InterMat Staff

Head coach Cael Sanderson's Penn State wrestling squad finds itself in first place at the conclusion of day one at the 2014 Big Ten Wrestling Championships. The Nittany Lions, working for their fourth straight Big Ten crown, will have five wrestlers in the Championship Finals tomorrow afternoon. Penn State leads rival Iowa by a slim one point margin, 122.0 to 121.0, in the team race. Junior Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), the No. 1 at 125, withstood a strong effort from fourth-seeded Ryan Taylor of Wisconsin. Megaludis battled his way to a 4-3 win on 1:45 in riding time to advance to tomorrow's Big Ten title bout against Illinois' Jesse Delgado. True freshman Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), the No. 1 seed at 141, dominated Michigan's Stephen Dutton in his semifinal bout, rolling to a 4-0 win with 1:15 riding time to advance to the finals tomorrow against Ohio State's Logan Stieber. Senior David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), the No. 1 seed at 165, made short work of fifth-seed Jackson Morse of Illinois in the semifinals, gaining control of the Illini's shoulders, stepping over his chest and turning his shoulders flat to the mat for a pin in just 0:40. The pin was Taylor's 13th of the year and the 50th of his career, leaving him three shy of the Penn State record of 53. Taylor will take on Iowa's Nick Moore in the finals tomorrow. Senior Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), the No. 1 seed at 184, took care of Michigan's Dom Abounader in the semifinals, rolling to a 9-1 major decision with over 3:00 in riding time (3:05). Ruth's impressive victory moves him into tomorrow's finals where he will face third-seed Ethan Lofthouse of Iowa. Sophomore Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), the No. 1 seed at 197, used a late reversal in the tie breaker period to grab a 3-2 (tb) win over Iowa's Nathan Burak, the fifth-seed. Each wrestler had an escape in regulation and wrestled a minute of scoreless action in the sudden victory period. McIntosh rode Burak for all but a second of the opening tie-breaker stanza but the Hawkeye's late escape gave him a 2-1 lead. McIntosh was steady on bottom, however, deftly working his way into control of Burak with :07 left for a reversal. A short ride out gave the Lion sophomore the 3-2 (tb) win and moved him into the finals tomorrow where he will take on Nick Heflin of Ohio State. Junior Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah), the No. 2 seed at 174, suffered a 3-2 upset at the hands of Iowa's Mike Evans, giving up a first period takedown that would prove to be the difference. Brown shifts down to the consolation semifinals tomorrow morning. Junior Jon Gingrich (Wingate, Pa.), the No. 8 seed at 285, could not follow up his upset of the tournament's top seed by defeating the defending NCAA Champion. Tony Nelson of Minnesota was able to pin Gingrich at the 1:58 mark and send the Lion junior into the consolation semifinals tomorrow morning. Red-shirt freshman Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.), the No. 7 seed at 133, punched his ticket to the NCAA Championships with a solid 9-4 win over Nebraska's Shawn Nagel in his first consolation bout. He then dropped a tough 6-1 decision to Ohio State's Johnni DiJulius in the conso quarters and will wrestle for seventh place tomorrow morning Senior James English (York, Pa.), the No. 7 seed at 149, picked up his first career win at the Big Ten Championships in the first round of consolation action, riding Purdue's Brandon Nelsen for the entire third period to post a 3-2 decision thanks to 1:23 in riding time. Needing one more win to move on to NCAAs, used a second period near fall and ride-out to post a 5-2 win over sixth-seed Ian Paddock of Ohio State, earning his first trip to the NCAA Championships, Penn State's 10th qualifier. Junior Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), the No. 5 seed at 157, posted a hard-fought 2-1 win over Ohio State's Randy Languis in his first consolation bout, using a quick third period escape to secure 1:00 in riding time to post the critical point. The win moves Alton on to the NCAA Championships as well. In the consolation quarters, Michigan's Brian Murphy notched a late takedown to post a 3-1 win over Alton, sending Alton to the seventh place bout. The Nittany Lions went 9-3 in the second session, including a 5-2 mark in the semifinals and are now 23-7 overall. Penn State's bonus point tally stands at 15 off two pins, one default win, two techs and six majors. The event continues on Sunday with consolation and seventh place bouts at 12 p.m. Eastern (11 a.m. Central). The Championship Finals begin at 2 p.m. Eastern (1 p.m. Central) and air live on the Big Ten Network. Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at www.twitter.com/pennstateWREST and on Penn State Wrestling's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling. The 2013-14 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline. 2014 Big Ten Wrestling Championships - Team Standings After Session 2 Saturday, March 8, 2014 - Kohl Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Wis. 1: PENN STATE, 122.0 2: Iowa, 121.0 3: Minnesota, 86.0 4: Ohio State,73.5 5: Illinois, 69.5 6: Nebraska, 68.0 7: Wisconsin, 58.0 8: Michigan, 49.5 9: Northwestern, 44.0 10: Indiana, 34.0 11: Purdue, 30.0 12: Michigan State, 15.0

