InterMat Staff

David Carr and Sammy Sasso could meet in the Beast of the East finals at 152 pounds (Photo/Juan Garcia) The nation's second-best regular season tournament celebrates its 25th anniversary edition this weekend at the Bob Carpenter Center on the campus of the University of Delaware in Newark. The Beast of the East field is going to be one of its best ever with ten nationally ranked teams and almost 50 nationally ranked wrestlers. No. 1 Blair Academy (N.J.) is prohibitively favored to win the title for the 22nd time at this tournament, as the Buccaneers feature nine nationally ranked wrestlers. It should be an interesting battle for the second position in the standings with four teams ranked between sixth and fourteenth nationally: No. 6 Bergen Catholic (N.J.), No. 7 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.), No. 10 Malvern Prep (Pa.), and No. 14 Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.). Other nationally ranked teams in the field include No. 24 Brecksville (Ohio), No. 27 Delbarton (N.J.), No. 29 Nazareth (Pa.), No. 33 Massillon Perry (Ohio), and No. 41 St. Paul's (Md.). Saturday's competition this year has been pushed up to a 7:45 a.m. Eastern Time start, with the marathon day yielding quarterfinalists on the front side and eight other wrestlers remaining on the back side. Wrestling on Sunday starts at 8:30 a.m. with the quarterfinals and two rounds of consolation before the semifinals, which are slated for about 11:15 a.m. Matches for first through eighth place are scheduled to go off at 3 p.m. ET. Six wrestlers ranked No. 1 in the nation at their respective weight classes are present in the field: Kurt McHenry (St. Paul's, Md.) at 113 pounds, Robert Howard (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) at 120, Patrick Glory (Delbarton, N.J.) at 126, Joey Silva (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) at 132, Jacori Teemer (Long Beach, N.Y.) at 145, and David Carr (Massillon Perry, Ohio) at 152. Three of those weight classes also have the No. 2 ranked wrestler present: 113 pounds with Trevor Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy, N.J.), 120 with Michael Colaiocco (Blair Academy, N.J.), and 126 with Jakob Camacho (Danbury, Ct.). Joining the top two ranked wrestlers in the country at 113 pounds are four other nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 5 Anthony Clark (Delbarton, N.J.), No. 12 Sammy Alvarez (St. Joseph Montvale, N.J.), No. 15 Ryan Chauvin (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), and No. 16 Dylan Shawver (Elyria, Ohio). At least five additional state champions are present, including Aaron Howell (Robinson, Va.). Also in the field are Junior National freestyle runner-up Chris Trelli (Bristol, Ct.), two-time state medalist Eddie Ventresca (Pope John XXIII, N.J.), state medalist Enrique Sanchez (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), New England runner-up Ryan Jack (Danbury, Ct.), National Prep runner-up Chris Barnabee (Mt. St. Joseph's, Md.), and two-time state qualifier Kyle Kaiser (Paramus, N.J.). The top two ranked wrestlers in the nation at 120 pounds are joined by a pair of nationally ranked Ohio state champions, No. 7 Julian Tagg (Brecksville, Ohio) and No. 16 Brendon Fenton (Elyria, Ohio); both Tagg and Howard were members of the Cadet World team in freestyle this summer. Additional notable wrestlers in this weight class include two-time National Prep placers Paul Truntich (Archbishop Spalding, Md.) and Hayden Brown (Phillips Exeter, N.H.), Ironman placer Matt Lackmann (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), Super 32 placer Nic Bouzakis (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), and two-time state placer Michael Kelly (St. Peter's Prep, N.J.). Glory and Camacho, ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the country, have both won titles at the Super 32 Challenge; Glory in 2016 and Camacho in 2017. The other pair of ranked wrestlers in this weight class are No. 17 Travis Mastrogiovanni (Blair Academy, N.J.) and No. 20 Chris Wright (Central Dauphin, Pa.). Additional contenders in this weight class include state champion Chris Rivera (Fort Myers, Fla.); three-time National Prep placer King Sandoval (St. Mary's Ryken, Md.); state medalists Kenny Hermann (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), Mick Burnett (Elyria, Ohio), Sean Pierson (Nazareth, Pa.), and Josh Jones (Saucon Valley, Pa.); two-time National Prep medalist Mark Salvatore (Malvern Prep, Pa.); and impact freshman Jager Condomitti (Northampton, Pa.). The weight class also features three wrestlers that won state titles prior to the 2016-17 season. While Silva is the No. 1 ranked wrestler at 132 pounds, and the favorite in the weight class, at least five other nationally ranked wrestlers are there to challenge. They include No. 6 Julian Chlebove (Northampton, Pa.), No. 7 Ryan Anderson (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), No. 9 Nick Raimo (Hanover Park, N.J.), No. 15 Connor McGonagle (Timberlane, N.H.), No. 18 Andrew Wert (Central Dauphin, Pa.), and No. 20 Gabe Tagg (Brecksville, Ohio). It should be noted that Chlebove did not weigh in nor wrestle in his team's dual meet on Thursday night. Three-time Super 32 champion Silva won the title in this weight class in October, while Anderson won his title one weight class higher. Other contenders in this extraordinarily deep weight class include two-time National Prep placer Mike Madara (Blair Academy, N.J.); three-time state medalist Carmen Ferrante (Bergen Catholic, N.J.); two-time state placer Lucas Revano (Camden Catholic, N.J.); state champions Justin Rivera (Fort Myers, Fla.), Jackson Dean (Caesar Rodney, Del.), and Colin Gerardi (Powhatan, Va.); state medalist Josh Breeding (Elyria, Ohio); state qualifier Caleb Morris (Waynesburg, Pa.); and NHSCA Junior Nationals placer Micah Visuwan (Malvern Prep, Pa.). On the other hand, national No. 1 Teemer is the lone ranked wrestler present at 145 pounds. Other challengers include Cadet freestyle All-Americans Victor Voinovich (Brecksville, Ohio) and Michael Kistler (Northampton, Pa.); two-time National Prep placer P.J. Crane (Malvern Prep, Pa.); state medalists Kai Bele (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), Trent Johnson (John Hardin, Ky.), Logan Kissell (Garrettsville Garfield, Ohio), and Robert Garcia (Pope John XXIII, N.J.); National Prep placer Nick Incontera (Blair Academy, N.J.); New England placer Alan Kovacs (Danbury, Ct.); along with at least three other state champions. Last of the national No. 1 wrestlers in this field is Carr at 152 pounds, who is looking at a potential finals showdown with No. 3 Sammy Sasso (Nazareth, Pa.). This would be like a one-versus-two showdown in terms of quality, though it's not ranked that way; it's also highly likely to happen with no other ranked wrestler present in the field. The most direct challengers would be a pair of New Jersey runners-up in Gerard Angelo (Bergen Catholic) and Ricky Cabanillas (DePaul Catholic). Also present are Cadet freestyle All-American Luca Frinzi (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), National Prep placer William Kaiser (Blair Academy, N.J.), along with state champions Zach Feight (Battlefield, Va.) and Matt Mitchler (Mountain View, Va.). Below are overviews of the other eight weight classes. 106: A pair of nationally ranked wrestlers lead this weight class, No. 4 Ryan Miller (Blair Academy, N.J.) and No. 10 Nick Kayal (Bergen Catholic, N.J.); Miller was runner-up at Ironman this past week. Others to watch include Cadet freestyle All-American Cooper Flynn (McDonogh, Md.) and Junior freestyle runner-up Will Guida (St. Paul's, Md.). 138: Five nationally ranked wrestlers are featured in this weight class, led by Quinn Kinner (Kingsway Regional, N.J.), who enters the tournament No. 4 in the country at 132 pounds. Also ranked are fellow Super 32 placers No. 8 Marshall Keller (Christiansburg, Va.), No. 10 Ryan Vulakh (Pope John II, Pa.), and No. 11 Jojo Aragona (Pope John XXIII, N.J.); along with No. 14 Malcolm Robinson (Blair Academy, N.J.). Other contenders include multi-time state champions River Curtis (Battlefield, Va.) and Noah Castillo (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.); state medalists Jared Papcsy (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), Marco Regalbuto (Brecksville, Ohio), and Luke Wymer (Akron SVSM, Ohio); National Prep placers Dalton Harkins (Malvern Prep, Pa.) and Irman Heard (St. Paul's, Md.); along with multi-time state qualifier Devon Britton (Northampton, Pa.). 160: A very robust weight class with five nationally ranked wrestlers, led by No. 2 Shane Griffith (Bergen Catholic, N.J.). Also present are No. 7 Andrew Merola (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 10 Phil Conigliaro (Belmont Hill, Mass.), No. 11 Erich Byleick (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.), and No. 18 Kevon Freeman (Lake Catholic, Ohio). Additional contenders include returning Beast placer John Manning (Villanova Catholic, Ontario), three-time National Prep placer Nathan Thacker (Gonzaga, D.C.), National Prep placer Zach Phillips (Mt. St. Joseph, Md.), state medalist Luke Nichter (Chambersburg, Pa.), and state runner-up Ronald Miller (Battlefield, Va.). 170: The three nationally ranked wrestlers in this weight class are positioned fourth through sixth nationally, No. 4 Emil Soehnlen (Massillon Perry, Ohio), No. 5 Julian Ramirez (Blair Academy, N.J.), and No. 6 Chris Foca (Bergen Catholic, N.J.). At the Ironman, Soehnlen was runner-up with an overtime win over Ramirez in the semifinal; while he finished third at the Super 32; Ramirez was champion at the Beast last year with wins over Carr and Griffith; while Foca finished runner-up at the Super 32. Other contenders in this weight class include state champion Jared Lough (Colonial Forge, Va.), 2016 state champion Nick Giantonio (Christiansburg, Va.), New England runner-up Ryan Devivo (Xavier, Ct.), National Prep placers Nick Florschutz (Malvern Prep, Pa.) and Garrett Kappes (McDonogh, Md.), state placers Max Cosmides (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) and Tim Fitzpatrick (Holy Spirit, N.J.), along with two-time state qualifier Kyle Homet (Waynesburg, Pa.). 182: A trio of ranked wrestlers are present in this weight class: No. 7 Ryan Karoly (Malvern Prep, Pa.), No. 9 Leo Tarantino (Blair Academy, N.J.), and No. 14 Josh Stillings (Pennridge, Pa.). Other contenders include NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion Jacob Cardenas (Bergen Catholic, N.J.); state medalists Cole Krepshane (Delbarton, N.J.), Cade Wilson (Nazareth, Pa.), and David Heath (Akron SVSM, Ohio); National Prep placers Jack Wimmer (McDonogh, Md.) and Justin Henry (Mt. St. Joseph's, Md.); along with state champions Jonathan Parker (Fort Dorchester, S.C.) and Sam Fisher (Fauquier, Va.). 195: Just a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers in this weight class in No. 2 Michael Beard (Malvern Prep, Pa.) and No. 12 Jack Parr (St. Paul's, Md.); Beard is seeking to earn back-to-back sweeps of the titles at the Walsh Ironman and the Beast of the East. Other contenders include two-time state champion Tony Wuest (Smyrna, Del.); two-time National Prep placer David Schultz (Mt. St. Joseph's, Md.); state medalists Zach Blackiston (Massillon Perry, Ohio), Chris Langguth (Rootstown, Ohio), and Sean Lenzch (St. Augustine Prep, N.J.); Ironman placer Peyton Craft (Blair Academy, N.J.); along with at least three additional state champions. 220: At minimum a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers feature in this weight class, while No. 11 Josh McKenzie (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) could possibly compete but is likely going to be out due to football transition issues. Those ranked wrestlers likely to compete are No. 12 Ben Goldin (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) and No. 19 Owen Trephan (Blair Academy, N.J.). Other prime contenders include state runner-up Ian Edenfield (Laurel Highlands, Pa.), 2015 National Prep placer John Urban (St. Paul's, Md.), a pair of state medalists in Ryan Boyle (Rootstown, Ohio) and Zach D'Anna (Brecksville, Ohio), along with at least three other wrestlers that won state titles last season. 285: The lone ranked wrestler in this weight class is No. 12 Gerald Brown (West Mifflin, Pa.), a returning fourth place finisher at state. Also present are Penn State football recruit P.J. Mustipher (McDonogh, Md.), runner-up at the Ironman this past weekend; Ironman placers Curtis Ruff (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) and Max Millin (Massillon Perry, Ohio); plus at least five other state champions.

