InterMat Staff

The 2012 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals regionals this weekend will feature numerous matches pitting ranked wrestlers against each other. If all four regional brackets go according to the seeds, here are some potential matchups you could see in each of the regionals ... Rutgers Regional (Saturday) Round 1 (2 p.m. ET) No. 4 Kent State vs. No. 5 Rutgers 149: No. 8 Mario Mason (Rutgers) vs. No. 9 Ian Miller (Kent State) No. 3 Missouri vs. No. 6 Cal Poly 174: No. 4 Ryan DesRoches (Cal Poly) vs. No. 18 Dorian Henderson (Missouri) Semifinals (4 p.m. ET) No. 1 Minnesota vs. No. 4 Kent State 125: No. 2 Zach Sanders (Minnesota) vs. No. 4 Nic Bedelyon (Kent State) 141: No. 8 Nick Dardanes (Minnesota) vs. No. 10 Tyler Small (Kent State) 149: No. 9 Ian Miller (Kent State) vs. No. 10 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) 285: No. 4 Tony Nelson (Minnesota) vs. No. 16 Brendan Barlow (Kent State) No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 Missouri 133: No. 8 Nate McCormick (Missouri) vs. No. 16 Zac Stevens (Michigan) 149: No. 6 Eric Grajales (Michigan) vs. No. 17 Kyle Bradley (Missouri) 174: No. 8 Justin Zeerip (Michigan) vs. No. 18 Dorian Henderson (Missouri) 197: No. 15 Max Huntley (Michigan) vs. No. 7 Brent Haynes (Missouri) Finals (6 p.m. ET) No. 1 Minnesota vs. No. 2 Michigan 133: No. 7 Chris Dardanes (Minnesota) vs. No. 16 Zac Stevens (Michigan) 141: No. 1 Kellen Russell (Michigan) vs. No. 8 Nick Dardanes (Minnesota) 149: No. 6 Eric Grajales (Michigan) vs. No. 10 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) 165: No. 13 Dan Yates (Michigan) vs. No. 14 Cody Yohn (Minnesota) 174: No. 6 Logan Storley (Minnesota) vs. No. 8 Justin Zeerip (Michigan) 197: No. 6 Sonny Yohn (Minnesota) vs. No. 15 Max Huntley (Michigan) 285: No. 4 Tony Nelson (Minnesota) vs. No. 10 Ben Apland (Michigan) Cornell Regional (Sunday) Round 1 (10 a.m. ET) No. 4 Central Michigan vs. No. 5 Purdue 184: No. 4 Ben Bennett (Central Michigan) vs. No. 19 Braden Atwood (Purdue) No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 6 American 141: 3 Kendric Maple (Oklahoma) vs. No. 14 Matt Mariacher (American) 157: No. 3 Ganbayar Sanjaa (American) vs. No. 15 Matt Lester (Oklahoma) Semifinals (12 p.m. ET) No. 1 Cornell vs. No. 4 Central Michigan 125: No. 5 Frank Perrelli (Cornell) vs. No. 17 Joe Roth (Central Michigan) 184: No. 4 Ben Bennett (Central Michigan) vs. No. 5 Steve Bosak (Cornell) No. 2 Illinois vs. No. 3 Oklahoma 125: No. 7 Jesse Delgado (Illinois) vs. No. 9 Jarrod Patterson (Oklahoma) 133: No. 5 B.J. Futrell (Illinois) vs. No. 10 Jordan Keller (Oklahoma) 149: No. 13 Nick Lester (Oklahoma) vs. No. 19 Eric Terrazas (Illinois) 165: No. 12 Conrad Polz (Illinois) vs. No. 20 Bubby Graham (Oklahoma) Finals (2 p.m. ET) No. 1 Cornell vs. No. 2 Illinois 125: No. 5 Frank Perrelli (Cornell) vs. No. 7 Jesse Delgado (Illinois) 197: No. 1 Cam Simaz (Cornell) vs. No. 16 Mario Gonzalez (Illinois) Iowa State Regional (Sunday) Round 1 (11 a.m. CT) No. 4 Virginia Tech vs. No. 5 Northern Iowa 133: No. 1 Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) vs. No. 11 Joe Colon (Northern Iowa) No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 6 Wisconsin 165: No. 4 Andrew Sorenson (Iowa State) vs. No. 11 Ben Jordan (Wisconsin) Semifinals (1 p.m. CT) No. 1 Iowa vs. No. 4 Virginia Tech 133: No. 1 Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) vs. No. 4 Tony Ramos (Iowa) 141: No. 6 Montell Marion (Iowa) vs. No. 19 Zach Neibert (Virginia Tech) 165: No. 7 Peter Yates (Virginia Tech) vs. No. 8 Mike Evans (Iowa) No. 2 Oregon State vs. No. 3 Iowa State No. 4 Mike Mangrum (Oregon State) vs. No. 17 Luke Goettl (Iowa State) No. 5 Clayton Jack (Oregon State) vs. No. 12 Matt Gibson (Iowa State) Finals (3 p.m. CT) No. 1 Iowa vs. No. 2 Oregon State 141: No. 4 Mike Mangrum (Oregon State) vs. No. 6 Montell Marion (Iowa) 157: No. 5 Derek St. John (Iowa) vs. No. 18 R.J. Pena (Oregon State) 285: No. 5 Clayton Jack (Oregon State) vs. No. 14 Bobby Telford (Iowa) Oklahoma State Regional (Sunday) Round 1 (1 p.m. CT) No. 4 Wyoming vs. No. 5 Chattanooga 133: No. 13 Nick Soto (Chattanooga) vs. No. 17 Zach Zehner (Wyoming) No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 6 Boise State 157: No. 14 George Ivanov (Boise State) vs. No. 20 Josh Demas (Ohio State) 184: No. 10 Jake Swartz (Boise State) vs. No. 11 C.J. Magrum (Ohio State) Semifinals (3 p.m. CT) No. 1 Oklahoma State vs. No. 4 Wyoming 125: No. 13 Jon Morrison (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 18 Michael Martinez (Wyoming) 133: No. 2 Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 17 Zach Zehner (Wyoming) 197: No. 8 Blake Rosholt (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 9 Alfonso Hernandez (Wyoming) No. 2 Nebraska vs. No. 3 Ohio State 133: No. 3 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) vs. No. 18 Ridge Kiley (Nebraska) 141: No. 5 Hunter Stieber (Ohio State) vs. No. 9 Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska) 157: No. 7 James Green (Nebraska) vs. No. 20 Josh Demas (Ohio State) 174: No. 7 Nick Heflin (Ohio State) vs. No. 20 Tyler Koehn (Nebraska) 184: No. 8 Josh Ihnen (Nebraska) vs. No. 11 C.J. Magrum (Ohio State) Finals (7 p.m. CT) No. 1 Oklahoma State vs. No. 2 Nebraska 133: No. 2 Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 18 Ridge Kiley (Nebraska) 157: No. 7 James Green (Nebraska) vs. No. 11 Albert White (Oklahoma State) 174: No. 3 Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 20 Tyler Koehn (Nebraska) 285: No. 2 Alan Gelogaev (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 9 Tucker Lane (Nebraska)

NORFOLK, Va. -- The No. 23 Old Dominion University Wrestling team had no trouble on Senior Night at the Ted Constant Convocation Center as nine Monarchs tallied victories over North Carolina State in a 34-3 win Thursday evening. The Monarchs (13-8) finished the season a perfect 4-0 at home, having defeated two ranked opponents in the process and outscoring their opposition by a total of 106-39 in the four duals. Redshirt freshman No. 32 Jerome Robinson started the evening off with an upset at 125 pounds over 23rd-ranked Colin Fought, 10-3. At 133, sophomore Scott Festejo pinned NC State's Ben Elliott in the third period at the 5:08 mark for his team-leading sixth fall of the season. The Wolfpack (4-8) got their lone victory of the night at 141 pounds as 11th ranked and redshirt senior Darrius Little used a furious rally late to squander the upset bid of true freshman Taylor Moeder in a narrow 3-2 decision. Redshirt junior Brennan Brumley got ODU back on track at 149 pounds when he downed Matt Nereim, 6-2. Before breaking for intermission and honoring Old Dominion's All-Decade Team, No. 24 John Nicholson won his 13th straight decision and recorded his 12th major decision of the year in a 14-4 win over Thomas Gantt at 157 pounds. Resuming at 165 pounds, sophomore No. 24 Tristan Warner continues to shine as he earned a 13-2 major decision and his team-leading 25th win of the year over Nijel Jones. In another battle of ranked opponents, senior No. 13 Te Edwards held off a late charge by No. 32 Quinton Godley at 174 pounds with a 5-3 decision. Earning a major decision with a final takedown as time expired, redshirt sophomore Billy Curling defeated Robert O'Neill, 12-4, at 184 pounds. Following the suit of his fellow senior, Joe Budi went out at his final home dual of his career with a hard earned 2-0 win at 197 when he defeated KaRonne Jones. Redshirt freshman Matt Tourdot continued the momentum for ODU at heavyweight when he earned a 13-3 major decision over Josh Davis to cap off the evening. Old Dominion will now break until Feb. 17 when they travel to face No. 19 Binghamton in their final CAA dual of the season. The Monarchs conclude the regular season with a match at No. 20 Virginia on Feb. 19. Results: 125: #32 Jerome Robinson (ODU) dec. #23 Coltin Fought (NCST), 10-3 133: Scott Festejo (ODU) pinned Ben Elliott (NCST), 5:08 141: #11 Darrius Little (NCST)
dec. Taylor Moeder (ODU), 3-2 149: Brennan Brumley (ODU) vs. Matt Nereim (NCST), 
6-2 157: #24 John Nicholson (ODU) major dec. Thomas Gantt (NCST), 
14-4 165: #24 Tristan Warner (ODU) major dec. Nijel Jones (NCST), 13-2 174: #13 Te Edwards (ODU) dec. #32 Quinton Godley (NCST), 5-3 184: Billy Curling (ODU) major dec. Robert O'Neill (NCST), 12-4 197: Joe Budi (ODU) dec. KaRonne Jones (NCST), 2-0 285: Matt Tourdot (ODU) major dec. Josh Davis (NCST), 13-3

