InterMat Staff

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- The War Memorial Fieldhouse served as the friendly confines to the Wyoming wrestling program Saturday, as four Cowboys took home tournament titles at the Cowboy Open. Seniors Michael Martinez (125 pounds), Chase Smith (149), Shane Onufer (165) and Joe LeBlanc (184) each won their respective weight class, finishing a combined 14-0 in the Elite brackets. Martinez began with a 12-2 major decision over Marco Tamayo of Colby Community College, and followed it up with a 3-2 decision over Boise State's Isaac Romero. Sophomore Tyler Cox, competing unattached, would have wrestled Martinez in the 125-pound title match, but the UW coaches chose not to wrestle the match, giving the championship win to Martinez. Smith started the day with a 10-0 major decision over Mikie Burgess (Colorado School of Mines), and went on to win two more matches to make it to the title bout with teammate Brandon Richardson. Smith and Richardson battled into two overtimes, and Smith secured a 4-2 decision with a late takedown. Onufer began his tournament by pinning Jorge Benitez of Western State at the 6:30 mark, and went on to win two more matches before beating Steve Vasquez of Cal Poly in the championship bout in a 5-1 decision. Onufer has won the Cowboy Open in his weight class every year since 2008. LeBlanc got the Open started off right, winning by technical fall 17-2 over Nick Petersen of Colorado Mesa, then pinning Ryan Swanson (Colorado School of Mines) at the 6:38 mark. He took a tough 3-2 decision over Jake Schwartz of Boise State in the final for the tournament crown. Other notable performances for the Pokes included Cox, who went 3-0 (not counting the final-match forfeit) with one major decision and two falls. Redshirt freshman Zach Zehner was second in the 133-pound bracket (Elite) and finished 3-1. Redshirt freshman Brandon Richardson was second in the Elite 149-pound bracket, going 3-1. Redshirt freshmen Dakota Friesth and Robert Stroh were third and fourth, respectively, at 157. Redshirt freshman Shane Woods was second in the 174-pound bracket, going 3-1, while senior Dallas Hintz was third at 174 pounds, going 6-1. Redshirt junior Alfonso Hernandez was third at 197 pounds, tallying a record of 5-1 on the day, and redshirt freshman Leland Pfeifer went 3-1 to finish third at heavyweight. “I'll have to look at it a little better to reflect, but with 10 mats going, there were a lot of good things I saw and there was stuff I was pulling my hair out about,” Wyoming coach Mark Branch said regarding his team's overall performance. “Technically, I thought we saw a lot of clean stuff. … We really improved in some of those areas that we were sloppy in last week but my biggest concern is immaturity and letting matches get away from us that we should've won. I did see a lot of positives, but some of these kids showed their immaturity and their lack of experience and that's not OK.” The Pokes will head to the Kearney Open in Nebraska on Saturday for their third event of the season. “Hopefully we can see more improvement and grow up a little,” Branch said. “We have to make sure when we have a match within our grasp, we take care of it. I'm not hitting the panic button by any means, though. We've got time.”

BRISTOL, R.I. -- The Stevens Institute of Technology wrestling team recorded their first tournament victory in school history at the Roger Williams Invitational in Bristol, R.I. on November 12. The Ducks scored 163.5 points to take top honors, beating out runner-up Messiah College by 19.5 points. Individually, one grappler won his weight class, three others took third in their respective classes and another finished sixth. Sophomore CJ Caserta (Mt. Arlington, N.J.) came out on top of his 149-lbs. class, winning all five bouts he wrestled in. Caserta was victorious in his first round match by a fall in 5:40. He then recorded a major decision win in the second round, 13-0, and followed that up with another fall in the quarter finals, 1:46. Caserta tallied decision victories in his final two bouts, 3-2, and 5-1, respectively to win 149. Junior Ryan Dormann (Mickleton, N.J.), freshman Jake Odell (South Windsor, Conn.) and freshman Tyler Maher (Raleigh, N.C.) each took third place in their respective weight classes. Dormann, 174, went 5-1 on the day, dropping his only bout the semifinal match by an 8-6 decision. Dormann advanced in his first match with a bye then registered a 5-0 decision victory and a fall in 1:38 to move onto the semis. After his setback, Dormann earned a major decision by way of a forfeit and claimed third place in a 4-1 decision. Odell also moved onto the semis before his first loss (major decision, 14-3). He tallied two technical fall wins, two major decisions and a fall to take third place in 157. Maher, a heavyweight, earned a bye victory in the first round, won by fall in 18 seconds in the second and posted a 5-1 decision victory in the quarters. He was another Stevens grappler to be on the wrong end of a semifinal loss, 7-3, decision, before winning his last two matches in decisions, 6-1, 6-0, respectively. Freshman Damian Murberg (Hillsdale, N.J.) placed sixth in 185 by going 5-2. Murberg won his first two matches with a bye and fall in 4:10. He then lost in a 9-3 decision before rolling off three more victories to set up his fifth place match. In that match, Murberg was a forfeit downfall. There were 16 wrestlers that took part in the Invitational and each grappler won at least one bout. As a team, the Ducks posted an overall record of 45-27. Stevens returns back to Hoboken for a dual match against Yeshiva University on November 16 at 7 p.m. For all the latest updates on Stevens Athletics, visit www.stevensducks.com. Also, “like” Stevens Athletics on Facebook and follow @StevensDucks on Twitter. The opponents from each bout will be posted at a later date. Team Scores: Stevens 163.5 Messiah 144 Johnson & Wales University 135 Rhode Island College 90 Coast Guard Academy 80.5 Bridgewater State University 78.5 Roger Williams 73.5 University of Southern Maine 68 Norwich 48 MIT 42 WPI 34

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Beating Lehigh in its home gym is no easy task as the Panthers' win ended the Mountain Hawks' 26-match home winning streak. “This was a total team effort,” Pitt coach Rande Stottlemyer said. “And we did it in their gym. That was a hard-fought win.” The key match of the night, as many expected it would be, was at 197, a rematch between Pitt national qualifier Matt Wilps and Joe Kennedy. With Pitt leading 15-10, Wilps, ranked seventh in the nation by InterMatWrestle.com, came through with a thrilling come-from-behind win over the ninth-ranked Kennedy to clinch the match for the Panthers. Kennedy looked poised to avenge a 2-1 overtime loss to Wilps in the semifinals of last week's Buffalo Open. The Lehigh senior scored a third-period takedown to take a 3-1 lead. But a late flurry resulted n an escape and a double-leg takedown by Wilps for the win. “That's what you expect out of an upperclassmen and a guy who wants to be on the podium at the NCAAs this year,” Stottlemyer said. Knowing Lehigh had four wrestlers ranked in the top 10 in the final five weight classes, Pitt did exactly what it needed to early in the match. The Panthers took a 15-0 lead with decisions in the first five matches. Junior Anthony Zanetta got things rolling for the Panthers with a 9-2 decision over freshman Mason Beckman. In a battle of former Pennsylvania state champions, Zanetta improved to 5-0 on the season, fueled by three takedowns. Pitt sophomore Shelton Mack followed Zanetta by defeating Chris Dinnien for the second time this season. Mack had four takedowns in a 10-5 win. The Panthers continued their dominance on their feet with freshman Travis Shaffer's win at 141. Wrestling in his first career college dual meet, Shaffer used an escape and a takedown in the third period to shut out Alex Abreu, 3-0. The Mountain Hawks finally tallied their first takedown at 149 as Kyle Rosser took an early 2-0 lead over Pitt All-American Tyler Nauman. Rosser fell to Nauman, ranked third in the country, at the Buffalo Open in a match that wasn't really close, but nearly pulled off the upset this time around. In a match that was tightly contested from start to finish, Nauman turned a Rosser takedown attempt into one of his own late in the final period to seal a 7-6 win. Returning national qualifier Donnie Tasser's 6-2 win at 157 finished off the run for Pitt. Also, his two takedowns gave the Panthers a 12-1 advantage (24-2 in points) from the neutral position through five matches. Coach Stottlemyer was pleased with his team's performance, giving credit to everyone involved, including assistant coaches Jason Peters and Matt Kocher for having the team ready for each opponent. Three of the Panthers' four losses came to nationally-ranked wrestlers. Pitt consistently has an elite program, but Lehigh has always been a tough match, as evident by the 15-38 all-time record the Panthers had against the Mountain Hawks entering Saturday's match. Even during an outstanding 2009-10 season that saw the Panthers finish 17-1-1, the Mountain Hawks were the lone blemish on the schedule. “This is a great start, but we'll keep our feet on the ground,” Stottlemyer said. “it's a long season.” The Panthers will have little time to dwell on the victory as they have a match at Drexel on Sunday. The match with the Dragons is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. Results: 125 – Anthony Zanetta (Pitt) dec. Mason Beckman (Lehigh) 9-2 133 – Shelton Mack (Pitt) dec. Chris Dinnien (Lehigh) 10-5 141 – Travis Shaffer (Pitt) dec. Alex Abreu (Lehigh) 3-0 149 – Tyler Nauman (Pitt) dec. Kyle Rosser (Lehigh) 7-6 157 – Donnie Tasser (Pitt) dec. Shane Welsh (Lehigh) 6-2 165 – Brandon Hatchett (Lehigh) dec. Tyler Wilps (Pitt) 7-4 174 – Nate Brown (Lehigh) dec. P.J. Tasser (Pitt) 4-3 184 – Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) major dec. Andy Vaughan (Pitt) 18-6 197 – Matt Wilps (Pitt) dec. Joe Kennedy (Lehigh) 4-3 285 – Zach Rey (Lehigh) pinned Joel Yahner (Pitt) 1:01

