InterMat Staff

BLACKSBURG -- The seventh-ranked Virginia Tech wrestling squad used an electric atmosphere to propel it to a 20-12 win over the University of Virginia Saturday night in front of a Cassell Coliseum record 3,378 fans for a wrestling match. The first three bouts were wild ones as the Hokies won each in dramatic fashion. The match got started at the heavyweight weight class with Tech’s David Marone scoring late to down Jack Danilkowicz, 4-3 and sending the crowd into a frenzy. Danilkowicz picked up a first-period pin and took a 3-2 lead early in the third period with an escape, but Marone pulled in a takedown attempt with 20 seconds left and held Danilkowicz until the end for the exciting 4-3 win. At 125 pounds, unranked Matt Snyder of Virginia got a takedown and two separate three-point nearfall combinations in the first period to take a surprising 8-0 lead on 16th-ranked Jarrod Garnett. But Garnett made a huge comeback with two reversals and a takedown to make it 9-6 heading to the third period. Garnett got three takedowns in the third period on an exhausted Snyder to take the lead, forcing Snyder to take injury time with 44 seconds left and trailing by one. Snyder escaped to force sudden victory, but Garnett easily took him down to secure the crazy14-12 comeback win. Unranked Joe Spisak of Virginia grabbed an early 5-2 lead on No. 10 Devin Carter early on, using a takedown and craqdle for back points. But Carter rallied to tie it up at 7-7 in the second period and picked up four more takedowns en route to a 19-11 major decision at 133 pounds to make it 10-0 after three matches. At 141 pounds Zach Neibert of Tech was again impressive, beating Gus Sako, 8-2. He got two takedowns in the first period and led 4-2 heading to the final period. There, he got a late takedown to ice the 8-2 win. At 149 pounds, ninth-ranked Brian Stephens used a takedown in the second period to take a lead on Derek Valenti, but Valenti tied it up in the third on an escape. After being dinged for a stall warning, Valenti snuck in on a takedown and put Stephens right to his back for three huge points to pull out the unlikely 7-2 win after Stephens controlled most of the match. Valenti’s big win made it 13-3 in favor of the Hokies as the teams headed to the halftime break. Sixth-ranked Jesse Dong then took to the mat for the Hokies at 157 pounds. He got a takedown in the first period and rode Shawn Harris for the last minute. Dong rode him the whole second period and in the third, Dong escaped for a 3-0 lead. He took Harris back down and let him go before taking him back down and with over 3:20 of riding time, he picked up an extra point for the 8-1 win. Pete Yates got his 165-pound match started right with a takedown of Jedd Moore in the first minute. Yates, ranked 15th, then turned him late in the period for three back points and a 5-0 lead. In the second stanza, Yates took Moore down again and increased his riding time by holding him down the rest of the period. Yates escaped quickly in the third and with a point for riding time, Yates picked up a dominating 9-0 major decision. The Cavaliers then sent out three ranked wrestlers to try and make a major comeback in the last three matches. Fourth-ranked Chris Henrich got two takedowns on Tech’s Matt Epperly at 174 pounds in the first period. Henrich rode Epperly for most of the second period before Epperly escaped late. Henrich escaped in the third period and fought off Epperly’s late charge to pick up the 6-2 win. Jon Fausey, ranked 18th, controlled the action with a pair of takedowns on Tech’s John Dickson to pick up a 5-3 win. The night concluded with 18th-ranked Mike Salopek downing Tech’s Chris Penny. Salopek battled for a takedown late in the first period and escaped in the third stanza to stretch his lead to 4-1. Penny got in on several shots, but couldn't finish on Salaopek as neither wrestler scored from there on out and Salopek got a point for riding time to pick up the 5-1 win. With the win, Tech has now won 13 consecutive ACC dual matches dating back to 2008. The Hokies improve to 16-4 overall, 3-0 in the league while Virginia falls to 15-6, 2-1 in the conference. Tech will be back in action Thursday, taking on Old Dominion in Norfolk at the Constant Center at 8:30 p.m. And then on Saturday, the Hokies will wrap up ACC competition with a pair of matches at home, taking on NC State at 5 o’clock and then Duke right after. Results: 285: David Marone (VT) dec. Jack Danilkowicz, 4-3 125: #16 Jarrod Garnett (VT) dec. Matt Snyder, 14-12 (SV) 133: #10 Devin Carter (VT) maj. dec. Joe Spisak, 19-11 141: Zach Neibert (VT) dec. Gus Sako, 8-2 149: Derek Valenti (VA) dec. #9 Brian Stephens, 7-2 157: #6 Jesse Dong (VT) dec. Shawn Harris, 8-1 165: #15 Pete Yates (VT) maj. dec. Jedd Moore, 9-0 174: #4 Chris Henrich (VA) dec. Matt Epperly, 6-2 184: #18 Jon Fausey (VA) dec. John Dickson, 5-3 197: #18 Mike Salopek (VA) dec. Chris Penny, 5-1

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. -- Top-ranked Wartburg College snapped its four-dual losing streak to rival Augsburg College in a big way Feb. 4. Coach Jim Miller’s Knights, closing the dual season at 19-1, roared out of the gate in front of a large crowd inside Si-Melby Hall on Augsburg’s campus. Junior 197-pounder Byron Tate (Clinton), ranked No. 1, took a 6-3 win over second-ranked Jared Massey in a rematch of last year’s national semifinals clash to begin a run of seven consecutive wins en route to a 28-5 win. Senior heavyweight John Helgerson (West Union) and senior 157-pounder Carrington Banks (Stockbridge, Ga.), highlighted the Knights’ string with bonus-point wins, with Helgerson gaining a second period fall and Banks earning a major decision. Senior 149-pounder Jacob Groth (Marshalltown) and senior 125-pounder Mark Kist (Eagle Grove) each took wins in head-to-head match-ups with ranked opponents. Groth rallied from a 3-0 deficit against third-ranked Tony Valek and used a takedown with 18 seconds left and riding time to win 5-4. Kist took advantage of a first period takedown and riding time to defeat fifth-ranked Josh Roberts 5-3. After the Auggies (7-5) averted a shutout with wins at 165 and 174, senior 184-pounder Todd Becker of Gilbertville closed the evening with a win. A late second period takedown and riding time lifted him to a 3-1 win over sixth-ranked Brad Baus. Wartburg continues its weekend by competing in the North Country Invitational, hosted by St. John’s University of Collegeville, Minn., Saturday, Feb. 5. NOTES: The point spread was among the largest in the series, which Augsburg holds a 15-10 all-time lead in, in favor of the Orange and Black since they defeated the Maroon and White 29-6 in the finals of the 2006 Cliff Keen/NWCA Division III National Duals. … Friday’s finish made the last 18 duals a split between the two mat rivals. … Tate’s win over Massey kept his impressive stretch going with 43 wins in his last 44 matches. … Helgerson’s fall increased his win string to 15, while Banks’ major decision was his 21st win in his last 22 matches. Results: 197 -- No. 1 Byron Tate (WAR, 35-1) dec. No. 2 Jared Massey (AUG, 7-1) 6-3 (Wartburg 3-0). HWT -- No. 1 John Helgerson (WAR, 35-4) pinned Pat Fletcher (AUG, 14-4) 4:10 (Wartburg 9-0). 125 -- No. 3 Mark Kist (WAR, 26-5) dec. No. 5 Josh Roberts (AUG, 16-6) 4-2 (Wartburg 12-0). 133 -- No. 6 Mike Kremer (WAR, 20-5) dec. Boyd Suparat (AUG, 17-10) 11-6 (Wartburg 15-0). 141 -- No. 5 Matt Kelly (WAR, 7-3) dec. Will Keeter (AUG, 19-14) 7-5 (Wartburg 18-0). 149 -- No. 10 Jacob Groth (WAR, 23-9) dec. No. 3 Tony Valek (AUG, 24-4) 5-4 (Wartburg 21-0). 157 -- No. 3 Carrington Banks (WAR, 24-2) maj. dec. Jon Priess (AUG, 12-17) 12-3 (Wartburg 25-0). 165 -- No. 5 Orlando Ponce (AUG, 20-5) dec. Adam Weber (WAR, 7-4) 9-3 (Wartburg 25-3). 174 -- No. 2 Zach Molitor (AUG, 20-2) dec. Ben Scott (WAR, 20-10) 3-0 (Wartburg 25-6). 184 -- Todd Becker (WAR, 10-1) dec. No. 6 Brad Baus (AUG, 22-7) 3-1 (Wartburg 28-6). End of match – Augsburg deducted 1 team point for unsportsmanlike conduct.

MADISON, Wis. -- After splitting the first six matches, the No. 13-ranked University of Michigan wrestling team surged past No. 6 Wisconsin, claiming the last four bouts to post a 26-9 road victory on Friday evening (Feb. 4) at the UW Field House. The Wolverines won seven individual bouts, claiming bonus in three, to extend their dual winning streak to six straight and improve to 5-0 in Big Ten Conference action. Senior/junior captain Kellen Russell (High Bridge, N.J./Blair Academy), the nation's No. 1-ranked 141-pounder, put the Wolverines ahead for good with a commanding 10-2 major decision against Shane McQuade. Russell capitalized on a variety of leg attacks, scoring on a single leg, duck under, throw by and snap down to overwhelm McQuade through all three periods. Russell's final takedown came midway through the third period and secured the bonus point, and the Wolverine captain rode out the match to accumulate 3:40 in riding time. He is 26-0 on the season. Sophomore/freshman Eric Grajales (Brandon, Fla./Brandon HS) also used an assortment of offensive attacks to cruise past Shawn Perry in the next bout at 149 pounds, scoring three takedowns and four back points en route to 11-3 major decision. After striking on a quick high crotch, Grajales caught Perry in a roll to add a two-point near fall late in the opening frame. He used a Peterson position out of a late second-period scramble to net four points and earned the pin call at the buzzer, before it was waived off after a brief officials' conference. The Wolverine rookie added another high crotch in the third and built up 4:20 in riding-time advantage to earn his fifth win in six matches. Sophomore/freshman Brandon Zeerip (Fremont, Mich./Hesperia HS) also earned the pin call in the second period of the subsequent match at 157 pounds, but this held as the Wolverine newcomer stuck Kalvin York at the 4:40 mark. Zeerip held a significant advantage at the time of the pin after finishing on four takedowns, including three in the first period, and was in deep on a fifth single leg when he locked up the cradle and rolled up York to his back. The pin was Zeerip's third of the season and second in Big Ten action. Sophomore/freshman Dan Yates (Hesperia, Mich./Hesperia HS) capped the Wolverines' victory with a 6-0 decision against Ben Cox at 165 pounds, using single legs in the first and third periods and 4:03 of riding-time advantage to secure his second straight shutout win. The Badgers essentially won the pre-meet draw, selecting 174 pounds to set up their stretch of highly rated upperweights, but it was Michigan that struck first as senior/junior captain Justin Zeerip (Fremont, Mich./Hesperia HS) used riding time to edge No. 12-ranked Ben Jordan, 2-1, and avenge an earlier-season loss. Zeerip dictated the first period with several single-leg shots -- enough to draw a stalling call on Jordan -- and took the initial lead with a quick second-period escape. The Wolverine captain rode most of the third period, building 1:25 in time advantage to earn the deciding point at match's end. Wisconsin won back-to-back matches at 184 and 197 pounds -- both decision wins on first-period takedowns and riding time -- before U-M knotted up the team score again with back-to-back decisions of its own. Junior/sophomore heavyweight Ben Apland (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South HS) picked up his second win of the season over No. 11-ranked Eric Bugenhagen, scoring a pair of counter takedowns en route to a 5-2 decision. Apland, ranked 10th nationally, struck first midway through the opening period, scoring off a whizzer, and countered another Bugenhagen single leg late in the second to control the match throughout. Sophomore Sean Boyle (Lowell, Mass./Blair Academy) needed nothing more than a second-period reversal and riding time to edge past Tom Kelliher, 3-1, at 125 pounds. Boyle set the pace of the match early on but could not finish on several first-period deep single-leg attempts. The Wolverine started down in the second and quickly shook Kelliher off to earn the deciding reversal before riding out the third period to accumulate 2:31 in time advantage. Wisconsin's last win came at 133 pounds, where No. 3-ranked Tyler Graff used a big first period to defeat 19th-ranked junior Zac Stevens (Monroe, Mich./Monroe HS), 8-5. The Wolverine wrestler momentarily had Graff on his back with a first-period headlock, earning a takedown to even the score but could not hold as Graff scored a reversal and built up 2:08 in riding time to pull away. The Wolverines (10-2, 5-0 Big Ten) will return home to host No. 3-ranked Penn State on Sunday (Feb. 6). The match is slated for a 2 p.m. start at Cliff Keen Arena. Prior to the meet, Michigan will host a free wrestling clinic, featuring two-time NCAA champion Ryan Bertin, from 10 a.m.-noon at the Bahna Wrestling Center. Results: 174 -- Justin Zeerip (U-M) dec. #12 Ben Jordan, 2-1 U-M, 3-0 184 -- #3 Travis Rutt (UW) dec. Hunter Collins, 6-3 Tie, 3-3 197 -- #2 Trevor Brandvold (UW) dec. #10 Anthony Biondo, 4-1 UW, 6-3 Hwt -- #10 Ben Apland (U-M) dec. #11 Eric Bugenhagen, 5-2 Tie, 6-6 125 -- Sean Boyle (U-M) dec. Tom Kelliher, 3-1 U-M, 9-6 133 -- #3 Tyler Graff (UW) dec. Zac Stevens, 8-5 Tie, 9-9 141 -- #1 Kellen Russell (U-M) major dec. Shane McQuade, 10-2 U-M, 13-9 149 -- Eric Grajales (U-M) major dec. Shawn Perry, 11-3 U-M, 17-9 157 - #20 Brandon Zeerip (U-M) pinned Kalvin York, 4:40 U-M, 23-9 165 --#19 Dan Yates (U-M) dec. Ben Cox, 6-0 U-M, 26-9

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The University of Iowa wrestling team extended its dual match unbeaten streak to 74 with a 35-6 win over Indiana (10-6, 0-5 Big Ten) Friday night on Mediacom Mat inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The No. 2 ranked Hawkeyes won eight of 10 bouts to improve to 12-0-1 overall and 5-0 in the Big Ten. Iowa recorded a 32-5 advantage in takedowns and scored bonus points in five of its eight wins, including three pins and a pair of major decisions. "We have to have those fire fights like that," said Head Coach Tom Brands. "We have to embrace them with all these guys. You are not going to be able to strategize to win after win after win. You are going to have to be tough and physical. I have said it a lot over the years; if you are ready to go, good things happen. Our guys do a good job of getting ready to go, and that is what we have to keep doing. We have to stay tough as a team." Defending national champions Matt McDonough used five takedowns and piled up six nearfall points to build an 18-5 lead at 125. The top-ranked sophomore then put Justin Brooks on his back with 1:01 left in the bout to give Iowa an early 6-0 team lead. The pin was McDonough's fourth straight. He now owns a 17-1 overall record and remains unbeaten in 18 matches at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Eighth-ranked Tony Ramos kept the pin party rolling when he flattened Matt Ortega in 6:26. Ramos racked up eight takedowns, four in the third period alone, before putting six points on the board with his second pin of the season. He has won a team-high seven consecutive bouts. "You can see it in how Tony Ramos walks," said Brands. "He has energy; he thrives on the challenge. In order to wrestle that way you better be ready. You see him staring the opponent down at the beginning. That is good. He brings a lot of energy, and that is what we need." Junior Montell Marion took the mat to a roaring ovation from the 7,067 fans in attendance. Marion, making his first appearance of the season inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena, used three takedowns, one nearfall and a bonus point for riding time to secure a 13-5 major decision at 141. Fourteenth-ranked Kurt Kinser topped Matt Ballweg 2-0 at 149 to trim Iowa's lead to 16-3 before freshman Derek St. John erupted the crowd with a fall against fifth-ranked Paul Young. St. John built a 5-0 lead against Young before recording the fall with :40 remaining in the bout. Senior Aaron Janssen followed St. John's upset with a major decision over Ryan LeBlanc at 165. Janssen battled to a 4-2 lead after two periods before using four takedowns in the third frame to score the 14-5 win. The major decision was Janssen's fifth of the season and helped extend Iowa's lead to 26-3. Senior Jake Kerr made his first appearance at 174 since posting a 5-3 record at the weight class in 2008-09. The Hawkeye senior used a second period escape to enter the third period with a 1-0 edge. Indiana's Nick Avery knotted the score with an early escape before Kerr scored a takedown and a pair of nearfall points with two seconds left in the match to record a 5-1 win. Hawkeye sophomore Grant Gambrall stretched Iowa's team lead to 32-3 with a 5-3 decision over Indiana's Eric Cameron. The 13th-ranked Iowa City native improved to 15-4 on the season. He is a perfect 8-0 in bouts inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes scored their second upset of the evening when No. 12 Luke Lofthouse scored a 10-5 decision against No. 5 Matt Powless. Lofthouse used four takedowns, two in the final period, to hand Powless just his third loss of the season. The Hoosiers picked up their second win of the night when No. 9 Ricky Alcala escaped with a 6-5 win over Hawkeye junior Blake Rasing. Rasing used a third period escape and takedown to battle back from a 6-2 deficit, but Alcala weathered a stall warning in the final frame and held Rasing off for the decision. The No. 2 Hawkeyes return to action to face No. 24 Purdue (5-6-1, 0-2 Big Ten) Feb. 11. Iowa then returns home to honor its five seniors against No. 13 Michigan (9-2, 4-0 Big Ten) Feb. 13. The Hawkeyes will wrestle the Boilermakers at 6 p.m. (CT) at Penn High School in Mishawaka, IN. Iowa's bout with Michigan begins at 1 p.m. on Mediacom Mat inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Results: 125 - Matt McDonough (I) pinned Justin Brooks (IU), 5:59 133 - Tony Ramos (I) pinned Matt Ortega (IU), 6:26 141 - Montell Marion (I) maj. dec. Mitchell Richey (IU), 13-5 149 - Kurt Kinser (IU) dec. Matt Ballweg (I), 2-0 157 - Derek St. John (I) pinned Paul Young (IU), 6:20 165 - Aaron Janssen (I) maj. dec. Ryan LeBlanc (IU), 14-5 174 - Jake Kerr (I) dec. Nick Avery (IU), 5-1 * 184 - Grant Gambrall (I) dec. Eric Cameron (IU), 5-3 197 - Luke Lofthouse (I) dec. Matt Powless (IU), 10-5 Hwt. - Ricky Alcala (IU) dec. Blake Rasing (I), 6-5

