InterMat Staff

Pac-12 Wrestling Championships Date: Sunday, Feb. 26 Venue: Taco Bell Arena (Boise, Idaho) View Event Website View Results Big Ten Wrestling Championships Dates: Saturday, March 3 and Sunday, March 4 Venue: Mackey Arena (West Lafayette, Ind.) View Event Website View Results Big 12 Wrestling Championships Dates: Saturday, March 3 Venue: Hearnes Center (Columbia, Mo.) View Event Website View Results CAA Wrestling Championships Dates: Saturday, March 3 Venue: Events Center (Binghamton, N.Y.) View Event Website View Results SoCon Wrestling Championships Dates: Saturday, March 3 Venue: McKenzie Arena (Chattanooga, Tenn.) View Event Website View Results ACC Wrestling Championships Dates: Saturday, March 3 Venue: Carmichael Arena (Chapel Hill, N.C.) View Event Website View Results EIWA Wrestling Championships Date: Saturday, March 3 and Sunday March 4 Venue: Jadwin Gym (Princeton, N.J.) View Event Website View Results MAC Wrestling Championships Dates: Sunday, March 4 Venue: Convocation Center (Athens, Ohio) View Event Website View Results EWL Wrestling Championships Dates: Sunday, March 4 Venue: Waldo S. Tippin Gymnasium (Clarion, Pa.) View Event Website View Results West Regional Wrestling Championships Dates: Sunday, March 4 Venue: McLeod Center (Cedar Falls, Iowa) View Event Website View Results

DES MOINES, Iowa -- (Team Scores, Brackets) Grand View (Iowa) took over the top spot at the 2012 NAIA Wrestling National Championships in the second session Thursday in the Jacobson Exhibition Center. The Vikings advanced nine wrestlers through to Friday’s quarterfinals and will also have a trio of grapplers battling through the wrestlebacks. Southern Oregon is in second place with 38.5 points and has seven wrestlers on the championship side. With 36.5 points, Great Falls (Mont.) is third, followed by Oklahoma City with 33 points and Montana State-Northern with 30 points to round out the top-five teams. Of the 26 All-Americans that qualified to the event, 17 have earned a spot in the quarterfinals, including three of the four former national champions. Mitchell Lofstedt (36-2) won his second match of the day with bonus points in his quest for a second title at Southern Oregon. The 125-pounder went to work with a 16-1 (7:00) technical fall of Bo Newport of Baker (Kan.). He moves into a quarterfinal meeting with Bryden Lazaro of Dickinson State (N.D.). Like Lofstedt, Lazaro (32-3) has posted a pair of bonus point victories: an opening bout technical fall and a major decision in the third round. A collision between Campbellsville’s (Ky.) Tommy Pretty (Ky.) and Great Falls’ Myles Mazurkiewicz is a regular occurrence at the National Championships. The pair battled for the 133-pound title in 2010, with Pretty taking a 14-3 major decision, followed by a second-round matchup last year, in which Pretty notched a 5-3 decision. This time around it was Mazurkiewicz’s turn. Pretty took a 2-0 lead into the second period. Mazurkiewicz deferred, sending Pretty to the down position, where the Argonaut junior used a cradle for two nearfall points. While in control, he racked up 1:17 of riding time. With no points scored in the third period, Mazurkiewicz’s riding time was the deciding factor that earned him the 3-2 victory and a spot in Friday’s quarterfinals. Mazurkiewicz’s teammate and defending 141-pound champ Anthony Varnell also punched a ticket to the quarterfinals with a 5-2 decision over DaMonte Riley of Lindsey Wilson (Ky.). The senior will put his 26-3 record up against Baker’s Joel Olivas (17-12), who won his third round match with a 1:12 fall of Robert Meador of Dickinson State (N.D.). Reigning 184-pound champion Evan Hinebauch of Montana State-Northern stuck Dickinson State’s (N.D.) Jesse Hellinger in 5:37 to land in the quarterfinals. The 33-9 senior will square off against junior Allen Scruggs of Campbellsville. Scruggs slipped past Oklahoma City’s Andrew Pontikes with a 2-1 decision. The third session of the 55th annual event will start Friday at 10 a.m. CST. Championship quarterfinals will be contested, along with two rounds of consolation bracket action.

Related Link: The MMA Outsider Podcast Archives We hope you don't have too many non-MMA related plans this weekend. The second UFC on FX show will take place in Australia this Friday -- well, Friday in the United States, at least -- featuring the long-awaited debut of the UFC flyweight division. Demetrius Johnson, former Outsider guest Ian McCall, Joseph Benavidez, and Yasuhiro Urushitani will get things going in a four-man tournament that will decide the promotion's first 125-pound champion. In case you haven't followed the show for the eight months or so we've been around, we're psyched to see the UFC finally bring in the flyweights! We break down the whole main card and also give quick picks on the prelims. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Strikeforce also has a show going down on Saturday in Columbus, Ohio, featuring a women's title bout between Miesha Tate and former Olympian Ronda Rousey, not to mention appearances by Paul Daley, KJ Noons, Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza, etc. Did we preview that fight card too? You're damn right we did. Most importantly, though, MMA manager Matheus Aquino joins us to talk about what's coming up for Bellator contenders Patricio and Patricky Freire and top flyweight Jussier "Formiga" da Silva. Speaking of Formiga, if the UFC has a flyweight division, why hasn't Jussier been signed yet? Matheus has the answer. He also talks about the Brazilian MMA scene and some prospects we should keep an eye on for the future.

The lineups are now set for this year's Wrestling USA Dream Team Classic, which takes place April 20 in Iowa City. 113: No. 1 Jarred Brooks (Warsaw, Ind.) vs. No. 17 Phillip Laux (Iowa City West) 120: No. 1 George DiCamillo (St. Ignatius, Ohio) vs. No. 7 Dylan Peters (Denver-Tripoli) 126: No. 1 Jimmy Gulibon (Derry Area, Pa.) vs. No. 6 Cory Clark (Southeast Polk) 132: No. 1 Alex Cisneros (Selma, Calif.) vs. No. 15 Dakota Bauer (Iowa City West) 138: No. 2 Nate Skonieczny (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio) vs. Logan Mulnix (North Linn) 145: No. 1 Jason Tsirtsis (Crown Point, Ind.) vs. No. 6 Gabe Moreno (Urbandale) 152: No. 7 Brian Realbuto (Somers, N.Y.) vs. No. 8 Zach Witte (Cedar Rapids Prairie) 160: No. 3 Zac Brunson (Churchill, Ore.) vs. No. 14 Justin Koethe (Iowa City West) 170: No. 6 Zach Nevills (Clovis, Calif.) vs. No. 5 Alex Meyer (Southeast Polk) 182: No. 1 Jordan Rogers (Mead, Wash.) vs. No. 12 Jared Bartel (Mason City) 195: No. 1 Devin Peterson (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.) vs. Tarin Phillips (West Des Moines Valley) 220: No. 4 Michael Kroells (Scott West, Minn.) vs. No. 3 Willie Miklus (Southeast Polk) 285: No. 3 Austin Goergen (Caledonia, Minn.) vs. Collin Bevins (Creston)

BLACKSBURG -- Ten Virginia Tech wrestlers will head to the campus of North Carolina this weekend to compete in Saturday’s 2012 ACC Championships in hopes of bringing home an individual title and advancing to the NCAA Championships. The official championship website is here and it has links to directions, ticket information, times, Twitter feeds, the brackets and more. The brackets were released Wednesday and are linked to the right. For the first time, the entire event will be broadcast on ESPN3, an internet-only production. Additionally, there will be live brackets updating within seconds of a match finishing for those who can’t get ESPN3. The link to that can be found on the championship website. Admission to the event is $10 at the door or $5 in advance. Information on how to purchase tickets can be found on the championship website. Doors open at 10 a.m. and action gets underway at 11. The semifinals start at 1 p.m. and the consolation semifinals take place at 3:30. The consolation finals start at 5 p.m. and the finals begin at 7 p.m. Tech has never won the ACC title, finishing second twice (2006 and 2011). Ten different Hokie wrestlers have won an ACC crown, but only Devin Carter has a chance to win another one this year as the others are either no longer on the team or are redshirting. Carter won the 133-pound title last year and will be the top seed again this year. Jon Bonilla-Bowman (2007; co) and Matt Epperly (2008) are the only Hokies to take home tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler honors. Below is the lineup that will take the mat for the Hokies this weekend, with their seed before their name and their overall record and ACC dual meet record in parenthesis, followed by their first mtachup. 125: #6 seed Erik Spjut (25-11; 1-1) - vs. #3 Peter Terrezza (Duke) 133: #1 seed Devin Carter (28-3; 5-0) - BYE (semifinals vs. winner of #4 Brock LiVorio (NC)/#5 Brandon Gambucci (Duke) 141: #3 seed Zach Neibert (17-9; 3-2) - vs. #6 Frank Goodwin (MD) 149: #3 seed Nick Brascetta (6-3; 2-1) - vs. #6 Nick Heilmann (UNC) 157: #4 seed Cameron Hurd (11-12; 2-1) - vs. #5 Colton Palmer (NCSU) 165: #2 seed Pete Yates (20-5; 2-1) - BYE (semifinals vs. winner of #3 Nick Sulzer (VA)/#6 Ryan Harding Duke) 174: #3 seed Chris Moon (17-12; 3-2) - vs. #6 Roandy Roden (Duke) 184: #4 seed Angelo Malvestuto (21-11; 0-0) - vs. #5 Robert O’Neill (NCSU) 197: #3 seed Nick Vetterlein (24-9; 3-1) - vs. #6 Brian Self (Duke) 285: #2 seed Chris Penny (11-7; 5-0) - BYE (semifinals vs. winner of #3 Derek Papagianopoulus (VA)/#6 Josh Davis (NCSU) Each of these 10 men will be looking to advance to the NCAA Championships, held March 17-19 in St. Louis. To make it to the Big Dance, each must finish a certain place or higher at the ACCs to automatically qualify. If they don’t, they’ll be at the mercy of the selection committee, who will choose at-large selections. Below are the spots each wrestler must finish at or above to automatically qualify from the ACC. 125: 3rd * 133: 3rd 141: 4th 149: 2nd 157: 3rd 165: 3rd 174: 2nd 184: 2nd 197: 1st 285: 1st * - The ACC was originally awarded four spots at this weight, but Tech’s Ty Mitch earned one of them. Since he is not wrestling at the Championships, the ACC loses this spot and it becomes a wild card slot to be filled after all of the conference tournaments are done.

Every season there are All-Americans who return with their sights set on going undefeated and finishing on top of the podium at the NCAAs. But things do not always go as expected. There are unexpected bumps in the road for some. Here is a look at five returning All-Americans whose regular seasons did not go quite as expected, but who should not be counted out this postseason. Ryan Mango (Stanford, 125) Ryan Mango went through some ups and downs at 133 pounds this season, but recently won a Pac-12 title and now looks primed and ready to contend for an NCAA title at 125 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Mango's season synopsis: Mango, a returning All-American at 125 pounds, wrestled at 133 pounds for the first three months of the season to help his team, and took some unexpected losses. He was the No. 2 seed at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in early December, and was upset by unseeded Zach Zehner of Wyoming in the second round. Mango took another loss in the consolation bracket in Vegas to Harvard's Steven Keith. In late December he finished sixth at the Midlands Championships, losing three times. Why not to count him out: Mango returned to his more natural weight class of 125 pounds in late January. He dominated his competition at the Pac-12 Championships this past Sunday, winning by pin in the semifinals and by major decision, 14-3, in the finals. Mango has shown that he can compete with the nation's best at 125 pounds. Last season he had wins over Missouri's Alan Waters, Oklahoma's Jarrod Patterson, and Illinois' Jesse Delgado. Zack Kemmerer (Penn, 141) Kemmerer's season synopsis: Kemmerer was ranked as high as No. 2 in the country at 141 pounds this season after winning his first 10 matches heading into the Midlands Championships. He entered the Midlands as the No. 2 seed and was upset by unseeded freshman Luke Goettl of Iowa State in the second round. Kemmerer was then dominated in the consolation bracket at the Midlands by Virginia Tech's Zach Neibert, 12-5, and wound up finishing seventh. In late January he took an unexpected loss to unranked Luke Vaith of Hofstra. Kemmerer enters this weekend's EIWA Championships ranked No. 12. Why not to count him out: Kemmerer has been wrestling well since his disappointing Midlands performance. Over his last five matches he has beaten two ranked wrestlers and outscored his opposition 38-11. He has beaten several quality opponents throughout his collegiate wrestling career, including Oregon State's Mike Mangrum, Virginia's Nick Nelson, Oklahoma State's Josh Kindig, and Penn State's Andrew Alton. P.J. Gillespie (Hofstra, 165) P.J. Gillespie is currently ranked No. 19 at 165 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Gillespie's season synopsis: Gillespie, who placed eighth at the NCAAs last season, has had an up-and-down senior season. He climbed to No. 3 in the country at 165 pounds earlier this season after winning 11 of his first 12 matches. Gillespie, though, had a forgettable Southern Scuffle performance in early January, where he lost three matches to wrestlers ranked below him. He also took an unexpected loss to unranked Tristan Warner of Old Dominion on Jan. 21. Why not to count him out: Gillespie, a three-time NCAA qualifier, enters the postseason riding a nine-match winning streak. He may get a chance to avenge losses to Joe Booth of Drexel and Warner at the CAA Championships. Gillespie earned All-American honors last season after entering the NCAAs unseeded, so he cannot be counted out in March. Grant Gambrall (Iowa, 184) Gambrall's season synopsis: Gambrall missed some time earlier this season because of a concussion he suffered last summer. When he did return to the Hawkeye lineup it was at 197 pounds, up from 184 pounds last season. His first major test this season came at the Midlands Championships, where he finished seventh. Following the Midlands, Gambrall dropped five of his next six matches, before making the decision to move back down to 184 pounds. He will take a .500 record into the postseason. Why not to count him out: Last season Gambrall showed that can beat the nation's best 184-pounders when it counts by finishing third at the NCAAs. He has defeated three of the nation's top five wrestlers at 184 pounds, including No. 1 Joe LeBlanc of Wyoming and No. 2 Quentin Wright of Penn State. Gambrall made his 184-pound season debut at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals in Stillwater, Okla., and went 1-1, which included a 3-1 loss to Kevin Steinhaus of Minnesota and a 10-2 major decision victory over Tony Dallago of Illinois. Spencer Myers (Maryland, 285) Spencer Myers is the No. 1 seed for the ACC Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Myers' season synopsis: Myers had a rough start to his season, losing five times from Nov. 6 to Dec. 4. (One of those five losses was an unofficial loss at the NWCA All-Star Classic.) Since then he has suffered only one loss, but has not beaten a wrestler currently ranked in the top 20. Why not to count him out: Myers is coached by one of the greatest American heavyweights ever in Kerry McCoy, who won 131 of his last 132 matches as a collegiate competitor at Penn State. Last year Myers shined brightest in the postseason, winning an ACC title and earning All-American honors at the NCAAs in Philadelphia. At the NCAAs Myers lost in overtime in the opening round before reeling off five straight victories. His final victory at the NCAAs came over Minnesota's Tony Nelson, who is currently ranked third.

