InterMat Staff

STILLWATER, Okla. -- The Oklahoma State wrestling team beat Northern Colorado, 44-0, Friday night in Gallagher-Iba Arena to score the 1,000th all-time dual match victory in the history of the program. With the win, the fifth-ranked Cowboys improved to 9-2-1 on the year, while the Bears fell to 1-8-0 on the year. The shutout marked the first for Oklahoma State since a 43-0 romp of UC Davis on Dec. 18, 2009. It was the 28th time the Cowboys have pitched a shutout under coach John Smith. Most important, however, was the historical milestone of 1,000 wins. "I'm a small part of it and I got lucky. I was lucky to be around on the 1,000th,” Smith said. “Coach Gallagher, Coach Griffith, our coaches have been so successful. From the very beginning, Oklahoma State has been a leader in skill and technique and development. Coach Gallagher was so instrumental in spreading wrestling across the country, it's unbelievable. Without Coach Gallagher, the sport may never have hit the East Coast or the West Coast. One of his missions was to make sure that it did that and it grew because of him. A lot of this recognition tonight is his start and it's pretty amazing because you don't win 1,000 victories unless you have a real commitment, not just from coaches and athletes, but from administration. Wrestling has been important here and the administration has always supported it." Of Oklahoma State’s 10 wins in Friday’s dual, eight came with bonus points attached. Mike Benefiel pinned Cody McAninch in 2:24 and Clayton Foster was an 18-2 technical fall winner over Nick Bayer in the second period, but neither was as dominant as Jordan Oliver, who scored eight takedowns and had two nearfalls in the first period of his 22-7 technical fall bludgeoning of Casey Cruz that lasted only 2:57. Neil Erisman, Chris Perry, Blake Rosholt and Ladd Rupp all added wins by major decision. "I like the way Blake Rosholt is coming out and stepping up and maturing through the year. I think he's going to be an important part of our future here,” Smith said. “I like the way Chris Perry bounced back after a little shaky first period. Jordan Oliver, tech fall in the first period - that's a lot of points. I don't know if people realize, but that's hard to do. I don't think he could do that against my 13-year-old son. He's pretty good. Up and down the lineup, I liked Ladd Rupp, first time out. First time in our singlet, first time out, from Perry, Oklahoma. He'd been thinking about this a long time. He probably didn't wrestle the greatest match he wanted to, but good effort and first time down to weight, I was proud of him." In the featured bout of the evening, Jamal Parks scored a 3-2 win over returning All-American and ninth-ranked Justin Gaethje at 149 pounds. A first-period takedown for the Cowboy junior was the difference in his impressive victory. "I think we all wrestled very well - which was what we expected - but we still had to come out here and wrestle tough,” Parks said. “I had a pretty tough match. I wish I would have gotten a couple more takedowns, but it is what it is." Making his varsity debut was Rupp, who connected on a four-point move with four seconds left in the bout to earn a 13-4 major decision over Sam Bauer at 125 pounds. "Truthfully, I think I wrestled a little soft and maybe a little defensive. It was my first match back from a broken ankle,” Rupp said. “It was a good experience for me, but I am not close to where I need to be. I've got stuff to work on." A Tulsa native, Parks said being part of Oklahoma State’s 1,000th all-time victory was something he was proud of and just being part of the Cowboy wrestling program is special. "It was something that I was dreaming about since I got into wrestling. It is every little kid’s dream,” Parks said. The Cowboys are back on the mat this Sunday when they host North Carolina State at 2 p.m. in Gallagher-Iba Arena. Results: 133: No. 1 Jordan Oliver (OSU) TF5 Casey Cruz (UNC); 22-7, 2:57 141: No. 17 Josh Kindig (OSU) won by forfeit 149: No. 7 Jamal Parks (OSU) dec. No. 9 Justin Gaethje (UNC); 3-2 157: No. 16 Neil Erisman (OSU) MD Tanner Weiks (UNC); 10-2 165: No. 15 Dallas Bailey (OSU) dec. Brandon Kammerzell (UNC); 11-5 174: No. 16 Mike Benefiel (OSU) fall Cody McAninch (UNC); 2:24 184: No. 13 Chris Perry (OSU) MD Eric Brennan (UNC); 18-7 197: No. 2 Clayton Foster (OSU) TF5 Nick Bayer (UNC); 18-2, 4:52 285: Blake Rosholt (OSU) MD Konner Knudtsen (UNC); 8-0 125: Ladd Rupp (OSU) MD Sam Bauer (UNC); 13-4

EVANSTON, Ill. -- The eighth-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team extended its unbeaten streak to 72 duals with a 31-9 victory over No. 18 Northwestern (15-2, 3-2 Big Ten) Friday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, IL. The Hawkeyes won eight of 10 bouts, including upsets by sophomore Matt McDonough at 125 and redshirt freshman Derek St. John at 157, to improve to 10-0-1 (3-0 Big Ten). McDonough, who is ranked second in the nation by Intermat and WIN, and third by AWN, opened the dual at 125 against top-ranked and undefeated Brandon Precin of Northwestern. Precin led 3-0 and had the riding time point locked up mid-way through the third period when McDonough took the Wildcat senior to his back and recorded the pin in 6:11. McDonough improved to 15-1 (11-0 in duals), while handing Precin (25-1) his first loss of the season. St. John scored two third-period takedowns against Northwestern sophomore Jason Welch to pull off the 4-2 upset at 157. Welch, who is ranked sixth in the nation by WIN, seventh by Intermat and 11th by AWN, led 1-0 after the first two periods. St. John, who is ranked 14th by Intermat and 15th by AWN and WIN, scored two takedowns less than a minute apart to record the victory. St. John improved to 12-2 (11-0 in duals), while handing Welch (20-3) his third loss of the season. Also recording victories for the Hawkeyes were redshirt freshmen Tony Ramos (133) and Ethen Lofthouse (174), sophomores Mark Ballweg (141) and Grant Gambrall (184), junior Blake Rasing (Hwt.) and senior Aaron Janssen (165). Lofthouse scored seven takedowns in his 18-7 major decision over Northwestern's Brian Roddy, while Ballweg made quick work of Wildcat freshman Kaleb Friedley, scoring the pin in 2:49. Ramos and Rasing both tallied four-takedown performances in their wins, with Ramos posting a 9-3 victory over Levi Mele and Rasing notching his 20th career win with a 10-4 decision over Ben Kuhar. Ballweg (11-0) and Ramos (7-0) remain undefeated in dual competition. Janssen scored his 40th career win with a 3-0 decision over Kevin Bialka, while Gambrall scored an 8-2 decision over Aaron Jones. Northwestern's wins came at 149 and 197. Wildcat Andrew Nadhir, who is ranked 11th by AWN, 13th by Intermat and 14th by WIN, scored an 11-4 victory over unranked Hawkeye senior Matt Ballweg at 149. Iowa forfeited the 197-pound match. Up next for the No. 8 Hawkeyes is Sunday's 1 p.m. (CT) dual at top-ranked Penn State (13-0, 2-0 Big Ten). The dual, which will be held at Penn State's Rec Hall in University Park, PA, is sold out and will be aired on the Big Ten Network Sunday at 8:30 p.m. (CT) and Tuesday at 6 p.m. (CT). Results: 125 - Matt McDonough (I) pinned Brandon Precin (N), 6:11 133 - Tony Ramos (I) dec. Levi Mele (N), 9-3 141 - Mark Ballweg (I) pinned Kaleb Friedley (N), 2:49 149 - Andrew Nadhir (N) dec. Matt Ballweg (I), 11-4 157 - Derek St. John (I) dec. Jason Welch (N), 4-2 165 - Aaron Janssen (I) dec. Kevin Bialka (N), 3-0 174 - Ethen Lofthouse (I) maj. dec. Brian Roddy (N), 18-7 184 - Grant Gambrall (I) dec. Aaron Jones (N), 8-2 197 - John Schoen (N) won by forfeit Hwt - Blake Rasing (I) dec. Ben Kuhar (N), 10-4

