InterMat Staff

125: No. 1 Angel Escobedo (Indiana) over No. 3 Matt McDonough (Iowa) Nickerson is talented, a proven winner, and retuning national champion. But ... he has also wrestled less than 15 matches, has been banged up all year, and has wrestled only two guys that are seeded at this weight (his loss to Escobedo being one of them). You can't start wrestling your 'tough' matches in mid-March. Look for this weight to go the same way as the Big 10 finals. 133: No. 3 Franklin Gomez (Michigan State) over No. 1 Jayson Ness (Minnesota) Dennis will need to beat Gomez for a third straight match to prevent him from making the finals. Three straight by Dennis over Gomez is as likely as the new "Kirstie Alley's Big Life" TV program being watchable. Gomez will play it tight with Ness in the finals, and then score a close-to-the-edge takedown to win the match and his second national title. 141: No. 4 Reece Humphrey (Ohio State) over No. 2 Jamal Parks (Oklahoma State) Uhhhhh ... let me see if I have this one right. Dake is a true freshman ... seeded No. 1 in the national tournament ... and on his side of the bracket is the returning national finalist who has already beaten him once this year. Can someone tell Tim Johnson during the ESPN broadcast to not act too surprised when "our first No. 1 seed has gone down?" Parks will make the finals based on the 'John Smith always gets a lightweight in the finals' rule (section 5.3.2 in bold). 149: No. 2 Brent Metcalf (Iowa) over No. 1 Lance Palmer (Ohio State) It may be trendy to pick Palmer over Metcalf, but it's not smart. Here is why: Can you think of one thing that Metcalf wouldn't do to win this match? One thing. Come on ... think of one thing. For example, "Brent, coach Brands left his clipboard in Iowa City. It has the scouting notes for your match against Palmer on it. Can you bear crawl back to Iowa City to get it and still be back for your finals match?" He would do it, right? Right. Metcalf will win this match. Period. (Side note: I can't wait to watch James Fleming in this weight class. His top position may be the most exciting wresting in the country right now. Tune in for the second round when Fleming and Metcalf match up. Look for Fleming to choose top and go for his infamous his Boa Constrictor turn (or whatever you call it). This will be worth the $165 you paid to get in the doors. Trust me. I have watched about six hours of film on his turn and still have no idea what he is doing.) 157: No. 1 J.P. O'Connor (Harvard) over No. 7 Chase Pami (Cal Poly) Unfortunately, I don't think this is going to end well for Schlatter. It is a real bummer for wrestling fans because it would have been a nice touch to see him come full circle and end up on top. Unfortunately, serious knee injuries and weight cutting are not good recipes against the best guys in the country. Look for Pami to be a surprise finalist; a direct result of being ass-kicked by Mark Perry in the room every day. (Side note: Take a moment to watch 'The man that never stops wrestling' Jonny Bonilla-Bowman. Then lean over to your kids and tell them you want them to wrestle that way.) 165: No. 1 Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) over No. 2 Jarrod King (Edinboro) Howe doesn't do much, but he always does enough to win. What else can you say about a guy that is 32-0 and peels off 80% decisions. The most exciting aspect of this weight is determining how a banged up Morningstar will do for Iowa's team score. 174: No. 2 Jay Borschel (Iowa) over No. 1 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) Lewnes blew up at nationals last year, and not in a good way. Rob Koll can only hope that any mental issues related to this tournament have been overcome. Both of these guys are undefeated and on a crash course for each other. The likely finals matchup has the outside chance of also being for a team title, as I see Cornell as having the most likely chance of beating Iowa. 184: No. 2 John Dergo (Illinois) over No. 9 Phil Keddy (Iowa) This weight class is absolutely wide open, and I wouldn't be surprised to see any of the top eight seeded guys make a finals run. Dergo, though, is an absolute beast who has made a habit of breaking down returning AAs this season. He looks to be in top form and ready to be at the top of the podium. Keddy is an elite wrestler who has had an up and down season, but sources close to the program have indicated that he is ready for a real finals run. 197: No. 1 Jake Varner (Iowa State) over No. 2 Craig Brester (Nebraska) In a rematch of last years final, the results will be much the same. Varner puts up another national title, and potentially InterMat wrestler of the year honors. 285: No. 2 Jared Rosholt (Oklahoma State) over No. 4 Konrad Dudziak (Duke) Rosholt is too big and has too much pedigree to not win a national title. Dudziak missed half the season and will not be able to finish against Rosholt. Look for heavyweight to be a wide open weight where anything and everything won't happen (unless you like sudden victory matches ...) Top Five Teams: 1. Iowa 2. Cornell 3. Iowa State 4. Minnesota 5. Oklahoma State