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Two members of the Central Michigan wrestling program, both competing unattached, claimed individual titles at the Michigan State Open on Saturday. Junior Ben Bennett won the open 184-pound division, while freshman Nick Hodgkins was the champion in the freshman/sophomore 149-pound division. Bennett and Hodgkins were among nine Chippewas, all competing unattached, who placed in the top six of their respective weight classes on Saturday. Bennett was dominant in his run through the 184-pound bracket, posting a major decision and three consecutive pins to win the title. He pinned Michigan State's Ian Hinton in just 2:34 in the finals. Hodgkins, meanwhile, recorded four straight major decisions before besting Illinois' Caleb Ervin, 8-3, in the freshman/sophomore 149-pound final. In five matches, Hodgkins out-scored his opponents by a combined total of 58-11. Finishing runner-up were sophomore Scott Mattingly (open 141-pound division) and freshman Mike Ottinger (freshman/sophomore 165-pound division). Mattingly won four matches to advance to the final, where he was edged by defending national champion Kellen Russell (Michigan), 5-2. Ottinger won four straight bouts before falling in the final, 3-2, to Michigan State's Nick Proctor. CMU opens the dual meet season next Sunday (Nov. 20), traveling to Chattanooga to face Stanford at noon and Chattanooga at 3 p.m.

BROCKPORT, N.Y. -- Clarion senior heavyweight Quintas McCorkle (Sr. Alexandria, Va.) defeated Oklahoma's Kyle Colling 2-1 to win the 285-pound individual title and 5 Golden Eagles earned places to lead Clarion on Saturday at the Oklahoma Invitational held in Brockport, N.Y. Also earning places on Saturday for Clarion were third place Bekzod Abdurakhmonov (Sr. Tshkent, Uzbekistan) at 165, and Alex Thomas (Jr. Seaford, De.) at 197, along with fourth place Joe Waltko (Jr. Alison Park/North Allegheny) at 133 and Mark Havers (Fr. Bradford) at 157. McCorkle opened the bracket at 285-pounds with a 14-5 win over Pat Krenz (Brockport), then won 3-2 in the second tie breaker over #16 ranked Elijah Madison (Oklahoma) who was the second seed. McCorkle escaped in the second overtime, then rode Madison out for the win. In the finals McCorkle had a first period takedown that stood up in a 2-1 win. “Q really stuck to the game plan,” said first year head coach Matt Dernlan about the finals match. “He controlled his tie ups and the tempo. It was a very nice win and a great day for him.” Adurakhmonov was 3-1 on the day, opening with a 3-2 over Oklahoma's Chase Nelson, then lost 3-2 to #6 ranked Scott Winston of Rutgers. Bekzod came back for a 4-1 win over Alex Smith of Army, and a 3-1 win over Pat Graham of Oklahoma for third place. Thomas was 4-1 in placing third at 197. He won 11-5 over Orion Ross of Army, lost 8-6 to Christian Boley (Maryland) who was the eventual champion, then came back with a forfeit, a 3-2 win over Dallas Brown of Maryland and pinned Paul Glover of Brockport at 3:39 for third. Waltko, in his first outing, took fourth place with a 3-2 record at 133. He opened with a fall over Ryan Reed (Brockport), then defeated Geoff Alexander (Maryland) 5-3, before losing to Oklahoma's #12 rated Jordan Keller 4-1 (Keller was the eventual champion). Waltko came back with a 2-1 win over Mike DeMarco (Rutgers), then lost to Alexander 9-7 for third place. Havers, a true freshman, had his second strong outing at 157-pounds. He lost his opener 5-1 to Paul Hancock (Army), then came back with three straight wins over Tom Rispoli (Brockport) F 3:56; 6-5 over Domenic Roberts (Maryland) and F 1:52 over Hancock. He lost a 3-2 decision for third to james Rafferty (Army). Also participating at the Invitational were Trey Hicks (Jr. Amityville, N.Y.) at 125, Devin Cook (So . Bedford ) and Tyler Bedelyon (So. Lewistown) at 141, Ryan Darch (So. Battavia, N.Y.) at 174, Nick Milano (So. Erie/Prep) at 184 and Brandon Contreras (So. Rochester, N.Y. ) at 285-pounds. Hicks was 1-2, Cook 1-2, Bedelyon 0-2, Darch 1-2, Milano 1-2, and Contreras 0-2. CLARION NOTES: Oklahoma won the team scoring with 182 points, Maryland second with 174.5, Rutgers third at 163, Army fourth with 125.5, Clarion fifth with 91, American sixth with 65, Brockport seventh with 36.5 and Buffalo eighth with 12… Clarion will wrestle at Lehigh next Sunday – opening the dual meet season … Clarion wrestles Illinois at 1 and Lehigh at 4pm.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Junior Josh Asper won most outstanding wrestler and redshirt sophomore Christian Boley captured his first individual title of the season as the Maryland wrestling team finished second at the Brockport/Oklahoma Invitational on Saturday. Seven different Terrapin wrestlers placed in the top-3 of their respective weight classes. “Today was a great day,” said head coach Kerry McCoy. “We had some ups and downs, but overall I am happy with the team's performance. Christian and Josh did a great job, but everyone contributed. Spencer and Geoffrey fought back after tough losses, and we improved from last year's performance. We will continue to build.” The Terps won two individual titles on the day. Asper, ranked third by InterMat, improved to 7-0 on the season and won the 165-pound championship over No. 6 Scott Winston of Rutgers. In the 197-pound title match, Boley defeated No. 19 Dan Rinaldi of Rutgers to improve to 6-0. Senior Kyle John, ranked 15th, finished second at 157 pounds. John picked up two victories including one by fall over Rutgers' Joe McCauley 21 seconds into the match which is the fastest of his career and the 10th fastest fall in program history. In addition to John, sophomore Shane Gentry and redshirt sophomore Jimmy Sheptock earned runner-up honors at 125 pounds and 174 pounds, respectively. Gentry won two matches, one by major decision and one by fall, before facing No. 3 Jarrod Patterson of Oklahoma in the final. Sheptock improved his record to 4-0 before losing a close final to No. 18 Greg Zannetti of Rutgers. Sophomore Spencer Myers and freshman Geoffrey Alexander responded from early losses to finish third in their respective weight classes. Myers, ranked third at 285 pounds, was upset by Oklahoma's Kyle Colling in the quarterfinals. Myers rebounded by winning all four matches in the consolation draw including a victory over No. 16 Elijah Madison of Oklahoma. Alexander gained a measure of revenge by knocking off Clarion's Joe Waltko in the third-place match after losing to Waltko in the quarterfinals of the main draw. Team Results: 1. Oklahoma 182 2. Maryland 174.5 3. Rutgers 163 4. Army 125.5 5. Clarion 91 6. American 65 7. Brockport 36.5 8. Buffalo 12