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- The Edinboro wrestling team win its thrd straight match on Friday night to improve to 7-8-1 ovaerll and 2-1 in the Eastern Wrestling League. The Fighting Scots won six of the ten matches to hand Bloomsburg a 23-15 defeat. The loss dropped the Huskies to 11-4 and 0-2, respectively. Bloomsburg jumped out to a 6-0 lead as Sean Boylan pinned Bijan Banks at 4:36 at 125 lbs. Edinboro ran off wins in the next four bouts, however, to take a 16-6 lead. Eric Morrill won his seventh straight match at 133 lbs. to improve to 16-8, defeating PSAC champion Nick Wilcox 3-1. Following a scoreless first period Wilcox took a 1-0 lead with a second period escape, but Morrill answered with a late takedown, then added a third-period escape for the final margin. Morrill is ranked 20th by Amateur Wrestling News. Kasey Davis improved to 16-12 as the freshman posted an 11-7 decision over Derek Shingara at 141 lbs. Shingara led 3-2 after one period, but Davis recorded his second takedown and two near-fall points for a 7-3 lead after two periods. Davis added two more takedowns in the third period. Up-and-down Torsten Gillespie, ranked 16th by Amateur Wrestling News and 19th by InterMat, enjoyed an “up” night as he dominated his 149 lb. match with Matthew Hicks, winning by major decision 12-0. A takedown and three back points gave Gillespie a 5-0 lead after one period. The lead ballooned to 8-0 with a takedown and a stalling point in the second. He added an escape and a third takedown in the third period. That boosted Gillespie’s season record to 16-8 and gives him 94 career wins. Johnny Greisheimer followed with a fall over Frank Hickman at 157 lbs., ending the match at 2:40. The sophomore is now 18-10, while Hickman fell to 18-7. The wild first period saw Greisheimer get off to a 4-0 lead with a takedown and two near-fall points. Hickman came back with an escape and takedown to close to 4-3, but a Greisheimer reversal would put him in the position for the fall. Bloomsburg would close the match to 16-12 with decisions at 165 and 174 lbs. Josh Veltre, now 13-3, handed freshman Ethan Saylor a 4-1 defeat at 165 lbs. and Mike Dessino followed with a 6-2 decision against Chris Hrunka at 174 lbs. Veltre used a late third period takedown to snap a 1-1 tie. Hrunka led his match early 2-0, but Dessino (19-5) used three back points in the third to snap a 2-2 tie and send Hrunka to 13-14. In a rematch of the PSAC championship bout at 184 lbs., Chris Honeycutt once again won by major decision over Nate Graham (19-6), this time prevailing 14-3. Honeycutt improved to 20-0 and is ranked second by both InterMat and Amateur Wrestling News, while Graham is ranked 20th by InterMat. Honeycutt led 2-0 after one period, but expanded that in the second to 9-2 with two takedowns and three near-fall points. He added two more takedowns in the third period. Shawn Fendone, ranked 19th by Amateur Wrestling News, followed with his tenth straight win at 197 lbs. He shut out Jacob Dabashinsky 5-0. That left Fendone with a 20-8 ledger after he registered takedowns in each of the first two periods and added a point for riding time. Bloomsburg’s Zac Walsh closed out the night with a 5-2 decision over Ernest James. Walsh took a 3-1 lead in the second period after a scoreless first period. James would close to 4-2 with a late escape in the third but Walsh owned riding time. Edinboro is right back in action on Saturday night, hosting Cleveland State in another EWL match. The action gets underway at McComb Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. Results: 125 Sean Boylan(BU) fall over Bijan Banks (EU), 4:36 0-6 133 Eric Morrill (EU) dec. Nick Wilcox (BU), 3-1 3-6 141 Kasey Davis (EU) dec. Derek Shingara (BU), 11-7 6-6 149 #19 Torsten Gillespie (EU) maj. dec. Matthew Hicks (BU), 12-0 10-6 157 Johnny Greisheimer (EU) fall over Frank Hickman (BU), 2:40 16-6 165 Josh Veltre (BU) dec. Ethan Saylor (EU), 4-1 16-9 174 Mike Dessino (BU) dec. Chris Hrunka (EU), 6-2 16-12 184 #2 Chris Honeycutt (EU) maj. dec. Nate Graham (BU), 14-3 20-12 197 Shawn Fendone (EU) dec. Jacob Dabashinsky (BU), 5-0 23-12 Hwt Zac Walsh (BU) dec. Ernest James (EU), 5-2 23-15

BLACKSBURG -- The sixth-ranked Virginia Tech wrestling team won the first six bouts of the evening and held on late for an impressive 23-15 win over No. 12 Lehigh Friday night in front of over 1,600 fans inside Cassell Coliseum. Sixteenth-ranked Jarrod Garnett got the Hokies on the board with an 8-3 win over Mitch Berger at 125 pounds. Garnett used a pair of takedowns to build a 7-2 lead and used a riding time point for the win. A top-20 matchup was up next as ninth-ranked Devin Carter took on 20th-ranked Frank Cagnina. Both wrestlers picked up takedowns in the first period, but it was Carter’s reversal that gave him a brief lead before Cagnina escaped to tie it up. In the second period, Carter got a takedown late to take the lead and picked up a quick escape to start the third period to extend his lead to 9-6. He picked up three takedowns in the third period to stretch the lead and flirted with a major decision, but settled for a 16-9 win. Zach Neibert, filling in for 19th-ranked Chris Diaz at 141 pounds, took the mat next in a pivotal swing match against Stephon Dutton. Neibert, who came in with an 18-6 record, proved up to the challenge as he took down Dutton quickly and put him right to his back before pinning him just 55 seconds in for six huge team points that sent the crowd into a frenzy. At 149 pounds, eighth-ranked Brian Stephens broke a tie late to down Joey Napoli. The sophomore got a crucial takedown with over a minute left in the third period to take a 3-1 lead and hung on for the 3-2 win to make it 15-0. At 157 pounds, eighth-ranked Jesse Dong took to the mat for the Hokies against Sean Bilodeau. Dong worked hard for a takedown late in the first period and then he escaped in the second period to make it 3-0. Dong took Bilodeua down early in the third and picked up a point for riding time to win 6-0 and give Tech a 18-0 lead heading to the break. Moving to 165 pounds, 15th-ranked Pete Yates got a quick takedown against Lehigh back-up Josh Fitch to get things started right. He let him go and took him down again, right to his back and locked in the cradle. After several moments of fighting, Yates, finally picked up the pin at the 1:39 mark to keep the momentum rolling for the Hokies. Twelfth-ranked Austin Meys got the Mountain Hawks (10-6) on the board with a pin over Matt Epperly at 165 pounds. Meys got a takedown in the first period and led in the second period before Epperly got in on his legs in the second period. But Meys worked his magic and locked a cradle off the scramble in to pin Epperly at the 4:19 mark. Heading into the 184 pound match, Tech’s John Dickson could not be found and wasn’t ready in uniform, so Tech was deducted a team point for unsportsmanlike conduct to make it 23-6. He then had to take on fourth-ranked Robert Hamlin and Hamlin didn’t make life easy for Dickson. Hamlin got a takedown in the first period and led 3-1 after two stanzas. Dickson escaped in the third period to make it 3-2, but Hamlin got a takedown midway through the period to ice it. Hamlin pulled away for the 8-3 victory, but picked up only three teams points, which sealed the win for Tech. The final two matches featured top-15 wrestlers for the Mountain Hawks, starting with 12th-ranked Joe Kennedy at 197 pounds. Penny got in on several shots early on, but couldn’t convert. In the second period, Kennedy got an escape and takedown to grab a 3-0 lead and then rode him for the final 1:24 of the period. Penny got a penalty point when Kennedy was hit with his second stall warning, but Kennedy got a late takedown and a point for riding time to win 6-1. In the final match of the night, top-ranked Zach Rey downed Tech’s David Marone, 5-2 at heavyweight. Rey took him down early in the first period, but Marone battled back with a pair of escapes to tie it up in the second period. With the large crowd squarely behind the underdog, Rey escaped early on to make it 3-2 and Marone tried several shot attempts, but couldn’t get in on him and Rey got a takedown at the buzzer to win the close bout. As a team, we we ready to go tonight, especially considering that we had a rough weekend last weekend.” head coach Kevin Dresser said. “This shows me that we have the character to get it done through some hard times. “Zach Neibert was the spark we needed at 141," Dresser continued. "I told the guys on Thursday before practice that we needed a spark and 141 was our spark tonight.” Tech (15-4) will be back in action at home next Saturday night, taking on defending ACC champion Virginia at 7 o’clock. Admission, as always is free and the squad will attempt to break the attendance record for a wrestling match inside Cassell Coliseum with a goal of 5,000 fans. Results: 125: #16 Jarrod Garnett (VT) dec. Mitch Berger, 8-3 133: #9 Devin Carter (VT) dec. #20 Frank Cagnina, 16-9 141: Zach Neibert (VT) fall Stephen Dutton, :55 149: #8 Brian Stephens (VT) dec. Joey Napoli, 3-2 157: #8 Jesse Dong (VT) dec. Sean Bilodeau, 6-0 165: #15 Pete Yates (VT) fall Josh Fitch, 1:39 174: #12 Austin Meys (L) fall Matt Epperly, 4:19 184: #4 Robert Hamlin (L) dec. John Dickson, 8-3 * 197: #12 Joe Kennedy (L) dec. Chris Penny, 6-1 285: #1 Zach Rey (L) dec. David Marone, 5-2