Jared Frayer and Jim Gibbons will go “On the Mat” this Wednesday, February 29. “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 each Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00 PM Central on AM 1650, The Fan. An archive of the show can be found on www.themat.tv. E-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Each week “On the Mat” will interview an Olympic wrestling hopeful leading up to the Olympic Trials in Iowa City on April 21-22. This week’s interview is with Jared Frayer. Frayer will compete in at the 145.5 pound weight class in the freestyle division at the Olympic Trials. Frayer, a five-time U.S. National team member and a two-time All-American, is currently an assistant coach at Oklahoma. Gibbons currently serves as a color commentator for the Big Ten Network. He coached Iowa State to an NCAA team title in 1987, and he won an individual NCAA title for the Cyclones in 1981.

Alex Cisneros is seeking his fourth state title (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) Carl Sandburg champions -- close, some drama, but still the lead Eagle The journey of No. 41 Carl Sandburg, Ill., to the Class 3A (big school) state championship certainly was not easy, clear, or without challenge. It started at the individual regional tournament, the first layer of three for the individual bracket series in Illinois. In that event, Carl Sandburg out-pointed Marist 258 to 245.5 to earn the qualification to the team state series. Despite Marist having an excellent team, and beating Carl Sandburg 28-24 in a dual meet at The Clash, they had no chance for a state title. The easiest portion of the road for Carl Sandburg was a 66-14 victory over Mt. Carmel in the team sectional final to advance to this past Saturday's state tournament in Bloomington. Ranked second in the team rankings compiled by Illinois Matmen, the Eagles journey started with a quarterfinal against fifth ranked Lockport. The dual started out well for Carl Sandburg, a 12-0 lead after a decision from Mitch Cook (138), pin from Colin Holler (145), and decision from C.J. Brucki (152). However, Lockport answered strong with wins in four of the next five matches to take an 18-16 lead after No. 4 Brad Johnson bumped up to 220 and earned a pin in 54 seconds. Nate Sonneveld's pin at 285 for Carl Sandburg gave them back the lead at 22-18; however, a 10-4 decision for Brian Rossi (106) followed by a 3-2 decision for Austin Strzelczyk (113) gave the Potters a 24-22 lead. In what would become a recurring theme, Carl Sandburg ended the dual meet with consecutive wins -- this time it was three in a row. First, a 15-5 major decision for Sebastian Pique (120), then a 15-2 major decision for John Pellegrino (126), and finally a 9-6 decision from Dan Garcia (132). It was onto the semifinal against No. 42 Glenbard North, who advanced with a 36-24 win over Minooka. These teams met in an early January dual won by Carl Sandburg, 25-24, seven matches to seven. This dual was similarly tight, but not without lots of intrigue, strategy, and controversy. Match strategy started right away, as Glenbard North sent out 152 pound state runner-up Brian Murphy, who is ranked No. 4 nationally in that weight, as their wrestler at 145 pounds. However, Carl Sandburg did not utilize their starter, instead placing in a reserve -- Wes Shepherd. Murphy could only muster a 14-6 major decision. In the next weight, Carl Sandburg bumped up three-time state placer Colin Holler to wrestle Dan Johnson. Holler secured a first period pin. This type of pattern would occur through heavyweight, a point in which Carl Sandburg held a 20-14 lead despite the teams having won four matches each. Going back to the lower weights, the Panthers would pull out three consecutive victories. Richard Browne's pin at 106 pounds tied the match at 20-20. A 3-2 victory for Chris Gonzalez, over Jim Panozzo, gave Glenbard North their first lead since the opening match. And then things got interesting. One week earlier, No. 5 Jered Cortez earned a major decision victory over Pique in the state final at 120 pounds. However, this week with Cortez on the mat for Glenbard North, Carl Sandburg chose to move Pique up a weight. Cortez pinned reserve wrestler Jake Vales in the first period. In theory this should mean a 29-20 lead for the Panthers. However, Cortez was called for taunting after the match for a team point deduction. The resulting meltdown/overreaction by the Glenbard North bench leads to the head coach being ejected and three additional team points being deducted, reducing it to a 25-20 advantage, and leaving the dual much more open for the taking. In the next match, Pique earns a 7-6 victory over state placer Jon Marmolejo. John Pellegrino bumps up for Carl Sandburg to 132 pounds and upends state placer Johnny Gosinski 7-4 to give the Eagles a 26-25 lead heading into the final match. In that match, Mitch Cook comes up the hero with a 3-2 victory over Cory Bradle to give the Eagles a 29-25 dual meet victory, and a date in the finals with No. 30 Oak Park River Forest, who upended Barrington (fourth ranked in Class 3A), 35-21. The upperweight portion of the championship dual, which starts at 152, does not go well for Carl Sandburg, as Oak Park River Forest wins five of seven matches to jump out to a 20-6 lead. However, at the turn, Jim Pellegrino would answer back for the Eagles with a 6-4 overtime victory over state runner-up Matthew Rundell. Three further decision victories from Panozzo, Pique, and John Pellegrino cut the deficit to 20-18. The Huskies did answer back with a 12-4 major decision from Cam Harris at 132 pounds to extend the advantage to 24-18. Mitch Cook came up the hero yet again for Carl Sandburg, with a pin at 5:43 into the match against Jake O'Mara to tie the dual meet, and let junior anchor Colin Holler slam the door, which he did with a pin early in the second period. Carl Sandburg wins 30-24, and earns their first state title since 2007 when they had won a third consecutive title. Glenbard North won the third place match 34-21 over Barrington. In Class 2A, No. 27 Montini Catholic steamrolled their three opponents in Saturday's competition on the way to the title. Finally, in Class 1A, Leroy came home with the title. Results Cougars seek a repeat in the Golden State Qualifying thirteen individuals to the state tournament, No. 5 Clovis has shown its comprehensive depth through a rigorous single-class state series so far as they exited the always tough Central Section. The Cougars are led by six section champions --Daniel Gayton (113), defending state champion No. 20 Jonas Gayton (120), Vincente Hernandez (126), Adrian Salas (160), Dakota Gordon (195), and state champion No. 4 Nick Nevills (285). Three-time state placer No. 6 Zach Nevills (170) is one of three to qualify as section runners-up after losing for the second time this year to No. 12 Silas Nacita from Bakersfield. Nacita is one of three wrestlers -- along with No. 11 Natrelle Demison (138) and Maxx Ramirez (145) -- to exit the Central Section as champions for the 22nd ranked in the nation Drillers squad. No. 5 Coleman Hammond (152) and Kyle Pope (182) finished as runners-up at the section tournament, while four other Bakersfield wrestlers also made the state tournament. The Golden State's other nationally ranked team is No. 18 Poway, which qualified eleven wrestlers to state from the San Diego section, including six that won the tournament. The major individual story of the weekend is clearly at 132 pounds, where No. 1 Alex Cisneros from Selma seeks to join Darrell Vaquez (Bakersfield, 1999-2002) as the only four-time state champions in the history of the single-class California state tournament. Cisneros will have to navigate some challenges, as a possible path to the title could include Cadet National Greco-Roman champions in the round of 16 and quarterfinals -- Elijah Davis (Oakland Tech) and John-Jay Chavez (De La Salle) -- and two-time state medalist Martin Ramirez (Elk Grove) in the semifinal. Then it would come prior to a potential showdown with sophomore Niko Villarreal (Gilroy), who made the late drop to this class and is ranked No. 13 up at 138 pounds nationally. During the season, Villareal has lost two tight matches to Cisneros, 4-3 in the tiebreakers in the Doc Buchanan final and 1-0 in the Mid-Cals final. Also seeking a fourth state medal, but a first state title, is Zach Nevills at 170 pounds. He comes into the state tournament with a 1-2 record this season against Nacita, having won the divisional tournament two weekends ago, but losing in the sectional final last weekend and in the final at the Temecuala Valley Invitational in mid-January. Those wrestlers will be in opposite half-brackets. The opening weight features the top freshman in the whole country Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco), who is ranked No. 1 at 106 pounds. Trying to take step one of four in joining Vasquez -- and possibly Cisneros -- he is the favorite, having two wins to his credit against defending state champion Johnson Mai (North Torrence). That includes one over the nation's fifth ranked wrestler in the southern section final this past weekend, so they'll be in opposite half-brackets. Returning state runner-up Isaiah Locsin (Live Oak) is ranked No. 3 in the nation at 113 pounds, and is opposite his two primary challengers -- No. 6 Micah Perez (Central Union) and Jonas Gayton (Clovis). However, a quarterfinal and semifinal match against returning state placers is possible -- Mason Pengilly (Porterville) and then Arnulfo Olea (Exeter). Defending state champion Daniel Gayton, ranked No. 20 nationally, will have a battle on his hands to repeat, as two-time state placer Hermilio Esquivel (Orland) is also in the 120 pound weight class. Esquivel does have a 10-9 early-season victory over Gayton to his credit. Mercifully, the bracket gods have them in opposite halves. Nationally ranked wrestlers in No. 11 Demison and No. 18 Shayne Tucker (Bella Vista) look to be on a collision course for a championship bout at 138 pounds. The two wrestlers have met once this year, a quarterfinal bout at the Reno TOC over two months ago, won 3-2 by Tucker. The two wrestlers also met for third at state last year, with Demison winning that meeting. A pair of state champions is featured in the 152 pound weight class, with No. 2 Isaiah Martinez (Lemoore) and Jake Elliott (Oakmont) each seeking a second state title. Also present here is No. 5 Hammond, a Junior National freestyle All-American, who placed fourth as a freshman in 2010 but failed to place last year. In order for the battle of state champions to occur, Elliott will have to clear Hammond in the semifinal, with Martinez floating in the opposite half-bracket. No. 2 Joey Davis (Santa Fe) seeks a repeat state title, and third state finals appearance, this time at 160 pounds. He has just one loss on the season -- a disqualification -- and has been named Outstanding Wrestler at five different tournaments. For purposes of the state draw, he is in the same half-bracket as No. 11 James Wilson (McNair), who has twice placed fourth at the state tournament. In the opposite half of the draw is No. 13 Victor Pereira (Newark Memorial), who was fourth at the Super 32 and Walsh Ironman this year, along with fellow returning state placer Adrian Salas (Clovis). Those two wrestlers are likely to meet in the other semifinal, and already this year Salas pulled off a 4-3 upset victory over Pereira in the Mission San Jose Tournament final. Yet another wrestler on the Vasquez/Cisneros plan is sophomore Nick Nevills, who is ranked No. 4 nationally at 285 pounds after winning that same weight last year as a freshman. He is looking at a championship final against No. 11 Johnny Schupp from Vacaville, who was fifth in this weight last year. When these two wrestlers met in the Doc Buchanan final, Nevills won 10-8 in overtime -- more scoring then one might see in four or five matches at this weight class combined. Additional nationally ranked wrestlers include No. 18 Willie Fox (145) from Gilroy, No. 6 Nikko Reyes (182) from Clovis West, No. 11 Robert Marchese (195) from Oak Hills, and No. 20 J.T. Goodwin (220) from Bear Creek. Best in the nation Blair Academy closes season with a flourish at National Prep Championships Ranked No. 1 in the nation, Blair Academy, N.J. asserted its position with an impressive performance at the National Prep Championships this past weekend on the campus of Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. The Buccaneers placed eleven wrestlers into the finals, with nine of them earning championships. Finishing with titles were Jordan Kutler (106), No. 11 Joey McKenna (120), No. 2 Mark Grey (132), No. 4 Todd Preston (138), No. 20 Russ Parsons (152), Patrick Coover (160), Michael Mocco (182), No. 14 Frank Mattiace (195), and No. 1 Brooks Black (285). Runner-up finishes were accrued by Chaz Tucker (113) and No. 8 Dylan Milonas (145), while No. 16 Max Hvolbek was third at 126 and David Farr took fifth at 220. Blair Academy scored 354.5 points, placing those 13 wrestlers, as Addison Knepshield (170) was the lone non-placer, defaulting out of the tournament after his quarterfinal loss. Just over 100 points back in second was No. 9 Wyoming Seminary, Pa. with 252.5 points. The Blue Knights were led by championships from No. 9 Dominick Malone (126) and No. 7 Eric Morris (170), and a quintet of runner-up finishes -- those coming from Danny Boychuck (106), post-graduate Tyler Fraley (132), Connor Wasson (182), No. 8 A.J. Vizcarrando (220), and No. 14 Michael Johnson (285). Additional Blue Knights wrestlers placed fourth, fifth, and eight respectively. The other nationally ranked team -- No. 40 McDonogh, Md. -- was in fourth partly due to the absence of 2011 National Prep placer Kevin Marvel, who had placed at both the Ironman and Beast of the East at 195 pounds. The Eagles had six medalists, led by the championship earned by No. 16 Jack Clark at 145 pounds, with his 2-1 victory over Milonas in the final. Joining Clark on the awards podium were Myles Martin (152) and Toby Hague (160) with second place finishes, Roman Braglio (285) taking fourth, and additional wrestlers in seventh and eighth. That was enough for 120 points, while Germantown Academy, Pa., had 126 points with just five placers -- two in third, two in fourth, and one in fifth. Among the highlights of the championship was an impressive 120 pound weight class, with McKenna earning a 6-2 semifinal victory over Jake Goodwin (Bishop Lynch, Texas) before dismantling fellow Beast of the East champion No. 17 Will Mason (Cape Henry Collegiate, Va.) 7-0 in the final. That came after Mason upended No. 12 Andrew Atkinson (Liberty Christian Academy, Va.) 4-2 in the semifinal, and then Goodwin got third with a 3-2 victory over Atkinson. The 126 pound weight class was equally impressive, as 2010 National Prep champion Jeffrey Ott (Belmont Hill, Mass.) upended Hvolbek by 7-1 decision, before Malone earned a repeat championship with a 10-2 major decision over Ott. In the next weight class, at 132 pounds, Mark Grey won his fourth National Prep title with four pins, and then a 7-2 victory over Fraley in the final. The 138 pound weight class featured a Beast of the East finals rematch, yet again Preston won, this time it was a 5-4 overtime victory over No. 20 Alfred Bannister (Archbishop McNamara, Md.). As mentioned previously, Clark ascended one step higher on the National Prep podium this year, with his victory over Milonas after losing to Preston last year in the final. Two other additional showdowns among nationally ranked wrestlers occurred in the last two weight classes. At 220 pounds, it was a rematch of last year's 215-pound title match, as No. 2 Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Md.) dominated Vizcarrando to the tune of a 17-4 major decision. Then, at 285 pounds, Black upended Johnson 3-2 in the championship match. Rounding out the weight class champions was Corey Huntley (Archbishop Curley, Md.) at 113 pounds. Brackets Team Scores Eagles eye Ohio glory While No. 1 Blair Academy was taking care of its business, No. 2 St. Edward, Ohio, was dominating all comers in their state qualification tournament this past weekend. For the second time in school history, they qualified all 14 wrestlers to the Division I state tournament. The feat had previously been accomplished in 2007. It was a staggering weekend, as they went 53-4 for the tournament, losing their first match in overtime during the 285-pound semifinal on Saturday afternoon. Ten wrestlers won weight class titles. Records are on the line this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in Columbus. St. Edward can possibly tie (or exceed) the seven state titles won, nine state finalists, and 282 team points amassed by St. Paris Graham in Division II, three years ago. At present, the Eagles have seven of their wrestlers as on paper favorites -- No. 2 Dean Heil (126), No. 7 Edgar Bright (132), No. 20 Jacob Davis (160), No. 4 Mark Martin (170), No. 8 Domenic Abounader (182), No. 20 James Suvak (195), and No. 14 Ty Walz (220). Alex Moore (113), Nick Barber (138), and Markus Scheidel (145) also enter the tournament as district champions. Despite the dominance to be had by St. Edward, the Division I field is pretty formidable overall with the presence of two additional nationally ranked teams in No. 16 Cincinnati Moeller and No. 26 Massillon Perry. Each squad won their respective district tournaments last weekend, as well -- the Crusaders with eight qualifying to state and the Panthers with seven. The other team to win a district title was Marysville, and they bring eight to the tournament as well. Defending state champions include Brandon Thompson (113) from Solon, No. 1 George DiCamillo (120) from St. Ignatius, Heil seeking his third title, No. 8 Joey Ward (132) from Cincinnati Moeller, No. 10 Anthony Collica (145) from Solon, No. 12 Zack Dailey (152) from Massillon Perry, Martin seeking a third state finals appearance, Abounader and Michael Baker from Twinsburg both at 182 pounds, and No. 5 Nick Tavanello (285) from Wadsworth seeking a third title. In Division II, there is little doubt that No. 8 St. Paris Graham will win the state title. Despite qualifying only eight to the state tournament, all were district champions. Also present in the division is No. 49 CVCA with seven of their wrestlers making it to Columbus, while Claymont and Steubenville join the Falcons in qualifying eight to the state tournament. Seeking milestone titles for the Falcons are No. 5 Ryan Taylor (120), No. 1 Bo Jordan (152), and No. 4 Isaac Jordan (160) -- each are strongly favored to win a third state title this year, with Bo Jordan on pace to become the 23rd Ohio four-time state champion next year. No. 7 Huston Evans (182) is likely to make it to a fourth state final this weekend, and seeks a second title having won in 2010. He failed to win last year, losing to No. 9 Chaz Gresham of Goshen in the final at 189 pounds, and Gresham is likely to be his finals opponent as well this year. Sophomore Micah Jordan (126), ranked No. 17 nationally, is favored to win his second state title in as many years. The Falcons other nationally ranked wrestler, they have six in all, No. 11 Blake Kastl (145) is likely to have a very stiff test in the finals from either No. 14 Jake Faust of Lexington or James Klosz of Holy Name. Kastl beat both opponents this past weekend, but they were tight matches -- the semifinal victory over Faust came 5-3 in overtime, while the championship match victory over Klosz was by a 6-5 score. In addition, freshmen Eli Stickley (106) and Eli Seipel (113) made state as district champions. Division II, Ohio's medium school classification, features additional nationally ranked wrestlers in No. 2 Nathan Tomasello (113) from CVCA, No. 16 Brent Fickel (132) from Padua, No. 2 Nate Skonieczny (138) from Walsh Jesuit, and No. 10 Matt Meadows (220) from CVCA. Waynedale is the favorites in Division III, which is the small school classification, a tournament that is down in quality from past years. The Bears lead the way with six state qualifiers, three schools have five each (Nelsonville York, Caldwell, and Amanda-Clearcreek), while seven schools have a quartet in the state tournament. That field has two nationally ranked wrestlers, defending state champion No. 8 Mimmo Lytle (285) from Swanton and freshman Matthew Kolodzik (106) from Miami Valley School, who is ranked fourth nationally but was upset by fellow freshman Jared Ganger from Troy Christian in the district semifinal this past weekend. Heavies collide in the Gopher State Arguably the best showcase of heavyweight wrestling this year will come at the Minnesota state wrestling tournament this Friday and Saturday at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. The Class 2A (medium schools) tournament features four high profile 285-pound wrestlers, three of whom are nationally ranked. Seeking to become the first ever wrestler to win three state titles as a heavyweight in Minnesota is No. 3 Austin Goergen (Caledonia). However, coming after the throne are fellow state champion No. 4 (at 220) Michael Kroells (Scott West), who is undefeated on the season and bumped up just for the challenge of this rigorous bracket; No. 7 Sam Stoll (Kasson-Mantorville), runner-up to Goergen last year as a freshman; and undefeated senior Jesse Hein (Perham), who placed fourth at state as a sophomore. The bracket is very favorable for Goergen coming off of his section final win over Stoll, which was one week after Stoll beat Goergen in the team sections. That's it for losses in the quartet -- Kroells and Hein both come in with 41-0 records, Goergen is 33-1, while Stoll has a 41-1 mark. Hein and Stoll are projected to meet in the quarterfinal, with the winner slated to face Kroells in the semifinal. Sitting relatively alone in the other half-bracket is Goergen, who is likely to face senior Brient Pokornowski (Dassel-Cokato), who comes into the tournament with a 34-1 record. Two other weights across the three classifications feature a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers. In Class 3A (big schools) at 126 pounds, No. 8 Mitch Bengtson (St. Cloud Apollo) and No. 12 Sam Brancale (Eden Prairie) are in the same bracket for a second straight year. Last year at 119 pounds, the wrestlers met in a quarterfinal match that Bengtson won 1-0. The junior Bengtson is undefeated this year, seeks a fourth state title, and has not lost since the first weekend of his eighth grade year. Brancale is a three-time state placer, having won state as a sophomore at 103 pounds, with other placements of 6th as a freshman and 3rd last year. Then, at 132 pounds in Class 3A, No. 9 Ben Morgan (Forest Lake) and No. 12 Dakota Trom (Apple Valley) are in the same position that Bengtson and Brancale found themselves last year. In Minnesota's 8x2 system, they were drawn into a quarterfinal match. Morgan was a state champion in eighth grade but has finished third in each of the last three years, while Trom comes in having won three consecutive state titles; however, Morgan possesses a head-to-head victory over Trom in this year's Minnesota Christmas Tournament final. The likely finals opponent for either wrestler would be Eric Bauer (Hastings), who has placed third, second, and third at the state tournament. Two additional showdowns of some intrigue come in Class 2A. At 145 pounds, two-time state champion Jake Short (Simley), ranked No. 4 nationally, and defending state champion Gabe Fogarty (Scott West) are slated to meet in the semifinal round. The classification's third ranked kid, Tyler Bemboom (Foley), is in the same quarter as Fogarty; while fourth ranked Dustin Ellsworth (St. Paul Harding) is the best in the opposite half of the draw. Then, it is a potential finals showdown between undefeated wrestlers at 170 pounds. Micah Barnes (Simley), a two-time state runner-up, is ranked No. 3 nationally; while Garrett Miller (Plainview-Elgin-Millville) finished third at state last year. Additional nationally ranked wrestlers in the tournaments include Class 3A wrestlers No. 5 Tommy Thorn (St. Michael-Albertville) at 113 pounds, No. 3 Mark Hall (Apple Valley) at 145, No. 10 Brandon Kingsley (Apple Valley) at 160, and No. 11 Kyle Begin (Anoka) at 170; Class 2A wrestlers No. 14 Kyle Gliva (Simley) at 113, No. 14 Joey Munos (South St. Paul) at 132, No. 14 Nick Wanzek (Simley) at 152, and No. 17 Broc Berge (Kasson-Mantorville) at 195; while No. 8 Cooper Moore (Jackson County Central) at 170 pounds is the lone nationally ranked Class 1A wrestler. In addition, there is the question about if seventh-grader Brady Berge (Kasson-Mantorville) can win state in Class 2A at 106 pounds, which would join him with Eric Devos and Destin McCauley as among the isolated few to ever win a title in the seventh grade. Berge is ranked No. 5 among all junior high wrestlers, with Hall ranked in the pole position. Also this coming weekend … Minnesota will host its dual meet state tournament on Thursday, while Wisconsin does the same on Friday and Saturday. Individual bracket tournaments will also be conducted for Hawaii, Maryland, Michigan, the New England regional, and New Jersey. (Additional) Individual State Tournaments this past weekend … Delaware Results Idaho Class 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A-1A Results Kansas Class 6A, 5A Results Class 4A Results Class 3-2-1-A Results New York Division I Results Division II Results North Carolina Class 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A Results Oklahoma Class 6A Results Class 5A Results Class 4A Results Class 3A Results Oregon Class 6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A/1A Results South Carolina Class 4A, 3A, 2A/1A Results South Dakota Class A Results Class B Results Texas Results West Virginia Class AAA Results Class AA/A Wisconsin Wyoming Class 4A Results Class 3A Results Class 2A Results Additional dual meet state tournaments held this weekend … Indiana Results Michigan Results

