InterMat Staff

ST. LOUIS PARK, Minn. -- Rev Wrestling Corporation, the owner of InterMatWrestle.com, a leading amateur wrestling website, announces the launch of a companion website, InterMatFight.com, to provide the same scope and quality of coverage for mixed martial arts (MMA). InterMatFight.com was unveiled today. The new website provides fighter profile stories, Q&As, results, analysis, top 20 rankings, and live chats. Among the initial features at InterMatFight.com: a profile of former Boise State wrestler Scott Jorgensen and a profile on Nik Lentz, who will fight Mark Bocek at UFC 140 on Saturday. "It's impossible to deny the impact that wrestling and wrestlers have had on mixed martial arts," said Andrew Hipps, senior editor and one of the principals for Rev Wrestling Corporation. "MMA has become an exciting new career option for top-flight wrestlers, and an incredible opportunity for these great athletes to demonstrate their skills, conditioning and tenacity in a whole new venue." "With our years of experience in covering amateur wrestling at InterMatWrestle.com, it only makes sense for us to continue to inform the wrestling community about these great athletes as they move into their new careers," said Jeremy Hipps, President of Rev Wrestling Corporation. "We believe our loyal InterMatWrestle.com readers will welcome and enjoy the additional MMA coverage that will be available at the new, separate website, InterMatFight.com." The original website, InterMatWrestle.com, will continue to provide the wrestling community with the latest news, rankings, athlete profiles, historical features, live chats, and analysis and opinion, as it relates to all aspects of the sport, from youth, high school and college wrestling, through international freestyle and Greco-Roman competition. In the future, InterMatFight.com will include premium InterMat Platinum features similar to InterMatWrestle.com. InterMat Platinum subscriptions will be valid across the two websites which means that current subscribers will have access to all InterMatFight.com premium content at no additional cost.

Please note: The InterMatWrestle Fab 50 preseason team rankings are used in recaps, while the InterMatWrestle Fab 50 high school team rankings updated today (Dec. 7) are used in previews. Hawkeye State monopoly in Kansas The decision was made to upgrade the Blazer Invitational Tournament, hosted by Gardner-Edgerton High School in Kan., and it resulted in total domination by the visiting teams. The top four teams in the 16-team field were all from out of state; No. 22 Southeast Polk, Iowa, upended No. 14 Iowa City West, Iowa, for the title by a 276 to 260-1/2 score. Finishing third was Skutt Catholic out of Omaha, Neb. with 185-1/2 points, while Platte County, Mo., was fourth with 143 points. The two Hawkeye State powers combined to produce 17 of the 28 finalists, and 11 of 14 weight class champions. The two schools met head-on in five of the finals, with Southeast Polk winning matches at 126, 152, and 195; while Iowa City West mustered victories at 138 and 160. Seven of the Rams' nine finalists ascended to the top step of the podium: Alex Meyer (106), No. 2 Cory Clark (126), Tim Miklus (152), No. 5 Alex Meyer (170), Bud Smith (195), No. 6 (at 195) Willie Miklus (220), and Bryce Fisher (285). Runner-up finishes came from Briar Dittmer (138) and Dylan Blackford (160). For Iowa City West, eight wrestlers made it to the championship finals, with four wrestlers emerging with titles: No. 8 Phillip Laux (113), Ernest Wills (120), Sam Chalkley (138), and No. 7 Justin Koethe (160). Runner-up finishes for the Trojans came from No. 18 (at 132) Jack Hathaway (126), No. 15 (at 138) Dakota Bauer (132), Payton Kauzlarich (152), and Mickey Pelfrey (195). Three of the five head-on finals ended in pins, while Clark earned a 5-2 victory over Hathaway for Southeast Polk at 126 pounds, and it was a 12-6 victory for Koethe of Iowa City West defeating Blackford 12-6 at 160. Skyler Wood (Platte County, Mo.) won the tournament's featured weight class at 132 pounds with four pins preceding a 3-0 finals match victory over Dakota Bauer, who had upset No. 3 Thomas Gilman (Skutt Catholic, Neb.) in an overtime match during the semifinal round 5-4. Rounding out the weight class champions were Aaron Seybold (Pittsburg, Kan.) at 145 pounds and Spencer Wilson (Lawrence Free State, Kan.) at 182. Mid-America Nationals Dates: Friday, Dec. 9 and Saturday, Dec. 10 Location: Union Multipurpose Activity Center (Tulsa, Okla.) Top Teams: No. 18 Allen, Texas; No. 17 Tulsa Union, Okla.; No. 35 Tuttle, Okla.; and No. 44 Collinsville, Okla. Notable Wrestlers: 106: No. 19 Davion Jeffries (Collinsville, Okla.) 113: Eli Hale (Miami, Okla.); Gunnar Woodburn (Claremore, Okla.); Justin Lombardo (Tulsa Union, Okla.) 120: No. 10 Calib Freeman (Claremore, Okla.); No. 12 Josh Walker (Tulsa Union, Okla.); Will Steltzen (Collinsville, Okla.); Jett Shell (Sallisaw, Okla.) 126: Gary Wayne Harding (Collinsville, Okla.); Jarrod Trotter (Allen, Texas) 132: Brian Crutchmer (Tulsa Union, Okla.); Dylan Helm (Collinsville, Okla.); Cody Vann (Inola, Okla.) 138: Jack Bass (Allen, Texas); Sterling Hawkins (Tuttle, Okla.) 145: Bo Nickal (Allen, Texas); Aaron Seybold (Pittsburg, Kan.); Levi Berry (Tuttle, Okla.) 152: Nathan Marek (Southmoore, Okla.) 160: No. 9 Oliver Pierce (Allen, Texas); No. 19 Kyle Ash (Tulsa Union, Okla.) 170: No. 12 Zach Beard (Tuttle, Okla.); Matt Meyer (Allen, Texas); Lance Dixon (Edmond North, Okla.) 182: No. 4 Kyle Crutchmer (Tulsa Union, Okla.); Jadon Davenport (Sallisaw, Okla.) 195: Nick Cobb (Allen, Texas); Blasé Walser (Tulsa Union, Okla.); Logan Byrd (Sallisaw, Okla.) 220: 285: Bettendorf dominates solid field at Keith Young Invitational Even without the presence of two-time state placer Nate Shaw (220), ranked first at his weight class in Iowa Class 3A per The Predicament, No. 10 Bettendorf, Iowa, was able to dominate the 16-team field at Saturday's Keith young Invitational hosted in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Eight Bulldog grapplers made it to the finals, five earning titles, and all but one wrestler secured a top six placement. Winning titles for Bettendorf were Jacob Swarm (106), No. 15 (at 106) Fredy Stroker (113), Connor Ryan (138), Bubba Hernandez (152), and Colby Vance (170). Runner-up finishes were scored by Jacob Woodward (126), Bryce Levsen (182), and Keaton Jurevitz (195). Of particular note was the 8-5 win by freshman Jacob Swarm against No. 17 Jake Koethe (West Des Moines Valley, Iowa). Despite having two champions (and five finalists in all), both second most in the tournament to Bettendorf, Denver-Tripoli, Iowa, was only able to muster a third place finish with 140 points. Winning titles for the Titans were No. 7 Dylan Peters (120) and No. 11 Brandon Sorensen (132); while Gunnar Wolfensperger (138), Cory Chapin (152), and Chase Shedenholm (170) each finished in second place. Sorensen's championship victory came over No. 20 Kyle Larson (West Des Moines Valley) by a 2-1 score in the tiebreaker. Finishing second was West Des Moines Valley, Iowa, with 163 points. Its two anchor wrestlers: Koethe and Larson: finished as runners-up, while Tarin Phillips (195) and Zach Henaman (285) won titles. Four other wrestlers advanced to the semifinals, two took third while another pair finished in fourth place. Rounding out Saturday's champions at the Keith Young were No. 6 (at 120) Eric DeVos (Waverly-Shell Rock, Iowa) at 126 pounds; Jesse Etherington (Charles City, Iowa) at 145; Max Krieger and No. 10 (at 195) Jared Bartel from Mason City, Iowa, winning titles at 160 and 182; along with Steve Ferentz (Iowa City High, Iowa) winning at 220 pounds. Five Seasons Dual Tournament Dates: Saturday, Dec. 10 Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa Top Teams (all Iowa): No. 10 Bettendorf; No. 16 Iowa City West; West Delaware; Linn-Mar; Cedar Rapids Prairie; Waverly-Shell Rock; Urbandale; Mason City Notable Wrestlers (all Iowa): 106: Jacob Swarm (Bettendorf), Kaz Onoo (Mason City), Patrick Woods (West Delaware) 113: No. 8 Phillip Laux (Iowa City West), No. 15 (at 106) Fredy Stroker (Bettendorf), Alijah Jeffrey (Linn-Mar), Zach Less (West Delaware), Jake Kristensen (Des Moines Roosevelt) 120: Colby Knight (Urbandale), Andres Gonzales (Mason City), Andrew Steiert (Waverly-Shell Rock), Drake Swarm (Bettendorf) 126: No. 18 (at 132) Jack Hathaway (Iowa City West), No. 6 (at 120) Eric Devos (Waverly-Shell Rock), Trey Blaha (Cedar Rapids Prairie) 132: No. 15 (at 138) Dakota Bauer (Iowa City West), Luke Kremer (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), Logan Ryan (Bettendorf) 138: No. 2 John Meeks (Des Moines Roosevelt), Connor Ryan (Bettendorf), Kegan Wakefield (Iowa City West), Nate Harms (Urbandale), Blake Spotts (Mason City), Zach Muller (West Delaware) 145: No. 9 (at 152) Gabe Moreno (Urbandale), Kolton Rottink (Waverly-Shell Rock), Ross Lembeck (Linn-Mar), Grady Gambrall (Iowa City West) 152: No. 10 Zach Witte (Cedar Rapids Prairie), Josh Pederson (Linn-Mar), Alex Hernandez (Bettendorf), 160: No. 7 Justin Koethe (Iowa City West), Max Krieger (Mason City) 170: Colby Vance (Bettendorf), Mitchell Wantock (Linn-Mar), Terry Stover (Waverly-Shell Rock), Sam Lahr (West Delaware), Cameron Rathje (Cedar Rapids Prairie) 182: No. 10 (at 195) Jared Bartel (Mason City), Bryan Levsen (Bettendorf), Mark Atwater (Linn-Mar), Jacyn Goebel (West Delaware) 195: Mickey Pelfrey (Iowa City West), Keaton Jurevitz (Bettendorf), Adam Reth (West Delaware), Nick Jepsen (Urbandale) 220: Nate Shaw (Bettendorf), Andrew Netolicky (Cedar Rapids Prairie), A.J. Garcia (Linn-Mar), Dean Broghammer (West Delaware) 285: Tyler Burrell (Cedar Rapids Washington), Kaleb Staack (Waverly-Shell Rock) Blue Springs asserts superiority in Show Me Showdown The top two teams in Missouri took to the mats on Friday afternoon in an assembly dual meet at Blue Springs High School just outside of Kan. City, Mo. Key to the 36-27 victory for the No. 41 Wildcats was a sweep of the three matchups involving higher profile wrestlers during the dual meet against No. 29 Kearney. State champion Darick Lapaglia emerged with a 9-2 victory over Cadet National freestyle champion Grant Leeth at 138 pounds, fellow state champion Greg Hegarty upended three-time state runner-up Tanner Minder by a 7-3 score at 145 pounds, while state qualifier Chris Lattner beat state placer Morgan Fitzgerald, 5-3, at 170 pounds. In all, Blue Springs won nine of the fourteen contested matches. Even though Kearney did not have Cadet freestyle All-American Kevin Kinney in the lineup at 132 pounds, the Bulldogs did emerge from that match victorious as backup Joe Desciaccia eared an 11-4 victory. Graves Invitational Dates: Friday, Dec. 9 and Saturday, Dec. 10 Location: Brandon High School (Brandon, Fla.) Top Teams: No. 5 Brandon, Fla.; No. 37 Glenbard North, Ill.; Camden County, Ga.; and South Dade, Fla. Notable Wrestlers: 106: No. 10 Dylan Lucas (Brandon, Fla.); Derek Hammers (George Jenkins, Fla.) 113: James Flint (Brandon, Fla.); Alex Uhre (St. Thomas Aquinas, Fla.); Chris Gonzales (Glenbard North, Ill.) 120: Isaiah Varona (South Dade, Fla.); Shiquan Hall (St. Thomas Aquinas, Fla.); Anthony Petrone (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.); John Gosinski (Glenbard North, Ill.) 126: No. 4 Rossi Bruno (Brandon, Fla.); No. 5 (at 120) Jered Cortez (Glenbard North, Ill.) 132: No. 6 Kevin Norstrem (Brandon, Fla.); Jon Marmolejo (Glenbard North, Ill.) 138: Jake Spengler (Lake Highland Prep, Fla.) 145: Kris Iglesias (St. Thomas Aquinas, Fla.) 152: No. 3 Brian Murphy (Glenbard North, Ill.); Austin Trott (Camden County, Ga.); Travis Berridge (Brandon, Fla.) 160: No. 6 Clark Glass (Brandon, Fla.); Mario Rodriguez (Glenbard North, Ill.); Gio Jiovanetta (St. Thomas Aquinas, Fla.) 170: Jacob Haydock (Brandon, Fla.); Daniel Saintil (South Dade, Fla.) 182: Kyle Koziel (Brandon, Fla.); Gray Jones (Camden County, Ga.); Taylor Jackson (Citrus, Fla.) 195: Michael Johnson (Camden County, Ga.); Christian Hill (South Dade, Fla.) 220: Desmond James (Camden County, Ga.); William Ford (South Dade, Fla.); Brandon Mills (St. Thomas Aquinas, Fla.) 285: McDonogh unkind to guests at Ray Oliver Invitational With six champions coming from seven finalists (and four other place finishers), McDonogh, Maryland dominated the twenty-team field in scoring 239-1/2 points to win the title by more than sixty points. Champions for the Golden Eagles were No. 19 Jack Clark (145), Myles Martin (152), Toby Hague (160), Tyler Patrick (170), Kevin Marvel (195), and Roman Braglio (285). Logan Meister (120) finished second, while Xaviel Ramos (132) took home third place. Despite no champions, Georgetown (DC) Prep finished in second place with 177 points due to eight wrestlers finishing inside the top four. This included a trio of runner-up finishes coming from Patrick Hutton (126), Daniel Sanchez (132), and Ryan Schneider (285). Despite a pair of weight class titles from Kaleb LeMaire (120) and Micah Hight (126), No. 31 Caesar Rodney, Delaware could only muster a sixth place finish with 142 points. Without the services of three state finalists, the Riders only had four other place-winners; Stephen Jackson (145) took second, while another wrestler took fourth, and two others finished in sixth place. Other weight class champions were No. 13 Brent Fleetwood (106) and John Archangelo (113) from Smyrna, Delaware; Matt Kibblehouse (132) of Salesanium, Delaware; Alfred Bannister (138) of Bishop McNamara, Maryland; Ryan Wolfe (182) of Caravel Academy, Delaware; and No. 2 Kyle Snyder (220) of Good Counsel, Maryland. Brandon asserts strength at Cougar Invitational No. 4 Brandon, Fla., asserted their strength over a solid field that included many of the top teams in Fla. and Georgia. Even without the presence of No. 10 Dylan Lucas (106) in the lineup, the Eagles still had seven top three finishers in amassing 245-1/2 points. Winning titles were No. 4 Rossi Bruno (126), No. 6 Kevin Norstrem (132), Jacob Haydock (170), and Kyle Koziel (182). No. 6 Clark Glass finished as a runner-up, falling to defeat against No. 4 (at 170) Geordan Speiller (Pine Castle Christian, Fla.) by a 6-4 score in the championship match. Third place finishes were secured by James Flint (113) and Travis Berridge (152). Four other wrestlers secured a top six finish. Second in the standings, but more than 50 points back, was Camden County, Ga. with 192 points. The Wildcats were anchored by four finalists, including a trio of championships coming from Austin Trott (152), Michael Johnson (195), and Desmond Jones (220). Gray Jones (182) added a runner-up finish to the ledger, while two others finished in the top six. In one of the highlight finals, Trott upended Cody Ross from Springstead, Fla., by a 3-1 score; Ross was No. 18 in the rankings down a weight class at 145 pounds. Despite four finalists, No. 25 Collins Hill, Ga. finished fifth in the standings with 176 points. Weight class titles came from No. 6 Sean Russell (106) and Ryan Millhof (113), while Spencer Rickman (138) and Zach Carmin (285) finished in second place. The Eagles also had wrestlers place third and fifth; but were without the services of two-time state finalist Drew Ferguson-Mitchell (120), and state runner-up Steven Bradtmuller (132) left the tournament due to injury and did not place. Rounding out the weight class champions were Isaiah Varona (South Dade, Fla.) at 120 pounds, Fox Baldwin (Osceola, Fla.) at 138, Yoanse Mejia (Miami Southwest, Fla.) at 145, and Gavin Ricketts (Western, Fla.) at 285. Clovis West Shootout Dates: Friday, Dec. 9 and Saturday, Dec. 10 Location: Clovis West High School (Clovis, Fla.) Top Teams: No. 6 Clovis, Calif.; No. 50 Vacaville, Calif.; and Clovis West, Calif. Notable Wrestlers (all from California): 106: Gionn Peralta (Vacaville) 113: Michael Knoblauch (Clovis West) 120: Jonas Gayton (Clovis), Kasey Klaus (Vacaville), Brandon Rodriguez (Clovis West) 126: No. 14 Daniel Gayton (Clovis), Victor Trujillo (Bella Vista) 132: Matt Gay (Clovis), Chris Garcia (Clovis West) 138: Adam Pain (Rodriguez) 145: Kai Loechler (Vacaville), Racelis Cardenas (Buchanan), Tyler Zimmer (Clovis West), Jason Ladd (Clovis), Wyond Mills (Laguna Hills) 152: Isaiah Morfin (Selma), Colby Thompson (Clovis) 160: Adrian Salas (Clovis) 170: No. 6 Zach Nevills (Clovis), Jacob Pedraza (Hanford West) 182: No. 2 Nikko Reyes (Clovis West), Ryan Davies (Clovis), Chris Lai (Vacaville) 195: Dakota Gordon (Clovis), Jeremy Sweany (Vacaville) 220: 285: No. 6 Nick Nevills (Clovis), No. 19 John Schupp (Vacaville) Don't forget about the Walsh Ironman Arguably the nation's best in-season tournament is also being contested this coming Friday and Saturday in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, at Walsh Jesuit High School. InterMatWrestle will provide a dedicated preview of the event tomorrow, and comprehensive coverage throughout the tournament.

