InterMat Staff

Lincoln, Neb. -- Colton McCrystal (133) and TJ Dudley (184) each earned pins as seven Huskers won their matches in a 30-10 rout of Indiana on Friday night at the Devaney Center. No. 8 Nebraska improves to 7-0 on the season, with a 2-0 record in Big Ten duals. The Hoosiers fall to 8-3-1 and suffer their second Big Ten loss of the 2013-14 campaign. The dual started at 133 pounds, where McCrystal battled Chris Caton before the Husker freshman pinned the Hoosier in 5:19. McCrystal improves to 12-5 and earns his third pin of the season. Senior Adam Joseph earned his first-career dual start for the Huskers, but fell by a 6-4 decision to Ethan Raley at 141 pounds. Nebraska bounced back to win the next two matches as juniors Jake Sueflohn (149) and James Green (157) each recorded their 20th wins of the season. Sueflohn achieved a pair of takedowns in the first period and added an additional one in the second period before earning one point for riding time at the conclusion of the third period. He defeated Indiana’s Eric Roach by an 8-3 margin. Green, a two-time All-American, dominated in his match from start to finish in a 7-1 victory over No. 6 Taylor Walsh. Green struck first with a takedown in the opening period and added a near fall to take a 5-0 lead into the second period. Following a scoreless second period, the Nebraska junior picked up a reversal from the down position before giving up a late escape. At 165 pounds, No. 14 Austin Wilson earned a last-second takedown but it wasn’t enough in a 3-2 setback to Ryan LeBlanc. The Huskers responded at 174, 184 and 197 pounds, however, to increase the NU lead to 24-6. No. 4 Robert Kokesh (174) picked up his 90th career victory by taking down the Hoosiers’ Nate Jackson, 6-3. Dudley (184) continued Nebraska’s run with his pin of No. 19 Luke Sheridan in 3:50. Dudley, a redshirt freshman, picks up his seventh fall of the season to improve to 19-3 and keep his perfect dual record alive at 7-0. At 197 pounds, Spencer Johnson notched a 6-1 decision over Garret Goldman. After a scoreless first period, Johnson earned an escape and takedown in the second period before an additional takedown in the third period. He gave up a late escape but earned an extra point for riding time. Collin Jensen (HWT) lost by a 10-2 major decision to No. 7 Adam Chalfant but Nebraska’s 125-pounder Tim Lambert won by forfeit to conclude the match and wrap up a 30-10 triumph. The Huskers return to the mat on Saturday night to face Penn at the Devaney Center starting at 6 p.m. The dual will be part of “Tumble and Rumble,” an event that will feature the wrestling and women’s gymnastics teams competing simultaneously on the same floor. Results: 133: Colton McCrystal (NEB) by pin over Chris Caton (IND), 5:19 (NEB 6, IND 0) 141: Ethan Raley (IND) by dec. over Adam Joseph (NEB), 6-4 (NEB 6, IND 3) 149: #6 Jake Sueflohn (NEB) by dec. over Eric Roach (IND), 8-3 (NEB 9, IND 3) 157: #3 James Green (NEB) by dec. over #6 Taylor Walsh (IND), 7-1 (NEB 12, IND 3) 165: Ryan LeBlanc (IND) by dec. over #14 Austin Wilson (NEB), 3-2 (NEB 12, IND 6) 174: #4 Robert Kokesh (NEB) by dec. over Nate Jackson (IND), 6-3 (NEB 15, IND 6) 184: #15 TJ Dudley (NEB) by pin over #19 Luke Sheridan (IND), 3:50 (NEB 21, IND 6) 197: Spencer Johnson (NEB) by dec. over Garret Goldman (IND), 6-1 (NEB 24, IND 6) HWT: #7 Adam Chalfant (IND) by major dec. over Collin Jensen (NEB), 10-2 (NEB 24, IND 10) 125: #9 Tim Lambert (NEB) by forfeit (NEB 30, IND 10)

MINNEAPOLIS -- The No. 2 University of Minnesota Golden Gopher wrestling team resumed Big Ten competition with a victory over No. 16 Northwestern on Friday evening. The Golden Gophers improve to 5-0 on the season and 2-0 in the Big Ten. The Gophers were able to win six of the ten bouts on the evening while claiming two decisions, two major decisions and two falls on the evening. Minnesota started the the dual with a loss at 125 pounds as Jordan Kingsley made his dual debut on the season. Following the loss, Minnesota was able to pick up four victories before Danny Zilverberg was defeated by Northwestern's Pierce Harger. The Gophers would then drop the next bout as Alec Ortiz stepped in for No. 5 Logan Storley. Kevin Steinhaus continued his dual success as he was able to win by major decision over Jacob Berkowitz. No. 1 Scott Schiller continued his undefeated season with a pin over Alex Polizzi. Schiller's record improves to 19-0 on the season. The most noteworthy moment of the evening came as No. 1 Tony Nelson battled No. 8 Mike McMullan in a rematch of the Big Ten Championship and NCAA Championship from a year ago. Nelson trailed 1-0 going into the third period but was able to grab a point on an escape to tie the score at 1-1 at the end of three. In the first overtime, McMullan was able to takedown Nelson for the sudden victory win. The loss breaks Nelson's undefeated season streak. Despite the loss, the Gophers were able to tame the Wildcats and come away with a dual victory. Minnesota will return to their home mat on Sunday, Jan. 12 to host border rival Wisconsin at 1 p.m. at the Sports Pavilion. Results: 125: Garrison White (Northwestern) dec. Jordan Kingsley (Minnesota), 6-0. NU 3-0 133: David Thorn (Minnesota) maj. dec. Dominick Malone (Northwestern) 16-5. Minn: 4 NU: 3 141: Chris Dardanes (Minnesota) dec. Pat Greco (Northwestern) 3-2. Minn: 7 NU: 3 149: Nick Dardanes (Minnesota) dec. Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) 5-3. Minn: 10 NU: 3 157: Brandon Kinglsey (Minnesota) pinned Dylan Marriott (Northwestern) 1:00. Minn: 16 NU: 3 165: Pierce Harger (Northwestern) dec. Danny Zilverberg (Minnesota) 7-5 Minn: 16 NU: 6 174: Lee Munster (NU) dec. Alec Ortiz (Minnesota) 4-1 Minn: 16 NU: 9 184: Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota) maj. dec. Jacob Berkowitz (Northwestern) 14-5 Minn: 20 NU: 9 197: Scott Schiller (Minnesota) pinned Alex Polizzi (Northwestern) 4:05. Minn: 26 NU: 9 HWT: Mike McMullan (Northwestern) dec. Tony Nelson (Minnesota) 3-1 SV Minn: 26 NU: 12

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The University of Iowa wrestling team won 8-of-10 bouts to top fifth-ranked Oklahoma State, 24-6, on Friday night inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The 18-point margin of victory was Iowa's largest over the Cowboys since a 29-10 win in 1996. Tony Ramos is 31-0 at Carver-Hawkeye (Photo/Bob Mayeri)Third-ranked Iowa (9-1) won all eight bouts by decision, and won matches they were not favored, including a win at 133, where fourth-ranked Tony Ramos used two takedowns and three nearfall points to defeat top-ranked Jon Morrison, 8-2. "Coming in here I knew it was going to be a big match," said Ramos, who had lost two of his last three matches against ranked opponents. "I just wanted to go out and make a statement because I'm getting tired of hearing people saying I'm off this year. I'm not off. I'm not down. I had a bad match, and I got caught. Those are two things that happened, but you just keep moving forward." Ramos' win was on the heels of Thomas Gilman's 4-2 at 125 and stretched Iowa's team lead to 6-3. Oklahoma State's 14th-ranked Anthony Collica cut the lead in half with a 5-3 win over No. 9 Josh Dziewa at 141, but Brody Grothus swung momentum back toward the Hawkeyes with a 9-5 win over No. 3 Josh Kindig at 149. Grothus scored a takedown in the first, scored a reversal and three nearfall points in the second, and added 3:11 of riding time to earn his third straight win over a top-10 opponent. "You have to work hard in all aspects of wrestling," said Grothus. "It's like Terry Brands says, score first, score fast and then keep scoring. That was my mentality tonight." Derek St. John edged Alex Dieringer (Photo/Bob Mayeri)St. John extended Iowa's lead to 12-3 before intermission with a 2-1 win over No. 2 Alex Dieringer. The match was scoreless after one period, and Dieringer had a tight ride on St. John until the defending NCAA champion scored a reversal with 24 seconds left in the second. "Those are the things you fall into," said St. John, who improved to 30-0 all-time at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. "When you're on the bottom you're always trying to get to your feet. You're safe on your feet. I got to my feet a couple times, got stopped, and you just keep wrestling because those things open up and develop." Fifth-ranked Nick Moore extended Iowa's lead to 15-3 with a 3-1 overtime win over No. 2 Tyler Caldwell at 165. Moore and Caldwell exchanged escapes in the second and third periods before Moore finished a shot with 15 seconds left in the first sudden-victory period. "I had a clear mind the whole day," Moore said after avenging a 3-2 loss to Caldwell last season. "I was focused and ready to go. I had good training the whole week. I felt good and was ready to go when I stepped on the mat." Bobby Telford closed with a win (Photo/Bob Mayeri)Second-ranked Chris Perry held on for a 5-4 win over No. 6 Mike Evans at 174 to cut Iowa's lead to 15-6, but Sammy Brooks, Nathan Burak, and Bobby Telford closed the dual with three straight wins. Brooks used two takedowns and two back-points to defeat Nolan Boyd, 7-1, at 184, and Burak used three takedowns to defeat Jordan Rogers, 8-3, at 197. Telford improved to 5-1 against ranked opponents with a 2-1 win over No. 15 Austin Mardsen at 285. Iowa returns to the mat Sunday at 2 p.m. (CT) when Indiana visits Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets are available at the UI Ticket Office by calling 1-800-IA-HAWKS or online at hawkeyesports.com. Notes: Attendance was 10,141... Ramos is 31-0 all-time at Carver-Hawkeye Arena... St. John is 30-0 all-time at Carver-Hawkeye Arena... Iowa snapped a two-match losing streak to Oklahoma State... the Hawkeye are 4-1 against ranked opponents... Derek St. John extended his winning streak to 27 matches. Results: 125 - #3 Thomas Gilman (IA) dec. #16 Eddie Klimara (OSU), 4-2; 3-0 133 - #4 Tony Ramos (IA) dec. #1 Jon Morrison (OSU), 8-2; 6-0 141 - #14 Anthony Collica (OSU) dec. #9 Josh Dziewa (IA), 5-3; 6-3 149 - #15 Brody Grothus (A) dec. #3 Josh Kindig (OSU), 9-5; 9-3 157 - #1 Derek St. John (IA) dec. #2 Alex Dieringer (OSU), 2-1; 12-3 165 - #5 Nick Moore (IA) dec. #2 Tyler Caldwell (OSU), 3-1 (SV); 15-3 174 - #2 Chris Perry (OSU) dec. #6 Mike Evans (Iowa), 5-4; 15-6 184 - Sammy Brooks (IA) dec. Nolan Boyd (OSU), 7-1; 18-6 197 - #11 Nathan Burak (IA) dec. Jordan Rogers (OSU), 8-3; 21-6 285 - #4 Bobby Telford (IA) dec. #15 Austin Mardsen (OSU), 2-1, 24-6

BAKERSFIELD, Calif.--The Bakersfield wrestling upset No. 20/25 Boise State 19-13 in a Pac-12 wrestling dual Friday night. The dual began at 133 pounds where the Roadrunners struck first as Jose Mendoza (R-Sr., Selma, Calif., Selma HS) earned a major decision over Ben Demeulle 16-5. The Broncos' 141-pounder Travis Himmelman tied the team score at four when he earned a major over Everett Pratt (R-Fr., San Diego, Calif., Monte Vista HS) 8-0. Bakersfield's Dalton Kelley (R-Sr., Alamosa, Calif., Alamosa HS) defeated the No. 1-ranked wrestler in the Pac-12 at 149 pounds, Chris Castillo, 10-8 to give the lead back to the 'Runners. Spencer Hill (R-Jr., Clovis, Calif., Fresno City College) earned a 6-4 victory over Holden Packard in the 157-pound bout. David Meza (R-So., Fullerton, Calif., Buena Park HS) defeated Steven Hernandez 5-3 at 165 pounds. Jesus Ambriz (R-So., Vista, Calif., Rancho Buena Vista HS) who was subbing for the injured Bryce Hammond (No. 14, R-So., Bakersfield, Calif., Bakersfield HS) at 174 pound defeated Cole Rice 5-3 to make it 16-4. No. 7 Jake Swartz won by decision over Sean Pollock (R-Jr., Oceanside, Calif., Rancho Buena Vista HS) 6-2. Reuben Franklin (Jr., Murrieta, Calif., Vista Murrieta HS) posted a takedown at the buzzer to defeat Cody Dixon 3-1 at 197. Franklin's victory proved to be the clincher for the Roadrunners as No. 5 J.T. Felix (285) and Rami Haddadin (125) won for the Broncos to make it the final 19-13. The victory for Bakersfield broke a nine-dual Boise State winning streak in the series. The last CSUB victory over the Broncos came on Jan. 6, 2004 when Bakersfield defeated Boise State 24-13 in the Icardo Center. "I think Monday's match against North Dakota State was a step in the right direction," said Bakersfield head coach Mike Mendoza. "We fought and had some success there and that sparked us in the right direction tonight. We went out fighting and once we got on a roll, each guy fed off the last guy and wrestled well." Bakersfield hosts No. 24 Oregon State Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. Results: 133 Jose Mendoza, CSUB, maj. dec. Ben Demuelle, 16-5 141 Travis Himmelman, BSU, maj. dec. Everett Pratt, 8-0 149 Dalton Kelly, CSUB, dec. Chris Castillo, 10-8 157 Spencer Hill, CSUB, dec. Holden Packard, 6-4 165 David Meza, CSUB, dec. Steven Hernandez, 5-3 174 Jesus Ambriz, CSUB, dec. Cole Rice, 5-3 184 Jacob Swartz, BSU, dec. Sean Pollock, 6-2 197 Reuben Franklin, CSUB, dec. Cody Dixon, 3-1 285 J.T Felix, BSU, dec. Sam Cervantes, 9-2 125 Rami Haddadin, BSU, dec. Sergio Mendez, 5-3

