InterMat Staff

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.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The NC State wrestling team three won weight classes at the annual Wolfpack Open on Sunday afternoon. Sophomores Nicky Hall (174) and Michael Boykin (197) both earned medalist honors along with redshirt-senior Nick Gwiazdowski (285). Hall claimed the Pack's first title of the day, going 5-0 at 174 pounds. After a 9-0 win and then a first-period pin, Hall scored a 12-1 major decision in the quarterfinals. Hall's semifinal was a close 2-1 win, which led to a 7-3 win in the title bout. Boykin cruised into the quarterfinals with a 17-1 tech fall and then a 16-2 major decision to start his day. After a 9-2 win in the quarters, Boykin upset 18th-ranked Scottie Boykin of Chattanooga 9-4 to advance to the finals. In the finals, Boykins' riding time proved to be the difference in the 2-1 win. The defending two-time NCAA Champion Gwiazdowski also finished the day 5-0. He scored four pins leading up to the championship bout, including two in the first period, and won in the finals over 18th-ranked Jared Johnson of Chattanooga by major decision, 15-2. Gwiazdowski now has an NCAA-best 63 match winning streak. In all, NC State placed six wrestlers into the quarterfinals. Other top Wolfpack finishers: Sean Fausz (125), Brian Hamann (157), Michael Maachiavello (184) and Malik McDonald (197) all placed fifth - while Will Clark (141) and Mike Kosoy (285) were sixth. Up Next: NC State will have next weekend off. The Pack returns to action on Friday, December 4 with a trip to Appalachian State. Following that dual, the Pack will travel to No. 7 Nebraska for a dual on Sunday, December 6.

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cornell pinned its way to a fourth consecutive New York State Wrestling title, easily securing the title by winning five individual titles and cruising past second place Army 202-171 on Sunday at Barton Hall. Binghamton (133.5), Buffalo (136) and Columbia (123.5) rounded out the top five teams. Nahshon Garrett (133), Dylan Realbuto (141), Duke Pickett (165), Brian Realbuto (174) and Gabe Dean (184) all won titles, two more Big Red wrestlers reached the finals (Dalton Macri medically forfeited to second at 125; Will Koll lost to teammate Dylan Realbuto in a one-point decision in the finals) and the other three reached the semifinals, with Jeramy Sweany medically forfeiting out the rest of the tournament after winning his first two matches at heavyweight by fall. Winning by fall became a theme on the day, as the Big Red won 15 matches by pin in the championship bracket, where its 10 scoring wrestlers posted a cumulative 35-4 record with 26 bonus point victories. After claiming three titles a season ago and holding off Hofstra by 0.5 points for the three-peat, the Big Red had a much more comfortable, though not easy, road. Nahshon Garrett won all four of his bouts by bonus point scores, including a third period fall over Binghamton's Jake Nicholson in the finals. Defending national champion Gabe Dean had a similar trek at 184, winning his first two matches by fall in the first perioud before dominating Army's Samson Imonode 26-10 for the tech fall. Brian Realbuto also earned a pair of first period falls to start the tournament, then majored Ivy foe Zack Hernandez of Columba before a solid 8-3 win over Army's Brian Harvey. The two remaining champions both were able to squeak out one-point wins, with the battle at 141 coming between a pair of Cornell wrestlers. Dylan Realbuto, who won one high school title in New York state, outlasted three-time high school state champion Will Koll for the title in an exciting match, 7-6. Pickett's 3-2 win at 165 came in familiar Pickett style, using a takedown and an escape to knock off Columbia's Tyrel White in the final. Freshman Dillon Artigliere won the 165 Open Division title with first period falls in the semifinals and the finals. Andrew Garcia won the open title at 174, ending the tournament with a tech fall and two major decisions.Jacob Anderson rounded out the field of Open champions, earning a third period fall in the finals to take the crown. Cornell returns to action on Sunday, Nov. 29 when the Big Red visits New York City for the Grapple at the Garden. The Big Red will face a pair of top 20 teams, squaring off with No. 7 Nebraska at 9:45 a.m., then hitting the mats again at 11:45 a.m. to meet No. 15 Rutgers. It will be Cornell's fourth appearance in the Grapple at the Garden, with the Big Red posting a 4-2 record in duals at MSG in the previous three trips to New York City, home of the 2016 NCAA Championships.

