InterMat Staff

125: No. 1 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) maj. dec. No. 16 Nathan Kraisser (Campbell), 22-8 No. 8 Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 9 Joshua Rodriguez (North Dakota State), 5-2 No. 12 Sean Fausz (NC State) dec. No. 5 Tim Lambert (Nebraska), 3-1 No. 4 Darian Cruz (Lehigh) dec. No. 13 Shakur Laney (Ohio), 1-0 No. 14 Freddie Rodriguez (Southern Illinois Edwardsville) dec. Kyle Akins (Buffalo), 7-5 No. 6 Ethan Lizak (Minnesota) maj. dec. No. 11 Josh Terao (American), 15-6 No. 10 Jack Mueller (Virginia) dec. No. 7 Sean Russell (Edinboro), 5-2 No. 2 Joey Dance (Virginia Tech) maj. dec. No. 15 Drew Templeman (Wyoming), 12-2 133: No. 1 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) maj. dec. Cam Sykora (North Dakota State), 21-7 No. 8 Zane Richards (Illinois) dec. No. 9 Scotty Parker (Lehigh), 7-6 No. 5 Stevan Micic (Michigan) dec. No. 12 Josh Alber (Northern Iowa), 5-2 No. 4 Cory Clark (Iowa) dec. Pat D'Arcy (Princeton), 10-5 No. 3 Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 14 Mitch McKee (Minnesota), 3-1 No. 11 Bryan Lantry (Buffalo) dec. No. 6 Dom Forys (Pittsburgh), 5-3 No. 7 Eric Montoya (Nebraska) maj. dec. No. 10 John Erneste (Missouri), 14-2 No. 2 Seth Gross (South Dakota State) tech. fall Joey Palmer (Oregon State), 15-0 141: No. 1 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 16 Jared Prince (Navy), 9-5 No. 8 Jaydin Eierman (Missouri) dec. No. 9 Colton McCrystal (Nebraska), 9-6 No. 5 Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) dec. No. 12 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State), 8-7 No. 4 Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) dec. Jimmy Gulibon (Penn State), 6-3 No. 14 Tommy Thorn (Minnesota) pinned No. 3 Joey McKenna (Stanford), 7:57 No. 6 George DiCamillo (Virginia) pinned No. 11 Randy Cruz (Lehigh), 4:36 No. 10 Bryce Meredith (Wyoming) maj. dec. Jack Hathaway (Oregon State), 8-0 No. 2 Kevin Jack (NC State) dec. No. 15 Tyler Smith (Bucknell), 4-0 149: No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State) tech. fall No. 16 Jordan Laster (Princeton), 16-0 Alex Kocer (South Dakota State) dec. No. 9 Justin Oliver (Central Michigan), 5-4 No. 5 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) dec. Andrew Crone (Wisconsin), 6-2 No. 4 Micah Jordan (Ohio State) maj. dec. No. 13 Alfred Bannister (Maryland), 10-2 No. 3 Lavion Mayes (Missouri) dec. No. 14 Steve Bleise (Northern Illinois), 2-1 TB No. 6 Solomon Chishko (Virginia Tech) pinned Joey Delgado (Oregon State), 2:53 No. 7 Max Thomsen (Northern Iowa) dec. No. 10 Laike Gardner (Lehigh), 6-4 No. 15 Kenny Theobald (Rutgers) dec. No. 2 Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State), 9-3 SV 157: No. 1 Jason Nolf (Penn State) tech. fall No. 16 Victor Lopez (Bucknell), 24-9 B.J. Clagon (Rider) dec. No. 9 Joshua Shields (Arizona State), 6-5 No. 5 Joe Smith (Oklahoma State) dec. May Bethea (Pennsylvania), 6-3 No. 4 Tyler Berger (Nebraska) dec. Kyle Langenderfer (Illinois), 11-7 No. 3 Joey Lavallee (Missouri) pinned No. 14 Sal Mastriani (Virginia Tech), 7:27 Paul Fox (Stanford) dec. No. 11 Russell Parsons (Army), 7-5 No. 7 Dylan Palacio (Cornell) dec. No. 10 Colin Heffernan (Central Michigan), 9-5 No. 2 Michael Kemerer (Iowa) tech. fall Chase Delande (Edinboro), 22-6 165: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) dec. 16 Nick Wanzek (Minnesota), 8-5 No. 9 Chandler Rogers (Oklahoma State) pinned No. 8 Dylan Cottrell (West Virginia), 0:52 No. 5 Chad Walsh (Rider) pinned No. 12 Austin Matthews (Edinboro), 0:35 No. 4 Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) dec. No. 13 Brandon Womack (Cornell), 5-1 No. 3 Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) maj. dec. No. 14 Branson Ashworth (Wyoming), 12-4 No. 6 Daniel Lewis (Missouri) dec. No. 11 Bryce Steiert (Northern Iowa), 6-0 No. 7 Anthony Valencia (Arizona State) dec. No. 10 Te'Shan Campbell (Pittsburgh), 9-2 No. 2 Logan Massa (Michigan) tech. fall No. 15 Drew Hughes (Michigan State), 25-10 174: No. 1 Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) maj. dec. No. 16 C.J. Brucki (Central Michigan), 12-3 No. 9 Myles Amine (Michigan) dec. No. 8 Ethan Ramos (North Carolina), 6-4 No. 5 Mark Hall (Penn State) tech. fall Jadaen Bernstein (Navy), 16-0 No. 4 Zach Epperly (Virginia Tech) dec. No. 13 Taylor Lujan (Northern Iowa), 5-2 No. 3 Bo Jordan (Ohio State) dec. No. 14 Lelund Weatherspoon (Iowa State), 10-4 No. 11 Alex Meyer (Iowa) dec. No. 6 Ryan Preisch (Lehigh), 7-5 SV No. 10 Zac Brunson (Illinois) dec. Jake Residori (Southern Illinois Edwardsville), 6-2 No. 2 Brian Realbuto (Cornell) tech. fall No. 15 Trace Engelkes (Northern Illinois), 16-0 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) maj. dec. No. 16 Jordan Ellingwood (Central Michigan), 11-3 No. 8 Jack Dechow (Old Dominion) dec. No. 9 Nathan Jackson (Indiana), 7-5 No. 12 Drew Foster (Northern Iowa) dec. No. 5 Zack Zavatsky (Virginia Tech), 4-3 No. 4 Nolan Boyd (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 13 Bryce Carr (Chattanooga), 3-2 TB No. 3 Sammy Brooks (Iowa) pinned No. 14 Dakota Geer (Edinboro), 3:44 No. 11 Emery Parker (Illinois) dec. No. 6 Myles Martin (Ohio State), 14-9 No. 7 TJ Dudley (Nebraska) dec. No. 10 Michael Macchiavello (NC State), 6-1 No. 2 Bo Nickal (Penn State) pinned No. 15 Steven Schneider (Binghamton University), 5:34 197: No. 1 J'den Cox (Missouri) maj. dec. Steban Cervantes (Navy), 12-3 No. 8 Ryan Wolfe (Rider) dec. Daniel Chaid (North Carolina), 12-5 No. 5 Matt McCutcheon (Penn State) dec. No. 12 Frank Mattiace (Pennsylvania), 6-3 No. 4 Jared Haught (Virginia Tech) dec. Cash Wilcke (Iowa), 4-1 No. 3 Kollin Moore (Ohio State) maj. dec. No. 14 Corey Griego (Oregon State), 16-4 No. 6 Preston Weigel (Oklahoma State) dec. No. 11 Shawn Scott (Northern Illinois), 3-2 No. 10 Kevin Beazley (Old Dominion) pinned No. 7 Aaron Studebaker (Nebraska), 6:11 No. 2 Brett Pfarr (Minnesota) dec. Brad Johnson (Oklahoma), 6-1 285: No. 1 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) tech. fall No. 16 Garrett Ryan (Columbia), 22-7 No. 8 Michael Kroells (Minnesota) dec. No. 9 Denzel Dejournette (Appalachian State), 5-3 TB No. 5 Nick Nevills (Penn State) dec. No. 12 William Miller (Edinboro), 6-2 No. 4 Jacob Kasper (Duke) dec. Mike Kosoy (NC State), 2-0 No. 3 Ty Walz (Virginia Tech) dec. No. 14 Thomas Haines (Lock Haven), 9-5 Conan Jennings (Northwestern) maj. dec. No. 6 Austin Schafer (Oklahoma State), 8-0 No. 7 Tanner Hall (Arizona State) pinned No. 10 Nathan Butler (Stanford), 7:39 No. 2 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) dec. No. 15 Ryan Solomon (Pittsburgh), 5-0

Brandon Sorensen and Micah Jordan have split two matches this season (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) The quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division I Championships offers some of the most compelling, hard-fought and best wrestling you will ever see at the collegiate level. This is the round where nearly all of the matchups feature seeded wrestlers for the first time in the tournament. The team race also starts to come much more sharply into focus. Stakes are obviously very high in this round with winners punching their ticket into the semifinals and clinching a top-six finish. It also is a tough, grueling round where conditioning comes even more into play as wrestlers are competing for the third time in the tournament after making weight for the second time in as many days. As is customary, the 40 quarterfinal matches on Friday in St. Louis feature no shortage of outstanding battles. Here is a quick snapshot of my picks for best quarterfinal matchup in each weight class: 125: No. 6 Ethan Lizak (Minnesota) vs. No. 14 Freddie Rodriguez (SIU Edwardsville) Made possible with the injury to No. 3 Nick Suriano of Penn State, Rodriguez has taken advantage of the opportunity. He's a dynamic wrestler who already has won a junior college national title. Lizak is another dangerous wrestler who can put a lot of points on the board. Lizak scored a combined 25 points in his first two wins of the tournament and Rodriguez 26. Look for plenty of points and fireworks in this match. Fans won't want to miss this one. Should be a fun match to watch. 133: No. 4 Cory Clark (Iowa) vs. No. 5 Stevan Micic (Michigan) Clark is nowhere near 100 percent with a bad shoulder, but there may not be a tougher, more hard-nosed competitor in this tournament than him. Clark also owns a 2-0 win this season over Micic, a terrific talent who is very slick on his feet. Look for this match to come down to the last 30 seconds. Clark is great in the top position and that likely holds the key in this bout. If Micic can stay off bottom or get out quickly when he is there then he could pull this out. Clark has been fifth, second and second in this tournament so that will be no small feat. We will see how Clark's shoulder holds up on Day 2 after he had a pair of tough matches on Thursday. 141: No. 4 Matt Kolodzik (Princeton) vs. No. 5 Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) These wrestlers know each other well and this promises to be an excellent match between two guys each capable of winning the whole thing. Kolodzik, a freshman, earned a tough 4-3 win over Ashnault, a junior, in an early season dual. Ashnault is a two-time All-American and was fourth in this event last year. Kolodzik is a freshman but has been in his share of big matches. He wrestled for prep powerhouse Blair Academy. Both of these guys are established freestyle wrestlers with tons of quality mat time between them. 149: No. 4 Micah Jordan (Ohio State) vs. No. 5 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) They've met twice this season and a total of five, yes five, points were scored in those matches. Sorensen won 2-0 in the dual in Iowa City and Jordan prevailed 2-1 at Big Tens. This is a huge match on a number of fronts, including how it impacts the team race. Both of these guys have strong offensive arsenals, but will either guy open up? It may be another tactical match where wrestlers are trying to avoid mistakes. My guess is we will at least see their highest-scoring match of the season. Sorensen has placed second and fourth in this tournament already. He's the favorite in my opinion. 157: No. 2 Michael Kemerer (Iowa) vs. No. 7 Dylan Palacio (Cornell) Kemerer has had a superb freshman year and his only two losses are to top seed Jason Nolf of Penn State. But Kemerer will have his hands full with an established and experience senior in Palacio, who was fourth at the 2016 NCAAs. This will be Kemerer's first true test on the NCAA tournament stage. Kemerer has shown a knack for being very consistent and steady as well as being very calm and composed. He will need every bit of that to prevail in this match. 165: No. 2 Logan Massa (Michigan) vs. No. 7 Anthony Valencia (Arizona State) I can't wait to see this battle between these two superstar freshmen. Massa has had a better season to date, but none of that matters now. Both these wrestlers are aggressive, go-for-broke athletes. Massa has teched his first two opponents and Valencia scored a combined 20 points Thursday. Valencia is better at freestyle, but he has come on in folkstyle late in the season. Massa beat Valencia 17-4, but that was three months ago. Look for a much better match this time. Valencia likes to shoot right off the first whistle and his double leg attack is very lethal. 174: No. 3 Bo Jordan (Ohio State) vs. No. 11 Alex Meyer (Iowa) Meyer had a bad Big Ten tournament, losing twice, but the senior All-American has quickly regrouped in the final tournament of his career in St. Louis. Meyer knocked No. 6 Ryan Preisch of Lehigh 7-5 in the second round on Thursday. Now he earns a shot at a two-time All-American in Jordan, who beat Meyer 3-2 in the dual. Jordan cruised to wins in his first two matches Thursday and is hitting his peak again at the right time. He's ready to climb the NCAA podium after placing third as a freshman and sophomore. Jordan is very good defensively and very tough to score on. 184: No. 2 Bo Nickal (Penn State) vs. No. 7 T.J. Dudley (Nebraska) This is a matchup of a pair of runner-up finishers from the 2016 NCAA tournament. Nickal was second at 174 last year and Dudley second at 184. One promise that will be made here: no way that this match will be boring. These guys are both talented wrestlers and excellent athletes with big-point capability. Nickal is a pinning machine who is always looking to hit a big move. Nickal and Dudley met just 13 days ago at Big Tens with Nickal earning a wild 14-9 win in the third-place match. Nickal has won by two techs in St. Louis while Dudley won by technical fall and a 6-1 decision. Don't look away during this match. If you do, chances are you might miss something. 197: No. 3 Kollin Moore (Ohio State) vs. No. 6 Preston Weigel (Oklahoma State) This is another big head-to-head matchup that will will have a huge impact on a tight team race. Moore, the Big Ten freshman of the year, and Weigel, a sophomore, are two top young prospects who have had superb seasons. Moore won Big Tens and rolled to major decisions in his first two matches of his first two NCAA bouts. Moore is a dangerous guy who can put you on your back in the blink of an eye. Weigel has been a solid and steady performer for the powerful Cowboys. These are guys we will see a lot of in the next few years. 285: No. 1 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) vs. No. 8 Michael Kroells (Minnesota) This won't be the closest quarterfinal, but you don't want to miss seeing the amazing Snyder put on another clinic. The reigning Olympic, World and NCAA champion has won by a pair of techs in his first two matches in St. Louis. He's setting the standard as a heavyweight with a lethal combination of strength, skill, speed, intelligence and drive. He has it all. We may be watching a guy who could go down as the best wrestler in American history. He's obviously a special athlete who has raised the bar immensely for what a U.S. wrestler can achieve. And he's just 21 years old. Pay attention when he steps on the mat.

Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com InterMat is providing a running notebook throughout the 2017 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. The latest updates will appear at the top. Refresh/reload the page to view the latest updates. Links: Updated Brackets & Team Scores | Watch ESPN 8:02 p.m. The concludes the round of 16 matches. Follow InterMat's running notebook during Friday's quarterfinal matches, which are set for 10 a.m. CT. InterMat will be proving a recap of Thurday's action. 7:59 p.m. Minnesota All-American heavyweight Michael Kroells used a takedown in the second tiebreaker to edge No. 9 Denzel Dejournette, (Appalachian State) 7-5 at 285 pounds. 7:58 p.m. No. 2 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) shut out Ryan Solomon (Pitt) 5-3 at 285 pounds. 7:56 p.m. No. 7 Tanner Hall (Arizona State) pinned No. 10 Nathan Butler (Stanford) in sudden victory to advance to the quarterfinals at 285 pounds. 7:52 p.m. No. 3 Ty Walz (Virginia Tech) topped Thomas Haines (Lock Haven) 9-5 in the round of 16 at 285 pounds. 7:47 p.m. Olympic champion Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) rolled to a 22-7 technical fall over Garrett Ryan (Columbia) at 285 pounds. 7:43 p.m. No. 4 Nolan Boyd (Oklahoma State) edged Bryce Carr (Chattanooga) 3-2 in tiebreaker at 184 pounds. 7:32 p.m. Jack Dechow (Old Dominion) edged Nate Jackson (Indiana) in sudden victory at 184 pounds. He will face two-time NCAA champion Gabe Dean (Cornell) in the quarterfinals tomorrow morning. Dean won by major decision over Jordan Ellingwood (Central Michigan) in the round of 16. 7:30 p.m. Returning All-American Alex Meyer (Iowa) claimed a 7-5 win in sudden victory over No. 6 Ryan Preish (Lehigh) at 174 pounds. Meyer's teammate Sammy Brooks earned a pin shortly after at 184 pounds. 7:28 p.m. Drew Foster (Northern Iowa) earned an upset victory over Zack Zavatsky (Virginia Tech) at 184 pounds. 7:26 p.m. Top-seeded Zahid Valencia moved on to the quarterfinals with a convincing 12-3 victory over C.J. Brucki (Central Michigan) at 174 pounds. 7:24 p.m. NCAA champion Myles Martin (Ohio State) took his first loss ever in the NCAA tournament. The No. 6 seed was upset 14-9 by Emery Parker (Illinois) in the round of 16 at 184 pounds. 7:22 p.m. No. 2 Logan Massa (Michigan), a freshman, dominated in picking up a 25-10 technical fall over Drew Hughes (Michigan State) at 165 pounds. 7:15 p.m. No. 5 Mark Hall (Penn State) followed up his teammate Joseph's bonus point victory with a bonus point victory of his own. He won by technical fall, 16-0, over Jadaen Bernstein (Navy) at 174 pounds. 7:14 p.m. No. 3 Vincenzo Joseph gave Penn State a bonus point victory with a 12-4 major decision victory over Brandon Ashworth (Wyoming) at 165 pounds. 7:11 p.m. No. 9 Chandler Rogers (Oklahoma State) pinned No. 8 Dylan Cottrell (West Virginia) to advance to the quarterfinals at 165 pounds. 7:10 p.m. No. 3 Joey Lalleee brought the Missouri fans to their feet with a pin in sudden victory over Sal Mastriani (Virginia Tech) in sudden victory. 7:07 p.m. No. 2 Michael Kemerer (Iowa) dominated in his round of 16 match, winning 22-6 over Chase Delande (Edinboro) to advance to the quarterfinals at 157 pounds. 7:03 p.m. No. 2 Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) becomes the highest-seeded wrestler to lose. The Oklahoma State Cowboy fell 10-3 to Ken Theobold (Rutgers) 10-3 in sudden victory at 149 pounds. Theobold scored the winning takedown and then picked up four nearfall points. 6:54 p.m. Zain Retherford gave Penn State another bonus point victory with a 16-0 technical fall over Jordan Laster (Princeton) at 149 pounds. 6:52 p.m. In the biggest upset of the tournament thus far, Tommy Thorn (Minnesota) pinned No. 3 Joey McKenna (Stanford) in sudden victory at 141 pounds. Thorn secured the winning takedown and then immediately put McKenna on his back for the pin. 6:50 p.m. No. 5 Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) held on for a one-point victory, 8-7, over true freshman Luke Pletcher (Ohio State) at 141 pounds. 6:44 p.m. No. 4 Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) topped Jimmy Gulibon (Penn State) to advance to the quarterfinals at 141 pounds. 6:42 p.m. No. 1 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) was pushed by Jared Prince (Navy), but held on for a 9-5 victory at 141 pounds. The match was tied 4-4 before Heil turned it up late. 6:37 p.m. No. 8 Zain Richards (Illinois) edged No. 9 Scotty Parker (Lehigh) 7-6 in the round of 16 at 133 pounds. Richards scored the winning point off a stall call. 6:35 p.m. No. 2 Joey Dance (Virginia) gets a major decision to advance to the quarterfinals at 125 pounds. 6:32 p.m. No. 3 Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State) edged longtime rival Mitch McKee (Minnesota) 3-1 to advance to the quarterfinals at 133 pounds. 6:31 p.m. Buffalo has a quarterfinalist as No. 11 Bryan Lantry upset No. 6 Dom Forys (Pitt) 5-3 at 133 pounds. 6:29 p.m. Top-seeded Thomas Gilman (Iowa) rolled to a 22-8 major decision victory over No. 16 Nathan Kraisser (Campbell) at 125 pounds. 6:26 p.m. No. 12 Sean Fausz (NC State) notched a 3-1 victory over No. 5 Tim Lambert (Nebraska) to move on to the quarterfinals at 125 pounds. 6:24 p.m. No. 8 Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State) closes out a 5-2 victory over No. 9 Joshua Rodriguez (North Dakota State) in a Big 12 finals rematch. 6:22 p.m. No. 14 Freddie Rodriguez (SIU Edwardsville) moves on with a victory over Kyle Akins (Buffalo) at 125 pounds. 6:20 p.m. No. 6 Ethan Lizak (Minnesota) found himself in danger at one point, but finished strong in earning a 15-6 major decision over Josh Terao (American) at 125 pounds. 6:16 p.m. No. 8 Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State) scores a takedown late in the first period to take a 2-0 lead over No. 9 Joshua Rodriguez (North Dakota State) at 125 pounds. 6:02 p.m. Session II is underway at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in St. Louis. We will be posting updates from the round of 16 matches.

Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com Welcome to InterMat's open message board for the round of 16 at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. This is a place to interact and chat about round of 16 matchups.

125: No. 1 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) vs. No. 16 Nathan Kraisser (Campbell) No. 8 Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 9 Joshua Rodriguez (North Dakota State University) No. 5 Tim Lambert (Nebraska) vs. No. 12 Sean Fausz (NC State) No. 4 Darian Cruz (Lehigh) vs. No. 13 Shakur Laney (Ohio) No. 14 Freddie Rodriguez (Southern Illinois Edwardsville) vs. Kyle Akins (Buffalo) No. 6 Ethan Lizak (Minnesota) vs. No. 11 Josh Terao (American) No. 7 Sean Russell (Edinboro) vs. No. 10 Jack Mueller (Virginia) No. 2 Joey Dance (Virginia Tech) vs. No. 15 Drew Templeman (Wyoming) 133: No. 1 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) vs. Cam Sykora (North Dakota State University) No. 8 Zane Richards (Illinois) vs. No. 9 Scotty Parker (Lehigh) No. 5 Stevan Micic (Michigan) vs. No. 12 Josh Alber (Northern Iowa) No. 4 Cory Clark (Iowa) vs. Pat D'Arcy (Princeton) No. 3 Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 14 Mitch McKee (Minnesota) No. 6 Dom Forys (Pittsburgh) vs. No. 11 Bryan Lantry (Buffalo) No. 7 Eric Montoya (Nebraska) vs. No. 10 John Erneste (Missouri) No. 2 Seth Gross (South Dakota State) vs. Joseph Palmer (Oregon State) 141: No. 1 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 16 Jared Prince (Navy) No. 8 Jaydin Eierman (Missouri) vs. No. 9 Colton McCrystal (Nebraska) No. 5 Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) vs. No. 12 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State) No. 4 Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton) vs. Jimmy Gulibon (Penn State) No. 3 Joey McKenna (Stanford) vs. No. 14 Tommy Thorn (Minnesota) No. 6 George DiCamillo (Virginia) vs. No. 11 Randy Cruz (Lehigh) No. 10 Bryce Meredith (Wyoming) vs. Jack Hathaway (Oregon State) No. 2 Kevin Jack (NC State) vs. No. 15 Tyler Smith (Bucknell) 149: No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State) vs. No. 16 Jordan Laster (Princeton) No. 9 Justin Oliver (Central Michigan) vs. Alex Kocer (South Dakota State) No. 5 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) vs. Andrew Crone (Wisconsin) No. 4 Micah Jordan (Ohio State) vs. No. 13 Alfred Bannister (Maryland) No. 3 Lavion Mayes (Missouri) vs. No. 14 Steve Bleise (Northern Illinois) No. 6 Solomon Chishko (Virginia Tech) vs. Joey Delgado (Oregon State) No. 7 Max Thomsen (Northern Iowa) vs. No. 10 Laike Gardner (Lehigh) No. 2 Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 15 Kenny Theobald (Rutgers) 157: No. 1 Jason Nolf (Penn State) vs. No. 16 Victor Lopez (Bucknell) B.J. Clagon (Rider) vs. No. 9 Joshua Shields (Arizona State) No. 5 Joe Smith (Oklahoma State) vs. May Bethea (Pennsylvania) No. 4 Tyler Berger (Nebraska) vs. Kyle Langenderfer (Illinois) No. 3 Joey Lavallee (Missouri) vs. No. 14 Sal Mastriani (Virginia Tech) No. 11 Russell Parsons (Army) vs. Paul Fox (Stanford) No. 7 Dylan Palacio (Cornell) vs. No. 10 Colin Heffernan (Central Michigan) No. 2 Michael Kemerer (Iowa) vs. Chase Delande (Edinboro) 165: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) vs. No. 16 Nick Wanzek (Minnesota) No. 8 Dylan Cottrell (West Virginia) vs. No. 9 Chandler Rogers (Oklahoma State) No. 5 Chad Walsh (Rider) vs. No. 12 Austin Matthews (Edinboro) No. 4 Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) vs. No. 13 Brandon Womack (Cornell) No. 3 Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) vs. No. 14 Branson Ashworth (Wyoming) No. 6 Daniel Lewis (Missouri) vs. No. 11 Bryce Steiert (Northern Iowa) No. 7 Anthony Valencia (Arizona State) vs. No. 10 Te'Shan Campbell (Pittsburgh) No. 2 Logan Massa (Michigan) vs. No. 15 Drew Hughes (Michigan State) 174: No. 1 Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) vs. No. 16 Christian Brucki (Central Michigan) No. 8 Ethan Ramos (North Carolina) vs. No. 9 Myles Amine (Michigan) No. 5 Mark Hall (Penn State) vs. Jadaen Bernstein (Navy) No. 4 Zach Epperly (Virginia Tech) vs. No. 13 Taylor Lujan (Northern Iowa) No. 3 Bo Jordan (Ohio State) vs. No. 14 Lelund Weatherspoon (Iowa State) No. 6 Ryan Preisch (Lehigh) vs. No. 11 Alex Meyer (Iowa) No. 10 Zac Brunson (Illinois) vs. Jake Residori (Southern Illinois Edwardsville) No. 2 Brian Realbuto (Cornell) vs. No. 15 Trace Engelkes (Northern Illinois) 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) vs. No. 16 Jordan Ellingwood (Central Michigan) No. 8 Jack Dechow (Old Dominion) vs. No. 9 Nathan Jackson (Indiana) No. 5 Zack Zavatsky (Virginia Tech) vs. No. 12 Drew Foster (Northern Iowa) No. 4 Nolan Boyd (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 13 Bryce Carr (Chattanooga) No. 3 Sammy Brooks (Iowa) vs. No. 14 Dakota Geer (Edinboro) No. 6 Myles Martin (Ohio State) vs. No. 11 Emery Parker (Illinois) No. 7 TJ Dudley (Nebraska) vs. No. 10 Michael Macchiavello (NC State) No. 2 Bo Nickal (Penn State) vs. No. 15 Steven Schneider (Binghamton University) 197: No. 1 J'den Cox (Missouri) vs. Steban Cervantes (Navy) No. 8 Ryan Wolfe (Rider) vs. Daniel Chaid (North Carolina) No. 5 Matt McCutcheon (Penn State) vs. No. 12 Frank Mattiace (Pennsylvania) No. 4 Jared Haught (Virginia Tech) vs. Cash Wilcke (Iowa) No. 3 Kollin Moore (Ohio State) vs. No. 14 Corey Griego (Oregon State) No. 6 Preston Weigel (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 11 Shawn Scott (Northern Illinois) No. 7 Aaron Studebaker (Nebraska) vs. No. 10 Kevin Beazley (Old Dominion) No. 2 Brett Pfarr (Minnesota) vs. Brad Johnson (Oklahoma) 285: No. 1 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) vs. No. 16 Garrett Ryan (Columbia) No. 8 Michael Kroells (Minnesota) vs. No. 9 Denzel Dejournette (Appalachian State) No. 5 Nick Nevills (Penn State) vs. No. 12 William Miller (Edinboro) No. 4 Jacob Kasper (Duke) vs. Mike Kosoy (NC State) No. 3 Ty Walz (Virginia Tech) vs. No. 14 Thomas Haines (Lock Haven) No. 6 Austin Schafer (Oklahoma State) vs. Conan Jennings (Northwestern) No. 7 Tanner Hall (Arizona State) vs. No. 10 Nathan Butler (Stanford) No. 2 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) vs. No. 15 Ryan Solomon (Pittsburgh)

