InterMat Staff

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

Event Website | Results SoCon Wrestling Championships

Event Website | Results West Regional/WWC Wrestling Championships

Event Website | Results EWL Wrestling Championships

Event Website | Results ACC Wrestling Championships

Event Website | Results MAC Wrestling Championships

Event Website | Results EIWA Wrestling Championships

Event Website | Results Big 12 Wrestling Championships

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BLACKSBURG -- Junior Devin Carter of the Virginia Tech wrestling team has been cleared to compete in Saturday's Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestling Championship, as announced Wednesday by team orthopedic surgeon Dr. Tony McPherron. Carter, from nearby Christiansburg, tore his hamstrings on Dec. 6 in a quarterfinal win over Virginia’s Joe Spisak at the Las Vegas Invitational and had surgery by McPherron to repair the injury on Dec. 16 in Blacksburg. “Devin Carter has been released to wrestle in the ACC Wrestling Championship this coming Saturday,” McPherron said. “After sustaining a complete avulsion of his hamstrings from his pelvis at a meet in Las Vegas this past December, he has successfully undergone surgery and completed his rehabilitation for the injury. We will be monitoring him the remainder of this week and Saturday, but expect no complications with his full participation in both the ACC and hopefully NCAA Championships.” While originally ruled out for the season with a six-month rehabilitation, Carter progressed well ahead of schedule and will now take the mat Saturday just shy of 12 weeks after surgery. “About three months ago, I got some bad news that I’d be out for the season, and they told me I’d have a six- to nine-month recovery,” Carter said. “I worked real hard and came in for rehab twice a day and thank God for my genes because I had a huge recovery. I’m feeling good, feeling 100 percent, and I’m ready to go Saturday for ACCs. My expectations for myself are the same as it was the day before I got hurt: to win ACCs and a national championship.” Carter was a 2012 NCAA All-American and is a two-time ACC Champion at 133 pounds. He is wrestling at 141 pounds this season and enters the ACC Championship with a 12-0 record. In this week’s The Open Mat national rankings, Carter has four wins over wrestlers currently ranked: No. 4 Chris Mecate of Old Dominion (9-3), No. 6 Luke Vaith (pin), two over No. 16 Spisak of Virginia (16-6 in the dual and 14-11 in the match he was injured in). Eight of his 12 wins this season have come by pin, with one by a technical fall and one by major decision. Carter has garnered bonus points in 64 of his 83 career wins (74.7 percent) and has 30 career pins, the third-most in school history. Since he does not have enough matches and has been inactive for more than a month, Carter did not earn a bid to the NCAA Championships for the league at 141 pounds. He will have to place in the top five at Saturday’s meet to earn an automatic bid. If he does not, he will have to wait and see if he would earn one of the wild card spots handed out by the NCAA after all of the qualifying tournaments are completed. “Obviously, we are surprised and excited about possibility of wrestling Devin at the ACC Championship,” Tech head coach Kevin Dresser said. “Our trainer, the surgeon, and of course, Devin, have done an outstanding job of getting him back on the mat in short order. Devin has had two really good weeks of on-the-mat training and is ready to go. I am excited to watch him compete. The kid is a freak!” The 2014 ACC Wrestling Championship kicks off Saturday morning inside Cassell Coliseum at 10 a.m. as seven teams vie for the team title and 70 wrestlers contend for the 10 individual titles. Action runs throughout the day, with the finals slated to begin at 7:30 p.m. Advance tickets are on sale for $5 and can be bought here. Tickets are $10 the day of the event. All patrons, regardless of age, must have a ticket. Students with a valid ACC student ID will get in for free.

