InterMat Staff

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- The Rutgers wrestling team opened its 2010-11 season with a pair of dominating victories over Sacred Heart and East Stroudsburg this afternoon at the Louis Brown Athletics Center. The Scarlet Knights opened the day with a 56-0 victory over the Sacred Heart Pioneers in a match that saw seven RU grapplers (Matt Fusco, Trevor Melde, Mario Mason, Scott Winston, Alex Caruso, Dan Rinaldi and DJ Russo) record victories by pin fall. In addition to the pin fall victories, freshman Mike Wagner picked up a technical fall victory in his first collegiate match and Mike DeMarco won a 10-3 decision. Sacred Heart forfeited the 157 pound bout. The 56-0 victory was the largest victory for RU since a 59-0 victory over Wagner in 2002. Rutgers carried its momentum from the SHU victory into its second match of the day with East Stroudsburg as both Joe Langel and DeMarco recorded early pin falls at 125 and 133 pounds. After a Melde decision at 141, Mason (149) and Daryl Cocozzo (157) each picked up major decision victories in their respective weight classes to push the RU lead to 23-0. Winston and Caruso each picked up their second victories of the day by recording a pair of decisions before ESU’s Brendan McKeown picked up a 4-3 decision over Jesse Boyden at 184 pounds to give the Warriors their first points of the match. After Wagner picked up his second victory in a RU singlet with an 8-2 decision, senior Sean DeDeyn closed out the match falling to Will Weaver 4-0. Despite the loss at 285, RU downed the Warriors by a score of 32-6. The Scarlet Knights return to action next weekend when they travel to Brockport, N.Y. to compete in the Oklahoma Gold Tournament. Results: RU 56, Sacred Heart 0 125: Matt Fusco (RU) pins Andrew Polidore (SHU), 4:55; RU leads, 6-0 133: Mike DeMarco (RU) dec. Paul Galipean (SHU) 10-3; RU leads, 9-0 141: Trevor Melde (RU) pins Joseph Evangelista (SHU), 1:17; RU leads, 15-0 149: Mario Mason (RU) pins Tim Rich (SHU), 2:12; RU leads, 21-0 157: Daryl Cocozzo (RU) wins by forfeit; RU leads, 27-0 165: Scott Winston (RU) pins Austin Al-Paw (SHU), 2:47; RU leads, 33-0 174: Alex Caruso (RU) pins Zach Moran (SHU), 4:25; RU leads, 39-0 184: Dan Rinaldi (RU) pins TJ Neidhart (SHU), 1:36; RU leads, 45-0 197: Mike Wagner (RU) tech fall Sam Morrison (SHU), 16-0; RU leads, 50-0 285: DJ Russo (RU) pins Paul Swagheart (SHU), 6:52; RU wins, 56-0 RU 32, East Stroudsburg 6 125: Joe Langel (RU) pins Chris Carpenter (ESU), 3:39; RU leads, 6-0 133: Mike DeMarco (RU) pins Andrew Arnold (ESU), 2:27; RU leads, 12-0 141: Trevor Melde (RU) dec. Adam Hluschak (ESU), 6-1; RU leads, 15-0 149: Mario Mason (RU) m. dec. Eddie Stephenson (ESU), 14-5; RU leads, 19-0 157: Daryl Cocozoo (RU) m. dec. Evan Baer (ESU), 21-7; RU leads, 23-0 165: Scott Winston (RU) dec. Thad Frick (ESU), 6-1; RU leads, 26-0 174: Alex Caruso (RU) dec. Jeff Jacobs (ESU), 7-2; RU leads, 29-0 184: Brendan McKeown (ESU) dec. Jesse Boyden (RU), 4-3; RU leads, 29-3 197: Mike Wagner (RU) dec. James Gonzalez (ESU), 8-2; RU leads, 32-3 285: Will Weaver (ESU) dec. Sean DeDeyn (RU), 4-0; RU wins 32-6

The Navy wrestling team opened the 2010-11 season on Saturday with the 19th-annual Eastern Michigan Open in Ypsilanti, Mich., where senior Bryce Saddoris (157 pounds) and junior Luke Rebertus (184 pounds) each went 4-0 to claim individual titles. With his four wins on the day, Saddoris moved into a three-way tie for fifth place on Navy's all-time wins list with 114 career victories. Saddoris is now tied with Dan Hicks (1992-95) and Tanner Garrett (2003-06). "We had some good performances, and most importantly, today let us know where we are at," said Navy coach Bruce Burnett. "We've got a lot of work to do, both technically and tactically, but I'm proud of the guys today. It was nice to bring home some hardware" Several other Mids posted medal-worthy performances in Saturday's event that included over 300 competitors. Aaron Kalil went 4-1 and took third at 125 pounds while sophomore Eric Filipowicz went 4-2 and placed fourth at 149 pounds. Senior Matt DeMichiel posted the most wins of any Midshipman on the day, going 5-1, to take to take third place at 174 pounds. Other top-finishers for Navy included 125-pounder Allen Stein (4-2, fifth place), 133-pounder Ben Levin (2-2, fifth place) and 165-pounder Bobby Barnhisel (2-2, fourth place).

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Championship performances by Ian Paddock (133), Colt Sponseller (157) and Nick Heflin (174) kicked off the No. 12 Ohio State wrestling team’s 2010-11 season as it competed at the UB Open Sunday at Alumni Arena in Buffalo, N.Y. A native New Yorker from Warsaw, Paddock was the No. 2 seed and after winning three matches met No. 1-seed Kevin Smith of host Buffalo in the final. The Buckeye sophomore secured a 6-0 shutout in the title bout to open the season on a strong note. In his previous three matches, Paddock won by a combined 29-4 margin. Earning a bye in the first round, Paddock recorded a convincing 17-2 win over Bloomsburg’s Jeremiah Biddle before being taken to overtime by Matthew Hasbrouck of Edinboro. Paddock was able to escape with a 2-0 win en route to the semifinals. A 10-4 decision over Hasbrouck’s Fighting Scot teammate Mitchell Port ensued to secure Paddock’s place in the final. Like Paddock, Sponseller earned his title over a UB wrestler in Mark Lewandwoski. A senior from Glenmont, Ohio, Sponseller posted a 4-1 decision as the No. 1 seed in the championship match to begin the season 4-0. After a bye in the opening round, Sponseller recorded a pin and technical fall, respectively, to advance to the semifinals. Sponseller first dropped Zack Noernberg (4:37) of Notre Dame College before tallying 19 points (19-4) against Kent State’s Drew Howard. Facing fifth-seed Marshal Giovannini, Jr., of American International University next, Sponseller tallied a 7-1 decision. Heflin, a redshirt-freshman who calls Massillon, Ohio, home, witnessed consecutive opponents in the semifinals and final withdraw because of injury. Despite not wrestling his final two matches, Heflin did see action initially, first pinning Mark Smilek (Notre Dame College) in 1:42 and beating seventh-seed Ron Majerus (Buffalo), 3-0. The third-seed, redshirt-freshman Peter Capone (Johnson City, N.Y.) finished third at 184 pounds. Losing his second-round bout, Capone rebounded nicely in wrestlebacks, winning four consecutive matches. For the third-place title, Capone downed Chris Daniels of Gannon, 12-0. Buckeye teammates Dominic Jontony and C.J. Magrum matched up in the semifinals at 197 pounds with Magrum prevailing on a forfeit. However, in the final, Magrum suffered a 4-0 setback to finish second. Wrapping up the evening, redshirt-junior Zach Stolarsky finished fourth in the heavyweight division. The home schedule will begin at 10 a.m. Nov. 21 in St. John Arena when Ohio State hosts the Buckeye Duals. The Scarlet and Gray will host No. 14 Pittsburgh and No. 15 Nebraska. The Panthers and Cornhuskers will begin the day with a 10 a.m. match. Ohio State then will wrestle Pittsburgh at 11:30 a.m. before concluding the event against Nebraska at 1:30 p.m. For fans who cannot make it to the Buckeye Duals, live scoring updates will be available at the NWCA Stat Tracker link on www.nwcaonline.com.

SALEM, Va. -- The Virginia Tech wrestling completed a dominating performance at the third Hokie Open by winning four titles with five other taking second place Sunday at the Salem Civic Center. Two others took third place and two another two placed sixth to wrap up a big opening weekend. Devin Carter continued to dazzle as a true freshman at 133 pounds. He won the title by going 5-0, including a 12-3 major decision over No. 8 Kyle Hutter of Old Dominion in the title match. Chris Diaz won a title at 141 pounds, avenging a loss to No. 14 Chris Drouin from yesterday in Sunday’s semifinal. Pete Yates won at 157 pounds by going 5-0 and Tommy Spellman took the 184-pound title by going 4-0. Jarrod Garnett placed second at 125 pounds and freshman Ty Mitch took third place at the same weight class. At 141 pounds, transfer Zach Neibert lost in sudden victory to Diaz in the championship bout and Nick Murray took sixth place. At 149 pounds, Brian Stephens fell in the championship match and Jesse Dong forfeited to Yates at 157 pounds in the title bout to take second place. Matt Epperly placed third at 165 pounds, beating No. 20 Andrew Sorenson to highlight his day. David Marone made it to the title match, but lost to Matt Gibson of Iowa State - a guy he beat Saturday in the dual - and took second place. The Tech team (0-1) will travel to Pennsylvania next weekend for the Duals at Hershey, where the Hokies will take part in four dual matches. Tech will face Kent State, Edinboro, The Citadel and George Mason in side the Hersheypark Arena. For more information, go to: http://www.wrestleforacure.org/events/thedualsathershey .

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Erich Schmidtke and Joe Bach each claimed individual titles at the Oklahoma City Open Sunday, Nov. 7, at the Abe Lemons Arena on the OCU campus. “This was an important tournament for us,” head coach Jack Spates said. “This was a great opportunity for our guys to grow and I think they took good advantage of it. We saw a lot of our guys grow up during the tournament. They learned a lot throughout it.” Schmidtke, a redshirt sophomore from Aberdeen, Wash., pulled off the biggest upset of his career with an 11-3 major decision victory over OSU’s fifth-ranked Chris Perry. The Sooner victory at 184 pounds was huge for Schmidtke who finished last season with an overall record of 16-19. “Especially impressive was Erich Schmidtke,” Spates said. “In the finals he beat an outstanding wrestler in Chris Perry from Oklahoma State, the No 5 ranked wrestler in the country. It was a hard-fought bout, but he (Schmidtke) never flinched and our wrestlers got to see that if you keep battling and you fight through the tough situations, good things happen.” Bach, a redshirt sophomore from Liberal, Kan., claimed the second tournament title for the Sooners in the heavyweight division. Bach also defeated an opponent from in-state rival OSU. Back won by an injury default over the Cowboy’s Alan Gelogaev. “Also a big congratulations to Joe Bach on an outstanding performance and a championship as well,” said Spates. “Our second team heavyweight did a great job, had some key wins and has been making big strides. Two other Sooners, Alex Eckstrom and Keldrick Hall, competed in the 133 and 197 pound finals, respectively. Ekstrom, a sophomore from Palmyra, N.Y., was defeated by Oklahoma State’s Jordan Oliver be a 7-3 decision. Hall, a sophomore from Dallas, Texas, fell to OSU’s Clayton Foster. Both Oklahoma wrestlers placed second in their respective weight classes. Six other Sooners finished the Open with a third place finish which include: Greg Cannon (4-1) at 125 pounds, Dustin Reed (133 pounds) after going an impressive 5-1, Kendrick Maple at 141 pounds, Seth Vernon at 149 pounds, Kyle Detmer at 165 pounds after defeating fellow Sooner Derek Peperas in the third place bout and Nolan McBryde who defeated Sooner Ronnie Balfour in the 174 pound bout. Other Sooners competing in the Open include: Quincy Mondaine, Ronnie Balfour, Scott Chene, Kyle Colling, Sean Datte, Justin DeAngelis, Dillon Dennis, Ian Fisher, Derek Geiges, Chase Gordon, Kosta Karageorge, Dax Perrier, Clay Reeb, Dustin Reed and Ben Bridell. “It was a good experience overall and it will help prepare us for Central Oklahoma, which is going to be a real fun dual meet, Tuesday, given that there will be a ton of Oklahoma wrestlers on the mat,” Spates said. “Of course UCO has that great division-two national champion tradition. We are looking forward to Tuesday night and want to encourage Sooner fans and wrestling fans to come out and see some good action.” The Sooners host their first dual meet against the University of Central Oklahoma on Tuesday, Nov. 9, at the McCasland Field House. Admission is free to the public.