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestler Niko Soto (Spring Hill, Fla.) has been named the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year the league office announced today. Currently ranked No. 16 in the nation at 133, Soto is 22-6 overall and one of four Mocs honored by the SoCon today. Seniors Manny Ramirez (Fayetteville, N.C.) and Dan Waddell (Chattanooga, Tenn.) joined Soto on the All-SoCon team. Freshman Kevin Malone (Carrollton, Ohio) was named to the SoCon All-Freshman squad. Soto went 6-0 in SoCon matches this season, posting four major decision wins and one pin on his way to a perfect league record. His freshman campaign took off when he finished second at the prestigious Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga in January. He also has two wins over top-5 opponents and posted a 4.0 grade-point-average in the fall. Soto is the seventh Moc in school history to be named SoCon Freshman of the Year and the first since Jake Young in 2010. Gerald Carr (1993), Josh Lambrecht (2000), Jared Sullivan (2001), Matt Pitts (2002) and Jason McCroskey (2009) are the others who have taken home the honor from UTC. Waddell earns his second All-SoCon honor and the first since his freshman season in 2009. He went 19-9 this season, including a 6-0 mark in league matches at 157. He did not allow more than three points to any conference opponent. He also had a strong semester in the classroom, earning a spot on the Athletics Director's Honor Roll in the fall. Ramirez got the nod at 125 after transferring to UTC from UNCG in January. He is just 4-1 on the season, but is 3-0 in SoCon action. His last two wins have been by major decision and fall. His only loss on the year was a 5-4 setback in overtime to Wyoming's No. 18 Michael Martinez at the NWCA National Duals in February. This is Ramirez's second All-SoCon award after earning a spot on the team last season at UNCG. Malone led the team with a 24-11 overall record. He was 5-1 in SoCon matches with his only loss coming against The Citadel's 18th-ranked Andrew Delaney. He dropped that match 9-3 on Jan. 29. The Mocs are set to host the 2012 Southern Conference Championship at McKenzie Arena on Saturday, March 3. UTC finished the regular season with a 12-6 overall record and second in the SoCon with a 5-1 tally. Tickets for the SoCon Tournament are currently available on GoMocs.com or by calling the UTC Ticket Office at (423) 266-MOCS (6627). 2012 SoCon Wrestling All-Conference Team 125: Manuel Ramirez*, Sr., Chattanooga 133: Nick Soto, Fr., Chattanooga 141: Mike Kessler, Sr., Appalachian State 149: Savva Kostis*, Sr., Appalachian State 157: Dan Waddell*, Sr., Chattanooga 165: Kyle Blevins, Sr., Appalachian State 174: Turtogtokh Luvsandorj*, Jr., The Citadel 184: Austin Trotman#, Sr., Appalachian State 197: Kelby Smith, Sr., The Citadel HWT: Odie Delaney*, Jr., The Citadel * - Two-time All-Conference # - Three-time All-Conference Wrestler of the Year Kyle Blevins, 165, Sr., Appalachian State 2012 SoCon Wrestling All-Freshman Team Paul Weiss, Appalachian State James Cook, Campbell Mark Hartenstine, Campbell Ryan Krecker, Campbell Joe Nolan, Campbell Joey Rizzolino, Campbell Kyle Casaletto, The Citadel Kevin Malone, Chattanooga Nick Soto, Chattanooga Freshman of the Year Nick Soto, 133, Chattanooga