KENT, Ohio -- Five UNI wrestlers have punched their tickets to the NCAA Division I national tournament, and more will have the chance to secure a spot tomorrow at the Mid-American Conference Championships. Dylan Peters, Joe Colon, Joey Lazor, Cooper Moore and Ryan Loder are guaranteed spots at nationals and are vying for a championship spot at the Mid-American Conference Championships. UNI wrestling coach Doug Schwab preaches the importance of bonus points, and his team responded by earning them in nine matches to keep UNI in the lead for the team title at the MAC Championships. Five Panthers are in the hunt for a championship, which will be settled tomorrow. 125 – Peters will face Jared Germaine of Eastern Michigan for the title. 133 – Joe Colon is matched up with Joe Roth of Central Michigan. Colon beat Roth 7-2 earlier this season. 141 – Joey Lazor will get a rematch with Chris Mecate of ODU. Mecate is the only MAC dual opponent to beat Lazor. Mecate won 10-8 at the Panthers’ last dual. 165 – Cooper Moore and Harrison Hightower will meet. Moore pinned Hightower in 3 minutes, 39 seconds at their last dual meeting. 184 – Ryan Loder will get a shot to avenge a loss against the wrestler who tainted his perfect record. Loder hadn’t lost a dual since the 2011-12 season until Jack DeChow edged him out 5-4 in a dual. Three Panthers still have a shot at third. 174 – Cody Caldwell will face Mikey England of Missouri. Caldwell beat him 10-7 at home earlier in the season. 197 – Jared Bartel will face Shawn Scott of Northern Illinois. 285 – Blaize Cabell is matched up against Jared Torrence of Northern Illinois. QUALIFYING FOR THE NCAA TOURNEY The conference championships determine how many UNI wrestlers will compete at the NCAA national tournament. The MAC originally was allocated 41 spots that automatically qualify for nationals. However, a change at 184 pounds changed the seedings and removed two automatic bids for that weight class. The new seedings and number of wrestlers who automatically qualify by weight class: 125 – No. 1 Dylan Peters (4) 133 – No. 1 Joe Colon (5) 141 – No. 3 Joey Lazor (5) 149 – No. 6 Tyler Patten (4) 157 – No. 7 Jarrett Jensen (5) 165 – No. 1 Cooper Moore (3) 174 – No. 4 Cody Caldwell (5) 184 – No. 3 Ryan Loder (3) 197 – Jared Bartel (2) 285 – No. 4 Blaize Cabell (3) SUNDAY'S SCHEDULE 11 a.m. – Consolation semifinals (three mats) 12:20 p.m. – Championship, finals, third-place matches and fifth-place matches (three mats) NCAA qualifying spot matches to follow if necessary. UP NEXT The NCAA releases the remaining at-large selections March 12, which will set the final field for the NCAA Division I National Tournament set for March 20-22 at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Related: Results BLACKSBURG, VA. -- Host Virginia Tech, led by junior Devin Carter who was named the ACC's Most Valuable Wrestler, won three of the first four championship bouts and went on to claim its second straight Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestling Championship Saturday night at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va. The Tournament was the 60th Annual Wrestling Championship held by the ACC. Before a crowd of over 2,344 fans at Tech's Cassell Coliseum, Virginia Tech scored 87 points to outdistance Pitt (67), Virginia (61.5), North Carolina (38.0), Maryland (37.5), NC State (33.5), and Duke (18). Tech, ranked 16th nationally, and coached by Kevin Dresser, received a boost in their lineup just before the Tournament as Carter, who is 14-0 on the year, was given medical clearance to wrestle after missing more than two months due to the hamstring injury. The Hokies used strong efforts in the consolation rounds to claim a 10-point lead In the Tournament heading into the championship round as Chris Moon (165), Nick Vetterlein (184) and Ty Walz (Hwt.) all earned third-place finishes. "Today, 10 guys came together and had an awesome day,” said Dresser . "It is all about how you finish in this sport and we finished the ACC season with an almost-perfect day. We're going to enjoy this one for a while and then head off to Oklahoma City. "But the future around here is extremely bright for Virginia Tech wrestling. This crowd today was awesome. They got into it and got loud. I told my guys for the last two weeks that they needed to show some emotion after matches. I needed to see some fist pumps and some flexing and some celebrating because wrestling is a long season and that's what the end of the season is all about. I knew having it in Cassell Coliseum that it would be extremely loud all day and the fans didn't disappoint.” Pitt, ranked 10th nationally in their first season under coach Jason Peters, placed five wrestlers in to the championship finals but failed to capitalize on that advantage as Carter and Zach Neibert at 149 claimed wins over Pitts Edgar Bright and Mikey Racciato, respectively. The Panthers, who were undefeated in six ACC dual meets to take the ACC regular season title, received only a win from Tyler Wilps (Oakdale, Pa.) at 174 pounds. North Carolina's Nathan Kraisser (Ellicott City, Md.) got Pitt off to a rough start by defeating Pitt's Anthony Zanetta with a 5-3 sudden win in overtime if the 125-pound championship match. Virginia Tech freshman Dennis Gustafson (Woodbridge, Va.) then set the tone for the Hokies with a dominating 11-0 major decision at 133 over Maryland's Tyler Goodwin. The Hokies' Carter (Christiansburg, Va.), in only his second match since suffering a major hamstring injury which required surgery, captured a hard-fought 6-1 win over Pitt's Edgar Bright. It was the third ACC title for Carter, a junior, who previously had won league crowns in 2011 and 2012 at 133 pounds. He becomes the 41st wrestler in league history to win three individual titles, the 21st to do so in more than one weight class. He was named the Tournament MVP in voting by the ACC head coaches. "It's a nice, sentimental award, but Dennis Gustafson deserves this as much as I do,” Carter said. "He's a true freshman who put up bonus points in all three matches and won 11-0 in the finals. Three weeks ago, I thought I'd be a spectactor along with everyone else at this event and to do all this, capped by the Outstanding Wrestler award, is just amazing.” He becomes the fifth Virginia Tech wrestler and third straight to be named the ACC's Wrestling Tournament MVP joining Jon Bonilla-Bowman (2007), Matt Epperly (2008), Pete Yates (2012) and Jarrod Garnett (2013). Virginia Tech's 149-pound senior Zach Neibert (Dayton, Ohio) kept the momentum going for the Hokies with a dramatic 3-1 sudden victory in overtime against Pitt's Mikey Racciato to put a strong hold on the championship. In all, Tech had four individual champions as senior Chris Penny (Virginia Beach, Va.) downed Virginia's Zach Nye, 10-6, at 197 pounds to join Gustafson, Carter and Neibert in the winners Virginia's Nick Sulzer (Cleveland, Ohio), the nation's No. 2-ranked wrestler at 165 pounds was one of two Cavaliers to claim titles. Sulzer improved to 32-1 on the year with a 7-1 decision over North Carolina sophomore John Michael Staudenmayer. Blaise Butler (Belvidere, Ill.) also captured the title at 157 by downing NC State's Thomas Gantt, 3-2. Maryland Jimmy Sheptock (Northhampton, Pa.), the nation's top-ranked wrestler at 184 pounds joined Carter in winning his third ACC wrestling title, when he took a 3-1 decision of Pitt's Max Thomusseit. Thomusseit entered the Tournament ranked fifth nationally. Sheptock captured the 174-pound conference title in 2012, then won in 2013 at 184. Sheptock improved to 27-0 on the year with the win, his second of the year against Thomusseit. He is the 42nd ACC wrestler to win three individual titles and the 22nd to do it in more than one weight class. NC State's Nick Gwiazdowski (Delanson, N.Y.), the nation's third-ranked heavyweight, continued his winning ways, downing two-time ACC champion Spencer Myers, 10-4, in the final match of the night. Gwiazdowksi is now 37-2 on the year. Both the ACC individual champions and runners-up were also named to the All-ACC wrestling team and a total of 34 ACC wrestlers earned automatic bids to this year's NCAA Championship, which will be held March 20-22 in Oklahoma City, Ok. Team Standings: 1. Virginia Tech 87 2. Pitt 67 3. Virginia 61.5 4. North Carolina 38 5. Maryland 37.5 6. NC State 33.5 7. Duke 18 Finals Results: 125: Nathan Kraisser (UNC) dec. Anthony Zanetta (Pitt), 5-3 SV 133: Dennis Gustafson (VT) maj. dec. over Tyler Goodwin (Md.), 11-0 141: Devin Carter (VT) dec. Edgar Bright (Pitt), 6-1 149: Zach Neibert (VT) dec. Mikey Racciato (Pitt), 3-1 SV 157: Blaise Butler (UVa) dec. Tommy Gantt (NCS), 3-2 165: Nick Sulzer (UVa) dec. John Staudenmayer (UNC), 7-1 174: Tyler Wilps (Pitt) dec. Stephen Doty (UVa), 7-2 184: Jimmy Sheptock (Md.) dec. Max Thomusseit (Pitt), 3-1 197: Chris Penny (VT) dec. Zach Nye (UVa), 10-6 285: Nick Gwiazdowski (NCS) dec. Spencer Myers (Md.), 10-4

Related: Results CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Edinboro wrestling team crowned five champions while winning the 39th Annual EWL Championships at Cleveland State's Woodling Gymnasium on Saturday. The Fighting Scots finished with 140.5 points to pace the seven-team field. Bloomsburg was second with 113 points, followed by Lock Haven with 87.5 points. In all, seven Fighting Scots qualified for the upcoming NCAA Division I National Championships. The EWL championship is Edinboro's 13th under head coach Tim Flynn and the first since 2010. Pittsburgh had won the last four EWL crowns before moving to the ACC this year. A.J. Schopp picked up his third straight EWL title at 133 lbs., while Mitchell Port and Dave Habat won for the second straight year at 141 and 149 lbs., respectively. Vic Avery picked up his first EWL title at 184 lbs., as dis Ernest James at heavyweight. Schopp was selected the Outstanding Wrestler, making it a clean sweep after he earlier was named the Outstanding Wrestler at the PSAC Championships. As usual, Schopp and Port were dominant. Schopp, ranked second at 133 lbs., boosted his record to 31-1 and improved to 103-12 with a pair of technical falls and a decision. He won by technical fall 18-0 (5:00) over Nick Wilcox of Bloomsburg in the finals. He led 5-0 after one period, then chose the top to start the second period and tilted Wilcox four times for three near-fall points each time. Port, meanwhile, kept his record spotless at 26-0 with a pair of wins, both by major decision. In a rematch of last year's finals, the top-ranked wrestler at 141 lbs. won a 12-2 major decision over Bloomsburg's Dan Neff. He posted a pair of takedowns in the first period for a 4-1 lead, boosted the margin to 9-1 after two periods with a takedown and three near-fall points, and registered another takedown in the third. Habat, ranked 15th by InterMat and 17th by TheOpenMat.com, improved to 26-4 with two wins. The junior has now won ten straight matches. He claimed a 6-0 decision over Bryce Busler of Bloomsburg, who came in ranked 18th by TheOpenMat.com. He had a takedown in the final seconds for a 2-0 lead after one period, added an escape in the second, and recorded a second takedown in the third period. Avery, who has battled injuries all year, posted an impressive 8-2 decision over Lock Haven's Fred Garcia in the finals at 184 lbs. Following a scoreless first period, Avery opened the second with an escape. He would add two takedowns in the period for a 5-1 advantage. Garcia started the third with an escape, but Avery recorded his third takedown of the match and owned riding time. Ranked 13th by TheOpenMat.com and 15th by InterMat, Avery boosted his record to 23-5 with three wins. He was second at 184 lbs. in 2012 before redshirting last year. James, a senior, ran his winning streak to 14 matches with three decisions. In the finals he squared off against rival Justin Grant of Bloomsburg, who came in ranked 14th by TheOpenMat.com and 18th by InterMat. The two exchanged escapes in regulation and headed into overtime, where James prevailed with a takedown with 35 seconds gone. James is now 27-5 and ranked 12th by TheopenMat.com and 16th by InterMat. His best previous finish was second in 2012. Kory Mines and Johnny Greisheimer also reached the finals but had to settle for second. Mines, ranked 18th by TheOpenMat.com and 19th by InterMat at 125 lbs., dropped a 2-1 decision to Rider's Robert Deutsch, who is ranked 12th and 14th, respectively. The difference came in riding time. Mines is now 22-9 and will make his first trip to Nationals. Greisheimer met Clarion's Austin Matthews in a rematch of the PSAC finals at 157 lbs., where he claimed a 9-8 decision over the freshman. He would lose a week later to Matthews in the dual, and suffered a 9-5 loss on Saturday. Matthews used a takedown and reversal in the first for a 4-3 lead. It was 6-5 after two periods, with Greisheimer's two escapes balancing a second Matthews' takedown. In the third Matthews would escape and add an insurance takedown with just over 22 seconds remaining. Despite the loss, Greisheimer will make his third trip to Nationals. He is 24-9 and ranked 15th. All ten Fighting Scots reached the semifinals. Vince Pickett followed up a 3-1 loss to Phil Sprenkle in the semi's to capture third place at 197 lbs. with a fall and a major decision in the wrestlebacks. With a 21-11 record, the sophomore will have to wait and see if he receives an at-large bid to Nationals. Patrick Jennings also brought home third place at 174 lbs., going 3-1 on the day. The redshirt sophomore won a grueling matchup with Clarion's Ryan Darch in the third place match, winning by fall at 9:15. He ends the year at 12-13. Kasey Burnett-Davis had hoped to parlay a strong showing at EWL's into a trip to Nationals at 165 lbs. the junior won his first match but proceeded to lose three straight matches to end the year at 18-12. He lost a tough 3-2 decision to Ramon Santiago of Rider in the semifinals.

