InterMat Staff

The 16th edition of the Walsh Ironman yet again features a star studded field. Six wrestlers ranked number preseason number one in their weight class are scheduled to compete. In addition, two other No. 1- ranked wrestlers are out due to injury, while another top ranked wrestler is competing but up one weight class (at 112, ranked first at 103). What: The 16th Walsh Ironman Where: Walsh Jesuit High School -- Cuyahoga Falls, OH When: Friday 12-11-09 and Saturday 12-12-09 Schedule: Preliminary rounds (up to the quarterfinals) start at 1:00 p.m. ET on Friday afternoon; Saturday morning wrestling starts at 10:00 AM with the quarterfinals, the semifinals will follow, as will all consolation matches including those for seventh place; matches for first, third, and fifth will be wrestled Saturday evening starting at 6:30 p.m. Tournament Web site: http://www.walshironman.com Special Honoree: Harry Lester will be honored as the Ironman Legacy Award winner this year. Lester, while wrestling at CVCA was a three-time Ironman champion and four-time Ohio state champion. Since then, he has won multiple World Championship medals in Greco-Roman for the United States. InterMat Coverage: InterMat will be providing live blog coverage of all three sessions, available from the InterMat home page. In addition, a wrap-up will be provided on Friday night, with a finals game story to be published on Sunday. 103: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 9 Ryan Taylor (Graham, OH); No. 11 Kevon Powell (Montini Catholic, IL); No. 15 Max Hvolbeck (Blair Academy, NJ); No. 16 Dean Heil (St. Edward, OH); and No. 17 Nathan Tomasello (CVCA, OH). Commentary: This opening weight class is unlike ones from previous years where the field was talent-laden with multiple elite level wrestlers that were proven commodities. Based on the preliminary seedings, the two highest ranked wrestlers would meet in a Saturday morning quarterfinal; Taylor is seeded ninth, while Powell is the tournament's top seed. Awaiting the winner of that match would likely be the freshman Heil, a finalist in the three major Roller World of Wrestling tournaments last season. The other side of the draw includes Hvolbeck, Tomasello, and George DiCamillo (St. Ignatius, OH). DiCamillo placed last year at the Walsh Ironman, and finished third in the Super 32 this past fall. DiCamillo vs. Tomasello would be the quarterfinal with Hvolbeck awaiting the winner in the semifinal. Friday Match to Watch: Taylor vs. Cody Stainbrook (Streetsboro, OH). This could be a preview of the medium-school division state final in Ohio this coming season. Predicting a Finals Match: Taylor (Graham) over Hvolbeck (Blair Academy) 112: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 1 Evan Silver (Blair Academy, NJ); No. 3 Jimmy Gulibon (Derry Area, PA); No. 4 Alex Cisneros (Selma, CA); No. 13 Dominick Malone (Wyoming Seminary, PA); No. 1 (at 103) Joey Dance (Christiansburg, VA); and No. 13 (at 103) Daniel Gayton (Clovis, CA). Commentary: The bracket in this weight class happens to be relatively balanced between halves and quarters. After losing a very close semifinal bout to Hunter Stieber in this weight class last year, the top-ranked Silver is favored to win his first Ironman title. However, reaching the final could be a challenge, as one of the Keystone State's finest -- Gulibon -- is the likely semifinal opponent; though Gulibon would have to get past a projected quarterfinal against fellow state champion Ryan Brooks (Marlow, OK). The bottom half of the draw is led by another one of the nation's best sophomores, a state champion from the Golden State -- Cisneros. His road to the final involves likely matches against Dance and Malone, a pair of Cadet National freestyle All-Americans. Unseeded Wrestler to Watch: Dean O'Bourke (Calvary Chapel, CA). Friday Match to Watch: Dance vs. Stephen Myers (Moeller, OH). This is a battle of freshmen who were Cadet National freestyle All-Americans during the summer and are proven in Roller World of Wrestling events. Predicting a Finals Match: Silver (Blair Academy) over Cisneros (Selma) 119: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 2 Hunter Stieber (Monroeville, OH); No. 2 (at 112) Jerome Robinson (St. Ignatius, OH); No. 3 Ty Mitch (Aurora, OH); No. 8 Kagan Squire (Wadsworth, OH); No. 11 Mark Grey (Blair Academy, NJ); and No. 14 Nick Brascetta (Graham, OH). Commentary: Two of the sport's clichés hold true here -- styles make matches, and draws make tournaments. There is a group of seven wrestlers, the six that are nationally ranked and Mason Beckman (Reynolds, PA) that are a cut above the field. Based on past histories, the favorite would have to be Stieber. Based on the bracket, it is very likely that one of the semifinals will place Stieber against two-time state champion and Junior National freestyle champion Mitch. While a Mitch vs. Brascetta quarterfinal is a battle of nationally ranked wrestlers, it is one that Mitch should win. In fact, when these two met in the 2008 state semifinal at 103 pounds, Mitch won 14-7. Saturday morning in the bottom half of the bracket is going to be full of fireworks. Starting with projected quarterfinal bouts placing Robinson against Beckman and Squire against Grey. While Robinson would be considered a pre-match favorite against Beckman; should Beckman be able to get the match onto the mat, it would be big-time advantage to Beckman. Squire and Grey are two of the nation's finest sophomores, and Grey is my pick to pull off an upset based on the rankings. Friday Match to Watch: Mitch v Greg Flourony (Fauquier, VA). Flournoy placed 8th at the very tough 119 pound weight class at the recent Super 32. Predicting a Finals Match: H. Stieber (Monroeville) over Robinson (St. Ignatius) 125: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 1 Logan Stieber (Monroeville, OH); No. 2 Devin Carter (Christiansburg, VA); No. 5 (at 119) Jesse Delgado (Gilroy, CA); and No. 15 Gus Sako (St. Edward, OH). Commentary: With many viewing Logan Stieber as the best wrestler in America, there comes a prevailing notion that he is some sort of untouchable. However, there is a wrestler in this weight class that has improved leaps and bounds in the last fifteen months and could bust that paradigm. The wrestler being discussed is Devin Carter, who won the Ironman at 112 last year with an 8-4 victory over the younger Stieber (Hunter). Carter bookended this championship with Super 32 titles, and also was a Junior National freestyle runner-up this past summer. That being said, Carter does not exactly have smooth sailing to a match with Stieber on Saturday night. Standing in the way is Delgado, a California state champion and two-time Cadet National freestyle All-American, in what is likely to be a semifinal bout. Looking through Stieber's half of the bracket, it is likely to be a semifinal date against a two-time Ohio state finalist -- either Sako or Johnni DiJulius (Walsh Jesuit, OH). DiJulius beat Sako two times in 2007-08, while Sako has the Fargo AA to his credit. Unseeded Wrestler to Watch: State qualifier Matt Rappo (Council Rock South, PA). Friday Match to Watch: Sako vs. Chase Ferman (Broken Arrow, OK). Ferman is a very funky wrestler who placed seventh in last year's Ironman. Predicting a Finals Match: L. Stieber (Monroeville) over Carter (Christiansburg) 130: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 1 Jamie Clark (St. Edward, OH); No. 13 Colton Rasche (Montini Catholic, IL); and No. 16 (at 125) Tyler Rauenzahn (Blue Mountain, PA. Commentary: Clark is favored to repeat as Ironman champion, and should not be truly challenged along the way. His path is likely to include a quarterfinal against either Garrison or Skonieczny, and a semifinal bout against Penn State verbal commit Frank Martelotti (Shady Side Academy, PA). Martelotti was third at state the last two years after winning the title as a freshman. The bottom half of the draw includes nationally ranked wrestlers Rauenzahn and Rasche as the sixth and seventh seeds respectively. Nick Lawrence (Westlake, OH) is a two-time state finalist in the big-school division, and the second seed. Cody Pack (Quincy, CA) had great Fargo success early in his career but has failed to place at state the last two years, partly due to injury. Unseeded Wrestlers to Watch: Todd Preston (Blair Academy, NJ) and Eric Morris (Wyoming Seminary, PA). These two unseeded wrestlers, who have the potential to make a dent into placement positions, could play a key role in the team race this year -- be it sealing the deal yet again for Blair or putting Wyoming Seminary into the lead group conversation. Friday Matches to Watch: Rauenzahn v Brent Fickel (Padua, OH) and Case Garrison (Bishop Lynch, TX) vs. Nate Skonieczny (Walsh Jesuit, OH). Fickel was an Ironman quarterfinalist last year as a freshman. Garrison placed in the Ironman as a freshman, while Skonieczny was a state runner-up. Predicting a Finals Match: Clark (St. Edward) over Rauenzahn (Blue Mountain) 135: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 2 Felipe Martinez (Graham, OH); No. 3 Austin Ormsbee (Blair Academy, NJ); No. 5 Cam Tessari (Monroeville, OH); No. 7 Simon Kitzis (Wyoming Seminary, PA); No. 12 Luke Goettl (Mingus, AZ); No. 14 Shawn Fayette (Miamisburg, OH); and No. 10 (at 130) Nick Pena (Selma, CA). Notable: No. 1 Josh Dziewa (Council Rock South, PA) is a scratch due to injury. Commentary: Despite the absence of the nation's top-ranked wrestler at this weight, this field is absolutely loaded with talent. In fact, there will be many very talented wrestlers not going to place in this weight bracket. However, the four wrestlers ranked inside the top seven of this weight class are the ones that stand a cut above, and should be in the semifinals on Saturday afternoon. The bottom bracket semifinal between Martinez and Ormsbee could be crucial in the team battle, and is arguably a de facto final of sorts. In order to make that semifinal, Martinez is most likely going to have to beat fellow state champion Fayette -- a wrestler that he beat 3-2 at the GMVWA tournament last year. Ormsbee would have the Rich v Dailley winner in his quarterfinal. In the top bracket, Tessari is likely to advance to the semifinal through a quarterfinal bout against fellow junior Pena, who has placed in single-class California during his first two years of high school. The other quarterfinal would place Kitzis against Goettl. While Goettl has had great success in Fargo, his performance in folkstyle at Ironman and Reno last year was somewhat disappointing. The Junior National freestyle All-American and Beast of the East champion is my pick to win that bout. Unseeded Wrestlers to Watch: Freshmen sensations Zach Epperly (Christiansburg, VA) and Austin Matthews (Reynolds, PA). Friday Match to Watch: Jordan Rich (Central Mountain, PA) vs. Zach Dailley (Massillon Perry, OH). Rich placed last year at the Ironman, fourth at state the last two years, and was one match away from placement honors in Fargo (JN FS) and at the Super 32. However, Dailley beat Rich almost two months ago at the preseason Lock Haven Open. Predicting a Finals Match: Martinez (Graham) over Tessari (Monroeville) 140: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 2 (at 145) Chris Villalonga (Blair Academy, NJ); No. 17 (at 135) Stephen Robertson (Montini Catholic, IL); and No. 18 (at 135) Caleb Ervin (Union County, KY). Notable: No. 1 Josh Kindig (Blue Mountain, PA) is a scratch due to injury. Commentary: With Kindig out of this weight class, things are very clear for Villalonga to become a three-time Ironman champion. Of interest will be the bracket matches not involving Villalonga, as there is incredible balance in this weight -- do "eenie, meenie, minie, mo" to pick the matches in this bracket, and pay very close attention to the happenings on Friday and in all rounds of this bracket. Unseeded Wrestlers to Watch: State qualifiers Connor Dempsey (Westlake, OH) and Matt Van Curen (St. Edward, OH). Friday Matches to Watch: Robertson vs. Matt Martoccio (Council Rock South, PA); Travis Shaffer (Derry Area, PA) vs. Nate Ball (Wadsworth, OH); Evan Henderson (Kiski Prep, PA) vs. Isaac Jordan (Graham, OH); and Ian Miller (Oak Harbor, OH) vs. Brian Brill (Central Mountain, PA). Predicting a Finals Match: Villalonga (Blair Academy) over Shaffer (Derry Area) 145: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 1 Andrew Alton (Central Mountain, PA); No. 10 Cody Rodebaugh (San Lorenzo Valley, CA); and No. 15 Anthony Salupo (St. Edward, OH). Commentary: Unlike 140, this weight is not very deep overall. However, also unlike 140, this weight is relatively strong at the top. The top half of this draw will be dominated by defending champion Andrew Alton, who happens to be the strong favorite for a repeat title. However, in the bottom half of the draw is three relatively similar wrestlers in terms of ability. Rodebaugh is a defending state champion and All-American at the NHSCA Junior Nationals. The very talented Salupo was a disappointing third at state, and sixth at NHSCA Junior Nationals. Brad Squire (Wadsworth, OH) was state champion as a freshman and Ironman champion as a sophomore, but has fallen short of hopes in the last 1-1/2 seasons -- losing a state final in 2008 and spending 2008-09 battling around injuries. Squire is the two seed and likely to face the Rodebaugh vs. Salupo quarterfinal winner in a semifinal. As a note of interest, Rodebaugh pinned Salupo in a consolation semifinal at NHSCA Junior Nationals. In the top half, look for a semifinal involving Alton against Matt Stephens (Graham, OH). Predicting a Finals Match: A. Alton (Central Mountain) over Rodebaugh (San Lorenzo Valley) 152: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 1 Dylan Alton (Central Mountain, PA); No. 3 Brandon Rolnick (Lawrenceville, NJ); No. 5 (at 145) Steven Hernandez (Bishop Gorman, NV); No. 9 David Habat (St. Ignatius, OH); No. 7 (at 160) Jason Luster (Kiski Prep, PA); No. 10 (at 160) Travis Gallegos (Foothill-PC, CA); No. 14 Jesse Shanaman (Blair Academy, NJ); and No. 17 Harrison Hightower (University School, OH). Commentary: The reputation of the Walsh Ironman is made on weight classes such as these -- eight nationally ranked wrestlers seeking eight places in the bracket. It is possible that there might not be as many nationally ranked wrestlers at the season-ending NHSCA Senior Nationals in this type of weight class. The top seed is defending champion Dylan Alton, who projects to have a second consecutive Ironman quarterfinal bout against Hightower. Last year, this match was a pin. The other projected quarterfinal in this half has Luster meeting Habat, which is a rematch of last year's third place bout won 3-1 by Luster. A matchup that of New Jersey Prep School stars is one of the quarterfinals on bottom, with Rolnick favored to advance over Shanaman. The other quarterfinal is a battle of west coast stars with a pair of top 100 Class of 2010 recruits in Hernandez and Gallegos set to do battle. The double Junior National All-American, and two-time NHSCA grade-level champion, Hernandez is favored here. Unseeded Wrestler to Watch: State champion Rich Eva (Christiansburg, VA). Friday Matches to Watch: Hightower vs. Cody Allala (Hopewell, VA); these wrestlers met in the 2008 Super 32 with Hightower dominating the battle of future state champions. Shanaman v Kenny Boyles (Smyrna, DE); Boyles was a Junior National Greco-Roman All-American this past summer. Predicting a Finals Match: D. Alton (Central Mountain) over Rolnick (Lawrenceville) 160: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 3 Nick Sulzer (St. Edward, OH); No. 6 (at 171) Josh Demas (Westerville North, OH); No. 11 (at 152) Pierce Harger (Moeller, OH); and No. 18 (at 152) Zach Skates (Broken Arrow, OK). Commentary: While there are four nationally ranked wrestlers in this weight, three of them stand out as a cut above the rest of this field. The three top 100 Class of 2010 recruits from the Buckeye State will battle it out this weekend, and possibly in the big-school state tournament; however, one would have to think someone moves up to an easier 171 pound weight class by season's end. The draw sets up for a state finals rematch in the top semifinal with Sulzer facing Demas. Sulzer beat Demas in the ultimate tiebreaker in the late December Medina Invitational final, before Demas won on a great counter takedown late in the state final. The quarterfinal match for Sulzer most likely will be against another state champion in Kyle Ryan (Graham, OH); while Demas projects to face the mercurial but talented Trey Adamson (Bishop Lynch, TX). On paper, Harger should have a very easy path through to the semis where he would be favored to make the final against Skates, Wukie, or Moon. Unseeded Wrestler to Watch: State qualifier Sheldon Brandenburg (Wadsworth, OH). Friday Match to Watch: Brad Wukie (University School, OH) vs. Chris Moon (Wyoming Seminary, PA). This battle places two talented wrestlers that fell short of their expectations in 2008-09 against each other to start 2009-10. Predicting a Finals Match: Sulzer (St. Edward) over Harger (Moeller) 171: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 1 Chris Phillips (Monroeville, OH); No. 12 Tanner Eitel (Bishop Lynch, TX); and No. 18 Matthew Cunningham (Shady Side Academy, PA). Commentary: Unlike last year, there is no real challenger to the nation's top Class of 2011 wrestler Chris Phillips -- an Ironman champion in 2007 before finishing third last year after a semifinal loss to Ed Ruth. That was the only loss of Phillips' two-year career to date. The likely semifinal for Phillips would be against one of two state runners-up, either Alex Utley (CVCA, OH) or Huston Evans (Graham, OH). Utley is the pick in that match. The bottom half should be more interesting with Cunningham drawing a tough projected quarterfinal against Zach Nevills (Clovis, CA), who finished fifth in single-class California as a freshman. In that other bottom quarter, the very talented Eitel comes back into play after missing last season is projected to face baseball star Johnny Field (Bishop Gorman, NV). Unseeded Wrestlers to Watch: Michael Alexander (Findlay, OH) and Justin Lozano (Selma, CA). Alexander was a state placer in Ohio's big-school division, while Lozano was a state qualifier in single-class California and placed fourth at 160 in the Super 32. Friday Matches to Watch: Eitel vs. Charles Argue (Mount Carmel, IL); Utley vs. Jay Wieller (Wyoming Seminary, PA). Predicting a Finals Match: Phillips (Monroeville) over Eitel (Bishop Lynch) 189: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 3 (at 171) Michael Evans (Blair Academy, NJ); No. 5 Max Thomusseit (Graham, OH); and No. 16 Steven McPeek (Bishop Lynch, TX). Notable: No. 2 Morgan McIntosh (Calvary Chapel, CA) is a scratch due to injury sustained during the offseason. Commentary: Despite the absence of McIntosh, a top five wrestler in the Class of 2011, this weight still features a pair of elite wrestlers in Evans and Thomusseit -- both are top 30 recruits in the Class of 2010. Each is likely to have one legitimate challenger on their way to a finals match. Evans has a projected date with two-time state placer Tommy Burriel (Clovis, CA); while Thomusseit should meet against McPeek (Bishop Lynch, TX). However, McPeek has a quarterfinal bout against Bobby Lavelle (Council Rock South, PA) that he should not overlook; Lavelle is a NHSCA Junior National runner-up. Friday Match to Watch: Thomusseit vs. Joe Tayse (Massillon Perry, OH). This is the true definition of "baptism by fire" for one of the best freshman upperweights in the nation; Tayse has to face a physically-imposing veteran wrestler in Thomusseit. Predicting a Finals Match: Evans (Blair) over Thomusseit (Graham) 215: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 12 Tank Knowles (Calvary Chapel, CA). Commentary: Compared to many an Ironman past, this year's upper-weight classifications are rather thin in terms of quality depth. There are only four wrestlers that could be argued as nationally significant in this weight class. Leading the way here is the lone ranked wrestler -- Knowles - who was fourth at state last year as a sophomore, and a runner-up at the Reno Tournament of Champions. His likely semifinal opponent is Brian Beattie (Burrell, PA), who likewise took fourth in his state tournament as a sophomore and was runner-up at NHSCA Sophomore Nationals. The other half of the bracket features a pair of wrestlers that took third in their state tournaments last year; Nick Tavanello (Wadsworth, OH) and Beau Wenger (Fairless, OH). Of note on each is that Tavanello was a Cadet National freestyle runner-up this past summer, while Wenger lost a 3-1 bout against Thomusseit in the state semifinal. As a result, this weight class is a bastion of opportunity for less credentialed wrestlers to make themselves known as an Ironman placer. Predicting a Finals Match: Knowles (Calvary Chapel) over Tavanello (Wadsworth) 285: Nationally-Ranked Wrestlers: No. 6 Mike McMullan (Wyoming Seminary, PA); No. 16 Ben Buzzelli (Wadsworth, OH); and No. 19 Terry Williamson (Broken Arrow, OK). Commentary: The favored wrestler in this weight is the second seed McMullan, a National Prep champion last season. Navigating another thin weight class, his path should be one with limited roadblocks. The likely semifinal match is against Zach Corl (Central Mountain, PA), Max Gladstone (Findlay, OH), or Louis Barragan (Gilroy, CA). Corl was a Cadet National double All-American this past summer, eighth in his state tournament, but a runner-up in last year's Ironman; Gladstone is a two-time state qualifier and finished fourth at the NHSCA Junior Nationals this past spring; while Barragan is a two-time state qualifier. The top half of this draw projects to a semifinal between two national ranked wrestlers in a match of polar opposites. The top seed Williamson was a state champion at 285 after bumping up from the 215 pound weight class at mid-season. On the other hand, Buzzelli is a two-time state placer at 285, and is cutting weight in order to make this classification. Friday Match to Watch: Corl vs. Barragan. Predicting a Finals Match: McMullan (Wyoming Seminary) over Williamson (Broken Arrow)

