InterMat Staff

Logan Storley, four-time NCAA All-American for the University of Minnesota, now knows who he will be facing in his third professional mixed martial arts match next month. The Resurrection Fighting Alliance revealed this week that the former Golden Gopher grappler will go up against Rode "Chunk" Vocu at RFA 36: Barcelos vs. Vannata on Friday, March 4 at Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake, Minn. just outside Minneapolis-St. Paul. It will be a battle of young Dakotans as Storley, 25, a six-time South Dakota state wrestling champ, will be fighting Vocu, a 19-year-old from North Dakota. Vocu won his pro debut in October when he defeated Dustin Larocque via second-round TKO. Despite his youth, Vocu brings experience in two martial arts, having wrestled for New Town High School and boxed in Golden Gloves competition. Storley announced his plans for a pro MMA career last spring, after winning three amateur bouts. The former Golden Gopher grappler won his first two pro matches in short order, scoring a first-round TKO via punches over Bill Mees at RFA 29 in Sioux Falls, S.D. in August. In January, Storley earned another TKO victory in the opening round, this time vs. Marc "the Pummel" Hummel at RFA 32 at Prior Lake. Storley graduated from the same high school - Webster -- as Brock Lesnar, 2000 NCAA heavyweight wrestling champ for Minnesota who went on to win UFC and WWE titles. In addition to his impressive prep mat career, Storley had considerable success as a collegiate wrestler. He became only the tenth Minnesota grappler to become a four-time NCAA Division I All-American, racking up four top-six finishes in the 174-pound weight class. Storley was also a four-time placer at the Big Ten conference championships, making it to the finals in 2012. As a Gopher, Storley compiled an overall record of 119-27. The Storley-Vocu welterweight (170-pound) bout is one of six featured matches announced for RFA 36. The main event for the featherweight championship features Raoni Barcelos defending his title vs. Landon Vannata. In a co-main event at featherweight, Melvin "Career Killer" Blumer will face Shawn "The Exception" West, while the feature match has flyweights Chico "The King" Camus vs. Matt Brown. Other top-of-the card bouts include Reese Hernandez vs. Kassius Holdorf, and Dan Moret vs. Josh Wick. All of these events will be shown on AXS TV.

Two central Pennsylvania high school wrestling coaches from the two teams involved in controversial dual meet in central Pennsylvania will not be mentoring their wrestlers at the state team tournament. Central Dauphin coach Jeff Sweigard was suspended by the PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association), while Cumberland Valley's Dave Heckard has been benched, per decision of school administrators. The coaches were sidelined as the result of losing control of their wrestlers -- and themselves -- in the final matches at the PIAA District 3 Class 3A team finals at Milton Hershey High School in Hershey, Pa. last Saturday night. The incident generated considerable discussion within the Keystone State… as well as coverage well beyond Pennsylvania, as the subject for fodder from commentators of a national wrestling website, and from USA Today. Here's how the national newspaper opened its article about the incident: "A pair of Pennsylvania coaches from traditional rivals in the Harrisburg area are under fire after a district championship meet between their schools ended in acrimony following a two-man brawl … featuring the coaches. "As reported by PennLive.com and other sources, the District 3 Class 3A Team Wrestling Championships were brought to a premature end when Cumberland Valley head coach Dave Heckard and Central Dauphin head coach Jeff Sweigard became entangled in a brief fight following a pair of controversial disqualifications, one for each team. Cumberland Valley captured the title, 29-28 on tiebreaker, but not before Heckard and Sweigard were involved in a heated discussion that slipped into minor violence." Jeremy Elliott of PennLive.com wrote, "Some coaches and wrestlers needed to be restrained. Harsh words and taunting were thrown back and forth between the Central Dauphin and Cumberland Valley benches and each program's fans. "Another intense, and in this case uncomfortable, chapter in the wrestling rivalry between the Rams and Eagles ended with one team walking out of the gym and no medal ceremony taking place." The controversy started at 160 pounds, when a Cumberland Valley wrestler illegally slammed his opponent. Central Dauphin's coach Sweigart and team trainer determined that their wrestler was unable to continue the match, resulting in an injury disqualification that gave the Central Dauphin wrestler the win. Then in the final bout of the night, a Central Dauphin athlete poked his Cumberland Valley opponent in the eye, causing the official to pause the match. Heckard and his team trainer then determined that their wrestler was unable to continue, at which point the bout was awarded to Cumberland Valley. That last injury DQ tied the match at 28 and the district title was awarded to Cumberland Valley due to Criterion H -- the most first points scored. Immediately after the dual, Cumberland Valley coach Heckard said, "It was a great bout. I'm sure there is going to be some hurt feelings, but we will get over it and laugh about it someday and that will be that. "That's how it goes. It's intense, and that's the way it goes sometimes." Days later, the winning coach was more contrite. "It is my job as a teacher, coach and adult to reflect the sportsmanship that I expect my athletes to adhere to on and off the mat," Heckard said in a statement. "My actions on Saturday at the District 3 team tournament were unacceptable and are not what I want my athletes to portray at any time during an athletic competition, as a student or as future citizens. We as humans will make mistakes, as a leader of young adults it is important that they too learn lessons by how I handle the disciplinary actions set forth by the Cumberland Valley School District and Athletic Department." Central Dauphin Athletic Director Chris Hunter told PennLive.com that he was "not allowed" to comment further on the suspension of his coach, Jeff Sweigard. While there may be hard feelings among some of the wrestlers and fans from both programs as to some of the actions at this controversial dual, the two rivals issued a joint press release. "The actions of the Cumberland Valley and Central Dauphin head wrestling coaches at Saturday's match do not reflect the high standards of good sportsmanship and leadership that we expect our coaches to model for our athletes. "While these two programs have a history of extraordinary accomplishments, this public display was unacceptable. It is important for both communities to know that success does not relieve a coach of the responsibility to exercise restraint and good judgment, especially in those moments when emotions might tempt a coach to behave otherwise." "The administrations of both the Cumberland Valley and Central Dauphin School Districts do commend our student athletes for their positive behavior on that difficult day." To see a concise (just over a minute in length) video posted by PennLive.com which shows the controversial elements of the Cumberland Valley-Central Dauphin dual – including the two matches which ended in disqualification, and the behavior of the coaches – complete with on-screen commentary, click here.

Live Blog Virginia Tech at NC State

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Kevin Randleman, a two-time NCAA champion and three-time NCAA finalist, passed away on Thursday. Funeral arrangements are pending. Kevin RandlemanA 2004 Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, Randleman was the 177 pound NCAA champion in 1992 and 1993. The first two-time champion in Ohio State history, he was a three-time All-American who posted a 42-0-3 record in 1992, just the second Buckeye to go undefeated during a season. The following campaign, he dropped just one match (24-1). Randleman concluded his career with 108 wins, the 17th most in school history. Following his collegiate career, Randlemen went on to become a Mixed Martial Arts champion, making his debut in the fall of 1996. Three years later, Randleman again reached the top of his sport by becoming the UFC heavyweight champion on Nov. 19, 1999. While fighting for UFC, PRIDE FC and Strikeforce, Randleman compiled a 17-16 record over 15 years. Most recently, Randleman was the co-founder of a non-profit wrestling academy in Las Vegas.

