InterMat Staff

After falling behind early, the sixth-ranked Pitt-Johnstown wrestlers got three falls and three straight wins by technical fall to storm back for a 37-13 victory over Super Region I rival West Liberty (WV) University in Thursday 2017-18 home opener in the Sports Center. The Mountain Cats moved to 2-1. West Liberty got off to a quick start and ran out to a 10-0 lead with Corey Secrist's 15-7 major decision over Sam Holandez at 125 lbs., and Darius Bunch's fall at 5:18 over Noah Burkhart at 133 lbs. However, it was all Pitt-Johnstown after that. The Mountain Cats came back to win seven of the final eight bouts to pull away. At 141 lbs., fifth-ranked Chris Eddins used four back point as time was running out in the final period to secure a 10-2 major decision over Josh Ridgeway, before Falleroni pinned Tanner Sutton at 3:33 at 149 lbs. to even the match at 10. Pitt-Johnstown then recorded three consecutive technical falls. Second-ranked Cody Law gave the Mountain Cats their first lead of the night with a dominating 25-10 technical fall at 5:16 over Josh Cornell at 157 lbs. and 11th-ranked Devin Austin followed with his own technical fall at 165 lbs. Austin used a point for riding time to secure a 16-1 win over Dillon Shaw to put Pitt-Johnstown up 20-10. The Mountain Cats kept it going with a third consecutive technical fall victory. This time, second-ranked Tyler Reinhart downed Chase Morgan 24-6 at 5:00. The Hilltoppers broke the streak and cut it to 25-13 at 184 lbs. Chris Cook took advantage of a late takedown and back points for an 8-3 tie breaker win over Steve Edwards. It didn't get any closer as 12th-ranked Levi Niebauer pinned Logan Kemp at 3:47 in the 197-lb. bout, and 11th-ranked D.J. Sims recorded the Mountain Cats' third fall of the night at 4:34 over Ronnie D'Amico at 285 lbs. to set the final at 37-13. With the loss, West Liberty slipped to 0-1 to start the year. Pitt-Johnstown opens-up the PSAC portion of its schedule with a home match against Kutztown on Friday, November 17 at 7 p.m. in the Sports Center, before traveling to a conference match at East Stroudsburg on Tuesday, November 21. Results: 125 lbs. Corey Secrist (WLU) Major Decision Sam Holandez (UPJ) 15-7 4-0 WLU 133 lbs. Darius Bunch (WLU) Fall Noah Burkhart (UPJ) 5:18 10-0 WLU 141 lbs. #5 Chris Eddins (UPJ) Major Decision Josh Ridgeway (WLU) 10-2 10-4 WLU 149 lbs. Corey Falleroni (UPJ) Fall Tanner Sutton (WLU) 3:33 10-10 TIE 157 lbs. #2 Cody Law (UPJ) Technical Fall Josh Cornell (WLU) 25-10 (5:16) 15-10 UPJ 165 lbs. #11 Devin Austin (UPJ) Technical Fall Dillon Shaw (WLU) 16-1 (7:00) 20-10 UPJ 174 lbs. #2 Tyler Reinhart (UPJ) Technical Fall Chase Morgan (WLU) 24-6 (5:00) 25-10 UPJ 184 lbs. Chris Cook (WLU) Decision Steve Edwards (UPJ) 8-3 TB1 25-13 UPJ 197 lbs. #12 Levi Niebauer (UPJ) Fall Logan Kemp (WLU) 3:47 31-13 UPJ 285 lbs. #11 D.J. Sims (UPJ) Fall Ronnie D'Amico (WLU) 4:34 37-13 UPJ

Ian Gioacchini (Sr.-Kaukauna, Wis.) and P.J. Ladd (Fr.-Chilton, Wis.) both earned big wins and the Lakeland University wrestling team earned a nice dual victory, defeating Concordia University Wisconsin 28-19 at the Moose & Dona Woltzen Gymnasium Thursday night. Gioacchini and Ladd accounted for 10 points and the Muskies took advantage of three forfeit wins to defeat the Falcons for the first time since the 2013-14 season. Lakeland won in its lone home date of the season and also won a dual for the first time in 12 tries, a stretch dating back to the 2015-16 season. Gioacchini earned a key pin at 157 pounds against Miguel Betancourt, rallying back after losing a point early to win by fall in 5:10. Ladd also was in control at 174 lbs., with a takedown and near fall early on the way to a 9-0 major decision over Alex Montbriand. Lakeland also received wins at 141, 165 and 184 lbs., while both teams forfeited at 149. Concordia recorded its wins at 125, 133, 197 and 285 lbs. The Muskies' best performance in defeat came from Michael Grabe (Fr.-Midlothian, Ill.), who went the distance but lost by decision to Sam Olson by a 6-2 count in the heavyweight class. Lakeland returns to the mats Saturday when it travels to the Dan Gable Open hosted by UW-Oshkosh. Results: 125: Matthew Saldana (CUW) tech. fall over Jimmy Spencer (LU) 21-5 133: Ramiro Vasquez (CUW) wins by fall over Nate Sleik-Vidmar (LU) 2:06 141: Kurtis DeGroot (LU) win by forfeit 149: double forfeit 157: Ian Gioacchini (LU) wins by fall over Miguel Betancourt (CUW) 5:31 165: Mason Ksioszk (LU) win by forfeit 174: P.J. Ladd (LU) major dec. Alex Montbriand (CUW) 9-0 184: Mason Lind (LU) win by forfeit 197: Mitchell Slatton (CUW) tech. fall over Taylor Gilardi (LU) 17-1 at 5:10 HWT: Sam Olson (CUW) dec. Michael Grabe (LU) 6-2

WHEATON, Ill. -- The Elmhurst wrestling team kicked off its 2017-18 season with a convincing 31-16 win over Wheaton College. Elmhurst (1-0) won seven of the 10 matches en route to the 15-point victory over Wheaton (0-1). The Bluejays won the first six matches while racing out to a 27-0 lead. In a battle of two D3wrestle.com top-10 wrestlers at 125 pounds, #6 Jared Braun defeated eighth-ranked Carlos Fuentez by major decision (16-7). Anthony Munoz followed with a third-period technical fall over Sean Ferguson at 133 pounds to give Elmhurst a 9-0 lead. Jimmy McAuliffe made his collegiate debut with a third-period technical fall over Cameron Calabrese at 141 pounds. At 149 pounds, Howie Olson pinned Wheaton's Andrew Harrell just before the horn at the end of the second period (4:59) to put Elmhurst in front 20-0. John Prieto edged Wheaton's Jonavan Huggins 5-4 at 157 pounds while Gunnar Hjorth dispatched the Thunder's Owen Feenstra by major decision (16-3) at 165 pounds, locking up the dual win in the process. Wheaton got on the board at 174 pounds when Caleb O'Dell pinned Shawn Swiderek in the second period (4:32). Isaac O'Dell followed with a second-period fall over Taylor Kistulinec (3:33) at 184 pounds to make the score 27-12. Mark Miller gave the Bluejays their seventh win of the night with a 12-4 win over Tim Blickle at 197 pounds. Wheaton's Max Gierke closed the dual with an 11-2 major decision over the Bluejays' Karim Fuentes. Elmhurst hosts the University of Chicago on Tuesday, November 14. Results: 125: Jared Braun (Elmhurst) def. Carlos Fuentez (Wheaton ),16-7 major decision 133: Anthony Munoz (Elmhurst) def. Sean Ferguson (Wheaton), technical fall (6:21) 141: Jimmy McAuliffe (Elmhurst) def. Cameron Calabrese (Wheaton), technical fall (5:51) 149: Howie Olson (Elmhurst) def. Andrew Harrell (Wheaton), by fall (4:59) 157: John Prieto (Elmhurst) def. Jonavan Huggins (Wheaton), 5-4 decision 165: Gunnar Hjorth (Elmhurst) def. Owen Feenstra (Wheaton), 16-3 major decision 174: Caleb O'Dell (Wheaton) def. Shawn Swiderek (Elmhurst), by fall (4:32) 184: Isaac O'Dell (Wheaton) def. Taylor Kistulinec (Elmhurst), by fall (3:33) 197: Mark Miller (Elmhurst) def. Tim Blickle (Wheaton), 12-4 major decision 285: Max Gierke (Wheaton) def. Karim Fuentez (Elmhurst), 11-2 major decision

