InterMat Staff

NEW YORK -- It was a big day for three Big Ten wrestling programs as No. 4 ranked Nebraska, No. 11 Illinois, and No. 16 Rutgers each went two-for-two at the 2015 Grapple at the Garden dual-meet tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York City Sunday. The Nebraska Cornhuskers defeated eighth-ranked Cornell University, 21-14, in their first dual meet of the day ... then earned a 21-12 win over Princeton in the second. The Fighting Illini toppled Maryland, 34-9, then later defeated Drexel, 31-9. Rutgers was especially impressive, starting their day at "the world's most famous arena" with a 47-0 shutout of George Mason University ... then followed that with a 21-13 upset over Cornell. Matt Cimato was named Outstanding WrestlerMatt Cimato, Drexel's 149-pound starter, earned the event's Outstanding Wrestler award. The Dragons' redshirt junior, ranked No. 16 by InterMat, toppled top-ranked Jason Tsirtsis of Northwestern, 2014 NCAA champ, 7-1, in their bout at Grapple at the Garden. Now in its fourth year, Grapple at the Garden has become an early-season staple on a number of college wrestling programs' schedules since the inaugural event in Dec. 2012 (which was the first amateur wrestling event in the more than 100-year history of the venue). The 2015 edition welcomed 22 colleges and universities representing all levels of competition, including NCAA Division I, II and III programs as well as a trio of school-affiliated wrestling clubs to Madison Square Garden. This year's Grapple at the Garden will be something of a test for participating teams and wrestlers, along with Madison Square Garden itself, which will be hosting the 2016 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships next March ... the first time the storied midtown Manhattan arena will host the tournament in the 85-year history of the NCAAs. Results: No. 4 Nebraska 21, No. 8 Cornell 14 No. 16 Rutgers 47, George Mason 0 No. 12 Illinois 34, Maryland 9 Drexel 21, No. 20 Northwestern 20 Princeton 33, Hofstra 9 Franklin & Marshall 34, Oswego State 12 Wilkes 30, LIU Post 6 Stevens 35, NYU 12 No. 16 Rutgers 21, No. 8 Cornell 13 No. 4 Nebraska 21, Princeton 12 No. 20 Northwestern 30, Franklin & Marshall 18 No. 12 Illinois 31, Drexel 9 Maryland 24, Hofstra 12 Pitt-Johnstown 21, George Mason 19

Dan Gable once said, "Once you've wrestled, everything else is easy." Josh Kettel might have a variation of that maxim: "Once you've been a Navy SEAL, being a college wrestler is easier." Not to say that wrestling isn't tough. You won't get any argument from Kettel, a sophomore wrestler at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. After all, he's one of the oldest wrestlers on the Cornhusker squad, coming up fast on his 28th birthday ... making him nearly a decade older than many of his teammates. Why? After being a high school wrestler, the Lowell, Mich. native didn't go straight to college ... but, instead, became a member of Navy SEAL Team 4, the elite group of fighters who put their lives on the line to protect America ... anywhere in the world. He served for seven years, including two tours of Afghanistan. Kettel is the subject of a detailed profile in The Daily Nebraskan. Writer Nick Wilkinson takes you inside the grueling training that Kettel and his fellow SEALs undergo. Not just push-ups, chin-ups, swimming and running requirements, but intense tests -- like jumping off a 75-foot pier into a chilly San Diego Bay, over and over. It's beyond being physically or mentally challenging. It's all about weeding out individuals who won't be able to succeed in real-life combat situations. "Kettel said he probably wouldn't have become a Navy SEAL without his wrestling history. The feeling of being on the mat, man versus man, one winner, gave him an addiction to performing to the highest ability and pushing his body to the limit," Wilkinson wrote in his 3,000-word essay titled "Navy SEAL transitions from soldier to civilian as NU wrestler." "Almost a decade later, Kettel said he can see what the SEALs and the Huskers have in common: a commitment to working hard and getting the job done. No wrestling practice could ever compare to the intensity and vulnerability that comes with a Navy workout." That said, Wilkinson continues, "Kettel's involvement with the Nebraska wrestling team has given him an outlet to live his SEAL life in a more mild form. Kettel no longer has to dodge bullets, frags and IEDs, but he still wakes up before sunrise and wears a 'squared away' shave and haircut. Kettel still exercises like his life depends on it because at one point, it did." Kettel, who was a placer in the Michigan state tournament representing Lakewood High School, had been lured back to wrestling by a fellow SEAL who talked of his on-the-mat career. Once Kettel retired from the Navy in 2013, he returned to wrestling at Tompkins Courtland Community College in upstate New York before heading west to Lincoln to wrestle for Husker mat coach Mark Manning. "The Daily Nebraskan" profile of Josh Kettel makes for powerful, compelling reading, especially in these times of uncertainty and global insecurity.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The Fighting Illini began their trio of duals today with two convincing wins over Maryland and Drexel as part of the Grapple at the Garden. The Fighting Illini will be back in action today at 3:30 p.m. CT when they take on No. 25 Princeton at the New York Athletic Club. Against Maryland, true freshman Francis Edelen opened the scoring with his first career victory at Illinois. The Oak Forest native claimed a hard-fought victory over Jhared Simmons, coming back from down 6-4 in the 3rd period to earn the 8-6 decision. Coach Heffernan's top wrestlers again led the way with dominating performances against Maryland. Zane Richards accelerated the Illini's advantage to 9-0 with a pin at 133 pounds (4:20), his second of the season. With the lead at 12-3, No. 1 Isaiah Martinez dominated #16 Louis Mascola with a 24-5 technical fall, before Brunson sealed the victory with his fifth pin in six matches this season. Maryland closed the gap with a pin at 184, but Andre Lee's first tech fall of the season paired with a 6-1 decision by Brooks Black finalized the 34-9 victory. In the second dual at Madison Square Garden, the Orange and Blue fell behind 3-0, but quickly regained control as Zane Richards improved to 7-0 on the season with a 15-6 major decision. The Fighting Illini put some distance between them and the Dragons when Brock Ervin earned a 16-0 tech fall and Martinez pinned Mike Comunale to extend the lead out to 15-6. Steven Rodrigues continued his dominance today with a major decision at 174 pounds, before an injury-default win for Koepke set the Orange and Blue's victory in stone. Andre Lee and Brooks Black tacked on decisions of their own for a final tally of 31-9. The Fighting Illini will return to action later today as they take on No. 25 Princeton at 3:30 p.m. CT. Updates will be provided after the conclusion of the dual. Illinois defeated Maryland 34-9 125 - Francis Edelen (Illinois) over Jhared Simmons (Maryland) Dec 8-6 133 - Zane Richards (Illinois) over Tyler Goodwin (Maryland) Fall 4:20 141 - Brock Ervin (Illinois) over Alfred Bannister (Maryland) Dec 3-2 149 - Wade Hodges (Maryland) over Kyle Langenderfer (Illinois) Dec 3-1 157 - Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) over Louis Mascola (Maryland) TF 24-5 165 - Steven Rodrigues (Illinois) over Brendan Burnham (Maryland) Dec 13-8 174 - Zach Brunson (Illinois) over Josh Snook (Maryland) Fall 3:22 184 - Jaron Smith (Maryland) over Jeffrey Koepke (Illinois) Fall 4:14 197 - Andre Lee (Illinois) over Sean Twigg (Maryland) TF 18-3 285 - Brooks Black (Illinois) over Youssif Hemida (Maryland) Dec 6-1 Illinois defeated Drexel 31-9 125 - Zachary Fuentes (Drexel) over Francis Edelen (Illinois) Dec 6-0 133 - Zane Richards (Illinois) over David Pearce (Drexel) Maj 15-6 141 - Brock Ervin (Illinois) over Anthony Canfora (Drexel) TF 17-0 149 - Matthew Cimato (Drexel) over Kyle Langenderfer (Illinois) Dec 3-2 157 - Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) over Michael Comunale (Drexel) Fall 1:49 165 - Steven Rodrigues (Illinois) over Austin Rose (Drexel) Maj 17-4 174 - Nicholas Elmer (Drexel) over Emory Parker (Illinois) Dec 7-3 184 - Jeffrey Koepke (Illinois) over Stephen Loiseau (Drexel) Inj 4:11 197 - Andre Lee (Illinois) over Nezar Haddad (Drexel) Dec 4-1 285 - Brooks Black (Illinois) over Joseph Goodhart (Drexel) Dec 6-1