Daniel Cormier, a two-time Olympian in men's freestyle wrestling and an undefeated star with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, will serve as the Honorary Captain of the 2014 U.S. Freestyle World Cup Team. Daniel Cormier will serve as Honorary Captain of Team USA (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Under the guidance of Team Leader Andy Barth, Cormier will captain the U.S. team at the Freestyle Wrestling World Cup, at the Forum, presented by Chase, March 15-16 in Inglewood, Calif. The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championships, and will feature the top 10 men's freestyle wrestling teams in the world. "It will be great to be part of the World Cup team. As an athlete, I wrestled on a few World Cup teams. To be welcomed by USA Wrestling, the coaches and the team means a lot to me," said Cormier. National Freestyle Coach Zeke Jones is pleased that Cormier will be in Los Angeles as part of the team. "In team sports, a captain is a title that is given to an athlete on the team. A captain on the United States Wrestling Team is a person that represents honor and respect and Daniel epitomizes that. We know he'll be there to help and support his USA Wrestling teammates, especially in the heat of the battle. We know Daniel will take the responsibility of helping the team when they step out on the mat and have them ready," said Jones. Cormier had a successful career in international freestyle wrestling. He was a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team, which competed in Athens, Greece, as well as the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team, which competed in Beijing, China. Cormier placed fourth at the 2004 Olympic Games. He was a 2007 World bronze medalist and placed fifth in the 2003 World Championships. He wrestled on six straight U.S. World or Olympic Teams, and won six straight U.S. Open national titles. A native of Lafayette, La., Cormier was a two-time NJCAA Junior College national champion for Colby CC in Kansas. He went on to Oklahoma State, where he placed second in the 2001 NCAA Div. I Championships, competing for two-time Olympic champion John Smith. Cormier won a silver medal at the 2005 World Cup which was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. "I remember the World Cup as being a high-level event, where you wrestled back-to-back against top opponents. The dual meet format was fun. It was great to be part of a team, and to be able to help your team win," said Cormier. The United States last won a World Cup team title when it was held in Boise, Idaho in 2003. Cormier believes that a U.S. team victory in Los Angeles would show that U.S. freestyle wrestling is moving up at the World level. "A win would show a progression for USA Wrestling. We had two Olympic champions and a bronze medal at the last Olympic Games. It shows that as a country, U.S. wrestling is going in the right direction. A win in the World Cup would show that we are advancing. I believe we are getting on track as a program and are closing the gap on the best in the world," said Cormier. Cormier will have an opportunity to speak with the U.S. team members, many who may be wrestling in their first World Cup. "I will tell them to enjoy it. Your career just goes so fast. I can think back to every one of my major events as a wrestler. I will say to live in the moment and compete how you know how to compete. Just go out there, represent this great country and do us proud," said Cormier. Cormier has excelled in his Mixed Martial Arts career, compiling an impressive 14-0 record while competing at heavyweight and light heavyweight. Most recently, Cormier cemented his place as a light heavyweight title contender with a first-round knockout victory over Patrick Cummins in the co-main event of UFC 170. The 34-year-old trains at American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose alongside fellow UFC standouts such as UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and former Strikeforce champion Luke Rockhold. "I got everything from wrestling. I learned how to train hard, and I was hardened to the toughness of competition. I learned how to compete on the big stage by wrestling in two Olympic Games. In my fighting career, I have no worries. Wrestling has prepared me for everything," said Cormier. Cormier brings enthusiasm to his role as World Cup Honorary Team Captain. "The biggest thing for me is to be a part of USA Wrestling and our team again. It means a ton to me. It motivates me that I am welcomed back to the sport which molded me," said Cormier.

This week's show almost didn't happen because Richard's Internet connection is terrible. But as bad as it is, it's still better than the UFC's Fight Pass. Nevertheless, if you're paying $10 a month for a subpar product, you're in luck. This weekend's show features clear cut No. 1 light heavyweight contender Alexander Gustaffson against Jimi Manuwa, whose only wins in the UFC have come against third tier competition. The rest of the card isn't incredibly well balanced either, but Richard and John make their picks anyway. They also take a look at Friday's Bellator event. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

WATERLOO, Iowa -- The National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum just picked up one of the most influential voices in all of sports to headline its premier event of the year. Mike Golic will attend the Dan Gable Celebrity Golf Tournament as its featured celebrity. The Dan Gable Museum will host its 15th annual Dan Gable Celebrity Golf Tournament on Friday, June 6 at Centennial Oaks Country Club in Waverly, Iowa. "Having Mike Golic involved with the Dan Gable Celebrity Golf Tournament takes us to the next level," said museum namesake Dan Gable. "I appreciate his passion for the sport of wrestling and for his commitment to excellence. I'm excited to have Mike in Waterloo and Waverly this summer." Golic is best known as co-host of the "Mike and Mike" show on ESPN. He played eight years in the NFL for the Houston Oilers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Miami Dolphins as an offensive lineman. Golic also played football and wrestled for Notre Dame. "My love for wrestling has always equaled my love for football," said Golic. "So to be associated with anything Dan Gable related is an honor." Four-person teams will be paired with a celebrity in this 18-hole, best ball tournament. Cost is $150 per person (you may register as a team or as an individual). Cost includes dinner, green fees, and cart. Dinner and live auction will follow the golf tournament with Dan Gable as the guest speaker. There are also sponsorship opportunities for interested businesses. Jerry Roling Motors and Roling Ford are the presenting sponsors of this year's Dan Gable Celebrity Golf Tournament. State Bank of Waverly is this year's Olympic champion sponsor. Anyone interested in participating should contact the Dan Gable Museum at (319) 233-0745 or dgmstaff@nwhof.org. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. You may also order online by clicking here.

