InterMat Staff

Blair Academy's Michael Colaiocco (106) won a Beast of the East title earlier this season, and will now look to add a National Prep title (Photo/Rob Preston)The top two teams in the country, No. 1 Blair Academy and No. 2 Wyoming Seminary, will be joined by another pair of nationally ranked teams, No. 23 Malvern Prep (Pa.) and No. 49 Good Counsel (Md.), in the tournament on Friday and Saturday. Wyoming Seminary beat Blair Academy to win the Walsh Ironman in mid-December, while Blair Academy won a late January dual meet. In some ways this is a rubber match. However, this rubber match has a complicating factor, as post-graduate wrestlers and/or those re-classified as seniors can compete. That is to say wrestlers otherwise unable to compete in NFHS sanctioned events will be among the field. Given that is the case, performance by those wrestlers has to be "controlled for". Blair Academy has no post-graduate wrestlers in their lineup, while Wyoming Seminary will have Greg Kleinsmith (170) and Michael Rogers (285); Kleinsmith is a potential finalist, while Rogers is the defending National Prep champion. Twelve of the fourteen weight classes in this tournament have at least one nationally ranked wrestler. Below is a listing of nationally ranked wrestlers in the field. 106: No. 13 Michael Colaiocco (Blair Academy) 113: No. 13 Chris Cannon (Blair Academy) 120: No. 13 Trey Chalifoux (Father Ryan, Tenn.), No. 17 Jack Davis (Wyoming Seminary); also here is two-time National Prep champion Joey Prata (St. Christopher's, Va.) 126: No. 5 Jack Mueller (Trinity Christian Academy, Texas) 132: No. 8 Requir van der Merwe (Blair Academy) 145: No. 6 Eric Hong (The Kiski School, Pa.), No. 18 Leonard Merkin (Poly Prep, N.Y.); also here is three-time National Prep runner-up Kevin Budock (Good Counsel) 152: No. 1 Mason Manville (Wyoming Seminary) 160: No. 15 Ryan Karoly (Blair Academy) 170: No. 5 Brandon Dallavia (Blair Academy) 182: No. 9 Michael Beard (Malvern Prep), No. 12 Christian Dietrich (Wyoming Seminary) 195: No. 1 Nick Reenan (Wyoming Seminary), No. 3 Chase Singletary (Blair Academy), No. 17 Rashon Lusane (Malvern Prep), No. 18 Ryan Parker (The Baylor School, Tenn.) 220: No. 15 Seth Janney (Malvern Prep), No. 16 Will Hilliard (Wyoming Seminary) Wyoming Seminary seems to have the deeper overall roster in this tournament, especially with the two post-graduate wrestlers augmenting their NFHS roster. They are the favorites to win the tournament; however, the question is if the margin is enough to be ahead when considering the impact of post-graduate wrestlers compared to their NFHS option.

Here are five highlights of the past weekend's state championships: 1. Chad Red (New Palestine) dec. Nick Lee (Evansville Mater Dei) 6-5, Indiana 132 pound final In a match that more than lived up to the hype, No. 1 Chad Red finished his career as an undefeated four-time state champion, despite trailing 4-0 early in the match after Lee scored off a fireman's carry dumped to the back. Red used a takedown and cradle to catalyze the mid-to-late match rally. As a result, Red is the third wrestler in Indiana history to be a career undefeated, and the ninth ever to win four state titles. For Lee's credit, it is just his second career loss in three seasons, the other coming in the state semifinal two years ago to Stevan Micic at 126 pounds. Also to his credit, he has taken on the Micic and Red challenge instead of moving away in more pragmatic fashion. Red will be wrestling in the Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic and then taking his talents to Nebraska, while Lee has a senior season of scholastic wrestling before going to Penn State. 2. West Des Moines Valley finds a way for dual meet title One week ago Wednesday, Iowa held its dual meet state tournament one day before the individual bracket tournament was contested. Due to that, No. 33 Fort Dodge chose to "tank" at the district level in the dual tournament. However, No. 30 Southeast Polk and No. 31 West Des Moines Valley both contested the dual event. In the regular season dual meet, Southeast Polk won 34-23, taking eight weight class victories. In the championship match, it started in the 152 pound weight class, where Joe Nicholson (WDMV) reversed losses in the dual meet and the individual district to beat Solomon Jones 3-1; Nicholson had beaten Jones in the conference meet that sandwiched those two bouts. The other key dynamic came at 220 pounds, where WDMV bumped returning state placer Rocky Lombardi away from nationally ranked Ethan Andersen; the result was at 285 pounds, where Lombardi beat Daniel Ramirez 3-2, a match featuring wrestlers that would take third in the individual tournament on Saturday. With all other outcomes the same in terms of ultimate victor, WDMV secured a 31-26 victory; the last match was a winner-take-all affair won by Joel Shaprio by second period fall at 145 pounds. 3. Southeast Polk wins the traditional Despite the disappointment of losing the dual meet title on Wednesday night, and Fort Dodge being all rested for the individual bracket event, the Rams emerged as repeat champions of the traditional tournament. It was also their third title in four seasons, but it was done without a state champion. Instead they used three runners-up and three third place finishers among eight medalists, which were joint most with West Des Moines Valley. Runners-up for the Rams included Adam Brown (120), Nathan Lendt (126), and No. 8 Ethan Andersen (220); while third place finishers were Gauge Perrien (113), Zach Barnes (138), and Daniel Ramirez (285). Solomon Jones (152) placed sixth, while Kameron Padavich (182) finished fourth. They scored 141.5 points. With three champs among seven placers, No. 33 Fort Dodge scored 131.5 points for a runner-up finish. Winning titles were No. 12 Brody Teske (113), Triston Lara (126), and No. 9 Sam Cook (195). Third with 113.5 points from eight medalists were West Des Moines Valley, anchored by champion Grant Stotts (132) and runner-up Nick Oldham (106); they had three additional place third with another in fifth and a pair in seventh. 4. Austin Gomez flair for the dramatic continues For a second straight year, it was a one point victory in the state championship match for Austin Gomez (Glenbard North) over a rival from Oak Park River Forest. In the 2015 final, it was a 4-3 victory over Jason Renteria on a late takedown at 113 pounds, which avenged a loss from the previous weekend's sectional final; Renteria was also runner-up to Austin O'Connor in 2014 before winning his elusive state title this year. In this year's drama, No. 6 Gomez faced No. 20 Anthony Madrigal, using rankings of this week. The prior week's match was a one-sided 8-1 affair in favor of Gomez. However, Madrigal jumped out to a 4-0 advantage in the state final. That put Gomez in "chase mode", and that is what he did in rallying for the 8-7 victory, and a second state title with one more season to go. 5. 220 pounds of chaos The weight class with the most rankings turmoil this week, at least based on performance alone, was 220 pounds. The Iowa Class 3A state final saw Ethan Andersen (Southeast Polk) upset 12-10 by Wyatt Wriedt (North Scott). Wriedt scored the first takedown but was headlocked to his back and trailed 7-3 before rallying back to win the match. The result denied Andersen his third straight state title, and ended the Southeast Polk streak of four consecutive state titles in the weight class. From a rankings standpoint, Andersen dropped three spots to No. 8, while Wriedt joins the rankings at No. 18 nationally. The Pennsylvania prep state final saw Seth Janney (Malvern Prep) avenge an opening weekend loss to Will Hilliard (Wyoming Seminary). As a result, the wrestlers flip positions in the rankings; Janney now No. 15, while Hilliard is No. 16. The wrestlers could meet again this Saturday in the National Prep final. In the Hoosier State, returning state champion Kobe Woods (Penn) suffered two losses that one would have to characterize as baffling in placing seventh. The quarterfinal loss was 9-7 in overtime to returning state placer Ryan Guhl (Indianapolis Cathedra), a wrestler Woods had beaten by 9-1 major decision in early January. He then lost in consolation action to returning state placer Sam Hipple (Carmel) 6-4. As a result, Woods drops all the way down to No. 20 from No. 6; however, he was undefeated heading into the state tournament, and had a regular season win over the Illinois Class 3A champion. The champion in Indiana was sophomore Mason Parris (Lawrenceburg), whose only career loss came in last year's state semifinal by an 11-10 decision to the eventual state champion. This past weekend, he was dominant with three pins and then a 13-4 major decision in the final. The semifinal pin came against an opponent undefeated up to that point, Evan Ellis (Eastern), a returning state placer and Super 32 Challenge placer. His finals opponent was Gunnar Larson (Avon), a returning state placer with quarterfinal and semifinal wins coming against the wrestlers that beat Woods in this tournament; as a result, Larson jumps into the rankings at No. 17. Speaking of Illinois, Class 3A state champion Alan Stallings (Oak Park River Forest) beat returning state champion Eric Johnson (Plainfield South) 9-5 in the semifinal. Johnson entered the tournament ranked No. 17 nationally, but obviously bows out. Stallings, an Indiana football recruit, fell short of the rankings due to a comparative lack of quality wins; though his three losses were all to excellent opposition by narrow margins: nationally ranked Woods, nationally ranked Jared Campbell (St. Edward, Ohio) and nationally ranked at 182 Nathan Traxler (Marmion Academy, Ill.)