Wrestlers warm up at the Scottrade Center on Wednesday, the day before competition (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) InterMat is providing a running notebook throughout the 2017 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis. The latest updates will appear at the top. Refresh/reload the page to view the latest updates. Links: Updated Brackets & Team Scores | Watch ESPN 2:25 p.m. That concludes Session I. Attendance for the first session was 18,157. We will be back with a running a notebook for Session II tonight, which begins at 6 p.m. CT. 2:25 p.m. In the final match of Session I, No. 10 Nathan Butler (Stanford) edged Joey Goodhart (Drexel) 3-3 victory in the second tiebreaker. The difference was 4 seconds of riding time. 2:23 p.m. No. 2 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) moved on to the round of 16 with a convincing 14-1 major decision victory over Ray O'Donnell (Princeton). 2:18 p.m. Conan Jennings (Northwestern) scored a mild upset, 4-0, over No. 11 Jared Johnson (Chattanooga). 2:16 p.m. No. 7 Tanner Hall (Arizona State) was pushed in his first match, but came out on top 4-2 against Dustin Dennison (Utah Valley) at heavyweight. 2:13 p.m. No. 3 Ty Walz (Virginia Tech) put together a strong opening match, winning 11-4 over Benjamin Tynan (North Dakota State) at 285 pounds. 2:07 p.m. Michael Kroells (Minnesota) blanked Austin Myers (Missouri) 6-0 at 285 pounds. The Gopher All-American heavyweight led 2-0 before picking up nearfall points in the third period to break open the match. 2:01 p.m. Nick Nevills (Penn State), seeded No. 5, won a hard-fought victory, 4-2, over Doug Vollaro (Lehigh) at 285 pounds. 1:58 p.m. Olympic champion Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) was dominant in a 25-10 technical fall victory over Jake Gunning (Buffalo) at 285 pounds. 1:57 p.m. Cash Wilcke (Iowa) upset No. 13 Tom Sleigh (Bucknell) 4-2 in sudden victory at 197 pounds to advance to the second round. 1:50 p.m. Daniel Chaid (North Carolina) pulled an upset as he knocked off No. 9 Nate Rotert (South Dakota State) 10-5 at 197 pounds. 1:47 p.m. Matt McCutcheon gave Penn State a bonus point victory as he pinned Christian Brunner (Purdue) at 197 pounds. 1:43 p.m. NCAA runner-up T.J. Dudley (Nebraska) rolled to a technical fall over victory over Michale Fagg-Daves (Rider) in his first match at 184 pounds. 1:40 p.m. Olympic bronze medalist J'den Cox (Missouri) advanced to the second round after pinning Jeric Kasunic (American) in his first match at 197 pounds. 1:38 p.m. No. 2 Bo Nickal (Penn State), a returning NCAA runner-up, was unchallenged in his opening bout as he claimed a 15-0 technical fall over Mitch Sliga (Northwestern) at 184 pounds. 1:36 p.m. Drew Foster (Northern Iowa) blanked Bobby Steveson (Minnesota) 8-0 at 184 pounds. 1:32 p.m. In a Big Ten battle, Sammy Brooks (Iowa) topped Nick Gravina (Rutgers) 7-3 at 184 pounds. 1:25 p.m. Oklahoma State took a hit as All-American Kyle Crutchmer, seeded No. 7, was upset by Jake Residori 6-5 (SIU Edwardsville) at 174 pounds. 1:22 p.m. Cornell picked up a couple bonus point victories as No. 2 Brian Realbuto (174) earned a technical fall, while No. 1 Gabe Dean (184) picked up a major decision. 1:17 p.m. No. 5 Mark Hall (Penn State), the nation's No. 1 recruit in 2016, opened his NCAA tournament with an 8-2 win over David Kocer (South Dakota State) at 174 pounds. He will now face Bernstein. 1:15 p.m. Jadaen Bernstein (Navy) knocked off No. 12 Casey Kent (Penn) at 174 pounds. 1:12 p.m. Freshman Zahid Valencia (Arizona State), seeded No. 1, rolled to a 19-5 major decision victory over Chris Pfarr (Minnesota) at 174 pounds. 1:04 p.m. No. 3 Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) controlled Keaton Subjeck (Stanford) in a 5-1 victory at 165 pounds. Subjeck defeated Joseph earlier in the season. 1:03 p.m. No. 13 Brandon Womack (Cornell) hammered Joey Gunther (Iowa) 12-3 at 165 pounds. 1:01 p.m. NCAA runner-up Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) advanced to the second round by beating Lorenzo De La Riva (CSU Bakersfield) by major decision at 165 pounds. 12:52 p.m. Two-time NCAA champion Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) opened with a 14-4 major decision victory over Shaun'Qa McMurtry (Northern Illinois) at 165 pounds. 12:50 p.m. 10) No. 10 Colin Heffernan (Central Michigan) scored a takedown in sudden victory to edge Andrew Atkinson (Virginia) 6-4 at 157 pounds. 12:49 p.m. No. 16 Nick Wanzek (Minnesota) used a third-period reversal to earn a 3-0 victory over Quentin Perez (Campbell) at 165 pounds. 12:43 p.m. Paul Fox (Stanford) knocked off No. 6 Clayton Ream (North Dakota State) 8-4 at 157 pounds. Ream becomes the highest seed (not counting defaults) to fall in the first round. 12:40 p.m. No. 7 Dylan Palacio (Cornell) moves on to the second round with a 9-1 major decision victory over ACC champion Taleb Rahmani (Pitt) at 157 pounds. 12:31 p.m. No. 1 Jason Nolf (Penn State) rolled to a 22-7 technical fall over Thomas Bullard (NC State) at 157 pounds. 12: 28 p.m. Unseeded B.J. Clagon (Rider), an All-American, used a late takedown to edge No. 8 Jake Short (Minnesota) 4-2 at 157 pounds. 12:17 p.m. Andrew Crone (Wisconsin) pulls a mild upset, beating No. 12 Sam Speno (NC State) 8-5 at 149 pounds. 12:12 p.m. Iowa gets bonus points with No. 5 Brandon Sorensen pinning Matthew Zovistoski (Appalachian State) at 149 pounds. 12:10 p.m. No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State) wins in a dominant fashion, 19-2, in his first match against Josh Maruca (Arizona State) at 149 pounds. 12:07 p.m. No. 2 Joey Dance (Virginia Tech) earns a 17-2 technical fall over pigtail winner Gabe Townsell (Stanford) at 125 pounds. 12:03 p.m. Jack Hathaway (Oregon State) picked up the biggest upset so far with a second-period pin over No. 7 Joey Ward (North Carolina) at 141 pounds. 11:55 a.m. Jimmy Gulibon (Penn State) was impressive in his first-round match as he earned a technical fall, 18-3, over Big Ten finalist Javier Gasca (Michigan State) at 141 pounds. 11:53 a.m. Returning NCAA champion Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) survives a tough first-round matchup, winning 6-5 over Brock Zacherl (Clarion) at 141 pounds. 11:51 a.m. At 133 pounds, No. 4 Cory Clark (Iowa) blanked Connor Schram (Stanford) 4-0 in a battle of returning All-Americans. No. 3 Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State) was pushed early, but opened up the scoring and picked up a 12-4 major decision over Scott Delvecchio (Rutgers). 11:44 a.m. Top-seeded Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) gets a 13-4 major decision over Korbin Myers (Edinboro) at 133 pounds. 11:41 a.m. Freshman Mitch McKee (Minnesota), seeded No. 14, opened his tournament by pinning Rico Montoya (Northern Colorado) at 133 pounds. 11:38 a.m. No. 9 Scotty Parker (Lehigh) had no trouble in picking up an 11-3 victory over Appalachian State's Colby Smith (Appalachian State) at 133 pounds. 11:35 a.m. No. 12 Josh Alber (Northern) moves on to the second round with a pin over Austin Eicher (Michigan State) at 133 pounds. 11:32 a.m. No. 14 Freddie Rodriguez (SIU Edwardsville) was dominant in his opening match, earning a technical fall over Vito Pasone (Appalachian State) at 125 pounds. 11:27 a.m. No. 6 Ethan Lizak (Minnesota) held on for a 10-8 victory over Christian Moody (Oklahoma) at 125 pounds. Lizak led 7-0, but Moody battled back and nearly pulled it out. 11:25 a.m. No. 4 Darian Cruz (Lehigh) gets a quick fall -- in 52 seconds -- over Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa) in a battle of past All-Americans at 125 pounds. 11:22 a.m. No. 1 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) scores early and often and cruises to a 19-6 major decision over Brent Fleetwood (Central Michigan) at 125 pounds. 11:17 a.m. No. 8 Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State) gets a fall against Elijah Oliver (Indiana) at 125 pounds. Sean Fausz (NC State) also gets a pin. 11:14 a.m. Gabe Townsell (Stanford) advances with a win in sudden victory over Barlow McGhee (Missouri) at 125 pounds. Grey gets a major decision at 133 pounds. 11:12 a.m. Steveson wins 13-3. B.J Clagon (Rider) also picks up a victory at 157 pounds. 11:09 a.m. Bobby Steveson (Minnesota) leads Nick Corba (Cleveland State) 9-3 at 184 pounds. 11:06 a.m. Cornell's Mark Grey (133) rolling early against Kent State's Anthony Tutolo. Leads 6-1 in the first period. 11:03 a.m. Action is underway at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships with wrestle-in matches. 10:06 a.m. In addition to Nick Suriano of Penn State (125) scratching, Michigan's Zac Hall (149) is also a scratch, which means No. 10 Laike Gardner of Lehigh has a first-round bye. He will face the winner of Max Thomsen of UNI vs. Matthew Cimato of Drexel.

A Twitter List by InterMat

Kyle Snyder at a press conference before the Olympic Games (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) COLUMBUS, Ohio -- After being announced as a semifinalist for the prestigious AAU James E. Sullivan Award last week, Big Ten, NCAA and Olympic champion Kyle Snyder is now a finalist and will attend the awards ceremony on Tuesday, April 11 at the New York Athletic Club in New York City. The AAU Sullivan Award has been presented annually since 1930 to the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States. Representatives from the AAU created the Sullivan Award with the intent to recognize contributions and achievements across the country of amateur athletes. "I'm really honored to be a finalist for the 87th AAU James E. Sullivan Award," said Snyder. "This award has been presented to some of the greatest athletes of all time, athletes that not only have reached the top of their game, but also competed with great character. I work extremely hard to be a leader in my sport and I am very humbled to be considered for such a prestigious prize." Fans can vote for Snyder starting today (Wednesday, March 15), through next Wednesday, March 22 at 11:59 p.m. Click here to vote Snyder: bit.ly/AAUSullivanAward2017 Snyder added a second Big Ten title at 285 lbs. to his two weeks ago, topping previously undefeated and second-ranked Connor Medbery of Wisconsin, 8-5. His win helped the Buckeyes win their second team title in the past three years. This weekend, he is the top seed at the NCAA Championships and is seeking his second consecutive title. A junior from Woodbine, Md., Snyder is 12-0 this year and 10 of those wins coming by bonus points. Dating back to last season, he's won 23 consecutive collegiate matches and averaged over 15 points per match with five falls, eight technical falls and five major decisions. In one of the most memorable championships matches in NCAA history, he ended Nick Gwiazdowski's 88-match win streak in front of a sold out crowd at Madison Square Garden. On the international scene, Snyder won the gold medal at 97kg last August in the Rio Games, becoming the youngest gold medalist in U.S. wrestling history and first active Ohio State student-athlete to win an Olympic championship since Jerry Lucas (basketball) in 1960. Most recently, he won the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in Russia, regarded as the toughest Open international freestyle event of the year. Only three wrestlers have ever won the James E. Sullivan Award, Olympic champions John Smith (1990), Bruce Baumgartner (1995) and Rulon Gardner (2000).

ESPN's Quint Kessenich interviews Oklahoma State coach John Smith (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Opportunity is stepping onto the college wrestling mat. And whether the wrestling community can score here could be the difference in going forward or going backward when it comes to growth of the sport. ESPN's coverage of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships has grown from short highlight clips to a 90-minute, tape-delayed broadcast to every-mat-of-every-session coverage in just 22 years. The jump to covering every session either on broadcast television or live streaming happened just 14 years ago. Now wrestling is poised to make another leap -- three days of programming on the network's main channel, ESPN. That's great news for the sport, but don't kid yourself. It didn't come about because wrestling is suddenly the sport of choice for casual fans. John Vassallo, ESPN's senior coordinating producer, admits the timing worked well with the channel's schedule. "It's really more of a function of our programming window availability than anything." Translation: other networks have basketball contracts locked up and ESPN had a hole to fill. But ESPN's wrestling coverage can still be considered a success story. Last year's TV coverage reached 8 million people. Jim Gibbons, ESPN commentator and former collegiate wrestler and coach, said of the coverage, "It's made all parties happy." That means ESPN is able to sell the product to advertisers. And there's a thirst for the digital product. The live streaming portion of the coverage is highly successful. In 2016 the digital consumption on Saturday night was up 41 percent from just the year before. So here's the challenge for all segments of the wrestling community. Take the gift of expanded coverage and make it something a sports fan who's flipping through the channels will stop to watch. It can be done. Even Vassallo, who by his own admission is a "lacrosse guy", acknowledges that to know wrestling is to love wrestling. "It's my favorite time of the year and I would have never guessed that when I was assigned to the sport ten years ago," he said. But everyone has to do their part. Here's what ESPN said it's doing. They use graphics that explain the basics. Things such as what is a takedown or what is a reversal. They also mic the officials in the semifinals and finals so viewers can hear the instructions to the wrestlers. But Vassallo realizes it's a delicate balance between educating the casual fan and satisfying the avid fan. He describes it as, "a sport we're still trying to figure out how best to cover." Gibbons, a 1981 NCAA champion wrestler and 1987 NCAA champion coach, noted that ESPN dedicates the resources to telling the back story of the athletes. "To walk away as NCAA champion is not about the tournament and the titles. It's about the pursuit of that and the emotions involved." The wrestlers and coaches know what they need to do and they come ready every year -- no worries there. The referees play a big role. Are they going push the pace, force the action? If so, that means call stalling early and often. Wrestlers and coaches get the message when refs do that. If they fear the stall call many will wrestle differently, more aggressively and in general, that leads to more exciting matches. Fans need to pack the place. The attendance record for the championships is 113,000 and change, set in 2015 at the same venue being used this year, Scottrade Center in St. Louis. That's close to its capacity for 6 sessions, but not quite. Let's break that record. One Iowa fan said recently, "The atmosphere is incredible (at NCAAs). You don't get that on TV." Well, if the crowd is even more loud and the atmosphere even more incredible that can translate to a more exciting broadcast, not to mention it's more fun for the folks who are there. And for those who can't attend, there's power in watching in real time. Television networks still sell ads based on ratings and those ratings are directly tied to people tuning in. And finally there's the NCAA. It has a job to do too. As Anthony Holman, NCAA Associate Director of Championships and Alliances said, "We want to continue to explore how to better tell the stories of the student athletes, how to tell the excitement of wrestling and how to simplify it for the casual fan." Opportunity is ready to wrestle. Let's make sure the mat it's standing on is a welcome mat.