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Northwestern junior Levi Mele took home the title at 125 lbs. at the Michigan State Open Saturday while six others placed in their respective weight classes. Three Wildcats made it to the finals in Saturday's tournament, which was the first of the season for Northwestern. Mele went 5-0 Saturday and won his title at 125 lbs. with three falls, including his pin in the second period (4:12) of Northern Illinois' Nick Smith during the finals. Mele opened the tournament by pinning Eastern Michigan's Greg Egbert, (3:15) and Michigan State's Brenan Lyon (6:42) in the second round and won two more matches by a decision before reaching the finals. Pierce Harger finished second at 165 lbs. and was one of two Wildcats to compete in the weight class. Harger and Kevin Bialka both made it to the semifinals on the same side of the bracket and were supposed to meet in the semis, but Harger advanced to the finals due to an injury for Bialka. Harger had two byes before defeating Michigan's Dave Johnson, who was wrestling unattached, 8-5 in his first match and beat Notre Dame's (Ohio) Jared King 7-0 to reach the semis. He met another Wolverine in the finals and fell 11-3 to Dan Yates for runner-up honors. Bialka began the day with an 18-1 tech fall over Kafuba Donzon from Indiana Tech and had a 12-2 major decision over Central Michigan's Anthony Pace (unattached) before he defaulted out of the tournament. Bialka ended up placing fourth, along with James Myers from Olivet, as they both were unable to compete in the third-place match due to injury. Lee Munster also took second for Northwestern at 174 lbs. He won three-straight matches, including a pin of Central Michigan's Anthony Bill in 2:04, to face Michigan's Justin Zeerip in the finals. Zeerip placed first with a 5-0 decision. At 197 lbs., Alex Polizzi opened up with a 12-4 major decision over Olivet's Justin Leonard and defeated Central Michigan's Chad Friend 5-3 in the second round but did not compete in the semifinals due to an injury. Polizzi ended up with a fourth place finish. John Schoen also wrestled at 197 and finished fifth. He dropped his first bout but came back for a 17-0 tech fall over Findlay's Andrew Tumlin and then defeated Indiana's Garret Goldman 3-2 to wrestle for fifth. In the fifth place match, Schoen had another close bout, defeating Northern Colorado's Nick Bayer 6-4. Colin Shober went 3-2 to finish sixth at 141 lbs. He dropped his opening bout to Purdue's Nick Lawrence, 5-3, but won three straight matches, including a major decision, to earn a spot in the fifth place match. Shober then met another Purdue wrestler, Brandon Nelson, and was shutout 6-0. John Coukos (Freshman/Sophomore division, 133), Jameson Oster (133), Pat Greco (141), David Helmer (149), Kaleb Friedley (149), Dylan Marriott (157), Robert Kellogg (174), Marcus Schrewsbury (unattached, 184) and Mike McMullan (heavyweight) also wrestled Saturday but did not place. Northwestern continues tournament action next week and heads east for the Keystone Classic in Philadelphia, Pa. Competition runs all day on Sunday, Nov. 20.

The Minnesota wrestling team opened the season at the 41st annual Bison Open today in Fargo, N.D. For the day, the Gophers brought home nine titles, which was the same amount as last year. Zach Sanders (125), David Thorn (133), Nick Dardanes (141), Dylan Ness (149), Jake Deitchler (157), Cody Yohn (165), Kevin Steinhaus (184), Sonny Yohn (197) and Tony Nelson (Hwt) all brought home titles for the Gophers. Minnesota will next start up its dual matches of the 2011-12 season. First up will be a matchup against No. 5 Cornell on Friday November 18, at 5:30 p.m. CST. On that Sunday the Gophers will head to take on the defending NCAA National Champions the Penn State Nittany Lions at 11 a.m. CST. That match will be live on the Big Ten Network.

BROCKPORT, N.Y. -- The tenth-ranked University of Oklahoma wrestling team won its 13th-straight Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic title Saturday and remains the only team to ever win the event. Additionally, five Sooners claimed individual titles and five more garnered top-five finishes. “I think we got exactly what we needed out of this tournament,” head coach Mark Cody said. “We know now what we need to work on moving forward. Overall, I was very excited with the way they competed and fought.” The Sooners won the team portion with 182 total points. The Sooners closest competition was Maryland who finished with 174.5 points. Rutgers (163), Army (125.5) and Clarion (91) rounded out the top five. Going undefeated on the day to capture individual crowns were Jarrod Patterson (125 pounds), Jordan Keller (133), Kendric Maple (141), Matt Lester (157) and Erich Schmidtke (184). Sooners earning second place finishes were Nick Lester at 149 pounds and Kyle Colling at 285 pounds. Additionally, Bubby Graham (165) and Chase Nelson (165) earned fourth place finishes. Elijah Madison (HWT) finished fifth and two Sooners – Justin DeAngelis (149) and Nolan McBryde (174) – claimed sixth among their respective weight classes. "This tournament really opened up a lot for us,” Cody said. “We have a lot to work on and this showed us.” The Sooners return to dual action next Friday, Nov. 18, when they host No. 9 Missouri at 7 p.m. inside McCasland Field House. Final Team Standings 1. Oklahoma (145.5 points) 2. Maryland (174.5) 3. Rutgers (163) 4. Army (125.5) 5. Clarion (91) 6. American (65) 7. Brockport (36.5) 8. Buffalo (12)

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Hawkeye wrestling fans in attendance for Saturday's final day of wrestle-off competition in the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex saw some familiar performances, as well as several new faces trying to break their way into the 2011-12 lineup. Returning All-Americans Matt McDonough (125) and Derek St. John (157) each picked up bonus-point wins, while redshirt freshman Bobby Telford beat defending Big Ten Champion Blake Rasing at heavyweight. “We saw some good things today, and we saw some things that we still need to work on,” explained Head Coach Tom Brands. “We'll continue to work, and to figure out our lineup at the tournament in St. Louis next week.” McDonough kicked off the event at 125 by pinning redshirt freshman Matt Gurule in 4:26. The defending Big Ten Champion, McDonough led the Hawkeyes with 14 pins last season. At 133, senior Tyler Clark scored a 4-2 decision over sophomore and 2011 NCAA qualifier Tony Ramos. Brothers Mark Ballweg and Jake Ballweg followed with decisions at their weights, with Mark scoring a 2-0 decision over sophomore Nick Trizzino at 141, and Jake posting a 9-3 win over freshman Brody Grothus at 149. St. John scored the lone major decision of the morning, beating redshirt freshman Michael Kelly, 12-4, at 157. Redshirt freshman Mike Evans posted a 4-2 victory over redshirt freshman Nick Moore at 165. NCAA qualifier Ethen Lofthouse scored eight takedowns en route to his 22-7 technical fall at 174 over freshman Kris Klapprodt. At 184, senior Vinnie Wagner had a 2-1 lead in the second period before injury defaulting to redshirt freshman Jeremy Fahler. Sophomore Tomas Lira scored the second pin of the day, sticking freshman Josh Haug in 4:43 at 197. After a scoreless first period in the heavyweight bout, Telford rode Rasing the entire second period and added an escape in the third period to win, 2-0. The Hawkeyes open the season Nov. 19 at the Lindenwood University Open in St. Louis. Iowa hosts its first dual of the season Nov. 25 with the Iowa City Duals. The Hawkeyes face Baker (3 p.m.), Cornell College (5 p.m.) and Iowa Central (7 p.m.) on Mediacom Mat inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Season and single-meet tickets are now available for purchase on hawkeyesports.com. Season tickets for nine home duals (including the Iowa City Duals) are available for $67. Single-meet tickets for the Iowa City Duals (11/25), Illinois (12/2), Northern Iowa (12/8), Northwestern (1/15) and Wisconsin (2/5) are $10 for adults, $5 for children. Single-meet tickets to Oklahoma State (1/7) and Minnesota (1/29) are $13 for adults, $7 for children. Kids under five-years old are admitted free to all home events. Thursday's Results 133 - Aldon Isenberg dec. Matt Gurule, 13-9 141 - Nick Trizzino pinned Charlie Joseph, 2:13 157 - Joey Trizzino maj. dec. Stew Gillmor, 14-0 157 - Joe DuCharme dec. Patrick Rhoads, 6-4 OT Friday's Results 133 - Tony Ramos dec. Aldon Isenberg, 15-8 133 - Tyler Clark dec. J.J. Krutsinger, 8-2 141 - Nick Trizzino pinned Charlie Joseph, 1:33 141 - Mark Ballweg maj. dec. Nate Moore, 11-2 149 - Jake Ballweg maj. dec. Jake Kadel, 13-4 149 - Brody Grothus dec. Ethan Owens, 7-1 157 - Derek St. John maj. dec. Joey Trizzino, 15-2 157 - Michael Kelly dec. Joe DuCharme, 4-2 165 - Nick Moore maj. dec. Walt Gillmor, 12-3 184 - Jeremy Fahler tech. fall Josh Haug, 19-2 in 4:40 Hwt. - Blake Rasing pinned Tom Flood, 1:41 Hwt. - Bobby Telford maj. dec. Brodie Ambrose, 9-1 Saturday's Results 125 - Matt McDonough pinned Matt Gurule, 4:26 133 - Tyler Clark dec. Tony Ramos, 4-2 141 - Mark Ballweg dec. Nick Trizzino, 2-0 149 - Jake Ballweg dec. Brody Grothus, 9-3 157 - Derek St. John maj. dec. Michael Kelly, 12-4 165 - Mike Evans dec. Nick Moore, 4-2 174 - Ethen Lofthouse tech. fall Kris Klapprodt, 22-7 184 - Jeremy Fahler won by injury default over Vinnie Wagner 197 - Tomas Lira pinned Josh Haug, 4:43 Hwt. - Bobby Telford dec. Blake Rasing, 2-0