"The Ultimate Fighter 15: Live" has its coaching staff. UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz (19-1, 2-0 UFC) will face off against top contender Urijah Faber (26-5, 2-1 UFC). Season 15 will be the first to be broadcast live on FX. The show will be on a 13-week run and features lightweights and welterweights. This season will be the first to feature bantamweight coaches and is scheduled to feature a title fight between Cruz and Faber in mid-March, the pair is currently knotted at a win a piece in their expectant trilogy. Faber won the first matchup at WEC 26 at lightweight when he won by submission, Cruz won via unanimous decision at UFC 136. The show should be one of the most contentious in the series history, with Cruz and Faber making no question about their mutual dislike. "I'm looking forward to mentoring a bunch of hungry and talented fighters," Faber said. "Having Dominick coach on the opposite side couldn't be more perfect. I'm not too thrilled about being in each other's space for an extended period of time, as I am sure we are going to get on each other's nerves. But I can't wait to mentally beat him up as a coach, and then literally beat him up in the cage and swipe that UFC strap." "Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a gym rat and love learning and teaching mixed martial arts," Cruz said. “This is a dream come true. To get a chance to coach TUF and beat Faber again is all the motivation I need."

It was announced that Efrain Escudero will be the replacement for T.J. Grant at UFC 141 against Jacob Volkmann. Grant suffered an injury that forced him to withdraw from the event. He was "The Ultimate Fighter" Season 8 lightweight winner. Escudero has a record of 18-3 and has won five of his last six fights. Volkmann, a three-time All-American wrestler at the University of Minnesota, has a 13-2 MMA record and has gone undefeated since he dropped from welterweight to lightweight. UFC 141 is slated for Dec. 30 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The main event will feature Brock Lesnar versus Alistair Overeem.