The InterMat staff writers have broken down the brackets for the 2017 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in St. Louis and made their predictions. Andrew Hipps 125: No. 1 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) over No. 2 Joey Dance (Virginia Tech) 133: No. 4 Cory Clark (Iowa) over No. 2 Seth Gross (South Dakota State) 141: No. 3 Joey McKenna (Stanford) over No. 5 Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) 149: No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State) over No. 2 Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) 157: No. 1 Jason Nolf (Penn State) over No. 7 Dylan Palacio (Cornell) 165: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) over No. 2 Logan Massa (Michigan) 174: No. 5 Mark Hall (Penn State) over No. 3 Bo Jordan (Ohio State) 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) over No. 3 Sammy Brooks (Iowa) 197: No. 1 J'den Cox (Missouri) over No. 2 Brett Pfarr (Minnesota) 285: No. 1 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) over No. 2 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) Top five teams: 1. Penn State 2. Iowa 3. Oklahoma State 4. Ohio State 5. Virginia Tech T.R. Foley 125: No. 1 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) over No. 2 Joey Dance (Virginia Tech) 133: No. 1 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) over No. 3 Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State) 141: No. 2 Kevin Jack (NC State) over No. 1 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) 149: No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State) over No. 2 Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) 157: No. 1 Jason Nolf (Penn State) over No. 2 Michael Kemerer (Iowa) 165: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) over No. 2 Logan Massa (Michigan) 174: No. 1 Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) over No. 3 Bo Jordan (Ohio State) 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) over No. 2 Bo Nickal (Penn State) 197: No. 1 J'den Cox (Missouri) over No. 3 Kollin Moore (Ohio State) 285: No. 1 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) over No. 3 Ty Walz (Virginia Tech) Top five teams: 1. Penn State 2. Ohio State 3. Oklahoma State 4. Iowa 5. Virginia Tech Josh Lowe 125: No. 1 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) over No. 2 Joey Dance (Virginia Tech) 133: No. 1 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) over No. 3 Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State) 141: No. 3 Joey McKenna (Stanford) over No. 5 Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) 149: No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State) over No. 2 Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) 157: No. 1 Jason Nolf (Penn State) over No. 2 Michael Kemerer (Iowa) 165: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) over No. 6 Daniel Lewis (Missouri) 174: No. 1 Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) over No. 3 Bo Jordan (Ohio State) 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) over No. 2 Bo Nickal (Penn State) 197: No. 1 J'dean Cox (Missouri) over No. 3 Kollin Moore (Ohio State) 285: No. 1 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) over No. 2 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) Top five teams: 1. Penn State 2. Ohio State 3. Oklahoma State 4. Iowa 5. Cornell Tom Franck 125: No. 1 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) over No. 6 Ethan Lizak (Minnesota) 133: No. 2 Seth Gross (South Dakota State) over No. 4 Cory Clark (Iowa) 141: No. 2 Kevin Jack (NC State) over No. 1 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) 149: No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State) over No. 2 Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) 157: No. 1 Jason Nolf (Penn State) over No. 2 Michael Kemerer (Iowa) 165: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) over No. 3 Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) 174: No. 1 Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) over No. 3 Bo Jordan (Ohio State) 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) over No. 2 Bo Nickal (Penn State) 197: No. 1 J'den Cox (Missouri) over No. 3 Kollin Moore (Ohio State) 285: No. 1 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) over No. 2 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) Top five teams: 1. Penn State 2. Ohio State 3. Oklahoma State 4. Iowa 5. Virginia Tech Craig Sesker 125: No. 1 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) over No. 2 Joey Dance (Virginia Tech) 133: No. 1 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) over No. 3 Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State) 141: No. 3 Joey McKenna (Stanford) over No. 1 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) 149: No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State) over No. 3 Lavion Mayes (Missouri) 157: No. 1 Jason Nolf (Penn State) over No. 2 Michael Kemerer (Iowa) 165: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) over No. 7 Anthony Valencia (Arizona State) 174: No. 5 Mark Hall (Penn State) over No. 3 Bo Jordan (Ohio State) 184: No. 3 Sammy Brooks (Iowa) over No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) 197: No. 1 J'den Cox (Missouri) over No. 2 Brett Pfarr (Minnesota) 285: No. 1 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) over No. 2 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) Top five teams: 1. Penn State 2. Ohio State 3. Oklahoma State 4. Iowa 5. Missouri Richard Mann 125: No. 1 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) over No. 6 Ethan Lizak (Minnesota) 133: No. 4 Cory Clark (Iowa) over No. 3 Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State) 141: No. 1 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) over No. 3 Joey McKenna (Stanford) 149: No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State) over No. 2 Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) 157: No. 1 Jason Nolf (Penn State) over No. 2 Michael Kemerer (Iowa) 165: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) over No. 3 Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) 174: No. 1 Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) over No. 3 Bo Jordan (Ohio State) 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) over No. 2 Bo Nickal (Penn State) 197: No. 1 J'den Cox (Missouri) over No. 2 Brett Pfarr (Minnesota) 285: No. 1 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) over No. 7 Tanner Hall (Arizona State) Top five teams: 1. Penn State 2. Oklahoma State 3. Iowa 4. Ohio State 5. Virginia Tech Devin Hurst 125: No. 1 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) over No. 2 Joey Dance (Virginia Tech) 133: No. 1 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) over No. 3 Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State) 141: No. 2 Kevin Jack (NC State) over No. 1 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) 149: No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State) over No. 2 Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) 157: No. 1 Jason Nolf (Penn State) over No. 2 Michael Kemerer (Iowa) 165: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) over No. 2 Logan Massa (Michigan) 174: No. 1 Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) over No. 3 Bo Jordan (Ohio State) 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) over No. 2 Bo Nickal (Penn State) 197: No. 1 J'den Cox (Missouri) over No. 3 Kollin Moore (Ohio State) 285: No. 1 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) over No. 2 Connor Medberry (Wisconsin) Top five teams: 1. Oklahoma State 2. Penn State 3. Ohio State 4. Virginia Tech 5. Iowa Steve Elwood 125: No. 1 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) over No. 2 Joey Dance (Virginia Tech) 133: No. 1 Nathan Tomasello over No. 2 Seth Gross (South Dakota State) 141: No. 3 Joey McKenna (Stanford) over No. 1 Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) 149: No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State) over No. 2 Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) 157: No. 1 Jason Nolf (Penn State) over No. 3 Joey Lavallee (Missouri) 165: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) over No. 2 Logan Massa (Michigan) 174: No. 1 Zahid Valencia (Arizona State) over No. 2 Brian Realbuto (Cornell) 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) over No. 2 Bo Nickal (Penn State) 197: No. 1 J'den Cox (Missouri) over No. 2 Brett Pfarr (Minnesota) 285: No. 1 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) over No. 2 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) Top five teams: 1. Penn State 2. Oklahoma State 3. Ohio State 4. Iowa 5. Virginia Tech Jim Beezer 125: No. 1 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) over No. 2 Joey Dance (Virginia Tech) 133: No. 4 Cory Clark (Iowa) over No. 3 Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State) 141: No. 3 Joey McKenna (Stanford) over No. 5 Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) 149: No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State) over No. 2 Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) 157: No. 1 Jason Nolf (Penn State) over No. 3 Joey Lavallee (Missouri) 165: No. 4 Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) over No. 2 Logan Massa (Michigan) 174: No. 5 Mark Hall (Penn State) over No. 3 Bo Jordan (Ohio State) 184: No. 6 Myles Martin (Ohio State) over No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) 197: No. 1 J'den Cox (Missouri) over No. 2 Brett Pfarr (Minnesota) 285: No. 1 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) over No. 2 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) Top five teams: 1. Penn State 2. Ohio State 3. Iowa 4. Oklahoma State 5. Virginia Tech

Beau Vest, who built a new wrestling program at Midland University in Nebraska, will take on that challenge all over again ... this time at Cowley College, the Kansas-based community college announced Tuesday. Beau VestVest launched the Midland wrestling program in 2010, leading the Warriors to an eighth-place finish at the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) Wrestling Championships in that first season. In seven seasons at the Fremont, Neb. school, Vest coached two wrestlers to individual national titles. Prior to coaching at Midland, Vest served as head wrestling coach at Topeka High School in Topeka, Kan., for six years where he coached 11 state medalists, three state finalists and two state champions. He was also a member of the Team Kansas Cadet Freestyle/Greco National Coaching staff. Vest seeks to replicate that success at Midland with the new program at Cowley, which will take to the mat for the first time this fall. "We want to be as competitive as possible right off the bat," Vest said. "We want to bring in tough, quality kids that will set a good foundation for year two of the recruiting class." "I chose to come to Cowley because of the history of wrestling in that area, my ties to Kansas and Oklahoma, and the potential to do something special here," Vest added. Vest wrestled at Topeka High, then at Missouri Valley College, where he was a four-time NAIA Wrestling All-American, three-time National Finalist and 1996 National Champion at 118 pounds. He also attended Oklahoma State University. "I have got a lot of connections in that part of the state and am proud to have grown up wrestling in Kansas," Vest said. "I have always known about the great wrestling high school and kids clubs programs in Arkansas City [home to Cowley College] and hope to be able to expand that to the college level." Cowley College athletic director Shane Larson is happy to have found a coach with experience that will benefit the launch of the new program at the two-year Kansas school. "Beau has competed at the highest level at every institution he has been at and the fact he was interested in starting a wrestling program at Cowley goes to show the potential there is," Larson said. "We are excited to finally have this process done,” Larson added. “Beau Vest has a great resume and is the perfect person to lead the program." As InterMat reported in October 2016, Cowley College officially announced it would be starting a new wrestling program in the fall of 2017, after having launched a feasibility study in January 2016 which pointed out the popularity of wrestling in southern Kansas which would help attract high school wrestlers to the college. Located in Arkansas City, Kansas just south of Wichita, Cowley County Community College got its start in 1922 as the Arkansas City Junior College. For the first 30 years of its existence, the school was located in the basement of the Arkansas City High School. The school gained its own campus in 1950, and was renamed Cowley County Community College and Vocational-Technical School in 1965. According to the school's website, Cowley has approximately 5,000 students.

The upcoming NCAA Division I wrestling tournament has a litany of compelling storylines heading into St. Louis. Some years are full of upsets and surprises. This year I feel will be somewhat predictable, but with a couple surprising upsets. Below are my champion predictions. 125: No. 1 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) Why: It's his year. He has shown incredible poise this year as an upper statesman in one of the best Division I college wrestling programs. I see the true freshman Nick Suriano of Penn State as his only real challenge. Gilman won by close decision in the dual meet. Suriano injured his anke in the dual meet against Oklahoma State and subsequently sat out the Big Ten Championships. The idea, of course for Suriano, is to rest and be ready for the NCAAs. He won't be. Given Suriano's questionable health and Gilman's maturity, readiness, and extensive experience in the big show, it's a no-brainer. Gilman wins rather handily. Ohio State's Nathan Tomasello enters the NCAAs undefeated (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) 133: No. 1 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) Why: He's really grown into the 133-pound weight class after bumping up from 125 pounds last year. He was strong at 125 pounds, but he's an even better version of himself at 133 pounds. He's strong, confident and relentless. His last-second win over Cory Clark at the Big Ten Championships was impressive. No one can match his strength, talent and sheer determination. 141: No. 5 Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) Why: Anthony Ashnault is strong and the current Big Ten champ. Kevin Jack of NC State and Dan Heil of Oklahoma State are also in the mix here. However, I think Ashnault has what it takes to win this year. He has really matured and is hungry for validation. Ashnault upsets to win. 149: No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State) Why: Really? If you don't know why he wins you have not been following Division I wrestling. He is probably the most dominant wrestler in the tournament. His overtime win over Brandon Sorensen was his only real test this year. He is too strong, has incredibly heavy hands that will crush everyone in his path. No one comes close! 157: No. 1 Jason Nolf (Penn State) Why: He's destroyed everyone in his weight class and is the man to beat at 157 pounds now that Martinez moved up to 165 pounds. Michael Kemerer of Iowa is his closest rival and they have a long training history together. However, he's beaten him twice this year. He's got Kemerer beaten on the mat and in his head. Joe Smith of Oklahoma State makes a deep run. Nolf wins easily. 165: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) Why: He is on his way to being the next four-time NCAA champion. It's his destiny. His conditioning, both mental physical, are unparalleled. He has matured, gotten better, if that's even possible. Martinez is on a mission, he will not be derailed. His only college loss was to Nolf last year at 157. I think a bit of hubris crept into his head and he got caught. That's now behind him, and so is everyone else. He may get mild a challenge from Logan Massa of Michigan, or more likely from Vincenzo Joseph of Penn State. 174: No. 5 Mark Hall (Penn State) Why: This could be the only other upset. Hall, a six-time Minnesota state champion, has a lot of experience in big tournaments. Zahid Valencia of Arizona State is now the No. 1 wrestler in this weight class, but I don't think he makes it through the bracket. Bo Jordan of Ohio State narrowly defeated Hall in overtime to win the Big Ten Championships. Jordan looked good, but I don't think he's one-hundred percent healthy, and still shows signs of rust in my opinion. I think Hall puts it all together and wins. This great talent combined with stellar preparation from his coaches is the difference here. 184: No. 2 Bo Nickal (Penn State) Why: Even though Gabe Dean is labeled the favorite from anyone you ask, I think Nickal redeems himself in this tournament. He finds a way to move past his recent loss to Myles Martin of Ohio State at the Big Ten Championships, as well as last year in the NCCA finals at 174 pounds. Nickal has his day! Missouri's J'den Cox will look to finish his career as a three-time NCAA champion (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) 197: No. 1 J'den Cox (Missouri) Why: This guy should have been competing for his fourth NCAA title. I feel he got complacent his sophomore year. He did not have the same fire following his freshman year national title victory. I think he felt he could coast, he couldn't, and didn't. Not at this level of competition. Nevertheless, he will win this year and win definitively, with little resistance. Again, he should be a four-time champ, but three it shall be. 285: No. 1 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) Why: Please, do I really have to? Olympic gold medal for U.S. and has beaten virtually everyone, everywhere since his national title over reigning heavyweight king Nick Gwiazdowski of NC State last year. Team: Penn State Why: They won't have as many champions this year, but enough of them will place high enough to post the win. They are the best team, and showed it this year, especially in the dual meet against Oklahoma State, coming back from a 13-0 deficit to win. They lost the Big Ten championship to Ohio State, but the Buckeyes will not dominate this very talented national field even close to the same way. 1. Penn State 2. Ohio State 3. Oklahoma State 4. Iowa 5. Michigan

St. Louis, Missouri -- The National Wrestling Coaches Association has announced its annual winners for the Meritorious Service Award and the Dan Gable "America Needs Wrestling" Award. Darrell Randall and Kirk Hankla are the recipients of the NWCA's Meritorious Service Award, the highest honor presented by the organization, while Tom Sculley and Amanda Dahl were named the Dan Gable "America Needs Wrestling" Award. A member of the NWCA's Board of Directors for 20 years, Randall is the primary architect of the NWCA's Strategic Plan, which has led to the addition or reinstatement of over 160 college wrestling teams since 2001. Randall is also a board member for the Wrestlers in Business Network. "When we were just a small non-profit trying to promote and add opportunities for our wrestlers nationwide, Darrell Randall was there," said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. "Darrell has been such an integral part of our organization and he's always been a guy who's been there but didn't get the recognition he deserved for everything he's been able to do for us as an organization and as a sport. I'm beyond honored to be able to recognize who is such a valuable asset to our sport." One of the NWCA's main initiatives is providing training and education to ready wishful college and high school wrestling coaches with the skills they need outside of the wrestling room to become CEO's of their wrestling programs through the NWCA's CEO Leadership Academy. Hankla has been a key advisor with the Leadership Academy and NWCA's strategic communications and public relations strategies. "With the growth of college wrestling, especially at levels outside of Division I, we have to ensure our new programs get on great footing with a trained coach who knows not only how to teach men and women on the mats, but to be able to understand how to work with administrators and faculty," said Moyer. "What Kirk has been able to do is provide our organization the valuable knowledge so we can approach schools with viable candidates, but so those schools actually know we are out there willing and able to assist them in their job searches and placement of coaches who have gone through our CEO Leadership Academy." The NWCA honors Sculley and Dahl with the Dan Gable "America Needs Wrestling" Award. This award is to recognize those individuals who have given significant time and effort to the sport of wrestling. Those efforts must have had significant impact on the preservation or promotion of the sport. Sculley, currently a Managing Partner at Outer Circle Sports, was a 1974 NCAA Division I Champion for Lehigh and is widely credited for for helping rejuvenate a Lehigh wrestling program in the 70s. A graduate of Bethlehem Catholic High School in Pennsylvania, Sculley has been a constant presence in the sport of wrestling working with the adidas wrestling brand. He's also a member of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Hall of Fame. Sculley's organizations have long been instrumental and extremely generous in providing start-up funds for many of the new intercollegiate programs started in the past 20 years. "There really isn't enough that can be said about the impact of Tom Sculley," said Moyer. "He's been someone we as a sport and we as an organization have always been able to turn to and he's always come through. When you think about people who embody what this award is about, Tom Sculley's name is one of the top names to list." Dahl has been active in the promotion of wrestling since her days as a student working in Iowa State's Athletic Communications department. Currently the Associate Athletics Communications Director and Supervisor for Wrestling at Purdue, Dahl is one of the top professionals who goes above and beyond to promote wrestling. "We're very gracious and privileged to have Amanda as part of our sport," said Moyer. "Her organizational skills and her desire not only to promote wrestling, but her passion for the sport spreads to everyone around her. She is continually trying to find ways to enhance the sport through the use of statistical data". Dahl was also a key factor in promoting the NAIA National Wrestling Championships during her time with the organization, drawing in more regional and national media to cover the event and researching historical records to further help member schools promote their programs. Her work with promoting the Purdue program is setting a new standard for all programs to follow.