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The 13th-ranked Ohio State wrestling team began the 2011-12 season 3-0 Saturday after completing action at the Second Annual Wrestle for a Cure Duals in Harrisburg, Pa. In a span of six hours, the Buckeyes defeated Utah Valley (36-0), Old Dominion (30-3) and North Carolina (36-6) at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center. The Second Annual Wrestle for a Cure Duals helped raise awareness and funds for those afflicted with Cystic Fibrosis. Wrestle for a Cure “was founded in 2009 to promote the advancement of charitable giving through the sport of wrestling.” The young Buckeyes dropped only two matches on the day en route to their fast start. In all five freshmen, two redshirt freshmen, a pair of redshirt sophomores and one redshirt junior started Saturday. Competition began at 9 a.m. vs. Utah Valley and the Buckeyes whitewashed the Wolverines courtesy of a trio of major decisions and a pin. Freshman 125-pounder Johnni Dijulius gave the Scarlet and Gray an early 3-0 lead after he decisioned Colby Christensen, 10-8, and that advantage was quickly increased to 9-0 after redshirt freshman Logan Stieber, the fourth-ranked wrestler in the nation at 133 pounds, pinned Kyle Kehoe-West in 3:13. Like Dijulius, 15th ranked Hunter Stieber enjoyed his first dual win of his collegiate career when he beat Avery Garner, 8-3, at 141 pounds. Up next, No. 19 Cam Tessari posted a 4-1 decision over Josh Wilson at 149 pounds before 157-pounder Josh Demas recorded a 3-2 win against Napoleon Aniciete. Midway through the dual, Ohio State already owned an 18-0 lead and maintained its momentum during the final five matches. Freshman Derek Garcia battled to a 9-7 overtime victory against Ethan Smith at 165 pounds and fourth-ranked Nick Heflin earned a 4-1 win in the 174-pound match. In the final three matches, the Buckeyes outscored the Wolverines, 33-6, behind decisive wins by C.J. Magrum, No. 14 Andrew Campolattano, and Peter Capone. Magrum (184) downed David Prieto, 13-3, which was followed by Campolattano's 11-2 major decision vs. Brian Chamberlain at 197 pounds. Capone capped the first match of the day with a 9-1 victory over Eric McAllister. The Scarlet and Gray returned to the mats four hours later to take on Old Dominion. Ohio State jumped out to a 17-0 lead at the halfway point thanks to shutouts by Dijulius and L. Stieber. Decisions by H. Stieber, Tessari and Demas followed in what appeared to be another Buckeye blanking. Dijulius posted a 4-0 victory vs. Eric Dunnet and that performance was followed by L. Stieber's 15-0 technical fall against Justin LaValle. H. Stieber contributed a 6-3 decision and Tessari added his own positive outcome, an 8-4 final. Demas, who was facing No. 13 John Nicholson, held his own and handed the Monarch a 3-2 loss. The only setback the Buckeyes suffered against Old Dominion was at 165 pounds. Garcia dropped a close 6-4 decision to Tristan Warner. However, Ohio State rebounded nicely when Heflin posted a 6-4 decision against eighth-ranked Te Edwards. A pair of decisions by Magrum and Campolattano, as well as Capone's second major decision of the day concluded the Buckeyes' second match. Magrum decisioned Billy Curling, 5-3, Campolattano earned a 6-2 victory against Joe Budi and Capone secured a 13-2 win vs. Matt Tourdot. In their final match of the day, the Buckeyes continued to look sharp vs. North Carolina. Dijulius and L. Stieber lifted Ohio State to a quick 12-0 lead following consecutive pins. In 3:41 Dijulius downed Brian Bokoski, while L. Stieber overwhelmed Brock Livorio in 43 seconds. The Tar Heels scored their lone points of the match on an Evan Henderson pin. Henderson pinned H. Stieber in 1:31. However, Ohio State dominated the rest of the match as Tessari countered with a pin of his own in 5:46 against Jon Burns. Facing his second-consecutive ranked opponent, Demas once again proved impressive as he beat 18th ranked Corey Mock, 10-4. Following his loss vs. Old Dominion, Garcia answered with a 10-4 victory vs. Michael Harvey. Up next, Heflin handed Thomas Ferguson a 7-2 loss, while Magrum earned a 6-3 win vs. Alex Utley. Campolattano posted 15 points to outlast Nick Tenpenny (15-8) and finally Capone wrapped up the day with a 4-0 win over Frank Abbondanza. The Buckeyes' season home opener is at 4 p.m. Nov. 20 vs. Virginia Tech in St. John Arena. The Ohio State Department of Athletics, including the Buckeye wrestling team, is encouraging fans to dress in black for a “Black Out.” Fans also will have an opportunity to meet their favorite Buckeye during a postmatch autograph session. Tickets to all Ohio State home matches are $8 for adults, $5 for students (with a valid Buckeye ID) and children 6 and under are admitted for free. Group tickets are $4, but must be purchased in advance. Results: No. 13 Ohio State, 36 vs. Utah Valley, 0 125 – Johnni Dijulius DEC Colby Christensen (UVU) 10-8 133 – No. 4 Logan Stieber PINS Kyle Kehoe-West (UVU), 3:13 141 – No. 15 Hunter Stieber DEC Avery Garner (UVU), 8-3 149 – No. 19 Cam Tessari DEC Josh Wilson (UVU), 4-1 157 – Josh Demas DEC Napoleon Aniciete (UVU), 3-2 165 – Derek Garcia DEC Ethan Smith (UVU) 9-7 (ot) 174 – No. 4 Nick Heflin DEC Monte Schmalhaus(UVU), 4-1 184 – C.J. Magrum MAJ DEC David Prieto (UVU), 13-3 197 – No. 14 Andrew Campolattano MAJ DEC Brian Chamberlain (UVU), 11-2 HWT – Peter Capone MAJ DEC Eric McAllister (UVU), 9-1 No. 13 Ohio State, 30 vs. Old Dominion, 3 125 – Johnni Dijulius DEC Eric Dunnet (ODU), 4-0 133 – No. 4 Logan Stieber TECH FALL Scott Festejo (ODU), 15-0 141 – No. 15 Hunter Stieber DEC Justin LaValle (ODU), 6-3 149 – No. 19 Cam Tessari DEC Brennan Brumley (ODU), 8-4 157 – Josh Demas DEC No. 13 John Nicholson (ODU), 3-2 165 – Tristan Warner (ODU) DEC Derek Garcia, 6-4 174 – No. 4 Nick Heflin DEC No. 8 Te Edwards (ODU), 13-6 184 – C.J. Magrum DEC Billy Curling (ODU), 5-3 197 – No. 14 Andrew Campolattano DEC Joe Budi (ODU), 6-2 HWT – Peter Capone MAJ DEC Matt Tourdot (ODU), 13-2 No. 13 Ohio State, 36 vs. North Carolina, 6 125 – Johnni Dijulius PINS Brian Bokoski (UNC), 3:41 133 – No. 4 Logan Stieber PINS Brock Livorio (UNC), 0:43 141 – No. 18 Evan Henderson (UNC) PINS No. 15 Hunter Stieber, 1:31 149 – No. 19 Cam Tessari PINS Jon Burns (UNC), 5:46 157 – Josh Demas DEC No. 18 Corey Mock (UNC), 10-4 165 – Derek Garcia DEC Michael Harvey (UNC), 10-4 174 – No. 4 Nick Heflin DEC Thomas Ferguson (UNC), 7-2 184 – C.J. Magrum DEC Alex Utley (UNC), 6-3 197 – No. 14 Andrew Campolattano DEC Nick Tenpenny (UNC), 15-8 HWT – Peter Capone DEC Frank Abbondanza (UNC), 4-0 Ohio State Buckeyes Wrestling Email this article Printer-friendly format Team Information Roster Schedule/Results Statistics 2011-12 Team Guide Open PDF Quick Facts Open PDF Coaching Staff News Archives Miscellaneous Purchase Season Tickets Camps & Clinics Recruiting Questionnaire Friends Corner Opponent Information Open PDF Travel Information Open PDF Insider Newsletter Open PDF St. John Arena Steelwood Athletic Training Facility BuckeyeWrestling.com NCAA Wrestling Big Ten Wrestling USA Wrestling InterMat The Open Mat W.I.N. Flowrestling.com Shop now! BIG10 Network B1G NCAA OSU EDU CBS College Sports Visit other CBS Interactive Sites © 2011 CBS Interactive. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Ad Choice | Terms of Use | About Us | Advertise | Feedback