Like many wrestling fans who use social media, I've been inundated this week with the step-by-step Zapruder film style breakdown of a high school dual meet in Pennsylvania. To dissect the relative rights and wrongs of what transpired on the mats that day would be pointless -- and to blame the referees seems obvious and wayward of further critique. As we've seen with increasing consistency, the coaches, athletes and parents on all sides of the wrestling mat are decaying the once-positive behavior of the wrestling mat and turning sport it into the moral morass of reality TV. Bad behavior is everywhere on the wrestling mats, but it would be foolish to point to a singular cause. From where I sit, blame can be equally shared between the media, the high pressure of youth sports and the fascinating re-emergence of the #FaceMush culture that now serves large swaths of the sport. I don't know when the #FaceMush culture took hold and I don't feel a dissection is necessary to solve the problems it is causing the sport. What is obvious is the incessant whining … and screaming … and stomping … and teeth-clenching threats of college coaches bled into the product and affected the sport's ethos. Regrettably, it may have already become the most signature aspect of the sport. Fans, athletes and stakeholders would all love a lot fewer blood curdling screams from men who try to then act tough on the sidelines. The peacocking of chests and the in-your-face celebrations are the tactics of bullying schoolchildren, not adults. The blurring of that distinction could very well be a contributing factor to the stymied growth of the sport nationwide. Wrestling is tough, but it in no way should require its participants to be jerks on and off the mat. What happened in Pennsylvania is not out of the norm. Was it odd that the normal social constructs broke down and coaches gamed the system with such blatant disregard for sportsmanship? Yes. But this behavior has been bubbling beneath the surface for years in the sport. The #FaceMush culture demands that everyone involved in wrestling must become a screaming, complaining, and crying mess. This isn't just running off the mat after you lose a match, or refusing to shake an opposing coach's hand. This is the constant focus on INTENSITY rather than technique, WEIGHT CUT rather than healthy dieting, and the idea of BREAKING your opponent rather than letting your excellence and hard work shine. For all the life lessons wrestling can teach young kids our culture has done a fantastic job of bastardizing it to become one with a focus on trying to KILL your opponent rather than just try to score more points or pin them. Wrestling still creates positive, viral moments -- athletes who forfeit matches to the physically disabled and those who honor their opponent's off-the-mat familial losses. Wrestlers are often sweet individuals who want what's best for their loved ones and work hard to achieve their goals, which is what makes the most recent outbursts and the recent propulsion of bad behavior all the more jarring. Judging by the immaturity on display in Pennsylvania, we've done well to almost completely ruin a culture that was once filled with men of self-respect, pride and modesty and replaced it with ones blinded by the blood of the kill. I'm not overly optimistic that America will refocus its emotional energies on good sportsmanship and fair play. The cultural plunge seems to be increasing, not letting up. But then again, maybe it will. Maybe some of our sport's calm and collected college coaches will make an impact? Maybe more coaches and athletes will watch Jordan Burroughs win with honor at the Olympics, coaches in part by a wonderful human being and coach in Bruce Burnett? Maybe coaches will see the way the USA women's team -- often up against long odds -- absolutely never quits, and likewise never complains. Maybe the Olympics will help right this ship? Maybe. But if something doesn't change soon we're racing to the bottom, where we'll almost certainly find fewer fans and increased irrelevance. To your questions … Q: I can't imagine NC State is going to get through this weekend without blemish. I expect Virginia Tech to beat them tonight. I have the Hokies winning seven matches. If NC State somehow gets past Virginia Tech, then I would expect Missouri to beat NC State. If NC State loses, who do you expect to face Penn State for the dual championship? -- Mike C. Pat Popolizio is in his fourth season as NC State's head wrestling coach (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Foley: Man. I don't know anymore. Though I agree those are two tough teams (and matchups) there is something special about the NC State wrestling program and their ability to grab impressive performances from new wrestlers each week. I think the same thing of Virginia Tech's ability to outperform expectations under Coach Dresser, but right now the hot hand is in Raleigh not Blacksburg. Still, to take on Missouri two days later seems like madness. Their scheduling doesn't allow for a rest period and Mizzou is well-equipped enough to upend the team at the end of the year. No matter what happens in the dual meet, it's very obvious that Pat Popolizio is the NCAA Division I Coach of the Year and that his wrestlers won't be laggards heading into the ACC or NCAA tournament. I think NC State bests Virginia Tech, but is just under 50 percent to also upend Mizzou. Q: I watched the Ohio State-Penn State dual meet last week. The first five starting wrestlers for PSU were PA state champs (four were multiple-time champs), followed by sub Geno Morelli, a multiple-time PA state placewinner. Reportedly, when Cael Sanderson sought the PSU position, he stated that if he could recruit the best PA prospect every year, plus one other national prospect, his teams would be nationally competitive every year -- something he didn't believe he could accomplish at ISU, recruiting in-state against Iowa. What have been the most successful most home-grown college teams in recent history? What have been the most successful most home-grown college teams in remote history? Say, prior to national media attention/promotion and routine, wide-spread national recruiting … -- Mike A. Foley: Edinboro takes Pennsylvania talent and grooms them into some of the best wrestlers in the country. Almost every year a wrestler from Edinboro, buried in the mid-teens nationally explodes onto the national scene and wins a national title. They stand as the benchmark on how to recruit (and coach) locally. Kent State has done a wonderful job over the last several years recruiting locally and creating national champions and All-Americans. One caveat is that not all of them are technically from Ohio, since the school can offer in-state tuition to Pennsylvania residents within a certain distance of the school. Similarly, I think that we are seeing Lock Haven begin this process under Scott Moore, with a lot of local talent returning home. From what I understand the best locally groomed program in "remote" history might be Fresno State who enjoyed a wealth of talent from the Central Valley. Stephen Abas, Gerry Abas and Yero Washington are almost enough to justify the list, but there are many more from the past, and I suspect many more to come. MUTLIMEDIA HALFTIME (and links) Yarygin highlights Q: Is there a difference between who wrestles in the Pan Am Games and who wrestles in the Pan Am Olympic Weight qualifier? -- @ZeroNBlindTeri Foley: Yes. The two are not related. The Pan Am Games are a quadrennial sporting event (like the Olympics), while the Pan-Am Championships and Pan-American OG Qualifying Tournament are run by United World Wrestling. The Pan-Am Qualifiers are open to all Pan Am countries who did not qualify a wrestler for the Olympics at the World Championships. For the USA men's freestyle team that means 57 kilos, 65 kilos, 86 kilos and 125 kilos. The Pan-Am Championships are just the annual continental championships. As of last week the championships will no longer be run in Olympic years since so much focus and financial resource remains focused on the qualification of athletes. Q: The 184-pound weight class in Division I looks wide open right now! Gabe Dean, Vic Avery and Blake Stauffer all took losses last weekend. I like the way Michigan's Dominic Abounader is wrestling right now. His only loss has come to Dean. Right now who is your pick to win the NCAA title at 184 pounds? -- Mike C. Foley: Gabe Dean is still the odds-on favorite to win the NCAA title. As the defending NCAA champion and someone familiar with a few losses, I think Dean is as emotionally and physically equipped to succeed in March as any wrestler I've ever seen. He's also very well coached. I like what I've seen of Abounader, but I'm uncertain how a tough Big Ten will affect him on two weeks rest. I'd imagine that it can take some rebounding for a conference champion, much less someone that eats a few losses. Total grinder. Vic Avery's secret weapon, and guide to an NCAA title, might be Tim Flynn and the Fighting Scots tradition of outperforming expectations at the NCAA tournament. Q: Are Jason Tsirtsis' recent struggles more mental or physical? -- Mike C. Foley: There has to be a combination of both, but a third interpretation would be the new rules and Big Ten refereeing has forced Tsirtsis to be more active on his feet. His increased activity, and the threat of stalling points, may have forced him to be a more anxious competitor. The loss of Drew Pariano obviously had an effect on the Northwestern team. An upheaval like his firing can lead to a multitude of outcomes -- some as subtle as a gravitational ripple and others as on the nose as NCAA champion wrestlers taking bad regular season losses. Q: Will you be asking fans to tune into InterMat's live blogs all weekend? Running four duals in three days! -- @WrestlingSHP Foley: Tune in, or risk Britt embracing the Culture of the Kill. Quick note … Congrats to Mark DiSalvo on his recent head coaching position at Thomas More College. He's a good man and coach. Wishing him and his family success and happiness.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Winning six of 10 bouts, the No. 5-ranked University of Wisconsin-La Crosse claimed a 20-14 win over No. 7-ranked Augsburg College in a wrestling dual meet on Thursday evening at Si Melby Hall. THE BASICS FINAL SCORE: Wisconsin-La Crosse 20, Augsburg (Minn.) 14 LOCATION: Si Melby Hall, Minneapolis RECORDS: Augsburg 11-5 overall, Wisconsin-La Crosse 15-4 overall HOW IT HAPPENED Augsburg won the opening bout, but UW-La Crosse won four straight matches to take a 14-3 lead into the halftime break. The Eagles then won two of the final five bouts to score the match victory. The Eagles now lead the all-time series with the Auggies 7-6-1. No. 1-ranked and defending heavyweight national champion Donny Longendyke (JR, Vadnais Heights, Minn./White Bear Lake HS) scored a 12-3, major-decision victory over Clay Broze, his second major-decision win over Broze this season. He used five takedowns, an escape and 2:30 of riding time to claim the victory. Now 31-2, Longendyke has won 21 straight matches. Of his 31 wins, 23 are bonus-point wins (18 pins, five major decisions). Longendyke is now 75-4 in his Augsburg career and 115-25 in his collegiate career. Of his 115 wins, 86 are bonus-point victories (63 pins, three technical falls, 20 major decisions). Sam Bennyhoff (FY, Mound, Minn./Mound-Westonka HS) improved to 23-5 on the season with his 13th bonus-point victory of the season, a 12-4 major-decision win over Reid Johnson. Bennyhoff built a 6-3 lead after one period, then used two third-period takedowns and 4:22 of riding time to claim the win. Marcus Hamer (JR, Kimball, Minn.) scored a 4-2 win over Grant Sutton in the final bout of the evening at 149 pounds. A first-period takedown and escapes in the second and third periods secured the victory for Hamer, now 23-12 on the season. Grant Parker (JR, Onalaska, Wis.) used an escape and takedown in the second period, while riding the entire third period for a 2:55 riding time bonus point, to score a 4-0 win over Austin Schoen in the opening bout at 157. Parker is now 25-10 on the season. FOR THE FOES Augsburg's James Goman (JR, Lakeville, Minn./Trinity-River Ridge HS) scored a second-period takedown of the Eagles' top-ranked 125-pounder, Ryan Weinmann, to take a 2-1 lead, but Weinmann converted a reversal and used 1:51 of riding time to claim a 4-2 victory. No. 4-ranked Tyler Schneider scored a 15-0, 3:42 technical-fall victory over Augsburg's Austin Boniface (JR, Wyoming, Minn./Forest Lake HS) at 174 pounds. Derek Weinmann claimed a 10-4 win over Augsburg's No. 10-ranked Eric Hensel (JR, Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville South HS) at 165. Austin Cook claimed a 6-0 win over Niko Anderson (FY, Lanesboro, Minn.) at 184, Sean Ward scored an 8-4 win over Logan Hortop (JR, Faribault, Minn.) at 197, and No. 4-ranked 141-pounder Cody See scored a 4-2 win over Aaron Wilson (FY, Oak Grove, Minn./St. Francis HS). UP NEXT Augsburg's varsity closes its dual-meet season next Friday (2/19) at 7 p.m., hosting Wisconsin-Stevens Point at Si Melby Hall. Augsburg's White Team (junior varsity) competes at the Winona State Invitational on Saturday (2/13) at 9 a.m. Wisconsin-La Crosse competes at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships on Sunday (2/14). Results: 157 -- Grant Parker (AUG, 25-10) dec. Austin Schoen (UWL, 8-12) 4-0 (Augsburg 3-0) 165 -- Derek Weinmann (UWL, 12-8) dec. No. 10 Eric Hensel (AUG, 21-5) 10-4 (TIED 3-3) 174 -- No. 4 Tyler Schneider (UWL, 20-3) tech. fall Austin Boniface (AUG, 17-14) 15-0 at 3:42 (UW-La Crosse 8-3) 184 -- Austin Cook (UWL, 24-8) dec. Niko Anderson (AUG, 13-12) 6-0 (UW-La Crosse 11-3) 197 -- Sean Ward (UWL, 16-8) dec. Logan Hortop (AUG, 20-18) 8-4 (UW-La Crosse 14-3) HWT -- No. 1 Donny Longendyke (AUG, 31-2) maj. dec. Clay Broze (UWL, 18-8) 12-3 (UW-La Crosse (14-7) 125 -- No. 1 Ryan Weinmann (UWL, 23-4) dec. James Goman (AUG, 15-17) 4-2 (UW-La Crosse 17-7) 133 -- Sam Bennyhoff (AUG, 23-5) maj. dec. Reid Johnson (UWL, 14-9) 12-4 (UW-La Crosse 17-11) 141 -- No. 4 Cody See (UWL, 9-3) dec. Aaron Wilson (AUG, 13-16) 4-2 (UW-La Crosse 20-11) 149 -- Marcus Hamer (AUG, 23-12) dec. Grant Sutton (UWL, 21-5) 4-2 (UW-La Crosse 20-14)

Corvallis, Ore. -- A resurgent Oregon State wrestling team posted its biggest victory of the season by stunning No. 7 Oklahoma 22-12 on Thursday night before a vocal, season-high crowd of 1,041 at Gill Coliseum. The Beavers (9-6, 2-2 Pac-12) got a momentum-generating pin from Jack Hathaway (133), a tie-breaking major decision from Corey Griego (184) and a last-second, match-clinching win by Cody Crawford (197) to earn their fourth win in their last five starts and their fifth triumph over a ranked opponent this winter. "I told them you have to wrestle tough, you have to work the whole seven minutes," OSU coach Jim Zalesky said. "The best example of that was Cody Crawford, shooting and getting a good takedown at the end of his match" for a 4-2 win over Brad Johnson that gave the Beavers an insurmountable 19-12 cushion. "That sealed the win for us. I was pleased with our effort, even I the ones we lost we had good effort. All the guys fought hard. I liked their fight." Ronnie Bresser (125) and Amarveer Dhesi (heavyweight) both prevailed in matches pitting ranked opponents, and Abraham Rodriguez (157) continued his February turnaround to give OSU a sweep of the home-and-home series with the Sooners (9-5). OSU also won in Norman last season, 20-17. "They are ranked seventh in the country and we want people to know that we are right there with the best of them to," said Rodriguez, whose 5-2 decision over Shayne Tucker gave the Beavers a 12-6 advantage at the midway point. "It was important to us. We beat them, and that makes a statement." Hathaway's match was pivotal. He escaped unscathed from a dangerous position late in the first period, and then turned the tables on Trae Blackwell with his first pin since his second match of the season. It gave OSU a 9-3 lead. "It was huge," Zalesky said. "He almost gave up a four-pointer, he escaped, got a takedown and then he hit what we call a 'cement mixer' and got the fall. It was big for team momentum going into those next matches." Rodriguez lost seven matches in a row at one point this season, dropping his record to 8-13. But he went 3-0, with three bonus points and a win over the Pac-12's current top seed, in last week's road trip to California, and extended his winning streak to four straight on Thursday. "During that [tailspin] it was hard but you just have to keep believing, keep plugging away," he said. "Good things started happening and it started coming for me. That's what I always believed. "[Thursday] is momentum for this dual, and for Pac-12s and nationals coming up," he said. The seventh-ranked Bresser topped eight-ranked Ryan Millhof 3-1. The 10th-ranked Dhesi defeated No. 15 Ross Larson 8-6 for his eighth win in a row. Zalesky said the Beavers show definite signs of becoming the team he thought they could be earlier this year. OSU had five holdover starters, and two coming off redshirts, with NCAA-tournament experience, but the team was inconsistent until recently. "I knew what guys could do," Zalesky said. "It was a matter of taking it out here. The matches we won were forced our positions on the other guy. The Beavers conclude their nonconference schedule at 5 p.m. Sunday against Air Force. The Falcons (7-5) defeated Utah Valley 20-13 and New Mexico Highlands 30-9 in Colorado Springs on Thursday. OSU then closes the regular season with the annual Border War against Boise State, set for 11 a.m. Feb. 21 at Gill Coliseum. It will be televised by Pac-12 Networks. The Pac-12 Championships are Feb. 27, at Arizona State. For more information on the Oregon State wrestling team, follow the club's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/OSU_Wrestling or by Facebook at Facebook.com/OregonStateWrestling. Results: 125: Ronnie Bresser (OSU) dec. Ryan Millhof (OU), 3-1 133: Cody Brewer (OU) dec. Joey Palmer (OSU), 12-7 141: Jack Hathaway (OSU) pinned Trae Blackwell (OU), 4:18 149: Davion Jeffries (OU) dec. Joey Delgado (OSU), 11-5 157: Abraham Rodriguez (OSU) dec. Shayne Tucker (OU), 5-2 165: Clark Glass (OU) dec. Seth Thomas (OSU), 3-1 174: Matt Reed (OU) dec. Tyler Chay (OSU), 8-2 184: Corey Griego (OSU) maj. dec. Andrew Dixon (OU), 12-1 197: Cody Crawford (OSU) dec. Brad Johnson (OU), 4-2 HWT: Amarveer Dhesi (OSU) dec. Ross Larson (OU), 8-6