Rankings: Individual | Team KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Grand View (Iowa) keeps its stranglehold on the top mark, holding the No. 1 ranking for the 30th straight installment of the NAIA Wrestling Coaches' Top 20 Poll, the national office announced Wednesday. The 2016 Postseason Poll with be announced following the national championships on March 10. Top 25 Highlights (historical information dates back to 2000-01) Grand View (Iowa) pushes its top-ranked streak to 30-straight polls after receiving 193 points in this edition. The Vikings, who have held the top-spot consecutively starting on Nov. 21, 2012, own 35 all-time No. 1 rankings since the start of the 2000-01 season. Former member Lindenwood (Mo.) holds the record for most No. 1 appearances during that time with 39. Grand View once again boasts 12 ranked individuals, all but one of which are ranked no lower than No. 5 in their respective weight class. Jacob Colon (133 pounds), Andrew Long (149 pounds), Tanner Werner (157 pounds) and Michael Pixley (184 pounds) are the top-ranked individuals for Grand View. Colon and Werner are the only new No. 1 individuals this edition. Colon received an automatic berth into next week's national championship field by winning the 133-pound title at the Central Qualifier. The win puts the Clear Lake, Iowa, native at 27-6 on the season. Similar to Colon, Werner - a senior from Waverly, Iowa - won the individual medal at 157 pounds. Both grapplers knocked off teammates in their respective finals. No. 2 Missouri Valley (92.5 points) and No. 3 Montana State-Northern (89.5 points) round out the top three for a second-straight week. Missouri Valley's squad features three top-ranked wrestlers in Jake Ekster (141 pounds), Riley Boomer (174 pounds) and Gabi Musallam (285 pounds). The trio, who all qualified automatically by taking first-place at the Central National Qualifier, are a combined 48-6 on the season. Musallam is the defending national champion at 285 pounds and has held the No. 1 mark all season. Montana State-Northern won the West Group Qualifier with 152.5 points and claim nine ranked individuals. No. 1 125 pounder Adrian Gaines of Oklahoma City and top-ranked Blake Cooper of Warner Pacific (Ore.) at 165 pounds are the only No. 1 individuals that are not part of a top-three ranked team. No. 17 (tied) Doane (Neb.) and No. 19 Cumberland (Tenn.) are the two newcomers to the Top 20. The Phoenix tied for first at the East Qualifier, while Doane took four in the North. The West Group boasts the most ranked teams among the qualifying groups with five -- Montana State-Northern, No. 8 (tied) Menlo (Calif.), No. 8 (tied) Southern Oregon, No. 16 Great Falls (Mont.) and No. 20 Warner Pacific. Since 2001, only Grand View (2013-14, 2014-15), former members Notre Dame (Ohio) (2010-11) and Lindenwood (2006-07) have spent the entire season ranked No. 1. Poll Methodology The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the six national qualifying groups. One day prior to the national poll, each qualifying group rater submits the top six individuals from each weight class in his geographic area into the system. Only wrestlers listed on a qualifying group ballot are considered for the national ballot. The top 16 individuals in each weight class is based on how each voter ranks the best individuals. An individual receives 20 points for each first place vote, 18 for second place and so on through the list. This same point system is used to determine the team ranking.

INDIANAPOLIS – The NCAA has released the updated standings for the 2016 NCAA Wrestling Awards that will be awarded in March at the respective Division I, II and III Wrestling Championships. The inaugural NCAA Wrestling Awards were presented at the 2012 wrestling championships. The three awards, given in each division, honor the Most Dominant Wrestler as well as the student-athletes that have accumulated the most falls and the most technical falls throughout the course of the regular and postseasons. For falls and tech falls to be counted towards a student-athletes total they must come against opponents in the same division. Ties in the two categories are broken based on the aggregate time. In the Division I Most Dominant Wrestler standings, Penn State freshman Jason Nolf increased his lead with an average of 5.20 points per match at 157 pounds, which is .09 ahead of heavyweight Joe Stolfi of Bucknell. Pittsburgh-Johnstown 184-pounder Travis McKillop leads Division II with an average of 5.33 points, which is well ahead of Garrett Grey of Tiffin with 4.73 points. The 2014-15 NCAA Division III Most Dominant Wrestler is well on his way to earning the award for the second year in a row as Wabash 184-pounder Riley Lefever has an average of 5.74 points. Heavyweight Donald Longendyke is second with an average of 5.45 points for Augsburg. The Most Dominant Wrestler standings are calculated by adding the total number of points awarded through match results and dividing that number by the total number of matches wrestled. Points per match are awarded as follows and based on a minimum of 17 matches in the division. * Fall, forfeit, injury default or DQ = 6 points (-6 points for a loss) * Tech falls = 5 points (-5 points for a loss) * Major decision = 4 points (-4 points for a loss) * Decision = 3 points (-3 points for a loss) Navy 197-pounder Michael Woulfe leads Division I with 14 falls this season, while teammate Mathew Miller and Nolf are second with 13. Miller holds the tiebreaker over Nolf in aggregate time (34:26-45:47) Ronald Wardleigh of Western State is the leader in Division II with 13 falls at 125 pounds, followed closely by McKillop with 12. AJ Kowal of Stevens Institute of Technology holds the national lead by aggregate time (39:19) over Josh Thomson of Messiah (57:28) as each wrestler has accumulated 19 falls this season. Isaiah Martinez of Illinois has surpassed his winning total from last season with 12 tech falls this season at 157 pounds to hold the Division I lead. Francis Mizia of Mercyhurst maintains his lead in Division II with eight tech falls at 165 pounds, while Maryville (Missouri) 197-pounder Ryan Beltz and Seton Hill 141-pounder Joseph Alessandro each have seven. Michael Fleck, a 125-pounder from Wilkes, holds the national lead in Division III with 12 tech falls, one ahead of three challengers with 11.

Jim Raschke, a former University of Nebraska wrestling champ who competed internationally, is among the seven individuals to be welcomed into the Minnesota Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in a ceremony in Austin, Minn. this April. In addition to Raschke, other members of the Class of 2016 include Dr. Bruce J. Anderson, Charlie Coffee, John DeLozier, Rick Kelvington, Tim Shiels, and Bob Thorson. An eighth honoree, Earl Stottler, was inducted in a special ceremony last October because of health reasons. Jim Raschke Raschke may be best-known inductee outside the state of Minnesota ... and not necessarily for his amateur wrestling accomplishments. He found considerable success in the pro wrestling ring as Baron von Raschke, German bad guy and purveyor of "The Claw" in the Minneapolis-based American Wrestling Association (AWA) promotion headed up by Minnesota native Verne Gagne. Prior to his pro career, Jim Raschke was a Nebraska state wrestling champ at Omaha North High School who then headed west to wrestle for the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the late 1950s, where he was a Big 8 conference heavyweight titlewinner. Raschke was a 1963 World Bronze Medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling and a 1964 Olympic Team member. Raschke, who will be welcomed into the Minnesota chapter as an Outstanding American, was recently inducted into the Alan Rice Greco-Roman Hall of Fame located at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo, Iowa. Dr. Bruce J. Anderson will be presented with an award for Lifetime Service. Anderson has given back to the sport of wrestling for over 35 years. A former Fridley wrestler, B.J. has been the team doctor for the University of Minnesota football and wrestling teams, Augsburg College and Apple Valley High School. Anderson serves as the Medical Advisor for MN/USA Wrestling and the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) for wrestling. Charlie Coffee served as a long-time coach at Lincoln and Jefferson High Schools in Bloomington, Minn. coaching from 1964 to 1998. He officiated at all levels for 47 years. Charlie's teams won two Region titles, over 300 duals, and included 55 state entrants and a state champion in Gary Pederson. A former All-American wrestler and team captain for the University of Minnesota, Coffee was an outstanding international Greco-Roman wrestler winning national championships. John De Lozier was a Minnesota state runner-up and NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) runner-up for Winona State in 1958. He coached for 39 years at Bertha-Hewitt, and ROCORI High Schools. De Lozier is a member of several halls of fame including MWCA, ROCORI Coaches, Winona State Athletic Hall, Winona High, and MN State High School Coaches Association. He was ROCORI Teacher of The Year in 1991. Rick Kelvington is a former Pennsylvania high school state champion who headed west to Minnesota, where he was a 1965 NCAA Division I place winner for Moorhead State. He coached at Olivia and BOLD High School for 33 Years. Rick's teams compiled a lofty 379-120-7 dual meet mark. Kelvington is a member of several halls of fame including the MWCA, Moorhead State, Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association (2015), and Trinity High School (Penn.) (2015). Rick was also a two-year president of the MWCA. Tim Shiels wrestled at Faribault High School, then served as team captain at both Waldorf College in Forest City, Iowa, and the University of Minnesota-Morris, earning eight letters. He earned NCAA Division III All-American honors at UM-Morris. He has had an outstanding 35-year career as a top official, and former coach at St. Olaf College. Tim has officiated 13 NCAA Division I tournaments and was recently named as the Chairman of the NCAA Wrestling Officials Committee. Bob Thorson served 41 years as coach for Fertile-Beltrami High School, taking his teams to the MSHSL Dual Meet Tournament four times. He coached 32 state entrants, seven state place winners, and 29 various tournament titles. Thorson's teams at State were consolation champions in 1982, fourth in 1983, and sixth in 1985. He is a member of the MWCA Hall of Fame. Earl Stottler was presented with the Medal of Courage Award for the Minnesota Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Oct. 10 in Benson, Minn. He launched his wrestling career at Benson High School, then went on to win a Minnesota state title for Princeton High School in 1958. He became Moorhead State's first national champion (NAIA) in 1961. Stottler served as a teacher, counselor and coach in South Dakota and Minnesota for over a quarter-century. He suffered a major stroke in 2011, yet remains passionate about the sport of wrestling. The Minnesota Chapter banquet will be held at the Austin Holiday Inn on April 23, 2016. The social hour will be from 2:00-3:00 p.m., dinner and silent auction from 3:00-5:00 p.m., concluding with a video and presentation. Tickets are $50 each for adults, and $15 each for children. Orders can be placed at http://mn-nwhof.ticketleap.com. Individuals with questions should contact Spencer Yohe, Chapter President, at (320) 766-1934 or via email at syohe@acegroup.cc.

