InterMat Staff

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Fourteenth-ranked Northwestern concluded one of the best dual seasons in its 91-year history Saturday by rolling past Ohio State, 27-13, at St. John Arena in Columbus. All but one of the Wildcats' six victories came with bonus points, including pins by senior and third-ranked Brandon Precin as well as sophomore Levi Mele. Northwestern finishes its regular season with an 18-2 overall mark and a 6-2 ledger in the Big Ten, its best win total in conference action since 1987 and the first time it has won three consecutive Big Ten duals since 2008. After the hosts got off to a 6-0 lead, NU reeled off six straight wins and led by as many as 21 points before the Buckeyes trimmed the margin with two victories to close the dual. "We knew that bonus points could be a factor in the dual and they turned out to be the reason we won by such a large margin," said NU head coach Drew Pariano after leading the Wildcats to their first win in Columbus since 1998. "That was a positive for us but we also let some matches get away that were there for the taking. We're proud of the dual season we put together but what you do at Big Tens and NCAAs is really what people are going to remember." The dual match got underway at 184 pounds where Ohio State's Cody Magrum used three takedowns to gain an early lead and never allowed NU's Aaron Jones to score on offense, as Magrum won a 7-4 decision to give the hosts a 3-0 lead. OSU made it 6-0 when the Buckeyes' 197-pounder Peter Capone was able to top Northwestern's John Schoen by a 2-1 score. After a scoreless first, Capone rode Schoen for the entire second period to ensure a riding time advantage and followed that up by escaping at the start of the third to make it 1-0 on the scoreboard. Schoen began to push the tempo looking for a takedown to tie the match and forced Capone to surrender a penalty point for stalling late in the third. Still down 2-1 with riding time factored in, Schoen couldn't get in on offense as Capone claimed the victory. That brought up the heavyweight match where NU's Ben Kuhar squared off with Zach Stolarsky of Ohio State, who allowed Kuhar to escape early in the second period to give the Wildcat junior a 1-0 lead. Stolarsky then began the third in the down position and immediately seemed to be free, but he turned directly into Kuhar's grasp and found himself on his back with Kuhar working for the pin. Without a controlling grasp of Stolarsky's shoulder, Kuhar settled for three near-fall points, which was more than enough for Kuhar to score a 6-0 decision and finish with a 3-4 Big Ten dual mark this season. Back down at 125 pounds, a focused and determined Precin put Northwestern in front for good thanks to his eighth pin of the year coming against the Buckeye's Bo Touris in the second period. With the victory, Precin enters his postseason with a record of 28-1 and a career mark of 131-29. At 133 pounds, two sophomores squared off as NU's 18th-ranked Levi Mele met Jacob Vaughn of Ohio State, who got off to a strong start with a hold of Mele's leg. But Mele did well to defend the shot and force a stalemate, and he came out of the restart with a takedown of his own with 10 seconds remaining in the first. He added to his lead with a takedown in the second and, after starting the third on the bottom, reversed Vaughn to set up a fall with 1:19 remaining in the match, his sixth pin of the season. Northwestern's powerful lower weights continued to roll, with freshman Kaleb Friedley getting several tilts for back points on his way to an 11-0 major decision over Randall Languis at 141 pounds. Seventh-ranked Andrew Nadhir made it back-to-back major decisions at 149 pounds, repeatedly taking down and cutting Ohio State's Joe Grandominico to guarantee a bonus point win. Nadhir went on to win by a 15-7 count, wrapping up an impressive regular season with a career-best 27-3 record and a 19-1 record in dual action. At 7-1 in the Big Ten, Nadhir should have an inside track to a No. 2 seed at 149 pounds in the upcoming Big Ten Championships. NU's final ranked wrestler took the mat at 157 pounds as No. 10 Jason Welch dominated a quality opponent in OSU junior Sean Nemec. Welch scored three takedowns and amassed 2:54 worth of riding time to close his regular season with a 23-3 mark. Ohio State stemmed the tide with a win at 165 from sixth-ranked Colt Sponseller despite the best efforts of NU sophomore Kevin Bialka. Bialka hung tough, trailing only 8-4 in the third, but Sponseller continued to dictate the action and ultimately won by 13-5 major decision. In the final bout of the afternoon, Ohio State's 13th-ranked Nick Heflin built a 4-2 first-period lead over NU sophomore Brian Roddy, Jr. in a battle of two Ohio natives. Heflin looked ready to add his lead on several occasions but was held off by solid defense by Roddy. In the end, however, Roddy could not generate a comeback and fell by a 4-2 score, setting the final margin of the dual at 27-13. Northwestern now has two weeks before hitting the mats at Welsh-Ryan Arena to host the 2011 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, Saturday-Sunday, March 5-6. Tickets to the event are still available for purchase by calling the Northwestern Athletic Ticket Office at 888-GO-PURPLE. Results: 184: Cody Magrum (OSU) dec. Aaron Jones (NU), 7-4 (OSU 3, NU 0) 197: Peter Capone (OSU) dec. John Schoen (NU), 2-1 (OSU 6, NU 0) 285: Ben Kuhar (NU) dec. Zach Stolarsky (OSU), 6-0 (OSU 6, NU 3) 125: #3 Brandon Precin (NU) FALL Bo Touris (OSU), 3:57 (NU 9, OSU 6) 133: #18 Levi Mele (NU) FALL Jacob Vaughn (OSU), 5:41 (NU 15, OSU 6) 141: Kaleb Friedley (NU) maj. dec. Randall Languis (OSU), 11-0 (NU 19, OSU 6) 149: #7 Andrew Nadhir (NU) maj. dec. Joe Grandominico (OSU), 15-7 (NU 23, OSU 6) 157: #10 Jason Welch (NU) maj. dec. Sean Nemec (OSU), 8-0 (NU 27, OSU 6) 165: Colt Sponseller (OSU) maj. dec. Kevin Bialka (NU), 13-5 (NU 27, OSU 10) 174: #13 Nick Heflin (OSU) dec. Brian Roddy, Jr. (NU), 7-4 (NU 27, OSU 13)

J Robinson

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The No. 11-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team used bonus points and a late surge to cruise past Michigan State, 24-15, in the dual-meet finale on Friday evening (Feb. 18) at Jenison Field House. Down three points with just two matches remaining, junior Zac Stevens (Monroe, Mich./Monroe HS) and senior/junior Kellen Russell (High Bridge, N.J./Blair Academy) claimed a technical fall and pin at 133 and 141 pounds, respectively, to overwhelm the Spartans. Stevens ended his 133-pound match early, scoring nine takedowns and adding a three-point near fall in the first period to claim a 22-7 technical fall -- the fourth of his career and first in three seasons. The Wolverine wrestler converted the bulk of his takedowns in the first period, bookending the frame with a pair of head in the holes and finding a leg turk on the latter to tack on his three backs points at the buzzer. He scored on three more takedowns in the second and used a counter attack to end the bout at 5:46. Top-ranked Russell made little work of Levi Stance in the final bout, countering an MSU shot to secure a quick takedown before using a figure four to claim his fourth pin of the season, ending the match at the 0:48 mark. Russell improved to 30-0 on the season and extended his dual-meet winning streak to 32 consecutive matches. The Wolverines opened the dual in equally impressive fashion as sophomore/freshman Eric Grajales (Brandon, Fla./Brandon HS) earned his third win over a ranked opponent this season, rolling to a 10-1 major decision against 20th-ranked Dan Osterman at the opening weight of 149 pounds. The Wolverine rookie broke open the scoreless match midway through the second, scoring on a headlock out of bounds, and after riding out the frame, rode long enough in the third to gain time advantage. Grajales pulled away in the closing minute, countering an Osterman single leg to score before adding a pair of late two-point tilts, including one at the final buzzer to gain the major margin. Sophomore/freshman Dan Yates (Hesperia, Mich./Hesperia HS) cruised at 165 pounds, spending a majority of the match on top en route to a 5-1 decision against Nick Kaczanowski. Yates struck on an early single leg in the first, rolled for a quick reversal in the second and rode out the third, accumulating 4:10 in time advantage. The Spartans won back-to-back matches at 174 and 184 pounds to carry a narrow advantage into the intermission break. Fifth-year senior Aaron Hynes (Mt. Morris, Mich./Flint Kearsley HS) wrestled the former bout up two weights, losing a 4-2 heartbreaker to Curran Jacobs in overtime. With the match knotted a two apiece late in the third, Hynes nearly had a takedown twice in the closing second -- first with a whizzer before almost turning to corner on the edge as time ran out. The MSU wrestler used a single-leg takedown to end the bout 14 seconds into the extra period. Fifth-year senior captain Anthony Biondo (Clinton Twp., Mich./Chippewa Valley HS) picked up a 10-4 decision over familiar foe Tyler Dickenson at 197 pounds, distancing himself down the stretch with a three-takedown third period. Biondo, ranked 11th, opened scoring with a quick second-period escape and converted on a subsequent high crotch, wrapping up two legs on the edge, to carry a two-point edge into the final frame. The Wolverine captain scored on a throw by, a single leg and, finally, a late counter attack to ice the match. Junior/sophomore Ben Apland (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South HS) won a close one against Joe Rizqallah in the heavyweight contest, making a first-period takedown hold up for a 3-2 decision victory. Apland, ranked 16th nationally, took advantage on an early flurry on the edge of the mat, blasting through a double leg and dragging his toes in bounds to convert the takedown. The wrestlers traded escapes but neither committed to another shot in regulation. Michigan State picked up unexpected bonus points in the 125-pound match, where sophomore Sean Boyle (Lowell, Mass./Blair Academy), despite dictating the early pace against Eric Olanowski, got caught in a cement mixer and pinned at 1:02. The fall gave the Spartans' their temporary late lead, which U-M erased with its commanding performances in the final two bouts. The Wolverines will take the next two weeks to prepare for the Big Ten Championships, scheduled for March 5-6 in Evanston, Ill. Hosted by Northwestern University, the tournament will be held at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Results: 149 -- Eric Grajales (U-M) major dec. #20 Dan Osterman, 10-1 U-M, 4-0 157 - Sean McMurray (MSU) dec. #20 Brandon Zeerip, 8-2 U-M, 4-3 165 -- Dan Yates (U-M) dec. Nick Kaczanowski, 5-1 U-M, 7-3 174 -- Curran Jacobs (MSU) dec. Aaron Hynes, 4-2 SV U-M, 7-6 184 -- Ian Hinton (MSU) dec. Hunter Collins, 7-3 MSU, 9-7 197 -- #11 Anthony Biondo (U-M) dec. Tyler Dickenson, 10-4 U-M, 10-9 Hwt -- #16 Ben Apland (U-M) dec. Joe Rizqallah, 3-2 U-M, 13-9 125 -- Eric Olanowski (MSU) pinned Sean Boyle, 1:02 MSU, 15-13 133 -- Zac Stevens (U-M) tech. fall Chris Lyon, 22-7 (5:46) U-M, 18-15 141 -- #1 Kellen Russell (U-M) pinned Levi Stance, 0:48 U-M, 24-15

MORGANTOWN, WV -- The Edinboro wrestling team rallied for a 22-15 win at West Virginia on Friday evening to set up Saturday’s match with Pittsburgh for the Eastern Wrestling League regular season championship. The Fighting Scots have now won five of their last six matches and are 9-9-1 overall and 4-1 in the EWL. West Virginia falls to 8-6 and 3-2, respectively. Thanks to wins in the final three weight classes Edinboro hosts Pittsburgh on Saturday looking to reclaim the EWL title. The Fighting Scots won four years in a row before the Panthers claimed the crown a year ago. Pittsburgh comes into the 7 p.m. match at McComb Fieldhouse winners of its last 11 EWL matches. Edinboro trailed 15-10 after Chris Hrunka suffered an 11-6 loss to Alex Meade at 174 lbs. Meade, a transfer from Oklahoma State who was a national qualifier a year ago, dropped Hrunka to 14-16 thanks to five takedowns. Chris Honeycutt, wrestling for the first time as the top-ranked wrestler at 184 lbs., grounded out a tough 5-2 decision over Matt Ryan, who came in ranked 20th by Amateur Wrestling News. Honeycutt improved to 23-0, but it wasn’t easy. He countered a pair of Ryan takedown attempts in the first period to record two takedowns and lead 4-1. A Ryan escape to start the second period and Honeycutt’s escape in the third were the only other points. Ryan fell to 16-6. Shawn Fendone gave the Fighting Scots a 16-15 advantage with a 3-2 decision over Kyle Rooney at 197 lbs. Following a scoreless first period Fendone rode out Rooney in the second. Rooney chose neutral to start the third and made it count with a takedown off a quick single leg shot, almost pinning Fendone in the process. Fendone rallied with a reversal in the final minute to tie the score and owned a 2:21 advantage in riding time for the winning point. Fendone improved to 22-9 with his 12th win in his last 13 matches. Ernest James put an exclamation point on the win with a fall over Phil Mandzik at 3:23 at heayvweight. The match was scoreless after one period. Mandzik started down to begin the second, and it didn’t take long for James to cradle Mandzik and pin the Mountaineer. It gives James a 15-13 record with seven pins, including falls in his last three bouts. WVU’s Shane Young pinned Bijan Banks at 2:35 in the 125 lbs. match, dropping Banks to 0-21. Edinboro won three of the next four matches in what had to be considered swing bouts. Eric Morrill, ranked 18th by Amateur Wrestling News, won a minor upset over Nathan Pennesi, who was ranked 15th by InterMat and 17th by Amateur Wrestling News, at 133 lbs. Morrill prevailed 6-3 to win his tenth straight match and improve to 19-8, his 85th career win. Pennesi fell to 22-5. Morrill had all three takedowns in the match. In a matchup of freshmen, WVU’s Michael Morales edged Kasey Davis, 3-1, at 141 lbs. Davis led 1-0 after two periods, but Morales opened the third period with an escape and registered the winning takedown in the final minute. Davis fell to 18-13 and lost for the first time in his last four matches. In a second matchup of nationally-ranked opponents, Torsten Gillespie used a strong third period to hand Brandon Rader an 11-6 defeat at 149 lbs. Gillespie, ranked 17th by Amateur Wrestling News and 18th by InterMat, picked up his 96th career win and moved to 18-8. He did not compete in the last dual vs. North Carolina due to an injury. Rader was ranked 20th by Amateur Wrestling News and is a former two-time All-American who has battled a series of injuries the past few years. A wild first period saw the two emerge tied at 4-4. Rader opened with a takedown, but Gillespie then grabbed a 3-2 lead with an escape and takedown. Rader would reverse Gillespie, but the Boro senior would escape in the final ten seconds. Rader started the second with a reversal, but Gillespie would escape to make it 6-5 after two periods. Gillespie started the third period in the down position. A quick escape made it 6-6, and he then registered his lone takedown for an 8-6 lead. He added three near-fall points while dominating the last minute of the match. Johnny Greisheimer gave Edinboro its first lead of the night as the sophomore improved to 20-11 with a 12-2 major decision over Ryan Goodman at 157 lbs. Greisheimer led just 3-2 after one period, but he would take control in the second with a takedown and three near-fall points. He added his third takedown in the third period. Donnie Jones, ranked 20th by Amateur Wrestling News, gave the lead back to West Virginia with a 13-7 decision over Ethan Saylor at 165 lbs., although the Boro freshman battled to not allow bonus points. Jones had six takedowns while improving to 16-3. Results: 125 Shane Young (WVU) fall over Bijan Banks (EU), 2:35 0-6 133 Eric Morrill (EU) dec. #15 Nathan Pennesi (WVU), 6-3 3-6 141 Michael Morales (WVU) dec. Kasey Davis (EU), 3-1 3-9 149 #18 Torsten Gillespie (EU) dec. Brandon Rader (WVU), 11-6 6-9 157 Johnny Greisheimer (EU) maj. dec. Ryan Goodman (WVU) , 12-2 10-9 165 Donnie Jones (WVU) dec. Ethan Saylor (EU), 13-7 10-12 174 Alex Meade (WVU) dec. Chris Hrunka (EU), 11-6 10-15 184 #1 Chris Honeycutt (EU) dec. Matt Ryan (WVU), 5-2 13-15 197 Shawn Fendone (EU) dec. Kyle Rooney (WVU), 3-2 16-15 Hwt Ernest James (EU) fall over Phil Mandzik (WVU), 3:23 22-15

