InterMat Staff

MOUNT PLEASANT -- The Central Michigan wrestling program travels to Northern Illinois this weekend in search of its 10th consecutive Mid-American Conference Wrestling Championships title. Competition begins Saturday at 1 p.m. The championship matches and consolation finals get underway at noon on Sunday. Each of the 10 individual weight class winners will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. The NCAA allocated the MAC multiple automatic bids at five different weight classes. "This is the part of the season that we build toward all year," said CMU head coach Tom Borrelli. "I'm looking forward to seeing how our young team competes and responds to the atmosphere of the conference tournament this weekend." CMU Seeking 10th Straight MAC Championships Crown: CMU has won nine consecutive MAC Championships titles and 12 of the last 13 conference tournament crowns. CMU’s current streak of nine straight titles is the longest streak in MAC history.
 • The Chippewas have won 14 MAC Championships titles overall. Ohio, the only other program besides CMU to win the conference tournament since 1998, has won 15 MAC Championships titles.
 • CMU shared the 2011 MAC regular season title with Kent State and Ohio. Each of the three teams posted identical 4-1 conference records. The championship was CMU's 12th in the past 13 seasons. CMU has won 66 of its last 69 MAC dual meets. Three Returning Champions in CMU Lineup: Three former MAC champions will be part of CMU's lineup this weekend. Senior Mike Miller is a two-time MAC champion, having won the conference title at 174 pounds in 2009 and 165 pounds in 2007. He will wrestle at 165 pounds this weekend while trying to become the 10th three-time MAC champion in CMU history. Junior Scotti Sentes, who will compete at 133 pounds, won the 125-pound title as a true freshman in 2009. Sophomore Ben Bennett will defend his 2010 conference title at 174 pounds. Six Chippewas to Make MAC Championships Debut: Six members of CMU's lineup will be competing at the MAC Championships for the first time in their careers: Christian Cullinan (125 pounds), Scott Mattingly (141 pounds), Donnie Corby (149 pounds), Ryan Cubberly (157 pounds), Craig Kelliher (184 pounds) and Chad Friend (197 pounds). MAC Allocated 18 NCAA Championships Bids: Each of the weight class winners at this weekend's conference tournament will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships in Philadelphia. The NCAA awarded the conference multiple automatic bids at five weight classes: 133 (two bids), 157 (three bids), 174 (two bids), 197 (two bids) and heavyweight (four bids). In each of the other five classes, only the MAC champion will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. Looking Back at the 2010 MAC Championships: Five Chippewas won individual titles as CMU claimed its ninth consecutive conference tournament championship in 2010. Matt Steintrager (125), Conor Beebe (141), Steve Brown (157), Tyler Grayson (165) and Ben Bennett (174) each won their weight class, and all 10 Chippewas finished in third place or better. CMU, the tournament host, scored 94 team points to finish ahead of Kent State (73) and Ohio (62). Hitting the Century Mark: Nine times the winning team at the MAC Championships has scored at least 100 points, and CMU has accounted for seven of those instances. The nine teams to score at least 100 points at the MAC Championships:

 Team (Year) - Points 1. Central Michigan (1999) - 124.5
 2. Central Michigan (2005) - 119.5
 3. Central Michigan (2009) - 111.5 4. Central Michigan (1998) - 116 5. Central Michigan (2008) - 110
6. Central Michigan (2007) - 106.5
 7. Ohio (1972) - 104 8. Ohio (1973) - 103 9. Central Michigan (2006) - 102.5 In the Rankings: CMU was ranked 14th in the final regular season InterMat poll and 24th in the final regular season NWCA/USA Today poll. The InterMat team rankings are based on InterMat's individual weight class rankings, while the NWCA/USA Today poll is voted on by a nationwide pool of head coaches. Four Chippewas are ranked in the top 20 nationally of their weight class by InterMat: Scotti Sentes (No. 11, 133 pounds), Mike Miller (No. 18, 165 pounds), Ben Bennett (No. 7, 174 pounds) and Jarod Trice (No. 2, heavyweight). Fearsome Threesome: Scotti Sentes, Ben Bennett and Jarod Trice were a combined 40-6 in dual meets this season and combined to score 153 dual meet points, 54.3 percent of CMU's total of 282 points in 16 duals. Sentes was 13-3 in duals with a team-leading 57 points, Bennett was 14-2 with 51 points and Trice was 13-1 with 45 points. Five Earn First MAC Wins: Five different Chippewas have earned their first career MAC dual victories this season. Sophomore Christian Cullinan (125 pounds) and redshirt freshman Craig Kelliher (197 pounds) posted wins in the Chippewas' 21-13 win at Northern Illinois, junior Chad Friend (184 pounds) claimed his first conference victory in CMU's 21-17 loss at Ohio, redshirt freshman Scott Mattingly (141 pounds) was victorious in the Chippewas' 19-14 win over Buffalo and senior Ryan Cubberly (157 pounds) picked up his first career MAC victory in the Chippewas' 29-3 win over Eastern Michigan. Chippewas Win 10th Straight Over Michigan State: CMU's 19-18 win at Michigan State on Jan. 21 was its 10th consecutive victory over the Spartans dating back to 2001. The victory evened the all-time series at 13-13. The Chippewas have won 14 of their last 15 duals against in-state opponents. Bennett Continues Winning Ways: Sophomore Ben Bennett improved to 25-5 overall, including 14-2 in dual meets, with a pair of major decisions during the final week of the regular season. Bennett leads the team in dual victories and is second in overall victories. Four of his five losses have been to an opponent who has been ranked No. 1 nationally at 174 pounds this season. Trice Takes on the Top 10: Junior heavyweight Jarod Trice, ranked No. 2 nationally, is 5-3 against opponents in the most recent InterMat top 10, including a 3-1 exhibition loss to No. 3 Ryan Flores (American) at the NWCA All-Star Classic in November. Top of the Tournament: Scotti Sentes (133 pounds), Ben Bennett (174) and Jarod Trice (heavyweight) combined for seven top-three finishes at the Body Bar Invitational, Cliff Keen Invitational and Midlands Championships. Sentes won the Body Bar and was third at Midlands, Bennett finished runner-up at all three events and Trice was third at the Cliff Keen and runner-up at Midlands. Trice Travels the World: Junior heavyweight Jarod Trice has competed in a pair of events outside of CMU's schedule this season. In October, Trice placed eighth in Greco-Roman at the University World Championships in Italy. He was the highest placing American in Greco-Roman at the event. In November, Trice represented CMU at the NWCA All-Star Classic in Fresno, Calif. American's Ryan Flores scored a third-period takedown to defeat Trice, 3-1.

 CMU Adds Four During Early Signing Period: Four high school student-athletes signed a National Letter of Intent to join the Chippewas for the 2011-12 season, including three of the top-60 ranked recruits in the country. Ty Davis (141 pounds), Zach Horan (133), Joey Kielbasa (157) and Devin Pommerenke (285) committed to CMU during the early signing period. Horan (No. 16), Kielbasa (No. 59) and Pommerenke (No. 42) are ranked among the top 60 recruits nationally by InterMat. The group was ranked as the No. 13 recruiting class in the country by W.I.N. Magazine.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- (Brackets | PDF) Official brackets for the 2011 NAIA Wrestling National Championships have been released. Action in the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will get underway Thursday at 11 a.m. CST. The 54th annual event will consist of six sessions, concluding on Saturday with the championship finals. There will be 318 wrestlers representing 39 teams taking to the mat, including 32 All-Americans, five defending national champions and a pair of grapplers that took top-honors in 2009. Real-time results from all mats during all six sessions of action will be available through the NWCA Live Scorebook by clicking here. NeuLion will stream live all 10 individual weight class championship bouts on March 5 and will be available to view starting at approximately 7 p.m. A fee of $7.95 is set to view the finals. Click here for more information.

EDMOND, Okla. -- Nebraska-Omaha will be the overwhelming favorite to capture its third consecutive title at next week’s NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships, according to the final NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association poll of the season that was released Wednesday. The Mavericks rolled to the Super Region Two title last week and were the only team to advance all 10 individuals to the national tournament, set for March 11-12 in Kearney, Neb. UNO received all eight first-place votes cast in balloting of coaches from around the country to finish with 160 points. Super Region Three winner St. Cloud State (Minn.) moved up to No. 2 in the new poll with 146 points, just three points ahead of Super Region One champion Newberry (S.C.). Augustana (S.D.) is fourth in the rankings, followed by Super Region Four champion Nebraska-Kearney. Rounding out the top 10 is Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.), Western State (Colo.), Central Oklahoma, Grand Canyon (Ariz.) and Minnesota State. UNO is led by four top-ranked individuals -- 141-pounder Mario Morgan, 149-pounder Esai Dominguez, 157-pounder George Ivanov and 174-pounder Ryan Pankoke. The top 20 poll, with points and the teams’ last ranking following by the top-eight rankings at each weight: Rank School (State) Points Last Ranking 1. Nebraska-Omaha 160 1st 2. St. Cloud State (Minn.) 146 3rd 3. Newberry (S.C.) 143 4th 4. Augustana (S.D.) 139 2nd 5. Nebraska-Kearney 118 T8th 6. Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 110 6th 7. Western State (Colo.) 104 13th 8. Central Oklahoma 102 5th 9. Grand Canyon (Ariz.) 96 7th 10. Minnesota State 95 T8th 11. Ashland (Ohio) 91 12th 12. Upper Iowa 82 10th 13. San Francisco State (Calif.) 63 14th 14. Findlay (Ohio) 48 15th 15. Gannon (Pa.) 42 16th 16. Wisconsin-Parkside 38 19th 17. North Carolina-Pembroke 32 11th 18. Mercyhurst (Pa.) 20 20th 19. Kutztown (Pa.) 13 NR 20. Adams State (Colo.) 12 17th Others receiving votes: Central Missouri, Chadron State (Neb.), Fort Hays State (Kan.), Limestone (S.C.). NCAA Division II Individual Rankings 125 1. Trevor Franklin, Upper Iowa 2. Connor McDonald, Newberry (S.C.) 3. Kyle O’Brien, Western State (Colo.) 4. Jose Matos, Gannon (Pa.) 5. Russell Weakley, North Carolina-Pembroke 6. Alex Meger, Augustana (S.D.) 7. Andy Forstner, Minnesota State 8. Corey Ulmer, Minnesota State-Moorhead 133 1. Todd Wilcox, Grand Canyon (Ariz.) 2. Austin Williams, Kutztown (Pa.) 3. Ryan Link, Pittsburgh-Johnstown 4. Cody Zimmerman, Wisconsin-Parkside 5. Jason Jeremiason, Augustana (S.D.) 6. Aldon Isenberg, Fort Hays State (Kan.) 7. William Young, Newberry (S.C.) 8. Michael Magaha, Limestone (S.C.) 141 1. Mario Morgan, Nebraska-Omaha 2. Jay Sherer, Augustana (S.D.) 3. Dalton Jensen, Nebraska-Kearney 4. Naveed Bagheri, San Francisco State (Calif.) 5. Matt Irwin, Indianapolis (Ind.) 6. Gabe Suarez, St. Cloud State (Minn.) 7. Brady Schneeberger, Minnesota State-Moorhead 8. Jimmy Savala, Chadron State (Neb.) 149 1. Esai Dominguez, Nebraska-Omaha 2. T.J. Hepburn, Nebraska-Kearney 3. Nick Walpole, Indianapolis (Ind.) 4. Nate Herda, Augustana (S.D.) 5. Jacob Horn, St. Cloud State (Minn.) 6. Mitchell Means, Fort Hays State (Kan.) 7. John Paukovits, Kutztown (Pa.) 8. Kenny Jordan, Adams State (Colo.) 157 1. George Ivanov, Nebraska-Omaha 2. Cory Dauphin, Central Oklahoma 3. Dillon Bera, Wisconsin-Parkside 4. John Sundgren, St. Cloud State (Minn.) 5. Marcus Edgington, Augustana (S.D.) 6. Sean Byrnes, Newberry (S.C.) 7. Jordan Shields, Mercyhurst (Pa.) 8. Josh Nolan, San Francisco State 165 1. Mike Williams, North Carolina-Pembroke 2. Tad Merritt, St. Cloud State (Minn.) 3. Michael Lybarger, Findlay (Ohio) 4. Gavin Nelson, Augustana (S.D.) 5. Matt Gille, Wisconsin-Parkside 6. Joey Wilson, Nebraska-Kearney 7. Brandon Kelly, Ashland (Ohio) 8. Zack McKendree, Gannon (Pa.) 174 1. Ryan Pankoke, Nebraska-Omaha 2. Victor Carazo, Grand Canyon (Ariz.) 3. Shamus O’Grady, St. Cloud State (Minn.) 4. Ben Becker, Minnesota State 5. Mark Meuller, Upper Iowa 6. Luke Rynish, Wisconsin-Parkside 7. Jeff Jacobs, East Stroudsburg (Pa.) 8. Bryce Sopko, Limestone (S.C.) 184 1. Bryant Blanton, Newberry (S.C.) 2. Charlie Pipher, Western State (Colo.) 3. Aaron Denson, Nebraska-Omaha 4. A.J. Brentzel, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 5. Aaron Norgren, Minnesota State 6. Ryan Becerra, Grand Canyon (Ariz.) 7. Mitch Schultz, Upper Iowa 8. Ross Brunkhardt, Nebraska-Kearney 197 1. Donovan McMahill, Western State (Colo.) 2. Ty Copsey, Augustana (S.D.) 3. Charles Morgan, King (Tenn.) 4. Matt Baker, Nebraska-Omaha 5. Eli Arismendez, Grand Canyon (Ariz.) 6. Luke McPeek, Adams State (Colo.) 7. Pat Mahan, Minnesota State 8. Mitch Knapp, West Liberty (W.Va.) 285 1. Jacob Kahnke, St. Cloud State (Minn.) 2. Matt Meuleners, Northern State (S.D.) 3. Charlie Alexander, Western State (Colo.) 4. Zach Rosol, Upper Iowa 5. Jacob Southwick, Ashland (Ohio) 6. Brandon Hayes, Central Missouri 7. Chris Dempsey, Pittsburgh-Johnstown (Pa.) 8. Jake Elkins, Newberry (S.C.)

