InterMat Staff

Kearney, Neb. -- Senior Nick Bauman recorded a fall and junior Mark Fiala had a major decision to help 7th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney beat 20th-ranked Fort Hays State, 28-6, Thursday night in Kansas. The Lopers finish the dual season 12-3 (4-1) while the Tigers fall to 11-8 (2-3). In his 14th season as head coach, UNK Marc Bauer now had 180 dual victories and nine straight seasons of 10 or more dual wins. Three of the first five matches of the night were decided by one point with Hays winning two of them. Fourth-ranked Daniel DeShazer (Wichita, Kans.) managed a 4-3 win at 133 lbs., top-ranked Raufeon Stots (Houston, Texas) recorded a 3-2 decision at 149 lbs. and third-ranked Chase White (Lincoln H.S.) posted a 2-1 win at 157 lbs. UNK got some breathing room after Fiala (Seward) won by a 14- 5 score at 184 lbs. After redshirt freshman Romero Cotton (Hutchinson, Kans.) upset 5th-ranked Tanner Kriss, 9-5, for a second straight week at 197 ls., Bauman (Broomfield, Colo.) recorded a fall at 4:53 to end the night. The Lopers and Tigers head to Chadron next weekend for the Super 4 Regional. The top four finishers in that tournament advance to the NCAA's in Birmingham, Ala. The rest of the MIAA will find itself at the Super Region 2 Tournament in Ashland, Ohio. Results: 125 Garrett Jones (Fort Hays State) won by decision over Connor Bolling (Nebraska-Kearney) 8-3. 3 0 133 Daniel DeShazer (Nebraska-Kearney) won by decision over Rory Wilkinson (Fort Hays State) 4-3. 0 3 141 Charles Napier (Fort Hays State) won by decision over Brock Coutu (Nebraska-Kearney) 8-5. 3 0 149 Raufeon Stots (Nebraska-Kearney) won by decision over Noah Killip (Fort Hays State) 3-2. 0 3 157 Chase White (Nebraska-Kearney) won by decision over Derek Koehn (Fort Hays State) 2-1. 0 3 165 Chase Nelson (Nebraska-Kearney) won by decision over Sam Thoman (Fort Hays State) 5-2. 0 3 174 Patrick Martinez (Nebraska-Kearney) won by decision over Travis Budke (Fort Hays State) 10-6. 0 3 184 Mark Fiala (Nebraska-Kearney) won by major decision over Zack Grimes (Fort Hays State) 14-5. 0 4 197 Romero Cotton (Nebraska-Kearney) won by decision over Tanner Kriss (Fort Hays State) 9-5. 0 3 285 Nick Bauman (Nebraska-Kearney) won by pin over John Close (Fort Hays State) 4:53. 0 6

DAVIDSON, N.C. -- Campbell won its fourth-straight Southern Conference meet Thursday as they defeated Davidson 40-12 in Belk Arena. The Fighting Camels now stand at 6-7 overall and 5-1 in the league. The win comes after a loss to Virginia Tech Saturday snapped a three-meet winning streak. In the first match of the night, redshirt junior Tanner Bidelspach fell to Anthony Elias 10-5 at 133 pounds. Campbell's first win of the night came from freshman Michael Dahlstrom at 141 pounds. He posted his first technical fall of the season over Matt Zarth 17-2 in 7:00. Dahlstrom is now 4-2 in the league with a 5-3 overall record. Next at 149 pounds, redshirt junior Brent Jorge dropped his first conference match of the year as Kevin Birmingham pinned him in 7:54. Redshirt junior Nick Rex was the first of a three-match streak for the Camels at 157 pounds. He earned CU's second technical fall of the night and his first of the year as he defeated Patrick Devlin 16-1 in 5:13. Rex is now 4-1 in the conference at the 157-pound spot. Campbell used two pins in a row to lengthen its lead. At 165 pounds, sophomore Paul Duggan won by fall over Christopher Cirenza in 5:51. Duggan moves to 4-1 in the SoCon and 17-13 overall at 165 with five pins. Freshman Taylor McGiffen earned his second pin of the year at 174 pounds over Ian Solcz in 4:42. The win was McGiffen's first league victory at 174 and was his third overall. The final Davidson win came at 184 pounds as Donald Patrick defeated redshirt senior Matt Cox 3-0. It was Cox's first loss of the year in the weight class in conference action. The Camels rounded out the meet with three wins, including two Wildcat forfeits. Senior John Merickel picked up his fifth SoCon win at 197 pounds with a Davidson forfeit. He is 5-1 in the league and 13-14 overall. Sophomore Joe Nolan earned his second pin of the year over Jordan Ownbey in 1:25. Nolan moves to 4-2 in the league and 6-8 overall. In the final match, freshman No. 27 Eric Montoya won by forfeit. He is 6-0 in the SoCon and is the only Camel with six conference wins as he stands at 29-11 overall. Full results are listed below. Next up, Campbell travels to Chapel Hill and Durham Sunday. The Camels will take on North Carolina at 12:00 p.m. and Duke at 2:00 p.m. in Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill. At 7:00 p.m., Campbell will face Ohio at Voyager Academy in Durham. Results: 133: Anthony Elias (D) dec. Tanner Bidelspach (C), 10-5 141: Michael Dahlstrom (C) tech fall Matt Zarth (D), 17-2 (7:00) 149: Kevin Birmingham (D) pinned Brent Jorge (C), 7:54 157: Nick Rex (C) tech fall Patrick Devlin (D), 16-1 (5:13) 165: Paul Duggan (C) pinned Christopher Cirenza (D), 5:51 174: Taylor McGiffen (C) pinned Ian Solcz (D), 4:42 184: Scott Patrick (D) dec. Matthew Cox (C), 3-0 197: John Merickel (C) won by forfeit 285: Joe Nolan (C) pinned Jordan Ownbey (D), 1:25 125: Eric Montoya (C) won by forfeit

ST. CLOUD, Minn. -- The No. 1 ranked St. Cloud State University wrestling team (21-0, 8-0 NSIC) captured its second consecutive Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championship with a convincing 29-6 victory over No. 8 ranked Minnesota State University (9-3, 6-1 NSIC) on Thursday, Feb. 14 in Halenbeck Hall. The victory capped a historic night as the Huskies tied an NCAA Division II record by winning their 47th consecutive dual match victory. The last time the Huskies suffered a loss was an 18-13 setback against Augustana on Jan. 27, 2011. The 47 straight wins by the Huskies ties the Division II record previously set by Pittsburgh-Johnstown from Dec. 2, 1994-Nov. 20, 1996. To make the evening more epic, the victory was SCSU's coach Steve Costanzo's 100th career victory with the Huskies. In seven seasons, Costanzo now owns an impressive 100-23 career ledger at SCSU. The match opened at 125-pounds with a 6-0 victory by MSU's David Demo over SCSU's No. 3 ranked Eric Forde. The Huskies quickly regained control of the match with a 5-2 win at 133-pounds by No. 3 Andy Pokorny over No. 7 Alphonso Vruno of MSU. SCSU stretched its lead to 6-3 with a 6-1 win by Jay Hildreth over MSU's Nathan Hennes at 141-pounds. Jacob D. Horn, one of nine seniors saluted tonight in their final regular season appearance at home, increased SCSU's match lead to 9-3 with a 6-4 victory at 149-pounds over MSU's Thomas Allen. The Huskies earned bonus points at 157-pounds as No. 7 Clint Poster notched a big 16-0 tech fall win over MSU's Sawyer Hoffman. Poster finished the match up at 3:41 to gain those important five points. The Mavericks snapped SCSU's win streak at 165-pounds as No. 7 ranked Cody Quinn grabbed a 5-2 win over SCSU's Gabe Fogarty. The Huskies then settled matter with four consecutive wins to ice the contest. At 174-pounds, senior Kurt Salmen edged MSU's Brendan Eichmann with a 3-2 decision win to make the score 17-6. At 184-pounds, No. 1 ranked senior Shamus O'Grady pushed his season record to 32-1 with a 7-4 win over No. 4 ranked Aaron Norgren of MSU. The victory was O'Grady's 100th career win in the cardinal and black. The win also clinched the dual win for the Huskies. To leave no doubt, SCSU's Chris Brassell scored a 4-1 win over Nathan Haynes at 197-pounds and then No. 2 ranked senior Jacob Kahnke finished the night with a 4:59 pin over Corby Running of MSU at 285-pounds. "Minnesota State is a much improved team this season and I certainly didn't expect to win eight out of the 10 matches tonight," SCSU coach Steve Costanzo said. "I felt it was a very good performance on our part to get the win. "To win the NSIC title means a lot to our program. To win the NSIC title is always one of our goals at the start of the season, and now we need to be focused and set our sights on the upcoming regional and national championships. You really go through your season as a way to prepare for the end of the year and from here on out it will be a sprint to the finish." The Huskies will enjoy a brief break this weekend before heading down to the 2013 NCAA Division II Super Region 3 championships in Waterloo, Iowa on Feb. 24. SCSU is the two-time defending NCAA Division II regional champions. This meet serves as the qualifying round for the upcoming NCAA Division II championships on March 8-9 in Birmingham, Ala. Results: 125 David Demo, MSM, dec. Eric Forde, SCS, 6-0 133 Andrew Pokorny, SCS, dec. Alphonso Vruno, MSM, 5-2 141 Jay Hildreth, SCS, dec. Nathan Hennes, MSM, 6-1 149 Jacob D. Horn, SCS, dec. Thomas Allen, MSM, 6-4 157 Clint Poster, SCS, tech. fall Sawyer Hoffman, MSM, 3:41 16-0 165 Cody Quinn, MSM, dec. Gabe Fogarty, SCS, 5-2 174 Kurt Salmen, SCS, dec. Brendan Eichmann, MSM, 3-2 184 Shamus O'Grady, SCS, dec. Aaron Norgren, MSM, 7-4 197 Chris Brassell, SCS, dec. Nathan Haynes, MSM, 4-1 285 Jake Kahnke, SCS, pinned Corby Running, MSM, 4:59