FARGO, N.D. -- The sixth-ranked Virginia Tech wrestling squad won their first road dual meet of 2015, topping South Dakota State 20-16. Junior Joey Dance opened the day with his fourth-consecutive dual meet victory in 2015. After ending the first period in a 0-0 stalemate, Dance picked up an early escape in the second and closed with a quick takedown-near fall combination to go ahead 7-0. NDSU would score on an escape with two seconds left in the final period but couldn't top Dance, who picked up a 7-1 victory and three team points. Hokies went ahead 6-0 when Kevin Norstrem picked up his first dual victory of the year, a 13-7 decision. Norstrem took an early lead behind two first period takedowns, adding a reversal in the second period. Norstrem put his opponent away in the final period, surging ahead behind three takedowns. Solomon Chishko picked up three more team points for the Hokies at 141 pounds, downing his opponent for his fourth dual meet victory of his redshirt year. After striking first with a takedown, his opponent racked up two escapes in the first period to head into the second at a 2-2 stalemate. After some back-and-forth, Chishko closed out the second period with a takedown and started the third with an escape to go up 5-2. Chishko added one more takedown to finish with an 8-3 victory after riding time and the Tech lead expended to 9-0. North Dakota State won a major decision at 149 pounds and picked up a fall at 157 to take a 10-9 lead at the halfway point. Twentieth-ranked David McFadden's undefeated streak continued on Sunday when he picked up a 12-2 major decision at 165 pounds. Behind three takedowns and a near fall, McFadden earned four team points to give the lead back to the Hokies at 13-10. Cody Hughes struck first at 174 pounds, picking up a quick takedown and adding another at the first period came to an end to lead 4-3. Heading into the final period with the score knotted up at 6-6, Huges picked up a takedown, reversal and an escape in a barn burner for an 11-9 victory, pushing the Tech lead to 16-10. After dropping a closely contested battle at 184 pounds, Jared Haught went up 4-1 in the first period at 197 pounds. Haught collected six takedowns en route to a 13-4 major decision, adding four team points & moving the score to 20-13 in favor of the Hokies. Second-ranked Ty Walz was strong out the gate at 285 pounds, riding two takedowns and two two-point near falls to jump out to an 8-2 lead at the end of the first. Tacking on two more takedowns and two escapes, Walz picked up his fourth dual meet victory at 14-7, with the Hokies moving to 3-1 with a 23-13 victory over the Bisons. Results: 125: Joey Dance (VT) over Joshua Rodriguez (NDSU) (Dec 8-1) 133: Kevin Norstrem (VT) over Nicholas O`Brien (NDSU) (Dec 13-7) 141: Solomon Chishko (VT) over Mitchell Friedman (NDSU) (Dec 8-3) 149: Clayton Ream (NDSU) over Chad Saunders (VT) (MD 9-1) 157: Grant Nehring (NDSU) over Jameson Spengler (VT) (Fall 3:47) 165: David McFadden (VT) over Tyler McNutt (NDSU) (MD 12-2) 174: Cody Hughes (VT) over Charley Popp (NDSU) (Dec 11-9) 184: Hayden Zillmer (NDSU) over Zachary Zavatsky (VT) (Dec 7-5) 197: Jared Haught (VT) over Logan Paxton (NDSU) (MD 12-3) 285: Ty Walz (VT) over Benjamin Tyanan (NDSU) (Dec 14-7)

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- No. 1 Penn State (4-0, 0-0 B1G) dominated No. 18 Stanford (2-1) in the second California dual of the weekend for the Nittany Lion wrestlers, rolling to a 31-12 victory in Stanford's Maples Pavilion. Over 2,500 fans watched as head coach Cael Sanderson's squad won seven of the nine contested bouts. The dual began at 165, where red-shirt freshman Shakur Rasheed (Coram, N.Y.) took on No. 6 Jim Wilson to start the dual. Wilson fought off a last second Rasheed comeback to post a hard-fought 6-3 win and give Stanford a short-lived 3-0 lead. Red-shirt freshman Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 8 at 174, dominated Keaton Subjeck on his way to a 12-4 major with 3:22 riding time to put Penn State up 4-3. Sophomore Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.), ranked No. 14 at 184, then took care of Garet Krohn, 6-3. Senior Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 1 at 197, thrilled many friends and family with a pin of Stanford's Boomer Fleming. The California native got the fall at the 4:11 mark of the second period. Stanford's Josh Marchak received a forfeit victory at 285 and the Nittany Lions led 13-9 heading to intermission. Senior Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), ranked