CHICAGO -- After a historic fifth season that saw Michael Chandler capture the Bellator lightweight title in a four-round classic that many critics labeled fight-of-the-year, and Eduardo Dantas, Douglas Lima and Alexander Shlemenko all earning tournament championships, Bellator will open its sixth season on Friday, March 2, from a soon-to-be-announced location. The premiere will mark the first time Bellator has aired on Friday nights. "Our focus was to find the right night, where the largest number of MMA fans could enjoy the show," Bellator Chairman & CEO Bjorn Rebney said. "We've been discussing this move with our partners at Viacom for months. When we looked at the alternatives, we agreed that Fridays provided a great night for us to reach MMA fans with our live, real sport, tournament events every week." Photo/Bellator Fighting ChampionshipsBellator's Season 6 will feature five tournaments, each loaded with world-class talent from across the globe as well the potential for six World Title fights. In arguably the deepest division within Bellator, eight featherweights will go to battle looking to earn their right to challenge for the belt. The lightweights are back, and will be gunning for newly crowned Bellator Lightweight Champion Michael Chandler after his fight of the year with Eddie Alvarez (Watch Chandler-Alvarez fight) Fresh off a welterweight tournament that saw Douglas Lima punch his ticket to a guaranteed title shot against reigning Bellator Welterweight Champion Ben Askren, eight 170 pounders will compete to earn their title shot against the winner of this tremendous world title fight, and Middleweights collide as the promotion searches for a challenger to take on the winner of Lombard vs. Shlemenko II for the Bellator Middleweight Title. Bellator Season Five Tournament winner Alexander "Storm" Shlemenko will battle Lombard during Season 6 in a rematch of their third season showdown where Lombard successfully defended his title with a unanimous decision victory. A fifth tournament will also be featured in Season 6 with an announcement coming shortly. For more information, visit Bellator.com, follow Bellator on Twitter @BellatorMMA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Bellator About Bellator Fighting Championships Bellator Fighting Championships is a Mixed Martial Arts promotional company headquartered in Chicago. Bellator's founder/CEO, Bjorn Rebney, is an experienced fighting sports and entertainment professional with a deep commitment to the purity and integrity of the sport of MMA and its athletes. Bellator Fighting Championships' executive team is comprised of top industry professionals in the areas of live event production, television production, fighter relations, venue procurement, sponsorship creation/development, international licensing, marketing, advertising, publicity and commission relations. About Spike TV Spike TV is available in 99.8 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV's Internet address is www.spike.com and for up-to-the-minute and archival press information and photographs, visit Spike TV's press site at http://www.spike.com/press. Follow us on Twitter@spiketvpr for the latest in breaking news updates, behind-the-scenes information and photos. About MTV2 MTV2 is a man's best friend, available in nearly 80 million homes and with the highest concentration of males 12-24 and 12-34 on TV today. A vibrant mix of music, lifestyle and action sports programming, MTV2 has reflected the habits and behavior of young people since its launch in 1996. MTV2 is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom, one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. About EPIX EPIX, a joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), its Paramount Pictures unit, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), is a next-generation premium entertainment channel, video-on-demand and online service launched on October 30, 2009. With access to more than 15,000 motion pictures spanning the vast libraries of its partners and other studios, EPIX provides a powerful entertainment experience with more feature films on demand and online and more HD movies than any other service. It is the only premium service providing its entire monthly line-up of new Hollywood titles, classic feature films, original series, music and comedy specials through the linear channel, video-on-demand and online at EpixHD.com, the leading online destination for movies. EPIX has made the commitment to deliver the industry's most expansive online collection of movies, making more than 3,000 titles available on EpixHD.com. The service is available to over 30 million homes nationwide through distribution partners including Charter Communications, Cox Communications, DISH Network, Mediacom Communications, NCTC, Suddenlink Communications and Verizon FiOS.

Nick Newell, a former wrestler at Western New England University, is a one-handed MMA fighter who is 6-0. Scott Casber recently caught up with Newell. Nick Newell

Photo/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images The last time we saw lightweight fighter Nik "The Carny" Lentz was at UFC Live: Kongo vs. Barry back on June 26. Lentz fought Charles Oliveira and suffered a blatantly illegal knee, which referee Chip Snider somehow managed to miss. Although he was aware of his options, Lentz made a deliberate choice to keep fighting. "I'm not ever going to roll over just because something's illegal," he explained. "I kind of feel like that'd be the anti-warrior, anti-sportsmanlike way to do things; to just roll over. If I would've just rolled to my back and said he kneed me illegally and then my corner made a fuss, I'd win the fight, but I didn't think that was the right thing to do; I think that's kind of a coward thing to do." Lentz did continue after the two illegal knees and originally lost the bout due to a rear naked choke, but the fight was later declared a no contest after review by the Commission due to the illegal strikes. Nik Lentz (Photo/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)"I thought Pennsylvania and the UFC handled it very well but obviously the original ref messed it up really bad," Lentz said. "It was pretty much reviewed instantly by Pennsylvania and the UFC. Right after the fight was over, I had multiple people tell me that there was no way that was going to stand and they were going to do whatever they could to get that overturned." Both fighters earned Fight of the Night honors for their performance. Despite the silver linings, Lentz was left to go home with a broken eye socket, unable to train for weeks while waiting for the bones in his face to heal. "It was a process that I didn't like," Lentz said. "I had to take a lot more time off than I wanted to. Initially I couldn't do anything because doing any kind of exercise would prolong the injury, you know, blood flow, swelling, that all is going to increase if you continue to exercise. So I had to take a good month and a half off which was hard for me because usually I take a week off and then I go right back to working out. Even if it's not hardcore training and fight-oriented I still go a bit crazy just being in the house, so it was something that wasn't really fun. It put me in a bad mood and I hated it, so I'm really glad that I was able to get back to training full-time and I feel one-hundred percent now." Originally, Lentz wanted to rematch Oliveira pretty quickly but the powers that be wanted to wait a little longer, so Lentz's eyes are firmly fixed on his next opponent, submission specialist Mark Bocek. "He's very skilled, very talented," Lentz said of Bocek. "He's been around a long time and he's a good fighter. He's been in there with some of the best guys but I feel like I'm a better fighter in every area and I feel like I have the abilities to stop him," he said. As for Bocek's strategy, Lentz thinks he will go for the takedown. "He has a pretty good double leg, and he has an aggressive push-against-the-cage takedown kind of style," Lentz said. "He likes to be on top, so I think he's definitely going to try to move in, kind of pressure me and then get me against the cage and take me down and try to win the fight in a jiu-jitsu, grappling style way." Lentz believes every UFC fighter in his division is extremely dangerous, and Bocek is no exception. "Each person presents their own unique style matchup and that's what makes fight styles; styles clashing. That's what makes fights harder or not and I feel like his style really works well into mine," Lentz added. Lentz has been on a tear since he started fighting for the UFC in 2009, going 5-0-1-1 with wins over Andre Winner and Tyson Griffin. He is currently ranked No. 18 in the InterMatFight lightweight rankings. He has not had a loss since March 2007, and attributes his success to his background, learning ability and support system at home. "I think I've been successful one because I have a very good wrestling background and a good technical background, which is what you need for fighting," said Lentz. "It's not just winning wrestling matches, it's a technical background that transfers to fighting. I think I win because I learn a lot faster than most people when it comes to something I dedicate myself to. Also, I'm a student of the whole game. I don't try to just focus on the wrestling. I don't just focus on the grappling. I don't just focus on the striking. And that's why I can always produce problems for those who fight me, because there's always a place that I'm better than them at. I'm very well-rounded, so I can really take out specialists very well." Lentz's fiancé, Elissa, is another reason he gave for being successful. "She's very supportive," Lentz said. "She helps me with my training camp when I'm at home. A lot of times I need special kinds of food preparation and I need someone to be there for me when I'm frustrated or when something's not going right. She's always there for whatever I need." Lentz has been training at the Academy (formerly the Minnesota Mixed Martial Arts Academy) alongside Sean Sherk, Jacob Volkmann and local fighters Jordan Parsons, Zach Juusola, Rich Taylor and Mike Richman. He starts training shortly after waking up at 8 a.m. and goes until at least 1:30 or 2 p.m. "Then I go home, eat and relax and play games and go to bed," he described. Aside from training and spending time with his many species of animals (which include an Australian shepherd, a Corgi, two rabbits and two hamsters), Lentz is an avid gamer and particularly enjoys playing Starcraft. "It's competitive, and it's a way for me to step away from MMA so I can do something completely different ... so I don't get bogged down thinking about MMA fights all the time and I can do something that's still engaging and fun while at the same time is completely different from training," he said. Lentz's nickname, The Carny, actually comes from a display of video game prowess. "I was in Japan with Nick Thompson and I was bored," Lentz recalled. "I won just a ridiculous amount of stuff. I won so much stuff that Japanese people were stopping and taking pictures with me. They were just amazed that I could win so much stuff, and one of them said I was like a carnival person because I was so good at all the ring games, and then Nick Thompson instantly named me The Carny," he said. Lentz comes across as someone who is approached everything in his life -- from wrestling to fighting to gaming -- with dedication and competitive intensity, but he faces a tough opponent in Mark Bocek, a Nova Uniao black belt with two Submission of the Night victories. Most recently, he went the distance in a close battle with top contender Ben Henderson, ultimately losing by decision. Expect fireworks on Saturday. Fans can follow Nik Lentz on Twitter at @NikLentz.

BLACKSBURG -- Virginia Tech senior wrestler Jesse Dong will undergo shoulder surgery later this month and will miss the remainder of the 2011-12 season, as announced Tuesday by head wrestling coach Kevin Dresser. The 157-pounder is a two-time ACC Champion and three-time NCAA qualifier who is currently 7-0 and ranked No. 5 in the country at his weight class. Because Dong has not wrestled in more than 30 percent of this year's season, he will be eligible to apply for a medical hardship waiver at the conclusion of the season. The Westerville, Ohio, native has not redshirted, so provided the medical hardship waiver is granted, he will be eligible to return next year for a fifth season. He owns an 86-18 record overall, including a 52-6 mark in dual matches. In his absence, either Cameron Hurd or Matt Stephens will take over for the Hokies.

Really, don't call it a comeback. As part of his larger examination of traditional wrestling worldwide, InterMat senior writer T.R Foley has entered the 49th Ken Kraft Midlands Championships, Dec. 29-30 in Evanston, Ill. T.R. FoleyIn addition to working for InterMat, Foley is the executive director of WrestlingRoots.org an emerging non-profit he hopes will help bolster the sport of wrestling through the documentation and promotion of traditional wrestling styles from around the world. Foley launched the website in May 2011 to coincide with the blog for his first book -- a project based on traveling and wrestling thorough Mongolia. Midlands, he says, will help him reconnect with American-version of folkstyle wrestling. "I'm excited to compete," said the 30-year-old Foley, a 2004 All-American for the University for Virginia. "I guess what's different about this is that I'm not looking to compete for an Olympic spot or fulfill some goal I never achieved. I feel great about my wrestling past, but I want to see what's really out there now, as a journalist and lifelong student of the sport." Though he hasn't competed since 2005, Foley says that he is in-shape from practicing jiu-jitsu and teaching wrestling from his home in Chicago. The former Columbia University assistant wrestling coach won the blue belt absolute division of the 2011 IBJJF Chicago Open. He has been working as a freelance magazine journalist since graduating from the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism in 2009 and says he hopes to combine his writing and wrestling to give American readers a new perspective on the sport of folkstyle wrestling. "I want to report on the myriad emotions these guys feel before, during and after they wrestle," said Foley. "It's so easy for fans and writers to critique these kids, and I wanted to reconnect with the experience, and re-gain some insight into what makes our traditional wrestling style one of the most popular on the planet." Foley will be competing at 184 pounds, which he says is his natural body weight. He wrestled 165 pounds his senior season at the University of Virginia. Northwestern head wrestling coach Drew Pariano welcomed Foley's application to Midlands at the beginning of November, "We have one of the biggest and most competitive tournaments we have ever experienced. Post-graduates are a vital part of Midlands history and I'm confident he'll go out there and compete hard. Wrestling continues to evolve and Foley will give the Midlands fans an inside look as to what it's like to compete at one of the premier events that our sport offers." T.R. Foley performing a traditional Mongolian wrestling celebration after defeating his first opponent during the July 6th Naadam festival in Tsetserleg, Arhangai, Mongolia"I think that this is the right fit," said Foley. "In Mongolia you could see the joy these guys had in competing well into their thirties, forties, and even seventies. Even just being on the mats for jiu-jitsu with guys in the fifties, I began to think of wrestling as something enjoyable for a lifetime instead of just a stressful college experience." The Midlands could feature as many as five of the nations top ten 184-pound wrestlers, including top-ranked Lehigh junior Robert "The Vermonster" Hamlin. "I love folkstyle," said Foley. "I'm mostly healthy I can't wait to get back on the mats to compete. Still, looking at the possible opponents I've gone ahead and looked into re-upping my health insurance." Foley will be posting three tournament articles for InterMatWrestle.com. Starting this week readers can also find more entries, photos and videos on his website, WrestlingRoots.org.