Bracket busters are always tough to predict. Determining who among a field of more than 300 wrestlers will find the correct mixture of draw, style matchup, energy, coaching and wherewithal to advance past higher ranked wrestlers is a fool's errand. The only criteria was that any wrestlers chosen must be seeded No. 10 or higher. Cinderella runs like the ones listed below are moon shots, destined to become nothing more than a forgotten dream, but every year something happens and these are the 10 situations I think are primed for magic in St. Louis. 125: Dylan Peters (UNI) Peters is a two-time All-American drawn into the bracket without a seed after a shortened season due to injury. The Panther wrestler is a prolific pinner and if healthy is 50/50 in the opening round against No. 4 Darian Cruz Lehigh. From there Peters could see his way past No. 13 Shakur Laney (Ohio), before hitting a buzzsaw in No. 5 Tim Lambert. If Peters navigates his first three rounds he should be set for a semifinal matchup versus fellow Iowan No. 1 Thomas Gilman of Iowa. 133: No. 10 John Erneste (Missouri) A lanky redshirt sophomore, Erneste puts up a lot of points on the mat. He'll need those points in the early rounds having to fend off a capable Jeffrey Ott (Harvard) in the first round before facing off with No. 7 Eric Montoya Nebraska and No. 2 Seth Gross (SDSU). Should Erneste somehow make it to Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State), he'd have to reverse his previous two losses to the Cowboy grappler. Both were by seven or more points. Ohio State's Luke Pletcher, the No. 12 seed, enters the NCAAs with a 23-7 record (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) 141: No. 12 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State) The true freshman has proven to be streaky in his opening season for the Buckeyes. However, with some Tom Ryan magic and the benefit of having seen many of his opponents during the season, Pletcher might be looking at one of the most unlikely runs through the NCAA Championships. First up for Pletcher is Salvator Profaci (Michigan) followed by No. 5 Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers) who owns a major decision win over Pletcher. Should he make his way past Ashnault, Pletcher would face No. 4 Matthew Kolodzik (Princeton), who beat him 5-1 earlier in the year, before facing off with Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) in the semifinals. 149: No. 11 Davion Jeffries (Oklahoma) Jeffries will open with Joey Delgado (Oregon State), who he beat 5-3 in his final dual meet of the season. Then he'll face returning All-American No. 6 Solomon Chishko (Virginia Tech), who is coming off a title at the ACC tournament. Next up would be No. 3 Lavion Mayes (Missouri), who Jeffries lost to 3-1 in sudden victory the last time they met. Make it that far and he'll see No. 2 Anthony Collica (Oklahoma State) in the semifinals. Collica beat Jeffries 7-4 at the Big 12 Championships. 157: Sal Mastriani (Virginia Tech) Despite a disappointing season and an upset loss in the finals of the ACC tournament, Sal Mastriani poses a major threat to the 157-pound bracket. A returning All-American, Mastriani is healthy, well-coached and possesses a style well-suited for three tough days of wrestling. First up is Casey Sparkman (Kent State), who Mastriani should outperform, setting up a rematch with No. 3 Joey Lavallee (Missouri), who earned a major decision over Mastriani early in the season. If the Virginia Tech wrestler can find the upset he'll be set up to face No. 6 Clayton Ream (NDSU) who beat Mastriani 12-6 earlier in the year. Make it through it all and he'll face a possible semifinal with No. 2 Michael Kemerer (Iowa). Oklahoma's Yoanse Mejias has a win this season over WVU's Dylan Cottrell 165: Yoanse Mejias (Oklahoma) Do you believe in miracles? Though Mejias has been up-and-down this season, the young Oklahoma wrestler has all the equipment for an upset or two at the NCAA Championships. He'll start his day with No. 10 Te'Shan Campbell (Pitt) before trying to reverse an early season loss to No. 7 Anthony Valencia (Arizona State). Getting that far might be doable. A miracle, but doable. However Mejias' next opponents, No. 2 Logan Massa (Michigan) and likely No. 3 Vincenzo Joseph (Penn State) could prove to be too much talent for the middleweight. 174: No. 11 Alex Meyer (Iowa) A returning All-American with a midseason win over Mark Hall of Penn State, Meyer is primed for another big run at the NCAA tournament. First up is Austin Dewey (Boise State) followed by a beatable No. 6 Ryan Preisch (Lehigh). The real fun starts in the quarterfinals as Hawkeye fans will see if Meyer can overcome his prior 3-2 loss to No. 3 Bo Jordan (Ohio State) before moving on to No. 2 Brian Realbuto (Cornell). 184: No. 12 Drew Foster (UNI) After competing against the winner of the wrestle-in match, Foster will face No. 5 Zack Zavatsky (Virginia Tech), who didn't perform well at last year's NCAA Championship and is a positive stylistic matchup for the Panther. Foster will need to stay focused as he takes on No. 4 Nolan Boyd (Oklahoma State), who beat him earlier in the season. Do all that and he faces the (likely) impossible task of knocking off No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell). 197: Brett Harner (Princeton) The returning All-American hasn't had a great season in 2016-2017, but he knows how to win at the big dance and has previously faced his first two competitors. Harner will start his journey back to the podium with No. 7 Aaron Studebaker (Nebraska), who only narrowly defeated Harner 2-1 early in the season. From there he'll face No. 10 Kevin Beazley (ODU), who bested him 5-2 earlier in the season, before facing titan No. 2 Brett Pfarr (Minnesota). Get that deep into the tournament and Harner will face Big Ten champion and No. 3 seed Kollin Moore (Ohio State). Lock Haven's Thomas Haines gets his hand raised after a victory (Photo/Tim Barnhart) 285: No. 14 Thomas Haines (Lock Haven) Recruited out of high school as one of the best wrestlers in the country, Haines has finally settled into his rhythm at Lock Haven. Haines' first-round matchup is against Youssif Hemida (Maryland), who he beat earlier in the season. The sophomore then faces an uphill battle against No. 3 Ty Walz (Virginia Tech), who teched him earlier in the season. Win that rematch and he'll face No. 6 Austin Schafer (Oklahoma State) and then No. 2 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin) in the semifinals.

The 2016 NCAA wrestling tournament was perhaps the most exciting event our sport has ever produced. The collection of tight matches and deep storylines were only enhanced by the bright lights of Madison Square Garden. Needless to say, we approach this year's event with some big shoes to fill. The good news is athletes, coaches and spectators from around the nation return to fan favorite Scottrade Center in St Louis this Thursday. There are 10 clear-cut favorites in each weight class. In fact, those 10 are the only remaining undefeated wrestlers in the country. Yes, that's good news for those of us looking to place a few legitimate wagers on some long shots. History shows that it remains highly unlikely that all 10 of those young athletes will reach the finals, let alone stand atop the podium come Saturday night. Need some convincing? The last time all top seeds advanced to the finals, Dan Gable had yet to hit his first double leg takedown. Actually I can't guarantee that … but I can tell you he was approximately 6 months old at the time. Even in a seemingly predictable year, the only certainty about this tournament remains its uncertainty. That means there is still plenty of action to enjoy, upsets to expect and prosperous betting opportunities to find! I'm here to help you identify some of those winning plays, but remember, I'm in no way responsible for what you bet, or if you bet. Think twice before going all-in on the field versus a reigning Olympic champion. This is for fun, so if you can't afford to pay, don't play. For the newcomers, here's how it usually works: Each weight class is broken down with a money line on the top two or three individuals (usually by seed). Then the remaining wrestlers, or the Field, are given a collective money line to win. For clarity purposes each line uses a base amount of $100. So if the line is +150, that means you risk $100 to win $150. Likewise, if the line is -150, you risk $150 to win $100. A few numbers for thought before we break down the weight classes (all data is since the 2003 NCAA tournament): The top seed at the NCAA tournament reaches the finals approximately 70 percent of the time and has won a title approximately 50 percent of the time. A wrestler seeded third or lower has won approximately 30 percent. A wrestler seeded fourth or lower has won approximately 20 percent. The Field comes in on average two to three times a year. All champs in 2013 came from either the No. 1 or No. 2 seed. That hadn't happened previously since John Smith was hitting low singles in an orange singlet. On to the breakdown of this year's weight classes and my personal (pre-official) lines: Iowa's top-seeded Thomas Gilman will look to finish his college career on top (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com) 125: Iowa's Thomas Gilman enters as our first undefeated top seed after falling short in last year's NCAA finals. He finds a past opponent in No. 2 seed Joey Dance of Virginia Tech, while talented newcomer Nick Suriano of Penn State limps in for the third seed. No. 4 seed Darian Cruz of Lehigh adds some serious talent to the field. Lines: Gilman -200, Dance +250, Field +250 The Play: Gilman has dominated outside of a controlled 3-2 victory over Suriano and a comeback fall over Ethan Lizak of Minnesota. He's also received a nice draw away from wrestlers who have given him trouble. The Suriano injury raises the stakes for the second-round match between Lizak and Josh Terao of American, but I like Dance to break through and challenge Gilman on the big stage. It's tempting to take Dance here with a big line, but Gilman has been too dominating and well-coached to bite. Let's take him to go out on top while enjoying some final constructive criticism from the crowd. SDSU's Seth Gross enters the NCAAs as the No. 2 seed (Photo/David Peterson, Minnesota/USA Wrestling) 133: Nathan Tomasello earns top seed after completing another undefeated regular season culminating in his third Big Ten title. There is a deep and talented group to fill in our field, including South Dakota State's Seth Gross, Oklahoma State's Kaid Brock and two-time finalist Cory Clark of Iowa to round out our top four seeds. Lines: Tomasello -150, Clark +275, Field +225 The Play: Nato finds himself in a similar spot to last year … an undefeated record with some close wins during the season. Both Clark and Michigan's Stevan Micic have shown capable of handing him a loss here. If he survives that matchup, Nato will find a formidable finals opponent from the slew of competitors below. I saw enough last year to bet against him and I see enough this year follow suit. Let's pay close attention to the field and take our first bet against a top seed. For the sake of a prediction, I'll take Gross over Clark for the title. Go Jacks! 141: Dean Heil of Oklahoma State returns with an undefeated record and an NCAA title on the resume. More than a few familiar names will challenge Heil's repeat attempt, most notably Kevin Jack of NC State and Joey McKenna of Stanford in the bottom bracket. Newcomer Matthew Kolodzik of Princeton joins Heil and two-time Big Ten champ Anthony Ashnault of Rutgers up top, while last year's bracket buster Bryce Meredith of Wyoming enters as the No. 10 seed. Lines: Heil +150, Jack +225, Field -150 The Play: This bracket looks eerily similar to 2016. Meredith will go through Jack and McKenna again if there's to be another Cinderella run. Heil proved me wrong last year and will have another opportunity to do so again. The field is too large to name everyone, but many are capable of finding the legs of Heil. It's just a matter of finishing those attacks. If they have scouted his defense, one might even find a fall along the way. Or maybe we just need the right referee? Either way, I'll take the field here again and see Ashnault over McKenna on Saturday night. 149: No surprises here as Zain Retherford of Penn State continues his streak of wins and general ability to make others feel uncomfortable on the mat. Some notables in the challenger field are No. 2 seed Anthony Collica of Oklahoma State and returning finalist Brandon Sorensen of Iowa. Both have kept it close with Penn State's thoroughbred this season. Lines: Retherford -600, Collica +350, Field +600 The Play: This is where Penn State's lineup starts to get scary and I won't spend a ton of time repeating how certain they are to win here and at 157. While Collica and Sorensen have both challenged Zain, only Sorensen threatened on his feet. Something any hopeful champ will need to find a way to do as Retherford's mat wrestling is just too solid. That being said, Zain was back in full beast mode at Big Tens and is one of the bigger locks this weekend. A bet against Zain would be giving money away and a bet on him would be too costly. Let's find better plays. 157: The second half of Penn State's two-headed monster, Jason Nolf headlines here and can make a claim as the most dominating wrestler in the country. Few have separated themselves from the field the way Nolf has. Those trying to close that gap include No. 2 Michael Kemerer of Iowa and MAC champion Joey Lavallee of Missouri. Former All-American and unseeded B.J. Clagon of Rider seems to be peaking late and is a talent to keep an eye on. Lines: Nolf -550, Kemerer +450, Field +750 The Play: Kemerer is the only wrestler to hold Nolf to a decision and has done so twice. He's probably a year away from threatening the Nittany Lion and will also need to get past Cornell's Dylan Palacio early. Nolf combines an early 90s Iowa-type pace with leg attacks, scrambling ability and technique that leaves spectators happy and opponents in disbelief. He truly appears to be operating under rules found in The Matrix. Even with a slightly more favorable line than Retherford, he's too pricey. Let's stay away, grab some popcorn and enjoy the show. 165: Isaiah Martinez of Illinois is three-for-three earning the top seed at his weight class. A collection of Big Ten opponents round out the top four seeds in the bracket as freshmen Logan Massa of Michigan and Vincenzo Joseph of Penn State make their tournament debuts. Returning finalist Isaac Jordan of Wisconsin joins Martinez on the top half and will look to make a return to the elevated mat. Lines: Martinez -300, Massa +300, Field +450 The Play: Expect the seeds to hold here and give us an all-Big Ten semifinal affair. Chad Walsh of Rider and Daniel Lewis of Missouri will attempt to spoil that. I've bet against Imar each of the past two seasons, and unlike Heil, he's convinced me to stop. The pending semi with Jordan will be his biggest threat from a matchup standpoint. However, Imar has had no problem adjusting to his new weight class and continually finds that devastating underhook. He can win via blowout, shootout or rideout and I'll take him -300 or better to go three-for-three. ASU's Zahid Valencia is undefeated and seeded No. 1 at 174 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) 174: Yet another impressive newcomer in the form of undefeated freshman Zahid Valencia of Arizona State, our top seed. Brian Realbuto of Cornell and Bo Jordan of Ohio State will each have to navigate a dangerous lower bracket to meet in the semifinals. Valencia will have his hands full on the top side with a set of challengers, including No. 4 Zach Epperly of Virginia Tech and Penn State's freshman phenom Mark Hall. Lines: Valencia even, Realbuto +250, Field even The Play: If Valencia can finish the season out unscathed, the talk of four titles will start by Sunday breakfast. Assuming he can sneak past North Carolina's Ethan Ramos again, I think we're looking at a super frosh showdown between Valencia and Hall. If anyone can match Valencia's ability on his feet, it's the junior world champ Hall, and I like him to emerge to face Realbuto under the spotlight. I've taken Realbuto each of the past two seasons and he's come up short. Tough to quit on him now and I like him +250 or better, proving bad habits die hard. 184: Gabe Dean of Cornell is one of the few wrestlers who can challenge Jason Nolf's claim as most dominant in the country. He returns as our top seed and looks to cap his career off with a third title. His road won't be easy as this weight class packs a ton of ready talent, including Penn State's unorthodox Bo Nickal, Iowa's Big Ten champ Sammy Brooks and returning NCAA champion Myles Martin of Ohio State. Lines: Dean -250, Nickal +225, Field +450 The Play: When an NCAA champion is seeded sixth, you've got a loaded weight class on your hands with a lot of possibilities. I think the stars align to give us another Martin-Nickal installment in the semi. A nice draw keeps Dean away from the Big Ten contingent but he will still need to weed through some All-Americans to make his third finals appearance. We can only hope that Bo Nickal is waiting on the other side. Tough to find success by attacking Dean head on, and only Nickal has the creativity and tools in his arsenal to go "around" him. I like him to edge out the Cornell stud in the premier bout of the year. Let's take a chance here on Bo +250 or better. 197: Another wrestler will be attempting to go out with his third title, Missouri's uber-talented J'den Cox. He has already been pushed this year by Minnesota's Brett Pfarr, Ohio State's Big Ten champion Kollin Moore and ACC champion Jared Haught of Virginia Tech. Lines: Cox -350, Moore +400, Field +450 The Play: Cox has looked susceptible to upset this year at times, but he gets a free pass for a slow early season after an active offseason and readjusting to the weight class. Out of the challengers, Moore gets my nod as the biggest threat and was able to score two takedowns against J'den in the dual meet meeting. That won't happen here. I'm willing to take a chance against a two-time NCAA champion (see 184), but not against an Olympic bronze medalist who defeated Kyle Dake in a best-of-three. I like Cox -350 or better to go out on top as one of the best ever. 285: And finally we arrive at our last undefeated top seed, Ohio State's returning NCAA champion Kyle Snyder. Connor Medbery of Wisconsin and Ty Walz of Virginia Tech are both big boys who can move and one will look to take out the Olympic champion on the big stage. Lines: Snyder -750, Medbery +600, Field +1200 The Play: Medbery and Walz have each earned takedowns against Snyder; Medbery more recently in the Big Ten finals. I can't say I felt either was really ever in the match, though. In the span of roughly 12 months, Kyle Snyder won a world title, defeated a two-time champion for his first NCAA title and earned an Olympic gold medal for the United States. Don't bet against Kyle Snyder. The only thing to debate here is where his accomplishments land him among the all-time greats. Crab cakes, football and wrestling … That's what Maryland does! Official lines should be available at your online sportsbook midweek (Wednesday) and individual lines are posted before the semifinals and finals in case you would like to hedge your bets ... or double down. Good luck and enjoy the winnings!