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The 23rd-ranked Purdue wrestling team made the most of its final home dual of the season, taking down archrival Indiana University 21-12 at Holloway Gymnasium on Friday night. The Boilermakers seniors led the charge as Akif Eren, Colton Salazar Luke Manuel and Logan Brown all scored huge victories as Purdue finishes the dual season 8-8-1 overall and 3-5 in Big Ten action. The Boilermakers topped the Hoosiers for the first time since 2008, earning a point in the coveted Crimson and Gold Cup standings and stretching Purdue's lead to 4.5 to 3. Purdue head coach Scott Hinkel finishes his fourth season at the helm of the Old Gold and Black, keeping his streak of non-losing dual records intact. "It was a great win for our team and our seniors," said Hinkel. "This win gives us some great momentum heading to Big Tens and NCAAs, where we really hope to peak." Purdue got off to a slow start as freshman Camden Eppert dropped a 5-2 decision to IU freshman Justin Brooks and gave the Hoosiers a 3-0 lead. However, the Boilermakers rallied at 133 and 141 as Eren edged out junior Matt Ortega, 3-2, to knot the score, and junior Jake Fleckenstein broke it open with a pin against freshman Mitchell Richey. Eren hit a swing-single in the second period for the only takedown of the match at 133, while Fleckenstein took Richey to his back at the 2:07 mark of the first period, sticking the Hoosier rookie for six team points. The Hoosiers cut into the lead at 149 pounds as 12th-ranked senior Kurt Kinser defended his national ranking with a 9-2 decision over Purdue senior Sam Patacsil. Patacsil had a solid ride in the second period, but was unable to turn the IU senior in the loss. The biggest surprise of the evening came at 157 pounds, where Salazar took down eighth-ranked Indiana senior Paul Young, 6-4. Salazar dominated the first period, scoring a pair of takedowns and riding Young out for the final 30 seconds en route to a 4-1 lead. Young rallied late, but came up short as the Boilermakers opened up a 12-6 lead at the intermission. Indiana knifed back into the lead at 165 pounds, where Hoosier freshman Ryan LeBlanc rode a pair of first period takedowns to a 7-3 decision over Boilermaker rookie Kyle Mosier. The win snapped Mosier's streak of three straight wins at home, and trimmed the team score to 12-9. The Boilermakers took final control of the contest over the next three contests as Manuel, junior A.J. Kissel and Brown put the match out of reach. Manuel, ranked eighth in the nation at 174 pounds, started the run with a 4-1 decision over senior Nick Avery, and Kissel, tabbed 12th at 184 pounds, followed with a 5-1 decision over senior Eric Cameron. Brown entered the highlight bout of the night against Hoosier junior Matt Powless as Brown entered the night 10th in the nation at 197, while Powless was ranked ninth. Brown scored late takedowns in the first and second periods to amass a 4-1 lead and then fended off Powless in the third period to hold on to his 19th win of the season. Manuel improved to 7-0 all-time against the Hoosiers and picked up career win 112, while Brown snagged career win 106. With the dual sealed, the Boilermakers sent out senior David Pisarcik to face ninth-ranked Ricky Alcala of Indiana at heavyweight, and despite a tremendous effort, Pisarcik came up just short in a 3-2 decision. The Boilermakers wrap up the dual season and return to action at the 2011 Big Ten Championships at Northwestern University on March 5-6. For information on the championships, visit the championship website at NUSports.com. Results: 125- Justin Brooks (Indiana ) DEC Eppert, Camden (Purdue University) 5-2 133- Eren, Akif (Purdue University) DEC Matt Ortega (Indiana ) 3-2 141- Fleckenstein, Jake (Purdue University) FALL Mitchell Ritchey (Indiana ) (2:07) 149- Kurt Kinser (Indiana ) DEC Patacsil, Sam (Purdue University) 9-2 157- Salazar, Colton (Purdue University) DEC Paul Young (Indiana ) 6-4 165- Ryan Leblanc (Indiana ) DEC Mosier, Kyle (Purdue University) 7-3 174- Manuel, Luke (Purdue University) DEC Nick Avery (Indiana ) 4-1 184- Kissel, A.J. (Purdue University) DEC Eric Cameron (Indiana ) 5-1 197- Brown, Logan (Purdue University) DEC Matt Powless (Indiana ) 7-4 285- Ricardo Alcala (Indiana ) DEC Pisarcik, David (Purdue University) 3-2

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The fourth-ranked Penn State wrestling team, under the direction of head coach Cael Sanderson, dismantled No. 16 Wisconsin 30-12 in front of a standing room only crowd of 6,311 fans in Rec Hall. Sophomore All-American Andrew Long (Creston, Iowa) notched the signature win of the dual, dominating Tyler Graff at 133, 12-5. Senior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.) ranked No. 11 at 125, made his first Rec Hall appearance of the year the last of his career, posting a 10-5 win over Tom Kelliher to give Penn State an early 3-0 lead. Long, ranked No. 8 at 133, thrilled the SRO Rec Hall crowd by hammering No. 3 Graff 12-5 and the true freshman Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), ranked No. 7 at 141, continued the Lion win streak by pinning Shane McQuade at the 3:52 mark. The pin was Alton's 17th of the year, which is fourth all-time in a single season at Penn State. Junior Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 3 at 149, then majored No. 10 Cole Schmitt of Wisconsin 9-1 to put Penn State up 16-0. Red-shirt freshman David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), ranked No. 3 at 157, then completed the regular season undefeated with an 18-2 technical fall over UW's Kalvin York at the 4:57 mark to give Penn State a 21-0 lead at intermission. Taylor's 31-0 mark on the year includes 30 bonus point wins. The York tech fall was his 14th to go along with nine majors and seven pins. Red-shirt freshman James Vollrath (Richboro, Pa.) then downed Wisconsin's Shawn Perry 7-3 at 165 before classmate Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) posted a strong 8-5 win over No. 14 Ben Jordan at 174 to put Penn State up 27-0. No. 3 Travis Rutt of Wisconsin fought off a Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) cradle attempt and got a pin at the 4:41 mark, breaking the shut out. Wisconsin's Trevor Brandvold, ranked No. 2, then pinned Lion freshman Nick Ruggear (Oxford, Pa.) in just :42 to cut the Lion lead to 27-12. Junior Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 6 at heavyweight, downed No. 10 Eric Bugenhagen 5-2 in the final bout to give Penn State the lopsided 30-12 victory. Tonight's dual, which was a Big Ten Network StudentU production and aired live in HD at bigtennetwork.com, will air on the Big Ten Network tomorrow morning, Saturday, at 9:30 a.m. Penn State ends the 2010-11 dual meet season with a 17-1-1 mark, 6-1-1 in Big Ten duals. Wisconsin ends its dual season at 10-6-1, 1-5-1 in conference action. Penn State's 17 dual wins is the most since the Nittany Lions went 18-3 in 1998. The .921 winning percentage is the best since the Nittany Lions went 22-0-1 in 1993. Penn State's six Big Ten dual meet wins ties the school record for Big Ten wins in a season (the Nittany Lions went 6-0 in 1998). Penn State posted a wide 19-5 margin in takedowns and, in winning eight of ten bouts, split the bonus point battle 6-6. Sanderson's Nittany Lions will now prep for the 2011 Big Ten Wrestling Championships on March 5-6 at Northwestern University. The two-day event is the national qualifier for the conference and begins with an 11 a.m. Eastern (10 a.m. Central) session on Saturday, March 5. The Sunday session starts at 2 p.m. Eastern (1 p.m. Central) with the finals airing live on the Big Ten Network at 4 p.m. Eastern (3 p.m. Central). The 2010-11 Penn State wrestling season is presented by the Family Clothesline. All Penn State events will once again air live on Forever Broadcasting's WRSC (1390 AM) and WSQV (92.1 FM). All radio broadcasts are streamed live at GoPSUsports.com as part of the All-Access package. The 2010-11 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline. Results: 125: #11 Brad Pataky PSU dec. Tom Kelliher UW, 10-5 3-0 133: #8 Andrew Long PSU dec. #3 Tyler Graff UW, 12-5 6-0 141: #7 Andrew Alton PSU pinned Shane McQuade UW, WBF (3:52) 12-0 149: #3 Frank Molinaro PSU maj. dec. #10 Cole Schmitt UW, 9-1 16-0 157: #3 David Taylor PSU tech fall Kalvin York UW, 18-2 (TF; 4:57) 21-0 165: James Vollrath PSU dec. Shawn Perry UW, 7-3 24-0 174: #2 Ed Ruth PSU dec. #14 Ben Jordan UW, 8-5 27-0 184: #3 Travis Rutt UW pinned #17 Quentin Wright PSU, WBF (4:41) 27-6 197: #2 Trevor Brandvold UW pinned Nick Ruggear PSU, WBF (0:42) 27-12 285: #6 Cameron Wade PSU dec. #10 Eric Bugenhagen UW, 5-2 30-12 BOUT-BY-BOUT: 125: Senior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), ranked No. 11 at 125, made his first appearance in Rec Hall his last as the Nittany Lion wrestled on Senior Night for Penn State. Pataky took on Tom Kelliher of Wisconsin. Pataky quickly took Kelliher down for a 2-0 lead lest than :15 into the bout. He then gained control of his arm and turned him for three near fall points and a 5-0 lead. A reset and another three point near fall gave the Lion an 8-0 lead less than a minute into the bout. Pataky tacked on two near fall points before Kelliher reversed him at the 1:35 mark. Leading 10-2, Pataky was not able to break free of a solid Kelliher ride and led 10-2 after the opening period. Pataky chose neutral to start the third period and began looking for a chance to take Kelliher down and add to his lead. The duo battled evenly for the first minute, with Kelliher fighting off a Pataky double leg to keep within striking distance. Trailing by eight, Kelliher chose top to start the third period. Kelliher then turned Pataky for two near fall points to cut the lead to 10-4 with 1:10 left and over a minutes worth of riding time. Kelliher forced Pataky into a first stall warning and then rode him out. Pataky's early period fireworks gave the Lion a 10-5 win and put Penn State up 3-0 after the opening bout. 133: Sophomore Andrew Long (Creston, Iowa), ranked No. 8 at 133, battled No. 3 Tyler Graff in one of the dual's marquee match-ups. Graff drew first blood with a quick takedown for a 2-1 lead at the 2:30 mark. Graff got in deep on Long's leg again but this time Long countered the move, forced a scramble and slipped to a low double leg to take a 3-2 lead with 1:10 on the clock. Long tried to throw Graff to his back, but the Badger rolled out of trouble for an escape and a 3-3 tie with under 1:00 left in the opening period. Long turned a single leg ankle pick into a last second takedown to thrill the Rec Hall crowd with another takedown and led 5-3 at the end of one stanza. Graff chose down to start the second period and Long maintained control of the Badger until the 1:21 mark, building up :51 in riding time and leading 5-4. Long countered another Graff shot and scrambled his way into control of the Badger for a third takedown and a 7-4 lead with :45 on the clock. He then broke Graff down and proceeded to ride him out to lead 7-4 with 1:39 in riding time after two periods. Long chose down to start the third and was cut loose to an 8-4 lead. Long countered another Graff shot for a fourth takedown to up his lead to 10-5 with 1:22 on the clock after a quick Graff escape. Long, with riding time assured, scrambled for a final takedown to grab the major but could not get it. Graff gave up a penalty point and Long walked away with a convincing 12-5 win, putting the Lions up 6-0. 141: True freshman Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), ranked No. 7 at 141, met Wisconsin's Shane McQuade. Alton took McQuade down less than five seconds into the bout and led 2-0 early. McQuade escaped after Long build up 1:02 in riding time, but Alton was relentless, adding a second takedown with 1:15 on the clock to lead 4-2 after cutting him loose. Alton added two more takedowns to up his lead to 8-3 with :30 on the clock. Alton then rode the Badger out and led by five, with 2:09 in riding time, after one period. Alton chose down to start the second period, quickly reversed the Badger and then turned him to his back for a pin at the 3:52 mark. Alton's pin was his 17th of the year and put Penn State up 12-0. 149: Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 3 at 149, met No. 10 Cole Schmitt in another top-notch encounter. The ranked duo battled evenly for almost two minutes, but Molinaro took the lead with a solid high double to take a 2-1 lead after a quick Schmitt escape with just over :50 on the clock. Molinaro continued to set the pace offensively, keeping Schmitt backing away, for the rest of the period. Schmitt chose down to start the second stanza but Molinaro was able to maintain control of the Badger and break him down to build up over a minute's worth of riding time. Molinaro worked hard to turn the ranked Badger but Schmitt was able to keep from giving up back points. Molinaro forced Schmitt into a first stall warning and then rode him out to lead 2-1 with 2:14 in riding time after two periods. Molinaro chose down to start the third stanza and quickly scrambled behind the Badger for a reversal and a 4-1 lead. The Nittany Lion junior then clinched the riding time point. Continuing to dominate the action, Molinaro picked up a point on another stall call on Schmitt. He then worked the Badger to his back, picked up three near fall points and, with the bonus point, posted the 9-1 major. 157: Red-shirt freshman David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), ranked No. 3 at 157, looked to make it a perfect regular season against Wisconsin's Kalvin York. Taylor took York down quickly and led 2-1 after the Badger escaped. Taylor worked his way behind York and used a low double for a second takedown and lead 4-1 with 2:00 left in the opening period. Taylor then turned the Bader for three back points and a 7-1 lead with 1:25 on the clock. Taylor reset himself, added three more back points to lead 10-1, and then reset himself again to try and turn York once more. Taylor nearly pinned York at the end of the period but the Badger rolled through the move and did not give up any points. Leading 10-1 with 2:15 in riding time, Taylor chose top to start the second period to try and turn York once more. York was able to escape to a 10-2 deficit, but Taylor quickly took York down again to lead 12-2 with 1:00 on the clock. He added another three point near fall to lead 15-2, reset himself, and turned him one more time for three points and the 18-2 tech fall at the 4:57 mark. The win improved Taylor to 31-0 with 30 bonus point wins and gave the Lions a 21-0 lead at the half. 165: Red-shirt freshman James Vollrath (Richboro, Pa.) got the call at 165 for Penn State and met Wisconsin's Shawn Perry. Vollrath gained control of Perry quickly and worked his way to a takedown and a 2-0 lead at the 2:20 mark. He then locked Perry up in a cradle and turned him to his back and began working for the pin. Vollrath steadily locked the cradle up and turned him for once, then twice, nearly pinning him each time. Perry was able to fight off the fall but Vollrath picked up the back points and led 5-0 with :40 on the clock. Perry escaped before the period ended. Trailing 5-1 and facing 5-3 in riding time, Perry chose down to start the second stanza and escaped to a 5-2 deficit. Vollrath countered a low Perry shot and notched his second takedown to lead 7-3 with 1:40 left. The duo battled evenly for the remainder of the period and Vollrath held that four point lead with 2:05 in riding time heading into the third stanza. The Lion freshman chose down to start the third period but could not work his way free of a strong Perry ride. Perry was able to control Vollrath for the entire period. Still, Vollrath was never in danger of giving up back points and the Penn State freshman posted a 7-3 win, putting Penn State up 24-0. 174: Red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), Penn State's highest ranked individual with a No. 2 nod at 174, met No. 14 Ben Jordan in yet another battle of ranked opponents. Ruth shot at the 1:58 mark, but Jordan countered the move and got the takedown to lead 2-0 with 1:55 left in the period. Ruth tried to scramble out of Jordan's control and finally got the escape at the :38 mark to cut the lead to 2-1. Trailing 2-1 and facing 1:19 in riding time, Ruth chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 2-2 tie. Ruth shot again and Jordan nearly countered for another takedown, but this time Ruth was able to fight off the move and stay tied. Ruth shot low after a reset and worked for another takedown. After nearly :30 of work, Ruth got the takedown and took a 4-2 lead with :45 on the clock. Ruth was able to break Jordan down and, with the ride out, led 4-2 at the end of two periods. Jordan had :50 in riding time. Jordan chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 4-3 deficit. This time, Jordan shot low and it was Ruth's turn to counter, scramble behind the Lion, and get the takedown for a 6-3 lead. Ruth added one more takedown and posted the hard fought 8-5 win. 184: Sophomore Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 17 at 184, took on No. 3 Travis Rutt of Wisconsin in a key battle. Rutt and Wade scrambled for the first takedown, with each man having a chance to secure the first points. But it was Rutt who took the lead with a takedown at the 2:14 mark. He then gained control of Wright's wrist and tried to turn the Lion for back points, but Wright was able to keep from giving up any near fall call and kept the bout close. Wright then battled his way to an escape but Rutt was able to counter a Wright shot and add to his lead at the :20 mark with another takedown. Leading 4-1 with 1:55 in riding time, Rutt chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 5-1 lead. Wright slipped down to a low single, using an ankle pick to gain control of Rutt and work his way to a takedown, cutting the lead to 5-3. Wright then worked to complete a cradle and, when working to turn Rutt over for a pin of his own, was countered by Rutt and pinned by the Badger at the 4:41 mark. 197: Freshman Nick Ruggear (Oxford, Pa.) faced off against undefeated Badger senior Trevor Brandvold, who was ranked No. 2 at 197. Brandvold quickly took Ruggear down to take an early 2-0 lead and then gained control of the Lion freshman's shoulders, turned him to his back, and picked up a pin at the :42 mark. 285: Junior Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 6 at heavyweight, met No. 10 Eric Bugenhagen in another marquee match-up. The ranked big men battled evenly for the entire first period with neither man managing a takedown or breaking through the other's defenses. Tied 0-0, Bugenhagen chose down to start the second period. But Wade made the Wisconsin senior pay for the decision by turning him to his back for two near fall points. Wade continued the strong ride, working to turn the Badger once more. Wade maintained control of the Badge for the rest of the period and led 2-0 with 2:00 in riding time heading into the final period. Wade chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. The Lion junior maintained the pressure on Bugenhagen, forcing the Badger back towards the edge of the mat while looking for an opening to score. Wade fought off one Bugenhagen shot, then got taken down by the Badger. Wade grabbed the escape, picked up the riding time point and posted the strong 5-2 win, giving Penn State the 30-12 win.

