InterMat Staff

This week's roundup is, to say the least, puny. But let us take this time of joy and cheer to remember that the holiday season is the very thing which makes wrestling, particularly college wrestling, so intensely challenging. While the rest of the country is engaged in light-hearted and joyful festivities, often nestled deeply within the cushy inner sanctums of family, wrestlers are only afforded but the most meager respite. Many are allowed only the briefest visits back home, to be snatched away indifferently by the callous hand of their wrestling obligations. Christmas parties are fun, sleeping late is nice, and eggnog (properly mixed) makes you feel so warm and delightful on the inside. College wrestlers must sacrifice these pleasures to a great degree, and often times denying oneself during the holidays proves unbearable. Do not forget that the vast majority of college wrestlers do forgo all this in spite of the fact that they won't ever be an All-American and that they receive little to no scholarship money. Nothing keeps these wrestlers in competition save their love for the sport. All they must do is say, "I quit" and they can return to a normal and comfortable existence; nobody should think less of any of them for taking this route. However, many trudge on with their mouths shut, backs bent against their burden. Writers and fans rarely pay attention to these brave souls, and it is to them that I would most whole heartedly wish a Merry Christmas, may the joy of this holiday find them despite all the pleasures they have had to spurn. Dual Meets Friday, Dec. 21: Old Dominion 23, American 9 Pitt 26, Clarion 15 Thursday, Dec. 20: American 23, George Mason 9 Pittsburgh 38, Cleveland State 6 By the way, I think I should point out that Pitt is an awfully good wrestling team. Coach Stottlemyer has been producing standout individuals for some time, but now he has developed a very impressive lineup, top to bottom. Tuesday, Dec. 18: Bloomsburg 18, Buffalo 15 At 133, Nick Wilcox of Bloomsburg knocks off 18th-ranked Erik Galloway. At 165, Bloomsburg's Josh Veltre continues to quietly excel, beating 17th-ranked Mark Lewandowski, 3-2. I bet readers are sick of me crowing about how impressed I am with Bloomsburg, so I'll stay silent on that account. Kent State 29, Northern Illinois 9 Tuesday, Dec. 17: Iowa 39, Buffalo 3 Mark Lewandowski, ranked 17th at 165, beats Iowa's 19th-ranked Nick Moore. But there is good news for Hawk fans as Mike Evans looks like a terror at 174. Evans, ranked seventh, puts it on 17th-ranked John-Martin Cannon, 14-1. Corey LearOklahoma State 37, Bucknell 6 Super-duper deluxe upset here as Bucknell's Corey Lear (then-No. 16) sends shockwaves with his victory over then-third-ranked Tyler Caldwell. Here's wishing a wonderful holiday to all of my readers, I have appreciated the wonderful feedback. Now, on to that eggnog ...

Related Content: Results Two-time InterMat JJ Classic champion Josh Alber earned OW at the Dvorak (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine) MACHESNEY PARK, Ill. -- No. 3 in the nation St. Edward, Ohio traveled north of Chicago to Machesney Park, Ill., for the 25th annual Dvorak Memorial Invitational this weekend. With a field having four other Fab 50 teams and many excellent wrestlers from the Land of Lincoln, the Eagles soared high. Twelve wrestlers placed in the top eight, seven were finalists, as St. Edward won the tournament with 265-1/2 points. Winning titles for St. Edward were L.J. Bentley (106), No. 3 Dean Heil (132), No. 19 Colin Heffernan (138), and No. 2 Domenic Abounader (182). Heil's championship victory came over No. 14 George Fisher of Marmion Academy, Ill. by a 6-4 score. Runner-up finishes for the Eagles came from No. 4 Edgar Bright (145), No. 12 Markus Scheidel (152), and Parker Knapp (220). Five additional wrestlers placed -- two in fifth, one in seventh, and two in eighth. The losses for Bright and Scheidel came against nationally ranked opposition, each of whom won their third titles at the Dvorak. Bright lost 2-0 to No. 2 Bryce Brill (Mt. Carmel, Ill.) in the tournament's most anticipated matchup. Brill used a first period takedown in the championship final to win the 145 pound weight class after the wrestlers traded ride-outs in the second and third periods. Next year, Brill can join Providence Catholic alumni Edwin Cooper and Eddie Klimara as the only four-time champions in Dvorak history. For Scheidel, it was a 6-4 loss to No. 3 Brian Murphy (Glenbard North, Ill.) in the 152-pound final. Murphy was one of two champions for the Panthers, as he joined No. 2 Jered Cortez with a title; two-time state champion Cortez won the 126 pound weight class with a 14-2 major dec. victory over state champion Jordan Northrup (Machesney Park Harlem, Ill.). Glenbard North, ranked No. 45 nationally, finished fifth in the tournament with 135-1/2 points despite only having four wrestlers place period. That is because Cortez and Murphy won, while Jon Marmolejo and Johnny Gosinski placed third at 120 and 132 respectively. Second place in the team table was No. 10 Montini Catholic, Ill. with 230-1/2 points on the strength of 11 place-winners. However, the Broncos had but a single finalist in Jake Turk, who finished second at 182 pounds. Five wrestlers did take third, with three more taking fourth. They were joined by a single wrestler taking fifth, sixth, and seventh respectively. Third place finishers were No. 19 (at 120) Jordan Laster at 126, Chris Garcia (138), Michael Sepke (145), Xavier Montalvo (160), and Edgar Ruano (220); while Tommy Pawleski (113), Vince Turk (120), and Jose Champagne (132) took fourth place honors. Led by a duo of champions, and eight placers in all, No. 28 Marist, Ill. took third with 179-1/2 points. Winning titles were Mark Duda (113) and Peter Andreotti (160), Alex Benoit (170) finished second, Nick Lukanich (106) finished third, with three in sixth and one taking seventh. Fourth in the team standings was No. 24 Marmion Academy, Ill., who was short-handed without most notably freshman sensation Lucas Warren at 220 pounds. The Cadets were led by five top four placers and seven overall placers, and scored 157-1/2 points. Finishing fourth were Dylan Duncan and Alex Frtiz at 106 and 285, third place went to Cody Snodgrass (195), while runner-up finishes came from No. 14 Fisher and No. 6 Johnny Jimenez at 132 and 120. In that 120 pound final, it was a battle of juniors that have already won state titles, as No. 14 Josh Alber (Dakota, Ill.), a two-time InterMat JJ Classic champion, came up with the 3-2 upset over Jimenez. That weight class title earned Alber the Most Outstanding Wrestler honor at the tournament. He was also joined by teammate Daniel Zimmerman (220) as a weight class champion. One additional final involving nationally ranked wrestlers occurred at 195 pounds, where No. 9 Jordan Ellingwood (Plainfield Central, Ill.) earned a 13-5 major dec. over No. 15 Blake Blair (Edwardsville, Ill.). Rounding out the weight class champions were Dan Rowland (Willowbrook, Ill.) at 170 and Andrew Geers (Neuqua Valley, Ill.) at 285. Team Standings (Top Ten): 1. No. 3 St. Edward, Ohio 265.5 2. No. 10 Montini Catholic 230.5 3. No. 28 Marist 179.5 4. No. 24 Marmion Academy 157.5 5. No. 45 Glenbard North 135.5 6. Machesney Park Harlem 130 7. Lincoln-Way Central 123.5 8. Hononegah 121 9. Libertyville 118 10. Lockport 114.5 Finals Results: 106: L.J. Bentley (St. Edward, Ohio) dec. Jake Silzer (St. Rita), 5-0 113: Mark Duda (Marist) dec. Ronald Triche (Providence Catholic), 3-1 120: No. 14 Josh Alber (Dakota) dec. No. 6 Johnny Jimenez (Marmion Academy), 3-2 126: No. 2 Jered Cortez (Glenbard North) maj. dec. Jordan Northrup (Machesney Park Harlem), 14-2 132: No. 3 Dean Heil (St. Edward, Ohio) dec. No. 14 George Fisher (Marmion Academy), 6-4 138: No. 19 Colin Heffernan (St. Edward, Ohio) dec. Manny Silva (Hononegah), 5-0 145: No. 2 Bryce Brill (Mt. Carmel) dec. No. 4 Edgar Bright (St. Edward, Ohio), 2-0 152: No. 3 Brian Murphy (Glenbard North) dec. No. 12 Markus Scheidel (St. Edward, Ohio), 6-4 160: Peter Andreotti (Marist) dec. Hunter Rollins (Hersey), 5-3 170: Dan Rowland (Willowbrook) dec. Alex Benoit (Marist), 4-2 SV 182: No. 2 Domenic Abounader (St. Edward) over Jake Turk (Montini Catholic) 195: No. 9 Jordan Ellingwood (Plainfield Central) maj. dec. No. 15 Blake Blair (Edwardsville), 13-5 220: Daniel Zimmerman (Dakota) dec. Parker Knapp (St. Edward, Ohio), 3-0 285: Andrew Geers (Neuqua Valley) dec. Chris McDermand (Libertyville), 1-0

Related Content: Results NEWARK, Del. -- It was a baker's dozen for No. 1 Blair Academy, N.J., this weekend at the Beast of the East, as they won a 13th consecutive team title and 17th in the 20 years this event has been held. The Buccaneers scored 309 team points with 12 placers, 152 points more than second placer Wyoming Seminary, Pa., who is ranked No. 2 in the nation. Even with that level of dominance, it could have been more. Blair Academy only won two weight class titles -- No. 6 Russ Parsons at 152 pounds and No. 2 Brooks Black at 285. They had a trio of runner-up finishes, those coming from No. 3 Matthew Kolodzik at 120, No. 11 P.J. Klee at 138, and No. 6 Mason Manville at 138. Four wrestlers finished third, another pair in fourth, and one took eighth. "Yeah (we were the dominant team), but (it could have been better)," said Blair Academy head coach Charles Danhof. "There are always things to work on, and we can get even better going forward." Parsons made it an Ironman/Beast double with his 7-6 finals victory over Chad Walsh (Camden Catholic, N.J.). He jumped out to a 4-0 lead after two periods with a first-period takedown and second-period reversal. However, midway through the third period, Walsh hit a headlock toss and put Parsons on his back in danger of getting pinned. "You have got to be kidding me," was the reaction of Parsons to being put on his back. "I didn't come all the way to the finals just to be pinned (especially from ahead)." He rolled his way through, got an escape, and an immediate go ahead takedown. Walsh did get a late match escape, but couldn't muster further scoring as Parsons earned the victory. "It feels great," said Parsons about winning both the Ironman and Beast this year. Black became the eighth wrestler in Beast of the East history to be a three-time champion, with Mark Grey last year being the only one to win four titles in this tournament. This victory was a very tight match, 2-1 in the tiebreaker over No. 7 (at 220) Aaron Bradley (Nazareth, Pa.). It also was a third Ironman/Beast double for Black. "It feels good," said Black about the accomplishment. "However, the finals match was a bit frustrating." Bradley and Black had grown up wrestling each other, so Black said that might have been part of it as well. Kyle Snyder (Photo/Rob Preston)Joining Black as a three-time Beast of the East champion was junior Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Md.), the nation's No. 1-ranked wrestler at 220 pounds. He was the seventh three-timer in tournament history, and won all of his matches by pin (three) or technical fall (two). That gave him the honor of being the wrestler who scored the most team points in the tournament with 35 in all. The championship match was a 22-6 technical fall victory in 4:27 over Zach Chakonis (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.). Snyder had ten takedowns in the match, including a barrage of six in the second period. "It's the same story for me, just score points and have fun," said Snyder about his performance in this tournament." Now having a third title, the thought of joining Grey as a four-timer at the Beast crept into his mind. "I guess I'm excited about it, but there's a lot of this season ahead; however, it's a great goal to have for next season." However, it was a fellow junior from Maryland who earned the Oustanding Wrestler honor, that being No. 7 Alfred Bannister (Bishop McNamara, Md.), who tossed No. 6 Mason Manville (Blair Academy, N.J.) to his back for the pin at the 1:50 mark of the final at 138 pounds. This came after Manville had given up zero points in five matches to get to the final, including a 1-0 semifinal victory over No. 5 Tyson Dippery (Central Dauphin, Pa.). Bannister had scored on an earlier takedown as well in the match against Manville, so he was showing the ability to get his offense going against even an elite positional and defensive wrestler. "I've got a unique style on my feet, unlike anyone else, and I have supreme confidence in that ability." When asked about the pin in the final, and then getting Outstanding Wrestler, Bannister laughed in shock and elation. It was hard to express into words, but he said, "It's the greatest feeling ever." No. 1 in the nation Eric Morris (182) was the lone champion for Wyoming Seminary, he beat No. 4 Brett Harner (Norristown, Pa.) 5-1 in overtime -- a rematch of a 3-1 overtime victory for Morris in the semifinal of the Ironman. It was also a repeat title for Morris in his third straight Beast finals appearance. "It feels great, a huge accomplishment, couldn't be happier," said Morris about being a repeat Beast of the East champion. "Though it was a tough match in the final, it was good to face (Harner) again so I could execute the stuff I worked on coming off the last match (against him)." The Blue Knights had five other wrestlers join Morris as place finishers to score 157 points in a second place effort. "We went 5-1 in the medal round, which is always a good feeling," said head coach Scott Green. "However, there are things to address going forward between lineup issues, injuries, and continuing to step up in the big spots." Morris and Snyder were joined by three other top-ranked wrestlers to win titles this weekend: Nick Suriano (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) at 106 pounds, Nathan Tomasello (CVCA, Ohio) at 120, and Joey Dance (Christiansburg, Va.) at 126. Suriano was untested in four of his five matches, though the final was relatively tight 4-2 victory over No. 3 Austin Assad (Brecksville, Ohio). He scored a first-period takedown and second-period reversal to really take the match out of play. "It's kind of the same, the goal is always first place," said Suriano about being a freshman in his first major in-season tournament after a litany of titles coming through youth, junior high, and even the Super 32 two months ago. "I'm always training to win, and I never quit." It was a quarterfinal match against Tommy Aloi (Forest Park, Va.) that was Suriano's toughest. He was down 4-1 after the first period, as he was caught in a headlock toss for two-and-two, but rallied for a 9-7 win getting the last takedown right at the horn in the third period. "It was a wake-up call," said Suriano of Aloi's headlock toss, "I had wrestled him before (a 9-3 victory in the first day of the Super 32), and knew it was coming, but he still got it." Unlike the Ironman of two weekends ago, which was all domination, the Beast of the East was a different story for Tomasello. In both the semifinal, a 6-5 victory over No. 4 Sam Krivus (Hempfield Area, Pa.), and the 8-7 win over No. 3 Kolodzik in the final he gave up the first takedown. "Though I don't want to ever be scored on, it kind of helped me to relax," said Tomasello. "I was able to then get it going on the attack." In fact, both matches were tied at 3-3 after the first period, as Tomasello countered the early takedown against with a takedown of his own within the first two minutes. Against Kolodzik, whom he pinned in the second period of the Ironman final two weekends ago, he led 8-5 midway through the third before a penalty point and escape cut it down to 8-7. Then Kolodzik was in extremely deep on a shot, and then almost scored in short time on the resulting scramble. "I knew I had to fight through the situation, if I gave up I would most likely lose," said Tomasello about the scramble. "Just didn't want to have all my work in the match going for naught." After finishing runner-up each of the last two years, and getting the elusive Ironman title two weekends ago, all that was left for Dance was to pick up that Beast title. For two-plus periods against No. 3 Ryan Diehl (Trinity, Pa.), it looked like things were in cruise control with a 7-3 lead as Dance had racked up three takedowns. However, in one sequence it all changed, as Diehl got a takedown and roll through tilt to force overtime at 7-7. Dance then answered back with championship form to get the takedown in overtime for the 9-7 victory. "I've been training harder (this year) than last year," said Dance about the difference in getting those elusive Ironman and Beast titles. "I felt really good about the first four-plus minutes, but just let a bit when Diehl capitalized, though I'm relieved to have then recovered." The host state of Delaware was able to have a champion in back-to-back years and for the sixth time in the last seven years when No. 5 Brent Fleetwood (Smryna) won the 113-pound weight class with an 8-1 victory over No. 14 Aaron Assad (Brecksville, Ohio), but it was the semifinal and round of 16 matches were the much tighter ones. "There was some added pressure trying to win ‘at home'," said Fleetwood, "but I'm so glad to have brought it home for Delaware and Smyrna High School (first champ in 16 years)." In terms of the finals match, "I opened up and just went after it, forgetting about the previous matches." No. 10 Garrett Peppelman (Central Dauphin, Pa.) won the 160 weight class with a 3-2 victory over No. 6 Myles Martin (McDonogh, Md.) keyed by a takedown midway through the third period. Garrett joins older brother Marshall, now at Cornell, as a Beast of the East champion -- though Marshall won three of them. "It was great to win in front of my whole family. Marshall and Walter (a 2007 Beast runner-up) were coaching me up the whole time," said Garrett Peppelman, whose other older brother Colton placed seventh at 170 pounds this weekend. "I remembered my brother (Marshall) always hanging up his ornament (one of the awards given for winning a Beast title) on the family Christmas tree, and now I can hang one of my own up." Rounding out the weight class champions were repeat weight class champions No. 4 Brandon Jeske (Cox, Va.) at 132 and No. 3 Zach Epperly (Christiansburg, Va.) at 170. No. 8 (at 138) T.J. Miller (Camden Catholic, N.J.), and No. 2 Ryan Solomon (Milton, Pa.) won maiden Beast titles at 145 and 195 respectively. Jeske became a repeat champion with the 7-2 victory over No. 11 Klee, keyed by a first-period takedown and near falls in each of the opening two periods. He also went more or less untested over the six matches this weekend. "I won the title in training before the tournament, putting in all the work beforehand," he said. "It shows a lot of character (to repeat). The second one is harder and more difficult mentally, because (the opposition) is all after you." Epperly was unchallenged, but for a 3-2 victory in the quarterfinal round over Joey Balboni (David Brearley, N.J.). The finals match though was total domination from start to finish in a 9-0 victory over Quentin Hiles (Brecksville, Ohio). Takedowns in the first and third augmented by near falls in the first and second got the job done for Epperly. "It's even better than last year," was his comment about being a repeat champion. "The matches last year were much closer, but this year I feel so much better and have been working so much harder, and was prepared to do what I did this weekend." Miller opened his Beast tournament with four pins heading into a semifinal date with defending champion Dylan Milonas (Blair Academy, N.J.), who is ranked No. 8 nationally. Though Milonas got the first takedown, it was Miller who responded back with a headlock toss by the end of the first period on the way to a 12-6 victory, which was a clear domination. "I love this tournament, it gets me excited to come here," said Miller, who placed sixth here at 125 pounds as a freshman in his previous appearance. "I was glad to be back here." Then, the final was kind of a tough thing for Miller, as he had to face long-time practice partner Jack Clark (McDonogh, Md.), both wrestlers being natives of the Philadelphia metro area. However, it was Miller who came home with the 4-1 victory keyed by a second-period cradle. "It feels great," added Miller about winning the title. "It's been a long time since I won one of these big tournaments, glad to be back on the top step of that podium." In his first Beast appearance, Solomon defeated No. 8 Raymond O'Donnell (Saucon Valley, Pa.) 3-1 keyed by a first-period takedown to get his school's first ever title in this event. "It's great to have our team be invited to this (prestigious) event, and for me to be our school's first champ in this event is just awesome." Team Standings (Top Ten): 1. No. 1 Blair Academy, N.J. 309 2. No. 2 Wyoming Seminary, Pa. 157 3. No. 17 Massillon Perry, Ohio 144 4. No. 49 Brecksville, Ohio 142 5. No. 25 Central Dauphin, Pa. 120.5 6. No. 30 McDonogh, Md. 113.5 7. No. 41 Bergen Catholic, N.J. 109.5 8. No. 42 Christiansburg, Va. 101.5 9. No. 47 Don Bosco Prep, N.J. 100 10. Good Counsel, Md. 99 Other ranked teams: 11) No. 29 Bethlehem Catholic, Pa. 87, 19) No. 38 Colonial Forge, Va. 68 Finals Results: 106: No. 1 Nick Suriano (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) dec. No. 3 Austin Assad (Brecksville, Ohio), 4-2 113: No. 5 Brent Fleetwood (Smyrna, Del.) dec. No. 14 Aaron Assad (Brecksville, Ohio), 8-1 120: No. 1 Nathan Tomasello (CVCA, Ohio) dec. No. 3 Matthew Kolodzik (Blair Academy, N.J.), 8-7 126: No. 1 Joey Dance (Christiansburg, Va.) dec. No. 3 Ryan Diehl (Trinity, Pa.), 9-7 SV 132: No. 4 Brandon Jeske (Cox, Va.) dec. No. 11 P.J. Klee (Blair Academy, N.J.), 7-2 138: No. 7 Alfred Bannister (Bish. McNamara, Md.) pinned No. 6 Mason Manville (Blair Academy, N.J.), 1:50 145: No. 8 (at 138) T.J. Miller (Camden Catholic, N.J.) dec. Jack Clark (McDonogh, Md.), 4-1 152: No. 6 Russ Parsons (Blair Academy, N.J.) dec. Chad Walsh (Camden Catholic, N.J.), 7-6 160: No. 10 Garrett Peppelman (Central Dauphin, Pa.) dec. No. 6 Myles Martin (McDonogh, Md.), 3-2 170: No. 3 Zach Epperly (Christiansburg, Va.) maj. dec. Quentin Hiles (Brecksville, Ohio), 9-0 182: No. 1 Eric Morris (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) dec. No. 4 Brett Harner (Norristown, Pa.), 5-1 SV 195: No. 2 Ryan Solomon (Milton, Pa.) dec. No. 8 Raymond O'Donnell (Saucon Valley, Pa.), 3-1 220: No. 1 Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Md.) tech. fall Zach Chakonis (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.), 22-6 (4:27) 285: No. 2 Brooks Black (Blair Academy, N.J.) dec. No. 7 (at 220) Aaron Bradley (Nazareth, Pa.), 2-1 TB

