InterMat Staff

FARGO, N.D. -- Trailing with three bouts to go, the Virginia (1-0) wrestling team picked up victories in the final three contests to rally for a 25-14 victory at No. 25 North Dakota State (0-1) on Friday in the first dual meet of the season for both teams. George DiCamillo (Highland Heights, Ohio), Zach Watson (Chattanooga, Tenn.), Andrew Atkinson (Lynchburg, Va.), Garrett Peppelman (Harrisburg, Pa.), Fox Baldwin (Kissimmee, Fla.) and Zach Nye (Enola, Pa.) all scored wins for the Cavaliers in the victory. DiCamillo, Watson, Atkinson, Baldwin and Nye are all undefeated on the season. "North Dakota State goes really hard and they are well coached," said Virginia head coach Steve Garland. "That was a good win for this team today and a great way to kick off our dual meet season. I'm really proud of these guys. We need to carry this momentum into a very tough day tomorrow. It's a crazy weekend, but the goal is March. The harder it is now, the better off we will be then." North Dakota State jumped out to the early lead when Hayden Zillmer, ranked sixth in his weight class, picked up a 20-7 major decision over the Cavalier's Will Schany at 184 pounds. Nye, ranked 11th at 197 pounds, got the Cavaliers on the board and evened things up with an 11-3 major decision over Logan Paxton. It was the first bout won by Virginia on the afternoon, but the only one through the first four bouts wrestled on the afternoon as North Dakota State moved out to an 11-4 lead. Heavyweight Patrick Gillen (Shelton, Conn.) dropped his bout 7-5 in sudden victory, while Joseph Martinez (Platteville, Colo.) dropped an 8-0 major decision at 125 pounds to 17th-ranked Joshua Rodriguez. DiCamillo picked up a 16-6 major decision at 133 pounds, while Watson picked up an 11-5 decision at 141 pounds to even the meet score at 11. North Dakota State moved back in front when Mitchell Bengtson picked up a 7-5 sudden victory win over TJ Miller (Medford, N.J.) at 149 pounds. It would be the last bout won by the Bison as the Cavaliers claimed the final three matches to rally for the win. Atkinson grabbed a 12-3 major decision at 157 pounds to give Virginia the lead back with two bouts to go. Peppelman and Baldwin both picked up technical falls to seal the win for Virginia. Peppelman defeated Tyler McNutt 19-0, while Baldwin defeated Blake Thompson 17-1. Virginia will return to action Saturday, traveling to No. 24 Minnesota for a quad meet. The Cavaliers will face the Golden Gophers at 3 p.m. before facing South Dakota State at 5 p.m. and Grand Canyon at 7 p.m. Results: 184: No. 6 Hayden Zillmer (NDSU) major dec. Will Schany (UVA), 20-7; NDSU 4-0 197: No. 11 Zach Nye (UVA) major dec. Logan Paxton (NDSU), 11-3; Tied 4-4 285: Benjamin Tyanan (NDSU) sv-1 Patrick Gillen (UVA), 7-5; NDSU 7-4 125: No. 17 Joshua Rodriguez (NDSU) major dec. Joseph Martinez (UVA), 8-0; NDSU 11-4 133: No. 11 George DiCamillo (UVA) major dec. Nicholas O'Brien (NDS), 16-6; NDSU 11-8 141: Zach Watson (UVA) dec. Mitchell Friedman (NDSU), 11-5; Tied 11-11 149: Mitchell Bengtson (NDSU) sv-1 TJ Miller (UVA), 7-5; NDSU 14-11 157: Andrew Atkinson (UVA) major dec. Clayton Ream (NDSU), 12-3; UVA 15-14 165: Garrett Peppelman (UVA) tech fall Tyler McNutt (NDSU), 19-0; UVA 20-14 174: Fox Baldwin (UVA) tech fall Blake Thompson (NDSU), 17-1; UVA 25-14 *InterMat rankings listed