The World Club Cups wrapped up last Friday with Titan Mercury finishing second to local favorite Bihari Mezarai. While the Titan Mercury squad wasn't made up entirely of Team USA's first-string freestyle squad, the guys who made the trip impressed. Outside of Kyle Snyder, the biggest eye-opening performance belonged to Kyle Dake who took home a 5-0 record and a total combined score of 53-0 at 79 kilograms. That's a positive sign for Team USA, the defending team champions. To repeat as team champions in Budapest next October they are going to need top-level performances from the new weights of 79 kilograms and 90 kilograms. With the new team scoring system there is renewed incentive to get wrestlers into the placing rounds to ensure they stay on pace with the likes of Russia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Dake's path to freestyle success has been checkered with injuries and dotted with disappointing losses to Jordan Burroughs. His chance to grab 79 kilograms and make it his own is well-deserved. He's offensive, punishing and level-headed -- the exact type of wrestler that can (and will) win a world title in 2018. To your questions ... Gabe Dean coaching at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Q: I know Gabe Dean is coaching at Cornell. Is he done competing? I thought I heard he might be, but haven't been able to confirm it. I know he has dabbled in Greco, but he also has a junior world medal in freestyle. -- Mike C. Foley: I know that he's into crypto currency! From all indications he is taking time to focus on coaching, but I do hope he still competes. I think that he could slot in nicely at 90 kilograms for Team USA in Budapest. Q: Why were you so upset about Shoe Gate? -- Ryan O. Foley: Any behavior by coaches or athletes, which attempts to move the attention away from wrestling and towards telenovela-inspired subplots lacks discipline by both actor and promoter. There have been incidents of Russian wrestling parents doing far worse than what we saw last weekend. Here or there coaches and athletes lashing out in a non-wrestling manor, or posturing for what looks to be a physical altercation is intolerable behavior. At its root wrestling's purpose is to provide a positive, healthy, and non-violent outlet for young men and women of different races, tribes, teams, ethnicities, SES, etc. to engage in non-striking combat competition. Moving away from that inspiration is never OK, and those who engage in that behavior should be reprimanded, not celebrated. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Two undefeated Iowa wrestlers put it on the line ... Link: Video Q: "If" Gable Steveson entered the Midlands at heavyweight later this month, how do you think he would do against the field below? Note: I don't think he will enter. No. 4 Tanner Hall (Arizona State) No. 6 Sam Stoll (Iowa) No. 9 Billy Miller (Edinboro) No. 10 Youssif Hemida (Maryland) No. 14 Shawn Streck (Purdue) No. 18 Gage Hutchison (Eastern Michigan) No. No. 19 Conan Jennings (Northwestern) -- Mike C. Foley: I could go match-by-match, but I don't see Gable losing to any of the aforementioned wrestlers, save Tanner Hall who might be able to outwit the young gun. Gable has to be granted the benefit of the doubt. He's a multiple-time world champion, undefeated against college competition and only seems to be growing more powerful every week. And yes, I agree, I don't think he's entering. Q: A potential Nick Suriano-Spencer Lee match could happen at the Midlands. If that happens, how do you see it playing out? -- Mike C. Foley: Nick Suriano and Spencer Lee matching up at Midlands would absolutely bring some fire back to the winter classic. I remember heading out to the Midlands for the first time as a junior and thinking that I'd never been that cold in my life. Fast forward five years I was living there, but I can honestly say that the Midlands was always a fun, fan-friendly event I loved attending no matter the temperature. As for Suriano and Lee on the mats I have to think that Suriano's mat work will give Lee fits. I know that the Iowa redshirt has said his knee is one-hundred percent, but it'll be tested against Suriano who will aim to hold Lee down for as long as possible. Working in Lee's favor is the fact he's more wood chipper than teenager. One of my favorite anecdotes about toughness and not showing weakness was Lee's comeback during the finals of the 2016 Junior World finals in Macon. He was absolutely without power and yet kept charging forward. His knees wobbled. His elbows flung inward during head ties. Yet, his face was stoic. Loved to watch every minute of the match. I'm still not sure you can get up on wrestling from bottom as a freshman, so I'll take Suriano in a close slug match. However, I think that Lee will one day be considered an all-time great lightweight wrestlers. He's just special.

Three-time state champion Quincy Monday (Carrboro, N.C.) verbally committed to Princeton University on Thursday evening. The No. 84 overall senior placed third at the Walsh Ironman this past weekend, was a runner-up at the Super 32 Challenge in late October, while also placing fourth at the Flo Nationals this spring. Monday is currently ranked No. 9 nationally at 145 pounds, and projects to compete collegiately as a 149/157. He joins No. 15 Patrick Glory (Delbarton, N.J.) and No. 78 Marshall Keller (Christiansburg, Va.) as top 100 commits in this Princeton class. Quincy is also the son of 1988 Olympic gold medalist Kenny Monday.

Kevin Jack celebrates after winning his third-place match at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) On Friday, No. 8 NC State travels to Lincoln to take on No. 11 Nebraska. The predicted matchups feature 10 ranked wrestlers, and the inter-conference meet might play a significant role when it comes to seeding at the NCAA tournament. The following is a weight-by-weight preview of the dual meet. The lineups are a prediction of each team's best squad. 125: Tommy Cox (NC State) vs. Kris Williams (Nebraska) No. 8 Sean Fausz currently represents NC State in the InterMat rankings. However, he has spent most of the season out of the lineup possibly due to weight issues. Instead, Cox has wrestled in all duals at 125. The sophomore from New York has gone 13-4 this season. In his last match, he scored a first-period fall over De'Andre Swinson (Appalachian State). Williams competed exclusively in open tournaments last year as he sat behind Tim Lambert. This season, he looks to be the starter after defeating teammate Mitchell Maginnis at the Daktronics Open. Williams has gone 7-3 this season with his losses coming against No. 7 Sean Russell (Edinboro), No. 16 Louie Hayes (Virginia) and No. 43 high school recruit (Patrick McKee). Even though Williams lost to Russell at the Cliff Keen International, the bout went to overtime and eventually ended in sudden victory. Throughout his career, Williams has shown the ability to compete against tough wrestler by keeping the score low. He should be able to do that here and pick up the win. Prediction: Williams (Nebraska) dec. Cox (NC State) 133: Tariq Wilson (NC State) vs. Brian Peska (Nebraska) Wilson has dropped a pair of matches against teammate Jamel Morris, but he has still been the starter in the team's last two dual matches. Outside of the two bouts against Morris, Wilson has won all 12 of his matches. The Ohio native went 21-7 last year during his redshirt season and won the Appalachian State Open. Peska has had a tough start to this season. His record currently stands at 6-5, and he lost both of his dual meet matches by a combined score of 21 to 7. Peska recently went 1-2 at the Cliff Keen International with his only victory coming over Ryan Friedman (Harvard). Wilson is still early in his career, but he came in as a blue chip prospect and has shown that the status was deserved. He should be able to put it on Peska and pick up bonus. Prediction: Wilson (NC State) major dec. Peska (Nebraska) 141: No. 2 Kevin Jack (NC State) vs. No. 8 Chad Red (Nebraska) Jack is a three-time NCAA qualifier and two-time All-American. So far this season, he has gone 7-0 with five victories coming with bonus points. In his lone decision win, he defeated No. 13 Alex Madrigal (Old Dominion). After redshirting last year, Red gets the chance to start for Nebraska this year. He has already built a 9-3 record. Red holds signature victories over No. 16 Nick Zanetta (Pittsburgh), No. 20 Eli Stickley (Wisconsin) and No. 10 Tommy Thorn (Minnesota). This could turn out to be the match of the dual. While Red has looked outstanding so far this season, he has dropped a pair of matches against Jack's chief rival No. 4 Bryce Meredith (Wyoming). Those results are a pretty good barometer of Red's status, which makes Jack the favorite to win a close match. Prediction: Jack (NC State) dec. Red (Nebraska) 149: No. 17 Beau Donahue (NC State) vs. No. 8 Colton McCrystal (Nebraska) There might be a little extra on the line on Friday for Donahue. Despite finishing his degree, Donahue will skip NC State's fall graduation to travel to Nebraska. He has gone 8-1 this season with his only loss coming against teammate Jamal Morris at the Wolfpack Open. In those eight wins, he has picked up four falls. McCrystal burst onto the scene last year and ended up qualifying for the NCAA tournament. He failed to reach All-American status, but he picked up several top wins and had a solid season. This year he has gone 9-1 and split his bouts against ranked competition. He dropped a major decision against No. 3 Justin Oliver (Central Michigan) and defeated No. 15 Zander Wick (Wisconsin). Donahue has looked sharp to start the season. However, McCrystal appears to be in another tier of competitors. When faced with competitors on the fringes of the rankings, he is almost always able to to pick up the win. Prediction: McCrystal (Nebraska) dec. Donahue (NC State) 157: No. 16 Hayden Hidlay (NC State) vs. No. 7 Tyler Berger (Nebraska) Hidlay joined NC State as the No. 13 recruit last season. During his redshirt season, he went 22-3 with his only losses coming against No. 3 Michael Kemerer (Iowa), No. 6 Josh Shields (Arizona State) and Dylan Cottrell. So far this season, Hidlay has gone 7-0 and bonused everyone. With some close matches against Kemerer last season, Berger put himself into the discussion to be one of the top 157 pounders behind No. 1 Jason Nolf (Penn State). He ended up finishing fifth at the NCAA tournament with a victory over Dylan Palacio in the fifth-place match. This season, Berger has gone 10-2. Both of his losses have come against respectable opponents: Shields and No. 4 Alec Pantaleo (Michigan). Despite suffering only two losses this season, Berger has already gone to sudden victory four times. He is playing with fire and that will eventually catch up to him. Hidlay seems to be hitting his strike and should be able to put up enough points to score the upset here. Prediction: Hidlay (NC State) dec. Berger (Nebraska) 165: Brian Hamann (NC State) vs. No. 10 Isaiah White (Nebraska) Last year Hamann went 21-13 and qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time. So far this season, he has gone 8-1 with five bonus-point victories. His only loss came against Demetrius Romero (Utah Valley) in sudden victory. After spending last season at Notre Dame College and winning an NCAA Division II national title, White transferred to Nebraska for this season. He has gone 10-2 to start the season with his only two losses coming against No. 9 Nick Wanzek (Minnesota) and No. 11 Te'Shan Campbell (Ohio State). However, he also defeated Campbell, No. 17 Andrew Fogarty (North Dakota State) and Lorenzo De La Riva (CSU Bakersfield). While White has only picked up four bonuses this season, he has averaged over nine points per match. Hamann will be facing an uphill battle here. If White can avoid the ties on the feet, he should be able to score takedowns from the outside and secure the victory. Prediction: White (Nebraska) dec. Hamann (NC State) 174: Daniel Bullard (NC State) vs. Beau Breske (Nebraska) Bullard came in last year as the No. 18 recruit and was part of one of the best classes in recent memory for the Wolfpack. During his redshirt season, he went 15-8 overall with the majority of the year spent at 165. He moved up to 174 for the National Collegiate Open and went 4-1 to finish third. This season he has gone 6-2, but he has dropped both of his bouts against ranked competition: No. 20 Forrest Przybysz (Appalachian State) and No. 11 Yoanse Mejias (Oklahoma). Breske came to Nebraska last year as a top-20 recruit. In his redshirt season, he went 1-2 at the Daktronics Open and did not compete again. So far this season, he has gone 6-2. At the Cliff Keen International, he defeated Austin Bell (Pittsburgh) and Ryan Christensen (Wisconsin) but failed to place in the tournament. Two years ago this might have been a dream match. Both wrestlers come to college with a lot of fanfare. However, the recent results strongly favor Bullard. Breske has not looked sharp in limited collegiate action and might not even get the nod for the Cornhuskers. Prediction: Bullard (NC State) dec. Breske (Nebraska) 184: No. 3 Pete Renda (NC State) vs. No. 6 Taylor Venz (Nebraska) Renda is back for his senior season after redshirting last year. In 2016 he finished third at the NCAA tournament and became an All-American for the first time. During his redshirt season, he defeated multiple ranked wrestlers including No. 11 Max Dean (Cornell), No. 8 Ricky Robertson (Wisconsin) and No. 2 Myles Martin (Ohio State). Renda has started this season with an 8-0 record and a win over No. 15 Bryce Carr (Chattanooga). Venz had an incredible run at the Cliff Keen International. He finished third with his lone loss coming against No. 2 Myles Martin (Ohio State). Along the way, Venz knocked off three ranked wrestlers, Robertson, No. 7 Zack Zavatsky and No. 10 Drew Foster (Northern Iowa), and he won the tournament most falls award with four. This is a big match for both competitors. Venz has a chance to show that he is a true contender to the top of the podium, while Renda can remind people that he is right there following a redshirt season. While Venz has been spectacular on the ground, Renda should have the advantage on the feet. Prediction: Renda (NC State) dec. Venz (Nebraska) 197: No. 7 Michael Macchiavello (NC State) vs. Eric Schultz (Nebraska) After spending last season at 184, Macchiavello has moved up to 197 for this year. So far he has won all six of his matches with only one victory coming with bonus points. It will be interesting to see how he progresses this season at the new weight. He wrestled only one match at 197 last year and fell in sudden victory against Daniel Chaid (North Carolina). Schultz has faced a tough schedule so far this season. His record currently stands at 7-3, but his losses have come against No. 6 Nate Rotert (South Dakota State), No. 10 Kevin Beazley (Michigan) and No. 1 Kollin Moore (Ohio State). This bout is a prime upset candidate. Schultz dropped a one-point match against Moore and lost to Rotert in a rideout. However, at the end of the day, this is still a bout between a top-ten ranked wrestler and an unranked one. Prediction: Macchiavello (NC State) dec. Schultz (Nebraska) 285: Malik McDonald (NC State) vs. David Jensen (Nebraska) McDonald took some lumps last year after replacing multiple-time champion Nick Gwiazdowski. However, he still went 20-11 and qualified for the NCAA tournament. This season McDonald has gone 9-1 with five bonus-point victories. In his last match, he defeated Cary Miller (Appalachian State) by decision. The good news for Jensen is that he has gone 2-0 in dual meets this season. On the other hand, he has gone 6-4 overall. In his only match against a ranked competitor this season, he fell via fall 18 seconds into the match against No. 18 Gage Hutchinson (Eastern Michigan). McDonald is the clear favorite in this bout. He should be able to handle Jensen. The only question is how many bonus points he will be able to put up. Prediction: McDonald (NC State) fall over Jensen (Nebraska) Dual Prediction: NC State 25, Nebraska 9

