InterMat Staff

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -- Kevin LeValley (Hugo, Colo./Limon) tied the Bucknell single-season record for wins and the Bison claimed seven of the 10 bouts as they defeated Lock Haven 25-12 Friday evening. The win improved Bucknell's season record to 10-6, the third time in the last four years the Bison have reached double-figures in victories. LeValley, who is ranked seventh nationally at 149 pounds, posted a 17-0 technical fall over Zach Kell to claim his 33rd victory of the season and tie a record he now shares with teammates Andy Rendos, Shane Riccio and Brian Pitzer. LeValley is now 33-5 and has won seven consecutive bouts. Remarkably, each of his last four wins have come by shutout with an aggregate score of 56-0. He has two major decisions and two technical falls over that span. The Bison actually trailed 6-0 after forfeiting the 125-pound weight class, but they won the next six bouts to take a commanding 22-6 advantage en route to their first-ever victory over the Bald Eagles. Bucknell, which had three bonus-point wins in the first three matches contested Friday, had been 0-16 all-time against Lock Haven (2-7). Each of Bucknell's four ranked wrestlers came away victorious Friday, led by LeValley. David Marble (Harpursville, N.Y./Harpursville Central), who is ranked 17th at 133 pounds, won the lone battle on the evening between ranked opponents as he posted a 12-1 major decision over No. 20 John Trumbetti. It was Marble's seventh consecutive win as he improved his season mark to 23-7. No. 10 Andy Rendos (Brockway, Pa./Brockway Area), wrestling for the second time this week after missing a month due to injury, won at 165 pounds by a 7-3 decision. No. 16 Shane Riccio (Warren, N.J./Watchung Hills) followed that up with a 4-0 shutout at 174, his sixth straight win. He is now 29-7 on the year and he kept pace with Marble on the career ledger as both seniors have 104 career wins. clear pixel John Regan (Plum Borough, Pa./Kiski School) gave Bucknell the lead for good with a 14-2 major decision at 141, while Jay Hahn (Malvern, Pa./Great Valley) claimed a 10-4 decision at 197, rounding out the scoring for the Bison. Brantley Hooks (Spartanburg, S.C./James F. Byrnes) earned Bucknell's other win, claiming the 157-pound bout 10-5 over Seth Creasy. With Friday's victory, Bucknell is now guaranteed of finishing over .500 for the second consecutive year. The Bison last accomplished that feat in 1993-94 and 1994-95. Additionally, Bucknell has now reached double-figure wins in back-to-back years for the first time in program history. Friday's match was the fourth in a five-match road trip for the Bison, who improved to 5-1 on the road this season. Bucknell will wrap up its five-match road trip next Friday, Feb. 12, at George Mason. Match time is 7 p.m. in Fairfax, Va. Results: *125: Nick Hyatt (LHU) wins by forfeit 133: #17 David Marble (BU) major dec. #20 John Trumbetti (LHU) 12-1 (1:48 RT) 141: John Regan (BU) major dec. Justin Loudon (LHU) 14-2 (4:12 RT) 149: #7 Kevin LeValley (BU) tech fall Zach Kell (LHU) 17-0 (6:44) 157: Brantley Hooks (BU) dec. Seth Creasy (LHU) 10-5 (1:48 RT) 165: #10 Andy Rendos (BU) dec. Kevin Dufresne (LHU) 7-3 174: #16 Shane Riccio (BU) dec. Derek Caldwell (LHU) 4-0 (3:31 RT) 184: Jeremie Cook (LHU) dec Rob Walkto (BU) 6-4 OT 197: Jay Hahn (BU) dec. Harry Turner (LHU) 10-4 (2:50 RT) HWT: Dan Craig (LHU) dec. Joe McMullan (BU) 3-2

Fullerton, Calif. -- Six Oregon State wrestlers earned bonus point wins to extend the No. 20 Beavers’ dual meet winning streak to 16 straight in Friday night’s toppling of the Cal State Fullerton Titans, 33-6, in Titan Gym. Fifteenth-ranked redshirt sophomore Jason Lara (Midway City, Calif.) got the meet off to a strong start for the Beavers, earning a 16-8 major decision over Andre Gonzalez at 125 pounds. In the following bout, No. 16 Kelly Kubec (Lake Stevens, Wash.) earned a major decision of his own over Aaron Navarrete, 15-3, Kubec’s sixth of the season. Redshirt freshman Mike Mangrum (Auburn, Wash.) made it nine wins straight, batting to a 6-4 decision over Adin Duenas at 141 pounds, defeating him in sudden victory overtime. Suffering just his eighth loss of the season, 17th-ranked freshman RJ Pena (Salem, Ore.) had to count the fall by Nick Jordan at 149 pounds. Oregon State lost a team point after Pena got caught in a head lock, causing him to pass out and Jordan to get Pena on his back. The team point was deducted after the match, charged to an Oregon State coach. Senior Dan Brascetta (Aurora, Colo.) continued to be solid for the Beavers in the lineup at 165 pounds, earning his first technical fall of the season over Sam Silva in 5:50, taking the 17-point margin at 20-3. Adding to his bonus point percentage in matches, ninth-ranked junior Colby Covington (Springfield, Ore.) posts bonus point wins in over half of his wins this season. Covington earned the 17-8 major decision over Todd Noel at 174 pounds. Redshirt freshman Ty Vinson (Great Falls, Mont.) earned the team’s first shutout of the night in his first major decision of the season. Vinson boosted the Beavers to a 27-6 lead with the 8-0 victory over Mark Savalle. Sophomore Chad Hanke (Dayton, Ore.) earned the final bonus point victory for Oregon State with his 13-4 win over Ethan Weisrock at 197 pounds. Fourteenth-ranked sophomore heavyweight Clayton Jack (Vacaville, Calif.) wrapped up the meet with a 4-0 decision over No. 16 Kurt Klimek. The Beavers improve to 17-1, 5-1 Pac-10, while Cal State Fullerton falls to 2-7-1, 0-6-1 Pac-10. Oregon State wraps up its trip to Southern California at No. 16 Cal Poly on Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m. Results: 125 Pounds – No. 15 Jason Lara (OSU) major decision over Andre Gonzalez (CSF), 16-8 4 0 133 Pounds – No. 16 Kelly Kubec (OSU) major decision over Aaron Navarrete (CSF), 15-3 8 0 141 Pounds – Mike Mangrum (OSU) decision over Adin Duenas (CSF), 6-4 (OT) 11 0 149 Pounds – Nick Jordan (CSF) fall over No. 17 RJ Pena (OSU), 2:43 11 6 157 Pounds – No. 13 Keegan Davis (OSU) decision over Steven de la Fuente (CSF), 4-1 14 6 165 Pounds – Dan Brascetta (OSU) technical fall over Sam Silva (CSF), 20-3 (5:50) 19 6 174 Pounds – No. 9 Colby Covington (OSU) major decision over Todd Noel (CSF), 17-8 23 6 184 Pounds – Ty Vinson (OSU) major decision over Mark Savalle (CSF), 8-0 27 6 197 Pounds – Chad Hanke (OSU) major decision over Ethan Weisrock (CSF), 13-4 31 6 Heavyweight – No. 14 Clayton Jack (OSU) decision over No. 16 Kurt Klimek (CSF), 4-0 34 6