Photo/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images There's nothing I'm gonna face in the UFC cage that I haven't faced in the Boise State wrestling room or going up against guys like Johnny Thompson." So says Scott Jorgensen, 29, a three-time Pac-10 conference wrestling champ for Boise State who has made a successful transition from the college mats to a professional career in MMA. The former Bronco -- now known by his nickname "Young Guns" -- is ranked fifth in the InterMatFight bantamweight rankings, and fights for the UFC. Hitting the mat at age 8 Scott Jorgensen was introduced to wrestling at age 8. "Dad wrestled for Ricks College," Jorgensen disclosed. "I had a friend who wrestled. I thought it looked like fun. It kinda took over my life." "As a kid, I participated in just about every sport -- baseball, karate, soccer -- everything but basketball." In fact, one of Jorgensen's earliest sports was the sweet science: "I took boxing lessons as a kid." "I loved wrestling. No one else to rely on. I really liked the idea of having to count on myself, and not having to depend on a team to get better or have success." In high school in Alaska, Jorgensen was a two-time state finalist, winning a state title. "We moved to Eagle, Idaho, to help me get recruited by a college program," Jorgensen said. The plan worked. After being recruited by the likes of the University of Nebraska and the U.S. Naval Academy, Jorgensen accepted a scholarship offer from Boise State. "I chose the Broncos because I really liked the program," said Jorgensen, citing the coaching staff, particularly head coach Gene Randall, as major factors for signing on with the Broncos. Scott Jorgensen (top) was a three-time NCAA qualifier at Boise State (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)While at Boise State from 2001-2006, Jorgensen built a successful career at 133 pounds, winning three Pac-10 conference titles. However, in the interview for this InterMatFight.com profile, Jorgensen focused on his experiences at the NCAAs. "I didn't wrestle at the NCAAs as a freshman," said Jorgensen. "In the three other years I qualified (for the NCAAs), each time I just missed out on being an All-American. Never quite pulled the trigger." Jorgensen's NCAA title dreams were derailed by some top collegiate wrestlers. At the 2004 NCAAs, the Boise State matman was knocked off the title track by Foley Dowd of Michigan ... then, in the consolation bracket, lost to Oklahoma State's Johnny Thompson. The following year, Jorgensen fell to eventual 133 champ Travis Lee of Cornell University. From college mats to MMA When asked by InterMatFight.com what drove his move to MMA after completing his college wrestling career, Scott Jorgensen replied, "I was disappointed in not making All-American. I really needed a break from the sport." In an earlier interview with the Arbiter, the student newspaper at Boise State, Jorgensen credited another former Pac-10 matman who made the transition from collegiate wrestling to success in his mixed martial arts career ... and urged Jorgensen to do the same. "Urijah Faber talked me into fighting," said the former Bronco 133-pounder of Faber, who had wrestled at the University of California-Davis before launching his own successful career in MMA. "I was disappointed in how things ended (collegiately), and I still wanted to compete." "(MMA) offers that excitement where anything can happen. A guy could be losing the fight, and with the small gloves we wear, get a knockout or a submission and come back and win." Jorgensen got a win -- an armbar submission of Mike Morris at 1:31 of Round 1 -- at his first professional MMA bout at the Alaska Fighting Championships in June 2006. After a couple years of fighting in events sponsored by regional organizations, Jorgensen came into World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) in early 2008. In 2010, WEC was merged into UFC, propelling Jorgensen into the top echelon of professional mixed martial arts competition. In his most recent fight in late October, the 29-year-old native of Utah scored a unanimous decision over Jeff Curran at UFC 137 in Las Vegas. (In its coverage of the Jorgensen-Curran match, one MMA website's headline read, "Scott Jorgensen Uses Wrestling to Control Jeff Curran.") After five-and-a-half years of professional mixed martial arts competition, Jorgensen is now 13-4. He has been submitted only once; the rest of his losses were by decision. Right now, Jorgensen ranks among the handful of top bantamweights (135-pound weight class) in the UFC; he is currently ranked No. 4 by MMAWeekly.com, No. 5 by Sherdog.com Prepped for anything in the cage, thanks to wrestling Was the transition from amateur wrestling to MMA competition daunting for Jorgensen? "At first I had a fear of getting hit," replied the former Boise State matman. "But doing it I overcame that fear, and have really sunk my teeth into MMA." "I was born to do this," continued Jorgensen. "I've been competing since I was 8. All the workouts, wins, and losses. Wrestling is the best background for MMA." "There's nothing I'm gonna face in the UFC cage that I haven't faced in the Boise State wrestling room or going up against guys like Johnny Thompson." "If you make it through a year of a college wrestling room, you can do well in MMA," according to Jorgensen. "By any measuring stick, with my experience at Boise State, I'm prepared for whatever can happen in the cage." "Joe Warren is one of my best friends," Jorgensen continued, referring to yet another mixed martial arts competitor who has had success as a wrestler. "He always reminds me, 'Remember where you came from -- wrestling.'" "When you're in a predicament, you dig down for what you've overcome before." As Jorgensen readily admitted in the InterMatFight.com interview, "It took me till I was 16 or 17 that I really decided to be more serious about my wrestling. To push myself harder, go longer. You learn who you are when you are truly tired." "When you wrestle, you learn the importance of a strong work ethic," Jorgensen continued. "With that, you won't fail." "I put all my current success on my wrestling." Tough talk Ask Scott Jorgensen to talk about his style in MMA competition, and he continues in the vein of how his years of wrestling experience have all led to his current career: "I'm not the most technical fighter, but you'll never break me." "My style in the cage is a hard-nosed approach, in-your-face, 'I'm dictating this fight,' 'I'll break you mentally before I break you physically' style," according to Jorgensen. "My fights are a war of attrition -- that the other guy's gonna give long before I would think of it." "I'm a hard-headed wrestler who knows what I can overcome." "I have a good chin," Jorgensen continued. "I've never been knocked out in a fight or in MMA practice. But I have been knocked out twice in wrestling." "Four different times in wrestling, I had to get stitches. That's happened just once in MMA." Perfect preparation How does Scott Jorgensen get ready for a UFC fight? "My training routine is pretty simple. I train six days a week. I spar twice a week. Every day has some wrestling and grappling, do strength and conditioning work, too, and striking for 30 minutes nonstop." "About four weeks before the fight, I do rounds work," Jorgensen continued. "I model my training on how Boise State did it. Again, it all ties back to my wrestling roots. Hard work pays off." Key to Jorgensen's training is having his own facility, Combat Fitness, an 8,000 square foot facility in Boise. "Four-and-a-half-years ago, I opened a gym with my business partner, Jesse Brock," said the former Bronco wrestler. "When I started fighting, I needed a gym. I didn't feel there was anyone doing it right in this area, providing a facility for guys who are serious about training, right here in Boise." "We've hired great trainers in various disciplines," continued Jorgensen who also teaches classes at Combat Fitness. "We have a full range of activities. In fact, we have the only place in Idaho where someone can learn all the disciplines." One of the features Combat Fitness offers is a wrestling club, populated mostly with high school athletes. Right now, Combat Fitness has about 150 members, and, according to Jorgensen, "about 90% are not competitive athletes, but individuals doing it for fitness." "We want to build one of the best facilities in the country." Beyond building on the success of Combat Fitness, Scott Jorgensen has one goal: to win the UFC title. "I missed out on the bantamweight title last December," said Jorgensen, referring to his loss by unanimous decision to Dominick Cruz, the 135-pound champ, at WEC 53 on Dec. 17, 2010. Jorgensen's wrestling background, relentless training and hard-nosed attitude will serve him well in that title quest ... along with another key ingredient: "I love what I do. I remind myself to have fun. This is what I want to do." "When I step into the cage for a fight, I'm at my most relaxed," said Jorgensen. "I'm ready to put all the work I've done, into having some fun." In addition to loving MMA competition, Scott Jorgensen loves to communicate with fans. Fans can follow Scott Jorgensen on Twitter at @Scottjorgensen, or like his Facebook page, ScottJorgensen135.

Jon Jones understands he's no Charles Barkley, but is he Michael Jordan? The UFC light heavyweight champion this week discussed his plans for "elevating" the sport of MMA using the appeal of his personality. Jones, who began his career with a sparkling reputation as fight savant has recently become disparaged by opponents and media personalities for displaying insincerity and cockiness. However, fans and the UFC still recognize that his uncertain place as heel or hero has meant more PPV buys for the young champion than many of his fellow belt holders. The 24-year-old title holder talked with Steve Marrocco of MMA Junkie and put his self-confidence and hope for a new, bright future of MMA: "I get out there, get my face out there, get my personality out there, and maybe one day I start to make a change and make mainstream American aware of who I am," he said. "You've got to let mainstream people know that we're educated guys, and we're intelligent athletes, and not guys who just show up and beat each other up in the cage," he said. "Just try to portray the sport in a positive light, and I think mainstream American has a lot of learning to do about us." "We're really starting to catch up to the NBA and the NFL," he said. "I think when these major companies come looking at us, I want them to know that you can invest into the UFC because we're quality guys, just as much as athletes and professionals in any other sport. It's just something I'm aware of – marketing in the most positive light." Jones faces former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida Saturday, Dec. 10, at the Air Canada Center Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The UFC officially announced the addition of five more fights to the "UFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis" to take place January 28th at the United Center in Chicago, IL. The revamped card includes Demetrius Johnson who is coming off a unanimous decision loss to UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz at UFC of Versus 6. The Chicago fan base is also being treated to the possible continuation of an unlikely, and certainly unsustainable streak by undefeated Paul Sass, who has submitted every single one on his MMA opponents, most recently Michael Johnson at UFC on Versus 6. Other top fighters include Cub Swanson who has three Fight of the Night performances between his last eight cage performances in the WEC and UFC. Chicago natives will also welcome Mike Russow back to the Octagon. The Chicago police officer best known for his come-from-behind victory against Heavyweight Todd Duffee. Russow is back from a 10-month layoff where he last tallied a second round knockout of John Madsen. Newly Announced Fghts for "UFC on Fox 2: Evans vs. Davis" Demetrious Johnson (9-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) vs. Eddie Wineland (18-8-1 MMA, 0-2 UFC) George Roop (12-8-1 MMA, 2-4 UFC) vs. Cub Swanson (15-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC). Evan Dunham (12-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) vs. Paul Sass (12-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) Michael Johnson (9-6 MMA, 1-2 UFC) vs. Cody McKenzie (12-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) Jon Olav Einemo (6-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) vs. Mike Russow (14-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC)