No. 4 at 125, dominated No. 18 Connor Schram, posting a 7-1 win with 2:04 in riding time while forcing Schram into four stall warnings. Senior Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.), ranked No. 8 at 133, took care of Mason Pengilly with a 10-4 decision to put Penn State up 19-9 with three bouts left. Junior Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), ranked No. 5 at 141, dropped a tough 7-3 decision to No. 4 Joey McKenna for Stanford's last win of the dual. Sophomore Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at 149, pinned Paul Fox from the neutral position at 6:35 to clinch the dual and put Penn State up 25-12. Red-shirt freshman Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 4 at 157, closed out the dual with a takedown clinic (11 takedowns in just over two periods) before pinning Ryerson Dempsey at the 5:24 mark. The final fall gave Penn State the 31-12 victory. Penn State moves to 4-0 on the year while Stanford now sits at 2-1. Penn State dominated the match from start to finish, winning seven of the nine contested bouts and rolling to a 30-5 takedown edge. Penn State picked up 10 bonus points off three pins (McIntosh, Retherford, Nolf) and a major (Nickal). Penn State will take part in the Nittany Lion Open on Sunday, Nov. 6 in Rec Hall. With season tickets once again sold out in advance of the campaign beginning, Penn State is giving fans more opportunities than ever to see the Nittany Lions compete, including Penn State's next home dual meet on Dec. 13 vs. Wisconsin. Fans may purchase singles to Penn State's two BJC Duals (Wisconsin on 12/13 and Ohio State on 2/5) online at www.GoPSUsports.com/accountmanager or by calling 1-800-NITTANY. BJC Dual public tickets are $16 for adults and $8 for youth (12-and-under). Group tickets for the BJC Duals are now available as well, allowing fans to purchase 20 or more tickets at only $8 per ticket. Group tickets can be purchased by calling 1-800-NITTANY. With the five Rec Hall duals already at seated capacity, a limited number of Standing Room Only tickets (SROs) can be purchased for each of those five duals as well. Rec Hall SROs may only be purchased by calling 1-800-NITTANY and are $15 per person. 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: 165: #6 Jim Wilson STAN dec. Shakur Rasheed PSU, 6-3 / 0-3 174: #8 Bo Nickal PSU maj. dec. Keaton Subjeck STAN, 12-4 / 4-3 184: #14 Matt McCutcheon PSU dec. Garet Krohn STAN, 6-3 / 7-3 197: #1 Morgan McIntosh PSU pinned Boomer Fleming STAN, WBF (4:11) / 13-3 285: Josh Marchak STAN win by forfeit / 13-9 125: #4 Nico Megaludis PSU dec. #18 Connor Schram STAN, 7-1 / 16-9 133: #8 Jordan Conaway PSU dec. Mason Pengilly STAN, 10-4 / 19-9 141: #4 Joey McKenna STAN dec. #5 Jimmy Gulibon PSU, 7-3 / 19-12 149: #2 Zain Retherford PSU pinned Paul Fox STAN, WBF (6:35) / 25-12 157: #4 Jason Nolf PSU pinned Ryerson Dempsey STAN, WBF (5:24) / 31-12 Attendance: 2,500 (appx.) Records: Penn State 4-0, 0-0 B1G; Stanford 2-1 Up Next for Penn State: Nittany Lion Open, Sunday, Dec. 6, Rec Hall BOUT-BY-BOUT: 165: Red-shirt freshman Shakur Rasheed (Coram, N.Y.) met No. 6 Jim Wilson at 165, a returning All-American. Rasheed shot first, nearly taking Wilson down, but the Cardinal countered the move for a takedown of his own and an early 2-0 lead. Wilson then controlled the action for over a minute, building up a riding time edge and working the clock down to under minute in the opening period. Rasheed rolled to an escape and a 2-1 deficit with :43 on the clock, Wilson owning a 1:41 riding time edge. Rasheed chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 2-2 tie. Rasheed worked for a shot in the center of the mat but Wilson was able to fight off the Lion freshman's attempts and keep the bout tied at 2-2. Rasheed nearly scored as the second period ended, but Wilson picked up a stall warning and killed the clock. Wilson chose down to start the third period and worked his way to an escape and a 3-2 lead with 1:30 on the clock, holding a 1:24 time edge as well. Rasheed tied the bout as he forced Wilson into another stall and then shot low as the bout ended. Wilson was able to counter the scrambling Rasheed for a final takedown and a hard-fought 6-3 win. 174: Red-shirt freshman Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas), ranked No. 8 at 174, took to the mat against sophomore Keaton Subjeck. Nickal scored quickly, using a low single to open up an early 2-1 lead. The Lion freshman countered a high Subjeck shot for a second takedown and a 