InterMat Staff

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Purdue wrestling team got into the holiday spirit last week, helping out in the West Lafayette community over three days. They rang the Salvation Army bells and sang Christmas carols outside Walmart last Wednesday, went to the Jubilee Christmas at Faith Presbyterian Church on Saturday and volunteered at Harrison High School’s wrestling tournament on Sunday. “I think it’s important that we do our part in the community,” said Boilermaker third-year head coach Scott Hinkel. “The holiday season is a great opportunity for our whole team to get out there and give a little back, getting out of their comfort zones and helping out those in need.” On Wednesday, the Boilermakers battled freezing temperatures outside of the West Lafayette Walmart, encouraging everyone passing by to give a little bit. The Purdue wrestlers rewarded those who did give with renditions of a variety of Christmas carols. The squad followed with a trip to Faith Presbyterian Church, attending their annual Christmas Jubilee on Saturday. The team spent the day with local families in need, wrapping presents, sharing stories and doing their best to spread some of the holiday spirit. Sunday returned the team a little closer to their element, heading over to Harrison High School to help out with an all day wrestling tournament. They officiated matches and worked tables throughout the day, working in waves to help out. The Boilermakers have their next competition on Sunday, Dec. 20, hosting four teams for the Purdue Duals. Purdue is scheduled to compete in four dual matches, starting at 10 a.m., in Holloway Gymnasium in the Intercollegiate Athletic Facility.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Needing a victory in the final match, Cal Poly 149-pounder Eric Maldonado earned a technical fall as the Mustangs beat Cal State Bakersfield 22-18 in a Pacific-10 Conference dual wrestling meet Wednesday night at the Icardo Center. The Mustangs, who at 3-0 have already equalled their dual meet win total of a year ago, received victories from Maldonado, Chase Pami, Ryan DesRoches and the Novachkov brothers, Boris and Filip. Cal Poly sent four nationally ranked wrestlers into the dual meet while the Roadrunners had a pair. None of the six met each other and all six were winners. Pami, Cal Poly’s lone returning NCAA All-American, opened the dual meet with a 15-4 major decision against Andrew Balch at 157 pounds. Pami, ranked Nos. 4, 5 and 6 by various publications, improved to 11-2 on the year. DesRoches continued his mastery pinning opponents, earning a fall in 7 minutes, 13 seconds, over Troy Goodban at 174 pounds. DesRoches, ranked for the first time this season at No. 25 by D1CollegeWrestling.net this week, scored a reversal for a 21-7 lead 15 seconds into the final period and pinned Goodban shortly thereafter for his 13th fall of the season. He is 16-4 on the year. Cal State Bakersfield won the next four matches to take an 18-10 lead. The victories included a 9-4 decision by No. 15-16-18 Riley Orozco over Mustang Ryan Smith at 197 and a 3-1 decision by Nos. 9-10 Mitch Monteiro against Jim Powers at 285. Cal Poly rallied with wins in the final three bouts for the dual meet victory, avenging last year’s 24-10 loss to the Roadrunners in Mott Gym. Sophomore Boris Novachkov, ranked Nos. 7-8-9 this week, blanked Justin Durham with a 9-0 major decision at 133, scoring three takedowns, one escape, one penalty point and riding time. Novachkov is now 12-0 on the year. His brother, Filip Novachkov, followed with a 7-5 win over Elijah Nacita at 141, improving to 12-2. Novachkov, ranked Nos. 3, 4 and 8, led all the way with three takedowns and an escape as Cal Poly closed the gap to 18-17. Finally, Maldonado wrapped up the Mustang dual meet victory with his 22-7 technical fall against Calvin Miller at 149. Maldonado, now 3-2 this season, led 2-1 after the first period and 7-2 after the second period before posting six takedowns and a two-point near fall in the final period to win going away. Cal State Bakersfield had won five of the last six meetings between the two schools after the Mustangs earned three straight wins from 2001-03. The Roadrunners still lead the all-time series 25-15-2 against Cal Poly. The Mustangs, ranked as high as No. 16 this week, beat Cal State Fullerton 26-13 on Nov. 14 and upset then-No. 10-ranked Missouri 22-15 on Nov. 20. Cal State Bakersfield, which fell 31-9 to No. 4 Minnesota in November, is now 0-2 on the year. Both teams will compete in the 15th Annual Reno Tournament of Champions on Sunday at the Reno Downtown Convention Center in Reno, Nevada. Results: 125 – Frank Lomas (CSUB) fall Micah Ferguson (CP), 5:00 133 – No. 9 Boris Novachkov (CSUB) maj. dec. Justin Durham (CSUB), 9-0 141 – No. 8 Filip Novachkov (CP) dec. Elijah Nacita (CSUB), 7-5 149 – Eric Maldonado (CP) tech. fall over Calvin Miller (CSUB) 22-7 157 – No. 6 Chase Pami maj. dec. Andrew Balch (CSUB), 15-4 165 – Joey Granata (CSUB) dec. Travis Rasmussen (CP), 10-3 174 – Ryan DesRoches (CP) fall Troy Goodban (CSUB), 5:13 184 – Mike Larson (CSUB) dec. Tyler Holt (CP), 9-5 197 – Riley Orozco (CSUB) dec. Ryan Smith (CP), 9-4 285 – No. 10 Mitch Monteiro (CSUB) dec. Jim Powers (CP), 3-1 Note: Dual meet started with 157-pound match.

Park Ridge, Ill. -- University of Minnesota wrestling heavyweight Ben Berhow was named Big Ten Wrester of the Week on Dec. 15, after posting a 2-0 mark last week. The honor is the first of his career for the junior, and he is the first Golden Gopher of the season named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week. A native of Hayward, Minn., Berhow's week began when Minnesota hosted Nebraska on Dec. 10. With Minnesota trailing 3-6 early in the match, the 11th ranked Berhow came up against seventh ranked Tucker Lane. In his previous two matches Berhow faced two wrestlers also ranked in the top-10, dropping narrow decisions in each. Berhow and Lane also matched up earlier in the season, with Lane earning a 3-1 overtime win. This time, Lane again took charge early, and held a 6-5 lead in the third period. A third period takedown by Berhow gave him a 7-6 lead as time began to wind down. Before the end of the third period, Lane was able to gain one last point on an escape, and regulation ended with the score tied 7-7. In the first overtime period, Berhow scored a takedown to end the match and earn the 9-7 win. The win also tied the match at 6-6, and the Gophers would not trail again on their way to the 28-14 victory. Three nights later, on Dec. 13, Berhow capped the Gophers dominating 41-3 win with a pin in the final match. The third-period fall was his second of the season, and his first in dual meet action. Berhow is now 7-3 on the season and 2-2 in duals. Berhow and the Gophers are currently ranked No. 6 in the country and are 3-1 in dual meets. They next compete at the Southern Scuffle on Dec. 29 and 30, hosted by the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Their first dual is against the current No. 2 team in the nation, Iowa State, and is in the Sports Pavilion on Jan. 3 at 2:00 p.m.

Jake Herbert

Trennis Henderson

Charlie Falck

Barry Davis

NEW CONCORD, Ohio -- The Waynesburg University wrestling team won every contested match and received three forfeits as they rolled over Muskingum by the score of 46-6 on Tuesday night. Freshman 125-pounder Alex Crown got the night started right with a pin in 37 seconds over Shawn Feistamel. The Jackets received forfeits at 133 and 141 pounds, extending their advantage to 18-0. At 149, the Jackets kept the big wins coming as sophomore Jesse Byerly rolled to a 20-3 technical fall victory over Kenny Poland. Sophomore Garrett Johnston followed with a 10-0 major decision win over Ralph Geesey, making it 27-0 Yellow Jackets. Sophomore Alex Evanoff picked up a 17-5 major decision at 165 over Adam Harris, and the Jackets added a forfeit at 174 to extend their lead to 37-0. Junior Corbin Semple won by 7-0 decision over Jacob Getto to take a 40-0 lead. The Muskies picked up a forfeit at 197 for their only win of the night, but senior Melvin Warrick got the six points back by pinning Kenny Weber in 5:38. With the win, the Yellow Jackets got their dual match record back to .500 (3-3), while Muskingum fell to 0-3. Though things went fairly easily for Waynesburg in Ohio, they’ll face a much stiffer challenge on Friday, when they host The Apprentice School, which is a powerhouse from the National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA).

