InterMat Staff

Related Link: Results/Brackets FINDLAY, Ohio -- The No. 1 UNO wrestling team earned its third straight NCAA Super Region 2 title on Saturday at the Koehler Fitness and Rec Center on the campus of Findlay University, as all 10 Maverick wrestlers finished in the top four of their respective weight classes to advance to the NCAA National Championships, set for March 11-12 in Kearney, Neb. UNO finished with 156.5 team points to beat out Ashland (126.0) and Central Oklahoma (106.0). Five UNO wrestlers earned regional titles, as the two-time defending national champions will send all 10 of their wrestlers to nationals for the second straight year. Senior Mario Morgan qualified for his fourth career NCAA Championships with a dominating first-place performance at 141 pounds. It marked the third regional title for the top-ranked Morgan, who defeated Ashland's Kyle Kanaga 9-5 in the final. Junior Esai Dominguez then left no doubt as to who the best wrestler in the 149-pound bracket was with three straight dominating wins to capture his first career regional title. The top-ranked Dominguez earned a 24-8 technical fall win in the final over Ashland's Daniel Genetin. Dominguez was named the Super Region 2 Wrestler of the Year for his performance. Sophomore George Ivanov will make his second straight trip to nationals after winning his first career regional. The No. 1 Ivanov defeated Central Oklahoma's Cory Dauphin 3-2 to cap a 4-0 weekend. At 174 pounds, third-ranked senior Ryan Pankoke earned his second straight trip to the national tournament with a 2-0 decision over Bryce Sopko of Limestone in the final. Pankoke will take a 30-match win streak into the NCAA Championships. Senior Aaron Denson will make his fourth trip to nationals after a 4-0 first-place weekend. The No. 3 Denson beat Tanner Keck (Central Oklahoma) 2-1 in the finals. Morgan, Dominguez and Ivanov all finished second at the 2010 NCAA Championships. Pankoke finished third and Denson did not place, but the Millard South alum finished second in 2009. Fourth-ranked Matt Baker wrapped up his first career national tournament appearance with a second-place finish at 197 pounds. Baker went 2-1 on the weekend and lost to Charles Morgan of King College 3-2 after giving up a late takedown. The Mavs' four unranked wrestlers all turned in stellar performances to shore up their first career spots in the national tournament field in two weeks. Josh Keszler went 4-1 and finished third at 125 pounds; Trent Cox also went 4-1 to finish third at 133 pounds; Nathan Sigman went 2-2 to place fourth at 165 pounds and Taylor Escamilla finished third at 285 pounds with a 4-1 record. Super Region 2 Wrestler of the Year: Esai Dominguez

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Cael Sanderson is back. Sanderson, an Olympic gold medalist and widely considered the greatest college wrestler ever, showed that he's still got it, even after a seven-year layoff, by winning three matches at the 2011 U.S. World Team Trials to advance to tonight's best-of-three finals against 2009 World silver medalist Jake Herbert. The 31-year-old Sanderson, who coached Penn State to a national championship this past season, opened with a victory in three periods over Raymond Jordan. He followed that up with a pin over Chris Pendleton in the Challenge Tournament semifinals. Sanderson then defeated one of his former wrestlers at Iowa State, Jon Reader, in two straight periods in the finals of the Challenge Tournament. He will now face 2009 World silver medalist Jake Herbert in tonight's best-of-three finals series. Returning U.S. World Team member Brent Metcalf was pushed in the Challenge Tournament, but prevailed to advance to the best-of-three finals series. He beat Kyle Ruschell in three periods in the semifinals and then needed three periods to beat Josh Churella in the finals. Metcalf will now get another shot at Teyon Ware, the wrestler who beat him in the quarterfinals of the 2011 U.S. Open. Nick Simmons pinned returning U.S. World Team member Obe Blanc in the Challenge Tournament finals at 55 kilos. He will face 2011 U.S. Open champion Sam Hazewinkel in the best-of-three finals series. For Simmons, it will be his second appearance in the best-of-three finals at the Trials. He was a U.S. World Team Trials runner-up in 2009. Hazewinekl has won three U.S. Open titles (two in Greco-Roman, one in freestyle), but has yet to make a U.S. World Team. The other freestyle wrestler to come through the Challenge Tournament was Steve Mocco at 120 kilos. Mocco defeated Junior World champion Dom Bradley and 2009 U.S. World Team member Tommy Rowlands. A pair of 2011 U.S. Open champions in Greco-Roman, Joe Betterman and Ben Provisor, cruised through the Challenge Tournament on Saturday to advance to the best-of-three finals series. Betterman, who won the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in 2008, was unscored upon in his two matches during Saturday's first session. He will battle two-time returning U.S. World Team member Jeremiah Davis in the best-of-three finals series. Betterman defeated Davis in this year's U.S. Open finals, 0-1, 1-0, 1-0. Provisor had wins over Aaron Briggs and Andy Bisek in the Challenge Tournament. He will wrestle Jake Fisher in the best-of-three finals series. Top-seeded John Lorenz advanced to the best-of-three finals at 96 kilos, beating Justin Millard in the Challenge Tournament finals. Lorenz will now face Justin Ruiz, a seven-time U.S. Open champion and 2005 World bronze medalist, in the best-of-three finals series. In the women's freestyle competition, Adeline Gray defeated nine-time World medalist Kristie Davis to win the Challenge Tournament at 63 kilos by injury default. Davis took the first period of the match, but suffered an injury early in the match. She continued to wrestle, but was clearly in pain. Gray came back to win the second period to force a third period. Gray jumped out to an early lead in the third period and ultimately Davis was forced to injury default. Gray will now take on 2010 World silver medalist Elena Pirozhkova in the best-of-three finals. Alyssa Lampe came through the Challenge Tournament at 48 kilos, beating Whitney Condor, C.C. Weber, and Victoria Anthony. Lampe will take on 2008 World champion Clarissa Chun for a spot on the 2011 U.S. World Team. Tonight's best-of-three finals are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. CDT. Friday's Best-of-Three Finals Matchups Freestyle: 55 kg: Sam Hazewinkel (Sunkist Kids) vs. Nick Simmons (Sunkist Kids) 66 kg: Teyon Ware (Nittany Lion WC) vs. Brent Metcalf (New York AC) 84 kg: Jake Herbert (New York AC) vs. Cael Sanderson (Nittany Lion WC) 120 kg: Tervel Dlagnev (Sunkist Kids) vs. Steve Mocco (New York AC) Greco-Roman: 60 kg: Joe Betterman (Sunkist Kids) vs. Jeremiah Davis (U.S. Army) 74 kg: Ben Provisor (Sunkist Kids) vs. Jake Fisher (New York AC) 84 kg: Justin Ruiz (New York AC) vs. John Lorenz (U.S. Army) Women's Freestyle 48 kg: Clarissa Chun (Sunkist Kids) vs. Alyssa Lampe (Sunkist Kids) 63 kg: Elena Pirozhkova (Gator WC) vs. Adeline Gray (New York AC)

Related Link: Results/Brackets SHEBOYGAN, Wis. -- For the ninth straight year, the Augsburg College wrestling team claimed the championship at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional, finishing with a 28-point margin of victory on Saturday at Lakeland College. The Auggies, ranked No. 3 in the latest Division III national poll, will send five individuals -- three weight-class champions, a runner-up and a "true-second" finisher -- to the upcoming NCAA Division III National Championships, to be held March 11-12 in La Crosse, Wis. Augsburg finished with 153.5 points, as the only school with all 10 of its wrestlers finishing in the top six places in their weight classes in the competitive region. The Auggies finished 28 points ahead of second-place St. John's (125.5) and 29 ahead of third-place Concordia-Moorhead (124.0). Augsburg has won each of the Great Lakes Regional titles since joining the region in 2003. The Auggies have won a Division III-record 11 national championships in the last 20 seasons, while also earning a trophy (finishing in the top four in NCAA national competition) 22 straight years, the longest active streak of any NCAA wrestling program, regardless of division. Jared Massey (SR, Circle Pines, Minn./Centennial HS) dominated the 197-pound weight class at the regional, capturing the crown with two first-period pins in his opening matches and major-decision wins in the semifinals and finals, including an 11-2 win in the championship match over Tony Willaert of St. John's. Massey, the 2009 national champion at 197 and a third-place finisher last year, is now 17-1 on the season and will compete in his third national tournament. In his three seasons at Augsburg, Massey is now 75-3, including a 17-1 record this season. Of his 75 wins at Augsburg, 46 (61.3 percent) are "bonus-point" decisions -- major decisions, technical falls or pins. Including his 5-2 record at Division I Wisconsin in 2003-04, Massey is now 80-5 as a collegiate wrestler. Zach Molitor (SR, Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti HS), also a two-time Augsburg All-American, will compete in his third national tournament following his dominant title at 174 pounds. Molitor recorded three first-period pins leading up to the championship match, which he won 4-3 over Mathew Pfarr of St. John's. Molitor is now 25-3 on the season with 13 pins. He finished third nationally last season at 174, while finishing sixth in 2009. He is now 88-17 in his three seasons at Augsburg and 106-30 in his collegiate career. After competing in the national tournament the last two seasons at 165, Orlando Ponce (SR, Hialeah, Fla./Hialeah-Miami Lakes HS) will compete this year at 157, after scoring the weight-class title at the regional. Ponce opened with a 16-1, technical-fall win, followed by a major-decision win en route to the title, which he won 8-3 over Justin Berns of Concordia-Moorhead. Last year's national runner-up at 165, Ponce is now 31-5 on the season and 87-29 in his three seasons at Augsburg. He has won 14 straight matches, including all 11 (with two pins, three major decisions and a technical fall) since moving to 157. Tony Valek (JR, Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West HS) will also compete at the national tournament for the third time, after finishing second at the regional at 149 pounds. He opened the regional with two first-period pins, but was edged 5-2 in the finals. Last year's national runner-up at 149, Valek is now 34-5 on the season with 16 pins. He is now 99-23 in his three seasons at Augsburg. Chad Johnson (FY, Ferryville, Wis./De Soto HS) will compete at the national tournament for the first time, after rallying to score a "true-second" finish at heavyweight. After falling 4-2 in the semifinals, Johnson claimed two wins in wrestlebacks to secure third place, then scored a 5-2 win over Tom Bouressa of Concordia-Moorhead in the "true-second" match to clinch the national tournament berth. Johnson is now 29-9 on the season, having won 19 of his last 21 matches. Four Auggies finished fifth in their weight classes -- Josh Roberts (SO, Grand Forks, N.D./Central HS) at 125, Boyd Suparat (SO, North Branch, Minn.) at 133, Brandon Bahr (JR, Bemidji, Minn.) at 165 and Brad Baus (JR, Mukwonago, Wis.) at 184. WIll Keeter (FY, Twin Falls, Idaho) finished sixth at 141. 2011 NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional Team Standings -- 1. Augsburg (Minn.) 153.5; 2. St. John's (Minn.) 125.5; 3. Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.) 124.0; 4. North Central (Ill.) 90.0; 5. Elmhurst (Ill.) 85.0; 6. St. Olaf (Minn.) 71.5; 7. Augustana (Ill.) 54.0; 8. Chicago (Ill.) 42.5; 9. Lakeland (Wis.) 33.0; 10. Milwaukee School of Engineering (Wis.) 28.5; 11. Pacific (Ore.) 19.0; 12. Wheaton (Ill.) 16.0; 13. Concordia-Wisconsin 15.5; 14. Knox (Ill.) 14.5; 15. Maranatha Baptist (Wis.) 0.5.

