InterMat Staff

EAST LANSING -- The No. 11 Central Michigan wrestling program continued a pair of streaks in an impressive 27-10 victory over in-state foe Michigan State Friday night. The Chippewas (17-3) earned their 10th straight dual victory of the 2013 season and their 12th straight victory over the Spartans (4-14) by claiming seven of the 10 bouts on the night. Bonus points were earned in three matches as junior Craig Kelliher earned a 10-2 major decision, No. 2 senior Ben Bennett claimed victory by technical fall in his fifth straight match and No. 7 senior Scotti Sentes pinned his opponent in just 1:39. The match started at 141 pounds with junior Scott Mattingly earning a 4-0 decision over Nick Timble and senior Donnie Corby put the Chippewas in front 6-0 with a close 3-2 decision over Dan Osterman. Corby was down 2-1 entering the third period, but used a takedown to secure the victory. Sophomore Mike Ottinger won his 10th straight match with a 3-2 decision over Nick Proctor and No. 11 Christian Cullinan won 5-0 over Brenan Lyon to complete the CMU victories. The Chippewas now have a 16 day break until their next competition when they will head to the Mid-American Conference Championships in Buffalo, N.Y. CMU has won the last 11 MAC Championships crowns. Results: 141: Scott Mattingly (CMU) dec. Nicholas Timble, 4-0; CMU 3-0 149: Donnie Corby (CMU) dec. Dan Osterman, 3-2; CMU 6-0 157: Ryan Watts (MSU) dec. Luke Smith, 7-3; CMU 6-3 165: Mike Ottinger (CMU) dec. Nick Proctor, 3-2; CMU 9-3 174: Craig Kelliher (CMU) maj. dec. Jordan Wohlfert, 10-2; CMU 13-3 184: No. 2 Ben Bennett (CMU) tech. fall Eric Ford, 6:25 15-0; CMU 18-3 197: Luke Jones (MSU) maj. dec. Jackson Lewis, 10-1; CMU 18-7 Hwt: No. 7 Michael McClure (MSU) dec. Jarod Trice, TB3 Riding Time 3-2; CMU 18-10 125: No. 11 Christian Cullinan (CMU) dec. Brenan Lyon, 5-0; CMU 21-10 133: No. 7 Scotti Sentes (CMU) fall Brandon Fifield, 1:39; CMU 27-10

EDINBORO, Pa. -- The No. 17 University of Pittsburgh wrestling team won the final six matches of the night to erase an 18-0 deficit and defeat No. 15 Edinboro, 19-18, this evening at McComb Field House. "You talk about this team, there’s no quit in this team," said head coach Rande Stottlemyer. "This was a lot of fun. To do this here, in our last EWL match, was a great moment." After the Fighting Scots took the first four matches of the evening, Donnie Tasser got the Panthers on the board with a 10-2 major decision at 157 pounds over Casey Fuller. Tasser started the match aggressively scoring an early takedown on a high single near the center of the mat. The senior was able to push his lead to 5-0 after two, scoring a quick escape and then converting a low single on the ankle for the two points. In the third, Tasser kept up his aggressive approach and secured a pair of takedowns to extend his lead to 9-2. A bonus point for riding time secured the major decision for Tasser and put momentum in Pitt’s corner. Tyler Wilps took a 9-6 decision over Johnny Greisheimer to keep the momentum going. After trailing 6-5 going into the final period, Wilps started down and earned a quick escape to knot the match. A high single converted into a takedown near the edge of the mat put WIlps ahead for good and a bonus point for riding time gave Wilps the 9-6 decision and cutting further into the EU advantage. At 174 pounds, Nick Bonaccrosi took a 6-1 decision over Patrick Jennings. Bonaccorsi used a pair of first period takedowns, a second period escape and a bonus point for over three minutes riding time to earn the victory. Max Thomusseit gave up an early takedown to Vince Pickett at 184 but quickly responded with an escape and takedown of his own to take a 3-2 lead into the second. In the second, Thomusseit gained control of the match with an escape and takedown. Thomusseit was able to secure a 7-2 decision when he rode out Pickett in the third to cut the Edinboro team lead to a mere five points with two matches remaining. Wrestling without senior heavyweight Zac Thomusseit due to illness, the Panthers had to bump up P.J. Tasser from up from 174 pounds to 197 pounds. The junior responded by picking up a huge 9-2 decision over Warren Bosch. Giving up over 20 pounds to Bosch, Tasser was able to strike first when he planted Bosch off a scramble and turned him to his back for a pair of nearfall points to take a 4-0 lead after 1. Tasser pushed his advantage to 7-0 after the second when he earned an escape and yet another takedown, this time on a high single. Tasser was able to clinch the win in the third with an escape off a reversal and a point for riding time to set up a heavyweight showdown to decide the match. "P.J. is the consummate team guy," said Stottlemyer. "He stepped up for us again tonight and got us a big win to keep us in the match." Wrestling his first match of the season at heavyweight, Matt Wilps was giving up 60 pounds to 20th-ranked Ernest James. After the two combatants exchanged a scoreless first, Wilps started down in the second and quickly escaped. Following the Wilps escape, neither wrestler was able to score in the remainder of the frame and Wilps went to the third with a narrow 1-0 advantage. While on top in the third, Wilps was reversed but was able to escape sending the match to overtime. In sudden victory, Wilps got in on a single near the edge but time expired before he could finish on it and the match went on to ride outs. James chose down to start and Wilps was able to ride him out for the 30 seconds, punctuated by an authoritative slam with eight seconds remaining. When Wilps was down he was quickly able to find his base and earn the escape to secure the 3-2 victory and give Pitt the dramatic 19-18 victory. "This was a great team win for us," Stottlemyer said. "We kept fighting the whole match and were able to get the win. Give all the credit to our guys, they didn’t back down." The Panthers will return to the mats on Saturday, March 9, when they return to McComb Fieldhouse on the Edinboro campus for the EWL Championships. Results: 125: Kory Mines (E) pins Derrick Nelson (P), 1:32; EU leads, 6-0 133: No. 3 A.J. Schopp (E) dec. No. 17 Shelton Mack (P), 2-0; EU leads, 9-0 141: No. 4 Mitchell Port (E) pins Travis Shaffer (P), 5:54; EU leads, 15-0 149: No. 17 David Habat (E) dec. Ronnie Garbinsky (P), 8-6; EU leads, 18-0 157: Donnie Tasser (P) m. dec. Casey Fuller (E), 10-2; EU leads, 18-4 165: No. 12 Tyler Wilps (P) dec. Johnny Greishemier (E), 9-6; EU leads, 18-7 174: Nick Bonaccorsi (P) dec. Patrick Jennings (E), 6-1; EU leads, 18-10 184: No. 14 Max Thomusseit (P) dec. Vince Pickett (E), 7-2; EU leads, 18-13 197: P.J. Tasser (P) dec. Warren Bosch (E), 9-2; EU leads, 18-16 285: Matt Wilps (P) dec. No. 20 Ernest James (E), 3-2 (OT); Pitt wins 19-18

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The Lehigh wrestling team closed out its dual meet season with an impressive 31-9 win over Bucknell Friday night at Davis Gym. The Mountain Hawks won eight bouts including four wins by major decision to finish the dual season with a 10-7. Lehigh has now won at least 10 dual meets in 14 consecutive seasons. “It was a good finish,” explained Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro. “The dual season is over and now the real season begins. We need to tighten some things up over the next two weeks. This is tournament time coming up. This is the best time of year coming up. This is what we’ve been waiting for all year. The guys are excited about it and they’re getting healthy, but we have to be strong in two weeks.” The dual began with a forfeit to Lehigh senior Alex Abreu at 125 before the Mountain Hawks rolled off four consecutive wins to lead 21-0 at the halfway point. Both freshman Randy Cruz and sophomore Anthony Salupo used high-scoring first periods to work towards major decisions. Cruz scored an early takedown on Paul Petrov at 133, then slapped on a cradle for three near fall points, and added three more near fall points before the end of the period to lead 8-0 after one. Cruz added a second period takedown, a third period escape and riding time to win 12-1. Salupo also posted an eight point first period in his match with Derrik Russell. A takedown and three point near fall had Salupo up 5-0 before Russell scored a reversal. After an escape, Salupo added one more takedown to lead 8-2 after one. Salupo added an escape in the third period plus a takedown and riding to earn the 12-3 major. “They went out and wrestled hard and wrestled with a lot of effort,” Santoro said. “The effort has been a lot better the last couple of weeks. When we get to the postseason it’s all about effort. You have to be intense and sealing the deals when you get the opportunity.” Things were much lower scoring at 149, but senior Shane Welsh posted his 12th consecutive win, 4-1 over Adam Healey. Welsh scored a two point near fall in the third period plus earned riding time advantage for the three point margin of victory. Junior Joey Napoli followed with Lehigh’s third major decision as he racked up six takedowns in a 14-5 win over Vincent Favia at 157 to improve to 15-2 on the season. Bucknell posted its first win at 165 as 17th-ranked Corey Lear built a 9-0 lead before pinning freshman Ben Haas at the 6:22 mark. At 174, Lewisburg native Nathaniel Brown wrestled in front of family and friends and delighted his cheering section with an 11-4 decision over Robert Schlitt. Brown scored a takedown in each period and added two near fall points in the second. A locked hands call in the third cost Brown the major decision. Lehigh’s fourth major decision came from senior Robert Hamlin, who cruised to career win No. 101 with a 12-4 win over Robert Marchese at 184. Hamlin totaled five takedowns including two in the first period and two more in the third. Freshman John Bolich earned a 5-1 decision over Tyler Lyster at 197 for Lehigh’s eighth win of the night. Bolich scored a quick first period takedown and rode out the remaining 2:49. Lyster rode out the second period, but Bolich added a takedown in the third plus riding time advantage. Bucknell took the final bout of the night as Joe Stolfi edged freshman Max Wessell 7-6.The first two periods were full of back-and-forth action as Wessell scored the opening takedown. Stolfi then escaped and scored a takedown of his own. Wessell then scored a reversal and after a Stolfi escape the match was tied at 4-4 after one period. The wrestlers traded reversals to open the second period, with Stolfi going in front on an escape. Wessell chose neutral in the third and had several quality shots but could not finish as the Bison sophomore captured the final bout. The Mountain Hawks will return to action at the 109th EIWA Championships, hosted by Rutgers March 8-9 in Piscataway, N.J. Results: 125: Alex Abreu (Lehigh) won by forfeit 133: Randy Cruz (Lehigh) major dec. Paul Petrov (Bucknell) 12-1 141: Anthony Salupo (Lehigh) major dec. Derrik Russell (Bucknell) 12-3 149: Shane Welsh (Lehigh) dec. Adam Healey (Bucknell) 4-1 157: Joey Napoli (Lehigh) major dec. Vincent Favia (Bucknell) 14-5 165: Corey Lear (Bucknell) Fall Ben Haas (Lehigh) 6:22 174: Nathaniel Brown (Lehigh) dec. Robert Schlitt (Bucknell) 11-4 184: Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) major dec. Robert Marchese (Bucknell) 12-4 197: John Bolich (Lehigh) dec. Tyler Lyster (Bucknell) 5-1 285: Joe Stolfi (Bucknell) dec. Max Wessell (Lehigh) 7-6

National Prep Championships

NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals Finals

Below is a look at first-round matchups pitting ranked wrestlers against each other. Oklahoma State vs. Illinois (6 p.m.) 133: No. 5 Jon Morrison (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 10 Daryl Thomas (Illinois) 165: No. 3 Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 8 Conrad Polz (Illinois) 174: No. 2 Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 8 Jordan Blanton (Illinois) 184: No. 11 Chris Chionuma (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 19 Tony Dallago (Illinois) 197: No. 8 Blake Rosholt (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 14 Mario Gonzalez (Illinois) Ohio State vs. Missouri (6 p.m.) 125: No. 12 Nikko Triggas (Ohio State) vs. No. 4 Alan Waters (Missouri) 133: No. 1 Logan Stieber (Ohio State) vs. No. 5 Nathan McCormick (Missouri) 149: No. 11 Cam Tessari (Ohio State) vs. No. 15 Drake Houdashelt (Missouri) 157: No. 18 Josh Demas (Ohio State) vs. No. 19 Kyle Bradley (Missouri) 174: No. 6 Nick Heflin (Ohio State) vs. No. 13 Todd Porter (Missouri) 184: No. 20 C.J. Magrum (Ohio State) vs. No. 12 Mike Larson (Missouri) 197: No. 12 Andrew Campolattano/Kenny Courts (Ohio State) vs. No. 18 Brent Haynes (Missouri) 285: No. 13 Peter Capone (Ohio State) vs. No. 1 Dom Bradley (Missouri) Minnesota vs. Virginia Tech (8 p.m.) 125: No. 13 David Thorn (Minnesota) vs. No. 5 Jarrod Garnett (Virginia Tech) 133: No. 8 Chris Dardanes (Minnesota) vs. No. 18 Erik Spjut (Virginia Tech) 141: No. 9 Nick Dardanes (Minnesota) vs. No. 12 Zach Neibert (Virginia Tech) 149: No. 6 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) vs. No. 9 Nick Brascetta (Virginia Tech) 165: No. 14 Cody Yohn (Minnesota) vs. No. 4 Peter Yates (Virginia Tech) Iowa vs. Cornell (8 p.m.) 125: No. 1 Matt McDonough (Iowa) vs. No. 6 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) 141: No. 7 Mark Ballweg (Iowa) vs. No. 13 Mike Nevinger (Cornell) 165: No. 13 Nick Moore (Iowa) vs. No. 1 Kyle Dake (Cornell) 184: No. 14 Ethen Lofthouse/Grant Gambrall (Iowa) vs. No. 4 Steve Bosak (Cornell)