4-1 lead midway through the opening period. Nickal continued his offensive press after a second Subjeck escape but the Cardinal was able to defend his way through the rest of the period. Trailing 4-2, Subjeck chose down to start the second period but Nickal controlled the action for :40 before the Cardinal escaped. Nickal owned 1:43 in riding time. Leading 4-3 with 1:43 riding time, Nickal chose down to start the third period. A quick escape was followed by a furious takedown and a 7-3 lead for the Lion freshman. With riding time well in his favor, Nickal added two near fall points to up his lead to 9-3. Nickal cut Subjeck loose at the :50 mark, looking for another takedown and a major. The Lion freshman quickly used a low double to up his lead to 11-4 and then broke Subjeck down to ride him out and post the 12-4 major with 3:22 in riding time. 184: Sophomore Matt McCutcheon (Apollo, Pa.), ranked No. 14 at 184, wrestled junior Garet Krohn. McCutcheon scored quickly, taking Krohn down for a 2-0 lead. Krohn nearly countered for a reversal before working his way to an escape and McCutcheon led 2-1 midway through the opening period. McCutcheon, leading by one, chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. He then worked his way to a takedown and a 5-1 lead before Krohn was able to escape to a 5-2 deficit. McCutcheon led 5-2 with :40 in riding time after two periods and Krohn chose down to start the third. McCutcheon controlled the action long enough to build up over 1:00 riding time before Krohn escaped to a 5-3 McCutcheon lead. McCutcheon shot low again and Krohn once again tried to counter for a takedown of his own. The action ended in a stalemate and action resumed on the Cardinal S in the center of the mat. McCutcheon would wind out the clock and post the 6-3 win with 1:09 in riding time. 197: Senior Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 1 at 197, faced off against Cardinal Boomer Fleming. McIntosh quickly threw Fleming down for an opening takedown and a 2-1 lead after cutting Fleming loose. McIntosh added another takedown and cut to lead 4-2 midway through the opening period. McIntosh worked his way into control of Fleming's left ankle and added a third takedown to up his lead to 6-2 as the opening period wound down. Leading 6-2 with 1:26 in riding time, McIntosh chose neutral to start the second period and quickly took Fleming down for an 8-2 lead. McIntosh then worked Fleming over at the shoulders an picked up the pin at the 4:11 mark. 285: Stanford's Josh Marchak received a forfeit victory at 285. 125: Senior All-American Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), ranked No. 4 at 125, met No. 18 Connor Schram in a key bout to start the dual meet. Megaludis and Schram traded early shots with the action ending in a stalemate at the :30 mark. Neither wrestler broke through on offense and action moved to the middle period scoreless. Schram chose down to start the second stanza but Megaludis was able to break the Cardinal grappler down to build up some riding time. The Lion senior controlled the action from the top position for a minute before action moved out of bounds. Megaludis then continued to dominate from the top, forcing two stall warnings to lead 1-0 as the clock wound down. The strong ride-out and Schram's inactivity gave Megaludis a 1-0 lead with 2:00 in riding time after two. Megaludis chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 2-0 lead and a 1:57 riding time edge. Megaludis turned a low single into a scramble and a takedown to lead 4-1 after cutting Schram loose at the :55 mark. Schram continued to stall, giving Megaludis a 5-1 lead with :42 on the clock. With the riding time point clinched, Megaludis forced Schram into another stall and the Lion posted the 7-1 win with 2:04 in riding time. 133: Senior Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.), ranked No. 8 at 133, tangled with sophomore Mason Pengilly. The duo battled evenly for the opening two-minutes plus until Conaway blew through a head outside single for a takedown and a 2-0 lead. Conaway then controlled the action for the rest of the period, working the Cardinal on the mat and taking a 2-0 lead with :52 riding time into the second period. Conaway chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. He then used another high shot to notch his second takedown and up his lead to 5-0. Pengilly escaped to a 5-1 score, but Conaway had 1:32 in riding time. The Nittany Lion senior led 5-1 after two periods and Pengilly chose down to start the third. Pengilly escaped to a 5-2 Conaway lead and the Lion senior immediately worked behind a Cardinal shot for another takedown and a 7-3 lead with a clinched riding time point. Conaway added another takedown and a riding time point (2:18) to poste the 10-4 victory. 