STANFORD, Calif. -- Led by redshirt senior Michael Sojka and Nathan Butler, the No. 18 Stanford wrestling team defeated Boise State, 22-15, Thursday on Senior Night in Burnham Pavilion. Stanford won six bouts to improve to 11-3 overall and 3-2 in the Pac-12. Boise State drops to 3-6 and 1-1 in the conference. Boise State jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the dual as Chris Castillo pinned Stanford freshman Nainoa Calvo in 3:25 at 157 pounds. Redshirt junior Jim Wilson, ranked 18th nationally, put the Cardinal on the board with a 11-1 major decision over Taylor West at 165 pounds. The Lodi, California native notched two takedowns, four nearfall points, a reversal and riding time in the win. He improves to 21-5 overall and 13-1 in duals. The Broncos pushed their lead to 9-4 as Austin Dewey posted a 10-4 decision over Keaton Subjeck at 174 pounds. Redshirt sophomore Garet Krohn cut the Boise State lead to 9-7 with a 6-2 decision over Zach Coffman at 184 pounds. Leading 2-1 after the first, Krohn scored an escape and a takedown in the second to pull ahead 5-1. Coffman recorded an escape to start the third, but Krohn finished with riding time, improving his season record to 14-6. Sojka, wrestling in the final home match of his career, held on for a 2-0 decision over Kadyn Del Toro at 197 pounds. Sojka picked up an escape in the second period and racked up 1:40 of riding time in the third to move to 12-9 on the year. Butler made it 16-9 in favor of the Cardinal. The heavyweight, who is No. 20 in the nation, pinned Gabriel Gonzalez in 5:31, registering his team-best eighth fall of the year. Butler is now 23-5 overall and 10-2 in duals. Redshirt sophomore Connor Schram added to the Stanford lead with a 9-4 decision over Rami Haddadin at 125 pounds. After a quick takedown, Schram nearly had the pin before collecting four nearfall points. He led 7-1 going into the final period, where he added an escape and 1:21 of riding time. Schram moves to 17-4 overall and 7-2 in duals this season. Carson Kuhn cut the Stanford lead to 19-12 with a 2-0 decision over sophomore Mason Pengilly at 133 pounds. He drops to 7-7 on the year. Second-ranked Joey McKenna sealed the dual win with a 4-0 win over Jake Velarde at 141 pounds. Tied 0-0 in the second, McKenna posted an escape and a late takedown for the 3-0 lead. He tacked on 1:54 of riding time to improve to 19-1 overall and 11-0 in duals. Stanford wraps-up the regular season on Sunday, Feb. 14 at No. 2 Oklahoma State in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Action begins at 12 p.m. PT on Flowrestling.org. Results: 125: #15 Connor Schram (S) dec. Rami Haddadin (B) 9-4 133: Carson Kuhn (B) dec. Mason Pengilly (S) 2-0 141: #2 Joey McKenna (S) dec. Jake Velarde (B) 4-0 149: #15 Geordan Martinez (B) dec. Tommy Pawelski (S) 2-0 157: Chris Castillo (B) fall Nainoa Calvo (S) 3:25 165: #18 Jim Wilson (S) maj. dec. Taylor West (B) 11-1 174: Austin Dewey (B) dec. Keaton Subjeck (S) 10-4 184: Garet Krohn (S) dec. Zach Coffman (B) 6-2 197: Michael Sojka (S) dec. Kadyn Del Toro (B) 2-0 285 #20 Nathan Butler (S) fall Gabriel Gonzalez (B) 5:31

U.S. Air Force Academy -- Air Force concluded senior night with dual wins over Big 12 Conference opponent Utah Valley (20-13) and New Mexico Highlands (30-9). The victory over Utah Valley marks Air Force's first conference win as a Big 12 conference affiliate. Falcon wrestling improves to 7-5, 1-3 Big 12, while Utah Valley drops to 3-8, 0-2 Big 12 and New Mexico Highlands drops to 3-6, 1-1 RMAC. Air Force opened up with back and forth dual action beginning with a loss in the 174 class to the Wolverine's Ross Taylor. The Falcons would quickly strike back with two consecutive wins from Anthony McLaughlin (184) and No. 17 Parker Hines (197). Hines would be the only Falcon to earn bonus points coming from a 22-4 technical fall over Aryton Almberg. The Wolverines would bounce back with consecutive wins in the 285 and 125 class, including No.18 Chasen Tolbert's 8-0 major decision over Drew Romero. Josh Martinez would follow up with the 4-3 decision over Jade Rauser in the 133 class to regain the lead at 11-10. The Wolverines would regain the lead after Dylan Hyder dropped 4-3 decision in the 141 class. Air Force would earn three consecutive decision wins coming from Jerry McGinty (149), Zach Stepan (157) and Alex Lopouchanski (165) to seal the deal over the Wolverines, 20-13. Air Force would quickly return to action in the second dual of the night against New Mexico Highlands. The Falcons would take the early lead with a 2-1 decision coming from Zen Ikehara. Highlands would react with a 6-5 decision win in the 184 class, knotting the score at 3-3 at the beginning of the third bout. Air Force would quickly jump 12 points ahead after Hines' commanding 4:55 pin in the 197 class and a Highlands forfeit in the 285 class. Freshmen Issac Jimenez (125) and John Twomey (133) would earn nine more points to extend the lead to 24-3 after Jimenez's 5-1 decision win and Twomey's 4:04 pin. Air Force would go on to earn decision wins in two of the final four bouts with wins coming from Alex Mossing (157) and Michael Billingsley (165) to finalize the score at 30-9. Up next, Falcon wrestling will travel to Corvallis, Ore., over the weekend to take on the Beavers of Oregon State in dual meet action on Sunday, Feb. 14, at 5:00 p.m. PT. Air Force 20, Utah Valley 13 174 Ross Taylor (UVU) SV-2 dec. Adam Jackson (AF) – 4-1, UVU 3-0 184 Anthony McLaughlin (AF) dec. Will Sumner (UVU) – 9-3, TIE 3-3 197 Parker Hines (AF) TF Aryton Almberg (UVU) – 22-4, AF 8-3 285 Dustin Dennison (UVU) dec. Marcus Malecek (AF) – 3-1, AF 8-6 125 #18 Chasen Tolbert (UVU) MD Drew Romero (AF) – 8-0, UVU 10-8 133 #18 Josh Martinez (AF) dec. Jade Rauser (UVU) – 4-3, AF 11-10 141 Jarod Maynes (UVU) dec. Dylan Hyder (AF) – 4-3, UVU 13-11 149 Jerry McGinty (AF) dec. Matthew Ontiveros (UVU) – 9-3, AF 14-13 157 Zach Stepan (AF) dec. Raider Lofthouse (UVU) – 10-4, AF 17-13 165 Alex Lopouchanski (AF) dec. Brayden Humphreys (UVU) – 7-0, 20-13 Air Force 30, New Mexico Highlands 9 174 Zen Ikehara (AF) dec. J.B. Bechtloff (NMH) – 3-1, AF 3-0 184 Luis Terrazas (NMH) dec. SV-2Willie Baker (AF) – 6-5, TIE 3-3 197 #17 Parker Hines (AF) Fall Cody Marquez (NMH) – 4:55, AF 9-3 285 Marcus Malecek (AF) FF Corbin Grenowich (NMH) – FF, AF 15-3 125 Issac Jimenez (AF) dec. Jacob Espana (NMH) – 5-1, AF 18-3 133 John Twomey (AF) Fall Tre Humphrey (NMH) – 4:04, AF 24-3 141 Dan Gaylor (NMH) dec. Dave Walker (AF) – 3-2, AF 24-6 149 Reis Humphrey (NMH) dec. Conor O'Hara (AF) – 9-5, AF 24-9 157 Alex Mossing (AF) dec. Orlando Guerra (NMH) – 11-5, AF 27-9 165 Michael Billingsley (AF) Juan Alvarado (NMH) – 7-3, AF 30-9