BLOOMSBURG -- Bloomsburg University picked up two wins by fall and one by major decision to post a 25-12 win over Lock Haven on Friday in the final regular season match of the season for the Huskies. The Huskies got wins by fall from Sean Boylan (Seaville, NJ/St. Marks) at 125 pounds and Richard Perry (Meriden, CT/Middletown) at 197 pounds along with a win by major decision from Nate Graham (Selkirk, NY/Ravena) at 184 pounds. It was Perry's win by fall that clinched the match for Bloomsburg. Before the match the Huskies honored the two senior members of the team Nate Graham (Selkirk, NY/Ravena) and Ian De Sol (Schenectady, NY/Guilderland). Overall the Huskies, now 14-5, won six of the 10 bouts against Lock Haven which falls to 5-12. The Huskies return to action on Sunday, March 6 for the Eastern Wrestling League championships which will be hosted by Bloomsburg. Match by Match: 125—There was no scoring in the first period between BU's Sean Boylan (Seaville, NJ/St. Marks) and Nick Hyatt of Lock Haven. Boylan started the second period on top and was able to get Hyatt on his back just seconds in. Boylan finally earned the fall at the 3:20 mark. 133—Bloomsburg's Nick Wilcox (Greene, NY/Greene Central) struck first with a takedown early in the first, but Lock Haven's John Trumbetti was able to escape and a late takedown to lead 3-2 after one. After a scoreless second period, Trumbetti added onto his lead with a reversal early in the third. Wilcox would answer with a reversal of his own, but the comeback fell short and Trumbetti earned the 7-5 decision with riding time. 141— Bloomsburg's Derek Shingara (Shamokin/Shamokin) took control early in the first with a takedown less than a minute into the match. After an escape by Matt Bonson, Shingara added another takedown just before the end of the period to lead 4-1 after one. Bonson tightened the match in the second with an escape and a point for a technical violation, putting the score at 4-3 after two. Bonson took his first lead on a three-point near fall midway through the third and would hold on for the 6-4 decision. 149— Lock Haven's Owen Wilkinson would take a 2-0 lead into the third period after taking down Josh Roosa (Mountaintop/Crestwood) midway through the first. Wilkinson earned an escape early in the third to lead 3-0, but Roosa countered with a quick takedown to trail by just one. After letting Wilkinson escape, Roosa scored another takedown to even the match at 4-4. With riding time in favor of Wilkinson, Roosa let Wilkinson escape to try for a tying takedown, but time ran out and Wilkinson held on for the 6-4 decision. 157— After a scoreless first, the Huskies Frank Hickman (Castle Hayne, NC/E.A. Laney) took control in the second with an escape and a takedown on Lock Haven's Seth Creasy. Hickman would ride out the third and earn the 4-0 decision with riding time. 165— There was no scoring in the first period between BU's Josh Veltre (Rochester, NY/Greece Olympia) and Dylan Caprio of Lock Haven. Caprio would strike first in the second with an escape, but Veltre answered with a takedown midway through the period. A late escape by Caprio would even the score 2-2 heading into the third. Veltre scored two takedowns in the third and would go on to win the match 7-3 with riding time. 174— After a scoreless first, the Huskies Mike Dessino (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) and Lock Haven's Michael Khoury would trade escapes to put the match at 1-1 early in the third. The final period would remain neutral for over a minute, but a late takedown gave Khoury the 3-1 decision. 184— BU's Nate Graham (Selkirk, NY/Ravena) took early control Lock Haven's Jacob Bachman, compiling three takedowns and an escape in the first two periods. After an escape by Bachman to begin the third, Graham would two more takedowns to secure the 12-3 major decision with riding time. 197— Bloomsburg's Richard Perry (Meriden, CT/Middletown) had two takedowns in the first to lead Lock Haven's Derek Caldwell 4-2 after one. Perry added another takedown early in the second before pinning Caldwell at the 3:51 mark. 285— There was no scoring in the first period between the Huskies Zac Walsh (Denville, NJ/Morris Knolls) and Henry Turner of Lock Haven. Walsh would take a 1-0 lead into the third after an escape in the second, but Turner would knot things up with an escape of his own to begin the final period. After remaining neutral for much of the third, Walsh earned a point for a technical violation and would hold on for the 2-1 decision. Results: 125— Sean Boylan (Seaville, NJ/St. Marks) (Bloom) pinned #33 Nick Hyatt (Haven), 3:20 133— #33 John Trumbetti (Haven) Dec. Nick Wilcox (Greene, NY/Greene Central) (Bloom), 7-5 141— #13 Matt Bonson (Haven) Dec. Derek Shingara (Shamokin/Shamokin) (Bloom), 6-4 149— Owen Wilkinson (Haven) Dec. Josh Roosa (Mountaintop/Crestwood) (Bloom), 6-4 157— #24 Frank Hickman (Castle Hayne, NC/E.A. Laney) (Bloom) Dec. Seth Creasy (Haven), 4-0 165— Josh Veltre (Rochester, NY/Greece Olympia) (Bloom) Dec. Dylan Caprio (Haven), 7-3 174— Michael Khoury (Haven) Dec. #33 Mike Dessino (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) (Bloom), 3-1 184— #24 Nate Graham (Selkirk, NY/Ravena) (Bloom) Maj. Jacob Bachman (Haven), 12-3 197— Richard Perry (Meriden, CT/Middletown) (Bloom) pinned Derek Caldwell (Haven), 3:51 285— Zac Walsh (Denville, NJ/Morris Knolls) (Bloom) Dec. Henry Turner (Haven), 2-1