141: Junior Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), ranked No. 5 at 141, battled No. 4 Joey McKenna in the dual meet's marquee match-up. McKenna wasted no time with his offense, bulling through Gulibon's waist for a takedown and a 2-0 lead. McKenna then controlled the action from the top position, building up big riding time edge with the strong ride. Gulibon got hit with a first stall warning at the :21 mark and action moved out of bounds. The Lion junior could not escape off the reset and McKenna led 2-0 with 2:53 in riding time after one period. McKenna chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. Gulibon began to pick up the pace as the second period wound down but McKenna was able to keep the Lion junior at arm's length, but he did give up one stall warning. Trailing 3-0, Gulibon chose neutral to start the third period and quickly worked his way into a low single and a takedown at the 1:40 mark. He cut McKenna loose and action resumed with the Cardinal up 4-2 with a clinched riding time point. Gulibon nearly tied the bout with another takedown at the 1:00 mark, with McKenna on the defensive. McKenna countered a low Gulibon shot for a clinching takedown at the :45 mark and led 6-2. Gulibon escaped as the bout ended but McKenna would post the 7-3 win with 3:13 in riding time. 149: Sophomore Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at 149, took on Paul Fox. Fox opened up the bout with a quick shot, forcing a scramble in the middle of the mat as Retherford fought off the takedown attempt for nearly a minute before a stalemate was called at the 2:00 mark. Retherford fought off a second Fox shot and then began forcing the Cardinal back towards the outside circle before connecting on a double leg for a 2-0 lead with :34 on the clock. Retherford controlled the action for the rest of the period and carried that lead into the second stanza. Leading 2-0, Retherford chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. Retherford worked his way behind Fox for a second takedown and a 5-0 lead at the 1:25 mark. Retherford then controlled the action from the top position until Fox escaped at the :50 mark. Retherford was relentless however, picking up a third takedown to lead 7-1. Retherford then rode Fox out to carry the 7-1 lead with 1:37 in riding time into the third period. Fox chose neutral to start the third period but Retherford continued to press his offense. The duo scrambled and Fox fought off the Retherford shot and a reset was called at the 1:07 mark. Retherford worked Fox's shoulders to the mat with his leg and picked up the neutral position fall at the 6:35 mark. 157: Red-shirt freshman Jason Nolf (Yatesboro, Pa.), ranked No. 4 at 157, battled Ryerson Dempsey. Nolf attacked from the start of the match, forcing Dempsey back towards the outside circle. Dempsey slipped behind Nolf on a loose shot and led 2-1 after a quick Nolf escape with 1:50 on the clock. Nolf quickly tied the bout at 3-3 with a takedown. Energized by giving up the opening takedown, Nolf went on to stack up six more takedowns as the period ended and led 13-7 after three minutes. Dempsey chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 13-8 score. Nolf continued his takedown clinic, adding a flurry of takedowns and picking up multiple stall points to lead 23-12 after two periods with 1:06 in riding time. Nolf chose neutral to start the third, turned a low single into a cradle and a pin at the 5:24 mark.

The No. 14 University of Oklahoma wrestling team defeated No. 3 Michigan 23-12 Sunday afternoon inside Cliff Keen Arena in Ann Arbor, Mich. With the win, the Sooners move to 5-0 on the season. OU picked up six wins in the dual, including a technical fall victory at 133 pounds when No. 1 Cody Brewer collected two 4-point nearfalls en route to defeating No. 6 Rossi Bruno, 18-2 (6:54). Ryan Millhof started off the match for the Sooners at 125 pounds with a 3-2 decision upset over No. 6 Conor Youtsey. Millhof recorded an escape and a takedown in the second period for the win. Redshirt freshman Noah Teaney dropped a hard-fought 7-5 decision over Michigan's George Fisher at 141, but freshman Davion Jeffries, ranked No. 20 in the nation, continued his undefeated streak, downing No. 11 Alex Pantaleo with a 4-3 decision