InterMat Staff

With the high school wrestling season' start approaching, InterMat will be taking fans across the United States of America on a tour of scholastic wrestling. From now until the middle of November, InterMat will introduce fans to the top high school senior wrestlers in the 49 states with scholastic wrestling. From Alaska to Florida, and Maine to California, fans will gain exposure to future college and senior level stars. This year marks the third time in the past five years that Ohio has the top wrestling recruit in the nation. David Taylor and Logan Stieber were the nation's top recruits in 2009 and 2010, and Bo Jordan is the nation's top recruit this year. Both Taylor and Stieber have already won NCAA wrestling championships, and Jordan will look to do the same. This year's Ohio recruiting class is pretty deep in talent behind Jordan in fact there will be three wrestlers, including Bo Jordan, going for their fourth state title in the Buckeye State. This Ohio class has a collective total of six wrestlers in the Top 50 of InterMat's Top 100 seniors. Bo Jordan (Photo/Kevin Schlosser)1. Bo Jordan (St. Paris Graham) Projected 2012-2013 High School Weight Class: 160 Projected College Weight Class: 157/165 College: Ohio State (Committed) Analysis: Bo Jordan is a once in a decade type of talent. With his strength and technical abilities, Jordan was the most coveted recruit in the nation for good reason. He has one blemish his record while at Graham coming to last year's Ohio best recruit Nate Skonieczny as a freshman. Jordan avenged that loss at the state tournament en route to his first state title. Since that loss Jordan is undefeated with many matches being lopsided. Jordan has committed to Ohio State -- a huge grab for the Buckeyes and breaks the family tradition of heading to Wisconsin. Look for big things from Jordan his senior year as he goes for his fourth state title. 2. Nathan Tomasello (Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy) Projected 2012-2013 High School Weight Class: 120 Projected College Weight Class: 125 College: Ohio State (Committed) Analysis: Tomasello will be going for his fourth state title this year at 120 pounds. Tomasello has run off 100 straight high school victories going back to his freshman year at 103 pounds. This year he will look for a third Ironman title to go with a potential fourth state title. Tomasello has committed to the Buckeyes and projects to be at 125 pounds. 3. Dean Heil (St. Edward) Projected 2012-2013 High School Weight Class: 132 Projected College Weight Class: 133 College: Oklahoma State (Committed) Analysis: Heil looks to be come the third group to win his fourth state title in the Buckeye State. Heil will also become the fourth Eagle from St. Edward to win a fourth state title. Heil, fresh off being crowned champion at the Super 32 Challenge at 132 pounds, will look to take that momentum into the season. Heil will head out to Oklahoma State and projects to be a 133-pounder out in Stillwater for legendary coach John Smith. 4. Anthony Collica (Solon) Projected 2012-2013 High School Weight Class: 145/152 Projected College Weight Class: 149/157 College: Oklahoma State (Committed) Analysis: Anthony Collica perhaps overlooked by many spectators in Ohio and around the nation changed that this summer as he won a Junior National freestyle title in Fargo. Collica, already a two-time state champion, really cemented his name nationally over the summer with a brilliant performance in Fargo. Collica, a very funky wrestler that is often hard to score on, will take his talents to Stillwater to wrestle for the Cowboys of Oklahoma State. Dominic Abounader (Photo/Kevin Schlosser)5. Dominic Abounader (St. Edward) Projected 2012-2013 High School Weight Class: 195 Projected College Weight Class: 197 College: Michigan (Committed) Analysis: Abounader, already a two-time state champion in the upperweights, will look to cement his legacy as one of the best that St. Edwards has ever had. A perfect blend of brute strength and quickness Abounader had an outstanding year taking second at Ironman but later revenging his only loss in a dual later in the year. Abounader will move on to Ann Arbor at the end of this year joining the long line of Eagles to become Wolverines. 6. Edgar Bright (St. Edward) Projected 2012-2013 High School Weight Class: 145 Projected College Weight Class: 149 College: Pittsburgh (Committed) Analysis: Bright comes into the season as the best wrestler in the state not to win a state title. Last year he came in as the favorite before falling to two-time state champion Joey Ward in a very close match that went to overtime. Bright looks to move up to 145 this year and should be able to win his first state title before heading off to Pitt to wrestle in college. 7. B.J. Toal (Troy Christian) Projected 2012-2013 High School Weight Class: 182 Projected College Weight Class: 184 College: Missouri (Committed) Analysis: Toal will look for his second state title this year after he was runner-up his sophomore year and winning his first title last year at 182. Toal is ranked No. 7 in the nation at his weight class and should have a strong senior year before going off to join older brother Zach at Missouri. 8. JoJo Tayse (Massillon Perry) Projected 2012-2013 High School Weight Class: 195 Projected College Weight Class: 197 College: Undecided Analysis: Last year at 195 JoJo Tayse was able to pull off the upset by knocking off rival James Suvak of St. Edward, who he was beaten by twice last year at Ironman. He was able to claw his way to a close victory. Tayse will look to do the same this year. However, with the addition of Dominic Abounader he will have a serious challenge going for his second state title at 195. 9. Brandon Thompson (Solon) Projected 2012-2013 High School Weight Class: 120 Projected College Weight Class: 125 College: Undecided Analysis: Brandon Thompson may be one of the most unheralded wrestlers in the state of Ohio. This year he will be going for his third state title. Thompson is a very difficult wrestler to score on, which should translate well to the college level. This year he projects up to the 120-pound class. 10. Josh Lehner (Lexington) Projected 2012-2013 High School Weight Class: 195 Projected College Weight Class: 197 College: North Carolina (Committed) Analysis: Lehner, for a heavier weight, can score points in bunches. Never was this more evident than at the state tournament where he recorded a technical fall in each of four matches. Lehner will look to do the same this year as he did last year before heading to Chapel Hill to wrestle for the Tar Heels.

Hempstead, N.Y. -- The 16th-ranked Hofstra Pride Wrestling team begins its 66th season of competition this weekend with road matches against two top-25 Big 10 opponents. Hofstra opens the season on Friday, November 9 when the Pride travel to Minneapolis, MN for a dual match against the third-ranked Golden Gophers of the University of Minnesota. Match time at the Sports Pavilion is 8 p.m. (ET). Minnesota placed second at the NCAA Championships last March. Following the Minnesota match, Hofstra moves on to Madison, WI for a match-up against the 25th-ranked Badgers of the University of Wisconsin. Match time at the UW Field House is 2 p.m. (ET) Hofstra Head Wrestling Coach Rob Anspach begins his second season as head coach and his 11th year on the Pride staff. In his first season as head coach, the Pine Grove, Pennsylvania native recorded a 12-3 dual season, the Colonial Athletic Association championship and a 23rd-place finish at the NCAA Division I Championships with two All-Americans. The Pride return 14 wrestlers, including eight starters, from last season. Both Hofstra All-Americans return in 2012-13 in seniors Steve Bonanno (Wantagh, NY) and Justin Accordino (Wilkes-Barre, PA). Bonanno, who posted a 31-9 record, captured the CAA title at 125 pounds and placed eighth in the NCAA Championships, opens the new season ranked fourth by both InterMat and Amateur Wrestling News (AWN) and has a top 15 opponent in Minnesota junior David Thorn, who was 14-2 last season, and is ranked 11th by Intermat and 13th by AWN. Accordino, who was granted a sixth-year of eligibility by the NCAA after missing two seasons due to knee injuries, was 26-14 last season, placed second in the CAA and placed sixth at 149 pounds in the NCAA Championships. He will not wrestle this weekend. He is ranked fifth by AWN and eighth by InterMat entering the 2012-13 season. Three other Pride returnees have enjoyed NCAA Championship exposure including two in last year’s nationals. Red-shirt juniors Jamie Franco (Monroe, NY) and Luke Vaith (Hastings, MN) are both coming off NCAA appearances and are nationally-ranked this season. Franco was 21-13 at 133 pounds last year, placed second in the CAA and is ranked 15th by InterMat and 18th by AWN to open the season. He will face Minnesota sophomore All-American Chris Dardanes, who was 25-12 on the season and placed fourth at the NCAA Championships. Dardanes is fifth by AWN and sixth by InterMat this week. Vaith, who captured the CAA title at 141 and posted a 23-10 mark in 2011-12, opens the season ranked 10th by AWN and 13th by InterMat at 141 pounds. He opens the season against Minnesota sophomore Nick Dardanes, who was 22-10 last year and is ranked seventh by InterMat and eighth by AWN. Three more Pride wrestlers return to starting roles as senior Paul Snyder (Greensburg, PA), who was a NCAA Championship participant in 2011, was 19-13 at 285 pounds last season. He will open the season with two top 20 opponents in Minnesota junior, defending national champion and top ranked Tony Nelson, who was 32-2 in 2011-12, and Wisconsin freshman Connor Medbery, who is ranked 12th by AWN and 16th by InterMat. Senior Tyler Banks (Griswold, CT) was 12-13 at 157 pounds last season and sophomore Jermaine John (Brooklyn, NY) was 9-17 at 174 pounds as a freshman last year. John will face Minnesota sophomore All-American Logan Storley, who was 25-9 last year and placed sixth at the NCAA Championships. Storley is ranked fifth by AWN and sixth by InterMat. Hofstra is expected to have four new faces in the starting line-up this weekend. At 149 pounds, senior Matt Spataro (Garfield, NJ), who was 3-3 last season, and red-shirt sophomore Cody Ruggirello (Walden, NY), who has battled injuries his first two seasons, will get long looks by Anspach to fill in for Accordino in his absence. Ruggirello, brother of Hofstra 2011 All-American Lou Ruggirello, was a five-time New York State Championship place-winner including 2007 state champion. The Hofstra entry will face Minnesota sophomore All-American and 2012 national runner-up Dylan Ness, who is ranked number one by AWN and third by InterMat. At 165 pounds, red-shirt sophomore Nick Terdick (East Northport, NY), a two-time All-New York State selection and 2009 state finalist while at John Glenn High School, gets the starting nod to take over the vacancy left by the graduation of four-time NCAA qualifier and 2011 All-American, P.J. Gillespie. Terdick will face Minnesota senior Cody Yohn, who was 21-11 last year and is ranked eighth by AWN and 10th by InterMat. At 184 pounds, junior Taras Luzhnyy (Kiev, Ukraine), who placed second at the 2010 World University Championships at 84kg, fills the hole left by the graduation of three-time NCAA qualifier and two-time CAA champion Ben Clymer. Luzhnyy will face Minnesota junior All-American Kevin Steinhaus, who was 34-6 last season and is ranked fourth by both AWN and InterMat. At 197 pounds, freshman Victor Pozsonyi (Roselle Park, NJ), a two-time New Jersey State championship place-winner and high school All-American, won the spot over red-shirt junior and 2011-12 starter Tim Murphy (Nazareth, PA). Pozsonyi will face Minnesota sophomore Scott Schiller, who was 26-4 last season and is ranked 10th by AWN and 11th by InterMat. Friday night’s match against Minnesota will be the Pride’s first meeting with the Golden Gophers since a 18-17 Hofstra victory over #1 Minnesota at the Asics-Journeymen Northeast Duals in 2006-07. The Pride faced Wisconsin in the 2011-12 regular season opener and defeated the Badgers, 25-12 on Long Island.

"On the Mat" will air live from Joe's Night Hawk in Waverly, Iowa, this Wednesday, November 7 at 6 p.m. CDT. This special one hour show will be broadcast during Fight Night, an annual preseason wrestling event for high school and college wrestling coaches. Jim Miller (Wartburg), Eric Keller (Wartburg), Tom Brands (Iowa), Kevin Jackson (Iowa State), and Doug Schwab (Northern Iowa) will headline the event. Other wrestling greats like Ed Banach, Chuck Yagla, Tolly Thompson, Mark Schwab, and Bob Siddens are scheduled to attend. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa on AM 1650, The Fan. E-mail dgmstaff@nwhof.org with any questions or comments about the show.