125: No. 2 Troy Nickerson (Cornell) over No. 1 Angel Escobedo (Indiana) Nickerson has only lost twice at the NCAAs while donning a Cornell singlet. Coming into this season, he was 3-0 in college career against Escobedo. When the two NCAA champions and three-time All-Americans met in the finals of the Southern Scuffle in December, Nickerson's shoulder popped out in the first period ... and he was forced to injury default. Escobedo has been on fire this season. He has been able to stay healthy for the first time in a while ... and has benefited from the return of Joe Dubuque to the Indiana coaching staff. Expect a tight finals match with Nickerson getting the only takedown, which will be enough to propel him to victory. 133: No. 1 Jayson Ness (Minnesota) over No. 3 Franklin Gomez (Michigan State) Ness has been the most dominant college wrestler in the country this season (no apologies). He is 26-0 with 18 pins. He crushed No. 2 Dennis of Iowa, 9-3, in the Big Ten finals. Defending NCAA champion Gomez catches a break when his nemesis, Dennis, gets picked off by Cornell's Grey in the quarterfinals. Ness wins comfortably (four to six points) over Gomez in the finals. 141: No. 3 Mike Thorn (Minnesota) over No. 1 Kyle Dake (Cornell) Thorn is red-hot heading into the NCAAs. He blitzed through his weight class at the Big Tens, avenging his last regular season loss to Marion, hammering him to the tune of 12-3, before avenging a Nationals Duals loss to Humphrey in the finals. When Thorn is on, he is very difficult to beat. If things play out according to seeds (don't expect them to in this balanced weight class), Thorn will have the opportunity to avenge losses to Parks in the semifinals and Dake in the finals. Dake may be a true freshman, but you would never know it from watching him compete. He is very confident in his abilities, wrestles well from all positions, and is especially tenacious on the mat. Look for Thorn to feed off teammate Ness' success, much like he did at the Big Tens, and give the Gophers two NCAA champions in the first three weight classes. 149: No. 2 Brent Metcalf (Iowa) over No. 1 Lance Palmer (Ohio State) Palmer made a strong statement at the Big Tens that he is not about to concede the title in his senior season to Metcalf. He wrestled as if Metcalf was trying to take something away that is his. Palmer has to be careful not to look ahead to the finals against Metcalf. Ruschell has a win over Palmer this season and wrestled him to a one-point match at the Big Tens. Metcalf should cruise to the finals on the bottom side. A Palmer-Metcalf rematch would be electric. As long as Metcalf blocks out what happened in St. Louis last March and Ann Arbor two weeks ago, he should finish his career as a two-time NCAA champion and three-time NCAA finalist. 157: No. 5 Steve Fittery (American) over No. 2 Adam Hall (Boise State) This is perhaps the most wide-open weight class. Schlatter is the most credentialed wrestler in the field, but after missing the Big Tens due to injury, a title run seems unlikely. He has made a habit of wrestling injured throughout his career, but his latest injury, which just occurred a couple weeks ago, might be too much to overcome in such a short period of time. Fittery, a transfer to American from Division II Shippensburg (Pennsylvania), where he was a two-time NCAA runner-up, has impressed me all season. Of his 30 victories, 26 have come with bonus points. He's strong and solid in all positions. A Midlands champion this season, Fittery has thrived under Mark Cody's tutelage. The undefeated O'Connor will be looking to erase the memories of last March when he failed to reach the podium for the first time in his career. I look for Hall to come out of the bottom side, although his first round draw didn't do him any favors. I sure wouldn't want to start my tournament by wrestling the always-dangerous and exciting Jonny Bonilla-Bowman. 