NEW YORK -- The No. 5 Nebraska wrestling team (6-0) defeated No. 7 Cornell and Princeton in the Grapple at the Garden (Madison Square Garden) on Sunday. The Huskers opened the day with a 21-14 triumph over Cornell. No. 13 Anthony Abidin (141) and No. 5 Jake Sueflohn (149) provided bonus points in helping NU build an 18-4 lead after six bouts. Abidin earned a technical fall over Mark Grey, while Sueflohn won by major decision against Joey Galasso. No. 12 Tim Lambert (125) got the Huskers started on the right note with a 6-4 decision over 18th-ranked Dalton Macri. No. 4 Austin Wilson (165) also topped a ranked opponent with his 2-0 win over 10th-ranked Duke Pickett. No. 11 Tyler Berger (157) and No. 15 Aaron Studebaker (197) added wins against Cornell. No. 7 TJ Dudley (184) suffered his first loss of the season against top-ranked Gabe Dean, 11-3. No. 15 Micah Barnes (174) and No. 10 Eric Montoya (133) also lost to top-five opponents. Barnes fell to No. 2 Brian Realbuto and Montoya dropped a major decision to No. 4 Nahshon Garrett. In the final bout, No. 13 Collin Jensen (HWT) lost to Jeramy Sweaney, 5-2. Against Princeton, the Huskers won the first two matches and six overall to tame the Tigers, 21-12. Barnes won his third match against a ranked opponent this season in his 7-4 victory over 11th-ranked Jonathan Schleifer at 174 pounds. Wilson (165) won by technical fall and Montoya (133) won by major decision to add bonus points for the Huskers. Lambert (125) and Berger (157) added decisions, while Dudley (184) won by sudden victory-1 against No. 10 Abram Ayala. Abidin (141), Sueflohn (149) and Jensen (HWT) each lost by decision, while Derek White (197) fell in sudden victory-1 against No. 10 Brett Harner. The Huskers open their Big Ten dual campaign in two weeks on the road. NU faces Maryland on Friday, Dec. 11 at 6 p.m. (CT) and Rutgers on Saturday, Dec. 12 at noon. Both duals will be streamed on BTN Plus (subscription required). #5 Nebraska 21, #7 Cornell 14 125: #12 Tim Lambert (NEB) dec. #18 Dalton Macri (CORN), 6-4 (NEB 3, CORN 0) 133: #4 Nahshon Garrett (CORN) major dec. #10 Eric Montoya (NEB), 11-3 (CORN 4, NEB 3) 141: #13 Anthony Abidin (NEB) tech. fall Mark Grey (CORN), 23-5 (NEB 8, CORN 4) 149: #5 Jake Sueflohn (NEB) major dec. Joey Galasso (CORN), 12-4 (NEB 12, CORN 4) 157: #11 Tyler Berger (NEB) dec. Chris Dowdy (CORN), 11-4 (NEB 15, CORN 4) 165: #4 Austin Wilson (NEB) dec. #10 Duke Pickett (CORN), 2-0 (NEB 18, CORN 4) 174: #2 Brian Realbuto (CORN) dec. #15 Micah Barnes (NEB), 9-6 (NEB 18, CORN 7) 184: #1 Gabe Dean (CORN) major dec. #7 TJ Dudley (NEB), 11-3 (NEB 18, CORN 11) 197: #15 Aaron Studebaker (NEB) tiebreaker-1 Jake Taylor (CORN), 3-2 (NEB 21, CORN 11) HWT: Jeramy Sweaney (CORN) dec. #13 Collin Jensen (NEB), 5-2 (NEB 21, CORN 14) #5 Nebraska 21, Princeton 12 125: #12 Tim Lambert (NEB) dec. Pat D'Arcy (PRIN), 3-1 (NEB 3, PRIN 0) 133: #10 Eric Montoya (NEB) major dec. Trey Aslanian (PRIN), 17-5 (NEB 7, PRIN 0) 141: Jordan Laster (PRIN) dec. #13 Anthony Abidin (NEB), 2-1 (NEB 7, PRIN 3) 149: Chris Perez (PRIN) dec. #5 Jake Sueflohn (NEB), 12-10 (NEB 7, PRIN 6) 157: #11 Tyler Berger (NEB) dec. Francesco Fabozzi (PRIN), 10-3 (NEB 10, PRIN 6) 165: #4 Austin Wilson (NEB) tech. fall Judd Ziegler (PRIN), 16-1 (NEB 15, PRIN 6) 174: #15 Micah Barnes (NEB) dec. #11 Jonathan Schleifer (PRIN), 7-4 (NEB 18, PRIN 6) 184: #7 TJ Dudley (NEB) sudden victory-1 #10 Abram Ayala (PRIN), 7-5 (NEB 21, PRIN 6) 197: #10 Brett Harner (PRIN) sudden victory-1 Derek White (NEB), 3-1 (NEB 21, PRIN 9) HWT: Ray O”Donnell (PRIN) dec. #13 Collin Jensen (NEB), 5-4 (NEB 21, PRIN 12)

BAKU -- Reigning World champions Helen Maroulis (USA) and Natalya Vorobieva (RUS) ruled over the women's events Saturday, claiming titles at 53 kilos and 69 kilos at the Golden Grand Prix Final in the Azerbaijan capital of Baku. Helen Maroulis of the United States claimed the gold medal at 53 kilos (Photo/Martin Gabor)Maroulis, winner of the 55-kilo title at the World Championships in September, dropped to 53 kilos where she edged world silver medalist Sofia Mattsson (SWE), 2-1, for one title, while Vorobieva turned away 2012 world champ Jenny Fransson (SWE), 4-1, for the 69-kilo crown. For Maroulis, the win over Mattsson was significant since she won at a non-Olympic weight category and still needs to qualify the United States for a berth at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games early next year at 53 kilos. After the dust settled at Baku Sports Hall on Saturday, the United States, Russia and China each claimed a pair of champions, while wrestlers from Hungary and Estonia claimed the other two. Former World champion Elena Pirozhkova (USA) won, 4-3, at 63 kilos over world bronze medalist Taybe Yusein (BUL), while Yarygin Grand Prix winner Valentina Islamova (RUS) made up for a fifth place finish in Las Vegas with a 2-1 win over world bronze medalist Jessica BLASZKA (NED). Rio 2016 qualifier at 48 kilos Li Hui (CHN) won at 55 kilos, and Asia champion Luo Xiaojuan (CHN) prevailed at 60 kilos. Meanwhile, former world bronze medalist Emese Barka (HUN) spotted Tynybekova six points in the first period and roared back for a 12-10 triumph at 58 kilos sparked with a four-point counter to leg attack in the second period. World bronze medalist Epp Mae (EST) also had to battle from behind in the 75-kilo final for a 4-4 win on criteria after world runner-up Zhou Qian (CHN) bear-hugged to her back early in the day's finale. Meanwhile, in the bronze medal matches, Japan's young rebounded from a frustrating morning session to win four. The Japanese charge in the evening was sparked by junior World champion Miho IGARASHI, who led off with a technical at 48 kilos. Asian Games gold medalist at 63 kilos Rio Watari (JPN), with her own designs on Rio 2016 at 75kg, won a bronze medal at 69 kilos after a hard-fought 10-8 loss to Vorobieva in the semifinals. World bronze medal winner Odunayo Adekuoroye (NGR) serenaded fans before and after her 10-0 thumping of European Games champion Angela Dorogan (AZE) at 53 kilos. In a meeting of former World champions, 2014 winner Aline Focken (GER) edged 2013 champ Alina Makhynia (UKR), 4-3, at 69 kilos -- a category in which four of the 12 entries had won world titles. Action at the GGP Final concludes Sunday with wrestling in Greco-Roman. Results of Saturday evening's gold and bronze medal finals: 48 kilos: Gold: Valentina ISLAMOVA (RUS) df. Jessica BLASZKA (NED), 2-1 Bronze: Iwona MATKOWSKA (POL) df. Onmariel VILIBETH (VEN) by Fall, 5:32 Bronze: Miho IGARASHI (JPN) df. Shafag MURADZADE (AZE) by TF, 12-0, 2:59 53 kilos: Gold: Helen MAROULIS (USA) df. Sofia MATTSSON (SWE), 2-1 Bronze: Odunayo ADEKUOROYE (NGR) df. Angela DOROGAN (AZE) by TF, 10-0, 3:26 Bronze: ZHONG Xuechun (CHN) df. PAK Yong-Mi (PRK), 4-2 55 kilos: Gold: LI Hui (CHN) df. Natalya SINISHIN (AZE), 6-1 Bronze: JONG In-Sun (PRK) df. Rim AYARI (TUN) by TF, 11-0, 4:23 Bronze: Hikari SUGAWARA (JPN) df. Alyona KOLESNIK (AZE), 2-1 58 kilos: Gold: Emese BARKA (HUN) df. Aisuluu TYNYBEKOVA (KGZ), 12-10 Bronze: Aiym ABDILDINA (KAZ) df. Derya BAYHAN (TUR) by TF, 12-0, 1:44 Bronze: Johanna MATTSSON (SWE) df. Tatyana LAVRENCHUK (UKR), 4-2 60 kilos: Gold: LUO Xiaojuan (CHN) df. Allison RAGAN (USA), 6-0 Bronze: Marianna SASTIN (HUN) df. Jennifer PAGE (USA), 5-1 Bronze: Yukako KAWAI df. Dzhanan MANOLOVA (BUL) by TF, 12-2, 5:36 63 kilos: Gold: Elena PIROZHKOVA (USA) df. Taybe YUSEIN (BUL), 4-3 Bronze: Anastasija GRIGORJEVA (LAT) df. Elmira GAMBAROVA (AZE), 6-3 Bronze: Valeria LAZINSKAYA (RUS) df. Erin CLODGO (USA), 6-2 69 kilos: Gold: Natalya VOROBIEVA (RUS) df. Jenny FRANSSON (SWE), 4-1 Bronze: Aline FOCKEN (GER) df. Alina MAKHYNIA (UKR), 4-3 Bronze: Rio WATARI (JPN) df. Elmira SYZDYKOVA (KAZ) by TF, 12-2, 2:55 75 kilos: Gold: Epp MAE (EST) df. ZHOU Qian (CHN), 4-4 Bronze: Ekaterina BUKINA (RUS) df. Sabira ALIYEVA (AZE) by TF, 11-0, 5:06 Bronze: Maider UNDA (ESP) df. Guzel MANYUROVA (KAZ) by Fall, 5:53

