InterMat Staff

125: No. 1 Anthony Robles (Arizona State) over No. 3 Brandon Precin (Northwestern) Robles won't be denied! He beats Precin, who beats McDonough in the semis. 133: No. 3 Andrew Long (Penn State) over No. 1 Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) Cael follower Long pulls mild upset in the finals over Oliver. 141: No. 1 Kellen Russell (Michigan) over No. 3 Boris Novachkov (Cal Poly) Russell caps off undefeated season with NCAA title by beating a game Novachkov. 149: No. 2 Frank Molinaro (Penn State) over No. 4 Kyle Dake (Cornell) I have been impressed with Molinaro all season. He avenges his loss to Dake for the belt. 157: No. 3 David Taylor (Penn State) over No. 1 Adam Hall (Boise State) Why would Taylor stop here? He won't. He gets major over Hall. Bubba Jenkins ... Maybe. 165: No. 1 Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) over No. 2 Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) Future Hodge Trophy winner Burroughs upends Howe to finish season unbeaten. 174: No. 1 Jon Reader (Iowa State) over No. 2 Ed Ruth (Penn State) Will Ruth complete the freshman two-teamer? Nope. He loses to Cyclone Reader. 184: No. 1 Chris Honeycutt (Edinboro) over No. 2 Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) It's Edinboro over Lehigh in the finals. Honeycutt edges Hamlin. 197: No. 2 Clayton Foster (Oklahoma State) over No. 5 Luke Lofthouse (Iowa) Foster becomes Oklahoma State's lone champion, beating a Hawkeye in the finals, after Oliver falters. 285: No. 1 Zach Rey (Lehigh) over No. 3 Ryan Flores (American) Rey sticks Flores to win the title. Top Five Teams: 1. Penn State 2. Iowa 3. Wisconsin 4. Cornell 5. Minnesota

125: No. 1 Anthony Robles (Arizona State) over No. 2 Matt McDonough (Iowa) Much has been debated on blogs across the wrestling nation about the "fairness" of Robles in this weight class due to his upper body strength advantage. Regardless of where you land in the discussion, if you watch him wrestle and listen to him in interviews, you cannot help but admire and be inspired by the guy. Total domination is about the only way to describe his season! McDonough is the defending national champion and has had the kind of season that could have easily earned him the No. 1 seed as well. (See article) The semifinals should end up with two storylines: The undefeated Robles against undefeated No. 4 James Nicholson (Old Dominion) and the fourth match of the year between McDonough and No. 3 Brandon Precin (Northwestern). 133: No. 1 Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) over No. 3 Andrew Long (Penn State) This is one of the more difficult weight classes to predict in my opinion. The top five or six are all very close and this should lead to some excellent matchups in the quarterfinals. How does Oliver vs. Devin Carter, Ruggirello vs. Graff, Long vs. Ramos and Hochstrasser vs. Futrell/Peterkin strike you? Long has looked very good in his shortened season and the final should be a good one! 141: No. 1 Kellen Russell (Michigan) over No. 2 Mike Thorn (Minnesota) This weight class should be worth the price of admission alone from the quarterfinals on! Kellen Russell has made me a believer this year with three wins over Thorn, three wins Alton, two over Kennedy (one by pin) and a win over both Marion and Novachkov. I think he and Thorn will square off one more time in the final but there should be some great match ups in the preceding rounds. Montell Marion (Iowa) and Zach Kemmerer (Penn) in the quarterfinals should be action packed and the upset watch should be on high alert in this round when Matt Bonson (Lock Haven) toes the line with No.3 Novachkov. (For other potential bracket busters, check out article) 149: No. 2 Frank Molinaro (Penn State) over No. 4 Kyle Dake (Cornell) I may be completely wrong about the No. 1 seed Darrion Caldwell from North Carolina State, but I do not think he is in top form heading into the national tournament. He is undefeated in an injury-shortened season and has been dominant against inferior competition, but has not looked as good against better wrestlers. In the ACC tournament, he took injury time in both of his matches, was cautioned multiple times for stalling and gave up a stalling point with the clock stopped in the final against Derek Valenti (Virginia). Given that this is the same guy that nobody expected to be able to hang with Brent Metcalf two years ago, it may sound far-fetched to hear my prediction of No. 9 Donny Vinson (Binghamton) pulling the upset in the quarterfinals. I see the semifinals as Dake avenging an earlier loss to Vinson and Molinaro edging No. 3 Kevin LeValley (Bucknell). 157: No. 3 David Taylor (Penn State) over No. 1 Adam Hall (Boise State) Wow! Just when you thought the tournament couldn't get any better, along comes the 157-pound weight class. Three undefeated wrestlers and another two or three that have legitimate shots at the title! You could argue all day about which of the three without a loss has had the tougher schedule, but this is going to get settled on the mat! I expect Taylor and No. 2 Steve Fittery (American) to cruise into a semifinal showdown on the bottom half of the draw. Taylor has been unstoppable all season and has hardly been pushed, but he has not wrestled anyone that can compare to Fittery. That said, I have had the David Taylor Kool-Aid and expect him to follow in his coach's footsteps as a four-time NCAA champ. I am predicting a small wrinkle in the top half with No. 5 Jesse Dong (Virginia Tech) upsetting No. 4 Bubba Jenkins (Arizona State). Dong has only three losses all season with one of them a meaningless forfeit to team-mate Pete Yates, another to Taylor by decision (at the time the only wrestler to not lose by bonus points) and a "head scratcher" to Corey Mock (North Carolina). 165: No. 1 Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) over No. 3 Tyler Caldwell (Oklahoma) Burroughs will finish the season 36-0 and win the title but will have a great semifinal match against No. 4 Josh Asper (Maryland). The other semi-final will also be a tight one with Caldwell edging No. 2 Andrew Howe (Wisconsin). Caldwell wrestled part of the season at 174 with losses against top tier guys Mack Lewnes (Cornell) and Colby Covington (Oregon State). Two of his three losses at 165 came to Burroughs with the last by a 2-1 score. 174: No. 2 Ed Ruth (Penn State) over No. 1 Jonathan Reader (Iowa State) Ruth got everyone's attention at the Southern Scuffle by beating then No. 1 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) and No. 2 Chris Henrich (Virginia). His only loss in 33 matches came to the current ACC champion Mike Letts (Maryland). I expect the semis to be Reader vs. No. 5 Henrich and Ruth vs. No. 3 Lewnes. 184: No. 4 Travis Rutt (Wisconsin) over No. 2 Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) I have Rutt getting to the final by way of a victory over No. 9 Quentin Wright (Penn State), who has been hot and cold this season but was hot in winning the Big 10 and seemed to be wrestling with a lot of confidence. He will upset No. 1 Chris Honeycutt (Edinboro) in the quarterfinals but, Rutt will get revenge for his loss to Wright in the Big 10 tournament. Hamlin will beat No. 3 Steve Bosak (Cornell) for the third time this season in the other semifinal before facing Rutt, who he lost to by one point in their regular season match. 197: No. 1 Cam Simaz (Cornell) over No. 3 Trevor Brandvold (Wisconsin) Simaz will beat the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between No. 5 Luke Lofthouse (Iowa) and No. 4 Dustin Kilgore (Kent State). I see Brandvold having a fairly straightforward road to his semifinal matchup with No. 2 Clayton Foster (Oklahoma State) who is also undefeated. Ultimately, Simaz wins the final due to his edge in quickness and athleticism. 285: No. 1 Zachery Rey (Lehigh) over No. 3 Ryan Flores (American) After not having a national champion since Troy Letters in 2004 (now an assistant with Penn State), Lehigh gets its second of the night. Rey reaches the final by defeating No. 4 D. J Russo (Rutgers). Flores beats No. 7 Blake Rasing (Iowa) in the bottom half of the draw. Top Five Teams: 1. Penn State 2. Cornell 3. Iowa 4. Wisconsin 5. Oklahoma State

125: No. 2 Matt McDonough (Iowa) over No. 1 Anthony Robles (Arizona State) Returning champ McDonough successfully defends his title and ends Cinderella season by Robles. 133: No. 1 Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) over No. 2 Andrew Hochstrasser (Boise State) Oliver has won by at least a major decision in 21 of his 24 matches this year. He beat Hochstrasser 5-2 a month ago. Expect a similar result when they meet in the finals. 141: No. 1 Kellen Russell (Michigan) over No.3 Boris Navochkov (Cal Poly) Russell finally gets over the hump and wins his first NCAA title. 149: No. 4 Kyle Dake (Cornell) over No. 2 Frank Molinaro (Penn State) Dake defeats an out-of-shape and disinterested Caldwell in the semis and has no problem beating Molinaro in the finals. Don't lose. 157: No. 3 David Taylor (Penn State) over No. 4 Bubba Jenkins (Arizona State) Freshman phenom and Cael-clone Taylor is too much for super talented Jenkins. Bad blood between Jenkins and former coach Sanderson will make for an interesting storyline. 165: No. 1 Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) over No. 2 Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) Burroughs wins battle of two former national champions. Burroughs is too athletic for Pritzlaff protégé. 174: No. 3 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) over No. 1 Jon Reader (Iowa State) Lewnes rebounds from disappointing performance in Omaha and wins first NCAA title. 184: No. 4 Travis Rutt (Wisconsin) over No. 7 Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) Perry falls in footsteps of older brother Mark by peaking at the right time but hungry Badger Rutt wins wide-open weight class. 197: No. 1 Cam Simaz (Cornell) over No. 2 Clayton Foster (Oklahoma State) Simaz comes through and wins title for the Big Red, but it's not enough to catch Iowa in the team race. 285: No. 1 Zach Rey (Lehigh) over No. 3 Ryan Flores (American) Rey has been the benefactor of tremendous coaching throughout his high school and college career. He avenges first and only loss of the season by defeating Flores to win his first NCAA title. Top Five Teams: 1. Iowa 2. Cornell 3. Penn State 4. Oklahoma State 5. Minnesota

125: No. 1 Anthony Robles (Arizona State) over No. 3 Brandon Precin (Northwestern) This is top-heavy weight class, with any of the top three seeds capable of taking home the championship. I'll take Robles who has to be a feel-good story by any standard. 133: No. 2 Andrew Hochstrasser (Boise State) over No. 4 Tyler Graff (Wisconsin) Hochstrasser, who is one of those wrestles who seems to have been around forever, wins this tough weight class over Graff, who takes out Oliver in the semis. 141: No. 2 Mike Thorn (Minnesota) over No. 4 Jimmy Kennedy (Illinois) This has to be the toughest weight class in the tournament, with no fewer than six realistic winners. While Russell has been No. 1 most of the year, his close matches catch up with him against Kennedy, who seems to be in his 10th year at Illinois. 149: No. 1 Darrion Caldwell (North Carolina State) over No. 6 Jason Chamberlain (Boise State) Some have said that Caldwell has lost a step due to his shortened season. Even with a supposed step lost he is the class of this field, while Chamberlain sneaks in as a relative surprise finalist. 157: No. 3 David Taylor (Penn State) over No. 4 Bubba Jenkins (Arizona State) Young David Taylor is the new "Next Cael," with wrestling fans around the country drooling at his gaudy stats. He will prove them right at the Big Dance, outlasting the game Jenkins in the finals. 165: No. 1 Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) over No. 2 Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) This is another top-heavy weight class, with Burroughs and Howe in a class by themselves. The only real challenge should be on Burroughs' side, where he will have to go through Colt Sponseller to reach the finals. Howe's health will be the biggest question on his end. 174: No. 3 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) over No. 1 Jon Reader (Iowa State) Seasoned veteran Lewnes will have to overcome the dangerous Ed Ruth on his side of the bracket, while Reader should "waltz" into the finals (waltzing being relative in the NCAA tournament). 184: No. 4 Travis Rutt (Wisconsin) over No. 3 Steve Bosak (Cornell) While 141 might be the toughest weight in the tournament, 184 appears to be the most wide-open. The big x-factor here is the health of Kirk Smith who, when 100%, would be the odds-on favorite. But reports on his health haven't been positive, and Smith wouldn't seem to be a big factor. 197: No. 1 Cam Simaz (Cornell) over No. 3 Trevor Brandvold (Wisconsin) The most intriguing match of this weight might be the potential semifinal with Brandvold and Clayton Foster locking horns. Simaz has the dangerous Dustin Kilgore and Luke Lofthouse on his half, but should persevere. 285: No. 5 Dom Bradley (Missouri) over No. 3 Ryan Flores (American) There isn't a true standout in the big boys division this year, although some of the top heavies have had good seasons. Bradley closes out the show with a hard-fought victory over Flores. Top Five Teams: 1. Cornell 2. Penn State 3. Minnesota 4. Iowa 5. Wisconsin