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- No. 1 Penn State (1-0, 0-0 B1G) opened up the 2017-18 season with a resounding 45-3 win over visiting Army West Point (0-1) in Rec Hall. Over 6,300 fans packed Rec Hall for the dual, Penn State's 36th straight Rec Hall sellout, as the Lions posted five pins in the victory. The dual began at 125 where Nittany Lion redshirt freshman Devin Schnupp (Lititz, Pa.) made his collegiate debut. Schnupp dropped a hard fought 6-4 decision to Army's Trey Chalifoux. Senior Corey Keener (Schuylkill Haven, Pa.), ranked No. 15 at 133, made his Penn State debut after transferring from Central Michigan in dazzling fashion. The graduate student pinned Army's Lane Peters at the 2:50 mark to put the Lions on top 6-3. Junior Jered Cortez (Carol Stream, Ill.) followed that up at 141 with a strong 12-6 decision over Austin Harry. Senior Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 149, put on an offensive clinic in his senior season starter. The reigning NCAA champion rolled up a 14-1 first period lead before posting a lop-sided 17-1 tech fall at the 4:13 mark. Junior Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 157, sent Penn State into intermission with a 20-6 lead with a pin. Nolf turned an early first period scramble into four near fall points by working Lucas Weiland's shoulders to the mat with his legs. He finished off the scrambling pin at the 1:07 mark to send the Lions into the break with the big lead. Sophomore Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 165, kept the Lions rolling with a 17-7 major decision over Army's Andrew Mendel. Sophomore Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.), ranked No. 2 at 174, was dominant, picking up a second period pin after rolling to a big first period lead. Hall pinned No. 19 Ben Harvey at the 4:09 mark to put the Lions up 30-3. Junior Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 1 at 184, finished off a 'if you blink you missed it' performance by pinning Army's Noah Stewart in just :26 to give the Nittany Lions a 36-3 lead. Sophomore Anthony Cassar (Rocky Hill, N.J.) made his Penn State dual meet debut at 197 and was strong in his first Rec Hall dual. Cassar picked up four takedowns on his way to a 10-3 victory over Rocco Caywood. Junior Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), ranked No. 3 at 285, closed out the dual meet with Penn State's fifth pin. Nevills owned a big lead in the third before turning Army's Bobby Heald for a fall at the 6:10 mark to give Penn State the 45-3 victory. The Nittany Lions reeled off nine straight wins after a close loss in the dual's first bout. Penn State picked up 18 bonus points off five pins, a major and a tech fall. The Nittany Lions posted a 34-4 takedown edge. Penn State is now 1-0 overall, 0-0 in the Big Ten. Army falls to 0-1. The dual was wrestled in front of a sellout crowd of 6,320. The Nittany Lions have wrestled in front of 36 straight Rec Hall sellouts and 39 of 41 overall (including three of five in the Bryce Jordan Center. The Nittany Lions will host Bucknell on Sunday at 2 p.m. in Rec Hall. Penn State continues action next weekend with a dual meet at Binghamton on Friday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. The Nittany Lions then trek to Philadelphia for the Keystone Classic on Sunday, Nov. 19, at Penn. With all home dual meets sold out, a limited number of Standing Room Only (SRO) tickets are available to select Rec Hall duals based on availability. Call 1-800-NITTANY for information or to purchase tickets. The 2017-18 Penn State wrestling season is sponsored by The Family Clothesline. Penn State Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at @pennstateWREST, on Penn State Wrestling's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennstatewrest. This is PENN STATE. WRESTLING lives here. Results: 125: Trey Chalifoux AWP dec. Devin Schnupp PSU, 6-4 / 0-3 133: #15 Corey Keener PSU pinned Lane Peters AWP, WBF (2:50) / 6-3 141: Jered Cortez PSU dec. Austin Harry AWP, 12-6 / 9-3 149: #1 Zain Retherford PSU tech fall Knox Fuller AWP, 17-1 (TF; 4:13) / 14-3 157: #1 Jason Nolf PSU pinned Lucas Weiland AWP, WBF (1:53) / 20-3 165: #1 Vincenzo Joseph PSU maj. dec. Andrew Mendel AWP, 17-7 / 24-3 174: #2 Mark Hall PSU pinned #19 Ben Harvey AWP, WBF (4:09) / 30-3 184: #1 Bo Nickal PSU pinned Noah Stewart AWP, WBF (0:26) / 36-3 197: Anthony Cassar PSU dec. Rocco Caywood AWP, 10-3 / 39-3 285: #3 Nick Nevills, PSU pinned Bobby Heald AWP, WBF (6:10) / 45-3 Attendance: 6,320 (36th straight Rec Hall sell-out; 39th of 41 including 3 of 5 in BJC) Records: Penn State 1-0, Army 0-1 Up Next for Penn State: hosts Bucknell, Sunday, Nov. 12, 2 p.m. BOUT-BY-BOUT: 125: Redshirt freshman Devin Schnupp (Lititz, Pa.) made his Penn State dual debut in front of a sold out Rec Hall crowd against Army sophomore Trey Chalifoux. Schnupp fought off an early Chalifoux shot to keep the bout scoreless at the 2:00 mark. Schnupp gave up an early stall, then got in deep on a single leg but a stalemate was called at the 1:20 mark. Chalifoux took a 2-1 lead with a quick shot and takedown at the :40 mark and the bout moved into the second period with Schnupp trailing 2-1. Schnupp chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 2-2 tie. Schnupp got in on another high single but Chalifoux forced a scramble on the Lion logo that ended in a stalemate at the 1:20 mark. Chalifoux added a second takedown with :55 on the clock and then built up a 1:08 riding time edge with a rideout, leading 4-2 after two. Chalifoux chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 5-2 lead. Schnupp notched his first takedown and cut Chalifoux loose with :25 left to cut the lead to 6-4. The Lion worked for a final takedown but Chalifoux was able to hold him off to post the 6-4 win. 133: Senior Corey Keener (Schuylkill Haven, Pa.), ranked No. 15 at 133, made his Nittany Lion debut after transferring from Central Michigan, against Army West Point's Lane Peters. After working the middle of the mat for half the period, Keener moved in for the win, catching Peters with a throw and sending him to the mat. Keener worked the hold for nearly :30 before getting the fall at the 2:50 mark, capping off a stellar Lion debut with the pin. 141: Junior Jered Cortez (Carol Stream, Ill.) took on AWP's Austin Harry at 141. Cortez was the aggressor throughout the first period, working his offense and forcing Harry to the edge of the mat. The Lion junior broke through for a takedown at the 2:00 mark to take an early 2-0 lead. Cortez then built up over :50 in riding time before Harry escaped to a 2-1 score at the 1:05 mark. Leading 2-1, Cortez chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. At the 1:10 mark and finished off the takedown to lead 5-1 with :58 on the clock. Harry escaped to a 5-2 score and Cortez went back to work in the center of the mat. Trailing 5-2, Harry chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 5-3 score. Cortez worked his way behind Harry and notched his third takedown to lead 7-4. He quickly cut Harry loose and took him down at the 1:06 mark to up his lead to 9-4 with 1:16 in riding time. Cortez cut Harry loose with :47 left and began working for bonus points. He blew through a high double with :36 on the clock to lead 11-5 with :36 on the clock. Cortez cut Harry loose once more but Harry fought off Cortez's offense and the Lion junior posted the 12-6 decision with 1:46 in riding time. 149: Senior Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 149, battled Knox Fuller. Retherford quickly took Fuller down to lead 2-0 early. He cut the Knight loose and immediately took him down again to lead 4-1. Retherford then worked top control into over 1:00 in riding time before turning him for four near fall points and an 8-1 lead. He turned Fuller again with :55 on the clock, picked up the four count to lead 12-1 with :30 left before a stalemate forced a reset in the middle of the mat. Retherford added a two point nearfall and led 14-1 after one period. Retherford chose down to start the second period. He escaped to a 15-1 lead with 1:30 on the clock and then ended the match with a takedown to post the 17-1 technical fall at the 4:13 mark. 157: Junior Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 157, faced off against Army's Lucas Weiland. Nolf quickly took Weiland down and two his back for a takedown and two near fall points. He then notched a second takedown, catching Weiland's shoulders between his legs for a four point nearfall. Nolf's move continued and the Lion finished off the dazzling pin at the 1:53 mark. 165: Sophomore Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 165, took on Black Knight Andrew Mendel. Mendel took Joseph down for an early 2-0 lead before the Lion escaped to a 2-1 score at the 2:00 mark. Joseph took the lead with a fast takedown shortly after his escape and then cut the Army senior loose to a 3-3 tie. Joseph fought off a quick Mendel shot, countered with a low single and finished off the takedown at the edge of the mat to lead 5-3 with :30 left. Joseph rode Mendel out to lead 5-3 after the opening period. Joseph chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 6-3 lead. He then worked his way behind Mendel and added another takedown to lead 8-3. Mendel escaped but Joseph continued to pour on the offense, adding a takedown and rideout with :15 left to lead 10-4 with :59 in time after two periods. Mendel chose down to start the third period and Joseph cut him loose to a 10-5 score. He added two more takedowns and cemented his riding time edge. Joseph added a third takedown with :10 on the clock and rolled to a 17-7 major with 2:00 in riding time. 174: Sophomore Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.), ranked No. 2 at 174, faced off against No. 19 Ben Harvey in the dual's marquee match-up. Hall notched the first takedown early in the first period and then put together a strong ride. The Lion sophomore controlled the ranked Knight for :49 before cutting him loose to a 2-1 lead. Hall scrambled his way to a takedown on the edge of the mat, upping his lead to 4-1 with 1:26 on the clock. Hall controlled the action from the top, working his riding time up over 1:00 before Harvey escaped to a 4-2 score. Hall used a high single to pick up his third takedown and, with a rideout, led 6-2 with 1:54 in time after one period. Hall chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 7-2 lead. He countered a slight Harvey shot and picked up another takedown to lead 9-3 after cutting the Knight loose on the reset. Hall worked himself into control of Harvey's shoulders, turned the Knight to his back for the fall at the 4:09 mark. 184: Junior Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 1 at 184, met sophomore Noah Stewart. Nickal wasted no time in ending the match. He gained control of Stewart's shoulders from the standing position and quickly tossed him to his back for a fast fall at the 0:26 mark. 197: Sophomore Anthony Cassar (Rocky Hill, N.J.) made his Penn State debut at 197, facing off against Army junior Rocco Caywood. Cassar controlled the action for the bulk of the first period and his offense paid off with a takedown at the :30 mark. Caywood escaped to a 2-1 score as the first period ended. Cassar chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. The duo battled evenly for the next minute before Cassar countered a Caywood shot for his second takedown. He finished off a short rideout and led 5-1 after two periods. Caywood chose down to start the final period and escaped to a 5-2 score. Cassar worked a high single into a scramble and another takedown to lead 7-2 with :55 on the clock. He built his riding time up over 1:00 and then cut Caywood loose with :20 on the clock. He picked up a final takedown as the period ended and, with 1:22 in riding time, posted a strong 10-3 decision over Caywood. 285: Junior Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), ranked No. 3 at 285, met freshman Bobby Heald. Nevills scored early, taking Heald down just over :30 into the bout to lead 2-0. He built up nearly 1:00 in time before cutting Heald loose to a 2-1 score. The Lion All-American tacked on a second takedown with :55 left in the period and worked action from the top position until cutting the Knight loose at the :30 mark. Nevills quickly added a third takedown and led 6-2 with 1:44 in time after one period. Nevills chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 7-2 lead. He tacked on one more takedown and then slipped on another attempt, allowing Heald to notch a takedown to cut the lead to 9-5. Nevills quickly reversed Heald and led 11-6 with 1:27 in time as the second period wound down. Trailing 11-6, Heald chose down to start the third period and escaped to an 11-7 score. Nevills picked up another takedown to lead 13-8 after cutting Heald loose with 1:01 left in the match. He turned a low single into a cradle and finished off the dual with a pin at the 6:10 mark.

Logan Massa has gone 3-0 against Anthony Valencia over the last two seasons (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) No. 3 Michigan and No. 13 Arizona State kick off their dual meet season on Friday with a match at Detroit Catholic Central High School in Novi, Mich. Three Wolverine starters, Malik Amine, Myles Amine and Kevin Beazley, spent their high school years wrestling at DCC. The dual will feature 13 ranked wrestlers and three matchups of top-ten wrestlers. The following is a weight-by-weight preview of the dual meet. The lineups are a prediction of each team's best squad. 125: No. 7 Ryan Millhof (Arizona State) vs. Austin Assad (Michigan) Following a seventh-place finish at the 2016 NCAA tournament, Millhof decided to transfer from Oklahoma to Arizona State. He redshirted last season and only competed in the Edinboro Open where he won three matches before defaulting out of a finals match against Barlow McGhee (Missouri). So far this season, Millhof has wrestled only one match. He defeated Liam Cronin (Indiana) via 17-0 tech. fall. Assad went 8-5 last year as a redshirt freshman. Five of those eight wins came at the Eastern Michigan Open where he won first place. At the Cliff Keen Invitational, Assad dropped an 11-6 decision against Joshua Kramer, who just lost to Millhof at the ASU wrestle-offs via major. Millhof has an edge in the experience department, and he does hold wins over the likes of returning NCAA champion No.4 Darian Cruz (Lehigh). However, Assad is a solid wrestler, who has proven to be a tough out in the past. Prediction: Millhof (Arizona State) dec. Assad (Michigan) 133: Ali Naser (Arizona State) vs. No. 2 Stevan Micic (Michigan) Naser has shown flashes of brilliance during his career. However, most of those moments have come in freestyle where he has picked up wins over Olympic medalist Coleman Scott and No.1 (at 125) Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State). He recently went 5-1 with two bonus-point victories at the Michigan State Open to finish third. His only loss came in a one-point match against Ben Thornton (Purdue). Last season Micic finished third at the Big Ten Championships and fourth at the NCAA Championships. Of his seven losses on the season, five came against NCAA champions Cory Clark (Iowa) and Tomasello, neither of which will be back at 133 pounds this season. Micic is the clear favorite in this match even though Naser has been known to pull an upset. The Wolverine wrestler scored bonus points in 53 percent of his matches last year. However, Naser has only given up bonus points twice during his time at ASU. He will be looking to keep it close for the dual, but that will be a tough task. Prediction: Micic (Michigan) maj. dec. Naser (Arizona State) 141: Nicholas Villarreal (Arizona State) vs. Salvatore Profaci (Michigan) Villarreal started last season for the Sun Devils. He finished 8-12 and went 1-2 at the Pac 12 Championships. Profaci also took some lumps last year. He ended up finishing 14-17 on the season, but he did qualify for the NCAA tournament. His best wins came over Randy Cruz (Lehigh) and No. 9 Jared Prince (Navy). These two just wrestled last weekend at the Michigan State Open. Profaci defeated Villarreal 7-2. He shouldn't have an issue duplicating that result here. Prediction: Profaci (Michigan) dec. Villarreal (Arizona State) 149: No. 13 Josh Maruca (Arizona State) vs. Malik Amine (Michigan) Last season Maruca qualified for the NCAA tournament by winning the Pac-12 Championship. He finished 2-2 and failed to place, but he did score a signature upset over Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State). Amine started his last season by going 10-1 at the Cleveland State Open and the Purple Raider Open. He filled as a started in duals after Christmas and went 2-4 with wins over Shayne Oster (Northwestern) and Laike Gardner (Lehigh) Maruca has a chance to break through this season and earn All-American status. He should be the favorite in this match. Prediction: Maruca (Arizona State) dec. Amine (Michigan) 157: No. 12 Josh Shields (Arizona State) vs. No. 7 Alec Pantaleo (Michigan) Shields recently defeated former NCAA champion Jason Tsirtsis in the Arizona State wrestle-offs. Last season he finished third at Midlands, won the Pac-12 and qualified for the NCAA tournament. Already this season, he has defeated No. 13 Colin Heffernan (Central Michigan). After finishing sixth the 2016 NCAA Championships at 149 pounds, Pantaleo took a redshirt season last year. During the freestyle season, he placed fifth at 70 kilograms at the U.S. Open with wins over Jason Welch and Jason Chamberlain. Pantaleo is the more accomplished wrestler, but he is moving up a weight class this season. He is the favorite in this bout, but Shields is certainly a tough customer. Prediction: Pantaleo (Michigan) dec. Shields (Arizona State) 165: No. 6 Anthony Valencia (Arizona State) vs. No. 3 Logan Massa (Michigan) Last season Valencia won the Pac-12 Championships at 165 pounds and entered the NCAA tournament as the seventh seed. He ended up going 2-2 and missing out on All-American status. Last summer, he finished fourth at the U.S. Open in freestyle at 74 kilograms, and he scored a win over No. 11 Chance Marsteller (Lock Haven). Massa ended his last season on a winning note with a victory over Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) to finished third at the NCAA Championships. He went 32-3 on the season with his only losses coming against No. 2 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) and No. 1 Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State). These two wrestlers already have an extensive history. Massa has won all three meetings. They met twice last year with the Michigan wrestler scoring a pair of major decisions. Last week, Mass defeated Valencia 6-0 at the Michigan State Open. Prediction: Massa (Michigan) dec. Valencia (Arizona State) 174: No. 1 Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) vs. No. 4 Myles Amine (Michigan) Valencia started his season with a victory over No. 2 Mark Hall (Penn State) at the NWCA All-Star Classic. Last season Hall was the only man to defeat Valencia as he knocked him out of the NCAA tournament. The Sun Devil went on the finish third. During the summer, Valencia won a silver medal at the Junior World Championships and was part of the first U.S. team to take home the title since 1984. Amine had a great run through the NCAA tournament last year and ended up finishing fourth. He went 5-2 in the tournament with both of his losses coming against Valencia. At the tournament, he picked up wins over Ryan Preisch (Lehigh), Ethan Ramos (North Carolina) and Brian Realbuto (Cornell). In addition to a pair of wins at the NCAA tournament, Valencia also defeated Amine at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite. After defeating Hall, he will want to keep that momentum going here with another victory. Prediction: Valencia (Arizona State) dec. Amine (Michigan) 184: Kordell Norfleet (Arizona State) vs. No. 5 Domenic Abounader (Michigan) At this point, Norfleet might still end up redshirting his freshman season. He was part of Arizona State's eighth ranked recruiting class, and he was the No. 49 recruit coming out of high school last season. He picked up a pair of Illinois state titles his junior and senior seasons and went 77-1 over the stretch. After three trips to the NCAA Championships, Abounader is looking to finally become an All-American in his senior season. He is coming off a redshirt year after suffering an injury early in the season. So far this year, he went 4-0 at the Michigan State Open and defeated No. 9 Jordan Ellingwood (Central Michigan). Whoever Arizona State chooses to send out will have a tough time against Abounader. This will almost certainly be a one-sided match. Prediction: Abounader (Michigan) tech. fall Norfleet (Arizona State) 197: Cade Belshay (Arizona State) vs. No. 6 Kevin Beazley (Michigan) Belshay is another freshman who might end up redshirting. He signed with Arizona State over the summer after a coaching change at the Pennsylvania. Last season he won the 220-pound CIF championship for Buchanan High School. Beazley is a graduate transfer from Old Dominion. He is a two-time NCAA qualifier and finished eighth last year to become an All-American for the first time. At ODU, he went 103-52 with 53 bonus-point wins. This is another matchup that heavily favors Michigan. Beazley has a vast experience edge that should carry him to a victory. Prediction: Beazley (Michigan) maj. dec. Belshay (Arizona State) 285: No. 4 Tanner Hall (Arizona State) vs. No. 2 Adam Coon (Michigan) Hall entered last year's NCAA tournament as the seventh seed and ended up finishing third. Along the way, picked up upsets over Jacob Kasper (Duke) and Ty Walz (Virginia Tech). He recently competed at the NWCA All-Star Classic and dropped a decision against Nick Nevills (Penn State), Coon finished third at the 2016 NCAA Championships and then reached the finals of the U.S. Olympic Trials in Greco. Prior to the season last year he suffered an injury and ending up redshirting the season. Now he is back and the clear top contender to challenge the dominance of multiple-time champion Kyle Snyder (Ohio State). Surprisingly these two have never wrestled. Hall is an above average athlete for heavyweight, but Coon will have a meaningful size and strength advantage in this bout. Coon already dominated his way through four matches at the Michigan State Open, so rust will likely not be an issue. Prediction: Coon (Michigan) dec. Hall (Arizona State) Dual Meet Prediction: Michigan 25, Arizona State 9