Iowa's Tony Ramos is one of eight undefeated wrestlers competing (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine) Here is a look at four storylines to follow at this year's NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals finals, which take place Friday and Saturday in Minneapolis. Undefeated wrestlers The field includes eight wrestlers who are undefeated this season. Those wrestlers are Alan Waters of Missouri at 125 pounds, Logan Stieber of Ohio State at 133 pounds, Tony Ramos of Iowa at 133 pounds, Hunter Stieber of Ohio State at 141 pounds, Jordan Oliver of Oklahoma State at 149 pounds, Derek St. John of Iowa at 157 pounds, Kyle Dake of Cornell at 165 pounds, and Dom Bradley of Missouri at 285 pounds. Will all eight leave Minneapolis with their perfect records still intact? Stay tuned. Intriguing first-round matches There are several intriguing first-round matches to keep an eye on. Here is a sampling ... Oklahoma State vs. Illinois (6 p.m.): Illinois associate head coach Mark Perry finds himself on the opposite side of his brother, Oklahoma State's Chris Perry, the nation's second-ranked 174-pounder, and his uncle John Smith, Oklahoma State's coach. Chris Perry will meet Jordan Blanton in a battle of returning All-Americans. Perry won all three of the meetings last season between the two wrestlers, including twice at the NCAAs. Ohio State vs. Missouri (6 p.m.): There will be a matchup between two top five wrestlers at 133 pounds, No. 1 Logan Stieber vs. No. 5 Nathan McCormick. The two met in the finals of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in early December, with Stieber winning that meeting 12-1. Minnesota vs. Virginia Tech (8 p.m.): Two of the nation's top ten 149-pounders will square off, Dylan Ness vs. Nick Brascetta. Ness was an NCAA runner-up last season as a freshman. Brascetta claimed a Midlands title in late December. Iowa vs. Cornell (8 p.m.): Top-ranked Matt McDonough will meet sixth-ranked Nahshon Garrett at 125 pounds. McDonough, a two-time NCAA champion and three-time NCAA finalist, has kept his No. 1 ranking at 125 pounds despite a recent loss to Jesse Delgado of Illinois. Garrett, a freshman who started wrestling in ninth grade, has not dropped a match since the Southern Scuffle. Dan Gable disciples Legendary Iowa wrestling coach Dan Gable's influence is still felt today in the college wrestling world. Of the eight head coaches with teams in the National Duals finals, four wrestled for Gable at Iowa and a fifth coached with him. Iowa coach Tom Brands was a four-time All-American and three-time NCAA champion wrestling for Gable. He finished with a career record of 158-7-2. Tom Ryan, Ohio State's head coach, was a two-time All-American (second in 1991, third in 1992) as a member of the Hawkeyes' 1991 and 1992 national and Big Ten championships teams. He was also a two-time Big Ten champion. Illinois coach Jim Heffernan was a four-time All-American wrestling for Gable at Iowa, finishing fourth, second, first, and second. He was named Iowa's Male Athlete of the Year in 1987 and was a four-time Big Ten champion. He led the Hawkeyes to three NCAA championships. Virginia Tech coach Kevin Dresser was a two-time All-American and NCAA champion in 1986 competing for Gable. He also coached under Gable several years after graduating from Iowa. Minnesota coach J Robinson was Dan Gable's assistant at Iowa from 1976 through 1984. Impact freshmen Several freshmen have been making an impact in Division I this season. Here is a look at five to watch during the finals of the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. Nahshon Garrett (Cornell, 125): The sixth-ranked Garrett has given Rob Koll's Big Red lineup a major boost this season. He finished runner-up at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and third at the Southern Scuffle. Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State, 157): Dieringer, currently ranked in the top ten at 157 pounds, looks to be a real threat to earn All-American honors as a freshman in Des Moines. He has a 23-2 record and has won his last seven matches in dual meets. Dieringer went 2-0 with two pins in the regional round. Kenny Courts (Ohio State, 184/197): Courts was one of the nation's top recruits coming out of high school in Pennsylvania. He has picked up some key wins for the Buckeyes this season wrestling at both 184 pounds and 197 pounds. Nathan Burak (Iowa, 197): Burak, who spent last year the Olympic Training Center, has shown steady improvement throughout his freshman season. His most notable win this season has come over Ohio State's Andrew Campolattano, a round of 12 finisher last season. Caleb Ervin (Illinois, 149): Ervin, a Kentucky native, caught the attention of the college wrestling world when he won my major decision over NCAA runner-up Dylan Ness of Minnesota on Jan. 21. He has a 21-8 record.

InterMat senior writer T.R. Foley answers reader questions about NCAA wrestling, international wrestling, recruiting, or anything loosely related to wrestling. You have until Thursday night every week to send questions to Foley's Twitter or email account. Do you want to read a past mailbag? Access archives. Like most of you, I've spent the week since the IOC's announcement cycling through the stages of grief. At times I'm so angry that crazy homicidal plots creep into my subconscious, but then at other times I'm hopelessly optimistic that the world will see the fallacy of the IOC's power and rebel en masse. But mostly I'm confused and saddened. Wrestling and the connection it has to the world and humanity is as much my beat as anything else, and to see the most privileged men in the world rip opportunity from the arms of the hard-working under-privileged makes me crazed. Fortunately I get to write about these frustrations. Last week's article was the most shared in the history of InterMat. As a writer it was humbling to read your emails, but as a fan of the sport it was also encouraging to see that article and the myriad videos and memes of the Internet get passed around to our family, friends and acquaintances. Getting the word out is the first step in improving our situation and as a community we've done well to announce our displeasure. Time is a great healer, but for us it's our greatest enemy. Please keep up the pressure. I'm narrowing in on a new story, but in the meantime give this Bloomberg article a once-over and try to share it across your social networks. On a lighter note you should read this incredible think piece on the Die Hard franchise. I especially think that we can see parallels in the author's final paragraph ... All those heroes who once stood for certainty, fearlessness and unwavering confidence have been swept away, their statues toppled -- and the one still standing is the one who represents fear, anxiety, frustration, uncertainty and, despite it all, irrational hope. This is a jittery world, and increasingly so, and complex beyond understanding, and at times it all seems stitched together by the barest of threads, and this feeling only gets worse as you get older. Expertise, it turns out, offers little solace. So it makes sense that the best, most enduring modern hero is not one who vows to wrap his muscular arms around the world and hold it all together. It's the one who promises that, when it all falls apart, you can still hope to hobble away from it, limping on your glass-shredded feet, bloodied but somehow still intact. To your questions ... Q: If the IOC decision to drop wrestling from the Olympics holds up, will this change the direction of current OTC residents who currently have college eligibility (i.e. Destin McCauley)? -- Paul B. Foley: It could certainly impact their decision to compete. Destin McCauley would likely see out this cycle, but whether a limited future prompts hard work, or for the young to find a new employ is a personal decision. The final verdict on the future of wrestling won't be known until September, so most of these life-altering decisions can be postponed. For now his focus should remain on the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. I think RTC's have been a great addition to collegiate wrestling. As a former coach, I think having a mature set of 24 to 34-year-old wrestlers training and competing alongside the college kids shows positive habits. It was certainly a positive influence for my team to have RTC guys training at Virginia. Q: How is it possible that Big Ten scholarship wrestlers are having problems wrestling a full match at this point in the season. I've seen a number of instances where a highly ranked wrestler (e.g. Andrew Alton) just "broke" due to being gassed out. I know that the Altons had a unique situation, but yet and still how is this even a discussion topic? Shouldn't I presume that any top quality D1 wrestler is able/ready to go flat out for 15 minutes if necessary? I know guys are cutting real weight and all but it just seems ridiculous to me that conditioning is even a discussion topic. Please weigh in and help clarify. -- Bryan R. Foley: Brother, wrestling is a tough sport, and though many of these horses can run, there are times when bad sleep, diet, or suspensions due to drinking can set the body off course. Chalk it up to circumstance and remember how sore you are after running three miles. They deserve to be held accountable, but save your righteous indignation for the conference tournament. Q: I think it's a shame that there is a huge shortage of tickets this year for the NCAAs due to it being held at a smaller venue in Des Moines. Who decides where the NCAA tournament is held each year and what criteria is used in their selection process? -- Randy B. Foley: I spoke to Jeff Jarnecke at the NCAA (great guy) and he filled me in on how they selected the cities and why there was such a decrease in the number of available seats. Basically we hadn't had a sellout before 2009, and because bids are set four years in advance the thinking became that Des Moines could be the first sellout. Well, we went ahead and sold out 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 even with substantial increases in price. Now we have fans who can't attend. Overall there are about 10k fewer seats this year, but on the positive side the committee will be taking bids on the next four-year cycle this year and should announcer a winner, or winners by the end of the 2013. There is a CHANCE that the committee could find a semi-permanent location, though the details behind such a decision are numerous and confusing. The NCAA would love to have a permanent location like baseball enjoys in Omaha, but it would take a significant investment by a major city to make that dream a possibility. (Just point me to the beer ...) Let's just be happy that our problem is not having enough seats, instead of not having enough fans. Q: I would like to see more coverage of junior college wrestling. The JUCO Nationals are Feb. 22-23 in Des Moines, Iowa. Will Intermat run a preview? Many great JUCO wrestlers have gone on to successful careers at D-1 and D-2 schools. -- Dennis R. S Foley: Your wish is our command. Johnnie Johnson is going to be providing JUCO coverage for InterMat, including photos. Q: As a fan of both wrestling and MMA, I have been impatiently waiting for fighters from the Caucasus region of Russia to get into American MMA. Well it has finally started to happen with recent events in both Bellator and the UFC. I am curious about the way that these guys are trained in order to have such superb/exciting technique and killer instinct. If I keep Googling Chechen fighters I may end up on a homeland security watch list (try it ... you'll understand) so I thought you might be able to help me out based on your travels. Additionally, do you know if the major U.S. MMA organizations have scouts out there in the mountains searching for future prospects? -- Dave Foley: I don't have any personal experience in the Caucuses, but the evidence of their toughness is in the number of vicious knockouts they've secured over the past two years. There are about a dozen fighters from Chechnya and Dagestan who are blowing through the UFC and Bellator. I've been doing some research for an upcoming story in FIGHT! and can tell you that after they win their fights that each of these fighters heads straight back to Russia. Guess it was my own naïveté but I would have thought they'd have stayed in the states, drank mai tais and flirted with our women. Guess they still love home, and that it's only the opportunity to fight in America they find ultra-compelling. HALFTIME The NCAA is the OG IOC. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows ... Q: As we all know A.C. Slater was a stud grappler, played by Mario Lopez. The upcoming film "Foxcatcher" has Channing Tatum playing Mark Schultz. With both Lopez and Tatum playing premier wrestlers (granted one is fictional) which actor would win in a wrestling match? -- Brian Foley: Channing Tatum is immensely more likable and is playing Mark Shultz. Magic Mike by 5. Q: Has the NCAA ever considered giving 1 point per minute of riding time? I think of Nick Moore's 3-plus minutes of riding time against Cody Yohn recently, and Kyle Dake's 6+ minutes against Frank Molinaro in the NCAA finals. Do you personally think it would be a good idea? -- Wes F. Foley: Fantastic idea for guys that are good on top, but I think you'd see the matches slow to a crawl as guys tried to hand on for that second minute instead of battling it out on their feet. By your rules Jesse Jantzen would've racked up an average of five extra points a match, and he was already good enough for OW in 2004. Q: Since we need more made-for-TV events, can you make this one happen -- at the end of the World Team Trials in June, a FOLKSTYLE exhibition between (likely four-time champ) Kyle Dake and Jordan Burroughs? I'm thinking Kid Dynamite rides Burroughs out, trades two escapes for one Burroughs takedown, and beats the Olympic champ 3-2. OK, maybe not. But wouldn't it be awesome? -- Ronald M. Foley: I floated this idea to a few friends and each became crazed, and Muir immediately started crafting a line. Super matches are a fun idea and with expert marketing and willing participants they could become media events. Why don't we let the IOC decision blow over and then we'll revisit in September. Who knows, these matches might be part of a new professional league that exists in a post-Olympic world. Cael Sanderson on Jay Mohr Sports fighting the loss of wrestling in the Olympics ...

STEVENS POINT, Wis. -- Building a 15-0 lead after the first four bouts, the Augsburg College wrestling team finished its regular season with an 18-15 dual-meet victory at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Thursday evening at Berg Gym. Both teams won five bouts, but a technical-fall victory by 125-pounder Mike Fuenffinger (SO, Hibbing, Minn.) and a major-decision win by Tossaporn "Boyd" Suparat (SR, North Branch, Minn.) at 133 proved to be the difference in the triumph for Augsburg (6-6 overall). After Augsburg won the first four bouts, Wisconsin-Stevens Point (14-8 overall) won the next three in a row, but one of the key moments in the match came at 165 pounds, when Augsburg's Justin Bowland (JR, Foley, Minn.) claimed a 4-2 victory over the Pointers' Jordan Schulte, ranked No. 7 in the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III rankings. The Pointers won the final two bouts, but both were three-point decisions, giving the Auggies the 18-15 win. Augsburg entered Thursday's match ranked No. 20 in the most recent NWCA Division III national poll, while Wisconsin-Stevens Point was ranked No. 9. Fuenffinger improved to 22-5 on the year with a 15-0, technical-fall victory over Lance Fabry at 125 pounds. The win was his 11th bonus-point victory of the season and his fourth technical-fall win. Suparat improved to 25-11 on the season with a 9-1, major-decision win over Lucas McGann at 133. Matt Hechsel (SO, Apple Valley, Minn.) opened the match with an 8-6 win over Craig Brandvold at 197 pounds, improving to 28-9 on the season. Top-ranked heavyweight and defending national champion Chad Johnson (JR, Ferryville, Wis./De Soto HS) improved to 30-1 on the season with a 5-3 win over Jordan Koranda. Johnson is now 98-13 in his three seasons at Augsburg. Jordan Kust, ranked No. 6 nationally at 141 for the Pointers, scored a 4-2 win over Augsburg's Tom Kuehn (SO, Fargo, N.D./West Fargo HS), while the Pointers' Ben Strobel scored a 5-1 win over Rashad Kennedy (SO, Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Henry Sibley HS) at 149, and the Pointers' Jamey Simmons claimed a 7-3 win over Kurt Knutsen (SO, Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley HS) at 157. In the final two bouts of the night, Bill Langford scored a 9-7 win over Augsburg's Quinten Strand (FY, Viroqua, Wis./De Soto HS) at 174, and Andy Borchardt claimed a 5-2 win over Augsburg's Noel Sweeney (JR, Grand Rapids, Minn.) at 184. Augsburg will host the NCAA Division III West Regional on Saturday, March 2 at 9 a.m. at Si Melby Hall, attempting to qualify wrestlers to the NCAA Division III National Championships. Results: 197 -- Matt Hechsel (AUG, 28-9) dec. Craig Brandvold (UWSP, 3-10) 8-6 (Augsburg 3-0) HWT -- No. 1 Chad Johnson (AUG, 30-1) dec. Jordan Koranda (UWSP, 27-7) 5-3 (Augsburg 6-0) 125 -- Mike Fuenffinger (AUG, 22-5) tech. fall. Lance Fabry (UWSP, 22-13) 15-0 (Augsburg 11-0) 133 -- Tossaporn "Boyd" Suparat (AUG, 25-11) maj. dec. Lucas McGann (UWSP, 3-4) 9-1 (Augsburg 15-0) 141 -- No. 6 Jordan Kust (UWSP, 33-6) dec. Tom Kuehn (AUG, 21-15) 4-2 (Augsburg 15-3) 149 -- Ben Strobel (UWSP, 26-7) dec. Rashad Kennedy (AUG, 18-15) 5-1 (Augsburg 15-6) 157 -- Jamey Simmons (UWSP, 18-9) dec. Kurt Knutsen (AUG, 9-19) 7-3 (Augsburg 15-9) 165 -- Justin Bowland (AUG, 16-16) dec. No. 7 Jordan Schulte (UWSP, 21-8) 4-2 (Augsburg 18-9) 174 -- Bill Langford (UWSP, 12-5) dec. Quinten Strand (AUG, 9-15) 9-7 (Augsburg 18-12) 184 -- Andy Borchardt (UWSP, 16-14) dec. Noel Sweeney (AUG, 6-10) 5-2 (Augsburg 18-15)

