InterMat Staff

PRINCETON, N.J. -- The No. 5 Cornell wrestling team opened its Ivy slate with two wins on Saturday. The Big Red defeated Penn, 21-17, before heading to Princeton to pick up a 30-9 victory. Cornell improves to 4-0 for the season. Frank Perrelli (125), Chris Villalonga (149) Steve Bosak (184) and Cam Simaz (197) each recorded two wins for the day in their respective weight classes. The Big Red opened its day at Penn for an early afternoon dual at the Palestra. Cornell opened the match with a quick six points when No. 6 Perrelli won by forfeit at 125 pounds. At 133 pounds, freshman Nick Pena faced No. 15 Bryan Ortenzio. Ortenzio came away with a narrow 4-3 victory. Pena scored a takedown in the final 10 seconds of the match to tie the bout at 3-3, but Ortenzio won the decision with the riding time point. No. 12 Zach Kemmer of Penn gave the Quakers a 7-6 lead when he defeated No. 15 Mike Nevinger by a 9-1 major decision. Chris Villalonga gave the Big Red back the lead with a 5-3 decision over Steve Robertson at 149 pounds. Sophomore Craig Eifert moved up a weight to 157 pounds to take on Troy Hernandez and won a 6-3 decision. At 165 pounds, senior Derek Schreiner lost an 8-0 major decision to Penn's Lorenzo Thomas. Marshall Peppelman moved up to 174 pounds to take on Ian Korb. Peppelman came away with a 4-2 win. No. 3 Bosak had a solid showing against Erich Smith at 184 pounds. The Big Red junior won a 6-0 decision to put Cornell up, 18-11 in the team race. At 197 pounds, No. 1 Simaz faced No. 9 Micah Burak for the eighth time of their careers. Simaz won a 3-0 decision to clinch Cornell's dual victory. At heavyweight, senior Maciej Jochym had a hold of Steve Granziano and was looking to throw him to the mat early in the first period. Granziano countered the move and caught Jochym on his back to win by fall in 1:04. No. 5 Cornell 30, Princeton 9 At 125 pounds, Perrelli won by forfeit for the second time of the day. Freshman Nick Pena wrestled the first bout at Princeton, taking on Joe DeQuinzio at 133 pounds. With a little over 30 seconds off the clock, Pena converted a double leg shot for a takedown to take a 2-0 lead. After being hit with a stalling warning, Pena cut his opponent looking to score. Neither wrestler scored for the remainder of the period. Pena quickly escaped to start the second and took a 5-1 lead with another takedown. DeQuinzio was awarded his second point when Pena was hit for stalling. DeQuinzio chose down to start the third, but was unable to escape. With riding time, Pena won a 6-2 decision. At 141 pounds, No. 15 Nevinger took on No. 19 Adam Krop. Krop charged right off the whistle and grabbed an early takedown for a 2-0 lead. Nevinger later escaped at the edge of the mat to come within a point. Nevinger escaped from his opening down position to start the second period to tie the bout 2-2. Krop chose to start the third period at neutral. Nevinger was unable to grab a takedown, and with riding time Krop won a 3-2 decision. Villalonga faced Zach Bintliff at 149 pounds. The Big Red wrestler was in on a single leg and with a leg sweep took down his opponent for a 2-0 lead. Villalonga chose to start the second period down and escaped to secure 1:01 in riding time to take a 3-0 lead into the third period. Bintliff chose to start at neutral. Villalonga countered a shot by Bintliff for a takedown to increase his advantage to 5-0. With riding time, Villalonga won a 6-0 decision. At 157 pounds, Eifert took the mat against Daniel Kolodzik. Kolodzik notched a takedown off a front headlock, and with two quick back points, took a 4-0 lead after the first period. Eifert chose to start the second at neutral, but Kolodzik took him down to hold a 6-0 advantage. Kolodzik escaped to open the third period. Eifert would take him down and earn a point for Kolodzik's second stalling call. With riding time, Kolodzik won an 8-3 decision. Schreiner squared off against Rich Eva at 165 pounds. The Big Red wrestler notched a takedown and added three back points as time ran out in the first period to hold a 5-0 lead. Eva chose to start the second at neutral, but neither wrestler scored. Schreiner escaped from his opening down position in the third. Eva grabbed two takedowns in the third, but Schreiner held on to win 7-4. At 174 pounds, Peppelman faced Andy Lowy. Peppelman held a 2-1 lead after the first with a takedown from which Lowy escaped. Peppelman reversed Lowy from his opening down position in the second period. Lowy would escape, but Peppelman had to call injury time allowing Lowy his choice at the restart. Lowy chose down and reversed Peppelman to tie the bout at 4-4. Peppelman nearly had another reversal, but settled for a one point escape at time ran out in the period. Lowy reversed Peppelman to start the third period and added two back points for an 8-5 advantage. Peppelman would be hit with two stalling calls before the period was up. Lowy added another takedown and with riding time won a 13-6 decision. No. 3 Bosak quickly took down Dan Santoro at 184 pounds. Bosak added three points from a nearfall before moving back to parallel. The Big Red wrestler went for the arm bar and turned his opponent to win by fall in 2:29. At 197 pounds, No. 1 ranked Simaz faced Kurt Brendel. Simaz went for the ankle pick with only four seconds off the clock to earn two points for a takedown. The Big Red senior dominated his opponent racking up points on his way to a 23-8 technical fall. At heavyweight, senior Jochym took on Charles Fox. Jochym notched two takedowns in the first period. Fox escaped from his opening down position to start the second, but Jochym would take him down again and add three back points to hold a 9-2 lead. Jochym took down Fox from neutral to start the third period. Fox was hit with numerous stalling calls in the third period. With riding time, Jochym won a 13-2 major decision. Cornell will wrestle its third dual of the weekend on Sunday at Binghamton. The 5 p.m. dual will be televised live on Time Warner Sports channel. The dual will also be broadcast live on the radio at 1160espn.com No. 5 Cornell def. Penn, 21-17 125 - #6 Frank Perrelli (Cornell) wins by forfeit, Cornell leads, 6-0 133 - #15 Bryan Ortenzio (Penn) def. Nick Pena (Cornell), 4-3 Cornell leads, 6-3 141 - #12 Zack Kemmerer (Penn) def. #15 Mike Nevinger (Cornell), 9-1 Penn leads, 7-6 149 – Chris Villalonga (Cornell) def. Steve Robertson (Penn), 5-3 Cornell leads, 9-7 157 – Craig Eifert (Cornell) def. Troy Hernandez (Penn), 6-3 Cornell leads, 12-7 165 – Lorenzo Thomas (Penn) def. Derek Schreiner (Cornell), 8-0 Cornell leads, 12-11 174 – Marshall Peppelman (Cornell) def. Ian Korb (Penn), 4-2 Cornell leads, 15-11 184 - #3 Steve Bosak (Cornell) def. Erich Smith (Penn), 6-0 Cornell leads, 18-11 197 - #1 Cam Simaz (Cornell) def. #9 Micah Burak, 3-0 Cornell leads, 21-11 285 – Steve Graziano (Penn) def. Maciej Jochym (Cornell), FALL 1:04, Cornell leads, 21-17 No. 5 Cornell def. Princeton, 30-9 125: No. 6 Frank Perrelli (Cornell) win by forfeit, Cornell leads 6-0 133: Nick Pena (Cornell) dec. Joe DeQuinzio (Princeton), 6-2 , Cornell leads 9-0 141: No. 19 Adam Krop (Princeton) dec. No. 15 Mike Nevinger (Cornell), Cornell leads, 9-3 149: Chris Villalonga (Cornell) dec. Zach Bintliff (Princeton), 6-0, Cornell leads 12-3 157: Daniel Kolodzik (Princeton) dec. Craig Eifert (Cornell), 8-3, Cornell leads 12-6 165: Derek Schreiner (Cornell) dec. Rich Eva (Princeton), 7-4, Cornell leads 15-6 174: Andy Lowy (Princeton) dec. Marshall Peppelman (Cornell), Cornell leads, 15-9 184: No. 3 Steve Bosak (Cornell) win by fall Dan Santoro (Princeton), 2:29, Cornell leads, 21-9 197: Cam Simaz (Cornell) tech fall Kurt Brendel (Princeton), 23-8, Cornell leads 26-9 HWT: Maciej Jochym (Cornell) vs. Charles Fox (Princeton) , 14-2, Cornell wins 30-9

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas -- The 12th-ranked University of Oklahoma wrestling team coasted through the Lone Star Duals in Grand Prairie, Texas, on Saturday by dominating three opponents to improve its season dual record to 8-2-0. The Sooners, who never trailed, began the day with a decisive victory over Utah Valley (43-0) and followed that by overpowering the likes of Appalachian State (41-0) and Harvard (28-9). Oklahoma won each dual by an average score of 37-3 and claimed 28-of-30 total bouts. Sooner starters that went undefeated at the event include: Jarrod Patterson (125 pounds), Jordan Keller (133), Kendric Maple (141), Bubby Graham (165), Erich Schmidtke (184), Keldrick Hall (197) and Kyle Colling (HWT). Redshirt freshman Justin DeAngelis saw his first action as a Sooner at 149 pounds where he downed ASU's Savva Kostis, 8-5. The competition gets stiffer as Oklahoma returns to Norman, Okla., where OU will host Iowa State on Friday, Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. No. 12 Oklahoma 28, Harvard 9 125 - No. 8 Jarrod Patterson (OU) Tech. fall Joe Barbato (HAR), 18-3 133 - No. 11 Jordan Keller (OU) dec. No. 13 Steven Keith (HAR), 3-1 141 - No. 1 Kendric Maple (OU) fall Patrick Hogan (HAR), 2:26 149 - No. 12 Corey Jantzen (HAR) dec. No. 7 Nick Lester (OU), 7-6 157 - No. 5 Walter Peppelman (HAR) dec. No. 14 Matt Lester (OU), 2-0 165 - Bubby Graham (OU) MD. Paul Liguori (HAR), 13-4 174 - Josh Popple (HAR) dec. Marcus Armato (OU)10-3 184 - No. 20 Erich Schmidtke (OU) dec. Cameron Croy (HAR), 6-1 197 - Keldrick Hall (OU) dec. James Fox (HAR), 7-3 285 - Kyle Colling (OU) MD. David Ng (HAR), 12-3 No. 12 Oklahoma 41, Appalachian State 0 125 - No. 8 Jarrod Patterson (OU) Tech. fall Tony Gravely (ASU), 17-2 133 - No. 11 Jordan Keller (OU) MD. Brett Boston (ASU), 10-2 141 - No. 1 Kendric Maple (OU) Tech. fall Mike Kessler (ASU), 17-2 149 - Justin DeAngelis (OU) dec. Savva Kostis (ASU), 8-5 157 - No. 14 Matt Lester (OU) Tech. fall Chip Powell (ASU), 15-0 165 - Bubby Graham (OU) dec. No. 13 Kyle Blevins (ASU), 8-2 174 - Nolan McBryde (OU) dec. Jake Johnson (ASU), 6-2 184 - No. 20 Erich Schmidtke (OU) dec. No. 9 Austin Trotman (ASU), 4-3 197 – Keldrick Hall (OU) fall Paul Weiss (ASU), 1:04 285 – Kyle Colling (OU) MD. Joe Cummings (ASU), 10-0 No. 12 Oklahoma 43, Utah Valley 0 125 – No. 8 Jarrod Patterson (OU) dec. Colby Christensen (UVU), 6-1 133 – No. 11 Jordan Keller (OU) MD. Derek Malan (UVU), 9-0 141 – No. 1 Kendric Maple (OU) fall Avery Garner (UVU), 2:36 149 – No. 7 Nick Lester (OU) dec. Glenn Terrano (UVU), 6-0 157 – No. 14 Matt Lester (OU) fall Napoleon Aniciete (UVU), 2:35 165 - Bubby Graham (OU) dec. Ethan Smith (UVU), 6-2 174 - Marcus Armato (OU) dec. Monte Schmalhaus (UVU), 8-7 184 – No. 20 Erich Schmidtke (OU) MD. David Prieto (UVU), 11-2 197 – Keldrick Hall (OU) tech. fall Brian Chamberlain (UVU), 16-1 285 – Kyle Colling (OU) fall Dustin Dennison (UVU), 4:56 Exhibition - Nolan McBryde (OU) fall Dominic Borelli (UVU), 2:52

PITTSBURGH -- The University of Pittsburgh wrestling team registered the 500th win in program history with a 27-9 victory over visiting Lock Haven on Friday night at the Fitzgerald Field House. The win also extended the Panthers win streak in the Eastern Wrestling League to 14 matches. They currently sit all alone in first place in the conference with a 2-0 mark this season. Pitt head coach Rande Stottlemyer is in his 33rd season leading the Panthers and has accumulated 290 of the team's 500 wins. “It's great for the program,” Stottlemyer said. “The University of Pittsburgh has had wrestling for a long time and there wasn't a better coach than Rex Peery and what he did with the program back in the 50s. It's a rich tradition and I'm just proud to be part of it.” Stottlemyer, of course, helped the program pick up some of those wins during his wrestling days, as well. He was a three-time All-American in the late 1970s. Assistant coach Matt Kocher did his part as a wrestler, too, earning All-American status once and tallying 151 career wins on the mat. The 500th win came in relatively easy fashion for the Panthers as they rolled to their ninth victory of the season. The team's 9-1-0 start is the program's best through 10 matches since the 1975-76 team went 9-1-0 on its way to a 12-4 overall record. With the opposing coaches choosing to draw the starting weight, Matt Wilps had the opportunity to get Pitt off to a good start at 197 pounds. Wilps, ranked No. 5, cruised to a 18-2 technical fall, keeping his unblemished dual record intact at 10-0. He also has the longest current win streak on the team at 12 matches. Two bouts later Anthony Zanetta matched Wilps's 10-0 dual record but it wasn't nearly as easy. The Pitt junior, ranked No. 16, jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a takedown in the first period and upped his advantage to 3-0 with an escape in the second. But Rehm, a true freshman for the Bald Eagles, made him work for the win, cutting the lead to 3-2 with a takedown. Leading 4-2 in the third period, Zanetta gave up an escape but held on for the one-point win. Shelton Mack gave the Panthers an 11-3 lead with his decision at 133 pounds, exacting some revenge in the process. John Trumbetti eked out a 5-4 decision over the Panther last season, but this time around Mack tallied three takedowns in a 8-3 win. Lock Haven cut Pitt's lead to 11-9 with a fall at 141, but the Panthers finished off the match with five straight wins. No. 14 Tyler Nauman started the run with a victory in the only match of the night featuring two ranked wrestlers. The redshirt senior showed disparity between the top half of the rankings and the bottom half with an 11-1 major decision over No. 29 Owen Wilkinson at 149. Donnie Tasser (157), No. 31 Tyler Wilps (165), P.J. Tasser (174) and Andy Vaughan (184) all recorded decisions in their bouts for the Panthers. Both Tassers evened their records at .500 with their wins. Donnie Tasser improved to 8-8 with a 5-2 decision over Aaron Fry, while P.J. Tasser moved his record to 7-7 with a 2-1 decision over Aaron McKinney. P.J. Tasser, who was filling in for an injured Ethan Headlee, erased a scoreless match with an escape in the second period. McKinney escaped in the third period, but not before Tasser had racked up over a minute of riding time to secure the win. Andy Vaughan continued his recent surge, winning his ninth straight match with a 7-3 decision over Fred Garcia at 184. Vaughan scored in multiple ways, including a takedown, two nearfall points and a reversal. “The guys are doing a good job,” Stottlemyer said. “(Assistant coaches) Jason Peters and Matt Kocher are doing a tremendous job. We're looking to close it out on a high note heading into EWLs and NCAAs.” Pitt looks to stay unbeaten in the conference when it travels to Bloomsburg for a match on Sunday. That match is scheduled for 2 p.m. Results: 197 – No. 5 Matt Wilps (P) tech. fall Matt Parlier (L), 18-2 285 – Harry Turner (L) dec. Joel Yahner (P), 6-1 125 – No. 16 Anthony Zanetta (P) dec. Bobby Rehm (L), 4-3 133 – No. 20 Shelton Mack (P) dec. John Trumbetti (L), 8-3 141 – Matt Bonson (L) FALL Travis Shaffer (P), :58 149 – No. 14 Tyler Nauman (P) maj. dec. No. 29 Owen Wilkinson (L), 11-1 157 – Donnie Tasser (P) dec. Aaron Fry (L), 5-2 165 – No. 31 Tyler Wilps (P) dec. Seth Creasy (L), 6-3 174 – P.J. Tasser (P) dec. Aaron McKinney (L), 2-1 184 – Andy Vaughan (P) dec. Fred Garcia (L), 7-3