Wrestling fans take in the finals of the 2016 NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) I've covered three Olympic Games, two Pan American Games, two World Cups and a dozen World Championships. But in my opinion the best wrestling event on the planet happens every year on the third weekend in March. The NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships is a three-day, six-session rollercoaster of jubilation and elation combined with an equal amount of heartbreak and devastation. That's why the event routinely sells out and draws crowds of around 20,000 fans per session. That trend will continue this week at the 2017 NCAAs in St. Louis. I've been to 19 NCAA tournaments since attending my first Division I national tournament in 1995 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. Feel free to disagree, or even agree, but here are my rankings in order for what are the best rounds at the NCAAs. I can't really say best-to-worst because for me, and many others, all the rounds are outstanding. No. 1: Saturday night finals Picking the finals may seem like the obvious choice, but this is a much tougher decision than you might think. The Friday night semifinal round gives you the most amount of quality wrestling matches for your money. You not only have 20 compelling, hard-fought bouts going on side-by-side in the semifinals, but you also have wrestlers on the backside battling for a coveted top-eight spot on the medal podium. But the ultimate goal obviously is to have your hand raised on the stage on Saturday night. The best and most memorable moments in NCAA wrestling history have included Cael Sanderson becoming the only undefeated, four-time national champion, Larry Owings's stunning upset of Dan Gable and Kyle Dake defeating David Taylor in a battle of superstars to win his fourth NCAA title in four different weight classes. I still get goosebumps thinking back to the five-minute standing ovation Cael deservedly received after he made history in 2002 in Albany, New York. Myles Martin battles Lelund Weatherspoon in the NCAA semifinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) No. 2: Friday night semifinals, round of 12 Some of the very best matches of the three-day extravaganza will occur during the "blood round" -- the gut-wrenching round where the winner clinches an All-American spot and the loser goes home crushed and empty-handed. The semifinals are a treat to watch, with the stakes obviously very high where the winner keeps their championship hopes alive and the loser tumbles into the consolation semis. Many wrestlers I greatly respect consider this the best round and it's hard to argue with them, quite frankly. No. 3: Friday morning quarterfinals The worst part about this round, which is almost as good as the best two rounds, is trying not to miss all of the good wrestling going on. With four quarterfinals going on at the same time, it's a smorgasbord of top-notch competition. It's also a round where numerous upsets occur. It is the second day of weigh-ins and athletes who are cutting a lot of weight can start to wear down when wrestling in a round shortly after stepping on the scale for the second time in two days. And of course, this is the round where most of the matchups feature battles between seeded wrestlers. The team race also becomes much more sharply into focus. Quarterfinal winners clinch a top-six finish, so a large number of team points can pile up in this round. You obviously also have great battles in the wrestlebacks as athletes try to stay alive. Anybody who says this is the best round of the tournament won't get much of an argument from me. It's wall-to-wall great matches with no shortage of drama. No. 4 Thursday morning first round There are no givens in this round. Seeds guarantee nothing obviously and this a chance for unheralded athletes to make a name for themselves by knocking off a highly seeded athlete. Among the casualties in this round have been Matt Lindland, Coleman Scott, J.D. Bergman and Jimmy Kennedy. Lindland, the U.S. Greco-Roman National Coach, went on to win Olympic and World silver medals. Scott won an NCAA title and Olympic bronze medal. Bergman and Kennedy both make World teams. Every year, seeded athletes fall in the first round. And this year will be no exception. Ohio's Cody Walters celebrates after winning his seventh-place match (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com No. 5: Saturday morning placing matches It may seem a little silly, and possibly crazy, to rank this round fifth when 10 wrestlers earn third-place finishes. But that just tells you how entertaining that this tournament is to watch. The Saturday consolation semis and subsequent placing bouts for third, fifth and seventh are a battle of attrition in many cases. Wrestlers typically are beaten down mentally and physically from three days of tough matches and weigh-ins, plus everyone wrestling Saturday morning already has fallen short of the finals. When I reflect back on my memories from this round, I think about athletes with wraps and tape around their head, shoulders, knees and ankles. It's a physical, grueling sport and this tournament takes an obvious toll on the wrestlers. That's part of what makes it so gratifying when they win and reach their goals. I was impressed when wrestlers like Franklin Gomez, Jason Tsirtsis, James Green, Robert Kokesh, Alan Waters and Sam Hazewinkel rebounded from tough losses to place third. This is typically the worst attended round of the tournament, but fans who skip it are really missing out. For the athletes, this is a true test of their mettle where they have to regroup and simply gut it out in many cases. And in many years, athletes are fighting to score points with the team race being on the line. Having team scoring is what makes this event so incredible as well. The huge contingents of fans, who create a boisterous and exciting atmosphere, wouldn't attend this tournament without team trophies at stake. That's why this tournament draws better than domestic wrestling events in freestyle and Greco-Roman. No. 6: Thursday night second round Even though this round checks in at No. 6 and last in our countdown, it obviously is a very pivotal and important round of wrestling. Winners advance to the quarterfinals and guarantee a top-12 finish. And first-round losers have an opportunity to bounce back with wins and maybe build some momentum to make a run on the backside of the bracket. Going one round deeper in the tournament means more close bouts and not as many mismatches as there are in the first round. Plus, you have a good idea and gauge after that round which teams might actually be contenders to earn a trophy. It's a round you obviously don't want to miss. As so many die-hard attendees of this storied event already know, you miss a round of this tournament and you miss a lot.

Sandy Stevens (Photo/Larry Slater) CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- UNI alumna Sandy Stevens will be the first woman inducted into Iowa's Wrestling Hall of Fame, joining alumni Joel and Justin Greenlee in this year's class. The Greenlee brothers will be the sixth set of siblings to be inducted in Cresco, Iowa, April 10. Stevens is considered one of the top ambassadors for the sport of wrestling. She is recognized globally as the voice of wrestling, but she has never forgotten her UNI roots. Stevens announced at the NCAA Division I Championships for 34 years, multiple world championships, numerous independent and high school tournaments along with a pair of Olympic games (1984 -- Los Angeles; 1996 -- Atlanta). Stevens helped create the Bear and Sandy Stevens Head Wrestling Coach Endowment at the University of Northern Iowa. Funds from this endowment will be used to support the salary of the UNI wrestling coach position. Stevens also was the lead donor in the wrestling room renovation project in the West Gym and has endowed two wrestling scholarships. Stevens is a board member of both the UNI Foundation and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. She continues to represent UNI in the Chicago area in a variety of capacities, including assisting UNI's admissions counselors in recruiting Chicago-land residents to attend UNI. UNI's Joel and Justin Greenlee become the 122nd and 123rd inductees into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame, joining five other families with brothers inducted. That group includes Doug and Mark Schwab, Terry and Tom Brands, Jim and Joe Gibbons, Dave and Paul Martin and Don and Harold Nichols. Both Joel and Justin were state champions at Waverly, All-Americans at UNI and successful international competitors. Joel is in his 20th year as the head wrestling coach at Ohio. Justin is a research veterinary pathologist for the USDA at the National Animal Disease Center in Ames, Iowa. Prior going to Ohio, Joel Greenlee was an assistant coach at the University of Northern Iowa from 1989-97. While at Northern Iowa, the Panthers compiled a 70-58 record. Joel Greenlee also had a stellar wrestling career in his own right. While competing as a heavyweight at Northern Iowa, he was a two-time All-American, finishing second in 1989 and fourth in 1988. In 1989, Greenlee was champion at the prestigious Midlands Tournament and Midwest Championships and was named the Outstanding Wrestler at both meets. Joel still holds the highest winning percentage in school history with a 127-16-4 (.878) career record. He also holds the Panther records for dual victories (58) and dual victories in a season (20 in 1986-87). He has also enjoyed success at the international level. He finished second at the U.S. Olympic team trials in 1992 and was selected as a training partner for the Olympic team. He won the Cerra Pelado Tournament in Cuba in 1993 and the Cuban All-Star Tournament in 1992. He placed third three times at the John E. du Post World Team Trials. Justin Greenlee was a three-time Division I All-American and a two-time NCAA tournament finalist at UNI and a Pan American Games champion in 1993. He reached the NCAA tournament finals at heavyweight as a junior in 1994 and again as a senior in 1995 after finishing eighth as a sophomore in 1993. Justin is one of nine three-time Division I All-Americans in program history. He still holds seven places in UNI's top-10 records. Among them: 3rd for career wins (129) 2nd for career falls (57) 2nd for most falls in a season (20) Also being inducted is Mike Mann, head wrestling coach at Marshalltown High School. The 48th annual banquet and ceremony set for April 10 will begin with a 5:30 social hour followed by a 6:30 banquet at the Cresco Country Club south of Cresco. Banquet tickets are available at the Cresco Chamber of Commerce (563-547-3434), Farmers Mill, and CIA Insurance in Cresco (563-547-2382). Tickets are $25 and advance registration is required. The inaugural banquet was held in 1970. After this year's banquet, the Hall of Fame will include 125 individuals for their contributions to amateur wrestling.