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Hawkeye wrestling fans got a glimpse of the 2011-12 squad Friday night as the team hosted its second round of intrasquad wrestle-off competition at the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Defending Big Ten Champion Blake Rasing (Hwt.) and sophomore Nick Trizzino (141) pinned their semifinal opponents, while redshirt freshman Jeremy Fahler scored a 19-2 technical fall in 4:40 at 184. All-American Derek St. John (157), brothers Mark Ballweg (141) and Jake Ballweg (149), and redshirt freshmen Nick Moore (165) and Bobby Telford (Hwt.) each scored major decisions on the evening. Also picking up Friday night wins to advance to Saturday morning's competition were sophomore Tony Ramos (133), senior Tyler Clark (133), freshman Brody Grothus (149) and redshirt freshman Michael Kelly (157). The Hawkeyes are scheduled to hold eight third-round wrestle-off matches Saturday at 8:45 a.m. at the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The event is open to the public, and there is no charge for admission, but parking will be limited due to Saturday's Hawkeye football game. Fans interested in attending should enter Carver-Hawkeye Arena through the north entrance of the Dale and Marilyn Howard Family Pavilion. Take the stairs or elevator to the second floor and continue down the hallway across from the practice gym and into the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex. The Hawkeyes open the season Nov. 19 at the Lindenwood University Open. Iowa hosts its first dual of the season Nov. 25 with the Iowa City Duals. The Hawkeyes face Baker (3 p.m.), Cornell College (5 p.m.) and Iowa Central (7 p.m.) on Mediacom Mat inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Season and single-meet tickets are now available for purchase on hawkeyesports.com. Season tickets for nine home duals (including the Iowa City Duals) are available for $67. Single-meet tickets for the Iowa City Duals (11/25), Illinois (12/2), Northern Iowa (12/8), Northwestern (1/15) and Wisconsin (2/5) are $10 for adults, $5 for children. Single-meet tickets to Oklahoma State (1/7) and Minnesota (1/29) are $13 for adults, $7 for children. Kids under five-years old are admitted free to all home events. Thursday's Results 133 - Aldon Isenberg dec. Matt Gurule, 13-9 141 - Nick Trizzino pinned Charlie Joseph, 2:13 157 - Joey Trizzino maj. dec. Stew Gillmor, 14-0 157 - Joe DuCharme dec. Patrick Rhoads, 6-4 OT Friday's Results 133 - Tony Ramos dec. Aldon Isenberg, 15-8 133 - Tyler Clark dec. J.J. Krutsinger, 8-2 141 - Nick Trizzino pinned Charlie Joseph, 1:33 141 - Mark Ballweg maj. dec. Nate Moore, 11-2 149 - Jake Ballweg maj. dec. Jake Kadel, 13-4 149 - Brody Grothus dec. Ethan Owens, 7-1 157 - Derek St. John maj. dec. Joey Trizzino, 15-2 157 - Michael Kelly dec. Joe DuCharme, 4-2 165 - Nick Moore maj. dec. Walt Gillmor, 12-3 184 - Jeremy Fahler tech. fall Josh Haug, 19-2 in 4:40 Hwt. - Blake Rasing pinned Tom Flood, 1:41 Hwt. - Bobby Telford maj. dec. Brodie Ambrose, 9-1 Saturday's Matchups - 8:45 a.m. 133 - Tony Ramos vs. Tyler Clark 141 - Nick Trizzino vs. Mark Ballweg 149 - Jake Ballweg vs. Brody Grothus 157 - Derek St. John vs. Michael Kelly 165 - Mike Evans vs. Nick Moore 174 - Ethen Lofthouse vs. Kris Klapprodt 184 - Vinnie Wagner vs. Jeremy Fahler Hwt. - Blake Rasing vs. Bobby Telford

Fight Now USA Presents Takedown Wrestling from the Brute studios in Des Moines, Iowa at 1460 KXNO. Takedown Wrestling is brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods! Wrestling Fans: Join Scott Casber, Steve Foster, Chad Kriz,our in studio guests Marine Lt. Col. Kipp Wahlgren, Brad Johnson with the Takedown Wrestling Headline News this Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. CT/10 a.m. to noon ET. This week's guests: 9:01: Jared Frayer, Assistant coach at University of Oklahoma 9:15: Brad Johnson with Takedown Wrestling Headline News 9:20: Shawn Charles, Head coach at Arizona State 9:50: Ty Barkley, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition Update 10:01 Damion Hahn, Assistant coach at Cornell University 10:20 Jeff Murphy with the Kemin Wrestling Report 10:50 Amy Williams, Wildrose Casino and Resort Takedown Wrestling is available on radio on AM 1460 KXNO in Iowa, online at Livesportsvideo.com, or on your Blackberry or iPhone with the iHeart Radio app.

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The University of Iowa wrestling team hosted the first four matches of its annual wrestle-offs Thursday afternoon at the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Junior Aldon Isenberg (133), sophomores Nick Trizzino (141) and Joe DuCharme (157) and freshman Joey Trizzino (157) each posted wins to advance to Friday afternoon's round of competition. Isenberg won the first match of the afternoon with a 13-9 decision over redshirt freshman Matt Gurule at 133. The Trizzino brothers followed with wins in the next two bouts, with Nick pinning redshirt freshman Charlie Joseph in 2:13 at 141, and Joey scoring a 14-0 major decision over senior Stew Gillmor at 157. DuCharme ended the first round of wrestle-offs with a takedown in overtime to beat freshman Patrick Rhoads, 6-4, at 157. The Hawkeyes are scheduled to hold 12 matches Friday at 4:15 p.m. and eight matches Saturday at 8:45 a.m. at the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The wrestle-offs are open to the public, and there is no charge for admission, but parking will be limited due to Friday's UI men's basketball game and Saturday's Hawkeye football game. The hospital parking ramp is recommended for fans attending Friday's wrestle-offs. Fans interested in attending should enter Carver-Hawkeye Arena through the north entrance of the Dale and Marilyn Howard Family Pavilion. Take the stairs or elevator to the second floor and continue down the hallway across from the practice gym and into the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex. The Hawkeyes open the season Nov. 19 at the Lindenwood University Open. Iowa hosts its first dual of the season Nov. 25 with the Iowa City Duals. The Hawkeyes face Baker (3 p.m.), Cornell College (5 p.m.) and Iowa Central (7 p.m.) on Mediacom Mat inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Season and single-meet tickets are now available for purchase on hawkeyesports.com. Season tickets for nine home duals (including the Iowa City Duals) are available for $67. Single-meet tickets for the Iowa City Duals (11/25), Illinois (12/2), Northern Iowa (12/8), Northwestern (1/15) and Wisconsin (2/5) are $10 for adults, $5 for children. Single-meet tickets to Oklahoma State (1/7) and Minnesota (1/29) are $13 for adults, $7 for children. Kids under five-years old are admitted free to all home events. Thursday's Results 133 - Aldon Isenberg dec. Matt Gurule, 13-9 141 - Nick Trizzino pinned Charlie Joseph, 2:13 157 - Joey Trizzino maj. dec. Stew Gillmor, 14-0 157 - Joe DuCharme dec. Patrick Rhoads, 6-4 OT Friday's Match-Ups - 4:15 p.m. 133 - Tony Ramos vs. Aldon Isenberg 133 - J.J. Krutsinger vs. Tyler Clark 141 - Montell Marion vs. Nick Trizzino 141 - Nate Moore vs. Mark Ballweg 149 - Jake Ballweg vs. Jake Kadel 149 - Brody Grothus vs. Ethan Owens 157 - Derek St. John vs. Joey Trizzino 157 - Michael Kelly vs. Joe DuCharme 165 - Walt Gillmor vs. Nick Moore 184 - Josh Haug vs. Jeremy Fahler Hwt. - Blake Rasing vs. Tom Flood Hwt. - Brodie Ambrose vs. Bobby Telford Saturday's Match-Ups - 8:45 a.m. 133 - Winner of Ramos/Isenberg vs. winner of Krutsinger/Clark 141 - Winner of Marion/N. Trizzino vs. winner of Nate Moore/M. Ballweg 149 - Winner of J. Ballweg/Kadel vs. winner of Grothus/Owens 157 - Winner of St. John/J. Trizzino vs. winner of Kelly/DuCharme 165 - Mike Evans vs. winner of W. Gillmor/Nick Moore 174 - Ethen Lofthouse vs. Kris Klapprodt 184 - Vinnie Wagner vs. winner Haug/Fahler