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CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Two falls from redshirt senior 174-pounder Blaise Butler (Belvidere, Ill.) and redshirt sophomore 184-pounder Willie Miklus (Altoona, Iowa) gave Mizzou Wrestling the lead it needed to defeat Northern Iowa on Saturday by a score of 24-19. Heading into the 174-pound match, the Tigers trailed the Panthers 14-9, but the two pins gave Mizzou a 21-14 lead, one it would not relinquish again. The win marked the 30th consecutive dual victory for the Tigers. Redshirt junior133-pounder Zach Synon (Cary, Ill.) picked up the first win of the night for Mizzou, besting Josh Alber by a score a 2-1. The match was 1-1 as time expired, but Synon was awarded a second point from riding time. The 2-1 decision tied the match score at 3-3. The win started a run for Mizzou, who took the next two matches by way of decision. First, redshirt junior 141-pounder Matt Manley (Perry, Okla.), defeated Trevor Jauch, 4-3. Then, redshirt junior 149-pounder Lavion Mayes (Mascoutah, Ill.) beat Gunnar Wolfensperger by a score of 9-3 to give Mizzou a 9-3 lead in the dual. After Northern Iowa tied the score, 9-9, with a fall in the 157-pound matchup and grabbed the lead with a technical fall in the 165-pound matchup, 14-9, Butler regained the lead for the Tigers with his pin in the third period (6:37) over Kyle Lux. In his first match as a Tiger after transferring from Virginia, Butler came away with a massive debut win for #Tigerstyle. Butler led 14-4 in the third period when he put both of Lux's shoulders on the mat for six points. Miklus followed up the Butler pin with one of his own, pinning Cody Caldwell in the first period (1:22). Wrestling in front of family and friends, Miklus looked up into the stands following the win to acknowledge those who made the short drive to support him. Junior 197-pounder J'den Cox (Columbia, Mo.) picked up the final win of the night for #Tigerstyle when he beat Jared Bartel by way of decision, 8-3. The win gave Mizzou three points and clinched the victory. Mizzou will next send wrestlers to Las Vegas, Nev. to compete in the Las Vegas Invitational Dec. 4. The next dual competition for #Tigerstyle will be the home-opener contest against Ohio State on Friday, Dec. 12. For all the latest on Mizzou Wrestling, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (MizzouWrestling). Results: 125: Dylan Peters [UNI] def. Barlow McGhee [MIZ] by 7-5 decision 133: Zach Synon [MIZ] def. Josh Alber [UNI] by 2-1 decision 141: Matt Manley [MIZ] def. Trevor Jauch [UNI] by 4-3 decision 149: Lavion Mayes [MIZ] def. Gunnar Wolfensperger [UNI] by 9-3 decision 157: Bryce Steiert [UNI] def. Luke Fortuna [MIZ] by fall (3:32) 165: Cooper Moore [UNI] def. Nick DeLoach [MIZ] by 15-0 technical fall 174: Blaise Butler [MIZ] def. Kyle Lux [UNI] by fall (6:37) 184: Willie Miklus [MIZ] def. Cody Caldwell [UNI] by fall (1:22) 197: J'den Cox [MIZ] def. Jared Bartel [UNI] by 8-3 decision HWT: Blaize Cabell [UNI] def. James Romero [MIZ] by 25-10 technical fall 197: J'den Cox [MIZ] def. Jared Bartel [UNI] by 8-3 decision HWT: Blaize Cabell [UNI] def. James Romero [MIZ] by 25-10 technical fall

OREM, Utah -- Despite trailing Boise State 12-8 after six matches, the Utah Valley University wrestling team managed to win the final four bouts of the dual to defeat the Pac-12 Broncos by a score of 22-12 in UVU's 2015-16 home opener on Saturday in front of 1,789 fans. Senior Ross Taylor started the late rally for the Wolverines (3-3, 0-0 Big 12) with a 3-2 decision at 174 pounds. Redshirt freshman Will Sumner then followed with a 6-2 victory at 184, while nineteenth-ranked Derek Thomas (197) picked up a 16-0 technical fall and redshirt sophomore Dustin Dennison (heavyweight) capped the contest with an 8-4 decision. "I was pleased with the outcome today. I liked what I saw and felt like our guys came out fighting in every match," head coach Greg Williams said. "There are a couple of little things that some of the guys need to work on to win their individual matches, however, and that will continue to help the team outcome." The eighth-ranked senior Chasen Tolbert (6-0) got the Wolverines off to a strong start with a 14-0 major decision victory over Rami Haddadin (6-2) in the opening match of the contest at 125 pounds. Tolbert controlled the bout from start to finish, including an eight-point opening period and 3:33 of riding time at the end of the contest, en route to the victory. Fellow senior Jade Rauser (3-2), who is just outside the InterMat rankings and currently rated 16th at 133 pounds by FloWrestling, then followed Tolbert's major decision with a major decision of his own by defeating Boise State's Josh Newberg (7-6) by a score of 14-1. Up 7-1 entering the final stanza, the Utah Valley three-time NCAA qualifier made his move with a takedown, a four-point nearfall and an additional riding time point to take the bout by major decision. Boise State (2-2, 1-0 Pac-12) then bounced back with four straight wins in four tightly contested matches to take a 12-8 lead of its own in the contest. During the BSU winning streak, Wolverine sophomore Matthew Ontiveros nearly managed to upset No. 18 Geo Martinez in the 149-pound contest but the nationally ranked Martinez managed to escape with a 6-5 victory thanks to a last-second escape. Utah Valley's Taylor (4-2) then put an end to the streak with his hard fought 3-2 decision victory at 174 pounds. With the match all knotted up at 2-2 entering the final frame, Taylor managed to ride out Boise State's Austin Dewey (7-6) to pickup an additional riding time point and seal the bout. Sumner (2-4) then followed Taylor's win with 6-2 decision of his own to give the Wolverines a 14-12 advantage in the team score. The newly nationally ranked Thomas (6-0) then managed to remain undefeated on the season with a decisive 16-0 tech fall over BSU's Zack Coffman. Thomas recorded a pair of four-point nearfalls as well as a two-point nearfall on his way to the five-minute and four-second (5:04) technical fall victory. With the dual all sealed up thanks to a 19-12 advantage heading into the heavyweight contest, Dennison (3-3) didn't let down in the final match for the Wolverines as he recorded three takedowns en route to his 8-4 win. "All three captains (Chasen Tolbert, Jade Rauser and Derek Thomas) came out and did what they needed to do to just dominate their matches," Williams added. "I seriously was pleased with the effort from every single one of our guys today. I feel like they believe in themselves and the work that they are doing in the room is paying off." In all, UVU won six of the 10 matches on the evening including three by bonus points to pickup its fourth all-time win over the Broncos. The contest not only marked UVU's first home match as a member of the Big 12 Conference but also its first while receiving votes for the top-25 poll, as it is currently picked up two votes for this week's USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll for the first time in program history. The Wolverines will now step out of dual action for the first time of the season to compete at a pair of tournaments in the month of December. UVU will first head to Las Vegas for the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational next weekend (Dec. 4-5) before closing the month at the Reno Tournament of Champions on Dec 20. Results: 125: #8 Chasen Tolbert (UVU) over Rami Haddadin (BSU), MD 14-0 133: Jade Rauser (UVU) over Josh Newburg (BSU), MD 14-1 141: Jake Velarde (BSU) over Jarod Maynes (UVU), Dec. 3-2 149: #18 Geo Martinez (BSU) over Matthew Ontiveros (UVU), Dec. 6-5 157: Chris Castillo (BSU) over Raider Lofthouse (UVU), Dec 7-5 165: Taylor West (BSU) over Kieffer Taylor (UVU), Dec. 6-4 174: Ross Taylor (UVU) over Austin Dewey (BSU), Dec. 3-2 184: Will Sumner (UVU) over Keavon Buckley (BSU), Dec. 6-2 197: #19 Derek Thomas (UVU) over Zack Coffman (BSU), TF 16-0 (5:04) 285: Dustin Dennison (UVU) over Harley DiLulo (BSU), Dec. 8-4

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern redshirt freshman Johnny Sebastian will miss the 2015-16 season after having surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. "We are extremely disappointed for Johnny," head coach Matt Storniolo said. "This was going to be a big year for him. He did everything right in getting ready for a breakout freshman season, and we have no doubt he will bounce back to be even better next year.” Sebastian was a projected starter at 165 lbs. this season for Northwestern after a redshirt season in which he went 23-3. He was ranked 16th to begin the year. "This was the right decision, but it is frustrating because I had a great preseason and was clicking on all cylinders," Sebastian said. "I will keep a positive mindset throughout the recovery process and continue to work toward my goal of winning a national championship.” Northwestern opens the 2015-16 dual season in New York City on Sunday with the fourth annual Grapple at the Garden. The Wildcats will wrestle Drexel and Franklin & Marshall at Madison Square Garden.

On New Year's Eve, many of us make resolutions to make the new year the best yet. Sadly, Charley Weber didn't have that opportunity. On New Year's Eve 2012, the North Dakota high school freshman fell off a friend's snowmobile. He suffered a serious brain injury which forced him to relearn basic tasks such as walking and talking. At the time, Weber -- who had participated in four sports, including wrestling -- was told by doctors he would never play sports again. Not what an active student-athlete wanted to hear. However, when Weber learned his high school -- West Fargo Sheyenne -- was launching a wrestling program, the senior went to work on his doctors to see if they'd let him return to the mat. "I wasn't going to (wrestle), but when I heard we we're gonna open a Sheyenne program, I'm like, 'All right, I'm going to ask the doctors,'" Weber told InForum.com, the Fargo (N.D.) news website. Weber made a powerful case, going so far as to put together a PowerPoint presentation on his smartphone to show his doctors why he should be allowed to wrestle again. The doctors gave him the go-ahead. He's taking extra precautions, wearing a facemask along with headgear. It's been a while since Weber has wrestled -- way back to his freshman year in 2012, when he competed at a different high school. "I've been wrestling my whole life," Weber said. "Yeah, I haven't touched a mat, but I've been working out. I've been lifting, I've been running, I've been doing a lot of things to stay in shape, just in case this happened." After the accident, Weber's doctors told him he would no longer be able to play football ... or wrestle. "When they told me wrestling is not going to work out, I honestly cried," Weber said. "Wrestling is such a big thing in my life. But now I've got it back and I'm really proud of that, and I'm ready to make things happen this year." Weber has set his sights high. He wants nothing less than a North Dakota state championship.