1. No. 1 Blair Academy, N.J. 128 (12 QF/1 consolation) 2. No. 49 Brecksville, Ohio 93 (3/3) 3. No. 17 Massillon Perry, Ohio 89 (7/0) 4. No. 2 Wyoming Seminary, Pa. 77 (6/0) 5. (tie) No. 41 Bergen Catholic, N.J. 72-1/2 (2/2) No. 30 McDonogh, Md. (3/5) 7. No. 25 Central Dauphin, Pa. 66-1/2 (3/1) 8. St. Peter's Prep, N.J. 66 (1/3) 9. Owen J. Roberts, Pa. 62 (0/6) 10. Ocean Lakes, Va. 61 (0/3) Other nationally ranked teams: 11. No. 29 Bethlehem Catholic, Pa. 60 (3/3); 16. No. 38 Colonial Forge, Va. 56 (1/4); 19. No. 42 Christiansburg, Va. 49-1/2 (3/0); T27. No. 47 Don Bosco Prep, N.J. 41-1/2 (4/1)

Team Standings: 1. No. 1 Blair Academy, N.J. 128 (12 QF/1 consolation) 2. No. 49 Brecksville, Ohio 93 (3/3) 3. No. 17 Massillon Perry, Ohio 89 (7/0) 4. No. 2 Wyoming Seminary, Pa. 77 (6/0) 5. (tie) No. 41 Bergen Catholic, N.J. 72-1/2 (2/2) No. 30 McDonogh, Md. (3/5) 7. No. 25 Central Dauphin, Pa. 66-1/2 (3/1) 8. St. Peter's Prep, N.J. 66 (1/3) 9. Owen J. Roberts, Pa. 62 (0/6) 10. Ocean Lakes, Va. 61 (0/3) Other nationally ranked teams: 11. No. 29 Bethlehem Catholic, Pa. 60 (3/3); 16. No. 38 Colonial Forge, Va. 56 (1/4); 19. No. 42 Christiansburg, Va. 49-1/2 (3/0); T27. No. 47 Don Bosco Prep, N.J. 41-1/2 (4/1) 106: No. 1 Nick Suriano (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) vs. Tommy Aloi (Forest Park, Va.) No. 13 Brandon Olsen (Indian River, Va.) vs. Logan Harvich (Cape Henry Collegiate, Va.) No. 6 Jose Rodriguez (Massillon Perry, Ohio) vs. Pat D’Arcy (Holy Spirit, N.J.) No. 3 Austin Assad (Brecksville, Ohio) vs. No. 12 Kyle Bierdumpfel (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.) 113: No. 5 Brent Fleetwood (Smyrna, Del.) vs. Ryan Friedman, (St. Paul’s, Md.) Chaz Tucker, (Blair Academy, N.J.) vs. A.C. Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa.) Tanner Shoap (Chambersburg, Pa.) vs. Steven Simpson (St. Mary’s, Ryken Md.) No. 14 Aaron Assad (Brecksville, Ohio) vs. No. 12 Zach Fuentes (Norristown, Pa.) 120: No. 1 Nathan Tomasello (CVCA, Ohio) vs. Micah Hight (Caesar Rodney, Del.) No. 10 Coy Ozias (Christiansburg, Va.) vs. No. 4 Sam Krivus (Hempfield, Pa.) No. 5 Darian Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) vs. David Bavery (Massillon Perry, Ohio) No. 3 Mattew Kolodzik (Blair Academy, N.J.) vs. Robert Trombetta (Nutley, N.J.) 126: No. 1 Joey Dance (Christiansburg, Va.) vs. Matt Davis (Delbarton, N.J.) David McFadden (DePaul Catholic, N.J.) vs. No. 14 Judson Preskitt (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) No. 15 Anthony Giraldo (North Bergen, N.J.) vs. Matt Grossmann (Manheim Township, Pa.) No. 3 Ryan Diehl (Trinity, Pa.) vs. Zach Valley (Northampton, Pa.) 132: No. 4 Brandon Jeske (Cox, Va.) vs. Hunter Starner (Tabb, Va.) Matt Raines (Faquier, Va.) vs. Courtland Schuyler (Manheim Township, Pa.) No. 9 Dennis Gustafson (Forest Park, Va.) vs. Daniel Sanchez (Georgetown Prep, Md.) No. 11 P.J. Klee, Blair Academy, N.J.) vs. Clay Walker (Eastside, S.C.) 138: No. 7 Alfred Bannister (Bishop McNamara, Md.) vs. Xavi Ramos (McDonogh, Md.) Patrick Duggan (Cumberland Valley, Pa.) vs. Brian Hamann (Jackson Memorial, N.J.) No. 6 Mason Manville (Blair Academy, N.J.) vs. Isaac Bast (Massillon Perry, Ohio) No. 5 Tyson Dippery (Central Dauphin, Pa.) vs. Travis Vasquez (Delbarton, N.J.) 145: No. 8 Dylan Milonas (Blair Academy, N.J.) vs. Casey Sparkman (Massillon Perry, Ohio) No. 8 (at 138) T.J. Miller (Camden Catholic, N.J.) vs. Tyrel White (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) Chris Vassar (Cedar Cliff, Pa.) vs. Mike Sprague (Georgetown Prep, Md.) George Weber (John Carroll, Md.) vs. Jack Clark (McDonogh, Md.) 152: No. 6 Russ Parsons (Blair Academy, N.J.) vs. Zach Kelly (Kiski Prep, Pa.) Tony Dailey (Massillon Perry, Ohio) vs. No. 11 Wayne Stinson, (North Burlington, N.J.) Chad Walsh (Camden Catholic, N.J.) vs. Sean Murphy (Colonial Forge, Va.) Taylor Misuna (Grassfield, Va.) vs. No. 9 Garrett Hammond (Chambersburg, Pa.) 160: No. 4 Josh Llopez (St. Mary’s Ryken, Md.) vs. Dylan Wisman (Millbrook, Va.) No. 6 Myles Martin (McDonogh, Md.) vs. John Balboni (David Brearley, N.J.) No. 17 TC Warner (Cumberland Valley, Pa.) vs. Jack Wedholm (Blair Academy, N.J.) Nicky Hall (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) vs. No. 10 Garrett Peppelman (Central Dauphin, Pa.) 170: No. 3 Zack Epperly (Christiansburg, Va.) vs. Joey Balboni (David Brearley, N.J.) Joey Krulock (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) vs. Brett Stein (Forest Park, Va.) Quinton Hiles (Brecksville, Ohio) vs. Colton Peppelman (Central Dauphin, Pa.) No. 19 Patrick Coover (Blair Academy, N.J.) vs. Luke Farinaro (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.) 182: No. 1 Eric Morris (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) vs. Daniel Mika (Robinson, Va.) Troy Murtha (Georgetown Prep, Md.) vs. No. 19 Addison Knepshield (Blair Academy, N.J.) No. 4 Brett Harner (Norristown, Pa.) vs. Jose Ortiz (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) No. 7 Johnny Sebastian (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) vs. Michael Silano (Mt. St. Joseph, Md.) 195: No. 2 Ryan Solomon, Milton, PA vs. Spencer Neff (Good Counsel, Md.) LJ Barlow, Haverford School, PA vs. No. 19 Razohn Gross (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.) No. 11 Joe Tayse (Massillon Perry, Ohio) vs. No. 8 Ray O’Donnell (Saucon Valley, Pa.) No. 3 Frank Mattiace (Blair Academy, N.J.) vs. Zach Roseberry (Brentsville, Va.) 220: No. 1 Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Md.) vs. Jake Anderson (Malvern Prep, Pa.) Armond Cox (St. Peter’s Prep, N.J.) vs. David Showunmi (Blair Academy, N.J.) Lucas Chestnut (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) vs. Zach Chakonis (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.) Thomas Ott (Cape Henlopen, Del.) vs. No. 11 Garrett Ryan (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) 285: No. 2 Brooks Black (Blair Academy, N.J.) vs. Jamelle Averette (Good Counsel, Md.) Jake Pinkston (Robinson, Va.) vs. Zach Dawe (Pleasant Grove, Utah) No. 7 (at 220) Aaron Bradley (Nazareth, Pa.) vs. Stefano Millin (Massillon Perry, Ohio) No. 9 Michael Johnson, Jr. (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) vs. Andrew Dunn (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.)

EVANSTON, Ill. -- The Midlands Tournament Committee has announced the top contenders for the 50th Ken Kraft Midlands Championships. The contenders list does not represent the final seeds and are subject to change. Final brackets for the event will be released the morning of Saturday, Dec. 29. Make your plans now to attend the historic 50th Ken Kraft Midlands Championships at Welsh-Ryan Arena! Tickets for the Dec. 29-30 event are available by calling 888-GO-PURPLE. A complete list of tournament contenders is as follows: 125: 1 Cory Clark, Iowa, Unattached 2. Jesse Delgado, Illinois 3. Jarrod Patterson, Oklahoma, Unattached 4. Trent Sprenkle, North Dakota State 5. Jarrod Garnett, Virginia Tech 6. Anthony Zanetta, Pittsburgh, Unattached 7. Nathan Kraisser, North Carolina 8. Christian Cullinan, Central Michigan 9. Shane Gentry, Maryland 10. Dominick Malone, Northwestern 11. Mark Rappo, Penn 12. Steve Bonnano, Hofstra Other Contenders: Sean Boyle, Michigan Jared Germaine, Eastern Michigan Joe Roth, Central Michigan Thomas Gilman, Iowa , Unattached Joey Palmer, Oregon State Patrick Rollins, Oregon State Dylan Peters, Northern Iowa Tyler Iwamura, Cal St. Bakersfield Evan Silver, Stanford 133: 1. Scott Sentes, Central Michigan 2. Dan Dennis, Hawkeye WC 3. AJ Schopp, Edinboro 4. Ryan Mango, Stanford, Unattached 5. Mason Beckman, Lehigh, Unattached 6. Cody Brewer, Oklahoma 7. Levi Wolfensperger, Northern Iowa 8. Shelton Mack, Pittsburgh 9. Levi Mele, Northwestern 10. Daryl Thomas, Illinois 11. Geoffrey Alexander, Maryland 12. Cashe’ Quiroga, Purdue Other Contenders: Tom Kelliher, Wisconsin Val Rauser, Utah Valley John Meeks, Iowa State Joey Ward, North Carolina 141: 1. Kendric Maple, Oklahoma 2. BJ Futrell, Illinois 3. Devin Carter, Virginia Tech, Unattached 4. Michael Mangrum, Oregon State 5. Mitchell Port, Edinboro 6. Zach Neibert, Virginia Tech 7. Tyler Graff, Wisconsin 8. Evan Henderson, North Carolina 9. Jason Tsirtsis, Northwestern, Unattached 10. CJ Cobb, Penn 11. Camryn Jackson, Michigan 12. Luke Goettl, Iowa State Other Contenders: Tyler Small, Kent State, Unattached Luke Vaith, Hofstra 149: 1. Montell Marion, Unattached 2. Donnie Vinson, Binghamton 3. Scott Sakaguchi, Oregon State 4. Ivan Lopouchanski, Purdue 5. Nick Lester, Oklahoma 6. Nick Brascetta, Virginia Tech 7. Steve Santos, Columbia 8. Eric Grajales, Michigan 9. David Habat, Edinboro 10. Justin Accordino, Hofstra 11. Shane Welsh, Lehigh 12. Tanner Hiatt, Northern Iowa Other Contenders: Josh Wilson, Utah Valley Cole Schmitt, Wisconsin Donnie Corby, Central Michigan 157: 1. Jason Welch, Northwestern 2. James Fleming, Clarion 3. Joey Napoli, Lehigh 4. Walter Peppelman, Harvard 5. RJ Pena, Oregon State 6. Jesse Dong, Virginia Tech 7. Matt Lester, Oklahoma 8. Jake O’Hara, Columbia 9. David Bonin, Northern Iowa 10. Taylor Walsh, Indiana 11. Tommy Churchard, Purdue 12. Dillon Bera, Wisconsin Parkside Other Contenders: Ian Miller, Kent State, Unattached Aaron Sulzer, Eastern Michigan Lucas Smith, Central Michigan 165: 1. Peter Yates, Virginia Tech 2. Bekzod Abdurakhmonov Golden Eagle WC 3. Bubby Graham, Oklahoma 4. Steve Monk, North Dakota State 5. Conrad Polz, Illinois 6. Pierce Harger, Northwestern 7. Mark Lewandowski, Buffalo 8. John Gresheimer, Edinboro 9. Tyler Wilps, Pittsburgh 10. Ryan LeBlanc, Indiana 11. Taylor Massa, Michigan 12. Jackson Morse, Illinois, Unattached Other Contenders: Mike Ottinger, Central Michigan Mike Moreno, Iowa State Ramon Santiago, Rider 174: 1. Jordan Blanton, Illinois 2. Josh Asper, Maryland 3. Robert Kokesh, Nebraska 4. Lee Munster, Northwestern 5. Dan Yates, Michigan 6. Stephen West, Columbia 7. Nathaniel Brown, Lehigh 8 John Martin-Cannon, Buffalo 9. Bryce Hammond, CSU-Bakersfield 10. Cody Caldwell, Northern Iowa 11. Nick Bonaccorsi. Pittsburgh 12. James Brundage, Rider Other Contenders: Kyle Kwiatt, Ohio Northern Tanner Weatherman. Iowa State Austin Gabel, Virginia Tech Kurtis Julson, North Dakota State 184: 1. Robert Hamlin, Lehigh 2. Ben Bennett, Central Michigan 3. Jimmy Sheptock, Maryland 4. Travis Rutt, Oklahoma, Unattached 5. Ryan Loder, Northern Iowa 6. Josh Ihnen, Nebraska 7. Max Thomuseitt, Pittsburgh 8. Tony Dallago, Illinois 9. Joe Rau, Elmhurst College 10. Boaz Beard, Iowa State 11. Lorenzo Thomas, Penn, Unattached 12. Alex Utley, North Carolina Other Contenders: Mac Stoll, North Dakota State Ty Vinson, Oregon State 197: 1. Dustin Kilgore, Kent State 2. Matt Wilps, Pittsburgh 3. Hudson Taylor, Lions WC 4. Mario Gonzalez, Illinois 5. Nate Schiedel, Binghamton 6. Taylor Meeks, Oregon State 7. Braden Atwood, Purdue 8. Christian Boley, Maryland 9. Max Huntley, Michigan 10. Kyven Gadson, Iowa State 11. James Fox, Harvard 12. Alex Polizzi, Northwestern Other Contenders: Derrick Borlie, Virginia Tech Jackson Hein, Wisconsin Antonio Giorgio, North Carolina Caleb Kolb, Nebraska Angelo Malvestuto, Buffalo 285: 1. Jarod Trice, Central Michigan 2. Adam Chalfant, Indiana 3. Mike McMullan, Northwestern 4. Chad Hanke, Oregon State 5. Zach Thomusseit, Pittsburgh 6. Connor Medbery, Wisconsin 7. Pat Walker, Illinois 8. Ernest James, Edinboro 9. Matt Meuleners, Northern State 10. Matt Gibson, Iowa State 11. Eric Thompson, Grandview 12. Ben Apland, Michigan