125: No. 2 Matt McDonough (Iowa) over No. 1 Anthony Robles (Arizona State) Meat grinder of a season should have McDonough ready for this stage. 133: No. 1 Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) over No. 3 Andrew Long (Penn State) Obvious credentials, but Cowboy staff always has their top guys ready at tournament time. 141: No. 1 Kellen Russell (Michigan) over No. 7 Tyler Nauman (Pitt) I can't find a reason not to like the Wolverine's chances. He hasn't given anyone any reason to doubt him. 149: No. 2 Frank Molinaro (Penn State) over No. 1 Darrion Caldwell (North Carolina State) Caldwell has the history, but even though the defending champ is undefeated, Molinaro may have actually had the better year. 157: No. 1 Adam Hall (Boise State) over No. 3 David Taylor (Penn State) I have been really impressed with PSU’s Taylor, but in the end the experience of Hall wins out. 165: No. 1 Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) over No. 2 Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) Tough to pick against Howe, but I like Burroughs' draw better. 174: No. 3 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) over No. 1 Jon Reader (Iowa State) Not all No. 1 and No. 2 seeds are going to win. I have a hunch 174 will be one of those that doesn't go by the book. 184: No. 4 Travis Rutt (Wisconsin) over No. 7 Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) See my comments for 174. Rutt lost in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament, but came back to finish a strong third. I look for him to carry that momentum through the NCAAs. 197: No. 2 Clayton Foster (Oklahoma State) over No. 1 Cam Simaz (Cornell) This class has a number of possible champions, but I like Foster and the Cowboy coaching staff. 285: No. 4 D.J. Russo (Rutgers) over No. 2 Jarod Trice (Central Michigan) No one in the 285-pound class -- aside from maybe No. 1 seed Rey -- stands out this year. A number of guys could win it. Top Five Teams: 1. Iowa 2. Penn State 3. Cornell 4. Oklahoma State 5. Wisconsin

125: No. 3 Brandon Precin (Northwestern) over No. 1 Anthony Robles (Arizona State) Precin gets revenge on his Big Ten rival McDonough before winning in his first national championship appearance. 133: No. 1 Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma St.) over No. 3 Andrew Long (Penn State) Oliver has beaten all comers this season, so no reason to think he can't take down former Big 12 wrestler Long. 141: No. 4 Jimmy Kennedy (Illinois) over No. 7 Tyler Naumann (Pitt) Coming off a redshirt season, Kennedy's only losses has been to Russell this season. He gets over the hump in the semis before beating another surprise finalist in the championship. 149: No. 1 Darrion Caldwell (NC State) over No. 3 Kevin LeValley (Bucknell) Caldwell wins yet another national championship with an explosive and exciting title match performance. 157: No. 2 Steve Fittery (American) over No. 1 Adam Hall (Boise State) Fittery caps off a dominant season with a win in the title match of perhaps the most competitive weight class in the country at the top. 165: No. 1 Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) over No. 2 Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) The match that everyone wants to see ends the same way it did at the Midlands: With Burroughs wearing down Howe in a high-scoring affair. 174: No. 1 Jon Reader (Iowa State) over No. 3 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) Reader has owed this weight class all season, and beats Lewnes for a second time to take the title. 184: No. 5 Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming) over No. 4 Travis Rutt (Wisconsin) LeBlanc "cowboys up" and takes out a Big Ten rival in one of the most wide open weight classes in Philly. 197: No. 3 Trevor Brandvold (Wisconsin) over No. 4 Dustin Kilgore (Kent State) Another wide open weight class sees the Big Ten champ continue his winning ways to help the Badgers get Top 5. 285: No. 5 Dom Bradley (Missouri) over No. 3 Jarod Trice (Central Michigan) Perhaps the biggest upset of the tournament sees Bradley knock off Rey, then down Trice in a mild upset for the national championship. Top Five Teams: 1. Oklahoma State 2. Cornell 3. Iowa 4. Penn State 5. Wisconsin

125: No. 1 Anthony Robles (Arizona State) over No. 2 Matt McDonough (Iowa) Let me set up the Hollywood script. It's late in the third period, Robles is in the top position and has just erased riding time as they roll out of bounds. McDonough gives Robles a hard (but legal) shove as the whistle blows. You can hear Brands yelling in the background as Robles looks up to his mom in the crowd. She whispers "You can do it" as he makes his way back to the center. The camera cuts to an Iowa fan spitting tobacco into a cup. With 15 seconds to go, Robles gets a funky roll for the win as the time runs out. The crowd goes crazy and the camera pans to the crowd as a Kings of Leon rock ballad kicks in. 133: No. 1 Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) over No. 3 Andrew Long (Penn State) A weight with Mike Grey as the No. 8 seed and Scotti Sentes as the No. 11 seed obviously deep. Having said that, Oliver has all of the tools to dominate this weight class. He is fast, physical, and is technically sound. Look for Andrew Long to repeat his finals performance, but be outclassed and majored by Oliver. 141: No. 4 Jimmy Kennedy (Illinois) over No. 6 Andrew Alton (Penn State) Andrew Alton has had a great true freshman season, and right now he is preparing in the wrestling room with guys that are as talented as the guys at this weight class. Kennedy is a veteran that will work his way through a few sudden death victories to find himself in the finals. This is another very difficult weight class with a ton of talent. 149: No. 5 Jamal Parks (Oklahoma) over No. 2 Frank Molinaro (Penn State) Hypothesis 1: Caldwell has not gotten enough burn against top competition this year. Hypothesis 2: Parks has the talent and natural ability to hang with DC. The message board questions are going to come up after this tourney on whether Caldwell's 14 matches over two years were the reason why he didn't win it. 157: No. 3 David Taylor (Penn State) over No. 1 Adam Hall (Boise State) This weight class has a lot of intrigue that has already been discussed at length. To be honest, I am most interested in the results of my boy James Fleming. I am more fixated on his turn than I am on who Kristin Cavallari is dating ... and that is saying a lot. 165: No. 1 Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) over No. 2 Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) As my uncle Jim would say, when Burroughs and Howe meet ... you can throw out the record books! My only concern with Burroughs is that he has teched and pinned so many of his opponents that he may not be able to hang with the slow, boring seven-minute pace of Howe. The winner of this weight is the likely OW winner. 174: No. 3 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) over No. 1 Jon Reader (Iowa State) Lewnes is finally working from an underdog position, which sets up perfectly for him. I expect him to beat Ruth in the semifinals and take down Reader in a 5-2 match in the finals. Experience and my 20+ years of breaking down brackets has taught me that you can't back a No. 1 seed that didn't AA the year before. Count on Reader at your own risk. 184: No. 11 Kirk Smith (Boise State) over No. 8 Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota) This weight is the key to Penn State having a chance at the title going into Saturday. Unfortunately, it is likely that Kevin Steinhaus will take down Quentin Wright in the second round. Kirk Smith is very talented and should be able to control this weight class. He has had a tough year that will be quickly made up for in the championship weekend. Look for Smith to pull Boise State into the top four. 197: No. 4 Dustin Kilgore (Kent State) over No. 3 Trevor Brandvold (Wisconsin) Dustin Kilgore has basically worked over most of the competition this year. 26 of his 33 wins have been major decisions or better. His only losses were Micah Burak, who is on the other side of the bracket, and Cayle Byers who is no longer in the picture (but will be for Iowa next year). Kilgore is a future two-time national champion who will make Kent State proud. 285: No. 1 Zach Rey (Lehigh) over No. 2 Jarod Trice (Central Michigan) Heavyweights and white singlets are not a good combination. For the sake of all of the fans tuning in for the finals on ESPN, let's hope that Lehigh leaves the "championship singlets" at home. The future TV rating of our sport depends on it.

125: No. 2 Matt McDonough (Iowa) over No. 1 Anthony Robles (Arizona State) The wide open nature of the 2011 NCAA tournament in Philadelphia is shown in this opening weight class, where McDonough returns to defend his title and is not even the top seed. Five other wrestlers with All-American histories join him in this weight class. That top seed is Robles, an awesome human interest story, and he has an extremely manageable path to the final. On the other hand, McDonough has to navigate through the only wrestler to beat him this season -- Brandon Precin (Northwestern) -- in the semifinal round; Precin also has the highest placement among any wrestler other than McDonough. 133: No. 1 Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) over No. 3 Andrew Long (Penn State) Through the course of this season, Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) has been the dominant figure with an undefeated record and convincing wins over his rivals. In fact, it can be argued that he is one of the clearer favorites this coming week. Life will not be easy as 2008 All-American Mike Grey (Cornell) could be his quarterfinal opponent, while returning All-American Tyler Graff (Wisconsin) is a possible semifinal matchup. The lower half of this draw features two of the key x-factors in the team title race, with Andrew Long (Penn State) and Tony Ramos (Iowa) possibly meeting in the quarterfinal round -- that presumes Ramos gets past 2009 All-American Scotti Sentes (Central Michigan) in the second round. With the way Long has been wrestling since stepping on the mat in Happy Valley -- he was runner-up at 125 pounds last year while competing for Iowa State -- I have a hard time seeing him losing prior to the final, and that also includes a potential semifinal bout against 2009 All-American Andrew Hochstrasser (Boise State). 141: No. 1 Kellen Russell (Michigan) over No. 2 Mike Thorn (Minnesota) There are more returning All-Americans in this bracket then there are All-American slots to be given out this year (ten vs. eight). However, the standout wrestler of the season has been Kellen Russell (Michigan), who is undefeated and earned titles at Las Vegas, the Southern Scuffle, and Big Ten tournaments. That said, regular season success has not been a precursor to postseason performance for Russell in his past two tournament runs -- seeded third in 2008, he lost in the round of 12; while seeded first in 2009, he settled for seventh. Even with a tough path to the final -- Michael Mangrum (Oregon State), Zach Bailey (Oklahoma), and then either Montell Marion (Iowa) or Jimmy Kennedy (Illinois) -- I like Russell to be wrestling on Saturday night and earn the title. The easier (a very relative term) lower half of the draw, with only three All-Americans, is anchored by Thorn -- though he is looking at a quarterfinal against Tyler Nauman (Pittsburgh), a semifinalist last year. The other quarter of this half is the softest of the four with freshman sensation Andrew Alton (Penn State) and returning All-American Boris Novochkov (Cal Poly). One could say this is a draw that Alton must capitalize on for Penn State to win the team title. 149: No. 2 Frank Molinaro (Penn State) over No. 4 Kyle Dake (Cornell) Oh the odds one could have gotten at the beginning of the year on the championship match not being 2010 NCAA champion Dake against 2009 NCAA champion Darrion Caldwell (North Carolina State). However, that match can now only happen in the semifinal round. Dake's loss in the EIWA final has to concern Cornell fans, though the draw is rather manageable -- only a quarterfinal against Jamal Parks (Oklahoma State) would be a legit concern. On the other hand, Caldwell has two very potentially dangerous matches prior to the semifinal round -- projected to be with Eric Grajales (Michigan) and Ganayar Sanjaa (American). Molinaro has become something of a cult sensation due to the "Gorilla Hulk" moniker from the Flowrestling previews of Cliff Fretwell and Lee Roper. His performance is one of many x-factors that could propel the Nittany Lions to an NCAA title this weekend. 157: No. 3 David Taylor (Penn State) over No. 4 Bubba Jenkins (Arizona State) Why is the nation so fascinated with a redshirt freshman, who is a No. 3 seed at the NCAA tournament, and has not beaten an NCAA All-American this season?! Let me name you the reasons: a 34-0 record overall this season; a 16-0 mark against NCAA qualifiers; a 9-0 record against the six seeded opponents he has faced; and the fact he has earned a pin, major, or technical fall in all but two matches this year. Having seen Taylor ever since he was an undersized freshman at 103 pounds, and even before that in junior high, I've learned that picking against him is an absurd position to take. However, this is the weight class with a top four that has the wrestling nation in a tizzy. The semifinal involving Taylor and returning All-American Steve Fittery (American), both of whom are undefeated, could light the scoreboards up like Vegas. The other half of the draw features a fourth meeting between returning third placer Adam Hall (Boise State) and 2009 NCAA runner-up Bubba Jenkins (Arizona State); Jenkins won at the NWCA All-Star Classic, while Hall has won the last two meetings. Look for Taylor to replicate his mentor Cael Sanderson as an undefeated redshirt freshman with a finals victory over Jenkins that will have lots of drama on and off the mat. 165: No. 1 Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) over No. 2 Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) Unlike Caldwell and Dake, this much hyped matchup between NCAA champions will happen in the championship round on the raised mat Saturday evening. When the two wrestlers met at the Midlands in late December, Burroughs emerged as champion with a dominant performance in the neutral position. After sitting out last year, 2009 NCAA champion Burroughs has set himself to be a legit candidate for the Hodge Trophy as the nation's most dominant wrestler. 2010 champion Howe will be a game finals opponent, but having to sit out over a month late in the season does not help his cause. 174: No. 3 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) over No. 1 Jon Reader (Iowa State) After earning All-American honors the first two years of his collegiate career, Reader had a very disappointing national tournament -- he lost in the opening round and then in the round of 12, failing to earn a spot on the podium. However, Reader has been a total buzz saw this year entering the national tournament with an undefeated record. The half of the draw opposite Reader features dynamite redshirt freshman Ed Ruth (Penn State) plus a trio of returning All-Americans. Look for two-time All-American Lewnes to avenge his Southern Scuffle loss to Ruth in the semifinal, a potentially key match for the team standings. Then, Lewnes is my pick to avenge his other loss of this season, with a victory over Reader to earn a championship that has been at least one year in the waiting. 184: No. 5 Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming) over No. 7 Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) Here's how unpredictable and wide open this weight is -- the guidance of the office secretary that picks based on names and uniform colors carries just as much weight as that of the many respected wrestling pundits that will provide an opinion on this weight class. The two most talented wrestlers in this weight are nowhere near full health -- 2009 All-American Quentin Wright (Penn State) and returning national runner-up Kirk Smith (Boise State). Even being nowhere near 100 percent, Smith has a golden opportunity given that he is the lone All-American in his half of the draw. However, my pick in that half is for the redshirt freshman Perry to go on a magical run to help the Cowboys in the wide open team race. Looking for a champion, my pick is two-time All-American LeBlanc, whom I like to clear the somewhat tougher top half of the draw. 197: No. 4 Dustin Kilgore (Kent State) over No. 2 Clayton Foster (Oklahoma State) Like the prior weight, this one is also wide open. The top half of the draw features three returning All-Americans, including the highest returning placer in this weight class -- Cam Simaz (Cornell), who placed third at this weight class last year. Simaz is looking at a quarterfinal against fellow All-American Sonny Yohn (Minnesota), before a semifinal date against yet another All-American in Kilgore. The Simaz vs. Kilgore match should be one of the many very entertaining matches of the tournament, and one that is friendly for a television audience. The lower half of the draw is dominated by a pair of undefeated wrestlers that took sixth last year at nationals -- Foster and Trevor Brandvold (Wisconsin). Foster, like Simaz in this weight, is a high profile figure that plays a key role in the team race. 285: No. 5 Dom Bradley (Missouri) over No. 2 Jarod Trice (Central Michigan) Unfortunately after the last couple years with heavyweight being dominated by more mobile wrestlers that open up matches, the top names this year are what this weight class is more known for -- low scoring matches that are very close to the vest. Therefore, that makes it a prognostication nightmare because matches can be decided by so precious little. Top Five Teams: 1. Penn State 2. Cornell 3. Oklahoma State 4. Iowa 5. Minnesota