Matt Dernlan (Photo/Jonathan Cohen, Binghamton University) Matt Dernlan has resigned as head wrestling coach at Binghamton University, with assistant coach Kyle Borshoff named as acting head coach, the New York-based NCAA Division I program announced Wednesday. Binghamton's athletics department told the Press-Connects newspaper that it would not comment further, describing Dernlan's resignation as "a personnel matter." "We want to thank Matt for his work on behalf of Binghamton wrestling," said Patrick Elliott, BU's Director of Athletics, in a brief statement issued by the school. "We wish him well in his future pursuits." Dernlan was in his sixth season as head coach of the Bearcats, having taken the position when Pat Popolizio had been named to head up the wrestling program at North Carolina State. This season, Dernlan had led Binghamton to three straight dual-meet victories following a 40-2 season-opening loss at home to top-ranked Penn State. The 2016-17 season was Binghamton's most successful with Dernlan at the helm, with the Bearcats placing eight wrestlers at the 2017 EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) Championships, a school record. The team also finished eighth as a team at the conference championships with 66 points, another program high. Dernlan, a native of Ohio, had come to Binghamton in 2011 after serving as head coach at Pennsylvania's Clarion University for one season. Borshoff, who had been promoted to head assistant coach prior to the beginning of the 2017-18 season, has been on the Binghamton coaching staff for three seasons. He came to the Bearcats after having served on the coaching staff at American University for five seasons. Prior to launching his coaching career at American, Borshoff had wrestled at the Washington, D.C. school, where he was a three-time NCAA championships qualifier and earned NCAA All-American honors twice. Binghamton said it would launch a nationwide search for a new head coach starting in the spring semester.

Cohlton Schultz (Photo/Richard Immel) It's been a long time since the field for the Reno (Nev.) Tournament of Champions in the high school division has been this robust. Come Friday and Saturday, six nationally ranked teams - led by No. 2 Buchanan (Calif.) -- will be featured in the event. Furthermore, every weight class but one has at least one individual that is nationally ranked; in fact, eight of them have two or more ranked, and four have three-plus present. Other nationally ranked teams in the field include No. 15 Poway (Calif.), champions in 2013-2015 before skipping last year's tournament; No. 16 Choctaw, Okla.; No. 18 Allen (Texas); No. 20 Gilroy (Calif.); and No. 44 Pomona (Colo.), last year's tournament champion. Leading the way with four nationally ranked wrestlers is the 195 pound weight class, including a pair of California state runners-up in No. 6 Tony Andrade (Gilroy) and No. 10 Colbey Harlan (Oakdale); also present are two-time state placer No. 8 Ryan Reyes (Clovis West, Calif.) and Walsh Ironman runner-up No. 18 Jayden Woodruff (Ponderosa, Colo.). This field also features five returning state champions, a group led by Jonathan Fagen (Fruitland, Idaho) and Joey Miller (McQueen, Nevada); while an additional notable wrestler is 2016 state champion Dante Garcia (Pueblo County, Colo.) Below is an overview of the other weight classes. 106: Leading the way here is freshman Yusief Lillie (Bonney Lake, Wash.), who is ranked No. 9 nationally in this weight class after a Cadet National double All-American finish this summer. Additional notable freshmen include Braxton Brown (Allen, Texas), Chance Lamer (Crescent Valley, Ore.), and Maximo Renteria (Buchana, Calif.). Also here are state medalists Braeden Williams (Blanchard, Okla.) and Wyatt Yapoujian (Pomona, Colo.) 113: The lone nationally ranked wrestler in this weight class is No. 18 Carson Sauriol (Poway, Calif.), a returning state medalist at this weight. Five state champions also feature in this weight class, including Brendon Garcia (Pueblo County, Colo.) and Steele Dias (Green Valley, Nev.). Another wrestler to watch is Aizayah Yacapin (Curtis, Wash.), a Cadet National double All-American. 120: Three nationally ranked wrestlers feature in this weight class, all of whom have won Junior National titles in Fargo previously -- No. 6 Nico Aguilar (Gilroy, Calif.), No. 15 Brandon Kaylor (Bonney Lake, Wash.), and No. 19 Ty Smith (Virgin Valley, Nev.). Five additional wrestlers in this weight class are returning sate champions, most notable from the group is Ironman placer Justin Pacheco (Pomona, Colo.). Also present in this weight class are three-time state finalist Josiah Nava (Pueblo County, Colo.) and returning state medalist Jacob Allen (Poway, Calif.) 126: No. 13 Ethan Leake (Buchanan, Calif.) is the lone nationally ranked wrestler in this weight class. Five wrestlers return as state champions, most notably Legend Lamer (Crescent Valley, Ore.); while Antonio Saldate (Las Vegas, Nev.), Hunter Sparks (Roseburg, Ore.), and Dayton Marvel (Arvada West, Colo.) were state champions in previous seasons. Colt Newton (Choctaw, Okla.) and Ironman placer Logan Brown (Allen, Texas) are two-time state runners-up. 132: Junior freestyle All-American and three-time state placer Chase Zollmann (Poway, Calif.) is the lone nationally ranked wrestler in this field, sitting at No. 19 in the rankings. The other primary contender is fellow Junior freestyle All-American Tyler Deen (Buchanan, Calif.). At least three other wrestlers in this weight class were state champions last season, while a fourth was state champion in 2016. 138: A pair of California wrestlers that placed third at state last year are nationally ranked, and present in this field, No. 7 Alex Felix (Gilroy) and No. 16 Matthew Olguin (Buchanan). Four returning state champions reside in this weight class, most notable among them is Ironman placer Coltan Yapoujian (Pomona, Colo.). Others to watch include two-time state placers Conner Holman (Choctaw, Okla.) and Ricky Torres (Oakdale, Calif.), along with returning state placer Dalton Lakmann (Foothill, Calif.) 145: A trio of ranked wrestlers lead the field in this weight class, No. 3 Brock Hardy (Box Elder, Utah), No. 4 (at 138) Theorius Robison (Pomona, Colo.), and No. 13 Brett Villarreal (Buchanan, Calif.). Four other wrestlers return as state champions in the field at this weight class, most notably Gabe Fiser (Grundy, Va.). Also present in this weight class are state placers Lawrence Saenz (Vacaville, Calif.) and Joe Romero (Lemoore, Calif.), 2016 state champion Jaxen Gilmore (Yukon, Okla.), and 2016 state placer Izaak Olejnik (Bakersfield, Calif.) 152: This marks the lone weight class of the tournament without a nationally ranked wrestler, and is led by four returning state champions - Ian Carlos (North Salem, Ore.), McKay Foy (Altamont, Utah), Sean McCormick (Churchill County, Nev.), and Jacob McNutt (Grundy, Va.). However, the favorite is most likely one of two sophomores - Cadet freestyle runner-up Aaron Gandara (Cibola, Ariz.) or NHSCA Freshman Nationals runner-up Domonic Mata (Poway, Calif.) - while 2015 state champion Anthony Chavez (Spring Creek, Nev.) is also in this field. 160: A pair of nationally ranked wrestlers anchor this weight class, No. 14 Joel Romero (Buchanan, Calif.) and No. 20 Isaac Wilcox (Olympus, Utah). Also present are state champions Logan Jensen (Herriman, Utah) and Orion Gutierrez (Rio Rancho, N.M.), along with two-time state placer Parker Benekas (Ponderosa, Colo.) 170: A pair of nationally ranked wreslters also anchors this weight class, No. 15 Jaryn Curry (Choctaw, Okla.) and No. 17 Braeden Redlin (Allen, Texas). Also in this weight class are 2016 state champions Matt Goings (Churchill County, Nev.) and Joey Mazzarra (Bishop Gorman, Nev.), along with returning state placers Joseph Barnes (Gilroy, Calif.) and Bronson Harmon (Oakdale, Calif.) 182: Three nationally ranked wrestlers make this a robust weight class; one headlined by No. 3 A.J. Ferrari (Allen, Texas), the nation's top overall sophomore. Also here are No. 10 Anthony Montalvo (Buchanan, Calif.) and No. 16 Zane Coleman (Chocatw, Okla.). Five other state champions are projected to call this weight class home, most notable among them is Brandyn Van Tassell (Maple Mountain, Utah). Joining this group here is returning state medalist Nathan Tausch (Poway, Calif.) 220: The lone nationally ranked wrestler in this weight class is No. 18 Chase Trussell (Morgan, Utah). Four additional state champions are present in the field - Mauricio Jimenez (Las Vegas, Nev.), Tommy Mommer (Cibola, Ariz.), Sam Peterson (Bonney Lake, Wash.), and Maika Tauteoli (Pleasant Grove, Utah). Also meriting attenion are returning state placer Trevor Ervin (Buchanan, Calif.) and NHSCA Freshman Nationals champion Nicholas Villarreal (Gilroy, Calif.) 285: The nation's top overall junior Cohlton Schultz (Ponderosa, Colo.) is ranked No. 3 nationally in this weight class. His primary challenger will be No. 9 Jake Levengood (Vacaville, Calif.). Ryan Bracken (Blanchard, Okla.) is the other state champion in this weight class. Also present are returning state runners-up Brady Briskey (Weber, Utah), Keeghan Freeborn (Rocky Mountain, Idaho), and Iosefa Polamalu (Sandy, Ore.) - along with two-time state placer Mason Watt (Broomfield, Colo.)