MOUNT PLEASANT -- A pair of pins by seniors Christian Cullinan and No. 5 Ben Bennett proved to be the difference as the No. 17 Central Michigan Wrestling upset No. 13 Michigan, 21-16, in its season opener Tuesday night inside McGuirk Arena. After trailing 2-0 in the latter stages of the third period in his dual-opening matchup at 125 with No. 15 Sean Boyle, Cullinan swung momentum in his and the Chippewas’ (1-0) favor with an escape, followed by a takedown and a pin with 20 seconds remaining in the match. The pin gave the Chippewas a 6-0 advantage to begin the dual. Bennett’s pin at 184 came at an equally crucial point in the match, with the Chippewas trailing, 13-12, after giving up seven points heading into his matchup with freshman Jordan Thomas. Bennett recorded a takedown quickly and ended the match with a pin just 1:41 into the first period. The pin gave the Chippewas an 18-13 advantage. Senior heavyweight Jarod Trice, ranked fourth in the nation, entered the mat for the final match of the night against redshirt freshman Justin Dozier with an 18-16 Chippewas lead. Trice recorded an escape and a takedown early in the second period, and that would be all he needed as he took a 4-0 decision, with riding time, to clinch the 21-16 upset over the Wolverines. No. 2 Scotti Sentes earned a 8-6 victory over Rossi Bruno at 133, with riding time, to put the Chippewas up 9-0 early. The Wolverines responded with six straight points to pull within three, 9-6. At 141, junior Scott Mattingly held a 4-3 advantage in the late stages of the third period in his match against Camryn Jackson, but gave up an escape with 15 seconds remaining and lost, 5-4, on Jackson’s riding time point. Senior Donnie Corby and Eric Grajales battled at 149 in what ended up being the most closely contested bout of the evening. Corby held a 2-1 advantage in the final period, but Grajales tied it up with the riding time point and forced overtime. Neither wrestler scored in the first overtime period, but Grajales earned an escape in the first half of the second extra period to claim a 3-2 decision, pulling the Wolverines within three, 9-6. At 157, redshirt freshman Luke Smith led Michael Carpenter, 2-1 after the first period, and held on for a 3-2 decision to give the Chippewas a 12-6 lead. No. 19 Mike Ottinger, a sophomore at 165, was upset in his opening match of the season as he fell, 8-3, to Taylor Massa. Ottinger managed three escapes, but Massa earned three takedowns, an escape and the riding time, cutting the Chippewas’ lead to 12-9. 174-pounder sophomore Anthony Bill fell, 18-5, to No. 15 Dan Yates in a major decision to give the Wolverines their first lead of the night, 13-12. After Bennett’s six-point pin gave the Chippewas an 18-13 lead, the Wolverines pulled within two, 18-16, on a 6-3 decision at 197 by No. 19 Max Huntley over CMU’s Jackson Lewis, a redshirt freshman. The Chippewas travel to East Lansing for the MSU Open on Sunday at 9 a.m., and will return to McGuirk Arena Saturday, Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. for a conference showdown with Buffalo. Results: 125: Christian Cullinan (CMU) pinned No. 14 Sean Boyle, 6:40 CMU, 6-0 133: No. 2 Scotti Sentes (CMU) dec. Rossi Bruno, 8-6 CMU, 9-0 141: Camryn Jackson (U-M) dec. Scott Mattingly, 5-4 CMU, 9-3 149: No. 11 Eric Grajales (U-M) dec. Donnie Corby, 3-2 TB CMU, 9-6 157: Luke Smith (CMU) dec. Michael Carpenter, 3-2 CMU, 12-6 165: No. 7 Taylor Massa (U-M) dec. No. 16 Mike Ottinger, 8-3 CMU, 12-9 174: No. 15 Dan Yates (U-M major dec. Anthony Bill, 18-5 U-M, 13-12 184: No. 5 Ben Bennett (MCU) pinned No. 18 Jordan Thomas, 1:41 CMU, 18-13 197: No. 19 Max Huntley (U-M) dec. Jackson Lewis, 6-3 CMU, 18-16 285: No. 4 Jarod Trice (CMU) dec. Justin Dozier, 4-0 CMU, 21-16

Related Content: Buxton Tribute Photos In one of the most dramatic moments in the history of the Lehigh Valley Athletic Club founded in 1999, Jeff Buxton has been named director of the LVAC and head coach of its freestyle teams. The announcement was made Saturday night by Pat Santoro from the podium of a Blair tribute dinner in Jeff's honor in DC. Jeff Buxton (Photo/Rob Preston)The appointment came after a unanimous vote of approval by the Club's Board of Directors, which offered him the contract, considered a key component of the LVAC mission plan. Among numerous goals are to build and maintain optimal depth of post-grad training partners for younger athletes seeking to excel at the next levels. Buxton arrives after a storied 30-year tenure as teacher and renowned Blair Academy coach, compiling one of the nation's most distinguished high school coaching careers. He's also served New Jersey long and ably as freestyle coach at the Cadet National and Junior National levels. Among over 10,000 high schools competing in wrestling, Buxton's Blair teams ranked number one in the nation ten times from 1995-96 to 2011-12. During his tenure on staff, Blair won 30 National Prep team titles, plus 26 of the nation's top in-season high school events (Beast of the East, or Ironman) - a total more than double all others combined (16-BOE; 10-Ironman). His Buccaneer grapplers won 160 individual National Prep titles and his 2001-02 team is widely considered as perhaps the finest high school team of all-time, earning eight 1st-team ASICS All American berths. Blair Academy has had some advantages over most HS programs, due to the prep school's prestige that began emerging in the '70's to help attract wrestlers nationally and sometimes overseas. His bio, written by Blair historian, Dave Ritterpusch, Lehigh '63, confirms that since 2000 Buxton enjoyed having starters from CA, CT, MD, MA, NY, OH, OK, PA and VA. He also coached Blair's first three NJ natives ever to win NCAA Div. I titles - and they won five crowns. The more salient points for college diehards: Buxton wrestlers went on to win 37 NCAA All-American medals, including 10 titles (by six men), six seconds and seven thirds -- while competing on seven NCAA team champions. His former wrestlers include four 2-time champs: Pat Santoro (Pitt, NCAA 6,2,1,1), Steve Mocco (Iowa 2,1; OklaSt 2,1), Mark Perry (Iowa, 2,3,1,1) and Kellen Russell (Michigan, 7,1,1); plus Zack Esposito (OklaSt, 2,1,3) and Ed Ruth (PSU, 3,1 with 2 yrs left). Santoro and Ruth never reached a state final before their one year developing rapidly at Blair, where they each won National Prep titles and Outstanding Wrestler awards. At the 2005 NCAAs, former Buccaneer wrestlers won 30 bouts with two titles, a second and a third. Overall, six of them finished with 18 All American places in their college careers. That 2005 season was one of two Nationals with two former Buxton wrestlers winning titles (Esposito, Mocco); the other was in 2012 (Russell; Ruth). Esposito, Russell and Mocco all hailed from the Garden State. Blair grads doubling in 1979: Iowa State's Kelly Ward and Lehigh's Mark Lieberman, each coached at Blair by Tom Hutchinson. A stat of true distinction: ten future NCAA titles won by former Buxton wrestlers was exceeded by just six universities in the same 30-year period (Iowa, Iowa St, Okla St, Ohio St, Penn St, Minn). Testimony to Buxton was recently published in an Amateur Wrestling News article authored by high school guru, Bob Preusse (OH). Rival (private) prep school coach, Jeff Jordan, from St. Paris Graham (OH) said: "Buxton thrives on competition's with a joy of battle." From Bob Behre, Newark Star Ledger: "Buxton had a way of reaching kids, motivating them and having them love him at the same time; like a magic trick today." Said PA writer Rob Sherrill: "A great coach and technician ... a master of getting his kids to the next level and helping place them at the right level." Renowned for unique coaching techniques, Buxton ran an open wrestling room at Blair, a format very similar to the LVAC's. Many outside wrestlers developed their skills, such as NCAA champs Matt Valenti and Troy Nickerson. Jeff served as coach of NJ state teams at the Cadet National and Junior Freestyle Duals in June and the Cadet and Junior National individual tournaments in Fargo in July. Active in the USA Wrestling NJ state association, he served on the NJ Coaches Council. Buxton began as coach and math teacher at Blair in 1982-83. He coached both lacrosse and wrestling at first, eventually focusing on wrestling. He was named co-head wrestling coach in 1984 and head coach in 1991. A lifelong Red Sox fan, Jeff was a 3-sport athlete at Providence Country Day School (RI) in lacrosse, football and wrestling. He was unbeaten in high school and won National Preps in 1975. He wrestled at the U. of Rhode Island and won the OW award at the 1980 Northeast Regional Trials for the U.S. Olympic Team. Buxton received USA Wrestling's Lifetime Achievement Award at a 2006 at a major 2006 Olympic fundraising event in NNJ. Speakers included Dan Gable, Olympic Coach Steve Fraser and Olympic Champion, Rulon Gardner (another honoree). Buxton is a member of the Rhode Island Hall of Fame and in 2009 was selected as the first-ever NWCA "National Prep Coach of the Year," an award he won three times. He's the father of Tony, a member of the Harvard wrestling program (Class of '13) and a daughter, Siena, currently at High Point University '15 in NC (both Blair alumni). The bottom lines for the LVAC are major: to have the Club run by a head coach of considerable renown, filling a berth open since Jason Kutz left in Aug. '11 to run the U.S Army Freestyle Team ... the opportunity to attract future athletes to train in Bethlehem, as well as new funding. To say that Jeff Buxton developed friends and relationships over the years would be an understatement, with his skills, charisma and connections going well beyond Blair. His acquisition is one more key to Pat Santoro's bid to build the highest quality overall wrestling possible in the greater Lehigh Valley. Coach Buxton's departure from Blair was noted with enormous sentiment and support at the testimonial dinner on the American campus just prior to the All-Star Classic. Organized by Friends of Blair Academy led by businessman and Blair parent, Alan Meltzer, about 150 friends and former wrestlers converged on the nation's capital, including guests from OK, CO, MN, IL, OH, MA, CT, NY, NJ, PA, MD, DC and VA. Speakers included parents Meltzer, Nick Milonas and Rob Preston as well as former Blair wrestlers Cory Cooperman, Matt Palmer, Max Meltzer and Marat Tomaev.

Related Content: Results LAS VEGAS -- The field at the 2012 NUWAY Southwest Kickoff Classic, which took place Saturday and Sunday in Las Vegas, packed solid punch at the top of virtually every weight class. When all was said and done after two days of wrestling, it was those from the Golden State along with Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) who stole the show. Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) earned a 9-5 victory over Isaiah Martinez (Lemoore, Calif.), the nation's No. 3 overall senior (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Ranked first overall nationally among freshmen, Hall won a preseason tournament for the fourth consecutive weekend. He repeated as champion in this event at 160 pounds to augment 152 pound championships at the Grappler Fall Classic and Super 32 Challenge as well as a 160 pound title at the InterMat JJ Classic last weekend. The championship match against fellow Super 32 champion Isaiah Martinez (Lemoore, Calif.) was the tournament's most anticipated, with Hall upending the nation's No. 3 overall senior by 9-5 decision. However, California natives earned more than their share of titles, in fact eight of the 13 weights were won by Golden State natives. This was led by the nation's No. 2 overall freshman Aaron Pico (St. John Bosco) taking home the 133 pound title with an 11-4 victory over Ali Naser (El Camion Real, Calif.). However, the tournament performance by Naser should not go unnoticed, as he beat two-time Cadet freestyle champion Seth Gross (Apple Valley, Minn.) 5-2 in the quarterfinal and Jed Mellen (Payson, Utah), the nation's No. 83 overall senior, 3-2 in the semifinal. Naser did not compete in the state series last year after placing seventh in 2011 due to injury, but was 4-2 in freestyle at the Junior Nationals this summer. The Valencia brothers -- Zahid at 115 and Anthony at 138 -- joined Pico as NUWAY Vegas champions from St. John Bosco. Zahid, the nation's top ranked sophomore, bounced back from a third place finish at the Super 32 with a 3-1 finals victory against Ronnie Bresser (Henley, Ore.), who is ranked No. 44 overall in the senior class. Anthony bounced back from failing to make the second day of the Super 32 with a 5-2 victory over Javier Gasca (Kingsburg, Calif.) in a finals match that was a rematch from the FloNationals final seven months ago. Peter Santos (Oakmont, Calif.), fifth at the state tournament at 170 and seventh at the Flo Nationals at 152, had a superlative run to the 174 pound championship. This included a semifinal win by fall over Daniel Woiwor (Apple Valley, Minn.), who is ranked No. 51 overall in the senior class; and a 7-4 finals win over two-time Cadet Greco-Roman champion Chandler Rogers (Mead, Wash.), who is ranked No. 16 overall in the junior class. Mason Pengilly (Porterville) won the 122 pound championship with a 3-2 victory over Micah Perez (Central Union, Calif.) in a finals match featuring past Junior National freestyle All-Americans. Nikko Villarreal (Gilroy), ranked No. 21 in the junior class, won the 148 pound weight class with a 7-4 victory over Reed Van Anrooy (Roseburg, Ore.) -- a three-time state finalist who finished fourth at the Super 32. Rounding out the California natives to win titles was Christian Pagdilao (Santiago Corona) at 143 and Derrick Jones (Bloomington) at 218. Other weight class champions included Oak Park River Forest, Ill. teammates Isaiah White, who ranks No. 9 overall in the freshman class, and Joe Ariola at 128 and 192 pounds respectively; as well as Mason Smith (Clio, Mich.) at 106 and Seth Monty (Mesa Mountain View, Ariz.) at 155. This title added to last weekend's JJ Classic title for Smith, a runner-up finish at the Grappler Fall Classic, and a second day appearance at the Super 32 that fell short of placement. Results: 106: Mason Smith (Clio, Mich.) pinned Adrian Campasano (Central, Calif.), 1:45 115: Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) dec. Ronnie Bresser (Henley, Ore.), 3-1 122: Mason Pengilly (Porterville, Calif.) dec. Micah Perez (Central Union, Calif.), 3-2 128: Isaiah White (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) dec. Vincent Gomez (Bakersfield Frontier, Calif.), 3-1 133: Aaron Pico (St. John Bosco, Calif.) dec. Ali Naser (El Camino Real, Calif.), 11-4 138: Anthony Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) dec. Javier Gasca (Kingsburg, Calif.), 5-2 143: Christian Pagdilao (Santiago Corona, Calif.) dec. Sergio Enloe (Poway, Calif.) 7-1 148: Nikko Villarreal (Gilroy, Calif.) dec. Reed Van Anrooy (Roseburg, Ore.) 7-4 155: Seth Monty (Mesa Mountain View, Ariz.) maj. dec. Antonio Perez (Central Union, Calif.) 10-2 163: Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn.) dec. Isaiah Martinez (Lemoore, Calif.) 9-5 174: Peter Santos (Oakmont, Calif.) dec. Chandler Rogers (Mead, Wash.) 7-4 192: Joe Ariola (Oak Park River Forest, Ill.) dec. Ryder Newman (Green Valley, Nev.) 3-2 218: Derrick Jones (Bloomington, Calif.) pinned Tim McDonald (Columbia, Id.) 3:22