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The Oklahoma State wrestling team avenged a loss to Missouri earlier in the season by claiming a 28-6 victory over the 12th-ranked Tigers at Gallagher-Iba Arena Friday. With the win, the Cowboys improved to 11-2-1 on the year and 5-0-0 in the Big 12. Missouri fell to 14-7-0 overall and 0-2-0 in the league. OSU scored 24 takedowns in the dual to Mizzou’s six. “I thought we got tough at critical times in the match: that's what excites me,” OSU coach John Smith said. “It wasn't perfect, but when it got really tough and required us to get a takedown like Benefiel did an Jon Morrison, Chris Perry riding out, we got pretty tough and turned it into a little bit of a bloody fight out there." The Cowboys won eight of the 10 bouts, with bonus points provided by Neil Erisman in his 15-0 technical fall victory over No. 15 Nick Gregoris at 157 pounds, by Jordan Oliver in his 12-3 major decision win over Nathan McCormick at 133 pounds and by Clayton Foster in his 16-5 major decision win over No. 13 Brent Haynes at 197 pounds. Perhaps the bouts that most swung the momentum in Oklahoma State’s favor were the 125-pound matchup, where freshman Jon Morrison upset No. 7 Alan Waters by a 3-1 score and at 141 pounds, where freshman Josh Kindig was an 8-3 winner over No. 10 Todd Schavrien. Morrison’s win was particularly impressive given the fact that Morrison was sidelined last and his first match back in the lineup came against Waters, who is 35-3 on the year. Of Waters’ three losses this season, two came at the hands of Morrison. "It was my first match back from being sick and it was good to get the win, but I didn't wrestle that great. It would have been nice to put up a takedown in every period and then ride him for a little bit,” Morrison said. “I didn't have very good awareness to the riding time, so that was a mistake. But overall, it was good to come back and get a win over a good kid even though I probably didn't wrestle as well as I should have." Kindig’s win avenged a 7-2 loss to Schavrien earlier in the season. “We got focused as a team and we came together and we went out to dominate these guys. We wanted to go out from start to finish,” Kindig said. “I felt like I slowed down a little bit in the second period, but I just kept wrestling and finished." Perhaps the most entertaining bout of the dual came at 174 pounds, where OSU’s Mike Benefiel claimed a 9-7 win over No. 18 Dorian Henderson in sudden victory. The lead changed hands four times in the third period alone before Benefiel closed the deal with a takedown in sudden victory to win. “I really saw some life in Benefiel tonight,” Smith said. He had a really big mistake at the end of third period giving up the reversal, but stepped up to the line in overtime and hit a re-shot and took him down for the win. I like the tough attitude and never-die attitude to find a way to win. I thought we got that out of Benefiel." The Cowboys bus to Lincoln, Neb., tomorrow and will tangle with No. 14 Nebraska Sunday at 1 p.m. Results: 197: No. 2 Clayton Foster (OSU) MD No. 13 Brent Haynes (MU); 16-5 285: No. 6 Dom Bradley (MU) dec. Tyson Yoder (OSU); 6-3 125: No. 9 Jon Morrison (OSU) dec. No. 7 Alan Waters (MU); 3-1 133: No. 1 Jordan Oliver (OSU) MD Nathan McCormick (MU); 12-3 141: No. 17 Josh Kindig (OSU) dec. No. 10 Todd Schavrien (MU); 8-3 149: No. 7 Jamal Parks (OSU) dec. Kyle Bradley (MU); 10-4 157: No. 16 Neil Erisman (OSU) TF5 No. 15 Nick Gregoris (MU); 15-0, 7:00 165: No. 11 Zach Toal (MU) dec. No. 15 Dallas Bailey (OSU); 3-2 174: No. 16 Mike Benefiel (OSU) dec. No. 18 Dorian Henderson (MU); 9-7 SV 184: No. 11 Chris Perry (OSU) dec. No. 16 Mike Larson (MU); 3-1

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt wrestling team improved to 3-0 in EWL action this season with a 21-14 victory over rival West Virginia Friday night at Fitzgerald Field House. The Panthers scored six bonus points to remain the only unbeaten team in the conference. “Tonight was a solid win for our program,” Pitt Head Coach Rande Stottlemyer said after the match. “We knew that it was going to be a tough match and our guys really stepped up.” Entering the match, the Panthers and Mountaineers stood as the only two unbeaten teams in the EWL. With the victory, the Panthers control their own destiny with three dual matches remaining. The Panthers jumped out to a 3-0 lead when sophomore Anthony Zanetta (125) notched a 5-3 decision over Shane Young of West Virginia. The matchup marked a rematch of the EWL finals last season, when Zanetta topped Young for the title. Friday night proved the same, as Zanetta scored the only takedown of the bout in the second period and remained in control throughout most of the match, adding a point with riding time to earn the victory. After the Mountaineers evened the score at 3-3, redshirt junior Tyler Nauman (141) put the fans on their feet with a spirited pin in the second frame. Already leading 8-0, Nauman turned West Virginia’s Michael Morales to score the fall. Following the bout, West Virginia was assessed a team point for unsportsmanlike conduct, giving the Panthers a 9-2 lead after three matches. Despite a West Virginia win at 149, redshirt sophomore Donnie Tasser put the Panthers back up by seven points with a 4-0 shutout decision at 157. Tasser used two escapes and added points with riding time and a penalty point by WVU to bump the Panthers to a 12-5 lead. The Mountaineers climbed back to within one point with decisions at 165 and 174. At 184, freshman Max Thomusseit used two takedowns and a reversal en route to a 7-5 win. Thomusseit entered the match ranked No.20 in the country. With the win, Thomusseit earned his 22nd win of the season, temporarily tying him with redshirt junior Ethan Headlee for the team lead. With close to 1300 people in attendance, redshirt senior Ryan Tomei clinched the win for the Panthers, also earning his 22nd win of the season, recording a fall at 4:31. Tomei now moves into sole possession of second place on the Panthers all-time pins list with 26 The Panthers improve to 10-6 overall, and will look to extend their nine match conference win streak at Clarion on Thursday, Feb. 10. Results: 125: Anthony Zanetta (Pitt) dec. Shane Young (WVU), 5-3 3-0 Pitt 133: No. 15 Nathan Pennesi (WVU) dec. Shelton Mack (Pitt), 5-2 3-3 141: No. 8 Tyler Nauman (Pitt) WBF (4:02) Michael Morales (WVU) *WVU assessed team point for unsportsmanlike conduct. 9-2 Pitt 149: Brandon Rader (WVU) dec. Dane Johnson (Pitt), 5-4 9-5 Pitt 157: Donnie Tasser (Pitt) dec. Ryan Goodman (WVU), 4-0 12-5 Pitt 165: Donnie Jones (WVU) dec. Ethan Headlee (Pitt), 3-2 12-8 Pitt 174: Alex Meade (WVU) dec. Andy Vaughan (Pitt), 7-3 12-11 Pitt 184: No. 20 Max Thomusseit (Pitt) dec. Matt Ryan (WVU), 7-5 15-11 Pitt 197: Cameron Gallagher (WVU) dec. Phil Sorrentino (Pitt), 2-0 15-14 Pitt 285: No. 7 Ryan Tomei (Pitt) WBF (4:31) Kyle Ronney (WVU) 21-14 Pitt

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- No. 4 Jimmy Kennedy scored a major decision in his return to the Illinois lineup and the Illini won four straight bouts from 133-157, with three major decisions, as the 19th-ranked Orange and Blue notched a 21-12 win over Ohio State at Huff Hall Friday. No. 7 B.J. Futrell (133) and Jackson Morse recorded the other major decisions in that stretch, and Joe Barczak (197) and Pat Walker (HWT) won consecutive matches early in the dual as the Illini improved to 4-4-1 overall, 2-3-1 in the Big Ten. "We wrestled hard and I thought our guys were the aggressors throughout the match tonight," Illinois head coach Jim Heffernan said. "Kennedy definitely was a spark for us and Barczak keeps finding ways to win by wrestling hard and doing all the right things. We knew that was one of the swing matches tonight and he dominated it throughout." Illinois has now won 11 of its last 14 matches against Ohio State and Kennedy ran his winning streak to seven. Futrell and Barczak both have won four consecutive bouts. "I felt a little rusty early and I got off to a slow start," Kennedy said. "But once I got a few minutes in, I started feeling better and moving better." The dual started at 174 pounds, where Dan Stelter started his first career dual meet against No. 15 Nick Heflin. Stelter got in on a leg on the edge but Heflin locked in a high crotch and forced a stalemate. After some heavy hand fighting and fakes from both wrestlers, they ended the first period on their feet. Stelter chose a neutral start to the second and got in on a leg, but Heflin sprawled out to force a stalemate. Heflin was hit with a stalling warning with 48 seconds left in the period and after another shot by Stelter, the period ended at neutral. Heflin started down in the third and escaped quickly for a 1-0 lead. Stelter had a pair of half-shots before Heflin countered with a throw-by attempt and a double-leg attempt, but none of them landed. Heflin got behind Stelter on a throw-by, but the Illini sophomore escaped before control was established to remain neutral. Neither could land any late offense and Heflin took the 1-0 win to put the Buckeyes up 3-0. At 184, Dallago got a leg against C.J. Magrum with just under two minutes left in the period, but the Buckeye sprawled out to avoid any scoring. Magrum shot in on a leg after a restart but Dallago kept a tight waist to force a stalemate. The period ended scoreless and Magrum started down in the second. Dallago rode him for 15 seconds before the Buckeye slid out the back for a 1-0 lead. Dallago tried a single-leg to a carry, but Magrum blocked it and forced a restart. Magrum got in on a leg with 18 seconds left but Dallago sprawled out to avoid any scoring and time ran out. Dallago started down in the third and escaped in five seconds, tying the match 1-1. Magrum shot in on a leg off a restart but Dallago kept a tight waist into a high crotch before Magrum finished it with 30 seconds left for a 3-1 lead. Magrum was warned for stalling as Dallago went out of bounds but the Buckeye rode out Dallago for the 3-1 win and a 6-0 Ohio State lead. Joe Barczak got in on a leg and Peter Capone initiated a scramble, the likes of which are rarely seen at 197 pounds, with Barczak scoring the takedown and getting two near-fall points before giving up the reversal to lead 4-2 with 42 seconds left in the period. Capone rode out Barczak and started down in the second and escaped in five seconds, cutting the Illini's lead to 4-3. Barczak got in on a leg with 45 seconds left and worked into a takedown with three seconds left, riding out Capone for the 6-3 lead after five minutes. Barczak started down in the third and escaped in 20 seconds to extend his margin to 7-3. He stayed on the offensive, shooting in on a leg and converting the takedown much more easily than in previous periods, to go up 9-3. Barczak rode him out for the 9-3 win, his fourth-straight, to bring the Illini within 6-3. Zach Stolarsky came out aggressively against Illinois' Pat Walker at heavyweight, nearly scoring off the opening whistle, and notching a takedown 35 seconds into the bout. Walker nearly worked into a reversal but Stolarsky held him at bay to force a stalemate. Walker did score a reversal off a restart to even the score, 2-2, but Stolarsky escaped 13 seconds later. Walker kept pushing, though, hitting a single-leg and scoring the takedown to go up 4-3. Walker nearly scored back points on the edge but Stolarsky was able to belly out enough to avoid giving up any points. Walker started down in the second and escaped in 10 seconds, extending his lead to 5-3, and he nearly hit a takedown on the edge but both men tumbled out of bounds before Walker could gain control. Stolarsky shot in but Walker blocked it and circled around for the takedown with 12 seconds left. He rode out the Buckeye and took a 7-3 lead to the third period, where Stolarsky started down. Walker put on a hard ride, getting his riding-time advantage to nearly two minutes before Stolarsky was hit with a stalling warning and Walker cut him loose. Walker took a few late shots, looking for bonus points, but Stolarsky fended them off as the Illini won, 8-4, tying the dual, 6-6. At 125, Ohio State's Bo Touris scored a takedown 36 seconds into his bout with Logan Arlis but Arlis escaped off a restart. Touris got a leg once again and dropped Arlis for another takedown. Arlis escaped 33 seconds later but Touris got another takedown off a single-leg to go up 6-2. Touris tried to turn Arlis near the end of the period but the Illini freshman reversed him to cut the margin to 6-4. Touris took 38 seconds of injury time after the period before Arlis started down in the second and escaped off the whistle. Arlis pushed the pace in the second, using a double-leg to start a scramble that eventually got stalemated before any points were awarded. Arlis nearly got in on a leg but Touris threw him by for the takedown. Arlis escaped with three seconds, cutting the Buckeye's lead to 8-6 with 1:26 of riding time. Touris chose a neutral start to the third and Arlis shot early, but they went out of bounds. The pair worked into a scramble that Touris won, sliding behind Arlis to score a takedown and go up 10-6. Touris nearly got Arlis on his back on the edge as time dwindled, but no back points were awarded and Touris added the riding-time point for an 11-6 decision, giving the Buckeyes a 9-6 lead. Futrell and No. 20 Ian Paddock started their 133-pound bout with a flurry of action but no points before Paddock aggravated a shoulder injury that forced him to take 47 seconds of injury time. After the restart, Futrell picked Paddock's ankle and took him down for a 2-0 lead. Futrell was tough on top, riding Paddock for 1:05 before the Buckeye escaped. Futrell continued to attack, faking the single-leg before hitting a double-leg and putting Paddock on his back for a two-point near-fall and a 6-1 lead. He rode out Paddock and the Buckeye started down in the second. Futrell cut him loose after 35 seconds and hit a single-leg, planting him for the takedown and an 8-2 advantage. Futrell cut him loose off a restart and shot in off another restart, grabbing an ankle and scoring the takedown. He rode out Paddock and chose a neutral start to the third. Paddock took a shot but Futrell blocked it and planted him with a double-leg for the takedown, locking in a cross-face for a three-point near-fall and a 15-3 lead. Futrell cut him loose with 38 seconds left but Paddock hit a throw-by takedown as the buzzer sounded. Futrell added 3:46 of riding time for the 16-6 major decision, pushing the Illini on top 10-9. Kennedy returned to the Illinois lineup at 141 against Randy Languis and the two traded shots early in the first period. After a restart with 90 seconds left in the stanza, Kennedy hit a double-leg and got the takedown. Kennedy cut Languis loose off a restart, Languis shot and Kennedy blocked it before circling behind for the takedown. He rode out the Buckeye for a 4-1 lead after three minutes. Languis started down in the second and Kennedy rode him for 45 seconds before cutting him loose. He quickly hit a double-leg takedown and cut the Buckeye freshman loose once more for a 6-3 advantage. Kennedy got an ankle and hustled to the takedown before riding out Languis for an 8-3 margin after two periods. Kennedy chose a neutral start to the third and hit a quick single-leg that Languis tried to fend off with a high crotch, but the Illini senior worked it into a takedown. He cut the Buckeye loose, leading 10-4, and got another single-leg but it was stalemated out. Kennedy got a double-leg with 10 seconds left but Languis kept a high crotch for a few seconds before the takedown was awarded with two seconds left to give Kennedy the 13-4 major decision and extending Illinois' lead to 14-9. No. 20 Eric Terrazas got a leg on the mat edge and worked it into a takedown one minute into his match against Mike Fee at 149. Fee escaped 29 seconds later Terrazas shot in on a leg on the edge once again, but Fee was able to keep the whizzer in to block the attempt. Terrazas got another single-leg, eliciting a stalling warning on Fee, and he was able to complete the takedown before riding out the Buckeye for a 4-1 lead after one period. Fee started down in the second and Terrazas rode him hard for 55 seconds before cutting him loose. Terrazas hit a double-leg and worked through for the takedown in the center, extending his lead to 6-2. He rode out Fee and started down in the third. Terrazas escaped after 53 seconds, keeping his riding-time advantage at exactly 1:00. Terrazas tried some late offense, looking for the major decision, but couldn't land any shots, taking the 8-2 win to push the Illini lead to 17-9. Jackson Morse hit a takedown 39 seconds into his 157-pound match against Jared Kusar and rode him for 18 seconds before the Buckeye escaped. Morse got another takedown with 1:45 left in the first and rode Kusar for 48 seconds before Kusar sprung free. The Buckeye tried to throw Morse, but he blocked it and circled behind for the takedown with 26 seconds left. He rode out Kusar for the 6-2 lead and 1:32 of riding time after the first period. Kusar started down in the second and Morse was tough on top, controlling him for 1:29 before he escaped. Morse kept on the offensive, hitting a double-leg 14 seconds later and taking Kusar straight to his back for two near-fall points and a 10-3 lead after two periods. Morse started down in the third and escaped quickly before nailing a single-leg takedown 17 seconds into the period. He cut Kusar loose and nailed a double-leg with 51 seconds left to go up 15-5 after he cut Kusar once more. He tried another shot but Kusar blocked it as the Illini freshman added 4:10 of riding time for a 16-5 major decision, locking up the dual victory with a 21-9 margin. At 165, Conrad Polz got a leg and worked behind No. 7 Colt Sponseller, but he couldn't get Sponseller to the ground and the Buckeye broke the hold by scrambling through. Polz got a leg with 1:08 left in the first and dropped Sponseller for the takedown a few seconds later, taking a 2-0 lead. Sponseller escaped 18 seconds later and the two finished the period on their feet. Polz started down in the second and Sponseller rode him out. The Buckeye started down in the third and escaped in 10 seconds. Polz controlled his head and nearly worked to his leg, but Sponseller went out of bounds. Both men traded shots but neither could score and Sponseller added the decisive riding-time point for the 3-2 win to make the final score 21-12 in Illinois' favor. The Illini return to action on Feb. 11 when they travel to No. 2 Penn State for a 6 p.m. CT start. Illinois then takes on Lock Haven the next night at 6:30 p.m. Results: 174: #15 Nick Heflin (OSU) dec. Dan Stelter (ILL), 1-0 (0-3) 184: C.J. Magrum (OSU) dec. Tony Dallago (ILL), 3-1 (0-6) 197: Joe Barczak (ILL) dec. Peter Capone (OSU), 9-3 (3-6) HWT: Pat Walker (ILL) dec. Zach Stolarsky (OSU), 8-4 (6-6) 125: Bo Touris (OSU) dec. Logan Arlis (ILL), 11-6 (6-9) 133: #7 B.J. Futrell (ILL) maj. dec. #20 Ian Paddock (OSU), 16-6 (10-9) 141: #4 Jimmy Kennedy (ILL) maj. dec. Randy Languis (OSU), 13-4 (14-9) 149: #19 Eric Terrazas (ILL) dec. Mike Fee (OSU), 8-2 (17-9) 157: Jackson Morse (ILL) maj. dec. Jared Kusar (OSU), 16-5 (21-9) 165: #7 Colt Sponseller (OSU) dec. Conrad Polz (ILL), 3-2 (21-12)