NEW YORK -- The Columbia wrestling team put together a solid performance Friday night in the University Gym, posting seven bout victories that included three major decisions, to take down visiting Binghamton, 24-9. After dropping the opening bout, Angelo Amenta got the Lions on the board in the 133-pound bout. The first 2:50 of the opening period played out to a draw until Amenta was able to take down Mike Sardo with nine seconds left. After a scoreless second period, Amenta picked up his third point with an escape to start the final period. Sardo, trailing 3-0, secured his first points with a takedown 30 seconds later, but Amenta was able to escape once again and added the riding time point for the 5-2 decision. Columbia recorded its first major decision of the match in the 141-pound bout, with Matt Bystol posting an 11-3 score against Nick Tighe. Bystol posted a takedown in the first period and extended his lead to 6-1 after the second period with a reversal and takedown. Tighe added two points to his tally in the third period via escape, but Bystol countered with two takedowns and then added the riding time point to create an eight-point cushion. At 149-pounds, Ryan Ponte held Dylan Caruana scoreless, capturing a 4-0 decision. Ponte got on the board early with a takedown 24 seconds into the action, serving as the only scoring until the final period. Starting the third period on the bottom, Ponte was able to escape from Caruana, ensuring he would keep enough riding time to add his fourth point at the final buzzer. First-year Markus Scheidel jumped out to an early 6-2 advantage on Colton Perry in the 157-pound bout, cruising to a 12-4 major decision. Scheidel registered a takedown in each minute of the opening period and then added another late in the second period. In the third period, Scheidel escaped Perry and then was able to get him on the ground for the fifth time to go up 11-4. The riding time point gave him his seventh major decision of his rookie campaign. The winning continued for Columbia at 165 pounds, as Josh Houldsworth used a four-point third period to take a 6-1 decision from Vincent Grella. A 2-1 bout heading into the third, Houldsworth notched an escape and takedown, plus the riding time point, to secure the victory. In the 174-pound bout, Binghamton’s Jack McKeever got off to a good start with a takedown at the 1:29 mark of the first period, but it would be the only points he would score the rest of the way. Columbia’s Shane Hughes, fresh off a runner-up finish at Midlands, escaped McKeever and then ended the period with a takedown and three-point nearfall to sprint ahead 6-2. The second period passed without either grappler scoring, but Hughes earned an escape, takedown and the riding time point in the third to pick up his third major decision of the season. Zack Hernandez capped the Columbia scoring in exciting fashion, winning the 184-pound bout in sudden victory. Trailing 6-3 heading into the third, Hernandez was able to escape Caleb Wallace in the initial seconds and then took him down with 51 seconds remaining. Time expired without riding time as a factor, so the bout headed to the first overtime period where it took just 16 seconds for the resurgent Hernandez to take Wallace down again for the 8-6 win. The Lions will hit the mats next Friday, Jan. 17, when Buffalo visits the Big Apple for a 7 p.m. tilt in the University Gym. Results: 125: David White (BU) dec. Penn Gottfried, COLU, 6-2 133: Angelo Amenta, COLU, dec. Mike Sardo (BU), 5-2 141: Matt Bystol, COLU, maj. dec. Nick Tighe (BU), 11-3 149: Ryan Ponte, COLU, dec. Dylan Caruana (BU), 4-0 157: Markus Scheidel, COLU, maj. dec. Colton Perry (BU), 12-4 165: Josh Houldsworth, COLU, dec. Vincent Grella (BU), 6-1 174: Shane Hughes, COLU, maj. dec. Jack McKeever (BU), 10-2 184: Zack Hernandez (COLU) sv-1 Caleb Wallace (BU), 8-6 197: Cody Reed (BU) dec. Michael Fetchet, COLU, 2-1 285: Tyler Deuel (BU) dec. Wyatt Baker, COLU, 10-3

MADISON, Wis.-- An upset just two matches into the night gave the No. 23 Wisconsin wrestling team the momentum it needed to overcome the ninth-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, 22-15, Friday night in the UW Field House. Trailing 4-0 after the first match, Wisconsin (9-3 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) needed something big from junior Timmy McCall at 197 lbs., and that’s what the Badgers got. McCall took the mat against OSU’s (5-2, 0-2) No. 4 Nick Heflin and finished with a 3-1 sudden victory decision. “That was one of the key matches of the dual right there,” UW head coach Barry Davis said of McCall’s win. “It was a big win for Timmy. I think it turned the momentum for us. He beat the fourth-ranked guy in the country and that led into (Connor) Medbery’s win and then (Ryan) Taylor and (Tyler) Graff. It just kind of snowballed from there. Wisconsin rattled off three more victories after McCall’s win to jump out to a 16-4 lead heading into intermission. No. 10 Connor Medbery defeated Nick Tavanello, 8-2, No. 11 Ryan Taylor pinned No. 17 Nick Roberts and No. 6 Tyler Graff took down Kyle Visconti, 26-11. Following the break, Michigan’s No. 3-ranked Logan Stieber proved worthy of the ranking in a 18-1 technical fall over Jesse Thielke at 141 lbs. and Ian Paddock narrowly edged Rylan Lubeck, 3-2, at 149 lbs. before the Badgers were able to take back the momentum and the match. No. 7 Isaac Jordan won by decision, 5-2, over Randy Languis at 157 lbs. and then Frank Cousins sealed the Badgers’ team win with a 3-2 decision over Joe Grandominico at 165 lbs. The night ended at 174 lbs. where Scott Liegel lost by decision, 4-3, to No. 17 Mark Martin. “We had a pretty good showing at Midlands, but we came back and as a staff made some adjustments,” Davis said. “I think the guys adjusted really well. “You get that much time to work on things and we did, but we are not where we need to be yet. We are still moving forward, it would have been nice to have Liegel win there at the end. So, there are few things to work on, but they are catching on, they are understanding the sport and themselves better. “We have time off from school again next week for another hard training after Minnesota and then hope we can carry that momentum into Big Tens.” The Badgers continue the Big Ten grind when they travel to No. 2 Minnesota on Sunday for a 1 p.m. dual in the Sports Pavilion. Results: 184 #8 Kenny Courts (OSU) maj. dec. Dylan Iczkowski (WIS), 12-4 4 0 197 Timmy McCall (WIS) dec. #4 Nick Heflin (OSU), 3-1 SV1 4 3 HWT #10 Connor Medbery (WIS) dec. Nick Tavanello (OSU), 8-2 4 6 125 #11 Ryan Taylor (WIS) fall #17 Nick Roberts (OSU), 2:40 4 12 133 #6 Tyler Graff (WIS) tech fall Kyle Visconti (OSU), 26-11 6:00 4 16 141 #3 Logan Stieber (OSU) tech fall Jesse Thielke (WIS), 18-1 2:42 9 16 149 Ian Paddock (OSU) dec. Rylan Lubeck (WIS), 3-2 12 16 157 #7 Isaac Jordan (WIS) dec. Randy Languis (OSU), 5-2 12 19 165 Frank Cousins (WIS) dec. Joe Grandominico (OSU), 3-2 12 22 174 #17 Mark Martin (OSU) dec. Scott Liegel (WIS), 4-3 15 22

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 18-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team won seven individual matches, including five in a row at the middle and upperweights, to roll to a 22-12 win in its Big Ten Conference opener against No. 20 Purdue on Friday evening (Jan. 10) at Cliff Keen Arena. The Wolverines trailed early in the dual after Purdue took two of the opening three bouts. Sophomore/freshman Conor Youtsey (Parma, Mich./Mason HS) was U-M's lone win at the lowerweights, rallying to earn a solid 7-4 decision over Camden Eppert in a wild match at 125 pounds. Eppert struck first on a first-period single, but Youtsey escaped quickly and finished on a single of his own late in the period. He rode out the second and earned a reversal in the third -- the latter period saw a full 90-second Purdue injury timeout and both teams unsuccessfully use their challenges. Eppert gained two points on a pair of locked-hands calls, but Youtsey capped the victory with a riding-time point (2:37) at match's end. After back-to-back Boilermaker wins, fifth-year senior Eric Grajales (Brandon, Fla./Brandon HS) and freshman Brian Murphy (Carol Stream, Ill./Glenbard North HS) earned decisions at 149 and 157 pounds, respectively, to give U-M a three-point lead at the intermission break. Grajales, ranked 12th, cruised to a 7-3 decision over Brandon Nelsen, scoring three takedowns -- one in each period -- and 3:53 in time advantage. Murphy, ranked 16th, also finished on three takedowns and rode for 1:46 en route to an 8-3 decision over Kyle Mosier. Michigan continued its momentum after the break with straight wins to all but clinch the team victory. Fifth-year senior Dan Yates (Hesperia, Mich./Hesperia HS), ranked seventh, just missed out on a bonus point against Chad Welch at 165 pounds, scoring three early takedowns before giving up a counter in the waning seconds of his 8-4 win. Fellow Hesperia native, senior/junior Collin Zeerip (Fremont, Mich./Hesperia HS), broke open a scoreless match at 174 pounds with a four-point takedown in the second period and added another single leg in the third to claim a 6-3 decision over Patrick Kissel. Freshman Domenic Abounader (Gates Mills, Ohio/St. Edward HS) also narrowly missed earning bonus with a 7-1 decision over Tanner Lynde at 184 pounds. He scrambled out of a deep Boilermaker single-leg shot to score early in the first period and then spent most of the match's remainder on top, earning a reversal in the second, riding for 3:52 and drawing a pair of stall points. Purdue earned a pin at 197 pounds to pull within six on the scoreboard, but freshman heavyweight Adam Coon (Fowlerville, Mich./Fowlerville HS) put an exclamation point on the Wolverine win, rolling to a 14-4 major decision over Alex White in the final bout. Coon, ranked second, used a headlock to score five points early in the first before adding two more takedowns and two more back points in the final two frames. He improved to a perfect 21-0 in his collegiate career. The Wolverines (4-2) will continue Big Ten competition next weekend, traveling to Champaign, Ill., to face Illinois at 7 p.m. CST on Friday (Jan. 17) before returning home to Cliff Keen Arena to host Minnesota 2 p.m. on Sunday (Jan. 19). Results: 125 -- Conor Youtsey (U-M) dec. Camden Eppert, 7-4 U-M, 3-0 133 -- Cashe Quiroga (Pur) dec. #20 Rossi Bruno, 6-5 TB Tied, 3-3 141 -- Danny Sabatello (Pur) dec. Angelo Latora, 6-1 Pur, 6-3 149 -- #12 Eric Grajales (U-M) dec. Brandon Nelsen, 7-3 Tied, 6-6 157 -- #16 Brian Murphy (U-M) dec. Kyle Mosier, 8-3 U-M, 9-6 165 -- #7 Dan Yates (U-M) dec. Chad Welch, 8-4 U-M, 12-6 174 -- Collin Zeerip (U-M) dec. Patrick Kissel, 6-3 U-M, 15-6 184 -- Domenic Abounader (U-M) dec. Tanner Lynde, 7-1 U-M, 18-6 197 -- #16 Braden Atwood (Pur) pinned Chris Heald, 6:19 U-M, 18-12 Hwt -- #2 Adam Coon (U-M) major dec. Alex White, 14-4 U-M, 22-12

