InterMat Staff

CHICAGO -- No. 19 Northwestern opened up the 2011-12 wrestling season against No. 14 Stanford Saturday at Marist High School on Chicago's South Side and won eight of 10 bouts for the 27-8 victory. Bonus points factored heavily into Saturday's match with five major decision, three of which were by the Wildcats. “It's a good season-opening win,” Northwestern head coach Drew Pariano said. “I was pleased with a lot of what the guys did technically. I think we could have closed the door even further on them in a couple of situations, but overall I was pleased. I think the guys were in great shape and that's a testament to their preseason. It was a great effort and something to build on.” Northwestern jumped out to a 4-0 lead thanks to a 13-3 major decision for No. 16 Levi Mele at 125 lbs. Mele used four takedowns, two nearfall points a reversal and 3:49 of riding time to secure the victory. Stanford then evened the score as No. 7 Ryan Mango defeated Northwestern's Jameson Oster 12-4 at 133 lbs., but Northwestern responded with another major decision at 141 lbs. Colin Shober defeated Stanford's Donoval Halpin 12-3 to put the Wildcats back up 8-4. Northwestern then won its next three bouts to extend its lead to 17-4. At 149 lbs., No. 20 Kaleb Friedley trailed Stanford's Timmy Boone 2-0 at the end of the first period but used an escape and a takedown in the second to go up 3-2. Friedley had two nearfall points and 1:56 of riding time for the 6-2 victory. No. 3 Jason Welch got his season off on the right foot, defeating Stanford's Mike Kent 6-1 at 157 lbs. At 165, Kevin Bialka came back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Matt Schneider 8-2. Schneider recorded a takedown at 1:59 in the first and Bialka scored eight unanswered with two escapes, three nearfall points a takedown and 3:13 of riding time. Stanford then won its final match of the day as No. 1 Nick Amuchastegui defeated NU's No. 10 Lee Munster 9-1 at 174 lbs. The Wildcats then sealed the victory, winning the final three bouts. In probably the most exciting match of the day, NU's Brian Roddy used a last-second takedown to defeat Spence Patrick at 184 lbs. After a scoreless first period, Roddy got on the board first with an escape at 1:06 in the second. Roddy then tacked on two nearfall points for the 3-0 lead in the third but Patrick escaped and then took down Roddy to tie things up at 3-3. Roddy added another escape at the 1:20 mark but was whistled a second time for stalling in the final five seconds. Tied, 4-4, Roddy used every last second to take down Patrick and he did in the final one for the 6-4 win. Alex Polizzi made the start for Northwestern at 197 lbs. and registered a 13-3 major decision over Alan Yen while No. 11 Mike McMullan closed out the match for NU with a 6-2 win over Dan Scherer at heavyweight. Northwestern returns to action Saturday, Nov. 12 when it travels to East Lansing, Mich., for the Michigan State Open. Results: 125: #16 Levi Mele (Northwestern) maj dec. Matt Sencenbaugh (Stanford), 13-3, NU leads 4-0 133: #7 Ryan Mango (Stanford) maj dec. Jameson Oster (Northwestern), 12-4, Dual tied 4-4 141: Colin Shober (Northwestern) maj dec. Donovan Halpin (Stanford), 12-3, NU leads 8-4 149: #20 Kaleb Friedley (Northwestern) dec. Timmy Boone (Stanford), 6-2, NU leads 11-4 157: #3 Jason Welch (Northwestern) dec. Mike Kent (Stanford), 6-1, NU leads 14-4 165: Kevin Mialka (Northwestern) dec. Matt Schneider (Stanford), 8-2, NU leads 17-4 174: #1 Nick Amuchastegui (Stanford) maj dec. #10 Lee Munster (Northwestern), 9-1, NU leads 17-8 184: Brian Roddy (Northwestern) dec. Spence Patrick (Stanford), 6-4, NU leads 20-8 197: Alex Polizzi (Northwestern) maj dec. Alan Yen (Stanford), 13-3, NU leads 24-8 Hwt.: #11 Mike McMullan (Northwestern) dec. Dan Scherer (Stanford), 6-2, NU wins 27-8

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- Brennan Brumley won a tight 3-2 decision on riding time in the first match of the night and Old Dominion University wrestling never trailed in a 31-9 season-opening victory Friday night at Chattanooga. "Our kids wrestled hard tonight and we were impressed with their fight," head coach Steve Martin said. "UTC won the Southern Conference last year so this is a good win for us. We will take away a lot from this match, the line up is very young so the room for improvement is very high. We have many areas to work on and that is a good thing." Brumley was tied entering the third period of the opening match at 149 pounds with Kelly Felix, and held down Felix the entire two minutes to earn the riding time point and earn a 3-2 decision. John Nicholson earned the win at 157 pounds and gave ODU a 6-0 lead with an 11-5 decision over Daniel Waddell. UTC got on the board at 165 pounds on a Brandon Wright 3-2 decision over Tristan Warner. ODU got right back in the win column as Te Edwards put together a dominant 14-4 major decision victory over Levi Clemons at 174 pounds. Billy Curling delivered a 4-1 decision at 184 pounds while Nikolas Brown got UTC back on the board with a pin at 197 pounds. Matt Tourdot picked up his first ever collegiate win with an 4-3 decision over Kevin Malone at 285. ODU also won the final three matches of the night, starting with a 6-5 decision from Eric Dunnet at 125 pounds. Scott Festejo and Justin LaValle finished off the victory with back-to-back pins. Next up for the Monarchs is the Hokie Open in Salem, Virginia on Sunday. Results: 149: Brennan Brumley (Old Dominion) won by decision over Kelly Felix (Chattanooga) - 3-2 157: John Nicholson (Old Dominion) won by decision over Daniel Waddell (Chattanooga) - 11-5 165: Brandon Wright (Chattanooga) won by decision over Tristan Warner (Old Dominion) - 3-2 174: Te Edwards (Old Dominion) won by major decision over Levi Clemons (Chattanooga) - 14-4 184: Billy Curling (Old Dominion) won by decision over Robert Prigmore (Chattanooga) - 4-1 197: Nikolas Brown (Chattanooga) won by pin over Joe Budi (Old Dominion) - 5:21 285: Matt Tourdot (Old Dominion) won by decision over Kevin Malone (Chattanooga) - 4-3 125: Eric Dunnet (Old Dominion) won by decision over William Hayes (Chattanooga) - 6-5 133: Scott Festejo (Old Dominion) won by pin over Nick Soto (Chattanooga) - 5:36 141: Justin LaValle (Old Dominion) won by pin over Shawn Greevy (Chattanooga) - 3:39

Event: UFC 138: Leben vs. Munoz Venue: LG Arena (Birmingham, West Midlands, England) Date: Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011 Saturday's UFC 138 ticket will be broadcast free on Spike TV on a taped-delayed basis for those interested in viewing a step down from recent UFC cards. There are no title fights, and the card is full of Brits, as you would expect, as Dana White continues to market his product worldwide. Brazil, Japan, Germany, your next ... But that isn't to say that there aren't some pretty good fights to watch. Before we look at the card, let me give you a little bit of UFC Monster history. I began writing for RevWrestling.com (now InterMatWrestle.com) with a preview of UFC 56, many moons ago. After thirteen issues of picking winners at an incredibly high percentage, I thought it would be fun to test my picks against the oddsmakers' lines with a "fictitious" $1000 bankroll. My contract with Rev was modified to give me a piece of that action. I was to receive a percentage of the ROI (Return on Investment). And, so the tracking began ... After more than 60 articles, The UFC Monster stands tall with a 59% winning percentage! Unfortunately, after investing $47,779.50, I have LOST $529 for Rev and InterMat readers!!! I'm sorry, and, I owe InterMat for the privilege of working with their team ... for free. These results and archived previews are shown below. One last thing: I would like to thank the senior staff at InterMatWrestle.com, especially Andrew Hipps, for letting me write articles with no censorship or forced wrestling bias being forced upon my selections. I am not a shill for amateur wrestling. I call 'em as I see 'em. Wrestlers often win, but not always. Middleweight Mark Munoz (11-2) is one of the more brutal ground-and-pounders in the game. His opponent, Chris "The Crippler" Leben (22-7), not only has an iron chin, but he has a left hand full of dynamite. Both are on their game, and the winner will be positioning themselves for a title shot soon. Munoz is by far the better wrestler and that will be the difference here. It looks easy on paper. We know what it looks like. A dominant wrestler controls his opponent on the ground, and pounds him into submission, before the ref stops the action. The only drawback is avoiding Leben's thundering punches as Munoz goes for the takedown. And, avoiding getting an arm trapped in a submission hold during the g-n-p exhibition. Take Munoz and lay the -250. A second round TKO ends this. Brazilian Renan Barao has an unbelievable 26-1 record with his only loss being his first fight six years ago! This submission freak takes on former WEC tough guy Brad Pickett (20-5), whose arsenal is diverse and complete with six KOs, nine submission, and five decision wins. Pickett is a Brit making his UFC debut. I see this as a standup affair until Pickett lands a haymaker. Barao will then grab his opponent and try to mangle him into a pretzel. That being accomplished, a disappointed crowd will see the raised hand of a Brazilian jui-jitsu expert as Barao rolls in the second at -130 odds. Thiago Alves (18-8 w/11 KOs) is a beast. His thickness has caused him to go up to the middleweight ranks. He brings rapid and painful kicks with a strong striking game, yet his brute strength and takedown defense often pits his opponents against the cage and eating knees. His opponent is Swedish newcomer Papy Abedi (8-0), a judo expert with five KOs. Let's see now ... one guy is making his UFC debut. The other has had 15 UFC fights, going 10-5. Who do you want? Alves -300 is a lock. First round KO perhaps? Terry Etim (14-3 with 11 submissions) is a lanky lightweight with a lot more experience than Edward "Who?" Faaloloto (2-2). Two-and-two? That makes the UFC card? You're kidding me? The bookmakers don't think it's so. You need to lay $6 to win $1 on Etim. That's called bridge-jumping. Light heavyweight Cyrille Diabate (17-7-1) has won seven of eight, and is on a roll. Anthony Perosh (11-6) has been erratic in the UFC and even lost to Mirko Cro Cop, who has lost three in a row and recently retired. Not a good sign for Perosh. Diabate is an expensive -355, but worth the gamble. Diabate wins a unanimous decision. Now let's look at the obscure undercard and try to find some more winners ... Welterweight Che Mills (13-4) is a popular Brit who has a strong enough game to squeak by a determined Chris Cope (5-1). Mills at -225 is the play here. Unanimous decision. Two Brits will go toe-to-toe when heavyweights Phil De Fries (7-0 with seven submissions) and Rob "The Bear" Broughton (15-6) tangle. A heavyweight with the ability to submit his opponents is always a good bet over one who can't. De Fries is my play at -140. Let's go with an arm bar submission in the second. Japanese lightweight judo expert Michihiro Omigawa (12-10-1) has been a UFC bust and needs a victory tonight to avoid a pink slip. He should be able to do that over a local Brit, Jason Young (8-4 with four decisions). Decisions aren't popular with the UFC fan base. And Omigawa needs a finish like a dead man needs a coffin. He gets with a late first round rear-naked chokehold. Lay the -275. Vaughan Lee (11-6-1) will be fighting in front of his hometown fans in Birmingham. Chris "Kamikaze" Cariaso (11-3) will be trying to derail him with his Muay Thai tactics. I'll take a chance on the home town 'dog here. Lee wins a split decision at +165. Welterweights John Maguire (16-3), another Brit, and Justin Edwards (7-1), are evenly matched and this fight could go either way. I'll avoid the coin flip and pass on this action. Now let's see how we can do with our "fictitious" $1000 bankroll. Let's lay $125 to win $ 50 on Mark Munoz. Let's lay $91 to win $70 on Renan Barao. Let's lay $150 to win $50 on Thiago "Pitbull" Alves. Let's lay $120 to win $20 on a Terry Etim bridge jump. Let's lay $142 to win $40 on Cyrille Diabate. Let's lay $ 90 to win $40 on Che Mills's UFC debut. Let's lay $77 to win $55 on Phi De Fries. Let's lay $165 to win $60 on Michihiro Omagawa keeping his career alive. Let's lay $40 to win $66 on hometown boy, Vaughan Lee. ... and let's pass on MaGuire/Edwards. In total, we are risking $1000 to try and win $451. There is little room for error. But let's give it a shot. I could use a payday! And, don't forget to share your winnings with your local youth wrestling program, where tomorrow's champions are born. Enjoy the fights. I know I will. UFC Monster's Past Results