EVANSTON, Ill. -- A match that on paper seemed it might hinge on the outcome of a single bout turned into a rout for No. 17 Northwestern, as the Wildcats notched two pins and picked up a victory over a top-10 wrestler in a 32-6 thrashing of No. 24 Purdue Friday in Evanston. With a dominant showing at the lower weights having wrapped up the dual victory, senior Aaron Jones added to the success of the evening by coasting to a 6-1 upset of No. 7 A.J. Kissel at 184 pounds. With the victory, NU (16-2) upped its record in the Big Ten to 4-2, its best showing in a conference dual season since 2006. "At this stage of the year everything is about building for Big Tens and eventually the NCAA Championships," said head coach Drew Pariano. "A win like (Jones') immediately puts you in a spot where you are a viable NCAA qualifier. Seven minutes of your life can put you in that position and he did that tonight. Overall we wrestled hard and we were definitely the aggressors in just about every match, that's the style we preach every day in practice." At 125 pounds, Northwestern's third-ranked Brandon Precin gave NU an early advantage when he improved to 26-1 on the year with his victory over Purdue's Camden Eppert. Precin scored one takedown each in the first and second periods to take a 5-0 lead into the third. Eppert spent the entire final period fighting off Precin's attempts at back points, but Precin finally got his tilt in the final seconds to win by 11-0 major decision. Although the two competitors at 133 pounds had never before faced one another, the career resumes of NU's Levi Mele and Purdue senior Akif Eren suggested their first meeting would be a dogfight. And it was early on, with neither Mele nor Eren able to gain control in the first two minutes. But Mele picked up a takedown with 30 seconds to go in the first and almost immediately stuck Eren to the mat, picking up his fifth pin of the year at 2:44 to give the Wildcats a 10-0 lead. "Akif has had a lot of good career wins and some great career wins over Northwestern wrestlers in the past, so for Levi to go out and win the way he did was huge," Pariano said. It wasn't long before Northwestern true freshman Kaleb Friedley made it back-to-back pins for the `Cats, needing only 1:33 to pick up his 11th fall of the season and give NU a commanding 16-0 lead. Friedley is now 21-6 in his rookie campaign. With the lead in hand, Northwestern aimed to add to its advantage with two ranked wrestlers taking the mat at 149 and 157 pounds, beginning with Andrew Nadhir against Purdue's Sam Patacsil. Nadhir totaled five takedowns and tacked on back points in the third period on his way to his 25th victory of the season. That led into Welch's match at 157 against Colton Salazar, who has been ranked for much of the season. Welch picked up a quick two in the first period, deflating Salazar's early energy, and he needed only an escape plus his riding time point to hold on for the 4-1 win. Following the intermission, sophomore Kevin Bialka found himself in a tight match against redshirt freshman Kyle Mosier, who scored the first takedown before Bialka came up with a reversal. Two more consecutive reversals set the score at 4-4 entering the second, where Bialka did well to ride out the period and secure a riding time advantage. Bialka started the second on the bottom and managed to escape 20 seconds into the period to take a 5-4 lead on the scoreboard. With Bialka's riding time erased, that left Mosier searching for a takedown to win the match. Bialka did eluded one takedown on the edge of the mat and staved off Mosier's last-second attempts to protect his one-point lead and virtually assure NU of the dual victory. That brought up the heart of Purdue's lineup beginning with No. 8 Luke Manuel at 174 pounds, facing NU sophomore Brian Roddy, Jr.. Manuel used two takedowns and an escape to build a 5-2 lead entering the third period. With riding time not a factor, Roddy spent the third looking for a chance to shoot cleanly, but a final takedown with 30 seconds remaining assured the Boilers of their first win of the evening. Purdue sent eighth-ranked A.J. Kissel -- who boasted a 19-3 record -- to the mat at 184 looking for a second straight victory but NU senior Aaron Jones came out with other ideas. Jones began the period by staving off several solid shot attempts by Kissel and finished it by scoring an impressive single-leg lift and takedown with just two seconds to go before the buzzer. His hand control in the second continued to stymie Kissel, and he replicated his takedown two minutes later, just prior to the second-period whistle, as he brought a 4-1 lead into the third. Jones fought for his one-point escape at the outset of the third and continued to just wear down the highly ranked Kissel, earning a penalty point to go up 6-1. Jones avoided one late scare where he was on his back for a brief moment, but held on for the decision upset. "Aaron has come so far in his career; when he got to Northwestern we weren't sure he could put on two wrestling shoes and now he's beating the No. 7 guy in the country," Pariano said. "(Our strategy) was to control every position, and I yelled that several times during the match. I think (Kissell) touched our leg twice and we got a little nervous but Aaron reacted perfectly each time." NU's John Schoen took the mat at 197 looking for another upset, this time against No. 9 Logan Brown of Purdue. Although Brown was never able to take full control of the match, he proved too tough to score on as he held on by an 8-1 score with two-plus minutes of riding time to his credit. Finally at heavyweight, a pair of evenly matched juniors squared off in NU's Ben Kuhar and the Boilermakers' Roger Vukobratovich. After a scoreless first, Kuhar managed to earn his one-point escape 1:30 into the period, by which time Vukobratovich had his riding time secured. The Boilermaker essentially took a 2-1 lead with a quick escape in the third, but Kuhar came up with a huge takedown out of a bear hug at the 1:30 mark, erasing Vukobratovich's riding time along the way. Kuhar surrendered only an escape down the stretch to protect a 3-2 victory, notching his second Big Ten victory of the season and pulling his overall record level at 12-12 on the year. Northwestern's three-match homestand continues on Friday, Feb. 11, when it hosts rival Wisconsin at 7 p.m. on Senior Night at Welsh-Ryan Arena. No. 17 Northwestern 32, No. 24 Purdue 6 125: #3 Brandon Precin (NU) maj. dec. Camden Eppert (PU), 11-0 (NU 4, PU 0) 133: Levi Mele (NU) FALL Akif Eren (PU), 2:44 (NU 10, PU 0) 141: Kaleb Friedley (NU) FALL Jake Fleckenstein (PU), 1:33 (NU 16, PU 0) 149: #13 Andrew Nadhir (NU) maj. dec. Sam Patacsil (PU), 15-4 (NU 20, PU 0) 157: #10 Jason Welch (NU) dec. Colton Salazar (PU), 4-1 (NU 23, PU 0) 165: Kevin Bialka (NU) dec. Kyle Mosier (PU), 5-4 (NU 26, PU 0) 174: Luke Manuel (PU) dec. Brian Roddy, Jr. (NU), 7-3 (NU 26, PU 3) 184: Aaron Jones (NU) dec. #7 A.J. Kissel (PU), 6-1 (NU 29, PU 3) 197: #9 Logan Brown (PU) dec. John Schoen (NU), 8-1 (NU 29, PU 6) 285: Ben Kuhar (NU) dec. Roger Vukobratovich (PU), 3-2 (NU 32, PU 6)

The #11 American University wrestling team pulled out wins at 197 lbs. and heavyweight to overtake Binghamton Friday afternoon and earn a 25-16 victory at Bender Arena. The Eagles have now won seven consecutive dual meets and are 13-4 overall, tying the 2005-06 squad for most wins under Head Coach Mark Cody. Binghamton got off to a quick start as Derek Steeley pinned #20 Nick Arujau just 1:05 into the 125 lbs. bout. American responded with four straight victories, however, giving the Eagles a 16-6 edge. Kevin Tao was the first Eagle to get a victory with his 10-2 major decision over Dan Riggi at 133 lbs. Tao held a slight 2-0 advantage over Riggi heading into the third period where he scored three takedowns for the bonus points. #13 Matt Mariacher followed with a 10-6 decision over Anwar Goeres at 141 lbs., scoring four takedowns in the match. #12 Ganbayar Sanjaa picked up an impressive 8-3 victory over #7 Donald Vinson at 149 lbs. Sanjaa scored the first takedown as time wound down in first period for a 2-0 lead but an escape and takedown for Vinson in the second had the Bearcat out in front 3-2. Sanjaa chose to begin the third period down and quickly escaped to even the bout and then hit Vinson with a takedown and three back points for the final margin. #1 Steve Fittery also looked strong in the 157 lbs. match, picking up a third-period fall against Matt Kaylor. Fittery held a 2-1 lead after the first period and pushed the advantage to 6-2 heading into the third. An escape and two takedowns had Fittery leading 11-3 before the senior finished the match off with a cement mixer to record the pin at the 5:54 mark. Binghamton fought back to tie the match at 16 after wins at 165 lbs., 174 lbs. and 184 lbs. Patrick Graham nearly pulled off an upset of 2010 All-American Justin Lister at 165 lbs. and trailed just 6-5 after a reversal in the second. Lister would put the match away in the third, however, holding on for the victory. It was all Binghamton at 174 lbs. and 184 lbs. as the Eagles fell 6-0 and 20-6, respectively. With the outcome of the dual hanging in the balance, #19 Daniel Mitchell stepped to the mat and regained the lead for American with a 9-2 decision over Cody Reed. The two went scoreless into the second period where Mitchell scored the first takedown of the day for a 2-0 margin. He pushed his advantage to 3-0 with a quick escape in the third then hit a second takedown for a 5-0 lead. Reed would reverse Mitchell to make things interesting but an escape and takedown by Mitchell put the score out of reach. #6 Ryan Flores capped off the day with a quick pin of Lance Moore for the final 25-16 victory. Flores scored a takedown just 20 seconds into the match and then was able to turn Moore for the fall at the 1:12 mark. Fittery improves to 20-0 with his win and has now earned bonus points in 17 of his 20 matches. The senior leads American with 11 falls and five tech-falls and has also posted one major decision. Flores moves to 14-4 on the year with seven falls, two tech-falls and one major decision. Sanjaa, meanwhile, is 17-3 and riding an eight match win streak while Mariacher leads the team in wins at 24-6. Mitchell has posted victories in four of his last five bouts and is 21-6 overall with Tao picking up his fifth straight win to improve to 17-10. Arujau had his six match win streak snapped to fall to 22-5 while Graham now stands at 18-12, Tanner Shaffer 10-10 and Thomas Barreiro 9-19. American will be back in action Sunday, February 6 when they travel to Bethlehem, Pa. to face No. 8 Lehigh in an EIWA showdown at 1:00 p.m. Fans can watch all of the action live via Lehigh's official athletics website by clicking here. Results: 125 – Derek Steeley (BU) fall #20 Nick Arujau (AU), 1:05 133 – Kevin Tao (AU) major dec. Dan Riggi (BU), 10-2 141 - #13 Matt Mariacher (AU) dec. Anwar Goeres (BU), 10-6 149 - #12 Ganbayar Sanjaa (AU) dec. #7 Donald Vinson (BU), 8-3 157 - #1 Steve Fittery (AU) fall Matt Kaylor (BU), 5:54 165 – Justin Lister (BU) dec. Patrick Graham (AU), 10-5 174 – Ryan McGarity (BU) dec. Tanner Shaffer (AU), 6-0 184 – #15 Nathan Schiedel (BU) major dec. Thomas Barreiro (BU), 20-6 197 - #19 Daniel Mitchell (AU) dec. Cody Reed (BU), 9-2 HWT - #6 Ryan Flores (AU) fall Lance Moore (BU), 1:12