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling coach Heath Eslinger announced the addition of four new student-athletes to the Mocs today. UTC will welcome three freshmen in the fall of 2012 as a part of the early signing class, as well as a former Southern Conference Champion who will join the squad in January. Many Ramirez, a former wrestler for UNC Greensboro and the 2011 SoCon Champion at 125, is transferring to Chattanooga and will be eligible immediately. He has one semester of eligibility remaining and is expected to step in at 125 and defend his title. He will replace senior Demetrius Johnson (Memphis, Tenn.) who is battling a knee injury that will likely keep him out the rest of the season. Ramirez is a native of El Paso, Texas, and prepped at Britt High School in Fayetteville, N.C. He has also represented Puerto Rico in international events and was their national champion at 55kg in 2008. Ramirez, a three-year letter winner for the Spartans, graduates from UNCG this month and will enroll in graduate school at UTC. Greensboro eliminated its wrestling program following the 2010-11 season. "We are excited about adding Manny to our program," stated Eslinger. "We are certainly familiar with him from his career at UNCG and we expect him to bring that same intensity to Chattanooga for his final semester of collegiate wrestling." Also joining the Mocs as a part of the 2012-13 incoming class are Zach Brisdon (Sandown, N.H.), Caleb Denny (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Landon Reed (Ringgold, Ga.). Brisdon and Reed are both defending state champions while all three were on the Honor Roll for their work in the classroom. Brisdon is expected to compete at 125 for the Mocs next fall. He has a 135-15 career record at Timberland High School in Plaistow, N.H., that also includes three individual state titles. Reed will compete at 141 on the collegiate level. He went 57-5 as a junior at nearby Heritage High School in Ringgold, Ga. He was the Georgia 3A state champion and also won the Sham Slam as a junior. Denny is a heavyweight from Moeller High School in Cincinnati. He was a state qualifier as a junior and is fifth on the preseason Super 32 in his class. "All three of these individuals bring something unique to our program, but they all have the same characteristics we are looking for in Chattanooga wrestling," concluded Eslinger. "They are all excellent students who love wrestling and want to be challenged to compete at the highest level." Manny Ramirez - 125 - Fayetteville, N.C. (UNC Greensboro) Chattanooga: Transferred to UTC following the 2011 fall semester ... has a 35-28 career record ... joins the Mocs after UNCG cut its program in 2011. 2011-12 - Junior Season: Went 21-12 and won the SoCon Title at 125 ... posted a 12-6 mark in dual matches and was 4-1 in SoCon action. 2009-10 - Sophomore Season: Went 7-9 as a redshirt sophomore at 125 pounds ... won a bronze medal at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games in the 55 kg freestyle weight class where he represented Puerto Rico ... qualified for the games by winning the World Team Trials ... also represented Puerto Rico at the Canada Cup Wrestling Championship where he came in fourth place. 2008-09 - Freshman Season: Won the Puerto Rican National Championship in freestyle at 55 kg ... represented Team Puerto Rico's freestyle team at 55 kg at the 2009 Pan-American Championships for the second consecutive season ... came in fourth place after going 4-2 at the Hokie Open. 2007-08 - Redshirt Season: Redshirted the season ... was 2-3 on the season, competing at the North Carolina State Open and the Southern Scuffle. High School: 2007 graduate of Jack Britt High School in Fayetteville, NC...wrestled four years with the Buccaneers...finished with 185 career wins...four-time all-conference, two-time regional champion, two-time conference champion, and two-time all-region...finished in fifth-place at the North Carolina State Tournament his junior and senior year...team was back-to-back regional champions. Personal: Manuel Jose Ramirez... born May 20, 1989 in El Paso, TX... son of Jose and Yanis Ramirez of Fayetteville, NC... has two siblings, Jenice and Victor... majoring in communication studies at UNCG. Zach Brisdon - 125 - Sandown, N.H. - Timberlane HS Three-time state champion for Timberlane High School in Plaistow, N.H. ... wrestles for head coach Barry Chooljian ... has a 135-15 prep record over the last three years ... team dual record is 59-2 over the last three years ... won the New England Championship as a sophomore ... won the Beast of the East Championships in 2009 & 2010 ... won the Eastern States Classic in 2009 & 2010 ... recognized annually on the school's Honor Roll ... PERSONAL ... Son of Sharon and Gary Brisdon ... has one older sister, Annie ... plans to major in Criminal Justice. Caleb Denny - 285 - Cincinnati, Ohio - Moeller HS Two-time district qualifier at Cincinnati's Moeller High School ... qualified for the state championships as a junior in 2011 ... fifth on the preseason Super 32 heading into his senior campaign ... competes for head coach Jeff Gaier ... went 33-16 as a junior and 26-16 during his sophomore year ... also competed in football ... Academic All-Ohio selection and on the Honor Roll ... PERSONAL ... Full name is Caleb Alexander Denny ... son of Jeff and Missy Denny ... born May 30, 1993 ... has one younger sister, Holly ... plans to major in Mechanical Engineering. Landon Reed - 141 - Ringgold, Ga. - Heritage HG Defending state champion at Heritage High School in Ringgold, Ga. ... posted a 57-5 record as a junior ... finished in the top-5 in the state in his three prep seasons ... regional champion as a sophomore and junior ... competes for head coach Kenny Hill ... recognized on the school's Honor Roll ... PERSONAL ... Full name is Landon Macaulay Reed ... son of Jay & Amy Still and Mike & Karen Reed ... born March 22, 1994 ... has two younger sisters, Anna Kate Still and Emma Reed ... father played football at Carson Newman ... plans to major in Secondary Education.

Clarion junior James Fleming (West Mifflin) was named today as the EWL (Eastern Wrestling League) and PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference) “Wrestler of the Week”, for his performance in winning the 157-pound title at the Nittany Lion Open held Sunday at Penn State's Rec Hall. Clarion's Fleming, ranked #6 in the nation at 157-pounds, was an impressive 6-0 on the day in winning his title. He defeated #11 rated Dylan Alton of Penn State, a red-shirt freshman, in the finals by fall at 2:40. Fleming was trailing 4-1 when he took Alton down and took him to his back for what would have been a 6-4 lead. Fleming cradled Alton and posted the fall. Fleming opened the open tournament with a pin at 1:42 over Ian Thom, then won a 9-0 major decision over Matt Stephens (Va. Tech), 10-0 over Pierre Frazile (Citadel), 6-2 over John Greisheimer of Edinboro, 1-0 over James Vollrath of Penn State in the semi's before defeating Alton. CLARION NOTES: James is the son of John Fleming and Regina Fitzhenry… He is a sports Management major at Clarion … Fleming was 31-4 overall and 1-2 at nationals in 2011 … . During the season he was EWL and PSAC individual champion, EWL “Co-OW”, and placed 4th at Midlands. He had 11 pins and 5 tech. falls. In 2010 he posted a 28-8 record at 149-pounds, was 2nd at EWL's, 4th at PSAC's and was an NCAA Qualifier with an 0-2 record. He has a career record of 67-12… In the PSAC award – Fleming actually was co-athlete of the week with Edinboro's Chris Honeycutt – who won the Las Vegas open at 197 … Clarion travels to Mercyhurst on Saturday to try and defend its 2010-11 PSAC team title it won at Bloomsburg. The finals will begin at 6pm and be televised live by PCN.

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. -- The Mountaineers earned wins in an impressive nine of 10 bouts to earn an easy 41-2 win, as Appalachian State wrestling defeated Southern Conference opponent Gardner-Webb on Monday evening at Paul Porter Arena. With the win, Appalachian (3-1, 1-0 SoCon) extends its streak to 14-straight wins over Gardner-Webb (1-2, 0-1 SoCon) and takes control of the teams' inaugural conference meeting. ASU's Tony Gravely (Martinsville, Va./Magna Vista) opened the evening with a 2:20 pin at 125, and Gardner-Webb immediately put itself in a hole, drawing a one-team-point unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the first bout. Chris Johnson (Hillsborough, N.C.), Mike Kessler (Bay City, Mich./Western) and Savva Kostis (Boone, N.C./Watauga) followed with a trio of decisions for the Mountaineers. At 157 pounds, Chip Powell (Greensboro, N.C./S.W. Guilford) earned a quick pin in under two minutes to put the Apps on top 21 to -1 at the midpoint of the match. No. 20 Kyle Blevins (Sapulpa, Okla./Sapulpa) had a free pass at 165 pounds, and Carter Downs (Jupiter, Fla./Jupiter Christian) pulled off a 7-4 decision at 174 pounds. No. 11 Austin Trotman (Winston-Salem, N.C./Mount Tabor) remained undefeated with a 2:18 pin at 184 pounds, while Paul Weiss (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas) notched the day's only technical fall at 197 pounds. In the day's final bout, Gardner-Webb staved off the sweep and got out of red numbers as Justin Kozera earned a 6-3 decision over Brock Durfee. The Mountaineers are back in action this weekend when they make the trip to face Ohio on Saturday, Dec. 10 at noon. Results: 125: Tony Gravely (ASU) pinned Michael Slaughter (GWU), 2:20 ASU 6 - (1) ^ 133: Chris Johnson (ASU) dec. Robbie Golde (GWU), 7-5 ASU 9 - (1) 141: Mike Kessler (ASU) dec. Davante Andujar (GWU), 11-6 ASU 12 - (1) 149: Savva Kostis (ASU) dec. Ryan Medved (GWU), 7-1 ASU 15 - (1) 157: Chip Powell (ASU) pinned Alex Medved (GWU), 1:53 ASU 21 - (1) 165: No. 20 Kyle Blevins (ASU) won by forfeit ASU 27 - (1) 174: Carter Downs (ASU) dec. Justin Guthrie (GWU), 7-4 ASU 30 - (1) 184: No. 11 Austin Trotman (ASU) pinned Aaron Rabin (GWU), 2:18 ASU 36 - (1) 197: Paul Weiss (ASU) tech. fall Julian Ming (GWU), 24-8 ASU 41 - (1) HVY: Justin Kozera (GWU) dec. Brock Durfee (ASU), 6-3 ASU 41 - 2

NORMAN, Okla. -- Kendric Maple of the 11th-ranked University of Oklahoma wrestling team has been chosen as the Big 12 Conference Wrestler of the Month, announced Monday by the league office. It marks the first career conference honor for the redshirt-sophomore from Wichita, Kan., who has compiled a 6-0 overall record at 141-pounds this season. Maple, currently ranked No. 8, finished the month of November with a 6-0 overall record, including a 3-0 dual mark. During that span, he has accumulated three victories by major decision and two technical falls. “We're very excited for Kendric,” Mark Cody said. “Kendric is everything a coach could ever want in an athlete. He does everything right and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for Kendric Maple.” On Nov. 12, Maple won the Brockport/Oklahoma Gold title after he posted a 3-0 record and defeated Rutgers' 16th-ranked Billy Ashnault by major decision, Army's Connor Hanafee via a technical fall and American's No. 9-ranked Matthew Mariacher, 5-0. After his impressive outing at the tournament he was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler.