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Takedown Wrestling and Des Moines Sports Station KXNO will again play host to the annual NCAA Championships Preview Show on Wednesday, March 9 from 7 – 10 p.m. (CST). Wrestling fans are encouraged to listen in for the fun, opinions and more during the three-hour Bracket Buster special. "Takedown Wrestling and KXNO are very excited to broadcast this show again for the fans of college wrestling. It's a way for us to bring the family of wrestling media together for one night to offer opinions and insight," said Scott Casber. Host and Takedown Wrestling founder Scott Casber will be joined by in studio co-hosts Steve Foster, Jeff Murphy, Ryan Freeman, Bob Selby and Geoff Murtha as they breakdown the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships brackets. Special guests include former NCAA champion and Hall of Famer Wade Schalles a two-time NCAA champion who holds multiple records in the sport including holding the Guinness Book of World Records title for most amateur wrestling wins and pins, and is the creator of several of wrestling's most notorious moves -- including the spladle and the cement mixer. Master statistician Britt Malinski will help with the subtle nuances of all the numbers. In addition the following distinguished panel of guests from the top wrestling websites and broadcasts around the country will take part in the three-hour broadcast: Website Guests Chad Wiltsey (TheWrestlingTalk.com) In Studio Andrew Hipps (IntermatWrestle.com) Jason Bryant (TheMat.com) Eric Betterman (TheOpenMat.com) Bill Miller (LightHouseWrestling.com) Earl Smith (D1CollegeWrestling.net) Broadcasters Tim Johnson (IPTV, Big Ten, NCAA Broadcasts) Jim Gibbons (IPTV, Big 10, NCAA Broadcasts) Jeff Byers (Penn State) Mark Ironside (Iowa) Roger Moore (Oklahoma State/NCAA.com) Steve Lomangino (Lehigh) GT Taylor (Arizona State) Fan Interaction Fans are encouraged to interact with ON AIR hosts through Facebook at facebook.com/ncaawrestling. Chad Wiltsey from theWrestlingTalk.com will be manning the facebook pages. Questions submitted through Facebook with be answered by the studio hosts throughout the show. 3 Ways to Listen KXNO.com NCAA.com I Heart Radio app on your Smart phone, select Sports Radio/KXNO Takedown Wrestling Studio Lines 866-333-5966 515-284-5966 Takedown Wrestling and Des Moines Sports Station KXNO will again play host to the annual NCAA Championships Preview Show on Wednesday, March 9 from 7 – 10 p.m. (CST). on KXNO.com, NCAA.com or through the I Heart Radio app on your Smart phone (select sports radio/KXNO)

All in for the Golden State title This past weekend's Masters/Section meets, the 40-man brackets for Friday and Saturday's single-class California state tournament are set. Despite having to navigate a three-week grind through the brutal Central Valley, No. 7 Clovis qualified all fourteen of its wrestlers to the state tournament -- truly an amazing accomplishment. Eleven of those finished top four in the Central Masters tournament, which sends nine to state (the others finishing sixth, seventh, and seventh). Titles won by Daniel Gayton (119), Dakota Gordon (189), Taylor Ferguson (215), and No. 18 Nick Nevills (285) anchored the 241-1/2 point output from Clovis. Finishing in second place was No. 8 Bakersfield with 169 points and ten state qualifiers (9 in the top five, plus one taking 8th place). A trio of Drillers won championships -- No. 20 Natrelle Deminson (130), Adam Fierro (152), and No. 1 Bryce Hammond (160). The battle for California's state title should come down to the two teams above, Clovis working with 11 core pieces and Bakersfield with 9. Though Clovis enters favored, the nature of the 40-man bracket in California is such that lots of twists and turns can (and do occur). Other champions from the Central Masters tournament were Mason Pengilly (103) and Shane Yacuta (135) of Porterville, Vincent Gomez (112) of Bakersfield Frontier, No. 4 Alex Cisneros (125) of Selma, No. 15 Isaiah Martinez (140) of Lemoore, Damien Arredondo (145) of Buchanan, and No. 11 Nikko Reyes (171) of Clovis West. Link to state tournament pairings: http://www.tmi.150m.com/Results2010-2011/11-ST-Pairings2.pdf Maiden team state titles in Indiana and Illinois Four times a state runner-up, including three in the present dual meet format (2002, 2004, and 2009), the Perry Meridian Falcons finally earned an Indiana state title this past weekend. Their two matches prior to the final came down to the last match of the dual meet. In the quarterfinal, it was a 35-27 over Roncalli High School in which the Falcons rallied back from a 27-21 deficit with three matches remaining with a pin from Kirk Johnson (152), technical fall over Derek Harz (160), and 7-4 decision from Jacob Masengale (171). Similarly in the semifinal, Perry Meridian faced a 19-17 deficit with four matches remaining. Again Kirk Johnson (152) and Derek Harz (160) came up huge with an 8-3 decision and 8-0 major decision. However, when David Stevens (171) from Mishawka Penn responded with a 4-2 victory, the last match would be for all the marbles. Sam Tasseff (189) came up with a 10-9 victory over Mike Ham to seal the Perry Meridian victory. The championship final was relatively uneventful, as Perry Meridian upended Lawrence North 44-21. Of note, was No. 50 Crown Point losing to Evansville Mater Dei 30-25 in the opening round. Their cause not helped by losing a pair of one point matches, including the last match of the dual meet, and splitting overtime matches. In addition, goofy lineup strategy closed out two-time state champion (four-time state placer) No. 9 Eric Roach (145) from the lineup. http://www.ihsaa.org/dnn/Sports/Boys/Wrestling/201011/TeamStateTournament/201011StateFinalsRecap/tabid/981/Default.aspx Like in the neighboring Hoosier State, a longtime power program came through with its maiden state championship when No. 23 Glenbard North earned a title in Illinois Class AAA. The Panthers opened the festivities on Saturday with a 36-28 quarterfinal victory over Lyons Township, though the score was artificially made closer by forfeits in the last three matches after a 6-0 victory from No. 19 Brian Murphy (140) clinched the dual meet. The de facto state final came in the next match, where they would be facing No. 19 Carl Sandburg, a squad that they lost to in a late December dual meet. However, this time around, Glenbard North won six of the first eight matches (starting at 189) to take a 21-7 lead after No. 12 Joey Gosinski (130) earned a pin 2:30 into the match. Again, clinching the dual meet with one match to go, they surrendered the indifference forfeit to win 28-25. The state final saw Glenbard North defeat defending state champions Minooka 31-24. A pair of pins from Zac Durkee (215) and Dan Boyle (285), along with a 7-2 decision from Jon Marmolejo (103) gave the Panthers a 15-0 lead and all the momentum they would need. Again, they clinched with one match to go on a 2-1 victory from Paul Freeman (171), and surrendered the indifference forfeit at 189 pounds. Despite not being as strong a high profile individual event team as either Marmion Academy or Crystal Lake Central, it was No. 30 Montini Catholic scoring yet another dual meet championship. This time, it was the first for new head coach Israel Martinez, as they defeated No. 21 Crystal Lake Central 39-29 in Class AA. The Broncos precluded No. 14 Marmion from participating in dual meet state with a razor thin margin of victory in the individual regional tournament (first-level of the three prong individual series). The Class A, small-school, title went to Newman Central Catholic with a 40-32 victory over Stillman Valley. For full coverage, check out http://www.ihsa.org/activity/wr/index.htm Thirty-one straight championships for Blair Academy This past weekend marked the 31st consecutive National Prep championship for No. 2 Blair Academy, New Jersey. Even without the services of No. 2 Austin Ormsbee (135), who was unable to compete for a fourth National Prep championship, the Bucs still dominated the field with 300 points on the strength of 13 placers, seven finalists, and five champions. Winning titles were No. 7 Joey McKenna (103), No. 1 Evan Silver (112), No. 3 Mark Grey (125), No. 10 Todd Preston (130), and No. 5 Brooks Black (285). Finishing second were No. 11 Caleb Richardson (119) and Dylan Milonas (145). For yet another year, No. 11 Wyoming Seminary, Pennsylvania came home with the second place trophy scoring 194 points with eight wrestlers placing, four of whom were finalists. No. 14 Eric Morris (152), AJ Vizcarrando (215), and No. 20 Terrance Jean-Jacques (285) were runners-up, while No. 10 Dominick Malone (119) was the Blue Knights' sole champion with a 6-3 decision over Richardson. Third in the standings went to No. 49 Archbishop Spalding, Maryland with 129-1/2 points. Five placers in the top five keyed their efforts, including a title from No. 15 Charlie Lynch (145) -- named Most Outstanding Wrestler -- and a second-place finish from Kvaunte Smith (189). Rounding out the weight class champions were Chris Yankovich (135) of Germantown Academy, Pennsylvania; No. 8 Evan Henderson (140) of Kiski Prep, Pennsylvania; post-graduate Marcus Cain (152) and reclassified 12th grader Nick Kidd (189) of Northfield Mount Hermon, Massachusetts; Bobby Burg (160) of Mercersburg Academy, Pennsylvania; and Matt Miller (171) of John Carroll, Maryland. http://gimp.escapesports.on-rev.com/LiveResults/PREPS/2011%20National%20Preps.pdf Tops in Ohio to give it their best Schott With four nationally-ranked teams and a multitude of wrestlers appearing in the weight class rankings, the three division state wrestling tournament starting on Thursday on the campus of The Ohio State University is always one of the pinnacle showcases nation-wide. The remaining three members of the “Monroeville Four” are the individual stars of the weekend festivities held at the Jerome Schottenstein Center (Value City Arena). No. 1 Hunter Stieber (135), No. 2 Cam Tessari (140), and No. 3 Chris Phillips (171) each is prohibitive favorites to earn a fourth state title one year after Logan Stieber -- now at Ohio State -- did the same. The big-school Division I state tournament features three of the nationally-ranked teams in No. 5 St. Edward, No. 18 Massillon Perry, and No. 29 Wadsworth. Last year saw the end of a thirteen year streak for St. Edward winning the state title. However, look for the Eagles to reclaim that title with flying colors, as they qualified a tournament-high ten wrestlers. Seven wrestlers are favored to finish in the top three, with five having legitimate title aspirations -- No. 20 Edgar Bright (112), No. 18 Dean Heil (119), Mark Martin (152), Domenic Abounader (160), and No. 10 Greg Kuhar (285). It is the Wadsworth Grizzlies that hold the state title at the moment. Though they will fight tooth and nail with St. Edward, they just don't have the overall depth to match. Nine state qualifiers is still an impressive haul, and they have two projected state champions in No. 7 Kagan Squire (125) and No. 7 Nick Tavanello (215). Four additional wrestlers could slide into a top three finish with a good tournament -- Alfredo Gray (130), Nate Ball (140), Clay Wenger (145), and Sheldon Brandenburg (160). The third prong is Massillon Perry. Like Wadsworth, they lack the core strength to compete with St. Edward. However, the battle for second between these two teams should be contested tooth-and-nail. The Panthers qualified a somewhat disappointing eight to the state tournament. Though they do not have a nationally-ranked wrestler, all eight are projected to place, and most finishing inside the top five. Their lone state title favorite is Zach Dailey (140), while three others are projected to a top three finish -- David Bavery (103), Mitch Newhouse (119), and Anthony Wise (215). With a good weekend, one could see Joe Tayse (189) and Doug Mayes (285) join them in the top three. Speaking of tooth-and-nail, the Division III state championship will be a supreme battle between St. Peter Chanel and Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy. Both teams took a hit to their title hopes in the district tournament this past weekend. Each lost a returning/former state placer, plus Chanel lost an additional projected state placer. The Firebirds have not won state since 1988, and have finished second or third seven times in the last ten years -- seemingly finding every imaginable way to not win. On the other hand, though a relevant program for 10-15 years, the Royals (Harry Lester's alma mater) are seeking their first state title. Qualifying seven wrestlers, Chanel has a chance for anywhere from zero to five state finalists. On the other hand, CVCA's scoring strategy is a little more defined -- anchored by clear state title favorites No. 1 Nathan Tomasello (103) and No. 7 Alex Utley (189). They qualified four other wrestlers, all of whom are legitimate placement candidates. Finally, Division II is the domain of No. 4 St. Paris Graham, as they seek an eleventh consecutive state title. The Falcons qualified ten to state like St. Edward. The only question is if they can equal or break two key tournament records -- state champions (seven set by Graham in 2009) and state finalists (eight, which has been done multiple times). The Falcons have nine legitimate finalist candidates -- No. 9 Ryan Taylor (112), freshman Micah Jordan (119), No. 19 Case Garrison (135), No. 7 Nick Brascetta (140), No. 5 Bo Jordan (145), No. 11 Matt Stephens (152), Isaac Jordan (160), Kyle Ryan (171), and No. 5 Huston Evans (189). Taylor, Bo Jordan, Isaac Jordan, and Evans are defending state champions; Brascetta and Ryan were runners-up last year but won state in 2009. Link to video previews for the Ohio state wrestling tournament: http://www.intermatwrestle.com/articles/8181 Single class showdown -- part deux Like California, New Jersey stages a single-class state championship this weekend. The happenings will be at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, a place where some dreams are realized while many are dashed. Four wrestlers enter the event as defending state champions -- No. 2 Anthony Ashnault (112) of South Plainfield, No. 14 Nick Francavilla (125) of High Point, Ethan Orr (171), and No. 1 Andrew Campolattano (215) of Bound Brook; while No. 2 Robert Deutsch (119) of Eastern Regional was a state champion in 2009. Campolattano, already the all-time wins leader in New Jersey history, seeks to join Mike Grey (Delbarton/Cornell) as the only wrestlers to win four titles in the Garden State; with the sophomore Ashnault still on pace. Of the five returning champions, all but Francavilla enter the tournament undefeated this year -- as do 26 other young men; which makes it 30 undefeated wrestlers in total. Only 140 and 152 pounds do not feature an undefeated wrestler in the weight -- No. 9 Devon Gobbo (Delbarton) is the strong favorite at 140, while it is an absolute cluster at 152. Looking at the five returning champions, Ashnault is the lone undefeated and a prohibitive favorite to repeat as champion. Beast of the East champion Deutsch is a clear favorite, even with the undefeated Jeff Rottingen (Ramsey) in the opposite half of the draw. Francavilla is favored to earn a third title, though there may be slight challenges from the undefeated Nick Gravina (Northern Highlands) in the semifinal and from Kyle Casaletto (Southern Regional) in what would be a rematch of last year's state final. At 171 pounds, Orr is in the same half of the draw as the undefeated Dane McDermott (St. Joseph), though it is more likely that three-time placer Colin Hewitt (Franklin Regional) will clear that quarter of the draw. From the other half, Ross Scheuerman (Allentown) enters the weekend with an undefeated mark. Finally at 215 pounds, two wrestlers other than Campolattano have an undefeated record -- they are in the opposite half and meet in the round of 16: Richie Torres (Bergenfield) and Michael Zeuli (Cherokee) The weight featuring the most undefeated wrestlers is 285 pounds with five, three of whom were top four placers last year. In the top half of the draw is returning runner-up No. 13 Jack Delia (North Hunterdon), who is joined in the top half of the draw by Greg Webb (Paul VI). In the lower half is No. 17 William Smith (High Point) -- third last year at 215 -- who has a win over Brooks Black since the last ranking publication; along with Greg Velasco (Keyport) and fourth at state last year Emiliano Betancourt (West Orange). Winning the award for most intriguing weight bracket in the Garden State is 135 pounds. Despite losing his regional, Beast of the East runner-up Jeff Canfora (Delbarton) occupies the bracket's top line. Third at state last year, Canfora is ranked No. 5 nationally. Making his third state appearance in as many years, junior Alex Richardson (St. Peter's Prep) could be a dangerous quarterfinal opponent. A pair of undefeated wrestlers resides in the second quarter of this draw -- Josh Garzio (Ewing) and TJ Miller (Camden Catholic); Miller placed third last year at 125, and is a Cadet National freestyle All-American. The lower half of the draw is topped by state runner-up Tyler Scotton (Willingboro). Ranked No. 17 nationally, Scotton lost to Miller in a regional final battle of undefeated wrestlers. 2009 state placer Lou Mascola (Seton Hall Prep) was the upset winner over Canfora last week, and draws into a quarter bracket featuring Connor Melde (Bergen Catholic) -- fourth in the state last year. Three nationally-ranked wrestlers reside at 145 pounds -- No. 4 James Green (Willingboro), No. 10 CJ Cobb (Williamston), and No. 13 Sal Mastriani (Don Bosco Prep). Two-time state placer, runner-up last year, Green is the lone undefeated in that group; while Cobb has just one loss in finishing third at the Beast of the East. The remaining unmentioned nationally-ranked wrestler is James Fox (St. Peter's Prep) -- No. 9 at 189 pounds. Results from (other) individual tournaments this past weekend Arkansas Delaware http://www.doe.k12.de.us/infosuites/students_family/diaa/files/2011%20Individual%20WR%20DIAA%20Master.pdf Idaho Class 5A: http://idahowrestlingnews.com/state/2011/home5A.html Class 4A: http://idahowrestlingnews.com/state/2011/home4A.html Class 3A: http://idahowrestlingnews.com/state/2011/home3A.html Class 2A/1A: http://idahowrestlingnews.com/state/2011/home2A.html Kansas Classes 6A and 5A: http://south.usd259.org/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=218559&sessionid=9b2c2d127c7620e5187dfac5244830bf Class 4A: http://sportsdataks.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/score_merged.pdf Class 3-2-1A: http://www.321wrestling.org/ New York Division I: http://nysphsaawrestling.com/DivisionI.pdf Division II: http://nysphsaawrestling.com/DivisionII.pdf North Carolina http://nchsaa.org/page.php?mode=privateview&pageID=98 (4A, 3A, 2A, 1A) Oklahoma Class 6A: (Team Scoring) http://www.ossaaonline.com/playoffs/wrestling/2011WrestlingStateTeamResults6AFinal.pdf (Brackets) http://www.ossaaonline.com/playoffs/wrestling/StateAllBrackets6AFinal.pdf Class 5A: (Team Scoring) http://www.ossaaonline.com/playoffs/wrestling/2011WrestlingStateTeamResults5AFinal.pdf (Brackets) http://www.ossaaonline.com/playoffs/wrestling/StateAllBrackets5AFinal.pdf Class 4A -- (Team Scoring) http://www.ossaaonline.com/playoffs/wrestling/2011WrestlingStateTeamResults4AFinal.pdf (Brackets) http://www.ossaaonline.com/playoffs/wrestling/StateAllBrackets4AFinal.pdf Class 3A: (Team Scoring) http://www.ossaaonline.com/playoffs/wrestling/2011WrestlingStateTeamResults3AFinal.pdf (Brackets) http://www.ossaaonline.com/playoffs/wrestling/StateAllBrackets3AFinal.pdf Oregon http://www.osaa.org/wrestling/ (6A, 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A/1A) South Carolina Class 4A: http://scmat.com/2011SCHSL4A.pdf Class 3A: http://scmat.com/2011SCHSL3A.pdf Class 2A/1A: http://scmat.com/2011SCHSL2A-1A.pdf South Dakota http://sports.sdpb.org/boys/wrestling/index.htm (Class A, B) Texas Brackets: http://www.uiltexas.org/files/athletics/state-wrestling/Boys_Final_Results.pdf Team Scores: http://www.uiltexas.org/files/athletics/state-wrestling/2011_Boys_State_-_Final_Team_Totals.pdf West Virginia Class AAA: http://www.wvmat.com/statetou/11aaa.htm Class AA/A: http://www.wvmat.com/statetou/11aa.htm Wisconsin http://www.trackwrestling.com/predefinedtournaments/VerifyPassword.jsp?tournamentId=1485009 (Divisions 1, 2, 3) Wyoming Class 4A: http://www.whsaa.org/stateevents/wrestling/4A/4Ahome.htm Class 3A: http://www.whsaa.org/stateevents/wrestling/3A/3Ahome.htm Class 2A: http://www.whsaa.org/stateevents/wrestling/2A/2Ahome.htm Results from (other) dual meet state tournaments this past weekend Iowa Class 3A: https://www.iahsaa.org/wrestling/State_Dual_Team_Wrestling/113ADUALTM_Pairing.pdf Class 2A: https://www.iahsaa.org/wrestling/State_Dual_Team_Wrestling/112ADUALTM_Pairing.pdf Class 1A: https://www.iahsaa.org/wrestling/State_Dual_Team_Wrestling/111ADUALTM_Pairing.pdf Michigan http://www.mhsaa.com/Sports/Wrestling/2011TeamFinals.aspx (Divisions 1, 2, 3, 4) Championships to be decided this coming weekend Traditional/Individual: Ohio, California, Minnesota, Maryland, New Jersey, New England (regional), Michigan Dual Meet: Minnesota, Wisconsin