SALEM, Va. -- James Nicholson won the 125-pound weight class while Kyle Hutter took second at 133 on Sunday at the Hokie Open in Salem, Va. "The Hokie Open was a great gauge to evaluate our weaknesses and strenghts technically," head coach Steve Martin said. "With our young team we will continue to get better each week." The Monarchs had seven wrestlers take finishes in the top-six of their weight class, starting with Nicholson taking first at 125 and Eric Dunnet taking fifth, also at 125. Nicholson was solid all day, starting the day with a 6-2 win over Kent State's Steve Mitcheff, and following that with a 17-2 triumph over Gardner-Webb's Brett Kostern. The Des Moines, Iowa native fell behind early to Chattanooga's Presscott Garner in his next match, 6-3, but rallied for an exciting 17-11 win. He cruised past Iowa State's Patrick Hunter 16-3 to reach the finals before topping No. 10 Jarrod Garnett (VT), 5-3. Dunnet was solid as well, picking up wins over Jake Corrill and Trevor Dearden. He took an early 2-0 lead over Garnett, but ended up falling 8-3. Dunnet fought back to pin UNCG's Robert Gribschaw to take fifth place. Kyle Hutter defeated Iowa State's Tyler Cash with a takedown 17 seconds into overtime before falling to Virginia Tech's Devin Carter 11-3 in the finals. Sophomore Brennan Brumley picked up four wins at 141 for the Monarchs. Brumley was dominant in his opener, pinning Gardner-Webb's Richard Spicel in the first period. He followed with wins over Danny Lopes (UNC) and Shawn Greevy (UTC) before falling to Virginia Tech's Zach Neibert. Joey Metzler was solid on the day as well, winning his first three matches en route to a fourth place finish at 149-pounds. Joey wrestled well throughout the tournament," Martin said. He wrestled hard for 7 minutes and he continues to make gains each match." Joe Budi picked upa fourth place finish for ODU at 184-pounds. Budi was ahead 15-3 when Duke's Diego Bencomo was disqualified and beat UNC's Nick Tenpenny 8-2 before falling to UNC's Antonio Giorgio. "We were pleased that Joe was attacking on his feet," Martin added. "He wrestled well in his matches but at times was overaggressive and made mistakes in each match cost him a title." Grant Chapman and Dan Rivera had two wins apiece while Rodin Ndandula and Billy Curling also picked up wins. "As a team we still have several weight classes that are up for grabs, we are looking forward to each day of practice as this is a team that will be twice as good at the end of the year," Martin said. "This is a hungry group that has a lot to prove to themselves." The Monarchs are back in action next Sunday when they travel to Binghamton for the Binghamton Open.