Wildcats seek to remain King(s) of the Mountain Central Mountain, PA seeks to defend its championship from last year in its home tournament, the King of the Mountain. However, they will have to withstand a challenge from arguably the best team in New Jersey -- High Point. Other notable teams in the field include Council Rock South, PA; Kiski Prep, PA; defending Reno ToC champions Phillipsburg, NJ; Massillon Perry, OH; and Reynolds, PA. Nine wrestlers that appear in the national rankings anchor this field. Most notably is the group of either three or four nationally ranked competitors at 152 pounds -- including the top wrestler in this weight nationally in Dylan Alton (Central Mountain, PA). Also projected to compete here is a pair of wrestlers ranked sixth and seventh respectively at 152 pounds -- John Guzzo (High Point, NJ) and Jason Luster (Kiski Prep, PA). It is also possible that Eric Hess (Benton, PA) -- ranked 12th in this weight -- competes in this weight class, though he could end up at 160 pounds. A pair of nationally-ranked wrestlers are also slated to compete at 285 pounds, where No. 3 Evan Craig (Abington Heights, PA) and No. 9 Tyler Demott (Benton, PA) project to meet in a battle of the preseason favorites in each Pennsylvania classification at the weight. Mike Rhone (Benton, PA) is ranked in the nation at 119 pounds; however, his weight class will be an absolute battle with the presence of state champion Nick Francavilla (High Point, NJ) and Mason Beckman (Reynolds, PA), who won the toughest weight class of the Walsh Ironman last week. Two other wrestlers ranked first in the nation are slated to compete in this event -- Josh Dziewa (Council Rock South, PA) is ranked at 135, though he may also end up at 140; and Andrew Alton (Central Mountain, PA) at 145. The fields at both 135 and 140 are formidable. A trio of state placers is projected for the 135 pound weight class -- Jordan Rich (Central Mountain, PA); Drew Wagenhoffer (High Point, NJ); and Zach Dailey (Massillon Perry, OH). At 140 pounds, a pair of Ironman placers anchors the challenge group in Evan Henderson (Kiski Prep, PA) and Shane Foster (Massillon Perry, OH); Oliver Burkhardt (Phillipsburg, NJ) was a state placer last year; Brian Brill (Central Mountain, PA) was a Cadet freestyle runner-up; and Lorenzo Thomas (Pittsburgh Central Catholic, PA) is a returning state qualifier. The tournament's other nationally-ranked wrestler is Mitchell Port (Bellefonte, PA), who is eighth nationally at 125 pounds. Last year in this event, he ended the 100-match winning streak of Shane Young with a 6-2 victory in the championship match at 119 pounds. Among the wrestlers seeking to block Port's title defense are state qualifiers Matt Rappo (Council Rock South, PA); Dylan Durso (Reynolds, PA); and Cameron Throckmorton (South-Western, PA). Clovis depth crystal clear Even with Clovis, CA having seven wrestlers competing at the Ironman -- where they were able to muster an 11th place finish -- the rest of the squad dominated all comers at the Clovis West Shootout on the way to an overall championship. The six victories were 38-25 over Laguna Hills, 51-9 over Bella Vista, 66-6 over Ventura, 39-18 over Vacaville, 76-3 over Gilroy, and 67-10 over El Dorado. Second place among "home" teams was Bakersfield. Vacaville and Laguna Hills were the top two on the "away" side. Outstanding wrestler honors went to Moses Quesada (Clovis East, CA) at 140 pounds -- home team light weights; Brian Schoene (Bakersfield, CA) at 285 -- home team upper weights; Bobby Morales (Laguna Hills, CA) at 135 -- away team light weights; and Jake Briggs (Bella Vista, CA) at 140/145 -- away team upper weights. CW Shootout All-Tournament Team (Photo/Ian Shaw)Wrestlers were named to the all-tournament team on the basis of being undefeated and having the most wins in the weight class for which they weighed in. Bakersfield led the way with Ian Nickell (103), Micah Cruz (119), Jeff Lanier (125), Natrelle Demison (130), and Schoene earning all-tournament honors. Vacaville, CA was the only other team with multiple wrestlers on the all-tournament squad, as Tyler Johnson (145) and Adam Delagarza (189) were selected. Rounding out the roster were Shane Tucker (Bella Vista, CA) at 112; Morales; Quesada; Johnny Pedraza (Hanford West, CA) at 152; Nikko Reyes (Clovis West, CA) at 160; Martin Fabbian (Buchanan, CA) at 171; and Devin Barbo (Clovis, CA) at 215 pounds. Dvorak Memorial to feature premier talent from Illinois, nation The premier regular season event for wrestling in the Land of Lincoln will be contested on the Monday and Tuesday before Christmas at Machesney Park Harlem High School outside of Rockford, IL. The field has a pair of state champions and runners-up from last year -- Oak Park River Forest, IL and Montini Catholic, IL won titles; while Yorkville, IL and Iowa City West, IA took home second place. The field also includes perennial powers such as Mt Carmel, IL; Providence Catholic, IL; Neuqua Valley, IL; and Bishop Lynch, TX. While the Friars of Bishop Lynch are favored, Montini Catholic is the defending champion. Fourteen wrestlers currently ranked by InterMat anchor the field, with three slated to compete at 160 pounds; which, like last year, will be the featured weight bracket of the event. Nick Moore (Iowa City West, IA) -- ranked second in the country - seeks to repeat as Dvorak champion in a weight that his teammate Derek St.. John, now at Iowa, won last year. The two prime challengers will be Nick Proctor (Neuqua Valley, IL) and Jahwon Akui (St.. Rita, IL); Proctor is ranked eighth at 171, and Akui ranked ninth in this weight. Three other wrestlers will lead the charge seeking to derail the big three -- Trey Adamson (Bishop Lynch, TX); Sam Brooks (Oak Park River Forest, IL); and Jeff Koepke (Hersey, IL). While there is only one ranked wrestler at 189 pounds -- 16th ranked Stephen McPeek (Bishop Lynch, TX) -- the competition will be very rigorous. Challengers of note include Cadet freestyle champion Austin Mardsen (Crystal Lake Central, IL); two-time Super 32 placer Ben Brooks (Oak Park River Forest, IL); and a pair of state placers in Sterling Hecox (Machesney Park Harlem, IL) and Matthew Dwyer (Hononegah, IL). A pair of ranked wrestlers appears in weight classes 130 through 140. At 130 pounds, it is Edwin Cooper (Providence Catholic, IL) and Colton Rasche (Montini Catholic, IL); Cooper ranked 10th at 125, while Rasche is ranked 13th in this weight. Another wrestler to watch in this weight is Case Garrison (Bishop Lynch, TX), who placed fifth at the Walsh Ironman. At 135 pounds, Chris Dardanes (Oak Park River Forest, IL) and Jed Lightfoot (Yorkville, IL) are ranked; Dardanes 13th at this weight, and Lightfoot 17th at 130 pounds. Two others to watch are Tyler Argue (Mount Carmel, IL) and Troy Silver (Bishop Lynch, TX), who placed fifth and sixth at the Walsh Ironman. Finally at 140 pounds, Nick Dardanes (Oak Park River Forest, IL) is ranked second in the country while Stephen Robertson (Montini Catholic, IL) is ranked 17th at 135 pounds. Rounding out the list of nationally-ranked wrestlers in this field are Kevon Powell (Montini Catholic, IL) at 103 pounds; Derek Elmore (Machesney Park Harlem, IL) at 112 pounds; Eddie Klimara (Providence Catholic, IL) at 119 pounds; and Tanner Eitel (Bishop Lynch, TX) at 171 pounds. However, in the 171 pound weight class, Walsh Ironman champion Charles Argue (Mount Carmel, IL) pinned Eitel in preliminary competition on Friday evening. Diverse field to converge at KCI Center The Toshiba Midwest Classic in Kansas City, MO will play host to teams from ten different states. Park Hill, MO seeks to defend its title and enters the event as a strong favorite with four nationally-ranked wrestlers -- Skylar Wood (119), though ranked at 112; Alan Waters (125); Kaleb Friedley (145), though ranked at 140; and John Eblen (189). In addition, both Bricker Dixon (112) and Hayden Bock (215) were state runners-up last year; and Dixon was a double Junior National All-American this past summer. Top challengers to Park Hill include Skutt Catholic, NE; Collins Hill, GA; and Blue Springs, MO -- the three teams that were within 15 points of the championship last year. Two weight classes have a pair of ranked wrestlers present. First, Waters is ranked sixth at 125 pounds, with TJ Mitchell (Collins Hill, GA) ranked 17th. Then at 145 pounds, Friedley and Greg Amos (Holt, MO) project to meet in a match that could preview the state championship bout; Friedley ranked eighth at 140, while Amos is ranked 11th in this weight class. However, in the 125 pound weight class Cody Brewer (Oak Park, MO) is a very tough challenger, already with two state titles in this his junior campaign. Other nationally-ranked wrestlers in this field are Brad Perkins (Oak Park, MO) at 103 pounds; Thomas Gilman (Skutt Catholic, NE) at 112 pounds; Daniel Baucke (Christian Brothers, TN) at 130 pounds; Joel Smith (Collins Hill, GA) at 140 pounds; and Drake Houdashelt (Fort Zumwalt West, MO) at 150 pounds. Gilman is looking at a key projected final with Dixon, while state champion Bazell Partridge (Collins Hill, GA) hopes to spoil this at 112 pounds. Baucke's prime competition includes a pair of state champions in Ian Fisher (Perry, OK) and Michael Roberts (Canyon Randall, TX) -- as well as freshman sensation Jake Marlin (Creston, IA). State champion Devin Aguirre (Ponca City, OK) is the prime challenger to Smith at 140 pounds, though Jake Gregerson (Granite City, IL) and Josh Howk (Blue Springs, MO) do have state finals experience. Merry Christmas, Minnesota style Rochester, MN will be home to the vast majority of the top scholastic wrestling teams from the Gopher State this Friday and Saturday for the Minnesota Christmas Tournament. Five of the six teams inside the top three in Class 3A and 2A, the two bigger classifications, are in this tournament; Apple Valley, Hastings, STMA, Simley, and Plainview-Elgin-Millville. In total nine of the top 12 in Class 3A and five of the top seven in 2A appear in the field, as do two of the top teams in North Dakota -- Bismarck and West Fargo. Ten nationally-ranked wrestlers by InterMat, and a total of 17 wrestlers ranked first in their state division anchor the field. The tournament's premier weight class should be the one at 160 pounds, where Joe Latham (Bismarck, ND) -- ranked 15th in the nation -- is the favorite. Also ranked first in their state division in this weight class are Blaine Miller (Plainview-Elgin-Millville, MN) and Jordan Campa (STMA, MN); Steven Keogh (Apple Valley, MN) is ranked second to Campa and in the field as well. Four other weight brackets have a pair of top ranked wrestlers in their state division. At 119 pounds, it is Dakota Trom (Apple Valley, MN) and Drew Fleming (Watertown-Mayer, MN). In the 130 pound weight class, it is Ben Morgan (Forest Lake, MN) and/or Matt Kelliher (Apple Valley, MN), as well as Garrett Garness (Kasson-Mantorville, MN). Kevin Nelson (Forest Lake, MN) and Joe Schumacher (Bismarck, ND) appear at 135 pounds. Finally at 189 pounds, it is Tyler Lehmann (West Fargo, ND) and Kraig Schumm (STMA, MN). Other than Latham, nationally-ranked wrestlers by InterMat include Morgan (ranked at 130); Kelliher (ranked at 135); Brandon Kingsley (Apple Valley, MN) at 140 pounds; Dylan Ness (Bloomington Kennedy, MN) at 145 pounds; Destin McCauley (Apple Valley, MN) at 152 pounds; Jake Waste (Apple Valley, MN) at 171 pounds, but ranked nationally at 160; and Scott Schiller (West Fargo, ND) at 215 pounds. No anchor team, but many strong individuals at Reno ToC In the past Reno was an absolute buzzsaw of a tournament with power teams and dominant individuals at every single turn. However, at present the tournament is on a slight down-turn. The field this year has no team that is the definitive favorite; in fact, last year's top three teams in the standings are all not in the field this year. Should Tulsa Union, OK be back in order from their football tournament run, the Hurricanes may be pre-tournament favorites. However, there are 13 individuals ranked by InterMat in the tournament field with a pair of weight classes having three each. At 135 pounds, Louis Trujillo (Rio Rancho, NM) is ranked fourth in the country; with Kade Moss (Bingham, UT) ranked eighth; and Luke Goettl (Mingus, AZ) ranked 14th. Former Reno ToC runner-up Joey Rizzolino (Easton, PA) is also projected to be in this weight class. At 152 pounds, Steven Hernandez (Bishop Gorman, NV); Justin DeAngelis (Jenks, OK); and Travis Gallegos (Foothill PC, CA) are also all top 100 members of the Class of 2010 as well. A pair of ranked wrestlers is present at 189 pounds with Austin Morehead (Sutter Union, CA) ranked 17th in this weight, and Adam Delagarza (Vacaville, CA) ranked 14th at 171 pounds. Other challengers include state placer JT Felix (Centennial, CA) and Tanner Hall (Meridian, ID); Hall is a state champion and Cadet National Greco-Roman champion. Rounding out the nationally-ranked wrestlers are Jesse Delgado (Gilroy, CA) -- ranked fifth at 119 pounds -- but projected to compete at 125; Mark Hartenstine (Easton, PA) ranked 12th at 140 pounds; Jake Snider (Ponderosa, CO) ranked ninth at 145; Dominic Kastl (Gilroy, CA) ranked 16th at 160; and Ronnie Balfour (Tulsa Union, OK) ranked 12th at 160 but projected to compete at 171 pounds. Notable challengers to Delgado in a deep 125 pound weight class are Shane Thomas (Catoosa, OK); Chris Martinez (Clovis West, CA); Bryan Grubbs (La Costa Canyon, CA); Tommy Siciliano (Newburg, OR); and Fabian Garcia (Turlock, CA). Hartenstine is looking at a likely battle with the much ballyhooed Ben Morgan (Catoosa, OK) -- a senior who has not materialized in high school as expected. Snider is looking at a challenger group mostnotably led by Nick Wooden (Spring Creek, NV). Tulsa Union dominant but not champs at home tournament Despite four champions -- Josh Walker (112), Kyle Ash (145), Kyle Crutchmer (152), and Ronnie Balfour (171) -- Tulsa Union, OK was not able to muster the team title at their home event. Winning the Mid-American Nationals was Claremore with 201 points, who were led by their lone champion Jordan Basks (135). Key to the 201-188 point margin victory was the fact Claremore had ten total placers, while Tulsa Union only had three wrestlers place in the top eight other than their champions. The distance between second and fourth was similar to that between first and second, while fourth to fifth had a more than 50 point chasm. Finishing third was Allen, TX with 185 points and five top three finishers anchored by a title from freshman Oliver Pierce (140). Finishing fourth was Tuttle, OK led by their lone champion Shane Woods (215). Both Allen and Tuttle had eight total placers. MVP honors went to Balfour with three technical falls heading into the final and then a pin over Cole Gracey of Tuttle, OK in a battle of returning state runners-up. Other wrestlers earning Mid-American Nationals titles were Jett Shell (103) and Rhett Leach (119) from Sallisaw, OK; Cory (160) and Cody (285) Dauphin from El Reno, OK; Zach Housley (125) from Grove, OK; Taylor Moeder (130) from St. James Academy, KS; and Max Adair (189) from Lawton MacArthur, OK. Dueling Paths The top two teams in the state of Indiana competed at the Traicoff Invitational this past weekend. In the final round of Saturday's event at Calument High School, Mishawaka dominated the defending state champions Crown Point to the tune of a 43-17 victory. The two returning state runners-up for the Cavemen -- Ryan Stahl (152) and Christian Lentz (215) -- each secured pins; while the two anchor wrestlers for Crown Point, Jason Tsirtsis (130) and Eric Roach (145) were only able to secure a 3-1 decision and technical fall victory respectively. Replay allows for re-examined perspective For those that followed the Cover-it-Live blog of the Walsh Ironman this past weekend on InterMat, the 119-pound semifinal between Hunter Stieber (Monroeville, OH) and Ty Mitch (Aurora, OH) had an ending that was incredibly controversial and confusing. The video replay is shot from opposite of where the media was positioned. In my opinion, instead of the call being absolutely awful; we just have a controversial match ending. Through the wonders of Flowrestling, you can decide for yourself. The circle of life This past weekend was the Alaska State Wrestling Tournaments. In Division 4A, Colony used five state finalists to score 220.5 points on the way to a state title. Winning championships were Kenny Boykin (171) and Eric Fan (215) while Charles Coisman (119), Sam Loggions (130), and Renn Wright (285) finished in second place. Other teams with multiple champions were Anchorage East with a quartet of champions in Nathan Marquez (103), Matthew Malnoske (125), Skyler Moore (130), and Nathan Hoffer (140); Lathrup had a pair -- Dillon Achman (112) and Joe Hughes (119); while the host squad - Chugiak -- got titles from Ben (135) and Grant (145) Sullivan. Dillingham earned the title in 1/2/3A with six wrestlers making the finals to score 192 points. Champions were Jared Miller (112), Jesse Rogers (119), Reed Tennyson (145), and Quentin Blackford (215); finishing as runners-up were Dennis Wilson (119) and Jerry Hulshing (171). Bethel, Cordova, and Kotzeblue each also had a pair of champions. While Alaska ended its scholastic wrestling season last weekend, New Jersey is just starting its season this weekend. It happens that the top two teams in the state will open their seasons in bordering states -- High Point at King of the Mountain in Pennsylvania, and Long Branch at Beast of the East in Delaware.