On Sunday, Wisconsin battles Minnesota at the Sports Pavilion in Minneapolis. The dual meet is scheduled for 2 p.m. CST. The two Big Ten powers met earlier this month at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals, with Wisconsin coming out on top, 19-17, in the third-place match. Below is a weight-by-weight breakdown of Sunday's dual meet. 125: Tom Kelliher (Wisconsin) vs. No. 5 Zach Sanders (Minnesota) Sanders has been a roll lately. The two-time All-American has picked up bonus points in each of his last five matches. Interestingly, Sanders' bonus point run started with a major decision over Kelliher at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals on Jan. 9. Kelliher, a redshirt sophomore, is in his second season as starter after redshirting last season. He took a lot of lumps as true freshman two seasons ago, but has gotten stronger and continued to improve in all facets of his wrestling. He has only seven matches under his belt this season, going 3-4. Last weekend, Kelliher dominated Logan Arlis of Illinois, 11-0, but fell two days later to Nebraska's David Klingsheim, 3-0. Bottom Line: This is a battle of two former Minnesota prep standouts. Sanders is wrestling at a very high level right now. Look for Sanders to do what he does best ... push the pace, attack, and put a lot of points on the scoreboard. Prediction: Sanders maj. dec. Kelliher (Minnesota +4) 133: No. 3 Tyler Graff (Wisconsin) vs. David Thorn (Minnesota) Graff, an All-American last season as a redshirt freshman, wrestles at a high pace and is relentless on his feet. Lately, opponents have tried to slow Graff down by tying him up and going more on the defensive. He was able to open it up a bit in his last match when he won 13-5 over Nebraska's Ridge Kiley. Graff's three previous wins were by four points or less. One of those wins came against Thorn, 7-3, at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. Since that match, Thorn has won three of four, but lost his last match to No. 8 B.J. Futrell of Illinois. In the match against Futrell, Thorn was attempting to counter a leg attack and was caught in a cradle and pinned in the closing seconds of the first period. Despite getting pinned his last match, Thorn, a Junior National freestyle champion, continues to show signs of improvement in his wrestling after missing the first part of the season due to injury. Bottom Line: Graff will be looking to open up the match a little more this time around after failing to get bonus points in his last match against Thorn. This is an opportunity for the Gopher redshirt freshman to prove that his last match against Graff wasn't an aberration. Prediction: Graff dec. Thorn (Wisconsin +3) 141: Shane McQuade (Wisconsin) vs. No. 2 Mike Thorn (Minnesota) Thorn has two matches against unranked opponents before finishes the regular season with No. 1 Kellen Russell of Michigan, No. 5 Andrew Alton of Penn State, and most likely 2010 NCAA runner-up Montell Marion of Iowa. The only blemish on Thorn's record this season came from Russell, who defeated him in the Southern Scuffle finals. Thorn typically puts up bonus points against every unranked wrestler he faces, but was slowed down in his last match by Jimmy Kennedy's backup at Illinois, Daryl Thomas, who kept it to an 8-4 decision. Wisconsin has been using Danny Arnel at this weight class, but indications are that McQuade, a freshman, will get the start for the Badgers. McQuade has been competing at 125 pounds this season. He comes in with a record of 11-10 record, but has won seven of his last eight matches. Bottom Line: Anything but a Thorn pin or technical fall would be a major surprise. Prediction: Thorn pins McQuade (Minnesota +6) 149: Shawn Perry (Wisconsin) vs. Danny Zilverberg/Matt Mincey (Minnesota) Minnesota is expected to weigh in both Zilverberg and Mincey. Zilverberg, a redshirt freshman, has seen most of the action in the lineup this season. Mincey did get a start last weekend against Purdue and took advantage of the opportunity, winning by technical fall, 15-0. Zilverberg, a FILA Junior National freestyle champion, went through a tough stretch this season, losing seven straight matches, but all seven of those losses were to ranked wrestlers. He has won his last two matches and comes in with a 13-9 season mark. Perry, who is filling in for highly-ranked Cole Schmitt (who had an appendicitis and is expected to be back next week), has been the definition of a team player this season. The Badgers have used Perry in four different weight classes this season ... 149, 157, 165, and 174. He picked up two wins at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals wrestling at 157 pounds ... One of those wins came at a critical time against Minnesota's Alec Ortiz, which helped propel the Badgers over the Gophers. Perry has won three straight matches and is coming off a 6-2 victory over Nebraska's Ross Grande. Interestingly, it's the identical score of Zilverberg's victory over Grande this season. Bottom Line: This is a swing match that could go either way. The home crowd could give Zilverberg the edge. Prediction: Zilverberg dec. Perry (Minnesota +3) 157: Kalvin York (Wisconsin) vs. Joe Grygelko (Minnesota) York, a redshirt freshman, ignited the Badgers last weekend against Nebraska by pinning Cody Compton in the dual meet's opening match. He has been up and down this season. Prior to his win over Compton. York had lost his six previous matches, but two of those were up at 174 pounds when he was filling in for the injured Ben Jordan. He had a tremendous prep career, going 168-12 at Belleville High School in Wisconsin. York's greatest accomplishments in the latter part of his high school career came in Greco-Roman, where he reached the Junior National Greco finals twice, winning a national title in 2008. Grygelko wrestles hard, but has struggled. He has dropped his last seven matches. Grygelko battled No. 20 Colton Salazar of Purdue, a Big Ten runner-up, to a 5-3 match last Friday, but was hammered two days later by true freshman Jackson Morse of Illinois, 11-2. Bottom Line: Both wrestlers have had their struggles this season, but both fight for every position. This should be a competitive match. Prediction: York dec. Grygelko (Wisconsin +3) 165: John Prezzia (Wisconsin) vs. No. 12 Cody Yohn (Minnesota) Yohn, an NCAA qualifier last season, took a surprise loss last weekend to Purdue redshirt freshman Kyle Mosier. In that match, Yohn was dominated for two and a half periods before getting pinned by Mosier. Yohn bounced back two days later to defeat Conrad Polz of Illinois, 1-0. He has been consistent this season, with 20-plus wins already, but didn't look like himself last weekend. With NCAA champion Andrew Howe injured and out of the lineup, Prezzia, a redshirt freshman, gets the start. He is 4-1 this season, but all five of those matches came at 157 pounds. He has not competed since Nov. 21 when he defeated North Carolina's Corey Mock in overtime. Prezzia was a Pennsylvania state champion and Junior National freestyle champion. Bottom Line: If Yohn opens up and wrestles to his ability, he should have win this match convincingly. But if Yohn wrestles like he did last weekend, this could be a competitive match. Prediction: Yohn maj. dec. Prezzia (Minnesota +4) 174: No. 19 Ben Jordan (Wisconsin) vs. No. 8 Scott Glasser (Minnesota) Glasser is putting together another strong season marked by consistency. His only losses since the Southern Scuffle, where he placed fourth, have come to No. 1 Jon Reader of Iowa State and No. 3 Mack Lewnes of Cornell. He picked up a 4-2 victory last weekend against three-time NCAA qualifier Luke Manuel of Purdue. The 19th-ranked Jordan returned to the Badger lineup last weekend against Nebraska after being held out of the lineup for three weeks due to injury. Jordan grinded out a 2-1 victory over Nebraska's Caleb Kolb in his last outing, but seemed a bit lethargic despite the victory. He comes in with a nice record of 15-4, but has gone 0-3 against ranked wrestlers. Bottom Line: Glasser is performing at a higher level than Jordan right now and should win this match. Prediction: Glasser dec. Jordan (Minnesota +3) 184: No. 3 Travis Rutt (Wisconsin) vs. No. 9 Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota) This is perhaps the most anticipated matchup of the dual meet. These two Minnesota natives met at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals earlier this month, with Rutt coming out on top, 3-2. Rutt, a strong, powerful wrestler, has been one of the most improved wrestlers in the country this season. After going 17-13 last season, Rutt has started this season 23-1 with several victories over ranked wrestlers. His lone loss came in the finals of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational to Cornell's Steve Bosak, 2-0. Steinhaus is among the nation's top freshmen this season, exceeding the expectations of many coming into the season. He has established himself as a legitimate All-American threat this season after beating several ranked wrestlers. Steinhaus took a loss last weekend to Purdue's A.J. Kissel. In that match, Kissell jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but Steinhaus battled back, scoring a takedown off a duckunder with 30 seconds left to tie the match at 3-3. But Kissel added a late escape to win the match, 4-3. Bottom Line: Expect to see another tight, hard-fought battle between two of the nation's top 184-pounders. Prediction: Rutt dec. Steinhaus (Wisconsin +3) 197: No. 2 Trevor Brandvold/Derrick Borlie (Wisconsin) vs. Joe Nord/No. 4 Sonny Yohn (Minnesota) There is a lot of uncertainty at this weight class. Both teams are expected to weigh in two wrestlers. If Brandvold and Yohn take the mat, it would be a rematch of the Big Ten finals and pit two returning All-Americans against each other. But both wrestlers have been off the mat recovering from injuries. Brandvold has not competed since a dual meet against Northern Iowa on Dec. 11, while Yohn hasn't competed since the Southern Scuffle, which took place Dec. 29-30. Brandvold and Yohn met three times last season, with Brandvold winning all three meetings. Borlie, a redshirt freshman, has done a nice job filling in for Brandvold. He went 4-0 at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals and is already a 20-match winner this season. Nord started the season 7-2, but has gone a through a rough stretch and comes into Sunday's dual meet on a five-match losing streak. Borlie defeated Nord, 8-2, earlier this season. Bottom Line: Look for Brandvold to make his return to the lineup against the Gophers. Minnesota will likely rest Yohn for one more week and send Nord out against the Badgers. Prediction: Brandvold maj. dec. Nord (Wisconsin +4) 285: No. 11 Eric Bugenhagen (Wisconsin) vs. No. 9 Tony Nelson (Minnesota) Nelson, a redshirt freshman, and Bugenhagen, a redshirt senior, are both athletic heavyweights who move well. Nelson was a 215-pounder in high school, while Bugenhagen was a 184-pounder two seasons ago for the Badgers. Nelson is extremely tough to score on, but sometimes allows inferior opponents to stay in matches with him because of a hesitancy to open up on his feet. He has suffered only three losses this season. Bugenhagen started this season 10-0. He placed fourth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and went 2-2 at the Midlands Championships. He is coming off a victory over two-time NCAA qualifier Tucker Lane of Nebraska. Bottom Line: Nelson defeated Bugenhagen, 2-1, earlier this season. Expect another tight, low-scoring match. Prediction: Nelson dec. Bugenhagen (Minnesota +3) Dual Meet Prediction: Minnesota 23, Wisconsin 13

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - No. 2 Augustana jumped out to a 12-0 lead and won six matches by decision to defeat No. 3 St. Cloud State 18-13 Thursday evening in a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference dual in Sioux Falls, S.D. Augustana, which defeated the Huskies 18-15 in non-conference action earlier this month, moves to 10-1 (4-0 NSIC). SCSU is now 14-2 (1-1 NSIC). The Vikings are now one of two teams in the NSIC with 4-0 conference marks; the other, Minnesota State, visits the Elmen Center tomorrow at 7 p.m. The Mavericks are ranked No. 7 in Division II. Augustana wasted little time in front of a crowd of more than 1,000, winning the dual's first four matches. Al Meger began with a 6-0 victory over Zach Stewart at 125 pounds, and Jason Jeremiason added to the Viking lead with a 6-4 win against Westy Hanson. At 141 pounds, Jay Sherer, ranked No. 4 nationally, used a takedown with six seconds left in the overtime period to edge Gabe Suarez 3-1. No. 8 Nate Herda also picked up a win by sudden victory at 149 pounds. The sophomore knocked off Jacob D. Horn, who is ranked No. 4, with a takedown at the 31-second mark of the overtime period. The Huskies dispatched No. 5-ranked John Sundgren at 157 pounds to pick up their first victory of the evening. Sundgren used a big first period to notch a 10-3 win over No. 2-ranked Marcus Edgington. The 165-pound match also featured a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers. No. 2 Tad Merritt picked up a 7-4 victory over Augustana's Gavin Nelson, ranked No. 6 in the country. Carl Serck answered for the Vikings at 174 pounds, using two takedowns and a three-point nearfall in the first period to knock off No. 8 Shamus O'Grady 9-2. Trailing 15-6, SCSU had a chance to significantly close the gap at 184 pounds. The Huskies' Mic Berg nearly pinned Tom Davies in the first period. Davies, though, fought off the near-pin and worked Berg for the next two periods before dropping the 6-4 decision. Ty Copsey's ensuing win at 197 pounds sealed the victory for the Vikings. No. 2-ranked Copsey recorded a 4-0 win by decision over Luke Munkelwitz to put his squad ahead 18-9. No. 1-ranked Jacob Kahnke closed the dual with a win for SCSU in the heavyweight tilt, beating Lance Peters 16-5. Head coach Jason Reitmeier said he expected a close contest with the Huskies, whose two losses this season have been to his Vikings. "It's going to be tight every time," said Reitmeier. "We need to find a way to finish matches a little better; we need to distance ourselves. (Our wins) are never going to be major decisions or pins--it's always going to be dog fight." Augustana has now won four straight duals. Results: 125: Al Meger (Augie) dec. Zach Stewart (SCSU), 6-0 133: Jason Jeremiason (Augie) dec. Westy Hanson (SCSU), 6-4 141: Jay Sherer (Augie) dec. Gabe Suarez (SCSU), 3-1 (SV1) 149: Nate Herda (Augie) dec. Jacob D. Horn (SCSU), 3-1 (SV1) 157: John Sundgren (SCSU) dec. Marcus Edgington (Augie), 10-3 165: Tad Merritt (SCSU) dec. Gavin Nelson (Augie), 7-4 174: Carl Serck (Augie) dec. Shamus O'Grady (SCSU), 9-2 184: Mic Berg (SCSU) dec. Tom Davies (Augie), 6-4 197: Ty Copsey (Augie) dec. Luke Munkelwitz (SCSU), 4-0 285: Jacob Kahnke (SCSU) major dec. Lance Peters (Augie), 16-5