Forty pretty talented teams from eleven different states will convene upon Hale Arena for the Kansas City (Missouri) Stampede on Friday and Saturday. The event is a pool-to-bracket for mat with eight pools of either four or five wrestlers, with the top two wrestlers in each pool advancing to the upper-bracket. Friday's competition starts at 2:00 p.m. Central Time, with Saturday's competition resuming at 8:30 a.m. before an afternoon session at 1:00 p.m. and the finals at 6:00 p.m. Leading this field is four nationally ranked teams: No. 11 Park Hill (Mo.), No. 17 Christian Brothers College (Mo.), No. 32 Tuttle (Okla.), and No. 49 Goddard (Kansas). Eleven of the fourteen weight classes feature at least one ranked wrestler, including four with a pair of ranked wrestlers. Below is an overview of each weight class. 106: Leading the way is No. 16 Carter Young (Sand Springs, Okla.), a freshman who enters high school already as a Cadet National double finalist at 94 pounds. Others in this weight include Jason Henschel (Goddard, Kansas), Nathan Rubino (Skutt Catholic, Neb.), and Aidan Evans (Bettendorf, Iowa). 113: Anchoring this weight is a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers, No. 9 Sam Latona (Thompson, Ala.) and No. 11 Cevion Severado (CBC, Mo.); Latona was a Junior National freestyle champion this summer, while Severado was runner-up at the Ironman this past week. Additional state champions in this field include Logan Ashton (Buford, Ga.), Caleb Lazure (Skutt Catholic, Neb.), Jonathan Ortegron (Canyon Randall, Texas), and Riley Weir (Sand Springs, Okla.) 120: Junior National freestyle All-American Rhett Golowenski (Tuttle, Okla.) enters the tournament ranked No. 9 in the country. Additional state champions in this weight class include Kai Orrine (Seckman, Mo.), Cody Phippen (Platte County, Mo.) , Clayton Singh (Kearney, Mo.), and Caleb Tanner (Collinsville, Okla.); while Ethen Miller (Park Hill, Mo.) and Vincent Zerban (CBC, Mo.) are impact freshmen. 126: A pair of top 12 in the country wrestlers lead this weight class, No. 3 Malik Johnson (CBC, Mo.) and No. 12 Weston DiBlasi (Park Hill, Mo.). Additional wrestlers in this weight class include state champions Gabe Hixenbaugh (Thompson, Ala.), Jacob Holt (Garden City, Kansas), and Mike McAteer (Whitfield, Mo.); along with state runners-up Cameron Fusco (Seckman, Mo.), Caden Green (Kearney, Mo.), and Bennett Moudy (Coweta, Okla.) 132: No. 12 Joshua Saunders (CBC, Mo.) is the clear leader of the pack in this weight class. Also in this weight class are state champions Jevon Parrish (Olathe North, Kansas), Nick Stonecheck (Buford, Ga.), and Xavier Torres (Canyon Randall, Texas). 138: Lacking a nationally ranked wrestler, this weight class does feature three state champions in Marcus Robinson (Arkansas City, Kansas), Gavin Smith (Archer, Ga.), and Luke Surber (Tuttle, Okla.). Others to watch include freshman Greyston DiBlasi (Park Hill, Mo.) and state medalist Kyle Prewitt (CBC, Mo.) 145: Another weight bereft a nationally ranked wrestler features a pair of state champions in Jake Beeson (Arkansas City, Kansas) and Charlie Darracott (Buford, Ga.). Others to watch include 2016 state champion Kruz Simons (Edmond North, Okla.) along with state runners-up Lucas DeSilva (Collins Hill, Ga.) and Conner Ward (Mill Valley, Kansas). 152: The last of the weight classes in this field without a nationally ranked wrestler also features a pair of state champions in Alex Rivera (Smithville, Mo.) and Montez Robinson (Arkansas City, Kansas). Also in this weight class are 2016 state champions Eli Larrivierre (Jesuit, La.) and Cade Lindsey (Derby, Kansas). 160: A pair of nationally ranked wrestlers feature in this weight class, No. 13 Mason Reiniche (Baylor School, Tenn.) and No. 15 Dustin Plott (Tuttle, Okla.). Also in this field are state champions Nathan Koenig (Jesuit, La.), Garrett Lange (Goddard, Kansas), and Payton Scott (Sand Springs, Okla.) 170: Another weight class that features a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers, No. 10 Emille Shannon (CBC, Mo.) and No. 12 Billy Higgins (Skutt Catholic, Neb.). Additional wrestlers present include state champions Carson Berryhill (Tuttle, Okla.), Connor Duffy (Baylor School, Tenn.), and Terrell Garraway (Olathe North, Kansas). Also present are state runner-up Troy Fisher (Goddard, Kansas) as well as a pair of impact sophomores in Rocky Elam (Staley, Mo.) and Colton Hawks (Holt, Mo.) 182: Leading the way here is No. 15 Devin Winston (Park Hill, Mo.), a Cadet National freestyle champion. Others to watch include state champion Talon Borrer (Coweta, Okla.), three-time state placer Austin Andres (Goddard, Kansas), and state placer Joey Williams (Neosho, Mo.) 195: Anchoring the weight class is No. 13 Ashton Sharp (Park Hill, Mo.), a Cadet Triple Crown winner this past off-season. Additional contenders include state runners-up Thomas Brackett (Christian Brothers, Tenn.), Blake Minnick (Edmond North, Okla.), and Riley Westlake (Baylor School, Tenn.) 220: Junior National freestyle champion Zach Elam (Staley, Mo.) leads this weight class as the No. 3 ranked wrestler in the country. Also in this weight class are state champion Perry Ganci (Jesuit, La.) as well as state runners-up Sage Smart (Platte County, Mo.) and Grayson Walthall (Christian Brothers, Tenn.) 285: State champion Adrian Hitchcock (Neosho, Mo.) is ranked No. 19 in the country, while fellow state champ Max Darrah (Whitfield, Mo.) was runner-up at the Super 32 this fall.

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. -- Last season's win for the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire wrestling team over UW-Stevens Point marked the first time of it happening since 1986. On Wednesday night, the Blugolds began a streak of their own, making it two straight victories over the Pointers. They defeated Stevens Point, 28-14. On Senior Night, the three Blugolds seniors were all victorious. Carter Focht (Sr.-Pine Springs, MN/Mahtomedi) started off the dual with a 7-3 decision at 149-pounds. After falling just short at 157-pounds, Eau Claire strung together three straight wins before the intermission. Seth Vosters (So.-Freedom, WI) and Tyler Vogt (Sr.-Owatonna, MN) each won by two points, including an exciting finish by Vogt, who got the match-winning takedown just before the buzzer. The final senior, Cecil Philson (Sr.-Thorp, WI), put the home squad ahead 13-3 in the dual at the break with a 16-6 major decision. "When I started here four years ago, the stands had a few people in them," said Philson. "Seeing full stands and a full team now, it's a much more exciting environment to wrestle in, and we have made a nice transition over the course of my career as a Blugold." Following intermission, Eau Claire kept it rolling, getting a big pin from Ramsey Bloy (Jr.-Freedom, WI) that nearly put the match out of reach. Tyler Burt (Fr.-Beloit, WI/Beloit Turner) finished the job with a 6-4 overtime win at heavyweight. After giving up a forfeit and technical fall at the next two weights, the Blugolds added some extra separation in the results with their second pinfall on the night. Jordan Meyer (So.-Evansville, WI) sent the Blugolds fans home happy with his seventh pin on the season to end the dual. Vogt added, "We came out and wrestled really hard, and the better team won tonight." The Blugolds now will take a two-and-a-half week break from competition before returning with the Chicago Duals on Saturday, December 30. Results: 149 Focht (UWEC) defeated Smiley (UWSP) by decision (7-3) 0 3 157 Granatelli (UWSP) defeated DeLeon (UWEC) by decision (16-14) 3 3 165 Vosters (UWEC) defeated Boivin (UWSP) by decision (6-4) 3 6 174 Vogt (UWEC) defeated Borgen (UWSP) by decision (5-3) 3 9 184 Philson (UWEC) defeated Nielsen (UWSP) by major decision (16-6) 3 13 197 Bloy (UWEC) defeated Jahnke (UWSP) by fall (4:10) 3 18 285 Burt (UWEC) defeated Agg (UWSP) by decision (SV-1 6-4) 3 21 125 Vosters (UWSP) received a forfeit 9 21 133 Berlin (UWSP) defeated Hedrington (UWEC) by technical fall (19-2, 2:06) 14 21 141 Meyer (UWEC) defeated Uttecht (UWSP) by fall (4:14) 14 28

HARTSVILLE, S.C. -- The Coker wrestling team finished up their 2017 home stretch Wednesday (Dec. 13) night against the Knights of St. Andrews University. The Navy and Gold dominated in their 46-3 victory, and now stand at 5-3 on the season. Chris Navarro started the night off with a high scoring decision in the 125 pound weight class over his opponent, 23-16. Diamonte Perry followed suit with a 7-2 decision. Noah Kile accepted the forfeit in his match against the Knights, with no opponent coming to face him on the mat. Kyle Ocker was the beginning of five straight Coker pins, that included falls from Bret Shurina, Ian Maund, Jordon Garlow, and Luis Peguero. Ocker highlighted the five pin streak when he locked up a tight cradle to earn the fall after trailing 2-0. Garlow's tenth fall of the season has tied him for first all-time in Cobra history in pins with 19. Rounding out the match was Robert Parland's 16-7 major decision. This victory ties him for second all-time at Coker with 56 career wins. The Cobras hit the road, heading to the University of Indianapolis to battle at the Midwest Classic on Saturday (Dec. 16) and Sunday (Dec. 17). The tournament is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. each day. Results: 125: Chris Navarro (COCO) over William Adame (SAU) (Dec 23-16) 133: Diamonte Perry (COCO) over Brennan Patton (SAU) (Dec 7-2) 141: Noah Kile (COCO) over (SAU) (For.) 149: Noah Walker (SAU) over Taylor Catoe (COCO) (Dec 7-6) 157: Kyle Ocker (COCO) over Chase Payne (SAU) (Fall 3:36) 165: Bret Shurina (COCO) over Nick Pruitte (SAU) (Fall 0:57) 174: Ian Maund (COCO) over Michael Nelson (SAU) (Fall 4:24) 184: Jordon Garlow (COCO) over Kavoris Perry (SAU) (Fall 2:19) 197: Luis Peguero (COCO) over Argie Burnette (SAU) (Fall 3:00) 285: Robert Parland (COCO) over Tyler Evers (SAU) (MD 16-7)

Week three for the vast majority of the country, and finally the season kicks off for those in the Garden State that compete at NJSIAA member schools. It also happens to be state tournament weekend in Alaska. Below is a listing of competitions for nationally ranked teams from the dates of Dec. 13-19. No. 1 Blair Academy, N.J. -- travels to Newark, Del. for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 2 Buchanan, Calif. -- competes in the Reno (Nev.) Tournament of Champions on Friday and Saturday No. 3 St. Paris Graham, Ohio -- travels to Kettering (Ohio) Fairmont for the Firebird Classic on Saturday No. 4 Wyoming Seminary, Pa. -- hosts the MyHouse X-Calibur Classic at Wilkes University on Saturday and Sunday No. 5 Montini Catholic, Ill. -- travels to Marmion Academy (Ill.) for dual meet on Friday No. 6 Bergen Catholic, N.J. -- travels to Newark, Del. for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 7 Lake Highland Prep, Fla. -- travels to Newark, Del. for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 8 St. Edward, Ohio -- hosts No. 43 Erie (Pa.) Cathedral Prep, Pottsville (Pa.), and Claymont (Ohio) in quad meet on Saturday No. 9 Detroit Catholic Central, Mich. -- competes in the Penn (Ind.) Duals on Saturday No. 10 Malvern Prep, Pa. -- travels to Newark, Del. for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 11 Park Hill, Mo. -- competes in the Kansas City (Mo.) Stampede on Friday and Saturday at Hale Arena No. 12 Clovis, Calif. -- travels to Los Banos, Calif. for the Morningstar Invitational on Saturday No. 13 Cincinnati LaSalle, Ohio -- hosts Lawrenceburg (Ind.) and Cincinnati (Ohio) Aiken for tri-meet tonight No. 14 Bethlehem Catholic, Pa. -- travels to Pocono Mountain West (Pa.) for dual meet tonight; hosts Emmaus (Pa.) for dual meet tomorrow; travels to Newark, Del. for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 15 Poway, Calif. -- competes in the Reno (Nev.) Tournament of Champions on Friday and Saturday No. 16 Choctaw, Okla. -- competes in the Reno (Nev.) Tournament of Champions on Friday and Saturday No. 17 Christian Brothers College, Mo. -- competes in the Kansas City (Mo.) Stampede on Friday and Saturday at Hale Arena No. 18 Allen, Texas -- competes in the Reno (Nev.) Tournament of Champions on Friday and Saturday No. 19 Apple Valley, Minn. -- competes in the Minnesota Christmas Tournament on Friday and Saturday at Rochester (Minn.) Community and Technical College No. 20 Gilroy, Calif. -- competes in the Reno (Nev.) Tournament of Champions on Friday and Saturday No. 21 Fort Dodge, Iowa -- hosts Urbandale (Iowa) for dual meet tomorrow, hosts Fort Dodge Invitational on Saturday No. 22 Wadsworth, Ohio -- competes in tri-meet tomorrow at Twinsburg (Ohio) with Stow (Ohio), competes in the North Canton (Ohio) Holiday Wrestling Invitational on Friday and Saturday No. 23 Brownsburg, Ind. -- hosts the Hendricks County Championship on Saturday No. 24 Brecksville, Ohio -- travels to Newark, Del. for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 25 Southeast Polk, Iowa -- hosts Ankeny (Iowa) Centennial for dual meet tonight, hosts Red Owens Holiday Classic on Saturday, travels to West Des Moines Valley (Iowa) for dual meet on Tuesday 12/19 No. 26 Broken Arrow, Okla. -- hosts Edmond (Okla.) for dual meet tomorrow, competes in tri-meet on Friday at Edmond (Okla.) Santa Fe with Capitol Hill (Okla.) No. 27 Delbarton, N.J. -- travels to Newark, Del. for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 29 Nazareth Pa. -- travels to William Allen (Pa.) for dual meet tonight; hosts East Stroudsburg (Pa.) South for dual tomorrow; travels to Newark, Del. for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 30 Lowell, Mich. -- competes in Kent County Tournament at Davenport College on Saturday No. 31 Kiski Area, Pa. -- travels to Gateway (Pa.) for dual meet tonight, competes in the North Hills (Pa.) Duals on Saturday No. 32 Tuttle, Okla. -- competes in the Kansas City (Mo.) Stampede on Friday and Saturday at Hale Arena No. 33 Massillon Perry, Ohio -- travels to Canton (Ohio) McKinley for dual meet tomorrow; travels to Newark, Del. for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 34 Chicago Mt. Carmel, Ill. -- travels to Huntley (Ill.) on Saturday for quad meet with Lockport (Ill.) and Marmion Academy (Ill.) No. 35 Kasson-Mantorville, Minn. -- competes in the Minnesota Christmas Tournament on Friday and Saturday at Rochester (Minn.) Community and Technical College No. 36 Indianapolis Cathedral, Ind. -- travels to Indianapolis (Ind.) Washington for the Indianapolis City Championships on Saturday No. 37 Howell, N.J. -- travels to Paulsboro (N.J.) for the John and Betty Vogeding Tournament on Saturday, hosts Freehold Township (N.J.) for dual on Monday 12/18 No. 38 Kearney, Neb. -- travels to Grand Island, Neb. for the Flatwater Fracas Duals on Friday and Saturday No. 39 Simley, Minn. -- competes in the Minnesota Christmas Tournament on Friday and Saturday at Rochester (Minn.) Community and Technical College No. 40 Lincoln East, Neb. -- travels to Lincoln (Neb.) Pius X for dual meet tomorrow; travels to Grand Island, Neb. for the Flatwater Fracas Duals on Friday and Saturday No. 41 St. Paul's, Md. -- travels to Gilman School (Md.) for dual meet today; travels to Newark, Del. for the Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday No. 42 Anoka, Minn. -- competes in the Minnesota Christmas Tournament on Friday and Saturday at Rochester (Minn.) Community and Technical College No. 43 Erie Cathedral Prep, Pa. -- travels to Meadville (Pa.) for dual meet tomorrow; travels to No. 8 St. Edward (Ohio) on Saturday for quad with Pottsville (Pa.) and Claymont (Ohio) No. 44 Pomona, Colo. -- hosts Bear Creek (Colo.) for dual meet tonight, competes in the Reno (Nev.) Tournament of Champions on Friday and Saturday No. 45 Davison, Mich. -- travels to Midland (Mich.) today for quad meet with Bay City (Mich.) Western and Saginaw (Mich.), hosts Genesee County Meet on Saturday No. 46 Perry Meridian, Ind. -- travels to Warren Central, Ind. for the Marion County Tournament on Saturday No. 47 Parkersburg South, W.Va. -- travels to Science Hill (Tenn.) for the Tony Farrace Duals on Saturday No. 49 Goddard, Kansas -- competes in the Kansas City (Mo.) Stampede on Friday and Saturday at Hale Arena Off this week: No. 28 Selma (Calif.), No. 48 St. John Bosco (Calif.), No. 50 Stratford (Wis.)