ATHENS, Ohio -- The Ohio University wrestling team (2-3; 1-2 MAC) defeated Northern Illinois in convincing fashion Friday night in the Convocation Center to pick up its first Mid-American Conference victory of the season as it defeated the Huskies 27-6. Sophomore Jeremy Johnson (Broadview Heights, Ohio) and No. 14 senior Nick Purdue (Genoa, Ohio) highlighted the match for the Bobcats as both picked up victories to stay perfect in duel competition. Purdue, who owns the No. 14 ranking at 174, defeated Caleb Busson 6-1 to improve to 14-5 on the year. Johnson, who ranks No. 7 in the country at HWT, picked up his ninth pin on the year. Junior Gabe Ramos (Hopatcong, N.J.) got things started off on a high note for the Bobcats as he earned a 3-0 victory over Derek Elmore. Ramos victory snapped a two match slide and improved his record to 3-2 in duel competition. Redshirt freshman Drew Hammer (Loveland, Ohio) followed Ramos with a 7-2 victory over Rob Jillard, which snapped a three-bout losing streak. Hammer's victory was also his first triumph in duel competition this season. Following a loss at 141, Ohio responded in a big way as it claimed the five bouts to take a commanding 21-3 lead. Freshman Andrew Romanchik (Independence, Ohio), redshirt freshman Harrison Hightower (Strongsville, Ohio), redshirt freshman Miles Chapman (Tiffin, Ohio), Purdue and sophomore Ryan Garringer (Downers Grove, Ill.) all picked up wins in the 149, 157, 165, 174 and 184 weight classes. Ohio returns to action next Friday, Jan. 20 as it welcomes Kent State to the Convo. The match is set to begin at 7 p.m. Results: 125: Ohio - Gabe Ramos 3 (5-6), NIU - Derek Elmore (4-7) 0; Ohio 3 - NIU 0 133: Ohio - Drew Hammer 7 (6-5), NIU - Rob Jillard (12-9) 2; Ohio 6 - NIU 0 141: NIU - Kevin Fanta 8 (7-3), Ohio - Darrin Boing 2 (11-10); Ohio 6 - NIU 3 149: Ohio - Andrew Romanchik 5 (12-8), NIU - Shawn Fayette 0; Ohio 9 - NIU 3 157: Ohio - Harrison Hightower 5 (15-11), NIU - Sam Bennett 1 (1-4); Ohio 12 - NIU 3 165: Ohio - Miles Chapman 5 (7-8), NIU - Dan Burk 1 (3-5); Ohio 15 - NIU 3 174: Ohio - No. 14 Nick Purdue 6 (14-5), NIU - Caleb Busson 1 (7-10); Ohio 18 - NIU 3 184: Ohio - Ryan Garringer 5 (8-10), NIU - Shane Rosenberry 0 (0-5); Ohio 21 - NIU 3 197: NIU - Mike Lukowski 6 (6-4), Ohio - Beau Wenger 2 (5-10); Ohio 21 - NIU 6 HWT: OHIO - No. 7 Jeremy Johnson PIN, NIU - Jared Torrence (9-9); 27; Ohio 27 - NIU 6

AMES, Iowa -- Redshirt freshman Michael Moreno earned his second dual victory of the season in Iowa State's 20-14 victory over Virginia Tech Friday night in Hilton Coliseum. The No. 19 Cyclones (2-9, 0-4 Big 12) won six of 10 matches and three Iowa Staters earned bonus points in the upset of the No. 15 Hokies (3-3, 1-1 ACC). The Cyclone faithful were on their feet during many Cyclone matches, but the loudest cheer came after Moreno's 8-2 decision over Matt Stephens at 157 pounds. Previously Moreno had struggled with just a 1-7 record overall, but he feels the win can boost his confidence as Iowa State heads into two Big 12 bouts. "It's definitely a confidence builder," Moreno said. "And winning is contagious so hopefully it sets off a whole string of them." Moreno posted a reversal with 30 seconds remaining in the first period to tie it up at 2-2 and from there controlled the match and racked up 1:12 riding time. Relief spread across Moreno's face as those in cardinal and gold gave him a standing ovation. Redshirt freshman Luke Goettl also received a standing ovation after an upset victory over No. 11 Zach Neibert. With 40 secs left in the first period, Goettl posted a reversal after Neibert had a cradle nearly set. Goettl continued his momentum into the second period with an early escape after a missed ankle pick by Neibert. The Clarkdale, Ariz., native's win extended the Cyclone lead to 6-5 after three matches. "It's nice to get the win over a ranked kid," Goettl said. "It was also a revenge match and I hate to lose." Cyclone captain Andrew Sorenson dominated his match against No. 7 Pete Yates with a 17-4 major decision. Fifth-ranked Sorenson posted four takedowns and racked up five near fall points in the top-10 matchup. At 125 pounds, Ryak Finch edged past Ty Mitch 2-0 to give Iowa State an early meet lead. With a two point lead the Cyclones depended on Matt Gibson to finish the dual out at heavyweight. Gibson ended the night with an exclamation point by posting a 11-1 major decision over Chris Penny. The Cyclones return to Big 12 action Jan. 20 in Norman, Okla., at 7 p.m. (CST) against No. 7 Oklahoma. Results: 125: No. 12 Ryak Finch (ISU) dec. Ty Mitch (VT), 2-0 133: No. 1 Devin Carter (VT) tech fall RJ Hallman (ISU), 23-8, 6:38 141: Luke Goettl (ISU) dec. No. 11 Zach Neibert (VT), 6-2 149: Chris Mears (VT) dec. Luke Swalla (ISU), 10-4 157: Michael Moreno (ISU) dec. Matt Stephens (VT), 8-2 165: No. 5 Andrew Sorenson (ISU) Mdec. No. 7 Pete Yates (VT), 17-4 174: Chris Moon (VT) dec. Mikey England (ISU), 6-4 184: No. 16 Boaz Beard (ISU) dec. John Dickson (VT), 11-8 197: Nick Vetterlein (VT) dec. Cole Shafer (ISU), 6-4 (SV1) 285: No. 18 Matt Gibson (ISU) Mdec. Chris Penny (VT), 11-1

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Behind the momentum of four straight victories that helped build a 17-0 lead to open the match, the West Virginia University wrestling team defeated Michigan State, 23-12. With the victory, the Mountaineers now move to 3-2 overall on the season and the Spartans fall to 2-4. Brutus Scheffel “It was significant and impactful for us to build that 17-0 lead in the beginning,” said coach Craig Turnbull. “Starting the match with some pace and getting wins under our belt was critical.” Junior Shane Young (125) got WVU off to a quick start as he scored three takedowns in the first period of his matchup against Brenan Lyon. The takedowns helped build an 8-2 lead. Young was called for a penalty point in the third period, but rebounded with yet another takedown, which made the score 10-3. Young had a total of 1:25 of riding time, which gave him an 11-3 major decision. Redshirt sophomore Nathan Pennesi (133) followed Young's major decision with a major decision of his own. The Latrobe, Pa., native successfully converted a takedown attempt in the final 30 seconds of his match that gave him the 8-0 victory. “Nathan was so much more comfortable this week at 133 pounds, and that looked a lot more like the Nathan we are use to seeing,” Turnbull said. “It was a great effort by Nathan and Shane to get the bonus points that made a difference in the team score.” Sophomore Michael Morales, who was wrestling his second match of the season for the Mountaineers, pinned Brian Gibbs 3:20 into their 141-pound matchup. After starting from bottom position, Morales scrambled and was able to score a reversal from which he pinned Gibbs. Redshirt freshman Brutus Scheffel (149) continued the WVU momentum swing, as he upset No. 23 Dan Osterman in a 9-6 decision. Scheffel fell behind early in the match, 4-1, but was able to rally in the second period. Scheffel converted three takedowns in the second period that gave him an 8-6 advantage. An escape point in the third period proved to be enough for the victory. “It felt great to get avenge the loss I had against Osterman at the Reno Tournament of Champions,” said Scheffel. “Most of the points he had in the first period were from my mistakes, so I just tried to stay after him. We had momentum heading into my match, but we had it even more after I was able to win.” After three straight decision victories by Michigan State, WVU's lead was cut to 17-9. Redshirt senior Matt Ryan (184) helped pushed the Spartans near the edge though, when he defeated John Rizqallah by a narrow 3-2 to margin. Ryan and Rizqallah finished regulation time tied at 2-2, but Ryan earned the riding time point with a total of 2:36 on top. Redshirt senior Brandon Williamson (HWT) closed out the victory for the Mountaineers, as he defeated Steve Andrus in a close 6-4 decision. Williamson converted a takedown with under 15 seconds remaining in the third period that sealed the victory. WVU will return to action this Saturday and Sunday, when they host dual meets against Bloomsburg and Clarion. Saturiday's action is set begin at 7:30, and Sunday's match will begin at 2 p.m. Results: 125: Shane Young (WVU) def. Brenan Lyon (MSU), 11-3 133: Nathan Pennesi (WVU) def. Brandon Fields (MSU), 8-0 141: Mike Morales (WVU) def. Brian Gibbs (MSU), 3:20 pin 149: Brutus Scheffel (WVU) def. Dan Osterman (MSU), 9-6 157: Anthony Jones Jr. (MSU) def. Dominic Prezzia (WVU), 4-2 165: David Cheza (MSU) def. Kyle Eason (WVU), 5-0 174: Curran Jacobs (MSU) def. Lance Bryson (WVU), 3-1 184: Matt Ryan (WVU) def. John Rizqallah (MSU), 3-2 197: Nick McDiarmid (MSU) def. Mac Mancuso (WVU) 7-2 HWT: Brandon Williamson def. (WVU) Steve Andrus (MSU), 6-4

CEDAR FALLS, IOWA -- The Northern Iowa wrestling team (4-3, 2-0) defeated Big Ten opponent Wisconsin (5-4, 0-2) Friday, 25-15. The win broke a nine-dual winless streak against the Badgers that has spanned the past nine seasons. The Panthers dug Wisconsin into a hole early, and the Badgers never recovered. Senior Cruse Aarhus (125) made a statement in the night's opening match, topping UW's Austin Hietpas with a 17-2 technical fall. The West Gym has been good to Aarhus, who has compiled two tech. falls and a major decision in the Panthers' three home duals this season. Joe Colon (133) gave UNI five more early points, as he also defeated his opponent, Shane McQuade, with a 17-2 tech. fall. The redshirt sophomore is undefeated in dual action this season at 3-0. UNI racked up even more bonus points in the night's third match, as redshirt freshman Levi Wolfensperger (141) defeated Thomas Glenn with a 9-0 major decision. After Wolfensperger's victory, the Panthers found themselves up 14-0. From that point, it was tough for Wisconsin to recover, as the Panthers even held the three out of the four matches that they lost to regular decisions. Meanwhile, David Bonin (157) and Ryan Loder (184) both compiled major decisions, and Blayne Beale (285) won by decision. Bonin used a takedown with eight seconds left in the third period, in addition to a riding time point, to turn his win over Shawn Perry into a major decision. The junior Louisiana-native is 3-0 in home duals this season. Bonin also leads the Panthers in career wins with 61. Loder was one point away from a tech. fall, but he had to settle for a 16-2 major decision over UW's Timmy McCall. The sophomore continued his dual-match perfection, as he boasts a 7-0 dual record and 23-1 overall record. Beale put an exclamation mark on UNI's first win over a Big Ten opponent since 2010, topping the Badgers' Cole Tobin with a 5-2 decision. A crucial takedown with 1:08 left in the third brought the 1,000-plus West Gym crowd to its feet. The Panthers' next dual meet will take place Jan. 27 in Orem, Utah, as UNI faces Western Wrestling Conference opponent Utah Valley. Results: 125: Cruse Aarhus (UNI) TF Austin Hietpas (UW), 17-2; 6:35 (UNI 5-0) 133: 12 Joe Colon (UNI) TF Shane McQuade (UW), 17-2; 6:23 (UNI 10-0) 141: Levi Wolfensperger (UNI) maj. dec. Thomas Glenn (UW), 9-0 (UNI 14-0) 149: 9 Cole Schmitt (UW) dec. Clay Welter (UNI), 3-0 (UNI 14-3) 157: David Bonin (UNI) maj. dec. Shawn Perry (UW), 11-3 (UNI 18-3) 165: 14 Ben Jordan (UW) dec. Riley Banach (UNI), 6-0 (UNI 18-6) 174: Frank Cousins (UW) FALL Onni Prestidge (UNI), 1:10 (UNI 18-12) 184: 6 Ryan Loder (UNI) maj. dec. Timmy McCall (UW), 16-2 (UNI 22-12) 197: Jackson Hein (UW) dec. Taylor Kettman (UNI), 8-3 (UNI 22-15) 285: Blayne Beale (UNI) dec. Cole Tobin (UW), 5-2 (UNI 25-15)