Nebraska coach Mark Manning will tell you that there's no doubt in his mind that Craig Brester, a senior 197-pounder for the Cornhuskers, would have been an NCAA champion last year and this year at heavyweight. Craig Brester reached the NCAA finals last season at 197 pounds before falling to Big 12 rival Jake Varner of Iowa State (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)"That's how much I believe in him," says Manning. Brester, an unheralded recruit out of high school, hails from Howells, Nebraska, the same small town with a population of just over 600 people that produced Brad Vering, a 2000 NCAA champion for the Cornhuskers, Olympian, and World silver medalist in Greco-Roman. So what did Manning see in Brester out of high school that he liked? "That he had a tremendous work ethic," says Manning. "He had a lot of toughness to him. He had the will to win. That's what I saw in him." As a four-year starter for the Cornhuskers, Brester has compiled a career record of 90-18 and earned All-American honors the past two seasons. Last season, Brester finished as the NCAA runner-up at 197 pounds, losing a close 2-1 decision in the NCAA finals to Jake Varner of Iowa State, a wrestler he beat two weeks prior at the Big 12 Championships. An impressive resume for any college wrestler, but especially for an invited walk-on that wasn't even on the radar of most Division I college wrestling coaches. "When I came out of high school, I wanted to earn a scholarship on the team," says Brester. "I walked on here. I just worked as hard as I could. I did whatever the coaches asked of me. Good things happen when you do that. That's pretty much what happened. Just listening to coaches, doing what they tell me to, just putting everything into it, and slowly I saw that I was making advances and getting better and better ... and it put me to where I'm at today." Brester and the No. 12 Cornhuskers will head to Minneapolis on Thursday to take on No. 5 Minnesota. Nebraska is coming off a fifth-place finish this past weekend at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, but that came largely without the services of defending NCAA champion Jordan Burroughs (157), who had four teeth damaged in his opening-round match, which caused him to get root canals and default out of the tournament. Burroughs is expected to be in the lineup on Thursday night against Minnesota. David KlingsheimNebraska placed fourth at the 2009 NCAA Championships, but has six new starters in its lineup, including true freshmen David Klingsheim and C.J. Napier at 125 and 133 pounds respectively. Both were ranked among the Top 30 recruits in the country by InterMat from the Class of 2009. Klingsheim was a four-time California state placewinner, California state champion, and a Junior Nationals double All-American in Fargo this past summer. Napier was a three-time Kansas state champion and three-time All-American at Cadet & Junior Nationals. Both are off to solid starts (Klingsheim is 8-4 and Napier is 11-5), but both failed to place at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational this past weekend. "Both are pretty talented freshmen," said Manning. "They're still learning how to wrestle at this level and win close matches. They have a ways to go, but they've really made a lot of progress the last two, three weeks. You only get better when you're out there. You can talk all about it when you're a redshirt, but until you actually compete as a redshirt freshman, you don't get that much better. They're getting better right now. They're getting mentally tougher. They're building up resiliency that you need whether you're a freshman or a redshirt freshman. Both are pretty mentally tough kids. They have taken some hard knocks, but they've have bounced back. That's what I look for. They have good character. They've got some resiliency to them. They're only going to get better. I believe in both those guys." Both true freshmen have tall orders on Thursday night against Minnesota. Klingsheim will face No. 4 Zach Sanders, a returning All-American, while Napier will battle No. 2 Jayson Ness, a three-time All-American. Mark ManningNebraska started the season ranked No. 7 by InterMat, but fell in the rankings after losing 18-15 to Lehigh at the ASICS Journeymen/Brute Northeast Duals on November 28. "Six guys have never been in the lineup," said Manning. "There's going to be some growing pains. You take the good with the bad. They're not always going to click on every dual meet. We showed a lot of improvement last weekend (at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational). We had five guys in the round to place. They all lost, but they went 5-2 on the tournament. They didn't go 0-2. They're making progress. Just trying to build consistency in their performances. Therefore, that's what we're really focused on ... Being consistent every time out." Minnesota is coming off a 21-8 defeat against Oklahoma State on Friday night, a dual meet that saw seven Gophers lose, including Dustin Schlatter, a three-time All-American, NCAA champion, and U.S. World Team member. Minnesota will be without the services of 2008 Olympian Jake Deitchler for the dual meet. Deitchler, who is ranked No. 12 at 157 pounds, has yet to compete this season, but the Gophers are hoping to have him back competing at the Southern Scuffle December 29-30 in Greensboro, North Carolina. While Manning and the Cornhuskers have a great deal of respect for Minnesota and what the program has accomplished, they're not about to take a backseat. "They have won some national championships, but we have been there right there with them," says Manning. "They're well-coached. We have a lot of respect for their program. But we don't take a backseat to them. We have done some good things too." Below is a weight-by-weight breakdown of the dual meet. 125: David Klingsheim (Nebraska) vs. No. 4 Zach Sanders (Minnesota) Sanders, a returning All-American, is 6-0 this season and has been impressive in all of his matches. He had a gutty, come-from-behind victory over No. 5 James Nicholson of Old Dominion at the NWCA All-Star Classic ... and was dominant against No. 12 Chris Notte of Oklahoma State, winning 11-5. Look for Sanders to get to his offense early and often, and wear out the true freshman from California. Klingsheim has shown glimpses of his potential, but is coming off a disappointing 0-2 performance at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Prediction: Sanders (Minnesota) by Major Decision 133: C.J. Napier (Nebraska)/Ridge Kiley (Nebraska) vs. No. 2 Jayson Ness (Minnesota) Napier was completely dominated in his college debut against Wisconsin's Tyler Graff, who won by technical fall, 26-10. He bounced back to win the Kaufman-Brand Open in the amateur division. Napier won four matches at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and came up one victory shy of placing. Kiley, a redshirt freshman who is 6-4 this season, is another option for Manning. But regardless of whether it's Napier or Kiley, Minnesota will be looking for and expecting bonus points from Ness, a three-time All-American. Ness is the all-time pins leader at Minnesota and has pinned eight of nine opponents this season ... and will be looking to make it nine of ten on Thursday night. Prediction: Ness (Minnesota) by Pin 141: Mike Koehnlein (Nebraska) vs. No. 6 Mike Thorn (Minnesota) Koehnlein was a two-time junior college All-American at Cerritos College (CA) who is in his first season with the Cornhuskers. He enters Thursday's match with a record of 11-5, but has yet to beat a ranked opponent. He is 0-3 against ranked opponents, with those losses coming by four, five, and six points. Thorn proved last season that he can compete with the best wrestlers in the country, but he has also proved to be inconsistent down the stretch. Thorn has a wide-open style and loves to put points on the scoreboard. Prediction: Thorn (Minnesota) by Decision 149: Chris Hacker (Nebraska) vs. No. 9 Mario Mason (Minnesota) Hacker, who is coming off a season that was cut short by a hip injury, is 11-3 this season and won the Kaufman-Brand Open in the elite division, a weight class that included three-time NCAA qualifier Mitch Mueller of Iowa State. However, despite Hacker's impressive record, he has yet to beat a ranked opponent and has been dominated by lesser opponents than Mason. This will the home debut for Mason, a talented freshman from Blair Academy in New Jersey. Mason has been successful at every age group level ... and has wins in freestyle over several college standouts, including Jason Chamberlain (Boise State), Kellen Russell (Michigan), Kyle Dake (Cornell), Tyler Nauman (Pittsburgh), and Kevin LeValley (Bucknell). He's very strong on his feet and can score with a lot of different attacks. Prediction: Mason (Minnesota) by Major Decision 157: No. 1 Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) vs. Joe Grygelko (Minnesota)/Brian Peterson (Minnesota) Burroughs, the defending NCAA champion at 157 pounds, is in the conversation for best pound-for-pound college wrestler in the country. He won arguably the nation's toughest weight class last season that included NCAA champions Jordan Leen of Cornell and Gregor Gillespie of Edinboro, as well as two-time NCAA runner-up Mike Poeta of Illinois. Burroughs is extremely quick and explosive on his feet ... and freakishly strong. He broke some teeth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational this past weekend, which caused him to default out of the competition, but he has recovered well and is expected to compete on Thursday night. Grygelko has shown a lot of heart filling in for the Gophers, as has Peterson, but Burroughs is on different level and should pick up bonus points in this match. Prediction: Burroughs (Nebraska) by Technical Fall 165: Tyler Koehn (Nebraska)/James Nakashima (Nebraska) vs. No. 4 Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota) With Stephen Dwyer moving up to 174 pounds this season, it left a bit of a void at 165 pounds for the Cornhuskers. They have used a few different wrestlers in this weight class this season, but it will likely be either Koehn or Nakashima against Minnesota. Koehn is 9-4 this season with no notable wins, while Nakishima, a junior college national champion last season, made his season debut at the Cliff keen Las Vegas Invitational, where he went 1-2. Schlatter, a three-time All-American and 2006 NCAA champion, made the U.S. World Team this past summer. He's as talented and technically sound as they come. When Schlatter gets his offense going, he's nearly unbeatable. But sometimes he wrestles a bit tight and lets inferior wrestlers hang around. That happened last Friday when Schlatter gave up an early takedown (off his own move) against Oklahoma State's Alex Meade and was never able to get his offense going as he dropped a 3-2 decision in his first match of the season. Prediction: Schlatter (Minnesota) by Major Decision 174: No. 3 Stephen Dwyer (Nebraska) vs. Scott Glasser (Minnesota) Dwyer, a three-time NCAA qualifier and 2008 All-American, has made a smooth transition moving up from 165 to 174 pounds this season. He defeated returning All-American Chris Henrich of Virginia at the NWCA All-Star Classic. He was runner-up at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, losing 5-3 to No. 1 Mack Lewnes of Cornell in the finals. Glasser, like Dwyer, made the move up from 165 to 174 pounds this season. Glasser has battled injuries throughout his career, which has led to inconsistency. Last season, Glasser won 12 of his first 13 matches, but struggled mightily at the end of the season, losing 15 of his last 19 matches. Glasser is 8-1 this season, but has yet to see a ranked opponent. Dwyer defeated Glasser in the early part of last season, 6-4, in the finals of the Kaufman-Brand Open. Prediction: Dwyer (Nebraska) by Decision 184: Josh Ihnen (Nebraska) vs. No. 18 Sonny Yohn (Minnesota) Expectations were high entering this season for Ihnen after a redshirt season that saw him go 24-5. But this season has been a bit rocky for Ihnen. In 11 matches this season, he has faced four ranked opponents, and with the exception of a 3-2 loss to No. 11 David Craig of Lehigh, Ihnen has not been competitive in any of those matches while being outscored 40-6. Yohn, who is coming off an up and down freshman campaign, was impressive in his first eight matches this season, going 8-0 against marginal competition. But last Friday, in his first test of the season, Yohn was dominated by No. 10 Clayton Foster of Oklahoma State, 13-1, in a match that many expected to be competitive. This is one of the most crucial matches in the dual meet. If the Cornhuskers are going to pull out the dual meet victory, they need to win this match. Prediction: Yohn by Decision 197: No. 2 Craig Brester (Nebraska) vs. Joe Nord (Minnesota)/Kaleb Young (Minnesota) Brester, an NCAA runner-up last season, is at the top of his game right now. He's 11-0 and is coming off a tournament title at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Brester appears to be on a collision course to once again meet Big 12 rival Jake Varner of Iowa State in the NCAA finals. The two could potentially meet three times before the NCAA Championships, though ... at the National Duals, a February 21 dual meet, and at the Big 12 Championships. Minnesota has struggled to find consistency at this weight class ever since Damion Hahn, a two-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American, graduated in 2004. Ryland Geiger, who was one of the nation's top recruits from the Class of 2008, was expected to take over after a redshirt season ... but left the program before the start of the season. Nord, a former heavyweight, or Young, who has been competing at 184 pounds, will likely get the start for the Gophers. Brester has picked up bonus points in seven of his 11 matches this season ... and should be able to do so on Thursday night. Prediction: Brester by Major Decision 285: No. 7 Tucker Lane (Nebraska) vs. No. 11 Ben Berhow (Minnesota) Lane and Berhow have proven to be solid Division I heavyweights. Both were NCAA qualifiers last season and both should be in the mix for All-American honors in a deep heavyweight class. But neither wrestler has been able to break into the upper echelon of Division I heavyweights. Lane has had Berhow's number, winning two matches against him last season and picking up another victory over him this season at the Kaufman-Brand Open. Prediction: Lane (Nebraska) by Decision Dual Meet Prediction: Minnesota 24, Nebraska 15