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Twelve different Terps registered wins Sunday afternoon as the 15th-ranked Maryland wrestling team opened its regular season with a 40-6 defeat of Johns Hopkins and a 24-10 win over West Virginia at the Terrapin Duals at Comcast Center. Geoffrey Alexander, Dallas Brown, Shane Gentry and Jimmy Sheptock all earned two wins Sunday. Alexander, ranked 18th at 133, may have been the most impressive with a pin of Johns Hopkins' Yagloski in the opening match and a decision over No. 17 Colin Johnston of West Virginia. In the day's marquee matchup with the Mountaineers, the Terps (2-0) won three of the first four matches. In addition to Alexander's victory, the squad picked up wins from Gentry, via medical forfeit, and Lou Mascola. Alexander's match came down to the final period. The sophomore entered the third period leading 4-3, but an early escape by Johnston tied the match. Midway through the period Alexander scored the decisive takedown and added point with riding time to walk away with a 7-5 win. At 149, Mascola recorded a takedown and added three near-fall points at the end of the first period to give him a healthy 6-2 cushion heading into the second period. The sophomore held on and earned a 9-4 decision over Brutus Scheffel. After picking up a major decision at 141, the Mountaineers won decisions at 157 and 165 to trim the Terps' lead to 12-10. Needing a victory, fourth-ranked Josh Asper stepped up and won a hard fought 5-3 decision over Bubba Scheffel at 174. Tenth-ranked Jimmy Sheptock followed Asper at 184 and defeated 20th-ranked Lance Bryson, 4-1, to give Maryland some breathing room at 18-10. At 197, 10th-ranked Christian Boley put the match away and defeated A.J. Vizcarrondo, 9-6, with a third-period takedown. In the final match of the afternoon, Brown used a four-second riding time advantage in the second tiebreaker to win a 4-3 decision over Phil Mandzik at 285. Maryland's match against Johns Hopkins was highlighted by four Terrapin pins. After Gentry won a 3-1 decision over Paul Bewak at 125, Alexander pinned Yagloski at the 1:59 mark to put Maryland up 9-0. Danny O'Malley and Danny Orem followed with wins by decision at 141 and 149, respectively. At 165, Josh Snook picked up an 11-3 major decision with two third-period takedowns. After Aaron Norris shutout Jody Gowen, 6-0, at 174, Ty Snook, Sheptock and Brown closed the meet with three consecutive pins. First, Sheptock dropped Kyle Spangler 2:44 into the match. Snook followed suit with a pin at the 4:03 mark, and Brown capped it off with a pin at 2:25. No. 15 Maryland 24, West Virginia 10 125: Shane Gentry (MD) wins by medical forfeit 133: No. 18 Geoffrey Alexander (MD) dec. No. 17 Colin Johnston (WVU), 7-5 (9-0) 141: No. 19 Nathan Pennesi (WVU) maj. dec. Danny O'Malley (MD), 10-1 (9-4) 149: Lou Mascola (MD) dec. Brutus Scheffel (WVU), 9-4 (12-4) 157: Dominic Prezzia (WVU) dec. Brady Massaro (MD), 5-2 (12-7) 165: Ross Renzi (WVU) dec. Josh Snook (MD), 6-3 (12-10) 174: No. 4 Josh Asper (MD) dec. Bubba Scheffel (WVU), 5-3 (15-10) 184: No. 10 Jimmy Sheptock (MD) dec. No. 20 Lance Bryson (WVU), 4-1 (18-10) 197: No. 10 Christian Boley (MD) dec. A.J. Vizcarrondo (WVU), 9-6 (21-10) 285: Dallas Brown (MD) dec. Phil Mandzik, 4-3 TB2 (24-10) No. 15 Maryland 40, Johns Hopkins 6 125: Shane Gentry (MD) dec. Paul Bewak (JHU), 3-1 (3-0) 133: No. 18 Geoffrey Alexander (MD) fall over Ray Yagloski (JHU), F: 1:59 (9-0) 141: Danny O'Malley (MD) dec. Paul Marcello (JHU), 3-1 (12-0) 149: Danny Orem (MD) dec. Henry Stauber (JHU), 3-2 (15-0) 157: Christian Salera (JHU) wins by medical forfeit (15-6) 165: Josh Snook (MD) maj. dec. Christian Ostrowski (JHU), 11-3 (19-6) 174: Aaron Norris (MD) dec. Jody Gowen, 6-0 (22-6) 184: No. 10 Jimmy Sheptock (MD) fall over Kyle Spangler (JHU), F: 2:44 (28-6) 197: Ty Snook (MD) fall over Evan Johnson (JHU), F: 4:03 (34-6) 285: Dallas Brown (MD) fall over Joey Tilson (JHU), F: 2:25 (40-6)

SALEM, Va. -- Pete Yates and Devin Carter both went undefeated in their respective weight classes en route to individual titles at the Hokie Open Sunday at the Salem Civic Center. The event, hosted for the fifth year by the Virginia Tech wrestling program, hosted nearly 350 wrestlers from all across the country in a competitive day of action on the mats. Yates crossed a milestone Sunday with his third-round win over Appalachian State’s Zack Strickland. The victory gave him 100 wins for his career, making him just the sixth Hokie wrestler in program history to reach the 100-win plateau. He now sits with 102 wins total for his career after going 5-0 at 165 pounds on the day with a pair of major decisions, a pair of technical falls and a pin. Carter, wrestling unattached because he is scheduled to redshirt, also went undefeated at 141 pounds. Jarrod Garnett finished second at 125 pounds, falling 10-9 in the finals of his weight class. He should be the next to join the 100-win club as he now has 97 wins after three victories Sunday. Jesse Dong, who did not wrestle Sunday, has 86 wins for his career. Redshirt freshman Austin Gabel also took second place after going 4-1 at 174 pounds. Also placing for Tech were: Erik Spjut (third at 133 pounds), Zach Neibert (fifth at 141 pounds), Nick Brascetta (third at 149 pounds), Huston Evans (sixth at 174 pounds), Nick Vetterlein (fourth at 184 pounds) and Derrick Borlie (fifth at 197 pounds). Wrestling unnatached, the following Tech wrestlers placed: Chad Strube (sixth at 149 pounds) and Chris Penny (fourth at heavyweight). Several of Tech’s wrestlers will compete in the Wolfpack Open next weekend in Raleigh, N.C. The team will open its dual meet schedule the following weekend, hosting No. 5 Ohio State on Friday, Nov. 16 and then Wisconsin and Manchester on Sunday, Nov. 18. Updated season records can be found here. Of note, results against Division II or III competitors, as well as forfeit wins, count toward season and career results, but not toward NCAA qualification while results against unattached competitors do not count toward season or career results, but can count toward NCAA qualification if they are on an NCAA roster. Forfeits losses do not count as losses against a wrestler or in NCAA qualifications. Injury defaults, both wins and losses, count toward season stats and NCAA qualification. Additionally, new this year, an updated record book for Virginia Tech wrestling can be found here. Full brackets can be downloaded from the link up top.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The fifth-ranked Ohio State wrestling team tallied 148 points en route to winning the UB Invitational Sunday at Alumni Arena in Buffalo, N.Y. In the Scarlet and Gray’s 2012-13 season-opening event, five Buckeyes won titles in their respective weight classes. Logan Stieber (133 pounds), Hunter Stieber (141 pounds), Josh Demas (157 pounds), Nick Heflin (174 pounds) and Peter Capone (HWT pounds) collected titles at the event. Ohio State will begin its dual schedule Nov. 15 when it travels to Davidson, N.C., to take on Davidson at 7 p.m. The following day, the Buckeyes will face Virginia Tech at 7 p.m. At the UB Invitational, a pair of weight classes featured all-Buckeye finals. At 133 pounds, L. Stieber and Johnni Dijulius were slated to wrestle in the final, but DiJulius forfeited the match to the 2012 Big Ten and NCAA champion Stieber. In the 141-pound matchup, H. Stieber edged Ian Paddock, 3-2. In the team race, Kent State finished second with 111 points, while host Buffalo rounded out the Top 3 with 108 points. Edinboro was fourth, compiling 101 points, followed by Army (90.5) and American International College (3).

Against competition that included top wrestlers from NCAA Division I, Division II, NAIA and the junior college ranks, Grand Canyon came home with two champions at the Cowboy Open, hosted by the University of Wyoming Saturday. Tyrell FortuneGCU heavyweight Tyrell Fortune won his weight class in the Elite Division, while 157-class redshirt-freshman Kory DeBerry took the crown in the Amateur Division. Upperclassmen and advanced wrestlers participated in the Elite Division, while most newcomers participated in the Amateur category. "I was very impressed with both of them," said GCU coach R.C. LaHaye. “Tyrell was at another level than anyone else in the tournament. "Kory had a workmanlike performance. He had some tough matches and really had to fight. It’s good to see that from a freshman." DeBerry beat Colton Thornton, of Northwest Wyoming Community College, 4-2 in the final. DeBerry won five matches on the day, four by decision and one by major decision. Fortune beat Boise State’s J.T. Felix 10-5 in the title match. He had four wins, two were by pin. Two other wrestlers earned Top 4 finishes, both at 184. In the Elite Division, senior Brett Sanchez defeated Shane Woods, wrestling unattached, to take third place, while redshirt freshman Marcus Haughian was fourth in the Amateur Division. In the Elite Division 174-class, Martin Fabbian advanced to the semifinals but for precautionary reasons, went out with an injury default before his semifinal match. “It was a great experience for our first tournament,” said LaHaye. “We wrestled a lot of Division I wrestlers and with the (8,000-feet) elevation, it was a great test for early in the season.” GCU will wrestle in the Roadrunner Open next weekend in Fresno, Calif.