Seeking to expand recruiting options for student-athletes, Ouachita Baptist University’s Board of Trustees has voted to add two new NCAA Division II athletic teams – men’s wresting and women’s golf. The additional programs will bring the total number of athletic teams at Ouachita to 16. “We are most pleased to announce that we will begin men’s wrestling and women’s golf next fall,” said Ouachita President Rex M. Horne, Jr. “The golf is in response to stated interest from present and potential students. Wrestling meets a need and growing interest. “We will be the first university in Arkansas to offer collegiate wrestling,” Dr Horne added. “In fact, there is only one university in Texas that offers the same at a time when high school wrestling is growing dramatically here in Arkansas. This is another way Ouachita is a recognized leader.” This marks the first time that Ouachita has expanded its athletic options since 2000 when the university joined the Gulf South Conference and added men’s soccer and women’s softball. The Ouachita women’s golf team will compete in the Gulf South Conference, bringing to 10 the total number of GSC schools with women’s golf. Men’s wrestling will compete independently against collegiate teams in Oklahoma, Missouri and other surrounding states. “To be the first institution in the state to have collegiate wrestling will give us a stronghold on it,” noted Ouachita Athletic Director David Sharp. “For high school wrestlers in the state who want to compete on the collegiate level, we will give them that opportunity. “From a women’s golf standpoint, I’ve had a lot of inquiries the past few years about adding women’s golf,” Sharp said. “I think there’s really an interest there.” The new programs “give more opportunities to some student-athletes who want to continue their competition in intercollegiate sports,” Sharp added.”I think we will attract quality students who will add to and enhance a group of student-athletes that we already deem as exceptional.” Greg Hatcher, president of the Arkansas Wrestling Association, has announced the non-profit association will provide wrestling mats, uniforms and other assistance to help Ouachita’s wrestling program get under way. The association also has donated wrestling mats to more than 40 Arkansas high schools to help launch their wrestling programs. Emphasizing that “wrestling creates leaders,” Hatcher said the opportunity for wrestlers to “go one-on-one with no one to bail you out” helps build confidence and discipline as well as “great self-defense skills.” He also cited wrestling’s fitness benefits for student-athletes. Hatcher is founder and owner of the Hatcher Agency, the largest health insurance agency in Arkansas. A graduate of Alma College in Alma, Mich., he lettered in wresting, soccer and baseball while in college. He is a member of the Alma College Sports Hall of Fame and recently was named the school’s Distinguished Alumnus. He also is the author of “55 Steps to Outrageous Service.” Ouachita Baptist University, a private Christian liberal arts university in Arkadelphia, Ark., has been ranked the No. 1 Baccalaureate College in the South for three years in a row by U.S. News & World Report. With an enrollment of almost 1,500 students from more than 30 states and 50 nations, Ouachita seeks to foster a love of God and a love of learning in a vibrant, Christ-centered learning community.