The college wrestling season is now underway! This week, Takedown TV covers the big stories from the big events of the past weekend, including … NWCA All-Star Classic recap and interviews Rutgers vs Maryland recap from High Points Solutions Stadium in New Jersey Missouri edges Illinois at Mizzou's first outdoor dual Virginia Tech's bonus points make the difference in dual against Stanford Iowa State University wrestling media day highlights Remembering Dave Schultz Watch online or on these cable networks/channels: Cablevision: Sundays at 4 p.m. Charter Cable: Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Friday 11:30 p.m. and Monday 2:30 p.m. Comcast Cable: Friday at 5 p.m. Cox Cable: Sunday 9:30 a.m. Fight Network HD: Sundays at 4 p.m. KCWI 23: Saturday 4 p.m. KWEM Stillwater, Oklahoma: Tuesday 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Long Lines Cable: daily at 5:30 p.m. Mediacom Cable: Sundays at 10:30 a.m. MidCo Sports Network: Saturday 10 a.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m. SECV8: Friday at 5 p.m. Suddenlink Cable: Check your local listings. Multiple air times. Time Warner Cable Sports: Saturday at 12 p.m. Western Reserve Cable: Tuesday at 11 p.m., Friday at 5:30 p.m., Saturday at 10 p.m.

It's difficult to beat the intensity, atmosphere and electricity of a high-stakes college wrestling dual meet. There is no better place to be on a cold, winter night than inside a raucous Carver-Hawkeye Arena, a sold-out Rec Hall or a jam-packed Gallagher-Iba Arena. There are plenty of great places around the country to watch wrestling, and this year will be no exception with a number of elite teams set to square off during the 2017-18 campaign. Here is my list of the 10 most anticipated dual meets that I am looking forward to watching during the upcoming college season: 10. Arizona State at Ohio State Date: Sunday, Nov. 12 Former U.S. National Coach Zeke Jones, as expected, is building a strong program at Arizona State. His Sun Devils, led by studs Zahid and Anthony Valencia, will receive a tough early test against the second-ranked Buckeyes. Two-time NCAA champ Kyle Snyder of Ohio State and returning third-place finisher Tanner Hall of ASU could meet at heavyweight. Another top matchup is No. 2 Bo Jordan of OSU and No. 3 Zahid Valencia of ASU at 174 pounds. 9. Lehigh at Cornell Date: Friday, Jan. 19 This is one of the most storied, and best, wrestling rivalries in the sport. It features a pair of successful programs with rich traditions. Both programs remain very strong and that will be the case again this year. These matches have produced excellent crowds and high-level drama over several decades. Lehigh is led by returning national champion Darian Cruz at 125. 8. Iowa at Ohio State Date: Sunday, Jan. 21 The Hawkeyes and Buckeyes have had some excellent battles in recent years and a huge crowd is expected when perennial power Iowa rolls into Columbus. A key matchup to watch could be All-Americans Brandon Sorensen of Iowa and Micah Jordan of OSU at 149. Oklahoma State hosts Missouri at Gallagher-Iba Arena on Jan. 27 (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) 7. Missouri at Oklahoma State Date: Saturday, Jan. 27 These former Big 12 rivals both started the season ranked in the top five nationally. Oklahoma State has been good forever. Missouri has sustained a very high level after Brian Smith totally rebuilt the Tigers program. Missouri lost three-time NCAA champion J'den Cox, but the Tigers are still very good. They will receive a tough road test against an excellent Oklahoma State team. 6. Ohio State at Michigan Date: Sunday, Feb. 11 There are typically tons of great Big Ten dual meets every year, but this year may top them all. Ohio State-Michigan is much more than just a football rivalry. Now wrestling will take center stage this winter with two highly ranked programs set to battle. The heavyweight battle could be intriguing with No. 1 Kyle Snyder of OSU and No. 2 Adam Coon of Michigan squaring off. 5. Oklahoma State at Iowa Date: Sunday, Jan. 14 This is always an important dual when the two winningest wrestling programs in collegiate history square off. Even though they are in different conferences, and the teams don't appear to be quite as strong this season, this is still one of the best rivalries in the sport. The Hawkeyes could build some post-Christmas momentum with a big win here. 4. Penn State at Michigan Date: Friday, Jan. 12 There are a lot of Penn State meets on here, but the Nittany Lions are really good and they have a great schedule. This is potentially the best Michigan team in many years and Ann Arbor should be rocking for what promises to be an exciting Big Ten dual meet. The Wolverines have a very strong lineup. We will see just how strong against the best team in the country. 3. Augsburg at Wartburg Date: Thursday, Feb. 1 The battle of the 'Burgs features a pair of wrestling powerhouses that have dominated the NCAA Division III level over the last three decades. The quality of the wrestling typically is excellent with a number of athletes who are Division I caliber competing at a level that doesn't offer athletic scholarships. This dual is so big the New York Times showed up to profile it in recent years. 2. Iowa at Penn State Date: Saturday, Feb. 10 The Hawkeyes, hit hard by losses from a strong senior class from last year, are going to be better than most people think. We will find out just how good when they wrestle in front of 15,000 fans against the loaded Nittany Lions. This may be the most attended match of the year and it is a match that you don't want to miss. Mark Hall and Bo Jordan are expected to meet on Feb. 3 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 1.Ohio State at Penn State Date: Saturday, Feb. 3 This should be an excellent dual meet with great matchups up and down the lineup between teams ranked 1-2 nationally in the preseason. Both teams are experienced and talented, and this shapes up to be the best dual meet of the season. It will also set the stage for the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments. Among the best potential matchups is No. 1 Mark Hall of PSU vs. No. 2 Bo Jordan of OSU at 174.

Zach Elam after winning a Fargo freestyle title (Photo/Jim Thrall) Zach Elam (Staley, Mo.), who enters the 2017-18 high school season ranked No. 3 nationally at 220 pounds, announced that he's headed to the University of Missouri. The announcement was made at Staley High School's college announcement program on Wednesday morning, which was streamed by MissouriWrestling.com. Elam chose Missouri over Oklahoma State and Oklahoma. Currently ranked No. 50 overall in the Class of 2018, the projected 285-pound wrestler in college has a pair of high school state titles, along with a third place finish at the NHSCA Junior Nationals and a runner-up finish in Junior folkstyle to go with that Junior National freestyle title.