Related Content: Results CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- A pair of wrestlers defended their championships earned at last year's USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals in this year's edition, while a third wrestler reclaimed a Preseason Nationals title that they previously had earned. This year's event at the UNI-Dome saw approximately 1,050 wrestlers take to the mats for a long day of high-level wrestling on Saturday. Colton AdamsColton Adams (Scottsbluff, Neb.) won a third consecutive championship in this event, coming home with the title at 126 pounds. Ranked 43rd overall in the Class of 2014, Adams had three major decisions and two clear decisions through the quarterfinal round. In the last two matches, this Junior National folkstyle champion would upend a pair of Cadet National folkstyle champions to take home the championships. First, it was a 2-1 semifinal victory over Ryan Schuman (Tri-Valley, S.D.) before a 5-1 victory over Fredy Stroker (Bettendorf, Iowa). Bo Nickal (Allen, Tex.) also earned back-to-back titles at the Preseason Nationals, this time in the 160-pound weight class. This augments his USA Wrestling event championship resume, which includes a Cadet Triple Crown earlier this year and an additional Cadet National folkstyle title in 2011. Nickal, ranked No. 13 overall in the junior class, had four pins to open this tournament, before a 9-0 major decision in the semifinals over Kimball Bastian (Maple Mountain, Utah) in a rematch of the Cadet freestyle final from this summer. In the final, he upended fellow junior Ryan Blees (Bismarck, N.D.) -- who is ranked No. 38 in overall in that class – by a 3-2 score. Joining those two as multi-time champions in this event was Brandon Sorensen (Denver Tripoli, Iowa), as the nation's No. 37 overall senior took home the 145-pound weight class championship. Prior to the final, Sorensen had two pins and a 9-0 major decision preceded by a pair of convincing decision victories. However, the final was a much tighter match, as he outlasted Garrett Sutton (Richmond Burton, Ind.) by a 3-2 decision. Taner Trembley followed up his InterMat JJ Classic title last weekend with a Preseason Nationals title this weekend (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)The tournament's highest profile final was in the 170 pound weight class, where a pair of top 50 overall seniors took to the mat. No. 32 Zach Beard (Tuttle, Okla.) upended No. 48 Tyler Askey (Northgate, Ga.) 3-2 in the tiebreaker. Joining Sorensen and Beard as Top 100 seniors to win Preseason National titles were No. 91 Barlow McGhee (Rock Island, Ill.) at 120 pounds and No. 78 Jordan Ellingwood (Plainfield Central, Ill.) at 195. Other seniors to earn weight class titles included George Fisher (Marmion Academy, Ill.) at 132 pounds, Tanner Trembley (Lake Crystal, Minn.) at 138, and Aaron Rothwell (Sheboygan North, Wis.) at 182. Joining Adams and Nickal as underclass weight class champions were juniors Nathan Rose (Sibley East, Minn.) at 220 pounds and Tanner Farmer (Highland, Ill.) at 285; a pair of nationally ranked sophomores in No. 34 Dayton Racer (Apple Valley, Minn.) at 152 and No. 38 Davion Jeffries (Collinsville, Okla.) at 113; along with freshman Rudy Yates (Brother Rice, Ill.) at 106. Trembley, Racer, and Rose all won InterMat JJ Classic titles last weekend in Rochester, Minn. Finals Results: 106: Rudy Yates (Brother Rice, Ill.) dec. Jack Mueller (Trinity Christian Academy, Texas), 2-0 113: Davion Jeffries (Collinsville, Okla.) pinned Skyler Petry (WEM, Minn.). 3:22 120: Barlow McGhee (Rock Island, Ill.) dec. Stephen Polakowski (Libertyville, Ill.), 6-3 126: Colton Adams (Scottsbluff, Neb.) dec. Fredy Stroker (Bettendorf, Iowa), 5-1 132: George Fisher (Marmion Academy, Ill.) dec. Logan Ryan (Bettendorf, Iowa), 2-1 TB 138: Tanner Trembley (Lake Crystal, Minn.) dec. Alex Mossing (Toledo Central Catholic, Ohio), 3-2 145: Brandon Sorensen (Denver Tripoli, Iowa) dec. Garrett Sutton (Richmond Burton, Ill.), 3-2 152: Dayton Racer (Apple Valley, Minn.) dec. Chad Pyke (Woodward Academy, Ga.), 3-0 160: Bo Nickal (Allen, Tex.) dec. Ryan Blees (Bismarck, N.D.), 3-2 170: Zach Beard (Tuttle, Okla.) dec. Tyler Askey (Northgate, Ga.), 3-2 TB 182: Aaron Rothwell (Sheboygan North, Wis.) dec. Miles Hammerlund (Delano, Minn.), 5-1 195: Jordan Ellingwood (Plainfield Central, Ill.) pinned Marcus Harrington (Waterloo West, Iowa), 1:52 220: Nathan Rose (Sibley East, Minn.) dec. Nick Baranello (River Dell, N.J.), 4-0 285: Tanner Farmer (Highland, Ill.) dec. Adarios Jones (Moline, Ill.), 4-0

Related Content: Photos (WrestlersAreWarriors.com) WASHINGTON D.C. -- On Saturday night, in the NWCA All-Star Classic's main event at 165 pounds, and before a packed Washington D.C. crowd alive with anticipation, Cornell's Kyle Dake managed to do something that no one else has been able to do in a college wrestling match. When Dake won by virtue of a ride out in double overtime, he became the first college wrestler to defeat David Taylor in a match that went the full distance. Cornell's Kyle Dake lifts Penn State's David Taylor and returns him to the mat at the NWCA All-Star Classic (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)For the last two wrestling seasons Taylor has unleashed an impressive array of offensive weapons against his opponents, and Dake was able to nullify all of them. Dake was never threatened by Taylor's lavish top skills, and he was able to fight off each of Taylor's most threatening takedown attempts. In fact, it almost appeared, at times, that Kyle Dake had the reigning Hodge Trophy winner looking tentative and unsure of himself. This is not to suggest this was anything but a closely decided affair. Dake, himself, did not generate any offense, and the match was decided in a tiebreaker. Taylor will likely have opportunities to reverse this result in future matches with Dake, and it would not be surprising if he succeeded. But no matter the razor thin margin of victory on Saturday night, Kyle Dake took to the mat and made a definitive statement, that at least for the time being, he is college wrestling's pound-for-pound king, and that for all time, he is one of the sport's very best to ever pull up singlet straps. Saturday night was filled with other notable wrestling performances. At 197 pounds, Penn State's Quentin Wright proved that even when sloppy and somewhat underpowered, he is possibly college wrestling's most exciting competitor. For a moment it appeared as if Wright might rally for a last-second victory against a very impressive Matt Wilps of Pitt. Unfortunately for Wright, during his go-ahead take down attempt Wright was knocked back over his own trip, leaving him flat on his back and earning Wilps a win by fall. It is uncertain whether Wright's performance was due to an inability to adjust to a new and heavier weight class, or if it is just part of Wright's usual early season lack of form. Boise State's Jason Chamberlain earned a 6-3 victory at 149 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)At 149, Boise State's Jason Chamberlain, ranked second, looked every bit the serious national championship contender as he repeatedly doubled off his distinctive head-inside single on Oklahoma's ninth-ranked Nick Lester. Meanwhile at 141 pounds, Oklahoma's other all-star representative, Kendric Maple, showed why he is the top man at his weight class with a win over Illinois's B.J. Futrell. Maple demonstrated elite skills, and at times appeared physically dominant; his only shortcoming appeared to be a couple momentary lapses in focus which prevented him from really pulling away from his opponent. There was a local winner in the lineup tonight at 174 pounds as Maryland's Josh Asper defeated Jordan Blanton of Illinois. Asper looks to have grown into a nice sized 174 pounder, and has to be considered a serious national title contender at this weight. Dylan Alton topped Jason Welch for the second consecutive time (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)The 157-pound bout featured Penn State's Dylan Alton replicating last year's NCAA consolation final victory over Northwestern's Jason Welch. This match was absent of any successful offense until Alton earned the winning takedown with a knee pull single finished with a near-side cradle. At this point, Dylan Alton is another wrestler who must be considered to have a very good chance of standing at the very top of the national podium in March. The match at 125 pounds saw Illinois sophomore Jesse Delgado prove why he is an extremely dangerous wrestler as he utilized smart tactics to nearly defeat last year's NCAA runner up, Penn State's Nico Megaludis. In the end it took a wild scramble, and Megaludis positioned fully in the splits, for Nico to exert enough control over Delgado to be awarded the winning takedown, despite the fact that Delgado still had Megaludis' foot secured against his chest. Dom Bradley edged Mike McMullan at heavyweight (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)At 285 pounds, Missouri's Dom Bradley beat a bulked-up Mike McMullan of Northwestern in an entertaining and tightly contested match. The match at 184 pounds saw Lehigh's Robert Hamlin complete a workman-like victory over Minnesota's Kevin Steinhaus. Finally, the match at 133 pounds ended in an upset victory as Edinboro's A.J. Schopp, ranked sixth, defeated fourth-ranked Chris Dardanes of Minnesota. Dardanes looked as if he had won the match with a double leg in the closing seconds, but Schopp was able to whizzer out from off his backside, negating the potentially winning points. Saturday night's NWCA All-Star Classic set the college wrestling season off with style. Fans now have an entire season of great wrestling to look forward to. Even more than that, fans can keep their fingers crossed that this season will see a few more repeats of tonight's main event. Let us hope that Dake and Taylor meet again, hopefully with an NCAA title at stake, the sport of college wrestling would be better off for it. Results: 125: No. 2 Nico Megaludis (Penn State) dec. No. 3 Jesse Delgado (Illinois), 4-3 133: No. 6 A.J. Schopp (Edinboro) dec. No. 4 Chris Dardanes (Minnesota), 2-1 141: No. 1 Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) dec. No. 5 B.J. Futrell (Illinois), 6-2 149: No. 2 Jason Chamberlain (Boise State) dec. No. 9 Nick Lester (Oklahoma), 6-3 157: No. 2 Andrew Alton (Penn State) dec. No. 3 Jason Welch (Northwestern), 3-2 165: No. 1 Kyle Dake (Cornell) dec. No. 2 David Taylor (Penn State), 2-1 TB 174: No. 4 Josh Asper (Maryland) dec. No. 2 Jordan Blanton (Illinois), 3-1 SV 184: No. 3 Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) dec. No. 4 Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota), 5-3 197: No. 3 Matt Wilps (Pittsburgh) pinned No. 2 Quentin Wright (Penn State), 6:50 285: No. 2 Dom Bradley (Missouri) dec. No. 5 Mike McMullan (Northwestern), 3-2 Preliminary Match Results: Youth: Sam Kalishman pinned Gene Quodala, 5:22 133: Travis Barroquillo (Indiana Tech) dec. Sam Shames (MIT), 8-2 149: Kevin Tao (American) maj. dec. Kodie Silvestri (Wartburg), 12-4 285: Matt Meuleners (Northern State) tech. fall Jake Kettler (George Mason), 16-1