College wrestling changed forever in November of 2002 when Cornell head wrestling coach Rob Koll unveiled his program's brand-new Friedman Wrestling Center, the nation's first stand-alone wrestling facility. The media gathered and Cornell, already enjoying a string of successful seasons, became an instant premier program. The brick and mortar of the building attracted attention and more donors, which in-turn set off a nine-year cycle of big name recruits and improved success at the NCAA tournament. Cornell's construction and subsequent ascendancy had unexpected consequences on the rest of college wrestling. Almost immediately an arms war developed among those wanting to be mentioned among the top echelon of college wrestling programs. Schools that had once happily relied on the governance of one or two premier coaches and 1500 square feet of Resilite now needed plasma televisions, 4500 square feet of mat space, and stacked coaching staffs. From Penn State to Nebraska to Iowa, wrestling programs began to find donors willing to help create mega-programs where the new-normal for success would be available to student-athletes seeking status as All-Americans and NCAA champions. For six years the 80-some-odd programs have been trying to keep up with the Jones' Koll's of the college wrestling world, and while schools have made incredible (almost illogical) gains, none have matched the recent 18-month spending spree and product development of the Michigan Wolverines. Bahna Wrestling CenterLike Friedman before it, the Bahna Wrestling Center was the catalyst for change in Ann Arbor. The state-of-the art complex that became only the second stand-alone wrestling facility when it was dedicated in October of 2009, and though Bahna brings about Twit Pic-inducing amenities a bright-eyed 18-year-old recruit might want (Playstation, plasma televisions, Gatorade machine), it also has everything they need to succeed (training room, weight room, 7500 square feet of mat space). What is different about Michigan is the sudden influx of human capital -- a concentration of coaching and athletic talent very rarely, if ever, assembled in one program. Michigan head wrestling coach Joe McFarland and the Michigan athletic program did what no other program in the country has been able to match, instantly recruiting the best coaches, senior-level wrestlers and top prospects all at once. The confluence of technical expertise, international success, and expectation for future results has taken a Wolverine program from Big Ten after thought last season to talk of future title contender. The Michigan coaching staff was the first significant change inside the Wolverine programs. McFarland recruited arguably the two most sought after head coaching prospects in the country, Sean Bormet and Donny Pritzlaff, and asked them to come to Ann Arbor as assistant coaches. Both, ever-accomplished as competitors, had made their respective marks in junior, senior, and collegiate coaching. Donny Pritzlaff"On the interview it was clear to me that the administrator wanted to be the best and were willing to do what it took to get there," said Pritzlaff, a two-time NCAA champion and former assistant head coach at the University of Wisconsin. "Michigan wanted the best coaches, assistant coaches, wrestlers, student-athletes and recruits. I'm a competitive guy and I could tell they were all-in. They expect to win." According to Pritzlaff the jump from Wisconsin to Michigan started with an initial interest in the head coaching job at American University. Once change had crept into his thought process, the 400-mile move from Madison to Ann Arbor became manageable. "I spent 11 years in Madison as a wrestler and a coach, and I think it was time to get new experiences and new challenges." Helping to make the decision was the recent hiring of Sean Bormet, who not only wrestled and coached at Michigan, though he'd spent the last 11 years running the epically-successful Overtime School of Wrestling in Naperville, Ill. Bormet's Fargo team swept the event in 2010, winning freestyle and Greco in both Juniors and Cadets. He saw Michigan as an opportunity to create a new professional challenge. Sean Bormet"Opening and running Overtime taught me a tremendous amount in terms of business management and the foundation of development in the types athletes I will now be recruiting," said Bormet. "There is an enormous amount of work that goes into running a Division I program and I was not going to underestimate that fact. For me it was not about the staff title I would hold, but about the coaches I am working with, the support and commitment of the administration, and the athletes I have to train and coach." When it come to respecting ability Bormet and Pritzlaff shared the praise. Said Bormet of his former athlete, "Pritzlaff is special. He was exceptional as a competitor and he is as a coach. It was an honor to coach Donny and contribute to his success at the NCAAs and the World Championships." Pritzlaff, who won the bronze medal at the 2006 World Championships, credits Bormet with being one of the motivating factors in his decision, "I've always wanted to work with Bormet; he recruited me to Wisconsin and coached me at the senior level. He's one of the best in the country at what he does and I wanted to learn from him." Michigan Men (left to right): Jimmy Kennedy, Andrew Howe, Tyrel Todd, Josh Churella, Mike Poeta, and Jake Herbert (Photo/Leah Howard, Michigan Sports Information)Somewhat controversially, what followed was a nationwide shuffle of talent. Coaches aren't to blame when their athletes follow them to schools, and most try their best to prevent gutting a program, but as with any martial art relationship bonds of leadership formed in times of great emotional need can't always be easily severed. When Bormet and Pritzlaff reported to Ann Arbor, they attracted one of the most exceptional and accomplished groups of senior-level athletes assembled to date. World silver medalist Jake Herbert, Mike Poeta, Jimmy Kennedy, Tyrel Todd, Josh Churella and Andrew Howe (who is not enrolled at Wisconsin or Michigan) are all full-time members of the senior-level program called the Cliff Keen Wrestling Club, and live and train alongside the Michigan Wolverine wrestling team. "I love Bormet," said Herbert, a two-time NCAA champion at Northwestern. "I wanted to train with him because he's going to get me prepared to win an Olympic title. I also get to be around six or seven other guys who have the same goals and are working hard to achieve them every day. It's like being back on a team." "They also have a chocolate milk machine," Herbert said only half-jokingly. The recent influx of talent and their relationship to the Michigan program was prompted, nay -- encouraged, by the changed relationship between the NCAA and senior-level wrestlers. Previously the senior-level wrestlers could only participate in club practices, but with schools who've now gained designation as Regional Training Centers (RTC) from USA Wrestling, senior-level athletes can now wrestle with the college athletes during scheduled NCAA practice periods. By earning an RTC designation and recruiting Bormet and Prtizlaff, Michigan gathered up seven more world-class competitors to join in select practices and drill sessions. Cliff Keen Wrestling Club members with Sean Bormet (Photo/Leah Howard, Michigan Sports Information)"It's been pretty awesome to have the senior-level guys in the room," said 2011 NCAA champion Kellen Russell. "I'm drilling with Jimmy Kennedy and getting technique advice from guys like Howe. The whole team benefits from having these guys around. They all know how to win." "Pollination of technique and competitive mindset between wrestlers at the NCAA level and the World level is optimal for everyone involved," said Bormet of the RTC designation and how its influenced programs like Michigan and Ohio State. "There are several significant college programs making this commitment around the country and it is healthy for American wrestling as a whole." Pritzlaff sees his time coaching under McFarland and with Bormet as a catalyst for his on career, but also an important visualization tool for the Michigan wrestlers, "I always wanted to be involved in this type of program -- around guys who want to be Olympic champions. They are here every day working their strength and condition and it's been great for our wrestlers to see these guys working out -- to see the intensity." Michigan's current wrestlers are obviously benefiting from the exposure to the talent, and that should help push the Wolverines, who have seven guys ranked in the top 20, into a possible podium position at the Big Ten Championships. Their improvement and the expected influx of talent, including InterMat's top recruit Taylor Massa, means that the coffer of talent won't soon be diminished, or suffer from a lack of development. Cliff Keen Wrestling Club teammates Andrew Howe and Jake Herbert wrestle while Sean Bormet gives instruction (Photo/Leah Howard, Michigan Sports Information)Though they are pampered by their surroundings, the competitive edge of the Michigan team and senior-level athletes like Herbert doesn't wane with the ease of a facility that has everything in one location. Russell thinks his 2011-2012 teammates are hungrier than ever, readying themselves for the five-month season, "We're ready to start winning," he said. Even Herbert, who lost his 2010 World team position to Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson in 2011, has a renewed outlook on the coming season and how he'll accomplish his goals. "Kenny Monday had Dave Schultz, Henry Cejudo had Stephen Abas, it's only fair that I have Cael Sanderson." He will also have a weight room, 7500 square feet of mat space, and a training room. But more importantly he and the current Wolverine wrestlers will have multiple training partners and coaches -- each of them with newly-minted designations as Michigan Men.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Purdue wrestling team officially gets the 2011-12 campaign underway this weekend, heading to Ypsilanti, Mich. for the Eastern Michigan Open. Saturday's tournament is scheduled to feature over 500 wrestlers, including 17 entries from the Boilermaker lineup. Schools with entries in the 2011 Eastern Michigan Open include Big Ten rivals Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and archrival Indiana, while other Division I entries will come from Central Michigan, Navy, Arizona State, Cleveland State, Kent State and the host Eagles. The tournament is set to be one of the biggest fields in event history, and will make for several early-season standout matches. “It's great to finally have the start of the season right in front of us,” said Boilermaker head coach Scott Hinkel. “The guys have been working hard in the room and they're anxious to compete against someone other than their teammates. For several of our guys it will be their first time in a Purdue singlet, and for others it will be a greatly anticipated return to action.” Two of the biggest names Hinkel referred to include eighth-ranked redshirt sophomore Cashé Quiroga and No. 9 redshirt junior transfer Ivan Lopouchanski. Quiroga returns to the mat for the Boilermakers after sitting out the 2010-11 season, moving up a weight to start a new career at 133 pounds. After finishing sixth in the nation at 125 pounds, earning All-America honors and setting several Boilermaker rookie records as a true freshman in 2010, he's dying to get back into competition and wear the Old Gold and Black. “I've been itching to get back into competition mode and put that Purdue singlet on,” said Quiroga. “It's an honor to wear that uniform and compete with my teammates and this Saturday can't get here soon enough.” Lopouchanski looks to prove himself an outstanding addition to the Purdue lineup and get things off on the right foot at 149 pounds. He was 41-10 at UNC Greensboro last season, finishing one win shy of All-America status, and is anxious to take the next step with his new Boilermaker teammates. “It's a different setting here at Purdue, but I have the same level of expectations,” said Lopouchanski. “I have new coaches and new teammates, but I'm ready to face this challenge and take the first step towards NCAAs.” A handful of returning starters look to make a move into the limelight this weekend for Purdue, while several others aim to establish spots in the Boilermakers' starting lineup. Sophomores Camden Eppert and Kyle Mosier, junior Jake Fleckenstein and seniors Matt Fields and Roger Vukobratovich are ready to be noticed as Eppert will go at 125 pounds, Fields at 133, Fleckenstein at 141, Mosier at 165 and Vukobratovich at heavyweight. After seeing very limited time last season junior Tommy Churchard and sophomores Cameron Vlahos and Alex White look to do some damage as well. Churchard is the Boilermakers' projected starter at 157, moving up from 149 a year ago. White is scheduled to compete in the heavyweight division, while Vlahos is slotted for 165 pounds. Senior A.J. Kissel, ranked 13th in the nation at 197 pounds, is scheduled to sit out the season-opening tournament. Making their first career appearances for the Boilermakers are freshmen Nick Lawrence, Brandon Nelsen, Brock Norton, Frankie Porras, Pat Robinson, Andy Wiseman and Braden Atwood. Atwood is the Boilermakers projected starter and lone man on the roster at 184 pounds, while Lawrence and Nelsen will go at 141, Norton and Porras at 149, Robinson at 157 and Wiseman at 174. Weigh-ins for Saturday's action are scheduled for 7 a.m. in Bowen Field House, with matches set to begin at 9 a.m. Brackets will be drawn shortly after weigh-ins and will be available at www.TrackWrestling.com.

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The Oklahoma State wrestling program will host a meet and great for Cowboy fans on Nov. 14 at Eskimo Joe's. The event will be held in conjunction with head coach John Smith's first coach's show of the season. “With no Orange-Black match this year, this is an opportunity for fans to come and meet the team,” Smith said. “It gives people a chance to see the team before the season starts.” Wrestlers and coaches will be available to fans at Eskimo Joe's from 6-8 p.m., with Smith joining host Rex Holt from 7-8 p.m. on Stillwater Radio's KSPI-FM, 93.7. More from coach John Smith on not having an Orange-Black match On why there is no Orange-Black Match this year: “One of the reasons why is just the number of weigh-ins we have in the month of November is more than we've had in the past. The other reason is, with the starting date of our season, which was Oct. 10 – in the past we normally started three weeks before that. We just felt like it was not the right thing to do. We'll have to plan in the future when we're going to do them. We may not see them again, it just kind of depends. It just felt like condition-wise we weren't where we needed to be and weight-wise we definitely weren't where we needed to be. It gives us a little more time to prepare and do things right.” On what it changes: “I don't really think there's an advantage or a disadvantage to it. It just doesn't set your team. We have a tournament at CMSU that we're going to enter our team into, and more than likely, the highest placing athlete at the tournament will start in that first weekend of matches. I see it not being a disadvantage to us by not having them. We're going to get enough competition in the month of November.”