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- North Carolina rattled off five consecutive victories to overcome an early deficit and defeat NC State, 24-12, in its Atlantic Coast Conference finale Friday night at Carmichael Arena. With the victory, Carolina snaps a four-match winless streak and improves to 7-8-1 overall and 2-3 in the ACC while the Wolfpack falls to 8-7 and 1-2 in conference action. Carolina earned victories in six of the ten weight classes, including pins by Corey Mock at 157 pounds and Zac Bennett at 197. Other Tar Heels to capture victories were Pat Owens (133), Thomas Scotton (165), Andre Petroski (174) and Antonio Giorgio (184). The match began at 125 pounds, and NC State jumped out to an early 3-0 lead when Pedram Rahmatabadi defeated Nick Shields 6-4. Shields gained an early advantage with a takedown, but Rahmatabadi took a 4-2 lead in the second period with a three-point near fall. A Shields reversal tied the bout at four, but an escape by Rahmatabadi and a minute of riding time gave the Wolfpack the decision. Carolina evened the match at 133 pounds when Owens overcame an early 4-0 deficit to beat Dale Shull 10-4. Shull jumped out front with a takedown and a near fall, but Owens responded with reversals in both the first and second periods. The duo entered the third period tied, but Owens registered a two-point and a three-point near fall to take control and win the bout. The Wolfpack regained the lead at 141 pounds when Darrius Little recorded a 5-2 victory over Mike Rappo. Little took Rappo down in the first period and kept the lead throughout. Rappo pulled within 3-2 early in the third period, but Little clinched the bout with a late takedown. With NC State leading 6-3, top-ranked 149-pounder Darrion Caldwell jumped out to an early 4-0 lead and never looked back in defeating Carolina’s Nick Stabile. The Tar Heel senior earned a late reversal, but Caldwell took a 7-3 decision to give the Wolfpack a 9-3 advantage. Mock knotted the match at nine when he pinned Colton Palmer at 5:43 in the 157-pound weight class. After falling behind 2-0, Mock registered an escape and a takedown to take the lead before gaining a two-point near fall at the second period buzzer to take a 5-2 lead. After choosing bottom and escaping to begin the period, Mock pinned the Wolfpack junior 43 seconds into the third period. Carolina took its first lead of the night at 12-9 when Scotton snapped a six-match losing by narrowly defeating Nijel Jones, 6-5. Scotton held a 4-1 lead after two periods due to a first-period takedown and a second-period reversal. The senior extended that lead to 6-2 and seemingly took control of the bout after a takedown with 0:56 remaining. However, Jones earned two points due to stalling and recorded an escape to pull within one, but Scotton fended off the comeback and took the contest. Petroski extended the Carolina lead with an intense 4-2 overtime victory over NC State’s Quinton Godley. Godley grabbed the lead with a second-period reversals but escapes by Petroski in both the second and third periods tied the bout. The match went to a sudden victory period, where Petroski earned a takedown at 0:35 to increase the Carolina lead to 15-9. Carolina pulled ahead 18-9 when Giorgio defeated Pat Carey at 184 pounds. The reigning ACC Co-Wrestler of the Week, Giorgio jumped out front 4-0 with a takedown and a near fall in the first period. The freshman extended the advantage to 6-1 with a reversal in the second period and then withstood a late rally from Carey to win 9-5. Bennett clinched the match for the Tar Heels when he pinned KaRonne Jones at 197 pounds. The Johnstown, Pa., native took control early with a takedown and a three-point near fall, then ended the contest at 1:41 to record his ninth victory in 10 matches and his third consecutive fall. At heavyweight, Carolina freshman Ben Brooks was defeated in a tight 3-2 affair by Wolfpack sophomore Eloheim Palma. Palma used a first-period takedown to grab a lead that Brooks could not overcome, bringing the final score to 24-12. The Tar Heels are back in action Saturday when they host Edinboro at 1 p.m. Saturday at Carmichael Arena. Results: 125 – Pedram Rahmatabadi (NCSU) dec. Nick Shields (UNC), 6-4 (NCSU 3-0) 133 – Pat Owens (UNC) dec. Dale Shull (NCSU), 10-4 (Tied 3-3) 141 – Darrius Little (NCSU) dec. Mike Rappo (UNC), 5-2 (NCSU 6-3) 149 - #1 Darrion Caldwell (NCSU) dec. Nick Stabile (UNC), 7-3 (NCSU 9-3) 157 – Corey Mock (UNC) pins Colton Palmer (NCSU), 5:43 (Tied 9-9) 165 – Thomas Scotton (UNC) dec. Nijel Jones (NCSU), 6-5 (UNC 12-9) 174 – Andre Petroski (UNC) dec. Quinton Godley (NCSU), 4-2 (SV) (UNC 15-9) 184 – Antonio Giorgio (UNC) dec. Pat Carey (NCSU), 9-5 (UNC 18-9) 197 – Zac Bennett (UNC) pins KaRonne Jones (NCSU), 1:41 (UNC 24-9) HWT – Eloheim Palma (NCSU) dec. Ben Brooks (UNC), 3-2 (UNC 24-12)

AMES, Iowa -- The No. 18 Iowa State wrestling team staged a furious comeback to knock off Northern Iowa 21-20 Friday night in Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones fell behind 12-0 after the first three weights and needed bonus-point victories from Andrew Sorenson, Jon Reader and Jerome Ward for the victory. Max Mayfield earned a huge 4-2 victory over Brett Robbins at 149 pounds. The victory is Mayfield’s first dual victory of the season, and came at a time when his team was in need. Sorenson came out and immediately took it to Nick Pickerell at 165 pounds. The redshirt junior racked up 10 takedowns and was up by a score of 21-10 before the match was stopped due to an injury to Pickerell. The injury default gave the Cyclones six very important points that offset Iowa State’s forfeit at 141 pounds as Cyclone starter Chris Drouin continues to heal. “The guys that went out for bonus points have bought into the mentality that leads to winning consistently,” Iowa State head coach Kevin Jackson said. “Going into the final two matches I was confident that we would win. We didn’t match up that well with Northern Iowa but I was pleased with how we went after guys in the upper weight classes. Reader continued his undefeated season with a dominant 17-1 technical fall over Brice Wolf at 165 pounds. The Davison, Mich. native turned his opponent four times and the match was called only half-way through the second period. Reader is now 29-0. With the score at 20-14 in favor of the Panthers, Ward brought the Cyclone faithful to their feet with a big 12-3 victory over Andy O’Loughlin. The major decision by Ward meant that all Kyle Simonson had to do at heavyweight was secure a victory. Simonson did just that with a 3-2 win over Panther sophomore Blayne Beale to earn the team victory for the Cyclones. “I went into the match without any panic,” Simonson said. “I wasn’t tentative and didn’t feel much pressure. The desire to win trumps the pressure not to lose.” Results: 125: Caleb Flores (UNI) dec. Brandon Jones (ISU), 9-3 133: Ryan Jauch (UNI) dec. Ben Cash (ISU), 8-3 141: Joey Lazor (UNI) win by forfeit 149: Max Mayfield (ISU) dec. Brett Robbins (UNI), 4-2 157: David Bonin (UNI) mdec. Trent Weatherman (ISU), 11-2 165: Andrew Sorenson (ISU) win by injury default Nick Pickerell (UNI) 174: Jon Reader (ISU) technical fall Brice Wolf (UNI), 17-1 184: Ryan Loder (UNI) mdec. Cole Shafer (ISU), 11-2 197: Jerome Ward (ISU) mdec. Andy O’Loughlin (UNI), 12-3 285: Kyle Simonson (ISU) dec. Blayne Beale (UNI), 3-2

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- No. 3 Penn State rebounded from its first loss of the season by trouncing home-standing Michigan State 30-9 in a Big Ten road dual. With a line-up featuring five freshmen, the third-ranked Nittany Lions withstood an early Spartan flourish and win seven of ten bouts in the lop-sided victory. For the first time all year, a Penn State dual did not start at 125. Starting at 184, sophomore Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 14, posted a convincing 13-1 major over talented Spartan junior Ian Hinton. Michigan State responded at 197 as junior Tyler Dickenson posted a tough 5-2 win over Lion freshman Nick Ruggear (Oxford, Pa.). Michigan picked up a stunning upset at heavyweight as Joe Rizqallah turned Penn State's Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) for five back points in the third period to post an 8-2 win and put the Spartans up 6-4. Spartan junior Eric Olanowski added to the MSU lead with a tough 8-5 win over Penn State true freshman Nate Morgan (McCook, Neb.) at 125. Nittany Lion sophomore Andrew Long (Creston, Iowa), ranked No. 9 at 133, got a 16-5 major over Chris Lyon at 133 to cut the Spartan lead to 9-8 at the break. The second half began with true freshman Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), ranked No. 7 at 141, getting a forfeit victory as Michigan State did not send anyone to the mat at that weight. Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 5 at 149, posted a strong 12-5 win over Dan Osterman before undefeated freshman David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio), ranked No. 3 at 157, posted a 20-5 technical fall over Michigan State's Sean McMurray to push Penn State out to a 22-9 lead. Sophomore Nick Fischer (Unionville, Pa.) got the call at 165 and posted an impressive 9-1 major over MSU's Bobby Nash. Freshman Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at 174, hammered Spartan Curran Jacobs 18-6 with over 3:00 in riding time as Penn State posted the 30-9 road win. Red Cross Cael Sanderson's Nittany Lions improve to 14-1 with the win, 3-1 in Big Ten action while Michigan State falls to 9-5, 1-4. Penn State owned a massive 34-4 edge in takedowns as none of Penn State's seven victors gave one up. The Nittany Lions picked up nine bonus points thanks to a forfeit, a tech fall and four majors. Taylor's win at 157 improves the Lion freshman to 27-0 on the year. The tech fall was the 11th of the year for Taylor and 26 of his 27 wins has come by a major, tech fall or pin. Penn State returns to action on Sunday, Feb. 6, when it visits No. 13 Michigan at 2 p.m. Tickets are also selling fast for the Lions' final two home duals (Feb. 11 vs. Illinois, Feb. 18 vs. Wisconsin) but are still available. Fans wishing to purchase single dual meet tickets can place their orders by calling 814-865-5555 or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office. The box office is open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Ticket pricing is $8 for adults and $5 for youth, and there will be a limit of eight tickets per order. Group sales are also available. The 2010-11 Penn State wrestling season is presented by the Family Clothesline. All Penn State events will once again air live on Forever Broadcasting's WRSC (1390 AM) and WSQV (92.1 FM). All radio broadcasts are streamed live at GoPSUsports.com as part of the All-Access package. The 2010-11 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline. < Results: 184: #14 Quentin Wright PSU maj. dec. Ian Hinton MSU, 13-1 4-0 197: Tyler Dickenson MSU dec. Nick Ruggear PSU, 5-2 4-3 285: Joe Rizqallah MSU dec. #5 Cameron Wade PSU, 8-2 4-6 125: Eric Olanowski MSU dec. Nate Morgan PSU, 8-5 4-9 133: #9 Andrew Long PSU maj. dec. Chris Lyon MSU, 16-5 8-9 141: #7 Andrew Alton PSU win by forfeit 14-9 149: #5 Frank Molinaro PSU dec. Dan Osterman MSU, 12-5 17-9 157: #3 David Taylor PSU tech fall Sean McMurray MSU, 20-5 (TF; 6:23) 22-9 165: Nick Fischer PSU maj. dec. Bobby Nash MSU, 9-1 26-9 174: #2 Ed Ruth PSU maj. dec. Curran Jacobs MSU, 18-6 30-9 Attendance: 706 Records: Penn State 14-1 (3-1 Big Ten), Michigan State (9-5, 1-4 Big Ten) Up Next for Penn State: at No. 13 Michigan, Sunday, Feb. 6, 2 p.m. BOUT-BY-BOUT: 184: For the first time this year, a PSU dual did not start at 125. Sophomore Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 14 at 184, met Michigan State junior Ian Hinton. The duo battled evenly for the first two minutes with neither man finding an opening to score. Action picked up a bit more over the last minute of the first half but still, no one managed a solid shot to take the lead. Tied 0-0, Wright chose down to start the second stanza and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Hinton got in deep on Wright's left leg for a moment, but Wright managed to force a stalemate at the 1:10 mark. Hinton used a low single to get in deep on Wright, but the Lion sophomore countered the move, moved himself from underneath the Spartan and got the takedown himself. He continued through with the move and put Hinton to his back but the Spartan rolled through before Wright could get the pin call. Wright picked up the three points for the near fall and led 6-1 after two periods. Hinton chose neutral to start the third period but Wright got the first points of the period. Hinton tried to tie Wright up at the shoulders, but the Lion slid to the mat and used a swift low double for a takedown and an 8-2 lead after a quick Hinton escape. Wright continued to pour on the offense, countering a Hinton shout by driving through the Spartan junior for another takedown and a 10-2 lead. Wright maintained control long enough to build up a minute-plus in riding time and added two more near fall points before the bout ended. With the riding time point, Wright notched a very impressive 13-1 major to put Penn State up 4-0 early. 197: True freshman Nick Ruggear (Oxford, Pa.) got the call for Penn State at 197 to meet Spartan junior Tyler Dickenson. Ruggear battled Dickinson, who carried a 19-9 mark into the bout, evenly for the first two minutes, working strong hand ties and keeping the action in the middle of the mat. Neither wrestler found an opening in which to score until :15 left when Dickinson nearly turned a low single into a takedown. But Ruggear whipped his leg out of trouble and kept the bout scoreless after three minutes. Dickinson chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Ruggear turned a high single into the bout's first takedown at the 1:37 mark, taking a 2-1 lead. Dickinson escaped to tie the bout at 2-2 after a short Ruggear ride and action returned to the center circle. Dickinson took the lead with his first takedown, taking the lead with :44 left with a solid double leg. Trailing 4-2, Ruggear chose down to start the third period but could not break free of a strong Dickinson ride. The Spartan junior worked up a solid riding time edge and then maintained control for the rest of the period for the 2:00 ride-out. Dickinson picked up a riding time point and posted the 5-2 win. 285: Junior Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), ranked No. 5 at heavyweight, met MSU's Joe Rizqallah. Wade and Rizqallah battled for position for the bulk of the first period, looking for an advantage up high. Wade nearly scored with a low single at the end of the opening period, but Rizqallah forced a tie-up that killed the clock and action moved to the second period scoreless. Wade chose down and battled off an early Rizqallah turn attempt. He then worked his way free for an escape at the 2:27 mark to take a 1-0 lead. Rizqallah turned shoulder work into a takedown on the edge of the mat to lead 2-1 with :25 on the clock and then rode Wade out to lead by one after two periods. Rizqallah chose top to start the third period, upped his riding time edge to more than a minute and then tried to turn Wade once more for back points. Wade got turned for three back points and fell behind 5-1 with 1:40 on the clock. Rizqallah picked up two more back points before Wade escaped to a 7-2 deficit. The Spartan picked up the riding time point and notched a stunning 8-2 upset win, putting MSU up 6-4. 125: True freshman Nate Morgan (McCook, Neb.) made his second Penn State start at 125 against Michigan State junior Eric Olanowski. The first year Lion took a 2-1 lead with a takedown at the 2:32 mark, his first takedown in a Penn State dual. Olanowski worked a single leg into a 3-2 lead with his first takedown. The Spartan then rode Morgan for over a minute to build up a riding time edge. Olanowski then rode Morgan out to lead 3-2 with 1:48 in riding time after one period. Olanowski chose down to start the second period and escaped to a 4-2 lead. The Spartan junior used a high single for a second takedown and led 6-2 with 1:30 on the clock. Morgan spent the final seconds of the middle stanza fighting off a turning attempt by Olanowski and trailed 6-2 heading into the third period. Morgan chose down to start the third but Olanowski continued to pile on the riding time. The Spartan clinched the riding time point before Morgan escaped to a 6-3 deficit. The Lions freshman then got in on a single leg and worked for another takedown. He got the takedown and immediately cut the Spartan loose and trailed 7-5 with :30. Morgan scrambled for another takedown but Olanowski was able to force a stalemate and killed the clock. Olanowski escaped with a hard-fought 8-5 win and put the Spartans up 9-4. 133: All-American Andrew Long (Creston, Iowa), ranked No. 9 at 133, took on Michigan State's Chris Lyon. Long picked up the first takedown at the 1:28 mark, cut Lyon loose, and began looking for more points. Long turned a high single into a second takedown and added a short ride out to lead 4-1 after 3:00 of wrestling. Long chose down to start the middle stanza and quickly escaped to a 5-1 lead. Long added a third takedown at the :55 mark and once again cut Lyon loose. Looking for bonus points, the Lion sophomore added one more takedown and led 9-2 after two periods. Lyon chose down to start the third period and was nearly turned as Long almost finished off a cradle. But Long eventually cut Lyon loose, took him down and cut him again to lead 11-4 with a riding time edge at the 1:00 mark. Long tacked on two more takedowns and, with a riding time point, posted a strong 16-5 major to cut Michigan State's lead to 9-8 at the break. 141: True freshman Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), ranked No. 7 at 141, was to battle Michigan State's Joel Trombly but MSU forfeited giving Alton the forfeit victory and putting Penn State up 14-9. 149: Junior Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 5 at 149, met Spartan Dan Osterman. Molinaro took a quick lead with a high double, lifting Osterman off the mat and taking him down for the 2-0 edge. But Osterman, who entered the bout 20-5, reversed Molinaro for a second, briefly tying the bout before the two-time All-American answered with his own reversal to up his lead to 4-2 with 1:10 on the clock. Molinaro worked to turn Osterman, but the Spartan managed to keep his back off the mat and the Lion junior led 4-2 with 1:45 in riding time after one period. Molinaro chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 5-2 lead. Molinaro added a punishing high double, lifting Osterman off the mat and putting him down for a 7-2 lead with :15 on the clock. Trailing 7-2, Osterman chose neutral to start the third period. But Molinaro was undaunted, turning a strong low single into a powerful takedown and a 9-2 lead. Molinaro essentially clinched the riding time point but gave up penalty point on an illegal hold. Molinaro cut Osterman loose and then began looking for bonus points. But Osterman was able to back off the mat for nearly a minute, working the clock down to :30. Molinaro added another takedown but Osterman escaped before the bout ended, keeping Molinaro from picking up a major. Molinaro had 2:19 in riding time and posted the 12-5 decision. 157: Third-ranked freshman David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) faced off against Michigan State's Sean McMurray at 157. Taylor took an early lead with a takedown at the 2:02 mark and then cut McMurray loose. McMurray almost notched a takedown right after his escape, but Taylor worked free, forced a reset and then notched his second takedown to up his lead to 4-2 after another McMurray escape. Taylor picked up a penalty point for McMurray grabbing the edge of the mat and then took him down for a third takedown. He nearly turned McMurray at the buzzer but led 7-2 with :57 in riding time after the opening stanza. Taylor chose neutral to start the second period and quickly turned a low single into a fourth takedown and a 9-2 lead. Taylor cut McMurray loose with :30 on the clock and then turned a near cradle into a low single and a takedown with :10 left. Taylor picked up two near fall points and led 13-3 at the end of the period. McMurray chose top to start the period but Taylor quickly escaped and then drove through the Spartan for a takedown and a 16-3 lead with a clinched riding time point. Taylor cut McMurray loose again and then added another takedown to lead 18-4, cut him again and ended the bout with a final takedown and a 20-5 technical fall at the 6:23 mark. 165: Sophomore Nick Fischer (Unionville, Pa.) met Michigan State's Bobby Nash at 165. Fisher took an early lead with a high double that he turned into a scramble and an eventual takedown with 2:32 on the clock. Fisher then put together a strong ride, building up a sizeable riding time edge with a strong performance on top. Fischer was able to keep control for the rest of the period and led 2-0 with 2:32 in riding time after one period. Fischer chose down to start the middle stanza and steadily worked his way into a reversal and a 4-0 lead with 1:16 on the clock. Fisher then put together another strong ride, keeping control of Nash for the rest of the period to carry the 4-0 lead with a clinched riding time point at 3:09. Nash chose top to start the third period, hoping to turn the Lion for near fall points. But Fischer once again worked his way into a reversal and moved out to a 6-0 lead. He then cut Nash loose and looked for one more takedown to secure a major. Fischer gained control of Nash's right leg and forced a scramble in the middle of the mat. He then lifted Nash over, got the takedown with :18 left. A ride out and riding time point gave Fischer a convincing 9-1 major with 2:54 in riding time. 174: Second-ranked freshman Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.) took to the mat at 174 to battle MSU junior Curran Jacobs. Ruth wasted no time in taking a 2-1 lead with a takedown and a Jacobs escape. Ruth proceeded to put on a takedown clinic, picking up two more quick scores to lead 6-3 with nearly 1:00 in riding time. Jacobs fought off a Ruth cradle attempt and escaped with :40 left, but Ruth's relentless offense led to another takedown and an 8-3 lead at the end of one period. Ruth chose down to start the middle period, escaped, and then took the Spartan down for another takedown and an 11-3 lead with 1:40 on the clock. Jacobs escaped to an 11-4 deficit with 1:15 on the clock, but Ruth continued to add on takedowns. The Lion freshman turned a low single into another takedown and a 13-4 lead with :30 left in the bout. Trailing 13-4 with 1:56 in riding time him, Jacobs chose down to start the third and escaped to a 13-5 deficit. The Spartan tried to convert a high single into a takedown but Ruth was able to counter and roll behind him for a takedown of his own and a 15-5 lead. Jacobs did manage an escape at the :22 mark, but Ruth was able to add a final takedown to post an 18-6 major with 3:06 in riding time, giving PSU the 30-9 victory.