CHEYENNE, Wyo. -- Five Cowboys were victorious in their matches and the University of Wyoming wrestling team won a closely contested conference dual Thursday over the Air Force Academy, 17-16. The 22nd-ranked Cowboys (9-6 overall, 4-1 Western Wrestling Conference) won their fifth-straight dual versus the Academy (10-4, 1-3 WWC), but had to fight off a scrappy Falcon squad until the last match. Despite losing, sophomore heavyweight Leland Pfeifer sealed the UW win when he gave up only a 12-6 decision with the Pokes leading 17-13 heading into the last match. UW finished the regular season in second place in the WWC dual standings at 4-1, trailing North Dakota State, which went 5-0. “I knew it would be really competitive and I knew there would be some toss-up matches,” UW head coach Mark Branch said. “I was surprised how some matches went – pleasantly on some and disappointed, obviously, on others.” Wyoming began the dual on a three-match winning streak, starting off with sophomore 125-pounder Tyler Cox winning his fourth match against a ranked opponent this season. Cox, ranked 19th, defeated AFA’s Josh Martinez, ranked 11th, in a 13-4 major decision. Senior Kasey Garnhart then was victorious in his final dual, beating Dylan Hyder of Air Force in a 6-2 decision at 133. Shortly after, Cowboy senior McCade Ford earned a takedown with just 36 seconds left in the match to win a 3-1 decision over Carter McElhany at 141. “After winning the first three matchups, I really thought we were in the driver’s seat (in terms of) how the dual would go,” Branch said. When Air Force responded with wins at the next three weights to tie it up at 10-all, senior L.J. Helbig went to work to earn a tough 7-4 decision at 174 pounds to give UW the narrow 13-10 lead. After a loss at 184, fourth-ranked senior Alfonso Hernandez completed an unbeaten dual season (13-0), winning a 14-4 major decision to give UW the 17-13 cushion heading into the final bout. UW will begin the postseason March 9, when the Cowboys host the WWC Championships/NCAA West Regional in Laramie, Wyo. Results: 125: No. 19 Tyler Cox (WY) maj. dec. No. 11 Josh Martinez (AF), 13-4 WY 4, AF 0 133: Kasey Garnhart (WY) dec. Dylan Hyder (AF), 6-2 WY 7, AF 0 141: McCade Ford (WY) dec. Carter McElhany (AF), 3-1 WY 10, AF 0 149: No. 3 Cole VonOhlen (AF) dec. Brandon Richardson (WY), 9-3 WY 10, AF 3 157: No. 16 Josh Kreimier (AF) maj. dec. No. 12 Andy McCulley (WY), 13-5 WY 10, AF 7 165: Jesse Stafford (AF) dec. Dakota Friesth (WY), 5-1 WY 10, AF 10 174: L.J. Helbig (WY) dec. Dan Barringer (AF), 7-4 WY 13, AF 10 184: Devin Hightower (AF) dec. Shane Woods (WY), 3-1 SV1 WY 13, AF 13 197: No. 4 Alfonso Hernandez (WY) maj. dec. Josh Mohr (AF), 14-4 WY 17, AF 13 285: Bentley Alsup (AF) dec. Leland Pfeifer (WY), 12-6 WY 17, AF 16

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- With Maryland trailing 12-11, fifth-ranked Josh Asper took the mat at Comcast Pavilion for the final time and recorded a pin with 28 seconds left to send the 24th-ranked Terps past George Mason for a 23-15 victory Thursday night. Asper's third fall of the season was fitting for the senior's final dual at Comcast Pavilion. Asper, the second winningest wrestler in program history, celebrated Senior Night with teammates Domenic DeRobertis, Brad Molina, Aaron Norris, Danny O'Malley and Ian Squires. DeRobertis and Norris also celebrated Senior Night with a victory. "Just to see [Asper's] development from his freshman year until now is great," said head coach Kerry McCoy. "To see how he is able to go out and snatch victories and get the job done is a credit to him. "I am really excited to have been able to coach all of these [seniors] over the last few years. They have all had a hand in our success in some way. When you become a part of our program, you are not just here to try and win a national championship. It's about being a part of a family." At 165, DeRobertis set the stage for Asper's fall. After Mason won three consecutive matches to take a 12-8 lead, DeRobertis earned a 5-2 decision over the Patriots' Ty Kneep to trim deficit to one. DeRobertis took control of the match in the second period as he turned Kneep for a 3-point near fall 20 seconds into the period. He added a point for an escape and riding time to finish off the win. Asper had little trouble with Mason's Seth Robertson. Asper scored six takedowns in three periods of action to take a commanding 16-3 lead. With the clock winding down, Asper powered Robertson to his back and pinned him at the 6:32 mark to put the Terps in front for good. Norris filled in for seventh-ranked Jimmy Sheptock at 184 and finished his Maryland career with a 7-3 decision over Derek Dwyer. Following Norris, 13th-ranked Christian Boley used a late takedown to earn a 3-1 decision over Matt Meadows at 197 and clinch a Terrapin win. The Terps stormed out of the gate to begin the dual with major decisions at 125 and 133. Paul O'Neill scored three takedowns in the first period and cruised to a 16-8 win over Rich Lavorato at 125. At 133, 12th-ranked Geoffrey Alexander used two takedowns and a 2-point near fall in the first period to distance himself from Zach Isenhour. Alexander won 12-3. The Terps have two weeks to prepare for the ACC Championships on Saturday, March 9, which will be held at the Comcast Center. Results: 125: Paul O’Neill (MD) maj. dec. Rich Lavorato (GM), 16-8 (4-0) 133: #12 Geoffrey Alexander (MD) maj. dec. Zach Isenhour (GM), 12-3 (8-0) 141: Sahid Kargbo (GM) fall over Brad Molina (MD), 2:55 (8-6) 149: Greg Flournoy (GM) dec. Danny O’Malley (MD), 2-1 (8-9) 157: Jaaziah Bethea (GM) dec. Ian Squires (MD), 10-5 (8-12) 165: Domenic DeRobertis (MD) dec. Ty Kneep (GM), 5-2 (11-12) 174: #5 Josh Asper (MD) fall over Seth Robertson (GM), 6:32 (17-12) 184: Aaron Norris (MD) dec. Derek Dwyer (GM), 7-3, (20-12) 197: #13 Christian Boley (MD) dec. Matt Meadows (GM), 3-1 (23-12) 285: Jake Kettler (GM) dec. Carl Buchholz (MD), 2-1 (23-15)

BLOOMSBURG -- The 16th-ranked Bloomsburg University wrestling ended its regular season with a 36-9 win over Binghamton University on senior night at the Nelson Field House. Before the match the Huskies honored its four seniors on this years' team, Dan Gaylord (Vestal, NY/Vestal), Chris Smith (Mineral, Va./Chancelor), Josh Roosa (Mountaintop/Crestwood) and Frank Hickman (Castle Hayne, NC/E.A. Laney). The Huskies won the first six matches of the evening racing out to a 27-0 lead before Binghamton finally got on the board. Bloomsburg's Sean Boylan (Seaville, NJ/St. Marks) got the night going with a win by fall with Nick Wilcox (Greene, NY/Greene Central), ranked 11th at 133, scoring a win by tech fall, 20-3, in 6:22. Matt Rappo (Holland/Council Rock South) followed with a win by decision at 141 before Josh Roosa (Mountaintop/Crestwood) won by major decision at 149 pounds. At 157 pounds, Hickman, ranked 12th, also won by major decision 16-3, with Kevin Hartnett (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) following with a tech fall win at 165. After the Bearcats scored wins at 174 and 184, Bloomsburg closed out the night with a win by decision from Andre Petroski (Glenn Mills/Springfield) and a forfeit win for Justin Grant (Easton/Easton). The Huskies improved to 17-3 on the year, while Binghamton falls to 5-13. The Huskies will now get ready for the EWL (Eastern Wrestling League) Championships to be held at Edinboro on March 9. Play-by-Play 125—Sean Boylan (Seaville, NJ/St. Marks) (BL) vs. Mike Sardo (BING)…Boylan opened the match with a takedown 20 seconds into action….Mike Sardo escaped with 2:12 left in the first period…Boylan with a takedown with 1:04 left to go up 4-1…Boylan starts down and escapes a few seconds in… Boylan leads 5-1 after two…Sardo chooses down to start third…Sardo let up by Boylan…Boylan with a quick takedown gets Sardo on his back. Boylan wins by fall in 5:46. 133—Nick Wilcox (Greene, NY/Greene Central) (BL) and Dylan Cohen (BING)…Wilcox with a takedown….Wilcox finally turns Cohen and gets a three-point near fall….Wilcox leads 5-0 after one….Wrestlers start neutral…Wilcox with a takedown followed by Wilcox letting Cohen up…Wilcox with a leg followed by a takedown at the edge of the mat...Wilcox lets the escape…Wilcox with another takedown, his third of the period…Wilcox turns Cohen and gets two point near fall…Wilcox lead 13-2 after two….Neutral to start…Wilcox gets a takedown at the edge of the mat…Cohen let up…Wilcox with takedown…Wilcox turns Cohen for two points. Wilcox wins by tech fall in 6:22, 20-3. 141—Matt Rappo (Holland/Council Rock South) (BL) and Joe Bonaldi ( BING)…Both wrestlers working at the head looking for an edge through the first two and a half minutes…A wild scramble at the end of the period results in a Rappo takedown and a 2-0 lead after one…Bonaldi down to start…Bonaldi with an escape for Binghamton…Rappo leads 2-1 after two…Rappo down to start…Rappo escapes to start the period… Bonaldi gets a takedown after a wild scramble…Bonaldi lets Rappo up…Rappo with a takedown…followed by three-point near fall. Rappo wins 9-3. 149—Josh Roosa (Mountaintop/Crestwood) (BL) vs Ben Price (BING)…Roosa with takedown 39 seconds into match…Roosa turns Price and gets two-point near fall… After a restart Roosa gets second, two-point near fall of the period…Roosa leads 6-0 after one period…Price chooses down to start…Price let out by Roosa…Roosa makes a quick move on a restart and gets takedown to go up 8-1…Stalling warning on Price…period ends with Roosa up 8-1…Neutral to start the third…Roosa with another takedown…Stalling warning on Price with Roosa being awarded a point (11-1)…With riding time of 5:04 Roosa wins 12-1. 157—Frank Hickman (Castle Hayne, NC/E.A. Laney) (BL) vs. Jack McKeever (BING)…Hickman with a takedown one second into match going for McKeever on the whistle…McKeever point when Hickman lets him up…Hickman with a takedown with a minute left in the match….Hickman leads 4-1 after one.. Neutral to start second…Hickman blocks move and takes down McKeever…McKeever escape…Hickman takedown…Hickman leads 8-2 after two..Neutral to start third…Hickman takedown followed by escape (let up) for McKeever…Hickman takedown…McKeever stalling warning on bottom…Hickman with three-point near fall (15-3)…With riding time Hickman wins 16-3. 165—Kevin Hartnett (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) (BU) vs. Brian Conrad (BING)…Hartnett with a quick takedown to start…Conrad with an escape...Hartnett with a second takedown…Hartnett gets a three-point near fall…followed by another three point near fall…two more near fall points (12-1)…ends the period up 14-1…Conrad down to start second…Conrad let up to start…Takedown Conrad….Hartnett escape followed by a takedown…Three point near fall with riding time. Harnett with riding time tech fall 3:53…20-4.. 174—Chris Smith (Mineral, Va./Chancelor) (BL) vs. John Paris (BING)…Paris with the early takedown…Smith with a reversal 24 seconds later to tie the score at 2-2..Paris with the escape followed by a takedown…Paris leads 5-2 after one…Smith down to start…Smith escapes to start the period…Smith gets Paris to the mat and gets the takedown…Paris with an escape followed by takedown for Paris to take an 8-5 lead..On the restart Smith gets to his feet but can't get out as the buzzer sounds…Paris down to start third…Smith lets Paris out to start…Paris with another takedown and now leads 11-5…Paris and Smith locked at the edge of the mat…Smith with a reversal…Price leads 11-7…Smith lets Price up…Smith the takedown with nine seconds left. Restart…Smith nearly turns Paris hangs on for win.. 184—Sam Shirey (Beaver Springs/Midd-West) (BL) vs. Cody Reed (BING)…Shirey with a takedown at the edge of the mat…Reed with the escape...Reed and Shirey at the edge of the mat…Scramble though results in no points…Shirey on restart able to get takedown at the edge of the mat…Shirey leads 4-1…Caution Reed on restart…Period ends with Shirey on top 4-1…Reed down to start…Reed escapes out eight seconds in…Period ends with Shirey up 4-2…Shirey down to start…Shirey escapes 16 seconds in to make it a 4-3 match…Reed with a takedown on the edge of the mat…Reed gets Shirey on his back…Finally pins Shirey in 6:35. 197—Andre Petroski (Glenn Mills/Springfield) (BL) vs. Caleb Wallace (BING)…Wallace with a takedown which he nearly turns into near fall points but wrestlers end up out of bounds…Petroski with the escape…Wallace with the takedown…Petroski with the escape…Wallace goes for a takedown that Petroski turns into his own takedown…Match tied at 4-4 after one period..Neutral to start second….After nearly the entire period locked up battle Wallace gets a takedown with 15 seconds left followed by a Petroski reversal with one second left…match tied at 6-6 after two periods…Petroski down to start…He quickly escapes…then works a takedown to lead 9-6…Wallace with a reversal followed by Petroski escape..Petroski leading 10-8…Petroski with a takedown with 20 seconds left in the match..Wallace let up…Petroski wins 12-9. 285—Bloomsburg's Justin Grant (Easton/Easton) wins by forfeit. Results: 125 Sean Boylan (Seaville, NJ/St. Marks) (Bloomsburg) won by pin over Mike Sardo (Binghamton) 5:46. 133 #11 Nick Wilcox (Greene, NY/Greene Central) (Bloomsburg) won by tech fall over Dylan Cohen (Binghamton) 6:22 20-3. 141 Matt Rappo (Holland/Council Rock South) (Bloomsburg) won by decision over Joe Bonaldi (Binghamton) 9-3. 149 Josh Roosa (Mountaintop/Crestwood) (Bloomsburg) won by major decision over Ben Price (Binghamton) 12-1. 157 #12 Frank Hickman (Castle Hayne, NC/E.A. Laney) (Bloomsburg) won by major decision over Jack McKeever (Binghamton) 16-3. 165 Kevin Hartnett (Staten Island, NY/Monsignor Farrell) (Bloomsburg) won by tech fall over Brian Conrad (Binghamton) 3:53 20-4. 174 John Paris (Binghamton) won by decision over Chris Smith (Mineral, Va./Chancelor) (Bloomsburg) 12-9. 184 Cody Reed (Binghamton) won by pin over Sam Shirey (Beaver Springs/Midd-West) (Bloomsburg) 6:35. 197 Andre Petroski (Glenn Mills/Springfield) (Bloomsburg) won by decision over Caleb Wallace (Binghamton) 12-9. 285 #17 Justin Grant (Easton/Easton) (Bloomsburg) won by forfeit