NORFOLK, Va. -- The Old Dominion University wrestling team finished out their final season in the Colonial Athletic Association undefeated after defeating George Mason (25-6) on Thursday night. With the win, Old Dominion clinches the CAA regular season crown and remains unbeaten at home. The Monarchs now improve to 11-7 overall, 6-0 in the CAA and 5-0 at home. Thursday night at the Ted Constant Center also marked Senior Night for Brennan Brumley, Brett Miller and Rodin Ndandula. Both Brumley and Miller got the start for ODU and both seniors picked up key victories for the Monarchs. In the 125-pound bout, Rob Deutsch took a 2-0 lead into the second period against GMU's Richard Lavorato. After a scoreless second period, Deutsch exploded for eight points in the third period on his way to a 10-3 decision. ODU got on the board first, as they took at 3-0 lead over George Mason. No. 28 Scott Festejo met Zachary Isenhour in the 133-pound match. After a scoreless first period, Festejo started the second period with an escape and a takedown. In the third period, Isenhour took Festejo down, but it was not enough as Festejo defeated Isenhour, 4-2. 141-pounder, No. 12 Chris Mecate squared-off with George Mason's Sahid Kargbo. Mecate started the first period with a takedown and started the second period with an escape. After a stalemate third period, Mecate held onto his a 3-0 decision over Kargbo. With the win, Mecate is now on an eight-match winning-streak. Mecate's last loss came on Jan. 11 at the Virginia Duals. In the 149-pound match, No. 30 Alexander Richardson had a showdown with Greg Flournoy. Flournoy struck first and took a 2-0 lead into the second period. Flournoy got another takedown in the second period to storm out to a 4-0 lead. After starting the third period on bottom, Richardson was able to escape but could not score again as Flournoy upset Richardson, 5-1. George Mason now only trailed ODU, 9-3. One of three seniors, Brennan Brumley wrestled at 157-pounds for Old Dominion. Brumley's opponent was George Mason's Jaaziah Bethea. Bethea took a 2-1 lead into the second period, where Brumley would tie the match with another escape. In the third period, Brumley would ride-out Bethea for the entire two minutes on his way to a 3-2 victory. 165-pound senior, Brett Miller grappled with Ty Knepp. No scoring would take place until the second period, when Miller escaped and then got a takedown to take a 3-0 lead. In the third period, Miller earned a point for riding-time and went on to defeat Knepp, 4-0. Billy Curling got the start for the first time since Jan. 12 against North Dakota State at the Virginia Duals. Curling wrestled George Mason's Seth Robertson. Curling took Robertson down in the first period and started the second period with an escape to jump out to a 3-0 lead. Curling racked up another takedown just before the second period ended. Robertson started the third period with an escape, but it was Curling who was in control. Curling would pick up four team points for ODU on his way to a 10-2 major decision. The 184-pound match featured Austin Coburn and Ryan Hembury. Coburn would score first with a takedown in the first period. The only scoring in the second period took place when Coburn picked-up an escape point. Coburn earned an extra point for over two minutes of riding time on his way to a 4-0 decision. No. 31 Jacob Henderson and Matt Meadows faced-off in the battle of 197-pounders. After a scoreless first period, Henderson stayed on-top of Meadows the entire second period. With riding-time in his back pocket, Henderson started the third period with an escape and a 1-0 lead. With the riding-time point, Henderson defeated Meadows, 2-0 The last match of the night showcased Matt Tourdot and Jake Kettler. Kettler transferred from the University of Minnesota. The only scoring in the first two periods was off an escape from Tourdot. Kettler started the third period with an escape of his own to tie the match at 1-1. Tourdot started the third period with a takedown and now led Kettler, 3-1. However, Tourdot's scoring would end there as Kettler who countered with a takedown of his own and then followed that up with a three-point near-fall. It was Kettler who came out of this match victorious, 6-3. Results: 125: Rob Deutsch dec. Richard Lavorato 10-3; ODU: 3 GMU: 0 133: No. 28 Scott Festejo dec. Zachary Isenhour 4-2; ODU: 6 GMU: 0 141: No. 12 Chris Mecate dec. Sahid Kargbo 3-0; ODU: 9 GMU: 0 149: Greg Flournoy dec. No. 30 Alexander Richardson 5-1; ODU: 9 GMU: 3 157: Brennan Brumley dec. Jaaziah Bethea 3-2; ODU: 12 GMU: 3 165: Brett Miller dec. Ty Knepp 4-0; ODU: 15 GMU: 3 174: Billy Curling MD Seth Robertson 10-2; ODU: 19 GMU: 3 184: Austin Coburn dec. Ryan Hembury 4-0; ODU: 22 GMU: 3 197: No. 31 Jacob Henderson dec. Matt Meadows 2-0; ODU: 25 GMU: 3 HWT: Jake Kettler dec. Matt Tourdot 6-3; ODU: 25 GMU: 6

Indian wrestlers outside their Guru Kalwa akhara in Taj Gangaghat, India Wrestling is an inextricable aspect of the human experience. We are born a ball of fleshy mush and spend much of the next 80 years sharpening our mental and physical capabilities. That growth never comes easy. We struggle with the multiplication table, foreign languages and improving our health. There's a consistent tug between what is capable and what is possible and until we reach our potential we are left to labor for our wants and needs. The sport of wrestling is the most direct representation of that most human struggle. Indian women gathering to watch women's wrestling at a tournament in Dwarka, India on Saturday, Feb. 10The members of the IOC committee that voted to exclude wrestling from the 2020 Olympics aren't your typical citizens of the world. Most are Western European pseudo-diplomats with glimmers of grandeur and the shine of champagne-soaked crystal blinding them to the upside of struggle. To them wrestling is violence and barbarism, a sport rendered useless by the comforts of modernity. Many on the committee were coddled inside a womb of opportunity. They've progressed through nepotism, manipulation and bribery to become cake eaters with their hands on the controls of the world's most important sporting event. What the cake eaters can't purchase is the experience of knowing wrestling's worldwide appeal and that the sport's importance lays beyond their contrived metrics of viewership and revenue. Wrestling is more than a set of numbers. It can help influence the social balance of Third World countries, promote equal rights for women, and give ethnic minorities and chance to receive the political patronage necessary for advancement. A wrestler churns up his pit to prepare for the next traditional Kushti practiceThough soccer is currently more popular, wrestling is the most widely participated sport in the history of the world. Despite what anyone writes there is no birthdate for wrestling, no single moment when one society can claim to have created the sport or have delivered it to another country. Adventurers for the National Geographic Society spent the majority of the 19th century reporting back on societies previously unknown to the world. Their journals are brimming with African, Amazonian and island cultures that celebrated wrestling and used it as a form of conflict resolution, social pruning and celebrations of strength and courage. Find a map, throw a dart and you'll hit a country, tribe, or ethnic group with its own wrestling style. Wrestling has been discovered on all seven continents. Culture to culture wrestling has survived dictatorship, plague, and the invasion of foreign armies. The Turkish Oil wrestling festival of Kirkipinar is the longest consecutively held athletic event in recorded human history, with 667 consecutive contests. But now the sport of wrestling might have an expiration date thanks to the fish-handed, bribe-taking pseudo-intellectuals and their ilk that would rather preserve a contrived competition of Lords and Barons than the first sport of mankind. Though it's Olympic Wrestling that stands to lose its competition, the ripples will potentially decimate what remains of the world's traditional wrestling styles. Countries and cultures with powerful wrestling traditions use those traditions as concentrated examples of their culture's values, tastes, religious preferences and a multitude of other important expressions. Losing the Olympics threatens these traditions by sending the message that the world is in favor of blanching cultures in favor of modernity's leisure activities. We've seen modern wants trump societal needs in America. Title IX might have been the legislative right hook that staggered the wrestling community, but it's an American culture feverish for spectacle over substance that has allowed wrestling, a sport seen as barbaric and violent, to be almost knocked out in favor of football, a sport actually barbaric and violent. Chinese wrestlers watch as Foley battles in traditional shuaijiao in XinzhouTraditional wrestling isn't well known to Americans, making it difficult to understand and support. Until two years ago it was a mystery to me as well. My perspective changed in 2010 when I traveled to a village in Northern Vietnam and discovered a vibrant wrestling tradition that took place in the dirt. The next year I spent several months in China and Mongolia and was fortunate to practice and enter traditional tournaments. Wrestling has always been my passion as a competitor, but with traditional wrestling I soon became a conservationist and experiential journalist. To help document my experiences I established the website WrestlingRoots.org. Within weeks I was receiving emails from around the world, each with a passionate explanation of their culture's traditional style. I fell deeper into study and eventually established an emerging non-profit organization called The Wrestling Roots Foundation (WRF). There's no corporation behind the project (we're still waiting on our NFP status), but with my co-executive director Mark Lovejoy we actively share our information about traditional wrestling across the website, Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. The WRF's mission statement is "To document and promote traditional wrestling styles from around the world." Marigold and dandelion wreaths are handed out to special guests who win their matches. Foley spent an hour shaking hands with fans after the matchI learned of the IOC's decision to drop wrestling on the day I left India after a week of training, studying and reporting about traditional kushti wrestling. I'll be writing articles for several outlets about my time at various events, but balanced against the IOC's decision, my time in India clarified the largest danger behind the elimination of wrestling on the international stage. Cancelling the Olympics for wrestlers is pulling a thread that will unravel more than just the dreams of Olympic-level wrestlers, or the eliminating the history of these historically relevant wrestling styles, it will also cause permanent damage the equality campaigns of disenfranchised peoples all around the world. For women in Mongolia, wrestling has been a method for capturing social equality. While in the country I visited Tsetserleg, the capital city of Arhangai, a state in the center of the country. Arhangai is the countryside home to The Citadel wrestler Turtogtokh and he'd invited to join him in competing at a local summer wrestling tournament called Naadam. On arrival I was sent to the sports hall to ask for permission to enter. Inside the building photographs of the areas famous wrestlers hung inside, some wearing traditional Mongolian wrestling outfits belying their success in the fields, while former Olympians were in singlets. The most impressive boasting was a 20-foot banner hanging on the walls outside complex with a large photograph of Battsetseg a 2010 World champion from Tsetserleg. Battsetseg is a woman. She later won bronze at the 2012 Olympics. Mongolian wrestling is tightly connected to the animal kingdom. After a win Foley engages in the celebratory and respectful eagle danceMongolia is still learning how to deal with women in a modern society. Women are the majority of the modern workforce and deal with a male population that is estimated to be hampered by a rate of alcoholism nearing forty percent. The females run businesses and the household, but earning respect in the media and among the men has always been difficult. The success of Battsetseg and other women wrestlers gives the girls of the country something to admire and becomes a point of pride among women. Men also seem to think that their accomplishments are noteworthy. In Mongolia Olympic medals matter. Wrestling is at the center of their sporting culture, and losing the chance to impress with their on-mat heroics eliminates a powerful vehicle for equality. Two female wrestlers are competing at the "All India Women's Wrestling Association" in DwarkaIndia is still reeling from the brutal rape and murder of "Damini" on a Delhi bus earlier this year. Women are largely treated poorly, with more than 100k dowry murders committed every year with few, if any, prosecuted. Men's wrestling has recently earned accolades through the accomplishments of Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt and after the bus incident both acted quickly to provide more funding to women's wrestling teams to help promote the idea of equality for women in India. The response has been tremendous. Women wrestlers are cutting their hair shorter and wearing western outfits. They swagger like the men and though they've yet to place at the Olympics, success is/was only a matter of time. In a country starved for Olympic medals tens of thousands of women would have earned the respect of their male counterparts by just putting forth the effort on behalf of their countrymen. Ethnic tensions are also being solved through wrestling. After the split from Sudan, the tribes of South Sudan fell into score settling and in-fighting that looked to hamper the development of the new nation. Cattle rustling, rape and murder were common occurrences between several tribes. Wrestling is the national sport of South Sudan so the WRF recently submitted a proposal for funding that would assist the financial needs of the South Sudanese Wrestling League in their bid to host an annual wrestling tournament aimed at peace. The SSWL had previously held a tournament and invited warring tribes to participate in a traditional Sudanese-style wrestling tournament. Because of the distances many had to travel that year to compete, warring tribes were forced to join camps. Women who'd lost their husbands to the fighting were now cooking meals to the men who very well may have been responsible. In the year following that event the crime rate between the tribes was reduced to zero. Not only is there no more crime between the tribes, the star wrestlers have even been asked to visit other tribes to show their moves and train. Olympic wrestling, traditional wrestling, or head locking your cousin at Thanksgiving, wrestling connects people through physical forms of communication, and when the spoken word is impossible or inadequate. The wrestling community in America is criticized for being disparate and regionalized in times of crisis, but at the individual level we consistently behave as a brotherhood (Ever given the underhook-to-Russian welcoming to an old wrestler buddy?). That same level of camaraderie extends to the international scene. The Olympics are the world's biggest stage for cross-cultural communication, and nothing is more personal and meaningful than wrestling. Swimming and running are both sports with which humans participate, but their individual sports without interaction. Foley receives celebratory cake from an official at the Tsetserleg Naadam in July of 2011Wrestling is the world's purest social sport. Sharing sweat and blood is the quickest passageway to mutual respect. I've seen it in every country I've visited. The hosts invariably make me the guest of honor at tournaments and though each time I'm expecting to be booed for winning or laughed at for losing, I'm always applauded and made to feel like a hero. I compete with all my strength and for that fans will kiss my face, shake my hand, take hundreds of photos and even pay me money. They want to show their gratitude for choosing to experience part of their culture, and showing courage against their wrestlers. It might be a modest level of international diplomacy, but it's an effective and substantial reason for keeping the sport as a part of the Olympic Games. Certainly no other sport, not even the worldwide phenomenon of modern pentathlon can claim the same social consequences. Wrestling is the purest form of sport and the root of all other competition. A match for superiority over yourself and an opponent is the starting block for games like Kabbadi, which uses compact geographical areas as part of a multi-person running and wrestling game. Kabbadi and its cousins developed into larger format games like rugby, which used idols and geography as the representation of control and power. Eventually those games were spun, twisted and manifested into contests like soccer, tennis, football and even table tennis. All were derived from wrestling. Foley wins his challenge match at the dangal in Paschim Vihar, New DelhiThe reaction to the IOC's decision has focused on the poor leadership of FILA, the corruption of the IOC and the overall idiocy of removing one of the original sports. Others have mentioned that ratings and sponsorships aren't wholly competitive with other sports. Those things might matter for the bullshit metrics, but maybe these virtuosos of social engineering and management should attempt to quantify the loss of human experience likely to be felt by eliminating the world's most important wrestling competition. What about the girls living in squalor in India hoping that they can struggle to become an Olympic champion and a national hero? What about curtailing violence in areas of tribal conflict? Can trampoline replace the role of wrestling on the Mongolian steppe? Maybe this elimination is all about the quantitative shortcoming of wrestling, but there are meaningful qualitative consequences to consider. As of now the IOC has decided to snuff out centuries of rich traditions so that a few ethnocentric elitists in Western Europe can enjoy a vintage bottle of champagne and congratulate themselves for doing exactly the opposite of their charge.