Related Link: Results/Brackets SPOKANE, Wash. -- Clackamas Community College won the team title with 109 points at the 2011 National Junior College Athletic Association national wrestling tournament in Spokane, Wash. Clackamas held the top spot since early in the competition Friday, Feb. 25. There was only a one-point spread between Clackamas and second-place North Idaho College at the end of the championship semi finals Saturday, Feb. 26. The lead expanded to a 13.5-point difference after the consolation semi finals. Clackamas clinched the tournament team title with 10.5 points over second-place North Idaho College. The tight team race ended with Rend Lake College in third place with 94 points and Iowa Central Community College in fourth place with 93 points. “This was an extremely competitive tournament with the national championship on the line until the very end,” said NIC Athletics Director Al Williams. “The tournament was a great representation of the parity and competiveness of teams across the nation. We’re honored to have had the opportunity to hold the tournament in our region.” North Idaho College and Rend Lake Community College of Illinois both had two individual national champions. The tournament’s four returning national champions all made it to the tournament finals. Victor DeJesus of Iowa Lakes Community College defended his 2010 national championship, taking Jason Gray of Highline Community College in a hard-fought 3-2 decision to become a two-time national champion at 149 pounds. Jamelle Jones defeated Walker Clarke at 197The 197-pound bracket pitted defending national champion Walker Clarke of Labette Community College against North Idaho College’s Jamelle Jones, who was looking to win his second national championship after winning the title in 2008 while wrestling in the 184-pound weight class for St. Louis Community College-Meramec in Missouri. The score was tied at 0 at the end of the first period, until Jones scored a one-point escape at the start of the second period followed by a two-point takedown to lead 3-0 midway in the second period. Forty-two seconds into the period, Jones turned Clarke into a near-fall position and then scored a pin. With the pin, North Idaho College received six points, taking the team from fourth to second in the tight team race. In another dramatic contest, the 2010 heavyweight champion Tyrell Fortune of Clackamas defeated Iowa Central’s Seth McGregor 4-3 to win his second consecutive national title at 285. North Idaho College was the host college for the NJCAA national tournament for the first time. The event was held at the Spokane Convention Center and included a total of 250 wrestlers representing 36 community colleges across the country. Visit www.nic.edu/athletics/wrestlingnationals for complete tournament results. Team Results 1 Clackamas Community College 109 2 North Idaho College 98.5 3 Rend Lake College 94 4 Iowa Central Community College 93 5 Labette Community College 85.5 6 Harper College 84 Lincoln College 84 8 Northwest College 72.5 9 Muskegon College 69 10 Highline Community College 67.5 All-Americans (The top five are recognized by the NJCAA) 125 First: Mike Garofalo, Nassau Community College Second: Josh Heinzer, Iowa Central Community College Third: Steven Romero, Highline Community College Fourth: Jeff Vesta, Neosho County Community College Fifth: T. T. Prayther, Rend Lake College Sixth: Kyle McCrite, North Idaho College Seventh: Garret Jones, Labette Community College Eighth: Eduardo Dominguez, Harper College 133 First: Tyler Holloway, Rend LakeCollege Second: Jesse Hillhouse, Northwest College Third: Brandon Wright, Iowa Central Community College Fourth: Martin Gonzalez, Clackamas Community College Fifth: John Miller, Nassau Community College Sixth: D’Marcus Spencer, Lincoln College Seventh: Tim Hubbard, Mercyhurst North East Eighth: Wismit Moinius, North Iowa Area Community College 141 First: Wilson Metellus, Ellsworth Community College Second: Vinnie DiGravio, Mercyhurst North East Third: DaMonte Riley, Lincoln College Fourth: Sean Turner, Muskegon College Fifth: Cody Randall, Clackamas Community College Sixth: Kodie Silvestri, Nassau Community College Seventh: Casey Williams, Itasca Community College Eighth: Jace Campbell, Colby Community College 149 First: Victor DeJesus, Iowa Lakes Community College Second: Jason Gray, Highline Community College Third: Frankie BueneFuente, Bergen Community College Fourth: Mark Marianovich, Lincoln College Fifth: Michael Perez, Labette Community College Sixth: Tyler Peet, Alfred State College Seventh: Adam Will, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology Eighth: Justin Schumacher, Western Wyoming Community College 157 First: PJ Starnes, Harper College Second: Jeremy Bommarito, North Idaho College Third: Justin Pencook, Glouscester County College Fourth: Matt Melendrez, Clackamas Community College Fifth: Eric Jones, Highline Community College Sixth: Eric Telford, Muskegon College Seventh: Quinten Haynes, North Iowa Area Community College Eighth: Scott Verner, Western Wyoming Community College 165 First: Isaiah Williams, Rend Lake College Second: Derek Mestrovich, Clackamas Community College Third: Dan McGillivray, Iowa Lakes Community College Fourth: Isaiah Tatum, North Iowa Area Community College Fifth: Troy Ireland, Niagara County Community College Sixth: Theo Jensen-Innis, Rochester Community and Technical College Seventh: Jake Mason, North Idaho College Eighth: Lance Wade, Nassau Community College 174 First: Jesse Nielsen, North Idaho College Second: Keithen Cast, Northwest College Third: Travis Peralta, Ridgewater College Fourth: Khari Washington, Harper College Fifth: James Haywood, Lincoln College Sixth: Jules Doliscar, Nassau Community College Seventh: Carl Foreside, Iowa Central Community College Eighth: John McArdle, Middlesex County College 184 First: Nick Petersen, Northwest College Second: Austin Moorehead, Rend Lake College Third: Brett Sanchez, Clackamas Community College Fourth: Ray Hall, Labette Community College Fifth: Arber Bebo, Harper College Sixth: Marlon Baker, Mercyhurst North East Seventh: Michael Johnson, Lincoln College Eighth: Teagan Franco, Yakima Valley Community College 197 First: Jamelle Jones, North Idaho College Second: Walker Clarke, Labette Community College Third: Nick Pica, Iowa Central Community College Fourth: Darren Faber, Highline Community College Fifth: Trent Flegel, Muskegon College Sixth: Vinny Campanille, Ellsworth Community College Seventh: Fred Moses, Lincoln College Eighth: Cully Butterfield, Itasca Community College 285 First: Tyrell Fortune, Clackamas Community College Second: Seth McGregor, Iowa Central Community College Third: Adam Chalfant, Harper College Fourth: Matt Wyss, Iowa Lakes Community College Fifth: Reno Redleaf, Labette Community College Sixth: Kyle Gibas, Niagara County Community College Seventh: Karl Green, Rend Lake College Eighth: Ryan Steverson, Muskegon College Awards NJCAA Wrestling Man of the Year: Bergen Community College Head Coach Mike Massenzio Hall of Fame Inductees: Western New England College Wrestling Coach Anibal Nieves and SCIFIT Board Member and former longtime coach at Black Hawk Community College in Illinois Denton Smith Falls Award: (Most falls in the least amount of time) Eric Telford, 157 of Muskegon College, with four falls Sportsmanship Award: Walker Clarke, 197, Labette Community College Non-Scholarship Coach of the Year: Coach Paul Schmidt of Nassau Community College Scholarship Coach of the Year: Josh Rhoden of Clackamas Community College Wrestler of the Year: Jamelle Jones, 197, North Idaho College

INDIANOLA -- In a word, it was special. That's the attribute senior 157-pounder Carrington Banks (Stockbridge, Ga.), and senior heavyweight John Helgerson (West Union) put on top-ranked Wartburg's 206.5-point finish at the 2011 Iowa Conference Championships Feb. 25. The duo was among seven individual champions for Coach Jim Miller's program as it won its 19th consecutive and 29th overall league title inside Cowles Fieldhouse on Simpson's campus. “I just wanted to be able to help the team,” Banks said of his first title. “This is one of the most special things I've ever been a part of – being one of the 10 finalists.” “I've got to give all of this to the coaching staff,” Helgerson added after he won his second individual championship. “They've been there for me and all of us in support and working hard in the room. This is a great feeling.” Banks and Helgerson were joined by sophomore 133-pounder Thomas Mirocha (Davenport), senior 149-pounder Jacob Groth (Marshalltown), junior 174-pounder Bradley Banks (Stockbridge, Ga.), junior 184-pounder Dylan Azinger (DeWitt, Iowa), and junior 197-pounder Byron Tate (Clinton) atop the individual awards stands. They were part of 10 finalists with senior 125-pounder Mark Kist (Eagle Grove), senior 141-pounder Matt Kelly of Dubuque and senior 165-pounder Adam Weber of Waterloo. Helgerson and Tate concluded the evening with a pair of impressive finals' victories, with Tate, as part of Dick Walker Outstanding Wrestler honors, posting 31 points to defeat the University of Dubuque's Sam Johnson by technical fall, and Helgerson rolling up 17 first-period points to defeat Coe's Alex Burkle by technical fall. “It's tremendous what this team accomplished,” Miller said after his squad finished just a point and a half shy of tying the meet record of 208 set in 2008 by Wartburg. “To finish the way we did was especially good with seven champs and then to have Byron and John wrestle so well to wrap it up. We still have some big goals in mind with these 10 national qualifiers, and we need to get some work done towards meeting those goals.” Wartburg continued some other sparkling streaks. The seven individual champions marked the eighth time in the last nine years the Orange and Black have had five-or-more, and the multiple winners spotlighted the 21st straight championship that they've had two-or-more. NOTES: The Knights earned 10 national qualifiers for the fifth consecutive year. They begin preparations for the 2011 NCAA Division III Championships next week. The meet is Friday and Saturday, March 11 and 12, at the La Crosse Center in La Crosse, Wis. … Tate's OW honor was the program's 15th all-time and and sixth since 2000. … Wartburg's all-time IIAC individual champion total moved to 179. … The seven individual titles equaled the 2008 squad's accomplishments, while the 10 finalists' effort met the 2003 squad's achievements.