125: No. 2 Nico Megaludis (Penn State) dec. No. 9 Ryan Taylor (Wisconsin), 4-3 No. 3 Jesse Delgado (Illinois) dec. No. 4 Cory Clark (Iowa), 4-3 133: No. 3 Tony Ramos (Iowa) dec. No. 10 Cashe Quiroga (Purdue), 7-6 No. 5 Tyler Graff (Wisconsin) dec. No. 7 David Thorn (Minnesota), 9-4 141: No. 2 Zain Retherford (Penn State) dec. No. 6 Steve Dutton (Michigan), 4-0 No. 3 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) maj. dec. No. 5 Chris Dardanes (Minnesota), 9-0 149: No. 6 Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska) dec. No. 8 Eric Grajales (Michigan), 8-6 No. 5 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) dec. No. 2 Nick Dardanes (Minnesota), 4-2 157: No. 4 Derek St. John (Iowa) dec. No. 2 Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin), 4-3 TB No. 3 James Green (Nebraska) dec. No. 6 Dylan Ness (Minnesota), 7-3 165: No. 1 David Taylor (Penn State) pinned No. 13 Jackson Morse (Illinois), 0:40 No. 4 Nick Moore (Iowa) dec. No. 20 Danny Zilverberg (Minnesota), 8-5 174: No. 3 Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) dec. No. 6 Logan Storley (Minnesota), 3-2 No. 5 Mike Evans (Iowa) dec. No. 4 Matt Brown (Penn State), 3-2 184: No. 2 Ed Ruth (Penn State) maj. dec. No. 15 Domenic Abounader (Michigan), 9-1 No. 4 Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa) dec. No. 8 Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota), 5-4 197: No. 3 Morgan McIntosh (Penn State) dec. No. 13 Nathan Burak (Iowa), 3-2 No. 4 Nick Heflin (Ohio State) dec. No. 5 Scott Schiller (Minnesota), 3-2 285: No. 6 Tony Nelson (Minnesota) pinned No. 14 Jon Gingrich (Penn State), 1:58 No. 2 Adam Chalfant (Indiana) dec. No. 4 Mike McMullan (Northwestern), 3-2

125: No. 2 Nico Megaludis (Penn State) vs. No. 9 Ryan Taylor (Wisconsin) No. 3 Jesse Delgado (Illinois) vs. No. 4 Cory Clark (Iowa) 133: No. 3 Tony Ramos (Iowa) vs. No. 10 Cashe Quiroga (Purdue) No. 5 Tyler Graff (Wisconsin) vs. No. 7 David Thorn (Minnesota) 141: No. 2 Zain Retherford (Penn State) vs. No. 6 Steve Dutton (Michigan) No. 3 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) vs. No. 5 Chris Dardanes (Minnesota) 149: No. 6 Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska) vs. No. 8 Eric Grajales (Michigan) No. 2 Nick Dardanes (Minnesota) vs. No. 5 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) 157: No. 2 Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) vs. No. 4 Derek St. John (Iowa) No. 3 James Green (Nebraska) vs. No. 6 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) 165: No. 1 David Taylor (Penn State) vs. No. 13 Jackson Morse (Illinois) No. 4 Nick Moore (Iowa) vs. No. 20 Danny Zilverberg (Minnesota) 174: No. 3 Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) vs. No. 6 Logan Storley (Minnesota) No. 4 Matt Brown (Penn State) vs. No. 5 Mike Evans (Iowa) 184: No. 2 Ed Ruth (Penn State) vs. No. 15 Domenic Abounader (Michigan) No. 4 Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa) vs. No. 8 Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota) 197: No. 3 Morgan McIntosh (Penn State) vs. No. 13 Nathan Burak (Iowa) No. 4 Nick Heflin (Ohio State) vs. No. 5 Scott Schiller (Minnesota) 285: No. 6 Tony Nelson (Minnesota) vs. No. 14 Jon Gingrich (Penn State) No. 2 Adam Chalfant (Indiana) vs. No. 4 Mike McMullan (Northwestern)

125: No. 2 Nico Megaludis (Penn State) dec. Nick Roberts (Ohio State), 12-5 No. 9 Ryan Taylor (Wisconsin) dec. No. 15 Conor Youtsey (Michigan), 7-3 No. 4 Cory Clark (Iowa) maj. dec. No. 11 Tim Lambert (Nebraska), 10-2 No. 3 Jesse Delgado (Illinois) dec. Camden Eppert (Purdue), 9-2 133: No. 3 Tony Ramos (Iowa) pinned No. 19 Rossi Bruno (Michigan), 1:33 No. 10 Cashe Quiroga (Purdue) pinned No. 13 Zane Richards (Illinois), 6:53 No. 7 David Thorn (Minnesota) dec. No. 8 Johnni DiJulius (Ohio State), 5-3 No. 5 Tyler Graff (Wisconsin) dec. No. 15 Jimmy Gulibon (Penn State), 8-1 141: No. 2 Zain Retherford (Penn State) dec. Jessie Thielke (Wisconsin), 7-2 No. 6 Steve Dutton (Michigan) dec. No. 13 Josh Dziewa (Iowa), 7-0 No. 5 Chris Dardanes (Minnesota) dec. No. 19 Danny Sabatello (Purdue), 10-9 No. 3 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) tech. fall Steven Rodrigues (Illinois), 15-0 149: No. 6 Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska) maj. dec. Nick Trimble (Michigan State), 17-5 No. 8 Eric Grajales (Michigan) dec. No. 7 Brody Grothus (Iowa), 4-1 No. 5 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) dec. No. 18 Ian Paddock (Ohio State), 3-2 No. 2 Nick Dardanes (Minnesota) dec. James English (Penn State), 3-2 157: No. 2 Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin) dec. No. 13 Brian Murphy (Michigan), 5-0 No. 4 Derek St. John (Iowa) dec. No. 7 Dylan Alton (Penn State), 4-1 No. 6 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) maj. dec. No. 8 Taylor Walsh (Indiana), 10-1 No. 3 James Green (Nebraska) pinned Zac Brunson (Illinois), 2:15 165: No. 1 David Taylor (Penn State) tech. fall Austin Wilson (Nebraska), 22-4 No. 13 Jackson Morse (Illinois) dec. No. 10 Dan Yates (Michigan), 8-5 No. 20 Danny Zilverberg (Minnesota) dec. No. 6 Pierce Harger (Northwestern), 7-1 No. 4 Nick Moore (Iowa) maj. dec. Ryan LeBlanc (Indiana), 16-5 174: No. 3 Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) pinned Collin Zeerip (Michigan), 4:28 No. 6 Logan Storley (Minnesota) dec. Tony Dallago (Illinois), 9-5 No. 5 Mike Evans (Iowa) maj. dec. No. 13 Mark Martin (Ohio State), 8-0 No. 4 Matt Brown (Penn State) maj. dec. Scott Liegel (Wisconsin), 12-3 184: No. 2 Ed Ruth (Penn State) dec. Nikko Reyes (Illinois), 4-1 No. 15 Domenic Abounader (Michigan) dec. No. 9 T.J. Dudley (Nebraska), 5-4 No. 4 Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa) dec. No. 11 Kenny Courts (Ohio State), 4-1 No. 8 Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota) maj. dec. Luke Sheridan (Indiana), 12-3 197: No. 3 Morgan McIntosh (Penn State) dec. Timmy McCall (Wisconsin), 7-4 No. 13 Nathan Burak (Iowa) dec. No. 10 Braden Atwood (Purdue), 5-4 No. 5 Scott Schiller (Minnesota) by medical forfeit over Mario Gonzalez (Illinois) No. 4 Nick Heflin (Ohio State) pinned No. 19 Alex Polizzi (Northwestern), 1:08 285: No. 14 Jon Gingrich (Penn State) dec. No. 1 Adam Coon (Michigan), 3-1 SV No. 6 Tony Nelson (Minnesota) dec. No. 5 Bobby Telford (Iowa), 2-0 No. 4 Mike McMullan (Northwestern) dec. No. 7 Mike McClure (Michigan State), 5-1 No. 2 Adam Chalfant (Indiana) dec. No. 8 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin), 7-2

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Event Website | Results | Pick 'Em Contest Big Ten Wrestling Championships

Wrestling fans are in for a surprise this weekend. The NCAA released clarification videos for officials working the conference tournaments. The adjustments, presumably made to increase scoring, will have a major effect on the strategy of wrestlers around the country. Cradle attempt from neutral A takedown is called the moment the defensive wrestler places his hand on the mat. However, if the cradle happens with knees already touching, the offensive wrestler must drive the defensive wrestler to his hip to secure a takedown. Possible concern: What happens when the wrestler comes up from the mat to fight the cradle? Will that be called a takedown if his hand remains on the mat? Takedowns from mat return position Takedown attempts starting with one wrestler fully behind his opponent are considered scoring actions the moment the defensive wrestler touches his hand to the mat. No reaction time or weight needed. Possible concern: Flash takedown just got flashier. Is this actually control? JO Rule In a low single takedown scenarios the offensive wrestler looking to double off and free his head for two is awarded points from the JO position. The only place he is NOT awarded a takedown is if the defensive wrestler keeps the offensive wrestler’s head beneath his leg. Possible concern: None. Funk gives up takedown once offensive wrestler steps over either leg If Wrestler A defends the double leg with a skank roll attempt he must keep his legs clear of his opponents. The moment that the leg is secured in concert with double leg control, the takedown will be called. Possible concern: The scramble situation created by many wrestlers has ben effectively eliminated.

