InterMat Staff

PITTSBURGH -- This 40th edition of the Dapper Dan Wrestling Classic went the way that so many in the recent past have gone. For a third straight year, fourth in five, and 12th in fourteen -- it was Team USA emerging with the win over a very game Pennsylvania squad. For even the state with the best wrestling talent in the country, which Pennsylvania clearly does have, to defeat the true best from the United States is an onerous task. Stevan Micic with Bill Hawkins after being named Outstanding Wrestler at the Dapper Dan Wrestling ClassicTeam USA wrestlers set the tone early and often in Sunday night's dual meet at Fitzgerald Field House on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. After a scoreless first period in the 126 pound match, which was the opening bout as the weight class order was scrambled, No. 1 Stevan Micic (Hanover Central, Ind.) opened up a barrage of scoring on No. 3 Zeke Moisey (Bethlehem Catholic) in a 13-4 major decision victory. The performance was worthy of Micic earning Oustanding Wrestler honors for the USA squad. Two takedowns in the second period made it 4-2 after that stanza, and then a pair of four-point moves off of leg attack finishes was the scoring for Micic in the third period. "I felt confident on my feet, and knew that if I was persistent, the scoring would come," he commented after the match. Next up for team USA was fellow Northwestern signee Bryce Brill (Mt. Carmel, Ill.), who is the nation's No. 1 wrestler at 152 pounds, and will possibly be Micic's roommate next year in Evanston. With a takedown in each the first and second period, Brill upended No. 3 T.C. Warner (Cumberland Valley, Pa.), who is an Old Dominion signee. After two bouts, the USA squad held a 7-0 lead that would never be relinquished. However, it was not for the lack of battle and effort from a very game Pennsylvania squad. In the next match at 113 pounds, it was a pair of nationally ranked 120 pound wrestlers who took to the mat. No. 6 Ethan Lizak (Parkland) would upend No. 10 Brent Fleetwood (Smryna, Del.) 2-1 on a reversal midway through the third period to get the Keystone State on the board. This result avenged a 3-1 Fleetwood win from 14 months ago in the 2013 Escape the Rock Tournament championship bout. After that bout, it was three consecutive decision victories for the USA squad to push the advantage out to 16-3 after six bouts. This stretch started with a 3-2 decision for No. 3 Josh Alber (Dakota, Ill.) against Ian Brown (Hanover). Alber had to fend off a very deep leg attack and scramble during the second period, but was able to score the go-ahead takedown midway through the third period, and then hang on for the victory. This augmented an undefeated in-season high school career for the Northern Iowa signee. The first of three Penn State signees to wrestle on the evening was next in the 170 pound bout, as No. 2 Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas) surged with five takedowns between the second and third period to score a 14-9 victory over No. 12 Stephen Loiseau (Lancaster Catholic), who was wrestling down one weight class from where he won state last weekend. Nickal did give up the opening takedown, but surged back with reversals in the first and third period, along with the previously mentioned barrage of takedowns. Finally in this streak of matches, it was the nation's top Class of 2014 prospect Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Md./USOTC) coming through with a 10-3 victory over No. 5 Michael Boykin (Coatesville). Boykin had a very deep leg attack midway through the first period that Snyder fended off. In the very next sequence, right before the end of the first period, Snyder scored a takedown off a very crisp shot and finish. From there, it was more of the same, as Snyder scored a takedown in the second period, and two more in the third period to cement the match victory. "I've gotten a lot better over the last year," said Snyder about his experience training with senior level wrestlers at the USOTC. "The experience has been very helpful, and I'm ready to make an immediate impact next year (at Ohio State, in the 197 pound weight class)." Bouncing back from that three-match losing streak, the seniors from Pennsylvania came through with a pair of consecutive victories to cut the deficit to 16-9. First up was No. 3 Zack Zavatsky (Greater Latrobe), who earned a 3-1 overtime victory over No. 9 Joel Dixon (Edmond North, Okla.) "I didn't think about (the 16-3 deficit)," Zavatsky said. "I went out there and did what was needed, happened to be in dramatic fashion with a late takedown in overtime to win it. Ultimately, it was great to get the crowd back into the match." Next in line was another national No. 3 in Garrett Peppelman (Central Dauphin). The University of Virginia signee upended No. 1 Ryan Blees (Bismarck, N.D.) by a 4-3 score with a takedown inside the last 20 seconds of the third period. "It was all about composure, just having to keep after it," said Peppelman about his go-ahead takedown. "Going into a ‘short time' situation, it's about looking for the right shot. Fake, fake, fake then find the opportunistic attack, and hope (to God) that you can finish it." A key match in the dual meet came next as No. 4 Chip Ness (Buford, Ga.), a Super 32 Challenge champion earlier this season, was able to rally back from giving up the bout's initial takedown to earn a 12-8 victory over No. 20 Tristan Sponseller (Bermudian Springs). The match was a true barn-burner, as Ness rallied to lead 6-4 after one period, scored a late reversal to lead 10-8 after two, and then got a reversal midway through the third for the final margin. The Keystone State bounced back with what was the most dominant performance for any wrestler on the evening, as No. 6 at 126 Dalton Macri (Canon-McMillan) totally dominated No. 2 Nathan Boston (Woodford County, Ky.) in the 120 pound match. Ranked as the No. 52 overall Class of 2014 prospect, Macri earned a 9-0 major decision over Boston, who came in at No. 45. Macri scored takedowns in the first and second periods, before getting a reversal and near fall in the third. That performance earned the Cornell signee the Outstanding Wrestler award for the Pennsylvania squad. One last turning point came in the evening's most anticipated match, a battle of the top two 285 pound wrestlers in the country. In addition, there was peripheral narrative with the college recruitment of each, as No. 1 Nick Nevills (Clovis Calif.) committed to Penn State, while No. 2 Thomas Haines (Solanco) will be at Ohio State. This pair of highly talented wrestlers will see each other often over the next four-to-five years, and in this initial meeting, it was Nevills who came out on top. He scored takedowns in the first and second periods, and more or less had control of the bout during a 5-3 victory. "It was fun and exciting to actually be pushed for the full six minutes," said Nevills, who went undefeated during his senior season with every match being a bonus point victory, many of them first period pins. "I was glad to show the Pennsylvania audience that I can perform at a high level." With the lead extended to 22-13, and just two matches left, No. 1 Joey McKenna (Blair Academy, N.J.) put the final clinching dagger for the dual meet. Keyed by a first period takedown, he upended No. 3 at 145 Solomon Chishko (Canon-McMillan) by 3-1 decision in the 138 pound match. The final match of the evening, was a matter of revenge for No. 2 Jason Nolf (Kittanning, Pa.), who upended No. 6 at 152 Tyler Berger (Crook County, Ore.) by a deceivingly close 8-5 score at 145 pounds. Nolf scored a pair of takedowns in the opening period to take a 4-1 lead that would sustain throughout the match. A reversal in the second period and takedown midway through the third made it 8-3. However, Berger had a very late reversal - almost to the back -- to reduce the final margin of defeat. Just over eleven months ago, Nolf lost a 2-0 decision to Berger in the final of the FloNationals. "I watched that match," he commented after Sunday's victory, "and realized that I had to open up and take more shots." The improvement was beyond a shadow of a doubt to all present. The Nolf victory made it three-for-three for the future Penn State wrestlers. "It got to meet Bo (Nickal) and Nick (Nevills) for the first time," said Nolf, "and I'm glad they'll be (at Penn State) with me." Team USA 25, Pennsylvania 16 126: No. 1 Stevan Micic (Hanover Central, Ind.) maj. dec. No. 3 Zeke Moisey (Bethlehem Catholic), 13-4 152: No. 1 Bryce Brill (Mt. Carmel, Ill.) dec. No. 3 T.C. Warner (Cumberland Valley), 5-1 113: No. 6 at 120 Ethan Lizak (Parkland) dec. No. 10 Brent Fleetwood (Smyrna, Del.), 2-1 132: No. 3 Josh Alber (Dakota, Ill.) dec. Ian Brown (Hanover), 3-2 170: No. 2 Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas) dec. No. 12 at 182 Stephen Loiseau (Lancaster Catholic), 14-9 220: Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Md./USOTC) dec. No. 5 Michael Boykin (Coatesville), 10-3 182: No. 3 Zack Zavatsky (Greater Latrobe) dec. No. 9 Joel Dixon (Edmond North, Okla.), 3-1 SV 160: No. 3 Garrett Peppelman (Central Dauphin) dec. No. 1 Ryan Blees (Bismarck, N.D.), 4-3 195: No. 4 Chip Ness (Buford, Ga.) dec. No. 20 Tristan Sponseller (Bermudian Springs), 12-8 120: No. 6 at 126 Dalton Macri (Canon-McMillan) maj. dec. No. 2 Nathan Boston (Woodford County, Ky.), 9-0 285: No. 1 Nick Nevills (Clovis, Calif.) dec. No. 2 Thomas Haines (Solanco), 5-3 138: No. 1 Joey McKenna (Blair Academy, N.J.) dec. No. 3 at 145 Solomon Chishko (Canon-McMillan), 3-1 145: No. 2 Jason Nolf (Kittanning) dec. No. 6 at 152 Tyler Berger (Crook County, Ore.), 8-5