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ -- In the automotive world, the 427 engine is regarded as one of the greatest of all time, powering such classics as the Corvette and the Shelby Cobra. In the collegiate wrestling world, the engine that has powered the Rider Broncs to 427 wins is also one of the greatest of all time. Rider head coach Gary Taylor, now in his 38th season at Rider, picked up career win number 427 Thursday night when the Broncs defeated Hofstra. The 427 wins ties the legendary Bobby Douglas for fourth on the all-time career list of Division I NCAA coaching victories. "To be mentioned in the same sentence with Bobby Douglas is nothing short of an honor," said Taylor. "He's a legendary coach who I looked up to. He's a great man and a great coach. I feel very honored and humbled." Douglas won an NCAA Title coaching at Arizona State and also coached the U.S. Olympic team and Iowa State. "I would say that is pretty overwhelming," said associate head coach John Hangey. "I've learned so much from Coach Taylor and the fact that he's done it at a small school that does not have all the resources or a large enrollment, speaks to the man that he is. He does it right, never cuts corners, he always believes in what he does and the kids perform for him. That's why he's fourth in the nation in wins." Thursday night, the Broncs won eight of 10 bouts against long-time rival Hofstra. For Rider (10-9) sophomore Chad Walsh (Cherry Hill, NJ/Camden Catholic), senior Zach Valcarce (Willas, NJ/Lower Cape May), senior Paul Kirchner (Somerville, NJ/Somerville), sophomore B.J. Clagon (Toms River, NJ/Toms River South), senior Robert Deutsch (Cherry Hill, NJ/Eastern Regional), senior Conor Brennan (Brick, NJ/Brick Twp.), freshman Michale Fagg-Daves (Somerset, NJ/Franklin) and junior Ryan Wolfe (New Castle, Del./Caravel) all won. Walsh, ranked 14th by the NCAA Coaches Panel, won by fall. In his final home match, Kirchner defeated Jamel Hudson, a 2015 NCAA qualifier who is currently ranked 26th by the NCAA Coaches Panel. "Paul beat a good wrestler and did it with composure," Taylor said. "He did an outstanding job." Brennan, ranked 18th by the NCAA Coaches Panel, won his final home match to improve to 22-3 on the season, 12-2 in dual meets. Wolfe, ranked 24th by the NCAA Coaches Panel, won a major decision. Clagon, ranked 20th by the NCAA Coaches Panel, won to give Rider a 15-0 lead. Valcarce won to start the match. For Hofstra (5-10) Frank Affronti, ranked 31st by the NCAA Coaches Panel, won at 174. Heavyweight Mike Hughes won to improve to 31-7. The victory was the third in a row for Rider over Hofstra but Hofstra has won 13 of the last 17 meetings with Rider. The Broncs will compete at Princeton February 18 and at Maryland February 20 to close out the dual meet season. "Princeton is very tough," Taylor said. "It is going to be quite a battle. We're going to work hard, train hard and get ready for them. I will think about Maryland once we wrestle Princeton." The all-time NCAA Division I coaches win list is 1. Dale Thomas of Oregon State (616) 2. Harold Nichols of Iowa State (492) 3. J Robinson of Minnesota (439) 4. Gary Taylor of Rider (427) 4. Bobby Douglas of Iowa State/Arizona State (427) Among active coaches, Taylor is still second only to Robinson in victories on the Division I level Results: 125 Zach Valcarce-R dec. Bryan Damon-H 9-6 3-0 133 Robert Deutsch-R wins by forfeit 9-0 141 Paul Kirchner-R dec. Jamel Hudson-H 3-0 12-0 149 B.J. Clagon-R dec. Kyle Krasavage-H 6-0 15-0 157 Chad Walsh-R won by fall Jahlani Callender-H 7:00 21-0 165 Conor Brennan-R dec. Cory Goshkagarian-H 10-4 24-0 174 Frank Affronti-H dec. Curt Delia-R 7-5 24-3 184 Michale Fagg-Daves-R dec. Cory Damiana-H 4-3 27-3 197 Ryan Wolfe-R major dec. Omar Haddad-H 15-6 31-3 285 Mike Hughes-H major dec. Greg Velasco-R 14-4 31-7

BOONE, N.C. -- With a share of the Southern Conference title on the line, Appalachian State University wrestling won in dominating fashion over Virginia Military Institute, 27-9. The Mountaineers (11-3, 6-1 SoCon) won seven of ten matches over the Keydets (3-9, 1-6 SoCon). “I thought we came out a little flat tonight. It's one of those matches where it's kind of hard to keep focus with the No. 5 ranked team in the country coming here tomorrow night,” said JohnMark Bentley. “We did a good job getting it done tonight anyway.” With the win, the Mountaineers clinched a share of their first Southern Conference regular season title since 2012. “Obviously, I am tickled to death that we won a Southern Conference Championship. It's a big deal for our program and our school, so we are very proud of that. Hopefully, we can keep building and finish this year strong.” Vito Pasone (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./E.L. Meyers) took on one of the hottest wrestlers in the SoCon in Dalton Henderson who had won his previous 11 matches. Pasone jumped out to a 4-1 advantage after the two periods and hung on for a 4-3 decision win to put the Apps up, 3-0. Irvin Enriquez (Aberdeen, N.C./Pinecrest) got the start at 133 pounds and faced Dominick Gallo. After a wild first period Enriquez was on top, 3-2. Gallo tied the match late in the second period and a reversal in the final period gave Gallo a 6-4 decision win. Michael Longo (Corona, Calif./Santiago) used a takedown and a three near-falls in the first period to open up a commanding 12-0 lead in the first period. Longo went on to win by a 15-0 technical fall in the second period. With the Apps up 8-3, Matt Zovistoski (Paramus, N.J./St. Joseph Regional) took the mat against Emmitt Kelly and opened up a 6-2 lead with one period left. Zovistoski fought off a rally from Kelly to win 8-5. David Peters-Logue (Hillsborough, N.C./Orange) took on Neal Richards and was down 6-3 after two periods. Peters-Logue was unable to rally and dropped a 12-5 decision. Apps led 11-6 Forrest Przybysz (Jefferson, Ga./Jefferson) jumped out to an 8-3 lead over Shabaka Johns through two periods and went on win by the same score. Nick Kee (Laurinburg, N.C./Scotland) enjoyed 12-0 lead in the third period before a late reversal for VMI would end the match at 13-2. The 184-pound match started with the Apps up 18-6. Taylor Jackson (Lady Lake, Fla./The Villages) (Rutgers) battled through a low scoring match but fell by 6-0 decision to Derek Thurman. A quick first period takedown gave Randall Diabe (Greensboro, N.C./James B. Dudley) a 2-0 lead in the 197-pound match. Diabe hung on for a 5-3 decision win after a late charge from Taylor Thomas. Denzel Dejournette (Winston-Salem, N.C./R.J. Reynolds) came out of the gate quickly to a 10-0 lead in the first period over Tasi Mathias. With just seconds remaining in the period, Dejournette pinned Mathias to cap the 27-9 victory with his fifth pin of the year. The Mountaineers will be back in Varsity Gym Tomorrow night for a showdown between ranked opponents. No. 24 App State will welcome No. 5 Missouri to Boone. Match time is set for 6:30 p.m. Results: 125: Vito Pasone (A) def. Dalton Henderson (V) D, 4-3 (App leads 3-0) 133: Dominick Gallo (V) def. Irvin Enriquez (A) D, 6-4 (Tied 3-3) 141: Michael Longo (A) def. Hunter Starner (V) TF, 15-0 (App leads 8-3) 149: Matt Zovistoski (A) def. Emmit Kelly (V) D, 8-5 (App leads 11-3) 157: Neal Richards (V) def. David Peters-Logue (A) (App leads 11-6) 165: Forrest Przybysz (A) def. Shabaka Johns (V) D, 8-3 (App leads 14-6) 174: Nick Kee (A) def. Mark Darr (V) MD, 13-2 (App leads 18-6) 184: Derek Thurman (V) def. Taylor Jackson (A) D, 6-0 (App leads 18-9) 197: Randall Diabe (A) def. Taylor Thomas (V) D, 5-3 (App leads 21-9) Hwt: Denzel Dejournette (A) pinned Tasi Mathias (V) (Pin 2:58) (App leads 27-9)

Grandville High School wrestling suffered back-to-back defeats Thursday, as Michigan's high school athletic association denied the school's request to consider its appeal of the organization's earlier decision to bar the Bulldogs from the state's dual-meet championships ... while a court denied a temporary restraining order to stop the Michigan High School Athletic Association ban. Grandville wrestling teamOn Wednesday, Grandville had been notified that its wrestling team would not be allowed to compete in postseason events -- and that up to eight individual wrestlers would also be disqualified. "Grandville High School has been withdrawn from the Michigan High School Athletic Association Team Dual Wrestling Tournament as a result of exceeding the limit of regular-season days of competition during the 2015-16 season," the organization posted on the website. The Bulldogs wrestled in 15 matches, one more than the maximum 14 that are allowed. It is considered an unfair competitive advantage. Grandville superintendent Roger Bearup had announced Wednesday the school would file a formal appeal with the MHSAA, per that organization's rulebook. That appeal was denied Thursday. At the same time, a second party applied for a declaratory judgment and a temporary restraining order of the ruling in the Ottawa County Circuit Court in a hearing before Judge Edward R. Post. That request filed by three individuals was denied. "Our wrestling coaches and administration feel terrible for our kids especially because they had nothing to do with the alleged error," Bearup said in a statement prior to today's MHSAA and court decisions. "To our student-athletes and the entire Bulldog Nation we would like to apologize for this unfortunate incident. We will be putting additional checks and balances in place to negate the chances of this sort of thing happening in the future." In explaining the original MHSAA decision, the organization's communications director John Johnson said, "It was brought to our attention on Friday that Grandville had already had 15 days of competition. Any time you have a rule that is broken, regardless of how it occurs, it is still a matter of inherent fairness for the opponent, which has followed the rules. "This isn't anything new. This has happened before and the rules have been consistently applied." Grandville, located just outside Grand Rapids, is the OK Red Conference Champion, and is ranked fifth in the state in Division I. The Bulldogs are coached by Ryan "Bubba" Gritter, a Grandville mat alum and former Central Michigan University heavyweight wrestler who was a MAC (Mid-American Conference) champ and an NCAA All-American. In addition to the school filing a formal appeal, Grandville wrestling supporters are taking to social media in an effort to change minds at the MHSAA. Back in December, the MHSAA reversed an earlier decision regarding deaf wrestler Ellis Kempf's access to a sign language interpreter while competing. The organization originally required the interpreter to remain seated with Kempf's coaches matside, but reversed itself by allowing the Royal Oak High School wrestler to have a sign language interpreter be able to move around the mat to provide translations to the wrestler from his coach.