after tallying a late takedown in the 149-pound bout. Redshirt sophomore Shayne Tucker collected six points for the Sooners after his opponent, No. 3 Brian Murphy, defaulted because of injury at 157 pounds. No. 8 Clark Glass kept it going for the Sooners, defeating No. 17 Garrett Sutton in a 3-2 decision, and No. 14 Matt Reed registered a 14-7 decision over No. 19 Davonte Mahomes. OU redshirt freshman Joel Dixon dropped his 184-pound match, 8-1, to No. 13 Domenic Abounader, and Michigan's No. 5 Max Huntley downed Brad Johnson by 8-6 decision in an exciting 197-pound bout. No. 8 Ross Larson was defeated by No. 3 Adam Coon at 285 pounds, 4-1. All six of the Sooners wins in the dual were to ranked opponents, including three that were against higher-ranked foes. The Sooners return to the mat on Dec. 4 in Las Vegas, Nev., for the Cliff Keen Invitational. OU comes home on Dec. 13 for a Bedlam matchup in McCasland Field House, slated for 2 p.m CT. Results: 125: Ryan Millhof (OU) dec. No. 6 Conor Youtsey (U-M), 3-2 OU, 3-0 133: No. 1 Cody Brewer (OU) tech fall No. 6 Rossi Bruno (U-M), 18-2 (6:54) OU, 8-0 141: George Fisher (U-M) dec. Noah Teaney (OU), 7-5 OU, 8-3 149: No. 20 Davion Jeffries (OU) dec. No. 11 Alec Pantaleo (U-M), 4-3 OU, 11-3 157: Shayne Tucker (OU) injury default No. 3 Brian Murphy (U-M) OU, 17-3 165: No. 8 Clark Glass (OU) dec. No. 17 Garrett Sutton (U-M), 3-2 OU, 20-3 174: No. 14 Matt Reed (OU) dec. No. 19 Davonte Mahomes (U-M), 14-7 OU, 23-3 184: No. 13 Domenic Abounader (U-M) dec. Joel Dixon (OU), 8-1 OU, 23-6 197: No. 5 Max Huntley (U-M) dec. Brad Johnson (OU), 8-6 OU, 23-9 285: No. 3 Adam Coon (U-M) dec. No. 8 Ross Larson (OU), 4-1 OU, 23-12

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- No. 10 Lehigh completed a weekend sweep of its first home action of the season with a convincing 36-6 win over Edinboro Sunday inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. The Mountain Hawks won eight bouts, scoring bonus points in five of the eight, including a trio of pins from juniors Randy Cruz and Mitch Minotti and senior Max Wessell to improve to 4-1 on the season. "Edinboro is always going to come after you and wrestle hard," Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro said. "They're going to be a lot better come March when they get some guys back in the lineup. They're going to be a different team, but our guys wrestled hard. We moved forward and took a lot of shots. Hopefully we start getting rewarded for that." The only bout of the dual that matched ranked wrestlers was the first one as 14th-ranked sophomore edged No. 20 Sean Russell 3-1 in sudden victory at 125. The match was 1-1 through regulation, when Cruz scored off a low double leg shot from behind Russell for the winning points. Lehigh then turned to its third 133-pounder of the season, as sophomore Dean Somers stepped in for classmate Jonathan Mele and posted a 12-0 major decision over Tony Recco. Somers came out of an early scramble with a takedown and four point near fall to lead 6-0 after one and added a takedown in each of the final two periods to win his first career dual match. "He kept wrestling," Santoro said of Somers. "He didn't try to sit on a lead. He kept wrestling and ended up getting the major for us and winning pretty big. It was a nice win for him." Randy Cruz then made it three straight Mountain Hawk wins with the first of three falls on the day. Up 2-0 in the first period, Cruz used a half nelson-arm bar combination to deck Nate Hagan in 2:05. Edinboro's first win came at 149 as Patricio Lugo improved to 10-0 after holding off a late charge from junior Laike Gardner to win 6-4. Lugo led 4-1 after one period behind two takedowns. A third period score got Gardner back within two but he couldn't convert a tying takedown in the final period. Minotti led 3-0 in the second period at 157 when he used a cement mixer to pin Spencer Nagy at 3:29 to give the Mountain Hawks a 19-3 lead at intermission. The Fighting Scots (3-2) posted their only other win at 165 as Casey Fuller edged freshman Ryan Preisch 3-2, with the only takedown coming from Fuller in the first period off a Preisch shot. Fuller joined Lugo at moving to 10-0 on the season. "I'll take a few losses early for being overly aggressive," Santoro said. "We'll start finishing those and next time we'll be better." Lehigh went on to capture the final four bouts, starting with a 10-4 win from junior Elliot Riddick over Patrick Jennings at 174. Riddick scored a takedown in each period and added a two point near fall