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The 2011-12 season begins for the Maryland wrestling team Sunday as the Terps play host to Bloomsburg, Franklin & Marshall, Johns Hopkins and West Virginia as part of the Terrapin Duals. The event will take place on the main floor of Comcast Center. It marks the first time the Terps have wrestled on the main floor for a regular season event, and head coach Kerry McCoy believes the team is ready for the challenge. "I want to see a lot of fight this weekend," said head coach Kerry McCoy. "I want to see the guys go out there and fight hard and take confidence in their preparation. There is no team in the country in as good of shape as us. They need to go out there and push the pace and believe in their conditioning." The first round of matches begins at 10 a.m. between West Virginia and Johns Hopkins on the first mat, and Bloomsburg and Franklin & Marshall on the second mat. The Terrapins take the floor at 11:30 a.m. for the second round of matches as the Terps face Johns Hopkins on the first mat. The complete schedule is listed below. The Terps will feature an expanded lineup for the Terrapin Duals. At 125 pounds, sophomores Shane Gentry and Jenkins Monzey, and junior Brian Marcoux may all see action. Freshman Geoffrey Alexander and Kenneth Collado will be available at 133 pounds. Redshirt sophomore Danny O'Malley and sophomore Frank Goodwin will compete at 141. At 149, sophomore Ben Dorsay has solidified his spot and will wrestle all three matches. At 157 pounds, senior Kyle John will see most of the action, but redshirt sophomore Domenic DeRobertis will factor into the rotation. Junior All-American Josh Asper is the primary option at 165 pounds, but junior Shawn Mazzarone may rotate into a match. Redshirt sophomore Jimmy Sheptock, and seniors Corey Peltier and Owen Smith are all available to wrestle at 174. A pair of redshirt sophomores, Alex Pagnotta and Ty Snook, will see action at 184, and redshirt sophomores Christian Boley and Dallas Brown will wrestle at 197. Sophomore All-American Spencer Myers will participate in all three duals at 285 pounds. Last season, Maryland won three of four matches at the Terrapin Duals. The Terps will also be competing in the Clarion Open Sunday in Clarion, Pa. Schedule of Matches: 10 a.m. - West Virginia vs. Johns Hopkins (Mat 1) Bloomsburg vs. Franklin & Marshall (Mat 2) 11:30 a.m. - Maryland vs. Johns Hopkins (Mat 1) West Virginia vs. Franklin & Marshall (Mat 2) 1 p.m. - Maryland vs. Bloomsburg (Mat 1) Johns Hopkins vs. Franklin & Marshall (Mat 2) 2:30 p.m. - Maryland vs. Franklin & Marshall (Mat 1) Bloomsburg vs. Johns Hopkins (Mat 2)

NORMAN, Okla. -- The tenth-ranked Oklahoma wrestling squad opened the 2011-12 season with a 33-6 victory over NAIA's eighth-ranked Oklahoma City University on Thursday, Nov. 3, inside McCasland Field House. “It feels good and I'm happy with the turnout,” head coach Mark Cody said. “I have to keep in mind that this is our first match and it's early. OCU came out, wrestled hard and there was no fear in their eyes. They got after us and now we know what we need to work on.” Junior Jarrod Patterson started off the Sooner with an 8-2 victory over OCU's Kidd Gomez in the 125 pound showdown. The reigning OU All-American held a 2-1 lead going into the second, where he added an escape and takedown. In the third, Patterson added another takedown and 1:31 of riding to cement the win. Jordan Keller, a senior from Wichita, Kan., gave Oklahoma its first bonus points of the night after he pinned OCU's Gage Harrison in two minutes. After redshirting last year, Kendric Maple (141 pounds) opened the season with nine takedowns in the first period. He finished off the, 23-8, technical fall victory over the Stars' Eric Waggoner by adding two near falls. With the Sooners holding a 14-0 advantage OU's Nick Lester added four more points after he disposed of OCU's Cameron Ream. In the match, Lester had three takedowns, two reversals, eight-points off near falls and added 1:59 of riding time to earn the 20-8 win. OU suffered its first loss of the evening in the 157 pound bout between the Sooners Matt Lester and OCU's Nik Turner. Turner led 2-1 going into the third period, where Lester attempted his comeback but fell shy, 5-4. Newcomer Patrick “Bubby” Graham (165) earned his first win as a Sooner after he downed Kevin Hardy of Oklahoma City, 7-1. After a scoreless first, Graham had a takedown and two-point near fall in the second. He capped off the match with a reversal in the third and added 2:38 of riding time. The Stars struck again in the 174 pound bout between OU's Nolan McBryde and OCU's Derek Peperas. Peperas, a transfer from OU, stole a 2-0 lead from McBryde and finished the match with an 8-5 win. Erich Schmidtke squeaked by Oklahoma City's Andrew Pontikes at 184 pounds. Schmidtke held a 6-5 advantage going into the second period where Pontikes rode-out Schmidtke. However, Schmidtke returned the favor in the third to close-out the victory. OU led 24-6 going into the 197 pound match, which pitted Oklahoma's Keldrick Hall against the Star's Cody Siversten. Hall held a 4-1 advantage before earning the pin in just 0:38. With the bonus points the Sooners led 30-6 going into the final bout. In the heavyweight match, OU's Elijah Madison earned a 3-2 victory by decision over OCU's Michael Brown. In the match, Madison had a takedown and escape to Brown's two escapes. Next up, the Sooners travel to Brockport, N.Y., in search of their 13th-straight Brockport/Oklahoma Gold title on Saturday, Nov. 12. Results: 125 - Jarrod Patterson (OU) dec. Kidd Gomez (OCU), 8-2 133 - Jordan Keller (OU) fall Gage Harrison (OCU), 2:00 141 - Kendric Maple (OU) tech. fall Eric Waggoner (OCU), 23-8 149 - Nick Lester (OU) MD Cameron Ream (OCU), 20-8 157 - Nik Turner (OCU) dec. Matt Lester (OU), 5-4 165 - Bubby Graham (OU) dec. Kevin Hardy (OCU), 7-1 174 - Derek Peperas (OCU) dec. Nolan McBryde (OU), 8-5 184 - Erich Schmidtke (OU) dec. Andrew Pontikes (OCU), 6-5 197 - Keldrick Hall (OU) fall Cody Siversten (OCU), 0:38 285 - Elijah Madison (OU) dec. Michael Brown (OCU), 3-2

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- An energized crowd of over 3,00 fans filled Rec Hall for an exhibition as the No. 1 Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team entertained the Penn State wrestling nation with its 2011 Intrasquad dual. A number of freshmen, both true and red-shirt, had fine performances in the exhibition. True freshman Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.) got the first win of the evening with a 5-1 win over fellow true freshman Jordan Conaway at 125. Megaludis is ranked No. 19 nationally. Junior transfer Derek Reber (Lewisburg, Pa.) followed that up with a 4-0 win over Cameron Kelly (Pittsford, N.Y.) at 133. Red-shirt freshman Sam Sherlock (West Mifflin, Pa.) posted an impressive 11-5 win over junior Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) at 141 before three-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 1 at 149, posted an 8-1 win with 4:03 in riding time over freshman Seth Beitz (Juniata, Pa.). At 157, red-shirt freshman Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), ranked No. 13 nationally, battled talented classmate Dirk Cowburn (Coudersport, Pa.) to a 5-3 decision. Top-ranked All-American David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) then posted a convincing 21-6 technical fall over junior Nick Fischer (Unionville, Pa.) at 165. All-American Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at 174, posted a hard-fought 7-4 win over red-shirt freshman Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah). No. 1 Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), last year's national champion at 184, pinned senior David Crowell (Easton, Pa.) at the 4:47 mark for the evening's first pin. The two-time All-American countered a Crowell shot in the second to work his way to the pin. True freshman Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 9 at 197, thrilled the crowd with a convincing 13-5 major over veteran junior Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.). With No. 5 Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) set to wrestle against Bloomsburg in the season opener, sophomore Nick Ruggear (Oxford, Pa.) moved up a weight to take on red-shirt freshman Jon Gingrich (Wingate, Pa.) at 285 and came away with a 5-3 win. The Nittany Lions will start the 2011-12 campaign by hosting the Intrasquad Dual on Thursday, Nov. 3, in Rec Hall (it is free and open to the public). The regular season begins with a home dual against Bloomsburg on Sunday, Nov. 13, which will feature the raising of Penn State's Big Ten and NCAA title banners. Match time in Rec Hall for the match-up with the Huskies is set for 2 p.m. Fans can purchase these very limited single dual tickets by calling 814-865-5555. Tickets are priced at $8 for adults and $5 for youth (18 and under) and can be purchased from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day or in person at the Bryce Jordan Center box office. A maximum of four tickets may be purchased per person. The full season slate of live dual meet and tournament action will air locally on WRSC AM (1390 AM) with Friday evening duals being simulcast on WRSC FM (103.1 FM). Lock Haven's WBPZ (1230 AM) will also carry the entire season live and further affiliates may be added soon. The regular season schedule of radio broadcasts will be streamed live at www.GoPSUsports.com as part of Penn State's All-Access package, which will also feature live video streams of many home events. Ticket information is accessed easily online at www.GoPSUsports.com/tickets/m-wrestl-tickets.html . Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at www.twitter.com/pennstatepat and on Penn State Wrestling's facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling. The 2011-12 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline. Penn State Hosts 2011 Intrasquad Exhibition November 3, 2011 - University Park, Pa. - Rec Hall 125: #19 Nico Megaludis PSUW dec. Jordan Conaway PSUB, 5-1 133: Derek Reber PSUB dec. Cameron Kelly PSUW, 4-0 141: Sam Sherlock PSUW dec. Bryan Pearsall PSUB, 11-5 149: #1 Frank Molinaro PSUW dec. Seth Beitz PSUB, 8-1 157: #13 Dylan Alton PSUB dec. Dirk Cowburn PSUW, 5-3 165: #1 David Taylor PSUW tech fall Nick Fischer PSUB, 21-6 (TF; 6:38) 174: #2 Ed Ruth PSUW dec. Matt Brown PSUB, 7-4 184: #1 Quentin Wright PSUB pinned David Crowell PSUW (4:47) 197: #9 Morgan McIntosh PSUB maj. dec. Justin Ortega PSUW, 13-5 285: Nick Ruggear PSUW dec. Jon Gingrich PSUB, 5-3 Attendance: 3,000 appx. Records: Penn State (0-0, 0-0 B1G) Up Next for Penn State: vs. Bloomsburg, Sunday, Nov. 13, 2 p.m. - Rec Hall BOUT-BY-BOUT: 125: The night began the fans' first chance to see true freshmen Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.) and Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.) as the talented duo met at 125. Megaludis enters the season ranked No. 19 nationally. Megaludis got in on a single leg at the 1:20 mark and steadily worked his into a scoring position, getting the takedown and a 2-0 lead at the :35 mark. Megaludis rode Conaway out to lead 2-0 after one. The Murrysville native chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. Megaludis then took Conaway down with :55 left in the middle stanza to up his lead to 5-0. Another ride out allowed the 19th-ranked Megaludis to carry a 5-0 lead into the third period. Conaway chose down to start the third and quickly escaped to a 5-1 deficit. Megaludis and Conaway battled through a scoreless third period allowing Megaludis to post a 5-1 win. 133: Junior transfer Derek Reber (Lewisburg, Pa.), a national qualifier as a freshman at Bucknell, met red-shirt freshman Cameron Kelly (Pittsford, N.Y.) at 133. Kelly had the first real scoring chance of the period, getting in on a high double at the midway point of the opening period, but Reber was able to gain control of Kelly's legs and worked his way around for a takedown and a 2-0 lead. Reber then rode Kelly out to carry that lead into the second. Reber chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. Kelly got in on a single late in the period but Reber was able to keep the red-shirt freshman from scoring and kill the clock. Trailing 3-0, Kelly chose down to start the third period. Reber began working to turn Kelly for back points and while not turning him, he clinched the riding time point. Reber maintained solid control for the entire period and ended the match with 2:49 in riding time to post a 4-0 win. 141: Junior Brian Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) took on red-shirt freshman Sam Sherlock (West Mifflin, Pa.) in a battle at 141. Sherlock scored quickly, taking Pearsall down for an early 2-1 lead after a quick Pearsall escape. Sherlock added a second takedown at the 1:10 mark to up his lead to 4-1. Pearsall escaped to a 4-2 deficit but Sherlock led 4-2 with just under 2:00 RT after one period. Pearsall chose down to start the second and quickly escaped to a 4-3 deficit. Neither man managed a takedown for the rest of the middle stanza and Sherlock maintained a one point lead heading to the final stanza. Sherlock chose down to start the third period and quickly reversed Pearsall for a 6-4 lead. Pearsall escaped but Sherlock took him down twice more to post an impressive 11-5 win with riding time. 149: Three-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 1, met red-shirt freshman Seth Beitz (Juniata, Pa.) at 149. Molinaro scored first with a quick takedown. The three-time All-American controlled the action from the top and turned Beitz for a three-point near fall to lead 5-0 after one period. Molinaro chose down to start the second and quickly reversed Beitz to up his lead to 7-1 after a Beitz escape. The duo battled evenly for the rest of the period and Molinaro led 7-1 after two periods. Beitz chose down to start the third stanza but could not break free of a strong Molinaro ride as the Lion senior built up over 3:00 in riding time. Molinaro rode Beitz out to post a convincing 8-1 win with 4:03 in riding time. 157: Red-shirt freshman Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), ranked no. 13 at 157, took on talented classmate Dirk Cowburn (Coudersport, Pa.) at 157. Alton quickly scored, throwing Cowburn down near the edge of the mat for an early 2-1 lead after a quick Dirk escape. Alton used a low single to notch another takedown and lead 4-2 at the :30 mark. Trailing 4-2, Cowburn chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-3 deficit. The duo battled evenly for bulk of the period with neither wrestler managing a real scoring threat. Alton chose down to start the third period and steadily escaped to a 5-3 lead. Alton countered a Cowburn shot at the :35 mark and tried to turn it into a takedown, but Cowburn was able to work his way out of bounds and keep the score close. Alton would then hold on for the hard-fought 5-3 win. 165: Top-ranked All-American David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) met junior Nick Fischer (Unionville, Pa.) at 165. Taylor took Fischer down quickly to lead 2-1 after a Fischer escape and then began working his way for another takedown. Fischer forced a stalemate, only to be taken down at the 1:38 mark to trail the All-American 4-1. Fischer escaped, but Taylor took the Lion junior down once again to up his lead to 6-2. Fischer chose down to start the second period, escaped and was quickly taken down by Taylor once again. Taylor then began looking to turn the Lion and picked up the two-point near fall at the 1:20 mark to up his lead to 10-3. Another Fischer escape led to another quick Taylor takedown and the Lion sophomore was up 12-4 with :30 left in the period. Taylor used a low ankle pick to take Fischer down and turn him to his back for three back points and a 17-5 lead after two periods. Taylor chose down to start the second period and steadily worked his way to a reversal and a 19-5 lead. Fischer escaped to a 19-6 deficit. Taylor countered a low Fischer shot and countered for a takedown and a 21-6 technical fall at the 6:38 mark. 174: All-American Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 2, met talented red-shirt freshman Matt Brown (West Valley City, Utah) in a match-up at 174. Ruth scored quickly with a takedown at the 2:42 mark. Brown escaped but Ruth used a low single to pull the red-shirt freshman onto the mat for another takedown and a 4-2 lead after another Brown escape. Ruth used a low ankle pick to gain control of Brown and notch a third takedown to lead 6-2 with :50 left. Brown escaped before the opening period ended to trail 6-3 after three minutes. He then chose down to start the second and escaped to a 6-4 deficit with 1:38 left in the middle stanza. Brown used a slick move on the edge of the mat to nearly tie the bout up at the :10 mark, but Ruth was able to shift the action out of bounds and keep his 6-4 lead heading into the third. Ruth chose down to start the third and Brown was able to work off the riding time edge. Ruth got hit with a stall warning at the :30 mark as Brown controlled the action from the top. The Lion All-American was not able to break free of Brown's strong ride until the :08 mark and posted a hard-fought 7-4 win. 184: Defending National Champion Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 1 nationally, took on senior David Crowell (Easton, Pa.) at 184. Wright notched the first takedown of the bout early and led 2-1 after a Crowell escape. The duo battled evenly for the rest of the opening period and Wright carried the one point lead into the second period. Wright chose down to start the middle stanza and quickly escaped to a 3-1 lead. He then gained control of Crowell's legs and tried to work his way to another takedown but Crowell adeptly forced a stalemate to keep the bout close. But Wright was able to counter a Crowell shot and worked his way into a pin, getting the unconventional fall at the 4:47 mark, forcing Crowell's shoulders down with his right leg. 197: True freshman Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 9 in the country, met veteran junior Justin Ortega (Oxford, Pa.) at 197. The duo battled evenly for the first three minutes with McIntosh working out of the way of a late Ortega shot to keep the bout scoreless after one. Ortega chose down to start the second, escaped and was quickly taken down and cut loose by McIntosh. McIntosh notched a second takedown and cut and led 4-3 with 1:20 on the clock. Ortega countered a McIntosh shot, nearly scored, only to be countered by McIntosh who worked his way to a 6-3 lead as the second period ended. McIntosh chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 7-3 lead. McIntosh used a low single to score again, leading 9-4 after cutting Ortega loose with 1:10 left on the clock. A strong high double with :40 on the clock and another cut gave the true freshman an 11-5 lead. Needing one more takedown for a major, McIntosh scrambled to a final takedown with :02 left to post the 13-5 major. 285: With No. 5 Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) on track to open the season against Bloomsburg, sophomore Nick Ruggear (Oxford, Pa.) moved up a weight to take on red-shirt freshman Jon Gingrich (Wingate, Pa.) in the heavyweight exhibition. The duo battled evenly for the first period with neither man mounting a scoring threat until Ruggear used a solid double leg to trip Gingrich to the mat at the :31 mark to lead 2-0. Gingrich escaped as the period wound down and cut Ruggear's lead to 2-1. Gingrich chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 2-2 tie. Gingrich nearly scored with a high double leg with :45 left, but Ruggear was able to fight off the effort and keep the bout tied. Deadlocked at 2-2, Ruggear chose down to start the third. A quick escape gave the sophomore a 3-2 lead and action resumed in the center circle. Ruggear scored on a low shot with 1:13 on the clock to up his lead to 5-3 after a quick Gingrich escape. That escape was the final point and Ruggear notched the 5-3 win.