LINCOLN, Neb. -- The University of Iowa wrestling team won seven-of-10 bouts to top seventh-ranked Nebraska, 24-9, tonight inside NU Coliseum. The win was the 900th dual victory in school history and marked Iowa's 38th consecutive conference win. The loss was Nebraska's first of the year. "We did some good things," said head coach Tom Brands. "You can start with the victory over a capable and confident opponent. We grabbed control of the dual, which is always important, but we need to grab control of every match and not give the opponent any opportunities." Junior Grant Gambrall led off the dual with a 3-1 overtime victory over James Nakashima at 197 pounds. Both wrestlers traded escapes in the second and third frames before Gambrall finished a takedown 17 seconds into the sudden victory period. Nebraska (10-1, 1-1) tied the team score, 3-3, when ninth-ranked Tucker Lane scored a third period takedown over No. 8 Bobby Telford to earn a 4-1 victory. The Hawkeyes (8-1, 3-0) answered with consecutive wins at 125, 133, 141 and 149 pounds to build an 18-3 advantage. Junior Matt McDonough mixed five takedowns with a reversal and two nearfall points to build a 14-3 lead before flattening Shawn Nagel with 10 seconds left in the second period (4:50). The fall was the ninth of the season for McDonough, who has won his last 10 contests. Sophomore Tony Ramos followed McDonough with a 10-3 win at 133 pounds. Ramos opened the scoring with a takedown and escape to build a 3-0 lead heading into the third frame, where he added three more takedowns and totaled 1:16 of riding time to defeat No. 18 Ridge Kelly, 10-3. Senior Montell Marion increased the Hawkeye lead to 15-3 with a 9-6 win over No. 6 Jake Sueflohn. Marion scored a reversal with five seconds left in the opening period before totaling three takedowns over the final two frames to earn his eighth victory in as many duals this season. Redshirt freshman Michael Kelly captured the Hawkeyes' fifth straight match with a 7-3 decision over Brandon Wilbourn at 149 pounds. Kelly recorded back-to-back escapes between the first and second period to tie the bout, 2-2, before earning a takedown and consecutive stall calls to build a 6-2 lead. He then surrendered an escape, but added a point for riding time (1:30) to earn his first career dual victory. Nebraska stopped the Hawkeye rally when 10th-ranked James Green scored a 12-7 win over redshirt freshman Nick Moore. Moore scored a pair of takedowns in the third period to pull within two points, 8-6, but Green withstood the rally and earned the win to trim the Iowa lead to 18-6. Redshirt freshman Mike Evans swung the momentum back toward the Hawkeyes when he scored a 7-3 upset over third-ranked Robert Kokesh. The ninth-ranked Evans scored an early takedown and a late first period reversal to build a 4-2 lead after one frame. He then added a second period takedown and a third period escape to improve to 3-0 in Big Ten duals and extend Iowa's lead, 21-6. Sophomore Ethen Lofthouse then added to the team lead when he notched an 8-1 decision over Tyler Koehn at 174 pounds. Lofthouse didn't allow an offensive point and collected 2:36 of riding time behind three takedowns. Nebraska won the final bout of the dual when seventh-ranked Josh Ihnen topped senior Vinnie Wagner 10-5, making the final team score, 24-9. The Hawkeyes return to the mat Sunday at 1 p.m. when No. 17 Northwestern visits Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets to the event are $10 for adults, $5 for children and free for kids five and under. Notes: Iowa has an all-time record of 900-215-31... only Oklahoma State, Iowa State and Oregon State have more than 900 dual victories... the win was Iowa's 38th straight in Big Ten duals... Iowa is unbeaten in its last 50 road duals... Iowa is 2-1 against ranked teams this season. Results: 197 lbs. - #19 Grant Gambrall (Iowa) dec. James Nakashima (N), 3-1 SV; TS 3-0 285 lbs. - #9 Tucker Lane (N) dec. #8 Bobby Telford (Iowa), 4-1; TS 3-3 125 lbs. - #2 Matt McDonough (Iowa) pinned Shawn Nagel (N), 4:50; TS 9-3 133 lbs. - #2 Tony Ramos (Iowa) dec. #18 Ridge Kiley (N), 10-3; TS 12-3 141 lbs. - #3 Montell Marion (Iowa) dec. #6 Jake Sueflohn (N), 9-6; TS 15-3 149 lbs. - Michael Kelly (Iowa) dec. Brandon Wilbourn (N), 7-3; TS 18-3 157 lbs. - #10 James Green (N) dec. Nick Moore (Iowa), 12-7; TS 18-6 165 lbs. - #9 Mike Evans (Iowa) dec. #3 Robert Kokesh (N), 7-3: TS 21-6 174 lbs. - #11 Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa) dec. Tyler Koehn (N), 8-1; TS 24-6 184 lbs. - #7 Josh Ihnen (N) dec. Vinnie Wagner (Iowa), 10-5

Senior Zach Sanders gave the No. 2/4 Golden Gopher Wrestling team a spark early on in the evening to lead Minnesota to a 25-9 victory, of Big Ten Conference foe Illinois. Sanders was down 9-2 after the first period during the third match of the night, but fought his way back to top Illinois Jesse Delgaldo 14-13. Sanders showed why he is the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the country at 125 by not giving up during his match. Both Sanders and Delgado traded a few takedowns and escapes late in the match, but Sanders was able to score the last points to pick up his 18th win of the season and stay undefeated. With the victory tonight Minnesota improves to 6-2 overall and 3-0 in Big Ten action, while the Illini fall to 10-2 overall and 2-2 in the conference. The evening started out at 197 lbs. with Sonny Yohn taking on Mario Gonzalez. Yohn came up just short in the end and fell 5-4. Tony Nelson would jump onto the mat for the second match and pick up a 3-1 decision over Patrick Walker, which would tie the score at three. Minnesota would pick up three straight wins from Nick Dardanes, Dylan Ness and Alec Oritz after Chris Dardanes fell to Bernard Furtell (9-6), after Sanders victory. Nick Dardanes had a late rally over Daryl Thomas and was able to hold onto a 7-6 decision. Ness, who was coming off a tough loss to Ohio State on Sunday, went to overtime with Eric Terrazas. Terrazas went for a quick takedown in the opening seconds of the extra period, but Ness was able to counter it and turn Terrazas on his back just outside the inner circle and scored the fall. Ortiz would pick up an 8-4 decision following Ness. The Gophers last two wins came from freshman Logan Storley and redshirt sophomore Kevin Steinhaus. Storley went down to wire and controlled the final period to pull out a 2-1 decision, while Steinhaus capped off the evening with a 12-4 major decision. Minnesota will now rest for a day before taking on Purdue on Sunday. The dual is set to begin at 1 p.m. and fans can access the match through Gopher All-Access. Results: 197 Mario Gonzalez (Illinois) won by dec. over Sonny Yohn (Minnesota) 5-4. 0 3 285 Anthony Nelson (Minnesota) won by dec. over Patrick Walker (Illinois) 3-1. 3 0 125 Zachary Sanders (Minnesota) won by dec. over Jesse Delgado (Illinois) 14-13. 6 3 133 Bernard Futrell (Illinois) won by dec. over Christopher Dardanes (Minnesota) 9-6. 6 6 141 Nick Dardanes (Minnesota) won by dec. over Daryl Thomas (Illinois) 7-6. 9 6 149 Dylan Ness (Minnesota) pinned Eric Terrazas (Illinois) 7:08. 15 6 157 Alec Ortiz (Minnesota) won by dec. over Jackson Morse (Illinois) 8-4. 18 6 165 Conrad Polz (Illinois) won by dec. over Cody Yohn (Minnesota) 4-2. 18 6 174 Logan Storley (Minnesota) won by dec. over Dan Stelter (Illinois) 2-1. 21 9 184 Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota) won by major dec. over Tony Dallago (Illinois) 12-4. 25 9 Final Score 25 9

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 11-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team won the first seven bouts and the finale while earning bonus points in half of the matches en route to a dominant 33-6 victory over Indiana on Friday evening (Jan. 13) in front of 605 fans at Cliff Keen Arena. Among the eight victories, the Wolverines posted a pin, two technical falls and two major decisions to improve to 3-1 in Big Ten Conference action. Michigan carried a 22-0 advantage into the intermission break after earning bonus wins at four of the opening five weights. The lone Wolverine without an early bonus victory, junior/sophomore Grant Pizzo (Brighton, Mich./Brighton HS), was just a point shy, securing an 8-1 decision over Zach Zimmer at 125 pounds. Pizzo converted on three takedowns -- one in each period -- and accumulated 3:05 in riding-time advantage. Senior Zac Stevens (Monroe, Mich./Monroe HS), ranked 17th in the latest InterMat poll, posted his third fall of the season against Joe Duca in the 133-pound match, finishing on a quick front headlock before using a high-leg turk for a five count and then the pin at 1:42. Fifth-year senior Kellen Russell (High Bridge, N.J./Blair Academy) also ended his match early, cruising past Ryen Niemen, 16-1, on three takedowns and nine back points. Russell, ranked second at 141 pounds, converted two takedowns in the first period before using an arm bar and a half nelson to add a pair of three-point near falls in the final 45 seconds of the frame. He escaped immediately in the second, finished on a single leg and, with a high-leg turk, turned Niemen for another three points to end the bout at 3:59. Russell improved to 19-1 on the season. Junior/sophomore Eric Grajales (Brandon, Fla./Brandon HS) earned his second straight bonus win over Indiana's Taylor Walsh, who had previously dealt the Wolverine wrestler a season-opening loss, with a 12-4 major decision at 149 pounds. It was Walsh who struck first, converting on a first-period inside trip, but Grajales scrambled for a reversal late in the frame and put Walsh on his back for an additional three points at the buzzer. Grajales, ranked 11th, countered a shot for a quick takedown in the second before adding another reversal and another takedown -- off a headlock on the edge -- to close out the third period. Junior/sophomore Brandon Zeerip (Fremont, Mich./Hesperia HS) rallied from a five-point deficit to claim a 25-12 major decision over Ryan Konz in the 157-pound match. Konz won an early scramble to earn his advantage, using a scissors around the head to get a takedown and three-point near fall. However, Zeerip responded with a pair of takedowns and three-point cradle to steal away a two-point lead after the opening frame. The Wolverine wrestler added six more takedowns in the remaining two periods and accumulated 2:26 in time advantage. Fifth-year senior Dave Johnson (Jenison, Mich./Jenison HS) kept Michigan's bonus streak going after the intermission with an 18-2 technical fall over Preston Keiffer at 165 pounds. Johnson rallied after giving up the initial takedown, putting Keiffer on his back with a single leg of his own and earning five back points out of a crab ride. The Wolverine escaped quickly in the second, finished on a spin around and used consecutive three-point tilts to end the match at 4:20. After sitting out the Wolverines' last dual with injury, fifth-year senior Justin Zeerip (Fremont, Mich./Hesperia HS) was victorious in his return at 174 pounds, using a first-period snap down and spin around to cruise to a 4-1 decision over Ryan LeBlanc. Zeerip, ranked fifth, added a second-period escape and 1:32 in riding time to improve to 16-1 on the season. The Hoosiers won back-to-back matches at 184 and 197 pounds to put themselves on the board. Fourth-ranked Matt Powless rallied to narrowly claim the latter match, 5-3, over sophomore/freshman Max Huntley (Emerald Isle, N.C./Blair Academy). Huntley, ranked 15th, converted on a single leg in the opening 15 seconds and nearly finished another late in the first period, but Powless took control with a single of his own late in the second and rode the Wolverine for most of the third to earn an advantage point. Senior/junior Ben Apland (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South HS) capped the Wolverines' performance with a 6-2 decision over Adam Chalfant in the heavyweight bout, using a first-period bodylock and third-period single leg to cruise to his fourth straight Big Ten win. Michigan (4-2, 3-1 Big Ten) will return to action on Sunday, Jan. 22, hosting intrastate rival Central Michigan for a 2 p.m. dual at Cliff Keen Arena. Fans can purchase tickets for the meet in advance via the U-M Ticket Office. Results: 125 -- Grant Pizzo (U-M) dec. Zach Zimmer, 8-1 133 -- #17 Zac Stevens (U-M) pinned Joe Duca, 1:42 141 -- #2 Kellen Russell (U-M) tech. fall Ryen Nieman, 16-1 (3:59) 149 -- #11 Eric Grajales (U-M) major dec. Taylor Walsh, 12-4 157 -- Brandon Zeerip (U-M) major dec. Ryan Konz, 25-12 165 -- Dave Johnson (U-M) tech. fall Preston Keiffer, 18-2 (4:20) 174 -- #5 Justin Zeerip (U-M) dec. Ryan LeBlanc, 4-1 184 -- Luke Sheridan (IU) dec. Hunter Collins, 3-1 197 -- #4 Matt Powless (IU) dec. #15 Max Huntley, 5-3 Hwt -- #15 Ben Apland (U-M) dec. Adam Chalfant, 6-2