Mason Parris is the nation's top-ranked 220-pounder (Photo/Paul Tincher, IndianaMat) With the major preseason tournaments all but done, and official scholastic season practices either having started already or about to start, it is now time for the presentation of the preseason national high school weight class rankings. The top 20 wrestlers in each weight class are recognized, with the most elite wrestler named as the No. 1 wrestler in the country. To start the 2017-18 season, here are the top ranked wrestlers in each weight class. 106 pounds: Jacob Decatur (CVCA, Ohio) The junior finished last season ranked No. 6 nationally at 106 pounds after winning his first state title. Decatur went 38-2, while giving up less than five takedowns (if that many) during those 40 matches. Both losses came against Cadet World team member Julian Tagg in December, 3-2 in the ultimate tiebreaker in the Walsh Ironman quarters and 3-2 in the semifinals at Brecksville; Decatur had the lone takedown scored within those two matches. 113 pounds: Kurt McHenry (St. Paul's, Md.) The junior is a two-time Cadet World champion, having won titles at 42 and 46 kilograms the last two summers. He was third at National Preps in his freshman campaign as a rather undersized 106 pound wrestler, while last season he did not compete at the National Prep tournament. The highlight match of 2016-17 for him was a decisive 4-2 decision victory over fellow Cadet World team member Julian Tagg in the Beast of the East final. 120 pounds: Adam Busiello (Eastport-South Manor, N.Y.) The junior is now a three-time Super 32 Challenge champion and a three-time state champion (includes a state title at 99 pounds in eighth grade). Busiello finished his freshman season as the nation's No. 1 ranked wrestler at 106 pounds, while ending this past season No. 12 in this weight class. 126 pounds: Patrick Glory (Delbarton, N.J.) The senior verbal commit to Princeton ended last season ranked No. 1 in the nation at 120 pounds after winning his first state title, was runner-up the previous two seasons. This summer Glory finished third in Junior freestyle at 120 pounds, while last month he earned a win over Gavin Teasdale in the Who's Number One showcase event. 132 pounds: Joey Silva (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) When it comes to folkstyle productivity, this Michigan commit is unmatched for this year's pool of wrestlers. Four state titles (including one at 106 pounds as an eighth grader), three NHSCA grade level titles, and three Super 32 Challenge titles. 138 pounds: Jacori Teemer (Long Beach, N.Y.) Three-time state champion Teemer made a profound leap this spring when he dominated fellow national No. 1 Sammy Sasso to win the Cadet World team spot at 63 kilograms. The Arizona State commit would go on to win a bronze medal at the World Championships in Greece. Other 2016-17 resume highlights included a third-place finish at the Super 32 Challenge (Silva won the weight class), a NHSCA Junior Nationals title, and a FloNationals title. 145 pounds: Sammy Sasso (Nazareth, Pa.) This Ohio State commit had a perfectly clean junior season in 2016-17. Highlights included a Super 32 Challenge title, an undefeated state championship that included tournament championships at the Ironman and Beast of the East, along with a FloNationals title (a repeat in that event). 152 pounds: Brayton Lee (Brownsburg, Ind.) This two-time state champion enters his senior season with a career record of 130-1, including 89 straight wins. His lone high school loss came by fall in the semi-state quarterfinals as a freshman, which due to the asinine state series structure in Indiana precluded him from state tournament qualification. Subsequently, Lee's offseason resume includes a pair of third place finishes in Fargo freestyle (2015 Cadet, 2017 Junior) and a pair of Super 32 Challenge placements (5th in 2015, 3rd in 2016). 160 pounds: David Carr (Massillon Perry, Ohio) The Iowa State commit has already won four state titles, which includes one in eighth grade over Trae Blackwell while competing in Kentucky; the last two have also come in high profile state finals bouts against defending state champions, beating Dominick Demas as a sophomore and Jaden Mattox this past season. Carr is also a 2015 Super 32 Challenge champion, a 2015 Walsh Ironman champion, a 2016 Cadet World bronze medalist, and a Junior National freestyle champion this summer. 170 pounds: Patrick Kennedy (Kasson-Mantorville, Minn.) The lone wrestler that is not a junior or senior among those ranked No. 1 nationally is this sophomore from Minnesota, who won a state title this past season and was third at both the UWW Cadet Nationals and Cadet Nationals in freestyle this past offseason. Catalyzing his leap to the top of this weight class is a Sunday at the Super 32 Challenge where he beat wrestlers ranked 6th, 2nd, and 7th in succession on the way to a championship. 182 pounds: Travis Wittlake (Marshfield, Ore.) A 2016 Cadet World bronze medalist at 76 kilograms, this Oklahoma State commit was a repeat UWW Cadet National freestyle champion in June. However, injury would preclude him from competing in Greece, and subsequently domestic runner-up Aaron Brooks would go on to win the gold medal. Wittlake is also a three-time state champion and five-time Cadet National champion (two folkstyle titles, two Greco titles, and 2016 freestyle title). 195 pounds: Gavin Hoffman (Montoursville, Pa.) The two-time state champion is also a two-time Super 32 placer (2016 runner-up), two-time FloNationals placer (2017 champion), three-time NHSCA grade level chamion, and a two-time Cadet freestyle All-American (2016 runner-up). Hoffman was a Cadet world bronze medalist this summer at 85 kilograms, and the Ohio State commit upended Michael Beard at the Who's Number one showcase to propel into this top position. 220 pounds: Mason Parris (Lawrenceburg, Ind.) The two-time state champion, with both titles coming in this weight class, has a career record of 159-1 (including 106 consecutive wins). The Michigan commit was a FloNationals champion this past spring, and passed up on many "power five" division I football offers as a linebacker to wrestle collegiately; he was a three-star recruit and a top ten overall player in Indiana's football Class of 2018. 285 pounds: Gable Steveson (Apple Valley, Minn.) The nation's top overall wrestler without any argument is a three-time state champion, and was a state runner-up in eighth grade. He has won world-level titles in freestyle each of the past three summers. In 2015 and 2016, he won Cadet titles at 100 kilograms, while this year it was a Junior title at 125 kilograms. It should be noted Steveson was in his first year of Junior eligibility, and was still eligible to compete at Cadet Worlds in terms of age. Wrestlers ranked by state (high school attending), 37 states in all: 34: Pennsylvania 32: New Jersey 26: Ohio 24: California 19: Illinois 15: Iowa, Missouri 12: New York 11: Minnesota 9: Colorado, Wisconsin 8: Michigan 7: Florida, Indiana, Oklahoma 5: Maryland 4: Georgia 3: Utah, Texas, Washington 2: Arizona, Idaho, Kentucky, Nebraska, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virgnia 1: Alabama, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Virginia

Blair Academy coaches at the Walsh Ironman (Photo/Sam Janicki) We're into the second week of November. The preseason national high school tournaments are done. The official start to the high school wrestling season -- at least practice -- in some states has already happened, while in other states it's right on the brink. With that being the case, it's time for the initial national rankings of the 2017-18 season, both in terms of teams and weight classes. There is no change at the top of the team rankings for the start of the 2017-18 season. Champions last year wire-to-wire, Blair Academy (N.J.), will also start this season as the No. 1 team. The Buccaneers seek to win a sixth national title in seven seasons. They are anchored by a national high for any team eight wrestlers in the weight class rankngs, led by No. 3 Julian Ramirez (170). Also ranked are Trevor Mastrogiovanni (113) and Andrew Merola (160) at No. 4, Chris Cannon (126) is No. 5 in his weight class, Ryan Miller (106) and Malcolm Robinson (145) start the season at No. 7, Michael Colaiocco (120) is ranked No. 8, and Leonardo Tarantino (182) rounds it out at No. 14. Ranked second to start the season is Wyoming Seminary (Pa.), which was able to muster a dual meet victory over Blair Academy during the course of last season. However, they finished No. 8 in the Fab50 most notably due to a sub-standard performance at the Walsh Ironman. This year's edition of the Blue Knights features six nationally ranked wrestlers, which is joint second in terms of most ranked wrestlers on a team. Super 32 runner-up Beau Bartlett (126) leads the way at No. 3 in the rankings, while No. 6 Jack Davis (138) and No. 10 Carson Manville (132) find themselves in the top ten; also ranked are No. 15 Drew Munch/Zeke Escalera (113), No. 17 Jake Hendricks (170), and No. 18 Austin Cooley (195). Third to start the season is Buchanan (Calif.), which ended last season ranked No. 2 in the country after a season that concluded with a record-setting performance at the California state tournament. The vast majority of that squad returns, and five Bears will start the season inside the national rankings, though No. 10 Ethan Leake (126) is the highest ranked wrestler of that group. Others within the rankings are No. 11 Anthony Montalvo (182), Matthew Olguin (138) and Brett Villarreal (145) at No. 14, and No. 15 Joel Romero (160). The newbie to the top ten is Montini Catholic (Ill.), sitting at No. 4 to start the season with four nationally ranked wrestlers. While the Broncos have finished all seven seasons of the Fab50's existence as a ranked team, their high-water mark was No. 12 in 2013, the start of a three-year stretch of top 20 finishes. The 2016-17 team finished as the No. 24 team nationally. Anchoring this team is three top five wrestlers at their weight class: No. 2 Will Lewan (152), No. 4 Real Woods (132), and No. 5 Joey Melendez (120); while No. 16 Fidel Mayora (138) is also ranked. National champions in 2014-15, St. Paris Graham (Ohio) starts the season ranked No. 5 nationally with five nationally ranked wrestlers of their own. The Falcons have won seventeen straight state titles in Ohio's medium-school division. Four wrestlers ranked inside the top ten anchor the squad: No. 2 Mitch Moore (145), No. 5 Rocky Jordan (170), No. 6 Ryan Thomas (160), and No. 9 Jordan Crace (126); while also ranked is No. 19 J.D. Stickley (138). Sixth nationally is Bergen Catholic (N.J.), who feature six wrestlers in the individual rankings, joint second most with Wyoming Seminary. The Crusaders have been ranked as New Jersey's top team in six consecutive seasons, and are strongly favored to make it seven in a row. Anchoring the squad are three previous Super 32 finalists: No. 3 Shane Griffith (160), No. 4 Robert Howard (113), and No. 7 Chris Foca (170); while also ranked are No. 9 Nick Kayal (106), No. 10 Josh McKenzie (220), and No. 17 Gerard Angelo (152). Rounding out the top ten are three teams that were all ranked in the top six nationally last year -- Malvern Prep (Pa.), Lake Highland Prep (Fla.), and St. Edward (Ohio) -- and then Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.). Anchoring the rankings are seven teams each from Pennsylvania and Ohio. The top two Keystone State teams are National Prep participants Wyoming Seminary and Malvern Prep, while the next two are District XI powers Bethlehem Catholic and Nazareth; round that group out are Kiski Area out of the WPIAL, Erie Cathedral Prep from the northwest (District 10), and Northampton also out of District XI. Ohio teams are led by perennial anchors St. Paris Graham and St. Edward. Fellow ranked teams Brecksville and Elyria will exit the same big-school district tournament as the Eagles, who have won 19 of 21 state titles; Cincinnati LaSalle is a big-school team out of southwest Ohio; while Wadsworth and Massillon Perry are also big-school teams, but exit the all-Northeast district tournament. It's an extremely strong year for power teams in the state of California, as six teams appear in the preseason rankings. Clovis and Selma join Buchanan as squads that exit the Central Section masters tournament, with Buchanan and Clovis perennial arch-rivals; Poway is out of San Diego, Gilroy is out of the San Joaquin section, while St. John Bosco is out of the southern section (Los Angeles metro area). Four teams from New Jersey are ranked. Blair Academy obviously competes in the National Prep tournament; Bergen Catholic and Delbarton both compete for the Non-Public Class A title in the NJSIAA, with Howell in one of the public classification, though all three compete together in a single-class individual state tournament. Five states have three nationally ranked teams: Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and Oklahoma; in the case of Iowa and Missouri, all three ranked teams compete in the big-school classification. A pair of ranked teams are from Illinois and Indiana, while seven other states have a ranked team.

Travis Wittlake defeated Aaron Brooks in the UWW Cadet National freestyle finals (Photo/Sam Janicki) 2016 Cadet World medalist Travis Wittlake (Marshfield, Ore.) announced a change in collegiate wrestling plans on Tuesday evening, switching his commitment from Penn State to Oklahoma State. The No. 3 overall wrestler in the Class of 2018 is the initial top 100 commit for the Cowboys in this class; last year's class for Oklahoma State was ranked eleventh, headlined by Junior world champion Daton Fix. In addition to his Cadet World bronze medal in 2016, Wittlake repeated as UWW Cadet National champion this spring at 76 kilograms, but injury precluded him from competing at the World Championships in Greece. His replacement, Aaron Brooks, would win a gold medal in that tournament. Wittlake is also a three-time state champion and five-time Cadet National champion (2015 and 2016 in folkstyle and Greco-Roman, 2016 in freestyle). He projects to compete collegiate as a 174/184, and starts the 2017-18 season ranked No. 1 nationally at 182.