165: No. 2 Jarrod King (Edinboro) over No. 4 Jon Reader (Iowa State) There isn't much separation between the top seven wrestlers in this weight class. Most have wrestled one another ... and virtually every one of the matches has been decided by two points or less. Howe is undefeated, but has not been able to create much separation from the other contenders. He wrestled two-point matches in the semifinals and finals of the Big Tens. At the Midlands in December, Marable took Howe to the tiebreaker, while Reader took him to sudden victory. I look for Reader to bounce back from his Big 12 finals loss and upset Howe in the semifinals. King is the defending NCAA champion and second seed, but still seems to get overlooked by many ... most likely because he's the lone wrestler in the top seven who does not compete in the Big Ten or Big 12. I'll take King to not only come out of the bottom side, but also win his second straight NCAA title, joining Penn's Matt Valenti as one of the recent unheralded two-time NCAA champions. 174: No. 1 Mack Lewnes (Cornell) over No. 2 Jay Borschel (Iowa) Lewnes and Borschel have clearly separated themselves from the field this season. Both are coming off disappointing NCAA tournaments and both are undefeated. Dwyer has kept it close with both Lewnes (5-3) and Borschel (10-7). As the No. 4 seed, Dwyer will likely have to get past Lewnes to reach the finals. Henrich, a returning All-American, is one of the nation's hottest wrestlers. He has not suffered a defeat since December 29, when he lost in the finals of the Southern Scuffle, 6-1, to Lewnes. When the dust settles, though, I expect it to be Lewnes and Borschel wrestling for the title ... with the Big Red junior coming out on top. 184: No. 4 Mike Cannon (American) over No. 6 Max Askren (Missouri) Do you want to know how deep this weight class is? An NCAA champion will battle an NCAA runner-up in a pigtail match. That same NCAA champion (and three-time All-American) is the No. 10 seed. The No. 9 seed is a two-time All-American, as is the No. 6 seed. Interestingly, the top two seeds, Smith and Dergo, failed to reach the podium last season, but both have looked like different competitors this season. Smith is unbeaten and Dergo has only lost to Smith and Askren. (He later avenged the loss to Askren.) I really like the way Cannon is competing right now, which is why he's my pick to win the title and become American's second NCAA champion after Fittery. His last (and only) loss came to Dergo in sudden victory in the finals of the Midlands in December. Since then, he has won 14 straight matches ... with 11 victories during that stretch coming with bonus points, including six pins, two technical falls, and three major decisions. 197: No. 1 Jake Varner (Iowa State) over No. 2 Craig Brester (Nebraska) Varner is a monster ... extremely strong, technical, and difficult to score on. He is looking to become Iowa State's second four-time NCAA finalist (Cael Sanderson was the other) and 14th in NCAA history. He has his sights set on a World title this year in freestyle ... and the NCAAs serve as a road stop along the way. He should breeze to the finals where he will likely see his longtime Big 12 rival Brester, who always battles him tough. Brester will be game, but Varner is just too solid to lose 285: No. 2 Jared Rosholt (Oklahoma State) over No. 4 Konrad Dudziak (Duke) Zabriskie enters the event as the No. 1 seed for the second straight season after winning his third Big 12 title, becoming the first Iowa State heavyweight ever to accomplish the feat. Zabriskie was knocked off in the semifinals last season by Dudziak, which is what I see happening again. The Duke heavyweight, a native of Poland, has seen limited action this season because of a reported off-the-mat incident, but is undefeated and looking to become Duke's first NCAA wrestling champion ever. He flies under the radar because he wrestles for a basketball school. I look for Rosholt, a three-time All-American, to come out of the bottom bracket and eventually take out Dudziak in the finals. Top Five Teams: 1. Iowa 2. Cornell 3. Minnesota 4. Iowa State 5. Oklahoma State