InterMat has released a sneak peek at the latest grade level (recruiting) rankings. InterMat ranks the Top 100 seniors, Top 50 juniors, Top 50 sophomores, Top 25 freshmen, and Top 15 junior high wrestlers. InterMat Platinum is required to view all the rankings. Senior (Top 10): 1. Destin McCauley (Apple Valley, Minnesota) 2. Morgan McIntosh (Calvary Chapel, California) 3. Jesse Thielke (Germantown, Wisconsin) 4. Logan Storley (Webster, South Dakota) 5. Nico Megaludis (Franklin Regional, Pennsylvania) 6. Hunter Stieber (Monroeville, Ohio) 7. Austin Ormsbee (Blair Academy, New Jersey) 8. Jahwon Akui (St. Rita, Illinois) 9. Mason Beckman (Reynolds, Pennsylvania) 10. Chris Phillips (Monroeville, Ohio) Junior (Top Five): 1. Taylor Massa (St Johns, Michigan) 2. Jason Tsirtsis (Crown Point, Indiana) 3. Jimmy Gulibon (Derry, Pennsylvania) 4. Mark Grey (Blair Academy, New Jersey) 5. Jason Luster (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, Pennsylvania) Sophomore (Top Five): 1. Bo Jordan (Graham, Ohio) 2. Ben Whitford (Marmion Academy, Illinois) 3. Brandon Jeske (Cox, Virginia) 4. Brooks Black (Blair Academy, New Jersey) 5. Cody Wiercioch (Charleroi, Pennsylvania) Freshman (Top Five): 1. Chance Marsteller (Kennard-Dale, Pennsylvania) 2. Kyle Snyder (Good Counsel, Maryland) 3. Solomon Chisko (Canon-McMillan, Pennsylvania) 4. Jered Cortez (Marmion Academy, Illinois) 5. Nick Nevills (Clovis California) Junior High (Top Five): 1. Mark Hall (Minnesota) 2. Zahid Valencia (California) 3. Matthew Kolodzik (Ohio) 4. Michael Johnson Jr. (Illinois) 5. Davion Jeffries (Oklahoma)

RALEIGH, N.C. -- NC State built a big early lead Thursday, thanks to two pins and two Duke forfeits, then cruised to a 30-15 Atlantic Coast Conference wrestling victory over the Blue Devils at Reynolds Coliseum. The Wolfpack won for the seventh time in its last 10 dual matches to improve to 8-5 overall and 1-1 in the ACC. Duke dropped to 1-3-1 overall and 0-2 in conference action. “I was pleased with our tempo and our pacing tonight,” Wolfpack coach Carter Jordan said. “We were aggressive. We lost some of that at the end, but I think that was due in part to inexperience.” The Wolfpack took a 12-0 lead after two matches thanks to Duke forfeits at 125 and 133 pounds. In the first actual bout of the evening, NC State’s Darrius Little overcame an early takedown by Mike Bell, built a 4-2 lead after two periods, and dominated the third period for an 8-2 decision. Little won his seventh match in a row and his 11th in his last 12 to improve to 22-6. The decision pushed the Wolfpack’s team lead to 15-0. Darrion Caldwell followed Little to the mat for the Wolfpack and pinned A.J. Guardado in 98 seconds to give NC State a 21-0 advantage. Caldwell improved to 7-0 with six pins for the season. The victory was the 101st of his career and the pin was his 56th. Caldwell is second to Sylvester Terkay (1990-93) in NC State history in both categories. Terkay won 122 matches with 64 pins in his career. Caldwell’s pin was his 48th first-period pin. No sooner had Caldwell pinned Guardado than freshman Matt Nereim, wrestling up a weight, pinned Duke’s Ryan Harding in 76 seconds to lift the NC State lead to 27-0. Nereim improved to 11-2 on the season. The match was his first at 157. He is 10-2 at 149 and has won nine matches in a row. “Darrion looked like Darrion,” Jordan said. “What else can you say. He’s just a special wrestler. We’ve been careful in bringing him back from his shoulder injury, but he hasn’t shown any ill effects. And for a freshman, Matt Nereim has been spectacular. We’ve been using him at 149 while we’ve brought Darrion along from his injury. Tonight was his first match at 157 and he looked terrific.” Duke got on the scoreboard with Willy Mello’s 8-6 decision over the Pack’s Colin Genthert at 165 pounds. Mello took control of the match with a reversal and three-point near fall in the first period, then staved off a third-period comeback attempt by Genthert. The Blue Devils trimmed the team lead to 27-9 when Bret Klopp pinned the Pack’s Nijel Jones in 1:02 in the 174-pound match. The Blue Devils reached double digits on the scoreboard and cut the Wolfpack lead to 27-12 with Diego Bencomo’s 4-1 decision over Quinton Godley at 184 pounds. Bencomo overcame a 1-0 lead in the third period with an escape, a takedown and a point for riding time. Godley, wrestling his third match at 184, dropped to 18-11 overall. He is 1-2 at 184 and 17-9 at 174. Duke cut the NC State lead to 27-15 with Brian Self’s 3-1 decision over KaRonne Jones at 197 pounds. Eloheim Palma ended the bout with a 6-4 decision over Andrew Fulk to lift the Wolfpack to the final margin of victory to 30-15. Palma took the early lead with a pair of takedowns in the first period and put the match away with an escape and riding time in the third period. “Eloheim has struggled lately, so he needed that,” Jordan said. “He’s so intense and works so hard, and he’s been frustrated because things haven’t clicked for him lately. He needs to keep working and fighting his way through it. He has a great work ethic.” NC State hits the road this weekend for a dual match at Stillwater, Okla., against fourth-ranked Oklahoma State on Sunday at 3 p.m. Results: 125 - Dustin Champion (NCS) won by forfeit 133 - Dale Shull (NCS) won by forfeit 141 - Darrius Little (NCS) dec. Mike Bell, 8-2 149 - Darrion Caldwell (NCS) pinned A.J. Guardado at 1:38 157 - Matt Nereim (NCS) pinned Ryan Harding at 1:16 165 - Willy Mello (DU) dec. Colin Genthert, 8-6 174 - Bret Klopp (DU) pinned Nijel Jones at 1:02 184 - Diego Bencomo (DU) dec. Quinton Godley, 4-1 197 - Brian Self (DU) dec. KaRonne Jones, 3-1 Hwt - Eloheim Palma (NCS) dec. Andrew Fulk, 6-4

Kansas City, Mo. -- University of Illinois Associate Head Wrestling Coach Carl Perry has been named the National Director of FCA Wrestling. Perry has been involved in the University of Illinois wrestling program for thirteen years both as a champion competitor and coach. Beginning May 1, 2011, he will serve as the full-time national director for FCA Wrestling, which is in its second year as a national ministry of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). FCA Wrestling launched as an official Sport-Specific Ministry in 2009 and has seen tremendous impact in the wrestling community. Sport-Specific Ministry impacts specific sports communities for Christ by ministering to coaches and athletes united around a particular sport. FCA has established national ministries in Baseball, Cheerleading, Endurance, Golf, Hockey, Lacrosse, Motocross, Skateboarding, Surfing and Wrestling. “I am excited about this new direction for my life and look forward to seeing what God is going to do through FCA Wrestling,” said Perry. “I believe that this ministry will change the way wrestlers and coaches compete on the mat and more importantly in life. This can only be done, however, through the active involvement (on many levels) of wrestlers, coaches, parents and fans. Just as a team, we need to come together with a common function—serving God through the sport of wrestling.” Perry is in his ninth year as a member of the Illinois wrestling staff and second as associate head coach. A former Illini and NCAA champion competitor, Perry was a four-year varsity starter for the Illini from 1996-2000. He was promoted to associate head coach prior to the 2009-10 season. “The sport of wrestling is better because of Carl Perry. We are truly blessed that he has chosen to lead this program. I am confident that Carl will bring to his role as leader of FCA Wrestling the same passion and tenacity that made him a great competitor and coach. Carl will without question positively change the lives of many within our sport,” said Rich Bender, Executive Director of USA Wrestling. A 2000 NCAA champion at 141 pounds, Perry wrapped up his career as a two-time All-American and a two-time team captain. As a four-time NCAA qualifier, he consistently ranked among the top 10 at 141 pounds nationwide. Perry also compiled a 13-6 career record at the NCAA Championships. He finished his Illinois career in the top 20 of career wins and career winning percentage with 98 victories and a .748 winning percentage. He also helped the 2000 Illini squad to the best dual winning percentage in school history (.933), as the team was 14-1 in duals that season. Perry earned his bachelor’s degree in applied life studies in May 2001 and will complete a master’s degree from Lincoln Christian University in organizational leadership in August of 2011. He and his wife Jamie have a daughter, Breanna, and a son, Bryce. The family resides in Champaign. For more information on the national ministry or how to become involved in FCA Wrestling, please contact Carl Perry at cperry@fca.org. ABOUT FCA The Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the heart and soul in sports, is touching millions of lives... one heart at a time. Since 1954, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes has been challenging coaches and athletes on the professional, college, high school, junior high and youth levels to use the powerful medium of athletics to impact the world for Jesus Christ. FCA is the largest Christian sports ministry in the world and focuses on serving local communities by equipping, empowering, and encouraging people to make a difference for Christ. MEDIA CONTACT Sean McNamara VP of Field Ministry Northeast Region and National Sport-Specific Ministry (585) 355-6061 smcnamara@fca.org