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Pac-12 Wrestling All-Century team, announced on Monday's episode of 'Pac-12 Sports Report', contains 28 of the Conference's most talented wrestlers. This talented group was voted on by a panel of 20 experts, including coaches, wrestlers, administrators and members of the media. In each of the 10 weight classes, the two wrestlers who received the most votes made the All-Century Team. Eight additional "wildcard" wrestlers were selected by a second vote of the remaining nominees. The first Wrestler of the Century vote resulted in a tie, forcing a second vote. Once again, the vote ended in a tie, making Les Gutches and Stephen Neal co-Wrestlers of the Century. With nine wrestlers each, Arizona State and Oregon State lead the team in representation. Among the 28 wrestlers, 28 individual titles, 25 Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year awards and 70 Conference titles were won. Eric Larkin, Markus Mollica and Stephen Neal tied for most Conference titles with four each. Five All-Century team members competed in the Olympics--Robin Reed won a gold medal in 1924 and Zeke Jones won a silver medal in 1992. Les Gutches, one of the Wrestlers of the Century, compiled a career record of 134-10. During his time at Oregon State, he won two NCAA titles at 177 and was named an Academic All-American three times. In addition to earning the title Outstanding Wrestler at the NCAA Championships his senior year, he went on to compete at the international level. He won a gold medal at the 1998 Goodwill Games and went on to coach at Oregon State. Sharing the title with Gutches is Stephen Neal, who competed for CSU Bakersfield from 1996 to 1999. Neal received numerous accolades during his career including two NCAA Championships, four Pac-12 championships and four All-American honors. In 1999, he won the Hodge Trophy after remaining undefeated over his final two seasons in Bakersfield. After winning the NCAA Championship as a senior, Neal went on to capture the freestyle title at the 1999 Pan-Am games before winning the 1999 World freestyle World Championships, making him the only wrestler in history to win all three of those titles in the same year. Despite having a bright future in wrestling, Neal decided to pursue a career in football. He spent 10 years with the New England Patriots as a right guard and was a part of three Super Bowl wins. Dale Thomas, the Coach of the Century, retired in 1990 as the NCAA's all-time winningest coach. During his 34 years at the helm at Oregon State, he posted a record of 616-169-12 and coached 60 All-Americans. Under his guidance, the Beavers dominated the Pac-12 and won 15 straight Conference titles from 1959 to 1973. Thomas was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1980. See below for the entire team: Pac-12 All-Century Wrestling roster: Anthony Robles, Arizona State (2008-2011)--125 lbs Zeke Jones, Arizona State (1987-1990)--125 lbs John Miller, Oregon (1967-1970)--125 lbs Tanner Gardner, Stanford (2005-2008)--125 lbs Shawn Charles, Arizona State (1990-1993)--133 lbs Babak Mohammadi, Oregon State (1991-1995)--133 lbs Robin Reed, Oregon State (1923-1924)--141 lbs Derek Moore, UC-Davis (2002-2007)--141 lbs Roger Weigel, Oregon State (1969-1971)--141 lbs Eric Larkin, Arizona State (1999-2003)--149 lbs Larry Owings, Washington (1970-1972)--149 lbs Dan Hicks, Oregon State (1976-1979)--149 lbs Matt Gentry, Stanford (2002-2005)--157 lbs Ben Cherrington, Boise State (2002-2006)--157 lbs Markus Mollica, Arizona State (1993-1996)--165 lbs Steve Blackford, Arizona State (1997-2001)--165 lbs Kirk White, Boise State (1997-2001)--165 lbs Dan St. John, Arizona State (1986-1990)--174 lbs Ray Miller, Arizona State (1990-1993)--174 lbs Les Gutches, Oregon State (1993-1996)--184 lbs Shane Webster, Oregon (2001-2006)--184 lbs Greg Strobel, Oregon State (1971-1974)--197 lbs Howard Harris, Oregon State (1977-1980)--197 lbs Mike Davies, Arizona State (1984-1988)--197 lbs Stephen Neal, CSU Bakersfield (1996-1999)--Heavyweight Jess Lewis, Oregon State (1968-1970)--Heavyweight Larry Bielenberg, Oregon State (1974-1977)--Heavyweight Fred Bohna, UCLA (1976-1979)--Heavyweight Coach of the Century: Dale Thomas, Oregon State (1956-1990) Wrestlers of the Century: Les Gutches, Oregon State (1993-1996) Stephen Neal, CSU Bakersfield (1996-1999) About Pac-12 Networks Pac-12 Networks is the innovative TV and multimedia company of the Pac-12 Conference, and is the first such company to be wholly owned by 12 universities. Pac-12 Networks incorporates one national and six regional television networks, plus extensive digital content accessible through social media, university websites, and Pac-12 Now, its TV Everywhere service. Each year, Pac-12 Networks offers live coverage of 850 sporting events, making it one of the top live sports producers in the country. In addition, Pac-12 Networks creates extensive original programming, provides visibility for marquee football and basketball events as well as traditionally under-served women's and Olympic sports. Pac-12 Networks also provides training and paid internships for thousands of students of the Pac-12's member universities, preparing them for careers in media. With headquarters in San Francisco's SOMA District, Pac-12 Networks draws on the creative, entrepreneurial, and technological culture of the Bay Area and nearby Silicon Valley. For more information, go to http://pac-12.com/networks.

A memorial service for Kevin Randleman, two-time NCAA wrestling champ for Ohio State and Ultimate Fighting Championships heavyweight titleholder who died Feb. 11 at age 44, will be held in his hometown of Sandusky, Ohio on Wednesday, March 9, according to his Facebook page . The service will be held at Sandusky High School, 2130 Hayes Avenue where Randleman was a star football player and Ohio high school state mat champ. The event is open to the public. Doors open at 5 p.m. Eastern time. Parking is available behind the school. Members of the Sandusky wrestling team will escort guests to the auditorium where the memorial service will be held. The family asks that all guests be seated by 5:45, when the Randleman family is to enter the auditorium. The memorial service will begin promptly at 6 p.m. The capacity of the auditorium is 425. To ensure seating, guests are encouraged to arrive early. For guests needing handicap access, please contact Karensocal@gmail.com in advance. Guests will be offered the opportunity to share their "Monster Memories" of Kevin Randleman before or after the memorial service. There will be a private room allowing guests to videotape a short story about Randleman. Guests may also bring a photo to incorporate into the video. The video is intended as a keepsake for the Randleman family. In lieu of flowers, friends are invited to consider a donation to a fund for the Kevin Randleman family. For those not able to make it to Ohio, a separate memorial service is planned for March 4 in Las Vegas. Details are to be announced.

HAMPDEN-SYDNEY, Va. -- Hampden-Sydney College Director of Athletics Richard Epperson has announced the hiring of Chris Conkwright as head wrestling coach beginning March 1, 2016. Conkwright will take the reins from Mac Main, who will return to his full time position as the Tigers' Head Golf Coach. Chris Conkwright"We are excited to have Chris Conkwright join our staff as Head Wrestling Coach," said Epperson. "Chris brings a wealth of coaching experience and recruiting connections to our newest intercollegiate sport, and I am confident he will build a highly competitive wrestling program here at Hampden-Sydney College." While growing up in Virginia Beach, Conkwright won state and national high school and AAU wrestling titles. After winning the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament at the University of North Carolina, he moved on to Virginia Tech where he served as team captain and assistant coach. He graduated from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture and studies in Biology. His wrestling coaching duties after college took him to Frank W. Cox High School in Virginia Beach and Appomattox High School, where his teams produced numerous all-state performers and he received multiple Coach of The Year awards. "I want the young men coming to Hampden-Sydney to have the chance to wrestle at a high level, while also getting a great education in a unique setting," Conkwright stated. "It's important that wrestling is just one of the tools used here at Hampden-Sydney for transforming young men into gentlemen. This program is basically starting anew with my immediate goal to fill the room and roster with quality wrestlers - a process that may take a few recruiting cycles. I look forward to having the opportunity of becoming a positive part of these young men's lives and becoming part of the Hampden-Sydney community." Conkwright lives in Prince Edward County with his wife, Jennifer, and sons Tanner and Collin.

Which college wrestling team can claim the honor of being the best in the 85-year history of the NCAA Wrestling Championships? Where does the 1983 Iowa team rank?>The NCAA wants to know ... and is asking fans to weigh in on their choice for "best ever" from a list of fifteen teams compiled by the organization and posted at its website . Each day this week the NCAA will post three of the fifteen nominees on its Twitter account, ending on Friday, Feb. 26. Fans can make their pick retweeting the posts from @NCAAWrestling. The team with the highest number of retweets by Monday, Feb. 29 at noon Eastern will earn the title of best team in history. https://twitter.com/ncaawrestling Here are the teams in the running, as selected by the NCAA: 1941 Oklahoma State Cowboys: Headed up by newly hired Art Griffith, the Cowboys had four individual champs, five finalists, and seven All-Americans 1947 Cornell College Rams: The smallest college to ever win an NCAA team title, the Cornell of Iowa "Dream Team of '47" could claim two individual champs, three finalists, and six All-Americans under coach Paul Scott 1950 Northern Iowa Panthers: The Cedar Falls school had three NCAA titlewinners, five finalists, and seven All-Americans under the tutelage of Dave McCuskey 1957 Oklahoma Sooners: Coached by Port Robertson, two Sooners won individual titles (one being Dan Hodge), with seven All-Americans 1965 Iowa State Cyclones: Harold Nichols guided the Cyclones to two individual NCAA titles and nine All-American honors. 1966 Oklahoma State Cowboys: With Myron Roderick at the reins, the Cowboys claimed three individual titles and eight All-Americans. 1967 Michigan State Spartans: Coach Grady Peninger's team could claim 2 NCAA champions out of four finalists, and seven All-Americans 1969 Iowa State Cyclones: Of the program's four finalists, three left with NCAA titles (one being Dan Gable) and nine All-Americans 1983 Iowa Hawkeyes: Dan Gable guided his squad to four NCAA individual championships (out of five finalists), with nine All-Americans 1986 Iowa Hawkeyes: An NCAA record-tying five individual champs (out of six finalists, with eight All-Americans 1987 Iowa State Cyclones: Coach Jim Gibbons' squad had six All-Americans, five finalists, and four individual titlewinners 1997 Iowa Hawkeyes: A NCAA record-tying five champs (out of six finalists) and eight All-Americans 2001 Minnesota Gophers: With J Robinson as head coach, the Gophers earned the distinction of being the only team in NCAA Division I to go ten-for-ten in All-Americans ... without any finalists. 2005 Oklahoma State Cowboys: John Smith's Cowboys had a NCAA record-tying five Division I champions and seven All-Americans 2012 Penn State Nittany Lions: Coached by Cael Sanderson, the Lions had six All-Americans, five in the finals, and three who won individual titles The NCAA has asked for fan input to select "all-time greats" at least a couple other times. For the 75th Anniversary of the NCAA Wrestling Championships in 2005, the organization asked fans to name the fifteen all-time greatest college wrestlers in three broad weight classes. Just one year ago, the NCAA wanted fans to pick "the most epic" finals match from a list of eight title matches.