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Big Red wrestling made quick work of Brown on Friday afternoon defeating the Bears, 44-0. Cornell earned bonus points in seven out of 10 bouts with Kyle Dake (149), Cam Simaz (197) and Stryker Lane pinning their opponents in their respective weight classes. The Big Red improves to 12-1 and 4-0 Ivy League, while Brown falls to 2-12 (1-3 Ivy). The dual opened at 125 pounds with No. 10 Frank Perrelli taking on TJ Popolizio. Perrelli opened scoring with a takedown 45 seconds into the bout, but within 15 seconds Popolizio had escaped. Popolizio took a 3-2 lead into the second after scoring a takedown off a scramble. Perrelli quickly escaped from his opening down position in the second and scored off a single leg to hold a 5-3 advantage. Popolizio chose to start down in the third, and Perrelli took advantage of his superior strength earning two back points. With 1:17 in riding time, Perrelli won an 8-3 decision. At 133 pounds, No. 5 Mike Grey squared off against Cort Choate. Grey led 6-1 after one period with two takedowns and two back points. The Big Red senior quickly escaped from his opening down position in the second, and earned two more takedowns in the period. Choate chose neutral for the beginning of the third period. Grey notched another takedown, and with 3:40 in riding time, he won a 17-4 major decision. Senior Corey Manson took on Grant Overcashier at 141 pounds. Overcashier immediately took down Manson off the whistle to take a quick 2-0 lead. The Big Red wrestler came within a point with an escape. Overcashier escaped from his opening down position to start the second, but Manson took him down 15 seconds later to tie the bout at three points apiece. Manson escaped from his opening down position in the third and won a 4-3 decision. At 149 pounds, No. 2 ranked Dake took down Giuseppi Lanzi with 30 seconds off the clock and immediately started working to turn his opponent. Dake won by fall in 2:06. The Big Red sophomore has earned bonus points for Cornell in each of his last six dual matches, including five pins and one technical fall. Freshman Craig Eifert took the mat at 157 pounds against Patrick Labuz. Eifert notched three takedowns in the first period to hold a 7-4 lead. The Big Red rookie reversed Labuz from his opening down position in the second and added two more takedowns. Eifert earned four team points for Cornell with a 24-11 major decision. Senior Justin Kerber took down Max Lewin to open the first period at 165 pounds. The No. 4 ranked wrestler added two three-point nearfalls to hold an 8-0 advantage heading into the second period. Kerber reversed his opponent in the second and road him out for the remainder of the period. Lewin chose top to start the third period, and Kerber reversed him once again. The Big Red wrestler won by tech fall, 15-0, in 5:35 with another three-point nearfall. At 174 pounds, No. 3 Mack Lewnes wrestled Jeff Lemmer. Lewnes notched two takedowns in the first period. Lemmer chose to start the second down and after 20 seconds, Lewnes let him up looking to score. The Big Red wrestler took his opponent down two more times and added a three-point nearfall to hold an 11-3 advantage heading into the third. Lewnes chose to start the third period at neutral. Lewnes grabbed two more takedowns and with 2:39 in riding time won a 16-5 major decision. Freshman Michael Alexander wrestled in his first dual for Cornell at 184 pounds and faced Ziad Kharbush. The two were scoreless after the first period. Alexander escaped from his opening down position to start the second, and with a takedown held a 3-1 advantage after two periods. Kharbush escaped to start the third period. The two wrestlers traded shots back and forth each looking to score. Alexander completed a double leg for a takedown at the edge of the mat with 54 seconds left to win a 5-3 decision. At 197 pounds, No. 1 ranked Simaz took on Brandon Shull. The Big Red wrestler scored his first takedown with only seven seconds off the clock. Simaz racked up a combination of takedowns and backpoints to hold a 13-3 lead after one period. The Big Red wrestler pinned his opponent in the second period to win by fall in 4:02. Simaz has won by fall in four of his last five matches. At heavyweight, Lane faced Tyler Cowman. The Cornell sophomore took down his opponent and turned him to his back to win by fall in 2:19. Cornell will wrestle its final dual of the season at Harvard. The Big Red will look to win its ninth-straight Ivy League title on Saturday in a 1 p.m. dual against the Crimson. Results: 125: No. 10 Frank Perrelli (Cornell) dec. TJ Popolizio, 3-0 133: No. Mike Grey (Cornell) maj. dec. Cort Choate, 17-4 141: Corey Manson (Cornell) dec. Grant Overcashier, 4-3 149: No. 2 Kyle Dake (Cornell) win by fall Giuseppi Lanzi, 2:06 157: Craig Eifert (Cornell) maj. dec Patrick Labuz, 24-11 165: No. 4 Justin Kerber (Cornell) tech fall Max Lewin, 15-0 (5:35) 174: No. 3 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) maj. dec. Jeff Lemmer, 16-5 184: Michael Alexander (Cornell) dec. Ziad Kharbush, 5-3 197: No. 1 Cam Simaz (Cornell) win by fall Brandon Shull, 4:02 HWT: Stryker Lane (Cornell) win by fall Tyler Cowman, 2:19

MOUNT PLEASANT -- No. 15 Central Michigan won nine of 10 bouts in a 29-3 Mid-American Conference victory over Eastern Michigan Thursday night in McGuirk Arena. The Chippewas, who improved to 7-8 overall and 3-1 in the MAC, can earn a share of the MAC regular season title with a win over Kent State in the regular season finale at McGuirk Arena on Sunday. CMU controlled Thursday's match from start to finish, surrendering just three takedowns in earning its 20th straight dual win over Eastern Michigan (11-10, 0-4 MAC). The victory also was CMU's 65th in its last 68 conference duals. "I think we're getting better at executing the things we're working on in practice," said CMU head coach Tom Borrelli. "We've been really focused on getting the first takedown in a lot of matches and also being more aggressive—getting our hands on the guys first and making them back up and opening up our offense. I think we did a good job of that tonight." Christian Cullinan opened the dual for CMU with a 4-3 decision over Eastern Michigan's Jared Germaine. Germaine drew even at 3-3 with a third-period reversal, but Cullinan escaped late for the one-point victory. At 133, CMU's Scotti Sentes scored 10 back points in a 17-6 major decision over Filiberto Colon. Sentes held a riding time advantage of 5:00 in earning his team leading 25th win of the season. Scott Mattingly and Donnie Corby followed with decisions at 141 and 149 pounds, respectively. Mattingly scored a reversal, takedown and the riding time point in his 5-1 decision over Seth Schaner, while Corby tallied a first-period takedown, second-period escape and the riding time point in his 4-1 decision over Mike LeHolm. Ryan Cubberly needed overtime to earn his 2-1 decision over Aaron Sulzer at 157 pounds. The match was tied 1-1 at the end of regulation, and remained tied through the sudden victory period. Cubberly escaped in the first 30-second tiebreaker, then rode out Sulzer for his first career MAC dual victory. Eric Cubberly stretched the Chippewas' lead to 19-0 with a 4-2 decision at 165 pounds. Cubberly scored the bout's only takedown in the final minute to secure the win. Ben Bennett added a bonus point at 174 pounds with a 13-0 major decision over Chris Eggert. Bennett led 3-0 entering the third period; after a neutral start, Bennett scored a takedown and seven back points in the match's final two minutes. At 184 pounds, a takedown in the opening seconds was enough for Craig Kelliher in a 3-0 decision over Khodor Hoballah. Kelliher built 2:42 of riding time in the first period, then Hoballah and Kelliher rode each other out in the second and third periods, respectively. Eastern Michigan picked up its lone win at 197 pounds, a 7-6 decision by Nick Whitenburg over Chad Friend. Friend scored a pair of first-period takedowns, but Whitenburg escaped twice and scored a takedown of his own to tie the bout at 4-4. The score was tied 5-5 in the third period when Whitenburg scored the decisive takedown. CMU's Jarod Trice improved to 22-3 overall with a 2-0 decision over Wes Schroeder in the heavyweight bout. Trice escaped after starting the second period in the down position, then rode out Schroeder in the third to secure the riding time point. The Chippewas' regular season finale against Kent State begins at 2 p.m. Sunday at McGuirk Arena. CMU will honor its two seniors—Ryan Cubberly and Mike Miller—prior to the start of the dual. Results: 125: Christian Cullinan (CMU) dec. Jared Germaine, 4-3; CMU 3-0 133: No. 11 Scotti Sentes (CMU) maj. dec. Filiberto Colon, 17-6; CMU 7-0 141: Scott Mattingly (CMU) dec. Seth Schaner, 5-1; CMU 10-0 149: Donnie Corby (CMU) dec. Mike LeHolm, 4-1; CMU 13-0 157: Ryan Cubberly (CMU) dec. Aaron Sulzer, 2-1 TB1; CMU 16-0 165: Eric Cubberly (CMU) dec. Nick Hendrick, 4-2; CMU 19-0 174: No. 7 Ben Bennett (CMU) maj. dec. Chris Eggert, 13-0; CMU 23-0 184: Craig Kelliher (CMU) dec. Khodor Hoballah, 3-0; CMU 26-0 197: Nick Whitenburg (EMU) dec. Chad Friend, 7-6; CMU 26-3 285: No. 2 Jarod Trice (CMU) dec. Wes Schroeder, 2-0; CMU 29-3

BUFFALO, NY -- The University at Buffalo athletic department, in conjunction with the Bulls' wrestling program, are moving forward with its second annual Takedown Cancer event which will culminate in the Bulls facing rival Northern Illinois this Sunday, February 20 at 1 pm at Alumni Arena. Last year's event exceeded all expectations by raising over $35,000 for former Bulls wrestler Jeff Parker, who was battling cancer, as well as Carly's Club in Buffalo, the pediatric cancer unit of Roswell Park. Parker, who hailed from Foxborough, MA, was a UB captain, vice-president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at UB and a scholar-athlete who won over 70 matches for the Bulls. He lost his courageous battle to cancer on May 22, 2010 at the age of 25. Sales are already underway for three major fundraising initiatives for this year's event: a New Era 5950 hat that honors the memory of Parker, raffle tickets that sell for $10 each and feature a grand prize of a 58" television set, and pledge forms that will allow people to donate for the number of takedowns the Bulls will compile in the match against Northern Illinois are all available at a website devoted to the event that can be found at BuffaloBulls.com/takedowncancer. In addition, the Parker 5950 hats and the raffle tickets will be on sale in Alumni Arena at both the UB Ticket Office and the Recreation and Intramurals Office (Room 130) during regular business hours. Cash and checks will be accepted at both locations. Jill Kelly, wife of hall of fame quarterback Jim Kelly, will also be on hand to sign her book "Without a Word" from noon to 1pm. The day of the event will feature a huge raffle with numerous autographed items from the world of sports as well as numerous gift certificates and prizes from local vendors as well as long-sleeve t-shirts commemorating the second annual event. "Last year's event went above and beyond my wildest expectations and showed us again how caring and giving Western New York and the wrestling community is," said UB head coach Jim Beichner. "With Jeff's tragic passing in the past year, our resolve is even greater to make this event bigger and better and raise even more to assist cancer research and make a difference in both the Buffalo and Boston communities. We hope that wrestling and non-wrestling fans alike will join us on Feb. 20 to salute Jeff's life and help us in our quest to Takedown Cancer for good." Recently, the New York State Collegiate Coaches Association agreed to expand the Takedown Cancer fundraising initiative to every school in the state, helping take Parker's legacy a step further. "They (the NYSCCA) all jumped aboard so now we have 23 more schools in New York doing this event, and we're going to come together this year and see how much money we were able to raise," Beichner added. "We also want to take it nationally. We would love to have 300-plus wrestling programs at the collegiate level doing a Takedown Cancer event."

ST. CLOUD, Minn. -- The No. 3 St. Cloud State men’s wrestling team won seven of 10 matches in a 25-9 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference win over Minnesota State University, Mankato Thursday night in Halenbeck Hall. The Huskies celebrated senior night by ending the regular season with a 19-2 overall record, while finishing 6-1 in the conference. MSU drops to 9-5 overall and 5-2 in the NSIC with the loss. Senior's Westy Hanson (Crookston), Chad Kubasch (New Germany), Erik Rogness (Buffalo), Gabe Suarez (Las Vegas, Nev.) and John Sundgren (Blaine) were all honored Thursday night. No. 8 ranked Suarez won his 141-pound match 5-4 and No. 2 Sundgren won his 157-pound match 7-1 in their final matches at Halenbeck Hall. The Mavericks earned a close 5-4 win in the 125-pound match, before the Huskies recorded victory in the next six matches to take a commanding 19-3 lead into the final three matches. Junior and No. 2 ranked Tad Merritt (Canby) posted the only major decision of the day with a 15-4 win in the 165-pound match. Merritt is now an impressive 30-3 on the season. Minnesota State then recorded their second and third one-point victories of the evening with a 2-1 and 3-2 win in the 185 and 197-pound matches to bring the score to 19-9 heading into the heavyweight match. The final match of the evening did not take long as the No. 1 ranked heavyweight in the country Jake Kahnke (Shakopee) needed just 1:57 to pin his appoint and put an exclamation point on the match. The Huskies will now have a short break in action before competing in the NCAA Central Regional Championships on Sunday, Feb. 27 in Sioux Falls, S.D. The championship kicks off at noon in Elmen Center on the Augustana College campus.