BROOKINGS, S.D. -- Oklahoma State's wrestling squad improved to 1-1 on the season after defeating new Big 12 affiliate South Dakota State, 21-9, Friday night at Frost Arena. The Cowboys started the night with bonus points as No. 5 Eddie Klimara came ready to score, putting up 20 points in just over five minutes. The senior put up four takedowns and three nearfalls in his 20-2 technical fall win to help the Cowboys to a 5-0 lead. The Pokes suffered an overtime loss at 133 pounds, where Gary Wayne Harding was edged out, 7-5, by Brance Simms in sudden victory. Top-ranked Dean Heil put the Cowboys back on track with a win over Seth Gross at 141 pounds. Heil notched the first takedown with less than a minute left in the first period. He held onto the lead and claimed a 5-3 victory. At 149 pounds, Anthony Collica escaped Alex Kocer with a 5-3 win of his own. Collica led 3-0 going into the final period, where Kocer chose top. The Jackrabbit managed to tilt the Cowboy for a two-point nearfall, cutting Collica's lead to 3-2. Collica responded with a reversal to pull ahead and went on to win the match, 5-3. At 157 pounds, Ryan Blees, a native of Bismarck, North Dakota, made his varsity debut against No. 7 Cody Pack. Blees fought off the three-time NCAA qualifier, but it was not enough as Pack took the 12-5 win. Two-time NCAA champion Alex Dieringer extended his win streak to 53 with his win over Luke Zilverberg. Ranked No. 1 at 165 pounds, Dieringer scored two takedowns, an escape and racked up 2:26 of riding time for the 6-1 win. No. 3 Kyle Crutchmer earned two buzzer-beating takedowns to defeat David Kocer with a 7-2 decision. In the first period, Crutchmer stole a takedown with less than five seconds left in the period to take a 2-0 lead into the second period, where he started on bottom. Crutchmer tallied the escape and led the Jackrabbit, 3-0, into the final period. There, he grabbed another two takedowns -- the final one coming with less than 10 seconds left in the match -- to seal the win. The Cowboys picked up some more bonus points at 184 pounds. Nolan Boyd made his first dual-start of the season at the weight, taking on Brady Ayers. After a scoreless first period, Boyd notched a reversal and a nearfall to end the second period. He found more momentum in the third period, taking Ayers down three times to get the 11-2 major decision. At 197 pounds, Jordan Rogers made the start going head-to-head with No. 16 Nate Rotert. The junior trailed 6-2 in the first period, but a flurry of action from both sides saw Rogers with a huge takedown to put Rotert to his back, looking for a pin and tying the score at 9-9. Rotert pulled away with an escape and two more takedowns to win it 15-10. A controversial heavyweight match saw Marsden outscore his opponent, Alex Macki, 7-2. The Cowboy picked up a takedown and a two-point nearfall in the first period to go up 4-0. Macki picked up an escape in the second period to make it 4-1 in favor of Marsden. Marsden notched an escape to start the third period, but was hit with unsportsmanlike conduct soon after, awarding Macki a point. Marsden took down Macki one more time to finish it with a 7-2 lead. After the buzzer, Marsden was hit with a flagrant misconduct call. Official Rick Fink determined that no points would be awarded for the heavyweight match, declaring that there was "no match" and that the Cowboys were the winners with a 21-9 team score. "I have mixed emotions about what happened in the heavyweight match with Austin Marsden," coach John Smith said. "He was called for a flagrant misconduct at the end of the match. With that, comes penalties, and we will abide by those." The Cowboys return to Gallagher-Iba Arena on Sunday for their home opener against No. 18 Minnesota at 2 p.m. Results: 125: No. 5 Eddie Klimara (OSU) TF5 Kahlen Morris (SDSU), 20-2 133: Brance Simms (SDSU) dec. Gary Wayne Harding (OSU), 7-5 SV1 141: No. 1 Dean Heil (OSU) dec. Seth Gross (SDSU), 5-3 149: No. 8 Anthony Collica (OSU) dec. Alex Kocer (SDSU), 5-3 157: No. 7 Cody Pack (SDSU) dec. Ryan Blees (OSU), 12-5 165: No. 1 Alex Dieringer (OSU) dec. Luke Zilverberg (SDSU), 6-1 174: No. 3 Kyle Crutchmer (OSU) dec. David Kocer (SDSU), 7-2 184: Nolan Boyd (OSU) MD Brady Ayers (SDSU), 11-2 197: No. 16 Nate Rotert (SDSU) dec. Jordan Rogers (OSU), 15-10 HWT: No match

BAKU -- On an evening when Azerbaijan crowned three champions, Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (UZB) and Elizbar Odikadze (GEO) upset a pair of Olympic Games gold medalists to dampen local celebrations on the opening day of the Golden Grand Prix Final. Bekzod Abdurakhmanov (UZB) stunned London 2012 champion Togrul Asgarov (AZE) with a takedown in the closing seconds of their 70-kilo final (Photo/UWW)Abdurakhmanov stunned London 2012 champion Togrul Asgarov (AZE) in the 70-kilo final with a takedown in the closing seconds of an 8-8 win on criteria, and European Games silver medalist Odikadze held on for a 4-2 win over Sharif Sharifov (AZE) for the 86-kilo crown. Despite the upsets, Azerbaijan picked up three titles at Baku Sports Hall, led by two-time World champion Haji Aliev at 61 kilos and followed by a 12-8 demolition of 2014 World champion Khetik Tsabolov (RUS) by defending GGP Final champion Yabrail Hasanov (AZE) at 74 kilos. Yasar Dogu winner Aleksander Gostiev also edged Junior World champion Nurmagomed Gadzhiev, 2-0, in an all-Azerbaijan final at 86 kilos. Gadzhiev was in the final by virtue of a late front-headlock and takedown for a 9-7 win over London 2012 bronze medalist Ehsan Lashgari (IRI). Abdurakhmanov scored the first upset of the evening with a takedown at 5:57 in a cobra-and-mongoose final at 70 kilos -- after rejecting his corner's call for a challenge to a late takedown by Asgarov. "I knew I had time to score the last takedown (and win on criteria) and I could see (Asgarov) was beginning to tire, so I didn't want to give him a chance to recover (with a challenge)," he said of his decision to toss the challenge brick back to his coaches. He added that with 20 seconds remaining, "It was all or nothing, but I knew I could do it." Asked about the win, Abdurakhmanov smiled, "It's an honor to wrestle in a competition like the Golden Grand Prix and against the Olympic champion, so it feels good to win -- in fact, it feels real good." The Incheon 2014 Asian Games and 2015 Asian championships winner also revealed that Baku would be his last competition at the non-Olympic weight category of 70 kilos, adding that he is looking forward to a chance to wrestle in the Olympic qualification tournaments at 74kg. Then, in the 97-kilo final, Odikadze went chest-to-chest with Sharifov in the second period and landed on top of a leg trip for a 4-2 victory. Odikadze's teammate, world bronze medalist Geno Petriashvili (GEO) then accepted a default victory from world silver medalist Jamaladdin Magomedov (AZE) in the 125-kilo final -- to give Georgia its second gold medal of the evening. Magomedov reportedly defaulted because of back injury suffered in earlier training and which was aggravated during the day's competition. Russia also claimed a pair of gold medals as Ismail Musukaev (57 kilos) scored four points off a double-leg attack for a 5-2 victory over world bronze medalist Erdenebat Bekhbayar (MGL). Magomed Kurbanaliev (RUS) raced out to a 6-0 lead in the 65-kilo final and held on for a 12-8 victory over Logan Stieber (USA), who had earlier stunned 2014 World champion Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) with a late front headlock and turn for a 14-13 victory in the quarterfinals. A third London 2012 gold medalist, Djamal Otarsultanov (RUS), was also toppled out of the competition, after losing by technical fall to Musukaev in the semifinals at 57 kilos. Results of gold and bronze medal finals on Friday: 57 kilos: Gold: Ismail MUSUKAEV (RUS) df. ERDENEBAT Bekhbayar (MGL), 5-2 Bronze: Makhir AMIRASLANOV (AZE) df. Djamal OTARSULTANOV (RUS) by default, 0:00 Bronze: Otari GOGAVA (GEO) df. Parviz IBRAHIMOV (AZE), 7-3 61 kilos: Gold: Haji ALIEV (AZE) df. Iman SADEGHIKOUKANDEH (IRI), 8-2 Bronze: Daulet NIYAZBEKOV (KAZ) df. Andry DAVILA (VEN) by TF, 10-0, 2:08 Bronze: Aleksander BOGOMOEV (RUS) df. Shingo ARIMOTO (JPN), 5-0 65 kilos: Gold: Magomed KURBANALIEV (RUS) df. Logan STIEBER (USA), 14-6 Bronze: Teymur MAMMADOV (AZE) df. Anthony MONTERO (VEN), 3-0 Bronze: Soslan RAMONOV (RUS) df. Agahueseyin MUSTAFAEV (AZE), 7-0 70 kilos: Gold: Bekzod ABDURAKHMANOV (UZB) df. Togrul ASGAROV (AZE), 8-8 Bronze: Mustafa KAYA (TUR) df. Nobuyoshi TAKOJIMA (JPN), 8-2 Bronze: Gadjimurad OMAROV (AZE) df. Arkadiusz SZEJA (POL) by default, 0:00 74 kilos: Gold: Yabrail HASANOV (AZE) df. Khetik TSABOLOV (RUS), 12-8 Bronze: Akhmed GADZHIMAGOMEDOV (RUS) Daisuke SHIMADA (JPN) by TF, 10-0, 6:00 Bronze: Moustafa HOSSEINKHANI (IRI) df. Soner DEMIRTAS (TUR), 3-2 86 kilos: Gold: Aleksander GOSTIEV (AZE) df. Gazhiev NURMAGOMED (AZE), 2-0 Bronze: Sandro AMINASHVILI (GEO) df. Patryk DUBLINOWSKI (POL), 6-3 Bronze: Ehsan LASHGARI (IRI) df. David TAYLOR (USA) by TF, 10-0, 2:52 97 kilos: Gold: Elizbar ODIKADZE (GEO) df. Sharif SHARIFOV (AZE), 4-2 Bronze: Pavlo OLIYNIK (UKR) df. Yuji FUKUI (JPN) by TF, 10-0, 3:28 Bronze: Arslanbek ALBOROV (AZE) df. James BERGMAN (USA), 4-1 125 kilos: Gold: Geno PETRIASHVILI (GEO) df. Jamaladdin MAGOMEDOV (AZE) by default, 0:00 Bronze: Dom BRADLEY (USA) df. Aiaal LAZAREV (KGZ) by default, 0:00 Bronze: DENG Zhiwei (CHN) df. Ibragim SAIDOV (BLR), 5-4