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- For the second straight dual, NC State headed into the final bout with a chance to win. And for the second straight time that wrestler looking to secure the win was two-time defending NCAA Champion Nick Gwiazdowski. An injury default in the dual's final bout, gave NC State a 21-17 road win at No. 2 Iowa in the NWCA National Duals Championships Series. A close dual that saw five lead changes came down to the final bout once again. The Wolfpack completes its dual season with a 23-1 mark with wins at No. 2 Iowa, at No. 4 Oklahoma State and vs. No. 5 Missouri. No. 3 Kevin Jack of NC State dominated Brady Grothus, earning a technical fall (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens)NC State became the first ACC team ever to defeat Iowa, as the Hawkeyes were 12-0 against the conference. NC State also accomplished the same feat at Oklahoma State, as the 19-15 win in December was the first for the ACC over the Cowboys. Starting at 125 pounds, Iowa scored the first two bouts of the day and jumped out to a 7-0 lead, with both wins coming from wrestlers ranked No. 3 or better. NC State got on the scoreboard at 141 pounds, as No. 3 Kevin Jack netted five team points with his 18-3 technical fall. Jack recorded five takedowns, two near falls (first for two, then one for four), and a reversal in getting the tech fall. The win was Jack's 15th straight on the year and he improves to 21-3. Jack's win pulled the Pack within 7-5 after three bouts. Iowa scored its second bonus win with a major decision at 149 pounds. No. 4 Tommy Gantt of NC State earned his second major decision over Edwin Cooper (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)NC State returned the favor with a major decision at 157 pounds, as No. 4 Tommy Gantt defeated No. 18 Edwin Cooper, Jr., 13-5. Gantt scored all five takedowns of the bout, and his final takedown with 15 seconds left gave him the ride time point and the Pack the bonus point win. At the halfway point, Iowa was up 11-9. The Pack captured its first lead right after the intermission, as No. 6 Max Rohskopf picked up a 6-3 decision. After a scoreless first, Rohskopf scored the lone points in the second period with a takedown at the end of the period. An escape and another takedown pushed his lead to 5-0 early in the third before winning 6-3 and giving the Pack a 12-11 lead after six bouts. The lead was short-lived as an Iowa decision at 174 pounds made the team score 14-12 with three bouts left. NC State faught back once again and retook the lead at 15-14 with two bouts left. No. 16 Pete Renda scored a 7-3 upset over No. 10 Sammy Brooks. Ronda scored two first period takedowns and after an escape was up 5-1 entering the third. Ronda stayed on the attack with another takedown and his 7-3 win gave the Pack the lead. The win was the second straight for Renda over a top-11 foe. Iowa retook the lead once again with a 9-4 decision at 197 pounds. Going into the final bout, Iowa was up 17-15. No. 1 Nick Gwiazdowski completed his NC State dual career a perfect 55-0 in duals, as he earned an injury default in the final match, giving NC State the 21-17 win. Up 10-1 in the second over No. 7 Sam Stoll, the bout was stopped for an injury and NC State completed the comeback win. Results: 125: #2 Thomas Gilman (Iowa) maj. dec. Sean Faust; 15-5 - 0-4 133: #3 Cory Clark (Iowa) dec. Jamal Morris; 9-3 - 0-7 141: #3 Kevin Jack (NCSU) tech. fall Brody Grothus; 18-3 - 5-7 149: #2 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) maj. dec. Beau Donahue; 13-4 - 5-11 157: #4 Tommy Gantt (NCSU) maj. dec. #18 Edwin Cooper, Jr.; 13-5 - 9-11 165: #6 Max Rohskopf (NCSU) dec. Patrick Rhoads; 6-3 - 12-11 174: #10 Alex Meyer (Iowa) dec. Nicky Hall; 4-2 - 12-14 184: #16 Pete Renda (NCSU) dec. #10 Sammy Brooks; 7-3 - 15-14 197: #4 Nathan Burak (Iowa) dec. #14 Michael Boykin; 9-4 - 15-17 285: #1 Nick Gwiazdowski (NCSU) by injury default over #7 Sam Stoll; 4:46 - 21-17

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The ninth-ranked Ohio State wrestling team wrapped up the dual match portion of its schedule Monday evening with a convincing 26-13 triumph over Edinboro in the NWCA National Championship Dual Series. Now 11-3 on the year, the Buckeyes turn their attention to defending titles at the Big Ten Championships (March 5-6 in Iowa City, Iowa) and NCAA Championships (March 17-19 in New York City). THE SHORT STORY Ohio State won six of 10 matches - including four via bonus points - and also eked out wins at 157 and 197 pounds to secure its fifth straight season of at least 11 wins. Buckeye winners were Nathan Tomasello, Micah Jordan, Jake Ryan, Bo Jordan, Myles Martin and Mark Martin. TOMASELLO STARTS WITH A BANG Reigning national champion Tomasello (18-0), the owner of the longest winning streak in the national amongst 125 pounders, made short work of Sean Russell, who came into the match with 24 wins on the season. Ahead handily early on, Tomasello got Russell on his back and ended the bout with a fall just 59 seconds into the second period. It was Tomasello's 36th straight win and his 13th this year by bonus points. JORDAN, RYAN EXTEND THE LEAD After a 6-0 decision for Edinboro's Anthony Rivera over Mike Manuche at 133 lbs., Micah Jordan became the fourth Buckeye wrestler this year to notch his 20th win when he improved to 20-1 with a 22-9 major decision over Tyler Vath. Jordan scored on four first-period takedowns to distance himself early in the bout. Cody Burcher was narrowly defeated by No. 18 Patricio Lugo at 149 lbs., 2-1, thanks to a takedown in the waning seconds, but Ryan responded in the next bout to get a tight decision of his own, this one a 4-3 decision that was decided on riding time. A takedown that would have won the match for Edinboro's Austin Matthews was overturned by video review, thus securing the Ryan victory. BUCKEYES WIN AT 165, 174, 197 Any drama in the team score was erased when B. Jordan pinned Casey Fuller 3:34 into their bout at 165. Fuller took an early 5-3 lead thanks to a takedown and two-point nearfall, but B. Jordan quickly went to work, scoring two takedowns of his own before the first period was over and then ending the match early in the second period. Next up at 174, Martin continued his impressive rookie season, improving to 24-5 with a workman-like 14-4 major decision over Patrick Jennings that was highlighted by four takedowns, a reversal and two-point near fall. Ohio State's final win of the night came via Mark Martin at 197, as he scored the only takedown of his bout against Vince Pickett midway through the first period and hung on from there, escaping with a 2-1 decision. Martin, who returned to the lineup last weekend against Wisconsin, is 16-5 this season. DID YOU KNOW Now in his 10th season, Tom Ryan-coached teams have produced double digit regular season wins in eight of the last nine years. Since 2011-12, his teams are averaging 12 wins a year. His record at Ohio State now stands at 124-45 (.733). Results: 125: No. 1 Nathan Tomasello (OSU) fall over Sean Russell (EDIN) 4:00 | OSU 6, EDIN 0 133: Anthony Rivera (EDIN) decision over Mike Manuche (OSU) 6-0 | OSU 6, EDIN 3 141: Micah Jordan (OSU) major decision over Tyler Vath (EDIN) 22-9 | OSU 10, EDIN 3 149: No. 18 Patricio Lugo (EDIN) decision over Cody Burcher (OSU) 2-1 | OSU 10, EDIN 6 157: No. 10 Jake Ryan (OSU) decision over No. 16 Austin Matthews (EDIN) 4-3 | OSU 13, EDIN 6 165: No. 3 Bo Jordan (OSU) fall over Casey Fuller (EDIN) 3:34 | OSU 19, EDIN 6 174: No. 14 Myles Martin (OSU) major decision over Patrick Jennings (EDIN) 14-4 | OSU 23, EDIN 6 184: No. 5 Vic Avery (EDIN) major decision over Dominic Prezzia (OSU) 19-7 | OSU 23, EDIN 10 197: Mark Martin (OSU) decision over Vince Pickett (EDIN) 2-1 | OSU 26, EDIN 10 285: Billy Miller (EDIN) decision over Nick Tavanello (OSU) 5-1 | OSU 26, EDIN 13

Two top-of-the-card matchups featuring former college wrestlers have been announced for Bellator 154 at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on May 14. Phil DavisPhil Davis will face Muhammed Lawal in a light-heavyweight bout, while, in the co-main event, former lightweight champion Michael Chandler will take on Josh Thomson. Davis, a four-time All-American and 2008 NCAA 197-pound champ for Penn State, had signed with Bellator in 2015 after competing for Ultimate Fighting Championships. The former Nittany Lion brings a 15-3-1 overall record to Bellator 154. Lawal, a 2002 NCAA Division II champ at University of Central Oklahoma who then earned NCAA Division I All-American honors at Oklahoma State at 197 in 2003, is now 19-4 in MMA competition. Both Davis and Lawal had been participants at Bellator's Dynamite 1 one-night tournament back in September, and, in fact were slated to face each other in the finals, but Lawal was unable to compete because of an injury sustained in an earlier match at that event. Chandler was an NCAA Division I All-American for the University of Missouri, while Thomson wrestled at North Idaho Community College. The former Mizzou matman, who had been a Bellator champ at 155 pounds before losing the title in November 2013, is now 14-3 in MMA. Thomson, a former Strikeforce champion, is 22-8 overall. Bellator 154 will air live on SPIKE TV.