ATHENS, Ohio -- Redshirt senior Jeremy Johnson collected his team-best 22nd win to lead the Ohio University wrestling team (5-1) to a convincing 33-9 win over Northern Illinois Friday night at the Convocation Center. With the win, Johnson (Broadview Heights, Ohio) earned his seventh fall on the season and improved to 15-2 in his last 17 matches. As a team, Ohio picked up its sixth-consecutive win over Northern Illinois. The win also gave the Bobcats their 12th win in their last 13 duel competitions. Freshmen Noah Forrider (Marysville, Ohio) gave the Bobcats' an early 3-0 lead over the Huskies following a 7-4 decision. Junior Tywan Claxton (South Euclid, Ohio) and redshirtsophomore Spartak Chino (Wheaton, Ill.) continued the Bobcats' momentum through a series of long matches both of which were won by decision, raising Ohio's lead to 9-0 over NIU. Junior Harrison Hightower (Strongsville, Ohio) earned his third-straight win with a fall (2:25) over Shaun'Que McMurtry. Hightower's win was his 21st on the season. The fall increased the Bobcats' lead to double digits, leading NIU 15-0. Sophomore Cody Walters (Macedonia, Ohio) put three more points on the board in his first match since November, with a 3-1 decision over Matt Mougin. Northern Illinois fired back in the next two bouts, with Caleb Busson recording a 2:29 fall over redshirt senior Ryan Garringer (Downers Grove, Ill.). NIU's Shawn Scott followed with a 6-4 victory over Beau Wenger. Back-to-back Bobcat wins by KeVon Powell and Kagan Squire (fall, 1:37) closed out the match and solidified an Ohio win. The Bobcats return to the mat in Mt. Pleasant, Mich., as they take on Central Michigan. The match is set to begin at 7 p.m. Results: 141- Noah Forrider (17-10) 7, Tyler Argue (10-9) 4, dec. - Ohio 3, NIU 0 149- No. 19 Tywan Claxton (15-4) 3, Rob Jilard (3-3) 1, dec. - Ohio 6, NIU 0 157- Spartak Chino (11-5) 4, Andrew Morse (17-10) 1, dec. - Ohio 9, NIU 0 165- Harrison Hightower (21-7) fall (2:25), Shaun'Que McMurtry (5-7), - Ohio 15, NIU 0 174- No. 7 Cody Walters (2-0) 3, Matt Mougin (7-9) 1, - Ohio 18, NIU 0 184- Caleb Busson (7-12) fall (2:29), Ryan Garringer (4-6), - Ohio 18, NIU 6 197- Shawn Scott (14-8) 6, Beau Wenger (1-4) 4, Ohio 18, NIU 9 HWT- No. 11 Jeremy Johnson (22-3) fall (4:36), Jared Torrence (12-10) - Ohio 24, NIU 9 125- KeVon Powell (6-8) 7, Nick Harrison (7-5) 3, - Ohio 27, NIU 9 133- Kagen Squire (7-4) fall (1:37), Nick Smith (4-6),- Ohio 33, NIU 9

A strong start and a crucial technical fall from freshman Jordan Laster helped the Princeton wrestling team improve to 4-1 on the season with an impressive 22-19 road victory at Hofstra Friday night. The victory is Princeton's first over Hofstra since 1989, and it comes a month after the Tigers earned their first ever victory over Binghamton. Princeton will now take three weeks off for a finals break, and then will return to Dillon Gym Feb. 1 for a pair of matches against Franklin & Marshall and Cornell. Both teams won five matches apiece, but Princeton received bonus points in four of its wins, including a pin by sophomore Abe Ayala. Freshman Jordan Laster had a critical technical fall late, while both sophomore Kevin Moylan and freshman Brett Harner earned major decisions. "I told the guys that if they can get bonus points, they need to go out and get them," head coach Chris Ayres said. "I really liked the whole team effort tonight. This is a really good win for the guys, especially heading into finals. This can be a nice confidence builder as we continue our training." With injuries leaving Princeton without several projected starters at the lower weights, the Tigers knew they needed to grab extra points where they could. The match started at 157, and Moylan ignited the strong performance with a 19-5 win. One of five Tiger starters who moved up a weight in the last week, Moylan was dominant during his 15th win of the season. Hofstra earned a major at 165, but Callahan gave the Tigers back the lead with a 9-4 decision at 174. Callahan started a run of three straight Princeton titles at the F&M Open last weekend, and he started a similar run of wins at Hofstra. Harner claimed his 19th win of the season with a 16-7 major over Dwight Howes, and Ayala pinned Zeal McGrew in 2:22 to open a 17-4 Princeton lead. Ayala remains one of Princeton's hottest wrestlers. Not counting the Midlands Championships, the Tiger sophomore has won 12 of his last 13 matches, and he is 4-1 in the dual season. Freshman Ray O'Donnell, who moved to heavyweight in the last month, nearly kept the run going, but he dropped a tough 5-4 decision. That would be the first of three straight wins for Hofstra, which trailed by only one point when Laster took the mat for his 141-pound match. That one point deficit soon became six, as Laster was dominant in a 17-2 technical fall. Nick Maselli took the mat for the final match, and though he dropped a 6-0 decision, he needed only to avoid a fall to clinch Princeton's fourth team win in five tries. Results: 157 - Kevin Moylan (Princeton) md. Nick Terdick 19-5 165 - Joseph Booth (Hofstra) md. Josh Ellis 14-4 174 - Ryan Callahan (Princeton) dec. Frank Affronti 9-4 184 - Brett Harner (Princeton) md. Dwight Howes 16-7 197 - Abe Ayala (Princeton) p. Zeal McGrew 2:22 285 - Michael Hughes (Hofstra) dec. Ray O`Donnell 5-4 125 - Jamie Franco (Hofstra) md. Jake Intrator 12-0 133 - Jamel Hudson (Hofstra) TF. Ryan Cash 5:44, 25-10 141 - Jordan Laster (Princeton) TF. Alex Mirante TF 5:05, 17-2 149 - Cody Ruggirello (Hofstra) dec. Nick Maselli 6-0

BUIES CREEK, N.C. -- Campbell took its first win over Appalachian State since the 2000-01 season 26-15 Friday in the teams’ Southern Conference opener. The Camels used two major decisions and two pins to earn their first dual meet win of the season. Sophomore Taylor McGiffen put CU ahead early with a 11-2 major decision over Kacee Hutchinson, giving the Camels the four-point advantage. Redshirt Eloheim Palma earned his 18th win of the season at the heavyweight spot with a 7-4 decision over Denzel Dejournette, putting CU up 7-0 after two matches. The Camels posted a forfeit at 125 pounds and freshman Drew Walker fell to William Johnson 5-2, as the Mountaineers took the 9-7 edge. Sophomore Michael Dahlstrom regained the Camel lead with a commanding 16-5 major decision over Jake Smith at 141 pounds. The win was Dahlstrom’s team-leading fourth major decision of the season and gave CU the 11-9 advantage, and the Camels held the lead for the remainder of the match. Brent Jorge pushed the Camels to a 17-9 lead, after pinning Javon Johnson in 4:48. The pin was Jorge’s fourth of the year at 149 pounds and gave the redshirt senior his 18th victory this season. Appalachian State threatened a comeback with two straight decisions to close the score at 17-15. Nick Hall earned the 3-1 win over sophomore Grant Blumenthal at 157 pounds, and Zachary Strickland took the 7-3 victory over junior Paul Duggan at 165. Campbell finished the dual strong, taking the final two matches and securing the 26-15 win. Sophomore Cody Ryba picked up his first fall of the season at 174 pounds, pinning Collin Hedash in 2:37. Freshman Ville Heino secured the Camel win with an 8-3 decision over Dominick Vetell at the 184-pound spot. The win breaks a 13-year Mountaineer winning streak. Last year the Camels threatened to end the drought, but fell 16-15 in Boone. The Camels look to go 2-0 in SoCon action as they travel to VMI Jan. 17 at 7:00 p.m. Results: 197 Taylor McGiffen (Campbell) won by major decision over Kacee Hutchinson (Appalachian State) 11-2. 4.00 0 285 Eloheim Palma (Campbell) won by decision over Denzel Dejournette (Appalachian State) 7-4. 3.00 0 125 Dominic Parisi (Appalachian State) won by forfeit over Unknown (Unattached) . 0 6.00 133 William Johnson (Appalachian State) won by decision over Drew Walker (Campbell) 5-2. 0 3.00 141 Michael Dahlstrom (Campbell) won by major decision over Jake Smith (Appalachian State) 16-5. 4.00 0 149 Brent Jorge (Campbell) won by pin over Javon Johnson (Appalachian State) 4:48. 6.00 0 157 Nick Hall (Appalachian State) won by decision over Grant Blumenthal (Campbell) 3-1. 0 3.00 165 Zachary Strickland (Appalachian State) won by decision over Paul Duggan (Campbell) 7-3. 0 3.00 174 Cody Ryba (Campbell) won by pin over Collin Hedash (Appalachian State) 2:37. 6.00 0 184 Ville Heino (Campbell) won by decision over Dominick Vetell (Appalachian State) 8-3. 3.00 0 Dual Meet Score 26.0 15.0

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. -- The Rutgers wrestling team recorded its most dominant performance of the season Friday night at the College Ave. Gym, winning eight of 10 bouts to top American University, 31-6. The Scarlet Knights took bonus point victories in four bouts, including three tech falls and one major decision. The scoring output was the highest of the season for the Scarlet Knights and the team’s first time scoring at least 30 points since topping Brown, 31-12, on Jan. 20, 2013. “We were scoring points on top, and we’ve been stressing it – wrestling is fun when you’re scoring points,” said head coach Scott Goodale. “When you start breaking matches open it’s even more fun. That needs to be the objective and there are a lot of guys doing that.” After No. 8/12/7 (AWN/InterMat/W.I.N.) David Terao topped redshirt freshman Sean McCabe (Connetquot, N.Y.) at 125 pounds by a 6-1 margin, ending a six-match winning streak, Rutgers won seven consecutive bouts to build a 28-3 lead. Included in the dominant stretch were three tech falls and a major decision, which began at 141 pounds with freshman Tyson Dippery (Harrisburg, Pa.). The Central Dauphin (Pa.) product took a 14-0 lead against Tom Page into the second period before ending the bout less than a minute later, taking a 17-0 win with 2:49 of riding time. It was Dippery’s team-high fifth tech fall of the season, bumping his team-leading record to 19-8. Three bouts later at 165 pounds, redshirt junior Nick Visicaro (Long Branch, N.J.) defeated Christian Masaya, 16-0. The bout ended in the second period with his first tech fall of 2013-14. He built an 8-0 lead in the first period and added seven more points in the first 39 seconds of the second period, capping the win with 2:39 of riding time. Redshirt freshman Phil Bakuckas (Hammonton, N.J.) followed suit with another tech fall, also in the second period. Bakuckas led, 8-0, after the first period, choosing down after Keithen Cast deferred to start the second period. Following a quick escape, Bakuckas notched a takedown and subsequent near falls to seal a 17-0 win with 3:40 of riding time. At 9-2, Bakuckas holds RU’s best dual record and is 13-6 overall. Redshirt senior Dan Seidenberg (Red Bank, N.J.) notched the final bonus point win of the dual, scoring an 11-1 major decision at 184 pounds over Jason Grimes. The major was Seidenberg’s first of the season. Redshirt sophomore Billy Smith (Wantage, N.J.) ranked No. NR/18/19, completed the 31-6 Rutgers win with a 3-1 decision over Blake Herrin. Herrin, who was ranked earlier this season, dropped his second match of the year to Smith, who improved his EIWA dual record to a perfect 6-0. He is now 17-5 overall, 8-2 in dual action and rides a five-match winning streak into RU’s next dual. All-time, Rutgers improved to 12-1 against American and 5-0 in the Goodale era. The Scarlet Knights open their tough road stretch next Friday, Jan. 17 at No. 17/16/17 (AWN/InterMat/W.I.N.) Iowa State. Iowa State defeated RU last season at the RAC, 19-15, in a hard-fought match. All-time Rutgers is 0-2-1 against the Cyclones. RU’s following two duals will also come on the road against ranked foes, including matches with No. 6/6/T8 Cornell (Jan. 26) and No. 19/23/T18 Lehigh (Feb. 8). Results: 125: No. 8/12/7 David Terao (AU) dec. over Sean McCabe (RU), 6-1; American leads, 3-0 133: Vinnie Dellefave (RU) dec. over Esteban Gomez-Rivera (AU), 7-3; Match tied, 3-3. 141: Tyson Dippery (RU) tech fall over Tom Page (AU), 17-0 (second round); Rutgers leads, 8-3. 149: Ken Theobold (RU) dec. over Mark Cirello (AU), 6-5; Rutgers leads, 11-3. 157: Anthony Perrotti (RU) dec. over John Boyle (AU), 6-1; Rutgers leads, 14-3. 165: Nick Visicaro (RU) tech fall over Christian Masaya (AU), 16-0 (second period); Rutgers leads, 19-3. 174: Phil Bakuckas (RU) tech fall over Keithen Cast (AU), 17-0 (second period); Rutgers leads, 24-3. 184: Dan Seidenberg (RU) major dec. over Jason Grimes (AU), 11-1; Rutgers leads, 28-3. 197: No. 6/9/10 Danny Mitchell (AU) dec. over Hayden Hrymack (RU), 6-3; Rutgers leads, 28-6. HWT: No. NR/18/19 Billy Smith (RU) dec. over Blake Herrin (AU), 3-1; Rutgers wins, 31-6.

Steve Fraser of Colorado Springs, Colo., who has served as USA Wrestling’s National Greco-Roman Coach for more than 18 years and has been a key leader in building the U.S. Greco-Roman international program, has accepted a new position within USA Wrestling’s National Teams Department. Starting in March 2014, Fraser will assume the newly created position of Chief of Donor and Alumni Relations. Fraser will head the National Teams fundraising efforts to increase opportunities for U.S. athletes in all three styles of wrestling. “This is a win-win for USA Wrestling and our National Teams effort,” said Executive Director Rich Bender, “Steve Fraser is ready to make the jump from coach to administrator and will be in a position to make a real difference for U.S. athletes. His corporate leadership experience prior to joining USA Wrestling will be a huge asset for him in his new role. At the same time, we're excited to hire a new coaching staff that will build on the Greco-Roman legacy Steve has helped create.” “This is a position we've needed for a long time and Steve’s career experience makes him the perfect fit. He's been an athlete, corporate executive, and coach at the highest level. This combination gives him a unique perspective on wrestling and business that will help him build and maintain relationships with donors and alumni who can make a difference for our athletes and teams,” said Les Gutches, Associate Executive Director for Programs and Performance. As Fraser transitions to the new position, the search for USA Wrestling’s new National Greco-Roman Head Coach is ongoing. Fraser will serve in an advisory role during the hiring process and transition. Inquiries and resumes may be sent to Associate Executive Director Les Gutches at lgutches@usawrestling.org. JOB OPPORTUNITY: USA Wrestling National Greco-Roman Head Coach http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2014/January/10/JOB-OPPORTUNITY-National-Greco-Roman-Coach “I am very confident that USA Wrestling will search out the most dynamic and best qualified candidates to replace me as National Coach. I am totally committed to continue leading our Greco-Roman team effort 100% during the transition as I begin my new role. Our goal is to ensure that our current Greco-Roman athletes, who are on the verge of international success, continue moving upward without disruption. Along with USA Wrestling, I am totally committed to USA Greco-Roman becoming the strongest program in the world,” said Fraser. Fraser will focus on fundraising for the national teams programs, expanding the resources available to American wrestlers at all levels. He will also be an important staff liaison to the newly formed U.S. Wrestling Foundation. Fraser will also be involved in a number of other major corporate initiatives in which resource development will enhance USA Wrestling’s ability to take the sport to a new level. “In my new role, I’ll have the ability to make a difference beyond what I could do as National Greco-Roman Coach. I’m excited to have a new challenge and grateful for the continued opportunity to help athletes pursue their dreams of being Olympic and World Champions,” said Fraser. Larry Nugent will continue to direct the Development Department at USA Wrestling, whose focus will shift entirely to corporate sponsorships and the Wrestling Nation annual giving campaign. The decision to split private donor fundraising and corporate sponsorship development is consistent with the structure of most athletic departments and large nonprofits across the country. “This is a very strategic move for USA Wrestling. Private donors and corporate sponsors are very distinct opportunities and each are fulfilled in a different manner. This is an opportunity for USA Wrestling to develop a targeted approach to fundraising that will ultimately help our organization, and the sport of wrestling, be more successful,” said Nugent. Fraser’s new responsibilities and USA Wrestling’s expanded focus on fundraising comes at a critical point in the development of wrestling. USA Wrestling was a leader in the successful Keep Olympic Wrestling movement in 2013, and helped rally the wrestling community behind the sport. USA Wrestling and its partners will initiate a number of exciting new programs in the upcoming months with increased efforts in expanding media assets, marketing, branding and communications strategies. “I can't wait to get started. Our existing donors and state associations already do so much for USA Wrestling’s National Teams program, but I know we can do even more to help these young men and women do their best against international competition. I look forward to using my experience as National Coach to identify specific program needs and communicate to donors the impact they can have on our teams and their performance,” said Fraser. Fraser became USA Wrestling’s third full-time National Greco-Roman Coach in October 1995, following Dennis Koslowski (1988-1990) and Mike Houck (1991-1995) in the position. Fraser has the longest tenure of any USA Wrestling National Coach in history, regardless of style. Fraser led USA Wrestling to its only Greco-Roman team title in World Championships history when the Americans captured the title in 2007 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Brad Vering (silver), Harry Lester (bronze) and Dremiel Byers (bronze) each won medals as the U.S. edged Russia by one point for the team title. Fraser also was in the corner when Rulon Gardner shocked the World by knocking off three-time Olympic champion Alexander Karelin of Russia in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Karelin was unbeaten in international competition before suffering a loss to Gardner in the Olympic finals, considered one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history in any sport. He served as USA Wrestling’s national coach at five Olympic Games, starting at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, and coaching in Sydney, Australia (2000), Athens, Greece (2004), Beijing, China (2008) and London, England (2012). Under Fraser, the United States won eight Olympic medals. Included was the gold medal from Rulon Gardner (2000), silver medals from Brandon Paulson (1996), Dennis Hall (1996), Matt Ghaffari (1996) and Matt Lindland (2000) and bronze medals from Garrett Lowney (2000), Rulon Gardner (2004) and Adam Wheeler (2008). In the four consecutive Olympic Games (Atlanta, Sydney, Athens, and Beijing) the U.S. Greco-Roman Team had the second-most Olympic Greco-Roman medals with eight. Only Russia won more Greco-Roman Olympic medals than the U.S. Team during those four Olympics. As National Coach, Fraser coached four individual World champions: Dennis Hall (1995), Rulon Gardner (2001), Dremiel Byers (2002) and Joe Warren (2006). During his tenure, Fraser led the USA to 15 World championships medals, including four golds, five silvers and six bronzes. In addition to the World Team title in Baku, Azerbaijan in 2007, the United States won two other World Championships trophies during the Fraser era. At the 2001 World Championships in Patras, Greece, the USA won the third-place trophy, led by champion Rulon Gardner and silver medalists Brandon Paulson and Matt Lindland. It was the first Greco-Roman team trophy ever won by the United States. Also, at the 2006 World Championships in Guangzhou, China, the USA also won the third-place trophy, led by champion Joe Warren and bronze medalists Lindsey Durlacher and Harry Lester. Prior to the 1980’s, the United States was not successful on the international level in Greco-Roman wrestling on a consistent basis. The USA did not win its first medal in Greco-Roman in the Olympics until 1984, when Fraser won his gold, and did not have its first individual World champion until 1985. Greco-Roman wrestling is a European-dominated sport, which is considerably different than the American folkstyle wrestling which is practiced in U.S. schools and colleges, making American success even more challenging. Along with Assistant National Greco-Roman Coach Momir Petkovic and retired National Greco-Roman Resident Coach Anatoly Petrosyan, and working with a strong team of volunteer coaches across the nation, Fraser brought the United States to prominence in Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling. As an athlete, Fraser won a gold medal at 90 kg (198 lbs.) at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, becoming the first U.S. wrestler to ever win an Olympic gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling. He won five matches on the way to the title, including a 1-1 criteria decision over Ilia Matei of Romania in the gold-medal finals. Among his key victories was a 4-1 decision over three-time World Champion Frank Andersson of Sweden. He also won a gold medal at the 1983 Pan American Games. Fraser was a member of the 1979 and 1982 U.S. World Teams. He claimed U.S. Nationals titles in Greco-Roman in 1981 and 1983, and was a U.S. Nationals freestyle champion in 1984. Fraser was inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1994. He was named USA Wrestling Athlete of the Year in 1984, and was a finalist for the James E. Sullivan Award that year. He has been inducted into the Michigan Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Michigan Amateur Sports Hall of Fame. He attended the Univ. of Michigan, where he was a two-time NCAA All-American. Fraser received a bachelor's degree in physical education in 1980. He was a Michigan state high school champion at Hazel Park High School. Fraser was a college and club coach after his competitive career was over. He was an assistant coach at the Univ. of Michigan from 1980-87, and at Eastern Michigan Univ. from 1987-1993. He also coached with the Michigan Wrestling Club for 10 years, working with their elite wrestlers in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. Fraser initially came to USA Wrestling after serving with Domino's Pizza for 10 years. His final position with the company was the Senior Operations Director for the Flagship Academy for Domino's Pizza, Inc., where he directed 65 stores, including Domino's Pizza's most elite corporate stores. Among his other positions were Special Projects Coordinator, Manager of Public Affairs, National Director of Sports Marketing Systems. He has three children, Kellen, Kerrin and Hannah.

Last week Gabe Dean beat Ed Ruth. This week Aaron Pico decided to turn pro. Whoever said wrestling was boring needs to only pay attention to this season on the mat. Aaron Pico (Photo/T.R. Foley)Pico, a high school sophomore from California, is one of the best young wrestlers in the United States. Last season he breezed through California's one-class state wrestling tournament as a freshman, before earning his spot on the Cadet World Team and capturing a Cadet World championship in Zrenjanin, Serbia. Later this fall he beat a much older Russian opponent at an event in upstate New York. Given his talent and well-established love for MMA it wasn't a huge surprise when this week Pico decided that he's going to pursue the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games, and then make a smooth transition into MMA. To accomplish his goals Pico and his family decided it was best for him to leave high school for online courses and focus on his training. Pico is starting his senior level experience in two weeks at the Ivan Yarygin tournament in Krasnoyarsk, aka "The Toughest Tournament in the World." That might be a little much for the teenager to tackle, but in Pico's estimation that level of competition will drive him to compete at a higher level. Though Pico has plenty of supporters, his decision to leave high school is drawing the ire of some who think leaving behind a full scholarship and a college education in pursuit of Olympic gold is an irresponsible decision. The backlash, while admittedly minor, seems to come from Americans using other wrestlers as a guide for Pico's path. Dan Gable, Cael Sanderson and Jordan Burroughs all went the collegiate route. Why not Pico? Pico is American, but there are fewer similarities to those American wrestling greats than many people realize. Pico has been a full-time high-level wrestler for almost ten years. He's had limitless access to technique videos and some of the world's best coaching. Though Gable bleeds toughness, and Cael drips technique, their experiences were much different. We're all engineered to take on bigger challenges and Pico has a skill set that has introduced him to new challenges at a younger age than others. He prefers freestyle to folkstyle, and traveling the world to staying in high school. It might not be right for everyone, but it sure seems right for Aaron Pico. To your questions ... Q: Can you address how Aaron Pico could sign a contact with an MMA company, and for a sport he won't compete in until 2020? -- Uriel C. Foley: Pico is signing with an MMA-focused agent, not joining an professional fighting league. As a professional athlete, Pico is able to hire any professional he likes to help manage his career and create additional income. His choice of DeWayne Zinkin stems from location, and the ever-present crossover between wrestling and MMA. Joey Davis (third from left) with NCAA Division I champions Darrion Caldwell, Bubba Jenkins, and Jordan BurroughsQ: Would Notre Dame's Joey Davis (174) be a potential NCAA finalist in Division I? He has beaten several ranked Division I wrestlers this season. How would he stack up against the likes of Andrew Howe, Chris Perry, Matt Brown, Robert Kokesh, Logan Storley, and Mike Evans? -- Mike C. Foley: I've only seen a few match videos of Joey Davis, but what comes out on film is often dramatic and impressive. Had he chosen a Division I school, he would be ranked in the top five. Where in the top five is tough to say, but I have a few predictions. Davis dec. Perry, 3-2 Davis dec. Kokesh, 9-4 Davis dec. Storley, 8-4 Davis maj. dec. Evans, 10-1 Howe dec. Davis, 4-2 Brown tech. fall Davis, 15-0 #MattBrown Q: In three years or less, will Cornell dominate NCAA wrestling? They are loaded with talented freshmen. What are your thoughts? -- Karl S. Foley: The biggest response to Gabe Dean's win has been the increase in mailbagger's asking about Cornell's potential to win an NCAA title. Yes, Cornell can win an NCAA title. They have the coaching, academic support and money to field a team with ten nationally ranked wrestlers. More than any program I've seen up close, wrestlers from Cornell really believe that they can win the NCAA title. No matter who they are, or what they did or didn't do in high school, they are certain of their abilities, and carry that confidence on the mat. Weight-by-weight projections would get bogged down in the minutia of "what-if," but if you look at how they are trending -- younger and nastier -- it's conceivable that Cornell comes knocking for the NCAA title in two to three seasons. I also wouldn't count them out of a top-five finish in 2014. Q: Do you think Ruth is just bored? I don't take anything away from Dean. He took it to him, but college wrestling is an insane grind and five years of Cael-style discipline without a high profile rival might have Ruth burnt out. Do you think Ruth looks burnt out? -- Bryan R. Foley: Ruth has been almost unstoppable for two seasons. He's always had a reputation of picking his opponents apart and looking bored while doing so. He's a senior. He's been winning a lot, and is coming off suspension. Is he bored? Maybe. He could also be distracted. For some athletes boredom is the side effect of greatness. Michael Phelps could win another half-dozen medals in Rio, but has retired because he's conquered that game. Like Aaron Pico, maybe Ruth thought the challenges would come after March, not in January. Athletes aren't owed a challenge, or entitled to take off matches, but in the course of being better than most anyone around you, there are times when you will feel distracted by a lack of a challenge. Ruth might have fallen into that competitive slumber. Regardless of his prior motivation, or lack thereof, Ruth can't allow his distraction or apathy to grow. The Dean loss should remind Ruth that the wrestling is not as easy as he expected. There is still fight left in his opponents. Penn State is facing another two months on the mat, and those are the last two months of Ruth's collegiate wrestling career. It would be foolish and shortsighted of America's most dominant collegiate wrestler to not reinvest himself in the sport and find some entertainment in domination. He should plumb the depths of his talent and see if he can achieve a level above his previous performances, and that of the rest of the championship field. He has the option, right now, to take that loss and either make it a glitch in an otherwise incredible career, or let it signal the end. But, again, all this is assuming he lost due to boredom. There is a chance, a good one, that Cael and Ruth were outcoached and outmatched by Gabe Dean and Rob Koll. The Rise of Cornell or the Fall of Ruth? We'll find out in Oklahoma City. MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME I've put this on in the past, but thought we could all enjoy a nice compilation ... Saitiev, anyone? Q: I understand your concern about singlets -- it certainly made me uncomfortable when I started wrestling in high school, and I can see why it would be a major burden for others. But I've been thinking about singlets and wrestling's place as a major international sport, particularly in regards to the Olympics. And it occurs to me that a number of major Olympic sports (even many of the biggest Olympic sports) feature singlets or tights or spandex of some sort: swimming, diving, track and field, gymnastics, weightlifting, downhill skiing, speed skating, figure skating, bobsledding, and others. You've also got cycling and MMA stars (GSP and Anderson Silva come to mind) wearing spandex. So what's the difference between these sports and wrestling? Why does the singlet inhibit wrestling's prominence when swimming thrives despite the speedo and the 100-meter dash despite the tight shorts? -- Tim B. Foley: There are plenty of individual reasons each of those sports is less visually offensive, but I think it boils down to these athletes not rolling around with one another. Swimmers are largely under water, divers are only on screen for a hiccup, runners are running, and many MMA fighters wear spandex, which still doesn't eliminate the wandering query of the mainstream media. Wrestlers are on the mat with each other for several minutes and their actions, and bulges, can be distracting to the average viewer. Our reality is that the rest of the world is not yet desensitized to men and women grappling together with only a thin sheet of spandex between their privates. Though we might not find it a problem, we aren't the issue. Wrestling needs to expand to grow into new markets in order to survive. Our platform can't continue to be tradition. We need to make positive, thoughtful and engaging choices about how we can attract new wrestlers and fans. Singlets are the first step, but certainly not the last. Q: I noticed that the popularity of the NFL exploded when everyone started doing fantasy leagues. Well, some friends invited me to join their college wrestling fantasy league. What are your thoughts on this? Do you think it would help to increase interest in wrestling? I was a casual follower of college wrestling before this season, but now I'm slowly becoming an expert. I watch all that I can. I follow the InterMat live blog for those that I can't watch. I think if InterMat added a fantasy link, where guys were ranked according to their point value and advice was provided as to who to pick up, trade, drop, etc., according to their performances and upcoming schedules, I think it would popularize the sport (and increase traffic on your site). -- Jon M. Foley: Bless you, Good Sir. The wrestling world could have a league, but there has been significant pushback from the ... you guessed it ... NCAA. I'd be willing to start a site and host it for fun, but numbers and layout aren't my specialty. No guarantees it makes money, but if a fun and simple way to pull for wrestlers was created, there would be a little bump in viewership. For now we have Brian Muir making the best lines in the business. Follow him on Twitter at @MuirOrLess and bet with your friends. Makes the matches you don't normally watch a little bit more intriguing. COMMENT(S) OF THE WEEK By Bob S. Why do you think we are seeing so much success out of true freshmen nowadays? If I could give a hypothesis it would be that the high school coaching and training has caught up to the college level and possibly even surpassed it. High school sports have become completely specialized at this point and wrestling is at the forefront of this. The top high school wrestlers basically all have individual coaches that were at least high-level college wrestlers. The one-on-one focus and year-round training is, in reality, in front of many college programs. Also, at the high school levels the top guys have at least 10-15 opportunities a year to compete against the best guys in the country. They are more used to Scuffle/Midlands/NCAA-type tournaments than ever before. Still there is no replacing those first few months once a freshman gets to school and begins to train with a college team. I think more improvement is done there than any other time, but something has definitely shifted in the past few years and I would be interested to hear your thoughts on it. While this is a positive for freshmen, do you think it has a negative effect, that college upperclassman are more inclined to burn out? College wrestling for four or five years is hard enough. Now adding another four years on top of that, the normal college lifestyle would definitely be a bit more tempting. Not sure what this says or means, just some thoughts. By Jimmie D. The loss by Ed Ruth to Gabe Dean is more of a commentary on just how difficult it is to be an undefeated national champion, than a referendum on the new rules. Yes, we have seen several undefeated/superhuman wrestlers lose this year. Their losses show how close Division I wrestlers really are. With the loss of Division I programs across the country, and the increase in youth and high school wrestling, Division I is becoming more and more of a buyer's market so to speak. This narrowing of schools really has translated to the best of the best of the best being the athletes in Division I programs. There is no longer the easy-out that we saw in years gone by. Gabe Dean and Zain Retherford both showed up to wrestle. Dean exploited weaknesses that Ruth has consistently shown (failure to return opponents to the mat quickly, not setting up shots) and wrestled a very solid match. Retherford did the same against Stieber. Both of these kids showed just how amazing it is every time that any wrestler wins a match at the Division I level. The top guys can get beat any time, by anyone that comes out to wrestle. The losses restore the sense of awe that comes from watching them and appreciating that a win is not an inevitable, or a forgone conclusion. Another factor to consider in all of this is the actual abnormality that the recent domination by a few individuals that we have seen in recent history. Look back at the past. It was a very rare thing to be an undefeated national champion in Division I, let alone carry an 84-match winning streak, much less have 100+ bonus-point wins going into the first part of an athlete's senior year. Look at the record books for perspective. How many four-time national champs are there? How many three-time national champs are there? How many four-time Big Ten champs are there? How many four-time Big 12/Big 8 champs are there? How many four-time EIWA champs are there? How many times has an athlete won two or more of any of these titles by bonus points? Think about past greats Like Pat and John Smith, Joe Williams, Lincoln McIlravy, Joe Heskett, Johny Hendricks, Kyle Dake, Brent Metcalf, Jim Zalesky, etc. All of these individuals have losses on their record. The losses by Ruth, Stieber, and Ramos really are the norm, not the abnormality when looked at in historical perspective. It is much more of a case that the dominance we have seen by the likes of Ruth, Taylor, Stieber is the historical anomaly. Rather than blame the recent rule changes for the losses these individuals suffered, applaud the winners. They earned those victories. I think the new rule changes are yet another step in the right direction to making wrestling, a thrilling and exciting sport for both participants and spectators. The matches so far this year have been some of the best I as a wrestling fanatic have watched in years. These rule changes have made the men and women on the mats wrestle more and eliminated a lot of the "stalfense" that had become so common. As you yourself have so often pointed out, a takedown-only style is more fan friendly, so any rule change that can eliminate the amount of time that wrestlers are tied up on the mat in the pretzel position going nowhere, and scoring nothing is great. Now if we can get the singlet eliminated and really sell some wrestling merchandise we will be on the same path as MMA. As much as it pains me to see these individuals lose, it also thrills me to see the young and hungry win. These losses will only motivate these individuals to work harder and become sharper. We as fans will get to see a better version of them when they step on the mat, as well as getting to watch some amazing and jaw-dropping matches (Joe Colon). Not to mention it reminds us all of just how amazing and astounding a feat it is to be a multiple-time national champion, or conference champion, undefeated national champion, or the rarest of rare, 159-0.

OREM, Utah -- Utah Valley University cruised in its home opener Thursday night, topping Grand Canyon 28-9 at the PE Building. The Wolverines claimed victories in eight of 10 matches on the night, including a win by 13th-ranked heavyweight Adam Fager. "Grand Canyon is solid throughout their lineup so I knew that tonight was going to be a battle at every weight class," Wolverine head coach Greg Williams said. "I didn't feel like we corrected everything that we've been working on in the room over the past couple of weeks, but overall the guys wrestled hard and I was pleased with the outcome." With the score knotted at 9-9 after four bouts, Chase Cuthbertson took to the mat in the 157-pound match looking to put UVU (3-5) back out in front entering the second half of the dual. The sophomore jumped out to a 6-3 advantage after one period against Gavin Ludwig. Ludwig got to within a point after a reversal in the second period, but Cuthbertson pushed things back to a two-point advantage with an escape late in the frame. That lead grew to 10-5 after another escape and a takedown as Cuthbertson went on to win 11-5, giving the Wolverines a 12-9 lead. The victory set off a string of six straight UVU wins as another Wolverine win by decision, this time from Curtis Abner Cook over Juan Carlos Maynes at 165 saw Utah Valley extend its lead to 15-9 with four bouts still to go. Cook picked up his third dual win of the season with a 9-4 decision. Wrestling at 174 pounds, Monte Schmalhaus got off to a quick 2-0 lead with a takedown of Grand Canyon's Martin Fabbian. That slim advantage grew to 5-0 in the second period as Schmalhaus entered the third and final period guaranteed a point in riding time. Three, third-round takedowns got Schmalhaus to 11-2 and one final point after 4:57 of riding time settled the major decision, 12-3, as UVU went ahead 19-9. Then, facing 16-9 GCU freshman Austin Gaun, UVU's Ethan Smith took a 3-1 lead into the third period of the 184-pound match. Gaun earned a pair of escapes during the final stretch, but Smith's subsequent takedown proved enough for a 5-3 decision as the Wolverines claimed their fourth straight match to seal the dual with two bouts still remaining. "We have a good group of guys this year who are working very hard. We've just got to get a little more mentally tough, no matter the situation. If we do those things, we'll be a really good team come March," added Williams. Derek Thomas kept things going UVU's way in the 197-pound match, topping Marcus Haughian by decision, 6-2. The win pushed Thomas to an even 11-11 overall this year. The nationally-ranked Fager then closed the night with another Wolverine victory, as he defeated Peter Anguiano by a score of 3-1. The win not only gave UVU a 28-9 victory over the Antelopes (4-4), but it also improved Fager's season tally to 14-6. A Utah Valley forfeit at 125 put the Wolverines behind 6-0 to start the match, but Chasen Tolbert (133) quickly erased the deficit when he pinned GCU's Lino Estrada in the first period. The sophomore had built a quick 7-0 advantage behind a takedown and a pair of near falls before securing the fall at 2:24 to level things at 6-6. In the 141-pound bout, Avery Garner broke a scoreless deadlock with a two-point reversal late in the second period. GCU's Austin Solari was able to tie things at 2-2 as the final two minutes ticked away, earning an escape after Garner was cautioned for stalling a second time. But riding time, favoring Garner, proved the difference as the senior improved to 7-6 overall this season behind a 3-2 decision, giving UVU a 9-6 lead with three matches gone. The dual was a non-conference affair for both squads as the Wolverine wrestling team calls the Western Wrestling Conference home while the `Lopes are operating their first season of competition at the DI level as a Division I Independent. Utah Valley will host the UVU Open this Saturday before returning to the dual season with a trip to Arizona State on Jan. 18. The Wolverines were victorious against the Sun Devils last season in Orem, winning by a 26-15 margin. Results: 125: AJ Salazar (GCU) won by forfeit 133: Chasen Tolbert (UVU) Fall Lino Estrada (GCU), 2:24 141: Avery Garner (UVU) Dec. Austin Solari (GCU), 3-2 149: Michael Hamel (GCU) Dec. Trevor Willson (UVU), 4-3 157: Chase Cuthbertson (UVU) Dec. Gavin Ludwig (GCU), 11-5 165: Curtis Abner Cook (UVU) Dec. Juan Carlos Maynes (GCU), 9-4 174: Monte Schmalhaus (UVU) MD Martin Fabbian (GCU), 12-3 184: Ethan Smith (UVU) Dec. Austin Gaun (GCU), 5-3 197: Derek Thomas (UVU) Dec. Marcus Haughian (GCU), 6-2 285: #13 Adam Fager (UVU) Dec. Peter Anguiano (GCU), 3-1

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- The Oklahoma wrestling team improved to 6-0 as it defeated the Wyoming Cowboys (1-5) by a score of 33-9 Thursday night inside Arena-Auditorium. The dual began with the 149-pound bout between OU's fourth-ranked Kendric Maple and Wyoming's Brandon Richardson. Maple logged the victory by decision, 9-2. At 157 pounds, Justin DeAngelis upset Wyoming's No. 18 Andy McCulley by a 5-3 decision. No. 1 Andrew Howe and No. 3 Travis Rutt both remained perfect on the season with wins in the dual. Howe (13-0) claimed the 174-pound match over sophomore Jace Jensen by a 3:37 fall, and Rutt (14-0) defeated junior Shane Woods by a 6-0 decision at 197 pounds. OU's Ross Larson, who is ranked 14th at heavyweight, won by a 5:35 fall over junior Leland Pfeifer. In the 125-pound match, the only one that featured two ranked opponents, saw OU's No. 5 Jarrod Patterson top No. 8 Tyler Cox by decision, 4-2. No. 8 Cody Brewer recorded OU's third fall of the night as he defeated redshirt freshman Gunnar Woodburn in 1:53. In the dual's final match, No. 12 Nick Lester won by decision over redshirt freshman Cole Mendenhall, 6-2. OU suffered two losses in the contest as redshirt freshman Clark Glass fell to Dakota Friesth by a 10-4 decision at 165 pounds and freshman Danny Chaid lost to Benjamin Stroh in the 184-pound match via a pin in 3:43. The Sooners return to action at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 12 as they travel to Ames, Iowa, to face No. 16 Iowa in a Big 12 matchup. Results: 149: Kendric Maple (OU) dec. Brandon Richardson (Wyoming), 9-2 157: Justin DeAngelis (OU) dec. Andy McCulley (Wyoming), 5-3 165: Dakota Friesth (Wyoming) dec. Clark Glass (OU), 10-4 174: Andrew Howe (OU) fall Jace Jensen (Wyoming), 3:37 184: Benjamin Stroh (Wyoming) fall Danny Chaid (OU), 3:43 197: Travis Rutt (OU) dec. Shane Woods (Wyoming), 6-0 285: Ross Larson (OU) fall Leland Pfeifer (Wyoming), 5:35 125: Jarrod Patterson (OU) dec. Tyler Cox (Wyoming), 4-2 133: Cody Brewer (OU) fall Gunnar Woodburn (Wyoming), 1:53 141: Nick Lester dec. Cole Mendenhall (Wyoming), 6-2

STANFORD, Calif. -- Behind redshirt senior Ryan Mango, the Stanford wrestling team defeated No. 20 Boise State, 19-12, Thursday, at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif. The Cardinal improves to 9-3 on the season in dual competition and 2-0 in the Pac-12. Boise State falls to 1-2 overall and 1-1 in the Pac-12. Stanford jumped out to an early 9-0 lead in the dual, winning six bouts overall. The Cardinal never trailed as all four of its ranked wrestlers captured wins, including a major decision by Mango, in the program’s first home televised dual. Senior 157-pounder Bret Baumbach started things off with a 4-0 decision over Holden Packard. He registered a takedown in the first period and an escape in the second while securing 2:06 of riding time. He improves to 12-6 overall and 6-3 in duals this season. Redshirt freshman Jim Wilson, ranked 20th nationally, continued to give the Cardinal the momentum with a 9-3 decision over the Broncos’ Steven Hernandez at 165 pounds. Wrestling with a face mask in the first period, Wilson fell behind 2-0. He ditched the mask in the second period and went to work, recording a takedown and three near fall points to go up 5-3. He added an escape, another takedown and 2:47 of riding time in his team-best 23rd win of the season. The Lodi, Calif., native improves to 11-1 in duals this season. Senior Kyle Meyer held off Austin Dewey, 7-5, at 174 pounds to give the Cardinal a 9-0 advantage. Meyer held a 5-0 lead in the third period, but Dewey notched two takedowns and an escape to cut the lead to 6-5 by the end of the period. However, Meyer also had 1:08 riding time to his advantage. Boise State finally got on the board at 184 pounds as seventh-ranked Jake Swartz posted a 6-0 decision over redshirt freshman Zach Nevills. Stanford senior Dan Scherer added three points to the Cardinal’s score with a 6-2 decision over Cody Dixon at 197 pounds. He took a 5-0 lead in the third period, but gave up a reversal to Dixon. He tacked on 1:05 in riding time for his 12th win of the season. He moves to 7-1 in duals. Sophomore Evan Silver, ranked 14th nationally, captured his 15th win of the year, edging Rami Haddadin 5-4 at 125 pounds. He took a 3-0 lead into the third period, where Haddadin chose to start in the down position. After scoring an escape, Haddadin tied the match with a takedown, but Silver scored on a reversal to regain the lead. Mango capped off the scoring for Stanford with a 13-4 major decision over Ben DeMeulle at 133 pounds. Ranked 12th overall, the redshirt senior moved into a tie with former Cardinal head coach Chris Horpel (’75) for eighth place on Stanford’s career wins list with 98. Mango moves to 17-3 on the year and 11-1 in duals. Stanford plays host to Oregon State on Saturday, Jan. 11 in Maples Pavilion. The dual will be televised live on the Pac-12 Networks at 3 p.m. PT. Results: 157: Bret Baumbach (S) dec. Holden Packard (B), 4-0 165: #20 Jim Wilson (S) dec. Steven Hernandez (B), 9-3 174: Kyle Meyer (S) dec. Austin Dewey (B), 7-5 184: #7 Jake Swartz (B) dec. Zach Nevills (S), 6-0 197: #20 Dan Scherer (S) dec. Cody Dixon (B), 6-2 285: #5 J.T. Felix (B) dec. Josh Marchok (S), 7-5 125: #14 Evan Silver (S) dec. Rami Haddadin (B), 5-4 133: #12 Ryan Mango (S) maj. dec. Ben DeMeulle (B), 13-4 141: Travis Himmelman (B) dec. Peter Russo (S), 4-2 149: Chris Castillo (B) dec. Donovan Halpin (S), 8-5

People are still talking about Chris Weidman's second win over Anderson Silva and Dominick Cruz's latest injury, leaving Renan Barao and Urijah Faber to fight over the official 135-pound title. But it's a new year and time to talk about more important things, such as the UFC's seemingly silly Fight Pass. Who wouldn't pay $9.99 for an incomplete fight library and weak fight cards that have previously been on TV? Adding to the silliness, World Series of Fighting has called out Bellator, even lining up a hypothetical pay-per-view fight card -- pitting top competitors from both organizations -- that has no shot of happening. 2014 is off to a fun start. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

Brackets: Division II | Division III | NAIA | NJCAA | Women St. Cloud State will put its 52-match win streak on the line at the Hyvee Hall in Des Moines, Iowa January 11-12. The Huskies are looking to win their third straight Division II championships, but they’ll be a slight underdog coming in. Notre Dame College, ranked No. 1 since the start of the 2013-14 college wrestling season, will be the top seed in the Division II portion of the event. Frank Romano’s Falcons will open up with UW-Parkside in the first round. The Rangers were giant killers last year after they defeated top-seeded Nebraska-Kearney in the opening round. They find themselves in the exact same position this year. The best individual matchup there should come at 197 pounds between All-Americans Brandonn Johnson of Notre Dame College and Davion Willis of Parkside. Third-ranked Central Oklahoma will be the second seed and they open with Findlay. The Bronchos come in 2-0 after wins over Missouri Baptist and Ouachita Baptist during the first semester. Findlay finished eighth last year and has struggled in the early going this season. The Roughnecks are led by second-ranked 174-pounder Adam Walters. Fourth-ranked Newberry will be the third seed. Jason Valek’s Wolves open up with Minnesota State-Mankato, which comes in unranked. Coach Jim Makovsky’s Mavericks are always tough. You have to be to survive the tough Minnesota winters. Newberry brings five nationally-ranked wrestlers to the mat, led by third-ranked 125-pounder Jeff Vesta. MSU Mankato is led by 165-pounder Cody Quinn, who is ranked second. St. Cloud State, as mentioned earlier, puts its 52-match win streak on the line. Winners of the last two NWCA Division II National Duals, the Huskies don’t have the star power they did last season, but they do have four nationally-ranked wrestlers and a handful of freshmen who have stepped into the lineup admirably. Coach Steve Costanzo’s squad will open with Colorado State-Pueblo. The Thunderwolves are making their first appearance at the National Duals since the program was reinstated in 2008. Coach Dax Charles’ team has an interesting dynamic of Colorado natives and former athletes from the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Seventh-ranked Kutztown will be the fifth seed and open up with the Bulldogs of Truman State. Kutztown boasts the top-ranked heavyweight in Division II, All-American Ziad Haddad, while Truman has All-American Ryan Maus at 149 pounds. Eighth-ranked Indianapolis will be the sixth seed and the Greyhounds open up with the Tigers of Fort Hays State. UIndy is led by second-ranked Alex Johns at 125 pounds and fourth-ranked Cameryn Brady at 149 pounds. Johns should get a test from sixth-ranked Adam Ludwin of Fort Hays State. Tenth-ranked Upper Iowa will be the seventh seed and open up with the Storm of Lake Erie College. Coach Heath Grimm’s Peacocks are fresh off a championship at the Chuck Porter Duals hosted by Knox College. Lake Erie, ranked 19th, has two ranked wrestlers including returning Division II runner-up Zak Vargo at 157 pounds. Upper Iowa is led by second-ranked Carl Broghammer at 197 pounds. In Division III, top-ranked Wartburg will look to win its fourth straight Division III National Duals title. The Knights, winners of the last three NCAA Division III National Championships, are led by coach Eric Keller, who assumed the role of head coach after the retirement last year by Jim Miller. Keller had served as co-head coach previously. The Knights will open up with NYU, with the best match coming at 141 pounds as second-ranked All-American Brandon Jones from NYU will face sixth-ranked Connor Campo of Wartburg. Augsburg will be the second seed. The second-ranked Auggies will try to return to the finals after having an uncharacteristic finish last season where they failed to place. The Auggies, champions in 2010, will face last year’s runner-up, Elmhurst, in the opening round. Augsburg is led by two-time Division III champion Chad Johnson at heavyweight. Wabash will be the third seed and will open up with Loras. The Little Giants jumped up to No. 3 in the most recent NWCA Division III Coaches Association Rankings and have five nationally-ranked wrestlers and three of them are brothers. Reece Lefever (157), Conner Lefever (174) and Riley Lefever (184) are powering the Little Giants this season. Loras is led by All-American heavyweight James Buss, who is ranked fifth. Fourth-seeded UW-Whitewater will open up with Centenary in the opening round. The Warhawks have four nationally-ranked wrestlers including top-ranked 197-pounder Shane Siefert and second-ranked heavyweight Anthony Edgren. The Cyclones are led by All-American Chris Burdge, who is ranked second at 165 pounds. Wilkes will be the fifth seed and open up with St. John’s. The winner will face either Elmhurst or UW-Whitewater in the quarterfinals. Concordia-Moorhead will face UW-La Crosse in the opening round in what could be a tossup. Concordia-Moorhead is seeded sixth. The winner will face either Wabash or Loras. Seventh-seeded Coe will open up with Springfield. Best match there should be at 157 pounds where defending Division III champion Devin Biscaha of Springfield will face fifth-ranked Dimitry Boyer of Coe. The winner of the dual will advance to the quarterfinals to face either Augsburg or Centenary. The 8-9 matchup features 12th-ranked Luther and 19th-ranked Mount Union. Luther has four nationally-ranked wrestlers, led by sixth-ranked 133-pounder Evan Obert. In the NAIA, Grand View will look to win its third straight NAIA National Duals championship. The Vikings are also the two-time defending NAIA National Champions. In just the program’s sixth season, they have become the team to beat. The Vikings, ranked No. 1 and seeded first, will open up with Oklahoma City in the first round. The top individual matchup should come at 157 pounds where second-ranked Quinten Haynes of Grand View will face Zach Skates of OCU. Skates is ranked fifth. Second-ranked Montana State-Northern has surged back to the upper echelon in the NAIA. The Lights are ranked and seeded second and will open up with 14th-ranked Wayland Baptist, the nation’s only varsity college wrestling program in the state of Texas. Like MSU-Northern, third-ranked and third-seeded Missouri Valley has seen a revival of sorts with their program. The Vikings will open up with 19th-ranked Dickinson State in the first round. Top matchup there could come at 197 pounds where the Vikings could send out either second-ranked Josh Manu or third-ranked Carl Lawrence to face seventh-ranked Jesse Hellinger. The NAIA allows more than one wrestler per weight to be ranked because they allow a team to qualify up to 12 wrestlers for the national tournament. Returning runners-up Great Falls will be the fourth seed. The Argonauts will face the Panthers of York College of Nebraska in the opening round. Fifth-seeded Campbellsville will face Baker University in the first round with the winner facing the winner of the UGF-York dual. Lindsey Wilson College will be the No. 6 seed. They’ll open with 13th-ranked Morningside with the winner facing either MSU-Northern or Wayland Baptist. Cumberland University will come in ranked eighth and draw the No. 7 seed. Their opening round draw will be against 11th-ranked Dakota Wesleyan. Best matchup there in the early going should be at 149 pounds where Cumberland’s Jake Williams, ranked fourth, could meet up with sixth-ranked Kyle Gerlach of DWU. Indiana Tech will be the No. 8 seed and open up with Midland University in a battle of schools which started up within the last four years. The winner will face either Grand View or Oklahoma City. The NJCAA field has expanded to 16 teams and all 16 are ranked in the most recent set of NJCAA team rankings. Top-seeded Clackamas returns to the National Duals and will have an opening round dual with the Beavers of Pratt Community College of Kansas. Clackamas has eight nationally-ranked wrestlers including top-ranked Adrian Salas at 184 pounds and second-ranked C.J. Palmer at 133 pounds. Coach Jim Zeigler’s Northwest College Trappers will be the second seed and open up with Colby Community College. Northwest has seven nationally-ranked wrestlers including top-ranked 165-pounder Diorian Coleman and second-ranked 157-pounder Jeff McCormick. Colby has three ranked wrestlers, led by third-ranked Jarred Johnson at 174 pounds. Third-seeded Lincoln College will face Illinois rival Harper College in the opening round. The Lynx have six nationally-ranked wrestlers, led by second-ranked heavyweight DeQuence Goodman. He should see seventh-ranked Lavontae Cobb of Harper in the best individual match of the opening round. Fourth-seeded Nassau Community College returns to the National Duals for the first time this decade. Nassau will face Iowa Western in the opening round. The Reivers are making their first appearance at the National Duals in just the second year of the program. Leading the crop of four nationally-ranked wrestlers is second-ranked Kyle Wade at 149 pounds. Keep an eye on Iowa Western’s Quint Swanberg, a former Division I wrestler from Arizona State. He was a multiple-time placewinner in high school at the USA Wrestling Cadet & Junior Nationals. Fifth-seeded Ellsworth will open up with Niagara in the first round with the winner facing either Iowa Western or Nassau. Best match there should come at 165 pounds with fourth-ranked Ritchie Guillaume of Ellsworth and sixth-ranked Chris Nevinger of Niagara. Sixth-seeded Rochester will face perennial power Iowa Central in the opening round with the winner facing the winner of the Lincoln-Harper dual. Seventh-seeded Muskegon will face Neosho with the winner facing either Northwest or Colby, while Labette, the defending team champions, will be the No. 8 seed and open up with NIACC. Simon Fraser is back to defend its WCWA National Duals championship. The Clan, a Division II school in Burnaby, British Columbia, ended Oklahoma City’s run of championships last season 27-13. Loaded with international talent and accomplished world medalists, Simon Fraser, seeded second, will have to contend with top-seeded King University. King, Simon Fraser, Oklahoma City and Wayland Baptist are the tournament’s top four seeds and will have first-round byes. Opening round matches will see fifth-seeded Lindenwood take on the first-year program at Campbellsville with the winner taking on Wayland Baptist. Sixth-seeded Missouri Baptist will open up with Waldorf with the winner taking on OCU. The University of the Cumberlands will face Missouri Valley in a first-round match. Both schools are among the longest-running varsity women’s programs in the country. The winner will face Simon Fraser. McKendree, another first-year program, will open up with Midland and the winner will face top-seeded King. The women’s field, like the NJCAA field, has expanded to its largest to date as 12 teams are competing compared to eight previously. About the NWCA Founded in 1928, the NWCA strives to promote and provide leadership for the advancement of amateur wrestling, primarily at the scholastic and collegiate levels. The association is headquartered in Manheim Pa. The three core competencies are coaching development, student-wrestler welfare, and promotion/advocacy. The NWCA has 10,000 members and educational programs that serve 230,000 students each year. About the United States Marine Corps On November 10, 1775, the Marine Corps was established by the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Since then, the Marine Corps, through service on land, in air, and at sea, have acquitted themselves with the greatest distinction, winning new honors on each occasion until the term “Marine” has come to signify all that is highest in military efficiency and soldierly virtue. Whether facing our nation’s foes or conducting humanitarian relief and disaster recovery operations at home or abroad, today’s Marine Corps stands ready to continue in the same proud tradition of faithful service to the United States. For more information, visit http://www.Marines.com. 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BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Senior captain Sean Fagan (Arlington, Mass.) posted two wins by fall to highlight several strong individual performances as the University of Southern Maine Huskies earned a pair of dual meet victories Wednesday afternoon at the Tinsely Center. Southern Maine defeated the Western New England University Golden Bears 39-15 in its opener and then fought its way to a 26-20 win over the Bridgewater State University Bears to improve its record to 8-3 in dual meets. Bridgewater State is now 1-3 in dual meet action, while Western New England stands at 2-4. Fagan was one of three USM grapplers to earn a win by fall against Western New England. Wrestling at 197-pounds, Fagan downed WNEU's Carl Newman in 2:43. Fagan's win by fall against Bridgewater State helped put the meet out of reach for the Bears, pinning his opponent, Matt Small, in 4:36. Fagan now has six wins by fall this season and improves to 16-4 overall and remains undefeated at 8-0 in dual meet action. Freshman Carl Luth (Milford, Conn./Foran) had an impressive day for the Huskies as well competing at 149 pounds. Luth won by technical fall, 15-0 (6:30), over WNEU's Tyler Richard in his opening match and then earned a win by fall against Bridgewater State's Eric Bergeron in 4:02. Luth's pin over Bergeron helped the Huskies recover from an 8-4 disadvantage and return the Huskies' lead to 10-4. Luth stands at 17-6 this season and is 8-1 in dual meets. He leads the Huskies with nine wins by fall. Senior Jonathan Deupree (Ozona, Fla./Countryside) continued his strong season. Ranked nationally at 184-pounds, Deupree pinned Western New England's Brian Donavan in quick fashion at 1:47 to earn his six pin of the season. Against Bridgewater State, Deupree came away with a pivotal 8-1 decision over Shawn Kavanagh to give the Huskies' a 20-14 lead late in the match. Southern Maine hosts Western New England and Plymouth State in a tri-match on Sunday (12:00 p.m.).