The sixth annual InterMat JJ Classic takes place on Sunday at the UCR Regional Sports Center in Rochester, Minn. Wrestling gets underway at 9 a.m. Registration will remain open until weigh-ins close on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. Brackets will be released Saturday night on Trackwrestling. Every match from the JJ Classic will be streamed live. This year's field is headlined by Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.), the nation's No. 1 wrestling recruit. Hall, a five-time state champion and Cadet World champion in freestyle, will be in search of his fifth straight JJ Classic title. Below is a weight-by-weight preview. Note: Weight class entries are subject to change. 100: Seventh-grader Carson Manville (South County, Va.) has been on a tear this fall. He has won tournament titles at the Grappler Fall Classic, Preseason Nationals and most recently the Super 32 Challenge. Manville, who is among the nation's top junior high wrestlers, will look to stay on a roll this weekend at the JJ Classic. His older brother Mason (now a senior) placed third at the JJ Classic as an eighth-grader in 2011. Manville could be challenged by Keegan OToole (Merton, Wis.), a USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals champion and runner-up to Manville in freestyle. Corey Gamet (Western, Mich.), a three-time Liberty Nationals champion and two-time TOC champion, should contend. Gamet placed third at the Grappler Fall Classic this year. Max Crowe (Shakopee, Minn.) is a two-time national champion in freestyle, and this past summer earned All-American honors in the Cadet freestyle competition. Zachary Miller (Simley, Minn.) was a Cadet National folkstyle runner-up this year. Andrew Sanders (Minnetonka, Minn.) earned All-American honors in freestyle and Greco-Roman at the Schoolboy level. Cody Holmes (Two Rivers, Wis.) placed third at USA Wrestling's Greco-Roman Nationals, with one of his losses coming to Manville. There are several other young and talented wrestlers who should figure into the mix in this weight class. 106: Israel Navarro (Willmar, Minn.) was a JJ Classic runner-up last year at 100 pounds, and will look to win the title this year up a weight class at 106 pounds. Navarro placed sixth in the state tournament this past season. Reuben Cephas (Rosemount, Minn.) spent much of last season ranked in the top three in the state of Minnesota at 106 pounds. He won 33 matches and placed at the Rumble on the Red. With his experience and talent, Cephas will be one of the favorites in this weight class. Wisconsin's top entrant in this weight class is Joey Bianchi (Two-Rivers, Wis.), a Schoolboy All-American in freestyle and Greco-Roman, and also a sixth-place finisher at Liberty Nationals. Joseph Peterson (Albert Lea, Minn.) is coming off a season in which he went 16-2. Colby Njos (Anoka, Minn.), Caleb Clobes (LCWM, Minn.), Jackson Penk (Litchfield, Minn.) and Xavier Judge (Bloomington Kennedy, Minn.) all placed in the top four of their section tournaments. Eighth-grader Charlie Pickell (Mankato West, Minn.) is coming off a Preseason Nationals title. Drew Bennett (Fort Dodge, Iowa) is a five-time AAU state champion and has placed multiple times in national tournaments. 113: Justin Portillo (Clarion-Goldfield-Dows, Iowa) will be after his third straight JJ Classic title. His JJ Classic titles have come at 106 pounds (2014) and 100 pounds (2013). He is a two-time state finalist, and last season won a state championship at 106 pounds with a pin in the state championship match. Aaron Schulist (Mukwonago, Wis.), a state runner-up, should contend for the title in this weight class. Garrett Vos (Waconia, Minn.) and Hser Eh Pwae (Worthington, Minn.) are both state placewinners. Cade Lundeen (Thief River Falls, Minn.), Caleb Ziebell (Slinger, Wis.) and Zac Spohn (Sauk Rapids-Rice) were all state qualifiers. Eighth-grader Drew Woodley (Northfield, Minn.) and freshman Justin Kempf (Weyauwega-Fremont, Wis.) are two young wrestlers to watch. Woodley was an NYWA state champion and Ninth Grade League state runner-up. Kempf has been a FloNationals champion in the middle school division and Liberty Nationals runner-up. 120: A pair of two-time state champions, Joshua Portillo (Clarion-Goldfield-Dows, Iowa) and Paul Bianchi (Two Rivers, Wis.), headline the group of challengers in this weight class. Portillo's state titles have come at 126 pounds (2015) and 113 pounds (2014). This past spring he won a Junior National folkstyle title at 120 pounds. In that event he earned a 3-0 victory over Bianchi in the quarterfinals. In addition to being a two-time state champion, Bianchi has also been a Junior folkstyle All-American, three-time All-American in Fargo, UWW Cadet Greco-Roman All-American and Cheesehead champion. Brenden Baker (Cedar Rapids Area, Iowa) and Michael Suda (Pipestone Area, Minn.) are both multiple-time state placewinners who should be in the mix to make the finals. Others to watch in this weight class include Hser Moo Pwae (Worthington), James Whitaker (Eaton Rapids, Mich.), Wyatt Gillette (St. Peter, Minn.) and Brady Gross (Apple Valley, Minn.). 126: Tyler Eischens (Anoka, Minn.) a state runner-up and two-time Minnesota Christmas Tournament finalist, will look to win his first JJ Classic title after finishing runner-up last year at 113 pounds. Two-time state champion Brandon Carroll (Roosevelt, S.D.) and state champion Noah Bauer (Pine Island, Minn.) are both expected to be major factors in this weight class. Triston Lara (Fort Dodge, Iowa) was a state runner-up last year. Andrew Smith (Amery, Wis.), a two-time Cadet folkstyle All-American and three-time state qualifier, placed at the JJ Classic last year. Ryan Killeen (Spectrum, Minn.) has been a state placewinner. Drew VanVleet (Mora, Minn.) and Brant O'Shea (Keokuk, Wis.) are both state qualifiers who are expected to battle for spots in the medal matches. 132: Two-time state champion Dakota Galt (Beresford, S.D.) is one of the favorites to capture the title in this weight class. Galt pinned nationally ranked Mitchell McKee (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) at the Junior Duals in freestyle this year. Jaden Van Maanen (La Crosse Central, Minn.) brings a strong resume to the JJ Classic and will look to improve on his fourth-place finish at the JJ Classic last year. He has gone 97-3 in his high school wrestling career, with state finishes of second and third. Dylan Eldeen (Tri-Valley, S.D.) is a multiple-time state placewinner. Other wrestlers who could make noise in this weight class include A.J. Bethea (Hibbing, Minn.), Anthony Meister (Elk River, Minn.), Calvin Germinaro-Nahring (Anoka, Minn.), Derek Fruetel (Litchfield, Minn.), Danny Madonia (Conant, Ill.) and Kobe Kortan (Roosevelt, S.D.). 138: Two-time state champion Kanen Storr (Leslie, Mich.) is the wrestler to beat in this weight class. Storr went 54-1 last season en route to winning a state title at 135 pounds. He was an undefeated state champion as a freshman, and was a state runner-up as a sophomore. Thie past spring Storr was a runner-up at the UWW Cadet Nationals in freestyle. This fall he won titles Conflict at Carver and Preseason Nationals, and last weekend reached the semifinals of the Super 32 Challenge before losing a one-point match. Two of Minnesota's top wrestlers, Cadet National Greco-Roman champion Alex Lloyd (Shakopee, Minn.) and undefeated state champion Adam Hedin (Rosemount, Minn.) are also entered in this weight class.The two wrestlers met in January during the high school wrestling season, with Hedin winning 3-0 in overtime. Lloyd was a Cadet double All-American this past summer in Fargo, winning a Greco-Roman title and finishing sixth in the freestyle competition. He was a Junior National folkstyle runner-up in April. He has state finishes of third (2014) and fifth (2013). Last fall he won the JJ Classic title at 126 pounds. Lloyd is the nation's No. 22 sophomore. Hedin compiled a perfect 45-0 record this past season as a junior en route to winning a state championship at 132 pounds. He was a Rumble on the Red champion. Last fall Hedin placed third at the JJ Classic. He was a state fourth-place finisher as a sophomore. Jamin LeDuc (Farmington, Minn.) is a two-time state finalist. Army West Point commit Will Lucie (Warsaw, Ill.), a three-time state placewinner, was a JJ Classic finalist a year ago, losing to Lloyd in the finals. He will look to take the next step up the podium this year. Others who could contend include state third-place finisher Tom Stageberg (New London-Spicer, Minn.), state sixth-place finisher Brandon Ortman (Pierz, Minn.), two-time section champion Lee Schmalz (Mound-Westonka, Minn.), state qualifier Austin Gutknecht (Clarinda, Iowa) and Schoolboy Nationals double All-American Joshua Otto (Arrowhead, Wis.). 145: This is one of the more wide-open weight classes at this year's JJ Classic. While it does not include a national champion or state champion, it does include several state placewinners. Jackson Sweeney (Watertown-Mayer, Minn.) was a state finalist last year. Logan Axford (Tracy, Minn.) is a multiple-time state placewinner, with state finishes of fourth and fifth. Other state placewinners in this weight class include Cayd Lara (Fort Dodge, Iowa), Dylan Schuck (Sibley-Ocheyedan, Iowa), Jeremiah Colon (LCWM, Minn.), Ryan Reid (Mound-Westonka, Minn.) and Cody Lambert (Ashland-Greenwood, Neb.). Joshua Adams (Fond du Lac, Wis.) was a Junior National folkstyle All-American this year. 152: Devin Bahr (LAW, Wis.), one of the nation's top juniors, will look for his first JJ Classic title. Bahr has compiled a 73-1 career record heading into his junior year. He was a state champion as a freshman in 2014. Last season he suffered a torn ACL at the Bi-State Classic in late December that cut his season short. In 2014, Bahr was an All-American in all three styles. He was a Cadet National folkstyle champion, and finished runner-up in Greco-Roman and third in freestyle. Bahr was a Preseason Nationals champion in 2012, 2013 and 2014. He was a member of the Cadet World Team in Greco-Roman in 2013. Bahr finished fourth at the JJ Classic in 2013. Another top challenger in this weight class is Colton Clingenpeel (Thomas Jefferson, Iowa), a JJ Classic champion last year at 138 pounds. He earned All-American honors this past summer in Fargo in the Junior Greco-Roman competition, and has won three state medals. Matt Malcom (Glenwood, Iowa) won a Preseason Nationals title this fall, and has been a state placewinner and Northern Plains champion. Cruze Hurlburt (Spring Valley, Wis.) is a two-time state placewinner, with state finishes of second and third. He was a JJ Classic runner-up to Clingenpeel last year. Kenny O'Neil (Prior Lake, Minn.) placed third in the Cadet National folkstyle competition this year. He is a state placewinner and three-time Minnesota Christmas Tournament placewinner. Dietrich Balsbaugh (Trinity School at River Ridge, Minn.) was a state runner-up this past season. Nathan Trepanier (Oconto Falls, Wis.) and Hayden Krein (LAW, Wis.) are both state third-place finishers from Wisconsin looking to make an impact in this weight class. Michigan state placewinner Tanner Gonzalez (Manistique Emeralds, Mich.) could figure into the mix as well. 160: Devin FitzPatrick (Mahtomedi, Minn.), a state runner-up and two-time state placewinner, was a JJ Classic finalist a year ago. He is one of the favorites to win the title in this weight class. Jose Acosta (Manitowoc Lincoln, Wis.) was third at the JJ Classic last year, and has been a Cadet Greco All-American, as well as Wisconsin state champion in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. Damon Schmalzriedt (LCWM, Minn.) and Drew Anderson (Westwood, Iowa) are both state placewinners. State qualifiers to watch in this weight class include Justin Burg (Tartan, Minn.), Alex Lindstrom (Eastview, Minn.), Emmett Wagner (Shakopee, Minn.), Quinlan Riffenburg (Sibley East, Minn.) and Parker Hale (Grand Meadow, Minn.). Bryson Alsteen (Luxemburg-Casco, Wis.) was a Cadet Greco-Roman All-American in Fargo. 170: Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.), the nation's No. 1 wrestling recruit and 2015 InterMat High School Wrestler of the Year, will be in search of his fifth straight JJ Classic title. Hall is a five-time state champion and will look to become Minnesota's first-ever six-time state champion. He was a UWW Cadet World champion in freestyle in 2014. Hall's wrestling resume is littered with titles at the nation's premier high school and college-age wrestling events. In May, Hall won the UWW Junior Nationals freestyle title by beating Penn State's Jason Nolf, and in June earned a spot on the Junior World Team when he dominated Oklahoma State's Chance Marsteller in the finals of the Junior World Team Trials in Madison, Wis. Billy Holtan (Carrington, N.D.), a state champion and three-time state palcewinner, will look for a spot in the finals. Holtan won the Bismark Rotary title. Freshman Greg Kerkvliet (Simley, Minn.) is a multiple-time national champion his age group. Florida has a solid entry in Nate Ferkovich (Lake Brantley, Fla.), an All-American in Fargo. Connor Williams (LaCrosse Central, Wis.), Nick Knutson (New Prague, Minn.) and Brady Goblirsch (Redwood Valley, Minn.) are state qualifiers who should be in the mix to place. 182: Lucas Jeske (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.), who committed to the University of Minnesota earlier this week, is a strong favorite to win the JJ Classic title in this weight class. Jeske is the nation's No. 55 senior recruit. He was a Junior National freestyle runner-up in Fargo, and this past season won a Minnesota state championship in Class AAA at 152 pounds. He placed in both the UWW Cadet Nationals freestyle competition and Junior Nationals folkstyle competition in the spring. A strong challenger in this weight class is Brandon Moen (Owatonna, Minn.), who won a Preseason Nationals title this fall. He is a three-time state placewinner. This past season Moen fell to Jeske in the state semifinals at 152 pounds. Jonathan Zarnke (Chaska, Minn.) is a returning state fourth-place finisher looking to challenge for a spot in the finals. Forrest Yineman (Neenah, Wis.) placed fourth at the JJ Classic last year. 195: This is a balanced weight class with no strong favorite. Iowa wrestlers Zach Haggstrom (Glenwood, Iowa) and Cruz Vera (AGWSR, Iowa) should be in the hunt for a title. Vera placed eighth in the state tournament this past season. Minnesota state qualifier Louis Wiklund (Bloomington Kennedy, Minn.) should also contend for the top spot. Other wrestlers to keep an eye on in this weight class include Griffin Thorn (Owatonna, Minn.), Jacob Olson (Cambridge-Isanti, Minn.) and Nick Kelling (Mora, Minn.). 220: Blake Zalapi (Hononegah, Ill.) was a Cadet double All-American in Fargo and went undefeated at the Cadet Duals for team national champion Illinois. Alex Paulson (Forest City, Iowa) was a state fourth-place finisher this past season. Justin Mohlin (Centennial, Minn.) was a state qualifier. Trenten Rogich (Le Sueur-Henderson, Minn.) was a Minnesota/USA state champion in freestyle and Greco and third in sections. Joshua Bohnen (Mora, Minn.) and Jesse Heck (Watertown-Mayer, Minn.) both placed fourth in their section tournaments. 285: Andrew Piehl (Rogers, Minn.) had an impressive fourth-place finish in the Junior National freestyle competition this past summer in Fargo. Piehl is coming off a season in which he went 39-1 and placed third in the state tournament, with his lone blemish coming in the state semifinals. He enters as the favorite to win the JJ Classic title. Jameer Anderson (Benilde St. Margaret's, Minn.) is a three-time state qualifier who should challenge for the title on Sunday. Adam Lucast (Lakeville South, Minn.) was a state qualifier this past season at 220 pounds. He's also a freestyle state champion, Greco-Roman state runner-up and won six matches in Fargo this past summer. Trey Chatman (Hayfied, Minn.) was third in sections and had over 20 wins. Also entered in this weight class are Alex Aarsvold (Pine Island, Minn.) and Manny Alvarez (Columbia Heights, Minn.).