Former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion "King" Mo Lawal is returning to action Jan. 7 at "Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine." The former Olympian has yet to be an assigned an opponent and hasn't fought since losing to Rafael "Feijao" Calvacante via TKO in August of 2010. An opponent is expected to be announced within the week.

Michael Bisping made a mockery of the usually animated Jason "Mayhem" Miller Friday night at the TK in Las Vegas, ending the former "Bully Beatdown" host with a third round TKO stoppage. In the biggest upset of the night, John Dodson knocked out former California State-Fullerton wrestler, T.J. Dillashaw in the first with a left hook that landed like a forearm shiver to the right ear of Dillashaw. Bisping (22-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) who before the fight said he was uncertain whether or not he deserved a title shot, thanked fans and his family from the cage, a departure from his particularly coarse pre-fight antics during the previous day's weigh-ins. Miller was taken to the hospital after the fight, but the worst news of his night might have been UFC President Dana White's assertion that MIller had put on the worst performance in UFC history. Miller (23-8 MMA, 0-2 UFC) is 2-3 in his last five fights. The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale results: Michael Bisping def. Jason "Mayhem" Miller via TKO (strikes) -- Round 3, 3:34 Diego Brandao def. Dennis Bermudez via submission (armbar) -- Round 1, 4:51 John Dodson def. T.J. Dillashaw via TKO (punches) -- Round 1, 1:54 Tony Ferguson def. Yves Edwards via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) Johnny Bedford def. Louis Gaudinot via TKO (strikes) -- Round 3, 1:58 Marcus Brimage def. Stephen Bass via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) John Albert def. Dustin Pague via TKO (punches) -- Round 1, 1:09 Roland Delorme def. Josh Ferguson via submission (rear-naked choke) -- Round 3, 0:22 Steven Siler def. Josh Clopton via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Bryan Caraway def. Dustin Neace via submission (rear-naked choke) -- Round 2, 3:38

Related: Nittany Lion Open Brackets The fifth-ranked Penn State wrestling team blazed its way through the 2011 Nittany Lion Open, crowning six champions and collecting 18 place winners at the event. Penn State sent 29 wrestlers into action at the all-day event, which featured 475 grapplers from around the country. Freshman Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), ranked No. 17, went 6-0 on the day including an 11-1 major over North Carolina State's Coltin Fought in the finals at 125. No. 1 Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) was a perfect 6-0 at 149, pinning No. 9 Donnie Vinson of Binghamton in the finals. No. 1 David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) was 4-0 on the day plus a win over former American All-American Steve Fittery in the finals at 165. Taylor majored Fittery 14-6 but the result does not count in Taylor's win/loss record. No. 2 Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) went 6-0 at 174, downing No. 17 Jimmy Sheptock of Maryland 7-4 in the finals. No. 6 Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) went 6-0 at 184, getting a 17-0 tech fall over Kent State's Cole Baxter in the finals at 184. Senior Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 5 at heavyweight, blazed his way to a 6-0 mark to win the title, getting a pin at the 1:26 mark over Clarion's Quintas McCorkle in the finals. Red-shirt freshman Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), ranked No. 11 at 157, was pinned by No. 8 James Fleming of Clarion in the finals and placed second with a 5-1 record. True freshman Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 10 at 197, was upset by No. 20 Christian Boley of Maryland in the finals, 12-9, and took second as well. No. 7 Devin Carter of Virginia Tech won the crown with a 17-7 major over Nick Arujua at 133 while Zach Neibert of Virginia Tech upset No. 19 Kevin Smith of Buffalo in the finals at 141, getting a 7-3 win. Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.) went 3-2 and placed fourth at 125 while sophomore Frank Martellotti (Pittsburgh, Pa.) went 4-1 and took eighth at 133. Seth Beitz (Juniata, Pa.) was 7-1 on the day and placed fifth at 149 while red-shirt freshman Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) was 5-1 to take third at that weight. James Vollrath (Richboro, Pa.) downed teammate Nick Fischer (Unionville, Pa.) in the third place bout at 157, getting an 11-2 major to take third while Fischer finished fourth. Red-shirt freshman Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah) went 5-1 at 174 to take fifth place and junior Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.) went 4-2 at 197 to take eighth. Red-shirt freshman Nick Ruggear (Oxford, Pa.) went 3-2 at heavyweight, advancing to the semifinals before losing to teammate Wade as well as No. 10 Spencer Myers in the third place bout. Ruggear took fourth. Red-shirt freshman Jon Gingrich (Wingate, Pa.) went 5-1 at heavyweight and placed fifth. Penn State got fine performances from a number of Lions who did not place as well. At 133, Nittany Lion junior Derek Reber (Lewisburg, Pa.) went 3-0 on the day and then took a cautionary medical forfeit, ending his tournament before the quarterfinals began in order to further rest an injury. At 141, Lion freshman Sam Sherlock (West Mifflin, Pa.) went 3-2, injury defaulting out in his second loss of the day. Freshman Luke Frey (Montoursville, Pa.) won his first match but an illness forced him to cut his day short, going 1-1. Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.), Kyle Moran (Oxford, Pa.), David Owens (Derry, N.H.) and Mike Waters (Advance, N.C.) each went 0-1 on the day. Rex Lutz (Easton, Pa.) went 0-1 at 165. At 174, sophomore Andrew Church (Erie, Pa.) had a nice run, going 4-2. Teammate James Frascella (Carmel, Ind.) went 1-2 and Brandon Phillips (Timonium, Md.) went 0-1. Penn State was solid through the early going of the tournament, with 16 of Penn State's 29 wrestlers advancing to the quarterfinals. In the quarters, Penn State went 13-2 with one wrestler taking a medical forfeit which does not count as a loss. In the semifinals, Penn State went 8-5 with two of the losses coming in bouts that pitted Lion against Lion. Penn State then went 6-2 in the finals, crowning its six champions to go along with two runners-up. Penn State went 101-29 overall on the day. Penn State returns to dual meet action on Friday, Dec. 9 at Lehigh and then in Rec Hall on Sunday, Dec. 11, vs. West Virginia at 2 p.m. Nearing sellout status, fans can purchase remaining tickets by calling 814-865-5555. Tickets are priced at $8 for adults and $5 for youth (18 and under) and can be purchased from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day or in person at the Bryce Jordan Center box office. A maximum of four tickets may be purchased per person. The full season slate of live dual meet and tournament action will air locally on WRSC AM (1390 AM) with Friday evening duals being simulcast on WRSC FM (103.1 FM). Lock Haven's WBPZ (1230 AM) will also carry the entire season live, WIEZ (690 AM) in Huntingdon/Lewistown carries all Sunday events and further affiliates may be added soon. The regular season schedule of radio broadcasts will be streamed live at www.GoPSUsports.com as part of Penn State's All-Access package, which will also feature live video streams of many home events. Ticket information is accessed easily online at www.GoPSUsports.com/tickets/m-wrestl-tickets.html . Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at www.twitter.com/pennstatepat and on Penn State Wrestling's facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling. The 2011-12 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline. Finals Results: 125: #17 Nico Megaludis PSU maj. dec. Coltin Fought NC State, 11-1 133: #7 Devin Carter VATECH maj. dec. Nick Arujua UANR, 17-7 141: Zach Neibert VATECH dec. #19 Kevin Smith BUF, 7-3 149: #1 Frank Molinaro PSU pinned #9 Donnie Vinson BING, WBF (1:23) 157: #8 James Flemming CLAR pinned #11 Dylan Alton PSU, WBF (1:58) 165: #1 David Taylor PSU maj. dec. Steve Fittery UANR, 14-6 174: #2 Ed Ruth PSU dec. #17 Jimmy Sheptock MD, 7-4 184: #6 Quentin Wright PSU tech fall Cole Baxter UA-KSU, 17-0 (TF; 6:43) 197: #20 Christian Boley MD dec. #11 Morgan McIntosh PSU, 12-9 285: #5 Cameron Wade pinned Quintas McCorkle CLAR, WBF (1:26)

PHILADELPHIA -- The No. 10 Lehigh wrestling team spotted No. 22 Penn an early 12-0 lead but the Mountain Hawks won six of the final seven bouts to rally for 21-15 win Sunday at the Palestra. Senior Zack Rey put Lehigh ahead with a third period pin over Anthony DiLonardo while freshman Mason Beckman clinched the victory with a 3-2 decision at 125. Senior Joe Kennedy added a key 6-2 decision over Micah Burak in a battle of top ten ranked wrestlers at 197 to pace Lehigh, which improves to 5-2 on the dual season. The Mountain Hawks have now won their last five duals after starting the season 0-2. “There was a complete momentum shift in this match,” said Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro. “Give Penn credit in those first few matches. They got the first takedown in just about every match. They were more ready than we were, but our guys battled back. Tanen wasn't feeling well but he battled back. Hatchett battled back against a tough kid.” Penn raced to an early lead with three straight wins at 133, 141 and 149. The Quakers' Bryan Ortenzio earned a 13-2 major decision over freshman Chris Dinnien and All-American Zack Kemmerer provided more bonus points at 141 with a 16-1 technical fall over freshman Jim Carucci. The Quakers scored the first takedown in the first six bouts, but Lehigh was able to bounce back for wins at 157 and 165. Senior Brian Tanen held off Troy Hernandez 10-8 at 157. A three-point near fall in the second period provided the cushion for Tanen to win despite yielding a pair of third period takedowns. Senior Brandon Hatchett was taken down early by Lorenzo Thomas but responded with two takedowns of his own to prevail 7-2. A pair of freshmen battled at 174, with Penn's Ian Korb scoring a takedown in sudden victory to knock off Nate Brown, but it would be the Quakers' final win of the dual as Lehigh took the final four bouts. Junior Robert Hamlin started slowly before scoring takedowns in the second and third periods to defeat Erich Smith 6-1 at 184. Kennedy backed up his dual win over Burak a year ago by scoring the only two takedowns of the match in his 6-2 win. Kennedy scored in the first period and added an insurance score in the third as the eighth-ranked Mountain Hawk bested the fifth-ranked Quaker. Rey gave Lehigh the lead for the first time by pinning DiLonardo in 6:44. DiLonardo managed to keep things close for a while as Rey led 5-2 after two periods. Rey added another score in the third, and after two escapes, Rey brought DiLonardo to the mat with a half nelson and stacked him for his second fall of the season. Needing a win from Beckman to secure its fifth straight dual win, the Lehigh freshman scored a takedown early in the third period and held on to win 3-2 with his riding time advantage. “Joe and Micah have gone back and forth,” Santoro explained. “They're two great competitors. It's always going to be a battle but Joe did a great job. Zack getting a pin was huge for us. With Mason, we put a freshman out there with the dual on the line and he went out and wrestled really well.” The Mountain Hawks will return to the mats on Friday when they host defending national champion and No. 5 Penn State in the 100th dual meet between the longtime rivals. The dual is slated for a 7 p.m. start from Stabler Arena. Tickets can be purchased by calling 610-7LU-GAME, by visiting the Lehigh ticket office located in Grace Hall and by logging on to Lehighsports.com. Results: 133 – Bryan Ortenzio (Penn) major dec. Chris Dinnien (Lehigh) 13-2 141 – Zack Kemmerer (Penn) tech fall Jim Carucci (Lehigh) 16-1, 5:22 149 – Steve Robertson (Penn) dec. Kyle Rosser (Lehigh) 10-3 157 – Brian Tanen (Lehigh) dec. Troy Hernandez (Penn) 10-8 165 – Brandon Hatchett (Lehigh) dec. Lorenzo Thomas (Penn) 7-2 174 – Ian Korb (Penn) dec. Nate Brown (Lehigh) 6-4, s.v. 184 – Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) dec. Erich Smith (Penn) 6-1 197 – Joe Kennedy (Lehigh) dec. Micah Burak (Penn) 6-2 285 – Zack Rey (Lehigh) Fall Anthony DiLonardo (Penn) 6:44 125 – Mason Beckman (Lehigh) dec. Geoffrey Bostany (Penn) 3-2