The 2011 NCAA Division I Championships begin this Thursday with one of the most interesting team races in recent history. Three schools appear to be neck and neck and neck on paper: Cornell, Iowa and Penn State. Cornell and Penn State tied for first place at the Southern Scuffle, and Penn State defeated Iowa at the Big Ten tournament by a single point. All three teams have done an excellent job of strengthening their lineups throughout the season. Andrew Long and Quentin Wright of Penn State, Montell Marion of Iowa and Mike Grey and Kyle Dake of Cornell missed significant portions of their schools' schedules, but all are poised to be significant point-scorers for their team's respective run at the championship. Moreover, all three teams have excelled in the development of some of their non-heralded names into wrestlers who have piled up impressive wins throughout the season and can continue to rack up wins in Philadelphia. In November, it felt like no weight class was a lock. This has resulted in marquee matchups throughout the season in which predictions were sharply divided, most notably, the Midlands final between NCAA champs Jordan Burroughs of Nebraska and Andrew Howe of Wisconsin. But perhaps the rivalry that best typifies this season has been the one between Bubba Jenkins of Arizona State and Adam Hall of Boise State. On Nov. 21, Bubba Jenkins won a lopsided 12-4 victory. Less than two weeks later, Hall defeated Jenkins in overtime of the finals of the Cliff Keen Invitational. The drastic difference in results and the unpredictability of outcomes -- both in individual matchups, team dual meets and team tournaments has turned the phrase "that's why they wrestle the matches" into a cliché for the past five months. It's been a season that saw Cornell win the National Duals with a two starters missing from the lineup only to then get upset by Lehigh, one that has seen Virginia Tech defeat Oklahoma State and Wisconsin in consecutive duals only to then lose to Rutgers and one that saw Penn State take over the No. 1 ranking only to then lose big to Iowa. Because of this parity, a great number of schools and individuals have had high points throughout the season. Few would argue that what happens for three days this week is what matters most. There is no reason to believe that the momentum of unpredictability won't continue. That said, predictions must be made ... 125: No. 1 Anthony Robles (Arizona State) over No. 2 Matt McDonough (Iowa) McDonough's greatest skill has been his remarkable ability to finish leg attacks from an extended position. One of the bigger questions of the tournament is if he will be able to do that against a unique opponent like Robles. McDonough is 2-1 against Brandon Precin of Northwestern and Precin was 1-1 against Robles in the NCAA tournament two years ago, which makes the weight a three man race on paper. 133: No. 1 Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) over No. 2 Andrew Hotchstrasser (Boise State) In what is arguably the deepest weight class in the tournament, Oliver has proven himself to be No. 1 with two solid-but-close wins over the very aggressive and inventive Hotchstrasser. These two are the favorites to make the finals but the 3-8 placers are all up for grabs as a very talented field has been beating each other up all season long. 141: No. 1 Kellen Russell (Michigan) over No. 3 Boris Novachkov (Cal Poly) Kellen "The Gyro" Russell has been exceptional all season long. Two things have made him stand out from the field -- his ability to make last-second adjustments even in dangerous situations, and, more importantly how dynamic those adjustments are. Terms like "Great balance" and "great hips" don't do justice to the natural and developed abilities of Russell. Novachkov has exhibited remarkable defensive skills all season long and makes himself nearly impossible to score on. A brilliantly deceptive takedown by Rusell in the finals at Vegas was the only difference between these two. 149: No. 1 Darrion Caldwell (North Carolina State) over No. 2 Frank Molinaro (Penn State) The only uncertainty here is how fully Caldwell has recovered from a shoulder injury. He's won all 14 matches this season but hasn't seen the top competitors in the field. Anything resembling a normal performance from Caldwell should see him at the top of the podium, but shoulder injuries can be difficult to recover from. 157: No. 3 David Taylor (Penn State) over No. 4 Bubba Jenkins (Arizona State) It is VERY unusual to have three athletes enter the NCAA tournament undefeated, but Adam Hall of Boise State, Steve Fittery of American , and freshman David Taylor of Penn State have done just that. Moreover, the field contains former NCAA finalist and freestyle Junior World champion Bubba Jenkins as the No. 4 seed. All four have very different styles and the interest factor in the semifinals should be sky-high. 165: No. 1 Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) over No. 2 Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) It is still unclear how healed Andrew Howe is from a hamstring injury suffered in January, but winning a third Big Ten title without showing any obvious problems certainly forces one to give him the benefit of the doubt to make the finals. The Midlands final between Burroughs and Howe met all the hype. Burroughs shot out to an early lead with two takedowns in the first period, but one could see Howe making adjustments as the match went on. If Howe were able to avenge the loss, it would not be the biggest surprise of the tournament. 174: No. 1 Jon Reader (Iowa State) over No. 3 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) Lewnes is sure to make adjustments from his loss to Penn State freshman Ed Ruth, who has been incredible all season long. 184: No. 2 Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) over No. 8 Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota) Easily the most balanced weight class in the tournament. The placement on the podium will be based simply on who shows up to wrestle and how hungry they are each round. 197: No. 1 Cam Simaz (Cornell) over No. 3 Trevor Brandvold (Wisconsin) Simaz has shown the ability to both blow matches open and win tight matches. His gas tank makes him fun to watch and his dynamic style keeps fans on the edge of their seats. Simaz's only loss was to No. 4 seed Dustin Kilgore of Kent State in what was easily one of the best matches of the season. A semifinal rematch would undoubtedly yield the same type of excitement. The bottom of the bracket has two undefeated wrestlers: Brandvold and Clayton Foster of Oklahoma State. Both have been impressive. 285: No. 1 Zach Rey (Lehigh) over No. 7 Blake Raising (Iowa) As the saying goes, "Anything can happen at heavyweight," but the podium should see No. 1 seed Rey at the top after a close conference finals loss. Raising looked solid at the Big Tens, winning against a deep field. Cameron Wade of Penn State took a disappointing fifth at the Big Tens, but could easily outperform his No. 9 seed. Top Five Teams: 1. Cornell 2. Iowa 3. Penn State 4. Oklahoma State 5. Minnesota

125: No. 1 Anthony Robles (Arizona State) over No. 3 Brandon Precin (Northwestern) These two met two seasons ago in the quarterfinals and again for third place with Robles coming out on top in their first meeting, 9-0, but Precin getting the second meeting. It's difficult to know what these semifinals will produce but given the recent domination of Robles, it might just be the storybook ending many in the wrestling community have been waiting to witness. 133: No. 1 Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) over No. 2 Andrew Hochstrasser (Boise State) With the weight issues resolved there is nothing stopping Oliver from making good on his top seed. These two had an exciting first two matches, with Oliver winning the NWCA All-Star Classic, 8-7, and the February dual meet, 5-2. 141: No. 1 Kellen Russell (Michigan) over No. 2 Mike Thorn (Minnesota) Russell hasn't lost all season and with a style that both negates opponents funks and creates scoring opportunities for the Wolverine junior. Thorn has been bested, 8-4 and 3-1 this year, with neither match close. The final should will likely fall inside the same 2-3 point spread. 149: No. 4 Kyle Dake (Cornell) over No. 3 Kevin LeValley (Bucknell) Dake took his second loss of the season to LeValley during the EIWA finals. He'll have two weeks to figure out the riddle, and should he be healthy can earn a season split and win his second NCAA title. Yes, he also has to beat Darrion Caldwell (North Carolina State) in the semifinals. 157: No. 3 David Taylor (Penn State) over No. 1 Adam Hall (Boise State) The nation's most competitive weight class should mean exciting semifinals with Taylor and Hall emerging from likely matchups with Steve Fittery (American) and Bubba Jenkins (Arizona State). Could there be a significantly different final? Maybe. But when you have a 19-year-old Sanderson prodigy undefeated in March, it's best to consult history. 165: No. 1 Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) over No. 2 Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) Howe is looking much better since his mid-season injury sidelined him after the first matchup with Air Burroughs. Howe's Big 10 finals against Colt Sponseller was a reminder that he can still win close, but a healthy Burroughs, who won the first meeting convincingly, will be too much for the defending NCAA champ. 174: No. 5 Chris Henrich (Virginia) over No. 2 Ed Ruth (Penn State) This selection is well within my rights as an alumnus of Mr. Jefferson's university. Henrich is gifted and should he be prepared for the ups and downs of the tournament. He will be ready for his semifinal matchup versus Jon Reader (Iowa State). Yes, Ruth presents a matchup issue for Henrich and beat him earlier this season at the Southern Scuffle, but I'm a homer and pulling for my fellow Cavalier. Go Hoos! 184: No. 9 Quentin Wright (Penn State) over No. 6 Ryan Loder (Northern Iowa) Ryan Loder is one of my favorite wrestlers coming into the NCAA tournament. With toughness on the mat and on his feet, Coach Schwab has found the guy to lead his young program for the next few years. However, he'll be hard pressed to defeat a confident Quentin Wright, who has come back from injury to not only beat Travis Rutt (Wisconsin), avenge a loss to Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota) and win the Big 10 title, but become many fans under-the-radar favorite. Q-Ball it is. 197: No. 2 Clayton Foster (Oklahoma State) over No. 1 Cam Simaz (Cornell) Foster is undefeated, while Simaz took a one-point loss to Dustin Kilgore (Kent State). The recent Foster win over Jerome Ward by four points in the Big 12 finals showed he's prepared for the postseason, while Simaz had trouble scoring against Gabe Burak (Penn) in the EIWA finals. 285: No. 1 Zach Rey (Lehigh) over No. 3 Ryan Flores (American) This match is a tossup, but with Rey the more consistent performer. Flores has a very open style of a heavyweight, meaning he can on occasion give up, or score, points in bunches. Rey will play a conservative game that has given him a season full of success. If they meet in the finals it will be the fourth match this season, with Rey holding a 2 to 1 win advantage (5-2, 5-3, 2-6 TB). Top Five Teams: 1. Cornell 2. Penn State 3. Oklahoma State 4. Iowa 5. Wisconsin