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Clarion, Pa. -- The No. 13 Pitt wrestling team (4-2, 2-0 EWL) won the last five matches, including pins from P.J. Tasser and Zac Thomusseit, to rally past EWL rival Clarion, 26-15, this evening at Tippin Gym. After dropping the opening bout, No. 11 Shelton Mack got the Panthers on the scoreboard when he earned an 8-5 decision over Joe Waltko at 133 pounds. Mack jumped out to an early 5-4 lead after the first and pushed his advantage to 8-4 following an escape and takedown in the second. In the third, Mack was able to hold Waltko at bay after an escape to secure the win. Clarion (1-4, 0-2 EWL) took the momentum after it took the next three matches including a pin a 149 pounds but the Pitt upper weights answered the bell and helped the Panthers get back into the match. No. 10 Tyler Wilps got Pitt back in the contest when he earned a major decision over Nick Milano at 165 pounds. After a scoreless first, Wilps went on the aggressive scoring a pair of takedowns in the second off of high singles. In the third, Wilps was able to secure three additional takedowns, including a late double on the edge to take an 11-4 lead in the waning seconds of the match. Wilps secured the12-4 major with a bonus point thanks to over two minutes of riding time to keep the Panthers in striking distance. At 174 pounds, Nick Bonaccorsi continued his stellar December when he earned a major decision over Ryan Darch. Bonaccorsi used five takedowns, a reversal and a bonus point for riding time to secure the 13-4 victory. Making his second-consecutive start at 184 pounds, P.J. Tasser earned his second win by fall in as many nights, sticking Steven Cressley 1:53 in to give Pitt their first lead of the evening. After Matt Wilps picked up a decision at 197 pounds, Zac Thomusseit closed the night on a high note when he pinned Phil Catrucco with 20 seconds remaining in his match to secure the 26-15 victory. The Panthers return to action when they travel to Chicago for the 50th Midlands Tournament on Saturday, Dec. 29, and Sunday, Dec. 30, on the campus of Northwestern. Results: 125: Tyler Fraley (C) dec. Godwin Nyama (P), 6-0; Clarion leads, 3-0 133: No. 11 Shelton Mack (P) dec. Joe Waltko (C), 8-5; Match tied, 3-3 141: Joe Matacic (C) dec. Corey Bush (P), 11-4; Clarion leads, 6-3 149: Tyler Bedelyon (C) pins Ronnie Garbinksy (P), 5:36; Clarion leads, 12-3 157: No. 3 James Flemming (C) dec. Donnie Tasser (P), 3-0; Clarion leads, 15-3 165: No. 10 Tyler Wilps (P) maj. dec. Nick Milano (C), 12-4; Clarion leads, 15-7 174: Nick Bonaccorsi (P) maj. dec. Ryan Darch (C), 13-4; Clarion leads, 15-11 184: P.J. Tasser (P) pins Steven Cressley (C), 1:53; Pitt leads, 17-15 197: No. 2 Matt Wilps (P) dec. Justin Ortega (C), 4-3; Pitt leads, 20-15 285: No. 7 Zac Thomusseit (P) pins Phil Catrucco (C), 6:40; Pitt wins, 26-15

NORFOLK, Va. -- The Old Dominion University wrestling team dominated American University on its way to a 23-9 victory on Friday night. The dual meet started out with Rob Deutsch facing American’s No. 26 David Terao. Deutsch was able to score two points off a takedown with 49 seconds left in the first period. Terao then escaped to pull the match to 2-1. In the second period, Deutsch escaped with 40 seconds remaining to take a 3-1 lead. Besides a riding point for Deutsch, the third period remained scoreless and Deutsch ended up beating Terao 4-1. In the 133 pound match, Esteban Gomez-Rivera of American took an early 2-0 lead on Scott Festejo off a takedown with 20 seconds remaining in the first period. Festejo escaped with 55 seconds remaining in the second period to cut the lead to 2-1. In the third period, Festejo escaped then took Gomez-Rivera down and followed that by 3 back points all within 30 seconds to win the match 9-3. ODU took an early 6-0 lead over American University. In the 141 pound bout, ODU's Chris Mecate faced American's John Boyle. Mecate got an early takedown in the first period to take a 2-0 lead. Both Boyle and Mecate got an escape point in the second period to make the score 3-1 after two periods. Boyle got another escape point early in the third period to cut Mecate’s lead to 3-2 with 1:40 remaining in the match. Boyle then escaped to tie the match 3-3 with 45 seconds left; however, Mecate’s riding time was enough to win the match 4-3 and give the Monarchs a 9-0 lead over American. The 149 pound match featured ODU's Alexander Richardson and American's No. 26 Kevin Tao. Tao went up 2-0 off a takedown in the first period. Richardson would cut the lead in half with an escape to end the first period. With 30 seconds left in the second period, Richardson escaped again to tie the match at 2-2 after the second period. Tao started off the third period with an escape and ending up beating Richardson 4-2. ODU now led American 9-3. In the 157 match, ODU's Brennan Brumley faced American's Mark Cirello. Brumley scored first with a two-point takedown in the first period. Brumley followed that up with three takedowns and an escape in the second period to take a 9-1 lead over Cirello going into the third period. Brumley went on to major decision Cirello 10-2 and gave ODU a 13-3 lead over American. At 165 pounds, ODU’s Brett Miller wrestled Phillip Barriero. Barriero got off to an early 2-0 lead, before Miller escaped and got a takedown of his own to take a 3-2 lead. Barriero would escape to tie the match 3-3 after the first period. Barriero escaped in the second period to take a 4-3 lead into the third period. Miller started the third period with a takedown which gave him a 5-4 lead. Barriero then escaped to tie the match at 5-5. Barriero ended up taking Miller down and then nearfalled him to cruise to a 10-5 victory. ODU still held onto a 13-6 lead. In the 174 pound match, ODU's Billy Curling faced American's Keithen Cast. After two periods, Curling held onto a 1-0 lead. Cast cut the lead to 2-1 with an escape, but Curling got another takedown to beat Cast 3-1 and give ODU a 16-6 lead over American. In the 184 pound match, ODU's Austin Coburn faced American's Thomas Barriero. With two minutes remaining in the first period, Coburn took a 2-0 lead off a takedown. Coburn then escaped to take a 3-0 lead into the third period. Barriero escaped early in the third period to cut the lead to 3-1. Coburn followed that up with another takedown and a 5-1 lead over Barriero. Barriero would later escape in the third period, but Coburn proved to be too much as he won 6-2 and gave ODU a 19-6 lead over American. In the 197 pound match, ODU's Jacob Henderson faced American’s Devon Bradley. Henderson started off the match with an early takedown to take a 2-0 lead. In the second period, Henderson escaped, got two points for a takedown and then nearfalled Bradley to take an 8-0 lead into the third period. Henderson got another takedown and points for an escape and riding time to finish off to a 12-0 victory over Bradley. Henderson’s major decision gave ODU a 23-6 lead. In the final match of the night, ODU's No. 24 Matt Tourdot faced American's No. 30 Blake Herrin. Herrin scored first with a two-point takedown. Tourdot followed that with an escape to going into the second period down 2-1. Herrin started off the second period with an escape to take a 3-1 lead. Herrin ended the second period with another takedown and took a 5-1 lead into the third period. Tourdot started the third period off with an escape to cut the lead to 5-2, but Herrin went on to beat Tourdot 7-2. Results: 125: Rob Deutsch dec. #26 David Terao 4-2; ODU: 3 AU: 0 133: #16 Scott Festejo dec. Esteban Gomez-Rivera 9-3; ODU: 6 AU: 0 141: Chris Meacte dec. John Boyle 4-3; ODU: 9 AU: 0 149: #26 Kevin Tao dec. Alexander Richardson 4-2; ODU: 9 AU: 3 157: Brennan Brumley MD Mark Cirello 10-2; ODU: 13 AU: 3 165: Phillip Barriero dec. Brett Miller 10-5; ODU: 13 AU:6 174: Billy Curling dec. Keithan Cast 3-1; ODU: 16 AU: 6 184: Austin Coburn dec. Thomas Barriero 6-2; ODU: 19 AU: 6 197: Jacob Henderson MD Devon Bradley 12-0; ODU: 23 AU: 6 HWT: #30 Blake Herrin dec. #24 Matt Tourdot 7-2; ODU: 23 AU: 9