ALLEN, Texas -- The finals matches as a whole proved to be a formidable foe for Grand Canyon. But the Antelopes' blistering start to the NCWA Championships the first two days were enough that Saturday's 4-3 record in the finals did little to take the luster off of a dominating 83-point margin of victory. Grand Canyon had already whipped most of the field in rolling to a 55-point lead after two days, and with seven finalists, the team title was all but secured. So snagging as many individual titles as they could was the focus of GCU coach R.C. LaHaye. "That was the plan all along, win early and grab as many bonus points as we could," LaHaye said. "Once we got the big lead, it was up to the guys to try and win as many titles as we could. We all figured winning the individual brackets would be harder than taking the team title." The tournament opened with the 141-pound final, holding off the 133 title match between two undefeated wrestlers until the end. At 141, GCU's Zach Zehner cruised to a 9-0 win over Grand Valley State's Kyle Horr. Mike Hamel followed with another win, 7-1 over Luke Bilyeu of West Chester. But that's where the Antelopes' streak stopped, as defending NCWA champion Santiago Martinez edged GCU's Bryant Wood 4-3 to score back-to-back championships. Other wrestlers took the cue as well, and at 174 the U.S. Military Academy's Parker Maytrott won over GCU's Martin Fabbian, 5-3. And at 184, Shorter's Terrence Smith gritted out a 5-4 win over Austin Gaun. All-Americans 125: 1st: AJ Salazar, Grand Canyon, def. Ben Smith, Shorter, 2-0 3rd: Drew Romero, U.S. Air Force Prep, def. Buddy Poyner, Mott CC, 14-10 5th: Sean Badua, U.S. Military Prep, def. Jacob Wasserman, Florida, 7-4 7th: Michael Dauterive, Texas-Arlington, def. Anthony Patnode, Middle Tennessee, 6-5 133: 1st: Ryan Diehl, Liberty, def. Sam Shames, MIT, 15-10 3rd: John Lino Estrado, Grand Canyon, def. Eric Feuerbacher, Middle Tennessee, 7-4 5th: Nick Anthony, Central Florida, def. Bryan Mongiello, Alfred State, by fall 1:52 7th: Jimmy Hughes, Penn State-Mont Alto, def. Zachary Vatalare, Michigan, 4-0 141: 1st: Zach Zehner, Grand Canyon, def. Kyle Horr, Grand Valley State, 9-0 3rd: Collin Lewis, Liberty, def. Austin Souders, Texas A&M, 3-2 5th: Chad Baumann, North Florida, def. Antonio Martinez, Texas, 5-2 7th: Joshua Gaspard, Georgia Southern, def. Tyler Aldinger, Alfred State, injury default 149: 1st: Mike Hamel, Grand Canyon, def. Luke Bilyeu, West Chester, 7-1 3rd: Robert Walker, U.S. Air Force Prep, def. Nick Cegelski, USC, 4-3 5th: Gabriel Stepanovich, Grand Valley State, def. Peter Tatanish, Liberty, by fall 2:59 7th: DeAndre Beck, Marion Military Inst., def. Greg Artalona, Auburn, 5-2 TB-1 157: 1st: Santiago Martinez, Central Florida, def. Bryant Wood, Grand Canyon, 4-3 3rd: Chase Boontjer, Liberty, def. Nick Bendon, Central Washington, 4-3 5th: James Peterson, Montana Western, def. Samuel Kreimier, U.S. Air Force Prep, by fall 5:55 7th: Austen Brower, William and Mary, def. Codie Nichols, Alfred State, 4-1 165: 1st: Drew Daniels, US Naval Prep, def. Wally Figaro, Shorter, 3-2 3rd: Juan Carlos Maynes, Grand Canyon, def. Conner Burns, RPI, by fall 1:54 5th: Michael Billingsley, U.S. Air Force Prep, def. Brett Johnson, Washington State, 5-4 7th: Frankie McKeown, Alabama, def. Danny Apgar, NW Missouri State, 10-6 174: 1st: Parker Maytrott, US Military Prep, def. Martin Fabbian, Grand Canyon, 5-3 3rd: KeyShaun Ward, Liberty, def. Dalton Lane, Shorter, by fall 6:53 5th: Giovanni Jiovenetta, Florida Gulf Coast, def. Robert Manier, U.S. Naval Prep, 3-2 TB-1 7th: Eric Dietz, Grand Valley State, def. Jon Williams, Wayne State, 6-2 184: 1st: Terrence Smith, Shorter, def. Austin Gaun, Grand Canyon, 5-4 3rd: Royal Brettrager, Liberty, def. Jadaen Bernstein, U.S. Naval Prep, by fall 2:46 5th: Steban Cervantes, U.S. Naval Prep, def. Jack Wedholm, U.S. Military Prep, by fall 6:40 7th: Matt Reynolds, Liberty, def. Jonathan Roberts, Middle Tennessee, by fall 1:38 197: 1st: Paul Ardila, Georgia, def. Tyrell Walker, Central Florida, 3-2 3rd: Marcus Haughian, Grand Canyon, def. Aaron Thompson, Liberty, 3-2 TB-1 5th: Carl Brown, Auburn, def. Scott Schretzenmaier, Pittsburgh, 12-3 7th: Jacob Laux (M.I.T.), def. Wayne Sanders, Saginaw Valley State, by fall 2:52 235: 1st: Andrew Ewers, Shorter, def. Stuart Maddox, North Florida, 8-3 3rd: Josh Woods, Central Florida, def. Parm Dhesi, Douglas College, 9-6 5th: Jim Eavenson, Montana Western, def. Dave Stratton, Washington State, 4-3 7th: Victor Irwin, Eastern Maine CC, def. Ryan Kreppel, West Chester, 4-2 285: 1st: Peter Angel Anguiano, Grand Canyon, def. Rashied Rayford, Middle Tennessee, by fall 3:26 3rd: Donald Shovestull, U.S. Naval Prep, def. Ian Jones, Apprentice, 2-1 5th: Dean Lusk, Penn State - New Kensington, def. Marlen Morgan, Shorter, 6-2 7th: Greydon Pavlik, Bowling Green, def. John Long, Marion Military Inst., by fall 6:12 Most Outstanding Wrestler: Ryan Diehl, Liberty, 133 pounds Coach of the Year: Michael Letts, U.S. Naval Academy Prep FINAL STANDINGS DIVISION I: 1. Grand Canyon 254.5 2. Liberty 171.5 3. Shorter 162.5 4. Central Florida 122 5. Grand Valley State 90.5 6. U.S. Naval Academy Prep 85.5 7. Middle Tennessee 84.5 8. Apprentice 75 9. U.S. Air Force Academy Prep 70 10. U.S. Military Academy Prep 65 11. North Florida 60 12. Alfred State 55 13. Mott Comm. Coll. 48 14. West Chester 41.5 15. Marion Military Inst. 41 16. Penn State-Mont Alto 35.5 17. Mercer 34.5 18. Md.-Baltimore County 27 19t. Douglas College 21.5 19t. Georgia Southern 21.5 21. Penn State-DuBois 21 22. East Tennessee State 20.5 23. Wichita State 19 24. Penn College 17.5 25. New Hampshire 17 26t. Penn State-New Kensington 16 26t. Southern Virginia 16 28. Tennessee Temple 14.5 DIVISION II: 1. Florida Gulf Coast 67.5 2. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology 60.5 3. Montana Western 58 4. South Florida 42.5 5. Central Washington 41 6. Washington State 39 7. Texas 37.5 8t. Auburn 35 8t. RPI 35 10. Georgia 34.5 11. Wayne State 23.5 12t. USC 21.5 12t. Toledo 21.5 14. Florida 19.5 15t. Glendale Comm. Coll. (Ariz.) 18.5 15t. Texas-Arlington 18.5 17. Dixie State 18 18. NW Missouri State 17.5 19. Michigan 16.5 20t. Pittsburgh 14.5 20t. Saginaw Valley State 14.5 20t. Texas A&M 14.5 23t. Eastern Maine Comm. Coll. 13.5 23t. William and Mary 13.5 25. Stony Brook 13 26. Colorado State 12.5 27. Maine 12 28. Bowling Green 11.5 29. Tennessee 11 30. BYU 10.5 31t. Henry Ford Comm. Coll. (Mich.) 10 31t. Slippery Rock 10 33. Virginia Military 9.5 34t. Massachusetts 9 34t. Washtenaw Comm. Coll. (Mich.) 9 36. Alabama 8.5 37. Connecticut 8 38t. Memphis 7.5 38t. Western Washington 7.5 40. East Carolina 7 41. Yale 6.5 42. Lafayette 5 43. Montclair State 4.5 44t. Illinois State 4 44t. James Madison 4 46t. Bridgewater 3 46t. Evergreen State 3 48t. Albany 2.5 48t. Texas State 2.5 48t. Texas-Pan American 2.5 51. South Puget Sound CC (Wash.) 1 52t. Eastern Washington 0 52t. Florida A&M 0 52t. Rutgers 0 52t. UC Santa Barbara 0 52t. SUNY Westchester 0 WOMENS FINAL STANDINGS: 1. Southwestern Oregon CC 84 2t. West Chester 31 2t. South Florida 31 4. Middle Tennessee 30 5t. North Florida 14 5t. Texas State 14 7. Stony Brook 11 8. Massachusetts 10 9t. Md.-Baltimore County 7 9t. Winona State 7 All-Americans 105: 1st: Mikayla Pico, SW Oregon CC, def. Victoria Stottlemyer, Middle Tennesse, by fall 0:55. No third-place. 112: 1st: Gabby Long, South Florida, def. Franchesa Ybarra, SW Oregon CC, 5-3. No third place. 121: (round robin) 1. Yolanda Lawes (3-0), SW Oregon CC; 2. Kelsey Larkin, West Chester (2-1); 3. Rylie Klinski (1-2), Winona State; 4. Victoria Ontiberos (0-3), Texas State. 130: (round robin) 1. Katy Dawson (3-0), SW Oregon CC; 2. Jasmine Cothran (2-1), Middle Tennessee; 3. Stefanie Choh (1-2), Md.-Baltimore County; 4. Amena Asar (0-3), Stony Brook. 139: (round robin) 1. Serena Castro (2-0), SW Oregon CC; 2. Karina Aguilar (1-1), Texas State; 3. Abigael Lopez-Gay (0-2), Stony Brook. 148: (round robin) 1. Shannon Reeves (3-0), North Florida; 2. Cassie Corey (2-1), Massachusetts; 3. Johanna Diaz (1-2), West Chester; 4. Vivian Bazan (0-3), SW Oregon CC. 159: 1. Aysha Schwinden, SW Oregon CC, def. Jasmine Grant, South Florida, by fall 6:24. No third-place. 176: 1. Kimberly Spiegel, West Chester, def. Clarissa Ceffalo, Middle Tennessee, by fall 0:20. No third-place. Most Outstanding Wrestler: Yolanda Lawes, SW Oregon CC, 121 lbs. Coach of the Year: Scott Sherman, North Florida

Senior Roughneck Ben Sergent won a national championship for The University of Findlay wrestling program in the 125-pound weight class on Saturday, March 15 in Cleveland, Ohio. Sergent, who finished the event with a perfect 4-0 record, advanced the championship round of the NCAA Division II Tournament by defeating Gannon's Matthew Turek. That victory then set up his championship match against Augustana's T.J. North, who came into the event as the third-ranked grappler in the 125-pound weight class. Sergent took a 5-0 lead in the championship against North and ended up winning by a score of 7-4 to win the title. The win gives him 109 for his career, which is tied for sixth all-time at Findlay. He also ends his career as a two-time All-American. Senior Adam Walters also reached the championship round of the tournament after defeating Western State's Elliot Copeland in the semifinals. His win set up a match against the top-ranked wrestler in the nation, Joey Davis of Notre Dame (Ohio). Walters and Davis battled to a draw for the majority of the match, but Davis scored late to claim a 4-1 win. Davis is now 72-0 during his career with two national titles. Walters, who earned All-American honors for the third time and runner-up honors for the second time, finished his career with 103 wins. As a team, the Roughnecks took 13th place at the event with a total of 35.5 points.