Craig Brester

Daniel Dennis

John Azevedo

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- All-America senior Hudson Taylor has claimed his second Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestler of the Week honor of the 2009-10 season after a weekend in which he defeated three fellow nationally-ranked wrestlers and became the program’s all-time leader in career victories and pins. Taylor set the school record for career pins by picking up four to bring his collegiate total to 72. The senior helped the seventh-ranked Terps to a 41-0 ACC season-opening victory over North Carolina on Friday by pinning No. 11 Dennis Drury, which brought Taylor’s career pin total to 69, tying him with Jake Stork for most in school history. Taylor broke the record on Sunday in the Penn State Open. The third-ranked wrestler in the country went 5-0 to claim the title at 197 pounds, winning three matches by pin and two matches over ranked opponents. Taylor’s record is now 17-0 on the season, with 13 of those victories coming by pin. Taylor’s wins in the Penn State open included an 11-5 decision over No. 19 Matthew Wilps of Pittsburgh and a pin of Virginia’s 15th-ranked Brent Jones, the ACC’s defending champion in the 197-pound weight class and the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the 2009 ACC Championships. A two-time All-American, Taylor also set the Maryland career wins record with his stellar two days of work. The Pennington, N.J., native now has 140, beating the previous mark of 139 set by Brandon York (1998-2002), who was a four-time ACC Champion as well as a four-time NCAA qualifier. Maryland plays host to Pennsylvania on Friday in Comcast Pavilion at 7:00 p.m. Friday will be Greek/Campus organization night, with the largest fraternity/sorority or campus organization winning a prize.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- University of Wyoming sophomore 165-pounder Shane Onufer (Auburn, Wash./Auburn HS) has been named the Western Wrestling Conference's Wrestler of the Week as announced by league officials. In what many consider the top early tournament in collegiate wrestling, Onufer placed third at 165 pounds this past weekend at the 28th Annual Las Vegas Invitational. In doing so, he beat All-American Andy Rendos from Bucknell twice. Onufer finished the tournament with a 5-1 record, 14-4 so far this year, and helped the Wyoming team to a 10th-place finish in the stacked field. On Friday, Onufer opened the event with a major decision victory over Cody Hutcheson from Cornell. He then beat P.J. Gillespie from Hofstra (4-1), setting up a quarterfinal bout with No. 6-ranked and the event's No. 2-seed Rendos. Onufer knocked off Rendos by a score of 5-3 to advance to Saturday's semifinals. He then lost by a slim margin in the semifinals to No. 8 Colt Sponseller from Ohio State (6-4), before winning two straight to finish the tournament. He beat Gillespie again by a score of 3-2, before getting his second victory in as many days over 2009 All-American Rendos in the consolation final. Onufer was aggressive from the start and stuck Rendos' shoulders to the mat at 2:15 in the first period to bring his weekend to an exciting end. The Western Wrestling Conference is comprised of seven schools including the Air Force Academy, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming. Other Nominees: Air Force - Derek Gillespie, Jr., 141 lbs., Chesapeake, Va. (Great Bridge) Northern Colorado - Justin Gaethje, Jr., 157 lbs., Safford, Ariz. (Safford HS) Utah Valley - Flint Ray, Jr., 133 lbs., Roy, Utah (Roy HS) ,b>2009-2010 WWC Standings Utah Valley 3-0 1.000 UNI 3-3 .500 Wyoming 1-1 .500 South Dakota State 1-5 .167 Air Force 0-0 .000 North Dakota State 0-0 .000 Northern Colorado 0-4 .000 2009-10 WWC Wrestlers of the Week Nov. 10 – Tyler Sorenson (South Dakota State) Nov. 17 – Michael Martinez (Wyoming) Nov. 24 – Ben Kjar (Utah Valley) Dec. 1 – Kenny Hashimoto (Northern Colorado) Dec. 8 – Shane Onufer (Wyoming)

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. -- No. 5 Saint John’s University posted two pins and three major decisions enroute to a 39-3 win over St. Olaf on Tuesday, Dec. 8, in Collegeville. Following a forfeit at 125, senior Mogi Baatar (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia/St. Benedict’s Prep, N.J.) improved to 7-2 on the young season with a 10-4 decision. Freshmen Jay Woiwor (Becker, Minn.) and Cody Goldschmidt (Waconia, Minn./BOLD) then recorded back-to-back major decisions to make it 17-0 in favor of SJU (4-2 dual record). The Johnnies’ lone setback of the night was a 6-4 loss at 157. Freshman Kyle Glynn (Shakopee, Minn.) answered with a pin, followed by a major decision from sophomore Matt Pfarr (Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur-Henderson) at 174 pounds. All three remaining Johnnies bumped up a weight class and recorded victories. Junior Dustin Raygor (St. Croix Falls, Wis.) tallied an 8-3 decision, freshman Mitch Hagen (Sunburg, Minn./Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg) pinned his opponent and junior Tony Willaert (North Mankato, Minn./Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial) recorded an 8-1 decision. SJU returns to action by hosting Ridgewater this Thursday, Dec. 10. The dual is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Sexton Arena in Collegeville. Results: 125 - Freshman Trenton Seck (SJU) wins by forfeit [6-0] 133 - Senior Mogi Baatar (No. 3, SJU) dec. sophomore Ryan Timmerman (STO), 10-4 [9-0] 141 - Freshman Jay Woiwor (SJU) major dec. freshman Tom Mork (STO), 17-7 [13-0] 149 - Freshman Cody Goldschmidt (SJU) major dec. freshman Leo Juarez (STO), 13-4 [17-0] 157 - Junior Joey Waples (STO) dec. junior John Vaith (SJU), 6-4 [17-3] 165 - Freshman Kyle Glynn (SJU) pinned freshman Mike Roth (STO), 2:04 [23-3] 174 - Sophomore Matt Pfarr (SJU) major dec. freshman Collin Jergenson (STO), 16-5 [27-3] 184 - Junior Dustin Raygor (SJU) dec. freshman Andrew Rudd (STO), 8-3 [30-3] 197 - Freshman Mitch Hagen (SJU) pinned sophomore James Noneman (STO), 2:30 [36-3] Hwt - Junior Tony Willaert (SJU) dec. sophomore Dustin Heiser (STO), 8-1 [39-3] *the dual started at 125 pounds