Assuming we get past the Mayan Apocalypse on Friday, come Saturday and Sunday the 20th anniversary Beast of the East presented by Silvestri Mushrooms will take place. Year-to-year, this tournament has provided an elite level of competition between excellent wrestlers and perennial powerhouse programs. No. 1 in the nation Blair Academy, N.J., has attended each and every edition of the Beast, and is after a 13th consecutive title, 17th in all. That status is not for a lack of excellent teams in the field. Ten other squads in the InterMat Fab 50 national high school team rankings are among the approximate 100 squads in the tournament, they include: No. 2 Wyoming Seminary, Pa., No. 17 Massillon Perry, Ohio, No. 25 Central Dauphin, Pa., No. 29 Bethlehem Catholic, Pa., No. 30 McDonogh, Md., No. 38 Colonial Forge, Va., No. 41 Bergen Catholic, N.J., No. 42 Christiansburg, Va., No. 47 Don Bosco Prep, N.J., and No. 49 Brecksville, Ohio. For excellence among individuals, five No. 1 in the nation wrestlers are entered in this tournament: Nick Suriano (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) at 106 pounds, Nathan Tomasello (CVCA, Ohio) at 120, Joey Dance (Christiansburg, Va.) at 126, Eric Morris (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) at 182, and Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Md.) at 220; with another seven wrestlers are either ranked second or third Josh Lowe, InterMat high school analyst, will be covering the tournament with a live notebook article as well as updates on his personal twitter account (@JoshMLowe). Updated quarterfinal pairings and team scores will be provided after Saturday's competition with a recap game story being published after the completion of the event. Brackets and tournament updates will be available on either the event website, or through TrackWrestling.com. Wrestling starts each day at 8:30 a.m. ET at the Bob Carpenter Center on the campus of the University of Delaware in Newark, Del. Competition on Saturday will involve three full championship rounds to set up the quarterfinals and four consolation rounds to narrow the field down to 16 overall. Expect the round of 16 on Saturday to start at around 5:30 p.m. Competition on Sunday will start with the quarterfinals, semifinals starting at approximately 11:30 a.m., and all consolations rounds up to the medal matches. Medal matches for the top eight places will start at about 3:15 p.m. The following is a weight-by-weight breakdown of the tournament (please note all analysis assumes that the seeds hold and/or there are no changes in participants from Thursday night): 106: Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 1 Nick Suriano (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), No. 3 Austin Assad (Brecksville, Ohio), No. 6 Jose Rodriguez (Massillon Perry, Ohio), No. 12 Kyle Bierdumpfel (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.), and No. 13 Brandon Olsen (Indian River, Va.) Notable non-seeded wrestlers: freshmen T.K. Megonigal (McDonogh, Md.) and Ethan McCoy (Kiski Prep, Pa.) Key potential round of 16 matchups: Joey Prata (St. Christopher's, Va.) vs. Bierdumpfel, a battle of Cadet National double All-Americans Commentary: Five nationally ranked wrestlers are present in this weight class; however, the overall depth in this weight behind the elite group is not present. Leading the way here is the nation's number one ranked wrestler, Suriano, who won the Super 32 Challenge two months ago. His path to the finals involves a likely quarterfinal against state runner-up Tommy Aloi (Forest Park, Va.), who was also a NHSCA Junior runner-up. The likely semifinal is against Brandon Olsen, a state placer that took fifth at the Super 32; presuming Olsen gets past state placer Tyler McBridge (Camden Catholic, N.J.) in his probable quarterfinal match. Two-time Cadet freestyle All-American Assad likely has the toughest path to the final coming from the two seed. He is looking at the winner of the Prata/Bierdumpfel match in the quarterfinal, and then a match against New York state runner-up, and a fourth place finisher at the Super 32, Rodriguez in what could be a state finals preview in Ohio's big-school division come March. Predicting a finals match: Suriano over Assad The rest of the top eight: Rodriguez, Bierdumpfel, Olsen, McBride, Aloi, and Prata 113: Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 5 Brent Fleetwood (Smyrna, Del.), No. 12 Zach Fuentes (Norristown, Pa.), and No. 14 Aaron Assad (Brecksville, Ohio) Notable non-seeded wrestlers: Bryce Gentry (Colonial Forge, Va.), who has twice finished fourth at state; state qualifier Tyrone Klump (Nazareth, Pa.); and two-time state qualifier Tyler Casamenti (Bergen Catholic, N.J.) Key potential round of 16 matchups: Fuentes vs. Ryan Friedman (St. Paul's, Md.), who was third at National Preps; A.C. Headlee (Waynesburg, Pa.) vs. Sean Badua (Osbourn Park, Va.), Cadet freestyle All-American and Super 32 placer against a state champion; and Chaz Tucker (Blair Academy, N.J.) vs. Ricky Cavallo (Hempfield Area, Pa.), Cadet freestyle runner-up against a Powerade runner-up. Commentary: Though there are only three nationally ranked wrestlers, along with two additional competitors who are returning Beast placers, this is an extremely deep and well-balanced weight class. The top seed is Fleetwood, a two-time Super 32 placer and a Junior National freestyle All-American this past summer. His path to the final will not be easy, starting with a quarterfinal against either Fuentes or Friedman; and then the winner of the Headlee, Badua, Tucker, Cavallo pod in the semifinal round. Looking at the bottom half of draw, it is led by three-time state placer Aaron Assad, a Junior National freestyle All-American and returning Beast placer. His path to the final involves a possible round of 16 match against state champion Kyson Levin (Pleasant Grove, Utah), a quarterfinal against two-time Beast placer Jeremy Schwartz (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), and then a possible semifinal against either state champion Anthony Cefolo (Hanover Park, N.J.) -- also a Beast placer last year -- or two-time state placer Tanner Shoap (Chambersburg, Pa.) Predicting a finals match: Fleetwood over Assad The rest of the top eight: Fuentes, Tucker, Headlee, Shoap, Cefolo, and Cavallo 120: Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 1 Nathan Tomasello (CVCA, Ohio), No. 3 Matthew Kolodzik (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 4 Sam Krivus (Hempfield Area, Pa.), No. 5 Darian Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), No. 10 Coy Ozias (Christiansburg, Va.), and No. 10 (at 113) Luis Gonzalez (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.) Notable non-seeded wrestlers: two-time Beast placer Zach Ulerick (Middletown, Pa.), New England regional champion Will Crisco (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), and notable freshman Kevin Budock (Good Counsel, Md.) Key potential round of 16 matchups: two-time state champion Micah Hight (Caesar Rodney, Del.) vs. Gonzalez; state champion David Bavery (Massillon Perry, Ohio) vs. Super 32 placer Christian Innarella (Delbarton, N.J.), Innarella beat Bavery 5-2 at the Super 32; Vincenzo Joseph (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Pa.) vs. Robert Trombetta (Nutley, N.J.) in a battle of statate placer Commentary: A tournament-high six nationally ranked wrestlers are present here, and the six past Beast placers is also a tournament high. Those two buckets capture ten wrestlers. That, combined with the quality of the lower seeds and non-seeds, make this an extremely strong weight class. Competition will be fierce from the word “go” and upsets are likely. The top seed in this weight is three-time state champion and two-time Junior National freestyle champion Tomasello. His path the final likely involves either Hight or two-time state placer Gonzalez in the quarterfinal, and then either Krivus or Ozias in the semifinal (this pair of two-time Super 32 placers are likely to meet in the quarterfinal round). The bottom half of the draw has extreme depth, led by the second seed Kolodzik, who was a Cadet freestyle champion this summer, and the three-seed Cruz who has won the Beast each of the last two years. These two wrestlers met in a hotly contested Ironman semifinal match last year that Kolodzik won 2-1. However, they'll have to battle to meet in the semis. For Kolodzik, he's looking at a quarterfinal date against either Joseph, who was runner-up here at 106 last year, or Trombetta; while Cruz will likely see returning placer Sean Button (Kellam, Va.) in the round of 16 before facing either Bavery or Innarella if the seeds hold. Predicting a finals match: Tomasello over Cruz The rest of the top eight: Kolodzik, Krivus, Ozias, Joseph, Bavery, and Hight 126: Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 1 Joey Dance (Christiansburg, Va.), No. 3 Ryan Diehl (Trinity, Pa.), and No. 14 Judson Preskitt (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), No. 15 Anthony Giraldo (North Bergen, N.J.) Notable non-seeded wrestlers: NHSCA Freshman nationals champ Austin Riggs (Robinson, Va.) Key potential round of 16 matchups: David McFadden (DePaul Catholic, N.J.) vs. Billy Ward (Buena Regional, N.J.), state runner-up against 2011 state third; and Zach Valley (Northampton, Pa.) vs. Tyler Carney (Smyrna, Del.), state fifth against state runner-up. Commentary: The simple story in this weight is to say that we'll get the final here that we missed out on in the Super 32 with Dance and Diehl battling it out for a title. Even if we end up at that point, there are at least nine other pretty accomplished wrestlers in this weight to make earning placement here an accomplishment. The top seed here is Dance, who is seeking an elusive Beast title after placing sixth as a freshman and second the last two years. He is looking at a quarterfinal against either state champion Zeke Salvo (Mt. St. Joseph, Md.) or state placer Jeff Stone (Colonial Forge, Va.), and then a semifinal against the one who emerges from the pod of Preskitt, McFadden, and Ward. Preskitt was runner-up to Dance two weekends ago at the Ironman, and is a two-time National Prep placer. Three-time state champion Diehl, who won his first two titles in West Virginia before transferring into Pennsylvania for his junior season, is the second seed in this weight class; he placed third in the Super 32 after losing in overtime in the semis. His path to the final involves a quarterfinal against either Valley or Carney, and then a semifinal against either two-time state placer Giraldo -- who took fifth at the Super 32 after losing 7-1 to Diehl in the consolation semis -- or state runner-up Matt Grossman (Manheim Township, Pa.) Predicting a finals match: Dance over Diehl The rest of the top eight: Preskitt, Giraldo, McFadden, Ward, Grossman, and Valley 132: Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 4 Brandon Jeske (Cox, Va.), No. 9 Dennis Gustafson (Forest Park, Va.), and No. 11 P.J. Klee (Blair Academy, N.J.) Notable non-seeded wrestlers: state qualifier Connor Burkert (St. Peter's Prep, N.J.) Key potential round of 16 matchups: Geoff Verallis (Northfield Mt. Herman, Mass.) vs. Bryce Killian (Middletown, Pa.), Beast and National Prep fifth place-finisher against 2011 Super 32 placer; Nick Anderson (Delbarton, N.J.) vs. Cortland Schuyler (Manheim Township, Pa.), state placer against state qualifier Commentary: Even with five wrestlers that have placed in past Beast tournaments -- which is tied for second most in the tournament -- including three nationally ranked, the depth behind the projected placers is not as solid as in some of the surrounding weight classes. Leading the way here is defending champion Jeske, who is one of six wrestlers seeking to become a four-time Beast of the East placer, with additional placements of third as a sophomore and second as a freshman. He is the top seed and is looking at a path to the finals that involves state placer Chase Zemenak (Nazareth, Pa.) in the quarterfinal, and then the survivor of the Verallis, Killian, Anderson, and Schuyler pod in the semifinal. The bottom half of the draw features Beast of the East runner-up Klee as the two seed and NHSCA Junior runner-up Gustafoson -- also a two-time Beast placer -- as the third seed. Klee has a rather clear path to the semifinal, while Gustafson is looking at a quarterfinal date with two-time National Prep placer Daniel Sanchez (Georgetown Prep, Md.), who also was a Junior Greco-Roman All-American this past summer. Predicting a finals match: Jeske over Gustafson The rest of the top eight: Klee, Sanchez, Verallis, Killian, Anderson, and Zemenak 138: Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 5 Tyson Dippery (Central Dauphin, Pa.), No. 6 Mason Manville (Blair Academy, N.J.), and No. 7 Alfred Bannister (Bishop McNamara, Md.) Notable non-seeded wrestlers: state qualifier Ryan Burkert (St. Peter's Prep, N.J.), New England regional fourth placer Jake Savoca (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), Justin Alexander (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Pa.), and Alvonte Drummond (Milford, Del.) Key potential round of 16 matchups: Brian Hamann (Jackson Memorial, N.J.) vs. Isaac Bast (Massillon Perry, Ohio), two-time fourth in the state against state placer; Patrick Duggan (Cumberland Valley, Pa.) vs. Max Good (Cedar Cliff, Pa.), Cadet freestyle runner-up and state placer against two-time state qualifier; and Clay Walker (Eastside, S.C.) vs. Ethan Kenney (Connellsville, Pa.), two-time state champion against two-time state placer Commentary: The top four seeds are either nationally ranked, or have placed previously at the Beast of the East, three in each category. There is also solid depth of competition among the projected placers, and those likely to make the second day. Top seed in this weight class is National Prep runner-up Bannister, who also placed second at the Beast last year and was a NHSCA Sophomore national champion. His path to the final is likely to involve two-time National Prep placer Xavi Ramos (McDonogh, Md.) in the quarter, whom he already beat at the Ray Oliver Invitational three weekends ago, and then the survivor of the Duggan, Good, Hamann, and Bast pod in the semifinal round. The bottom half of the draw features second seeded Dippery, who has placed third three times and is seeking an elusive Beast finals appearance (and then title). His path to the final involves an interesting quarterfinal against either Walker or Kenney, and then a potential semifinal date with the freshman sensation Manville. Manville was a Cadet National double finalist this summer, a runner-up at the Ironman, and placed third at state up at 152 last year while competing for Apple Valley as an eighth grader. He is looking at a quarterfinal match against either state champion Dallas Smith (Robinson, Va.) or state runner-up Chase McDaniel (Cave Spring, Va.) Predicting a finals match: Dippery over Bannister, which is a battle of NHSCA champions (junior over sophomore) The rest of the top eight: Manville, Duggan, Hamann, Kenney, Bast, and Walker 145: Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 8 Dylan Milonas (Blair Academy, N.J.) and No. 8 (at 138) T.J. Miller (Camden Catholic, N.J.) Notable non-seeded wrestlers: freshman Joe Grello (Bergen Catholic) and open wheel racing star Sage Karam (Nazareth, Pa.) Key potential round of 16 matchups: Mikey Springer (Norristown, Pa.) vs. Beau Donahue (Westfield, Va.), state placer against two-time state champion, and George Weber (John Carroll, Md.) vs. Daniel Downes (St. Mark's, Del.), three-time National Prep placer against state champion. Commentary: Even though only two wrestlers are ranked nationally in what is the deepest weight class in the nation, the presence of five past Beast placers -- tied for second most in the tournament -- reflect the quality within this group. Defending champion Milonas, a two-time National Prep runner-up and Junior National freestyle All-American, is the top seed. His path to the final likely involves a quarterfinal match against either Springer or Donahue, and then a semifinal against three-time state placer Miller who placed sixth at the Beast as a freshman in 2009. Miller is looking at a path to the semi that includes a round of 16 match against state placer Will Davis (Woodbridge, Del.) and a quarterfinal against National Prep placer Tyrel White (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), who was third in Junior Greco-Roman this summer. The bottom half of the draw is anchored by National Prep champion Clark, a two-time Beast placer -- including third last year. He has a very tough quarterfinal against Weber, though it is a wrestler that he has outplaced in previous tournaments; and then looks at a semifinal date against either Chris Vassar (Cedar Cliff, Pa.) or Ryan Todora (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.), both of whom are two-time state placers. Predicting a finals match: Milonas over Clark, avenging his National Prep finals loss for the second time this season The rest of the top eight: Miller, Weber, Vassar, White, Donahue, and Todora 152: Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 6 Russ Parsons (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 9 Garrett Hammond (Chambersburg, Pa.), No. 11 Wayne Stinson (North Burlington, N.J.), and No. 17 Jack Bass (Robinson, Va.) Notable non-seeded wrestlers: Super 32 placer Austin Rose (Central Dauphin, Pa.) and two-time state placer Max Wilt (Caesar Rodney, Del.) Key potential round of 16 matchups: Toby Hague (McDonogh, Md.) vs. Chris Weiler (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), National Prep runner-up and Super 32 placer against Cadet double All-American and Ironman placer; Tony Dailey (Massillon Perry, Ohio) vs. Taylor Misuna (Grassfield, Va.), Ironman placer against state runner-up; and Robert Janis (St. Christopher's, Va.) vs. Zach Kelly (Kiski Prep, Pa.), battle of National Prep placers, Janis placed sixth at Beast last year while Kelly was sixth at the Super 32. Commentary: The presence of four nationally ranked wrestlers does not indicate how deep the field is in this weight class. The pool of wrestlers that could place top six here goes into the double digits. The top seed in this weight is National Prep champion Parsons, a two-time Beast placer who also was a Junior freestyle All-American this summer. His path to the final involves a quarterfinal against either Hague or Weiler, and then a semifinal against either Stinson or Chad Walsh (Camden Catholic, N.J.). Stinson placed seventh at the Beast last year, is a three-time state qualifier, and placed third at the Super 32 but is yet to place at state; while Walsh is a three-time state placer, and finished eighth at the Super 32 two months ago. In the bottom half of the draw, state champion and Super 32 runner-up Hammond is the second seed. His path to the final involves a quarterfinal date with either Janis or Kelly; and then a semifinal date with Bass, Dailey, or Misuna. Bass placed at the Beast as a freshman, is a two-time state runner-up, and was a Junior freestyle All-American this past summer. He is the three seed, and has a likely quarterfinal date with either Janis or Kelly. Predicting a finals match: Parsons over Hammond The rest of the top eight: Stinson, Bass, Weiler, Walsh, Hague, and Misuna 160: Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 4 Josh Llopez (St. Mary's Ryken, Md.), No. 6 Myles Martin (McDonogh, Md.), No. 10 Garrett Peppelman (Central Dauphin, Pa.), and No. 17 T.C. Warner (Cumberland Valley, Pa.) Notable non-seeded wrestlers: Connor Hedash (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.); Dom Scalise (Kiski Prep, Pa.) and John Grossi (Germantown Academy, Pa.), both who were a match away from placing at the Ironman Key potential round of 16 matchups: Greg Bacci (Malvern Prep, Pa.) vs. Dylan Wisman (Millbrook, Va.), National Prep placer against state runner-up; and Jack Wedholm (Blair Academy, N.J.) vs. John Faugno (Glen Ridge, N.J.), Ironman placer against state qualifier Commentary: Four wrestlers are nationally ranked in this weight class, and this quartet stands out as the head of the class. Based on the draw, it should make for an intriguing semifinal round. In the top half, Llopez and Martin project to meet for a third time this season, and they could meet at least three more times as they both go through the National Prep series; while Peppelman and Warner would meet up for the first time of what could be many on the way to a state finals match, as they both reside in Pennsylvania's district 3. Llopez, a two-time Super 32 finalist (2011 champion) and a Junior National freestyle champion this summer, is looking at a quarterfinal match with either Bacci or Wiseman. Cadet freestyle runner-up Martin, who also was a runner-up at National Preps last year, is looking at a quarterfinal against most likely NHSCA Junior runner-up John Balboni (David Brearley, N.J.). State runner-up Warner, who placed fifth at Beast last year, is looking at either Wedholm or Faugno in his quarterfinal. State champion Peppelman, a two-time Super 32 placer and third at the Beast last year, possibly has two-time New York state placer Nicky Hall (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) looming in his quarterfinal match. Predicting a finals match: Peppelman over Llopez, reversing the Super 32 semifinal match result The rest of the top eight: Martin, Warner, Balboni, Hall, Faugno, and Hedash 170: Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 3 Zach Epperly (Christiansburg, Va.) and No. 19 Patrick Coover (Blair Academy, N.J.) Notable non-seeded wrestlers: National Prep placer Terrell Forbes (St. Benedict's Prep, N.J.) Key potential round of 16 matchups: Zach Boyles (Smyrna, Del.) vs. Luke Farinaro (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.), state champion against state qualifier Commentary: This weight has tied for the least nationally ranked wrestlers with two; and tied for the second least past Beast placers, also with two (Coover and Epperly). Defending champion Epperly -- the top seed - is an extreme favorite to repeat. He is a three-time state champion, two-time Super 32 placer, and finished fourth in Junior freestyle this past summer, and has an extremely manageable path the top final, most likely involves a semifinal against either Brett Stein (Forest Park, Va.) or Joey Krulock (Mechanicsburg, Pa.). Stein placed third at state, and was fifth at the NHSCA Junior Nationals, while Krulock placed seventh at state. In the bottom half of the draw, National Prep champion and returning Beast placer Coover is the second seed. His path to the final starts with a quarterfinal against either Boyles or Farinaro, and then a likely semifinal against state placer Quentin Hiles (Brecksville, Ohio), who placed sixth at the Ironman two weeks ago; this presumes Hiles is able to clear Colton Peppelman (Central Dauphin, Pa.) in his projected quarterfinal bout. Predicting a finals match: Epperly over Coover The rest of the top eight: Krulock, Stein, Hiles, Farinaro, Boyles, and Peppelman 182: Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 1 Eric Morris (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.), No. 4 Brett Harner (Norristown, Pa.), No. 7 Johnny Sebastian (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), and No. 19 Addison Knepshield (Blair Academy, N.J.) Notable non-seeded wrestlers: state qualifier James Kellner (St. Peter's Prep, N.J.) Key potential round of 16 matchups: none in particular Commentary: Morris seeks a second Beast title and fourth placement finish in this tournament, having finished fifth as a freshman and second as a junior to augment last year's title. The nation's number one wrestlers is looking at a quarterfinal date against state placer Zach Martinez (Colonial Forge, Va.) before a likely semifinal against either Knepshield or Troy Murtha (Georgetown Prep, Md.). Knepshield placed fourth at the Ironman two weeks ago and was fourth at National Preps in 2011, while Murtha placed eighth at the Beast last year, third at National Preps, and fifth at the Super 32. The bottom half of the draw is anchored by Sebastian and Harner, who finished second and third at the Beast last year in the 160 pound weight class. They occupy those seeds respectively this year. State champion Sebastian is extremely likely to advance to the semis, while three-time state placer and Super 32 runner-up Harner has a match against returning Beast placer Jose Ortiz (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) looming in the quarterfinal round; Ortiz was also a state qualifier last year, and has finished second at both the NHSCA freshman and sophomore nationals. Predicting a finals match: Morris over Harner, rematch of an Ironman semifinal that went to overtime The rest of the top eight: Sebastian, Knepshield, Ortiz, Murtha, Martinez, and Kellner 195: Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 2 Ryan Solomon (Milton, Pa.), No. 3 Frank Mattiace (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 8 Raymond O'Donnell (Saucon Valley, Pa.), No. 11 Joe Tayse (Massillon Perry, Ohio), and No. 19 Razohn Gross (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.) Notable non-seeded wrestlers: two-time state qualifier Josh Alpha (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.); state qualifier Josh Murphy (Brecksville, Ohio); state placer Anthony Mancini (Salesanium, Del.); Cadet double third place-finisher, and Super 32 third place-finisher Christian Jenco (Bergen Catholic); and Jordan Fox (St. Peter's Prep, N.J.) Key potential round of 16 matchups: none in particular based on the top 12 seeds; however, some of the non-seeds can most certainly create some Commentary: While the Ironman was not very strong in this weight class, the Beast of the East is extremely strong here with five nationally ranked wrestlers, and a quality wrestler list that creeps into double digits. Extremely impressive for a weight class -- that along with 182 -- is the one people argue was the “added weight” in the NFHS configuration change effective last year. The top seed in this weight class is three-time state placer Solomon, a state champion this past year and a three-time Fargo double All-American. His path to the final will not be easy, as if the seeds hold, it would entail a quarterfinal against Spencer Neff (Good Counsel, Md.) who placed third at the Super 32 and fifth at National Preps. Then the semifinal would likely be against state champion Gross or National Prep third place finisher L.J. Barlow (Haverford School, Pa.) The bottom half of the draw features three nationally ranked wrestlers, led by two-time Beast placer Mattiace, who was a National Prep champion last year. His path to the finals involves a likely quarterfinal against state placer Zach Roseberry (Brentsville, Va.), who also was a NHSCA Junior runner-up; and then a semifinal against either Super 32 runner-up O'Donnell, who is also a two-time state placer, or state champion Tayse. Predicting a finals match: Solomon over Mattiace The rest of the top eight: O'Donnell, Tayse, Gross, Jenco, Roseberry, and Neff 220: Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 1 Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Md.), No. 11 Garrett Ryan (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) Notable non-seeded wrestlers: state qualifier Austin Linden (Brecksville, Ohio) Key potential round of 16 matchups: none in particular Commentary: Only four wrestlers are captured from the list of two that are nationally ranked (tied for least in the tournament) and three past placers, which makes this among the least deep weights of the tournament. However, there is a clear anchor in the junior Snyder, who is after a third consecutive Beast title. Should he win this year, which is extremely likely, next year he could become on the second wrestler ever to win four titles at the Beast. Obviously he is the top seed, and is looking at a semifinal date against either Ironman seventh placer David Showunmi (Blair Academy, N.J.) or state qualifier Armond Cox (St. Peter's Prep, N.J.). Second seed in this weight is Arizona state champion Ryan, a Junior National double All-American this past summer. He is looking at a semifinal match against one of two returning Beast placers -- either Zach Chakonis (Don Bosco Prep, N.J.), who placed sixth at state; or Marshall Hollerith (St. Christopher's, Va.), who finished eighth at the Ironman two weeks ago. Predicting a finals match: Snyder over Ryan The rest of the top eight: Chakonis, Showunmi, Hollerith, Linden, Cox, and Brandon Dennison (Pleasant Grove, Utah) 285: Nationally ranked wrestlers: No. 2 Brooks Black (Blair Academy, N.J.), No. 7 (at 220) Aaron Bradley (Nazareth, Pa.), and No. 9 Michael Johnson, Jr. (Wyoming Seminary, Pa.) Notable non-seeded wrestlers: Ironman placers Jemal Averette (Good Counsel, Md.) and Stefano Millian (Massillon Perry, Ohio) Key potential round of 16 matchups: Jake Pinkston (Robinson, Va.) vs. Carmine Goldsack (Bergen Catholic, N.J.), state runner-up against state qualifier Commentary: Brooks Black is seeking to become a three-time Beast champion, just as he earned that status at the Ironman two weeks ago; and to become a four-time placer in both tournaments (every year at heavyweight), placing third in each as a freshman. His path to the final likely involves a quarterfinal against Ironman placer Zach DeLuca (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Pa.), and a semifinal against either Pinkston or Zach Dawe (Pleasant Grove, Utah), who was fifth at the Beast last year and won a title at the Reno TOC last week. The bottom half of the draw is led by two seed Johnson, Jr. -- a National Prep runner-up who placed third here as a freshman last year. He is looking at a likely semifinal against Bradley, who was a state runner-up at 220 last year. Predicting a finals match: Black over Johnson, Jr. -- repeating the matchup from the Ironman final two weeks ago The rest of the top eight: Bradley, Dawe, Pinkston, DeLuca, Averette, and Jeff Miller (Camden Catholic, N.J.) Fun facts, figures, and history Last year, Mark Grey (Cornell/Blair Academy, N.J.) became the first wrestler in event history to win four titles, while five others are three-timers at the Beast of the East. This weekend, three wrestlers have the chance to win a third title at the event: Darian Cruz at 120, Kyle Snyder at 220, and Brooks Black at 285. Snyder is only a junior, and should he win this weekend, he would have the chance to join Grey at the December 2013 edition of the Beast. Other returning champions include Brandon Jeske at 132; Dylan Milonas at 145; Zach Epperly at 170; and Eric Morris at 182. Defending champion Joey McKenna (Blair Academy, N.J.) is not competing this weekend due to injury, nor is 2010 champion J.R. Wert (Christiansburg, Va.). In addition, six wrestlers are seeking to become four-time placers this weekend at the Beast: Darian Cruz at 120, Joey Dance at 126, Brandon Jeske at 132, Tyson Dippery at 138, Eric Morris at 182, and Brooks Black at 285. This past summer at the Olympic Games in London, England, four Beast of the East alumni competed in the freestyle event. Gold medalist Jordan Burroughs failed to place during his senior year in December 2005 at 135 pounds; bronze medalist Coleman Scott was a two-time finalist, winning the 125 pound weight class in December 2003 of his senior season; Jake Herbert finished as runner-up at 160 in December 2001 during his junior season, which happened to be his last loss in high school; and Franklin Gomez was a champion at 119 pounds in December 2004 of his senior season.