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The No. 16 Virginia wrestling team opened the 2012-13 campaign with three victories in its season-opening quad meet, defeating Anderson (37-12), Ohio (34-6), and Chattanooga (27-9). “This was a huge win out of the gate, starting the season with victories over three quality teams, especially Chattanooga,” said head coach Steve Garland. “There were a lot of good matchups out there and I was pleased with how we did here in our first week. Our schedule is definitely built with challenges for us. The team that we are now is going to be much different than the team we will be in January and February. The important thing for us this year is to not get too far ahead of ourselves or too high on the highs and too low on the lows. We really want to stay in the middle.” In the most anticipated match of the day, Matt Snyder (R-Sr., Lewistown, Pa.), ranked No. 9 in the preseason InterMat rankings, defeated Chattanooga’s 14th-ranked Nick Soto, 6-1, at 125 pounds. Snyder also won by forfeit at 125 pounds in the Ohio meet. In the opening bout, Virginia defeated Anderson, 37-12, with the Cavaliers winning eight of the ten bouts with Nick Hermann, Jimmy Nehls and Zach Nye and each winning by pinning their opponents. Dusty Floyd earned a major decision. In the middle bout, Virginia defeated Ohio, 34-6 with Jon Fausey pinning his opponent. Jedd Moore, Nick Sulzer, Stephen Doty, and Mike Salopek won by major decisions. The Cavaliers closed out the day with a 27-9 victory over Chattanooga. Fausey and Doty earned their second major decisions of the day. Moore and Sulzer earned technical falls at 157 and 165 pounds. “We had a lot of guys who stars really shined bright today,” Garland said. “The win for Matt Snyder was great. Sulzer, Fausey and Doty all did a great job today. Jedd Moore was probably the best of the bunch. He was totally dominant today. Overall, out core group of guys did great.” The Cavaliers hit the road for the first time next Saturday (Nov. 10) at the Gardner-Webb Duals. UVa will take on George Mason at 9 a.m. and the host Bulldogs at 11 a.m. Virginia 37, Anderson 12 125- Nick Hermann(UVa) pinned Keenan Simmons(Anderson) 133- Joe Spisak(UVa) dec Zach Hale(Anderson) 9-7 141- Jimmy Nehls(UVa) pinned Brandon Benitez(Anderson) 149- Dan Telhada(Anderson) pinned Chris Yankovich(UVA) 157- Blaise Butler(UVa) dec. Nick Giuliette(Anderson), 5-3 165- MJ Roberson(UVa) dec.Dennis Rhodes(Anderson), 7-3 174- Dusty Floyd(UVa) major dec. Jake Allen(Anderson), 11-2 184- Zach Nye(UVa) pinned Donnee Grase(Anderson) 197- Spencer Foucher(Anderson) pinned Cameron King(UVa) 285-Derek Papagianopoulos(UVa) pinned Zach Newton(Anderson) Chattanooga 21, Ohio 12 125- Nick Soto(Chattanooga) won by forfeit 133- Marvin Lopez(Chattanooga) dec. Thomas McLaughlin(OU), 6-1 141- Dean Pavlon(Chattanooga) dec. Kagan Squire(OU), 6-1 149- Andrew Romanchik(OU) dec. Alex Hudson(Chattanooga), 8-3 157- Trey Starvum(Chattanooga) dec. Zach Rohr(OU), 3-1 165-Harrison Hightower(OU) dec. John Lampe(Chattanooga), 5-4 174- Cody Walters(OU) dec. Jake Young(Chattanooga), 3-1 184- Robert Prigmore(Chattanooga) dec. Ryan Garringer(OU), 3-0 197- Niko Brown(Chattanooga) dec. Phil Wellington(OU), 2-1 285- Jeremy Johnson(OU) dec. Kevin Malone(Chattanooga), 3-1 Virginia 34 Ohio 6 125- Matt Snyder(UVa) wins by forfeit 133- Nick Hermann(UVa) dec. Joe Munos(OU), 4-3 141- Kagan Squire(OU) dec. Justin Van Hoose(UVa), 5-2 149- Derek Valenti(UVa) dec. Andrew Romanchik(OU), 1-0 157- Jedd Moore(UVa) major dec. Zach Rohr(OU), 17-7 165- Nick Sulzer(UVa) major dec. Harrison Hightower(OU), 13-3 174- Jon Fausey(UVa) pinned Michael Duckworth(OU) 184- Stephen Doty(UVa) major dec. Ryan Garringer(OU), 13-3 197- Mike Salopek(UVa) major dec. Phil Wellington(OU), 11-3 285- Jeremy Johnson(OU) dec. Derek Papagianopoulos(UVa), 7-5 Chattanooga 37, Anderson 6 125- Nick Soto(Chattanooga) pinned Keenan Simmons(Anderson), 1st period 133- Zak Hale(Anderson) dec. Alex Ward(Chattanooga), 4-3 141- Austin Sams(Chattanooga) major dec. Brandon Benitez(Anderson), 16-5 149- Dan Telhada(Anderson) dec. Jared Presley(Chattanooga), 7-1 157- Trey Stavrum(Chatanooga) major dec. Kevin Johnson(Anderson), 18-5 165- Sean Mappes(Chattanooga) dec. Nick Giuliette(Anderson), 7-0 174- Jake Young(Chattanooga) major dec. Jacob Allen(Anderson), 11-0 184- John Shrader(Chattanooga) major dec. Zack Farmer(Anderson), 12-4 197- Niko Brown(Chattanooga) pinned Spencer Foucher(Anderson), 3:53 285- Caleb Denny(Chattanooga) pinned Zach Newton(Anderson), 2:08 Virginia 27, Chattanooga 9 125- Matt Snyder(UVa) dec. Nick Soto(Chattanooga), 6-1 133- Joe Spisak(UVa) dec. Marvin Lopez(Chattanooga) 6-2 141- Dean Pavlou(Chattanooga) dec. David Wesley(UVa), 6-2 149- Derek Valenti(UVa) dec Alex Hudson(Chattanooga), 7-3 157- Jedd Moore(UVa) tech fall Trey Stavrum(Chattanooga), 23-8 165- Nick Sulzer(UVa) tech fall John Lampe(Chattanooga), 25-10 174- Jon Fausey(UVa) major dec. Jake Young(Chattanooga), 12-4 184- Stephen Doty(UVa) major dec. Robert Prigmore(Chattanooga), 9-1 197- Niko Brown(Chattanooga) dec. Mike Salopek(UVa), 4-2 OT 285- Kevin Malone(Chattanooga) dec. Derek Papagianopoulos(UVa), 3-1 Ohio 37, Anderson 13 125- Keenan Simmons(Anderson) wins by forfeit 133- Zach Hale(Anderson) dec. Thomas McLaughlin(OU), 9-6 141- Kagan Squire(OU) pinned Brandon Benetiz(Anderson), 1:07 149- Dan Telhada(Anderson) major dec. Gavin Moore(OU), 9-0 157- Spartak Chino(OU) dec. Nick Giuliette(Anderson), 11-5 165- Harrison Hightower(OU) pinned Dennis Rhodes(Anderson), :50 174- Cody Walters(OU) pinned Dennis Rhodes(Anderson), 4:23 184- Michael Duckworth(OU) pinned Donnee Grase(Anderson), 3rd period 197- Phil Wellington(OU) major dec. Spencer Foucher(Anderson), 15-7 285- Jeremy Johnson(OU) pinned Zach Newton(Anderson), 1st period

Lincoln, Neb. -- The Nebraska wrestling team kicked off its 2012-13 campaign with the annual wrestle-offs on Friday night at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Returning Huskers Robert Kokesh (174), Skylar Galloway (141) and Austin Wilson (165) as well as newcomers Tim Lambert (125) and Eric Coufal (133) posted 2-0 records on Friday night. Cody Compton (165), Donny Longendyke (HWT), Caleb Kolb (197), James Green (157), Josh Ihnen (184) and Jake Sueflohn (149) all won their lone match at the Devaney Center. Kokesh, a sophomore, won both his matches in dominating fashion on Friday night. He opened with a pin in 2:06 over freshman McCoy Newberg before a 12-1 major decision over senior Tyler Koehn. Kokesh wrestled at 165 pounds last season, but moved up a weight class to 174 pounds for the 2012-13 campaign. At 141 pounds, Galloway started with a 4-3 decision over Luis DeAnda, then won a 3-2 decision over Ridge Kiley. Galloway started for the Huskers at 149 pounds in 2011-12, but moved down a weight class for this season. Six Huskers wrestled at 165 pounds on Friday night, but Austin Wilson (2-0) and Cody Compton (1-0) were the only ones without a loss. Wilson, a redshirt freshman, started his night with a 3-2 decision over Ross Grande before narrowly taking a 2-1 decision over Brandon Wilbourn. Compton's lone victory was a 2-0 decision over Michael Klinginsmith. Klinginsmith and Grande finished the night at 1-1, while Wilbourn went 0-1 and Shaun'qae McMurtry posted an 0-2 record at 165 pounds. Lambert, a freshman at 125 pounds, won a 6-3 decision over junior Shawn Nagel to open his night. Lambert followed that up with a 4-0 decision over fellow freshman Skylar Wood. Coufal also went 2-0 at the Wrestle-Offs, recording a 4-3 decision over Nagel as well as a 5-3 sudden victory pin over Adam Joseph at 133 pounds. The Huskers open their 2012-13 season on Sunday at the Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open in Brookings, S.D., at 9 a.m. Following a pair of road matches the following weekend at Northern Colorado (Nov. 10) and Wyoming (Nov. 11), Nebraska returns to Lincoln for its Big Ten home opener against Minnesota on Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. A complete list of results for the NU Wrestle-Offs is shown below. Complete Results: 125 - Tim Lambert by dec. over Shawn Nagel, 6-3 133 - Skylar Wood by dec. over Adam Joseph, 3-0 141 - Ridge Kiley by major dec. over Drew Etherton, 11-3 141 - Skylar Galloway by dec. over Luis DeAnda, 4-3 165 - Cody Compton by dec. over Michael Klinginsmith, 2-0 165 - Ross Grande by dec. over Shaun'qae McMurtry, 6-3 174 - Micah Barnes by dec. over Aaron Studebaker, 5-4 174 - Robert Kokesh by pin over McCoy Newberg, 2:06 149 - Nick Babcock by dec. over Jed Fenske, 7-3 184 - TJ Dudley by dec. over Joe Zimmer, 7-1 125 - Eric Coufal by dec. over Shawn Nagel, 4-3 HWT - Donny Longendyke by dec. over Collin Jensen, 11-4 141 - Drew Etherton by inj. def. over Luis DeAnda 133 - Tim Lambert by dec. over Skylar Wood, 4-0 197 - Caleb Kolb by major dec. over Nyle Bartling, 12-1 141 - Skylar Galloway by dec. over Ridge Kiley, 3-2 165 - Austin Wilson by dec. over Ross Grande, 3-2 157 - Zeke Nistrian by dec. over Ian Ousley, 3-2 174 - Tyler Koehn by dec. over Micah Barnes, 3-2 157 - James Green by dec. over John Svoboda, 8-1 174 - Aaron Studebaker by dec. over McCoy Newberg, 5-0 165 - Michael Klinginsmith by dec. over Shaun'qae McMurtry, 9-6 184 - Josh Ihnen by inj. def. over TJ Dudley 149 - Jake Sueflohn by dec. over Nick Babcock, 11-4 149 - Jed Fenske by major dec. over Gage Anderson, 17-3 133 - Eric Coufal by sudden victory pin over Adam Joseph, 5-3 165 - Austin Wilson by dec. over Brandon Wilbourn, 2-1 174 - Robert Kokesh by major dec. over Tyler Koehn, 12-1 157 - John Svoboda by major dec. over Zeke Nistrian, 12-0

NORMAN, Okla. -- The eleventh-ranked Oklahoma wrestling squad opened the 2012-13 campaign with a 38-3 victory over NAIA's 14th-ranked Oklahoma City University on Friday, Nov. 2, in front of 445 spectators at McCasland Field House. "This was a great way for us to start this season," remarked Sooner head coach Mark Cody. Four true freshmen made their collegiate debut in the Crimson and Cream as Kyle Garcia (125), Matt Reed (174), Greg Wilson (184) and Brad Johnson (197) each took to the mat. "I thought it was great - how our freshmen came out and performed." explained Cody on his group of newcomers. "No matter where you're at or who you start with, you're freshmen a lot of times are going to come out and be very hesitant. Tonight, they just let it fly. I didn't see one coward or scared guy among the bunch, they just went out there and got after it." Reed highlighted the young Sooner class after he pinned Stars' senior Tyson Campbell, ranked 15th in the NAIA, in 0:50 in the 174 pound matchup to earn OU's first pin on the year. Wilson and Johnson followed in the 184 and 197 pound matchups, respectively, immediately after Reed's show on the mat. Wilson went up seven null in the first period courtesy of a takedown and trio of consecutive nearfalls. His opponent, OCU sophomore Cody Silverstein, escaped in the opening seconds of the second period to go on the board, but Wilson answered with back-to-back takedowns to take an 11-1 lead. Silverstein totaled one more escape, however Wilson walked away with a 14-1 major decision after he totaled an escape and takedown in the final period. Johnson put on a show in his Sooner debut with a third-period comeback against Stars sophomore Michael Brown in the 197 pound bout. Brown entered the final period with a 3-0 lead after totaling one escape and adding a takedown in the closing seconds of the middle period. At the 1:39 point of the third period Johnson escaped, and just seconds later added a takedown to tie it up 3-3. It was a battle until the final minute, but one last takedown and 1:05 riding time gave Johnson the 6-4 decision. Fellow freshman, Garcia, put together a scrappy match towards the end of the night to keep each of the true freshmen undefeated in their collegiate debut. The Edmond, Okla., native finished the first period with just a 6-5 advantage, but was the lone scorer in the second with an escape to go up 7-5. OCU Senior Kidd Gomez added an escape and takedown halfway through the third to take an 8-7 lead, but Garcia followed with a quick escape and takedown in the final 10 seconds to take home his first victory with a 10-8 decision. Dalton Dennis was the first Sooner on the mat Friday night in the 141 matchup to earn OU its first of nine total victories against OCU. It wasn't until the second period that his opponent, Trevor Sterling, was on the board after he registered an escape to cut Dennis' lead, 7-1. Dennis added two takedowns, one escape and 1:51 riding time to take his first win of 2012 by major decision, 14-2. Redshirt sophomore Chase Gordon scored eight points in the third period with four takedowns to earn a 22-6 tech fall victory over Hunter Muskrat in the 149-pound bout. Teammate, Justin DeAngelis, held the momentum throughout the 157-pound matchup against OCU's Mark Meyer. The redshirt sophomore totaled seven takedowns, one escape and 2:32 riding time to Meyer's five escapes to win by major decision, 16-5. Bubby Graham, ranked No. 9 out of all 165 pounders, took home a victory over Stars' Zach Skates with a 10-4 decision. Neither wrestled put points on the board in the first period, but Graham won by decision, 10-4, after he steadily totaled four takedowns, one escape and added 1:27 riding time to secure the victory. OCU's Stanley Lattimore put the Stars on the scoreboard near the final minutes of the match with a 4-2 decision over Keldrick Hall. Kyle Garcia, a 133 pounder, closed out the night in fashion with a pin of Tyler Espitia in 3:39. Oklahoma will be back in action next weekend when it travels to Brockport, N.Y., for the annual Brockport Classic. The Sooners will be on the hunt for their 15th-straight title at the event, when they take to the mat on Sat., Nov. 10. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Oklahoma wrestling on Twitter at @OUWrestling (https://twitter.com/OUWrestling). Results: 125: Kyle Garcia (OU) decision Kidd Gomez (OCU), 10-8 133: Cody Brewer (OU) pin Tyler Espitia (OCU) 3:39 141: Dalton Dennis (OU) major decision Trevor Sterling (OCU), 14-2 149: Chase Gordon (OU) technical fall, 5:43, Hunter Muskrat (OCU), 22-6 157: Justin DeAngelis (OU) major decision Mark Meyer (OCU), 16-5 165: Bubby Graham (OU) decision Zach Skates (OCU), 10-4 174: Matt Reed (OU) pin Campbell (OCU), 0:50 184: Greg Wilson (OU) major decision Cody Silverstein (OCU), 15-2 197: Brad Johnson (OU) decision Michael Brown (OCU), 6-4 HWT: Stanley Lattimore (OCU) decision Keldrick Hall (OU), 3-2