Several InterMat Top 100 recruits have given verbal commitments to colleges in recent weeks, including the nation's top two recruits, Destin McCauley (Apple Valley, MN) and Morgan McIntosh (Calvary Chapel, CA). InterMat caught up with McCauley, McIntosh, and 12 other InterMat Top 100 recruits who recently committed, and talked to them about their college decisions, goals, and much more. No. 1 Destin McCauley (Apple Valley, MN) College Choice Wisconsin Projected College Weight Class: 149 McCauley, the nation's No. 1 recruit by InterMat, is arguably the best high school wrestler ever to come out of Minnesota. He will follow in the footsteps of another former Apple Valley great, Matt Demaray, who went on to win two NCAA titles for Wisconsin before a successful international wrestling career. McCauley, though, will spend a year at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs before he arrives on campus in Madison. Barring a Larry Owings over Dan Gable-like upset, McCauley will finish his career as a five-time state champion. He won a Junior Nationals freestyle title this past summer and was named Outstanding Wrestler of the event. Destin McCauley (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)McCauley on his decision to commit to Wisconsin: "My ultimate decision on why I chose Wisconsin was my fit in their program. I felt like I easily got along with their whole team and their coaching staff. They already were treating me like one of their own. Also they were very supportive with my goal of wanting to go to the Olympic Training Center for a year." McCauley on his decision to spend time at the Olympic Training Center before enrolling at Wisconsin: "I wanted to go to the Olympic Training Center for a year because my goal is to give a run at the 2012 Olympics. Going out there and focusing on freestyle mainly the whole time will give me great preparation for the Trials. While I'm there, I'll still take classes, generals, but just enough to get me going and not starting my NCAA clock. Plus, I'll be traveling overseas to train and get competitions as well." McCauley on the recruiting process: "The recruiting process for me had its ups and downs. I liked the thought of everyone calling me and wanting me to be a part of their team. I thought that was really cool. But as time went on it got harder to narrow the choices. Making the phone calls to the coaches to tell them I wasn't coming was one of the hardest things I've ever done because I hate to disappoint people. I also met some great people through it as well." McCauley on being the No. 1 overall recruit in the country by InterMat: "When I saw I was the No. 1 recruit overall I was very surprised. That was one of my goals as a youth, and I finally was able to achieve that goal!" McCauley on the strength of Apple Valley's team this season: "The Apple Valley team this year I think will be very tough, and should be considered the No. 1 team in the nation. We had I think six or seven All-Americans in Fargo this year. Along with that we have six of our seven state champs from last year all returning. We are solid the whole way through our lineup. I think we will be pretty tough to beat. Our team is always in real good condition, and we know how to push ourselves to make everyone better. That's one thing that makes us stand out." No. 2 Morgan McIntosh (Calvary Chapel, CA) College Choice Penn State Projected College Weight Class: 184/197 Penn State coach Cael Sanderson added another prized recruit to his deep stable of Nittany Lions with the addition of McIntosh, the nation's second-ranked recruit. McIntosh is a two-time California state champion, FloNationals champion, and Junior Nationals freestyle champion. He will be looking to become just the 15th California three-time state champion. Morgan McIntosh (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)McIntosh on his decision to commit to Penn State: "I'm really excited about my decision, and it's a big relief to have it done. I think Penn State is a great university in a lot of ways, and I don't think that there is a (wrestling) room in the country that can help me reach my wrestling goals better than the Penn State room, under Coach Sanderson." McIntosh on Penn State coach Cael Sanderson: "He's been great through this whole process, and I really look forward to the future, wrestling under him and his coaching staff." McIntosh on what others schools he considered: "The five schools that I visited were Oklahoma, Ohio State, Minnesota, Cornell, and Penn State." McIntosh on what drives him in wrestling: "I like the challenge of trying to make the most of the gifts God gave me. I also like the people that I have met." McIntosh on wrestling goals after high school: "My goal is to live up to my potential, both in the NCAA, and in freestyle, internationally." No. 19 Nick Gwiazdowski (Duanesburg, NY) College Choice Binghamton Projected College Weight Class: 197/285 Gwiazdowski, who is ranked as the No. 19 recruit in the country, chose to say in his home state of New York and wrestle for Pat Popolizio at Binghamton. It marks the second straight year that the top wrestler in the Empire State has committed to Binghamton. Last year it was four-time NHSCA Nationals champion Tyler Beckwith who chose to become a Bearcat. As a junior, Gwiazdowski compiled a record of 49-1 en route to winning a state title. He is also a FloNationals champion. Gwiazdowski on his decision to commit to Binghamton: "It was a tough decision. I was attracted to other places, but in the end I knew that I would find the most success at BU. I've known the coaches and many guys on the team for a while and felt this would be the best place for my college wrestling career. Being closer to home, so family and friends could watch was also important." Gwiazdowski on Binghamton coach Pat Popolizio: "Pat's a great coach and it shows in his team's successes over the past four years. From starting with nothing and resurrecting a program to Top 25 status is proof of what kind of coach he is. He was coached in high school by my current coach and that gave me a good feeling for what he's about and how he coaches his guys in and out of the wrestling room. I definitely look forward to training under him and Dennis ... and having him in my corner." Nick GwiazdowskiGwiazdowski on whether he expects to be a 197-pounder or heavyweight in college: "I plan on competing at 197 for a few years, then possibly a move to heavyweight, depending on my size and if or when I redshirt. As for now, though, I plan on stepping in as a 197-pounder." Gwiazdowski on winning FloNationals: "It was a great tournament and I would like to thank the guys at Flo for establishing it. In the beginning I had a few doubters, but a few matches in I gained momentum and start wrestling my best later into matches and that definitely proved to be an important piece to the puzzle. My coaches, Frank Popolizio and John Degl, were also critical in helping me realize my goal and that I could win the tournament by wrestling to my potential." Gwiazdowski on wrestling goals for senior season: "I want to win another State title and also pin everybody I step on the mat against, and not to give up any points would also be nice. It's also important to help the younger guys on the team to learn more about the sport and help them become better wrestlers as well ... so our team still finds success in the future." No. 20 Bryce Hammond (Bakersfield, CA) College Choice Cal State Bakersfield Projected College Weight Class: 165 It's not often that one of the nation's top recruits commits to a recently reinstated program, but that's exactly what Hammond did when he announced his decision to attend Cal State Bakersfield, following in the footsteps of his father, Ray, a former CSUB wrestler. Not only are there family ties to the program, but also coaching ties. CSUB assistant coach Gerry Abas has coached Hammond since he was young. Hammond is a state champion (fourth in 2009), Five Counties champion, NHSCA Nationals champion, and Cadet Nationals runner-up. Bryce Hammond (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Hammond on his decision to commit to Cal State Bakersfield: "I really feel that Cal State Bakersfield is the place for me. This is where I grew up. I've been coming into that room every summer since I can remember. You can't beat going to a place where you have no doubt that you will be comfortable. The coaches are some of the best in the country, and I am confident that I will achieve my goals here." Hammond on his relationship with Gerry Abas: "I have always had a great relationship with Coach Abas. Being around someone who has the same philosophy and who can inspire you to wrestle better is huge. We just click, I guess. We have spent countless hours working together over the years. A huge part of my offense on my feet, and comfort in funky positions has come from him. Wrestling with him makes wrestling fun for me. Wrestling for him excites me. He is one of the best coaches technically in the country. I have been fortunate enough to learn from him in the past, and I cannot wait to begin working with him full time." Hammond on how he felt when Cal State Bakersfield's wrestling program was reinstated: "CSUB wrestling being reinstated was very important to college and high school wrestling, this state, as well as this town. The wrestling community of Bakersfield was up in arms when the program was dropped. The support here for wrestling is amazing. This town will not let the program go without a fight. In the past this program has proven its ability to produce successful athletes. Wrestling needs this program to stay alive, and California wrestling especially needs this program to turn around and be successful again. With this coaching staff it can be done. All they need is the recruits to work with. I was very excited to see the program reinstated. There is potential here, and I want to see the program reach what it is capable of. Also, I should say that the president of Cal State Bakersfield, Dr. Horace Mitchell, was a wrestler himself. He has stood by the community's efforts to have the program reinstated. I want to thank him for his support, and for allowing me to become a Roadrunner wrestler." Hammond on his support system: "My family is a huge aspect to my success and I was not willing to give that up to go to a program across the country. I feel that family support is a tremendous asset in being successful. My church family is also very important to me. My wrestling friends provide another big support system. You can't beat having people who love you around to support you. " On his college wrestling goals: "My goal in college is to be a four-time NCAA champ." No. 23 Jake Sueflohn (Arrowhead, WI) College Choice Nebraska Projected College Weight Class: 141 Sueflohn is a state champion and two-time state finalist who hails from the same high school in Wisconsin as Ben Askren and Max Askren. He won the Cheeshead last year, which included victories over 2010 recruit Simon Kitzis (Missouri) and 2011 recruit Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State). Sueflohn on his decision to commit to Nebraska: "I loved everything down there: the university, the people, the direction of where this program is going and I really wanted to be a part of it. I really look forward to it." Sueflohn on wrestling in Wisconsin: "Wrestling in Wisconsin has given me the opportunity to work with great coaches and wrestle great competition that has helped me transform into a better wrestler." Jake SueflohnSueflohn on winning the Cheesehead last season: "A very well-run tournament where I had the chance to wrestle the nation's best. Winning the tournament was awesome, but to be chosen as the Outstanding Wrestler was a true honor." Sueflohn on the Askren brothers, Ben and Max: "I have been able to work out with the Askrens a few times during my high school career and I have definitely benefited from their knowledge. They are great people with a lot of knowledge about this sport." Sueflohn on his biggest strength as a wrestler: "I would have to say my work ethic. My work ethic has increased my conditioning to the point where my opponents have a hard time going a full six minutes with me. And my conditioning paired with the fact that I never give up has given me the ability to beat some of the nation's best." No. 35 Vince Rodriguez (Clovis North) College Choice George Mason Projected College Weight Class: 125/133 Rodriguez won an NHSCA Junior Nationals title, but will enter his season without a state title after finishing third as a sophomore and runner-up last season. He becomes the highest-ranked recruit George Mason has landed in several years. Vince Rodriguez (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Rodriguez on his decision to commit to George Mason: "After taking a few recruiting visits, committing to George Mason was an easy decision for me. The thing that attracted me the most to George Mason was the team and coaches. The team is not very big compared to others, but overall they have a high-ranked GPA and all seem to be very close and not cliquish. As for the coaches, they seem real sincere and care about each one of their wrestlers. Overall, I firmly believe that George Mason is a place where I can accomplish my goals in both academics and wrestling." Rodriguez on moving from the West Coast to the East Coast: "As for moving from West Coast to East Coast, I'm real excited about it. Ever since I was a little boy one of my life long goals has been to travel the world, and I believe this is a good way to start it. It's an opportunity of a lifetime, and I am very fortunate I get to experience it." Rodriguez on the pursuit of a state championship: "My main high school goal has always been to be a state champion. Unfortunately, I haven't accomplished that yet, I won (NHSCA) Junior Nationals and received OW of the Junior division this past wrestling season, but I would still trade that for a state title anytime. It's my last year, and I'm willing to sacrifice anything, and do whatever it takes to obtain a state championship." Rodriguez on his wrestling style: "My style is what I like to call 'slick' and 'greedy,' taking points, and not giving them any. Breaking them down, not physically, but mentally." Rodriguez on the wrestler he admired the most while growing up: "Growing up, the person I admired the most wasn't an Olympic champion, but one of my valley's local high school wrestlers, Darrell Vasquez. To me, he was one of the greatest wrestlers I had ever seen. I loved his refuse to lose attitude, and I wanted to be just as successful as he was." No. 37 Matt Kelliher (Apple Valley, MN) College Choice Wisconsin Projected College Weight Class: 133/141 The name Kelliher has been a staple in the Apple Valley lineup for several years. Matt's older brothers, Tom and Craig, are wrestling in Division I programs after successful wrestling careers at Apple Valley. Tom is a redshirt sophomore at Wisconsin, while Craig is a redshirt freshman at Central Michigan. Matt will be joining Tom on the Badger wrestling team. Kelliher is a two-time state champion and three-time state finalist. He won a FloNationals title in the spring and finished runner-up in the Junior National freestyle competition in the summer. Kelliher on his decision to commit to Wisconsin: "It was a tough decision to make. I felt that Wisconsin was the overall best fit for me for a lot of reasons. I'm very excited to be a part of the program at Wisconsin." Matt Kelliher (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Kelliher on Wisconsin coach Barry Davis: "Barry Davis is a good, high-energy coach. I could tell by watching practice that he really enjoyed coaching the team and working with them." Kelliher on Apple Valley's team this year: "Not many people get the opportunity to say that they wrestled for the No. 1 high school team in the country. I think it is a great opportunity for everyone on the team and with our tough schedule it should be an exciting year." Kelliher on Apple Valley coach Jim Jackson: "Coach Jackson really dedicates everything he has to his Apple Valley team and it pays off. He is a great coach to have around to push me and my teammates to work harder and become better wrestlers every day." Kelliher on what drives him as a wrestler: "Mostly what drives me in competition is knowing that I've pushed myself during training, that I've trained to the point where I can be confident that I'm in better shape. While I'm training I know that everything I do is going to put me at an advantage over my opponents." No. 41 Bricker Dixon (Park Hill, MO) College Choice Cornell Projected College Weight Class: 125 Dixon became the fourth InterMat Top 100 recruit to commit to Cornell this recruiting season. He is a three-time state finalist and 2010 state champion. He finished third in the Junior National freestyle competition at 119 pounds this past summer in Fargo. Dixon on his decision to commit to Cornell: "It was a very tough decision but one that I'm extremely happy with. At this point in time, Cornell is the most balanced school between wrestling and academics. Ultimately, I have to put myself in the best position to succeed not only in wrestling but in my career after wrestling and Cornell seemed to be the perfect place to do that." Dixon on Cornell coach Rob Koll: "Coach Koll was great during the whole recruiting process. He has taken the Cornell wrestling program from the bottom to being ranked No. 1 in the country during his career as a coach, which to me, was impressive. I really got the sense that he genuinely cares about his athletes and that was important to me. I can't wait to wrestle under him for the next four years." Dixon on Cornell's chances of winning a national championship this season: "I think Cornell has a very good shot at winning the team race this year. They have an experienced team with great leaders. I think that there is a lot of parity between the top teams in the country but I believe that if everyone wrestles to their potential, Cornell will win the team title." Dixon on Park Hill's wrestling program: "We have a very different program than we did last year after graduating four Division I signees. However, I think we are still in contention for a team state title this year. Our focus is to win as many individual championships as we can and the team aspect will fall into place. Our team is working very hard on a daily basis and I'm excited to see what we can accomplish." Dixon on his emotions after winning a state title: "There is nothing more gratifying than setting a goal for yourself and reaching that goal. One of my coaches, Joe Gonier, was especially instrumental in helping me win my first state title. It was one of the best feelings I've ever had." No. 44 Jake Waste (Apple Valley, MN) College Choice Buffalo Projected College Weight Class: 174/184 Waste, like Dylan Ness last year, will begin his senior season as a national champion in all three styles, but still without the elusive state title at the high school level. (Ness went 44-0 with 42 pins in his senior season en route to winning the state title.) Waste was a Cadet Nationals Triple Crown winner in 2009. He won the FILA Cadet Nationals in Greco Roman and was named Outstanding Wrestler. He is a three-time folkstyle national champion. Waste also won the inaugural InterMat JJ Classic last month. But perhaps his most impressive accomplishment is winning a college open tournament (Kaufman-Brand Open, Amateur Division) before his junior season of high school wrestling. Waste has the ability to be a program changer for Jim Beichner's Bulls. Jake Waste (Photo/Johnnie Johnson)Waste on his decision to commit to Buffalo: "The reasons I decided to go to Buffalo are endless. In the end it came down to schooling, wrestling, and where I felt most at home. Buffalo had all of that." Waste on the recruiting process: "It was a great experience. The final decision was very tough and draining, though." Waste on his favorite style of wrestling (folkstyle, freestyle, or Greco-Roman): "Greco is probably the most fun of the styles, but I think folkstyle is my favorite." Waste on his decision to transfer to Apple Valley after his sophomore year: "My family and I felt that it was the best decision for me. It was very hard, but in the end I think everything turned out for the best." Waste on the importance of winning an individual state title as a senior: "I want to be the best one-time state champion to ever come out of Minnesota. With that I believe it is very important." No. 50 Steven Keogh (Apple Valley, MN) College Choice Minnesota Projected College Weight Class: 165 Keogh may only be the fourth highest ranked recruit on his own team (according to InterMat), but is the No. 50 recruit in the country. He won his first state title last season at 160 pounds. Keogh has been making waves on the Minnesota high school wrestling scene for what seems to be an eternity. He was a state placewinner (fourth) as a seventh-grader and owns five state medals. He is also an NHSCA Sophomore Nationals champion, FloNationals third-place finisher, and a fourth-place finisher in the Junior National freestyle competition this past summer. Keogh became the second InterMat Top 100 recruit to commit to the Gophers this recruiting season, joining No. 13 recruit Logan Storley (Webster, SD). Steven Keogh (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)Keogh on his decision to commit to Minnesota: "Minnesota has one thing on its side that most colleges don't, and that is history." Keogh on the recruiting process: "It was fun, but stressful. It was sort of a rollercoaster. But with the help from my family and coaches I think that I made the right decision." Keogh on his decision to transfer to Apple Valley after his sophomore season:"I wanted to get better, more national attention, and I wanted to be a part of the best team in the nation. I also wanted to wrestle Division I and going to Apple Valley would be the best place to prepare me for that." Keogh on his goals before arriving at Minnesota: "Repeat state champ, undefeated season, and a Fargo title." Keogh on his goals at Minnesota: "Simple. NCAA champion." No. 58 Stevan Knoblauch (Clovis West, CA) College Choice Grand Canyon Projected College Weight Class: 125 Knoblauch, a state runner-up as a sophomore, may have flown under the radar a bit after an injury prevented him from competing for a state title as a junior. He won the Reno Tournament of Champions last season and should make an immediate impact at Grand Canyon. Knoblauch on his decision to commit to Grand Canyon: "The reason I chose Grand Canyon was the fact they had a smaller campus. When I went to visit I felt at home there. Also it's not too far from home." Stevan Knoblauch (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Knoblauch on the disappointment of being injured last season: "It was really hard last year to watch my teammates wrestle as I sat on the side. I'm just happy I will be able to wrestle this year. If I had surgery I would have not been able to wrestle this year as well." Knoblauch on his college wrestling goals: "My goal in college is just to do the best I can. Hopefully become a national champion." Knoblauch on the wrestling accomplishment he's most proud of: "The accomplishment I'm most proud of is winning Reno TOC. I'm hoping this year I will have another win." Knoblauch on wrestling in California: "I believe California has some of the best wrestlers in the nation. It is pretty awesome for as big of a state California is we have one true champion." No. 66 Connor Medbery (Loveland, CO) College Choice Wisconsin Projected College Weight Class: 285 Medbery, a two-time Colorado state champion, NHSCA Nationals champion, Cadet Nationals champion, and multiple-time Junior Nationals All-American, will be joining high school teammate Tyler Graff at Wisconsin. He also plays running back and linebacker for Loveland's football team, and is one of the state's top football players. He rushed for 315 yards in a single game this season. Medbery on his decision to commit to Wisconsin: "Overall, Wisconsin just seemed like the perfect fit for me. It has everything I was looking for and more. When I was out on my official visit I just knew it was the place for me to accomplish my wrestling goals and academic goals. I really connected with the coaches and the team. The icing on the cake was that it had a physical therapy program, and since that is what I want to study I knew this is where I should be." Medbery on whether he enjoys football or wrestling more ... and why: "Honestly, they are really close. They both have their perks. Football is a team sport, so it builds more team unity, but wrestling has some team aspects as well as individual aspects. It was a tough decision to pick one over the other, but I think leaving the sport of wrestling would have been impossible. I have more that I want to accomplish to reach my ultimate goals." Medbery on his relationship with Tyler Graff: "I was fortunate enough to have one year in high school with Tyler and he really helped me develop as a wrestler. He is a perfect example of hard work and dedication and how it can be so helpful and pay off in the long run. Knowing that he will be there with me in Wisconsin is incredible and makes me even more excited knowing I have someone there from my high school that I already know and connect with." Medbery on his college wrestling goals: "My goals for college wrestling are set to the highest possible potential. I want to be a four-time national champ. I am aware that this will take hard work and many hours of training, but I know it is my goal and what I want to achieve. I also want to help my team win a national title." Medbery on studying physical therapy at Wisconsin: "This subject is a big interest to me. Ever since I took anatomy last year I knew it was what I wanted to do. I also feel this will keep me connected with the two sports I love for the rest of my life." No. 74 Vincent Waldhauser (Oak Ridge, CA) College Choice Virginia Projected College Weight Class: 165 Virginia added to an already strong and deep recruiting class with the addition of Waldhauser, a state runner-up and NHSCA Nationals All-American. Waldhauser on his decision to commit to Virginia: "The reason I chose Virginia is because the campus was amazing. I got along very well with the coaches, and I really liked all the guys on the team. I felt like the tradition that Virginia had was incredible and I really liked that aspect that they had to offer." Vincent Waldhauser (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Waldhauser on Virginia coach Steve Garland: "The reason I like Coach Garland so much is because he is such a great guy and has such an outgoing personality. He is kind of wiry, which I think is awesome, but he is so well known around campus and by other colleges for being such a standup character and I really enjoy that about him." Waldhauser on his wrestling style: "I would have to say my wrestling style is mostly aggressive. I don't like to mess around. I just attack, attack, attack, and try to tire my opponent out because I think I can wrestle better tired than my opponent can. Also, I think I'm pretty well known on top for pinning people. I enjoy being on top the most also. Waldhauser on his emotions after finishing as a state runner-up: "My emotions on finishing as the state runner up were pretty sad. I really think I could've won state and the guy that beat me is an excellent wrestler. I'm not trying to take anything from him, but I just believed I could have won in my heart and it was crushing that I didn't. I got second, though, and that's good, but it's not quite the best yet." Waldhauser on what he enjoys outside of wrestling: "The things I enjoy outside of wrestling would be hanging out with my good friends. I mean wrestling is my No. 1 love. It's what I enjoy doing the most, so usually I just wrestle when I don't have to. But I'd say hanging out with friends, boating maybe, and just doing things outside because I love the outdoors. " No. 90 Harrison Honeycutt (Lake Norman, NC) College Choice North Carolina State Projected College Weight Class: 197 Honeycutt, a two-time state champion, will take a 105-match winning streak into his senior season. He has placed multiple times in Fargo and was a Super 32 Challenge runner-up in 2009. Harrison HoneycuttHoneycutt on his decision to commit to North Carolina State: "I feel great about my decision to attend North Carolina State. It's a program that is quickly improving and I'm happy to soon be a part of it." Honeycutt on wrestling at 197 pounds in college after wrestling at 215 pounds in college: "I think 197 is a good weight for me. I weigh about 205, so it's a good fit." Honeycutt on the importance of winning his third state title: "It is very important for me to win my third state title. Not very many people get the opportunity to be a three-time state champ." Honeycutt on the wrestler he admired the most while growing up: "The wrestler I admired the most while growing up was Alexander Karelin. He was so dominant in his Olympic years." Honeycutt on his college wrestling goals: "My college wrestling goals are to be a multiple-time All-American and help turn NC State into a national powerhouse."

SALEM, Va. -- The Iowa State wrestling team staged a furious comeback to topple Virginia Tech 17-16 after going down 10-0 after the first three matches Saturday at the Salem Civic Center. The Cyclones also took out 14th-ranked Kent State, 23-19. Iowa State junior Jerome Ward found his team needing a win in the last match of the dual to beat Virginia Tech. Ward stepped up for the team and defeated Chris Penny 6-4 to secure a 17-16 win for the Cyclones. The Cyclones got off to a slow start with losses at 285, 125 and 133 pounds, but Chris Drouin was determined to get the momentum going Iowa State's way. Drouin defeated returning All-American Chris Diaz in a hard-fought 2-1 victory. "Chris Drouin battled back in a match against a really tough kid," Iowa State head coach Kevin Jackson said. "It was a match that we needed to win and he went out there and got it done." Nate Carr, Jr. garnered the deciding takedown with only eight seconds left in overtime to defeat Brian Stephens at 149 pounds. Andrew Sorenson and Jon Reader came through with two of the most impressive performances of the Virginia Tech dual as both wrestlers pounded their opposition on their way to major decisions. "Andrew Sorenson came out and competed exactly like he trains, like a Cyclone," Jackson said. "He really took it to a kid that was rated ahead of him, and I really think that was the most important match in the dual for us. Jon Reader just came out and dominated, which is exactly what we expected of him." True freshman Matt Riley wrestled well but was unable to crack his opponent's defense in the match at 184-pounds, falling 1-0. After the 184-pound match, the team score was 16-14 in favor of Virginia Tech, but Ward would not allow the win to slip through the fingers of the Cyclones. Junior 285-pounder Kyle Simonson started off the Kent State dual in exciting fashion with a pin over Brenden Barlow, the 14th-ranked heavyweight in the nation. "Kyle's pin was a huge way for us to start the dual," Jackson said. "He is a pro the way that he wrestles and he sticks to what he does well. He pinned a highly-ranked kid, and I expect him to jump up in the rankings as well." In the first dual match of his Iowa State career, Brandon Jones dominated Sean Collins the entire match en route to 9-3 victory. Drouin immediately notched his second victory as a Cyclone with an 11-4 victory over Chase Skonieczny, while compiling well over three minutes of riding time. Nate Carr won another close match with a 2-1 decision victory over Marcell Clopton. Chris Spangler won a back-and-forth match over Ross Tice in overtime. Spangler notched the winning takedown with fifteen seconds left. Jon Reader dominated from the whistle in his match against Chris Estep. The two-time All-American piled up six takedowns in the third period to ice the dual with a 24-9 technical fall. Tyler Christensen and Phil Hawes suffered defeats from a pair of tough opponents to close out the dual. "We have to clean things up and improve before we hit the mat tomorrow," Jackson said. "We did not wrestle great today, but we won, and that is what matters. We expect to wrestle better and bring a lot of intensity tomorrow." The Cyclones will be back in action Sunday at the Hokie Open in Salem, Va. Iowa State vs. Virginia Tech 285 pounds - David Marone dec. Matt Gibson, 7-4 125 pounds - Jarrod Garnett dec. Patrick Hunter, 7-2 133 pounds - Devin Carter tech. Ben Cash, 23-8 141 pounds - Chris Drouin dec. Chris Diaz, 2-1 149 pounds - Nate Carr, Jr. dec. Brian Stephens, 6-4 157 pounds - Pete Yates dec. Trent Weatherman, 8-1 165 pounds - Andrew Sorenson mdec. Matt Epperly, 13-3 174 pounds - Jon Reader mdec. Nick Vetterlein, 14-6 184 pounds - Tommy Spellman dec. Matt Riley, 1-0 197 pounds - Jerome Ward dec. Chris Penny, 6-4 Iowa State vs. Kent State 285 pounds - Kyle Simonson pin Brenden Barlow, 6:18 125 pounds - Nic Bedelyon pin Patrick Hunter, 0:47 133 pounds - Brandon Jones dec. Sean Collins, 9-3 141 pounds - Chris Drouin dec. Chase Skonieczny, 11-4 149 pounds - Nate Carr, Jr. dec. Marcel Clopton, 2-1 157 pounds - Matt Cathell pin Trent Weatherman, 6:38 165 pounds - Chris Spangler dec. Ross Tice, 7-5 174 pounds - Jon Reader tech. Chris Estep, 24-9 184 pounds - Casey Newburg dec. Tyler Christensen, 8-2 197 pounds - Dustin Kilgore mdec. Phil Hawes, 13-2

Three years ago when Brandon Fifield first stepped foot into Leslie High School, head coach Todd Stern wasn't sure what to expect. "He weighed about 85 pounds and I knew he was a great wrestler who could win a couple state titles for us, but I never thought those state titles would come anywhere besides 103," said Stern, "I thought he would be a four-year 103-pounder." Fast forward to the fall of his senior year, and the former 85-pound fireplug is now one of the top recruits in the state, gunning for his second straight state title, and is now the most recent big-time senior to make his college commitment. Fifield, who is currently rated as the No. 7 senior recruit in Michigan, informed Michigan Grappler over the phone that he has verbally committed to wrestle for Michigan State next fall following his prep career. "I went on a visit and really liked the campus, the academics, and the coaches," said Fifield. "Plus I am really excited to work with Chris (coach Chris Williams)." The Leslie senior is the latest in a string of mid-Michigan prospects to announce plans of staying close to home and wrestle for the Spartans. "They are bringing in alot of really good recruits and I think being able to work out with Freddie(Rodriguez), Danny (Osterman), Brenan (Lyon), and the coaches will be a good situation," said Fifield. "I really like the a lot of the guys on the team." Fifield, who was projected by most to wrestle four years at 103, is now projected to compete at 133 pounds in college. He won the Division 4 state title at 112 pounds last year, and had strong showings at major national events last spring, last summer, and this fall. Not bad for someone who failed to qualify for states as a freshman 103-pounder. Fifield credits much of his success to Jeff Therrian, the man who has worked one-on-one with him over the past three years. "The summer before my freshman year I walked into his (Therrian's) basement and he weighed me in at under 80 pounds," said Fifield. "Training with him, putting in all the extra time, working out twice a day, lifting, running, drilling ... it's all paid off." The addition of Fifield makes the future Spartan lower weights look increasingly bright as Freddie Rodriguez verbally committed to the Green and White earlier this fall and is slated to join the Spartans in the fall of 2012, a year after Fifield. Rodriguez projects as a lifetime 125-pounder while Fifield, who wrestled 119 at the Grappler Fall Classic and Super 32 this fall, projects at 133 pounds for now, but with the amount of weight he has put on over the last three years - who knows? Stern says the best thing about Fifield is that no matter what weight he ends up or what happens with him, you always know what you're going to get -- everything he has. "Brandon still has some things to work on before he gets to MSU, but I am not worried about him. His work ethic has gotten him here and will get him to the next level. He is like the energizer bunny and you will have a hard time finding someone in better shape than him," said Stern. This article was published on MichiganGrappler.com. Original: http://www.michigangrappler.com/files/High_School/HS1011/fifield_MSU.html

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Tickets are on sale for the 2011 National Wrestling Coaches Association/Cliff Keen National Duals, which will take place Jan. 8-9, 2011, in the UNI-Dome. Top wrestlers from each collegiate athletic division (Divison I, II, III, NAIA, NJCAA and Women’s) will compete for a national dual title. The NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals is one of the largest collegiate national sporting events in the country, with more than 1,400 wrestlers and 80 teams attending. Tickets are available by visiting www.unitix.uni.edu or by calling 319-273-4TIX (4849). Ticket prices are as follows: All Tournament Pass: $45 All Tournament Senior/Student*: $35 All Sessions Group (10+): $30 One Day Session Pass: $25 One Day Session Senior/Student*: $20 One Day Session Group (10+): $10 * Must be under 18 or have a valid College ID

Hokie Open

Lincoln, Neb. -- The Nebraska wrestling team kicked off the 2010-11 season at the annual Red-White Wrestle-Offs on Friday, Nov. 5, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The 12th-ranked Huskers welcomed over 200 wrestling coaches from the region, as the Wrestle-Offs were held in conjunction with the 2010 Fall Coaches Clinic. The Wrestle-Offs marked the return of senior Jordan Burroughs, who missed the majority of last season with a knee injury. The Sicklerville, N.J. native was dominant in his return going 2-0, while recording a fall (2:56) in his first match against Jerad Gubbels. In his second match, Burroughs defeated freshman Robert Kokesh by a 10-4 decision to finish his night. Burroughs, now a 165-pounder, is the school’s only undefeated national champion after finishing the 2008-09 season with a 35-0 record. Mike Koehnlein, a 141-pound senior, also won both of his matches on the night defeating Blake Meeks, 4-0, after he opened the night with a 11-2 major decision victory over freshman Chad Stroh. Koehnlein is one of the Huskers’ four returning national qualifiers after making the NCAA Tournament a season ago. True freshman Cody Magrew was impressive in his Nebraska debut, taking down redshirt freshman Mike Klinginsmith twice on the night. In their second match of the night, the 157-pound Magrew was able to escape with a 5-3 overtime win to collect his second win. Nebraska opens the 2010-11 regular season on Sunday, Nov. 21 at the Buckeye Duals in Columbus, Ohio, when the Huskers take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Huskers will also dual Pittsburgh the same day in double-header action. A complete list of results is below. Wrestle-Off Results Mat One 157- Mike Klinginsmith (RFr.) vs. Cody Magrew (Fr.) Magrew by dec. over Klinginsmith, 4-0 141- Luis DeAnda (Fr.) vs. Blake Meeks (Fr.) Meeks by major dec. over DeAanda, 13-5 197-Livingston Lukow (So.) vs. Dustin Pond (NA) Lukow by dec. over Pond, 9-2 141- Mike Koehnlein (Sr.) vs. Chad Stroh (Fr.) Koehnlein by major dec. over Shroh, 11-2 141- Skylar Galloway (Fr.) vs. Greg Amos (Fr.) Amos by decision over Galloway, 3-1 157- Mike Klinginsmith (RFr.) vs. Cody Magrew (Fr.) Magrew by dec. over Klinginsmith, 5-3 (SV) 141- Mike Koehnlein (Sr.) vs. Blake Meeks (Fr.) Koehnlein by dec. over Meeks, 4-0 Mat Two 149/141- John Svoboda (Fr.) vs. Skylar Galloway (Fr.) Galloway by dec. over Svoboda, 3-2 165/174- Robert Kokesh (Fr.) vs. Jerad Gubbels (RFr.) Kokesh by dec. over Gubbels, 8-1 184- Spencer Johnson (Fr.) vs. James Nakashima (Sr.) Nakashima by dec. over Johnson, 5-2 184/197- Josh Ihnen (So.) vs. Matt Dwyer (Fr.) Ihnen by major dec. over Dwyer, 12-0 165- Jordan Burroughs (Sr.) vs. Jerad Gubbels (RFr.) Burroughs by fall over Gubbels, 2:56 133- Ridge Kiley (So.) vs. Karl Bonner (Fr.) Kiley by dec. over Bonner, 8-1 165- Jordan Burroughs (Sr.) vs. Robert Kokesh (Fr.) Burroughs by dec. over Kokesh, 10-4 149/141- John Svoboda (Fr.) vs. Greg Amos (Fr.) Svoboda by dec. over Amos, 5-1

SALEM, Va. -- The Virginia Tech wrestling team jumped out to a 10-0 lead, but the 25th-ranked Iowa State Cyclones came roaring back to beat the Hokies 17-16 Saturday afternoon in an exciting match at the loud and raucous Salem Civic Center. Both team won five matches, but Iowa State pi! cked up one more bonus win to pull the upset over the 13th-ranked Hokies. Tech jumped out to a 10-0 lead by winning the first three matches, but the Cyclones won the next two matches to make it 10-6 heading into the intermission. The match started at heavyweight with Tech’s David Marone picking up a 7-4 win over Matt Gibson. Marone, ranked 12th in the country after redshirting last year, gave up an early takedown, but reversed Gibson and got two more takedowns later to pick up the win. At 125 pounds, 10th-ranked Jarrod Garnett fell behind early to ISU’s Patrick Hunter, but battled back to take a 3-2 lead after the first period. He got an escape and a takedown in the third period and eventually got riding time to win 7-2. At 133 pounds, true freshman Devin Carter lived up to the hype with a dominating 23-8 technical fall over Ben Cash. Cash didn’t record an offensive point as Carter picked up eight takedowns and a reversal to highlight an impressive debut. However, he couldn’t get back points for the five team points, which ! would loom large at the end. At 141 pounds, Iowa State’s Chris Drouin - ranked 14th - used a reversal in the fourth period to upset eighth-ranked Chris Diaz, 2-1. The Cyclones pulled another upset at 149 pounds as unranked Nate Carr, Jr., picked up a takedown late in the sudden victory off a counter to Stephens’ near takedown to stun 16th-ranked Brian Stephens with a 6-4 win. After the break, 15th-ranked Pete Yates controlled the action at 157 pounds, but couldn’t get bonus points as he beat Trent Weatherman 8-1. At 165 pounds, 20th-ranked Andrew Sorenson of ISU dominated Tech’s Matt Epperly, who was ranked 15th. He used five takedowns and rode him for over two minutes as he picked up a 13-3 major decision. Fifth-ranked John Reader used six takedowns to control the match at 174 pounds as he picked up a 14-6 major decision over Tech’s Nick Vetterlein to give the Cyclones a 14-13 lead with two matches left. Tommy Spellman, ranked 11th in the country pulled out a 1-0 win over Matt Riley courtesy a third period escape at 184 pounds to give the Hokies a 16-14 lead with one match left. Tech sophomore Chris Penny gave it all he had against No. 10 Jerome Ward, wearing him down throughout the match. After a scoreless first period, Ward took a 3-0 lead before Penny reversed him. Penny cut it to 4-3, but Ward got a takedown and then held on with Penny having ahold of one leg on the edge of the mat as time ran out to pick up the 6-4 win and secure a 17-16 team win for Iowa State. While the Hokies wrestled well, they fell behind most of the time as Iowa State recorded the first offensive points in seven of the nine matches that featured an offensive point. Kent State defeated Chattanooga 24-12 and then Iowa State downed Kent State, 23-19. Tech (0-1) will host the Hokie Open Sunday at the Civic Center, welcoming a dozen teams and over 300 wrestlers to the arena. #25 Iowa State (1-0) 17; #13 Virginia Tech (0-1) 16 285: #12 David Marone (VT) dec. Matt Gibson, 7-4 125: #10 Jarrod Garnett (VT) dec. Patrick Hunter, 7-2 133: Devin Carter (VT) tech fall (4) Ben Cash, 23-8 (7:00) 141: #14 Chris Drouin (ISU) dec. #8 Chris Diaz, 2-1 149: Nate Carr, Jr. (ISU) dec. #16 Brian Stephens, 6-4 (SV) 157: #15 Pete Yates (VT) dec. Trent Weatherman, 8-1 165: #20 Andrew Sorenson (ISU) maj. dec. #15 Matt Epperly, 13-3 174: #5 John Reader (ISU) maj. dec. Nick Vetterlein, 14-6 184: #11 Tommy Spellman (VT) dec. Matt Riley, 1-0 197: #10 Jerome Ward dec. Chris Penny, 6-4 Kent State (1-0) 24; Chattanooga (0-1) 12 285: #14 Brendan Barlow (KSU) dec. Matt Lettner, 5-2 125: #6 Nic Bedelyon (KSU) maj. dec. Prescott Garner, 15-5 133: Sean Collins (KSU) dec. Cody Hood, 12-9 141: #7 Cody Cleveland (C) fall Chase Skonieczny, 5:22 149: Marcel Clopton (KSU) dec. Dean Pavlou, 5-4 157: Josh Condon (C) dec. Mallie Shuster, 3-1 (SV) 165: Ross Tice (KSU) dec. Brandon Wright, 5-2 174: Brandonn Johnson (KSU) maj. dec. Levi Clemons, 21-10 184: #19 Jason McCroskey (C) dec. Casey Newburg, 4-3 (TB1) 197: #3 Dustin Kilgore (KSU) maj. dec. Niko Brown, 14-4 #25 Iowa State (2-0) 23; Kent State (1-1) 19 285: Kyle Simonson (ISU) fall #14 Brendan Barlow, 6:16 125: #6 Nic Bedelyon (KSU) fall Patrick Hunter, :47 133: Brandon Jones (ISU) dec. Sean Collins, 9-3 141: #14 Chris Drouin (ISU) dec. Chase Skonieczny, 11-4 149: Nate Carr, Jr. (ISU) dec. Marcel Clopton, 2-1 157: Matt Cathell (KSU) fall Trent Weatherman, 6:38 165: Chris Spangler (ISU) dec. Ross Tice, 7-5 (SV) 174: #5 Jon Reader (ISU) tech fall Chris Estep, 24-9 (7:00) 184: Casey Newburg (KSU) dec. Tyler Christensen, 8-2 197: #3 Dustin Kilgore (KSU) maj. dec. Phillip Hawes

The #20 American University wrestling team opened its 2010-11 season Saturday with a pair of dominating wins at the Pentagon Duals, the first sporting event to ever be held inside the Pentagon. The Eagles beat Army 26-6 in its first dual of the day before taking down Franklin & Marshall 33-10. American (2-0) won eight of 10 bouts against Army (1-1), including an 18-1 second-period technical fall by #8 Ryan Flores over Christian Botero. The Black Knights picked up the first victory at 125 lbs. but the Eagles answered back with five straight wins to take control of the meet. Returning All-American #2 Steve Fittery earned his first victory of the season with a 7-1 decision at 157 lbs., while 2010 NCAA Qualifier #20 Daniel Mitchell also registered his first win at 197 lbs., 3-0. Ganbayar Sanjaa made a successful American debut with a 9-3 win at 149 lbs. and Matt Mariacher returned from a redshirt year with a hard fought 1-0 decision at 141 lbs. American returned to the mat against Franklin & Marshall (0-2) and picked up seven victories, five of which came with bonus points. Flores again highlighted the Eagles' efforts as pinned Daniel Canfield in just 1:04 for the fastest fall of the day. Fittery also recorded a first-period fall over Eric Norgard at the 2:43 mark. Sanjaa earned an impressive 18-3 technical fall while Patrick Graham posted a 17-7 major decision at 165 lbs. Thomas Barreiro, Fittery, Flores, Graham, Mariacher and Sanjaa each posted two wins on the day, while Kevin Tao, Corey Borshoff also picked up a win. The Eagles will return to action next Saturday, November 13, at the Brockport Invitational in Brockport, N.Y. Other teams competing in the tournament include #9 Oklahoma, #21 Rutgers, Maryland, Buffalo, Army and Brockport. #20 American 26, Army 6 125: Travis Coffey (Army) dec. Thomas Williams (AU), 3-2 133: Kevin Tao (AU) dec. Jordan Thome (Army), 7-4 141: Matt Mariacher (AU) dec. Casey Thome (Army), 1-0 149: Ganbayar Sanjaa (AU) dec. Daniel Young (Army), 9-3 157: #2 Steve Fittery (AU) dec. Rudy Chelednick (Army), 7-1 165: Patrick Graham (AU) dec. Jake Vetter (Army), 4-0 174: Collin Whittmeyer (Army) dec. Phillip Barreiro (AU), 10-4 184: Thomas Barreiro (AU) dec. Will Brown (Army), 4-3 197: #20 Daniel Mitchell (AU) dec. Ryan Ross (Army), 3-0 HWT: #8 Ryan Flores (AU) tech. fall Christian Botero (Army), 18-1 #20 American 33, Franklin & Marshall 10 125: Corey Borshoff (AU) dec. Matt Murray (F&M), 6-0 133: Jacob Bucha (F&M) dec. Glenn Donatelli (AU), 13-6 141: Matt Mariacher (AU) win by forfeit 149: Ganbayar Sanjaa (AU) tech. fall Andrew Murano (F&M), 18-3 157: #2 Steve Fittery (AU) fall Eric Norgard (F&M), 2:43 165: Patrick Graham (AU) major dec. Anthony Bongarzone (F&M), 17-7 174: Matt Fullowan (F&M) dec. Tanner Shaff (AU), 9-3 184: Thomas Barreiro (AU) dec. Matt Latessa (F&M), 9-5 197: Colin Ely (F&M) major dec. Kenny Clessas (AU), 10-1 HWT: #8 Ryan Flores (AU) fall Daniel Canfield (F&M), 1:04

EDINBORO, Pa. -- The 20th-ranked Purdue wrestling team opened its season with a 1-0-1 start at the Edinboro Comfort Suites Duals on Saturday, topping Hofstra University, 28-6, and tying Edinboro, 16-16. Seniors Colton Salazar, Logan Brown and Roger Vukobratovich and junior A.J. Kissel all went undefeated on the day, led by Vukobratovich’s nine team points and first pin of the season. The Boilermakers got off to a roaring start against Hofstra, taking upset wins in three of the first four matches over ranked Pride opponents. Freshman Camden Eppert got things started with a narrow 4-3 win over No. 16 125-pounder Steve Bonanno as Eppert scored a takedown in the second period and a reversal in the third to earn his first collegiate victory. Boilermaker junior Jake Fleckenstein followed up with an impressive 2-1 win over No. 6 Lou Ruggirello at 133 pounds, scoring the bout’s only takedown towards the end of the third period and riding the Hofstra senior to the buzzer. Hofstra got on the board at 141 as junior Vince Varela topped Purdue senior Akif Eren, 5-2, but senior Sam Patacsil got things back in motion for Purdue at 149 pounds with a 9-3 win over No. 18 Justin Accordino. Patacsil started quickly, scoring a takedown and three back points in the first and an escape in the second to build a 6-0 lead, and rode it in for the victory. No. 16 Salazar continued the trend at 157 for Purdue, taking down freshman Zach Clemente, 11-6, and Hofstra’s No. 10 165-pounder P.J. Gillespie battled back for the Pride with a 6-1 win over Boilermaker freshman Pat Kissel. Despite a couple tight scores, it was all Purdue the rest of the way. No. 12 174-pound senior Luke Manuel outlasted 15th-ranked Ryan Patrovich in a second-sudden victory, 4-2, while seventh-ranked A.J. Kissel edged Ben Clymer at 184 pounds, 2-1. Ninth-ranked Brown put on a takedown clinic at 197 pounds, posting a four-point technical fall win over Matt Loew, 25-10, and Vukobratovich put the exclamation point on the match by pinning Paul Snyder at the 6:06 mark of the heavyweight contest. In the match with the host Fighting Scots, the Boilermakers got themselves in a hole early, and found themselves without the services of Manuel, who was injured in his match against Hofstra, but managed to battle back to a tie. In a complete reverse of their first match, Purdue dropped three of the first four with Eren snagging the only win, a 5-4 victory over Vinny Pisani at 141. Patacsil came within an eyelash of toppling two ranked opponents on the day, suffering a 7-5 sudden victory loss to sixth-ranked Torsten Gillespie at 149 pounds. Salazar picked up his second win of the day at 157, edging Johnny Greisheimer, 4-3, but Patrick Kissel dropped a 9-1 major decision to Matthew Laird at 165, and fellow rookie Kyle Mosier lost in Manuel’s stead at 174 to Chris Hrunka, 10-3. The top of the Purdue order came up clutch to prevent the loss as A.J. Kissel rolled out an 11-0 major decision over Kenneth Massey, Brown notched an 8-3 win over Shawn Fendone and Vukobratovich earned a 12-7 decision over Ernest James. While Vukobratovich’s nine team points were a team high, Brown and A.J. Kissel were right behind with seven apiece, and Salazar notched six. The Old Gold and Black return to action next weekend, heading to Big Ten rival Michigan State for the Spartans’ open tournament on Saturday. Visit PurdueSports.com this week for a full preview of the event. Results #20 Purdue 28 – Hofstra 6 125: Camden Eppert (PU) def. #16 Steve Bonanno (HU), D 4-3 (3-0) 133: Jake Fleckenstein (PU) def. #6 Lou Ruggirello (HU), D 2-1 (6-0) 141: Vince Varela (HU) def. Akif Eren (PU), D 5-2 (6-3) 149: Sam Patacsil (PU) def. #18 Justin Accordino (HU), D 9-3 (9-3) 157: #16 Colton Salazar (PU) def. Zach Clemente (HU), D 11-6 (12-3) 165: #10 P.J. Gillespie (HU) def. Patrick Kissel (PU), D 6-1 (12-6) 174: #12 Luke Manuel (PU) def. #15 Ryan Patrovich (HU),SV2 4-2 (15-6) 184: A.J. Kissel (PU) def. Ben Clymer (HU), D 2-1 (18-6) 197: #9 Logan Brown (PU) def. Matt Loew (HU), TF4 25-10 (6:34) (22-6) 285: Roger Vukobratovich (PU) def. Paul Snyder (HU) Fall 6:06 (28-6) #20 Purdue 16 – Edinboro 16 125: Evan Yenolevich (EU) def. Camden Eppert (PU), D 7-5 (0-3) 133: Eric Morrill (EU) def. Jake Fleckenstein (PU), D 8-4 (0-6) 141: Akif Eren (PU) def. Vinny Pisani (EU), D 5-4 (3-6) 149: #6 Torsten Gillespie (EU) def. Sam Patacsil, SV 7-5 (3-9) 157: #16 Colton Salazar (PU) def. Johnny Greisheimer(EU), D 4-3 (6-9) 165: Matthew Laird (EU) def. Patrick Kissel (PU), MD 9-1 (6-13) 174: Chris Hrunka (EU) def. Kyle Mosier (PU), D 10-3 (6-16) 184: #7 A.J. Kissel (PU) def. Kenneth Massey (EU), MD 11-0 (10-16) 197: #9 Logan Brown (PU) def. Shawn Fendone (EU), D 8-3 (13-16) 285: Roger Vukobratovich (PU) def. Ernest James (EU), D 12-7 (16-16)

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- The No. 22 Virginia wrestling team posted a dominating performance Saturday in rolling to wins over Anderson (41-6), Rider (38-0) and Gardner-Webb (50-0) in its season-opening matches at Memorial Gymnasium. Virginia lost just one of its 30 bouts, with the lone defeat coming in a forfeit. Twenty-one of Virginia's 29 wins resulted in bonus points - seven by fall. Jon Fausey (R-Fr., Dalmatia, Pa.) had three big wins at 184 pounds, with a major decision, technical fall and pin. Freshman 133-pounder Joe Spisak (Boiling Springs, Pa.) recorded a pair of pins and added a 14-2 major decision over Rider's Jimmy Kirchner, a 2010 NCAA qualifier who was ranked No. 18 nationally in the preseason by Amateur Wrestling News. Nick Nelson (R-Jr., Pittsburgh, Pa.) added a pair of major decisions and a tech fall at 141. With three wins on the day at 174 pounds (two falls, one decision), second-ranked Chris Henrich (Sr., Lansdale, Pa.) upped his career total to 104 victories as he moved into fifth place on the UVa career wins ledger. Matt Snyder (R-So., Lewistown, Pa.), Derek Valenti (Jr., Newton, N.J.), Conner Miller (Fr., Washington, Va.) and Jack Danilkowicz (R-Sr., Green Oaks, Ill.) also recorded three wins apiece for Virginia. Virginia opened the day with a 41-6 victory over Anderson. UVa's lone defeat came in a forfeit at 197 pounds. Seven of the Cavaliers' wins resulted in bonus points. The Cavaliers then blanked Rider, but the match overall was much closer with five bouts coming by decision. The match of the day came at 149 pounds, where Valenti scored an escape point in the second tiebreaker period, then rode out Zac Cibula for the final 30 seconds to pick up a 2-1 win. In the finale Saturday Virginia shut out Gardner-Webb, 50-0, with another dominating effort. Nine of the 10 matches resulted in bonus points. The 50-point margin of victory is tied for the fifth-largest winning margin in program history. It also marked the fifth-most points Virginia has ever scored in a dual. Virginia will travel to Hershey, Pa., next Saturday (Nov. 13) for the Hershey Duals. UVa will wrestle The Citadel, Kent State and Edinboro. Virginia 41, Anderson 6 125: Matt Snyder (UVa) tech fall Andrew Rankin (AU), 7:00, 17-2; UVa 5-0 133: Joe Spisak (UVa) pinned Joseph Perry (AU), 4:10; UVa 11-0 141: No. 16 Nick Nelson (UVa) tech fall Caleb Swinson (AU), 6:34, 18-3; UVa 16-0 149: No. 20 Derek Valenti (UVa) major dec. Dan Telhada (AU), 11-3; UVa 20-0 157: Danny Clarke (UVa) dec. Nicholas Giulliette (AU), 7-4; UVa 23-0 165: Conner Miller (UVa) major dec. Jordan Lide (AU), 19-5; UVa 27-0 174: No. 2 Chris Henrich (UVa) pinned Trevor Sanford (AU), 2:56; UVa 33-0 184: Jon Fausey (UVa) tech fall Sean O'Connell (AU), 5:20, 15-0; UVa 38-0 197: Zoi Ouellette (AU) wins by forfeit; UVa 38-6 285: Jack Danilkowicz (UVa) dec. Chase Duke, (AU), 7-3; UVa 41-3 Virginia 38, Rider 0 125: Matt Snyder (UVa) dec. Chuck Zeisloft (RU), 5-2; UVa 3-0 133: Joe Spisak (UVa) major dec. Jimmy Kirchner (RU), 14-2; UVa 7-0 141: Nick Nelson (UVa) major dec. Aaron Nestor (RU), 11-3; UVa 11-0 149: Derek Valenti (UVa) dec. Zac Cibula (RU), 2-1 (TB2); UVa 14-0 157: Shawn Harris (UVa) dec. Ramon Santiago (RU), 7-1; UVa 17-0 165: Conner Miller (UVa) dec. James Brundage (RU), 9-2; UVa 20-0 174: Chris Henrich (UVa) dec. Rob Morrison (RU), 7-3; UVa 23-0 184: Jon Fausey (UVa) major dec. Joseph Ferber (RU), 10-0; UVa 27-0 197: Mike Salopek (UVa) tech fall Chris Spagnola (RU), 5:35, 18-3; UVa 32-0 285: Jack Danilkowicz (UVa) pinned Evan Craig (RU), 4:32; UVa 38-0 Virginia 50, Gardner-Webb 0 125: Matt Snyder (UVa) pinned Brett Kostern (GW), :38; UVa 6-0 133: Joe Spisak (UVa) pinned Alex Hamm (GW), 3:25; UVa 12-0 141: Nick Nelson (UVa) major dec. Lucas Dutch (GW), 16-5; UVa 17-0 149: Derek Valenti (UVa) major dec. Morgan McDaniel (GW), 13-2; UVa 22-0 157: Shawn Harris (UVa) dec. Alex Medved (GW), 4-2; UVa 25-0 165: Conner Miller (UVa) pinned Justin Guthrie (GW), 1:49; UVa 31-0 174: Chris Henrich (UVa) tech fall Erin O'Dell (GW), 2:56, 17-2; UVa 36-0 184: Jon Fausey (UVa) pinned Taylor McClain (GW), 1:16; UVa 39-0 197: No. 17 Mike Salopek (UVa) major dec. Travis Porter (GW), 10-1; UVa 44-0 285: Jack Danilkowicz (UVa) wins by forfeit; UVa 50-0 Rider 49, Anderson 0 125: Ray De La Nuez (RU) major dec. Andrew Rankin (AU), 16-6; RU 4-0 133: Jimmy Kirchner pinned Joseph Perry (AU), 2:19; RU 10-0 141: Aaron Nestor (RU) pinned Caleb Swinson (AU), 2:07, RU 16-0 149: Fred Rodgers (RU) major dec. Dan Telhada (AU), 14-4; RU 20-0 157: Ramon Santiago (RU) wins by forfeit; RU 26-0 165: Frank Miele (RU) major dec. Jordan Lide, 16-3; RU 30-0 174: Rob Morrison (RU) major dec. Trevor Sanford (AU), 10-2; RU 34-0 184: Joseph Ferber (RU) pinned Sean O'Connell (AU), 4:51; RU 40-0 197: Chris Spagnola (RU) wins by forfeit; RU 46-0 285: Evan Craig (RU) dec. Chase Duke (AU), 7-4; RU 49-0 Rider 32, Gardner-Webb 6 125: Chuck Zeisloft (RU) dec. Brett Kostern (GW), 7-4; RU 3-0 133: Jimmy Kirchner (RU) dec. Alex Hamm (GW) 3-2; RU 6-0 141: Aaron Nestor (RU) dec. Richie Spicel (GW), 5-4; RU 9-0 149: Zac Cibula (RU) dec. Ryan Medved (GW), 6-0; RU 12-0 157: Alex Medved (GW) dec. Ramon Santiago (Rider), 5-8; RU 12-3 165: James Brundage (RU) tech fall Justin Guthrie (GW), 19-4 (4:40); RU 17-3 174: Rob Morrison (RU) pinned Erin O'Dell (GW), (2:20); RU 23-3 184: Joseph Ferber (RU) dec. Taylor McClain (GW), 6-0; RU 26-3 197: Travis Porter (GW) dec. Chris Spagnola (RU), 6-0; RU 26-6 285: Evan Craig (RU) won by forfeit; RU 32-6 Anderson 22, Gardner-Webb 19 125: Andrew Rankin (AU) dec. Brett Kostern (GW), 16-11; AU 3-0 133: Alex Hamm (GW) dec. Ian Harper (AU), 7-3; 3-3 141: Richie Spicel (GW) major dec. Caleb Swinson (AU), 11-3; GW 7-3 149: Ryan Medved (GW) dec. Dan Telhada (AU), 8-2; GW 10-3 157: Alex Medved (GW) won by injury default; GW 16-3 165: Justin Guthrie (GW) dec. Jordan Lide (AU), 9-3; GW 19-3 174: Trevor Sanford (AU) pinned Erin O'Dell (GW), 4:17; GW 19-9 184: Sean O'Connell (AU) major dec. Taylor McClain (GW), 15-5; GW 19-13 197: Zoi Ouellette (AU) dec. Travis Porter (GW), 3-2; GW 19-16 285: Chase Duke (AU) won by forfeit; AU 22-19 **rankings according to InterMat

Salem Duals

BOSTON, MA -- With the Buffalo Bulls wrestling squad chomping at the bit to open a highly anticipated season, the team hit the road and jumped out to an impressive lead over Boston University Friday night. The team won three of the first four matches and held on for a 20-15 win to start the season on a high note. Senior Jimmy Hamel picked up right where he left off, winning 3-1 for his 89th career win, this time at his new weight class of 184. This was also his first dual meet in his home state, as the Natick, MA native led off the match with an important win for the team. After Boston squared the match back up at 3-3, sophomore heavyweight Brett Correll earned a 6-1 decision in his first match after missing most of last season due to injury. In the very next matchup, Taylor Golba made a terrific comeback to give the Bulls three crucial points. Down 5-0 going into the third period, the Buffalo, NY native went on a tear and had three takedowns and rode his opponent out to force an overtime period. Just fifteen seconds into extra time, Golba had yet another takedown to complete the comeback win at 125 pounds. One of the marquee matchups of the night was at 133 pounds, where redshirt junior Kevin Smith took on 20th ranked Fred Santiate in a meeting of nationally ranked grapplers. Smith fell just shy of the win, losing 3-2 in a dramatic finish to the match. Again the Bulls rallied though, as Chris Conti earned a 7-0 shutout at 141 pounds. The team got a big point boost in the 149 pound match, as defending Mid American Conference champion Desi Green earned a tech fall in a 22-6 win. The junior - who owns the program's single-season record for takedowns - proved why, picking up five in the first period alone before his tech fall helped the Bulls earn five points for a 17-6 lead in the overall meet. Mark Lewandowski padded the lead in the team's final win of the night, a 7-1 win at 157 pounds. His opponent was the Minnesota state champion as a high school senior, but the Depew, NY native earned three near-fall points in the second period to take control of the match. The win extended the Buffalo lead in the all-time series between the two schools, with the last meeting coming in 1998. With the season now officially underway and the team returning home 1-0, the Bulls return home to host the annual UB Open Sunday morning in an all-day event. The non-team-scoring event will feature wrestlers and teams that are among the NWCA/NCAA top 25 in the nation. Results: 184: Jimmy Hamel (BUF) dec. Bran Crudden (BU), 3-1 197: John Hall (BU) dec. Josh Peters (BUF), 9-5 285: Brett Correll (BUF) dec. Kyle Innis (BU), 6-2 125: Taylor Golba (BUF) dec. Bubba McGinley, 8-6 (sv) 133: Fred Santaite (BU) dec. Kevin Smith (BUF), 3-2 141: Chris Conti (BUF) dec. Ian Squires (BU), 7-0 149: Desi Green (BUF) tech. fall Nestor Taffur (BU), 23-6 157: Mark Lewandowski (BUF) dec. Nick Tourville, 7-1 165: Kyle Czarnecki (BU) dec. John-Martin Cannon (BUF), 3-1 174: Hunter Meys (BU) pinned Brian Sheehan (BUF) (1:12)