Romero Cotton has great news to celebrate for the Thanksgiving holidays. The two-time NCAA Division II 197-pound wrestling champ for University of Nebraska-Kearney has been granted an eleventh semester of eligibility for the spring semester, allowing him to defend his title, NCAA.com reported this week. Student-athletes have 10 semesters of full-time enrollment in which to use their four seasons of competition, provided they maintain academic eligibility, said UNK Athletic Director Paul Plinske. Cotton concluded his 10th semester this fall while he participated in football for the Lopers, where the team co-captain rushed for 309 yards this year, and 1,866 yards over the past three seasons. With the NCAA decision allowing Cotton an eleventh semester of eligibility, the Hutchinson, Kan. native will be able to wrestle with the Lopers during spring semester. His first official match in a Loper singlet may be Jan. 1, 2016 at Nebraska's Midland University, though he's able to wrestle unattached now. Since arriving at Nebraska-Kearney in spring 2013, Cotton has compiled a 44-3 overall record against Division II wrestlers. He is a three-time NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships finalist, as a runner-up in 2013, followed by back-to-back titles at 197 pounds at the 2014 and 2015 NCAAs. Romero Cotton (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Cotton's journey to Nebraska-Kearney was long, with a major detour along the way. The two-sport athlete originally started his collegiate career at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, then transferred to Hutchinson Community College in his hometown. In 2008 Cotton was arraigned on charges of aggravated battery "as the result of a family situation," according to the UNK press statement announcing Cotton's extended eligibility. "He entered a plea agreement in 2009 that he believed would allow him to receive probation and not a prison sentence. He enrolled at Hutchinson Community College to play football and his plea agreement was rejected, forcing him to withdraw from school and go to prison. In doing so, he used a full-time semester." Nebraska-Kearney had petitioned the NCAA to extend Cotton's eligibility, with school administrators writing letters to the organization on behalf of their student-athlete. "[Cotton] is the exception to so many missed opportunities by young people who get entangled in the legal system," UNK Chancellor Doug Kristensen said last week. "To me, he deserves another semester of eligibility -- because of his great contributions to our campus and because of the admirable way in which he turned his life around." "He takes his athletics and schooling serious. That's outstanding for a young man," said Lopers head wrestling coach Marc Bauer in May 2014. "We're blessed to have him in our program because he is such a fine leader in so many aspects of our program right now." "He's just a likeable young man," Bauer continued. "I've got a special place in my heart for him because he's just a great young man." UNK Athletic Director Paul Plinske said Cotton plans to graduate in December 2016 and pursue a master's degree in counseling.

Dread the idea of wrestling with crowds on Black Friday? Seeking a truly unique present for the wrestler or wrestling fan on your gift list? The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum has the answer … in the form of five separate online auctions, each featuring a one-of-a-kind item any wrestling fanatic will treasure. The Waterloo, Iowa-based Wrestling Hall of Fame announced the five eBay auctions Wednesday. Fans and collectors are invited to place bids on one or more of the auctions, each featuring a signed item of significance to the sport of wrestling … and no doubt of major interest to fans of amateur wrestling everywhere. The auctions are a win-win for lucky individuals who place the high bid in each auction… and for the museum sponsoring the auctions. All proceeds from the online auctions benefit the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum, a not-for-profit organization committed to advancing the sport of wrestling. The five auction items include: Golf flag signed by Dan Gable and Zach Johnson Score a hole-in-one with the golfer-grappler on your gift list with this flag from the 15th annual Dan Gable Celebrity Golf Tournament which has been signed by 1972 Olympic champion Dan Gable and Zach Johnson, winner of the 2007 Masters and the 2015 British Open. Tom Brands and Brent Metcalf Olympic wrestling package Package includes a signed Brent Metcalf singlet from his April 2015 AGON V wrestling event at US Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids (one of only three singlets of that type made), along with a signed print of Iowa head wrestling coach Tom Brands and two-time NCAA champion Brent Metcalf. Iowa State wrestling print signed by Cyclone wrestling legends Iowa State print signed by ISU mat greats Kevin Jackson, Dan Gable, Kyven Gadson and Stewart Carter. Iowa wrestling print signed by Hawkeye legends Iowa wrestling print signed by individuals with powerful connections to the Hawkeye mat program, including Dan Gable, Tom Brands, Terry Brands, Brent Metcalf, Matt McDonough, Tony Ramos, Doug Schwab, Chuck Yagla, and Phil Keddy. Leaders print signed by Dan Gable, Tom Brands, and Doug Schwab Former Iowa head wrestling Dan Gable, current Iowa head wrestling coach Tom Brands, and current Northern Iowa head wrestling coach Doug Schwab autographed "Leaders" print. Questions? Contact the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum directly at (319) 233-0745, or via email to dgmstaff@nwhof.org.

Wrestlers and wrestling fans in greater Cincinnati and northern Kentucky can give thanks for the news from Thomas More College just before Thanksgiving: the Crestview Hills, Ky. school announced it would be adding a varsity wrestling program as well as a dance team to its roster of sports programs in the fall of 2016. As Thomas More College stated in its announcement Wednesday, wrestling ranks sixth of all boys' sports in terms of participation at the high school level, according to the National High School Federation of Associations. "With many successful wrestling programs in the Greater Cincinnati area, wrestling is a natural addition to our NCAA athletic program," said Athletic Director Terry Connor. The new mat program will feed a need for additional collegiate wrestling opportunities in the Cincinnati metropolitan area, home to a number of successful high school wrestling programs in both Ohio and northern Kentucky. Of the four-year schools in the region, Thomas More joins Mount Saint Joseph University in offering a varsity wrestling program. Other major universities in the Cincinnati metro area -- including Northern Kentucky University, University of Cincinnati, Xavier University, and Miami University -- do not have intercollegiate wrestling. "Thomas More College's mission encompasses helping students examine their place in the world and their responsibility to others," said school president David A. Armstrong. "By providing additional opportunities for teamwork, competition and leadership, TMC will continue its long-standing tradition of preparing the best and brightest students for future success in the world beyond our campus." Located just ten minutes from downtown Cincinnati, Thomas More College describes itself as "a values-based liberal arts institution that is proud to be one of 10 Catholic Diocesan colleges in the nation." It was originally founded in 1921 by the Benedictine Sisters as Villa Madonna College. Its sports programs -- the Saints -- compete in NCAA Division III.

Wrestling fans around the nation are rubbing their bellies today, appreciative of the feast they enjoyed on Thanksgiving. Wrestlers, however, are not. They are likely running, or drilling, or watching as their chubby uncle devours a third sandwich made from leftover fried turkey and cranberry jam. The culture of American wrestling doesn't have to include hyper-restrictive dieting and rapid weight loss. Though better than the international scene where 24-hour weigh-ins create yo-yo dieting, the American mindset is to encourage unhealthy weight loss rather than simple weight management. There are better and healthier ways to wrestle, and ones that would lead to long-term retention of athletes in the sport. This weekend many of us will watch the Golden Grand Prix from Baku where David Taylor makes his first move up to 86 kilos. The weight is much closer to his natural weight, but after decades (literally decades) of weight cuts it'll be his first chance to compete at a common weight. It'll be a showcase in a late career move up to a more natural competition weight. Taylor won't necessarily perform any better up a class -- especially in Baku where there is stiff competition -- but that doesn't mean we shouldn't recognize the merits of wrestling at your natural weight, which improves mood, increases cardiovascular health, stabilizes metabolism, and avoids other long term consequences of weight cutting like kidney stones. Not to mention every minute gained back from the sauna, which can now be spent on technique. Yes, cutting weight makes you feel "tough," but given the opportunity to feel tough at 20 years old or healthy at 35 years old, the wise man would choose the latter. So for all you wrestlers thinking about a move up in weight, enjoy your leftovers, make the move up and be thankful you did. To your questions … Q: If you're Oklahoma State coach John Smith, do you pull your son Joe's redshirt and insert him into the lineup for Chance Marsteller? NCAA team titles are hard to come by, and it seems that having Joe Smith in the lineup gives Oklahoma State its best chance to win at MSG. Thoughts? -- Mike C. Joe Smith gets his hand raised after winning a Junior freestyle title in Fargo (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Foley: I was positing a similar question this week online, but for other reasons. Could John Smith pull JoJo Smith's redshirt so that he could snag a season with him as head coach before maybe heading off to lead Team USA? That's a far-flung dream, but one worth swirling around your head when thinking of Team USA's already-impressive potential for the 2020 Games in Tokyo. The decision regarding Smith's progeny can wait until the spring semester, which would give Chance the time to get his weight under control and compete a handful more times. Also, Coach Smith could enter his son and Chance at the same tournament -- maybe the Southern Scuffle -- and see who performs better. The title hunt is no small consideration for Coach Smith. Penn State has reloaded for the next four-year cycle and while Coach Smith wouldn't cede the NCAA title for the next several years, he does have to consider it's much less likely to occur in two years than it would at MSG in 2016. If JoJo Smith can prove himself to be a top five wrestler with a chance at an NCAA title then there isn't much reason to hold him back. However, if he's only marginally better than Chance with little shot to win the title, then it would be better for JoJo to make his runs in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021 -- assuming an Olympic redshirt. Q: How hot is Kerry McCoy's seat in Maryland? It seems like a program that's been in a slow but steady program decline since Pat Santoro left. Do you think the Big Ten move will improve the Terps' recruiting efforts to improve their results? -- Dylan M. Foley: I don't even think his seat is lukewarm. The program has enjoyed a lot of recent success and even if they are slipping into tough times at the Big Ten you need to look at the body of work and direction he's taken with alumni. Frigid. Q: This is a hypothetical, but let's assume Aaron Pico would have stayed with high school wrestling and been set on wrestling in college. He would be a senior this year. Where he would have gone to college? My guess: Arizona State. -- Mike C. Foley: I would think that you're one-hundred percent correct. I wouldn't imagine he'd find any other program as suitable to his wants for development at the international level. That's not to say other programs can't provide the same guidance (Ohio State sure is looking good), but Arizona State would check a lot of the boxes to include Sunkist Kids affiliation, the ASU alumni network of fighters and head coach Zeke Jones. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Link: Legend vs. Rookie There is NOTHING cuter on the Internet. Also notice how chill the parents and fans are about youth wrestling … Q: I know you have touched on it in the past, but I really thought you were going to use the success of the Grapple on the Gridiron to promote a wrestling as a single-semester sport in the mailbag this week. Practice starts just after fall semester finals with the first matches beginning in January and NCAAs just before spring semester finals. Imagine the NCAAs outside in a stadium in early May with 25-30K Iowa fans in one corner, 20K PSU fans in another, and another approximate 10K from Oklahoma State, Minnesota, Cornell, Ohio State, and Lehigh (many others just know those programs have very loyal fans) spread in giant sections throughout. The different chants and section colors would be like no other sporting event. Think of how marketable an aerial photo would be. Then there is no competition with NCAA basketball and football (half of the current season). I realize it will interfere with senior freestyle events, but it's not like the NCAA cares. All they care about is the dollar and I do not see 80K-100K fans for the quarters, semis, and finals as unattainable if the event is in the right metro area (which after the match in Iowa last week; a strong case can be made for Iowa City). -- Cary A. Foley: You make an excellent point. The Grapple on the Gridiron did prove the viability of a large outdoor event, though I wonder how weather may factor into any decision to hold a three-day event outside. Something to consider is a two-venue operation where the final day would be held in a stadium in front of 80K-100K fans. That would be a logistical nightmare, but may also draw in the type of spectacle that the sport needs to jump onto the headlines around the world. And like you said, that is an excellent photo opportunity. Maybe another idea would be to pitch the NCAA championships to happen in a retractable dome arena. One that jumps out is Dallas, which has plenty of hotels, airport services and options for regional travel. With that option you might get all three days, and in a city where young professionals would love to visit. Finals could host 100K rain or shine. The city of Dallas would only need to be convinced to bid for the championships, they wouldn't even need a single semester, though as you stated that would be a priority in hoping to avoid the other major events. Q: You have been critical of Henry Cejudo in the past. He appears to be on track to get a title shot in the UFC against Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson. Can he beat Mighty Mouse? -- Mike C. Foley: Maybe 10 percent? Were Cejudo a power puncher or submission specialist while also being a world-class wrestler he'd have a much better chance at finding a round-winning knockdown or sub attempt. As is Cejudo isn't much of a finisher and with only serviceable boxing, he'll have a very tough time keeping DJ in one spot long enough to rack up points. Meanwhile, I think it's very likely that DJ just kicks Cejudo in the lead leg, parries and finds a unanimous victory. Q: Jon Jones spoke publicly for the first time since being let go by the UFC. Did you watch his interview with Ariel Helwani? If so, what did you think? Has he changed? -- Mike C. Foley: Jon Jones hasn't changed, but I also don't think he needs to in order to become the UFC heavyweight champion. Jones will grow up and learn to hide his bad behavior a little better, but I don't think he's something evil. I don't even think he's any different than 90 percent of men in their 20s and 30s, he just has a lot more money with which to act on his darker temptations. Heaven knows that if you gave me $5 million at 24 years old I wouldn't have made the best decisions. Add in social media and an interested mainstream media … Let's be clear that while I appreciate his passion and work ethic, Ariel Helwani is not a journalist and this goodwill hour was brought to you (in some shape) by the UFC PR department. That's fine, but I think that throughout MMA there is very little separation between the journalists and the organizations they cover. This video feels much too crafted to feel real.