Live Blog NC State at Iowa

There's the phrase "Any body can wrestle" that illustrates the all-inclusive nature of the sport that welcomes individuals of all sizes, body types and physical attributes. However, not every body can win a state wrestling championship. Hasaan Hawthorne Then there's Hasaan Hawthorne. The senior from Pelham High School won the Class 6A 145-pound title -- and Outstanding Wrestler honors -- at the 2016 Alabama State Wrestling Championships in Huntsville despite being a double amputee. Hawthorne scored a come-from-behind victory over Southside-Gadsden senior Landon Thompson to complete a perfect 37-0 season. Thompson led 1-0 early in the first period, but was not able to maintain the lead as Hawthorne took advantage of his long reach and leverage to outpoint Thompson 6-2 in over the final two periods. It was the second time Thompson was a finalist, having placed second at 132 last year. Hawthorne came in third at 160 in 2015. What was Hawthorne's secret to success? "I just worked hard in practice to get ready," said the newly crowned champ. "Landon is pretty tough, he's a good wrestler." Thompson's coach explained the challenges of wrestling Hawthorne. "It's tough because (Hawthorne) wrestles like that all the time and we don't get to see it," Southside coach Kyle Routon told AL.com. "He's so long and would be about 6-foot-3 or 6-4 and we were just trying to protect our lead leg because his arms are so long. His reach was a huge difference, I mean the only way you can attack him is by dragging or with a front leg lock. He's just so tough." "As one of the state's best wrestlers, Hawthorne has yet this season to give up his back," wrote Gary Estwick of AL.com on Feb. 17. "He's undefeated (33-0) heading into this week's AHSAA Wrestling Championships, thanks to a speedy and smooth ankle pick and wrist control likened to an anaconda's squeeze. Hawthorne is Class 6A's No. 1 seed at 145 pounds." All this is even more impressive, given that Hawthorne was born with tibias in his leg. His fibulas formed without muscles and nerves, which led to two different amputations -- the first before he was three months old -- and left Hawthorne with nothing below his knees. When he's on the mat, he wrestles on what's left of his upper legs. Off the mat, he uses prosthetic limbs attached to what he refers to as his "nubs". Hasaan Hawthorne grew up with parents who encouraged him to be active. He was roughhousing with his dad and male babysitters even at early age. He was a huge fan of WWE and ESPN SportsCenter, becoming obsessed about sports, according to his folks. He started playing baseball at age 8, later trying football but not liking to be at the bottom of a pile of tacklers. As a sixth grader, he was introduced to middle-school wrestling ... and found his sport. In a profile of Hawthorne published in USA Today on Friday -- the day before the Alabama state wrestling championship finals -- Cam Smith wrote, "On Thursday he cruised through the quarterfinals, getting him within two victories of his ultimate goal: A state title and spot in the state record books, for good. For his part, Hawthrone is convinced a victorious campaign could help earn attention from college coaches and help him land a spot on a collegiate squad." "I've got to win, got to," Hawthorne told AL.com prior to the state finals. "I don't think I've made a name for myself on the national level yet ... I still feel like I have unfinished business to do." Now that he's achieved a state title -- and coverage in the national media -- Hawthorne told AL.com Saturday, "I plan to go to nationals and then on to college, but I don't know where yet." Want to know more about wrestlers who overcame physical challenges to find success on the mat? Check out InterMat's 2011 feature "Opportunity for All" which profiled, among others, Anthony Robles, 2011 NCAA champ for Arizona State despite being born without his right leg ... and Nick Ackerman, 2001 NCAA Division III champ for Simpson College who, like Hawthorne, is a double-leg amputee.

LINCOLN, Neb. -- No. 6 Mizzou Wrestling outlasted No. 9 Nebraska, 19-14, Sunday afternoon in its National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals Series matchup. With the Tigers up 12-10 in the 184-pound bout, redshirt sophomore 184-pounder Willie Miklus (Altoona, Iowa) scored a takedown right before the third period buzzer to upend TJ Dudley, 5-4, giving Mizzou the lead it needed to down the Huskers. Willie Miklus celebrates after beating T.J. Dudley at 184 pounds (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)"I didn't panic when I fell behind in the match," said Miklus. "I still wrestled until the end. I was just happy to get the win for the team and that we were able to get the win as a team." Junior 197-pouner J'den Cox (Columbia, Mo.) became the 24th member of the 100-win club with a 16-7 major decision over Aaron Studebaker. Cox is the fastest Tiger wrestler to 100 wins in program history, doing so in 105 matches. "J'den is wrestling well," said head coach Brian Smith. "When he is shooting and scoring like that, he is unstoppable." Redshirt sophomore 125-pounder Barlow McGhee (Rock Island, Ill.) began the dual off for the Tigers with a 5-3 win over No. 10-ranked Tim Lambert. McGhee trailed 3-2 in the third period after a stalling call, but utilized an escape and a takedown the capture the victory. In the third match of the night, redshirt junior 141-pounder Matt Manley (Perry, Okla.) scored takedowns in the first and second period, along with a reversal in the second for a 6-2 win over No. 20-ranked Anthony Adidin. With the Tigers trailing 10-6, redshirt freshman 165-pounder Daniel Lewis (Blue Springs, Mo.) brought the Tigers within a point with a 4-0 victory over No. 13-ranked Austin Wilson. Blaise Butler finishes off a takedown on Micah Barnes (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Following Lewis, redshirt senior 174-pounder Blaise Butler (Belvidere, Ill.) regained the lead for #TigerStyle with a narrow 7-5 win over No. 20-ranked Micah Barnes. With the bout tied, 4-4, heading into the final period, Butler scored a takedown and was awarded a point for riding time to claim the victory. In Miklus' match against Dudley, the Tiger sophomore trailed 4-2 with time winding down in the bout. Miklus scored an escape and a takedown with less than five seconds to steal the victory. At 197 pounds, Cox scored seven takedowns in the first two periods to take a commanding lead over Studebaker. Cox added an escape point and a point for riding time to preserve the major decision, 16-7. The Tigers led 19-10 after the bout and would go on to win the dual 19-14. "I wouldn't have got to where I am today without my team around me pushing me and driving me to become a better wrestler every day," said Cox. "It's hard to do this sport alone, to have a great group of teammates and coaches around me is a blessing." Mizzou will next be in action March 5-6 in Ypsilanti, Mich. for the Mid-American Conference Championships. The Tigers will be looking for their fourth consecutive title and fifth conference title overall in the tournament. Results: 125: #9 Barlow McGhee (MIZ) dec. #10 Tim Lambert (NEB), 5-3 (MIZ 3, NEB 0) 133: #13 Eric Montoya (NEB) dec. #15 Zach Synon (MIZ), 4-0 (NEB 3, MIZ 3) 141: #7 Matt Manley (MIZ) dec. #20 Anthony Abidin (NEB), 6-2 (MIZ 6, NEB 3) 149: #4 Jake Sueflohn (NEB) tiebreaker-1 #3 Lavion Mayes (MIZ), 4-1 (NEB 6, MIZ 6) 157: #19 Tyler Berger (NEB) major dec. Le'Roy Barnes (MIZ), 10-2 (NEB 10, MIZ 6) 165: #4 Daniel Lewis (MIZ) dec. #13 Austin Wilson (NEB), 4-0 (NEB 10, MIZ 9) 174: #7 Blaise Butler (MIZ) dec. #17 Micah Barnes (NEB), 7-5 (MIZ 12, NEB 10) 184: #14 Willie Miklus (MIZ) dec. #9 TJ Dudley (NEB), 5-4 (MIZ 15, NEB 10) 197: #2 J'den Cox (MIZ) major dec. #12 Aaron Studebaker (NEB), 16-7 (MIZ 19, NEB 10) HWT: #19 Collin Jensen (NEB) major dec. Cody Johnston (MIZ), 9-1 (MIZ 19, NEB 14)