Live Blog EMU Duals/Open

The NWCA All-Star Classic went off last weekend and if you happened not to watch the event live, you probably did something much more exciting. Maybe you rearranged your He-Man collection? Perhaps you washed and dried all your old takeout containers? Whatever you chose to do, it was almost certainly more exciting than 90 percent of the wrestling from the collegiate season's kickoff event. Before this hyperbole goes too far, the athletes and coaches should not shoulder all the blame. Coaches are paid to win and wrestlers aren't going to take unnecessary risks to fulfill the community's desire for action. Also, the event itself was well-conceived and executed, with top matchups and an impressive roll call of wrestling's most important leaders on hand. And yet … the actual on-the-mat wrestling was as riveting as watching canned molasses being poured onto a glacier. The inflated points were in play -- three-point takedowns and four back points added to the 13-12 final score of the Cody Brewer vs. Dean Heil showdown. The new points helped the scores look remarkable in certain matches, but it did nothing to create more action throughout the competition. With only a few notable exceptions (mostly 197 and heavyweight) stalling won the day. In what is certain to be a harbinger of things to come in the NCAA season in one 14-minute stretch between 174 and 184 pounds, no wrestler scored an offensive point. To add insult to boredom the 174-pound match ended with a victorious stalling call for interlocking fingers. There are many rules to blame, but nothing seems to be more at the center of this lack of action than the Ambien-like combination of allowing wrestlers to expose their back while defending offense and allowing a penalty free out-of-bounds. Saving some outliers, self-exposure in the modern era of wrestling gained popularity in the late 1990s with wrestlers from Fresno State (most famously) using "funk" to wiggle their way out of defensive predicaments. For almost two decades the maneuvers led to increased scrambling, which for many fans was an exciting turn of events. However nail-biting, the new era has caught up to the tricks and the funk become guys getting caught in on-again, off-again back-point scenarios where no points are awarded. For some outside perspective, the current funk roll finishes and defense share a large amount of technique with jiu-jitsu/grappling. The position most leg-snatching funks end in is referred to in jiu-jitsu as 50/50, with some looking like leg locks, kneebars and even toe-holds. Unless wrestling desires to include submissions, that relationship does not bode well for fans of NCAA wrestling. Wrestling in America is also the only worldwide style that doesn't penalize self-exposure. Every other traditional form finds exposure (not in the pursuit of direct offensive points) to be a match-ender. In Turkish, Vietnamese and Indian the entire purpose of the sport is to force just a single back exposure. The constant rolling about has reached its logical end. No points are being scored, no action is progressing and the attacking wrestlers are not being rewarded for their aggression -- instead having to live through knee bending desperations of their opponents. While some back points are now being called for wrestlers who get stuck in their rollthrough, referees have been unable to establish any consistency in the area. The solution is to immediately penalize any wrestler who exposes their back to the mat, so long as they are not in the process of earning their own nearfall points. Once this is eliminated wrestlers will need to work much harder to keep action progressing on their feet and look for their own offense, rather than waiting on their heels to only roll across their back. As for out-of-bounds, nothing more needs to be stated. Wrestlers play the edge in order to avoid giving up points. If there is a firm out-of-bounds the sport stays in the center and we (gasp) get to watch more actual wrestling. These are modest proposals that should be adapted immediately. No need to waste another season watching one guy try to lay on top of another guy, or roll around only to go out-of-bounds. Your move, NCAA. It's about time you bring back some excitement to the sport we all love. To your questions ... Dylan Ness picks up a takedown on Mike Kelly at the Big Ten Championships (Photo/The Guillotine)Q: Thoughts on Dylan Ness returning to competition in Greco this weekend? -- @CodyOcho5 Foley: Excited. Dylan Ness has fast hips and a dangerous style that could take him far in any tournament. I'm not sure how he'll fare later in the tournament, as Greco-Roman wrestling is next-level exhaustion, but I'm pulling for some big throws. As for his long term viability, I think too many sleep on the toughness of the USA Greco-Roman squad. Just because they aren't as popular as the freestyle shouldn't be confused with them being pushovers. Those are some Grade A bad asses. Q: Top five at the Bill Farrell with percentages for making the Olympic Team. I got Ed Ruth, Jennifer Page, JO, Victoria Anthony and Tamyra Mensah. -- @davidcelias Foley: I don't think any of those wrestlers make the Olympic team! Ten percent across the board, with the possible exception of Pico, who I won't discount too much even though I think he's still a ways off from beating Metcalf more than two out of ten times they wrestle. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Badass Girl of the Week Look familiar? Q: Does Jan Johnson win a Big Ten match for PSU? -- @alliseeis_ Foley: I think he does. Johnson is a two-time PIAA state champion and a walk-on football player for the Nittany Lions. That's athleticism and coachability for a guy who also has the ability to work extra hours with one of the greatest wrestlers of all-time. Johnson will be facing stiff competition up and down the Big Ten, but he is going to finish with several wins and a trip to the NCAA Championships at Madison Square Garden. Q: I'm excited to watch Mark Hall wrestle in the JJ Classic this weekend and anxious for his decision next week. Where do you think he ends up? -- Mike C. Foley: The JJ Classic will be a great opportunity for Mark to make one final impression on the fan bases before making his announcement. Every match from the JJ Classic will be streamed live. I've written about the futility in trying to predict the thoughts of a high school senior and I don't think I'm any more informed than any other forum reader. That said, I don't see why he wouldn't choose Penn State. For me that's the place where you will have individual and team glory and be revered by the student body. Maybe that's true at the other schools, but I just see four years with Coach Cael as the best option. Q: I have heard that around 30K tickets have already been sold for the Iowa-Oklahoma State dual meet at Kinnick Stadium on Nov. 14. What do you predict the attendance will be? -- Mike C. Foley: Congrats to Iowa wrestling for putting together this event. Not easy to pull this off in 2015 and yet Coach Brands got buy-in from the administration. Insane. I'm going to go with 42,598 fans! Why not? I mean how many students are they expecting to attend? I just can't see why you wouldn't drop by for an event that is so unique. I'll just be getting back from an overseas trip or else I'd attend. Can't wait to see these photos.