The Big Ten Network has announced plans to provide complete live coverage of the 2013 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Dual Meet Championship through the Big Ten Digital Network online. The tournament, also known as "Mat Mayhem," will be hosted by the University of Minnesota this weekend, Feb. 22-23. Four of the eight competing teams are Big Ten squads: Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and Ohio State. All four programs rank in the nation’s top 10, according to the NWCA/USA Today/Amateur Wrestling News poll. Iowa is ranked at No. 2, Minnesota at No. 4, Ohio State at No. 5, and Illinois at No. 8. All four sessions of the two-day event will be showcased. Coverage will be split into three separate streams -- quarterfinals, semifinals, and the championship match. Action will begin with the quarterfinals sessions at 6 p.m. CT and 8 p.m. CT. on Friday night. Winners will advance to compete on Saturday. For a full schedule, visit the National Duals webpage. Go directly to Gopher All-Access to subscribe.

The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), the National United Wrestling Association for Youth (NUWAY), the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) and USA Wrestling have volunteered to become the first organizations to join the newly created Coalition to Keep Wrestling in the Olympics. These four organizations which have significant wrestling memberships are working together on behalf of the sport. This new coalition will include any and all organizations who are willing to stand up and work together for a common goal, which is to insure that wrestling remains on the program of the Olympic Games. This is not an organization of individuals. There are other ways that private citizens can support this cause. This is geared entirely to organized groups willing to publically add themselves to the coalition. This will be a collection of groups of all sizes, including both non-profit and for-profit organizations, basically any organization which stands behind the effort to keep wrestling in the Olympics. The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is one of the largest, non-profit, volunteer, sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. NUWAY is approaching its fifth year as an organization and growing by popular demand across the country. The idealogy and values instilled in this true grassroots organization is to support all state organizations across the country. The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) is a professional organization dedicated to serve and provide leadership for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on scholastic and collegiate wrestling programs. The membership embraces all people who are interested in amateur wrestling. USA Wrestling is the national governing body for amateur wrestling in the United States, and is a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee and the international wrestling federation FILA. USA Wrestling has a complete program of activities and events for its members who range from beginning athlete all the way through the Olympic Games and World Championships. "Wrestling has been around in the USA since the 1800's, and has been involved in the Olympic movement since its creation. This sport makes a difference in the lives of young people and has made a lasting impact on our society. We support the effort to keep wrestling in the Olympics, and look forward to helping lead the effort," said AAU President Henry Forrest. "NUWAY stands behind the effort to Keep Wrestling In The Olympics. As a grassroots organization which serves the wrestling community, we are pledged to do whatever is necessary to keep our great sport in the Olympic movement. We support the mission of the new coalition and will be actively involved in helping us win this battle," said NUWAY Executive Director and President Dave Dean. "There has never been a more important time in the history of our sport for wrestling to come together. We all want the same thing, keeping wrestling in the Olympic Games. We must all work together to achieve this," said Mike Moyer, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association. "This fight will be won by bringing people together behind a common cause. Our grassroots leadership believes in this effort. We are committed to the combined power of organizations who are willing to work together. Together we are stronger. Together we will reach our goal of keeping wrestling in the Olympics," said USA Wrestling President James Ravannack. Any group is encouraged to join and be added to the growing list, no matter what its size or purpose. Corporations and business partnerships are encouraged to join. International, national or local non-profit organizations are welcome. Wrestling clubs and booster clubs are invited to be included. Groups which are not involved in wrestling but support the effort can be involved. It does not have to even be a group involved in sports at all. The members of this organization can be from the United States, or from any other nation on earth. The only requirement to become part of the coalition is to be a group willing to support the strategy which will lead to keeping wrestling on the Olympic program. Each organization must also be willing to provide a small minimum donation, which will be used exclusively on the effort. The minimum donation suggested for membership in the Coalition for Keeping Wrestling in the Olympics is $100 for national and international organizations, and $25 for local organizations. Obviously, larger donations are encouraged and welcomed. USA Wrestling will maintain a master list of organizations which have joined the coalition, which will be posted online. On a regular basis, there will be a story published recognizing the new organizations who have made the commitment. In order to join the coalition, a group must provide a contact name, email address and phone number, which will allow us to network together and execute the strategy. The donation can be made online: http://www.KeepWrestlingInTheOlympics.com The donation can be made by check, made payable to USA Wrestling and mailed to: USA Wrestling c/o Coalition to Keep Wrestling in the Olympics 6155 Lehman Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80918 The financial support will help fund all of the actions which together makes for a successful campaign. It will be used directly on projects such as public relations, international communication, research, education, promotional materials, networking and international travel for meetings with the IOC and members of national federations and national Olympic Committees. Additional projects will be developed by the leadership committee for this effort. Coalition membership will help keep this issue in the forefront and allow wrestling to make its case to the world. It will only be used for this project, not other wrestling programs. COALITION TO KEEP WRESTLING IN THE OLYMPICS (listed alphabetically as of February 21, 2013) Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) National United Wrestling Association for Youth (NUWAY) National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) USA Wrestling New organizations will be added as received.

CORTLAND, N.Y. -- The nationally third-ranked Cortland wrestling team won the final three weight classes to earn a 22-16 win versus 13th-ranked Ithaca Wednesday night at Corey Gymnasium. With the win, the Red Dragons improved to 18-2 on the season and set a new school record for dual wins in a season. The Bombers fell to 7-6. Cortland led 6-0 after earning a forfeit win at 125 pounds. The Bombers took a 7-6 lead when nationally fourth-ranked sophomore Alex Gomez (Brentwood) recorded a 12-2 major decision at 133 pounds and junior Dominick Giacolone (Cato/Cato-Meridian) won 8-2 at 141 pounds. Cortland freshman Bobby Dierna (Webster/Wayne), ranked fourth at 149 pounds, built a 7-1 first-period lead en route to a15-4 major decision to give the Red Dragons back the lead at 10-7. At 157 pounds, sixth-ranked senior Derek Brenon (Watertown/Immaculate Heart) of Ithaca squared off against seventh-ranked senior Troy Sterling (Uniondale) of Cortland. Brenon used an early second-period escape and avoided a takedown late in the third period to earn a 1-0 decision. Tenth-ranked Cortland senior Jonathan Conroy (South Plainfield, NJ) battled back from an early 4-2 deficit and registered an 11-4 decision over Ithaca freshman Eamonn Gaffney (Florham Park, NJ/Seton Hall Prep) at 165 pounds, and the Red Dragons held a 13-10 lead with four weight classes remaining. In a matchup of second-ranked senior Jules Doliscar (Dix Hills/Holy Trinity) of Ithaca and fourth-ranked sophomore Lou Puca (Huntington) at 174 pounds, Doliscar earned an important pin at 3:28 for the Bombers to give them a 16-13 advantage. Leading 6-3 early in the second period, Doliscar turned a quick takedown into a fall. Cortland senior Will Parks (Shoreham/Longwood) recorded a key 7-3 win at 184 pounds to even the match at 16-16. At 197 pounds, nationally top-ranked Cortland senior Jared Myhrberg (Queensbury) scored the winning team points with a hard-fought 6-3 decision versus Ithaca junior Shane Bartrum (Oswego). In the concluding bout of the night, senior Corey James (Kingston) earned an exciting 2-1 decision over Ithaca junior Cris Ramirez (Bronx/Milton Hershey) to clinch the match. James registered a takedown in the first period before Ramirez recorded an escape in the second period. With both wrestlers in the neutral position in the third period, James was able to keep his feet to seal the win. Results: 125: Paul Fields (CORT) won by forfeit 133: Alex Gomez (ITH) major dec. Alec Dierna, 12-2 141: Dominick Giacolone (ITH) dec. David Occhipinti, 8-2 149: Bobby Dierna (CORT) major dec. Kevin Collins, 15-4 157: Derek Brenon (ITH) dec. Troy Sterling, 1-0 165: Jonathan Conroy (CORT) dec. Eamonn Gaffney, 11-4 174: Jules Doliscar (ITH) pinned Lou Puca, 3:28 184: Will Parks (CORT) dec. Dan Glinko, 7-3 197: Jared Myhrberg (CORT) dec. Shane Bartrum, 6-3 285: Corey James (CORT) dec. Cris Ramirez, 2-1

Springfield, Mass. -- The Springfield College wrestling team posted a 26-13 victory over visiting WPI on Wednesday evening in Blake Arena in the final dual meet of the season for the Pride. Springfield concluded its dual meet season with a 14-2 record, marking the second-straight season that head coach Jason Holder has led the Pride to 14 victories. The two losses is also the fewest losses for the program since the 1987 squad went 16-1. Springfield, which entered the evening ranked 10th in the nation, capped off the match in the final bout at 285 as Iraki Kakauridze delivered had the lone pin of the match in just 50 seconds. Derek Adams had a strong performance at 133, picking up a major decision by the score of 12-2, while Derrick Longo provided a major decision at 165, winning 14-4. Mark Gonzalez and Nick Camera added wins by decision, and Tommy Casper picked up a forfeit at 125. Springfield will now prep for the NCAA Northeast Regional Championships, which will be hosted on March 2-3 at WPI. Results: 125: Tommy Casper (S) wins by forfeit (6-0) 133: Derek Adams (S) major decision Brian Jennings (W), 12-2 (10-0) 141: Tyler Tilbe (W) dec. Mark Pinto (S), 8-1 (10-3) 149: Mike Perruccio (W) dec. Dylan Foley (S), 5-4 (10-6) 157: Mark Gonzalez (S) dec. Andrew Tanner (W), 4-2 (13-6) 165: Derrick Longo (S) major decision Justin Marsh (W), 14-4 (17-6) 174: Zach Hartzell (W) major dec. Mike Fish (S), 10-0 (17-10) 184: Nick Camera (S) dec. Joe Pizzuto (W), 3-2 (20-10) 197: Teddy Kostopoulos (W) dec. Andrew Balina (S), 6-1 (20-13) 285: Iraki Kakauridze (S) pinned Joseph Szerszunowicz (W), :50 (26-13)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The Duke University wrestling squad turned in a strong all-around performance to post a 22-9 victory at over Atlantic Coast Conference foe NC State this evening at Reynolds Coliseum. The Blue Devils captured seven individual bouts en route to their first ACC victory of the 2012-13 campaign. The win, just the third for Duke over the Wolfpack since NC State established varsity wrestling in 1975, pushes Duke’s overall record to 8-9 for the year and to 1-4 to finish the ACC regular season. NC State falls to 5-6 overall and 0-5 against ACC opponents. The nine points scored by NC State are the fewest since Duke held the Pack to just six points in a pair of bouts in 1931 and 1949. “This was a good win for us,” head coach Glen Lanham said. “We wrestled tough from start to finish. It was great for [Immanuel Kerr-Brown] to get back on the saddle and winning. Brandon Gambucci and Randy Roden both had great wins and overall I’m proud of how the guys wrestled hard tonight.” Duke got off to a fast start with victories in each of the first four matches, including an overtime thriller at 184 pounds, for a 14-0 lead. The Blue Devils picked up major decisions by Trey Adamson and Diego Bencomo at 174 and 197, respectively to earn key bonus points. The Wolfpack pulled within seven, 16-9, before redshirt freshman Marcus Cain put the match out of NC State’s reach with an 8-4 decision at 149 pounds. The win was Cain’s 21st of the season and the first of his career in the ACC. Sophomore Randy Roden put Duke on the right track with an outstanding win over No. 27 Nijel Jones at 165 pounds. The Rome, Ga., native scored the first jumped all over Jones from the opening whistle and took a 4-2 lead after the first period. Neither wrestler scored in the second period, leaving Jones needing to make up ground in the final stanza. Jones escaped to start the third, but Roden answered right back with a takedown and stayed strong on top for the 6-3 win, his seventh of the year and his first career ACC win. Riding the emotion of the upset win at 165, Adamson added four points to the scoreboard for the Blue Devils with a 15-5 major decision over Patrick Davis. In a rematch between the two from earlier in the season, Adamson dominated the match with four points in each of the first two periods and six in the final session to put Duke in front 7-0. In perhaps the most thrilling match of the evening, Duke redshirt freshman Dylan Ryan registered a takedown with just 16 seconds left in the sudden victory overtime session for the 9-7 triumph over Keegan Cerwinski at 184. After an escape by Cerwinski in the final seconds of regulation, Ryan regrouped and scored the winning takedown for his first ACC victory. At 197, Bencomo followed suit with a 16-5 major decision over Bill Cook. The win was Bencomo’s third straight at 197 and 14th win of the campaign. The Wolfpack got on the board with a narrow 5-3 decision from Mike Kosoy over Duke junior Brian Self at heavyweight. Both wrestlers were issued one-point unsportsmanlike penalties, putting the Blue Devils’ lead to 13-2 through the first half of the match. NC State added victories at 125 and 141 pounds, but the Blue Devils’ wins in the other three divisions iced the win for Duke. Redshirt sophomore Brandon Gambucci picked up a big win over No. 24 Sam Speno at 133 pounds. Gambucci, ranked 27th in the most recent NCAA coaches’ panel rankings, scored an early takedown and never let Speno a chance to score in the 5-0 decision. Kerr-Brown, with the match in hand, wrestled freely and hard to regain his winning ways in an 11-10 decision. The Rome, Ga., native led 10-6 after five minutes of wrestling and built his riding time to over two minutes heading into the final period. NC State’s Matthew Nereim scored an escape early in the third and added a takedown in the closing seconds, but the riding time bonus point gave Kerr-Brown the 11-10 decision. Duke returns to action Saturday, Feb. 23 at Franklin & Marshall. The Blue Devils will take on the host Diplomats at 9:30 a.m. and Lock Haven at 11:30 a.m. Results: 165: Randy Roden (DU) dec. No. 27 Nijel Jones (NCSU), 7-2 (DU 3-0) 174: Trey Adamson (DU) major dec. Patrick Davis (NCSU), 15-5 (DU7-0) 184: Dylan Ryan (DU) dec. Keegan Cerwinski (NCSU), 9-7: SV1 (DU 10-0) 197: Diego Bencomo (DU) major dec. Bill Cook (NCSU), 16-5 (DU14-0) 285: Mike Kosoy (NCSU) dec. Brian Self (DU), 5-3 (DU 13-2) 125: Joe DeAngelo (NCSU) major dec. Peter Terrezza (DU), 12-3 (DU 13-6) 133: No. 27 Brandon Gambucci (DU) dec. No. 24 Sam Speno (DU), 5-0 (DU 16-6) 141: Tyler Hunt (NCSU) dec. Tanner Hough (DU), 5-0 (DU 16-9) 149: Marcus Cain (DU) dec. Thomas Gantt (NCSU), 8-4 (DU 19-9) 157: Immanuel Kerr-Brown (DU) dec. Matthew Nereim (NCSU), 11-10 (DU 22-9)