Cornell's Cam Simaz gets his hand raised after winning the NCAA title at 197 pounds (Photo/Larry Slater) Four former wrestlers have been named to the Class of 2018 of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) Hall of Fame, the conference announced Monday. This year's honorees are Matt Feast of the University of Pennsylvania, John Harmon and Joe Peritore of Lehigh University, and Cam Simaz of Cornell University. Matt Feast, Penn Class of 2005 Matt Feast was the University of Pennsylvania's first three-time wrestling NCAA All-American. The Cressona, Pa. native was a three-time EIWA heavyweight champion for three consecutive years. As a Quaker, Feast won 118 matches, and was team captain his junior and senior year. Off the mat, Feast was named to the national All-Academic team three times by the National Wrestling Coaches Association, as well as Academic All-Ivy accolades three times. As a senior he received the University's Class of 1915 award which is given annually to the male senior who most closely approaches the ideal Penn student-athlete and who has shown outstanding athletic, academic and leadership qualities. Since receiving his degree from Penn, Feast has worked in commercial real estate finance. John Harmon, Lehigh Class of 1959 For many East Coast college wrestling followers over the last 25-plus years, John J. Harmon was recognized as "Mr. EIWA Wrestling" for his coverage of the sport. Harmon served as a play-by-play wrestling announcer for a Bethlehem. Pa. radio station in the 1970s. He was named editor of the National Mat News in 1983 which he ran for seven years. In 1990 Harmon founded the EIWA Newsletter, which was recognized as the Wrestling Publication of the Year in 2001. He published the newsletter regularly for the next 25 years as a detailed source of information for fans regarding all EIWA schools. He was also the de facto EIWA Sports Information Director from 1990-2015. In 1996 Harmon and Jay Hammond collaborated to publish the second and third editions of the History of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, OK named Harmon to their Board of Governors in 1996. He served on their Board for 17 years and was one of the original major contributors to an endowment fund created by the Hall of Fame in 2007. Harmon was an inductee and recipient of the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, New Jersey chapter, of which he was co-founder and treasurer. Harmon received the 2012 Bob Dellinger Wrestling Writer of the Year award, presented annually by the Amateur Wrestling News to the country's top wrestling journalist. He passed away in September 2017. Joe Peritore, Lehigh Class of 1967 Joe Peritore was a member of Lehigh's "Terrific Trio" - joining Mike Caruso and Billy Stewart - as lead-off wrestlers. The Cleveland area native was a two-time EIWA conference champion and a three-time NCAA All-American, making it to the finals at the Nationals twice at 130 pounds. As a Lehigh wrestler, Peritore compiled a career record of 56-5-1. He was a key member of the Engineers mat squad that won the EIWA conference team championship his last two seasons. Peritore received his B.S. and M.S. in Industrial Engineering from Lehigh in June of 1967 and 1969, respectively. In 1980 he received a Masters degree in Management from M.I.T. His work career centered around 29 years with the Boeing Company. He currently has a V.P. position with a Seattle non-profit which provides education scholarships to impoverished students of Honduras. Cam Simaz, Cornell Class of 2012 Cameron (Cam) Simaz is the first wrestler in the storied history of the EIWA to win four individual conference championships, an NCAA title, and compete as a member of four EIWA championship teams. He also earned All-American honors all four of his years at Cornell University. A three-time Michigan high school state champion, Simaz became one of the Big Red's most accomplished wrestlers ever. As a freshman, he was named both Ivy League Rookie and EIWA Freshman of the Year while winning his first EIWA title at 197 pounds. He became a freshman All-American by finishing 8th at the NCAA tournament. In the next three years, Simaz continued his success on the mat and in the classroom. He ran up a college career record of 145-21 with 47 falls. Besides three more EIWA crowns, he finished 3rd, 3rd and 1st in the NCAA tournament. Simaz led Cornell to first place in the EIWA team championships during each of his four years. He was named the EIWA Most Outstanding Wrestler as a senior as well as the recipient of the Fletcher Award. He graduated in June 2012 with a degree in Economics from the School of Arts and Sciences and was twice named to the NWCA All-Academic Team. After graduation, Simaz helped coach at the Finger Lakes Wrestling Club before moving to Chicago where he was a commodities trader while also coaching at the Wildcat Wrestling Club. Recently Simaz accepted the position of Coach and Director of the West Point Wrestling Club on the shores of the Hudson River. "The EIWA Hall of Fame Committee has selected four outstanding individuals to be inducted into the 2018 EIWA Hall of Fame," said Greg Stroebel, Executive Director of the EIWA. "Each of these inductees have had a tremendous impact on the EIWA. Matt Feast and Cam Simaz were outstanding wrestlers in recent years, winning seven individual conference titles between the two of them. In the mid-1960s, Joe Peritore was one of the 'Terrific Trio' that included Hall of Fame members Billy Stuart and Mike Caruso. John Harman distinguished himself as major benefactor, published the EIWA Newsletter and served as the EIWA Sports Information Director for decades." The induction ceremony will take place on Sunday, March 4, 2018 at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY, immediately preceding the finals of the annual EIWA championships.

The 2017-18 wrestling season is upon us and there is a unique story emerging from Rhode Island. The coach of perennial power Cumberland High School, Steve Gordon, who started the program 50 years ago, has announced that this campaign will be his final trek through the high school wrestling season. Not only will Coach Gordon be missing from the edge of the mat next year, but also the person who many consider "The First Lady" of Rhode Island wrestling, will be absent from the stands. Cumberland's teams have been known for their tenacity, determination, and great sportsmanship. They have also been recognized for having an extremely loyal fan. This person, for the exception of caring for her children when they became ill, has attended almost every Cumberland wrestling contest since the start of the program in 1968. This devoted supporter, called mom by Steve Gordon's two daughters, is well-known around the Ocean State as Coach Gordon's wife, Judy. Steve and Judy Gordon in the 1970'sSteve Gordon first met his future wife at a local Jewish Community Center in 1959 where the then, Judy Perlow, captured his interest. The relationship had an uncertain start because Judy turned down his overtures at that time. Steve was a standout athlete at Cranston High School and was getting ready to head to Springfield College. Judy was a student at Pawtucket High School with schoolwork on her mind and eventually went to Boston's Beth Israel Hospital to study nursing. After earning his teaching degree, Coach Gordon returned to Rhode Island looking for the woman who caught his attention years before. This time, like the determined wrestler who lost the first takedown, the coach used a different set up and scored the best points of his life, a lifelong relationship with Judy. Judy Gordon had never seen a wrestling match until she met Steve. Before he started coaching at Cumberland, Steve Gordon officiated wrestling matches in New England and Judy would accompany him. Cumberland's first and only head coach said, "From the start, I knew Judy took an interest in wrestling because on our way home, she offered critiques of my officiating." Eventually Steve got the Cumberland job and immediately started a wrestling team. Judy enjoyed watching wrestling so much, she packed up a few diapers, put together a bag of Cheerios, and brought her 1-year-old daughter Jeni to Cumberland's inaugural dual meet. Since that first contest, Judy Gordon has occupied the same seat in the bleachers. As the seasons rolled by, Judy Gordon became a fixture at Rhode Island wrestling tournaments and all of Cumberland's dual meets. Before the days of athletic trainers, and because of her nursing background, Judy became the person everyone looked to when an injury happened. Wrestlers from any team, with nose bleeds or twisted ankles, benefitted from Judy's eagerness to help. Even fans relied on Judy's assistance. At one match, a spectator suffered a heart attack. The fans quickly summoned Judy Gordon, she began CPR, and provided the needed medical assistance until the paramedics arrived. Coach Gordon eventually enlisted his wife to help run tournaments. She became involved with the Cumberland Invitational and ultimately served as tournament director. Her efforts went beyond assisting with the tournaments. On a Saturday morning in the late seventies, Coach Gordon was pinned to the mattress by the flu. He told his wife that she needed to accompany the JV squad to a tournament and help coach the boys. Judy put on her sneakers, rode the bus with the team, and unofficially became the first woman to coach boy's wrestling. Judy Gordon's contribution of time and commitment to wrestling earned her admission into Rhode Island's Wrestling Hall of Fame. Mrs. Gordon is one of only two women who have gained membership in this exclusive group. Coach Gordon is also a member of the Rhode Island Wrestling Hall of Fame. Fred Smith, a former Cumberland wrestler who graduated in 1981, is still involved with the program as a volunteer coach. Smith said, "Everyone knows who Judy Gordon is. Steve and Judy together are the face of Cumberland wrestling. Judy helps us stay focused on the most important things, things like family, things like helping each other. She makes sure we all know that wrestling is secondary." Judy is credited for remembering everyone's birthday and she and her husband have attended many college graduations of former students. When tragedy strikes families of the Cumberland wrestling community, Judy and Steve are often the first knocking on the door offering support. Smith spoke about their dual roles. "Steve is the wrestling guy but because of her compassion and concern for others, Judy Gordon became the heart and soul of the program." Coach Gordon's daughter Jeni remembers attending the matches with her mom as a young child. "Everyone knew my mom. No matter where we went, people would ask her about the wrestling team. My dad had a rule that my sister Andi and I had to stay away from the mat at matches. As time went by, my dad did soften. When my oldest Molli was 1, I took her to a match. Of course, Molli saw grandpa and when my dad saw her, he immediately waved her over. I looked at my mom and we both smiled." Jeni and her sister Andi cherish memories of their mom baking for all the matches, preparing the meal for the annual captain's dinner, and getting the house ready for the team to come over and watch a motivational movie the night before the state tournament. The Gordon family has had a pervasive impact on the Cumberland wrestling team. Both Judy and Steve's daughters served as managers as did their two granddaughters. The youngest granddaughter Alli will graduate Cumberland High this spring, and will bid farewell to the program along with her grandparents. Many consider Judy Gordon a bright light that shines on the Cumberland wrestling community. Laurie Gorman, a former Cumberland cheerleader who married a wrestler and whose son wrestled for Coach Gordon, knows Steve and Judy well. Laurie smiled while talking about the Gordons. "Coach Gordon has been the mastermind and Judy has been the glue that holds everything together. Judy has kept Steve calm. When matches became exciting, Steve would often glance over at Judy. Their eyes would briefly meet. In those few seconds, they communicated and Steve remained calm." Evidence of Judy Gordon's positive impact on the program was proven back in the eighties. At that time, the Cumberland program struggled. Less students were interested in wrestling and it became more challenging sustaining the high level of competitiveness that was the hallmark of Clippers' program. Coach Gordon entertained the idea of stepping down but he remembers his wife's powerful words, "You are not going to leave until we get this right." Everyone involved with Cumberland wrestling believes that the program is more than a team. Current and former wrestlers think of it as a family. When past wrestlers speak about their coach, it's always Coach and Mrs. Gordon. Alumni wrestlers regularly return to watch a meet, and when they enter the gym, immediately march over to Judy Gordon's seat to get her welcoming "hug and a kiss." Former wrestler Kyle LaBranche, who graduated in 2000, is now a math teacher at Pawtucket High School. LaBranche believes that both Mr. and Mrs. Gordon have been exceptional role models by the example they set. "The Gordons are special people. The lessons they taught us go beyond wrestling." LaBranche remembers that when a wrestler suffered a difficult loss, Mrs. Gordon would talk to him after the meet. "Coach would have the red face but after listening to Mrs. Gordon, everything became OK." Soon Coach Gordon will begin his farewell tour. He will be celebrated and many will wish him well. But before anyone leaves the gym, they will look to get one final smile from the woman who has nurtured and supported everyone. After over 1000 competitions, hundreds of pounds of home baked brownies, and thousands of "hugs and kisses," Judy Gordon will soon retire as the matriarch of the Cumberland wrestling family. She will be leaving a legacy showered with kindness, compassion, and devotion to community. Reminiscing about his days wrestling for Cumberland, a former wrestler said it best, "The reason we all love Mrs. Gordon, is because Mrs. Gordon loves us. We will miss both Mrs. Gordon and Coach."

Sammie Henson (Photo/WVU Sports) Two college wrestling coaches -- Chris Bono, and Sammie Henson -- will appear "On the Mat" this Wednesday, Nov. 8. Bono, head wrestling coach at South Dakota State, was an NCAA champion for Iowa State in 1996. Henson, West Virginia University wrestling's head coach, was a two-time NCAA champ for Clemson. “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. CT on AM 1650, The Fan. A podcast of the show is available on mattalkonline.com.