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Appalachian State University wrestling led all conference schools with four all-conference selections, as the Southern Conference postseason awards were announced by the league office on Tuesday. ASU’s selections were highlighted by SoCon Wrestler of the Year Kyle Blevins (Sapulpa, Okla./Sapulpa). Blevins, wrestling at 165 pounds, was voted Wrestler of the Year after compiling a 33-5 overall mark and a perfect 6-0 record in conference dual matches. The senior has ascended to No. 15 nationally in the latest InterMat Wrestling national rankings and has recorded four victories by fall this season. After winning its first regular season championship since 2003, Appalachian State placed a league-high four wrestlers on the all-conference team. Blevins was the coaches’ choice at 165 pounds, and he was joined by fellow seniors Mike Kessler (Bay City, Mich./Western) (141 pounds), Savva Kostis (Boone, N.C./Watauga) (149) and Austin Trotman (Winston-Salem, N.C./Mount Tabor) (184). Kessler’s final season is highlighted by a 6-0 league record and a 30-11 overall mark. He leads the team with 21 wins by decision and has picked up four pins. Kessler finished the regular season with the 15th-best RPI Rank in the country and was slotted No. 26 in the NCAA coaches’ rank. Kostis went 11-4 in dual action, including 4-1 against SoCon foes. He leads the Apps with 10 major decisions on the season, and his 81 career wins are 12th-most in ASU history. Trotman, ranked No. 12 in the latest InterMat rankings, was slotted No. 11 by the nation’s coaches and scored his class’s No. 7 RPI rank at the end of the regular season. The two-time defending SoCon chamion is 31-4 on the year, including 15-1 in duals while 6-0 in the SoCon. Trotman’s all-conference is the third of his career. Defending tournament champion Chattanooga and this year’s third-place finisher, The Citadel, completed the remainder of the all-conference team with three wrestlers each. The league’s head coaches also selected a 10-wrestler all-freshman team. Mountaineer Paul Weiss (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) was selected to the squad after posting a 5-1 record in SoCon action with a 16-13 overall record, including 10-6 in all duals. SoCon wrestling newcomer Campbell earned half of the spots on the squad as five Fighting Camels earned distinction. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own wrestlers. The 2012 Southern Conference Wrestling Championships, the 75th annual gathering of the league’s wrestling teams, will take place on Sat., March 3 at Chattanooga’s McKenzie Arena in Chattanooga, Tenn. First round matches will begin at 10 a.m., with the finals slated to start at 6:30 p.m. 2012 SoCon Wrestling All-Conference Team 125: Manuel Ramirez*, Sr., Chattanooga 133: Nick Soto, Fr., Chattanooga 141: Mike Kessler, Sr., Appalachian State 149: Savva Kostis*, Sr., Appalachian State 157: Dan Waddell*, Sr., Chattanooga 165: Kyle Blevins, Sr., Appalachian State 174: Turtogtokh Luvsandorj*, Jr., The Citadel 184: Austin Trotman#, Sr., Appalachian State 197: Kelby Smith, Sr., The Citadel 285: Odie Delaney*, Jr., The Citadel * - Two-time All-Conference # - Three-time All-Conference Wrestler of the Year Kyle Blevins, 165, Sr., Appalachian State 2012 SoCon Wrestling All-Freshman Team Paul Weiss, Appalachian State James Cook, Campbell Mark Hartenstine, Campbell Ryan Krecker, Campbell Joe Nolan, Campbell Joey Rizzolino, Campbell Kevin Malone, Chattanooga Nick Soto, Chattanooga Kyle Casaletto, The Citadel Anthony Elias, Davidson Freshman of the Year Nick Soto, 133, Chattanooga

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Big Ten Network will offer its most extensive Big Ten Wrestling Championships coverage ever, with all four sessions Saturday and Sunday, March 3 and 4, at Purdue University receiving either live television or online coverage. As part of the Big Ten Digital Network’s subscription package and for the first time, BTN will provide live, whip-around Student U streaming coverage of the Big Ten wrestling preliminaries, beginning at 10 AM ET Saturday. Streaming coverage of select matches in sessions two and three will continue at 5 PM ET Saturday and at 1 PM ET Sunday, respectively. On Sunday, session four of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships will be carried live at 3 PM ET on BTN. The network's Tim Johnson, Jim Gibbons and Shane Sparks will call the action from Mackey Arena. Saturday, March 3: Big Ten Championships: Session 1, 10:00 a.m. - Student U/BTN Digital Big Ten Championships: Session 2, 5:00 p.m. - Student U/BTN Digital Sunday, March 4: Big Ten Championships: Session 3, 1 p.m. - Student U/BTN Digital Big Ten Championship Finals: Session 4, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. - BTN All times ET

A dejected Frankie Edgar walks away after learning of the decision (Photo/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) First it was B.J. Penn, then Gray Maynard. When it's come to settling a score, Frankie Edgar has always been asked to do it again. At the end of five rounds Sunday, Edgar looked like a man on the wrong side of a beating. The former champion's eye was swollen shut, after being out-struck and out-kicked by challenger Ben Henderson for the majority of the five round fight. Fight Metrics scored the fight for Henderson, as did half the fans on Twitter and all three judges. Still there were those who saw the fight in favor of Edgar and some post-fight controversy was allowed. UFC president Dana White announced on Twitter that he'd been one of the onlookers to score the fight in favor of Edgar, even as he hinted that Anthony Petts would be next in line to fight Henderson, not the recently defeated champion. Pettis has been resurgent and with another quality win will have earned a title shot, but it's Edgar who over the course of his 18 months has done enough as champion to deserve an immediate rematch. Edgar has been doubted by the UFC before. They weren't satisfied with his points win against Penn in the original title fight, so Edgar scored a more decisive win in their rematch (even as the original decision was more lopsided than the one Henderson just earned). Penn, a UFC Hall-of-Famer, then moved weight classes, a sign that Edgar was more than just an adversary, he'd become an immovable object, a riddle that the aging Penn chose not to solve. Edgar was given reign of the weight class, but immediately asked to face his only loss. The second Maynard fight ended in a draw, which prompted the third of the trilogy, which he accepted. Even though Maynard was entitled to the fight, the brutality of the first soiree was such that Edgar seemed a fool to take on his challenger again. He did, and he won. As the UFC moves forward in deciding who is next in line to challenge for Benson Henderson's new belt, they'd be well served to remember what Edgar has endured. The UFC should show some loyalty to a fighter who has been throwing his face in front of much larger opponents, largely with success. As White noted in the press conferences leading up to the fight in Japan (and notably through links on his Twitter account) Edgar is the sport's Rocky, a hard-nosed fighter who is willing and bale to take severe damage on his way to securing a victory. Fans love him for his courage and see his undersized position at lightweight as more than just a setup for dramatic storylines, but an endearing personality trait. Some fighters don't fight well across an ocean, it can be jarring and exhausting for them to not sleep in his bed for nine days, to not eat their foods, see workout partners, or enjoy any other portion of their "normal" pre-fight routine. Edgar beat Penn in Abu Dhabi, and there's no indication that Edgar has complained about these things, or that he even felt jet-lagged or affected by the change (much less any more than Henderson), but the overseas location is an added variable that if subtracted could influence the outcome. Should he not be awarded the immediate rematch, who becomes Edgar's most marketable opponent? A fight with Jim Miller seems unnecessary and possibly unwatchable (unless it's held at the New Jersey state wrestling tournament); the Gray Maynard fights have run their course until one of them again has a title in hand or decide to meet during a farewell fight tour in dozen years (a la Matt Hughes vs. B.J. Penn). Pitting Edgar with Anthony Pettis would only put Henderson on the shelf for 6-8 months and unfairly delay the new champ's career growth. In the cage, Edgar has fought for his second chances -- times he was out on his feet or tumbling backwards on the mat but came back to secure wins through grit. In those moments Edgar controlled his fate. Now helpless to do anything but wait, Edgar's potential comeback is in the hands of matchmakers, it only seems fair that they give him the opportunity that he was forced to give others. As Edgar himself posed to the UFC brass and fans inside the cage on Sunday, the decision on whether or not to create a rematch really only comes down to one question, "What's right?"

Related Link: The MMA Outsider Podcast Archives From Benson Henderson's lightweight title-winning performance to Quinton "Rampage" Jackson's dud of a fight, UFC 144 gave us plenty of storylines to discuss. Richard and John break down what happened over the weekend. In the second half of the show UFC veteran Danny Downes joined us. Downes now writes a column for UFC.com where he gives his predictions for each upcoming UFC card. He lends his experience to analyze the big news from the event, including the dominating knockout win for his Duke Roufus teammate Anthony Pettis over Joe Lauzon. Downes also talked about his own fighting career and a chance run-in with Nick Diaz at a Whole Foods salad bar.

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Cornell senior Cam Simaz has earned his second-straight Ivy League Wrestler of the Year honor it was announced by the conference on Monday. Simaz joins Frank Perrelli and Steve Bosak in earning first-team All-Ivy honors, while the Big Red totals eight All-Ivy selections. The Big Red won its 10th-straight Ivy League title this season after finishing with a 5-0 record. Cornell has won 53 straight Ancient Eight matches. Simaz (197), Perrelli (125) and Bosak (184) all earned first-team honors at their respective weight classes, while Chris Villalonga (149), Craig Eifert (165) and Maciej Jochym (HWT) all earned second-team spots. Kyle Dake (157) and Mike Nevinger (141) were honorable mention. Simaz (Allegan, Mich.) is the fourth-straight Cornell wrestler to earn Wrestler of the Year honors, joining Mack Lewnes ’11 who claimed the award in 2009 and 2010. Simaz is the topped ranked wrestler in the country at 197 pounds. He is now a four-time Ivy League first team honoree and rounds out his Ancient Eight career with an impressive 20-0 Ivy League record. Four of his five conference wins this season were bonus including a pin, two technical falls and a major decision. Simaz was named Ivy League and EIWA rookie of the year in 2009. He is a three-time All-American and three-time EIWA champion. The Big Red senior captain is 22-1 this season with his only loss coming from an injury default. At 125 pounds, Perrelli (Hackettstown, N.J.) earns his second All-Ivy honor this season with a 5-0 conference record. The Big Red wrestler is 25-5 overall this season and is currently ranked No. 7 in the country. At 184 pounds, Bosak (State College, Pa.) earns his second first-team All-Ivy honor. The Big Red captain was second-team All-Ivy in 2010. The All-American is 26-3 overall and 4-0 against the Ancient Eight. Bosak is currently ranked No. 5 by InterMat. Two-time NCAA champion Dake was named All-Ivy honorable mention at 157 pounds after going 1-0 in Ivy League matches. Dake is 26-0 for the season and is currently ranked No. 1 in the country. The Big Red will look to capture its sixth-straight EIWA title on March 3-4 at Princeton University. Wrestler of the Year Cam Simaz, Cornell, 197 (Sr., Allegan, Mich.) Rookie of the Year *Lorenzo Thomas, Penn, 165 (Fr., Pittsburgh) First Team (10) *Frank Perrelli, Cornell, 125 (Sr., Hackettstown, N.J.) *Steve Keith, Harvard, 133 (Jr., Shoreham, N.Y.) *Zack Kemmerer, Penn, 141 (Sr., East Greenville, Pa.) Steve Santos, Columbia, 149 (Jr., Brick, N.J.) Daniel Kolodzik, Princeton, 157 (Sr., Bellbrook, Ohio) *Lorenzo Thomas, Penn, 165 (Fr., Pittsburgh) *Stephen West, Columbia, 174 (Jr., Fresno, Calif.) *Steve Bosak, Cornell, 184 (Sr., State College, Pa.) *Cam Simaz, Cornell, 197 (Sr., Allegan, Mich.) *Steve Graziano, Penn, 285 (So., Syosset, N.Y.) Second Team (10) Billy Watterson, Brown, 125 (So., Pound Ridge, N.Y.) Bryan Ortenzio, Penn, 133 (Sr., Camp Hill, Pa.) Adam Krop, Princeton, 141 (So., Urbana, Md.) Chris Villalonga, Cornell, 149 (So., Totowa, N.J.) Walter Peppelman, Harvard, 157 (Jr., Harrisburg, Pa.) Craig Eifert, Cornell, 165 (So., Mason, Mich.) David Foxen, Brown, 174 (Sr., Garden City, N.Y.) Shane Hughes, Columbia, 184 (Fr., Sussex, Wis.) Micah Burak, Penn, 197 (Jr., Colorado Springs, Colo.) Maceij Jochym, Cornell, 285 (Sr., Williston Park, N.Y.) Honorable Mention (9) Robert Dyar, Columbia, 125 (Jr., Birmingham, Ala.) Kyle Gilchrist, Columbia, 133 (Sr., Jefferson, Ohio) Mike Nevinger, Cornell, 141 (So., Perry, N.Y.) Steve Robertson, Penn, 149 (Fr., Lombard, Ill.)) Kyle Dake, Cornell, 157 (Jr., Ithaca, N.Y.) Andy Lowy, Princeton, 174 (Sr., Brookeville, Md.) Ophir Bernstein, Brown, 184 (Fr., Allen, Texas) Sterling Hecox, Brown, 197 (Fr., Loves Park, Ill.) Kevin Lester, Columbia, 285 (Sr., Nampa, Idaho) *-Unanimous selection