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- No. 1 Penn State (16-0, 9-0 B1G) took care of No. 2 Oklahoma State (13-3) on Sunday to win the 2016 NWCA National Dual Championship Series title. Head coach Cael Sanderson's squad took down the Cowboys 29-18 in front of yet another sold out Rec Hall crowd. The NWCA dual crown is the third different championship won by Penn State to date this season: the team won its sixth straight Southern Scuffle title on January 1-2 and a share of the 2016 Big Ten Regular Season title (shared with Iowa, Penn State's third such championship). The dual was wrestled in front of 6,575 fans, the 29th straight Rec Hall sell-out and the 32nd of 33 including the Bryce Jordan Center. Three seniors wrestled in their final dual meets in Rec Hall and the dual meet began with two of them. Senior Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), ranked No. 4 at 125, brought the standing room only crowd to its feet with a pin in his final match in Rec Hall. Megaludis pinned No. 6 Eddie Klimara at the 3:58 mark to give Penn State an early 6-0 lead. Senior Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.), ranked No. 5 at 133, added to the Lion lead with a strong win in his final Rec Hall match. Conaway controlled Gary Wayne Harding, rolling to an 8-4 win with 2:03 in riding time. Junior Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.) lost a spirited and hard-fought 9-5 decision to No. 1 Dean Heil at 141 as Oklahoma State cut Penn State's lead to 9-3. Sophomore Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 149, dominated No. 12 Anthony Collica, rolling up 2:35 in riding time on his way to a strong 4-1 win. Red-shirt freshman Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 157, sent Penn State into the intermission on a high note, hitting a standing cradle to pin Ryan Blees at the 6:32 mark in the third period (Nolf was up 21-8 at the time). Penn State led 18-3 heading into the halftime break. Junior Geno Morelli (DuBois, Pa.) dropped a 17-2 technical fall to No. 1 Alex Dieringer at 165 as the Cowboys cut Penn State's lead to 18-8. Red-shirt freshman Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 1 at 174, answered immediately however, rolling to an identical 17-2 technical fall, this one at the 4:39 mark to put Penn State up 23-8. Sophomore Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.), ranked No. 6 at 184, was leading 1 to No. 13 Nolan Boyd when he was injured on an illegal hold (pulling McCutcheon's knee brace). After an extended injury time, McCutcheon tried to continue but was injured once again on the next flurry and lost by injury default at the 3:38 mark. Senior Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 1 at 197, closed out his Rec Hall career in rousing fashion, getting a quick first period pin (1:59) of Andrew Marsden to put Penn State up 29-14 and clinch the NWCA Dual Meet title. With red-shirt freshman Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), ranked No. 16 at 285, sent to the U.S. Collegiate Championships at Air Force to get more matches under his belt, true freshman Jan Johnson (Mohnton, Pa.) stepped up at 285 and dropped a hard-fought 18-6 major to No. 5 Austin Marsden. Johnson notched a reversal and two takedowns late in the match but his comeback efforts were not enough. The Nittany Lions end the regular season with a perfect 16-0 mark, 9-0 in the Big Ten. Oklahoma State ends its dual season with a 13-3 record. The 16 dual meet victories are the most since Penn State won 17 in 2011 (going 17-1-1). The perfect 16-0 record marks the first time since 1972 that a Penn State team wrestling ten or matches has gone through the season unblemished (no losses or ties). Penn State went 12-0 in 1972. The 2015-16 Penn State squad has already gone 9-0 in conference duals, only the second-ever Penn State team to run through the conference schedule unblemished. Penn State went 6-0 in 1997-98 and 5-0-1 in 1992-93. The nine dual victories is also a school record for Big Ten dual wins in a single season. Penn State posted a 24-14 takedown advantage and rolled up 11 bonus points off three pins (Megaludis, Nolf, McIntosh) and a technical fall (Nickal). Wrapping up their final dual meets as Nittany Lions, Penn State's three starting seniors head to their final post-season with outstanding career records. Conaway is 83-27 after today, Megaludis 111-18 and McIntosh 106-18. McIntosh ends his Penn State career with 53 dual meet victories, 12th all-time. Megaludis ends his with 52, 14th all-time. Conaway collected 42 dual meet wins during his Lion career. Each of the senior trio has already earned All-America honors (Conaway once, McIntosh twice, Megaludis three times). Penn State will head to Iowa City, Iowa, for the 2016 Big Ten Wrestling Championships at the University of Iowa on March 5-6. The event, in Iowa's Carver-Hawkeye Arena, begins on Saturday with an 11 a.m. session and a 7 p.m. session (Eastern). The championship, serving as the NCAA qualifier for the conference, concludes on Sunday with a 1 p.m. session (Eastern). Penn State Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at @pennstateWREST, on Penn State Wrestling's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennstatewrest. The 2015-16 Penn State wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline. This is PENN STATE. WRESTLING lives here. Results: 125: #4 Nico Megaludis PSU pinned #6 Eddie Klimara OSU, WBF (3:58) / 6-0 133: #5 Jordan Conaway PSU dec. Gary Wayne Harding OSU, 8-4 / 9-0 141: #1 Dean Heil OSU dec. Jimmy Gulibon PSU, 9-5 / 9-3 149: #1 Zain Retherford PSU dec. #12 Anthony Collica OSU, 4-1 / 12-3 157: #1 Jason Nolf PSU pinned Ryan Blees OSU, WBF (6:32) / 18-3 165: #1 Alex Dieringer OSU tech fall Geno Morelli PSU, 17-2 (TF; 4:36) / 18-8 174: #1 Bo Nickal PSU tech fall Heston Lamons OSU, 17-2 (TF; 4:39) / 23-8 184: #13 Nolan Boyd OSU inj. def. #6 Matt McCutcheon PSU, (3:38) / 23-14 197: #1 Morgan McIntosh PSU pinned Andrew Marsden OSU, WBF (1:59) / 29-14 285: #5 Austin Marsden OSU maj. dec. Jan Johnson PSU, 18-6 / 28-18 Attendance: 6,575 (sold out - 29 straight sell outs in Rec Hall, 32 of 33 including BJC) Records: Penn State 16-0, 9-0 B1G; Oklahoma State 13-3 Up Next for Penn State: at 2016 Big Ten Championships, Iowa City, March 5-6 BOUT-BY-BOUT: 125: Senior Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), ranked No. 4 at 125, took on No. 6 Eddie Klimara in one of many marquee match-ups in the dual meet. Klimara came out quick, trying to score off shoulder control early but Megaludis forced a stalemate on the initial move. Megaludis began to control the tempo from that point on, taking numerous low singles and keeping Klimara backing away. Megaludis gained control of Klimara's right ankle and broke the Cowboy down for a 2-0 lead at the :50 mark. Megaludis put together a strong ride, controlling Klimara for the ride out. Leading 2-0 with :50 in riding time, Megaludis chose down to start the second period and quickly worked his way into a reversal and a 4-0 lead. Klimara escaped, only to have Megaludis blow through a low double and gain control of the Cowboy once again. This time, Megaludis used leverage and backed his way into Klimara. With his back to the Cowboy, Megaludis forced Klimara's head to the mat, then worked his shoulders flat for a pin at the 3:58 mark. 133: Senior Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.), ranked No. 5 at 133, met Gary Wayne Harding. Conaway wasted no time taking control of the match, breaking Harding down off the whistle with a single leg to a scrambling takedown. Conaway then controlled Harding for over 1:09 before the Cowboy escaped to a 2-1 score. The Lion senior was relentless, however, taking another low single and turning it into a 4-1 lead with a second takedown. Conaway maintained control for the rest of the period and led 4-1 with 1:53 in time after one. Harding chose down to start the second period and Conaway added to his riding time advantage. Harding escaped to a 4-2 score at the 1:25 mark and then quickly countered a slight Harding shot for a third takedown and a 6-2 lead. With over 3:00 in riding time, Conaway worked for a chance to the Cowboy for back points. Another ride out gave Conaway a 6-2 lead with 3:36 in time after two periods. Conaway chose down to start the third period and steadily worked his way to his feet and an escaped with 1:10 on the clock. Leading 7-2, Conaway shot low looking to secure a major but Harding countered the shot for his own takedown. Still, Conaway's dominant performance gave the Lion senior an 8-4 win. 141: Junior Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.) met No. 1 Dean Heil at 141. The duo battled evenly for the bout's opening minute. Heil then scored the bout's first takedown with a fast move at the 2:11 mark to take a 2-0 lead. Gulibon worked his way to an escaped and a 2-1 score with 1:12 on the clock and action resumed in the center of the mat. Gulibon shot quickly off a reset but Heil was able to fight off the efforts and carry the 2-1 lead into the second stanza. Gulibon chose down to start the second period but could not break free of Heil's strong ride. The Cowboy controlled the action for over :30 before Gulibon worked his way free to a 2-2 tie, but Harding had 1:39 in riding time. Gulibon upped the tempo after the escape and forced Heil into defense. Heil was able to fight off a furious Gulibon attack and the match moved to the third period tied 2-2 with Heil owning a riding time edge. Heil chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 3-2 lead. Gulibon pressed in on offense but Heil able to counter the shot for another takedown and a 5-2 lead. With Heil owning a clinched riding time point, Gulibon reversed the Cowboy off a reset, cut his lead to 5-4 and cut him loose to a 6-4 score with 1:00 on the clock. Gulibon shot low and Heil countered once again for another takedown and an 8-4 lead with :30 on the clock. Gulibon escaped to an 8-5 score but Heil's defense was enough down the stretch for the Cowboy to post the 9-5 win. 149: Sophomore Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 149, took on No. 12 Anthony Collica. Retherford set a fast early tempo, forcing Collica on to his heels as he worked for scoring position. With 2:06 on the clock, Retherford shot low and quickly turned the shot into a takedown and a 2-0 lead. The Lion sophomore maintained control for :40 before Collica escaped to a 2-1 score. Collica took a high single that Retherford quickly stepped back from and the Lion pressed in on offense. Collica was able to defend his way through the first period with Retherford leading 2-1. Collica chose down to start the second period and Retherford went to work on top. Collica tried to work his way to his feet but Retherford was too strong, keeping control for the entire period. Leading 2-1 with 2:40 in riding time, Retherford chose down to start the final period. Retherford quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead and then immediately turned in to Collica, looking for an opening to score. Retherford continued to shoot and Collica's defense was able to keep the Lion from breaking through. Retherford's 2:35 in riding time gave the Lion a 4-1 win. 157: Red-shirt freshman Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 157, faced off against Ryan Blees. Nolf connected quickly, turning a low single into a lift and a 2-1 lead off a fast takedown. The Lion freshman worked a fast tempo for the next minute, forcing Blees backwards and then working his way behind the Cowboy for a takedown and cut to lead 4-2 with 1:10 on the clock. Nolf blew through a third takedown to lead 6-3 and went back to work in the center circle. Nolf picked up a fast fourth takedown and then rode Blees out to lead 8-3 with :38 riding time after one period. Nolf chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 9-3 lead. The Lion dove low for another takedown and cut to up his lead to 11-4. He tacked on four more takedowns and a two point cradle as the period ended to lead 21-7 after two periods. Blees chose down to start the third period and Nolf cut him loose to a 21-8 lead. The Lion, knowing that at takedown would end the match, patiently waited for an opportunity to bring the home crowd to its feet. With just over :30 left to wrestle, Nolf saw an opening and quickly hit a standing cradle. Nolf adjusted one time and got the pin at the 6:32 mark. 165: Junior Geno Morelli (DuBois, Pa.) met No. 1 Alex Dieringer at 165. Morelli shot low quickly and Dieringer quickly countered, rolling the Lion to his back for a takedown and four near fall points. Morelli fought off the pin and worked to reset himself but Dieringer tied up an arm bar and controlled the action from the top. He turned Morelli for another four-point near fall and led 10-0 at the 1:23 mark before blood time stopped the action. Morelli worked his way to his feet on the reset and escaped to a 10-1 score with 1:05 on the clock. Dieringer worked a low single into another takedown and a 12-1 lead after one period. Dieringer chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 13-1 lead. Morelli shot low on the Cowboy but Dieringer stepped back, reset himself and then took Morelli down to up his lead to 15-1. He tried to turn Morelli for back points but the Lion rolled through the move and escaped to a 15-2 score. Dieringer ended the match with a final takedown to post the 17-2 technical fall at the 4:36 mark. 174: Red-shirt freshman Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 1 at 174, battled Heston Lamons. Nickal set a fast tempo from the start, working a scrambling low single into a takedown and a 2-0 lead with 2:29 on the clock. Nickal then worked his way into a near fall, taking a 6-0 with a four point turn at the midway point of the first period. Nickal cut Lamons loose to a 6-1 score and then countered a diving Lamons shot for a takedown and an 8-1 lead. He added four more near fall points before the period ended to lead 12-1 with 1:48 in riding time after one period. Nickal took down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 13-1 lead. Nickal once again turned a scrambling low single into a takedown and a 15-1 lead with 1:20 on the clock. Nickal cut Lamons loose off a reset and then ended the match with a final takedown at the ;21 mark. The 17-2 tech fall came at the 4:39 mark. 184: Sophomore Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.), ranked No. 6 at 184, met No. 13 Nolan Boyd. McCutcheon fought off a quick Boyd high single, keeping control of the Cowboy's shoulders and forcing an early stalemate. Boyd shot quickly again off the reset and this time McCutcheon countered, working a low single into a takedown and a 2-1 lead after a quick Boyd escape. McCutcheon countered another Boyd shot, nearly picking up a quick takedown. Boyd forced a scramble that lasted to the :57 mark before a stalemate halted the action. Boyd shot in on McCutcheon again and this time grabbed the inside of his knee brace, getting called for an illegal hold and forcing an extended injury time as McCutcheon's previous injury was aggravated. Oklahoma State called for a review of the illegal hold but the ruling was confirmed and McCutcheon led 3-1 at the :36 mark. McCutcheon got hit for stalling at the :08 mark but led 3-1 after one. Boyd chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-2 lead. Boyd shot low, forcing a scramble and once again McCutcheon was injured. This time, the Lion was unable to continue and Boyd got the injury default win at the 3:38 mark. 197: Senior Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 1 at 197, took on Andrew Marsden. McIntosh quickly took the Cowboy down and briefly locked up a cradle, nearly getting the fast pin. The Lion senior reset himself and turned Marsden for four near fall points and a 6-0 lead. McIntosh continued to control the action from the top position until Marsden escaped. McIntosh, however, was undaunted, taking the Cowboy down and then quickly locking up a cradle and getting a pin at the 2:59 mark. 285: With red-shirt freshman Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.), ranked No. 16 at 285, sent to the U.S. Collegiate Championships at Air Force to get multiple matches under his belt, true freshman Jan Johnson (Mohnton, Pa.) stepped up at 285 and met No. 5 Austin Marsden. Marsden opened up an early 2-0 lead with a takedown on the edge of the mat. The fifth-ranked Cowboy then controlled the action from the top position, building up 1:30 in time before Johnson escaped to a 2-1 score. The Lion freshman worked in for a shot but Marsden quickly countered and took Johnson down to lead 4-1. He added a four-point near fall to carry an 8-1 lead with 2:20 in riding time into the second period. Marsden chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 9-1 lead. Johnson connected on a low single at the 1:34 mark and nearly took Marsden to the mat but the Cowboy senior was able to work his way out of trouble, notching a counter takedown to lead 11-1. Johnson rolled through a scramble on the edge of the mat to notch a reversal at the :12 mark, cutting Marsden's lead to 11-3. Marsden was able to escape and carried a 12-3 lead into the third period. Johnson chose neutral to start the third period and thrilled the standing room only crowd with a takedown on the edge of the mat to cut Marsden's lead to 12-5. He cut Marsden loose to a 13-5 score and continued looking for another takedown. Johnson shot low once more and Marsden was able to counter the move for a takedown and a 15-5 lead. Johnson escaped to a 15-6 score and Marsden finished with one more takedown to win 18-6 with 3:20 in riding time.