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Hello again Wrestling Fans! Weeks away from conference championships and then its the SOLD OUT NCAA Championships. This week we're in our Brute studios. Join Scott Casber, Ryan Freeman, Geoff Murtha, Steve Foster in studio and our own Jeff Murphy brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods. This week we look at the Hawkeyes through the eyes of one who knows "Two-Time National Champion", "Four-Time Big Ten Champion", "Three-Time Big Ten Wrestler of the Year", "Dan Hodge Award Winner", "Four-Time Midlands Open Champion", and "Two-Time MVW team award winner". Mark Ironside The Iowa HS State Championships are over and our own Bob Selby was there. He'll provide an important wrap on the action. We'll Talk with Coach Mike Fussilli about the New York States and what's new at World Wide Sports. The University of Northern Iowa is turning important corners and some say sooner than expected, Doug Schwab joins us to discuss his conference, team and the future for the panthers. Congrats to UNI's Caleb Flores for the win of the WWC Wrestler of the Week Honors. Finally Jeff Murphy will join us for our Kemin Big 10 and Big 12 review. Join us LIVE 9 to 11 AM CST for Takedown Wrestling. KXNO- Iowa, Supertalk 1570 Michigan Listen on radio, Takedownradio.com Listen on your computer, I Heart Radio app on your Blackberry or I Phone with the I Heart Radio App. Our Guests Include: (All times Central) 9:01 Mark Ironside- Broadcast voice of the Iowa Hawkeyes 9:20 Bob Selby- Iowa State HS State Championships Finals review 9:40 Mike Fussilli- World Wide Sport Supply/ New York States 10:01 Doug Schwab- Head Coach University of Northern Iowa 10:20 Jeff Murphy- Kemin's Top 20 Report 10:50 Amy Ruble- Wildrose Resorts

MOUNT PLEASANT -- Central Michigan redshirt freshman Scott Mattingly (Uniontown, Ohio/Lake HS) has been named the Mid-American Conference Wrestler of the Week. Mattingly picked up one of the biggest wins of his young career on Sunday to help the Chippewas secure a share of the conference championship, rallying from an early 2-0 deficit to defeat Kent State's Chase Skonieczny, 3-2, in the 141-pound bout. Mattingly tied the score with a reversal in the second period, then started the third period on top and rode Skonieczny for the entire two minutes to earn the decisive riding time point. Mattingly's victory provided three critical team points in the Chippewas' 20-14 win, which created a three-way tie between CMU, Kent State and Ohio for the MAC title. The conference championship is CMU's 12th in the past 13 seasons. Mattingly earns the MAC's weekly honor for the first time in his career. He is the third different Chippewa to be named MAC Wrestler of the Week this season. CMU is off this week before traveling to Northern Illinois for the MAC Championships March 5-6. The Chippewas have won nine consecutive conference tournament titles.

Charleston, S.C. -- The league office announced on Wednesday that redshirt junior Justin Sparrow has been named Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week for all competitions from February 16-22. Sparrow (Gastonia, N.C.) continued his hot streak in 2011 this past week by beating both of his opponents at North Carolina and against Gardner-Webb. On Wednesday at UNC, Sparrow upset the Tar Heels’ No. 22 Antonio Giorgio in a thrilling 6-5 victory. On Saturday in the regular season finale, the 184-pounder handed Gardner-Webb’s Jonathan Velazquez his first loss of the season with a 4-0 decision. Since January 1, Sparrow is 12-3 with all three of his losses coming against opponents ranked in the top 20. He has a win over a ranked opponent, three pins and a major decision over that span. The Citadel has now garnered three SoCon Wrestler of the Week awards this season as Sparrow joins teammate Turtogtokh Luvsandorj, who captured the award on January 5 and February 2. The Bulldogs return to action on Saturday, March 5 when they compete in the SoCon Championships in Boone, N.C. For more information on Bulldog Wrestling, visit CitadelSports.com.

Krumwiede a big hero for Waverly-Shell Rock The Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa was home to one of the most dramatic state tournament races that any state has ever seen. Three of the nation's top sixteen teams put it on the line for the title in the Hawkeye State. Despite the absence of 2010 state runner-up Grady Gambrall at 135 pounds, No. 9 Iowa City West still entered as a slight favorite over No. 12 Bettendorf and three-time defending champions No. 16 Waverly-Shell Rock. Heading into the championship matches, Bettendorf held a five point lead on Waverly-Shell Rock (148-143) with Iowa City West another point behind (142). Starting the last session in third, the Trojans had competitors in four of the first five weights. They split those matches, with one of those wins being a head-to-head final against Bettendorf. No. 9 Phillip Laux (103) and Jack Hathaway (125) won titles, while Kegan Wakefield (119) and Dakota Bauer (130) fell to nationally ranked opponents. Hathaway's win was a 6-1 victory over No. 19 Connor Ryan. At that point, Iowa City West had a 150-148 lead over Bettendorf, and Waverly-Shell Rock was in third with 143 points. However, the Go-Hawks had three remaining finalists, including one head-to-head with Bettendorf at 285 pounds. That match represented Bettendorf's last chance to score points, as they only had two finalists -- Connor Ryan having already lost at 125 to Hathaway. The first of the Waverly-Shell Rock finalists was Jordan Rinken (140), who had scored a key 4-2 overtime victory over No. 20 Elijah Sullivan of Iowa City West in the semifinal round. However, he was upset 3-1 in overtime by Brian Warren (Des Moines North/Hoover). No. 10 Cody Caldwell (152) would win his third state title with a 9-3 decision over Trey Lewis (West Des Moines Valley) to set the match for all the marbles. Heading into 285 pounds, Iowa City West still led Bettendorf by two (150-148), but Waverly-Shell Rock had 147 points. Therefore, the winner of the 285 pound match between two-time state champion No. 4 Cody Krumwiede (Waverly-Shell Rock) and defending state champion Brodie Berrie would take home the team title trophy as well. In that match, Krumwiede earned the 10-0 major decision to secure a third state title for himself, and the fourth in a row for the Go-Hawks. Davenport Assumption (125-1/2) won the Class 2A title upending defending champion Denver-Tripoli (98-1/2) and Ballard Huxley (97) by close to 30 points, while Logan-Magnolia (86) ended the seemingly perpetual vise grip that Don Bosco (74-1/2) has had on the Class 1A title. For access to all brackets, results, and team standings for all three classes: https://www.iahsaa.org/wrestling/2011%20Tournament/11wrresults.html Power programs hog titles in Illinois Class 2A Three of the best programs in all of Illinois, and also the nation as a whole, compete in the medium-school classification in Illinois. Among the fourteen weight class champions, twelve came from No. 14 Marmion Academy, No. 21 Crystal Lake Central, and No. 30 Montini Catholic. Five Cadet wrestlers won titles -- No. 16 Johnny Jimenez (103), No. 12 Jered Cortez (112), George Fisher (119), No. 3 Ben Whitford (130), and Bryce Brill (135). Jimenez defeated both No. 3 Barlow McGhee of Rock Island and returning Class 3A placer Cameron Kennedy from Richmond-Burton by 3-0 scores in his last two matches. Cortez avenged last weekend's loss to Kevon Powell of Montini Catholic with a 6-2 victory in the final to earn the rubber match victory and a state gold medal. Fisher avenged a loss from last weekend as well with a 5-2 victory over Alphonso Vruno of Sandwich in the final. Four Tigers wrestlers earned state titles -- Trevor Jauch (140) and No. 8 Joey Kielbasa (152) became three-time champions, No. 4 Austin Marsden (215) won his second, while No. 2 Gage Harrah (189) earned a maiden state title. Kielbasa beat No. 7 Stephen Robertson of Montini Catholic 8-3 in overtime to avenge a loss in the Dvorak final; this match placed a pair of wrestlers seeking their third state title against one another. Finally three Bronco wrestlers earned state titles -- Frank Baer (145), Dimitri Willis (160), and Ross Ferraro (285). Willis upset two-time state champion Dylan Reel of Washington 3-1 in overtime in the semifinals for the key victory of his championship run. That was Reel's first loss at the state tournament, as the junior had won titles the two previous years. Rounding out state champions in Class 2A was No. 7 (at 130) Zane Richards of Carbondale at 125 pounds and AJ Messenger of Yorkville at 171 pounds. For full Class 2A brackets: http://www.ihsa.org/activity/wr/2010-11/web/2abrk.htm More Land of Lincoln nuggets The Class 3A competition at 125 pounds featured four undefeated wrestlers to start the proceedings. However, at the end of the show on Saturday night, only No. 17 Danny Sabatello (Stevenson) finished the season unblemished. Steve Galiardo (Chicago St. Patrick) was the first to go down, losing 8-6 in overtime to Trent Atkins (Cary Grove) in the opening round. Galliardo's tournament came to an end without a wrestleback match when Atkins lost 1-0 in the quarterfinal. Down in the lower half of the draw, No. 11 Eddie Klimara (Providence Catholic) upended Nick Drendel (West Aurora) 7-2 in the semifinal match. This result set up the rematch of last year's final at 119 pounds where Sabatello upset Klimara. The same exact result happened this year, Sabatello winning his second state title by a 4-3 decision. The anticipated three state champions at 171 pounds were reduced to two when No. 2 Jahwon Akui (Chicago St. Rita) was precluded from competing due to a disciplinary problem at school earlier in the week. However, two of the nation's elite juniors still were left to duke it out in No. 15 Sam Brooks (Oak Park River Forest) and Steve Congenie (Villa Park). Heading into the finals, the pair of wrestlers had combined for five pins in their six matches -- only Brooks had a match that went the distance, a 3-2 semifinal victory over Dustin Ventimiglia (Belleville West). The championship match resulted in a 15-8 upset victory for Congenie, which makes him a two-time state champion. Other highlights saw No. 17 Lucas Smith (Wheeling), No. 9 Josh Marchok (Schaumburg), and No. 7 Jack Allen (Hinsdale Central) cap off undefeated seasons with a state championship. Smith earned an 8-0 major decision over No. 19 Brian Murphy (Glenbard North) at 140 pounds, Marchok won the title with a pin in the final at 215 pounds, and Allen defeated No. 11 Chris Lopez (Carl Sandburg) 5-2 in the 285 pound final. For full Class 3A brackets, check out http://www.ihsa.org/activity/wr/2010-11/web/3abrk.htm. Also contested was the Class 1A tournament, its brackets are here: http://www.ihsa.org/activity/wr/2010-11/web/1abrk.htm Losing is unacceptable in the Hoosier State The Indiana State Wrestling Championships are essentially a single elimination tournament. Though placement is conducted out to eight wrestlers, one must win their opening round match to place; quarterfinal losers place fifth through eight, and semifinal losers wrestle for third place. In fitting fashion, there were nine undefeated state champs and another four that had just one loss. Finishing the season as undefeated state champions were Nathan Boston (Lawrence North) at 103 pounds, Mason Todd (Pendleton Heights) at 112, Neal Molloy (Danville) at 130, No. 1 Jason Tsirtsis (Crown Point) at 140, No. 9 Eric Roach (Crown Point) at 145, Chad Welch (Castle) at 160, No. 17 Drake Stein (Princeton) at 171, and Trey Reese (Indian Creek) at 215. Joining his twin brother as a state champion was Doug Welch (Castle) at 152 pounds; unlike Chad, Doug lost one match during the course of the season. Like teammate Reese, Ethan Raley (Indian Creek) won a state title at 135 pounds; however, he also lost one match during the season. The other two state champions to finish the year with just one loss were No. 18 Jared McKinley (Perry Meridian) and Garrett Goldman (Bloomington North). The worst record for a state champion this year was 45-4, and that was possessed by 285 pound champion Jeremiah Harvey (Culver Community School). For full bracket: http://www.ihsaa.org/dnn/Portals/0/Boys%20Sports/Wrestling/2010-11/1011StateBrackets.pdf Other state tournaments this past weekend Alabama http://www.trackwrestling.com/predefinedtournaments/VerifyPassword.jsp?tournamentId=1464009 (6A, 5A, 1A-4A) Colorado http://www.trackwrestling.com/predefinedtournaments/VerifyPassword.jsp?tournamentId=1536009 (Class 5A, 4A, 3A, 2A) Delaware (Dual Meet) http://www.doe.k12.de.us/infosuites/students_family/diaa/files/14_Brackets.pdf (Division I, II) Florida http://www.fhsaa.org/sports/wrestling (3A, 2A, 1A) Georgia http://www.ghsa.net/congratulations-2010-2011-ghsa-traditional-wrestling-champions (5A, 4A, 3A, 2A, 1A) Kentucky http://www.khsaa.org/wrestling/2011/state/khs2011home.htm Missouri http://www.mshsaa.org/Activities/Info/Wrestling.aspx (Class 4, 3, 2, 1) Nebraska Class A: http://www.nsaahome.org/textfile/wrest/classa.htm Class B: http://www.nsaahome.org/textfile/wrest/classb.htm Class C: http://www.nsaahome.org/textfile/wrest/classc.htm Class D: http://www.nsaahome.org/textfile/wrest/classd.htm Nevada http://www.niaa.com/sports/wrest/2009-10/files/TPB-WR (4A, 3A, 2A) New Mexico http://www.trackwrestling.com/predefinedtournaments/VerifyPassword.jsp?tournamentId=1439009 (Class 5A, 4A, 3A) North Dakota (Class A, B) Individual: http://www.metrotournament.com/2011StateWrestling/IndividualBrackets.html Dual Meet: http://www.metrotournament.com/2011StateWrestling/DualBrackets.html Tennessee http://tssaa.org/2010Champions/StateWrestling/home.htm (Division I, II) Virginia http://www.vhsl.org/athletics/wrestling_boys/wrestling_tournament_information (Group AAA, AA, A) Washington http://wiaa.com/subcontent.aspx?SecID=319 (4A, 3A, 2A, 1A, 1B/2B) State tournaments this coming weekend Individual Bracket: Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Kansas, National Prep, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming Dual Meet: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Michigan