UFC on FUEL 7 this Saturday features a bantamweight title fight between interim champion Renan Barao and young contender Michael McDonald. But that's not the only significant 135-pound bout going down, with Bellator champ Eduardo Dantas facing tournament winner and teammate Marcos Galvao. Richard and John preview all of the action and then question the International Olympic Committee's decision to essentially scrap wrestling from the event. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

BOISE, Idaho -- Redshirt senior Jason Chamberlain notched the 100th win of his Bronco career, Wednesday as the Boise State wrestling team won its regular-season finale against Utah Valley, 29-10 at Taco Bell Arena. The win was the eighth-straight for Boise State which is now 10-5 on the season. Seniors Chamberlain and George Ivanov were honored before the match and picked up wins in back-to-back bouts at 149 and 157 pounds, respectively. Chamberlain defeated Josh Wilson by a 10-4 decision, bookending the bout with two takedowns in the first and third periods. The victory also marked 21-straight for Chamberlain who is 22-1 this season and ranked No. 2 in the country. The Springville, Utah native walked off the mat of his final match at Taco Bell Arena to a standing ovation from the Bronco fans in attendance. Ivanov followed with major decision against Chase Cuthbertson, 15-5. It's the third time in the last four matches that the Council Bluffs, Iowa native has picked up bonus points as he continues a 10-bout win streak which is the third longest on the team behind Chamberlain and Jake Swartz (15). No. 14 J.T. Felix got things started in a hurry at 285 pounds as he pinned Adam Fager 1:52 into the opening period. Felix took down Fager, who was the WWC Wrestler of the Week this week, a little over a minute into the match. From there Felix would have accumulated three points for a near fall had it not been for the pin. The fall is the fourth for Felix this season, three of which have come in the first period. Jake Swartz battled through a tough bout with Derek Thomas at 184 pounds. Swartz, who is ranked ninth in his weight class, used a takedown with 11 second remaining in the third period to secure the 6-3 victory in a bout that was stopped several times for blood timeouts. Freshman Travis Himmelman and sophomore Scott Bacon each helped the Broncos to their 29 points on the night. Himmelman earned four with a major decision over Avery Garner at 141 pounds while Bacon was just short of a major decision, winning 9-3. The Broncos will not compete again until Saturday, March, 2 at the Pac-12 Championships in Tempe, Ariz. Results: 285: No. 14 J.T. Felix (BSU) fall Adam Fager, 1:52 125: Rami Haddadin (BSU) win by default 133: Chasen Tolbert (UVU) major dec. Manny Ybarra, 14-0 141: Travis Himmelman (BSU) major dec. Avery Garner, 12-3 149: No. 2 Jason Chamberlain (BSU) dec. Josh Wilson, 10-4 157: No. 17 George Ivanov (BSU) major dec. Chase Cuthbertson, 15-5 165: Abner Cook (UVU) dec. Holden Packard, 5-0 174: Scott Bacon (BSU) dec. Monte Schmalhaus, 9-3 184: No. 9 Jake Swartz (BSU) dec. Derek Thomas, 6-3 197: David Prieto (UVU) dec. Cody Dixon, 3-2

The 2013 Freestyle World Cup will be held Thursday, Feb. 21 and Friday, Feb. 22 in Tehran, Iran, where top nations in the world will compete. The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championships, and one of the most important wrestling events each year. Qualified countries for this year's Freestyle World Cup are Russia, Iran, the United States, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Japan, Belarus, Bulgaria and Turkey. These 10 countries, which were the top teams at the 2012 London Olympic Games, will compete in two pools of five nations on Thursday. The pairings for the pools have not yet been announced. On Saturday, the medal matches will be held, to determine the top 10 teams in the world. The United States is bringing a large group of athletes to Iran, and will select the competitors for the World Cup matches from this group. Included on the U.S. roster at the Freestyle World Cup will be Olympic gold medalists Jordan Burroughs at 74 kg/163 lbs. and Jake Varner at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. Burroughs was a 2011 World champion and NCAA champion for Nebraska in 2009 and 2001. Varner took third place at the 2011 World Championships, was a two-time NCAA champion in 2009 and 2010 for Iowa State and a 2009 World Team member. Also on the roster are 2012 Olympic bronze medalist Coleman Scott at 60 kg/132 lbs. and 2009 World bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. Scott was a 2008 NCAA champion at Oklahoma State and Dlagnev was a 2012 Olympic Team member. Dlagnev also won a gold at the 2008 World University Championships and was a two-time NCAA champion at Nebraska-Kearney. Other past NCAA champions competing at the World Cup are two-time NCAA champion from Iowa Brent Metcalf at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., 2010 NCAA champion from Missouri Max Askren at 84 kg/185 lbs. and 2011 NCAA champion Zach Rey of Lehigh at 120 kg/264.5 lbs. 2010 World Team members on the roster include Obe Blanc at 55 kg/121 lbs. and J.D. Bergman at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. The Greco-Roman World Cup is also scheduled for Tehran, Iran, February 19-20. The United States is not one of the nations in the field in Greco-Roman. Wrestling is a national sport in Iran, and huge sellout crowds are expected to fill the Azadi Sports Complex all week long. USA Wrestling has a close relationship with the Iranian Wrestling Federation, and U.S. teams have competed in Iran numerous times since 1998, when a U.S. freestyle wrestling team was the first U.S. sports team to compete in Iran after the Iranian Revolution. MEN'S FREESTYLE SENIOR WRESTLING WORLD CUP At Tehran, Iran, Feb. 20-22 Event Schedule Thursday, Feb. 21 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. -- Pool competition (Session 1 and 2) 2:30-3 p.m. -- Opening Ceremony 3:30-7:30 p.m. -- Pool competition (Session 3, 4 and 5) Friday, Feb. 22 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. -- Final matches: 9th/10th, 7th/8th and 5th/6th place matches 2-5 p.m. -- Final matches: 3rd/4th and 1st/2nd place matches U.S. World Cup tentative lineup 55 kg/121 lbs. -- Obe Blanc, Stillwater, Okla. (Titan Mercury WC) 55 kg/121 lbs. -- Zach Sanders, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Storm) 60 kg/132 lbs. -- Jimmy Kennedy, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC) 60 kg/132 lbs. -- Coleman Scott, Stillwater, Okla. (Unnattached) 66 kg/145.5 lbs. -- Brent Metcalf, Iowa City, Iowa (New York AC) 66 kg/145.5 lbs. -- Chase Pami, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) 74 kg/163 lbs. -- Jordan Burroughs, Lincoln, Neb. (Sunkist Kids) 74 kg/163 lbs. -- Nick Marable, Columbia, Mo. (Sunkist Kids) 84 kg/185 lbs. -- Max Askren, Somers, N.Y. (New York AC) 84 kg/185 lbs. -- Phil Keddy, Iowa City, Iowa (Hawkeye WC) 96 kg/211.5 lbs. -- J.D. Bergman, Columbus, Ohio (New York AC) 96 kg/211.5 lbs. -- Jake Varner, State College, Pa. (Nittany Lion WC) 120 kg/264.5 lbs. -- Zach Rey, Hopatcong, N.J. (Lehigh Valley AC) 120 kg/264.5 lbs. -- Tervel Dlagnev, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids) Coaches -- National Freestyle Coach Zeke Jones of Colorado Springs, Colo.; Assistant National Freestyle Coach Bill Zadick of Colorado Springs, Colo.; Andy Hrovat of Ann Arbor, Mich. Medical -- Dave Grossman, Bloomington, Ind. Official -- Kevin Maxwell, Utica, N.Y. Freestyle World Cup Team Rosters http://www.fila-official.com/images/FILA/entries/2013/entries_02_tehran_fs.pdf Greco-Roman World Cup Team Rosters http://www.fila-official.com/images/FILA/entries/2013/entries_02_tehran_gr.pdf