PARK RIDGE, Ill. -- The Big Ten Conference announced the preliminary seeds for the 2012 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, which are set for March 3-4 on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. Six schools boast at least one top seeded wrestler, with Minnesota and Penn State leading the way with three each. Illinois, Ohio State and Penn State will bring a seeded wrestler in each of the 10 weight classes, while Iowa and Minnesota each have seeded wrestlers in nine classes. The pre-seeds, as voted on by the conference's coaches, rank the top eight wrestlers in seven weight classes, along with all 12 schools' starters in three weight classes due to the Big Ten receiving nine or more NCAA Championships qualifier allocations in those classes. Each team enters the championships with a seeded wrestler in the 149-, 174- and 285-pound weight classes. The top-ranked Golden Gophers hold three No. 1 seeds, with 184-pounder Kevin Steinhaus, 197-pounder Sonny Yohn and heavyweight Tony Nelson earning top billing in their weight classes. The No. 2 Nittany Lions also claim three top seeds, with Frank Molinaro taking the top spot at 149, David Taylor earning the top seed at 165 and Ed Ruth doing the same at 174. Rounding out the group of No. 1 seeds are Iowa's Matt McDonough (125), Ohio State's Logan Stieber (133), Michigan's Kellen Russell (141) and Northwestern's Jason Welch (157). Five of this year's top seeds look to defend Big Ten titles from last season, as McDonough (125), Russell (141), Molinaro (149), Taylor (157) and Ruth (174) each took home crowns in 2011. For more information on the 2012 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, visit the Big Ten Championships Central page on Purdue's web site here. The complete list of Big Ten Championships pre-seeds can be found below. Tickets for this weekend's championships are still available at the Purdue Athletics Ticket Office and can be purchased at 1-800-49SPORT or online here: ow.ly/9fb40. For more information on the championships, including ticket prices or parking and lodging information, visit the official Big Ten Championships Website: http://www.purduesports.com/sports/m-wrestl/spec-rel/big-ten-2011-championships.html 125: 1. Matt McDonough, IOWA 2. Zach Sanders, MINN 3. Nico Megaludis, PSU 4. Jesse Delgado, ILL 5. Levi Mele, NU 6. Johnni DiJulius, OSU 7. Camden Eppert, PUR 8. Brenan Lyon, MSU 133: 1. Logan Stieber, OSU 2. Tony Ramos, IOWA 3. B.J. Futrell, ILL 4. Chris Dardanes, MINN 5. Cashé Quiroga, PUR 6. Zac Stevens, MICH 7. Ridge Kiley, NEB 8. Frank Martelotti, PSU 141: 1. Kellen Russell, MICH 2. Hunter Stieber, OSU 3. Montell Marion, IOWA 4. Nick Dardanes, MINN 5. Jake Sueflohn, NEB 6. Daryl Thomas, ILL 7. Matt Ortega, IND 8. Bryan Pearsall, PSU 149: 1. Frank Molinaro, PSU 2. Eric Grajales, MICH 3. Dylan Ness, MINN 4. Ivan Lopouchanski, PUR 5. Cam Tessari, OSU 6. Taylor Walsh, IND 7. Eric Terrazas, ILL 8. Kaleb Friedley, NU 9. Dan Osterman, MSU 10. Mike Kelly, IOWA 11. Skylar Galloway, NEB 12. Frank Baer, WIS 157: 1. Jason Welch, NU 2. Dylan Alton, PSU 3. James Green, NEB 4. Anthony Jones, MSU 5. Josh Demas, OSU 6. Derek St. John, IOWA 7. Tommy Churchard, PUR 8. Jackson Morse, ILL 165: 1. David Taylor, PSU 2. Mike Evans, IOWA 3. Robert Kokesh, NEB 4. Ben Jordan, WIS 5. Conrad Polz, ILL 6. Dan Yates, MICH 7. Cody Yohn, MINN 8. Derek Garcia, OSU 174: 1. Ed Ruth, PSU 2. Logan Storley, MINN 3. Ethen Lofthouse, IOWA 4. Justin Zeerip, MICH 5. Nick Heflin, OSU 6. Curran Jacobs, MSU 7. Tyler Koehn, NEB 8. Jordan Blanton, ILL 9. Lee Munster, NU 10. Ryan LeBlanc, IND 11. Drake Stein, PUR 12. Frank Cousins, WIS 184: 1. Kevin Steinhaus, MINN 2. Quentin Wright, PSU 3. Josh Ihnen, NEB 4. Grant Gambrall, IOWA 5. C.J. Magrum, OSU 6. Braden Atwood, PUR 7. Tony Dallago, ILL 8. Ian Hinton, MSU 197: 1. Sonny Yohn, MINN 2. Matt Powless, IND 3. Morgan McIntosh, PSU 4. Max Huntley, MICH 5. Mario Gonzalez, ILL 6. Andrew Campolattano, OSU 7. James Nakashima, NEB 8. A.J. Kissel, PUR 285: 1. Tony Nelson, MINN 2. Cameron Wade, PSU 3. Ben Apland, MICH 4. Tucker Lane, NEB 5. Mike McMullan, NU 6. Bobby Telford, IOWA 7. Adam Chalfant, IND 8. Roger Vukobratovich, PUR 9. Peter Capone, OSU 10. Steve Andrus, MSU 11. Pat Walker, ILL 12. Cole Tobin, WIS

BOISE, Idaho -- The Stanford wrestling team finished third at the 2012 Pac-12 Championships, Sunday, scoring 125.0 team points at the Taco Bell Arena in Boise, Idaho. Senior Nick Amuchastegui (174 pounds) and junior Ryan Mango (125 pounds) claimed titles for the Cardinal. It marked the first time since 1986 that Stanford produced multiple conference champions. The last pair of teammates to win titles in the same season was Jeff Bradley and Dave Lee, who also both won championships in 1985 as well. It is the second career conference title for Amuchastegui, who remains undefeated on the year at 20-0. He won the 165-pound title as a sophomore in 2010. Sunday, he posted a 10-5 decision over fourth-seeded Scotty Bacon of Boise State and defeated the two seed, Cal Poly’s Ryan DesRoches, 5-4 in the championship bout. Mango secured his first career conference title with a fall over Arizona State’s Dalton Miller in 6:07 and a 14-3 major decision win over second-seeded Pat Rollins of Oregon State. The junior had previously finished third (2010) and fourth (2011) at the conference tournament. He is now 25-5 overall heading into the postseason. Amuchastegui and Mango have earned automatic berths to the 2012 NCAA Championships in St. Louis, Mo., next month. It will be the fourth straight postseason appearance for Amuchastegui and the third straight for Mango. Amuchastegui will attempt to become only the second Cardinal wrestler to secure three All-America honors in his career. He finished fourth at 165 pounds in 2010 and was the runner-up at 174 pounds in 2011. Mango will be looking for his second All-America accolades after finishing sixth in 2011. Stanford had three wrestlers finish second on Sunday. Junior 184-pounder Spence Patrick, seeded third, defeated the No. 2 seed Kevin Radford of Arizona State, 3-2 to advance to the title bout. There, he fell to the top seed Jake Swartz of Boise State, 5-1. Junior Timmy Boone made a notable run in the tournament as well. The 149-pounder entered the day unseeded and knocked off the No. 2 seed Joel Smith of Arizona State, 2-0, in the first round and third-seeded Kyle Chene of Cal Poly, 3-1. He fell 12-4 in the title bout to top-seeded Scott Sakaguchi of Oregon State. Also finishing as a runner-up was redshirt sophomore Bret Baumbach at 165 pounds. He upset the No. 3 seed Holden Packard of Boise State, 7-5, and then posted a fall over second-seeded Adam Fierro of CSU Bakersfield in 4:02. He dropped an 8-1 decision to Cal Poly’s Dominic Kastl in the title match. Sophomores Garrett Schaner and Dan Scherer secured top-3 finishes for the Cardinal. Schaner posted a 10-0 major decision over Cal Poly’s Gian pier Yanez before being pinned by second-seeded RJ Pena of Oregon State at 157 pounds. He then bounced back to defeat Arizona State’s Kyle McIntosh, 10-4 and fourth-seeded Anthony Box of CSU Bakersfield, 8-2 for third place. At heavyweight, Scherer dropped a 4-2 decision to second-seeded Levi Cooper of Arizona State in his first bout. He came back to post a fall over CSU Bakersfield’s Frankie Hurtado in 5:44 and secured a 2-0 decision against J.T. Felix of Boises State to also place third. Sophomore 197-pounder Alan Yen finished fourth at his first conference tournament, while 133-pounder Matt Sencenbaugh placed fifth and freshman Alex Manley took sixth at 141 pounds. Up next, Stanford will wait to hear if any other wrestlers will qualify for the postseason and join Amuchastegui and Mango in St. Louis. The NCAA Championships will be held Mar. 15-17 at the Scott Trade Center.

Related Content: Brackets and Team Standings BOISE, Idaho -- The Oregon State wrestling team won the first Pac-12 Wrestling Championship tonight at the Taco Bell Arena. The team finished with 138 team points and four individual champions. Boise State finished in second with 129 points, while Stanford finished third with 125 points, Arizona State finished in fourth with 102.5 points, Cal Poly finished fifth with 98 points and CSU Bakersfield finished in sixth with 78.5 points. Mike Mangrum won the individual title in the 141 pound weight class defeating No. 1 seeded Borislav Novachkov of Cal Poly. Mangrum was 0-1 against Novachkov entering this match and won tonight in an overtime battle 5-4. Scott Sakaguchi followed Mangrum’s momentum into the 149 pound title match, defeating Timmy Boone of Stanford. Sakaguchi had complete control of the match and won via major decision 12-4. With his title win, he clinched the automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. RJ Pena added the next individual title to the Beavers run tonight with his win against No. 1 seeded Georgi Ivanov of Boise State. He defeated Ivanov 5-2. Pena had lost twice to Ivanov this season. Clayton Jack added the fourth and final individual title when he won in an exciting heavyweight title match against Arizona State’s Levi Cooper. He deafeated Cooper in a decision win 3-0. Jack is now the first back-to-back Pac-12 title winner at the heavyweight class in league history. Pat Rollins finished in second place overall in the 125 pound weight class, clinching his automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. He fell in the championship title to Ryan Mango of Stanford. Garrett Drucker finished in third place overall in the 133 pound weight class winning the third place match-up with a major decision 12-0 against Shane McGouch of Arizona State. Cody Weishoff finished in fourth place fifth place overall in the 165 pound weight class winning his fifth place match-up with a major decision of 13-4 against Rush Hall of Arizona State. John Tuck finished in fifth place overall in the 174 pound weight class. In his fifth place match-up he defeated Brady Garner of CSU Bakersfield via decision 11-6. Taylor Meeks finished in second place in the 197 pound weight class, falling to Brent Chriswell of Boise State by decision 5-2. Ty Vinson finished in third place in the 184 pound weight class after defeating Kevin Radford of Arizona State via decision 4-3 in the third place match. After his third place match, Vinson defeated Stanford’s Spence Patrick in overtime 2-1 to receive the NCAA automatic bid for his weight class. The Beavers will return to action March 15 when they travel to St. Louis to compete at the NCAA Championships. Session I Recap The Oregon State wrestling team is in first place after the first session of the Pac-12 Conference Wrestling Championships Sunday at the Taco Bell Arena in Boise, Idaho. The Beavers have 99 points to 86 for second place Stanford. Boise State is third at 81, followed by No. 4 Cal Poly (65), No. 5 Arizona State (58) and No. 6 CSU Bakersfield (49). The Beavers sent four wrestlers to the NCAA Championships after just the morning session, while three other wrestlers remain in contention for an automatic bid. Pat Rollins was the first Beaver to reach the NCAA Championships with an automatic bid in the 125 pound weight class. He earned his way into the finals by a decision 6-1 win in the first round and a close 3-2 decision in the semi-finals. He will face Stanford’s Ryan Mango, the No. 1 seed in the tournament, in the championships match. Garrett Drucker will be fighting for a 133 pound at-large bid to the NCAA Championships after falling to No. 1 seeded Brian Owen from Boise State in the semi-finals. He will meet Jacob Tanenbaum of Cal Poly in the consolation bracket. Mike Mangrum was the second Beaver to reach the NCAA Championships with his semi-final win in the 141 pound weight class against Nathan Hoffer of Arizona State. His 8-5 decision win against Hoffer was good enough to send him into the championship match against Cal Poly’s Borislav Novachkov. Scott Sakaguchi will be fighting for a bid to the NCAA Championships, with only one athlete from the 149 pound weight class getting an automatic bid. He started the day with a bye at 149 pounds, and then he defeated Boise State’s Steven Hernandez by a 14-3 major decision. He will face off against Timmy Boone of Stanford in the championship match. RJ Pena is the third Beaver to earn an automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Championships. He defeated Garrett Schaner of Stanford via fall in the semi-final match. He will be competing against the No. 1 seeded Georgi Ivanov of Boise State in the championship match. Cody Weishoff will also be trying to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships after being defeated in the 165 pound semi-final match by the No. 1 seeded Dominic Kastl of Cal Poly. Weishoff will face off against Holden Packard of Boise State in the consolation bracket. John Tuck was defeated in the first round of the 174 pound weight class by No. 3 seeded Eric Starks of Arizona State. He will be competing for an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships in the consolation bracket against Scotty Bacon of Boise State. Ty Vinson fell to the No. 1 seeded Jacob Swartz in the semi-final match of the 184 pound weight class. He was able to defeat Ruben Franklin of CSU Bakersfield in the first round and has a chance at an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships by competing in the consolation bracket against Derrick Hawkins of Cal Poly. Taylor Meeks was the fourth Beaver to grab an NCAA Championship automatic bid at 197 pounds. He defeated Chace Eskam in the semi-finals via a 14-3 major decision win. He will compete for the championship against Brent Chriswell of Boise State. Clayton Jack went 2-0 on his way to achieving an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships in the heavyweight class. He defeated Frankie Hurtado of CSU Bakersfield by fall and then in the semi-finals defeated J.T. Felix of Boise State in a stunning fall. He will face off against Levi Cooper of Arizona State in the championship match.