Fight Now TV Presents Takedown Wrestling from the Brute studios in Des Moines, Iowa at 1460 KXNO. Takedown Wrestling is proudly presented by Kemin, Inspired Molecular Solutions! This Saturday it's Takedown Wrestling Radio from 9 to 11 a.m. CST/ 10 AM to noon ET. Join Scott Casber, Steve Foster, our own Jeff Murphy and Brad Johnson. Special guest host: Eric Voelker, three-time All-American for Iowa State, winning NCAA titles in 1987 and 1989. This week's guests: 9:03 Brian Smith, Missouri head wrestling coach 9:15 Kendrick Maple, Oklahoma wrestler 9:35 Kyven Gadson, Iowa State wrestler 9:50 Tyler Barkley, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition Update 10:03 Kyle Dake, Cornell wrestler 10:10 David Taylor, Penn State wrestler 10:30 Tony Ramos, Iowa wrestler 10:40 Jeff Murphy, Kemin Report 10:50 Amy Ruble-Wildrose Casino and Resort Emmettsburg, Iowa Fans, athletes, coaches: This is your sport. Join in the conversation live. Ask questions. Call 866-333-5966 or 515-204-5966. 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. (Click on KXNO under Sportsradio.)

InterMat senior writer T.R. Foley answers reader questions about NCAA wrestling, international wrestling, recruiting, or anything loosely related to wrestling. You have until Thursday night every week to send questions to Foley's Twitter or email account. Do you want to read a past mailbag? Access archives. There's no avoiding Newtown and the topic of gun violence in America. The week has been too filled with images of a town still in mourning to simply sidestep the discussion. This ordeal has been gut-wrenching television, a New England town reeling from the loss of 20 first-graders and six adults at the hands of deranged gunman. The individual and collective losses are almost inconceivable, and yet a week removed we're starting to actualize the damage to our national psyche and searching for remedies to prevent future acts of mass violence. Let me start by stating that I don't have kids. I know that I'd love to have a few one day, but for now it's playing uncle to a handful of half pints. What would it be like to lose one of them? What would they be like in twenty years? How would my life be better by having them around in twenty years? What kind of uncle could I be? It's a selfish thought, but connecting to the emotional magnitude of this tragedy necessitates personalization. To really comprehend the loss you have to reduce the victim pool to one, twenty-six is too many lives to imagine. Jack PintoJack Pinto was a Newtown wrestler and member of USA Wrestling. He was a sports-loving kid, who may have one day become a household name for his talents on the mat. He could have been Connecticut's version of Robert Hamlin, a stud from an unlikely state, the standout with a cool nickname. Or maybe he was out next Jordan Burroughs. There's no telling what could have been in Jack's future. It's just as likely that he would have stopped wrestling and pursued lacrosse and gone on to John Hopkins where he'd captain their national championship team. It's all unknown, because his life's story won't be written, it was cut short by the insane actions of a gun wielding lunatic. The loss of every child is a tragedy, but even more so when it comes as the result of a preventable action. I don't own guns, and I don't really enjoy shooting them. If I did, I'd probably see this tragedy as a cause to stand my ground. Defending constitutional rights is an American past time, and keeping the 2nd intact is as selfish as wanting to personalize a tragedy. After a mass shooting, gun owners buy more guns, larger clips of ammunition, and launch offensive riffs on nighttime TV (Smith & Wesson, Glock, and others have all reported massive profits in 2012). In the Meta sense it's puzzling that death by guns would cause people to want more guns, but on a personal level it's a defensible reaction. You are taught that gun ownership is a right, and now there is a hint that it might be taken away. Preparation is the best defense. Guns control is a divisive issue, and I know that the wrestling community is filled with avid hunters, including Oklahoma State head wrestling coach John Smith all the way down to my high school coach. But across the spectrum of opinions on gun control from "more is better" to "Melt 'em all" we can probably agree on a few simple and broad statements. There should be fewer military style weapons on the street, elimination of secondary gun sales, and increased penalties for gun-related crimes. They're all important first steps to take. I'm not a zealot. I live in Chicago, a city soaking in the blood of gun violence, and if I had children I can't say that I wouldn't consider owning a gun for my home. Many proponents of gun control would agree too -- guns are necessary for home protection and rifles are an integral aspect of preserving our country's hunting culture. But AR-15's and semi-automatic rifles with 100 bullet clips? Those are less-defensible, since they're mostly used in military combat, for self-amusement and in the case of Newtown, the mass slaughter of children. What can be done? As always, innovation should be the answer. Gun technology has stayed primarily unchanged since the 18th century. The guns have gotten way bigger and more advanced, but the simple technology of pulling a trigger to drop a hammer on a bullet has remained static. Could some modernization of the weaponry result in fewer accidental deaths, suicides, crimes of emotion, and mass killings? What if every gun purchased could only ever be fired by the person who purchased that gun? Like in James Bond you could develop a palm print recognition, or other identification techniques. When you want to sell that weapon you have to send it back to the manufacturer before it could be put back onto the market. The killing sin Newtown would have been prevented if that technology was in use. There are other ideas as well. Make the waiting period for guns 28 days. Mandate two personal references on every application. Broaden the mental health network to include restricting gun sales to those who've shown signs of increased instability. There are plenty of workable solutions to allow for law-abiding gun owners to keep their weapons, but to limit the number of deaths occurring due to gun violence. I just keep thinking about watching a high school-aged Jack Pinto wrestling. What would he look like? What would be his style? Aggressive and dominating, or tricky and great on top? Would he dye his hair the same color as all his teammates for districts and states? Would he be the team leader, a guy that all his buddies wanted to be like? Would he be popular? We'll never know. But in the meantime we can work to make something productive come from the tragedy, we can work to become better friends to those in need, and to those who might have lost their grip on reality. We could sacrifice just a touch of our personal freedom in the hopes of saving thousands of lives a year. If we all agree that something has to change, and that we all would prefer to see Jack Pinto winning a state title than being buried this week along with 19 of his classmates then now is the time to create productive conversations about gun control and mental health. Think about new technologies, new outreach programs, new, new, new. Leave comments below, but stay reasonable and respectful. We're here to create a positive dialogue, not tear each other down. Hudson TaylorQ: I remember a few years back Hudson Taylor had and GLBT sticker on his headgear to show his support for equal rights. That got me thinking ... Has any other wrestler to your knowledge made a social or political statement during competition? -- Anon Foley: I don't recall if there were any bold political or social statements made in recent years. However, Taylor has kept with the promise to see equal rights for the LGBT community. He recently established the non-profit "Athlete Ally," which uses the athlete community on campus to create a welcoming atmosphere for LGBT students. You can check out his site, or his twitter at @hudsonism. You can also check out Taylor at this year's MIdlands where he'll be competing at 197. Q: Who came up with these matchups for the Grapple at the Garden? Why weren't the upper-ranked teams wrestling other teams of the same caliber? Sure there were a few good duals, but why was Iowa wrestling Bucknell and Hofstra? Or Ohio State vs. Maryland and Hofstra? I feel that the powers that be really wasted a great chance to showcase top notch wrestling. -- Jefferson T. B. Foley: The other most emailed topic of the week was the Grapple at the Garden. I wasn't able to make it out of Chicago for Sunday's meet, though many who went reported the same criticism. But let's first look at the positives. We wrestled in Madison Square Garden. Regardless of the critiques the wrestling community was able to put on an event inside the country's most famous arena. That's just cool. The event showcased some of the best teams, and was able to generate good amount of secondary media coverage, most notably a front-page write-up in the New York Times of Kyle Dake and his pursuit of four titles at four weight classes. Again, that's the NYT and MSG all rolled into one weekend in the middle of the collegiate wrestling season. Very, very good stuff. I wrote this last week, but wrestling is in its Golden Era. We've never had better access to information, or larger, brighter, more fulfilling events. Just this calendar year we'll have the NWCA All-Star Classic, Grapple in the Garden, Grapple in the Big Apple, Midlands and Southern Scuffle, in addition to the NCAA Tournament. That's an incredible amount of hard work that is resulting in marketable events that have undoubtedly grown our fan base. Wrestling is heading into uncharted territory, and I couldn't be more excited. As for the critiques ... Yes, the matchups could have been a touch more compelling. I think everyone would have loved to see Okie State and Iowa face off, or Cornell take on Iowa. But these matchups are the ones we were given and while not the VERY best that we could have scheduled there were some exciting matchups. Others were a little salty about the production value once the matches started. There was difficulty figuring out who was wrestling on which mat, when and what the score was. I think the Olympics have is pegged by displaying a few big screens. I think we should adopt for all out big matches, including the Grapples and NCAA. Some were a little concerned about the blandness of the interviews being broadcast during the event. I wasn't there, but I assume it's not easy to get compelling, dynamic answers for 9k people from a media-trained athlete on the big screen in MSG. I'm sure that the committee that ran the event saw some of their own flaws, or places where improvements could be made. The Grapple series will (hopefully) be an annual event and as we grow use to its existence we'll increase attendance and the operators will increase the quality of the product. But out of the gate, I think they're onto something wonderful. As for the NCAA tournament heading to NYC? That might be too much sticker shock for many fans, though I agree it would be worthwhile to see this guy coaching his team towards a national title. Happy holidays, wrestling fans. Your questions and comments have made this an exciting and challenging time to be a writer for the wrestling community. Stay present.