The winner of the heavyweight bout would lead their team to a victory. Pitt-Johnstown's Chris Dempsey (Sewickley, Pa.) won a 3-1 decision to lift the No. 4-ranked Mountain Cat wrestlers over Division I Clarion University, Friday Night in the Sports Center. The Mountain Cats extended their home winning streak to 57 straight matches and improved to 11-2. A.J. Brentzel's (Irwin, Pa.) win at 197 lbs. tied the score at 15, and Dempsey followed with a 3-1 decision over Quintas McCorkle in the heavyweight bout to break the tie and give the Mountain Cats an 18-15 win. Clarion opened up a 3-0 lead when Joe Waltko battled back from a 5-2 deficit in the third period with a take down and two near fall points to score a 6-5 win over Ryan Link (Cresson, Pa.) at 125 lbs. However, Division II No. 1-ranked Shane Valko (133 lbs.) (Windber, Pa.) pinned 2009 NCAA Division I National Qualifier Jay Ivanco at 1:05 to quickly put the Mountain Cats up 6-3. Greg Lewis' 7-3 decision over Division II No. 5 Adam Whetstone (Claysburg, Pa.) at 141 lbs. knotted the score at six to spark three straight wins for the Golden Eagles. Division I No. 20-ranked James Fleming earned a 6-0 decision over Ryan McIntyre (Claysburg, Pa.) at 149 lbs., before 2009 Division I National Qualifier and No. 18-ranked Hadley Harrision defeated Zach Lundgren (DuBois, Pa.), 6-3 at 157 lbs. to increase the lead to 12-6. Pitt-Johnstown answered to tie the match with wins at 165 lbs. and 174 lbs. Kyle Keane (Bradford, Pa.), ranked No. 3 at 165 lbs., won a 10-6 decision over Justin McCrillis, and Steven Makin (Portage, Pa.) evened the score at 12 with a 7-4 decision over Steven Cressley at 174 lbs. Clarion jumped back out in front at 184 lbs. when Clint Podish got a take down with five seconds remaining in the third period to defeat Patrick Walsh (Leesport, Pa.), 4-2. A 5-4 win by Pitt-Johnstown's Brentzel over Alex Thomas in the 197-lb. bout tied the score for the third time and set up a heavywieght battle between Dempsey and McCorkle that would decide the winner. With the loss, the Golden Eagles slipped to 5-7. The Mountain Cats travel to the University of Findlay (OH) on Sunday and to Seton Hill University on Wednesday, before returning home to host Mercyhurst College for Senior Night on Friday at 7 p.m. in the Sports Center. Results: 125 - Joe Waltko (CU) Decision Ryan Link (UPJ) 6-5 3-0 CU 133 - #1 Shane Valko (UPJ) FallJay Invanco (CU) 1:05 6-3 UPJ 141 - Greg Lewis (CU) Decision #5 Adam Whetstone (UPJ) 7-3 6-6 TIE 149 - Div. I #20 James Fleming (CU) Dec. Ryan McIntyre (UPJ) 6-0 9-6 CU 157 - Div. I #18 Hadley Harrison (CU) Dec. Zach Lundgren (UPJ) 6-3 12-6 CU 165 - #3 Kyle Keane (UPJ) Decision Justin McCrillis (CU) 10-6 12-9 CU 174 - Steve Makin (UPJ) Decision Steven Cressley (CU) 7-4 12-12 TIE 184 - Clint Podish (CU) Decision Patrick Walsh (UPJ) 4-2 15-12 CU 197 - A.J. Brentzel (UPJ) Decision Alex Thomas (CU) 5-4 15-15 TIE HWT. - Chris Dempsey (UPJ) Dec. Quintas McCorkle (CU) 3-1 18-15 UPJ

OMAHA, Neb. -- For the second time this season, the University of Nebraska at Omaha wrestling team dominated the Mavericks of Minnesota State, winning eight of ten matches to roll to a 31-6 win over the seventh-ranked Mavericks Friday night at Sapp Fieldhouse. UNO is now 9-1 on the year and has won four straight duals since falling to Augsburg on Jan. 22. MSU dips to 7-4 in dual contests on the year. UNO defeated MSU on Jan. 10 in the semis of the 2010 NWCA National Duals, 30-6. Minnesota State got out to an early lead with fourth-ranked Andy Forstner defeating second-ranked Terrell McKinney 10-7 in a hard fought match at 125. Cody Garcia tied Pat Kelley III's all-time single-season record of 25 falls when he pinned Matt Nyvold at 2:51. Kelley III set the mark during the 1995-96 season. Garcia, who is UNO's all-time falls leader, now has 78 in his career. The Hutchinson, Kan., native is 38-0 with a 10-0 dual record. At 141, Mario Morgan picked up his 30th win of the season and his 19th-straight victory with a 10-4 decision over Robby Fisher. Morgan is now 10-0 in duals on the year. Esai Dominguez defeated All-American Travis Elg 8-3 in the 149-pound bout. George Ivanov won his second consecutive match by fall. He pinned Justin Turek with just two second left in the second period to get the win at 157. The Council Bluffs, Iowa native is 28-8 on the year with a 9-1 dual mark. Ryan Pankoke defeated Tel Todd 7-4 to earn the win at 165. At 174, Aaron Denson picked up his second win since returning from an injury that was aggravated at the NWCA Duals in January. Denson defeated eight-ranked Ben Becker 11-2 and earned the team bonus points with the major decision. Austin Boehm rebounded from his loss last night and collected an 8-3 decision over Aaron Norgren at 184. Top-ranked Jacob Marrs earned a riding time bonus point and put away John Makabe 6-2 in the 197-pound bout. The heavy weight bout featured the top two wrestlers in Division II with MSU's top-ranked Brady Wilson squaring off with second-ranked Elijah Madison. Wilson and Madison exchanged escapes in the second and third periods, but it was Wilson who scored a takedown with 26 second left in to take the 3-1 lead. Madison scored a late escape, but Wilson held on for the 3-2 win. The Mavericks will be back on the mat on Sunday, Feb. 14 for the 2010 MIAA Duals in Hays, Kan. UNO will see a busy afternoon with three duals on the docket. The Mavs will face Central Missouri at 1 p.m., Truman State at 3 p.m. and host school Fort Hays State at 5 p.m. UNO won the tournament last season which was hosted by UCM. Results: 125 - #4 Andy Forstner (MSU) dec. #2 Terrell McKinney (UNO), 10-7 133 - #2 Cody Garcia (UNO) by fall over Matt Nyvold (MSU), 2:51 141 - #3 Mario Morgan (UNO) dec. Robby Fisher (MSU), 10-4 149 - #3 Esai Dominguez (UNO) dec. Travis Elg (MSU), 8-3 157 - #2 George Ivanov (UNO) by fall over Justin Turek (MSU), 4:58 165 - #4 Ryan Pankoke (UNO) dec. Tel Todd (MSU), 7-4 174 - #2 Aaron Denson (UNO) maj. dec. #8 Ben Becker (MSU), 11-2 184 - #4 Austin Boehm (UNO) dec. Aaron Norgren (MSU), 8-3 197 - #1 Jacob Marrs (UNO) dec. John Makabe (MSU), 6-2 285 - #1 Brady Wilson (MSU) dec. #2 Elijah Madison (UNO), 3-2

MOUNT PLEASANT -- No. 6 Central Michigan extended its winning streak to five duals with a 23-10 nonconference victory over Michigan State in front of a crowd of 3,009 at Rose Center Friday night. The Chippewas (13-2 overall) have won nine consecutive matchups against Michigan State (7-5-1). CMU led 7-6 after splitting the dual's first four bouts, but the Chippewas won five of the final six matchups to win going away. CMU's Matt Steintrager opened the dual with a 17-8 major decision over Eric Olanowski at 125 pounds. Steintrager was in control from start to finish, scoring six takedowns, a reverse and two back points in the win. He also held a riding time advantage of 3:48. The most anticipated match of the dual came at 133 pounds, where No. 8 Scotti Sentes faced defending national champion and fourth-ranked Franklin Gomez. Gomez scored an early takedown to take a 2-0 lead and held a 3-1 advantage entering the third period. Sentes escaped to draw within 3-2 early in the final period, but Gomez scored a takedown off a shot with a minute remaining that proved to be the difference in his 5-3 decision. Conor Beebe led from start to finish in his 8-2 decision at 141 pounds. He scored a pair of first-period takedowns and allowed just two escapes in the win. No. 12 David Cheza drew the Spartans within 7-6 with a 7-3 decision over No. 14 Tony D'Alie. D'Alie scored a takedown in the third period to tie the score at 3-3, but Cheza had locked up riding time following a first-period takedown and was cut loose by D'Alie. Cheza added another takedown at the buzzer for the final four-point margin. Donnie Corby swung the momentum back CMU's way with a 5-3 decision over Anthony Jones at 157 pounds. Tied 1-1 in the third period, Corby took Jones straight to his back from the neutral position for two nearfall points that proved to be the margin of victory. Tyler Grayson followed with a methodical 10-2 major decision over Kyle Bounds at 165 pounds. Grayson scored four takedowns, the last of which came in the final 15 final seconds and secured the bonus point. Ben Bennett made it three straight Chippewa victories with a 5-0 decision over Ian Hinton at 174 pounds. Bennett led 1-0 after the first two periods, then started the third period in the top position. He turned Hinton to score three back points and rode him out to earn the riding time point as well. Michigan State's final victory of the night came at 184 pounds, where Curran Jacobs was a 12-4 winner over Dillon Kern. Jacobs had four takedowns and a 3:33 riding time edge in the win. Eric Simaz (197) and Jarod Trice (285) closed the match with back-to-back decisions for the Chippewas. CMU is back in action Sunday, hosting Northern Illinois in a Mid-American Conference dual at 2 p.m. Results: 125: No. 9 Matt Steintrager (CMU) maj. dec. Eric Olanowski, 17-8; CMU leads 4-0 133: No. 4 Franklin Gomez (MSU) dec. No. 8 Scotti Sentes, 5-3; CMU leads 4-3 141: Conor Beebe (CMU) dec. Dan Osterman, 8-2; CMU leads 7-3 149: No. 12 David Cheza (MSU) dec. No. 14 Tony D'Alie (CMU), 7-3; CMU leads 7-6 157: Donnie Corby (CMU) dec. Anthony Jones, 5-3; CMU leads 10-6 165: Tyler Grayson (CMU) maj. dec. Kyle Bounds, 10-2; CMU leads 14-6 174: No. 10 Ben Bennett (CMU) dec. Ian Hinton, 5-0; CMU leads 17-6 184: Curran Jacobs (MSU) maj. dec. Dillon Kern, 12-4; CMU leads 17-10 197: Eric Simaz (CMU) dec. Tyler Dickenson, 8-1; CMU leads 20-10 285: No. 3 Jarod Trice (CMU) dec. Alan O'Donnell (MSU), 4-2; CMU leads 23-10