Penn State won its first NCAA wrestling title since 1953 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com) The NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals for Division I kick off this weekend. The event has been revamped and is being referred to as "Mat Mayhem." Twenty-four Division I programs will now participate in four regionals on Saturday and Sunday, with the winner of each regional advancing to the championship finals on Feb. 19. Noticeably absent from the event is defending NCAA champion Penn State. Penn State coach Cael Sanderson and the Nittany Lions are being unfairly criticized for their decision not to participate in the National Duals. Minnesota coach J Robinson called Cael's decision not to participate "short-sighted" following Minnesota's 19-17 dual meet loss at Iowa on Jan. 29. This past Sunday, Robinson said, "If we want wrestling to grow, we all need to be there." Mark Manning is in his 12th season as Nebraska's coach (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Another Big Ten wrestling coach, Nebraska's Mark Manning, whose Huskers will compete on Sunday in a regional with five other teams in Stillwater, Okla., recently voiced his displeasure for Penn State's decision not to participate in the National Duals. "If you're defending national champions, you should be in the National Duals," said Manning. "You represent our sport. You're sending a message that it's important for wrestling. No one likes the grind of the Big Ten. I don't want to take my young team down to Stillwater. I would love to have a week off. But some people don't think that way and they're only thinking single-mindedly." Robinson and Manning are not the only people who have spoken out about Penn State's absence from the National Duals. Wrestling fans across the country have slammed Cael and Penn State for their decision not to participate in the National Duals, just like fans slammed Tom Brands and Iowa's wrestling program a year ago for their decision not to participate in the National Duals. One anonymous person on a wrestling message board called Cael's decision "selfish." Another wrote, "PSU failed to support the entire sport of wrestling by not attending." It's one thing to hold the opinion that this revamped National Duals is best for the growth of college wrestling. But to criticize Penn State, or any program, for doing what they believe is best for the growth of college wrestling, or their program, is wrong. The NWCA's vision for growing college wrestling Mike Moyer, who serves as the executive director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), believes that regular season dual meets need to take on a greater importance in order to grow the spectator base in college wrestling, and that this revamped National Duals format is a step in the right direction. Moyer and the NWCA see it as a way to add five signature college wrestling events to the schedule. NWCA executive director Mike Moyer with Takedown's Scott Casber at the 2011 NWCA All-Star Classic in Tempe, Ariz. (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)"We need to grow the spectator base on each campus," said Moyer. "This whole National Duals is based on the premise that when you look at every mainstream spectator sport in America, they all have one thing in common, and that is the outcome of every regular season competition has a lot of importance because it determines advancement into a postseason competition, whereas in wrestling currently our whole infrastructure is designed to support an individual tournament at the end of the year. So it places very little importance on the outcome of regular season dual meets." Moyer has studied past data and believes something needs to be done to grow college wrestling's spectator base. "I have looked at our average spectator base over a 10-year period," said Moyer. "In 2001 we had three teams that had an average spectator base of 4,000 or more and we had 10 other teams that had a spectator base of 1,000 or more. You fast forward 10 years to last year. Nothing has changed. We still have three teams that have an average spectator base of 4,000 or more. We have 10 other teams that have an average spectator base of 1,000 or more. So my question is, what makes us think we can continue doing exactly the same things for the next 10 years and get a different result?" Moyer may be right that certain changes to college wrestling could help grow its spectator base. But there is certainly no guarantee that this revamped National Duals format is the best way to grow the sport. It may or may not be a step in the right direction. This year's dry run may give some indications. Attendance numbers will serve as one barometer for the success of the event. According to Moyer, feedback from coaches will be very important. Penn State's vision for growing college wrestling It's absurd for anyone to claim that Penn State is not helping to grow college wrestling. Cael and his staff arrived at Penn State in 2009, and in two seasons the average attendance for Penn State home dual meets doubled. Last season Penn State averaged nearly 5,500 fans per home dual meet, which was by far the program's best average attendance in two decades or more. This year Penn State is averaging almost 6,500 fans per home dual meet with one dual meet remaining. (Penn State's final home dual meet against Pitt on Feb. 19 is already sold out.) Cael Sanderson (Photo/Bill Ennis)Penn State is more than doing its part to grow college wrestling by maintaining an exciting dual meet schedule with a minimum of seven home events that attract sell-out crowds, competing against smaller Pennsylvania programs in order to foster in-state rivalries, wrestling at-risk programs, competing in non-traditional wrestling areas, and putting a winning product on the mat that is entertaining to watch. "I doubt that any program is doing any more for our sport than Penn State is doing right now, and that's not me," said Cael. "It's just our program and everything that is going on." Penn State, ranked No. 1 by InterMat, will travel across the country to wrestle Utah Valley University on Saturday. Cael and older brother Cody Sanderson, Penn State's associate head coach, were born and raised in Utah and are part of one of the state's most celebrated sports families. The Sanderson brothers, Cody, Cole, Cael, and Cyler combined to win 14 state wrestling championships in Utah. Their father, Steve, wrestled at Brigham Young University (BYU) before becoming a legendary high school wrestling coach in Utah. Cody Sanderson, a two-time NCAA finalist at Iowa State, started the wrestling program at Utah Valley from scratch in 2003, and served as the program's head coach for three seasons before joining Cael's staff at Iowa State. Utah Valley is now its ninth season of existence and third season of being eligible to compete in the postseason. Last season Utah Valley's wrestling program had its first NCAA Division I All-American when Ben Kjar placed fourth at 125 pounds. "If you think about it, any school on the West Coast has a very difficult time getting matches at home," said Cael. "There just aren't very many programs and it's very expensive. We felt that going out to Utah and helping them create a big event was the best thing we could do for the sport." Greg Williams coached Ben Kjar to an All-American finish (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Utah Valley coach Greg Williams, who is trying to put together as a tough a schedule as possible, says the event has been generating a lot of interest in Utah. "We're expecting somewhere between 4,000 and 6,000 fans for this match, and that's a conservative figure," said Williams. "We could top that. There's a lot of interest in the event. I think it's great that they're coming back to Utah because Utah loves the Sanderson boys." College wrestling may be experiencing growth at non-Division I levels, but at the Division I level college wrestling programs continue to be cut and opportunities continue to be lost. Thirty-five years ago there were approximately 180 Division I college wrestling programs. Today that number is 78. (It will be 77 next year with Millersville dropping down to Division II.) Eight Division I college wrestling programs have been dropped since 2009. Cael believes there needs to be a shift in thinking among wrestling people to find ways to grow the sport instead of trying to save it. Said Cael, "If somebody puts out a press release or they say, hey, save this program ... What's going to happen? No one wants to put money into a program when there's a good chance it's going to fail, except a few people that are very committed, and they're already supporting that program. What does that do? Recruits don't go to that school. You're like dooming a program. How smart is that? Even though you think you're trying to help, you're actually hurting it." Cael feels that wrestling needs to build on its strengths. "It's about being positive, just like I have to do as a coach," said Cael. "You've got to build on your strengths, not emphasize your weaknesses. That's just an old-school mentality, to point out your weaknesses. Well, it doesn't work in coaching. It doesn't work in business. It doesn't work in life. You build on your strengths. That's where your success comes from." Numerous changes have been made to college wrestling in recent years. Those changes have come in the form of rule changes, NCAA tournament qualification, and a revamped National Duals. Cael refers to these types of changes to college wrestling as "quick fixes." "The future of wrestling is not a quick fix," said Cael. "It's a long-term plan. What's our long-term plan? It's not, well, let's keep dinking around with the National Duals. It's well, let's build our foundation. That's a 20-year process. It's not, well, it didn't work last year, let's force something in while everybody is focused on coaching and this is the answer, and if you don't participate, well, shame on you." Penn State and others programs' decision not to participate in the National Duals For the record, Penn State was not only the program to turn down the National Duals invitation. The NWCA sent out an email last February inviting the top 24 teams in last season's final NWCA/USA Today Division I Team Coaches Poll. Of those 24 teams, 20 accepted invitations. (No. 25 Central Michigan and three unranked teams filled the remaining four spots.) Northwestern and Lehigh both turned down invitations. "When the National Duals was being organized, several uncertainties remained such as locations and travel allotments," said Northwestern coach Drew Pariano. "The time of the year was something that we considered and having the team peak at Big Tens and NCAAs is imperative. I think that it's going to be a great success and we look forward to being involved if we are invited in the upcoming years." Last season Pat Santoro coached his first NCAA champion at Lehigh, Zack Rey, who won the title at heavyweight (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Lehigh coach Pat Santoro said the timing of when it was being organized made it difficult. "When we found out about the National Duals, I probably had 13 or 14 of our 16 dates already done," said Santoro. "My schedule was almost all done and then that came out, and I was like, 'Well, how am I going to change it? I already have teams scheduled in February and things like that.' For us, I just didn't like the timing of it." Santoro, like Pariano, also had concerns that, by participating in the National Duals in February, it would be more difficult for wrestlers to peak in March. "I didn't like the timing of the last two weeks of the season," said Santoro. "If you go to National Duals, you're going to try to win it. There's no question. To try to peak the second and third weekend in February, and then try to peak again the first and third weekend in March, five weeks is a long time to try to keep the peak." Santoro likes the concept of the National Duals and wants to support the NWCA. He also sees the other side of it, which is why he is taking a wait-and-see approach. "I think it's a great concept, a great idea," said Santoro. "I just want to see how it plays out for a couple years. I think next year is really going to be the first real run of it. I know this year is like a dry run. I want to know what happens next year. I want to see how it kind of runs through the system once you pick your top 24 teams at the end of January." David Taylor hugs Cael Sanderson after his 7-1 victory over American's Steve Fittery in the 2011 NCAA semifinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)It's Penn State, though, that has been receiving the most attention and criticism for its decision not to attend because the Nittany Lions are the defending NCAA champions and Cael, a four-time undefeated NCAA champion and Olympic gold medalist, is an icon in the sport. The simple, short answer for why Penn State chose not participate in the National Duals is that Cael and his staff don't believe it's in the best interest of college wrestling. Cael and his staff are doing what they feel is right. "A lot of details need be ironed out before we jump into it, said Cael. "There's a lot of details. It's kind of hard to go into because I just think there are so many different areas and questions that were in our mind as a staff. We want to build wrestling as much as we can. Just because one person says this is how you do it, that doesn't mean it's necessarily the right answer." Cael understands the need to raise money for the sport, but disagrees with the idea of taking away February home duals meets, which not only help generate revenue for programs, but also help generate fan interest and excitement leading up to the conference and NCAA tournaments. "Right now the event is just a fundraiser, which is good," said Cael. "We want the NWCA to make money. But it's not like creating a new revenue stream. It's dipping in and basically taking the gate that we would be producing at a home dual and giving it to them. "I think a coach needs to do what he feels is in the best interest of his program. I don't think anyone would say it's in the best interest of our team. How could it be? It's not. You're asking a lot out of your kids and you're asking a lot out of your administration to forgo a home dual and a gate in February. It doesn't make any sense." Cael also does not believe the National Duals directly help at-risk programs. "How will the National Duals help the programs that are at-risk?" remarked Cael. "How? How does it help them? It doesn't. That's what it was first sold to us as, and we're like, 'OK, wait a second, let's figure out how this is going to help them. No, it doesn't." Cael and his staff support Mike Moyer and the NWCA and want the event to be successful, but just have a difference of opinion on how to grow the sport. "The good thing is that we're all fighting for the same cause," said Cael. "We have some difference of opinion. But that's good for the sport, I believe." What's not good for the sport is criticizing Penn State, or any program, for doing what they believe is best for the sport and their program.