Despite Oklahoma schools losing the four dual meets at Blue Springs, MO this past Friday night -- it was a wrestler from Oklahoma that had the evening's dominant performance. Ronnie Balfour (pictured), a senior at Tulsa Union who is nationally ranked at 160 pounds, weighed in at 171 pounds and dominated in both dual meet matches. In addition, his team will be hosting the Mid-America Nationals this coming weekend involving top teams from Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas. InterMat high school analyst Josh Lowe recaps the highlights of this past weekend and previews the best of the non-Ironman docket this weekend. Show-Me the dominance In the now annual battle between two of Missouri and Oklahoma's top programs at the open of the high school season, Missouri schools won all four of the contested matches this past Friday at Blue Springs High School outside of Kansas City, MO. Park Hill defeated Tulsa Union 43-22 and Catoosa 68-12. Blue Springs, the host squad, defeated Tulsa Union 33-32 and Catoosa 48-27. However the biggest statement of the event was made by Ronnie Balfour (Tulsa Union). The University of Oklahoma signee, ranked 12th at 160, weighed in at 171 and bumped up to 189 pounds to wrestle John Eblen (Park Hill). In that match, Balfour dominated the 20th ranked wrestler at that weight class, who is bound for Missouri next fall, by a 13-4 major decision. Best of the Hawkeye State showcase why in season opener The season opening Keith Young Invitational hosted by Cedar Falls this past Saturday had a lot of pre-tournament hype. One could say that was for very good reason, and even quite possibly exceeded expectations. Defending small-school state champions Don Bosco led throughout the day and had ten wrestlers in the placement round. However, beyond a pair of championships from Brandon (125) and Clay (160) Welter, the Dons lost all eight of their other matches. Their struggles in the finals dropped them down to third place with 194 points. It set the show for a shootout between the defending big-school champion Waverly Shell-Rock and Denver-Tripoli, the returning runners-up in the medium-school division. It came down to the 215 pound championship match, where defending state champion Cody Krumwiede (Waverly Shell-Rock) needed bonus points for the Go-Hawks to secure the team victory. Coming off a 52-0 sophomore season, which included 40 falls; Krumwiede got the pin, which was his fourth of the day in four matches. That result was enough for a 204 to 202-1/2 victory in the team race. However, Denver-Tripoli did not go home empty handed. In his high school debut, Brandon Sorensen (Denver-Tripoli) validated his place in the national rankings at 119 pounds with wins over the pair of wrestlers that appeared in the big-school final at 112 pounds last season. First, in the semifinal round, Sorensen upended state champion Brandon Jones (West Des Moines Valley) 5-3. Then, in the final, Sorensen defeated Eric Devos (Waverly Shell-Rock) 3-2; Devos was a state champion the previous two years in Minnesota (at Apple Valley). That performance earned the freshman Sorensen MOW honors. In addition, the Titans had the most placers for the tournament with eleven in the top six -- compared to ten for Don Bosco and nine for WSR. Tournament champions: WSR -- Tanner Werner (112), Jordan Rinken (130), Jacob Ballweg (140), Cody Caldwell (145), and Krumwiede; Denver-Tripoli -- Dylan Peters (103), Sorensen, and Levi Wolfensperger (125); Don Bosco -- Brandon and Cody Welter; Michael Kelly (152) from Cedar Falls; Joey Trizzino (160) from Bettendorf; Walt GIlmor (171) from North Scott; and Derrick Lange (285) from West Des Moines Valley. California Dreamin' Even with many of the Golden State's top wrestlers headed east towards the Walsh Ironman, the Clovis West Shootout will still feature many of the top wrestlers and programs in the state of California. In fact, teams in this field combine for a total of 15 state championships over the years. Seven of the top 15 teams in the state tournament standings appear in the field. Buchanan, Clovis, Gilroy, Bakesfield, and Clovis West finished inside the eight -- while Vacaville was 14th and Languna Hills took 15th. Rounding out the 13 team field is Clovis East, Stockdale, Bella Vista, Hanford West, El Dorado, and Ventura. Teams are split into the “home” and “away” clusters. Each group will face all opposition from the other one. The “home” team consists of Bakersfield, Buchanan, Clovis, Clovis East, Clovis West, and Stockdale. Bella Vista, El Dorado, Gilroy, Hanford West, Laguna Hills, Vacaville, and Ventura constitute the away team. Three nationally ranked wrestlers are present in the field -- Martin Fabbian (Buchanan) at 160, Bryce Hammond (Bakersfield) at 160, and Adam Delagarza (Vacaville) at 171. Depending on the Walsh Ironman field, it is possible that Dominic Kastl (Gilroy) at 160 will also be in this event. Other key wrestlers sorted by weight: 103- Shayne Tucker (Bella Vista); 103/112 -- Jonas Gayton (Clovis); 112 -- Stephen Knoblauch (Clovis West), Adrian Rodriguez (Buchanan); 119 -- Zach Zimmer (Clovis West), Natrelle Demison (Bakersfield), Adrian Gonzalez (Gilroy), Juan Jaime (Laguna Hills); 125 -- Ben Omata (Clovis), Bobby Morales (Laguna Hills), Willie Fox (Gilroy), Chris Martinez (Clovis West); 130 -- Damien Arredondo (Buchanan), Timmy Box (Bakersfield), Juan Salas (Clovis); 135 -- Coleman Hammond (Bakersfield), Blake Kastl (Gilroy), Jake Briggs (Bella Vista); 152 -- Adam Fierro (Bakersfield); 160- Nikko Reyes (Clovis West); 189 -- Brian Schoene (Bakersfield); 215 -- Ben Holmes (Vacaville); 285 -- Kyle Papendorf (Buchanan), Max Howard (Clovis). Depth leads to dominance for Wyoming Seminary With half of its starting lineup featuring wrestlers that have committed to wrestle for NCAA Division I institutions next fall, Wyoming Seminary has an incredibly deep lineup and is clearly among the nation's elite teams. Even with one not competing in the event (Donald McNiel, 215) -- and another having to pull out during his third match (Bryce Caiazzo, 152) -- they still won the event by more than 100 points over the two top teams from Virginia. Dominick Malone (112) anchored the Knights' performance, as he was one of six champions with wins over a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers on the way to his title. Malone, ranked 12th by InterMat, defeated the nation's top 103 pound wrestler in the semifinals -- Joey Dance (Christiansburg) -- by an 8-3 score. Then in the final, it was a defeat of the 20th ranked wrestler in his weight class -- Caleb Ricardson (Cox) by a 3-1 score. Evan Botwin (103), Eric Morris (130), Simon Kitzis (135), Chris Moon (160), and Mike McMullan (285) were the five other Wyoming Seminary wrestlers to win titles. In fact, other than Caiazzo pulling out at 152 pounds, no Knights wrestler placed outside the top three. Garrett Hammond (125) and Cohl Fulk (140) took second place; while Kyle Johnson (119), Adam Morris (145), Jay Wieller (171), Matt Bilodeau (189), and reserve Ben Puza (215) finished in third place. Bryan Whitt (119) led Cox to a second place finish over Christiansburg by a 241-1/2 to 218-1/2 point margin. In his championship final, the nation's 15th ranked wrestler at 119 defeated Brandon Jeske (St.. Christopher's) 2-0; Jeske is ranked 5th at 112 pounds. Another pair of Falcons won weight classes with Ben Dorsay (145) and Conor O'Hara (215) joining Whitt as champions. Cox split first place matches - as Cody Stageberg (103), Richardson, and Ross Burbank (285) fell short in their title bouts. Christiansburg split their four finals bouts -- Devin Carter (125) and Brady Epperly (140) winning championships, while James Linkous (145) and Rich Eva (152) finished in second place. The host squad, Hopewell, won a pair of titles from Cody (152) and Clint (171) Allala. The other weight class title was won by the nationally ranked Austin Fallon (189) from Westfield. Heavy statement seals St. Mark's victory at War on the Shore With three teams in the hunt for a tournament championship this past Saturday night at the Ocean City Convention Center, two of the nation's best 285 pound wrestlers battled it out. In a rematch of the 2008 Beast of the East final, it was No. 2 in the nation Bobby Telford (St. Mark's, DE) upending No. 4 Karl Green (Mt St. Joseph's, MD) 4-2 in the tiebreaker. That result catapulted St. Mark's to the War on the Shore championship with 188-1/2 points. Along with Telford, the Spartans also won the other final that involved a pair of nationally ranked wrestlers. Sean Dolan (119), who is ranked 10th at the weight by InterMat, pinned Patrick Prada (DeMatha Catholic, MD) in the first period at the 1:40 mark; Prada is ranked 20th at 125 pounds. Nick Schenk (130) was a third champion for St. Mark's, who survived an upset loss by Sean Boylan (125) in the finals and competing without the services of Tyler Pendergast (112). Pendergast -- the tournament's number one seed and a defending state champion -- failed to make weight, while Aaron Runzo (Kellam, VA) beat the 14th ranked Boylan 6-4 on a late takedown. Finishing a point behind St. Mark's, and also with four finalists was Sussex Central, DE. The squad had a trio of champions in Codey Combs (145), Jay Matheus (160), and Joey Spicer (215) on the way to 187-1/2 team points. Finishing in second place was Shane Miller (152). Another five points back were Mt St. Joseph's MD with 182-1/2 points. Like the two teams above them, the Gaels had a quartet of finalists; however, only Bobby Bowman (171) came home with a championship. Runners-up were Matt Mullett (189), Tyler Tippett (215), and Green. Two other teams had a pair of champions -- Caesar Rodney, DE and Archbishop Spaulding, MD. Kaleb LeMaire (112) and Issah Meade (152) were the winners for Caesar Rodney, while Charlie Lynch (140) and Kvante Smith (189) finished in first for Archbishop Spauling. Rounding out the tournament champions were Thomas Payne (103) of Poquoson, VA; Runzo; and Wendell Cannon (135) of Sussex Tech, DE. Apple Valley dominates competition from the Badger State Traveling to the east, it was Apple Valley, MN which dominated the competition at the Oconomowoc Cooney Ten Team Tourney. In the four preliminary dual meets, the Eagles rotated wrestlers in and out of the lineup which made the match margins seem closer than they were expected to be on paper. The victories came over the hosts Oconomowoc 51-23, Muskego 55-20, Janesville Craig 48-22, and Arrowhead 50-19. These matches set up an anticipated final match against a fellow nationally ranked Wisconsin Rapids team, which had steamrolled its four opponents heading to the final round. The Raiders victories came over Baraboo 75-3, Arrowhead 61-9, DeForest 69-3, and Muskego 52-19. Despite the absence of state champion Dakota Trom (119/125) and Destin McCauley (152), who is ranked fourth in the weight class; it was the Eagles who steamrolled the Raiders 40-17 in the final match, as Apple Valley won ten of the fourteen bouts. Most notably of those was a 7-2 victory for Jake Waste (Apple Valley) over Devin Peterson at 171 pounds in a battle of nationally ranked wrestlers; Waste is ranked 17th at 160, while Peterson is 19th at 171 according to InterMat. Wrestling in all five matches and finishing undefeated for the dual meet tournament were the following wrestlers: 112 -- Hunter Mulock (Baraboo); 119 -- Justin Scherkenbach (Muskego); 119/125 - Keegan Einerson (Wisconsin Rapids); 125/130 -- Zach Mommaerts (Oconomowoc); 130 -Siven Firseth (Janesville Craig); 135 -- Chris Pierce (Janesville Craig); 140 -- Kyle Welzen (Wilmot) and Brandon Kingsley (Apple Valley); 145/152 -- Nate Bruner (Apple Valley) and Zak Benitz (Wisconsin Rapids); 152 -- Derek Olson (Muskego) and Ryan Gartner (Wilmot); 160 -- Al Yde (Arrowhead); 189 -- Jordan Gruettner (Muskego); 215/285 -- Mike Spaulding (Janesville Craig); 285 -- Dustin Edmonds (Wilmot) and Curt Fuller (Wisconsin Rapids). Events for the coming week Opening weekend for the Keystone State; the best wrestling in the country is in Pennsylvania, and its season starts now with a few notable events: Top Hat Invitational, Nazareth Invitational, and Boyertown Duals among others. Walsh Ironman; Cuyahoga Falls (Walsh Jesuit), OH -- Friday 12/11 and Saturday 12/12. Preview coming on Thursday morning. Clovis West Shootout; check out the section of this article, “California Dreamin'” Tulsa Mid-America Nationals; Tulsa Union, OK -- Friday 12/11 and Saturday 12/12. The event includes five nationally ranked wrestlers according to InterMat, with a pair each at 145 and 215 pounds. In the 145 pound weight class, Ryne Cokeley (St. James Academy, KS) is ranked 18th while Jeremy Davenport (Sallisaw, OK) is ranked 15th at 152 pounds. Other wrestlers to watch here are freshman sensation Oliver Pierce (Allen, TX) and 2008 Cadet National freestyle All-American Kyle Ash (Tulsa Union, OK). The 215 pound weight class features 9th ranked Cody Dauphin (El Reno, OK); 19th ranked Cody Davis (The Woodlands, TX); and state champion Shane Woods (Tuttle, OK). The event's other nationally ranked wrestler is Ronnie Balfour (Tulsa Union, OK) -- ranked 12th at 160 pounds -- but slated to compete at 171 pounds. Three of the top teams to follow in this event are the host school, Tulsa Union; Allen, TX; and Tuttle, OK.