Stevo Poulin

Minot State University (ND) wrestler Deon Buhl will be the radio show guest this week. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum and can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday (Tuesday only this week) from 5:00 - 6:00 PM Central time on AM 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Deon Buhl is not your ordinary 141 pound college wrestler. He is a 37-year old father of six who has qualified for the NAIA National Championships that will be wrestled in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on March 3-5. Buhl was an NJCAA All-American at Yakima Valley Community College (WA) and won All-American honors at Briar Cliff University (IA) in the 1990s. Buhl's son, Sean, a high school junior, recently won a North Dakota state championship at 140 pounds.

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Following Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson and the University of Nebraska, Takedown Wrestling Media founder and host Scott Casber is the latest to depart from the Big 12 Conference as he’ll serve as the public address announcer for the 2011 Big Ten Championships, set for this weekend at Northwestern University. Casber called the action for the Big 12 Championships for the last 12 seasons and hasn’t called the Big Ten Championships since 1999. Casber is a nationally recognized announcer, radio, TV commentator and promoter and his voice has been heard throughout the sports world for over 30 years. He has announced many of wrestling's premier events including the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Duals, the NWCA All Star Classic, the Body Bar Invitational, the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, the NCAA Championship, the World and Olympic trials and more. In addition to his weekly hosting duties of the nationally syndicated TakeDown Wrestling Radio and TV programs, Casber is also a co-founder of the new USA Wrestling Weekly. “I’m thrilled to have an opportunity to call the championship event for one of the best wrestling conferences in the nation,” said Casber. “Several All-Americans and national champions will compete in Evanston this weekend and I can’t wait to be a part of it.” Casber serves as the public address announcer for several professional teams in Iowa, including the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League, the Iowa Energy of the National Basketball Developmental League, and minor league baseball’s Iowa Cubs. He’s also called action for the Des Moines Menace of the developmental soccer league and has announced numerous pay-per-view events for boxing and mixed martial arts. He also enjoys an active career as an actor in film and theater, and volunteers his time entertaining troops on USO tours throughout the Middle East. For more information on this weekend, including ticket information, an event schedule and credentialing information, visit Northwestern’s championship site (http://bit.ly/eyaOZs).

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The 2011 NAIA Wrestling National Championships will get underway Thursday at 11 a.m. CST at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The 54th annual event runs through Saturday and features six sessions of action, capped off with the championship finals. Brackets for each weight class will be posted Wednesday by 9 p.m. CST. Cedar Rapids will welcome 324 individuals representing 39 teams descending upon the U.S. Cellular Center and of those qualifiers, 86 are freshmen, 82 are sophomores, 95 are juniors and 61 are seniors. Thirty-two of the qualifiers have previously earned All-America accolades by placing in the top-six of their respective weight class (a seventh- or eighth-place finisher was named honorable mention). Each weight class will have at least one returning All-American in action, with both 141 and 165 pounds featuring five All-Americans. Among the returning All-Americans, seven have twice earned the distinction. McKendree’s (Ill.) Andrew Sanchez is the only three-time All-American among the field, earning all of his honors at 197 pounds. Sanchez, who is in his senior campaign, was the 2009 national champion at 197. Sanchez is one of seven grapplers that have previously taken home top-honors in their respective weight class that will be eyeing a second title in Cedar Rapids. Vying for a repeat performance will be Campbellsville’s (Ky.) Tommy Pretty, Glenn Rhees of Grand View (Iowa) at 174 pounds and the Notre Dame (Ohio) trio of Jeffrey Pelton (149), Thomas Straugh (157) and Derek Foore (197). Pretty captured the 133-pound national championship a season ago, but has bumped up to 141 pounds in his junior season. Grand View’s Matt Burns finished first at 149 pounds as a sophomore in 2009. Six of 2010’s All-Americans have shifted weight class, including Myles Mazurkiewicz of Great Falls (Mont.) moving from 133 to 141 and Cumberland’s (Tenn.) James Casadaban bumping up from 157 to 165. Both Chris Chionuma of Lindenwood (Mo.) and Hastings’ (Neb.) Jameon Rush climbed to 174 after spending last season at 165. In the event’s 53 years, 107 programs have had an individual finish on top of the podium. Simon Fraser (B.C.) has had the most wrestlers finish first in their respective weight class, with 40 national champions. Montana State-Northern is a distant second with 29. Shifting to the team race, reigning team champion Notre Dame has qualified 12 individuals and is looking to become the ninth team to win back-to-back national titles. The Falcons won their first national championship in 2010, denying Lindenwood a record-tying fourth-straight national championship. In the history of the event, a team has won consecutive national titles 15 times. There have been 18 programs that have previously taken home the team title. Adams State (Colo.) and Central State (Okla.) each took home eight, the most in 53 years. Of the current NAIA programs, Montana State-Northern leads the way with six national championships, with the last coming in 2004. The largest margin of victory in 53 years came in 1981 with Central State taking top honors with an 85.75 point cushion on runner-up Adams State’s (Colo.) 69.5 points. On the flip side, Lock Haven State (Pa.) edged Bloomsburg State (Pa.) by one point in 1963, 61-60, for the closest team finish. In 1994, Southern Oregon and Western Montana tied for top-honors with 94.5 points. It is the only time the title has been shared. There have been 14 programs that have finished second, but have not taken home a banner, four of which will take to the mat in Cedar Rapids. These teams include: Embry-Riddle (Ariz.), Jamestown (N.D.), McKendree and Menlo (Calif.). The 54th annual NAIA Wrestling National Championships is making its first visit to Cedar Rapids, marking the 33rd site to host the event. The NAIA Wrestling National Championships have traveled to 19 states, from coast-to-coast, in its history. Real-time results from all mats during all six sessions of action will be available through the NWCA Live Scorebook by clicking here. NeuLion will stream live all 10 individual weight class championship bouts and will be available to view Saturday starting at approximately 7 p.m. A fee of $7.95 is set to view the finals. Click here for more information.

GOhioCasts's Zeb Miller asks InterMat high school analyst Josh Lowe to break down all three divisions of the 2011 Ohio state tournament, which takes place Thursday through Saturday at the Jerome Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio. Division I (Part 1) Division I (Part 2) Division II Division III (Part 1) Division III (Part 2)