American head wrestling coach Teague Moore talks about the work behind the NWCA All-Star Classic. Brian Muir discusses Superstorm Sandy's effect on the Jersey Shore and handicaps the All-Star Classic. Do you want to listen to a past episode? View archives.

EDINBORO, Pa. -- Edinboro University Director of Athletics Bruce Baumgartner today announced the appointment of Colt Sponseller as assistant wrestling coach. Sponseller replaces Joey Fendone, who left earlier this summer. Colt SponsellerSponseller is a former All-American and three-time NCAA qualifier (2009, 2010, 2011) while competing for the Ohio State University. He earned All-American honors thanks to a fourth place finish at 165 lbs. the 2011 NCAA Championships. He would finish that season with a 25-7 record, and was the Big Ten runner-up in both 2010 and 2011. In 2010 Sponseller had a 30-7 record and also finish second at the Big Ten Championships. He would end his career with a 105-24 record for the Buckeyes. In addition to his prowess on the mat, Sponseller was also an excellent student. He was a 2008 NWCA Freshman All-Academic selection, a 2010 and '11 NWCA All-Academic Team member, a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, and a three-time Ohio State Scholar Athlete. In 2012 he was a Big Ten Conference Medal of Honor finalist. "First and foremost I'm very happy to have someone of his pedigree join our program," related head coach Tim Flynn. "He's a great example of what we're looking for in our student-athletes. He's a hard worker, a good student, and an All-American. He's everything we want in our wrestler. We couldn't have had a better hire. Sponseller graduated from Ohio State with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration, specializing in marketing. In addition to his accomplishments as a Buckeye, he was a University Freestyle National Champion in 2010 and 2011, and a University Freestyle World Team member in 2011. He won a bronze medal at the 2012 University World Championships.

Fight Now TV Presents Takedown Wrestling from the mobile Brute studios in Des Moines, Iowa at 1460 KXNO. Takedown Wrestling is always brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods! This Saturday it's Takedown Wrestling Radio from 9 to 11 a.m. CT/ 10 AM to noon ET. Scott Casber will be announcing the USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals in Cedar Falls so filling in for Casber this week is Steve Foster and Jeff Murphy. It's the NWCA All-Star Classic weekend in Washington D.C. presented by The United States Marine Corps This week's guests: 9:03 Greg Zafros, Longtime voice of Takedown's Midlands broadcasts 9:15 Jim Heffernan, Illinois head wrestling coach 9:35 Alan Meltzer, American University alumnus 9:50 Ty Barkley, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition Update 10:03 Carl Adams, Boston head wrestling coach 10:15 John Hangey, Rider associate head wrestling coach 10:35 Jeff Murphy, Kemin Report 10:50 Amy Ruble, Wildrose Casino and Resort Clinton Fans, athletes, coaches: This is your sport. Join in the conversation live. Ask questions. Call 866-333-5966 or 515-204-5966. Takedown Wrestling is available on radio on AM 1460 KXNO in Iowa, online at Livesportsvideo.com, or on your Blackberry or iPhone with the iHeart Radio app. (Click on KXNO under Sportsradio.)

InterMat senior writer T.R. Foley answers reader questions about NCAA wrestling, international wrestling, recruiting, or anything loosely related to wrestling. You have until Thursday night every week to send questions to Foley's Twitter or email account. Do you want to read a past mailbag? View archives. The wrestling event of the year is on its way, but for many it'll be a difficult to watch. As of Thursday morning an estimated 44 million people in America were still without power after Superstorm Sandy knocked down power lines and flooded cities from Virginia to Maine. The storm was historic and many communities will require years of construction before they can return to normal operations. One of the hardest hit areas was the Jersey Shore, home to Back Points podcast friend Brian Muir as well as hundreds of other great high school and college wrestlers. The area which had become so synonymous with blowouts, fake tans and promiscuous sex, was ironically a very family-friendly area. Several cities have the sort of tight-knit communities you'd expect to find in 1950's Des Moines. In my dozens of trips "down the Shore" I have only fond memories. As for my former home city of Hoboken, which is left flooded and looted, I can only shake my head and offer support. It's a beautiful city that's taken decades to clean up, and to see it fall victim to such extraordinary circumstances is truly awful. If you feel like donating a few bucks, you can text REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10 to American Red Cross Disaster Relief. To your questions ... Q: What were you for Halloween? -- Amir P. Foley: On the Saturday before Halloween -- when all the older kiddies go into the streets to beg for hops, barley and sexual attention -- I was expertly dressed as "Guy on Hold with United Airlines." I'd gone to New York to compete in the Abu Dhabi Pro Jiu Jitsu tournament, and was in Hoboken with friends when United sent me this two-line email: "United flight UA693 from New York, NY (LGA - LaGuardia) to Chicago, IL (ORD - O'Hare) on October 28 is canceled. To see available options, go to united.com/flightupdates, access an airport kiosk or see a United representative at the airport." Bastards! After two hours on hold and pointlessly trying to use United's broken online system, nothing about my canceled travel plans had been improved. My options were horse and buggy, walking or lucking out and finding a rental car for less than $700. My flight had been scheduled to depart from LaGuardia at 6:55 p.m. Sunday, but I found a car at the Newark Airport in New Jersey and decided on my way to the rental car area to give United's service desk a quick try. When the doors to the terminal opened it was complete mayhem. There were bodies everywhere, fighting, crying and desperation. The United line was more than 1000 people long and being serviced by roughly a dozen agents. Defeated, I went to baggage claim to take the rental car shuttle, but stopped when I noticed eight agents dedicated to first-class international transfers stationed near baggage claim. They weren't doing anything. Ten agents and not a single customer. One agent was playing Words with Friends on her phone while another was giving her hints on possible words. I explained my situation to the nearest desk agent thinking I was just wasting my breath and risking a missed car rental reservation. But she took sympathy on me and booked my girlfriend and me on a direct flight back to Chicago for two hours later. She then gave us discounted baggage. It wasn't candy, but it was certainly sweet. On real Halloween I was "Guy Hanging Large Mirror Above Fireplace." I'm not going out on a Wednesday. Best adult costume? Q: Your thoughts on Ian Paddock winning Ohio State's wrestle-off at 141 pounds and being named one of the team captains in Columbus? It seems the "easy" choice would be to redshirt Hunter Stieber, but it seems the Ohio State staff hasn't quite decided that yet. Again, your thoughts? -- Jason R. Ohio State's Ian Paddock battles Penn State's Andrew Long at the 2011 Big Ten Championships in Evanston, Ill. (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Foley: You make those decisions with care. What if Paddock gets hurt and Stieber gets bloated in redshirt and can't drop down to compete? Doubtful, but Ohio State has a trophy-worthy team and with competition for the top places at NCAAs tightening up very year with increased parity, you can't afford to have perfectly good points sitting the bench. As for Paddock? Good for him winning the starting spot away from a returning All-American. Though I don't put too much into wrestle-offs between teammates, Paddock also earned Tom Ryan's approval to be a team captain, which is a role that I know Ryan takes very seriously. Whoever is in there, I don't think there is much of a competitive difference. If Stieber does redshirt, it'll mean big things for the Buckeyes in a few years. Multimedia Halftime! Dance, Dance Revolution. I now do this while I cook. The results aren't nearly as impressive. (H/T Cliff) Election Truths by Tom Brands Q: Do you think Kyle Dake will win his fourth NCAA title this year and if he does will he go down as the greatest collegiate wrestle? Or will Cael Sanderson still hold that title? -- Gregg Y. Foley: I do think he'll win a fourth title this season, but it'll be difficult for him to overtake Cael as a unanimous selection as greatest of all time. I do think that you can make a compelling argument based on the competitiveness of his weight classes, that he never would have redshirted, did it from the Ivy League, and of course competed at four different weight classes in four years. However, what was remarkable about Cael as a wrestler was that he never lost. Not once did he slip up, fall down or break. I don't know if he ever got sick or injured, but if so those impediments did happen, they certainly never got in his way. I think that Dake and his supporters will find an appropriate title should he win a fourth championship. He's already had a record-setting wrestling career and I'm sure that those records he's broken will remain in his honor for years and years to come. In fact if he wins four at four weights he'll not only be the first to do it, but it'll be an unbreakable feat. Q: The reports I have followed had Mark Grey, Alex Cisneros, Brian Realbuto, Gabe Dean, and Steve Congenie all going to Cornell this season. What happened? They're not on the roster. -- Jim F. Foley: I haven't had the time to ask, but I'd imagine they are taking a semester or two at Ithaca College and looking to transfer over to school next year. They might also be sitting out the first or second semester in order to qualify for a fifth year at Cornell. Of course there is no redshirting in the Ivy League so the wrestlers there have to find creative ways to sit out a season when necessary. It's not uncommon and I don't think it's wrong. College wrestling is an enormous adjustment. The Ivy League is a difficult place to take classes. Some kids need more time, and I think that Cornell and other schools in the Ivies are right to find ways for some students to take an extra semester to finish their work and get a full four years on the mat. Q: Dake or Taylor? -- Andrew H. Foley: Dake. I think it'll be by two or more points. I just can't build a hypothetical match in which Taylor can get a lead and hold that lead for an entire match. A touching anecdote about Jeff Blatnick:I wrestled and coached at Springfield College (Jeff's alma mater) from 1994-1999. Jeff was in short one of my heroes. Every time I entered the wrestling room I walked by his national champion plaque and I must of touched it 1000 times. He came to train with me (as I was a heavyweight as well) on several occasions -- something which motivated and inspired me to work hard and achieve my goals. Jeff was always humble and we treated him like a celebrity which he was never comfortable with. But my story about him that truly speaks to the type of man he was is not a wrestling story at all. One of my classmates at Springfield (who was friends with several wrestlers on the team) contracted the same type of cancer (Hodgkins). Because she was a friend of the team, word about her condition got to Coach Arroyo, who mentioned it to Jeff. Jeff wrote her an amazing and inspirational letter that she shared with me. He took time to share his story and provide hope for this student going through the toughest match of her life. Jeff was a good man I will miss seeing him at wrestling reunions. -- Joseph Gaboury And for those who want to see just how involved he was in the early days of the UFC and MMA ...