The defending national champions -- according to multiple publications (InterMat does not compile team scholastic rankings) -- Blair Academy, NJ seeks an eighth national title in the last ten seasons. Anchoring the Buccaneer squad is the No. 3 recruit in the Class of 2010 Chris Villalonga (140/145), who has not lost a scholastic match since the end of December 2006. Six other Blair wrestlers appear in the preseason national weight class rankings published by InterMat -- Max Hvolbeck (103), Evan Silver (112), Mark Grey (119), Austin Ormsbee (135), Jesse Shanaman (152), and Michael Evans (171/189). Despite the seven nationally ranked wrestlers, this is not as deep a lineup across the 14 weight classes as in previous seasons. That fact leaves the number one ranking in the nation open for the taking. Four teams are best equipped to make a dent into Blair Academy's national title reign. They are Graham, OH; Apple Valley, MN; Wyoming Seminary, PA; and Brandon, FL. After a national title season in 2007-08, the Graham Falcons had an Ohio record seven state champions in the medium-school state tournament this past season. They were ranked second by national publications. Four Falcon wrestlers start the season in the preseason rankings -- Ryan Taylor (103), Nick Brascetta (119), Felipe Martinez (135), and Max Thomusseit (189). Key in their runs after Blair -- both at the Walsh Ironman in two weeks and in a home dual meet at the end of January -- will be the rest of the lineup. Of note, this includes defending state champion Kyle Ryan (160/171); state runners-up Matt Stephens (145) and Huston Evans (160/171); a third-place finisher in Isaac Jordan (140); and freshman sensation Bo Jordan (125/130). Despite the move of upper-weight ace Tyler Lehman back to West Fargo, ND; Apple Valley has one of its best squads ever this coming season. They are anchored by a quartet of nationally ranked wrestlers in Matt Kelliher (130/135), Brandon Kingsley (140), Destin McCauley (152), and Jake Waste (160/171). Also key to their performance at the Cheesehead Invitational and Clash National Duals will be if wrestlers like Jordan Kingsley (112), Dakota Trom (119/125), and Steven Keogh (160/171) can become nationally rankable wrestlers. Joining Apple Valley in the Cheesehead field will be quite possibly the two deepest teams in American when analyzing lineups from 103 through 285 -- Brandon, FL and Wyoming Seminary, PA. Only three Brandon Eagles wrestlers appear in the national rankings -- Tyler Liberatore (130), Joey Cozart (152), and Henry Chirino (285) -- but the lineup depth will play a crucial role at the Cheesehead which is a pool-to-bracket format. Key names include Terry Dawson (112), Kevin Norstrem (119/125), Rossi Bruno (119/125), Clark Glass (145), and Wally Figaro (171). Wyoming Seminary head coach John Gordon will be able to call on seven Division I recruits as part of his lineup this coming season. Simon Kitzis (135) and Mike McMullan (285) are listed in the InterMat top 100, and along with sophomore Dominick Malone (112), the only weight class ranked wrestlers on the roster. The other Division I signees include Kyle Johnson (119), Bryce Caiazzo (152), Chris Moon (160), James Wieller (171), and Donald McNeil (215). Also impacting the lineup will be freshman sensation Eric Morris (130). They will see Blair at Ironman, Beast of the East, and National Preps; while matching with Graham at the Ironman. And now is a breakdown of how things look on a state level tournament basis for the 2009-10 season. Alabama: Vestavia Hills seeks a four-peat in the big-school (Class 6A) division, hoping to fend off Hoover (champion the two years prior to the Vestavia Hills run) and Oak Mountain. Scottsboro -- champions for the last four years, but now without a Cuthbertson on the squad - seeks a fifth consecutive state title in Class 5A. After breaking a three year title reign by Walter Wellborn, Piedmont seeks a repeat championship in the small-school tournament (Class 1A-4A). Alaska: When the rest of the nation is about to start their season, the Last Frontier will be about to finish its season. Colony seeks a fourth consecutive state title in the big-school division (4A), while Petersburg hopes to repeat in small-school wrestling (1-2-3A) Arizona: In all six of Arizona's classifications, the defending champion is favored to repeat. Perennial power Sunnyside is after its twelfth consecutive title, which would be its fifth in the Class 5A/Division II tournament. However, the squad does only have one returning state champion in Kory DeBerry (145/152). Corona del Sol, and its three defending state champions, leads the way in Class 5A/Division I. Anchored by Iowa State bound Luke Goettl (135), Mingus is after a fifth consecutive Class 4A/Division II title. Vail Cienga and St John's seek repeats in Class 4A/Division I and Class 2A respectively. Finally, Safford is after a seventh straight Class 3A title and is led by the state's best wrestler Ryak Finch (119), who is also Iowa State bound. Arkansas: This marks the second year of scholastic wrestling being sanctioned in the state of Arkansas. A two class state tournament was held last year in Little Rock, and will again be held in 2009-10. Bentonville seeks to defend its title in the big-school tournament (Class 6A-7A), while Central Arkansas Christian hopes to do the same in small-school (Class 1A-5A). California: The single class state championship in the Golden State with approximately 800 schools involved is one of the more balanced and prestigious tournaments in the country. Perennial power Poway has finished either first or second at state four of the last five years, with championships in 2005 and 2009. However, five teams are the early favorites for the state title -- Bakersfield, Selma, Buchanan, Clovis, and Gilroy. Three main events are on the local calendar prior to the state tournament series -- the Clovis West Shootout in two weeks time, as well as the Doc Buchanan Invitational and Five Counties Invitational on back-to-back weekends in January. Colorado: Ponderosa is seeking an eighth consecutive state championship in the big-school tournament (Class 5A), and will be led by a trio of defending state champions -- Jake Snider, Steven Kelly, and Austin Gabel. Broomfield seeks a repeat title in Class 4A. After runner-up finishes in 2008, Centauri and Paonia seek repeat championships in the two smallest classifications (Class 3A and 2A). Delaware: St Mark's is clearly the dominant force in First State wrestling this season with four seniors that are nationally ranked, and will most likely end up wrestling for NCAA Division I programs -- Sean Dolan (119), Sean Boylan (125), Nick Schenk (135), and Bobby Telford (285). They were champions of both the Division I dual meet tournament and all-class individual state tournament last season. Florida: Two seasons after the end of "The Streak", Brandon was the dominant team in Sunshine State wrestling last season and remains so for the coming season. The top two teams in Class 2A (medium-school) -- Brandon and Mantee both moved up to the big-school (Class 2A) division. Therefore, Springstead had the highest state tournament standing among returning teams. Leading challengers include perennial 3A power Oviedo, who moves down a division; Lake Gibson; and defending Class 1A (small-school) champion Riverdale, moving up a division this year. The small-school race is wide open with many teams gunning for a title, including last year's runner-up Cardinal Gibbons. Brandon should dominate Class 3A wrestling, but defending champions Osceola lead what is an interesting three-team battle for second place along with South Dade and Hialeah American. Georgia: Collins Hill is the dominant force in the Peach State, and has not finished outside the top three in the Class 5A (big-school) individual state tournament during the 2000's. The Eagles have four state titles in that stretch, and are seeking a third consecutive title in both the individual and dual meet tournaments this season. They will also test themselves nationally with the Toshiba Midwest Classic; a dual meet against Brandon, FL; and the PowerAde Christmas Tournament on consecutive weekends at the end of December. Also defending state championships in the individual tournament are Effingham County (4A), Eastside (3A), Jefferson (2A), and Bremen (A). Eastside is going for a third consecutive title, and having won in 4A in 2008 as well; and Jefferson seeks at least a fifth consecutive title, having also won the small-school (Class A) tournament going back to 2006. Hawaii: Punahou is clearly the dominant force in wrestling for the state of Hawaii, and the program seeks a fourth consecutive state title this season. They will make their annual appearance at the Clash Duals in Rochester, MN during early January. Idaho: Idaho Falls and American Falls are the two dominant programs within Idaho wrestling. Idaho Falls seeks back-to-back state titles in the big-school division (Class 5A), and has not finished outside of the top two since 2004 when they finished in third place. American Falls competes in Class 3A, and is after a third consecutive title and fifth in six years. After winning state the previous two years, Blackfoot was knocked off by Columbia in the Class 4A tournament in 2009. Malad is the defending champion in the small-school division (Class 2A-1A). Illinois: Last season was the first year for three classes of wrestling in the Land of Lincoln. Since the individual tournament is does not have team scoring, the state champion is determined in the dual meet tournaments; which were won by Oak Park River Forest, Montini, and Wilmington respectively. Returning runners-up Minooka is the preseason favorite in a very balanced large-school (Class 3A) classification. Montini again remains the dominating force in Class 2A, and seeks a third consecutive state title; they won in 2008 while in the large-school classification (at the time 2A). Wilmington is favored for a fifth consecutive state title in the small-school (Class A) tournament. Indiana: The last two state champions, Mishawaka and Crown Point, are atop the preseason rankings. With the state tournament being decided in the dual meet format, these two teams pose an interesting matchup. Both teams are strong in the lower half of the lineup, but the 2009 state champions from Crown Point anchored by Anthony Hawkins (119) and Jason Tsirtsis (130) have the advantage. However, as things move into the middle and upper-weights, Mishawaka -- the 2008 state champions -- has the advantage with Ryan Stahl (152) and Christian Lentz (215) leading the way. Last year's runner-up Perry Meridian will seek to win its first state title, while perennial power Evansvile Mater Dei seeks to end a two year drought after a stretch of winning 11 titles in 13 years. Iowa: Waverly Shell-Rock and Ballard Huxley seek to sweep the individual and dual meet state tournaments for a third consecutive year in the larger two classifications (3A and 2A), while Don Bosco is favored to maintain its stranglehold of dominance in the small-school (Class 1A) tournaments. The big-school tournaments should be a three-team battle between WSR, Bettendorf, and Iowa City West; while Denver-Tripoli is likely to be the stiffest competition for Ballard Huxley. Four of these six teams will be attending the season-opening Keith Young Invitational (WSR, Bettendorf, Denver-Tripoli, and Don Bosco). Kansas: Goddard and Derby have finished 1-2 in the big-school (Class 6A) state tournament each of the last two years, as Goddard seeks to win its fourth state title in five years at the end of this season. However, the KWCA preseason rankings have Derby on top over Goddard. Emporia is ranked as favorites to defend as state champions in Class 5A. Colby ended Clay Center's two year run at the top of Class 4A last season; however, Valley Center is the preseason favorites in this classification. Smith Center will be seeking a fourth consecutive title in the small school division (Class 3-2-1A); however, they are ranked second in the preseason behind Norton. Kentucky: After winning state the previous two seasons, Union County finished second to Louisville Trinity during the 2009 season. Trinity is favored to repeat as state champions in 2010, as their squad is anchored by John Fahy (112) -- one of the state's two nationally-ranked wrestlers. Louisiana: After second place finishes the previous two years, Jesuit took home the Division I state title in 2009 and seeks to repeat this season. If they repeat, it would mark a 16th title in the last 23 seasons. In Division II, Holy Cross ended a reign of titles by Northside this past season; Northside had back-to-back titles to their credit and four in five seasons. Archbishop Shaw was runner-up in Division II for a second consecutive season. Brusly seeks a seventh consecutive title in the small-school division (Division III) this year, which would mark an 11th championship in the last 15 seasons. Maryland: Both Old Mill, in the large-school (4A/3A) classification; and Southern Garrett, in the small-school (2A/1A) classification, seek repeat sweeps of the individual and dual meet tournaments. These programs have had much better success in the individual tournament than the dual meet tournament in recent times. Old Mill had not been in a dual meet final since their championship in 2000, while this was Southern Garrett's first dual meet final (and victory). However, in the individual tournament, Old Mill seeks a third title in four years during this season; while Southern Garrett had runner-up finishes in 2007 and 2008 prior to the title in 2009. Michigan: Like in Illinois, the individual tournament is not scored; while state championship teams are determined through the dual meet tournament. Rockford seeks a third big-school (Division 1) title in four seasons; however, the path is laden with land mines. It starts at the regional level where the Division 2 champions from last year -- Lowell -- will join them. Therefore, one of these two squads will not even make the state tournament. Once one of those two gets to Battle Creek, MI, they will be joined by back-to-back finalists (2008 champion) Holt; Division 2 runners-up Oxford; and perennial power Hartland (runners-up in 2004-2007). This makes the Division 2 climate wide open; however, a young star-laden St John's squad merits attention, but would benefit more if the individual tournament determined the title. Goodrich over Dundee has been the championship bout the last two years in Division 3; however, look for Goodrich to fall off the map this year with Swan Valley and Dundee leading the way. The three teams that have the last five titles in Division 4 (small-school) lead the way -- Hudson, Hesperia, and Addison. Minnesota: Like death and taxes, Apple Valley dominance of wrestling in Minnesota will continue again this year. The squad is seeking an 11th team state title in 12 seasons (fifth consecutive) in the big-school (Class 3A) division. Simley is favored to win its third consecutive, and seventh overall, title in the Class 2A tournament. The small-school (Class 1A) tournament is most wide open, with Minneota the preseason number one team over returning runners-up Keynon-Wanamingo. Other teams to watch on a statewide basis are Hastings in Class 3A; and STMA, which moves up a classification after its run as a perennial force in Class 2A. Missouri: With six consecutive state titles, Oak Park stood as kings of the hill in the Show Me State; however, that reign looks to be at its end. Park Hill with four nationally ranked wrestlers -- Skyler Wood (112), Alan Waters (125), Kaleb Friedley (140), and John Eblen (189); and a fifth Fargo All-American in Bricker Dixon (119); is now the dominant force. This squad will seek to prove its standing nationally with strong showings at the Toshiba Midwest Classic and Clash National Duals. Park Hill defends a title in Class 4 (big-school), while Oak Park defends a title in Class 3. Oak Park had won the previous five titles in Class 4 before moving down last year. Kirksville is the defending Class 2 champion, while Whitfield and Brookfield have dominated the small-school (Class 1) landscape the last three seasons. Whitfield beat Brookfield the last two years at state, while Brookfield outpointed Whitfield in 2007. Montana: Flathead Kalipsell seeks a fifth consecutive state title in the big-school (Class AA) tournament, which would be a sixth in seven seasons. In the lower two classifications, Havre (Class A) and Glasgow (Class B-C) seek fourth consecutive championships. National Prep Championships: The thirty-time champions of this tournament, Blair Academy, seek a 31st title this year. It will also mark a 30th consecutive National Prep championship for the Buccaneers. With Wyoming Seminary having a superlative team this year, it looks to be the closest title race in over two decades. In addition, Bishop Lynch, TX has an elite lineup for the annual championships held on the campus of Lehigh University. Nebraska: The perennially dominant team from Nebraska is Omaha Skutt Catholic, and they'll be seeking a 13th consecutive title in Class B this coming season. The Skutt Catholic squad will test itself nationally at the Toshiba Midwest Classic and Clash National Duals. Joining Skutt Catholic at the Clash will be the defending big-school (Class A) champions from Grand Island, which lapped the field including four-time defending champions Millard South in last year's state tournament. Central City seeks to defend its Class C title, while Howells seeks a four-peat in the small-school division (Class D). Nevada: Cimarron Memorial seeks a repeat big-school (Class 4A) championship, which would be an eighth title in program history this season. They had seen Mojave win the previous two titles, after the program had won consecutive titles from 2003-2006. Winnemucca Lowry goes after a repeat Class 3A title, while Incline goes after the same in the small-school (Class 2A) division. In earning their championship, Incline ended a run of eight consecutive championships by Battle Mountain. New England Regional: The scholastic wrestling seasons for those competing in the public school associations in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont end in the New England Regional Championships. This is the combined "state level" tournament for the six-pack of states. Seeking a third consecutive title this season is Timberlane, NH. New Jersey: A single class state individual tournament that is un-scored shifts the team debate to being about dual meet lineups instead of the ability of core individuals to score in a big tournament. High Point and Long Branch appear to be the best two teams in the Garden State this year, so mark down January 15th on your calendar when the two squads battle each other in a dual meet. From the statewide perspective, top teams behind the big two are South Plainfield, Hunterdon Central, Jackson Memorial, and Brick Memorial among others. Defending group champions (dual meet) are Brick Memorial, big-school (Group 4); Phillipsburg (Group 3); Long Branch (Group 2); Paulsboro, small-school (Group 1); Camden Catholic, non-public large school (Group A); and Bishop Eustace, non-public Group B. Due to the quality depth of Garden State wrestling, Eastern Regional with its four nationally ranked studs -- Robert Deutsch (119), Hank Stinson (140/145), Anthony Baldosaro (145/152), and Preston Keiffer (160) -- would arguably be the favorites if the single class state tournament was scored. New Mexico: Rio Rancho is the dominant force in New Mexico wrestling, and it looks to remain that way as the squad is anchored by the state's lone nationally ranked wrestler Louis Trujillo (135). They are seeking a fourth consecutive big-school (Class 5A) title, which would seven in an eight year stretch. After five consecutive championships in Class 4A, Belen finished in second place during the 2009 season to Silver City, which is after a repeat championship. Among small schools (Class 3A), Robertson is after a fifth consecutive championship and its eighth in ten years. New York: Wrestling in the Empire State is unique because the competition among the sections is more important than the team score at the state tournament. There is also no dual meet championship, so debates about which school has the best team are just that -- debates. Two schools have a pair of wrestlers nationally ranked -- Peru with Jacob Goddeau (103) and Arik Robinson (112), and Greene with Nick Wilcox (130) and Tyler Beckwith (189). North Carolina: In the big-school division (Class 4A), Cary is seeking to win its sixth consecutive individual state championship and seventh in eight years. They also are seeking a fourth consecutive dual meet title. In class 3A, Parkland seeks a fourth consecutive sweep of the individual and dual meet titles. Orange seeks a third consecutive combined dual meet title for the smallest two classifications (Class AA/A), and they also seek a third consecutive Class 2A individual tournament title. After finishing runner-up the three previous seasons, Topsail finally came through with a Class A dual meet title and seeks the repeat this year. North Dakota: Bismarck is the clear power of wrestling in the state of North Dakota, and is seeking yet another sweep of the individual and dual meet tournaments in Class A. However, West Fargo is likely to get the most limelight with its duo of nationally-ranked wrestlers -- Tyler Lehmann (189) and Scott Schiller (215). In Class B, Oakes is seeking a repeat sweep of the tournaments. Ohio: Dynasties rule the day across the three divisions in the Buckeye State. Graham, Ohio's best team, has won the last nine medium-school (Division II) state titles. They are prohibitive favorites for a 10th consecutive title, twelfth in all. With 13 consecutive big-school (Division I) state titles, 25 in all, St Edward is one of the nation's great dynasties. However, the quest for a 14th consecutive title will not be one that is on cruise control. The Eagles were knocked off in two dual meets last season by Wadsworth, who now seeks to do it in the individual state tournament. The three-year run of Troy Christian in the small-school (Division III) tournament looks to be at its end. Led by their big four, Monroeville fell short to Troy Christian by one point last season, and start 2009-10 as the favorites. However, nipping on their heels will be a deep CVCA squad. Oklahoma: Small-school Perry has the longest string of dominance in the Sooner State, and seeks its seventh consecutive title in the Class 3A individual tournament. This would be 11 in a 13 year stretch. It also would be back-to-back sweeps of the individual and dual meet tournaments, and the ninth sweep in a 12 year stretch. Tuttle seeks to defend its individual Class 4A tournament title, while Cushing is after a fourth consecutive dual meet title and seventh in eight years. Claremore is after a repeat sweep of the Class 5A championships. Tulsa Union was individual champions in the big-school (Class 6A) tournament, while Ponca City earned the honors in the dual meet tournament; both are after repeat championships this year. Oregon: The top team this year in the state of Oregon is Roesburg, which finished runner-up to Newberg in the big-school division (Class 6A). However, Roseburg was champion the previous two seasons and returns a trio of state champions this season. Hermiston seeks at least its fourth consecutive title in the Class 5A state tournament. Sweet Home is wrestling in defense of the Class 4A state title. Despite going after an eight consecutive state title, Burns is not the favorite in Class 3A -- instead Reedsport currently holds the catbird seat. In the small-school tournament (Class 2A), Culver is favored to win a fourth straight state championship. Pennsylvania: Central Dauphin is clearly the dominant team in the Keystone state this season, as they seek a fourth consecutive big-school (Class AAA) championship in the individual tournament as well as a three-peat in the dual meet tournament. The Rams are anchored by senior Marshall Peppelman (160), who seeks a fourth state finals appearance and a third consecutive state championship this season. The small-school (Class AA) tournament seems much more open in both the dual meet and individual tournaments. Shady Side Academy is the two-time defending individual champions, while Reynolds has won three of the past four in the dual meet tournament. However, it is possible that Benton might be favored in the individual tournament with three nationally ranked anchors in Mike Rhone (119), Eric Hess (152/160), and Tyler Demott (285). Other teams to watch in big-school wrestling are Central Mountain, led by a pair of top-ranked wrestlers in the nation - Andrew (145) and Dylan (152) Alton, and Blue Mountain anchored by seniors Josh Kindig (140) and Tyler Rauenzahn (125). South Carolina: Eastside is seeking a seventh consecutive sweep of the dual meet and individual state tournaments in Class 3A. In the big-school division (Class 4A), Rock Hill and Fort Dorchester seek repeat titles in the dual meet and individual tournaments respectively after improving upon second place finishes to Summerville in 2008. Rock Hill beat Fort Dorchester for the dual meet title, which Fort Dorechester outpointed Rock Hill in the individual tournament. Abbeville is after a second consecutive Class 2A dual meet title, after defeating two-time defending champions Lorris in the final this past year. However, they were second to Chesterfield in the combined Class 2A/1A individual tournament. Chesterfield seeks a third consecutive title in that tournament, and a sixth in seventh years. They also seek a seventh consecutive small-school (Class 1A) dual meet title. South Dakota: Sturgis seeks a repeat title in the Class A tournament, which would give the program five of the last six championships. In the Class B tournament, Wagner seeks its third consecutive title. Tennessee: Bradley Central is the dominant force in public school wrestling, and seeks a third consecutive sweep of the individual and dual meet tournaments in Division I/Class AAA. It would be the 10th individual and ninth dual meet state championship in the last 13 seasons. In the smaller schools portion of the public division, Hixson and Notre Dame have traded championships the last two seasons in the dual meet tournament. In terms of private school wrestling, The Baylor School is the dominant force. Its run of five consecutive individual championships was ended by Father Ryan in 2009, but a championship this season would make it nine in 12 years. They also seek a fourth consecutive dual meet crown this year. Texas: While Bishop Lynch is clearly the best team in the state of Texas, they compete in the National Prep Championships. As a result, things open up in UIL-sanctioned competition. Canyon Randall is the two-time defending champions and positions themselves well for a third consecutive title. However, more likely Allen (last year's runner-up) enters the season as the favorite. Utah: Viewmont is after its third consecutive big-school (Class 5A) in the Beehive State this coming season, which would mark seven in nine years. After a three-year run of dominance in Class 4A, Mountain Crest finished a close second to Payson which is after a repeat title this year. The state's power program, Wasatch, saw its six-year reign as champions in Class 3A come to an end this past season; and Delta is after a repeat Class 3A title. In the Class 2A tournament, Millard is after a fifth consecutive title, and ninth in ten years. Finally, among small-schools (Class 1A), Monticello is after a repeat title. Virginia: The current perennial force in "The Commonwealth" is Christiansburg, which has won the last eight championships in the medium-school division (Class 2A); and there is no reason that won't continue this season. The Blue Demons are anchored by the state's best wrestler in Devin Carter (125), and wrestle the toughest schedule as well -- competing at the Ironman, Beast of the East, PowerAde Christmas Tournament, and Virginia Duals all before the middle of January. Colonial Forge is the three-time defending champions in the big-school division (Class 3A). However, it is Cox which will be favored in the division under the leadership of new coach Matt Small and benefitted by the addition of two key incoming transfers in Caleb Richardson (112) and Bryan Whitt (119). Glenvar enters the season clear favorites to repeat in the small-school division (Class A). Washington: The state's dominant team is Lake Stevens, and they are after a fourth consecutive big-school (Class 4A) title. Enumclaw and Deer Park seek third consecutive titles in Class 3A and 2A respectively. After three consecutive second place finishes, Orting finally cracked through in Class A last year, and now seeks a repeat. Among small schools (Class B), Republic is after a third consecutive state title. The state's best wrestler Derek Garcia (171), from Sedro-Woolley, will be seeking a fourth state title while battling back from a football injury. West Virginia: Oak Glen seeks a 14th consecutive title in the small-school (Class AA/A) tournament this season. However, it is Cameron and Point Pleasant which return the most underclass placement scoring anchored by a pair of defending state champions. Roane County also returns a pair of small-school champions. Parkersburg South returns the most in the big-school (Class AAA) tournament, and is favored to repeat as state champion. This would be the Patriots 10th team title in the last 16 seasons but only the third since 2005. Wisconsin: In the big-school division (Division 1), Wisconsin Rapids seeks a repeat state title, which would make it seven in an eight year stretch. After meeting in the dual meet final the last two seasons, Ellsworth and Lodi are the top two rated teams in Division 2. Defending champion Ellsworth is projected to repeat, and seeks a third title in four seasons. Among the small schools, Mineral Point seeks a fourth consecutive dual meet title this season. Wyoming: Campbell County is the state's dominant team, and is after an eighth consecutive state championship in the big-school division (Class 4A). In the small-school tournament (Class 2A), Cokeville is after a fifth consecutive title. Powell and Douglas have finished 1-2 in the last two Class 3A tournaments.