Benson Henderson defeated Frankie Edgar at UFC 144 in Japan (Photo/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Benson Henderson def. Frankie Edgar by unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 49-46) Ryan Bader def. Quinton Jackson (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Mark Hunt def. Cheick Kongo by TKO (punches) Round 1, 2:11 Jake Shields def. Yoshihiro Akiyama by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Tim Boetsch def. Yushin Okami by TKO (punches) Round 3, 0:54 Hatsu Hioki def. Bart Palaszewski by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) Anthony Pettis def. Joe Lauzon by knockout (kick and punches) Round 1, 1:21 Takanori Gomi def. Eiji Mitsuoka by TKO (punches) Round 2, 2:21 Vaughan Lee def. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto by submission (armbar) Round 1, 4:29 Riki Fukuda def. Steve Cantwell by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) Chris Cariaso def. Takeya Mizugaki by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28). Issei Tamura def. Tiequan Zhang by knockout (punch) Round 2, 0:32

MINNEAPOLIS -- Claiming five champions and qualifying seven individuals to national tournament competition, the Augsburg College wrestling team won the championship for the 10th straight year at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional, held on Saturday at Augsburg's Si Melby Hall. Augsburg, ranked No. 4 in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III national poll, will send seven individuals to compete at the NCAA Division III National Championships, to be held March 9-10 in La Crosse, Wis. Augsburg won the 15-team tournament with 172.5 points. The Auggies finished 62 points ahead of second-place St. John's (110.5) and 64 ahead of third-place Elmhurst (Ill., 108.5). St. Olaf finished fourth with 89.0 points, while Concordia-Moorhead finished fifth with 87.5 points. Augsburg, winners of 11 Division III national titles, has won every regional title since it first competed at the Great Lakes Regional in 2003. Augsburg has finished among the top four teams in NCAA national competition 23 years in a row. “We're thrilled to win the Great Lakes Regional for the 10th straight year. Overall, we wrestled very well today. We had seven finalists and five champions,” said Augsburg head coach Mark Matzek. “I'm proud of the whole team, not just the 10 guys wrestling. This is a true team effort, as we take another step towards our goal every year of winning a national championship.” Augsburg's three top-ranked wrestlers all won titles on Saturday, and will all make return trips to the national championships, led by seniors Tony Valek (SR, Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West) at 149 and Orlando Ponce (SR, Hialeah, Fla./Hialeah-Miami Lakes HS) at 157. Both are two-time national runners-up and now four-time national tournament qualifiers. Heavyweight Chad Johnson (SO, Ferryville, Wis./De Soto HS) will make his second straight trip to the national tournament. In addition, No. 5-ranked 141-pounder Will Keeter (SO, Twin Falls, Idaho) and 197-pounder Brad Baus (SR, Mukwonago, Wis.) won titles in their weight classes and qualified for the national tournament for the first time. Auggie 125-pounder Mike Fuenffinger (FY, Hibbing, Minn.) and 165-pounder Tommy Teigen (SO, Ham Lake, Minn./Meadow Creek Christian HS) will also compete at the national tournament for the first time after finishing second in their weight classes at the regional. Valek improved to 29-0 on the season, winning his first three matches at 149 on Saturday by pin before claiming a 7-4 win over Alberto Quiros of Augustana (Ill.) in the finals. Of Valek's 29 victories, 25 are bonus-point wins (14 pins, two technical falls, nine major decisions). Eighteen of his last 20 matches have been bonus-point wins. He is now 131-24 in his career. Ponce improved to 20-0 with a dominating performance at the regional, claiming two pins and two major decisions at 157, including a 12-3 win over Chris Stevermer of St. John's in the championship match. Ponce is now 112-31 in his career. Johnson improved to 32-1 on the season, scoring pins in his first three matches before winning 10-4 in the finals over Tom Bouressa of Concordia-Moorhead. Now 64-13 in his career, Johnson will carry a 21-match winning streak into the national tournament. He finished seventh nationally at heavyweight last season to earn All-American honors for the first time. Baus improved to 27-9 on the season in winning the 197-pound weight class. He opened with a 1:09 pin – his team-high 18th pin of the season and 10th in 2:00 or less – then scored two shutout wins, including a 4-0 win over No. 5-ranked Nathan Schmitz of Concordia-Moorhead in the semifinals. He topped Darren Faber of Wheaton (Ill.) 6-3 in the finals. Baus is now 96-54 in his Auggie career. Keeter scored victories over the two other nationally-ranked wrestlers in the 141-pound field at the regional – a 10-3 win over No. 6-ranked Ryan Timmerman of St. Olaf in the semifinals and a 3-2 win over No. 4-ranked Andrew Zobac of North Central (Ill.) in the finals. Keeter is now 28-6 on the season and 52-25 in his career. Fuenffinger transferred to Augsburg at the semester break after spending the fall 2011 semester in Greco-Roman training at the U.S. Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan University. He claimed three wins at 125, including an opening-match pin and 23-5, technical-fall win in the semifinals, before being edged 3-2 by top-ranked Nathan Fitzenreider of North Central (Ill.) in the finals. Fuenffinger will take a 14-7 record into the national tournament. Teigen earned his first trip to the national tournament at 165, scoring a 10-2 major-decision win and 5-0 triumph in the semifinals before falling 12-6 to Ryan Renon of Lakeland (Wis.) in the finals. Teigen is now 24-12 this season and 39-21 in his career. Augsburg 174-pounder Josh Kohler (SR, Monticello, Minn.) finished fifth during the tournament, but won his “true-fourth” match to end up as one of three alternates to the tournament. Kohler is now 30-17 on the season and 61-49 in his career. Matt Hechsel (FY, Apple Valley, Minn.) finished fifth at 184 pounds, ending his initial Auggie campaign at 19-18. Auggie 133-pounder Tom Kuehn (FY, Fargo, N.D./West Fargo HS) also finished fifth in his weight class, ending his first collegiate season at 21-9.

TIFFIN — The No. 12-ranked Ohio Northern won the team title and three individual crowns at the 2012 Ohio Athletic Conference Wrestling Championships Saturday at Seiberling Gymnasium. The Polar Bears won their eighth team championship in school history after going a perfect 5-0 earlier this year to win the OAC Regular Season title. Northern scored 161 points, No. 16-ranked Mount Union was second with 150 points and host Heidelberg was third with 135.5 points. Junior Kyle Kwiat won the 174-pound title, was named the 2012 OAC Tournament MVP and was OAC Wrestler of the Year. Freshman Cody Lovejoy won the Most Pins in Least Amount of Time Award with two pins in 5:30 and Ron Beaschler was named the OAC Coach of the Year for the second time in his career, giving ONU a clean sweep of all the OAC awards in 2011-12. "This was a complete team effort," Beaschler said. "I thought we would need to get six in the finals and we did that. Everyone did their part. All 10 of our wrestlers placed and that was big. I'm just very excited for our guys. They've don a great job this year." Kwiat, senior Billy Painter and junior Jeremy Jones all won their respective weight class championships and the automatic bid to the 2012 NCAA Division III Championships March 9-10 at LaCrosse, Wis. Six Polar Bears earned All-Conference accolades by reaching the finals of their respective weight classes as all 10 ONU wrestlers placed fourth or higher on the day. Senior Mick Letcher, sophomore Michael Pawlitz and Lovejoy all earned All-Conference honors with runner-up finishes. Letcher earned the league's at-large bid and will join the 10 OAC Champions at the NCAA Championships. Kwiat won his third consecutive OAC crown at the 174 pound weight class, posting an 18-2 tech. fall victory in the finals. He is now 35-1 on the season and is the No. 3-ranked wrestler in the country in his weight class. Kwiat finished fifth last year and fourth as a freshman in 2010 at the NCAA III Championships. Painter won the 165-pound weight class title in impressive fashion and will be making his first trip to the NCAA III Championships in the process. Painter posted a 2-0 record on Saturday and won his finals match by a 17-0 technical fall over Justin Wharton of Heidelberg. Painter is now 26-7 on the season. Jones won the title at 133 pounds by defeating Kevin Nycz of John Carroll 11-1 in the semifinals and Jake Weisman of Heidelberg 6-3 in the finals. It will be Jones' first trip to the NCAA's and he will enter that meet with a 22-12 record. Letcher earned All-OAC honors for the second consecutive season, finishing second at 157 pounds with a 2-1 record. The 2011 OAC Champion is 30-7 on the season. Pawlitz earned All-OAC honors by finishing second at the 197-pound weight class. He was 1-1 on the day and is now 30-8 on the year. Lovejoy was the sixth Polar Bear to earn All-Conference accolades, finishing second in the heavyweight division. Lovejoy was 2-1 with a pair of pins and is now 26-17 on the season. Freshman Brandon Howes finished third at 149 pounds, finishing with a 1-1 record with included an 11-5 victory in the third place match. He ends his season with a 10-15 record. Freshman Cole Coachran placed fourth at 125 pounds, finishing with a 1-2 record. He ends his season with a solid 19-15 record. Sophomore Nick Pataro placed fourth at 141 pounds and ended his campaign with a 9-16 mark. Freshman D.J. Recknagel finished fourth at 184 pounds with a 1-1 mark. He finished his year with a 14-14 record.

GETTYSBURG, Pa. -- The was no margin for error as Johns Hopkins junior Reid Mosquera stepped onto the mat in the 197-pound title match at the 2012 Centennial Conference Championships on Saturday evening at Gettysburg. His Johns Hopkins teammates had put the Blue Jays in position to grab the first Centennial team title in school history by going 4-of-4 in title bouts heading into Mosquera's bout with top-seeded Connor McNamara. Mosquera, the defending conference champion at 197, had already lost to McNamara this season - by fall ... in just 90 seconds. A win for McNamara would secure an unprecedented 10th team title for the Bears, who still had an entry in the finals at 285. Mosquera made that match irrelevant. Trailing 7-6 entering the third period, Mosquera started in the down position, but earned an escape in the first 30 seconds. Now deadlocked at 7-7 and with less than one minute remaining, Mosquera scored a quick takedown after a restart with 52 seconds left to go up 9-7, but McNamara worked his way free to draw within a point as the clock ticked down on someone's season and a team's title. Defensive, but firm as the clock wound towards 0:00, Mosquera closed out two championships - his own and Johns Hopkins' - with a takedown in the final three seconds to take the bout 11-8. Stunningly, the Blue Jays had erased a 10.5-point deficit entering the finals to win the first Centennial Championship in school history with 79 points to 73.5 for the runner-up Bears. Stevens (64.5), Gettysburg (53.5) and Merchant Marine (48) rounded out the top five in the team scoring and Johns Hopkins head coach Keith Norris was named Coach of the Year after leading the Blue Jays to the title. Five individual champions in five title bouts! Johns Hopkins had won 10 individual titles overall since the league was formed in 1994 before grabbing five on Saturday. Sure, the Blue Jays had placed a program-best second at the Centennial Championships a year ago, but wrestling without their starter at 133 and a heavyweight at least one weight class above where he should be, Hopkins figured to be a year away from challenging for the team title. Ten wrestlers - and it took all 10 - had other ideas. Freshman Paul Bewak jump-started Hopkins' record-breaking run with the individual title at 125 on the strength of a pair of wins. After earning the top seed and a bye through to the semifinals, he pinned Gettysburg's Abe Evans in the first period (2:01) before coming back with a third-period fall against Ursinus' Chris Donaldson (5:35) in the championship bout. He is JHU's first Centennial Conference champion at 125 pounds and improved to 27-7 with his two victories. Junior Paul Marcello earned JHU's next gold with his third consecutive Centennial Conference title. After winning titles at 133 as a freshman and sophomore, he bumped up to 141 pounds this season and scored three wins by decision to earn his title. He edged Bernard Watson of Merchant Marine (8-5) and Mason Goretsas of McDaniel (4-3) to move into the final. There, he used a five-point move late in the second period to fuel a 7-1 win over Michael Polizzi of Stevens. Marcello is the first Johns Hopkins wrestler in school history to win three Centennial titles and the first to qualify for the NCAA Championships three times as well. Sophomore Henry Stauber was the only Hopkins wrestler not seeded first or second to earn a title as he captured the 149-pound championship. Seeded fourth, Stauber opened with a first-period pin against McDaniel's Logan Yox (2:23) before upsetting top-seeded Connor McCormick of Ursinus, 3-1. In the final, he trailed 2-0 and 3-2 to Stevens' C.J. Caserta before scoring a late second-period takedown and an escape in the third period to fuel a 5-4 upset of the second-seeded Caserta. The win avenges a 5-0 loss Stauber had suffered to Caserta just two weeks ago. Sophomore Matt Fusaro made it four titles in four championship bouts and set the stage for Mosquera's heroics as he claimed the title at 157. The number two seed, Fusaro opened with a technical fall victory over Merchant Marine's Mathew Hiltz (16-0) and added a 10-4 win over Richard Jasinksi of Ursinus in the semifinals. Matched against top-seeded David Dennis from Washington & Lee in the final, Fusaro used a six-point combination of a quick escape, takedown and three-point near-fall to take a 6-0 lead in the third period and then capped his title with a stunning pin at the 6:32 mark. Dennis pinned Fusaro earlier this season, but Fusaro's pin in the final today grabbed two extra team points for JHU. The five individual champions grabbed the headlines with their stunning effort in the finals, but five other wrestlers also scored for the Blue Jays, who needed every team point their grabbed to win. Junior Michael Koren went 1-2 at 133, but scored a third-period pin of NYU's Adlee Fayyaz in the consolation bracket, while freshman Christian Salera added advancement points in the consolation bracket with a 9-2 win over Andrew Corbett of Ursinus. Freshman Travis Laska fell to eventual champion Ryan Dormann of Stevens in the first round, but added a gutty 3-2 win over McDaniel's Jacob Reik in the consolation bracket, while Ben Finelli, the only senior in the Blue Jay lineup, scored two decisions before being eliminated to add crucial team points. Freshman Evan Johnson added a 3-1 win over NYU's Daniel Brereton in his first match before falling to eventual champion Kevin Poplaski of Gettysburg. With such a slim margin of victory, it's hard to determine what the deciding factor was for the Blue Jays. Sure, Mosquera's win ultimately secured the title, but that was one of five titles - his just happened to come last and against Ursinus. Long the dominant team in the league, on Saturday the Blue Jays had the Bears' number. Five head-to-head matchups all went to Hopkins. Take any of those head-to-head wins away and who knows how the team scoring might have turned out. When it came down to th end - there was no margin for error.