Mike Duroe coaching Brent Metcalf at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) A GoFundMe page has been established for Mike Duroe, Cornell College of Iowa head wrestling coach who is battling brain cancer. The fundraising page is intended to help Duroe, who has also been on the coaching staff of the U.S. freestyle squad at six Olympics, with anticipated medical expenses. "The wrestling family sticks together no matter what. One of our own, Coach Mike Duroe, is in the battle of his life," according to the GoFundMe page set up on Duroe's behalf. "He has represented our beloved sport and country with class and integrity for decades. He has fought and battled on behalf of our nation's wrestlers. Now it's OUR time to serve him. Please consider giving what you can to support his battle against cancer. Every dollar counts." Duroe's GoFundMe page has a stated goal of raising $50,000. The page was set up by Dr. Jeremy Frank, a pediatric orthopedic sports medicine surgeon at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in south Florida, who is also a team physician for USA Wrestling. Frank posted this message on his Twitter account Wednesday morning: "I started a GoFundMe account for Coach Mike Duroe as he battles cancer. Please share the link and donate if you can. The wrestling community has your back Coach!" The page has already received positive response. Kyle Snyder, 2016 Olympic gold medalist and two-time NCAA heavyweight champ for Ohio State, tweeted: "Coach Mike Duroe is battling cancer. Very thankful for all that he has taught me and the wrestling community. Please click on the link and donate to help his fight." Mike Duroe's situation was first made public Sunday by Craig Sesker in his column for The Predicament, a website focused on wrestling in the state of Iowa, then reported by InterMat Monday. Duroe has dedicated much of his life to wrestling, as a three-time team captain at Drake University, then in years of service as a coach at a number of high school and college programs. For the past 13 seasons, the Iowa native has been at the helm of the Cornell Rams NCAA Division III mat program in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. In addition, Duroe has long been a fixture as a USA Wrestling freestyle coach, having served on the Team USA coaching staff for the Senior World and/or Junior World Championships every year since 1993. He remains an assistant coach for the Hawkeye Wrestling Club in Iowa City.

PITTSBURGH -- An Iowa All-Star Team is returning to Pittsburgh to compete in the 44th Annual Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic on Sunday, March 25, 2018, at the University of Pittsburgh Fitzgerald Field House. The Wrestling Classic -- known as "The Rose Bowl of Wrestling" -- is the most prestigious high school all-star wrestling meet in the United States because it attracts the best high school seniors in the country, Pennsylvania and another guest state all-star team in the two dual meet format. The preliminary meet pits the best wrestlers from Western Pennsylvania, or WPIAL, against the Iowa All-Stars at 4:00 PM. The feature match showcases the best-of the-best high school wrestlers from across the United States challenging the reigning Pennsylvania state champs at 6:00 PM. The Iowa All-Star Team is returning to the Classic for the second time in 33 years. In 1985, Classic XI the Iowa All Star team won 7 of the 12 matches defeating the WPIAL 28-13. Chris Geneser from West Des Moines was selected the outstanding wrestler of the Iowa team. The Wrestling Classic fans have watched many great wrestlers hail from Iowa over the past 43 years, including Joe Gibbons (1981), Tim Krieger (1989), Jeff McGinnis (1993), Tolly Tompson (1991), Eric Juergens (1996), and Trent Paulson (2002). In Classic XIX, McGinnis entered The Classic with an unblemished record and 4 state titles. The Jeff McGinnis versus Tom Tomeo match was one of the more memorable matches in Classic history being decided by a Tomeo takedown in overtime. McGinnis went on to win a national title for Iowa in 1998. Three years later in Classic XXII, Juergens put his 4 state titles on the line against Jeremy Hunter. The crowd showed their appreciation for the talent both young men displayed with Hunter prevailing in a hard fought 8-3 victory. Juergens and Hunter both went on to win a national title for their schools, Iowa and Penn State, respectfully. Pete Bush, Davenport Assumption High School is organizing the Iowa All-Star Team. "The Iowa wrestling community is very excited and honored to compete in this prestigious event showcasing America's best high school seniors. We have a very strong senior class with many nationally ranked wrestlers. I'm confident our kids will be ready to challenge the best wrestlers from the WPIAL" said Bush. Bush will be working with Jason Christenson, Head Wrestling Coach at Southeast Polk High School to assemble and prepare the All-Star Team. Each year, 3,000 enthusiastic spectators watch the country's future NCAA, World and Olympic champions compete head-to-head while thousands watch remotely via Flowrestling's live broadcast. Proceeds from the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic benefit a youth wrestling program at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Pennsylvania through the Dapper Dan Youth Sports Leagues. More information can found at www.wrestlingclassic.com.

Dan Gable at the Iowa vs. Illinois dual meet in Iowa City (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) Dan Gable and Matt Storniolo will be featured guests for On the Mat this Wednesday, December 13. Both men have Big Ten wrestling coaching experience. Storniolo currently heads up the Northwestern Wildcat mat program, while Gable built a dynasty at the helm of the Iowa Hawkeyes over the course of more than two decades. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at 1650thefan.com or locally in Northeast Iowa this Wednesday at 5 p.m. Central on AM 1650, The Fan. A podcast of the show is available on mattalkonline.com. E-mail dgmstaff@nwhof.org with any questions or comments.

Jake Brumbelow Midway, Ky. -- Midway University athletic director, Rusty Kennedy, has announced the hiring of Jake Brumbelow as the first-ever head coach for the inaugural Midway wrestling program, which is set to make its debut in fall 2018. "I am excited to welcome Jake Brumbelow to Midway University as our first-ever head wrestling coach," said Kennedy. "Jake stood out among a very impressive pool of applicants we had for our position." Kennedy added, "His history of success and experience of starting two prior wrestling programs at the college level really impressed us and will allow us to be better prepared with the challenges of starting our program." Starting a program from scratch is a challenge, but it is one Brumbelow has faced twice before with success, at Emmanuel College and Brenton-Parker College. Brumbelow comes to Midway after a three year stint as the head coach at Emmanuel College, an NCAA Division II program located in Franklin Springs, Georgia. He became the head coach in 2014 and started the program from its initial stages in 2015. During his time with the Lions, they won consecutive National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) National Titles during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. During those two years, Brumbelow led the Lions to a 24-13 dual meet record. Brumbelow also experienced individual success during his time at Emmanuel. In 2016, he was named the NCWA Coach of the Year and then in 2017 Brumbelow was named the NCAA DII Eastern Collegiate Athletics Conference Coach of the Year. Prior to starting the program at Emmanuel, Brumbelow also did the same at Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon, Georgia. He started the program in 2012 and posted back-to-back winning seasons, while also making national tournament appearances at the NAIA level. Brumbelow started his coaching career West Virginia Tech when he became the head coach in 2009. He served as the Golden Bears head coach for two seasons. "I would like to thank Rusty Kennedy and the hiring committee for the opportunity to develop the wrestling program at Midway University," said Brumbelow. "It is an exciting time to join the rapidly growing athletic department." Prior to getting into coaching, Brumbelow enjoyed a successful wrestling career at Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tennessee where he was nationally ranked at 133 lbs., while also compiling over 140 career wins. "I can't tell you how excited I am to watch the growth of Midway wrestling," added Kennedy. While also wrestling at Carson Newman, Brumbelow obtained his Bachelor of Science in Humans with Exceptionalities as well his Masters of Science degree in Counseling. Any prospective students interested in learning more about the wrestling program are asked to reach out to Coach Brumbelow at jbrumbelow@midway.edu or 678.357.2165. Interested student-athletes can also fill out the recruiting questionnaire which can be found here. Midway announced its plans for establishing an intercollegiate wrestling program in October 2017. Midway University is located in Midway, Ky., an historic, picturesque small town located (appropriately enough) halfway between Lexington and Louisville, the two largest cities in the state. The private, liberal arts college was founded in 1847 as a women's college, but began admitting men in fall 2016. Current enrollment is approximately 1,200 students. Midway's sports teams -- including wrestling -- are the Eagles.

Mike Duroe coaching Brent Metcalf at the World Championships in 2015 (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com) Mike Duroe, long-time head wrestling coach at Iowa's Cornell College who has served on the U.S. freestyle squad at six Olympics, is battling brain cancer, Craig Sesker reported for The Predicament, a wrestling publication/website focused on wrestling in the state of Iowa. "When I recently learned that Mike is battling brain cancer, I was floored by the news," Sesker wrote in his Sesker's Slant column Sunday. "There aren't many people on the planet healthier or more physically fit for their age than Mike Duroe." Sesker added, "The news of his illness has been kept relatively quiet until recently in the wrestling community." However, that hasn't stopped others within that community from expressing their support for Duroe. For example, when Cornell hosted cross-state rival Wartburg College in a dual meet Friday night, the visiting Knights wore t-shirts in support of coach Duroe, who posed for a photo with the wrestlers and coaches from the Waverly, Iowa team. This weekend, Wartburg head coach Eric Keller posted this message on Twitter: "We talk about fighting every day in our program. That mindset is more than just trying to be the best wrestler, it's about setting guys up for the fights of life. @mduroewrestling IS fighting for his life. He's attacking it straight on and I admire his bravery. Praying 4 U Coach." Team USA women's freestyle member Kelsey Campbell tweeted, "One of the best and toughest people I've been blessed to know and learn from. Some extra prayers to this guy." Next weekend, Duroe will be honored with a celebration in Cedar Rapids, just down the road from the Cornell campus in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. Duroe has had a long and impressive career in wrestling and coaching. The Charles City, Iowa native was a three-time team captain and four-time letterwinner for the now-defunct wrestling team at Drake University, graduating from the Des Moines school in 1978. In his thirteen years at the helm of the Cornell Rams wrestling program, Duroe has built a dual-meet record of 139-92-2 to become the storied program's winningest coach. Under Duroe, the Rams can claim 44 national qualifiers, 19 NCAA Division III All-Americans, five NCAA finalists, and one national champion. The Rams have reached 10 wins in nine of the past 12 seasons with Duroe at the helm. Prior to coming to Cornell of Iowa in 2005, Duroe had been coach at Northern Michigan University from 1980-1985. He had also served as head coach at New Trier (Ill.) High School, an assistant at the University of Pennsylvania and head coach of the Northwestern University Wildcat Wrestling Club. Duroe has long been a fixture as a USA Wrestling freestyle coach. He has served on the Team USA coaching staff for the Senior World and/or Junior World Championships every year since 1993. Duroe been an assistant on the U.S. Men's Freestyle coaching staff in six Olympic Games from 1996 through 2016. He remains an assistant coach for the Hawkeye Wrestling Club in Iowa City. Dick Simmons, a long-time member of the Cornell athletic department who keeps in close contact with Duroe, told Craig Sesker that Duroe "has kept his spirits high and maintained a positive attitude despite the daily challenges and struggles he now faces in the battle of his life." Sesker concluded his column with this message: "Mike Duroe is a class act all the way. And someone who is going to fight this with everything he has." "You can count on that." UPDATE 12/13/17 A GoFundMe page has been established to help raise funds for Mike Duroe's medical expenses. http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/19093