Thomas Haines is after his fourth state title (Photo/Rob Preston) Pennsylvania, the nation's best wrestling state, without dispute, will stage its state wrestling championships this week starting on Thursday in Hershey at the GIANT Center. The first round in the championship and consolation bracket will be staged on that day in each division, Class AA (small-school) starts at 9 a.m. ET, while Class AAA (big-school) starts at 4 p.m. The medal matches in each division will be staged on Saturday, Class AA at 2 p.m., and Class AAA at 7 p.m. Full Schedule Thursday 3/6, 9:00 a.m. Class AA championship and consolation first round (6 mats) Thursday 3/6, 4:00 p.m. Class AAA championship and consolation first round (6 mats) Friday 3/7, 9:00 a.m. Class AA quarterfinals and consolation second round (6 mats) Friday 3/7, 1:30 p.m. Class AAA quarterfinals and consolation second round (6 mats) Friday 3/7, 6:30 p.m. Class AA semifinals and consolation quarterfinals/semifinals (4 mats) Saturday 3/8, 9:00 a.m. Class AAA semifinals and consolation quarterfinals/semifinals (4 mats) Saturday 3/8, 2:00 p.m. Class AA championship and medal matches (4 mats) Saturday 3/8, 7:00 p.m. Class AAA championship and medal matches (4 mats) Overview The individual talent level in these state tournaments is staggering. In Class AAA, there are 28 nationally ranked wrestlers contained in the brackets, including individuals at 13 of the 14 weight classes. Three national number one wrestlers are in the field -- Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional) at 113 pounds, Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe) at 120, and Chance Marsteller (Kennard Dale) at 170. In addition, two different weight classes -- 120 and 138 pounds -- contain four ranked wrestlers. The Class AA tournament has eight ranked individuals, with one person occupying 8 of the 14 weight classes. The obvious lead narrative this year is the quest of Marsteller and the nation's second-ranked 285 pound wrestler Thomas Haines (Solanco) to win their fourth state titles in Class AAA. They are very likely to become the 11th and 12th four-time PIAA state wrestling champions, and the first pair to do it in the same year. These wrestlers are the second and ninth ranked overall prospects in the Class of 2014, and will pass the torch in many ways to the next all-time Keystone State great in Spencer Lee, who is the top prospect in the Class of 2017. In terms of team races for this year, both traditional tournament state titles have clear favorites. Even though there are six ranked teams in the Class AAA tournament, No. 8 Franklin Regional enters as the clear favorite to win their first traditional state title, after winning their first dual meet title last month. The Panthers have qualified six wrestlers to state, five of whom are two-time returning state place-winners, plus the freshman freak Lee However, it is No. 25 Nazareth, which has qualified a Class AAA high of seven wrestlers to the state tournament. That group is led by Chase Zemenak, a two-time state placer, who is ranked No. 13 nationally at 132 pounds. The other four nationally ranked teams each qualified five wrestlers for the state tournament: No. 37 Greater Latrobe, No. 41 Boyertown, No. 43 Cumberland Valley, and No. 50 Parkland. In Class AA, No. 13 Bethlehem Catholic is prohibitive favorites to win their third straight traditional state title, after earning their fourth straight dual meet state title last month. The Hawks qualified a tournament-high eleven wrestlers for the state tournament, including competitors in the first seven weight classes. Eight of those qualifiers were Southeast Regional finalists, with four leaving as champions: No. 13 Luke Karam (106), No. 3 Zeke Moisey (126), Nick Cortopassi (170), and Andrew Dunn (220). Class AAA 106: Two of the nation's top three wrestlers sit in this weight class, Devin Brown (Franklin Regional) and Gage Curry (North Hills). They met in this past weekend's WPIAL final, which was won by Brown 2-1, so Brown is now No. 2 nationally to Curry's No. 3. Last year at state, Brown was champion in Class AA for Saegertown, while Curry was fourth in Class AAA. They both competed in the 2013 FloNationals, Curry was third and Brown two matches from placing. Curry has the tougher path in this year's event, starting with an opening round bout against returning state runner-up Connor Sheehan (Solanco), who finished third in the South Central regional two weekends ago. He is in the half of the draw with three regional champions, a likely quarterfinal against Charlie Lenox (Erie McDowell), and then a semifinal against either Dan Moran (Northampton) or Kordell Rush (Pennridge). Brown sits in the lower half of the draw, where a semifinal meeting with South Central regional champ Brett Kulp (Exeter Township) is the most likely outcome. 