Event: UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort Venue: Mandalay Bay (Las Vegas) Date: February 5, 2011 The UFC Monster is in Las Vegas for the Super Bowl and will be in attendance at UFC 126 to watch one of my favorite fighters, Vitor Belfort, try to end Anderson "Spider" Silva's record 12th straight UFC win streak. Seven of those fights have been successful middleweight title defenses! Tomorrow, Belfort has five rounds to take the belt from the Spider. Critics say that Belfort hasn't fought for almost a year and a half, and the former heavyweight and light heavyweight champion not only will have cage rust, but the weight cutting will leave him gassed early. Well, Belfort has ended a dozen fights in the first round, my friends, and the Spider will have his hands full with one of the fastest, most powerful strikers that he has ever faced. But, striking is the Spider's game, and many feel that Belfort's style plays right into the Spider's web. Bull charging may be fatal for Belfort, say the skeptics. But Vitor is in his prime now. His speed is amazing, and he's a bigger, stronger, more powerful striker than Anderson. Both are Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts, though neither seem to ever go to the mat to show off that skill set. I will admit that I am betting with my heart here (generally, a bad idea), but I see Belfort taking Silva's belt away with a stunning first round KO proving that anyone can be beat! V-I-T-O-R …B-E-L-F-O-R-T will be the name coming from of the lips of ring announcer Bruce Buffer when this one is over. At +230 underdog odds, I couldn't be happier! On paper, former UFC champions Rich Franklin and Forrest Griffin, are about as even as you can get. What a fight this should be. Both are strikers, and both have solid ground games. Strategy and scoring points will be the crux of this battle. Unless either fighter can land a haymaker, and I doubt they will, this one will go the distance, three rounds of pure stalking. I believe that Franklin has a slightly more rounded game, and will eke out a close decision as a modest -155 favorite. Jon "Bones" Jones has exploded on the UFC scene with his unorthodox style, spin kicking and throwing elbows from all angles. His wrestling is top drawer, but he will need that against former Arizona State AA, Ryan Bader. The undefeated Bader, like Jones, is getting better with each fight. Bader will try to control the fight, and get Jones to the ground to unleash his devastating ground-and-pound and cash as a big +250 underdog. It will be a show that I don't want to miss, and a great candidate for "Fight of the Night." I respect Jones, but at this price, the value lies with Bader. Bader wins a tough decision here. Another tough and experienced wrestler, Jake Ellenberger, has the challenge of stopping an undefeated fighter, Eduardo Rocha, who specializes in submissions. With relentless aggression, Ellenberger will use his Octagon experience in schooling Rocha. I see the ref pulling Jake off the beaten carcass of Rocha midway through the second round. It's Ellenberger by TKO as a -260 favorite. Making his UFC debut after being the former WEC champion, and once considered pound-for-pound one of the best fighters anywhere, Miguel Torres has now lost two of his last three fights. That will all change tonight, when the speedy, versatile Torres shows off his skills with powerful, accurate striking, setting up an armbar submission victory in the second round. The price is steep at -360, but worth the risk. Torres will once again be a factor in the title picture. His short journey begins tonight. Now, let's take a look at the undercard. "Kid" Yamamoto has been fighting in Japan, and had won 14 straight, mostly by KO, until he ran into the "baddest man on the planet," World champion Joe Warren, who upset him in the Bellator tournament last year. Warren is now putting his focus on winning an Olympic gold medal, and I wouldn't bet against him. Joe cashed for me in every fight last year. The "Kid" Yamamoto will show off his striking power again, as he makes quick work of "Mini-Mite" Deterious Johnson, a product of the TUF show. Yamamoto at -125 is too good to pass up. Brit, Paul Taylor, is a kickfest king, putting constant pressure on his opponents. Gabe Ruediger is a seasoned veteran fighting for his UFC life. Game, but overmatched, I see Ruediger getting outscored here, and unless he can pull off a surprise submission, I'm afraid Taylor will have is hand raised at the end. Taylor at -190 wins this decision. Kyle Kingsbury at -125 offers more experience and better value than his opponent, Romero. But only a small play is warranted here. Kingsbury by decision. If you like wrestlers, you will love Mike Pierce. Pierce's UFC debut found him almost upsetting former WEC champion, Carlos "the Natural Born Killer" Condit. Pierce brings it in typical wrestling tradition, aggressive, relentless, and controlling. A second round beating will end this with Robertson's shoulder blades pinned to the mat. I'll lay the -275, and see you at the winner's window. Chad Mendes is another undefeated, up-and-comer from WEC. In a fight full of action, he should have enough to get by the veteran Omigawa, who will offer tough resistance, before succumbing to a third round TKO. Mendes at -300 is the play. In my BEST BET of the night, I see Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone at -275 outclassing Brit Paul Kelly on his feet, with pin-point strikes, before dragging him to the mat where he finishes him late in the first round with an impressive rear-naked choke. Another WEC veteran makes a successful UFC debut. Cerrone wants Cole Miller next. So, that's it. Eleven fights, using two big 'dogs and a bunch of favorites. Let's take a look at the money management angle, and see if we can turn the fun into profit … Let's lay $100 to win $230 on Vitor Belfort shocking the world! Let's lay $77 to win $ 50 on Ace Franklin. Let's lay $90 to win $225 on Ryan Bader. Let's lay $104 to win $40 on Jake Ellenberger. Let's lay $108 to win $30 on Miguel Torres. Let's lay $50 to win $40 on "Kid" Yamamoto. Let's lay $76 to win $40 on Paul Taylor. Let's lay $25 to win $20 on Kyle Kingsbury. Let's lay $110 to win $40 on Mike Pierce. Let's lay $120 to win $40 on had Mendes. Let's lay $140 to win $50 on "Cowboy" Cerrone. In total, we are risking $1000 to win $ 805. Not bad, but we need one of the BIG 'DOGS (Belfort/Bader) to win! Hopefully both. Don't forget to give some of your profits to your local youth wrestling program, where tomorrow's champions are born. See you at the weigh-ins. Enjoy the fights. I know I will.

Virginia and Virginia Tech will square off on Saturday at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg at 7:00 p.m. EST. Virginia Tech's marketing department has worked hard to hype the match and hopes to have a crowd of over 5,000 on hand to see the latest installment of this in-state rivalry. Virginia is the defending ACC champion and currently ranked 33rd in the InterMat team poll, while Tech (22nd) is coming off of a big win this past Friday night over Lehigh, 23-15. Below is a weight-by-weight breakdown of the dual meet. 125: Matt Snyder (Virginia) vs. No. 15 Jarrod Garnett (Virginia Tech) Virginia Tech should get the decision here with Garnett holding the advantage in the neutral position. Snyder, however is a game and dangerous opponent who is coming off of a victory over ranked opponent Garrett Frey (No. 14) of Princeton. Snyder's strength is from the top position where he rides tough and has excellent turning combinations. Garnett however, should win the takedown battle and takes a 6-3 decision for an early Hokie lead. 133: Joe Spisak (Virginia) vs. No. 10 Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) In a battle of true freshman, Carter should shine here. He has shown an aggressive, physical style that has adapted very well to the college game. Look for this match to be decided from the feet as well as Carter dominates this position and picks up a major decision for Tech 11-3 to give the Hokies a 7-0 lead in the match. 141: Gus Sako (Virginia) vs. Zach Neibert (Virginia Tech) Another freshman battle. Neibert filled in for the slumping Chris Diaz (No. 19) against Lehigh and provided a huge spark with a first period pin in 55 seconds over Stephen Dutton. Sako is having a successful freshman campaign as well for the Cavaliers and this should be considered a tossup match that will be a key win for either team. I am calling a close decision here for Sako, who is coming off of a loss against Princeton over the high-flying Neibert but this match will a fun one to watch. Sako 6-5 and team score 7-3. 149: Derek Valenti (Virginia) vs. No. 9 Brian Stephens (Virginia Tech) Stephens is another of Coach Dresser's underclassmen that has looked good this year after an impressive freshman season. He is very strong at 149 and makes his opponents work extremely hard for any offensive points. Valenti is a tough draw however and also does not give up a lot of easy points. Look for this to be another hard fought match that should be low scoring with Stephens coming out on top by a slim margin, 4-5. Tech up 10-3. 157: Nicky Gordon/Shawn Harris (Virginia) vs. No. 6 Jesse Dong (Virginia Tech) Since having his redshirt removed, Dong has picked up right where he left off last season as a solid top 10 contender. Except for a lackluster performance against Corey Mock of UNC which resulted in his lone loss, he has dominated lesser opponents, picking up bonus points with consistency for his team. In spite of this, he will face a game opponent in either Harris or Gordon and will likely not be able get more than a decision here. Dong, 8-3, pushing the Hokies lead in the match to 13-3. 165: Jedd Moore (Virginia) vs. No. 15 Pete Yates (Virginia Tech) Moore has battled injuries after redshirting his second year as a Cavalier but looks to be working back into form. Yates has had his share of struggles as well with injury (knee) but has had a solid season thus far and would be considered the favorite in this matchup. If there is a potential upset in Saturday's contest, however, this is it. Remember that Moore is the guy who beat then No. 2 Dan Vallimont from Penn State two years ago as a true freshman. Moore likes a Russian two on one tie from the neutral position and can give opponents fits with this. Yates may certainly be more than up to the task but I am calling this one for Moore, 8-5 to narrow the gap a bit to VT 13-UVA 6. 174: No. 4 Chris Henrich (Virginia) vs. Matt Epperly (Virginia Tech) This matchup, on the other hand, is definitely NOT the spot to pick an upset. Epperly is certainly capable of the big upset, just ask Mike Benefiel, but it won't happen Saturday at 174. Henrich loses only to quickness and scrambles that very few guys at this weight class have in their arsenal. He is too strong and too solid in every position for Epperly to put him in any real danger in this match. Epperly has also shown himself historically to be vulnerable to cradles and I am predicting this one to end by fall for Henrich making the match score VT 13-UVA 12. All of the sudden, we have a barn-burner! 184: No. 18 John Fausey (Virginia) vs. John Dickson (Virginia Tech) With Tommy Spellman out with a career ending neck injury, John Dickson has had to step up at 184 and has wrestled hard for the Hokies but Fausey is having a stellar redshirt freshman season with a record of 21-6 and all but one of his losses coming against opponents ranked higher than him. Look for another solid win here for Fausey, 7-3, giving the Cavaliers their first lead of the match. VT 13 - UVA 15. 197: Mike Salopek (Virginia) vs. Chris Penny (Virginia Tech) This matchup is particularly interesting because I believe the outcome may hinge on which wrestler Virginia sends to the mat. Salopek has seen intermittent action this year but is the Cavalier that poses the bigger problems for Penny who is big, long and physical. If Salopek is unable to go, then Doty will likely wrestle up again from his more natural class at 174. Doty would start in a lot of D1 programs were he not behind Henrich but will have problems with Penny's size. I will assume Salopek gets the nod and performs like he is capable of to notch the 6-5 decision for Virginia pushing their team lead to 5 points. VT 13 - UVA 18. 285: Jack Danilkowicz (Virginia) vs. David Marone (Virginia Tech) The heavyweight match is a tossup with two solid guys with similar records and styles squaring off. Marone will be looking for the fall to win the match but Danilkowicz is too seasoned of a senior to put himself in danger. Marone gets the decision with one of his points coming via stall against Virginia. The defending ACC champion Cavaliers pull off the mini-upset in enemy territory Saturday, defeating Virginia Tech by a final score of 18-16. The dual win, however, will be the last time this season that UVA finishes above the Hokies as Dresser's young grapplers will prove to be the better tournament team in March at the ACC tournament and later in Philadelphia.