Cleveland, Ohio -- UCM wrestling finished with two All-Americans, and one national champion at the NCAA-II Championships. No. 1 Frank Cagnina (149) wins UCM's first national championship since Plamen Pasklev in 2005-2006, and is only the sixth Mule to capture a national title. Cagnina beat Terrel Wilbourn in overtime to advance to the finals, where faced Edwin Cooper (Upper Iowa) in the championship match. Trailing 2-1, Cagnina had a reversal and three-point near fall in the third period, before riding out Cooper to win the national title by 6-2 decision. He finishes the season at 40-2, winning 29 straight matches. He has the third best single-season win percentage, at .952. He also holds the record for most major decision wins in a single season, adding one more at the national meet to bring his total to 13. Ty Loethen (165) fell in two straight matches this morning to place eighth in the tournament, losing by decision in both matches. He was beat by No. 4 Nick Haferkamp (McKendree) before losing his final match of the season to Gabe Fogarty (St. Cloud State). Loethen finishes the season at 23-10, with a 43-19 career record at UCM.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - After the final buzzer sounded and Ryan Prater realized he had just won a NCAA Division III national championship at 149 pounds, he turned towards his parents in the stands and made a motion of closing a book with his hands. For Prater, it was the perfect ending to his wrestling career. "I was signaling that this was the end of this part of my life," he said. "It's been a great journey and and I couldn't be happier to close my career as a national champion." Prater, seeded second at the NCAA Championships, marched to the semifinals on Friday with a 14-0 major decision over Cornell's Trevor Engle followed by a 3-0 win over Delaware Valley's Vincent Fava. In the semifinal match on Saturday morning, Prater pinned third seeded Mark Hartenstine of Wilks to reach the finals. Facing, top-seeded and top-ranked Bobby Dierna of SUNY-Cortland in the championship match, it was Prater's defense that helped him early in the match. Dierna nearly had him in a prone position, but Prater countered and was able to draw a stalemate whistle. "Dierna really frustrated me in the first period, but I felt that I would able to roll around with him on the mat," he said. Ryan Prater records a near fall in the championship match. Prater showed his strength in the second period, starting from the top position and turning Dierna's shoulder to the mat for two points on a near fall. He rode Dierna for the entire period to build up two minutes of riding time and put Dierna in a virtual 3-0 hole. "There's a certain sense of pride on being able to ride a guy out for the entire period," Prater said. "Putting him behind by three points really gave me the confidence that I could finish off the match and win." Prater earned a quick escape in the third period and held Dierna at bay until the closing seconds to secure a 4-2 victory and become the third Bluejay in the last two years to win a national title. "I couldn't be more proud of the work that Ryan put in this season," said Elmhurst head coach Steve Marianetti. "He easily integrated with this team and despite his background, he never tried to stand out except when it was time to perform on the mat." At 25 years old, Prater followed in the footsteps of former All-American Elmhurst wrestlers Dalton Bullard and Mike Benefiel. Both Bullard and Benefiel were both former Division I wrestlers at major programs and transfered to Elmhurst after a few years away from the sport. Bullard won a pair of All-America honors in 2012 and 2013 while Benefiel won a national title at 197 pounds last year. "Coming out of high school as a state champion, I think every wrestler dreams of going to college and winning a national championship," said Prater. "I was a little bitter with the way things ended for me at [University of] Illinois, so I ended up stepping away for about three and a half seasons, but I was able to view the sport from a different angle as a coach while also maturing as well. Watching the success that Dalton and Mike had at Elmhurst made me realize that I still had the desire to get back on the mat and compete. I'm grateful for Coach Marianetti and the entire Elmhurst coaching staff for helping me fulfill my dream of winning a national championship." Prater also had to overcome an injury along the way to the national championship. He blazed through his first 10 matches of the season without a blemish before a knee injury put him on the sidelines for almost six weeks. He returned from the injury and promptly won a CCIW title, an NCAA regional title, and now, an NCAA national title while finishing the season with a perfect 20-0 record. He joins Jake Oster as Elmhurst's only undefeated national champion and became the fourth Bluejay to win a national title on the mat. Ryan Prater celebrates with Elmhurst coach Steve Marianetti. "To be able to call myself a national champion is amazing," said Prater. "But my body is ready for a rest, so I'm happy I could end my career on top." Prater's win helped Elmhurst finish tied for 17th place with 22.5 points in the team standings. Marianetti, who improved to 4-2 as a coach in national championship matches, was quick to point out that every wrestler has their own unique journey throughout their career. "A wrestler's journey doesn't always happen in a straight line," said Marianetti. "I'm happy that we've been able to help Ryan and several others write a happy ending to their wrestling careers."

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- Augsburg College's Mike Fuenffinger (JR, Hibbing, Minn.) won his first NCAA Division III national championship at 125 pounds, claiming his third major-decision victory of the tournament with a 12-4 triumph over Lucas Malmberg of Messiah (Pa.) at the NCAA Division III National Championships on Saturday evening at the U.S. Cellular Center. Fuenffinger claimed five takedowns and collected 3:00 of riding time in a dominating performance in the title match. Leading 6-0 after two periods, Fuenffinger surrendered a two-point near-fall by Malmberg, but responded by converting and escape and two more takedowns, including one at the end of the match to give him his third major decision win of the tournament. "The strategy was to keep my hands on him the whole time, stay on him and keep going forward," Fuenffinger said. "Never let off on top, just be relentless, and never let the guy breathe. I think I accomplished that pretty well and executed the plan." A two-time All-American after finishing seventh nationally at 125 last year, Fuenffinger finished his junior season at 34-3, including 16 bonus-point decisions (eight major decisions, seven pins, one technical fall). Fuenffinger is 76-20 in his Augsburg career. "It's amazing. I feel great. It's what I've been working for this whole year," Fuenffinger said. "I just wanted to go out there and wrestle to my hardest. I didn't know what to expect, but I know giving it my all, that's the best outcome." As a team, Augsburg finished in fifth place with 43.0 points, marking the 27th straight year (every year since 1988) that Augsburg has finished in the top 10 in NCAA Division III wrestling national competition. Earlier in the day, Fuenffinger scored a 10-0, major-decision win over Matthias Ellis II of Brockport State (N.Y.) in the semfinals. He claimed a takedown midway through the first period, another late in the second period, and a reversal and three-point near-fall in the third period, building 2:31 of riding time en route to the win. Fuenffinger is Augsburg's 48th wrestling national champion in school history, including a national-record 44 titles in NCAA Division III competition. His national title is the fifth for an Augsburg wrestler at 125 pounds since 2001, joining Darin Bertram (2001), Matt Shankey (2004 and 2005) and Seth Flodeen (2008) in that category. "Mike earned it. He earned that championship. He had his highs and lows throughout the year, but that's what a wrestling season is all about," said Augsburg Head Coach Mark Matzek, a two-time national champion (133 pounds) during his Augsburg career. "For him to go through the trials that he did … and to come back out on top, that's real life and I'm proud of this kid." Fuenffinger was one of two Auggies to earn All-America honors, bringing Augsburg's wrestling All-American total to 222 in program history (186 NCAA, 36 NAIA). Augsburg has had at least one All-American in national competition every year since 1977, and has had two or more All-Americans every year since 1988, a 27-year streak. Earlier in the day, heavyweight Chad Johnson (SR, Ferryville, Wis./De Soto HS) finished in third place, becoming the sixth Augsburg wrestler to earn four or more All-American honors. He was upset 7-5 by No. 4-seed -- and eventual national champion -- James Buss of Loras (Iowa) in the semifinals -- the first loss for Johnson against a Division III opponent since his first season at Augsburg. Johnson recovered from the loss with a 3-0 win over Mackenzie Green of Trine (Ind.), and a 7-3 win over Zachery Roseberry of Delaware Valley (Pa.) in the third-place match, Johnson's second win over Roseberry during the championships. Johnson finished his senior season at 35-2 and 140-15 in his Augsburg career. Over his final three seasons, Johnson was 108-4. Final Top 10 Team Scores: 1. Wartburg (Iowa) 103.5, 2. Wisconsin-Whitewater 67.0; 3. Messiah (Pa.) 64.0; 4. Coe (Iowa) 54.0; 5. Augsburg (Minn.) 43.0; 6t. Delaware Valley (Pa.) 39.5; 6t. Cortland State (N.Y.) 39.5; 8. Johnson & Wales (R.I.) 37.0; 9. Wabash (Ind.) 36.0; 10. Wisconsin-Oshkosh 34.5. Other Minnesota schools: 12t. Concordia-Moorhead 28.5; 51t. St. Olaf 1.5; 59t. Saint John's 0.0.

UW-Oshkosh's Nazar Kulchytskyy became a three-time champion while teammate Dan Schiferl earned his first All-America award at the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championship held Friday and Saturday (March 14-15) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Kulchytskyy won all five of his 157-pound contests, including a pin in 4:20 of Coe College's (Iowa) Dimitri Boyer in the championship match. Kulchytskyy advanced to the final with a 3-2 victory over Reece Lefever of Wabash College (Ind.). A champion at 157 pounds in 2012 and 165 in 2013, Kulchytskyy started this year's journey with an 18-4 win over Kristopher Krawchuk of Wilkes University (Pa.). He followed that triumph with victories of 10-5 over Josh Etzel of Washington & Jefferson College (Pa.) and 5-3 over Brett Yonkovic of Wartburg College (Iowa). Kulchytskyy, who was named the championship's Most Outstanding Wrestler, finished the season with a 41-2 record (21 pins). The only NCAA champion in UW-Oshkosh history concluded his career with a 142-5 record (67 pins). After finishing ninth in both 2012 and 2013, Schiferl broke through to place fourth and collect an All-America citation in the 174-pound weight class of this year's championship. Schiferl went 3-2 in his five contests, including a 4-2 loss to Coe College's Ethan Bell in the third-place match. Schiferl started strong, posting wins of 6-2 over Nicholas Allen of Olivet College (Mich.) and 6-3 over Conner Lefever of Wabash College. Following a 4-3 loss to Anthony Bonaventura of Waynesburg College (Pa.), Schiferl defeated Zach Zotollo of The College of New Jersey, 8-6. Schiferl ended the season with a 32-6 record (seven pins) and his career with a 94-41 mark (32 pins). In addition to Kulchytskyy, other individual winners were Mike Fuenffinger of Augsburg College at 125 pounds, Kenny Anderson of Wartburg College at 133, Kaleb Loht of Messiah College at 141, Ryan Prater of Elmhurst College (Ill.) at 149, Cole Welter of Wartburg College at 165, Landon Williams of Wartburg College at 174, Riley Lefever of Wabash College at 184, Alex Coolidge of Cornell College (Iowa) at 197 and James Buss of Loras College (Iowa) at 285. UW-Oshkosh scored 34.5 points to finish 10th in the team competition. The ranking was the Titans' highest since they placed sixth in 1982. Last year, UW-Oshkosh finished 17th with 20 points. Wartburg College took first place in this year's championship with 103.5 points. It was the Knights' fourth straight title and 11th overall. UW-Whitewater finished second in the 65-team meet with 67 points, while Messiah College (Pa.) placed third with 64, Coe College fourth with 54 and Augsburg College (Minn.) fifth with 43.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- The UW-Whitewater wrestling team finished second, the best finish in program history, in the NCAA Division III Championships held in Cedar Rapids Saturday. Shane Siefert (Mundelein, IL/Carmel) and Matt Adcock (Bloomingdale, IL/Lake Park) led the way with individual national runner-up finishes at 197 and 141 pounds respectively. The Warhawks bettered their previous best, third place from last season, to write the 2013-14 season in the school history book. Adcock met the top seed, Messiah's Kaleb Loht, unbeaten against Division III competition this season at 37-0, in the championship bout. Loht started the offense with a shot and single leg but Adcock defended well and did not allow a takedown. With just five seconds remaining in the first period, Loht was successful on a shot and takedown to head into the second period with a 2-0 lead. Loht extended his lead in the second period on an escape and takedown off a single leg and trip combo. Adcock faced a 5-0 deficit to open the final period of regulation. Choosing the bottom position, Adcock slid up and out quickly for the escape. He continued to be aggressive, pressing on offense to register a takedown. Forced to release Loht in effort to make up the margin, Adcock gave up the point and had an opportunity with a single leg but was short on time to fall by 6-3 decision. Adcock's national runner-up finish is the best in UW-W history at 141 pounds. He is the tenth Warhawk to earn All-America honors by finishing in the top eight in the weight class. Adcock finishes the season 26-9 after going 3-1 in the championship. The 197 pound weight class came down to the #1 and #2 seeds, with UW-W's Siefert taking on Cornell's Alex Coolidge. Siefert opened the scoring just 12 seconds into the bout with a takedown after turning a single leg into a double and pushing forward for two points. Coolidge registered the reversal just seven seconds later but Siefert was able to escape to take a 3-2 lead after one period. Coolidge chose the bottom position and slid forward and up for the fast escape for the only score of the second period. The bout was tied 3-3 heading into the final period of wrestling. Siefert chose the down position and was able to capitalize with a reversal. Coolidge escaped from Siefert's grasp to pull within one with less than one minute left. Coolidge shot with less than 30 seconds left, Siefert stymied the opportunity but Coolidge went up and over, forcing the two to roll with Coolidge getting position for a two-point takedown. Siefert tried to get up and out quickly but Coolidge held on for the win by 6-5 decision. Siefert earns All-America honors for the second season in a row after finishing fourth last year. He is just the second Warhawk to garner All-America honors in the 197 pound weight class and holds the best finish ever for a UW-W wrestler at the weight. He finishes the season with a 36-5 record and adds the Most Technical Falls Award from the Division III National Wrestling Coaches Association with 11 this season. Wartburg College won the team title with 103.5 points followed by Whitewater with 67 and Messiah College with 64. Four Warhawks joined Adcock and Siefert on the mats this weekend with Jimmy Nehls (Downers Grove, IL/North) (133), Elroy Perkin (Greenfield/Whitnall) (149) and Cedric Gibson (Plainfield, IL/Plainfield North) (165) each finishing fifth in their respective weight classes. Anthony Edgren (New Lisbon/New Lisbon) participated in the 285 pound weight class but two overtime bouts Friday.