Fight Now USA Presents Takedown Wrestling from the brute studios in Des Moines, Iowa at 1460 KXNO. Takedown Wrestling is brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods! Wrestling fans: We take the studio on the road this week and head to Boston University to join BU coach Carl Adams in a celebration of wrestling in New England. We'll preview Sunday's tri-meet between BU, ISU and Army. I'm sure you'll enjoy. Special time this week: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. CT 10:30 to 12:30 ET. This week's guests: 9:30: Jeff Murphy -- Kemin Wrestling Report 9:45: Brad Johnson -- Takedown Wrestling Headline News 10:01: Carl Adams -- Head wrestling coach at Boston University 10:20: Ty Barkley -- Max Muscle Sports Nutrition Update 10:30: Carl Fronhoffer -- Head wrestling coach at Columbia 11:01: Carl Adams and company, Boston University 11:20: Maureen Roshar -- Wildrose Casino and Resort Takedown Wrestling is available on radio on AM 1460 KXNO in Iowa, online at Livesportsvideo.com, or on your Blackberry or iPhone with the iHeart Radio app.

Destin McCauley

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- The Cowboys will kick the wrestling season off Saturday by competing in the Northwest College Open in Powell, Wyo. The tournament will begin at 9 a.m. in Cabre Gym. This is one of the most anticipated seasons in Wyoming history. That's because the Pokes are riding the momentum of last year's success, which featured six NCAA Championship berths and two All-America honors. Wyoming head coach Mark Branch and his staff will use the match results to determine the depth chart for weight classes and the starting lineup for the dual season, which begins Dec. 10 when the Pokes travel to Nebraska. In the rankings The Cowboys are ranked in several preseason polls. The Pokes, as a team, are ranked 11th in the nation by WrestlingReport.com, 12th by InterMat and tied for 15th by the NWCA/USA Today poll. WrestlingReport.com and InterMat rankings are tournament-based rankings Individually, Amateur Wrestling News ranked senior Michael Martinez as 12th in the nation at 125 pounds, senior Shane Onufer at second at 165 and senior Joe LeBlanc at sixth at 184. InterMat's rankings are as follows: M. Martinez (10th), Onufer (second), sophomore Patrick Martinez (20th at 174 pounds) and LeBlanc (sixth). WrestlingReport.com has six Cowboys in its rankings, including M. Martinez (seventh), Onufer (second), M. Martinez (25th), LeBlanc (sixth) and junior L.J. Helbig at 23rd at 197 pounds. The event The Northwest Open will be an opportunity for several younger Cowboys and veterans to start the season, and if Branch has his way, his wrestlers will start out with a bang. "When you've been practicing and working for something since August, there's a lot of anxiety," said Branch, who is entering his fourth year as UW's head coach. "Although our preseason was shortened, you can tell these guys are ready to wrestle someone new. In our workouts, you can tell our guys are getting into a little bit of a rut. Now you get to go out and see how they perform when it matters. "In a tournament like this, we're going to get a chance to see a lot of head-to-head matchups and how these kids end up placing in an actual tournament. This is the beginning of trying to set our lineup, which by December, we hope to have a little better idea of our team. This is really important tournament for us to evaluate that and start putting the pieces together. The way they actually go out and compete is what going to help determine who we put out there." The opponents Along with some Division I opponents, there will be some NAIA, Division II and junior college schools there. This will be the first available opportunity for collegiate wrestlers to compete in tournaments. "It's a good starter tournament for us," Branch said. "Hopefully, we have some kids matching up in the championship rounds. That's what you're looking for, to at least put these guys in that situation where this tournament title is on the line. "Then you want to see how they compete, when it's for something. As a coach you're always amazed at the differences between practice and competition."

EVANSTON, Ill. -- For the second year in a row, head coach Drew Parianoand Northwestern are ready to open their dual season with a challenge from Stanford. The 19th-ranked 'Cats host the 14th-ranked Cardinal at 3 p.m. Saturday at Marist High School on Chicago's South Side looking for a repeat of their exciting victory over Stanford in the 2010 season-opener. A total of seven ranked wrestlers will hit the mat Saturday, including NU's No. 3-ranked Jason Welch at 157 lbs. and No. 10 Lee Munster, a redshirt freshman, making his debut against Stanford's preseason No. 1 at 174 lbs., Nick Amuchastegui. Tickets may be purchased in advance by calling the NU Athletics Ticket Office at 1-888-GO-PURPLE or may be purchased at the door ($7 adults, $4 students, $3 groups of 15 or more). Probable starting lineups for Saturday's match are listed below: 125: No. 16 Levi Mele (NU) vs. Matt Sencenbaugh OR Evan Silver (STAN) 133: Jameson Oster (NU) vs. No. 7 Ryan Mango (STAN) 141: Colin Shober OR Pat Greco (NU) vs. Donovan Halpin OR Alex Manley 149: No. 20 Kaleb Friedley (NU) vs. Timmy Boone (STAN) 157: No. 3 Jason Welch (NU) vs. Garrett Schaner OR Mike Kent (STAN) 165: Robert Kellogg OR Pierce Harger OR Kevin Bialka (NU) vs. Matt Schneider (STAN) 174: No. 10 Lee Munster (NU) vs. No. 1 Nick Amuchastegui (STAN) 184: Brian Roddy OR Marcus Shrewsberry (NU) vs. Spence Patrick (STAN) 197: John Schoen OR Alex Polizzi (NU) vs. Alan Yen (STAN) Hwt.: No. 11 Mike McMullan(NU) vs. Dan Scherer OR Brendan Ter Wee (STAN) Scouting the Cardinal Opening its 2010-11 season against a solid Stanford team in front of more than 1,500 Cardinal supporters, Northwestern overcame an early deficit and posted a 18-16 victory last November in Palo Alto, Calif. The win gave Drew Pariano a successful start to his Division I head coaching career. The Wildcats trailed by a 13-6 margin with four matches remaining before Kaleb Friedley (141), Andrew Nadhir (149) and Jason Welch(157) each recorded major decision victories to turn the tide in Northwestern's favor. Amuchastegui returns for the Cardinal after a 2011 season in which he was the NCAA runner-up at 174 pounds, becoming a two-time All-American in the process. Now the nation's top-ranked wrestler at his weight class, Amuchastegui -- who twice has been honored as the Elite 88 Award winner as the NCAA qualifier with the highest cumulative GPA -- is looking to improve on his 94-18 career record. Another tough competitor for the Cardinal is No. 7 Ryan Mango at 133, a junior and a two-time NCAA qualifier. Stanford, which was 9-9-1 in dual meets last season, is under the direction of fourth-year head coach Jason Borelli, a 2006 Central Michigan graduate. Get to Know the 'Cats Below is a weight-by-weight breakdown of the 2011-12 Northwestern lineup courtesy of head coach Drew Pariano: 125: "Levi Mele is moving down from 133. He went 2-2 at NCAA's last year, had a great sophomore season. This year, he's at his optimal weight class and we think that he can definitely be an All-American, challenge for NCAA titles and also we have Grant Greene who is a freshman, coming in from New York who will provide some depth for us there as well as John Coukoswho's kind of a 125/133 guy. He's a sophomore but he has freshman eligibility and is one of the hardest working kids on the team. All of our lower weight competitors will be pushing each other to be better all season." 133: "We're really excited about Jameson Oster, a true freshman, really successful high school career, just a great preseason. He's really a coach's dream, in the fact that he does everything that you want him to do, so we expect a great year out of him." 141: "141 is probably one of the best battles we have going on, it's Pat Greco and Colin Shober. Both guys are just -- I feel comfortable with either guy in there, really hard working kids and both guys want to leave an imprint on the starting lineup and I think it's a battle that will go deep into the season. It will be interesting to see how both do in the open tournaments at Michigan State and then also the Penn Tournament leading into Midlands, so we feel really good about 141." 149: "At 149 we have a familiar face in a new role, we actually have Kaleb Friedleymoving up from 141. An NCAA qualifier as a true freshman, he's put on more muscle this year and 149's a comfortable weight for him. Extremely exciting wrestler and a guy that puts up big points in dual meets. We also expect him to challenge for All-American status this year. "Also moving down to 149 is David Helmer, who again, is a really talented guy. He's won several college opens in his career here at Northwestern. I think what you're seeing is, we're finally getting great depth throughout the lineup and David is going to push Kaleb pretty significantly." 157: "Jason Welch, returning NCAA All-American, I think preseason ranked No. 3 in the country. He would be disappointed if he didn't win a national title this year and I think that drives him every day. He's added some new techniques to his repertoire, so he's getting better every day and we expect national title out of him. Also at 157 is Dylan Marriott, who could honestly be one of our most improved wrestlers from a year ago. He's really developing nicely on the technical side and he's just becoming a more battle-tested college wrestler and he'll push Welch the entire season." 165: "This is just a crazy weight for us and again, it's a coach's dream and also a coach's nightmare, we have three guys that are all quality wrestlers. Robert Kellogg, who's been a starter for us for numerous years, is challenging at 165. Kevin Bialka, who's been a starter for us, is at 165 and a guy with freshman eligibility, Pierce Harger, who had a great redshirt season last year is also challenging. So if you want to talk about a weight class where we feel comfortable with any one of three guys in the starting lineup, 165 is definitely it." 174: "This might be a bit of a surprise weight class in that Lee Munster competed at the [Junior] World Championships last year at 84 kilos, came back and I think realized that 174 was maybe a more optimal weight class for him. He's a guy that had a great deal of success at 184 as a redshirt last year, but 174 is where he feels he can win a national title and that's extremely important to him and that's extremely important to our staff so he's putting himself in a spot to challenge for big things as a redshirt freshman. 184: "We also have other guys certified at 174 in Brian Roddy and Paul Jackson, but both could contribute at 184. Roddy's been a great starter for us, consistent performer and he's actually going to be 174 and 184 because he's a guy that's going to do whatever it takes for us to progress as a team. He's been looking good in practice and is looking to step in to the starting role at 184. Brian's experience in the lineup is just invaluable to us. Also at 184 is Marcus Shrewsbury, who has kind of been between 184 and 197 throughout the years. He actually was the starter for us at heavyweight due to injury, so he's been everywhere in the lineup, which makes him a very versatile guy. He's very open-minded for the team and a guy that again, will do anything that a coach wants him to do and he'll be at the weight class that we want him at and we appreciate that as a staff." 197: "This is a very highly-anticipated battle. John Schoen is now a senior and a guy that's been in the starting lineup, he's had some huge wins in his career for us here -- last year against Illinois was one of the most exciting college matches I've ever been a part of. We also have freshman Alex Polizzi who was a match away from placing at Midlands last year and he had a really good redshirt freshman year. He almost made the junior world team in Greco-Roman last year, so he's a dangerous guy and a guy that we're really excited about, but Schoen is not at all willing to let a freshman come in and dictate anything if he has anything to say about it." 285: "Again at heavyweight, great depth, we have two guys. Ben Kuhar has started in the last three years when he has avoided injuries, and Mike McMullan's a redshirt freshman that has won two or three college opens now and was a place-winner at Midlands. Again, a great problem to have. We have two guys that in my mind, are both Big Ten starters and we're just very excited about those possibilities of either of those guys starting right now. It's looking like McMullan will be in there and then Ben will also be challenging for that role."