PITTSBURGH -- Pitt freshman wrestler Anthony Zanetta has been named the Eastern Wrestling League’s wrestler of the week for his efforts against Rutgers and No. 14-ranked Penn State. Zanetta (Pittsburgh, Pa./Keystone Oaks) posted a 7-4 decision over Joseph Langel of Rutgers at 125, before defeating No. 7-ranked Brad Pataky of Penn State, 15-9. The true freshman improves to 5-0 on the dual match season, and has earned his first ranking of the season, moving into the top 20. In the win over Pataky, Zanetta jumped out to an 8-3 lead after the first period and earned three points for the Panthers as they earned a 19-19 tie against in-state rival Penn State. Pitt is off until the end of the month when they make their trek to Evanston, Ill. to compete at the Midlands Championships. Action at the two-day event starts on Dec. 29.

Senior Craig Brester has been awarded for his outstanding performance as he was named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week on Monday by the league office for matches Dec. 7-Dec. 13. Brester is 13-0 this season and used a pair of impressive victories last week to solidify the second Big 12 weekly award of his career. The Howells, Neb., native pinned Minnesota’s Joe Nord (1:10) Thursday night in Minneapolis before defeating his fourth ranked opponent in the past two weeks with an 8-2 decision over No. 9 Tyler Sorenson of South Dakota State on Saturday. Brester leads the Huskers in victories (13) and pins (6), winning six of his last nine matches by fall, including four pins in under 2 minutes. The 2009 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational champion, Brester also has one technical fall and one major decision to total eight bonus-point victories this season. Currently ranked No. 2 in the nation at 197 pounds, Brester is a two-time All-American and was named Most Outstanding Wrestler of the 2009 Big 12 Championships. His previous Big 12 Wrestler of the Week honor came on Feb. 18, 2008 following back-to-back wins over No. 12 T.J. Morrison (Rider) and No. 10 Joe Rovelli (Hofstra). Brester and the Huskers return home this week for a double-dual against No. 6 Central Michigan and Nebraska-Kearney on Saturday at the NU Coliseum. Action begins at 10 a.m., between the Chippewas and Lopers, followed by Nebraska duals vs. Central Michigan and Nebraska-Kearney with 10-minute breaks between each match.

Last week’s show was cancelled due to severe weather conditions in Iowa. Scheduled guests from last week, Wil Kelly and Bill Tate, Jr. will both be radio show guests on the program this Wednesday along with author Jamie Moffatt. "On the Mat" is a presentation of the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and Museum and can be heard live on the Internet at www.kcnzam.com or locally in Northeast Iowa each Wednesday from 5:05 - 6:00 PM Central time on AM 1650, The Fan. Feel free to e-mail radio@wrestlingmuseum.org with any questions or comments about the show. Author Jamie Moffatt recently released a new book titled, "Strobel: Stories From A Life With Wrestling." This book documents the coaching career of former Lehigh University head wrestling coach Greg Strobel. Moffatt also wrote "Wrestlers at the Trials," a terrific book covering the Olympic trials from 1960 through 1988. Kelly is in his first season coaching the Cedar Falls Tigers. Kelly was a three-time high school state champion for Dubuque Wahlert and also won an NCAA Division III title at 141 pounds as a Wartburg Knight in 2003. Kelly is also heavily involved with youth wrestling and runs his own wrestling training center called USA Mat Club. Bill Tate, Jr. was part of the legendary Waterloo Boys Club in the 1970s, one of the top kids clubs at the time that produced many state and national champions. Tate was a high school state champion for Waterloo Columbus in 1983 at 155 pounds. He wrestled at Iowa State University where he won a Big Eight title and helped the Cyclones win the NCAA team championship in 1987. Tate also served as the head wrestling coach at Waterloo Columbus for several years and had many outstanding teams.

Joe Baranik

Linda Shields

Cung Le

Corvallis, Ore. -- The Oregon State wrestling team signed Taylor Meeks (Orting, Wash.) to its 2010-11 class, announced Monday by head coach Jim Zalesky. Meeks is projected to wrestle at 184/197 pounds. “Taylor fits into our coaching philosophy,” Zalesky said. “He is very aggressive and puts a lot of points on the scoreboard.” A two-time Washington state champion, Meeks is also a three-time district and league champion for Orting High School. As a freshman, he finished third. Currently he boasts a 118-5 overall record, including 80-1 over the last two years. He placed third at the NHSCA Junior Nationals, falling in a close 4-3 decision to No. 1 Tyler Beckwith of New York and defeating No. 3 Tyler Lehman of Minnesota. Meeks is ranked fourth in the country by WIN Magazine at 189 pounds. He is a former Cadet All-American, finishing fourth at the Cadet Nationals in Freestyle. He finished fourth in 2007 in Fargo and first at the Rocky Mountain Rumble and Tri-State. And he was fifth at the Western Regionals in 2008.

Drew Pariano

Heath Eslinger

LARAMIE, Wyo. -- The Cowboy wrestlers have another decorated group of recruits on deck, as University of Wyoming head coach Mark Branch announced today that six high school state champions have signed national letters of intent to wrestle for the 'Pokes beginning in the 2010-11 season. Joining the Cowboy squad next fall will be Michael Hamel (Gilbert, Ariz.), Cody Mansur (Clackamas, Ore.), Andrew McCulley (Rock Springs, Wyo.), Brandon Richardson (Rathdrum, Idaho), Shane Woods (Tuttle, Okla.) and Zach Zehner (Tomahawk, Wis.). “This is a solid class that will take care of many of our weight class needs,” said Branch as he described his incoming freshmen for next season. “I am very excited about these young men and their attitudes towards competition and success. These are young kids that, in the end, wanted to be Cowboys and chose to come here because they felt like this is the place where they can be All-Americans and NCAA Champions. I have no doubt that they will find success here and help us build a nationally powerful program at Wyoming.” Michael Hamel will come to UW from Gilbert, Ariz. He is projected to wrestle at 133 or 141 pounds collegiately. After placing fifth as a freshman and third as a sophomore, Hamel was the 2009 Arizona State 5A High School Champion at 130 pounds for Mesquite High School as a junior. He was an Arizona National Team member in 2008 and was an All-State selection as both a sophomore and junior. Michael was born in Gillette, Wyo., and is the son of Wyoming’s All-Time Pins leader Mike Hamel. The elder Hamel lettered at UW from 1983-86, was a two-time WAC champion and had 61 career pins. Cody Mansur has developed as a prep wrestler in Clackamas, Ore., where he was the Oregon State 6A High School Champion at 215 pounds during his junior year. Wrestling for Clackamas High School he also placed third in the state tournament as a sophomore at 189 pounds. In 2008, Mansur placed third at the Reno World of Wrestling Championships at 200 pounds. As a collegiate student-athlete he is expected to compete either at 197 pounds or heavyweight (285). Andrew McCulley is a Wyoming native from Rock Springs. At Rock Springs High School, he was the Wyoming 4A State Champion in 2008 at 130 pounds as a sophomore. As a junior in 2009, he was injured at the state tournament competing at 145 pounds. McCulley is a two-time 4A West Regional Champion. In 2008 he was the Wyoming USA Wrestling Triple Crown winner, as well as a Cadet All-American by placing fourth at USA Wrestling Nationals. McCulley has been on the honor roll each year at Rock Springs H.S. At UW he will compete at 157 or 165 pounds. Brandon Richardson, 5’10”, hails from Rathdrum, Idaho and should wrestle for the Cowboys at 149 or 157 pounds. Richardson was an Idaho 4A High School State Champion in 2007 as a freshman at Lakeland High School. He was a USA Wrestling National Champion in 2008, the 4A State runner-up as a junior in 2009 and the 2008 Tri-State Champion. Richardson served as Lakeland Student Council Vice President in 2007-08 and has been an honor roll student each year of high school. He also played soccer for Lakeland H.S., lettering twice. Shane Woods will join the Wyoming Cowboys after wrestling in high school at Tuttle H.S., in Tuttle, Okla. There he was a Oklahoma State 4A High School Champion in 2009 as a junior at 215 pounds. He led his team to a state title that same season and placed third individually at the Midwest Classic in Kansas City. As a sophomore, Woods placed third at the state tournament in the 160-pound weight class. At UW he will compete at 197 pounds. Zach Zehner is a product of Tomahawk, Wis., where he was a Wisconsin State High School Champion at 125 pounds in 2009. Wrestling for Tomahawk H.S., Zehner was a Regional and Sectional Champion in 2009, as well as First Team All-Conference as both a sophomore and junior. He was a member of the Wisconsin National Dual Team, was the Freestyle State Champion in 2009 and was runner-up at the 2009 Junior National Tournament. In addition to four years as a wrestling letterman, Zehner also will letter four years in track and field and once in football. His expected weight class while at UW is 141 or 149 pounds.