PHILADELPHIA -- Official seeds and brackets have been announced for the 2014 EIWA Championships to be hosted by the University of Pennsylvania March 8-9 at The Palestra. A record 18 teams will be competing for the EIWA team title in addition to 10 individual championships and 46 automatic qualifying spots to the NCAA Championships on Oklahoma City. View Pre-Brackets 125: No. 1 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) No. 2 David Terao (American) No. 3 Jamie Franco (Hofstra) No. 4 Paul Petrov (Bucknell) No. 5 Darian Cruz (Lehigh) No. 6 David White (Binghamton) No. 7 Caleb Richardson (Penn) No. 8 Sean McCabe (Rutgers) 133: No. 1 Mason Beckman (Lehigh) No. 2 Mark Grey (Cornell) No. 3 Colton Rasche (Navy) No. 4 Vinnie Dellafave (Rutgers) No. 5 Angelo Amenta (Columbia) No. 6 Kevin Devoy (Drexel) No. 7 Jeffrey Ott (Harvard) No. 8 Dane Harlowe (Boston U.) 141: No. 1 Richard Durso (F&M) No. 2 Mike Nevinger (Cornell) No. 3 Luke Vaith (Hofstra) No. 4 Todd Preston (Harvard) No. 5 Laike Gardiner (Lehigh) No. 6 Tyson Dippery (Rutgers) No. 7 Matt Bystol (Columbia) No. 8 Joe Locksmith (Navy No. 9 Tyler Scotton (Boston U.) No. 10 Tyler Rauenzahn (Army) 149: No. 1 Chris Villalonga (Cornell) No. 2 Mitch Minotti (Lehigh) No. 3 Cody Ruggirello (Hofstra) No. 4 Adam Krop (Princeton) No. 5 Ken Theobold (Rutgers) No. 6 Victor Lopez (Bucknell) No. 7 Alex Johnson (Navy) No. 8 Noel Blanco (Drexel) 157: No. 1 Nestor Taffur (Boston U.) No. 2 Brian Realbuto (Cornell) No. 3 Joey Napoli (Lehigh) No. 4 Ray Bethea (Penn) No. 5 Paul Hancock (Army) No. 6 Kevin Moylan (Princeton) No. 7 Markus Scheidel (Columbia) No. 8 Anthony Perotti (Rutgers) 165: No. 1 Dylan Palacio (Cornell) No. 2 Joe Booth (Hofstra) No. 3 Casey Kent (Penn) No. 4 Josh Houldsworth (Columbia) No. 5 Peyton Walsh (Navy) No. 6 Chandler Smith (Army) No. 7 Devon Gobbo (Harvard) No. 8 Mitchell Wightman (Boston U.) 174: No. 1 Elliot Riddick (Lehigh) No. 2 Shane Hughes (Columbia) No. 3 Mat Miller (Navy) No. 4 Duke Pickett (Cornell) No. 5 Brian Harvey (Army) No. 6 Phil Bakuckas (Rutgers) No. 7 Ricky McDonald (Brown) No. 8 Brad Wukie (Penn) 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell) No. 2 Lorenzo Thomas (Penn) No. 3 Ophir Bernstein (Brown) No. 4 Ryan Tompkins (Army) No. 5 Brett Harner (Princeton) No. 6 Zach Hernandez (Columbia) No. 7 Zach Deikel (Lehigh) No. 8 Caleb Wallace (Binghamton) 197: No. 1 Brandon Palik (Drexel) No. 2 Jace Bennett (Cornell) No. 3 Danny Mitchell (American) No. 4 James Fox (Harvard) No. 5 Cody Reed (Binghamton) No. 6 Abe Ayala (Princeton) No. 7 Paul Rands (Navy No. 8 John Bolich (Lehigh) No. 9 Bryce Barnes (Army) No. 10 Frank Mattiace (Penn) 285: No. 1 Billy Smith (Rutgers) No. 2 Joe Stolfi (Bucknell) No. 3 Tyler Deuel (Binghamton) No. 4 Blake Herrin (American) No. 5 Jacob Aiken-Phillips (Cornell) No. 6 Max Wessell (Lehigh) No. 7 Ray O’Donell (Princeton) No. 8 Steven Graziano (Penn)

The brackets have been released for the 2014 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, which take place Saturday and Sunday at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis. View brackets

Takedown Media will once again partner with TheMat.com in a radio broadcast of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships from the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis. This year's broadcast team includes Scott Casber, Steve Foster, Jeff Murphy, Tom "The Big Cat" Erikson. Broadcast Schedule: Saturday, March 8: 11:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. CT Sunday, March 9: 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CT Tune in to TheMat.com for this annual free broadcast. Special thanks to USA Wrestling's Chris Moen and Richard Immel, Big Ten Conference, and the University of Wisconsin. This year's sponsors include Sunflower Wrestling, Asics, Kemin, Brute, Resilite, Cradle Gear, Riddix, The Airliner in Iowa City, Roller Productions, Zebra Mats and Cages, Louie’s Wine Dive and Bars, The University of Iowa, Takedown Sportswear, Titan Mercury Wrestling, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition, Oklahoma State Wrestling, TW Promotions, J Robinsons Wrestling Camps, Recruit a Wrestler.com, Fight Now TV, The University of Illinois, Suplay.com, Intermatwrestle.com, Takedown Wrestling Weekly Television and USA Wrestling Weekly Television.