LEWISBURG, Pa. --- Fueled by two falls by a pair of freshmen and five straight victories to close the dual, the Nebraska wrestling team defeated Bucknell, 28-9, in its season-opening dual on Thursday night in Lewisburg, Pa. The Huskers, who kicked off the start of a four-dual road swing this weekend, have now won 15 of their last 16 season openers. In his first action at the collegiate level, true freshman Jake Sueflohn (141) battled back from a 4-0 deficit to pin Alex Pellicciotti (Bucknell) in 4:35 at 141 pounds. Sueflohn's victory gave the Huskers the lead after splitting the first two matches of competition at 125 and 133 pounds. Sophomore Shawn Nagel (125) dropped a tight, 4-3, battle to Austin Miller (Bucknell), while No. 17 Ridge Kiley (133) recorded his first victory of the season with his decision over Shwan Armato (Bucknell), 2-0. The Huskers pulled away from the Bison in the last five bouts by not dropping a single decision. Redshirt freshman Robert Kokesh (165) started the streak with NU's second fall of the night over Ray Schlitt (Bucknell) in 2:01. Kokesh began the season as the No. 10 ranked wrestler at 165 pounds after winning 34 matches as a freshman. Junior Tyler Koehn won a one-point decision at 174 pounds over Stephen McPeek (Bucknell), 7-6, before returning two-time national qualifier Josh Ihnen (184) pulled away from Jamie Westwood (Bucknell) in the third period to win by a score of 9-3. Seniors Tucker Lane (Hwt) and James Nakashima (197) both were victories in the final two matches of the dual, with Nakashima erupting for 19 points in his major decision victory over Tyler Lyster (Bucknell) and Lane taking down Joe Stolfi (Bucknell), 5-2. The Huskers only other two losses came at 149 and 157 pounds, where redshirt freshman Brandon Wilbourn fell to Derrik Russell (Bucknell), 4-2, and true freshman James Green was topped by John Regan (Bucknell), 6-1. The Huskers will now travel to Harrisburg, Pa., to wrestle in the Wrestle for a Cure duals. NU has a trio of matches on tap for Saturday, beginning with No. 24. Kent State at 8 a.m. The Huskers will take on North Carolina at Noon and finish the day against Navy at 2 p.m. Check back to Huskers.com for more coverage on the Nebraska wrestling team. Results: 125 – Austin Miller (Buckenll) by dec. over Shawn Nagel (NU), 4-3 (NU 0, Bucknell 3) 133 – No. 17 Ridge Kiley (NU) by dec. over Shawn Armato (Bucknell), 2-0 (NU 3, Bucknell 3) 141 – Jake Sueflohn (NU) by fall over Alex Pellicciotti (Bucknell), 4:35 (NU 9, Bucknell 3) 149 – Derrik Russell (Bucknell) by dec. over Brandon Wilbourn (NU), 4-2 (NU 9, Bucknell 6) 157 – John Regan (Bucknell) by dec. over James Green (NU), 6-1 (NU 9, Bucknell 9) 165 – No. 10 Robert Kokesh (NU) by pin over Ray Schlitt (Bucknell), 2:01 (NU 15, Bucknell 9) 174 – Tyler Koehn (NU) by dec. over Stephen McPeek (Bucknell), 7-6 (NU 18, Bucknell 9) 184 – No. 10 Josh Ihnen (NU) by dec. over Jamie Westwood (Bucknell), 9-3 (NU 21, Bucknell 9) 197 – James Nakashima (NU) by major dec. over Tyler Lyster (Bucknell), 19-7 (NU 25, Bucknell 9) Hwt – No. 8 Tucker Lane (NU) by dec. over Joe Stolfi (Bucknell), 5-2 (NU 28, Bucknell 9)

Related Link: Fab 50 Team Rankings Related Link: Weight Class Rankings As the autumn leaves unfortunately fall, and snow is unfortunately on the brink for much of America, this means just two things: (1) wrestling season is virtually upon us (2) it's time for some preseason rankings. This article marks the unveiling of the preseason weight class and team national rankings. The ranking process is an ever dynamic one that involves much consideration. With the proliferation of "profile" events during the preseason, regular season, and postseason, the awareness and cognizance about performance of the top wrestlers is at an all time high. Accompanying that is a dizzying set of outcomes that seemingly do not align, and create a sense of chaos for the ranker. It is important to remember that no one result can be considered in isolation. As the person doing the rankings, I will freely admit that I can create arguments for multiple orderings of the wrestlers. I can use the same set of results, and make differing arguments, just depending on my disposition. These rankings reflect my analysis of all wrestlers' total records in comparison with one another, and the overall pool in a given weight class. InterMatWrestle.com No. 1 Wrestlers 106: Darian Cruz (Pennsylvania) 113: Jarred Brooks (Indiana) 120: Nick Roberts (Pennsylvania) 126: Jimmy Gulibon (Pennsylvania) 132: Mark Grey (New Jersey) 138: Nate Skonieczny (Ohio) 145: Jason Tsirtsis (Indiana) 152: Brian Realbuto (New York) 160: Chance Marsteller (Pennsylvania) 170: Taylor Massa (Michigan) 182: Jordan Rogers (Washington) 195: Devin Peterson (Wisconsin) 220: Josh Marchok (Illinois) 285: Brooks Black (New Jersey)Seemingly a yearly trend, and ever justified by their performance at the NCAA Division I tournament every year in mid-March, Pennsylvania wrestlers dominate the national rankings. Four Keystone State prep stars hold number one positions in their weight classes: Darian Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic) at 106 pounds, Nick Roberts (North Star) at 120, Jimmy Gulibon (Derry Area) at 126, and Chance Marsteller (Kennard Dale) at 160. In all, 39 grapplers from that state reside inside the top 20 of their weight class nationally. Rounding out the top-five states in terms of ranked wrestlers is Ohio with 28, Illinois with 22, California with 21, and Minnesota with 20. Other states with double digit wrestlers in the national rankings are Iowa with 16, New Jersey with 14, Michigan with 13, while Indiana and Oklahoma have 12 each. Other states with ranked wrestlers are as follows: Virginia and Florida -- 9 each; Wisconsin -- 7; Missouri and New York -- 6; Oregon and Maryland -- 5; Nebraska -- 4; Georgia and Washington -- 3; North Dakota, New Mexico, Texas, Idaho, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Montana, and Nevada -- 2; South Dakota, Colorado, Kansas, South Carolina, Delaware, Hawaii, Arizona, Connecticut, and Kentucky -- 1. In all, 37 states have a wrestler residing in the rankings. On the team side of things, a similar yearly trend is present at the top of the rankings. Perennially a presence at the top of the rankings, this year Blair Academy, N.J., occupies the top spot to start the season. Six Buccaneer wrestlers appear in the rankings, including a pair occupying the top spot -- Mark Grey at 132 pounds and Brooks Black at 285. Additional wrestlers ranked first in their weight class are Jarred Brooks (Warsaw, Ind.) at 113 pounds, Nate Skonieczny (Walsh Jesuit, Ohio) at 138, Jason Tsirtsis (Crown Point, Ind.) at 145, Brian Realbuto (Somers, N.Y.) at 152, Taylor Massa (St. John's, Mich.) at 170, Jordan Rogers (Mead, Wash.) at 182, Devin Peterson (Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.) at 195, and Josh Marchok (Schaumburg, Ill.) at 220. Even though Blair is at the top of the team rankings, the battle behind for the second spot is one that fans should keep an eye on throughout the season. There are six or seven teams that can viably stake a claim to that spot. In as much as anything, it comes down to matchups and format of competition (big tournament, medium tournament, dual meets) for which program gets the nod. Joining Blair Academy with six wrestlers ranked, tied for the most nationally, is No. 7 St. Paris Graham, Ohio. Though the defending Walsh Ironman champions are star laden, the rest of the lineup is littered with questions and unproven commodities. Three of the other top programs have five wrestlers each in the rankings -- No. 2 St. Edward, Ohio; No. 3 St. John's, Mich.; and No. 6 Apple Valley, Minn. Rounding out the cluster of teams is No. 4 Brandon, Fla., with four in the rankings, while No. 5 Clovis, Calif., and No. 8 Simley, Minn., have three wrestlers each ranked. In closing, a commentary on the upcoming season cannot go without discussion of the new weight classes approved by the NFHS, which the vast majority of states (in fact almost all) have chosen to implement. The nuts and bolts of the changes are as follows: (1) the opening weight changes from 103 to 106 pounds (2) the lower-middleweight portion of the lineup loses a weight class, as what was five weights from 125-145 (125, 130, 135, 140, 145) is now shrunk to four (126, 132, 138, 145) (3) the upperweight portion of the lineup gains a weight class, as what was three weight classes from 171-215 (171, 189, 215) now becomes four weights (170, 182, 195, 220). From the ranking standpoint, the threshold to be ranked in the lower-middleweights will be higher than before due to the consolidation. On the other hand, it is highly probable that the threshold in the upperweights will be slightly lower than before. The ranking process is no easier or tougher based on this dynamic, it is just different. It was also interesting in the study of the team rankings to see how the weight class change impact the varying squads across the country. Some teams benefitted from the change since they had their glut of core wrestlers in middle and upper-weights. However, more squads seemed to be adversely affected by having to contract their lower and middle-weights into less classes, either sub-optimally placing a kid in the position to cut too much, be undersized up a weight class, or possibly get closed out the lineup. The 2011-12 season is one that merits everyone's attention, and I look forward to providing comprehensive coverage of the key events and developments as they arise.