The American University wrestling team won seven of 10 bouts on Thursday night in Bender Arena on its way to its first dual meet victory of the season, 23-9, over George Mason. "I was happy with our overall performance," said Head Coach Teague Moore. "Ultimately throughout the 10 bouts I felt that we outperformed their athletes which is big, especially coming off the break for finals week." George Mason picked up the first win of the match as John Boyle ended up on the short end of a 3-0 decision at 141 lbs. before Kevin Tao put American on the board with a 10-2 major decision over Greg Flournoy. Tao earned the first takedown of the bout and took a 5-0 lead after the second. Flournoy picked up a pair of escapes to put the score at 7-2 in the third period, but Tao was able to add another takedown with seven seconds left and held the advantage in riding time. The Patriots won the next bout at 157 lbs. to retake the lead but the Eagles bounced back with victories in the next three matches. Phillip Barreiro registered the 5-2 decision over George Mason's Tyler Knepp at 165 lbs. to get American rolling. Knepp posted the first takedown with 20 seconds remaining in the first but Barreiro tied it with a pair of escapes and took a 4-2 lead with his first takedown of the bout, winning it in the third building up riding time throughout the period. Keithen Cast gave American an 11-6 lead in the match with a 16-6 major decision over Ryan Hembury at 174 lbs. Cast dominated the entire match, registering seven takedowns in the bout. Thomas Barreiro earned a decision over Corey Smith at 184 lbs., taking a 3-0 lead in the second after a scoreless first period and earning the riding time advantage for the 4-0 final score. George Mason cut American's lead to 14-9 after earning a decision at 197 lbs., but the Eagles closed out the dual winning the final three matches of the night. Blake Herrin earned a 5-2 decision over Jake Kettler at heavyweight followed by a pair of decisions from David Terao and Esteban Gomez-Rivera. Terao posted a 14-8 decision over Richard Lavorato at 125 lbs. while Gomez-Rivera recorded his first win in Bender Arena with a 7-2 decision over Zachary Isenhour at 133 lbs. American will return to action tomorrow to take on another CAA opponent, Old Dominion, on Friday, December 21 at 5 p.m. in Norfolk, Va. Results: 141: Sahid Kargbo (GMU) dec. John Boyle (American), 3-0; George Mason, 3-0 149: Kevin Tao (American) major dec. Greg Flournoy (GMU), 10-2; American, 4-3 157: Jaaziah Bethea (GMU) dec. Mark Cirello (American), 11-6; George Mason, 6-4 165: Phillip Barreiro (American) dec. Tyler Knepp (GMU), 5-2; American, 7-6 174: Keithen Cast (American) major dec. Ryan Hembury (GMU), 16-6; American, 11-6 184: Thomas Barreiro (American) dec. Corey Smith (GMU), 4-0; American, 14-6 197: Matt Meadows (GMU) dec. Devon Bradley (American), 9-5; American 14-9 HWT: Blake Herrin (American) dec. Jake Kettler (GMU), 5-2; American 17-9 125: David Terao (American) dec. Richard Lavorato (GMU), 14-8; American 20-9 133: Esteban Gomez-Rivera (American) dec. Zachary Isenhour (GMU), 7-2; American 23-9

PITTSBURGH -- The No. 13 Pitt wrestling team (3-2, 1-0 EWL) earned bonus points in seven of its eight individual wins to drop Cleveland State, 38-6, this evening at Fitzgerald Field House. After the Vikings (1-2, 0-1 EWL) captured the opening match at 125 pounds, Pitt was able to take the lead on a major decision victory by 11th-ranked Shelton Mack at 133 pounds. After taking a 7-3 lead into the final period, Mack started down and earned a quick escape and takedown. Mack then cut CSU's Mike Carlone lose and earned a takedown on a double to secure the 12-4 victory and the major. CSU regained the lead with a win at 141 pounds but Ronnie Garbinsky gave the Panthers a lead that they wouldn't relinquish when he majored Mike Mencini, 13-5, at 149 pounds. Garbinsky, making his dual debut for Pitt, jumped on Mencini from the get go earning a pair of takedowns in the first period. In the second, the redshirt freshman started down and quickly earned an escape and takedown to extend his lead to 7-1 entering the final period. In the third, Garbinsky was able to overcome a late takedown by Mencini and earn the major thanks to the bonus point for 3:49 of riding time. After Troy Reaghard kept the Panther momentum going with a 10-3 decision over Matt Donohoe at 157 pounds, No. 10 Tyler Wilps continued his impressive season when he defeated Corey Carlo by a 14-4 major decision. Nick Bonaccorsi earned his second-consecutive victory by fall when he pinned Xavier Dye at 4:06 of his 174 pound match. Bonaccorsi controlled the match throughout earning two takedowns, and three three-point nearfalls en route to his victory. Making his season debut at 184 pounds, P.J. Tasser earned Pitt's second fall of the night at 3:12 against Bobby Blankenship. After a finishing the first with a 4-1 lead, Tasser started down in the second and earned a quick escape, followed by a takedown and a stick a mere 12 seconds into the frame to push the Panther lead to 27-6. Second-ranked 197-pounder Matt Wilps and seventh-ranked heavyweight Zac Thomusseit both earned convincing victories to remain undefeated on the season. Wilps used a takedown, a reversal, three two-point nearfalls and a pair of three-point nearfalls to collect a 16-0 technical fall over Nick Anthony at 4:35, while Thomusseit pinned Riley Shaw at 2:35 to wrap up the 38-6 win. The Panthers return to action tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 21, when they travel to EWL rival Clarion for a 7 p.m. dual at Tippin Gym. Results: 125: Ben Willeford (C) dec. Godwin Nyama (P), 8-5; CSU leads, 3-0 133: No. 11 Shelton Mack (P) maj. dec. Mike Marlone (C), 12-4; Pitt leads, 4-3 141: Nick Flannery (C) dec. Corey Bush (P), 6-1; CSU leads, 6-4 149: Ronnie Garbinsky (P) maj. dec. Mike Mencini (C), 13-5; Pitt leads, 8-6 157: Troy Reaghard (P) dec. Matt Donohoe (C), 10-3; Pitt leads, 11-6 165: No. 10 Tyler Wilps (P) maj. dec. Corey Carlo (C), 14-4; Pitt leads, 15-6 174: Nick Bonaccorsi (P) pins Xavier Dye (C), 4:06; Pitt leads, 21-6 184: P.J. Tasser (P) pins Bobby Blankenship (C), 3:12; Pitt leads, 27-6 197: No. 2 Matt Wilps (P) tech falls Nick Anthony (C), 16-0 (4:35); Pitt leads, 32-6 285: No. 7 Zac Thomusseit (P) pins Riley Shaw (C), 2:35; Pitt wins, 38-6

"Obstacles cannot crush me." Those words, uttered by Leonardo da Vinci 500 years ago, have served as a foundation for the life of Antonio Russo, whose Italian family put him alone on a ship bound for the U.S. as a ten-year-old. In his new homeland, Russo overcame numerous obstacles to not only raise a family, but also to make a name for himself as a wrestler in high school in Portland, Oregon and at Arizona State, then in an enduring coaching career. This inspirational story is now told in a new book, "Wrestling with the Devil," by Antonio Russo and his daughter Tonya Russo Hamilton, published by Gemelli Press. A story of solo journeys You're probably wondering why Antonio Russo's family would be willing to part with their eldest son, sending him alone on a journey from Naples, Italy to New York City, to live with relatives he had never met, in a country where he did not know the language. Born in a small village south of Naples in October 1940, Antonio "Tony" Russo actually had dual citizenship in both Italy and the U.S. His mother was born and raised in Scranton, Pennsylvania; however, after job opportunities dried up, her parents returned to their native Italy with their young daughter who eventually married and had three children, Tony being the oldest. Laws at the time stated that, in order to retain their U.S. citizenship, youngsters such as Tony had to come to America and establish residence no less than five years before his 18th birthday. As Russo states in "Wrestling with the Devil," "The laws on this have since changed, but, as far as my parents were concerned, to secure my U.S. citizenship, they knew they had to get me to America soon." So, in August 1951, Russo said goodbye to his parents and his younger brother and sister, boarded a ship all by himself, accompanied only by a suitcase and pockets stuffed with Italian meats and cheeses. After a week battling loneliness and seasickness on board the ship that transported him to the new world, life didn't become any easier for the 4' 3" tall boy who only spoke Italian. After months of being shuttled among four different sets of relatives in New York, Tony took another long solo trip -- this time by airplane across the U.S. -- to live with his aunt and uncle in Portland, where he found a loving home ... and was ultimately introduced to the sport of wrestling. As a native of Italy, Tony Russo struggled with the English language in school, which led to fights with other kids. The school's football coach thought involvement in that sport would help Russo deal with his anger and aggression in a positive way. One of the assistant football coaches happened to be head coach of the school's fledgling wrestling program, where Russo found his true home away from home ... and a true passion in his life that continues to this day as a coach, more than a half-century after first stepping onto the mat. How the book came to life When asked how "Wrestling with the Devil" came about, Tonya Russo Hamilton replied, "We grew up hearing stories about wrestling and Italy from my father." "I had always wanted to write down his stories, to preserve these memories," Hamilton continued. "I wrote up one of those stories -- what became the chapter titled "Horse and Cart" -- emailed it to him, and his reaction was so positive." (InterMat readers will find that chapter, which describes a near-tragic accident in Russo's childhood, eerily reminiscent of a similar incident involving former Oklahoma State wrestling champ and 1932 Olympic gold medalist Jack VanBebber, as told in his memoir A Distant Flame reviewed in an earlier InterMat feature.) "Once I got my dad on board, we wrote an outline, then used a tape recorder to capture his stories." Hamilton, an elementary school teacher, turned her father's audio recollections of his life into a written document ... which ultimately became a published book. It was a challenging process for Hamilton, one that took three years from initial idea to printed page ... and required a lot of thoughtful consultation with the book's subject. "As I wrote it, I'd call dad dozens and dozens of times," Hamilton disclosed. "I wanted to be sure to get every detail right." Incorporating the flavor of Italy As a memoir, "Wrestling with the Devil" is a first-person account of an Italian immigrant's life in the U.S. that took some direction from a popular historical novel about Japanese culture. "It made sense to do the book in first person," said Hamilton. "I read Memoirs of a Geisha and thought that approach would work well for telling my dad's story." "The idea was to put it in his voice, trying to make it authentic to the stories he had told us when we were kids." The authenticity extends to incorporating Italian into the text in a seamless way that adds richness to the story, without slowing down readers whose only language is English. (An example from the book: "She told us that in America, "gli alberi d'oro" lined the streets. Trees that bloomed with gold.") "A challenge was changing his dialect to standard Italian," said Hamilton. "I wrote to Dianne Hales, author of La Bella Lingua, and sent her a printed version of my manuscript. She liked the way I handled the dialogue ... She also said, ‘There's publisher, Gemelli Press, that is interested in all things Italian.' I sent them my story on a Monday, and heard back from them on Friday." A taste of the mat, too Antonio RussoTrue to its title -- and the life of its subject -- "Wrestling with the Devil" incorporates plenty of stories from the wrestling mat, starting with Tony Russo's mat career at David Douglas High School (with stops along the way at the Oregon state championships), the Multnomah Athletic Club in Portland, and, later, at Arizona State. As a Sun Devil, Russo wrestled for coach Ted Bredehoft, and counted among his teammates Charlie Tribble and Curley Culp, 1967 NCAA heavyweight champ who went on to a successful NFL career. Russo also recounts his experience at the 1964 U.S. Olympic Trials, held at the World's Fair in New York. The first-person presentation works to great advantage as Russo describes his on-the-mat exploits, from wrestling practice to actual matches, in vivid detail that any fan of the oldest-and-greatest sport will appreciate. An added bonus: plenty of photos of Russo as a wrestler in high school and as a Sun Devil. The first-person perspective also makes Antonio Russo's life story all the more compelling and moving, providing the reader with an emotional you-are-there point-of-view that truly tugs at the heartstrings. It is impossible not to read "Wrestling with the Devil" and imagine how you'd react to the various challenges that confronted a young Tony Russo. Tonya Russo Hamilton nd Antonio Russo are joined by editors Sally Carr and Kari Hock (Photo/Connie Russo)"Dad had anger issues in the past," according to Tonya Russo Hamilton. "He's very much a survivor, someone who survived various traumatic events, especially in his young life. Yet my dad is so positive. He 'stays the course' and sees good in everything. He has a good sense of humor." Russo's personality and positive spirit comes shining through in "Wrestling with the Devil." It's a true-life tale of redemption, of overcoming daunting odds, of making your way in a new world, and, of particular significance to mat fans, finding life-shaping success from a life in wrestling. "Wrestling with the Devil" is available for purchase online at the Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites. To see Antonio Russo in action as a coach, check out the video at www.tonyrussotakedowns.com.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Lehigh wrestler Eric Hess has been sidelined from competition indefinitely due to issues stemming from his successful treatment of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Hess, who has started all six of the Mountain Hawks’ duals this season at 165, is in his first season of eligibility for Lehigh. He was previously diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in the spring of 2010 and successfully beat the disease enabling a return to competition. “It comes with deep sadness to give an update regarding my current state of health,” Hess said. “Recently I underwent a series of medical tests concerning several unexplained symptoms that have been occurring throughout this 2012-13 wrestling season.” The medical condition is termed hypoxemia or low blood oxygen, a lower than normal level of oxygen in your blood. “As many of you are aware, before attending Lehigh University I underwent several chemotherapy and radiation treatments to treat Hodgkin’s Lymphoma,” Hess said. “My doctors have reassured me that these symptoms are not caused by a recurrence of cancer, however they currently cannot give a definitive prognosis on my condition. My physicians and several specialists have placed me on an indefinite medical leave from the sport of wrestling.” Hess amassed a 155-14 career record wrestling for Benton High School and captured a pair of Pennsylvania AA state championships. After originally signing with Lehigh in 2010, he deferred his enrollment while receiving treatment for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Hess returned to competition in April 2011, going 4-2 in freestyle at University Nationals. He enrolled at Lehigh in the fall of 2011 and deferred his eligibility, posting a 21-6 record while competing unattached in open tournaments. Hess won the 157-pound title at the UB Open in November 2011 and added three more runner-up finishes in his deferred year. This season, Hess posted a 3-3 mark as Lehigh’s starter at 165, with falls in each of his first two appearances in front of the home fans at Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. “I will continue to meet with specialists to explore any and all options that could lead to a safe return to the sport,” Hess said. “It has been an honor to be a member of the Mountain Hawk family and it is my intention to continue to surround myself with the wonderful people who are involved with our program. Furthermore, I am confident that our team will continue down the path of success, on and off of the wrestling mat. Thank you for the support you have shown my family and myself, both in times of happiness and in times of distress. We are and always will be proud to be Mountain Hawks.” “The Lehigh wrestling program is deeply saddened by Eric’s news,” said Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro. “Ultimately Eric’s health is the number one priority and although he may not be actively wrestling, he will remain a member of our wrestling family and integral part of our team. I have found Eric to be an amazing individual and a strong leader. His faith and commitment are an inspiration to all who know him and I feel very blessed to have him in our lives. Santoro continued, “Eric has become an extension of our family; our kids love him and we look forward to spending more time with him. We will always support him and keep his best interests in mind as we move forward. We are fortunate to have him be a part of the Lehigh tradition. True freshman Brian Brill is expected to take over at 165 for the Mountain Hawks, when they return to action at the 50th Ken Kraft Midlands Championships, December 29-30 in Evanston, Illinois.

The always entertaining duo of Cliff Fretwell and Lee Roper (Ropewell) chat up the Southern Scuffle and the state of wrestling in Georgia. Brian Muir sets lines for the Southern Scuffle and Midlands. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