The Peacock wrestling team hosted the 2nd Annual Mike Olson Duals on Thursday night in Fayette and picked up victories in their first two duals of the season. After Truman State University defeated Waldorf College 41-5, the Peacocks handed the Warriors their second loss of the night 41-6 and then defeated the Bulldogs by a 34-7 count. In UIU's win over Waldorf, the home team won eight of the ten matches including three by forfeit at 133, 149 and 184 pounds. The Peacocks started the dual with a win at 125 pounds as Garrett Wangsness scored three takedowns and a reversal for a 10-4 decision. Hunter Slifka followed at 141 pounds with a win by fall in the first period (2:10). Waldorf's second forfeit put Upper Iowa ahead 21-0 heading into the 157-pound match. Cody Nelson used a pair of takedowns to build a lead on the way to a 6-2 win. Waldorf got on the scoreboard at 165 pounds behind Sha-Keno Jenkins, who defeated Douglas Perrin 13-6. Colbey Vance put the Peacocks back in the win column with a dominant 16-1 technical fall as the first period ended thanks to a pair of takedowns and three four-point nearfalls. The Warriors' third forfeit put UIU ahead 35-3. Maurice Wilburn III claimed his first victory with a win by fall (2:16) at 197 pounds. The Warriors earned their second win of the dual at heavyweight as Angel Gomez defeated Avery Jacobs 6-2. Mitch Funk opened the dual with Truman State by picking up a win by fall just 37 seconds into an exhibition match. Garrett Wangsness opened the scoring for Upper Iowa with a 5-2 win fueled by a reversal and a takedown. Dakota Wangsness followed his twin brother's win with a victory of his own by a 9-4 count at 133 pounds. Matt Paulus (141) and Damian Penichet (149) pushed UIU's lead to 18-0 with a pair of wins by fall at 5:19 and 0:53, respectively. Cody Nelson scored a 5-2 win at 157 pounds and Zak Benitz made his return to Dorman Gym with a 10-5 decision. Vance scored his second big win of the night at 174 pounds with a 15-3 major decision highlighted by a pair of reversals and four two-point nearfalls; on the night the redshirt junior outscored his opponents 31-4. Dalton Westerlund scored a win by fall in the second period of his 184-pound match pushing UIU's lead to 34-0. The Bulldogs claimed wins by Samuel Reeves and Austin Dovin in the final two matches to set the final score at 34-7. For the night, the Peacocks turned in seven bonus-point wins including five by fall, one by technical fall and one by major decision. Upper Iowa will be back on the mats in Decorah, Iowa on Saturday, Nov. 14, for the Luther College Open. Link: Results

ALMA, Mich. -- Wrestling outdoors and under the lights at Bahlke Field for the first time in school history, the Alma College wrestling team opened their 2015-16 campaign in strong fashion, defeating Davenport University, 33-9. The Scots dominated the meet, scoring major decisions in three matches and winning by fall in two in front of a crowd of nearly 500 people. Junior Victor Sosa-Sevilla (Wilmington, N.C./Eugene Ashley) made his debut in the 125-pound match, scoring six takedowns en route to a 13-5 major decision over Jordan Stone. Sophomore Hunter Machus (Bronson, Mich./Bronson), also making his debut, put the Scots up 8-0 when he scored an 11-1 major decision over Jacob Busing in the 133-pound match, tallying two points on a reversal and scoring four back points in the second period. In the 141-pound bout, freshman Romeo Riley (Kalamazoo, Mich./Kalamazoo Central) scored a takedown in the first period and held on to defeat Cole Menck, 4-1. Davenport scored in the 149-pound match when Brant Schafer posted a 3-2 decision over senior JJ Sadler (Wetmore, Mich./Munising). Fifth-ranked Shawn Brewer (New Boston, Mich./Huron) rolled in the 157-pound matchup, earning a 12-1 major decision over Brandon Dyke. In the 165-pound match, sophomore Taylor McPhail (Muskegon, Mich./Mona Shores) took a 2-0 lead on a first-period takedown, but fell to the Panthers' Kyle Nixon in a second-period fall to make the score 15-9 after six matches. The Scots won the final four matches, with sophomore Travis Heller (Escanaba, Mich./Escanaba) registering a 9-4 decision over Dillon Francisco, while junior Trent Hullett (Jackson, Mich./Parma Western) and senior Jamie Jakes (Dearborn, Mich./Dearborn Divine Child) registered pins in the 185- and 197-pound bouts. Hullett scored his fall in the second period as part of his first match for the Scots, while Jakes pinned his opponent at 2:39 of the opening period. The feature match of the evening was in the 285-pound class, with senior Trevor Maresh (Northville, Mich./Northville), ranked third in the latest NWCA poll, taking on NWCA National Champion Glenn Geurink. Maresh scored an escape point in the second period, then after Geurink tied the match with an escape of his own, Maresh was awarded a point for time advantage to give him the 2-1 decision. The Scots will be in action on Saturday, Nov. 7, when a mixed squad of freshman and upperclassmen will travel to Muskegon, Mich., to participate in the Ben McMullen Open, hosted by Muskegon Community College. Results: 125 - Victor Sosa-Sevilla (Alma) major dec. Jordan Stone, 13-5 (Alma 4, Davenport 0) 133 - Hunter Machus (Alma) major dec. Jacob Busing, 11-1 (Alma 8, Davenport 0) 141 - Romeo Riley (Alma) dec. Cole Menck, 4-1 (Alma 11, Davenport 0) 149 - Brant Schafer (Davenport) dec. JJ Sadler, 3-2 (Alma 11, Davenport 3) 157 - Shawn Brewer (Alma) major dec. Brandon Dyke, 12-1 (Alma 15, Davenport 3) 165 - Kyle Nixon (Davenport) pinned Taylor McPhail, 3:14 (Alma 15, Davenport 9) 174 - Travis Heller (Alma) dec. Dillon Francisco, 9-4 (Alma 18, Davenport 9) 184 - Trent Hullett (Alma) pinned George Noutai, 4:10 (Alma 24, Davenport 9) 197 - Jamie Jakes (Alma) pinned Aaron Martin, 2:39 (Alma 30, Davenport 9) 285 - Trevor Maresh (Alma) dec. Glenn Geurink, 2-1 (Alma 33, Davenport 9) QUOTES Head Coach Todd Hibbs On the outdoor meet... "I want to thank everyone that made this happen. Everybody worked so hard on short notice to make this happen, and I am very grateful. It was a terrific experience. The teams were smiling and it was a light atmosphere and it made it really fun to be outside. I thought both teams wrestled well for the opening match of the year. We had a nice crowd thanks to social media. When we woke up we thought we could make it happen and we thought it would be a good evening and it exceeded what we had hoped." On the meet... "For an early season match, we were pretty pleased. We thought our conditioning was solid and we thought that we attacked and tried to score more points, even when we were ahead. We felt like we were solid, held good position, and wrestled well tonight."

Matt Valenti won his second NCAA title at 133 in 2007Two wrestlers who earned a combined three NCAA Division I titles with roots in northern New Jersey -- Matt Valenti, and David Zabriskie -- are among six athletes to be welcomed into the Sussex County Sports Hall of Fame Friday, according to multiple media reports this week. Valenti is being honored for his performance at Kittatinny Regional High School, where he was a two-time New Jersey state champ and four-time tournament placer. He went on to wrestle at the University of Pennsylvania, where he was a two-time NCAA wrestling champion, winning back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007 at 133 pounds. Valenti also claimed three EIWA (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) titles. He is currently assistant athletic director at Penn. Zabriskie was the 215-pound New Jersey state champ in 2005 for High Point High School. He then headed west, enrolling at Iowa State, where he was a three-time Big 12 heavyweight titlist, and a three-time NCAA All-American. Zabriskie won the heavyweight crown at the 2010 NCAAs. He is currently wrestling freestyle, hoping to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio. In addition to Valenti and Zabriskie, other members of the Class of 2016 of the Sussex County Sports Hall of Fame include Michele Fisher, Ryan McGowan, Elizabeth Sisca, and Catherine Stone. The six honorees were voted into the Hall from a ballot of 12 names back in August. The Sussex County Sports Hall of Fame was founded in 1976, with the idea of honoring "county athletes, coaches and benefactors who had distinguished themselves through outstanding, extraordinary and exceptional performance in their chosen sport," according to the organization's website. Since 1976, the SCSHOF has inducted over 166 Sussex County athletes, coaches and benefactors representing a wide range of sports. The SCSHOF is a non-profit organization supported by membership dues and other contributions. Every year the SCSHOF accepts the nominations of new athletes, coaches and benefactors to be considered for and voted on by the membership for induction. A ceremony dinner is held each November to introduce the new inductees.

Junior National freestyle runner-up Lucas Jeske (St. Michael-Albertville, Minn.) verbally committed to the University of Minnesota late on Thursday evening. The No. 55 overall prospect in the Class of 2016 joins three other ranked seniors as commits to the Golden Gophers in this recruiting class. Jeske was also a state champion last season for St. Michael-Albertville, and projects as a 174 pound wrestler in college. He joins No. 11 Mitch McKee, his high school teammate, as well as No. 38 Hunter Marko (Amery, Wis.) and No. 40 Owen Webster (Shakopee, Minn.) in this recruiting class.

Returning state champion Kevin Mulligan (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) verbally committed to Rutgers University on Thursday evening. The projected 197 pound wrestler also placed sixth at state in 2014, and was a runner-up at 195 pounds in the 2014 edition of the Super 32 Challenge. Mulligan is also a two-time Junior National freestyle All-American, placing fifth each of the last two summers at 195 pounds. He joins No. 54 Matt Correnti (Holy Cross, N.J.), No. 62 Brandon Paetzell (Phillipsburg, N.J.), and No. 71 Alex Mackall (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio) as Scarlet Knights commits in this recruiting class.