OREM, Utah -- The Utah Valley University wrestling team took to the mat Wednesday night at the annual UVU Intrasquad Dual in Orem and put on a show with 29 wrestlers competing in 24 matches on two mats. "We're excited about how things went," UVU head coach Greg Williams said. "The attitude was good on the team and the guys wrestled hard. I noticed some technical things that we need to work on especially from our younger guys, but those are things that we can correct. We also saw some very close matches, showing us what kind of talent that we have." Most of the 29 grapplers competing took to the mat twice on the evening and in all seven of them won two matches apiece. Returners Colby Christensen (125 lbs.), Eric McAllister (Hwt.) and Kyle West (141) as well as newcomers Napoleon Aniciete (157 lbs.), Chase Cuthbertson (157), David Prieto (184) and Derek Thomas (184) all won a pair of bouts. Christensen picked up two major decision victories by defeating Jade Rauser (14-6) and Jarod Maynes (9-1). McAllister won his with a first period fall (2:21) over Zac Jensen and a 9-5 decision against Dustin Dennison. West pulled out a hard fought 10-8 win over Avery Garner as well as an 11-3 major decision over Glenn Terrano. Aniciete held his opponents scoreless by defeating Andrew Orr (7-0) and Jake Falk (8-0) by a total of 15-0. C. Cuthbertson picked up two decision wins over Falk (8-3) and Orr (13-6), while Prieto won his bouts over Dominic Borelli (5-3) and Phillip Sorensen (3-1), and Thomas beat Sorenson (10-2) and Borelli (3-2). With 20 newcomers on the roster this season, the winners of the matches will help Williams determine his starting lineup for the dual season. "These matches really gave us a good idea of where guys are at conditioning wise, with their technique, and mentally," Williams added. "There will be some other determining factors into naming our starters but this gave us some indications on a few guys." UVU will officially begin the season this Saturday when it heads to Powell, Wyo., to compete at Northwest College's Trapper Open. The following weekend (Nov. 12), the Wolverines will head to Harrisburg, Pa., to start its dual season when it takes on Ohio State, Illinois, Buffalo and Shippensburg at the Wrestle for a Cure Duals. "I'm anxious for this weekend, we've been working out for a long time," Williams added. "The guys are chomping at the bit for the chance to wrestle against competition besides their own teammates. I'm not normally an optimistic guy, but I feel like we will head up to Powell and compete very well."

High school wrestling preseason events are gaining in popularity. Events like the Super 32 Challenge (Greensboro, N.C.) and USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals (Cedar Falls, Iowa) attract over 1,000 competitors every year and sell out. There are now preseason high school wrestling events in virtually every part of the country. For some wrestlers in lesser-known wrestling states, preseason tournaments provide an opportunity to get noticed and see tougher competition than they otherwise would. Every fall there are high school wrestlers who shine in preseason events and force people to take notice. I have selected one wrestler in each of the 14 weight classes who, in my opinion, stood above all else in their weight class this preseason. 106: Paul Mascarenas (Cleveland, N.M.) Preseason Event: USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals Preseason Synopsis: Mascarenas, a two-time state champion, cruised to a title at USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals in Cedar Falls, Iowa. He went 6-0, which included victories over a pair of Junior National finalists, Tommy Pawelski and Dante' Rodriguez (Grand Island, Neb.). His victory in the finals came by way of pin over Rodriguez, an InterMat JJ Classic champion and Blue Chip Fall Brawl runner-up. 113: Zahid Valencia (St. John Bosco, Calif.) Preseason Event: NUWAY Southwest Kickoff Classic Preseason Synopsis: Valencia, who is ranked as the nation's No. 1 freshman by InterMat, won his second straight title at the NUWAY Southwest Kickoff Classic, also known as the Freak Show, in Las Vegas. He rolled through the competition, going 5-0, which included a semifinal win over Junior National double finalist Johnson Mai (North Torrance, Calif.), and a victory in the finals over Junior National freestyle All-American Micah Perez (Central Union, Calif.). 120: Tim Lambert (Forest Hills Eastern, Mich.) Preseason Event: Grappler Fall Classic Preseason Synopsis: Lambert, an InterMat Top 100 recruit, followed up a strong summer (All-American honors in Fargo) with a title at the Grappler Fall Classic in Michigan, where he went 5-0. He had two pins and outscored his other three opponents 31-4. His most notable victory came in the finals over nationally-ranked sophomore Zac Hall (St. Johns, Mich.), 5-1. 126: Anthony Ashnault (South Plainfield, N.J.) Preseason Events: Ironhorse Invitational, Super 32 Challenge Preseason Synopsis: Ashnault, who is undefeated in his prep wresting career, bounced back from a loss to Randy Cruz (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.) at the Ironhorse Invitational to win his second straight Super 32 Challenge title in impressive fashion with wins over five state champions. (Last year Ashnault also beat five state champions on the way to winning the Super 32 challenge title.) His most notable victories at this year's Super 32 Challenge came over PIAA state champion Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), 4-2, in the semifinals, and Junior National freestyle champion Joey Dance (Christiansburg, Va.), 4-3, in the finals. 132: Sam Brancale (Eden Prairie, Minn.) Preseason Event: InterMat JJ Classic Preseason Synopsis: Brancale, who is ranked as the nation's No. 56 senior by InterMat, was dominant at the InterMat JJ Classic, going 5-0 with three pins and 9-3 victories in both the semifinals and finals. His victory in the finals came over state champion and two-time state finalist Mitchel Lexvold (Kenyon-Wanamingo, Minn.). The University of Minnesota commit was named Outstanding Wrestler of the event. 138: Ben Whitford (St. Johns, Mich.) Preseason Event: Super 32 Challenge Preseason Synopsis: It is rare to see a wrestler completely obliterate a field at a prestigious event like the Super 32 Challenge, but Whitford did just that. The nation's No. 2 junior had five pins, a 19-3 technical fall, and a 13-3 major decision in the finals. Whitford has returned to St. Johns, Michigan, after spending the first two years of his high school career at Marmion Academy (Ill.). 145: Mark Hall (Apple Valley, Minn. Preseason Events: Grappler Fall Classic, InterMat JJ Classic, NUWAY Southwest Kickoff Classic Preseason Synopsis: Hall, the nation's No. 1 junior high wrestler, put it on the line three straight weekends and came out on top in all three preseason events. His first title came at the Grappler Fall Classic, where he notched a victory in the finals over state champion and InterMat Top 100 recruit Zack Dailey (Massillon Perry, Ohio). He followed that up the next weekend with a title at the InterMat JJ Classic where he had the Dirty Scramble and Takedown of the Week in his finals match. He then capped off his preseason run with a title at the NUWAY Southwest Kickoff Classic in Las Vegas, where he was untested in five matches. 152: Isaiah Martinez (Lemoore, Calif.) Preseason Event: NUWAY Southwest Kickoff Classic Preseason Synopsis: Martinez came through a bracket at the NUWAY Southwest Kickoff Classic that included two other wrestlers ranked in the top 20 nationally in their grades, Joey Lavallee (Reno, Nev.) and Brandon Kingsley (Apple Valley, Minn.). He went 5-0 with three pins, a technical fall, and a 4-2 victory in the finals over Kingsley, an InterMat JJ Classic champion. 160: Chance Marsteller (Kennard-Dale, Pa.) Preseason Event: Super 32 Challenge Preseason Synopsis: Marsteller, an undefeated PIAA state champion as a freshman, was originally slated to compete at 152 pounds for the Super 32 Challenge, but made the decision late to move up to 160 pounds. At the Super 32 Challenge he went 6-0 with a pin, two technical falls, a major decision, and two decisions. His victory in the finals came over Cody Allala (Hopewell, Va.), a wrestler he trained with leading up to the event. 170: Taylor Massa (St. Johns, Mich.) Preseason Event: Super 32 Challenge Preseason Synopsis: Massa, the nation's No. 1 overall recruit, entered his senior year with titles in just about every major high school or grade level wrestling event, with the exception of the Super 32 Challenge. That changed this past Sunday when Massa, who committed to Michigan, won a Super 32 Challenge belt at 170 pounds with a dominating 16-6 victory over a red-hot Elliott Riddick (Bethlehem Catholic, Pa.). 182: Tim Dudley (Irmo, S.C.) Preseason Event: Super 32 Challenge Preseason Synopsis: Last week was an eventful week for Dudley. He announced his verbal commitment to the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill on Friday and a few days later captured a Super 32 Challenge title. Dudley, an NHSCA Nationals champion, did not give up an offensive score in six matches. He took out returning Super 32 Challenge champion Brandon Griffin (Sprague, Ore.) in the finals. 195: Matt McCutcheon (Pa.) Preseason Event: Super 32 Challenge Preseason Synopsis: McCutcheon, a state fifth-place finisher in Pennsylvania this past season, had a breakthrough performance at the Super 32 Challenge. He registered a 4-2 victory over two-time Cadet National double champion Mitch Sliga (Fishers, Ind.) in the semifinals, and then proceeded to knock off two-time state finalist and Cadet National freeestyle champion Brooks Climmons (Pope, Ga.) in tiebreaker, 2-1, to capture the Super 32 Challenge belt. 220: Willie Miklus (Southeast Polk, Iowa) Preseason Event: Blue Chip Fall Brawl Preseason Synopsis: Miklus, an InterMat Top 100 recruit, steamrolled the competition at the Blue Chip Fall Brawl in Kansas City. The Missouri commit went 3-0 with two technical fall victories and a one-minute pin in the finals. 285: Doug Vollaro (Pine Castle Christian, Fla.) Preseason Event: Super 32 Challenge Preseason Synopsis: Vollaro, a Junior National double All-American and FloNationals champion, was impressive in capturing the Super 32 Challenge title at heavyweight. He had shutout victories in both the quarterfinals and semifinals, and then defeated fellow Floridian John Dreggors (Springstead, Fla.), an NHSCA Junior Nationals champion and InterMat Top 100 recruit, 3-1, in the finals. Vollaro committed to Lehigh earlier this fall.