113: As already mentioned No. 1 Spencer Lee (Franklin Regional) is the anchor figure of this weight class. Not that it's a threat to Lee, but he is in the quarter with another regional champion, Jacob Lizak (Parkland). It also happens that Lizak is looking at a tough first round bout against returning state placer Dylan Chatterton (Central York), who placed third in the South Central regional. The likely semifinal for Lee is against South Central regional champion Tyshawn White (Central Dauphin), a returning state placer who finished third at the Beast of the East in December. The lower half of the draw is anchored by senior Joe Wheeling (General McLane), a returning state qualifier and champion at the King of the Mountain, who enters the tournament 34-1. 120: Four nationally ranked wrestlers, including a pair of defending state champions reside in this weight bracket. No. 1 Luke Pletcher (Greater Latrobe) and No. 6 Ethan Lizak (Parkland) anchor opposite halves of the draw. No. 8 Jake Gromacki (Erie Cathedral Prep) joins Pletcher in the top half of the draw, while No. 5 Scott Parker (Pennridge) joins Lizak in the bottom half. It is highly likely that these will be the semifinal matchups. The fifth regional champion, Zack Clingan (Spring Grove) is in the quarter bracket with Pletcher. 126: There are four nationally ranked Class AAA competitors in this weight class. Unfortunately they all exit through the WPIAL, which means that one was displaced last week, and that was Dominic Forys. Remaining are WPIAL champion Dalton Macri (Canon-McMillan), who beat Sam Krivus (Hempfield) in 4-3 in the final after knocking off Forys 11-5 in the semifinal; Krivus, who beat A.C. Headlee (Waynesburg) 7-2 in the semifinal; and Headlee, who beat Forys 10-5 in the third place bout. Krivus, ranked No. 7 nationally, beat Macri last year 3-1 in the state final, and is looking at a quarterfinal against returning state placer Rodney Sunday (Dallastown), prior to a likely semifinal against two-time state placer Zach Valley (Northampton). No. 6 Macri and No. 17 Headlee are on a semifinals collision course, where Macri is 2-0 on the year against Headlee (dual meet and sectional). The most likely block to that would be a first round match for Headlee against fellow state placer Ben Ross (Pennridge). 132: Three nationally ranked wrestlers reside in this weight class. The freshman Cameron Coy (Penn-Trafford), ranked No. 15 nationally, is alone in the bottom half bracket after his 5-2 upset of No. 6 Tyler Smith (Franklin Regional) in the WPIAL final this past weekend. Smith is in the second quarter of the draw with No. 13 Chase Zemenak (Nazareth), a wrestler he beat 1-0 in the state dual meet semifinal. The top quarter of the draw features regional champions Trevor Corl (Bellefonte) and Eddie Kriczy (Boyertown), along with 2012 state runner-up Matthew Grossmann (Manheim Township). Notable challengers to Coy in the bottom half of the draw come from the opposite quarter, state placer Zach Elvin (Central Dauphin) and Ty Buckiso (Peters Township), who is in his state tournament debut after being fourth in last year's WPIAL 126 weight class that featured placers one through three. 138: Each of four nationally ranked wrestlers occupies a quarter bracket of the draw in this weight class. However, that is not the end of the quality depth here in arguably the deepest bracket of the whole tournament. No. 4 Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh Central Catholic) enters as WPIAL champion after avenging a 3-2 loss to No. 2 Michael Kemerer (Franklin Regional) from the POWERade final with a 5-2 win this past weekend. The other two ranked wrestlers are South Central regional finalists Patrick Duggan (Cumberland Valley), ranked No. 10 nationally, and No. 19 Courtlandt Schuyler (Manheim Township). Joseph is in the quarter bracket providing the cleanest path to the semifinal round. Duggan is looking at a dangerous first round bout against Joey Alessandro (Hempfield Area), who had to beat an Ohio D1 state champion just to place at POWERade, before a likely quarterfinal against one of two pesky sophomores -- Kaleb Young (Punxsatawney) or James Saylor (Easton). Two-time state runner-up Kemerer is looking at a likely quarterfinal with Cadet National double runner-up Hayden Hidlay (Mifflin County), whom he beat 7-2 in the POWERade semifinal round; while Schuyler is likely to face now three-time state qualifier Colby Ems (East Stroudsburg South), who enters state with a 33-1 record. 