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- Down 12-3 at intermission, No. 7 Lehigh rallied to win the final five weight classes as the Mountain Hawks rallied past No. 19 Virginia Tech 24-12 Friday on Senior Night inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Senior David Craig’s 7-5 sudden victory win over Tommy Spellman at 184 put Lehigh in front, while bonus wins from junior Alex Caruso and sophomore Joe Kennedy allowed Lehigh to shake off a sluggish start. The win improves Lehigh’s record to 12-3-1 on the dual season. After not competing last weekend the Mountain Hawks had to shake off some early rust as they dropped four of the first five bouts. “Virginia Tech is a solid team with a lot of ranked wrestlers,” explained Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro. “They out fought us tonight. At times we stopped wrestling trying to coast to wins. It cost us one match and almost cost us another. We’ll need to do a better job tomorrow. Santoro continued, “Brandon Hatchett went out and beat a ranked guy. David Craig, we knew it would be a great match, but he kind of shut down at the end and gave Spellman a chance to win, but our last few guys came up and stepped up like they always do.” Hokie sophomore Jarrod Garnett opened things with a 7-1 win over sophomore John McDonald at 125. Senior Matt Fisk evened things at three with a 6-1 decision over Brock LiVorio at 133. It looked like Fisk’s classmate and co-captain Seth Ciasulli was going to give Lehigh the lead after taking down Chris Diaz early in a battle of ranked wrestlers at 141, but late in the third period, with Ciasulli already warned for stalling Diaz scored a counter takedown in the final seconds to earn a 4-3 win. Virginia Tech (14-5) took the next two bouts by decision as Brian Stephens downed Joey Napoli in a battle of freshmen at 149, while at 157 fifth-ranked Jesse Dong defeated sophomore Sean Bilodeau 10-6. It was sophomore Brandon Hatchett who got Lehigh rolling after the intermission with a first period takedown, and second period takedown and two point near fall as he built a lead and held off Matt Epperly 8-4 at 165. Caruso then brought the Mountain Hawks within a point at 12-11 with a dominant performance in a 21-6 technical fall win over Tyler Knapp. Caruso totaled eight takedowns including four in the first period as he improved to 4-0 in dual action this season. “Alex made the most of his opportunity,” Santoro said. “He went out and scored a lot of points. He had a lot of takedowns. That’s what he has to do. That’s what he knows he needs to do and he did a great job tonight.” Craig then gave Lehigh the lead with a win in his final Grace Hall match, but it was not easy. The Florida native scored the first takedown, but was reversed over a minute later, before escaping to lead 3-2 after one period. Leading 4-2 entering the third, Craig built a riding time advantage but also yielded an escape before Spellman forced overtime with a late takedown. The sudden victory period went right to the final seconds, before Craig scored the decisive takedown with five seconds remaining to earn the 7-5 win. Lehigh kept things rolling at 197 as Kennedy earned a workmanlike 10-2 major decision over Chris Penny. With the six point lead, the Hokies forfeited to Zach Rey at heavyweight. The Mountain Hawks will return to action on Saturday when they host Rutgers at Stabler Arena at 1 p.m. The match is still scheduled to go on as scheduled and tickets can be purchased at the Stabler Arena box office prior to the match. Results: 125: #14 Jarrod Garnett (VT) dec. John McDonald, 7-1 133: #13 Matt Fisk (LU) dec. Brock LiVorio, 6-1 141: #10 Chris Diaz (VT) dec. #17 Seth Ciasulli, 4-3 149: Brian Stephens (VT) dec. Joey Napoli, 6-2 157: #5 Jesse Dong (VT) dec. Sean Bilodeau, 10-6 165: Brandon Hatchett (LU) dec. #20 Matt Epperly, 8-4 174: Alex Caruso (LU) tech fall Taylor Knapp, 21-6 (7:00) 184: #15 David Craig (LU) dec. #19 Tommy Spellman, 7-5 (SV) 197: #19 Joe Kennedy (LU) maj. dec. Chris Penny, 10-2 285: #5 Zach Rey (LU) wins by forfeit

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The fourth-ranked Ohio State wrestling team improved to 15-1 overall and 4-0 in the Big Ten following a 29-9 win against Michigan Friday evening in St. John Arena. The Buckeyes, who at one point had dropped 14-consecutive matches to the Wolverines (1994-2007), have now won three-straight against Michigan (4-11; 0-3 Big Ten). Ohio State returns to action at 11 a.m. Sunday in St. John Arena when it hosts Northwestern in continued conference action. The Scarlet and Gray jumped out to an early 6-0 lead following junior Nikko Triggas' 5:57 pin against Sean Boyle at 125 pounds. It was a close match starting with a scoreless first period. Boyle opened scoring with a reversal, but the Buckeye from Moraga, Calif., countered with a reversal of his own to tie the score. Triggas then took a two-point lead after recording a 2-point nearfall, but Boyle again scored a reversal before being awarded a point on Triggas' second penalty of the match. Triggas was able to record an escape to finish out scoring in the second period and it was in the third period he was able to secure the pin with 1:03 left. After beginning his Big Ten career 3-0, freshman Ian Paddock suffered a close 6-5 setback at 133 pounds. Paddock, a native from Warsaw, N.Y., and Wolverine Zac Stevens entered the third period tied at 4-all, but a Stevens' reversal in the third locked up the Michigan win despite Paddock's escape to cut the deficit to one. With Ohio State up 6-3, senior team captain Reece Humphrey increased the Buckeye advantage to 11-3 following his 25-9 technical fall over Mark Weber at 141 pounds. In all, Humphrey, who hails from Indianapolis, Ind., amassed 11 takedowns, a 2-point nearfall and a riding time of 3:36. Humphrey now has a team-leading 24 wins in 2009-10. More Buckeye bonus points would ensue as fellow team captain Lance Palmer recorded a 19-7 major decision over Mark Boyer at 149 pounds. Entering the second period with a slim 2-0 lead, the Columbia Station, Ohio, native scored an escape and proceeded to collect eight consecutive takedowns en route to his 21st win of the season. A reversal and 2-point nearfall in the third period propelled redshirt-freshman Tony Jameson to victory at 157 pounds. With Jameson and David Johnson knotted up at three a piece entering the third period, the Buckeye from Youngstown, Ohio, got the better of the Wolverine for the 7-3 triumph. At 165 pounds, junior Colt Sponseller used nine takedowns, an escape and 1:51 riding time in his 20-8 win over Aaron Hynes. With the major decision, Ohio State took a 22-3 lead. 174-pounder Dave Rella is now one win away from his 20th victory of the season after his 6-1 decision over Justin Zeerip. Neither wrestler was able to score in the first period, but the Buckeye senior from Akron, Ohio, countered Zeerip's escape in the second period with a takedown. Choosing bottom in the third period, Rella won the escape and soon scored another takedown and compiled a riding time of 1:43. A 17-7 major decision by senior team captain Mike Pucillo over Hunter Montoya wrapped up scoring for Ohio State. Pucillo, who hails from Strongsville, Ohio, collected win No. 16 on the season courtesy of six takedowns, a 2-point nearfall, two escapes and 1:41 riding time. At 197 and 285 pounds, C.J. Magrum and Corey Morrison dropped 6-1 and 10-8 decisions, respectively. Results: 125 No. 20 Nikko Triggas pinned Sean Boyle (UM), 5:57 133 Zac Stevens (UM) dec. Ian Paddock, 6-5 141 No. 2 Reece Humphrey tfall Mark Weber (UM), 25-9 149 No. 2 Lance Palmer mdec. Mark Boyer (UM), 19-7 157 Tony Jameson dec. David Johnson (UM), 7-3 165 No. 6 Colt Sponseller mdec. Aaron Hynes (UM), 20-8 174 No. 12 Dave Rella dec. Justin Zeerip (UM), 6-1 184 No. 7 Mike Pucillo mdec. Hunter Montoya (UM), 17-7 197 No. 9 Anthony Biondo (UM) dec. C.J. Magrum, 6-1 285 Ben Apland (UM) dec. Corey Morrison, 10-8