125: No. 2 Matt McDonough (Iowa) over No. 1 Anthony Robles (Arizona State) McDonough has been on fire since losing to Northwestern's Brandon Precin in the finals of the Midlands in late December. He will have to get past Precin, who is one of the best wrestlers in the country in any weight class, in the semifinals. If McDonough and Precin meet, it will mark the fourth meeting of the season between the Big Ten rivals. There's no reason to believe those two won't meet again and I expect it to be another barn burner decided by a takedown. McDonough thrives on the big stage and won't be denied. It's hard not to like Robles. He's a class act who has been crushing opponents all season. Robles will cruise to the finals, picking up bonus points in every match along the way, including his semifinal victory over undefeated James Nicholson of Old Dominion. In the finals, McDonough will execute a well-devised game plan against Robles and win his second title in as many years. 133: No. 1 Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) over No. 2 Andrew Hochstrasser (Boise State) Oliver has been a bonus point machine this season, unlike last season when he won four matches at the NCAAs (en route to finishing fourth) by scores of 3-2, 6-4, 5-4, 4-3. He has been putting a lot of points on the scoreboard this season. One of the things I appreciate about Oliver is that he's never satisfied with his performance, which is going to take him a long way in his wrestling career. If the seeds hold, Oliver will face Wisconsin's Tyler Graff in the semifinals. Graff has a gas tank and wrestles hard the entire time, but I just think Oliver is too technically sound to lose to Graff. I expect it to be chalk on the bottom half of the bracket with Hochstrasser and Penn State's Andrew Long advancing to the semifinals. The Hochtrasser-Long semifinal match intrigues me because both are wrestling at a very high level right now. Hochstrasser has an advantage on the mat, but Long's attacking style could give him fits. Hochstrasser-Long is a tossup, but I'm giving it to the senior Hochstrasser. Hochstrasser-Oliver III (if it happens) should be another battle, but Oliver is wrestling too well to pick against him. 141: No. 2 Mike Thorn (Minnesota) over No. 4 Jimmy Kennedy (Illinois) Interesting statistic: The last three years a Big Ten wrestler has reached the NCAA finals at this weight class and none of those wrestlers won a Big Ten title the year they reached the NCAA finals. I expect that trend to continue this season. So against my better judgment, I'm picking against the undefeated Russell. I picked against him at the Big Tens. After Russell won his third Big Ten title in a loaded weight class, I told myself that I would never pick against him again. But I have somehow convinced myself that he cannot keep winning these tight matches. Kennedy, a two-time All-American, was on the brink of beating Russell in the semifinals of the Big Tens, but Russell found a way to win. In Kennedy's last NCAA appearance (two seasons ago), his championship run ended before it even started when he lost his pigtail match, so you can bet that still burns. Russell has won the first two meetings this season between the two, but it's a tall order to beat a wrestler as skilled as Kennedy three straight times. Thorn is placed on the opposite side of the bracket as his Big Ten rivals, with the exception of Penn State's Andrew Alton, who he could potentially see in the semifinals. Thorn has said countless times this season that he's wrestling without any pressure because in all likelihood he's hanging up the competitive shoes after this season. Jayson Ness ended his competitive career last season with an NCAA title. This year another Gopher, Thorn, will do the same with a victory in the finals over his longtime friend Kennedy. 149: No. 1 Darrion Caldwell (North Carolina State) over No. 6 Jason Chamberlain (Boise State) Caldwell is the best wrestler in all of college wrestling. No, not merely the most talented (he is also that), but the best. He has not lost an official college wrestling match in three years. Caldwell has beaten six NCAA finalists in college or freestyle, including a Dan Hodge Trophy winner twice (Brent Metcalf), a U.S. World Team member (Dustin Schlatter), and a U.S. Olympian (Doug Schwab). He is one of only three college wrestlers who has been on the U.S. National Team in freestyle. (Wisconsin's Andrew Howe and Missouri's Dom Bradley are the others.) Everyone is looking for reasons why Caldwell won't win an NCAA title this season, whether it's his conditioning, health, or the fact that he has only wrestled 14 matches this season and faced only one seeded wrestler. People read too much into Caldwell's matches prior to the NCAAs. Anyone who is familiar with Caldwell knows that he has a different gear for events that matter to him. Unfortunately for the other wrestlers in this weight class, this is an event that matters to Caldwell. Cornell's Kyle Dake, like Caldwell, is at his best when the stakes are highest. He's coming off an EIWA finals loss, but so was Cornell's Jordan Leen when he won an NCAA title in 2008. Dake is not afraid to mix it up and a semifinal showdown with Caldwell could see some fireworks. However, Caldwell is just too skilled for anyone in this weight class, including Dake. I see Chamberlain coming out of the bottom side of the bracket. Chamberlain gets overlooked nationally because he does not compete in the Big Ten or Big 12, but he is as skilled as anyone in this weight class not named Caldwell. His only blemish this season is to Oklahoma State's Jamal Parks. Chamberlain will edge Bucknell's Kevin LeValley in the quarterfinals before knocking off Penn State's Frank Molinaro in the semifinals. But Chamberlain's run will come to an end in the finals against Caldwell. 157: No. 3 David Taylor (Penn State) over No. 1 Adam Hall (Boise State) This weight class reminds me a little bit of the 157-pound weight class in 2009 that included Jordan Burroughs of Nebraska, Mike Poeta of Illinois, Jordan Leen of Cornell, and Gregor Gillespie of Edinboro, only because it includes four dynamic wrestlers who stand above everyone else in the weight class. But in terms of college accomplishments (to date), the 2009 group was superior. Burroughs, Poeta, Leen, and Gillespie were all NCAA finalists (three were NCAA champions) ... and only Arizona State's Bubba Jenkins has reached in the NCAA finals in this year's group. I see this year's "Big Four" -- Hall, Steve Fittery of American, Taylor, and Jenkins as being neck and neck with one another. Any of the four are capable of winning the title. I'm not in the camp that believes Hall should not have been the No. 1 seed. He's not only the highest returning NCAA finisher, but he has two wins over an NCAA runner-up (Jenkins) and beat Fittery in their last meeting. Taylor and Fittery have combined to beat one All-American this season. Like many, I've been following Taylor's career closely since he was a baby-faced high school freshman. When Taylor was in high school, I wrote in an article that he's going to go down as one of the best college wrestlers of his generation and I stand by that. I love his wrestling style. He's always trying to score points and is not afraid to take chances. If college wrestling had more wrestlers like David Taylor, the sport would have more fans. If the seeds hold in this weight class, the semifinals will have the fans in the sold-out Wells Fargo Center in a frenzy. I predicted Fittery to win the NCAA title last season when he placed fifth, and he's certainly capable of winning it this season, but I just think his wide-open style is going to play right into Taylor's strengths. I see Taylor beating Fittery by four to six points. Hall-Jenkins IV is a tossup match that probably won't be decided in regulation. The two know each other well and I expect it to be a low-scoring, strategic battle. I see Hall coming out on top and facing Taylor in the finals. In the finals, I see Taylor winning a very competitive match against Hall. 165: No. 1 Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) over No. 2 Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) Anytime you have two NCAA champions in the same weight class, it makes for an interesting weight class. Burroughs' double leg has become virtually unstoppable, even for highly-ranked opponents who know it's coming. Oklahoma's Tyler Caldwell, a returning All-American, seems to have devised a match strategy to slow Burroughs down. But Caldwell will have to navigate through a tough bottom side of the bracket that includes defending NCAA champion Howe to even get another shot at Burroughs on the front side of the bracket. Howe is also looking to get another shot at Burroughs after losing to him in the finals of the Midlands. Howe missed the second half of January and all of February because of a hamstring injury, but came back to win his third Big Ten title. He was pushed hard at the Big Tens and needed overtime to win the semifinals and finals. The semifinal match between Howe and Caldwell (assuming they meet) will be tight, but Howe seems to find ways to win the tight matches (think Steve Luke) and I see him outlasting Caldwell. Burroughs will win comfortably over Sponseller in the other semifinal match. Burroughs-Howe I (Midlands) was 10-7 Burroughs. I see Burroughs-Howe II (NCAA finals) being somewhere around 5-2 Burroughs. 174: No. 3 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) over No. 1 Jon Reader (Iowa State) Lewnes was the No. 1 seed at the NCAAs as a sophomore and junior and came up short both years, going 0-2 as a sophomore and finishing runner-up last season. Now as a senior he's not seeded to make the NCAA finals because of regular season losses to the top two seeds, Reader and Penn State's Ed Ruth. Aside from those two losses, Lewnes has crushed his competition this season. Reader has wrestled like a man on a mission this season after failing to place last season at 165 pounds. He is undefeated on the season and wrestling with a lot of confidence. Ruth, a redshirt freshman, has some freakish skills and can be as good as he wants to be in this sport. He took Lewnes down three times en route to an 11-6 victory in the semifinals of the Southern Scuffle. In the Southern Scuffle finals, Ruth topped Virginia's Chris Henrich, 7-2. On the top side of the bracket, I expect Reader, the top seed, to come through and make the finals. On the bottom side of the bracket, I like Lewnes to make the necessary adjustments and get revenge against Ruth in the semifinals, setting up a Reader-Lewnes finals matchup. The first time the two seniors met this season, Reader edged Lewnes, 7-6. If they meet in the finals, I think it's a lower-scoring match ... I'll take Lewnes, 3-1, over Reader for the championship. 184: No. 5 Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming) over No. 6 Ryan Loder (Northern Iowa) This weight class is deep. As I see it, there are nine or 10 wrestlers in the mix for the title at 184 pounds. The top seed, Edinboro's Chris Honeycutt, is the lone unbeaten in the weight class, but is by no means a strong favorite to stand on top of the podium. Honeycutt won 7-2 over third-seeded Steve Bosak of Cornell, but has not faced any of the other seeded wrestlers in the weight class this season. Edinboro coach Tim Flynn is one of the best coaches in college wrestling and has a history of getting his wrestlers to peak at the NCAAs. Honeycutt certainly has the tools to make the finals, but will have his work cut out for him in the top half of the bracket with LeBlanc, Wisconsin's Travis Rutt, Minnesota's Kevin Steinhaus, and Penn State's Quentin Wright. I like LeBlanc, a two-time All-American, to come through the top half of the bracket. He took a loss to Northern Iowa's Ryan Loder at the West Regional qualifier, but his coach, Mark Branch, knows a thing or two about performing when it matters most. The bottom side of the bracket, much like the top half, has a handful of wrestlers capable of making the finals. Returning NCAA runner-up Kirk Smith of Boise State is the 11th seed, but his health is a major concern .... and in a weight class this deep, it's going to take a wrestler firing on all cylinders to come through. It might be too much to ask of a banged-up Smith to string together consecutive victories over highly-ranked wrestlers. I really like the way Loder and Oklahoma State's Chris Perry, both freshmen, are wrestling right now. Loder has only taken one loss, to LeBlanc, since December. Perry has won 12 of his last 13 matches, losing only to LeBlanc during that stretch. In the semifinals, I see Loder beating Perry for the second time this season, giving first-year head coach Doug Schwab his first NCAA finalist at UNI, and setting up rematch of the West Regional final for the NCAA title. Both LeBlanc-Loder matches have been one-point matches and I expect the rubber match in the NCAA finals to be another tight one ... with LeBlanc coming out on top. 197: No. 1 Cam Simaz (Cornell) over No. 3 Trevor Brandvold (Wisconsin) Simaz, the top seed and a two-time All-American, is someone Cornell is counting on to come through and score big points. Simaz has been No. 1 most of the season. The only blemish on his record is a 10-9 loss to Kent State's Dustin Kilgore in an action-filled match at the Body Bar Invitational in November. If the seeds hold, Simaz will meet Kilgore in the semifinals. Kilgore, though, will likely have to get past Iowa's Luke Lofthouse, who has been wrestling well, in the quarterfinals. Either way, I like Simaz to come out of the top half of the bracket. The bottom half of the bracket has two undefeated wrestlers in Oklahoma State's Clayton Foster and Brandvold. In addition, it includes Penn's Micah Burak, who has a win over Kilgore and a recent 1-0 loss to Simaz. Pitt's Zac Thomusseit is another wrestler who will be in the mix on the bottom side of the bracket. He has a win this season over Lofthouse and has only lost to Kilgore and Burak this season. I like Brandvold to beat Foster in the semifinals in a battle of two undefeated wrestlers. But in the end, I think Simaz gets the job done and wins the title. 285: No. 5 Dom Bradley (Missouri) over No. 3 Ryan Flores (American) A tough weight class to predict because all 12 seeds are close. Nothing would shock me in this weight class. Lehigh's Zach Rey has been the most consistent heavyweight this season, which is why he earned the No. 1 seed despite losing to Flores in the EIWA Finals. Bradley is one off day from being undefeated and the No. 1 seed. He took three losses one day at the Northeast Duals on Nov. 27, but otherwise has been perfect. I like Bradley, who is wrestling in his first NCAA tournament after sitting behind NCAA champion Mark Ellis, to avenge all three of those losses en route to winning the title. I see him taking out D.J. Russo of Rutgers in the quarterfinals, Rey in the semifinals, and Flores in the finals. Top Five Teams: 1. Cornell 2. Penn State 3. Iowa 4. Boise State 5. Minnesota