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA has announced the qualifier allocations for the 2011 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships as listed in the chart below. Each qualifying tournament was awarded spots per weight class based on current year data. Each wrestler was measured on the following: Division I winning percentage; rating percentage index (RPI); and coaches ranking. For each wrestler that reached the threshold in at least two of the three categories, his qualifying tournament was awarded a qualifying spot in that weight class. Each qualifying tournament was awarded a minimum of one wrestler per weight class, which will go to the tournament champion, even if they did not have any wrestlers reach at least two of the three thresholds. NCAA tournament spots for each qualifying event will be awarded at the tournament based solely on place-finish. After all of the qualifying events have concluded, the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet in-person to select the remaining 48 at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 9. All weight classes will consist of 33 wrestlers. The at-large selections will be made based on the following criteria: head-to-head competition; qualifying event placement; quality wins; results against common opponents; winning percentage; RPI; coaches ranking and the number of matches contested at that weight class. The complete listing of the 33 wrestlers in each weight class for the final coaches’ panel rankings, as well as the second RPI for the 2010-11 season can be found by logging on to www.ncaa.com. A full description of the entire selection process in the 2011 Division I Wrestling Championships Handbook which is available at NCAA.org.

Imagine wrestling for a Big Ten program, then spending four years away from school -- and the mat ... then, in your first year back in college, winning an NCAA Division III title. Jared MasseyThat is the story of Jared Massey in a nutshell. The Circle Pines, Minnesota native wrestled at the University of Wisconsin, dropped out after a couple seasons plagued by injuries. After four years off, Massey enrolled at Augsburg College, where he won the 197-pound crown at the 2009 NCAA Division III Championships. Now the 26-year-old Massey hopes to end his college mat career as a three-time All-American, and win his second national title for the Auggies. Building a strong foundation in wrestling Like so many wrestlers, Jared Massey was introduced to the sport thanks to a family member. "My uncle moved back to Minnesota from Utah when I was a kid," according to the Augsburg 197-pounder who grew up in Blaine, Minnesota. "He started the Screaming Eagles. Me and two other brothers of mine joined, one younger, one older." Jared Massey (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Massey was a seven-year-old third grader when he first took to the mat at the Brooklyn Park-based wrestling club. "I never really struggled with wrestling. I liked it from the start." Jared Massey's wrestling career continued at Centennial High, located just outside the Twin Cities. During his prep career, Massey amassed an overall record of 175-23, including 110 pins. He was a four-time Minnesota state tournament qualifier (including as an eighth grader), winning two state titles. His first -- as a junior -- was the Class AAA title at 171 pounds at the 2002 State Championships, concluding a near-perfect 47-1 record that year. The following year, Massey capped off a perfect 48-0 season by winning the Class AAA 189 crown as a senior. He then went on to place seventh at the 2003 NHSCA Senior Nationals, and earn a place on Wrestling USA magazine's All-American team in 2003. If these accomplishments weren't enough ... Jared Massey's name appears frequently in his school's record books. He has the top winning percentage of any Centennial wrestler, having had his arm raised at the conclusion of 88.38% of his matches. He's tied with his brother Kyle for the most wins in a season, with 48. He's second in overall wins. Second in total pins. Second in overall points scored (901). When asked for his best memory of his high school career, Massey responded, "Winning the state title my junior year. I was underrated that year. The kid I beat in the finals was from Apple Valley, which made it all the sweeter." Jared Massey has other positive memories of his time as a Centennial wrestler. "It was neat to see how our team progressed over the years," said the current Augsburg matman. "Getting to wrestle with my brothers was great, too." On, Wisconsin ... Thanks to his impressive mat credentials, Jared Massey was actively recruited by a number of colleges. "I got to visit Nebraska, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin, which was my last trip." Massey decided to become a Badger. "The Wisconsin coaches made trips to see me," said Massey, when asked why he chose the Big Ten school in Madison. "It was only four hours from home. I really loved the campus." "I loved wrestling for the Badgers. I wrestled at some tournaments. Then I injured my thumb, and was out the rest of the season." "The next season, I had arthroscopic knee surgery, but came back from that. Then I messed up the other thumb. More surgery. Out for the rest of the season." "Then I left college. Not the wisest thing to do." ... then a four-year layoff "I left in the middle of my second year," Massey continued. "I went home, worked for a company that made clean-air units." Massey returned to the Wisconsin capital. "I went to talk to the coaches at Madison Area Technical College, but it didn't work." "I worked at a stone company and, at nights, as a bouncer. I lived with my brother Kyle who was wrestling at Wisconsin at the time. I was living the college life, without going to college." "Every once in a while, I'd work out with some of the individuals on the Wisconsin wrestling team. But that was a bit awkward for me." Back home "One of my high school coaches -- Sam Barber -- was an assistant at Augsburg. He had been talking to me about moving back," said Jared Massey. Sam Barber"He never gave up on me." "Barber wanted what was best for me. He thought Augsburg would be the right place." Massey went to a local community college, got caught up on his credits, then enrolled at Augsburg. "It was an adjustment," admitted Massey. "It was like I was a freshman again, getting into the college routine. However, wrestling came right back to me." "A D3 room is different. Augsburg is a very team-oriented room, compared to D1. More focused on the team, rather than on individuals. More technique-oriented. In D3, the guys may not be state champs ..." Reflecting on his leaving Wisconsin, Massey said, "I made a rash decision. I'm happy where I am, but, when you're a kid, you dream of wrestling in Division I and in the Big Ten." Auspicious Auggie Despite a four-year layoff, Jared Massey returned to wrestling in a big way. In his first year competing for Augsburg College, the junior compiled a 30-1 record. At the 2009 NCAA Division III Championships in Cedar Rapids, Massey scored a fall and two wins by major decision to win the 197-pound title ... becoming the 44th Auggie to win a national mat championship. In the championship match, Massey scored three takedowns, a reversal and a two-point near-fall in what the Minneapolis Star-Tribune described as "a dominating performance," accumulating nearly four-and-a-half minutes of riding time toward a 11-2 major decision over Ryan Malo of Williams College of Massachusetts. "To be able to come back in the first year and win was huge," said Massey. "Showing people that I was able, and proving it to myself." Last year, Massey was 29-1. He earned All-American honors by placing third at 197 at the 2010 NCAA Championships. A veteran's perspective What's it like to be a few years older than your teammates? "I might get a little more respect, knowing a little more," Massey, 26, responded. "I feel I need to be a leader ... I need to push myself." Mark MatzekAugsburg's head coach for three seasons, Mark Matzek, offered his perspective as someone who's only a couple years older than his starter at 197. "Everyone looks up to a big, strong national champ. He takes care of business." The physical aspect also comes into play. "I think I'm the same guy all along," Massey said. "I have to do more to keep my body in shape." "I can tell the difference between now, and when I was 18. My training isn't right with these guys (my teammates). I need more recovery time. That said, I don't like to sit things out." "To be strong and healthy is huge," Massey continued. Coach Matzek weighed in. "With all the experience he's had, he knows his body, his positioning." "He's a phenomenal athlete, very quick, explosive. Not your typical 197. Moves like a 141." "He has an incredible work ethic. Works very hard. He's usually in the top three in our runs." "He's faced some adversity this year, a big-time nagging injury, but seems to be turning the corner, fighting through it." As of this writing, Jared Massey is 13-1 for the season, recently winning the 197-pound title at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 12 with four victories, including two falls and a major decision. Massey is ranked No 2 in the nation at 197 behind Wartburg's Byron Tate, who handed Massey his only loss of the season at the battle of the 'burgs on Feb. 4. What's next As the season winds down -- and a college wrestling career wraps up -- both Jared Massey and his coach look to the future. Jared Massey (Photo/Stephen Geffre, Augsburg College)"My major is exercise science," said Massey. "I want to stay in sports." "I plan to see about coaching." Mark Matzek sees that as a definite possibility for his 197-pounder. "Jared is coaching material ... I see it in the room. We have a 220-pound freshman heavyweight who works with Jared, and is learning so much from him." "You won't meet a nicer guy," Matzek said of Massey. "I'll see the fruits of my labor when guys like Jared do well after they leave, be successful, raise families." In the meantime, both men are focused on the next few weeks. "My expectation is another national championship for Jared," said coach Matzek. Massey concurred: "Knowing I've done it before, I can be national champ again." This story also appears in the Feb. 25 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering amateur wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote amateur wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. Subscribe to The Guillotine.