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- UNCG's Caylor Williams pinned Appalachian State's Paul Glover in the waning seconds of the first period to pick up a crucial six points followed by a 13-6 decision in the favor of heavyweight Peter Sturgeon as UNCG squeaked by Appalachian State, 21-20, in Southern Conference play on Wednesday evening in Fleming Gymnasium. The Spartans won their third consecutive dual, boosting their overall record to 5-7 and moving to 3-0 in the conference. With the loss, Appalachian State falls to 6-8-1 overall and 0-2 in the SoCon. UNCG is 3-0 in the conference for the first time since the 2006-07 season. The evening started off at the 125-pound weight class between UNCG's Manny Ramirez and Appalachian State's Tony Gravely. Gravely was swift of foot and proved too much for Ramirez as Gravely scored two three-point near falls and two takedowns to score a major decision, 16-5, and give the Mountaineers an early 4-0 lead. UNCG would respond at the 133-pound class thanks to a 14-3 major decision from Jamel Johnson. Johnson controlled the action over Acton Pifer using multiple takedowns and near falls to get the win. Knotted up at 4 a piece, the Mountaineers' Mike Kessler tangled with Michael Crowley. After scoring a takedown and getting a near fall, Kessler led 5-0 after the first period. Kessler never relinquished the lead as he defeated Crowley, 7-2. At 141 pounds, No. 17 Ivan Lopouchanski collected his 30th win on the year by handling Russell Benner. Lopouchanski brought the Spartan faithful to their feet multiple times as he scored 10 takedowns and secured four critical points, giving UNCG its first lead of the night, 8-7 UNCG's Matt Barbo and the Mountaineers' John Blakely were locked in a tight match until Blakely scored a takedown in the third to win the 157-pound bout, 6-2. This week's Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week, Kyle Blevins (165), scored a 12-2 major decision over UNCG's Brett Miller. At 174 pounds, Byron Sigmon throttled Carter Downs, 14-1. Sigmon, the current active wins leader for the Spartans, proved to be relentless as he went up 12-0 before allowing an escape. With the team score 14-12 in Appalachian State's favor, the Mountaineers sent Austin Trotman to the mat to face off against Elijah Adams. Trotman used a quick takedown and a cradle to score a pin only 90 seconds into the match. Down by eight with two bouts to go, UNCG used a little magic as Williams (197) proved too quick for Paul Glover. Williams scored a takedown and shortly thereafter pinned Glover in front of the Mountaineers' bench. As the final bout was set to get underway, the Mountaineers led by two. Sturgeon impressed as he conquered freshman Marc Tyson of Appalachian State, 13-6, using multiple takedowns and giving UNCG the one-point victory. UNCG returns to action when it travels to Boone, N.C., on Saturday for the Appalachian State Open. Results: 125 Tony Gravely (ASU) maj. dec. Manny Ramirez (UNCG), 16-5 133 Jamel Johnson (UNCG) maj. dec. Acton Pifer (ASU), 14-3 141 Mike Kessler (ASU) dec. Michael Crowley (UNCG), 7-2 149 No. 17 Ivan Lopouchanski (UNCG) maj. dec. Russell Benner (ASU), 25-11 157 John Blakely (ASU) dec. Matt Barbo (UNCG), 6-2 165 Kyle Blevins (ASU) maj. dec. Brett Miller (UNCG), 12-2 174 Byron Sigmon (UNCG) maj. dec. Carter Downs (ASU), 14-1 184 Austin Trotman (ASU) fall Elijah Adams (UNCG), 1:30 197 Caylor Williams (UNCG) fall Paul Glover (ASU), 2:55 HWT Peter Sturgeon (UNCG) dec. Marc Tyson (ASU), 13-6

Graham seeks rebound, while Blair seeks revenge Another Saturday night dual meet starting at 7:00 p.m. EST, and it's another big-time high school matchup. Based on the InterMat team rankings as of Jan. 19, it is No. 2 Blair Academy, New Jersey hosting No. 3 St. Paris Graham, Ohio. Blair Academy comes into this dual meet off a dominating 5-0 day at the NHSCA Final Four in which they lost only nine individual matches. On the other hand, Graham comes into the match after losing a 27-25 heartbreaker to No. 5 St. Edward, Ohio. Last season, Blair Academy traveled to Graham as the consensus number one, but got absolutely pummeled. The Buccaneers are in search of serious revenge on a special day for Blair Academy wrestling, as they dedicate their wrestling room in honor of long-time head coach Jeff Buxton. Flowrestling.com will be providing live coverage of the dual meet as part of its "Big Live Duals" series. Here are the projected lineups for this dual meet (Blair vs. Graham): 103: No. 7 Joey McKenna vs. Chase Crabtree 112: No. 1 Evan Silver or Max Hvolbek vs. No. 9 Ryan Taylor 119: No. 11 Caleb Richardson or Silver vs. Micah Jordan 125: No. 3 Mark Grey or Richardson vs. Nate Henkle 130: No. 10 Todd Preston or Grey vs. Lane Thomas 135: No. 2 Austin Ormsbee or Preston vs. No. 19 Case Garrison 140: Ross Parsons vs. No. 7 Nick Brascetta 145: Dylan Milonas vs. No. 5 Bo Jordan 152: Patrick Coover vs. No. 11 Matt Stephens 160: Michael Mocco vs. Isaac Jordan or Robert Mannier 171: Addison Knepshield vs. Kyle Ryan 189: Frank Mattiace vs. No. 5 Huston Evans 215: Willie Wilson vs. Mark Meyer 285: No. 5 Brooks Black vs. Darin Bovey Each team has a key personnel question to answer in terms of a wrestler's health status. Austin Ormsbee did not wrestle at all for Blair Academy at the Final Four, while Isaac Jordan remained out of the lineup against St. Edward (his absence being one of the reasons Graham fell short in the dual). Blair Academy also has significant lineup flexibility in the lower portion of the lineup, as they also have some other capable options in addition to those listed above -- namely Kyle Taylor (119), Paul Klee (119/125), Walker Dempsey (130), and Abram Ayala (135). All four won at least one match this past weekend. The randomly drawn starting weight could play a crucial role in this dual meet, as Blair is incredibly strong in the lower weights and at 285, while Graham is very strong in the middle of its lineup. In all, this match should help provide some answers about how positions two through five nationally sort themselves out -- or it may create even more disorder and chaos. New Jersey All-Star Classic matches set for Sunday Every year on the last Sunday of January, there is an All-Star Classic held at Brick Memorial High School in New Jersey where some of the state's best wrestlers match up against one another in an exhibition showcase for the fans prior to the state tournament series. Though the matches may not be number one against number two, they normally are terrific, and the proceeds go to a good cause -- scholarships for a couple of the participants in the event. The following are the matchups as of Tuesday evening (rankings as of Jan. 26 per The Star Ledger): 103: No. 1 Luis Gonzalez (North Bergen) vs. No. 3 Mike Bohling (Sayreville) 112: No. 2 Kevin Corrigan (Toms River South) vs. No. 4 Mike Magaldo (Watchung Hills) 119: No. 8 Dante Porazzo (DePaul) vs. Billy Ward (Buena) 125: No. 3 Brandon Keller (Timber Creek) vs. No. 7 Dan Haines (Hoptacong) 130: No. 1 Anthony Perrotti (West Essex) vs. Zach DiPini (Pope John) 130/135:No. 2 Julian Quintero (North Berge) vs. Luis Filipe (Long Branch) 130/135: No. 5 (135) Alex Richardson (St. Peter's Prep) vs. No. 4 (130) BJ Clagon (Toms River South) 135: No. 4 Connor Melde (Bergen Catholic) vs. No. 7 Curt Delia (Delsea Regional) 145: No. 1 James Green (Willingboro) vs. No. 3 Sal Mastriani (Don Bosco) **These wrestlers are ranked 4th and 13th nationally 152: No. 3 Christian Barber (Westfield) vs. No. 4 Connor Brennan (Brick Memorial) 160/171: No. 2 (160) Otis Wright (Montclair) vs. No. 3 (171) Colin Hewitt (Fraklin) 171: No. 2 Anthony Pafumi (St. Peter's Prep) vs. No. 7 Mike LaBell (Lenape Valley) 189: No. 1 James Fox (St. Peter's Prep) vs. No. 5 Brian Lussier (Cherry Hill East) **Fox is ranked 9th nationally 215: No. 1 Andrew Campolattano (Bound Brook) vs. No. 8 Mitch Seigel (Marlboro) **Campolattano is ranked 1st nationally 285: No. 3 Zach Troutman (New Providence) vs. No. 8 Ryan Moskwa (Perth Amboy) Oregon's best convene at Reser's Tournament of Champions Even though the state wrestling tournament in Oregon features five separate classifications, fans can get a true sense of who the best wrestling teams and programs are in the state regardless of class this weekend at the Reser's Tournamet of Champions held just outside of Portland. Four of the five teams ranked first in their classification are in the field, as are seven of the top ten teams in all classifications. Eight wrestlers ranked first overall in the state are in the field, along with another sixteen ranked either second or third in their classification. Here is a listing of wrestlers ranked in the top three statewide in the field this weekend: Rankings are as of early January 2010, posted on The Oregon Wrestling Forum by Richard Rockwell) 103: No. 3 Anthony Halstead (Reedsport) 112: No. 1 Ryan Haney (Redmond), No. 3 Colton Schilling (Sweet Home) 119: No. 2 Levi Martinez (McNary), No. 3 Tyler Berger (Hermiston) 130: No. 1 Joey Delgado (Hermiston), No. 2 Mikey Rodriguez (Hillsboro); 135 pound Reno ToC champion Reed Van Anrooy (Roseburg) is ranked fourth. 135: No. 1 Drew Van Anrooy (Roseburg), No. 2 Ryan Bullock (Crook County) 140: No. 2 Abraham Rodriguez (Hermiston), No. 3 AJ Ballard (Canby) 145: No. 2 Nick Hettinga (Newberg) 152: No. 1 Seth Thomas (Roseburg), No. 2 Bryce McMahon (Hermiston) 160: No. 3 Brady Fischer (Oregon City) 171: No. 1 Brandon Griffin (Sprauge), No. 2 Dylan Fors (Roseburg) *Griffin is ranked 16th nationally 189: No. 1 Curtis Berger (Hermiston), No. 2 Zac Cardwell (Lowell), No. 3 Devan Fors (Roseburg) 215: No. 1 John Hatch (Newberg) 285: No. 1 George Swartzlander (Burns), No. 2 Jared Groner (Oregon City), No. 3 Kevin Montigue (Westview) Featured teams in the field: No. 1 Roseburg*, No. 2 Hermiston*, No. 3 Newberg, No. 6 Oregon City, No. 8 Culver*, No. 9 Crook County, and No. 10 Burns* --Those marked with an * are ranked first in their state tournament classification. Roseburg is ranked 41st in the national Fab 50. Vacaville starting journey on a second thousand victories With a 30-24 dual meet victory against De La Salle, California this past Saturday, the Vacaville High School wrestling program out of the San Joaquin Section in California earned its 1,000th win in program history. The Bulldogs have been wrestling since 1961. Yesterday, Vacaville traveled to Napa for a league dual meet, will be competing at the Puma Classic on Saturday, and close out regular season competition one week from yesterday in a league dual meet at William C. Wood High School. Change in plans for Campolattano Based on published reports from multiple outlets in New Jersey, Andrew Campolattano (Bound Brook, New Jersey) -- ranked No. 1 at 215 pounds, and No. 11 in the Class of 2011 -- has withdrawn his verbal commit to play football at Rutgers University. Instead, Campolattano will pursue wrestling in college, and it is essentially open season among the nation's top programs in seeking to secure his services. The three-time state champion has a career high school record of 151-1. Should he win fourteen more matches this year, he would hold the all-time wins record in the Garden State; Frank Cagnina (Bergen Catholic/Queen of Peace) graduated last year with a 164-4 record, and is having a spectacular true freshman season for Lehigh at 133 pounds. Presuming Campolattano wins a state title this year at 215 pounds, the projected college 197 will join Mike Grey (Delbarton) as the only four-time state champions in New Jersey history; Grey is currently a senior at Cornell. Tulsa Nationals placements posted Top six placement finishes for each weight class at last weekend's Tulsa Nationals have been posted. Competition was held in the following age divisions: 6-and-under, 8-and-under, 10-and-under, 12-and-under, as well as 15-and-under. Results: http://www.worldofwrestling-roller.com/tournament/results/30 Among the notable champions was Marcus Simmons from Oklahoma, who beat out Ke-Shawn Hayes from Missouri to win the 89 pound weight class in the 15-and-under division. Other notable winners in that division include Dylan Lucas from Florida at 101 pounds, Aaron Pico from California at 108 pounds, Mason Manville from Virginia at 135 pounds, and Michael Johnson, Jr from Illinois at 285 pounds.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Virginia's home wrestling dual with No. 9 Rutgers, scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, has been cancelled. Because of inclement weather in the New Jersey area and up the East Coast, Rutgers will not be able to travel to Charlottesville in sufficient time for the match. The match will not be rescheduled. Virginia is next scheduled to wrestle Princeton at 1 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Gymnasium.