LA CROSSE, Wis. - Senior Clayton Rush (Aledo, Ill./Aledo) capped one of the best wrestling careers in school history Saturday night with his second-straight NCAA Wrestling National Championship at 125 pounds. Rush, wrestling in his third national final for his career, got down early, as Wisconsin-La Crosse's Lloyd McKinney put Rush on his back just seconds into the match. It was an instant flashback to Rush's freshman season, where he earned back points against Augsburg's Seth Flodeen before being turned quickly in the loss. This time, it was Rush that got a quick reversal to get back on top. McKinney took a 3-2 lead on the optional start, but Rush quickly took him down to take a 4-3 lead. Once again, Rush let McKinney out to tie the match at four before getting in on a single-leg takedown, taking a 6-4 lead. Rush led 8-6 at the end of the first period, as he fought off a shot attempt by McKinney late in the period. Rush owned 1:03 of riding time before McKinney escaped to start the second period. Starting the third period, Rush choose neutral, still having the point for riding time. A takedown by Rush, along with an escape by McKinney left the match at 10-8 before the point for riding time. "It means everything. This is why I'm here," Rush said. "The first one (National Championship) was sweeter, but this one is bittersweet. It's the last time I'll ever step foot on that stage as a wrestler." A four-time All-American, three-time finalist and two-time National Champion, Rush finished the season 35-1, while ending his career with a 129-11 record. He didn't lose a match to a Division III wrestler in the final two years of his career. Coe's other finalist, junior Nick LeClere (Coggon, Iowa/North-Linn) dropped a tough 6-5 decision to top-seeded Josh Terrell of Dubuque. Terrell scored early in the first period on a takedown, while mounting over a minute of riding time. LeClere earned the escape, making it 2-1, but Terrell already had 1:36 of riding time at that point. Just :09 into the second period, Terrell escaped from the bottom, taking a 3-1 lead. Terrell earned another takedown, but LeClere escaped, as Terrell led 5-2. At the end of the second period, LeClere got in on a takedown, leaving Terrell with a 5-4 lead at the end of the second period. With 1:17 left in the match, LeClere escaped, tying the match at five. LeClere wasn't able to get in on a takedown, as Terrell was warned for stalling with :11 to wrestle, but couldn't get the needed point. Terrell won on riding time 6-5. As a team, the Kohawks finished fifth with 67 points. Wartburg won the team title with 117 points, while Augsburg was second with 88.5. Host Wisconsin-La Crosse was third with 76.5 and Ithaca was fourth at 72.5 points.

The Peacock wrestling team claimed team hardware for the second straight year at the NCAA Division II Championships. Upper Iowa, led by National Champion Trevor Franklin, earned five All-American honors and also got wins from their other two National Qualifiers. The fourth place finish marks the second NCAA Team Trophy that an Upper Iowa athletics program has claimed since their jump up to NCAA Division II. Prior to last season, the last time the UIU wrestling program lofted an NCAA Team Trophy was following the 2002 NCAA Division III Championships when the Peacocks earned National Runner Up honors. Last year, the team tied with Nebraska-Kearney for third place led by National Champion Travis Eggers and three other All-Americans including Tyler Mumbulo (2nd place), Kyle Pedretti (3rd place) and Mitch Norton (3rd place). Upper Iowa’s 2011 National Qualifier Results 125 Trevor Franklin (4-0, National Champion) 133 Kyle Pedretti (2-3, Sixth Place) 157 Winston Robbins (1-2) 174 Mark Mueller (4-2, Fifth Place) 184 Mitch Schultz (3-3, Sixth Place) 197 Carl Broghammer (5-1, Third Place) 285 Zach Rosol (1-2)

La Crosse, Wis. -- The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse wrestling team finished third at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships in Festival Foods Arena at the La Crosse Center Saturday night. The Eagles totaled 76.5 points while Wartburg College (Iowa) took the national tite with 117.0 and Augsburg College (Minn.) was second with 88.5. Ithaca College (N.Y.) placed fourth (72.5) and Coe College (Iowa) was fifth (67.0). St. John's University, Minn. was sixth (64.5) while Concordia-Moorhead, Minn. was seventh (52.0). Merchant Marine Academy, Mass. and the University of Mount Union, Ohio tied for eighth (37.0) while Elmhurst College, Ill. was 10th (32.0). A total of 60 teams competed. It is UW-L's fifth straight top-three finish under head coach Dave Malecek. The Eagles were also third in 2007 and 2009 while placing second in 2008 and 2010. UW-L's Bebeto Yewah captured his second straight NCAA III title Saturday, winning the 141-pound division with a 4-3 victory over second-seeded Jeremy Stierly of Ithaca College (N.Y.) in the championship match. Yewah, seeded first this year, won the 133-pound title last season. Yewah earned a major decision (14-5) over fourth-seeded Chris Albright of York University (N.Y.) in the semifinals Saturday morning. Yewah is aiming for his second consecutive NCAA Division III title after winning the 133-pound division a year ago. He will take on second-seed Jeremy Stierly of Ithaca College (N.Y.) in the championship Saturday night. The top-seed at 141, Yewah won by major decision (18-8) over Ces Antista of Williams College (Mass.) in his first match Friday before a win by decision (6-1) over eighth-seed Davis Alsieux of Centenary University (N.J.) in the quarterfinals. Yewah went 4-0 in the national tournament and finishes the season 27-2. The Eagles' Albie McKinney finished second at 125-pounds Saturday night, falling 11-8 to top-seeded Clayton Rush of Coe College (Iowa) in the title match. McKinney advanced to the championship final with a 2-1 victory over third-seeded Mark Kist of Wartburg College (Iowa) in the semifinals. McKinney, who has earned his first career NCAA III All-America honor, was the third seed this season. He defeated Steve Godine of The College of New Jersey by major decision (12-1) in his first match Friday before a win by fall (2:10) over Carl Deluca of UW-Oshkosh in the quarterfinals. McKinney went 3-1 at this year's tournament and finishes the year with a record of 21-8. He wraps up his career with an overall mark of 53-24. Mike Schmitz placed third Saturday at 174-pounds while Adam Sheley was fifth at 133-pounds and Billy Mayer sixth at 285-pounds. All three earned NCAA Division IIl All-America honors. It's the third straight award for Schmitz, who won the national title in 2010 and placed fourth in 2009. Sheley and Mayer earned their first career All-America award.

KEARNEY, Neb.-- Nick Walpole became the first UIndy wrestler to bring home a national championship in program history with a 4-2 win in the 149-pound bout of the NCAA Division II National Championships Saturday night at Nebraska-Kearney. The Greyhound's Matt Irwin was also an All-American at the meet, taking sixth in the 141 bracket. "I am extremely excited to be leaving with two All-Americans," UIndy head coach Jason Warthan said. "I truly believed coming into the national meet that we could leave with two national champions. Matt and Nick believed it as well." Walpole won the title in dramatic fashion, in being awarded a takedown just before the final buzzer of the third period to break a 2-2 tie. The title came over T.J. Hepburn of Nebraska-Kearney. With the national title win, Walpole finishes the year with a record of 41-3. Coming into the national meet, Hepburn was ranked No. 2 in the 149 weight class, while Walpole came in ranked No. 3. "Nick wrestled like he has all year," Warthan said. "He really doesn't do anything fancy. Everybody he wrestles knows exactly what he is going to do but he still gets it done. One of the things I always say to Nick before he goes into a big match is to find ways to win. He certainly did that in the finals when he was finally able to have a front headlock in the middle of the mat." En route to the title, Walpole won a pair of matches on Day I of the championships. He earned his trip to the finals via a pin in 5:59 over Mitchell Means of Fort Hays State in the bracket semifinals. Irwin earned his first All-American honors in his third time at the NCAA Division II National Championships, finishing sixth in the 141 bracket. "Matt came a little short of his goal but he has so much to be proud of," Warthan said. "He wrestled to win every match this weekend. Unfortunately, he busted up his ankle in his second match today which didn't allow him to move like he normally moves. Matt has had such a great career and he is very deserving of his All-American status." Irwin, who previously qualified for the national meet in 2007 and 2009, won both of his matches on Day I of the event to advance to the semifinals of the bracket. The Greyhound senior bested Jimmy Savala of Chadron State in his first bout, 9-6, and then then beat Jack Bachman of Pitt.-Johnstown 3-2 in the quarterfinals. Day II was not as kind to Irwin, who started the second session with a loss in the semifinals to the eventual champion, No. 1 Mario Morgan of Nebraska-Omaha, 5-3. Irwin then lost in the consolation semifinals and the fifth/sixth place match to earn his sixth place finish. As a team, UIndy finished 12th of 42. Nebraska-Omaha defended its team title by winning again this year with 102.5 total points. The Mavricks had three individual champions, and were followed by St. Cloud State in second place. Augustana was 2011's third place finisher. Prior to Walpole's championship, the Greyhounds have had five wrestlers finish second at nationals, but never first. Shane Perkey was the last UIndy grappler to make the final, losing in the 133-pound championship in 2008.