WICHITA, Kan. -- Dustin Reed and Jarrett Edison scored falls as Central Oklahoma earned bonus points in half the matches to hammer Newman 36-6 here Wednesday night. The sixth-ranked Bronchos got bonus wins from Reed, Edison, Kaleb Cradduck, Chris Watson and Kelly Henderson in addition to decisions from Ky Corley, Tanner Keck and Cody Dauphin to easily overcome an early 6-3 deficit and improve to 8-5 on the year. UCO wraps up its dual and regular season schedule Saturday, hosting Ouachita Baptist for a 2 p.m. dual at Hamilton Field House. “We did some good things, but it was disappointing to lose the two matches that we did,” head coach David James said. “Both of them could have gone either way and we've got to find a way to win those tight matches at the end. But overall it wasn't a bad night and we just need to finish strong Saturday.” Reed picked up UCO's first bonus win with a first-period fall at 133, whipping Zach Vann to his back barely a minute into the match and earning his first pin of the season at the 1:37 mark. Cradduck, filling in for injured All-American Cory Dauphin and wrestling up a weight at 157, needed just over two minutes to record a 16-0 technical fall. He got a takedown in the first 10 seconds of the match and quickly racked up six near-falls to end the bout early. Watson earned a disqualification win just 43 seconds into his 165-pound match when Alex Prine was called for flagrant misconduct while Watson was working to turn him over after scoring a quick takedown. The eighth-ranked Henderson followed with a 9-0 major decision at 174, piling up four minutes of riding time while also scoring three takedowns. Edison, wrestling in his hometown for the final time, had three takedowns, a near-fall and a reverse in cruising to an 11-2 lead at 197 before turning Steven Cooksley over and getting the pin at 5:30. Corley had two reverses and a takedown in a methodical 7-1 victory at 149 and Dauphin scored a pair of takedowns to prevail 5-1 in the final match at heavyweight, while Keck pulled out a wild 10-9 win at 184. The second-ranked junior used three takedowns to build a 6-3 lead early in the second period and was up 8-5 after escaping to start the third before Tyler Hasenbank pulled even with a pair of takedowns. But Keck broke the 9-9 deadlock on an escape with 38 seconds left and held on for the win. UCO's two losses were both close, the first coming at 125 when Ryan Brooks dropped a 2-1 decision after Jordan Krenek was awarded a controversial reverse at the buzzer and the second at 141 where Casy Rowell was taken down 24 seconds into the sudden-victory period in falling to Mitch Arnold 6-4. Results: 125 – Jordan Krenek, NU, dec. Ryan Brooks, 2-1. 133 – Dustin Reed, UCO, pinned Zach Vann, 1:37. 141 – Mitch Arnold, NU, dec. Casy Rowell, 6-4 (SV). 149 – Ky Corley, UCO, dec. Greg Delk, 7-1. 157 – Kaleb Cradduck, UCO, tech. fall J.P. Carter, 16-0 (2:13). 165 – Chris Watson, UCO, by disqualification over Alex Prine, 0:43. 174 – Kelly Henderson, UCO, major dec. Chandler Hart, 9-0. 184 – Tanner Keck, UCO, dec. Tyler Hasenbank, 11-10. 197 – Jarrett Edison, UCO, pinned Steven Cooksley, 5:30. Hvy – Cody Dauphin, UCO, dec. Jacob Cole, 5-1.

WAVERLY, Iowa -- The top-ranked Wartburg wrestling team (19-1 overall, 8-0 IIAC) defeated Iowa Conference opponent, Loras (4-17, 2-4) 37-10 Wednesday evening in Levick Arena. Fittingly on Senior Night, all four senior Knights won their respective matches. Mike Kremer (Independence) won at 141, Bradley Banks (Stockbridge, Ga.) at 174, Ben Scott (Adel) at 184 and Byron Tate (Clinton) at 197. Second-ranked Kenny Anderson and Banks both moved their streaks to 11-straight wins and Tate increased his string to 16-straight wins. Cole Welter recorded his seventh pin of year and Phil Hawes had his second pin in a Knights singlet. Landon Williams (Davenport) reached the 30-win mark of the year with his 6-0 decision and Scott attained his 31st win of the season and 101st career victory on the night. Wartburg returns to the mat in two weeks at the Iowa Conference Championships on Feb. 24. Results: 125 #2 Kenny Anderson (WB) vs. Pat Pfantz (LC), Tech fall 17-0, 4:45, WB 5-0 133 Matt Holmes (LC) vs. Jake Agnitsch (WB), fall 6:30, Loras 6-5 141 Mike Kremer (WB) vs. Chris Reed (LC), maj dec, 13-5, WB 9-6 149 Joe Wood (LC) vs. Braxton Chiccelly (WB), maj dec 11-1, LC 10-9 157 #7 Cole Welter (WB) vs. Chris Gansen (LC), fall, 2:42 WB 15-10 165 #2 Landon Williams (WB) vs. Mitch Gansen (LC), dec 6-0, WB 18-10 174 #4 Bradley Banks (WB) vs. Joe Butler (LC), tech fall 23-1, 6:30 WB 23-10 184 Ben Scott (WB) vs. Josh Kirkland (LC), dec 2-1, WB 26-10 197 #1 Byron Tate (WB) vs. Ryan Ward (LC), tech fall, 17-2, 4:30, WB 31-10 HWT Phil Hawes (WB) vs. Kyle Henry (LC), fall 2:35, WB 37-10

GETTYSBURG, Pa. -- Franklin & Marshall captured wins at six weight classes to take down Gettysburg, 29-16, in wrestling action on Wednesday night. The Diplomats improve to 2-12 with the victory, while the loss drops the Bullets to 7-12. The Diplomats trailed early on as the Bullets came away with wins by decision in each of the first two bouts. Abe Evans defeated David Hershberger at 125 pounds, 8-3, while Matt Spano edged Robert Ruiz, 9-7, at 133 to give Gettysburg a 6-0 advantage. Richard Durso then turned the tide F&M's way at 141 with his second pin of the season to pull the Diplomats even with the Bullets at 6-6. The freshman took down Andrew Petroulias in 2:24 to record his 10th straight victory. At 149, Andrew Murano delivered an 18-2 technical fall victory over Tony Stanell to earn five additional points for F&M. Eric Norgard followed with a 6-1 decision against Joe Fiore at 157 to push the F&M advantage to 14-6. Both sides exchanged wins by forfeit at the ensuing two weight classes to bring the Diplomats' lead to 20-12 with three bouts remaining. Gettysburg's Zach Thomson notched the victory at 165, while Matt Fullowan nabbed the points for F&M at 174. Matt Latessa and Colin Ely locked up the win for F&M with victories at 184 and 197, respectively. Latessa downed Anton Serhan by decision, 6-3, before Ely registered his team-high seventh pin of the year over Marshall Puls in just 1:50. Kevin Poplaski scored an 11-3 major decision over Alex Henry in the night's final bout at 285, but it was too little, too late for the Bullets as F&M walked away with the 29-16 triumph. F&M returns to the mat on Sunday as they travel to Princeton for a tri-meet. The Diplomats will open the day against Clarion at 2:30 pm, before facing off against Princeton at 4:00 pm. Results: 125: Abe Evans (G) dec. David Hershberger, 8-3 (0-3) 133: Matt Spano (G) dec. Robert Ruiz, 9-7 (0-6) 141: Richard Durso (F&M) pinned Andrew Petroulias (2:24) (6-6) 149: Andrew Murano (F&M) tech. fall Tony Stanell, 18-2 (11-6) 157: Eric Norgard (F&M) dec. Joe Fiore, 6-1 (14-6) 165: Zach Thomson (G) won by forfeit (14-12) 174: Matt Fullowan (F&M) won by forfeit (20-12) 184: Matt Latessa (F&M) dec. Anton Serhan, 6-3 (23-12) 197: Colin Ely (F&M) pinned Marshall Puls (1:50) (29-12) 285: Kevin Poplaski (G) major dec. Alexander Henry, 11-3 (29-16)

YPSILANTI, Mich. -- The Eastern Michigan University wrestling team wrapped up the dual-meet season with a 31-7 victory over the University at Buffalo Wednesday evening, Feb. 8, on Senior Night at Bowen Field House. The Eagles walked away with their third victory in Mid-American Conference matches and clinched a winning record in MAC competition for the first time since the since the 1990-91 campaign. The Eagles (14-6; 3-2 MAC) took early control of the match, 9-0, with a decision and pin before the Bulls (5-14; 0-4 MAC) recorded a decision and major decision of their own to cut the EMU lead to 9-7 with six matches remaining. The Green and White did not allow UB any to get closer, as the Eagles claimed victory in each of the final six matches. Prior to the match, the wrestling program honored its six graduating seniors: Lester France, Justin Joseph, Andrew Novak, Corey Phillips, Matt Pettigrew and Wes Schroeder. Novak completed his perfect MAC season with a pin over Justin Farmer at 133 lbs. Additionally, redshirt sophomore Khodor Hoballah recorded his second MAC win in as many attempts on the season. After being taken down 20 seconds into the 125 lbs. match, redshirt sophomore Jared Germaine quickly made up for it with a takedown and a trio of nearfall points to gain a 5-2 edge against Max Soria. Germaine racked up 2:39 of riding time through the first two periods and headed into the final frame with a 10-6 lead. The Saginaw, Mich. native fell a few points short of the major decision, 13-7, but gave EMU an early 3-0 lead. Novak and Farmer started the 133 lbs. bout at a furious pace, with Novak scoring the first points by takedown. The New Boston, Mich. native increased his lead to 5-0 midway through the second period before turning Farmer on his back and notching a pin at the 4:48 mark. EMU took a 9-0 lead through two bouts. Buffalo's Kevin Smith snapped the Eagles' winning streak at 141 lbs. with a 9-5 decision over Phillips. After fighting to a 2-2 draw in the first period, Smith used a reversal and a pair of escapes to enter the final two minutes ahead, 6-4. Phillips was unable to make up the difference as the Bulls cut the Eagles' lead to six points, 9-3. Redshirt freshman Jaylyn Bohl and Blake Roulo then squared off at 149 lbs., where the score was tied, 3-3, after two periods. Bohl began the third period with an escape, but Roulo recorded 12 points over the final 1:37 to win by major decision, 15-6, and pull the Bulls to within a pair, 9-7. In the 157 lbs. bout, redshirt junior Aaron Sulzer put the home team back in the win column with a well-fought 9-3 decision over Wally Maziarz. Sulzer tallied a pair of decisions and 3:26 of riding time through five minutes, and tacked on five additional points in the third period to make the score 12-7 for EMU halfway through the match. France picked up where Sulzer left off at 165 lbs., breaking out to a, 8-3 lead after one period against Clay Reeb with three takedowns and a pair of nearfall points. With a minute remaining in the third period, France moved to within a point of major-decision territory, 14-7, before Reeb recorded a reversal. The final buzzer sounded with France on top, 16-11, for Eastern Michigan's fourth win of the evening. Redshirt sophomore Phillip Joseph broke a scoreless tie with an escape of Jake Waste in the second period of the 184 lbs. bout. Joseph added on to that lead with a takedown to gain a 3-0 advantage headed into the final frame. The Lapeer, Mich. native surrendered an escape in the third period but no more, as the Eagles won their third straight match, 4-1. The Green and White led the dual, 18-7, with three bouts to wrestle. At 184 lbs., Hoballah earned a pair of nearfall points before the first period expired to take a 4-0 lead over Dom Montesanti. Hoballah scored another takedown in the second, and ultimately fought his way to a 9-1 major decision with a reversal in the final 10 seconds of the match to clinch the meet for the Eagles. Redshirt sophomore Nick Whitenburg then imposed his will on Justin Heiserman at 197 lbs., scoring nearfall points on five separate occasions to win by technical fall, 16-0, just three minutes into the match. The final match of the evening featured heavyweights Schroeder and Jedd Mason. Schroeder broke a scoreless tie in the second period with an escape, a takedown and two nearfall points for a 5-0 edge. The Manitou Beach, Mich. native improved upon his lead in the final frame to notch EMU's third major decision of the evening, 10-0. The Eagles will compete in their final event of before the Mid-American Conference Championships Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Edinboro Open in Edinboro, Pa. Results: 125: Jared Germaine (EMU) dec. Max Soria (UB), 13-7 EMU 3, UB 0 133: Andrew Novak (EMU) fall Justin Farmer (UB), 4:48 EMU 9, UB 0 141: Kevin Smith (UB) dec. Corey Phillips (EMU), 9-5 EMU 9, UB 3 149: Blake Roulo (UB) maj. dec. Jaylyn Bohl (EMU), 15-6 EMU 9, UB 7 157: Aaron Sulzer (EMU) dec. Wally Maziarz (UB), 9-3 EMU 12, UB 7 165: Lester France (EMU) dec. Clay Reeb (UB), 16-11 EMU 15, UB 7 174: Phillip Joseph (EMU) dec. Jake Waste (UB), 4-1 EMU 18, UB 7 184: Khodor Hoballah (EMU) maj. dec. Dom Montesanti (UB), 9-1 EMU 22, UB 7 197: Nick Whitenburg (EMU) tech. fall Justin Heiserman (UB), 16-0 (3:00) EMU 27, UB 7 HWT: Wes Schroeder (EMU) maj. dec. Jedd Mason (UB), 10-0 EMU 31, UB 7