The second-ranked Nebraska-Kearney wrestling team scored 64.5 points to finish second at the NCAA Championships Saturday night in Cleveland. This is UNK's 13th straight top 10 finish and fourth national runner up trophy, following second place showings in 2003, 2006 and 2007. After a rough first day, top-ranked Notre Dame College (Ohio) had a super second day win its first national title as a D2 member. The Falcons, who have several NAIA national titles to their credit, scored 99.5 points thanks to national champs at 157, 165, 174 and 184 lbs. Overall, the Central Region dominated the team standings, placing five in the top seven. Behind NDC and UNK were Maryville, Mo. (58.5), Ouachita Baptist, Ark. (56), Central Oklahoma (54.5), St. Cloud State (51) and Lindenwood (48.5). Top-ranked sophomore Romero Cotton (Hutchinson, Kans.), after placing second at 197 lbs. last year, won the national title in scintillating fashion, 8-7. Facing 3rd-ranked Julian Smith of D2 newcomer McKendree (Ill.), Cotton was down 5-1 heading into the third period. Smith built his lead with an early takedown in the first period and another one with 14 seconds left in the second. Starting down in the third, Cotton quickly escaped to cut the deficit to three. He then recorded three takedowns in the final 1:18 to win. After the first two, he gave Smith two free points, allowing him to start in the neutral position each time. The final takedown came with just 11 seconds left on the clock and allows the All-MIAA running back to finish 23-3. He reached the finals by slipping past Fort Hays State's Tanner Kriss, 3-1, in the first sudden victory period. Top-ranked sophomore Daniel DeShazer (Wichita, Kans.) wasn't as fortunate as he came in second at 133 lbs. Trying to defend his national title, DeShazer lost to nemisis Casy Rowell of Central Oklahoma, 3-2, in the second tie breaking period. The 4th-ranked Rowell escaped to earn the winning point and then rode DeShazer (17-2) for 30 seconds to secure the victory. He is now 3-1 all-time vs. DeShazer and is the only D2 wrestler to beat the Loper running back on the mats. DeShazer lived on the right side of the edge for most of the tourney, winning both his quarterfinal and semifinal matches in OT. UNK had three other All-Americans in seniors Patrick Martinez (3rd/174 lbs.), Mark Fiala (7th/184 lbs.) and Brock Smith (6th/165 lbs.) Martinez (25-2), ranked fourth, gave now two-time national champ Joey Davis of NDC (69-0 in college) everything he wanted before falling 5-2 in the semifinals. The California native bounced back to record two wins, including an impressive 5-3 decision over 3rd-ranked Elliott Copeland of Western State. Smith (Gering), during the regular season, handed UCO's Chris Watson his only two losses. However, Watson (43-4), the eventual runner up, beat Smith in the semifinals this afternoon, his second victory against him this postseason. Smith dropped his next two matches but ends up 22-9 and with his first All-American honor. Finally, Fiala (Seward) joins Cotton, DeShazer and Martinez as a two-time All-American. Going 35-17 this season, he got some pay back in the seventh place match by defeating 4th-ranked Bryson Hall of Ashland, 6-3. Hall beat Fiala, 3-2, in the first round. NCAA AWARDS Most Dominant – Joey Davis, Notre Dame (Ohio) Most Falls – Zachary Bennett, Pittsburgh-Johnstown Most Tech Falls – Austin Gillihan, Lake Erie College (Ohio) NCAA DIVISION II COACHES ASSOCIATION AWARDS Coach of the Year – Kevin Ward, Ouachita Baptist U., Ark. Outstanding Wrestler – Casy Rowell, Central Oklahoma Gorrarian Award (Most Falls at Nationals in least time) - Darick Lapaglia, Maryville (Mo.) Bob Bubb Coaching Excellence Award – Lars Jensen, San Francisco State

Related: Results CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The No. 1 Notre Dame College wrestling team claimed the 2014 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in emphatic fashion with four wrestlers claiming individual national titles. Jonatan Rivera, Eric Burgey, Joey Davis and Garett Lineberger claimed national titles for the Falcons. No. 5 Jonatan Rivera started the title run off for the Falcons at 157 pounds with a 5-2 decision victory over the previously unbeaten Cory Dauphin from Central Oklahoma. No. 1 Eric Burgey was the second Falcon to claim a national title, at 165 pounds, with a 4-2 decision victory over Chris Watson from Central Oklahoma. Burgey, who is a senior, becomes a two-time NCAA Division II National Champion having won the national title at 174 pounds last year. No. 1 Joey Davis completed his second unbeaten season to claim his second national title with a 4-1 victory over Adam Walters from Findlay. Davis completes a 39-0 season at 174 pounds to hold an unbeaten collegiate record of 72-0. Freshman Garrett Lineberger followed Davis's lead to claim a national title, at 184 pounds, in his first year as a collegiate wrestler. Linberger defeated Travis McKillop from Pitt Johnstown with a pin at the 4:54 mark. Lineberger was also the only wrestler in the tournament to record a pin in the championship finals. With the win Lineberger becomes the Falcons second freshman national champion in a row, after Joey Davis achieved the feat last year. With four individual national champions the Falcons claimed a convincing, 35 point, team national championship. The Falcons amassed 99.5 points to beat two-time defending national champions Nebraska Kearney, who finished with 64.5 points. Maryville University finished in the third with 58.5 points, Ouachita Baptist finished fourth with 56 points and Central Oklahoma rounded out the top five with 54.5 points. The national championship completes a unique double for the Falcons who also claimed the NWCA National Duals title in January of this year. The team national championship is also Notre Dame College's first NCAA Division II national title and it comes in only their second year of full membership in the division.

Wartburg Wrestlers & Staff (Photo/Wartburg Sports Information) Related: Results CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- Wartburg won its fourth straight NCAA championship to bring its total to 11 national championships Saturday. The Knights became the first team in NCAA Division III wrestling history to four-peat the team title. The 11 NCAA team titles ties Augsburg's record. The Nnational champion has been won by either Augsburg or Wartburg every year since 1995. The Orange and Black won with 103.5 team points and had three individual national champions for the second time in school history. 133: Kenny Anderson (WB) wins by 4-2 dec in OT vs Alex Gomez (Ithaca) NATIONAL CHAMPION 165: Cole Welter (WB) win by 5-3 dec vs Nicholas Carr (Washington & Jefferson) NATIONAL CHAMPION 174: Landon Williams (WB) win by fall (2:46) vs Anthony Bonaventura (Waynesburg) NATIONAL CHAMPION 285: James Buss (Loras) win by 4-1 dec vs Ryan Fank (WB). Fank is National Runner-Up Also of note, Welter was a three-time state champion for Don Bosco where he won eight team titles (four traditional and four state duals) Other Notes: -Wartburg has now tied Augsburg's NCAA championship total with 11. -The two schools have won every national championship since 1995. -Anderson won his third straight and third overall individual national championship. -With his win tonight, Anderson became the 13th three-time NCAA champion with his 133 title. -Anderson became the third three-time NCAA champion in Wartburg's history. Dustin Hinschberger, 141, 2004-05; Byron Tate, 197, 2010-2012. -Anderson ends his season at 15-2 and career record of 76-3. -Anderson has 22 career major decisions which is ninth-best on the program's all-time leader list. -Welter ends the season 33-2 and 113-23 for his career. -Welter earns his second All-American honor -Welter earned his 33rd win of the year and his 113th career victory. -Welter increased his winning streak to 19. -Williams finished the season undefeated against Division III opponents. -Williams recorded his team-best 41st win of the season. -Williams increased his winning streak to 19. -Williams remains undefeated against Division III opponents. -Williams earned his 135th career victory and remains sixth on the program's all-time career win list. -Fank ends the year with a 37-3 record and 116-30 for his career.

Related: Related: Day 2 Recap | Videos LOS ANGELES -- On the first day of the World Cup, most of the people in the Forum in Los Angeles were talking about two dual meets: Russia vs. Ukraine and Iran vs. United States. There was much talk about politics, and although the wrestlers and coaches were willing to espouse the merits of international sport and promoting good will between nations, for them, politics were a non-issue. Russian team leader Christakis Alexandridis said, "This is a special moment. But the wrestlers here shake hands. We embrace each other. There is politics everywhere, every day. For us this is about wrestling. This is about our sport. We are a family. We are friends." The quality of the wrestling was exceptional throughout the day as the top ten teams in the world faced each other in dual meets. USA started the day with matches against Armenia and India and dominated both, winning 7-1 and 6-2. Iran was stellar in its morning session against Armenia and again against Turkey in the evening, winning 8-0 and 7-1. Russia looked flat in its opening meet against Mongolia, winning on criteria 4-4. The rust came off quickly as they dominated Ukraine in the highly-anticipated matchup. Ukraine lost matches at weights they were they were favored. World and Olympic medalist Vasyl Fedoryshyn lost to Aleksandr Bogomoev 6-1 at 61 kilos and two-time World champ Ibragim Aldatov was shut out by Anzor Urishev, 7-0. The much anticipated Iran-USA dual meet delivered much excitement, with Iran coming out on top five matches to three. The standing World champion Iran came out on top thanks to two, nail-biting 1-0 matches -- Mostafa Hosseinkani over Nick Marable at 70 kilos and Komeil Ghasemi over Tervel Dlagnev at 125 kilos. The dual meet saw each country gain a victory via a remarkable comeback. In almost a replay of the quarterfinals at last year's world championships, Reece Humphrey built a strong lead in the first period against Masoud Esmailpoor Jouybari only to lose late in the match, 10-8. Jouybari was certainly buoyed by the large contingent of fans that were cheering loudly throughout the evening. "I really didn't anticipate so many Iranians here," he said through a translator. "It was like being in Iran." Brent Metcalf gets instructions from coach Zeke Jones (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)In the following bout, USA's Brent Metcalf got thrown for four points in the opening seconds of the bout, but rallied to defeat Meisam Nasiri, 11-8. "I'm not happy about giving up the big points early," Metcalf said. "I gave up a couple cheap, easy ones and he just dived in, but I got where I needed to be to win." Down three matches to two, Clayton Foster electrified the American fans by upsetting 2013 World bronze medalist Ehsan Lashgari, 7-5. Seemingly dead to rights on a takedown, Foster stubbornly held position to avoid giving up the points and turned it into three points for himself. With only a few seconds left, he then broke a 5-5 tie to win the bout, knowing that he would lose on criteria. Iran's standing World champs Hassan Rahimi and Reza Yazdani were both outstanding on the day, both going 2-0, including wins of 8-0 over their American opponents. Yazdani was quite happy to not only win, but come to Los Angeles after Iran was unable to after a scheduled event last year. "The United States is one of our main competitors. We're happy we were able to win for our countryman who came out today." In a rematch of the 2013 world finals, team USA's golden boy, Jordan Burroughs again defeated Ezzatollah Akbari Zarinkolaei. "The Iranians are here to win and I'm here to stop them," Burroughs said. "It's their job to come here from the Middle East and get their job done and it's my job to come here from Lincoln, Nebraska and get my job done." On Sunday team USA has a final pool match with Turkey at 11 a.m. PT and their placement match after that. United States 7 Armenia 1 57 kilos: Angel Escobedo (United States) dec. Artak Hovhannisyan (Armenia), 11-4 61 kilos: Reece Humphrey (United States) dec. Valodya Frangulyan (Armenia), 5-4 65 kilos: Brent Metcalf (United States) tech. fall Artur Arakelyan (Armenia), 11-1 70 kilos: Davit Apoyan (Armenia) dec. Nick Marable (United States), 10-7 74 kilos: Jordan Burroughs (United States) tech. fall Varuzhan Kajoyan (Armenia), 16-6 86 kilos: Keith Gavin (United States) dec. Vahe Tamrazyan (Armenia), 6-1 97 kilos: Dustin Kilgore (United States) tech. fall Viktor Kazishvili (Armenia), 10-0 125 kilos: Tervel Dlagnev (United States) tech. fall Andranik Galstyan (Armenia), 11-0 USA 6, India 2 57 kilos: Amit Kumar (India) dec. Andrew Hochstrasser (United States), 4-3 61 kilos: Bajrang (India) dec. Jimmy Kennedy (United States), 10-6 65 kilos: Brent Metcalf (United States) dec. Rajneesh (India), 7-6 70 kilos: Moza Fay (United States) tech. fall Amit Kumar Dhankhar (India), 11-0 74 kilos: Jordan Burroughs (United States) pin Parveen Rana (India), 2:44 86 kilos: Clayton Foster (United States) tech fall Pawan Kumar (India), 10-0 97 kilos: JD Bergman (United States) tech fall Saywart Kadian (India), 11-0 125 kilos: Tervel Dlagnev (United States) won by forfeit Iran 5, USA 3 57 kg: Hassan Rahimi (Iran) dec. Angel Escobedo (USA), 8-0 61 kg: Masoud Esmailpoor Jouybari (Iran) dec. Reece Humphrey (USA), 10-8 65 kg: Brent Metcalf (USA) dec. Meisam Nasiri (Iran), 11-8 70 kg: Mostafa Hosseinkhani (Iran) dec. Nick Marable (USA), 1-0 74 kg: Jordan Burroughs (USA) dec. Ezzatollah Akbari Zarinkolaei (Iran), 7-1 86 kg: Clayton Foster (USA) dec. Ehsan Lashgari (Iran), 7-5 97 kg: Reza Yazdani (Iran) dec. J.D. Bergman (USA), 8-0 125 kg: Komeil Ghasemi (Iran) dec. Tervel Dlagnev (USA), 1-0