Cael Sanderson gets his hand raised after winning his fourth NCAA title and finishing undefeated Fifteen years ago this month, Cael Sanderson made history by winning his fourth NCAA Division I wrestling championship, and concluding his collegiate career at Iowa State with a perfect 159-0 record. Sanderson became only the second D1 wrestler to have claimed four national titles, with Pat Smith of Oklahoma State being the first, having done it at the 1990-92 and 1994 NCAAs. (In subsequent years, the NCAA Division I four-timer's club has grown to include Cornel's Kyle Dake and Ohio State's Logan Stieber.) And while some other wrestlers compiled perfect records in college (for example, Oklahoma's Dan Hodge went 46-0 in the mid-1950s), Sanderson holds the national collegiate record for the most wins. At this 15th anniversary of Sanderson earning a place in the wrestling history books, InterMat thought it would be the right time to take a look back at 2002 -- Cael's Most Excellent Year -- and the history leading up to that historic year. The 411 on Cael Sanderson Cael Norman Sanderson was born on June 20, 1979 in Salt Lake City, Utah, the third son of Steve and Debbie Sanderson. Sanderson attended Wasatch High School in Heber City, Utah where he was coached by his father. While at Wasatch, Sanderson earned four Utah state wrestling titles from 1994-97, compiling a prep record of 127-3. After graduating high school, Sanderson headed east to Iowa State University in Ames, where he wrestled for legendary head coach Bobby Douglas. While with the Cyclones, Sanderson not only won four national titles (1999-2002) and did it with a flawless 159-0 record, he also was a four-time NWCA All-Star champion, and four-time Big 12 conference champ. For those accomplishments, Sanderson was named Outstanding Wrestler at the NCAAs four times ... and was presented with the Dan Hodge Trophy as the nation's best college wrestler an unprecedented three years in a row. If that weren't enough, he earned a degree in Art & Design, with a (at the time) stated career goal of possibly becoming an illustrator or cartoonist. Cael Sanderson battles Oklahoma's Josh Lambrecht Cael's college career highlights In his first season wrestling varsity for Iowa State (1998-1999), Sanderson compiled a 39-0 record. At the 1999 Big 12 championships in his home gym -- Hilton Coliseum -- Sanderson won his first conference crown, defeating Nebraska's Brad Vering, 9-5, in the 184-pound finals. A couple weeks later, at the 1999 NCAA championships at Penn State, Sanderson, the top seed at 184, beat No. 2 seed Brandon Eggum of the University of Minnesota, 6-1, in the title match. (Eggum is now head coach at his college alma mater.) As a sophomore during the 1999-2000 season, Sanderson went 40-0. He claimed his second Big 12 title at 184 at the University of Nebraska, getting an 8-4 victory over Oklahoma State's Daniel Cormier in the finals. (Cormier later qualified for two U.S. Olympic teams, and is now UFC light-heavyweight champ.) At the 2000 NCAAs in St. Louis, No. 1 seed Sanderson got a convincing 19-6 win over Vertus Jones of West Virginia University, the second seed, in the 184 title match. Junior year, Sanderson continued his winning ways, again putting together a 40-0 record for 2000-2001. At the 2001 Big 12 championships at Oklahoma State, Sanderson met a familiar foe in the finals -- Daniel Cormier -- with a similar outcome: an 8-3 win for his third conference title. At the 2001 NCAAs hosted by the University of Iowa at Carver-Hawkeye Arena -- the last time the NCAAs would be held on a college campus, the top-seeded Cyclone phenom met the third-seeded Cormier yet again, this time getting an 8-4 win, and his third national title. "107-0 and Counting" -- Cael inside SI It was in his junior year that Cael Sanderson was subject of a Sports Illustrated feature in the magazine's Feb. 5, 2001 issue titled "107-0 And Counting: A two-time NCAA champ with an artistic bent, Cael Sanderson of Iowa State has created a record of unprecedented perfection." Michael Bamberger opened his profile of Sanderson with an explanation of that headline, mentioning another legendary Cyclone mat champ: "Nobody has won that many straight, not even Dan Gable, the Iowa State wrestling icon who competed 30 years ago. Gable won 100 consecutive matches and then lost the final match of his collegiate career. Sanderson has known nothing but victory." Bamberger continued, "Someday, Sanderson knows, he will face his own Larry Owings, the (University of) Washington wrestler who defeated Gable in the 142-pound final of the 1970 NCAA finals. 'A lot of people in wrestling probably don't know that name,' Sanderson says later. 'I do.' His goal is to postpone that day--the day he meets his Owings--as long as he can." "107 and Counting" goes on to describe the Sanderson wrestling family -- father/coach Steve, Cael's older brothers Cody and Cole, and younger brother Cyler, with a compare-and-contrast analysis of the siblings. "Cody and Cole wrestle in the time-honored manner of their father, cautious and methodical, wearing out opponents. Cael wrestles in a manner all his own. He's a wild man, wrestling frequently on his back, which is the ultimate no-no. He moves constantly, taking fidgety steps one expects to see from a lightweight, not a 184-pounder. 'He takes chances; he's on his back a lot more than I'm comfortable with, but it's working,' says (Iowa State head wrestling coach Bobby) Douglas. 'Cael is going to redefine conventional wrestling. He's going places no big man has been.'" "Sanderson developed speed as a kid, forever trying to avoid the attacks of his older brothers, and speed is at the heart of his style," Bamberger continued. "However, his genius for wrestling comes from someplace else. 'Most wrestlers are very dependent on their coach,' says Cody. 'They do exactly what their coach tells them to do. Cael has taken everything my father and everything coach Douglas has said, and turned it up a notch.'" Sanderson's senior season During the 2001-2002 season -- his fourth and final season wearing the cardinal and gold of Iowa State -- Cael Sanderson moved up to 197 pounds. One neat nod to Cyclone mat greats of the past: Instead of wearing typical warm-ups before and after stepping onto the mat, Sanderson appeared throughout the season wrapped in a retro-looking terrycloth robe, much like those worn by past Iowa State wrestling champs of the 1950s and 60s , including Dan Gable, Les Anderson, Ron Gray, Larry Hayes, Tom Peckham, Veryl Long, Jason Smith, Ben Peterson, and Chris Taylor, to name a few. Moving up a weight class -- and all the media attention focused on Sanderson's final season as a wrestler in Ames -- did not sidetrack Cael's quest for perfection, as he managed to put another 40-0 season in the record books. At the 2002 Big 12 championships at the University of Oklahoma, Sanderson got a 19-4 win over Missouri's Scott Barker in the 197 finals. Two weeks later, Cael, his Iowa State teammates, and coach Douglas headed east to Albany, N.Y., site of the 2002 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. As in the three Nationals prior to the 2002 NCAAs, Sanderson was again the top seed in the 33-man bracket. In the opening-round match, Cael pinned unseeded Clarion wrestler Eric Mausser at 3:32. Later that day, the unbeaten Cyclone scored another fall, this time against unseeded Kyle Cerminara of Buffalo, at 6:33. At the quarterfinals on Day Two of the 2002 NCAAs, Sanderson went up against No. 8 seed Jason Payne of the University of Northern Iowa, getting a 23-8 technical fall. In the semifinals, it was Cyclone vs. Buckeye, with Sanderson defeating Ohio State's fourth-seeded Nick Preston, 18-7. On Day Three, the 197 finals came down to a match-up between the top two seeds: top-ranked Sanderson facing off against second-seed Jon Trenge of Lehigh. For those fearing that Trenge might play the role of Larry Owings to Sanderson's Dan Gable and wreck a perfect collegiate career record, history did not repeat itself. Sanderson defeated the goggles-wearing grappler, 12-4, to conclude his Iowa State mat career with his fourth national title and flawless 159-0 record. (Trenge went on to become a three-time NCAA All-American and the subject of an excellent documentary titled "Veritas" (Latin for "truth"). He is now a science teacher and assistant wrestling coach at his high school alma mater in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania.) The Sanderson-Trenge title bout made a bit of history beyond the historical aspects of Cael's perfect record and four championships. The 197 finals was shown live on ESPN, interrupting regularly-scheduled programming. This was back when the NCAA finals were shown on a tape-delay basis, usually in the wee small hours of the night, a day or two after the actual event. Today's live coverage of "every mat, every match" for the entire three-day Nationals was still a dream 15 years ago. The Sports Illustrated cover snub ... Cael Norman Sanderson's four titles and159-0 record were incredible accomplishments that earned him a place on the shelves of grocery stores in the form of Wheaties cereal boxes and cans of Chunky Soup at regional supermarket chain Hy-Vee. Sanderson's feat was covered in the April 1, 2002 issue of Sports Illustrated. In an article titled, "Perfect! Iowa State senior Cael Sanderson closed out his sensational career with a sterling 159-0 record and his fourth NCAA title," Mark Bechtel provided a recap of the perfect Cyclone's achievements in Albany ... along with a couple quotes that demonstrated Sanderson's dry wit. Two examples: " Leaving Des Moines, I knew it was going to be a long weekend when I saw coach Bobby Douglas in the bar at the airport" and "The hardest part of about going undefeated is winning all your matches." OK, Sanderson made the INSIDE of Sports Illustrated after concluding his flawless college mat career. What about a place on the COVER of the national sports magazine? Wrestling fans were confident that Sanderson would be featured on the SI cover immediately after that history-making conclusion to his collegiate career. However, SI editors had different ideas, instead selecting that tragic death of a young girl who was hit by a puck while sitting in the stands watching a professional hockey game as the cover story for the issue immediately after the conclusion of the 2002 NCAAs. Thanks to that editorial decision to keep Cael off the SI cover, University of Oklahoma's Dan Hodge remains the only amateur wrestler to have appeared on a cover of Sports Illustrated as an amateur wrestler, in the April 1, 1957 issue. (InterMat plans to commemorate the 60th anniversary of that milestone cover story honoring Hodge as he completed his perfect 46-0 collegiate record and three NCAA titles -- back when freshmen could not wrestle at the Nationals -- in a future feature story.) College wrestling fans did not take kindly to SI's snub of Cael Sanderson's groundbreaking, mind-blowing feat. They cried foul, and gave SI an earful. The editors tried to make amends by featuring a photo of a mock-up of an "All Hail Cael!" SI cover inside a subsequent issue. ... and subsequent attempts to make amends ... In April 2002, SI offered another, more substantial peace offering by declaring Sanderson's perfect collegiate record to be the second-greatest achievement in college sports history, surpassed only by Ohio State track star Jesse Owens setting four world records in just 45 minutes at the 1935 Big Ten championships. (Here's what SI wrote: "Not only did Sanderson go 159-0 and win four national titles, but he was also named outstanding wrestler at the NCAA championships four times. During his senior season only four of his 40 matches lasted the full seven minutes.") ... including Sanderson's swimsuit edition In addition to the aforementioned coverage in the flagship edition of Sports Illustrated in 2002, Cael Sanderson received an entire page of, um, exposure, in the subsequent swimsuit issue of Sports Illustrated for Women after his senior season. To our knowledge, Sanderson became the only amateur wrestler to appear in SI for Women's swimsuit issue. Then again, that may not be saying much, as the every-two-months magazine was published for less than three years (1999-2002). Most readers are undoubtedly familiar with the iconic swimsuit issue of the flagship Sports Illustrated magazine. It's been an annual staple of the publication since its debut as a five-page photo-feature inside a regular issue in February 1964. Originally presented to the public as an opportunity to take snowbound readers to exotic beach locations and show pretty models wearing the latest in swimwear, the annual issue was timed to fill a gap when not much was going on in sports, following on the heels of football season, and before the start of major league basebal's spring training and other warm-weather sports. The SI swimsuit issue is traditionally the magazine's biggest-selling issue the entire year, and has catapulted the careers of a number of supermodels, including Christie Brinkley, Elle Macpherson, Cindy Crawford, Heidi Klum and Tyra Banks. Not to be outdone, Sports Illustrated for Women also produced a swimsuit edition during its short life. However, instead of featuring male models, the "hunks in trunks" were amateur and professional athletes such as surfer Laird Hamilton and boxer Roy Jones, Jr. And, instead of being photographed on sandy beaches in faraway tropical locations, many of the sports stars were shot in the places where they worked. In Sanderson's case, that meant the Iowa State wrestling room at Lied Recreation Center. In the photo featured in the 2002 SI for Women swimsuit edition, Sanderson is showcased in a nearly full-page, full-color photo. (The only other thing on the page: a description of who he is, and about the photo shoot.) The Cyclone mat great is shown bare-chested, wearing knee-length silver-gray trunks from Oakley. The text alongside the photo provides readers with some very basic info on Sanderson's wrestling career ... along with the inside scoop on the photo shoot itself. "I really don't think I have that nice a body," Sanderson told SI for Women. "I've always had a belly and the long, skinny arms my dad gave me." The text went on to state, "Sanderson is so modest that his coach Bobby Douglas who helped set up the shoot didn't tell him he'd be posing for our swimsuit issue. 'When (the stylist) pulled out the bathing suits, I didn't know what to think,' said Sanderson. 'I mean, I don't walk around without my shirt off and I'm the last one to take my shirt off outside. It's got to be real hot.'" When asked what his wife Kelly thought of the SI for Women swimsuit photo-shoot, Sanderson said, "She was a bit uncomfortable but not as uncomfortable as I was." In the 15 years since Cael's Most Excellent Year ... In the years since 2002, Cael Sanderson has achieved much in his personal and professional life. He married the former Kelly Kinnard, a fellow Iowa State student, in 2002 ... and together they have two sons: Tate and Teag. At the conclusion of his college wrestling career, Sanderson racked up a number of significant honors. He received his third Dan Hodge trophy, presented each year to the nation's top collegiate wrestler, becoming the first multi-time winner of this prestigious honor often referred to as "the Heisman of wrestling." What's more, his final NCAA win was named one of the 25 "Defining Moments" by the NCAA. Beyond wrestling, Sanderson was the winner of the ESPY Award for "Best Male College Athlete," and a 2002 finalist for the James E. Sullivan Award, presented to the nation's top amateur athlete. Sanderson did not step off the wrestling mat completely, focusing on freestyle. Among his post-college career wrestling highlights: two-time Titan Games participant ... 2003 World Championships silver medalist ... and gold medal winner at the 2004 Athens. Olympics. In 2004, Sanderson launched his wrestling coaching career, first as an assistant at Iowa State ... then was promoted to associate head coach. In 2007, Sanderson was named head coach of the Cyclone wrestling program. In his first season at the helm, Sanderson led Iowa State to a second-place finish at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, and was named National Coach of the Year. In his three seasons as Cyclone head coach, his wrestlers won three Big 12 Conference team titles. In April 2009, Sanderson stunned the college wrestling world by accepting the head coaching position at Penn State, effective with the 2009-2010 season. In his second year, he led the Nittany Lions to the 2010-11 Big Ten Championship -- the program's first team title in that conference -- and the 2011 NCAA Championship, the first national team crown for the program since 1953. Since arriving in Happy Valley, Sanderson has led Penn State to a total of five NCAA team titles, including four consecutive championships from 2011-2014 ... and a fifth in 2016. The Nittany Lions enter this year's NCAAs ranked No. 1 by InterMat. What does the future hold for the 38-year-old Sanderson? Undoubtedly more Big Ten and NCAA team titles for Penn State ... and more personal honors and awards, too. Perhaps he'll even make his way onto the cover of Sports Illustrated someday.

Team Standings (Top 25) 1. Wartburg 129.5 2. Augsburg 79.0 3. Wabash 62.5 4. Johnson & Wales 61.5 5. Messiah 56.0 6. Loras 46.5 7. Cortland State 45.0 8. Brockport 35.0 9. Ithaca 34.5 10. Stevens Tech 32.5 11. Wisconsin-La Crosse 32.0 11. Wisconsin-Stevens Point 32.0 13. Delaware Valley 31.5 13. Wisconsin-Whitewater 31.5 15. NYU 30.5 16. Lycoming 24.5 17. Augustana (Ill.) 24.0 18. Central 23.0 19. Southern Maine 22.0 20. Cornell College 18.0 20. Millikin 18.0 22. Ferrum 17.0 22. Luther 17.0 24. Oswego State 16.5 25. Baldwin Wallace 15.5 25. Ursinus 15.5 25. York (Pa.) 15.5 All-Americans 125: 1st: Lucas Malmberg (Messiah) dec. Zachary Beckner (Ferrum), 5-1 3rd: Jonathan Haas (Brockport) dec. CJ Pestano (Central), 3-2 5th: Zac Denny (Wisconsin-Whitewater) dec. Arnulfo Olea (Wartburg), 7-5 7th: Bobby Jordan (Johnson & Wales) dec. Victor Gliva (Augsburg), 4-3 133: 1st: Nathan Pike (NYU) pinned Jay Albis (Johnson & Wales), 4:48 3rd: Troy Stanich (Stevens Tech) dec. Chris Williams (Millikin), 10-8 SV 5th: Cam Timok (Central) dec. Ryan Flynn (York (Pa.), 3-2 7th: Owen Doster (Wabash) dec. Maverick Passaro (Cortland State), 12-8 141: 1st: Dustin Weinmann (Wisconsin-La Crosse) dec. Cross Cannone (Wartburg), 4-0 3rd: David Flynn (Augsburg) dec. Devin Broukal (Wabash), 12-9 5th: Clint Lembeck (Loras) pinned Joseph Ferinde (Johnson & Wales), 5:51 7th: Brendon Seyfried (Williams) dec. Gregory Warner (York (Pa.), 2-1 149: 1st: Dan Del Gallo (Southern Maine) dec. Aaron Engle (Cornell College), 4-1 3rd: Kenny Martin (Wartburg) dec. Seth Lansberry (Lycoming), 6-2 5th: Sam Schneider (Ithaca) pinned Cole Erickson (Coe), 1:31 7th: Zach Wilhelm (Stevens Tech) dec. Shaun Wilson (Waynesburg), 5-3 157: 1st: Robert Dierna (Cortland State) dec. Logan Thomsen (Wartburg), 8-7 3rd: Nick Bova (Wabash) dec. Derek Arnold (Ursinus), 7-3 5th: Jimmy Davis (Loras) maj. dec. Mark Choinski (Wisconsin-Oshkosh), 15-5 7th: Ty Herzog (Roger Williams) dec. Steve Bonsall (University of Chicago), 11-5 165: 1st: Logan Hermsen (Wisconsin-Stevens Point) dec. Stephen Jarrell (Johnson & Wales), 4-2 SV 3rd: Lucas Jeske (Augsburg) pinned Larry Cannon (Messiah), 1:29 5th: Anthony Arroyo (Baldwin Wallace) pinned Nolan Barger (Lycoming), 2:12 7th: Andrew Steiert (Wartburg) maj. dec. Davon Jackson (Olivet), 11-3 174: 1st: Eric DeVos (Wartburg) maj. dec. Ben Swarr (Messiah), 10-1 3rd: Sonnieboy Blanco (Washington & Jefferson) dec. Colin Barber (Cortland State), 4-2 5th: Richard Carlson (Wisconsin-La Crosse) pinned Benjamin Schweiger (Delaware Valley), 2:18 7th: Michael LaBell (Johnson & Wales) maj. dec. Dan Kilroy (The College of New Jersey), 11-2 184: 1st: Jordan Newman (Wisconsin-Whitewater) pinned Justin Kreiter (Luther), 4:03 3rd: Owen Webster (Augsburg) dec. Jordan Bushey (Oswego State), 4-1 5th: Bryan Levsen (Wartburg) by medical forfeit over Blaise Benderoth (NYU) 7th: Christos Giatras (Augustana (Ill.) by medical forfeit over Christopher Chorzepa (Williams) 197: 1st: Riley Lefever (Wabash) pinned Carlos Toribio (Ithaca), 4:52 3rd: Guy Patron Jr. (Loras) dec. Triston Engle (Brockport), 9-2 5th: Kyle Fank (Wartburg) by medical forfeit over AJ Kowal (Stevens Tech) 7th: Kyle Koser (Messiah) dec. Kacee Hutchinson (Greensboro), 7-4 285: 1st: Zachery Roseberry (Delaware Valley) dec. Donny Longendyke (Augsburg), 3-2 3rd: Adarios Jones (Augustana (Ill.) maj. dec. Lance Evans (Wartburg), 9-1 5th: James Bethel (Oneonta State) dec. Donny Ralston (Wisconsin-Stevens Point), 8-6 7th: Jacob Evans (Waynesburg) dec. Jake O'Brien (Ithaca),

