school rankings last year. In his first action this year he scored a 6-1 decision over Joseph Walker (Michigan) in Rutgers' dual meet. Jordan became a somewhat surprising starter for Ohio State at 184 pounds last year. After starting the year at 174, he eventually moved up and assumed the starting role in mid-January. From there, he picked up victories over Zach Braunagel (Illinois), Tyler Dow (Wisconsin), Taylor Venz (Minnesota) and Max Lyon (Purdue). He then qualified for the NCAA tournament. So far this year, Jordan has dropped a rematch against Braunagel and defeated Chris Weiler (Wisconsin). Poznanski should be a clear underdog in this match. The adjustment to college wrestling can be tougher at the higher weight classes. However, he showed in his lone match this year that he can score from all positions. Look for Jordan to take this decision, but Poznanski has a chance to make a big statement. Prediction: Jordan decision over Poznanski 197: No. 2 Eric Schultz (Nebraska) vs. No. 11 Lucas Davison (Northwestern) Schultz justified his ranking last weekend with yet another victory over No. 4 Jacob Warner (Iowa). Warner won their first two collegiate meetings, but Schultz won last year's match up as well as the most recent. The Nebraska wrestler went 23-4 last season and defeated the likes of Shakur Rasheed (Penn State), Greg Bulsak (Clarion) and Jordan Pagano (Rutgers). Davison has not wrestled yet this season, but he should be a contender in the Big Ten when he finally joins the ranks this year. Last year, he made a strong run through the conference to qualify for the NCAA tournament. He finished with a 17-8 record and scored key victories over Christian Brunner (Purdue), Jackson Striggow (Michigan) and Cordell Eaton (North Dakota State). Schutlz has made improvements since joining the Nebraska lineup, and he might be in serious contention for an NCAA title this season. Davison is certainly a challenge and has picked up some upsets in the past. However, Schultz's ability to control matches and score when he needs the points will be the difference here. Prediction: Schutlz decision over Davison 285: No. 15 John Borst (Virginia Tech) vs. No. 20 Quinn Miller (Virginia) Borst started his college career at 197 pounds, but he moved up to heavyweight after a redshirt year. In his second year at the weight, he broke through and qualified for the NCAA tournament. This year, he is back and looking for his first ACC title, and he is currently the highest ranked heavyweight in the conference. He started this season with three straight wins including back-to-back technical falls over Jacob Cover (Kent State) and Jacob Padilla (Ohio). Miller also qualified last season for the NCAA tournament through the ACC. He went 19-7 and picked up bonus points in half of his matches. So far this year, he has built a 4-1 record. However, in his last match, he dropped a 2-0 decision against conference opponent Deonte Wilson (North Carolina State). These two met last season in this rivalry dual. At the time, Borst was the favorite, but Miller ended up taking the 6-4 decision. Since then, Borst has continued to learn on the job. If he is able to stay out of trouble on his leg attacks and finish clean, he should be able to reverse that defeat and maintain his status as the favorite for the ACC title. Prediction: Borst decision over Miller

The Tokyo Olympic Games, which were postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, are unlikely to happen, according to Keith Mills, former chief executive of the London 2012 Olympics. "Personally, sitting here looking at the pandemic around the world, it looks unlikely I have to say," Mills told Radio 5 Live's Wake Up To Money. Tokyo is in its second state of emergency after a surge of coronavirus cases and about 4,500 deaths. "If I was sitting in the shoes of the organizing committee in Tokyo, I would be making plans for a cancellation and I'm sure they have plans for a cancellation. They've got another month or so before they need to make a call." Earlier this week, Japanese cabinet minister Taro Kono said "it could go either way" when asked if the Tokyo Olympics would be held. A recent poll showed that about 80% of the Japanese public believes the Olympic Games either will not happen or should not happen. Only five Olympics have ever been canceled. The Summer Games in 1916, 1940 and 1944 were canceled, as well as the Winter Games in 1940 and 1944. The IOC has stated the Olympics will not be postponed again and would be canceled if the Games are unable to happen in 2021. Despite the growing concerns in Japan about whether the Olympics will go ahead in 2021, the Japanese government remains committed to holding the Games in 2021. "We have decided the venues and schedule, and the people involved are working on preparations including infection control," Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said. Japan's top government spokesman has stated that widespread distribution of coronavirus vaccines is not a prerequisite for moving forward with the Tokyo Games. Erica Wiebe, a 2016 Olympic champion in women's wrestling for Canada, believes frontline workers and vulnerable people should receive vaccines before Olympic athletes. "I think the Olympic movement stands in its purity for a lot more than just putting athletes on stage to entertain the world," Wiebe told the CBC. "The most important people that need to get the vaccine are front-line workers, those most at risk and people in long-term care homes -- they are the ones that need to be prioritized." Over 15,000 athletes from more than 200 different countries are scheduled to compete at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, which begin July 23. The wrestling competition is set for Aug. 1-7.

Ticket sales begin Friday, January 22 at 10 a.m. CT for the 2021 Big 12 Wrestling Championship. The event is scheduled for March 6 & 7 at the BOK Center. The Big 12 Conference and the Tulsa Sports Commission previously announced a partnership to host the Big 12 Wrestling Championship at BOK Center through 2024. The championship marks the sixth neutral-site conference championship for the sport and the fifth in Tulsa. Last year, the Oklahoma State Cowboys won their eighth consecutive team title and their 18th Big 12 title overall. The wrestlers participating in the Big 12 Championship will be competing for berths into the NCAA Wrestling Championship. All-session tickets go on sale Friday, January 22, at 10 a.m. and will be available online at www.bokcenter.com. General admission reserved tickets start as low as $49, while reserved seating is $69 and premium seats are available for $89 and $109. All fans will be in POD seating, which increases distancing and minimizes fan crossover when entering and exiting their seats. Fans must purchase all tickets in a selected POD group, available in select section groupings of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 seats. A limited number of suites are available for purchase for this event. Price varies by location and includes all-session tickets. For inquiries, contact Leah Taber at ltaber@asmtulsa.com. 2021 Big 12 Wrestling Championship Ticket Prices General Admission Reserved $49.00 Reserved $69.00 Premium Reserved $89.00 Club $109.00 2021 Big 12 Wrestling Championship Schedule (times are subject to change) Saturday, March 6 Session 1: Preliminary & Quarterfinal Matches - 11 a.m. CT Session 2: Semifinal & Consolation Quarterfinal Matches - 5 p.m. CT Sunday, March 7 Session 3: Consolation Semifinals, Third & Fifth Place Matches - 11 a.m. CT Session 4: Championship Matches - 6 p.m. CT

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Lehigh's wrestling match versus Drexel, scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 24 at Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall has been canceled. The cancellation comes as a result of Drexel's return to campus and resocialization guidelines, which will not afford Drexel sufficient training time in order to compete on Sunday. The Mountain Hawks will return to action when they host Binghamton on Saturday, Jan. 30 at 4 p.m. inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. The dual will be televised locally on Service Electric Network and streamed at Lehighsports.com/watch.