The Basics The No. 3 Oklahoma State wrestling team (15-2-1 overall; 6-1-0 Big 12) defends its Big 12 title from a year ago when the Cowboys travel to Ames to compete at the Big 12 Championships on March 5. On the Air The dual will be televised by FSN with J. Carl Guymon, Lee Roy Smith and Erin Bajackson on the call. Check your local listings for air times. In addition, all action prior to the finals will be aired live on KSPI 780-AM radio in Stillwater with Roger Moore on the call. The finals will be aired live on KSPI 93.7-FM radio in Stillwater. Fans outside of the Stillwater listening area can access that broadcast via the internet at www.okstate.com. The Champs Are Here! Oklahoma State is the reigning Big 12 champion after claiming the team title at last year’s event in Norman by a narrow 1.5-point margin over an Iowa State squad that was favored to hoist the trophy. 2010 Big 12 Championships Standings 1. Oklahoma State 70.5 points 2. Iowa State 69 points 3. Oklahoma 64 points 4. Missouri 33 points 5. Nebraska 32 points Cowboys Return Three Big 12 Champs Oklahoma State returns all of its three Big 12 individual champions from last season in Jordan Oliver, Jamal Parks and Clayton Foster. Oliver was honored as the co-Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament, sharing that honor with Oklahoma’s Jarrod Patterson. Parks upset eventual All-American Zack Bailey from Oklahoma in his own home arena in the 141-pound title bout to earn his championship and Foster toppled eventual NCAA champion Max Askren of Missouri in the 184-pound title bout to claim his crown. Cowboys At the Conference Meet When Oklahoma State takes the mat for the Big 12 Championships, it will be hunting its 10th Big 12 title in 15 attempts since the league held its first championship in 1997. The Cowboys have won 43 team conference titles all-time, claiming six Southwest Conference championships from 1917-25, four Missouri Valley Conference championships from 1925-28, 24 Big Eight Conference championships from 1958-96 and nine Big 12 Conference championships from 1997-present. Cowboy wrestlers have combined to win 229 conference individual titles through the years - one in the Southwest Conference, 23 in the Missouri Valley Conference, 151 in the Big Eight Conference and 54 in the Big 12. John Smith At The Conference Meet John Smith has led the Cowboys to 11 conference championships and has coached 65 individual conference champions since taking over the program in 1991-92. Under Smith, Oklahoma State has finished either first or second at the conference meet 14 times in 17 eligible years (Smith inherited an OSU program that was on probation at the time of his hiring and was not eligible to compete for the conference crown his first two seasons.) He is an eight-time selection as Big 12 coach of the year to go with his two Big Eight coach of the year accolades. OSU Freshmen Have Starred In Postseason Before John Smith started five freshmen for most of the regular season in Jon Morrison, Josh Kindig, Dallas Bailey, Chris Perry and Blake Rosholt. That group should take heart in the fact that several Cowboy freshmen before them have starred in the postseason. Four OSU freshmen have won NCAA titles: Richard Hutton - 1947, Pat Smith - 1990, Mark Branch - 1994 and Jake Rosholt - 2003. Additionally, 32 Cowboy freshmen have earned All-America status and 15 Cowboy freshmen have won conference individual titles. Current OSU sophomore Jordan Oliver was a Big 12 champion and All-American as a freshman last year. Hidden All-American Returns? Oklahoma State heavyweight Alan Gelogaev could see his first true varsity action of the season at the Big 12 Championships. An All-American wrestling at 197 pounds in 2010 (seventh place), Gelogaev was injured in the first open tournament of this season and has been on the mend ever since. Gelogaev provides the Cowboys with a proven post-season performer, but if he is not well enough to compete at his best, expect to see Blake Rosholt continue to handle the heavyweight duties. OSU Statistical Leaders Wins: 23, Jamal Parks Bonus Point Wins: 19, Jordan Oliver Wins by Fall: 11, Josh Kindig Wins by Technical Fall: 6, Jordan Oliver Wins by Major Decision: 7, Chris McNeil Dual Takedowns: 90, Jordan Oliver Dual Nearfalls: 26, Jordan Oliver Oliver A First-Period Closer Seven of Jordan Oliver’s 22 wins this season were stopped before the end of the first period. The list: Date Opponent School Result Score 11/7 Michael Walkup Central Oklahoma W Fall; 1:36 11/7 Dustin Reed Oklahoma W Fall; 2:43 1/9 Ben Cash Iowa State W Fall; 2:26 1/9 Nathan McCormick Missouri W Fall; 2:41 1/28 Casey Cruz Northern Colorado W TF5; 22-7, 2:57 1/30 Dale Shull NC State W Fall; 2:45 2/13 No. 15 Tyler Cox Wyoming W TF5; 16-0, 2:52 OSU Hit A Program Milestone Oklahoma State’s 44-0 win over Northern Colorado on Jan. 28 marked the 1,000th all-time victory for Cowboy wrestling. The only other team to reach the 1,000-win plateau is Iowa State, who accomplished the feat last season. Most Dual Wins (Through 2010-11) 1. Iowa State 1,011-273-20 .783 pct. 2. Oklahoma State 1,006-113-23 .891 pct. 3. Oregon State 961-312-28 .749 pct. 4. Iowa 892-215-31 .797 pct. 5. Minnesota 878-421-24 .673 pct. 6. Navy 845-280-26 .745 pct. 7. Lehigh 839-389-23 .680 pct. 8. Penn State 829-296-37 .729 pct. 9. Oklahoma 816-349-33 .695 pct. 10. Michigan 745-323-26 .693 pct. Honors Pour In For Oliver Jordan Oliver was tabbed as Big 12 wrestler of the week following a 5-2 win over No. 2 Andrew Hochstrasser of Boise State on Feb. 11 and a 16-0 technical fall win that was stopped with eight seconds left in the first period against No. 15 Tyler Cox of Wyoming two nights later. It was the second Big 12 weekly honor for Oliver this season, who previously earned the award after earning Outstanding Wrestler distinction at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. Additionally, he was recognized as the Big 12 wrestler of the month in November after he rattled off a perfect 5-0 record during the month, and that figure did not count his 8-7 victory over No. 1 Andrew Hochstrasser of Boise State at the NWCA All-Star Classic because bouts at the All-Star Classic do not count toward a wrestler’s season record. Morrison A Two-Time Big 12 Honoree Freshman Jon Morrison earned Big 12 wrestler of the week honors after an impressive 4-1 win over No. 7 Jarrod Patterson of Oklahoma as part of the Cowboys’ 24-9 win over the Sooners in Norman. The victory not only avenged an early-season loss to Patterson, but it also served as the biggest momentum swing in the dual. It was Morrison’s second Big 12 accolade this year, as he was also recognized as wrestler of the week after he beat two-time All-American Zach Sanders of Minnesota earlier in the season. Parks Earned National honor Junior Jamal Parks secured national wrestler of the week honors by USA Wrestling and themat.com after he beat No. 3 Jason Chamberlain, 3-1, to help the Cowboys to a 28-6 win over No. 8 Boise State and followed with a 6-1 win over No. 20 Cole Dallaserra in OSU’s 34-3 win over Wyoming two days later. Parks’ win over Chamberlain was the Bronco’s only defeat this season. Chamberlain placed fifth at the 2010 Junior World Championships in freestyle. Rosholt, Too Freshman Blake Rosholt was honored as the national wrestler of the week by themat.com on Dec. 13. The unranked Rosholt provided the key spark in Oklahoma State’s 22-12 dual victory over No. 8 Oklahoma on Dec. 12 when he scored a 4-3 upset win over No. 8 Nathan Fernandez. Foster Shining As a Senior OSU senior Clayton Foster is a very real NCAA title candidate this year. A returning All-American (sixth in 2010), Foster enters the Big 12 Championships sporting a 20-0 record this season and a perfect 8-0 record against ranked opponents. Perry Peaking for Post-Season Freshman Chris Perry enters the Big 12 Championships wrestling at his best. He won 10 of his last 11 regular-season bouts, and making that figure more impressive is the fact that six of the 10 wins during that span came over ranked opponents. The Stillwater native sports a 7-1 record all-time against the wrestlers expected to compete at the Big 12 Championships, winning each of his last seven bouts against the field. Smith Reached Career Milestone Oklahoma State coach John Smith reached a career milestone earlier in the season. The winningest coach in Cowboy Wrestling history with a career record of 311-46-6 entering the postseason, Smith became the first OSU coach ever to hit the 300-win milestone when the Cowboys dropped No. 24 Arizona State in Tempe by a 40-4 score on Jan. 2. Asics All-Americans Live Here Oklahoma State has six former Asics High School First-Team All-Americans competing in its wrestling room this season. Jordan Oliver 2006 Albert White 2007 Mike Benefiel 2007 Clayton Foster 2007 Chris Perry 2009 Josh Kindig 2010 Fargo Champs, Too A similar note can be made about the fact that Oklahoma State has seven former Fargo champions on the roster this year. Clayton Foster 2006 Albert White 2006 Mike Benefiel 2007 Jon Morrison 2007 Jordan Oliver 2007 Jamal Parks 2007 Chris Perry 2008 Family Ties Coach John Smith coaches three of his nephews this year. Chris Perry is the son of Smith’s sister, Cathy, and Zach White and Matt White are the sons of Smith’s sister, Mary Ann. Blake Rosholt is the youngest of the Rosholt family. His older brother Jake was a three-time NCAA champion at OSU and another older brother, Jared, was a three-time All-American for the Cowboys. Older sister Jesyca was an all-Big 12 soccer player for Oklahoma State as well. Dallas Bailey’s father, Leo, was a two-time All-American wrestler for the Cowboys in 1983 and 1986.

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- The Southern Conference wrestling all-conference team and postseason awards were announced on Tuesday, highlighted by four All-SoCon wrestlers from UNCG and SoCon Wrestler of the Year Turtogtokh Luvsandorj from The Citadel. Luvsandorj, a sophomore wrestling at 165 pounds, was voted as Wrestler of the Year after compiling a 36-7 overall mark and a 5-0 SoCon record. The native of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, has ascended to the top 10 in most major national rankings and boasts an 8-1 mark against other Top 25 opponents. After wrapping up its seventh consecutive SoCon regular season title and running its league unbeaten streak to 35 matches, Chattanooga placed a trio of wrestlers on the all-conference squad. Senior Cody Cleveland, a 2008 All-American who holds a perfect 11-0 record on the season, was the coaches’ choice at 141 pounds. Cleveland was joined on the team by teammates Josh Condon (157) and Brandon Wright (174). Defending tournament champion UNCG led all schools with four all-conference wrestlers. Ivan Lopouchanski was honored for the second straight season after moving up to 149 pounds while junior Manuel Ramirez (125) and redshirt-freshmen Jamel Johnson (133) and Caylor Williams (197) were each honored for the first time. Williams, unbeaten in the SoCon and 21-15 overall, was also tabbed as the Freshman of the Year. Last season’s Wrestler of the Year, Appalachian State 184-pounder Austin Trotman, earned all-conference honors again in 2011. VMI’s Josh Wine, who boasts a 17-5 overall mark this season, earned all-conference honors for the third consecutive season at the heavyweight position. The league’s head coaches also selected a 10-wrestler all-freshman team. UNCG placed three wrestlers on that squad, with Elijah Adams joining Johnson and Williams. Chattanooga’s Levi Clemons and Shawn Greevy were All-Freshman honorees, along with Chris Johnson and Marc Tyson of Appalachian State, The Citadel’s Luke Johnson, Davidson’s Scott Patrick and VMI’s Ted Gottwald. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own wrestlers. The 2011 Southern Conference Wrestling Championships, the 74th annual gathering of the league’s wrestling teams, will take place on Saturday, March 5 at Appalachian State’s Holmes Convocation Center in Boone, N.C. First round matches will begin at 11 a.m., with the finals to start at 7 p.m. 2011 SoCon Wrestling All-Conference Team 125 Manuel Ramirez, Jr., UNCG 133 Jamel Johnson, R-Fr., UNCG 141 Cody Cleveland, Sr., Chattanooga 149 Ivan Lopouchanski, So., UNCG 157 Josh Condon, So., Chattanooga 165 Turtogtokh Luvsandorj, So., The Citadel 174 Brandon Wright, Jr., Chattanooga 184 Austin Trotman, Jr., Appalachian State 197 Caylor Williams, R-Fr., UNCG HWT Josh Wine, Sr., VMI Wrestler of the Year Turtogtokh Luvsandorj, 165, So., The Citadel 2011 SoCon Wrestling All-Freshman Team Chris Johnson, Appalachian State Marc Tyson, Appalachian State Luke Johnson, The Citadel Scott Patrick, Davidson Elijah Adams, UNCG Jamel Johnson, UNCG Caylor Williams, UNCG Levi Clemons, Chattanooga Shawn Greevy, Chattanooga Ted Gottwald, VMI Freshman of the Year Caylor Williams, 197, UNCG

Champaign, IL. -- Before top-notch athletes from around the country face each other in the quarter final round of the NCAA D-I Wrestling Championships, the 17th Annual Champions Breakfast will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. on Friday, March 18, 2011, at the Holiday Inn Philadelphia-Stadium in Philadelphia, PA. The breakfast, hosted by FCA, one of the world's largest sports ministries, and National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) will include a tribute to Athletes in Action's wrestling staff as well as screening AIA's video "Uncommon Champions" featuring 2010 NCAA champion wrestlers Jayson Ness (Minnesota) and Brent Metcalf (Iowa). Ness, Metcalf and FCA Wrestling's newly appointed National Director Carl Perry will speak during the breakfast. FCA Wrestling (FCAW) was launched as an official FCA Sport-Specific Ministry in 2009. New FCAW National Director Carl Perry (currently Associate Head Coach at Illinois) anticipates his new challenge. "I am excited about this new direction for my life and look forward to seeing what God is going to do through FCA Wrestling." The Holiday Inn Philadelphia-Stadium is located in the heart of the Sports and Entertainment complex at 10th Street and Packer within walking distance of the Wells Fargo Center, (site of the competition). You can park your car in the WFC lots, walk to the HI-Stadium, enjoy the "Champions" Breakfast and be back at the WFC in plenty of time for Friday's round beginning at 10:00 a.m. NWCA coaches and members can receive free tickets, plus the general public can purchase tickets at the NWCA booth in the Wells Fargo Center during the First Round of wrestling competition, Thursday, March 17. For more information on ticket purchase or general event questions, contact Tim Johnson at (217) 841-3199 or email at tjohnson@fca.org. About FCA The Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the heart and soul in sports, is touching millions of lives... one heart at a time. Since 1954, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes has been challenging coaches and athletes on the professional, college, high school, junior high and youth levels to use the powerful medium of athletics to impact the world for Jesus Christ. FCA is the largest Christian sports organization in the world and focuses on serving local communities by equipping, empowering and encouraging people to make a difference for Christ.