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- It was a dominant season-debut for the 17th-ranked Lehigh wrestling team as the Mountain Hawks rolled to a 45-0 win over Drexel Friday night inside Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Lehigh earned bonus points at seven of the ten weight classes, including pins by junior Sean Bilodeau, freshman Austin Meys and junior Zach Rey in the Mountain Hawks' first shutout victory since 2006. “It's a great way to start the season,” said Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro. “Our freshmen came did well against some good opponents. We wrestled hard and built leads which was nice to see.” A Drexel forfeit staked Lehigh to an early 6-0 lead before the Mountain Hawks' two true freshmen posted back-to-back bonus wins to stake Lehigh to a 15-0 lead. At 133 Frank Cagnina rolled to a 16-4 major decision over Frank Cimato. Cagnina led 5-2 after two periods but broke the bout open with two five-point moves in the third. Stephen Dutton followed with a 16-0 technical fall over Josh Yurasits at 141. Dutton scored a takedown and two three-point near falls in the first period then added an escape, a takedown and a three-pointer in the second, before ending the match with an early takedown in the third. “The freshmen gave us a great start,” Santoro said. “I'm proud of the way they wrestled. It's just the beginning. There's still a lot of work to be done but overall the team wrestled well. Drexel came to wrestle like we knew they would and we had to out fight them.” The closest bout of the night came at 149 where Austin Sommer led 2-0 on sophomore Joey Napoli after a takedown at the first period buzzer. Napoli rode out the second period and used a third-period escape plus riding time to force overtime. After a scoreless sudden victory period, Napoli rode out Sommer in the first tiebreak and gained an escape in the second to win 3-2. Bilodeau sent Lehigh into intermission up 24-0 with a first period pin of Charles Aungst. The Massachusetts native yielded the first takedown, but reversed to tie the bout at two. After an Aungst escape, Bilodeau threw the Dragon onto his back. After a lengthy struggle, the referee slapped the mat at 2:47 to signal the fall. Lehigh kept things rolling after the break as junior Brandon Hatchett and sophomore Robert Hamlin sandwiched wins by decision over Meys' second period pin of Justin Wieller. Meys used his strength and three-quarter nelson to secure the fall at 4:47. In one of the more anticipated bouts of the evening, junior Joe Kennedy earned a 3-1 decision over Bethlehem native Brandon Palik, one of four Lehigh Valley products in the Dragons lineup. A first-period takedown was the difference for Kennedy. In the final bout of the evening, top-ranked heavyweight Zach Rey made his season debut in style, building an 11-4 lead before pinning Jon Max Wright at 5:35. It was Lehigh's first home shutout since December, 2002 against Rider, and first overall since a 40-0 blanking of Brown on January 28, 2006. The Mountain Hawks will now take to the road next weekend for two key matches against in-state rivals. Lehigh will visit No. 14 Pittsburgh on Friday November 12 and No. 6 Penn State on Sunday in the 99th meeting between the two long time rivals. Results: 125 – Mitch Berger (LU) wins by forfeit 133 – Frank Cagnina (LU) maj. dec. Frank Cimato (DU) 16-4 141 – Stephen Dutton (LU) tech. fall Josh Yurasits (DU) 16-0, 5:27 149 – Joey Napoli (LU) dec. Austin Sommer (DU) 3-2, t.b. 157 – Sean Bilodeau (LU) fall Charles Aungst (DU) 2:47 165 – Brandon Hatchett (LU) dec. Joe Booth (DU) 9-2 174 – Austin Meys (LU) fall Justin Wieller (DU) 4:47 184 – Robert Hamlin (LU) dec. Jamie Callender (DU) 12-7 197 – Joe Kennedy (LU) dec. Brandon Palik (DU) 3-1 285 – Zach Rey (LU) fall Jon Max Wright (DU) 5:35 Attendance – 1,881 Referee – George Chilmonik

Ohio State received a verbal commitment from College Park HS senior Orry Elor on Thursday evening. A standout in the Olympic styles, Elor is a three-time Greco-Roman All-American, a two-time national champion, and a returning California state placewinner. Orry Elor (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)"I am absolutely certain that there is not a better school for me than Ohio State," stated Elor over the phone. “The wrestling program is one of the elite; the coaches are awesome, and the academics are great. With the Ohio RTC and guys like JD (Bergman), Tommy (Rowlands), and Tervel Dlagnev training on campus I do not believe there is a better school or training opportunity for a heavyweight wrestler anywhere in the United State than wrestling for the Buckeyes." In only three years of wrestling Orry has quickly built an impressive resume. As a high school freshman he placed fifth at Fargo in Greco-Roman and came back to win the 2009 Cadet and 2010 Junior National Championships. He was also a double finalist at the 2010 FILA Cadet Nationals in both freestyle and Greco. "I decided to start wrestling because a lot of people thought it would help me improve for football. Growing up I played a lot of basketball, I worked hard every practice, every game, and just having fun, but I don't know if I ever saw the results. When I started wrestling, I could see the results of my work and improvement from practice to practice and match to match," offered Orry when speaking of his start it wrestling. Elor became a fulltime varsity starter as a high school junior and was one of the favorites to win the state title before an upset in quarters and a concussion in the consolations forced him to default to eighth place at state. He ended the year 36-4 after defaulting from his last two matches. "I was really disappointed with how last season ended and I am using that to motivate me for my senior year. It was my first trip to state, I really didn't know what to expect. I don't think I wrestled my best but I do think I learned a lot from the experience," said Orry. A year-round wrestler since his freshman year, Orry trains with the CYC Wrestling Club in Concord, California and is coached by Mark Halvorson. Ohio State senior All-American, Nikko Triggas came up through the same club and still works with Halvorson during the off-season. "I gave up football after my sophomore year because I thought wrestling was where I had the most potential. If wrestling was my future, than I figured I would be better off using that time to focus on school and getting more experience on the mat," explained Elor. "This will only be my fourth year in the sport so I think I still have a lot to learn. I considered other schools like Iowa and Oklahoma State, but I really think that the training enviroment at Ohio State will help me realize my full potential. Wrestling year round has helped me tremendously and I owe a lot to my coaches and teammates for helping me get to where I am." "I think Ohio State has an outstanding tradition of having great heavyweights. There are national champions, All-Americans, and NCAA finalists and I hope that with hard work I am able to accomplish some of the same things. I look up to guys like Tommy Rowlands and to get to wrestle him, see how he trains, and to learn from his experiences is priceless," concluded Orry. Elor is a honor roll student with a 3.89 GPA. "I don't think I am super smart person, but I think I have worked hard in school and I am proud of my grades. I am not a great test taker, so it is a lot like wrestling, if you work hard you can accomplish a lot," offered the future Buckeye. "Hard work pays off and my goal is to get better everyday whether it is in the class room or on the wrestling mat." Elor is the fifth wrestler to give a verbal commitment to Ohio State joining Hunter Stieber, Cam Tessari, Johnni DiJulius, and Kenny Courts. All five wrestlers are expected to sign their National Letters of Intent during the November signing period and will be on campus next fall. InterMat was granted permission to republish this article from BuckeyeWrestling.com. http://www.buckeyewrestling.com/?q=node/37592

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Takedown Wrestling Media’s Scott Casber, Olympic Silver medalist and 3 time NCAA Division One Champion Stephen Abas and 2001 NCAA Champion Adam Tirapelle will have the call at the 45th Annual All-Star Classic, live, from the Selland Arena in Fresno, California. On November, 21 at 2:00 PM, Pacific time, twenty of the preseason’s top ranked wrestlers will face off, in order to help save California wrestling. All proceeds from this year’s web cast will go directly to the Save California Wrestling Fund. Make sure to not miss a minute of some of the best preseason wrestling in the nation, LIVE and online. Live action from the event will be available on LiveSportsVideo.com for a pay-per-view subscription of $7.00. Click here to order and watch the games. Based in Syracuse, N.Y., LiveSportsVideo.com was founded by Bob Feldmeier, Sr. and Jake Feldmeier, both former student-athletes at Princeton, and holds U.S. Patent Number 7,340,765 for streaming and archiving sports online. Any wrestling program choosing to stream their content online can utilize this service for free. Please Contact Westbrook Shortell for more information. The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a professional organization dedicated to serve and provide leadership for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on scholastic and collegiate wrestling programs. The membership embraces all people who are interested in amateur wrestling.

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- A year after winning the Southern Conference Wrestling tournament, UNCG has been selected by the league’s six wrestling coaches as the preseason favorite to win the crown in 2010-11. The coaches also voted on a 10-member preseason All-Southern Conference wrestling team. Head coach Jason Loukides’ UNCG squad garnered four first-place votes and 23 points to sit atop the poll. Senior Byron Sigmon, the 2010 SoCon champion at 174 pounds who was unbeaten in league matches a year ago, is the Spartans’ lone representative on the preseason all-conference team. The Spartans were picked first despite Chattanooga carrying a six-year, 30-match SoCon duals win streak into the season. The Mocs earned the other two first-place votes and 21 points overall in the balloting. Second-year coach Heath Eslinger has three preseason all-conference wrestlers on his squad, including two-time SoCon champion Cody Cleveland at 141 pounds. Cleveland, the SoCon champion at 141 and Tournament Most Outstanding Wrestler in both 2008 and ’09 as well as the 2009 SoCon Co-Wrestler of the Year, missed the majority of last season with an injury. Chattanooga’s Dean Pavlou (149) and Dan Waddell (157) were also voted to the preseason all-league team. Appalachian State and The Citadel tied for third place in the poll with 16 points apiece. Led by the 2010 SoCon Wrestler of the Year, Austin Trotman (184), the Mountaineers boast a trio of all-conference performers. At 125 pounds, Tony Gravely is the reigning SoCon champion while Dylan Temple looks to defend his title at 197. The Citadel, which claimed second place in last year’s tournament, is represented on the preseason all-conference team by returning champions Turtogtokh Luvsandorj and Odie Delaney. Luvsandorj is moving from 157 pounds to 165 this season while Delaney will wrestle as a heavyweight. VMI received eight points to rank fifth in the poll followed by Davidson with six points. The Wildcats’ Alex Radsky, who became Davidson’s first individual Southern Conference champion since 1969 with a win last year, is the preseason choice at 133 pounds. Gravely, Radsky, Pavlou, Luvsandorj, Sigmon, Trotman, Temple and Delaney were all winners at the 2010 SoCon Championships while Cleveland is a two-time champion from previous seasons. The 2010-11 Southern Conference wrestling season begins this Saturday, Nov. 6 when Chattanooga takes on Kent State in Salem, Va. and The Citadel hosts The Citadel Open. The remaining league teams start competition Sunday at the Hokie Open in Salem, Va. Appalachian State will host the 2011 Southern Conference Wrestling Championship in at the Holmes Convocation Center on March 5, 2011. 2010-11 SoCon Wrestling Preseason Coaches Poll School (First-place votes) Points 1. UNCG (4) 23 2. Chattanooga (2) 21 3. Appalachian State 16 The Citadel 16 5. VMI 8 6. Davidson 6 2010-11 SoCon Wrestling Preseason All-Conference Team 125 Tony Gravely, Appalachian State 133 Alex Radsky, Davidson 141 Cody Cleveland, Chattanooga 149 Dean Pavlou, Chattanooga 157 Dan Waddell, Chattanooga 165 Turtogtokh, Luvsandorj, The Citadel 174 Byron Sigmon, UNCG 184 Austin Trotman, Appalachian State 197 Dylan Temple, Appalachian State HWT Odie Delaney, The Citadel