USA Wrestling has released the events which will be part of the #Road2IowaCity Trials Qualifiers series. Each of these 10 events, which will be held across the United States from November through April, serve as qualifiers for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling, which will be held at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa, April 9-10. These events have been identified in the Athlete Selection Procedures for the 2016 Olympic Games. The qualifying procedures for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling for men's freestyle, women's freestyle and Greco-Roman differ. The series begins with the Bill Farrell International, set for the New York Athletic Club in New York City, Nov. 6-7. The highest placed U.S. athlete winning a medal in each weight class in all three styles qualify for Iowa City. This event will only feature Olympic weight classes, and will qualify up to 18 athletes. Next up is the largest of the qualifying event, the U.S. Senior Nationals/Trials Qualifier, to be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev., Dec. 18-19. Only Olympic weight classes will be contested in this event. The top seven placewinners in each weight class in all three styles qualify for Iowa City. This event will qualify as many as 126 athletes for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. The first of the #Road2IowaCity Trials Qualifiers in 2016 will be the Dave Schultz Memorial International, set for Sports Center I at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., Jan. 28-30. The highest placed USA athlete winning a medal in any weight category who has yet to qualify will earn a spot in the field in Iowa City. There will be only the Olympic weight classes at this event. As many as 18 athletes could qualify through this event. The WCWA Women's College Nationals, set for the Freede Center on the campus of Oklahoma City University in Oklahoma City, Okla., Feb. 12-13. This is a qualifier in women's freestyle only. The top three U.S. athletes in each of the 10 weight categories qualify for Iowa City, with as many as 30 athletes joining the Olympic Trials field. Next up is the Armed Forces Championships, set for Naval Base KITSAP in the Seattle, Wash. area, February 20-21. This is a qualifier in Greco-Roman only. The champion in each of the eight weight classes in Greco-Roman will advance to Iowa City, with as many as eight athletes added to the Olympic Trials field. The next two events in the qualifying series are set for Dr. Pepper Arena in Frisco, Texas, the Pan American Championships, Feb. 26-28 and the Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier, March 4-6. These are events on the United World Wrestling international schedule. At the Pan American Championships, any champion from the U.S. in all three styles will earn a spot in the field in Iowa City, with as many as 24 qualifiers possible for the Olympic Trials field. At the Pan American Olympic Qualifier, any U.S. athlete who qualifies the Olympic weight for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games earns a spot in the Iowa City field. There is a potential for 13 Olympic Trials qualifiers from this event. The 2016 NCAA Div. I Wrestling Championships, set for Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y. is also an Olympic Team Trials qualifier in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. The NCAA Div. I champion will earn a spot in the Iowa City field, with as many as 10 athletes added. The next #Road2Iowa City Trials Qualifiers event is the Women's University Nationals, set for the Freede Center on the campus of Oklahoma City University in Oklahoma City, Okla., March 26. This event is a qualifier in women's freestyle. The top two athletes in the Olympic categories qualify for Iowa City, with the addition of as many as 12 athletes possible. The final event in the series is the Last Chance Trials Qualifier, set for the UNI-Dome on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa, April 2-3. This is a qualifier in all three styles, and athletes who have already qualified will not be allowed to compete in this event. In women's freestyle, the top two finishers in each weight qualify, while the champions in each weight class in men's freestyle and Greco-Roman qualify. There could be as many as 24 athletes who qualify at this event. Note: Women freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers who win a medal on an international tour event within the year also may qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. All of the #Road2Iowa City Trials Qualifiers are expected to have a live stream provided, with a majority of the events broadcast by Flowrestling. All-session tickets to the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team Trials are available for purchase. All-session options include adult ($75), and youth (18 and younger, $50). VIP tickets are sold out. Fans can purchase tickets at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, over the phone at 1-800-IA-HAWKS, or online at iowacitytorio.com. #Road2IowaCity Trials Qualifiers November 6-7 - Bill Farrell International, New York, N.Y. (FS/GR/W)** December 18-19- U.S. Senior Open, Las Vegas, Nev. (FS/GR/W)** January 28-30 - Dave Schultz Memorial International, Colorado Springs, Colo. (FS/GR/W)** February 12-13 - WCWA Women's College Nationals, Oklahoma City, Okla. (W)** February 20-21- Armed Forces Championships, Naval Base KITSAP, Seattle, Wash. (GR) February 26-28 - Pan American Championships, Frisco, Texas (FS/GR/W) March 4-6 - Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier, Frisco, Texas (FS/GR/W) March 17-19 - NCAA Div. I Championships, New York, N.Y. (GR/FS) March 26 - Women's University Nationals, Oklahoma City, Okla. (W)** April 2-3 - Last Chance Trials Qualifier, Cedar Falls, Iowa (FS/GR/W)** ** - #Road2IowaCity events currently scheduled for Flowrestling broadcasts For specific information on the Athlete Selection Procedures for the 2016 Olympic Games, visit: Athlete Selection Procedures - Women's Freestyle' http://content.themat.com/forms/2016-critieria-WFS.pdf Athlete Selection Procedures - Men's Freestyle http://content.themat.com/forms/2016-critieria-MFS.pdf Athlete Selection Procedures - Greco-Roman http://content.themat.com/forms/2016-critieria-GR.pdf

The Shippensburg University wrestling team got three pins and a technical fall on Wednesday night as it opened its season with an impressive 26-15 victory over Waynesburg in a road dual meet inside Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse. Shippensburg (1-0) opened with immediate momentum, as freshman Dustin Steffenino scored a technical fall at 125 pounds. His 19-3 victory in two periods gave the Raiders an early 5-0 lead. Waynesburg (0-1) rebounded with decisions at 133 and 141 pounds to take a 6-5 lead, but then sophomore Colin Ochs scored a second-period pin in 4:17 - his first career victory by fall - to give SU a lead it would not relinquish. Freshman Adam Martz, a three-time state champion from Maryland, debuted with a hard-fought 5-3 decision at 157 pounds. Martz scored two takedowns and also got a riding-time point en route to the victory. Sophomore Gray Garber made his first collegiate victory a resounding one - as he pinned Matt Claxton in 1:44. After two more Waynesburg decisions, sophomore Evan Ramos cemented the victory with a pin in his first bout back after a medical-redshirt season. Ramos scored the victory by fall in 2:02. The SU victory avenged a loss to Waynesburg last season, 25-11, in a match at York (Pa.) College. Shippensburg will host LIU Post and York (Pa.) College in a tri-meet on Wednesday that begins at 4 p.m. Results: 125: Dustin Steffenino (SU) tech falls Tristan Buxton (WU), 19-3 (5:00) [5-0] 133: Gordan Bieber (WU) dec. Dante Steffenino (SU), 5-2 [5-3] 141: Filippo Crivelli (WU) dec. Cody Blankenship (SU), 6-3 [5-6] 149: Colin Ochs (SU) pins D.J. Grindle (WU), 4:17 [11-6] 157: Adam Martz (SU) dec. Nick Kusich (WU), 5-3 [14-6] 165: Gray Garber (SU) pins Matt Claxton (WU), 1:44 [20-6] 174: Mike Millero (WU) dec. Hunter Fenk (SU), 8-5 [20-9] 184: Ryan Shank (WU) dec. Colton Rebert (SU), 7-1 [20-12] 197: Evan Ramos (SU) pins Tristan Nicholson (WU), 2:02 [26-12] 285: Jake Evans (WU) dec. Derek Earnest (SU), 2-0 [26-15]

Drury University will be adding wrestling to its roster of NCAA Division II sports programs in the 2016-17 academic year, the Springfield, Mo. school announced Wednesday . "Drury brings college wrestling back to the Ozarks" was the headline for the news story in the local newspaper, the Springfield News-Leader , published Wednesday. The story went on to report, "It ends a college wrestling drought in southwest Missouri that dates back to 1994, when then-Southwest Missouri State dropped the sport." In Drury University's press statement, Director of Athletics Mark Fisher said, "We're very excited to announce the addition of wrestling as another alternative for Drury students to compete at the intercollegiate level. We believe a Drury wrestling program will help fill a need for a potential college destination for a southwest Missouri area that's rich in wrestling tradition and talent at both the high school and youth levels. It will provide many of those student-athletes with another opportunity to further their careers and get a great education at Drury while doing so." The university is in the process of accepting applications for the head coaching job. The program will host home matches at Weiser Gym. Drury will become the sixth Great Lakes Valley Conference member to offer intercollegiate wrestling, joining Maryville, Truman State, Indianapolis, McKendree and Wisconsin-Parkside. With the addition of Drury, the conference will now have the required six member schools needed to hold a conference championship event in future years. Drury University is a four-year private school located in Springfield, Mo. in the southwest portion of the state. Founded in 1873, Drury has approximately 5,500 students. The school's new wrestling program -- as well as existing Panther sports programs -- will compete in NCAA Division II.