EVANSTON, Ill. -- No. 3 Penn State continued a lengthy January road trip with a 38-3 win at No. 17 Northwestern on Friday night. The Nittany Lions got a key win out of the gates from true freshman Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.) at 125 and rolled to nine wins in ten bouts. Megaludis, ranked No. 10 at 125, got Penn State off to a fast start, posting a convincing 7-3 win over No. 7 Levi Mele in the dual's opening bout. Sophomore Frank Martellotti (Pittsburgh, Pa.) followed that up with a sound 10-4 win over Jameson Oster at 133 and the Nittany Lions quickly bolted out to a 6-0 lead. Junior Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) was leading Colin Shober 4-2 at 141 in the second period when Shober was forced to take an injury default, giving Pearsall the win at the 3:18 mark and putting the Lions up 12-0. No. 1 Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) then posted a dominating 10-0 major decision over Kaleb Friedley at 149. The All-American's major put Penn State up 16-0. In one of the dual's marquee match-ups, Nittany Lion freshman Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) faced off against No. 3 Jason Welsh of Northwestern at 157. Alton gave the undefeated Wildcat all he could handle before dropping a 2-1 decision on riding time. Penn State led 16-3 at intermission. Top-ranked David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) continued Penn State's roll with a 20-5 technical fall over Pierce Harger at 165. The All-American got the tech at the 7:00 mark with 4:45 in riding time. Second-ranked Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) then posted perhaps the night's most dominating win, posting an 18-3 technical fall over No. 9 Lee Munster at 174. The All-American got the tech at the 5:37 mark. All-American Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), also ranked No. 2, pinned NU's Marcus Shrewsbury at the 2:41 mark in the first period before Nittany Lion true freshman Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 12 at 197, downed Wildcat senior John Schoen 6-4. Senior Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 6 at heavyweight, closed out the 38-3 win with a sound 6-3 victory over No. 19 Mike McMullan. Penn State improves to 6-1 overall, 2-1 in the Big Ten with the win. Northwestern falls to 5-2, 1-2 in the conference. The Nittany Lions owned the takedown battle as well, posting a 22-4 advantage. Penn State notched 11 bonus points off an injury default, a pin, two tech falls and a major. Penn State continues its Big Ten road swing at Wisconsin on Sunday, Jan. 15, at 2 p.m. (Eastern). Penn State's next home dual is on Sunday, Jan. 22, when Iowa invades Rec Hall for a 2 p.m. dual that is already sold out. The Nittany Lions then host Ohio State on Sunday, Jan. 29, at 2 p.m. Fans can purchase a limited number of `standing room only' tickets for the Ohio State dual by calling 814-865-5555. Tickets are priced at $8 for adults and $5 for youth (18 and under) and can be purchased from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day or in person at the Bryce Jordan Center box office. A maximum of four tickets may be purchased per person. The full season slate of live dual meet and tournament action will air locally on WRSC AM (1390 AM) with Friday evening duals being simulcast on WRSC FM (103.1 FM). Lock Haven's WBPZ (1230 AM) will also carry the entire season live, WIEZ (670 AM) in Huntingdon/Lewistown carries all Sunday events and further affiliates may be added soon. The regular season schedule of radio broadcasts will be streamed live at www.GoPSUsports.com as part of Penn State's All-Access package, which will also feature live video streams of many home events. Ticket information is accessed easily online at www.GoPSUsports.com/tickets/m-wrestl-tickets.html . Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at www.twitter.com/pennstatepat and on Penn State Wrestling's facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling. The 2011-12 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline. Results: 125: #10 Nico Megaludis PSU dec. #7 Levin Mele NU, 7-3 3-0 133: Frank Martellotti PSU dec. Jameson Oster NU, 10-4 6-0 141: Bryan Pearsall PSU inj. def. Colin Shober NU (Inj. Def.; 3:18) 12-0 Pearsall leading 4-2 at the time of injury default 149: #1 Frank Molinaro PSU maj. dec. Kaleb Friedley NU, 10-0 16-0 157: #3 Jason Welsh NU dec. #9 Dylan Alton PSU, 2-1 16-3 165: #1 David Taylor PSU tech fall Pierce Harger NU, 20-5 (TF; 7:00) 21-3 174: #2 Ed Ruth PSU tech fall #9 Lee Munster NU, 18-3 (TF; 5:37) 26-3 184: #2 Quentin Wright PSU pinned Marcus Shrewsbury NU (WBF; 2:41) 32-3 197: #12 Morgan McIntosh PSU dec. John Schoen NU, 6-4 35-3 285: #6 Cameron Wade PSU dec. #19 Mike McMullan NU, 6-3 38-3 Attendance: 719 Records: #3 Penn State (6-1, 2-1 B1G), #17 Northwestern (5-2, 1-2 B1G) Up Next for Penn State: at Wisconsin, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2 p.m. (Eastern) BOUT-BY-BOUT: 125: True freshman Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), ranked No. 10 at 125, met No. 7 Levi Mele in one of the dual's most anticipated match-ups. Mele gained control of Megaludis' head early but the Lion freshman worked out of trouble and shot low for a quick takedown attempt of his own. But Mele scrambled out of trouble twice and forced a stalemate at the 1:55 mark, still scoreless. Another low single by Megaludis off the reset gave the Lion a 2-1 lead at the 1:41 mark after a quick Mele escape. Megaludis got in on another low single with a quick shot off the reset, forcing a scramble in the center circle. But Mele once again forced a stalemate with Megaludis up 2-1 at the :32 mark. Megaludis forced Mele into a stall warning and then notched a takedown at the buzzer to lead 4-1 after one. Mele chose down to start the second stanza and escaped to a 4-2 deficit at the 1:36 mark. Nico used another low ankle pick for his third takedown off a reset and led 6-2 at the midway point of the second stanza. A Mele escape at the :52 mark cut into that lead, but Megaludis continued to connect on low singles. Mele forced a stalemate on a potentially dangerous hold and action resumed with Megaludis up 6-3 at the :27 mark. Megaludis chose down on the reset but Mele was able to ride the Lion freshman out to end the period. Megaludis chose down to start the third period and steadily worked his way to an escape and a 7-3 lead at the 1:38 mark. Mele got in on his first real scoring attempt off a reset at the 1:10 mark, but Megaludis was able to force a scramble that worked the clock down to the :30 mark before the reset. The Lion freshman then used a low double to force Mele into defense for the rest of the bout and the Lion posted the 7-3 win. 133: Sophomore Frank Martellotti (Pittsburgh, Pa.) faced off against Wildcat Jameson Oster at 133. Martellotti notched the first takedown by using a single leg to pull Oster onto the mat, finishing off the move at the 2:19 mark. The Lion sophomore then put together a strong ride, maintaining control of Oster for over a minute while forcing the Wildcat into a first stall warning. Martellotti tried to turn Oster for back points, got caught and reversed as time wound down, then immediately reversed the Wildcat for his own two points and then nearly pinned him at the buzzer. The five point flurry gave him a 7-2 lead after one period. Martellotti chose down to start the second stanza but could not break free of a solid Oster ride. Oster worked off Martellotti's riding time advantage first and then finished off the ride out. Trailing 7-2, Oster chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 7-3 deficit at the 1:18 mark. The duo battled evenly until Martellotti gained control of Oster's body and tossed him to the mat for another takedown and, with the riding time point, notch a 10-4 win (Oster escaped late). 141: Junior Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.) went to battle at 141 against NU' Colin Shober. Shober had the first scoring chance of the bout but Pearsall was able to fight off the move and force a stalemate at the 1:59 mark. The tandem battled through the next minute-plus looking for an opening to score with each man's defense equal to the task. But Shober broke into the scoring column, rolling Pearsall to the mat for a takedown at the :23 mark to lead 2-0. Pearsall spun out of Shober's control at the buzzer and was awarded an escape to trail by one after the opening stanza. Pearsall chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 2-2 tie. He then got in on a single leg, took Shober down and the Wildcat was unable to continue due to an injury. The injury default win for Pearsall came at the 3:18 mark. 149: No. 1 Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) put his undefeated record on the line against Northwestern's Kaleb Friedley at 149. Molinaro gained control of the match quickly with an early takedown, tacking on a solid ride to build up over 2:00 riding time while looking for a chance to turn the Wildcat to his back. Friedley was able to hold off on giving up any back points, but the ride out gave Molinaro a 2-0 lead with 2:15 in riding time after one. Molinaro chose down to start the second period and Friedley worked off a minute's worth of time before Molinaro rolled through Friedley's control for a reversal and a 4-0 lead at the :58 mark. The Nittany Lion All-American maintained control of the Wildcat for the rest of the period to lead 4-0 with 2:17 in riding time heading into the third period. Friedley chose down to start the third period but this time Molinaro was able to turn the Wildcat to his back for two near fall points and a 6-0 lead with 1:28 left to wrestle. The Lion senior then reset himself, turned Friedley to his back for three more back points and moved out to a 9-0 lead. Molinaro continued to dominate Friedley, riding the Wildcat out to post the 10-0 major with 4:17 in riding time. With the win, Molinaro moved to No. 17 on Penn State's all-time wins list (106) and 13th on its all-time dual meet victories list (48). 157: Red-shirt freshman Dylan Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), ranked No. 9 at 157, met No. 3 Jason Welsh, who carried a 13-0 mark into the bout, in another key bout. Alton quickly got in on a single leg and forced Welsh into a scramble that ended with a stalemate at the 2:10 mark. Alton countered a Welsh shot with 1:38 left, forcing a stalemate with the score still 0-0. The duo continued to scramble, trading quick shots for the next minute, with each man holding firm defensively. Scoreless after one period, Welsh chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Welsh looked to get in on a single leg at the :50 mark, but Alton was able to push the move aside, although he picked up a first stall warning in the process. Down 1-0, Alton chose down to start the third period. Welsh was able to control Alton long enough to build up a minute's worth of riding time. Alton then scrambled for a reversal but the Wildcat junior was able to maintain control of the Lion freshman until Alton escaped with just a second left. The brief 1-1 tie was short-lived as Welsh had 1:55 in riding time and got the hard fought 2-1 win. 165: No. 1 David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) looked to continue his unbeaten start to the season against Northwestern's Pierce Harger at 165. Harger notched the first takedown of the bout, taking a 2-0 lead at the 2:22 mark with a solid high double. Taylor quickly escaped and then used his low ankle pick to take a 3-2 lead at the 1:51 mark. The Lion All-American then controlled Harger for over a minute, looking to turn him to his back for near fall points. The Lion rode Harger out to lead 3-2 with 1:37 riding time after one period. Harger chose neutral to start the second period and Taylor quickly upped his lead to 7-3 with two takedowns (cutting Harger once in the process). Taylor cut Harger loose at the :54 mark, countered a Harger shot and took him down once more to lead 9-4 with :44 left. Another Taylor cut led to a late Taylor takedown with :06 left, giving the Lion sophomore an 11-5 lead after two periods. Taylor chose down to start the middle stanza and quickly reversed Harger to lead 13-5. He added three near fall points to up his lead to 16-5 with 1:18 left. A near cradle led to three more back points and a 19-5 lead with :47 on the clock. With the riding time point clinched, Taylor rode Harger out and got the 20-5 technical fall at the 7:00 mark with 4:45 in riding time. 174: No. 2 Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) also looked to remain unbeaten at 174 in a marquee match-up against No. 9 Lee Munster. Ruth took a quick 2-1 lead with a single leg to takedown and then nearly scored on another quick shot. Munster fought off Ruth's effort but the Lion All-American quickly took him down again at the 2:00 mark to lead 4-1. He then locked in on a cradle and picked up three near fall points to lead 7-1 with 1:30 on the clock. Two more back points gave Ruth a 9-1 lead before Munster escaped with :55 on the clock. Ruth tacked on yet another takedown with :20 left in the opening period and, with the ride out, led 11-2 after one period. Munster chose down to start the second stanza, but Ruth maintained control of the Wildcat freshman. Ruth cut Munster loose with :38 on the clock and quickly gained control of the Wildcat for another takedown in front of the Penn State bench. Ruth added two near fall points in the final seconds and carried a 15-3 lead with 3:17 riding time (clinching the point) after two. Ruth chose down to start the third period and fought off a quick Munster turn effort before escaping to a 16-3 lead. A final Ruth takedown gave the Lion a convincing 18-3 tech fall over the ninth-ranked Wildcat at the 5:37 mark. 184: No. 2 Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) met Marcus Shrewsbury at 184. The defending National Champion quickly took control of the bout with two early takedowns to lead 4-1 at the midway point of the opening period. Wright then turned Shrewsbury to his back for three near fall points and a 7-1 lead with :40 left in the first period. The All-American then turned Shrewsbury to his back, adjusted, and picked up the pin at the 2:41 mark. 197: True freshman Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), ranked No. 12 at 197, met Wildcat senior John Schoen. The duo battled evenly for the first half of the opening period, with neither man finding an opening to score early. McIntosh countered a Schoen shot, moved behind the Wildcat and got the bout's first takedown at the :37 mark. A quick Schoen escaped halved the lead and action resumed in the center circle. Trailing by one, Schoen chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 2-2 tie. Schoen broke the tie open with a takedown at the :40 mark, taking the 4-2 lead. McIntosh quickly escaped and trailed by one with :25 left in the middle period. McIntosh chose down to start the third period and quickly escaped to a 4-4 tie. The duo continued to battle for position for the bulk of the third period. Schoen tried to score on a high double but the Lion true freshman was able to back out of trouble, keeping the bout tied 4-4 at the :22 mark. McIntosh scrambled off a Schoen shot, powered the NU senior to the mat and got the winning takedown at the :02 mark, posting the 6-4 win. 285: Senior Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 6 at heavyweight, took on No. 19 Mike McMullan. McMullan shot first, forcing Wade to counter and get a reset out of bounds. The duo then battled for position in the center circle. Wade shot low on McMullan but slipped to the mat, allowing the Wildcat to work around the Nittany Lion for a takedown and a 2-1 lead after a quick Wade escape. Wade chose top to start the second stanza, Wade turned him for two back points and McMullan escaped to a 3-3 tie, all before :20 had elapsed in the period. Wade turned a low single into a scramble and a takedown with :48 on the clock to take a 5-3 lead. The Lion senior then rode McMullan out to lead 5-3 after two periods. McMullan chose top to start the third period, looking for a chance to turn Wade. Wade got called for a stall warning at the :54 mark then escaped to a 6-3 lead with :30 left in the bout. A late scramble led to no scoring and Wade posted the 6-3 win.