LEXINGTON, Va. -- After a slow start, Appalachian State University rattled off four-straight victories en route to a 22-12 Southern Conference victory over VMI Wednesday night at Cocke Hall. The conference win moves the Mountaineers to 7-6 overall and 4-2 in league play, breaking a four-match losing streak and ensuring a winning conference record for the second consecutive season. Historically, Appalachian (7-6, 4-2 SoCon) claims its sixth-straight and 27th all-time victory in the long-standing rivalry against the Keydets. VMI (1-14, 1-4 SoCon) began the dual with two-straight decisions over freshman Zach Kechter and junior Collins Creech at 149 and 157 pounds, respectively, taking a quick 6-0 lead. Facing the deficit, redshirt freshman Zack Strickland gave the Mountaineers some life at 165 pounds. Strickland recorded his first technical fall since November, clinching a 17-0 win over Mike Logan at the 4:17 mark. The technical fall marks Strickland's 11th win in duals and 21st of the season. Following Strickland, classmate Colin Hedash broke his two-bout losing streak with a 14-6 major decision over John Dommert, a rematch from the Hokie Open. For Hedash, it was his third major decision of the season and first since the Keystone Open in November. Continuing his winning ways, sophomore Jake Johnson posted a 3-2 decision over Jonathan Jones at 184 pounds. Johnson has now won four of his last five bouts and remains perfect in SoCon bouts with a 4-0 record. Holding a 12-6 advantage, redshirt sophomore Paul Weiss also broke a two-bout losing streak with a 6-2 decision over Urayoan Garcia at 197 pounds. The decision was Weiss' 35th win for his career, the third most on the active roster. After a loss at the heavyweight division, redshirt sophomore Dominic Parisi earned his fifth major decision of the season, blanking Armondo Herrer-Dos Reis, 10-0, at 125 pounds. Parisi snaps a two-bout losing streak and notches his ninth dual-victory of the year. Senior Brett Boston closed the Mountaineer scoring with a 6-0 shutout against Andriy Onufriyenko, who dropped just his second loss in a conference dual this season. For Boston, the win was his eight of the season and the 51st of his career. Appalachian looks to head into the SoCon Championships with a winning overall record and close its 2012-13 dual season on Sunday, Feb. 24 at Davidson. Action from Belk Arena is set for 1 p.m. Results: 149: Zeb Stewart (VMI) dec. Zach Kechter (APP), 7-2 (VMI 3-0) 157: Edward Gottwald (VMI) dec. Collins Creech (APP), 6-0 (VMI 6-0) 165: Zack Strickland (APP) tech. fall Mike Logan (VMI), 17-0 (4:17) (VMI 6-5) 174: Colin Hedash (APP) maj. dec. John Dommert (VMI), 14-6 (APP 9-6) 184: Jake Johnson (APP) dec. Jonathan Jones (VMI), 3-2 (APP 12-6) 197: Paul Weiss (APP) dec. Urayoan Garcia (VMI), 6-2 (APP 15-6) 285: Michael LaPrade (VMI) dec. Joe Cummings (APP), 3-1 (APP 15-9) 125: Dominic Parisi (APP) maj. dec. Armondo Herrera-Dos Reis (VMI), 10-0 (APP 19-9) 133: Brett Boston (APP) dec. Andriy Onufriyenko (VMI), 6-0 (APP 22-9) 141: Ryan Goodsell (VMI) dec. Chris Johnson (APP), 4-2 (APP 22-12)

Come Friday and Saturday at Lehigh University, the National Prep Championships will yet again commence. While No. 1 Blair Academy, N.J., is extreme favorites to win their 33rd consecutive title in this tournament, and No. 3 Wyoming Seminary, Pa., should take second, there are many interesting individual battles to be waged. The following represents a weight-by-weight breakdown. 106: Entering the tournament as the favorite is No. 12 Jack Mueller (Trinity Christian, Texas). The freshman Mueller placed second at the Preseason Nationals, fifth at the Walsh Ironman (including a win over No. 3 Austin Assad in the quarterfinals), and won the Prep Slam. Nominal challenges will be mounted by Matt Deehan (Blair Academy, N.J.); Logan Havrich (Cape Henry Collegiate, Va.), who placed eighth at the Beast of the East; Adam Whitesell (Good Counsel, Md.); T.K. Megonigal (McDonogh, Md.); and Joey Prata (St. Christopher’s, Va.), a Cadet National double All-American. 113: Charles Tucker (Blair Academy, N.J.), last year’s runner-up in this weight class and a Cadet National freestyle runner-up this summer, enters the tournament as the favorite. Leading contenders include fellow National Prep runner-up Danny Boychuck (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), National Prep third place finisher Ryan Friedman (St. Paul’s, Md.), and Beast of the East placer Steve Simpson (St. Mary’s Ryken, Md.). 120: No. 2 Matthew Kolodzik (Blair Academy, N.J.) enters the weekend prohibitively favored to add a National Prep title to the state title that he won in Ohio last year as a freshman. On the season, Kolodzik was runner-up at the Walsh Ironman and Beast of the East, and champion at the POWERade; while last off-season, he was a Cadet National freestyle champion. Leading the battle for second are impressive freshman Kevin Budock (Good Counsel, Md.), who placed seventh at the POWERade, and Will Crisco, a New England regional champion last year. 126: Two-time National Prep placer Judson Preskitt (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), who was also runner-up at this year’s Walsh Ironman, enters this event ranked No. 20 nationally and the favorite to win a maiden National Prep title. Leading the pack of challengers is two-time National Prep placer Jack Mutchnik (St. Paul’s, Md.); Zeke Salvo (Mt. St. Joseph, Md.), a state champion last year in Maryland’s public school tournament; returning placer Christian Doyle (McKinney Christian Academy, Texas); and Alex Rinaldi (Blair Academy, N.J.) 132: Joey McKenna (Blair Academy, N.J.), ranked No. 6 nationally, is a rather strong favorite to win his third National Prep title in as many seasons of competition even with the presence of No. 14 Andrew Atkinson (Liberty Christian Academy, Va.), a three-time National Prep placer. Two other returning National Prep placers are present, Geoff Verallis (Northfield Mt. Hermon, Mass.) and Scott Strappelli (John Carroll, Md.) 138: No. 5 Alfred Bannister (Bishop McNamara, Md.), Oustanding Wrestler at the Beast of the East, enters the tournament as the strong favorite to ascend one step higher on the podium after last year’s runner-up finish. Among those in the challenge pack are two-time National Prep placer Xavi Ramos (McDonogh, Md.), returning placer David Mohler (Loyola, Md.), 2012 New England regional placer Jake Savoca (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), and Walker Dempsey (Blair Academy, N.J.) 145: This is an extremely deep weight, as it is anchored by Cadet National double finalist Mason Manville (Blair Academy, N.J.), who is ranked No. 6 in the weight class below after a season that included runner-up finishes at the Ironman, Beast of the East, and POWERade. However, right on the same level as Manville is defending champion Jack Clark (McDonogh, Md.), who is ranked No. 14 in this weight class and was runner-up at the Beast of the East. Of slight relevance is that Clark earned a freestyle win over Manville at the FILA Cadet Nationals almost nine months ago. Four other National Prep placers are featured in this weight class as well: three-time placer George Weber (John Carroll, Md.), Junior Greco All-American Tyrel White (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), Michael Sprague (Georgetown Prep, Md.), and Cole Graves (Archbishop Spalding, Md.) 152: Just as deep a weight, in fact deeper, is this one led by defending champion Russ Parsons (Blair Academy, N.J.), who is No. 5 nationally after winning titles at the Walsh Ironman, Beast of the East, and POWERade during the month of December. Challengers include returning runner-up Toby Hague (McDonogh, Md.); two-time placer Bryce Pappas (St. Mary’s, Md.); along with returning placers Logan Breitenbach (Archbishop Spalding, Md.), Zack Kelly (The Kiski School, Pa.), Robert Janis (St. Christopher’s, Va.), Max Smith (MDAC, Md.), and William Crozier (Germantown Academy, Pa.) 160: One of the great showdown matches of the National Prep championships should come in this weight with No. 8 Myles Martin (McDonogh, Md.) and No. 10 Josh Llopez (St. Mary’s Ryken, Md.) anchoring the weight class. These two wrestlers split their two matches in December that reached completion – Llopez won in overtime at the Ray Oliver Invitational, while Martin scored a 1-0 victory in the semifinals at the Beast of the East. Martin was runner-up at National Preps last year as a freshman, and a Cadet freestyle runner-up over the summer; while Llopez is a two-time Maryland public-school champion, was a Junior National freestyle champion this summer, and Super 32 Challenge runner-up. Others in this weight class include returning placer Greg Bacci (Malvern Prep, Pa.), freshman sensation Chris Weiler (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), and Jack Wedholm (Blair Academy, N.J.) 170: Defending champion Patrick Coover (Blair Academy, N.J.) enters the tournament as a slight favorite, with five other returning wrestlers looking to provide a challenge. Those being Troy Murtha (Georgetown Prep, Md.), who finished third in this weight last year and fifth in the Super 32 Challenge up at 182 pounds; Nicky Hall (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), a two-time state placer in New York; Conan Schuster (Loyola, Md.), fifth last year at National Preps; Trevor Bradford (St. Thomas, Texas), sixth last year in this event; and Terrell Forbes (St. Benedict’s, N.J.), who finished seventh last year in this event. 182: Already three-times a National Prep finalist, No. 1 Eric Morris (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) seeks a second consecutive National Prep title to go with the pair of runner-up finishes that he accrued as a freshman and sophomore. He is the strong favorite to add this title to a season resume that includes titles at the Walsh Ironman and Beast of the East. Primary challengers include Addison Knepshield (Blair Academy, N.J.), fourth at National Preps in 2011, and Tyler Patrick (McDonogh, Md.) 195: Defending champion Frank Mattiace (Blair Academy, N.J.), ranked No. 3 nationally, seems to make it a pair of National Prep titles to go with his pair of Walsh Ironman titles. He is the clear favorite to do so despite a solid group of alternatives that includes returning placer Spencer Neff (Good Counsel, Md.), who was third at the Super 32; Beast of the East placer Daniel Hawkins (Mt. St. Joseph, Md.); and additional returning placers in L.J. Barlow (Haverford School, Pa.) and Matt Doggett (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) 220: Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Md.) has yet to lose a high school match and is after a third National Prep title in as many seasons. Ranked No. 1 in the country, he has had one match go the distance all year, a major decision victory over No. 3 Thomas Haines, and has arguably had the best season of any wrestler in the country. If one was to take Snyder out of this field, it would still be excellent. Those headline wrestlers include post-graduate McZiggy Richards (St. Benedict’s Prep, N.J.), David Showunmi (Blair Academy, N.J.), 2011 National Prep placer Shane Cockerlie (Gilman, Md.), Walsh Ironman placer Marshall Hollerith (St. Christopher’s, Va.), and No. 11 Garrett Ryan (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), a Junior National double All-American. 285: Seeking a third National Prep title and fourth finals appearance is No. 2 Brooks Black (Blair Academy, N.J.). It is extremely likely he will wrestle No. 8 Michael Johnson, Jr. (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) in a rematch of last year’s championship bout. Others to watch include Jemal Averette (Good Counsel, Md.)