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Senior Byron Sigmon and No. 16 Ivan Lopouchanski led UNCG to a sweep on Tuesday as the Spartans downed Gardner-Webb, 37-6, at Gardner-Webb in the afternoon. After a two-hour trip back, UNCG flattened Campbell, 38-4, at Fleming Gymnasium on Tuesday evening. Senior Byron Sigmon wrestled for his final time at Fleming Gymnasium and ended it in style as he pinned Campbell's Peter Comis at the 5:48 mark. No. 16 Ivan Lopouchanski collected a technical fall over the Camels' Michael Jordan to win his 36th match of the year. With his 36th win, he passed Daren Burns, UNCG assistant wrestling coach, for the school record of most wins in a single season. "I'm happy for him," said Burns after the victory. UNCG saw its record improve to 8-11 on the season with the wins. Gardner-Webb fell to 6-15, while the Camels dismal season continued as they fell to 4-18. UNCG's 34 point victory over the Camels was the largest margin victory this season for UNCG. UNCG took eight of the ten bouts at Gardner-Webb, highlighted by three pins, two major decisions, and a technical fall. The Spartans went a perfect 2-0 at eight of the 10 weight classes on the day. Manny Ramirez (125 pounds) started the day off with a 25-10 victory over the Runnin' Bulldogs Brett Kostern. Jamel Johnson quickly followed with a victory thanks to a technical fall, 24-9, over Alex Hamm. Gardner-Webb cut the nine point deficit down to six after Richie Spicel got the best of UNCG's Michael Crowley, 3-1. Lopouchanski needed only 10 seconds in the second period to pin Morgan McDaniel to stretch UNCG's lead out to 12. A 9-5 victory from Gardner-Webb's Alex Medved (157) over Justin Rice would be the last one the Runnin' Bulldogs would see the rest of the day. UNCG ripped off five bouts in a row capped off by pins from Caylor Williams (197) and Peter Sturgeon (285), who only needed 46 seconds to claim the win. UNCG returned home to take on the Campbell Camels for Senior Night. Prior to the match, Sigmon (174) and Alejandro Soto-Perez (141) were honored for their contributions as a Spartan. The Spartans continued to roll as they took the first four bouts of the evening and jumping out to a 16-0 lead, capped off by Lopouchanski record-breaking match. Camels' Jake Fose (157) scored a 13-5 victory over Soto-Perez to provide Campbell with all of its points on the evening. Again, UNCG would win the last five bouts to secure a 38-4 victory and clamping down its third consecutive win. Elijah Adams (184) got an escape with three seconds left in the match to win, 8-7, over Campbell's John Merickel. The Spartans return to action on March 5, when they travel to participate in the Southern Conference Championships in Boone, N.C. UNCG 37 Gardner-Webb 6 125: Manny Ramirez (UNCG) maj. dec. Brett Kostern (GWU), 25-10 133: Jamel Johnson (UNCG) tech. fall Alex Hamm (GWU), 24-9, 5:55 141: Richie Spicel (GWU) dec. Michael Crowley (UNCG), 3-1 149: No. 16 Ivan Lopouchanski (UNCG) fall Morgan McDaniel (GWU), 3:10 157: Alex Medved (GWU) dec. Justin Rice (UNCG), 9-5 165: Brett Miller (UNCG) dec. Justin Guthrie (GWU), 7-6 174: Byron Sigmon (UNCG) maj. dec. Erin O'Dell (GWU), 12-0 184: Elijah Adams (UNCG) dec. Jonathan Velazquez (GWU), 5-4 197: Caylor Williams (UNCG) fall Blake Salyer (GWU), 1:46 285: Peter Sturgeon (UNCG) fall Tyler Arrowood (GWU), 0:46 UNCG 38 Campbell 4 125: Manny Ramirez (UNCG) maj. dec. Tanner Bidelspach (CU), 20-7 133: Jamel Johnson (UNCG) maj. dec. Gabe Gardner (CU), 14-6 141: Michael Crowley (UNCG) dec. Ethan Carmody (CU), 5-1 149: No. 16 Ivan Lopouchanski tech. fall Michael Jordan (CU), 16-1, 3:52 157: Jake Fose (CU) maj. dec. Alejandro Soto-Perez (UNCG), 13-5 165: Brett Miller (UNCG) maj. dec. Joel Caudill (CU), 11-1 174: Byron Sigmon (UNCG) fall Peter Comis (CU), 5:48 184: Elijah Adams (UNCG) dec. John Merickel (CU), 8-7 197: Caylor Williams (UNCG) fall Justin Sparrow (CU), 2:44 285: Peter Sturgeon (UNCG) dec. Parker Burns (CU), 5-2

Hempstead, NY -- Senior Lou Ruggirello and sophomore Steve Bonanno each posted tech fall victories to lead seven Pride winners in a 26-10 Hofstra victory over the Black Knights of Army at the Mack Sports Complex Tuesday night. The victory was Hofstra’s fifth consecutive dual match win and the 10th in the last 11th outings as the Pride close out their dual match season with a 14-4-1 mark. The Black Knights of Army fall to 7-9. The Pride jumped out to a 10-0 lead behind back-to-back tech falls from Bonanno and Ruggirello. Bonanno (22-10) downed junior Travis Coffey, 18-3 at 125 pounds for his fifth straight win. Ruggirello (26-3) followed with a 16-0 tech fall over sophomore Jordan Thome at 133 for his 12th consecutive victory. Army senior Casey Thome put the Black Knights on the board with a 4-1 decision over junior Vince Varela (18-12) at 141 pounds to cut the deficit to 10-3. Hofstra red-shirt freshman Zach Clemente (14-12) posted a late third period rally with a takedown and a two-point nearfall to notch a 6-4 win over sophomore Daniel Young at 149 pounds. At 157, Army junior James Rafferty tallied a 6-2 decision over Pride sophomore Tyler Banks (18-15) before Hofstra junior P.J. Gillespie (24-6) recorded a 13-3 major decision over Army senior Jake Vetter at 165 pounds for a 17-6 lead in the match. Army sophomore Collin Wittmeyer notched a 11-2 major decision over Pride sophomore Matt Spataro (7-16), who was wrestling up two classes, at 174 pounds to close the deficit to 17-10. But the Pride finished with three consecutive wins as junior Ben Clymer (18-8) rallied back from a first period nearfall to post an 8-5 victory over freshman Wil Brown at 184 pounds. Freshman Matt Loew (13-21) recorded his fifth straight win with an 8-1 decision over Army junior Daniel Mills at 197 pounds. Hofstra sophomore Paul Snyder (22-14) closed out the match with a 6-1 victory over junior Orion Ross at 285 pounds for the final 26-10 margin. The Pride will now prepare for the 2011 CAA Wrestling Championships at Rider University in Lawrenceville, New Jersey on Friday-Saturday, March 4-5. Results: 125 Steve Bonanno (Hofstra ) TF5 Travis Coffey (Army) 18 - 3 (6:54) 133 Lou Ruggirello (Hofstra ) TF5 ordan Thome (Army) 16 - 0 (5:00) 141 Casey Thome (Army) DEC Vicente Varela (Hofstra ) 4 - 1 149 Zach Clemente (Hofstra ) DEC Daniel Young (Army) 6 - 4 157 James Rafferty (Army) DEC Tyler Banks (Hofstra ) 6 - 2 165 Paul Gillespie (Hofstra ) MD Jacob Vetter (Army) 13 - 3 174 Collin Wittmeyer (Army) MD Matt Spataro (Hofstra ) 11 - 2 184 Ben Clymer (Hofstra ) DEC Wil Brown (Army) 8 - 5 197 Matt Loew (Hofstra ) DEC Daniel Mills (Army) 8 - 1 285 Paul Snyder (Hofstra ) DEC Ross, Orion (Army) 6 - 1

PARK RIDGE, Ill. -- The Big Ten Conference office today issued a public reprimand of Minnesota wrestling head coach J Robinson for violating the Big Ten Sportslike Conduct Agreement following Minnesota's dual match against Penn State on February 13, 2011. Robinson's post-match comments were in violation of Big Ten Sportslike Conduct Agreement 10.01.1.A.6. The Big Ten Sportslike Conduct Agreement states that "It shall be the responsibility of each member university to ensure that all of its students and all individuals employed by or directly associated with it comport themselves in a sportslike manner when representing their university, especially at intercollegiate athletic contests." J Robinson on Frank Molinaro's injury timeout following Penn State-Minnesota ...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Notre Dame (Ohio) closes out on top in the final edition of the NAIA Wrestling Coaches' Top 20 Poll, the national office announced Tuesday. The defending national champions have been ranked No. 1 the entire season and have occupied the top spot since Nov. 24, 2009. The Falcons racked up 142 points with 11 ranked wrestlers. Grand View (Iowa) remains locked in at No. 2 with 113 points with 11 listed grapplers. Rounding out the top-five teams is No. 3 McKendree (Ill.) with 90 points, No. 4 Lindenwood (Mo.) with 81 points and No. 5 Missouri Valley with 74 points. All three each boast eight ranked individuals. Qualifiers for the 2011 NAIA Wrestling National Championships will be announced Wednesday by 5 p.m. CST. The 54th annual event will take place March 3 – 5 at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Following the completion of the NAIA Qualifying Group Tournaments on Feb. 19, five weight classes have a new No. 1 grappler. Missouri Valley's Paulie Hansen (27-9) moves to No. 1 after capturing the 125-pound East Group title. The junior, who won all four of his bouts via decision, is the third individual to own the No. 1-ranking at 125 pounds this season. At 149 pounds, Anthony Weerheim of Montana State-Northern became the new No. 1 after winning the West Group title. Weerheim is 28-2 in his junior campaign. Notre Dame’s Kevin Hardy moves to the top at 165 pounds for the first time this season. The junior improved to 30-10 with a 14-1 major decision to win the title in the East Group. The second top-ranked grappler from Montana State-Northern is 184-pounder Evan Hinebauch (24-7). The junior upset previously top-ranked Michael French of Great Falls (Mont.) with a 2-1 decision on Feb. 19. In a battle of sophomore heavyweights, a last-second takedown by Lindenwood’s Steven Butler secured a 3-2 decision over previously top-ranked Orlando Scales of Notre Dame for the top finish in the East Group. Butler pushed his record to 21-13 and knocked Scales from his seven-straight poll hold on the No. 1 spot. Tyler Chang of Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) is the only ranked wrestler that still owns a spotless record. The three-time All-American is 36-0 and is No. 1 at 165 pounds. Chang has pinned 17 opponents, scored 10 major decisions and registered four technical falls. His 36 wins are tied with Lindenwood’s top-ranked 174 pounder Chris Chionuma (36-2) for the most among all ranked grapplers. Chionuma, a two-time All-American, has 10 major decisions, eight pins and four technical falls in his junior campaign. There are 16 ranked individuals that have won 30-or more matches this season. The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the groupings. Rank School Name Total Team Points 1 Notre Dame (Ohio) 142 2 Grand View (Iowa) 113 3 McKendree (Ill.) 90 4 Lindenwood (Mo.) 81 5 Missouri Valley 74 6 Campbellsville (Ky.) 69.5 7 Morningside (Iowa) 47 8 Montana State-Northern 45.5 8 Southern Oregon 45.5 10 Great Falls (Mont.) 43.5 11 Midland (Neb.) 33.5 12 Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 27.5 13 Oklahoma City 22.5 14 Hastings (Neb.) 18 15 Simon Fraser (B.C.) 17 16 Cumberland (Tenn.) 16 16 Minot State (N.D.) 16 18 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 15 19 Northwestern (Iowa) 13 20 Dickinson State (N.D.) 12.5 20 Menlo (Calif.) 12.5 Others receiving points: Jamestown (N.D.) 11; Waldorf (Iowa) 10; William Penn (Iowa) 10; York (Neb.) 5.5; Baker (Kan.) 5; Cumberlands (Ky.) 2.5;Shorter (Ga.) 2.5; Concordia (Neb.) 1.5; Missouri Baptist 1. Top-Ranked Individuals 125 – Paul Hansen, Missouri Valley 133 – Tim Thurston, Campbellsville (Ky.) 141 – Brett Freeman, Notre Dame (Ohio) 149 – Anthony Weerheim, Montana State-Northern 157 – Tyler Chang, Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 165 – Kevin Hardy, Notre Dame (Ohio) 174 – Chris Chionuma, Lindenwood (Mo.) 184 – Evan Hinebauch, Montana State-Northern 197 – Andrew Sanchez, McKendree (Ill.) HWT – Steven Butler, Lindenwood (Mo.) Please click here to view the entire individual rankings.