YPSILANTI, Mich. -- No. 19 Central Michigan controlled the middle weights on its way to its sixth straight victory, 21-12 at Eastern Michigan Friday night. The Chippewas improved to 11-2 overall, 3-0 in the Mid-American Conference with their 21st straight dual meet victory over EMU. The host Eagles fell to 7-4 overall, 1-1 in the MAC. The victory also was CMU's 69th in its last 72 MAC duals and the Chippewas' 15th in their last 16 duals against in-state opponents. Eastern Michigan led Friday's matchup, 6-3, before the Chippewas reeled off three straight wins at 149, 157 and 165 pounds. True freshman Joey Kielbasa tallied a bonus point with an 11-3 decision at 149 pounds that put CMU in front for good. Junior Donnie Corby and freshman Mike Ottinger followed with decisions at 157 and 165 pounds, respectively, that extended CMU's lead to 13-6. The Eagles drew within 13-9 when Phillip Joseph claimed a 7-6 decision over Craig Kelliher at 174 pounds, but Ben Bennett secured the victory for CMU with a 15-0 first-period technical fall at 184 pounds. Bennett improved to 19-2 overall on the season with the victory. Sixteen of his 19 victories have accounted for bonus points: three major decisions, six technical falls, six falls and one forfeit. Eastern Michigan cut the Chippewas' lead to 18-12 with a decision at 197 pounds, but Peter Sturgeon locked up the victory for CMU with a 4-2 decision over Wes Schroeder at heavyweight. Sturgeon scored a takedown in the second sudden victory period to earn his 21st victory of the season. The dual's lone matchup between ranked competitors came in the night's opening bout at 125 pounds, when No. 17 Joe Roth (CMU) earned a 12-6 decision over No. 18 Jared Germaine. Roth improved to 25-6 with the victory, his second in as many matches against Germaine this season. CMU is back in action next Friday at 7:30 p.m. when it hosts Northern Illinois in a MAC dual at McGuirk Arena. Results: 125: No. 17 Joe Roth (CMU) dec. No. 18 Jared Germaine, 12-6; CMU 3-0 133: Andrew Novak (EMU) dec. Zach Horan, 8-4; Tied 3-3 141: Corey Phillips (EMU) dec. Scott Mattingly, 7-4; EMU 6-3 149: Joey Kielbasa (CMU) maj. dec. Jaylyn Bohl, 11-3; CMU 7-6 157: Donnie Corby (CMU) dec. Aaron Sulzer, 3-2; CMU 10-6 165: Mike Ottinger (CMU) dec. Lester France, 10-3; CMU 13-6 174: Phillip Joseph (EMU) dec. Craig Kelliher, 7-6; CMU 13-9 184: No. 5 Ben Bennett (CMU) tech. fall Michael Curby, 15-0 at 3:00; CMU 18-9 197: Nick Whitenburg (EMU) dec. Chad Friend, 4-1; CMU 18-12 285: No. 14 Peter Sturgeon (CMU) dec. Wes Schroeder, 4-2 SV2; CMU 21-12

Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes (Photo/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Event: UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes Venue: HSBC Arena (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) Date: Jan. 14, 2012 The UFC Monster had a feast with UFC 141's card, winning $378 for those who followed my advice. The UFC 142 card offers some upset potential, as well, but the deck may be stacked in favor of the Brazilians, fighting in front of their rabid crowd. Some of the best fighters in the world will be on display, headlined with the UFC Featherweight (145 pounds) title fight (5 rounds), featuring Jose "Scarface" Aldo (20-1, with 12 KOs) defending his belt against undefeated Chad "Money" Mendes (11-0 with 7 decisions). One is a finisher. The other not. Aldo is considered by most to be a top-five pound-for-pound contender, who's impressive resume includes winning 13 straight, and KO'ing 7 out 8 opponents in his WEC career. He is 2-0 with 2 decisions in the UFC. Mendes is a former Cal. Poly./SLO NCAA runner-up to J Jaggers, a very memorable match for the UFC Monster, who cashed a ticket on Jaggers to win the NCAA title at odds of 22:1. But, that was then, and this is now. Beating Aldo on his home turf will be an improbable task for Mendes. But I see it happening at underdog odds of +240. Wrestler over striker. It is a matter of Mendes minimizing the kicks and strikes he absorbs on his way to taking Aldo to the mat and grinding out a G-n-P victory. Endurance may come into play (I'll take the wrestler every time), and Chad's brute strength and determination will need to overcome the vicious strikes of a proud and hungry champion, looking for a flashy finish. This has fight of the night (FON) written all over it, but at +200 odds, there is no value there. Mendes grinds out a narrow victory at +240, as the angry crowd lynches the judges. DISCLAIMER: Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort (20-9, with 14 KOs) is one of my all-time favorite fighters. That means I often bet on him with my heart at the expense of my wallet. But not recently. Ol' 34-year old Vitor has won 6-of-his-last-7 fights, losing only to the UFC's best, Anderson "Spider" Silva. He once ruled the light-heavyweight (205 pounds) division. His opponent, Anthony "Rumble" Johnson (10-3 with 7 KOs) has been fighting as a welterweight (170 pounds) and is making his middleweight (185 pounds) debut tonight. Once two weight classes apart, Vitor opened the betting as a mild favorite and was bet up to -160 before late money came cascading in on Johnson to drive the current betting line to about even. Belfort's best odds are now at -105, a real bargain to me. This should be a toe-to-toe wild swinging affair with either fighter capable of catching the other with a "lights out" punch. But I think Belfort is bigger, slightly quicker still, and much more experienced. If he can't take Rumble out early, rumor has it that he will go for the takedown and control his opponent on the mat. Either way, I like Vitor to win by 2nd round TKO. Lay the small price. As Vitor praises God for his win, I will head to the winner's window. Been there. Done that. Welterweight Ricardo "Golden Boy" Funch (8-2) will try to stay on the UFC roster with an upset win over journeyman veteran, Mike "Quicksand" Pyle (21-8-1 with 16 submissions). Why is this fight on the main card? Or am I missing something here? Strange indeed. Pyle has a vast experience edge, and he has submitted Brazilian black belt, Ricardo Almeida, as well as Britain's J. Hathaway. He even has a career opening win over Jon Fitch as a notch on his belt. I like Pyle here to win by 1st round submission, but the -450 price tag is too steep for me to play. I'll PASS on this wager, but would consider Pyle for submission of the night. I haven't seen those odds posted yet. Lightweights (155 pounds) Thiago Tavares (16-4-1, with 11 submissions) and Sam "Hands of Stone" Stout (17-6-1 with a draw with Joey Clark and 9 KOs on his resume) offer two contrasting styles. Stout is all about stand-up striking, while Tavares is a boa constrictor snake at home in the weeds. He lives on the mat, tho' he is coming off an improbable KO of Spencer Fisher. Go figure that one out … Ironically despite his nickname, Stout has had only one KO in his eleven fight UFC career! Maybe the nickname should go? Another Brazilian wins in front of the hometown folks as Tavares locks up a lanky rear-naked choke to end this late in the first round. Lay the -125, we have another cheap winner! I have high hopes for Brazilian lightweight Edson Barbosa (9-0 with 6 KOs). His striking is crisp and accurate, and he has moves that nobody else has, spinning and kicking from angles that Lyota Machida would envy. His mission tonight is to find a way to beat the lanky veteran, Terry Etim (15-3 with 12 submissions). Again, a contrast in styles, as Barbosa wants to bang and Etim wants to grab a limb, like a Venus Fly Trap eating its prey. Another FON candidate here, this one should be entertaining. Home cookin' prevails. Barbosa at -285 wins a three-round decision. Who's next? Now let's take a quick look at the five-fight undercard. Two Brazilians will battle when Erick Silva (13-1 with 7 subs) takes on grizzled veteran Carlo Prater (29-10-1 with 16 subs). Prater is no easy out, but up-and-coming Silva should win this decision. No value at -550 tho' so another PASS is in order. Brazilian featherweight, Yuri Alcantara (26-3 with 11 KOs and 12 subs), is on a tear, winning 18-of-his-last-19 fights, including winning his UFC debut. Michihiro Omigawa (13-10-1) is another Japanese fighter who has disappointed UFC fans. And, turning that around on hostile soil just ain't going to happen. Lay the -190 on Alcantara to win a unanimous decision. Two more Brazilians face off with heavyweights Gabriel Gonzaga (12-6) trying to stop unbeaten 6'7" Edinaldo Oliveiera (13-0-1 with 8 KOs), making his UFC debut . Gonzaga will forever be remembered for his highlight reel head kick of Mirco Cro Cop, that started the demise of the Croatian. Gonzaga is that rare breed of heavyweight, whose submission game is as good as it gets. His only losses are to elite fighters like Randy Couture, Junior Dos Santos, and Fabricio Werdum. Gonzaga wins by 2nd round key-lock submission. Why is Gonzaga only -125? Middleweight Rousimar Palhares (13-3 with 9 subs) is a chiseled, muscular speciman. He is a gorilla-built limb breaker. Losses to Nate Marquardt and Dan Henderson are about all that blemishes his resume. Mike Massenzio (13-5) was submitted by Brian Stann, a striker. That spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E here. Palhares wins by first round heel hook submission. Very predicable result, and that's why the odds are so steep at -550. I'm a bridge jumper. And finally, I'll take a chance on +175 underdog, Brazilian Felipe Arantes (13-4) to win a close decision over Canadian Antonio Carvalho (13-4). Both have 6 KOs in 13 wins and are mirror images of each other. Quality of competition and value in the betting line anchor my thoughts. Now, let's take a look at what we can do with our fictitious $1000 bankroll. Please wager only with money you can afford to lose! There is no such thing as a "sure bet" in mixed martial arts fighting. So gamble at your own risk. Here we go: Let's lay $100 to win $240 on Chad Mendes shocking Aldo's Brazil. Let's lay $105 to win $100 on Vitor Belfort stopping Rumble. Let's lay $125 to win $100 on Thiago Tavarez choking out Sam Stout. Let's lay $168 to win $60 on Edson Barbosa's magic. Let's lay $145 to win $100 on Yuri Alcontara's streak continuing. Let's lay $150 to win $120 on Gabriel Gonzaga's pedigree. Let's lay $165 to win $30 on a ridiculous Rousimar Palhares joint breaker. Let's lay $40 to win $70 on home town underdog, Felipe Arantes. And, we'll PASS on Pyle/Funch and Silva/Prater. That's 6 favorites, 2 underdogs, and 2 no plays. In total we are risking $998 to win $820. We'll save the remaining $2 for a rainy day. But does it ever rain in Brazil? Don't forget to give part of your winnings to your local youth wrestling program, where tomorrow's champions are born. Enjoy the fights. I know I will.

David Taylor (Photo/Bill Ennis) The 2012 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in St. Louis are only eight weeks away, which means excitement and talk about which wrestlers are earning what for the end-of-the-year awards. Here is a look at the candidates for 2012 InterMat Wrestler of the Year, an award voted on by InterMat writers and executives. Dark-Horse Candidates Ed Ruth (Penn State, 174) He may get overshadowed by No. 1-ranked Nittany Lion teammates Frank Molinaro and David Taylor, but he has put up impressive numbers this season. The sophomore is 17-0 and has yet to meet a serious challenge. He recently won his second straight Southern Scuffle title, where he went 6-0 with three pins, a technical fall, and a major decision. Left in his way: Nick Amuchastegui of Stanford, who beat him at last year's NCAA tournament. Zach Sanders (Minnesota, 125) The three-time All-American is winning now, but can he make the push through a difficult NCAA tournament? If he beats Matt McDonough and finishes as an undefeated NCAA champion, he could slide himself into the voting. Alan Gelogaev (Oklahoma State, 285) Big Z has already shown he's not afraid to lateral drop a fool. As of Jan. 13 he's sitting behind Ryan Flores of American in the heavyweight rankings, but a run at NCAAs could also land the Russian in the final voting, especially if he beats defending NCAA champion Zack Rey of Lehigh. Top Contenders Kendric Maple (Oklahoma, 141) To borrow a quote from the movie Zoolander, "(Kendric) so hot right now. (Kendric)." You may not have heard of him before this season, but by know you should be familiar with Kendric Maple of Oklahoma. The redshirt sophomore is exciting fans with his aggressiveness and ability to turn a sure two-point takedown, into a probable five-point move. He's the only undefeated wrestler at 141 pounds, and has been crushing his competition; currently 16-0 and ranked No. 1 at 141 pounds. Of his 16 wins, eight have come by major decision, three by technical fall, and two by pin. Most notably he won the Midlands Championships with a victory over NCAA runner-up and two-time All-American Montell Marion of Iowa. Despite the objective dominance, the most attractive aspect of Maple is his ability to score in bunches and give fans the type of action they pay to see. The comparisons to 2009 NCAA champion Darrion Caldwell of North Carolina State are easy; both finish shots with dominance and defend with creativity. Should Maple run the table and earn his first NCAA title, he'll also be a lead candidate for InterMat's Wrestler of the Year. Frank Molinaro (Penn State, 149) There was a moment in Molinaro's Nov. 20 match versus Minnesota's Dylan Ness where it seemed he might be in trouble. After Molinaro built a 6-0 lead (with a guaranteed riding-time point) heading into the third period, the funk-master Ness put together a late surge to make it interesting before Molinaro closed out a 16-10 victory. He later won the rematch in the Southern Scuffle finals by major decision, 8-0. Frank The Tank's takedowns are consistent. His top game scores points, and he seems to have worked on bottom in the offseason. Overall, the New Jersey native's game is tight. Where he gets hurt in consideration as 2012 InterMat Wrestler of the Year is his lack of dramatic opposition; a ying to his yang. Were he able to bump up in weight and rematch and defeat Cornell's Kyle Dake, a revenge that might tip the subjective scales in his favor, he'd be in higher contention with some of his fellow teammates. However, with nobody outside of Oklahoma State's Jamal Parks challenging him for more than a period, Molinaro seems to be a long shot for end-of-the-year hardware (Apologies to Air Force's Cole Von Ohlen, who is having a great year and who owns the second-best name in college wrestling behind Cashe Quiroga of Purdue.) I guess there is at least one scenario in which Molinaro could earn Wrestler of the Year. Tied 1-1 in the NCAA finals and having given up thirty seconds of riding time, Frank The Tank once again chooses bottom ... And escapes. Chris Honeycutt (Edinboro, 197) Chris Honeycutt has become the bigger, badder version of his 2011 self, adding 15 pounds of muscle in the offseason on top of his already impressive physique. So far this season he's won the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and a Midlands title, rattled off 25 wins and as of yet hasn't been in any one, two or three-point matches. He's simply been dominant. Why not Cornell's top-ranked Cam Simaz? Mostly because he didn't compete in the finals of the Body Bar Invitational or Southern Scuffle, presumably due to injury. That lack of finishing power hurts his overall accolades and raises at least some suspicion about durability heading into the NCAA tournament. Should he meet a healthy and happy Tim Flynn-coached Honeycutt on Day 3 on the NCAA tournament, one can imagine the outcome. Kyle Dake (Cornell, 157) Kid Dynamite! The baby-faced grappler for Cornell would make NCAA history this season if he's able to win an NCAA title at 157 pounds, as it will be the first time a wrestler has won the national title in consecutive seasons at progressively higher weight classes. Perhaps nobody, ever, has been better than Dake? It's too early to tell, and unlike Cael Sanderson, The Kid has taken a few regular season losses in his career (not this season), but what separates the New York native is where he's been collecting his trophies. Sanderson and Pat Smith each won their four titles at the upper weight classes, where there it's typically less scoring and fewer fresh faces to challenge a returning champ, whereas the lower weights are more transient and lend to new bodies every season. Dake has been blowing up those more competitive low and middleweights, which have typically been the domain of the country's most talented stars. The Cornell junior's season is littered with pins and technical falls. His closest match was against Penn State's Dylan Alton, a 3-0 decision in the finals of the Southern Scuffle, where Dake was never challenged. Kid Dynamite is the best athlete in the sport, showcasing incomparable balance and strength, even if he has a gas tank that draws the ire of some fans. He could be on pace to be the best-ever, a consideration when it comes time to cast ballots. Oh, and he's also pretty good on top. David Taylor (Penn State, 165) The Chosen One. Wrestling's Tom Brady. Cael 2.0. Who else could possibly sit atop the list? David Taylor is without question the most dominant wrestler of the 2011-2012 college wrestling season. He's won 12 of his 15 matches by pin or technical fall, two by major decision, and one by decision. He's aggressive on top, fluid on his feet and unshakable on bottom. Nobody else in the sport has shown as much talent or determination as the Nittany Lion sophomore. Save a cradle in the NCAA finals, Taylor was arguably the most talented and dominant wrestler in the country last season. The lanky-armed Ohio native has moved up a weight class for this season's campaign, but has retained his undersized Gumby-like appeal. As with the Heisman, some of the InterMat Wrestler of the Year is rewarded for the intangible qualities a wrestler possess. Though Taylor is part of one of college wrestling's most-talented three-weight runs (David Taylor-Ed Ruth-Quentin Wright), it's been Taylor's handling of the pressure that has seemed to inspire his teammates -- no doubt aided by the wisdom of head coach Cael Sanderson. Taylor is just better than his competition and for now, and for the next two seasons, seems to be growing increasingly difficult to catch.