Josh Dziewa

John Smith

Barry Davis

Heath Grimm

Jim Andrassy

Jim Giunta

Derek DelPorto

Jason Reitmeier

Marc Bauer

Fernando Serratos

Froilan Gonzales

MINNEAPOLIS -- University of Minnesota head wrestling coach J Robinson and the Golden Gopher Wrestling Program are pleased to announce the recent signing of high school senior Drew Lexvold to an Acceptance of Admission. Lexvold is a native of Kenyon, Minn. and will graduate this spring from Kenyon-Wanamingo High School. He recently completed his senior season on the mat at the State Championship meet on Mar. 6. There, Lexvold won his second state title and first at the 130 pound weight class. He also has a state title at 125 in his high school career. His wrestling career extends beyond the local level as he placed second at the National High School Coaches Association High School Nationals in his sophomore year. At Minnesota he will study information technology and he has already been accepted to the U-of-M IT school. Lexvold is the eighth Gopher Wrestling signee this season, and joins an already stellar class of recruits for 2010-2011. He will begin his Golden Gopher career next fall. The current group of Minnesota wrestlers recently finished off a strong performance at the Big Ten Championships on Mar. 7, placing second with two individual champions and nine NCAA Qualifiers. They will conclude their season Mar. 18-20 at the NCAA Championships in Omaha, Neb. as they compete for a National Title.