Related Content: Brackets and Team Standings Labette claimed the NJCAA team title (Photo/Johnnie Johnson) ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Labette entered this season ranked fifth in the NJCAA national college wrestling rankings, and head coach Joe Renfro wasn't sure he had the type of team that could challenge for a national championship. Fast-forward four months to Saturday night and that seems almost unbelievable. Labette head wrestling coach Joe Renfro was named 2012 NJCAA Wrestling Coach of the Year (Photo/Johnnie Johnson)Labette ran away with the national team title at the 2012 NJCAA Wrestling Championships, totaling 161.5 points and finishing 16.5 points ahead of runner-up Iowa Central. "They performed outstanding," said Renfro, who was named 2012 NJCAA Wrestling Coach of the Year. "They went above and beyond. They got the pins whenever they had to get the pins. They came together and bonded well. It was a great performance. That's all I can say." Minutes after the heavyweight finals match ended, Coach Renfro was swarmed from behind by his wrestlers who leaped on him in celebration. Renfro, though, refused to take credit for his team's performance. "I can't take credit," said Renfro. "The boys performed well at the right time. That's bottom line. They performed well and I'm proud of them." Labette freshmen Devin Aguirre (157) and Ethan Orr (165) won national titles and nine Cardinal wrestlers earned All-Americans honors. Aguirre, a two-time state champion from Ponca City (Okla.), trailed 5-0 early in his finals match against Justin Pencook of Glouster, but battled back to win 12-6. "Devin just has a motor on him that does not quit," said Renfro. "He keeps coming. He keeps coming. He keeps coming, even if he gets tired. We all get tired because it's wrestling, but he just keeps coming and keeps going. A great performance and a great weekend for him." Labette freshman Ethan Orr controls Kris Schimek of Niagara in their national championship match at 165 pounds (Photo/Johnnie Johnson)Orr, a two-time state champion for nationally ranked High Point (N.J.), controlled Kris Schimek of Niagara from start to finish to win 4-0 and claim the national title at 165 pounds. "It means a lot to me to win the national title, not only for me, but for my team," said Orr. "I did it for my team and for me. We worked so hard to win that national title, six months straight. Coach Joe Renfro trained me so well for this national tournament." Orr said he and his teammates knew before the tournament that they could perform as well as they did. "We knew we could come into this tournament and make a bang," said Orr. "We all had great spots on the charts. We knew we were in a great position to win this tournament, and we just came out on top." Iowa Central, a perennial junior college wrestling power, finished runner-up with three national champions and seven All-Americans. Terrel Wilbourn (141), Edwin Cooper (149), and Jahwon Akui (174) won national titles for the Tritons. All three were among the nation's top 30 recruits last year. Wilbourn, who entered the tournament ranked fourth, battled top-ranked Ethan Raley of Lincoln to a scoreless first period. Wilbourn picked up an escape and takedown in the second period to go up 3-0. Wilbourn then broke the match open in the third period, picking up three takedowns and a two-point nearfall, to win 11-3. "I knew he was a tough kid coming in ... He won Super 32," said Wilbourn, a three-time Missouri state champion and multiple-time Cadet and Junior National All-American. "My game plan was just to break him the first two periods. I know my hands would do their job and that led to a big major." Iowa Central's Edwin Cooper lifts Nassau's Mac Maldarelli off the mat in their national championship match at 149 pounds (Photo/Johnnie Johnson)Cooper, a two-time Illinois state champion and four-time state finalist, scored three takedowns in the opening period of his finals match against Mac Maldarelli of Nassau (N.Y.) to build a 6-2 lead. Maldarelli stayed aggressive throughout the match, picking up a takedown in each of the final two periods, but it wasn't enough as Cooper held on for the 11-8 victory. Cooper did not celebrate on the mat and showed no emotion after getting his hand raised. For him, the national championship was merely a stepping stone to bigger and better things. "I'm just never satisfied," said Cooper, a Cadet National freestyle champion and two-time Junior National freestyle runner-up. "I want more and more. I'm just determined to get what I really want, and this is just a step to get there." So what is it that Cooper really wants? "I want to go DI and claim one of those national titles and go a little bit farther," said Cooper. Cooper, who plans to redshirt next season, gave credit to his coaches for what he was able to accomplish. "My coaches mean everything," said Cooper. "They helped me through the difficult times. They showed me what I needed to do to win this tournament. We worked hard as a team to get to where we are. My coaches showed me how to dedicate myself to the sport." Akui was the third Iowa Central wrestler to win a national championship on Saturday night. He edged Kyle Sweedman of North Idaho, 3-2, to claim the title at 174 pounds. "I was going to redshirt next season, but now I'm thinking I might want to wrestle next season because of my coaches and teammates," said Akui, who was ranked as the nation's No. 13 recruit by InterMat in 2011. Akui was an All-State football player in Illinois before coming to Iowa Central. He rushed for over 5,000 yards in his prep career. He contemplated playing football this past fall, but ultimately decided to focus on wrestling. Akui said that he has aspirations of wrestling at the Division I level, and also training to make the U.S. World Team in Greco-Roman. Lincoln College finished third in the team standings behind Labette and Iowa Central, and crowned one national champion, Mike Johnson (197), and six placewinners. Johnson, a seventh-place finisher at the 2011 NJCAA Wrestling Championships, scored the go-ahead takedown against Zach Anderson of Labette off a bear hug with six seconds remaining to win his national title in dramatic fashion, 3-1. Defending national champion Clackamas finished fourth in the team standings with 97 points. Clackamas' lone national finalist was Austin Morehead, who fell in the finals at 184 pounds to John McArdle of Middlesex. It marked the second straight year in which Morehead finished as the national runner-up. McArdle raced out to a 5-0 lead after a takedown and three-point nearfall from a cradle. McArdle took an 8-3 lead into the second period. Morehead mounted a late comeback, but came up short, 9-8. Anthony Abidin of Nassau defeated Brandon Wright of Iowa Central, 7-4, to claim the national title at 133 pounds. Abidin's victory helped Nassau to a fifth-place finish. "It was a long road to get here," said Abidin. "First year of college I didn't think I was going to do much. I had success in high school, but I knew college was a whole different animal. I've had the same mentality ... Work hard every day. Make sure that I work harder than everyone in the nation. If I'm working harder than everyone else, how are they going to beat me? That's what I always say." Abidin, a freshman, entered the tournament ranked No. 10, while Wright, a returning All-American, was ranked No. 1. "I love being the underdog," said Abidin, who won the Long Island Open and Wilkes Open this season. "My senior year of high school when I won states I was ranked fourth in my county. So I just love being the underdog because if I win, it's a big upset. If I lose, I was supposed to lose." Jeff Vesta of Neosho was the first national champion crowned on Saturday night after beating top-ranked Steven Romero of Highline, 3-2, at 125 pounds. The two met for third place a year ago, with Romero coming out on top 11-6 in that meeting. Curtis Blaydes of Harper, an Illinois state champion, won the title at heavyweight with a 6-5 victory over Jack "Trey" Page of Labette. Finals Results: 125: No. 3 Jeff Vesta (Neosho) dec. No. 1 Steven Romero (Highline), 3-2 133: No. 10 Anthony Abidin (Nassau) dec. No. 1 Brandon Wright (Iowa Central), 7-4 141: No. 4 Terrel Wilbourn (Iowa Central) maj. dec. No. 1 Ethan Raley (Lincoln), 11-3 149: No. 1 Edwin Cooper (Iowa Central) dec. No. 2 Mac Malderelli (Nassau), 11-8 157: No. 3 Devin Aguirre (Labette) dec. No. 1 Justin Pencook (Gloucester), 12-6 165: No. 1 Ethan Orr (Labette) dec. No. 6 Kris Schimek (Niagara), 4-0 174: No. 1 Jahwon Akui (Iowa Central) dec. Kyle Sweedman (North Idaho), 3-2 184: No. 3 John McArdie (Middlesex) dec. No. 1 Austin Morehead (Clackamas), 9-8 197: No. 1 Mike Johnson (Lincoln) dec. No. 3 Zach Anderson (Labette), 3-1 285: No. 2 Curtis Blaydes (Harper) dec. No. 11 Jack "Trey" Page (Labette), 6-5 Team Standings (Top 10): 1. Labette 161.5 2. Iowa Central 145 3. Lincoln 111 4. Clackamas 97 5. Nassau 87.5 6. North Idaho 86 7. Northwest 79 8. Harper 58.5 9. Middlesex 52 10. Colby 51.5

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The No. 3-ranked Oklahoma State wrestling team finished the dual portion of its season in dominating fashion Friday night as the Cowboys (17-1) dropped No. 10 Missouri (14-5), 32-9, to claim their sixth win over a top-10 opponent this year and finish with a flawless 6-0 record against Big 12 opponents. With that perfect conference record, the Cowboys were presented the inaugural Big 12 regular season wrestling championship at the conclusion of the dual. The OSU wrestling program now has 11 Big 12 team titles, eight seasons without a loss to a Big 12 opponents and 45 total team conference championships. “This was the first time we’ve had a regular conference championship in dual meets, and it wasn’t easy,” coach John Smith said. “It’s nice, but the whole thing changes if Chris Perry doesn’t get a technical fall (at OU). We like to collect hardware. That’s our focus.” Oklahoma State started the dual strong and never looked back, holding a 17-0 lead after the first three bouts with a fall at 141 pounds from Josh Kindig over Brandon Wiest, a technical fall at 133 pounds from Jordan Oliver over Eric Wilson and a Missouri forfeit at 125 pounds. “Well, it was a little different because, obviously, their ‘25-pounder was out,” Smith said. “Overall, it was a good effort from the standpoint of being a little bit more aggressive and putting points on the board at key times.” A pair of seniors, wrestling in their last career matches inside Gallagher-Iba Arena, came through with some of the biggest wins of the dual, including Jamal Parks’ 10-3 decision over No. 13 Kyle Bradley at 149 pounds and Cayle Byers’ 7-1 decision over No. 5 Brent Haynes. “I was pleased with the outcome,” Byers said. “I didn't go in there to wrestle any different than I have in the past. I just trained hard and stuck to the game plan the coaches had and it turned out well.” Parks’ win wrapped up a perfect regular season for him at 28-0. He joins fellow Cowboy Chris Perry with an undefeated regular season, as Perry won 6-3 at 174 pounds over No. 15 Dorian Henderson to push his season mark to 24-0. “It feels great,” Parks said. “This is a great year to have my first undefeated season. I've never had one, so I'm looking forward to grinding and keep doing what I'm doing.” Other OSU wins included Dallas Bailey’s 4-1 decision over Zach Toal at 165 pounds and Austin Marsden’s 3-2 victory over No. 20 Devin Mellon, giving OSU wins in eight of the 10 bouts. The Cowboys return to action March 3 as they compete in the Big 12 Championship in Columbia, Mo. Results: 125: No. 14 Jon Morrison (OSU) won by forfeit (MU) 133: No. 1 Jordan Oliver (OSU) TF5 Eric Wilson (MU); 19-4;5:24 141: No. 13 Josh Kindig (OSU) fall Brandon Wiest (MU); 2:30 149: No. 2 Jamal Parks (OSU) dec. No. 13 Kyle Bradley (MU); 10-3 157: No. 19 Drake Houdashelt (MU) dec. No. 20 Albert White (OSU); 2-1 165: Dallas Bailey (OSU) dec. Zach Toal (MU); 4-1 174: No. 3 Chris Perry (OSU) dec. No. 15 Dorian Henderson (MU); 6-3 184: No. 18 Mike Larson (MU) fall Chris McNeil (OSU); 4:32 197: Cayle Byers (OSU) dec. No. 5 Brent Haynes (MU); 7-1 285: Austin Marsden (OSU) dec. No. 20 Devin Mellon (MU); 3-2

Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson (Photo/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Event: UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson Venue: Saitama Super Arena (Tokyo, Japan) Date: Feb. 25, 2012 The UFC returns to Japan for the first time in a decade, and the fight card is full of Japanese fighters, as you would expect. To date, the Japanese have been a real disappointment with their participation in the UFC, despite their long history of karate, kung-fu, judo, and the other mixed martial arts. Tonight is their chance to turn that around on a fight card of a dozen fights ... The UFC Monster has been on a hot streak, winning money for InterMat readers on four straight cards, and nine of the last 12, winning at a 75% pace. Nice Return on Investment (ROI). We won $140 on the UFC 143 card, but I felt it should have been $420, if the judges had given Nick Diaz, the win over Carlos Condit, who danced all night, and did no damage whatsoever to Diaz. I thought the pot-smoker got screwed. He now is suspended and threatens to call it quits. I hope not. Let's move on now to see if we can keep this winning streak going! This fight card is a bargain for fans who get seven PPV fights (instead of five), with an additional four preliminary fights shown for free on FX TV. The main event features the battle for the lightweight title between champion Frankie Edgar (14-1-1) and the athletic Benson Henderson (15-2 with 8 submissions). This five-round fight should be the "Fight of the Night." Edgar never quits. Anyone who saw either of his last two fights with Gray Maynard, know that he can take a royal beating, and somehow rally to win fights he was "out" of. He also out scored BJ Penn twice, leaving him as a frustrated loser. Frankie is a true champion with the heart of a lion. But Ben Henderson is a lightning-fast striker with a complimentary kicking game, who uses his strikes to set up his patented, neck-cranking, guillotine choke. Henderson rides you to the mat as he locks in that vice grip. His athleticism and endless cardio make him extremely dangerous for the champ. His resume has UFC victories over Clay Guida, Jim Miller, and Mark Bocek. Add some WEC notches to his belt with victories over Shane Roller, and Cowboy Donald Cerrone (twice). This will be an action packed battle. So flip a coin, if you want, but I'm taking Henderson at odds of +105 as a slight underdog to win the LW belt by fourth round submission. I am also factoring in that it's often more motivating to win the belt for the first time, than defending it for the fourth. I think I've sniffed out another barking underdog with teeth, light heavyweight, former ASU wrestler Ryan Bader (13-2 with 6 KOs). His challenge is to upset the legendary Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (32-9 with 10 KOs), who is a fan favorite in Japan due to his dominance in Pride. The master of the slam (see Ricardo Arona for details) tore apart his competition a decade ago, but Rampage's UFC days are now numbered, as always happens to veteran fighters, while Bader, despite his shortcomings of getting submitted twice in his last three fights, is a fighter on the rise. One is going up (Bader), while the other is going down (Rampage). Both have lost to Bones Jones, and neither will see a rematch anytime soon. Bader won't be submitted by Rampage. That's not his game. The howling wolfman with the heavy chain around his neck has become a street fighter, using his powerful strikes to drive you to the fence where he bullies opponents, and ends his mission leaving most of them in a heap on the mat. Rampage is a slugger with great takedown defensive skills. And, Bader, is made to order for him. But I'm going back to the hunger factor. Bader is coming off a quick first-round knockout over Jason Brilz. Rampage is going home to Japan. I can't pass on the value of getting Bader at +220. His wrestling and powerful double leg takedowns give him more than a slugger's chance of winning this. Bader wins by third-round ground-and-pound TKO. Frenchman heavyweight Cheick Kongo (17-6-2 with 10 KOs) is a fan favorite because of his powerful physique and striking power. He loves to stand and fire rockets, and his ground game has improved dramatically. He used to be an automatic out once he was put to his back. The big Hawaiian, Mark Hunt (7-7) won't put him on this back, because six of Hunt's seven losses have come by submission, and he wants nothing of the mat. So Kongo being a smart fighter should minimize the slugfest, use his strong kicking skills to back up Hunt, and then after unloading elbows and knees against the fence, pull his legs out from under him, and smother him with his patented ground-and-pound. Kongo wins by second-round TKO and cashes at odds of -270. Welterweight Jake Shields (26-6-1with 10 submissions) went almost a decade between losses. Now he has lost two in a row! Losing to GSP was expected, and the loss of his father may have cost him his focus in the last one, but tonight he makes it right, and gets back on track for a title run. Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-4 with 6 KOs and 6 subs) has been a disaster in the UFC. Vitor Belfort destroyed him with a first-round KO. Chris Leben choked him out. And Michael Bisping beat him by decision. Another loss and he'll be gone. That makes him dangerous, but Shields isn't ready to accept another loss, as well. Two desperate fighters make for an interesting affair. I think Shields has the better skills, a better training camp (Diaz brothers, Gilbert Melindez, and others), and a lethal ground game that smothers and controls even the likes of Dan Henderson! Akiyama looks like fodder for the feast. I'll lay the -300 on Shields winning by a second round rear-naked choke. Middleweight Yushin Okami (26-2) is 10-3 in the UFC, and is coming off a rare KO loss to Anderson "Spider" Silva, who avenged an earlier defeat to Okami (due to an illegal kick to the head). His opponent, Tim Boetsch (14-4), has looked good since dropping from light heavyweight. This should be a standup affair with each trying to grind out a victory with their dirty boxing skills in the clinch. Okami has the crowd behind him. But Boetsch will give him all that he can handle. I'm taking advantage of the value of a +300 underdog, and calling it a late TKO for "The Barbarian." Featherweight Hatsu Hioki (25-4-2 with 10 subs) is 13-1-1 in his last 15 fights, but he struggled in his UFC debut, winning a split decision over George Roop. His opponent, Bart Palaszewski (36-14), is a seasoned WEC veteran making a late career run. He is also coming off a stunning first-round KO of once-dominant Tyson Griffin. Hioki should be able to get the decision in front of a friendly crowd. I think the -170 price tag is reasonable. In what should be one of the most interesting fights of the night, Anthony Pettis (14-2) takes on Joe Lauzon (21-6 with 16 subs) at lightweight. Pettis will forever be remembered as winning the WEC title with a running off the cage kick that stunned Ben Henderson and gave him a decision victory. He then went 1-1 in the UFC and now faces the dangerous Joe Lauzon who just ended Melvin Guillard's five-fight winning streak with a brutal arm bar. This fight should have plenty of action as Pettis tries to keep it standing, and Lauzon wants to go to the mat. After getting beind as he often does, I look for Lauzon to pull yet another upset as he locks up a late submission to cash at +205. Now let's take a brief look at the undercard ... Takanori Gomi (32-8) is a Japanese legend who is struggling at the end of his glorious career. I give him the nod over Eiji Mitsuoka (18-7-2) to win by decision at a reasonable -200. Norifumi "Kid" Yamamoto (18-5 with 13 KOs) was tearing up Japan until he came to the U.S. and lost a split decision to Joe Warren at Bellator. He has also struggled in the UFC, but should be able to get back on track against Vaughan Lee (11-7-1). I'll call it a KO and lay the -305. Takeya Mizugaki (17-5) should get a decision over Chris Cariaso (12-3). Lay the -200. Middleweights Riki Fukuda (17-5) and Steve Cantwell (7-5) are struggling to keep their careers alive. Cantwell has lost four straight and has dropped from the ranks of light heavyweight. Fukuda hasn't fought in a year since a car crash damaged his knee. I'll pass on this one. And, finally, Chinese Tiequan Zhang (15-2 with 12 subs) should get another one against Issei Tamura (6-2). Lay the -250. Now let's see how we can do with our "fictitious" $1000 bankroll. Previous results are documented below. Let's lay $100 to win $105 on a mild Ben Henderson upset for the title. Let's lay $50 to win $110 on Ryan Bader beating up Rampage. Let's lay $135 to win $50 on Cheick Kongo drilling Mark Hunt. Let's lay $150 to win $50 on Jake Shields getting back on track. Let's lay $50 to win $150 on a Tim Boetsch shocker. Let's lay $119 to win $70 on Hatsu Hioki. Let's lay $50 to win $125 on Joe Lauzon and his wicked submissions. Let's lay $120 to win $60 on the once dominant Takanori Gomi. Let's lay $61 to win $20 on Kid Yamamoto to finally KO someone. Let's lay $60 to win $30 on Takeya Mizugaki to pleasing the crowd. Let's lay $75 to win $30 on Tiequan Zhang submitting Issei Tamura. Let's pass on Fukuda vs. Cantwell. That's $970 to win $800 and we still have $30 left! So, let's try for the BIG KILL by putting together a four-team, underdog, round-robin parlay. This will be five separate parlay bets at $6 each for a total risk of only $30, with the chances of hitting for about $1000! That's right. If we even hit 3-out-of-4, we would still clear a $100+ profit ... and all for just a $30 risk. But in a parlay wager you need all teams to win, one bad apple spoils the pie, and you lose your parlay bet if just one team loses. Since each team is in four of the five parlays, one losers leaves you with just one parlay alive. This "system" was taught to me by the infamous Dr. George, a Ph.D. in statistical sports analysis, who once dominated the sports books of Vegas, earning free buffets as he went. This one's for the The Doctor. Using our four underdogs (Henderson/Bader/Boetsch/Lauzon) we have the following combinations: Hendo/Bader/Boetsch Hendo/Bader/Lauzon Hendo/Boetsch/Lauzon Bader/Boetsch/Lauzon Hendo/Bader/Boetsch/Lauzon ... We are risking $30 to win $1000+. Good luck. See you at the winner's window. Enjoy the fights. I know I will. And, don't forget to share your winnings with your local youth wrestling program, where tomorrow's champions are born.

BOISE, Idaho -- Boise State will welcome its five conference foes to Taco Bell Arena for the 2012 Pac-12 Wrestling Championships, Sunday, Feb. 26. The six-team tournament will be broken into two sessions; the first starting at 11 a.m. (MT) while Session II is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. Tournament seeding will be finalized Saturday and posted to broncosports.com. Live Coverage: A live bracket and results will be available at http://www.broncosports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=9900&ATCLID=205384724 Live video will also be available free of charge at http://www.broncosports.com/liveEvents/liveEvents.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=9900 What's At Stake: The individual championship for each of the 10 weight classes is not the only thing at stake on Sunday: individual wrestlers are !ghting for good positioning for the national at-large selection to earn a trip to the 2012 NCAA Division I Championships held March 15-17 in St. Louis, Mo. The 40 at-large quali!ers will be announced by the NCAA on March 7. The NCAA has announced how many wrestlers per weight class from the Pac-12 will automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships in St. Louis:125-2, 133-2, 141-2, 149-1, 157-2, 165-1, 174-2, 184-2, 197-3 and HWT-2. The league has a total of 19 automatic quali!ers available based on Sunday's results. Championship Schedule: 10 a.m. - Taco Bell Arena doors open 11 a.m. - Session I begins Championship quarterfinals/semifinals 2 p.m. - Arena cleared at the end of Session I 3 p.m. - Taco Bell Arena doors open 4 p.m. - Session II begins Consolation semifinals, Fifth-place matches 5:30 p.m. - Grand March, Senior Recognition 5:50 p.m. - Championship/Consolation Finals 7 p.m. - Awards Arena Info and Parking: Spectator parking will be located between Taco Bell Arena and Bronco Stadium. The cost to park is $5 per vehicle. For more information about Taco Bell Arena, visit http://tacobellarena.com/. Ticket Information: Tickets can be purchased in advance of the event at www.idahotickets.com. It is recommended that fans by their tickets to avoid long box office lines at the door. The ticket office will open at 9 a.m. Sunday morning. All tickets will be general admission. All-Session Tickets: General Admission All-Session Pass: $30.00 Child/Student/Senior All-Session Pass: $20.00 Single Sessions I or II: General Admission: $20.00 Child/Student/Senior: $15.00 Bronco Competitors: The Boise State lineup will include: Landon Hartley (125), Brian Owen (133), Josh Strait (141), Steven Hernandez (149), George Ivanov (157), Holden Packard (165), Scott Bacon (174), Jake Swartz (184), Brent Chriswell (197) and J.T. Felix (285). A Tradition of Excellence: Boise State has won six Pac-10 titles in the program's history and three of the last four (2011, 2009, 2008). Oregon State won the team title in 2010 and 2007. Arizona State is the last school to take home the trophy, doing so in 2006. Scouting the Competition: Three Pac-12 teams were ranked in the latest Intermat tournament strength index. Stanford was the highest seeded Pac-12 squad coming in at No. 15, while Oregon State and Cal Poly came in at No. 17 and No. 19, respectively. The Pac-12 boasts 14 individually ranked wrestlers three of which hail from Boise State. Among the Elite: In the latest Intermat rankings, Jake Swartz was picked as the 10th-best wrestler in the nation at the 184-pound division. The redshirt sophomore was an at-large selection to the NCAA tournament last year. Junior transfer George Ivanov, who leads the team in wins (19), joins Swartz in the top 25, falling a spot from last week to the No. 14 position at 157 pounds. Redshirt junior Brent Chriswell has broken into the rankings for the first time this season, claiming the No. 20 spot at 197 pounds. What Happened Last Time: The Boise State wrestling team split two matches its last time out at the National Duals Regional in Stillwater, Okla., Feb. 12. The Broncos fell in the first round to No. 7 Ohio State 26-9 before topping Chattanooga 25-17. George Ivanov, Brent Chriswell and J.T. Felix each picked up two wins for the Broncos. Reaching A Milestone: Head Coach Greg Randall notched his 100th win as Boise State head coach with team's win against North Dakota State at the 2012 Beauty and the Beast Event, Jan. 20. Randall holds a 101-40-1 record and is in his 10th season as head coach. Under Randall, the Broncos have notched four Pac-10 titles and six top-25 finishes at the NCAA tournament, including a ninth-place finish last year. The "Biggest Little" Upset: George Ivanov, a junior-transfer from the University of Nebraska-Omaha, recently fell out of the Intermat rankings, but redeemed himself by taking down three wrestlers with top-20 rankings at the 157-pound weight class at the Reno Tournament of Champions, Dec. 18. After winning in the first two rounds, Ivanov knocked off No. 12 Albert White in the quarterfinals. In the semifinal matchup, he faced Oregon State's R.J. Pena who entered the match ranked 16th in the nation. Ivanov pinned the Pac-12 foe in 4:42. The magical run concluded with a matchup against the No. 1 seed and fifth-ranked Justin Lister of Binghamton. Ivanov pulled off the upset in a 5-3 decision, completing the five-bout win streak to stand atop the podium. 2011-12 Team: This season's team is loaded with new talent as 12 true freshman make up Boise State's 29 roster spots. The Broncos also welcome sophomore Cody Dixon and junior-transfer George Ivanov, who make a total of 14 newcomers to the program. The Orange and Blue also return four redshirt freshman this year, which gives a total of 18 student-athletes the opportunity to wrestle in their first official match as a member of the Bronco squad this season. While new faces make up most of the Bronco roster, returners Jake Swartz, J.T. Felix and Brent Chriswell look to guide the team to a successful 2011-12 season.