EDMOND -- Dustin Reed's upset at 133 pounds sparked Central Oklahoma to an early lead and the No. 6-ranked Bronchos pulled out a bevy of close wins to knock off No. 4 Nebraska-Kearney 25-6 Thursday night at Hamilton Field House. Nine of the 10 matches were decided by two points or less and UCO won seven of those, including Reed's 6-4 win over No. 7-rated Stephen Weimer and overtime victories by 184 Tanner Keck and heavyweight Cody Dauphin. Casy Rowell had the only bonus-point win of the night with a 12-3 major decision at 141 to cap a dual-opening three-match winning streak that staked the Bronchos to a 10-0 lead and UCO answered back-to-back UNK wins by taking the final five weights to end a three-match losing streak to the Lopers. “Obviously we're very excited and happy that we won the match,” head coach David James said. “I anticipated it to be a tough dual tonight and it was. I liked our effort tonight, our guys were really determined and looked like they had a strong desire to win.” Ryan Brooks gave UCO a lead it would never relinquish with a tough 3-2 win in the opening match at 125 pounds, scoring the deciding takedown with 42 seconds left in the second period. Reed followed with his upset of Weimer, collecting two first-period takedowns for a 4-2 lead and then riding Weimer the entire second period. He escaped early in the third to make it 5-2 and gave up two late penalty points while adding a riding time point. Rowell dominated Kazuhiro Fujinawa at 141 to up UCO's lead to 10-0, racking up five takedowns and more than three minutes riding time. UNK came back to take the next two matches, with second-ranked Raufeon Stots topping Ky Corley 8-6 at 149 and No. 2 T.J. Hepburn edging No. 4 Cory Dauphin 5-3 at 157. That pulled the Lopers within 10-6, but UCO quelled any thoughts of a UNK comeback by winning the final five bouts. Chris Watson started the dual-ending streak with a gutsy 6-5 win at 165, overcoming a 5-1 deficit against Islam Abitov in the process. Watson – who was pinned by Abitov in an early-season tournament – pulled within 5-3 on a takedown with 1:34 remaining, tied it on a two-point near-fall at 0:22 and won it with a riding time point. The Bronchos picked up another 6-5 win at 174 when Kelly Henderson took an early 4-0 lead and then held off Brock Smith down the stretch, with the second-ranked Keck topping No. 8 Ross Brunkhardt 3-1 on a takedown 38 seconds into the one-minute sudden-victory period. UCO ended the dual with two more close wins, getting a 2-0 triumph from Jarrett Edison at 197 and a 3-2 tiebreaker victory from Cody Dauphin at heavyweight on a takedown at the buzzer in the first tiebreaker period. Results: 125 – Ryan Brooks, UCO, dec. Jordan White, 3-2. 133 – Dustin Reed, UCO, dec. Stephen Weimer, 6-4. 141 – Casy Rowell, UCO, major dec. Kazuhiro Fujinawa, 12-3. 149 – Raufeon Stots, UNK, dec. Ky Corley, 8-6. 157 – T.J. Hepburn, UNK, dec. Cory Dauphin, 5-3. 165 – Chris Watson, UCO, dec. Islam Abitov, 6-5. 174 – Kelly Henderson, UCO, dec. Brock Smith, 6-5. 184 – Tanner Keck, UCO, dec. Ross Brunkhardt, 3-1 (SV). 197 – Jarrett Edison, UCO, dec. Nick Bauman, 2-0. Heavyweight – Cody Dauphin, UCO, dec. Nick Bauman, 3-2 (TB).

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The No. 8 Ohio State wrestling team defeated the Purdue Boilermakers, 27-10, to improve to 2-2 in the Big Ten Thursday night at St. John Arena. The Buckeyes moved to 8-2 overall as Purdue fell to 6-6 (1-2 Big Ten). The night began with the 125-pound bout as Bo Touris, a redshirt senior from West Chester, Ohio, defeated Luke Schroeder, 15-6, in his first match of the year. This grabbed the Buckeyes a 4-0 early lead. About a minute later the score would be 10-0 as No. 4 Logan Stieber (17-1 overall, 8-1 dual) pinned No. 8 Cashe Quiroga. Stieber's 10th pin of the year improved his record to 22-4 overall and 3-1 in the Big Ten. Adding to the lead was Logan's brother, Hunter Stieber as he earned a decision, 4-2, over the Boilermaker's Nick Lawrence. The No. 7 ranked wrestler at 141 pounds earned the win with a late takedown in the second period to push the score to 4-1. The freshman improved to 3-1 in the Big Ten on the season. Consecutive decisions for Purdue would trim the Buckeye lead to 13-6. Redshirt freshman Alex Gordon (149 pounds) suffered a 7-2 defeat at the hands of No. 13 Ivan Lopouchanski and redshirt sophomore T.J. Rigel (157 pounds) lost a 9-6 bout to No. 20 Tommy Churchard in the final minute. Freshman Derek Garcia (165 pounds) brought the Buckeyes back to the win column, beating Kyle Mosier 8-4, and giving the Scarlet and Gray a 16-6 lead. Garcia earned three points in the third period to give him a commanding lead. A major decision, 15-6, by No. 8 Nick Heflin over Drake Stein put the Buckeyes up 20-6 and sealed the Boilermakers fate. Heflin earned two takedowns in the last four seconds of the second period to push a commanding lead. Heflin moved to 9-1 in dual matches this season. Purdue would earn four points in the 184 pound match as No. 19 Braden Atwood defeated Ohio State's Craig Thomas 9-1. Andrew Campolattano would rebound the Buckeyes in a big way, earning a major decision, 18-6, over Purdue's Justin Dinius. This was Campolattano's sixth dual win on the year and he improved to 2-2 in the Big Ten. The last match of the evening saw No. 17 Pete Capone defeat Purdue's Roger Vukobratovich in overtime by a score of 4-2. Capone moved to 2-2 in the Big Ten this season. The Buckeyes pick up some much needed momentum heading into their Jan. 20th showdown with No. 2 Iowa. The match vs. Iowa will be held at St. John Arena at 7 p.m. and will air live on BTN.com. Results: 125 Bo Touris DEC Luke Schroeder 15-6 133 No. 4 Logan Stieber PINNED No. 8 Cashé Quiroga 141 No. 7 Hunter Stieber DEC Nick Lawrence 4-2 149 No. 13 Ivan Lopouchanski DEC Alex Gordon 7-2 157 No. 20 Tommy Churchard DEC Joe Grandominico 9-6 165 Derek Garcia DEC. Kyle Mosier 8-4 174 No. 8 Nick Heflin DEC Drake Stein 15-6 184 No. 19 Braden Atwood DEC Craig Thomas 9-1 197 Andrew Campolattano DEC Justin Dinius 18-6 HWT No. 17 Peter Capone DEC Roger Vukobratovich 4-2 Postmatch Quotes Logan Stieber, redshirt freshman 133-pounder On his pin “I am good at that arm bar move and I took my time in getting it. Once I got it locked up, it was just a matter of time until I got him to turn over.” On the team tonight “We wrestled well, we wrestled hard and we wrestled tough. We still have a lot to work on. It was good to come back after last week and get a big win tonight. On preparing for Iowa next week “It helps to get this win. We have another hard week of practice and Iowa is going to be really tough. Hopefully we can keep rolling.”

BLOOMSBURG -- The 10th-ranked Bloomsburg University wrestling team posted its biggest shutout victory since the 1984-85 season when it beat Millersville University 54-0 on Wednesday night at the Nelson Field House. The Huskies were in control of the match from the start as Millersville forfeited the 125, 133 and 174 pound weight classes. In addition, Bloomsburg won four matches by fall, one by technical fall and one by major decision and decision. Among the wins was a victory by fall for Bloomsburg's Frank Hickman (Castle Hayne, NC/E.A. Laney), ranked 6th/8th in his weight class. Hickman's win was the 21st of the season and his 19th straight on the year. The 54 points scored by Bloomsburg were the most for the Huskies since beating Delaware State 55-0 back in the 1984-85 season. The total was also the fourth highest in a dual meet ever for Bloomsburg with the record being 59-0 in a win over Hampton in 1977-78. Bloomsburg has now won 10 straight matches and is 12-3 on the season. The Huskies host Pitt on Sunday at 2 p.m. in an EWL-matchup. Admission is free for all fans as part of Bloomsburg's Huskies for the Community promotion. Match-By-Match Summary 125—Bloomsburg's Sean Boylan (Seaville, NJ/St. Marks) wins by forfeit 133—Bloomsburg's Nick Wilcox (Greene, NY/Greene Central) wins by forfeit 141—BU's Shingara got a takedown just 15 seconds into the match to go up 2-0. Millersville's Aaron Trimpey got an escape before Wilcox had another takedown to lead 4-1 after one period. In the second period Shingara recorded three takedowns to lead 11-3 after two. In the third Shingara got three takedowns then got Trimpey on his back and recorded the win by fall in 6:16. 149-Millersville's Steve Hess took down BU's Bryce Busler (Mechanicsburg/Cumberland Valley) early in the match. Busler escaped just seconds later. Busler then grabbed control of the match getting three takedowns, the third putting Hess on his back. Busler then picked up the win by fall in 2:16. 157-#6 Frank Hickman (Castle Hayne, NC/E.A. Laney) led 2-0 over Zac Wawrzyniak-Bush with a first period takedown. In the second Hickman escaped to start the period, then worked a takedown on the edge of the mat. Hickman picked up two near fall points right at the close of the period to lead 7-0. Hickman then got a takedown to start the third and picked up the win by fall in 5:21. 165-Chris Smith (Mineral, Va./Chancelor) and Brandon Vernalli were locked in a scoreless battle when Smith got Vernalli on the edge of the mat and was able to sit on his shoulders to record the win by fall in 2:15. 174-Bloomsburg's Mike Dessino (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) wins by forfeit. 184-Bloomsburg's Sam Shirey (Beaver Springs/Midd-West) completely dominated Millersville's Ryan Nielsen. In the first period Shirey had five takedowns and two, three-point near falls to lead 16-4 after one period. In the second period Shirey escaped to start the period, then ended the match with a takedown and with riding time had a 20-4 win by technical fall. 197—Richard Perry (Meriden, CT/Middletown) picked up two first period takedowns to lead 4-1 after one period over Joel Suter. Perry got two more takedowns in the second period and led 8-3 after two. In the third period got three more takedowns and with riding time won 15-5. 285-The final bout of the match was close throughout. BU's Zac Walsh (Denville, NJ/Morris Knolls) got the first points of the night with 51 seconds left in the first period when he got a takedown. Millersville's Brad Ladd then worked a reversal and quickly turned that into a two-point near fall to lead 4-2. Walsh though escaped to end the period. I the second Ladd took down and escaped to lead 5-3. Walsh then got Ladd on one leg and tripped up his opponent for a takedown to tie the score at 5-5. Ladd though escaped the takedown late to lead 6-5 going to the third period. Walsh took down and escaped to tie the score at 6-6 with 1:30 to go. Walsh then scored a takedown with 50 seconds left to go up 8-6. With under 30 seconds to go Ladd escaped but Walsh held of his scoring attempts to win 8-7. Results: 125 Sean Boylan (Seaville, NJ/St. Marks) (Bloomsburg) won by forfeit 133 Nick Wilcox (Greene, NY/Greene Central) (Bloomsburg) won by forfeit 141 Derek Shingara (Shamokin/Shamokin) (Bloomsburg) won by pin over Aaron Trimpey (Millersville) 6:16. 149 #30 Bryce Busler (Mechanicsburg/Cumberland Valley) (Bloomsburg) won by pin over Steve Hess (Millersville) 2:16. 157 #6/8 Frank Hickman (Castle Hayne, NC/E.A. Laney) (Bloomsburg) won by pin over Zac Wawrzyniak-Bush (Millersville) 5:21. 165 Christopher Smith (Bloomsburg) won by pin over Brandon Vernalli (Millersville) 2:15. 174 #33 Mike Dessino (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) (Bloomsburg) won by forfeit 184 Sam Shirey (Beaver Springs/Midd-West) (Bloomsburg) won by tech fall over Ryan Nielsen (Millersville) 3:19 20-4. 197 #31 Richard Perry (Meriden, CT/Middletown) (Bloomsburg) won by major decision over Joel Suter (Millersville) 15-5. 285 Zachary Walsh (Bloomsburg) won by decision over Bradley Ladd (Millersville) 8-7.