Cedar Falls (IA) High School head wrestling coach Wil Kelly and Bill Tate Jr, former outstanding wrestler and coach from Waterloo, Iowa, will be radio show guests Wednesday night. "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. 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.

CHADRON -- The Chadron State College wrestling team opened its dual schedule Saturday afternoon by defeating Northern State University of Aberdeen, S.D., 28-19. Because Northern State was vacant at three weights, only seven matches took place, and the Eagles won three of them. The Eagles got off to a good start, when 125-pound freshman Dustin Stodola overcame a 2-0 deficit to tie the score at 3-3 at the end of regulation, and then posted a takedown and a three-point nearfall in the first overtime to win 8-3 over Jimmy Marx. Chadron State’s other winners were Brian Easterling, who managed four takedowns and won 10-4 at 157 pounds, and Sam Udell, who took a 9-1 major decision at heavyweight. Two freshmen scored pins for the visiting Wolves. They were Beau Voegeli, who used a headlock en route to a second period victory at 149 pounds, and Matt Meuleners, who needed just a minute and 28 seconds to win at 197 pounds. The other Northern State winners were Benton Crow, who took a 9-4 decision at 141 pounds, and Cale Corneman, who won an 8-0 major decision at 184. The Eagles’ will enter the Nebraska-Kearney Open Tournament on Saturday, Dec. 12 for their next action. Results: 125 – Dustin Stodola, CSC, dec. Jimmy Marx, Northern State, 8-3 (Overtime) 133 – Ryan Fillingame, CSC, won by forfeit 141 – Benton Crow, Northern State, dec. Hagen Guzman, CSC, 10-4 149 – Beau Voegeli, Northern State, pin Lance Jeffries, CSC, 4:18 157 – Brian Easterling, CSC, dec. Ryan Larsen, Northern State, 9-4 165 – Justin Dekok, CSC, won by forfeit 174 – Jeremy Fillingame, CSC, won by forfeit 184 – Cale Corneman, Northern State, major dec. Chris Leak, CSC, 8-0 197 – Matt Meuleners, Northern State, pin Zac Sweeney, CSC, 1:28 285 – Sam Udell, CSC, major dec. Jared Little, Northern State, 9-1

MILWAUKEE, WIS. -- Attaining another milestone in the Central College wrestling team’s turnaround under third-year coach Eric Van Kley, the Dutch battled their way to first place at the 11-team Milwaukee School of Engineering (Wis.) Invitational Saturday. A balanced team effort was the key as Central won without crowning an individual champion. Ivan Gaeta (sophomore, Bremerton, Wash., Olympic HS) was Central’s lone finalist, finishing second at 174 pounds. Central got third-place finishes from Tommy Van Renterghem (sophomore, Oskaloosa) at 174 pounds and Theron Stewart (freshman, Marshalltown) at 197. The Dutch had placewinners at eight varsity weights and 11 placewinners overall. That allowed them to edge Lakeland (Wis.) 122-120. Wis.-Platteville was close behind at 119.5 with Wis.-Oskosh at 115.5. Last year Central was fifth in a 12-team field at the MSOE tournament, with seven placewinners. “It was an outstanding effort,” Van Kley said. “Every single guy contributed, from top to bottom. Without every one of them scratching and clawing for everything they could, we wouldn’t have won. “I think we had 8-10 one- or two-point matches or overtime matches that we won. Every kid won through perseverance, heart and conditioning, which are the things that we emphasize.” Central closes its pre-Christmas schedule Thursday with a 7 p.m. dual at St. Olaf College (Minn.) in Northfield, Minn. The teams will also stage a dual at Pella Jan. 15. Central defeated the Oles at Northfield last January, 36-15. St. Olaf is 1-2 heading into a Tuesday dual at St. John’s Univ. (Minn.).