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The fifth-ranked Tigers honored the 2012-13 senior class Wednesday night with a 43-3 rout over the SIU-Edwardsville Cougars. Nearly a thousand fans packed the Hearnes Center to witness Mizzoutake nine of 10 matches, eight of which came in bonus point territory. The Tigers improved to 12-2 on the year and 20-4 all-time against SIUE. In what happened to be an evening full of scoring, Missouri grapplers won weight classes 141 through 197 all by major decision, technical fall, or pin. Zach Toal (Sidney, Ohio) and Mike Larson (McKinleyville, Calif.) both won by fall against their Cougar counterparts, and Brent Haynes (Kansas City, Mo.) and sophomore 149-pounder Trevor Wiest (O’Fallon, Mo.) acquired technical falls. Toal made quick work of his opponent Adam Osmoe by pinning him at 2:25. Toal only needed one takedown before getting Osmoe flat on his back. At 184, Larson waited until the last possible second to finish off Derek Nagel. Simultaneously, as the buzzer went off, the official smacked his hand on the mat indicated a pin at 6:59. Filling in for Drake Houdashelt at149, Wiest made the most of his opportunity by taking shot after shot. Wiest tallied nine takedowns and three nearfalls of two points in his 25-9 technical fall over Logun Taylor at 6:07. Wiest’s nine total takedowns is good enough for the most in a dual bout this season for a Tiger. Houdashelt previously heldthat honor with eight. Haynes added nine points to a 8-2 lead after two periods. A takedown and a couple three-point nearfalls got the senior the technical fall and his 107th career win as a Tiger. Senior 141-pounder Nicholas Hucke (Pewaukee, Wisc.) took care of Brandon Brindley by major decision thanks to 3:18 of riding time that increased the final score to 10-2. Kyle Bradley (St. Peters, Mo.) and Todd Porter (House Springs, Mo.) also added major decisions at 157 and 174, respectively. Bradley tacked on four takedowns, a reversal, and a two-point nearfall to earn his ninth major decision. Coming off of a big weekend against Oklahoma State and Oklahoma in early February, Porter earned his third in as many tries with a 17-5 victory over Jake Residori. Porter has a team-leading 49 takedowns on the year after accumulating six more Wednesday. The Tigers’ big man and No. 1-ranked heavyweight in the land Dom Bradley (Blue Springs, Mo.) capped the night off with a 6-2 decision over David Devine, the only win that didn’t count for bonus points. SIUE’s Patrick Myers closed the team score gap to 6-3 at 133 pounds after the Cougars failed to send a 125-pounder to combat No. 4 Alan Waters. Myers defeated Mizzou redshirt freshman BoomerBoyd (Wilmington, N.C.) 6-1 with 1:36 of riding time accumulated. Boyd got his first career start at 133 pounds against Myers and couldn’t amass much more than a few near takedowns and an escape. The loss marked the first time since the 1999-2000 campaign that the Tigers had given up team points against theCougars. Next up, the Tigers welcome No. 16Purdue, No. 20 Wyoming, and Maryland to Columbia for the NWCA Cliff Keen National Duals Midwest Regional this Sunday. The winner of the four-team bracket will advance to Minnesota the following week to compete in the Finals. Tickets are available for this elite event by visiting our ticket office online or by calling 1-800-CAT-PAWS. Stay up-to-date with Tiger Style Wrestling byfollowing us on Facebook and Twitter, and as always at MUTigers.com. Results: 125 – No. 4 Alan Waters (MU) wins by forfeit over Unknown (SIUE) 6 0 133 – Patrick Meyers (SIUE) dec. Boomer Boyd (MU) 6-1 6 3 141 – Nicholas Hucke (MU) major dec. over Brandon Brindley (SIUE) 10-2 10 3 149 – Trevor Wiest(MU) tech. fall Logun Taylor (SIUE) 25-9 6:07 15 3 157 – No. 16 Kyle Bradley (MU) major dec. over Kyle Lowman (SIUE) 13-4 19 3 165 – No. 13 Zach Toal (SIUE) fall Adam Osmoe (SIUE) at 2:25 25 3 174 – No. 11 Todd Porter (SIUE) major dec. over Jake Residori (SIUE) 17-5 29 3 184 – No. 10 Mike Larson (MU) fall Derek Nagel (SIUE) at 6:59 35 3 197 – No. 11 Brent Haynes (MU) tech. fall over Deshoun White (SIUE) 17-2 40 3 HWT – No. 1 Dom Bradley (MU) dec. over David Devine (SIUE) 6-2 43 3

Four regional events for the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals will be held Sunday, Feb. 17 at Cornell, Kent State, Missouri, and Oregon State. The four regional winners will advance to the championship, which will take place Feb. 23-24 at the University of Minnesota. Minnesota, Iowa, Ohio State, and Illinois earned automatic berths in the eight-team championship. The regional brackets have been released. The top seeds are Cornell, Oklahoma State, Missouri, and Virgina Tech.

Penn State head wrestling coach Cael Sanderson was a guest on the Jim Rome Show on Wednesday. Sanderson talks about wrestling being dropped from the 2020 Olympic Games. Cael Sanderson

Eric Guerrero

Takedown's Scott Casber talks with prominent wrestling figures about the IOC's decision to drop wrestling from the Olympic Games in 2020. Bruce Baumgartner | Michael Novogratz | Randy Lewis | Lee Kemp | Nick Gallo | Russ Hellickson | Kevin Jackson | Jake Herbert | Rich Bender | Eric Guerrero