Mason Manville is only 14 years old, but already envisions himself standing on top of the podium with a gold medal around his neck and the Star-Spangled Banner playing at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Mason Manville"I want to become the greatest," said Manville, an eighth-grader. "To be the greatest you have to prove it. I plan on winning the 2016 Olympics when I turn 18." Manville has been dominating national events. He was a USA Wrestling Triple Crown winner this year as a Schoolboy, winning national titles in all three styles. Manville was unchallenged at the Schoolboy Duals this year, going a combined 16-0 in freestyle and Greco-Roman. He was named Outstanding Wrestler at the 2011 Cliff Keen Reno World Championships. Manville also won the Super 32 Challenge twice in the middle school division. Manville recently moved from Virginia to Minnesota to wrestle at Apple Valley, one of the nation's top high school wrestling programs. Apple Valley finished last season ranked No. 1 in the InterMat Fab 50 high school team rankings. Minnesota is one of only a handful of states that allows junior high wrestlers to compete at the varsity level. Mason Manville working for a pin at the 2011 InterMat JJ Classic (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)"For years we have been looking at getting Mason to the next level as he approached high school," said David Manville, Mason's father, who wrestled collegiately at the NAIA level. "We came to a point where we thought the best thing for Mason is to not stay in Virginia. We have been evaluating other opportunities, specifically Apple Valley, for over a year." This fall Manville, while still living in Virginia, entered the InterMat JJ Classic, a preseason high school wrestling tournament held in Rochester, Minn. "When we came up here for the InterMat JJ Classic we didn't want anything but to wrestle the best we could in the tournament and beat as many high school kids as we could," said David Manville, an Army officer for over 26 years. "There was an opportunity to meet with the Apple Valley coaches, and they agreed to meet with me. We talked and this opportunity kind of opened up pretty quickly." Manville finished third at the InterMat JJ Classic competing at 152 pounds, losing only to Apple Valley's Brandon Kingsley, one of the nation's top seniors, 4-2, in the semifinals. Brandon Kingsley defeated Mason Manville, 4-2, at the 2011 InterMat JJ Classic (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)After the match Kingsley had some words for Manville. "I went over to him and told him that he's a great wrestler and it was good to wrestle him," said Kingsley, who has signed to wrestle at the University of Minnesota. Manville was not satisfied with just keeping the score close with Kingsley. "I planned on beating him," said Manville. "I knew the odds were against me. I have the same mindset every single match, no matter if it's a middle school, JV, or varsity match." Now Manville and Kingsley are teammates on an Apple Valley team that is expected to challenge for another national championship. The Eagles wrestle a brutal schedule against top national competition. Apple Valley will see seven of the nation's top 10 teams at The Clash, held in Rochester, Minn., in late December. Still, it remains to be seen where Manville will fit into Apple Valley's lineup this season. He has started the season at 152 pounds and has compiled a 5-0 record with four pins. His only non-pin was a 9-0 victory over state-ranked Sam Stewart of Andover High School (Minn.). Manville says that he will most likely compete at 145 pounds this season, but is certified to drop to as low as 138 pounds. Mason Manville is 5-0 with four pins this season"Mason intends to beat everybody in the room," said David Manville. "That's Mark Hall. That's Brandon Kingsley. That's Ben Sullivan. That's everybody. Whether he does or not is one thing. Where he ends up in the lineup is another thing. Iron sharpens iron. This is sort of the gladiator mindset. All the kids have it." Kingsley, who will be looking to win his fourth state title, likes what he has seen from Manville, but knows there is plenty of room for improvement. "He's a pretty tough competitor, but he still has a lot of the tendencies that come with being a middle-schooler," said Kingsley. "But he's working on them. He's starting to open up. He's really coming along." Manville is enjoying everything about being a member of the Apple Valley wrestling team. "I feel really connected with every single one of the kids," said Manville. "I personally love it up here. The training is amazing. It's just great for me. The coaches are phenomenal. They all want us to be the greatest." David Manville coaching his son, Mason Manville, at the 2011 InterMat JJ Classic (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)The Manvilles are taking it one year at a time. No decision has been made about whether Mason Manville will attend high school at Apple Valley next year, or whether he will end up at another school in another state. David Manville says that he and his wife, Susan, will do what they feel is best for their children. "Next year is a long way away," said David Manville. "I can tell you that our house (in Virginia) is going on the market. We're looking at several different places. We've got two other kids. So no decision can be made just based upon Mason." Manville's two younger brothers, Carson, 9, and Pierson, 6, are also wrestlers. "Carson is technically far superior to Mason," said David Manville. "He's just as motivated as Mason. He's got great promise." Mason ManvilleManville also sees a bright future for his younger brother. "Carson is great, not only as a wrestler but as a person," said Manville. "He's a phenomenal kid. Honestly and truly, I see him surpassing me as a wrestler." When Manville is not wrestling, he enjoys water sports like wakeboarding, waterskiing, and tubing. He also enjoy skateboarding, long boarding, and hanging out with friends. Before stepping on the mat, Manville paces intensely, often times with his hood up, always with his headgear on, and focuses on three things. "First, I just thank God for giving me the strength and for all He has given me," said Manville. "I also focus on myself and my opponent. Those are the only three on the mat."

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The University of Iowa wrestling team won seven-of-10 matches inside Hilton Coliseum to top Iowa State, 27-9, Sunday afternoon in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series. The Hawkeyes scored bonus points in three matches and extended their streak of unbeaten duals to 82. “We've got word to do,” said Iowa head coach Tom Brands. “We know when we wrestle everybody we have to be ready to go, and there are still a couple weights we have to get going.” Junior Matt McDonough battled through a scoreless first period before notching a pair of takedowns, one escape and adding a point for riding time to win the opening 125-pound match, 6-0. Sophomore Tony Ramos answered McDonough's effort with a second period pin in the 133 pound match, extending Iowa's team lead to 9-0. Ramos surrendered an early takedown in the first period before rattling off eight takedowns to build a 14-6 lead. Ramos then put Shayden Terukina on his back with 28 seconds left in the second period to record his third pin of the season. Senior Montell Marion used three takedowns to build a 6-2 lead in the opening period of the 141-pound match. He then added four more takedowns in the final two periods and used a stalling call and a point for riding time to top Luke Toettl, 17-5, for his team-leading fifth major decision. Junior Mark Ballweg and Iowa State's Joe Cozart exchanged escapes en route to a 1-1 score after three periods in the 149-pound match. Ballweg then caught Cozart 22 seconds into overtime to earn the 3-1 decision and give Iowa a 16-0 lead in the team race. Sophomore Derek St. John gave Iowa its fifth straight win of the match with a second period pin against Iowa State's Michael Moreno in the 157-pund match. St. John used three takedowns built a 6-2 lead against Moreno before putting the Cylone on his back in 4:38. The pin, St. John's first of the season, gave Iowa a 22-0 advantage at the intermission. ISU answered the intermission with three straight decisions at 165, 174 and 184 pounds. Redshirt freshman Mike Evans dropped a 4-3 decision to fifth-ranked Andrew Sorenson at 165. Sophomore Ethen Lofthouse fell 8-5 to No. 10 Chris Spangler at 174 and senior Vinnie Wagner lost 10-9 to Iowa State's 15th ranked Boaz Beard at 184. Wagner battled back from a 8-4 deficit in the third period and appeared headed for overtime when the official's table awarded Beard an additional second of riding time to give Iowa State a one-point edge. Sophomore Tomas Lira turned the momentum back in Iowa's favor by scoring an early takedown and adding three nearfall points to grab a 5-0 lead in the 197-pound match. Iowa State's Cole Shafer returned the favor with a takedown and three nearfall points to grab a 6-5 edge before Lira strung together a pair of escapes and a takedown to secure the 10-6 win. Lira rode Shafer the entire third period. Redshirt freshman Bobby Telford closed the dual with two takedowns and two reversals to defeat Iowa State's Matt Gibson, 9-3, in the heavyweight match. Iowa returns to the mat Thursday, Dec. 8, inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes host Northern Iowa on Mediacom Mat at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youth. Kids five and under are admitted free. Match notes: Attendance was 7,216 inside Hilton Coliseum… Iowa was deducted one point from the team score for unsportsmanlike conduct following the 165-pound match… The win was Iowa's eighth straight in the series…. The Hawkeyes lead all-time series 60-16-2. Results: 125 – Matt McDonough (IA) dec. Ryak Finch (ISU), 6-0 133 – Tony Ramos (IA) pinned Shayden Terukina (ISU), 4:32 141 – Montell Marion (IA) major dec. Luke Toettl (ISU), 17-5 149 – Mark Ballweg (IA) dec. Joe Cozart (ISU), 3-1 (OT) 157 – Derek St. John (IA) pinned Michael Moreno (ISU), 4:38 165 –Andrew Sorenson (ISU) dec. Mike Evans (IA), 4-3 174 –Chris Spangler (ISU) dec. Ethen Lofthouse (IA), 8-5 184 – Boaz Beard (ISU) dec. Vinnie Wagner (IA), 10-9 197 – Tomas Lira (IA) dec. Cole Shafer (ISU, 10-6 Hwt. – Bobby Telford (IA) dec. Matt Gibson (ISU), 9-3