Boiling Springs, N.C. -- Gardner-Webb's Ryan Medved, Justin Guthrie and Justin Kozera each posted pin fall wins on Wednesday night, as the Runnin' Bulldog grapplers defeated Belmont Abbey 28-12 in the two teams' 2011-12 season opener in Boiling Springs, N.C. Freshman Justin Kozera got the Runnin' Bulldogs off on the right foot, as the heavyweight wasted no time in picking up his first career win at GWU, pinning Will Robinson of Belmont Abbey at 1:50 to give the home team an early 6-0 match lead. After both teams forfeited at 125, GWU's Michael Slaughter tallied four two-point takedowns and one three-point near fall at 133 en route to recording a 14-5 major decision win over Jake Nelson of Belmont Abbey. Belmont Abbey cut the GWU's match lead to four at 10-6 with back-to-back decisions at 141 and 149, yet ran into trouble at the middle weights. At 157, Ryan Medved earned a pin fall victory at 1:59 over Dylan Moses, while at 165 his twin brother Alex Medved used five two-point takedowns and a two-point reversal to hold on to defeat Joseph Maumoynier 13-8, and push the Runnin' Bulldogs back in front by 13 at 19-6. Fellow redshirt-junior Justin Guthrie followed with a late pin fall win over Kwame Seymour at 5:43 of the match at 174, while sophomore Erin O'Dell used a one-point escape and riding time to edge Belmont Abbey's Jerami Bartley 2-1 at 184. Despite suffering a pin fall loss at 197 to finish the match, Gardner-Webb was able to lead from start to finish in the 28-12 dual match victory over the Crusaders. The Runnin' Bulldog grapplers will return to action this weekend, as a number of wrestlers will compete as individuals at the 2011 Hokie Open hosted by Virginia Tech this Sunday, November 6th, in Blacksburg, Va. Results: 285 – Justin Kozera (GWU) pinned Will Robinson (BAC) – 1:50 (GWU 6-0) 125 - Both teams Forfeit. (GWU 6-0) 133 – Michael Slaughter (GWU) major dec. Jake Nelson (BAC) – 14-5 (GWU 10-0) 141 – Will James (BAC) dec. Robbie Golde (GWU) 9-4 (GWU 10-3) 149 – Brandon Wilkins (BAC) dec. Davante Andujar (GWU) – 8-5 (GWU 10-6) 157 – Ryan Medved (GWU) pinned Dylan Moses (BAC) – 1:59 (GWU 16-6) 165 – Alex Medved (GWU) dec. Joseph Maumoynier (BAC) – 13-8 (GWU 19-6) 174 – Justin Guthrie (GWU) pinned Kwame Seymour (BAC) – 5:43 (GWU 25-6) 184 – Erin O'Dell (GWU) dec. Jerami Bartley (BAC) – 2-1 (GWU 28-6) 197 – Nick Rees (BAC) pinned Julian Ming (GWU) – 2:06 (GWU 28-12)

McCauley originally committed to the University of Wisconsin. He is a five-time state champion and Junior National freestyle champion.

Dennis Hall, member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and three-time Olympian, returns to the UW-Stevens Point wrestling program as assistant coach. “I'm excited to be back with the UWSP wrestling program,” said Hall. “I look forward to analyzing individual wrestlers and bringing more one-on-one attention to the team.” Hall is one of the most decorated Greco-Roman wrestlers in U.S. history. In 1995, he became only the second U.S. Greco-Roman wrestler ever to win a World Championship, defeating four former World Champions to claim that title. Hall continued to wrestle to success at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta where he brought home the silver medal. During his competitive years Hall also claimed the World Team Trials Championship seven times (1990, 1993-95, 1997-99) and was a 10-time U.S. National Champion (1992-2001). Arguably the most recognizable wrestler in Wisconsin, Hall brings a wealth of coaching knowledge from every level of wrestling. He operates his club, World Gold Wrestling, out of the UWSP wrestling room and also provides one-on-one training in his Stevens Point home to wrestlers of all levels—grade school, high school, college and Olympic. Wrestlers from all over the nation and even the world have travelled to Stevens Point to train with Dennis. Most recently he was asked to travel and coach with the world team in Bulgaria. Hall, who was the head assistant coach at UWSP from 2000-03 and helped the Pointers to a third-place finish at the 2003 NCAA Championships, served as head Greco-Roman coach at the U.S. Olympic Education Center in Michigan in 2009-10. “I am excited to have Dennis reconnected to our program,” said UWSP head coach Johnny Johnson. “He brings with him a level of intensity and expertise that most people will never experience.” Believing in the development of youth wrestling and dedicated to grow and advance the way wrestling is taught and perceived, Dennis Hall will continue to offer his World Gold Wrestling camps, clinics, clubs and private lessons to the athletes of Central Wisconsin. Hall and his wife Chrissy and have four children: Tyler, Brandon, Jake and Alyssa.

BOONE, N.C. -- Appalachian State wrestling conducted its final tune-up before the regular season at the Black & Gold Meet on Tuesday evening at Varsity Gym. The Mountaineers' best wrestlers hit the mat for intrasquad competition to try to secure their place among the Apps' starting ten. The dual-meet format pit wrestlers against each other in a battle of Black vs. Gold. Head coach JohnMark Bentley will use Tuesday's outcomes as a factor in determining his wrestlers in dual meet and tournament competition. The Mountaineers will hold their first home meet on Sunday, Nov. 13, as they host Anderson and Belmont Abbey in duals at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively, in Varsity Gym. Results: 125 – Dominic Parisi (Concord, N.C./Jay M. Robinson) dec. Tony Gravely (Martinsville, Va./Magna Vista), 11-6 133 – Chris Johnson (Hillsborough, N.C./Orange) dec. Brett Boston (Morganton, N.C./Freedom), 9-4 141 – Acton Pifer (Marietta, Ga./Lassiter) dec. Kyle Benson (Morganton, N.C./Robert L. Patton), 6-5 149 – Savva Kostis (Boone, N.C./Watauga) dec. Russ Benner (Roselle Park, N.J./Roselle Park), 6-2 157 – Zack Strickland (Muncy, Pa./Muncy) dec. Chip Powell (Greensboro, N.C./S.W. Guilford), 3-1 (SV-1) 165 – Kyle Blevins (Sapulpa, Okla./Sapulpa) MD Nick Vetell (Trinity, N.C./Trinity), 18-6 174 – Colin Hedash (Slatington, Pa./Northern Lehigh) dec. Carter Downs (Jupiter, Fla./Jupiter Christian), 5-2 184 – Austin Trotman (Winston-Salem, N.C./Mount Tabor) dec. Jesse Johnson (Lexington, N.C./Central Davidson), 9-2 197 – Paul Weiss (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Saint Thomas Aquinas HS) dec. Jon Hartley (Lenior, N.C./South Caldwell), 6-1 285 – Brock Durfee (Sherrills Ford, N.C./Bandys) dec. Joe Cummings (Valley Cottage, N.Y./Nyack HS), 5-1 For bout-by-bout description, please visit GoASU.com: http://www.goasu.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=205326203

Mel Radford is a sophomore JV wrestler at a Michigan high school with a rich mat tradition, following in the footsteps of older brother Cole, a senior starter and team captain. Like most high school wrestlers, Mel has to deal with issues such as tough practice sessions, concerns about weight, balancing academics, sports and a social life, and living up to coaches' -- and teammates' -- intense expectations. In fact, some wish Mel weren't on the team. Mel is actually Melinda, the only girl in the wrestling room at Ashton High outside Detroit, and the lead character in Alfred C. Martino's latest novel, Perfected by Girls, now available from Coles Street Publishing. Three years ago, Martino penned Pinned, an award-winning novel about two very different New Jersey high school wrestlers on a collision course to a possible state title. Martino has been involved in the sport most of his life, first as a wrestler, and, for the past decade, as a coach in the Garden State. After finishing Pinned, Martino was looking for a new subject for a novel ... and the idea of a book about a high school girl who happens to be a wrestler came to mind. Thus the birth of Perfected by Girls. (The inspiration for the title came from a T-shirt that Martino saw on a girl wrestler which said, "Wrestling: Invented by boys. Perfected by girls." In the book, Melinda's parents gave her a shirt with that message as a Christmas gift.) Meet Melinda In many ways, Perfected by Girls' protagonist Melinda Radford is the typical high school girl. She has a best friend Jade with whom she spends hours on the phone talking about boys and classes, a closet full of girly-girl clothes, and an older sibling (Cole) who hardly seems to be the model of brotherly love. Like so many teens, Melinda's world is in flux; in addition to navigating the potential pitfalls of high school, she has a grandmother who is pressuring her to work a boring internship in a corporate office, and a new boyfriend who is placing demands of his own on her. However, what makes Melinda somewhat unique -- at least in her school -- is that she is on the wrestling team ... which means long hours in the practice room, and in running endless miles of roadwork with her brother Cole, whose success in the sport is the product of his year-round obsession that he thinks his younger sister should make her own. As a wrestler, Melinda is up against all the challenges all amateur wrestlers share. However, unlike the tens of thousands of high school boys who go out for the sport nationwide, Melinda has to deal with cramps and weight-gain from monthly periods ... and the feeling of separation from her teammates because she can't change into her gear in the same locker room. Melinda also has to face workout partners and opponents who cop a feel, taunt her verbally, or rough her up physically in ways they wouldn't try with a male counterpart, because they resent being on the mat with a girl ... or don't want to get shown up by a member of "the weaker sex." Not to mention those who speculate on her sexuality, or wonder what her real motives for going out for wrestling in the first place. How Perfected came together After completing the actual writing -- then promotion -- of Pinned, Alfred Martino wanted to write another wrestling novel ... but not just any wrestling novel, realizing, in recent years, there have been a number of fictional books about high school matmen, but, to his knowledge, none about girl wrestlers. Alfred Martino"I went into this with the premise of males wrestling as being a mature notion -- that it has been written about," said Martino, who has been involved in the sport himself for nearly four decades. "I thought it would make for an interesting story to write a book about a girl wrestler -- a story that would appeal to both male and female readers." Martino did his homework. "I corresponded with about 20 girls -- college-age, and post-college --- about their high school wrestling experience." "At first, I figured that girls' attitudes about wrestling would be different than boys'," said Martino. "However, in talking to girls who are competing in wrestling, their competitive attitudes are much like competitive boys." "In talking to these young women, what I realized that made things different were their experiences beyond the competitive wrestling -- for instance, the way a boy touches you, is it wrestling, or something sexual? Or, where you have to change -- not being in the same locker room with your teammates. How you deal with periods and water retention. How you deal with an opponent who gets aroused." "With almost all the girls I talked to, they had experiences that a boy didn't have to deal with," Martino continued. "The story for my book (that became Perfected by Girls) would include these aspects that you might not think about as a wrestling fan." "I wanted to go against stereotypes," said Martino. "In doing research, I discovered that many of the stereotypes about girl wrestlers aren't true." "In writing the book, I didn't want to pigeonhole Mel into the notion of what people might expect. I think it makes it interesting for the reader that she is interested in fashion, and has a close girl friend (Jade) who isn't in wrestling." Weighing in on women's wrestling "Girls' wrestling is still very much in the beginning stages," said Martino, who was wrestling team captain Millburn High School in New Jersey, and wrestled in college at Duke. "A girl wrestling a varsity match is a big deal. Look at how much coverage there was in the mainstream media about the boy in Iowa who refused to wrestle a girl at the state tournament." (At the 2011 Iowa high school wrestling championships, sophomore Joel Northrup -- who had placed third at the event the previous year -- defaulted rather than wrestle freshman Cassy Herkelman in the first round of the tournament, citing religious reasons.) "I think it's is disappointing for a girl who has so much initiative to go out for such a tough sport, to have to deal with extra stuff such as, 'Is this boy touching me inappropriately?' or 'Am I a lesbian?' I can imagine there's a segment of girls who would want to wrestle but don't want to deal with these side issues." Martino added, "There are very realistic limitations of a girl competing against a boy in wrestling. There's a point where boys are stronger, and that alone can get girls to leave the sport in frustration." "We're losing a whole bunch of girls who might not want to deal with wrestling with boys." "I think we'd see a lot more girls in the sport if there wasn't an issue of dealing with boys." "If there's a theme to the book, I think it would be better for boys to wrestle boys, and girls wrestle girls," said Martino, who, in the InterMat interview for Perfected by Girls, pointed out, in collegiate and Olympic competition, and, for high schoolers in a handful of states, males and females compete separately. "As wrestling has benefited from MMA (mixed martial arts) and all the publicity of former wrestlers finding success in that sport, women in wrestling ultimately will help the sport overall," Martino continued. "People are seeing the value of wrestling as a sport. Why shouldn't those values and benefits of wrestling be available to women?" "We could add so many more fans to the sport." Alfred Martino's newest novel, Perfected by Girls, could also serve to welcome more fans -- and participants -- to amateur wrestling. As a former wrestler and active coach, Martino paints a very realistic picture of a high school wrestling room, and the action during actual matches. By being the first book to bring together whizzers, takedowns, and other wrestling terminology with Juicy Couture, Calvin Klein and other fashion labels residing in the lead character's closet, Perfected by Girls will do its part to bring more young people -- male and female -- to the benefits of wrestling, and a greater appreciation of those of both sexes who compete in it. To purchase Perfected by Girls online, visit the Amazon or Barnes & Noble websites. To get a signed copy of the book from the author, contact Alfred Martino directly via his website, www.AlfredMartino.com. Takedown Wrestling's Scott Casber interviews Alfred Martino ...