Isaiah Bradley is one of 21 undefeated wrestlers in Indiana (Photo/Paul Tincher, IndianaMat.com) Undefeated showdowns rule in the Hoosier State This Friday and Saturday marks the 75th annual Indiana High School Athletic Association state wrestling tournament, as the single-class event will be held at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Twenty-one wrestlers enter the championship weekend undefeated, with 12 weights featuring at least one undefeated wrestler. Seven of those weights feature two undefeated wrestlers, while an eighth weight features a trio of wrestlers without a loss on the season. It all starts at the opening weight class, where freshman Chad Red (New Palestine) -- ranked No. 6 nationally -- enters the tournament with a 44-0 record. Joining Red in his half of the draw is junior Hayden Lee (Garrett), who is ranked No. 20 nationally with a 36-1 record; the wrestlers met for seventh place at the Super 32 Challenge, a match that red won 6-0. The other half of the draw features two undefeated wrestlers: freshman Brock Hudkins (Danville), who could face 40-1 sophomore Garrett Pepple (East Noble) in the quarterfinal; and junior Jake Sinkovics (Mishawaka), who upset Lee in the finals of a late December tournament. Seeking back-to-back state titles is No. 2 Stevan Micic (Hanover Central), who is undefeated at 44-0 during his junior season at 113 pounds. However, another undefeated wrestler looms as a possible finals opponent in sophomore Connor Knopp (East Noble), presuming he is able to clear returning state placer Jacob Cottey (Perry Meridian), who is 37-1 this season. Returning state runner-up Cody LeCount (Perry Meridian), also a Cadet National freestyle runner-up this summer, is ranked No. 19 nationally at 132 pounds. The junior enters the state tournament undefeated with a 36-0 record. In the other half is senior Levi Moss (Benjamin Davis), a returning state placer who is also undefeated with a record of 35-0. The 138 pound weight class is jam-packed with talent, including a pair of undefeated wrestlers in senior Luke Blanton (Alexandria) and sophomore No. 18 Tommy Forte (Mishawaka); Blanton placed fourth at state last year, though he upset defending state champion Neal Molloy in the quarterfinal, while Forte placed third at state with a consolation final victory over Blanton. The path to the state title for Blanton will not be easy, with NHSCA Junior National All-American Anthony McHugh (Culver Academy) looming as a quarterfinal opponent after his 3-2 loss to Forte in the semi-state final; and then a possible semifinal with 39-1 senior Tyler Hupp (Indian Creek), who placed sixth at the Preseason Nationals. In Forte's half of the draw, a semifinal matchup with two-time state placer Chandler Carroll (Yorktown), 40-1 during his junior season, is looming in his path. The 152-pound weight class features defending state champion Isaiah Bradley (Muncie Southside), who is ranked No. 18 nationally and carries an undefeated 33-0 record during his senior season. Joining Bradley here is a pair of returning state runners-up -- senior Josh Farrell (Greenfield Central) and junior Vinny Corsaro (Indianpolis Cathedral). Farrell is undefeated for the season at 44-0, including a 5-4 victory over Corsaro in the semi-state final this past weekend. The draw sets up so that Farrell is in the top half, while Bradley and Corsaro are featured in the projection bottom half-bracket semifinal. Another pair of undefeated wrestlers looms in the 170-pound weight class, one of whom is sophomore Bobby Steveson (Merrillville), who is ranked No. 19 nationally. Steveson placed fifth at state last year, was third in Cadet freestyle, and carries a 35-0 record this season. While in the opposite half of the draw, Riley Lefever (Fort Wayne Carroll) enters this weekend with a 43-0 record. Also in this weight is junior Jake Rickenbaugh (Heritage Hills), who has a 46-1 record, and is in the opposite quarter of the half-bracket featuring Steveson. At 195 pounds, defending state champion Mitch Sliga (Fishers) enters the state tournament with a 45-0 record. The senior Sliga -- ranked No. 4 nationally -- is joined by fellow undefeated senior Clayton Fiddler (Bloomington South), who is 44-0 this year, in the bottom half of the draw. In addition, Sliga's projected quarterfinal match is against 45-1 senior Kyle Garringer (Jay County). The top half of the draw features three seniors each having one loss on the season; Joseph Ross (Northfield) has a 36-1 mark in the top quarter, while 46-1 Jacob Ricks (Benton Central) and Kalob Salkill (South Spencer) are both in the second quarter. Last among the weights with a pair of undefeated wrestlers is 220 pounds, where both without a loss are juniors and in opposite halves of the draw. Fletcher Miller (Kokomo) is in the top half of the draw with a 47-0 record, and it's the much easier half, as the only other notable is Connor Tolley (Franklin Community); Tolley is in the other quarter-bracket, and was a Cadet double All-American this past summer. Returning third in the state Gelen Robinson (Lake Central) is 45-0 this year, and is looking at a quarterfinal match against a senior with only one loss on the season -- either 28-1 Jason Nicodemus (Churubusco) or 34-1 Dylan Jones (Avon); while the other quarter of that bottom half features 37-1 junior Maximilia Hernandez (Warren Central) and 47-1 senior Jared Boehm (Heritage Hills). Additional undefeated wrestlers include junior Deandre Wilson (Warren Central), 34-0 at 120 pounds; senior Nick Crume (Jimtown), 34-0 at 126; senior Neal Molloy (Danville), 39-0 and ranked No. 7 nationally at 145; and senior Matt Hurford (Culver Community), 43-0 at 182. Notable among those weights is the 126-pound class, which is obviously led by two-time state third place finisher Crume in the bottom quarter of the draw. The top quarter of this draw features a pair of state placers, both with one loss on the season -- sophomore Brandon James (Perry Meridian) and Luke Welch (Castle). They are joined in the upper half by Blake Denton (Twin Lake), a junior also with one loss on the season. The quarter opposite of Crume in the bottom half of the draw features two wrestlers with a single loss -- senior Tom Gettinger (Connersville), who upset James in the semi-state final, and junior Josh Fuqua (Crown Point), state runner-up at 103 in 2011. The two weights without an undefeated wrestler are 160 and 285 pounds. The 160-pound weight features returning state runner-up Luke Kreich (Franklin Community) and returning state third place finisher Austin McCloskey (Western Boone), both appear in the same quarter bracket of the draw. The 285-pound weight class has three nationally ranked wreslters in No. 10 Donte Winfield (Perry Meridian), a Junior National freestyle runner-up; along with returning state placers No. 13 Eric Hemmelgarm (Jay County) and No. 15 Wesley Bernard (Indianapolis Cathedral). The senior Winfield had split matches with Bernard heading into their semi-state final this past weekend; however, Bernard won this third match of the season. As a result, the junior Bernard has the more manageable half of the draw, opposite of both other nationally ranked wrestlers. Winfield is in a tough quarter bracket with freshman sensation Shawn Streck (Merrillville), who is 38-4 on the year and was a semi-state champion; while the second quarter of the draw features the junior Hemmelgarm. Coming down to the wire in the Keystone State This weekend's Class AAA state team championship match between No. 10 Canon McMillan and No. 29 Central Dauphin came down to the final bout, when Brendan Price came up the hero for the Big Macs pulling out a 4-3 decision over Zach Elvin at 106 pounds to give Canon McMillan the 34-31 victory. The dual meet went back-and-forth between the two squads, with the Rams firing the first salvo in the form of senior Austin Camacci's 13-0 major decision victory at 113 pounds. Three consecutive Canon McMillan victories gave them their biggest lead of the meet at 14-4. Those came in the form of a pin at 3:50 from No. 12 Dalton Macri, a 21-5 technical fall from No. 3 Connor Schram, and an 8-1 decision by Alec Hutchin. Central Dauphin then responded with five consecutive victories to take a 26-14 lead after 170 pounds; those coming in the form of a forfeit win for No. 8 Tyson Dippery, a 7-0 victory from Nick Varndell, a 14-2 major decision for Austin Rose, a 12 second pin by No. 5 Garrett Peppelman, and a 10-5 decision from Colton Peppelman. Cody Wiericioch, ranked No. 2 in the nation at 170, but wrestling up one weight in this match buffered the tide with a 19-4 technical fall victory to pull Canon McMillan to within 26-19. However, Terrance Parsons would respond right back with a 15-0 technical fall to extend the Rams lead back out to 31-19 with three matches remaning. Then it was consecutive pins by No. 15 Alex Campbell and Angelo Broglia to tie the match at 31-all, and set up the last weight class drama, which resulted in a repeat team state championship for Canon-McMillan. There was no such “down to the wire” in the Class AA tournament, as No. 22 Bethlehem Catholic ran through their four matches like a hot knife through butter. The opening match was an 81-0 shutout against Lower Moreland with only a 15-0 technical fall at 132 and 14-6 major decision at 160 preventing an all-pin assault. It was a 39-18 victory over Fort LeBoeuf, nine matches to five, in a rematch of the 2011 team state final during this year's quarterfinal round. The semifinal round featured a 48-9 victory for the Hawks over Bermudian Springs in which they won eleven of fourteen bouts. In the championship match, Bethlehem Catholic earned the three-peat with a 43-16 (10 matches to 4) victory over Reynolds, who had won this event three times in the recent past. Finishing third in the Class AAA event was No. 34 Franklin Regional, who had a couple of close calls along their journey. The Panthers opened with a 54-15 win over Jersey Shore, before escaping with a 29-28 quarterfinal victory over Owen J. Roberts. Their front-side run was ended in a 41-25 defeat to Central Dauphin, before a 29-25 consolation semifinal victory over Erie McDowell was followed up by a 29-26 victory over Easton in the consolation final. Sooner State decides its team champions At two different sites in Oklahoma, Claremore for the upper two classes (6A and 5A), Cushing for the smaller two classes (4A and 3A), team state champions were decided in the dual meet format. The Class 6A tournament saw a slight surprise as Broken Arrow, previously ranked No. 25, was upset in the semifinal round losing 28-27 to Muskogee. As a result, the Tigers slide back to No. 36 in the Fab50. While, it was No. 30 Edmond North able to capitalize on that upset and come away with the big school state team title. The Huskies had three competitive, but somewhat decisive, dual meets on their way to the title: 39-25 over Sapulpa in the final round, 35-18 over Tulsa Union in the semifinal, and 43-25 over Muskogee in the final. It was No. 12 Collinsville winning the Class 5A championship with a pair of blowout victories -- 64-10 over Deer Creek and 67-6 over Coweta -- before a rather tight 31-24 finals victory over Lawton McArthur. No. 40 Tuttle made it a four-peat in Class 4A with three dominating victories on Saturday: 63-13 over Bristow in the opening round, 61-9 over Blackwell in the semifinal, and finally 43-10 over Vinita in the final. Lastly it was Perry winning the small school (Class 3A) title with a 30-25 finals victory over Newkirk. Show-Me the state championships Tomorrow marks the beginning of the Missouri State Wrestling Championships, as all four classifications start their tournaments at the Mizzou Arena in Columbia. In the big school competition (Class 4), No. 32 Park Hill enters as a slight favorite over No. 37 Blue Springs. The Trojans are working with 11 total state qualifiers, while the Wildcats -- though favored to win four weight brackets -- only have eight competing in Columbia. Outside contenders in Class 4 are Seckman and Holt, who each have nine wrestlers qualified. Two weight classes in this classification stand out for their quality of competition. Two returning state champions are featured at 138 pounds, both of whom are juniors; Sam Crane (Rock Bridge), who is 43-1 on the season, and two-time state champion No. 9 Daniel Lewis (Blue Springs), who is 42-0. Those two wrestlers are in opposite halves of the draw; however, another undefeated competitor is in this weight bracket, 47-0 senior Nick Olejnik (Lafayette Wildwood) who is in the same half-bracket as Crane. Two of the nation's top 100 senior recruits, both of whom were Junior National folkstyle champions last spring, are in the same half-bracket at 145 pounds: No. 16 Darick Lapaglia (Blue Springs) and Clayton Ream (Holt). Two-time state champion Lapaglia, also Junior National freestyle All-American, enters the state tournament 40-1; while three-time state placer, but never a state champion, Ream enters 48-1. Both wrestlers' lone loss this season is to Grant Leeth, but Lapaglia also carries a win over Leeth during this season. Lingering in the opposite half-bracket is senior Russell Coleman (Park Hill), who is well-positioned to earn the dubious distinction of being a four-time state runner-up. Other nationally ranked wrestlers in Class 4 include No. 4 Ke-Shawn Hayes (Park Hill) at 113, No. 11 Cain Salas (Blue Springs) at 152, No. 8 (at 152) Austin Eads (Blue Springs South) competing at 160, No. 9 Michael Pixley (Blue Springs) at 182, and No. 2 (at 220) J'Den Cox (Hickman) competing at 285. No. 43 Kearney will seek to repeat in the Class 3 tournament, while working with just eight state qualifiers; and without the presence of Junior National freestyle All-American Seth Brayfield, who failed to qualify for state at 120 pounds. Key wrestlers for the Bulldogs include state champions No. 7 Jaret Singh (113), Kevin Kinney (138), and No. 18 Grant Leeth (145); along with state runners-up Blake Clevenger (132) and Blain Drescher (160). Teams seeking to dethrone Kearney include Neosho, with 13 state qualifiers; Oak Park Staley, with 12 state qualifiers; and Farmington, with 9 state qualifiers. Oak Grove (10 qualifiers) is the favorite in Class 2, while Whitfield (9 qualifiers) is the favorite in Class 1. Garden State to decide its best teams on Sunday While the individual state tournament sanctioned by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) is un-scored and a single-class affair, the team championships decided by dual meets is conducted in four public-school and two non-public-school groups based on enrollment. There are four nationally ranked teams under the NJSIAA umbrella, No. 26 South Plainfield, No. 35 Bergen Catholic, No. 38 Bound Brook, and No. 41 Don Bosco Prep. South Plainfield is a prohibitive favorite in the Group 3 tournament, Bound Brook has the same status in the Group 1 (small school) tournament, while Bergen Catholic and Don Bosco Prep are likely to meet on Friday night in the Non-public Group A North section final. The tournaments started with 24 teams in each public school group and 12 in the two private school groups as determined and seeded by power points. Each of the four public school sections and two private school sections in a group went from six to four on Monday night, with the sectional semifinals being conducted tonight. Section finals are on Friday, while the championships (final four for the public groups and championship match only for the non-public groups) will be held on Sunday at Pine Belt Arena in Toms River, N.J. For the public school groups, the final four teams are paired based on power points for the semifinal round on Sunday. The following is the list of pairings for tonight's sectional semifinal rounds, rankings come courtesy of The Star-Ledger Top 20 (regardless of group) from this Tuesday. Group 1 (small school) North 1: No. 10 Kittatinny vs. Pequannock, Emerson Boro vs. Lenape Valley North 2: Hanover Park vs. Bogota, Caldwell vs. Cedar Grove Central: No. 4 Bound Brook vs. Burlington City, Roselle Park vs. South River South: Paulsboro vs. Collingswood, Cinnaminson vs. Woodstown Group 2 North 1: No. 13 High Point vs. Parisppany, River Dell vs. West Essex North 2: No. 19 Voorhees vs. Governor Livingston, Parsippany Hills vs. Cranford Central: Long Branch vs. Point Pleasant Boro, Delaware Valley vs. Raritan South: No. 18 Delsea vs. Barnegat, Clayton vs. Highland Group 3 North 1: Northern Highlands vs. Wayne Valley, Passaic Valley vs. Paramus North 2: No. 1 South Plainfield vs. West Morris, Warren Hills vs. Roxbury Central: Brick Township vs. North Burlington, Ocean Township vs. Hopewell Valley South: No. 6 Toms River South vs. Cherry Hill West, Timber Creek vs. Hammonton Group 4 (big school) North 1: Morris Knolls vs. Hackensack, Clifton vs. North Bergen North 2: No. 8 Hunterdon Central vs. Watchung Hills, No. 9 Phillipsburg vs. North Hunterdon Central: No. 5 Brick Memorial vs. East Brunswick, No. 12 Jackson Memorial vs. No. 15 Howell South: No. 11 Southern Regional vs. Toms River North, Clearview vs. Shawnee Non-Public Group A North: No. 2 Bergen Catholic vs. No. 16 St. Joseph Montville, No. 3 Don Bosco Prep vs. No. 7 St. Peter's Prep South: St. Augustine vs. Bishop Ahr, Christian Brothers vs. St. John Vianney Non-Public Group B North: DePaul vs. Rutgers Prep, Morris Catholic vs. Pingry South: No. 14 Camden Catholic vs. St. Joseph Hammonton, Holy Cross vs. Holy Spirit Additional individual state tournament results/highlights from the past weekend Arizona Team champions included Sunnyside (Division 1), Ironwood Ridge (Division 2), Thunderbird (Division 3), and Camp Verde (Division 4). Notable individual highlight was Dalton Brady (Chandler) winning his fourth state title; the No. 8 ranked 126 pound wrestler, fourth at that weight in the Super 32 Challenge, competed all the way up at 138 pounds capping off a 33-0 season. Montana State championship teams included Great Falls (Class AA), Havre (Class A), and Forsyth (Class BC) by one point over Choteau. Nevada State championship teams included Green Valley (Division I), Lowry (Division I-A), and Battle Mountain (Division III/IV). Notable individual highlight was No. 20 Joey Lavallee (Reno) earning his fourth state title, for the second straight time at 145 pounds. Additional team state tournament results/highlights from the past weekend Maryland Damascus won their third Class 4A/3A title in program history, but first since 1999, while Winters Mill was repeat champion in Class 2A/1A. Ohio No. 2 St. Edward, No. 5 St. Paris Graham, and Delta won championships in the debut edition of this event in their respective divisions. South Carolina Dual meet state champions were Lexington (Class 4A), Eastside (Class 3A), and Bamberg-Ehrhardt (Class 2A/1A). Other individual state championships this coming weekend The state championship tournament in Utah starts today; events in Alabama, Georgia, Illinois (preview article posted yesterday), Iowa (preview article posted Tuesday), Nebraska, and Tennessee start tomorrow; while those in Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Dakota, Virginia, and Washington start on Friday. Other dual meet state championships this week Delaware decided its dual meet state champions yesterday, results to be posted in next week's notebook column; Iowa has its team state tournaments today; North Dakota wrestles its tournament tomorrow; while North Carolina has its state championship dual meets on Saturday.