BETHLEHEM, PA -- For most wrestlers, a pair of socks is chosen for comfort, color coordination, or with no thought whatsoever. Garrett FreyBut Garrett Frey's distinctive pair -- the mid-length orange ones with a ribbon and the words "Team Frey" stitched in light blue -- those carry special meaning. The Princeton true freshman has been wrestling with a heavy heart all season. On December 26, 2009, his brother Adam, a former Cornell wrestler, passed away after a nearly two-year bout with germ cell testicular cancer. He was 23. The entire Princeton team bought a pair at full price for the season. Proceeds from the sale of those socks and other gear that can be purchased on www.adamfrey.us go towards the Adam Frey Foundation. At Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, Adam shared a room with a guy whose family visited with him daily, but could only afford to eat one piece of pizza a day. Adam began the foundation to help struggling families allay the soaring costs of battling cancer. "[Adam] was such a big-hearted person," Garrett says. "He wanted to raise money for the people, not just for finding the cure. So he started the Adam Frey Foundation, which represents my brother and what he believed in." The loss was an understandably difficult one for Garrett, who, despite the four-year age difference, was very close to his older brother. Garrett and Adam with parents Jerry and Cynthia"It was really difficult and I missed the Southern Scuffle (for the funeral and wake)," Garrett says. "But he wouldn't want me to stop [wrestling]. All he's ever wanted me to do is to be better than him. He didn't want me to be known as 'Adam Frey's little brother,' he wanted me to be Garrett Frey. He got more disappointed in me than I did in myself when I lost a wrestling match." "Garrett is just very intelligent and very calm," said his mother, Cindy Frey. "He takes everything in stride, and he's dealt with everything in the past 21 months head on." Despite his emotional burden, the Blair Academy grad has grown quickly as wrestler in his first year with the Tigers. Frey says he didn't want to become a sympathy case for his team, or to be treated any differently because of his circumstances. He appreciated all of their support, but he just wanted to be one of the guys. "[Garrett] is one of the most resilient guys I've ever met," Princeton coach Chris Ayres said. "To face such adversity and be so successful is a tribute to him. He's so tough." At 26-7, Frey leads the Tigers in wins this season. He entered the EIWA tournament on a two-match losing streak however, so he was saddled with the seventh seed at 125 pounds and after being granted a first-round bye, had a date in the quarterfinals with No. 2 seed (then-19th-ranked by InterMat) Joseph Langel (Rutgers). Garrett Frey (Photo/Beverly Schaefer)In that match, Frey finished off an early shot to lead 2-0. After an escape cut his lead to one, Frey again emerged from a scramble with the funky Langel and locked up a chest-to-chest cradle to earn the fall in 2:12 and notch the first upset of the quarterfinal round. In the semis, Frey locked horns with No. 3-seeded Jason Borschoff (American), looking to avenge a narrow 5-3 loss earlier this season. In that particular match, his coaches said he was tentative and didn't open up his offense enough. "Last time, he was able to control the ties very well, I wasn't able to get many shots off and didn't move my feet much," Frey says. "This time, my approach was to try and avoid the ties and stay out of his front headlock." After a scoreless first period, Frey was being dominated on bottom for the first half of the second. But he managed to escape and get a critical takedown out of a scramble as time expired. Add to that an illegal hold call on Borschoff, and Frey had a 4-0 lead entering the third. In that period, Borschoff got an escape, but Frey executed a beautiful fireman's carry off of a counter with a minute left for another takedown, the final one in a 6-1 semifinal win. Chris Ayres"He's starting to open up, really letting it rip," Ayres says. "He was wrestling before like he'd won something, like he had to protect something. He has a lot to prove, but when he opens up, he's hard to beat." The win sent Frey on to the finals against No. 1 seed and second-ranked Troy Nickerson (Cornell). The match was particularly intriguing given the close relationship and recent history between the Frey family and the Cornell wrestling program. If the defending national champion intimidated Garrett, he didn't show it. Frey wrestled hard to fend off a first period fall and took his shots throughout. Trailing 6-1 in the third, Frey went for a throw-by, and after Nickerson countered by grabbing a leg, Frey tried to roll through. That move was a true freshman mistake, as Nickerson caught and pinned him early in the third period in 5:44 for his third EIWA championship. "It was definitely different, interesting going out and having to wrestle [Garrett]," Troy said. "It's funny wrestling him because I wrestled [Adam] a million times and they have very similar styles. But when you step out on to the mat, that's your opponent and you've got to take care of business. I think he proved a lot to people here how tough he is ... Garrett has got a lot of potential and I'm glad he's having success out here." Garrett Frey (Photo/Beverly Schaefer)Nevertheless, his second-place finish guaranteed the true freshman a trip to Omaha for the NCAAs, the first Tiger to do so since 2005. To have a guy wrestle in the EIWA finals and advance on to the NCAAs is just one more step that Coach Ayres and the Tigers want to take in their efforts to resurrect the Princeton wrestling back to respectability. "He's the best kid on our team, and he's really becoming a leader for us," says Ayres, whose program improved from 2-18 last season to 9-10 and third in the Ivy League this year. "It's the natural progression of a program to get EIWA finalists, so it's an important step for us right now." As if wrestling Nickerson wasn't enough, Frey's next match will be against another defending NCAA champion: current No. 1 seed and top-ranked Angel Escobedo (Indiana) in the first round of the NCAAs. No matter the end result, however, rest assured that Frey will be fearless and relentless in his approach. "That's what I think about whenever I go on the mat," Frey says. "There's no way I could ever give up because I'm two people strong and [Adam] will always be with me."

Hear the True Story of a Congenital Amputee Who Became a Champion in Wrestling and in Life Kyle Maynard’s inspirational story along with FCA Wrestling’s ministry launch will highlight the 16th Annual FCA/NWCA “Champions” Breakfast, Friday morning, March 19, 7:30 am at the Hilton Omaha right next to the Quest Center. Coaches, Wrestlers and fans are invited to the event co-sponsored by the FCA and the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA). For years this event has been one of the highlight activities for many wrestling fans during their trip to the NCAA Championships. This year’s Champions Breakfast will also see 4x NCAA D II Champion Dan Russell, Olympians Nate Carr and John Peterson, FCA Wrestling National Director Joe Boardwine, and ESPN Wrestling Announcer Tim Johnson participating in the program. The FCA Wrestling Ministry is for any athlete, coach, fan or friend of the wrestling community who loves wrestling and has an openness or desire to grow in their relationship with God. FCA Wrestling’s vision is to see the wrestling world impacted for Jesus Christ through the influence of wrestlers and coaches. Ticket info: A FREE event for all wrestling coaches* and wrestlers* (coach/Institution must be current NWCA member to receive free tickets). Tickets are $10 for General Public. Tickets can be picked up at the NWCA booth at the Quest Center during the first round of wrestling competition, Thursday, March 18.