Three NCAA Champions and 19 All-Americans make up the 20 wrestlers selected for the 2011 NWCA All-Star Classic presented by the United States Marines Corps which takes place November 21 at Arizona State University. Leading the selection of wrestlers is returning NCAA Division I champions Jordan Oliver of Oklahoma State University and Kellen Russell of Michigan. Oliver the returning 133-pound champion will meet third-ranked B.J. Futtrell of Illinois. At 141 pounds, returning NCAA Champion Russell, will have a rematch of his NCAA Finals match against Boris Novachkov of Cal Poly. Russell won the NCAA finals match 3-2. The third NCAA champion comes from the Division III ranks as two-time national champion Byron Tate of Wartburg, becomes the first Division III wrestlers since 1989 to be selected for the event. Tate, who was also a Midlands finalist from a year ago, meets fourth-ranked Chris Honeycutt of Edinboro at 197 pounds. Tate is only the third non Division I wrestler to compete in this event since 2000. Those two other wrestlers would include: Emmett Wilson of Montana State-Northern (2004) and Tervel Dlagnev of Nebraska-Kearney (2008). The last Division III wrestler to compete in this event was Karl Monaco of Montclair State in 1989. "This signature event is a great way kick off another exciting wrestling season. The All Star Classic has a deep history with our organization. We look forward to showcasing some of our sport's heroes and champions at Arizona State University knowing that these matches could very well be a preview to the NCAA Finals and All-American matches at the NCAA Championships later in March," said Mike Moyer, Executive Director of the NWCA. Fifteen universities will be represented in the event, with American, Maryland, Illinois, Oklahoma State, and Wyoming all having two wrestlers competing in the event. Wrestling fans will see one re-match from last year's All-Star Classic that was held in Fresno, California. No. 2 Shane Onufer of Wyoming will face off against No. 3 Josh Asper of Maryland. There will be six athletes competing in this prestigious event for the second time in their career: Josh Asper, Jordan Blanton, Joe LeBlanc, Ryan Flores Jordan Oliver, and Shane Onufer. Oklahoma State currently holds the record for number of athletes to compete in this event at 85, which includes both Oliver and teammate Jamal Parks this year. Wrestling fans may take notice that two wrestlers in the event are competing up a weight class from their NCAA All-American placement last year: Ganbayar Sanjaa of American will compete at 157 pounds and Chris Honeycutt of Edinboro will compete at 197 pounds for the remainder of this season. This year's event will be hosted by Arizona State University, on November 21st at 7:30 p.m. There will be an exhibition dual that will take place at 4:30 p.m., prior to the event. For more information on the event visit: http://www.nwcaonline.com/NWCAWebSite/Events/nwcaallstarclassic.aspx. 2011 NWCA All-Star Classic Lineup 125: No. 3 Jarrod Patterson (Oklahoma) vs. No. 4 Nic Bedelyon (Kent State) 133: No. 1 Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 3 B.J. Futrell (Illinois) 141: No. 1 Kellen Russell (Michigan) vs. No. 2 Boris Novachkov (Cal Poly) 149: No. 2 Jamal Parks (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 3 Tyler Nauman (Pittsburgh) 157: No. 3 Jason Welch (Northwestern) vs. No. 4 Ganbayar Sanjaa (American) 165: No. 2 Shane Onufer (Wyoming) vs. No. 3 Josh Asper (Maryland) 174: No. 3 Jordan Blanton (Illinois) vs. No. 4 Nick Heflin (Ohio State) 184: No. 6 Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming) vs. No. 8 Ben Bennett (Central Michigan) 197: No. 1 (Div III) Byron Tate (Wartburg) vs. No. 4 Chris Honeycutt (Edinboro) 285: No. 2 Ryan Flores (American) vs. No. 3 Spencer Myers (Maryland)

The final five matches for this year's NWCA All-Star Classic were announced on Thursday. The event takes place on Nov. 21 at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Ariz. 125: No. 3 Jarrod Patterson (Oklahoma) vs. No. 4 Nic Bedelyon (Kent State) 149: No. 2 Jamal Parks (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 3 Tyler Nauman (Pittsburgh) 174: No. 3 Jordan Blanton (Illinois) vs. No. 4 Nick Heflin (Ohio State) 184: No. 6 Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming) vs. No. 8 Ben Bennett (Central Michigan) 197: No. 1 (Div III) Byron Tate (Wartburg) vs. No. 4 Chris Honeycutt (Edinboro)

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. -- Down 11-7 after five matches, the Lycoming College wrestling team turned to a trio of first-year starters to take the lead before senior Russ Korbul (Asbury, N.J./North Hunterdon) notched a pin to seal a 22-17 win over McDaniel for the 20th straight win over the Green Terror on Wednesday night at Lamade Gymnasium. After a pair of tight decisions went to the Green Terror (0-1 overall) to start the night, the Warriors (1-0 overall) were given a shot of adrenaline at 141 pounds when freshman Caleb Willey (Towanda, Pa./Towanda Area) used a six-point second-period en route to a 12-1 win over Sean Ensign. The Warriors took the lead in the next match as fellow freshman Lucas Wisniewski (Conshohocken, Pa./Plymouth Whitemarsh) was able to use a first-period win en route to a 3-1 win over Logan Yox. However, technical fall at 157 pounds gave the Green Terror an 11-7 lead heading into the second half of the dual. At 165 pounds, an early takedown put sophomore Gregory Wetzel (Pleasant Valley, N.Y./Arlington) in a tough spot, but he reversed it just 15 seconds later and a second period escape put him in control. A third-period takedown sealed the 6-3 win over Sean McGarry. At 174 pounds, senior Josh Gochnauer (Muncy, Pa./Muncy) also got a first-period takedown and used that to hold on for a 4-1 win over Mike Meekins, giving the Warriors a 13-10 lead. Sophomore Johnathan Secor (Pompton Lakes, N.J./Pompton Lakes) was able to take advantage of an early takedown to get two two-point nearfalls in the first period and held on for an 8-4 win over Scott Forrester. Korbul got an early takedown on Sule Monsanto and in the second period, he had a reversal before turning Monsanto for the clinching win, giving the Warriors a 22-11 lead before a McDaniel pin at heavyweight ended the match. The Warriors get back on the mat on Wednesday, Nov. 16, when they host the 10th-ranked York (Pa.) College at 7:30 p.m. Results: Lycoming 22, McDaniel 17 125 Mike O`Boyle (McDaniel) won by decision over Stephen Hinton (Lycoming) 6-1. 133 Mike Tancredi (McDaniel) won by decision over Zachary Finn (Lycoming) 5-4. 141 Caleb Willey (Lycoming) won by major decision over Sean Ensign (McDaniel) 12-1. 149 Lucas Wisniewski (Lycoming) won by decision over Logan Yox (McDaniel) 3-1. 157 Brent Lowe (McDaniel) won by tech fall over Brian Watkins (Lycoming) 2:05 17-0. 165 Greg Wetzel (Lycoming) won by decision over Sean McGarry (McDaniel) 6-3. 174 Joshua Gochnauer (Lycoming) won by decision over Mike Meekins (McDaniel) 4-1. 184 Johnathan Secor (Lycoming) won by decision over Scott Forrester (McDaniel) 8-4. 197 Russel Korbul (Lycoming) won by pin over Esteban Monsanto (McDaniel) 4:04. 285 Joe Camlin (McDaniel) won by pin over John Geisel (Lycoming) 6:11. Exhibition: 165: Dan Bennett (LC) by fall Torin Lehman (McD), 2:24

ROCHESTER, NY -- The RIT wrestling team (1-0) defeated SUNY Oneonta (0-1), 22-15, in its first dual match of the season at Clark Gym on Wednesday evening. Five different wrestlers picked up wins for the TIgers on the evening, including two by pins which proved to be the difference. Freshman Rory Bruce (North Tonawanda, NY/North Tonawanda) defeated Alex Pugh of Oneonta at 125 lbs. on a fall as Pugh was pinned at 5:37. Freshman Jake Harvey (LeRoy, NY/LeRoy) defeated James Ferall of Oneonta at 141 lbs. by decision, 9-4. Classmate Tory Cain (Ontario, NY/Wayne) defeated JP Sala of Oneonta at 165 lbs. by a close decision, 4-3. Junior Nick Fuschino (Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts) defeated Jimmy Neal of Oneonta at 174 lbs. by a major decision, 14-2. Senior Tom Armentano (Drexel Hill, PA/Monsignor Bonner) defeated Frankie Provenzano at 184 lbs. on a fall as Provenzano was pinned at 4:59. The Tigers return to action on Saturday, Nov. 11, as they host SUNY Oswego at RIT's Clark Gym. The dual meet will begin at 1 p.m. Results: 125: Rory Bruce (RIT) fall Alex Pugh (O) 5:37 (RIT 6, Oneonta 0) 133: Ben Mikac (O) dec. Dan Haughton (RIT) 11-8 (RIT 6, Oneonta 3) 141: Jake Harvey (RIT) dec. James Ferall (O) 9-4 (RIT 9, Oneonta 3) 149: Joey Hauser (O) dec. Phil Czapla (RIT) 12-5 (RIT 9, Oneonta 6) 157: Dan Graff (O) dec. Sean Secru (RIT) 6-5 (RIT 9, Oneonta 9) 165: Tory Cain (RIT) dec. JP Sala (O) 4-3 (RIT 12, Oneonta 9) 174: Nick Fuschino (RIT) major dec. Jimmy Neal (O) 14-2 (RIT 16, Oneonta 9) 184: Tom Armentano (RIT) fall Frankie Provenzano (O) 4:59 (RIT 22, Oneonta 9) 197: Matt Kurey (O) dec. Dave Sickler (RIT) 5-3 (RIT 22, Oneonta 12) 285: Mike Almaviva (O) dec. Nick Stewart (RIT) 4-1 (RIT 22, Oneonta 15)