145: This weight class joins 120 in having a pair of defending state champions, No. 3 Solomon Chishko (Canon McMillan) and No. 6 Joseph Galasso (Father Judge). Those wrestlers are in opposite half bracket per PIAA policy. Galasso has the tougher path with two-time state placer Josh Maruca (Franklin Regional) awaiting in the quarterfinal round, those two met last year in the semifinal, where Galasso won 3-2; however, that presumes Maruca gets past Chad Wickard (Big Spring) in the opening round, an opponent Maruca beat only 3-1 in last year's state quarterfinal. The likely semifinal would be against Southeast regional champion Francesco Fabozzi (Central Bucks East), a returning state placer who is 37-1 on the year. In the other half of the draw, Chishko is looking at a likely semifinal against South Central regional champion Max Good (Cedar Cliff), who qualified for state his first two years of high school failing to place but missed out on state last year. 152: The pair of nationally ranked wrestlers in this weight class is in opposite halves of the draw. No. 3 T.C. Warner (Cumberland Valley), a two-time state runner-up, is in the top half; while two-time state placer Josh Shields (Franklin Regional), ranked No. 11, is in the bottom half. Warner's path to the final most likely involves clearing a pair of regional champions, Elijah Brown (Easton) in the quarterfinal and Cadet freestyle All-American David Hollingshead (Altoona) in the semifinal. In the lower half, Shields is looking at a quarterfinal with state placer Josh Ortman (Parkland), and then a quarterfinal with one of two past state placers -- Mason Bentzel (Spring Grove) or Michael Springer (Norristown) -- though it could also end up being Beast of the East placer Tyler Tarsi (Nazareth), who draws Springer first round. 160: Garrett Peppelman (Central Dauphin), a 2012 state champion, enters the tournament ranked No. 3 nationally and the lone ranked wrestler in the weight class. The Super 32 Challenge champion this year enters the weight a solid favorite to earn his second state title. However, he'll have to be on starting with an opening round bout against National Prep placer Dom Scalise (Greater Latrobe), who was upset in an early round of last weekend's WPIAL tournament. As for the other half of the bracket, it features three regional champions: Ehrin Lee (Titusville) and Bobby Fehr (Northampton), a returning state placer and Super 32 placer, in the same quarter; along with Cadet freestyle All-American Austin Bell (Belle Vernon). 170: Chance Marsteller is the prohibitive favorite in this weight class, and is slated to win his fourth state title, presuming he is in some state of health after ending his regional championship bout two weekends ago in some pain. The likely semi is against returning state placer Noah Wilps (Chartiers Valley), while the other half of the draw features three regional champions: Kyle Coniker (Pittsburgh Central Catholic) and Trent Zdarko (Oil City) in the same quarter), along with John Dambro (Garnet Valley). 182: The two nationally ranked wresters in this weight class have met three times on the season, with No. 3 Zack Zavatasky (Greater Latrobe) upending No. 18 Kellan Stout (Mt. Lebanon) on all occasions, including 5-1 in this past weekend's WPIAL final. The wrestlers are obviously in opposite halves of the draw. Most notable challenger to Zavatsky in his half is sophomore Josh Colello (Cedar Cliff), whom he would meet in the quarterfinal; while Stout is looking at a quarterfinal against regional champion and returning state placer Nicolino Sevi (Nazareth), before a semifinal against another regional champion and returning state placer in Tyree Spearman (Erie McDowell). 195: This is the lone weight of the competition without a single nationally ranked wrestler. The top half of the draw is pretty heavy in talent with three regional champions, along with a pair of solid WPIAL underclassmen. Returning state fourth placer Jan Johnson (Governor Mifflin) won the South Central regional and starts his tourney with a first round bout against Ironman placer Zach Smith (North Allegheny); before a likely quarterfinal against undefeated returning state third placer Tom Sleigh (Dubois), who has also placed in the Super 32 Challenge and Flo Nationals. Also in that upper half is Southeast regional champion Jordan Wertz (Boyertown) and sophomore Drew Phipps (Norwin), a Super 32 placer and Cadet freestyle All-Americna. The bottom half of the draw is anchored by regional champions Nezar Haddad (Parkland) and Cole Macek (Montour), whom are likely to meet in the semifinals. Haddad is yet to place despite this being his third state tournament appearance, and he placed seventh in last year's FloNationals; while Macek is undefeated on the season, having beaten Phipps 3-1 in overtime in the WPIAL final this past weekend. 