OREM, Utah -- After losing All-American Benjamin Kjar and numerous other mainstays in the lineup for the past several years to graduation last year, the Utah Valley Wolverine wrestling team will usher in a new era of wrestling this season as it welcomes a number of highly talented recruits and 20 newcomers in all to the fold. "In one way we are starting anew and in another way we are building on the foundation that those guys set for the recruits that we brought in," UVU head coach Greg Williams said. "These higher caliber of athletes came because of the success that we've had and what those (past) wrestlers were able to do during their time here. We have a lot of talent in the room this year but as a group we are really young right now." The 20 newcomers that will make their debuts in Orem this year include three transfers and 17 student-athletes straight out of high school. The three transfers are sophomore Dominic Borelli (165) who comes from Cal State Fullerton, redshirt freshman David Prieto (184) who redshirted at Arizona State last year and Wasatch High School product Ethan Smith (165) who redshirted for Purdue a year ago. The 17 newcomers out of high school include two sets of twins in Chase (165) and Kyle Cuthbertson (165), Jade (125) and Val Rauser (133) and 13 others in Logan Addis (149), Napoleon Aniciete (157), Brian Chamberlain (197), Dustin Dennison (HWT), Jake Falk (157), Nathan Garcia (125), Sam Graham (165), Cody Hone (133), Jarod Maynes (125), Chris Mayolo (141), Andrew Orr (157), Derek Thomas (174/184) and Jalen Weaver (165). "Guys are working really hard right now in the room to try to develop that level of intensity, confidence and style that they need to succeed," Williams added. "We're excited about what our newcomers can do. A number of them will be redshirting but a couple of them will be in the starting lineup. We'll be young for a couple of years but when these guys rise to that level and work hard on their technique, we will be a really tough team." Even though there are no seniors on the 2011-12 squad not every wrestler is a newcomer, as the Wolverines welcome back juniors Eric McAllister (HWT), Glenn Terrano (141), Josh Wilson (149), Richard Winger (157); sophomores Abner Cook (165), Adam Fager (197), Avery Garner (141), Zac Jensen (HWT), Trevor Rupp (197), Monte Schmalhaus (174) and Kyle West (141); and redshirt freshmen Colby Christensen (125), Derek Malan (133), Sam Mecham (141/149) and Phillip Sorensen (197). In all UVU returns four wrestlers that started a dual match a year ago. "Our number one short-term goal is to get as many of our kids to nationals that we can and for a few of them to place. Right now Josh Wilson is the best suited to accomplish those things as he is wrestling really well. We have some other guys who have some great experience and if they continue to build on that they will have a shot to peak at the end of the year." "We would love to win conference and have our team finish the season ranked but right now with as young as we are, our goals are more focused about the individuals rather than the team. But with the talent we have on this team right now I feel that it will be a different story in a couple of years." The young Wolverines will be tested early and often this season as the schedule is one of the toughest to date with top-ranked programs all over it. UVU will square-off against top programs such as Ohio State, Illinois, Boise State, Wyoming, Northern Iowa, Cal Poly, Stanford and last year's defending national champs in Penn State in 2011-12. A number of them will be making the trek to Orem as the Wolverines will welcome Boise State on Jan. 12, Northern Iowa on Jan. 27 and Cael Sanderson's Penn State Nittany Lions on Feb. 11 to UVU. "We've wanted to have a schedule like this for the last couple of years but it just hasn't worked out until now. We start off right away with two great Big Ten programs in Ohio State and Illinois at the Wrestle for a Cure Duals. We also wrestle two schools in our conference that will be ranked in Wyoming and Northern Iowa as well as tough teams in Stanford and Cal Poly in Palo Alto. Besides hosting Northern Iowa we'll also welcome Boise State and Penn State who are the defending champs and will pretty much have everyone back. It's going to be a great schedule and we are expecting to have at least eight Top-25 teams on it." The UVU Intrasquad Dual will be a good opportunity for fans to come out and get a chance to see showcase their talents for the first time as it is right around the corner on Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m. in the Activity Center. This year's format will be a little different from the past as there will be action taking place on two mats at the same time and nearly 30 matches in all. Multiple battles for starting spots will be going on and admission will be free to the public. "We are going to keep everyone within their weight classes and we are going to have some really great matches. It won't be like the typical Green and Black Dual that we've had in the past, in most weight classes we'll have two or three matches take place. There will be a lot of young talent being displayed and people will get the chance to see what they can expect to see from UVU for the next couple of years showcased right in front of them," Williams concluded.

Steve Knight and Terry Davis will go "On the Mat" this Wednesday, Nov. 2. “On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:00 to 6:00 PM Central on AM 1650, The Fan. An archive of the show can be found on www.themat.tv. E-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Knight is the executive director and head coach of Excel Wrestling. Knight was a Big 12 champion and NCAA All-American for Iowa State. He has been involved as a coach on many different levels. Davis authored the book “Vision Quest” in 1979. In 1985 it became a feature film starring Matthew Modine. Davis will discuss his plans for a sequel to the original.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- The Lock Haven University wrestling team will take its first step toward a successful year on Saturday, November 5 when the Bald Eagles host their second annual Crimson and White dual in Thomas Fieldhouse. The intrasquad scrimmage is set for 6 p.m. on Saturday, is open to the public and free of charge. LHU head coach Robbie Waller is very excited for Saturday, as it is a great way for his Bald Eagles to transition into the regular season. “Our team is excited to get out of the wrestling room and showcase their talent and potential during the second annual Crimson and White dual in front of our alumni, friends and fans,” said Waller. “With our first competition just around the corner, it will be a great indicator as to our overall progress as well as the landscape of our starting 10.” As part of the special event, each team will also have an honorary coach. Rob Weikel, the current Central Mountain High School assistant coach and a 2001 LHU graduate will lead the Crimson Team. Weikel, a 1996 Bellefonte High School graduate was a Pennsylvania State Finalist and three-year starter for the Bald Eagles. He was the 2011 USA Wrestling National High School Assistant Coach of the Year. Scott Bair, a 2001 LHU graduate and the current Junior High coach at Bucktail will lead the White Team. Bair is a 1996 graduate of Bald Eagle Area High School and a two-time Pa. State Champion. He was a four-year starter at LHU and a three-time NCAA qualifier. Saturday's Lineup: (Crimson vs. White) 125: John Trumbetti vs. Bobby Rehm 133: Cody Wheeler vs. Evan Kolb 141 #11 Matt Bonson vs. Dan Neff 149: Billy Randt vs. Owen Wilkinson 157: #16 Jake Kemerer vs. Aaron Fry 165: Dylan Caprio vs. Seth Creasy 174: Aaron McKinney vs. Greg Barnish 184: Fred Garcia vs. Zach Heffner 197: Matt Parlier vs. Chris Henry 285: Zach Corl vs. Harry Turner