in the second plus a pair of escapes. Senior Nathaniel Brown posted his third technical fall win in five bouts, defeating Chris Laird 16-0 in 2:13 at 184. After an early takedown, Brown scored three four point near falls off tilts and then ended the match with a two point near fall. At 197 senior John Bolich won an 8-3 decision over Vince Pickett. Bolich built a 7-1 lead in the third period and was looking for a major when he was taken down late. The final bout of the dual went to senior Max Wessell who handed Billy Miller his first loss of the season. Tied at 1-1 in the third period, Wessell countered a Miller shot by throwing him to his back for the fall in 5:35. The Mountain Hawks will be off from competition next weekend and will return to action with two duals in New Jersey on Saturday, December 5. Lehigh will visit Rider at 11 a.m. and then will make the trek to Princeton to visit the Tigers at 2 p.m. Results: 125 - Darian Cruz (Lehigh) dec. Sean Russell (Edinboro) 3-1, sv 133 - Dean Somers (Lehigh) major dec. Tony Recco (Edinboro) 12-0 141 - Randy Cruz (Lehigh) Fall Nate Hagan (Edinboro) 2:05 149 - Patricio Lugo (Edinboro) dec. Laike Gardner (Lehigh) 6-4 157 - Mitch Minotti (Lehigh) Fall Spencer Nagy (Edinboro) 3:29 165 - Casey Fuller (Edinboro) dec. Ryan Preisch (Lehigh) 3-2 174 - Elliot Riddick (Lehigh) dec. Patrick Jennings (Edinboro) 10-4 184 - Nathaniel Brown (Lehigh) tech fall Chris Laird (Edinboro) 16-0, 2:13 197 - John Bolich (Lehigh) dec. Vince Pickett (Edinboro) 8-3 285 - Max Wessell (Lehigh) Fall Billy Miller (Edinboro) 5:35

SAINT CHARLES, Mo. -- Oklahoma State wrestlers Joe Smith and Chandler Rogers remain undefeated on the season after claiming titles at the Joe Parisi Open at 157 pounds and 174 pounds, respectively. Smith won his title at 157 pounds, taking out two top-20 opponents in the process. The true freshman put on a dominating show, tacking on bonus points to three of his five wins. In his first two matches, Smith scored a total of 47 points with a 24-10 major decision over Logan McQuillan of Iowa and a 23-8 technical fall over Ty Ethridge of Lindenwood, respectively. In the quarterfinals, he picked up a first-period fall, sticking Kevin Cooper of McKendree in 2:48. Waiting for him in the semifinals was No. 11 Joey LaVallee of Mizzou, who Smith defeated, in his closest bout of the day, 5-3. In the finals, Smith met up with No. 17 Dylan Cottrell. The Cowboy continued his winning ways and improved to 13-0 on the season with an 8-2 win over the Mountaineer. Competing at 174 pounds, Rogers earned the second title for the Cowboys. Rogers proved to be dominant as well as he open his tournament with three-consecutive wins by fall. Between the three matches, Rogers spent less than 12 minutes on the mat with each fall coming in the second period. In the semifinals, the Cowboy faced Jacobe Smith of Northeastern Oklahoma. Rogers came out on top with a 12-6 win and secured his spot in the finals, where he would meet up with Zeb Wahle of Maryville. The two took the match into overtime, but it was Rogers who walked away with a 9-7 win and the title at 174 pounds. Seven other Cowboys earned top-five finishes. At 149 pounds, Jonce Blaylock produced a third-place finish, taking out Neal Malloy of Indianapolis, 8-4. Earlier in the day, the Cowboy advanced to semifinals after taking out Derek Miller of Grand View with a 6-0 decision and Mech Spraggins of McKendree with a 12-3 major decision. In the semis, he faced John Fahy of SIUE. Fahy got the win, 8-5, sending Blaylock to the back half of the bracket. There, Blaylock picked up two more wins to finish third. Ryan Blees also finished third at the tournament. At 157 pounds, Blees started strong with a 10-0 major decision in his first bout and a first-period fall in his second bout. In the semifinals, Blees faced LaVallee in a high-scoring match, but it was LaVallee who took the 18-15 win. In the consolation bracket, Blees came back, winning four matches, including an 8-4 win over Logan Thomsen of Iowa to finish third. Nick Piccininni competed for the Pokes at 125 pounds, where he finished fourth. The freshman picked up two solid wins in the championship round, including a fall over senior Tristan Bundy of Grand View, before falling to eventual champion Barlow McGhee of Missouri in a 3-1 bout. Piccininni battled back to earn his spot in the third-place match but fell just short to Aaron Assad of Missouri, 8-6. Dusty Hone followed suit at 141 pounds, collecting his own fourth-place finish. Similar to Piccininni, Hone picked