On Sunday afternoon, Iowa will put its 76-match unbeaten streak on the line against Minnesota at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. The Big Ten dual meet championship is also at stake as both teams are undefeated in the conference. The dual meet is scheduled for 2 p.m. CST. It will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network (same-day delay) on Sunday at 8:30 p.m. CST. There is no love lost between these two national powers. Iowa and Minnesota are two of only three college wrestling programs (Oklahoma State being the other) to win a national team title in Division I over the last 22 years. It's a rivalry dominated by Iowa. The Hawkeyes lead the series with the Gophers, 67-24-1. Iowa has won the last five meetings and seven of the 10 meetings. Let's look back at the five most recent meetings between Iowa and Minnesota. Iowa's Jay Borschel defeated Scott Glasser, 14-2 (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Date: Feb. 14, 2010 Venue: Williams Arena (Minneapolis, Minnesota) Score: Iowa 28, Minnesota 9 Summary: The Hawkeyes dominated, winning seven of 10 matches. Six Gopher wrestlers gave up bonus points, including 2010 All-Americans Zach Sanders (125) and Mike Thorn (141). In one of the few bright spots for the Gophers, Jayson Ness earned an 8-4 decision over Daniel Dennis at 133. The two would meet again in the Big Ten finals and NCAA finals. Date: Jan. 10, 2010 Venue: UNI-Dome (Cedar Falls, Iowa) Score: Iowa 28, Minnesota 12 Summary: This dual meet took place in the semifinals of the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. The Hawkeyes won seven of the first eight matches and cruised to an easy victory. The lone victory for the Gophers in the first eight matches was a Mike Thorn pin against Montell Marion at 141. Four Hawkeyes picked up bonus points. Minnesota was wrestling without Jayson Ness (133) and Dustin Schlatter (157). Date: Feb. 15, 2009 Venue: Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Iowa City, Iowa) Score: Iowa 25, Minnesota 9 Summary: Minnesota's Zach Sanders started the dual meet off with a 5-4 win over Charlie Falck at 125, but it was all Hawkeyes after that. Iowa won seven of the remaining nine matches. Daniel Dennis edged Jayson Ness, 9-7, at 133, while Alex Tsirtsis won a tight battle over Mike Thorn, 2-1, at 141. Brent Metcalf (149) and Jay Borschel (174) picked up the only bonus points in the dual meet. Metcalf pinned Joe Grygelko in the first period, while Borschel earned a major decision, 11-3, over Kaleb Young. Date: Jan. 10, 2009 Venue: UNI-Dome (Cedar Falls, Iowa) Score: Iowa 27, Minnesota 7 Summary: This match took place in the quarterfinals of the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. Iowa was ranked No. 1, while Minnesota was ranked No. 11. The Hawkeyes won eight of 10 matches to dominate the Gophers. The only Gopher wins: Zach Sanders over J.J. Krutsinger, 10-5, at 125, and Tyler Safratowich over Matt Ballweg, 11-3, at 157. Iowa's Joey Slaton defeated Mack Reiter, 8-3 (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Date: Feb. 1, 2008 Venue: Williams Arena (Minneapolis, Minnesota) Score: Iowa 20, Minnesota 13 Summary: Jayson Ness gave the Gophers the early momentum by dominating his high school rival, Charlie Falck, 14-2, at 125. But Iowa quickly got the momentum back on its side by picking up wins in the next three matches. At 133, Iowa's Joey Slaton registered an 8-3 victory over Mack Reiter. Iowa's Dan LeClere then scored an upset victory over Manny Rivera in overtime, 9-7, at 141. Brent Metcalf kept it rolling for the Hawkeyes as he picked up a technical fall, 20-5, over Luke Mellmer at 149. Metcalf's technical fall gave the Hawkeyes an 11-4 lead. The teams would split the remaining six matches, giving the Hawkeyes the 20-13 victory. Let's looks at five keys to victory for each team on Sunday ... Iowa Overall Record: 14-0-1 Conference Record: 7-0 1. Win two of the three tossup matches at 141, 165, 174 On paper, 141, 165, and 174 are tossup matches. Minnesota's wrestlers are ranked one spot higher than Iowa's wrestlers at 141 and 165, while Iowa's wrestler at 174 is ranked four spots higher than Minnesota's wrestler. If the Hawkeyes can win two of these three tossup matches, it will certainly put them in prime position to win the dual meet. Iowa's Matt McDonough dominated Zach Sanders (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)2. Take the crowd out of the dual meet early The dual meet will likely start at 125. Minnesota likes to start at 125 and Iowa has no reason not to like starting there with defending NCAA champion Matt McDonough. In last year's dual meet in Minneapolis, McDonough came out and hammered Zach Sanders, 13-2. If McDonough can come out and dominate Sanders again, and Tony Ramos can pick up a win at 133, it could silence the home crowd heading into a pivotal match at 141. 3. Pull an upset Upsets can change the whole complexion of a dual meet and are not uncommon in big dual meets between top programs. Iowa has some capable wrestlers who will be underdogs against Minnesota. If the Hawkeyes can pull an upset at 184, 197, or heavyweight, it will be difficult for the Gophers to win. 4. Pick up bonus points at 157 Expectations have been high for Iowa's Derek St. John since he stepped in the Hawkeye lineup this season as a redshirt freshman at 157. St. John is really coming on strong after a disappointing Midlands performance. He is 15-3 and ranked No. 7. St. John has recent wins over No. 8 Paul Young of Indiana and No. 10 Jason Welch of Northwestern. Minnesota has struggled at this weight class this season. The Gophers have been using Matt Mincey lately, who has held his own against everyone not named David Taylor, but is an undersized 157-pounder who moved up to help the team. If St. John wrestles to his ability, it should result in bonus points for the Hawkeyes. 5. Attack It's the philosophy of the coaches and wrestlers in the Iowa program. When Hawkeye wrestlers attack, they're very difficult to beat. Minnesota Overall Record: 15-3-1 Conference Record: 6-0-1 1. Win two of the three tossup matches at 141, 165, 174 Just like it's a key for the Hawkeyes, it's also a key for the Gophers to win two of these three tossup matches. Of these tossup matches, 141 might be the most critical match because it will most likely be the first of the three tossups, so it could help swing momentum back to the Gophers if the Hawkeyes take the first two matches, plus Mike Thorn is Minnesota's emotional leader. 2. Use the home crowd to its advantage Williams Arena can get loud, but the Gophers need to give the crowd a reason to get loud. If the dual meet starts at 125, Iowa will be favored in the first two matches. The Gophers need to come out and wrestle hard and make those matches competitive to get the crowd into it and, more importantly, keep the crowd into it. 3. Pull an upset Like Iowa, Minnesota has come capable wrestlers who will play the role of underdog on Sunday. Zach Sanders was 0-3 against Matt McDonough last season and gave up bonus points in the last two meetings. Sanders is wrestling well and healthier than he was in the last two meetings against McDonough. Freshman David Thorn is progressing well and broke into the rankings at No. 20, but will have his hands full with No. 7 Tony Ramos. Thorn and Ramos were both InterMat Top 100 recruits from the Class of 2009. Thorn was the No. 30 recruit, while Ramos was No. 10. Ramos defeated Thorn, 8-4, at The Clash National Duals when both were high school seniors. Minnesota's Danny Zilverberg battled two-time All-American Frank Molinaro of Penn State to a one-point match (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)4. Pick up bonus points at 149 Danny Zilverberg, like David Thorn, has been progressing well for the Gophers. The freshman 149-pounder had a win over Michigan's Eric Grajales last Friday and gave Penn State's Frank Molinaro all he wanted two days later. Iowa has struggled at 149 this season. Mark Ballweg, a natural 141-pounder, has been seeing most of the action since Montell Marion's return. Ballweg had some solid wins at 141 and broke into the rankings at that weight class, but has struggled since moving up to 149. He's coming off a 13-3 loss to Grajales. If Zilverberg can get bonus points, it would be big for the Gophers. 5. Forget about the past and overcome the Iowa mystique Iowa has everything on its side except a home mat advantage. The Hawkeyes have dominated the last five dual meets against the Gophers, winning by a combined score of 128-50. Iowa is the three-time defending national champion and has not lost a dual meet in over three years. The Gophers must overcome a huge mental hurdle and beat Iowa for the first time in four years. Mike Thorn is the only wrestler in the Gopher lineup who knows what it feels like to beat the Hawkeyes in a dual meet. The Gophers have to wrestle like they're trying to take something away from the Hawkeyes. They have to wrestle inspired and to win, not merely to keep it a competitive dual meet.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- No. 18 Illinois won four of the night's first five bouts, including a first-period pin by Tony Dallago at 184 pounds to cruise past Indiana, 23-12, in front of 2,560 fans at the third-annual "Great Escape" at Huff Hall on Thursday. That marks the second-largest crowd to see a wrestling match in Huff Hall history and the Illini finish the dual season with a 6-5-1 record, 3-4-1 in the Big Ten. "Our effort was really good and we won all the matches we were supposed to," Illinois head coach Jim Heffernan said. "This should help us as we get ready for the Big Ten and NCAA Championships because it's much easier to train on a positive note than a negative one. Our guys are getting more aggressive and giving ourselves chances to score, which is what will win us matches in those tournaments." The dual started at 149 pounds, where Eric Terrazas shot in on Geno Capezio but Capezio sprawled out. Terrazas shot in on another single-leg and Capezio kept a whizzer in for about 10 seconds before finally giving into the takedown. Terrazas rode him out and Capezio started down in the second. Terrazas locked in a two-on-one but couldn't get Capezio's shoulders within criteria, then he relocked it and nearly got back points, but none were awarded. Terrazas rode him the entire period, then started down in the third. He escaped after 45 seconds to go ahead 3-0 with the riding-time point locked up. Neither man could score again and Terrazas took the 4-0 win to give the Illini a quick 3-0 lead. No. 8 Paul Young got Jackson Morse in a quick front headlock at 157, but Morse was able to avoid any scoring when Young tried to circle behind for the takedown. Young was able to work an inside tie-up to a takedown, though, for a 2-0 advantage. Young cut him loose off a restart then hit a single-leg for a takedown. Young rode him out and took a 4-1 lead to the second. Morse started down in the second and escaped in 45 seconds to get within 4-2. Morse shot in on a leg and took Young over his head but a stalemate was called when he failed to improve his position. Morse continued to shoot in on Young's legs, but the Hoosier sprawled out every time to avoid giving up points. After another Morse shot, Young circled behind for the takedown and rode him out for a 6-2 lead after five minutes. Young chose a neutral start to the third but Morse shot in, got a leg and finished for a takedown to get within 6-4. He cut Young loose, making it 7-4, but Young hooked a leg and tripped Morse for a takedown to go ahead 9-4. Morse broke free with 40 seconds left and shot in on Young, but the Hoosier used a bodylock to fend him off. Morse hit a double-leg off a restart, but Young added the riding-time point for a 10-7 decision that tied the dual, 3-3. Conrad Polz got a quick single-leg takedown against Ryan LeBlanc at 165, then nearly locked in a cradle but couldn't hold LeBlanc to the mat. Polz continued to try to work a half nelson, but LeBlanc finally bellied out. Polz cut him loose then worked into a deep single, planting LeBlanc on his back as the Hoosier was being warned for stalling. He rode out LeBlanc and the Hoosier started down in the second. LeBlanc escaped quickly but Polz was heavy on the head to an ankle pick for a takedown and a 6-2 lead. He cut LeBlanc loose off a restart with 55 seconds left and they finished the period on their feet with Polz leading 6-3. Polz started down in the third and was awarded a stalling point when LeBlanc didn't work up from the ankle. LeBlanc rode out Polz, but the Illini sophomore won, 7-3, giving the Illini a 6-3 lead. Ben Friedl gave up a takedown to Nick Avery at 174 but Friedl escaped after 12 seconds. Friedl picked Avery's ankle on the edge, but the Hoosier was able to work out of bounds before any points were scored to take a 2-1 lead to the second. Friedl started down in the second and broke loose in eight seconds, tying the bout 2-2. Friedl shot in on a leg but couldn't finish as a stalemate was called. Friedl worked from a head tie to a double-leg, but Avery rolled out of bounds before any points could be awarded. Avery shot and Friedl blocked it, but he wasn't able to circle around as the buzzer sounded. Avery started down after taking 1:14 of injury time between periods. Friedl rode hard, eventually turning him for a three-point near-fall with 10 seconds left before adding the riding-time point for a 6-2 victory to push the Illinois lead to 9-3. Eric Cameron worked a tight waist to a throw for a takedown against Tony Dallago 55 seconds into the bout but Dallago worked over the top, locked Cameron in a headlock for a reversal and stuck him for a fall in 1:20, moving the Illini lead to 15-3 at intermission. No. 9 Matt Powless got one of Joe Barczak's legs a minute into their match at 197, but Barczak was able to score a reversal before Powless got away, giving the Hoosier a 3-2 lead with 90 seconds left in the period. Barczak shot in on a leg but Powless sprawled out to avoid any scoring. The pair finished the period neutral and Powless started down in the second after Barczak deferred. Powless escaped quickly, going ahead 4-2, and Barcak was warned for stalling. Powless shot in on a leg but couldn't change over to a double and a stalemate was called. The pair ended the period on their feet and Barczak started down in the third. Powless rode him for 1:56 before Barczak was able to work into a reversal off a restart, but time ran out before he could score again and Powless added the riding-time point for the 5-4 win, cutting Illinois' lead to 15-6. At heavyweight, No. 9 Ricky Alcala and Pat Walker wrestled a scoreless first period and Alcala started down in the second. Alcala escaped after seven seconds and got one of Walker's legs, but he kicked free to avoid giving up points. The pair ended the period on their feet and Walker started down in the third and escaped in seven seconds, tying the bout 1-1. After a pair of blood timeouts to tend to Walker's bloody nose, the pair traded shots as time wound down but neither could score and the bout went to overtime. Late in the sudden-victory period, Alcala shot in and Walker passed by the elbow, sending the Hoosier flying toward the edge of the mat. Walker nearly grabbed both ankles, but he also fell out of bounds to keep from scoring. In the first tiebreak, Walker started down and escaped in 15 seconds, narrowly missing a reversal. Alcala started down in the second tiebreak and Walker rode him for 14 seconds before the Hoosier broke free, tying the bout, 2-2 and sending it into a second sudden-victory period. Walker shot in on Alcala's legs, but the Hoosier blocked it and went back after Walker's ankle. He got one, dragged Walker back toward the center and finished the takedown for a 4-2 victory in overtime, bringing the Hoosiers within 15-9. Logan Arlis shot in on a leg of Justin Brooks after a restart at 125 and was able to clear his head past Brook's leg for a takedown for a 2-0 lead. Brooks rolled through and escaped after 19 seconds and Arlis used a tight waist to a throw, but Brooks scrambled through to avoid any scoring. After a blood timeout for Arlis, Brooks used a head tie-up to a throw but Arlis scrambled out and no points were earned. Brooks started down in the second and escaped, tying the bout 2-2. Arlis tried to pass Brooks' arm by, but the Hoosier grabbed Arlis' right leg and looked for the takedown. Arlis kept a whizzer in as he sprawled and avoided giving up any points as the pair ended the period neutral. Arlis chose a neutral start to the third and the pair traded shots early in the period without any points being scored. The duo continued to exchange shots and Brooks was able to connect on a double-leg with five seconds left after a restart to take the 4-2 win and cut Illinois' lead to 15-12. At 133, No. 9 B.J. Futrell hit a quick double-leg takedown against Matt Ortega and took him straight to his back for three near-fall points and a 5-0 lead. Futrell cut Ortega loose off a restart and, after another restart, Futrell locked a cradle for another takedown and a 7-1 lead after the first period. Ortega started down in the second and Futrell cut him loose after a restart 32 seconds into the period. Ortega tried a throw off underhooks but Futrell scrambled free. Futrell blocked a shot by Ortega and grabbed a leg, finishing it for a takedown to go ahead 9-2. Futrell rode him out and started down in the third. Futrell nearly escaped multiple times, but Ortega was able to keep hold of him long enough to wipe off his riding-time advantage. Futrell held on for the 9-2 win, though, pushing the Illini lead to 18-12. No. 4 Jimmy Kennedy nabbed Mitchell Richey's leg early in their 141-pound bout and scored the takedown in 27 seconds. Kennedy cut him loose after a 53-second ride and worked from a head tie-up to a single-leg for a takedown. Kennedy tried to lock in a leg turk with a crossface but couldn't get Richey's back within criteria. He wasn't able to score any near-fall points, taking a 4-1 lead with 2:02 of riding time to the second period. Kennedy started down in the second and escaped in five seconds. He scored another takedown and action was stopped for being potentially dangerous. Kennedy cut him loose then worked into a double-leg takedown to go up 9-2. Kennedy finally was able to lock in the same move, this time meeting criteria for a three-point near-fall as the period ended with the Illini senior leading 12-2. Richey chose to start in top position in the third, but Kennedy reversed him to go up 14-2. He cut Richey loose, blocked a shot by the Hoosier and circled behind for the takedown. He cut Richey loose and scored another takedown, then cut him loose again, hit a single-leg and the pair went out of bounds before any points could be scored. Kennedy then notched another single-leg and worked into the takedown for the deciding takedown and a 20-5 technical fall in 6:22. "I felt really fluid out there and I was able to get into my positions," Kennedy said. "It was a nice way to finish my Huff career, but it really hasn't sunk in yet that this was the last time I'll wrestle in front of our home fans." The Illini have 15 days off before the Big Ten Championships on March 5-6 at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill. The NCAA Championships will be held in Philadelphia, Pa., March 17-19. Results: 149: Eric Terrazas (ILL) dec. Geno Capezio (IU), 4-0 (3-0) 157: #8 Paul Young (IU) dec. Jackson Morse (ILL), 10-7 (3-3) 165: Conrad Polz (ILL) dec. Ryan LeBlanc (IU), 7-3 (6-3) 174: Ben Friedl (ILL) dec. Nick Avery (IU), 6-2 (9-3) 184: Tony Dallago (ILL) pinned Eric Cameron (IU), 1:20 (15-3) 197: #9 Matt Powless (IU) dec. Joe Barczak (ILL), 5-4 (15-6) HWT: #9 Ricky Alcala (IU) dec. Pat Walker (ILL), 4-2 SV2 (15-9) 125: Justin Brooks (IU) dec. Logan Arlis (ILL), 4-2 (15-12) 133: #9 B.J. Futrell (ILL) dec. Matt Ortega (IU), 9-2 (18-12) 141: #4 Jimmy Kennedy (ILL) tech. fall Mitchell Richey (IU), 20-5 (6:22) (23-12)