The silver anniversary of the Dvorak Memorial Invitational looks to be a special event yet again at Harlem High School in Machesney Park, Ill., come Saturday and Sunday. Thirty-two teams will assemble for what is the top in-season tournament in the Land of Lincoln. The field includes five teams in the Fab 50: No. 3 St. Edward, Ohio, No. 10 Montini Catholic, No. 24 Marmion Academy, No. 28 Marist, and No. 45 Glenbard North -- and 14 ranked individuals. Eight additional teams ranked in the top ten of either Illinois Class 3A (big-school) or Class 2A (medium school) will also be present. Wrestling will start on each day at 9:30 a.m. CT (10:30 ET). On Saturday morning, there will be two rounds of championship and one of consolation before a one hour break; after the break, at approximately 3:30 p.m. CT (4:30 ET), there will be a consolation round followed by a joint round that includes the quarterfinals. On Sunday morning, wrestling starts with a consolation round, then a joint round that includes the semifinals, and concluding with the consolation semifinals. Matches for first, third, fifth, and seventh will be conducted at 2 p.m. CT (3 ET). Illinois Matmen (link: http://www.playonsports.com/channels/illinois-matmen) will again provide a live video broadcast with commentary for the Sunday competition. The plan is to offer two streams, which will enable most semifinal matches to be broadcast, as well as championship and third-place matches. Below is a breakdown of all the weight classes (all schools are from Illinois unless noted): 106: The lone returning state placer in this weight class is Anthony Bosco (Marmion Academy), who placed third last year and was sixth at the Preseason Nationals last month. However, the weight class favorite is L.J. Bentley (St. Edward, Ohio), a state qualifier and NHSCA Freshman Nationals champion who beat Bosco for seventh place at the Walsh Ironman earlier this month. Others to watch are Cadet freestyle runner-up Nick Lukanich (Marist) and Patrick Augustyn (Glenbard North). 113: Four wrestlers stand out here, led by state champion Tommy Pawleski (Montini Catholic), who was also a Junior Greco-Roman runner-up this summer and a Junior freestyle runner-up last summer. Other notables are two-time state placer Zac Denny (Machesney Park Harlem), who placed eighth at 120 in the Preseason Nationals; Cadet freestyle All-American Brian Rossi (Lockport), who placed third at state; and freshman A.J. Jaffe (Marmion Academy). 120: Three nationally ranked wrestlers anchor this extremely deep weight class. Leading the way is No. 6 Johnny Jimenez (Marmion Academy) -- a two-time state champion, Cadet freestyle third place finisher, and 2010 Dvorak champion. Additional ranked wrestlers are No. 14 Josh Alber (Dakota), a two-time state champion and Super 32 Challenge runner-up, and No. 19 Jordan Laster (Montini Catholic), a two-time state placer who finished sixth at the Ironman earlier this month. Others to watch are two-time state placer Mark Duda (Marist), Preseason Nationals runner-up Stephen Polakowsky (Libertyville), and state placer Jon Marmolejo (Glenbard North) who also is a two-time Cadet Greco-Roman All-American. 126: Two-time state champion, and 2011 Junior freestyle All-American, Jered Cortez (Glenbard North) -- ranked No. 2 in the nation - is the clear favorite in this weight class. However, it is Jordan Northrup (Machesney Park Harlem) who has won the Dvorak before -- he did so last year at 113 pounds during a state title season. Others to watch include state runner-up Chris Walters (Iowa City West, Iowa), state placer David Kasper (Marist), two-time Cadet freestyle All-American Nicholas Gil (Crystal Lake South), and Cadet Greco-Roman champion Vince Turk (Montini Catholic). 132: Two nationally ranked wrestlers anchor this weight class, both having placed at the Ironman earlier this month. Three-time state champion and Super 32 champion this October Dean Heil (St. Edward, Ohio) finished third in the Ironman, and is No. 3 nationally. 2011 state champion George Fisher (Marmion Academy) placed seventh at the Ironman after winning the Preseason Nationals, and is ranked No. 14 in the nation. A pair of two-time state placers is also present in this weight class -- Johnny Gosinski (Glenbard North) and Nick Nasenbenny (Plainfield Central). Another pair of wrestlers to watch are state placer Austin Strzelcyzk (Lockport) and Cadet freestyle All-American Jose Champagne (Montini Catholic). 138: Colin Heffernan (St. Edward, Ohio) is the lone nationally ranked wrestler at No. 19 in the nation. He placed fourth at state last year and finished fifth at the Ironman. Two-time state placer Chris Garcia (Montini Catholic) ranks as the primary challenger to Heffernan, and took sixth at the Ironman for his second placement in that event. Others to watch include two-time state placer Kegan Wakefield (Iowa City West, Iowa), state placers Carver James (Dakota) and Robbie Mikenis (Lincoln Way Central), 2011 state placer Colton Gladwell (Washington), and Cadet Greco-Roman runner-up Joey Gunther (Libertyville). 145: Only a junior, Bryce Brill (Mt. Carmel) has already won two Dvorak championships. He is also a two-time state finalist, winning in 2011, and was a Junior National freestyle champion this summer. Despite being ranked No. 2 in the country, his third Dvorak title will not come without extreme challenge. That is because No. 4 Edgar Bright (St. Edward, Ohio) is also present here. Bright won the Ironman earlier this month, is a three-time state placer (twice finishing runner-up), and a 2011 Cadet National freestyle champion. Two other state placers present in this weight class are Coord Wiseman (Barrington) and Michael Sepke (Montini Catholic). 152: The lead competitor in this weight class carries similarities to both Brill and Bright. Like Brill, Brian Murphy (Glenbard North) is a two-time Dvorak champion. Like Bright, Murphy is also a three-time state placer, twice finishing as runner-up; these two wrestlers are the best seniors in the United States yet to win a state title. This two-time Junior freestyle All-American is ranked No. 3 nationally and favored to win his third Dvorak title. However, an excellent St. Edward wrestler in No. 13 Markus Scheidel will provide a legit challenge; Scheidel is a two-time state placer and finished fourth at the NHSCA Junior Nationals. Others to watch include state qualifiers Tyler Schneider (Lincoln Way Central), also fourth at Preseason Nationals, and Luke Fortuna (Montini Catholic). 160: This seems to be a pretty open weight class with three wrestlers leading the field. Hunter Rollins (Hersey) placed fifth at state, Peter Andreotti (Marist) placed sixth at state, and sophomore Xavier Montalvo (Montini Catholic) was a state qualifier last year and a Cadet National double All-American during the summer. 170: Yet another weight without a nationally ranked wrestler. Three state placers are present -- third in the state Dan Rowland (Willowbrook), fifth in the state Alex Benoit (Marist), and sixth in the state Michael Maduko (Montini Catholic). Another wrestler to watch is Kayne McCallum (Libertyville) who placed seventh at Preseason Nationals. 182: Leading the way here, assuming he’s back healthy, is No.2 Domenic Abounader (St. Edward, Ohio). He is a two-time state champion and won titles at the NHSCA freshman, sophomore, and junior Nationals. Those behind Abounader include returning Dvorak runner-up Connor Swier (Neuqua Valley), state placer Jake Turk (Montini Catholic), Ethan Benoit (Marist), and Cadet freestyle All-American Tyler Johnson (Lockport). 195: A pair of nationally ranked wrestlers anchor what should be an extremely deep weight class. No. 9 Jordan Ellingwood (Plainfield Central) placed third at state last year and was a champion at the Preseason Nationals. No. 15 Blake Blair (Edwardsville) was a state runner-up last year. Others to note include Ironman runner-up Gabe Dzuro (St. Edward, Ohio); state placer Josh Pruitt (Marist); two-time state qualifier Mickey Pelfrey (Iowa City West, Iowa); along with state qualifiers Sage Hecox (Machesney Park Harlem), Cody Snodgrass (Marmion Academy), and Anthony Ferraro (Montini Catholic). 220: Three state placers and two talented underclassmen lead the way in this weight class, which does not have a nationally ranked wrestler present. Edgar Ruano (Montini Catholic) and David Denne (Mt. Carmel) placed fourth at state, Josh Hickey (Marist) finished sixth, Parker Knapp (St. Edward, Ohio) was a Cadet freestyle All-American, and Lucas Warren (Marmion Academy) is a freshman sensation. 285: The lone state placer in this weight class is Andrew Geers (Neuqua Valley), who finished fourth at state. Two others here have qualified for state twice, Alex Fritz (Marmion Academy) and 2010 Dvorak champion Tom Howell (Marist).

With Christmas around the corner, it's time for the final episode of the podcast for 2012. That means Richard and John going over what's been a bizarre calendar year, highlighted by injuries, cancellations, and a ton of fight cards. It wasn't easy, but they choose the best of the best from the last 12 months, including the best fighter, submission, knockout, and more. Do you want to listen to a past episode? Access archives.

Along with Montini Catholic, ranked No. 10 in the nation this year, Glenbard North and Carl Sandburg are the power programs in the Land of Lincoln when looking at approximately the last decade. Carl Sandburg is the defending team state champion in Class 3A (big school), and have four state titles in the last eight seasons. Glenbard North won the Class 3A team state title in 2011, their first in program history, but have finished top three in nine of the last twelve years -- including each of the last four seasons. Last season in the team state semifinal, Carl Sandburg defeated Glenbard North 29-25. That result avenged a 28-25 semifinal victory by Glenbard North in 2011. In the early season, Carl Sandburg is undefeated in dual meet competition, while Glenbard North has had an uneven start as some of their wrestlers transition off of a state finals appearance in football. On Thursday night, these two teams rekindle their rivalry as No. 45 Glenbard North hosts to No. 15 Carl Sandburg for a dual meet. Below is a breakdown of the respective projected lineups (Glenbard North first). 106: Patrick Augustyn, sophomore vs. Christian Robertson, freshman 113: Ted Marko vs. Jim Pellegrino, senior. Pellegrino is a returning state qualifier. 120: Jon Marmolejo, junior vs. Jake Vales, senior. Marmolejo placed sixth at state last year, and was a Cadet Greco-Roman runner-up. Jered Cortez126: No. 2 Jered Cortez, junior vs. Brian Krasowski, freshman. Cortez is a two-time state champion and a 2011 Junior National freestyle All-American 132: Johnny Gosinski, senior vs. Tom Slattery, sophomore. Gosinski is a two-time state placer. 138: Nathan Chacone vs. John Pellegrino, junior. Pellegrino a returning state qualifier. 145: Tony Blum vs. Alante Walker, junior 152: No. 3 Brian Murphy, senior vs. Mitch Cook, senior. Murphy is a three-time state placer, finishing as runner-up each of the last two years, and a two-time Junior National freestyle All-American. Cook placed fourth in the state tournament last year. 160: Jimique Davis, sophomore vs. C.J. Brucki, senior Johntay Leggin 170: Colton Wagner, sophomore vs. No. 14 Colin Holler, senior. Wagner is a Cadet freestyle All-American, while Holler is a three-time state placer and a 2011 Cadet National freestyle champion. 182: Manseer Chatham/Dariun Lattimore vs. No. 5 Ricky Robertson, senior. Robertson finished second at state last year, and was fourth in both styles at the Junior Nationals this past summer. 195: Carlos Vargas vs. Bill Gore or Chris Pajak, both are seniors. Gore was a state qualifier last year. 220: TBD vs. Bill Gore or Chris Pajak, both are seniors 285: Kyle Neal vs. Robert Boyde, senior

Due to a computer bracketing issue at the start of the tournament on Friday, Dec. 7, the tournament had to be restarted in the computer. When that occurred, the designations for scoring and non-scoring (extra) wrestlers were not turned back on. Therefore, all wrestlers entered for a team scored team points, which should not have been the case. This error was recognized after the completion of the tournament, and revised team scores were published subsequent to the publication of the game story being posted on InterMat early on Sunday, Dec. 9. The revised top four team standings are the following, with Collinsville winning the tournament instead of Edmond North. 1. Collinsville, Okla. 215 2 (Tie). Edmond North, Okla. Allen, Texas 4. Tuttle, Okla. 194 The corrected team score results are reflected in the analysis used for this week's InterMat Fab50 national high school team rankings.

Drew Garcia of Detroit Catholic Central remains undefeated this season No. 12 Detroit Catholic Central clears four-day examination without a blemish After winning seven dual meets in four days, five of them over top fifteen teams in the state of Michigan, Detroit Catholic Central moves up four positions to 12th nationally. The stretch started on Wednesday night when they dominated Rochester, ranked 15th statewide per Michigan Grappler, and Rockford by 62-9 and 66-10 scores respectively. Then, on Friday afternoon they upended Davison -- ranked third statewide and previously part of the InterMat Fab 50 -- by a 44-23 score. Probably the key match in the dual meet was when 2011 state champion Logan Marcicki pinned Davison's Jordan Cooks, a state champion this past year, in the second period at 160 pounds. That result in the second match of the dual meet sparked a string of five consecutive Shamrocks victories and essentially sealed the dual meet. Davison was without two-time state champion Justin Oliver (130), who is out indefinitely due to injury. On Saturday, the Shamrocks traveled to Holland for the Tim Horn Duals. In the first three matches, they upended East Kentwood 74-6, then defeated Allegan -- ranked 13th statewide -- by a 54-16 score, and defeated Hartland -- ranked 11th statewide -- by a 55-16 score. This set up a dual match with No. 9 St. Johns, which ended in a 7-7 split with Detroit Catholic Central earning a 33-31 upset victory. That dual meet started at 135 pounds -- Michigan uses the "old" weight classes -- and not well for the Shamrocks. They forfeited to No. 7 (at 132) Jacob Schmitt, as No. 16 (at 126) Ken Bade was injured in earlier match; then No. 11 (at 138) Logan Massa earned a victory by disqualification at 140. DCC got on the board with a 5-1 decision victory for Chris Naubert at 145, before Josh Pennell and No. 2 (at 152) Ben Whitford answered back with decision victories at 152 and 160 to extend the Redwings advantage to 18-3. Drew Garcia responded with a 3-1 decision victory over Cadet double All-American Angus Arthur to reduce the DCC deficit to 18-6. No. 12 (at 195) Payne Hayden answered with a 12-4 major decision at 189, before DCC used pins from Jay Peterson and Bob Coe to reduce the deficit to 22-15 at the turn. Ian Parker gave St. Johns a 28-15 lead with a pin at 103 before consecutive pins from Zack Prater, Trevor Zdebski, and Evan Toth gave the Shamrocks the lead for good heading into the last match. No. 4 (at 126) Zac Hall needed a pin in order to win the dual meet for St. Johns, but all he could muster was an 11-8 decision over Myles Amine at 125. Fab 50 welcomes and adieus The third full weekend of high school wrestling was a full docket with big events across the country. Four new teams enter, and obviously four teams exit. Two of those teams enter based on success at the Reno Tournament of Champions. Tournament runners-up Poway, Calif. enter the rankings at No. 19, as the Titans had six wrestlers place in the top five. Pomona, Colo. joins the Fab 50 at No. 40 after placing fourth in the tournament, and also had six wrestlers place. Read recap. After an impressive Kansas City Stampede, in which they had a tournament-high seven wrestlers within the top eight, Park Hill, Mo. enters the Fab 50 at No. 36. The Trojans placed fourth in the tournament and were led by champion Ke-Shawn Hayes at 113 pounds, the No. 7 wrestler in the country defeated No. 4 Sean Russell (Collins Hill, Ga.) 3-1 in overtime. Read recap. Also joining the Fab 50 is Cedar Rapids Prairie, Iowa, after finishing second in the Battle of Waterloo dual meet tournament this weekend. The Hawks beat a solid Waverly-Shell Rock squad 32-28 to win Pool B on Friday and advance to the first-place round-robin on Saturday. There, they lost to No. 38 West Delaware Manchester 38-24, then beat previously ranked Davenport Assumption 32-22, and finally beat Linn-Mar 41-21 for the second time in nine days. West Delaware Manchester ended up with the title at the tournament, as they also earned a 42-28 victory over Linn-Mar and a 34-26 win over Davenport Assumption. The previous week, they beat No. 43 Bettendorf, Iowa 39-29 in the semifinal of the Five Seasons Duals, before losing to West Delaware Manchester 37-36 in the final. The high school also happens to be the alma mater of Wisconsin head coach Barry Davis and Oregon State head coach Jim Zalesky, and is on the ranking board at No. 50 this week. Exiting the rankings this week are Davenport Assumption, Iowa; Shenendehowa, N.Y.; Davison, Mich.; and Omaha Burke, Neb. Shenendehowa was 21st at the Reno TOC with just two placers. Omaha Burke finished third at the Flatwater Fracas suffering a pair of dual meet losses, 36-33 to Cheyenne East, Neb. and 40-19 to Grand Island, Neb. Marmion Academy has relatively successful examination The Cadets, now ranked No. 24 nationally, swept three matches at their home quad meet on Saturday. In the opening match they defeated Plainfield Central, which is ranked No. 13 in Class 3A (big-school) per Illinois Matmen, by a 47-9 score. The second match was a 39-16 victory over Luxemburg-Casco, Wis., which is top ranked in Division II per Wisconsin Wrestling Online. Then, in the main event, they pulled off a 29-24 upset victory over Marist, which has now dropped to No. 28 in the Fab 50 (were No. 21 last week). The dual meet started at 160 pounds, which should have been an ominous sign for Marmion. It looked to be that when the Red Hawks opened up a 12-0 lead after a technical fall from state placer Peter Andreotti in his first week of competition after a football injury, a major decision from state placer Alex Benoit, and a decision from sophomore Ethan Benoit. However, Marmion bounced back with three upset victories to cut the deficit to 12-9 at the turn; Cody Snodgrass beat state placer Josh Pruitt 5-2, freshman Ethan Warren beat state placer Josh Hickey 7-4, and Alex Fritz beat two-time state qualifier Tom Howell 3-2. State placer Anthony Bosco tied up the dual meet with a 5-2 victory over Cadet freestyle runner-up Nick Lukanich. Then, Marmion jumped out to the lead with a decision victory from freshman A.J. Jaffe. No. 6 Johnny Jimenez extended the Cadets lead to 21-12 with a pin at 120 over two-time state placer Mark Duda. David Kasper countered with a pin for Marist to stop the bleeding, but it wouldn't last long as No. 14 George Fisher answered back with a technical fall of his own. Marist responded back with a pair of decisions from Mario Leveille and Matt Sears to cut the deficit to 26-24 before the last match, where Ricky DeMoss was the hero at 152 pounds for Marmion with a 7-2 victory over Jakada Hull. All this came two nights after No. 10 Montini Catholic hosted Marmion Academy, and came up with a 37-19 victory as the Broncos won nine of the fourteen matches. This dual meet also started at 160 pounds, and the Broncos started with four wins and led 22-3 at the turn. Key dynamics in the early portion of the dual were the season debut of state placer Michael Maduko yielding a 7-5 overtime victory at 170 pounds for Montini; Snodgrass failing to make weight at 195 for Marmion, which enabled John Embry to score a pin for the Broncos against a reserve; and Montini's Edgar Ruano earning an 8-2 victory at 285 pounds. After the turn, Marmion picked up wins from freshman Dylan Duncan at 106 pounds, No. 6 Jimenez at 120 by 9-3 decision over Vincent Turk, a forfeit for No. 14 Fisher at 132, and a 3-2 victory from Riley DeMoss in the finale at 152 over state qualifier Lucas Fortuna. Montini flexed No. 19 (at 120) Jordan Laster up to 126, where he scored a technical fall. The coming week in the Fab 50 Eleven nationally ranked teams, as well as 53 ranked individuals, feature in the 20th annual Beast of the East on Saturday and Sunday. Those teams include Blair Academy, N.J., and Wyoming Seminary, Pa. -- the top two squads in the country. A full preview will be posted on Friday, with comprehensive coverage during and after the event. Five nationally ranked teams, led by No. 3 St. Edward, Ohio, are among those in the Dvorak Invitational on Saturday and Sunday north of Chicago. A full event preview will be posed mid-week. No. 7 Brandon, Fla. and No. 48 Pope, Ga., are among 24 squads competing the Kyle Maynard Duals on Saturday at Collins Hill, Ga. The event starts with eight pools of three teams each, two dual meets will be staged in that format. Afterwards, three tiers of 8-team brackets will be formed for the remaining three dual meets. Arguably the biggest individual match of the day could come in the pool stage with No. 3 Brooks Climmons (Pope) and No. 18 Chip Ness (Buford, Ga.) facing off at 182 pounds. While their football team, ranked No. 6 nationally in the most recent Rivals rankings and including two nationally ranked wrestlers, competes for a state title on Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium, No. 14 Allen, Texas will continue their traveling ways with a trip to Buchanan High School outside of Fresno, Calif. for the Zinkin Classic on Friday and Saturday. Notable teams in the field include No. 13 Clovis, Calif., Clovis West, Calif., Gilroy, Calif., Lemoore, Calif., and Green Valley, Nev. The clear possible primo match in this tournament is at 160 pounds, where No. 2 Isaiah Martinez (Lemoore, Calif.) and No. 3 Bo Nickal (Allen, Tex.) are present. Last night, No. 32 South Plainfield, N.J., and No. 41 Bergen Catholic, N.J., competed in a dual meet, with South Plainfield winning eight weight classes in a 40-26 victory. Also, tomorrow evening, No. 45 Glenbard North, Ill., plays host to No. 15 Carl Sandburg, Ill. in dual meet competition. With the Indiana High School Athletic Association electing to eliminate the dual meet state tournament, the state coaches association (IHSWCA) stepped up to the plate to implement an unofficial state dual meet event. Even though the state tournament is a single-class event, the IHSWCA state dual meet invitation will be split into three enrollment-based classifications. The clear anchor team in the event at Westfield High School is No. 26 Perry Meridian, which competes in the 3A tournament. View pre-brackets. Track Wrestling will cover the event on Saturday. OPRF outlasts Carl Sandburg at Rex Whitlach Invitational The two top teams in Illinois' Class 3A convened at Hinsdale Central this past Friday and Saturday for the Rex Whitlach Invitational. After two days of competition, the pair of teams earned half the weight class titles and over 40 percent of the top three place finishers. They were also separated by less than ten points; No. 11 Oak Park River Forest outlasted No. 15 Carl Sandburg 286-1/2 to 278. Five wrestlers earned weight class titles for the team champion Huskies -- state runner-up Matt Rundell (120), state third Larry Early (132), state qualifier Johnny Gahagan (145), state third No. 18 Davonte Mahomes (160), and state qualifier Joe Ariola (182). They had one runner-up and two additional wrestlers take third place. The runner-up Eagles were led by a pair of weight class champions -- No. 14 Colin Holler (170), a three-time state placer, and No. 5 (at 182) Ricky Robertson, a Junior National double All-American who won the 195 pound weight class. Two additional wrestlers placed second, with another six earning third place. Other weight class champions were freshman Rudy Yates (Brother Rice), ranked No. 17 nationally, at 106; two-time state placer Zac Denny (Machesney Park Harlem) at 113; state champion Jordan Northrup (Machesney Park Harlem) at 126; state runner-up Cullen Cummings (Downers Grove North) at 138; Nate Higgins (Belleville West) at 152; state qualifier Luke Roth (Naperville Central) at 220; and two-time state third Brian Allen (Hinsdale Central), ranked No. 10 nationally, at 285. Hermiston outlasts field at Tri-State Invitational No. 39 Hermiston, Ore., outlasted a large field of excellent teams from the Pacific Northwest to win the Tri-State Invitational this past weekend hosted at Northern Idaho College in Cour d'Alene, Idaho. They scored 222 points led by four weight class champions in Isaac Aguilar (120), No. 16 Tyler Berger (138), Abraham Rodriguez (160), and Samuel Colbray (195). Second place with a pair of champions in Casey Cobb (113) and Michael Cook (126) was Kuna, Id. with 205 points. Third in the standings with 169-1/2 points was Mead, Wash. led by their lone champion Chandler Rodgers (170), who is ranked No. 11 nationally. Additional weight class champions were Cole Rohan (La Grande, Ore.) at 98 pounds, Alius De La Rosa (Post Falls, Idaho) at 106, Bryce Parson (Lewiston, Idaho) at 132, Joe Grable (Deer Park, Wash.) at 145, Izaec Quintanilla (North Central, Idaho) at 152, No. 12 (at 170) Ryan Christensen (Woodville, Wash.) at 182, Matt Hopkins (Tahoma, Wash.) at 220, and No. 19 Brandon Johnson (Lake Stevens, Wash.) at 285 Clash XI brackets unveiled The first day brackets for the Clash XI National High School Wrestling Duals to be held in Rochester, Minn. on December 28 and 29 were released on Sunday afternoon. Four eight-team brackets determine the second day round-robins of four teams that placed in the same position on the first day. The top seeds were No. 5 St. Michael-Albertville, Minn., No. 7 Brandon, Fla., No. 4 Apple Valley, Minn., and No. 15 Carl Sandburg, Ill. A full preview and analysis will be released after the Christmas holiday. All brackets are listed on http://www.clashmn.org.