PARK RIDGE, Ill. -- Sunday’s big victory for University of Iowa senior 197-pounder Luke Lofthouse has earned him this week’s Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honors. Lofthouse, who is ranked seventh in the nation by Amateur Wrestling News and W.I.N. Magazine, and eighth by Intermat, closed out his collegiate dual career with a 7-4 victory over Minnesota’s Sonny Yohn, helping the second-ranked Hawkeyes to their fourth-straight Big Ten regular season title. Iowa also extended its unbeaten dual streak to 77 with Sunday’s 19-12 win over No. 5 Minnesota, ending the regular season with a 15-0-1 record. Iowa had a narrow 13-12 lead over the Golden Gophers, when Lofthouse, who entered the dual ranked eighth in the nation, took the mat against Yohn, who was ranked between fourth and seventh. Trailing Yohn, 3-2, at the start of the third period, the Hawkeye senior scored a quick escape to tie the score and added two takedowns in the final minute to give Iowa a 16-12 lead going into the final bout. Lofthouse is 17-4 this season, going 13-2 in duals and 7-0 in Big Ten duals. He ends the regular season on a six-match winning streak. This is his first career Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honor. Hawkeye sophomore Matt McDonough (125) is the only other Iowa wrestler to earn the honor this season, picking it up Feb. 1 after wins over Northwestern and Penn State. Up next for Iowa is a trip to the 2011 Big Ten Championships. The event will be held March 5-6 at Northwestern University’s Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill. Tickets are available from the Northwestern University ticket office at 888-GO-PURPLE. Iowa has won 34 conference team titles, including the last three.

OREM, Utah -- North Dakota State 125-pound sophomore Trent Sprenkle (Billings, Mont./Billings HS) and Northern Iowa 125-pound senior Caleb Flores (Rosemead, Calif./Northview HS) have been named Co-Western Wrestling Conference Wrestlers of the Week after both defeated ranked foes last week. The weekly award was released Tuesday by the league. Sprenkle, ranked 19th, upset No. 13 Ben Kjar of Utah Valley on Saturday and the unranked Flores defeated Wyoming’s 15th ranked Michael Martinez on Sunday. Sprenkle jumped out to a 5-0 lead with two takedowns and an escape before Kjar even notched a point. Kjar tallied four points in the third period, but Sprenkle’s two escapes and point for riding time sealed the big 8-4 win. Sprenkle’s decision helped NDSU claim a 25-10 win over Utah Valley to finish the conference season at 3-3. The Bison grappler is 29-7 overall and 12-2 in duals. Flores ended his dual career in the Purple and Gold on a high note, by defeating the ranked Martinez and in the process helping the Panthers down No. 24 Wyoming Sunday. The senior never trailed in the match, scoring takedowns in the first and second periods and an escape in the third period to earn the 5 3 victory. The win marked the first victory over a ranked opponent for Flores this season. The conference honor is the first of the season for both Flores and Sprenkle. Since all league schools have completed their dual seasons, this will be the final WWC weekly award for the 2010-11 season. The Western Wrestling Conference, which is in its fifth year of competition, is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming. Other Nominees: Air Force: Jared Erickson, HWT, So., (Newton, Utah/Sky View HS) Northern Colorado: Casey Cruz, 133 pounds, Jr., (Colorado Springs, Colo./Wasson HS) Utah Valley: Justin Morrill, 141 pounds, Sr., (Logan, Utah/Mountain Crest HS) Wyoming: Patrick Martinez, 174 pounds, RFr., (Hemet, Calif./Temecula Valley HS) Final 2010-11 Western Wrestling Conference Dual Standings School Conf. Overall Northern Iowa 5-0 12-9 Wyoming 5-1 11-7 Utah Valley 3-2 5-4 Air Force 3-3 12-5 North Dakota State 3-3 10-4 Northern Colorado 1-5 2-12 South Dakota State 0-6 1-13-1 2010-11 WWC Wrestlers of the Week Nov. 16 – Cole Dallaserra (Wyoming)/Cole VonOhlen (Air Force) Nov. 24 - Cole Dallaserra (Wyoming/Flint Ray (Utah Valley) Dec. 1 - Vince Salminen (North Dakota State) Dec. 7 - Ryan Loder (Northern Iowa) Dec. 14 - Cole VonOhlen (Air Force) Dec. 21 - Shane Onufer (Wyoming) Jan. 5 - Ben Kjar (Utah Valley) Jan. 11 - Ryan Loder (Northern Iowa) Jan. 18 - Cole VonOhlen (Air Force) Jan. 25 - Ryan Loder (Northern Iowa) Feb. 1 - David Bonin (Northern Iowa)/Michael Martinez (Wyoming) Feb. 8 - Justin Morrill (Utah Valley) Feb. 15 - Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming) Feb. 22 - Trent Sprenkle (North Dakota State)/Caleb Flores (Northern Iowa)

Jack Spates, head wrestling coach at the University of Oklahoma, and his son, Jeremy Spates, an assistant coach at Cornell University, will go “On the Mat” this Wednesday, February 23. “On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:05 - 6:00 PM CST on AM 1650, The Fan. An archive of the show is available on themat.com. E-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Spates is in his 14th season as the head wrestling coach at the University of Oklahoma and will retire after this season. His Sooner teams have compiled a 243-77-12 dual meet record. Jeremy Spates, his son, is an assistant coach at Cornell University. Jack was an NCAA Division I All-American for Slippery Rock in 1974 and Jeremy was an All-American for Missouri in 2004. The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has a new exhibit and book coming out in March called Family Ties. Jack and Jeremy Spates will be on the program as a celebration of family traditions within the sport.

Liberty wrestling welcomes Appalachian State to the Vines Center, Tuesday evening at 6 p.m., in a dual which will serve as each team's regular-season finale before preparing for postseason tournaments. The Flames host the NCAA East Region Championship on March 6, while Appalachian State hosts its own Southern Conference Tournament on March 5. The Flames are 13-7 for their 2010-11 campaign and look to add another victory to their win total. Liberty's 13 wins are the program's most since the 2006-07 season, when head coach Jesse Castro's squad came out on top in 16 duals. Winners of seven of its last eight, Liberty's lone loss came at the hands of No. 6 Virginia Tech last Thursday evening. Despite dropping the overall dual, redshirt seniors Chad Porter and Aaron Kelley picked up impressive victories at 165 and 184 pounds, respectively. Porter knocked off the No. 14 ranked grappler in the nation, Pete Yates, with a 15-7 major decision. The series record between the programs stands in favor of Appalachian State, 7-4-3, but Liberty has been the victor in the last two meetings. Last season, Castro's squad knocked off the Mountaineers on their senior night with a 25-10 win in Boone, N.C. The Flames began with three decisions to take a quick 9-0 lead, but the Mountaineers responded, edging within 12-10 through seven bouts. Liberty closed strongly, however, taking the final three bouts. In the 2009 regular-season cap, the Flames owned the 24-18 advantage to pick up the win. The road to victory was different, however, as the Mountaineers held the lead with three bouts to go. However, the Flames rolled off three-straight victories to close out the match for the win. This year's Appalachian State squad has grappled to an 8-10-1 record, including a 2-3 mark in the Southern Conference. In tournament competition, the Mountaineers have had a similar schedule to the Flames. The Flames finished ahead of the Mountaineers in both the Keystone Classic (LU 7th, ASU 10th) and the Southern Scuffle (LU 27th, ASU 28th), while the Mountaineers bested the Flames at the Reno Tournament of Champions (ASU 13th, LU 16th). Appalachian State is coming off a 36-9 win over Davidson, where the Wildcats forfeited three weight classes due to injuries. Porter will have the opportunity to knock off another ranked grappler, as No. 18 ranked Kyle Blevins leads the way for the Mountaineers with a 33-7 mark at 165 pounds. The junior has placed in each of his tournaments this year, including a weight-class title at the Hokie Open. He brings a nine-bout win streak into the match with Liberty. Porter met Blevins on two occasions last year, taking each bout. At the Southern Scuffle, Porter earned the 2-0 decision, while in the dual meet he claimed a 4-2 sudden victory. Austin Trotman also holds a ranking at 184 pounds, as he is No. 19 in InterMat's latest poll. The redshirt junior is 25-7 this season and has rolled off victories in his last 12 bouts, including taking three wins by fall. He'll face off with another hot wrestler at 184 pounds, as the Flames' Kelley is the winner of his last eight, with four wins by fall. Savva Kostis is another 20-win grappler for the Mountaineers, boasting a 22-10 mark at 149 pounds. The junior has also had tournament success, as he's grabbed fifth-place finishes at both the Hokie Open and the Reno Tournament of Champions. Live stats for the match with Appalachian State will be available through the NWCA Live Scorebook. Updates will also be available on the LibertyFlames Twitter page. Fans wishing to track Liberty Athletics' coverage will need to "follow" the LibertyFlames page by clicking the link at the top of the page. A video stream will also be available for the match between the Flames and Mountaineers. This is offered through the Big South Network with a $3.95 charge to watch the single dual. Probable Starters for Liberty vs. Appalachian State Liberty (13-7): 125 – Robert Jillard (17-10) or Justin Branham (8-13) 133 – T. J. Mitchell (16-14) 141 – Seth Hicks (9-12) or Joe Pantaleo (6-4) 149 – Peter Crawford (7-12) or Joey Montgomery (10-11) 157 – Julian Colon (14-12) 165 – Chad Porter (19-8) 174 – Eli Sanchez (4-17) or Royal Brettrager II (10-11) 184 – Aaron Kelley (11-3) 197 – Aaron Thompson (13-12) 285 – Josh Pelletier (15-7) or Jacob Wright (0-3) Appalachian State (8-10-1, 2-3 SoCon): 125 – Tony Gravely (13-17) 133 – Brett Boston (12-15) 141 – Mike Kessler (15-16) 149 – Savva Kostis (22-10) 157 – John Blakely (8-13) 165 – Kyle Blevins (33-7) 174 – Carter Downs (4-16) 184 – Austin Trotman (25-7) 197 – Jon Hartley (1-8) 285 – Brock Durfee (0-2)