The University of Wyoming's five senior wrestlers were treated to a memorable final home dual Wednesday as the Cowboys blew past Northern Colorado, 37-3. "It's a good way to send those guys out," Wyoming coach Mark Branch said. "They'll be remembered for a long time around here." In a ceremony preceding the dual, seniors Dallas Hintz, Joe LeBlanc, Michael Martinez, Shane Onufer and Chase Smith were honored for their years of dedication to UW wrestling. After that, the Cowboys (7-2 overall, 4-0 Western Wrestling Conference) won the first eight matches and nine out of 10 versus the Bears (3-6 overall, 0-2 WWC). Branch now is 4-0 on Senior Night in his Wyoming career, and his Cowboy teams have outscored opponents 134-31 in those duals. Third-ranked Onufer took on 10th-ranked Gabe Burak of UNC in the 165-pound match to begin the night, and Onufer won his sixth match versus a ranked opponent in a 5-2 decision. The other seniors fared just as well, as LeBlanc beat UNC's Patrick Gomez with a 22-3 technical fall at 184 pounds. LeBlanc now has seven tech falls, a team-high. Michael Martinez made his last home match a solid one as he beat Jesse Meis in a 9-2 decision at 125 pounds, and Smith defeated Casey Cruz at 141 pounds in a tough 2-0 decision. The Pokes took major decisions from sophomore Pat Martinez (174 pounds) and junior Alfonso Hernandez (197). Hernandez reached the 30-win mark for the season, a team-high mark. Only Onufer reached 30 or more wins last season when he had 34 for the year. UW received 12 points, thanks to explosive pins from redshirt freshmen Zach Zehner (133) and Andy McCulley (157). McCulley's pin was the final home match of the year and he stuck UNC's Charlie McMartin in just 29 seconds to bring the 812 fans packed into the UniWyo Sports Complex to their feet. "That's a nice way to send the fans out of here with an exciting pin," Branch said. The Cowboys now will hit the road for the NWCA National Duals, which are Sunday in Stillwater, Okla. UW will face Chattanooga in the first round. Results: 165 pounds: Shane Onufer (UW) dec. Gabe Burak (UNC), 5-2 / Wyoming 3, Northern Colorado 0 174: Pat Martinez (UW) maj. dec. Josh Van Tine (UNC), 14-3 / Wyoming 7, Northern Colorado 0 184: Joe LeBlanc (UW) tech. fall (5:22) Patrick Gomez (UNC), 22-3 / Wyoming 12, Northern Colorado 0 197: Alfonso Hernandez (UW) maj. dec. Nick Bayer (UNC), 10-2 / Wyoming 16, Northern Colorado 0 285: L.J. Helbig (UW) dec. Henry Chirino (UNC), 5-0 / Wyoming 19, Northern Colorado 0 125: Michael Martinez (UW) dec. Jesse Meis (UNC), 9-2 / Wyoming 22, Northern Colorado 0 133: Zach Zehner (UW) fall (4:03) Sam Bauer (UNC) / Wyoming 28, Northern Colorado 0 141: Chase Smith (UW) dec. Casey Cruz (UNC), 2-0 / Wyoming 31, Northern Colorado 0 149: Justin Gonzales (UNC) dec. McCade Ford (UW), 5-3 SV1 / Wyoming 31, Northern Colorado 3 157: Andy McCulley (UW) fall (0:29) Charlie McMartin (UNC) / Wyoming 37, Northern Colorado 3

Nick Diaz (Photo/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Mixed martial arts have progressed significantly since UFC 1. That 1993 tournament displayed a hodgepodge of talent and outfits; there was a single-gloved boxer, a gi'ed grappler and a wrestler wearing shoes. The rules were few and the battle watched in only a few thousand households. Maybe it was the marketing, maybe it was the outfits, but it would take several years and tens of millions in investment before the UFC and MMA became a legitimate sport. Primary to the growth of the sport was its legalization in many states, that came after hundreds of rules were added regarding everything from legal striking and no head-butting, to ring size and proper attire. The stewardship of UFC president Dana White and the Fertittas were instrumental in seeing positive changes made to the structure of the sport. Eighteen years later, in wake of one of the most controversial decisions in UFC history, the multi-billion dollar MMA enterprise needs to once again visit the idea of tweaking the rules of the Octagon, particularly regarding aggression and stalling. Wrestlers have always taken the brunt of criticism when it comes to unexciting fights. There have been talented wrestlers in their early fight careers who've hung out in half guard (Josh Koscheck, Chad Mendes) and who were lambasted by critics for that lay-and-pray style. To fix that type of go-nowhere fight style, Strikeforce encouraged fighters to be stood up if they failed make gains on the ground. The UFC has recently seen this occurring in the Octagon as well with referees (especially Herb Dean) standing up fighters due to their perceived lack of their aggression on the ground. The opposite side of the argument is that wrestling control, the ability to stop the momentum and motion of an opponent should be allowed (it would win a street fight), the reason it's discouraged is for the sake of entertainment. This past weekend there has been little focus placed on strikers who fail to engage their opponent's advances and choosing instead to backpedal and launch fleeting counter attacks. Love 'em or hate 'em, defend his tactics or loathe them, there is no doubt that the judges scored Carlos Condit the unanimous winner (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) over Nick Diaz. As clear as that victory was on the score cards, it's equally undeniable that Condit was on skates for the totality of the five rounds, ever refusing to engage the forward plodding Diaz. Condit gamed the rules by scoring points with leg kicks in the first few rounds and effective counter-striking as he was being pressured into the fence. While many fans thought Diaz had won the fight based on his Octagon control alone (Rounds 1, 2 and 5 seem to be where most fans think Diaz won) others saw enough in Condit to argued for a win (Rounds 2, 3, 4 and 5). Most in the pro-Condit camp (no doubt those who won money on the underdog) claim that his style was perfect game planning. Team Jackson knew Diaz wanted to get into a head-punching contest with a better-conditioned fighter so they avoided it altogether. It's something Jackson himself was proud to share with the media after the fight. "We need to slow him down, a guy like that … who is so tough, you need to bring him down to your rhythm." Of course, "rhythm" meant "pace." Condit wasn't able to keep the pace so he avoided contact. Jackson, ever the spinster was even bold enough to compare Condit's cage tactics to that of Muhammad Ali, whose style was famous for retreating and counter attacking. The problem with the premise is that three-minute rounds in a single combat sport are much different than 5 five-minute rounds in a sport that is built on aggression and the cooperation of several forms of combat. In MMA you have options. There was another solution to the Diaz plodding forward that Condit failed to utilize: wrestling. Don't like a guys waling into you, take him down. Running away isn't sporting in a game meant to avoid the tap dancing, and corruption, and bullshit of boxing. Nobody with a full cranium is advocating for a sport where wrists are laced together for a forced head-bludgeoning test, but if you choose to avoid contact, the points should reflect that lack of aggression. Though the same could be said for Diaz. Once he finally scored a takedown he controlled Condit on the ground for almost two minutes. Had he done that earlier it also might have been a different fight. Should there be new rules policing stalling? There are examples of other sports (not to mention Pride's yellow cards) which penalize a fighter for displaying a lack of aggression. Amateur wrestling is attempting to increase viewership by punishing stalling. The modern college rules have changed drastically in recent years to become more spectator-friendly, with at least five rules added to promote action, and decrease the lulls in the viewing experience. It's technically stalling to take two consecutive backward steps. If rules like those that govern wrestling were in play Saturday Diaz would have won a 50-45 unanimous decision. The UFC has been very actively promoting strikers, but with Jackson's recent assault on the premise that strikers need to stand-and-trade the sport needs to look at the resulting response. The public prefers striking to wrestling, but they'll certainly take a combination attack over the retreat of an eventually winner. That style isn't just bad for business, it's antithetical to the founding spirit of mixed martial arts, and as appropriate now as a one-gloved boxer.