Below are analyses for each of the thirty weight classes to be contested on Friday and Saturday in Albany, N.Y. in the two divisions of the New York State Wrestling Championships. This is the tenth year of the two division format, in a tournament that has been held now for fifty years. Division I 99: The opening weight of wrestling in the Empire State is not one that is part of the normal fourteen weight classes under NFHS rules. As is always the case, this weight class is dominated by younger wrestlers. Leading the crop this year is eighth grader Yianni Diakomihalis (Hilton), who is ranked No. 6 overall nationally among junior high wrestlers. He has a tough road to the final with junior Chris Cuccolo (Pine Bush) in his quarter and sophomore Jesse Dellavacchia (East Islip) as a likely semifinal opponent. The other half of the draw is led by eighth grader Vito Arujau and freshman John Arceri (Huntington), who both exit the top quarter of the bracket. 106: Entering state as the top ranked wrestler is a senior, Alex Tanzman (Westhampton Beach). His primary challengers, juniors Kyle Quinn (Wantagh) and Nicholas Barbaria (New Rochelle) reside in opposite quarters of the other half of the draw. 113: The likely finals showdown between state champions Kyle Kelly (Chenango Forks) and No. 19 Nick Piccinnini (Ward Mellville) is the dominant storyline of this weight class, and arguably the whole state tournament weekend. The senior Kelly, who has committed to Binghamton, has won state the last two years at the opening weight. The sophomore Piccinnini won his state title last year at 106 pounds, and took third to Kelly in the eighth grade. In national competitions, Kelly has twice placed seventh in Junior Greco, while Piccinnini was one match away from placing at the FloNationals and Super 32 Challenge in the last twelve months. 120: The top two ranked wrestlers in this weight, junior Alex Delacruz (Ossing) and sophomore Mike Dangelo (Commack), are drawn into the same quarter bracket. In the other quarter of the same bottom half is the third-ranked wrestler, junior John Muldoon (Pearl River). The likely finals opponent will come from the second quarter of the draw, which features sophomores Blaise Benderoth (North Rockland) and Anthony Orefice (Lockport) along with junior Travis Passaro (Eastport). 126: Four key wrestlers lead the way here, and they are split into separate quarters of the draw. The top half features seniors T.J. Fabian (Shoreham-Wading River) and Mark West (Hauppauge), while the bottom half is led by senior Chris Araoz (Wantagh) and Dylan Realbuto (Somers). Fabian placed fourth at state last year, and was sixth at the NHSCA Junior Nationals; West has not appeared in the state tournament since his title in 2010; Araoz is in his state tournament debut, despite winning the NHSCA Junior Nationals last spring; while Realbuto is a defending state champion and two-time finalist. One name to watch going forward, if not this weekend, is seventh grader Frankie Gissendanner (Penfield), who is in the same quarter as Fabian. 132: The highest returning placer in this weight is senior Matt Leshinger (Sayville), who placed third at state last year. He will be challenged along the way with a likely quarterfinal against Connor O'Hara (Sachem East) and semifinal against Vinny Turano (Wantagh). The other half of the draw features Sam Melikian (Fordham Prep) and Brandon Lapi (Amsterdam) in opposite quarter brackets. 138: Two-time state placer and Junior freestyle All-American Nick Kelley (Shenendehowa) is the favorite in this weight class. He is well-positioned to make his first finals appearance after finishes of third and fourth the last two years. The two primary challengers to Kelley --Thomas Dutton (Rocky Point) and Vincent Deprez (Hilton) -- exit the opposite half of the draw in differing quarter brackets. The sophomore Dutton was a Cadet freestyle All-American last summer, while the junior Deprez finished as state runner-up last season. 145: The most accomplished wrestler in this weight class is two-time state placer David Almavia (Shenendehowa), who was also a Junior freestyle All-American this past summer. His path to a first state finals appearance will not be easy with senior Brandon Dent (Connequot) looming in the quarterfinal and 2010 state runner-up Eric Lewandowski (Lancaster) the likely semifinal opponent. The other half of the draw features junior Louis Hernandez (Mepham), who is the top-ranked wrestler, and Tom Grippi (Fox Lane). 152: Returning state finalis Corey Rasheed (Longwood), who also was runner-up at the NHSCA Sophomore Nationals last spring, is the clear favorite in this weight class. His primary challengers are in the opposite half of the draw and happen to appear in the same quarter bracket. They are senior Chris Koo (Great Neck South), who was a NHSCA Junior All-American last spring, and junior Angelo Kress (Columbia). 160: Arguably the best wrestler in the Division I tournament is senior Tyler Grimaldi (Half Hollow Hills West), who is ranked No. 13 nationally at this weight class. Last year, he finished as a state runner-up, and during the offseason placed fourth at the NHSCA Junior Nationals and sixth in Junior freestyle. In terms of this weight class, his primary challenges will come in the quarterfinal round from junior Jake Weber (Clarence) and then in the final from either senior Andrew Psomas (Monsignor Farrell) or junior Steve Schneider (Macarthur). 170: Returning state placer Dan McDevitt (Wantagh), who finished fifth at both state and the NHSCA Junior Nationals in the 138 pound weight class, is the strong favorite here. Key matches for McDevitt will come in the quarterfinal against John Vrasidas (St. Anthony's), the semifinal against Joe Piccolo (Half Hollow Hills West), and a likely final against Carlos Toribio (Brentwood). 182: The clear favorite in this weight class is senior Shayne Brady (Carthage), who also placed eighth in the Super 32 Challenge. Five wrestlers merit mention as contenders. Senior James Benjamin (Vestal) is in Brady's quarter bracket, senior Gio Santiago (Sachem North) is Brady's likely semifinal opponent, senior James Corbett (Wantagh) is in the opposite half from Brady, while senior Anthony Liberatore (Williamsville South) and junior Trent Egenlauf (Spencerport) are in the remaining quarter of the draw. 195: As a returning state finalist, and already placing twice at state before his junior year, Reggie Williams (Johnson City) is the clear favorite in this weight class. The two ranked wrestlers in Williams' half of the draw -- seniors Chris Chambers (East Islip) and Steven Sabella (Yorktown) -- meet in the first round, but are in the other quarter of the half. The bottom half of the draw has four ranked wrestlers, two in each quarter: juniors Ben Honis (Jamesville Dewitt) and Levi Ashley (Shenendehowa) are slated to meet first round, while junior Nick Weber (Kings Park) and senior Colton Kells (Fairport) project to meet in the quarterfinals. 220: Returning state placer Nick Lupi (Huntington), fifth at state and fourth at the NHSCA Junior Nationals, is the clear favorite in this weight class. Two other notables in this weight are junior Richard Sisti (Monsignor Farrell) and senior Matt Mott (Lynbrook); Sisti is a possible semifinal opponent for Lupi, while Mott is in the opposite half of the draw. 285: Returning state finalist El-Shaddai Van Hoesen (Columbia), a two-time state placer, is the clear favorite in this weight class. The senior is also a two-time NHSCA All-American at the grade-level nationals. The second ranked wrestler statewide, senior Mike Hughes (Smithtown West) looms as a possible semifinal opponent, with a solid wrestler in junior James O'Hagan (Seaford) possibly the round before that. The opposite half of the draw is the weaker of the two, featuring only seniors David Varian (Yorktown) and Terrance Cheeks (Newburgh) as notables. Division II 99: Senior Andrew Flanagan (Holley) -- returning fourth place finisher -- appears to be the favorite in this weight class, as he is the only Division II wrestler inside the top eight of the statewide rankings done by New York Wrestling News. 106: Junior Louis Weierbach (Hoosick Falls) is the lone ranked wrestler in the statewide rankings present in this weight bracket. 113: Four highly credentialed wrestlers lead the way in this weight class, and each occupies a separate quarter of the draw. Senior Cheek Ndiaye (Brooklyn International) is a returning state runner-up, and is in the top quarter of the draw. The second quarter of the draw features another returning state runner-up in sophomore Nick Casella (Locust Valley), with notable sophomore Andrew Shomers (Lewiston Porter) also in this section of the draw. In the lower half of the draw, the third quarter has senior three-time state placer Austin Keough (Warsaw), who was runner-up as a freshman in 2010. Finally, the bottom quarter is anchored by senior Dillon Stowell (Gouveneur), a two-time state placer. 120: A rematch of last year's 113 pound final between junior Sean Peacock (Midlakes) and senior John Aslanian (Edgemont) is the likely outcome of this weight class. Peacock won state last year after placing third as a freshman, while Aslanian has finished as runner-up each of the last two years. 126: William Koll (Lansing) seems well positioned to regain the state title that he won as a freshman after finishing third at state last year. He is the highest ranked wrestler in this bracket, and the only other ranked wrestler is freshman Dakota Gardner (Fredonia), who Koll is likely going to see in the championship match. 132: Returning state runner-up Renaldo Rodriguez-Spencer (Cheektowaga) is an extremely talented junior, ranked No. 20 nationally in this weight class, and after that missing state title. It looks like a potential classic matchup with sophomore Tristan Rifenburg (Norwich), already a three-time state placer with a state title coming in seventh grade, is the likely finals bout. However, Rifenburg will be tested in a likely semifinal against fellow sophomore Sam Ward (Locust Valley), a Cadet Greco-Roman All-American. 138: Like the Kelly/Piccinnini match at 113 pounds in Division I, the final in this weight class is likely to feature defending state champions battling for another state title. Senior Nick Tighe (Phoenix) is after a third state title, while senior Connor Lapresi (Lansing) seeks back-to-back state titles. 145: Returning state finalist, and two-time state placer, senior Drew Hull (Royalton-Hartland) is the strong favorite to get that elusive state title. However, Hull will likely have to clear past freshman Jordan Torbitt (Whitney Point) in the semifinal round and junior Nick Koelmel (Immaculate Conception) in the championship match. 152: It seems that the three best wrestlers in this weight class all reside in the top half of the draw. Weight class favorite Tyler Spann (Adirondack) is in the same quarter as junior Alex Smythe (Eden), who placed fifth at state as a freshman in 2011, while senior Rowdy Prior (Phoenix) is in the other quarter. 160: Arguably the best overall wrestler in New York this year resides in this weight class, No. 11 Burke Paddock (Warsaw), who is already a three-time state placer entering his junior year. Paddock is also a two-time finalist at the NHSCA grade-level nationals, and a multi-time Fargo All-American. In terms of this weight class, he should be tested in the semifinal against one of two seniors, Mike Beckwith (Greene) or Austin Weigel (Onteora), as well as in the finals match. The opposite half finalist will likely come from the winner of a quarterfinal bout between junior Tyler Silverthorn (General Brown), a returning state placer, and sophomore Nick Gallo (Schalmont). 170: Returning state placer Troy Seymour (Peru), fourth at state last year and a NHSCA Junior Nationals runner-up, is the favorite in this weight class. However, freshman Christian Dietrich (Greene) will give him an extreme battle in a probable finals match. That presumes each gets past one key match before that -- for Dietrich it's a likely semifinal against senior Mike Green (Cobleskill-Richmondville), while Seymour could face senior Zack Buckley (Fredonia) in the quarterfinal round. 182: It looks like a pair of seniors whom have placed twice at state should meet for the state title on Saturday in this weight class. Defending state champion Zach Zupan (Canastota) is ranked No. 8 nationally and was a FloNationals placer last spring, while Tim Schaefer (Warsaw) placed third last year after placing fourth as a freshman in 2010. 195: Returning state runner-up Bryce Mazurowski (Avon), a senior, is the strong favorite to get that missing state title. 220: Returning state runner-up Zack Bacon (Hornell), a senior who is ranked No. 18 nationally, is the favorite in this weight class. However, three other wrestlers have had excellent seasons and will see to knock off this favorite. In the same half-bracket of the draw as Bacon is senior Michael Silvis (Holley), while junior Ryan Wolcott (Waverly) and senior Dan Breit (Nanuet) occupy opposite quarters of the other half of the draw. 285: Returning state placers Alex Soutiere (Ravena-Coeymans) and Matt Montesanti (Medina), both seniors, occupy the top line in each half of the draw and are likely to meet in the state final. Soutiere placed second at state last year, while Montesanti placed sixth.

Andy Hrovat talks about the politics of the IOC's decision to cut wrestling from the 2020 Olympic Games. Shane Cross in BP's Ask a Lawyer segment, and Muir sets lines for the National Duals finals. Check out our Tumblr page at backpoints.tumblr.com. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes by searching "back points" and pushing SUBSCRIBE. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

The MMA Outsider podcast had a long debate over whether to do a segment this week recapping UFC on FUEL 7. However, since the event included an impressive bantamweight title performance by Renan Barao and a big win by featherweight contender Cub Swanson -- and Richard's fight picks stunk -- John decided the discussion should be part of the show. After that, the boys preview UFC 157. The event is headlined by the first ever women's bout in the promotion's history. Feel good moment aside, the UFC is putting the success of an entire pay per view on an unestablished with few big remaining match ups that haven't already happened and a champion that is far from perfect but not facing any legitimate challenge in the near future. What could possibly go wrong? Finally, if you're looking for an impromptu discussion of Rumble on the Rock and all things old school Hawaiian MMA, you've come to the right place. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