Fans of the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team came out in full force this year, making tickets to see head coach Cael Sanderson's squad compete in Rec Hall a hot commodity. The Nittany Lions averaged nearly 5,500 fans per home dual, by far the best average attendance at Penn State in two decades or more. Two of Penn State's duals sold out, with the Iowa dual on Jan. 30 selling out standing room only tickets as well. 6,686 fans packed Rec Hall for the match-up with the Hawkeyes, the largest Rec Hall sporting event crowd since enhanced fire codes capped attendance at the building in the mid-1990s. The Wisconsin dual on Feb. 18 also sold out all available seats with a solid portion of SRO tickets being sold as well. 6,311 fans watched Penn State down the Badgers 30-12 on Senior Night. Six of Penn State's seven home duals, including Iowa and Wisconsin, topped the 5,000 fan mark, including 5,527 for Penn State's win over Pittsburgh on Jan. 21. The Nittany Lions drew a total of 38,182 fans to Rec Hall for seven duals, giving Penn State a gaudy 5,455 per dual average. Final national average totals will be released in March with Penn State almost a cinch to finish second nationally, which would be the highest national finish for Penn State in decades. Below are this year's attendance figures: 2010-11 ATTENDANCE 11/14 -- LEHIGH -- 5,257 12/12 -- LOCK HAVEN -- 4,182 12/19 -- OHIO STATE -- 5,102 1/21 -- PITTSBURGH -- 5,527 1/30 -- IOWA -- 6,686 2/11 -- ILLINOIS -- 5,117 2/18 -- WISCONSIN -- 6,311 TOTAL -- 38,182 AVG(7)-- 5,455 Last year in Sanderson's first season as head coach at Penn State, the Nittany Lions averaged 4,341 fans per home dual with the highest figure a 4,883 crowd against Illinois. The figure was about 1,700 more per dual than the prior year. This year's average added over 1,000 fans per dual. In just two seasons with Sanderson at the helm, Penn State has essentially doubled its average attendance from 2,789 in 2008-09 to 5,455 this year. With tickets becoming increasingly hard to find, fans are encouraged to secure season tickets for the 2011-12 season early. Fans can make deposits on new season tickets by calling Joel Diamond 814-867-2557. Current season ticket holders will receive their renewal applications later in the summer. Current season ticket holders can add additional season tickets on their renewal forms. All new season tickets will be sold based on availability. Head coach Cael Sanderson's Nittany Lions, which closed out a 17-1-1 dual meet season (6-1-1 Big Ten) on Friday with a 30-12 win over Wisconsin, will now prep for the 2011 Big Ten Wrestling Championships on March 5-6 at Northwestern University. The two-day event is the national qualifier for the conference and begins with an 11 a.m. Eastern (10 a.m. Central) session on Saturday, March 5. The Sunday session starts at 2 p.m. Eastern (1 p.m. Central) with the finals airing live on the Big Ten Network at 4 p.m. Eastern (3 p.m. Central). The 2010-11 Penn State wrestling season is presented by the Family Clothesline. All Penn State events will once again air live on Forever Broadcasting's WRSC (1390 AM) and WSQV (92.1 FM). All radio broadcasts are streamed live at GoPSUsports.com as part of the All-Access package. The 2010-11 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The official brackets for the2011 NJCAA Wrestling Championship have been finalized and released. This year's championship tournament will feature 250 of the best wrestlers in the NJCAA competing for individual national titles in 10 seperate weight classes. The event will take place February 25-26 at the Spokane Convention Center in Spokane, Wash. Brackets and other tournament information can be found at http://www.nic.edu/athletics/wrestlingNationals/. Clackamas Community College (OR) is the favorite to win the team championship as they own the No. 1 ranking in the final NJCAA Wrestling Coaches Association rankings. North Idaho College is second followed by Rend Lake College (IL), Labette Community College (KS) and 2010 national champion Harper College (IL). Click here to view the final team and individual rankings of the regular season. Once the tournament gets underway, updated brackets and information will be available at http://www.nic.edu/athletics/wrestlingNationals/.

On the night American University honored the career of top-ranked Steve Fittery in his last home dual meet, the No. 8 wrestling team earned a 25-14 victory over Bucknell to set a new program record for most wins in a season. The Eagles wrapped up the dual meet portion of their schedule with a 14-7 overall mark and 3-2 in the EIWA, surpassing the previous record of 13 wins set in 2005-06. American got off to a good start as Thomas Williams picked up a 4-2 decision over Derek Reber at 125 lbs. The two went scoreless into the second period where Reber took the first lead with an escape. Williams came back to score a takedown before the period expired and then added two more points with a reversal in the third for a 4-1 lead. Reber would pull to within 4-2 with an escape but would get no closer as Williams took the victory. Bucknell bounced back with a technical fall by Alex Pellicciotti over Kevin Tao at 133 lbs., giving the Bison their only lead of the night 5-3. 14th-ranked Matt Mariacher got the Eagles back on track with a fall at 141 lbs., pinning Adam Healey to the matt just 1:57 into their bout for a 9-5 American advantage. The Bison would score another win at 149 lbs. as No. 4 Kevin LeValley earned a 9-6 decision over No. 8 Ganbayar Sanjaa. Sanjaa held an early 4-0 lead after a takedown and two back points in the first but LeValley would go on top 7-4 in the second with an escape, takedown and two sets of back points. Sanjaa scored another takedown late in the third to pull to within 7-6, but after cutting LeValley the Bison would score the final takedown for the 9-6 margin. Fittery put American in front 13-8 with an 18-7 major decision over Brantley Hooks at 157 lbs. The senior was aggressive early, taking Hooks down three times in the first for a 6-3 advantage. Fittery scored two more takedowns in the second to move the score to 10-5 and then put the match away with an escape, three takedowns and riding time advantage in the third. Patrick Graham picked up a big win for the Eagles at 165 lbs., scoring a 5-3 decision over Corey Lear to give American a 16-8 lead. Graham opened the bout with two takedowns in the first and would take a 4-2 margin into the third period. Lear brought the score to 4-3 with an escape but could not score again on Graham, and with riding time advantage the sophomore walked away with the 5-3 win. Bucknell cut its deficit to 16-14 with a pair of wins at 174 lbs. and 184 lbs. as David Thompson earned a 5-3 decision over Tanner Shaffer and Rob Waltko picked up a 13-8 decision over Thomas Barreiro. That would be as close as the Bison would get, however, as the Eagles put the dual away at the final two weights. No. 18 Daniel Mitchell gave American some breathing room with a 6-4 decision over Jay Hahn at 197 lbs. Mitchell went on top 4-1 in the first with a pair of takedowns and Hahn closed the gap to 4-2 in the second with an escape. A Mitchell escape in the third made the match 5-2 before Hahn got in for a takedown to pull to within one, 5-4. Another Mitchell escape late in the frame ensured the win for the sophomore though, 6-4. No. 3 Ryan Flores closed out the dual with a quick pin of Joe McMullan at the 1:59 mark, giving American the final 25-14 victory. Fittery remains unbeaten on the year with his team-leading 20th bonus point win of the season. He is a perfect 24-0 in 2010-11 with 12 falls, five tech-falls and three major decisions. Flores moved his record to 18-5 with eight falls, two tech-falls and two major decisions. Mariacher leads the team in wins at 27-7 and has picked up seven victories in his last eight matches. Mitchell improved his overall record to 25-6 including five straight wins while Williams now stands at 14-12. American will return to the mat in two weeks at the EIWA Championships. This year's tournament will be held in Lewisburg, Pa. at Sojka Pavillion March 5-6. Results: 125 – Thomas Williams (AU) dec. Derek Reber (BU), 4-2 133 – Alex Pellicciotti (BU) tech. fall Kevin Tao (AU), 17-1 (2:27) 141 - #14 Matt Mariacher (AU) fall Adam Healey (BU), 1:57 149 - #4 Kevin LeValley (BU) dec. #8 Ganbayar Sanjaa (AU), 9-6 157 - #1 Steve Fittery (AU) major dec. Brantley Hooks (BU), 18-7 165 – Patrick Graham (AU) dec. Corey Lear (BU), 5-3 174 – David Thompson (BU) dec. Tanner Shaffer (AU), 8-5 184 – Rob Waltko (BU) dec. Thomas Barreiro (AU), 13-8 197 - #18 Daniel Mitchell (AU) dec. Jay Hahn (BU), 6-4 HWT - #3 Ryan Flores (AU) fall Joe McMullan (BU), 1:59