Spencer Lee at the UNI Open (Photo/Andy Hamilton, Trackwrestling.com) It is one of the hottest topics and one of the most frequently asked questions in college wrestling right now. Should Iowa pull Spencer Lee's redshirt? Lee, of course, is the superstar Hawkeye recruit who already has captured a combined three world freestyle championships for the United States at the Cadet and Junior levels. And now he's a redshirt in his first year as a true freshman at the University of Iowa. Lee made his collegiate debut this past Saturday, rolling to the 125-pound title at the Northern Iowa Open. It was the first time he's competed in nine months. Lee is coming back from a major knee injury he suffered nearly a year ago. He was wearing a huge black brace on his leg when he competed Saturday. He appeared to be moving well, and looked strong, physical and dominant in his return to competition. So let's examine the pros and cons of Lee coming out of his redshirt for Iowa. The Hawkeyes haven't exactly been a dominating team in the season's early going. Iowa had to rally for Big Ten wins over Illinois and Rutgers. The Hawkeyes are struggling in the lower weight classes after NCAA champion Cory Clark and World silver medalist Thomas Gilman completed their collegiate eligibility last March. Iowa has two proven stars in senior Brandon Sorensen and sophomore Michael Kemerer. Sorensen has been an NCAA runner-up at 149 and Kemerer was third as a freshman at 157. Hawkeye heavyweight Sam Stoll also has looked strong and he's definitely a contender to land a spot on the All-American podium this season. Redshirt freshman Alex Marinelli is also expected to make a significant impact at 165. He earned a clutch overtime win over U23 world freestyle champion Richie Lewis of Rutgers in Friday night's victory. And 197-pounder Cash Wilcke made the round of 12 at NCAAs last season. Iowa could also be bolstered by transfer Pat Downey, a past Junior world silver medalist who was an All-American for Iowa State two years ago. If Downey can become eligible and follow team rules, which has been an issue for him in the past, he could make a huge impact at 184 for the Hawkeyes. The determining factor for Lee may arrive at the upcoming Midlands Championships. If Lee turns in a strong showing against a more competitive field in Evanston, Ill., and his knee holds up, he could earn a spot in the starting lineup. The traditionally tough Midlands obviously will provide a much better gauge of where Lee stands at this stage of the season. But Iowa's coaches may have to look long-term as well when it comes to examining Lee's bright future. If Iowa isn't a legitimate contender for a national title, do you burn a season of Lee's eligibility this year? Penn State returns five national champions and Ohio State is loaded with a team of proven veterans led by two national champs. And just how healthy and ready is Lee for this season after coming back from a serious injury? Does he need more time to round into top form? Iowa also has a number of other young stars like Jacob Warner redshirting, and the future looks bright for the Hawkeyes with an abundance of top young prospects. If Lee redshirts, then he still has four years of eligibility remaining after this season and he can wrestle alongside Warner during those years. Kemerer would still have two years left after this season as well. There definitely are plenty of factors to consider here. No doubt, Lee is a unique, special and extraordinary talent. He may be the best recruit in the history of the storied Hawkeye program. As a fan, I would love to see Lee wrestle. The Hawkeyes haven't had a wrestler with the star power, talent and mindset of Lee since Hodge Trophy winner Brent Metcalf competed for Iowa. He's also a personable, likable and charismatic young man who fans will love. Lee's entry into the starting lineup would provide a much-needed spark and boost for the Hawkeyes. Lee is a tremendous wrestler with a work ethic and mentality to match. He's a confident, driven wrestler that I believe will eventually contend for Olympic and world titles on the Senior level. He's that good. In my opinion, it's an extremely tough call for the Iowa coaches on whether to pull his redshirt or not. But if Downey is eligible and Lee turns in a strong showing at the Midlands, Brands and Co. may be tempted to pull the trigger and put Lee in the lineup as a true freshman. If that happens, the Hawkeyes immediately jump into the nation's top three or four teams in my eyes. Iowa coach Tom Brands made a comment after the win at Rutgers and said "we have more firepower back home." Brands was definitely right on target with that statement. Now he just has to decide what to do with it. Craig Sesker has written about wrestling for more than three decades. He's covered three Olympic Games and is a two-time national wrestling writer of the year.

Tom Brands (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- On Sunday the No. 7 Iowa Hawkeyes finished their two-match roadtrip with a 40-6 victory over Big Ten rival Maryland at the Xfinity Center. Iowa swept the first nine matches before forfeiting at heavyweight. After the match, InterMat spoke with both Iowa coach Tom Brands and Maryland coach Kerry McCoy. Carter Happel upsets No. 12 Ryan Diehl After starting the season in a reserve role, Carter Happel started at 141 for Iowa against No. 19 Rutgers and Maryland. Against the Terps, he picked up a decision victory over returning NCAA qualifier No. 12 Ryan Diehl. "I think that is a great win for Happel with how he wrestled himself out of a hole," Brands said. "That was a big win, and sometimes that is what it takes, a spark. Some of these guys are not representing themselves the way they need to, and you never know what unlocks that." Despite Happel's victory over a ranked opponent, the starting job at 141 is still up for grabs. Vince Turk, who started the Hawkeye's first five matches, could still end up being the starter. "We got the Midlands coming up, and we will have two at that weight. Turk is very capable, and we love him. We love both guys there," Brands said. "We just want to see someone emerge." Phillip Laux returns to the starting lineup At 133 the situation appears to be much more settled. After sitting out against Rutgers, Phillip Laux returned to the lineup against Maryland and put up a major decision against Jhared Simmons. Brands indicated that Laux will hold down the weight class for the foreseeable future. "I think Laux has the nod. I don't think that's a secret. He looked good." He continued, "If your pace is high and things are at a higher pace, you can rattle some thing offs. Sometimes we think too much." Iowa forfeits against No. 10 Youssif Hemida On paper the marquee matchup of the dual was at heavyweight. No. 6 Sam Stoll (Iowa) and No. 10 Youssif Hemida (Maryland) both came in undefeated with wins over ranked opponents. However, with the dual meet decided, Iowa chose to not send out Stoll and forfeit the match. Brands indicated that Stoll is not injured and stressed that it is still early in the season. "That's not a popular one with the fans, but it is just one of those things where you've got to do the right thing. It's early December." McCoy explained that Hemida was looking forward to the match, but he would get his shot later in the season. "We have got two weeks until the Midlands Tournament, so we will probably see him at the Midlands Tournament. We'll probably see him at Big Tens and probably see him at Nationals. For them it might have been a smart move to not go out there and show their cards too early," McCoy concluded. "I know that Youssif was looking forward to it, but it shows the level of respect that they have for him… He should be proud about that." Spencer Lee wins the UNI Open back in Iowa So far this season, the number-one recruit from last year, Spencer Lee has not been in the lineup for the Hawkeyes. On Saturday he wrestled unattached for the first time at the UNI Open and picked three dominant wins on the way to winning the tournament. Brands watched Lee's matches from the road, and he liked what he saw. "I loved it. I loved talking to him about it by text. He feels really good about being able to compete. That's what he loves. When you get on the mat for real then that training takes over, good things happen."

Photo/HokieSports.com NEW YORK -- Nine college wrestling programs entered Madison Square Garden for the sixth edition of Grapple at the Garden Sunday ... and five left "the world's most famous arena" victorious. The event, held at the Theater at Madison Square Garden, opened with NCAA Division III action, with Johns Hopkins University defeating New York University, 25-20. Wilkes University was the only school to have two dual meets, first falling to Stevens Institute of Technology, 29-16 ... then, later, coming out on the losing end to LIU Post of NCAA Division II, 38-3. In Division I action, Virginia Tech topped Princeton, 26-12 ... while Hofstra bested George Mason, 26-9. Collegiate action got started bright and early Sunday morning, as Johns Hopkins defeated NYU, 25-20. The Maryland-based program got off to a quick start as Christian Vallis (125 pounds), Ricky Cavallo (133) and Lucas Escobar (141) all scored bonus-point victories to rack up 16 unanswered team points. NYU battled back with four straight victories -- including a major decision and a pin -- to knot the score, 16-16. Wins at 184 and heavyweight propelled Johns Hopkins to the dual-meet victory. The second dual of the event between Division III schools saw Stevens top Wilkes, 29-16, with the New Jersey-based school notching wins in six bouts, with Tony Stanich (133 pounds), Brett Kaliner (141), and Zach Wilhelm (157) all pinning their opponents from Pennsylvania. In the LIU Post vs Wilkes dual, the Long Island D2 school earned an impressive 38-3 win over Wilkes. LIU Post's Anthony Sparacio and Joseph Calderone scored back-to-back falls at 141 and 149 pounds, respectively, while, T.J. Fabian earned a major decision win over Michael Brown. Action moved to Division I, with tenth-ranked Virginia Tech earning a 26-16 win over Princeton. The dual started at 174, with the Hokies getting off to a roaring start with four consecutive victories in the upper weight classes through heavyweight, then securing wins at 133, 141 and 165 pounds. In the final match-up of the evening, Hofstra earned a 26-9 win over George Mason. The Pride started strong, with wins at 197 and 285, then later tallied victories at 133, 141, 165, 174, and 184 to defeat the Patriots.

PHILADELPHIA -- It was a tale of two duals for No. 5 Lehigh Sunday in a pair of EIWA duals in Philadelphia. The Mountain Hawks won both but after beginning the day with a dominant performance in a 41-6 win over Penn at the Palestra, but Drexel made things much tougher in match No. 2. The Dragons scored bonus points in three of their four wins, but six bout wins for Lehigh gave the Mountain Hawks the criteria in a 21-20 win at the Daskalakis Athletic Center. Five Mountain Hawks went 2-0 on the day: senior Darian Cruz, junior Ian Brown, sophomore Jordan Kutler and freshmen Luke Karam and Jordan Wood, while Lehigh's duo of freshman 197-pounders each beat a ranked opponent. With the two victories, Lehigh closes out the fall semester at 6-1 overall and 4-0 against EIWA opponents. 12/10/2017 Lehigh Wrestling at Penn & Drexel Lehigh Wrestling at Penn & Drexel "Two extremes for sure," Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro said, "In the Penn match everything flowed our way, but tonight we were in a dogfight. (Drexel) came out ready to wrestle and we knew they would. They put a lot of bonus points on us and we were fortunate that we got the bonus points that we did. We talked before the match about how bonus points would be huge, and they were." In the first dual of the day against Penn, Lehigh won eight of the nine contested bouts and benefitted from a forfeit to Cruz at 125. Kutler opened things up with a 14-point first period against Khamari Whimper and closed out the technical fall with a second period escape. Lehigh added three first period pins, with Wood decking Tyler Hall at 285, junior Cortlandt Schuyler using a headlock for a 31-second fall over Joe Oliva at 149, and sophomore Cole Walter closing the dual by pinning Ryan Farber in 1:11 at 165. One of the most impressive wins of the day came from freshman Jake Jakobsen, who knocked off 10th-ranked Frank Mattiace 3-0 at 197. Jakobsen used a strong effort on top to ride out the second period, while earning a penalty point for stalling and added a third period escape plus riding time advantage. The Mountain Hawks were without second-ranked junior Scott Parker at 133 but freshman Nick Farro used a late takedown to the back for two-and-two to defeat Gianni Ghione 5-1 in his dual meet debut. The only downside to the Penn dual was an injury default by junior Ryan Preisch in the third period of his match with Joe Heyob at 184. Preisch was leading 5-1 and was injured after Heyob reversed to cut the deficit to 5-3. Penn falls to 3-2 in duals with the loss. The absence of Parker and Preisch against Drexel created opportunities for the Dragons to post bonus points. Kutler opened the dual with a 5-1 win over Austin Rose but sophomore Paul Dunn, making his dual debut at 184 in place of Preisch was pinned in the third period by Owen Brooks, giving the Dragons an early 6-3 lead. Lehigh got a big win from another freshman 197-pounder to re-take the lead as Chris Weiler knocked off 20th-ranked Stephen Loiseau in an 8-0 major decision. Weiler scored a late first period takedown and added a late second period reversal after being ridden for most of the period. In the third, Weiler rode out and scored a late four point near fall to secure the major. Wins by Wood and Cruz put Lehigh up 13-6 at intermission, but Drexel climbed back within 13-11 after sixth-ranked freshman Austin DeSanto posted a first period technical fall over Farro. Karam delivered a big win and bonus point, using a late third period takedown and 4:28 of riding time advantage to earn a 9-1 win over Chandler Olson. "Our freshmen are the ones that got us some bonus points," Santoro said. "This has been a great class. They came in last year really hungry and motivated and pushed each other. We had two 197-pounders come out with two huge wins today over two ranked wrestlers. Those guys are going to be battling at the Scuffle and hopefully we'll have some things figured out. Two pretty special people and we'd love to find a spot for both of them, but I don't know if we can. The message is, for our freshmen class, age is just a number and they're just trying to get better. Going out there to win matches and scoring points and going for bonus points when necessary." Drexel's Trevor Elfvin knocked off Schuyler in a high-scoring 14-7 match at 149, but Brown used a third period takedown to defeat Evan Barczak 3-2 at 157 earning Lehigh's sixth win. Leading 20-14 heading into the final bout, Walter was unable to hold what was a 10-5 lead. Drexel's Ebed Jarrell came back and pinned Walter at the 6:33 mark to tie the dual at 20-20, but Lehigh claimed the win on criteria after winning six of the 10 bouts. The Dragons fell to 4-2 with the loss. "The effort has been good all fall, but we saw some areas we really got exposed in," Santoro said. "Six of our guys wrestled well, but we have to control our minds deep in those matches. We're usually strong, but for some reason today we lost a little bit of focus. It's something we can fix. We need to build off of this and off the whole fall. We have the Southern Scuffle. We have finals coming up in a couple of days. We have to regroup and we have a lot of guys banged up so we have to get as healthy as we can for the Southern Scuffle." The Mountain Hawks will now be off until the Southern Scuffle, Jan. 1-2 in Chattanooga, Tenn. Lehigh's next dual action will be against EIWA rivals American (Jan. 12) and Navy (Jan. 14) inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. No. 5 Lehigh 41, Penn 6 174 – Jordan Kutler (Lehigh) tech fall Khamari Whimper (Penn) 15-0, 3:08 184 – Joe Heyob (Penn) injury default Ryan Preisch (Lehigh) 5:28 197 – Jake Jakobsen (Lehigh) dec. Frank Mattiace (Penn) 3-0 285 – Jordan Wood (Lehigh) Fall Tyler Hall (Penn) 2:45 125 – Darian Cruz (Lehigh) won by forfeit 133 – Nick Farro (Lehigh) dec. Gianni Ghione (Penn) 5-1 141 – Luke Karam (Lehigh) dec. Jacob Lizak (Penn) 8-2 149 – Cortlandt Schuyler (Lehigh) Fall Joe Oliva (Penn) 0:31 157 – Ian Brown (Lehigh) dec. Jon Errico (Penn) 6-2 165 – Cole Walter (Lehigh) Fall Ryan Farber (Penn) 1:11 No. 5 Lehigh 21, Drexel 20 174 – Jordan Kutler (Lehigh) dec. Austin Rose (Drexel) 5-1 184 – Owen Brooks (Drexel) Fall Paul Dunn (Lehigh) 6:12 197 – Chris Weiler (Lehigh) major dec. Stephen Loiseau (Drexel) 8-0 285 – Jordan Wood (Lehigh) dec. Vincenzo Pelusi (Drexel) 5-1 125 – Darian Cruz (Lehigh) dec. Zack Fuentes (Drexel) 3-2 133 – Austin DeSanto (Drexel) tech fall Nick Farro (Lehigh) 22-6, 3:00 141 – Luke Karam (Lehigh) major dec. Chandler Olson (Drexel) 9-1 149 – Trevor Elfvin (Drexel) dec. Cortlandt Schuyler (Lehigh) 14-7 157 – Ian Brown (Lehigh) dec. Evan Barczak (Drexel) 3-2 165 – Ebed Jarrell (Drexel) Fall Cole Walter (Lehigh) 6:33