The Division I conference tournaments this week start Saturday and for fans of the sport this means the start of March Matness. Be sure to interact with each other on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #D1Wrestle. With any luck we can all create good content and get more fans interested in the sport. Good luck to all the wrestlers, and for anyone interested in the ACC tournament you can catch me live on the ESPN3 broadcast starting Saturday at 10 a.m. ET. Q: Devin Carter is going to wrestle at the ACC championships after tearing his hamstring at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in December?? WHAAAT? Can you elaborate on your thoughts about the decision, from the wrestler's, coach's and fan's point of view? Also can you give us some insight about medical redshirts? -- Curtis H. Virginia Tech's Devin Carter won a gold medal at the 2013 Dave Schultz Memorial against senior level wrestlers (Photo/Larry Slater) Foley: Devin Carter's return is remarkable. Unless there is some unforeseen exaggeration of injury, it seems like the Virginia native just used the grit and determination he's utilized on the mat to bring along his recovery. His improvement is dramatic, but we've yet to see his results. Medical redshirts aren't difficult to receive if you meet the criteria. Wrestlers can now compete in 20 percent of team dates (3) and still apply for the hardship waiver as long as their last competition is before the midway point of the season. Unfortunately for Carter he wrestled in five competitions within the 16-date season, making him ineligible for a medical redshirt. That knowledge definitely forced the All-American wrestler to hurry his recovery. Doctors gave him the go-ahead, but until he steps on the mat in live conditions with glory at stake, it's difficult to know how his repair will hold up. For fans it's an exciting plot line and for the coaches a reason to be hopeful that one of yours will find the podium. For Carter it's the opportunity to compete during all four years of eligibility, and for any wrestler all you want is the chance to compete and be given the chance to win an NCAA title. Q: Who is the most underrated (or underappreciated) Division I assistant wrestling coach? -- Mike C. Foley: Assistant coaches have a lot in common with schoolteachers. They are typically underpaid and almost always underappreciated. When some do get recognized, it's for what they do working under a successful head coach and program. I'm glad you asked the question, because assistant coaches are the foot soldiers of college wrestling. The guys that toil for little pay and less appreciation are everywhere. When a program finds success the credit is almost always given to the head coach. That's fair, and that's life, but I promise you that from Central Michigan to Drexel to Oregon State, there are at least three dozen assistant coaches that if given the opportunity to showcase their leadership would impress wrestling fans with their success. To name a few would only add to the heartache of others, and trust me these guys are going through enough horse manure on a daily basis (NCAA regulations, recruiting call logs, fundraising events) that what they are there to do seems like a treat -- wrestler's concerns, technique development, scouting. There is plenty of great young talent across the country and all of them deserve our appreciation. Q: I listened to a recent interview with Cornell coach Rob Koll, and he was asked about youth wrestling. I thought something he said was pretty interesting. "What do you call a 6-year-old Tulsa World champion when he is 16? A former wrestler." While I certainly see the value in having elite clubs and national events for development, it seems as though there is too much emphasis put on competition results at a young age, which can lead to all sorts of problems down the road. My opinion is that a wrestler shouldn't start competing until he/she is at least 10 years old. Do you have an opinion on this? -- Mike C. Foley: There does seem to be a shift in how Americans think about the development of youth wrestlers, and on-average it's for the better. Wrestling is tough. When equally matched with an opponent wrestlers are pushed to their limits, and often times they break. There are limits to learning, to endurance and to toughness, and when we push pre-pubescent boys into a sport with rules that are meant for MEN, then we aren't developing good wrestlers, or good citizens. When boys reach puberty they often deserve to have their butt kicked every other day. The pubescent boy is a nightmare, but when given a humbling and challenging experience like wrestling they can often see that their immortality and invincibility have limits. They recognize that they aren't invincible, but also that if they work hard, they can be a touch more bulletproof. That psyche shouldn't exist for a third-grader. Life is brief and at times difficult and childhood is our opportunity to see the fun of existence. We are meant to try several sports and hobbies, mature our natural tendencies to a passion and hobby that will keep us maturing throughout life. Wrestling can be that for some kids, but not all kids. En masse most kids don't want to drill for 90 minutes and get screamed at for their technique. They want to play, dream, and hang out with their friends. They're kids, and that should be their only concern. Koll is one-hundred percent correct. Youth tournament culture is out of whack right now. Guys like Jake Herbert and Andy Hrovat understand that to engage children in wrestling you need to make it fun and the competitions need to be skills based, not contests of heart and desire between 8-year-olds in baggy single pieces of spandex. Q: Would the dual meet championship be a better idea if the Big Ten wasn't such a dominant conference? If you're Iowa, you have to wrestle that conference schedule and you always wrestle Oklahoma State every year. Then you're asked to beat everyone again in one weekend, and the fans are asked to fill an arena for duals they've already seen. I've been a supporter of a dual meet championship I think largely since I'm from Michigan where the dual state championship is a huge success here. We actually need a larger venue since they started seeding the finals. Making the finals extremely exciting. Of course, there isn't one conference that just dominates the landscape. -- Tom B. Foley: Wrestling is growing in unique ways, and largely from the power of regional schools that can attract to dual meets. This season's dual meet between Pitt and Penn State was the highest attendance ever recorded for a college wrestling dual meet with 15,996 fans showing up to watch their teams compete. Those are real numbers between regional rivals, one from the ACC and one from the Big Ten. NCAA National Duals will be implemented and they will work. Fans will engage with the product and the sport will be more popular than ever with passive fans. We just need to find the motivation to move forward and take a chance on the quality of our product. The Big Ten might dominate, but it might not. We won't know until we try. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME Welp, so much for women not being tough enough to be on the same mats as boys ... Q: Who do you think from this year's senior class will transition best into either international Wrestling or MMA/UFC? I see the likes of David Taylor & Andrew Howe as destined for the Olympics, while someone with the killer cross face capability of Ed Ruth (there's an alliteration for you) would do great things in MMA. Your thoughts? -- Curtis H. Foley: I really like David Taylor to grow into an 86-kilo wrestler that can compete for a World title. Taylor has the flexibility and is creative enough to compete with the Russians, Turks and Japanese. I know he's not that size yet, but as he grows he'll retain his original style and speed. I'm very hopeful he'll be competing for a spot by 2016. As for the UFC, I want to see Kevin Steinhaus give the cage a try. Obviously, Ed Ruth would be an attractive recruit for many MMA gyms, but I'm not certain he's looking in that direction. If you want to find the next fighter look to the schools that have created the most over the past several years: Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Arizona State, Penn State, Minnesota and the California programs. The idea of fighting is becoming more popular, but most young guys need the extra push, or the introduction in order to make the decision to pursue a life in the cage instead of a life in the office. Q: Below is a list of Big Ten wrestlers that would not (or at least should not) really surprise anyone if they won their respective weight class. If they run the table, would it be a first in NCAA history that a conference sweeps the NCAA championships? 125: Jesse Delgado, Nico Megaludis, Cory Clark 133: Tony Ramos 141: Logan Stieber, Zain Retherford 149: Nick Dardanes 157: Isaac Jordan, James Green, Derek St. John 165: Possibly that Taylor kid from Penn State 174: Robert Kokesh, Matt Brown 184: Ed Ruth 197: Morgan McIntosh, Nick Heflin 285: Any one of them -- Jason R. Foley: I think you're being mighty wishful at 149, 174 and 197, but otherwise you've got a nice lineup for NCAAs. There have been years where it got close, but in the modern era no conference has swept the NCAA individual titles. Q: The UFC is on the fringe of being a big-time sport among casual fans. In your mind, do you think the UFC would be easier to swallow for those potential fans if Dana White didn't have such an abrasive, outspoken personality? Dana seems like he often speaks what's on his mind without thinking of the possible ramifications. You don't see Roger Goodell or Bud Selig going on profanity-laced tirades, but those sports are well-established in our culture. If Dana played it closer to the vest, would we see any increase in fandom or support from the ESPNs of the world? -- Curt H. Dana White at UFC press conference (Photo/InterMat Staff)Foley: I believe that White is smart, generous and the sport's biggest fan, but I also think he enjoys putting on the act of being a tough guy to help bring in more fans. Someone tipping the meter too far in either direction isn't selling the UFC. David Stern couldn't get dime one for the UFC because he's too nerdy. Dan Severn couldn't get a penny because he's too brutalized by the reality of the sport. Dana White is the perfect human to sell the product right now. He's just fit enough, had just enough tough guy experience to make him credible, and is a born salesman. White plays the role perfected by Vince McMahon. He's acting. The popular belief is that the UFC will have to shed White in order to make substantial growth and improve the marketability of their image. That's not true. When pushed by the Fertitta brothers to improve his image for the sake of the brand, White will fall in line and change his rhetoric. When the time comes he'll change roles from T-shirt wearing used car salesman to $10k suits and a reserved and calculating mentality.

Eight NCAA Division I conference wrestling tournaments took place this weekend. View the results. Big Ten Wrestling Championships Date: Saturday, March 8 - Sunday, March, 9 Venue: Kohl Center (Madison, Wis.) Event Website | Results | Updates | Pick 'Em Contest Big 12 Wrestling Championships Date: Saturday, March 8 Venue: McCasland Field House (Norman, Okla.) Event Website | Results | Updates SoCon Wrestling Championships Date: Saturday, March 8 Venue: John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center (Buies Creek, N.C.) Event Website | Results | Updates ACC Wrestling Championships Date: Saturday, March 8 Venue: Cassell Coliseum (Blacksburg, Va.) Event Website | Results | Updates EIWA Wrestling Championships Date: Saturday, March 8 - Sunday, March 9 Venue: Palestra (Philadelphia, Pa.) Event Website | Results | Updates MAC Wrestling Championships Date: Saturday, March 8 - Sunday, March 9 Venue: M.A.C. Center (Kent, Ohio) Event Website | Results | Updates EWL Wrestling Championships Date: Saturday, March 8 Venue: Woodling Gymnasium (Cleveland, Ohio) Event Website | Results | Updates West Regional/WWC Wrestling Championships Date: Saturday, March 8 Venue: UCCO Center (Orem, Utah) Event Website | Results | Updates Pac-12 Wrestling Championships Date: Sunday, March 2 Venue: Maples Pavilion (Palo Alto, Calif.) Event Website | Results