Philadelphia, Pa. -- The No. 7 Rutgers wrestling team (21-2) picked up its 21st dual win of the season with a convincing 39-6 victory over Drexel. The 21 dual victories are a new program high for the Scarlet Knights, topping the previous mark of 20 set in the 2008-09 season. Joe Langel (Howell, N.J.) got the Scarlet Knights off to a quick start at 125 pounds when he earned a 9-1 major decision over Michael Gomez to give RU and early 4-0 lead. After Drexel earned a decision at 133 pounds, Rutgers regained the momentum with pins from Trevor Melde (Hewitt, N.J.) and Dave Greenwald (Union, N.J.). Following the pins by Melde and Greenwald, No. 15 Daryl Cocozzo (River Edge, N.J.) and Nick Visicaro (Long Branch, N.J.) each earned tech falls to push the RU lead to 26-3. Cocozzo’s win was the 99th of his career. Alex Caruso (Green Brook, N.J.) and Dan Rinaldi (Lodi, N.J.) kept the RU momentum going picking up a decision and a major decision, respectively. After Drexel earned a decision at 197 pounds, No. 4 DJ Russo (Netcong, N.J.) picked up his 98th career win when he pinned Jack Callender. With his 98 wins at Rutgers, Russo moves into a tie for 10th place in all-time wins at RU. The Scarlet Knights will return to action when they wrestle at the EIWA Tournament in Lewisburg, Pa. on March 5 and 6. Results: 125: Joe Langel (RU) m. dec. Michael Gomez (DU), 9-1; Rutgers leads, 4-0 133: Frank Cimato (DU) dec. Mike DeMarco (RU), 6-3; Rutgers leads, 4-3 141: Trevor Melde (RU) pins Josh Yurasits (DU), 6:04; Rutgers leads, 10-3 149: David Greenwald (RU) pins Garth Mahosky (DU), 5:23; Rutgers leads, 16-3 157: No. 15 Daryl Cocozzo (RU) t. fall Charles Aungst (DU), 17-1 (5:16); Rutgers leads, 21-3 165: Nick Visicaro (RU) t. fall TJ Laky (DU), 21-5 (5:56); Rutgers leads, 26-3 174: Alex Caruso (RU) dec. Justin Wieller (DU), 6-4; Rutgers leads, 29-3 184: Dan Rinaldi (RU) m. dec. Shawn Fausey (DU), 17-5; Rutgers leads, 33-3 197: Brandon Palik (DU) dec. Dan Hopkins (RU), 7-4; Rutgers leads, 33-6 285: No. 4 DJ Russo (RU) pins Jack Callender (DU), 3:48; Rutgers wins, 39-6

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The Virginia wrestling team won its school-record 19th match as it concluded the regular season with a 25-11 road victory over Old Dominion Sunday at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk, Va. Spurred by the return of 141-pounder Nick Nelson (R-Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa.) to the lineup, the Cavaliers won seven of 10 bouts, including the final six, to claim the team win. "Our kids have had a long season – a very long season," Virginia head coach Steve Garland said. "We have had major injuries all year and to finish a season like this with 19 wins is a testament to our guys' mental toughness and focus. I am a very proud coach tonight." ODU (7-12-1) jumped out to an early 7-0 lead by riding the backs of its two ranked wrestlers at 125 and 133 pounds. At 125 fourth-ranked James Nicholson remained unbeaten this season with a 12-3 major decision over the Cavaliers' Matt Snyder. The 133-pound match was decidedly closer, as UVa freshman Joe Spisak (Boiling Springs, Pa.) led for much of the match before succumbing, 10-8, to 12th-ranked Kyle Hutter. Spisak, on the strength of a takedown and three-point nearfall, jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the first period, only to see Hutter slowly creep back in and take a third-period lead. Spisak scored an escape to tie the bout at eight, but Hutter responded with a late takedown to seal a 10-8 victory. The Cavaliers (19-7) broke through at 141 pounds, where Nelson returned to the UVa lineup after missing the past three months with an injury. Nelson improved to 7-0 this season with a 7-2 decision over ODU's Brennan Brumley. At 149 pounds ODU's Scott Festejo scored a 15-6 major decision over Dave Ebbott (Sr., Blue Bell, Pa.) to stretch the Monarchs' lead to 11-3. Virginia then won the final six weight classes. At 157 pounds Shawn Harris (R-Jr., Cleveland, Ohio) took a 7-2 lead through his match with Chad Lowman before the Monarch was forced to stop the match and take an injury default. The six points pulled UVa within 11-9. UVa took the lead when Jedd Moore (R-So., Mount Vernon, Ohio) picked up a 5-2 decision over Dan Rivera at 165 pounds. Fourth-ranked Chris Henrich (Sr., Lansdale, Pa.) won his 30th match of the season (30-1), while taking his 16th straight bout with an 8-3 decision over ODU's Tristan Warner at 174. At 184 pounds 20th-ranked Jon Fausey (R-Fr., Dalmatia, Pa.) dominated Joe Budi in a 10-2 major decision. Fausey improved to 24-7 this season. Reigning ACC Wrestler of the Week Stephen Doty (So., St. Louis, Mo.) notched his seventh straight win, earning a 8-3 win over Jacob Henderson at 197 pounds. Doty is now 25-9 this season and is second on the team to Henrich in wins. Jack Danilkowicz (R-Sr., Green Oaks, Ill.) capped the UVa win with an 8-2 decision over Grant Chapman in the heavyweight match. Danilkowicz improved to 23-12 this year. UVa will take next off before playing host to the 2011 ACC Wrestling Championship on March 5 at John Paul Jones Arena. Tickets to the event are on sale now through the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office. Results: 125: No. 4 James Nicholson (ODU) major dec. Matt Snyder (UVa), 12-3; UVa 0, ODU 4 133: No. 12 Kyle Hutter (ODU) dec. Joe Spisak (UVa), 10-8; UVa 0, ODU 7 141: Nick Nelson (UVa) dec. Brennan Brumley (ODU), 7-2; UVa 3, ODU 7 149: Scott Festejo (ODU) major dec. Dave Ebbott (UVa), 15-6; UVa 3, ODU 11 157: Shawn Harris (UVa) won by injury default over Chad Lowman (ODU); UVa 9, ODU 11 165: Jedd Moore (UVa) dec. Dan Rivera (ODU), 5-2; UVa 12, ODU 11 174: No. 4 Chris Henrich (UVa) dec. Tristan Warner (ODU), 8-3; UVa 15, ODU 11 184: No. 20 Jon Fausey (UVa) major dec. Joe Budi (ODU) 10-2; UVa 19, ODU 11 197: Stephen Doty (UVa) dec. Jacob Henderson (ODU), 8-3; UVa 22, ODU 11 285: Jack Danilkowicz (UVa) dec. Grant Chapman (ODU), 8-2; UVa 25, ODU 11

MOUNT PLEASANT -- No. 15 Central Michigan secured a share of its 12th Mid-American Conference championship in the last 13 seasons with a 20-14 victory over Kent State at McGuirk Arena on Sunday. CMU (8-8 overall), Kent State (14-6) and Ohio (10-6) all share the conference's regular season title with identical 4-1 MAC records. "I'm proud of our team," said CMU head coach Tom Borrelli. "We started seven new guys most of the year, and we wrestled an unbelievable schedule. We probably asked too much of our young team. We got beat down a little bit, but I'm proud that they hung in there and kept fighting. When it's all said and done, I think our kids are proud to be Chippewas. They're going to fight to keep the things that our alumni and former teams have earned over the years." CMU won five of Sunday's first seven bouts, but the dual was not decided until Jarod Trice, the nation's No. 2-ranked heavyweight, scored a dramatic 3-1 decision over Brendan Barlow. Trice trailed 1-0 entering the third period, but chose to start in the down position and tied the score with an escape. After having several shots defended by Barlow, Trice finally got in on a leg and scored the bout's only takedown with just five seconds remaining in regulation. "I know that I can get off bottom, and I know that once I get to my feet I can push the pace," Trice said. "When I push the pace that fast, heavyweights can't keep up. I know I can do that all the time, because that's what we practice here at Central Michigan. We do down workouts every day, and they make us sprint for those last 30 seconds, those last 15 seconds where we can get those last-second takedowns to win the match." Kent State took its only lead of the dual when No. 12 Nic Bedelyon defeated Christian Cullinan, 9-5, in the opening bout at 125 pounds. Scotti Sentes put CMU in front with a dominant 10-2 major decision over Tyler Small at 133 pounds. Sentes, ranked 11th nationally, scored the first of his three takedowns just 16 seconds into the match and built 2:44 of riding time in the first period alone. A second-period reversal helped Sentes finish with 4:28 riding time and his team-leading 26th victory of the season. The Chippewas then picked up key victories from Scott Mattingly and Donnie Corby at 141 and 149 pounds, respectively. Mattingly trailed 2-0 after being taken down early in the first period by Chase Skonieczny, but he evened the score with a reversal in the second period. Mattingly began the third period on top and rode out Skonieczny, earning a 3-2 decision that bumped CMU's lead to 7-3. "I thought the big match in the meet was Scott Mattingly's match," Borrelli said. "He got taken down right away and fought his way back and found a way to win the match. He rode his guy out the whole third period. That was probably the biggest momentum swing." At 149, Corby used a first-period takedown, second-period escape and 2:22 of riding time to defeat Marcel Clopton, 4-1. Corby's decision extended CMU's lead to 10-3. Kent State cut into the lead with a major decision at 157 pounds, but CMU senior Mike Miller followed the loss with an emotional victory at 165 pounds. Limited by injuries to just seven matches all season and competing for only the third time since December, Miller took a 2-0 lead with a takedown just 10 seconds into his final appearance at McGuirk Arena. He added a second takedown in the period and a third takedown in the second period en route to an 8-2 decision over Ross Tice. "There's a lot of pride there in that young man," Borrelli said. "For a kid to go through the things that he's gone through and still mentally be able to get himself ready to compete the way he does, he's a really special kid." Ben Bennett then stretched CMU's lead to 17-7 with a 9-1 major decision at 174 pounds. Bennett, ranked seventh nationally with a 25-5 record, took Brandonn Johnson to the mat in each of the three periods and built up 2:56 of riding time. Kent State drew within striking distance with a decision at 184 pounds and a major decision at 197 pounds; the Chippewas led 17-14 when Trice and No. 14-ranked Brendan Barlow took the mat. This marked the third straight year that a CMU-Kent State heavyweight bout decided the MAC title; Trice is 2-1 in those matches with victories each of the last two seasons. CMU is off this week before traveling to Northern Illinois for the MAC Championships March 5-6. The Chippewas have won nine straight conference tournament titles. Results: 125: No. 12 Nic Bedelyon (KSU) dec. Christian Cullinan, 9-5; KSU 3-0 133: No. 11 Scotti Sentes (CMU) maj. dec. Tyler Small, 10-2; CMU 4-3 141: Scott Mattingly (CMU) dec. Chase Skonieczny, 3-2; CMU 7-3 149: Donnie Corby (CMU) dec. Marcel Copton, 4-1; CMU 10-3 157: No. 17 Matt Cathell (KSU) maj. dec. Ryan Cubberly, 9-1; CMU 10-7 165: No. 17 Mike Miller (CMU) dec. Ross Tice, 8-2; CMU 13-7 174: No. 7 Ben Bennett (CMU) maj. dec. Brandonn Johnson, 9-1; CMU 17-7 184: Casey Newburg (KSU) dec. Craig Kelliher, 6-2; CMU 17-10 197: No. 6 Dustin Kilgore (KSU) maj. dec. Chad Friend, 15-7; CMU 17-14 285: No. 2 Jarod Trice (CMU) dec. No. 14 Brendan Barlow, 3-1; CMU 20-14