Rich Bender

Russ Hellickson

Kevin Jackson

Jake Herbert

IOC leaders dropped wrestling from the Olympic program on Tuesday, a surprise decision that removes one of the oldest Olympic sports from the 2020 Games. The IOC executive board decided to retain modern pentathlon -- the event considered most at risk -- and remove wrestling instead from its list of 25 "core sports." Read story

No matter what one does during their high school career, winning a state championship is always going to be very treasured. For those seniors yet to win a state title, it is their last chance. In the Land of Lincoln, that opportunity comes this Thursday through Saturday at Assembly Hall on the campus of the University of Illinois. Brian Murphy (Glenbard North, Ill.), ranked No. 2 nationally at 152 pounds and No. 11 overall in the Class of 2013, is missing that state title. As a freshman, he finished third at 130 pounds losing to two-time state champion Edwin Cooper in the quarterfinal (though Keith Surber would go on to win the weight class). As a sophomore, Murphy finished second at 140 pounds, losing to undefeated Luke Smith in the final, before last year's 3-1 defeat against 2010 state champion Max Schneider at 152 pounds. He enters this year's state Class 3A state tournament with a 34-1 record, the lone loss coming 3-1 in the ultimate tiebreaker against No. 1 Jake Short (Simley, Minn.), which was one match after a 3-2 ultimate tiebreaker victory over No. 3 Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.). However, yet another finals showdown looms, as defending state champion Kyle Langendorfer (Lincoln Way East) -- ranked No. 15 nationally at 145 pounds -- is actually in this bracket, and has an undefeated mark of 39-0 this season. There are three other big-time showdowns looming in the Class 3A state tournament, all of them involving both wrestlers being undefeated for the season. At 106 pounds, it would be No. 7 Miguel Silva (Plainfield South) and No. 10 Rudy Yates (Brother Rice). Silva, 38-0 during this his junior season, was a Cadet National freestyle champion this past summer at 100 pounds; while the freshman Yates is also 38-0, after winning the Preseason Nationals this past November. At 195 pounds, No. 8 Jordan Ellingwood (Plainfield Central) enters the state tournament 43-0, while No. 5 Ricky Robertson (Carl Sandburg) enters the tournament in Champaign at 44-0. Ellingwood finished third at state last year, won the Preseason Nationals in November, and has three victories this season over No. 15 Blake Blair (Edwardsville); while Robertson was runner-up at state last year, losing his only match in the state final, and finished fourth in both styles at the Junior Nationals this past summer in Fargo. Also looming in this weight class is the just mentioned Blair, who was runner-up in this weight class last year, and is present in the opposite quarter of Robertson's half-bracket. At 285 pounds, junior Brian Allen (Hinsdale Central) and senior Andrew Geers (Neuqua Valley) both enters the state tournament undefeated, and are on opposite halves of the draw as Illinois smartly seeds its sectional tournament champions for the state event. Allen, already placing third at state twice, is ranked No. 9 nationally with a 44-0 record this season; while Geers, who took fourth last year losing to Allen in the consolation final, is No. 19 nationally with a 37-0 record. Other undefeated wrestlers in Class 3A include sophomore Michael Cullen (Cary Grove), fifth in Cadet freestyle this summer, at 113 pounds; two-time state placer, including runner-up in 2011, Trayvon Zabala (Joliet Central) at 120; two-time state champion, and ranked No. 2 nationally, Jered Cortez (Glenbard North) at 126; sophomore Larry Early (Oak Park River Forest) at 132, who finished third at state last year as a freshman; No. 1 Bryce Brill (Mt. Carmel) at 145, state champion as a freshman before finishing second last year; No. 18 Davonte Mahomes (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) at 160, who was third at state last year as a sophomore; three-time state placer Colin Holler (Carl Sandburg), who is ranked No. 11 nationally, at 170; and No. 17 Joe Ariola (Oak Park River Forest) at 182. Cullen is part of a four-person group that could win the 113-pound weight class. Looming in his half-bracket is junior Mark Duda (Marist), a two-time state placer who finished second at state last year. In the other half-bracket is Brian Rossi (Lockport), third at state last year, and defending state champion Kris Williams (Thornton). Zabala, third last year at 113 and second the year before at 112, is the top-seed in a brutal 120-pound weight group. Looming in his quarterfinal is the winner of a first round match featuring returning state runners-up Sebastian Pique (Carl Sandburg) and Matthew Rundell (Oak Park River Forest); the senior Pique happened to beat Zabala in the 2011 state finals match. Should Zabala advance to the semifinal, it would mean the Pique/Rundell loser cannot place at state. Also in that top half of the draw is Preseason Nationals runner-up Steve Polakowski (Libertyville). The bottom half-bracket features returning state placer Jon Marmolejo (Glenbard North) and two-time defending state champion Johnny Jimenez (Marmion Academy), ranked No. 8 nationally and the overall weight class favorite. Cortez is a strong favorite to win his third straight state title in as many high school seasons. However, the bottom half-bracket will be interesting to follow with two-time state placer Nick Nasenbenny (Plainfield Central), freshman Isaiah White (Oak Park River Forest) -- ranked No. 18 nationally, and defending state champion Jordan Northrup (Machesney Park Harlem) all there. Nasenbenny vs. White looms in the quarterfinal round. Early is well-positioned to clear to the final, while it's the bottom half-bracket that merits some attention. Two-time state finalist George Fisher (Marmion Academy), ranked No. 15 nationally and a 2011 state champion, is likely to face either two-time state placer Johnny Gosinski (Glenbard North) or fellow two-time state placer Doug Johnson (DeKalb) in the semifinal. Undefeated wrestlers Brill and Ariola are prohibitive favorites to win state titles in their respective weight classes; Mahomes, third at state last year as a sophomore, is looking at a state final matchup against either state placer Peter Andreotti (Marist) or Hunter Rollins (Hersey); while Holler is looking at a likely finals match against one of two state placers, either sophomore Alex Benoit (Marist) or senior Dan Rowland (Willowbrook). Only two weights in Class 3A do not have an undefeated wrestler, 138 and 220. At 138-pound, the three most accomplished wrestlers reside in the bottom half of the draw. State runner-up Cullen Cummings (Downers Grove North) is well positioned for a semifinal appearance, while defending state champion Sal Annoreno (Bartlett) is looking at a quarterfinal date with three-time state placer (2010 and 2011 state runner-up) Mech Spraggins (Belleville East). The top half of the draw features sectional champions Steve Galiardo (St. Patrick) and Manny Silva (Hononegah). Due to injuries to returning state placer David Denne (Mt. Carmel) and freshman sensation Lucas Warren (Marmion Academy), the 220-pound weight class is the weakest of the fourteen. The projected state final could feature two-time state qualifier Tom Howell (Marist) and Luke Roth (Naperville Central); Roth was undefeated prior to an upset loss in the sectional tournament against Bill Gore (Carl Sandburg), and it was Howell who ended up winning that sectional. Though this tournament is un-scored from a team standpoint, No. 9 Oak Park River Forest has the most state qualifiers with 11, while No. 14 Carl Sandburg and No. 21 Marist advanced ten to state, with No. 24 Marmion Academy and No. 49 Glenbard North being among the teams qualifying seven to state. In the medium school Class 2A, No. 11 Montini Catholic is the clear dominant force with 13 wrestlers -- all but their 285 -- qualifying for the tournament in Champaign this week. Seven wrestlers enter the event undefeated, including a pair at 152 pounds: Austin Culton (Sycamore) and Garrett Sutton (Richmond-Burton). Others without a loss include No. 20 (at 113) Nkosi Moody (Rich Central) down at 106 pounds, Cameron Mammen (Urbana) at 170, Pat Vitek (Nazareth Academy) at 195, No. 19 Lucas Joseph (East Peoria) at 220, and Preseason Nationals champion Tanner Farmer (Highland) at 285. However, it is the 120-pound weight class that is the featured one in this classification. The on-paper favorite would be No. 16 Barlow McGhee (Rock Island), a multi-time Fargo All-American who has finished second and third at state the last two years. However, McGhee suffered a 3-1 overtime loss to Kenny Baldridge (Morris) in the sectional semifinal round this past weekend. Baldridge is the second-seed in the weight and a semifinal date with Vince Turk (Montini Catholic) looms in his future; Turk, a sophomore, was Cadet National Greco-Roman this past summer but closed out by Tommy Pawleski and Kevon Powell last year. As a result of the loss, McGhee has a tough path to the championship with a first round match against Grant Sutton (Richmond Burton); the sophomore Sutton is 37-2 on the season, but one of those losses was 8-4 to McGhee, and the other 8-1 to Turk this past weekend. The winner of this match faces top seeded Sam Butler (Glenwood) in the quarterfinal. The Class 1A small school state tournament features nine undefeated wrestlers from eight weight classes, including No. 7 Josh Alber (Dakota) at 120 pounds; Alber won the Dvorak beating Jimenez in the final and was runner-up at the Super 32 Challenge. Others without a loss include Cody Minnick (Coal City) at 106, Brandon Biggs (Poplar Grove) at 113, Nat Jozsa (Argenta) at 132, Zach Nelson (Aledo) at 152, Logan Staver (Lena-Winslow) and Devin Mahnke (Grant Park) at 170, Daniel Zimmerman (Dakota) at 220, and Josh Wallick (Gibson City) at 285.