up two wins, including a 15-0 technical fall before getting knocked to the consolation bracket by Missouri's LeRoy Barnes with 6-4 match. Fighting his way back, Hone won three matches to advance to the third-place bout but was outlasted by Mizzou's Matt Manley, 3-2. Junior Austin Schafer also earned a fourth-place finish. At 197 pounds, Schafer picked up a 12-3 major decision to start the tournament but was defeated by 2014 NCAA champion and No. 2 J'Den Cox of Mizzou in the quarterfinals. In the consos, Schafer won two-consecutive matches by technical fall before defeating teammate Andrew Marsden to earn a spot in the third-place bout. There he was pinned by Ryan Beltz of Maryville to finish fourth. At 141 pounds, Tristan Moran finished fifth, defeating Will Roark of Mizzou in his final match of the day, 5-1. Moran earned five wins on the day. Also earning a fifth-place finish was Andrew Marsden at 197 pounds. The true freshman stuck Benedictine's Stephen Loosbrock in just 30 seconds to finish fifth. Marsden snatched two 30-second falls on the day. Also competing for the Pokes in the Gold Division was Eli Hale (125), Lincoln Olson (133), Dalton Moran (157), Preston Weigel (197) and Tanner Allen (285). Garrett Beier (285) competed in the Black Division. The Cowboys are back in action next weekend as they travel to Brookings, South Dakota, to face the South Dakota State Jackrabbits on Nov. 27, before heading back to Stillwater to take on Minnesota in the home opener on Nov. 29 at 2 p.m..

ST. CHARLES, Mo. -- At the Joe Parisi Open on Saturday, 38 teams had wrestlers compete in more than 1,500 matches on 13 mats, but no team came away more victorious than Mizzou Wrestling. In all, #TigerStyle walked away from the Open, hosted on Lindenwood's campus, with five championships, including four in the elite division. The highlight moment of the night came from redshirt sophomore 125-pounder Barlow McGhee (Rock Island, Ill.), who upset the No. 2-ranked Zeke Moisey from West Virginia by way of major decision, 14-4, to capture the 125 pound championship. Immediately following the win, teammates junior 197-pounder J'den Cox (Columbia, Mo.) and redshirt junior 149-pounder Lavion Mayes (Mascoutah, Ill.) (who both won championships of their own), embraced McGhee on a group bear-hug, showing their excitement for the great win. The victory over Moisey capped an impressive day for McGhee, who won five matches on the day. McGhee recorded two technical falls and two major decisions in the five wins. The 133-pound championship featured two Tigers, as freshman Jaydin Eierman (Columbia, Mo.) and redshirt junior Zach Synon (Cary, Ill.) squared off against one another. The two, who have to be familiar with one another from practicing against each other every day, batted to a 5-3 decision, won by the young Tiger Eierman. Eierman won four matches on the day, two by major decision and one by fall. Mayes brought home the next title for #TigerStyle when he defeated John Fahy from SIU Edwardsville for the second straight night. Mayes, who beat Fahy 11-6 on Friday night, one-upped his performance by handing Fahy a 15-3 major decision defeat in the championship match. The major decision was Mayes' second on the night. He also recorded a fall in his quarterfinals match against Isaac Reinemann of Illinois. Cox, who won a Joe Parisi Championship as a freshman, outlasted Jacob Smith of West Virginia, 2-0, in the 197-pound Championship match. Smith was ranked as high as No. 8 in national rankings coming into the tournament. Cox ran through the competition in route to his title, posted three technical falls and a first period fall on the day. Three #Tigerstyle grapplers, redshirt sophomore 125-pounder Aaron Asaad (Brecksville, Ohio), redshirt freshman 133-pounder John Erneste (Kansas City, Mo.), and redshirt junior 141-pounder Matt Manley (Perry, Okla.), also placed third in the elite division on the day. In the freshman/sophomore division, freshman 157-pounder Luke Fortuna (Lombard, Ill.) took home the 157-pound title, beating teammate freshman 157-pounder Keegan McCormick by way of decision, 3-2. Freshman Alex Butler (Rockford, Ill.) placed second in the 149 pound weight class, falling to Michael Kememer of Iowa by fall in the championship match. #TigerStyle will travel to Cedar Falls, Iowa next Saturday (Nov. 28) to face the No. 15-ranked Northern Iowa Panthers. The dual is slated to begin at 7 P.M. CT. For all the latest on Mizzou Wrestling, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (MizzouWrestling).