Wrestling is a uniquely demanding sport in so many ways. Maintaining proper nutrition during practice sessions, weight-room workouts and actual matches -- while staying on target with weight -- is a significant challenge for wrestlers at all levels of competition. With that in mind, the Zilverberg wrestling family now offers a unique set of nutrition products for wrestlers from their new All Force Nutrition venture ... and they've enlisted David Taylor, two-time NCAA champ for Penn State, to help develop and promote their products. Meet the Zilverbergs David and Dan ZilverbergAll Force Nutrition is very much a family affair, incorporating two generations of Zilverbergs, who had been active in collegiate sports. The younger Zilverbergs -- Danny and Dave -- wrestled at the University of Minnesota. "About three-and-a-half years ago, I started talking to my dad and uncle about my desire to come up with a nutritional product for joint health," said David Zilverberg, Director of Operations for All Force Nutrition. "That initial discussion led to the idea that we wanted to offer a full line of products. We started selling products about a year-and-a-half or two years ago." "More recently, we've been focusing on marketing," said Danny Zilverberg, the organization's Director of Marketing. "About a year ago, we hired a Director of Sales, Mark Will. We've developed a Web presence." "I'm not a nutritionist, but I took a number of courses in nutrition," said David Zilverberg. "As wrestlers, we were concerned about what we put into our bodies. As we were developing our products, we met with nutritionists, wrestlers, and other athletes. We wanted to make a unique product, incorporating a dried egg membrane ingredient that helps with range of motion and joint health issues." Four from All Force All Force Nutrition has developed a set of four individual products -- what they call the "AM to PM Package" -- to provide for the 'round-the-clock nutrition needs of wrestlers and other athletes, as well as anyone who seeks an active, healthy lifestyle. PreForce is a pre-workout designed to deliver sustained energy and intense focus for athletes and active individuals to start the day. It incorporates caffeine from green tea extract, branched chain amino acids, creatine, and other vitamins and nutrients to elevate focus and intensity, without caffeine jitters or a mid-workout crash. For nutritional needs immediately after a workout, Post Force protein supplement brings together five supplements -- whey protein, collagen protein, casein protein, and BiovaFlex egg membrane -- in one delicious formula. Multi-Force Joint is an all-natural anti-inflammatory that contains BiovaFlex egg membrane, turmeric, and turmeric extract (95% curcumin), quercetin and black pepper to increase the curcumin absorption in the body, thus helping an individual's body improve overall range of motion. Multi-Force PM is a nighttime multivitamin which aids in sleep and physical recovery. The formula includes all-natural ingredients such as melatonin and tryptophan to help users relax and stay asleep throughout the night, while awaking the next morning feeling refreshed and alert. What's the significance of BiovaFlex egg membrane in Post Force and Multi-Force Joint? Egg membrane, the thin, proteinaceous layer between the raw eggshell and the egg white, is rich in in protein, transforming growth factor, and other nutrients known to have many beneficial health applications, including joint health and enhanced range of motion. Bringing David Taylor on board All Force Nutrition, comprised of a father and two sons who wrestled for the Golden Gophers at University of Minnesota (along with an uncle who played basketball at Arizona State), recently welcomed aboard one of the all-time mat greats for the Nittany Lions of Penn State, David Taylor, to help develop and promote nutritional products. "In the wrestling world, the name David Taylor has been synonymous with hard work, commitment and success," according to Dan Zilverberg. "All Force Nutrition, which is making a name for itself around the same values, has recently signed an endorsement deal with Taylor." "Taylor and I have gone from competitors to business partners," Dan Zilverberg continued. "Growing up, Taylor and I went to the same wrestling camps and tournaments. When we were only 8 years old he won my 52-pound Tulsa bracket and during our senior year at university level he was the NCAA champion at 165 pounds. He won my first and last national tournaments and not to mention quite a few in between." David Taylor is a part of the All Force Nutrition teamIn a separate interview with InterMat, David Taylor echoed those sentiments, saying, "I grew up in the same wrestling circuit with the Zilverbergs. We wrestled each other throughout our careers." "They are looking to grow their business. They saw how I represent Adidas, and Flips Wrestling. We came to an agreement." "As a kid looking at wrestling magazines, I noticed products that were created by wrestlers," Taylor said. "I'm a big believer in the wrestling community. I still think it's important for wrestlers to support products created by others in the wrestling community. 'For wrestlers, by wrestlers' is an extremely important aspect of what the Zilverbergs are doing with All Force." "All Force makes great products," Taylor continued. "My goal is to be a 2016 Olympic champion. All Force provides a variety of products from the time I wake up until the time I go to bed. I begin the morning with the joint health product, I use the PreForce before a workout, the protein for post-workout recovery, and the Multi-Force PM to ensure recovery throughout the night." "My daily nutrition is just as important as my daily workouts. I am very thankful for the supplements All Force provides to ensure my body is functioning at the highest level possible so I can strive to achieve my goal of becoming an Olympic champion." Recently, Taylor announced he was moving up a weight class, and will be competing in freestyle at 86 kilos/189 pounds. "In the past six weeks, I've put on 20 pounds of muscle," Taylor told InterMat. "A key contributor is the All Force products. They've helped me, and I believe they can help other wrestlers." In addition to serving as spokesperson for the existing All Force Nutrition products, David Taylor is involved in various aspects of the organization, including sales, marketing and product development, according to the Zilverbergs. "He's working with our team to launch an M2 protein bar called The Magic Bar, with plans to launch more co-branded nutritional products in the future," said Dan Zilverberg. Taylor weighed in with his thoughts on the development of that newest product. "I'm really excited about the new protein bar," said Taylor. "I've been involved in all aspects of its development -- taste, texture, packaging." As for the marketing of the All Force Nutrition product line ... right now, the products are available at Complete Nutrition stores, as well as online at the All Force Nutrition website.

Can't make it to Rochester, Minnesota, this Sunday for the 2015 InterMat JJ Classic? We have you covered. The JJ Classic is not only providing live video streams of all 9 mats, but also recording every match and posting them live on the brackets via Trackcast. Action is scheduled to begin on Sunday at 9 a.m. CT. Catch some of the nation's top high school wrestlers in action, including Apple Valley's Mark Hall, the No. 1 high school wrestling recruit in the country. To purchase a subscription to watch the 2015 InterMat JJ Classic on Trackcast and view live results, visit the

The Belmont Abbey wrestling team opened the 11th season of competition with a decisive 28-15 victory over the visiting St. Andrews Knights this evening inside the Wheeler Center. Tonight's match was originally scheduled to take place outdoors on Ehmann's quad, but the inclement weather forced a change in venue. Belmont Abbey recorded seven victories, three by fall, another by major decision and capped off by sophomore Chaas Delgado's 3-1 overtime victory at 285. After the Knights won the first bout to take the early lead, Belmont Abbey won the next five bouts, two by pinfall. Troy Gregor earned a 1-0 win at 133, followed by Kane Price's win by fall at the 1:04 mark. All-American Scott Bosak followed with his most dominating victory in his career, winning by fall just 14 seconds into his match. He is now 25-3 in his Belmont Abbey career. John Gahagan kept the momentum going with a 15-4 major decision victory at 157, and Joseph Coss followed with a 9-6 win at 165. The Knights broke the string with a narrow 6-5 victory at 174, but the Crusaders fought right back with a Tyler Maclain 5-1 win at 184. After a Knights triumph at 197, Delgado outlasted Deviin Washington in the final bout of the night, scoring a two point takedown with six seconds left in the first overtime to seal the 28-15 win. Results: 125 Brennan Patton (St. Andrews University) over Michael Bedard (Belmont Abbey) (Fall 3:31) 133 Troy Gregor (Belmont Abbey) over Tyran Taylor-Owens (St. Andrews University) (Dec 1-0) 141 Kane Price (Belmont Abbey) over Dashon Eure (St. Andrews University) (Fall 1:04) 149 Scott Bosak (Belmont Abbey) over Chandler Nichols (St. Andrews University) (Fall 0:14) 157 John Gahagan (Belmont Abbey) over Anthony Scott (St. Andrews University) (MD 15-4) 165 Joseph Coss (Belmont Abbey) over Kavoris Perry (St. Andrews University) (Dec 9-6) 174 Denzel Leggett (St. Andrews University) over John Wilson (Belmont Abbey) (Fall 4:49) 184 Tyler Maclain (Belmont Abbey) over Argie Burnette (St. Andrews University) (Dec 5-1) 197 Jared Key (St. Andrews University) over Brandon Dills (Belmont Abbey) (Dec 6-5) 285 Chaas Delgado (Belmont Abbey) over Deviin Washington (St. Andrews University) (3-1 OT)