Adam Reth is one of Iowa's most dominant wrestlers (Photo/Wyatt Schultz, The Predicament) The passion for wrestling in Iowa is like nowhere else. The high school state tournament held in the Hawkeye State is the pinnacle of that on the prep level. This year's individual tournament will be held this coming Thursday through Saturday at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, which five weeks later will also host the 2013 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Though it looks like the Class 3A (big school) tournament will be dominated by No. 17 Southeast Polk, which had 13 of its wrestlers qualify for the state tournament, there is an extremely tight battle for second place and the always excellent individual weight class battles. The race for runner-up looks to be one about volume vs. elite anchors. Linn Mar has 12 individual qualifiers for the state tournament, while No. 48 Bettendorf only qualified seven for state but has five wrestlers ranked either first or second in the state per The Predicament. Other teams in the hunt for second are Waverly-Shell Rock, which qualified nine for state, along with Cedar Rapids Prairie and their eight state qualifiers. Six wrestlers enter the Class 3A state tournament without a loss, including two in the 170-pound weight class. In that bracket, Duke Egli (Fort Dodge) and Dustin Fuller (Sioux City North) are paired in the same quarter of the draw despite being the top two ranked wrestlers in the bracket per The Predicament. Other undefeated wrestlers include No. 16 Nolan Hellickson (Southeast Polk) at 106, Bryce Meyer (Fort Madison) at 113, returning state placer Joel Northrup (Linn Mar) at 145, and Alex Gross (Keokuk) at 285. Hellickson, ranked No. 1 in Iowa Class 3A at 106 by The Predicament, has the No. 2 ranked wrestler Jacob Schwarm (Bettendorf) in his half of the draw. At 113 pounds, Meyer is in the bottom quarter of the draw, which also features defending state champion Matt Wempen (Linn Mar), and in the other quarter of that same half is Junior National freestyle All-American Kaz Onoo (Mason City). Like Hellickson, Northrup at 145 pounds is ranked No. 1 in Iowa Class 3A, and has the No. 2 ranked wrestler -- three-time state placer Alex Hernandez -- from Bettendorf in his half of the draw. Finally, at 285 pounds, Gross finds himself in an unpleasant position, drawing national No. 17 Jake Scanlan (Southeast Polk) in the quarterfinal round and then having the class's top-ranked wrestler Pedro Gomez (Marshalltown) in the other quarter of the same half. The additional nationally ranked wrestler in this classification is Fredy Stroker (Bettendorf), who is ranked No. 14 at 126 pounds. He is positioned in the third quarter of the draw, and his primary challenger is in the other quarter of the same half, returning state runner-up Chris Walters (Iowa City West). A third returning state runner-up joins Stroker and Walters in this weight class, Travis Willers (Pleasant Valley), who finished second at 106 last year and is among those in the top half of the draw. Arguably the most notable Class 3A quarterfinal projection comes at 132 pounds, where the two top ranked wrestlers in the weight class are slated to meet; two-time state placer Logan Ryan (Bettendorf) and three-time state placer, also winning state in 2011, Colby Knight (Urbandale). Last year's battle for second place in Class 2A between Davenport Assumption and West Delaware Manchester was decided by one-half point, with both teams within seven of state champion Denver-Tripoli. This year, the state champion will most likely be either No. 34 West Delaware Manchester or Davenport Assumption, with the margin being razor thin. Heading to state, the Hawks have nine qualifiers, while the Knights are working with ten in Des Moines. Both squads are represented by a wrestler in seven of fourteen weight classes: 106, 113, 138, 145, 152, 182, and 285; while the Knights also have a wrestler at 126, 132, and 160 with the Hawks being represented at 170 and 220. Therefore, it makes some sense to look at those common weight classes first. At 106 pounds, each squad is poised to be represented in the top bracket semifinal. Patrick Woods (West Delaware Manchester) placed third at state last year and is the No. 1 ranked wrestler in this weight per The Predicament. Though freshman Darien Collins (Davenport Assumption) is only ranked ninth, he is the highest ranked in that quarter of the draw. Both squads also have wrestlers in the top half of the draw at 113 pounds, and each is the highest rated wrestler in their quarter of the draw. Zach Less (West Delaware Manchester) is ranked second after placing fifth at state last year, but is joined by third ranked Johnny Etherington (Charles City) in that top quarter; while returning state placer Brendan Gould (Davenport Assumption) is ranked fifth, highest of that second quarter. The overall weight class favorite would be returning state runner-up Mason Miller (Winterset). At 138 pounds, two-time state placer Eric Clarke (Davenport Assumption) is ranked third in the state, but has the second ranked wrestler -- Zach Skopec (Spirit Lake) in that same quarter; while senior Ryan Soppe (West Delaware Manchester) is unranked, but his quarter of the draw features no ranked wrestlers. However, the story of this weight class is No. 13 Jake Marlin (Creston), who seeks a fourth state title. Life will not be easy for Marlin, as he has the undefeated Drew Foster (Mediapolis) in his quarter of the draw. Similarly the 145-pound weight class features a wrestler from both favorites, but is dominated by the journey of No. 6 in the nation Brandon Sorenson (Denver-Tripoli) -- undefeated at 53-0 on the year -- going after a fourth state title. His first round opponent is Tionte Parks (Davenport Assumption). Looking forward in the draw, Sorenson is likely to face the fifth-ranked wrestler in the quarterfinal and the second-ranked wrestler in the semifinal. Zach Muller (West Delaware Manchester), already a two-time state placer, is ranked fourth in this weight, and is well positioned to make the semifinal from the bottom quarter of the draw. Three-time state placer Nick Georgean (Davenport Assumption), a state champion last year and undefeated at 32-0 is the favorite at 152 pounds. However, his journey will not be easy starting with Griffin Obsing (Albia), who is 47-1 and ranked fifth in this weight, in the opening round. In the other quarter of Georgean's half is returning state runner-up Logan Thomsen (Union) and returning state third place finisher Jesse Etherington (Charles City). All that leaves Jake Voss (West Delaware Manchester), a junior returning state placer, well positioned to make the state final here despite being fourth in the state rankings. Both teams also have a wrestler at 182 pounds, though Jacyn Goebel (West Delaware Manchester) enters as the favorite coming off a fourth at state finish last year, though returing state runner-up Chase Shedenhelm (Denver-Tripoli) is in that same half of the draw. Sophomore Gabriel Rangel (Davenport Assumption) is drawn into the same quarter as Goebel. Finally, both teams feature a wrestler at 285 pounds, where again the West Delaware wrestler enters as the favorite. Dean Broghammer placed third at state last year as a junior, and is undefeated this season at 43-0. Broghammer's primary challenge looms in the semifinal round, as second-ranked Josh Clark (Union) is in the same half of the draw. Sean Easler (Davenport Assumption), a returning state qualifier, is ranked fifth in this weight, and should advance to at least the semifinals. Other state qualifiers for Davenport Assumption include returning state runners-up Tony Devriese (126) and Kyle Springer (132), along with Danny Bush (160); while West Delaware Manchester is also represented by Thomas Oleson (170) and Adam Reth (220), who is ranked No. 7 nationally and a defending state champion. Devriese, ranked third in his weight class, finds himself in the tougher half of the draw. He is joined in his quarter by fifth-ranked Bryce Leshen (Albia), while the other quarter of that bottom half bracket features the two top ranked wrestlers -- defending state champion Max Thomsen (Union), undefeated this year at 43-0, and John Christopherson (Spencer). Springer, ranked second in this weight class, is looking at a de facto state final in the semifinal round against Colton McCrystal (Sgt. Bluff Luton). McCrystal, ranked first in this weight, beat Springer 8-6 in last year's state final. Bush, who is ranked sixth in this weight class, has a first-round bout against the fourth-ranked wrestler Tanner Schaefer (Spencer). If able to win that match, it would be the top-ranked wrestler Trey Ryan (Mt. Vernon) in the quarterfinal round. Oleson for West Delaware Manchester is drawn against fifth-ranked Brice Wilcke (Clear Lake). Wilcke is in the top quarter of the draw. In the second quarter of this weight class is the top-ranked wrestler Erik Lux (South Tama), who enters the state tournament undefeated at 45-0. He is the defending state champion, and is looking at a finals collision with two-time state placer Adam Drain (Mediapolis). Undefeated at 41-0, Reth is one of the state's most dominant wrestlers. He is the prohibitive favorite at 220 pounds. However, this will mark his last wrestling event -- unless post-season competition looms -- as he's going to play football for Northern Iowa next year. The showcase weight in Class 2A comes at 120 pounds, where there is a pair of undefeated wrestlers in Charles Jones (Waterloo Columbus), a defending state champion, and Leighton Gaul (New Hampton). Also in this weight class is two-time state champion Doug Miner (Spirit Lake), who is looking at a quarterfinal date with fellow defending state champion Jones. In small school Class 1A, Alburnett enters as the top-ranked team, and has the most state qualifiers with nine. Twelve wrestlers in nine weight classes enter this event as undefeated. Multiple undefeated wrestlers are present at 126, 138, and 220 pounds.

WEST LAFAYETTE, lnd. -- The 17th-ranked Purdue wrestling team clinched its first winning Big Ten dual season since 1998 on Monday night, downing archrival Indiana at Holloway Gymnasium, 28-13. The Boilermakers improved to 14-5 overall and 5-3 in conference action and earned a point for Purdue in the coveted Crimson and Gold Cup all-sport series between the Boilermakers and Hoosiers. Purdue's win was its third straight over the Hoosiers and fourth straight in Big Ten duals this season, marking their longest conference win streak since a four-match stretch in 1998. The 14 dual victories are the Boilermakers' most in a season under sixth-year head coach Scott Hinkel and their most overall since an 18-win dual season in 2004. The Boilermakers got off to a slow start in the dual, dropping matches by decision at 184 and 285 pounds. Purdue sophomore Patrick Kissel gave up a four-point move in the first period and his late rally fell short in a 7-6 loss to Indiana sophomore Luke Sheridan, while junior Alex White suffered a 10-4 loss to 12th-ranked Hoosier junior Adam Chalfant. Despite the losses, Purdue offset the six points by receiving a forfeit at 197 pounds, improving sophomore Braden Atwood's record to 21-6 on the year. The top of the lineup proved all Boilermakers as they reeled off four straight wins to cinch up the team score. Junior Camden Eppert got the run going with a dominant 10-3 victory over Indiana sophomore Joe Duca at 125 pounds. Eppert scored early and often, hitting a couple of throw-bys and a swing single en route to a 6-2 lead in the first, and followed up with another takedown in the second to carry a 9-2 edge to the final period. However, Duca stalled out the scoring in the third period and outlasted Eppert to deny him what would have been his ninth major decision of the season. Junior Cashe Quiroga put on a takedown clinic at 133 pounds, rolling out a season-high 11 takedowns in a 23-9 major decision over Indiana freshman Alonzo Shepherd. Quiroga practically scored at will through the match, using a variety of takedowns to continue increasing his lead for seven minutes. He was unable to come up with a turn late in the match and settled for the major decision as he improved to 7-1 on the year and 4-0 in conference duals. The run continued at 141 pounds as Purdue sophomore Brandon Nelsen put up several points in the second and third periods en route to a 12-2 major decision, his sixth of the season. After a scoreless first, Nelsen quickly escaped in the second and scored almost immediately for a 3-0 lead. He rode Indiana freshman Alex Gregory for the remainder of the period, forcing a pair of stalling calls and receiving a penalty point for a 4-0 advantage. Nelsen picked up three more takedowns and another stalling point in the third period as he coasted to his fourth straight Big Ten win and his 20th of the season. He became the sixth Boilermaker to hit the 20-win plateau on the year, joining Eppert, Kissel, Atwood, senior Ivan Lopouchanski and sophomore Pat Robinson. Lopouchanski finished off the Boilermaker rally at 149 pounds in dominant fashion, needing 5:32 to score a 23-8 technical fall over Indiana sophomore Preston Keiffer. The Boilermaker senior took advantage of his final home match, racking up a quick 9-2 lead in the first on three takedowns and a three-point turn, nearly pinning his Hoosier opponent off of a throw as time expired in the period. Nine more points came in the second period on three more takedowns, an escape and a two-point turn, and Lopouchanski finished him off in the third with an escape and two more takedowns, improving to 21-1 on the season. The Hoosiers turned the tables at 157 pounds as 15th-ranked sophomore Taylor Walsh and junior Ryan Leblanc each emerged victorious, cutting the lead to 22-13. Walsh used a nice counter in the second period and a takedown and turn in the third to score an 8-0 major decision over Purdue senior Tommy Churchard at 157, and Leblanc returned from injury to score a 10-3 decision over Robinson at 165. With the team score out of reach and Indiana sophomore Cheney Dale suffering from illness, the Hoosiers forfeited the 174 pound match to Purdue freshman Chad Welch, making it a 28-13 final. The Boilermakers return to action this weekend, heading to Columbia, Mo., for the regional of the NWCA National Duals. Purdue anticipates earning the No. 2 seed in the region and should face No. 21 Wyoming on Sunday, Feb. 17. The winner of that dual will face the winner of sixth-ranked Missouri and Maryland with a trip to the National Duals Finals in Minneapolis, Minn. at stake. Results: 184: Luke Sheridan (IU) def. Patrick Kissel (PU), D 7-6 (PU 0-3 IU) 197: Braden Atwood (PU) wins by forfeit (PU 6-3 IU) 285: Adam Chalfant (IU) def. Alex White (PU), D 10-4 (PU 6-6 IU) 125: Camden Eppert (PU) def. Joe Duca (IU), D 10-3 (PU 9-6 IU) 133: Cashe Quiroga (PU) def. Alonzo Shepherd (IU), MD 23-9 (PU 13- 6 IU) 141: Brandon Nelsen (PU) def. Alex Gregory (IU), MD 12-2 (PU 17-6 IU) 149: Ivan Lopouchanski (PU) def. Preston Keiffer (IU), TF 23-8 (PU 22-6 IU) 157: Taylor Walsh (IU) def. Tommy Churchard (PU), MD 8-0 (PU 22-10 IU) 165: Ryan LaBlanc (IU) def. Pat Robinson (PU), D 10-3 (PU 22-13 IU) 174: Chad Welch wins by forfeit (PU 28-13 IU)