220: Sophomore sensation Jordan Wood (Boyertown), a returning state finalist who is ranked No. 7 nationally, was upset in the Southeast regional final this past weekend by No. 11 Michael Boykin (Coatesville) by a 5-2 score. Boykin placed third in the same weight last year. The two wrestlers are due to meet again in the state final this weekend. Wood has the tougher path with Super 32 Challenge placers Tyler Worthing (Kiski Area) and Jake Gunning (Bethlehem Liberty), who both won regional titles, standing in his way. For the undefeated Boykin, it is a likely quarterfinal with Super 32 placer Antonio Pelusi (LaSalle) and then a semifinal against one of two regional champions -- Dwayne Pepper (Shikellamy) or Bo Spiller (Solanco) -- or for that matter Omar Haddad (Parkland). 285: Thomas Haines (Solanco) is after a fourth state title, and it would be a stunner to see him upended. Since his loss in the South Central regional as a freshman, Haines is in a stretch of 125 matches with just one loss, and that came in the 2012 POWERade final to Kyle Snyder, the nation's top senior who is training this year at the USOTC. His likely semifinal is against one of two regional champions, Shane Kuhn (Kiski Area), a two-time state placer, or returning state placer Tracey Green (Methacton). Those two wrestlers are 36-1, and slated to meet in the quarterfinal round. By comparison the lower half is underwhelming, but is most likely to come down to regional champions Scot Augustine (Erie McDowell) or Ryan Monk (Dallas). Class AA 106: Two undefeated freshmen feature in opposite halves of the draw in this weight class, Brian Courtney (Athens) and Max Murin (Central Cambria). 113: Returning state runner-up Luke Karam (Bethlehem Catholic) is ranked No. 13 nationally, but his road to a title will be challenging, starting with a first round bout against returning state third placer Colin Glorioso (Huntingdon). The path continues with a likely quarterfinal against former state placer Austin McDermitt (Burgettstown), and then a likely semifinal with past Cadet National All-American Taylor Ortz (Brookville). The bottom half of the draw is anchored by Southwest regional champion Austin Griffiths (Southmoreland), who is a two-time state placer. His path to the final includes a likely quarterfinal against returning state placer Jacob Wasser (Palisades), with the potential for a semifinal match against 2012 Cadet National double All-American Jacob Gabriel (Bedford). 120: Defending state champion, and Super 32 Challenge runner-up, George Philippi (Derry Area) is ranked No. 7 nationally. A likely semifinal match looms against either returning state placer Willis Gruver (Redbank Valley) or freshman sensation Todd Lane (Southern Columbia). The other half of the draw is led by two-time state placer, and 2012 state runner-up, Korbin Myers (Boiling Springs). In last year's 113 pound semifinal, Philippi upended Myers 2-1 in the tiebreaker. 126: Ranked No. 3 nationally, Zeke Moisey (Bethlehem Catholic) is seeking an elusive state title having placed fifth, second, and second in his state tournament campaigns to date. For the season, Moisey is undefeated at 40-0, and it is likely he'll meet a fellow 40-0 competitor in John Demaske (Jefferson Morgan) in the semifinal round. Demaske placed fourth last year in the same weight that Moisey took second. For purposes of the other half of the draw, regional champions are Cody Blankenship (Kane) and Lewis Williams (Central Columbia) 132: Two undefeated wrestlers anchor this weight class, three-time state placer Ian Brown (Hanover) and sophomore Mike Carr (South Fayette), who went 0-2 at the state tournament last year. They are in opposite halves of the draw. Brown is looking at a quarterfinal date with returning state runner-up, and two-time state placer, Ryan Easter (Bedford). Then, it would be a likely semifinal bout against two-time state placer Austin Harry (Lake Lehman) or returning state placer Dalton Zimmerman (Brookville). For Carr, it is a likely quarterfinal date with returning state third placer Kyle Shoop (Boiling Springs), and then a semifinal with two-time state placer Tyler Vath (Saegertown). 138: Two-time state placer and Super 32 Challenge runner-up Brock Zacherl (Brookville) is ranked No. 5 nationally, and has a relatively clear path to the final. The other regional champion in his half is Josh Evans (Palmerton). Regional champions in the other half of the draw are returning state placers Jake Wentzel (South Park) and Kent Lane (Southern Columbia). Wentzel has a possible quarterfinal with returning state placer Nick Monico (Saegertown), while Lane could face George McGuire (Fort LeBoeuf). 