FARGO, N.D. -- North Dakota State 197-pounder Cordell Eaton and heavyweight Dan Stibral closed with wins to lift the Bison to a 19-16 win over No. 18 Central Michigan in a non-conference dual Sunday, Dec. 10, before 440 spectators in the Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex. NDSU (1-3, 0-2 #Big12WR) is scheduled to wrestle Utah Valley (4-2, 1-0 #Big12WR) in a Big 12 Conference dual at 1 p.m. Central Time, Friday, Dec. 15. The Bison then compete in the Reno Tournament of Champions on Sunday, Dec. 17. NDSU trailed the Chippewas 16-12 heading into the final two weight classes. Eaton, a redshirt sophomore from Long Grove, Iowa, was guarding a 5-4 lead over Central Michigan 197 Landon Pelham through two periods. He exploded in the third for eight points on a pair of takedowns and 2-point nearfall for a 13-5 major decision. Eaton improved to 7-4 overall and 2-2 in duals. Stibral, a redshirt sophomore from Tabor, S.D., stepped up for North Dakota State in the dual's final match. He trailed Central Michigan 285 Matt Stencel 1-0 before completing a takedown with 6-seconds remaining in the second period. Stibral gained an early escape for a 3-1 lead and fought off Stencel down the stretch including a challenge and video review in the closing seconds. Stibral improved to 6-4 overall and 2-2 in duals. NDSU jumped out to a 6-0 lead as 125 Paul Bianchi opened with a first period takedown and closed strong for a 5-1 decision over Drew Hildebrandt, while teammate No. 22-ranked Cam Sykora overcame an early 2-1 deficit for an 11-5 decision over Dresden Simon. Central Michigan won the next two matches, a pin by No. 20 141 Mason Smith at 4:14, and slim 8-6 decision by No. 3 Justin Oliver over Kyle Gliva at 149 pounds. Gliva nearly pulled off the upset in the final 30-seconds with a reversal and 4-point nearfall. North Dakota State No. 15 157 Clay Ream tied the dual at 9-all with a 6-1 decision over Blake Montrie with all the scoring taking place in the third period. No. 16 165 Andrew Fogarty pulled away late for a 9-5 decision over Logan Parks. The Chippewas answered with CJ Brucki's 13-5 major decision over Charley Popp at 174, while No. 14 Jordan Ellingwood fought off Cole Witzig for a 4-0 decision for a 16-12 lead. Results: 125: Paul Bianchi (NDSU) dec Drew Hildebrandt (CMU), 5-1 133: #22 Cam Sykora (NDSU) dec Dresden Simon (CMU), 11-5 141: #20 Mason Smith (CMU) fall Sam Hampton (NDSU), 4:14 149: #3 Justin Oliver (CMU) dec Kyle Gliva (NDSU), 8-6 157: #15 Clay Ream (NDSU) dec Blake Montrie (CMU), 6-1 165: #16 Andrew Fogarty (NDSU) dec Logan Parks (CMU), 9-5 174: #15 CJ Brucki (CMU) major dec Charley Popp (NDSU), MD 13-5 184: #14 Jordan Ellingwood (CMU) dec Cole Witzig (NDSU), 4-0 197: Cordell Eaton (NDSU) major dec Landon Pelham (CMU), MD 13-5 285: Dan Stibral (NDSU) dec Matt Stencel (CMU), 3-1

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio -- Ohio State Wrestling opened its Big Ten slate by winning seven of 10 bouts over Indiana (6-2, 0-1 B1G) in front of a packed house at the Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, alma mater of Nathan Tomasello. The No. 2 Buckeyes (4-0, 1-0) took the match by a final score of 26-9 on the strength of four bonus-point-earning individual performances. Ke-Shawn Hayes donated five points to the team tally with a blistering 16-0 tech fall failing to get out of the first period. Hayes racked up 14 near-fall points and just missed out on a pin in his disposal of Davey Tunon in 2:58. Micah Jordan, Myles Martin and Kollin Moore each posted major decisions while Luke Pletcher, Joey McKenna and Cody Burcher all came out on the positive side of decisions. The afternoon began with the 125-bout resulting in Elijah Oliver's 13th win of the season for Indiana, recording a hard-fought 9-5 decision. Brakan Mead, a true freshman continuing to fill-in for CVCA product and injured Tomasello, notched a match-tying takedown in the second period to make it 3-3. He then re-evened the ledger at 5-5 with an early escape in the third before Oliver was able to go ahead for good on a pair of subsequent takedowns. Luke Pletcher took the mat next for Ohio State, surviving a 4-3 slugfest and improving to 14-0 on the season. After two takedowns in the opening frame, he grinded out the slim decision. Joey McKenna took down his foe twice in period number one as well, adding two near-fall points to carry a 6-1 edge entering the second stanza. Both grapplers would escape from the bottom in the second and third periods, combining with a McKenna riding time point to formulate a final line of 8-2 in favor of the Buckeye. Hayes' aforementioned domination marked another OSU triumph, pushing the lead to 11-3. Micah Jordan kept in coming at 157 pounds, racking up a half dozen takedowns of previously unbeaten Jake Danishek who had entered the day at 6-0. Jordan lit the scoreboard for 14 points in total, closing out the bout as a 14-4 victor. Cody Burcher tacked on three more points to the Ohio State advantage as the Scarlet & Gray stretched its lead to 18-3. Burcher, making his 2017-18 debut, utilized a riding time advantage point to secure his 3-2 decision over Bryce Martin. Indiana got back on the board at 174 pounds when Devin Skatzka held on for a 9-5 decision over Fritz Schierl. Skatza owned a 7-1 upper hand after two periods complete before Schierl made a run at it with a reversal and takedown to claw back to 8-5. The comeback attempt was stinted from there, however. Martin pulled alongside Pletcher at 14-0 this season following his 14-5 major decision over Norman Conley in the 184-pound bout. It marks the 13th bonus-point-worthy effort of the year for `MyMar.' His lone decision came last week in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational finals versus the fifth-ranked wrestler in the country. Martin accumulated seven takedowns by bout's end on Sunday for his fourth major decision (seven tach falls, two pins). Kollin Moore maintained his flawless season mark as well, picking up his ninth win in as many matches. His 14-5 major decision inflated Ohio State's team lead to 26-6. Later, a 1-1 heavyweight stalemate was finally decided late in the final frame when Fletcher Miller posted the bout's only takedown -- good for a 3-1 final score over Kevin Snyder. Results: 125 lbs | Elijah Oliver (Indiana) def. Brakan Mead (Ohio State) | D, 9-5; Team Score: 0-3 133 lbs | No. 4 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State) def. Garrett Pepple (Indiana) | D, 4-3; TS: 3-3 141 lbs | No. 6 Joey McKenna (Ohio State) def. No. 13 Cole Weaver (Indiana) | D, 8-2; TS: 6-3 149 lbs | No. 6 Ke-Shawn Hayes (Ohio State) def. Davey Tunon (Indiana) | TF, 16-0 (2:58); TS: 11-3 157 lbs | No. 5 Micah Jordan (Ohio State) def. Jake Danishek (Indiana) | MD, 14-4; TS: 15-3 165 lbs | Cody Burcher (Oho State) def. Bryce Martin (Indiana) | D, 3-2; TS: 18-3 174 lbs | Devin Skatzka (Indiana) def. Fritz Schierl (Ohio State) | D, 9-5; TS: 18-6 184 lbs | No. 2 Myles Martin (Ohio State) def. Norman Conley (Indiana) | MD, 16-5; TS: 22-6 197 lbs | No. 1 Kollin Moore (Ohio State) def. Spencer Irick (Indiana) | MD, 14-5; TS: 26-6 285 lbs | Fletcher Miller (Indiana) def. Kevin Snyder (Ohio State) | D, 3-1; TS: 26-9 Ohio State is on the road for the foreseeable future, starting in Newark, Del., for a match vs. Princeton on Dec. 15. Two days later, the Buckeyes will venture to Atlanta, Ga., meeting up with Chattanooga on Dec. 17.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 9-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team closed out the semester in style, rolling to a dominant 48-0 win against Oregon State in the third annual Joe Wells Classic on Sunday afternoon (Dec. 10) in front of a crowd of 1,440 at Cliff Keen Arena. The Wolverines earned bonus points in seven matches en route to their first shutout win in five seasons. Michigan earned six-point victories in four bouts -- a starting-weight forfeit at 125 pounds and pins from junior/sophomore Sal Profaci, graduate student Kevin Beazley and graduate student Adam Coon. The Wolverines also earned technical falls from junior/sophomore Stevan Micic, junior/sophomore Myles Amine and fifth-year senior Domenic Abounader. U-M earned big points in each of the opening three bouts, including Micic's 17-1 technical fall over Kegan Calkins at 133 pounds and Profaci's second-period fall against Jack Hathaway at 141. Micic, ranked seventh nationally, scored on four takedowns and twice turned Calkins -- on a first-period leg turk and third period tilt. The latter ended the bout at the 6:50 mark. Profaci's pin in the subsequent bout was his first of the season. He wrapped up Hathaway in a nearside cradle midway through the second to earn the fall at 4:10. The Wolverines' three decision wins came in succession at the middleweights. Junior/sophomore Malik Amine used a first-period takedown and buzzer-beating reversal to defeat Kurt Mode, 4-2, at 149 pounds, while senior/junior Alec Pantaleo, ranked fourth nationally, rallied from an early deficit to score four takedowns and earn 1:37 in riding-time advantage in a 10-7 decision against Hunter Willits at 157 pounds. Freshman Reece Hughes was victorious in his collegiate debut at 165 pounds, bumping up a weight class to defeat Billy Bigelow, 5-0. After a scoreless first period, Hughes earned a quick reversal in the second and spent the rest of the bout on top, drawing two stall points and accumulating 3:24 in time advantage. Myles Amine and Abounader earned back-to-back technical falls at 174 and 184 pounds, respectively. Amine, ranked sixth nationally, blew open his match against Myles Terry in the third period, scoring six points on a feet-to-back double leg before adding three more takedowns, including one with just three seconds remaining, to win, 20-5, after his riding-time point. Abounader, ranked fifth nationally, used two takedowns and three sets of back points to beat Seth McLeod, 18-1. He turned McLeod with a pair of four-point bow and arrows in the second, before reversing him to his back in the third to end the bout at the 5:28 mark. Michigan ended the dual meet with consecutive pins from Beazley at 197 pounds and Coon at heavyweight. Beazley, ranked 13th nationally, gave up the first takedown against 11th-ranked Corey Griego but rallied with a left-handed headlock, fighting first for the takedown before earning the fall -- his fourth of the season -- at 2:38 in his Keen Arena debut. Coon, ranked second, secured his sixth fall of the season late in the second period, using a bow and arrow to turn and then pin Cody Crawford at 4:48. Coon improved to 12-0 on the season. The Wolverines (2-1) will take the next few weeks off for final exams and the holidays before resuming their dual-meet schedule with a road trip to the Hoosier State. U-M will face Indiana at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 5, in Bloomington, Indiana, before squaring off against Purdue (1 p.m.) and Princeton (3 p.m.) on Sunday, Jan. 7, in West Lafayette, Indiana. Results: 125 -- No. 10 Drew Mattin (U-M) won by forfeit [U-M, 6-0] 133 -- No. 7 Stevan Micic (U-M) tech. fall Kegan Calkins, 17-1 (6:50) [U-M, 11-0] 141 -- Sal Profaci (U-M) pinned Jack Hathaway, 4:10) [U-M, 17-0] 149 -- Malik Amine (U-M) dec. Kurt Mode, 4-2 [U-M, 20-0] 157 -- No. 4 Alec Pantaleo (U-M) dec. Hunter Willits, 10-7 [U-M, 23-0] 165 -- Reece Hughes (U-M) dec. Billy Bigelow, 5-0 [U-M, 26-0] 174 -- No. 6 Myles Amine (U-M) tech. fall Myles Terry, 20-5 (7:00) [U-M, 31-0] 184 -- No. 5 Domenic Abounader (U-M) tech. Seth McLeod, 18-1 (5:25) [U-M, 36-0] 197 -- No. 13 Kevin Beazley (U-M) pinned No. 11 Corey Griego, 2:38 [U-M, 42-0] Hwt -- No. 2 Adam Coon (U-M) pinned Cody Crawford, 4:48 [U-M, 48-0]