My greatest challenge in writing these weekly columns is finding the most important storylines. I could spend every week writing only about the results from the latest match featuring the Minnesotas, Iowas, Penn States and Oklahoma States of the wrestling world, but I want to offer more than a summation of the deeds of our sport's highest ranked teams. I would like to discuss the success of teams that perform and succeed outside of the national championship radar, and I'd like to, if the situation permits, discuss the sport itself, with all of its challenges and triumphs. That is why this week the major storyline is the realization of the daunting length of the college wrestling season. More than a month remains until nationals and college wrestlers have already been working since September, if not earlier. They've punished their bodies through grueling preseason workouts, drudgerous in-season practices, and thrown themselves against rock-solid opponents time and time again. When they are not wrestling, or practicing to wrestle, they are sitting in buses for entire weekends, crisscrossing the Mid-Atlantic. Midwest, Great Plains, or who knows where else. All this and our wrestlers have grades to maintain and the occasional girlfriend to keep happy. Big-time college wrestling is an adult portion, and those who want to partake ought to be ready to open their mouths wide. We, as fans, are thrilled by the hotly contested conference duals which take place this time of year. What we need to remember is that there is one thing that makes wrestling at this level possible in a season this long. It isn't the scholarship money, it may help but there is far too little of it, and it isn't the approbation of the fans and the rest of the student body, once more it helps but there isn't enough. The only thing that fuels the sport this late in the season is the love-love of competing, love of improving, love of winning, and plain and simple love of the sport of wrestling. This love is what gets a wrestler motivated for practice number five trillion, it is what provokes a coach to go careening across a mat to argue a call that ultimately won't matter, and it is love that keeps a wrestler going after pouring out his soul preparing for a vital match and managing his weight only to lose at the worst possible time for him and his team. I think it is important we keep this in mind. This sport we love and cherish so much is kept alive only by the intense and resilient love felt by its participants and coaches. But for this love, we'd only have basketball to talk about and I'd have nothing about which to write. Dual of the Week: Ohio State vs. Penn State For a few fleeting moments this Sunday it looked like Ohio State might pull off a thrilling upset over Penn State. The Stiebers both earned pins, Cam Tessari looked the best he has this season in upending Andrew Alton (who had little answer for Cam's far-ankle ride), and Josh Demas was tantalizingly close to an upset over Dylan Alton. The Buckeyes have positioned themselves for a huge win, at least until top-ranked 184-pounder Ed Ruth took the mat. Ed and his deadly cross-face cradle bailed the necessary water out Penn State's boat, and the Nittany Lions were able to hold on for the win. Iowa vs. Nebraska At 157 James Green shows that he can take down anyone in the nation, but eventually he faded and allowed Derek St. John to rally and earn the victory. Mike Evans is becoming a Hawkeye superstar before our very eyes. He will never be the most fluid wrestler from his feet, but my gosh is he a fighter. He was able to make a very tough Robert Kokesh wilt and almost earn a pin with his nasty half at the end of their match. Penn State vs. Pitt Two observations here. First of all, against anyone not named Stieber or Ramos, Jordan Conaway is pretty danged good. Here he upsets Pitt's Shelton Mack. Second, I will admit that after the All-Star Classic I thought that Matt Wilps was simply too big and strong for Quentin Wright to handle. Apparently I was wrong and Wright, whom I feel is the most exciting wrestler in the NCAA, is more than capable of pinning anyone at any time. I hope this sets Quentin up as a No. 2 seed at the NCAAs and leads to an intriguing matchup between him and top-ranked Dustin Kilgore of Kent State. Michigan vs. Ohio State When I turned to this dual on my television, the guide read that "Freshman Taylor Massa leads the Wolverines ... " Massa is having a nice season and may well win a national championship or two in the future, but with the amount of experience and talent on the Michigan team, it probably is not a positive development that their leading wrestler is a true freshman currently ranked as to be outside the money at this year's NCAAs. Ohio State's Kenny Courts has had an up-and-down season at 184 pounds, but in his short time at 197 pounds has really turned some heads. First he beats Illinois' Mario Gonzalez. Now he defeats another NCAA qualifier in Max Huntley. If Courts keeps up this form, he could end up as a Big Ten finalist. Rutgers coaches (Photo/ScarletKnights.com)Rutgers vs. Bloomsburg I was rooting for Bloomsburg here largely because I wanted to see them build on the fantastic success they have experienced this season. After Rutgers won this watch, I realized that I should really have hoped for a Scarlet Knights victory. We all should. Rutgers is a program of vital strategic importance to our sport and we should celebrate every one of their program's successes and hope it helps them build themselves into the power they can become. Harvard vs. Lehigh Harvard beats Lehigh. When was the last time that happened? Virginia and Virginia Tech Showed again this week why they are wrestling's big boys in the Southeast.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- The Fighting Illini wrestling team won seven of the possible 10 matches, including three by bonus points as they moved past No. 17 Northwestern, 24-10 to win their final conference dual of the season. "We really wrestled pretty well and were aggressive in just about every match," head coach Jim Heffernan said. "It has been a tough stretch over the last five weeks. It is time to continue to get better physically as well as recharge mentally heading into the national duals." The dual started at 125 pounds with No. 3 Jesse Delgado wrestling Dominick Malone. Delgado won his second consecutive conference match this weekend, as he defeated the Wildcat by a 4-0 decision to give the Illini an early 3-0 lead. At 133, senior Daryl Thomas continued the early success as he defeated Garrison White by a 14-8 decision to give him his 20th victory this season and pushed the lead to 6-0. The Wildcats got points on the scoreboard at 141, as Steven Rodrigues took on Pat Greco. Three periods were not enough for the two, as the score was tied at 6-6 heading into sudden victory. Greco scored the takedown and the victory, 8-6. However, Caleb Ervin won his second match of the weekend, moving past Dylan Marriott by a 13-2 major decision to push the Illinois team score to 10-3. At 157, No. 2 Jason Welch defeated Matt Nora by a 18-7 major decision to give the Wildcats four more points midway through the dual. Senior Conrad Polz won his 20th victory of the season on Sunday night, after he defeated Pierce Harger by a tough 2-0 decision to give the Illini the 13-7 lead in the team score. The Illini scored bonus points in the next two weight classes as No. 8 Jordan Blanton defeated No. 9 Lee Munster by a 13-3 major decision at the 174 pounds while No. 16 Tony Dallago moved past Jacob Berkowitz by an 11-0 major decision to push the Illinois lead to 21-7 over the Wildcats. Blanton's victory was his third over ranked opponents this season and his third over top-10 wrestlers. At 197, No. 14 Mario Gonzalez wrestled Northwestern's Alex Polizzi. The defending Big Ten champion moved past the Wildcat by a 5-2 decision to push the team score to 24-7 with heavyweight remaining. Chris Lopez was defeated by 2012 NCAA Qualifier and No. 7 Mike McMullan by a 6-2 decision but it wasn't enough as Illinois defeated Northwestern, 24-10. The Orange and Blue will have a week off before traveling to Minneapolis, Minn., to compete in the NWCA National Duals finals on Sunday, Feb. 24. The Illini won the Cornell Regional last year and advanced to the finals, therefore bypassing the regional round this season. Results: 125: #3 Jesse Delgado (ILL) dec. Dominick Malone (NU), 4-0 (3-0) 133: #10 Daryl Thomas (ILL) dec. Garrison White (NU), 14-8 (6-0) 141: Pat Greco (NU) dec. Steven Rodrigues (ILL), 8-6 SV1 (6-3) 149: Caleb Ervin (ILL) major dec. Dylan Marriott (NU) 13-2 (10-3) 157: #2 Jason Welch (NU) maj. dec. Matt Nora (ILL), 18-7 (10-7) 165: #7 Conrad Polz (ILL), dec. #10 Pierce Harger (NU), 2-0 (13-7) 174: #8 Jordan Blanton (ILL) major dec. #9 Lee Munster (NU), 13-3 (17-7) 184: #16 Tony Dallago (ILL) major dec. Jacob Berkowitz (NU), 11-0 (21-7) 197: #14 Mario Gonzalez (ILL) dec. Alex Polizzi (NU), 5-2 (24-7) HWT: #7 Mike McMullan (NU) dec. Chris Lopez (ILL), 6-2 (24-10)

The No. 4 Minnesota Golden Gophers defeated the No. 18 Wisconsin Badgers by a score of 34-5 this afternoon in Madison, Wis. The Gophers claimed nine victories out of the 10 weight classes, including at fall at 125 lbs., a major at 149 lbs. and a forfeit at 184 lbs. With the win, Minnesota closes out the Big Ten Conference season with a 7-1 record, tying Penn State for second in the league standings. Iowa clinched the regular season championship title with a 31-7 win over Nebraska this afternoon. David Thorn opened the meet to rousing success at 125 lbs. After earning two takedowns, Thorn caught Matt Cavallaris on his back and held long enough to earn the pin at the 2:42 mark and give the Gophers a comfortable lead, one they would hold throughout the competition. Corey Hodowanic once again stepped in at 133 lbs. and watch outmatched by Wisconsin’s No. 5-ranked Tyler Graff. Hodowanic managed to avoid the pin, but Graff still earned an 18-2 tech fall for five team points. It wouldn’t matter. Minnesota won out the remainder of the bouts to dominate the Badgers. At 141 lbs., Nick Dardanes tallied an 8-2 decision over Tom Kelliher and Dylan Ness followed with a 10-0 major decision over Cole Schmitt at 149 lbs. Danny Zilverberg earned his second dual win of the season with a 5-4 close decision. The Gophers led the Badgers, 16-5 at intermission. After a scoreless first period at 165 lbs., Cody Yohn turned on the heat to start racking up points. With two takedowns, an escape, and 2:36 of riding time, Yohn walked away with the 6-1 victory. At 174 lbs., Logan Storley was closely matched by Scott Liegel. After regulation the score was tied at three but Storley received an additional point for riding time, winning by a 4-3 decision. Wisconsin’s forfeit at 184 lbs. gave Minnesota an overwhelming 28-5 advantage with only two weight classes to go. Scott Schiller notched a sudden victory over Jackson Hein at 197 lbs. The wrestlers managed one escape apiece in the regulation seven-minute frame. Forty-eight seconds deep in overtime, Schiller attacked for the two-point takedown and earned three back points on a near fall. Heavyweight Tony Nelson delivered Connor Medbery his first dual loss of the season. In the second period, Nelson tallied an early takedown and earned three points on the near fall to move ahead 5-1. He gathered three more technical points in the third period and added a bonus for 1:17 of riding time, giving him the 9-2 victory and sending the Gophers to a 34-5 final dual score. After a week off of competition, the Gophers will come back home as the University of Minnesota plays host to the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Dual Meet Championship, for which the team received an automatic bid. The competition will take place on Feb. 22-23. Tickets for the event are available at mygophersports.com. Results: 125 #13 David Thorn (MIN) fall Matt Cavallaris (WIS), 2:42 6 0 133 #4 Tyler Graff (WIS) tech fall Cody Hodowanic (MIN), 18-2, 5:38 6 5 141 #10 Nick Dardanes (MIN) dec. Tom Kelliher (WIS), 8-2 9 5 149 #9 Dylan Ness (MIN) maj dec. Cole Schmitt (WIS), 10-0 13 5 157 Danny Zilverberg (MIN) dec. Kalvin York (WIS), 5-4 16 5 165 #14 Cody Yohn (MIN) dec. Frank Cousins (WIS), 6-1 19 5 174 #1 Logan Storley (MIN) dec. Scott Liegel (WIS), 4-3 22 5 184 #5 Kevin Steinhaus (MIN) vs. FFT 28 5 197 #12 Scott Schiller (MIN) dec. #17 Jackson Hein (WIS), 6-1 SV 31 5 HWT #2 Tony Nelson (MIN) dec. Connor Medbery (WIS), 9-2 34 5