Hempstead, NY -- Senior Jonny Bonilla-Bowman and sophomore P.J. Gillespie posted major decisions to lead the Hofstra Pride to a 20-19 non-conference victory over the Bald Eagles of Lock Haven at the Mack Sports Complex Sunday evening. The Pride improve to 2-2-1 on the season while Lock Haven falls to 0-2-0. The Pride also benefitted from an opening match forfeit win for freshman Luke Vaith (5-4) at 141 pounds to go up 6-0 in the contest. Lock Haven sophomore Brock Parker, ranked 20th by Amateur Wrestling News at 149 pounds, tallied three points in the third period and added the riding time (1:29) point to put the Bald Eagles on the board with a 4-2 win over Pride red-shirt freshman Tyler Banks (4-6). But Bonilla-Bowman (3-2), ranked 18th by InterMat, boosted the Hofstra lead to 10-3 with a dominating 24-11 major decision over Seth Creasy at 157 pounds. Gillespie, ranked 17th by InterMat at 165 pounds, took a 12-0 lead after two periods on the way to a 13-1 major decision over Kevin Dufresne. Gillespie, a sophomore, improved to 15-4 on the season and bumped the Pride lead to 14-3. Junior Ryan Patrovich, ranked 10th at 174 pounds by InterMat, cruised to a 5-0 victory over Aaron Ernest to improve to 12-4 on the year. Sophomore Ben Clymer (11-2) claimed Hofstra’s last victory of the day, taking a 3-1 lead after two periods and holding on for a 3-2 win over Jeremie Cook to give the Pride a 20-3 advantage. Lock Haven battled back, though, beginning with a 5-1 decision by Harry Turner over Pride senior Anthony Tortora (4-8) at 197 pounds. Turner had a takedown in the second and third periods and an escape in the second to close the gap to 20-6. Sophomore Dan Craig improved to 9-2 on the year with a 16-7 major decision over Hofstra red-shirt freshman Paul Snyder (4-8) at 285 pounds. The 125 pound match was the most costly match of the contest for the Pride as sophomore Steve Bonanno, making his 2009-10 debut after a preseason leg injury, suffered an arm injury just 24 seconds into his match against Nick Hyatt and took an injury default. After Hyatt’s default win, the Bald Eagles trailed by four at 20-16 heading into the match finale at 133 pounds. Lock Haven sophomore John Trumbetti jumped out to a 5-0 lead after one period and expanded it to 8-1 after two periods. But Hofstra freshman Jamie Franco held Trumbetti off and would not let him get the major victory in the 8-2 decision as the Pride pulled out the one-point match victory. The Pride will be off for exams and the Christmas holiday before returning to action on December 29-30 at the Southern Scuffle in Greensboro, North Carolina. Hofstra’s next home match is on Sunday, January 3, 2010 when the Pride host #3 Ohio State at 11 a.m. Results: 141- Luke Vaith (HU) wins by forfeit 149- Brock Parker (LHU) dec. Tyler Banks (HU) 4-2 157- Jonny Bonilla-Bowman maj. dec. Seth Creasy (LHU), 24-11 165- P.J. Gillespie (HU) maj. dec. Kevin Dufresne (LHU), 13-1 174- Ryan Patrovich (HU) dec. Aaron Ernest (LHU) 5-0 184- Ben Clymer (HU) dec. Jeremie Cook (LHU), 3-2 197- Harry Turner (LHU) dec. Anthony Tortora (HU), 5-1 285- Dan Craig (LHU) maj. dec. Paul Snyder (HU), 16-7 125- Nick Hyatt (LHU) wins by injury default Steve Bonanno (HU), 0:24 133- John Trumbetti (LHU) dec. Jamie Franco (HU), 8-2

KENT, Ohio -- No. 15 Kent State (4-0) extended its dual winning streak to 11 with a 28-9 pummeling of Michigan and a 32-9 thrashing of Newberry Sunday at the M.A.C. Center. The Golden Flashes won 15-of-20 matches on the day led by sophomore Dustin Kilgore, who chalked up his sixth and seventh pins of the year. Kilgore's first period pin of Erich Smith gave the Flashes a commanding 21-9 lead over Michigan. Kilgore (12-0) needed two minutes to chase down Smith for the opening takedown, before showing his home crowd why he's ranked second in the nation. He quickly crunched Smith into a tight cradle and rocked him back to end the match at 2:26. "He's real powerful, goes right at you and doesn't quit" Head Coach Jim Andrassy said of Kilgore. "He's got a series of moves where if one doesn't work he goes right to next one." Following Kilgore, redshirt freshman Adam Cogar (197) used seven takedowns in a 15-6 major decision over Hunter Collins. Redshirt sophomore Brendan Barlow (285) helped KSU finish the day with three straight wins in his 5-3 decision over Ben Apland. Barlow improved to 15-3, while Cogar moved to 11-3. Sophomore Troy Opfer suffered 3-1 setback to Sean Boyle to give the Wolverines their only lead (3-0) of the dual. Boyle grabbed an escape and a takedown in the second period and held on for the win. In a battle of nationally ranked wrestlers, senior Danny Mitcheff remained unbeaten (12-0) with a 10-5 decision over Zac Stevens. Mitcheff recorded an opening period takedown, but found himself in a brief 4-2 hole in the second. However, the fifth year senior stayed aggressive, taking all the shots, while notching takedowns in the second and third periods. "Danny's not always flashy, but he's so consistent," Andrassy said. "He wins and he'll continue to win throughout the season." Redshirt freshman Chase Skonieczny (141) topped Mark Weber 2-0 to give KSU its first lead 6-3. After a scoreless first, Skonieczny earned a quick second period escape and used an effective leg ride in the third to earn a bonus point and improve to 11-5 on the year. "Chase has done some incredible things in the practice room, but he still hasn't opened up and shown a lot yet," Andrassy said. "He's only going to get better." Junior Matt Cathell (149) brought the crowd to its feet with a second period pin of Mark Beaudry. Beaudry got in deep on a double leg shot, but a fearless Cathell caught him off-balance, flung him to his back and flattened him. "He's exciting and entertaining for these fans," Andrassy said. "Half the time you don't know what he's going to do. There isn't a normal thing about the way he wrestles and that's what makes him so hard to wrestle against." Redshirt freshman Mallie Shuster (157) made it four consecutive KSU wins with a 7-4 victory over Dave Johnson. The match was tied 2-2 heading into to the third, when Shuster scored an escape and a pair of takedowns. "As soon as he realizes how good he is, he's going to be very dangerous," Andrassy said of Shuster. Aaron Hynes needed a takedown with 30 seconds remaining to edge redshirt sophomore Ross Tice 7-5. Tice got in on the legs of Hynes on a pair of third period shots, but could not finish it off. No. 15 Justin Zeerip handed redshirt freshman Keith Witt a 7-1 loss at 174 to narrow margin to 15-9, before Kilgore took over. Prior to a 22-13 Michigan win over Newberry, the Golden Flashes won 8-of-10 matches against Newberry and four straight major decisions beginning with Mitcheff at 133. Opfer dropped the day's opening match 7-6 in sudden victory to Matt Oliver. A first period takedown and cradle in the second gave Opfer a 5-0 lead, but Oliver, who is ranked third in Division II, used a five-point move late in the second to tie match. After no scoring in the third period or first overtime, Oliver scored a reversal and hung on for the win. Mitcheff cruised to a 13-3 win over Sheridan Moran, claiming four takedowns, including one in each period. Mitcheff used a three-point tilt in the third period to secure the major decision. Skonieczny followed with a major decision over Deral Brown 12-4. Skonieczny jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the second period, putting Brown on his back twice and gave the Flashes an 8-3 team lead. Cathell made it three straight major decisions with a 12-2 victory over Latra Collick. Cathell rallied for eight first period points after giving up the opening takedown. He put Collick on his back three separate times to extend KSU's lead to 12-3. Shuster then blanked Mike Rogers 11-0, scoring takedowns in all three periods. He improved to 10-3 on the year. Senior Obie Simpson scored the most exciting victory of the Flashes' first dual. Trailing Josh Whitelock 4-3 with 20 seconds left in the match, he turned a front headlock from the neutral position into a 5-point cradle to give him an 8-4 victory. With his team already up 19-3, Witt raced out to a 5-0 lead and settled for a 9-2 decision over Curtis Chenoweth. After a wild first period in the 184-pound match, Kilgore used a cradle to pin Bryant Blanton with 11 seconds remaining in the second. Kilgore overcame a 5-2 deficit and led 8-6 by the end of the first against the No. 3 ranked wrestler in Division II. Newberry returned the favor when defending national champion Keeno Griffin pinned Cogar 32 seconds into the first period. Barlow closed out the dual with the Flashes' fifth major decision against Newberry, a 12-4 victory over Steven Butler. For Witt, Cathell and Skonieczny, it was their first dual win in a Kent State singlet. Mitcheff is now alone sixth place on KSU's career victory list with 109. Sunday's win marked the Flashes' first dual victory in school history against Michigan. The Golden Flashes return to action Sunday, Dec. 20 for a dual meet at Clarion. Kent State (3-0) 32 Newberry (4-2) 9 125: Matt Oliver (N) dec. Troy Opfer, 7-6 (OT); 0-3 133: #5 Danny Mitcheff (KS) maj. dec. Sheridan Moran, 13-3; 4-3 141: Chase Skonieczny, (KS) maj. dec. Deral Brown 12-4; 8-3 149: #9 Matt Cathll (KS) maj. dec. Latra Collick, 12-2; 12-3 157: Mallie Shuster (KS) maj. dec. Mike Rogers, 11-0; 16-3 165: Obie Simpson (KS) dec. Josh Whitelock, 8-4; 19-3 174: Keith Witt (KS) dec. Curtis Chenoweth, 9-2; 22-3 184: #2 Dustin Kilgore (KS) pinned Bryant Blanton, 4: 49; 28-3 197: Keeno Griffin(N) pinned Adam Cogar, :32; 28-9 285: #15 Brendan Barlow (KS) maj. dec. Steven Butler, 12-4; 32-9 Michigan (2-3) 22 Newberry (4-3) 13 125: Sean Boyle (M) dec. Matt Oliver, 6-3; 3-0 133: Zac Stevens (M) dec. Sheridan Moran, 9-3; 6-0 141: Deral Brown (N) dec. Mark Weber, 2-1; 6-3 149: Latra Collick (N) maj. dec. Mark Beaudry, 18-6; 6-7 157: Dave Johnson (M) dec. Mike Rogers, 4-0; 9-7 165: Aaron Hynes (M) maj. dec. Josh Whitelock, 16-4; 13-7 174: Justin Zeerip (M) pinned Curtis Chenoweth, 3:39; 19-7 184: Bryant Blanton (N) dec. Hunter Collins, 12-11; 19-10 197: Keeno Griffin (N) dec. Erich Smith, 3-1 (OT); 19-13 285: Ben Apland (M) dec. Steven Butler, 7-1; 22-13

Fargo, N.D. -- Junior Colby Covington (Springfield, Ore.) recorded three falls on the day, boosting the No. 24 Oregon State wrestling team to a 3-0 finish at the Dakota Duals, hosted by North Dakota State. “I thought overall we wrestled well today,” head coach Jim Zalesky said. “We had a lot of bonus points, and I thought we wrestled better as the day went on after losing a couple matches in the first dual of the day. Colby [Covington] came out really hard each match and was really physical and wrestled hard to get three falls. He set the tone today of how we want to guys to wrestle.” The Beavers earned a 36-6 win over Northern Illinois before shutting out Minnesota State Moorhead, 48-0, and North Dakota State, 42-0. Thirteen wrestlers competed for Oregon State in the three duals with sophomore Garrett Drucker (Huntington Beach, Calif.) at 149 pounds, junior Jon Brascetta (Aurora, Colorado) at 165 pounds and redshirt freshman Ty Vinson (Great Falls, Mont.) at 184 pounds seeing their first dual meet action of the season. All three won all of their matches. Covington pinned his competition faster each match, earning his first win over Mason True of Northern Illinois in 4:23. He then pinned pinned Jacob McLean of Minnesota State Moorhead in 3:56 before tallying the fall over Mac Stoll of North Dakota State in 2:25. Covington now leads the team in falls this season with nine. Recording a pair of falls, 19th-ranked redshirt sophomore Jason Lara (Midway City, Calif.) remains perfect in dual meet action with a 7-0 record at 125 pounds. Lara won his first bout in a 10-7 decision over Izzy Montemayor of NIU before earning a fall over Corey Ulmer of MSUM in 2:23 and wrapped up competition against Justin Solberg of NDSU with a 3:34 fall. Sophomore heavyweight Clayton Jack (Vacaville, Calif.) chalked up three bonus point wins with a fall over Dakota Greenhaw of Northern Illinois in 1:08, a major decision over Tim Johnson of MSUM and a 16-0 technical fall over Joe Arthur of NDSU in 4:53. Jack is the only other Beaver wrestler to be undefeated in dual meets thus far on the season. Sophomore 16th-ranked Kelly Kubec (Lake Stevens, Wash.) continued to build on his winning streak at 133 pounds, which currently is the longest active with four straight wins. Kubec earned three bonus point wins, beginning with a major decision over Tristen DeShazer of Northern Illinois, 13-5, before a 20-5 technical fall over Evan Forde of Minnesota State Moorhead. Kubec earned extra points for the Beavers at 133 pounds against North Dakota State by forfeit. Seventeenth-ranked sophomore Chad Hanke (Dayton, Ore.) won all three of his matches on the day at 197 pounds, scoring a 10-2 major decision to start the day against Derrick Yant of NIU before a 19-4 technical fall over Jon Swart of MSUM, wrapping up the day with a 16-11 decision over Drew Ross of NDSU. Also going 3-0 on the day, redshirt freshman Mike Mangrum (Auburn, Wash.) tallied a pair of decisions and a technical fall at 141 pounds. No. 17 senior Keegan Davis (Salem, Ore.) suffered a loss in his first match but rebounded with back-to-back major decisions at 157 pounds. No. 16 freshman RJ Pena (Salem, Ore.) went 2-0 with a major decision in his first bout and a decision in the last at 149 pounds. Junior Brice Arand (Springfield, Ore.) earned his fourth fall of the season over Derrick Yant of NIU in his only match of the day at 184 pounds. Oregon State returns to Corvallis to host Southern Oregon and Air Force at Crescent Valley High School on Friday, Dec. 18, beginning at 5:00 p.m. Northern Illinois 6, No. 24 Oregon State 36 125 Pounds — No. 19 Jason Lara (OSU) decision over Izzy Montemayor (NIU), 10-7 0 3 133 Pounds — No. 16 Kelly Kubec (OSU) major decision over Tristen DeShazer (NIU), 13-5 0 7 141 Pounds — Mike Mangrum (OSU) decision over Pat McLemore (NIU), 5-2 0 10 149 Pounds — No. 16 RJ Pena (OSU) major decision over Dan Ruettiger (NIU), 10-2 0 14 157 Pounds — Bryan Deutsch (NIU) decision over No. 17 Keegan Davis (OSU), 14-8 3 14 165 Pounds — John Odeen (NIU) decision over Ryan Smith (OSU), 10-3 6 14 174 Pounds — Colby Covington (OSU) fall over Mason True (NIU), 4:23 6 20 184 Pounds — Brice Arand (OSU) fall over Derrick Yant (NIU), 2:36 6 26 197 Pounds — No. 17 Chad Hanke (OSU) major decision over Scott Penny (NIU), 10-2 6 30 Heavyweight — Clayton Jack (OSU) fall over Dakota Greenhaw (NIU), 1:08 6 36 Minnesota State Moorhead 0, No. 24 Oregon State 48 125 Pounds — No. 19 Jason Lara (OSU) fall over Corey Ulmer (MSUM), 2:23 0 6 133 Pounds — No. 16 Kelly Kubec (OSU) technical fall over Evan Forde (MSUM), 20-5 0 11 141 Pounds — Mike Mangrum (OSU) tech fall over Brady Schneeberger (MSUM), 21-6 (6:20) 0 16 149 Pounds — Garrett Drucker (OSU) major decision over Derek Bomstad (MSUM), 14-4 0 20 157 Pounds — No. 17 Keegan Davis (OSU) major decision over Tallen Wald (MSUM), 12-4 0 24 165 Pounds — Jon Brascetta (OSU) major decision over Tyler Kivel (MSUM), 16-5 0 28 174 Pounds — Colby Covington (OSU) fall over Jacob McLean (MSUM), 3:56 0 34 184 Pounds — Ty Vinson (OSU) technical fall over Roger Sirek (MSUM), 17-0 (4:50) 0 39 197 Pounds — No. 17 Chad Hanke (OSU) technical fall over Jon Swart (MSUM), 19-4 0 44 Heavyweight — Clayton Jack (OSU) major decision over Tim Johnson (MSUM), 12-4 0 48 North Dakota State 0, No. 24 Oregon State 42 125 Pounds — No. 19 Jason Lara (OSU) fall over Justin Solberg (NDSU), 3:34 0 6 133 Pounds — No. 16 Kelly Kubec (OSU) wins by forfeit 0 12 141 Pounds — Mike Mangrum (OSU) decision over Ryan Adams (NDSU), 13-8 0 15 149 Pounds — No. 16 RJ Pena (OSU) decision over Andrey Patselov (NDSU), 7-4 0 18 157 Pounds — No. 17 Keegan Davis (OSU) major decision over Vince Salminen (NDSU), 13-5 0 22 165 Pounds — Jon Brascetta (OSU) decision over Tyler Johnson (NDSU), 5-3 0 25 174 Pounds — Colby Covington (OSU) fall over Mac Stoll (NDSU), 2:25 0 31 184 Pounds — Ty Vinson (OSU) decision over Kenny Moenkedick (NDSU), 4-1 0 34 197 Pounds — No. 17 Chad Hanke (OSU) decision over Drew Ross (NDSU), 16-11 0 37 Heavyweight — Clayton Jack (OSU) technical fall over Joe Arthur (NDSU) 16-0 (4:53) 0 42