Team Standings (Top 25) 1. Notre Dame (OH) 103.5 2. St. Cloud St. 67.0 3. California Baptist 56.5 4. Neb.-Kearney 55.5 5. McKendree 47.5 6. Ashland 46.0 7. Maryville (MO) 42.0 8. Findlay 35.0 9. Tiffin 34.5 10. Mercyhurst 33.0 11. Augustana (SD) 31.0 12. Fort Hays St. 29.5 13. Gannon 28.5 14. Limestone 28.0 14. Minnesota St. 28.0 16. Kutztown 26.5 17. Pitt.-Johnstown 25.5 18. Central Okla. 23.5 18. Wis.-Parkside 23.5 20. UIndy 22.5 21. King (TN) 22.0 22. Colorado St.-Pueblo 21.0 23. MSU Moorhead 17.0 23. Upper Iowa 17.0 25. UNC Pembroke 15.0 All-Americans 125: 1st: Ivan McClay (Notre Dame (OH) dec. Willie Bohince (Mercyhurst), 10-7 3rd: Brett Velasquez (St. Cloud St.) maj. dec. Austin Petril (Kutztown), 12-2 5th: Trung Duong (Newberry) by medical forfeit over Alan Diltz (Seton Hill) 7th: Dustin Reed (Newman) maj. dec. Darek Huff (Adams St.), 11-3 133: 1st: Michael Labry (Ashland ) dec. Blake Bosch (MSU Moorhead), 7-5 3rd: Dustin Kirk (King (TN) dec. Dustin Warner (Wheeling Jesuit ), 4-2 5th: Carmine Ciotti (Gannon) dec. Anthony Sparacio (LIU Post), 8-2 7th: Josh Walker (Upper Iowa ) pinned David Bavery (Notre Dame (OH), 3:46 141: 1st: Nate Rodriguez (Maryville (MO) dec. Darren Wynn (McKendree), 6-5 3rd: Nick Crume (UIndy) dec. Daniel Salazar (Colorado Mesa), 9-3 5th: Joshua Ailey (Central Okla.) pinned Brandon Ball (Fort Hays St.), 1:38 7th: Bryce Killian (King (TN) by medical forfeit over Cobey Fehr (Notre Dame (OH) 149: 1st: Keith Surber (Neb.-Kearney) dec. Juwan Edmond (Notre Dame (OH), 4-1 3rd: Nic Goebel (Findlay) dec. James Pleski (St. Cloud St.), 7-3 5th: Nick Boggs (Lake Erie) dec. Michael Screptock (Tiffin), 3-2 7th: James Krischke (Maryville (MO) dec. Jacob Gerken (Colorado Mines), 9-5 157: 1st: DeAndre' Johnson (Limestone) maj. dec. Destin McCauley (Neb.-Kearney), 14-5 3rd: Larry Bomstad (St. Cloud St.) by medical forfeit over Cody Law (Pitt.-Johnstown) 5th: Ryan Strope (McKendree) dec. Joey White (Findlay), 3-2 7th: Eric Lewandowski (Gannon) tech. fall Heath Lange (UIndy), 22-6 165: 1st: Isaiah White (Notre Dame (OH) dec. Brock Wingbermuehle (McKendree), 10-3 3rd: Francis Mizia (Mercyhurst) maj. dec. Calvin Ochs (Neb.-Kearney), 9-1 5th: Troy Warner (Kutztown) dec. Alonzo Turner (Findlay), 6-2 7th: Tyler Reinhart (Pitt.-Johnstown) pinned JaCobi Jones (Colorado St.-Pueblo), 1:45 174: 1st: Nick Becker (Wis.-Parkside) dec. Blaze Shade (UNC Pembroke), 8-4 3rd: Adam Cooling (Minnesota St.) dec. Nolan Kistler (California Baptist), 6-4 SV2 5th: Cody Carson (Central Mo.) by medical forfeit over Dalton George (Ohio Valley) 7th: Bradley Metz (Findlay) dec. Nick Foster (McKendree), 1-0 184: 1st: Garrett Lineberger (Notre Dame (OH) tech. fall Nicholas Fiegener (California Baptist), 16-0 3rd: Zeb Wahle (Maryville (MO) dec. JaVaughn Perkins (Colorado St.-Pueblo), 3-2 5th: Aero Amo (Augustana (SD) by medical forfeit over Jordan Murphy (Ashland ) 7th: Zach Stodden (Neb.-Kearney) dec. Corey Abernathy (Minnesota St.), 13-11 197: 1st: Jacob Waste (California Baptist) maj. dec. Jon Inman (Fort Hays St.), 10-2 3rd: Luke Cramer (Ashland ) dec. Morgan Smith (Simon Fraser), 5-2 5th: Evan Ramos (Shippensburg) dec. Matthew Rudy (Limestone), 9-4 7th: Joe Gomez (Northern St.) dec. Matt Blome (Minnesota St.), 6-4 285: 1st: Garrett Gray (Tiffin) pinned Kameron Teacher (Notre Dame (OH), 1:23 3rd: Austin Goergen (St. Cloud St.) pinned Michael Lowman (Augustana (SD), 2:09 5th: Logan Hopp (Upper Iowa ) dec. Nick Budd (Gannon), 5-3 7th: Caleb Cotter (Central Okla.) dec. Ryan Appleby (Kutztown), 12-9

Riley Lefever LA CROSSE, Wis. -- Wabash College senior Riley Lefever captured his fourth national title with his victory in the finals of Saturday's 2017 NCAA DIII Wrestling Championship Tournament, becoming only the second wrestler in Division III history to win titles in all four seasons of competition. "This hasn't even sunk in yet," Lefever said. "You'll have to ask me what it means and how it feels again in a little bit. This was fun. They were all fun. I'm guessing it will all sink in later tonight or sometime tomorrow. Once I get back to school it's going to be crazy." Lefever pinned Carlos Toribio 4:52 into their championship bout to win the 197-pound weight class and cap a four-year career after winning national titles at 184 pounds in 2014, 2015, and 2016. "I got in my shot, he was moving in and it felt pretty good," Lefever said of his title win over Toribio. "He stuffed me pretty good. I had to switch outside. Once I pulled my head up I felt it. I started to try switch his arm and pull his hands in. Once I lifted him I knew I was in pretty good position to capitalize on it and that he was going to end up on his back. I was definitely thinking pin then. "Whenever I step out on the mat and shake hands I want to dominate. I want to score a lot of points, take guys down, put them on their back and end it if I can." "It was phenomenal, what a wonderful way to go out, and to boost our team into third place is unbelievable," Wababsh head coach Brian Anderson said. "That's Riley's humble way there. He's always team first, and he goes out and does everything possible to help our team. "He's a seasoned veteran. He's been on that stage three times before tonight and it shows. He keeps comfortable. His dominance doesn't surprise me because his mindset of constantly trying to score points just wears people down to the point where the points keep coming easier and easier as the match goes. The kid is a complete game changer, a program changer. He has been a huge part of taking Wabash College wrestling to the level we're at now, an expectation to come home with a team trophy." Lefever finished 129-0 in matches versus DIII opponents. He scored two victories by pins in the first two rounds of the 2017 tourney on Friday before earning a berth in the finals with a 16-5 major decision versus Kacee Hutchinson from Greensboro College in Saturday's semifinal round. Lefever joins Augsburg's Marcus LeVesseur as the only NCAA Division III wrestlers to capture four national titles. LeVesseur won tournament titles in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2007. "Winning four titles was in the back of my head after I won the first one," Lefever said. "I remember after I finished second at state my senior year, Coach (Danny) Irwin was there and told 'It's alright. We're going to get a national championship next year.' I was kind of like 'Sure.' I didn't really believe. I thought he was just trying to make me feel better because I just got my butt kicked in the state finals. But it came to fruition" Lefever also received the 2017 NCAA DIII Most Dominant Wrestler by averaging 5.79 points per match over the course of the season. He also earned the National Wrestling Coaches Association Most Oustanding Wrestler of the Meet Award for his performance at the 2017 championship event. Lefever dominated Division III wrestling over his four seasons of competition. In his 129 victories, 73 came by pin in addition to 18 technical fall wins. An excellent student as well as a talented wrestler, Lefever was named to the prestigious Academic All-America Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America in 2016. He was named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-America Team in 2017 for third time in his career. Lefever was joined by 2017 All-Americans Owen Doster (133 pounds), Devin Broukal (141 pounds), and Nick Bova (157 pounds). Bova earned a third-place finish in the tournament. Broukal placed fourth, with Doster claiming seventh place in his weight class. Doster also earned a place on the NWCA Scholar All-America Team. The four top-eight finishes for the Little Giants tied the school record for most All-America honors at a single tournament, set originally at the 2015 event. Wabash finished third in the final team scoring with 62.5 points. Wartburg College won its 13th team title with a total of 219.5 points, finishing ahead of Augsburg in second place with a score of 79 points. Johnson and Wales placed fourth with 61.5 points.

LA CROSSE, Wis.-- The top-ranked Wartburg wrestling team made NCAA Division III history with its 13th National Championship Saturday night. The Knights tallied 129.5 pts to stand atop the team leaderboard. This broke the tie between the Orange and Black and Augsburg as each school previously had 12 wrestling National Titles prior to this weekend. Notes: Wartburg won its 13th NCAA national championship with 129.5 points. Wartburg made NCAA Division III history as the 13 team titles are the most in DIII wrestling. This is the 21st NCAA National Championship for Wartburg Athletics. Wartburg was tied with Augsburg's 12 NCAA titles coming into this weekend. Cannone is the national runner-up and an All-American. Thomsen is the national runner-up and an All-American. -Dierna was the defending national champion and was 20-0 entering tonight Swarr was the defending national champion and this is a rematch from last year's finals. DeVos moved his winning streak to 18 and finishes the season undefeated at 18-0. All but two of DeVos' wins this season have been by bonus points. DeVos becomes Wartburg's 104th individual national champion (all sports) DeVos becomes the 43rd individual national champion in wrestling DeVos is now a two-time All-American. Wartburg finished with nine All-Americans. The national championship has been won by either Augsburg or Wartburg every year since 1995.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Notre Dame College wrestling team won the 2016-17 NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championship on Saturday evening as three individuals won titles. NDC won the event with a team score of 103.5 as St. Cloud State finished second with a score of 67. The Falcons continued their domination from day one as the team went 5-0 in the semifinals to be represented in half of the individual championship matches. Ivan McClay, 125, started the day off with a close 7-6 victory, but dominated his championship match. McClay was on the attack right away in the first period of the 125 title match, locking up with Willie Bohince from Mercyhurst and putting him on his back after just 50 seconds. Bohince was able to avoid giving up back points in the first period, but McClay put him on his back again in the second period to earn four near fall points. Bohince had two opportunities to take down McClay, but the officials ruled them out of bounds. Four of the seven points scored by Bohince were given to him as McClay let him up in the first period, was called for stalling twice, and surrendered a takedown with 13 seconds left in the third period. McClay had several big moments in his match, but afterwards shed some light on what was going through his mind. "[I was just thinking] please don't mess up," McClay said. "But it all worked out in the end, [Bohince is] a really good wrestler so kudos to him. It was a tough match all together." At 149 pounds, Juwon Edmond earned a trip to the finals with a close 8-6 win in the semifinals. Edmond was wrestling against Nic Goebel from Findlay in the semifinals where both competitors were nearly pinned. Both near falls were evaded by the wrestlers going out of bounds and granted a center start by the officials. Edmond matched up with Keith Surber from Nebraska Kearney who proved to be a tough competitor as Edmond lost the match 4-1. The match was tied 0-0 after the first two periods, but Surber rode Edmond for the entire second period. In the third period, Edmond let his opponent up to try and tie the match, but gave up a takedown with less than a minute to go. True freshman Isaiah White won his semifinal match comfortably with an 8-1 decision and won his championship match just as easily with a 10-3 victory. White was able to score on a takedown in the first 20 seconds against Broack Wingbermuehle from McKendree in his title match. White released Wingbermuehle after the initial takedown and the first period ended 2-1. White then rode his competitor for the entire second period to build up over two minutes of riding time going into the final period. White then scored seven points in the final two minutes which included two quick back-to-back takedowns and earned a bonus point for riding time. "I'm excited," White said after winning his individual title. "I want to thank all of my coaches, my mom and my dad, and all of those who have supported me this year." Things were a little closer in the 184 semifinal when senior Garrett Lineberger won his match with the help of two back points to win 6-4. In his title match, Lineberger used back points once again as he won quickly with a 15-0 tech. fall just 21 seconds into the second period. Lineberger was able to put Nicholas Fiegener of Cal. Baptist. on his back three times in the first period, including twice in the last 20 seconds to go up 14-0 after the first three minutes. The senior from Hughesville, Md. won his second career title, repeating his success from his freshman season, after escaping to earn his 15th point 21 seconds into the second period. "My sophomore year didn't work out well, my junior year didn't work out well, but I got it done this year," Lineberger said through both emotion and exhaustion. "I lost my grandfather, he was my best friend and I know he's watching right now." At 285 match by Kameron Teacher won his semifinal match 7-2, but was unable to win the title match later in the day. Teacher was pinned by Garrett Gray from Tiffin after 83 seconds of wrestling. Gray was able to bear hug Teacher and get him to his back for the fall. This is the fourth national title for the NDC wrestling program in the last eight years and the second NCAA Division II National Championship in the last four years. The Falcons previously won two NAIA Championships in the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons and won their first NCAA title in the 2013-14 season. The Falcons finished with a total of seven All-Americans with the five finalists, David Bavery and Cobey Fehr. Bavery and Fehr both finished in eighth-place to earn the All-American honors. Notre Dame College will hold an event to celebrate and honor the 2016-17 National Championship later this week. Specifics for this event will be announced by the athletic department early this week.