All times PT Day 2: Sunday Session III: 11 a.m. Iran vs. India, USA vs. Turkey Noon Russia vs. Georgia; Ukraine vs. Mongolia 1:30 p.m. Seventh-place match and Ninth-place match 2:30 p.m. Fifth-place match Session IV: 5 p.m. Third-place match 6 p.m. First-place match and Award Ceremonies Day 1: Saturday Session I: 11 a.m Armenia vs. USA Mat A 11 a.m India vs. Turkey Mat B Noon Iran vs. Armenia Mat A Noon USA vs. India Mat B 1 p.m. Georgia vs. Japan Mat A 1 p.m. Mongolia vs. Russia Mat B 2 p.m. Japan vs. Mongolia Mat A 2 p.m. Ukraine vs. Russia Mat B Session II: 5:30 p.m. Armenia vs. India Mat A 5:30 p.m. Turkey vs. Iran Mat B 6:30 p.m. Turkey vs. Armenia Mat A 6:30 p.m. Iran vs. USA Mat B 7:30 p.m. Mongolia vs. Georgia Mat A 7:30 p.m. Japan vs. Ukraine Mat B 8:30 p.m. Georgia vs. Ukraine Mat A 8:30 p.m. Russia vs. Japan Mat B

Links: Results | Schedule

A wealth of wrestling talent will arrive in Los Angeles this weekend (Saturday and Sunday) for the Freestyle World Cup. The ten teams competing in eight weight classes will feature close to 50 wrestlers ranked in the latest set of FILA World Rankings. It's worth mentioning that nations are not limited to one wrestler earning a world ranking per weight class and that the top wrestling countries often have multiple athletes ranked at the same weight. Many of the teams competing at the World Cup have multiple wrestlers entered at a weight and, in some cases, all of them are ranked. Which athlete is given the nod to compete in which meet is sometimes not determined until match time. Since wrestling was officially reinstated as an Olympic sport last September, a number of changes have been made by FILA. One of the more significant is that some of the weight classes have been slightly changed and, at non-Olympic events, a new weight class, 70 kilos, was added. Who the stars are at this new weight class is difficult to tell as the results to examine from it are still quite limited. The ten teams competing have been put into two pools. The top two teams at last year's World Championships, No. 1 Iran and No. 2 Russia, were placed in separate pools and the remaining eight countries were drawn at random. While some of the anticipated individual matchups may automatically happen in pool competition, other ones can only occur depending on how each teams finish within their pool. 57 kilos: No. 1 Hassan Rahimi (Iran) vs. No. 2 Amit Kumar (India) -- Session III A rematch of the World finals last year, won in a close bout by Rahimi. Rahimi won gold in a tight, chess match type bout filled with calculated explosions and amazing defense by both wrestlers. 61 kilos: No. 5 Nyam-Ochir Enkhsaiakhan (Mongolia) vs. No. 12 Vasily Fedorishin (Ukraine) -- Session III Vasily Fedorishin, a veteran, is still quite slick and has a number of solid wins recently. How much he is still on the top of his game will be determined in a bout with the talented Mongolian. For Team USA, two-time World Team member Reece Humphrey is expected to benefit from this weight class being changed from 60 kilos to 61 kilos and may be primed for big wins. Teammate Jimmy Kennedy is ranked No. 8 in the world after a recent tournament victory in Turkey, which included a win over Nyam-Ochir. 65 kilos: No. 3 Ganzorigiin Mandakhnaran (Mongolia) vs. No. 7 Alibeggadzhi Emeev (Russia) -- Session I Emeev has had some good wins as of late and a match with 2013 World bronze medalist Mandakhnaran will be a good barometer of where he stands. 70 kilos: No. 4 (at 74 kilos) Nick Marable (USA) vs. No. 2 Peyman Yaramadi (Iran) -- Session II There is much anticipation for the USA vs. Iran dual meet and this match is one of the crucial ones. Marable shocked the world with a victory over then-undefeated (in international competition) Jordan Burroughs in Turkey last month and has since dropped down to the new weight class of 70 kilos. Given his performances of late, he should be considered the favorite this weekend. Yaramadi will be a formidable test for him. Jordan Burroughs defeated Ezzatollah Akbari to win gold (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)74 kilos: No. 1 Jordan Burroughs (USA) vs. Ezzatollah Akbari (Iran) -- Session II A rematch from last year's World Championship finals, won 4-0 by Burroughs. The poster boy for USA wrestling is the 2011, 2013 World champ and the 2012 Olympic champ and will look to continue his new win streak after losing to Marable last month. 86 kilos: No. 1 Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine) No. 3 Ehsan Lashgari (Iran) -- TBD Two-time world champ Aldatov did not face bronze medalist Lashgari in last year's Worlds. If Ukraine and Iran have the same finish in their respective pools they may meet on Sunday. Aldatov has a wide range of scoring techniques and may have the best leg lace in the world. 97 kilos: No. 1 Reza Yazdani (Iran) vs. No. 3 Pavlo Oleynik (Ukraine) -- TBD Yazdani is one of the most exciting wrestlers competing today. Oleynik is a talented, decorated wrestler and Yazdani dominated him en route to gold medal at last year's Worlds. Yazdani has an unusual combination of lightning fast offense and an uncanny ability to win lengthy scrambles. 125 kilos: Tervel Dlagnev vs. Komeil Ghasemi -- Session II Dlagnev and Ghasemi have a healthy rivalry with Dlagnev winning in the quarterfinals of last year's Worlds. If USA wishes to beat Iran, another win by Dlagnev appears to be essential. No. 2 Alen Zaseev (Ukraine) vs. No. 7 Geno Petriashvili (Georgia) -- Session II A lot of people expected Zazeev to win in the finals of last year's Worlds after how he looked through the semifinals. Instead, he got tossed by Gatsalov twice. Zaseev is a big heavyweight and moves quickly. He may be tested by standing world bronze medalist Petriashvili.

With all six sessions televised and every match carried on ESPN3 for the first time, ESPN will provide unprecedented coverage of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships from Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla., on March 20-22. ESPN will televise the semifinals and finals, while ESPNU televises the first and second sessions, the quarterfinals and medal round. Digitally, ESPN3 will carry individual mat feeds throughout the entire tournament and debut a special -- Inside the Mat -- during the finals. All six sessions are available on WatchESPN. ESPN Commentators: ESPN's coverage will be anchored by accomplished wrestlers and prominent personalities in the sport: Kyle Dake: The four-time national champion at Cornell University (2010-2013) will join ESPN as a guest analyst for the first time. Dake is one of three wrestlers to win four NCAA National Championships, but is the only wrestler to accomplish the feat in four different weight classes. Anthony Robles: The Arizona State graduate is a three-time All-American and a 2011 NCAA National Champion. Robles returns for his third year as an ESPN analyst. Jim Gibbons: The former NCAA Wrestling Coach of the Year will join ESPN's television coverage for the first time after covering the Championship on ESPN3 previously. Gibbons is a three-time All-American, two-time Big Eight winner at Iowa State and later won a NCAA National Championship as the Cyclones head coach. He was inducted in the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003. Tim Johnson: "The voice of college wrestling" returns once again to ESPN's coverage. Johnson has been evaluating the college wrestling scene for more than 25 years and has called more than 250 matches as an analyst. Adam Amin and Shawn Kenney will call the action and Quint Kessenich will be the reporter. Digital Coverage on ESPN3: ESPN3 has expanded its individual mat feed which allows fans to watch every match throughout the tournament, including the wrestleback bracket, accompanied by live commentary. Additionally, for computer users, ESPN3 will once again offer multi-mat simultaneous viewing which allows fans to watch up to four different mats at one time. Screen Shots: In addition to all the individual mat coverage, ESPN3 debuts a scoreboard/navigation page which will keep viewers up-to-date on current action and which mats each wrestler is on. When applicable, updates on up to eight mats will be provided on this page: For viewers watching a particular mat feed, ESPN3's new scroll provides score updates on other ongoing matches, including the matchups coming up next: ESPN3 will have a reporter stationed at each mat providing commentary for each specific feed to further enhance the digital experience. Inside the Mat -- ESPN3 Special During Championship Finals: Also debuting this year, ESPN3 will offer a special -- titled Inside the Mat -- during the Championship finals on Saturday, March 22 at 8 p.m. ET. Four of college wrestling's most decorated athletes -- Dan Gable, Jim Gibbons, Lee Kemp and Pat Smith -- join Shawn Kenney from inside the arena to bring fans a unique perspective of the Championship final session. While also bringing viewers live action, the analysts -- unrestricted by television parameters -- will discuss each match from a tactical and mental standpoint, describing the wrestlers' thought process before, during, and after a finals match. Inside the Mat will go behind-the-scenes to show medal ceremonies and will be joined by an array of guests throughout the night, including newly crowned NCAA National Champions and their coaches. Inside the Mat Analysts: Dan Gable: Won an Olympic gold medal at the 1972 games in Munich, Germany, before leading Iowa to 16 NCAA National Championships as head coach. Lee Kemp: Won three NCAA National Championships as a wrestler at Wisconsin and three gold medals in the World Championships. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1990. Pat Smith: As an Oklahoma State Cowboy, Smith was the first wrestler to win four NCAA National Championships, a feat that has only been matched by Cael Sanderson and Kyle Dake. Smith was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006. NCAA Winter Championship Coverage In addition to the NCAA Wrestling Championships, ESPN provides exclusive coverage of 10 additional NCAA Winter Championships which NCAA Women's Basketball Championship, Men's Ice Hockey, the Men�s and Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship Fencing Championship, Swimming and Diving Championship, Women's Gymnastics Championship and Women�s Bowling Championship.