Corvallis, Ore. -- Seth Thomas (pictured, with his parents) celebrated his Senior Day with a pin and the Oregon State wrestling team retained the Border War Axe trophy with a 36-9 victory over Boise State on Sunday. The 24th-ranked Beavers (11-6) got pins from Thomas, redshirt sophomore Amarveer Dhesi (hwt) and redshirt freshman Corey Griego (184) in defeating the Broncos (3-9) for the fourth consecutive time, delighting a Gill Coliseum crowd of 1,013. Redshirt sophomore Cody Crawford (197) added a technical fall and redshirt junior Joey Palmer (133) won by major decision as OSU compiled 12 bonus points in the convincing win. OSU is 6-1 in its last seven duals, with the only blemish a loss by criteria at CSU-Bakersfield when it did not field its regular starting lineup. The Beavers honored Thomas, their lone senior, in a ceremony before the dual. He improved to 18-8, and made it a day to remember, by pinning Taylor West in 4:13. His seventh fall of the winter gave OSU an insurmountable 25-3 advantage. "My whole family was here, that was pretty cool," said Thomas, cheered on by his parents, his brother, and numerous other supporters all sporting orange "Team Thomas" tee-shirts created by a family friend. "There were a lot of people here to support me who I didn't know were going to show up, that was pretty awesome. "Getting the pin? It was just another match but obviously it was a pretty cool way to go out and to finish what I started here," in the final home dual of his career and OSU's last dual of the regular season. It was the 50th edition of the interstate rivalry, which dates back to 1975. The Beavers (11-6, 3-2 Pac-12) upped their series lead to 32-17-1. The match started at heavyweight and Dhesi got the Beavers rolling with a pin in 1:16. Sophomore Ronnie Bresser (125), Palmer (133) and redshirt sophomore Jack Hathaway (141) followed with wins for 10 more combined points and a 16-0 advantage. Redshirt sophomore Abraham Rodriguez (157) stretched his winning streak to six straight with a 5-3 decision of Chris Castillo. Bonus-point victories by Thomas, Griego and Crawford closed out the afternoon. "We wrestled well," OSU coach Jim Zalesky said. "There were a few matches we were a little sluggish but we found a way to win. We got some pins, and bonus points are always good going into the Pac-12 meet." OSU completed season-ending, three-dual homestand by going 3-0 and outscoring then-No. 7 Oklahoma (22-12), Air Force (36-0) and Boise State (36-9) by a combined 94-21. "We have been wrestling well and we looked pretty good today," Zalesky added. "There are some things to work on but we just have to keep wrestling the same way we've been doing." The Beavers now head to Arizona State for Saturday's Pacific-12 Conference championships. OSU is the four-time defending champion; tickets for the event are available at the ASU website, thesundevils.com. For more information on the Oregon State wrestling team, follow the club's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/OSU_Wrestling or by Facebook at Facebook.com/OregonStateWrestling. Results: HWT.: Amarveer Dhesi (OSU) pinned Gabriel Gonzalez (BSU), 1:16 125: Ronnie Bresser (OSU) dec. Rami Haddadin (BSU), 5-4 133: Joey Palmer (OSU) maj. dec. Carson Kuhn (BSU), 15-5 141: Jack Hathaway (OSU) dec. Josh Newberg (BSU), 6-2 149: Geordan Martinez (BSU) dec. Joey Delgado (OSU), 7-3 157: Abraham Rodriguez (OSU) dec. Chris Castillo (BSU), 5-3 165: Seth Thomas (OSU) pinned Taylor West (BSU), 4:13 174: Austin Dewey (BSU) pinned Tyler Chay (OSU), 5:00 184: Corey Griego (OSU) pinned Zach Coffman (BSU), 5:29 197: Cody Crawford (OSU) tech. fall Harley DiLulo (BSU), 18-3

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- No. 14 North Carolina closed out its regular season schedule in emphatic fashion Sunday, winning eight of 10 bouts in a 33-12 victory over The Citadel at McAlister Field House. John Michael Staudenmayer and Ethan Ramos both won second-period pins to lead the Tar Heels, who will next be in action at the 2016 ACC Championships on March 6. More to come ... Results: 125: Patrick Kearney (Citadel) pinned Anthony Bosco (UNC), 3:37 - The Citadel leads 6-0 133: James Szymanski (UNC) maj. dec. Caleb Smith (Citadel), 15-4 - The Citadel leads 6-4 141: #9 Joey Ward (UNC) dec. Ty Buckiso (Citadel), 2-1 - UNC leads 7-6 149: #5 Evan Henderson (UNC) dec. Matt Frisch (Citadel), 7-3 - UNC leads 10-6 157: Aaron Walker (Citadel) pinned Robert Henderson (UNC), 4:32 - The Citadel leads 12-10 165: #11 John Staudenmayer (UNC) pinned Daniel Smith (Citadel), 3:58 - UNC leads 16-12 174: #2 Ethan Ramos (UNC) pinned Timothy Knipl (Citadel), 3:26 - UNC leads 22-12 184: #19 Alex Utley (UNC) maj. dec. Sawyer Root (Citadel), 15-7 - UNC leads 26-12 197: Chip Ness (UNC) maj. dec. Marshall Haas (Citadel), 10-2 - UNC leads 30-12 285: Cory Daniel (UNC) dec. Joe Bexley (Citadel), 3-1 (SV-1) - UNC wins 33-12

NORFOLK Va. -- The Central Michigan wrestling team finished the 2015-16 regular season on a high note Sunday, defeating Mid-American Conference rival Old Dominion, 21-15, in the final dual meet of the season. "I thought we responded well in a real tough environment," CMU coach Tom Borrelli said. "They wrestle in a real small arena and their fans are real close to the mat and I thought we handled the noise and the pressure well." CMU, which is ranked 19th, finishes the season 11-5 overall and 6-2 mark the MAC, placing third behind No. 6 Missouri and No. 17 Kent State in the final regular season standings. Old Dominion finishes 6-13, 1-7. The meet began at the 184-pound weight class where CMU's Jordan Ellingwood dropped a close 4-3 decision to No. 11-ranked Jack Dechow. The Chippewas took a 6-3 lead over the Monarchs with wins from Austin Severn and Jackson Lewis at 197 and heavyweight, respectively. Both Severn and Lewis bumped up from their normal weight classes in the win. Severn began the season as CMU's starting 184-pounder and Lewis has wrestled exclusively at 197 this season. "They shuffled their lineup a little bit like we were expecting them to so we did our best to try to match that," Borrelli said. "They really wanted their 197-pounder to wrestle Newt (Newton Smerchek), so by bumping Jackson up and putting Severn in there we were able to avoid that matchup." Sophomore Colin Heffernan also saw action above his normal weight class, spelling Jordan Atienza at 165. Heffernan, a sophomore who has wrestled exclusively at 149 in his career, dropped a 5-3 decision to Seldon Wright. "It was just one of those days for us where we saw an opportunity to give Atienza some rest, but also see what (Heffernan) could do for us," Borrelli said. CMU forfeited six points at 125 pounds where sophomore Brent Fleetwood was held out of the lineup for the fifth time in the last six duals with injury. Heffernan wrestled in Thursday's victory over Wisconsin. "After we went back and watched the way he wrestled in Thursday's match with Wisconsin we didn't feel he was quite ready," Borrelli said. "We want to make sure he's healthy enough to compete in the MAC (Championships in two weeks) and we didn't want to risk anything." Junior Corey Keener gave the Chippewas their only bonus points of the afternoon with a first-period pin of Josh Markham at 133. At 141, CMU's No. 14-ranked Zach Horan fell, 3-1, in overtime to longstanding rival and Chris Mecate, who is ranked 16th. Horan and Mecate have wrestled five times throughout their collegiate careers. Mecate has won three times, Horan has won twice including a 5-3 overtime win in the title match last year at the MAC Championships. Freshman standout Justin Oliver, ranked No. 9 according to intermatwrestle.com, continued his torrid pace claiming a 5-4 decision over Alex Richardson. It was the 13th consecutive win for Oliver, who is unranked by Amateur Wrestling News but ninth by intermatwrestle.com. Richardson, a junior, is ranked sixth by AWN. "(Oliver) just continues to get better and does all the things we ask of him," Borrelli said. "He works hard in practice every day and has real good practice partners and he's wrestling with a lot of confidence right now." Seniors Luke Smith (157) and Mike Ottinger (174) also picked up decisions. The Chippewas will get a week off before competing in the MAC Championships March 5-6 at Eastern Michigan. The NCAA Championships are slated for March 17-19 at Madison Square Garden in New York. "I'm pretty excited for the next few weeks," Borrelli said. "We want to finish the season strong and make sure we are putting the right guys in best situations to do well in the MAC tournament and the (NCAA Championships)." Results: 125: Brandon Jeske (ODU) won by forfeit 133: Corey Keener (CMU) pin Josh Markham (ODU), 0:58 141: Chris Mecate (ODU) dec. Zach Horan (CMU), 3-1 OT 149: Justin Oliver (CMU) dec. Alexander Richardson (ODU), 5-4 157: Luke Smith (CMU) dec. Devin Geoghegan (ODU), 3-0 165: Seldon Wright (ODU) dec. Colin Heffernan (CMU), 5-3 174: Mike Ottinger (CMU) dec. Jared Swan (ODU), 5-4 184: Jack Dechow (ODU) dec. Jordan Ellingwood (CMU), 4-3 197: Austin Severn (CMU) dec. Kaleab Fetahi (ODU), 8-2 285: Jackson Lewis (CMU) dec. Austin Coburn (ODU), 5-3