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Technical falls by Ryan Smith and Filip Novachkov plus a major decision by Chase Pami gave No. 16 Cal Poly just enough bonus points to edge Arizona State 20-18 in a Pacific-10 Conference dual meet Friday night before 672 in Mott Gym. The Mustangs forfeited the bout at 125 but did not give up any more bonus points as Arizona State secured four wins by decision. Each team won five matches. With the win, Cal Poly improved to 7-3 for the season and 4-1 in Pac-10 dual meets. Arizona State fell to 8-6 and 3-2. Smith (pictured above) scored five takedowns in the first period in racing to a 10-4 advantage, then secured four more takedowns and a three-point near fall in the second period en route to his technical fall win by a 23-7 count at 4:55 against Michael Hawkins in the 197-pound bout. Smith, still bidding for his first national ranking of the season, improved his record to 16-9 with his first technical fall of the year. After Arizona State won the next two matches to take a 9-5 lead, Mustang 133-pounder Boris Novachkov, ranked fifth in the nation, earned a 7-2 win over unranked Ben Ashmore with two takedowns, one escape, one penalty point and riding time. Novachkov improved to 21-1 on the year. Cal Poly moved back on top, 13-9, with Filip Novachkov’s 16-1 technical fall (4:28) over Chris Drouin in a matchup of nationally ranked wrestlers at 141 pounds. Novachkov, ranked No. 5, scored 11 near fall points, a pair of takedowns and an escape for his second technical fall of the year. Drouin is ranked No. 15. Filip Novachkov is now 19-5 for the season while Drouin fell to 16-9. Arizona State closed the gap to 13-12 with Vicente Varela’s 9-4 win over Mustang Nick Fisher at 149, but victories by Pami and 174-pounder Ryan DesRoches down the stretch kept Cal Poly out of trouble. Pami recorded eight takedowns, one escape and riding time on his way to an 18-6 major decision over Te Edwards at 157. Pami, ranked No. 11 this week and a two-time Pac-10 champion, is now 21-5 for the season. DesRoches gave up just two escapes in an 8-2 decision over Eric Starks at 174, giving Cal Poly a 20-15 advantage with one bout to go. DesRoches, ranked 19th this week, is 29-7 on the year. Mustang 184-pounder Kelan Bragg battled Jake Meredith tough throughout the match, eventually dropping an 8-6 decision in a matchup of unranked wrestlers. Bragg closed the gap to 6-5 with a takedown midway through the second period, but Meredith battled through a pair of injury timeouts for his left knee with an early takedown in the final period and held on for the win. Other Sun Devil victories were posted by No. 17 Erik Nye at 285 (1-0 decision) and Kyle DeBerry at 165 (6-4 decision). Arizona State 125-pounder Anthony Robles, ranked No. 3 in the nation, won by forfeit. Arizona State still leads the series against Cal Poly, 31-10. The Mustangs snapped an 18-match Sun Devil winning streak two years ago in Mott Gym with a 24-17 decision and Arizona State won last year’s dual in Tempe, 36-10. Cal Poly hosts Oregon State for another Pac-10 dual meet Saturday night at 7 in Mott Gym. All tickets are $10 for the "Endowment Fund Meet," with all proceeds going directly to the Cal Poly Wrestling Endowment Fund. The Beavers are 17-1 overall and 5-1 in Pac-10 duals following their 33-6 win over Cal State Fullerton on Friday night in Titan Gym. No. 16 Cal Poly 20, Arizona State 18 At San Luis Obispo, CA (Mott Gym) First bout was at 197 pounds: 197 — Ryan Smith, Soph. (CP) (16-9) tech fall Michael Hawkins, Fr. (ASU) (1-4), 23-7 (4:55) 285 — No. 17 Erik Nye, Sr. (ASU) (19-9) dec. Jim Powers, Jr. (CP) (13-15), 1-0 125 — No. 3 Anthony Robles, Jr. (ASU) (23-2) wins by forfeit 133 — No. 5 Boris Novachkov, So. (CP) (21-1) dec. Ben Ashmore, Jr. (ASU) (15-9), 7-2 141 — No. 5 Filip Novachkov, Jr. (CP) (19-5) tech fall No. 15 Chris Drouin, Jr. (ASU) (16-9), 16-1 (4:28) 149 — Vicente Varela, Soph. (ASU) (18-9) dec. Nick Fisher, RFr. (CP) (13-5), 9-4 157 — No. 11 Chase Pami, Sr. (CP) (21-5) maj. dec. Te Edwards, Soph. (ASU) (10-10), 18-6 165 — Kyle DeBerry, Soph. (ASU) (9-9) dec. Steven Vasquez, R-Fr. (CP) (15-10), 6-4 174 — No. 19 Ryan DesRoches, So. (CP) (29-7) dec. Eric Starks, Soph. (ASU) (11-9), 8-2 184 — Jake Meredith, Soph. (ASU) (9-10) dec. Kelan Bragg, Soph. (CP) (7-11), 8-6

Champaign, Ill. -- The Minnesota Wrestling team won their fifth straight tonight (Feb. 5), taking seven-of-ten matches - including six straight at one point - on their way to an impressive 27-13 win over host Illinois. No. 5 Minnesota (10-4, 5-0) was facing their third straight ranked opponent in No. 21 Illinois (7-6, 2-3), part of a grueling stretch through the bulk of the Big Ten season. The Gophers were up to the task tonight, though, scoring bonus points and winning the big matches, including three of the four where each wrestler was ranked. After an opening match forfeit, the Gophers did not allow a takedown until the eighth match of the night, when the win was already all-but-assured. Zach Sanders (Wabasha, Minn.) was out of the line-up tonight, but Jayson Ness (Bloomington, Minn.) was back in. After forfeiting six points at 125 to open the match, Ness quickly got them back. Ness had been out of the line-up since the National Duals, but he showed little rust after his month away. Matched up with Daryl Thomas, Ness proved he was worthy of his new No. 1 ranking, with his 15th fall of the season, and his 10th in the first period. A takedown just 26 seconds into the match had Thomas on his back, with the fall not long after at the 1:44 mark. The top-ranked Ness improves to 20-0 on the season, and has won 22 straight. The win at 133 started a stretch of six straight wins that gave the Gophers a 24-6 lead after the 174-pound match. Scott Glasser (Bismarck, N.D.) capped the run with a hard earned 3-2 decision at 174. No. 8 Glasser scored a first period takedown to go up 2-0 and led the rest of the match. He led 3-1 entering the third period and fought off the best efforts of his No. 14 ranked opponent Jordan Blanton, and was able to hold on to the lead long enough as time expired on the 3-2 win. The Gophers took their first led at 141, in the night's first match-up of ranked opponents as No. 6 Mike Thorn (St. Michael, Minn.) of Minnesota and No. 14 Ryan Prater of Illinois squared off. Coming off a disappointing loss in his last match, Thorn made sure to avoid disappointment tonight, scoring early and often in his seventh major decision of the season. The win was Thorn's 19th on the season against just for losses, and marks the highest ranked opponent he has beaten this year. Mario Mason (Moorestown, N.J.) scored a hard earned decision at 149, beating his first ranked opponent of the season in No. 19 Eric Terrazas. No. 18 Mason used a takedown with four seconds left in the second period to take the lead, then rode out the clock for the win. Also winning in the stretch were Dustin Schlatter (Massillion, Ohio) and Cody Yohn (Alamosa, Colo.), who each notched major decisions and look to have settled nicely into their new weight classes. Already ranked No. 2 in just his third match at 157, Schlatter won 11-2 over Clint Arlis, winning his 11th straight on the season, to move to 3-0 at 157, after starting 8-1 at 165. Likewise, Yohn won 9-1 over Conrad Polz to score his second straight major and improve to 3-2 at 165, since dropping down from 174. Ben Berhow (Hayward, Minn.) closed the match with a 10-3 decision at heavyweight, to win his fifth straight and join Glasser as the only Gophers to sit 5-0 in the Big Ten. Berhow's first points came early in the first period and he controlled the entire match. The Gophers now must turn around and travel to a 14th ranked Indiana squad tomorrow (Feb. 6) for a 6:30 contest. The Hoosiers boast five ranked wrestlers and have opened the Big Ten season 2-2. Results: 125: John Deneen (ILL) For / 6-0 133: Jayson Ness (MINN) fall Daryl Thomas (ILL); 1:44 / 6-6 141: #6 Mike Thorn (MINN) maj. #14 Ryan Prater (ILL); 10-1 / 6-10 149: #18 Mario Mason (MINN) dec. #19 Eric Terrazas (ILL); 3-1 / 6-13 157: #2 Dustin Schlatter (MINN) maj. Clint Arlis (ILL); 11-2 / 6-17 165: Cody Yohn (MINN) maj. Conrad Polz (ILL); 9-1 / 6-21 174: #8 Scott Glasser (MINN) dec. #14 Jordan Blanton (ILL); 3-2 / 6-24 184: #2 John Dergo (ILL) maj. Kaleb Young (MINN); 18-6 / 10-24 197: #14 Patrick Bond (ILL) dec. #10 Sonny Yohn (MINN); 9-4 / 13-24 HWT: Ben Berhow (MINN) dec. Marty Smith (ILL); 10-3 / 13-27