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The Virginia wrestling team matched its program record for dual wins in a season with a 38-7 victory at George Mason Thursday evening at RAC Gym in Fairfax, Va. UVa improved to 18-7 with the triumph, matching the 2008 team's win total. Derek Valenti (Jr., Newton, N.J.) and Jack Danilkowicz (R-Sr., Green Oaks, Ill.) each recorded pins for the Cavaliers - UVa picked up bonus points in five of its eight wins. The Cavaliers jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead when Matt Snyder (R-So., Lewistown, Pa.) won by forfeit at 125 pounds. UVa gained another six points at 133 pounds when Joe Spisak (Fr., Boiling Springs, Pa.) won when John Delgado forfeited after Spisak took an 11-1 lead. The Patriots (0-20) got a win at 141 pounds when Denny Herndon picked up a major decision, 15-6, over UVa's Dave Ebbott (Sr., Blue Bell, Pa.). Valenti put the Cavaliers back on the winning track, pinning Brandon Bucher with four seconds remaining in the 149-pound bout en route to his ninth straight victory. Bucher was an NCAA Championships qualifier at 149 last season. Valenti upped his record to 21-11 this season and recorded his first pin of the year. The Cavaliers then won by decision at both 157 and 165 pounds. At 157 Shawn Harris (R-Jr., Cleveland, Ohio) scored a 7-2 win over GMU's Jaaziah Bethea before Jedd Moore (R-So., Mount Vernon, Ohio) slipped past Jaaziah Bethea, 5-4, at 165. At 174 pounds fourth-ranked Chris Henrich (Sr., Lansdale, Pa.) easily dispatched of Greg Scott with a 20-5 technical fall. Henrich needed less than two full periods to clinch the tech fall as he won his 15th straight match and improved to 29-1 this season. Billy Coggins (Fr., Sound Beach, N.Y.) filled in at 184 pounds and dropped a 6-1 decision to Bagna Tovuuja, but Stephen Doty (So., St. Louis, Mo.) followed with a 7-2 win over James Webb at 197 and Danilkowicz finished things with a quick pin of Hunter Manspile in the heavyweight match. Virginia visits Old Dominion at 4:30 p.m. Sunday at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. UVa then will have next week off before playing host to the 2011 ACC Wrestling Championship on March 5. Results: 125: Matt Snyder (UVa) won by forfeit; UVa 6, GMU 0 133: Joe Spisak (UVa) won be default; UVa 12, GMU 0 141: Denny Herndon (GMU) major dec. Dave Ebbott (UVa), 15-6; UVa 12, GMU 4 149: Derek Valenti (UVa) pinned Brandon Bucher (GMU), 6:56; UVa 18, GMU 4 157: Shawn Harris (UVa) dec. Jaaziah Bethea (GMU), 7-2; UVa 21, GMU 4 165: Jedd Moore (UVa) dec. Aaron Keeton (GMU), 5-4; UVa 24, GMU 4 174: No. 4 Chris Henrich (UVa) tech fall Greg Scott (GMU), 20-5; UVa 29, GMU 4 184: Bagna Tovuujav (GMU) dec. Billy Coggins (UVa) 6-1; UVa 29, GMU 7 197: Stephen Doty (UVa) dec. James Webb (GMU), 7-2; UVa 32, GMU 7 285: Jack Danilkowicz (UVa) pinned Hunter Manspile (GMU), 1:14; UVa 38, GMU 7

SALEM, Va. -- The sixth-ranked Virginia Tech wrestling team rolled to a 34-7 victory over Liberty University Thursday night at Andrew Lewis Middle School as it wrapped up the regular season with 20-4 mark in dual meets and snapped Liberty's seven-ma! tch winning streak. The 20 wins tied the school record set by the 2008-09 squad. The match started at 125 pounds with 14th-ranked Jarrod Garnett picking up a 13-5 major decision over Justin Branham. Garnett got two first-period takedowns and two more in the second period to take an 8-3 lead. He quickly reversed Branham early in the third stanza and got a late takedown to secure the four team points. At 133 pounds, Liberty's T.J. Mitchell got an early takedown on No. 10 Devin Carter, but Carter battled back with three takedowns and a three-point nearfall to take a 10-4 lead after one period and stretched his lead to 15-5 after two periods. The freshman went on to pick up yet another major decision, winning 15-6 to improve to 30-5 on the season. Zach Neibert continued his impressive season at 141 pounds, pinning Joe Montgomery in the first period. Neibert got two takedowns, and on the second, he locked a cradle in and put Montgomery on his back, sticking him at the 1:59 mark to pick up his 22nd victory of the season. At 149 pounds, Tech's Cameron Hurd took to the mat in front of a large contingent of friends and family and downed Peter Crawford, 12-5. The Roanoke native and Liberty transfer got a takedown in the period and then picked up three points for a nearfall. He led 6-2 after a period and both wrestlers got a takedown in the second period. Hurd got a takedown off an exciting scramble with a minute left to ice his 21st win of the season. Moving to 157 pounds, fifth-ranked Jesse Dong kept things rolling for the Hokies as he downed Julian Colon, 17-3. Dong got two takedowns and a nearfall in the first period to take a 6-1 lead and used a takedown and three more points for a nearfall in the second period to take a 12-1 lead. He picked up two takedowns in the third period to pick up the major decision, giving Tech a 21-0 lead at the halfway point. At 165 pounds, Liberty's unranked Chad Porter grabbed an early 5-3 lead on No. 14 Pete Yates with a pair of takedowns, and stretched his lead to 8-5 heading to the final stanza. Porter owned the third period, getting an escape, two takedowns and a point for riding time to pick up a big 15-7 major decision. Matt Epperly picked up an impressive pin of Eli Sanchez to get the momentum back on the Hokies' side at 174 pounds. Epperly used a headlock throw to take down Sanchez right to his back and locked it in tight, picking up the first-period pin at the 1:23 mark. At 184 pounds, Aaron Kelley of Liberty used a takedown and nearfall points at the buzzer to grab a 6-1 lead after one period over Tech's John Dickson. Dickson battled back in the second period with a takedown and reversal to cut it to a 9-6 deficit heading to the final period. But Kelley squirmed out a standing cradle and worked the takedown for himself to secure the 13-6 win. Tech's Chris Penny earned three takedowns in the first period to take a 6-2 lead after period over Aaron Thompson at 197 pounds. Penny got another takedown in the second period, but Thompson cut into the lead with a takedown in the third period. But Penny recorded a takedown with 10 seconds left to pick up the 13-5 major decision and win his fourth match in a row heading to postseason. The bout finished at heavyweight with Tech's David Marone downed Josh Pelletier, 7-3. Marone worked for a takedown late in the first period to grab a 2-0 lead and then escaped early in the second stanza. Marone got in on Pelletier's ankle and pulled it in for another takedown late in the second period to take a 5-1 lead into the final period. There, Marone got another takedown and held off several late charges from Pelletier for the win. The win was a big one for Marone as he moved to 18-7, making him eligible to qualify in the winning percentage portion in the NCAA's qualify process. The Hokies will now have two weeks off before heading to Charlottesville for the ACC Championships, held Saturday, March 5 at the John Paul Jones Arena on the campus of UVa. Results: 125: #14 Jarrod Garnett (VT) maj. dec. Justin Branham, 13-5 133: #10 Devin Carter (VT) maj. dec. T.J. Mitchell, 15-6 141: Zach Neibert (VT) fall Joe Montgomery, 1:59 149: Cameron Hurd (VT) dec. Peter Crawford, 12-5 157: #5 Jesse Dong (VT) maj. dec. Julian Colon, 17-3 165: Chad Porter (LU) maj. dec. #14 Pete Yates, 15-7 174: Matt Epperly (VT) fall Eli Sanchez, 1:23 184: Aaron Kelley (LU) dec. John Dickson, 13-6 197: Chris Penny (VT) maj. dec. Aaron Thompson, 13-5 285: David Marone (VT) dec. Josh Pelletier, 7-3

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Down 6-0 after two bouts and 9-6 halfway through the 10th-ranked Lehigh wrestling team won the final five bouts to knock off No. 7 Rutgers 21-9 in front of over 5,000 fans at Louis Brown Athletic Center. Three Mountain Hawks upset higher-ranked Rutgers opponents as Lehigh snaps the Scarlet Knights' 16-dual winning streak as the Brown and White improve to 14-6 on the season and 5-1 against EIWA foes. The host Scarlet Knights (20-2, 8-1 EIWA) had the early momentum as wins at the first two weight classes gave Rutgers an early 6-0 lead. Joe Langel scored reversals in each of the first two periods in a 7-2 win over senior Mitch Berger at 125, while backup 125 Matt Fusco scored an early takedown and added a second in the final seconds of the second period to stun freshman Frank Cagnina 5-3 at 133. Freshman Stephen Dutton put Lehigh on the scoreboard with an impressive 6-1 win over Trevor Melde at 141. Dutton scored takedowns in the first and third periods plus a second period escape and riding time. At 149, sophomore Joey Napoli upset top-ten ranked Mario Mason 7-2. Mason scored first, but Napoli reversed and built a large riding time advantage heading into the second period. Napoli escaped for the only points of the second period and added a penalty point for Mason's second stalling warning and a third period takedown plus a riding time advantage. Rutgers took the lead at the halfway point as Daryl Cocozzo won a 5-3 decision over junior Sean Bilodeau, but from there Lehigh took control winning the final five bouts. Junior Brandon Hatchett impressed in a 7-2 win over Scott Winston at 165. After a scoreless first period Hatchett escaped to open the second and added a takedown to lead 3-0. Hatchett was reversed to open the third but escaped and added a second takedown to account for the final margin. The deadlock was broken at 174 as former Lehigh teammates Austin Meys and Alex Caruso squared off. The bout was deadlocked at one into the third period before Meys took Caruso down and picked up over one minute of riding time to win 4-1 and give Lehigh its first lead of the night. Sophomore Robert Hamlin extended the lead with a 5-2 decision over Dan Rinaldi at 184, while junior Joe Kennedy clinched the dual for the Brown and White with a 3-2 win over Mike Wagner at 197. Wagner scored the only takedown of the match but Kennedy scored two escapes and rode out the third period despite nearly being reversed several times to win on riding time. The matchup at heavyweight came down to riding time as well as top-ranked Zach Rey moved to 25-0 with a 2-1 win over D.J. Russo. Rey escaped in the second period then built a minute-plus advantage in the third before Russo escaped. Rey did have to defend a late Russo takedown attempt at the final buzzer. The Mountain Hawks will wrap-up the dual season Sunday when they host the Penn Quakers at 1 p.m. inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Tickets can be purchased online or by visiting the Lehigh ticket office located in Grace Hall. Results: 125 – Joe Langel (RU) dec. Mitch Berger (LU) 7-2 133 – Matt Fusco (RU) dec. Frank Cagnina (LU) 5-3 141 – Stephen Dutton (LU) dec. Trevor Melde (RU) 6-1 149 – Joey Napoli (LU) dec. Mario Mason (RU) 7-2 157 – Daryl Cocozzo (RU) dec. Sean Bilodeau (LU) 5-3 165 – Brandon Hatchett (LU) dec. Scott Winston (RU) 7-2 174 – Austin Meys (LU) dec. Alex Caruso (RU) 4-1 184 – Robert Hamlin (LU) dec. Dan Rinaldi (RU) 5-2 197 – Joe Kennedy (LU) dec. Mike Wagner (RU) 3-2 285 – Zach Rey (LU) dec. D.J. Russo (RU) 2-1