The Millikin wrestling team returned to competition for the first time since 2008 in impressive fashion defeating Hannibal LaGrange College 49-0 on November 3 at the Griswold Center in Decatur, Illinois. Head Coach Ryan Birt's team was greeted by a large enthusiastic crowd ready to see Millikin wrestlers back on the mat. Millikin opened the night with a win at 125 pounds by freshman Tristan Birt winning by technical fall 18-0 over Brady Sloup. The Big Blue freshman Josh Fuqua won at 141 pounds 11-7 over Jadin Taylor.\ In the 149 pound weight class, Millikin's Jake Eckenrod won by major decision 11-3 over Dakota Huss. Blake Tisza gave Millikin its first win by fall in the return to competition defeating Matt Mattingley at 6:29 at 157 pound class. At 165, Millikin's Dylan Knisley won over Rowdy Miller 9-5. Millikin's Stephan Birt won by fall at 4:14 at 184 pounds over Seth Pierce. At 285, Millikin freshman Frank Tomaskovic defeated Hannibal LaGrange senior Mike Wright 9-0 in a major decision. Results: 125: Millikin's Tristan Birt defeated Brady Sloup by Technical Fall 18-0 133: Millikin's Chris Williams won by forfeit 141: Millikin's Josh Fuqua defeated Jadin Taylor 11-7 149: Millikin's Jake Eckenrod defeated Dakota Huss 11-3 (Major Decision) 157: Millikin's Blake Tisza defeated Matt Mattingley by fall at 6:29 165: Millikin's Dylan Knisley won over Rowdy Miller 9-5 174: Millikin's Jake Morgan won by forfeit 184: Millikin's Stephan Birt defeated Seth Pierce by fall at 4:14 197: Millikin's Deionnte Honorable won by forfeit 285: Millikin's Frank Tomaskovic won over Mike Wright 9-0 (Major Decision)

Vienna, W. Va. --The Fighting Scots faced the Knights of Southern Virginia University on Tuesday held in the Snyder Activity Center. OVU defeated Southern Virginia 54-0. The Scots are 1-0 to start the 2015-2016 season. OVU had all 10 wrestlers win all of their perspective matches. Anthony Tripke, Sam Phillips, and Tyler Koreski all were awarded with the win due to forfeits. In the 133lbs. weight class, newbie Ryan Bennet defeated his opponent in a technical fall to give Ohio Valley an 11-0 lead over the Knights. Maverick Meeks (141lbs.) defeated Fletcher in a close 11-7 victory. In the 157 lbs. weight class, Nicholoz Varazashvlvilli pinned his opponent early in the second round. Williamstown native Dalton George (165lbs.) pinned Dawson at the buzzer to give Ohio Valley a 36-0 lead headed into the 174lbs. match. Austin Antill defeated his opponent in a regular decision giving Ohio Valley an even larger lead over the Knights. Ben Willard (184lbs.) took a 12-0 lead and pinned his opponent 56 seconds into the second round. Heavyweight Dane Mills dominated his opponent as he pinned his 1:14 into the first round. OVU will be back in action on Thursday November 12th at 6:30PM against West Virginia University Tech. Results

Logan Storley, four-time NCAA All-American for the University of Minnesota, will have his second professional mixed martial arts fight, this time in Minnesota, only about a half-hour from where he wrestled as a Golden Gopher, this Friday night. Logan Storley and Ryan BaderIn August, Storley had a successful pro debut with a TKO via punches over fellow South Dakotan Bill Mees at 2:32 of the first round of their middleweight (170-pound) undercard match at RFA 29 at the Sanford Pentagon outside Sioux Falls, S.D. Now Storley will face Marc Hummel in his first pro match at Resurrection Fighting Alliance's RFA 32 at Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake, Minn. "I went to school at the University of Minnesota, so I'm going to have a lot of friends and family there again and I'm excited to represent for the Gophers," Storley told MMAweekly.com. "The next day after, they have their first opening (wrestling) dual this season, so it's going be a big weekend for both me and the team, and I'm excited for both of us to get wins." In sizing up his second opponent Hummel, Storley said, "This is his pro debut, but I think he had 13 amateur fights, so he's coming in there with a lot of experience. Obviously I have to use my wrestling, which I think I have some of the best in MMA, and I'm going to use that to my advantage, but I've been working on my boxing and my hands are getting a lot better. "I'm just ready to go in there and do whatever I have to do to win the fight." Marc "the Pummel" Hummel is 7-7 in his amateur MMA career. In analyzing Storley, his first pro opponent, for the Brainerd Dispatch , Hummel said, "He's new to MMA, but I can game plan for his wrestling. As far as him game planning for me, I like having that unpredictability. I've been doing this a while. I have videos out there of my amateur fights, but it's completely different now that I've started training with (MMA veterans) Brock Larson and Rob Nelson (of Brainerd and Crosslake) a lot more as well as getting much stricter with my diet." The paper reported that a number of Storley's prospective opponents for RFA 32 backed out when they learned they'd be facing the former Minnesota mat star who was a six-time South Dakota state champ at Webster High School, the same alma mater as Brock Lesnar, NCAA heavyweight champ for the Golden Gophers in 2000 who went on to fame and fortune in both UFC and WWE. "There's all this national hype that he never got his national championship in wrestling so now he's going for a UFC run," Hummel continued. "He's very early on in his career. He's 1-0, he finished the (first) guy pretty easily. We know he will be strong, we know he will be tough, we're just going to make it our best effort." Prior to launching his amateur MMA career in 2011, Hummel was a five-sport letterwinner at Pequot Lakes High School in Minnesota, where he wrestled for one season. The Dispatch reported that the Storley-Hummel match is a swing bout that could be part of a live national broadcast on AXS TV; it will be replayed later that night on Fight Network. "If (the rest of the fights are) going too quick, then they're going to get our fight on," Hummel explained. "If the fights are going long and they're really good matchups going into the second and third rounds, then they might end up pushing us to the very last fight. That's what a swing bout is. It all depends on how the other fights are going."

The weight class schedule has been set for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling, which will be held at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on the campus of the University of Iowa, April 9-10, 2016. There will be two days of competition, with each day featuring all three Olympic styles of wrestling, men's freestyle, women's freestyle and Greco-Roman. There are two sessions each day. The first session, from 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. feature the preliminaries through Challenge Tournament finals. The second session, from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. features the best two of three Championship Series. On Saturday, April 9, there will be four Greco-Roman weight classes (59 kilos, 66 kilos, 85 kilos and 98 kilos), three women's freestyle weight classes (58 kilos, 63 kilos and 69 kilos) and two men's freestyle weight classes (65 kilos and 125 kilos). Some of the star U.S. wrestlers who are expected to compete on Saturday, based upon their projected weight classes, include: 2012 World champion and three-time World medalist Elena Pirozhkova at 63 kilos in women's freestyle two-time World bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev at 125 kilos in men's freestyle two-time Olympian Spenser Mango at 59 kilos in Greco-Roman 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Randi Miller at 69 kilos in women's freestyle 2015 World bronze medalist James Green at 65 kilos in men's freestyle. 2015 World bronze medalist Leigh Jaynes-Provisor at 58 kilos in women's freestyle Of local interest on Saturday, Brent Metcalf, a four-time World Team member and two-time NCAA champion for Iowa, comes into the season as the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the nation at 65 kilos in men's freestyle. On Sunday, April 10, there will be four men's freestyle weight classes (57 kilos, 74 kilos, 86 kilos, 97 kilos), three women's freestyle weight classes (48 kilos, 53 kilos, 75 kilos) and two Greco-Roman weight classes (75 kilos and 130 kilos). Some of the most decorated U.S. wrestlers expected to compete on Sunday, based upon their projected weight classes include: three-time World champion and 2012 Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs at 74 kilos in men's freestyle three-time World champion and five-time World medalist Adeline Gray at 75 kilos in women's freestyle 2012 Olympic champion Jake Varner at 97 kilos in men's freestyle 2015 World champion Kyle Snyder at 97 kilos in men's freestyle 2008 World champion and 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Clarissa Chun at 48 kilos in women's freestyle 2005 World champion Iris Smith at 75 kilos in women's freestyle two-time World bronze medalist Andy Bisek at 75 kilos in Greco-Roman 2015 World champion and three-time World medalist Helen Maroulis at 53 kilos in women's freestyle 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Coleman Scott at 57 kilos in men's freestyle Two-time World bronze medalist Justin Lester at 75 kilos in Greco-Roman 2009 World silver medalist Jake Herbert at 86 kilos in men's freestyle Two-time World bronze medalist Alyssa Lampe at 48 kilos in women's freestyle Of local interest on Sunday, two-time U.S. World Team member and NCAA champion from Iowa Tony Ramos, comes into the season as the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the nation at 57 kilos in men's freestyle. All athletes that will compete at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling will need to qualify to participate. All of the athletes listed above have already qualified to compete. All-session tickets to the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team Trials are available for purchase. All-session options remaining include adult ($75), and youth (18 and younger, $50). VIP tickets are sold out. Fans can purchase tickets at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, over the phone at 1-800-IA-HAWKS, or online at iowacitytorio.com. Single-day and single-session tickets go on sale April 4, 2016. The U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling return to Iowa City, after the successful and sold-out U.S. Olympic Team Trials were held in the same location, April 21-22, 2012. The 2012 event smashed the attendance record for a U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Wrestling, with a two-day total of 54,766 inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The local organizing committee is led by the University of Iowa Athletics and the Iowa City/Coralville Area CVB and includes leaders from the City of Iowa City, City of Coralville and City of North Liberty. WEIGHT CLASS SCHEDULE FOR U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS FOR WRESTLING At Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, Iowa, April 9-10 Saturday, April 9 Greco-Roman (59 kilos, 66 kilos, 85 kilos and 98 kilos) Women's freestyle (58 kilos, 63 kilos and 69 kilos) Men's freestyle weight (65 kilos and 125 kilos) 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Preliminaries through Challenge Tournament finals 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. – Best two of three Championship Series Sunday, April 10 Men's freestyle (57 kilos, 74 kilos, 86 kilos, 97 kilos) Women's freestyle (48 kilos, 53 kilos, 75 kilos) Greco-Roman (75 kilos and 130 kilos) 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Preliminaries through Challenge Tournament finals 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. – Best two of three Championship Series