After being stuck with Fight Pass events that didn't even measure up to mediocre Strikeforce cards of yesteryear, the UFC is back with a real show with the UFC 171 pay-per-view. Either Johny Hendricks will win the welterweight title a lot of people thought he earned last time out, or Robbie Lawler will complete one of the most amazing career turnarounds in the history of the sport. Also, newly crowned Bellator champion Daniel Straus will defend his title against Pat Curran in a fight between arguably the two best fighters outside of the UFC. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

When the NCAA announced their seeds on Wednesday night, the response around the country was the same. "Why?" Though the NCAA refused to return my emails or engage in a public debate we have to assume that their logic was similar to that of a disinterested mother dealing with the begging of a hyperactive child. "Because I said so. That's why." From Kyven Gadson's insulting No. 5 seed at 197 pounds to the utterly inexplicable No. 8 seed handed to Nebraska's T.J. Dudley, and the rear-ending of Jason Tsirtsis at 149 pounds, it's obvious that in the NCAA's race for objectivity, they forgot to act rational. The NCAA does a good job monitoring the pasta consumption of athletes, but like all bureaucratic bodies it entrusts the wrong people with making decisions that impact those lives most directly. Should we be placing the future competitiveness to an amalgam of overworked head coaches and bleary-eyed administrators? Should someone who has a passing knowledge of the sport's rules and history be given the right to seed 330 wrestlers just because they work within the NCAA? I've watched some of the biggest movies of the year, but that doesn't mean I should have an Oscar vote. I have no doubt that each committee member is a good person with the best of intentions. Administering college athletics is a challenging profession that requires wit and hard work. But the gripe isn't with the personalities or professionalism of the members, but in the bureaucracy and innate arrogance of the institution that forces these members to make decisions for which they are unprepared or ill-equipped. The entire process has been turned into numbers and odd little rankings systems, none of which is made public. Then rules are made to ensure "fairness," ostensibly the primary objective is achieved. Wrestling is about more than numbers and no matter how many formulas they create there is subjectivity inherent in both making the formulas and ranking them in importance. The NCAA has therefore concluded that bad decisions made with a tenuous connection to plausible deniability (and the certainty of one's own objectivity), is more virtuous than making the correct decision through a system that admits subjectivity but is displayed in honest terms. It takes an immense amount of arrogance to think that your organization is the only one capable of objective decision-making. That mentality shows disdain and disrespect for the fans, coaches and media that support the sport. Get Andrew Hipps, Jason Bryant, Earl Smith and Christian Pyles in a room and have them hash out their own seeds. There will be blood, but I know for CERTAIN that they aren't going to drop Kyven Gadson four spots because their formula said so. That type of automated CYA decision-making comes from years of mechanized incompetency inside a bureaucratic infrastructure fundamentally flawed by the incessant reminder of amateurism's virtuosity. The simple truth is that the members of the committee themselves aren't to blame. They closed the door one afternoon, ran some numbers, had a quick chat and then emerged a few hours later with a document. That's the job they were assigned and they fulfilled their duty. The fallout from the worst seeded bracket in NCAA history? Nada. The principals don't carry the weight of the decision, but the student-athletes that helped propel them up on bureaucratic depth chart do. These wrestlers lose sleep. They're the ones who are wronged. This isn't basketball where a team might lose a seed and get put in a tough region. There are dozens of players and lots of stats. Wrestling is pure and when you seed the tournament, you aren't seeding a collection of jerseys and missed free throws. You're ranking a man's accomplishments and failures. You're measuring his worth. Though the NCAA flubbed, the real beauty of wrestling is that on March 20 none of the seeds will matter to the tough young men who are taking the mat. They'll have learned the lesson that life and institutions aren't fair, and they'll prove themselves wrestlers by taking advantage of the opportunity to be in the room and fight for their title, regardless of bureaucracy and incompetence. "Why?" "Because they're wrestlers, that's why." To your questions (you all asked the same three) ... Q: What are your thoughts on the recent style of defending champ Jesse Delgado? Watching the Big Ten tournament, Cory Clark and Nico Megaludis consistently got in on his legs only for Delgado to literally dive for the other foot and hang on for dear life. He showed no offense or seeming desire to attack. For a guy who has an exciting offense, this is a negative way to win matches. The crowd and his opponents were clearly frustrated by his newfound tactics. -- Dave A. Jesse Delgado defeated Nico Megaludis to claim his second straight Big Ten title (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Foley: Jesse Delgado can wrestle on his feet. He's quick as a hiccup and fights for offensive positions. However, over the past year he's turned off the spigot to his attacks. He's become a dawdler on his feet who is most interested in getting the chance to test out his Buck 'em Bronco techniques. I get it. Like all wrestlers, Delgado wants more than anything to win. To do so he has adapted to rules and created a style that gets him the most number of victories. He has the right to wrestle how ever he wants within the rules, and since the rules no longer reward aggression or penalize defense tactics, he's smart to find his keys to victory. The problem is nationwide. Wrestlers are no longer looking to dominate through toughness or aggression. They are looking to squeak by with tactics. That's not a sellable product, and if left unchanged it'll kill the sport. Q: I'd rather watch pigs fornicate than stare blankly at another 2-1 OT victory. Also, how does escaping sooner in the second tiebreaker period somehow mean that you have asserted your dominance and "beaten" your opponent? Seriously? See Delgado-Megaludis for a perfect example of this ridiculous criteria. So much is wrong with the current rules. Stalling is incentivized as a winning tactical method. What can they realistically do to force the action and make wrestling watchable again? I want to see overtime with no time on the clock and two guys in neutral battling it out until someone scores. Thoughts? -- Patrick S. Foley: Though I prefer to eat my swine rather than watching them reproduce little slivers of bacon, I can agree that there is no worse pain than watching two talented humans not use their given talents. The 30-second rideout is stupid. It's dumb. But in a system that can't solve issues on the feet, it's the only possible tiebreaker available. And just so we're clear, I do think that the international rules are far superior in this regard. I love top wrestling when it's tilts and pins, but when it's one guy seeing how long he can bite and ankle I lose all interest. The great tragedy of this season has been we have arguably the most talented field in NCAA history, but a set of rules that leaves us wondering what sport we are watching. If I see one more side headlock from top in the 30-second rideout, I'm going to punt a puppy into Lake Michigan. It's simple: The rideout has become so valuable that it makes the entire match valueless. What is so incredible about holding down an opponent when you START ON THEIR BACK? MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships Promo Q: With the World Cup going on this weekend in LA, give me one badass freestyle wrestler to keep an eye on who is not from the United States. -- Mike C. Foley: There are a lot of guys to watch. I'm in Los Angeles for the World Cup and walking through the lobby of the team hotel I've run into several World and Olympic champions. The talent is probably the best to ever attend a World Cup and that's without Russia's Otarsultanov and Gatslov who both couldn't make the trip. For my money it will be fun to watch Jordan Burroughs hit the mats, and to see what Nick Marable can do at 70 kilos. It will also be interesting to see how Tervel Dlagnev starts up another year on the mats. He's not young and with heavyweights when it goes, it's gone. Internationally I'd watch out for the Mongolian lightweights, especially Batbold Nomin at 57 kilos and Ganzorig Mandakhnaran at 65 kilos. With the upper weights you can see some incredible stuff from defending 84-kilo World champion and 85-kilo World No. 1 Ibragim Aldatov of Ukraine. COMMENT(S) OF THE WEEK By John B. I just watched the Big Ten tournament finals during which three wrestlers, Jesse Delgado, Nick Heflin, and Tony Nelson were allowed to win titles without ever initiating any offense. Surely there must be a way to put an end to this type of folkstyle wrestling before the boredom it produces kills the sport. What are your ideas for a solution? Clearly the referees do not want to have this happen but they seem unable to make the call. For example in the Heflin match all we heard from the official was "keep working" with Heflin going unwarned. Is it possible to better define stalling by rule to make it easier and quicker to be called? Maybe the second official could count "action initiation moves" with stalling being called on the passive wrestler after a certain number of these moves with no corresponding moves from the offender? Double stalling if neither wrestler initiates action within a certain time period? Something must change to prevent wrestlers from simply blocking off attacks and waiting for an opponent's mistake and usually ending the first period at 0-0. If a solution is found for wrestling on their feet, we might then look at solutions for mat wrestling where riding to build riding time rather than turn the opponent is prevalent along with curling up on the bottom to avoid the risk of being turned. By Tim J. Agree one-hundred with your tweet about the first two matches at the Big Tens having no takedowns. NCAA wrestling is soooo boring. I try to take my girlfriend and younger kids to matches and have them watch it on TV, but I can barely watch it so they hate it after a couple minutes. It's basically come down to be all defense in first period, ride guy in second by dropping down on leg, getting a riding point, and then an escape in the third. Mason Beckman at Lehigh, Chris Perry at Oklahoma State, and Jesse Delgado at Illinois are the worst. I wish people would start calling them out non-stop. Without Taylor and Ruth next year, how will the Big Ten finals be? Talk about watching a pile of crap. By Mr. Juice I feel like letting out a Chewbacca style rrroooaarrrrrr when I hear and read that the National Duals are key to our sport's growth. The National Duals, from a fan's (and former wrestler) perspective, feels "forced." Crowds that attended the Big Tens and other conference championships want to be there and show up to root their teams on. They know how our sport works. No matter how aggressively the National Duals events are promoted, attendance, interest, etc. will not be there. The results in these conference tournaments are key to seeding, as we all know. But for growth of audience, interest, etc., shouldn't we celebrate the uniqueness of each conference more? Celebrate and promote the unique coaching styles within each? And how these styles, victories, and defeats in each conference lead to the most spectacular tournament in the country? Isn't the obvious best path to simply promote our existing system better? Push for an entire afternoon of wrestling coverage on TV compiled from a variety of conference matches. This amplifies audience metrics and opens doors to sponsorship/advertising opportunities beyond "wrestling products." FYI: The Big Ten Wrestling Championships production/matches were fantastic this year.