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The first competition of the 2011-12 season is just five days away - the Eastern Michigan Open in Ypsilanti, Mich. So in the spirit of the beginning of the collegiate wrestling season, below is the weight-by-weight breakdown of the Ohio State wrestling team. 125 - Bo Touris is the Buckeyes' returning starter at 125 pounds as a fifth-year senior out of West Chester, Ohio. Last season, Touris entered the starting lineup at Edinboro and faced tough competition the rest of the season, matching up against five Top 20 wrestlers. Freshman Johnni Dijulius is slated to be Touris' main challenger. A three-time Ohio High School state champion from Walsh Jesuit, the Strongsville, Ohio, native is one of a handful of 125-pounders who provide great depth. Such wrestlers include Kyle Visconti and Josh Whitt. 133 - A redshirt-freshman who had an impressive summer finishing second at the FILA Junior World Championships in Bucharest, Romania, Logan Stieber is the projected starter at 133 pounds. A four-time Ohio High School state champion from Monroeville, Ohio, Stieber's back up most likely is Mike Manuche, a California state qualifier for Westview High School. Ian Paddock, a two-time NCAA championships qualifier, will redshirt the 2011-12 season. 141 - One of the Buckeyes' deeper weight classes, the 141-pound division will feature sophomore Randy Languis as the returning starter. A central, Ohio, native from Dublin, Languis entered the starting lineup last year at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational. Representing the Scarlet and Gray at the Big Ten championships, Languis faced a host of Top 20 wrestlers throughout the season. Languis is challenged by freshman Hunter Stieber, the younger brother of Logan, and newcomer Jarrod Boone offers additional depth. Hunter Stieber is a four-time Ohio High School state tournament champion and Boone is a state qualifier for Olentangy Liberty. 149 - Returning for the 2011-12 season after earning his first start at the Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals and representing Ohio State at the Big Ten championships, redshirt-sophomore Mike Fee is slated to be tested by four-time Ohio High School state tournament champion Cam Tessari (Monroeville, Ohio). Additional contenders at 149 pounds include redshirt-freshman Alex Gordon (Dublin, Ohio) and true freshman Devin Visconti (North Reading, Mass.). Gordon competed in various open tournaments throughout last season. Visconti, the NWCA Wrestler of the Year in Massachusetts, is a Massachusetts state champion. Joe Bruewer and Joe Grandominico will also compete at 149 pounds. 157 - Redshirt-freshman Josh Demas and true freshman Derek Garcia are the two key wrestlers at 157 pounds. It is predicted the non-starter between Demas and Garcia will move up to 165 pounds. Demas, a Columbus, Ohio, native competed in a variety of open tournaments last season. Garcia, a four-time Washington state champion from Sedro Woolley, Wash., spent part of last year training with the U.S. National Team in Colorado Springs. T.J. Rigel (New Carlisle, Ohio) and Joe Grandominico (Westerville, Ohio) provide further depth to the weight class. Rigel is a transfer from Ashland University. Grandominico mostly saw action in open tournaments a season ago, but did enter the starting lineup at Wisconsin and vs. Northwestern. 165 - As with the situation at 157 pounds, this weight class will be between Demas and Garcia. Adding depth is freshman and Olentangy Liberty's Craig Thomas, an Ohio High School state tournament qualifier. 174 - Returning Big Ten championships finalist and NCAA championships qualifier Nick Heflin will start at 174 pounds. Backing up the Massillon, Ohio, native is Kyle Riley-Hawkins. A third-place finisher in the Florida state championships for Lakewood Ranch, Riley-Hawkins hails from Bradenton, Fla. 184 - Redshirt-junior C.J. Magrum from Oak Harbor, Ohio, returns as the starter at 184 pounds. A two-time NCAA championships qualifier, Magrum finished fourth at the 2011 Big Ten Championships as the seventh seed. Freshman Kenny Courts is Magrum's main challenger. Courts, who hails from Harrisburg, Pa., and attended Central Dauphin, won two PIAA titles as a three-time finalist. 197 - Four-time New Jersey state champion and 2011 state winner of the Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award, Andrew Campolattano (Bound Brook, N.J.) will receive the starting nod at 197 pounds. Contesting New Jersey's all-time wins leader is freshman Nyle Bartling and redshirt-freshman Ray Gordon. Hailing from Syracuse, Neb., Bartling is a Nebraska state champion as a three-time qualifier. Gordon, a Fairfield, Ohio, native saw time in open tournament action last season. HWT - Redshirt- sophomore Peter Capone moves up to heavyweight in 2011-12 after splitting time at 184 and 197 pounds a season ago. The Johnson City, N.Y., native earned an at-large bid to the NCAA championships last season at 197 pounds after finishing seventh at the Big Ten championships and facing several Top 20 wrestlers. Adding depth to the class will be Oklahoma transfer Kostadinos Karageorge and freshman duo Orry Elor and Carlos Lugo (Akron, Ohio). A Walnut Creek, Calif., native, Elor finished third at the California state championships, while Lugo also garnered a third-place finish at the Ohio High School state tournament.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- TODAY'S ACTION No. 1 Penn State (0-0, 0-0 B1G) heads into the 2011-12 season as one of the favorites to compete for the NCAA Championship in St. Louis this coming March. Penn State is coming off its first NCAA title since 1953 and its first ever Big Ten championship. The Nittany Lions capped off a stunning regular season with a magical March run that saw them claim the conference crown with a perfect afternoon in Evanston, Ill., and the NCAA title before the final session ever began in Philadelphia's Wells Fargo Center. The Nittany Lions went 17-1-1 in duals, including a 6-1-1 Big Ten mark (tying the school record for conference dual wins in a season). Penn State also won the Virginia Duals and the co-championship of the Southern Scuffle. All of that is history as Penn State turns to the 2011-12 season looking to win a national title. For Nittany Lion fans, however, all attentions long ago turned to the new campaign. Head coach Cael Sanderson returns four All-Americans (all of whom placed in the top three), two other NCAA qualifiers and some of the best young wrestlers in the country as he looks to continue establishing Penn State as the NCAA's wrestling dynasty. Leading the charge will be 2011 National Champion Quentin Wright. Wright, a junior and a two-time All-American, won the 184 pound title in Philadelphia last year, capping off a stunning March run that saw him win the Big Ten championship as well. Wright went 21-6 during the season, winning his final nine matches. Senior Frank Molinaro is now a three-time All-American after his superb National Runner-Up finish at 149 a year ago. Molinaro posted a stunning 32-3 overall record, including a 15-0 dual meet mark. He won the Big Ten title at 149 (one of five PSU champions) before blazing his way to the NCAA finals. Molinaro heads into his senior year with a chance to become only the fifth four-time All-American in Penn State history. He has an 88-29 career record. Sophomore David Taylor emerged as one of the best wrestlers in the nation last year as a freshman. Taylor was named the 2011 Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, 2011 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and won 38 straight matches, advancing to the NCAA finals. The 2011 NCAA National Runner-Up at 157, Taylor won the Big Ten Championship at 157 and ended the year with a 38-1 record. He projects to move up to 165 for the new season. Classmate Ed Ruth also established himself as one of the nation's elite grapplers during his freshman campaign. Ruth posted a stunning 38-2 mark and ended the year as the third-place finisher at NCAAs at 174 pounds. The bronze medal performance also included earning the NCAA championship Gorriaran Award for the most pin in the least amount of time at the tourney in Philadelphia. Ruth was the 2011 Big Ten Champion at 174 as well. Joining that foursome will be NCAA qualifiers Cameron Wade and sophomore Andrew Alton. Wade won his first two bouts at heavyweight at NCAAs before a knee injury in the quarterfinals ended his All-America chances. Wade heads into his final campaign with a 71-33 career record. Alton starred as a true freshman at 141, going 30-10 and, like Wade, finishing just one win shy of All-America laurels at NCAAs. Alton posted 18 pins as a rookie, including four straight to start his NCAA career. Other wrestlers returning with starting experience from last year that include James English (149/157), Nick Fischer (157/165), Frank Martellotti (125/133), Nate Morgan (125), Justin Ortega (184/197), Bryan Pearsall (133/141), Nick Ruggear (197) and James Vollrath (157). Top red-shirts who will be making their Penn State debuts include Dylan Alton (149/157), Matt Brown (165/174), Dirk Cowburn (157/165) and Sam Sherlock (133/141). The Nittany Lions also welcome one of the nation's top recruiting classes, including national high school wrestler of the year Morgan McIntosh (184/197) and Nico Megaludis (125), both of whom were among the country's top five recruits. The Nittany Lions will start the 2011-12 campaign by hosting the Intrasquad Dual on Thursday, Nov. 3, in Rec Hall (it is free and open to the public). The regular season begins with a home dual against Bloomsburg on Sunday, Nov. 13. Match time in Rec Hall for the match-up with the Huskies is set for 2 p.m. Fans can purchase these very limited single dual tickets by calling 814-865-5555. Tickets are priced at $8 for adults and $5 for youth (18 and under) and can be purchased from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day or in person at the Bryce Jordan Center box office. A maximum of four tickets may be purchased per person. The Iowa dual on Jan. 22 is already an SRO sellout, the Minnesota dual on Nov. 20 is sold out but still has a limited number of SRO tickets remaining and all other duals are well under the 600 mark in tickets remaining. Ticket information is accessed easily online at www.GoPSUsports.com/tickets/m-wrestl-tickets.html . Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at www.twitter.com/pennstatepat and on Penn State Wrestling's facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling. The 2011-12 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline. WEIGHT-BY-WEIGHT #1 PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS (0-0, 0-0 B1G) NAME Wt. YR.-EL. Jordan Conaway 125 Fr.-Fr. Cameron Kelly 125 So.-Fr. #19 Nico Megaludis 125 Fr.-Fr. Nate Morgan 125 So.-So. Frank Martellotti 125/133 So.-So. Derek Reber 125/133 Sr.-Jr. Michael Waters 125/133 Fr.-Fr. Bryan Pearsall 133/141 Sr.-Jr. Sam Sherlock 133/141 So.-Fr. David Owens 141 Fr.-Fr. #5 Andrew Alton 141/149 So.-So. Luke Frey 141/149 Fr.-Fr. #1 Frank Molinaro 149 Sr.-Sr. Kyle Moran 149 So.-Fr. #13 Dylan Alton 149/157 So.-Fr. Seth Beitz 149/157 So.-Fr. James English 149/157 Sr.-Jr. James Vollrath 157 Jr.-So. Nick Fischer 157/165 Sr.-Jr. #1 David Taylor 165 Jr.-So. Matt Brown 165/174 So.-Fr. Dirk Cowburn 165/174 So.-Fr. James Frascella 165/174 Fr.-Fr. Brandon Phillips 174 So.-Fr. #2 Ed Ruth 174 Jr.-So. Andrew Church 174/184 Jr.-So. #1 Quentin Wright 184 Sr.-Jr. #9 Morgan McIntosh 184/197 Fr.-Fr. Justin Ortega 184/197 Sr.-Jr. Scott Syrek 184/197 Fr.-Fr. David Crowell 197 Sr.-Sr. Nick Ruggear 197 So.-So. Clay Steadman 197 Sr.-Sr. Collin Campbell HWT Fr.-Fr. Jon Gingrich HWT So.-Fr. #5 Cameron Wade HWT Sr.-Sr. Rankings Intermat as of 10/21 PENN STATE WRESTLING ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS! For more information or credentials, contact me, Pat Donghia, Penn State Wrestling SID! Phone: 814 865 1757 -- email: pad11@psu.edu FOLLOW PSU WRESTLING @ GoPSUSPORTS! http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-wrestl/psu-m-wrestl-body-main.html FOLLOW PSU WRESTLING @ TWITTER! https://twitter.com/pennstatepat FOLLOW PSU WRESTLING @ FACEBOOK http://www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling CHECK OUT THE GoPSU ALL-SPORTS BLOG! Tony Mancuso and Kelsey Detweiler give wrestling EXTENSIVE coverage at the GoPSU all-sports blog: http://www.gopsusports.com/blog/wrestling HEAD COACH CAEL SANDERSON Cael Sanderson, now in his third year as mentor of the Nittany Lions, came to Penn State after three extremely successful years as the head coach at his alma mater. Sanderson's teams did not finish any lower than fifth at the NCAA Championships and never had a wrestler not qualify for nationals, getting 30 of 30 grapplers through to the championship tournament. In 2007, Sanderson's rookie campaign, he led ISU to a 13-3 dual meet record and the first of three straight Big 12 Championships. An NCAA Runner-Up finished in Detroit capped off a wildly successful year as the Cyclones crowned one national championship and Sanderson was honored as Big 12 Coach of the Year, National Rookie Coach of the Year and National Coach of the Year. The next year, Sanderson led ISU to a 16-4 dual meet mark, another Big 12 title and a fifth place finish at nationals. Iowa State's seven All-Americans in 2008 were the most at the school since 1993. In his final year at ISU, Sanderson's team went 15-3 in duals, won its third straight Big 12 title and took third place at the NCAA Championships in St. Louis (just 12 points out of first place). The Cyclones also crowned another national champion. In three years, Sanderson's teams went 44-10, won three conference crowns, qualified all 30 wrestlers for nationals, and earned 15 All-America awards and two individual national titles. In his first year at Penn State (2009-10), he guided the Lions to a 13-6-1 dual meet mark, 5-3 in Big Ten action, and crowned his first Big Ten Champion. The Lions finished No. 10 in the final USA Today/Coaches dual meet poll and placed ninth at NCAAs. Last year, Sanderson guided the Nittany Lions to its first-ever Southern Scuffle Co-Championship (2010-11) and its first Virginia Duals Championship since 1991 (2010-11). In guiding Penn State to a 6-1-1 conference mark, Sanderson equaled the most Big Ten dual meet wins in Penn State history in just his second year at the helm of the Nittany Lions (Penn State won six Big Ten duals in 1998). Sanderson led Penn State to the school's first ever Big Ten Championship on March 5-6 and was named 2011 Big Ten Coach of the Year. Saving the best for last, he led the Nittany Lions to the 2011 NCAA National Championship in Philadelphia on March 17-19, Penn State's first since 1953 and Sanderson's first as a collegiate head coach. Coach Sanderson now sports a 74-17-2 dual meet mark after five years as a collegiate head coach. He is 30-7-2 after his second year at Penn State. WRESTLING RADIO NETWORK READY FOR '11-12 SEASON The Penn State Wrestling Radio Show will begin yet another season on Wednesday, Nov. 2, while multiple local stations will once again broadcast the entire 2011-12 Nittany Lion season. The march to St. Louis begins with the Intrasquad dual on Nov. 3 and concludes with the national championships in late-March. The wrestling radio season begins on Nov. 2 when Jeff Byers hosts the first edition of the Penn State Wrestling Show. The show will air every Wednesday from 6 to 6:30 p.m. and will air across the state on the Pennsylvania Sports Network. Local affiliate 3WZ (95.3 FM) will serve as the flagship station for the show that will features coaches, wrestlers and other individuals affiliated with the Nittany Lion wrestling program. The 30-minute show welcomes calls from fans, who can call into the show at 814-237-0953. In addition to 3WZ, the weekly show can be heard on the following stations: WCPA (900 AM) Clearfield/DuBois; WIEZ (670 AM) Lewistown/Huntingdon; WLYC (1050 AM) Williamsport/Lewisburg; WLYC (104.1 FM) Montoursville/Jersey Shore; WBPZ (1230 AM) Lock Haven; WTZN (1310 AM) Troy/Canton; WTTC (1550 AM) Towanda/Elmira, N.Y.; WGET (1330 AM) Gettysburg/Hanover. The full season slate of live dual meet and tournament action will air locally on WRSC AM (1390 AM) with Friday evening duals being simulcast on WRSC FM (103.1 FM). Lock Haven's WBPZ (1230 AM) will also carry the entire season live and further affiliates may be added soon. The regular season schedule of radio broadcasts will be streamed live at www.GoPSUsports.com as part of Penn State's All-Access package, which will also feature live video streams of many home events. IOWA DUAL SOLD OUT INCLUDING SRO, MINNESOTA SOLD OUT W/ SOME SRO REMAINING; OTHERS NEARING SAME STATUS A mere 90 minutes after the public sale of single dual tickets began, Penn State's Jan. 22 dual match against Iowa has sold out, including 300 standing room only tickets. With over 6,500 tickets now distributed for the match-up with the Hawkeyes, the single dual allotments for Penn State's remaining six home events are also disappearing fast. Rec Hall's listed capacity is 6,502 including the 300 SRO ducats. A very limited number of single dual tickets are still available for Penn State's other six remaining home dates, less than 700 per event including the SRO allotment. Penn State hosts Bloomsburg on Sunday, Nov. 13, in the season opener at 2 p.m. The Bloomsburg dual will feature the raising of Penn State's 2011 Big Ten and NCAA Championship banners. The Lions then host Minnesota on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 12 p.m. in a dual that will air live to a national audience on the Big Ten Network. Former Penn State national champion and four-time All-American Phil Davis will sign autographs after the Gopher dual as well. The Nittany Lions host West Virginia on Sunday, Dec. 11, at 2 p.m. The dual with the Mountaineers features recognition of the 1953 national title team as well as free Penn State winter hats on a first come, first serve basis (amount to be determined). The Iowa dual (already sold out) follows on Jan. 22 at 2 p.m. and then the Ohio State Buckeyes come to Rec Hall on Sunday, Jan. 29, at 2 p.m. The dual with the Buckeyes has been designated as a white out and features a t-shirt giveaway. Michigan comes to Happy Valley on Sunday, Feb. 5, at 2 p.m. as the wrestling team's Code Blue event and will feature a wrestling water bottle give away. The home dual season ends on Sunday, Feb. 19, when the Pittsburgh Panthers come to town for a 2 p.m. match-up. The battle with the Panthers will serve as Senior Day and features an autograph session with the team after the match. Fans can purchase these very limited single dual tickets by calling 814-865-5555. Tickets are priced at $8 for adults and $5 for youth (18 and under) and can be purchased from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day or in person at the Bryce Jordan Center box office. A maximum of four tickets may be purchased per person. PENN STATE RANKED NO. 1 BY INTERMAT; NINE LIONS RANKED INDIVIDUALLY The Intermat individual and team preseason rankings have been released and Penn State will head into the 2011-12 season ranked No. 1 in yet another poll. Nine Nittany Lions will head into the season with a national ranking, including three who sit at the No. 1 spot at their respective weights. Penn State, the defending National and Big Ten Champion, will enter the season ranked No. 1 with 108.5 points in Intermat's preseason team tournament strength index. Big Ten rival Iowa is second with 99.0 and Oklahoma State is third with 84.5. Minnesota is fourth with 77.5 while Cornell and Lehigh are tied for fifth with 65.5 each. Michigan, American, Illinois and Ohio State round out the top ten (giving the Big Ten six of the nation's top ten ranked teams). Northwestern is ranked No. 19 as well. Defending national champion Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) is ranked No. 1 at 184 after claiming the title last year in Philadelphia. Wright went 21-6 a year ago, including nine straight at season's end to win the Big Ten and NCAA crowns. Wright is a two-time All-American. Senior Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) is ranked No. 1 at 149 after advancing to the NCAA finals in Philadelphia. Molinaro, a three-time All-American and the reigning Big Ten champion, carries an 88-29 career record into his final season. Sophomore David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) is ranked No. 1 at 165 after blazing to a 38-1 record as a freshman last year and earning All-America laurels with a spot in the NCAA finals at 157. Taylor was the Big Ten 157-pound champ, the 2011 Big Ten Freshman of the Year and 2011 Big Ten Wrestler of the Year. Sophomore Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) is ranked No. 2 at 174 after placing third at that weight a year ago and earning All-America laurels. Ruth, who went 38-2 overall as a freshman, won the 2011 Gorriaran Award at the NCAA Championships for most pins in the least time. Senior Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) heads into the new season ranked No. 5 at heavyweight. Wade, who went 30-8 in '10-11, is a two-time national qualifier and finished just one win shy of All-America status at NCAAs last year, losing in the `round of 12'. True Sophomore Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) is ranked No. 5 at 141 after a breakout true freshman campaign a year ago. Alton went 30-10 with a stunning 18 pins as a rookie. Like Wade, Alton was an NCAA qualifier who finished one win short of All-America laurels in the `round of 12'. Three freshmen are also ranked for Penn State. Red-shirt freshman Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), battling for the starting spot at 157, is ranked No. 13 at that weight by Intermat after red-shirt campaign a year ago. True freshman Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.) is ranked No. 9 at 197 and classmate Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.) is ranked No. 19 at 125. McIntosh and Megaludis were both among the nation's top recruits last season coming out of high school.