One year from now, a new varsity wrestling program will be taking to the mat at Henry Ford College, the community college outside Detroit announced Tuesday. Wrestling will join golf as a coed varsity sport in fall 2016 after participating as a Club Team for the past two years. As members of the National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA), the Henry Ford College Wrestling Club has experienced success at local, regional and national levels and has fielding participants in the NCWA National Championships each year, according to the announcement. Head Coach Grant Mackenzie will remain on staff and is poised to lead the wrestling team in National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) competition next year. "I'm proud that HFC will elevate our wrestling club (NCWA) to Varsity status (NJCAA)," Mackenzie told InterMat. "The Detroit area is a great place to create a collegiate wrestling program." "I'm the first-ever NCWA coach to create a club team from scratch and elevate it to varsity." In addition to adding varsity wrestling, Henry Ford College will bring back its women's volleyball program after a three-year hiatus. Volleyball will join basketball and softball as the third women's sport offered at the college. The college hopes to introduce a volleyball coach in November. "It was always our intention to bring our volleyball program back," said Athletics Director Rochelle Taylor. "We are excited that the budget deficit experienced at the college several years ago has been resolved and that our administration supports year-round opportunities for women student-athletes on our campus." With the addition of these new sport teams, Henry Ford College will offer seven NJCAA sports in 2016-17: baseball, men's and women's basketball, golf, softball, volleyball and wrestling. "Through the growth of the HFC athletics program, the college demonstrates to current and prospective students its commitment to the comprehensive educational welfare of student-athletes," said Taylor. "We have an opportunity to foster athletic competitiveness, leadership development, community involvement and campus integration on a larger scale, creating a well-rounded and successful student-athlete." Henry Ford College is located in Dearborn, Mich. Founded in 1938, HFC is a two-year college with approximately 13,000 students.

Two-time National Prep place-winner Requir van der Merwe (Blair Academy, N.J.) verbally committed to Stanford University over this past weekend. Placing fourth in Junior freestyle this summer, he is now the No. 82 overall ranked recruit in the Class of 2016. van der Merwe projects to compete at either 133 or 141 pounds in college, and joins No. 27 Nathan Traxler (Marion Academy, Ill.) and No. 39 Brandon Dallavia (Blair Academy, N.J.) in committing to the Cardinal.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Nathan Tomasello, a redshirt sophomore on the Ohio State wrestling team, has been chosen as this season's first Big Ten Wrestler of the Week, the conference announced today. Tomasello, the consensus top-ranked 125-pounder in the country, began his 2015-16 campaign with a 7-1 decision over No. 3 Zeke Moisey of West Virginia at the NWCA All-Star Classic, held on the campus of Georgia Tech University. Ahead 3-0 after the first period on the strength of a takedown, Tomasello added another takedown at the end of the second period for a 6-0 lead and never looked back. He has wrestled Moisey four times in the past 12 months, winning all four matches, including the 2015 NCAA finals. Ohio State has been represented in the NWCA All-Star Classic 20 times and Buckeye wrestlers have gone a combined 10-9. In 2013 and 2014, four-time NCAA champion Logan Stieber was selected for the event. A native of Parma, Ohio, Tomasello has now won 19 straight matches dating back to last season. He finished 2014-15 with a 33-4 record with a Big Ten and NCAA title. He and the rest of his Buckeye teammates will be in Ypsilanti, Mich. on Saturday for the Eastern Michigan Open.

Two of the top 100 overall senior prospects in the country made verbal commitments on Monday afternoon, one day after placing in the prestigious Super 32 Challenge. No. 31 overall wrestler Drew Hughes (Lowell, Ind.) committed to Michigan State, while No. 65 Colby Smith (Holt, Mo.) chose Grand Canyon University. State champion and three-time state placer Hughes is now a two-time placer at the Super 32 Challenge, placing fourth each of the last two years. In addition, the projected 165/174 went undefeated in the district all-star division of the AAU Disney Duals this summer, and has finished as runner-up each of the last two years in the Junior National folkstyle tournament. Smith has a pair of state titles bookended around a third place finish his sophomore year. In addition to his runner-up finish at the Super 32 Challenge this weekend, he placed third the weekend before at the Preseason Nationals, third at the Flo Nationals this spring, and went undefeated in the district all-star division of the AAU Disney Duals this summer. Smith projects to compete as a 133/141 in college, and joins No. 80 Danny Vega (Ironwood Ridge, Ariz.) as a top 100 commit to Grand Canyon.

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- The Stanford wrestling team opened the 2015-16 season with a dominating 35-6 victory over Cal Poly, Monday, at Mott Gym in San Luis Obispo, California. The Cardinal won nine of the 10 bouts and scored bonus points in six of them. The dual was originally scheduled to be held outside, but rain on the Central Coast forced the teams indoors. Redshirt freshman Brian Rossi got things started for the Cardinal at 133 pounds with an 8-4 decision over Jason DelaCruz. After being taken down to start the first, Rossi scored a reversal and two near fall points to lead 4-2. He added two escapes in the second after DelaCruz had to take injury time. He tacked on another takedown in the third to finalize the win. True freshman Joey McKenna made his collegiate debut with a fall over Glenn Farina in 1:07. McKenna wasted no time securing his first takedown and near fall points before finishing off Farina. Another Cardinal making his debut was Paul Fox at 149 pounds. The Lovelock, Nevada native turned in a 12-4 major decision over Joshy Cortez. Leading 7-2 going into the final period, Fox scored two more takedowns and collected 1:08 of riding time for the major. Redshirt junior Max Hvolbek pushed the Cardinal lead to 16-0 with a 5-3 decision over Colt Shorts at 157 pounds. Holding a 3-0 lead heading into the final period, Shorts chose down to start the third and quickly got an escape, however, Hvolbek fired back with another takedown which ultimately earned the win. Returning All-American Jim Wilson turned in a 12-4 major decision over Xavier Johnson at 165 pounds. Wilson tallied five takedowns, an escape and 3:40 of riding time in the win. He is now 70-15 for his career. Redshirt sophomore Keaton Subjeck made the team score 24-0 after he registered a 9-1 major decision against Sohrab Movahedi. He had three takedowns, two near fall points and an escape in the win. Redshirt junior Peter Galli held on to a 12-10 overtime victory over Mitch Woods at 184 pounds. Leading 8-6 going into the third, Woods took a 9-8 lead before being called for stalling. Galli then scored an escape, but was called for stalling as well, tying the score. In the overtime period, Galli finally notched the winning takedown after a video review of a previous scramble. Cal Poly finally got on the scoreboard at 197 pounds, where J.T. Goodwin recorded a fall over redshirt senior Michael Sojka in 2:03. Redshirt junior heavyweight Josh Marchok added to the Stanford lead with an 11-3 major decision over freshman Cortes Morales. He scored with four takedowns, two escapes and a penalty point. Redshirt sophomore Connor Schram, who dropped down to 125 pounds this season, capped off the scoring with a 14-5 major decision over Yoshito Funakoshi. Schram notched three takedowns in the first period and three in the third, while Funakoshi was unable to score a takedown. Up next, Stanford heads east, travelling to Chattanooga on Saturday, Nov. 7 before competing in the Hokie Open in Blacksburg, Virginia on Sunday, Nov. 8. Results: 133 -- Brian Rossi (S) dec. Jason DelaCruz (CP) 8-4 141 -- Joey McKenna (S) pinned Glenn Farina (CP) 1:07 149 -- Paul Fox (S) maj. dec. Joshy Cortez (CP) 12-4 157 -- Max Hvolbek (S) dec. Colt Shorts (CP) 5-3 165 -- Jim Wilson (S) maj. dec. Xavier Johnson (CP) 12-4 174 -- Keaton Subjeck (S) maj. dec. Sohrab Movahedi (CP) 9-1 184 -- Peter Galli (S) dec. Mitch Woods (CP) 12-10 SV 197 -- J.T. Goodwin (CP) pinned Michael Sojka (S) 2:03 285 -- Josh Marchok (S) maj. dec. Cortes Morales (CP) 11-3 125 -- Connor Schram (S) maj. dec. Yoshito Funakoshi (CP) 14-5