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Purdue wrestling team officially starts its season this weekend, heading to Edinboro University for a pair of matches at the Fighting Scot Duals, hosted by Edinboro at McComb Fieldhouse Gymnasium on Saturday at 4 p.m. The Boilermakers open the dual schedule with Hofstra, followed by a contest with the host Fighting Scots at approximately 6 p.m. The Boilermakers enter the season with the most national attention they’ve had in recent history, carrying rankings as high as 13th in the various polls, a No. 20 mark in the NWCA Preseason Coaches’ Poll and ranked wrestlers at five of the 10 lineup spots. Purdue head coach Scott Hinkel thinks his team is ready to live up to expectations. “It’s great that people have set the bar high for us, but we’ve got it set even higher,” said Hinkel. “Our guys are hungry and have aspirations for national championships, All-America awards and Big Ten Championships. It should be a great year.” Purdue’s match with Hofstra should prove an outstanding dual match as the Pride are also scheduled to have five ranked grapplers in their starting lineup, including a pair of top-10 individuals. Receiving votes in the NWCA Preseason Coaches’ Poll and tabbed as high as No. 16 in the various polls, Hofstra is led by sixth-ranked, 133-pound senior Lou Ruggirello and No. 10, 165-pound junior P.J. Gillespie. Also cracking the top-20 individual standings for the Pride is 15th-ranked, 174-pound senior Ryan Patrovich, No. 16, 125-pound sophomore Steve Bonanno and 18th-ranked, 149-pound sophomore Justin Accordino, while 141-pound junior transfer student Vince Varela and junior 184-pounder Ben Clymer both topped the 20-win mark last season. Bonanno and Ruggirello return to the Pride lineup, sitting out the 2009-10 campaign after both tallied 28 victories in 2008-09, while freshmen Zach Clemente and Matt Loew will make their collegiate debuts at 157 and 197 pounds, respectively. Expect several major clashes in the Purdue-Hofstra dual, but most notably keep an eye on 174 and 184 pounds. The bout at 174 pits 12th-ranked Boilermaker senior Luke Manuel against Patrovich in a rematch from the 2009 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, where Manuel stuck Patrovich off a scramble just 1:37 into the match. The 184 pound contest features the return of seventh-ranked Purdue junior A.J. Kissel, who comes off a redshirt season with 36 career falls, including a Boilermaker record 19 in 2007-08, against Clymer. The event hosts have received their fair share of national attention heading into the season, riding the coattails of sixth-ranked, 149-pound senior Torsten Gillespie and No. 4, 184-pound junior Chris Honeycutt. Gillespie earned All-America honors with a sixth-place finish at the 2010 NCAA Championships, while Honeycutt redshirted last year after qualifying for nationals as a freshman and sophomore. The Fighting Scots are receiving votes in the coaches’ poll, but are ranked as high as 15th in the nation and are tied for 23rd in the nation with Purdue in InterMat’s Tournament Strength Rankings. Saturday’s 184-pound schedule contest between Kissel and Honeycutt is one of the biggest in the nation this weekend, pitting two preseason All-America picks against each other in a match that could carry weight all the way to NCAA Championship seedings. Other highlight contests come at 133 and 157 pounds as Purdue junior Jake Fleckenstein and Edinboro senior Eric Morrill square off at 133, while No. 16 Boilermaker senior Colton Salazar and Edinboro sophomore John Greisheimer clash at 157. Morrill moved up to 133 this season after 31 wins and a trip to nationals at 125 last year, while Fleckenstein drops to 133 pounds in the wake of a 15-6, injury shortened 2009-10 campaign. Salazar looks to get off on the right foot, aiming for the national podium after qualifying for the NCAA Championships in each of his first three seasons, and Greisheimer returns to Fighting Scot lineup after a 24-win season in 2009-10. For a full recap and results from Saturday’s action, visit PurdueSports.com Saturday night.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- The 102nd season of Lehigh wrestling officially begins Friday night as the 17th-ranked Mountain Hawks host the Drexel Dragons. Lehigh returns six starters from a team that posted a 16-3-1 dual meet record a year ago. The Mountain Hawks will be led by their upper weights, with four returning NCAA qualifiers, including junior Zach Rey who is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation at heavyweight. Lehigh will face a Drexel team that was 9-13 a year ago. Drexel coach Jack Childs is in his 35th and final season at the helm of the Dragon program and brings a team littered with Lehigh Valley products to town. Long Island native Joe Booth is Drexel’s lone ranked wrestler. After 101 seasons, Lehigh’s all-time dual meet record stands at 824-383-23, which ranks sixth among all Division I wrestling programs. Lehigh has won at least 12 duals in each of the last 11 seasons. Four upperclassmen will serve as captains for Lehigh in the 2010-11 season. Fourth-year juniors Brandon Hatchett and Rey along with true junior Joe Kennedy and third-year sophomore Robert Hamlin will captain the Mountain Hawks. All four wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Championships last season and all four are ranked in the preseason top 20 by Amateur Wrestling News. The four captains also comprise four of the five heaviest weight classes giving the Mountain Hawks strength at the back end of their lineup. Lehigh begins its 102nd season of wrestling Friday night. The Mountain Hawks have won both of their season openers under Pat Santoro, defeating Maryland in 2008 and Rider last year. Lehigh has opened its season against Drexel once before, winning 20-16 in Bethlehem on Nov. 16, 1994. Drexel also opens its season on Friday nightThe Dragons posted a 9-13 record last season and took fourth at the Colonial Athletic Association championships. Drexel qualified a pair of wrestlers for the NCAA Championships, including Joe Booth, who returns for his sophomore season. Booth was the CAA Co-Rookie of the Year last year and comes in ranked 20th nationally at 157. Lehigh has never lost a dual meet to Drexel as the Mountain Hawks lead the all-time series 15-0. The series began in 1992 and the teams have squared off once every season with four exceptions: 1998-99, 1999-00, 2004-05 and 2009-10. The Lehigh-Drexel match gets underway at 7 p.m. from Leeman-Turner Arena at Grace Hall. Tickets can be purchased by calling 610-7LU-GAME, by visiting the Lehigh Ticket Office located in Grace Hall or by logging on to Lehighsports.com.

The 2011 U.S. Open gets underway on Friday in Cleveland, Ohio. Several collegiate wrestlers are entered in the freestyle competition, including two NCAA Division I champions and six NCAA Division I All-Americans. Last year Andrew Howe captured a U.S. Open title after his true sophomore season at Wisconsin. Howe, a three-time All-American, will not compete at this year's U.S. Open, but is expected to wrestle at the U.S. World Team Trials. The 2010 U.S. Open saw 13 collegiate wrestlers place. Which collegiate wrestlers will shine this year at the U.S. Open? Below is a list of 10 collegiate wrestlers who could make an impact this weekend at the U.S. Open. Two-time NCAA champion Jordan Burroughs is the No. 5 seed (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Jordan Burroughs College: Nebraska Weight Class: 74 kg Outlook: Burroughs is coming off a dominant collegiate season. He went 36-0 and finished his collegiate wrestling career with his second NCAA title. Burroughs also won the Dan Hodge Trophy and was voted InterMat Wrestler of the Year. Expectations are very high for Burroughs in freestyle. Many believe he is the future for the U.S. in this weight class ... and some believe that future is now. He possess a rare combination of speed, power, and athleticism. As a collegiate competitor, Burroughs had wins over Andrew Howe, a 2010 U.S. Open champion, and Dustin Schlatter, a 2009 U.S. World Team Trials champion. Burroughs, the fifth seed, will have to navigate through a field that includes two past U.S. World Team members, Schlatter and Trent Paulson. Dom Bradley College: Missouri Weight Class: 120 kg Outlook: Bradley finally cracked the Mizzou lineup for the postseason as a junior, after sitting behind NCAA champion Mark Ellis the previous two seasons, and finished third at the NCAAs. Bradley was a 2009 Junior World champion in freestyle. He has fared well on the senior level and is a member of the U.S. National Team. He finished third U.S. World Team Trials the past two years. Last year he notched a victory over past U.S. World Team member Tommy Rowlands. Bradley, the third seed, is competing in a heavyweight class this is loaded with talent. It includes four past U.S. World or Olympic Team members. 2011 NCAA champion Dustin Kilgore is the No. 8 seed (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Dustin Kilgore College: Kent State Weight Class: 96 kg Outlook: "Killer" became Kent State's first NCAA champion in wrestling last month by winning the crown at 197 pounds with a pin over then-undefeated Clayton Foster of Oklahoma State. Kilgore has been successful in age group events throughout his career ... and last year he began making waves on the senior level by placing fourth at the U.S. World Team Trials. Kilgore grew up just outside Cleveland in Berea, Ohio, so having the U.S. Open in Cleveland might prove to be an advantage for him. He comes in as the No. 8 seed and will likely see 2009 U.S. World Team member Jake Varner in the quarterfinals. Sonny Yohn College: Minnesota Weight Class: 96 kg Outlook: Yohn earned his second straight All-American honor at Minnesota this past season by placing seventh at 197 pounds. He has a strong freestyle pedigree with success in age group events and on the senior level. Yohn placed fifth at the 2010 University World Championships last October in Turin, Italy. He was also fifth at the U.S. Open a year ago. If that's not enough fifths ... Yohn is the fifth seed at 96 kg. Jarod Trice is a two-time All-American at Central Michigan (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Jarod Trice College: Central Michigan Weight Class: 120 kg Outlook: "Doughboy" became a two-time All-American (with one season remaining) by placing fourth at the NCAAs last month. He has been very successful in age group events in both freestyle and Greco-Roman. Trice was a University Nationals double champion last spring. He competed at the 2010 University World Championships in Greco-Roman and placed eighth. if the seeds hold true at 120 kg, Trice, the seventh seed, will face 2009 World bronze medalist Tervel Dlagnev in the quarterfinals. Ryan Tomei College: Pittsburgh Weight Class: 120 kg Outlook: Tomei was the sixth-seeded heavyweight at the NCAAs last month, but was upset in the opening round. He came back to win two matches in the consolation bracket, but fell short of All-American honors. Tomei placed fifth at the U.S. Open in 2009. He earned the eighth seed at 120 kg. Mario Mason College: Rutgers Weight Class: 66 kg Outlook: Mason, a two-time NCAA qualifier, was ranked in the top 10 most of the season, even climbing to as high as third in the nation at 149 pounds. He entered the NCAAs as the No. 7 seed, but failed to earn All-American honors, going 2-2 and losing in the round of 12. Mason is a freestyle-first wrestler. He not only enjoys it more, but his style is better suited for freestyle than collegiate wrestling. He was inactive last spring, but in 2009 competed in both the U.S. World Team Trials and the FILA Junior World Team Trials. He went 1-2 at the U.S. World Teams Trials, but opened some eyes at that event by wrestling a competitive match against 2008 U.S. Olympian Dough Schwab. He was runner-up to Jason Chamberlain at the 2009 FILA Junior World Team Trials. Mason is unseeded at 66 kg. Frank Perrelli College: Cornell Weight Class: 55 kg Outlook: Perrelli had a strong season at Cornell, winning over 30 matches, but had a disappointing NCAAs, going 1-2 at 125 pounds. He was a University Nationals champion last spring, which qualified him for the 2010 U.S. World Team Trials, but chose not to compete. Perrelli is seeded eighth at 55 kg. Chris Honeycutt earned All-Americans honors at 184 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Chris Honeycutt College: Edinboro Weight Class: 84 kg Outlook: Honeycutt entered the NCAAs last month undefeated and as the top seed at 184 pounds. He wound up placing fifth to earn his first All-American honor. Honeycutt has been successful in freestyle age group events (fourth at the 2008 FILA Junior Nationals), but is still looking to make his mark on the senior level. P.J. Gillespie College: Hofstra Weight Class: 74 kg Outlook: Gillespie, a junior, earned his first All-American honor by placing eighth at 165 pounds after entering the NCAAs unseeded. He was a fifth-place finisher at University Nationals in freestyle in 2008. Gillespie is unseeded at 74 kg. Other collegiate wrestlers to watch at the U.S. Open: Jarrod Garnett (60 kg), Erik Spjut (60 kg), Billy Ashnault (66 kg), Frank Hickman (74 kg), Jake Salazar (74 kg), Nick Heflin (84 kg), C.J. Magrum (84 kg), Blake Rosholt (96 kg), Elijah Madison (120 kg), and Mike McClure (120 kg).