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Appalachian State University junior wrestler Kyle Blevins (Sapulpa, Okla./Sapulpa) has been named Southern Conference Wrestler of the Week for the week of Jan. 19-25 as announced by the conference office on Wednesday. For back-to-back weeks, Mountaineer grapplers have earned wrestler of the week honors from the conference office as redshirt junior #22 Austin Trotman (Winston-Salem, N.C./Mount Tabor) was named wrestler of the week last week. This marks consecutive seasons that Trotman and Blevins have shared the honor behind each other. Last season, Trotman was tabbed wrestler of the week on Jan. 20 and Blevins followed the week after and received the nod on Jan. 27. Blevins, who comes into the week ranked at #17, earns the award after he tallied a match-changing 2-0 decision at 165 against UNC’s Thomas Scotton, who was ranked #15. The win gave the Apps a 12-11 advantage after the match was a back and forth effort by both teams. The dual eventually ended in a 19-19 tie. With his decision, Blevins currently carries a team-high 28 victories on the season against seven defeats and needs two wins to join the most wins in a season list. He has 74 career wins and needs just eight wins to become a member of the career wins list. The Mountaineers clash tonight at 7 p.m. in a SoCon match at defending SoCon Tournament champion UNCG.

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Hello again Wrestling Fans! This week's show will be LIVE from our Brute Adidas studios. Join Scott Casber, Ryan Freeman, Geoff Murtha and our own Jeff Murphy our 2 hour show brought to you by Kemin Agrifoods. This week we look at Wisconsin and Andrew Howe with Barry Davis, We'll Talk with Brian Smith about his Sunday endowment Dual meet. We'll talk with USA Wrestling's Rich Bender about the 2012 Olympic Trials, Our PSU Insider Joe Bastardi will update us on the Nation's New #1 Team and of course our Kemin Big 10 and Big 12 review with Jeff Murphy. Join us LIVE 9 AM to 11 AM its Takedown Wrestling Radio. Listen on radio, on computer, your Blackberry or iPhone with the iHeartRadio App. Our Guests Include: (All times Central): 9:01 Brian Smith Head Coach of Missouri 9:20 Barry Davis Head Coach of Wisconsin 9:40 Rich Bender- Executive Director of USA Wrestling 10:01 Joe Bastardi- Our Penn State Wrestling Insider 10:20 Jeff Murphy- Kemin's Top 20 Report 10:40 Rob Koehler- Founder Ear Slintz 10:50 Maureen Roshar- Wildrose Resorts

Wisconsin's Andrew Howe, an NCAA champion last season at 165 pounds, will be sidelined because of a knee injury he suffered in a dual meet against Illinois on Jan. 16. However, according to Wisconsin associate head coach Donny Pritzlaff, there is "little doubt" Howe will be back on the mat for the Badgers. "He has not had season ending surgery as it has been rumored," Pritzlaff informed InterMat. "We are progressing him back into the lineup as quickly as we can. He has sustained a significant injury, but there is little doubt he will return." Howe is 17-2 this season. He won the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 4. Aside from the injury default loss he suffered against Illinois, his only other loss came in the finals of the Midlands Championships to 2009 NCAA champion Jordan Burroughs of Nebraska. Prior to that loss, Howe had a 51-match winning streak dating back to 2009. He is also a U.S. Open freestyle champion and is currently ranked No. 2 in the U.S. at 74 kg.

WAYNESBURG, Pa. -- The Waynesburg University wrestling team received six forfeits from a short-handed Penn State New Kensington team and picked up a 58-0 victory at the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse on Tuesday night. The Yellow Jackets (10-2-1) went up 12-0 before the first bout came to the mat thanks to forfeits sophomore 125-pounder Alex Crown and junior 133-pounder Rico Borz. The first contested bout of the night featured Jacket freshman Colton Blumer, who won by fall in 4:01 over Mark Irwin to put the Jackets ahead 18-0 Sophomore 149-pounder Luke Lohr followed with a fall in 4:18 to run the tally to 24-0 Yellow Jackets and a forfeit to junior Garrett Johnston at 157 made the score 30-0. Junior Jon Sanko kept the Yellow Jackets’ winning streak going with a 10-1 major decision victory over Mike Nader. Waynesburg junior Jared Roberts ended the contested matches with a fall in 2:44 over Matt Kepple. Forfeits to sophomore Cody Catalina (184), freshman Jake Linn (197) and freshman Brandon Fedorka (285) concluded the night and brought about the final score of 58-0. The Yellow Jackets face a much sterner test when they hit the mats on Friday, as they host Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) rival Thiel. The match is scheduled to get underway at 7 p.m. Results: 125 – Alex Crown (W) wins by forfeit 6-0 133 – Rico Borz (W) wins by forfeit 12-0 141 – Colton Blumer (W) wins by fall in 4:01 over Mark Irwin 18-0 149 – Luke Lohr (W) wins by fall in 4:18 over Steve Bickerstaff 24-0 157 – Garrett Johnston (W) wins by forfeit 30-0 165 – Jon Sanko (W) wins by 10-1 maj. dec. over Mike Nader 34-0 174 – Jared Roberts (W) wins by fall in 2:44 over Matt Kepple 40-0 184 – Cody Catalina (W) wins by forfeit 46-0 197 – Jake Linn (W) wins by forfeit 52-0 285 – Brandon Fedorka (W) wins by forfeit 58-0

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State Nittany Lion wrestler Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio) has been named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week for the period ending January 23. Wade's honor is his first and Penn State's second of the year. Ranked No. 5 by Intermat at heavyweight, Wade went 2-0 last weekend with both wins coming over ranked grapplers. Wade downed then No. 3 Ryan Tomei of Pitt 3-2 in Friday night's 30-7 win over the Panthers. He followed that up with a punishing 6-0 victory over then No. 14 Ricky Alcala of Indiana in Sunday's 36-8 road win at Indiana. Wade now sports a 21-3 record with eight pins, three technical falls and two majors. He has scored 46 dual meet points for the Nittany Lions and his only losses are to wrestlers now ranked No. 1, No. 3 and No. 17. The junior's performance has helped Penn State start the year 13-0, the best start in school history. Penn State, with head coach Cael Sanderson at the helm, hosts No. 8 Iowa on Sunday at 2 p.m. and a Penn State White Out has been declared for the event. The dual has been sold out for weeks and a limited number of student tickets will be distributed on Friday from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Rec Hall ticket office. Tickets for Penn State's final two home duals (after Iowa) are going fast but are still available. The Nittany Lions host No. 14 Illinois on Feb. 11 and No. 3 Wisconsin on Feb. 18. Fans wishing to purchase single dual meet tickets for the 2010-11 Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling season 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.