Related: Brackets GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Pitt, 10th-ranked nationally the regular season ACC champion, and 12th ranked Virginia each had three of their wrestlers named as No. 1 seeds in their respective weight classes for the 60th Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestling Championship, the ACC announced Thursday. The seeds were determined by a vote of the seven ACC head coaches. Named top in their weight classes for the 10th-ranked Panthers were Anthony Zanetta (Pittsburgh, Pa.) in the 125 pound weight class, Shelton Mack (Meadville, Pa.) at 133 pounds, and Tyler Wilps (Oakdale, Pa.) at 174. Virginia, ranked 12th nationally, had Gus Sako (Cleveland, Ohio) at 149 pounds, Blaise Butler (Belvidere, Ill.) at 157 and Nick Sulzer (Cleveland, Ohio) at 165 all earn No. 1 seeds. Maryland saw two wrestlers receive the coveted No. 1 seeds in defending ACC champions Jimmy Sheptock (North Hampton, Pa.) at 184 and Christian Boley (Brockport, N.Y.) at 197. NC State sophomore Nick Gwiazdowski (Delanson, N.Y.), who is ramked 3rd mationally, was voted the top seed in the heavyweight division. Finally, host Virginia Tech, ranked 16th nationally, had Devin Carter (Christiansburg, Va.), a late entry into the Championship, named as the top seed at 141. Carter, a two-time ACC champion (2011-12) at 133 pounds, missed most of the season with a hamstring injury which required surgery and was only medically cleared to compete on Wednesday. He was 12-0 at 141, with four wins over current Top 16 opponents, before the injury. The 2014 Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestling Championship will be held this Saturday at Virginia Tech’s Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va. Advanced tickets are available for $5 each through the link listed below through Friday. All tickets at the championship and online Saturday will be $10 each. ACC students with a valid student ID will be admitted free of charge. Link for ACC Tournament Wrestling tickets: http://theacc.co/WRES14tix Wrestling begins at 10 a.m., and all of the action will be available live on ESPN3. Here is the schedule: • First Round and Quarterfinal Consolations 10 a.m. • Semifinals 1:30 p.m. • Semifinal Consolation 3:45 p.m. • Finals Consolation 5:30 p.m. • Finals 7:30 p.m. The complete list of seedings follow. View brackets 125: 1. Anthony Zanetta, Pitt; 2. Joey Dance, Virginia Tech; 3. Nathan Kraisser, North Carolina; 4. Mark Herrmann, Virginia; 5. Micah Perez, NC State; 6. Paul O’Neill, Maryland; 7. Calvin Campbell, Duke. 133: 1. Shelton Mack, Pitt; 2. Joe Martinez, Virginia; 3. Dennis Gustafson, Virginia; 4. Tyler Goodwin, Maryland; 5. Troy Heilman, North Carolina; 6. Evan Botwin, Duke; 7. Brenden Calas, NC State. 141: 1. Devin Carter, Virginia Tech; 2. Edgar Bright, Pitt; 3. Evan Henderson, North Carolina; 4. Joe Spisak, Virginia; 5. Shyheim Brown, Maryland; 6. Sam Speno, NC State; 7. Xaviel Ramos, Duke. 149: 1. Gus Sako, Virginia; 2. Zach Neibert, Virginia Tech; 3. Christian Barber, North Carolina; Mikey Racciatto, Pitt; 5. Frank Goodwin, Maryland; 6. Brian Hamann, NC State; 7. Connor Bass, Duke. 157: 1. Blaise Butler, Virginia; 2. Tommy Gantt, NC State; 3. Immanuel Kerr-Brown, Duke; 4. Sal Mastriani, Virginia Tech; 5. Jacob Crawford, North Carolina; 6. Ronnie Garbinsky, Pitt; 7. Danny Orem, Maryland. 165: 1. Nick Sulzer, Virginia; 2. Chris Moon, Virginia Tech; 3. John Staudenmayer, North Carolina; 4. Geno Morelli, Pitt; 5. Marcus Cain, Duke; 6. Josh Snook, Maryland; 7.Max Rohskopf, NC State. 174: 1. Tyler Wilps, Pitt; 2. Stephen Doty, Virginia; 3. Peter Renda, NC State; 4. Matt Snook, Maryland; 5. Austin Gabel, Virginia Tech; 6. Trey Adamson, Duke; 7. Scott Marmoll, North Carolina. 184: 1. Jimmy Sheptock, Maryland, 2. Max Thomusseit, Pitt; 3. Nick Vetterlein, Virginia Tech; 4. Alex Utley, North Carolina, 5.Jon Fausey, Virginia; 6. Jacob Kasper, Duke; 7. Michael Macchiavello, NC State. 197: 1. Christian Boley, Maryland; 2. Nick Bonaccorsi, Pitt; 3. Chris Penny, Virginia Tech; 4. Zach Nye, Virginia; 5. Connor Hartmann, Duke; 6. KaRonne Jones, NC State; 7. Frank Abbondanza, North Carolina. Hwt. (285): 1. Nick Gwiazdowski, NC State; 2. Spencer Myers, Maryland; 3. P.J. Tasser, Pitt; 4. Ty Walz, Virginia Tech; 5. Ethan Hayes, Virginia; 6. Brendan Walsh, Duke; 7. Bob Coe, North Carolina.

The conference championships give wrestling fans their first solid insight into how their favorite wrestlers and teams will perform at the NCAA tournament. The matches will also decide which members of their team automatically qualify for competition. As compelling as these storylines become, the week leading up the conference tournament also gives fans the chance to talk about which individual matchups will leave the fans applauding their mat heroes. Here are this weekend's most exciting (potential) conference matchups. 125: No. 2 Nico Megaludis (PSU) vs. No. 3 Jesse Delgado (Illinois) Jesse Delgado defeated Nico Megaludis in the NCAA finals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Though these two have met twice since last year's Big Ten semifinal match, not much has been decided. Delgado won that match and the NCAA championship in Des Moines, but Megaludis has the last win. That victory ended up controversial after some fans thought that Delgado had scored a takedown that ultimately ended up in Mega's favor. Still, this matchup will only take place if Delgado can get past Cory Clark (Iowa) in the semifinals. Delgado lost to Clark last season, and with assertions from the Brands bros. that Clark is better with his weight and stronger than before, the semifinals could be as interesting as the finals. 141: No. 3 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) vs. No. 2 Zain Retherford (PSU) One of the most surprising results of the season was when true freshman Retherford rode Stieber to the redshirt junior's first loss since Feb. 12, 2012. Their first match was razor close, with Retherford using a ride-time point to hand the two-time NCAA champion his first loss. Retherford's performance wasn't a fluke. He's undefeated on the season and can ride almost anyone he wishes. If Stieber can't figure out how to avoid the ride, and earn offensive points of his own, he might be looking at only his fourth loss in three seasons. 141: No. 8 Richard Durso (F&M) vs. No. 9 Luke Vaith (Hofstra) The EIWA has come to be dominated by Cornell, but that doesn't mean there aren't some non-Ivies in the conference with talent of their own. Lehigh could contend for the team crown, but much of the attention will be on the individual performances of traditional also-rans with horses buried in their lineup. One such powerful equine is Franklin & Marshall's Richard Durso, who is the defending EIWA champion and was only a few points away from placing at the NCAA tournament. He'll likely face Hofstra's Luke Vaith in the finals, assuming both make it past a talented field including Mike Nevinger (Cornell) and Laike Gardener (Lehigh). 141: Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) vs. No. 16 Joe Spisak (Virginia) Virginia Tech's Devin Carter is proving to be a tough man to keep down. The Hokie junior's Wolverine-like regenerative powers are mind-boggling to behold. After a 14-11 victory over Joe Spisak at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in December, it was revealed that Carter had torn his hamstring and would be done for the season. Then, like a Rocky of Appalachia, it was revealed this week that Carter had healed in less than half the time predicted by doctors and was at full strength. Carter was undefeated at the time of the injury. Though Spisak has never beaten Carter, it will be an interesting matchup of rivals, likely in the semifinals of the ACC. The Cavaliers are exceptional in the postseason, and against rivals they've been even better. For Carter to win he'll need a great match without hesitancy. If he does that then he'll also be in the hunt for the top prize come NCAAs. 149: No. 1 Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) vs. No. 17 Tywan Claxton (Ohio) Houdashelt has been the most consistent performer at 149 pounds this season, but his one blemish came at the hands of Ohio's Tywan Claxton. The Mizzou wrestler faced Claxton in his first-ever week atop the rankings, and it's conceivable that the pressure of the top spot affected his game. The consistency of the Mizzou program will be seen in Houdashlet's performance. He's the team leader and the wrestler with the most to prove in a single match. If Sammie The Bull and Coach Smith have their team ready, it will be reflected in Houdashlet's performance this match. 157: No. 6 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) vs. No. 3 James Green (Nebraska) Two of the most exciting men in college wrestling are likely to meet in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament. Green will look to keep the match on his feet and finish his singles and doubles with authority, while Ness will want to make the match confusing for Green by putting him in awkward situations with few good solutions. The winner will likely face sudden All-Star Isaac Jordan of Wisconsin in the finals if he can get past returning NCAA champion Derek St. John of Iowa, but how they deal with each other in the semifinals will give fans a peek into the rest of the postseason at 157 pounds. 174: No. 2 Chris Perry (OSU) vs. No. 1 Andrew Howe (Oklahoma) Returning NCAA champions and cross-state rivals doing battle for the second time this season. Do you need me to outline the incredible attractiveness of this match? No. No, you don't. Howe won their first matchup, 4-2, but look for Perry to have matured and for Coach Smith to have a strategy he thinks can manage Howe's intensity and hand-fighting technique. Still, to win, Perry will need to create counter-offense and control the center of the mat. Not an easy chore, but a fun one to watch him undertake. Also of note is that these two wrestled in Norman during their first meeting, but for Bedlam II in Stillwater, Howe was bumped to 184 pounds. The Big 12s are in Norman again, but that will only matter this week, since the NCAAs are going to be in Oklahoma City -- neutral ground. 174: No. 3 Robert Kokesh (Nebraska) vs. No. 4 Matt Brown (PSU) "Bob" and Brown have tangled only once before, with Bob winning 10-7 in the dual meet last season. That was more than a year ago and both wrestlers have improved their skill set and conditioning. Kokesh will need to continue his excellent season by finding a way to repeat last year's victory, while Brown needs to limit mistakes and finish shots if he's going to avoid Kokesh's creative reshots and formidable front head. 184: No. 2 Ed Ruth (PSU) vs. No. 8 Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota) Ed Ruth defeated Kevin Steinhaus earlier this season (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Seeing Ruth lose to Cornell's Gabe Dean, probably gave new-found confidence to some of the Penn State champion's longstanding rivals. Dean is a specimen, but wrestlers like Kevin Steinhaus have now seen what it takes to beat Ruth on the mat. That might not matter if Ruth taps into a gear that fans rarely see. But if the two-time NCAA champions is planning in cruising, it will be Steinhaus -- all muscles and tight curls -- who will end Ruth's championship run. 285: The entire Big Ten heavyweight bracket No. 1 Adam Coon (Michigan), No. 2 Adam Chalfant (Indiana), No. 3 Mike McMullan (Northwestern), and No. 4 Bobby Telford (Iowa) are all seeded AHEAD of defending two-time NCAA champion and No. 5 seed Tony Nelson (Minnesota). Every wrestling fan knows that this assemblage of Brontosaurus meat has taken turns besting each other in the 30-foot circle. When it comes time for them to roll in Madison, it's anyone's to win. Every match from the quarterfinals could be a prequel to the NCAA finals. Don't look now, but the Big Ten heavyweight division might be the most exciting conference weight class of the past 20 years.