BROOMFIELD, Colo. -- Northwestern (4-0) continued its winning ways on Sunday, topping Northern Colorado (0-1), 24-20, at Legacy High School. #9 Ryan Deakin put up a strong performance in his return to his alma mater, notching a major decision in his bout. After a pair of setbacks to start the dual, the Wildcats rebounded with a pair of falls -- one of the traditional variety and one of the technical kind. Conan Jennings, ranked 19th in the country in the most recent Intermat poll, recorded a first period buzzer-beating pin of Robert Winters, evening up the team scores at six points apiece. It was Jennings' third pin of the season and his fastest pin of the year. #12 Sebastian Rivera continued his undefeated start to his college career by logging a technical fall within two periods. He continued his trend of putting up football scores against his competition, topping Michael Johnson, 18-3. NU picked up its second pin of the afternoon from 141-pounder Alec McKenna, who took care of Benjamin Polkowske in 5:38. McKenna improved to 10-5 overall (3-1 dual) so far in the 2017-18 slate. With the win over Fate, Deakin improved to 4-0 on the dual slate this season via his fourth major decision win of the year. Shayne Oster took care of Northwestern's third-straight win, an 8-4 decision over Tyler Kinn. It was Oster's first dual win of the season and his sixth win overall. Northwestern wrestles again next weekend in a double dual in San Luis Obispo, California. The Wildcats will grapple against Cal Poly and Cal State Bakersfield, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m. CT. Results: 184: Dylan Gabel (UNC) dec. #18 Mitch Sliga (NU), 5-0 | UNC 3, NU 0 197: Jacob Seely (UNC) dec. Zack Chakonis (NU), 4-3 | UNC 6, NU 0 285: #19 Conan Jennings (NU) Fall Robert Winters (UNC), 3:00 | NU 6, UNC 6 125: #12 Sebastian Rivera (NU) Tech. Fall Michael Johnson (UNC), 18-3 (5:00) | NU 11, UNC 6 133: Rico Montoya (UNC) dec. Colin Valdiviez (NU), 7-3 | NU 11, UNC 9 141: Alec McKenna (NU) Fall Benjamin Polkowske (UNC), 5:38 | NU 17, UNC 9 149: #9 Ryan Deakin (NU) maj. dec. Jimmy Fate (UNC), 16-3 | NU 21, UNC 9 157: Shayne Oster (NU) dec. Tyler Kinn (UNC), 8-4 | NU 24, UNC 9 165: Keilan Torres (UNC) Fall Michael Sepke (NU), 4:46 | NU 24, UNC 15 174: Seth Bogulski (UNC) Tech. Fall Braxton Cody (NU), 21-6 (6:41) | NU 24, UNC 20

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Five Tigers scored bonus point wins to lead No. 4 Mizzou Wrestling (8-0, 2-0 MAC) to a 36-3 win over Ohio (0-3, 0-2 MAC) on Saturday afternoon at the Hearnes Center. Mizzou won eight of 10 bouts in the dual, and received its bonus point victories in five consecutive matches from 157 to 197 pounds. With the win, Mizzou improves to 8-0 on the season and 2-0 in conference duals. In Mizzou's eight wins in dual competition this season, it has outscored the opposition, 298-52. The 8-0 start is the eighth time Mizzou has begun its season with eight victories under head coach Brian Smith, and the ninth 8-0 start overall in program history. NOTABLE TIGERS Three Tigers, redshirt junior 174-pounder Daniel Lewis (Blue Springs, Mo.), redshirt freshman 184-pounder Canten Marriott (Excelsior Springs, Mo.) and redshirt senior 197-pounder Willie Miklus (Altoona, Iowa), scored falls in the dual, while redshirt sophomore 165-pounder Connor Flynn (Dardenne Prairie, Mo.) scored a technical fall and redshirt senior 157-pounder Joey Lavallee (Reno, Nev.) earned a major decision. Lewis need just 55 seconds to pin against Austin Reese, as the two-time All-American quickly got the Ohio wrestler to the ground with a takedown 18 seconds into the match, and then recorded the fall soon after. The pin was Lewis' team-leading seventh of the season, and 26th of his career. The Tiger junior now needs just one more fall to enter the top-10 list for career falls in program history. Marriott showed resiliency to score his six points, as the Tiger freshman gave up the first two takedowns in the match, but fought back to take the lead in the third period and, and then put Dontae McGee on his back for the first fall of his career. At 197 pounds, Miklus led 13-1 over Aaron Naples in the third period when he pinned the Ohio wrestler for his fourth fall of the season and the 26th of his career. Like Lewis, Miklus is now just one pin away from joining the top-10 for career falls in program history. At 133 pounds, redshirt junior 133-pounder John Erneste (Kansas City, Mo.) posted his fourth win over a ranked opponent this season, defeating No. 14-ranked Cameron Kelly, 9-6. With the victory, Erneste improves to 11-1 on the season and 7-1 in duals, with all four of his ranked wins coming against top-15 ranked wrestlers. QUOTABLES Mizzou Head Coach Brian Smith On the long grind of the wrestling season… "That's the great thing about these long season's that college wrestling gives to you – you can find a way to get better. You go through duals where we are winning, and we are winning big, and you think 'Oh, we're really good.' But, we don't know if we're really good. We're really good against this competition, but when we face up against teams that will be out at Reno, and other top level teams in the country – that's when you really find out what you're about." On what the 8-0 start means to the team… "Nothing. We've just got to keep getting better. We want to win everything we go to – that's important – but I want to see us keep getting better. We have things to work on and to keep getting better and we have to. I won't let the team be content." Mizzou redshirt senior 197-pounder Willie Miklus On if conference duals bring any extra weight of competitiveness "No. Every single match I want to pin the guy, so that strategy never really changes. Sometimes it doesn't happen, but every conference match is important and every nonconference match is important. They're all important." UP NEXT Mizzou will next head out west to Lavallee's hometown, Reno, Nev., for the Reno Tournament of Champions on Saturday, Nov. 17. The tournament is slated to begin at 11 a.m. (CT)/9 a.m. (PT), and a live stream of the event will be available on FloWrestling for a fee. For all the latest on Mizzou Wrestling, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (MizzouWrestling). Results: 125: No. 17 Barlow McGhee (MIZ) dec. Trevor Giallambardo (OHIO): 9-3 | MIZ 3, OHIO 0 133: No. 7 John Erneste (MIZ) dec. No. 14 Cameron Kelly (OHIO): 9-6 | MIZ 6, OHIO 0 141: Alec Hagen (OHIO) dec. Nick Nasenbeny (MIZ): 3-1 | MIZ 6, OHIO 3 149: No. 12 Grant Leeth (MIZ) dec. Kade Kowalski (OHIO): 6-4 | MIZ 9, OHIO 3 157: No. 2 Joey Lavallee (MIZ) major dec. Cullen Cummings (OHIO): 14-4 | MIZ 13, OHIO 3 165: Connor Flynn (MIZ) tech. fall Nick Vestal (OHIO): 20-2 (5:00) | MIZ 18, OHIO 3 174: No. 4 Daniel Lewis (MIZ) fall Austin Reese (OHIO): 0:55 | MIZ 24, OHIO 3 184: Canten Marriott (MIZ) fall Dontae McGee (OHIO): 6:08 | MIZ 30, OHIO 3 197: No. 2 Willie Miklus (MIZ) fall Aaron Naples (OHIO): 5:23 | MIZ 36, OHIO 3 HWT: Zack Parker (OHIO) SV-1 Austin Myers (MIZ): 3-1 | MIZ 36, OHIO 3

BOONE, N.C. -- The No. 6 NC State wrestling team won nine of the 10 bouts on the day, and came away with a dominating 34-3 win at Appalachian State on Sunday. The dual started at 149 pounds, and NC State reeled off three straight wins to take a 12-0 lead. #18 Beau Donahue scored the bout's lone two takedowns and came away with a 6-3 win. #17 Hayden Hidlay was dominate in his bout at 157 pounds, up 18-4 late in the third, he scored a pin and six points for the Pack. Hidlay is now 7-0 on the season, all bonus point wins in duals. #20 Brian Hamann scored a takedown in the first and rode out his opponent the entire second period enroute to a 5-3 win at 165 pounds. After Appalachian State notched its first win of the day at 174 pounds, #3 Pete Renda scored an escape with just eight seconds left for a 3-2 win and to put the Pack up 15-3 at the break. NC State picked right up after the break winning all five bouts with two for bonus points. #7 Michael Macchiavello scored a takedown in the second and a reversal to start the third to pick up a 5-2 win at 197 pounds. At heavyweight, Malik McDonald put together a takedown and two-point near fall in the third period for a 6-1 win. The Pack's second pin of the day was by Tommy Cox at 125 pounds, just 2:20 into his match. Tariq Wilson scored an 8-2 win at 133 pounds. #2 Kevin Jack closed out the road win with a 15-3 major decision at 141 pounds. Up Next: The Wolfpack will be in road action next weekend. NC State travels to #12 Nebraska for a dual on Friday night, then will continue onto Reno for the Reno Tournament of Champions on Sunday. Results: 149: #18 Beau Donahue (NCSU) dec. Gavin Londoff; 6-3 – 3-0 157: #17 Hayden Hidlay (NCSU) fall Laken Cook; 6:29 – 9-0 165: #20 Brian Hamann (NCSU) dec. Thomas Flitz; 5-3 – 12-0 174: #20 Forrest Przybysz (APP) dec. Daniel Bullard; 10-4 – 12-3 184: #3 Pete Renda (NCSU) dec. Alan Clothier; 3-2 – 15-3 197: #7 Michael Macchiavello (NCSU) dec. Randall Diabe; 5-2 – 18-3 285: Malik McDonald (NCSU) dec. Cary Miller; 6-1 – 21-3 125: Tommy Cox (NCSU) fall De'Andre Swinson; 2:20 – 27-3 133: Tariq Wilson (NCSU) dec. Codi Russell; 8-2 – 30-3 141: #2 Kevin Jack (NCSU) major dec. Irvin Enriquez; 15-3 – 34-3