Nationally ranked No. 8 Luther kicked off its dual meet schedule with a 30-7 victory over UW-Eau Claire in Eau Claire tonight. The Norse won eight of 10 matches and picked up bonus points at 149, 184 and 197. At 149, Dakota Gray posted a 55 second fall over Alex Kleinschmidt. Gray, ranked No. 3 in the NCAA III, improved to 9-1 with six falls. Justin Kreiter is now 6-3 following a 19-3 (3:54) tech fall over Jeremy Amundson. Jamal Vaughns continued to wrestle well, recording a major decision over Alex Knutson 15-4 and is now 6-3 for the season. Results: 125: Zackary Sirny (Wisconsin-Eau Claire) maj. dec. Cody Hanson (Luther), 16-3 133: Gareth Ballard (Luther) dec. Scott Worlund (Wisconsin-Eau Claire), 12-7 141: Cole Van Anrooy (Luther) dec. Nathaniel Behnke (Wisconsin-Eau Claire), 3-2 TB 149: Dakota Gray (Luther) pinned Alex Kleinschmidt (Wisconsin-Eau Claire), 0:55 157: Tristan Zurfluh (Luther) dec. Carter Focht (Wisconsin-Eau Claire), 6-2 165: Blake Letney (Luther) dec. Ryan Behnke (Wisconsin-Eau Claire), 8-2 174: David Kramer (Luther) dec. Travis Cripe (Wisconsin-Eau Claire), 13-8 184: Justin Kreiter (Luther) tech. fall Jeremy Amundson (Wisconsin-Eau Claire), 19-3 (3:54) 197: Jamal Vaughns (Luther) maj. dec. Alex Knutson (Wisconsin-Eau Claire), 15-4 285: Justin Karkula (Wisconsin-Eau Claire) dec. Conner Herman (Luther), 3-2 TB

MINNEAPOLIS -- Winning six of the seven bouts wrestled with four pins, the Augsburg College wrestling team won its first dual meet of the season, a 48-6 decision over St. Olaf College on Tuesday evening at Si Melby Hall. THE BASICS: FINAL SCORE: Augsburg 48, St. Olaf 6 LOCATION: Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis RECORDS: Augsburg 1-0 overall, St. Olaf 0-3 overall HOW IT HAPPENED: • In a match that lasted just 39 minutes, Augsburg claimed four pins and two decisions to score the victory over the Oles. • All four Augsburg pins were first-period match-enders. James Goman (JR, Lakeville, Minn./Trinity-River Ridge HS) scored a 1:01 pin at 125 pounds and No. 3-ranked 165-pounder Eric Hensel (JR, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville South HS) scored a 2:48 pin. Sebastian Larson (SO, River Falls, Wis.) improved to 4-1 on the season with a 1:28 pin at 184 pounds. Goman is now 2-2 on the season, while Hensel picked up a pin in his first bout of the year. Hensel now has 27 pins in his college career (15 at Augsburg). • Top-ranked heavyweight Donny Longendyke (JR, Vadnais Heights, Minn./White Bear Lake HS) claimed a 1:31 pin of St. Olaf's Zachary Gibson, the No. 10-ranked heavyweight nationally, in the lone meeting of ranked wrestlers on the evening. Longendyke is now 5-0 on the season, picking up his fourth pin of the season and 49th of his college career (26 at Augsburg). Longendyke is now 89-23 in his collegiate career (49-2 at Augsburg). • Bryce Zdanovec (SO, Little Chute, Wis.) used four takedowns and 1:08 riding time to score a 12-6 win over Bryant Ridgeway at 149 pounds, improving to 3-1 on the season. • At 157, Grant Parker (JR, Onalaska, Wis.) improved to 4-1 on the season with a 5-1 win over Sameh Almousa. • Augsburg also took advantage of three forfeits in the victory. FOR THE FOES: • St. Olaf's lone win came from 174-pounder Garrett Beaman, who scored a 4:59 pin of Augsburg's Ronny Ponick. Beaman is now 15-2 on the season. UP NEXT: • Augsburg competes at the Wisconsin-La Crosse Duals on Dec. 5, with matches against Loras (Iowa), Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Cornell (Iowa). • St. Olaf competes at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (Wis.) Invitational on Dec. 5.No. 10 Augsburg (1-0) 48, St. Olaf (0-3) 6 Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2015 -- Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis, Minn. Action begins at 125 pounds. Time of match: 0:39. Attendance: 105. Official: Dan Roff. Results: 125 - James Goman (AUG, 2-2) pinned Guillermo Gorrin (STO, 0-2) 1:01 (Augsburg 6-0) 133 - Sam Bennyhoff (AUG, 4-0) wins by forfeit (Augsburg 12-0) 141 - Aaron Wilson (AUG, 4-1) wins by forfeit (Augsburg 18-0) 149 - Bryce Zdanovec (AUG, 3-1) dec. Bryant Ridgeway (STO, 4-8) 12-6 (Augsburg 21-0) 157 - Grant Parker (AUG, 4-1) dec. Sameh Almousa (STO, 3-6) 5-1 (Augsburg 24-0) 165 - No. 3 Eric Hensel (AUG, 1-0) pinned Seth Barkosky (STO, 0-4) 2:47 (Augsburg 30-0) 174 - Garrett Beaman (STO, 15-2) pinned Ronny Ponick (AUG, 3-2) 4:59 (Augsburg 30-6) 184 - Sebastian Larson (AUG, 4-1) pinned Mitchell Kaiser (STO, 0-8) 1:28 (Augsburg 36-6) 197 - Logan Hortop (AUG, 2-2) wins by forfeit (Augsburg 42-6) HWT - No. 1 Donny Longendyke (AUG, 5-0) pinned No. 10 Zachary Gibson (STO, 8-4) 1:31 (Augsburg 48-6)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jake Ryan's technical fall at 157 pounds, the final match of the night, proved to the difference as Ohio State outlasted Cleveland State, 26-18, on Tuesday evening at Woodling Gymnasium. With the win, the third-ranked Buckeyes are now 3-0 on the season. Ryan, who rose four spots this week in the InterMat rankings from No. 20 to No. 16, scored early and often in the first period with the dual meet result hanging in the balance. His quick takedown in the first period made it 2-0, and then a four-point near-fall and another take down gave him an 8-1 edge. He led 10-2 at the end of the opening three minutes and never looked back, racking up over a minute of riding time to gain the extra point for a tech fall. Ryan is now 9-0 on the season, with four of those wins coming via bonus points. The match started at 165 pounds with Solon native Justin Kresevic picking up 10-3 decision over Nathan Wynkoop, thanks in large part to a four-point third period near fall. The win was Kresevic's fifth of the year. After a scoreless first period, Kresevic got a quick escape in the second and a takedown for a 3-0 lead before taking full control in the final two minutes. Bo Jordan, ranked No. 1 at 174 pounds, showed why in the next match, as he needed just 28 seconds to pin Gabe Stark. It was Jordan's second pin in just five matches this year. Jack Rozema continued the early-dual momentum with a 12-4 major decision over Jacob Worthington at 184 pounds. It was Rozema's first dual match win of the season and he gained it by breaking open the match in the second period thanks to a scape and two takedowns. He also racked up well over a minute of riding time to get Ohio State a bonus point for the major decision. After Ohio State forfeited at 197 lbs., the only match of the night that featured two ranked wrestlers went to Cleveland State, as 285-pounder Riley Shaw, ranked No. 8, edged No. 18 Nick Tavanello, 6-4, on the strength of two late escapes. Tavanello had tied the match at 4-4 with a takedown towards the end of the second period, but Shaw escaped twice before the final buzzer sounded in his decision. It was Tavanello's first loss of the season (7-1). Nathan Tomasello, wrestling near his hometown of Parma, Ohio, showed by he continues to maintain a stranglehold on the top spot at 125 pounds with a 23-7 tech fall over Evan Cheek. Cheek came strong out of the gates, getting the matches initial takedown, but from there Tomasello wore down Creek with an onslaught of offense that included 22 of the 27 points, including a four-point near-fall. Johnni DiJulius, also from the Cleveland area (Aurora, Ohio), was tied with CSU's Alfredo Gray at 3-3 before he scored a one-point escape with 25 seconds left that proved to be the difference. DiJulius led 3-1 into the third period on a first-period takedown and second-period escape. Cleveland State won the next two matches, at 141 and 149 pounds, respectively. Mike Carlone's reversal at the end of the third period gave him a 4-3 win over Mike Hozan while Cody Burcher was pinned by Nick Montgomery 5:34 into the match. The Buckeyes, which rose two spots in this week's USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll from No. 5 to No. 3 and also picked up a first place vote, are off until Dec. 4-5 when they travel to Las Vegas, Nev. for the CKLV Invitational. Results: 165: Justin Kresevic (OSU) decision over Nathan Wynkoop (CSU) 10-3 | OSU 3, CSU 0 174: #1 Bo Jordan (OSU) won by fall over Gabe Stark (CSU) :28 | OSU 9, CSU 0 184: Jack Rozema (OSU) major decision over Jacob Worthington (CSU) 12-4 | OSU 13, CSU 0 197: Sam Wheeler (CSU) won by forfeit | OSU 13, CSU 6 285: #8 Riley Shaw (CSU) decision over #18 Nick Tavanello (OSU) 6-4 | OSU 13, CSU 9 125: #1 Nathan Tomasello (OSU) tech fall over Evan Cheek (CSU) 23-7 | OSU 18, CSU 9 133: #5 Johnni DiJulius (OSU) decision over Alfredo Gray (CSU) 4-3 | OSU 21, CSU 9 141: Mike Carlone (CSU) decision over Mike Hozan (OSU) 4-3 | OSU 21, CSU 12 149: Nick Montgomery (CSU) won by fall over Cody Burcher (OSU) 5:34 | OSU 21, CSU 18 157: #16 Jake Ryan (OSU) won by tech fall over John Vaughn (CSU) 21-6 | OSU 26, CSU 18