145: For his scholastic career, Jason Nolf (Kittanning) is 172-1, and the No. 2 ranked wrestler in the country is working on an 87 match winning streak going back to his state semifinal loss as a sophomore. His path to the state final involves a likely quarterfinal against returning state placer Zach Vroman (Brookville), with the semifinal most likely against Southeast regional champion Tony Shafer (Hanover). The other half of the draw is led by undefeated wrestler Billy Barnes (Williamson), a returning state placer who is undefeated on the season. Barnes is looking at a likely quarterfinal against fellow state placer Michael Comunale (Pius X), and then a semifinal against one of two returning state placers: Hunter Harner (Tri-Valley) or Levi Stoyer (Reynolds). 152: The top half of the draw is stronger, as its regional champions are both returning state placers in Steve Edwards (Burrell) and two-time placer Cole Watler (Mifflinburg). Regional champions in the bottom half of the draw are Brodie Zacherl (Brookville) and Richie Cerebe (Calvary Christian). Cerebe is looking at a quarterfinal date with two-time state placer Andrew Doak (Blairsville), who lost in the regional final to Edwards; while Zacherl could see returning state placer Blake Marks (Southern Columbia) in his quarterfinal bout. 160: Returning state third place finisher Ryan Preisch (Milton), a Junior Greco-Roman All-American and ranked No. 19 nationally, is the anchor figure in this weight class. The other regional champion in this top half of the draw is returning state placer Jared Walker (South Fayette). The bottom half is led by undefeated Kyle Bova (Coudersport), who is undefeated on the season after finishing second in the state last year. He is looking at a likely quarterfinal against two-time state placer Jared Kasunic (Benton), with a possible semifinal date against returning state placer and regional champion Briton Shelton (Bermudian Springs). 170: Returning state runner-up and two-time state placer Evan Delong (Kane) is undefeated on the season and anchors the bottom half bracket. His most likely quarterfinal is against freshman sensation Zane Black (Bishop McDevitt), and then it is a possible semifinal with Cadet National double All-American Corey Hazel (Penns Valley). Regional champions in the other half of the draw are Nick Cortopassi (Bethlehem Catholic) and sophomore Garrett Hoffman (Montoursville). 182: No. 12 in the nation Spencer Loiseau (Lancaster Catholic) is undefeated on the season, after placing third in the Super 32 Challenge this fall and fifth at state last year. He is looking at a collision course with returning state fourth placer Dylan Reynolds (Saegertown) in the semifinal round. The bottom half of the draw is anchored by returning state sixth placer Terrell Fields (Valley), who was a Junior Greco-Roman All-American last summer. He is looking at a quarterfinal date with now three-time state qualifier Jose Ortiz (Bethlehem Cahtolic), with Isaiah Bobotas (Montgomery) the regional champion in the other quarter of that half). 195: Two-time state placer, and returning state runner-up, Tristan Sponsller (Bermudian Springs) is ranked No. 20 nationally in this weight class. He is undefeated for the season, and looking at a likely semifinal against fellow regional champion Garrett Wesneski (Canton), a returning state eight placer. Regional champions in the other half bracket include James Bennett (Hyndman) and Ryan Morris (Corry). 220: Returning state fourth placer Jake Temple (Avella) is undefeated on the season, and leads the delegation in this weight class. He is looking at a likely semifinal against fellow regional champion Andrew Dunn (Bethlehem Catholic), who placed sixth at state last year and fourth at the Super 32 this fall up at 285 pounds. Regional champions in the other half bracket are Connor Route (Canton) and freshman Cole Rickert (Reynolds), who is looking at a quarterfinal against the 36-1 Reynold Maines (West Branch), a loser to Temple in this past weekend's Southwest regional final. 285: Defending state champion Sam Breese (Lakeview) comes into the state tournament undefeated for the season, and the clear favorite in the weight class. Breese would most likely face Southwest regional champion Alan Beattie (Burrell) in the semifinal round. Brady Mutton (Pen Argyl), the Southeast regional champion, has the second best record in the weight class at 36-1. Mutton is looking at a quarterfinal bout against returning state placer Austin Buttry (Chestnut Ridge), who lost in the Southwest regional semi in the tiebreaker to Jake Beistel (Southmoreland). Beistel is in the next quarter bracket, after losing 3-0 to Beattie in the regional final, along with Northeast regional champion Saul Wilkins (Wilkes Barre).