Event: UFC 109: Relentless Venue: Mandalay Bay, (Las Vegas, NV) Date: February 6, 2010 The UFC Monster is in Las Vegas and will be in attendance for this epic event, as two UFC Hall-of-Fame light heavyweights, Randy Couture (17-10) and Mark Coleman (16-9), both on the downside of their careers, finally take to the Octagon in a fight that was originally scheduled for UFC 17!!! This three round main event pits two of wrestling's legendary warriors. Coleman is the Godfather of “ground-and-pound," while Couture has defied the aging process, remaining competitive against many athletes younger, quicker, stronger, and more diverse than his skill set. But Randy has made a career of outwrestling and outworking his opponents, controlling their bodies and taking them out of their game. With extremely strong takedown defense, Couture prefers to implement his “dirty boxing” against the cage, wearing down his opponents. This match features a relentless cardio machine against a historic gasser, whose tank often runs on empty as the fight wears on. Similar styles, and an interesting match-up, but the heavy favorite, Couture, should win this by a convincing decision. Lay the -400. Only a stunning knockout will save Coleman, and that's not going to happen! Nate “The Great” Marquardt (32-8-2) is on a mission to get another title shot at middleweight Anderson Silva with a win here against another strong wrestler, Chael Sonnen (25-10-1). Marquardt is coming off a stunning first round KO of Damien Maia, and has looked better with each fight he takes. Sonnen is a master of takedowns, but that will be easier said than done against Marquardt. With a deep set of tools, there are many ways for Marquardt to win this fight, and few for Sonnen. After a tentative feeling out process in the first round, I expect Nate to impose his will on Sonnen and win with a second round submission. Again, lay the big number (-375) and head to the winner's window to cash! There is not a better jui-jitsu expert in the middleweight division than Damien Maia (11-1). His world class jits is far superior to his opponent tonight, Dan Miller (11-2). Opening at a bargain price of -220, Maia has been bet strongly by the public, driving the line to over -500 in most sportsbooks. I bet him early and again at -340 this week at the Venetian in Las Vegas. Only a knockout will save Miller in this battle. And, while that may happen, I think it more likely that Maia will take this to the ground, where he will quickly submit Miller with a triangle choke in the very first round. For those who haven't watched Maia fight, it is worth your effort to do so. Miller will be game, but overmatched here. Lay the juice. In yet another battle of grizzled veterans, Matt "The Terror” Serra (16-6, with a win over GSP!), takes on Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg (19-7) in an interesting matchup of welterweights. Serra is short and compact, with the ability to tumble on the mat with transitioning moves, while Trigg is strong on his feet and has ample wrestling and submission skills to make this a close fight. I think it will go to the judge's scorecards, with Serra -135 winning a split decision. That would leave Trigg at 0-2 in his UFC return. Three strikes and you're out in Dana White's world. Mike “Quick” Swick (14-3) is a substitute for his injured training partner, Josh Koschek, who was hoping for revenge against Brazilian Paulo Thiago (12-1) in yet another welterweight fight. Thiago is coming off a win against Jacob Volkmann, while Swick was shocked and beaten by British bully Dan Hardy, whose reward is a title shot against Georges St. Pierre. Swick likes to make quick work of his opponents by stunning knockouts with his long range missiles. Thiago is a strong submitter, who baits his opponents to the ground with enough of a standing game to make it interesting. In an interesting betting pattern, Swick opened as an over-priced -360 favorite, but now offers value at -200. I like his focus, and expect a knockout to end this one. Swick makes it a clean sweep of favorites to close out the main card. On the undercard, there are six fights, including two on Spike TV. Let's see if we can find a few underdogs somewhere? Mac Danzig (19-7) is a lightweight who once was considered the next best thing on the MMA scene. Unfortunately, he has struggled to match his reputation, and finds himself battling for his UFC career here. He knows it ... and capable Justin Buchholz (9-4) could provide his salvation. Not that Buchholz isn't dangerous, but Danzig has much to prove here, but at -360, I'll pass. Lightweight Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard (41-9-3 with I no contest) is no longer young. But his well-built physique is enough to grab your attention. His opponent is relatively unknown Rony's Torres (14-1). At +110 Torres has a decent chance of winning this by late round submission. I'll call it a rear-naked choke in the third round that ends Guillard's night. In another lightweight match-up, highly touted Phillipe “The Filipino Assassin”Nover (6-2-1) will try to show-off his jiu-jitsu submission skills as he takes on journeyman slugger, Rob “The Saint” Emerson (10-8). I'm not sure why Emerson gets so many UFC fights with a barely .500 record, but I know Nover will have to win this one or he will be sent packing. Late money is coming in on him, but slight underdog odds of +105 are still available in cyberspace. I'll give Nover another try based on the odds, and his need to win. A second round triangle choke will end this one. Light heavyweight and ex-Marine Brian Stann (8-2) likes to stand and bang. A vicious puncher, he will take on relative newcomer, and former NCAA wrestling champion Phil Davis (4-0) from Penn State. Despite his inexperience, Davis has been made the -190 (or more) favorite here. Why? Because oddsmakers think that his wrestling skills will allow him to avoid the knockout and take it to the mat for a submission. I'll bite. I like this role playing, wrestler against puncher. I'll follow Davis to the winner's window. Two big heavyweights, Tim “The Thrashing Machine” Hague (10-2) and Chris “The Crowbar” Tuchscherer (17-2 with one no contest), are on the card to go toe-to-toe until one drops. UFC fans love this type of action. Either one could land the blow that ends it, but my money will be on Tuchscherer at a reasonable -170. The growth of MMA fighting is in part due to the Brazilian influence of the Gracie clan. Tonight we get to see a large Gracie (Rolles 3-0) fight a late sub Joey Beltran, who replaces Mostapha Al Turk. Gracie=submission, but at -600 there is no way to play this one. I'll pass and watch with interest instead. Okay, now let's see what we can do with our fictitious $1000 bankroll. Let's lay $200 to win $50 on Randy to dominate Coleman. Let's lay $222 to win $60 on Nate the Great. Spider's next. Let's lay $170 to win $50 on Damien Maia's submission skills. Let's lay $80 to win $40 on “Quick” Swick. Let's lay $67 to win $50 on Matt “Terror”Serra. Let's lay $40 to win $44 on Torres. Let's lay $60 to win $63 on Phillipe Nover. Let's lay $95 to win $50 on Phil Davis. Let's lay $68 to win $40 on Tushcherer's KO power. Let's pass on Danzig/Buchholz and Gracie/Beltran. In total we are risking $1002 to win $447. We need favorites to perform and with very few upsets. Don't forget to support your local youth wrestling programs where tomorrow's champions are born! Enjoy the fights. I know I will.

Fourth-ranked Ohio State is set to host Michigan tonight at 7 p.m. EST at St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio. The dual meet will be broadcast on a same day delay at 11 p.m. EST tonight on the Big Ten Network. The Buckeyes are 14-1 in dual meets this season and a perfect 3-0 in Big Ten action. The Wolverines are 4-10 overall and 0-3 in the Big Ten. Below is a weight-by-weight breakdown of tonight's dual meet. 125: Sean Boyle (Michigan) vs. No. 20 Nikko Triggas (Ohio State) Triggas, a two-time NCAA qualifier, has been erratic this season. He started the season slowly, went through a stretch in November and December where he won nine of 10, but has struggled mightily of late. He has lost five straight matches with all of those losses coming by five or more points. Boyle, a true freshman from Blair Academy, struggled out of the gate, but seems to be coming into his own as he has won 12 of his last 18 matches. Bottom Line: It seems as though Triggas is losing confidence with every match, while Boyle is gaining confidence with every match. This would be a big win for Boyle if he can on the road and beat a two-time NCAA qualifier and nationally-ranked wrestler. The Buckeyes need Triggas to step up and show that can be key contributor in March. He has gone through a rough stretch, but will now face two freshmen this weekend and is expected to win both matches. Prediction: Triggas (Ohio State) dec. Boyle (Michigan) 133: Zac Stevens (Michigan) vs. Ian Paddock (Ohio State) Paddock has stepped into the Buckeye lineup as a true freshman and made an immediate impact. The three-time New York state champion has started the Big Ten dual season 3-0. He is 18-6 overall this season. Stevens, who is in his second season as a starter for the Wolverines, comes into tonight with an 18-12 record, but has gone 0-3 in Big Ten dual action. Bottom Line: Paddock is wrestling with a lot of confidence right now. He has not lost to an unranked opponent since early December and should defeat Stevens. Prediction: Paddock (Ohio State) dec. Stevens (Michigan) 141: Mark Weber (Michigan) vs. No. 2 Reece Humphrey (Ohio State) Humphrey, an NCAA runner-up last season at 133 pounds, was pushed last weekend by Purdue's Juan Aruchuleta, who took him into sudden victory before the Buckeye senior prevailed. Humphrey is never one to make excuses, but he was battling an injury when he suffered two losses at the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. He has since reeled off straight victories. He brings a 23-2 record into tonight. Weber wrestled last season as a true freshman at 149 pounds, but moved down to 141 pounds this season due to two-time Big Ten champion Kellen Russell redshirting. He is 13-20 on the season, but 1-13 in dual meet competition. Bottom Line: Humphrey should dominate Weber and pick up bonus points for the Buckeyes. Prediction: Humphrey (Ohio State) major dec. Weber (Michigan) 149: Mark Boyer (Michigan) vs. No. 2 Lance Palmer (Ohio State) Palmer, a three-time All-American, has been on a roll. His only loss this season came to Wisconsin's Kyle Ruschell in the finals of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in early December. He has dominated his competition since then, picking up bonus points in all but three matches. Last weekend, Palmer registered two major decisions, with one of those being an 11-0 shutout over 2007 All-American Matt Coughlin of Indiana. Boyer, a redshirt freshman, has been struggling this season. He is 3-10 this season and has dropped his lost his last nine matches. Bottom Line: Look for Palmer to dominate and it could be a fast match. Prediction: Palmer (Ohio State) pins Boyer (Michigan) 157: Dave Johnson (Michigan) vs. Tony Jameson (Ohio State) Jameson, a four-time Ohio state champion, comes in with a 4-3 mark on the season. Last Friday, Jameson defeated two-time NCAA qualifier Colton Salazar of Purdue. Johnson has gone 2-1 in Big Ten dual action and is 16-14 overall this season. He has won seven of his last 11 matches. Bottom Line: Jameson should control Johnson and win this match. Prediction: Jameson (Ohio State) dec. Johnson (Michigan) 165: Aaron Hynes (Michigan) vs. No. 6 Colt Sponseller (Ohio State) Sponseller, who is ranked No. 6, is 20-3 this season, but his three losses have come to the top three wrestlers in the country. He is coming off a 5-1 victory over No. 12 Paul Young of Indiana. Hynes has been up and down this season. He broke into the rankings one week this season, but has not been able to get back there. He has lost four of his last five matches … with three of those losses coming to unranked opponents. Bottom Line: Sponseller is wrestling at a high level right now, while Hynes has been struggling with consistency. Prediction: Sponseller (Ohio State) major dec. Hynes (Michigan) 174: Justin Zeerip (Michigan) vs. No. 12 Dave Rella (Ohio State) Rella has been consistent all season for the Buckeyes, going 18-6 and earning a No. 12 ranking. He has not lost since the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. Zeerip, an NCAA qualifier last season at 165 pounds, has been in and out of the rankings all season. He has hit a bit of a rough stretch having lost his last four matches. However, three of those four losses came to wrestlers ranked in the top eight. Bottom Line: The two met earlier this season at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational with Zeerip winning that meeting by a score of 2-1. Expect another tight match. Prediction: Zeerip (Michigan) dec. Rella (Ohio State) 184: Hunter Collins/Erich Smith (Michigan) vs. No. 7 Mike Pucillo/T.C. Pendleton (Ohio State) Pucillo stepped on the mat last weekend for the first time since the NWCA/Cliff Keen Nationals … and was firing on all cylinders, picking up a major decision and a technical fall to improve to 15-4 on the season. There is a chance the Buckeyes could give Pucillo the night off and send out Pendleton, who is 2-3 in official matches this season. The Wolverines are listing both Collins and Smith as potential starters. Collins, a redshirt freshman, is 15-10 this season, while Smith is 3-13. Bottom Line: With both teams listing two potential starters, it remains to be seen who will step on mat tonight. Prediction: Pucillo (Ohio State) major dec. Collins (Michigan) 197: No. 9 Anthony Biondo (Michigan) vs. C.J. Magrum (Ohio State) Biondo has been one of the bright spots for the Wolverines in an otherwise disappointing season. He has compiled a 26-3 record after a season in which he went 23-13. Last weekend, Biondo defeated No. 10 Sonny Yohn of Minnesota for the second time this season. Magrum is 13-10, but has been struggling lately. Bottom Line: Biondo should win this one. Bonus points aren't out of the question. Prediction: Biondo (Michigan) dec. Magrum (Ohio State) 285: Ben Apland/Eddie Phillips (Michigan) vs. Corey Morrison (Ohio State) Morrison has gone 2-2 to start the Big Ten dual season. He is coming off a close loss (2-0) to No. 2 Nathan Everhart of Indiana. Morrison, an NCAA qualifier last season, is 14-9 overall this season and has been in and out of the rankings all season. Apland, a redshirt freshman, has gone 10-12 this season, while Phillips, a junior is 7-6. Bottom Line: Morrison seems to beat the wrestlers he should and lose to the wrestlers he should. He has not lost to an unranked opponent this season. Prediction: Morrison (Ohio State) dec. Apland (Michigan) Dual Meet Prediction: Ohio State 30, Michigan 6

WAVERLY, Iowa -- For the second straight time in a wrestling battle between the top two teams in NCAA Division III wrestling, Augsburg College's Zach Molitor (JR, Cambridge, Minn./Cambridge-Isanti HS) came through big again. Molitor's 11-2, major-decision victory at 174 pounds proved to be the difference in the match, as top-ranked Augsburg scored a 16-15, dual-meet win over No. 2-ranked Wartburg College at Wartburg's Levick Arena on Thursday night. Tied at 2-2 late in the second period, Molitor countered a shot by Wartburg's Dylan Azinger (JR, DeWitt, Iowa/Central HS) and claimed a takedown, quickly converting it to a three-point near-fall, which put him ahead 7-2. An escape, takedown and riding-time point gave Molitor, the No. 3-ranked wrestler nationally in his weight class, the 11-2 major decision and bonus-point victory for his team. With the win, the No. 1-ranked Auggies improved to 11-0 in dual meets this season, while Wartburg dropped to 15-2 in dual meets -- the Knights' only dual losses this season coming to the Auggies. With its fourth straight dual victory over the Knights, Augsburg improved to 15-9 in the all-time series between the two small-college wrestling powers. The close meeting was similar to the last time the teams met, in the finals of the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III National Duals on Jan. 10 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Like Thursday's match, both teams won five bouts, but Molitor proved to be the difference in both duals. In the Jan. 10 dual, it was a 3:52 pin of Azinger that gave the Auggies an 18-15 team win, while the major-decision was enough for Molitor and the Auggies in the 16-15 win on Thursday. Thursday's dual marked the eighth time that Augsburg and Wartburg have met twice in dual meets in a single season, with Augsburg claiming a sweep for the fourth time (2001-02, 2004-05, 2008-09, 2009-10). Wartburg has swept the series three times (2002-03, 2003-04, 2005-06), with the teams splitting the series in the 2006-07 season. Since 1989-90, the Auggies are now 249-21 against opponents from Divisions II and III, losing just 16 matches to non-Division I teams since the 1995-96 campaign. Against strictly Division III opponents, Augsburg is now 250-23 since the 1979-80 season and 174-13 since the 1989-90 season. The two teams have dominated NCAA Division III wrestling over the last two decades. Augsburg has won 10 national championships in the last 19 seasons, while Wartburg has won seven national titles. The teams have held possession of the Division III national crown every year since 1995. The Auggies' Jared Massey (JR, Circle Pines, Minn./Centennial HS) improved to 17-0 on the season with a 5-3 win over the Knights' Byron Tate (SO, Clinton, Iowa) at 197. The defending national champion and top-ranked wrestler at 197, Massey scored two takedowns in the final 51 seconds to break a 1-1 tie and eventually score the victory. In his two seasons at Augsburg, Massey is now 47-1, and is 52-3 in his collegiate career. Augsburg scored three wins in the first four matches to build a 9-3 lead. At 133, No. 4-ranked Paul Bjorkstrand (SR, Burnsville, Minn.), ranked No. 4 nationally, claimed a 5-2 win over Sean White (SR, Grand Junction, Colo./Central HS) to improve to 27-7 on the season. At 141, Jafari Vanier (SR, Minneapolis, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy HS), the No. 5-ranked wrestler nationally, used three takedowns to hold off Matt Kelly (SR, Dubuque, Iowa/Hempstead HS), the No. 8 wrestler at 133, 6-5. Vanier is now 8-4 on the season. At 149, No. 2-ranked Tony Valek (SO, Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West) returned to the Auggie lineup and scored a 7-2 win over No. 6-ranked Jacob Groth (JR, Marshalltown, Iowa), scoring reversals in both the second and third periods to pull away. Valek is now 23-4 on the season. Wartburg scored the other two meetings of ranked wrestlers. At 157, No. 9-ranked Adam Weber (JR, Gilbertville, Iowa/Don Bosco HS) scored an 8-6 win over Augsburg's No. 6-ranked Jason Adams (SR, Coon Rapids, Minn.), and at 165, top-ranked Carrington Banks (JR, Stockbridge, Ga.) scored a 4-1 win over Augsburg's No. 6-ranked Orlando Ponce (JR, Hialeah, Fla./Hialeah-Miami Lakes HS). The Knights' No. 2-ranked Mark Kist (JR, Eagle Grove, Iowa) scored a 3-1 win over Augsburg's Josh Roberts (FY, Grand Forks, N.D./Central HS) at 125; No. 7 Todd Becker (JR, Gilbertville, Iowa/Don Bosco HS) scored a 3-1 win over Augsburg's Brad Baus (SO, Mukwonago, Wis.); and at heavyweight, Wartburg's David Wyper (SR, Perrysburg, Ohio) scored a 6-1 win over Augsburg's No. 8-ranked Andy Witzel (SR, Fulda, Minn.). Augsburg returns to action on Saturday (2/8) at 9 a.m. at the Wisconsin-Eau Claire Invitational. Results: 125 -- No. 2 Mark Kist (WAR, 16-2) dec. Josh Roberts (AUG, 16-9) 3-1 (Wartburg 3-0). 133 -- No. 4 Paul Bjorkstrand (AUG, 27-7) dec. Sean White (WAR, 25-7) 5-2 (TIED 3-3). 141 -- No. 5 Jafari Vanier (AUG, 8-4) dec. No. 8 (133) Matt Kelly (WAR, 9-4) 6-5 (Augsburg 6-3). 149 -- No. 2 Tony Valek (AUG, 23-4) dec. No. 6 Jacob Groth (WAR, 18-7) 7-2 (Augsburg 9-3). 157 -- No. 9 Adam Weber (WAR, 23-7) dec. No. 6 Jason Adams (AUG, 34-4) 8-6 (Augsburg 9-6). 165 -- No. 1 Carrington Banks (WAR, 19-2) dec. No. 6 Orlando Ponce (AUG, 23-10) 4-1 (TIED 9-9). 174 -- No. 3 Zach Molitor (AUG, 22-3) maj. dec. Dylan Azinger (WAR, 28-8) 11-2 (Augsburg 13-9). 184 -- No. 7 Todd Becker (WAR, 23-8) dec. Brad Baus (AUG, 16-13) 3-1 (Augsburg 13-12). 197 -- No. 1 Jared Massey (AUG, 17-0) dec. No. 4 Byron Tate (WAR, 1-6) 5-3 (Augsburg 16-12). HWT -- David Wyper (WAR, 20-9) dec. No. 7 Andy Witzel (AUG, 18-8) 6-1 (Augsburg 16-15).

Tonight No. 5 Minnesota heads to Champaign, Illinois to take on No. 22 Illinois. The dual meet will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network at 7 p.m. CST. The J Robinson-led Gophers are 9-4 overall this season and 4-0 in the Big Ten. The Illini, under the direction of first-year head coach Jim Heffernan, come in with an overall mark of 7-5 and a 2-2 Big Ten record. Below is a weight-by-weight breakdown of tonight's dual meet. 125: No. 6 Zach Sanders (Minnesota) vs. John Deenan (Illinois) Sanders has been impressive the past two weekends, going 4-0 to start the Big Ten season. He was pushed in his last match by talented true freshman Cashe Quiroga of Purdue, but Sanders prevailed 10-6. He was hurt at the end of that match, but indications are that he is healthy and ready to go tonight. Deenan, who is 7-9 on the season, is coming off a rough weekend, losing by technical fall to No. 1 Angel Escobedo of Indiana and then was shut out, 3-0, against Levi Mele of Northwestern, a wrestler he defeated 13-0 earlier this season. Bottom Line: For Sanders, this is merely tune-up match for his big test on Saturday against Escobedo. Look for Sanders to put a lot of points on the scoreboard and dominate Deenan. Prediction: Sanders (Minnesota) technical fall Deenan (Illinois) 133: No. 1 Jayson Ness/Thane Antczak (Minnesota) vs. Daryl Thomas (Illinois) Minnesota is listing both Ness and Antczak as potential starters. Ness, who moved to the top of the rankings this week after Michigan State's Franklin Gomez lost, has been sidelined because of an injury since the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. Antcazak has done an admirable job filling in for Ness. He has gone 1-3 to start the Big Ten season, but in his defense he has faced some very tough competitors in Gomez and No. 8 Tyler Graff of Wisconsin … and the other loss came in sudden victory against Purdue's Akif Eren on Sunday. Thomas, a redshirt freshman, is 13-12 on the season, but has dropped four of his last five matches, with three of those losses being to unranked wrestlers. However, he did win his last match over a quality opponent in Eric Metzler of Northwestern. Bottom Line: If Ness takes the mat, it will likely be six points for the Gophers. He has pinned 14 of 19 opponents this season. If Antczak gets the call, it should be a very competitive match. Prediction: Antczak (Minnesota) dec. Thomas (Illinois) 141: No. 6 Mike Thorn (Minnesota) vs. No. 14 Ryan Prater (Illinois) Thorn has put together a nice season thus far, going 18-4 and establishing himself as a threat to contend for an NCAA title in a wide open weight class. He has close losses to the No. 1 (Kyle Dake of Cornell) and No. 2 (Reece Humphrey of Ohio State) wrestlers in the country and has several quality wins. He is coming off a sudden victory loss on Sunday to the quickly-improving Juan Archuleta of Purdue. Prater, a returning NCAA qualifier, is a very talented and dangerous wrestler, but has struggled with consistency over the past two seasons. The biggest win of his young career came at the NCAA Championships last season in the second round when he pinned No. 1 seed Kellen Russell of Michigan. He comes into tonight's match with an 11-5 mark on the season. He has yet to face a ranked opponent in conference dual action this season. Bottom Line: This is a very intriguing matchup. Both Thorn and Prater like to create action and are not afraid to take risks. It's difficult to predict what will happen in this match. Thorn has put together a better, more consistent season. However, Prater hammered Thorn, 11-0, last season at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in early December. Both have made big strides since that match. Prediction: Thorn (Minnesota) dec. Prater (Illinois) 149: No. 18 Mario Mason (Minnesota) vs. No. 19 Eric Terrazas (Illinois) Expectations have been extremely high for Mason, a Blair Academy product, ever since he stepped foot on the campus at the University of Minnesota. His results this season have been mixed. He comes in with a 13-6 record, but is still looking for his victory against a ranked opponent. He battled All-American Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin tough through two periods last Friday, but let the match get away from him at the end and lost 11-3. Terrazas, like Mason, is still looking for that first victory over a ranked opponent. Last Friday, Terrazas edged 2007 All-American Matt Coughlin of Indiana before losing in sudden victory, 8-6, to Andrew Nadir of Northwestern on Sunday. Bottom Line: One of the two wrestlers will pick up his first win over a ranked opponent this season. On paper, it's virtually a tossup. Both have close losses to Nadir and No. 12 David Cheza of Michigan State. Prediction: Mason (Minnesota) dec. Terrazas (Illinois) 157: No. 2 Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota) vs. Clint Arlis (Illinois) Schlatter wrestled the first half of the season at 165 pounds before making the move down to 157 pounds last weekend. Schlatter's wrestling resume speaks for itself … NCAA champion, three-time All-American, and U.S. World Team member. Last weekend, Schlatter looked very sharp in his first two matches at 157 pounds, winning both by major decision, outscoring his opponents 23-4. Arlis has a nice record, 10-2, but has not seen the stiffest of competition this season. His most notable win this season came against freshman Patrick Wright of Missouri, who was ranked for much of the first half of the season. Bottom Line: There is no reason to believe Schlatter won't do to Arlis what he did to his two opponents last weekend. Prediction: Schlatter (Minnesota) major dec. Arlis (Illinois) 165: Cody Yohn (Minnesota) vs. Conrad Polz (Illinois) Both these wrestlers have shifted weight classes throughout the season. Yohn wrestled the first half of the season at 174 pounds (with one match at 184 pounds) before moving down to 165 pounds after the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals. He comes into tonight's match with an 18-8 record on the season. Polz, a three-time Illinois state champion, started the season at 165 pounds, moved down to 157 pounds midway through the season, and is now back up at 165 pounds where he has shown more consistency. Bottom Line: Both Yohn and Polz are redshirt freshmen who are expected to be key contributors for their respective programs in the coming seasons. Whether they can qualify for the NCAAs and contribute in March this season remains to be seen. Expect this to be a competitive match. Prediction: Polz (Illinois) dec. Yohn (Minnesota) 174: No. 8 Scott Glasser (Minnesota) vs. No. 14 Jordan Blanton (Illinois) Interestingly, these two wrestlers competed two weight classes apart last season. Glasser competed at 165 pounds, while Blanton was at 184 pounds. Glasser has been of the nation's most improved wrestlers this season, going 25-4 after going 19-17 last season. He is currently ranked No. 8 in the country and has not lost since the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals, where he dropped a match to No. 2 Jay Borschel of Iowa. Blanton, an NCAA qualifier last season, has gone 20-3 this season and has won his last six matches. His most notable win came against Missouri's 15th-ranked Dorian Henderson, a wrestler Glasser also defeated. Bottom Line: This is a big match for seeding purposes at the Big Ten Championships. Both are on a roll right now and wrestling with a lot of confidence. Prediction: Glasser (Minnesota) dec. Blanton (Illinois) 184: Kaleb Young (Minnesota) vs. No. 2 John Dergo (Illinois) Dergo has established himself a serious threat to win an NCAA title in final campaign as an Illini. After failing to earn All-American honors at 174 pounds the past two seasons, Dergo made the move up to 184 pounds, where he competed as a freshman in 2006-07. He has had a stellar season. He was runner-up at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and won the Midlands in a very deep weight class. He is currently 24-2 on the season and ranked No. 2. Young, who competed at 174 pounds last season, has emerged as the starter at 184 pounds after Sonny Yohn moved up to 197 pounds. He is 7-10 overall this season and 1-3 in conference dual action. Bottom Line: Dergo has rolled through his last three opponents, picking up a technical fall, major decision, and pin. Young has only given up bonus points once this season (to Missouri's Max Askren), but it will likely be twice after tonight. Prediction: Dergo (Illinois) major dec. Young (Minnesota) 197: No. 10 Sonny Yohn (Minnesota) vs. No. 14 Patrick Bond (Illinois) Yohn has put together a solid season, going 19-8, but has gone through a tough stretch over the past two weekends. In his last three matches, he has faced No. 8 Trevor Brandvold of Wisconsin, No. 9 Anthony Biondo of Michigan, and No. 11 Logan Brown of Purdue. He lost to Brandvold and Biondo, but defeated Brown on Sunday. Bond, a senior, came out of the nationally-renowned Great Bridge wrestling program in Virginia, where he was a four-time state champion and one of the nation's top recruits. He has had a solid career, qualifying for the NCAA Championships three times, but has gone 1-2 in each of his NCAA appearances. Bond comes into tonight's match with a 17-9 record. Bottom Line: Much like many of the matchups in this dual meet, this one is important for Big Ten seeding purposes. Seven of the nation's top 14 197-pounders come from the Big Ten. This match should be very competitive. Prediction: Yohn (Minnesota) dec. Bond (Illinois) 285: Ben Berhow (Minnesota) vs. Martin Smith (Illinois) Berhow, an NCAA qualifier last season, spent most of the first half of the season ranked, but fell out of the rankings after a disappointing Southern Scuffle, where he failed to place. He has faced many of the nation's top heavyweights this season and has been very competitive with them. He dropped one-point matches to No. 1 Jared Rosholt of Oklahoma State and No. 3 Jarod Trice of Central Michigan. Berhow is 15-8 on the season, but 4-0 in Big Ten dual action. Smith, who competed mostly at 197 pounds last season, has gone 11-11 this season. He has dropped three of his last four matches, but won his last time out against Marcus Shrewsbury of Northwestern on Sunday. Bottom Line: Berhow is wrestling well and should be able to handle Smith. On Saturday, Berhow will see undefeated and second-ranked Nathan Everhart of Indiana, a wrestler he defeated three times last season. Prediction: Berhow (Minnesota) dec. Smith (Illinois) Dual Meet Prediction: Minnesota 27, Illinois 7