David Taylor

Boiling Springs, N.C. -- Gardner-Webb redshirt-senior Jonathan Velazquez was one of seven Runnin’ Bulldogs to pick up a win on Wednesday night, as GWU defeated Davidson 31-9 in Paul Porter Arena. GWU and Davidson started the match off in a dead heat, as at 125 GWU’s Brett Kostern and Davidson’s Matt Zarth battled to a 6-6 draw after three periods. However, Kostern had the advantage in the riding time which propelled him to a 7-6 decision over Zarth. After tying the score up at 3-3 with a win at 133, Davidson’s Vitaly Radsky used a one point escape with 1:10 to go in the third period to pick up a 5-4 decision over GWU’s Richie Spicel at 141 and put the Wildcats in front for the first time in the match at 6-3. At 149, GWU’s Ryan Medved picked up his 18th win on the year in dominating fashion, controlling the match from start to finish en route to a 14-3 major decision win over Scott Ray, pushing the Runnin’ Bulldogs in front at 7-6. The Runnin’ Bulldogs then picked up back-to-back forfeit wins at 157 and 165 to take a demanding 19-6 lead heading into the 174 bout. After suffering a loss at 174, GWU’s Velazquez stayed unbeaten on the year, defeating Ike Crews 6-2 at 184. Gardner-Webb’s Blake Salyer picked up a forfeit win at 197, putting the score at 28-9 in favor of the Runnin’ Bulldogs. Redshirt-sophomore Travis Porter moved up to the heavyweight spot where he battled Charlie Wolff of Davidson to a 1-1 tie after three periods. In the overtime period, Porter picked up a two-point takedown to earn a 3-1 decision and give GWU a dominating 31-9 match win. Gardner-Webb (6-13-1) will return to action this weekend, as the Runnin’ Bulldog grapplers will travel to Charleston, S.C. to take on the Citadel Bulldogs on Saturday night, February 19th, at 7 p.m. Results: 125 – Brett Kostern (GWU) dec. Matt Zarth (DAV) – 7-6 (GWU 3-0) 133 – Alex Radsky (DAV) dec. Alex Hamm (GWU) – 7-2 (Tied 3-3) 141 – Vitaly Radsky (DAV) dec. Richie Spicel (GWU) 5-4 (DAV 6-3) 149 – Ryan Medved (GWU) maj. dec. Scott Ray (DAV) 14-3 (GWU 7-6) 157 – Alex Medved (GWU) wins by forfeit. (GWU 13-6) 165 – Justin Guthrie (GWU) wins by forfeit. (GWU 19-6) 174 – Chris Cirenza (DAV) dec. Erin O’Dell (GWU) – 5-3 (GWU 19-9) 184 – Jonathan Velazquez (GWU) dec. Ike Crews (DAV) – 6-2 (GWU 22-9) 197 – Blake Salyer (GWU) wins by forfeit. (GWU 28-9) HVY –Travis Porter (GWU) dec. Charlie Wolff (DAV) 3-1 OT (GWU 31-9)

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina earned victories in six of the final eight weight classes to rally from an early 12-point deficit and defeat The Citadel 19-18 in the Tar Heels' regular-season finale Wednesday night at Carmichael Arena. With the win, Carolina closes its dual meet season at 9-9-1 while the Bulldogs drop to 7-12. Trailing 18-13 with two matches remaining, Zac Bennett and Andre Petroski recorded decisions at 197 pounds and heavyweight, respectively, to close out the match and give the Tar Heels the victory. 174-pounder Thomas Ferguson earned a major decision that gave UNC a bonus point that proved to be the difference in the match. Trailing until the final match, the Tar Heels kept it close due to decisions from three other wrestlers: Mike Rappo (141), Nick Stabile (149) and Corey Mock (157). Rappo, Stabile and 165-pounder Thomas Scotton wrestled the final matches of their career in Carmichael Arena. Carolina quickly fell behind 12-0 after The Citadel's 125-pounder Richard Alarcon pinned Jake Corrill in 2:37 and the Tar Heels forfeited at 133 pounds. Rappo put UNC on the board with a 10-8 decision over Jordan Dix at 141. The Holland, Pa., native fell behind 5-2 after a period but used three takedowns over the final two frames to earn the victory. The Tar Heels continued to chip away at the Bulldog lead with Stabile's 7-3 victory over Derek Royster at 149 pounds. The senior recorded two takedowns in the opening frame to take a 4-1 lead, and then took control with a reversal early in the second period. The win evened Stabile's record at 5-5 on the season and he has now won four of his last five contests. At 157 pounds, Mock cut the lead to 12-9 with a 3-0 decision over Pierre Frazile. Mock earned single points with an escape, a stalling penalty and the accumulation of riding time to improve to 32-14 on the season. The Bulldogs pushed the lead back to six when No. 8 165-pounder Turtogtokh Luvsandorj registered a takedown with under 20 seconds remaining to defeat Carolina's Thomas Scotton. Ferguson answered for Carolina with a 12-4 major decision over Kenneth Radford at 174 pounds. Ferguson took command early and never was threatened as he logged five takedowns in the convincing victory, which cut The Citadel's lead to 15-13. The Bulldogs responded once again, padding their lead with a 6-5 win by Justin Sparrow over UNC's Antonio Giorgio in the 184-pound weight class. Sparrow took a 6-2 lead into the third period and withstood a furious rally from the Carolina freshman that included a three-point near fall. Bennett kept the Tar Heels alive when he defeated Kelby Smith 4-1 at 197 pounds. The match was scoreless entering the third period, but an escape and a takedown gave Bennett a 3-0 lead. Smith was able to earn an escape, but Bennett held on for the victory. With The Citadel leading 18-16, the match was set to be decided at heavyweight. Carolina sent out Petroski, a freshman who has wrestled at 174 and 184 pounds this season, due to a concussion suffered by Ben Brooks Saturday against Nebraska. The Bulldogs countered with Josh Tuck, who has wrestled mostly at 184 pounds also. Petroski jumped out to an early lead with a takedown and recorded a two-point near fall in the second period. Tuck responded to close within 5-3, but two third-period takedowns by the Carolina freshman clinched the bout and gave the Tar Heels the victory. Carolina is next in action on March 5 at the ACC Championships in Charlottesville, Va. Results: 125 - Richard Alarcon (CIT) pins Jake Corrill (UNC), 2:37 (CIT 3-0) 133 - Tyler Sim (CIT) wins by forfeit (CIT 12-0) 141 - Mike Rappo (UNC) dec. Jordan Dix (CIT), 10-8 (CIT 12-3) 149 - Nick Stabile (UNC) dec. Derek Royster (CIT), 7-3 (CIT 12-6) 157 - Corey Mock (UNC) dec. Pierre Frazile (CIT), 3-0 (CIT 12-9) 165 - #8 Turtogtokh Luvsandorj (CIT) dec. Thomas Scotton (UNC), 3-1 (CIT 15-9) 174 - Thomas Ferguson (UNC) major dec. Kenneth Radford (CIT), 12-4 (CIT 15-13) 184 - Justin Sparrow (CIT) dec. Antonio Giorgio (UNC), 6-5 (CIT 18-13) 197 - Zac Bennett (UNC) dec. Kelby Smith (CIT), 4-1 (CIT 18-16) HWT - Andre Petroski (UNC) dec. Josh Tuck (CIT), 11-5 (UNC 19-18)

Hempstead, NY -- Senior Lou Ruggirello tallied his 11th pin of the year and sophomore Steve Bonanno added a major decision to lead seven Pride winners as Hofstra defeated Rider, 25-12 in a CAA contest at the Mack Sports Complex Wednesday night. The Pride won their third straight match and the eighth in the last nine outings to improve to 12-4-1 overall and 5-1 in the CAA. Rider, which had its three match winning streak snapped, slips to 8-11 on the year including 2-3 in the CAA. The Pride jumped out to a 10-0 lead behind 20th-ranked Bonanno (20-10) and fourth-ranked Ruggirello (24-3) as the sophomore from Wantagh tallied his 20th win of the season with a 12-3 decision over Rider freshman Chuck Zeisloft at 125. Bonanno posted a nine-point third period. Ruggirello celebrated senior night with a pin of junior Jimmy Kirchner in 1:21. Rider closed the deficit to 10-9 as junior Aaron Nestor pinned Pride junior Vince Varela (17-11) in 5:30 at 141 pounds, and sophomore Zac Cibula tallied a 4-0 decision over red-shirt freshman Zach Clemente (12-12) at 149 pounds. Hofstra sophomore Tyler Banks (17-14) held on to a 5-4 second period lead for the decision by the same score over red-shirt freshman Ramon Santiago at 157 pounds, and 16th-ranked junior P.J. Gillespie (22-6) recorded a takedown midway through the third period for a 3-1 decision over sophomore Jim Resnick at 165 pounds to boost the Pride lead to 16-9. Rider senior Rob Morrison, ranked second in the CAA at 174 pounds, downed 18th-ranked Hofstra senior Ryan Patrovich (13-5), ranked first in the CAA, 6-4 in sudden victory. Morrison caught Patrovich with a takedown just four seconds into the extra period to close the score to 16-12. But the Pride closed out the match with three straight decision victories. Junior Ben Clymer (17-8) rebounded from being bounced on his head in the first period to post a 6-5 win on the riding time point over red-shirt freshman James Brundage at 184 pounds. Freshman Matt Loew (11-21), the CAA Rookie of the Week, posted a reversal with three seconds remaining in the match to down senior Joe Ferber, 6-5 at 197 pounds. Sophomore Paul Snyder (20-14) made a first period takedown and an escape in the third stand up in a 3-1 victory over freshman Evan Craig at 285 pounds. The Pride return to action on Saturday, February 19 when they travel to New Jersey to face the Tigers of Princeton University at 1 p.m. Results: 125 #20 Steve Bonanno (HU) MD Chuck Zeisloft (RU) 12 - 3 133 Lou Ruggirello (HU) FALL Jimmy Kirchner (RU) (1:21) 141 Aaron Nestor (RU) FALL Vicente Varela (HU) 5:30 149 Zac Cibula (RU) DEC Zach Clemente (HU) 4 - 0 157 Tyler Banks (HU) DEC Ramon Santiago (RU) 5 - 4 165 Paul Gillespie (HU) DEC Jim Resnick (RU) 3 - 1 174 Rob Morrison (RU) DEC Ryan Patrovich (HU) 6 - 4 184 Ben Clymer (HU) DEC James Brundage (RU) 6 - 5 197 Matt Loew (HU) DEC Joseph Ferber (RU) 6 - 5 285 Paul Snyder (HU) DEC Evan Craig (RU) 3 - 1

DES MOINES -- Hello again Wrestling Fans! Weeks away from conference championships and then its the SOLD OUT NCAA Championships. This week we're in our Brute studios. Join Scott Casber, Ryan Freeman, Geoff Murtha, Steve Foster in studio and our own Jeff Murphy LIVE from London, England brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods. This week we look at Wisconsin and Andrew Howe, will he or won't he- we ask the tough questions in prep for the Big 10's. We'll Talk with Joe McFarland about his team and success on the year. We'll talk with University of Nebraska/Omaha Head Coach Mike Denney on the possibility of a repeat as champions, Coach Duane Goldman joins us to update us all things Indiana. Bob Selby will give us a preview on the Iowa State HS Championships finals and Westbrook Shortell will preview the New York States. Finally, LIVE from England, Jeff Murphy will join us for our Kemin Big 10 and Big 12 review. Join us LIVE 9 to 11 AM CST for Takedown Wrestling. Listen on radio, on computer, your Blackberry or I Phone with the I Heart Radio App. Our Guests Include: (All times Central) 9:01 Joe McFarland- Head Coach University of Michigan 9:10 Andrew Howe- University of Wisconsin 165 pound Star 9:20 Mike Denney- Head Coach University of Nebraska Omaha 9:40 Bob Selby- Iowa State HS State Championships Finals preview 10:01 Duane Goldman- Head Coach Indiana University 10:20 Jeff Murphy- Kemin's Top 20 Report 10:40 Westbrook Shortell- New York States- Finals preview 10:50 Maureen Roshar- Wildrose Resorts

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- The No. 1 UNO wrestling team won the anticipated showdown between the top two teams in the nation handily on Wednesday night with a 22-9 victory over No. 2 Augustana in Sioux Falls, S.D. The Mavericks finished the regular season with a 12-1 dual record, while the Vikings finished 14-2 with both losses coming at the hands of the nation's top team. UNO beat Augustana at the NWCA National Duals in November, 17-15. The dual got off to a good start for Augustana, as No. 3 Jason Jeremiason decisioned Trent Cox 7-3 to get the Vikings on the board first at 133 pounds. At 141 pounds, in a rematch of last year's national championship, No. 1 Mario Morgan knocked off No. 4 Jay Sherer 5-4 to even up the team score at 3-3. Morgan has now beaten Shearer four out of five times in his career and twice this season. No. 1 Esai Dominguez then avenged a loss to No. 5Nate Herda earlier this season with a 3-2 decision at 149 pounds. Dominguez escaped five seconds into the third period to account for the winning point. No. 1 George Ivanov extended the Mavs' lead in the team score to 9-3 after a 4-3 decision over No. 3 Marcus Edgington. Edgington had defeated Ivanov earlier this year 5-3 at the Daktronics Open, but Ivanov never trailed in this match. No. 4 Gavin Nelson got Augie back in the dual with a 6-3 decision over Nathan Sigman at 165 pounds. Nelson earned a takedown at the last second of the match and added the riding time bonus point for the final margin. No. 3 Ryan Pankoke continued his dominance of late at 174 pounds with a 3-1 win over No. 7 Carl Serck, who he earned an 11-1 major decision win against at the NWCA National Duals in November. Pankoke has now won 26 straight matches. No. 3 Aaron Denson added the only bonus points of the night for either team with a 12-3 major decision over Augustana's Tom Davies at 184 pounds. Denson's win gave the Mavs a 16-6 lead heading into the final three weights. Augustana drew within 16-9 after No. 2 Ty Copsey beat No. 4 Matt Baker 3-1, with a takedown 37 seconds into overtime. Taylor Escamilla sealed the win for UNO, though, with a 5-0 decision over heavyweight Lance Peters, who Escamilla is now 3-0 against all-time. With the win assured, UNO's true freshman Josh Keszler ended the night in spectacular fashion with a come-from-behind 4-2 sudden victory win over Augustana senior Al Meger at 125 pounds. Keszler earned a takedown with 49 seconds left in the third period to tie the match, then got another takedown 18 seconds into overtime. Keszler's win gave him a 22-9 record this year and gave the Mavs the 22-9 victory. The Mavericks now begin their quest for a third straight national championship next Fri.-Sat., Feb. 25-26 at the Midwest Regional Championships in Findlay, Ohio. Results: 125: Josh Keszler (UNO) dec. Al Meger (Augie), 4-2 (SV1) 133: Jason Jeremiason (Augie) dec.Trent Cox (UNO), 7-3 141: Mario Morgan (UNO) dec. Jay Sherer (Augie), 5-4 149: Esai Dominguez (UNO) dec. Nate Herda (Augie), 3-2 157: George Ivanov (UNO) dec. Marcus Edgington (Augie), 4-3 165: Gavin Nelson (Augie) dec. Nathan Sigman (UNO), 6-3 174: Ryan Pankoke (UNO) dec. Carl Serck (Augie), 3-1 184: Aaron Denson (UNO) major dec. Tom Davies (Augie), 12-3 197: Ty Copsey (Augie) dec. Matt Baker (UNO), 3-1 (SV1) 285: Taylor Escamilla (UNO) dec. Lance Peters (Augie), 5-0