KENT, Ohio -- Kent State picked up where it left off last season in Mid-American Conference duals with a 29-9 victory over Northern Illinois Tuesday afternoon. The Golden Flashes took 7-of-10 matches, including six straight from 149 to 197. "It was only our second dual so I was glad to see us wrestle as well as we did," Head Coach Jim Andrassy said. "We were a little sluggish at the beginning of matches. We've got to get going faster." Unlike some of his teammates, fifth-year senior Dustin Kilgore (Berea, Ohio) was anything but sluggish, scoring three takedowns and pinning Parker Settecase all in 47 seconds. His 51st straight dual victory was the Flashes' sixth straight of the afternoon. "He pins people, Andrassy said. "That's what he talks about and that's what he does. And I can see more of his matches going like that." The string of victories began with redshirt freshman Nick Carr (South Fayette, Pa.), who overcame an early 3-2 deficit and topped Rob Jillard 10-4. Carr turned Jillard for a pair of back points and piled up 3:14 in riding time. Senior Mallie Shuster (Newville, Pa.) and sophomore Caleb Marsh (Marysville, Ohio) followed with 8-2 victories. Both controlled their matches throughout, building up over three minutes of riding time. Redshirt freshman Sam Wheeler (Copley, Ohio) made his first M.A.C. Center appearance a memorable one. Wheeler trailed 4-1 after two periods and 5-3 in the third, before a takedown and pin of Matt Mougin with 52 seconds left in the match. "If Sam wrestled the way he did in the third period more often, he'd be ranked a lot higher," Andrassy said. "But he's learning." Senior Casey Newburg (Union, Ohio) made it five straight wins with a 13-4 major decision over Bryan Loughlin. Just before the opening match, Newburg was presented with the Jerry Petrofes Scholarship. When he returned to the mat, the 184-pounder put up seven points in the opening period, behind a pair of turns. Senior Stevie Mitcheff (Lortain, Ohio) started the afternoon with a 10-0 shutout of Derek Elmore. Mitcheff had a takedown in each of the first two periods, before running away with things in the third with a reversal and three-point near fall. Off to a 1-0 start in conference duals, Kent State returns to action Dec. 29 at the Brute Invitational in Lock Haven, Pa. Results: 125 Steve Mitcheff (KSU) won by major decision over Derek Elmore (NIU) 10-0 133 Nick Smith (NIU) won by decision over Kyle Bauer (KSU) 7-3 141 Tyler Argue (NIU) won in tie breaker 1 over Lukas Kern (KSU) 7-6 149 Nicholas Carr (KSU) won by decision over Robert Jillard (NIU) 10-4 157 Mallie Shuster (KSU) won by decision over Andrew Morse (NIU) 8-2 165 Caleb Marsh (KSU) won by decision over Dan Burk (NIU) 8-2 174 Sam Wheeler (KSU) won by pin over Matt Mougin (NIU) 6:07 184 Casey Newburg (KSU) won by major decision over Bryan Loughlin (NIU) 13-4 197 Dustin Kilgore (KSU) won by pin over Parker Settecase (NIU) 0:47 285 Jared Torrence (NIU) won by decision over Keith Witt (KSU) 2-1

BLOOMSBURG -- Justin Grant (Easton/Easton)'s win at heavyweight rallied the Bloomsburg University wrestling team to an 18-15 win over the University at Buffalo Tuesday night at the Nelson Field House. The Huskies trailed by a score of 9-3 after the 149 pound weight class and still trailed 15-11 after 174 pounds, but scored a win by major decision at 197 before Grant's win at 285 pounds. Buffalo opened the night with a win at 125 pounds, before the Huskies' Nick Wilcox (Greene, NY/Greene Central) scored a 9-4 win at 133 pounds. The Bulls then won the next two bouts before Frank Hickman (Castle Hayne, NC/E.A. Laney) scored a victory by technical fall, 22-6, to help cut the lead to 9-8. Bloomsburg's Josh Veltre (Rochester, NY/Greece Olympia) put the Huskies on top for the first time after a win at 165 pounds making it 11-9. The visitors though scored wins at 174 and 184 to regain the lead at 15-11 heading to the final two matches. At 197 pounds Bloomsburg's Richard Perry (Meriden, CT/Middletown) scored a win by major decision, 13-5, to tie the team score at 15-all heading to the final match. Grant then scored a 5-1 win to pull out the team win for Bloomsburg, 18-15. Bloomsburg improves to 7-2 with the win, while Buffalo falls to 0-3. The Huskies will be idle till Dec. 29 when it takes part in the Brute Invitational at Lock haven University. Results: 125: Mike Soria (UB) dec. Sean Boylan (Seaville, NJ/St. Marks) (BU), 6-4 133: Nick Wilcox (Greene, NY/Greene Central) (BU) dec. No. 18 Erik Galloway (UB), 9-4 141: Andrew Schutt (UB) dec. Matt Rappo (Holland/Council Rock South) (BU), 7-2 149: Blake Roulo (UB) dec. Simon Kitzis (Newton, MA/Wyoming Seminary) (BU), 2-1 157: No. 10 Frank Hickman (Castle Hayne, NC/E.A. Laney) (BU) tech. fall Wally Maziarz (UB), 22-6, 5:48 165: No. 14 Josh Veltre (Rochester, NY/Greece Olympia) (BU) dec. No. 17 Mark Lewandowski (UB), 3-2 174: No. 17 John-Martin Cannon (UB) dec. Chris Smith (Mineral, Va./Chancelor) (BU), 9-4 184: Tony Lock (UB) dec. Andre Petroski (Glenn Mills/Springfield) (BU), 4-2 197: No. 18 Richard Perry (Meriden, CT/Middletown) (BU) maj. dec. Angelo Malvestuto (UB), 13-5 285: No. 19 Justin Grant (Easton/Easton) (BU) dec. Justin Heiserman (UB), 5-1 MATCH-BY-MATCH PLAY-BY-PLAY 125: Sean Boylan (Seaville, NJ/St. Marks) versus Mike Soria… Both wrestlers locked up at the head in the early going…Soria with a near takedown, but Boylan escapes. No score after one period…Soria down to start and quickly escapes to go up 1-0…Soria with a takedown with 40 seconds left in the period..On a restart Boylan with a caution…Boylan escapes with seven seconds left in the period. Soria leads 3-1 after two periods…Boylan down to start…Escapes quickly…Soria leads 3-2…Soria with a takedown with 1:02 left in the period to lead 5-2…Boylan with a reversal…Soria escapes for 6-4 lead...Boylan with near takedown with eight seconds left. Out of bounds. Soria wins 6-4 133: Nick Wilcox (Greene, NY/Greene Central) vs. Erik Galloway…Neither wrestler got an advantage in the opening two minutes…Both wrestlers had been warned for stalling…Takedown Wilcox with 25 seconds left in the period…Wilcox leads 2-0 after one period…the wrestlers start neutral for second period…Wilcox after a long time gets takedown. Galloway quickly out and cuts leads to 4-1…Wilcox turns near takedown by Galloway into takedown with 30 seconds left in second…Galloway out quickly…Takedown Wilcox and one stalling point awarded to Wilcox with two seconds left in period…Wilcox leads after two 9-2…Wilcox down to start third…Galloway awarded one point for stalling by Wilcox with 40 seconds left in the period…Galloway awarded a second point for stalling…Wilcox wins 9-4. 141: Matt Rappo (Holland/Council Rock South) vs. Andrew Schutt…Buffalo's Schutt shoots first, but does not score 1:20 into the match…Schutt with a takedown followed by a quick escape from Rappo…Rappo with a hold of the leg that Schutt turns into a takedown and two point near fall…Schutt leads 6-1 after one period…Rappo down to start second…Rappo escapes 15 seconds into the period…No further scoring…Schutt leads 6-2 after two period…Schutt down to start…Schutt escapes one minute into the period to win 7-2. 149: Simon Kitzis (Newton, MA/Wyoming Seminary) vs. Blake Roulo…The early going featured both wrestlers grabbing at the head but no scoring in the first period…Kitzis down to start second…Kitzis fighting to get out of the hold but Roulo holding on...Roulo with over a minute of riding time…Kitzis finally escapes with 30 seconds left in second…Second period ends with Kitzis leading 1-0..Roulo down but Kitzis lets him up to start period…tied at 1-1…neither wrestler able to get any good shots in…Roulo wins 2-1 on riding time. 157: Frank Hickman (Castle Hayne, NC/E.A. Laney) vs. Wally Maziarz…..Hickman with the early offensive move, but does not score. Maziarz nearly comes back, but despite having a leg, can't get control of Hickman…Hickman with takedown with 26 seconds left in first…No further scoring. Hickman leads 2-0 after one…Neutral to start period…Hickman with a takedown down after getting a leg..Maziarz quickly out of the hold…Hickman leads 4-1 with 1:00 left…Hickman with takedown followed by Maziarz escape…Hickman with third takedown of period..leads 8-2…Maziarz with escape followed by Hickman takedown…Maziarz escape..10-4 lead for Hickman…Takedown for Hickman and two near fall points….Hickman then closed out with three takedowns to win by technical fall, 22-6 at 5:48. 165: Josh Veltre (Rochester, NY/Greece Olympia) vs. Mark Lewandowski….There was no scoring in the first period of the match…Veltre takes down to start the second…Veltre escapes to start the second…There was no further scoring in the period…Lewandowski starts third on the bottom…Lewandowski escapes 17 seconds into the period…In a wild scramble Veltre gets a scramble..Lewandoski with an escape…under 30 to go and Veltre leads 3-2…Veltre hangs on for 3-2 win. 174: Chris Smith (Mineral, Va./Chancelor) vs. John-Martin Cannon…After a long scoring attempt by Smith, Cannon rolls into a takedown…Smith with an escape to make it 2-1. First period ends with Cannon up 2-1…Neutral to start the second…Cannon with a takedown 40 seconds into the period to lead 4-1…Smith escapes with a minute to go in the period..Cannon with a takedown with 18 seconds left in second….Second period ends with Cannon leading 6-2..Smith down to start the third… Smith an escape with a minute to go in the match...Cannon leads 6-3…Cannon with a takedown followed by Smith escape…With riding time Cannon wins 9-4. 184: Andre Petroski (Glenn Mills/Springfield) vs. Tony Lock…Both wrestlers were locked at the head with neither wrestler getting any advantages for the first two minutes…Action moved to the edge of the mat but again no scoring with 32 seconds to go in the period…The period ended with no score…Petroski took bottom to start second…Petroski with an escape with 1:10 to go in the period….Lock with a takedown with 33 seconds left in the second…Lock leads 2-1…Petroski with an escape to tie score at 2-2…Period ends 2-2…Lock on bottom to start the third…Petroski with an illegal hold and Lock awarded one point….Lock with an escape to make it 4-2 in his favor…Lots of action on the edge of the mat but no scoring…under 30 seconds to go…Petroski unable to get a takedown…Lock wins 4-2. 197: Richard Perry (Meriden, CT/Middletown) vs. Angelo Malvestuto..coMalvestuto with a near takedown at edge of the mat, but ruled out of bounds…A big scramble results in Perry getting a takedown…Malvestuto with an escape with a minute to go in the period…The period ends with Perry leading 2-1…Neutral to start the second…With 16 seconds left in the second Perry with a big throw down to lead 4-1…The period ends with Perry leading 4-1…Malvestuto takes bottom to start the third…Some action at the edge of the mat, but no escape for Buffalo…Perry finally gets two back points on a wild scramble with Malvestuto with an escape…perry with a takedown…Malvestuto with an escape to put Perry on top 10-3…Perry escape…Malvestuto with an escape…Perry with another takedown..Malvestuto with an escape…but Perry has riding time for a 13-5 win. 285: Justin Grant (Easton/Easton) vs. Justin Heiserman…Grant gets the first points with a takedown with 1:19 left in the first…For the rest of the period Grant worked Heiserman but no further scoring…Grant leads 2-0 after one period…Heiserman takes down to start…Grant adds to his riding time total by keeping Heiserman to the mat for the entire period…Neutral to start the third period…Grant works a takedown with 53 seconds left in the match…Heiserman with an escape…Grant wins 5-1 with 3:50 of riding time..

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State wrestler Kyven Gadson was named the Big 12 Wrestler of the Week, the league office announced Monday. It is the first weekly award for Gadson, who is ranked No. 17 nationally at 197 pounds by Intermat. "It's exciting to see him receive such an honor," Iowa State head coach Kevin Jackson said. "After a couple long, hard years, he really deserves it. He is working extremely hard, and he is very focused on continuing his success." The redshirt sophomore was crucial in the Cyclones' 22-18 comeback victory over North Dakota State on Sunday. With the Cyclones trailing 18-12, with just two matches remaining, Gadson won a 17-4 major decision over Bison 197 pounder Kallen Kleinschmidt. Gadson, of Waterloo, Iowa, remains perfect on the season at 6-0, including a 3-0 dual record. Gadson and the Cyclones will be back on the mat Dec. 29-30 at the 50th Anniversary of the Midland's Championships in Evanston, Ill.