This week's edition of "On the Mat" is Wednesday, Nov. 24 with 1987 NCAA wrestling champion (Iowa State) Stewart Carter and Upper Iowa head wrestling coach Heath Grimm. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at 1650thefan.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday at 5 p.m. Central on AM 1650, The Fan. A podcast of the show is available on mattalkonline.com. E-mail dgmstaff@nwhof.org with any questions or comments.

George Munnich, long associated with wrestling on Long Island -- as a wrestler at the storied Mepham High School program in the early 1950s, then at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, and later as a wrestling coach on the middle and high school level -- passed away last week after suffering a stroke on November 3. He was 78. George MunnichBorn April 17, 1937 in Bellmore, N.Y., Munnich wrestled at Mepham High for legendary coach Frank "Sprig" Gardner from 1950 to 1954, winning the 106-pound SSAL title in 1953. He continued his mat career at the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, where he was a three-time Metropolitan Conference and AAU champion, and runner-up at the NCAA championships as a senior. He was also a US-Canadian Champion and served as an alternate for the Pan-Am Games. As a senior, Munnich captained the undefeated USMMA team during the 1957-58 season. In addition, Munnich was awarded the Admiral Stedman Trophy, given to the top graduating cadet athlete. He was subsequently named to the Academy's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998, and welcomed into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2008. After serving in the Merchant Marine and the United States Navy during the Viet Nam War, Munnich shared his wrestling experience with other generations as a coach. "(Munnich) came back home and coached at Grand Avenue Middle School for over 30 years, introducing the sport to numerous future All-County and All-State wrestlers," according to a post at the Mepham Wrestling Facebook page . "He no doubt touched the lives of countless Mepham wrestlers through the years, and was a major contributor to the Pirates' amazing legacy. Everyone who ever had the pleasure to learn from Coach Munnich knows how truly wonderful he was as a teacher, a coach, and a friend." Later, Munnich was an assistant coach at Bellmore JFK High School, right up until his death. "He was the type of coach any parent would want their kid to have," Bellmore JFK wrestling coach Brian DeGaetano told Newsday . "As accomplished a wrestler and coach as he was, he paid more attention to the kid who didn't really know how to wrestle. He was always focused on the JV kid, the guy who, maybe one day, could be good … He was the only guy I've ever known that nobody had a bad word to say about." In addition to his lifelong involvement in wrestling, Munnich was also a life guard at Jones Beach and on Fire Island, and was a member of the Baldwin Bay Colony Rowers, a lifeboat racing team. In addition to his wife, Lilly Ann, Munnich is survived by his son, Mark, daughters Jennifer of Massapequa Park, and Erika of Cocoa Beach, Florida, and grandchildren Lilly and Sam. Services were held Monday. Those who wish to honor George Munnich may do so with a donation to the "George's Surf Boat" page on the GoFundMe.com website . On the page the family wrote, "The boat will be donated to the JBLC for current and future lifeguards. 'George's Boat' will leave his legacy of competition, strength, seamanship and love of the ocean and of course a 'Monkey's Fist' on the bow."

MILLERSVILLE, Pa. -- The Millersville wrestling team picked up a convincing 30-6 dual victory over visiting West Liberty Monday evening in Pucillo Gymnasium. The Marauders scored three major decisions and a fall from Christian Almony en route to their second win of the season. Thaddeus Stevens also squared off against West Liberty and Millersville Monday evening. Millersville won all 10 bouts and while the 58 points accumulated do not count as a team win, each of the Marauders added an individual win to their record. Monday's meeting was just the second all-time between Millersville and West Liberty and the Marauders more than avenged last season's 21-15 defeat at the hands of the Hilltoppers. Junior Austin Camacci got the momentum rolling at 125. He trailed 3-2 early but escaped once in the second and the third and held off Zach Brown for a narrow win. Sophomore Alex Baider continued his early season tear, improving to 7-1 on the season with a 9-3 win over Jonathan Spence. The two were locked up a 2-2 with 40 seconds left in the second period when Baider hit a takedown. Spence escaped 18 seconds later to cut the lead back to one. But Baider added some needed insurance in the third with a takedown, two nearfall points and a bonus point for more than two minutes of riding time. Senior Thomas Nulty cruised at 141 pounds, picking up an 18-4 major decision, allowing points only on escapes. Against Thaddeus Stevens, Nulty scored a pin in 45 seconds--the fastest of his career. Nick Haegele also picked up a pair of wins at 149 pounds. Against West Liberty's Cole Nace, Haegele led 7-4 late but Nace came within one on a reversal with 10 seconds to go. Nace, however, was penalized for an illegal move and Haegele's riding time got him a 9-6 win. His 16-0 tech fall against Thaddeus Stevens' Shay Mattern was his first of the season. D.J Mele (157) started his night with a 10-2 major decision over Anthony Craig and finished it with a fall in 4:08. Seth Decker (165) picked up a 17-1 tech fall in his second match of the evening. Freshman Christian Almony impressed with a pair of first period pins. Almony rolled up West Liberty's in just 14 seconds--the fastest pin by a Marauder this season, and then pinned Thaddeus Stevens' Ryan Miggins in 1:29. Almony now has four first period falls this season. At 184 pounds, Kyle Narber controlled his match with West Liberty's Daniel Carpenter from the start and picked up his third major decision of the season by a 13-3 score. He then dispatched Martin Grasley of Thaddeus Stevens with a pin in 2:42. Freshman Colton Dull made his collegiate debut and quickly went to 2-0. He earned a 4-1 decision against the Hilltoppers and needed just 25 seconds in his second match to score his first career fall. The Marauders travel to the PSAC Championships on Dec. 5 and do not return home until Jan. 8 against Gannon. Millersville 30, West Liberty 6 125: Austin Camacci (MILL) over Zach Brown (WLU) (Dec 4-3) 133: Alex Baider (MILL) over Johnathan Spence (WLU) (Dec 9-3) 141: Thomas Nulty (MILL) over Josh Cornell (WLU) (MD 18-4) 149: Nick Haegele (MILL) over Cole Nace (WLU) (Dec 4-3) 157: D.J. Mele (MILL) over Anthony Craig (WLU) (MD 10-2) 165: David Schlieper (WLU) over Seth Decker (MILL) (Dec 8-4) 174: Christian Almony (MILL) over Eric VandenBossche (WLU) (Fall 0:14) 184: Kyle Narber (MILL) over Daniel Carpenter (WLU) (MD 13-3) 197: Colton Dull (MILL) over Nathan Dawson (WLU) (Dec 4-1) 285: Tyler Dodd (WLU) over David Wuestner (MILL) (Dec 10-3) Millersville 58, Thaddeus Stevens 0 125: Austin Camacci (MILL) over (TSCO) (For.) 133: Alex Baider (MILL) over (TSCO) (For.) 141: Thomas Nulty (MILL) over Jeremy Bohan (TSCO) (Fall 0:45) 149: Nick Haegele (MILL) over Shay Mattern (TSCO) (TF 16-0 5:37) 157: D.J. Mele (MILL) over Anthony Votano (TSCO) (Fall 4:08) 165: Seth Decker (MILL) over Tommy Bragg (TSCO) (TF 17-1 0:00) 174: Christian Almony (MILL) over Ryan Miggins (TSCO) (Fall 1:29) 184: Kyle Narber (MILL) over Martin Grasley (TSCO) (Fall 2:42) 197: Colton Dull (MILL) over Dimitrius Dennison (TSCO) (Fall 0:25) 285: David Wuestner (MILL) over (TSCO) (For.)