The Wyoming Cowboy wrestling team moved one step closer to an undefeated conference regular season Thursday, beating its Front Range rival, the Air Force Falcons, by a final score of 32-12. The Pokes won eight of the 10 matches versus the Falcons, but actually had to come back from two deficits to claim the win. Wyoming now is 10-4 overall and 4-0 in Western Wrestling Conference action. "It's not (just) about Air Force, but it's about improving," Wyoming coach Mark Branch said. "(The deficits) put some pressure on our guys, but our guys responded and came out and won some big matches. "They came out to try and slow us down, and for the most part, we broke through that barrier. We got after them, and I was pleased that we were the aggressors and the offensive wrestlers. I was pleased with our effort. Our team looks more mature than a month ago." The action began with the heavyweights, as Wyoming's Matthew McLaughlin took on Jared Erickson of Air Force. McLaughlin took an early 2-0 lead, but got caught late in the second period and Erickson got the pin at the 4:50 mark for the early 6-0 Air Force lead. Wyoming made up half the deficit when No. 16 Michael Martinez took an 8-3 decision over Tyler Spangler in the 125-pound bout, and UW's Tyler Cox gave Wyoming the lead when he got a 24-9 technical fall over Derek Gillespie in the 133-pound match. After three matches, Wyoming had an 8-6 lead. But the Falcons went back on top in the next match, as No. 11 Cole VonOhlen pinned Wyoming's Chase Smith at the 51-second mark in the 141-pound match. Air Force led 12-8 after four matches, but the Falcons wouldn't score any more team points the rest of the way. No. 17 Cole Dallaserra won a hard-fought 9-3 decision in the 149-pound match over Josh Kreimier, and then Jimmy Belleville came out on fire for Wyoming in the 157-pound match. He took a 4-0 lead and never relented, winning a 10-2 major decision to give Wyoming a 15-12 team lead. Shane Onufer, ranked fourth, led 6-1 in the second period before he pinned Clayton Gable in the 165-pound match. Onufer now is 24-0 on the season. After that, Patrick Martinez showed his resiliency in the 174-pound match. Martinez broke a 2-2 tie in the second period, and went on for the 8-2 decision. No. 5 Joe LeBlanc cruised to a 17-3 lead after one period in the 184-pound match, and took a 22-3 technical fall. In the last match of the night at 197 pounds, L.J. Helbig held Air Force's Neil Delaney scoreless for a 4-0 decision. "We didn't wrestle perfect by any means, but we wrestled tough," Branch said. The Pokes now will hit the road for three duals next week, starting with a WWC matchup with Northern Colorado on Wednesday. Then it's off to Oklahoma on Feb. 11, and Oklahoma State on Feb. 13. Both Oklahoma schools are ranked in the top 10 in several polls. "We've got to be very, very prepared to go out there and battle," Branch said. "Every kid we see is going to be a top-10 kid. It's definitely going to be a challenge for our team." Results: 285 - Jared Erickson (AF) fall Matthew McLaughlin, 4:50 125 - No. 16 Michael Martinez (UW) dec. Tyler Spangler, 8-3 133 - Tyler Cox (UW) tech fall Derek Gillespie, 24-9 (7:00) 141 - No. 10 Cole VonOhlen (AF) fall Chase Smith, 0:51 149 - No. 17 Cole Dallaserra (UW) dec. Josh Kreimier, 9-3 157 - Jimmy Belleville (UW) maj. dec. Alec Williams, 10-2 165 - No. 4 Shane Onufer (UW) fall Clayton Gable, 4:13 174 - Patrick Martinez (UW) dec. Joseph Stafford, 8-2 184 - No. 5 Joe LeBlanc (UW) tech fall Kazden Ikehara, 22-3 (3:25) 197 - L.J. Helbig (UW) dec. Neil Delaney, 4-0

Related: The Blair Mat Project Part 2: A Week at Blair This story wasn't supposed to be told. The whole concept behind the trip to Blair was about THE DUAL. We wanted to see what it would be like spending a week in Blair Academy's wrestling room as they prepare for the showdown. As everyone knows, Blair was humiliated last season at St. Paris Graham. This was supposed to be about how this Blair team was going to take revenge and reverse that sour taste these current athletes had to endure. That story is not being told here. Something else happened on the way to that dual. Jeff Buxton happened. Jeff Buxton acknowledging the crowd who came to recognize his achievementsWith a name like Buxton and a school called Blair, I would have expected the man to appear large. He's not. I expected a guy with a deep voice and large frame. Nope. He's just an average-size guy. His voice is closer to soprano than alto. He walks like a man twenty years older due to a hip replacement. But he has a larger than life presence and when he walks the campus that opened in 1858, humanity notices. THEY REALLY NOTICE. Every step we took during the week he was greeted with reverence. "Hello, Mr. Buxton ... Nice to see you, Mr. Buxton." This is his week. Oh, he won't tell you that. He will say, "This isn't about me, it's about the kids." I wonder how much of that he believes. Getting him to admit he is special here is about as common as a shutout loss. It's not happening. It has to be the greatest moment of his career. This is the week they name the room after him. Who gets that when they are still in their prime? This is the week they officially recognize the man after 29 years. Every kid and staff on campus knows this is his week. Alumni are coming from around the country. Many can't because they are wrestling or coaching at colleges around the country. But, plenty will be there and this is the time when Blair Academy officially knights the King of High School Wrestling. Oh, there's something else happening. They have to pound revenge come Saturday. But there is no way those words are spoken. Everyone knows it. Jeff Buxton's son, Tony, addressing the alumni and friends during the Buxton room dedication ceremonyThere are plenty of stats about Buxton's career. If you ask him, he can tell you only a few. He remembers he has guided the Buccaneers to nine national titles. But ask his dual record and he doesn't seem to care. But if you really want to know what makes the man's eyes sparkle, ask him about his favorite moment coaching. He doesn't hesitate and answers with one word: Tony. He's the son and former team captain at Blair who now wrestles at Harvard. Jeff gets emotional when he remembers how special it was coaching his boy. It's obvious of the 29 years, those four were the most special. His tears prove it. He has plenty of other special moments. He has another guy he calls his Russian son. His name is Marat Tomaev. Buxton lights up telling the story of how this kid arrives at Blair unable to speak English and how he made it his mission to watch over this kid. Marat has been spending holidays at the Buxton home ever since. He's his son. There's more. There's Ray Mendoza. If you go to the Ironman, you know the name. It's the most prestigious award given that weekend. Most passionate wrestling fans know about Ray losing his life in Iraq on his third tour of duty. But hardly any know the deal Jeff made with Ray before he left. His kids were students and Jeff said he would take care of them if anything happened to Ray. And he has. Those are the stories he's embarrassed telling, but someone needs to know. I'm humbled he trusted us with it. Jeff Buxton coaching visiting teenager from KansasJeff also has a senior daughter here. I wondered what this must be like for her. Dads are not supposed to be cool when you are this age. Especially when he teaches her in math class. But, Siena seem to genuinely admire and love her dad. I sensed none of the embarrassment I felt well into my adult years. I think she even likes her dad. She had a young man spending time with her and I wanted to ask what that was like, but I left that one alone. I have three daughters of my own and I know. Jeff also has a wife, Carol, he met while he was a sophomore in college in Rhode Island. I visualized what she looked like long before I finally met her. I expected her to look lonely and wishing for a different life than being married to a man who's married to a team. But, Carol seemed happy too. This whole picture I expected was slowly changing the longer I observed. These are normal people ... living an extraordinary existence. And I don't use that word lightly. So what else? What else is there about the man? What are the secrets that produced so many NCAA All-Americans? What is it about him that churns out NCAA champs like Steve Mocco, Mark Perry, Zack Esposito and so many others? I wanted to know what is happening on this campus that makes parents gladly part with $45,700 so they can live this special life. After a two- hour interview he asked if he could show us around the campus. We agreed and he proudly brought us to the library and to the admissions building. He brought us into the cafeteria and told us how the male students wear ties to dinner twice a week and rotate tables every three weeks so they know every student and staff. Jeff is in his glory. He is a man in love with Blair Academy. We run into a family of three from China who seem lost. Buxton starts guiding them around and has completely forgotten about us two story tellers. He's asking the prospective student where he wants to go to college. In broken English he answers, "Stanford." He responds with "good choice." I find it peculiar the first encounter is about which college he will attend, not about Blair. But, nothing's really normal with this guy. Steve Elwood has a few words for the Blair Academy wrestling team at the end of a long weekWe spend a week in the room. The Jeffrey P. Buxton Wrestling Room. Twice this week he will throw the entire team out for lack concentration, focus and for simply being flat. It becomes clear to me Todd Preston and Mark Grey are the barometers for the team. If they are on, so are the rest. But twice, even they couldn't rise the tide. In a dual the previous weekend I watched Jeff coach. He did very little except chew the gum. He hardly ever talked. But in the room, in his room, he is nonstop chatter. The high pitched voice hardly ever stops during the 120-minute session. He stalks the room looking for mistakes. He seems to know exactly where his team needs to be at each moment and if they aren't in sync with his thought, there will be pain. At one moment during an especially brutal beat down, Jeff had his kids wrestle live. If you ever wrestled in high school, you know how brutal this can be. I hated just knowing it was coming. After what seemed like an insanely long first period, I timed the second. It was four minutes. The third period brought the live wrestling to 12 minutes and that was followed by a one minute overtime period. The kids were whipped and sweat was dripping off each kid's face. He then had them go three more 45-second periods. I wanted him to stop. Chris Danyo, Jeff Buxton, and Steve ElwoodBy the end of the week, he lightened up. He was full of cheesy jokes and he actually seemed to enjoy what was coming. The three of us knew this was going to be a very special day on Saturday. He wouldn't touch it. He kept saying this is about raising money or honoring those that went before us. I finally got the courage to tell him BS. He had a sparkle in the dark brown eyes and we both knew. It's the closest he let me in. Saturday was a lot like a wedding. It went by like a blur. Everyone wanted a few minutes, a hand shake and an occasional hug. This was obviously an uncomfortable day for him. The wrestling match against St. Paris Graham can't get here fast enough. After plenty of tributes, it's finally time to wrestle. The entire 425-student assembly is here. The entire Blair staff is here. All the alumni are here. It's time to get it on. Jeff takes his seat and puts a stick of gum in his mouth. He doesn't talk. He's watching something completely different than we are. The man is in the moment. The man is in love. Steve Elwood can be reached at steveel@rstransportinc.com. Chris Danyo can be reached at cd1421@gmail.com.

Mindset for major competitions Dominant: Teams and individuals that win state and national tournaments consistently. Fade: Teams or individuals that want the season over. They want to be the best, but settle on mediocrity. They have no plan in place to peak. Their practice room and lifestyle habits are not conducive to consistent winning. Improper weight management could be a problem, but the main factor is their mental state. Fear carries more authority than belief. Peak: Teams and individuals that understand a superior person is able to focus. Focus allows mastery of your environment. Lack of belief is detrimental. Wasting time looking ahead and overanalyzing the past is hurtful to consistent performance. There are times when we question our readiness to compete by magnifying our opponents' abilities and minimizing our own. Athletes often create imagined obstacles that hinder their potential. Tournaments, ideally, are what you look toward all season. Use major competitions as a reward. Let other competitors work mental numbers on themselves. Let the competition become filled with anxiety and doubt. Let them compete with a mental parking brake on. Let the competition deal with the weight of doubt. Let the competition question and wear themselves out with non-stop mental games. Much like physical training, there are mental training skills. Improving your mental skills should be part of your overall program. Many athletes experience mental struggles but do little to change their state of mind. Many hope on game day everything will work itself out. Our thoughts can be cunning, but they provide evidence that shows up in our performance. Our thinking, a never ending internal conversation, will always be with us; it is how our minds work. There is always something on our mind. What occupies your mind is important. You can rehearse victory or you can court defeat. Overcoming defeat is a battle you can win, but you have to challenge yourself and you must give up comfort. The daily battle is always between what you should do and what you actually do. Win these battles. The more persistent the fight, the more likely the victory. A plan of action makes a difference. As major tournaments approach, many athletes tighten up, hold back, or shut down. They refrain from what produced past victories. They stay safe, over analyze, and wait; waiting is a trap. You are still in control during major competition. Nothing changes. You are still competing under the same rules and the same principles. Nothing has changed except your thinking. And since you control your thinking, you hold the key. What will you allow to speak loudest? You have been good before, and you can be good again. The athlete who deals with pressure will triumph. A venue does not change you. Nothing changes except what you allow. It is responsibility on your part. Responsibility is a choice and an opportunity to grow, not a burden. It is natural to be nervous; you can perform with nerves. Be in the moment. Do not fear something you have done consistently well. Relax, take a deep breath, and focus. It is either you or your opponent. Your responsibility is to tilt the odds in your favor through daily preparation. Since your competition is training like you are, you have to invest more. Maybe it is working harder and longer, but maybe it is working smarter and understanding that you will function at an optimal level when the body and mind are in unison. We create fear and doubt, but we also possess courage and belief. Both exist in your mind. They do not live in harmony so you have to choose. It takes work, but never confuse difficult with impossible. Eliminating doubt is a battle you can win. You will get what you think about consistently. Hold nothing back, and compete to win. Performance is not random; it is related to your thoughts and expectations. Somebody who is not supposed to win will excel. Someone who is supposed to excel will falter. The determining factor is focus and consistency. How to grow confidence and have a focused tournament mind Awareness of your thoughts. Identify situations where negative self-talk occurs. Interrupt the negative and replace with positive. (Keep this simple). If you learn to manage your self-talk, you can manage your performance. Make a decision that you are going to be committed to building your confidence. Focus is crucial. Body language indicates attitude and attitude dictates behavior. Maintain strong and positive body language. Only concern yourself with the controllable. Build success into your training. Set practice room goals that focus on specific behaviors. Manage your breathing. By slowing your breathing you conserve energy, in control of your movements and function at a higher level. Take a deep breath; breathe in confidence and strength; breathe out doubt and fatigue. Play your strengths. Train your weaknesses. Basics win. Analyze during practice and training. Simplicity during competition. Consistent pre-competition behaviors provide consistent performance results. A win is never certain and a loss is never final. Stay focused!