ALLIANCE, Ohio -- No. 10 ranked Mount Union shut out John Carroll, 34-0, in an Ohio Athletic Conference wrestling dual Tuesday night in Alliance. The Purple Raiders are now a perfect 11-0 on the season and remain in first place in the OAC with a 3-0 record, while John Carroll falls to 3-6 overall and 0-3 in the OAC. After Mount Union scored five straight decisions, John Piechuta (Alliance/Marlington) rallied from a 4-1 first period deficit to score a 7-5 victory and give the Raiders a then commanding 18-0 lead. Other highlights included a pin by No. 4 ranked Bill Schindel (Tallmadge/Akron Hoban), who improved to 18-0 on the season and a major decision, 9-0, victory by Derick Hesson (Dexter City/Caldwell) at 285. Mount Union travels to the Pete Wilson Invitational at Wheaton (Ill.) this weekend. Results: 125 Riki Reynolds (Mount Union) DEC John Cobos (John Carroll ) 3 - 1 133 Colin Dennis (Mount Union) DEC Kevin Nycz (John Carroll ) 9 - 2 141 Josh Malave (Mount Union) DEC Greg Ryan (John Carroll ) 2 - 1 149 Kevin Shadrach (Mount Union) DEC Kenny Locsei (John Carroll ) 5 - 0 157 Joe Spooner (Mount Union) DEC Vincent Pizzuli (John Carroll ) 6 - 2 165 John Piechuta (Mount Union) DEC Clarence Semple (John Carroll ) 7 - 5 174 Jeremy Hathaway (Mount Union) DEC Todd Gaydosh (John Carroll ) 2 - 1 184 Andy Jenkins (Mount Union) DEC Bryan Steinmetz (John Carroll ) 7 - 3 197 Bill Schindel (Mount Union) PINNED Alex Garred (John Carroll ) (4:25) 285 Derick Hesson (Mount Union) MAJOR DEC. Will Porter (John Carroll ) 9 - 0

STEVENS POINT -- Tied 15-15 with just two weight classes remaining, Chad Gregory and Steve Wozniak earned two crucial victories on Tuesday evening to help earn UW-Stevens Point head coach Johnny Johnson his 126th career victory at UWSP, surpassing Marty Loy as the school’s all-time winningest wrestling coach. The eighth-ranked Pointers took an early 6-0 lead on the visiting Rangers thanks to a pin by Brad Kuehn at 125 pounds. Back-to-back victories by Parkside pulled the Rangers back even with the host Pointers at 6-6. Kris Magruder’s forfeit victory at 149 pounds put the Pointers back in front 12-6 and Ben Strobel picked up another three points with his 14-12 come-from-behind victory at 157 pounds. Parkside began to chip away at the lead again and once more tied the score at 15-15 after 184 pounds leaving just two weight classes for the Pointers to earn valuable points. Senior Chad Gregory stepped up and did his part, recording a 9-3 victory at 197 and 10th-ranked Steve Wozniak pinned his opponent at the 5:20 mark of the heavyweight contest go seal the victory. UW-Stevens Point (9-7, 2-1 WIAC) returns to the mat on Feb. 4 when they travel to UW-Whitewater for a 7 p.m. showdown with the Warhawks. Results: 125 Brad Kuehn (SP) pins Martino Balsiger (UWP) 4:43 – UWSP 6 – UWP 0 133 #4 Cody Zimmerman (UWP) def Jordan Kust (UWSP) 7-3 – UWSP 6 – UWP 3 141 Arik Yde (UWP) def Shane Sweeney (UWSP) 5-3 – UWSP 6 – UWP 6 149 Kris Magruder (UWSP) wins by forfeit – UWSP 12 – UWP 6 157 Ben Strobel (UWSP) def Dave Edwards (UWP) 14-12 – UWSP 15 – UWP 6 165 Matt Gille (UWP) def #7 Jordan Schulte (UWSP) 2-0 – UWSP 15 – UWP 9 174 #1 Luke Rynish (UWP) def Ryan Conat (UWSP) 9-4 – UWSP 15 – UWP 12 184 Ryan Woods (UWP) def. Coulter Nyenhuis (UWSP) 12-5 – UWSP 15 – UWP 15 197 Chad Gregory (UWSP) def Curtis Hines (UWP) 9-3 – UWSP 18 – UWP 15 285 #10 Steve Wozniak pins Vince Depp (UWP) 5:20 – UWSP 24 – UWP 15

After last Friday’s outstanding Big Ten wrestling live double-header on the Big Ten Network, the BTN heard from many Penn State and Iowa fans in regards to the PSU/Iowa dual being a two-day tape delay. Thanks to this fan input, the BTN is taking an outstanding step and making the tape delay a SAME DAY one. So the battle between No. 1 Penn State and 3X defending national champ Iowa, which is being wrestled in front of a sold out Rec Hall crowd on Sunday at 2 p.m., will air Sunday night at 9:30 p.m. on the Big Ten Network and again on Tuesday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m. Thanks to the BTN and the fans of both teams for helping to make this happen!

Buies Creek, N.C. -- The Gardner-Webb wrestling team used three pin fall wins to defeat Campbell 32-12 on Tuesday night in Buies Creek, N.C. GWU redshirt-sophomore Alex Medved started the match off with a pin fall win at 3:57 over Darien Peele at 157 to give the Runnin’ Bulldogs an early 6-0 lead in the match. The win was Alex Medved’s 20th overall win on the year. Fellow redshirt-sophomore Justin Guthrie carried over the momentum from his huge win versus Duke on Friday night, as he scored a 5-4 decision of Jake Fose to push GWU in front by nine at 9-0. The momentum was clearly on the Runnin’ Bulldogs side, as freshman Erin O’Dell picked up his second win of the year, edging Ryan Ham of Campbell for the 3-2 win at 174. With a 12-0 lead, junior Blake Salyer earned his first pin fall win of the year at 184, pinning Peter Comis 3:58 seconds into the match, giving the Runnin’ Bulldog grapplers a huge 18-0 match lead. Redshirt-sophomore Travis Porter continued GWU’s winning ways, posting a 5-1 decision win over John Merickel at 197, increasing the GWU lead to 21-0. After Campbell’s Peter Burns earned a pin fall win at 285 to put the Camels on the board, Campbell picked up back-to-back wins at 125 and 133 to cut the GWU lead to 21-12 with two matches remaining. However, the Runnin’ Bulldog grapplers refused to lose, as Richie Spicel picked up his third pin fall win of the year over Michael Jordan at 3:28 at 141, while GWU’s Ryan Medved wrapped up the match with a technical fall 20-4 victory over Brad Merriman at 149 to give Gardner-Webb the 32-12 win. With the win, GWU improves to 3-12-1 on the year in dual match action. The Gardner-Webb wrestling team will look to carry over the momentum from Tuesday night’s win to this Saturday, as the Runnin’ Bulldogs will compete at the Appalachian Open on Saturday, January 29th, in Boone, N.C. Results: 125 - Tanner Bidelspach (CU) decision Brett Kostern (GWU) 5-4, 21-9 GWU 133 - Gabe Gardner (CU) decision Alex Hamm (GWU) 7-5 in first OT, 21-12 GWU 141 - Richie Spicel (GWU) fall Michael Jordan (CU), 3:28, 27-12 GWU 149 - Ryan Medved (GWU) technical fall Brad Merriman (CU) 20-4 in 5:49, 32-12 GWU 157 - Alex Medved (GWU) fall Darien Peele (CU)*, 3:57, 6-0 GWU 165 - Justin Guthrie (GWU) decision Jake Fose (CU) 5-4, 9-0 GWU 174 - Erin O’Dell (GWU) decision Ryan Ham (CU) 3-2, 12-0 GWU 184 - Blake Salyer (GWU) fall Peter Comis (CU), 3:58, 18-0 GWU 197 - Travis Porter (GWU) decision John Merickel (CU) 5-1, 21-0 GWU 285 – Parker Burns (CU) fall Tyler Arrowood (GWU), 1:59, 21-6 GWU *denotes starting weight