Over 800 schools, one state champion. That's how things are done in the state of California, which will conduct its state wrestling championship on Friday and Saturday in Bakersfield. Twelve weight classes feature a nationally ranked wrestler, including nine with multiple wrestlers in the top 20 of the country. The leading narrative heading into the 42nd edition of the California State Wrestling Championships is about the ability of No. 3 Clovis to transcend history and break some high profile records. The three-time defending state champion Cougars is prohibitive favorites to four-peat, as they qualified all fourteen wrestlers to the state tournament. In addition, the team point record (256.5) and total placer record (10) are in their sight. Clovis' Nick Nevills, the nation's No. 1-ranked heavyweight, is after his third state championship and has not lost a match since his sophomore season in the state semifinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)If one was to believe the rankings, per rankings published by The California Wrestler this week, Clovis would place ten wrestlers and have two champions -- No. 5 Justin Mejia (106) and No. 1 Nick Nevills (285). Beyond the two projected champions, no Cougars wrestler is projected for a top three finish -- but seven are projected to finish between fourth and sixth, with one other taking eighth. The other notable narrative is about the star power in the Golden State this year. Nevills and Nikko Villareal (Gilroy), who is ranked No. 8 at 145 pounds, are after third state titles; while No. 20 Adrian Camposano (Central), No. 10 Israel Saavedra (Modesto), No. 13 Mason Pengilly (Porterville), Johnny Parada (San Fernando), No. 1 Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco), No. 3 Anthony Valencia (St. John Bosco), and No. 4 Jeramy Sweany (Vacaville) are after second state titles. Team Overview As already stated, Clovis is the prohibitive favorites to win the state title. However, with four other Fab 50 teams ranked within thirteen spots of one another, the race for second should be highly interesting. No. 32 Poway leads the way with 12 state qualifiers, two of whom are nationally ranked -- No. 20 Sergio Enloe (138) and No. 13 Ralphy Tovar (145). Also in the offing are No. 35 Buchanan with eleven state qualifiers; No. 39 Clovis West with nine, led by No. 16 Michael Knoblauch (126); No. 44 Vacaville with eight, led by No. 4 Sweany (220); and unranked Gilroy, which qualified seven to state, including a pair of nationally ranked kids in No. 8 Villarreal (145) and No. 15 Paul Fox (152). Weight-by-Weight Breakdown 106: The pair of nationally ranked wrestlers in this weight class is in opposite halves of the draw. No. 5 Mejia has beaten No. 11 Joey Cisneros (Redwood) three times this season, including the last two weekends in the divisional and section finals. The four other viable contenders for this championship all exited the Southern Section -- sophomore David Gonzales (San Dimas), freshman Zander Silva (Alta Loma), junior Michael Rangel (Calvary Chapel) senior Chris Lacayo (Santiago Corona). Rangel and Silva are both in the first quarter of the draw, while Silva is “alone” in the second quarter of the draw; however, he could face a legitimate challenge in the winner of a second round bout between Isaac Blackburn (Del Oro) and Chris Marin (Clovis West) just to hit the semifinal. Lacayo, the only wrestler to beat Mejia all season, and Cisneros exit the third quarter of the draw; while Gonzalez is “alone” in the bottom quarter bracket. 113: Senior Vincente Elizalde (Brawley), who placed third at state last year and is without a loss this season, is the highest ranked wrestler in the weight class at No. 15 nationally. He is joined by defending state champion, No. 20 Adrian Camposano (Central), in the national rankings. Three other wrestlers placed at state last year: Durbin Lloren (Buchanan), Perez Perez (Windsor), and Nico Colunga (Oakdale); while Junior freestyle All-American Matt Gamble (Monache) and Central section champion J.J. Figueroa (Bakersfield) are also legitimate title threats. Going down by quarter brackets, Lloren is alone in the top quarter, Gamble and Colunga feature in the second, Perez and Figueroa are in the third, while the pair of nationally ranked wrestlers in Elizalde and Camposano would meet in the bottom quarterfinal. 120: Defending state champion Israel Saavedra (Modesto) is ranked No. 10 nationally, and the clear favorite to repeat. Three other wrestlers with a podium appearance are in this weight bracket: returning state runner-up Gionn Peralta (Vacaville), Roy Galvan (La Quinta), and 2012 placer Julian Gaytan (Clovis). An outside contender in this weight class is sophomore Evan Wick (San Marino). Qualifying out of the San Joaquin section, Saavedra and Peralta are in opposite halves of the draw. None of the four other names mentioned are in Saavedra's top half; Peralta would face the winner of a possible round of 16 match between Gaytan and Galvan in the quarterfinal, and then most likely meet Wick in the semifinal. 126: Two of the nine wrestlers to previously win a California state title are in this weight class in Johnny Parada (San Fernando) and three-time state placer No. 13 Mason Pengilly (Porterville). These two wrestlers happen to be in opposite halves of the draw. The other three in this weight class that are returning state placers include No. 16 Michael Knobluach (Clovis West), who is 1-2 against Pengilly this season but won 4-3 in this past weekend's Central section final; Khristian Olivas (Clovis); and Daniel Ruiz (Madera). Parada and Olivas would likely meet in the quarterfinal round, which would be a rematch of what was viewed at the time as an upset win for Olivas, 5-4 over Parada in the Doc Buchanan semifinals. The winner of that match would likely meet Knoblauch in the semifinals. Should things go to plan in the bottom half, the semifinal would be between Pengilly and Ruiz. 132: One of the biggest shocks of last season came in the state semifinals when the since graduated Danny Williams (Lemoore/University of Oklahoma) upset defending state champion Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco) 3-2 in the semifinal round. That loss remains the only one for Valencia in his three-year high school career to date. Even with three other returning state placers in this weight class, it would again be a stunner if No. 1 Valencia did not win the state title. Those other returning state placers are returning state runner-up Wyatt Wyckoff (Paradise), Julian Flores (San Marino), and two-time state placer Isaiah Hokit (Clovis). Other contenders in the field pack behind Valencia are Central section champion Matt Ontiveros (Central) and freshman sensation Anthony Mantanona (Palm Desert). In terms of the draw, Flores does not have any of the other five names listed here in his quarter, while Wyckoff and Mantanona are in the other quarter of the top half bracket. Down in the lower half, Valencia is likely to see Hokit in the quarterfinal, and then Ontiveros in the semifinal. 138: Three nationally ranked wrestlers reside in this weight class, No. 6 Michael Longo (Santiago Corona), No. 18 Emilio Saavedra (Modesto), and No. 20 Sergio Enloe (Poway). Longo placed sixth at state last year, was third at the Ironman, and fourth at the Super 32 Challenge; Saavedra placed top four at state as a freshman and sophomore, and is a three-time Flo Nationals placer; while Enloe has yet to place at state, but was champion at Reno TOC and upset Longo 8-7 in the Raul Huerta Invitational final earlier this season. Also meriting attention in this weight are returning state placer Abel Contreras (Porterville), returning state qualifiers Uzo Owuama (Bloomington) and McCoy Kent (Enochs), and freshman Luke Troy (Calvary Chapel). In terms of the draw, Longo and Kent would likely meet in the top quarterfinal, Contreras and Enloe in the second quarter, Owuama is by himself in the third quarter, while Saavedra and Troy would meet in the round of 16 within the bottom quarter bracket. 145: Even as a two-time state champion, No. 8 Villarreal has four other state placers in this bracket with him. Given the history with Villarreal, derailing Alex Cisneros on his way to a fourth state title two years ago, one should know what nothing is a guarantee. Those other state placers are No. 13 Ralphy Tovar (Poway), who lost 4-2 to Villarreal this season in the Temecula Valley final; Justin Thomas (Santiago Corona); Lorenzo de la Riva (Folsom); and two-time state placer Chris Garcia (Clovis West). Also to watch in this weight class is junior Conner Francis (Buchanan), who is in his third state tournament appearance and has finished runner-up to Garcia in tournaments the last three weeks. Tracking the draw, Thomas and Tovar are likely to meet in the top quarterfinal, with Garcia as the favorite to join one of them in the top half semifinal; de la Riva and Francis are likely to meet in the round of 16 from the third quarter, while Villarreal has a rather clear path through the bottom quarter. 152: Two nationally ranked wrestlers lead the way in this weight class: No. 13 P.J. Klee (Cardinal Newman), who has yet to compete in a state level championship, as he was closed out of National Preps in two years at Blair and was ineligible last year upon returning to California; and No. 15 Paul Fox (Gilroy), a three-time state placer, who was runner-up at state the last two years. Also meriting attention here are returning state placer Nolan Kistler (Martin Luther King), four-time state qualifier Tyler Zimmer (Clovis West), and Central section champion Dominic Kincaid (Clovis). Klee is well-positioned to clear the second quarter of the top half bracket, and see the winner of a Kistler vs. Kincaid quarterfinal in the semifinal round. In the bottom half, Zimmer and Fox would have to be considered favorites to hit the semifinal. 160: Even without a nationally ranked wrestler, there are still four returning state place-winners, which will provide this weight class with plenty of juice. Leading the way is Alexander Graves (San Marcos), the highest returning placer, as he took fifth last year. The other three returning medalists are a trio of Southern section competitors. Freddie Garcia (Santiago Corona) beat both two-time placer Bryan Salinas (Northview) and Aaron Negrette (Calvary Chapel) on the way to that section title last week. Also to note here is returning state qualifier Josh Hokit (Clovis), who won the Central section title. Breaking down the draw, Graves and Negrette are slated to meet in the quarterfinal round, with the winner most likely to see Salinas in the top half semifinal. Based on bracket position, Hokit and Garcia are the most likely matchup in the bottom semifinal. 170: This is in essence a two person weight class, anchored by the pair of Junior National freestyle All-Americans in No. 3 Anthony Valencia (St. John Bosco) and No. 20 Bryce Martin (Bakersfield). Valencia was state champion two years ago, and runner-up last year, while Martin finished fourth at state last year. When the two wrestlers met in the Doc Buchanan final, it was a 12-6 decision victory for Valencia. Assuming no upsets, this would be the state finals match. 182: A pair of returning state runners-up, both in the top five nationally anchor this weight class. No. 4 Nick Fiegener (Folsom) holds a 3-0 record on the season against No. 5 Corey Griego (Sultana). Fiegener upended Griego 6-3 in the consolation semifinals at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, 4-2 in the Doc Buchanan final, and 3-2 in the Temecula Valley final. Should the two wrestlers meet again, it would likely be for the state title on Saturday night. The weight class does feature two other returning state placers, Alec Gamboa (Madera) and Johnny Beltran (Servite). They are both a clear step behind the two front-runners; Gamboa has lost twice by fall to Fiegener this season, while Beltran has suffered defeats by technical fall to both Fiegener and Griego. The bracket sets Beltran in the same half as Fiegener, and Gamboa in the same half as Griego, with each of those matchups being in the semifinal round. 195: This is the weakest weight of the state tournament, with only one returning state placer -- returning state sixth Clayton Hartwell (James Logan) -- and zero nationally ranked wrestlers. However, he is not the favorite, as he has suffered losses to both Ian Baker (La Costa Canyon) and Dylan Bollinger (Sultana) during the course of the season. The favorite here is now three-time state qualifier Baker, who was runner-up at the Reno TOC and a NHSCA Junior Nationals champion last spring. Ranked second here is returning state qualifier Bollinger, who was runner-up at both Doc Buchanan and Temecula Valley. Another name to watch is now three-time state qualifier Matt Weiss (Clovis), who spent the bulk of his season at 220 pounds, and is the Central section champion. Based on draw, Baker is in the opposite half of the three leading challengers; while Weiss and Hartwell are most likely to meet in the third quarterfinal for the right to face Bollinger in the bottom half semifinal. 220: Defending state champion Jeramy Sweany (Vacaville), ranked No. 4 nationally and a runner-up in both Junior Greco-Roman and the Flo Nationals last year, is the strong favorite in this weight class. However, there are three returning state medalists to stand in his way: the undefeated Gabriel Gonzales (Washington Union), Victor Raigoza (Orland), and Cortes Morales (Clovis West). In terms of the draw, each wrestler occupies a quarter of the bracket by themselves; Gonzales and Raigoza up top, with Morales and Sweany down low. 285: Seeking a third state title, No. 1 Nick Nevills (Clovis) is the strong favorite in this weight class. He has not lost a single match since the state semifinal of his sophomore year, and is on a 101-match winning streak. Don't expect that streak to be ended this weekend even with two other returning state placers in this weight class, No. 17 Nour Abdullatif (Roosevelt) and Chance Eskam (Carlsbad). Abdullatif, like Nevills, is undefeated on the season -- quite frankly because he hasn't faced Nevills yet; while Eskam was runner-up at Reno TOC due to injury default, and then runner-up at the Doc Buchanan losing to Nevills by fall late in the second period. In terms of draw, Abdullatif and Eskam would meet in the top semifinal, with Nevills (deservedly) alone in the bottom half of the bracket.