Adam Hall, a returning All-American who is currently ranked No. 2 at 157 pounds, has his sights set on winning an individual national title and leading second-ranked Boise State to a national team title in Philadelphia. The senior is currently 21-0 this season, which includes a victory over No. 4 Bubba Jenkins of Arizona State. (He has one unofficial loss to Jenkins at the NWCA All-Star Classic.) Hall has won tournament titles this season at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and Reno Tournament of Champions. He defeated current No. 1 Steve Fittery of American, 6-4, in the NCAA consolation semifinals last season. InterMat caught up with Hall and talked to him about Boise State not getting as much national recognition as other top programs, the 157-pound weight class, Greg Randall, Jason Chamberlain, what it's going to take for the Broncos to win the national team title, and much more. Adam HallA lot of the talk in college wrestling this season has been about Cornell, Penn State, and now Iowa. It seems as though Boise State is kind of the forgotten team. Does that bother you that Boise State doesn't get the national recognition that other top programs get? Hall: It does, but at the same time we keep things in pretty good perspective here. We know being in the West we're not as respected. We're trying to change that and trying to build off that. First of all, we're trying to keep our programs in the West. But also build off of it. Like I said, we keep things in pretty good perspective. We know we have to always be proving ourselves to everybody. We know where we have to do that ... at the NCAA tournament in March. You and Bubba Jenkins of Arizona State have split two matches. He defeated you at the NWCA All-Star Classic, but you came back to beat him at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Did the fact that the first meeting was an exhibition have anything to do with the way you approached that match? Hall: No, I approach every match the same, regardless of whether it counts or they use it for this or that. I don't really care. I'm a really competitive person, so I never want to lose. I just didn't have the right game plan when I went out there. I had never wrestled Bubba. Frankly, I didn't prepare like I needed to. Was it a matter of being overaggressive in that first meeting? Hall: Yeah, it was. Also having a different mindset. I tried to get him tired and I ended up getting myself tired and just making a bunch of mental mistakes. You tied Oregon State in a dual earlier this season, 18-18. This past Sunday you won in dominating fashion, 31-6. What was the difference this time around? Hall: We had a few of our guys back that we didn't have in that first dual. A lot of our guys are really turning it on right now. Coach Randall, Coach Owens, and Coach White are really busting us hard and training us through these duals for the bigger goal. We think it would show on the mat with us being tired, but in fact it is actually the opposite. We have good gas tanks and we're performing. I think the difference this time was our hustle. It looked like a couple of their guys cut their weight wrong ... There were all these factors. But I think we just got the ball rolling. It was big starting at 141 and getting a big win from Levi Jones. That got us going. They had almost four thousand fans there and it was pretty quiet most of the dual. Photo/Dave Jedlicka, jedicheetah.comHow would you describe the rivalry in wrestling between Boise State and Oregon State? Hall: It's growing. It continues to grow every year. We have respect for each other, but we definitely know we don't like each other. That's pretty much it. One of our wrestlers made a big axe, so now we have kind of a rivalry axe and we engrave the duals into it. We're trying to start something on the West Coast and build off it. That's the basis of our rivalry right now. It's pretty new. There has been a lot of interest nationally this season in the 157-pound weight class ... because of the names and dominating performances. How much attention do you pay to what's going on in your weight class nationally? Hall: Very little, actually. People can talk this and that about the top guys, like David Taylor has been dominant all year and Steve Fittery has been dominant all year. It's my senior year. I'm having fun. I really want to keep things in perspective. The last four years it really helped me do that because my perspective on wrestling and on life changed a lot since my freshman year. People talk about pressure and this and that, but I just take it a day at a time. I enjoy the team I'm on. I enjoy the guys that I'm competing with. I enjoy the fact that our coaches are really pushing us hard and reminding me to leave it all out there with this being my last year. Adam Hall (Photo/Tony Rotundo, wrestlersarewarriors.com)You mentioned that your perspective on life and wrestling has changed. How has it changed? Hall: Since I was little I had it on my mind to be a four-time All-American and a multiple-time national champion. But when things don't work out the way you want in life, especially in a heart-breaking way for a couple years, you have to make some changes, whether it's in wrestling or mental, or a combination of both. I enjoy my wrestling more now. Like I was saying, I keep things in perspective. People don't just see me as a wrestler. I see most of the guys on my team as good guys before I see them as good wrestlers. Do you think that change in perspective has taken some pressure off you? Hall: Oh, yeah. It helps that we have three other guys on the team ranked in the top three that are doing really well this year. Being by yourself and trying to do that, it just adds to the pressure. But when you have other guys that are trying to do the same thing, it works in reverse almost, I think. We're pretty light about things. We don't really think about records or this and that. We have been in the game long enough to know what counts. If a potential recruit asked you to describe your coach, Greg Randall, how would you describe him? Greg Randall (Photo/Dave Jedlicka, jedicheetah.com)Hall: A great leader. Without a doubt. People question him because he's soft-spoken and he doesn't talk very much. But when he's coaching us, what he says is either really funny or really important. That's what we like the most about it. We know when we need to get to work and he knows when we need to have a lighter side. Coming from Iowa, he knows that side and he knows how to really, really work us hard. But at the same time, he's a charismatic guy. He's doing a great job. Our assistant coaches are the best in the country, I think. They really do things that other coaches have more resources to do. We just signed on Dan Erekson as an assistant coach, but before that our three coaches were doing everything themselves ... and doing everything well. That's a testament to all the hard work they put in. They're willing to work for you. Some wrestlers watch a lot of video when preparing for matches, while others don't. How much time do you spend looking at film? Hall: Not as much compared to when I was a freshman. I've worked my way up to where I'm at in college. More or less for me, it's just going out and just wrestling, just flowing. When I have an opponent coming up, I'll see what he has on his feet, on top and bottom. But other than that, I don't necessarily have to break it down tremendously for an upcoming match. My coaches tell me, 'We don't need to coach you. We just need to cheerlead for you and try to get the calls going our way if need be.' That's basically it. They're like, 'You just need to go out and wrestle. Just enjoy it. You know what to do.' If we need to scout a little bit, we will. That's the great thing about my assistant coach Kirk White ... He's on top of the video that next week from the previous weekend. All season he has everything for every wrestler. He really works hard doing that, so I really appreciate that. Last season you beat Chase Pami the first two times you met, but he came back to beat you in the NCAA quarterfinals. What did that loss do to you? Hall: That was really the gut check in my career. I've had similar times in my career. One time was at Junior Nationals in Greco-Roman. In fact, I didn't want to wrestle anymore after that because it was a poor performance. Chris Owens, my assistant coach who was and still is the Idaho National Team coach, basically didn't give me a choice of not wrestling anymore. It worked out in my favor because I ended up taking second in freestyle in Juniors that year and it really got the ball rolling for me. But it was the same kind of deal when I lost last year. He got on my case pretty hard. I had gotten choked a little bit in the match. I was pretty out of it after the match. Basically I just went back to the hotel and I wrote down all the things I had done differently this year to have a different result and to not lose in the round of 12 again. I just wrote down that I'm going to be an All-American that year. I just decided that. I had like three or four hours to prepare. I had a tough opponent, a two-time returning All-American who was a senior. They don't call it the blood round for nothing. Everybody is out for blood to try to get in. It really turned the corner as far as college wrestling for me. The two previous years I lost in the round of 12. I never had known what it felt like to make it in. It was good. The funny thing is ... right after my match, Coach Owens was like, 'Hey, now that you made it in, they really respect a guy that comes back and takes third after a tough loss like you had. I was like, 'Fine, I'll come back and take third.' I just rolled off a string of victories. I look back and that was some of the best wrestling that I've had in college. I beat some tough guys pretty soundly. The other thing he was telling me was, 'Now that you've taken third, you don't really care do you?' I was like, 'To tell you the truth, I don't. I've put so much pressure on myself.' He's like, 'Once you get there, all you want to do is take first.' I said, 'That's right.' Since that point, I've just had that goal in mind and set my sights on it. Adam Hall (Photo/Tony Rotundo, wrestlersarewarriors.com)When you compare where you are with your wrestling right now to where you were last season at this point, where have you made the biggest gains? Hall: I would say in my leg defense. I have more confidence at being able to scramble, wrestle, and defend my legs a little better. I'm not saying I don't get taken down because I obviously do. I have always been such an offensive-minded wrestler. I've really learned better counter offense this year and stopping guys with my hips better. I look back, when Ben Cherrington won the NCAAs, that's all he worked on when he was hurt the first half of his senior year. He would hand fight with Kirk White and work on his defense. It really showed when he went to the NCAA tournament. He didn't have anybody score on him until the finals. His counter offense was really good. You look at a lot of the guys that are winning titles, they're not flashy, but they're solid wrestlers. They're hard to score on. They score when they need to. Have you thought about what it's going to take at the NCAAs for the team to be in a position to win the NCAA team title in Philadelphia? Hall: Yeah. Coach Owens talks about it a little bit. I kind of have it in my mind too. Punching four guys into the finals is a big step. Not just that, but having another guy make it into the All-American round and have a couple other contributors that are in the hunt to be All-Americans. We have that. Our 174-pounder, Jake Swartz, has beaten a returning All-American this year. He knows what it takes to win those tough matches come March. Our 197-pounder is turning it on too. He has beaten three ranked kids the last eight or nine days. He's really looking great. Those are the guys that we need to win matches at NCAAs and put is in a position to make a run for the title. And just keep doing what we have been doing ... just staying offensive and just getting after it. That's the one thing that I learned from the two years when I was at NCAAs and didn't place and last year ... I just watched the guys that were making it in and becoming All-Americans. They get after it. They don't wait. They trust their offense. That's another change I've seen in my style. Just knowing, 'What are you waiting for?' Adam Hall (Photo/Tony Rotundo, wrestlersarewarriors.com)How important is it to have Jason Chamberlain to train with? Hall: It's great because he has a very good offense as well and good hips. He's good on his feet. It's just another guy that is hard to score on. I love it. Every day I try to grab a tough guy and learn from their style because I never know when I'm going to be wrestling someone who has his style ... or I need to learn something that they're doing really well. I'll even drill with our 133-pounder Andrew Hochstrasser. He's a lot smaller than me, but he's one of the toughest riders in college. He's really good on top. Not only that, but he's able to turn guys. That's one thing I've been trying to work on as well ... not just riding, but also being able to turn guys. I just kind of feed off everyone I wrestle. Jason is a really good one because he's really, really technically sound. That's one area that I try to definitely improve on because I'm a little bit more of a bruiser than him and kind of just grind out points a little bit more than him. He's very smooth, very fluent. It definitely helps not only drilling, but also wrestling with him. You have done a lot of freestyle wrestling over your career. You competed on the senior level this past summer and even spent time at the Olympic Training Center. Do you plan to continue wrestling freestyle after your collegiate wrestling career? Hall: I've been debating both. I'm not exactly sure yet. I'm just going to enjoy the end of my college career. I'm going to help contribute back to the program here and make that decision when the time comes. The hardest thing for me is the weight. I was talking with the coaches (at the Olympic Training Center) because I was an intern for them this summer. They all say the best weight for me is at 145.5. I'm kind of caught in between weights. I really am. Even when you're a decent-sized 157-pounder, you're still going to be a small 163-pounder. I'm so lean year round. Out of season when I lift, my body really responds and I really put on a lot of muscle. They tell me it would be a lifestyle change, obviously, and I would have to do some things different. I know that. I just want to make sure my heart is in it. Without a doubt, I would love to. But I think after the season I would need a little bit of a break. I was contemplating wrestling in the Open, obviously at 163, but it's like a week after our spring break. I think I'll wait to try to wrestle in the qualifiers and try to get into the Trials ... and just enjoy wrestling and see where I'm at from there.

Liberty took decisions in the opening three bouts on Wednesday afternoon and never looked back, defeating UNC Greensboro inside its own Fleming Gymnasium, 24-16. The win improves the Flames' dual record to 8-6 overall, along with upping their road mark to 4-2. It also snaps the Spartans' two-match win streak against the Flames, pulling the series record between the programs to 3-2 in favor of UNC Greensboro. Liberty's last win against UNC Greensboro came at home on Feb. 5, 2008. The loss drops UNC Greensboro to 5-8 on the year. Liberty jumped out to a quick start behind a 4-3 decision from freshman Robert Jillard at 125 pounds. Jillard and Manny Ramirez were knotted after one period, with Jillard striking first with a takedown and Ramirez scoring with a reversal. The second period saw no scoring. In the final two minutes, Jillard began in the down position and took a two-point advantage after scoring on a reversal. Ramirez escaped later in the period, but Jillard held off the Spartan for the 4-3 win. The win is Jillard's 14th victory of the year. With a 3-0 team lead already, T. J. Mitchell scored the second straight decision for the Flames at 133 pounds, taking his bout 8-2 over Robert Gribschaw. Mitchell gained a 4-1 edge through one period behind two takedowns. After no points in the second period, Mitchell added an escape in the final stanza after starting in the down position. He then tacked on a takedown along with 2:32 of riding time. Gribschaw added an escape in the third for the final score of 8-2. Seth Hicks continued the momentum for the Flames with a 7-6 decision at 141 pounds. Hicks' opponent Jamel Johnson scored first, earning a takedown in the opening period. The two found themselves tied, 4-4, through two periods, after Hicks scored on a three-point near fall and Johnson earned a last-second escape. Johnson also was awarded a penalty point earlier in the period. After starting in the down position, Hicks escaped to take the early edge in the final period. Johnson grabbed the lead back with a takedown, but another Hicks escape along with riding time gave the Bakersfield, Calif., native the win for the Flames, putting Liberty up, 9-0. At 149 pounds, Peter Crawford faced No. 16 Ivan Lopouchanski. The Spartan scored at will in the opening period, earning six takedowns and two back points, giving him a 14-5 edge through one. He put the match to a finish in the second, winning by fall at the 3:55 mark of the bout and putting the Spartans on the board. Julian Colon took the mat for the Flames at 157 pounds, looking to hold off a Spartan rally from Justin Rice. Colon did just that, and gave the Flames momentum once again with a pin in the third period. Colon held a 10-3 lead going into the final two minutes, but put the bout away at the 6:26 mark, extending the lead to 15-6. In the 165-pound bout, Chad Porter got his fourth straight win from a 5-0 blanking of Brett Miller. The win also pulls Porter's career win total to 99, just one away from being in the Gold Level of the Eagle Medal Club, which honors Liberty grapplers with 100+ career victories. Porter controlled the bout throughout, which showed in his 3:59 of riding time. In addition to that bonus point, Porter tallied a takedown in the first and a reversal in the final period after starting in the down position. Porter's decision pushed the Flames' lead to 18-6. Royal Brettrager II and Byron Sigmon had a tight match at 174 pounds, with Brettrager II nearly coming from behind for the victory. Sigmon jumped to a 6-3 lead through one behind a takedown, a two-point near fall, and a reversal, to Brettrager's reversal and escape. Brettrager pulled the score to 7-5 after two periods. In the closing frame, Brettrager took the lead with a minute to go behind an escape and a takedown. However, Sigmon tacked on a reversal and two back points in the closing seconds of the bout, earning an 11-9 decision, and pulling the Spartans to within nine, 18-9. At 184 pounds, redshirt senior Aaron Kelley was able to put the overall match out of reach, pinning Elijah Adams at the 3:30 mark of the bout. The pin extended the visitors' lead to 24-9 with just two bouts remaining. The Spartans closed out the match by taking the final bouts. At 197 pounds, Caylor Williams defeated Aaron Thompson with a major decision, 8-0, while Peter Sturgeon picked up a 3-1 decision over the Flames' Josh Pelletier at heavyweight. UNC Greensboro's closing victories pulled the final score to 24-16 in favor of the Flames. Head Coach Jesse Castro commented on the victory over the 2010 Southern Conference champions by saying, "Going into the match the coaching staff knew it would be a hard-fought match. I'm really proud of the way the guys picked up their intensity. We feel like the wrestlers are buying into the system and we're seeing the dividends of that." The Liberty wrestling squad now heads to Millersville, Pa., where they will compete in the East Regional Duals on Friday. The duals, hosted by Millersville, will act as a preview of the NCAA East Regional Championships, which is where the Flames will have the opportunity to qualify for the NCAA Championships. Liberty serves as host for the 2011 East Regional Championships on March 6, inside the Vines Center. Results: 125 – Robert Jillard (LU) Dec. over Manny Ramirez (UNCG), 4-3, LU 3-0 133 – T.J. Mitchell (LU) Dec. over Roberty Gribschaw (UNCG), 8-2, LU 6-0 141 – Seth Hicks (LU) Dec. over Jamel Johnson (UNCG), 7-6, LU 9-0 149 – No. 16 Ivan Lopouchanski Pins (UNCG) Peter Crawford (LU), 3:55, LU 9-6 157 – Julian Colon (LU) Pins Justin Rice (UNCG), 6:26, LU 15-6 165 – Chad Porter (LU) Dec. over Brett Miller (UNCG), 5-0, LU 18-6 174 – Byron Sigmon (UNCG) Dec. over Royal Brettrager II (LU), 11-9, LU 18-9 184 – Aaron Kelley (LU) Pins Elijah Adams (UNCG), 3:30, LU 24-9 197 – Caylor Williams (UNCG) M. Dec. over Aaron Thompson (LU), 8-0, LU 24-13 HWT – Peter Sturgeon (UNCG) Dec. over Josh Pelletier (LU), 3-1, LU 24-16

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Hello again Wrestling Fans! Fight Now presents Takedown Wrestling LIVE from our Brute Adidas studios. Join Scott Casber, Steve Foster, Ryan Freeman, Geoff Murtha and our own Jeff Murphy this 2 hour show brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods. This week we take a look at Penn State with Casey Cunningham, We'll Talk with Roger Chandler about Michigan State. Craig Sesker joins us to discuss his new book- Bobby Douglas: Life and Legacy of an American Wrestling Legend, Tom Brands will discuss the Hawkeye's win at PSU. Joel Sharratt will update us on the Falcons and their best start yet and of course our Kemin Big 10 and Big 12 report with Jeff Murphy. Join us LIVE 9 to 11 AM for Takedown Wrestling Radio. Listen on radio, computer, your Blackberry or iPhone with the iHeartRadio App. Our Guests Include: (All times Central) 9:01 Casey Cunningham- Assist. Coach of Penn State 9:20 Craig Sesker- Author, Bobby Douglas: Life and Legacy of an American Wrestling Legend 9:40 Roger Chandler- Assist Coach of Michigan State 10:01 Tom Brands- Head Coach University of Iowa 10:20 Jeff Murphy- Kemin's Top 20 Report In Studio 10:40 Joel Sharratt- Head Coach Airforce Falcons 10:50 Maureen Roshar- Wildrose Resorts 563 219 0704 Listen at KXNO.com, Takedownradio.com, Livesportsvideo.com, on Supertalk 1570 Michigan and our flagship Des Moines Sports Station AM 1460 KXNO