Related Link: The MMA Outsider Podcast Archives With no major events coming up this weekend, this episode of the MMA Outsider Podcast on the fallout from UFC 143, where Carlos Condit earned a unanimous decision win over Nick Diaz. The judges' decision rubbed plenty of people the wrong way, but we felt the scorecards got it right this time. What's next for Diaz (assuming he really isn't retired)? Hopefully some footwork drills. Now with the interim welterweight championship, Condit has plenty of options even if Georges St. Pierre isn't healthy enough to put together a unification bout next. UFC 143 had plenty of other big winners and losers and we'll discuss what might be next. For bantamweight contender Renan Barao, a title shot against the winner of Dominick Cruz vs. Urijah Faber is a very strong possibility. In the second half of the show, we interview Xtreme Couture featherweight prospect Jimmy Jones (3-1), who will take on Joao Victor (2-0) at Superior Cage Combat on Feb. 16 in Las Vegas. That show will also feature Kendall Grove, John Gunderson, and several other UFC veterans. Jones discusses that and what it is like training with top professionals like Martin Kampmann, John Alessio, Jay Hieron, and more.

The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Board of Directors has announced that the location of the Mat Mayhem Championship Round will be determined immediately at the conclusion of the Regional Qualifying Tournaments taking place on Feb. 11 and 12. The NWCA has received bids from Oklahoma State, Minnesota, and Missouri to host the Championship round on Sunday, Feb. 19, should their programs qualify. The University of Northern Iowa has also committed to hosting the Championship Round regardless of whether their team qualifies or not. “As much as the NWCA would like to be more accommodating of the fans and media by determining the host site of the Mat Mayhem championship round well in advance of the Regionals; we simply find that we cannot because of the uncertainty of which teams will ultimately qualify. In many instances, the participating teams in Mat Mayhem have made extraordinary sacrifices to support this new format and if possible, we would like to be able to award the championship round to a team that qualifies for the finals,” said NWCA President, Brian Smith. The NWCA has a selection committee that will make the final decision. Criteria such as facility costs, accessibility of the venue for traveling teams, regional teams that qualify, and historical average spectator base of the host will all be considered. We hope the wrestling fans and media understand the challenges in making this decision. Once the final location is determined a press release will be sent out to the media and will be posted on the NWCA website at www.nwcaonline.com. For the most up to date information on the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals, please visit www.nwcaonline.com.

Dan Dennis and Mike Moyer will go "On the Mat" this Wednesday, Feb. 8. "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 p.m. 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 Dan Dennis. Dennis, a member of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club, will compete in the freestyle division at 132 pounds. He was a two-time All-American for the University of Iowa, placing seventh at the NCAA tournament in 2009 and second in 2010. Moyer is the executive director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association. He will discuss the upcoming National Duals and its new format.

DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke University freshman Tanner Hough registered his team-best ninth pin of the season to help lead the Blue Devils wrestling team to a 22-13 victory over Gardner-Webb tonight at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The win is Duke's third consecutive this season and the 23rd overall win over the Bulldogs. "I think the energy from the last match at Davidson carried over into this match for our guys tonight," head coach Clar Anderson said. "Tanner Hough has been outstanding lately. He leads the team in wins and pins and we're really pleased with how well he's been wrestling recently." Duke dominated the match early on, jumping out to a 16-0 leads with wins in the first four bouts of the night. Hough and redshirt freshman Brandon Gambucci were the high scorers for the Blue Devils with a fall and a major decision, respectively. Redshirt senior A.J. Guardado continued his consistent performance with a narrow 3-2 decision at 149 pounds to improve to a team-best 8-1 in dual matches. Redshirt junior Peter Terrezza started the match with a 7-4 decision over Michael Slaughter at 125 pounds. Terrezza, leading 4-1 after the first period, used a reversal in the final seconds of the second session to pull away from Slaughter and pick up his 16th win of the year. Gambucci was outstanding at 133 pounds, posting a dominant 16-2 win over Jacob Reinemund. The Mansfield, Ohio native is now 18-8 overall and 3-3 in dual matches. His three most recent victories have all garnered bonus points for the Blue Devils. Hough, with a team-best 20-6 record on the year, needed just the first period to earn the pin over Robert Golde. He registered a two-point takedown in the first minute and then in the final seconds of the opening period he was able to get Golde on his back for his ninth pin of the year and his fifth in the first period. The winning continued for Duke at 149 pounds with Guardado. A winner in his previous five bouts, Guardado picked up right where he left off with a narrow one-point victory. He headed into the final period tied at two with Davante Andujar. Choosing down, Guardado needed just 14 seconds to get the escape for the win. The decision was his 18th win of the year and marked his sixth by four or fewer points. Gardner-Webb posted victories at 157 and 165 pounds to make it a 16-7 match, but freshman Randy Roden clinched the victory for Duke with a crucial 5-1 decision at 174 pounds. The second period proved to be decisive as Roden picked up a reversal and a two-point nearfall to go in front 4-0 after a scoreless first three minutes. He added the final point for riding time to earn his 13th win of the year. After the Bulldogs grabbed a 7-3 decision at 197 pounds over Duke's Brian Self, Duke junior Robert Mello put forth a strong effort at heavyweight. Wrestling up a weight class, Mello lost a heartbreaking 7-6 decision with a last-second takedown against Justin Kozera. Duke returns to action, Sunday, Feb. 12 at ACC rival Maryland at 1 p.m. Results: 125 - Peter Terrezza (DU) dec. Michael Slaughter (GW), 7-4 (3-0) 133 - Brandon Gambucci (DU) major dec. Jacob Reinemund (GW), 16-2 (7-0) 141 - Tanner Hough (DU) pinned Robert Golde (GW), 2:59 (13-0) 149 - A.J. Guardado (DU) dec. Davante Andujar (GW), 3-2 (16-0) 157 - Alex Medved (GW) major dec. Immanuel Kerr-Brown (DU), 11-3 (16-4) 165 - Justin Guthrie (GW) dec. Ryan Harding (DU), 6-4 (16-7) 174 - Randy Roden (DU) dec. Erin O'Dell (GW), 5-1 (19-7) 184 - Diego Bencomo (DU) dec. Jason Porter (GW), 13-7 (22-7) 197 - Travis Porter (GW) dec. Brian Self (DU), 7-3, (22-10) 285 - Justin Kozera (GW) dec. Robert Mello (DU), 7-6 (22-13)

DAVIDSON, N.C. -- The Davidson wrestling team extended its winning streak to three with a pair of victories over Anderson (37-9) and St. Andrews (33-9) in a tri-meet Tuesday night in Belk Arena. St. Andrews (4-8) defeated Anderson (4-21), 35-15, in the first match of the evening. Matt Zarth (125 pounds), Anthony Elias (133), Ben Hartshorn (141), Tyler Mullen (165), Ian Solcz (174) and Chris Cirenza (184) went undefeated on the night to lead the Wildcats (3-11). Davidson won six of the contested bouts against Anderson and earned two victories via forfeit. The Wildcats then took the first eight bouts against St. Andrews before dropping the 197-pound bout and forfeiting at heavyweight. Zarth opened the match against Anderson with an 11-4 decision, and Elias and Hartshorn followed with back-to-back pins in 1:08 and 3:49, respectively, to give Davidson an early 15-0 lead. Anderson battled back as Dan Telhada scored a 6-0 decision at 149 pounds and Nicholas Giulliette scored a pin at 157 pounds, closing the gap to six points, but Davidson claimed the five remaining bouts. Mullen scored a 10-2 major decision and Solcz shutout Bryan Glace 6-0 to give the Wildcats a 22-9 advantage. Cirenza took a forfeit at 184 pounds before Isola scored a 10-5 decision at 197. Scott Patrick then claimed the heavyweight bout by forfeit for the final 37-9 margin. Davidson claimed bonus points in each of the first four bouts against St. Andrews to get off to a fast start. Zarth earned a major decision with a 9-0 shutout win and Elias claimed 133 by forfeit. Hartshorn scored late to take a 16-6 major decision at 141 and freshman Kevin Birmingham scored a win by fall in just 2:14 for an early 20-0 lead. Sophomore CT Talevi battled to a 6-3 decision over Nicholas Sauceda at 157 and Mullen claimed his second major decision of the night at 165. Solcz battled to the end at 174 to hang on to a 6-5 decision over Bryan Glace, and Chris Cirenza nearly scored a major decision over Joshua Price at 184, but yielded a late takedown and settled for a dominant 11-4 decision. Greg Pattis averted the shutout with a 14-7 decision for St. Andrews at 197, and Davidson forfeited at heavyweight for the final 33-9 margin. Davidson has just three dual meets remaining before the SoCon Championship tournament, which will be held on March 3 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The ‘Cats will host The Citadel on Saturday and Gardner-Webb on Thursday, Feb. 16 before concluding the regular season Sunday, Feb. 19 at Appalachian State at 3 p.m. St. Andrews 35, Anderson 15 125: Eric Brown (S) pinned Cory Monteforte (A), 2:20 133: Keenan Simmons (A) won by forfeit 141: Sterling Perry (S) dec. Ian Harper (A), 7-2 149: Dan Telhada (A) dec. Kody Getkin (S), 8-2 157: Nick Giuliette (A) pinned Nick Sauceda (S), 5:00 165: Luke Gregory (S) pinned Dalton Harper (A), 3:47 174: Steffan Baker (S) major dec. Bryan Glace (A), 16-3 184: Joshua Price (S) won by forfeit 197: Greg Pattis (S) major decision Jordan Denmark (A), 11-3 285: Justin Hoover (S) won by forfeit Davidson 37, Anderson 9 125: Matt Zarth (D) decision Cory Monteforte (A) 11-4 133: Anthony Elias (D) pinned Keenan Simmons (A) 1:08 141: Benjamin Hartshorn (D) pinned Ian Harper (A) 3:49 149: Dan Telhada (A) decision Kevin Birmingham (D) 6-0 157: Nicholas Giulliette (A) pinned Dan Hagemann (D) 4:26 165: Tyler Mullen (D) major decision Dalton Harper (A) 10-2 174: Ian Solcz (D) decision Bryan Glace (A) 6-0 184: Christopher Cirenza (D) won by forfeit 197: Eddie Isola (D) decision Jordan Denmark (A) 10-5 285: Scott Patrick (D) won by forfeit Davidson 33, St. Andrews 9 125: Matt Zarth (D) major decision Eric Brown (S) 9-0 133: Anthony Elias (D) won by forfeit 141: Benjamin Hartshorn (D) major decision Sterling Perry (S) 16-6 149: Kevin Birmingham (D) pinned Patrick Wells (S) 2:14 157: CT Talevi (D) decision Nicholas Sauceda (S) 6-3 165: Tyler Mullen (D) major decision Luke Gregory (S) 11-2 174: Ian Solcz (D) decision Steffan Baker (S) 6-5 184: Christopher Cirenza (D) decision Josh Price (S) 11-4 197: Greg Pattis (S) decision Eddie Isola (D) 14-7 285: Justin Hoover (S) won by forfeit