The 2011 Big Ten Championships take place Saturday and Sunday at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Illinois. The finals will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network at 3 p.m. CST. As always, the field is loaded with talent. Seven Big Ten programs are ranked in the InterMat Top 25. There are 53 ranked wrestlers expected to compete, including two defending NCAA champions and 14 All-Americans. InterMat will be providing coverage throughout the 2011 Big Ten Championships. The coverage will include a live blog, plus articles and interviews. Below is a weight-by-weight breakdown with predicted finalists and champions. 125 Defending NCAA champion Matt McDonough of Iowa is 20-1 this season and has been on a tear lately. He has pinned six of his last seven opponents. Northwestern's Brandon Precin, a two-time All-American and U.S. Open placewinner, is the only wrestler to defeat McDonough this season. That victory came in the finals of the Midlands. Precin scored a first period takedown in that match, which proved to be the difference in a 3-1 victory. McDonough came back to avenge the loss by pinning Precin on Jan. 28. Precin led 3-0 in the third period of their rematch before McDonough threw a headlock and picked up a pin with under a minute remaining in the match. That is the only blemish on Precin's record this season. Two-time All-American Zach Sanders of Minnesota is 25-3 and ranked fifth. Sanders has not faced Precin this season, but is coming off a 10-3 loss to McDonough. Prior to that loss, Sanders had reeled off 12 straight victories. Penn State's Brad Pataky, a two-time NCAA qualifier, has battled injuries this season, but should figure into the mix. He lost a close match to Sanders, 10-8, in his first match back in over a month. Others that should battle for spots on the podium include Sean Boyle of Michigan, Justin Brooks of Indiana, Camden Eppert of Purdue, and Matt Kelliher of Wisconsin. Boyle is 23-11, but has been pinned in his last three matches. Brooks is slightly over .500 and has won his last three matches. Eppert has split two matches with Brooks. Kelliher has won two of his last three matches, beating Ohio State's Bo Touris and Michigan State's Eric Olanowski. Automatic NCAA Qualifiers: Five Ranked Wrestlers: No. 1 McDonough (Iowa) No. 3 Precin (Northwestern) No. 5 Sanders (Minnesota) No. 10 Pataky (Penn State) Pre-Seeds: 1. McDonough (Iowa) 2. Precin (Northwestern) 3. Sanders (Minnesota) 4. Pataky (Penn State) 5. Boyle (Michigan) 6. Brooks (Indiana) 7. Eppert (Purdue) 8. Kelliher (Wisconsin) Andrew Hipps' Finals Prediction: McDonough (Iowa) over Precin (Northwestern) T.R. Foley's Finals Prediction: Precin (Northwestern) over McDonough (Iowa) 133 Penn State's Andrew Long, an NCAA runner-up last season at 125, is ranked third and will head to the Big Ten Championships with an 11-1 season mark. He has scored double digit points in eight of those 11 wins. Wisconsin's Tyler Graff was on track to get the No. 1 seed until he took a loss to Long, 12-5, in the final weekend of the regular season. Graff was a runner-up at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in early December, losing to No. 2 Andrew Hochstrasser of Boise State, but came back to win the Midlands in late December. Tony Ramos of Iowa is having a strong freshman season and wrestling well heading into the postseason. He is 18-3 on the season and hasn't lost in the calendar year, going 11-0, which includes a victory over Long. Futrell is 7-4 this season against Big Ten 133-pounders, but three of those losses came to Graff, the other to Long. He defeated Ramos at the Midlands. Levi Mele of Northwestern 16-6 and ranked No. 19. Minnesota's David Thorn, a redshirt freshman, has been wrestling well of late. His only losses in the calendar year have come to wrestlers ranked in the top 10. Michigan's Zac Stevens is 18-13, but has dropped four of his last five matches. Ohio State's Ian Paddock was an NCAA qualifier last season and should be in the mix. Automatic NCAA Qualifiers: Eight Ranked Wrestlers: No. 3 Long (Penn State) No. 4 Graff (Wisconsin) No. 7 Ramos (Iowa) No. 8 Futrell (Illinois) No. 19 Mele (Northwestern) Pre-Seeds: 1. Long (Penn State) 2. Graff (Wisconsin) 3. Ramos (Iowa) 4. Futrell (Illinois) 5. Mele (Northwestern) 6. Thorn (Minnesota) 7. Stevens (Michigan) 8. Paddock (Ohio State) Hipps' Finals Prediction: Long (Penn State) over Graff (Wisconsin) Foley's Finals Prediction: Long (Penn State) over Ramos (Iowa) 141 This weight class is loaded at the top with five of the nation's top seven wrestlers at 141, including the top four. Michigan's Kellen Russell, a two-time Big Ten champion and 2009 All-American, has been perfect this season, going 30-0. Second-ranked Montell Marion of Iowa, an NCAA runner-up last season, has been impressive since his return to the Hawkeye team in January. He has gone 7-1, losing only to Russell in sudden victory. Defending Big Ten champion Mike Thorn of Minnesota is 32-3 this season, losing only to Russell (twice) and Marion. Two-time All-American Jimmy Kennedy of Illinois missed all of January due to injury and has just 15 matches under his belt this season. His only loss this season came by pin to Russell in the semifinals of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. (Watch Russell-Kennedy match.) Kennedy has not faced Marion or Thorn. Penn State true freshman Andrew has gone 26-6 this season with 17 pins. He has lost to Russell (three times), Marion, Thorn, and Kennedy. Northwestern's Kaleb Friedley has put together a nice true freshman season, going 23-6. He leads the team in pins with 11. Friedley lost 7-3 to Russell, but has not faced Marion, Thorn, Kennedy, or Alton. Purdue's Jake Fleckenstein is slightly above .500 and does have a win in the early part of the season over the fifth-ranked 133-pounder, Lou Ruggirello of Hofstra. Wisconsin's Shane McQuade, who is 13-13 this season, comes in as the eighth seed. Automatic NCAA Qualifiers: Six Ranked Wrestlers: No. 1 Russell (Michigan) No. 2 Marion (Iowa) No. 3 Thorn (Minnesota) No. 4 Kennedy (Illinois) No. 7 Alton (Penn State) Pre-Seeds: 1. Russell (Michigan) 2. Marion (Iowa) 3. Thorn (Minnesota) 4. Kennedy (Illinois) 5. Alton (Penn State) 6. Friedley (Northwestern) 7. Fleckenstein (Purdue) 8. McQuade (Wisconsin) Hipps' Finals Prediction: Thorn (Minnesota) over Kennedy (Illinois) Foley's Finals Prediction: Russell (Michigan) over Marion (Iowa) 149 Penn State's Frank Molinaro, a two-time All-American, is the favorite. The third-ranked Molinaro is 25-2 this season and went a perfect 8-0 in the conference. He has not dropped a match since losing to Cornell's Kyle Dake, 1-0, in the finals of the Southern Scuffle on Dec. 29. Andrew Nadhir of Northwestern is 27-3 and ranked seventh, but has yet to face Molinaro this season. (Nadhir lost 9-0 to Molinaro last season.) Indiana's Kurt Kinser, a three-time NCAA qualifier, is 23-7 this season and went 4-1 in the Big Ten, losing only to Molinaro. Cole Schmitt of Wisconsin had a strong regular season, going 22-7, which included splitting matches with Nadhir, but has dropped three of his last four matches. Michigan State's Dan Osterman has won over 20 matches this season and finished his regular season with a victory over Schmitt. Eric Terrazas of Illinois went 5-3 against this field. He split matches with Nadhir and Osterman and lost to Molinaro. Michigan's Eric Grajales, a redshirt freshman, has been up and down this season and comes in with a 13-11 season record. He has wins over Nadhir and Osterman and losses to Molinaro (two) and Kinser. Minnesota's Danny Zilverberg went 17-10 during the regular season and lost narrowly to Molinaro, 6-5. Iowa's Mark Ballweg was ranked earlier this season at 141 before moving up to 149 when Marion returned to the Hawkeye lineup. Automatic NCAA Qualifiers: Eight Ranked Wrestlers: No. 3 Molinaro (Penn State) No. 7 Nadhir (Northwestern) No. 10 Kinser (Indiana) No. 13 Schmitt (Wisconsin) No. 20 Osterman (Michigan State) Pre-Seeds: 1. Molinaro (Penn State) 2. Nadhir (Northwestern) 3. Kinser (Indiana) 4. Terrazas (Illinois) 5. Schmitt (Wisconsin) 6. Grajales (Michigan) 7. Osterman (Michigan State) 8. Zilverberg (Minnesota) Hipps' Finals Prediction: Molinaro (Penn State) over Grajales (Michigan) Foley's Finals Prediction: Molinaro (Penn State) over Nadhir (Northwestern) 157 David Taylor of Penn State has put together arguably the most dominant regular season of any freshman in NCAA wrestling history. He is 31-0 with bonus points in 30 of those victories. His closest match is a 9-3 victory over fifth-ranked Jesse Dong of Virginia Tech. Iowa's Derek St. John is also putting together a nice freshman season, but has been overshadowed by Taylor. St. John is 16-3 on the season and has only lost to Taylor in the calendar year. Jason Welch of Northwestern was an NCAA qualifier two seasons ago as a true freshman and redshirted last season. He is 23-3 on the season and 6-1 in the Big Ten, losing only St. John in conference action. Welch has not faced Taylor. Indiana's Paul Young has been an NCAA qualifier the past two seasons at 165, but moved down a weight class this season. He is currently 23-7 and ranked No. 10. Purdue's Colton Salazar was a Big Ten runner-up last season and has a recent win over Young. Brandon Zeerip of Michigan, Sean McMurray of Michigan State, and Jackson Morse of Illinois are all freshmen who could make some noise in this weight class. Zeerip and McMurray have split two matches this season. Minnesota's Matt Mincey is 10-8 and earned a No. 8 pre-seed. Automatic NCAA Qualifiers: Six Ranked Wrestlers: No. 3 Taylor (Penn State) No. 7 St. John (Iowa) No. 9 Welch (Northwestern) No. 10 Young (Indiana) No. 20 Salazar (Purdue) Pre-Seeds: 1. Taylor (Penn State) 2. St. John (Iowa) 3. Welch (Northwestern) 4. Salazar (Purdue) 5. Young (Indiana) 6. Zeerip (Michigan) 7. McMurray (Michigan State) 8. Matt Mincey (Minnesota) Hipps' Finals Prediction: Taylor (Penn State) over Welch (Northwestern) Foley's Finals Prediction: Taylor (Penn State) over Welch (Northwestern) 165 Wisconsin's Andrew Howe, the defending NCAA champion at 165, will be looking for his third Big Ten title. Howe suffered a serious knee injury on Jan. 16, which has kept him off the mat. He says he feels great and is making progress, but there are still questions surrounding his health. Prior to his injury, Howe dropped a match to Nebraska's Jordan Burroughs, 10-7, in the finals of the Midlands, which snapped a 51-match winning streak dating back to 2009. Ohio State's Colt Sponseller will be looking for a return trip to the Big Ten finals. Last year he lost 4-2 to Howe in the finals. Sponseller started the season at 157, but made the move back up to 165 part way through the season. He is 19-4 on the season and has won his last eight matches. Cody Yohn of Minnesota, an NCAA qualifier last season, is wrestling well heading into the postseason. The Gopher sophomore has won five of his last six matches, losing only to Sponseller during that stretch. Yohn is 25-9 this season and ranked 12th. Iowa's Aaron Janssen, who is 22-6 and ranked 14th, is also wrestling well, having won five of his last six matches. He was edged by Yohn, 6-4, in the final dual meet of the season. Conrad Polz of Illinois has the most wins against this field of 165-pounders, but has also dropped four matches this season to Big Ten 165-pounders. He lost to Howe at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Janssen at the Midlands, and Sponseller and Yohn during the Big Ten dual meet season. Michigan's Dan Yates has over 20 wins as a redshirt freshman. He started the Big Ten dual meet season 5-0, but dropped two of his last three to finish 6-2 in the conference. Ryan LeBlanc of Indiana and Kevin Bialka of Northwestern are both .500 wrestlers this season. Automatic NCAA Qualifiers: Five Ranked Wrestlers: No. 2 Howe (Wisconsin) No. 6 Sponseller (Ohio State) No. 12 Yohn (Minnesota) No. 14 Janssen (Iowa) Pre-Seeds: 1. Howe (Wisconsin) 2. Sponseller (Ohio State) 3. Yohn (Minnesota) 4. Janssen (Iowa) 5. Polz (Illinois) 6. Yates (Michigan) 7. LeBlanc (Indiana) 8. Bialka (Northwestern) Hipps' Finals Prediction: Howe (Wisconsin) over Sponseller (Ohio State) Foley's Finals Prediction: Yohn (Minnesota) over Janssen (Iowa) 174 Penn State's Ed Ruth, who is ranked second, has his sights set on a winning a national title as a redshirt freshman. With the exception of an early season loss to Maryland's Mike Letts, Ruth has run the table and beaten some of the nation's best, including NCAA runner-up Mack Lewnes of Cornell and two-time All-American Chris Henrich of Virginia. He has won 19 straight matches. After Ruth, the next six wrestlers in this weight class are virtually interchangeable. Purdue's Luke Manuel, a three-time NCAA qualifier, went 6-1 during the Big Ten dual meet season. He had a victory earlier this season over All-American Jordan Blanton of Illinois, who was lost for the season due to injury. Ohio State's Nick Heflin has put together a solid redshirt freshman campaign, compiling a record of 18-6. He had two wins over Manuel at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in December, but losses to two other Big Ten wrestlers during the Big conference dual meet season. Ben Jordan of Wisconsin is 18-8 this season, but has lost four of his last six matches. Minnesota's Scott Glasser, a Big Ten runner-up last season, has wins over Manuel, Heflin, and Iowa's Ethen Lofthouse, but losses to Ruth, Jordan, and Michigan's Justin Zeerip. Lofthouse, a redshirt freshman, is 15-7 and has wins over the aforementioned Letts, Oklahoma State's Mike Benefiel, Zeerip, and Heflin. Zeerip, a two-time NCAA qualifier, is 15-10 and has wins over Glasser and Jordan. Michigan State's Curran Jacobs has a 22-9 season record and defeated Lofthouse early in the season. Automatic NCAA Qualifiers: Eight Ranked Wrestlers: No. 2 Ruth (Penn State) No. 8 Manuel (Purdue) No. 10 Heflin (Ohio State) No. 12 Jordan (Wisconsin) No. 13 Glasser (Minnesota) No. 14 Lofthouse (Iowa) No. 18 Zeerip (Michigan) Pre-Seeds: 1. Ruth (Penn State) 2. Heflin (Ohio State) 3. Glasser (Minnesota) 4. Manuel (Purdue) 5. Lofthouse (Iowa) 6. Jordan (Wisconsin) 7. Zeerip (Michigan) 8. Jacobs (Michigan State) Hipps' Finals Prediction: Ruth (Penn State) over Glasser (Minnesota) Foley's Finals Prediction: Ruth (Penn State) over Heflin (Ohio State) 184 Wisconsin's Travis Rutt has been one of the most improved wrestlers in the country this season. He improved from 17-13 last season to 29-1 this season heading into the postseason. The only blemish on Rutt's record this season is a 2-0 loss to Cornell's Steve Bosak in the finals of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Kevin Steinhaus of Minnesota is among the nation's top freshmen. He is 28-8 this season, but seven of his eight losses have come to wrestlers ranked in the top 10. Grant Gambrall of Iowa is having a strong season with a record of 17-5. He went 6-1 during the Big Ten dual meet season, losing only to Steinhaus, 6-5, in the last regular season match of the season. Purdue's A.J. Kissel went 20-6 during the regular season, which included a 4-3 victory over Steinhaus, but has lost three of his last four matches, with two of those losses coming to unranked wrestlers. Quentin Wright of Penn State, an All-American two seasons ago as a true freshman, has battled injuries and inconsistency this season, but has the talent to compete with and beat any wrestler in this weight class. Michigan State's Ian Hinton is a two-time NCAA qualifer (at 174) and has wins this season over Kissel and 16th-ranked Nate Schiedel of Binghamton. Tony Dallago of Illinois, a redshirt freshman, is 16-12 and has beaten Kissel, Wright, and 13th-ranked Luke Rebertus of Navy. Ohio State's C.J. Magrum was an NCAA qualifier last season (at 197) and has a win this season over Dallago. The three unseeded wrestlers, Hunter Collins of Michigan, Eric Cameron of Indiana, and Aaron Jones of Northwestern, should not be overlooked. Automatic NCAA Qualifiers: Six Ranked Wrestlers: No. 3 Rutt (Wisconsin) No. 7 Steinhaus (Minnesota) No. 11 Gambrall (Iowa) No. 12 Kissel (Purdue) No. 17 Wright (Penn State) Pre-Seeds: 1. Rutt (Wisconsin) 2. Steinhaus (Minnesota) 3. Gambrall (Iowa) 4. Hinton (Michigan State) 5. Dallago (Illinois) 6. Kissel (Purdue) 7. Magrum (Ohio State) 8. Wright (Penn State) Hipps' Finals Prediction: Rutt (Wisconsin) over Steinhaus (Minnesota) Foley's Finals Prediction: Gambrall (Iowa) over Rutt (Wisconsin) 197 Defending Big Ten champion Trevor Brandvold of Wisconsin is undefeated and ranked No. 2. He missed most of December and January because of an injury, but has been dominant since returning to the mat. Brandvold has picked up bonus points in eight of his 11 victories this season. Iowa's Luke Lofthouse, who is ranked sixth, is red-hot heading into the postseason. He went a perfect 6-0 in the Big Ten dual meet season, which included victories over three wrestlers ranked among the top 11. Sonny Yohn, a Big Ten runner-up and All-American, has been hampered with injuries this season and was out of the lineup for a month and a half. Since returning, Yohn has gone 1-1, beating Penn State's Nick Ruggear and losing to Lofthouse. Purdue's Logan Brown is 19-4 with all four of his losses coming to wrestlers ranked in the top 10. He went 5-1 in conference dual meets, losing only to Brandvold, 2-0. Matt Powless of Indiana went 32-4 during the regular season, but has recent losses to Lofthouse and Brown. Michigan's Anthony Biondo, a two-time NCAA qualifier, has been up and down this season and comes in with a 21-10 season record. Joe Barczak of Illinois is 13-6 this season and has won six of his last seven matches. Ohio State's Peter Capone went 17-13 during the regular season. Automatic NCAA Qualifiers: Six Ranked Wrestlers: No. 2 Brandvold (Wisconsin) No. 6 Lofthouse (Iowa) No. 7 Yohn (Minnesota) No. 8 Brown (Purdue) No. 10 Powless (Indiana) No. 11 Anthony Biondo (Michigan) Pre-Seeds: 1. Brandvold (Wisconsin) 2. Lofthouse (Iowa) 3. Brown (Purdue) 4. Powless (Indiana) 5. Yohn (Minnesota) 6. Biondo (Michigan) 7. Joe Barczak (Illinois) 8. Peter Capone (Ohio State) Hipps' Finals Prediction: Brandvold (Wisconsin) over Lofthouse (Iowa) Foley's Finals Prediction: Brandvold (Wisconsin) over Brown (Purdue) 285 Penn State's Cameron Wade is the top seed in a balanced weight class. Wade has gone 26-4 this season and 6-1 in Big Ten dual meets. He has won eight of his last nine matches heading into the postseason. Ricky Alcala of Indiana, who transferred from UC Davis after the wrestling program was discontinued, has compiled a season record of 27-7. He has won 10 of his last 11 matches and his only loss in the calendar year came to Wade, 6-0, on Jan. 23. Iowa's Blake Rasing went 5-2 during the Big Ten dual meet season, losing only Wade and Alcala. He is 14-5 on the season and ranked 10th. Minnesota's Tony Nelson, a redshirt freshman, is 26-5, but finished the regular season with consecutive losses to Wade and Rasing. Eric Bugenhagen of Wisconsin has a win over No. 13 Tucker Lane of Nebraska, but has not defeated any of the Big Ten wrestlers seeded ahead of him. Michigan's Ben Apland started the season strong, reaching the finals of both the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and Midlands. But Apland struggled down the stretch this season, going 7-7 since the Southern Scuffle. He has two wins over Bugenhagen and has split two matches with No. 2 Jarod Trice of Central Michigan. Michigan State's Joe Rizqallah defeated Wade, 8-2, but has lost three of his last four matches. Northwestern's Ben Kuhar will head to the postseason with a .500 record. Automatic NCAA Qualifiers: Six Ranked Wrestlers: No. 6 Wade (Penn State) No. 9 Alcala (Indiana) No. 10 Rasing (Iowa) No. 11 Nelson (Minnesota) No. 12 Bugenhagen (Wisconsin) No. 17 Apland (Michigan) Pre-Seeds: 1. Wade (Penn State) 2. Alcala (Indiana) 3. Rasing (Iowa) 4. Nelson (Minnesota) 5. Apland (Michigan) 6. Bugenhagen (Wisconsin) 7. Rizqallah (Michigan State) 8. Kuhar (Northwestern) Hipps' Finals Prediction: Alcala (Indiana) over Wade (Penn State) Foley's Finals Prediction: Alcala (Indiana) over Wade (Penn State) Team The team race is expected to be very tight. No. 2 Penn State and No. 3 Iowa are the frontrunners. The Hawkeyes have won 34 Big Ten titles, including the last three. No. 5 Wisconsin and No. 7 Minnesota also have the potential to challenge for the title. Michigan and Northwestern, both top 20 programs, should battle for top-five finishes. Penn State has five No. 1 pre-seeds and eight pre-seeded wrestlers. Nine of Iowa's 10 wrestlers earned pre-seeds, but only one Hawkeye received a No. 1 pre-seed. Wisconsin has three wrestlers pre-seeded No. 1 and nine wrestlers who earned a pre-seed. Minnesota is the lone Big Ten program to have a wrestler pre-seeded in each of the 10 weight classes. However, the Gophers do not have a wrestler pre-seeded No. 1. Hipps' Team Predictions: 1. Penn State 2. Iowa 3. Wisconsin 4. Minnesota 5. Michigan Foley's Team Predictions: 1. Penn State 2. Iowa 3. Minnesota 4. Northwestern 5. Wisconsin