The statements continue for Blair Academy After a 5-0 Saturday at the NHSCA Final Four of High School Wrestling in which they only lost nine matches during the day, one in which they faced a pair of ranked teams from New Jersey (High Point and Jackson Memorial), No. 2 Blair Academy hosted St. Paris Graham, Ohio seeking revenge for last year’s blowout loss in Ohio. And revenge is what they got on a night in which they honored Jeff Buxton. The Bucs bookended the night with pins in just over a minute by nationally-ranked wrestlers -- No. 7 Joey McKenna (103) to open the night, and No. 5 Brooks Black (285) to close the evening. They also earned seven other wins on the evening to score a 39-18 victory, the result of which sees Graham dropping down to fifth in the national team rankings updated today. Lower weights for Blair Academy came up huge, as they won the first six matches to open up a 27-0 lead before Graham was able to put out the majority of their heavy artillery. Coming up big for Blair were No. 1 Evan Silver (112), No. 11 Caleb Richardson (119), and No. 2 Austin Ormsbee (135) -- each of whom scored a decision over a formidable Graham opponent. Silver won 7-4 over No. 9 Ryan Taylor, Richardson 11-4 over freshman Micah Jordan, and Ormsbee 3-2 over over No. 19 Case Garrison. The Falcons did win five of the next six bouts, starting with three in a row from nationally ranked No. 7 Nick Brascetta (140), No. 5 Bo Jordan (145), and No. 11 Matt Stephens (152). Again the absence of junior state champion Isaac Jordan (160) played a critical role in the dual meet -- this time though it was more of a death knell than anything when Michael Mocco ended the Graham win string with a 3-1 victory over Robert Mannier. Kyle Ryan (171) and No. 5 Huston Evans (189) did follow up with decision victories, but it was too little too late when mid-season transfer Frank Mattiace (215) scored a 3-1 victory for Blair over Mark Meyer to make the score 33-18. Another week, more big matches This coming Saturday, No. 2 Blair Academy seeks to cement their position in the rankings when they travel to Lakewood, Ohio (just to the west of Cleveland) for a quad against new No. 4 St. Edward, Ohio; No. 8 Wyoming Seminary, Pennsylvania; and Kiski Prep, Pennsylvania. Wrestling starts at 10:30 a.m., with St. Edward wrestling Wyoming Seminary, the Blair vs. Wyoming Seminary match should follow at 12:30 p.m., with St. Edward and Blair closing out the day starting at about 2:30 p.m. The following is a weight-by-weight look at the quad: 103: No. 7 Joey McKenna (Blair), Tyler Ponte (Wyoming Seminary), Anthony Stanley (St. Edward), DJ Gress (Kiski Prep) 112: No. 1 Evan Silver (Blair), No. 20 Edgar Bright (St. Edward), Evan Botwin (Wyoming Seminary), Mario Bortoluzzi (Kiski Prep) 119: No. 10 Dominick Malone (Wyoming Seminary), No. 11 Caleb Richardson (Blair), No. 18 Dean Heil (St. Edward), Austin Marsico (Kiski Prep) 125: No. 3 Mark Grey (Blair), Tyler Fraley (Wyoming Seminary), Markus Scheidel (St. Edward), Brant Myers (Kiski Prep) 130: No. 10 Todd Preston (Blair), Colin Heffernan (St. Edward), Shane Phillips (Kiski Prep), Sal Diaz (Wyoming Seminary) 135: No. 2 Austin Ormsbee (Blair), RC Ramirez (Wyoming Seminary), Nick Barber (St. Edward) 140: No. 8 Evan Henderson (Kiski Prep), Cohl Fulk (Wyoming Seminary), Ross Parsons (Blair), Russ Rauber (St. Edward) 145: Matt Van Curen (St. Edward), Dylan Milonas (Blair), Reid Paswall/Steven Harty (Wyoming Seminary), Manny Markatone (Kiski Prep) 152: No. 11 (at 145) Robert Henderson (Kiski Prep), No. 14 Eric Morris (Wyoming Seminary), Mark Martin (St. Edward), Patrick Coover (Blair) 160: Domenic Abounader (St. Edward), Angelo Bortoluzzi (Kiski Prep), Adam Morris (Wyoming Seminary), Michael Mocco (Blair) 171: Jacob Davis (St. Edward), Addison Kneppshield (Blair), Ryan McMullen (Wyoming Seminary) 189: James Suvak (St. Edward), Frank Mattiace/Willie Wilson/Jamie Farr (Blair), James Missell (Kiski Prep) 215: AJ Vizcarrando (Wyoming Seminary), Ty Walz (St. Edward), Colynn Cook (Kiski Prep), Mattiace/Wilson/Farr (Blair) 285: No. 5 Brooks Black (Blair), No. 10 Greg Kuhar (St. Edward), No. 20 Terrance Jean-Jacques (Wyoming Seminary), Joe Manderino (Kiski Prep) Garden State Chaos For the three nationally ranked in the state of New Jersey, this was a week that saw lots of disorder and confusion. For South Plainfield, they traveled to Ithaca, New York to compete in the undercard of the Cornell-Iowa State dual meet on Sunday. They lost by a 34-26 score to unranked Spencerport. However, a crucial seven-plus point swing came at 119 pounds, where returning state placer Troy Heilmann was out of the lineup; the backup lost by major decision against his Spencerport opponent. In addition, South Plainfield forfeited the 96 pound weight class, which is sanctioned in New York State but not elsewhere across the country. Coming off a sixth place finish at the NHSCA Final Four, including being upset by Council Rock South, Pennsylvania -- Jackson Memorial competed in the Shore Conference Tournament last week. The Jaguars advanced to the final with wins over Point Beach 71-4, Long Branch 39-18, and Raritan 43-15. The championship final saw them facing Southern Regional, a team that they beat 39-9 just ten days before. One key to note in that match was Jackson going 5-1 in matches decided by two points or less. This past Saturday, Southern went 3-1 in similar matches, got an additional pin in overtime, and were able to change a net of three outcomes from the prior dual in scoring a 28-23 victory. Adding further to the chaos, on Monday night, the home-standings Jaguars upset High Point (generally considered the best team in New Jersey other than Blair) 31-28. The match started at 119 pounds with a tossup match placing Brian Hamann of Jackson Memorial against Billy Hagany. Trailing 2-1 late in the second period, Hamann reversed Hagany to his back and scored the fall at the 3:50 mark. In a dual meet that was split 7-7 in matches, the other key factor was the absence of No. 13 John Guzzo (160) from the lineup for High Point due to injury. Sunday Showcase This past Sunday featured the New Jersey Coaches Association All-Star Invitational, which matches up some of the top wrestlers in the state against one another in a showcase setting for the fans at Brick Memorial High School. Below is a listing of results for those matches. 135: Julian Quintero, North Bergen dec. Luis Filipe, Long Branch, 3-2. 135: Anthony Perrotti, West Essex dec. Zach DiPini, Pope John, 9-2. 119: Billy Ward, Buena, dec. Dante Porazzo, DePaul, 13-2. 285: Zach Troutman, New Providence, pinned Ryan Moskwa, Perth Amboy, 1:41. 152: Christian Barber, Westfield dec. Connor Brennan, Brick, 5-3. 103: Luis Gonzalez, North Bergen pinned Mike Bohling, Sayreville, :54. 125: Brandon Keller, Timber Creek dec. Dan Haines, Hopatcong, 2-1. 112: Mike Magaldo, WatchungHills dec. Kevin Corrigan, Toms River South, 6-0. 171: Tony Pafumi, St. Peter's Prep dec. Mike LaBell, Lenape Valley, 4-3. 130: B.J. Clagon, Toms River South dec. Alex Richardson, St. Peter's Prep, 10-4. 140: Connor Melde, Bergen Catholic dec. Curt Delia, Delsea, 9-1. 189: No. 9 James Fox, St. Peter's Prep dec. Brian Lussier, Cherry Hill East, 3-1. 145: No. 4 James Green, Willingboro dec. No. 13 Sal Mastriani, Don Bosco Prep, 9-4. 160: Colin Hewitt, Franklin dec. Ottis Wright, Montclair, 5-4 3 OTs. 215: No. 1 Andrew Campolattano, Bound Brook dec. Mitch Seigel, Marlboro, 5-3. Dual Meets for Glory The state qualifiers for the State Dual Meet Championships in Pennsylvania are this coming weekend in both Class AAA (big-school) and Class AA (small-school). In particular, keep an eye on the District 11 tournament in Class AAA where the likely final between No. 17 Easton and No. 25 Nazareth will be vital for each team’s title hopes. The winner of that match slots into a half of the draw most likely to be anchored by Council Rock South (District 1 champ) along with teams finishing second and third in the WPIAL/District 7 championships (likely some combination of Franklin Regional, Kiski Area, and Greater Latrobe). However, the runner-up is looking at a preliminary match early next week against the District 1 runner-up and then an opening round match against likely WPIAL champion No. 26 Canon-McMillan. No. 15 Central Dauphin is likely waiting in the semifinal. District 11 is also the place to be in Class AA, with No. 20 Bethlehem Catholic and an underrated Pen Argyl squad likely to be the finalists. This is also an imperative bracketing match, with the loser looking at an opening round match next Friday against the WPIAL champion, most likely No. 41 Burrell. Though there is not as great an imbalance with the Reynolds vs. Fort LeBeouf (District 10) loser the best team in the other quarter of that half. The bottom of half of the pre-determined state meet draw likely places Brookville (District 9) in the opposite quarter of the District 11 champion and District 10 champion. Ranked Collisions There are at least three dual meets involving ranked teams on the docket for the coming week. No. 17 Easton, Pennsylvania hosts No. 20 Bethlehem Catholic, Pennsylvania in a Lehigh rivalry this evening -- assuming the weather cooperates. Tomorrow night, it is a clash on the mats between No. 27 Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and No. 29 Tulsa Union, Oklahoma. Finally -- on Friday night -- No. 28 Wadsworth, Ohio travels to No. 4 St. Paris Graham, Ohio for a matchup of the defending champions in Division I and Division II. Bakersfield with all ships on deck Finally with all of its core wrestlers in the lineup at the right weight class, No. 9 Bakersfield, California came up with a dominant showing at the Canyon Springs Invitational this past weekend. The Drillers scored 298 points on the strength of seven finalists, and placement finishes from the first eleven weight classes. Winning championships were Ian Nickell (112), Timmy Box (135), No. 18 Coleman Hammond (145), Adam Fierro (152), No. 1 Bryce Hammond (160), and Silas Nacita (171). No. 20 Natrelle Demison (130) was pinned in the final by Chris Calgano of Clovis North, which earned Calgano the lower weight MVP, as that was his fourth pin of the tournament to go with one technical fall. Second place honors went to Poway, California with 231-1/2 points on the strength of eight placers, anchored by upper weight MVP Porfi Sosa (215), who had four pins leading to the final and an 18-3 technical fall victory in the final match. They also had three wrestlers finish in second place -- Justin Chua (125), Josh Egli (140), and Bryant Heagney (145). The other notable champion was No. 12 Vince Rodriguez of Clovis North, California -- winning the crown at 125 pounds. Razor thin margin at Reser TOC For at least the third consecutive year, nationally ranked Roseburg, Oregon came home with the championship at the Reser Tournament of Champions held just outside of Portland. This tournament brings together the majority of the best individuals and teams within the state of Oregon in a singular competition. However, this year’s competition was a bit closer than the prior couple, as both champion Roseburg and runner-up Hermiston had eight wrestlers earn top six placements. Second-place Hermiston had four in the finals, one in third, one in fifth, and two in sixth to total 170-1/2 points. Champions were Tyler Berger (125), Joey Delgado (135), and Abraham Rodriguez (145); and Bryce McMahon (152) finished as runner-up. Roseburg scored 181 points with five in the finals, two in fourth, and one in fifth. Champions for Roseburg were Drew Van Anrooy (130) and Seth Thomas (152), while Reed Van Anrooy (135), Dylan Fors (171), and Devan Fors (189) each were runners-up. Outstanding Wrestler honors went to Delgado, while the least time wrestled award went to No. 16 (at 171) Brandon Griffin of Sprague, Oregon -- who won the 189 pound weight class with four falls leading up to a 10-6 victory in the championship match. Fab 50 team rankings updated The top two teams remain unchanged from two weeks ago, as Apple Valley, Minnesota and Blair Academy, New Jersey maintain their positions. Brandon, Florida moves up one position to third; St. Edward, Ohio moves up one to fourth; while St. Paris Graham, Ohio drops two positions to round out the top five. Newly minted into the national rankings are No. 30 Longwood, New York; No. 46 Hermiston, Oregon; No. 47 Columbia, Idaho; and No. 49 St. Anthony’s, New York. Dropping out were Oakdale, California; Crown Point, Indiana; Archbishop Spalding, Maryland; and Claremore, Oklahoma.

PARK RIDGE, Ill. -- Hawkeye sophomore Matt McDonough turned a big weekend into a Big Ten award, earning the conference Wrestler of the Week honor earlier today. McDonough, who is ranked first in the nation at 125 pounds by Intermat and WIN, recorded two pins to help the eighth-Hawkeyes beat #18 Northwestern (31-9) Friday night in Evanston and top-ranked Penn State (22-13) Sunday afternoon in University Park. Iowa’s wins over Northwestern and Penn State extended its streak of unbeaten duals to 73, and helped the Hawkeyes jump to No. 2 in the most recent NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll. The Marion, IA, native entered Friday’s dual with Northwestern against top-ranked and undefeated Wildcat Brandon Precin ranked second by Intermat and WIN, and third by AWN. Precin handed McDonough his first season loss and second career loss at the 2010 Midlands Championships in December, taking over the top ranking. Precin took a 3-0 lead Friday night and had the riding time point locked up mid-way through the third period when McDonough took the Wildcat senior to his back and recorded a pin in 6:11 to hand Precin (25-1) his first loss of the season. Against Penn State, McDonough got the Hawkeyes out to a strong 6-0 start and kept the sold-out Rec Hall crowd quiet when he pinned Penn State’s Nate Morgan in 4:16 to open the dual. The Hawkeyes held Penn State to its lowest point total of the season, while handing the Nittany Lions their first loss. McDonough is 16-1 this season, going 12-0 in duals and 4-0 in Big Ten duals. The 2010 NCAA Champion at 125 pounds leads Iowa in team points scored in dual competition (59) and pins (8). Named 2010 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, this is his first career Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honor. He is the first Hawkeye to be selected for the weekly conference award this season. Up next for Iowa is Friday night’s 7 p.m. dual with Indiana (10-5, 0-4 Big Ten) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena (15,500). It is “Camo Night” where fans are encouraged to wear camouflaged attire to the dual. The first 1,000 students will receive a camouflaged headband. Tickets for the dual are $10 for adults and $5 for youth, if purchased in advance from the UI Athletics Ticket Office at (319) 335-9323 or online at hawkeyesports.com. Tickets are $12 for adults and $6 for youth if purchased at the dual.

Boise State University head wrestling coach Greg Randall and Hector Gomez, founder of Gomez Wrestling Academy will be radio show guests 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 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. Greg Randall is his 9th season leading the Boise State wrestling program. The Broncos have been ranked in the top 5 all season and currently have a dual meet record of 8-2-1. A native of Mount Vernon, Iowa, Randall was a four-time high school state champion and three-time All-American as an Iowa Hawkeye. Hector Gomez began Gomez Wrestling Academy in 2004. His 7,300 square foot facility in Carol Stream, Illinois, serves wrestlers in the Chicago area. GWA recently crowned three champions at the Cliff Keen Tulsa Nationals.

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Rutgers senior 157-pounder Daryl Cocozzo (River Edge, N.J.) has been named the EIWA Wrestler of the Week, the Conference announced Sunday. Cocozzo becomes the second Scarlet Knight to take home Wrestler of the Week honors this season joining fellow senior DJ Russo (Netcong, N.J.) who took home the honor during the week of Nov. 29. Cocozzo, ranked No. 16 in the nation by InterMat, earned the honor after earning a 3-2 decision over No. 6 Bryce Saddoris of Navy. The victory, which was the 96th of Cocozzo’s career, helped spark a 23-9 victory over the Midshipmen. Cocozzo and the rest of the Scarlet Knights return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 9, when they host EIWA rival American in a 6:30 dual at College Ave. Gym. Tickets are on sale now for all of RU’s remaining duals. To purchase tickets please visit http://tickets.scarletknights.com or call 866-445-GoRU (4678).

EDINBORO, Pa. -- Edinboro University’s Johnny Greisheimer (Wantagh, NY/Wantagh) has been named the Eastern Wrestling League Wrestler of the Week and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Wrestler of the Week for the week ending January 30. The sophomore picked up a pair of wins at 157 lbs. as Edinboro won a pair of EWL matches, defeating Bloomsburg 23-15 and Cleveland State 35-7. The Fighting Scots have now won four straight dual matches and are 8-8-1 overall and 3-1 in the EWL. Greisheimer won by fall over Bloomsburg’s Frank Hickman, pinning the former PSAC champion at 2:40. The next day he won a 9-1 major decision over Cleveland State’s Matt Donohoe. The two wins boosted Greisheimer’s record to 19-10. He has now won four straight matches and seven of his last eight. Edinboro returns to action on Saturday, February 5 at North Carolina.