The NCAA Division II and Division III Wrestling Championships are taking place Friday and Saturday. Click on the links below to follow the action. Links: NCAA Division II Results | NCAA Division III Results | Live Video

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The AGON Wrestling Championships will present AGON IV in Lemoore, Calif., on Saturday, March 15. Stephen Abas will square off against Shawn Bunch in the main event and in other action Chris Honeycutt will wrestle Ryan Halsey; Todd Schavrien battles Cody Bollinger, and Ben Kjar faces Gabe Flores. AGON IV will be held in conjunction with the California NUWAY Youth State Wrestling Championships at Lemoore High School. "AGON Wrestling Championships is thrilled to have the best of the best competing in AGON IV. It is an honor for us to bring back AGON I main event winner Stephen Abas and see him go toe to toe with such an acclaimed wrestling star and up and coming MMA superstar as Shawn," offered AGON president Bryan Lindsey. "Wrestling fans will be on the edge of their seat at AGON IV, I promise you this card will not disappoint." Tickets for AGON IV are available for $15.00 each and are available at the box office on Saturday. The event will also be webcast live at: AGONwc.com. Wrestling icon Stephen Abas is no stranger to California wrestling fans as a three-time NCAA champion for the Fresno State Bulldogs. A 2004 Olympic Silver medalist, the California native was a two-time US World Team member and has posted a 3-0 record in mixed martial arts. Abas defeated Nick Simmons 2-1 at AGON I. His opponent in the main event, Shawn Bunch, was a two-time NCAA All-American at Edinboro. Shawn Bunch (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)While Bunch has not medaled internationally, he was one of the best American wrestlers for over five years as a 2009 US World Team member, runner-up at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Trials, and the runner-up at the 2010 and 2011 World Team Trials. Like Abas, he transitioned into MMA and Shawn is currently 2-1 fighting for Bellator. On the undercard, two-time NCAA All-American Chris Honeycutt will wrestle four-time NCAA qualifier Ryan Halsey. Honeycutt, currently 3-0 in MMA was a 2012 NCAA finalist for Edinboro while Halsey was a four-year starter at Cal Poly and a former college coach at UC-Bakersfield. Todd Schavrien, a 2011 NCAA All-American, will face mma veteran Cody Bollinger. Schavrien, a four-year starter at Missouri, chose to focus on wrestling in college and is currently on staff for the Tigers. A California native, Bollinger took another path as a high school wrestler at Sultana HS, making his mixed martial arts debut at 16 and wrestling at Cerritos College in 2010. Bollinger built a 12-2 record over the years and earned a spot on the Ultimate Fighter 18 in 2013. The final match on the AGON IV card pits California native Gabe Flores against Utah wrestling icon Ben Kjar. After a decorated career at Clovis High School that included an individual and a team title, Flores was a four-year starter at University of Illinois. A three-time Utah state champion, Kjar was a four-year starter at Utah Valley, winner of over 130 varsity matches, and the first-ever NCAA All-American for the Wolverines. "I could not be more proud of the professional athletes that have competed in the first four AGON events across the United States. While AGON IV is the last event of our first season, stay tuned for the second as we have already begun the planning and scheduling," asserted Lindsey. "Wrestling fans, both domestically and internationally, will be blown away at what we have coming next! " AGON IV marks the final AGON event in their inaugural season. AGON I was held in Las Vegas, Nevada in October; AGON II was in Flint, Michigan in December; and AGON III was in Whitewater, Wisconsin. Please visit AGONwc.com to see the schedule for season two during the summer of 2014.

The 45 at-large selections for the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships were announced on Wednesday before the brackets were released. Of the 45 at-large selections, four earned seeds at the NCAAs. At-large qualifier Josh Martinez of Air Force was given the No. 4 seed at 125 pounds. Here's a look at ten wrestlers who entered the week on the bubble to qualify for the NCAAs after the conference tournaments but failed to earn an at-large bid. Tyler Small (Kent State, 141) Small, a two-time NCAA qualifier, wrestled a brutal schedule this season and had seven wins over automatic qualifiers, including a win over 14th-seeded Edgar Bright of Pitt. But the Kent State junior struggled with consistency. He entered the MAC Championships seeded fifth in a weight class with five automatic qualifiers. Small dropped his opening match to fourth-seeded Lavion Mayes of Missouri in sudden victory, 4-2, and then was upset by Eastern Michigan's Michael Shaw, 6-3. Small finished the season with a 21-17 record, and was passed over for an at-large bid by the NCAA wrestling committee. Jesse Thielke (Photo/The Guillotine)Jesse Thielke (Wisconsin, 141) Thielke is certainly best known for his Greco-Roman accomplishments. He was on the 2013 U.S. World Team and a four-time Junior World Team member. He struggled with consistency at 141 pounds this season as a redshirt freshman, but ended up winning 20 matches. He had a 10-7 win at the Midlands over Harvard's Todd Preston, who won an EIWA title and was given the 10th seed at the NCAAs. Thielke had a respectable showing at the Big Tens, where he finished in seventh place. In his final match he won by major decision over Purdue's Danny Sabatello, 18-6. As it turned out, Sabatello was chosen over Thielke for an at-large spot. Adam Krop (Princeton, 149) Krop was an NCAA qualifier two seasons ago, but missed last season because of a knee injury. Earlier this season he appeared to be on track to qualify for the NCAAs at 141 pounds. Krop entered the Midlands seeded third, but failed to place. He then moved up a weight class to 149 pounds for the second half of the season. Krop took a surprising loss in his first competition at 149 pounds at the Franklin & Marshall Open. He then went on a run, losing only to Cornell's Chris Villalonga before the conference tournament. Krop needed to place in the top four at the EIWAs to earn an automatic berth, but finished fifth. He ended his season with a 32-8 record. Andy McCulley (Wyoming, 157) McCulley, an NCAA qualifier last season, needed to finish in the top two in his weight class at the West Regional to earn an automatic berth in the NCAAs. He entered the event seeded second and cruised to the finals after pinning Northern Colorado's Mitchell Polkowske in the semifinals. In the finals he dropped a one-point match to South Dakota's State's Cody Pack, who earned a 15th seed at the NCAAs. McCulley then dropped his true-second match to Air Force's Josh Kreimier, 8-4. McCulley compiled a record of 20-11. Tyler Lehmann (North Dakota State, 197) Lehmann made his debut in NDSU's lineup on Jan. 4, pinning Cal Poly's Nicolas Johnson in the first period. He then proceeded to win six of his next seven matches, with all six of those wins coming by pin. His only loss during that stretch came against Oregon State's Taylor Meeks. At the National Duals Lehmann went 1-2, dropping matches to Minnesota's Scott Schiller and Meeks again. He was then hammered in a dual meet against Wyoming's Shane Woods, 14-5. Lehmann needed to win his weight class at the West Regional to earn an automatic berth to the NCAAs, but fell in the finals to Woods, 6-3. He finished with a record of 14-6 and 12 pins. Jacob Aiken-Phillips (Cornell, 285) Aiken-Phillips entered the EIWA tournament seeded fifth needing to finish fourth for an automatic spot in the NCAAs. After opening the tournament with a win, Aiken-Phillips fell to American's Blake Herrin in the quarterfinals. The Cornell heavyweight rebounded with back-to-back wins in the consolation bracket to reach the consolation semifinals where he was upset by sixth-seeded Max Wessell of Lehigh, 3-2. Aiken-Phillips then notched a win over third-seeded Tyler Deuel of Binghamton, which put him on the bubble to earn an at-large bid. But he was passed over by four other heavyweights, including one who defeated him this season, Oklahoma's Ross Larson. Matt Bystol (Photo/Rob Preston)Matt Bystol (Columbia, 141) Bystol, an NCAA qualifier last season at 133 pounds, was ranked in the top 20 by InterMat earlier in the season after starting the season 8-2, with his only losses during that span coming to Central Michigan Zach Horan and Hofstra's Luke Vaith. Bystol struggled with consistency during the season, but did notch wins over 2014 NCAA qualifiers Nick Flannery of Buffalo and Laike Gardner of Lehigh. Bystol was upset by Army's Tyler Rauenzahn in his first match at the EIWAs, but bounced back to defeat American's Tom Page before defeating Gardner for the second time this season. He then lost to NCAA round of 12 finisher Richard Durso of Franklin & Marshall, which knocked him into the seventh-place match, where he avenged his loss to Rauenzahn. Bystol finished one spot away from an automatic bid. Interestingly, he was passed over for an at-large bid by Gardner, a wrestler he was 2-0 against. Cole Baxter (Kent State, 197) With only two automatic berths available at 197 pounds in the MAC Conference -- and Missouri's J'den Cox and Ohio's Phil Wellington residing in the weight class -- Baxter was a longshot to qualify for the NCAAs at his conference tournament. He ended up finishing fifth in the tournament. However, his regular season performance placed him on the bubble for an at-large berth. He won 24 matches this season, with five of those wins coming over wrestlers who earned automatic berths in the NCAAs. He had two wins over ACC champion Chris Penny of Virginia Tech, who was given the No. 14 seed at the NCAA, but ended up not being enough to send him to Oklahoma City. Vince Pickett (Edinboro, 197) Pickett needed to win an EWL title in a weight class with Bloomsburg's Richard Perry to earn an automatic berth in the NCAAs. As it turned out, Pickett didn't even get a crack at Perry. He lost in the semifinals of his conference tournament and wrestled back to third place. But he won 20 matches during the season and picked up a major decision win over automatic qualifier Timmy McCall of Wisconsin, which put him on the bubble. He was passed over by four 197-pounders, including two who defeated him during the regular season. Camden Eppert (Photo/The Guillotine)Camden Eppert (Purdue, 125) Eppert was a four-time placewinner at the Big Tens, which is an impressive feat considering the talent and depth in the conference. He was an NCAA qualifier as a freshman and sophomore, but failed to qualify for the NCAAs as a junior and senior. This year Eppert finished in eighth place at the Big Tens, one place away from earning an automatic berth. He split matches this season with NCAA qualifier Nick Roberts of Ohio State, but was passed over by four wrestlers, including one wrestler who defeated him twice, Conor Youtsey of Michigan.