Bethlehem, PA -- The Hall of Fame Committee of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA), college wrestling's oldest conference, is proud to announce that four new members have been elected for membership into the EIWA Hall of Fame. Members selected for the Class of 2016 include Howard Johnston of Penn State University, Bill Hyman of Temple University, Troy Letters from Lehigh University and Troy Nickerson of Cornell University. The induction ceremony will take place on Sunday, March 6, 2016 at Princeton University's Jadwin Gymnasium, immediately preceding the finals of the annual EIWA tournament. Committee Chairman Jamie Moffatt commented: "The Committee is proud to announce the election of four outstanding wrestlers and individuals into the EIWA conference Hall of Fame: Howard Johnston, Bill Hyman, Troy Letters and Troy Nickerson. Each one of them distinguished himself on the wrestling mats as a multi-time EIWA champion and as a NCAA champion. In addition, all have made a significant contribution to the sport after their graduation from college. We welcome them into our Hall of Fame." Dr. Howard K. Johnston, Penn State, Class of 1935 He was the first Penn State wrestler to win an NCAA wrestling championship. Howard was born in 1913 in Newville, PA and graduated from State College High School in 1931. He wrestled for Penn State during the 1933, 1934 and 1935 seasons compiling a record of 29-5. Howard won the EIWA championships at 165 pounds in both 1934 and 1935. In the 1935 NCAAs held at Lehigh University, he advanced to the finals where he defeated the University of Oklahoma's Port Robertson by Time Advantage to win the 165 pound championship. His victory enabled Penn State to finish 5th in the team race. After college, Howard initiated the wrestling program at State College High School. He was one of four referees who worked the first PIAA state tournament at Rec Hall in 1938. He was inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1984. Howard was vice president of the Penn State class of 1935 when he received his BS degree in dairy husbandry. He continued on to earn a Master of Science and his Ph.D. in dairy science from Penn State. He worked in various technical and management positions in the field while living in North Carolina, South Dakota and then back in Pennsylvania from 1944 until he died. Howard retired in 1973. Howard passed away in State College in 1990. He is survived by two daughters, Robin and Linda. Bill Hyman, Temple University, Class of 1985 Wrestling for Saddle Brook High School in 1981, Bill won the New Jersey high school state championship. He went on to become, arguably, the most outstanding wrestler in the history of Temple University, twice winning the EIWA league championship and then winning the NCAA heavyweight championship as a senior in 1985. In the EIWA tournaments, Bill finished fourth at heavyweight as a sophomore and won the tournament his junior and senior seasons, each time edging Syracuse's Andy Schwab by one point in the finals. Temple placed fourth out of sixteen teams each year. Bill received the prestigious Fletcher Award his senior year. At the NCAA tournament Bill, while seeded 11th, placed 4th as a junior. The following year Bill was seeded 2nd, but ripped through all his opponents, including a 12-2 victory in the finals over Michigan's Kirk Trost, to win the heavyweight title. He became Temple's first two-time All-American. Bill continued to wrestle for clubs for several years, including the Foxcatcher team that competed against an All-Star team from Bulgaria in 1986. He was a member of the USA wrestling team that competed in the 1985 Maccabean Games in Israel, earning a gold medal. After college, Bill was a trader on Wall Street and later changed careers, going into the medical industry as a sales rep. For eight years he coached recreation wrestling in Ramsey, NJ; he now lives with his son and daughter in Upper Saddle River. Troy Letters, Lehigh University, Class of 2006 Troy Letters is a 2001 graduate of Shaler High School, where he twice won the Pennsylvania high school wrestling championship. As a senior, he was ranked number one nationally at 160 pounds and was a first team High School All-American Troy went on to study and wrestle at Lehigh University where he became a three-time EIWA champion, as well as a three-time All-American for the Mountain Hawks. He was the NCAA runner-up at 165 pounds in 2003 as a freshman. In 2004, Troy won the NCAA title at 165 by defeating the only wrestler to beat him during the regular season, Oklahoma State's Tyrone Lewis, 5-2, in the finals. Troy placed third at the 2005 NCAAs. He was named Lehigh's best overall athlete in 2005. As a senior in 2006, Troy was slowed by a serious injury that kept him from gaining his fourth EIWA crown and All-America honors. During his college career, Troy built a 115-9 overall record including an outstanding 65-2 dual meet record. Prior to his injury-hampered senior year, he amassed a 97-4 win-loss record. Upon graduation from Lehigh, Troy worked as an assistant coach at Princeton University and later at Penn State. From there he moved on to Clarion University where he was an assistant for the 2012 season and head coach during the 2013 and 2014 seasons. In 2011 Troy was inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Troy currently works in private industry in logistics and operations. He resides in Clarion with his wife and two daughters. Troy Nickerson, Cornell University, Class of 2010 A product of Chenango Forks, NY, Troy Nickerson was one of the most highly regarded prep wrestlers in the country coming out of high school. He won five New York high school state championships and six national high school championships. At Cornell from 2006-10, Troy compiled a remarkable collegiate career. He won the EIWA tournament three times, along with one runner-up finish. At the NCAA tournament, Troy finished first, second, third and fourth, winning the crown at 125 pounds his junior year defeating former champion Paul Donahoe in the finals. A chronic shoulder injury forced Troy to sit out the next season but he came back in 2010 to place 4th in the country. Troy's career record at Cornell was 97-8 with 38 falls. That is the highest modern day pinning percentage in Cornell wrestling history. Troy was the first male athlete in the history of the Ivy League, in any sport, to claim the Player and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season. He was the first Cornell or Ivy League wrestler to reach the NCAA finals as a freshman. He was named the Cornell Senior Athlete of the Year in 2010. Troy graduated from Cornell with a bachelor's degree in biology & science and a minor in nutritional science. He currently is the head wrestling coach at Northern Colorado University and resides in Greeley, CO with his wife, Allie.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- With falls from Taylor West and Austin Dewey at 165 and 174 pounds, respectively, the Boise State wrestling team was able to win its opening Pac-12 dual of the season, knocking off Arizona State 22-21 at Wells Fargo Arena on tie-breaking criteria, Sunday. The Broncos and Sun Devils concluded the evening tied at 21 apiece, and with each squad registering five victories, the tie was broken via rule 3.15.2 – most six-point victories (falls, forfeits, defaults and disqualifications). Boise State (2-1, 1-0 Pac-12) registered a pair of falls, compared to just one for Arizona State (4-4, 0-1 Pac-12), thus earning the additional team point and the victory over the Sun Devils. The Broncos jumped out to a 15-0 lead, kicking off the evening with a 3-2 decision from Chris Castillo at 157 pounds. West (2:57) and Dewey (1:58) followed with their pins, each of which coming in the first round. Though the Sun Devils were able to close the gap, the Broncos never relinquished the lead. Arizona State won the next three bouts, registering bonus points at 184 (technical fall) and 197 (fall), and a decision at 285. Arizona State cut its deficit to 16-14, but a pair of decisions from Rami Haddadin (125) and Josh Newberg (133) extended the Broncos' advantage to 22-14. The final two matches went to the Sun Devils, including a major decision at 141. The nightcap featured 17th-ranked Matt Kraus and 15th-ranked Geordan Martinez in a rematch of the 2015 Pac-12 championship at 141 pounds. Though Kraus avenged his loss in last year's finals, the overtime decision still netted Boise State the dual win. The road victory was the Broncos' first since knocking off Northern Colorado (32-15), Jan. 9, 2015, and the first over a conference opponent since defeating Cal Poly (35-6), Jan. 12, 2014. Results: 157: Chris Castillo (BSU) dec. Oliver Pierce (ASU), 3-2 165: Taylor West (BSU) fall Jacen Petersen (ASU), 2:57 174: Austin Dewey (BSU) fall Zachary Smith (ASU), 1:58 184: No. 3 Blake Stauffer (ASU) tech. fall Keavon Buckley (BSU), 15-0 197: Josh DaDilveira (ASU) fall Chili Sabin (BSU), 6:43 285: Tanner Hall (ASU) dec. Gaylen Edmo (BSU), 2-1 125: Rami Haddadin (BSU) dec. Ares Carpio, 11-6 133: Josh Newberg (BSU) dec. Cord Coronado (ASU), 5-3 141: Robbie Mathers (ASU) major dec. Jake Velarde (BSU), 13-5 149: No. 17 Matt Kraus (ASU) dec. No. 15 Geordan Martinez (BSU), 3-2 (TB-2)

PHILADELPHIA -- The Pitt wrestling team finished first with 132.0 points at the Keystone Classic Sunday night at The Palestra. Sophomore Dom Forys claimed his second individual weight class title, while junior Mikey Racciato won the 141 class and was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler. "I'm proud of the way the guys pulled together as a team after a tough loss Friday night," head coach Jason Peters said. "It was a long weekend and I feel we got better. We have a long way to go and a lot of improvements to make, but we are eager to get back work. I'm looking forward to our home opener with Edinboro and Wisconsin." Pitt produced quality results throughout the day in a tournament that lasted approximately 13 hours. The Panthers showed strength and endurance as they led the pack of 12 teams the majority of the day and had nine wrestlers finish in the top five of their respective weight classes. Forys collected his second Keystone Classic title, this time at 133 pounds. He captured his first title a year ago at 125 pounds as a freshman. Racciato finished soon after, giving Pitt its second champion. Top Five Finishes: 1st: Dom Forys (133) 1st: Mikey Racciato (141) 2nd: Jake Gromacki (125) 2nd: Ryan Solomon (285) 3rd: Ronnie Garbinsky (157) 3rd: Cody Wiercioch (165) 3rd: Nick Bonaccorsi (197) 5th: LJ Bentley (125) 5th: TeShan Campbell (174) Forys battled his way through five different opponents starting with Dom Gallo of VMI. Forys dominated in his first match as he won by tech. fall, 23-8. He followed that performance with a 12-3 major decision over Timothy Johnson of Sacred Heart and a 10-3 decision over Jeffrey Ott of Harvard, securing his spot in the semifinals. The returning NCAA qualifier carried his momentum from the previous matches to defeat Robert Deutsch of Rider, 11-6. In his final match of the night, Forys faced David Pearce of Drexel and came out with a 9-6 decision. The following weight class at 141, Racciato had a bye the first round and defeated Jimmy Morris of Rider 20-5, securing his spot in the quarterfinals. He then took on AJ Vindici of Penn and won in a 15-5 major decision, advancing him to the semifinals. Racciato made his way to the final round after a 7-5 decision over Rick Durso of F & M. In his closest match of the day, Racciato came out victorious in a 3-2 decision over Todd Preston of Harvard. The Panthers will take a two and a half week break from dual meet competition before the home opener with Edinboro on Dec. 12.