The Grand Canyon University wrestling program crowned its first-ever national champion this evening, as Todd Wilcox won the 133-pound title at the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships in Kearney, Neb. The team finished seventh overall among all Division II schools in only its fourth year in the program’s history, a 12-spot improvement from last year. Wilcox defeated Newberry’s William Young, 8-3, in tonight’s championship match. He finishes his season with a 21-match winning streak and an overall record of 36-3. Wilcox completes his career at GCU with 74 wins, the most in school history. “I feel like this tournament couldn’t have gone any better for me,” said Wilcox. “I have trained hard for this all year and felt coming in that this was going to happen. I knew I had to take of it on the mat and was able to do that.” No. 2 ranked Victor Carazo captured his second straight All-American award, finishing third at 174 pounds. He finished fourth last season. Carazo lost his semi-final match to No. 1 Ryan Pankoke of Nebraska-Omaha, 3-2. He then rallied to win the third-place match, a 5-2 decision over Kelly Henderson of Central Oklahoma. No. 5 ranked Eli Arizmendez captured fifth at 197 pounds, losing in the semi-final, but rebounding to win the third-place match. He finishes his GCU career with a 23-3 record. Ted Bristol took fifth at 157 pounds, defeating Cory Dauphin of Central Oklahoma, 9-2. Bristol finishes the season with a 21-12 record. No. 6 Ryan Becerra finished seventh this evening, his second straight All-American award. Becerra finished eighth last season. He completes his GCU career with 72 wins, the second-most in school history. Nebraska-Omaha won the team championship, the school's third straight title.

A CROSSE, Wis. -- Saint John’s University senior Minga Batsukh (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia/St. Benedict’s Prep, N.J.) became the first Johnnie to claim three national titles, regardless of sport, with a 7-4 win over Augsburg’s Tony Valek at the 2011 NCAA Division III Championships on Saturday, March 12. He was awarded with the tournament's prestigious Outstanding Wrestler award for his performance. The Johnnies finished sixth out of 60 teams in the tournament. Wartburg won the national title with a total of 117 points and seven All-Americans, including two national champs. Augsburg finished second with 88.5 points, followed by Wisconsin-La Crosse (76.5), Ithaca (N.Y., 72.5), Coe (Iowa, 67) and SJU (64.5). SJU tied with Augsburg and Wisconsin-La Crosse with the second-most All-Americans (5). Both the number of All-Americans (5) and the team’s finish (sixth) are program bests. Batsukh avenged his only loss of the season with a 6-5 win over Blaine Woszczak of Ithaca (N.Y.) in the semifinal this morning. Valek, meanwhile, upset the defending national champion Isaac Dukes of Case Western Reserve (Ohio), with a defensive pin at the 6:46 mark, in his semifinal match. Batsukh defeated Valek by scores of 6-1 and 5-2 earlier this season. He ended his senior season with a 26-1 record. Top-ranked senior Matt Baarson (Brooklyn Park, Minn./Champlin Park) lost to Coe’s Nick LeClere, ranked third nationally, 5-4. Baarson had LeClere on his back near the end of the first period but did not receive back points, and nearly tallied a takedown as time expired in the match but points were not awarded. Baarson posted a 3-0 shutout over James Myers of Olivet (Mich.) in his first consolation match but fell to Luke Miller of Ohio Northern to take fourth place. Much like his match against LeClere, Baarson nearly registered a takedown in the final eight seconds but could not get the call. He ended his senior season with a 28-5 record. Three of his five losses, including both at this year’s national meet, were decided by one point. Junior Dustin Baxter (Fairbanks, Alaska/West Valley) defeated Greg Rhoads of Wabash (Ind.) by a 6-2 decision in his first match Saturday and posted a 6-1 win over the College of New Jersey’s Mike Denver, ranked third nationally, 6-1. He defeated Alex Martocello of York (Pa.) 3-2 to claim third place. He ended the season with a 26-8 record. Junior Matt Pfarr (Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur-Henderson) lost to top-seeded Kyle Kwiat of Ohio Northern, ranked No. 1 nationally, 4-2 in his first consolation match Saturday. He ended the tournament with a 9-2 win over Frank Savegnago of Elmhurst (Ill.) to claim seventh place. Pfarr ended the season with a 29-9 record. Junior Chad Henle (Spicer, Minn./New London-Spicer) lost to fifth-ranked Adam Sheley of Wisconsin-La Crosse, 6-3, and defeated Corey Brown of Thiel (Pa.) 6-3 to claim seventh place. Henle ended the season with a 26-10 record. The five NCAA All-Americans (top eight) is a school record, breaking the old record of four set in 1997. Senior Tony Willaert (North Mankato, Minn./Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial) avenged an early-season 7-6 loss to Wisconsin-Whitewater’s Adam Latella with an eye-opening 12-3 major decision over the seventh seed in the first round Friday. Willaert dropped to the consolation via pin from second-ranked Jared Massey of Augsburg and was eliminated with an 11-9 loss to Dubuque’s (Iowa) Sam Johnson. Senior Chris Sandy (Spirit Lake, Iowa) lost his first match of the tournament, 4-2 to eighth-seeded David Alsieux of Centenary (N.J.), ranked seventh nationally. He was eliminated with a 6-3 loss to Luther’s (Iowa) Kevin Bokoski in his first consolation match Friday. Sandy was named the Division III recipient of NCAA’s Elite 88 Award, which is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 88 championships.

LA CROSSE, Wis. -- Claiming a top-four national tournament finish for the 23rd straight year, the Augsburg College wrestling team claimed an individual national titlist, three runners-up and five All-Americans, while finishing second as a team at the NCAA Division III National Championships on Saturday at the La Crosse Center. Augsburg finished second in the team race with 88.5 points, with Wartburg (Iowa) claiming the team title with 117.0 points. Host Wisconsin-La Crosse was third with 76.5 points, while Ithaca (N.Y.) was fourth with 72.5 points and Coe (Iowa) was fifth with 67.0 points. St. John’s was sixth with 64.5 points, and Concordia-Moorhead was seventh with 52.0 points. Augsburg, winners of 11 national titles in the last 21 seasons, finished second for the 10th time in school history (nine in Division III, once in NAIA). Augsburg has finished among the top four teams nationally in Division III competition every year since 1989 and in the top 20 nationally every year since 1971. The Auggies’ 23-year top-four streak is the longest active streak among any NCAA wrestling program, regardless of division, and is 13 years ahead of the next-longest active streak. The 23-year streak is the second-longest overall streak in NCAA wrestling history, behind the 29 of Oklahoma State from 1928-59. Augsburg has placed in the top four in NCAA competition 25 times in school history – the most of any Division III program and the fifth-most of any NCAA wrestling program. This is also the 23rd straight year that Augsburg has claimed five or more All-Americans in NCAA Division III competition. Augsburg has had at least one All-American in national competition every year since 1977 – now 35 straight years. Augsburg 174-pounder Zach Molitor (SR, Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti HS) closed his collegiate career with a dramatic pin of Wartburg’s Bradley Banks in the national title match – the lone pin among the 10 national-championship matches. Leading 4-1 after one period, Molitor fought off a Banks escape attempt, pushing Banks to his back for the match-ending pin in 3:20. The pin was Molitor’s second in his four victories at the national tournament. A three-time All-American, Molitor reached the finals with a 4-1 win over defending national champion Michael Schmitz of Wisconsin-La Crosse in the semifinals – his first win in three matches against Schmitz this season. Molitor scored a takedown with 1:38 left in the first period and opened the second period with an escape, while building 1:40 of riding time to score the win. Molitor finished his senior season at 29-3 and 92-17 in his three seasons at Augsburg. He finished sixth nationally in 2009 and third in 2010. Including his initial collegiate season at North Dakota State in 2005-06, Molitor finished his collegiate career 110-30 in his collegiate career. Augsburg’s Orlando Ponce (JR, Hialeah, Fla./Hialeah-Miami Lakes HS) reached the national championship match for the second straight year, this time at 157 pounds, but was defeated in a heartbreaking overtime decision to Dan Twito of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (N.Y.). Tied at 1-1 after regulation, the two battled through two one-minute overtime sessions and two tiebreaker sessions with just an escape each. In the third tiebreaker session, Twito escaped 15 seconds into the 30-second period, and in the fourth, Twito held on for 29 seconds before allowing an escape, giving him the victory. Ponce reached the finals with a dramatic 3-1 win over Wartburg’s Carrington Banks in the semifinals. Tied at 1-1, Ponce scored the match-winning takedown with 15 seconds left in the third period. Last year’s national runner-up at 165, Ponce moved to 157 in early February, and finished 34-6 on the season and 90-30 in his career. Jared Massey (SR, Circle Pines, Minn./Centennial HS) reached the 197-pound national title match for the second time in his Augsburg career, but suffered a 9-3 loss to Wartburg’s Byron Tate. Tate countered an early Massey lead with three takedowns and 2:50 of riding time. The 2009 national champion and 2010 third-place finisher at 197, Massey finished his season at 20-2 and 79-4 in his three All-American seasons at Augsburg. Massey wrestled at Division I Wisconsin in the 2003-04 season, but spent four seasons away from college wrestling before transferring to Augsburg in the 2008-09 season. At age 26, Massey was one of the oldest wrestlers in the competition and finished his collegiate career 84-6. Massey reached the finals with a dramatic semifinal win, rallying for an 11-9, overtime victory over Bill Schindel of Mount Union (Ohio). Massey surrendered a three-point near-fall early in the third period to fall behind 5-2, but rallied in a back-and-forth struggle to cut the lead to 9-7 in the final seconds. Massey tied the match at 9-9 with a takedown at the final buzzer of regulation, then claimed the match-winning takedown with 33 seconds left in the first one-minute, sudden-victory overtime. Augsburg’s Tony Valek (JR, Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West) reached the national finals at 149 for the second straight year, but suffered a 7-4 defeat to Minga Batsukh of St. John’s, who earned his third national title en route to receiving the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestler honors. Batsukh pulled away from a close match in the third period, building 1:50 of riding time to score the win. Valek reached the title match with a win in a rematch of last year’s national-title bout, as he scored a stunning pin over defending national champion Isaac Dukes of Case Western Reserve (Ohio). The pin, with 14 seconds left in the third period, capped a dramatic final minute of the bout. Valek took a 2-1 lead with a reversal with 57 seconds to go, but Dukes countered with a reversal of his own with 36 seconds left. As Valek was maneuvering for another reversal, he was able to put Dukes on his back and score the dramatic pin. Valek earned the tournament’s award for most pins in least time, with three pins in 11:30 in the tournament. He finished his junior season at 37-6 and is 102-24 in his career. Heavyweight Chad Johnson (FY, Ferryville, Wis./De Soto HS), competing in his first national tournament, finished seventh in the field for his first All-American finish earlier on Saturday. Johnson finished his first Auggie campaign at 32-11. In the consolation semifinals, Johnson suffered a 5-3 defeat at the hands of Derick Hesson of Mount Union (Ohio), but rallied back with a 7-3 win over Judson Connell of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (N.Y.) in the seventh-place match. Johnson led 4-3 after the second period, then scored a three-point near-fall and 1:15 of riding time to secure the win. Among other Minnesota schools, St. John’s had five placewinners – champion Batsukh at 149, third-place Dustin Baxter at 184, fourth-place Matt Baarson at 165, seventh-place Chad Henle at 133 and seventh-place Mathew Pfarr at 174. Concordia had three placewinners on Saturday, with Phil Moenkedick repeating his national title at 184 pounds. Tom Bouressa finished fourth at heavyweight, while Justin Berns placed fifth at 157. St. Olaf, which finished 16th with 22.0 points, had two All-Americans on Saturday – third-place Ryan Timmerman at 141 and eighth-place Josef Waples at 165.