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- Utah Valley junior 125-pounder Ben Kjar (Centerville, Utah/Viewmont HS) has been named the Western Wrestling Conference's Wrestler of the Week as announced today by the league. Kjar helped Utah Valley begin its conference season with a 2-1 record last week as the No. 13 ranked (InterMat) 125-pounder went 3-0 in his three conference duals. His biggest victory came via 5-3 decision over Wyoming's higher-ranked (No. 11) Michael Martinez. Kjar's other two dual wins came by major decision victories over Northern Iowa's Caleb Flores (12-4) and Air Force's Andrew Zwirlein (21-11). In Kjar's match against the Falcon's Zwirlein, he scored 10 takedowns and picked up another point from riding time to tally his 21 points. Kjar's major over UNI's Flores also helped UVU beat the West Regional power Panthers for the first-time in school history. Kjar is now 24-6 on the year and 8-1 in duals. This is the third time during the 2009-10 season that Kjar has won the WWC weekly award, the fourth for Utah Valley as a program. The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming. Other Nominees: Air Force - Cole VonOhlen, Fr., 141 pounds, Jackson, Minn. (Jackson County Central HS) North Dakota State - Tyler Johnson, So., 165 pounds, Bismarck, N.D. (Bismarck HS) Northern Colorado - Justin Gonzales, Fr., 149 pounds, Greeley, Colo. (Northridge HS) Northern Iowa - Charlie Ettelson, Sr., 141 pounds, Hudson, Iowa (Hudson HS) Wyoming – Jimmy Belleville, Fr., 157 pounds, Tumwater, Wash. (Black Hills HS)

ERIE, Pa. -- The fifth-ranked Gannon wrestling team beat Waynesburg 39-3 Wednesday night at the Hammermill Center. A.J. Milanak (Apollo, Pa./Kiski Area), Tony Petrella (Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Bishop Hartley), and Chris Daniels (Erie, Pa./Harbor Creek) each recorded pinfalls for the Golden Knights. John Fleming (Bethel Park, Pa./Lakeview) started the night with a 2-0 decision win in the 125-pound contest. Corey Bowers (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake) took a forfeit as Waynesburg did not have a 133-pound entry. Milanak then pinned Abdul Yusuff at the 1:54 mark of their 141-pound bout to put GU ahead 15-0. Ted Hoag (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park), Zack McKendree (Vandergrift, Pa./Kiski Area), and Bret Terry (Canal Winchester, Ohio/New Albany) strung together three straight wins to clinch the dual for the Knights. Petrella pinned Robert Schultz in their 184-pound match and Daniels took a pinfall victory over Matt Zimmerman in the 197-pound bout. Heavyweight Frank McGrath (Hammonton, N.J./St. Augustine’s Prep) finished the event with a 12-7 decision win. GU is now 5-3 in dual action, while Waynesburg dropped to 6-9. Gannon travels to Ashland (Ohio) University for a tri-meet Saturday, February 6. The Knights face East Stroudsburg at 10 a.m. and then take on Ashland at noon.

GETTYSBURG, Pa. -- Joe Camlin (Westminster, Md./Winters Mill) recorded a third-period fall to seal a Centennial Conference (CC) wrestling win for McDaniel at Gettysburg on Wednesday. A Brock Glotfelty (Grantsville, Md./Northern Garrett) first-period pin wrapped up a 29-12 victory for the Green Terror (7-6, 4-1 CC), who won six of the 10 bouts. The Bullets (3-11, 2-3 CC) recorded wins by decision in all four of their victories. Abe Evans staked Gettysburg to an early 3-0 lead with a 4-0 win at 125 before Tommy Goretsas (Hampstead, Md./North Carroll) won by forfeit to give McDaniel the lead for good. Mike Tancredi (Wall, N.J./Wall Twp.) extended the lead to 9-3 with a 7-3 victory at 1441 and Brent Lowe (Dumfries, Va./Forest Park) added a 17-2 technical fall early in the second period to stretch the advantage to 14-3. Joe Fiore (157), Tim Zielinski (165) and DJ Neri pulled the hosts within two with a pair of two-point wins and a Neri 12-5 decision. Will Yeo (Lexington Park, Md./Great Mills) stretched the lead back to five with an 8-4 win at 184 before Camlin notched his fall in 6:03 and Glotfelty recorded a pin in 1:21. McDaniel returns to action in a CC tri-meet at Muhlenberg with Ursinus on Saturday. Action begins at 10 a.m. Results: 125: Abe Evans (G) dec. Earl Eppard 4-0 133: Tommy Goretsas (M) won by forfeit 141: Mike Tancredi (M) dec. Matt Danielson 7-3 149: Brent Lowe (M) tech. fell Michael Slabinski 17-2 (3:50) 157: Joe Fiore (G) dec. Matt Peters 6-4 165: Tim Zielinski (G) dec. Tony Vorndran 4-2 174: DJ Neri (G) dec. Scott Forrester 12-5 184: Will Yeo (M) dec. Luke Mitchell 8-4 197: Joe Camlin (M) pinned Marshall Puls 6:03 HWT: Brock Glotfelty (M) pinned Kevin Poplaski 1:21

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. -- The No. 23 Rutgers wrestling team’s redshirt junior Dominick Russo (Netcong, N.J.) was named the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Wrestler of the Week, the organization announced Wednesday. The announcement marks the second time Russo has won the accolade, as he also received the honor on Feb. 8, 2009. Russo, who is listed as the ninth-best heavyweight in the country, helped the Scarlet Knights (16-4-1) extend the squad’s unbeaten streak to a school-record 12 by capturing wins in the team’s upset against No. 23 Virginia, 25-12, last Friday night and Navy, 23-10, Saturday night. Against Virginia, Russo capped off the exciting victory with a 7-3 decision over Jack Danilkkowicz. Russo picked up one of the biggest wins of his career last Saturday by outlasting No. 6 Scott Steele of Navy by a 7-6 score. Russo leads Rutgers with 25 victories, against only four losses, and has won 18 of his 19 dual bouts. The RU heavyweight is currently on a 11-match win streak and leads the conference with 15 pin fall victories. Russo’s pin total ranks 12th in the country. Rutgers and the rest of the Scarlet Knights travel to Bethlehem, Pa. to face EIWA foe and seventh-ranked Lehigh on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Gabriel BirdGabriel Bird, a senior at Osceola High School in Florida, has verbally committed to attend and compete at Liberty University for Coach Jesse Castro beginning in the fall. Bird, a four-time Florida state placewinner and 2008 USA Wrestling Junior National freestyle All-American, made the decision after his recent recruiting visit to Liberty. Bird finished fifth at the Super 32 in October and won the POWERade Christmas Tournament this past December. He is currenlty 45-0 at 145 pounds. He is a 3.5/4.0 student and looks forward to the Christian-based education he will receive at Liberty. He is projected at 149 or 157 pounds in college.

Jack Spates

Bruce Burnett

Sandy Stevens

Pat Santoro

Mark DiSalvo

P.J. Gillespie

Enrique Montiel