FARGO, N.D. --The 22nd-ranked South Dakota State University wrestling team closed out the dual season Sunday afternoon with a 23-14 victory over North Dakota State in Big 12 Conference action at Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse. In sweeping the season series from the Bison, the Jackrabbits, who won 13 of their final 14 duals, improved to 14-6 overall and 6-2 against Big 12 opponents. NDSU dropped to 4-6 overall, 2-2 in the Big 12. Sunday's dual followed much the same script as the two teams' December meeting at Frost Arena. After NDSU's 17th-ranked Joshua Rodriguez opened the dual with a pin of Ben Gillette at 125 pounds, the Jackrabbits reeled off wins in the next six weight classes. Brance Simms began the streak with an 8-0 major decision over Nico Colunga at 133 pounds. The next four Jackrabbit victories were all by decision as Seth Gross, Alex Kocer, fifth-ranked Cody Pack and Luke Zilverberg extended the SDSU lead to 17-6. All four SDSU wrestlers have now won 20 or matches this season, with Zilverberg reaching the 20-win mark on Sunday. Pack improved to 25-2 overall. David Kocer recorded the sixth and final win of the streak with a 10-2 major decision of Tyler McNutt at 174 pounds. It was Kocer's team-leading 26th win of the season. Fourth-ranked Hayden Zillmer of NDSU ended the Jackrabbit string with a 21-5 technical fall victory over Brady Ayers in the 184-pound division and Bison heavyweight Ben Tynan notched a 5-3 sudden-victory decision over Alex Macki. Fifteenth-ranked Nate Rotert sealed the Jackrabbit victory with a 10-4 decision over Charley Popp in the 197-pound weight class. A sophomore from Spearfish, Rotert improved to 24-8 on the season. The Jackrabbits return to action at the Big 12 Conference Championship March 5-6 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Results: 125: #17 Joshua Rodriguez (NDSU) def. Ben Gillette (SDSU), by fall 6:31 133: Brance Simms (SDSU) major dec. Nico Colunga (NDSU), 8-0 141: Seth Gross (SDSU) dec. Mitch Bengston (NDSU), 5-3 149: Alex Kocer (SDSU) dec. Clay Ream (NDSU), 9-6 157: #5 Cody Pack (SDSU) dec. Kyle Gilva (NDSU), 8-2 165: Luke Zilverberg (SDSU) dec. Grant Nehring (NDSU), 14-7 174: David Kocer (SDSU) major dec. Tyler McNutt (NDSU), 10-2 184: #4 Hayden Zillmer (NDSU) tech. fall Brady Ayers (SDSU), 21-5 (6:24) 197: #15 Nate Rotert (SDSU) dec. Charley Popp (NDSU), 10-4 285: Ben Tynan (NDSU) dec. Alex Macki (SDSU), 5-3 [SV-1]

Ann Arbor, Mich. -- The Virginia Tech wrestling team closed out its dual meet season dismantling eighth-ranked Michigan, 24-11, as part of the 2016 National Duals Championship Series. The dual started with a dramatic double overtime win at the 125-weight class. No. 3 Joey Dance came out on top with an 11-9 decision over No. 20 Conor Youtsey after his second round sudden victory takedown. Decisions from Solomon Chishko, Nick Brascetta, Jared Haught, and Ty Walz kept the momentum going throughout the dual. David McFadden and Zach Epperly both came up big with back-to-back bonus points for the Hokies. An 11-3 major decision at 165 and a 20-5 technical fall at 174 put nine team points up on the board for the Hokies moving into the final bouts of the day. No. 7 Jared Haught locked in the dual for the Hokies yet again after an exciting 5-1 decision over No. 6. Tied at one throughout the entire matchup, Haught got a late takedown followed by two near fall points to take a 5-1 lead in the last ten seconds of the match. No. 3 Ty Walz and No. 4 Adam Coon met for the third time in two seasons, with Walz picking up a 3-2 decision to end the dual. The Hokies will return to action on Sunday, March 3, when the team heads to Charlottesville for the 2016 ACC Championships. Tickets are available for sale here and fans can watch all the action live on ESPN3. Dresser sounds off "We came out flat today until Nick Brascetta hit the mat at 157. He ignited the team and we rolled from there! I'm so proud of this staff and this team. We have been on the road for the past four weekends in front of a lot of crowds cheering against us and we ran the table. I love this team and their fight! We are excited for the postseason!" Hokie highlights · The Hokies finish the regular season with five consecutive undefeated weekends dating back to mid January · Tech closes the season on a nine-dual win streak, with five victories over ranked opponents: then-No. 15 UNC, then-No. 18 UVA, then-No. 17 Pitt, then-No. 3 NC State and No. 7 Michigan · No. 3 Joey Dance avenged a 2015 season-ending loss to No. 20 Conor Youtsey today with a dramatic 11-9 sudden victory overtime decision · No. 3 Ty Walz moves to 3-0 against No. 4 Adam Coon with today's decision, his second this season after opening the year with a 9-3 win at the NWCA All-Star Classic Results: 125: No. 3 Joey Dance dec. No. 20 Conor Youtsey, 11-9 (SVOT) 133: No. 18 Rossi Bruno dec, Dennis Gustafson, 5-1 141: No. 8 Solomon Chishko dec. George Fisher, 6-5 149: No. 6 Alec Pantaleo tech. fall Sal Mastriani , 19-4 157: No. 5 Nick Brascetta dec. No. 13 Brian Murphy, 4-3 165: No. 14 David McFadden maj. dec. Jordan Amine 11-3 174: No. 3 Zach Epperly tech. fall Aaron Calderon, 20-5 184: No. 2 Domenic Abounader dec. No. 7 Zack Zavatsky, 5-3 (TB1) 197: No. 7 Jared Haught dec. No. 6 Max Huntley 5-1 HWT: No. 3 Ty Walz dec. No. 4 Adam Coon, 3-2

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- Cleveland State used three major decisions and a pair of tech falls to claim a 35-6 victory at Bloomsburg in the regular season finale on Sunday afternoon. The win moves the Vikings to 8-8 overall and 4-2 in the EWL. John Martin received a forfeit at 125 pounds to open the dual and give the Vikings a 6-0 lead. After a 7-4 win at 133 pounds by Bloomsburg, Jayce Carr posted a 12-2 major decision at 141 pounds. Leading 5-1 after two periods, Carr scored a takedown and posted a four-point near fall to push the advantage to 11-1. Nick Montgomery followed with a 14-2 major decision at 149 pounds, scoring with a takedown just 20 seconds into the contest. He continued using that momentum, tallying a two-point near fall at the end of the first period to extend the lead to 5-0 en route to the major decision. Bloomsburg followed with a tight 7-6 win at 157 pounds, but it was all CSU from there as the Vikings won the final five matches of the day. Nathan Wykoop started the run with an 8-1 decision at 165 pounds and Gabe Stark followed with an 8-0 victory at 174 pounds. Xavier Dye followed with a 15-0 tech fall at the 4:23 mark for a win at 184 pounds and Sam Wheeler picked up a 22-7 tech fall in 6:17 at 197 pounds. Riley Shaw, ranked 15th in the nation at heavyweight, finished the dual with a 19-6 major decision. The Vikings will now be out of action until March 5 when CSU competes at the EWL Championships in Lock Haven, Pa. Results: 125: John Martin (Cleveland State) won by forfeit 133: Andy Schutz (Exeter, Pa./Wyoming Area) (Bloomsburg) over Alfredo Gray (Cleveland State), Dec 7-4 141: Jayce Carr (Cleveland State) over Sam Holandez (Carson, Ca./Carson) (Bloomsburg), MD 12-2 149: Nick Montgomery (Cleveland State) over Ryan Snow (Dexter, NY/General Brown) (Bloomsburg), MD 14-2 157: Brendon Colbert (Hagerstown, Md./North Hagerstown) (Bloomsburg) over Chas Busz (Cleveland State, Dec 7-6 165: Nathan Wynkoop (Cleveland State) over Mathew Carr (Dalton, Pa./Abington Heights) (Bloomsburg), Dec 8-1 174: Gabe Stark (Cleveland State) over Casey Glunt (Mercersburg, Pa./James Buchanan) (Bloomsburg), MD 8-0 184: Xavier Dye (Cleveland State) over Kyle Wojtaszek (Brick, NJ/Brick Township) (Bloomsburg), TF 15-0 4:23 197: Sam Wheeler (Cleveland State) over Dominic Carfagno (West Paterson, NJ/St. Joseph Regional) (Bloomsburg), TF 22-7 6:17 285: Riley Shaw (Cleveland State) over Saul Wilkins (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./GAR) (Bloomsburg), MD 19-6