Junior Jordan Thome and sophomore Ryan Bilyeu recorded pins, and four other Black Knights won bouts as the Army wrestling team defeated Bucknell, 27-12, in an EIWA dual match Tuesday evening inside Gillis Field House. Army, which has won five consecutive dual matches, improves to 8-5 (5-1 EIWA). Bucknell, meanwhile, dropped its fourth straight dual match and sees its record dip to 3-15 (2-3 EIWA). "It feels great to win," said Army head coach Joe Heskett. "It was nice to watch these guys execute on the mat and do the things that they're working on. There are a lot of good things to take away and build off of as we approach the end of the season." Bucknell assumed an early 3-0 advantage in tonight's contest after Austin Miller took a 13-7 decision from Army freshman Scott Filbert in the 125-pound matchup. Miller fell behind Filbert, 2-0, early in the first period before taking control of the bout. The Black Knights quickly erased their deficit, however, as Thome pinned Shawn Armato in two minutes, 45 seconds at 133 pounds. Thome's pin, which got the crowd into the match, helped Army seize a 6-3 lead. The Bison knotted the score at 6-6 following Derrik Russell's 4-1 victory over Army sophomore Tyler Rauenzahn in the 141-pount bout. Russell trailed 1-0 at the beginning of the third period before recording an escape and a takedown to assume a 3-1 edge midway through the final stanza. He added an additional point for riding time to account for the final margin. Army responded once again in the 149-pound matchup as Bilyeu pinned Alex Pellicciotti in 2:48. The second-year grappler took Pellicciotti to the mat and refused to let him back up. The Black Knights extended their advantage to 15-6 as senior co-captain Jimmy Rafferty earned a hard-fought 12-10 decision opposite John Regan at 157 pounds. Rafferty trailed 7-3 after the second period before a furious third-period rally knotted the score at 10-all following regulation time. The Haddon Heights, N.J., native capped his comeback by taking Regan to the mat late in the first sudden victory period. "It's a great feeling to get a win, especially on Senior Night," said Rafferty. "It was my last chance to wrestle at home, and I love it. You always want to go out and win and do your best, and I was proud to represent my teammates tonight." Bucknell inched to within 15-9 after Corey Lear slipped past Army freshman Cole Gracey in the 165-ound bout. Gracey led 3-2 entering the third period, but Lear scored a two-point reversal midway through the final frame to earn the victory. The Bison trimmed the Black Knights' lead to 15-12 as Bucknell's Stephen McPeek's secured a 6-2 win versus Army junior Collin Wittmeyer at 174 pounds. The bout was tied at 2-2 after two periods, but McPeek dominated the final stanza en route to the victory. That was as close as Bucknell would get, though, as Army won the final three weights to seal the victory. Army senior Michael Gorman pushed the Black Knights' lead to 18-12 by taking a 5-1 decision from Jamie Westwood in the 184-pound bout. Gorman held a tenuous 1-0 edge following the first two periods, but reeled off a pair of takedowns in the final frame to earn the win. Fellow senior Derek Stanley clinched the match for Army by defeating Tyler Lyster, 6-3, in the 197-pound match. The fourth-year wrestler parlayed a pair of takedowns and a two-point reversal into the victory, which gave the Black Knights an insurmountable 21-12 cushion. Senior Daniel Mills was awarded a win by forfeit in the heavyweight bout to cap the scoring. "I couldn't be more proud of Michael, Derek and Daniel," said Rafferty of his fellow seniors. "They are closer friends than I could have ever dreamt of, and I'm just so happy that we were able to come out here tonight and beat Bucknell. To do it on Senior Night in front of our families was really special." Army returns to action on Friday, Feb. 17, when the Black Knights travel to Annapolis, Md., to face arch-rival Navy. The annual Star Match is set to get under way at 7:30 p.m. Match Notes: Army's all-time record versus Bucknell improves to 9-2 ... tonight's victory snapped the Black Knights' two-match losing skid to the Bison ... it marks Army's first victory over Bucknell since Nov. 24, 2008, and first home win over the Bison since Nov. 20, 2007 ... Army's eight wins this season are the most since the 2008-09 team compiled a 10-6-2 overall mark ... the Black Knights' five EIWA victories this season are the most since the 2007-07 squad piled up six conference wins ... Army's seniors were honored prior to tonight's match in a special Senior Night ceremony ... the Black Knights started four seniors this evening, and the quartet combined to post a perfect 4-0 mark ... Jordan Thome recorded his 11th pin of the season, moving into a tie for 14th place on Army's single-season list ... it also marked his 26th career pin, moving him into sole possession of 10th place on the Black Knights' all-time ledger ... Tyler Rauenzahn made his dual match debut in this evening's contest ... Ryan Bilyeu's pin was the first of his career ... Thome and Jimmy Rafferty are tied for the team lead with 23 wins apiece ... Rafferty paces the team with 10 dual match victories ... Rafferty's 23 wins are a new single-season career best ... Cole Gracey saw his 12-match win streak snapped ... it marked Gracey's first loss since Jan. 1, 2012, at the Southern Scuffle ... Collin Wittmeyer made his first appearance since wrestling at the Northeast Duals on Nov. 26, 2011 ... Michael Gorman has won nine of his last 12 bouts ... Derek Stanley has won four straight matches and nine of his last 11 bouts ... Daniel Mills has won three straight bouts and six of his last seven matches since beginning the season 0-9. Results: 125: Austin Miller (B) dec. Scott Filbert, 13-7 133: Jordan Thome (A) pinned Shawn Armato, 2:45 141: Derrik Russell (B) dec. Tyler Rauenzahn, 4-1 149: Ryan Bilyeu (A) pinned Alex Pellicciotti, 2:48 157: Jimmy Rafferty (A) dec. John Regan, 12-10 (sv1) 165: Corey Lear (B) dec. Cole Gracey, 4-3 174: Stephen McPeek (B) dec. Collin Wittmeyer, 6-2 184: Michael Gorman (A) dec. Jamie Westwood, 5-1 197: Derek Stanley (A) dec. Tyler Lyster, 6-3 285: Daniel Mills (A) wins by forfeit

PHILADELPHIA -- Freshman Jimmy Morris (Northport, NY/St. Anthony's) won by fall to give Rider a come-from-behind Colonial Athletic Association victory at Drexel Tuesday night. "Jimmy Morris is the real deal," said Rider head coach Gary Taylor. "He's like an ice man. He's got a lot of composure, unbelievable composure for a freshman." Named the CAA Rookie of the Week today for the second time, Morris needed a major decision or a fall or Rider (9-7, 3-1 CAA) would have lost the match. "He's the perfect guy to have as your last wrestler because of his composure and he has unbelievable confidence right now." The victory was the eighth in a row for Morris, who improved to 11-5 on the season, 3-0 in the CAA. "He just continues to keep getting better." For Rider, sophomore James Brundage (Ossining, N.Y./Ossining) won a major decision at 165 to give Rider a 7-6 lead. "James did what he needed to do," Taylor said. Brundage was supposed to face the top 165 in the CAA, 12th ranked Joe Booth, but Booth was sidelined with an injury. "We had two guys out with injuries and they had one, so it was a bit of a trade off there," Taylor said. Junior Zac Cibula (Luxemburg, Wis./Luxemburg Casco), the 2011 CAA Championship Most Outstanding Wrestler, won at 149 to tie the score at 3-3. "Zac looked a lot sharper," Taylor said of Cibula, who has only wrestled twice since December due to injuries. "His timing is coming back and you could see he is more comfortable out there." Freshman Clint Morrison (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cedar Cliff) won at 184 to give Rider a 10-9 lead. "It was an overall good team effort," Taylor said. Sophomore Chuck Zeisloft (Woodbury Heights, N.J./Gateway) won at 125 to cut the lead to 15-13 but had a team point deducted. "The kid escaped with two seconds left (preventing Zeisloft from getting a major decision) and Chuck decided to scream and the official rightfully took away a team point," Taylor said. "We will be discussing that at great length. The match could have come down to that." Rider defeated Drexel 19-18 in a non-CAA dual in January at the Virginia Duals. Rider and Drexel have now met 37 times since the series began in 1970-71 with Rider winning 29, including the last six. The last time Drexel (6-9, 1-4 CAA) defeated Rider was during the 2006-07 season. The match was delayed over an hour as the teams waited for an official to show up. Rider hosts Columbia Saturday at 6pm. "Columbia has a pretty good team so we'll work hard and try to get ready for them," Taylor said. 141 Frank Cimato-D dec. Jeremy Minich-R 9-3 0-3 149 Zac Cibula-R dec. Shane Fenningham-D 6-0 3-3 157 Austin Sommer-D dec. Ramon Santiago-R 5-4 3-6 165 James Brundage-R major dec. Brendan Sebera-D 15-5 7-6 174 Alex Rinaldi-D dec. Brandon Lintner-R 5-3 7-9 184 Clint Morrison-R dec. Nick Becattini-D 9-4 10-9 197 Brandon Palik-D dec. Donald McNeil-R 3-2 10-12 285 Kyle Frey-D dec. Evan Craig-R 7-0 10-15 125 Chuck Zeisloft-R Franco Ferraina-D 12-5 12*-15 133 Jimmy Morris-R wbf Josh Yurasits-D 5:48 18-15 *team point deducted for unsportsmanlike conduct

Related Link: Brackets Cornell, Iowa, Minnesota and Oklahoma State all earned number one seeds for their respective regions as brackets are released for the NWCA Cliff Keen National Duals Presented by Hibiclens and The Marines. The only Mat Mayhem Regional that will compete on Saturday, Feb. 11, will be held at Rutgers University. The first two matches that will face-off in the 2012 Mat Mayhem Series will be No. 5 Rutgers vs. No. 4 Kent State and No. 3 Missouri vs. No. 6 Cal Poly. The winners of those matches will meet up with No. 1 Minnesota and No. 2 Michigan respectively. The other three regional tournaments will take place on Sunday, February 12th, at Cornell, Iowa State and Oklahoma State. Cornell the returning NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals Champion comes in as the No. 1 seed in the Mat Mayhem Regional that they are hosting. They will wrestle the winner of No. 5 Purdue and No. 4 Central Michigan. On the bottom side of the bracket No. 2 Illinois will compete against either No. 3 Oklahoma or No. 6 American. Wrestling at Iowa State University, the No. 1 seed will be the Iowa Hawkeyes, they will wrestle against the winner of No. 4 Virginia Tech vs. No. 5 Northern Iowa. Taking on the No. 2 seeded Oregon State will be the winner of No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 6 Wisconsin. Currently ranked No. 1 in the NWCA/USA Today Division I Coaches Poll Oklahoma State also takes the No. 1 seed this Sunday. They will host the winner of the No. 4 Wyoming and No. 5 Chattanooga matchup. Rounding out the rest of the bracket is No. 2 Nebraska who will compete against the winner of the No. 3 Ohio State and No. 6 Boise State matchup. Each region is seeded one through six and teams will wrestle according to seed. Each site is set to compete in three rounds on two mats. In the final round, the teams who lost in the first round will wrestle a second match alongside the Championship Final. To view the Mat Mayhem Teams national rankings visit the NWCA/USA Today Division I Coaches Poll released on Feb. 7, 2012. For more tournament information: ticket prices, times, and brackets visit our website http://www.nwcaonline.com/NWCAWebSite/Events/nwcanationalduals/mat-mayhem. At the conclusion of the Mat Mayhem Regional weekend, the Mat Mayhem Finals location will be announced. Click here to view the brackets.