The NWCA is excited to announce that Jake Herbert and Jeff Jordan will serve as clinicians for the NWCA Coaches Clinic at the NCAA Championships. Jeff Jordan is currently the head coach of St. Paris Graham where he led his team to a 10th straight Ohio State team title. This year’s team is currently ranked as the number one high school team in the country. Jordan has been named a national high school coach of the year. His coaching experience also includes five years at Purdue as an assistant coach, until he moved back to Ohio where he began coaching at the High School Level and founded Jeff Jordan’s State Champ Camp. As a wrestler, Jordan was a four-time Ohio State Champion carrying a career record of 159-1. He went on to compete at the University of Wisconsin where he was a two-time All-American and a Big Ten Champion. Jake Herbert finished his career at Northwestern University as a two-time NCAA Champion at 184 pounds. He capped off his senior by being named the Dan Hodge Trophy winner, which is given to the nation’s most dominant college wrestler, it is the Heisman Trophy of wrestling. Herbert was also awarded the 2009 Jesse Owens Award, when he was named the Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year across all sports. After his collegiate career Herbert decided to focus on international competition, he became the U.S. Open champion at 84 kg, and a world silver medalist from the 2009 World Championships in Denmark. Making him the first American to reach the finals and earn a silver medal since 2003. “We are thrilled to have two clinicians of this caliber joining us on the Main Stage at the NCAA Fan Fest for the NWCA Coaches Clinic. This is a great opportunity for our members and coaches to be able to see technique from two very talented and accomplished athletes,” said Mike Moyer, NWCA Executive Director. “This is a great culminating event to the NCAA Championships on Saturday afternoon that we look forward to each year.” The NWCA Coaches Clinic will take place on Saturday, March 20, 2010 at 2 p.m. on the Main Stage of the Fan Festival.

Jim Beichner

Nick Marable

Andy Rendos

OMAHA, Neb. -- Junior Donovan McMahill took an early 3-0 lead against Augustana’s Tyler Copsey and gave up only an escape in the third period en route to his first national championship at 197 in the final round of the 2010 NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships that ended tonight in Sapp Fieldhouse. McMahill becomes the 14th different Mountaineer to win a national title and the first since Jared Haberman and Adrian Jiron won titles in 2004.

Kearney, Neb. -- Nebraska-Kearney senior Marty Usman recorded a takedown with around 15 seconds left to beat Wisconsin-Parkside's Luke Rynish, 5-3, in the 174 lbs. final at the 2010 NCAA Championships Saturday night in Omaha. UNK and Upper Iowa will finish in a tie for third; UNO will win a second straight national title and Augustana will be this year's runner up. Finishing his season at 44-1, Usman (Arlington, Texas) recorded an early takedown to grab the lead. With the third period clock winding down, Usman was called for stalling for the second time, tying the match. However, literally seconds after that, he took the 4th-ranked Rynish down. Now a three-time All-Amerian, Usman beat Rynish twice this year and twice last year. Other All-Americans for the Lopers include T.J. Hepburn (3rd/149 lbs.), Derek Ross (3rd/184 lbs.), Taylor May (6th/165 lbs.) and Justin McKain (6th/197 lbs.).

OMAHA, Neb. -- Anderson senior 157-pounder J.J. Jackson won four consecutive matches and claimed the national title by defeating Nebraska-Omaha's George Ivanov, 3-1, Saturday night at the 2010 Division II Wrestling Championships at the University of Nebraska at Omaha's Sapp Fieldhouse. The Lake City, S C., won his first two bouts on Friday to work his way into the semifinals and earned All-America honors in the process. He edged St. Cloud State’s John Sundgren, 6-5, in Friday’s opening match, then handily defeated Wisconsin-Parkside’s Dillon Bera, 11-2, in the second round to become the second Trojan wrestler in as many years to earn All-American honors, as CJ Hamilton brought home the recognition last year. Jackson downed Augustana’s Joseph Deaguero, 3-1, in the semifinal Saturday morning and moved on to the championship round. He is the second Trojan wrestler to bring home a national championship, as Careef Roberson claimed the title in 2005.