The first weekend of February saw two states crown dual meet champions, while this second weekend of February will see six more crowned, with a seventh in Delaware on Tuesday evening. In addition the first five states to crown individual champions during 2016 will do so this week: Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Montana, and Utah (Alaska crowned its 2015-16 champions in December 2015). State Tournament Results Tennessee dual meet state champions were Bradley Central in Division I Class AAA, Red Bank in Division I Class A-AA, Father Ryan in Division II, and Webb School of Knoxville in Division II Invitational. North Carolina dual meet state champions were West Forsyth in Class 4A, Morehead in Class 3A, Newton-Conover in Class 2A, and Rosewood in Class 1A. Link: State tournament results page Six nationally ranked teams to battle for Class AAA title in Keystone State The GIANT Center in Hershey, Pa. will have six nationally ranked teams within its confines this weekend seeking the Class AAA state dual meet title. The favorites are No. 6 Bethlehem Catholic, who won the District XI title this past weekend; last year in their Class AAA debut, the Hawks fell to eventual champion Franklin Regional narrowly in the state semifinal. Since the same bracket configuration is in effect as last year, it looks like Bethlehem Catholic will have to clear an elite District VII champion - this year it's No. 10 Belle Vernon - in the semifinal round. That presumes each team advances to that point. The nominal roadblock facing Bethlehem Catholic is a likely quarterfinal with Central Dauphin, while the Leopards likely have to face No. 46 Council Rock South in the quarterfinal (the Hawks were runners-up in District I this past week). Three nationally ranked teams also populate the upper bracket. No. 35 Kiski Area is looking at a very tough opening round match against Cumberland Valley (district III champions) after suffering a 27-25 upset loss on the hands of Canon-McMillan in the WPIAL semifinal. Should the Cavaliers clear that match, it's a likely quarterfinal date with No. 21 Nazareth (district XI runners-up), who draws District VI champion Miffin County in the opening round. No. 20 Boyertown (district I champions) should clear to the semifinal, though Canon-McMillan (district VII runners-up) could pose a challenge in the quarterfinal. The 16 teams who advanced to the GIANT Center wrestle a preliminary bout on Thursday, quarterfinal and semifinal bouts on Friday (along with the first two rounds of consolation), consolation quarterfinal and semifinal bouts on Saturday morning, before the championship and consolation final on Saturday afternoon. In Class AA competition, the top two ranked teams in the state are looking at a collision course in the semifinal, as Brookville and Reynolds both won their respective district dual meet tournaments (District IX and District X); Chestnut Ridge (District V champion) is the most likely finals opponent. Potential St. Edward vs. Elyria showdown in Ohio state dual championships The first week of four in a clash between the top teams in Ohio's Division I (big schools) is slated to take place this Sunday at St. John Arena on the campus of The Ohio State University. No. 7 St. Edward and No. 17 Elyria are the top two seeds, which means they should meet in the championship dual meet. Last year the teams met in the semifinal round, with St. Edward winning eight bouts on the way to a 34-24 victory; the Eagles would get upset in the final, but then win the individual bracket tournament with Elyria finishing as runners-up. St. Edward is prohibitively favored to clear to the final, drawing an opening round match against Cincinnati Elder and then a semifinal against either Fairfield or Massillon Perry. Elyria is also favored to reach the final, as they should clear the opening round against Delaware Hayes before facing either defending state dual meet champion Brecksville or Dublin Coffman in the semifinal; if it's Brecksville, the Bees could post a slight matchup problem. However, Brecksville is susceptible to an opening round upset in their own breath. On paper, a championship match between St. Edward and Elyria is one that could be won by either team. The Eagles are favored in six weights, the Pioneers in five, and three toss-up bouts. However, the most likely scenario is that St. Edward wins, as Elyria is probably going to have to win eight matches to overcome the bonus point advantage that the Eagles have in the lower half of the lineup. In the individual tournament, the teams have been assigned to the same sectional next week, which means they'll be in the same district the last weekend of February as well in prelude to the state tournament. No. 3 St. Paris Graham is prohibitively favored to win the Division II state tournament, which would make the Falcons four-for-four in dual meet titles; they seek a 16th straight title in the individual tournament the first weekend of March. For Division III, No. 25 Delta is favored to win a fourth straight dual tournament title. Batavia (Ill.) sectional features three Fab 50 teams This weekend in Illinois is state qualification weekend. In Class AAA (big schools), one of the four sectional tournaments has three nationally ranked teams: No. 15 Carl Sandburg, No. 19 Marmion Academy, and No. 41 Montini Catholic. With four state qualification spots for each weight class, there are likely to be some cannibalistic sectional tournament climates. 106: Two nationally ranked wrestlers won regional titles last week, No. 12 Joey Melendez (Montini Catholic) and No. 18 Hassan Johnson (Brother Rice); they anchor the first and third quarters of the draw. 113: The top two wrestlers in the state anchor this weight class, No. 2 Real Woods (Montini Catholic) and No. 20 Louie Hayes (Carl Sandburg); they are in the second and third quarters of the draw. Woods beat Hayes in the Cheesehead final for the only loss either wrestler suffered this season. 126: Three returning state placers are in this weight class, Jacob Silzer (St. Rita) and Jimmy Pawleski (Montini Catholic) won regional titles last week, and anchor the first and third quarters of the draw. Zach Villarreal (Lyons Township) was runner-up to Pawleski last week and is in the second quarter. 132: Nationally ranked wrestlers Rudy Yates (Carl Sandburg) and Dylan Duncan (Montini Catholic) anchor the lower quarters of the draw; the returning state champions are ranked No. 5 and No. 7 respectively. The third ranked wrestler in the state, returning state runner-up Anthony Cheloni (Marmion Academy) anchors the second quarter. Three other state ranked wrestlers (top 12 per Illinois Matmen) are in this tournament: Amir Hooks (Downers Grove South), runner-up to Yates last week, is in the top quarter; Tyler Zeman (Lyons Township), runner-up to Duncan last week, is in the second quarter; while Aaron Kruk (Naperville North), runner-up to Cheloni last week, is in the fourth quarter. Two of these six are not making state. 138: Four wrestlers that have previously placed at the state tournament are present in this weight class, along with another state ranked wrestler. Leading the way are Will Lewan (Montini Catholic) and A.J. Jaffe (Marmion Academy), both of whom were nationally ranked earlier this season; the 1st and 3rd ranked wrestlers in the state anchor the middle two quarters of this draw. The other two regional champions are 2014 state placers Jimmy McAuliffe (Reavis) and Christian Robertson (Carl Sandburg), who occupy the top and bottom quarters. State ranked Mac Casella (Lyons Township), runner-up to Lewan last week, is in the top quarter; while returning state qualifier Julian Blanco (Riverside-Brookfield) is in the second quarter. 182: The top three kids in the state, all of whom are nationally ranked, exit this weight class. No. 7 Nathan Traxler (Marmion Academy), returning state champion, is alone in the upper half bracket; while No. 13 Jack Jessen (Willowbrook) and No. 20 Patrick Brucki (Carl Sandburg) occupy regional champion positions in the lower bracket. 195: Five of the top eight in the state rankings exit this sectional, though none is going to beat the nationally ranked Christian Brunner (Dundee-Crown) at the state level in all likelihood. Andrew Leonard (Wheaton-Warrenville South) and Max Ihry (Waubonsie Valley) both lost to Dylan Ervin (Metea Valey) last week at the regional, and are in the top two quarters of the draw; returning state placer Ihry is likely to draw Cole Bateman (Carl Sandburg), who qualified for state last year, in the quarterfinal round. Sergio Villalobos (Downers Grove South) and Ervin are regional champions in the lower quarters of the bracket.

CHAPEL HILL -- No. 13 North Carolina beat Navy 24-12 before falling to ACC rival Duke 21-17 in a dual match doubleheader Wednesday night at Carmichael Arena. Joey Ward, Ethan Ramos and Alex Utley each won twice for the Tar Heels, who are now 11-4 on the year and 1-3 in the ACC ahead of Saturday's Senior Night dual against Pittsburgh at 7 p.m. No. 11 Ward got Carolina going against the Midshipmen (9-3) with his second technical fall in as many matches. The redshirt junior from Cincinnati dominated Adam Connell from the start and the bout was 1:35 into the second period with Ward leading 16-1. No. 5 Evan Henderson then put the Tar Heels ahead with a 4-2 decision at 149 before No. 9 John Michael Staudenmayer gave the host the lead for good two matches later. Staudenmayer beat Navy's Michael Coleman 8-3 at 165 pounds to make it 11-9. Ramos, the No. 2-ranked 174-pounder in the country, gave the Tar Heels some breathing room next, pinning Ryan Harman with one second left in the first. The fall was Ramos' second of the year and it gave UNC a 17-9 advantage with three bouts remaining. No. 19 Utley's 11-3 major decision over Robert Mannier at 184 effectively put the dual out of reach, and Cory Daniel's win over Nick Mabry at heavyweight allowed Carolina to double up Navy. The Tar Heels squandered an early lead in the nightcap in dropping a tight contest to its cross-town rival. A Duke forfeit at 133 gifted Carolina six points and Ward's 6-1 win over Zach Finesilver at 141 gave Coleman Scott's squad a 9-3 lead. The momentum shifted at 157, where Connor Bass pinned Jack Clark with one minute remaining in the final period to give the Blue Devils a 12-9 lead. The deficit grew to six with Jack Faust's tight 5-4 win over Staudenmayer at 165. Ramos did his best to get the Tar Heels back on even footing, narrowly missing a last-second pin in a wild 27-8 technical fall victory over Brian Dorsey. The tech fall was Ramos' fifth consecutive bonus point win and it saw him improve to 18-2 overall and 4-0 in the ACC. Utley briefly put Carolina back in front with a comprehensive 4-1 win over Trey Adamson at 184 before Duke mustered one final rally. No. 5 Conner Hartmann edged Hess 4-2 at 197, meaning the heavyweight bout would decide the dual. Duke's Brendan Walsh scored the lone takedown of the match and held off a late flurry from Daniel to win 4-3 and give the Blue Devils their first win over Carolina since 2004. UNC will close out its ACC schedule against Pittsburgh on Saturday at 7 p.m. Admission for the Senior Night dual is free to all spectators. No. 13 North Carolina 24, Navy 12 125: Brant Leadbeter (N) dec. Anthony Bosco (UNC), 6-3 - Navy leads 3-0 133: Zack Davis (N) dec. James Szymanski (UNC), 6-0 - Navy leads 6-0 141: #11 Joey Ward (UNC) tech fall Adam Connell (N), 16-1 (4:35) - Navy leads 6-5 149: #5 Evan Henderson (UNC) dec. Corey Wilding (N), 4-2 - UNC leads 8-6 157: Drew Daniels (N) dec. Robert Henderson (UNC), 4-0 - Navy leads 9-8 165: #9 John Michael Staudenmayer (UNC) dec. Michael Coleman (N), 8-3 - UNC leads 11-9 174: #2 Ethan Ramos (UNC) pinned Ryan Harman (N), 2:59 - UNC leads 17-9 184: #19 Alex Utley (UNC) maj. dec. Robert Mannier (N), 11-3 - UNC leads 21-9 197: Michael Woulfe (N) dec. Chip Ness (UNC), 11-4 - UNC leads 21-12 285: Cory Daniel (UNC) dec. Nick Mabry (N), 2-0 - UNC wins 24-12 Duke 21, No. 13 North Carolina 17 125: Thayer Atkins (DU) dec. Cody Karns (UNC), 11-6 - Duke leads 3-0 133: James Szymanski (UNC) wins by forfeit - UNC leads 6-3 141: #11 Joey Ward (UNC) dec. Zach Finesilver (DU), 6-1 - UNC leads 9-3 149: #10 Mitch Finesilver (DU) dec. Joey Moon (UNC), 8-4 - UNC leads 9-6 157: Connor Bass (DU) pinned Jack Clark (UNC), 6:00 - Duke leads 12-9 165: Jack Faust (DU) dec. #9 John Michael Satudenmayer, 5-4 - Duke leads 15-9 174: #2 Ethan Ramos (UNC) tech fall Brian Dorsey (DU), 27-8 - Duke leads 15-14 184: #19 Alex Utley (UNC) dec. Trey Adamson (DU), 4-1 - UNC leads 17-15 197: #5 Conner Hartmann (DU) dec. Chip Ness (UNC), 4-2 - Duke leads 18-17 285: Brendan Walsh (DU) dec. Cory Daniel (UNC), 4-3 - Duke wins 21-17

LAURINBURG, N.C. -- THE BASICS FINAL SCORE: Limestone Saints 31, St. Andrews Knight 15 LOCATION: Harris Court, St. Andrews University, Laurinburg, N.C. RECORDS: Limestone (10-6, 3-2), St. Andrews (6-10) The Limestone College wrestling team returned to the mat Wednesday night as they travelled to the Sandhills of North Carolina to take on the Knights of St. Andrews University. The Blue and Gold wasted no time opening up the floodgate as they were able to pick up wins in each of the first two matches on the day to take an early 10-0 lead over the Knights. Freshman James Sass (Summerville, S.C.) made quick work of his opponent at 125, dominating the match the entire way leading to a pin late in the second period. St. Andrews fought back to pull to within one point after two straight wins of their own, but that would be as close as the Saints would let them get as they took the next five bouts in succession. Freshman Clif Decius (Miami, Fla.) provided the most convincing victory on the night with a 25-10 tech fall over his opponent at 184. Picking up multiple near-falls along the way, Decius truly put the match out of reach for the Knights, solidifying the Saints win. TURNING POINT Freshman Mac Mota (Sumter, S.C.) got the Saints back into the win column following two straight losses on the mat that sparked the five-bout win streak. KEY STATS Limestone increases its overall record against St. Andrews to 9-0, staying perfect against the Knights. Sass picked up his second win by pin this season, while Decius increase his tech fall total to two as well. UP NEXT Tuesday, February 16, 7:00 P.M. vs. UNC Pembroke Results: 125- James Sass (LC) def. Patton by fall, 5:57 133- Austin Jamison (LC) maj. Dec. Taylor, 11-3 141- Eure (SAU) def. Chris Rivera by fall, :52 149- King (SAU) dec. Taylor Wickett, 10-8 157- Parker Grizzle (LC) won by forfeit 165- Mac Mota (LC) maj. Dec. Perry, 10-1 174- Matthew Ostermiller (LC) dec. Leggett, 7-6 184- Clif Decius (LC) def. Burnette by tech fall, 25-10 197- Raekwon Reggler (LC) dec. Key, 11-9 SV 285- Evers (SAU) def. Chris Sayers (LC) by fall, 2:49