PARK RIDGE, Ill. -- The Big Ten Conference has announced the preliminary seeds for the 2011 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, which are set to take place from March 5-6 at Welsh-Ryan Arena on the campus of Northwestern University. The pre-seeds, which rank the top eight wrestlers in each of the 10 weight classes, are decided based on a vote by the conference coaches. Wrestlers from four schools have been chosen as No. 1 seeds for this year's championships. Penn State leads the way with five top seeds, while Wisconsin has earned three and Iowa and Michigan have each received one No. 1 seed. Minnesota is the lone Big Ten team to have a seeded grappler in each of the 10 weight classes. The fourth-ranked Nittany Lions will send five No. 1 seeds to the mat this weekend, as Andrew Long (11-1 overall record at 133 pounds), Frank Molinaro (25-2 at 149), David Taylor (31-0 at 157), Ed Ruth (29-1 at 174) and Cameron Wade (26-4 at 285) have each earned top billing in their respective weight classes. Ruth and Taylor enter the weekend ranked No. 2 nationally in their classes by the NCAA Coaches Panel, while Molinaro owns a No. 3 ranking, Long sits at No. 5 and Wade is ranked No. 6. The Badgers, ranked 15th in the nation, picked up three top seeds in Andrew Howe (18-2 at 165), Travis Rutt (26-1 at 184) and Trevor Brandvold (11-0 at 197). Howe, the reigning national champion at 165, is currently ranked No. 2 in the nation. After winning an individual conference title at 197 last season, Brandvold holds a No. 3 ranking entering the weekend, while Rutt is ranked No. 2 at 184. Reigning national champion Matt McDonough holds a 20-1 record at 125 for Iowa this season en route to the class' top seed. The Hawkeye sophomore is ranked No. 2 in the country entering the championships. Michigan's Kellen Russell boasts a 30-0 record this season, earning the top seed at 141. Russell, a two-time Big Ten Champion, enters the weekend as the top-ranked grappler at 141. Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin will each bring nine seeded wrestlers to the championships, while Penn State boasts eight and Northwestern holds seven. After clinching their fourth-straight conference regular season dual-meet title this season, the Hawkeyes will look to earn their fourth consecutive Big Ten Championships title. The 2011 Big Ten Wrestling Championships pre-seeds can be found below. 2011 Big Ten Wrestling Championships Pre-Seeds 125 1. Matt McDonough (Iowa) 2. Brandon Precin (Northwestern) 3. Zach Sanders (Minnesota) 4. Brad Pataky (Penn State) 5. Sean Boyle (Michigan) 6. Justin Brooks (Indiana) 7. Camden Eppert (Purdue) 8. Tom Kelliher (Wisconsin) 133 1. Andrew Long (Penn State) 2. Tyler Graff (Wisconsin) 3. Tony Ramos (Iowa) 4. B.J. Futrell (Illinois) 5. Levi Mele (Northwestern) 6. David Thorn (Minnesota) 7. Zac Stevens (Michigan) 8. Ian Paddock (Ohio State) 141 1. Kellen Russell (Michigan) 2. Montell Marion (Iowa) 3. Mike Thorn (Minnesota) 4. Jimmy Kennedy (Illinois) 5. Andrew Alton (Penn State) 6. Kaleb Friedly (Northwestern) 7. Jake Fleckenstein (Purdue) 8. Shane McQuade (Wisconsin) 149 1. Frank Molinaro (Penn State) 2. Andrew Nadhir (Northwestern) 3. Kurt Kinser (Indiana) 4. Eric Terrazas (Illinois) 5. Cole Schmitt (Wisconsin) 6. Eric Grajales (Michigan) 7. Dan Osterman (Michigan State) 8. Danny Zilverberg (Minnesota) 157 1. David Taylor (Penn State) 2. Derek St. John (Iowa) 3. Jason Welch (Northwestern) 4. Colton Salazar (Purdue) 5. Paul Young (Indiana) 6. Brandon Zeerip (Michigan) 7. Sean McMurray (Michigan State) 8. Matt Mincey (Minnesota) 165 1. Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) 2. Colt Sponseller (Ohio State) 3. Cody Yohn (Minnesota) 4. Aaron Janssen (Iowa) 5. Conrad Polz (Illinois) 6. Dan Yates (Michigan) 7. Ryan LeBlanc (Indiana) 8. Kevin Bialka (Northwestern) 174 1. Ed Ruth (Penn State) 2. Nick Heflin (Ohio State) 3. Scott Glasser (Minnesota) 4. Luke Manuel (Purdue) 5. Ethen Lofthouse (Iowa) 6. Ben Jordan (Wisconsin) 7. Justin Zeerip (Michigan) 8. Curran Jacobs (Michigan State) 184 1. Travis Rutt (Wisconsin) 2. Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota) 3. Grant Gambrall (Iowa) 4. Ian Hinton (Michigan State) 5. Tony Dallago (Illinois) 6. A.J. Kissel (Purdue) 7. Cody Magrum (Ohio State) 8. Quentin Wright (Penn State) 197 1. Trevor Brandvold (Wisconsin) 2. Luke Lofthouse (Iowa) 3. Logan Brown (Purdue) 4. Matt Powless (Indiana) 5. Sonny Yohn (Minnesota) 6. Anthony Biondo (Michigan) 7. Joe Barczak (Illinois) 8. Peter Capone (Ohio State) 285 1. Cameron Wade (Penn State) 2. Ricky Alcala (Indiana) 3. Blake Rasing (Iowa) 4. Tony Nelson (Minnesota) 5. Ben Apland (Michigan) 6. Eric Bugenhagen (Wisconsin) 7. Joe Rizqallah (Michigan State) 8. Ben Kuhar (Northwestern)

Related Link: Results/Brackets WILKES BARRE, Pa. -- A banner season for the No. 10 Centenary wrestling team continued in the Metropolitan Conference Tournament, Sunday on the campus of King’s College in Wilkes Barre, Pa. The Cyclones won the event for the first time in program history and sent five wrestlers to the NCAA Division III Wrestling Tournament, also a program-first. Senior Will Livingston (Newton, N.J./Kittatinny) will return to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year after defending his title at 133-pounds. He will be joined by junior Tim Lutke (Chatham, N.J./Chatham), who won at 197, and sophomore JD Zitone (Montague, N.J./Port Jervis), who finished first at 285. Senior Dave Alsieux (Belmar, N.J./Manasquan) and freshman Chris Burdge (Newton, N.J./Kittatinny) were named wild cards at 141 and 157, respectively. The Cyclones finished with 104 team points to hold off the defending champion No. 12 TCNJ, which tallied 92. No. 15 York placed third with 70 points, followed by No. 21 Delaware Valley (66.5), No. 24 Elizabethtown (50), No. 13 Wilkes (46.5), NYU (46), King’s (28.5), Hunter (22.5), Scranton (12.5) and Yeshiva (0). Centenary head coach John Garriques was named Coach of the Year and Mike Kessler received Assistant Coach of the Year honors. Burdge took home co-Rookie of the Year with TCNJ’s Steve Godine. CC put six wrestlers in the championships of their weight classes to lead all teams. Eight Cyclones placed, led by the three champions. Alsieux, senior Jon Stillo (Phillipsburg, N.J./Phillipsburg) and Burdge each took second at 141, 149 and 157, respectively. Senior Matt Regan (Boonton, N.J./Boonton) finished in third at 165 and junior Jose Vega (Moonachie, N.J./Wood-Ridge) placed fourth at 125. Stillo dropped a tough 10-9 true-second match to Delaware Valley’s Zak Andrews. Senior Charles Cannella (Kunkletown, Pa./Pleasant Valley) and junior JJ Mitchell (Hackettstown, N.J./Hackettstown) each fell in the wrestleback semifinals at 174 and 184, respectively. The NCAA Division III Wrestling Tournament will take place on March 11-12 in the La Crosse Center in La Crosse, Wis.

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- The Arizona State University wrestling team sent four individuals with two champions while automatically qualifying six individuals to the national tournament as the 2011 Pac-10 Wrestling Championships came to a close Sunday night inside Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Ore. Anthony Robles won his third title in a row at 125 pounds and Jake Meredith won the 184 title while Bubba Jenkins (157) and Luke Macchiaroli (197) each took second to pace the Sun Devils to a third-place showing. Boise State won the team title with 147.0 points to edge host Oregon State, who took second place with 137.5 points. ASU was third with 117.0 points while Stanford was fourth with 114.0. The remaining three teams in the tournament included CS Bakersfield, who was fifth with 97.0 points, Cal Poly, who was sixth with 96.5 points, and CS Fullerton, who was seventh with 61.5 points. Robles was solid on the mat once again as he became the 14th different Sun Devil to win three Pac-10 titles and the 18th ASU wrestler to win three conference crowns (includes ASU’s time in the Western Athletic Conference) as he took care of business by scoring a 15-4 major decision over third-seeded and 17th-ranked Jason Lara (Oregon State) in the finals. The last time a Sun Devil won three or more titles in a career came in 2006 when Patrick Pitsch captured the 165 weight class for the third time in a row. Robles won his 22nd technical fall in the quarterfinals with an 18-0 score over Tyler Iwamura (CS Bakersfield) before scoring a 14-1 major decision over fourth-seeded and 22nd-ranked Allen Bartelli (Boise State) in the semifinals. Robles earned a berth to this fourth-consecutive NCAA appearance where he will be one of the favorites to win the national crown. For his domination in the Pac-10 Championships, Robles was voted as the Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships in a vote from the coaches. Meredith, who entered the tournament seeded second but unranked in the nation, advanced to the finals and captured the Pac-10 title at 184 pounds and earned the lone automatic berth to the NCAA tournament at the weight class as he downed unseeded and 30th-ranked Brice Arand (OSU) in a 5-2 decision. Meredith opened his tournament with a 6-0 win over Kelan Bragg (CPU) in the quarterfinals before downing third-seeded and 33th-ranked Todd Noel (CSF) in the semifinals with an 8-0 major decision. Meredith, who placed sixth in the Pac-10 as a freshman and fourth last year as a sophomore, earned his first tournament title of the season after taking second in the Fullerton Open, where he lost in the final to Noel. At 157 pounds, Jenkins reached his second final of a conference after taking second at 149 for Penn State two years ago at the Big Ten Championships, this time facing top-seeded and third-ranked Adam Hall (BSU) for the title. After both men scored on escapes in regulation, neither scored in the sudden victory period before both escaped in the tie-breaker to make it 2-2. After another scoreless overtime, neither man could escape the other, but Hall had built up nine seconds of riding time in the first tie-breaker, giving the Bronco the 2-2 win on riding time. Jenkins opened the tournament with a 19-10 major decision over Alex Elder (OSU) and a 5-2 decision over third-seeded and 25th-ranked Barrett Abel (CPU) in the semifinals. Jenkins automatically qualified for his fourth NCAA appearance. Another finalist was Macchiaroli at 197 pounds, who finished second after an impressive run through the bracket. Unseeded and ranked 33rd nationally, Macchiaroli had not defeated a Pac-10 foe this season and went on to defeat fourth-seeded and 20th ranked Ryan Smith (Cal Poly), 5-3, in the quarterfinals. He then faced the top-seeded and 16th-ranked Matt Casperson (BSU) and took a 6-2 decision to advance the final. In the championship match, Macchiaroli put up a fight, but was unable to upset his third foe in a row, this time falling to second-seeded and 17th-ranked Zach Giesen (Stanford). With his finish in the Top 4 of the weight class, Macchiaroli, a redshirt freshman, will advance to the NCAA Championships. Placing third for the Sun Devils were Eric Starks (174) and Levi Cooper (285). Starks, who was unseeded in the event, dropped an 11-4 decision to second-seeded and seventh-ranked Nick Amuchastegui (SU) in the quarterfinal, but bounced back to win the next two matches for a third-place finish, which he needed to earn to qualify automatically for the national meet. In the consolation semifinals, Starks upset fourth-seeded and 15th-ranked Jacob Swartz (BSU) with a 2-1 decision in the tie-breaker to advance to the third-place match where he upset third-seeded and 29th-ranked Joey Granata (CSB), 6-2. Starks will be making his first NCAA appearance. Cooper, who was the top-seed in the tournament, lost a close 5-3 decision to fourth-seeded and 29th-ranked J.T. Felix (BSU) in the semifinals, but rebounded with two extra-time wins to take third. In the Consolation semifinals, Cooper took Kurt Klimek (CSF) to overtime tied at 1-1 before taking down the Titan for the 3-1 win in sudden victory. Then, in third-place match, Cooper faced his former teammate from his days in Bakersfield, scoring a reversal in the tie breaker to score a 3-2 win over third-seeded and 28th-ranked David Morgan (CSB) to take third place and earn a berth into the NCAA Championships. The remaining four Sun Devils in the tournament all placed as well, including Josh Sandoval (141), Carlos Castro (149) and Kyle DeBerry (165), who placed sixth, and Kalin Goodsite (133), who finished seventh. Sandoval, wrestling up two weight classes, scored a pin over Peter Hoang (CSF) in 2:00 for his lone win in the tournament while DeBerry, in his first action of the season, went 1-3, with a 14-2 major decision over Bryce Whitehead (CSF) for his lone win. On March 9, the NCAA will announce its at-large selections to the NCAA Wrestling Championships to complete the selections for the tournament. The event will take place in Philadelphia, Pa., at the Wells Fargo Center on March 17-19.

CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Colby Covington repeated as Pacific-10 Conference champion at 174 pounds and Clayton Jack claimed the first of his career at heavyweight to highlight the Oregon State’s wrestling’s night at the Pac-10 Championships Sunday at legendary Gill Coliseum. As a team, the Beavers finished second, tallying 137.50 points, behind only Boise State’s championship-winning 147 points. Oregon State also will send six wrestlers with qualifying marks to the NCAA Wrestling Championships in Philadelphia in late March. Wrestlers who earned qualifying marks include Jason Lara at 125, Garrett Drucker at 133, Scott Sakaguchi at 149, Covington at 174, Chad Hanke at 184 and Jack at heavyweight. Hanke advanced to the NCAA Championshjps despite not advancing to the finals at 184. He placed fourth and then defeated Cal Poly’s Ryan Smith, 3-2, for a true fourth-place finish. Covington defeated Nick Amuchastegui, 10-4, to earn the 174 crown and went 3-0 on the day. Jack, meanwhile, picked up his title by defeating J.T. Felix of Boise State, 6-4. The six wrestlers qualified by the Beavers Sunday matches OSU’s total from 2010. Covington, Jack and Lara will return after their visits last season while Drucker, Hanke and Sakaguchi will make their first trips. Session I Recap The Beavers sent five wrestlers to the NCAA Championships after just the morning session, while three other wrestlers remain in contention for an automatic bid. Jason Lara was the first Beaver to reach the NCAA Championships. He earned a bye to start at 125 pounds, then defeated Ryan Mango, 7-2, via decision to reach the finals. He will face Arizona State’s Anthony Robles in the finals tonight; however, with the Pac-10 receiving four allocations at 125, both are guaranteed of going to Philadelphia. Garrett Drucker also advanced to the finals, where he will face off against Boise State’s Andrew Hochstrasser. Drucker downed Kalin Goodsite of Arizona State, 17-3, for a major decision, then won over Stanford’s Ryan Paulsen, 9-6, in the semifinals at 133. Scott Sakaguchi became the third OSU wrestler to automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships. He started the day with a bye at 149 pounds, then defeated Filip Novachkov of Cal Poly via decision, 5-2, to advance to the finals against Boise State’s Jason Chamberlain. The 149 pound weight class was allotted two spots per the NCAA so both wrestlers will head to Philadelphia regardless of the outcome. Colby Covington went 2-0 to earn his second consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships. He defeared Cal Poly’s Steven Vasquez via fall at 4:01, then defeated Boise State’s Jacob Swartz, 10-2, to advance to tonight’s final against Stanford’s Nick Amuchastegui. The winner of the two will be the Pac-10 winner at 174 pounds. Clayton Jack utilized a two-point takedown with just seconds remaining in the third period to down Cal State Bakersfield’s David Morgan, 4-3. Jack started off with a 7-4 win over Atticus Disney to advance and will square off with Boise State’s J.T. Felix in the finals tonight. The Beavers still have three wrestlers who could claim additional NCAA qualifying wins. Brice Arand posted dual upsets – 3-2 over Stanford’s Dan Scherer and 9-2 over No. 1 seeded Kirk Smith of Boise State – and is in the finals against Arizona State’s Jake Meredith. The 184-pound class only has one NCAA allocation. Alex Elder went 1-1 at 157, and will need two wins to claim third. He lost to Arizona State’s Bubba Jenkins, 19-10 to start, but then defeated CSUB’s Andrew Balch, 14-7, and will compete against Stanford’s Kyle Meyer. Chad Hanke, at 197 pounds, lost his first and only bout, 3-2, to Stanford’s Zack Giesen, and had a bye in the consolation quarterfinals and is squaring off against Boise State’s Matt Casperson. There are four allocations at 197. Mike Mangrum (141) went 1-1 in the first session, as did Jon Brascetta at 165 pounds. Brascetta will face Stanford’s Lucas Espericueta in the consolation semis and Mangrum will take on Arizona State’s Josh Sandoval.

Related Link: Results/Brackets Kearney, Neb. -- The eighth ranked University of Nebraska Kearney wrestling team scored 127.5 points to win the 2011 RMAC Championships/NCAA Super Regional 4 at San Francisco State University, in San Francisco, Calf. UNK ended Western State two year reign as RMAC Champions in the 11-team race, before Western State’s back to back win, UNK won the tournament from 2000-08. For NCAA purposes, the Lopers qualified six individuals (top four finish) for the NCAA Championships. This year’s tournament is being hosted by UNK at the Health & Sports Center on March 11th & 12th. Juniors T.J. Hepburn (East Hampton, Conn.) at 149 lbs., Dalton Jensen (Missouri Valley, IA) at 141 lbs., and Joey Wilson (Half Moon Bay, CA) at 165 lbs., all earned their first RMAC championships. Hepburn was named RMAC Wrestler of the year as well. Hepburn now 33-3, pinned Mariano Montoya of Highlands in the first round, then earned a major decision against Auesten Moore from Grand Canyon, in the semifinals got a 10-4 decision against Kenny Jordan of Adams State to advance to the finals; where he pinned Mitchell Means of Fort Hays State in 2:29. Jensen improved his recorded to 25-4, by getting a 16-3 major decision against Bery Tack of Mesa State, in the semifinals earned 4-2 decision against Chadron State Jimmy Savala of Chadron State, won by injury default in the finals against Naveed Bagheri of host San Francisco State. Wilson the final RMAC Champ, started the tournament off with an 8-2 decision against Briston Brenton from Chadron State, then in the next round won 8-4 versus Jordan Larsen from Colorado Mines to advance to finals versus Dylan Granard and got 14-11 decision. Fellow junior Caleb Kociemba (Hillsboro, Ore.) entered the tournament with 7-1 record, got back to back decisions without giving up any points to Zack Frazier of Western State and Trent Zempel of Chadron State, to advance to the finals and take on defending 165 lbs. RMAC Champion Victor Carzo of Grand Canyon. Carzo would be the only person to score any points against Kociemba and win 174 lbs. championship on a 9-2 decision. Senior Ben Hohensee (Monett, MO) got a pin and two decision to advance to the finals were Charlie Alexander of Western State was his opponent. Alexander earned 3-1 sudden victory win in dual three weeks, just like the previous meeting the score would be tied at 1 going to the overtime periods where Alexander got an escape to prevail with 2-1 victory. Ross Brunkhardt (Merino, Colo.) would be the final qualifier for UNK at 184 lbs. Brunkhardt went 3-1 in the tournament; his only loss was to the eventual RMAC runner-up Ryan Becerra of Grand Canyon in the semifinals. Among the four Lopers not wrestling at Nationals, sophomore 125 lbs. Josh Smith (Houston, Texas), sophomore 133 lbs. Stephen Weimer (Clovis, Calf.), sophomore 197 lbs. Nick Bauman (Brighton, Colo.) all finished in fifth place with a 3-2 record, and redshirt freshman Jared Hatley (Torrington, WY) went 0-2. The brackets for the NCAA’s will be announced next week.

Related Link: Results/Brackets Platteville, Wis. -- The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse wrestling team earned its 14th straight Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championship Sunday afternoon in Wiliams Fieldhouse on the campus of UW-Platteville. It is the Eagles' conference leading 15th title in school history. UW-L totaled 132 points while UW-Whitewater was second with 105.5 and UW-Stevens Point third with 103. UW-Oshkosh placed fourth (85) while UW-Platteville was fifth (82) and UW-Eau Claire sixth (51.5). UW-L head coach Dave Malecek was selected the Mertz Mortorelli WIAC Coach of the Year for the fifth consecutive season. Seven UW-L wrestlers won individual titles Sunday, including senior Matt Mauseth who captured his fourth consecutive 149-pound championship with a 8-4 victory over UW-Stevens Point's Kris Magruder. Mauseth is the first wrestler in league history to win four 149-pound titles. After receiving a first-round bye, Mauseth won by fall (:56) over Ryan Borman in the semifinals before defeating Magruder in the title bout. Mauseth was also named the 2011 Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete. Senior Albie McKinney and junior Mike Schmitz both won their third straight WIAC title Sunday. McKinney became the second wrestler in conference history to won three 125-pound crowns as he won by major decision (11-2) over Carl Deluca of UW-Oshkosh. Davey Starks of UW-Eau Claire won four titles from 2000-03. McKinney advanced to Sunday's final after winning by fall (1:23) over Jedd Wilson of UW-Whitewater and by technical fall (16-0, 6:13) over Mack Drees of UW-Platteville. Schmitz is the third wrestler to capture three 174-pound divisions with a major decision (12-3) over Reud Dickerson of UW-Whitewater in Sunday's championship match. UW-L's Josh Chelf (2006-08) and UW-Stevens Point's Cody Koenig (2003-05) also won three championships at 174-pounds. Schmitz earned a pair of wins by fall in his first two matches Sunday, defeating Aaron Geiger of UW-Oshkosh (1:30) and William Christ of UW-Eau Claire (2:47). Schmitz is also the defending NCAA Division III champion at 174-pounds. UW-L senior Cory Ferguson earned the 165-pound title Sunday with a win by decision (6-3) over Jordan Schulte of UW-Stevens Point. It is his second straight championship after finishing second in 2009. Ferguson also defeated Schulte in the 2010 title match. Ferguson received a first-round bye Sunday and then defeated Aaron Konitzer of UW-Oshkosh by major decision (17-4) in the semifinals. Junior Bebeto Yewah won his second straight league crown Sunday as he earned a technical fall (25-10, 5:14) against UW-Whitewater's Dylan Scroeder in the 141-pound division. Yewah won the 133-pound WIAC and NCAA III title a year ago. He had a first-round bye in Sunday's action before winning by fall (5:00) against Kyle Kleuskens of UW-Oshkosh in the semifinals. Yewah was named the 2011 John Peterson WIAC Wrestler of the Meet after winning the 141-pound title. Sophomore Adam Sheley picked up his first WIAC title Sunday, winning the 133-pound division with a decision (4-2) over Jake Fredrickson of UW-Whitewater. He opened the day with a win by fall (2:16) over Neil Manns of UW-Eau Claire and then won by decision (5-3) over Zach Mueller of UW-Oshkosh in the semifinals. Sheley was also named to the 2011 All-WIAC Sportsmanship Team. UW-L sophomore Billy Mayer continued the streak of Eagles winning the 285-pound division as he defeated UW-Whitewater's James Zarate in the title match (6-0). He becomes the fourth straight UW-L wrestler to win the 285-pound crown, joining Jason Ott (200-02), Ryan Allen (2003-06) and Dan Laurent (2007-10). The Eagles have won the last 12 league titles at 285-pounds. After a first-round bye, Mayer defeated UW-Eau Claire's Joe Pitsch by fall (5:57) in the semifinals before getting the championship win over Zarate. The Eagles had a pair of wrestlers, senior Ryan Farwell at 157-pounds and senior Mitch Artist at 184-pounds, finish third Sunday. Farwell earned third-place with a win by decision (8-2) over UW-Oshkosh's Jose Quintana. He opened with a major decision (12-0) over Jon Hagen of UW-Platteville before falling in overtime (2-0) to Ben Strobel of UW-Stevens Point in the semifinals. Farwell was second in 2010. After placing second last season at 184-pounds, Artist earned third-place this year with a win by decision (7-2) over UW-Whitewater's Andrew Pettit. He won by technical fall (16-0, 1:56) against UW-Platteville Wesley Mathieu in his first match Sunday, but lost by fall (3:20) to UW-Oshkosh's Sam Engelland in the semifinals. Artist earned one of eight at-large bids to the NCAA III Tournament and will compete in the championships next weekend. Freshman Tony Piechowski finished fifth overall Sunday at 197-pounds. He defeated UW-Eau Claire's Luke Ortscheid in the fifth-place match by decision (5-2). Piechowski lost by major decision (10-2) to Adam Latella of UW-Whitewater in his first match and by major decision (9-0) to Matt Scott in the consolation round before coming back to defeat Ortscheid. UW-L's seven individual winners, McKinney (125), Sheley (133), Yewah (141), Mauseth (149), Ferguson (165), Schmitz (174) and Mayer (285) automatically qualify for the NCAA Division III Championships with their victories. Artist earned one of the eight at-large bids. The NCAA Division III Championships are scheduled for Friday-Saturday, March 11-12 at the La Crosse Center.

Sioux Falls, S.D. -- The St. Cloud State University wrestling team (19-2) captured first place honors at the 2011 NCAA Division II Super Regional #3 on Sunday, Feb. 27. SCSU tallied 131.0 team points, which edged second place Augustana (120.0 points) - the defending regional champion. Shamus O'Grady (Photo/SCSU Sports Information)SCSU head coach Steve Costanzo was named the Super Regional #3 Coach of the Year and sophomore Shamus O'Grady (Coon Rapids) was named the Super Regional #3 MVP for his first place finish at 174-pounds. The Huskies gained the top spot thanks to three first place finishes at the Regional. SCSU's first title was scored by junior Tad Merritt (Canby), who won the championship with a 4-2 decision over Gavin Nelson of Augustana in the title bout at 165-pounds. Merritt was the top seeded wrestler and was ranked #2 in the latest DII poll. O'Grady added SCSU's second title of the tournament with a 13-3 major decision over Minnesota State's Ben Becker in the championship bout at 174-pounds. O'Grady entered the tournament as the #5 seed and advanced to the title match with a 10-7 decision over the nation's #1 ranked wrestler Luke Rynish of UW-Parkside in the semi-finals. The Huskies triple crown of champions was topped by sophomore Jake Kahnke (Shakopee/Prior Lake H.S.), who ended his run in the 285-pound bracket with a 6-4 victory over Matt Meuleners of Northern State in the title match. This match feature the nation's top two ranked 285-pound wrestlers (#1 Kahnke and #2 Meuleners). All three of the SCSU champions will now advance to the 2011 NCAA Division II championships, which will be held in Kearney, Neb. on March 11-12. The trio will be joined at the NCAA championships by five other Huskies in 2011. This group includes junior Eric Ellington (Fairview Heights, Ill./East St. Louis H.S.) at 133-pounds, senior Gabe Suarez (Las Vegas, Nev./Cimarron H.S.) at 141-pounds, sophomore Jacob D. Horn (Ephrata, Wash.) at 149-pounds, senior John Sundgren (Blaine) at 157-pounds and junior Luke Munkelwitz (Forest Lake) at 197-pounds. Ellington punched his ticket to nationals with a second place finish at 133-pounds. In the title match, Ellington lost a close 3-1 decision against UW-Parkside's Cody Zimmerman. A transfer from Rend Lake C.C. this season, Ellington will be making his first trip to the NCAA nationals this winter. At 141-pounds, Suarez gained his fourth consecutive trip to nationals with a third place finish at the regional. In the bout for third place, Suarez scored a big 4-3 decision against MSU Moorhead's Brady Scheenberger. Of note, Suarez was ranked #8 in the latest DII poll and Scheenberger was ranked #3. At 149-pounds, Horn lost a close 4-3 decision against Nate Herda of Augustana in the semi-finals before coming back to win the third place match by a 4-1 decision over Jesse Westphal of Minnesota State. This is Horn's first NCAA bid. At 157-pounds, Sundgren also earned his 4th trip to nationals with a second place finish at the regional. In the title match, Sundgren lost a tough 9-6 decision to Dillon Bera of UW-Parkside. At 197-pounds, Munkelwitz gained his 3rd bid to nationals with a fourth place finish. This marks the top finish at the regional for SCSU during the Costanzo era, as the Huskies have finished in second place in 2010 and 2009. SCSU will be looking forward to the upcoming NCAA championships with hopes of improving on the Huskies' 7th place finish at the 2010 championships.