In any discussion of all-time great high school wrestling coaches, the name Bob Siddens automatically comes up. Siddens coached at Waterloo West in Iowa from 1950-1977, where his "lads" (as he referred to his wrestlers) claimed eleven state team titles and 51 individual championships. To many wrestling fans, Siddens is known as "the man who coached Dan Gable in high school." Still others might remember him as an NCAA referee. Now all these facets of Robert Saunders Siddens' life -- and more -- are presented in a brand-new, 224-page book titled Siddens! Win with Humility, Lose with Dignity -- But Don't Lose! by Don Huff and Mike Chapman. Meet Bob Siddens Bob Siddens was raised in the small town of Eagle Grove, in north-central Iowa, about a dozen miles from Humboldt, the hometown of early 1900s professional wrestling legend Frank Gotch. (Interestingly, according to the book Siddens!, the future high school coach wrestled in front of a crowd for the first time at age 5 at a professional wrestling event in Council Bluffs, Iowa, taking on his twin brother Charlie.) Siddens wrestled at Eagle Grove High School, where he was a four-time state tournament qualifier ... and a two-time runner-up. He continued his education -- and wrestling career -- at what was then called Iowa State Teachers College (now University of Northern Iowa), where he was teammates with NCAA champs (and future college coaches) Gerry Leeman and Bill Koll. After graduation, Siddens returned to his high school alma mater to coach wrestling for one year ... then, in 1950, accepted the head coaching position at Waterloo West. In his 27 years at the helm, Siddens built a dynasty. His Wahawks compiled a 327-26-3 record (including a 88-dual win streak over seven years), winning eleven team titles, with 51 individuals winning Iowa state championships. (Two of the best-known: Dale Anderson, and Dan Gable.) Siddens also had a long career as a mat official for high school and college matches, serving as a referee in 24 NCAA championships. He is now enjoying retirement in Waterloo. A division of labor, a labor of love The authors of Siddens! know their subject well. Both consider Bob Siddens a friend. Don Huff wrestled for Bob Siddens at Waterloo West (one of four Huff brothers who took to the mats for the Wahawks), winning Iowa high school state titles at 95 pounds in 1956, and at 112 in 1957. He continued his mat career at Colorado State College, then at the University of Iowa. Huff returned to West High, serving as Siddens' assistant coach for ten years before taking the helm in 1978. Huff was head coach of the wrestling Wahawks for 20 years. Bob Siddens and Dan Gable"When coach Siddens came to Waterloo, I was 11," said Don Huff. "I've known him for 60 years." A native of Waterloo, Mike Chapman is an award-winning writer, having authored more than two dozen books, many of them about wrestlers and wrestling. He also founded WIN (Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine) and what is now known as the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum in Waterloo. Don Huff had come up with the idea of writing a tribute to his high school coach. But he was a bit concerned about taking on the project. "I'm not an experienced book writer," Huff disclosed. "When I actually started writing the book, I asked Mike for help." Together, the two came up with a division of labor for the Siddens book. "Mike did quite a bit of the historical part of the book," said Huff. "He got into more of the growing-up years, Siddens' high school, college, the service. I did the years of Siddens as coach." With these assignments in mind, Mike Chapman and Don Huff each interviewed Bob Siddens and his wife Joyce. "He was very willing to talk," according to Huff. "He likes to talk about his wrestlers and the sport." "We talked to a lot of his guys and the stories are pretty much the same. Everybody who wrestled for him thought their time was the best, yet they also thought they were the only ones who felt that way." What makes Siddens a winner Much has been made about the impressive stats that Bob Siddens' teams compiled in his more than a quarter-century as Waterloo West coach ... and the impressive roster of wrestlers who competed for him. Among his wrestlers who won Iowa high school state titles, then went on to become NCAA champs: Dale Anderson (Michigan State), Rich Binek (Iowa State), and Dan Gable (Iowa State). How did Bob Siddens do it? There is a nuts-and-bolts, how-to-coach element ... and a more personal, human element. "He expected his wrestlers to be warmed up when they got to the wrestling room," said Don Huff. "When he came to West, the room was so small, he had to divide the team into three groups. Each group worked out while the other two watched ... There were 100 guys in the program at one time." Dan Gable and Bob SiddensThat procedure remained in place when the Wahawk matmen moved into larger digs when the present Waterloo West High opened in the mid 1950s. It paid dividends in terms of each group of wrestlers getting the instruction and attention they needed from coach Siddens ... and provided those who were on the sidelines an opportunity to learn by observing. Huff said that Siddens was respected by his own wrestlers and their parents, as well as by coaches and wrestlers in other schools. "Guys from other high schools who went on to college would come to the room to work out," according to Huff. "It's about his leadership abilities," said Mike Chapman. "I don't think there are too many others who have those qualities." "Siddens was a very intuitive and skilled motivator ... Readers will take away some insights as to how to mentor young people." As Huff pointed out, "He has a master's degree in counseling, and served as a high school counselor for nearly 20 years. He knew how to meet his kids on their level." "He has a lot of compassion for those who wrestled for him," Huff continued. "There are coaches with great records who have wrestlers who don't care about their coach." Mike Chapman concurred with that thought: "I can't think of ever hearing anyone say anything that could be considered even slightly negative about him." A fitting tribute Mike Chapman described Siddens! Win with Humility, Lose with Dignity -- But Don't Lose! as "more a tribute than a straight biography." With that in mind, along with providing a narrative of the major chapters in Bob Siddens' life, the book features quotes and letters from a number of his wrestlers who pay tribute to their coach and mentor ... and provide the reader with insights into the man who contributed so much to wrestling, and to the lives of his wrestlers. Siddens! also includes the year-by-year dual-meet records for the Waterloo West wrestling program during coach Siddens' tenure, and lists the individuals who placed at the Iowa state championships. What's more, the book is a visual treasure-trove , with more than four dozen great photos of Bob Siddens as a child, as a wrestler, and as coach. As Don Huff said, "Young coaches might like to read it, not just how to run a practice, but to get insights into a successful wrestling coach." To purchase the Siddens! book, contact Don Huff by email at donwhuff@Q.com, or by phone (319) 233-2404. The book may also be ordered by sending a check for $19.95 + $5 for shipping to: Don Huff, 3444 Rosehill Terrace, Waterloo, IA 50701.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Coming off a 19-15 dual win over No. 11 American, the seventh-ranked Rutgers wrestling team (20-1, 8-0 EIWA) will return to the Louis Brown Athletic Center for a 7 p.m. dual with EIWA rival No.10 Lehigh (13-6, 5-1 EIWA) on Thursday, Feb. 17. The dual with Lehigh will be broadcast live on KnightVision Broadband via www.scarletknights.com with Danny Breslauer on play-by-play and redshirt senior heavyweight Sean DeDeyn (Bayville, N.J.) providing the color commentary. Additionally, the dual will be aired tape delayed on Verizon FiOS with Ralph Bednarczyk on play-by-play and National Wrestling Hall of Famer John DeMarco on color. The dual will air on Thursday, Feb. 24, at 7:30 p.m. The dual with Lehigh will also serve as the final home meet for six Scarlet Knight seniors-DJ Russo (Netcong, N.J.), Daryl Cocozzo (River Edge, N.J.), Alex Caruso (Green Brook, N.J.), David Greenwald (Union, N.J.), Mike Cucinotta (Gibbstown, N.J.) and DeDeyn. The six Scarlet Knights have combined for 365 career wins. Lehigh, who owns a 39-1 advantage in the all-time series with Rutgers, comes into the match with a 13-6 overall record, which includes wins over wrestling powerhouses Cornell and Michigan. For the season, the Mountain Hawks have been led by seven grapplers who are ranked in the InterMat top-20 at their respective weights. Zach Rey leads the way ranking first at hevyweight. He is followed closely by Robert Hamlin who is the fourth-ranked 184-pounder. Austin Meys (174-pounds), Frank Cagnina (133-pounds), Brandon Hatchett (165-pounds) and Joe Kennedy (197-pounds) round out the ranked Lehigh wrestlers. Lehigh is coached by Pat Santoro, who is in his third season with the program. The Scarlet Knights, who are riding a 16 dual winning streak, have been led on the season by four wrestlers who are ranked in the InterMat top-20 at their respective weight classes. Heavyweight Russo and 165-pounder Scott Winston (Jackson, N.J.) are the two highest ranked Scarlet Knights rated fourth and fifth in the nation at their respective weight classes. Mario Mason (Moorestown, N.J) also ranks in the top-10, ranking ninth at 149-pounds. Cocozzo rounds out the ranked Scarlet Knights, placing 15th at 157-pounds. Following the dual with the Mountain Hawks on Thursday, RU will return to action on Saturday, Feb. 20, when it travels to Philadelphia to face Drexel in a 5 p.m. dual. Tickets are on sale now for the Lehigh dual. To purchase tickets please visit http://tickets.scarletknights.com or call 866-445-GoRU (4678). Probables for RU-LU Dual 125: Joe Langel (15-6) OR Matt Fusco (17-9) vs. Mitch Berger (8-15) 133: Mike DeMarco (17-12) vs. No. 17 Frank Cagnina (15-3) 141: Trevor Melde (24-9) vs. Stephen Dutton (15-10) 149: No. 9 Mario Mason (22-4) vs. Joey Napoli (12-9) 157: No. 15 Daryl Cocozzo (22-8) vs. Sean Bilodeau (7-7) 165: No. 5 Scott Winston (16-2) vs. No. 19 Brandon Hatchett (13-8) 174: Alex Caruso (27-7) vs. No. 10 Austin Meys (17-8) 184: Dan Rinaldi (18-6) vs. No. 4 Robert Hamlin (22-2) 197: Mike Wagner (12-12) OR Dan Hopkins (8-3) vs. No. 19 Joe Kennedy (15-8) 285: No. 4 DJ Russo (25-4) vs. No.1 Zach Rey (24-0) -Rankings according to InterMat -All probables subject to change

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Darrion Caldwell became NC State’s career leader in winning percentage, and freshman Nijel Jones pinned a top-10 opponent Tuesday night, highlighting the Wolfpack’s 28-18 victory over The Citadel in a dual wrestling match at Reynolds Coliseum. Caldwell, a two-time All-American and the 2009 NCAA champion at 149 pounds, pinned Derek Royster at 2:14. The pin improved his career winning percentage to .8974, moving him past Sylvester Terkay (.8971, from 1990-93) and into first place in school history. Jones pinned eighth-ranked Turtogtokh Luvsandorj at 6:00 in the 165-pound bout. Jones, who improved to 7-17 overall and 3-7 at 165, controlled the entire match. He got a takedown and a near fall in the first period and held a 9-6 lead at the time of the pin. Luvsandorj, who dropped to 34-7, had won eight consecutive matches prior to the pin. In the opening match of the night, The Citadel’s Richard Alarcon got a takedown and a reversal against NC State 125-pounder Pedram Rahmatabadi, then put Rahmatabadi on his back for a pin at 6:23 to give the Bulldogs a 6-0 lead. Tyler Sims won by forfeit at 133 pounds to make it 12-0 before Darrius Little got the Wolfpack on the scoreboard with an 8-7 decision over Jordan Dix at 133 pounds. The two wrestlers combined for nine points in the second period. Little, who improved to 25-8 for the season, won for the 10th time in his last 12 matches, and the 14th time in his last 17. Little’s decision cut the lead to 12-3, and Caldwell made it 12-9 when he pinned Royster. Caldwell improved to 11-0 for the season and 105-12 for his career. He trails only Terkay in career victories (122-105) and career pins (64-58). Caldwell has 49 first-period pins for his career and has wrestled 51 consecutive matches since his last on-the-mat defeat. Caldwell lost by a medical default in January 2009. Colton Palmer tied the team score at 12-12 after five bouts with a 3-1 decision over Pierre Frazille at 157 pounds. Palmer got the match-winning takedown with 39 seconds remaining in the match and rode Frazille the remainder of the period. Palmer improved to 26-10 with the decision. Nijel Jones’s pin of Luvsandorj gave NC State an 18-12 lead in the team scoring, and the Wolfpack pushed its lead to 24-12 when Quinton Godley pinned Kenneth Radford at 6:54 in the 174-pound match. Godley took control of the match with three takedowns in the second and third periods, then got the fall just ahead of the buzzer in the third. Godley improved to 19-15 overall and 18-13 at 174. Justin Sparrow finally ended the slide for The Citadel with an 8-3 decision over Pat Carey at 184 pounds. That cut the Wolfpack lead to 24-15. Kelby Smith broke open a close match with a takedown and a pair of near falls in the third period to take a 7-0 decision over KaRonne Jones at 197 pounds. Smith’s decision pulled The Citadel to within six points at 24-18, but Wolfpack heavyweight Eloheim Palma won a 16-6 major decision over Luke Johnson to give the Wolfpack a 28-18 victory in the team scoring. Results: 125 - Richard Alarcon (CIT) pinned Pedram Rahmatabadi at 6:23 133 - Tyler Sim (CIT) won by forfeit 141 - Darrius Little (NCS) dec. Jordan Dix, 8-7 149 - #1 Darrion Caldwell (NCS) pinned Derek Royster at 2:14 157 - Colton Palmer (NCS) dec. Pierre Frazille, 3-1 165 - Nijel Jones (NCS) pinned #8 Turtogtokh Luvsandorj at 6:00 174 - Quinton Godley (NCS) pinned Kenneth Radford at 6:54 184 - Justin Sparrow (CIT) dec. Pat Carey, 8-3 197 - Kelby Smith (CIT) dec. KaRonne Jones, 7-0 Hwt - Eloheim Palma (NCS) major dec. Luke Johnson, 16-6