For Mario Mason, a change in scenery is just what he needed. Mason, a New Jersey native who wrestled for national powerhouse Blair Academy in high school, started his collegiate career at the University of Minnesota and spent two years in the Gopher wrestling program before transferring to Rutgers University this season. He compiled a record of 19-12 last season as a redshirt freshman for Minnesota and qualified for the 2010 NCAA Championships at 149 pounds. Mario MasonMason has shined in his first season wrestling for Rutgers. He is currently ranked No. 4 in the country at 149 pounds and has a record of 21-3. He has not lost a match since November. Mason has wins this season over All-Americans Frank Molinaro of Penn State, Kevin LeValley of Bucknell, and Brandon Rader of West Virginia. InterMat recently caught up with the redshirt sophomore and talked to him about the differences between Rutgers and Minnesota, Cory Cooperman, Adam Frey, Rutgers' rapid rise, freestyle wrestling, and much more. Last season you had a strong redshirt freshman season at Minnesota, but you have turned it up another notch this season at Rutgers. What is the biggest difference from last season to this season? Mason: Well, definitely the coaching styles at Minnesota and Rutgers are a lot different. Minnesota is kind of a brawler style. This year I have been able to work with Cory Cooperman, who I have known for a long time. He has helped me tremendously. In what ways has Cooperman helped you this season? Mario Mason (Photo/Roy DeBoer)Mason: He's kind of like my personal coach. Anything he feels that I need to work on, we work on. Being with him helps me build my confidence. He's always one hundred percent positive. He's obviously going to tell me things I'm doing wrong and help me out, but he always has a positive outlook. He's almost like an older brother to me. It's a big deal for me and a big confidence builder. You mentioned the coaching styles at Minnesota and Rutgers being different. How is the training different between the two programs? Mason: They're both hard-nosed programs. Rutgers might be new on the map, but we train really hard, as hard as any team in the country. Minnesota is more of a grinder style, more live wrestling situations in the room, and more conditioning. At Rutgers, we're doing a lot of drilling and a lot of perfecting technique, which is something I have always done when I was young and in high school. It's something I like to do and always helps my wrestling. That's definitely the biggest difference between Minnesota and Rutgers. There is a lot of anticipation at Minnesota for Jake Deitchler's possible return. A lot of people know about his Greco-Roman credentials, but there is some uncertainty about what kind of impact he can make in collegiate wrestling. Having trained with him, what kind of impact do you think Deitchler can make in the program if healthy? Mason: I think he can make a huge impact. He's probably one of the few guys that I still talk to from Minnesota. I wrestled him a few times in my freestyle career. When I was at Minnesota, we became really good friends. The kid is a dynamite wrestler. He can definitely be a breakthrough guy if he can come back and wrestle in college. It's kind of a sad thing with the concussions, but hopefully he can get back on the mat and help the program. One of your former high school teammates at Blair Academy, Adam Frey, passed away a little over a year ago after a courageous battle with cancer. What do you remember most about Adam? Mason: I wrestled him probably four times a week when I was a freshman and he was a senior. He used to just beat me up all the time and just get me tougher. He was always on top of me to get better, kind like Cooperman has been for me. Adam was always helping me and always in my corner. He was an unbelievable wrestler. He's probably one of the best wrestlers I've seen and wrestled with. Mario Mason has split matches with Penn State's Frank Molinaro this season (Photo/Roy DeBoer)Rutgers is ranked in the top 10. What is the atmosphere like in the program this season? Mason: Right now, everyone is making jumps and it's because we have to make jumps. We're getting more highly ranked as our wrestlers are starting to wrestle better. Not a lot of people thought it was possible, coming from nowhere. We just have a lot of tough individuals who are making progress and wrestling hard. Everybody is from New Jersey, so everybody knows each other from childhood or wrestling in high school together. It's a really close-knit group of guys and it's great to wrestle for a team like that. What's it going to take for Rutgers to be in the hunt for a trophy at the NCAAs? Mason: Obviously, we're going to need some more guys. We're going to need to bring in the top recruits in the country. We have a lot of guys that will do well this season. I think we could have four, five, or six guys place at the NCAA tournament. Everyone is going to have to step up and wrestle the best they can. If we do that, we can be in the hunt. I don't know about a national title this year, but we should be in the top five or top six at the NCAAs ... as long as everyone is wrestling hard and staying focused. There is a chance you could face 2010 NCAA champion Kyle Dake of Cornell at the EIWA Championships. You have defeated Dake in freestyle. How much are you looking forward to a potential meeting with Dake? Mario Mason (Photo/Morgan Hennessy)Mason: I'm really looking forward to it. I enjoy wrestling the best guys. I want to wrestle everybody I can. I have wrestled a couple top 10 guys so far this season. I look forward to the match. Freestyle is a whole different ballgame than collegiate style. But it's going to be a battle and hopefully I can come out on top. You went 0-2 at the NCAAs last season. What did you take from that tournament that you think might help you the next time you compete at the NCAAs? Mason: Prior to that, I don't think I had ever gone 0-2 at a tournament since I was a young kid. It's just heartbreaker. You work hard all season, get down to weight, and it's a big letdown. It's a driving force. It drives you to do better, wrestle harder in the room, and get in better condition, everything that you need to do to be an All-American and NCAA champion. It's one of those things that is really in the back of my mind that I never want to happen to me again. You have had lot of age-group success in fresestyle over the years. You even competed on the senior level at the 2009 U.S. World Team Trials after your redshirt season. Is freestyle wrestling still important to you? Mason: Yeah. Actually, I enjoy freestyle wrestling more than collegiate wrestling. I really wish I could wrestle it all year round. I wish college was freestyle wrestling. I definitely would love to pursue it. I would love to go to the Olympics and win the Olympics. That's a dream. That would be unbelievable. That would probably be one of the coolest things I could do in the sport. Blair Academy vs. St. Paris Graham on Saturday night. What's your prediction? Mason: I have to go with Blair because it's my home school. St. Paris Graham is obviously a tough team. I'm sure (Jeff) Buxton is looking forward to that match because St. Paris Graham beat Blair last year. It's going to be a good one, but I have to go with Blair.

Dan Gable, legendary wrestler and coach, will go "On the Mat" this Wednesday, January 26. “On the Mat" is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum. The show can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:05 - 6:00 PM CST on AM 1650, The Fan. E-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Gable was the head wrestling coach at the University of Iowa from 1977-1997. His teams won 15 NCAA team titles in 21 years and compiled a 355-21-5 dual meet record. As a wrestler, Gable was an NCAA champion for Iowa State in 1968 and 1969. He won the 1972 Olympics in freestyle wrestling without surrendering a point. Gable recently retired from the University of Iowa as an administrator. This show will focus on his career and legacy in wrestling.

AURORA, Ill. -- Ultimately, the final scores from a recent super quad hosted by Marmion Academy don't tell the whole story. Not even part of it. Marmion Academy Super QuadIt's true that a banged-up Marmion Academy Cadets team went 0-3 on the day, losing badly to No. 5 St. Ed's and No. 10 Iowa City West, and narrowly to bitter rival No. 38 Montini Catholic. But only a decade ago, the scene that unfolded on Jan. 15 would have been impossible, inconceivable. Before the 2002-03 school year, Marmion Athletic Director Joe Chivari called up Dean Branstetter and asked the veteran high school wrestling coach of 15 years to leave Mona Shores High in Muskegon, MI, to start a wrestling team at the all-male Catholic prep school 38 miles west of Chicago. At 36 years of age, the former University of Indianapolis All-American came in and built the program up slowly. He scheduled small school competition at first, teaching and allowing kids to accumulate wins and confidence. In 2006, the program achieved their first regional individual champion, and took five kids to sectionals. That success led St. Charles-natives Pat Greco (Northwestern) and Nico Jimenez (Illinois) to commit to Marmion, eventually becoming the program's first Division I recruits. And slowly but surely, success begat success. "We had to win some matches, make sure kids could be competitive," Branstetter says. "As we improved every year, then we scheduled bigger schools and better competition. We had to keep kids interested in the sport, and we had to get good so good kids will come here. When [the good kids] were successful, that just opened the door [and] it snowballed from there." Oh, has it ever snowballed. The Cadets are ranked third in state in Class 2A, and 13th in the country, (according to InterMat). They currently boast 11 state-ranked wrestlers in the top 10 of their respective weight classes, seven of whom are either first or second in state, according to Illinois Matmen (www.illinoismatmen.com). In addition, Branstetter estimates that five or six of his wrestlers will eventually end up competing collegiately at the Division I level. "Obviously, we're very pleased with the job he's done," Chivari said. "He's taken a program from totally non-existent to a position where we are recognized and building the program to something that we're looking to sustain for years to come." Ben Whitford (Photo/Bob Tuneberg, BuckeyeWrestling.com)Three Cadets are currently ranked nationally by InterMat: No. 16 103-pounder Johnny Jimenez, No. 12 112-pounder Jered Cortez, and No. 3 130-pounder Ben Whitford. The diamond gem of that group is Whitford. The sophomore won the Ironman, Dvorak and Cheesehead tournaments this year, and has lost just once in his high school career. He fell into Marmion's lap by pure chance. A native of St. John's, Michigan, Whitford moved to Chicago before his freshman year, when his father, Pat, got a job in the Chicagoland area. Marmion was the first school the Whitfords considered, and the school's academics, as well as its proximity to the highly regarded Overtime School of Wrestling (where Ben and 14 of his teammates train) were big selling points. "We're extremely happy, all-around," Pat Whitford says. "We always knew wrestling was going to take him somewhere, but [Marmion's] academics opens up different doors. Also, you knew the guys that were coming, that (135-pound freshman stud) Bryce [Brill] and the workout partners around him were going to be a big sell too." Marmion Academy MerchandiseWhich brings us to the most highly anticipated high school wrestling event in the country on that mid-January weekend. Joe Silvestro is one of a myriad of assistant coaches for the Cadets, and his son, Angelo, is ranked second in state for Class 2A at 141 pounds. A 1982 St. Ed's graduate, Joe competed for the Eagles and eventually wrestled at North Carolina. Knowing they would have to face Montini for conference anyway, Marmion decided to test themselves, and Joe got the ball rolling with one phone call to St. Ed's. The result was an intense wrestling competition that featured a few upsets (No. 6 Cortez lost to then unranked-Edgar Bright of St. Ed's), witnessed by local college coaches and boisterous wrestling fans alike. The two long tables of assorted Marmion Academy wrestling paraphernalia being sold by boosters was proof enough of this program's serious intentions. "The coaches want to do this for us, get us out against all these good ranked teams," 103-pounder Johnny Jimenez (ranked No. 16 nationally by InterMat) says. "We're going to grow as a wrestling team as a result of this." Though people took notice of the program last season, this year has put Marmion on the mat. They won the tough Dvorak tournament with three individual champions (two freshmen and a sophomore), finished fourth at Ironman and seventh at Cheesehead. The ultimate goal, however, is a state championship. To do that, they'll have to get by longtime state power Montini in regionals. At the Jan. 15 quad, Montini got up big early, and then hung on for a 31-30 dual win. Should Marmion do that, they will likely find No. 24 Crystal Lake Central (which features three nationally-ranked wrestlers of their own) in between them and a Class 2A state title. Dean BranstetterBut the Cadets' rapid ascent to high school wrestling relevancy hasn't come without it's criticisms and questions. On message boards and at tournaments, people whisper speculations and ruminate about how Marmion managed to assemble such a talented group of youngsters so quickly. Branstetter has heard the gossip, and he maintains that Marmion's academic excellence sells itself. In the beginning, word of mouth helped, as positive experiences led other kids from local wrestling clubs like St. Charles North to consider attending Marmion. Through it all, Branstetter has vehemently denied any unethical practices. "It's a little frustrating because there are a lot of people who pass judgment on the program, and they've never seen what these kids go through academically, they've never been to practice," Branstetter says. "It's kind of sad that you want to put down a 15-16 year old kid who wants a great education. I don't know if the boys read that stuff, but I don't read the websites anymore. The AD isn't going to let me do things the wrong way, and I'm not going to put Marmion in that position. We're trying to do things the right way, and that's all I can do." With the program quickly establishing itself as a state powerhouse, don't be surprised to see a steady trickle of stud kids and transfers head to Aurora to get a quality education, wrestle a tough national schedule, and try to compete for state titles.