NWCA All-Star Classic

The 2012-13 campaign couldn't have begun on a better note for the University of Wyoming wrestling team, as the Cowboys racked up six match wins Thursday night to beat Boise State 26-12 in the season-opening dual for both teams. No. 19 Wyoming (1-0 overall) won six matches, three by bonus points, to beat the 24th-ranked Broncos (0-1) for just the 10th time in program history. Wyoming head coach Mark Branch secured his 49th dual win in just five seasons, and improved to 3-2 in season openers. The evening's action got started at 184 pounds, when UW sophomore Shane Woods took on 12th-ranked Jake Swartz of Boise State. Swartz got the first five points of the bout, until Woods earned an escape with just 57 seconds to go in the third period. By that time, Swartz had earned riding time and took away a 6-1 decision and put the Broncos up 3-0 in the team race. But senior Alfonso Hernandez, ranked fourth, put Wyoming up for good in the very next match, pinning Boise State's Cody Dixon at the 5:51 mark in the 197-pound tilt. UW then led 6-3. "There were definitely some bright spots," Branch said. "It started off rough at 184. That's one of their best kids and he took it to us. It's a learning experience for Shane and he's going to have to grow up and be ready for guys like that. "But when Fonz kicked it into gear, we were just flowing there for a while. It was good he got his motor running. When you wrestle that way and you start breaking your opponent, it's a big team builder. It really helped the other guys." With the crowd fired up from the pin, Wyoming redshirt freshman Tanner Harms used that momentum to rally from an early 6-2 deficit in the heavyweight battle with J.T. Felix to capture a 12-8 decision. It was Harms' first appearance in a dual for UW and his win put UW up 9-3. Sophomore 125-pounder Tyler Cox got off to a slow start in his match versus Bronco Landon Hartley, but he poured it on in the third period, cruising to a 14-5 major decision for a 13-3 UW lead. UW junior Jake Eitzen fell to Brenton Beard in the 133-pound bout, but fellow junior Kyle Komata got things back on track at 141 when he defeated Manual Ybarra in a 6-2 decision. After sophomore 149-pounder Brandon Richardson won due to forfeit, sophomore Dakota Friesth took on No. 18 George Ivanov at 157 pounds. Friesth actually got the first takedown and held a 2-1 advantage through two periods, but Ivanov used a reversal to start the third period and a riding time point to win a hard-fought 4-3 decision. Wyoming led 22-9 with just two matches remaining. Redshirt freshman Jace Jensen got his first dual action at 165 pounds, taking on Boise State's Taylor West, but it was West coming up with the 3-0 decision. In the final match of the night, Cowboy senior L.J. Helbig gave the UW fans something to cheer about. Wrestling at his fourth weight in as many years, Helbig took a 5-4 lead over Bronco Nick Wooden into the third period. Helbig came out firing with seven match points and an addition riding time point to take the 13-4 major decision for the final 26-12 margin. Sophomore Andy McCulley beat Bronco Chris Castillo in a 157-pound exhibition match to start the evening. The Cowboys have a short break before returning to action Saturday by hosting the 35th annual Cowboy Open in the War Memorial Fieldhouse. Action begins at 9 a.m. Results: 184 pounds: No. 12 Jake Swartz (BSU) dec. Shane Woods (UW), 6-1 / Boise State 3, Wyoming 0 197: No. 4 Alfonso Hernandez (UW) fall (5:51) Cody Dixon (BSU) / Wyoming 6, Boise State 3 285: Tanner Harms (UW) dec. J.T. Felix (BSU), 12-8 / Wyoming 9, Boise State 3 125: No. 17 Tyler Cox (UW) maj. dec. Landon Hartley (BSU), 14-5 / Wyoming 13, Boise State 3 133: Brenton Beard (BSU) dec. Jake Eitzen (UW), 8-4 / Wyoming 13, Boise State 6 141: Kyle Komata (UW) dec. Manual Ybarra (BSU), 6-2 / Wyoming 16, Boise State 6 149: Brandon Richardson (UW) wins by forfeit / Wyoming 22, Boise State 6 157: No. 18 George Ivanov (BSU) dec. Dakota Friesth (UW), 4-3 / Wyoming 22, Boise State 9 165: Taylor West (BSU) dec. Jace Jensen (UW), 3-0 / Wyoming 22, Boise State 12 174: L.J. Helbig (UW) maj. dec. Nick Wooden (BSU), 13-4 / Wyoming 26, Boise State 12

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 13-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team opened its 2012-13 season in commanding fashion, shutting out Olivet, 46-0, on Thursday evening (Nov. 1) at Cliff Keen Arena. The Wolverines earned bonus points in nine of 10 matches, including three pins and one technical fall. All five freshmen in the lineup were victorious in their collegiate dual-meet debuts. Freshman Taylor Massa (St. Johns, Mich./St. Johns HS) headlined the group with a third-period fall against Dan Fleet at 165 pounds, building a sizable lead on four takedowns and six back points before tossing Fleet for the pin at 5:30. The Wolverines also earned pins from senior/juniors Eric Grajales (Brandon, Fla./Brandon HS) and Dan Yates (Hesperia, Mich./Hesperia HS) at 149 and 174 pounds, respectively. Grajales gave up the first takedown to Gage Pederson in the opening seconds but shook off the Comet wrestler late in the period before settling into a headlock for the pin at 2:58. Yates scored on six takedowns -- three apiece in the first and second periods -- before putting Josh Crawford on his back late in the middle frame, ending the bout at 4:19. Michigan's two-year starter at 165 pounds, it was Yates' first match at the heavier weight class. Senior/junior Sean Boyle (Lowell, Mass./Blair Academy) earned a dominant 18-2 technical fall over Payne Blanchard in his return to the lineup at 125 pounds. The Wolverine wrestler scored two takedowns and six back points -- on a pair of three-point tilts -- in the first period and added a quick reversal and another tilt to pad his lead to 13 points midway through the second. After earning a point on an illegal scissors around the head call, Boyle finished on a takedown out of a scramble to end the match at the 4:49 mark. Freshman Rossi Bruno (Brandon, Fla./Brandon HS) and sophomore/freshman Camryn Jackson (Lansing, Mich./Eastern HS) claimed back-to-back major decisions at 133 and 141 pounds, respectively, to win in their first ever appearances at Keen Arena. Bruno scored on three takedowns -- one in each period -- and earned a late three-point near fall to win 11-2, while Jackson converted on four double legs, including two in the final 20 seconds of the third to claim a 10-2 victory. Michigan's other debut winners were junior/sophomore Jake Salazar (Midway, Utah/Wasatch HS) at 157 pounds, freshman Jordan Thomas (Gowen, Mich./Greenville HS) at 184 and sophomore/freshman Justin Dozier (Woodhaven, Mich./Woodhaven HS) at heavyweight. Junior/sophomore Max Huntley (Emerald Isle, N.C./Blair Academy) earned a 14-3 major decision at 197 pounds to round out the Wolverine effort. Results: 125 -- #15 Sean Boyle (U-M) tech. fall Payne Blanchard, 18-2 U-M, 5-0 133 -- Rossi Bruno (U-M) major dec. Kam Olsen, 11-2 U-M, 9-0 141 -- Camryn Jackson (U-M) major dec. Kenny Richmond, 10-2 U-M, 13-0 149 -- #11 Eric Grajales (U-M) pinned Gage Pederson, 2:58 U-M, 19-0 157 -- Jake Salazar (U-M) major dec. Kyle Witgen, 16-5 U-M, 23-0 165 -- #8 Taylor Massa (U-M) pinned Dan Fleet, 5:30 U-M, 29-0 174 -- #15 Dan Yates (U-M pinned Josh Crawford, 4:19 U-M, 35-0 184 -- #19 Jordan Thomas (U-M) dec. Andy Ottenwess, 11-4 U-M, 38-0 197 -- #19 Max Huntley (U-M) major dec. Andrew Simpson, 14-3 U-M, 42-0 Hwt -- Justin Dozier (U-M) major dec. Jake Ceslick, 12-2 U-M, 46-0

EDMOND -- Casy Rowell prevailed in a showdown of All-Americans and newcomer Jordan Basks had a statement win to lead the Blue team past the Bronze 19-16 Thursday night at Hamilton Field House in Central Oklahoma’s annual intrasquad dual. The Blue squad won the first three matches to take a 10-0 lead and then fell behind 16-13 before taking the final two bouts to pull out the win, with Znick Ferrell’s 1-0 triumph in the final match at 197 pounds the difference. Rowell and Basks keyed the Blue win in the two feature matches of the night. Rowell, dropping down to 133 after placing fifth nationally at 141 last year, rolled to a 14-6 major decision over Trison Graham. Rowell had four takedowns, a reverse and a near-fall to cruise past Graham, an All-American at 133 two years ago who missed most of last season to injury. Basks, a junior newcomer who earned All-America honors on Labette (Kan.) Community College’s national championship team last season, used a last-minute takedown to knock off Cory Dauphin 6-5 at 149. Dauphin, a two-time national qualifier at 157 who placed sixth two years ago, led 4-3 after two periods but Basks got an early escape to tie it and then won it on a takedown with 30 seconds left. The Bronze team got a third-period fall from 174 Kelly Henderson and a 9-1 major decision from 157 Aaron Gillman in rallying for its 16-13 lead, but All-American Tanner Keck won 7-2 at 184 to tie it and Ferrell’s second-period escape at 197 was the only score in the tie-breaking bout. “I saw some good things, but we were also pretty sloppy in several matches and there’s a lot we need to clean up,” said 31st-year head coach David James. “It’s obviously early and it’s a long season, so we know there’s still a lot of work to do.” UCO opens the season Sunday at the Oklahoma City Open. Results: 125 – Cooper Finch, Blue, dec. Joseph Blaylock, 12-6. 125 – Dustin Reed, Blue, dec. Ryan Brooks, 4-1. 133 – Casy Rowell, Blue, major dec. Trison Graham, 14-6. 149 – Kaleb Cradduck, Bronze, dec. LeSean Sanders, 5- 149 – Jordan Basks, Blue, dec. Cory Dauphin, 6-5. 157 – Aaron Gillman, Bronze, major dec. Jordan Gibbon, 9-1. 165 – Zach Aylor, Bronze, dec. Dylan Harmon, 7-3. 174 – Kelly Henderson, Bronze, pinned Garrett Henshaw, 6:07. 184 – Tanner Keck, Blue, dec. Kyle Buckley, 7-2. 197 – Znick Ferrell, Blue, dec. Carson Mathews, 1-0.

AMES, Iowa -- The Iowa State wrestling team kicked off the 2012-13 season Thursday night at the annual Cardinal and Gold intrasquad dual in the Lied Recreation Center. A standing-room only crowd came out in full force to show their support, and the Cyclones put on a show in return. "I liked the aggressiveness we showed throughout and the entertainment value of the dual," Iowa State head coach Kevin Jackson said. "I think we can springboard off of this to continue to get better. I really like the direction of our depth and that's what we need to have to perform at a high level inside our wrestling room so I'm pleased with that." Redshirt sophomore Luke Goettl and freshman Gabe Moreno provided the most thrilling match of the evening, as Goettl scored a three-point near fall in the final 20 seconds of the third period to force a 5-5 tie and overtime. Moreno got a takedown 15 seconds into the overtime period to get the 7-5 win. The Urbandale, Iowa native came into Iowa State as a highly touted recruit, ranked no. 2 in the country by InterMat at 145. Redshirt senior Matt Gibson of Vallejo, Calif., looked ready to build on his 2012 Big 12 heavyweight championship, winning in a 12-0 technical fall over Cyclone freshman Tyler Swope. A match at 125 pounds pitted redshirt sophomore Ryak Finch against freshman Kyle Larson. Finch, a native of Safford, Ariz., looked impressive, jumping out to a 5-0 lead in the first period and ended with a 6-1 decision over Larson, who hails from West Des Moines. At 133 pounds, Cyclone fans got a glimpse of the future as freshman John Meeks of Des Moines, Iowa took on Kamehameha, Hawaii native Shayden Terukina in a hotly contested match. Meeks, who won four state championships in high school while going 168-0, pulled away late in the match for a 10-5 decision. Like Moreno, Meeks was also a highly touted recruit, ranked no. 2 in the country by InterMat at 138. "I think it's obvious that we have a couple of guys that are capable at the 133 pound weight class and they're going to challenge each other," Jackson said. "We have a true wrestle-off for that weight. That shows our growth as far as our depth is concerned." The Cyclones will be back in action on Nov. 10 for the Harold Nichols Cyclone Open in Hilton Coliseum at 9 a.m. Results: 125 pounds - Connor Clarke (RFr.) dec. Drake Swarm (Fr.), 4-3 125 pounds - Ryak Finch (RSo.) dec. Kyle Larson (Fr.), 6-1 133 pounds - John Meeks (Fr.) dec. Shayden Terukina (So.), 10-5 141 pounds - Gabe Moreno (Fr.) dec. Luke Goettl (RSo.), 7-5 149 pounds - Luke Swalla (So.) injury default Matt White (RFr.), 0-0 157 pounds - Trent Weatherman (Jr.) dec. Logan Molina (RFr.), 3-2 165 pounds - Mike Moreno (RSo.) dec. Lelund Weatherspoon (Fr.), 8-3 174 pounds - Tanner Weatherman (R.Fr.) dec. Mikey England (RSo.) 4-2 184 pounds - Boaz Beard (RJr.) dec. Tyler Christensen (RJr.), 11-2 184 pounds - Cole Shafer (RJr.) dec. Ben Perna (Unk), 11-8 285 pounds - Matt Gibson (RSr.) tech. fall Tyler Swope (RFr.), 12-0