SIOUX CITY, Iowa -- A pair of pins and a pair of forfeits helped make Concordia wrestling a lopsided winner over Briar Cliff (1-3, 1-2 GPAC) in Sioux City, Iowa, on Wednesday night. Bulldog juniors Emilio Rivera (133) and Enrique Barajas (149) both dominated their opponents in leading the visitors to a 31-14 victory. Concordia improved to 4-3 overall by winning its conference opener. “It’s nice to get that conference dual win over a quality team,” second-year head coach Dana Vote said. “It was our first competition since going to Vegas (Dec. 21) and we came out ready. We went through some hard training the past week or so and some of our guys really stood out.” Barajas (9-8) and Rivera (14-6), both junior college transfers from California, were foremost among those standouts. Rivera polished off Shawn Miller in 4:29 while Barajas nailed Sonny Gulesian to the mat after 4:50 elapsed. The Bulldogs led 18-4 after Barajas’ pin. “Those two guys have really been leaders,” Vote said. “We expect big points from them. They dominated tonight. They were out there looking for pins and kept working for it.” Similarly impressive, freshman Ken Burkhardt Jr. carried over his strong outing at the Desert Duals and registered a 12-2 major decision over Briar Cliff’s Jake Baker. The victory pushed the Milford native above .500 on the season at 9-8. “Ken’s really improving each day,” Vote said. “The last couple of weeks he’s really taken a turn. He just gets better every time out.” Concordia’s other contested win came at 157 where Tommy Bailey eked out a 3-2 decision over Leland Slawson. It was the third-consecutive victory for Bailey, who hails from Hailey, Idaho. Both Noel Richardson (184) and Ceron Francisco (285) came up just short in their respective matches. Richardson led most of the way before the Chargers’ Dan Harvey took control in the final period for a 6-2 victory. Francisco fell 5-3 to Brian Ervin in the final bout of the night with the team victory already well in hand. Briar Cliff owns a conference victory over Doane (32-9) as well as a GPAC loss to then No. 9 Midland (24-18). Last season the Chargers defeated Concordia 30-12 in Seward. Freshman Austin Fehlhafer (174), the team’s leader in wins and pins, did not wrestle on Wednesday. Senior Nick Sheppard earned a forfeit win at 174 for the Bulldogs. Fellow senior Alex Stepanek (141) also received credit for a forfeit victory. The Bulldogs will return to action on Saturday at the Hastings College Open where 18 Concordia wrestlers will compete. The tournament will get started at 9 a.m. Next week Concordia will host a pair of GPAC duals – Tuesday and Thursday – against the likes of Doane and Morningside. Results: 125 Kyle Robison (BCU) def. Dmitri Smith, by Major Dec. (9-0) 4-0 133 Emilio Rivera (CNC) def. Shawn Miller, by Fall (4:29) 4-6 141 Alex Stepanek (CNC) wins by forfeit 4-12 149 Enrique Barajas (CNC) def. Sonny Gulesian, by Fall (4:50) 4-18 157 Tommy Bailey (CNC) def. Leland Slawson, 3-2 4-21 165 Curtis Bright (BCU) def. Austin Starkey, by Major Dec. (8-0) 8-21 174 Nick Sheppard (CNC) wins by forfeit 4-27 184 Dan Harvey (BCU) def. Noel Richardson, 6-2 11-27 197 Ken Burkhardt Jr. (CNC) def. Jake Baker, by Major Dec. (12-2) 11-31 285 Brian Ervin (BCU) def. Ceron Francisco, 5-3 14-31

ADA, Ohio. -- A pin by Kevin Birmingham and a pair of major decisions by Anthony Elias and Nick Pappayliou propelled the Davidson wrestling team to a 23-17 win over Ohio Northern at the Sports Center Fieldhouse in Ada, Ohio, Wednesday afternoon. The win marks the first ever for the Wildcats (3-4) over the Polar Bears (4-3), who took a 20-18 decision at Belk Arena in Davidson last season. The 'Cats picked up 10 early points as Jordan Wang won by forfeit at 125-pounds and Elias earned a 10-1 major decision over Cole Cochran at 133-pounds. A 6-1 decision by Cody Harting over James McCord at 141-pounds got the Polar Bears on the board with the 'Cats still leading 10-3. Birmingham (141) won by fall over ONU's Steven Feucht in 47 seconds to pick up his team-leading seventh pin of the season, pushing the Davidson lead to 16-3. Pappayliou (157) tacked on four more points with a 14-2 major decision over Kyle Brezovec as the Wildcats' advantage increased to 17 at 20-3. The Polar Bears struck back with two in a row, as Colt Lovejoy earned a 5-0 decision over Patrick Devlin at 165-pounds and Tyler Gargano won a 10-6 decision over Nathaniel Powers at 174-pounds to allow ONU cut into the deficit by six points. Scott Patrick got the Wildcats back on track, picking up a 2-0 decision over David Woolley at 184-pounds to remain undefeated in dual match action and keep the 'Cats ahead 23-9. The Polar Bears took 197, with Michael Pawlitz earning a 15-1 major decision over Michael Moore and claimed four more points at the heavyweight division with Cody Lovejoy taking an 11-1 major decision from Ed Isola. However, it wasn't enough for ONU to make the comeback as the 'Cats took the match 23-17. Davidson will travel to Pittsburgh, Pa., this weekend to take part in the Pitt Duals at the Fitzgerald Field House on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. The Wildcats will face Clarion, Seton Hill and Pittsburgh starting at 10 a.m. Sunday morning. Results: 125 – Jordan Wang (DAV) by forfeit 133 - Anthony Elias (DAV) major dec. Cole Cochran (ONU), 10-1 141 - Cody Harting (ONU) dec. James McCord (DAV), 6-1 149 – Kevin Birmingham (DAV) pinned Steven Feucht (ONU), 0:47 157 – Nick Pappayliou (DAV) major dec. Kyle Brezovec (ONU), 14-2 165 – Colt Lovejoy (ONU) dec. Patrick Devlin (DAV), 5-0 174 – Tyler Gargano (ONU) dec. Nathaniel Powers (DAV), 10-6 184 - Scott Patrick (DAV) dec. David Woolley (ONU), 2-0 197 – Michael Pawlitz (ONU) major dec. Michael Moore (DAV), 15-1 HWT – Cody Lovejoy (ONU) major dec. Ed Isola (DAV), 11-1

Jason Renteria of OPRF is currently ranked No. 6 at 106 (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) Detroit Catholic Central will host its annual Super Duals on Saturday in Novi, Mich. Twelve teams, including the host Shamrocks, will compete over five rounds of wrestling. Each squad will wrestle four dual meets against formidable opposition. Teams from Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois make up the field, which features six members of the InterMat Fab 50. Teams Fab 50 Teams: No. 3 Oak Park River Forest, Ill. Ranked No. 1 in Illinois Class 3A No. 11 Montini Catholic, Ill. Ranked No. 1 in Illinois Class 2A No. 20 Detroit Catholic Central, Mich. Ranked No. 2 in Michigan Division 1 No. 23 Brecksville, Ohio Ranked No. 3 in Ohio Division I No. 26 Davison, Mich. Ranked No. 1 in Michigan Division 1 No. 38 St. Johns, Mich. Ranked No. 2 in Michigan Division 2 Other Teams: Dundee, Mich. Ranked No. 2 in Michigan Division 3 Hudson, Mich. Ranked No. 1 in Michigan Division 4 Bedford, Mich. Ranked No. 4 in Michigan Division 1 Clarkston, Mich. Ranked No. 10 in Michigan Division 1 Rochester, Mich. Advanced to the Division 1 team state semifinals in Michigan last year Solon, Ohio Finished sixth in the individual Division I state tournament in Ohio last year Wrestlers The talent from an individual standpoint is also sensational, with 16 wrestlers in this field appearing in the Jan. 8 edition of the InterMat national weight class rankings. Another measure of the talent present is that over 20 wrestlers appeared in their respective state championship finals bout last season. Below is a weight-by-weight listing of the key wrestlers present in the field. 106: No. 6 Jason Renteria (OPRF), Jimmy Pawleski (Montini), Jarod Bronstrup (Brecksville), Tyler Rogaliner (Bedford) 113: Dylan Duncan (Montini), Alex Madrigal (OPRF), Ian Parker (St. Johns), Max Johnson (Davison), Robby Hamdan (Hudson), Daniel Clement (Solon), Ken Reinhart (Dundee) 120: No. 11 Austin Assad (Brecksville), Gabe Townsell (OPRF), Kegan Calkins (Montini), Zach Blevins (Dundee), Jacob Madrigal (Davison) 126: Lincoln Olson (Davison), Isaac Dusseau (Hudson), Evan Toth (Detroit CC), Justin Demicco (Brecksville), Tyler Dukart (Rochester), Cameron Wilkie (Clarkston) 132: Brendan O’Connor (Dundee), Austin Hiles (Brecksville), Derek Humphrey (Davison), Jake Helminski (Bedford), Chris Wymer (Solon) 138: No. 3 Zac Hall (St. Johns), No. 8 Isaiah White (OPRF), No. 15 Cole Weaver (Hudson), No. 16 Justin Oliver/Matthew Miller (Davison), Vincent Turk (Montini), Myles Amine (Detroit CC), Brad Scholl (Dundee), Sonny Lucas (Brecksville) 145: No. 16 Larry Early (OPRF), Chris Garcia (Montini), Malik Amine (Detroit CC), Doug Rojem (Dundee), Mark Bozzo (St. Johns), Dominic Russ (Davison), J.D. Waters (Hudson) 152: No. 4 Logan Massa (St. Johns), No. 12 Nick Bennett (Detroit CC), Matt Rundell (OPRF), Luke Fortuna (Montini), Grayson Davis (Brecksville), Brennan McRill (Davison) 160: No. 14 Xavier Montalvo (Montini), Kamal Bey (OPRF), Austin Strnad (Brecksville), Thomas Garty (Davison), Drew Wixson (St. Johns), Tyler Moreland (Detroit CC), Kyle Johnson (Hudson) 170: No. 9 Davonte Mahomes (OPRF), No. 12 Andrew Garcia (Detroit CC), Tye Thompson (Dundee), Shane Shadaia (Rochester), Troy Lang (Brecksville) 182: No. 12 Angus Arthur (St. Johns), No. 14 Jordan Cooks (Davison), No. 16 Logan Marcicki (Detroit CC) 195: Andre Lee (OPRF), Shwan Shadaia (Rochester), Josh Murphy (Brecksville), Tyler Wildmo (St. Johns), Anthony Ferraro (Montini), Nick Giese (Detroit CC) 220: Edgar Ruano (Montini), Jimmy Russell (Detroit CC), Emonte Logan (OPRF), Jake Morgan (Hudson) 285: No. 9 Michael Johnson, Jr. (Montini), Adam Lemke-Bell (OPRF), Adam Ortman (Hudson), Cameron Daniels (Rochester) Schedule Wrestling will begin at 10 a.m. ET. There will be three mats in the main gymnasium with two mats in the auxiliary gym right down the hallway. 10 a.m. (main gym) OPRF vs. Montini, Detroit CC vs. Brecksville, St. Johns vs. Hudson (auxiliary) Dundee vs. Clarkston, Solon vs. Bedford 12:15 p.m. (main gym) Montini vs. Davison, Detroit CC vs. OPRF, Brecksville vs. St. Johns (auxiliary) Bedford vs. Rochester, Solon vs. Hudson 2:30 p.m. (main gym) Montini vs. Brecksville, OPRF vs. St. Johns, Davison vs. Dundee (auxiliary) Clarkston vs. Bedford, Solon vs. Rochester 4:45 p.m. (main gym) OPRF vs. Davison, Detroit CC vs. Montini, Brecksville vs. Dundee (auxiliary) Hudson vs. Rochester, Solon vs. Clarkston 7:p.m. (main gym) Davison vs. Bedford, Detroit CC vs. Hudson, Dundee vs. Rochester (auxiliary) St. Johns vs. Clarkston Live results will be available here.