KEARNEY, Neb. -- The St. Cloud State University wrestling team capped off a record-setting season with a second place finish at the NCAA Division II Championships, as Blaine native and senior John Sundgren turned out a stunning tournament to win the National Championship in the 157-pound division Saturday, March 12 at the University of Nebraska-Kearney Health and Sports Center. The second place finish (90.5 points) is the best in school history after the Huskies placed seventh in last season’s championships as head coach Steve Costanzo was named NCAA Coach of the Year in a unanimous decision. The wrestling squad is also just the second team in SCSU athletics history to finish second nationally in NCAA tournament. The 1983 SCSU men’s cross country team was the first second place finisher in a NCAA tournament. John Sundgren (16-3) shut out Dillion Bera (26-8) of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in a 4-0 decision in the championship round to claim the first SCSU wrestling national title since Gene Hanemann took the podium in 1995. Before Hanemann, the last Husky wrestler to win a title was Mike Rybak in 1967. "It was really big for our program, but more importanly it happended to a guy like John. He is a fifth year senior and there's nobody more deserving than him," said Costanzo of his national champ. In the final match of the tournament, sophomore Jake Kahnke (Shakopee) (28-2) lost a heartbreaking 4-3 championship match to Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference foe Matthew Meuleners of Northern State. Meuleners recorded a takedown in the final minute of the third and held on to revenge two regular season losses to Kahnke. Costanzo was named NCAA Wrestling Coach of the Year after leading the Huskies to a runner-up finish in the national tournament and a school record 19 dual wins during the 2010-11 regular season. Costanzo has now coached 47 All-Americans and three national champions in his head coaching career. Sundgren was Costanzo’s first recruit at SCSU and is his first individual national champion. The University of Nebraska at Omaha won their third straight national title with 102.5 points in part to three individual national champships.

Related Link: Results/Brackets LA CROSSE, Wisc. -- With two matches remaining in the 2011 NCAA Division III Championships, Coach Jim Miller and the Knights were looking for a way to put an exclamation point on the program’s eighth national title. They got it in the form of two individual national titles from junior 197-pounder Byron Tate of Clinton and senior heavyweight John Helgerson of West Union. “It was awesome to get the team title wrapped up early, but those two wins for Byron and John were sort of icing on the cake,” he said. “I am so happy for those two. I think I jumped 10 feet when John won, too. “This entire team got up here and earned this championship,” he added. “I’m very proud of these guys.” Tate’s second national title was paved with a flurry of second period takedowns to defeat Jared Massey of Augsburg 9-4. Helgerson took his first trip to the top of the awards stand with a thrilling 3-1 win over Elmhurst’s Mark Corsello. He caught Corsello’s legs towards the edge of the mat and scored the winning points with three seconds left. “It just feels unbelievable right now,” Helgerson said. “I can’t even put it into words how this feels for me and for the entire team. We’ve been battling back and forth the past few years with Augsburg, and we knew coming into this weekend it was going to be a battle. That was one of our biggest goals this year was to get the title back in Waverly. We knew, as a team headed into the final session tonight, we had a pretty good hold on it all. On the individual side of things, to cap off my career with a national title feels absolutely amazing.” “I am honored to be a part of the Wartburg wrestling program,” Tate said. “We took it one match at a time this year. First, I wanted to give my entire effort to win a team title, and then focus on my individual title here at La Crosse. I feel like I have accomplished a lot this season.” Junior 174-pounder Bradley Banks of Stockbridge, Ga., who hoped to join Helgerson and Tate on the top of the podium, ended as a national runner-up. Wartburg ended the meet with 117 points, besting the field by 28.5 points. NOTES – Wartburg’s seven individual All-Americans (senior 125-pounder Mark Kist of Eagle Grove – third; sophomore 133-pounder Tommy Mirocha of Davenport – fourth; senior 149-pounder Jacob Groth of Marshalltown – sixth; senior 157-pounder Carrington Banks of Stockbridge, Ga., fourth; Bradley Banks second; Tate and Helgerson national champions), crowned at the end of Friday’s session, continued a string of 16 years of five-or-more such honors. … The Knights’ two individual champions marked the eighth consecutive championship in which the Orange and Black have had at least one. … Helgerson ended his Wartburg career on a 21-match win streak, while Tate’s roll now stands at 50 wins in his last 51 matches.

A dozen years ago, Brock Lesnar burst onto the Division I college wrestling scene as a junior at the University of Minnesota. In just two short seasons, Lesnar became a two-time Big Ten heavyweight champ and two-time NCAA finalist, winning the national title his senior year at the 2000 NCAAs. In the decade since, the former Golden Gopher has made a name for himself beyond amateur wrestling, first in professional wrestling in the WWE, and now, in mixed martial arts (MMA), as a former UFC heavyweight champ who hopes to win back the title. Now a new book -- Brock Lesnar: The Making of a Hard-Core Legend by Joel Rippel -- covers all these aspects of Lesnar's life and career, and more. The right book, right on time If anyone were destined to write Lesnar's life story, it would be Joel Rippel. He is a long-time writer for the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and has authored four books on Minnesota sports history. And, just like Lesnar, Rippel is a graduate of the University of Minnesota. The timing for a book on Brock Lesnar couldn't be better. More than a decade after first appearing on the radar screens of college wrestling fans, Lesnar continues to make headlines. This month, it was announced the former UFC heavyweight champ would return to the Octagon to face Junior dos Santos at UFC 131 in Vancouver, British Columbia in June. (The two UFC big men have been serving as opposing team coaches on the latest installment of the popular reality TV series The Ultimate Fighter.) Lesnar's name also popped up in numerous stories this month about his college rival Stephen Neal announcing his retirement from the New England Patriots after ten seasons as right guard. Neal defeated Lesnar in the 1999 NCAA Division I heavyweight championship match to win his second national title. First, a bit about Brock For millions of folks, mention the name Brock Lesnar and they immediately think of his meteoric career in Ultimate Fighting Championships, winning the UFC heavyweight title from Randy Couture after less than a handful of MMA matches. For others, Lesnar was "The Next Big Thing" in professional wrestling, becoming the youngest-ever WWE champ at age 25. Some of us are old enough to remember when Brock Edward Lesnar was the "next big thing" in college wrestling. In January 1999, Lesnar was recruited to wrestle at the University of Minnesota after head coach J Robinson saw the Bismarck State College heavyweight -- and 1998 national junior college champ -- demolish the competition at the Bison Open. Within days of coming to Minnesota, Lesnar became THE talk of the amateur wrestling community. The South Dakota native was the subject of numerous threads on wrestling discussion forums. Even Dan Gable weighed in. As a commentator on Iowa Public TV's College Wrestling series, the legendary wrestler and coach said this about the new Golden Gopher heavyweight: "When he strips out of his warm-ups, Brock Lesnar turns more heads than Cindy Crawford in a thong." In a weight class where a number of the competitors looked like the Pillsbury Doughboy, Lesnar's physique was something else. The 6'3", 265-pound Minnesota heavyweight appeared to be carved from granite. (The school's wrestling program capitalized on this fact by issuing a "Brockfast of Champions" poster, featuring Lesnar in his Minnesota singlet, complete with call-outs that provided a "tale of the tape" as to the measurements of his 20" neck, 52" chest, and more.) Lesnar's musculature wasn't the only thing that generated buzz in the college wrestling world. Right from the start, his on-the-mat performance got people talking. Within a couple weeks of becoming a Gopher, Lesnar pinned his way through four matches at the 1999 National Duals. Among his early pin victims: Iowa's Wes Hand, who became arguably Lesnar's top college rival. During the 1999 season -- his first in Division I -- Lesnar compiled a 24-2 record, including a 21-match win streak, and nabbed the Big Ten title. His two losses: to Iowa State's Trent Hynek early in the season, and, to defending heavyweight champ Stephen Neal in the finals at the 1999 NCAAs at Penn State. The following year, Lesnar lost only one match -- to Wes Hand -- but got revenge by defeating the Hawkeye big guy in the Big Ten and NCAA title bouts. Brock's real wrestling career, by the book ... Some biographies of former college wrestling champs who go on to find fame in pro wrestling give short shrift to their subjects' amateur mat careers, either by glossing over their real wrestling accomplishments in a few pages, or, in the case of one bio that comes to mind, being filled with glaring inaccuracies and misrepresentations. In his book, Joel Rippel manages to present a surprisingly complete presentation of the 33-year-old Lesnar's life that includes his growing-up years, and high school and college wrestling careers, as well as time in the WWE and UFC. As Rippel points out, Brock Lesnar grew up on a farm outside Webster, South Dakota. The book is rich with details on Lesnar's early wrestling career, starting in seventh grade ... and his on-the-mat accomplishments at Webster High School. Brock Lesnar: The Making of a Hard-Core Legend then takes the reader to college (with a surprising-to-most-readers side trip), first to Bismarck State College in North Dakota, where Lesnar was a two-time NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) All-American and 1998 NJCAA heavyweight champ. Then the book goes on to provide a look at Lesnar's two years at Minnesota, highlighting some of his most important matches as a Golden Gopher. After winning the heavyweight title at the 2000 NCAAs in a thrilling overtime match with Wes Hand, Lesnar's life was at something of a crossroads. As Rippel states in the book, Lesnar considered many options, including staying at Minnesota to play football for the Gophers, or try to earn a spot on the U.S. freestyle team to compete at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Instead, he threw his hat into the ring ... the pro wrestling ring. ... then to the squared circle and Octagon The book then presents Brock Lesnar's pro wrestling career, first in the Louisville-based Ohio Valley Wrestling, a developmental league for Worldwide Wrestling Entertainment. As was the case with his Division I college mat career, Lesnar's career in the squared circle was meteoric, becoming the youngest-ever WWE champ at age 25, and a superstar recognized around the world. However, as Rippel points out, all that fame -- not to mention the rigors of travel and performing in the ring -- took its toll on the former college champ, and he left the WWE after about five years. Brock Lesnar (Photo/Sherdog.com)Again, Lesnar wasn't sure what to do next. After trying out for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL, he found a new career in mixed martial arts, and, as in his previous personal combat endeavors, shot to the top of the UFC, the big-leagues of MMA, wresting the heavyweight title from another former college mat champ, Randy Couture, at UFC 91 in November 2008. Not everyone in the world of MMA was happy with Lesnar's fast ascent to the title. Rippel shares this quote from UFC rival Frank Mir that has a strong undertone of resentment: "If Brock Lesnar was never in the WWE, he would have never have gotten a title shot. And he knows that. But that's how people get paid. The bottom line is it's not always about who's a better fighter. All I remember from last time is him whimpering and wincing as I was tapping him ..." [Lesnar lost to Mir at UFC 91, February 2008 ... but avenged that loss at UFC 100 in July 2009.] Brock Lesnar: The Making of a Hard-Core Legend provides interesting, behind-the-scenes detail of what many would say was Lesnar's toughest fight: his serious battle for his health that took him out of action for nearly a year, and nearly cost him his life. The book concludes with Lesnar's triumphant return to the Octagon in defeating former NCAA Division II heavyweight champ Shane Carwin at UFC 116 in July 2010; it does not mention his losing the UFC title to Cain Velasquez, an NCAA All-American for Arizona State, at UFC 121 last October. Joel Rippel presents an even-handed biography of Brock Lesnar that strikes an appropriate balance among the various careers of the champ's life, including his amateur wrestling career. It is chock-full of quotes from those who know Lesnar, including former coaches and rivals. The one thing that astute readers may notice: all the quotes from Lesnar himself are from previous interviews, not direct one-on-one conversations between Rippel and Lesnar himself, which gives the book a bit of an "unauthorized biography" feel. (Don't worry; there aren't any salacious details.) Brock Lesnar: The Making of a Hard-Core Legend is available for purchase online from a number of sources, including Amazon. Brock Lesnar is one of four former University of Minnesota wrestlers to win an NCAA heavyweight title. (Only Oklahoma State has more heavyweight champs.) To learn more about Lesnar and his fellow Gopher big men titlewinners, check out Mark Palmer's InterMat Rewind article from May 2007. For photos and more info on Brock Lesnar and other NCAA Division I heavyweight champs from 1928-2000, visit NCAA Heavyweight Champs Yahoo group.