PRIMM, Nev. -- Capping a strong showing in a high-caliber event, the Wyoming Cowboy wrestlers left the Las Vegas Invitational on Saturday with two third-place finishes and one fourth-place honor. UW’s Joe LeBlanc, at 184 pounds, and Shane Onufer, at 165 pounds, both took third in their brackets. Michael Martinez (125) placed fourth in his weight class. All three Wyoming grapplers had to beat All-Americans during the two-day event to secure their finishes. As a team, the Cowboys held their position in the standings from Day One and finished in 10th place out of 42 squads. That field included 12 of the top-25 ranked wrestling programs in the country. Wyoming placed ahead of ranked programs No. 19 Old Dominion, No. 20 Illinois, No. 21 Arizona State and No. 24 Virginia Tech. “We did some good things to put ourselves in the top 10,” UW head coach Mark Branch said. “When you look at this field, our finish was a positive team step, but probably more so individually because some of the wins our guys got make it easier for the others to realize the type of success we are capable of. This should provide some positive things for the mentality of the team. Our finishes here will also bring some exposure and respect, both of which are important for a program.” At 184 pounds, LeBlanc had one of the biggest wins of the event for the ‘Pokes in the consolation finals when he beat No. 3-ranked, three-time All-American and 2008 NCAA Champion Mike Pucillo of Ohio State. The Cowboy sophomore finished his tournament strong by dominating the match and beating Pucillo 10-5. To get to that match, LeBlanc beat Steve Bosak from Cornell, 7-5 in sudden victory, after narrowly losing to No.7 ranked Kirk Smith from Boise State (3-2) in his semifinal match. He ended the event with a 6-1 record, 16-2 this season. Onufer followed a similar path at 174 pounds, losing by a slim margin in the semifinals to No. 8 Colt Sponseller from Ohio State (6-4), before winning two straight to finish the tournament. He beat P.J. Gillespie from Hofstra by a score of 3-2, before getting his second victory in as many days over All-American and No. 6 ranked Andy Rendos from Bucknell in the consolation final. Onufer was aggressive from the start and stuck Rendos’ shoulders to the mat at 2:15 in the first period. He finished the tournament with a 5-1 record, 14-4 so far this year. Martinez lost his 125-pound semifinal bout with No. 3 Anthony Robles of Arizona State by a score of 7-3. He then beat Alan Bartelli of Boise State 4-1, setting up a rematch with All-American and No. 5 ranked James Nicholson of Old Dominion. On Friday, Martinez beat Nicholson 6-4 in sudden victory to get to the semifinals. This time around Nicholson would have the upper hand, winning 7-2. Martinez concluded the event with a 4-2 record, 14-3 this season. No. 4 ranked Ohio State won the team title with 122.5 points, followed by No. 9 Cornell (121.5), No. 12 Oklahoma (109.5), No. 7 Boise State (97.5), No. 11 Nebraska (95), No. 13 Indiana (90.5), No. 23 Cal Poly (78.5), Oregon State (77.5), No. 22 Wisconsin (73.5) and then UW (71). Wyoming will now have a 12-day break before traveling to Stanford for a dual on Friday, Dec. 18 and then to the Reno Tournament of Champions on Sunday, Dec. 20.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The 15th-ranked Penn State wrestling team, under the guidance of head coach Cael Sanderson, put forth a strong showing at the 2009 Nittany Lion Open. Penn State crowned three of the tournament's ten champions in a crowded field featuring many of the nation's best wrestlers. Sophomore All-American Frank Molinaro (Barnegat, N.J.), ranked No. 6 at 149, blazed his way to a 5-0 mark and the title at 149. Molinaro was unstoppable in his wins, outscoring his five foes by a combined score of 36-6. Senior All-American Cyler Sanderson (Heber City, Utah), ranked No.4 at 157, downed true freshman teammate David Taylor (St. Paris, Ohio) 9-7 in a thrilling final at 157 to claim the crown. Sanderson went 5-0 to take first while Taylor went 4-1 (including a pin of the 17th-ranked wrestler in the nation) to take second. Senior David Erwin (Urbana, Ohio) battled his way through a rugged field at 184 to go 5-0 and claim the title. Erwin got a last-second takedown over Edinboro's Chris Honeycutt to win 9-8 in the finals. He also downed No. 10 Josh Patterson of Binghamton in the semifinals. Other top performances for Penn State (in addition to the three champions and Taylor's second place showing) included junior Brad Pataky (Clearfield, Pa.), who was upset in the finals at 125. Pataky, ranked No. 6, was turning No. 9 Jarrod Garnett of Virginia Tech when the talented Hokie caught Pataky and pinned him at the 4:49 mark. Red-shirting sophomore All-American Quentin Wright (Wingate, Pa.) bounced back from an upset loss in the semifinals at 184 to take third, senior All-American Dan Vallimont (Lake Hopatcong, N.J.), bounced back from an upset loss in the semifinals to take third at 165 and Colby Pisani (Ridgway, Pa.), who took fourth at 141. Other place winners for Penn State included freshman Bryan Pearsall (Lititz, Pa.), who was eighth at 133; freshman James Vollrath (Richboro, Pa.), who was fifth at 157; true freshman Ed Ruth (Harrisburg, Pa.), who was fifth at 184; sophomore Cameron Wade (Twinsburg, Ohio), who was fifth at heavyweight; and senior Brendan Herlihy (Fairfield, Conn.), who was eighth at heavyweight. Penn State will re-visit its EWL?days next weekend, visiting West Virginia on Friday, Dec. 11, at 8 p.m., and Pittsburgh on Saturday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m. The Nittany Lions' next home event will be on Jan. 22 when the Illinois Illini come to State College. Single event tickets for Nittany Lion wrestling cost $8 for adults and $6 for youth. Group sales are available once again for groups of 15 people or more. Group prices are $4 in advance and $5 walk-up. Fans can purchase tickets by calling 1.800.NITTANY between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. All Penn State events will once again air live on Forever Broadcasting's WRSC?(1390 AM), 3WZ (95.3 FM) and on GoPSUsports. com as well. The 2009-10 Penn State Wrestling season is presented by The Family Clothesline.

AMES, IA -- The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team survived a late charge by the second-ranked Iowa State Cyclones, scoring an 18-16 victory Sunday night at Hilton Coliseum in Ames. Each team won five matches with the difference being Hawkeye senior Brent Metcalf's pin at 149 pounds. Iowa (8-0) took a 7-6 lead in the sixth-annual Hy-Vee Cy-Hawk Series in front of 11,137 fans with the win. The Hawkeyes, who have won the last five meetings against Iowa State (1-1), picked up their school-record 46th straight dual victory and 32nd consecutive road win. "This match was very important to us," explained Hawkeye Head Coach Tom Brands. "We didn't wrestle well, but the bonus points won it for us tonight. We have been wrestling sloppy the last couple of weekends. We need to get healthy, get to full strength and get tougher." Iowa jumped out to a 6-0 lead on decisions by redshirt freshman Matt McDonough (125) and senior Daniel Dennis (133). McDonough improved to 8-0 with a 13-7 win over Iowa State redshirt freshman Andrew Long. The Marion, IA, native scored the first takedown of the night and five total in the match, while holding Long to one takedown. Dennis scored a takedown as time expired in sudden victory to beat Cyclone senior Nick Fanthorpe, 10-8. Dennis, who picked up his 55th career victory with the win, is undefeated at 8-0. Iowa State put its first points on the board at 141 when senior Nick Gallick scored a takedown in a sudden victory scramble to beat Hawkeye senior Dan LeClere, 8-6. LeClere came back from a 5-1 second period deficit and scored a takedown at the end of regulation to take the match into overtime. The Hawkeyes took a 15-3 lead into the intermission with Metcalf's 5:50 pin over Cyclone senior Mitch Mueller pin and an 8-6 decision by Iowa junior Aaron Janssen over Cyclone sophomore Andrew Sorenson at 157. Metcalf led the match 11-3 before scoring his sixth pin of the season and his 80th career victory. He is undefeated at 8-0 this season and needs three more pins to break into Iowa's all-time top 10 career pins list. Iowa State put three more points on the board at 165 with Cyclone senior Jon Reader's 4-3 win over Hawkeye senior Ryan Morningstar. Morningstar scored a takedown late in the third period to tie the score at 3-3, but Reader added a riding time point to hand the Hawkeye senior his first loss of the season. Hawkeye junior Jay Borschel stretched Iowa's lead to 18-6 with his 10-4 decision over Cyclone senior Duke Burk at 174. After a scoreless first period, Borschel scored two takedowns in the second period and added one more in the third to remain undefeated at 8-0. Iowa State gave themselves a chance at the team victory with wins at the last three weights, but did not score the needed bonus points to take the lead. Cyclone sophomore Jerome Ward led the charge, scoring a 5-3 upset over Hawkeye senior Phillip Keddy at 184. Top-ranked Iowa State senior Jake Varner scored a 12-4 major decision over Iowa senior Chad Beatty at 197, making the team score 18-13 in favor of Iowa. Hawkeye sophomore Blake Rasing put up a fight in the final match of the night, but gave up a takedown in sudden victory to lose 3-1 to Cyclone senior David Zabriskie. The Hawkeyes also crowned six individual champions at the Wisconsin Open in Parkside, WI, Saturday. Sophomores J.J. Krutsinger (125), Montell Marion (141) and Jordan Johnson (Hwt.), redshirt freshman Mark Ballweg (133) and Grant Gambrall (184) and true freshman Derek St. John (157) all won their respective weight classes. Juniors Tyler Clark (133) and Luke Lofthouse (197), and sophomore Vinnie Wagner (184) placed second, while true freshman Ethen Lofthouse (174) placed third. Up next for Iowa is Thursday's 7 p.m. dual with Northern Iowa (3-3) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Tickets purchased in advance are $10 for adults and $5 for youth, while tickets purchased at the event are $12 for adults and $6 for youth. UI students and children ages five and under will receive free admission to the dual. The meet has been designated the Miracle Meet, in support of the UI Children's Hospital, and food drive. Fans can bring in three non-perishable food items to the UI Sports Marketing table at each Carver-Hawkeye Arena entrance and receive an Iowa wrestling decal. Results: 125 - Matt McDonough (I) dec. Andrew Long (ISU), 13-7 133 - Daniel Dennis (I) dec. Nick Fanthorpe (ISU), 10-8 SV 141 - Nick Gallick (ISU) dec. Dan LeClere (I), 8-6 SV 149 - Brent Metcalf (I) pinned Mitch Mueller (ISU), 5:50 157 - Aaron Janssen (I) dec. Andrew Sorenson (ISU), 8-6 165 - Jon Reader (ISU) dec. Ryan Morningstar (I), 4-3 174 - Jay Borschel (I) dec. Duke Burk (ISU), 10-4 184 - Jerome Ward (ISU) dec. Phillip Keddy (I), 5-3 197 - Jake Varner (ISU) maj. dec. Chad Beatty (I), 12-4 Hwt. - David Zabriskie (ISU) dec. Blake Rasing (I), 3-1 SV

EDINBORO, Pa. -- Edinboro captured the 67th Annual Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships on Saturday at McComb Fieldhouse on the Edinboro campus. It marks the fifth straight PSAC title for head coach Tim Flynn’s squad, tying the PSAC record set by Lock Haven from 1940-42 and 1947-48. Edinboro has now won eight of the last nine and 11 of the last 13 championships. The Fighting Scots finished with 142.5 points to edge Bloomsburg, which finished with 134.5 points. Clarion was third with 110.0 points, while Lock haven grabbed fourth place with a total of 99.5 points. Ten teams competed in the championships. Edinboro finished with a total of four champions, including a pair of three-time winners. Jarrod King and Pat Bradshaw became the 49th and 50th three-time champions at 165 and 184 lbs., respectively. King joins his brother Matt as a three-time champion. Bloomsburg had three champions, including Nate Graham, who recorded his second straight title at 174 lbs. Matt Moley of Bloomsburg was named the Outstanding Wrestler after wining all three of his bouts at 157 lbs. by fall. The two-time All-American pinned Jarrett Hostetter of Millersville in 2:10 in the finals. It was Moley’s first PSAC crown. Edinboro had a young and somewhat patched up lineup, but that didn’t matter to Flynn. “Winning is winning,” he grinned afterwards. “I don’t care if it’s young guys, old guys, whatever. I thought we wrestled better than we have been. I still think that we have a little bit of work to do. We’ve been focusing on our effort. Our effort was better, even in the losing matches.” Edinboro's Eric Morrill got the finals started with an 8-2 decision over Jason Guffey of Bloomsburg at 125 lbs., recording the matches’ only three takedowns. Cory Bowers of Gannon followed with a 4-3 decision over Clarion’s Jay Ivanco, the 125 lb. champion in 2008, in the 133 lb. title match. The two battled through two scoreless periods before Bowers posted a pair of third period takedowns to become Gannon’s first PSAC champion. At 141 lbs., freshman Frank Hickman of Bloomsburg, the third seed, upset top-seeded Joel Webster of Edinboro by major decision, 10-2. Lock Haven’s Brock Parker, the biggest surprise of the tourney as a fifth seed, picked up a 3-1 decision in overtime over Josh Roosa of Bloomsburg, the third seed, at 149 lbs. That left Parker with wins over the first, third and fourth seeds. Following Moley’s win at 157 lbs., King and Bloomsburg’s Ricky Schmelyun met for the second straight year in the 165 lb. championship bout. King prevailed 4-0, with a first period takedown, plus a point for stalling and riding time. King, the defending Division I national champion, won an extremely strong weight class that also included Mercyhurst’s Josh Shields, the defending Division II national champion. Graham garnered his second straight 174 lb. title with a 5-2 decision over Shippensburg’s Chris Barrick. Bradshaw won his first two titles at 197 lbs., then moved down to 184 lbs. this year. In a wild match, he handed Shane Mallory of East Stroudsburg an 11-6 defeat thanks to a takedown and five total near-fall points. The 197 lb. match featured a battle of top-seeded Shawn Fendone of Edinboro and Clarion freshman Alex Thomas, the second seed. Thomas need just two minutes to pin Fendone. A year ago Chris Birchler lost the heavyweight title to Edinboro’s Joey Fendone while competing for East Stroudsburg. Now a Fighting Scot, Fendone was in Birchler’s corner as the senior won a 9-4 decision over Dan Craig of Lock Haven.

PRIMM, Nev. -- Four Hoosiers placed at the 28th Annual Cliff Keen Invitational, including Angel Escobedo and Nate Everhart; and their individual championships in the 125 lbs. and 285 lbs. weight classes, respectively. Escobedo was named the tournament's "Most Outstanding Wrestler." As a team, the Hoosiers finished in sixth place out 44 schools competing in the event. Twelve of the nation's top-25 teams were in the field. Escobedo, ranked second nationally, improves his season record to 12-0 after gathering a half-dozen wins en route to his tournament title. He took out two nationally-ranked opponents in the process, including a 4-2 decision over #3 Anthony Robles of Arizona State in the finals. In his semifinal match, Everhart firmly placed himself in the All-American conversation with a 4-3 triumph over No. 4 Mitch Monteiro (Cal St. Bakersfield). He then followed that up with another one-point victory over No. 7 Tucker Lane from Nebraska in the finals. It was incorrectly reported Saturday that Everhart lost his championship match. The corrected results are above. Young advanced to the semifinals of the championship bracket as well before dropping back-to-back matches by a combined three points against two wrestlers ranked in the nation's top-6. He rebounded in his final match of the weekend, however, defeating Hofstra's P.J. Gillespie, 8-5, for fifth place. Powless was Indiana's fourth placer out in Nevada, coming in at eight place.

Primm, Nev. -- Craig Brester continued a dominant senior season as he claimed the 197-pound championship while leading the Nebraska wrestling team to a fifth-place finish with 94 points at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitaitonal on Saturday in Primm, Nev. After three falls on Friday, Brester pinned Purdue's Logan Brown in 2 minutes, 30 seconds to advance to the finals, where he won a 6-3 decision over Oklahoma's Eric Lapotsky for the 197-pound title. The Howells, Neb., native is now 11-0 this season and has won five matches by fall. Brester won of three Husker to reach the finals, in addition to senior Stephen Dwyer (174) and sophomore Tucker Lane (285). Dwyer and Lane each claimed runner-up finishes after advancing to the championhip round with semifinal vicotires. Dwyer defeated Purdue's Luke Manuel (7-3), but fell to Cornell's Mack Lewnes by decision (5-3), while Lane downed Oklahoma's Nathan Fernandez (3-1) before dropping the title bout to Indiana's Nate Everhart (3-2). Nebraska was without defending 157-pound national champion Jordan Burroughs, who was forced to withdraw from the Las Vegas Invitational after a first round mouth injury. The Huskers are back on the road next week on a short turnaround, traveling to No. 4 Minnesota on Thursday (7 p.m.) before a dual at South Dakota State on Saturday (2 p.m.).

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- The Big Red wrestling team placed second at the Las Vegas Invitational this weekend where Mack Lewnes won the individual title at 174 pounds. Five other Big Red wrestlers placed in their respective weight classes including Mike Grey (2nd, 133), Cam Simaz (3rd, 197), Kyle Dake (4th, 141), Steve Bosak (5th, 174) and Frank Perrelli (5th, 125). Cornell finished with 121.5 team points just one point behind team champions Ohio State (122.5) At 174 pounds, Lewnes won a 5-3 decision over the second-seeded Stephen Dwyer of Nebraska to win his third Las Vegas Invitational title. Lewnes notched two takedowns and had an escape to start the second period, while he held Dwyer to three escapes. In the semis, he defeated Jeffrey James (4) (Oklahoma), 7-3. Grey, the No. 3 seed, picked up a bonus point for the Big Red in his semifinal match by winning by a 10-2 major decision over Kelly Kubec (7) (Oregon State). Grey placed second after losing a 5-3 decision to Boris Novachkov of Cal Poly in the finals. At 197 in the wrestlebacks, Simaz pinned his third opponent of the competition. He won by fall in 4:51 over Indiana’s Matt Powless. Simaz advanced to the third place match after he won a 6-2 decision over Logan Brown of Purdue the No. 5 seed. The Big Red sophomore took third place after defeating Oregon State’s Chad Hanke by a 23-8 tech fall in 6:37. At 141 pounds, Dake faced Reece Humphrey of Ohio State in the semifinals. Humphrey, the No. 1 ranked wrestler in the country, narrowly defeated the Big Red freshman, 4-2, in sudden victory. Dake shutout the No. 2 seeded and third ranked Chris Druin of Arizona State in the consolation round, 4-0. In his match for third place, Dake faced Zach Bailey (5) of Oklahoma. Bailey won by a 2-1 decision in the first tiebreaker. In the wrestlebacks at 184 pounds, Bosak won his first match of the day by tech fall (16-0, 7:00) over UNC Greensboro’s Andrew Saunders. No. 6 nationally ranked Joe LeBlanc (3) from Wyoming narrowly defeated Bosak, 7-5, in sudden victory. Bosak placed fifth after receiving a medical forfeit from Matt Ryan of West Virginia. At 125 pounds, Perrelli was pinned by the No. 1 seed Angel Escobedo (Indiana) in 5:22 in the semifinals. In the wrestlebacks, he lost a close 5-4 decision to Old Dominion’s James Nicholson. Perrelli placed fifth after defeating Boise States’ Alan Bartelli, 4-3. The Big Red will break for the holidays and will be back in action on Dec. 29-30 for the Southern Scuffle.

PRIMM, Nev. -- Behind 141-pound champion Reece Humphrey and runners-up Lance Palmer and Colt Sponseller, the third-ranked Ohio State wrestling team captured the 2009 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Collegiate Wrestling Invitational team title Saturday afternoon at the Star of the Desert Arena in Primm, Nev. It was a close affair as the Buckeyes (122.5) escaped with a one-point victory over Cornell (121.5). Compared to Ohio State's 1-2 record in the finals, the Big Red went 1-1. Finishing third was Oklahoma with 109.5 points. The 2009 championship comes a year after the Scarlet and Gray finished 11th. Humphrey, No. 1 in the nation and a senior team tri-captain, remains undefeated this season at 14-0 following six victories in Nevada. The native of Indianapolis, Ind., scored bonus points in three of his six wins, which included a pin, technical fall and major decision. His final three bouts came against seeded wrestlers in No. 8 Kenny Hashimoto Northern Colorado, No. 4 Kyle Dake of Cornell and No. 6 Fil Novachkov of Cal Poly. Despite the tough competition, Humphrey was able to outscore his final three opponents, 24-11. Humphrey's win over Dake proved to be pivotal in the team standings as well. The Big Red stood just 10 points behind the Buckeyes entering the second and final day of competition. Palmer, another Buckeye senior team captain, was second for the second consecutive year at 149 pounds, a weight class considered one of the toughest in the nation. The No. 2-seed from Columbia Station, Ohio, Palmer faced No. 1 Kyle Ruschell of Wisconsin in the final and dropped a close 3-1 decision. Palmer had won nine-straight matches before his setback in the final. Like his teammate Palmer, Sponseller also was a runner-up for the second straight year at 165 pounds. And also like Palmer, Sponseller faced a Badger in the final in No. 1 seed Andrew Howe. The junior from Glenmont, Ohio, lost, 6-3, in the championship bout. With Top 8 finishes, Nikko Triggas (125), Dave Rella (174) and Mike Pucillo (184) also were instrumental in guiding Ohio State to the team title. Triggas was eighth, Rella was seventh and Pucillo earned a fourth-place finish. The Buckeyes return to dual action against No. 19 Edinboro at 2 p.m. Dec. 13 at Perrysburg High School in Perrysburg, Ohio. Team Standings (Top 10) 1. 122.5 Ohio State 2. 121.5 Cornell 3. 109.5 Oklahoma 4. 97.5 Boise State 5. 94 Nebraska 6. 90.5 Indiana 7. 78.5 Cal Poly 8. 77.5 Oregon State 9. 73.5 Wisconsin 10. 71 Wyoming

Brandon Eggum

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- The Army at American wrestling match, scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 12 in Washington, D.C., has been cancelled due to a conflict. No reschedule date has been announced. The Black Knights will host their second dual match of the season on Thursday, Dec. 10 at Gillis Field House. The home match against Rider will begin at 7:30 p.m. and ITT Knight Vision will cover the event live.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- The seventh-ranked University of Maryland wrestling team avenged last season's regular season loss to North Carolina by opening conference play with a 41-0 victory over the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill, N.C., on Friday night. Maryland (6-1, 1-0 ACC) dominated from the beginning, winning all ten matches. "It feels good to win this way after they beat us last year," said head coach Kerry McCoy. "We're doing the right things and continuing to work hard to get better and put ourselves in the position we need to be in." On paper, the Terps looked to have the advantage in the early matches while the Tar Heels looked to hold an edge in the middle weights. Maryland opened by getting major decisions in each of the first two matches before No. 11 Alex Krom went to overtime to defeat Mike Rappo. Maryland held an 11-0 lead going into the matchup at 149 pounds, Jon Kohler widened the lead for Maryland by taking a 10-8 decision over No. 12 Nick Stabile. Kyle John followed that up at 157 with a major decision over No. 12 Thomas Scotton, putting Maryland completely in control. Josh Asper (165) and Corey Peltier (184) both got close wins, while No. 6 Mike Letts (174) earned an 18-3 technical fall over Thomas Ferguson. No. 3 Hudson Taylor recorded the 69th pin of his career, tying Jake Stork's school record. The senior from Pennington, N.J., is now 12-0 on the season, winning 10 of those matches by pin. Maryland is back in action on Sunday as a number of Terps travel to State College, Pa., to compete in the Penn State Open. Results: 125- James Knox (MD) major dec. Brian Bokoski, 13-3 (MD 4-0) 133- No. 8 Steven Bell (MD) major dec. Jeremy Shaw, 12-4 (MD 8-0) 141- No. 11 Alex Krom (MD) dec. Mike Rappo, 6-4 (OT) (MD 11-0) 149- Jon Kohler (MD) dec. No. 12 Nick Stabile, 10-8 (MD 14-0) 157- Kyle John (MD) major dec. No. 12 Thomas Scotton , 9-0 (MD 18-0) 165- Josh Asper (MD) dec. Kyle Kiss 4-2 (MD 21-0) 174- No. 6 Mike Letts (MD) tech. fall Thomas Ferguson, 18-3 (MD 26-0) 184- Corey Peltier (MD) dec. Nick Tenpenny 5-2 (MD 29-0) 197- No. 3 Hudson Taylor (MD) pins No. 11 Dennis Drury 4:24 (MD 35-0) HWT- No. 20 Patrick Gilmore (MD) wins by forfeit, (MD 41-0)

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Fueled by an upset win from freshman Alex Meade over former NCAA champion Dustin Schlatter at 165 pounds, the No. 3 Oklahoma State wrestling team claimed an impressive 21-8 win over No. 5 Minnesota Friday at Gallagher-Iba Arena. After spotting the Gophers (1-1 overall) a 6-0 lead through the first two bouts of the dual, the Cowboys (2-0-1 overall) went on to win seven of the next eight bouts and claim the resounding win. Sophomore 141-pounder Jamal Parks picked up his second upset victory of the week by handing fourth-ranked Gopher Mike Thorn a 4-1 defeat just three days after toppling No. 15 Zack Bailey of Oklahoma, but Meade stole the show with his 3-2 win over Schlatter. The Cowboy freshman bagged a takedown against the three-time Minnesota All-American just over a minute into the bout in what ended up being the key point of the match. A pair of escapes from Schlatter and an escape from Meade capped the scoring. “It’s a good win for him and strategy-wise I thought he wrestled well,” OSU coach John Smith said of Meade. “It came down to that first attempt when Schlatter tried to take him to his back and Alex reacted very well. Not only did he react but he went for the points. It’s a good win for him in his young career and I’m happy for him because he has worked hard.” Meade said his focus going into the match was not scouting Schlatter as much as it was preparing for how he was going to attack and score. “It’s a good win and a motivator for me,” Meade said. “It let me know that I can compete with the best and I’m going to keep learning from it.” OSU heavyweight Jared Rosholt picked up the 100th win of his career Friday with an 8-6 sudden victory triumph over No. 8 Ben Berhow. In doing so, he became the 33rd wrestler in Oklahoma State history to eclipse the century mark, joining his brother Jake, among others. “I didn’t even know until you guys said something because I don’t really keep track,” Rosholt said of his 100th win. “It surprised me when he came in and said that. It’s still the beginning stages of the season, so that’s kind of surprising. It’s good to know. I feel good about it. It’s a good accomplishment.” The Cowboys break for final exams, then return to action when they travel to California to battle UC Davis on Dec. 18. “I’m pleased that we kind of won a slugfest tonight,” Smith said. “It looked like a preseason dual to me where a lot of grabbing a hold of and hanging on happened. I think the key thing for us is that we won a lot of those matches and that made a difference in the score. We scored important takedowns.” Results: 125 pounds: No. 4 Zach Sanders (MINN) dec. No. 7 Chris Notte (OSU); 11-5 133 pounds: No. 2 Jayson Ness (MINN) dec. No. 7 Jordan Oliver (OSU); 3-0 141 pounds: No. 5 Jamal Parks (OSU) dec. No. 4 Mike Thorn (MINN); 4-1 149 pounds: No. 9 Mario Mason (MINN) dec. Quinten Fuentes (OSU); 13-9 157 pounds: No. 7 Neil Erisman (OSU) dec. Joe Grygelko (MINN); 7-0 165 pounds: No. 12 Alex Meade (OSU) dec. No. 1 Dustin Schlatter (MINN); 3-2 174 pounds: Chris McNeil (OSU) dec. Cody Yohn (MINN); 9-6 184 pounds: No. 11 Clayton Foster (OSU) MD No. 16 Sonny Yohn (MINN); 13-1 197 pounds: No. 4 Alan Gelogaev (OSU) dec. Brent Eidenschink (MINN); 13-6 285 pounds: No. 2 Jared Rosholt (OSU) dec. No. 8 Ben Berhow (MINN); 8-6 SV