Randy Rager is in his ninth season as head wrestling coach at Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC). InterMat recently caught up with Rager. RCTC is ranked No. 11 in the NJCAA team rankings. What is this year's team capable of accomplishing? Rager: This year I have a pretty good group. I have a really good national tournament team. We have guys not ranked that could very easily be in the top five at the national tournament, and that should help move us up in the rankings. There was talk about them bringing back the (NJCAA) Division III national championship. We're currently just one group for the NJCAA. It used to be that we were two different groups, but competing at the same national championship. So if they bring back Division III, I think we could win that. As far as the whole thing, I would like to be in the top five. That's kind of the goal. I think that's something we can do. Randy Rager (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)In January you're competing at the National Duals for the first time. How much are you looking forward to that opportunity? Rager: I think it's going to be a great opportunity for these guys to be in that type of setting and that type of venue. As far as our dual meet team, I think we could be a spoiler team. Down low we're really good. If we get some momentum going there's no reason we shouldn't be able to carry it through the dual meet. If they do the seeding by the rankings, I think there will be a top team that gets knocked off. I think we're good enough that we can be a spoiler. Joe Munos, a three-time state champion, transferred to your program from a Division I wrestling program, Ohio University, and will be eligible this semester. What does he bring to your program? Rager: Joe is a great guy. He's a little bit older, so that helps out. He's a great practice partner for our lighter weights, and they're making each other better. Has Munos expressed interest in getting back to the Division I level? Rager: He's definitely talked about moving on from here and continuing to wrestle. At the Division I level? He's talked about it, but I think he's more interested in a Division II or Division III type of school. I don't know if it was the grind at the Division I level or what it was. Joe is a very, very smart kid. But does he have the ambition to do the grades? Not always. So when you combine that with a Division I type atmosphere, I don't know if that's what he's looking for. Dakota Trom (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)You also have another three-time state champion in Dakota Trom of Apple Valley on your roster. He has battled some injuries. What's his status with the program? Rager: Dakota will be ready to go at National Duals. That's been kind of the goal we've talked about. Getting his weight down hasn't been a problem. We're just going to kind of pick and choose when we're going to use him. But Nationals Duals will probably the first time we see him on the mat wearing an RCTC singlet. Garrett Miller was an All-American for you last season at 174 pounds, but hasn't been competing lately. What's his status? Rager: He had broken some cartilage in his wrist, so he's been out for a while. The last time he competed was at the Auggie Open. He's just a tough kid. He still goes home and does chores at the farm. He's going to wrestle at National Duals. Right now he's in a cast, but he has told me over and over that he's just going to put tape on it and wrestle. He doesn't care. He is supposed to be getting that cast off and he'll be ready to go. Rochester hosts some top high school wrestling events, including The Clash, Minnesota Christmas Tournament, JJ Classic. How much does that benefit your program? Rager: It helps out quite a bit. It gets athletes on our campus. It gets them into our athletic facility. A lot of kids I talk to don't even realize that it's a college they are wrestling at when they're there. It has definitely been a benefit for us. It has helped us make connections with kids that are from outside the state of Minnesota. You have a handful of kids not from Minnesota on your roster. Do you recruit much outside the state? Or do those kids seek out the program? Rager: Usually it's that they seek us out. A lot of it is just the connections I've made through the years. Coaches will contact me and say, 'I've got a kid who will fit in your program. I know you'll take care of him.' We have a kid named Label Lewis from South Carolina, who is down at 133 pounds. He was a two-time state champion and the OW in the big class. He's a great kid. Last year I had a kid out of Texas that was really good. RCTC head wrestling coach Randy Rager receiving the Academic Award, given to the team with the highest GPALast season your team won the Academic Award for having the highest team GPA among all NJCAA wrestling programs. How much pride do you take in getting that award? Rager: We take a lot of pride in that. That's one of our goals. I've said it over and over to people, but there are three things we tell the kids to focus. Number one: become a better person. Number two: become a better student. Number three: become a better wrestler. We focus on the academics because if you can't pass the classes you're not eligible anyway. If you're not working on the academics you're not going to have a good team. As a competitor, you're the all-time winningest Division II wrestler. What does that record mean to you? Rager: Not a whole lot. For me it was about durability more than anything. I always wrestled. If I was sick I wrestled. If I had a bum knee I wrestled. These days sometimes kids have a sniffle and want to sit out of practice. But the record doesn't mean a whole lot to me. When you look back on your own competitive wrestling career, do you have any regrets? Rager: Oh yeah. For sure. There's always that extra you could have done to make yourself better. You think about matches ... and they're usually the ones you lost that keep you up at night. There are always things you could have done. But it doesn't do a whole lot of good to dwell on them. You just try to pass on what you learned to the guys you're coaching. You served as an assistant coach at St. Cloud State, a Division II program, prior to taking over at RCTC. How does recruiting differ from Division II to NJCAA? Rager: Well, in the NJCAA I'm everything. Sports information director ... that's me. Head wrestling coach ... that's me. Head recruiter ... that's me. I'm a full-time instructor as well. While I was at St. Cloud State I was a grad assistant. But when I was there I was specifically coaching wrestling and recruiting. That's it. At the NJCAA level it's a lot more responsibility ... and I'm not saying that at the Division II level it's not a lot of responsibility. It's just that I think there are more resources and help at the Division II level than at the NJCAA level. Throughout the years several NCAA Division I wrestling champions and All-Americans have come from the NJCAA. Names like T.J. Williams, Tony Davis, and Brock Lesnar immediately come to mind. Also, current UFC champions Chris Weidman, Jon Jones, and Cain Velasquez wrestled at the NJCAA level. What does that say about the talent at the NJCAA level? Rager: A lot of people don't realize what we have going on at our level. Some people think it's actually a lesser division of wrestling ... almost like it's high school. Like I tell recruits, we all wrestle at the same tournaments. We go to the Auggie Open. We go to the St. Cloud State Open. We go down to Luther and see some Division I teams. Wrestling is wrestling. At our level you might have a Division I type kid who is working on their academics or their clearinghouse to get to that next level. Some years it's very, very talented ... and some years it's not as talented. It's kind of up and down. This story also appears in the Jan. 3 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. Subscribe to The Guillotine.

Walnut Ridge, Ark. -- Williams Baptist College announced in August it was adding a wrestling program to its collegiate competitive athletic teams. On Monday, Jan. 6, WBC announced the squad's first coach in the person of Kerry Regner. "We are excited to start our tenth varsity sport at the college, and we are very excited about having Kerry Regner lead and build our program. He is very knowledgeable and comes with a great work ethic. He also brings an energy level that will breed success, and he is a perfect fit for this campus on and off the court," said WBC Director of Athletics Jeff Rider. A national search landed Regner, who comes to Williams from Clarion University in Clarion, Pa. The coach was serving as a graduate assisting for the NCAA school. "For a really long time I wanted to be a coach. It has been a long journey and a dream come true. I cannot wait to start and build this program. I was drawn to Williams because they have shown a strong commitment to wrestling," said Regner. He has coaching experience on the community, high school and collegiate level. Through his experience, he has always held onto his faith and values. "I have had great mentors, and I grew up in a Christian home with Christian parents. My parents have taught me about honoring Christ through my athletics. Williams is a faith-based institution, which was a big deal for me when I accepted this position, not only being able to coach kids on wrestling but being able to help them in their walk with Christ will allow me to have a positive impact on their lives," he added. Regner has worked with high profile coaches and mentors throughout his career. "Ivan Ivanov is my mentor and one of the greatest wrestling influences on my life. He taught me discipline, structure and learning how to deal with wrestlers to help them succeed, while Jim Gruenwald was a spiritual mentor in my life," said Regner. The new Williams coach concluded, "My wife Sarah has had a huge impact on my life by supporting me and always being there for me." Williams is a four-year, liberal arts college at Walnut Ridge. The Eagles compete in the American Midwest Conference of the NAIA. Those who are interested in the WBC wrestling program can get more information online at www.wbceagles.com.

Millersville, Pa. -- The Millersville wrestling team ran its record to 2-0 on the season with a 22-14 victory over visiting Seton Hill Tuesday evening. Millersville's win was also the second in as many PSAC matches, keeping the club in first place early in the season. The Marauders rallied with four consecutive wins from 165 pounds to 197 pounds, and freshman 197-pounder Aram Moffitt's major decision clinched the victory. Four of the six Marauder wins came by decision. Austin Camacci accepted a forfeit at 125 pounds, and that started the Marauders' with a 6-0 lead. At 141 pounds, David Charles kept the Marauders in front with a narrow 6-4 decision. Seton Hill won the next two bouts--one by decision and one by major decision--to take a 10-9 lead into the 165-pound match. Senior Zach Pincus and Brett Smith were deadlocked at 1-1 until the waning seconds of the third period when Pincus scored a takedown. Smith escaped, but there was not enough time left for another shot. Pincus held on for the 3-2 decision. Mitchell Ball picked up his second collegiate victory at 174 pounds, racing to an early lead with a couple early takedowns. He finished Chrisian Bosco by an 8-2 score. Redshirt sophomore Shane Gilmore made his season debut at 184 pounds with a 6-2 decision. Moffitt boosted his team-leading win total to 11 with a convincing 13-0 win over Tyler Dombrowski. Moffitt hit an early takedown and recorded a pair of nearfalls in the match. The win was Millersville's first over Seton Hill since 1997. The Marauders have not started 2-0 since 2008-09. Millersville faces a pair of PSAC opponents on Friday at Mercyhurst. The Marauders face Gannon at 5:30 p.m. and wrestle Mercyhurst immediately after. Results: 125 Austin Camacci (Millersville) won by forfeit 133 Andrew Schutz (Seton Hill) won by decision over Kyle Loeb (Millersville) 4-0 141 David Charles (Millersville) won by decision over AJ Fisher (Seton Hill) 6-4 149 Kevin Laubach (Seton Hill) won by decision over Shane Miller (Millersville) 11-6 157 Zach Voytek (Seton Hill) won by major decision over Zac Wawrzyniak-Bush (Millersville) 14-3 165 Zach Pincus (Millersville) won by decision over Brett Smith (Seton Hill) 3-2. 174 Mitchell Ball (Millersville) won by decision over Christian Bosco (Seton Hill) 8-2 184 Shane Gilmore (Millersville) won by decision over Tyler Mohlhenrich (Seton Hill) 6-2 197 Aram Moffitt (Millersville) won by major decision over Tyler Dombrowski (Seton Hill) 13-0 285 Ryan Simonica (Seton Hill) won by major decision over Kyle Wolfe (Millersville) 11-3