The UW-Parkside wrestling team is took part in the NCAA Division II national championships Friday and Saturday at the Sapp Fieldhouse on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Omaha. At 149 pounds, Craig Becker won a national title. Becker pinned Ryan McIntyre of Pittsburgh-Johnstown in 6:20 and then dispensed Travis Elg of Minnesota State, 18-5. In Saturday's semi-final, Becker edged Derek Bomstead in a wild 13-11 affair. Becker won a thrilling 4-3 decision over Esai Dominguez of Nebraska-Omaha in the championship bout. Becker finishes with a superb 38-2 record this season. Becker became head coach Jim Koch's 14th national champion. "I knew I had to control the pace," Becker told CBSC television after the match. "It was my day." Nebraska-Omaha, which came into the meet ranked No. 1 in the nation, won the national title. UW-Parklside, which came in at No. 4, finished sixth. Luke Rynish was the national runner-up at 174 pounds. He handled Curtis Chenoweth of Newberry, 12-4, in the opening round and then stuck Cody Vasconcellos of Central Oklahoma in 2:09. Rynish moved to the championship bout with a convincing 14-6 trouncing of Cody O'Grady. He dropped a tough 5-4 decision to Kamarudeen Usman of Nebraska-Kearney in the finals. Rynish finished the season with a 38-11 record. Three Parkside wrestlers had their tournament end early. Cody Zimmerman dropped a 5-3 and 3-1 decision at 125 points. Teammate Luke Haag was decisioned 6-2 and 14-8 in the 184-pound grouping. At 197 pounds, Jon Treml was pinned in 6:25 and 2:26. Zimmerman ended the 2009-10 campaign with a record of 31-7. Haag finished with a noteworthy 43-11 mark and Treml ended up at 28-17. The remaining two Ranger competitors extended their run to Saturday. Dillon Bera routed Kyle Francis of Western State, 15-2, before dropped an excruciating 6-5 decision to Jon Jackson of Augustana at 157. Bera rebounded to log a 5-1 win over Mike Lybarger of Findlay. On Saturday, Bera losed another tight one, this time to Andy Lamancusa of Mercyhurst, 5-3. Bera lost the seventh place match on forfeit and ended with a record of 31-12. Matt Gille was pinned in 3:14 in a 165-pound opening round bout. He recovered to pin Bret Terry of Gannon in 5:54. Gille decisioned Blake Malloy of Fort Hays State, 11-9, then was pinned by Taylor May of Nebraska-Kearney in 6:56. Gille pined Gavin Nelson of Augustana in 1:40 for seventh place and finishes the season with a 43-11 mark.

NMHU’s own Seth Wright made history on 3/13 in Omaha, NE as he wrestled his way to a NCAA Division II National Championship. This is the first ever NCAA National Championship for NMHU in any sport. Wright's victory came as he went 4-0 for the tournament. Wright’s first victory came over Augustana’s Alex Meger with a 10-8 decision. Next up for Wright was University of Pittsburgh- Johnstown’s Ryan Link with a decision of 9-3. The semifinal round found Wright facing off with Fort Hays State University’s Tommy Edgmon. The two had previously faced off with Wright winning 5-0. He kept his streak going as he beat Edgmon in a 4-2 decision to put him in the championship match. Adam State College’s Arsenia Barksdale, who was ranked first, fell to Upper Iowa University’s Tyler Mumbolo. That put Mumbolo in the championship against Wright. Wright took the convincing win as he won by a major decision of 17-4. Wright is now the lone NCAA Champion for the Cowboys. Head Coach Doug Moses said “ This is what we have been training for all year long. Our goal was to win a National Championship and that’s exactly what we did!”