KINGS POINT, N.Y. -- Matt McAllister's sudden victory in overtime at 141 pounds proved to be a key win for Coast Guard as the Bears won six of the nine matches to beat archrival Merchant Marine 19-18. Coast Guard now leads Merchant Marine 8-5 in the race for the Superintendent's Trophy heading to the Spring season. The Bears improve to 6-5 in dual meets and beat the Mariners in back-to-back seasons for the first time in nine years. Merchant Marine led 9-0 after a 13-9 decision at 125 and a forfeit win at 133. McAllister trailed 8-5 late in the third period before tying it in the final seconds before a 10-8 sudden victory to make the score 9-3 instead of 12-0. Matt Vieira had a key 4-3 win at 149 as the bout was tied, but Vieira had 1:02 of riding time to get the decision before Chris Sullivan, ranked eight nationally won a 15-12 decision at 157 to tie the match 9-9. Coast Guard took the lead as Mike Palomba won a 5-2 decision at 165 to give the Bears a 12-9 lead. Dan Fiorvanti was dominating earning an 11-0 major decision at 174 before Marc Wagner posted a 6-3 decision at 184 pounds giving the Bears a 19-9 lead. Phil Azzari lost at 197, but only 6-2 to give the Bears the win. Results: 125 - Mike Mui (USMMA) over Earl Roberts (USCGA), Dec. 13-9 3 0 133 - William Hardin (USMMA) won via forfeit. 9 0 141 - Matthew McAllister (USCGA) over Kimo Dial (USMMA), SV1, 10-8 9 3 149 - Matthew Vieira (USCGA) over Nathan Twito (USMMA), Dec. 4-3 9 6 157 - Christopher Sullivan (USCGA) over Erik Beshada (USMMA), Dec. 15-12 9 9 165 - Michael Palomba (USCGA) over Michael Maye (USMMA), Dec. 5-2 9 12 174 - Dan Fiorvanti (USCGA) over Jake Sherman (USMMA), Maj. Dec. 11-0 9 16 184 - Marc Wagner (USCGA) over Blake Bunce (USMMA), Dec. 6-3 9 19 197 - Ricky Fisher (USMMA) over Phil Azzari (USCGA), Dec. 6-2 12 19 285 - Brandon Joest (USMMA) over Kevin Painten (USCGA), Fall 2:24 18 19

ALAMOSMA, Colo. -- The Cowboy grapplers would have another tough dual against an RMAC opponent in tonight's dual against Adams State. The Cowboys would defeat the Grizzlies for the second straight year by a score of 29-14. The Grizzles would come out of the den firing as Ian Wingstrom defeated Jacob Espana in a tight 5-4 decision that came down to the final seconds. Ramirez would then defeat Tre Humphrey in a 17-1 technical fall to give the Grizzles the 8-0 lead. Dan Gaylor got the Cowboys on the board with a 21-4 technical fall over Salas to just the Grizzles lead in half, 8-4. Ries Humphrey continued what D. Gaylor started with a 8-4 decision over Vasquez to force the tie at eight with the Grizzles. The Grizzlies then forfeited the 157 class to give the Cowboys the 14-8 lead. Juan Alvardo stepped on the mat to face Windham. This match up was tight the whole way through but Windham was too much for Alvarado as he took the match by a score of 3-2. The Grizzlies would then forfeit once again in the 174 class to build the Cowboys lead 20-11. Luis Terrazas would be the first Cowboys to look to seal the dual. It was another tight one as Bencomo would give the Grizzlies the team points to make it a 20-14 Cowboy lead. Cody Marquez then went to work to try and put the match away for the Cowboys. He would come away victorious with a 7-0 decision over Bencomo to seal the dual for the Cowboys as they lead 23-14. The Grizzles would then forfeit the 285 weight class to give the Cowboys the 29-14 win over the Grizzlies. The Cowboys will return to action tomorrow night as they take on Division I opponent in the Air Force Academy. The dual is set for 8 p.m. Results: 125- Ian Wingstrom (ASU) defeated Jacob Espana (NMHU) in a 5-4 decision ASU leads 3-0 133- Martin Ramirez (ASU) defeated Tre Humphrey (NMHU) in a 17-1 technical fall ASU leads 8-0 141- Dan Gaylor (NMHU) defeated Joshua Salas (ASU) in a 21-4 technical fall ASU leads 8-5 149- Reis Humphrey (NMHU) defeated Devin Vasquez (ASU) in a 8-4 decision Tied at 8-8 157- Orlando Guerra (NMHU) over ASU Forfeit NMHU leads 14-8 165- Koery Windham (ASU) defeated. Juan Alvarado (NMHU) in a 3-2 decision NMHU leads 14-11 174- Jonathan Bechtloff (NMHU) defeated ASU Forfeit NMHU leads 20-11 184- Joe Bencomo (ASU) defeated Luis Terrazas (NMHU) in a 7-3 decision NMHU leads 20-14 197- Cody Marquez (NMHU) defeated Richard Bencomo (ASU) by a 7-0 decision NMHU leads 23-14 285- Corbin Grenowich (NMHU) over ASU Forfeit NMHU wins 29-14

ERIE, Pa. -- Jamar Henry's pin at 197 lbs clinched No. 7 Mercyhurst's 23-19 victory over No. 14 Findlay on Wednesday night. The Lakers improved to 11-3 overall and remain undefeated at home in dual meets this year. Meanwhile, Findlay dropped to 8-7 overall. Mercyhurst took the first two bouts of the match, with Willie Bohince opening the scoring with a fall at 125 lbs before Kevin Kinyua rallied for the 9-7 comeback decision. Findlay answerd by winning the next three for a 13-9 advantage heading into the 165 lb contest. The Mizia brothers propelled the Lakers back into the lead, earning bonus points by technical fall from the nation's leader in that category, Francis Mizia. August Mizia outlasted his opponent in a low-scoring bout for a 17-13 lead. Findlay brought the team scoring to within one after a victory at 184 lbs, but Henry closed the door on the dual for the Lakers with his clutch pin in the second period. Mercyhurst is on a six-match winning streak heading into the regular season finale at No. 3 Pitt-Johnstown on Saturday. At stake in the dual is the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Dual Meet Championship. The Lakers are the current three-time defending PSAC dual meet champions. Results: 125: Willie Bohince (MU) fall Michael Stewart (UF) 2:36 133: Kevin Kinyua (MU) dec. Devin Rogers (UF) 9-7 141: Ryan Skonieczny (UF) tech fall Joey Miller (MU) 28-13, 6:14 149: Nick Goebel (UF) tech fall Joel Bowers (MU) 16-0, 1:36 157: Joey White (UF) def. Keller Watkins (MU) 14-7 165: Francis Mizia (MU) tech fall Nic Skonieczny (UF) 15-0, 6:39 174: August Mizia (MU) dec. Alonzo Turner (UF) 3-1 184: Randy Caris (UF) dec. Angelo Bortoluzzi (MU) 9-4 197: Jamar Henry (MU) fall Dalton Ishmal (UF) 4:34 285: Luke Fleming (UF) dec. Brian Beattie (MU) 2-0

KUTZTOWN, Pa. -- The Kutztown University wrestling team won the final six bouts on Wednesday night to defeat Millersville University 28-9 in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) dual meet at Keystone Arena. Wednesday was Kutztown's 10th straight win over the Marauders and marked the seventh time in the last 10 meetings KU has allowed exactly nine points to Millersville. Austin Petril (Clifton Heights, Pa./Upper Darby (Ursinus)) opened the dual meet win a hard-fought, 9-7 win at 125. His decision was his 14th of the year and ninth in his last 11 matches. Millersville earned its nine team points with wins in two of the next three matches. Travis Roper (Kingston, Pa./Wyoming Valley West) stepped up at 141 and improved his season record to 12-1 with a dominant 20-7 major decision over Thomas Nulty. The winning streak for Kutztown began at 157. Nationally-ranked Matt Martoccio (Kintnersville, Pa./Council Rock South (Lock Haven)) was never taken down in a 14-2 major decision over D.J. Mele for his team-leading 20th win of the year. He has 81 career wins at KU, one shy of two-time national champion Ziad Haddad (Orefield, Pa./Bethlehem Catholic (North Carolina)) and fourth in the KU record books. James Meyer (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East) won 13-4 at 165 and Joe Balboni (Springfield, N.J./Jonathan Dayton (Old Dominion)) turned in a similar major decision of 20-7 at 174 to build Kutztown's team-lead to 19-9. 184-pounder Collin Schildt (Thurmont, Md./Catoctin) clinched the team victory with a 9-5 decision over Kyle Narber. Brandan Clark (Audubon, Pa./Methacton) improved to 18-2 with a 2-0 win at 197. He rode his opponent the entire second period to earn a riding time point, and earned his second point off a stalling call on Millersville's Colton Dull. The majority of the match was wrestled neutral. It was Clark's 64th career win, tying him with former All-American Evan Yenolevich for 11th in school history. Ryan Appleby (Belvidere, N.J./Belvidere) closed out the night with a 4-2 decision at heavyweight. Senior Night is next on Kutztown's calendar when it hosts Shippensburg University on Friday, Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m. Results: 125 Au. Petril (Kutztown) over Austin Camacci (Millersville) (Dec 9-7) 3 0 133 Alex Baider (Millersville) over B. Gerardi (Kutztown) (Fall 2:55) 0 6 141 T. Roper (Kutztown) over Thomas Nulty (Millersville) (MD 20-7) 4 0 149 Nick Haegele (Millersville) over J. Palmer (Kutztown) (Dec 8-5) 0 3 157 #6 M. Martoccio (Kutztown) over D.J. Mele (Millersville) (MD 14-2) 4 0 165 J. Meyer (Kutztown) over Seth Decker (Millersville) (MD 13-4) 4 0 174 J. Balboni (Kutztown) over Nick Mancini (Millersville) (MD 20-7) 4 0 184 C. Schildt (Kutztown) over Kyle Narber (Millersville) (Dec 9-5) 3 0 197 B. Clark (Kutztown) over Colton Dull (Millersville) (Dec 2-0) 3 0 285 R. Appleby (Kutztown) over David Wuestner (Millersville) (Dec 4-2) 3 0