OREM, Utah -- The Western Wrestling Conference announced on Wednesday the pre-seed rankings for the 2014 NCAA West Regional/WWC Championship, hosted by Utah Valley University at the UCCU Center in Orem, Utah, on March 8. Winners of the NCAA West Regional weight classes earn bids to the NCAA Championships. The event also serves as the conference championship. The WWC is comprised of six school including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming. Wyoming has won the last four West Regional team titles after just edging out North Dakota State for its fourth straight title last season. The Cowboys also earned the 2013-14 WWC regular-season dual title as well this season after they held the tiebreaker over the Bison. Both UW and NDSU tied with identical 4-1 WWC dual records, but Wyoming took the trophy thanks to a head-to-head victory over North Dakota State. The pre-seeds were voted on by the conference coaches and ranked the top six wrestlers in each weight class. Final seeds for bracketing will be determined Friday evening at the Coaches’ Seeding Meeting. The NCAA recently released the all allocations for the 2014 Division I Wrestling Championships and the West Regional/WWC has been awarded 15 automatic qualifier spots. The breakdown of the 15 automatic bids per weight class is as follows: 125 (2), 133 (1), 141 (1), 149 (1), 157 (2), 165 (3), 174 (1), 184 (2), 197 (1) and 285 (1). After all the qualifying events have concluded, the NCAA DI Wrestling Committee will meet in-person to select the remaining 40 at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 12. All weight classes will consist of 33 wrestlers. Last year the WWC had three of its wrestlers receive at-large selections. Qualifiers from this weekend’s NCAA West Regional will compete at the 2014 NCAA Championships, that will be held March 20-22 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla. 2014 NCAA West Regional Pre-Seeds 125 pounds (top two placers receive NCAA automatic bid) 1. Josh Martinez (AFA) 2. Tyler Cox (WYO) 3. Jade Rauser (UVU) 4. Trey Andrews (UNC) 5. Ben Gillette (SDSU) 6. Hunter Weber (NDSU) 133 pounds (winner receives NCAA automatic bid) 1. Greg Rinker (AFA) 2. Justin LaValle (NDSU) 3. Chasen Tolbert (UVU) 4. Brance Simms (SDSU) 5. Gunnar Woodburn (WYO) 6. Michael Espinoza (UNC) 141 pounds (winner receives NCAA automatic bid) 1. Cole Mendenhall (WYO) 2. Avery Garner (UVU) 3. Eric Orozco (SDSU) 4. Clay Cathey (NDSU) 5. David Walker (AFA) 6. Nick Adams (UNC) 149 pounds (winner receives NCAA automatic bid) 1. Tyler Diamond (NDSU) 2. Alex Kocer (SDSU) 3. Brandon Richardson (WYO) 4. Trevor Willson (UVU) 5. Natrelle Demison (AFA) 6. Beau Roberts (UNC) 157 pounds (top two placers receive NCAA automatic bid) 1. Cody Pack (SDSU) 2. Andy McCulley (WYO) 3. Mitchell Polkowske (UNC) 4. Josh Kreimier (AFA) 5. Chase Cuthbertson (UVU) 6. Nick Olejnik (NDSU) 165 pounds (top three placers receive NCAA automatic bid) 1. Steven Monk (NDSU) 2. Dakota Friesth (WYO) 3. Joe Brewster (SDSU) 4. Curtis Abner Cook (UVU) 5. Jesse Stafford (AFA) 6. Charlie McMartin (UNC) 174 pounds (winner receives NCAA automatic bid) 1. Hayden Zillmer (NDSU) 2. John Nething II (SDSU) 3. Konner Witt (AFA) 4. Monte Schmalhaus (UVU) 5. Brent Havlik (WYO) 6. Josh Van Tine (UNC) 184 pounds (top two placers receive NCAA automatic bid) 1. Benjamin Stroh (WYO) 2. Kurtis Julson (NDSU) 3. Ethan Smith (UVU) 4. Ben Schwery (SDSU) 5. Devin Hightower (AFA) 6. Nick Bayer (UNC) 197 pounds (winner receives NCAA automatic bid) 1. Shane Woods (WYO) 2. Tyler Lehmann (NDSU) 3. Greg Isley (AFA) 4. Derek Thomas (UVU) 5. Trey Hable (SDSU) 6. Cole Briegel (UNC) 285 pounds (winner receives NCAA automatic bid) 1. Evan Knutson (NDSU) 2. Adam Fager (UVU) 3. Henry Chirino (UNC) 4. J.J. Everard (SDSU) 5. Marcus Malecek (AFA) 6. Tanner Harms (WYO)