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The No. 2 Oklahoma State wrestling team (2-0-0 overall) proved its ranking Sunday, defeating fourth-ranked Minnesota (3-2-0 overall), 23-14, behind a pin from Jordan Oliver and a pair of major decisions from Chris McNeil and Alan Gelogaev. “To me, I do really believe that we have a lot better team than what we performed today,” coach John Smith said. “It just looked like we didn't have enough battles leading up to this. This is the team (Minnesota) that's wrestled No. 1 team Penn State and beat them. They came back two days later and wrestled the No. 4 team Cornell. So they've been in some pretty tough matches.” The Cowboys took full advantage of the dual beginning at 133 pounds as top-ranked Jordan Oliver earned a first-period pin over No. 10 David Thorn in just 2:16. Oliver is now 2-0 on the year with both matches ending in first-period falls. “I was just trying to attack and put points on the board,” Oliver said. “I knew he was tough opponent and he likes to be physical with his hands. Scoring anyway I can was my goal and putting points on the board.” Outside of Oliver's fall, No. 4 Gelogaev turned in the next-best Cowboy performance. The junior heavyweight stormed to a 9-3 lead in the first period and built it to 12-4 after the second. ‘Z' totaled five takedowns in the match, a three-point nearfall and a 1:10 riding time advantage to defeat No. 3 Tony Nelson, 16-5. “There was dominance, a lot of defense,” coach Smith said of Gelogaev's match. “A lot of single leg shots from his opponent and ‘Z' scoring off that position. This guy is exciting to wrestle. He's still a long way away from being the caliber of an NCAA champion. He didn't put a lot of effort into riding and breaking the guy down. There's definitely things in there that he has got to really concentrate on. For his first big match at heavyweight against a top-ranked guy, it doesn't get much better than that. Chris McNeil's major decision came at 174 pounds against Steven Avalos. The senior had a 7-2 lead entering the third period and added a pair of takedowns and a 3:25 riding time advantage to win 13-5. The three bouts at 141, 149, 157 and 184 were decided by a total of just five points and had made a huge difference in the outcome. Josh Kindig and Nick Dardanes wrestled at 141. Their high-scoring bout was tied 12-12 at the end of regulation and was decided in sudden victory when Dardanes scored a takedown at the 56 second mark. The Cowboys jumped ahead 12-3 after Jamal Parks and Albert White each had three-point leads in the third period and held on to earn one-point wins at 149 and 157, respectively. No. 9 Chris Perry added three points to the team score when he escaped with 53 seconds left to earn a 4-3 decision over No. 4 Kevin Steinhaus. The duo is now 2-2 in their collegiate series. Oklahoma State is schedule to return to action Dec. 11 at 2 p.m. when it takes on Oklahoma in the Bedlam series at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Results: 133: No. 1 Jordan Oliver (OSU) fall No. 6 David Thorn (MINN); 2:16 141: No. 13 Nick Dardanes (MINN) dec. No. 7 Josh Kindig (OSU); 14-12 SV1 149: No. 2 Jamal Parks (OSU) dec. No. 13 Dylan Ness (MINN); 6-5 157: No. 10 Albert White (OSU) dec. Alec Ortiz (MINN); 5-4 165: No. 8 Cody Yohn (MINN) MD No. 11 Dallas Bailey (OSU); 12-1 174: Chris McNeil (OSU) MD Steven Avalos (MINN); 13-5 184: No. 9 Chris Perry (OSU) dec. No. 5 Kevin Steinhaus (MINN); 4-3 197: No. 3 Sonny Yohn (MINN) dec. No. 2 Cayle Byers (OSU); 3-2 285: No. 3 Alan Gelogaev (OSU) MD No. 2 Tony Nelson (MINN); 16-5 125: No. 2 Zach Sanders (MINN) MD No. 11 Ladd Rupp (OSU); 15-7

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Distribution grows to 12 Million homes per week as Takedown Wrestling Media and USA Wrestling enter into a new relationship with The Cox Channel in Oklahoma that will bring the popular Takedown Wrestling and USA Wrestling Weekly TV programs to the greater Oklahoma City and Tulsa metro areas. The first broadcast of both programs is scheduled for the week of Dec 10th, 2011. Viewers in Oklahoma can tune in HD on Cox Cable channel 703 and Letterboxed SD on channel 3 in the Oklahoma City/Norman and Tulsa Metro areas. Takedown Wrestling is a half hour weekly TV sports news program covering all aspects of amateur wrestling. Host Scott Casber covers the sports current developments along with interviews with its top athletes and coaches. Casber's passion for the “oldest and greatest sport” creates fun, fast-paced shows. Takedown Wrestling airs on many cable systems around the country and can also be viewed online at www.TakedownRadio.com and the best affiliated amateur wrestling web sites. USA Wrestling Weekly covers all the news, results and features of the national governing body of our sport. Including coverage of Team USA in all three Olympic styles as well as events and activities of the organization from youth programs up through the Senior level. It has become a can't-miss show for all wrestling fans. “Oklahoma has a growing and rich tradition of wrestling on all levels,” said Cox Cable Station Manager Roger Hess. “We're pleased to be adding both programs for our viewers who appreciate this outstanding and demanding sport.” “Distribution on Cox Cable is important for a variety of reasons. Oklahoma is home to great college programs like Oklahoma State, Central Oklahoma, Oklahoma City University and University of Oklahoma along with the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Oklahoma is wrestling! The tradition and history of the sport resides in Stillwater at the Wrestling Hall of Fame. Oklahomans understand the sport and endorse its growth.” said Casber, founder of Takedown Wrestling. About USA Wrestling Weekly USA Wrestling Weekly was created in 2011 as a way to recognize and promote Team USA athletes on the international level, as well as to cover USA Wrestling events and programs, from youth wrestling through the Olympics. Starting with Internet distribution, the show has been successful in growing its programming base with cable affiliates around the country. Host Scott Casber is well-known and respected within the wrestling community. This is the best way to keep current on USA Wrestling news. More information can be found online at USA Wrestling's website TheMat.com and on the web portal TheMat.tv About Takedown Wrestling Media Takedown Wrestling Media began in 1997 as a single one-hour radio program broadcast from Clear Channel's KXNO studios in Des Moines. TDR quickly added Internet distribution of its audio format and began to broadcast live events along with its weekly programs. Takedown Wrestling TV is an addition to the radio program and is available on Internet on 31 different sites and now televised on more than 12 Million homes per week, 52 weeks per year. More information can be found at: Takedownradio.com About Cox Communications: Cox Communications is a broadband communications and entertainment company, providing advanced digital video, Internet and telephone over its own nationwide IP network. The third-largest U.S. cable TV company, Cox serves 6.2 million residences and businesses. Cox Business is a facilities-based provider of voice, video and data solutions for commercial customers and Cox Media is a full-service provider of national and local cable spot and new media advertising. Cox Communications wholly owns and operates Travel Channel. Cox is known for pioneering efforts in cable telephone and commercial services, industry-leading customer care and its outstanding workplaces. For six years, Cox has been recognized as the top operator for women by Women in Cable Telecommunication; for four years, Cox has ranked among Diversity Inc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity; and the company holds a perfect score in the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index. More information about Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com and www.coxmedia.com.

Princeton wrestling is already guaranteed to have a dramatic home finale this season, as the EIWA Championships are coming to Jadwin Gym in March. The Tigers nailed their home opener as well, knocking off a powerful Old Dominion squad 18-14 in Saturday's tri-meet at Dillon Gym. Princeton split its home-opening tri-meet, which opened with a 33-15 loss to a Binghamton squad flirting with the national Top 25. A match with Old Dominion followed, and considering the Monarchs already owned a win against perennial power Iowa State this season, few likely expected Princeton to pull off the split. But the growth of the Princeton wrestling program continued to show, as the Tigers raced out to a big lead and held off the Monarchs for an 18-14 victory. It was Princeton's first dual victory of the season, but it was also one of the biggest wins for the program in more than a decade. The Princeton lightweights produced in both matches, and they gave the Tigers a 12-0 lead over Old Dominion through three matches. Junior Garrett Frey, a two-time NCAA qualifier, grabbed a forfeit win, and freshman Chris Perez completed a perfect day with a 5-0 win over Scott Festejo at 133. Sophomore Adam Krop continued his strong sophomore season with a 10-8 win over Justin LaValle at 141. "Those first three, they all had supreme efforts today," head coach Chris Ayres said. "Perez is just a great competitor, and Krop is just a tough, tough wrestler." Old Dominion got on the board with a win at 149, and then it turned to sophomore John Nicholson, the 15th-ranked wrestler in the nation at 157. Ayres turned to Daniel Kolodzik, the first major recruit of his tenure. Kolodzik came as close as possible to making NCAAs last year, and he knew he'd need a signature win this year to bolster his roster. With time waning in the third period, it looked like that signature would need to come another day. He trailed by three with less than 30 seconds remaining and was on bottom, but he hit a five-point move to grab a momentous win and give Princeton a 15-2 lead (Old Dominion was docked a team point earlier in the match). "That was just an awesome match," Ayres said. "Nicholson is a top-notch wrestler, and Kolodzik had a chance to give up and look ahead. But he just showed so much heart and pulled out a huge win. That win could change his confidence totally. It was a NCAA championship-worthy match between two top competitors." Old Dominion scored a win at 165, but senior Andy Lowy came up with one his biggest career wins at 174 with a 13-1 major decision. That gave Princeton more breating room than it would need; though it dropped the final three decisions and lost a team point, it still held off the Monarchs for an 18-14 win. Princeton opened the day with a 33-15 loss to Binghamton. The Tigers actually raced out to a 15-0 lead after the lightweight trio posted victories. Frey scored a first-period pin over Derek Steeley, and following a Perez decision, Krop scored a first-period pin of his own. The Binghamton upperweights took control to remain undefeated on the season. Princeton will host No. 17 Rutgers next Saturday at 1 p.m. Princeton 18, Old Dominion 14 125 Garrett Frey (Princeton) won by forfeit 133 Chris Perez (Princeton) won by decision over Scott Festejo 5-0 141 Adam Krop (Princeton) won by decision over Justin LaValle 10-8 149 Brennan Brumley (Old Dominion) won by decision over Luis Ramos 7-4 157 Daniel Kolodzik (Princeton) won by decision over John Nicholson 11-9 165 Tristan Warner (Old Dominion) won by decision over Rich Eva 5-0 174 Andy Lowy (Princeton) won by major decision over Cade Blair 13-1 184 Billy Curling (Old Dominion) won by decision over Dan Santoro 10-5 197 Joe Budi (Old Dominion) won by decision over Kurt Brendel 2-0 285 Matt Tourdot (Old Dominion) won by decision over Bobby Grogan 6-0 Binghamton 33, Princeton 15 125 Garrett Frey (Princeton) won by pin over Derek Steeley 1:20 133 Chris Perez (Princeton) won by decision over Patrick Hunter 7-2 141 Adam Krop (Princeton) won by pin over Mike Sardo 1:15 149 Donald Vinson (Binghamton) won by tech fall over Luis Ramos 5:45 (16-0) 157 Justin Lister (Binghamton) won by pin over Daniel Kolodzik 1:23 165 Matt Kaylor (Binghamton) won by major decision over Rich Eva 18-6 174 Caleb Wallace (Binghamton) won by pin over Andy Lowy 0:56 184 Nathan Schiedel (Binghamton) won by decision over Dan Santoro 7-0 197 Cody Reed (Binghamton) won by decision over Kurt Brendel 3-2 285 Nick Gwiazdowski (Binghamton) won by pin over Bobby Grogan 3:16