MUSKOGEE, Okla. -- Oklahoma City University rolled to a 34-12 victory over Bacone on Wednesday at the Warrior Gym. OCU stuck four falls and another bonus-point win in the contest. The Stars, ranked eighth in NAIA wrestling, evened their dual record at 1-1. The Stars built a 19-0 advantage through four weights. The dual started at 157 pounds. “We're pretty solid in those weights,” OCU coach Archie Randall said. “It put our strength up front. Duals are about momentum. We were in control of the whole dual. We weren't in danger of losing the dual. The young kids had problems, but it's a matter of getting experience.” The Stars' Nik Turner, ranked third among NAIA 157-pounders, finished off Antonio Martinez in 2:55. Second-ranked Kevin Hardy added a fall over Lee Laxton in 2:45, then OCU's Derek Peperas, ranked seventh at 165, knocked off Jose Hernandez 10-2. Andrew Pontikes' 9-2 win over Cesar Ponce gave the Stars their 19-0 lead. Cody Sivertsen dropped his 197-pound bout 9-2 to C.J. Berry as Bacone ended the shutout. Michael Brown and Kidd Gomez followed with wins. Gomez, ranked fifth at 125, struck for a pin of Luis Mercado with two seconds remaining in their match. The Stars' Cameron Ream closed out the dual with a pin of Richard Valdez in 2:07. OCU competes in the Knox Invitational at 9 a.m. Saturday in Galesburg, Ill. Results: 157: Nik Turner, OCU, pinned Antonio Martinez, 2:55 165: Kevin Hardy, OCU, pinned Lee Laxton, 2:45 174: Derek Peperas, OCU, maj. dec. Jose Hernandez, 10-2 184: Andrew Pontikes, OCU, dec. Cesar Ponce, 9-2 197: C.J. Berry, BC, dec. Cody Sivertsen, 9-2 285: Michael Brown, OCU, dec. Dyllan Snavely, 9-3 125: Kidd Gomez, OCU, pinned Luis Mercado, 6:58 133: Jesus Pacheo, BC, pinned Travon Smith, 6:20 141: Christian Hernandez, BC, dec. Hunter Muskrat, 11-5 149: Cameron Ream, OCU, pinned Richard Valdez, 2:07

Lebanon, Ill. -- McKendree University's wrestlers won six matches to Missouri Baptist University's four, as the Bearcats went on to a 22-15 home victory on Wednesday. Going into Wednesday's dual, Missouri Baptist was coming off two consecutive successful competitions, but came up just short at McKendree. Spartan freshman Efrain Aguilar continued his string of success, winning his match in the 125lb weight class by fall at 3:36. Aguilar, along with Esmond Ford, Tyler Holloway and Martin Rubacala all won matches for the team in the narrow defeat. Holloway is currently ranked fifth in the NAIA at 135lb while Rubacala is ranked 10th at 141lb. The match was close all the way to the end, but the singular point that gave the Bearcats the advantage came at the 165lb weight class battle. McKendree won by forfeit, which gave the home team an advantage the rest of the way through. On the other side of the coin, McKendree won two big battles over highly-ranked MBU grapplers. The Bearcats Andrew Davis defeated number five-ranked Lucas Keene 8-2 in the 197lb match and Ross Janney defeated number three-ranked Joe Kent in the heavyweight class. The Spartans will get right back at it over the weekend at the Central Baptist College Invitational. Results: HWT- Ross Janney (McK) def. Joe Kent (MBU), Dec. 4-2 OT
 125- Efrain Aguilar (MBU) pinned Tyler Orr (McK), Fall 3:26
 133- Esmond Ford (MBU) def. Dylan Viglasky (McK), Dec. 10-7
 141- Tyler Holloway (MBU) def. Kyle Black (McK), Dec. 8-2
 149- Martin Rubalcaba (MBU) def. Devon Patterson (McK), Dec. 10-5
 157- Josh Ballard (McK) def. Robert Nickson (MBU), Dec. 2-0
 165- Tim Gilbert (McK) by forfeit
 174- Luis Alba (McK) def. Thomas Connor (MBU), Dec. 6-3
 184- Kyle Reid (McK) def. A.J. Carter (MBU), Maj. Dec. 19-6
 197- Andrew Davis (McK) def. Lucas Keene (MBU), Dec. 8-2

Five of the 10 matches were announced for the 2011 NWCA All-Star Classic, which takes place Nov. 21 at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Ariz. The remaining matches are expected to be announced soon. 133: No. 1 Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) vs. No. 3 B.J. Futrell (Illinois) These two wrestlers have not faced each other in college competition. 141: No. 1 Kellen Russell (Michigan) vs. No. 2 Boris Novachkov (Cal Poly) Russell defeated Novachkov twice last season, both times by the score of 3-2. The first meeting took place at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, while the second meeting took place in the finals the NCAA Championships. 157: No. 3 Jason Welch (Northwestern) vs. No. 4 Ganbayar Sanjaa (American) These two wrestlers have not faced each other in college competition. Welch competed at 157 pounds last season, while Sanjaa competed at 149 pounds. 165: No. 2 Shane Onufer (Wyoming) vs. No. 3 Josh Asper (Maryland) These two wrestlers have faced each other in each of the past two NCAA Championships. Asper won the meeting in 2010, 9-1. Onufer came back to beat Asper last season, 5-4. 285: No. 2 Ryan Flores (American) vs. No. 3 Spencer Myers (Maryland) Flores won by major decision, 16-7, over Myers last season when the two met on Feb. 13.

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa City West wrestler Dakota Bauer signed his national letter of intent with the Cyclones Wednesday. Bauer is projected to be a 141-pounder for Iowa State and enters his senior season as a Trojan with a 127-10 record and 53 pins. Iowa City West wrestlers Phillip Laux, Dakota Bauer, Justin Koethe, and Jack Hathaway signed with Division I programsBefore transferring to Iowa City West, Bauer won the Class 2A State Championship at 112 pounds his freshman year at Ballard High school. As a sophomore Bauer placed seventh in 2A at 130 pounds with the Trojans. In 2011 Bauer was the Class 3A state runner-up and had recorded 28 technical falls in his career. Bauer looks to end his high school campaign with a second state championship this year. Iowa State head wrestling coach Kevin Jackson says Bauer's shot at a starting spot is high if he continues to improve. "Dakota is a special young man," Jackson said. "He adds depth to our program and he's another Iowa product that we're putting on our team. If you look at our roster we continue to put the very best Iowa kids on our team so we're happy with Dakota verbally committing to us as early as he did and our expectations are high for him."

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The University of Iowa wrestling program has announced start times for its annual wrestle-offs. Competition will begin Thursday at 4:45 p.m., Friday at 4:15 p.m., and Saturday at 8:45 a.m. The wrestle-offs will be held inside the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The wrestle-offs are open to the public, and there is no charge for admission, but parking will be limited due to Friday's men's basketball game and Saturday's football game. The hospital parking ramp is recommended for fans attending on Friday. Fans interested in attending should enter Carver-Hawkeye Arena through the north entrance of the Dale and Marilyn Howard Family Pavilion. Take the stairs or elevator to the second floor and continue down the hallway across from the practice gym and into the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex. The Hawkeyes open the season Nov. 19 at the Lindenwood University Open. Iowa hosts its first dual of the season Nov. 25 with the Iowa City Duals. The Hawkeyes face Baker (3 p.m.), Cornell College (5 p.m.) and Iowa Central CC (7 p.m.) on Mediacom Mat inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Season and single-meet tickets are available for purchase on hawkeyesports.com. Season tickets for nine home duals (including the Iowa City Duals) are available for $67. Single-meet tickets for the Iowa City Duals (11/25), Illinois (12/2), Northern Iowa (12/8), Northwestern (1/15) and Wisconsin (2/5) are $10 for adults, $5 for children. Single-meet tickets to Oklahoma State (1/7) and Minnesota (1/29) are $13 for adults, $7 for children. Kids under five-years old are admitted free to all home events.