Every year the NCAA Division I wrestling committee comes up with some head-scratching seeds for the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. This year is no exception. Let's look at some of this year's biggest seeding blunders. Iowa State's Kyven Gadson has only been defeated by one wrestler this season (Photo/ISU Athletics)Without a doubt the biggest seeding blunder this year is at 197 pounds, where Iowa State's Kyven Gadson was given the No. 5 seed. Gadson, a returning All-American, is currently ranked No. 1 by InterMat and recently won the Big 12 title. He has only been defeated by one wrestler this season, Minnesota's Scott Schiller, twice. However, Gadson came back to defeat Schiller in the most recent meeting. Not only is the four-loss Schiller seeded ahead of Gadson, but so is Missouri's J'den Cox, who has the same amount of losses as Gadson, but lost their only head-to-head meeting at the Southern Scuffle, and also took a loss to eighth-seeded Phil Wellington of Ohio. At the Southern Scuffle, Gadson placed ahead of Cox and Morgan McIntosh of Penn State, and both are seeded ahead of him. The top seed at 197 pounds was given to Ohio State's Nick Heflin, who has the best record in the weight class and won the toughest conference tournament, but also has the worst loss of the top seeds. Heflin lost to Wisconsin's Timmy McCall on Jan. 10. At 125 pounds, Cornell All-American Nahshon Garrett should have been handed the No. 1 seed based on his resume this season. Garrett has only one loss this season, which is less losses than any other wrestler in the weight class has, and he has been the most consistent and hottest wrestler in the weight class. His lone loss this season came to defending NCAA champion Jesse Delgado of Illinois, who earned the No. 1 seed. Delgado getting the top seed would certainly have been justifiable if he entered the NCAAs undefeated or even with one loss. But Delgado has two losses, and both occurred after Garrett's lone blemish. One of Delgado's losses came to Iowa's Thomas Gilman at the Midlands. His other loss came to Penn State's Nico Megaludis, a wrestler Garrett is 2-0 against this season. (Delgado did avenge the loss to Megaludis in the Big Ten finals.) Another seeding blunder at 125 pounds was Josh Martinez of Air Force earning the No. 4 seed. Martinez put together a strong regular season and entered the postseason ranked No. 5 by InterMat. However, Martinez failed to win his own conference tournament and needed an at-large spot to qualify for the NCAAs. Martinez lost in the finals of the West Regional to Wyoming's Tyler Cox by injury default. Cox, an All-American, led 10-2 at the time the match was stopped. Cox is seeded ninth despite winning his conference tournament over the wrestler who is seeded fourth. While Garrett was a Cornell wrestler who was seeded too low, his teammate, Brian Realbuto, was seeded too high at 157 pounds. Realbuto, a freshman, earned the No. 7 seed at 157 pounds after losing matches to two unranked wrestlers at the EIWA tournament. In addition to his struggles at the EIWAs, Realbuto was pinned by Minnesota's Dylan Ness at the National Duals less than a month ago. Ness, a two-time All-American, was seeded two spots below Realbuto at No. 9. Ness not only has the head-to-head win over Realbuto, but has less losses and more wins over seeded wrestlers. Ness has also beaten two wrestlers seeded in the top six, No. 2 Derek St. John of Iowa and No. 6 Nestor Taffur of Boston U. Realbuto took a loss to Taffur, but did beat Oregon State's R.J. Pena, who won by technical fall over Ness at the Southern Scuffle. Jason Tsirtsis defeated Nick Dardanes en route to winning the Big Ten championship at 149 pounds (Photo/The Guillotine)Another head-scratcher is at 149 pounds, where Minnesota's Nick Dardanes, seeded No. 2, sits three seeds higher than Jason Tsirtsis of Northwestern. Both wrestlers have three losses (one to the same wrestler, Michigan's Eric Grajales), and have split matches this season. Their resumes on paper are virtually identical. However, Tsirtsis is coming off a Big Ten title, which included a semifinal victory over Dardanes. The Big Ten champion Tsirtsis absolutely deserved to be seeded ahead of Dardanes, and now finds himself in a tough spot in the bracket with a potential quarterfinal match against NCAA champion Kendric Maple of Oklahoma. The NCAA Division I wrestling committee was inconsistent in dealing with conference tournament outcomes. In addition to Martinez (125), Realbuto (157), and Dardanes (149), several other wrestlers took losses in their conference tournaments and did not seem to get penalized when it came to NCAA tournament seeds. Nebraska's T.J. Dudley (184) and Virginia's Gus Sako (149) are in that group. Dudley received the No. 8 seed at 184 pounds despite failing to place at the Big Tens and needing an at-large spot just to qualify for the NCAA tournament. At the Big Tens, Dudley lost Michigan's Domenic Abounader, who is seeded one spot below him, and Michigan State's John Rizqallah, who is seeded 14th. Sako was given the No. 7 seed at 149 pounds after losing his first match at the ACC tournament to Pitt's Mikey Racciatto. Sako's No. 7 seed could be justifiable if his body of work during the regular was strong enough to absorb the conference tournament loss and remain a top-eight seed, but it simply wasn't. Sako enters the NCAAs with only 21 matches under his belt and has losses to Bucknell's Victor Lopez, who failed to qualify for the NCAAs, No. 11 Josh Kindig of Oklahoma State (who has a win over Maple), and Racciatto. Sako's best win this season came over 10th-seeded Zach Neibert of Virginia Tech in November. Those wrestlers should have fallen, just as Oklahoma's Andrew Howe did after losing to Oklahoma State's Chris Perry in the Big 12 championship match at 174 pounds, even though the two wrestlers split matches this season. Oklahoma State's Alex Dieringer has one loss, to Iowa's Derek St. John, but is seeded behind the Iowa wrestler who has four losses since that meeting (Photo/Bob Mayeri)At 157 pounds, Oklahoma State's Alex Dieringer deserved to be seeded No. 1 or No. 2, but instead was given the No. 3 seed. Three are no undefeated wrestlers at 157 pounds, and Dieringer and Nebraska's James Green are the only wrestlers with one loss. Dieringer's lone loss came to Iowa's Derek St. John, who is seeded second, while Green's lone loss came to Wisconsin's Isaac Jordan, who is seeded fifth. The returning NCAA champion St. John does have the head-to-head win over Dieringer, but the Oklahoma State sophomore has the much cleaner resume this season. St. John has four losses this season, with two of those losses coming to wrestlers seeded below him, No. 5 Jordan and No. 9 Ness.

The 45 at-large selections for the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships were announced on Wednesday. 125: Josh Martinez (Air Force) Earl Hall (Iowa State) Conor Youtsey (Michigan) Caleb Richardson (Penn) Nick Herrmann (Virginia) 133: Rossi Bruno (Michigan) Matt Manley (Missouri) Colton Rasche (Navy) Shelton Mack (Pittsburgh) Vincent Dellafave (Rutgers) 141: Laike Gardner (Lehigh) Shyhiem Brown (Maryland) Danny Sabatello (Purdue) Colin Johnston (West Virginia) 149: Justin Arthur (Clarion) Brody Grothus (Iowa) Tywan Claxton (Ohio) Ian Paddock (Ohio State) 157: Paul Hancock (Army) Austin Sommer (Drexel) Immanuel Kerr-Brown (Duke) Brandon Zeerip (Eastern Michigan) Joey Napoli (Lehigh) 165: Jake Kemerer (Lock Haven) Peyton Walsh (Navy) Joseph Brewster (South Dakota State) Chris Moon (Virginia Tech) 174: Brian Harvey (Army) Shane Hughes (Columbia) Caleb Marsh (Kent State) Austin Gabel (Virginia Tech) 184: Blake Stauffer (Arizona State) Lucas Sheridan (Indiana) T.J. Dudley (Nebraska) Kurtis Julson (North Dakota State) Nolan Boyd (Oklahoma State) Jackson Hein (Wisconsin) 197: James Fox (Harvard) John Bolich (Lehigh) Blake Rosholt (Oklahoma State) Nick Bonaccorsi (Pittsburgh) 285: Dawson Peck (Chattanooga) Collin Jensen (Nebraska) Ross Larson (Oklahoma) Adam Fager (Utah Valley)

Blair Academy won the Best of the East by over 100 points (Photo/Rob Preston) The season for scholastic wrestling is now done. All 43 state tournaments, plus the state-level tournaments of the National Prep Championships and the New England Regional Championships, have come to conclusion. With that in mind, we at InterMat can now crown a team as the national champions. 2014 Final Fab 50 Team Rankings 1. Blair Academy (N.J.) 2. Oak Park River. Forest (Ill.) 3. Clovis (Calif.) 4. Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) 5. Apple Valley (Minn.) 6. St. Paris Graham (Ohio) 7. Massillon Perry (Ohio) 8. Franklin Regional (Pa.) 9. Bergen Catholic (N.J.) 10. Archer (Ga.) 11. Stillwater (Okla.) 12. Broken Arrow (Okla.) 13. Bethlehem Catholic (Pa.) 14. Edmond North (Okla.) 15. Brandon (Fla.) 16. Lowell (Mich.) 17. Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.) 18. Montini Catholic (Ill.) 19. Marist (Ill.) 20. Bound Brook (N.J.) 21. Bettendorf (Iowa) 22. Southeast Polk (Iowa) 23. Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) 24. St. Peter's Prep (N.J.) 25. Nazareth (Pa.) 26. Brecksville (Ohio) 27. Marmion Academy (Ill.) 28. Claymont (Ohio) 29. St. Johns (Mich.) 30. Davison (Mich.) 31. Tuttle (Okla.) 32. Poway (Calif.) 33. Clovis West (Calif.) 34. Waverly-Shell Rock (Iowa) 35. Kaukauna (Wis.) 36. Greater Latrobe (Pa.) 37. Crook County (Ore.) 38. Kuna (Idaho) 39. Buchanan (Calif.) 40. Pleasant Grove (Utah) 41. Parkland (Pa.) 42. Centennial (Idaho) 43. Mesa Mountain View (Ariz.) 44. Vacaville (Calif.) 45. Robinson (Va.) 46. Delta (Ohio) 47. Collinsville (Okla.) 48. McDonogh (Md.) 49. Cumberland Valley (Pa.) 50. St. Edward (Ohio)For the third consecutive season, that team will be Blair Academy (N.J.), and it will be a "wire-to-wire" triumph for the Buccaneers. Though it was not a "clean" season, with the runner-up National Prep finish discussed in a commentary, it was one that reflected dominance and a superior talent level. Blair Academy dominated their way to a title in the nation's best tournament, the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, an event that featured six of the nation's top eight teams. They had a tournament-high eight wrestlers earn a placement finish (all within the top six), and won the title by 36.5 points, along with out-pointing the nation's number two team by 53 points. The very next week, the Buccaneers dominated the nation's second-beat tournament. They won the title at the Beast of the East by more than 100 points, over a field that featured five of the nation's top 13 teams. Twelve wrestlers placed for Blair Academy in the tournament. In five of the next six weeks, Blair Academy went 7-0 in dual meets against members of the top 25, including four dual meet victories over top ten teams. During that other week, they won by 80 points at the Escape the Rock Tournament, which featured three other nationally ranked squads. From an individual talent standpoint, Blair Academy had six nationally ranked wrestlers. Joey McKenna is ranked No. 1 nationally at 138 pounds, Dylan Milonas is second nationally at 160, Matthew Kolodzik (126) and Mason Manville (152) are ranked inside the top ten, while Chaz Tucker (120) and Brandon Dallavia (170) round out the nationally ranked wrestler contingent for the Buccaneers. Rounding out the top five teams nationally are the following teams, along with some brief highlights of each team's season: No. 2 Oak Park River Forest (Ill.): Finished third at the Walsh Jesuit Ironman placing seven wrestlers, went 8-1 in dual meets against teams ranked inside the top 30 nationally, and placed ten wrestlers (including four champions) in the Illinois Class AAA tournament. The Huskies also have five wrestlers within the weight class rankings: No. 9 Jason Renteria (106), No. 12 Isaiah White (138), No. 17 Kamal Bey (160), No. 11 Davonte Mahomes (170), and No. 19 Andre Lee (195). No. 3 Clovis (Calif.) Had a "clean" season, in which they won all tournaments and were undefeated in dual meets. The Cougars dominated their way to the title at the Doc Buchanan Invitational, outlasted fellow top ten member Massillon Perry (Ohio) at the Alliance Top Gun, and dominated a pair of nationally ranked teams in dual meets. Clovis won the state title by more than 80 points over a field that included four other nationally ranked teams, and placed eight wrestlers with two champions (though it was below the forecasted ten placers). Nationally ranked wrestlers include No. 1 Nick Nevills (285) and No. 4 Justin Mejia (106). No. 4 Wyoming Seminary (Pa.): Champions at National Preps, dominated top ten teams Franklin Regional (Pa.) and Bergen Catholic (N.J.) in dual meets, and split the fourteen weight classes in a dual meet loss to Blair Academy. However, they finished third at the Beast of the East (behind Bergen Catholic) and eighth at the Walsh Ironman. Two Blue Knights wrestlers are nationally ranked: No. 10 Nick Reenan (152) and No. 15 Chris Weiler (160). No. 5 Apple Valley (Minn.): Champions at the Minnesota Christmas Tournament and Rumble on the Red, beat three nationally ranked teams to win The Clash XII. However, the 30-27 victory over OPRF was aided by a last-match win from Dayton Racer, who was no longer on the squad by year-end. The Eagles were state champions as a team, and placed eleven wrestlers (including four champions) in the Minnesota Class AAA tournament. They have three top ten ranked wrestlers: No. 4 Mark Hall (170), No. 6 Seth Gross (138), and No. 8 Bobby Steveson (182)