Action from Minnesota/USA Wrestling's state folkstyle tournament (Photo/David Peterson) Jeff Pape, owner of WrestlingGear.com, shares tips for running a successful and profitable wrestling tournament. I have been involved in wrestling for over 30 years and have been to quite a few tournaments. If you keep your eyes open and stay positive you can learn something from every wrestling tournament you attend. I always tried to find something to bring back to my tournaments when I attended other tournaments. Or even learn what not to do. That is just as valuable! Here are tips for running a successful and profitable wrestling tournament. 1. First and foremost you need to secure your facility. It is important that you understand the politics of getting your facility and confirm that you have it the day(s) that it is needed. Get everything in writing as soon as possible, especially if it is your first year. Understand what your costs are going to be. Even if there are no charges to use the facility, there may be charges for the custodians or school employees required to be there, which could add up to $600 or more a day. This is a mistake I made the first year. We received an enormous bill for custodial help the day of the tournament. The next year we were able to reduce the custodial fee dramatically. 2. Ask your local high school team for some help. We would pay the high school team to run the scoring tables. They have the expertise to keep score accurately and we had fewer complaints about scoring when the high school wrestlers ran the tables. It's important to help out the team where you practice. 3. Spread the word. In Illinois, spreading the word means getting the tournament listed on the state website. Wrestlers, parents and coaches find out about local events and other information on state sites. If it's USA Wrestling-affiliated tournament, you can get on the USA Wrestling schedule simply by sanctioning it early. We would typically get several wrestlers from out of state at our tournament. You might find this to be the case with wrestlers in town for the weekend to visit family or friends. 4. In Illinois, the state organization makes its list of teams available. We sent flyers to the entire state and found several teams traveled a long distance to our tournament. By sending flyers to the entire state we had some unexpected entries. You never know who is looking for a road trip or who might have coached or wrestled near your tournament and wants to bring his or her team to your tournament. 5. Offer an incentive to pre-register. Most teams will not take advantage of the pre-registration. Offer discounted pricing if a team pre-registers versus paying at the tournament. Don't get competitive based on price. Aim to be in the middle of tournament prices. Avoid setting prices too low or too high. 6. Saying "no" your first year is critical. If you overbook the first year you run a tournament, and the tournament runs much later than expected, they will tell their friends the tournament was poorly run. However, if you run a good tournament they will tell everybody about it. 7. As a general guideline, plan to have 30 to 40 kids per mat. When you get to the 50 to 60 kids per mat, you will end up with a much longer tournament. Particularly your first year, try to stay around 30 to 35 kids a mat. It got the point where I could walk into a tournament and see how many mats where in the gym and how many wrestlers were at the tournament, and I could tell if it was going to be a long day! 8. Maximize your wrestling areas. Use square mats to save space and not waste it by making circles. Some coaches hate square mats, but they won't be complaining when you get them out a little earlier than expected because you were able to squeeze another mat or two out of your available mat space. Another idea: Have your older wrestlers compete on your larger mats and let your smaller athletes compete on the smaller circles (or squares). 9. If you have different size mats, don't just cut all the mats in half. Use some of the space on your larger mats to make your smaller mats bigger in size. Also, use marking tape and make sure it is a color that is not on your mats. For example, we would have a variety of mat tape in case we needed to use yellow on one mat and red tape on another mat. 10. We do not recommend running a round-robin tournament. They take longer since every bracket will have all wrestlers wrestling at least three matches. Using an 8-man bracket will reduce the number of matches in your final round. Also, for the 8-year-old (and under) wrestlers, use a 4-man bracket. They will get two matches and should be out early in the afternoon. The kids and parents will appreciate getting out of your tournament early. No doubt some parents will complain no matter how you run your brackets. 11. If possible, split the 5-and 6-year-old wrestlers into a separate division. There is a huge difference between 5/6 and 7/8-year old-wrestlers. 12. Spend as much as you can on awards. Consider providing T-shirts to the champions or placewinners. T-shirts are typically inexpensive and can double as a walking advertisement for your tournament. I always saw our tournament T-shirts during the season. Medals can be awarded for as many placewinners as the tournament recognizes. 13. Another key to running a successful tournament is to make sure you do not have too many or too few kids. Try to get accurate numbers from coaches. Ask them how many kids are on their roster and figure they typically won't have more than 50-60 percent participation. Some teams will have 80-90 percent. If a coach has 40 kids on his roster, chances are they will not bring 35 kids. A good tip is to find out what the teams were brining at other tournaments throughout the year. At a typical tournament, we would have 15 to 20 teams. If each team's count is off 5 kids that is 75 to 100 kids. With the entry fee, gate fee, and concession stand revenue streams, each missing wrestler is close to $15 to $20 in profit. Much of your profit is in the last 100 wrestlers. The last couple tournaments I ran, I asked coaches: "How many wrestlers from your team can you guarantee will compete?" That number was always significantly lower than the number they had given originally. 14. Take good care of your referees. They will talk about your tournament to other referees. Commit to a fair rate for the referees. And if you wind up having a few more wrestlers show up and you look like you are going to make some extra money, pass on a couple extra dollars to the referees. Give them a lunch ticket so they can grab some food when they get a break. 15. Finally, it's the day of the tournament. Make sure you have enough scales at your tournament. In Illinois, the 8-and-under wrestlers are the largest group. We bought two scales from Walmart. These are fine for the little guys and will allow you to have 2 scales for that age range, and then one scale for each of the other divisions. Put your most experienced helpers on the 8-and-under scale. 16. Invite coaches into the bracketing room. This helps your tournament start on time. The coaches have a vested interest in getting the tournament started. Plus, if they have a complaint about the bracketing, you can remind the coach you invited him or her to the bracketing room. 17. Make sure you dedicate some of your parents to help you with security. Unfortunately, every year we hosted tournaments we had problems with parents and coaches getting out of control. Keep these tips in mind the next time you set out to run a wrestling tournament. And always keep your eyes open during tournaments you are attending to learn what to do and what not to do. If you have any tips on running tournaments, please share by posting in the comments section below.

Services have been announced for Bill Blacksmith, high school and college wrestler who won NAIA and NCAA titles for Lock Haven University, then later coached wrestling and served as an ordained elder of the Presbyterian Church for more than four decades. Blacksmith passed away on Nov. 1 at age 73. Visitation will be from 9-10:45 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 11, at Graystone Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 640 Church St, Indiana, Pa. with a Celebration of Life Service at 11 a.m. After the service there will be a continuation of visitation time to greet the family -- as well as a luncheon -- in the Gathering Place of the church. Guests are invited to join the family at lunch for a time of sharing of stories about Bill's life. An impressive career in wrestling Bill BlacksmithWilliam A. Blacksmith was born in Harrisburg, Pa. in 1944. A multi-sport athlete, wrestling became the focus of his athletic endeavors, starting at Cedar Cliff High School in Camp Hill, Pa., then at Lock Haven University also in the Keystone State. While at Lock Haven, Blacksmith racked up a number of collegiate titles. He was a four-time PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) champ from 1963-1966, and a two-time NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) wrestling champ, winning back-to-back titles in 1965 and 1966. Back in the mid-1960s, NAIA champs automatically qualified for the NCAA wrestling championships. At the 1965 NCAAs in Wyoming, the unseeded Blacksmith made it to the semifinals but did not place. The following year, Blacksmith won the 145-pound crown at the 1966 NCAAs at Iowa State. The unseeded Blacksmith shut out top-seeded Jim Rogers of Oklahoma State, 5-0, in the semifinals ... then defeated No. 3 seed Dale Bahr of Iowa State, 7-1, to win the title. Once he stepped off the mat, Blacksmith continued his career in wrestling as a coach. He served as head wrestling coach at Indiana University of Pennsylvania from 1969-1985. Later in life, he shared his experience as a volunteer coach at Laurel High School in New Castle, and to United High School in Armagh. For all his accomplishments in wrestling, Blacksmith had been welcomed into a number of halls of fame, including the Pennsylvania Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1979, Lock Haven College Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1983, Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1990, and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Hall of Fame in 1995. Education accomplishments Blacksmith earned his B.S. degree in Physical Education from Lock Haven University. He attended IUP for his master's degree in Counseling and Guidance and earned his doctoral degree from West Virginia University in Psychology of Sport. His career began as a physical education teacher in Homer Center School District and then he began teaching at IUP. Blacksmith became a full professor in the Health and Physical Education Department, where he taught numerous undergraduate courses and also taught in the graduate school as a sport psychologist. As the tribute in the Indiana Gazette put it, "He thought he had finished his education, when God called him into the pastoral ministry. Bill attended Fuller Theological Seminary and earned a Master of Divinity degree in 1992. "He retired from teaching in 2002 to pursue a calling to full-time Christian Ministry." Blacksmith was an ordained Elder in the Presbyterian Church for over 45 years. He served along with his wife, Linda, on the staff of Graystone Presbyterian Church for 14 years as co-directors of Spiritual Formation and Discipleship. He served as associate pastor at Graystone from 1999 to 2004; as pastor of Highland Presbyterian Church in New Castle from 2005-2010; and as Life Group Ministry director at Grace Chapel in Hermitage from 2010-2014. Bill Blacksmith, front row, second from the left, wrestled at Lock Haven More about the man Tom Elling, honored Pennsylvania wrestling journalist, has known Bill Blacksmith for decades, going back to their time as teammates on the Lock Haven wrestling team in the mid-1960s. "He was a fierce competitor and had an unstoppable sit out and a brutal tight waist," Elling told InterMat. "He was determined to win the NCAA. Gray Simons was our coach. Three-time All American Jerry Swope, NCAA champ Ken Melchoir, Bill's brother Jim -- also an All American -- along with great coach Dick Rhoades and NAIA camps Frank Eisenhower and Adam Waltz were on that team." "Bill will be very much missed by us all." The Indiana Gazette weighed in on William Blacksmith the man. "Bill had a zeal for life and a heart for people. He was a generous, joyful and fun-loving man who cherished his family and loved spending time with them. His children and grandchildren were his pride and joy. He and Linda had a special relationship as husband and wife and ministry partners. They were often referred to as being 'joined at the hip.'" The Rev. Dr. William Blacksmith is survived by his wife of 54 years, Linda Hall Blacksmith; his three children, William A. Blacksmith IV and wife Debbie, of Plum; Elizabeth Ann Bracken and husband Ed, of Vintondale; and Richard A. Fleming and wife Brenda, of Wilcox. Bill has six grandchildren: Desire Lecker and husband Travis; Matthew Blacksmith; Caleb Bracken; Michaela Bracken; Luke Blacksmith; and Gideon Bracken; and two great-grandchildren: Tabitha Lecker and Maverick Lecker. Bill has a brother, Jim and wife Jody, of Harrisburg; a brother-in-law, Ned Hall and wife Kate of Media; nephew Doug Blacksmith and wife Melissa, of Camp Hill; niece Jill Boyle and husband Brendan, of Philadelphia; and niece Rachel Martin and husband Dan, of Oxford. Bill has numerous cousins. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Bill's memory to Graystone Evangelical Presbyterian Church for the Life Group Ministry, 640 Church St, Indiana, PA, 15701, or for the Life Community Ministry at Pawleys Island Community Church, 10304 Ocean Highway, Pawleys Island, SC, 29585.

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The No. 4-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team crowned six individual champions, going a perfect 6-for-6 in its finals matches with four bonus wins, at the annual Michigan State Open on Sunday (Nov. 5) at the Spartans' Jenison Field House. In all, the Wolverines boasted 10 placewinners over the freshman/sophomore and open divisions. Junior/sophomore Logan Massa, junior/sophomore Myles Amine, fifth-year senior Domenic Abounader, graduate student Kevin Beazley and graduate student Adam Coon won five straight weight classes -- from 165 pounds to heavyweight in the open division, while freshman Andrew Davison captured the 197-pound freshman/sophomore title in his collegiate debut. Massa, ranked third nationally at 165 pounds, defeated Arizona State's sixth-ranked Anthony Valencia, 6-0, after takedowns in the second and third periods. It was his third collegiate win against the Sun Devil wrestler and his only non-bonus win of the tournament. He went 4-0 and, removing a first-round pin, outscored his final three opponents, 38-4. Amine, ranked fourth at 174 pounds, was equally dominant, outscoring his three opponents, 42-6. He saved his most lopsided win for the championship bout, defeating Michigan State's ninth-ranked Drew Hughes, 20-6, on seven takedowns -- four in the first period -- and reversal and 2:17 in riding-time advantage. Abounader, ranked fifth at 184 pounds, posted a 4-0 record in his return to competition after last season's redshirt. He cruised through his first three opponents with three straight major decisions before settling for a closer 7-4 decision against Central Michigan's ninth-ranked Jordan Ellingwood. Abounader used a big six-point move to gain a sizable early advantage and did not allow an offensive point in the bout -- and just one total on the day. Beazley, ranked sixth at 197 pounds, was impressive in his first competition in a Maize and Blue singlet, posting a 4-0 record with four bonus points, including three first-period pins. He stuck Wisconsin's 17th-ranked Hunter Ritter just 1:37 into the championship bout. Coon, ranked second at heavyweight, also pinned in the championship round with a stick at 1:43 against Northwestern's Conan Jennings. It was his second first-period fall of the tournament. The Wolverine heavyweight went 3-0 in his first competitive action in more than a year. Rounding out the Wolverines championships, Davison posted a 4-0 record en route to the 197-pound freshman/sophomore title with three bonus wins, including a 12-4 major decision against Illinois' Matthew Wroblewski in the championship bout. Davison finished on five takedowns in that match -- three in the first period -- and accumulated 1:56 in riding-time advantage. Freshman Jack Medley took third place in the 125-pound freshman/sophomore division in his collegiate debut, sophomore/freshman Tyler Meisinger claimed sixth place in the same division at 149 pounds and junior/sophomores Sal Profaci and Jackson Striggow placed fourth at 141 pounds and fifth at 197 pounds in the open division, respectively, to round out Michigan's placewinners. Michigan will officially kick off the 2017-18 season next Friday (Nov. 10), hosting Arizona State in its season dual debut at Detroit Catholic Central High School in Novi, Michigan. The dual is slated for a 7 p.m. start and features free admission.

Brookings, S.D. -- Five Huskers won titles, while two more added second-place finishes for the Nebraska wrestling team on Sunday at the Daktronics Open at Frost Arena in Brookings, S.D. Chad Red Jr. (141), Colton McCrystal (149), Tyler Berger (157), Mikey Labriola (174) and Taylor Venz (184) each posted first-place finishes on Sunday, while Isaiah White (165) and Eric Schultz (197) finished second at the tournament. The finals at 141, 149 and 157 each went into sudden victory periods. Red's match was the first, as he defeated No. 6 Tommy Thorn of Minnesota, 5-3 in sudden victory. At 149 pounds, McCrystal, the ninth-ranked wrestler according to InterMat, earned a riding time advantage at the end of the tiebreaker periods and was credited with a fall in 11 minutes over No. 7 Steve Bleise of Minnesota. Berger, ranked No. 4 by InterMat, outlasted No. 10 Jake Short, 4-2, in the second sudden victory period. At 174 pounds, Labriola, who was wrestling unattached, defeated No. 14 David Kocer of South Dakota State, 7-3. Venz dominated the 184-pound championship match, as he earned a technical fall over Brady Ayers of South Dakota State by a score of 17-1. At 165, White fell to No. 11 Nick Wanzek of Minnesota by a score of 2-0. Schultz took No. 9 Nate Rotert of South Dakota State to a tiebreaker, but Rotert earned a 6-5 victory. Kris Williams (125), Brian Peska (133) and Collin Purinton (149) each took third at their respective weight classes. Mitchell Maginnis placed fourth at 125, while Tucker Sjomeling, wrestling unattached, took fifth at 133. At 149 pounds, Luke Weber finished fourth, while Jordan Shearer finished fifth. Cade Svoboda finished sixth at 197 pounds. At heavyweight, David Jensen took fourth, while Patrick Grayson placed fifth. Nebraska opens its dual season against Wyoming on Nov. 17 at the Devaney Center. Tickets to the Wyoming dual, as well as each of the seven home duals are on sale now, and can be purchased at Huskers.com/tickets or by calling 1-800-8-BIG-RED.