In a big state championships weekend with titles being decided in some of the more elite states, there were many matches that were of high interest. Ten of the matches that had the combination of high-level competitiveness, high-profile opposition, and a certain degree of unexpected outcome are featured here. No. 1: Illinois 3A 152 final: No. 15 (at 145) Kyle Langendorfer (Lincoln-Way East) dec. No. 2 Brian Murphy (Glenbard North), 6-5 Both wrestlers in this match were competing in their third state final, having also earned their fourth state medal. Entering the tournament as a defending state champion, also with an undefeated record, Langendorfer pinned all three opponents prior to the final. Murphy, twice a runner-up in the state tournament prior to this year, made it to the final with two major decision victories after a first round pin. In a hotly contested match, it was Langendorfer earning his second state title, and relegating Murphy to a career track of 3-2-2-2 and arguably the best to never win state in the Land of Lincoln. No. 2: Illinois 3A 195 final: No. 5 Ricky Robertson (Carl Sandburg) dec. No. 8 Jordan Ellingwood (Plainfield Central), 2-1 ultimate tiebreaker It was a tight, intense match of seniors with undefeated records and seeking their first state title. Robertson, undefeated for two seasons running except for last year's state final loss, advanced to the final with three major decisions -- including a 9-1 result over No. 15 Blake Blair (Edwardsville), runner-up last year in this weight class. Ellingwood, third at state last year and with three victories over Blair on the season, advanced to the final with a pin and two decisive decision victories (6-0 and 5-2). The wrestlers traded escapes in regulation, Robertson in the second and Ellingwood in the third, before riding each other out in the tiebreaker periods. In the ultimate tiebreaker, Robertson chose top, and rode Ellingwood out to earn the victory. No. 3: Virginia AAA 132 semifinal: No. 9 Dennis Gustafson (Forest Park) over No. 4 Brandon Jeske (Cox) by injury default in overtime On the way to bookending his career with state titles, also finishing third as a sophomore and freshman, Gustafson had to wrestle two-time state champion Jeske (titles in 2010 and 2011, ineligible during last year's post-season) in the semifinal round. The match was an intense affair that went to overtime, during which Jeske had to default due to injury. The championship match ended in an anti-climactic 9-3 victory for Gustafson against Eric Merriam (Great Bridge), while earlier Gustafson victories came by pin and 16-6 major decision. No. 4: Illinois 3A 126 final: No. 2 Jered Cortez (Glenbard North) maj. dec. Jordan Northrup (Machesney Park Harlem), 9-1 Cortez earned his third state title in as many seasons with this major decision victory over defending state champion Northrup, who was in his third consecutive state championship bout. This was his second major decision victory over Northrup on the season, and cemented a weekend of dominance in which Cortez had two pins sandwiched around a 17-0 technical fall leading up to the final. Prior to the final, Northrup had two technical fall victories before a 3-0 victory over No. 18 Isaiah White (Oak Park River Forest) in the semifinal. No. 5: Missouri Class 4 152 final: Colston DiBlasi (Park Hill) dec. No. 11 Cain Salas (Blue Springs), 5-1 This was an upset of massive proportion, as Salas was undefeated on the season, seeking a second state title, and had two decisive victories over DiBlasi earlier in the season; a 7-3 decision in last weekend's district final, and a 12-0 major decision in the semifinals of the Kansas City Stampede. Additionally, Salas had reached the final with two first period pins and a 17-2 technical fall in the semifinal; while DiBlasi had an opening round pin but had to battle through 2-0 and 3-2 decisions in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. No. 6: Missouri Class 4 138 final: No. 9 Daniel Lewis (Blue Springs) dec. Sam Crane (Rock Bridge), 5-4 Both juniors were in their third straight state final, one in which Lewis would earn his third straight state title, while Crane earned a second runner-up finish to sandwich around his state championship earned last year. Each had very similar tracks to the final, a pin, a technical fall, and a two-point victory in the semifinal round. This finals match was much more competitive than the 7-0 victory that Lewis had over Crane during a December 19th dual meet, which his only other loss of the season. No. 7: Iowa Class 3A 132 final: Logan Ryan (Bettendorf) dec. Bryce Steiert (Waverly-Shell Rock), 7-6 tiebreaker Already securing his third state placement in as many high school seasons, Ryan trailed 5-2 midway through the third period in this state finals match against the sophomore Steiert. He was then able to tie the match up at 6-all before the end of regulation to force overtime. A scoreless sudden victory period took the proceedings to the tiebreakers, in which Ryan scored an escape first and was able to ride Steiert out during the second 30-second segment to win the title. The other key match for Ryan came in a 3-0 decision over now four-time state placer Colby Knight (Urbandale), a 2011 state champion, in the quarterfinal round. No. 8: Indiana 152 final: Josh Farrell (Greenfield Central) dec. Vinny Corsaro (Indianapolis Cathedral), 3-2 The match between returning state runners-up was a third such meeting on the season, Farrell also winning the previous two by one point. The state title for Farrell capped off a career in which he placed at state all four years. It was a second consecutive runner-up finish for Corsaro, and came after a 4-3 upset over defending state champion Isaiah Bradley (Muncie Southside), who is ranked No. 18 nationally, in the semifinal round. No. 9: Illinois 3A 106 final: No. 10 Rudy Yates (Brother Rice) dec. No. 7 Miguel Silva, Jr. (Plainfield South), 5-1 Two wrestlers who were undefeated throughout their seasons prior to the championship bout on Saturday night met, and it was Yates dominating the proceedings with a pair of takedowns enabling the victory. In earlier state tournament matches, Yates had two technical falls and a 12-4 major decision; while Silva had two decisions sandwiched around an 8-0 major decision victory in the quarterfinals. No. 10: Virginia AAA 152 final: Taylor Misuna (Grassfield) dec. No. 20 Jack Bass (Robinson), 3-1 Misuna, runner-up at state last year, ascended the state podium one step higher after this victory, which relegated Bass to a third consecutive state runner-up finish. Bass had demonstrated total dominance in earlier matches with a technical fall in the opening round then pins in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds; while Misuna showed similar excellence with a technical fall, pin, and 9-2 decision victory to his credit. This weekend's state tournaments Individual bracket events this weekend include those in Colorado, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin that start on Thursday; while those in Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Kansas, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, and Wyoming, along with the National Prep Championships start on Friday; and starting on Saturday is the tournament in South Dakota. Dual meet state tournaments this weekend are in Michigan, Illinois, and Nebraska. The tournament in Battle Creek, Mich. starts on Friday, and is a two-day event, while those in Bloomington, Ill. and Kearney, Neb. are one-day events on Saturday only. Individual Bracket State Tournament Results -- Last Weekend Alabama State titles were won by Thompson in Class 6A (big school), Arab in Class 5A, and Saint James in Class 1A-4A. Florida No. 7 Brandon dominated the proceedings in Class 3A with 251 points on the strength of six finalists, including four state champions -- Kyle Norstrem (113), Dylan Lucas (126), No. 10 Kevin Norstrem (138), and Travis Berridge (170). Osceola, with three state champions in No. 14 Ariel Dominguez (106), No. 8 (at 145) Fox Baldwin up at 152, and Chris Pagan (195), was approximately 90 points back in second place. In Class 2A, three teams finished within five points of one another, but it was Springstead coming home with the title on 98 points led by state champion Jordan Rivera (138) and four other placers; while Lake Highland Prep won the small school Class 1A title with 149-1/2 points led by state championships from Jake Brindley (106), Anthony Petrone (132), Jake Spengler (152), and Carter Shipley (220). Georgia No. 46 Archer (Class 6A) and No. 43 Pope (Class 5A) were among the state championship teams this past weekend. Other titles were won by Gilmer (4A), Woodward Academy (3A), Jefferson (2A), and Gordon Lee (1A). Archer dominated in the big school division with nine top three placers, more than doubling second place Camden County, and were led by a quartet of titles coming from Daniel Bullard (138), Thomas Bullard (145), Ernest Alexander (195), and M.J. Couzan (285). Similarly Pope blitzed the Class 5A tournament, doubling the second place squad, and the Greyhounds were led by five state titles coming from Jake Henson (152), Billy Meek (160), No. 3 Brooks Climmons (182), Trevor Stevens (195), and Joey Tabachino (220). Illinois This is an un-scored tournament from the team standpoint of things. However, the "power programs" did dominate the happenings, as each of the five Fab 50 teams in Class 3A (big school) had four or more state placers and at least one champion. No. 13 Carl Sandburg had the best tournament with three champions -- C.J. Brucki (160), No. 11 Colin Holler (170), and No. 5 Ricky Robertson (195) -- and another three in the top four; No. 9 Oak Park River Forest had a state champion in No. 17 Joe Ariola (182) and three other state placers; joining the Eagles with six state placers was No. 22 Marist, which were led by the state title won by Tom Howell (220); No. 25 Marmion Academy had four state placers, including the pair of titles won by No. 8 Johnny Jimenez (120) and No. 15 George Fisher (132); while No. 49 Glenbard North had four placers, including the dominant state title won by No. 2 Jered Cortez (126). Despite four state titles and six others placing in the top four, there was a slight degree of disappointment in the blitzkrieg No. 11 Montini Catholic ran over the Class 2A competition. Winning titles were Chris Garcia (138), Xavier Montalvo (160), Jake Turk (182), and Anthony Ferraro (195); while Tommy Pawleski (113), Vince Turk (120), Jordan Laster (126), and Michael Sepke (145) ended up with runner-up finishes. In the small school (Class 1A) tournament, Dakota had six placers, including three titles coming from No. 7 Josh Alber (120), Carver James (138), and Daniel Zimmerman (220). Indiana After multiple years of using a dual meet tournament to decide the state champion, the Hoosier State returned to the individual bracket event deciding team champion. However, it was more of the same, as Perry Meridian won their third consecutive state championship -- after the Falcons won it in the dual meet format the last two years. They were led by a trio of state champions: No. 19 Cody LeCount (132), Riley McClurg (160), and No. 10 Donte Winfield (285). A second place finish from Jake Masengale (182) was highest from their four other medalists. Undefeated state champions included No. 6 Chad Red (New Palestine) at 106, No. 2 Stevan Micic (Hanover Central) at 113, Deondre Wilson (Warren Central) at 120, Nick Crume (Jimtown) at 126, LeCount at 132, No. 18 Tommy Forte (Mishawaka) at 138, No. 7 Neal Molloy (Danville) at 145, Josh Farrell (Greenfield Central) at 152, No. 19 Robert Steveson (Merrillville) at 170, Matt Hurford (Culver Community) at 182, No. 4 Mitch Sliga (Fishers) at 195, and Gelen Robinson (Lake Central) at 220. Iowa Even with four state champions -- No. 14 Fredy Stroker (126), Logan Ryan (132), Jacob Woodard (138), and Alex Hernandez -- plus a runner-up finish from Jacob Schwarm (106), No. 48 Bettendorf still finished second in the Class 3A (big school) tournament. It was No. 17 Southeast Polk finishing in first by 46 points with 180-12 points on the strength of eleven total placers, including the trio of titles won by Tim Miklus (160), Dylan Blackford (170), and Bryce Fisher (220). In something of a rarity, there were no undefeated wrestlers to win a state title in the big school division this year. Class 2A was dominated by the individual journies of No. 13 Jake Marlin (Creston) and No. 6 Brandon Sorensen (Denver-Tripoli) to their fourth state titles at 138 and 145 pounds respectively. Marlin capped off a 53-1 season with three pins and a 23-9 major decision in the semifinal round, while Sorensen finished his 57-0 season with a 12-3 major decision, pin, and a pair of 7-3 decisions in which the outcome was never in doubt. No. 35 West Delaware Manchester won the tournament with 151 points to bounce back from their 30-29 loss in the dual meet final to Davenport Assumption on Wednesday night. The Hawks were led by titles from Patrick Woods (106), No. 7 Adam Reth (220), and Dean Broghammer (285), while four others finished in the top four. After winning dual state, the Knights were in second place approximately 40 points back, led by three third place finishers among seven overall placers. Undefeated champions included Max Thomsen (Union) at 126 pounds, Colton McCrystal (Sgt. Bluff-Luton) at 132, Brandon Sorensen at 145, Adam Reth at 220, and Dean Broghammer at 285. Alburnett was the absolute dominant force in small school Class 1A with 138 points, which was more than 60 points ahead of second place. Hunter Washburn (113) and Dylan Windfield (160) were the lone champions; however, six more wrestlers earned podium appearances on the weekend. Undefeated state champions included Andrew Foutch (Underwood) at 126, Kyle Blocker (West Marshall) at 138, Brendan Schott (North Linn) at 170, and Daniel Gaffney (Iowa City Regina) at 220. Kentucky Louisville St. Xavier won a relatively close team race with 203-1/2 points over Campbell County (193) and Union County (176). The St. Xavier squad was led by state titles from Justin Lampe (145) and Gabriel French (160), French pulling off a 4-3 upset victory over two-time state champion Stephen Myers (Campbell County). Four other second place finishes and three other placements were catalysts to their title. Campbell County did answer back with titles from Sean Fausz (132), Paul Hamilton (138), and Austin Myers (220); while Union County had a pair of champions in Trae Blackwell (120) and Brock Ervin (126). Louisiana State titles were won by Brother Martin in Division I, Holy Cross in Division II, and Brusly in Division III. Missouri No. 32 Park Hill won the Class 4 (big school) title over No. 37 Blue Springs by 32 points (156-1/2 to 124-1/2), and it was yet another thirty points back to third place Timberland. The Trojans were led by a trio of champions -- Sean Hosford (106), No. 4 Ke-Shawn Hayes (113), and Colston DiBlasi (152) -- as well as five other state place-winners. The runner-up Wildcats had a pair of champions, No. 9 Daniel Lewis (138) and No. 9 Michael Pixley (182) -- both of whom finished their seasons undefeated -- while three other wrestlers finished inside the top four. Even with Junior National freestyle All-American Seth Brayfield (120) unable to compete in the state series due to injury, No. 43 Kearney was still able to muster a share of the Class 3 state title with Neosho on 152 points, even though Neosho had 13 state qualifiers to the Bulldogs' eight. State champions for the Bulldogs included No. 7 Jaret Singh (113), Kevin Kinney (138), and No. 18 Grant Leeth (145); while four other wrestlers finished in the top four. Joint champions Neosho were led by titles from Nate Rodriguez (132) and Christian Lopez (220), with six other wrestlers placing between third and sixth. In Class 2, Oak Grove (173 points) dominated the tournament, with almost 60 points separating them from second place Fulton. Winning the Class 1 tournament was Whitfield with 126 points, while Brookfield was second with 109-1/2. Nebraska No. 50 Grand Island won their fifth consecutive Class A (big school) title with 180 points, which was ten better than second place Omaha Burke. The Islanders were led by their three state champions -- Dante Rodriguez (120), Trey Trujillo (132), and Chase Reis (195) -- along with five others earning a podium finish. Runners-up Omaha Burke countered with nine placers, which was one more than Grand Island, but were without a state champion, with three runners-up and five taking third place. Skutt Catholic earned the Class B state title, which is seemingly their birthright, with 146-1/2 points; while Scottsbluff finished second with 119. Central City (135 points) won the Class C title by almost 20 points over O'Neill; while Amherst (185-1/2 points) won the Class D title by 13-1/2 over Pender, who was more than 80 points up on the third place squad. North Dakota West Fargo won the Class A title by almost 20 points over Bismarck, in a battle that is seemingly waged on a year-to-year basis. Leading the way for the state champions were Jordan Shearer (126), Weston Dobler (145), and No. 6 Preston Lehmann (182), who all won individual titles -- while the Packers had a state medalist in all fourteen weight classes. In Class B, it was South Border (195 points) winning the title by almost fifty points over Lisbon (148.5) and Carrington (143-1/2). Tennessee Cleveland won the Division I (public-school) title with 232 points, which was over 80 points more than runner-up Soddy Daisy. Leading the way for Cleveland was a trio of champions: Chris Debien (113), Austin Oliver (126), and Haden Hamilton (132). No. 45 Christian Brothers won the Division II (private-school) title with 272 points, which was just over 40 points more than runners-up Father Ryan could muster. Leading the way for CBHS were a trio of champions: Elijah Oliver (113), Nick Gray (126), and No. 15 Kaleb Baker (152); while another three wrestlers finished in second place. Utah No. 24 Maple Mountain dominated the happenings in the Class 4A tournament in winning the title with 360 points, with Box Elder almost sixty points back in second place, and Mountain Crest took third another 125 points back. Leading the way for Maple Mountain were state champions Taylor LaMont (113), Britain Carter (120), Landon Knutzen (138), Grant LaMont (152), Kimball Bastian (160), Josh Searle (182), and Jon Wixom (195). In the Class 5A (big school) tournament, Pleasant Grove (288-1/2 points) won the title by almost 100 points over runner-up Syracuse. Delta earned a relatively narrow state championship in Class 3A, out-pointing Payson 217-1/2 to 210-1/2. In Class 2A, it was Millard (286 points) winning by almost 70 points over nearest challengers Beaver and North Sevier; while the Class 1A title went to Altamont by 19 points over Monticello, 181 to 162. Virginia Despite only one champion, Robinson won its second Class AAA (big school) title in three seasons, as the Rams scored 142-1/2 points on the strength of nine state medalists. The title came from Jake Pinkston (285), while the Rams did get runner-up finishes from No. 20 Jack Bass (152) and Cole DePasquale (170). Second in the standings was Westfield with 101 points and seven placers, but only Beau Donahue (145) was a state champion. Joint third were Forest Park and Colonial Forge with 96-1/2 points; Forest Park had a tournament-high three champions in Tommy Aloi (106), No. 9 Dennis Gustafson (132), and Brett Stein (170), while the Colonial Forge had the second most placers in the tournament with eight. In Class AA, Christiansburg won their 12th straight title with 158 points, and dominated in such fashion that they clinched before the medal matches. Four Blue Demon wrestlers earned state titles -- it was fourth consecutive titles for J.R. Wert (132), No. 1 (at 126) Joey Dance winning up at 138, and No. 3 (at 170) Zach Epperly won at 182, while No. 10 Coy Ozias (120) made it a third consecutive title. In Class A, Grundy repeated as state champions, led by and individual title from Justin Street (138) as well as runner-up finishes from Trey Smith (132) and Elliott Pedigo (145). Washington The 25th anniversary edition of the Mat Classic in Tacoma saw champions awarded in a girls division and five boys divisions. Lake Stevens won the big school boys division (Class 4A) with 160 points, which was almost 40 points more than runner-up Tahoma, and were anchored by state titles from Michael Soler (106), Eric Soler (145), and Brandon Johnson (285). In Class 3A, three teams finished within 12 points of one another, though it was University (142.5) outlasting Decatur (138.5) and Sunnyside (130.5) for the title. Rounding out the champions were Othello in Class 2A, Granger in Class 1A, and Liberty Bell in Class 1B/2B. Dual Meet State Tournament Results -- Last Weekend Delaware Smyrna won the Division I title, with victories over perennial powers St. Mark's (33-25) and Caesar Rodney (36-24) giving the Eagles their first title since 2005. In the semifinal, they only won six of the weight classes, and needed consecutive victories from Matt Sarkissian (106) and Alebbo Monsatto (113) to rally back from a 25-24 deficit and earn the win. Likewise, in the final, they had to rally back from a 24-21 deficit to earn the victory, with wins in the last four matches coming from Dakota Dalton (285), Alebbo Monsatto (106), No. 3 Brent Fleetwood (113), and Othniel Edmond (120). St. George's Tech won the Division II title with a 32-22 victory over Polytech in the final. Iowa No. 17 Southeast Polk dominated their way to the Class 3A (big school title), including a 46-20 finals victory over No. 48 Bettendorf on Wednesday evening. The Rams won nine of fourteen matches against Bettendorf, with both teams wrestling at full strength. That came after Southeast Polk wrestled a mix of starters and reserves in dominating their other two dual meets: 46-19 over Waverly-Shell Rock in the semifinal and 42-29 over Pleasant Valley in the first round. Davenport Assumption scored a 30-29 upset over No. 35 West Delaware Manchester in the Class 2A final. The Knights trailed 23-0 after five matches (182 through 106), but countered with seven consecutive victories, including a pair of one point wins from Jacob Fenske (120) and Tionte Parks (145) before the Hawks won the last two matches by decision. Each squad earned decisive victories in earlier dual meets -- Davenport Assumption with wins over Mediapolis (41-21) and Boyden-Hull (60-18), while West Delaware Manchester defeated Charles City (40-21) and Ballard (52-17). Alburnett pummeled all three of their opponents in the Class 1A tournament: 52-27 over West Marshall in the opening round, 56-24 over Clarion-Goldfield in the semifinal, and 60-21 over Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont in the final. New Jersey No. 27 South Plainfield cemented their case as the best team in the Garden State (of course that exludes No. 1 in the nation Blair Academy, which competes in National Preps) with a pair of victories on Sunday in the Group 3 final four. The Tigers won their semifinal 53-9 over Northern Highlands, and then earned a 40-22 victory over Toms River South in the championship (though it was 8-6 in terms of matches). The "fab four" for South Plainfield -- No. 13 Corey Stasenko (126), No. 8 Scott Delvecchio (132), No. 2 Anthony Ashnault (138), and No. 10 Troy Heilmann (145) -- earned 46 out of a possible 48 dual meet points on the day. No. 34 Bergen Catholic won the Non-Public Group A title on Sunday with a 64-9 victory over Christian Brothers Academy. However, it was their 32-24 victory on Friday night over No. 41 Don Bosco Prep in the North section final, which acted as the de facto championship match. The teams split matches; however, it was bonus points making the difference, as the Crusaders got forfeit victories from No. 1 Nick Suriano (106) and No. 7 Johnny Sebastian (182) as well as a pin from Carmine Goldsack (285) compared to no Ironman victories by either technical fall or pin. Rounding out the group champions were Brick Memorial in Group 4 (big school), 34-27 over Southern Regional in the final; High Point, 33-30 over Long Branch in the Group 2 final; No. 38 Bound Brook in Group 1; and Camden Catholic in Non-Public Group B. North Dakota West Fargo made it a sweep of titles in Class A, with their 31-26 victory over Bismarck in the championship dual meet. Each squad won seven matches, but pins from Jordan Shearer (120), No. 6 (182) Preston Lehmann up a weight at 195, and Zach Elder (220) made the difference for the Packers. Likewise, South Border swept titles in Class B with a dominant 50-15 victory over Linton in the final. North Carolina Parkland won the Class 4A state title to win team state for the seventh consecutive time with a 28-20 victory over Jack Britt. However, this one was not easy, as they needed wins in the last four matches of the dual meet to rally from a 20-12 deficit. Other champions were Fred T. Foard in Class 3A, Newton Conover in Class 2A, and West Wilkes in Class 1A.