Related Link: Results/Brackets KEARNEY, Neb. -- Three was the magic number on Saturday night for the top-ranked UNO Maverick wrestling team, as the Mavs claimed their third straight national championship after three individual titles by the Maverick seniors at the NCAA Division II National Championships at the UNK Health & Sports Center. Mario Morgan, Ryan Pankoke and Aaron Denson all finished off magical senior seasons with their first career national championships. The trio lifted UNO to its seventh national championship in school history, the sixth in the last eight years and third in a row. UNO had not had three individual champions in the same year since 2006. It's the fifth time in school history that the Mavs have claimed three titles in the same year. The Mavs entered the final round with 90.5 points, four points ahead of St. Cloud State, the only team within striking distance. But UNO earned 12 points with its three victories for a total of 102.5. St. Cloud State got one national champion to finish with 90.5 points. Augustana finished third at 81.5. With UNO clinging to just a four-point leading entering the finals, No. 1 Mario Morgan got UNO off to a tremendous start with a 12-5 decision over No. 3 Dalton Jensen of UNK at 141 pounds. Morgan earned a takedown after an exciting scramble to begin the match, then earned another in the first period after Jensen escaped to take a 4-1 lead. Jensen earned a penalty point and an escape in the second period to draw within 4-3 heading into the third. In the final frame, Morgan escaped from the down position, then took Jensen down and added two near-fall points to take a controlling 9-3 lead. Morgan set Jensen free, then took him down one more time in the match. Morgan earned a riding time bonus point for the 12-5 margin, earning his third win in three tries over Jensen this season. Morgan, a four-time nationals qualifier who finished second in 2010, third in 2009 and did not place in 2008, ended his season with a 30-4 record and ended his career with a 130-38 record, placing him in a tie for ninth in school history in all-time wins. Top-ranked Ryan Pankoke clinched the team title for the Mavericks with a 3-2 decision over No. 6 Luke Rynish of Wisconsin-Parkside at 174 pounds. Rynish, who was ranked No. 1 most of the season, escaped from the down position to take a 1-0 lead in the second period, but Pankoke took the lead with a takedown. Rynish tied it up entering the third period with an escape, but Pankoke held a 1:16 advantage in riding time. In the third period, Rynish rode Pankoke for 17 seconds before Pankoke escaped, just barely long enough to eliminate the riding time factor. But Pankoke's escape was the final point he would need, as he countered any attack Rynish threw at him. Pankoke, who finished third place in 2010 in his only other nationals appearance, ended the season with a 41-2 record and a 116-29 career record. The Beaver Crossing, Neb., native led the Mavs in wins and closed his career with 34 straight wins. At 184 pounds, No. 3 Aaron Denson broke through for his first national title with a 6-4 decision over No. 2 Charlie Pipher of Western State. The Millard South grad took a quick 2-0 lead on a takedown, then accumulated 2:30 of riding time in a dominating first period. Denson added two more points in the second period on a takedown before Pipher reversed Denson to make it 4-2. Pipher tied the match with a takedown in the third period. However, Pipher needed to make up more than a minute of riding time, so instead chose to cut Denson loose for an escape. Denson held on to the 5-4 lead, turning away all of Pipher's attacks down the stretch. Denson finished the season with a 34-6 record and a 123-31 record for his career. Denson placed seventh as a freshman in 2008, second as a sophomore in 2009 and did not place in 2010, before adding the national championship to his resume this year. Other UNO All-Americans Earlier in the day in the consolation bracket, top-ranked George Ivanov bounced back from his first round loss on Friday to win five straight matches to finish in third place. Ivanov defeated No. 7 Jordan Shields of Mercyhurst to win the third-place match and secure 10 team points for the Mavericks. Ivanov finished his outstanding sophomore season with a 35-4 record while earning his second top-three finish in a row. No. 1 Esai Dominguez finished seventh at 149 pounds after a forfeit win in the seventh-place match. Dominguez was knocked into the seventh-place match by Jacob Horn of St. Cloud State on Saturday morning, 5-4. Dominguez ended his third straight All-American season with a 39-5 record. No. 3 Matt Baker fell to Carl Broghammer of Upper Iowa in a 3-2 decision at 197 pounds on Saturday morning to also be sent to the seventh-place match. Baker ended up eighth after falling to Daniel Stevenson of Findlay, 2-1, in the seventh-place match. Taylor Escamilla lost his semifinal match at 285 pounds to top-ranked Jacob Kahnke of St. Cloud State, 4-1. Escamilla was then defeated by No. 5 Jacob Southwick of Ashland in the consolation bracket, 2-1. Escamilla finished sixth after dropping a 3-1 decision to No. 7 Christopher Dempsey of Pitt-Johnstown in the fifth-place match.

The lineup has been finalized for the USA Wrestling National Team All-Star Dual Meet that will be held as part of the festivities at the 2011 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia, Pa. The event is set for Thursday, March 17, between the first and second sessions of the NCAA Championships, on the competition mats in the Wells Fargo Center. It is free of charge and NCAA fans will not have to leave their seats to enjoy the action. There are seven matches as part of the All-Star Dual Meet. It opens with an exhibition bout between two of the United States top freestyle wrestlers, followed by a six-match USA vs. The World Dual Meet. There is a strong U.S. college connection among the participants. All nine U.S. wrestlers were highly successful college wrestlers, and four of the international competitors also were talented wrestlers in U.S. college programs. The opening freestyle exhibition match at 55 kg/121 lbs. will feature Americans Troy Nickerson and Nick Simmons. Nickerson was a 2009 NCAA champion and four-time All-American for Cornell. Simmons was a four-time All-American for Michigan State. This is Nickerson’s first match since his college career ended in March 2010. The first match in the USA vs. The World Dual Meet will be in Greco-Roman, and will feature 2005 World bronze medalist Justin Ruiz of the United States against 2006 World champion Mohammed Abdel Fatah of Egypt. Ruiz was a two-time All-American for Nebraska. The first freestyle match will be at 60 kg/132 lbs., featuring Derek Moore of the United States against Franklin Gomez of Puerto Rico. Moore now competes for the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program. Gomez competed in the 2010 World Championships for Puerto Rico. Moore was the 2007 NCAA champion for UC Davis. Gomez was a 2009 NCAA champion and three-time All-American for Michigan State. The 74 kg/163 lbs. freestyle bout will feature Ryan Morningstar of the United States against Muzafar Abdurakhmanov of Uzbekistan. Morningstar was a two-time All-American for Iowa and Abdurakhmanov was an All-American for American in 2006. Next is a freestyle bout at 84 kg/185 lbs., featuring Keith Gavin of the United States against Jaime Y. Espinal of Puerto Rico. Gavin was a 2008 University World bronze medalist. Espinal was a 2010 Pan American silver medalist. Gavin was a 2008 NCAA champion and two-time All-American for Pittsburgh. The match at 96 kg/211.5 lbs. will showcase J.D. Bergman of the United States against Israel Silva of Mexico. Bergman competed in the 2010 World Championships, and Silva competed in the 2009 World Championships. Bergman was a three-time All-American for Ohio State, while Silva was an NCAA qualifier for UT-Chattanooga. The final featured bout will be at 66 kg/145.5 lbs., with Brent Metcalf of the United States facing Heinrich Barnes of South Africa. Barnes placed seventh in the 2010 World Championships and has competed in three Senior World Championships. Metcalf was a member of the 2010 U.S. World Team. Metcalf was a two-time NCAA champion and three-time NCAA finalist for Iowa. Barnes was an All-American for Oregon State in 2009. “Any time we can get international competition in preparation for the upcoming World Championships, it is great for our program,” said USA Wrestling National Freestyle Coach Zeke Jones. “This is our training phase, and it’s good to have international matches here on U.S. soil. What greater place is there to showcase our future World and Olympic champions than at the NCAA Championships? This may be the only place where we can showcase international wrestling and American folkstyle at the highest level side-by-side.” This is the second straight year that a USA Wrestling exhibition will be provided free of charge to wrestling fans who are attending the championships. At the 2010 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in Omaha, Neb., USA Wrestling hosted a Big Ten vs. Big 12 Challenge. For more information on the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, visit: NCAA.com/wrestling USA WRESTLING NATIONAL TEAM ALL-STAR DUAL MEET At Philadelphia, Pa., March 17 U.S. Freestyle Exhibition Freestyle 55 kg/121 lbs. – Troy Nickerson (USA) vs. Nick Simmons (USA) USA vs. the World Dual Meet Greco-Roman 96 kg/211.5 lbs. – Justin Ruiz (USA) vs. Mohammed Abdel Fatah (Egypt) Freestyle 60 kg/132 lbs. – Derek Moore (USA) vs. Franklin Gomez (Puerto Rico) Freestyle 74 kg/163 lbs. - Ryan Morningstar (USA) vs. Muzafar Abdurakhmanov (Uzbekistan) Freestyle 84 kg/185 lbs. – Keith Gavin (USA) vs. Jaime Y. Espinal (Puerto Rico) Freestyle 96 kg/211.5 lbs. – J.D. Bergman (USA) vs. Israel Silva (Mexico) Freestyle 66 kg/145.5 lbs. – Brent Metcalf (USA) vs. Heinrich Barnes (South Africa)

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA and the Philadelphia Local Organizing Committee will make a donation of $25,000 to the Beat the Streets Philadelphia organization as part of the 2011 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. In addition, the NCAA and Beat the Streets Philadelphia will team up to sponsor a wrestling youth clinic during the championships. The clinic will take place on Tuesday, March 15, at 5:30 p.m. ET at the Wells Fargo Center. “The NCAA is committed to supporting the academic and athletic pursuits of young people as they prepare themselves for the future,” said Joni Comstock, NCAA senior vice president of championships. “Beat the Streets Philadelphia has shown they have similar goals for the local youth and it’s exciting for us to help with this initiative.” Beat the Streets’ goal is to use the sport of wrestling to reach as many kids as possible to help them develop character traits that will allow them to succeed not only on the wrestling mat, but in the classroom and in life. “Beat the Streets Philadelphia is extremely humbled and thankful for such a generous donation by the NCAA,” said Chris Hanlon, executive director of Beat the Streets Philadelphia. “This support will allow us to create opportunities for a large number of youth student-athletes in the inner city of Philadelphia. It is truly a testament to the NCAA’s effort to leave a positive impact on the community of Philadelphia following the 2011 Division I Wrestling Championships.” “Beat the Streets is providing invaluable new opportunities for youth in Philadelphia,” said Roger Reina, chairman of the Philadelphia Local Organizing Committee. “The sport of amateur wrestling provides meaningful life lessons in determination, commitment, dedication and perseverance. We celebrate the NCAA’s vision and generosity to support Beat the Streets, providing an even broader impact on young lives here in our city.” Approximately 240 youth wrestlers are scheduled to take part in the clinic, with the majority of them being wrestlers who participate on one of eight youth programs that Beat the Streets sponsors throughout Philadelphia’s inner city. The clinic will feature a number of current and former wrestling coaches and student-athletes as instructors, including: Matt Valenti, assistant wrestling coach at the University of Pennsylvania and two-time NCAA Division I National Champion; Brandon Slay, two-time NCAA Division I wrestling All-American at the University of Pennsylvania and 2000 Olympic gold medalist; and Doug Umbehauer, 2009 NCAA Division I wrestling All-American at Rider University. The 2011 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships will be held from March 17-19 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa. For more information on the Division I Wrestling Championships, log on to www.NCAA.com/wrestling. About the NCAA The NCAA is a membership-led nonprofit association of colleges and universities committed to supporting academic and athletic opportunities for more than 400,000 student-athletes at more than 1,000 member colleges and universities. Each year, more than 54,000 student-athletes compete in NCAA championships in Divisions I, II and III sports. Visit www.ncaa.org and www.ncaa.com for more details about the Association, its goals and members and corporate partnerships that help support programs for student-athletes. The NCAA is proud to have the following elite companies as official Corporate Champions—AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola —and the following elite companies as official Corporate Partners—Enterprise, The Hartford, Infiniti, LG, Lowe’s, Planters, Reese’s, Unilever and UPS. About Beat the Streets Philadelphia The Beat the Streets Wrestling Program of Philadelphia is committed to helping establish youth wrestling programs in the Philadelphia metropolitan region. The organization will attempt to foster the holistic development of student-athletes by providing the resources to support an athletic program and an academic tutoring program across a group of local schools and community programs. For more information, visit www.btsphilly.org.

NCAA wrestling officials Kevin Tann, Rick Stahl and Curt Frost will be the radio show guests on March 14. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum and can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday (Monday only this week) from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on AM 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Iowans Kevin Tann (Cedar Rapids), Rick Stahl (Marion), and Curt Frost (Gilbertville) will be officiating at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships March 17 - 19 in Philadelphia. This trio also is officiating at the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships March 11 - 12 at University of Wisconsin La Crosse.