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team hosted its annual Intrasquad Dual at Rec Hall and showcased many new faces at the event. Over 2,000 fans witnessed 12 bouts, including three matches at 133. Sophomore Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah), ranked No. 5 nationally at 174, got a first period pin in his match, pinning James Frascella (Carmel, Ind.) at the 1:49 mark. Two-time All-American Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at 184, posted a 21-4 technical fall (5:59) over talented true freshman Wes Phipps (Grove City, Pa.). True freshman Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.) posted a 13-5 major over Cameron Kelly (Pittsford, N.Y.) at 133 and red-shirt freshman Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.) got a 5-1 win over Frank Martellotti (Pittsburgh, Pa.) at 133 as well. Nate Morgan (McCook, Neb.) posted a 6-4 win over Mike Waters (Advance, N.C.) at 133, too. Senior Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) notched a 4-2 win over true freshman Zack Beitz (Mifflintown, Pa.) and senior Derek Reber (Lewisburg, Pa.) got a 4-1 decision over Kyle Moran (Oxford, Pa.) in two 141-pound match-ups. Senior James English (York, Pa.) posted a 5-1 win over Seth Beitz (Mifflintown, Pa.) at 149 and James Vollrath (Richboro, Pa.) downed Rex Lutz (Easton, Pa.) 5-3 at 165. Andrew Church (Erie, Pa.) posted a 4-0 win over Brandon Phillips (Timonium, Md.) at 174 and sophomore Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), red-shirting this year, was impressive with a 20-8 win over Scott Syrek (Chester Springs, Pa.) at 197. Sophomore transfer Jimmy Lawson (Tom's River, N.J.) posted a 3-2 win over Jon Gingrich (Wingate, Pa.) at heavyweight in the evening's final bout. Four of Penn State's five returning All-Americans did not compete at the Intrasquad as they will trek to Washington, D.C., for the 2012 NWCA All-Star Classic on Saturday, Nov. 3. The event, already sold out at American University's Bender Arena starting at 7:30 p.m. Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.) will compete at 125, Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) at 157, David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) at 165 and Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) at 197. Penn State will open up the 2012-13 regular season by hosting Lehigh on Friday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall. For information on Penn State wrestling tickets simply call 1-800-NITTANY or check online at www.GoPSUsports.com/tickets/m-wrestl-tickets.html. Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at www.twitter.com/pennstateWREST and on Penn State Wrestling's facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling. The 2012-13 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline. Intrasquad Dual Meet Exhibition November 1, 2012 - Rec Hall - University Park, Pa. 133: Jordan Conaway 5-1 dec. Frank Martellotti 133: Jimmy Gulibon 13-5 maj. dec. Cameron Kelly 133: Nate Morgan 6-4 dec. Mike Waters 141: Bryan Pearsall 4-2 dec. Zack Beitz 141: Derek Reber 4-1 dec. Kyle Moran 149: James English 5-1 dec. Seth Beitz 165: James Vollrath 5-3 dec. Rex Lutz 174: Matt Brown WBF James Frascella (1:49) 174: Andrew Church 4-0 dec. Brandon Phillips 184: Ed Ruth 21-4 TF Wes Phipps (5:59) 197: Morgan McIntosh 20-8 maj. dec. Scott Syrek 285: Jimmy Lawson 3-2 dec. Jon Gingrich Attendance: 2,000 (appx.) Records: Penn State 0-0, 0-0 Big Ten Up Next for Penn State: Megaludis, D. Alton, Taylor and Wright at NWCA All-Star Classic, Saturday, Nov. 3, 7:30 p.m. at American University. BOUT-BY-BOUT: Junior Frank Martellotti (Pittsburgh, Pa.) took on red-shirt freshman Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.) in one bout at 133. Conaway got in on a single leg, fought off a Martellotti counter and took a 2-0 lead at the :20 mark. The freshman rode Martellotti out and led 2-0 after one. He then took down to start the second, quickly escaped and led 3-0 at the 1:30 mark. Conaway turned a single leg at the :40 mark into a scramble and added a second takedown to lead 5-0 after two periods. Martellotti took down to start the third and escaped at the 1:20 and trailed 5-1. Conaway fought off a solid Martellotti shot at the :40 mark and maintained his lead. He maintained that lead for the rest of the period and posted the 5-1 win. Sophomore Cameron Kelly (Pittsford, N.Y.) met true freshman Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.) in another 133-pound match-up. Gulibon wasted no time in opening up a 2-0 lead, taking Kelly down quickly. Kelly escaped quickly and the duo battled evenly for the next minute plus. He then used a swift double leg with :55 left to up his lead to 4-0. Gulibon rode Kelly out to lead 4-1 after one period. Gulibon took down to start the second period and quickly reversed Kelly to lead 6-1 less than :15 into the middle stanza. Gulibon cut Kelly loose to lead 6-2 at the 1:10 mark, then drove through a double leg for a third takedown and an 8-2 lead. Kelly escaped once more, but Gulibon added another takedown and led 10-3 after two periods. Gulibon chose down, quickly escaped and added another takedown to lead 12-4 at the 1:15 mark. Kelly got the late escape but, with 3:31 riding time, Gulibon posted the 13-5 major decision. Sophomore Nate Morgan (McCook, Neb.) took on red-shirt freshman Michael Waters (Advance, N.C.) in the third bout at133. The duo battled through an even first period with neither man finding an opening. Scoreless after one, Waters chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Waters got the bout's first takedown at the 1:00 mark and Morgan quickly escaped, making the score 3-1 with :45 left in the second period. Waters led 3-1 after one, Morgan took down to start the third and quickly escaped to a 3-2 deficit. Morgan then used a nice double leg for his first takedown and took a 4-3 lead at the 1:20 mark. Morgan put together a strong ride and then turned Waters to his back for two near fall points and upped his lead to 6-3. Waters escaped at the buzzer but Morgan posted the 6-4 win. At 141, senior Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) faced off against true freshman Zack Beitz (Mifflintown, Pa.) in one match-up. Beitz used a low single leg to get the bout's first takedown and led 2-0 at the 1:11 mark. Pearsall escaped quickly and Beitz carried the 2-1 lead into the second stanza. Beitz chose neutral to start the second period. Neither man managed a takedown during the second period and Beitz led by one heading into the final period. Pearsall chose down to start the third stanza and maintained control of Pearsall for the first :35 before Pearsall escaped to a 2-2 tie. Pearsall drove through a high lift to get his first takedown and led 4-2 at the :30 mark. He then rode Beitz out to post the 4-2 win. Senior Derek Reber (Lewisburg, Pa.) battled sophomore Kyle Moran (Oxford, Pa.) in another 141-pound bout. The duo battled through a scoreless two-plus minutes before Moran got in on a single leg to force a late scramble. Reber countered the shot and worked out from underneath the scramble, but could not finish off the late takedown. Scoreless after one, Moran chose down to start the second stanza. Reber maintained control for over a minute then nearly picked up back points with a scrambling turn. Moran then worked his way around for a near reversal but got the escape to take a 1-0 lead at the :35 mark. Trailing by one with 1:25 riding time, Reber chose down to start the third and escaped to a 1-1 tie. Moran instigated a scramble that Reber turned into a takedown to lead 3-1 at the :20 mark. With 1:41 riding time, Reber posted the 4-1 win. Red-shirt freshman Seth Beitz (Mifflintown, Pa.) took on senior James English (York, Pa.) at 149. The duo battled through a scoreless two minutes. English nearly scored on a quickly single but Beitz was able to step out of trouble and keep the bout at zeroes. English chose down to start the second period and worked his way around to a quick reversal to lead 2-0 at the 1:44 mark. English maintained control of Beitz for the rest of the period and led 2-0 heading into the third. Beitz chose neutral to start the third period. English added a second takedown to lead 4-0 with 1:00 left in the bout. Beitz added a late takedown and, with 2:30 riding time, English posted the 5-1 win. At 165, red-shirt freshman Rex Lutz (Easton, Pa.) met junior James Vollrath (Richboro, Pa.). Vollrath got the scoring started early with a quick takedown and led 2-1 after a quick Lutz escape. Vollrath's early takedown was the only one of the opening stanza and the junior lead 2-1 heading into the second. Lutz chose down to start the second and quickly escaped to a 2-2 tie. Vollrath then got in on Lutz' left leg and turned the shot into a takedown to lead 4-2 with :55 on the clock. Lutz escaped quickly and Vollrath led 4-3 after two periods. Vollrath took down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 5-3 lead. Vollrath held on for the 5-3 win. Sophomore Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah), ranked No. 5 nationally at 174, faced off against red-shirt freshman James Frascella (Carmel, Ind.). Brown used a quick low double to take an early 2-0 lead and then rode Frascella for over a minute. He then worked his way into a near tilt but Frascella was able to escape to a 2-1 Brown lead. Frascella then whirled behind Brown for his own takedown and a 3-2 lead. Brown used a swift throw to send Frascella to his back and, after a quick adjustment, got the pin at the 1:49 mark. In another 174-pound meeting, sophomore Brandon Phillips (Timonium, Md.) met junior Andrew Church (Erie, Pa.). Church got the bout's first takedown at the 1:00 mark, moving out to a 2-0 lead and then keeping control of Phillips for the rest of the period. Phillips chose down to start the second period and Church maintained control once again. The Church ride-out gave the Lion a 2-0 lead with 3:12 riding time heading to the third period. Church escaped to a 3-0 lead and then worked his way into a single leg that led to a stalemate with :48 left on the clock. Church rolled to a 4-0 win with 2:52 in riding time. Two-time All-American and 2012 NCAA Champion Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 1 at his new weight at 184, met true freshman Wes Phipps (Grove City, Pa.). Ruth scored quickly on Phipps, getting a takedown early to bolt out to a 2-0 lead. Phipps worked his way to an escape at the 1:24 mark to cut the lead to 2-1. Ruth scrambled to a second takedown and led 4-1 with :40 left. Ruth then turned Phipps for three near fall points and upped his lead to 7-2 after a late Phipps escape. Ruth chose down to start the second and then rolled to a reversal and a 9-2 lead with 1:20 left in the middle period. Ruth then added another three-point near fall and led 12-2 with 2:47 riding time after two periods. Phipps chose neutral to start the third, Ruth took him down and cut him loose and led 14-3 at the 1:40 mark. He then added another takedown to lead 16-3. Ruth cut Phipps and then took him down once more, added three near fall points and rolled to the 21-4 technical fall at the 5:59 mark. Sophomore NCAA qualifier Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), red-shirting this season at 197, met red-shirt freshman Scott Syrek (Chester Springs, Pa.) at 197. McIntosh broke out to an early 2-0 lead with a takedown and then rode Syrek for over a minute before cutting him loose at the :55 mark. McIntosh added a nice takedown at the :20 mark and carried a 4-2 lead into the second period. Syrek chose down to start the second period but McIntosh controlled the action from the top position for nearly a minute before Syrek escaped. McIntosh answered with a third takedown and cut to lead 6-3 at the :40 mark. He cut Syrek loose and added another takedown to lead 8-4. The sophomore put together a series of takedowns and cuts and rolled to a 20-8 major decision with 3:26 in riding time. At heavyweight, sophomore Jon Gingrich (Wingate, Pa.) took on sophomore transfer Jimmy Lawson (Tom's River, N.J.). The duo battled through a scoreless first period with neither man finding an opening to score. Gingrich chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Lawson got in on a quick low single but Gingrich was able to fight the move off and keep his 1-0 lead with :20 left in the middle period. Lawson chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 1-1 tie. Gingrich got in on a low single but Lawson countered the move and, after a scramble, got the takedown to lead 3-2 after a quick Gingrich escape. He then fought off a late Gingrich takedown attempt and grabbed the 3-2 win.