BOILING SPRINGS -- Gardner-Webb collected five wins via pin fall Wednesday night and scored bonus points in eight of 10 bouts to shut out Davidson, 50-0, and clinch at least a share of the 2016 Southern Conference championship. The Runnin' Bulldogs (8-5, 6-1 SoCon) will close out the home portion of its schedule on Saturday, hosting Cleveland State and No. 22 Ohio in Paul Porter Arena. The Bobcats and Vikings will wrestle each other at 11:00 am, followed by Gardner-Webb vs. Cleveland State (12:30 pm) and Gardner-Webb vs. Ohio (2:00 pm). On Wednesday, GWU left little doubt once the first bout started. Cortez Starkes recorded a quick takedown at 125 pounds and continued to build a sturdy lead before pinning Zamir Ode to the mat at the 4:18 mark. A decision by Tyler Ziegler at 133 pounds pushed the margin to 9-0 and Ryan Hull came through with a dominant performance at 141 pounds – recording a technical fall over Billy McClelland by a 16-1 margin. Chris Vassar built the lead to 20-0 by pinning Aidan Conroy in 3:48, posting a handful of near falls before the final result. Ryan Mosley followed with a 6-0 decision at 157 pounds, before Austin Trott picked up the pace with a 17-0 technical fall victory at 165 pounds. Brett Stein picked up a major decision at 174 pounds, pulling off a late takedown for the final 10-2 score in that bout. It was Stein's 16th victory of the season and moved him to 6-2 in SoCon action. The win also pushed Gardner-Webb's team margin to 32-0 with three weight classes remaining. The trio of Hunter Gamble, Gray Jones and Boyce Cornwell capped the match in style – picking up three consecutive pins to reach the 50-point mark for the second time this season. Gamble improved to 7-0 in SoCon competition with his pin fall, sending Nathaniel Powers down in 2:47. It was the McDonough, Ga., native's third pin of the season. Jones produced his team-best fifth win via pin fall at 197 pounds, making quick work of Michael Moore in 2:10. Cornwell finished the match with his second pin of the season, corralling Will Cooley in 3:19 in another dominant effort. The reigning Arby's SoCon Wrestler of the Week improved to 18-5 overall and 11-2 in dual competition with the victory. Gardner-Webb continued to build on its milestone season, with school-record totals in dual wins (8) and SoCon wins (6) now in place. The Runnin' Bulldogs have been hot in 2016 to date, winning five dual matches in a row and six out of seven since January 8. Gardner-Webb also improved to 6-0 in Paul Porter Arena with Wednesday's victory. Results: 125: Cortez Starkes (GWU) pinned Zamir Ode (DAV), 4:18 – 6-0 133: Tyler Ziegler (GWU) dec. Dustin Runzo (DAV), 3-2 – 9-0 141: Ryan Hull (GWU) tech. fall Billy McClelland (DAV), 16-1 (7:00) – 14-0 149: Chris Vassar (GWU) pinned Aidan Conroy (DAV), 3:48 – 20-0 157: Ryan Mosley (GWU) dec. Tony Palumbo (DAV). 6-0 – 23-0 165: Austin Trott (GWU) tech. fall Adam Flatt (DAV), 17-0 (3:07) – 28-0 174: Brett Stein (GWU) major dec. Nathaniel Powers (DAV), 10-2 – 32-0 184: Hunter Gamble (GWU) pinned Konner Pritchard (DAV), 2:47 – 38-0 197: Gray Jones (GWU) pinned Michael Moore (DAV), 2:10 – 44-0 285: Boyce Cornwell (GWU) pinned Will Cooley (DAV), 3:19 – 50-0

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Duke heavyweight Brendan Walsh registered the biggest win of his wrestling career tonight, beating North Carolina's Cory Daniel 4-3 to lift the Blue Devils to a thrilling 21-17 victory over the 13th-ranked Tar Heels. The match featured four lead changes as Duke overcame a forfeit at 133 pounds to win. "There were a lot of nerves, but I think the hard work in the [wrestling] room and that my teammates are behind me no matter what…I just wanted to win for them," said Walsh. "UNC is a great team and it is just great to be able to win this senior year." The win is the first for Duke over North Carolina since 2004 and the Blue Devils improve to 5-7 overall on the year and to 1-3 against ACC opponents. The win over the No. 13 Tar Heels is the 25th all-time against North Carolina and is the highest ranked opponent the Blue Devils have beaten since rankings started being tracked. With Duke sporting an 18-17 lead heading into the final bout thanks to a decision from No. 5 Conner Hartmann at 197 pounds, the match came down to the heavyweights with a winner take all bout. Facing a near identical situation to a week ago against Gardner-Webb, Walsh stepped up and wrestled an outstanding match to secure the Duke victory. The redshirt senior scored a takedown in the first period for a 2-0 lead and proceeded to build his riding time. Daniel escaped late in the opening stanza to make the match 2-1 and picked up another escape midway through the second period to even the match. However, Walsh had built his riding time to over two minutes with the Duke veteran starting the third in the bottom position. North Carolina elected to option to start the final session, giving Walsh the 3-2 lead. A second stalling warning on Walsh evened it at 3-3 on the scoreboard with time ticking down, but the two minutes of riding time in Walsh's favor proved to be the difference as he held off last-second shots from Daniel. "It was a team effort tonight," Walsh said. "Every single person has been working their butt off. We've put the time and the hard work in and to be able to grow with this team over the course of the season has been a joy." The opportunity for Walsh to win the match for the Blue Devils in dramatic fashion got started with a win from Thayer Atkins at 125 pounds. A pin by Connor Bass at 157 pounds and an upset victory from Jake Faust at 165 buoyed the Blue Devils through the second half of the lineup and to the victory. Sophomore Mitch Finesilver also added three crucial points for the Blue Devils at 149 pounds. For the second consecutive season Atkins got the better of North Carolina's Cody Karns, scoring an 11-6 decision to give the Blue Devils the 3-0 lead. Karns scored first with a takedown in the opening minute and led 3-1 early in the second, but Atkins tied it up and then dominated the action in the third period for his eighth win of the year. A forfeit by the Blue Devils at 133 pounds led into a highly anticipated 141-pound match between a red-hot Zach Finesilver and No. 11 Joey Ward. The North Carolina junior attacked right away, but Zach fought off the early shot to keep the match scoreless. Ward got the takedown midway through the period and added two more nearfall points for the 4-1 lead after three minutes of wrestling. Ward built his lead to 5-1, but was unable to score again as the Duke redshirt freshman battled through a tough final two minutes. Now 20-10 overall, four of Zach's losses have come against top-11 opponents this year. Mitch Finesilver followed his brother with a strong showing at 149 pounds. The sophomore picked up his 12th straight victory, besting Joey Moon by a 9-6 decision. After a scoreless first period, Mitch scored early in the second and secured the win in the third with a late two points. The win was his team-best 23rd of the year and pulled Duke to within three points at 9-6. With momentum trending in North Carolina's favor, Bass did his part in changing that with a crucial third-period pin of Jack Clark. In a tight match that featured just one takedown, Bass used a third-period escape to go ahead 3-2. Then, in a quick turn of events, Bass put Clark on his back for the fall that put Duke ahead again, 12-9. Faust added to the excitement at 165 pounds, upsetting No. 9 John Michael Staudenmayer, 5-3. Faust scored a takedown late in the first period and then broke a 2-2 draw in the closing seconds of the second for the 4-2 advantage with two minutes left to wrestle. Staudenmayer got a penalty point to pull within one, but he was unable to turn Faust in the third period to force overtime. North Carolina picked up eight points over the next two matches to regain the lead 17-15. The lead was short-lived as Hartmann won for the 89th time in his career to put the Blue Devils back ahead and set up the heart-stopping final bout. Duke closes out its home schedule Saturday, Feb. 13 against No. 8 Virginia Tech. The match is set to begin at 1 p.m., in Card Gymnasium. Results: 125: Thayer Atkins (Duke) dec. Cody Karns (UNC), 11-6 - Duke 3, UNC 0 133: James Szymanski (UNC) wins by forfeit - Duke 3, UNC 6 141: No. 11 Joey Ward (UNC) dec. Zach Finesilver (Duke), 6-1 - Duke 3, UNC 9 149: No. 10 Mitch Finesilver (Duke) dec. Joey Moon (UNC), 9-6 - Duke 6, UNC 9 157: Connor Bass (Duke) pinned Jack Clark (UNC), 6:00 - Duke 12, UNC 9 165: Jake Faust (Duke) dec. No. 9 John Michael Staudenmayer, 5-3 - Duke 15, UNC 9 174: No. 2 Ethan Ramos (UNC) tech fall Brian Dorsey (Duke), 27-8 - Duke 15, UNC 14 184: No. 19 Alex Utley (UNC) dec. Trey Adamson (Duke), 4-1 - Duke 15, UNC 17 197: No. 5 Conner Hartmann (Duke) dec. Chip Ness (UNC), 4-2 - Duke 18, UNC 17 285: Brendan Walsh (Duke) dec. Cory Daniel (UNC), 3-2 - Duke 21, UNC 17

State series action is intensifying across the country, as most teams have commenced their state tournament runs, whether it's in the individual bracket side or with the dual team playoffs. Below is the schedule of competitions for teams appearing in the Fab 50 during the week of February 10-16. No. 1 Blair Academy, N.J. -- host tri-meet on Saturday with St. Peter's Prep (N.J.) and St. Christopher's (Va.) No. 2 Wyoming Seminary, Pa. -- compete in Hoedown at Hildee Tournament at Malvern Prep (Pa.) No. 3 St. Paris Graham, Ohio -- compete in Division II state dual meet tournament at St. John Arena, Columbus (Ohio) on Sunday No. 4 Bergen Catholic, N.J. -- compete in Non-Public North Group A playoffs on Wednesday and Friday, then (if win) for state title on Sunday at Pine Belt Arena in Toms River (N.J.) No. 5 Buchanan, Calif. -- host Clovis (Calif.) North in a dual meet tonight, start state series with the TRAC Championships on Saturday at Clovis (Calif.) on Saturday No. 6 Bethlehem Catholic, Pa. -- compete in Class AAA state dual meet tournament Thursday through Saturday at GIANT Center in Hershey (Pa.) No. 7 St. Edward, Ohio -- compete in Division I state dual meet tournament at St. John Arena, Columbus (Ohio) on Sunday No. 8 Oak Park River Forest, Ill. -- compete in sectional tournament, state qualifier, at Conant (Ill.) on Friday and Saturday No. 9 Clovis, Calif. -- host Clovis (Calif.) West in a dual meet tonight, start state series by hosting the TRAC Championships on Saturday No. 10 Belle Vernon Area, Pa. -- compete in Class AAA state dual meet tournament Thursday through Saturday at GIANT Center in Hershey (Pa.) No. 11 Tuttle, Okla. -- compete in Class 4A state dual meet tournament at Shawnee (Okla.) Firelake Arena on Friday and Saturday No. 13 Poway, Calif. -- compete in San Diego section CIF Dual Meet Championships on Saturday at Rancho Bernardo (Calif.) No. 14 Mt. Carmel, Ill. -- compete in sectional tournament, state qualifier, at Lemont (Ill.) on Friday and Saturday No. 15 Carl Sandburg, Ill. -- compete in sectional tournament, state qualifier, at Batavia (Ill.) on Friday and Saturday No. 16 Apple Valley, Minn. -- host Section 2 Class AAA dual meet tournament on Friday No. 17 Elyria, Ohio -- compete in Division I state dual meet tournament at St. John Arena, Columbus (Ohio) on Sunday No. 18 St. Michael-Albertville, Minn. -- compete in Section 5 Class AAA dual meet tournament on Saturday at Rogers (Minn.) No. 19 Marmion Academy, Ill. -- compete in sectional tournament, state qualifier, at Batavia (Ill.) on Friday and Saturday No. 20 Boyertown, Pa. -- compete in Class AAA state dual meet tournament Thursday through Saturday at GIANT Center in Hershey (Pa.) No. 21 Nazareth, Pa. -- compete in Class AAA state dual meet tournament Thursday through Saturday at GIANT Center in Hershey (Pa.) No. 22 Washington, Ill. -- host sectional tournament, state qualifier, on Friday and Saturday No. 23 Malvern Prep, Pa. -- host William Penn Charter (Pa.) in a dual meet on Friday, compete in Cougar Duals at Philadelphia (Pa.) Martin Luther King on Saturday No. 24 Archer, Ga. -- compete in Class 6A state tournament on Thursday through Saturday at The Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth (Ga.) No. 25 Delta, Ohio -- compete in Division III state dual meet tournament at St. John Arena, Columbus (Ohio) on Sunday No. 26 Allen, Texas -- host regional tournament, state qualifier, on Friday and Saturday No. 27 Kasson-Mantorville, Minn. -- host sectional dual meet tournament (Class A) tomorrow No. 28 Camden County, Ga. -- compete in Class 5A state tournament on Thursday through Saturday at The Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth (Ga.) No. 29 Brownsburg, Ind. -- compete in semi-state tournament, state qualifier, at Evansville (Ind.) on Saturday No. 30 Southeast Polk, Iowa -- host regional dual meet tournament tonight; travel to Dallas Center-Grimes (Iowa) for district tournament, state qualifier, on Saturday No. 31 West Des Moines Valley, Iowa -- host regional dual meet tournament tonight; travel to Dallas Center-Grimes (Iowa) for district tournament, state qualifier, on Saturday No. 32 Fort Dodge, Iowa -- host regional dual meet tournament tonight; host district tournament, state qualifier, on Saturday No. 33 Warren Central, Ind. -- compete in semi-state tournament, state qualifier, at New Castle (Ind.) on Saturday No. 34 Pomona, Colo. -- compete in regional tournament, state qualifier, at Arvada West (Colo.) on Friday and Saturday No. 35 Kiski Area, Pa. -- compete in Class AAA state dual meet tournament Thursday through Saturday at GIANT Center in Hershey (Pa.) No. 36 Anoka, Minn. -- compete in Section 7 Class AAA dual meet tournament on Friday at Andover (Minn.) No. 37 Park Hill, Mo. -- compete in district tournament, state qualifier, at Staley (Oak Park, Mo.) on Friday and Saturday No. 38 Olentangy Liberty, Ohio -- travel to Marysville (Ohio) for dual meet tomorrow No. 39 Platte County, Mo. -- compete in district tournament, state qualifier at Oak Park (Mo.) on Friday and Saturday No. 40 Pueblo County, Colo. -- host regional tournament, state qualifier, on Friday and Saturday No. 41 Montini Catholic, Ill. -- compete in sectional tournament, state qualifier, at Batavia (Ill.) on Friday and Saturday No. 42 Hilton, N.Y. -- compete in Section V state qualifier at SUNY-Brockport on Friday and Saturday No. 43 Kenyon-Wanamingo, Minn. -- compete in tri-meet at Le Seur-Henderson (Minn.) on Friday No. 44 Long Beach, N.Y. -- compete in Nassau County (Section VIII) state qualifier at Hofstra on Saturday and Sunday No. 46 Council Rock South, Pa. -- compete in Class AAA state dual meet tournament Thursday through Saturday at GIANT Center in Hershey (Pa.) No. 47 Lowell, Mich. -- compete in district dual meet tournament tonight; host district tournament, start of state series, on Saturday No. 48 Post Falls, Idaho -- host Lake City (Idaho) in a dual meet tonight No. 49 Good Counsel, Md. -- compete in WCDC Invitational, "Melee on the Metro" at Trinity University on Saturday No. 50 Monroe-Woodbury, N.Y. -- host Section IX state qualifier on Friday and Saturday No competitions during the upcoming week: No. 12 Lake Highland Prep (Fla.), No. 45 Goddard (Kan.)

Rankings: Individual | Team KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Grand View (Iowa) locks down the No. 1 ranking in the fifth regular-season edition of the NAIA Wrestling Coaches' Top 20 Poll, the national office announced Wednesday. The final regular-season edition will be released on Feb. 24. Top 25 Highlights (historical information dates back to 2000-01): Grand View (Iowa) pushes its top-ranked streak to 29 straight polls after receiving 190 points in this edition. The Vikings, who were last not ranked No. 1 on Oct. 17, 2012, have held the top-spot 34 times since the start of the 2000-01 season. Former member Lindenwood (Mo.) holds the record for most No. 1 appearances during that time with 39. Grand View boasts 12 ranked individuals, all of which are ranked no lower than No. 6 in their respective weight class. Godwin Cutler (133 pounds), Andrew Long (149 pounds), Grand Henderson (157 pounds) and Michael Pixley (184 pounds) are the top-ranked individuals for Grand View. • Missouri Valley jumped three spots this edition from No. 5 to No. 2. The Vikings are represented by 10 individuals in the poll, including top ranked Jake Ekster (tied at 141 pounds), Riley Boomer (174 pounds) and Gabi Musallam (285 pounds). Boomer and Ekster are both new No.1s this week. Boomer is 23-2 on the year, including an 8-0 major decision win over No. 4 Lawton Benna of Grand View (Iowa) on Jan. 30. The match was part of the inaugural Heart of America Athletic Conference Duals Championship. Ekster had previously held the No. 1 ranking at 149 pounds on Dec. 30. Grand View and Missouri Valley are the only teams with more than one No. 1 individual. No. 3 Montana State-Northern (89.5 points), No. 4 Oklahoma City (87 points) and No. 5 Indiana Tech (69.5 points) round out the top five. Adrian Gaines of Oklahoma City - the No. 1 ranked wrestler at 125 pounds - continues to be dominant this season. He owns a 17-0 record, including a 12-0 mark against NAIA opponents. Eight of Gaines' last nine matches have been won by fall or technical fall. No new teams joined the Top 20 this installment. Since 2001, only Grand View (2013-14, 2014-15), former members Notre Dame (Ohio) (2010-11) and Lindenwood (2006-07) have spent the entire season ranked No. 1. Poll Methodology: The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the six national qualifying groups. One day prior to the national poll, each qualifying group rater submits the top six individuals from each weight class in his geographic area into the system. Only wrestlers listed on a qualifying group ballot are considered for the national ballot. The top 16 individuals in each weight class is based on how each voter ranks the best individuals. An individual receives 20 points for each first place vote, 18 for second place and so on through the list. This same point system is used to determine the team ranking.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA has released the fourth week of standings for the 2016 NCAA Wrestling Awards that will be awarded in March at the respective Division I, II and III Wrestling Championships. The inaugural NCAA Wrestling Awards were presented at the 2012 wrestling championships. The three awards, given in each division, honor the Most Dominant Wrestler as well as the student-athletes that have accumulated the most falls and the most technical falls throughout the course of the regular and postseasons. For falls and tech falls to be counted towards a student-athletes total they must come against opponents in the same division. Ties in the two categories are broken based on the aggregate time. In Division I, a near tie exists for the top spot in the Most Dominant Wrestler standings between a pair of Penn State wrestlers. Zain Retherford holds the top spot with an average of 5.091 points per match, while 157-pounder Jason Nolf has an average of 5.087. Pittsburgh-Johnstown 184-pounder Travis McKillop leads Division II with an average of 5.31 points, which is well ahead of Garrett Grey of Tiffin with 4.75 points. The 2014-15 NCAA Division III Most Dominant Wrestler is well on his way to earning the award for the second year in a row as Wabash 184-pounder Riley Lefever has an average of 5.77 points. Heavyweight Donald Longendyke is second with an average of 5.55 points for Augsburg. The Most Dominant Wrestler standings are calculated by adding the total number of points awarded through match results and dividing that number by the total number of matches wrestled. Points per match are awarded as follows and based on a minimum of 15 matches in the division. Fall, forfeit, injury default or DQ = 6 points (-6 points for a loss) Tech falls = 5 points (-5 points for a loss) Major decision = 4 points (-4 points for a loss) Decision = 3 points (-3 points for a loss) Navy 197-pounder Michael Woulfe leads Division I with 14 falls this season, while teammate Mathew Miller is second with 12 at 184 pounds. Ronald Wardleigh of Western State is the new leader in Division II with 12 falls at 125 pounds, followed by McKillop (11) and Grey (9). Two wrestlers have piled up 18 pins each in Division III and both compete at 184 pounds. AJ Kowal of Stevens Institute of Technology holds the national lead by aggregate time over Josh Thomson of Messiah (38:43-54:56). Isaiah Martinez of Illinois has surpassed his winning total from last season with 12 tech falls this season at 157 pounds to hold the Division I lead. The Division II tech fall standings are a family affair at the top where the Mizia brothers of Mercyhurst hold the top two spots. Francis leads the country with seven at 165 pounds, while older brother August is right behind with six tech falls at 174 pounds.

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. -- Pins by Dan Squires (Muskego, WI/Wisconsin Lutheran) and Cody Nielsen (Oconto Falls, WI/Oconto Falls) helped the UW-Stevens Point wrestling team build a sizeable lead and the Pointers held on to defeat UW-Eau Claire 28-21 in a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) dual on Tuesday evening at McPhee Center. Squires pinned Mathew Laugen at 3:50 at 174 pounds and Nielsen followed by pinning Henry Helland after just 54 seconds at 184 pounds to put UW-Stevens Point (6-5, 4-1 WIAC) ahead 25-12. UW-Eau Claire (6-10, 2-3 WIAC) climbed back to within 25-21 after a pair of victories, sending the dual down to the final match. With the Pointers ahead by four, Ben Vosters (Hatley, WI/Wittenberg-Birnamwood) closed out the win with a 7-4 decision over Zackary Sirny at 125 pounds to make the final 28-21. Vosters' win was his team-best 25th of the season. Both teams started the dual with one forfeit before the Blugolds went up 12-6 on a pin by Roy Munroe at 149 pounds. UW-Stevens Point went ahead for good after a major decision victory by Boone Roycraft (Omro, WI/Winneconne) and a win by decision from Logan Hermsen (Amherst Junction, WI/Amherst) prior to the pins from Squires and Nielsen. The win came in UW-Stevens Point's final dual before it hosts the WIAC Championships on Sunday, Feb. 14, beginning at 9 a.m. in Quandt Fieldhouse. The Pointers finished the regular season tied with UW-La Crosse and UW-Whitewater with 4-1 conference records. Results: 133 Scott Worlund receives forfeit 0 6 141 Jared Kust (Shawano, WI/Shawano) receives forfeit 6 6 149 Roy Munroe over Joey Seitz (Cambellsport, WI/Kewaskum) (Fall 3:29) 6 12 157 Boone Roycraft (Omro, WI/Winneconne) over Carter Focht (Pine Springs, MN/Mahtomedi) (MD 10-2) 10 12 165 Logan Hermsen (Amherst Junction, WI/Amherst) over Ryan Behnke (Dec 7-4) 13 12 174 Dan Squires (Muskego, WI/Wisconsin Lutheran) over Mathew Laugen (Fall 3:50) 19 12 184 Cody Nielsen (Oconto Falls, WI/Oconto Falls) over Henry Helland (Fall 0:54) 25 12 197 Cecil Philson over Bo Seibel (Cambellsport, WI/Kewaskum) (Inj. 5:42) 25 18 HWT Justin Karkula over Donny Ralston (Ladysmith, WI/Bruce) (Dec 6-2) 25 21 125 Ben Vosters (Hatley, WI/Wittenberg-Birnamwood) over Zackary Sirny (Dec 7-4) 28 21