NORFOLK, Va. -- Nine Old Dominion University wrestlers came out victorious on Wednesday evening at the Ted Constant Convocation Center as the Monarchs smothered Bucknell, 33-3. Wrestling at home for the first time in 2012, ODU (5-4) wasted little time jumping on Bucknell (2-7) early and often, as the first eight wrestlers of the evening were all winners for the Monarchs. In a dual meet for the first time this season, redshirt freshman Jerome Robinson used a late surge and held on with a riding time point to defeat Bucknell's Austin Miller, 10-9 to start things off at 125 pounds. Then at 133 pounds, sophomore Scott Festejo pinned his second opponent in as many home duals this season when he took down Shawn Armato at the 2:11 mark to give the Monarchs an early 9-0 team lead. Moving to 141 pounds, redshirt sophomore No. 25 Justin LaValle was in control of his match against Derrik Russell as he earned a 6-2 victory for his team-leading 21st victory of the season. Redshirt junior Brennan Brumley then put on the most exciting win of the night for ODU at 149 pounds as he was deadlocked with Bucknell's John Regan for most of their match. He rode out Regan in the first part of overtime before escaping while down in the second overtime and fending off the Bucknell grappler to earn a 2-1 win. Redshirt sophomore No. 30 John Nicholson blistered Ray Schlitt at 157 pounds in the final match before intermission with a 17-6 major decision victory as the Monarchs led 19-0 at the half way point. Out of the break, sophomore Tristan Warner kept the momentum going for ODU as he earned a thrilling late takedown in the third period of Corey Lear to earn a 4-2 win at 165 pounds. After a slow start for No. 17 Te Edwards at 174 pounds, the senior cruised late to overpower Stephen McPeek with a 17-6 major decision. Redshirt sophomore Billy Curling also had to work for his win at 184 pounds put eventually cruised to a 10-2 major decision win over Jamie Westwood. Bucknell got on the board at 197 pounds in a tight affair as Joe McMullan's late takedown of senior Joe Budi doomed the Monarch as he narrowly fell, 6-5. Redshirt freshman Matt Tourdot has no problems closing things out at heavyweight for ODU as he blanked Tyler Lyster, 7-0. The Monarchs return to action on Friday as they open the annual Virginia Duals at the Hampton Coliseum at 11 a.m. against Arizona State. Results: 125: Jerome Robinson (ODU) dec. Austin Miller (Bucknell), 10-9 133: Scott Festejo (ODU) fall Shawn Armato (Bucknell), 2:11 141: No. 25 Justin LaValle (ODU) dec. Derrik Russell (Bucknell), 6-2 149: Brennan Brumley (ODU) dec. John Regan (Bucknell), 2-1 SV1 157: No. 30 John Nicholson (ODU) major dec. Ray Schlitt (Bucknell), 17-6 165: Tristan Warner (ODU) dec. Corey Lear (Bucknell), 4-2 174: No. 17 Te Edwards (ODU) major dec. Stephen McPeek (Bucknell), 17-6 184: Billy Curling (ODU) major dec. Jamie Westwood (Bucknell), 10-2 197: Joe McMullan (Bucknell) dec. Joe Budi (ODU), 6-5 285: Matt Tourdot (ODU) vs. Tyler Lyster (Bucknell), 7-0

Barring an upset that would make Larry Owings' victory over Dan Gable in the NCAA finals seem like a tossup match, No. 1 Blair Academy, N.J., and No. 2 St. Edward, Ohio, will meet in the championship match of the NHSCA High School Wrestling Festival on Saturday at Pleasant Valley High School in Brodheadsville, Pa. The finals match is slated to begin at 5:15 p.m., and there will be a free live broadcast exclusively on NHSCA.com, with an archive on the High School Television Network (HSTN) for future viewing. The following is a weight-by-weight breakdown of the battle for number one in the nation. 106: Jordan Kutler (Blair Academy) vs. L.J. Bentley (St. Edward) This match features a pair of freshmen, both of whom are somewhat undersized for the weight class. However, it is Kutler who has had the better season to date, with a seventh place finish at the Beast of the East, while going 2-2 but failing to place at the Walsh Ironman and POWERade. Bentley was two-and-out at the Ironman, but has shown signs of progress since then reversing his second Ironman loss in a dual meet the next week and going 3-3 at the Clash including a tight loss to nationally ranked Coy Ozias. If the Eagles are to have any chance of poaching the dual meet, this is a match they probably need to win; however, look for Blair to win a tight decision. Team: Blair 3-0 113: No. 3 Joey McKenna (Blair Academy) vs. Alex Moore (St. Edward) McKenna is the obvious favorite in this match, having outplaced Moore at the Ironman (second vs. fourth) and possessing the greater resume. This past summer, McKenna was a Cadet National double All-American in Fargo, winning the Greco-Roman tournament for a second consecutive year. Against common opponent Aaron Assad, McKenna possesses 4-3 and 5-0 victories in the Ironman and Beast semifinals, while Moore beat Assad 3-1 in overtime in the consolation semifinals at the Ironman. Expect McKenna to earn a somewhat low-scoring but decisive decision result. Team: Blair 6-0 120: No. 19 P.J. Klee (Blair Academy) vs. Colin Heffernan (St. Edward) Klee is the more proven commodity in this match, though both have been adversely affected by logjams in their area of the lineup during their careers. Last year, Klee (and also Max Hvolbek) was stuck behind the since graduated pair of Evan Silver and Caleb Richardson at 112 and 119 pounds; while Colin Heffernan was forced to wrestle up at 130 pounds due to the presence of Dean Heil and Markus Scheidel at 119 and 125. Prior to his freshman year, in the summer of 2010, Klee was a Cadet freestyle All-American, while last spring he earned All-American honors in freestyle at the FILA Cadet Nationals. This season, he placed sixth at the Ironman and second at both the Beast and POWERade. Heffernan is a complete wild card, as he has wrestled in limited competition due to making the slow descent to this weight class, since Heil and Edgar Bright occupy the weight classes above. He is dangerous, as shown by productive runs this past off-season at the FILA Cadet Nationals and Cadet National Duals in freestyle. The safe pick here is Klee in a close decision, though this is a match St. Edward can hope to poach. Team: Blair 9-0 126: No. 15 Max Hvolbek (Blair Academy) vs. No. 2 Dean Heil (St. Edward) While this is listed as a showdown between nationally ranked wrestlers, it is also a match where there resides a clear favorite. During the course of this season, Heil has a 5-1 record against wrestlers ranked in the top 12 of their respective weight classes, while Hvolbek is 0-5 with all matches being rather non-competitive. In fact, against common ranked opposition (Jimmy Gulibon, Brandon Jeske, and Joey Dance), Heil is 4-0 and Hvolbek 0-4. The one chance Hvolbek may have to win this match is to score points in the top position, though a more likely (but not probable) scenario could involve Heil extending this out to a major decision. Team: Blair 9-3 132: No. 2 Mark Grey (Blair Academy) vs. No. 8 Edgar Bright (St. Edward) This is probably the most anticipated individual matchup of the whole dual meet, with two of the most talented and impressive wrestlers of the early season going toe-to-toe. At the Walsh Ironman, Bright placed second while Grey placed fourth; in fact, Bright beat Alex Cisneros in the semifinal, who beat Grey for third place. However, in the championship match, Bright was upended by Randy Cruz, and Grey was able to avenge that loss in the Ironman semifinal the next week in the Beast of the East final. In other matches since then, Grey added a POWERade title to the Ironman title, and Bright has split matches against nationally ranked competition (losing 3-1 in overtime to Kevin Norstrem and beating Joey Ward 3-1; Grey beat Ward 5-3 in the Ironman quarterfinal). Based on their overall careers, it is not a good proposition to predict against Mark Grey, and I will not be doing so here; however, fans of St. Edward winning this match should mark this down as one they need/want to get. Team: Blair 12-3 138: No. 4 Todd Preston (Blair Academy) vs. Nick Barber (St. Edward) On paper, this appears to be a mismatch. Preston is a two-time National Prep champion and two-time Junior National freestyle All-American, while Barber has placed fourth at the state tournament once and had a poor Junior freestyle tournament last summer going 1-2. However, more relevant to the match on Saturday is what has happened this season. At the Walsh Ironman, Preston placed third to Barber's fifth, including a 1-0 head-to-head victory for Preston in the consolation semifinal. Additionally, both wrestlers have wrestled Nate Skonieczny this year; Barber losing a tight 3-2 decision in a dual meet, while Preston earned a 2-1 victory in the tiebreaker in the finals of the POWERade. The safe pick here is Preston in a close match, but one where the outcome is clear. Team: Blair 15-3 145: No. 9 Dylan Milonas (Blair Academy) vs. Markus Scheidel (St. Edward) The sophomore Milonas has been one of the breakout stars of the early season winning titles at the Ironman and Beast of the East after failing to place at either of those tournaments last season. Additionally, he was a runner-up at the POWERade, and in all has a 6-1 record against nationally ranked wrestlers this season after dominating his way to a Cadet freestyle title in which he did not give up a single point. Though he is the underdog in this match, Scheidel is a pesky and dangerous opponent. He does have a consolation win at the Walsh Ironman over Reno TOC champ Joey Lavallee, and extended the sensational Mark Hall to overtime at the Clash before falling just short. The pick here is for Milonas to win by decision. Team: Blair 18-3 152: Russ Parsons (Blair Academy) vs. Matt Van Curen (St. Edward) Other than 106 this is one of two matches of the dual meet in which neither team presents a nationally ranked wrestler. That does not mean the match is unimportant, nor that the wrestlers here lack talent. Parsons is clearly the more consistent performer, as shown by top four placements at his three major tournaments season to date (fourth at the Ironman, second at the Beast, and champion at POWERade). In order to intelligently predict how Van Curen will perform in any match -- heck during any moment of the match -- one would need powers unknown to mankind. He has incomparable talent, as shown by throwing Felipe Martinez and Bo Jordan to their backs during matches over the years; however, more commonplace has been disappointment, as shown by two 0-2 state tournaments followed by failing to make the state tournament last year. These two wrestlers met in the quarterfinals at the Walsh Ironman, with Parsons winning 7-4. For the sake of sanity, let's pick a similar outcome this time around; however, the universe of possible outcomes is completely undefined. Team: Blair 21-3 160: Patrick Coover (Blair Academy) vs. Jacob Davis (St. Edward) And this is the other match that does not feature a nationally ranked wrestler for either team; however, both wrestlers have strong resumes of success. Coover has placed in all three major tournaments this year -- seventh at Ironman, fifth at Beast, and fourth at POWERade; while Davis out-placed Coover at the Ironman with a sixth place finish, which included a semifinal appearance. Against common opponent Dylan Reel at the Ironman, Davis split matches (winning in the quarterfinal, losing for fifth place), while Coover suffered a 6-2 setback in consolation wrestling. The prediction here is for Davis to win a close decision; however, if Coover can pull the upset here, this would be an indication that things are not going to go anywhere close to St. Edward's way. Team: Blair 21-6 170: Jack Wedholm (Blair Academy) vs. No. 5 Mark Martin (St. Edward) Wedholm did not wrestle for Blair at either the Ironman or the Beast of the East, but did place sixth at the POWERade after a season-ending injury to Addison Knepshield at the Beast of the East. Martin was champion at the Walsh Ironman this season, and was a Junior National freestyle All-American and FILA Junior National freestyle champion this past off-season. In the semifinal of the Walsh Ironman, Martin and Knepshield wrestled, with Martin earning a 10-2 major decision. Look for a similar type of outcome here, with fans of the Eagles hoping Martin can muster additional bonus with a pin. Team: Blair 21-10 182: Michael Mocco (Blair Academy) vs. No. 11 Domenic Abounader (St. Edward) Though not known as a world-beater, Mocco has been solid for Blair this year going against a tough schedule, placing fourth at the Ironman, fifth at the Beast, and fourth at the POWERade. However, Abounader is on a different plane, having won state as a sophomore in 2011, being a two-time Cadet National freestyle All-American, and finishing as runner-up in this year's Walsh Ironman. When the two wrestlers met at the Ironman, Abounader earned a 7-1 semifinal victory. However, in last year's dual meet, Abounader was able to pin Mocco. In this match, Abounader is the clear favorite and looking for big bonus points; however, the prediction here will be a compromise of sorts, a major decision for Abounader. Team: Blair 21-14 195: No. 15 Frank Mattiace (Blair Academy) vs. No. 20 James Suvak (St. Edward) Though this is a showdown of nationally ranked wrestlers, it is lower than one might think on the food chain of interest in this dual meet. Of course, that is a testament to how talented both squads truly are. Mattiace placed third at National Preps last year in the 189 pound weight class, while Suvak was third in Ohio's big-school division at 189. In last year's dual meet Mattiace was able to muster a victory, while at this year's Ironman, Mattiace was champion and Suvak third. Against common opponent Seth Calvert, Mattiace won by 6-1 decision with Suvak losing 4-0. The pick here is for Mattiace to replicate the decision from last year's dual meet, though St. Edward fans are marking down this as a match that can be reversed. Team: Blair 24-14 220: David Farr (Blair Academy) vs. No. 14 Ty Walz (St. Edward) These two wrestlers met in the fifth place match at the Walsh Ironman, with Walz exiting as a 10-5 victor. Remember, that was coming off a disappointing afternoon session for Walz, as he lost an overtime match in the semifinals to A.J. Vizcarrando before being upset by Chalmer Freauf in the consolation semifinal (he avenged that loss to Freauf this past week). This past off-season, Walz was a FILA Cadet National freestyle runner-up and Junior National freestyle All-American. The pick here is for Walz to win the match by a convincing decision, while fans of St. Edward will be hoping for some sort of bonus points. Team: Blair 24-17 285: No. 1 Brooks Black (Blair Academy) vs. No. 4 Greg Kuhar/Joe Belford (St. Edward) Kuhar was runner-up at the Ironman to Black, losing by 3-1 decision, and has never beaten Black when counting two prior in-season dual meets and multiple freestyle matches. This segment was going to be optimistic for Kuhar, as he came into the Ironman off only two weeks of practice from the football playoffs, and he just capped off a tremendous Clash, which included a 6-2 victory over Nick Nevills. However, he did not wrestle this past weekend at the State Duals, and there are questions to if he will wrestle on Saturday. Black is the obvious number one in the country, and has controlled/dominated opposition this year in winning the Ironman, Beast, and POWERade. If Black wrestles Kuhar, Black by decision; if it's Belford, Black by pin or major. Team: Blair 28-17 Final thoughts: As can be seen here, the on-paper matchups for Blair. However, the potential for bonus points resides more in the St. Edward camp. The dual meet as presented here was 9-5 in matches for Blair. If the Eagles can somehow flip a net total of two outcomes, I would favor them to win in a 7-7 match scenario. Of the fourteen predictions, I can see St. Edward reversing outcomes at 106, 120, 132, and/or 195; while I could see Blair reversing the outcome at 160. The unexpected always plays a critical dynamic in dual meet wrestling, as does momentum. Wrestling fans everywhere should look forward to an awesome dual meet in the early evening on Saturday, and one that should do high school wrestling proud. Other details of the event: Blair Academy will wrestle three preliminary pool matches against Framingham, Mass., Palisades, Pa., and Cedar Cliff, Pa. The Buccaneers can most certainly substitute liberally in those three dual meets and dominate the opposition. Two potential matches against Cedar Cliff could be somewhat relevant, though clearly Blair wins -- Grey against Chris Vassar at 132, and Preston against Max Good at 138. St. Edward will wrestle three preliminary matches against Benton, Pa., Souderton, Pa., and No. 46 Bergen Catholic, N.J. Again, the Eagles can substitute liberally without problem and dominate. However, a couple of matches against Bergen Catholic could pique fan interest -- Bright against Connor Melde at 132, and Davis against No. 13 Johnny Sebastian at 160. Assuming Blair wins their pool, they would face the winner of either Pool B or Pool C in a semifinal at 3:30 p.m. Pool B is anchored by Don Bosco Prep, N.J. -- featuring Beast of the East champion at 152 pounds, No. 17 Sal Mastriani; eighth place finisher at 195 Razohn Gross; and freshman sensation Zack Chakonis, who placed sixth at 220. Pool C could be won by either Timberlane, N.H., or Mifflinburg, Pa. Timberlane features 2009 Beast of the East champion Zach Bridson (112), while Mifflinburg features Cadet Greco-Roman All-American Cole Walter (120) and Super 32 placer Ty Walter (160). Assuming St. Edward wins its pool, they would face the winner of either Pool D or Pool E in a semifinal at that same 3:30 p.m. time. Pool D is anchored by Germantown Academy, Pa., which features National Prep champion Chris Yankowich (138), Beast of the East third place finisher Nick Grossi (220), along with Ironman and Beast placer Chuck Boddy (285). Pool E is anchored by Northampton, Pa., which is led by two-time Beast of the East placer Jason Stephen (138). Link to pools and schedule: http://www.nhsca.com/images/files/2012%20Festival%20Pools%20&%20Schedule.pdf