The Executive Board of FILA, the international wrestling federation, has selected USA Wrestling to serve as host for the 2015 World Wrestling Championships. The city which will host the event is Las Vegas, Nev., considered one of the most popular destinations in the world. It has been scheduled to be hosted in September of 2015 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. This is a tremendously important event in international wrestling, as it serves as the first qualifying event for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as well as the event in which the largest number of athletes earn a spot at the Olympics. Competition in all three Olympic styles of international wrestling will be held: men’s freestyle, women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman. The 2015 World Wrestling Championships will be presented by FILA, USA Wrestling, the United States Olympic Committee and Las Vegas Events. A number of other nations bid on the opportunity to host the 2015 World Championships, with the strongest of these bids coming from the Olympic city of Sochi, Russia. Other bid cities included Panama City, Panama; New Delhi, India and Tehran, Iran. "The new FILA will embrace the strengths of our sport, both our long history and our desire to continue to improve ourselves. USA Wrestling has proven itself as one of the top national federations in the world. We trust them with one of our most sacred and important properties, the 2015 World Championships, which is the qualifying event for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Hosting the World Championships in Las Vegas is certainly a positive step forward in our quest to show the world the relevance of wrestling and help entrench our sport on the Olympic program," said Acting FILA President Nenad Lalovic. “USA Wrestling is excited to receive the bid to host the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas, Nev. We believe it will be a historic event for international wrestling. We have assembled a strong team that will ensure that the World Championships in Las Vegas will be an amazing success and will display the excitement and popularity of international wrestling worldwide,” said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. "Las Vegas has a long and storied history with amateur wrestling date back to the 1970's," said Pat Christenson, president of Las Vegas Events. "The 2015 World Wrestling Championships are a culmination of decades of support for wrestling, which includes the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, 2007 World Team Trials, Cliff Keen Invitational and the U.S. National Championships. We look forward to hosting the top international wrestlers and playing host to fans from around the world." "Las Vegas will provide a great backdrop to showcase the sport of wrestling to a worldwide audience," said USOC CEO Scott Blackmun. “We’re excited to team with USA Wrestling and FILA in bringing this important event to the United States and we look forward to hosting wrestlers from all over the globe as they look to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.” The United States has hosted five previous Senior World Wrestling Championships. The most recent World Championships were held in world famous Madison Square Garden in New York City in 2003, and featured men’s and women’s freestyle wrestling. This was also the first qualifying event for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games for wrestling. Record crowds attended the World Championships in New York City, and it was regarded internationally as one of the most successful World Wrestling Championships ever held. Prior to that, the United States hosted the World Freestyle Wrestling Championships in 1995 at the Omni Arena in Atlanta, Ga., another major success in terms of attendance and international interest. It was a qualifying event for the 1996 Olympic Games, also hosted in Atlanta. The 1979 World Championships in freestyle and Greco-Roman were held in San Diego, Calif. Previous World Wrestling Championships were also held in Toledo, Ohio in 1962 and 1966. In addition, the United States organized the 2001 World Championships at Madison Square Garden in New York City in all three styles. When terrorists attacked New York City and Washington, D.C. on September 11, 2011, just days prior to the World Championships, the event was postponed then relocated to other cities. In an act of international solidarity, USA Wrestling was awarded the World Championships in 2003.

Manheim, Pa. -- The brackets and seeds for the 2013 NWCA/Cliff Keen National Dual Meet Championship Finals presented by Hibiclens and the Marines have been released, naming the nationally ranked No. 1 Oklahoma State Cowboys the top seed in the tournament. The National Dual Meet Championship Finals, scheduled for February 22-23 in Williams Arena, located on the campus of University of Minnesota, will see first and second rounds of competition featuring the following match-ups: No. 1 Oklahoma State v. No. 8 Illinois No. 4 Ohio State v. No. 5 Missouri No. 3 Minnesota v. No. 6 Virginia Tech No. 2 Iowa v. No. 7 Cornell View brackets The Oklahoma State Cowboys reached the event after a dominating performance in last weekend's Kent State Regional and will look to defend a 13-0 season record. They are currently the No. 1 ranked team nationally, and will enter the National Dual Meet Championship Finals as the top seed. The Cowboys, who held the top seed in their region, had an impressive outing that included a first round 34-10 victory against nationally unranked Kent State, followed by a 39-7 victory against the No. 24 ranked University of Northern Iowa Panthers. In addition to two victories, Oklahoma State wrestlers recorded six pins on the day. Oklahoma State will face off against the eighth seeded Illinois. The Fighting Illini, currently ranked as the No. 8 team in the nation, hold a season record of 7-5 and received an automatic bid to the finals and did not compete in a regional event. Iowa, currently the No. 2 ranked team in the nation, also received an automatic bid to the National Dual Meet Championship Finals. The Hawkeyes, 18-1 on the season, come in as the second seed and will look to take down seventh seeded Cornell in the opening round of competition. Cornell advanced to the National Dual Meet Championship Finals after defeating nationally unranked Hofstra and No. 13 Nebraska in the Cornell Regional. The tournament third seed belongs to the nationally ranked No. 4 Minnesota Gophers. The Gophers, who received an automatic bid to the National Dual Meet Championship Finals, hold a season record of 12-2 and will look to defeat sixth seeded Virginia Tech in front of a home crowd. Virginia Tech, ranked as the No. 7 team in the nation with a 14-2 season record, advanced to the National Dual Meet Championship Finals after winning the Oregon State Regional defeating the No. 25 ranked Oklahoma Sooners 33-6 and No. 9 ranked Oregon State Beavers 19-15. Ohio State, ranked No. 5 nationally, hold the tournament's fourth seed and face off against the tournament's fifth seed and nationally ranked No. 6 Missouri Tigers in the first round of competition. The Buckeyes reached the finals via an automatic bid and did not compete in a regional qualifying event. Ohio State currently holds an 11-3 season record. Missouri however will enter the National Dual Meet Championship Finals fresh off a tournament win at the Missouri Regional. The Tigers earned their spot by defeating nationally unranked Maryland 27-13 and No. 16 Purdue 27-15. Missouri, like Ohio State, has wrestled to 11 season victories, however has suffered one less loss accounting for an 11-2 overall record. Tickets to the event are on sale and can be purchased via Minnesota Athletics. For additional pricing, seating and purchasing information, visit the Minnesota Athletics Site. For more event information, go to the National Duals page at nwcaonline.com. About the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a non-profit organization for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on developing coaches who work in academic environments. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling. The three core competencies of the NWCA are: coaching development, student-athlete welfare, and promotion of wrestling. About Cliff Keen Cliff Keen Athletic is a wrestling and officials wear company, dedicated to the advancement of athletics through innovative products and communications. Cliff Keen Athletic exemplifies the rich traditions of sport and the superior quality of athletic wear required for holding up to the rigors of competition. About Hibiclens Hibiclens is an antiseptic antimicrobial skin cleanser possessing bactericidal properties that can be part of an effective defense for preventing the spread of skin infections. Its active ingredient works in a unique way — it kills germs on contact and bonds to the skin to keep killing microorganisms up to 6 hours after washing. Hibiclens® has been proven to kill MRSA (in vitro) and other staph infections. About the United States Marine Corps On November 10, 1775, the Marine Corps was established by the Second Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Since then, the Marine Corps, through service on land, in air, and at sea, have acquitted themselves with the greatest distinction, winning new honors on each occasion until the term “Marine” has come to signify all that is highest in military efficiency and soldierly virtue. Whether facing our nation's foes or conducting humanitarian relief and disaster recovery operations at home or abroad, today's Marine Corps stands ready to continue in the same proud tradition of faithful service to the United States. For more information, visit http://www.Marines.com.