Central Dauphin's Tyson Dippery attempts to escape from Blair Academy's Mark Grey (Photo/Rob Preston) All recap items use rankings from the previous week (team from Feb. 1, individual from Jan. 11), while preview items use the newly updated team and individual rankings. Drive for Five: Central Dauphin looking for unprecedented championship Starting on Thursday afternoon, No. 25 Central Dauphin, Pa., will be after an unprecedented fifth consecutive PIAA Class 3A dual meet championship. In addition, the Rams will be seeking to further extend their state record of 93 consecutive dual meet victories, last losing in January 2008 to Cumberland Valley, Pa. However, it won't be easy with the presence of defending state traditional champion Canon McMillan, who is ranked fifth in the country. Despite the absence of two-time state finalist Conner Schram (120), who is ranked No. 9 nationally, the Big Macs beat the Rams by more than 60 points at the POWERade in late December. Should the squads win a pair of matches beforehand, they would meet late Friday in the semifinal round. It is highly likely this matchup will occur, though both teams will have a nominal opening round test before a less competitive quarterfinal. Canon McMillan is looking at a match with Parkland first round, before a quarterfinal against either Delaware Valley or DuBois; while Central Dauphin has an opening round match with Norristown, before a likely quarterfinal against LaSalle College (presuming a victory over Jersey Shore in the first round). In the other half of the draw, No. 30 Easton would be considered the favorites to appear in a second consecutive final. They are looking at a first round match against Big Spring, a quarterfinal against Erie McDowell or North Allegheny, and a semifinal against most likely Owen J. Roberts or Mechanicsburg. In Class AA, No. 12 Bethlehem Catholic is after a second consecutive Class 2A championship, and would appear to be solid favorites. The Hawks are looking at a likely rematch from last year's final against Fort LeBoeuf in the quarterfinal round as the biggest challenge in their half of the draw. The other half of the draw seems likely to come down to a semifinal between Pen Argyl (assuming they get past Burrell in the opening round) and Boiling Springs (presuming they get past an opening round match against Reynolds). Class AAA Bracket: http://www.piaa.org/assets/web/documents/2012_PIAA_AAA_TW_Brax.pdf Class AA Bracket: http://www.piaa.org/assets/web/documents/2012_PIAA_AA_TW_Brax.pdf Blair Academy emerges with victory in Buckeye State road trip No. 1 Blair Academy, N.J., made their way to No. 8 St. Paris Graham, Ohio, for a dual meet this past Saturday evening. Despite having three nationally ranked wrestlers fall to defeat (two of them in upset fashion), the nation's top team still won eight matches in a 35-19 victory. Key to the result were tossup victories in the opening two matches from freshmen Jordan Kutler (106) and Chaz Tucker (113) against their fellow Class of 2015 opposition; Kutler with a 5-0 victory over Eli Stickley, while Tucker upended Eli Seipel 5-3. The Falcons countered those two decisions with decisions of their own at 120 and 126 pounds. At 120, it was No. 5 Ryan Taylor upending No. 3 (at 113) Joey McKenna by a 4-2 score, while Micah Jordan earned the 8-5 victory at 126 over No. 15 Max Hvolbek. Then, as expected, Blair Academy came back with wins in the next two matches, although the margins were closer than expected -- No. 2 Mark Grey earned a 13-3 major decision over Nate Henkle at 132, while No. 4 Todd Preston upended Chase Crabtree 10-4 at 138. Graham answered that 13-6 deficit with a trio of consecutive wins to take a 16-13 lead through nine matches. No. 13 Blake Kastl upset No. 9 Dylan Milonas by a 7-3 score at 145 pounds, No. 1 Bo Jordan upended Russ Parsons by major decision, and No. 4 Isaac Jordan defeated Patrick Coover 6-2. Blair Academy reclaimed the lead with an 11-2 major decision from Addison Knepshield at 170, while Huston Evans answered back with a 6-1 decision victory over Michael Mocco at 182 to give the Falcons a 19-17 lead heading into the last three matches. Frank Mattiace, ranked No. 15 nationally, would give Blair the lead for good with a pin at 195 pounds, while Graham forfeited the evening's last two matches to give top-ranked Blair the remaining margin of victory. Group time in the Garden State The dual meet state championships, which are being conducted this week, mark the traditional conclusion of the regular season for programs in New Jersey that are members of the state athletic association. The group championships, which started on Monday with preliminary matches, feature the 24 of the best teams in each of four public-school classifications and 12 in the two non-public classifications. Semifinals in each of the sections (four sections for public schools, and two for non-public) are tonight, with sectional championships on Friday night. The championships will be held on Sunday at Toms River North. Semifinals in the public school events are at 10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., with championship matches in all six classifications at either 3:30 p.m. or 6:00. Ranked first overall in the state by The Star-Ledger, and No. 39 nationally by InterMat, Jackson Memorial enters the Group 4 (big-school) tournament as a very slight favorite. The Jaguars are undefeated in dual meets this year, but have been tested a few times this year. This includes by probable Central Section finals opponent Brick Memorial, which is ranked sixth statewide and lost 35-24 to Jackson Memorial (8 matches to 6) in late December. However it was the Jaguars that went 3-1 in matches decided by two points or less. However, in order to reach Friday's final, the Mustangs will have to replicate their 34-24 victory over ninth-ranked Howell from eleven days prior in the Shore Conference Tournament final. Fourth-ranked Southern Regional gave Jackson their toughest test of the season, winning eight of the fourteen weight classes three weeks ago but losing the dual meet 27-26. They are the favorites in the South section of Group 4. Eighth ranked Phillipsburg is the likely champion of the North 2 sectional, though they will have to navigate a pair of ranked teams to reach Sunday's competition -- North Hunterdon tonight, and most likely Watchung Hills on Friday. Morris Knolls is the highest ranked team in the North 1 section, clearly the weakest of the four in Group 4. Group 3 is anchored by the state's other nationally ranked team South Plainfield, which is No. 38 in the InterMat rankings and third in the state rankings. They are prohibitive favorites to advance through the North 2 section, with a match tonight against Nutley and then most likely facing Warren Hills on Friday night. The Tigers have reached the state final the last two years, but in each year they have barely escaped a match with Timber Creek along the way. However, this year the teams met at the Virginia Duals in mid-January, with South Plainfield winning 52-10 in a dual meet that got out of hand quickly aided by the Tigers 4-0 record in matches decided by two points or less. Timber Creek is favored to advance out of the South section, though they will most likely have to beat a ranked Torms River South squad on Friday night. Tenth ranked Ocean Township is the favorite to advance out of the Central section, while either Paramus or Northern Highlands is the likely team out of the North 1 section featuring no state-ranked teams. Moving down from Group 3, where they won state last year on the way to being named the top team overall in New Jersey, High Point is free of expectation in Group 2 after losing the core of the roster that was so successful the last few years. However, they are the clear favorites to advance to Sunday's final four from the North 1 section. Overall, the group is wide open for any team to win it. The highest ranked teams are (in order), Delsea Regional, Delaware Valley, and Voorhees; they exit the south, central, and north 2 sections respectively. Bound Brook, ranked 12th, is the lone team in The Star-Ledger top 20 among those in the Group 1 field. They are prohibitively favored to advance to the final four on Sunday from the Central section. Perennial champions Paulsboro yet again should clear the south section. The three teams ranked directly behind Bound Brook in Group 1 are all in the North 1 section -- Emerson Boro, Pequannock and Kittatiny -- while Hanover Park leads the field in North 2. St. Peter's Prep appears to be the favorite in Non-Public A. They are ranked second in the state by The Star-Ledger, but have a challenging north section bracket to navigate. Tonight's semifinal is against Don Bosco Prep, while the opposite semifinal features seventh-ranked Bergen Catholic and eleventh-ranked Delbarton. All four teams placed a pair of wrestlers in the mid-December Beast of the East. If healthy, which Bergen Catholic has not been much of the year, they might have the best lineup in the whole state. Finally, it is the Non-Public B group, which has been the perennial domain of Camden Catholic. They are again favored. Most likely, they'll have Bishop Ahr in Friday's sectional final and DePaul Catholic in Sunday's championship match. Back-half domination for Tulsa Union in the Sooner State showdown The two best teams in the Sooner State battled it out on the mats this past Thursday, as No. 18 Tulsa Union, Okla., traveled to No. 17 Broken Arrow, Okla., for a dual meet. Through eight matches (285 to 145), it was a very competitive dual, with Tulsa Union holding a 22-19 lead as the teams won four matches apiece. Tulsa Union victories came from pins by Abdullah Aliya (285), Josh Walker (120), and Luke Wolfensperger (126), along with a 14-6 major decision by Brian Crutchmer (132). Broken Arrow answered with pins from No. 8 Chase Ferman (138) and Tanner Bailey (145), a 12-0 major decision by No. 10 Markus Simmons (106), and a 7-0 decision from Zack Edwards. However, four consecutive Redskins victories would extend the lead to 35-19, and clinch the mildest of upsets for Tulsa Union. Victories came from decisions by No. 13 Kyle Ash (152), Cale Wilson (160), and Ky Young (170), as well as a major decision by Blasé Walser (182). No. 3 Kyle Crutchmer moved up one weight class from normal to take a forfeit from Broken Arrow at 195, while Tulsa Union forfeited to No. 19 Seth Calvert -- also up a weight class - in the final match at 220. Of interest are two things -- (1) Tulsa Union flipped Wilson and Young, as well as Walser and Crutchmer from their probable state series weights (2) the teams could meet again this coming week in the state duals. Other highlights from the week that was ... No. 3 Apple Valley, Minn. defeated No. 43 Kasson-Mantorville, Minn., 52-17, on Friday night, winning 10 of 14 matches. The Class 4A Alaska state championship happened this past Friday and Saturday. Service High School earned 250-1/2 points on the way to the championship, while Wasilla (214-1/2 points) and Kodiak (201-1/2) finished second and third respectively. Service was led by state championships from John Pounds (126), Jacob Lunsford (138), Rilen Skieens (152), Daniel Murakami (160), and Stephen Ellis (195). Direct link to all results: http://www.trackwrestling.com/predefinedtournaments/VerifyPassword.jsp?tournamentId=27749009 No. 31 Christian Brothers, Tenn. earned the state dual meet championship in Division II, even though they barely escaped Baylor in the semifinal round with a 27-26 victory despite winning just 6 of 14 matches. The championship final was a much easier match, as they won nine matches in a 41-22 victory over Father Ryan. Soddy Daisy won the Division I Class AAA title with a 29-22 victory over Cleveland, while Chattanooga Central was the Division I Class A-AA champion with a 33-27 win against Pigeon Forge. Tournament home page: http://tssaa.org/2011Champions/StateDualWrestling/home.htm Foley, Minn., upset No. 38 St. Michael-Albertville, Minn., 29-28, in part of a Saturday triangular hosted by St. Michael-Albertville. This reversed a result from last month. In preparation for the PIAA Dual Meet Championships this week (already started on Monday with preliminary matches), No. 5 Canon McMillan, Pa.; No.12 Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.; No. 25 Central Dauphin, Pa.; and No. 30 Easton, Pa., all won their district dual meet championships as expected. Also in the week to come ... No. 11 Simley, Minn., will play host to No. 41 St. Michael-Albertville, Minn., in a dual meet on Friday night. Traditional (i.e. individual bracket) state tournaments will be held in Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Montana this week; while additional dual meet championships will be held in Maryland, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and South Carolina.

Fight Now USA Presents Takedown Wrestling from the Brute studios in Des Moines, Iowa at 1460 KXNO. Takedown Wrestling is brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods! This Saturday it's Takedown Wrestling Radio. Join Scott Casber, Adam Fenn from Wrestling Video Solutions, Steve Foster and Brad Johnson with the Takedown Wrestling Headline News this Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. CT/ 10 a.m. to 12 noon. This week's guests: 9:03 Damion Hahn, Cornell assistant coach 9:20 Cole Konrad, Bellator heavyweight champion 9:40 Fernando Serratos, Clinch Gear 9:50 Ty Barkley Max Muscle Sports Nutrition Update 10:03 Bjorn Rebney, Bellator CEO 10:20 Michael Chandler, Bellator figher 10:40 Marshall Peppelman, Cornell wrestler 10:50 Amy Ruble Wildrose Casino and Resort Takedown Wrestling is available on radio on AM 1460 KXNO in Iowa, online at Livesportsvideo.com, or on your Blackberry or iPhone with the iHeart Radio app.

Fight Now USA Presents Takedown Wrestling from the mobile Brute studios. Takedown Wrestling is brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods! This Wednesday night starting at 6:30 Takedown Wrestling Radio will present a special Live broadcast of the No. 8 Wyoming Cowboys home dual against the always tough University of Northern Colorado on TheMat.com. Nine wins propelled the University of Wyoming wrestling team to its sixth-straight dual win Thursday night in Colorado Springs as the Pokes took out the Falcons, 32-6. The Cowboys (6-2 overall, 3-0 Western Wrestling Conference) won eight-straight matches to close out the dual to overcome an early 6-4 deficit. UW stayed unbeaten in conference action to remain atop the standings.

PITTSBURGH -- University of Pittsburgh senior Ethan Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa./Waynesburg High School) was named the Eastern Wrestling League Wrestler of the Week on Monday In the Panthers' 26-12 win at West Virginia on Saturday, Headlee returned from an elbow injury and rolled to a 12-2 major decision over No. 20 Lance Bryson. It was the second time Headlee posted a major decision over Bryson this season. “I felt confident. I felt like I was the better wrestler,” Headlee said. “Knowing where he stands in the rankings and knowing I want to be an All-American, I kind of look at it as a stepping stone to get to where I want to be.” Headlee was ranked No. 26 in the WrestlingReport.com poll at the time of the match and has since bumped up five spots to No. 21, one spot ahead of Bryson. With his win over Bryson, and teammate P.J. Tasser's win over multiple EWL opponents, Headlee will most likely enter the conference tournament as the top seed and the favorite to win his second straight title. Regardless of his place at the EWL Tournament on March 4, Headlee is a virtual lock to qualify for the national tournament for the fourth time in his career, a feat accomplished by just 12 wrestlers in Pitt history. Included in that list are current coaches Rande Stotleymyer and Matt Kocher. A pair of injuries have kept Headlee out of the lineup for a large portion of the season, limiting him to just 16 matches with a record of 10-6. For his career he has 91 victories and is tied for sixth all-time on Pitt's career pins list with 29. Headlee didn't appear to struggle much during his return from the most recent setback. He controlled all facets of the match in the easy win over Bryson, scoring multiple takedowns and nearfall points. “Coming off the elbow injury, I felt a lot better as opposed to my knee injury because I was able to run. I was a little nervous, because a match is a lot different than practice, but for the most part I felt good.” Pitt hopes Headlee can continue to compete like he did at West Virginia as the Panthers face a grueling final stretch of the regular season. Remaining on the schedule are a one-loss team in No. 23 Hofstra, a No. 21 Edinboro team with a perfect 4-0 record in the EWL, and No. 2 Penn State, the returning national champions. The Hofstra match is next on the schedule. The Panthers will host the Pride on Friday at 7 p.m. at the Fitzgerald Field House.

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- For the third time this season, Missouri's Alan Waters has been named the Big 12 Wrestler of the Week, as announced on Monday afternoon. Waters becomes just the second Tiger in program history with three career Wrestler of the Week honors, tying him with Ben Askren for most all-time. Waters shut out a pair of top-15 conference foes this weekend, beginning with a 4-0 victory over No. 13 Jon Morrison of Oklahoma State on Saturday. He followed that up by defeating No. 8 Jarrod Patterson (Oklahoma) by a 7-0 final on Sunday afternoon. The victories were the first for Waters against each of these foes, as he was 0-2 against both Morrison and Patterson entering the weekend. Waters is now 22-1 overall and 13-0 in duals this season. In total, Missouri wrestlers have now won four league weekly awards in one season for the first time in the Big 12 era. Waters joins current Oklahoma athlete Kendric Maple and former Oklahoma State star Jordan Oliver as the only wrestlers to be honored by the Big 12 three times in one season. Missouri will travel to Piscataway, N.J. this weekend for the NWCA National Dual Regionals, being joined by host Rutgers, Kent State, Michigan, Minnesota and Cal Poly. Bracket information will be released on Tuesday afternoon after the rankings are released. For more information, stay tuned to mutigers.com.

Fabricio Werdum (Photo/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) First, we learned that the UFC Monster and I are out in Vegas enjoying the fight mecca of the world. Nothing is better than being in Vegas for a UFC card, the entire city is charged with electric waves. Fight recap time ... Here is what we learned from the UFC 143 main card and what is (or could be) next for the fighters: Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz Division: Welterweight Result: Condit defeated Diaz by unanimous decision What we learned about Condit: The obvious ... He is now the interim welterweight champion. We also learned that Condit can not only come out charging like a bull and score knockouts (see Dan Hardy fight), but he is also very coachable and disciplined when asked. His camp, led by Greg Jackson, came up with a game plan to not be lured into the brawling fights that Diaz tends to enjoy and win. Condit was a very diverse striker and never wavered or fell out of his game plan despite being heavily taunted heavily by Daiz. Condit has finally arrived with this signature win and went from an underrated fighter to a very dangerous contender. What is next for Condit: Condit is next in line to fight GSP. The problem is that he will have to wait about 10 months to do so, since GSP isn't going to be cleared to train until June. Don't be surprised if Condit fights Koscheck or considers fighting Diaz again in an immediate rematch. What we learned about Diaz: He is exactly who we thought he is, and know him to be. He was arrogant, brash and wanted to get Condit to brawl with him. Diaz felt that he at least won rounds 1, 3, and 5, and he was so distraught with the decision that he emotionally said that he would retire, since he felt that Condit ran away from him the entire fight. We learned that although Diaz may have won the fight in many eyes, he still needs to remember to never let it get to the score cards. Making comments like, "If I thought I was losing, I would have finished the submission" leaves fans, his camp, and many other scratching their heads. What is next for Diaz: Diaz needs to lobby for an immediate rematch. Dana White hinted at it. He could get an immediate rematch, but my gut feeling is that he will have to fight Johny Hendricks, Josh Koscheck, or Jon Fitch. Fabricio Werdum vs. Roy Nelson Division: Heavyweight Result: Fabricio Werdum defeated Nelson by unanimous decision What we learned about Werdum: We learned that the eighth-ranked Werdum is a dark horse in the heavyweight division. He showed new and very clean striking skills, picking Nelson apart all night. We have not seen Werdum ever look this good in his standup game, couple that with his amazing submission skills and you have a fighter on the brink of a title shot with another couple of wins. What is next for Werdum: Fabricio returned to the UFC looking better than ever, so expect him to fight Frank Mir, Shane Carwin or even Antonio Nogueria to climb into the top five of his weight class. What we learned about Nelson: We learned that he is a mid-level fighter that is fun to watch with much personality, but needs to do more to make an impact in the deep and talented heavyweight division. He has lost a lot of weight, but at his height and weight, he will always struggle against fighters with longer reaches and bigger statures. What is next for Nelson: Look to him to continue to lose the weight and get down to light heavy weight class in the next year. He may take another fight at heavy weight, but at 1-3 in his last four fights, he will need to win to fight off a pink slip from the UFC. Josh Koscehck vs. Mike Pierce Division: Welterweight Result: Koscheck defeated Pierce by split decision What we learned about Koscheck: We learned that he was not very motivated coming into this fight ... and not much else. He did just enough to earn a very slim decision and left much to be desired. Koscheck reveled at the post fight press conference that he wasn't happy with his performance and has left his AKA Academy gym that he helped promote during his entire UFC career. We were also reminded that fans love to hate Koscheck, and he did very little to improve the frequency of the "boo birds." What is next for Koscheck: He suggested that he would like to fight Condit for the interim title, but he will more than likely get Johnny Hendricks or Jon Fitch (his former teammate at AKA) . What we learned about Pierce: He is a very physically strong and game fighter. He pushed the pace and landed nice shots against Koscheck, and although struggled to get the takedowns, he should build on the loss and come back stronger. Pierce is a legitimate top 20 welterweight who needs to clean up his game and should be someone to watch moving forward. What is next for Pierce: I think he took more away in the fight from the loss than Koscheck in the win. Peirce should look to get back on the proverbial ladder by fighting someone such as Charlie Brenneman. Ed Herman vs. Clifford Starks Division: Middleweight Result: Ed Herman defeated Clifford Starks by submission What we learned about Herman: Herman is still a gatekeeper to the UFC. Since finishing as a runner-up in Season 3 of the Ultimate Fighter TV series, Herman is 7-6 in the UFC and tends to be a fighter who will beat most newcomers debuting in the UFC, but then losing to polished competition. In short, we learned that Herman has not evolved much since joining the UFC. He looks good against weaker competition and then gets beat by mid-level guys. What is next for Herman: Herman needs to string some wins together. Nonetheless, I see him on the same trend he has been on since entering the UFC ... inconsistent. He should get a fight with Jason Miller with the loser getting cut from the UFC. What we learned about Starks: Not a ton. He clipped Herman with a nice hook, but then failed to get a takedown with some lunging, far from distances shots. What is next for Starks: In losing this last bout, Starks will have to win his next fight to prove his win in his octagon debut was not a fluke. I see him fighting Kris McCray or Ryan Jensen.