Rousimar Palhares (Photo/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) UFC veteran Rousimar Palhares is better known throughout Brazil and the jiu-jitsu world by his nickname, "Toquinho" the Portuguese word for "twist." It's a fitting moniker for a grappler that men of mat and cage have started to fear for the quickness and ferocity with which employs brutal, career-ending heel hooks and knee-bar submissions. The 31-year-old fighter has been tearing three-letter ligaments since joining the Brazilian Top Team gym. The story of Palates' arrival -- which has by now been stripped of reality and succumb to the hyperbolic nature of legend -- is that he camped outside the entrance to BTT for three weeks until head trainer Murillo Bustamante allowed him to train. Once inside, the legend continues, he made short work of his new teammates. By most accounts, Palhares was humble as he rose through the ranks of Bustamante's gym and attached himself to the teachings of the former UFC champion -- treating him as both father and coach. In return, Bustamante transitioned his star pupil from a life on the mats into a life in the cage. The fights started simple enough; an arm bar submission here, some ground and pound there, but things got twisted at the 2007 Fury FC Middleweight Grand Prix in Brazil when Palhares submitted consecutive opponents by heel hook in the first round. Toquinho made a smooth transition to the big money and bright lights of the Octagon at UFC 82, where he earned a Submission of the Night bonus for an arm bar of Ivan Salaverry. Next was a three-round decision loss to Dan Henderson. Palhares won two more fights by decision before entering the cage against the largely unheralded Tomas Drwal. The heel hook returned, but instead of letting go when Drwal submitted, Palhares held tight on the submission until the referee forced him to finally relinquish the hold. In less than two minutes Toquinho had earned himself a reputation, and a 90-day suspension. Maybe it was the suspension that rattled loose the mortar supporting the modesty and sportsmanship within Palahares, or maybe he's always been a little crazy, but in his return to the Octagon in September of 2010 the Brazilian was again out of sync with reality and in conflict with the referees. Facing off against fellow top contender Nate Marquardt, Palhares dropped to the leg for what he believed to be a sure-fire heel-hook submission. The crowd gasped, but Marquardt responded correctly and turned away from the action to gain separation. Palhares was left sitting on the mat in disbelief, but instead of protecting himself from the charging Marquardt, Palhares began to complain to the referee that he believed Marquardt had greased his leg (Would you have blamed him?). Marquardt took the opportunity to unleash hell on the Brazilian's head and secured a first-round TKO. Marquardt would later be cleared of any wrongdoing and Palhares would apologize for his behavior, but yet again the Brazilian had shown odd behavior inside the cage, giving fans and other fighters pause to question his emotional stability. Since their fight, Marquardt has been released from the UFC, while Palhares has continued to be quirky and controversial, even on the jiu-jitsu mat. The Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) is the most prestigious no-gi jiu-jitsu tournament in the world. Fighters who win their weight class can earn as much as $20k, and Palhares, sniffing an opportunity to employ his twisting maneuvers on a set of men unable to strike him back, joined the 2011 competition. He strolled through the first round of competition, his opponent tapping the moment that Palhares grabbed his leg from the standing position -- apparently having seen some of the damage Toquinho has caused to other fighters in recent years. Palhares next faced well-regarded David Avellan of Miami. The fight was progressing as normal until Palhares reached for a heel hook and earned the submission while going out of bounds. However, as they stood up to shake hands Palhares landed a hard head snap to Avellan, which he later claimed was an attempt to give the fallen competitor a hug. The referees granted Avellan a restart (Why is somewhat unclear, but Avellan's brother claims that the referee yelled "Stop!" before Palhares' submission attempt) and repositioned Palhares with a heel hook in the middle of the mat Avellan accepted the restart and after a quick spin-out attempt by the American Palhares switched into a knee bar and cranked, hyper extending the leg of the former ADCC bronze medalist. Palhares lost to Andre Galvao in the finals, a man who had no patience for leg locks and who frustrated the fighter enough to even cause a point deduction for improper clubbing of the head. At UFC 134 in August, Palhares was again out-of-whack when he assumed his fight against Dan Miller was over after several seconds of ground and pound and straddled the cage in celebration. Of course the fight wasn't over, and referee Herb Dean was forced to pull Palhares down and restart the action. He'd eventually earn the unanimous decision victory. None of this bodes very well for Mike Massenzio. The New Jersey native is a salty striker and good wrestler, but was once submitted via triangle choke by Brain Stann. He probably hasn't felt the strength and speed of a heel hook like that of Palhares, and even if he has, nothing outside of the world's greatest grappler may be able to stop a motivated Toquinho. Should the Brazilian lock up the submission lets hope that Massenzio feels the position fast enough to tap, and that Toquinho has the sense to let go. Otherwise Massenzio might be the next man to be retired by a twist of fate. The Rise of Toquinho from stuart cooper Films on Vimeo.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- No. 22 Northwestern (5-1, 1-1 Big Ten) has arguably one of the toughest weekends of competition on the horizon as the Wildcats host the defending NCAA and Big Ten champions, and currently top-ranked, Penn State Nittany Lions (5-1, 1-1) at 7 p.m. Friday, at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Then, less than 48 hours later, the 'Cats take on this year's Midlands champions, and fourth-ranked, Iowa (7-1, 2-0) at 1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15. This weekend, a total of 19 wrestlers ranked by InterMat are probable to take the mat; four for Northwestern, eight for Penn State and seven for Iowa. Fans can watch both matches this weekend on the Big Ten Digital Network, which airs on Wildcat All-Access on NUsports.com. Friday Night Promotions Friday is Family Fun Night at Welsh-Ryan Arena, presented by Coke Zero, where families will enjoy free hot dogs courtesy of Vienna Beef and free Coke Zero in a color-changing Northwestern wrestling mug. Fans are invited to stay after the match to get your Northwestern Wrestling schedule poster signed by the team at the post-match autograph session. Pariano to Appear on Takedown Radio This Saturday Northwestern head coach Drew Pariano will be a guest on the Takedown Radio broadcast airing this Saturday. Pariano is scheduled to be on the show in the 10 a.m. hour and fans can listen to a live streak online at www.takedownradio.com. Northwestern wrestling fans in the Des Moines, Iowa, area can listen live on 1460 WXNO. Scouting the Nittany Lions Penn State is currently the top-ranked team in the country according to InterMat, and WIN Magazine polls. The Nittany Lions are 5-1 in dual action, losing their lone match of the season on Nov. 20, 23-14 to Minnesota. Since then, PSU has won four-straight duals, including a 50-0 shutout of Lock Haven and most recently, a 36-6 win over Michigan State last weekend. The Nittany Lions also won the team title at the Southern Scuffle with four individual champions. Eight Nittany Lions are currently ranked, including No. 10 Nico Megaludis (125), No. 1 Frank Molinaro (149), No. 9 Dylan Alton (157), No. 1 David Taylor (165), No. 2 Ed Ruth (174), No. 2 Quentin Wright (184), No. 12 Morgan McIntosh (197), No. 6 Cameron Wade (Hwt). Penn State has four returning All-Americans on this year's roster (Molinaro, Taylor, Ruth and Wright). Scouting the Hawkeyes Iowa won the team title at the 49th Annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships at Welsh-Ryan Arena and is out to a 7-1 record in dual action. The Hawkeyes saw their 84-dual unbeaten streak come to an end Saturday night against Oklahoma State. Despite splitting 10 matches, the Cowboys outscored the Hawkeyes 54-51 in match points to earn the 17-16 victory. Iowa visits Nebraska Friday before hosting the Wildcats on Sunday. Like Penn State, Iowa has a number of ranked wrestlers in the latest InterMat poll, including No. 2 Matt McDonough (125), this week's Big Ten Wrestler of the Week, No. 2 Tony Ramos (133), No. 3 Montell Marion (141), No. 2 Derek St. John (157), No. 9 Mike Evans (165), No. 11 Ethen Lofthouse (174), No. 19 Grant Gambrall (197) and No. 8 Bobby Telford (Hwt). All, with the exception of St. John, are listed as probable starters for Sunday. How Do You Rank? Depending on what wrestling poll you look at, Northwestern is wrestling either the No. 1 or No. 3 team in the country Friday night and then the No. 2, or No. 4 team Sunday. Either way, this weekend brings tough competition for the Wildcats, who come in ranked as high as 17th and are also tabbed at No. 22 in two other polls. Here's a breakdown of the InterMat, WIN Magazine and USA Today/NWCA Coaches Polls. InterMat WIN NWCA Northwestern 22 22 T17 Penn State 1 1 3 Iowa 4 T2 2 Probable Starters Weight Northwestern Penn State Iowa 125 #7 Levi Mele #10 Nico Megaludis #2 Matt McDonough 133 Jameson Oster Frank Martellotti OR Derek Reber #2 Tony Ramos 141 Colin Shober OR Pat Greco Bryan Pearsall #3 Montell Marion 149 Kaleb Friedley #1 Frank Molinaro Mark Ballweg OR Mike Kelly 157 #3 Jason Welch #9 Dylan Alton Nick Moore 165 Pierce Harger #1 David Taylor #9 Mike Evans 174 #9 Lee Munster #2 Ed Ruth #11 Ethen Lofthouse 184 Robert Kellogg OR Marcus Shrewsbury #2 Quentin Wright Jeremy Fahler OR Vinnie Wagner 197 John Schoen #12 Morgan McIntosh #19 Grant Gambrall OR Tomas Lira Hwt #19 Mike McMullan #6 Cameron Wade #8 Bobby Telford *InterMat rankings used Last Time Out Last weekend, the Wildcats opened up the 2011-12 Big Ten dual campaign, hosting No. 7 Michigan and then visiting Wisconsin. The Wolverines escaped Welsh-Ryan Arena with a 28-9 win, but Northwestern bounced back with a 33-9 victory over the Badgers on Sunday. Northwestern relied heavily on bonus points in its bout on Sunday with three major decisions and two pins. Despite all of the wins by bonus points, redshirt freshman Pierce Harger recorded the biggest win of the weekend for the 'Cats, upsetting Wisconsin's No. 8 Ben Jordan 4-2 at 165 lbs. Juniors Levi Mele and Jason Welch both went 2-0 on the weekend. Mele got the 'Cats out to a 6-0 lead vs. Michigan by pinning Grant Pizzo in 3:36 and then added a major decision to his record, defeating Wisconsin's Austin Hietpas 14-1 on Sunday. Welch won his 11th and 12th bouts of the season, knocking off Michigan's Brandon Zeerip 2-0 on Friday and then pinned his third opponent of the season, Shawn Perry from Wisconsin, in 3:41 Sunday. With the wins, Mele improves to 19-2 on the season and Welch is a perfect 12-0. Have We Met? Friday's match will be the first time Northwestern has wrestled Penn State at any event this year, but the Wildcats and Hawkeyes are somewhat familiar with one another as Midlands featured a number of bouts between the two teams. Three exciting rematches could take place Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye at 174, 197 and heavyweight. In the Midlands finals at 174 lbs., No. 5 seed Lee Munster met second-seeded Ethen Lofthouse and the NU redshirt freshman defeated the Hawkeye 7-3 to win the title. Two other matches featuring the Wildcats and Hawkeyes went to overtime at Midlands. At the 197 lbs. seventh place match, unseeded John Schoen was edged 3-1 in sudden victory by No. 7 seed Grant Gambrall and No. 10 seed Mike McMullan also lost a close 4-2 overtime match against No. 3 seed Bobby Telford. In the Bonus This year, Northwestern is racking up the bonus points, as 71 of its 152 wins have been by either major decision, technical fall or fall. Individually, Levi Mele and Jason Welch also have a number of wins with bonus points. Mele has scored extra points in 11 of his 21 matches (or 52.4 percent of his bouts this year) while Welch has eight bonus point wins in 12 bouts (66.7 percent). Northwestern has 37 pins, 26 major decisions and eight tech falls on the season. Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook! and subscribe to the NU Sports Express e-newsletter to receive the latest news, schedule updates and video and to interact with NU. For more information on following specific Northwestern teams online, visit our Social Media page!

An undisclosed injury has forced Mike Stumpf out of UFC 143. In his place goes undefeated welterweight prospect Stephen Wonderboy Thompson, who fights Justin Edwards at the Super Bowl weekend event, UFC officials today announced. UFC 143 takes place Feb. 4 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Read Story

Sean Sherk, UFC Hall of Famer? With the UFC entering a new era and veterans such as Tito Ortiz, B.J. Penn and Rich Franklin in the homestretch of their careers, former UFC lightweight champ Sherk is hoping to cement his place in a crowded field of HOF candidates. Inactive since a September 2010 win over Evan Dunham, the oft-injured Sherk now is planning for a spring or early-summer return to the octagon. Read Story

For the first time since 2008, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is headed to the Peach State. It was announced on Tuesday's new edition of FUEL TV's UFC Live that Atlanta's Philips Arena will play host to UFC 146, which takes place April 21. MMAjunkie.com has since confirmed with sources close to the event that the city's Philips Arena will host the card. Read Story

Stockholm's own light heavyweight Alexander Gustfasson will take on Brazilian veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in the main event of UFC Sweden, the UFC announced Tuesday. UFC Sweden (also known as UFC on FUEL TV 2), the promotion's debut in Sweden, takes place Saturday, April 14 at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm. Sweden has been on our radar for a long time and on April 14, we're excited to finally bring the UFC to Stockholm, UFC President Dana White stated Tuesday ...