Related Link: Results/Brackets CORVALLIS, Ore. -- The Boise State wrestling team captured the sixth Pac-10 Conference team title in program history, Sunday (Feb. 27) night, thanks to four individual champions and two runner-up finishes in the seven team tournament held at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore. Photo/Pac-10.orgThe Broncos held off Oregon State at the top of the team standings as Boise State finished the tournament with 147.0 total points. The Beavers fought to a close second with 137.5 points. "It feels great to bring [the title] back," head coach Greg Randall said Sunday night. "Oregon State took it from us last year, so it is nice to come up here and take it back. For the program it means we are continually moving on, able to contend for a Pac-10 Championship every year." Sunday proved to be a drama filled day for both Boise State and Oregon State, as the teams went back and forth in the team standings throughout the final session. The Broncos had built a slight advantage heading into the championship session, leading Oregon State (125.5 points) with 126.0 points. Just two matches into the final session Oregon State overtook Boise State however, as the Beavers moved in front with 129.5 points while the Broncos remained at 126.0. With their team needing an answer more than ever, Andrew Hochstrasser, Jason Chamberlain, Adam Hall and Kurt Swartz responded winning four titles in five matches to secure the top spot in the final standings. "They knew what they had to do. They knew their back was against the wall. They were winning for themselves, but they knew if they did that the team title would take care of itself." Hochstrasser struck first for Boise State as he wrestled to the second individual Pac-10 title of his career at 133 pounds. Hochstrasser met Garrett Drucker of Oregon State on Sunday night, who he had already beat twice during the regular season. Hochstrasser showed why he is the nation's current No. 2 ranked wrestler at 133 pounds, scoring three take downs and one near fall en route to an 11-0 major decision. Hochstrasser won his first individual conference title as a redshirt sophomore in 2009. Chamberlain helped extend Boise State's team lead two matches later at 149 pounds, as he beat Scott Sakaguchi of Oregon State by 5-2 decision to win the second Pac-10 title of his career as well. Chamberlain gained an early 3-0 advantage over Sakaguchi, but a pair of escapes put the match back within reach early in the final period. Chamberlain would clinch his fifth win of the season over Sakaguchi with a takedown near the end of regulation (00:15) to give the Broncos their second individual title of the night. Chamberlain won his first Pac-10 championship as a freshman in 2009, and placed third at the conference tournament in 2010. Adam Hall gave Boise State's fan base its most thrilling match of the day next at 157 pounds as he looked to defend his 2010 Pac-10 title against Bubba Jenkins of Arizona State. Jenkins beat Hall earlier this season, 12-4, in an exhibition match that did not count toward their official records. Just a month later Hall exacted his revenge with a 2-1 win in overtime at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite. On Sunday it was Hall that would find a way to grind out a triple overtime slugfest that finally ended as Hall finished the third OT with a 00:07 riding time advantage. By rule, a riding time advantage after triple overtime is an automatic point. As the two wrestlers sat in a 2-2 deadlock, the riding advantage point helped Hall remain a perfect 23-0 on the season. "Hochstrasser, Chamberlain and Hall have had a target on them all year long. They showed today why they are some of the best wrestlers to ever put on a Boise State uniform." Swartz capped Boise State's run in the team standings next at 165 pounds where he scored a 4-0 decision over Trevor Hall of Cal State Bakersfield. Swartz, a redshirt senior, wrestled to his first Pac-10 Conference title after scoring a takedown and a reversal in the first two periods. He held off Hall for a scoreless third period to clinch the win. Swartz's victory gave Boise State a 12.5 point lead over Oregon State with just two matches remaining, and because the Beavers could only score up to 12 points left in the tournament his win clinched team title. The win also secured an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament for Swartz, as the Pac-10 was only allocated one spot at 165 pounds. "Swartz did a great job. He had to win this tournament to even qualify for the NCAA tournament. He knew that coming in and got it done." Swartz is joined by six other Broncos who also wrestled to automatic NCAA tournament bids on Sunday. Aside from Hochstrasser, Chamberlain, Hall and Swartz, Alan Bartelli, Levi Jones and J.T. Felix also clinched NCAA bids. Bartelli did so with a third-place finish at 125 pounds, while Jones earned his spot with a runner-up finish at 141. Felix also clinched with a second-place finish at heavyweight. After Boise State and Oregon State, the final team standings were; Arizona State (117.0 points), Stanford (114.0), Cal State Bakersfield (97.0), Cal Poly (96.5) and Cal State Fullerton (61.5). This marks the fourth conference team title for head coach Greg Randall. He also led the Broncos to the Pac-10 championship in 2004, 2008 and 2009. Boise State won Pac-10 titles under former head coach Mike Young in 2000 and 2002. Next on the schedule for Boise State is a three week lay-off before heading to Philadelphia, Pa. for the 2011 NCAA Championships, March 17-19. The Broncos will have to wait a little over a week to find out how many at-large bids they will receive to nationals.

ITHACA, N.Y. -- Three Cortland wrestlers won individual conference titles and two others earned national “wild card” berths at the Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference (ECWC) Championships, hosted by Ithaca College. The Red Dragons finished second out of nine schools in the final team standings with 135 points. All 10 of Cortland's entries placed fourth or better in their weight classes. Ithaca, which boasted six individual champions, won the title with 153 points, followed by Cortland (135), Brockport and Messiah (90 each), and Lycoming (75) in the top five. Senior Dave Colagiovanni (Mahopac) won the 125-pound title, sophomore Jared Myhrberg (Queensbury) captured the 197-pound crown and sophomore Corey James (Kingston) finished first in the 285-pound (heavyweight) weight class. All three earned automatic berths into the NCAA Div. III Championships March 11-12 in La Crosse, Wis., with their titles. In addition, the brother combination of senior Aljamain Sterling (Uniondale) at 141 pounds and sophomore Troy Sterling (Uniondale) at 157 pounds were among the five NCAA “wild cards” selected by the league's coaches following the meet. Colagiovanni will be going to nationals for the third time. He qualified as a wild card at 133 pounds as a freshman in 2007 and won the ECWC 133-pound title in 2008. He's using his final year of eligibility this winter after receiving a medical hardship due to injury last season. Despite seeing limited time due to injury again this year, Colagiovanni entered the conference tournament as the top seed at 125 pounds. He pinned his first two opponents, then edged second-seeded Max Cohen of Ithaca in the finals, 3-1, on a takedown in sudden-victory overtime. Colagiovanni will bring an 11-4 record into nationals. Myhrberg and James also entered as top seeds in their weight classes. Myhrberg pinned his first opponent, won 4-3 in the semifinals and claimed the 197-pound title with a 10-5 decision over Lycoming's Russel Korbul in the finals. Myhrberg is 27-2 on the season. James, now 28-1 in his first season with the Red Dragons, won four matches on his way to the 285-pound crown. He won his opener 7-1, then earned a pair of 3-1 decisions before winning 6-2 in the finals against Ithaca's Matthew Mahon. The Sterling brothers each reached the finals of their weight classes before losing. Aljamain, seeded second at 141 pounds, won his opening two bouts 6-0 and 5-2. In the finals against top-seeded and defending champion Jeremy Stierly of Ithaca, Aljamain trailed 1-0 entering the third period. He started the period in the down position but could not escape over two minutes and lost 2-0 after riding time was awarded. He then defeated Lycoming's Mike Maurer, 4-2, in the “true” second-place match. He is 24-5 on the season and will be making his second straight NCAA appearance. He was a wild card at 133 pounds last year. Troy, the third seed at 157 pounds, met a fate similar to his brother's. He started with three wins, including a 6-4 win over the second seed in the semifinals. In the finals against top-seeded Derek Brenon of Ithaca, Troy took a 2-0 lead on a first-period takedown. Brenon picked up escape points in the first and second periods to tie the match. Troy started down in the third, but couldn't escape and Brenon accumulated the riding time needed for the tiebreaking point and a 3-2 decision. Troy is 29-8 this winter and will be wrestling at nationals for the first time. Three Red Dragons posted third-place finishes – freshman Brian Bistis (Whitehouse Station, NJ/Hunterdon Central), sophomore Andre Berry (Uniondale) and freshman James Ondris (Massapequa Park/Massapequa) at 174 pounds. Bistis went 3-2 as the third seed at 133 pounds, including a 17-0 technical fall in the third-place match. Berry, seeded fifth at 149 pounds, beat the fourth seed, 9-7, before losing 9-7 to the top seed in the semifinals. He won two matches in the wrestlebacks before losing in the true second-place match. Ondris, the sixth seed at 174 pounds, knocked off the third seed, 3-2, in his opening match before falling to the second seed, 5-2. He won twice in the wrestlebacks and finished with a 2-2 mark. Two Red Dragons finished fourth with 2-2 records. Sophomore Will Parks (Shoreham/Longwood) won two of his first three matches at 184 pounds before dropping an overtime decision in the third-place bout. Sophomore Jonathan Conroy (South Plainfield, NJ) split two matches in the championship bracket, then won his first wrestleback before falling 5-3 in the third-place match.

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. -- Saint John’s earned seven national entrants with a second-place finish out of 15 teams at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional on Saturday, Feb. 26, in Sheboygan, Wis. The second-place finish and seven tournament-bound student-athletes are both program bests. The 2011 NCAA Division III Championships are scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday, March 12, in La Crosse, Wis. Augsburg won its eighth consecutive NCAA regional with a total of 153.5 points, followed by SJU (125.5) and Concordia-Moorhead (124). Both the Auggies and Johnnies recorded three champions each. SJU managed to accumulate 125.5 points despite not having a wrestler at 125 pounds. The Johnnies, however, led all participating schools with seven entrants; followed by Augsburg and Concordia with five each (Concordia also has one alternate). SJU set a school record with three Great Lakes regional champions, breaking the old mark of two set in 2009 (Mogi Baatar and Minga Batsukh). The Johnnies have now qualified two or more wrestlers to the NCAA Championships 21 of the last 22 seasons. The previous record for most entrants in a single season was six, set in 1983 (NAIA) and 1998 (NCAA), head coach Brandon Novak’s sophomore season. Senior Minga Batsukh (22-1 record; Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia/St. Benedict’s Prep, N.J.) became the eighth Johnnie in school history to make four national tournament appearances with a 5-2 win over Augsburg’s Tony Valek in the 149-pound championship match. The region title is the second of his career and first since he won the 141-pound bracket in 2009. Following a first-round bye, Batsukh posted a win by injury default and a technical fall in the semis before the championship victory. Senior Matt Baarson (24-3 record; Brooklyn Park, Minn./Champlin Park), the top-ranked wrestler at 165 pounds, will make his third consecutive trip to nationals after winning the regional tournament. He allowed three points the entire day, posting two technical falls and back-to-back 5-0 wins, including the shutout of St. Olaf’s Josef Waples in the title bout. Senior Chris Sandy (21-5 record; Spirit Lake, Iowa) earned a trip to nationals by winning the 141-pound bracket. The No. 2 seed, Sandy received a first-round bye and posted a 15-4 major decision before earning a narrow 6-5 victory in the semis. He then defeated St. Olaf’s Ryan Timmerman 9-3 in the championship match. Junior Matt Pfarr (26-7 record; Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur-Henderson) earned a spot at the national meet with a second-place finish at 174. He recorded a major decision, pin and an 8-6 decision in the semifinal match before falling to third-ranked Zach Molitor of Augsburg, 4-3. He then posted a 4-1 win in the true-second match to stamp his ticket without the use of a wild-card bid. Senior Tony Willaert (20-10 record; North Mankato, Minn./Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial) will make his first trip to nationals in two weeks after finished second at 197 pounds. He amassed two pins and an 8-1 decision in the semis before falling to second-ranked Jared Massey from Augsburg in the championship match, 11-2. Junior Dustin Baxter (21-7; Fairbanks, Alaska/West Valley) received an at-large bid after finishing second at 184 pounds. He won a pair of close matches before falling to top-ranked Phil Moenkedick from Concordia-Moorhead in the title match. He then dropped the true-second match by a score of 7-3. Baxter led the majority of the match until he allowed a takedown and back points as time expired. Junior Chad Henle (23-8 record; Spicer, Minn./New London-Spicer) earned the Johnnies’ second at-large bid to bring the total to seven after finishing third at 133 pounds. He won his first match before falling to Concordia-Moorhead’s Daron Hohbein via pin with one minute left in the match. He cruised through wrestlebacks, however, posting back-to-back major decisions to claim third. Senior Drew Larson (13-9 record; Willmar, Minn.) claimed fourth at 157 pounds after battling back in wrestlebacks. He won his first match but fell to Isaac Roberson of Lakeland (Wis.) in the quarterfinals. Larson won two more consolation matches before falling to Roberson again, 2-1, in the third-place match. Roberson earned an at-large bid to the national tournament. Junior John Linn (8-14 record; Foley, Minn.) won his first match at heavyweight, a 4-1 win over the fifth seed, but lost the quarterfinal match to Augsburg’s Chad Johnson. He earned a pin in his first consolation match and was eliminated by a narrow 3-1 decision to the eventual fifth-place winner.

Related Link: Results/Brackets LEXINGTON, Va. -- On Saturday, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy wrestling team competed at the 2011 Centennial Conference Championships and went on to win its fourth-consecutive league title at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Va. Kings Point racked up a total of 115 team points. Jordan Alfaro (Fayetteville, N.C.) defeated Abe Evans of Gettysburg College by fall to capture the 125-pound crown for the second-straight season. In the 141-pound class, James Beshada (South River, N.J.) finished second as he lost to Ryan Bridge of Stevens Institute of Technology by major decision. 149-pounder Martin Bell (Eaton Rapids, Mich.) picked up his first-ever conference championship when he defeated C.J. Caserta of Stevens (7-5 dec.). 157-pounder Dan Twito (Cedar Falls, Iowa) beat Leo Dormann of Stevens by a 7-2 decision for his second-consecutive conference title. 165-pounder Vincent Renaut (Plymouth, Mass.) Defeated Eric Levenseller of Johns Hopkins by a decision of 7-2. 174-pounder Justin Diesel (Minisink Valley, N.Y.) fell to Ryan Dormann of Stevens (2-1 dec.; TB1). Diesel qualified as an NCAA alternate. 184-pounder Scott Lowe (Euclid, Ohio) defeated Nate Murren of Ursinus College by a decision of 2-1. Heavyweighter Judd Connell (Hastings, Minn.) won the 285-pound title with a 6-5 decision over Brock Glotfelty of McDaniel College. Connell was also named the Outstanding Wrestler of the Meet. Impressively, Kings Point had a wrestler in the final round in all but two weight classes. Head Coach Greg Ilaria and Assistant Coach Beau Bruno received Coaching Staff of the Year accolades for their dominant season. Kings Point finished the regular season with a 14-2 record. Head Coach Greg Ilaria and the Mariners return to action on March 11-12 when they wrestle in the NCAA Division III Championships at the La Crosse Center in La Crosse, Wis. Renaut will be looking to repeat in the 165-pound division, while Alfaro, Bell, Twito, Lowe and Connell will be aiming for their first national championships.