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- Hofstra redshirt senior Michael Hughes recorded a win by fall and three other Pride wrestlers posted major decisions as Hofstra (1-0, 1-0) opened the 2017-18 season with a 30-6 Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) over the Diplomats of Franklin & Marshall (1-0, 1-0) at the David S. Mack Sports and Exhibition Complex Sunday. Hughes, who sat out last season after placing third in the EIWA and earning a trip to the NCAA Championships in 2016, pinned Diplomat senior Antonio Pelusi at the 1:47 mark of their 285-pound match to give the Pride a 9-0 lead in the contest. Red-shirt freshman Ricky Stamm, who was 29-11 in open tournaments last season, recorded a 13-3 major decision at 157 in his official college debut. Sophomore Sage Heller made his debut at 165 pounds and posted a 16-2 major while red-shirt junior Cory Damiana returned from his red-shirt season last year with a 15-5 major at 184. Both of the Diplomats' victories, by Edgar Garcia, 9-7 at 125 and Brett Kulp, 4-2 at 141, were sudden victory decisions. Hofstra returns to action next Saturday, November 11 when the Pride face Kent State and Purdue in the Journeymen-Northeast Duals at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy, New York. Results: 197: Nezar Haddad (HOFS) over Philip Robilotto (F&M) (Dec 7-4) 285: Mike Hughes (HOFS) over Antonio Pelusi (F&M) (Fall 1:47) 125: Edgar Garcia (F&M) over Jacob Martin (HOFS) (SV-1 9-7) 133: Vinny Vespa (HOFS) over Dan Martoccio (F&M) (Dec 6-5) 141: Brett Kulp (F&M) over Connor Burkert (HOFS) (SV-1 4-2) 149: Ryan Burkert (HOFS) over Cole Aaron (F&M) (SV-1 3-1) 157: Ricky Stamm (HOFS) over Emmett LiCastri (F&M) (MD 13-3) 165: Sage Heller (HOFS) over Dylan Gumaer (F&M) (MD 16-2) 174: Bobby Fehr (HOFS) over Joshua Young (F&M) (Dec 5-4) 184: Cory Damiana (HOFS) over Steven Mercadante (F&M) (MD 15-5)

PHILADELPHIA -- The Drexel wrestling team opened the 2017-18 season at home on Sunday as they defeated LIU Post and Pitt-Johnstown in the Dragon Duals. The Dragons earned a 40-3 victory over LIU Post in their first matchup of the day and then went on to defeat Pitt-Johnstown, 29-8. The Pioneers and Mountain Cats also faced off in the day's first dual, in which Pitt-Johnstown defeated LIU Post, 37-3. The Dragons started their dual against LIU Post off quickly as they secured three pins in the first three matches. Redshirt senior Zack Fuentes pinned Nick Conetta 46 seconds into the 125 match and then rookie Austin DeSanto earned his first-career win-by-fall 1:16 into the matchup at 133. Redshirt freshman Julian Flores added a third-consecutive pin as he took down Danny Espiniera at 141 to give the Dragons an early 18-0 advantage. LIU Post's Joe Calderone earned what would be the Pioneers' only points of the dual as he edged redshirt sophomore Nick Widmann at 149, 5-4. Freshman Evan Barczak picked the Dragons up at 157 with an 8-1 win over TJ Fabian and then redshirt sophomore Ebed Jarrell earned a major decision over LIU Post's Jackson Mordente at 165 to put Drexel ahead, 25-3 with four matches to play. At 174, redshirt senior Austin Rose came out and got an 11-6 decision over Dan Arkow and then redshirt sophomore Owen Brooks followed with a 17-5 major decision over Dan McClure at 184. Redshirt junior Stephen Loiseau added a technical fall at 197 over Logan McGinn before freshman Sean O'Malley finished things off with a 4-1 decision over Gregg Hodulick in the heavyweight match to help secure a 40-3 victory for the Dragons over the Pioneers. In Drexel's second dual of the day, redshirt senior Tanner Shoap started things off with a technical fall against Pitt-Johnstown's Sam Holandez at 125. DeSanto followed with a tech fall of his own at 133 just 58 seconds into his match against the Mountain Cats' Noah Burkhart. In the next two matches, rookies Chandler Olson and Trevor Elfvin picked up wins at 141 and 149 respectively to put Drexel ahead, 16-0. At 157, Barczak earned the go-ahead takedown with 10 seconds to go to secure a 3-1 decision over Cody Law. It was at the conclusion of this match that a team point was deducted from Pitt-Johnstown due to a coaches warning. Jarrell earned the Dragons' sixth-consecutive win of the dual with a 10-3 win over the Mountain Cats' Devin Austin at 165 to give Drexel a 22-0 lead. Pitt-Johnstown's Tyler Reinhart edged Rose in the 174 match, 5-4, but then Brooks came back with a 14-4 major decision over Steve Edwards at 184. Loiseau added his second win of the day with a 9-2 decision over Levi Niebauer to put Drexel ahead, 29-2 with one match to go. The Mountain Cats' Allan Beattie was able to secure a pin against Drexel freshman Vincenzo Pelusi but it was not enough to overcome the deficit the Dragons had created. Drexel picked up its second win of the day with a 29-8 victory over Pitt-Johnstown. The Dragons will return to action on Friday, Nov. 10 as they travel to face SIUE in a 7 p.m. matchup. Then on Sunday, Nov. 12 Drexel will visit Iowa State in a dual that is set to begin at noon. Drexel 40, LIU Post 3 125: Zack Fuentes (DU) WBF Nick Conetta (LIU Post) @ 0:46 133: Austin DeSanto (DU) WBF Joe Paterno (LIU Post) @ 1:16 141: Julian Flores (DU) WBF Danny Espiniera (LIU Post) @ 1:39 149: Joe Calderone (LIU Post) DEC Nick Widmann (DU), 5-4 157: Evan Barczak (DU) DEC TJ Fabian (LIU Post), 8-1 165: Ebed Jarrell (DU) MAJ Jackson Mordente (LIU Post), 11-3 174: Austin Rose (DU) DEC Dan Arkow (LIU Post), 11-6 184: Owen Brooks (DU) MAJ Dan McClure (LIU Post), 17-5 197: Stephen Loiseau (DU) TF Logan McGinn (LIU Post), 16-0 @ 2:18 285: Sean O'Malley (DU) DEC Gregg Hodulick (LIU Post), 4-1 Drexel 29, Pitt-Johnstown 8* 125: Tanner Shoap (DU) TF Sam Holandez (Pitt-Johnstown), 16-1 @ 4:04 133: Austin DeSanto (DU) TF Noah Burkhart (Pitt-Johnstown), 18-2 @ 0:58 141: Chandler Olson (DU) DEC Chris Eddins (Pitt-Johnstown), 10-6 149: Trevor Elfvin (DU) DEC Corey Falleroni (Pitt-Johnstown), 11-6 157: Evan Barczak (DU) DEC Cody Law (Pitt-Johnstown), 3-1 165: Ebed Jarrell (DU) DEC Devin Austin (Pitt-Johnstown), 10-3 174: Tyler Reinhart (Pitt-Johnstown) DEC Austin Rose (DU), 5-4 184: Owen Brooks (DU) MAJ Steve Edwards (Pitt-Johnstown), 14-4 197: Stephen Loiseau (DU) DEC Levi Niebauer (Pitt-Johnstown), 9-2 285: Allan Beattie (Pitt-Johnstown) WBF Vincenzo Pelusi (DU) @ 1:47 *Coaches warning point deducted from team score after 157 match Pitt-Johnstown 37, LIU Post 3 125: Sam Holandez (Pitt-Johnstown) DEC Nick Conetta (LIU Post), 10-6 133: Noah Burkhart (Pitt-Johnstown) DEC Joe Paterno (LIU Post), 7-0 141: Chris Eddins (Pitt-Johnstown) WBF Danny Espiniera (LIU Post) @ 6:04 149: Joe Calderone (LIU Post) DEC Corey Falleroni (Pitt-Johnstown), 10-5 157: Cody Law (Pitt-Johnstown) DEC TJ Fabian (LIU Post), 5-3 165: Devin Austin (Pitt-Johnstown) DEC Jackson Mordente (LIU Post), 4-1 174: Tyler Reinhart (Pitt-Johnstown) WBF Dan Arkow (LIU Post) @ 1:31 184: Steve Edwards (Pitt-Johnstown) MAJ Dan McClure (LIU Post), 11-1 197: Levi Niebauer (Pitt-Johnstown) DEC Bobby Pease (LIU Post), 9-2 285: D.J. Sims (Pitt-Johnstown) WBF Gregg Hodulick (LIU Post) WBF @ 2:50

EDINBORO, PA -- The undefeated CSU Bakersfield wrestling team stayed on the east coast after a 22-14 victory over Buffalo for a tri-meet against Bucknell and nationally ranked Edinboro, who hosted the meet. First, the `Runners took on Bucknell and this was the Bisons season opening match. Redshirt Freshman Sergio Mendez opened up the meet for the `Runners and he got CSUB going early. Mendez, wrestling in the 125 weight class, took a 4-1 lead after the first period. Mendez would go on to defeat Jake Campbell 17-7 in a major decision and earn four points for the `Runners. CSUB Junior Sean Nickell, wrestling at 133, added to the `Runners victory total with a 10-2 major decision win over David Campbell of the Bisons. Russell Rohlfing of the `Runners would look to add to CSUB's 8-0 lead in the 141 weight class, but Bucknell's Tyler Smith would win the match 11-2 by major decision and the Bisons cut the `Runners lead in half to 8-4. `Runners Kalani Tonge, wrestling at 149, lost a hard fought 8-6 decision to Seth Hogue and CSUB's lead was cut to one, 8-7. Senior `Runners Coleman Hammond, wrestling at 157, would get CSUB back on the winning track with a 17-2 technical fall and the `Runners extended their lead to 13-7. Redshirt Sophomore Lorenzo De La Riva, wrestling at 165, would help the `Runners add to their lead with a 12-1 major decision and CSUB now led 17-7. Bryan Battisto, wrestling at 174 for the `Runners, fell 10-8 by decision to Nick Stephani and the Bisons cut CSUB's lead to 17-10. Wrestling at 184, CSUB's Dom Ducharme would extend the `Runners lead to 20-10 with a 10-4 victory by decision. `Runners Matt Williams, wrestling at 197, wins the match in the last 15 seconds, 6-5 and CSUB led 23-10. But that is not the whole story. Williams defeated Bucknell Senior Tom Sleigh. Sleigh has qualified for the NCAA Championships in each of his first three years for the Bisons. Sophomore Jarrod Snyder, wrestling at 285 for the `Runners, wrapped up the match for CSUB, with a 6-2 win by decision. The `Runners defeated Bucknell 26-10 and won seven of the 10 matches and improved to 2-0 on the season. CSUB's Mendez would open up at 125 against Sean Russell of Edinboro to kick off the second match of the day for the Runners. Russell would get the technical fall in the third period to give Edinboro 5-0 lead. The Bisons would extend their lead to 8-0 with a Korbin Myers victory in the 133 weight class. CSUB's Nickell's fell to Myers 8-2. `Runners Rohlfing would wrestle Nate Hagan at 141 and would win by decision 4-0 and cut Edinboro's lead to 8-3. Tonge, wrestling at 149 for the `Runners, would lose to Peter Pappas 16-4 by major decision and Edinboro extended their lead to 12-3. CSUB's Hammond lost a tough 2-0 decision to Andrew Shomers at the 157 weight class and Edinboro led 15-3. 'Runners De La Riva wrestled Fritz Hoehn at 165 and Hoehn would earn the pin for Edinboro and they extended their lead to 21-3. Battisto would look to get the `Runners going at 174 when he faced off with Ty Schoffstall. Schoffstall would get the 15-4 major decision victory and Edinboro would take a 25-3 lead. The `Runners Ducharme, wrestling at 184, was tied at three heading into the third with Edinboro's Dylan Reynolds. Reynolds would escape early in the third and hold on for the 4-3 victory. Matt Williams, wrestling at 197 and coming off a huge victory in the morning match over Bucknell's Sleigh, wrestled Aaron Paddock of Edinboro. Williams took a 4-3 lead after the first period, led 6-3 after two and eventually pinned Paddock in the third to wrap up a great day for the `Runners Senior. The meet would wrap up with a 285 weight class battle between the `Runners Snyder and Edinboro's William Miller. Miller would defeat Snyder via pin and Edinboro would win the meet 34-9. CSUB would go out east and come back with a 2-1 record and also get some valuable experience against a national powerhouse. Manny Rivera, CSUB's wrestling Head Coach said, "We didn't wrestle our best today. It really showed against Edinboro. Matt Williams had a good weekend picking up three wins over some tough opponents." The `Runners will be back in action on Saturday, Nov. 11 at Stanford.

BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Campbell picked up an opening day split Sunday inside Carter Gym. CU downed Eastern Michigan 24-10 to start the day, falling to American 22-10 in its second bout of the day. After EMU opened the match with Derek Hillman's major decision win at 197, Campbell reeled off six-straight victories, led by Jere Heino's 12-9 decision over Wyatt Harden at heavyweight. Korbin Meink (125) and Nathan Boston (19-7) followed with major decision wins in their Campbell debuts. Austin Kraisser capped the 21-0 run for Campbell with a 9-1 major decision win at 157. Jonathan Ryan (141), Benjamin Barton (149) and Andrew Morgan (174) also notched victories for the Camels over EMU, helping CU take the 24-10 victory. Kraisser and Morgan both went 2-0 on the day for the Camels. American topped Campbell 22-10 in the nightcap. The Eagles claimed the first six matches to jump out to a 19-0 lead before Kraisser's 5-2 decision over Anthony Wokasch at 157 pounds. Quentin Perez followed with a 13-2 major decision over Colin Shannon at 165, bringing CU within 19-7 with two matches to go. At 174, Morgan also registered his second victory of the day, taking down Connor Allshouse just before the final whistle for an 11-10 win. Campbell heads to Maryland next week, November 12. The Camels will return to Buies Creek on January 18, hosting SoCon rival Appalachian State. Campbell 24, Eastern Michigan 10 197: Derek Hillman (Eastern Michigan) over Anthony Brownridge (Campbell) MD 12-4, 0-4 285: Jere Heino (Campbell) over Wyatt Harden (Eastern Michigan) Dec 12-9, 3-4 125: Korbin Meink (Campbell) over Tomas Gutierrez (Eastern Michigan) MD 11-3, 7-4 133: Nathan Boston (Campbell) over Armando Torres (Eastern Michigan) MD 19-7, 11-4 141: Jonathan Ryan (Campbell) over Sa`Derian Perry (Eastern Michigan) Dec 9-4, 14-4 149: Benjamin Barton (Campbell) over Kyle Springer (Eastern Michigan) Dec 11-7, 17-4 157: Austin Kraisser (Campbell) over James Wolfe (Eastern Michigan) MD 9-1, 21-4 165: Zachary Carson (Eastern Michigan) over Quentin Perez (Campbell) Dec 7-5, 21-7 174: Andrew Morgan (Campbell) over Andrew McNally (Eastern Michigan) Dec 9-8, 24-7 184: Kayne MacCallum (Eastern Michigan) over Luke Funck (Campbell) Dec 5-2, 24-10 American 22, Campbell 10 197: Jeric Kasunic (American) over Austin McNeil (Campbell) MD 10-2, 4-0 285: Brett Dempsey (American) over Jere Heino (Campbell) Dec 6-5, 7-0 125: Gage Curry (American) over Korbin Meink (Campbell) Dec 3-2, 10-0 133: Josh Terao (American) over Nathan Boston (Campbell) Dec 4-3, 13-0 141: Kizhan Clarke (American) over Jonathan Ryan (Campbell) Dec 12-5, 16-0 149: Michael Sprague (American) over Benjamin Barton (Campbell) Dec 5-2, 19-0 157: Austin Kraisser (Campbell) over Anthony Wokasch (American) Dec 5-2, 19-3 165: Quentin Perez (Campbell) over Colin Shannon (American) MD 13-2, 19-7 174: Andrew Morgan (Campbell) over Connor Allshouse (American) Dec 11-10, 19-10 184: Prince Hyeamang (American) over Luke Funck (Campbell) SV-1 12-10, 22-10

Oklahoma State's Nick Piccininni defeated NCAA champ Darian Cruz of Lehigh (Photo/Juan Garcia) PRINCETON, N.J. -- Results from the 52nd NWCA All-Star Classic at Princeton University's Jadwin Gym in Princeton, New Jersey. The All-Star Classic is hosted by the Wrestlers in Business Network. Notables Returning NCAA champions Darian Cruz (Lehigh) and Mark Hall (Penn State) both lost in the event. Cruz fell to returning All-American Nick Piccininni of Oklahoma State while Hall fell to All-American Zahid Valencia in a rematch of a 2017 NCAA Division I semifinal at 174 pounds. NC State had all three of its wrestlers win on Sunday. Rider, Campbellsville and Simon Fraser wrestlers each went 2-0. U23 U.S. World Team members Dom Parrish (Simon Fraser), Kayla Miracle (Campbellsville) and Megan Black (McKendree) were all victorious on the women's side. Men 125: No. 5 Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 2 Darian Cruz (Lehigh), 8-5 133: No. 1 Seth Gross (South Dakota State) dec. No. 2 Stevan Micic (Michigan), 7-1 141: No. 2 Kevin Jack (NC State) dec. No. 3 Bryce Meredith (Wyoming), 8-7 149: No. 3 Max Thomsen (Northern Iowa) dec. No. 5 Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton), 4-3 157: No. 7 B.J. Clagon (Rider) dec. No. 6 Alec Pantaleo (Michigan), 10-4 165: No. 5 Chad Walsh (Rider) dec. No. 18 Jonathan Schleifer (Princeton), 4-3 174: No. 2 Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) dec. No. 1 Mark Hall (Penn State), 3-2 184: No. 3 Pete Renda (NC State) dec. No. 4 Drew Foster (Northern Iowa), 5-2 197: No. 10 Michael Macchiavello (NC State) dec. No. 13 Frank Mattiace (Penn), 3-2 285: No. 4 Nick Nevills (Penn State) dec. No. 3 Tanner Hall (Arizona State), 2-0 Showcase Bouts 165: Gordon Wolf (Lehigh) maj. dec. May Bethea (Penn), 17-8 285: Youssif Hemida (Maryland) dec. Garrett Ryan (Columbia), 3-2 Women 101: Marina Doi (King) pinned Hiba Salem (Menlo), 1:51 109: Charlotte Fowler (Campbellsville) tech. fall Maria Vidales (Emmanuel), 14-3 116: Victoria Gutierrez (Emmanuel) tech. fall Makayla Bourbon (U. of the Cumberlands), 12-0 123: Dom Parrish (Simon Fraser) tech. fall Amber Pair (Eastern Oregon), 10-0 130: Megan Black (McKendree) dec. Shelby Hall (Campbellsville), 6-0 136: Kayla Miracle (Campbellsville) tech. fall Solin Piearcy (Menlo), 10-0 143: Mallory Velte (Simon Fraser) tech. fall Desiree Zavala (Grays Harbor), 10-0 155: Niauni Hill (Lindenwood-Belleville) dec. Kiera Gabaldon (Warner Pacific), 7-0 170: Brandy Lowe (McKendree) dec. Kacie Moorehouse (Grays Harbor), 7-0 191: Paige Baynes (Grays Harbor) tech. fall Alyssa Cantu (Missouri Valley), 10-0

Daniel Kerkvliet (Photo/Mary Christen, The Guillotine) Just over one year ago, No. 5 overall junior Daniel Kerkvliet (Simley, Minn.) verbally committed to the University of Minnesota after placing fourth in the Super 32 Challenge at 195 pounds before the start of his sophomore season. Since then, Kerkvliet added a second state title in the winter - that one coming at 195 - and won a Cadet World freestyle title at 100 kilos this summer. However, as a projected 285-pound wrestler in college, Kerkvliet has now switched his verbal commit to Oklahoma State. The Class of 2019 wrestler is likely to start the season at No. 2 in the country at 220 pounds when the individual weight class rankings for 2017-18 are released on Wednesday.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- No. 5 Mizzou Wrestling opened its 2017-18 campaign Saturday by upending No. 12 Illinois, 20-17, at the Mizzou Softball Stadium. The dual was Mizzou's first ever outside dual, as 1,810 fans packed the stadium to cheer on the Black & Gold. Mizzou claimed victories in six of 10 bouts in the match, and received bonus point victories from redshirt sophomore 141-pounder Jaydin Eierman (Columbia, Mo.) and redshirt junior 174-pounder Daniel Lewis (Blue Springs, Mo.). TURNING POINT With Illinois still in striking distance with the score at 7-3 in the dual's fourth bout, redshirt junior 149-pounder Grant Leeth (Kearney, Mo.) upset No. 17-ranked Eric Barone, 6-2, to extend Mizzou's lead to 10-3. The win was the third of four straight wins for Mizzou, who had a 13-3 win heading into the halftime intermission. In his third year in the program, Leeth made his long-awaited Mizzou debut in the match. The Tiger junior missed all of the last two seasons due to injuries, but made the most of his first chance on the mat. NOTABLE TIGERS Eierman was one of two Tigers to score bonus point victories, as he beat Mike Carr by way of a major decision, 20-11. The Tiger sophomore thought he had fall recorded in the third period, but a video review reversed the original call and the two wrestlers returned to action. Carr then scored an escape, takedown and two-point near fall to pull the score close at 16-11, but Eierman responded with an escape and a takedown to clinch the major decision. Riding time made the score, 20-11, in favor of Eierman. Lewis was tough once against No. 20-ranked Xavier Montalvo, recording a 14-2 major decision. The only points the two-time NCAA All-American gave up was a takedown in the third period when the score was already out-of-reach, as Lewis amassed 3:12 of riding time in his season-opening victory. In 58 career wins, Lewis has now recorded bonus point wins in 67.2% of his matches (39-of-58). QUOTABLES Mizzou Head Coach Brian Smith "I loved the atmosphere today. It was really cool and I really enjoyed it. The dual was like I thought it was going to be, a really close dual. Our kids competed at a good level, but not the level we want. I could go through every match and what we need to improve on, but we have to remember it is still November." On Grant Leeth "He's been through a lot. Going to Duke and getting injured, then we told him to come home and then he hurts himself again. It's just been a long process. He's been wrestling since he was five years old and has been successful at every level, then he can't do it for two years. To get back in there, and get a good win against a ranked wrestler, I'm really happy for him." UP NEXT Mizzou will next wrestle three duals in one day on Nov. 12, as the Tigers will host Central Missouri, Truman State and Missouri Valley at the Hearnes Center. The quad-dual will begin at Noon (CT), and will be broadcast on Mizzou Network. 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. 15 Travis Piotrowski (ILL) dec. No. 19 Barlow McGhee (MIZ): 3-1 | MIZ 0, ILL 3 133: No. 9 John Erneste (MIZ) dec. No. 15 Dylan Duncan (ILL): 5-4 | MIZ 3, ILL 3 141: No. 4 Jaydin Eierman (MIZ) maj. dec. Mike Carr (ILL): 20-11 | MIZ 7, ILL 3 149: Grant Leeth (MIZ) dec. No. 17 Eric Barone (ILL): 6-2 | MIZ 10, ILL 3 157: No. 2 Joey Lavallee (MIZ) dec. No. 16 Kyle Langenderfer (ILL): 9-3 | MIZ 13, ILL 3 165: No. 2 Isaiah Martinez (ILL) tech. fall Connor Flynn (MIZ): 24-8 | MIZ 13, ILL 8 174: No. 5 Daniel Lewis (MIZ) maj. dec. No. 20 Xavier Montalvo (ILL): 14-2 | MIZ 17, ILL 8 184: No. 6 Emery Parker (ILL) dec. Canten Marriott (MIZ): 6-2 | MIZ 17, ILL 11 197: No. 3 Willie Miklus (MIZ) dec. Andre Lee (ILL): 3-1 | MIZ 20, ILL 11 HWT: Decue Rachal (ILL) fall No. 22 Austin Myers (MIZ): 2:13 | MIZ 20, ILL 17