The international wrestling federation FILA has announced the draw for the pool competition at the 2014 Freestyle World Cup, set for the Forum, presented by Chase, in Inglewood, Calif., March 15-16. The World Cup is the annual international dual meet championships, and will feature the top 10 men 's freestyle wrestling teams in the world. The random draw was conducted at the FILA Bureau meeting held in Rome, Italy on Friday, February 28. The top two teams from the 2013 Freestyle World Cup, Iran and Russia, were automatically placed in different pools. Pool A will feature returning World Cup champion Iran, host United States, India, Armenia and Turkey. The teams in Pool A had the following placements at the 2013 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary: Iran (1st), United States (5th), India (6th), Armenia (9th, tie) and Turkey (9th, tie). Pool B will feature returning World Cup runner-up Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Mongolia and Japan. The teams in Pool B had the following placements at the 2013 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary: Russia (2nd), Georgia (3rd), Ukraine (4th), Mongolia (7th, tie) and Japan (14th). The World Cup field is split into two pools of five nations, with each team competing against the other four teams in its pool. The winning teams of each pool will compete for first place; second place in each pool will compete for third place; third place in each pool will compete for fifth place; fourth place in each pool will compete for seventh place and fifth place in each pool will compete for ninth place. Based upon the draw, the local organizing committee for the Freestyle World Cup has finalized the pool pairings for each session at the 2014 Freestyle World Cup. There are two competition sessions each day of the Freestyle World Cup On Saturday, March 15, Session I runs from 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Highlights of this session include the first two matches for host Team USA in Pool A, who will face Armenia and India. Returning champion Iran has its first match against Armenia. In Pool B, last year 's runner-up Russia has its first two bouts, going against Mongolia and Ukraine. Worldwide interest will be on the match between Russia and Ukraine at 2:00 p.m., with these nations in the news at this time. Session II on Saturday begins with the Opening Ceremony at 5:00 p.m. Competition begins at 5:30 p.m. and is scheduled to run through 9:30 p.m. Pool A competition comes first, and returning champion Iran has two matches. The two bouts at 6:30 p.m. will receive international attention due to international rivalries as host USA battles Iran, as well as the Turkey vs. Armenia match. In Pool B, Team Georgia will have two tough tests, facing Mongolia and Ukraine. Sunday, March 16 starts with Session III, scheduled from 11:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. The pool competition will be concluded in the first two hours of the session with two matches in each pool. The top three teams in last year 's World Cup, Iran, Russia and the United States, all have matches early in this session. Also scheduled for Session III are the fifth-place, seventh-place and ninth-place finals bouts. Session IV will conclude the competition, with the third-place match at 5:00 p.m. and the first-place Championship Match at 6:00 p.m. Awards ceremonies will follow the first-place match. Tickets are now available via Ticketmaster, through http://www.ticketmaster.com/, www.fabulousforum.com, and The Forum Box Office. The phone number for Ticketmaster is 800-745-3000. The discounted All-Session tickets for the two-day event will be available for a limited time, and at three price levels: General Admission (Sections 201-211 and 225-236) for $50 face value Preferred Seating (in the 100 levels) for $130 face value VIP (100 levels center mat) for $270 face value. All Ticketmaster purchases are subject to a convenience fee. For more information on the Freestyle World Cup, visit www.wrestlingworldcup.com FREESTYLE WORLD CUP at the Forum, presented by Chase, Inglewood, Calif., March 15-16 Competition Schedule Saturday, March 15 Session I 11:00 a.m. USA vs. Armenia; India vs. Turkey 12:00 noon USA vs. India; Iran vs. Armenia 1:00 p.m. Georgia vs. Japan, Mongolia vs. Russia 2:00 p.m. Japan vs. Mongolia; Ukraine vs. Russia 5:00 p.m. Opening Ceremonies Session II 5:30 p.m. Iran vs. Turkey; Armenia vs. India 6:30 p.m. USA vs. Iran; Turkey vs. Armenia 7:30 p.m. Mongolia vs. Georgia; Japan vs. Ukraine 8:30 p.m. Georgia vs. Ukraine; Russia vs. Japan Sunday, March 16 Session III 11:00 a.m. Iran vs. India, USA vs. Turkey 12:00 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 5:00 p.m. Third-place match 6:00 p.m. First-place match and Award Ceremonies ABOUT USA WRESTLING USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the Sport of Wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and the International Wrestling Federation FILA. Simply, USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. Its president is James Ravannack, and its Executive Director is Rich Bender. ABOUT FILA FILA, the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles, is the global governing body of the sport of wrestling. It works to promote the sport and facilitate the activities of its 177 national federations from around the world. It is based in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland.