InterMat Staff

NORFOLK, Va. -- The sixth-ranked Virginia Tech wrestling squad dominated in-state rival Old Dominion Thursday night at the Constant Center in front of 1,319 fans, using two pins and a major decision to pick up a 31-6 win over the Monarchs. Tech won eight of the 10 matches wrestled to improve to 17-4 overall. ODU drops to 6-10-1 on the year with the loss. The match got started at 125 with fourth-ranked James Nicholson of ODU picking up an 8-2 win over No. 14 Jarrod Garnett. Nicholson used two takedowns in the first period and rode Garnett the whole second period before getting a takedown late in the third to pick up the three team points. At 133 pounds, 10th-ranked Devin Carter erased a 3-0 deficit heading to the third period against No. 12 Kyle Hutter, taking him down twice to take the lead. In the process of the last takedown, Carter put Hutter right to his back to pick up his ninth pin of the season with a little over a minute left to go in the third period to give Tech the momentum. Carter is now 2-0 against the nationally ranked wrestler, pinning him and picking up a major decision. At 141 pounds, 19th-ranked Chris Diaz returned from a two-week hiatus with authority as he downed Brennan Brumley, 11-7. Diaz got three takedowns in the first period and a takedown late in the third, plus a point for riding time to make it 9-3 in favor of the Hokies. Fifteenth-ranked Brian Stephens bounced back from a tough loss a weekend ago to dominate back-up Eric Dunnet at 149 pounds. He took down Dunnet, who was bumping up from the 125-pound class, at will as he picked up nine takedowns en route to the 20-7 major decision. Fifth-ranked Jesse Dong kept the momentum rolling with a dominating win over Chad Lowman at 157 pounds. Dong took him down five times to grab a 10-3 lead before turning Lowman to his back and picking up the pin at the 4:24 mark to make it 19-3 in favor of the Hokies. After the break, 14th-ranked Pete Yates came out firing against Dan Rivera at 165 pounds, picking up a takedown and a three-point nearfall in the first period. He escaped in the second period and that would be all the scoring as Yates earned a 7-0 shutout after a point for riding time. At 174 pounds, Tech’s Matt Epperly used a pair of takedowns and over a minute of riding time to down Tristan Warner, 7-3. Epperly got a takedown in the first period and rode Warner for close to a minute in the second stanza and then got another takedown late to take a 4-1 lead into the final period. Epperly escaped and Warner got a takedown to make it 5-3, but Epperly escaped again and got a point for riding time to seal the team win. Heading to the final three matches, Tech led 25-3 and sent John Dickson out for the 184-pound match. The Virginia Beach product, wrestling in front of a large contingent of friends and family, took a 4-2 lead into the final period, but ODU’s Joe Budi escaped and took down Dickson with over a minute to go. Despite his best effort, Dickson couldn’t escape from bottom and Budi hung on for the 5-4 win. At 197 pounds, Tech’s Chris Penny got a takedown near the end of the first period to take a 2-0 lead on Billy Curling. The Virginia Beach native got another takedown in the third period to pick up a 5-2 win. In the final match of the night, Tech’s David Marone downed Grant Chapman, 4-1. After a scoreless first period, Marone escaped 24 seconds in and later got a takedown to grab a 3-0 lead. Marone held Chapman down for most of the third period before Chapman escaped, but it wasn’t enough as Marone got the point for riding time and the win. “We did a good job tonight,” head coach Kevin Dresser said. “Guys got kind of frustrated because we couldn’t keep them on the mat. But we stayed patient and got it done. Devin Carter’s pin at 133 was a big spark for us. That kid is going to be a beast.” The Hokies will return home for a pair of ACC matches on Saturday, taking on NC State at 5 p.m., followed by a match with Duke right after. Tech’s three seniors - Diaz, Epperly and Tommy Spellman - will be recognized between matches. Admission is free. Results: 125: #4 James Nicholson (ODU) dec. #14 Jarrod Garnett, 8-2 133: #10 Devin Carter (VT) fall #12 Kyle Hutter, 5:45 141: #19 Chris Diaz (VT) dec. Brennan Brumley, 11-7 149: #15 Brian Stephens (VT) maj. dec. Eric Dunnet, 20-7 157: #5 Jesse Dong (VT) fall Chad Lowman, 4:24 165: #14 Pete Yates (VT) dec. Dan Rivera, 7-0 174: Matt Epperly (VT) dec. Tristan Warner, 7-3 184: Joe Budi (ODU) dec. John Dickson, 5-4 197: Chris Penny (VT) dec. Billy Curling, 5-2 285: David Marone (VT) dec. Grant Chapman, 4-1

FAIRFAX, Va. -- Binghamton wrestling (13-6) split 10 bouts with Bloomsburg but used a pin and major decision to pull out a 19-16 win over the Huskies Thursday night from Nelson Field House. It was the program's first win against Bloomsburg in four tries and avenged a 33-3 loss two seasons ago. Sophomore 11th-ranked 149-pounder Donnie Vinson needed just 2:13 to end his match by fall, giving the Bearcats six pivotal points. Vinson improved to 18-1 in duals, 21-3 overall. It was his 11th bonus-point win of the season. One match earlier, senior 141-pound Anwar Goeres posted an 11-1 major decision for his 19th win of the season (19-8, 11-5 duals). Other Bearcat winners were junior 165-pound Justin Lister, senior 174-pound Ryan McGarity and 17th-ranked sophomore Nate Schiedel. Lister scored an 8-4 decision to list his record to 16-6 overall, 12-6 in duals. McGarity earned his 26th win of the season with a 4-1 decision. With BU clinging to a 16-13 lead, Schiedel was moved up a weight to 197 and responded with a 5-4 decision. It gave Schiedel a 29-6 record, 13-4 in duals. Bloomsburg needed a pin at heavyweight to tie the match but sophomore 197-pounder Cody Reed battled up the weight and only lost a decision. "It was a good team performance," head coach Pat Popolizio said. "Getting bonus points from Donnie (Vinson) and Anwar (Goeres) helped a lot. Even though he didn't win, John Paris wrestled a good, tight match with a ranked kid and that allowed us to shuffle our lineup because of some injuries. Now we are going to focus on a big dual Sunday with Old Dominion. Our team is starting to come together in final stretch of season." Binghamton wrestles at Old Dominion with UNC-Greensboro on February 13. Results: 125 - Sean Boylan (BLOOM) dec. Derek Steeley (BU), 5-4 133 - Nick Wilcox (BLOOM) dec. Dan Riggi (BU), 5-1 141 - Anwar Goeres (BU) maj. dec. Derek Shingara (BLOOM), 11-1 149 - #11 Donnie Vinson (BU) pinned Matthew Hicks (BLOOM), 2:13 157 - Frank Hickman (BLOOM) maj. dec. Matt Kaylor (BU), 11-3 165 - Justin Lister (BU) dec. Josh Veltre (BLOOM), 8-4 174 - Ryan McGarity (BU) dec. Mike Dessino (BLOOM), 4-1 184 - Nathan Graham (BLOOM) dec. John Paris (BU), 2-0 197 - Nate Schiedel (BU) dec. Richards Perry (BLOOM), 5-4 HWT - Zachary Walsh (BLOOM) dec. Cody Reed (BU), 4-2

Related: The Blair Mat Project Part 1: A Man in Love "Come, Study, Learn," the school motto, and an appropriate one for the Blair Academy wrestling team's practice week leading up to the big dual against nationally-ranked St. Paris Graham of Ohio. This would be the week that the Blair wrestling team, under the tutelage of Coach Jeff Buxton, would have an opportunity to lay the groundwork for redemption after last season's stinging defeat to the Ohio team. We would have the ultimate honor of being with the team to tell this story. Steve Elwood and I were fortunate enough to have the golden opportunity -- courtesy of the kindness and consideration of Coach Jeff Buxton, to observe the wrestling team's entire week of practice leading up to the dual on Saturday, January 29. The following is an account of what transpired during that week: Monday, Jan. 24: It was a cloudy day on Monday, Jan. 24, when we arrived at Blair Academy for a 3:30 p.m. practice, amid the snow-covered, Richardson Romanesque-style buildings which are grouped all along the 425 acres of the campus. The weather -- along with the snow, would be a common theme throughout the course of the week. The astonishing beauty, and feeling of coziness of our surroundings greets us immediately. As we enter Hardwick Hall, we walk up a flight of stairs to arrive at the waiting area where the wrestlers are gathered on the floor, awaiting the arrival of their coach for admittance to the practice room itself. Along with them, is another group of wrestlers from Pennridge, Pennsylvania. Coach Dan Goetter of Pennridge tells us that they are here to practice with the Blair wrestling team. He tells us that he is here as much for himself, as for his wrestlers. "It's all about reaching my kids," he explains, "There's no better way to do it than this." The buzzing, and constant chattering in the room comes to an abrupt halt once coach Buxton enters. You could hear a pin drop. Coach Buxton begins with a small speech to his wrestlers, praising them for their efforts from the previous Saturday by winning the Final Four Duals championship at Easton, Pennsylvania. He also offers what seems to be an apology to them, for some of the other teams' efforts (Or lack thereof), against his team on that Saturday. He obviously was expecting, and hoping for much more from them. The door to the practice room is opened, and the wrestlers are instructed to go in. "Don't let them work your head" ... "Grind them down" ... "Pull his head down -- you don't shoot, you don't score" ... "Slow drill does not mean lousy drill -- do it right! ... "This cost us a major decision this weekend." Assistant coach John Grey observes drills during practicePractice starts with the wrestlers jogging around the room. Hip hop music is blasting on the satellite radio station. Once Coach Buxton seems to have had enough with that music genre, the station is changed to that of the genre of his liking -- classic rock. Steve and I look at each other, and smile. Affixed to the far wall of the practice room is a large flat-screened television, currently showing heavyweight wrestler Brooks Black's match against an opponent who defeated him that previous Saturday. It was Brooks' first loss of the season. Moments later it switches to 140-pound wrestler Russ Parson's match in that same dual -- a loss. Following that, is 171 pound wrestler Addison Knepshield's match -- again, in that same dual, and a loss. These matches are played over, and over again. It is to be a constant backdrop throughout this practice session. Once the music is turned off, Coach Buxton calls his wrestlers into the middle of the mat. They gather around him as he demonstrates on another wrestler (In this case, 103-pound Joseph McKenna), what he wants drilled. Once he's done explaining, he barks, "Ready -- 1, 2, 3," and all of the wrestlers clap at once in unison. This is the way that it's done throughout the course of practice. The main topic of discussion, and drilling sequences are that of the tendencies of the Graham wrestlers. Coach Buxton explains to his wrestlers that the Graham boys will constantly work on his wrestlers' heads -- pushing them and wearing them down, while working different scoring options from that position. They will not allow the Graham wrestlers to do this. The Blair wrestlers are partnered-up. What follows is the constant drilling from this position, and what defensive actions will be taken to counter the head work. There is a ton of energy in the room today. Joseph McKennaThe expression on 103-pound wrestler Joseph McKenna's face never changes. It's all business, all of the time. Let me preface this next observation by saying that every wrestler is visibly working hard during the session, but 125-pound wrestler Mark Grey is almost machine-like in his approach. It doesn't seem like anything can get this young man tired. He and his partner, Todd Preston, are relentless drilling with each other. They are a perfect fit together as partners on the mat. The last drill of the practice has all of the wrestlers get into multiple lines at one end of the mat. They then proceed to do wind sprints from one end of the gym to the other -- over, and over, and over again. It's one long race that seems to have no end in sight. By the time this is near completion, the wrestlers look like they're literally going half-speed. It's a brutal, but satisfying way to end the session. Once practice is over, all of the wrestlers -- Blair and Pennridge, shake the hands of coach Buxton, and the rest of the Blair coaching staff. A few wrestlers are then held back for some "extra special" attention -- those who were defeated in that final dual from Saturday. The extra drilling is intense, and it's not pretty, but the wrestlers handle it like men. Tuesday, Jan. 25: "I'm not a headlock guy, but I'm not opposed to it either -- if it works" ... "Don't look like you're tired -- even if you are tired" ... "Slow drill does not mean lousy drill" ... "He's got your head -- that's why you're not wrestling on Saturday!" In the waiting area, the pre-practice speech from Coach Buxton starts with an apology for the wrestling "environment" from the day before. Coach felt that there may have been too many wrestlers in the room. Today was going to be "What a typical Blair practice is all about." The wrestlers are then allowed admittance into the practice room. After a slow jog, and short period of hip hop music, the station is again switched to that of classic rock. Coach Buxton immediately begins barking orders to his wrestlers, and then remarks "One percent better each day. I saw that on the back of a shirt once." Steve and I look at each other, and crack-up. The statement becomes even funnier when moments later we observe assistant coach John Grey walk past us, sporting that exact quote on the back of his t-shirt. The man has a sense of humor. What becomes noticeable is that there's a definite "hierarchy" as to where the wrestlers drill together on the practice mats. This remains constant throughout the week, and season, we're told. The small to middle weight starters are positioned in the center area of the practice room, Brooks Black and the upper weight wrestlers are positioned on the right side, while the younger kids, and the JV wrestlers are positioned on the left side. This week's opponent, St. Paris Graham, is referenced throughout practice today. Coach Buxton has obviously done his homework, admittedly having watched the entire St. Paris Graham-St. Edward dual from a few days before. Coach Buxton knows his opponent's arsenal, and every tendency. Coach Buxton gathers his wrestlersThese practices are not about learning wrestling moves. They're about refining what you already know (or should know) to the utmost detail -- these details are drilled exclusively. Coach Buxton has no problem calling out one of his wrestlers by name when he sees something he doesn't like, or they're doing something the wrong way, or for what he deems as a lack of effort during the drilling. Each individual wrestler is held accountable for their actions in the practice room. It is good-natured, but extremely to the point. When something like this occurs, the drilling is immediately stopped, and Coach Buxton calls his troops back into the middle of the mat. "It's because of him" (Buxton points), that you're all doing this again." After some moans and groans, it's back to business, and doing things the right way. There is again a lot of emphasis on what to do when the Graham wrestlers try working their opponents' heads, as well as the proper way to position your body from the riding position. This is some air-tight riding folks. Countering single leg shots is a point of emphasis today as well. Near the end of practice, the wrestlers are asked to lower the ropes from the ceiling. They then do the exercise by hoisting themselves up on the rope, and then wrapping their legs around it as well. They pull themselves across from one end to the other. This is done multiple times by each wrestler. It is a unique twist to the practice routine. Once practice is over, the wrestlers line up to shake hands with the coaching staff. This time we're included. Man, does that feel good. Wednesday, Jan. 26: "Your minds are not right!!" ... "Am I the only guy who's fired up in this room?" ... "Keep you butts up, turn the corner, pin him, pin him, pin him!!" There is no pre-practice speech in the waiting area. Once in the practice room, classic rock (Neil Young, CCR, and Eric Clapton) is again blasting through the speakers. 135-pound Austin Ormsbee seems to be having a difficult time drilling with his severely sprained ankle, from the Cheesehead tournament in Wisconsin a few weeks ago. Turks are drilled along with pinning combinations, as well as more work with the heads, working in legs, and countering techniques. Coach Buxton tells us that he feels two of the most important factors in this dual are going to be how his wrestlers handle the Graham kids trying to work their heads, as well as simply being the tougher, better-conditioned wrestlers on the mat. After a period of time it becomes obvious that the team is flat today. Coach Buxton has done a lot less verbalization with his wrestlers, and the look on his face screams that he's not happy with what he's seeing. His silence is golden. After seeing enough of this, he throws his wrestlers out of the practice room, and tells them to wait outside in the waiting area. He leaves them out there for approximately five minutes. Once they are allowed back into the room, they are told that they'll be partnering up, and going live. The wrestlers seem to be rejuvenated, wrestling live for approximately four minutes. Unfortunately for them, this is only the beginning. Todd Preston and Mark Grey wrestle hardAfter the initial four or five minute first period, they wrestle another four minutes live for a second period. Once that's over, they go live again, for another four minute, third period. At this point, the wrestlers are drenched in sweat -- Todd Preston, Caleb Richardson, Evan Silver, Max Hvolbek, and Dylan Milonas all appear ready to collapse, but it's not over yet. Three more one-minute periods follow. This is pure hell to watch. Once it's over, there's still around one half hour of practice time remaining. Coach Buxton switches up everyone's partners (This is something that has occurred frequently during these practices.) There will be no more "slacking off" today. Once practice is over, the wrestlers shake hands with all of us. Coach Buxton holds wrestler Austin Ormsbee back. He asks the group for a volunteer to do extra drilling with Ormsbee. Russell Parsons steps up. Ormsbee and Parsons proceed to drill for another ten minutes. Ormsbee is pushed by the larger, and noticeably stronger wrestler. Coach Buxton then cuts Russell Parsons loose, and asks Ormsbee to "shadow wrestle" for a few more minutes in front of him. Coach is obviously concerned about whether or not he has made enough progress with his ankle to wrestle on Saturday. Once coach Buxton seems satisfied with Ormsbee, he cuts him loose as well. Steve and I leave stunned. Thursday, Jan. 27: "Grind" ... "Grind them down!!" There is no pre-practice speech today, as there are workers in the process of affixing brand new All-American plaques on the practice room wall. They proceed to finish what they're doing inside the room for the day, and continue their work outside. The mood seems to be much more energetic out in the hallway, as coach Buxton invites his team in. Hip hop music prevails today. Evan Silver and Joseph McKenna during drillsGrinding your opponent down from the top position seems to be the drilling focus of the day. There is much more energy in the room than what was the case with yesterday's trip into hell. Coach Buxton is constantly prowling the mats, eyes like a hawk when he sees things that he doesn't approve of. We're convinced he has eyes behind his head. Nothing gets by this man. Grinding the opponent, more work with the head, and various foot-sweeping techniques are demonstrated, and drilled exclusively. At one point during practice, Coach Buxton gets disgusted with what he deems as a lack of effort from the left side of the room. Those wrestlers are scolded for not drilling correctly. They are then told to stop, sit down, and watch, being that they can't get it right. This is how the "master" reaches his pupils. You will do things correctly ... or not at all. The last drill of today's practice is a cool down that has each wrestler grabbing his own jump rope, and using it for an extensive period of time. A few more wresters choose to go into the back of the practice room, where they ride on the exercise bikes. Joseph McKenna's jump rope seems like it's two times the normal size for a single individual. Regardless, he handles it with ease. This is yet another nice change of pace from the usual grinding routine. Once practice ends, the wrestlers again shake all of our hands. Today was a much better day. Friday, Jan. 28: "Don't let them grind you down, we do the grinding" ... "We're too loose, we're not focused enough, it's time to get focused." Coach Buxton addresses his wrestlersCoach Buxton enters the practice room waiting area, and explains to us that practice will be easier today. It's the day before the dual, and he doesn't want to take the chance of any starters sustaining injuries. He tells us that there will be no "live" drilling today. There are many more wrestlers donning sweatshirts today. The wrestlers begin their customary light jog around the gym, amidst the sounds of hip hop, and then again, classic rock. There are two new faces in the practice room today, one of a young wrestler that we're not familiar with, and the other being the heavyweight wrestler that defeated Brooks Black last Saturday. They're both here to practice with the team. Brooks seems shocked when he first notices the same opponent that has again caused him so much more pain this past Monday. They shake hands, and the momentary uneasy feeling in the room dissipates. They will be drilling partners today. Coach Buxton explains to us that the young guest is here with his grandfather to take in a practice session. The family is considering having their boy attend Blair Academy. Coach tells us that he's 14 years old, and is a Tulsa Schoolboy runner-up from Kansas. I find a moment with wrestler Todd Preston during a short break during the drilling, and ask him if all of these constant visitors are a distraction to him, and his teammates. "Not at all," he replies. "You learn to get used to it quick if you want to wrestle here." Coach Buxton is visibly content that the practice is high-spirited today. He tells us, "I'm happy today," with a wide grin on his face. He then tells us that two of the best officials in the state will be working the dual on Saturday -- Vinnie Russo and Roy Dragon. The drilling today is crisp. 135-pound Austin Ormsbee looks much more "on his game" today than he has the previous four. The injured ankle doesn't seem to be bothering him as much. For the first time all week (that we've seen), Coach Buxton walks around the room to each of his starting wrestlers, and asks them where their weight's at in regards to where it needs to be tomorrow. Each wrestler responds by holding up their fingers. There are some quiet discussions between Coach and his wrestlers during this period. No one seems worried. As the final practice comes to a close, it has become very obvious that this was indeed the "lightest" one of the week. Unfortunately for Brooks Black and his new partner today, that doesn't seem to be the case. The two of them look like they have just gotten out of a swimming pool when it has finally ended. They shake hands, and Brooks asks him to come back again sometime. The rest of the wrestlers shake hands with all of us one final time. Coach Buxton works with visiting wrestler from KansasCoach then finds time to do some extra one-on-one drilling with the visitor from Kansas. The young man's face lights up when he realizes he's getting special attention from the legend. Unfortunately, the legend pays for it by receiving a nasty scratch over the area near the top corner of his right eye. Blood is dripping from his face. "I feel like I got hit with a switchblade," he laughs. I tell Steve that this will be all too appropriate for Coach Buxton's photo sessions tomorrow. He'll wear it like a "badge of honor." We don't ever want this week to end. One of the many things that have had a lasting impression on Steve and I during the course of the week are the wrestlers themselves. They are the most polite, and well-spoken young men that you're ever likely to come across. They all act and carry themselves like mature adults. It's almost surreal. This is an obvious reflection of their coach Jeff Buxton, and his staff. Steve and I both realize how lucky we are, and what an opportunity this has been. Coach Buxton calls his wrestlers to the center of the mat one last time for a small discussion. He reiterates what he wants, and expects from them on the mat come Saturday. "This is just another match for me. You guys should want this much more than I do, especially after what happened over there last season. It's up to you guys now." He continues by giving the wrestlers their entire schedule for Saturday. Tomorrow at 1 p.m., it will be shirts and ties for the dedication ceremony for their coach. From that point on, the practice room will officially be called the "Jeffrey P. Buxton Wrestling Room." Also to be unveiled are brand new All-American plaques that have been affixed along the practice room wall. At 7 p.m. there will be a short video prior to the dual, spanning coach Buxton's 29 years of legendary service with the Academy, as well as memorials of the late Adam Frey, and Ray Mendoza -- two individuals Coach Buxton holds dearly to his heart. He will introduce Ray's wife to the crowd just prior to the dual. It is sure to be a tear-inducing moment. My final thoughts to Steve are that "St. Paris Graham has no chance." Saturday, Jan. 29: Blair 39, St. Paris Graham 18 The gym is filled to capacity. There are many painted faces in the student body section, including a character that can only be described as "The Human Blue Spandex" wearing a Blair singlet and yellow headgear. I think I spot Mil Mascaras in that area as well; but after a closer look, and to my disappointment, I realize it's just another member of the student body sporting a very unique, and of course blue mask. There is some serious atmosphere here tonight. Todd Preston works for the pinThe dual starts out at 103, which I'm sure makes Coach Buxton happy because he knows his team can, and should get some good momentum here. They do. They proceed to go on and win the first six bouts -- three by pin, and build up a 27-0 lead. Highlights here included pins by 103-pound Joseph McKenna, Mark Grey (125), and Todd Preston (130). Evan Silver (112) and Caleb Richardson (119) "grinded" out hard-earned victories as well, as did Austin Ormsbee, who was visibly still affected by his injured ankle. Regardless, Ormsbee found a way. St. Paris Graham goes on to win the next three bouts, one of them by pin, to close to within 15, 27-12. Russell Parsons (140), Dylan Milonas (145) and Patrick Coover (152) all wrestled valiantly in defeat. The lone pin was suffered by Milonas, who is a freshman. If the previous week of practice was any indication, this young man will bounce back. He looks to become a very good one in short time. Blair Academy defeats St. Paris Graham, 39-18The Buccaneers of Blair Academy then went on to win three of the final five bouts, one by pin, to close out a 39-18 victory, to a very excited, and enthusiastic home crowd. Michael Mocco (160) and Frank Mattiace (215) won by decision, while Brooks Black (285) won by pin. Addison Knepshield (171), and David Farr (189), both hung tough in defeat, only losing by decision. Farr wrestled valiantly in a bout most thought might yield bonus points to the Graham wrestler. Overall, this dual could not have gone much better for Coach Buxton and his wrestlers. It could not have gone much better for Steve, my wife Alejandra, and me as well. For Coach Buxton and his Blair wrestling team, the challenge of taking on nationally-ranked teams Wyoming Seminary of Pennsylvania, and St. Edward, as well as Kiski Prep, lies in the week ahead. For us, it's back to the real world, along with the memories of the greatest high school wrestling week that we've ever had the pleasure to experience. It would not have happened if not for the consideration of the greatest wrestling coach of them all -- Jeffrey Buxton. Coach Buxton, and Blair Academy are all class -- on the mat, and off it. Chris Danyo can be reached at cd1421@gmail.com. Steve Elwood can be reached at steveel@rstransportinc.com.

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Prior to Thursday night’s Bucknell-Army wrestling match in Davis Gym the Bison program recognized six student-athletes during Senior Night festivities. Those veterans each had strong showings as they combined for a 5-0 record against the Black Knights, helping Bucknell to a 25-12 win over Army. The win was the first EIWA victory of the year for the Bison, who improved to 6-10, 1-4 EIWA. Bucknell, which defeated Lock Haven last Friday, has now won two straight matches for the first time this year. The Bison have also won seven consecutive February duals and they closed out their 2010-11 home slate with a 4-3 mark at Davis Gym. Bucknell won eight of the 10 bouts against Army (7-7, 2-5 EIWA) to improve to 2-7 all-time when facing the Black Knights. The Bison have won each of the last two meetings with Army. While Bucknell more than doubled the Black Knights in the team score, it was a much closer match than that as two bouts went to overtime and four others – all Bison victories – were decided by just one point. Seniors Jay Hahn (Malvern, Pa./Great Valley), Brantley Hooks (Spartanburg, S.C./James F. Byrnes), Kevin LeValley (Hugo, Colo./Limon), Scott Sechler (Slatington, PA./Northern Lehigh) and Rob Waltko (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny), as well as fourth-year junior David Thompson (West Liberty, Ohio/Graham Local), were honored prior to the match. All but Sechler were in the starting lineup and each posted a victory. Army claimed two of the first three bouts to jump out to a 12-3 lead. The Black Knights’ Jordan Thome recorded a pin at 133 pounds and his brother, Casey Thome, won by injury default over Bucknell’s Zac Hancock (Laura, Ohio/Troy Christian) 2:08 into a scoreless bout. LeValley started the comeback and a string of seven consecutive Bison victories with a 12-3 major decision at 149 pounds. It was his 16th consecutive win in Davis Gym and it was his 12th straight EIWA dual victory. He outscored Daniel Young 8-2 in the first two periods, including 6-2 in the second. LeValley now has 117 career victories, one shy of second-place Bobby Ferraro on Bucknell’s all-time list. Hooks followed with the first of the Bison’s four one-point decisions. A third-period escape proved to be the difference for Hooks, who is now 17-9 this year and 83-64 in his career as he moved into sole possession of 10th place on Bucknell’s all-time wins list. Sophomore Corey Lear (Orangeville, Pa./Benton Area), who shut out his opponent for the fifth time this year, earned a 1-0 victory at 165 vs. Jake Vetter. The only point came early in the second period when Lear scored on an escape after choosing the bottom position. The bout featured both Lear and Vetter on their feet for much of the time, but Lear fought off a couple of serious third-period takedown attempts by Vetter to give Bucknell a 13-12 lead. At 174 pounds, Thompson posted a 4-2 overtime win with a sudden victory takedown. He registered a pair of escapes during regulation, coming back from an early 2-0 hole. Waltko continued the string of Bison victories with a tight 8-7 win at 184 pounds. It was his third straight victory and evened his season record at 13-13. A win by Hahn at 197 pounds clinched the Bucknell win as his 10-4 decision over Daniel Mills staked the Bison to a 22-12 advantage. Hahn recorded four takedowns, while Mills could manage just four escapes in the bout. Sophomore Joe McMullan (Easton, Pa./Wyoming Seminary) capped the match with a 4-3 decision at heavyweight, his second win in five tries at the weight class this year. Derek Reber (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg Area) got things started for the Bison by claiming a hard-fought 5-2 overtime victory at 125 pounds over David White. The score was tied 2-2 entering overtime and neither wrestler scored in the sudden victory period or the first tiebreaker. Finally, Reber turned White onto his back and scored a three-point near fall for the win. Thursday’s victory marked the 50th in Bison head coach Dan Wirnsberger’s five-year tenure at the helm of the Bucknell program. He has led the Bison to a 50-45-2 mark over that span. Bucknell will go for its third straight win next Saturday, Feb. 19, when it wrestles at EIWA foe Brown in Providence, R.I. The Bison will close their regular season the next day at American. Results: *125: Derek Reber (B) dec. David White (A), 5-2 (tb2) 133: Jordan Thome (A) fall Alex Pellicciotti (B), 4:44 141: Casey Thome (A) injury default Zac Hancock (B) 149: No. 6 Kevin LeValley (B) maj. dec. Daniel Young (A), 12-3 157: Brantley Hooks (B) dec. Jimmy Rafferty (A), 3-2 165: Corey Lear (B) dec. Jake Vetter (A), 1-0 174: David Thompson (B) dec. Ryan Tompkins (A), 4-2 (sv) 184: Rob Waltko (B) dec. Wil Brown (A), 8-7 197: Jay Hahn (B) dec. Daniel Mills (A), 10-4 Hwt: Joe McMullan (B) dec. Christian Botero (A), 4-3

Clarion, Pa. -- Pitt wrestling improved to 4-0 in the EWL and 11-6 overall with a dominating 32-9 victory Thursday night at Clarion. The Panthers won the final four bouts and seven of the 10 overall. The win marks the 10th consecutive conference match victory for the Panthers Clarion chose to start the match at the 149-pound weight class and claimed the opening two bouts with three point decisions. With the Panthers trailing by six, redshirt junior Ethan Headlee (165) put the Panthers on the board with a thrilling 3-2 decision. Facing a one point deficit late in the match, Headlee grabbed two points on a reversal to take the lead and ultimately the bout. Making his EWL season debut, junior Karl DeCiantis (174) evened the team score at 6-6 with a 3-2 decision. Freshman Max Thomusseit (184) continued his dominance with a fall at 1:32 into the first period. With the pin, Thomusseit earned his 10th victory in his last 11 dual matches. The Knights pulled back within three with a 1-0 decision at 197. The only point in the match came by riding time. Redshirt senior Ryan Tomei (285) quickly diminished any Clarion hopes of a comeback, notching the second pin of the match for the Panthers. His eighth pin of the season, Tomei now stands at 37 career falls. Sophomore Anthony Zanetta (125) earned his fourth consecutive victory with over three minutes of riding time en route to a 10-7 decision over Thomas Gowing of Clarion. The Panthers clinched the match with a five-point technical fall courtesy of freshman Shelton Mack. Mack used a pair of takedowns along with several back points on his way to the 17-2 decision. In the final match of the day, redshirt junior Tyler Nauman pinned Clarion’s Hunter McGraw, giving the Panthers a 32-9 overall victory. 149: Anthony White (Clarion) dec. Dane Johnson (Pitt), 7-3 SV1 3-0 Clarion 157: No. 13 James Fleming (Clarion) dec. Donnie Tasser (Pitt), 8-1 6-0 Clarion 165: Ethan Headlee (Pitt) dec. Bekzod Abdurakhmonov (Clarion), 3-2 6-3 Clarion 174: Karl DeCiantis (Pitt) dec. Scott Joseph (Clarion), 3-2 6-6 Tie 184: No. 19 Max Thomusseit (Pitt) WBF (1:32) Josh Sadler (Clarion) 12-6 Pitt 197: Alex Thomas (Clarion) dec. Phil Sorrentino (Pitt), 1-0 12-9 Pitt 285: No. 7 Ryan Tomei (Pitt) WBF (5:24) Quintas McCorkle (Clarion) 18-9 Pitt 125: Anthony Zanetta (Pitt) Thomas Gowing (Clarion), 10-7 21-9 Pitt 133: Shelton Mack (Pitt) TF-5 (3:27) Nick Flannery (Clarion), 17-2 26-9 Pitt 141: No. 7 Tyler Nauman (Pitt) WBF (3:13) Hunter McGraw (Clarion) 32-9 Pitt

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ -- The Avis rental car company used to advertise that because it was number two, it tried harder. On Wednesday night, Rider head coach Gary Taylor, number two in career wins among active Division I coaches (369), led his Broncs to victory over Drexel, who is coached by Jack Childs, the current leader in Division I wins among active coaches (421). "The match went the way a lot of our matches with Drexel have gone over the years," Taylor said. "Back-and-forth. I thought it was a good match. Coach Childs and I are always going to be battling, to try to beat each other, and when it's over we're good friends." The Broncs won six of the 10 bouts to defeat Drexel in a Colonial Athletic Association dual meet. Rider and Drexel have now met 35 times since the series began in 1970-71 with Rider winning 27, including a 27-9 decision last year in Philadelphia. The last time Drexel defeated Rider was during the 2006-07 season. Freshman Ramon Santiago (Sayreville, N.J./Sayreville) won by tech fall to give Rider (8-10, 2-2 CAA) a 17-0 lead. Santiago was a High School All-American who placed eighth at the High School Nationals in 2009 after finishing runner-up in the New Jersey State Championships. "Ramon is a talented young man," Taylor said of his red-shirt freshman, who was named the CAA Rookie of the Week for all competition the last week of January. "He's learning a lot this year. It is always good to have talent, but sometimes when you are just a good athlete you can depend on your athleticism too much. At this level, you cannot do that. He understands that now." "I'm controlling my weight better," Santiago said, "and that has allowed me to focus more on my wrestling instead of losing weight. I've been wrestling a lot better since then." "Sitting out last year definitely helped him," Taylor said. "Sitting out last year was good because I gained some valuable experience in the wrestling room with my teammates, but it was tough because for the first time in my life I wasn't in the line-up," Santiago said. "Now there is more pressure but I'm getting used to it. The biggest difference between college and high school is here, everybody is tough. You never run into an opponent who isn't good. They are all former State place winners or State Champions." Senior Rob Morrison (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cedar Cliff) won to improve to 4-0 in the CAA, 14-3 in duals and 23-6 overall. Morrison is ranked second in the CAA and defeated the wrestler who is ranked fourth in the conference. Freshman Chuck Zeisloft (Woodbury Heights, N.J./Gateway) won to give Rider a 3-0 lead. Zeisloft is ranked third in the CAA and defeated the wrestler who is ranked fourth in the conference. Sophomore Zac Cibula (Luxemburg, Wis./Luxemburg Casco) improved to 23-10 overall, 11-6 in duals. Cibula is ranked second in the CAA and defeated the wrestler who is ranked fourth. Junior Aaron Nestor (Transfer, Pa./Reynolds) won to give Rider a 9-0 lead. Nestor is ranked third in the CAA and defeated the wrestler who is ranked sixth in the conference. "I knew we had to get out early," Taylor said. Junior Jimmy Kirchner (Somerville, N.J./Somerville) improved to 20-10 on the season. Kirchner is ranked third in the CAA and defeated the wrestler who is ranked fifth. Drexel (7-15, 1-5 CAA) won at 165, 184, 197 and heavyweight. "Drexel is pretty good up top, in the heavier weights," Taylor said. Rider travels to Hofstra for a CAA dual meet February 16. "Hofstra is a very tough team," Taylor said. Rider will just have to try harder. Results: 125 - Chuck Zeisloft-R dec. Michael Gomez-D 8-3 3-0 133 - Jimmy Kirchner-R dec. Frank Cimato-D 6-0 6-0 141 - Aaron Nestor-R dec. Josh Yurasits-D 4-0 9-0 149 - Zac Cibula-R dec. Austin Sommer-D 8-2 12-0 157 - Ramon Santiago-R tech fall Charles Aungst-D 15-0 (7:00) 17-0 165 - Joe Booth-D dec. Jim Resnick-R 5-0 17-3 174 - Rob Morrison-R dec. Justin Wieller-D 4-1 20-3 184 - Shawn Fausey-D dec. James Brundage-R 5-4 20-6 197 - Brandon Palik-D dec, Joe Ferber-R 3-1 ot 20-9 285 - Jack Callender-D dec. Evan Craig-R 4-1 20-12

GREELEY, Colo. -- The University of Wyoming wrestling team won its seventh straight dual of the season Wednesday, as it defeated Northern Colorado on the road, 43-3. The Cowboys now are 11-4 overall and 5-0 in Western Wrestling Conference action to lead the WWC standings. ”It’s good as a team to come out and take care of business,” Wyoming coach Mark Branch said. “We got some important conference wins.” The dual started with a 10-2 major decision for No. 15 Michael Martinez to give Wyoming a 4-0 lead after the 125-pound match. He defeated Northern Colorado’s Sam Bauer. Wyoming’s lone loss of the night occurred in the 133-pound match, as No. 18 Tyler Cox lost a 7-3 decision to Northern Colorado’s Casey Cruz. But Kasey Garnhart got a win in the 141-pound match due to forfeit to make it Wyoming 10, Northern Colorado 3 after three matches. No. 17 Cole Dallaserra got the upset win of the night for Wyoming, winning a 7-4 decision over No. 12-ranked Justin Gaethje in the 149-pound match. It was Dallaserra’s first win over a ranked opponent this season, and his effort gave the Pokes a 13-3 lead after four matches. “You really tend to focus on the individual matchups. Cole got a very important win over an All-American and a kid who’s highly ranked,” Branch said. Jimmy Belleville kept the wins rolling for Wyoming at 157 pounds with a 10-5 decision over Tanner Weiks, and No. 4 Shane Onufer got his seventh fall of the year, pinning Brandon Kammerzell at the 2:51 mark in the 165-pound bout. Onufer now is 25-0 on the season. Those match victories gave Wyoming a 22-3 lead in the dual. Patrick Martinez got his seventh major decision of the year at 174 pounds, as he beat Cody McAninch 16-4. No. 5 Joe LeBlanc then won by technical fall, 19-3, at the 4:56 mark of the 18-4 pound match. LeBlanc’s victory gave Wyoming a 31-3 lead. L.J. Helbig got his second pin of the season in his match against the Bears’ Nick Bayer, with a fall at 6:13. It was Helbig’s second pin of the season, and Matthew McLaughlin followed that up with a fall of his own in the heavyweight match. He defeated Konner Knudtsen with a pin at 1:55. The road doesn’t get any easier for the Pokes, as they prepare to head south for a matchup with the Oklahoma Sooners on Friday in Norman, Okla. Then they’ll head to Stillwater, Okla., for a dual with the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Sunday. Both teams boast several ranked wrestlers, and the squads are in the top 10 of several polls. “We’re talking about a different beast,” Branch said of the upcoming duals. “We’re going in as pretty big underdogs in most of individual matchups. We definitely have to be at the top of our game. We’re going to be challenged with some very good competition. “At the same time, you have to look at that as an opportunity. In most of the matchups, we have a lot to gain and not a lot to lose. Hopefully, the kids are excited to wrestle these programs. It’s an opportunity to see where we stack up, and it’ll be a good indicator of the team’s progress.” Results: 125 pounds: No. 15 Michael Martinez defeated Sam Bauer in a 10-2 major decision. 133: No. 18 Tyler Cox lost to Casey Cruz in a 7-3 decision. 141: Kasey Garnhart won in a forfeit. 149: No. 17 Cole Dallaserra defeated No. 12 Justin Gaethje in a 7-4 decision. 157: Jimmy Belleville defeated Tanner Weiks in a 10-5 decision. 165: No. 4 Shane Onufer defeated Brandon Kammerzell with a pin at 2:51. 174: Patrick Martinez defeated Cody McAninch in a 16-4 major decision. 184: No. 5 Joe LeBlanc defeated Eric Brennan with a 19-3 technical fall at 4:56. 197: L.J. Helbig defeated Nick Bayer with a pin at 6:13. 285: Matthew McLaughlin defeated Konner Knudtsen with a pin at 1:55.

HOBOKEN, N.J. -- As it has for much of the last month, the Lycoming College wrestling team was forced to use a lineup that featured four wrestlers not in their original starting lineup, but the Warriors persevered by posting 15 points in the last three bouts to claim a 28-13 win over Stevens Tech on Wednesday night, Feb. 9, in non-conference action. With the score tied at 13 after seven bouts, senior Troy Hayre (McLean, Va./McLean) put the Warriors in control at the 184-pound match, putting Jason Nowakoski on his back with 31 seconds left in the third period. Senior Russ Korbul (Asbury, N.J./Northampton C.C.) followed with a 10-3 win at 197 and sophomore Chris Geisel (Gibbsboro, N.J./Eastern) followed with a pin 62 seconds into his heavyweight match with Ryan Miskanich to close out the win. The Warriors (11-10 overall) took an early lead when junior Stephen Hinton (Montclair, Va./Forest Park) posted a 4-2 win over Brandon Ling at 125 pounds. After a loss at 133, the Warriors took a 10-3 lead, as senior Mike Maurer (Towanda, Pa./Towanda Area) notched a 5-2 win over Cody Curtiss at 141 pounds before senior Isaiah Britton (Williamsport, Pa./Loyalsock Township) notched a 12-0 major decision over C.J. Caserta at 149. After a default put the Ducks (11-10-1 overall) within a point, sophomore Dave Smith (Ambler, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham) posted a 7-2 win at 165 pounds. However, a Stevens’ major decision at 174 tied the match at 13, setting up the dramatic end. The Warriors wrap up their dual meet season looking to wrap it up over .500 for the 25th straight year when they face Gettysburg on Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. Results: 125: Stephen Hinton (L) dec Brandon Ling (S), 4-2, 3-0 133: Mike DiLiello (S) dec Terrell Nixon (L), 2-1, 3-3 141: Michael Maurer (L) dec Cody Curtiss (S), 5-2, 6-3 149: Isiah Britton (L) maj dec CJ Caserta (S), 12-0, 10-3 157: Leo Dormann MFOR Eric Grecco (L), 2:04, 10-9 165: Dave Smith (L) dec Will Sharkey (S), 7-2, 13-9 174: Ryan Dormann (S) maj dec Tyler Cunningham (L) 10-1, 13-13 184: Troy Hayre (L) pin Jason Nowakoski (S), 6:29, 19-13 197: Russ Korbul (L) dec Vincent Termini (S), 10-3, 22-13 285: Chris Geisel (L) pin Ryan Miskanich (S), 1:02, 28-13

Lock Haven, PA -- Ryan Patrovich and P.J. Gillespie each had major decision wins as the Pride won eight of 10 matches on the way to a 26-6 victory over Lock Haven at Thomas Fieldhouse Wednesday night. The Pride, which captured their sixth dual match victory in their last seven outings, improved to 10-4-1 on the season. Lock Haven, which dropped its third straight match, fell to 5-9 on the year. The Pride jumped out to a 12-0 lead after four matches with four straight wins by decision. Redshirt sophomore Steve Bonanno opened up with a hard-fought 10-9 decision over senior Nick Hyatt at 125. Bonanno improved to 18-10 on the year. Fourth-ranked senior Lou Ruggirello climbed into sole possession of sixth place on the all-time Hofstra career victories list with a 3-1 win over junior John Trumbetti. It was Ruggirello’s (22-3) 121st victory of his Pride career breaking a tie with Eric Schmiesing (1996-01), who posted 120 during his career. Junior Vince Varela made it 9-0 with a 9-3 victory over junior Justin Loudon at 141 pounds for his 16th win of the season against 10 defeats. Junior Matt Spataro kept the run going with a 3-1 decision over senior Owen Wilkinson at 149 pounds. Spataro improved to 7-13 on the year. Junior Seth Creasy put the Bald Eagles on the board with a 4-2 decision over Tyler Banks (16-14) at 157 pounds to close the Lock Haven deficit to 12-3. But the Pride won the next four matches including consecutive major decisions by Gillespie and Patrovich at 165 and 174 pounds, respectively. Gillespie posted his fourth major of the year with a 9-1 decision over freshman Dylan Caprio to improve to 20-6 on the season. Patrovich notched his seventh major decision with a 12-2 victory over freshman Mike Khoury to improve to 12-4 this year. Junior Ben Clymer just fell short of making it three majors in a row with a 10-3 decision over freshman Jacob Bachman at 184. Clymer boosted his record to 15-8 on the year. Freshman Matt Loew ended the Pride’s second four-match run with a 6-3 victory over senior Derek Caldwell at 197 pounds. Loew improved to 9-21 this year. Lock Haven sophomore Harry Turner closed out the match with a 5-3 victory over sophomore Paul Snyder (19-13) at 285 pounds for the final score of 26-6. The Pride return to action on Saturday, February 12 when they travel to Cambrideg, Massachusetts to face Harvard at 2 p.m. Results: 125 Steve Bonanno (Hofstra ) DEC Nick Hyatt (Lock Haven ) 10 - 9 133 Lou Ruggirello (Hofstra ) DEC John Trumbetti (Lock Haven ) 3 - 1 141 Vicente Varela (Hofstra ) DEC Justin Loudon (Lock Haven ) 9 - 3 149 Matt Spataro (Hofstra ) DEC Owen Wilkinson (Lock Haven ) 3 - 1 157 Seth Creasy (Lock Haven ) DEC Tyler Banks (Hofstra ) 4 - 2 165 Paul Gillespie (Hofstra ) MD Dylan Caprio (Lock Haven ) 9 - 1 174 Ryan Patrovich (Hofstra ) MD Michael Khoury (Lock Haven ) 12 - 2 184 Ben Clymer (Hofstra ) DEC Jacob Bachman (Lock Haven ) 10 - 3 197 Matt Loew (Hofstra ) DEC Derek Caldwell (Lock Haven ) 6 - 3 285 Henry Turner (Lock Haven ) DEC Paul Snyder (Hofstra ) 5 - 3

LANCASTER, Pa. -- After going 23 matches without a victory, Franklin & Marshall's wrestlers have posted two wins in a row. The Diplomats (2-9) took eight weight classes in a 34-9 win in its annual match with Gettysburg (5-11), extending their lead in the series to 59-6-2. The Diplomats gave up 125 pounds via forfeit to Abe Evans (10-7) and saw Gettysburg's heavyweight, Bobby Christopher (21-6) win on a late takedown of Dan Canfield (9-17), but everything in between was all F&M. 133-pounder, Jake Bucha (26-4), negated the forfeit early in the second period, picking Matt Spano's (18-18) ankle and taking him directly to his back 18 seconds in. It was Bucha's third pin in as many matches, the seventh of the season, and the tenth of his career. Bucha's pin was also the first of three for F&M on the night. Anthony Bongarzone (12-15) slipped in a cradle as Anthony Iorio (8-4) tried to work to his feet. The Diplomats' senior rolled the Bullets' 165-pounder straight to his back for a pin at 2:28. Colin Ely (15-4), in his first action since mid-January, showed no signs of rust as he recorded a first period pin of Marshall Puls (9-18) at 197. Ely moved to 7-0 in dual meets this season. Following the Bucha pin, Aaron Velasquez (4-12) gave F&M its first lead of the night by way of a 9-7 decision of Dan Traficanti (9-17). After rolling up a fistful of back points, Velasquez came dangerously close to securing another F&M pin at the buzzer in the first, but ran out of time. Traficanti tried to work his way out of the early hole, but Velasquez outlasted the Bullets' freshman to make it 9-6 in favor of F&M. Andrew Murano (5-13) extended the lead with a late takedown of Matt Danielson (4-6) at 149. Murano and Danielson scored early by countering each other's shots early, but Murano was the first wrestler to secure points on his own offense, taking a 5-4 lead at the second period buzzer. Working from the bottom in the third, Danielson finally got free with 29 seconds remaining. Undaunted, Murano secured his final takedown with five seconds left in the bout to make it the 7-5 final. Eric Norgard (6-16) continued the run using three takedowns, a pair of back points and escapes, and a boatload of advantage time for his second major of the season. His win at 157 ran the lead to 16-6 heading into Bongarzone's pin. Matt Fullowan (21-11) and Matt Latessa (4-15) followed on with respective decisions at 174 and 184. Fullowan's win his fifth in as many and ninth in his last 10. Latessa's victory was his third straight, marking the longest winning streak of his career. The Diplomats return to action Friday night against NYU. F&M will honor its seniors prior to the 8:00 p.m. start at Mayser Center. Results: 125: Abe Evans (GC) by forfeit 133: Jake Bucha (F&M) pinned Matt Spano, 3:42 141: Aaron Velasquez (F&M) dec. Dan Traficanti, 9-7 149: Andrew Murano (F&M) dec. Matt Danielson, 7-5 157: Eric Norgard (F&M) maj. dec. Joe Fiore, 11-3 165: Anthony Bongarzone (F&M) pinned Anthony Iorio, 2:28 174: Matt Fullowan (F&M) dec. Jared Leon, 9-3 184: Matt Latessa (F&M) dec. D.J. Neri, 5-3 197: Colin Ely (F&M) pinned Marhsall Puls, 2:23 285: Bobby Christopher (GC) dec. Dan Canfield, 6-4

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Division I Wrestling Committee, Rider University and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference have announced that tickets for the 2011 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships are sold out. “The committee is absolutely thrilled to see the wrestling championships sold out for the second year in a row,” said Derek van der Merwe, chair of the Division I Wrestling Committee and senior associate director of athletics at Central Michigan University. “This championship event continues to grow and it is great to see how the city of Philadelphia and the college wrestling community have enhanced this.” The three-day event, taking place March 17-19 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa., officially sold out of all-session tickets, and because of this no single session tickets will be available for the championships. The NCAA Fan Festival, a free event for all fans, will be open March 17-19 from 1-7 p.m. each day at Lincoln Financial Field. Events include USA Wrestling National Team practices, the “Family Ties” National Wrestling Hall of Fame presentation and display, the NWCA Coaches Clinic and the annual Semifinals Preview Show. Additionally, there will be daily autograph sessions, a trivia contest, the WIN Magazine Memorabilia Show and a “Taste of Philadelphia” food, beverage and lounge area. Tickets for the 2012 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo., go on sale Thursday, March 17. To purchase tickets or for more information on the wrestling championships, log on to NCAA.com/wrestling

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- The sixth-ranked Rutgers wrestling team (20-1, 8-0 EIWA) used bonus points from a major decision by senior Alex Caruso (Green Brook, N.J.) and pin from Dan Rinaldi (Lodi, N.J.) to help it down a tough No. 11 American squad, 19-15, at College Ave. Gym. Rutgers was able to get out to an early 6-0 lead behind a pair of key wins at 125 and 133-pounds. In the 125-pound bout, Joe Langel (Howell, N.J.) used a second period reversal and near fall to score four points that proved to be the difference in his 7-4 decision over Nick Arujau. Mike DeMarco (Lyndhurst, N.J.) kept the RU momentum going for RU at 133-pounds with a 7-5 decision over Kevin Tao. After a back and forth first period that ended tied at 3-3, DeMarco chose down to begin the third and quickly earned an escape and takedown to 6-3 lead. Tao managed an escape in both the second and third periods, but it wasn’t enough as DeMarco used 1:36 of riding time to secure the 7-5 victory. After American took decisions at 141, 149, 157-pounds to take its first lead of the match at 9-6, Scott Winston (Jackson, N.J.) quickly got RU back to level with a 4-1 decision over Patrick Graham. The Winston victory seemed to give the Scarlet Knights a spark heading into the 174-pound match between Alex Caruso (Green Brook, N.J.) and Tanner Shaffer. Caruso was in control from the get go taking a 6-2 lead after the first. The redshirt senior was able to push his lead to 11-3 after the second and eventually secured a 14-5 victory by major decision to give RU a crucial bonus point. At 184-pounds, Dan Rinaldi (Lodi, N.J.) sent the College Ave. Gym crowd into a frenzy as he recorded a pin fall on Thomas Barreiro at the 2:53 mark of the first period to push the Scarlet Knights’ lead to a commanding 10 points at 19-9. After Mike Wagner (South Plainfield, N.J.) was able to hold No. 18 Daniel Mitchell to a victory by decision, the match was out of reach for the Eagles (19-12 with one match remaining) as they could not gain enough points to tie Rutgers. Despite the inevitable RU victory, American was able to send RU out on a sour note with a victory at heavyweight to close the match with a score of Rutgers 19 and American 15. The Scarlet Knights return to action on Thursday, Feb. 17, when they welcome EIWA rival Leigh to the Louis Brown Athletic Center for a 7 p.m. dual. The dual, which is the last RU home dual of the season, will serve as senior night for the Scarlet Knights. Tickets are on sale now for the Lehigh dual. To purchase tickets please visit http://tickets.scarletknights.com or call 866-445-GoRU (4678). Results: 125: Joe Langel (RU) dec. Nick Arujau (AU), 7-4; Rutgers leads, 3-0 133: Mike DeMarco (RU) dec. Kevin Tao (AU), 7-5; Rutgers leads, 6-0 141: No. 14 Matt Mariacher (AU) dec. Trevor Melde (RU), 3-1; Rutgers leads, 6-3 149: No. 10 Ganbayar Sanjaa (AU) dec. No. 4 Mario Mason (RU), 2-0; Match tied, 6-6 157: No. 1 Steve Fittery (AU) dec. No. 15 Daryl Cocozzo (RU), 6-3; AU leads, 9-6 165: No. 6 Scott Winston (RU) dec. Patrick Graham (AU), 4-1; Match tied, 9-9 174: No. 20 Alex Caruso (RU) m. dec. Tanner Shaffer (AU), 14-5; Rutgers leads, 13-9 184: Dan Rinaldi (RU) pins Thomas Barreiro (AU), 2:53; Rutgers leads, 19-9 197: No. 18 Daniel Mitchell (AU) dec. Mike Wagner (RU), 6-1; Rutgers leads, 19-12 285: No. 5 Ryan Flores (AU) dec. No. 3 DJ Russo (RU), 9-2; Rutgers wins, 19-15

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Notre Dame (Ohio) remained the No. 1 team in the sixth edition of the NAIA Wrestling Coaches' Top 20 Poll, the national office announced Tuesday. The Falcons, who have occupied the top spot on the poll since Nov. 24, 2009, racked up 133.5 points. Grand View (Iowa) held on to its No. 2 ranking for the third-straight poll with 101.5 points. Lindenwood (Mo.) climbed to third with 81 points and is followed by No. 4 McKendree (Ill.) (79 points) and No. 5 Campbellsville (Ky.) (73.5 points). Powered with a trio of top-ranked wrestlers and seven others scattered throughout the ranks, Notre Dame (8-0) has earned the No. 1 ranking for the 13th-consecutive poll. Of the top-five squads, Grand View (10-4) boasts the most ranked individuals with 12. Both Lindenwood (4-2) and McKendree (14-2) landed eight grapplers on the poll, while Campbellsville (12-4) has 10 ranked wrestlers. Brett Freeman of Notre Dame took over at 141 pounds, Embry-Riddle’s (Ariz.) Tyler Chang moved to the top at 157 pounds and Andrew Sanchez of McKendree (Ill.) climbed to No. 1 at 197 pounds. Freeman and Sanchez garner their first No. 1 ranking of their senior campaign. Freeman had won 19-straight bouts dating back to Dec. 11, but medically forfeited to teammate Marty Carlson at the Greyhound Open hosted by NCAA Division II University of Indianapolis on Feb. 6. Prior to the tournament, he topped previously top-ranked Tommy Pretty of Campbellsville with a 6-5 setback at the Campbellsville Duals on Jan. 29. Freeman’s record stands at 23-3. Chang remains undefeated at 32-0 and is one of six nationally-ranked grapplers that have 30-or more wins to their credit this season. Of his 32 victories, 27 have resulted in bonus points, including an NAIA best three-way tie for most pins with 14. He has registered two falls in less than a minute, with a 21 and 42-second stick. Sanchez entered the Greyhound Open ranked second and upset previously top-ranked Derek Foore of Notre Dame for the 197-pound title with a 6-1 decision. Sanchez (29-1) dealt the defending national champion his first loss of the season and his first as a Falcon. Foore had been 22-0 this season and 49-0 over the last two years combined. Sanchez, a two-time All-American, regains the top billing for the first time since being listed No. 1 on Dec. 22, 2009. Four of the top-ranked wrestlers have suffered just one loss: Tim Thurston of Campbellsville (16-1), Lindenwood’s 174-pounder Chris Chionuma (31-1), Sanchez and Notre Dame heavyweight Orlando Scales (24-1). A trio of No. 1s has three losses and two others have lost four bouts. The 2011 NAIA Wrestling Qualifying Group Tournaments will take place Feb. 19 at four on-campus locations around the country. To follow all of the Qualifying Group Tournaments, click here. The final poll of the 2010 – 11 season will be released on Feb. 22, followed by the announcement of qualifiers for the 2011 NAIA Wrestling National Championships. The 54th annual event will take place March 3 – 5 at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Rank School Name Total Team Points 1 Notre Dame (Ohio) 133.5 2 Grand View (Iowa) 101.5 3 Lindenwood (Mo.) 81 4 McKendree (Ill.) 79 5 Campbellsville (Ky.) 73.5 6 Great Falls (Mont.) 66 7 Missouri Valley 61 8 Montana State-Northern 52 9 Menlo (Calif.) 45 10 Southern Oregon 44.5 11 Cumberland (Tenn.) 36 12 Morningside (Iowa) 32.5 13 Dickinson State (N.D.) 29.5 14 Oklahoma City 27 15 Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 22.5 16 Shorter (Ga.) 13.5 17 Waldorf (Iowa) 13 17 Midland (Neb.) 13 19 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 12.5 20 Baker (Kan.) 12 Others receiving points: Hastings (Neb.) 11.5; Minot State (N.D.) 9; Missouri Baptist 9; William Penn (Iowa) 9; Jamestown (N.D.) 8.5; Northwestern (Iowa) 6.5; Simon Fraser (B.C.) 4.5; Briar Cliff (Iowa) 2.5; Cumberlands (Ky.) 1.5. Top-Ranked Individuals 125 – Jason Moorhouse, Menlo (Calif.) 133 – Tim Thurston, Campbellsville (Ky.) 141 – Brett Freeman, Notre Dame (Ohio) 149 – Jeffrey Pelton, Notre Dame (Ohio) 157 – Tyler Chang, Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) 165 – Joseph Sievert, Morningside (Iowa) 174 – Chris Chionuma, Lindenwood (Mo.) 184 – Michael French, Great Falls (Mont.) 197 – Andrew Sanchez, McKendree (Ill.) HWT – Orlando Scales, Notre Dame (Ohio)

When Brandon Rader arrived on the West Virginia University campus back in 2005, expectations were high ... and for good reason. He was a four-time high school state champ in West Virginia, and a Senior Nationals champ. However, after a strong first two seasons where he earned NCAA All-American honors two years in a row, Rader has battled injuries that took him out of action for three seasons. It is only now in his sixth and final season that the 149-pounder seems to be back in his old form, winning five of six matches in the New Year, most in dominating style. The pride of Parkersburg Right from the start, Brandon Rader seemed destined for wrestling success. He was born and raised in Parkersburg, West Virginia, which was named one of the nation's wrestling hotbeds in a 2010 article in WIN (Wrestling Insider Newsmagazine.) According to Rader, the two high schools in the Ohio River city together can claim over 50 West Virginia state team titles. Brandon Rader"I got started in wrestling at age 4, in a local rec league," said Rader. "My uncle wrestled in high school, and so did my brother (Steve), who is nine years older than me. I guess that makes it kind of a family thing." "My brother was the driving force in my being in wrestling. He really took me under his wing, training with me." "I was lucky that Parkersburg had a strong youth program, the Parkersburg Cougars," Rader continued. "We traveled to Pennsylvania, Ohio, throughout the east, so we were exposed to great competition, and the idea of traveling, even at a young age." When asked if he enjoyed wrestling even in the early years, Rader responded, "Yes, I picked it up right away, and had some success right from the start." "The gym was my second home." "I really enjoyed it. I was fortunate not to have had pressure from my folks." Brandon becomes a Big Red Brandon Rader continued his mat career at Parkersburg High School, a school with a rich wrestling history going back to 1922. In 1948, the Big Reds won their first West Virginia state team title, and have claimed twenty additional team titles. Over the years, Parkersburg High can claim 146 individual state champs, 28 high school All-Americans, and ten outstanding wrestlers at the West Virginia state tournament. Brandon Rader (Photo/WVU Sports Information)Rader is among the most accomplished PHS mat alums in the 90 years of wrestling at the school. Wrestling for then-head coach Wilbur "Scheny" Schenerlein and his own brother Steve (one of the assistant coaches), Brandon Rader compiled a 161-9 record, winning four West Virginia state titles -- the first grappler from Parkersburg High to achieve that honor. (As Rader explained in the interview, the school only had grades 10-12 until just before he enrolled. Interestingly, in his first state final in ninth grade, he defeated the son of West Virginia head coach Craig Turnbull!) Rader considered his senior year to be the highlight of his high school career, and it's easy to see why. Not only did he claim his fourth state crown, but, at the 2005 state tournament, he earned Outstanding Wrestler honors, and was named winner of the Robert Dutton Award, presented each year to the best high school wrestler in the state by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association. "I have to give my coaches lots of credit," said Rader. "They wanted me to have the best." "My teammates were great, providing a great team atmosphere," Rader added. "When your teammates win, it helps get you in the right mindset to win." As a high school senior, Rader accomplished additional great things beyond the borders of the Mountaineer State at national events. The Parkersburg native placed third at the Ironman, and claimed titles at the POWERade Championships and the Beast of the East tournament. Rader capped off that incredible senior year by winning the 135-pound championship at the 2005 National High School Athletic Association's Senior Nationals in Cleveland. Becoming a Mountaineer When asked about the process of choosing a college, Brandon Rader was very honest: "I didn't take too many recruiting trips. I wanted to be close to home. I love West Virginia." Mountaineer head coach Craig Turnbull was thrilled to land Rader. "Senior year in high school, he dominated. He had an incredible intensity and good skill level." "He was able to start right away and stand on the podium at the NCAAs." Brandon Rader (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)Rader got off to a great start at the Morgantown school. In his first year as a West Virginia University wrestler, Rader posted a 30-6 record, with five of those wins by pin. He won the 2006 EWL (Eastern Wrestling League) 141-pound crown. Then, at the 2006 NCAA championships in Oklahoma City, Rader earned All-American honors by placing sixth, becoming the school's first true freshman AA ... and only the fourth native West Virginian to ever become an All-American. (As coach Turnbull pointed out with some pride, at the 2006 NCAAs, Rader pinned UC Davis' Derek Moore, who won the 141-pound title at the national championships the following year.) Sophomore year was just about as successful for Rader. He put together a 24-4 record for the season, won his second EWL title, and again placed sixth at the NCAAs, becoming only the sixth Mountaineer matman to earn All-American honors more than once. (And, as Turnbull said during the interview for this profile, in the consolation bracket of the 2007 NCAAs, Rader defeated Ohio State's J. Jaggers who went on to win two national titles, in 2008 and 2009.) Sidelined by injury upon injury Then, as a junior, Brandon Rader's collegiate career suffered a complete reversal. "He was winning his match vs. Chad Mendes at Cal Poly, and got injured," according to Turnbull. "Doctor said it was an unusual tear of his ACL." That knee injury against the eventual 2008 NCAA 141-pound finalist and future MMA star knocked Rader out of competition for the rest of the 2007-2008 season ... as well as in 2008-2009. After a nearly two-year layoff, Rader was ready to get back into competition. He wrestled just three matches in the 2009-2010 season before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. Brandon Rader's fortunes started to improve last summer. In June 2010, Rader was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA's Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee, allowing him to compete this season. Brandon's back on the mat Having been granted that additional season of eligibility, Brandon Rader is back in action for his final year as a Mountaineer. Craig Turnbull"Since 2008, I've had three surgeries -- a knee reconstruction, and two shoulder surgeries," said Rader. "It's just now that I'm getting back into a competitive rhythm." It hasn't been easy by any means. "I've gotten pinned more times this season than in my whole career," said Rader. Coach Turnbull concurred: "It has been more challenging than he anticipated. Strong hurdles to clear." As of this writing, Rader is 10-7 this season, with a string of four straight losses in December. However, since the beginning of 2011, the sixth-year senior has won five bouts, lost one. All but one of those wins have resulted in bonus points for his team, with two victories by pin, two by major decision, and one by decision. (The one loss: getting pinned by Michigan State's Dan Osterman on Jan. 14.) "Later in this season, things are getting back into a groove," said Rader. "For a while, he wasn't competing with confidence he's had in the past," according to Turnbull. "He had to work on faith to get back to where he was." Brandon Rader (WVU Sports Information)"Where he is now is a statement about his character and commitment," Turnbull continued. "Think about how many people could come back from three years away from competition and practice. He's chosen to work through these challenges. He took the honorable path." "It has taken a lot, mentally and physically, to come back ... A lot of adjusting, a building process, but it will help me with life," Rader said. "Overcoming obstacles will help me in the long run." Rader admits the injuries have changed how he wrestles. "Pre-injury, I was very aggressive," said the sixth-year wrestler. "Since then, I'm not the biggest 149, so I now have to be more patient, more technical. A more complete wrestler." Despite the setbacks, Brandon Rader has not lost sight of long-standing goal: to become the first native West Virginian to win an NCAA Division I wrestling title. "He's now wrestling better than he has," said coach Turnbull. "I hope he has a finish that reflects his talent."

J Robinson On the message to the team ... On the crowd ... On whether he expected to see Brad Pataky 125 ... On Danny Zilverberg's progression ... On Frank Molinaro's injury timeout ... On Mike Thorn wrestling a more conservative style against top wrestlers ... On his freshmen ... On whether he considered using Ben Berhow against Cameron Wade ... Cody Sanderson On the way the team performed ... On how much emphasis was put on the dual meet ... On the message to Andrew Alton, who has lost some recent matches... On David Taylor's leadership ... On Quentin Wright's recent struggles ... On whether Brad Pataky was brought back because it was a big match ... Andrew Long On what he thinks Cael Sanderson's message will be to the team ... On the importance of this dual meet ... On the way he's wrestling right now ... On the difference between wrestling 125 and 133 ... On what Penn State needs to do to be in a position to win a national title ...

Baylor ekes out Tennessee Division II dual title Despite winning only six of the matches in the championship round, Baylor took home the Division II State Dual Meet Championships crown with a 27-25 victory over Christian Brothers High School. Earlier in the tournament, Baylor had a 68-6 opening round victory over Brentwood and a 39-20 semifinal victory over Father Ryan. Prior to the final, Christian Brothers upended Montgomery Bell Academy, 66-12, and followed it up with a 31-27 semifinal victory over McCallie in which they won eight weight classes. McCallie defeated Father Ryan 38-29 to take home third place. Match Scores: http://tssaa.org/2010Champions/StateDualWrestling/dualresults.cfm?class=Div%20II Bracket: http://tssaa.org/2010Champions/StateDualWrestling/DIIBracket.htm Bradley Central beat Soddy Daisy, 44-15, to win the Class AAA title http://tssaa.org/2010Champions/StateDualWrestling/AAABracket.htm http://tssaa.org/2010Champions/StateDualWrestling/dualresults.cfm?class=AAA Chattanooga Central defeated Pigeon Forge, 30-26, to earn the Class AA-A title http://tssaa.org/2010Champions/StateDualWrestling/A2ABracket.htm http://tssaa.org/2010Champions/StateDualWrestling/dualresults.cfm?class=A-AA Another Blair Statement For a third consecutive Saturday, No. 2 Blair Academy, New Jersey was competing in dual meets against nationally-ranked opposition. And yet again, the Buccaneers came through with a day of dominance in a quadrangular meet at St. Edward High School just outside of Cleveland, Ohio. They opened with a 53-13 victory over Kiski Prep, Pennsylvania, and followed it with a 52-9 victory over No. 8 Wyoming Seminary, Pennsylvania. At the same time, No. 4 St. Edward was earning a 43-16 victory over No. 8 Wyoming Seminary and upending Kiski Prep, 64-9. The big match to end the day featured No. 2 against No. 4 in the country, and with the start at 140 pounds, things lined up for a strong Eagle start. However, it was not to be as after an expected 3-0 decision from Blair's Ross Parsons in the opening match, Dylan Milonas (145) earned a first period pin with a standing cradle at the 1:42 mark over Matt Van Curen. That opened up a 9-0 lead for Blair. However, the Eagles came back strong in the next three matches to take a 12-9 lead on the strength of a 1-0 decision from Mark Martin (152), a late match pin from Domenic Abounader (160) at the 5:55 mark, and then a 4-0 decision victory by Jacob Davis (171). Momentum was riding strong, but the tide was stemmed by Blair Academy's Frank Mattiace (189), who upended James Suvak by a 6-1 decision to tie the dual meet at 12-12. A split of the 215 and 285 pound weight classes tied the match at 15-15 heading into the turn, which meant that Blair's dominant part of the lineup would seal the deal. At 285 pounds, it was No. 5 Brooks Black of Blair upending No. 10 Greg Kuhar. Including wins in two matches placing ranked wrestlers against one another, Blair Academy swept the last six matches to earn the 39-15 victory. At 112 pounds, No. 1 Evan Silver defeated No. 20 Edgar Bright 5-3, and No. 11 Caleb Richardson upended No. 18 Dean Heil, 11-4. In the concurrent dual meet, Wyoming Seminary defeated Kiski Prep, 52-21. Favorites prevail in PA District XI Duals This past weekend was the district dual meet championships across the Keystone State in preparation for the Pennsylvania State Dual Meet Championships to be held this coming week. District XI -- in both AA and AAA -- had finals matches that were highly anticipated with some implications for the overall dynamic of the state tournament. Also, it would be only the finalists in each division that advanced to state. No. 17 Easton was the lead dog in the Class AAA tournament, and they certainly asserted that position in their two matches prior to the final, 64-6 over East Stroudsburg South in the quarterfinal (winning 12 matches) and 47-12 over Northampton in the semifinal (winning 11 matches, including the first ten). This set up a match for them against archrival No. 25 Nazareth, who also won their two earlier matches though in less convincing fashion. The Blue Eagles beat Blue Mountain, 56-17 (winning 11 matches) before surviving against a formidable Parkland squad by a 28-27 score, the difference being a team point deduction against Parkland during the 152 pound match. However, Nazareth did win eight of the matches, so they would have won a tied dual meet anyway. After four matches of the final, Easton jumped out to an 11-3 with wins from Jalil Paige (285), Kyle Baker (103), and Evan DiSora (119). However, wins in the next three matches from Franco Ferraina (125), No. 2 Zach Horan (130), and Greg Noll (135) gave Nazareth a 13-11 lead at the halfway point. The Red Rovers would get three consecutive bonus point wins to put the dual meet out of reach -- a 10-2 major decision from Joey Rizzolino (140) before Anthony (145) and Mitch (152) Minotti scored pins against their respective Blue Eagles opponents. In the Class AA tournament, No. 20 Bethlehem Catholic entered as the favored team, and flexed their muscle in the first two rounds winning matches over Pius X, 61-7 (12 weight class victories) and Saucon Valley, 53-15 (11 victories) to advance to the Saturday evening final against Pen Argyl, who held their opposition to less than 10 points in each of their two preliminary wins as they won 24 of 28 weight class matches. Keyed by wins from Richie Cruz (130), Ryan Todora (145), and Elliott Riddick (160) -- the Eagles jumped out to an early 16-9 lead after six matches. However, Pen Argyl responded with wins in the next four matches to jump ahead 25-16 with four matches remaining. Though in somewhat expected fashion, as it was the strength of the Bethlehem Catholic lineup that was closing out the dual meet, the Eagles swept those matches to take home a 34-25 victory. No. 3 Darian Cruz (103) came up with an 11-5 victory, No. 15 Zeke Moisey (112) followed suit with a 3-0 decision, and then it was pins from Randy Cruz (119) and Jaydon Rice (125) to close out the dual meet. … And the same is the case in the WPIAL In class AAA, No. 25 Canon-McMillan earned its second consecutive WPIAL championship, and seventh overall. The Big Macs advanced to the final with a 46-20 win over Kiski Area on Friday night, and then upended Greater Latrobe 36-19 on Saturday to win the championship. Even earlier in the week, they earned victories over Connellsville (44-22) and Ringgold (64-3) to reach the semifinals. Though the box score may suggest otherwise, it was all but over after the third match. Canon-McMillan was able to insert backup Alex Hutchin (130) to secure a pin in the opening match; bump up nationally-ranked 130 pounder Solomon Chisko to 135, where he upended Powerade runner-up Ty Lydic, 5-2; and Dario Dobbin secured a 6-4 decision over Bryar Pletcher at 140 pounds. However, Greater Latrobe would win five of the next six matches -- with only a win from No. 16 Nick Catalano (wrestling up a weight class at 152 pounds -- to take a 16-15 lead heading into the meat of the Big Macs lineup. Canon-McMillan sent out three consecutive Powerade champions to the mats, and each earned the key victories necessary to cinch the dual meet. Cody Klempay (285) and Colt Shorts (103) scored pins, while No. 6 Conner Schram (112) upended Chace Small by a 5-1 decision. In Class AA, No. 41 Burrell dominated its three opponents in the WPIAL playoffs to win a fifth consecutive dual meet crown, also seventh in all. The Bucs scored a 51-12 quarterfinal over Keystone Oaks, the beat Bentworth 51-21 in the semifinal, before dominating Chartiers-Houston 54-20 in the championship match. Seven champs, but not enough to advance to team state Despite seven champions at the regional tournament this past weekend, No. 13 Marmion Academy, Illinois was unable to win the Yorkville Regional. The champion of that Class AA regional, and the other fifteen such champions, advance to the Class AA state tournament. In the state of Illinois, it is this dual meet state tournament that decides the state champion. Four of these individual regionals will feed into each of the four sectionals from which the individual state tournament qualifiers are determined; the individual state tournament is un-scored from a team perspective. Winning the Yorkville Regional by a single point (242-241) was No. 37 Montini Catholic, Illinois. All fourteen Broncos placed in the top four compared to only 13 Cadets. However, Marmion advanced 12 of its wrestlers in the top three (13 placed top four) to next weekend's individual sectional tournament, while Montini had only 11 qualify. Of the seven teams in this regional, five were ranked inside the Illinois Best Weekly top 25 this past week -- Montini was 2nd, Marmion 3rd, Yorkville 12th, Morris 19th, and Sandwich 25th. The top two teams mustered 23 qualfying spots, while the next three mustered the other 19 sectional berths. Champions for Marmion were No. 16 Johnny Jimenez (103), No. 12 Jered Cortez (112), George Fisher (119), No. 3 Ben Whitford (130), Bryce Brill (135), Angelo Silvestro (140), and Eddie Gonzalez (145); second place wrestlers included Eddie Greco (125), Dan Rowland (160), and Alex Fritz (285); Eddie Breen (152) and Jon Wolfgram (171) also qualified for the sectional tournament. For Montini champions were Chris Garcia (125), No. 7 Stephen Robertson (152), Dimitri Willis (160), Edgar Ruano (215), and Ross Ferraro (285); Tommy Pawleski (103), Kevon Powell (112), Michael Sepke (130), Frank Baer (145), and Conor Winel (171) finished as runners-up; with Drew Vrebenec (135) also qualifying for the sectional tournament. The Broncos will be able to defend their consecutive state title string, with only No. 21 Crystal Lake Central, Illinois realistically standing in their way. Weather wins in the Sooner State The most recent version of "Snowpocalypse" decimated a good chunk of the country during the middle part of this past week. This included Oklahoma, where most activity was knocked out in both the mid-week, and at the weekend. This included the anticipated dual meet between No. 27 Broken Arrow and No. 29 Tulsa Union. Battle of Buckeye State Champions When No. 28 Wadsworth, Ohio travelled to No. 5 St. Paris Graham, Ohio it meant that the defending champs in Ohio's Division I and Division II would be colliding on the mats, and it was also the third consecutive weekend that Graham would dual against a nationally-ranked opponent. In the match this Friday night, Graham won nine of them to secure a 39-25 victory. Key to this dual meet was all six of Falcons' nationally-ranked wrestlers coming through with victories. No. 9 Ryan Taylor (112) with a 22-7 technical fall over a Wadsworth backup, state qualifier Brandon Jones was out of the lineup; No. 19 Case Garrison (135) coming through with a 15-14 victory, despite Chris Baughman throwing Garrison to his back at the end of the match; No. 7 Nick Brascetta (140) with a 9-4 victory over state placer Nate Ball; No. 5 Bo Jordan (145) with a pin over yet another Wadsworth backup, state and Ironman placer Clay Wenger was out of the lineup; No. 11 Matt Stephens (152) with a 21-6 technical fall; and No. 5 Huston Evans (189) with a pin. Graham was still without the services of state champion Isaac Jordan (160), who has not competed since the Walsh Ironman. It is possibly an open-ended question as to when we will see him this season. However, on the Graham side, Taylor and Bo Jordan would probably have beaten the Wadsworth starters in relatively similar fashion. Wadsworth was anchored with is pair of nationally-ranked wrestlers coming through in dominating fashion. No. 7 Kagan Squire (125) scored a 19-3 technical fall, while No. 7 Nick Tavanello (215) scored a 10-3 major decision over Ironman placer Mark Meyer. Nationally-ranked team upset Scotts West, Minnesota 37 No. 48 Hastings, Minnesota 24 The upcoming week of state championships Traditional/individual championships: Arizona, Arkansas, Hawaii, Louisiana, Montana, and Utah Dual meet championships: Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina

LINCOLN, Neb. -- The Oklahoma State wrestling team picked up a 22-10 win over No. 14 Nebraska Sunday in the NU Coliseum. With the win, the Cowboys improved to 12-2-1 overall and 6-0-0 in the Big 12. The Huskers were dropped to 12-5-0 overall and 1-2-0 in the league. The win was Oklahoma State’s seventh over a ranked team this year. The Cowboys won seven of the 10 bouts, highlighted by an important 3-2 win from freshman Chris Perry over No. 10 Josh Ihnen at 184 pounds and a hard-fought 4-0 win from Clayton Foster over No. 12 Andy Johnson at 197 pounds. The Pokes scored 15 takedowns in the dual to Nebraska’s 11. Of the Huskers’ 11 takedowns, nine came from returning NCAA champion and top-ranked Jordan Burroughs as part of his 21-9 major decision win over Cowboy freshman Dallas Bailey at 165 pounds. The Cowboys return to action at 7 p.m. this Friday in Gallagher-Iba Arena when they host a Boise State squad that is expected to challenge for the NCAA title. Results: 141: Mike Koehnlein (NU) dec. No. 17 Josh Kindig (OSU); 10-4 149: No. 7 Jamal Parks (OSU) dec. Ross Grande (NU); 2-0 157: No. 16 Neil Erisman (OSU) dec. Tyler Koehn (NU); 7-1 165: No. 1 Jordan Burroughs (NU) MD No. 15 Dallas Bailey (OSU); 21-9 174: No. 16 Mike Benefiel (OSU) dec. Caleb Kolb (NU); 11-5 184: No. 11 Chris Perry (OSU) dec. No. 10 Josh Ihnen (NU); 3-2 197: No. 2 Clayton Foster (OSU) dec. No. 12 Andy Johnson (NU); 4-0 285: No. 9 Tucker Lane (NU) dec. Blake Rosholt (OSU); 2-0 125: No. 9 Jon Morrison (OSU) dec. David Klingsheim (NU); 4-2 133: No. 1 Jordan Oliver (OSU) MD Ridge Kiley (NU); 14-3 Bout Summaries 141: Mike Koehnlein (NU) dec. No. 17 Josh Kindig (OSU); 10-4 The Huskers struck first in the dual when Mike Koehnlein claimed a 10-4 win over Cowboy freshman Josh Kindig. Kindig opened the scoring with a first-period takedown. Koehnlein escaped, then escaped again to start the second period to bring the score to 2-2. Koehlein stormed in for a big takedown of his own to take a 4-2 advantage over the Cowboy freshman. Kindig reversed Koehlein to deadlock the score at 4-4, but was quickly reversed by Koehnlein. During Koehnlein’s reversal, Kindig was also penalized one point for locking his hands to bring the score to 7-4 in favor of Koehlein. Kindig started the third period in the down position and never did get off bottom, and was turned to his back for a two-point nearfall in the waning seconds. When Koehnlein’s riding time was factored in, the Husker was a 10-4 winner. 149: No. 7 Jamal Parks (OSU) dec. Ross Grande (NU); 2-0 Jamal Parks suffocated Ross Grande with a third-period rideout to key his 2-0 win. After a scoreless first period in which neither wrestler even came close to a takedown, Parks escaped quickly to start the second period. Parks worked for a takedown on the edge of the mat late in the period, but didn’t finish his effort before the clock hit zeroes. Parks overpowered Grande with a smothering third period rideout and when his 1:49 riding time was added on, the Cowboy was a 2-0 winner. 157: No. 16 Neil Erisman (OSU) dec. Tyler Koehn (NU); 7-1 Neil Erisman claimed a comfortable 7-1 win over Tyler Koehn to give the Cowboys a 6-3 lead in the dual. After a physical-but-scoreless first period, Erisman escaped 13 seconds into the second period to open the scoring. Erisman added a takedown later in the period despite Koehn’s effort to slither away from the Cowboy senior off the edge of the mat. Trailing by a 3-0 score after the first five minutes, Koehn elected a neutral start to the third period, but was taken down again by Erisman to fall behind, 5-0. Pursuing his fifth straight bonus point victory, Erisman cut Koehn loose. He wasn’t able to secure another takedown, however. A Koehn stalling point and Erisman’s 1:07 of riding time brought the final score to 7-1 in Erisman’s favor. 165: No. 1 Jordan Burroughs (NU) MD No. 15 Dallas Bailey (OSU); 21-9 Facing a returning NCAA champion, Cowboy freshman Dallas Bailey lost a 21-9 major decision to No. 1 Jordan Burroughs. It was all Burroughs in the first period, with the Husker dynamo bagging four takedowns and cutting Bailey loose after each one. Bailey was cut loose again to start the second period, then was slapped for stalling to fall behind, 9-5. Burroughs was simply too much for Bailey on this day, adding five more takedowns during the course of the bout, plus another stalling point on Bailey and 1:45 of riding time to seal his 21-9 major decision win. 174: No. 16 Mike Benefiel (OSU) dec. Caleb Kolb (NU); 11-5 With bonus points on his mind in the third period, Mike Benefiel settled for an 11-5 win over Caleb Kolb that didn’t feel that close. Benefiel was taken down on the opening whistle, but answered with an escape and two takedowns of his own to seize a 5-3 lead after the first three minutes. Benefiel made it 6-3 with an escape to start the second period, then extended his lead to 8-3 with a takedown late in the period. Kolb escaped to start the third period, but was again taken down by Benefiel to fall behind, 10-4. Going after the major decision, Benefiel cut Kolb loose with hopes of securing another takedown, but was unable to do so. When the clock hit zeroes and Benefiel’s riding time was tacked on, the Cowboy junior was an 11-5 winner. 184: No. 11 Chris Perry (OSU) dec. No. 10 Josh Ihnen (NU); 3-2 In one of the key matches of the dual, Cowboy freshman Chris Perry used a second-period reversal to fuel his 3-2 win over No. 10 Josh Ihnen. Perry fought off a couple dangerous takedown attempts from Ihnen in the first period, but neither wrestler was able to score any points in the first three minutes. Perry opened the scoring when he reversed Ihnen in the second period. An Ihnen escape trimmed Perry’s edge to 2-1. Perry started the third period on top and built his riding time advantage to over 1:00 before Ihnen tied the score at 2-2 with an escape. Perry held Ihnen at bay for the rest of the bout and when his 1:34 of riding time was added on, the Cowboy was a 3-2 winner. 197: No. 2 Clayton Foster (OSU) dec. No. 12 Andy Johnson (NU); 4-0 Clayton Foster improved to 8-0 vs. ranked opponents this year with a hard-fought 4-0 win over No. 12 Andy Johnson. After a scoreless first period, Foster escaped 12 ticks into the second period, then fought off a couple good takedown attempts from Johnson before bagging a double-leg takedown of his own to extend his lead to 3-0. Foster suffocated Johnson with a full-period ride in the third period and when his 2:04 of riding time was added on, the Cowboy senior was a 4-0 victor. 285: No. 9 Tucker Lane (NU) dec. Blake Rosholt (OSU); 2-0 A second-period rideout and a third-period escape was the difference in Blake Rosholt’s 2-0 loss to No. 9 Tucker Lane. After a scoreless first period, Rosholt started the second period in the down position and was ridden for the duration by Lane. Lane opened the scoring with an escape to start the third period. As it turned out, that was the only scoring in regulation. Lane’s riding time point brought the final score to 2-0. 125: No. 9 Jon Morrison (OSU) dec. David Klingsheim (NU); 4-2 Jon Morrison sealed the dual for the Cowboys with a 4-2 win over David Klingsheim. Morrison opened the scoring with a first-period takedown. Klingsheim wiggled free for the escape to bring the score to 2-1 in Morrison’s favor after the first three minutes. The second period started with an immediate escape from Klingsheim, but Morrison regained control of the bout with a double-leg takedown and rideout. Morrison was ridden out in the third period and nearly turned to his back in the waning seconds, but held on to win 4-2. 133: No. 1 Jordan Oliver (OSU) MD Ridge Kiley (NU); 14-3 Sophomore Jordan Oliver claimed his 14th bonus-point victory in his last 15 bouts with a 14-3 major decision win over Ridge Kiley to put the finishing touches on the Cowboys’ dual victory over the Huskers. Oliver roared out to an 8-2 lead after the first period with three takedowns and a two-point nearfall. He added an escape and takedown in the second period to extend his lead to 11-2 after the first five minutes. Kiley escaped to start the third period, but was taken down again by Oliver, who rode Kiley out for the duration of the bout. When Oliver’s 1:47 of riding time was added, the Cowboy sophomore was a 14-3 winner.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team posted a 27-10 Southern Conference win at Appalachian State today. The Mocs extend their SoCon unbeaten streak to 33 consecutive matches. Chattanooga is now 9-9 on the year and 3-0 in the SoCon. ASU drops to 6-9-1 overall and 0-3 in the league. Chattanooga got off to a quick start with sophomore Prescott Garner's (West Linn, Ore.) pin at 125. He defeated Tony Gravely just 24 seconds into the opening match. That was the first of five straight wins for UTC to open the afternoon. Junior Demetrius Johnson (Memphis, Tenn.) posted his first win of the season, a 10-5 decision over Brett Boston. He is now 1-1 on the year after splitting this weekend's matches. Senior Cody Cleveland (Tullahoma, Tenn.) put the Mocs up 13-0 with his major decision win over Mike Kessler at 141. Cleveland is ranked No. 9 in the nation at improves to 9-0 on the year. Sophomore Dean Pavlou (Cleveland, Tenn.) won 12-7 at 149 while junior Kelly Felix (Franklin, Tenn.) won at 157. Pavlou improves to 12-10 while Felix moves to 2-0. Chattanooga was up 19-3 when junior Brandon Wright (Germantown, Tenn.) put the match out of reach with his win at 174. Sophomore Niko Brown (Kissimmee, Fla.) rounded out the Mocs' scoring with a major decision at 197. Chattanooga will be back in action on Sunday, Feb.13, hosting Davidson. Match time is set for 2:00 p.m. (E.S.T.) in Maclellan Gym. Live stats and live video will be available on GoMocs.com. Results: 125: Prescott Garner (UTC) - Fall 0:24 - Tony Gravely (ASU) - UTC 6-0 133: Demetrius Johnson (UTC) - Dec. 10-5 - Brett Boston (ASU) - UTC 9-0 141: No. 9 Cody Cleveland (UTC) - MD 12-1 - Mike Kessler - (ASU) - UTC 13-0 149: Dean Pavlou (UTC) - Dec. 12-7 - Savva Kostis (ASU) - UTC 16-0 157: Kelly Felix (UTC) Dec. 14-7 - John Blakley (ASU) - UTC 19-0| 165: Kyle Blevins (ASU) - Dec. 5-2 - Dan Waddell (UTC) - UTC 19-3 174: Brandon Wright (UTC) - MD 14-5 - Carter Downs (ASU) - UTC 23-3 184: Austin Trotman (ASU) - MD 15-6 - No. 19 Jason McCroskey (UTC) - UTC 23-7 197: Niko Brown (UTC) - MD 14-5 - Jon Hartley (ASU) - UTC 27-7 285: Marc Tyson (ASU) - Dec. 2-1 - Robert Prigmore (UTC) - UTC 27-10

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Down 14-7 at intermission, No. 11 Lehigh won four of the final five bouts to rally for a 23-17 win over No. 18 American Sunday inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Freshman Austin Meys put the Mountain Hawks ahead with his tenth fall of the season, while junior Zach Rey clinched the dual for the Brown and White with a 5-3 win over Ryan Flores at heavyweight. With the win, Lehigh improves to 13-6 overall and 5-1 against EIWA opponents, while American falls to 13-5, 2-1 within the EIWA. The victory is also the 100th for Pat Santoro as a head coach. Santoro won 48 duals in five years at Maryland and has now won 52 for the Mountain Hawks. “That was a really good win,” Santoro said. “American has a very good team, we knew that coming in. They’re well coached. We knew it would come down to heavyweight and they’ve split matches before so we knew there were no guarantees there. The guys really stepped up. Steve Dutton had a great day and Hatchett did a great job keeping his composure. Those were the two swing matches. The Eagles started strong as Nick Arujau won by second period technical fall over senior Mitch Berger in the opening bout at 125, but as has been done many times before this season Lehigh’s true freshmen gave the Mountain Hawks a big boost. At 133 Frank Cagnina put Lehigh on the board with a dominating 16-2 major decision over Kevin Tao. Cagnina scored one takedown in each period and added a near fall to all three of his takedowns. Dutton then gave the Mountain Hawks the lead with an 8-4 upset win over 14th-ranked Matt Mariacher at 141. Dutton scored the first takedown on a counter shot in the first period, and finished with one takedown in each period. Tied at four entering the third period, Dutton escaped to take the lead and countered another low single shot from Mariacher to clinch the win with a takedown. “His win was huge,” Santoro said of Dutton’s effort. “Stephen’s been on the brink of a breakthrough win and he finally got one today. He kept his composure and wrestled hard. It was a great match for him.” American captured the next two bouts to take a 14-7 lead into intermission. Ganbayar Sanjaa made a late first period takedown hold up in a 2-1 win over sophomore Joey Napoli at 149, while at 157 top-ranked Steve Fittery and junior Sean Bilodeau lit up the scoreboard with points before Fittery finally stuck Bilodeau on his back for a fall at 2:56. Coming out of intermission Lehigh needed a win from Hatchett at 165, but American’s Patrick Graham came out strong with the first takedown. Hatchett settled down however, taking the lead in the second period with a two-point near fall. He added an escape and a takedown in the third to win 7-2 and pull Lehigh within four at 14-10. Meys then put the Mountain Hawks in front with his fourth straight win by fall and his tenth pin overall this season. Three takedowns and an escape put Meys up 7-3 on Tanner Shaffer in the second period. After his fourth takedown, Meys worked Shaffer over with a quarter nelson and earned the fall at 4:50. Sophomore Robert Hamlin gave Lehigh a six point cushion with a 14-4 major decision over Thomas Barreiro at 184. Hamlin scored two takedowns in each period for his 22nd win of the season. At 197 junior Joe Kennedy looked to avenge a loss to Daniel Mitchell in last year’s EIWA tournament, but in a low scoring affair Mitchell scored a takedown late in the third period to win 3-2 and give the Eagles a chance heading into the final bout. Rey and Flores had met twice before, with Flores winning 6-1 in the 2009 EIWA finals, and Rey prevailing 4-2 in this year’s Midlands semifinals. In the rubber match the top-ranked Rey escaped in the second period to lead 1-0 then spun behind the third-ranked Flores after a lengthy scramble for a takedown. A pair of escapes had Flores within 3-2 in the third period, but Rey came up with a second takedown and went on to win 5-3, improving his season record to 24-0. “Zach has been learning a lot,” Santoro said. “He wrestled really hard in that third period and picked up the pace. Flores is a really good opponent. That could be a national finals match. The heavyweights are so good in our conference, and Zach has seen them all, which gives him confidence going forward.” The Mountain Hawks will return to the mats on Thursday, February 17 when they travel to Piscataway, N.J. to face No. 8 Rutgers. The match is set for a 7 p.m. start from the RAC with audio coverage on ESPN Radio 1230 and 1320 as well as online at Lehighsports.com. Results: 125 – Nick Arujau (AU) tech fall Mitch Berger (LU) 15-0, 3:47 133 – Frank Cagnina (LU) major dec. Kevin Tao (AU) 16-2 141 – Stephen Dutton (LU) dec. Matt Mariacher (AU) 8-4 149 – Ganbayar Sanjaa (AU) dec. Joey Napoli (LU) 2-1 157 – Steve Fittery (AU) pinned Sean Bilodeau (LU) 2:56 165 – Brandon Hatchett (LU) dec. Patrick Graham (AU) 7-2 174 – Austin Meys (LU) pinned Tanner Shaffer (AU) 4:50 184 – Robert Hamlin (LU) major dec. Thomas Barreiro (AU) 14-4 197 – Daniel Mitchell (AU) dec. Joe Kennedy (LU) 3-2 285 – Zach Rey (LU) dec. Ryan Flores (AU) 5-3

MINNEAPOLIS -- With each team claiming wins in five bouts, Augsburg College and University of Wisconsin-La Crosse scored a 17-17 tie in a battle of two of the top teams in NCAA Division III wrestling on Sunday afternoon at Si Melby Hall. Augsburg (7-5-1 overall) is ranked No. 3 in the latest Division III national poll, while Wisconsin-La Crosse (10-3-1) is ranked No. 2. The draw is the first in the all-time series between the teams, which Augsburg now leads 6-2-1. The teams split the two battles of ranked wrestlers. At 149 pounds, Augsburg's No. 3-ranked Tony Valek (JR, Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West) took advantage of riding the Eagles' No. 6-ranked Matt Mauseth (SR, Rochester, Minn./Mayo HS) for the entire second period, then claimed a reversal in the third period to score a 3-0 win. Valek collected 3:46 of riding time to score the win, improving to 25-4 on the season. At 174, Wisconsin-La Crosse's top-ranked Mike Schmitz (JR, Stewartville, Minn.) scored a reversal with 19 seconds left in the third period to score a 5-3 win over Augsburg's No. 2-ranked Zach Molitor (SR, Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti HS). Tied at 1-1 in the third period, Schmitz took a 3-1 lead with a takedown with 1:02 left, but Molitor scored a reversal with 49 seconds left to tie the match, before Schmitz was able to get his bout-deciding reversal. Augsburg collected two major-decisions early in the dual, as No. 2-ranked Jared Massey (SR, Circle Pines, Minn./Centennial HS) improved to 7-1 with a 10-2 win at 197 pounds, and No. 5-ranked Josh Roberts (SO, Grand Forks, N.D./Central HS) collected two takedowns, a three-point near-fall and 3:23 of riding time to score a 9-0 win at 125. But the Eagles also collected major decisions in back-to-back matches, as No. 5-ranked Adam Sheley (SO, Geneseo, Ill.) scored a 12-3 win over Augsburg's Boyd Suparat (SO, North Branch, Minn.) at 133, and top-ranked Bebeto Yewah (JR, Lansing, Mich./Sexton HS) claimed a 20-7 win over Will Keeter (FY, Twin Falls, Idaho) at 141. Augsburg's Orlando Ponce (JR, Hialeah, Fla./Hialeah-Miami Lakes HS), ranked No. 5 at 165 pounds, moved down to 157 and scored an 11-4 victory, using four takedowns and 2:02 of riding time to score the win. In the final bout of the day, Augsburg's Brad Baus (JR, Mukwonago, Wis.), ranked No. 6 at 184, scored a 5-0 victory over Wisconsin-La Crosse's Tony Piechowski (FY, Maplewood, Minn./North St. Paul HS). Wisconsin-La Crosse's other wins came from heavyweight Billy Mayer (SO, Eden, Wis./Campbellsport, Wis.), who scored a 10-4 decision over Pat Fletcher (JR, Shelton, Neb.); and JR Lewis (SO, Greenfield, Wis.), who edged Jon Priess (SO, Waconia, Minn.) 2-1 at 165 on a technical-violation point with 34 seconds left in the third period. Augsburg returns to action next Saturday (2/12) at 9 a.m., competing at the Wisconsin-Eau Claire Invitational. Wisconsin-La Crosse also has its next competition against Wisconsin-Eau Claire, with a dual meet on Thursday (2/10) in La Crosse. Results: 197 -- No. 2 Jared Massey (AUG, 8-1) maj. dec. Vinnie Pedretti (UWL, 9-6) 10-2 (Augsburg 4-0) HWT -- No. 9 Billy Mayer (UWL, 15-7) dec. Pat Fletcher (AUG, 14-5) 10-4 (Augsburg 4-3) 125 -- No. 5 Josh Roberts (AUG, 17-6) maj. dec. Matt Cole (UWL, 7-13) 9-0 (Augsburg 8-3) 133 -- No. 5 Adam Sheley (UWL, 21-4) maj. dec. Boyd Suparat (AUG, 17-11) 12-3 (Augsburg 8-7) 141 -- No. 1 Bebeto Yewah (UWL, 21-1) maj. dec. Will Keeter (AUG, 19-15) 20-7 (UW-La Crosse 11-8) 149 -- No. 3 Tony Valek (AUG, 25-4) dec. No. 6 Matt Mauseth (UWL, 18-9) 3-0 (TIED 11-11) 157 -- No. 5 (165) Orlando Ponce (AUG, 21-5) dec. Brady Schrupp (UWL, 9-3) 11-4 (Augsburg 14-11) 165 -- JR Lewis (UWL, 14-9) dec. Jon Priess (AUG, 12-18) 2-1 (TIED 14-14) 174 -- No. 1 Mike Schmitz (UWL, 18-5) dec. No. 2 Zach Molitor (AUG, 20-3) 5-3 (UW-La Crosse 17-14) 184 -- No. 6 Brad Baus (AUG, 23-7) dec. Tony Piechowski (UWL, 9-14) 5-0 (TIED 17-17)

AMES, Iowa -- The Iowa State wrestling team ended its home dual season in emphatic fashion with a 33-14 victory over Arizona State on Sunday in Hilton Coliseum. This was the final home dual for the Cyclones’ four seniors: Jon Reader, Chris Drouin, Nate Carr Jr. and Kyle Slifka. The Cyclones are now 9-8 in duals while the Sun Devils fall to 5-10. Reader bumped up to the 184-pound weight class in order to get a match in his final dual appearance at Hilton Coliseum. The top-ranked senior racked up five takedowns and garnered five and a half minutes of riding time in a dominant 14-3 victory over Jake Meredith. “I asked Jon to move up to help us today and to make sure he got to wrestle a match,” Iowa State head coach Kevin Jackson said. “I think it is great for him to be able to wrestle here again for the Big 12 Championships.” Iowa State plays host to the Big 12 Championships March 5 in Hilton Coliseum. “We have the greatest fans and I enjoyed the ceremony before the match,” Reader said. “By this time of the season, you are starting to focus on perfecting what you have learned all season. Moving up is not that big of a deal. The same technique applies." Jerome Ward used a late first period takedown in his match, and held off his opposition for a 3-1 victory over Luke Macchiaroli at 197 pounds. “Our upperclassmen are wrestling well and I’m pleased with them,” Jackson said. “Ward is getting close to wrestling seven minutes and (ISU heavyweight) Kyle (Simonson) looks to be back on track.” Kyle Simonson won his 23rd match of the season with a 9-3 victory over Levi Cooper at 285 pounds. The Algona native turned his opponent late in the second period to ensure a comfortable victory. Max Mayfield earned his second dual victory of the weekend with a punishing 18-2 technical fall victory against Tai Fukumoto at 149 pounds. The redshirt sophomore tilted his opponent for three near fall points twice during the match and secured a takedown with only one second left to earn five team points for the Cyclones. In his first action since being injured in the semi-finals of the Midlands Championships Dec. 30, Chris Spangler threw in a half nelson late in the first period to pin Te Edwards in 2:41 at 165 pounds. Trent Weatherman and Andrew Sorenson picked up forfeits for the Cyclones at 157 and 174 pounds respectively. The Cyclones will be back in action Sunday against Big 12 rival Missouri in Columbia, Mo. at 1 p.m. CST Results: 125: Anthony Robles (ASU) technical fall Brandon Jones (ISU), 17-1 133: Kalin Goodsite (ASU) dec. Ben Cash (ISU), 3-2 141: Carlos Castro (ASU) win by forfeit 149: Max Mayfield (ISU) technical fall Tai Fukumoto (ASU), 18-2 157: Trent Weatherman (ISU) win by forfeit 165: Chris Spangler (ISU) pin Te Edwards (ASU), 2:41 174: Andrew Sorenson (ISU) win by forfeit 184: Jon Reader (ISU) mdec. Jake Meredith (ASU), 14-3 197: Jerome Ward (ISU) dec. Luke Macchiaroli (ASU), 3-1 285: Kyle Simonson (ISU) dec. Levi Cooper (ASU), 9-3

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Five Midshipmen won individual titles, while three others placed second as the Navy wrestling team won its 10th All-Academy Championship title Sunday in Charleston, S.C. In sum, Navy placed nine of its 10 wrestlers among the top three. "I was thrilled with the effort that we gave as a team today," said 11th-year Navy head coach Bruce Burnett, who has won seven All-Academy titles. "There were several wrestlers who gave gutsy performances. Dustin (Haislip) was phenomenal against VonOhlen, Allen (Stein) just continues to wrestle hard and Oscar (Huntley) upset the top seed in his weight class. We learned a great deal from this weekend and we look forward to using the next couple of weeks to prepare for Army." With 117.5 points, Navy claimed victory by 31 points over The Citadel (86.5), who won two title bouts and placed nine wrestlers in the top four. The Mids held an 18-point advantage over The Bulldogs heading into the championship round, but Navy proved to be the dominate academy by the end of the tournament. Both teams were represented by nine wrestlers, however, Navy sent eight wrestlers into championship bouts and the Bulldogs had six. The Citadel, meanwhile, held off Army (82.5) by four points, as the Black Knights crowned a pair of champions and place seven wrestlers in all. Air Force (64.0) placed fourth, followed by the Merchant Marine Academy (36.5), VMI (22.5), Coast Guard (3.5) and Norwich (1.5). Navy has been the dominant team in the 17-year history of the tournament, winning 10 of the 17 championships including seven of the last eight. Navy has won 64 individual crowns in All-Academy Championship history, including 38 of the 80 titles over the last eight years. The Mids won the team title in 1995, `97, `99, `04, `05, `06, `07, `09, `10 and `11, while they have claimed five or more individual titles in 1997, `99, `04, `05, `07, `08, `10 and `11. Top-seeded Aaron Kalil (Salem, N.H.) got things rolling for the Mids by winning his second-straight All-Academy title at 125 pounds. Nearly untouched all day, the 2010 NCAA qualifier cruised past VMI's Charles Gray in the opening bout by way of a tech fall with nearly three minutes remaining in the match. He went on to pin fourth-seeded Tyler Spangler of Air Force before taking the championship crown behind a 9-1 major decision over the No. 2 seed Richard Alarcon of The Citadel. With the 3-0 sweep, Kalil improves to 25-7 on the year, marking the most wins in his three-year career. Last year he produced a 22-13 record. Meanwhile, he has won 11 of his last 13 matches, including eight in a row. Making his debut at the All-Academy Championship in his senior season was Allen Stein (Portland, Maine), who has been phenomenal for Burnett the latter half of the season. Stein came into the tournament having won three straight duals and continue to roll as he won all three bouts to earn the 133-pound All-Academy individual title. Seeded No. 2, Stein pinned Norwich's Kyle Brouillete of Norwich before slithering past third-seeded Tyler Sim of The Citadel to punch his way into the finals. Stein not only was facing top-seeded Derek Gillespie of Air Force, he was facing the defending All-Academy champion. Gillespie scored the match's first point with an escape to open the second, but Stein was able to battle him to the mat to take the lead. Gillespie, however, knotted up the match with his second escape of the period. Again, Stein was the aggressor with his second takedown, but Gillespie found his way free as Stein led 4-3 heading into the final frame. Stein earned his escape point to start the third period to take a 5-3 lead. Gillespie desperately needed a takedown to get back into the match and did just that with time winding down. Stein was able to cut loose and held on to score the 6-5 win. Placing second at 141 pounds was junior Dustin Haislip (Inwood, W.Va.), who looked spectacular in his first two matches. It looked as though Haislip drew the short straw and as he was up against top-seeded and 11th-ranked Cole VonOhlen of Air Force in his opening match. Haislip jumped out to a 2-1 advantage and never looked back, as he scored the day's first upset with a 6-5 victory. The Citadel's Jordan Dix also upset his foe by way of fall to meet up with Haislip in the semis, but it Dix who found his shoulders on the mat with Haislip taking the pinfall at 2:30. Unable to use the momentum to his advantage, Haislip surrendered a 6-1 los to Army's Casey Thome in the finals to finish second. Senior team captain Bryce Saddoris (Spring Creek, Nev.) claimed the Mids' third title of the day and he, too, made it look easy. The All-American dealt Coast Guard's Andy Snyder a tech fall and went on to earn a 9-3 victory over Merchant Marine's Dan Twitto. He concluded the day with a 5-2 victory over Army's Jimmy Rafferty to earn his third All-Academy title in four years. Saddoris won the 149-pound crown as a freshman and last year claimed the 157-pound title. Meanwhile, Saddoris reached the 30-win mark (30-5) for the fourth time in his career and is now just one win away (140-37) from tying the school record for wins which is currently held by Matt Stolpinski with 141 wins. Sophomore 165-pound Mason Bailey (Fairmont, W.Va.) got off to a slow start, dropping his opener to unseeded Clayton Gable of Air Force, but managed to regroup and take third in the competition. Working his way back through the consolation bracket, Bailey, the No. 2 seed, pinned Coast Guard's Luke Taylor and followed up with a major decision over fourth-seeded Vincent Renaut of the Merchant Marine Academy. The win over Renaut set up a rematch between Bailey and Gable in the third-place bout with Bailey avenging his earlier loss with an 8-6 win. Senior Matt DeMichiel (Whitesboro, N.Y.) missed last year's All-Academy Championship after suffering a broken leg against North Carolina and nearly missed this year's tournament after having two teeth knocked to the roof of his mouth against none other than the Tar Heels. But DeMichiel wouldn't let a few loose teeth derail his opportunity to compete in this weekend's tournament. And thankfully so, as DeMichiel scored Navy's fourth individual title of the afternoon. Seeded No. 1 at 174 pounds, DeMichiel opened the day with an 11-2 major decision over VMI's Matt Brock and continued to roll as he posted a 5-2 win over Air Force's Joseph Stafford. DeMichiel met second-seeded J.C. Oddo of The Citadel in the championship bout and wasted little time and hurling Oddo to the mat. DeMichiel took advantage of Oddo, who appeared to land awkwardly, and went on to pin his foe in the time of 2:11. Sixteenth-ranked Luke Rebertus (Gloucester, Va.) came into the tournament looking to win his second All-Academy Championship in as many tries. As a freshman, Rebertus claimed the 174-pound title, but missed last year's competition. Rebertus looked like a man on a mission, surrendering just four points the entire day to score the victory. He defeated VMI's John Commert in the day's opening match before scoring a 5-1 decision over fourth-seeded Scott Lowe of the Merchant Marine Academy. Third-seeded Justin Sparrow of The Citadel hardly put up a fight against Rebertus, as the 2009 NCAA qualifier dominated the match en route to a 12-1 major decision. The trio of wins pushes Rebertus closer to the elusive 30-win mark. He now stands 26-7 on the year. With DeMichiel able to wrestle at 174 pounds, Burnett made the decision to push his sensational sophomore Oscar Huntley (Stafford, Va.) up two classes to represent Navy at 197 pounds. Mindful of his weight gain, Huntley was definitely at a disadvantage in terms of weight, but not in skill. After pinning Norwich's Charles Constantino to open the tournament, Huntley wrestled a spectacular match and upset top-seeded Neil Delaney of Air Force, 4-3, setting up a finals bout against No. 2 seed Kelby Smith of The Citadel. Huntley looked solid in his match, but a mistake along the edge of the mat put Smith on top and Huntley would succumb by a 5-3 decision. Sophomore heavyweight Dan Miller (Berlin, Md.) was one of seven Navy wrestlers who made their first appearance at the All-Academy Championship. Miller opened the day with a pin over Army's Christian Botero in just 2:19, advancing to the semis where he'd face second-seeded Judd Connell of the Merchant Marine Academy. After trailing Connell, 5-3, after the first period, Miller fought is way back and went on to pin Connell at the 6:15 mark. Miller battled top-seeded Josh Wine of VMI in the championship bout, but was unable to get any offense going in what would end in a 6-2 loss. The Mids will use the next two weeks to prepare for their biggest dual of the year, the annual Star Match against Army. The two teams will square of at Christl Arena in West Point, N.Y. on Feb. 19 beginning at 7:00 pm. Navy owns a 44-5-5 record against the Black Knights and have won 10 in a row. The Mids have lost just once in the last 48 matches in the series (42-1-5). Championship Matches 125 - #1 Aaron Kalil (Navy) win by major dec #2 Richard Alarcon (The Citadel), 9-1 133 - #2 Allen Stein (Navy) win by dec #1 Derek Gillespie (Air Force), 6-5 141 - #2 Casey Thome (Army) win by dec Dustin Haislip (Navy), 6-1 149 - #1 Daniel Young (Army) win by dec #3 Derek Royster (The Citadel), 6-0 157 - #1 Bryce Saddoris (Navy) win by dec #2 Jimmy Rafferty (Army), 5-2 165 - #1 Turtogtokh Luvsandorj (The Citadel) win by dec #3 Jake Vetter (Army), 5-2 174 - #1 Matt DeMichiel (Navy) win by fall #2 J.C. Oddo (The Citadel), 2:11 184 - #1 Luke Rebertus (Navy) win by major dec #3 Justin Sparrow (The Citadel), 12-1 19 - #2 Kelby Smith (The Citadel) win by dec #4 Oscar Huntley (Navy), 5-3 HWT - #1 Josh Wine (VMI) win by dec #3 Dan Miller (Navy), 6-2 Consolations 125 - #3 Travis Coffey (Army) won by dec #4 Tyler Spangler (Air Force), 4-2 133 - #4 Connor Hanafee (Army) won by dec #3 Tyler Sim (The Citadel), 5-3 141 - #1 Cole VonOhlen (Air Force) won by med forfeit Jordan Dix (The Citadel), --- 149 - #2 Josh Kreimier (Air Force) won by major dec Martin Bell (MMA), 11-3 157 - Pierre Frazile (The Citadel) won by dec #4 Dan Twitto (MMA), 3-2 165 - #2 Mason Bailey (Navy) won by dec Clayton Gable (Air Force), 8-6 174 - Ryan Tompkins (Army) won by dec Matt Brock (VMI), 5-3 184 - #4 Seth Lowe (MMA) won by dec #2 Kazden Ikehara (Air Force), 3-2 197 - #1 Neil Delaney (Air Force) won by dec Daniel Mills (Army), 3-2 HWT - #2 Judd Connell (MMA) won by dec #4 Jared Erickson (Air Force), 8-5

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, ranked No. 3 in the nation, used three pins to hammer No. 13 Michigan 28-13 in the Wolverines house to grab an impressive Big Ten road victory. The Lions handed Michigan their first conference defeat and snapped a six-dual UM win streak. Penn State used three thrilling pins, including two first period falls, to pick up its 15th win of the year. For the second straight time, Penn State's opponent chose to draw and this time the dual began at 133. Sophomore All-American Andrew Long (Creston, Iowa), ranked No. 9, got three back points at the end of the bout to post an impressive 16-6 major over No. 18 Zac Stevens. Michigan's top-ranked 141-pounder Kellen Russell won a thrilling 3-1 overtime decision over Nittany Lion true freshman Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.), ranked No. 7, to cut the Lion lead to 4-3. Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 5 at 149, dominated Eric Grajales 8-3 with over 2:00 in riding time and then undefeated freshman David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) pinned No. 20 Brandon Zeerip in just 1:01. Taylor, ranked No. 3 at 157, improved to 28-0 on the year with 27 bonus point victories (seven pins, 11 techs and nine majors). Michigan closed out the first half with No. 19 Dan Yates earning a tough 5-2 win over Nittany Lion sophomore Nick Fischer (Unionville, Pa.) at 165, cutting Penn State's lead to 13-6 at the break. Red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at 174, was strong in posting a 13-6 win over Michigan junior Justin Zeerip and then sophomore Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) struck quickly at 184, pinning Michigan's Hunter Collins in just :24 to put the Lions up 22-6. Wright, ranked No. 14 nationally, picked up his fifth pin of the year. Michigan rebounded at 197 where No. 10 Anthony Biondo posted a 12-3 major over Lion true freshman Nick Ruggear (Oxford, Pa.) to cut the Penn State lead to 22-10. No. 5 Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) erased a 6-2 deficit against No. 10 Ben Apland at heavyweight by choosing top in the third period and quickly turning the Wolverine to his back for a pin at the 5:32 mark. The fall, Penn State's third of the dual and Wade's ninth, clinched the victory. Michigan's Sean Boyle picked up a hard-fought 6-2 win over true freshman Nate Morgan (McCook, Neb.) at 125 but the Nittany Lions still posted the dominating 28-13 victory. The Nittany Lions improve to 15-1 on the year, 3-1 in Big Ten action, and handed a hot Michigan team its first loss of the conference season. Michigan falls to 10-3 overall, 5-1 in the loop. Penn State owned a slim 14-12 edge in takedowns, but dominated the dual with bonus points. Head coach Cael Sanderson's crew won six of ten bouts but picked up 10 bonus points off three pins and a major. Michigan notched just one bonus point off a major decision. The win was Penn State's second over the Wolverines after downing their Big Ten brethren in the Virginia Duals title bout. Penn State now owns a 26-24 edge in the all-time series. Penn State returns to action on Friday, Feb. 11, when it hosts No. 19 Illinois in Rec Hall at 7 p.m. Tickets are 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 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: 133: #9 Andrew Long PSU maj. dec. #18 Zac Stevens, 16-6 4-0 141: #1 Kellen Russell UM dec. (OT) #7 Andrew Alton PSU, 3-1 4-3 149: #5 Frank Molinaro PSU dec. Eric Grajales UM, 8-3 7-3 157: #3 David Taylor PSU pinned #20 Brandon Zeerip UM, WBF (1:01) 13-3 165: #19 Dan Yates UM dec. Nick Fischer PSU, 5-2 13-6 174: #2 Ed Ruth PSU dec. Justin Zeerip UM, 13-6 16-6 184: #14 Quentin Wright PSU pinned Hunter Collins UM, WBF (0:24) 22-6 197: #10 Anthony Biondo UM maj. dec. Nick Ruggear PSU, 12-3 22-10 285: #5 Cameron Wade PSU pinned #10 Ben Apland UM, WBF 5:32) 28-10 125: Sean Boyle UM dec. Nate Morgan PSU, 6-2 28-13 Attendance: 1,036 Records: Penn State 15-1 (4-1 Big Ten), Michigan (10-3, 5-1 Big Ten) Up Next for Penn State: home vs. #19 Illinois, Friday, Feb. 11, 7 p.m. in Rec Hall BOUT-BY-BOUT: 133: The dual began at 133, where sophomore Andrew Long (Creston, Iowa), ranked No. 9 at 133, met Michigan junior Zac Stevens, who was ranked No. 19. Stevens scored right off the starting buzzer, taking Long down just seconds into the bout to lead 2-0 early. Long quickly escaped and turned into Stevens, looking for a takedown of his own. Long turned a low single into a takedown on the edge of the mat, but the second official waved it off and the Lion still trailed 2-1. But Long was undaunted, getting in deep on a low shot and scrambling for a takedown and a 3-2 lead with :59 on the clock. Stevens escaped quickly and tied the score at 3-3, but Long continued to pressure the Wolverine, but the bout moved to the second period tied. Long chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 4-3 lead. The Lion sophomore pressured Stevens to the edge of the mat for the first minute of the period and scrambled his way to a 6-3 lead with a second takedown at the 1:10 mark. Long then put together a brief ride, keeping control of Stevens until the :32 mark and building up a :27 riding time edge. Alton pulled Stevens' head to the mat, moved behind him and picked his ankle for a late takedown with :05 left and led 8-4 after two periods. Stevens chose down to start the third period but Long was able to control Stevens long enough to build up a 1:07 riding time edge before the Wolverine escaped. Long quickly took Stevens down and cut him loose to lead 10-6, looking for a major. Long added another takedown with :30 left and then turned Stevens to his back for three near fall points at the buzzer to grab an impressive 16-6 major with 1:42 in riding time. 141: Seventh-ranked freshman Andrew Alton (Mill Hall, Pa.) faced off against top-ranked Kellen Russell of Michigan for the third time. Russell earned hard-fought one-point decisions in each of the prior meetings. The duo came out feisty, with each wrestler looking for early takedowns with a high pace. Alton set the pace early, circling Russell to the edge of the mat. Like the two prior bouts, takedowns were scarce between the two grapplers and the bout moved to the second period tied 0-0. Russell chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 1-0 lead. Alton tried a low single, under hook but Russell was able to slide out of trouble to keep the one point lead. Alton nearly turned the same move into a takedown but did not get the call at the :40 mark and still trailed 1-0. Trailing 1-0, Alton chose down to start the third period and escaped to a 1-1 tied with 1:41 on the clock. The rest of the third period featured a lot of shoulder ties but neither wrestler was able to find an opening to ice the bout and action moved into a sudden victory period. Alton and Russell traded shots for the extra minute with no results and the bout moved into the first of two overtime periods. Russell was down to start and quickly reversed Alton to lead 3-1. Off a reset with :17, Alton could not work his way free to an escape and trailed by two heading into the next :30 period. Alton was down to start the :30 and once again could not free himself from Russell. The top-ranked Wolverine posted a hard-fought 3-1 overtime decision to cut Penn State's lead to 4-3. 149: Two-time All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.) met Michigan freshman Eric Grajales at 149. Molinaro, ranked No. 5, set the tempo early but could not break through a defensive Grajales to score early. The Lion junior continued to pressure Grajales, however, and used a strong high double to take him down and lead 2-1 with :22 (after a Grajales escape). Leading 2-1, Molinaro chose down to start the middle stanza and quickly reversed the Wolverine for a 4-1 lead less than :10 into the period. The veteran Lion then put together a punishing ride, maintaining control of Grajales and looking for a chance to turn him for back points. While not getting the turn, Molinaro was able to build up a 2:09 time advantage with the ride out. Grajales chose neutral to start the third period. Grajales turned a low single into a double leg takedown on the edge of the mat with 1:23 left in the third, cutting Molinaro's lead to 4-3. Molinaro escaped to a 5-3 lead and then began pressuring the Wolverine for another takedown. With the riding time point clinched, Molinaro then secured the bout with a strong high single to lead 7-3 with :25 left on the clock. Molinaro then rode Grajales out to post a strong 8-3 win. 157: Third-ranked freshman David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) took on No. 20 Brandon Zeerip of Michigan at 157. Taylor wasted no time in making another statement. He quickly took Zeerip down and gained control of his shoulders. Deftly turning him to his back in seconds, Taylor then worked steadily to get the pin, finally getting the fall at the 1:01 mark to put Penn State up 13-3. The win improved Taylor to 28-0 with 27 of those wins earning bonus points. It was the freshman's seventh pin of the year. 165: Red-shirt sophomore Nick Fischer (Unionville, Pa.) met Wolverine freshman Dan Yates, who was ranked No. 19 at 165. Fischer had the first scoring chance of the bout, getting control of Yates' ankle and nearly getting a go-ahead takedown. But Yates was able to scramble for nearly :30 and force a stalemate. He then countered a Fischer shot and took 2-0 lead with a takedown of his own at the 1:34 mark. Yates then put together a strong ride, building up a 1:34 riding time edge with the ride out. Fischer nearly picked up a reversal at the end of the period, but Yates was able to hold on to lead 2-0 after one period. Fischer chose down to start the second period and steadily escaped to a 2-1 deficit but Yates had 2:06 in riding time. Fischer got in deep on a high single and looked to score a the end of the period, but Yates was able to force a stalemate with :07 left in the period. Leading 2-1 with more than 2:00 in time, Yates chose down to start the third period. He steadily worked his way into a reversal to lead 4-1 and clinch the riding time point. Fischer escaped at the 1:00 mark to trail 4-2 and then tried a high single that Yates was able to block off. Yates held on for the 5-2 win to cut Penn State's lead to 5-2 at the break. 174: Red-shirt freshman Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), ranked No. 2 at 174, faced off against Michigan's Justin Zeerip. Ruth wasted no time in getting in on a single leg, forcing a scramble that nearly led to an early takedown. But action moved out of bounds and a reset ensued at the 2:30 mark. Continuing to pressure the Wolverine, Ruth turned a low single into a 2-0 lead and then began looking for a chance to turn Zeerip for back points. The talented Lion freshman dominated the action from the top position, building up a sizeable riding time edge before cutting him loose at the :35 mark. Ruth then turned into the Wolverine, looking to add one more takedown in the period. Zeerip was able to fight off Ruth's moves and trailed just 2-1 after one period. Zeerip chose down to start the second period and Ruth once again began punishing the Michigan grappler from the top position. Ruth cut him loose at the 1:20 mark, tying the bout at 2-2 but Ruth had 2:34 in riding time. Ruth quickly added a second takedown, cut Zeerip and led 4-3 with 1:00. The second-ranked Nittany Lion fought off Zeerip's first shot at the :45 mark, forcing a stalemate with :20 left. Ruth picked up a third takedown at the buzzer and led 6-3 with 2:38 in riding time after two periods. He chose down to start the third stanza and steadily worked his way to a reversal and an 8-3 lead. After cutting Zeerip again, Ruth would tack on another takedown and cut and led 10-5 with 1:00 left. Needing one more takedown for a major, Ruth used a swift low double to take him down once more and led 12-6 after a quick Zeerip escape. Ruth was not able to get the last takedown and posted the 13-6 win, putting Penn State up 16-6. 184: Sophomore Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.), ranked No. 14 at 184, battled Hunter Collins. Wright wasted less time than Taylor, gaining control of Collins' shoulders right out of the gates and tossed the Wolverine to his back. In just :24, the 14th-ranked Lion sophomore picked up the pin and put Penn State up 22-6. 197: True freshman Nick Ruggear (Oxford, Pa.) took to the mat for Penn State at 197 to face No. 10 Anthony Biondo of Michigan. Biondo quickly took Ruggear down to lead 2-0 and then put together a strong ride, keeping control of the young Nittany Lion for the rest of the period to lead 2-0 with 2:53 in riding time. Biondo chose down to start the second period and quickly escaped to a 3-0 lead. He then turned a high single into another takedown and a 5-0 lead with 1:34 on the clock. Like the first period, Biondo was able to control Ruggear until cutting him loose at the :31 mark. Biondo tacked on more takedown as the period ended and led 7-1 with 3:58 in riding time, clinching the extra point. Ruggear chose down to start the third period and was cut loose by Biondo to a 7-2 deficit. Ruggear gained control of Biondo's right ankle but Biondo was able to counter the move and add another takedown. The ranked Wolverine then turned Biondo for two back points and led 11-3 after cutting Ruggear loose with :30 left in the match. Biondo would post the 12-3 major and cut Penn State's lead to 22-10. 285: Fifth-ranked heavyweight Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) met No. 10 Ben Apland of Michigan for the third time as well. Wade won two close decisions in the prior two meetings. Wade shot low on Apland but the Wolverine countered and took the Lion junior down to lead 2-1 after a quick Wade escape. Apland gained control of Wade's right leg and as the Nittany Lion tried to counter the move, the Wolverine worked his way into a second takedown and a 4-1 lead with 1:00 on the clock. Wade quickly escaped and turned into the Wolverine, looking for a takedown of his own. But Apland was able to hold firm and led 4-2 after the opening period with :43 in riding time. Apland chose neutral to start the second stanza. The duo battled evenly until Wade show in once more an Apland's left leg. The Wolverine once again worked to counter the move and forced a scramble in the middle of the mat. Apland steadily worked his way to a third takedown and a 6-2 lead after two periods. Wade chose top to start the third period, needing back points to come back. Wade wasted no time in gaining control of Apland, turning the Wolverine to his back and working himself into a chance for the fall. Wade first got the three count and then adjusted his position to pick up the pin just :28 into the final period. The fall at the 5:32 mark clinched the dual for the Lions, putting Penn State up 28-10. 125: True freshman Nate Morgan (McCook, Neb.) took on Michigan's Sean Boyle at 125. Morgan shot early, looking to take a lead, but Boyle was able to counter the move and pick up a takedown of his own to lead 2-0 less than a minute into the bout. Morgan worked his way to an escaped at the 1:00 mark, cutting the Boyle lead to 2-1 with Boyle owning 1:12 in riding time. Neither wrestler notched any more points in the opening period and Boyle led by one after the opening period. Boyle chose down to start the third stanza, escaped, and then added a second takedown to lead 5-1 with 1:30 on the clock. Morgan battled for an escape but could not work his way free. The Lion freshman nearly notched a reversal as the period ended, but Boyle was able to maintain control and led 5-1 with 2:38 in time to his advantage at the end of the second. Morgan chose down to start the third and escaped to a 5-2 deficit. The young Lion worked for a takedown of his own, but Boyle was able to maintain his edge and post a 6-2 win.

NEW YORK, N.Y. -- The Big Red wrestling team notched two wins on Saturday after shutting out Hofstra, 42-0, and following with a 40-3 victory over Columbia. Junior Cam Simaz pinned both of his opponents to total 100 career victories. Senior Mack Lewnes and sophomore Kyle Dake also boasted two pins in as many matches for the day. Cornell improves to 9-1 for the season and is 1-0 in Ivy League action. Before the dual began, Hofstra and Cornell wrestled two exhibition matches. At 141 pounds, Mike Nevinger won an 11-0 major decision over Mike Doria. Cornell followed with another victory, when Jesse Shanaman won by a 10-2 major decision over Jeff Rotella at 157 pounds. The dual opened at 125 pounds with No. 10 Frank Perrelli facing Steve Bonanno. After a scoreless first period, Bonanno escaped from his opening down position to start the second. With 30 seconds left in the period, Perrelli countered a shot by Bonanno for a takedown. Bonanno escaped to take a 2-2 tie into the third. Perrelli made a quick escape to start the third after working to his feet and twisting free of the Hofstra wrestler. The two wrestlers scrambled late in the period, and Perrelli came out on top for a takedown to win a 5-2 decision. At 133 pounds, No. 6 Mike Grey picked up a win by forfeit to earn six team points for Cornell. The Big Red took a 9-0 team lead, and Grey improved to 3-0 for the season. Senior Corey Manson took down Vince Varela with a double leg in the first period at 141 pounds. Varela quickly escaped and took a 3-2 lead with a takedown of his own. Varela escaped to open the second period, but Manson tied the bout with a takedown. The Big Red wrestler quickly escaped to open the third period. With less than a minute left in the bout, Manson notched another takedown to take a 7-4 lead. Varela escaped, and after Manson was hit with his second stall warning the pride wrestler was within a point of his Big Red counterpart. Manson held strong and won a 7-6 decision. At 149 pounds, No. 3 Kyle Dake quickly took a 4-0 lead over Matt Spataro with a takedown and two quick back points. Dake immediately worked to turn his opponent again and won by fall in 1:33. No. 11 DJ Meagher held a 2-0 lead with a takedown in the first period against Tyler Banks at 157 pounds. Meagher chose to start the second period down on the mat and immediately reversed his opponent. The Big Red wrestler held a 6-2 advantage after two periods after adding a takedown. Banks escaped from his opening down position in the third period, but Meagher took him down again. With 4:56 in riding time, Meagher won a 9-3 decision. At 165 pounds, freshman Craig Eifert took on No. 14 PJ Gillespie. Gillespie held a 2-1 lead after the first period. Gillespie escaped from his opening down position to start the second period. Eifert tied the bout with a takedown, but the Big Red wrestler shocked his ranked opponent when he turned him to his back and won by fall in 4:46. With six team points, Cornell increased its lead to 27-0. With 15 seconds left in the first period at 174 pounds, Mack Lewnes converted on a low double to take down No. 16 Ryan Patrovich. Patrovich chose to start the second period down. Lewnes took advantage of his opponent's choice and turned him to win by fall in 3:33. At 184 pounds, No. 6 Steve Bosak was scoreless against Ben Clymer in the first period. Clymer chose to start the second period down, but he was unable to escape Bosak for the entire two minutes. Bosak chose to start the third down, and within 30 seconds had a reversal. With 2:30 in riding time, Bosak won a 3-0 decision. No. 1 Simaz wrestled Matt Loew at 197 pounds. Simaz quickly took down the rookie early in the first period. The Big Red wrestler allowed Loew to escape only to take him down once again. Simaz quickly tilted his opponent and picked up his 99th career victory, winning by fall in 1:41. In the last match of the dual, Stryker Lane squared off against Paul Snyder at heavyweight. Lane took down the pride wrestler in the first period and road him out. Snyder chose down in the second period, but was unable to escape. Snyder let Lane up from his opening down position to start the third period looking to score. Neither wrestler put more points on the board, and with 2:36 in riding time Lane won a 4-0 decision. #1 Cornell 45, Hofstra 0 125: No. 10 Frank Perrelli (Cornell) dec. Steve Bonanno (Hofstra), 5-2 (Cornell, 3-0) 133: No. 6 Mike Grey (Cornell) win by forfeit (Cornell, 9-0) 141: Corey Manson (Cornell) dec. Vince Varela (Hofstra), 7-6 (Cornell, 12-0) 149: No. 3 Kyle Dake (Cornell) win by fall Matt Spataro (Hofstra), 1:33 (Cornell, 18-0) 157: No. 11 DJ Meagher (Cornell) dec. Tyler Banks (Hofstra), 9-3 (Cornell, 21-0) 165: Craig Eifert (Cornell) win by fall No. 14 PJ Gillespie (Hofstra), 4:46 (Cornell, 27-0) 174: No. 3 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) win by fall No. 16 Ryan Patrovich (Hofstra), 3:33 (Cornell, 33-0) 184: No. 6 Steve Bosak (Cornell) dec. Ben Clyer (Hofstra), 3-0 (Cornell, 36-0) 197: No. 1 Cam Simaz (Cornell) win by fall Matt Loew (Hofstra), 1:41 (Cornell, 42-0) HWT: Stryker Lane (Cornell) dec. Paul Snyder (Hofstra), 4-0 (Cornell, 45-0)   #1 Cornell vs. Columbia 125: No. 10 Frank Perrelli (Cornell) maj. dec. 15-7 Penn Gottfried (Columbia) (Cornell, 4-0) 133: No. 6 Mike Grey (Cornell) maj. dec. Matt Bystol (Columbia), 18-7 (Cornell, 8-0) 141: Corey Manson (Cornell) maj. dec. Josh Houldworth (Columbia), 14-5 (Cornell, 12-0) 149: No. 3 Kyle Dake (Cornell) win by fall Tom DiVitantonio (Columbia), 1:35 (Cornell, 18-0) 157: No. 11 DJ Meagher (Cornell) dec. Jake O'Hara (Columbia), 11-5 (Cornell, 21-0) 165: Craig Eifert (Cornell) dec. Eren Civan (Columbia), 9-4 (Cornell, 24-0) 174: No. 3 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) win by fall Stephen West (Columbia), 6:20 (Cornell, 30-0) 184: No. 6 Steve Bosak (Cornell) maj. dec. Nick Mills (Columbia), 10-1 (Cornell, 34-0) 197: No. 1 Cam Simaz (Cornell) win by fall Mike Puhpak (Columbia), 1:14 (Cornell, 40-0) HWT: Kevin Lester (Columbia) dec. Stryker Lane (Cornell), 5-4 (Cornell, 40-3)

CLEVELAND, OH -- The Bloomsburg University wrestling team won three matches by fall as it rolled over Cleveland State 34-12 on Saturday afternoon in an Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) matchup. After dropping the first match of the day at 125 pounds, Bloomsburg took a 4-3 lead with a win by 133 pounder Nick Wilcox (Greene, NY/Greene Central) who scored a win by major decision, 19-8. Wilcox took control of the match in the second period with two reversals and a three-point near fall. At 141 pounds Derek Shingara (Shamokin/Shamokin) posted his second straight win by first period fall taking down the Vikings Josh Palivoda in 1:59 to give Bloomsburg a 10-3 lead. Cleveland State tightened the score to 10-9 with a win by fall at 149 pounds, before Frank Hickman (Castle Hayne, NC/E.L. Laney) posted a win by technical fall, 16-1, for Bloomsburg. Hickman, leading 2-0 after one period, took control of the match in the second period with a reversal followed by a three-point near fall, then a two-point near fall. The Vikings made it 15-12 with a win at 165 pounds before the Huskies scored back-to-back wins by pin. At 174 pounds Mike Dessino (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex), in the top 10 nationally in falls, posted a fall in 3:42. Dessino was leading 2-0 in the second when he got a reversal then put Aric Thurn on his back for the pin. At 184 pounds Bloomsburg's Nate Graham (Selkirk, NY/Ravena) followed with a fall in just 1:36.It was Graham's fourth, first period pin of the season and it put the Huskies on top 27-12. Bloomsburg closed out the match getting a win by major decision, 22-10, from Richard Perry (Meriden, CT/Middletown) at 197 pounds with heavyweight Zac Walsh (Denville, NJ/Morris Knolls) winning by decision, 5-2. The Huskies improve to 13-5,2-3 in the EWL, while Cleveland State falls to 3-10, 0-3 in the EWL. Bloomsburg is back in action on Thursday hosting Binghamton at 7 p.m. at the Nelson Field House. Results: 125 - Ben Willeford (CSU) 3-1 dec. Sean Boylan (Seaville, NJ/St. Marks) (BU) 133 - Nick Wilcox (Greene, NY/Greene Central) (BU) 19-8 maj. dec. Nick Flannery (CSU) 141 - Derek Shingara (Shamokin/Shamokin) (BU) 1:59 fall Josh Palivoda (CSU) 149 - Lawrence Cavello (CSU) 6:34 fall Matt Hicks (Allentown (Annapolis, MD)/St. Mary's, MD) (BU) 157 - Frank Hickman (Castle Hayne, NC/E.L. Laney) (BU) 16-1 tech. fall Matt Donohoe (CSU) 165 - Robbie Michaels (CSU) 4-0 dec. Josh Veltre (Rochester, NY/Greece Olympia) (BU) 174 - Mike Dessino (Middlesex, NJ/Middlesex) (BU) 3:42 fall Aric Thurn (CSU) 184 - Nathan Graham (BU) 1:36 fall Corbin Boone (CSU) 197 - Richard Perry (Meriden, CT/Middletown) (BU) 22-10 maj. dec. Nick Anthony (CSU) HWT - Zac Walsh (Denville, NJ/Morris Knolls) (BU) 5-2 dec. Chris Weber (CSU)