PERRYSBURG, Ohio -- In front of 2,325 at Perrysburg High School in Perrysburg, Ohio, the third-ranked Ohio State wrestling team downed No. 19 Edinboro, 34-12, Sunday. The Buckeyes won the first seven bouts, including a Fighting Scot forfeit, to jump out to a 34-0 lead. "Overall, it was a great day for the Buckeyes," Tom Ryan, head coach, said. "There was a great crowd and the team wrestled with a lot of energy at every weight class. We pushed the action and that's a big step for us at several weight classes." The dual began at 133 pounds with Buckeye freshman Ian Paddock matching up against Kyle Fluke. Paddock, a native of Warsaw, N.Y., took a 5-0 lead after the first period on a takedown and 3-point nearfall. He then extended his advantage to 9-1 following the second and sealed the 12-1 victory in the third period thanks to a reversal and a riding time of 1:29. With the Scarlet and Gray up 4-0 early, No. 1 and senior tri-captain Reece Humphrey made the score 8-0 at 141 pounds on a 27-11 technical fall over Ashton Osterberg. Hailing from Indianapolis, Ind., Humphrey dominated the match early, taking a 14-6 lead after two periods. Humphrey recorded 13 takedowns in the match. At 149 pounds, fourth-ranked Lance Palmer, also a senior tri-captain, notched a 9-1 major decision over Torsten Gillespie courtesy of three takedowns, an escape, a third stalling call on Gillespie and a riding time of 2:43. Up next, sophomore Sean Nemec shut out Matt Coleman, 10-0, at 157 pounds before junior Colt Sponseller, extended the Buckeye lead, 22-0, when he pinned Chris Hrunka in 4:53 at 165 pounds. The Fighting Scots took a forfeit at 174 pounds and the Ohio State lead increased to 28-0. Mike Pucillo, ranked No. 9, pinned No. 20 Pat Bradshaw in 2:26 at 184 pounds to continue the Buckeye momentum. However, Ohio State dropped its final three matches at 197, 285 and 125 pounds. Sophomore Zach Stolarsky received the starting nod at 197 pounds and was pinned in 2:40 by Shawn Fendone. Senior Corey Morrison dropped a close 6-4 decision to No. 14 Chris Birchler. Junior Nikko Triggas also suffered a 6-4 setback at 125 pounds to Kyle Fluke. The Buckeyes will now break for the Holiday season and return to action Jan. 3 in New York. Ohio State will travel to Hempstead, N.Y., to wrestle Hofstra at noon before heading to New York, N.Y., where they will face Columbia and George Mason starting at 4 p.m. Results: 133 - Ian Paddock (OSU) mdec. Kyle Fluke (Edinboro), 12-1 141 - No. 1 Reece Humphrey (OSU) tech. fall Ashton Osterberg (Edinboro), 27-11 149 - No. 4 Lance Palmer (OSU) mdec. Torsten Gillespie (Edinboro), 9-1 157 - Sean Nemec (OSU) mdec. Matt Coleman (Edinboro), 10-0 165 - No. 7 Colt Sponseller (OSU) pinned Chris Hrunka (Edinboro), 4:53 174 - Edinboro Forfeit 184 - No. 9 Mike Pucillo (OSU) pinned No. 20 Pat Bradshaw (Edinboro), 2:26 197 -Shawn Fendone (Edinboro) pinned Zach Stolarsky (OSU), 2:40 285 - No. 14 Chris Birchler (Edinboro) dec. Corey Morrison (OSU), 6-4 125 - No. 8 Eric Morrill (Edinboro) dec. Nikko Triggas (OSU), 6-4

Greeley, Colo. -- The Golden Gopher Wrestling team won nine-of-10 matches en route to a 41-3 win over Northern Colorado this afternoon (Dec. 13), winning their second straight dual. Minnesota (2-1) was in control the entire match, leading 17-0 before dropping their only contest. Northern Colorado (0-6) watched as six of the Gophers' wins accumulated bonus points for the lopsided final score. Things began mildly for the Gophers, as Zach Sanders (Wabasha, Minn.) won by a 10-6 decision, taking a 3-0 lead after the opening match. Sanders improved his season record to 7-0, the second best mark on the team. The only record better belongs to Jayson Ness (Bloomington, Minn.), who surprised no one with his first period fall next at 133. Ness extends his record to 11-0 with 10 falls, nine of which have been in the first three minutes of the match. The win was also number 128 of his career, moving Ness into sole possession of eighth place all-time in Minnesota Wrestling history. The top of the Gophers' line-up continued their dominance, as Mike Thorn (St. Michael, Minn.) won for the seventh time this season at 141, improving to 7-1. Thorn won his second straight match by tech fall, finishing with a 24-5 score as the final buzzer sounded. In his first dual of the season, David Zilverberg (Wayzata, Minn.) was victorious next at 149. A 5-0 shutout by Zilverberg extended the Gophers lead to 17-0, just four matches in. It was also just the second dual meet appearance ever for the sophomore, running his career record to 2-0. At 165, Dustin Schlatter (Massililon, Ohio) won his second straight, with his most dominating performance of the season in a 16-3 major decision win, while Cody Yohn (Alamosa, Colo.) followed with his team leading 13th victory at 174, on a 15-8 decision. Sonny Yohn (Alamosa, Colo.) at 184 and Ben Berhow (Hayward, Minn.) at heavyweight closed out the match with a technical fall and pin respectively, as the Gophers put up a season high 41 points. Sonny Yohn already has a 15-0 shutout on his record this season, but equally as impressive was his 19-1 effort today, for his second tech fall of the season. Berhow, meanwhile, won by fall for just the second time as well, winning his second straight match in the process. Early in the third period, Berhow notched the fall, for the final match of the day. The Gophers will get to rest and relax now as the first half of the season comes to a close. Minnesota will return to action just before the calendar turns, on Dec. 29 and 30, in Greensboro, N.C. for the annual Southern Scuffle. It will be a start-studded line-up at the two-day tournament, providing plenty of great competition. Minnesota returns to dual meet action not long after, as they welcome the second ranked team in the country to the Sports Pavilion, in Iowa State on Jan. 3. Results: 125 - #4 Zach Sanders (UM) dec. Tony Mustari (UNC), 10-6 / 3-0 133 - #2 Jayson Ness (UM) fall Gavin Garza (UNC), 1:06 / 9-0 141 - #6 Mike Thorn (UM) tech fall Casey Cruz (UNC), 24-5 (7:00) / 14-0 149 - David Zilverberg (UM) dec. Rocco DePaolo (UNC), 5-0 / 17-0 157 - Justin Gaethje (NC) dec. Joe Grygelko (UNC), 8-6 / 17-3 165 - #4 Dustin Schlatter (UM) major Tanner Weiks (UNC), 16-3 / 21-3 174 - Cody Yohn (UM) dec. Brandon Kammerzell (UNC), 15-8 / 24-3 184 - #18 Sonny Yohn (UM) tech fall Eric Brennan (UNC), 19-1 (6:12) / 29-3 197 - Joe Nord (UM) MFor / 35-3 285 - #11 Ben Berhow (UM) fall Justin Tuell (UNC), 5:29 / 41-3